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GOOD EVENING.[Parks and Recreation Board on October 6, 2021. ]
UM, JUST REMINDER EVERYBODY TURNED THE MICROPHONES ON BECAUSE OTHERWISE THE RECORDING DOESN'T PICK IT UP AND ALSO NOTICE YOU ARE BEING RECORDED AND THIS WILL BE POSTED ON THE CITY WEBSITE.UM, SO IT'S A 7 57 O'CLOCK AND, UH, WE CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
FIRST ITEM OF IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MOLLY, BISHOP I'LL SECOND, EVERY SECOND BY JONATHAN FERGUSON.
UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
ANYBODY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES? OKAY.
SO I'M GOING TO MOVE ITEM C UP AND, UH, LET, WE'RE GONNA LET MATT DO HIS, UM, PRESENTATION AND THEN WE'RE GONNA ALLOW OUR, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS ON, UH, ON THE SAFETY AND, UM, AND THEN THEY WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION.
UM, IT'S PRETTY A SHORT PRESENTATION, UH, AND, AND REALLY, UM, PROVIDE, UH, AN ACTUAL POWERPOINT OR ANYTHING, BUT THIS IS JUST KIND OF A PRESENTATION TO GET THE KICKOFF A CONVERSATION AND GET SOME DIRECTION AND HOPEFULLY START HAVING A LARGER CONVERSATION IN TERMS OF SAFETY ISSUES WITHIN THE PARK.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF, UM, YOU HAVE, HAVE ADDRESSED AND TALKED TO ME ABOUT AND TALK TO ANDY ABOUT AND WANT TO START HAVING A DEEPER DIVE INTO HOW WE DEAL WITH ISSUES WITHIN OUR VARIOUS PARKS.
AND SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO KIND OF START THAT CONVERSATION, AND THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.
UM, SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE DEAL WITH ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS THAT KIND OF GAVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES THAT WE COULD WORK INTO, UH, SOME ORDINANCE CHANGES OR THINGS LIKE PARKING.
SO WE HAVE A REAL ISSUE WITH HIGH SCHOOL KIDS PARKING AT HEALTH PARK IN THAT PARKING LOT.
UM, AND IT CENTRAL, UH, PARKING FOR COMING OVER FROM GARLAND HIGH SCHOOL.
AND WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE MPOS.
WE HAVE TRIED TO WORK WITH GIS D I HAVE EVEN GONE OVER TO NAME IN HIGH SCHOOL AND MET WITH THEIR VICE PRINCIPAL AND, UH, TO NO AVAIL, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO ANYTHING.
SO WHAT I HAVEN'T TOLD THEM IS, WELL, WE'RE GONNA START TICKETING PEOPLE AND, AND, AND PULL THEM, MOVING THEM OUT OF THERE, WHICH THEY'RE COMPLETELY FINE WITH BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE HOTEL DOES ACROSS THE STREET WHEN THEY PARK IN THE HOTEL ACROSS THE STREET.
SO THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF, OF SOME THINGS THAT WE COULD DO IS LOOKING AT POSSIBLE ORDINANCE CHANGES IN TERMS OF PARKING IN SPECIFIC LOCATIONS AND LIMITING IT TO THREE HOUR PARKING DURING CERTAIN TIME SPOTS DURING CERTAIN TIMES OF DAY DURING THE WEEK, DURING SCHOOL YEARS.
SO THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE IN TERMS OF AN ORDINANCE CHANGE IN OTHER ORDINANCE CHANGE THAT WE COULD HAVE IS RIGHT NOW IN OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE, PARKS ARE OPEN TILL MIDNIGHT.
THAT'S PRETTY LATE, UH, FROM RESEARCH THAT I'VE DONE MOST PARKS CLOSE AT 10.
UH, SO THAT'S A PRETTY EASY ONE THAT WE COULD LOOK AT.
SO, AND THEN THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER ISSUES.
I KNOW A LOT OF YOU HAVE HAVE ISSUES THAT YOU'VE NOTICED IN YOUR PARKS AND, AND THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE FIX.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME AND A CONCERTED EFFORT TO DO, AND PROBABLY WILL REQUIRE FUTURE BUDGET DOLLARS TO DO IT.
UM, BUT WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE.
UM, AND THERE'S SOME LOW-HANGING FRUIT LIKE ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR.
UH, AND THEN THERE'S LONGER TERM THINGS LIKE LOOKING AT VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS LIKE, UM, DAVID IS DOING WITH THE SPRING CREEK NATURE PRESERVE AND DOING TRAIL MONITORS, UM, THAT I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE COULD DO WITH SOME VOLUNTEERS.
THERE MIGHT BE SOME THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO, UH, WITH MAYBE SOME FUTURE OFF DUTY POLICE OFFICERS TO HELP PATROL PARKS.
SO THERE'S A WHOLE GAMBIT OF WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE, AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE A WHOLE BUNCH OF TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT WE DEAL WITH IN TERMS OF SAFETY ISSUES IN OUR PARKS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE NEED TO START SOMEWHERE AND I THINK THE BEST WAY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT IS TO, IS TO KIND OF REMAND THIS BACK TO, TO A COMMITTEE AND START TO KIND OF DIVE INTO SOME OF THOSE ISSUES, UM, THAT WE CAN WORK ON OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, AND THEN BE ABLE TO BRING BACK TO, TO THIS BOARD A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS OF SOME LOW HANGING, IMMEDIATE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.
SOME PROBABLY SHORT-TERM THINGS THAT WE CAN START LOOKING AT.
AND THEN WHAT ARE SOME LONG-TERM THINGS THAT WE NEED TO START PLANNING FOR, UM, TO MOVE FORWARD TO WHERE THAT ULTIMATE GOAL NEEDS TO BE.
WE DO CONTINUE TO WORK VERY, VERY CLOSELY WITH THE NPOS.
OUR SUPERVISORS ARE VERY CLOSE WITH THEM.
WE TALK TO THEM ON A DAILY BASIS.
UH, THEY WORK WITH US QUITE A BIT, UM, BUT YOU ALL KNOW THAT THERE'S EXTREMELY BUSY AND THEIR JOB IS TO BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SO WHEN THEY COME OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS TO HELP US IN PARKS, THEY'RE NOT IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SO WE REALLY NEED DEDICATED, UM, PATROL IN OUR PARKS THAT HAS REALLY WHAT'S GOING TO HELP HERE.
UM, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM THE ENFORCEMENT TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND SOME OF THAT CAN BE DONE THROUGH ORDINANCE.
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UM, AND WE NEED TO JUST START TO DIVE INTO THAT AND EXAMINE THOSE AND MOVE FORWARD.SO I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE.
AND IF THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO DO, I'D BE HAPPY TO SEE WHO WAS ON THAT COMMITTEE AND THEN START WORKING WITH YOU DIRECTLY TO START COMING UP WITH SOME OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU RECOMMENDED A SPECIFIC EXISTING COMMITTEE OR A SEPARATE NEW COMMITTEE.
SO, UM, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO, TO PLEAD THAT, I DON'T KNOW, AT THIS POINT, WHICH COMMITTEES CURRENTLY FALL WITH UNDERNEATH THIS PARKS, UM, BOARD, UM, WE HAVE ONE COMMITTEE THAT'S FOR FACILITIES AND FINANCE.
THE OTHER ONE IS POLICY AND PROGRAM.
AND THEN THERE'S THE URBAN TREE OVER IN FOREST COMMITTEE.
I FEEL LIKE POLICY RECOMMENDATION IS ULTIMATELY WHERE IT'LL GO.
THAT ONE'S RELATED TO A RECOMMENDATION FOR ORDINANCE OR POLICY CHANGES WILL ULTIMATELY GO TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND.
THERE WILL BE SOME POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I THINK WILL COME OUT OF THIS.
AND IF I COULD PIGGYBACK A LITTLE BIT ON WHAT MATT WAS SAYING IS IT'S GOING TO TAKE A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH, UH, TO ADDRESS A VARIETY OF CONCERNS.
THERE'S NOT A, THERE'S NOT A MAGIC SOLUTION FOR ALL THINGS.
UM, AND I THINK ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT, WE DO HAVE A FANTASTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE WORK WITH THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS, THE MPOS, AS WELL AS THE, THE HOMELESS TASK FORCE HAS DONE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK FOR US IN, UH, DEALING WITH SOME ISSUES IN CENTRAL PARK AND VARIOUS OTHER PLACES THAT, UM, ARE, ARE MUCH BETTER NOW.
SO, BUT WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS ALSO PAINT THE PICTURE OF, UH, OF, OF, UM, ENFORCEMENT.
A LOT OF TIMES WE GET ASKED, WELL, JUST PUT A SIGN UP OR CAN'T YOU DO THIS CAN'T WE S WE WOULD LOVE TO, BUT WE HAVE TO VISIT WITH PD AND ANYBODY WITH AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE ALL OF THAT.
WHAT'S TRULY ENFORCEABLE OR THE RESOURCES THERE IS IT, IS IT REALISTIC TO ENFORCE IT? WE CAN PUT SO MANY SIGNS UP THAT IT'S JUST OBNOXIOUS AND UNSIGHTLY, BUT NOT ENFORCEABLE, AND THERE'S NO RESOURCES THERE TO ENFORCE IT.
SO WE HAVE TO BALANCE THAT AS WE GO THROUGH IT.
SO I THINK THE COMMITTEE WILL ALLOW FOR THAT LONGER DISCUSSION ABOUT EACH OF THESE TOPICS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS.
AND IT ALSO HELPS US TO AT, AND WE DO CURRENTLY WORK WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, ANDY AND I MET WITH ART AND ANIMAL SERVICES THE OTHER DAY, AND THEY'RE ALREADY EXTREMELY HELPFUL, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW THAT PARTNERSHIP AND WORK WITH THEM AND FIND WHERE THOSE OTHER ENFORCEMENT ARMS WITHIN THE CITY THAT WE CAN USE TO HELP.
SO THERE, AGAIN, MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE APPROACHES THAT, THAT NEED TO BE EXAMINED.
QUESTIONS FOR MATT, MR. JERRY CARTER.
UM, MATT, FIRST QUESTION, UH, HAS THIS, HAS THIS COME DOWN FROM COUNCIL TO US, OR IS THIS SOMETHING WE'RE TAKING ON AND WE'RE GOING TO GIVE TO COUNCIL AND I WILL GIVE OUR WORK TO THEM, BUT DID THIS COME FROM COUNCIL FOR US TO TAKE CHARGE OF, NO, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK REALLY GENERATED FROM THIS BOARD.
UM, BUT WE DO GET A LOT OF CALLS AND QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL.
UM, SO THEY HAVEN'T DIRECTED US TO SAY, HEY, GO LOOK AT WHAT A SAFETY PLAN WAS.
THIS IS US BEING PROACTIVE AND SAYING WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT MIGHT BE CAUSING UNSAFE SITUATIONS IN OUR PART, UH, AND REALLY ADDRESSING A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT I'VE HEARD FROM, FROM YOU ALL.
AND HOW DO WE START TO PROACTIVELY DO THIS IN A, IN A BETTER WAY, SECOND QUESTION.
UM, IT APPEARS THAT YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE TWO DIFFERENT SETS OF PROBLEMS, RESOLVED ONES THAT IS ONE OF THEM, A DAYTIME IN SCHOOL, A PROBLEM, AND ANOTHER AFTER DARK PROBLEM, OR W HOW DOES THIS HOUSE HAS DONE DIVIDE OUT OR DOES, I THINK THERE'S HANDFULS AND HANDFULS OF PROBLEMS. UH, AND THERE'S, THERE'S DIFFERENT PROBLEMS DURING THE DAY, AND THERE'S DIFFERENT PROBLEMS IN THE EVENING, AND BOTH OF THEM ARE GOING TO TAKE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS, WHICH IS WHY THIS IS SUCH A COMPLEX ISSUE AND WHY IT'S GOING TO TAKE IN, UM, UH, A WHILE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DIVE, DIVE DOWN INTO THAT, AND THEN FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT THINGS WE CAN DO.
WE CAN DO THAT THROUGH ORDINANCE, AND THEN WE CAN WORK WITH THE MPOS AND YOU START TICKETING KIDS IN TOW, IN THEIR CARS.
THAT'S GOING TO GET THAT MESSAGE THROUGH REALLY QUICK AND, AND IT'LL HELP, UM, DEALING WITH HOMELESS AND DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, OTHER ISSUES LIKE THAT.
THAT'S A LONGER TERM FIX THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO DIVE INTO AND PROBABLY WILL TAKE WORKING WITH MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.
UH, WOULD IT BE THE INTENT TO GO OUT TO OTHER CITIES TO SEE IF THEY HAVE DEVELOPED ORDINANCES THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE SAME ISSUES THAT, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S NO NEW PROBLEMS. IT'S, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY.
I WONDER IF WE HAVE THAT AS A REFERENCE TO HELP US KIND OF GET STARTED.
AND THERE'S LIKE YOU SAID, THERE THERE'S, THESE ARE THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE AND, UH, REVIEWING WHAT OTHER CITIES ORDINANCES ARE.
WE'VE ALREADY KIND OF STARTED TO DO THAT.
UM, OTHER CITIES HAVE A PARK RANGER PROGRAMS AND OTHER TYPES OF PROGRAMS THAT I THINK ARE WORTH LOOKING AT THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MODEL HERE AT SOME POINT, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S A LONGTERM SOLUTION
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THAT, THAT TAKES FUTURE FUNDING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.BUT AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT HOW DO WE GET MORE PATROLS, MORE EYES, MORE PEOPLE IN OUR PARKS THAT ARE, THAT ARE LOOKING OUT FOR THE RIGHT THING AND CAN BE STEWARDS IN THOSE PARKS.
UM, AND HOW DO WE START TO LOOK AT THAT? BUT YES, THERE'S OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UH, DALLAS HAS ONE, AUSTIN HAS ONE, PORTLAND HAS ONE, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF PROGRAMS OUT THERE THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND DRAW FROM THAT.
WE CAN'T TAKE THE SECOND STEP UNTIL WE'RE TAKING THE FRESHMEN.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, MOLLY GOT SOMETHING.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS BEFORE? I, I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WHAT I UNDERSTAND, YOU'RE ASKING US TO GIVE YOU IDEAS BECAUSE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THESE BEFORE.
SO I'M TRYING TO SEE IF, UH, THE IDEA IS TO MAYBE IN THE FUTURE TO PROVIDE SOME IDEAS TO THE COMEDY OR TO THE DEPARTMENT, OR HOW WE, WHAT IS THE PLAN IN ORDER TO CREATE THIS SAFETY? I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING THAT WE WOULD ADDRESS AT THE FIRST COMMITTEE MEETING IS KIND OF SET OUT AND THAT'S WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL COME UP WITH A SCHEDULE AND A PLAN AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS IT IN A WAY FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO GIVE INPUT TO THAT COMMITTEE.
I'M NOT SURE WHO'S ON THAT COMMITTEE, BUT HOW YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INPUT INTO THAT COMMITTEE.
AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE A CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THAT AND PUT TOGETHER A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IT'LL TAKE A COUPLE OF MONTHS FOR US TO DO THAT, THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND GIVE A PRESENTATION THAT TO THE FULL BOARD AND LET YOU ASK QUESTIONS.
AND THEN IF WE NEED TO GO BACK AND DO SOME REFINING FROM THAT, UM, WE CAN DO THAT AND THEN START TO PUT INTO PLACE THE ACTIONS THAT WOULD NEED TO TAKE PLACE TO BE ABLE TO MOVE SOME OF THOSE FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, THE QUESTIONS MOTION.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT, UM, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO AND TRYING TO GET A BROAD SPECTRUM, UM, MAINTENANCE, UH, SAFETY ORDINANCE, CHANGE, MAINTENANCE PRACTICES, CITIZEN VOLUME, AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND I UNDERSTAND FOR MOST OF IT GOING TO COMMITTEE, IT'LL GO TO COMMITTEE AND BE ASSIGNED THERE NEXT MONTH OR THE DAY BEFORE, AND THEN THEY'LL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN IT'LL GO TO COUNCIL AND IT'LL BE ON THERE.
AND SO MAYBE IN MY LIFETIME, IT WILL COME INTO EFFECT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND THAT WE AT LEAST CONSIDER SENDING TO COUNCIL OUT OF THIS BOARD TONIGHT, UH, CHANGING THE PARK HOURS TO CLOSE AT 10 LIMITING, TO PARKING TO THREE HOURS AT HALF PARK AND AT CENTRAL PARK, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM SEVEN, SEVEN TO THREE, AND, UH, REGULATIONS IN THE DOGS AND PUBLIC AREAS, MAINLY SANITARY, DISPOSAL, PIG, UH, PAT RICE.
SO ALL THOSE THAT ARE LISTED IN ITEM, NUMBER ONE, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THAT A MOTION TO RECOMMEND THAT TO COUNCIL.
NOW, I TOTALLY HEAR YOU, UM, AND, AND UNDERSTAND THAT CAN I MAKE A RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL ORDINANCE CHANGES THAT COME OUT AND IF WE MOVE THIS FORWARD QUICKLY AND, AND, UM, MAKE IT THAT THAT'S OUR FIRST PRIORITY, IF WE CAN GET THIS COMMITTEE GOING AND WE CAN MEET, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO COME BACK AT THE NOVEMBER MEETING WITH A FULL RECOMMENDATION OF ORDINANCE CHANGES, AND WE DO THAT FIRST, SO THAT IT NOVEMBER, CAUSE WHAT I DON'T WANT TO DO IS WE MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL.
AND THEN NEXT MONTH AFTER WE'VE MET, THEN THERE'S ANOTHER THREE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE WAS THIS PLAN GOING FORWARD.
SO I TOTALLY HEAR YOU ABOUT THAT URGENCY.
AND SO MAYBE WHAT WE DO IS THAT'S OUR FIRST NUGGET THAT WE TACKLE AND WE REALLY JUST FOCUS ON WHAT WE COULD CHANGE IN ORDINANCE AND MAKE IT A TRY TO GET BACK TO YOU IN NOVEMBER WITH THAT RECOMMENDATION SO THAT THEN YOU COULD MAKE THAT MOTION AND RECOMMEND IT TO COUNCIL.
UH, JUST THINKING THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME OTHERS.
THOSE WERE JUST SOME EXAMPLES THAT ARE OUT THERE.
COMMITTEE COMMITTEE, USUALLY IN THE, IN THE PAST 20 SOME YEARS COMMITTEE WILL MEET IN NOVEMBER AND THEN I MAY OR MAY NOT BE PRESENTED AT THE NOVEMBER MEETING DECEMBER.
WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I I'LL TAKE YOUR ALL THE DIRECTION.
YOU GUYS WANT TO MOVE THOSE FORWARD THAT YOU GUYS ARE WELCOME TO DO THAT.
ONE THING I'D LIKE TO CONSIDER POSSIBLY IF I COULD, IS IT, IF WE WANT TO GO THAT ROUTE ON THESE, WE COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT, BUT MAYBE THE MOTION IS BROAD ENOUGH TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF ROOM FOR, UM, THIS, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS GOING TO NEED TO REVIEW ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO WHETHER THAT LIMIT THE PARKING TO THREE HOURS IS ULTIMATELY THE MOST ENFORCEABLE AND BEST WAY WE DON'T KNOW YET UNTIL WE KIND OF RUN IT THROUGH THEIR, THROUGH THEIR OFFICE AS WELL.
BUT, UM, IF IT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO GET THESE THREE, UH, LOOKED AT IMMEDIATELY, WE COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT.
UM, OR WE COULD, YOU KNOW, THE COMMITTEE MEETING AND FAST TRACK IT THROUGH THE ONE COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION, FOLLOWING THAT BECAUSE THERE COULD BE A LOT OF, SINCE IT'S NOT A CORUM OFFLINE DISCUSSION AND EMAILS AND DISCUSSIONS
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BACK AND FORTH, NOT JUST AT THE PRE COMMITTEE MEETING BEFORE THE NEXT PARK BOARD MEETING.SO, BUT THE COMMITTEE DOESN'T HAVE A LAWYER ON THERE.
SO IT WOULD STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE, UM, CITY ATTORNEY.
I'M SURE ULTIMATELY, BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ENCAPSULATING ALL THE IDEAS AND ALL THE, YOU KNOW, BRAINSTORM POSSIBLE OPTIONS, THAT WAY WE'RE TAKING ALL ORDINANCE POSSIBILITIES AT ONE TIME.
CAUSE THAT'S WHERE ALL THE HEAVY WORK IS.
AND THEN WE TAKE THOSE IDEAS AND THEN RUN THAT THROUGH THE REGULATORY FOLKS.
THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT WE RUN THIS THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
TAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE BROAD, THAT RE REFLECT YOUR CONCERNS, RUN IT THROUGH THE LEGAL, RUN IT THROUGH PD TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN PD CAN ACTUALLY ENFORCE IT BECAUSE THEY MAY LOOK AT IT AND GO GREAT IDEA, BUT, OR YES, 100% WE CAN DO THAT.
BUT I, I, IT'S JUST COMING AS A RECOMMENDATION.
I MEAN, I'M JUST DOING IT EMOTION AS A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, IF THE, IF THE BOARD APPROVES IT AND THEN IMPLEMENTING, IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS, JUST SO THAT IT GETS ON THE RADAR OF COUNCIL THAT IT CAN GET ON THEIR CONSENT AGENDA.
AND IT'LL TAKE THE ORDINANCE CHAINS, I THINK TAKE TWO READINGS.
IT'S TWO, IT'S A TWO MEETING PROCESS FOR THEM.
THAT MEANS NOTHING MAY HAPPEN UNTIL JANUARY.
SO NOTHING MAY GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL WE HAVE A CERTAIN SENSE OF URGENCY HERE WE WERE.
UM, I'M ASSUMING THAT WHEN YOU SAY THE PARK CLOSES AT 10 O'CLOCK THERE'S EXCEPTIONS FOR EVENTS THAT ARE GOING ON ABSOLUTELY.
AND THAT ALSO INCLUDES RENTALS.
YOU GOT INDOOR RENTALS, YOU GOT PAVILION RENTALS.
THOSE WILL ALL HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT INDIVIDUALLY TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T INADVERTENTLY IMPACT ANOTHER LEGITIMATE USE.
AND THEN WITH PARKING, I THINK THAT WOULD BE MORE OF A MARSHALL'S THING.
THEY, UH, THAT'S ALL THEY DO IS PARKING VIOLATIONS AND THEY'RE MORE APT TO CHECK ON CARS AND THEN CHECK AGAIN, THREE HOURS LATER WHERE AN MPO MAY NOT BE ANYWHERE IN YOUR CORRECT.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION AND THAT'S HANDLED, THEY THEY'RE SUPERVISED BY THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
AND THEN THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UM, SINCE WE ARE MOVING FAST OR THAT WE ARE UNDERSTANDING THE, UM, RUSSIAN DOING THESE EMERGENCY, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON THE MAINTENANCE I SPOKE TO MATT EARLIER.
I'M SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS AWARE OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT PARK IN ARLINGTON.
AND WHEN WE REVIEW, UH, OUR MAINTENANCE GUIDELINE, WE WENT THROUGH HOW TO TAKE CARE OF OUR POOLS.
SO HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THEY ALREADY AHEAD ON, ON THE END OF THE GAME AND THEY ARE GOING TO PREPARE THE ONES FOR ONE.
WE HAVE THE SPLASH PADS, WHICH IS WONDERFUL, BUT I WILL RECOMMEND THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THAT FAST, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT AT THAT IN MAINTENANCE, IN THE MAINTENANCE SECTION, JUST TO, TO BE ALREADY THERE AS WELL, MOVING THAT FAST.
AND I, I CAN ADDRESS THAT IF YOU'D LIKE, CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S A HOT TOPIC RIGHT NOW.
AND SO OUR STAFF AND OUR TEAM HAS ABSOLUTELY PREPARED, UH, EVEN PRIOR TO THE, THAT UNFORTUNATE AND SAD INCIDENT IN ARLINGTON, THE STATE LAW IS VERY CLEAR ON WHAT'S REQUIRED.
UM, AND SO WE'RE AWARE OF IT AND IT'S ANY DAY THAT THOSE SPLASH PADS ARE IN OPERATION, IT'S REQUIRED TO BE INSPECTED AND, AND YOU CHECK THE CHEMICAL LEVELS IN THE OPERATION OF IT ON A DAILY BASIS AND RECORD IT.
UM, AND SO THE, WE ARE, UH, PREPARED.
SO AS A MATTER OF FACT, IN ADVANCE OF THAT, WE PUT IN THE BUDGET AND WAS APPROVED AS AN AQUATICS TECHNICIAN, WHOSE JOB WILL BE ONLY SPLASH PADS.
AND THAT WAY THEY'RE NOT DISTRACTED BY OTHER BEING CALLED OFF TO DO OTHER TASKS, WHICH IS COMMON IN PARKS.
BUT THAT, BECAUSE IT IS THAT IMPORTANT OF A LIFE SAFETY ISSUE, THAT PERSON IS DEDICATED AND TRAINED TO DO THAT CORRECTLY AND BY STATE LAW.
AND SO THEN THERE'S CHECKS AND BALANCES IN PLACE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT PERSON'S SUPERVISOR DOES A SPOT CHECK THAT PERSON'S SUPERVISOR DOES A CHECK ALL THE WAY UP THE FOOD CHAIN.
SO THAT, THAT WE, UH, ARE EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT.
WE DO HAVE, UH, UH, PROTOCOLS IN PLACE ALREADY FROM POOL MAINTENANCE AND WE'LL ADAPT THOSE STRICTLY FOR THE SPLASH PADS.
AND WE WILL DO BOTH, UH, REDUNDANT IN, IN, UH, PAPER DOCUMENTATION ON SITE, AS WELL AS A DIGITAL, THROUGH A WORK ORDER SYSTEM.
DO WE, DO WE HAVE TO MEET MONTHLY? I MEAN, COULDN'T, WE HAVE A COMMITTEE MEETING SOMETIME NEXT WEEK OR YEAH, SURE.
ONCE YOU'RE IN COMMITTEE, WE CAN MEET AS OFTEN AS YOU ALL ARE AVAILABLE.
I THINK THAT MAY ON THIS SORT OF THING.
I THINK THAT MAKES SOME SENSE.
BECAUSE MOST OF OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS HAS SORT OF BEEN TO LOOK AT A RECOMMENDATION BY STAFF AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, EITHER RECOMMENDED OR, OR NOT, AND I'VE NEVER HEARD THIS NOT WELL.
UM, HOW SOON WOULD IT HAVE TO BE PRESENTED? SO THAT COULD GO ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, UM, FOR CITY COUNCIL
[00:20:01]
TO CONSIDER.WELL, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS BRING BACK TO THE NEXT PARK BOARD MEETING, UM, UH, UH, A DRAFT OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCES TO REVIEW WITH.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, SINCE THE COMMITTEE IS NOT A QUORUM, WE CAN MEET AND COMMUNICATE AS OFTEN AS NECESSARY COME BACK TO THE NOVEMBER, AT LEAST WITH THE ORDINANCE RECOMMENDATIONS.
CAUSE WE'VE ALREADY HAD SOME PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WITH MANAGEMENT AND THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
SO WE, WE THINK WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WE JUST GOT TO MAKE SURE THE LANGUAGE IS CORRECT AND ENFORCEABLE AND, AND ALL THAT.
SO AS IT RELATES TO THE, UH, CODIFYING, THE PARK, THE DOG PARK RULES, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S A DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD, UH, THE PARKING WE'VE DISCUSSED IN THE, IN THE PARK HOURS.
SO I, I THINK WE COULD COME BACK WITH A DRAFT ORDINANCE BY THE NEXT MEETING BECAUSE THAT WOULDN'T, THAT ORDINANCE WOULD NEED TO BE AN OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATION BY PARK BOARD.
WE DO IT BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING, WHEN I'M HERE.
I DON'T THINK WE COULD HAVE THE OTHER, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE COULD HAVE A, UH, AN ORDINANCE DRAFT DONE BY ANY SOONER THAN THE NEXT MEETING.
IT THAT'S QUITE A BIT OF WORK FOR THESE THREE SEPARATE ORDINANCES FOR THE, FOR THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
SO I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR THEM.
WELL, I KNOW IT SEEMS LIKE I'M REALLY PUSHING YOU TO DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S LIKE, I'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT.
THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT I'VE, YOU KNOW, HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I'VE, I FEEL LIKE I'VE TRIED TO GO THROUGH THE PROPER STEPS TO HAVE IT ADDRESSED AND IT'S ON THE AGENDA.
AND, UM, IT'S JUST, AND I KNOW IT'S OCTOBER, BUT YOU KNOW, TOMORROW IT'S DECEMBER AND THINGS DON'T SEEM TO, SO IN YOUR MOTION, YOU KNOW, INCLUDE A TIMEFRAME TO COME BACK WITH SOMETHING WE CAN VOTE ON NEXT TIME.
WHAT'S THE BIG RUSH ON THAT FOR THE PARKS, IT CLOSES AT 10 O'CLOCK, THOSE THREE THINGS, THE THREE THINGS THAT WERE LISTED ON HERE, IF, IF IT'S, UH, BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT THEY'VE DISCUSSED WITH, WITH THE SCHOOL, UM, WITH THE NPOS, IS THAT WHAT THEY ARE SRS, NPS? UM, THEY KNOW IT'S A PROBLEM.
THEY'VE TRIED EVERY WAY THAT THEY CAN DO IT WITHOUT AN ORDINANCE.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE HAS TO BE A DISCUSSION WITH PUBLIC SAFETY OF SOME POINT THAT WOULD HAVE TO ENFORCE IT, BUT AT LEAST GET THE DISCUSSION GOING WHERE IT CAN GO FOR SOMEBODY TO REVIEW IT IN THE PROPER WORDING FROM THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
THAT THAT'S JUST MY DISCUSSION IT'S BEEN GOING ON LONG ENOUGH WHEN THE ORDINANCE WAS DRAFTED IN MY MIND FOR THE PARKS TO CLOSE AT MIDNIGHT, IT WAS LIKE, IT'S NO BIG DEAL.
IF THERE'S NO LIGHTS OUT IN THE PARK, THEN THERE WON'T BE ANY ACTIVITY OUT IN THE PARK.
BUT NOW THAT THERE ARE PHONES WITH GPS, SOCIAL APPS ON YOUR PHONE, WHERE YOU CAN MEET PEOPLE, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY THAT IS AGAINST THE CITY ORDINANCE.
THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE PARKS.
THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO PROBABLY HAPPEN IN THE PARKS.
IT, IN MY MIND, I WOULD WANT TO EQUIP PUBLIC SAFETY WITH SOME SORT OF AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD HELP THEM TO ENFORCE SOMETHING THAT WOULD GIVE, UM, SAFETY TO OUR CITIZENS.
AND TO THOSE PEOPLE HAVE FAMILIES AND KIDS AND OTHER EVENTS THAT ARE OUT THERE WHERE THAT THEY CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING OUT TO THE PARK.
THEY CAN'T GO TO ONE OF THE NEW, UM, BRAND NEW, SPECIAL PARKS.
WE SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS ON BECAUSE TEENAGE KIDS ARE HANGING OUT THERE AND THE FAMILIES ARE AFRAID TO TAKE THEIR KIDS THERE.
WELL, IF THEY, THEY CAN'T ARREST HOMELESS PEOPLE SLEEPING IN THE PARK, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO MAKE PEOPLE GET OUT OF THE PARK AS IT IS THEIR ORDINANCE THAT COVERED THAT WITH THE HOMELESS, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY WAY TO ENFORCE PROPERLY.
SO TH TH THOSE ARE UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT, THAT HAVE SOME CONSTITUTIONAL IMPLICATIONS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY IN ORDER TO HAVE THE PARK BOARD CONSIDER A DRAFT ORDINANCE, IT'S GOT TO INCLUDE INPUT FROM THE PD INPUT FROM THE MARSHALS, AND THEN THE LEGAL TEAM WILL DRAFT THE ORDINANCE BASED ON ALL OF THAT INPUT TO GET THAT BACK HERE IN 30 DAYS IS A TIGHT TURNAROUND.
BUT I THINK WE COULD DO THAT IF WE, IF YOU PREFER THAT WE DON'T DO THE COMMITTEE MEETING SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING FIRST, UM, AND WORK ON THIS DRAFT, WE COULD BRING THE DRAFT BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING.
AND THAT WAY IT BECOMES A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION BACK TO COUNCIL.
AND THEN IT'S TWO READINGS AT THE D AT THE NEXT TWO COUNCIL MEETINGS.
IF THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT TO DO, THAT'S WHAT I RECOMMEND.
THAT'S THE FASTEST TRACK I CAN SEE NOW.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE FASTEST TRACK THAT IF, IF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE CAN, CAN MEET THAT DEADLINE, WHICH I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK FOR THEM, THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE QUICKEST OPPORTUNITY TO GET A DRAFT IN FRONT OF PARK BOARD AND THEREFORE FORMAL MOTION TO COUNCIL.
AND AS MOST OF THE TIME OCCURS, I'VE WORKED WITH MOLLY SEVERAL TIMES NOW, AND SHE'S,
[00:25:01]
SHE, SHE IS AN OUT-FRONT PERSON.SHE'S SHE SEES THINGS, UM, UH, FASTER THAN SOME OF US SEE THEM BEFORE WE SEE THEM.
AND I SUPPORT WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH MOLLY.
BUT THE THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT THIS IS IN ORDER TO DO IT CORRECTLY AND HAVE THE PARK BOARD DO THE JOB THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD EXPECT OF US WAS GOING TO BE MORE PLAYERS THAN JUST THIS GROUP.
WHAT WE'VE GOT TO DO IS WE'VE GOT TO START THE NUCLEUS, WHICH YOU'VE YOU STARTED THE DISCUSSION.
AND SO THAT DISCUSSION CAN BE THE, BE THE FOCUS OF WHERE, UH, WHERE THE COMMITTEE STARTS AND WHERE THE STAFF STARTS, BUT TO HAVE ANYTHING THAT HAS ANY VALIDITY WITH THE CITY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS OF EVERYTHING WE DO HAS TO, HAS TO BE HANDLED.
AND SO I WOULD, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD, UM, LET US HAVE TIME TO GET THE PROPER INPUT FROM STAFF SO THAT WHEN THEY GET SOMETHING FROM THE PARKS, PARKS BOARD, IT'S SOMETHING GOOD.
AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL COME TO US MORE OFTEN.
IF WE GIVE THEM SOMETHING THAT'S NOT BEEN THOUGHT THROUGH, UH, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE AS MUCH CONFIDENCE IN OUR ABILITIES.
WE KNOW WE CAN DO IT, UH, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT TONIGHT.
SO THAT'S I, AND I, THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M WITH YOU ON DOING IT, I'M WITH YOU AND DOING IT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
I'LL DO WHATEVER I CAN TO ASSIST IN THAT.
AND OTHERS HERE WILL TOO, BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD TRY TO SEND SOMETHING TO THEM UNTIL IT'S BEEN VETTED THROUGH.
THERE'S A PROCESS WITHIN THE CITY THAT THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
AND WE JUST HAVE TO TRY TO SPEED THAT PROCESS ALONG ANYTIME WE GET A CHANCE.
WE'RE JUST A BOARD THAT RECOMMENDS.
AND, UM, AND I, I BELIEVE IT'S THE, UM, PREROGATIVE OF THE CHAIR TO SEND IT TO COMMITTEE.
AND THAT'S WHERE I KIND OF, SINCE THIS HAPPENING, I WOULD JUST LIKE THERE TO BE A SHORT TIMEFRAME ON WHEN THIS IS COMPLETED OR IN A DEFINED TIMEFRAME, IF POSSIBLE, WHEN IT'S COMPLETED.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE JUST SPENT OUR TIME TONIGHT TALKING ABOUT, BUT THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY NEEDS THAT HAVE BEEN ARTICULATED BY MATT THAT I THINK WE NEED TO.
UM, UM, AND I THINK THE REASONABLE.
AND I THINK, I THINK THAT WE'RE FAR ENOUGH DOWN, AS ANDY MENTIONED, WE'RE FAR ENOUGH DOWN THE ROAD ON A LOT OF THESE THAT WE CAN COME BACK, WE'LL TRY OUR DARNDEST, UH, WORKING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO COME BACK WITH THE DRAFT AND THE COMMITTEE COULD MEET PRIOR TO NEXT MONTH'S MEETING, WE COULD PRESENT IT, GET IT TO THE COMMITTEE BEFORE ANSWER, YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT.
AND THAT COMMITTEE MEETING, WE CAN GO OVER THAT.
UM, I CAN ALSO LAY OUT KIND OF SOME NEXT STEPS FOR WHAT THE NEXT PHASE OF IT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
THEN THAT COMMITTEE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO PARK'S BOARD AT NOVEMBER MEETING.
AND THEN YOU GUYS CAN MAKE A MOTION OR IN REMIND THAT TO, TO COUNCIL.
AND THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD ON THAT, UM, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO HAVE THAT DRAFT FOR YOU READY NEXT MONTH, MR. CHAIRMAN, I HAVE A REQUEST.
UM, CAN WE, THE REST OF THE BOARD HAVE A DRY BE ABLE TO SEE THE DRAFT AT LEAST A DAY BEFORE SO WE CAN READ IT AND BE PREPARED WHEN WE CAME TO THE MEETING, IT CAN BE PART OF THE PACKET THAT WE GET ON FRIDAYS.
AGAIN, CONTINGENT THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE CAN DO IT THAT QUICK.
SO I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXAMPLE, SO THAT THE TRICKY ONE, I THINK IS GOING TO BE THE PARKING IS FINDING THE MOST ENFORCEABLE AND LEGAL WAY, WHETHER IT'S A THREE HOUR BLOCK OUT AT A, AT A STRATEGIC TIME, OR IS IT THAT, UM, STUDENT AGE, UH, MINORS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN, IN THESE AREAS UNDER THESE TIMES, THAT THOSE ARE GONNA BE SOME BIG QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT.
UM, SOME OF THE RULES IN THE DOG PARK NEED TO BE CODIFIED, BUT THERE'S A COUPLE THAT I WONDER IF, HOW ENFORCEABLE THEY ARE.
SO THOSE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS WILL NEED TO BE HAD, UM, EVEN BEFORE WE GET INTO THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
AND SO THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE GOING TO DO TO BE BOUNCED AROUND, UH, BUT WE'D BE HAPPY TO, AND WE UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY OF IT AND CAN TURN IT AROUND AS QUICK AS IS OTHER DIVISIONS CAN PARTICIPATE AND CONTRIBUTE.
UM, BUT I STILL, IN THAT TIME WINDOW FEEL THAT THERE'S PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMITTEE TO, TO PROVIDE, UM, INPUT CONCURRENTLY WITH THAT TIMELINE.
WELL, I, YEAH, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, SAYING, EVEN WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING MONUMENTS IN PARKS, WE WERE DOING IT IN PHASES.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO ADDRESS THE, THE TWO CONCERNS PRIMARILY THAT ARE, THAT ARE HERE TO GET THE DISCUSSION STARTED DONE.
I WOULD JUST SUGGEST IF YOU COULD TALK WITH MIKE BETS THAT YES, HE'S, YOU'VE GOT YOUR MARSHALS AND YOU'VE GOT YOUR ATTORNEY AND I'VE BEEN TO SOME OF THOSE SAFETY MEETINGS WHERE HE ADDRESSED THE HOMELESS ISSUES RIGHT.
SO YEAH, WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WITH HIM ON, ON A COUPLE OF THOSE ISSUES ALREADY.
[00:30:01]
IT'S COMPLETELY.SO WHAT KIND OF MOTION DO WE NEED? TH AS CHAIR, YOU CAN RECOMMEND IT, GO TO COMMITTEES THAT, RIGHT.
I RECOMMEND THIS GOES TO THE POLICY AND PROGRAM COMMITTEE AND CURRENTLY THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THERE ARE JONATHAN YOU'RE THE CHAIR, UH, JERRY CARTER, UH, DAVID AND MOREHEAD, AND, UH, DON KARNER, IS THAT, ARE WE GOOD WITH THAT? SORRY.
IN FRONT OF THE OTHERS CAN JOIN.
AND THAT'S WHY THERE'S FOUR PEOPLE ON COMMITTEES.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR MATT? WELL, WAIT, YOU COULD HAVE A COMMITTEE WITH A QUORUM IF YOU PUT IT AS A PUBLIC NOTICE.
I THINK FOR EXPEDIENCY SAKE, IF IT'S URGENT, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT I THINK THE SUBJECT, THE COMMITTEE FORMAT WORKS IN A EXPEDITIOUS WAY.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THE POSTING REQUIREMENTS EVERY TIME WE WANT TO DISCUSS.
I THINK IT WOULD DELAY THE PROCESS IS WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
HOW SOON DO YOU WANT TO MEET? CAN THEY, UM, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO US? BECAUSE I THINK THAT WAS SAID TO THE, HOW CAN THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS MAYBE MAKE RECOMMENDED? I, I THINK, UH, ANY EMAIL, UM, TO SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS, UM, AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, VIOLATE THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT IN TERMS OF AN INCIDENTAL CORUM VIA EMAIL AS WELL.
SO YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S DONE INDIVIDUALLY RATHER THAN DON'T REPLY ALL AND THEN INADVERTENTLY VIOLATE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
BECAUSE OUR COMMITTEE DEFINITELY DOESN'T WANT TO JUST IT'D BE US.
WE WANT Y'ALL'S INVOLVEMENT AS WELL.
EMAIL CONVERSATIONS, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN BLIND COPY WITHOUT IT REPLYING ALL AND CONSTITUTING A QUORUM.
AND IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO SHARE SOMETHING, OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN ALWAYS DIRECT THAT FOR ME.
AND THEN I DISSEMINATE THAT INFORMATION OUT TO THE ENTIRE GROUP, AND THEN IF YOU REPLY TO IT, YOU JUST DON'T REPLY TO EVERYBODY.
W WE'LL COMMUNICATE THAT OUT AND MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR.
I DID WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THIS AND BRINGING THIS TOGETHER.
I THINK HE DID A VERY GOOD JOB IN GETTING INTO WELL, AND I APOLOGIZE THAT IT HAS TAKEN A WHILE TO GET THERE.
UM, BUT I THINK WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
TOOK A WHILE FROM JUST TO GET MY HEAD AROUND SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE WERE HAVING.
AND ALSO WE'LL SAY, I KNOW THAT THIS IS A LARGER PLAN.
UM, AND I DIDN'T MENTION IT EARLIER, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO STOP DOING WHAT WE ARE DOING.
UH, WE HAVE MORE BRUSH CLEARING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING TO OPEN AREAS UP.
UH, WE'RE CONTINUING TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, WE'RE WE LIKE WE WORK WITH THE MPOS AND, AND IN THE HOMELESS TASK FORCE VERY, VERY CLOSELY.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT AREAS THAT WE CAN ADD MORE LIGHTING.
SO THAT IS AN ONGOING THING THAT IS PART OF IT.
AS WE BUILD NEW PARKS AND WE RENOVATE PARKS AND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, THAT'S AT THE FOREFRONT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS HOW WE MAKE THEM AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
SO BY NO MEANS, ARE WE STOPPING THAT PROCESS? UH, THIS WILL JUST LET US, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PUT SOME OF THOSE LONG-TERM PLACES INTO, INTO MOTION.
I WAS IN CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY WHILE BACK IT ONLY HAD ONE ENTRANCE AND IT HAD A BIG SIGN PARK CLOSES AT 10 OR 11.
AND WHEN YOU GOT INSIDE, THE SIGNS WERE EVERYWHERE BECAUSE THEY HAD A GATE THAT CLOSED.
IF YOU GOT IN THERE, YOU COULDN'T GET OUT.
SO IT JUST, WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF PARK THOUGH.
THERE'S ONE ENTRANCE, A LOT OF FENCE, MAYBE THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND GET US THERE.
WE HAVE, UH, FOUR, UH, SPEAKER CARDS AND, UM, SO FIRST UP, UH, CAROL GARRISON PATIENT FOR OUR SPEAKER, PLEASE COME UP TO IN FRONT.
AND SO YOU CAN SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE AND BE RECORDED, UM, OUTDOORS.
WE HAVE, UH, HE HAD THREE MINUTES.
WE, UM, UM, NEED YOU TO STATE YOUR NAME AND WHERE YOU, WHERE YOU'RE FROM.
AND, UM, JUST FOR THE RECORD, BECAUSE WE'RE RECORDING ON THE AUDIO.
UM, MY NAME IS CAROL GARRISON AND I LIVE IN GARLAND, TEXAS AT 25, 14 DIAMOND OAKS.
UM, BUT I WAS BORN IN CARS WILL AIR FORCE BASE.
IF YOU REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE I'M FROM AT THREE MINUTES, I'LL TRY TO TALK FAST.
UM, I HAVE BEEN A GARLAND RESIDENT SINCE 1973, IN 2015.
I BECAME A NORTH TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST, AND I LEARNED ABOUT A UNIQUE BOTTOMLAND HARDWOOD FOREST IN MY OWN BACKYARD.
SINCE THAT TIME FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS, I HAVE VISITED THE SPRING CREEK FOREST PRESERVE ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
I SHARE PHOTOS OF THIS UNIQUE, SPECIAL GREEN SPACE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND I AM THE NUMBER ONE OBSERVER OF THE WILDLIFE AT THE PRESERVE.
UM, ON I NATURALIST A 1400 OBSERVATIONS AS OF TODAY, I ROUTINELY ROUTINELY GATHERED TRASH.
I RE ROUTINELY REMOVED DISCARDED PROPHYLACTICS AND DRUG PARAPHERNALIA FROM THE TRAILS.
AND I ALSO REMOVED DISCARDED REMAINS, UH, FIREWORKS.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT I AM A DEDICATED STEWARD OF THE FOREST AS A STEWARD OF THE FOREST.
[00:35:01]
THAT THE REPUTATION OF SPRING CREEK FOREST SUFFERS GREATLY DUE TO THE ADULT NOCTURNAL ACTIVITY THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE NATURE PRESERVE.WE ALL KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT GREATLY BOTHERS ME.
WHEN I WENT TO THE GARLAND GUZZLER THAT A MAN SAID HE WAS SHOCKED.
I FELT SAFE TO BE THERE BECAUSE THAT'S THE REPUTATION OF THIS FOREST.
SO I FEEL THAT HAVING A DISTINCT CLOSING HOURS AND LOCKED GATES AT THE 1770 AND 1787 ENTRANCES WITH A LOCKED GATE WOULD REDUCE VANDALISM, WOULD REDUCE THE ILLICIT DRUG ACTIVITY AND OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE NATURE, PRESERVE OTHER NATURE AREAS IN THE METROPLEX HAVE EMPLOYED THESE GATES AND THEY HAVE DOCUMENTED REDUCTION OF THESE ISSUES.
I'M SPEAKING OF, I WOULD SPECIFICALLY LIKE TO SAY THAT WE HAVE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY AT THE 1770 AND 1787 ENTRANCES BECAUSE OF THE DEDICATED GROUP OF STEWARDS WE HAVE, WE'RE STARTING A TRAIL MONITORING PROGRAM.
AND I FEEL THAT IF WE JUST PUT HOURS AND LOCKED THE GATES AT THAT SITE, IF YOU GAVE THE STEWARDS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW YOU THAT IN SIX MONTHS, THE QUANTITY OF PROPHYLACTICS DECREASES AND THE QUANTITY OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA DECREASES, THAT'S THE WAY TO ENCOURAGE FUNDING TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO OTHER AREAS BECAUSE THIS UNIQUE AREA JUST HAPPENS TO HAVE A REALLY STRONG BASE OF CITIZENS TO SUPPORT IT.
SO I, UM, WOULD LIKE TO JUST URGENTLY REQUEST THAT YOU LOOK AT THIS RATHER THAN GOING THROUGH A BIG, MASSIVE PROJECT TO CONSIDER A PILOT PROGRAM FOR EFFICACY.
UM, I HAVE AN ENTIRE ALBUM OF PROPHYLACTICS AND DRUG PARAPHERNALIA THAT I DON'T PUT ON.
I NATURALIST, IF ANY OF YOU WANTED TO SEE, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KEEP IN MIND THAT CITIZENS LIKE MYSELF NEED THESE THINGS TO BE DEALT WITH BECAUSE MY DOG, MOLLY SEEKS OUT THESE PRODUCTS AND THAT IS A DANGER TO MY HEALTH, TO MY DOG'S HEALTH AND TO THE WILDLIFE THAT I'M ACTUALLY OBSERVING OUT IN THE FOREST.
I APOLOGIZE FOR TALKING REALLY FAST, BUT THREE MINUTES IS REALLY SHORT.
THAT'S NOT LONG TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THAT'S A SEPARATE TIME OR HOW IT IS.
OUR NEXT CITIZEN IS, UH, DANA WILSON SNUCK IN HERE ON ME.
SO YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, UH, YOU KNOW, STATE YOUR NAME AND, UH, YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE FROM.
AND, UM, RECENTLY YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE US YOUR WHOLE HISTORY.
UH, AND MY NAME, JULIA WILSON.
I LIVE AT 58, 18 CAMELOT CHRISTIE IN THE CRIMINAL LAW NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I'M ONLY ABOUT FIVE MINUTES FROM SPRING CREEK.
I'VE ALSO BEEN A LONG TIME MEMBER OF THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY FOR SPRING CREEK FOREST.
SO I'VE BEEN VERY, VERY INVOLVED WITH THE FOREST AND I APPRECIATE MATT YOUR TIME AND THE BOARD'S TIME TO LET US COME AND SPEAK ABOUT THE CONCERNS WE HAVE THIS MORNING IN ORDER TO JUST TO INFORM MYSELF A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON.
I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF JUMPING ON GOOGLE.
I PUT IN SPRING CREEK, GARLAND AND GAYE.
I CAME UP WITH A PAGE AND A HALF ON GOOGLE WRITING THIS PARK AS A GAY PICKUP HOTSPOT, WHICH I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW THAT IT IS.
IT'S ALSO A KNOWN DRUG SITE AS, UM, OUR OTHER SPEAKER HAS SAID, WE'RE FINDING CRACK PIPES, BONGS, HYPODERMIC NEEDLES ON OUR TROUT, LILY WALKS.
IT'S ALSO VERY, VERY DIFFICULT WHEN PEOPLE BRING THEIR FAMILIES FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
WHEN I'M OUT THERE AS A WOMAN ALONE, I DON'T FEEL IN, BUT IT'S JUST MEN WALKING AROUND AND AROUND LOOKING AT THEIR PHONES, LOOKING AT EACH OTHER, CIRCLING, CIRCLING, SITTING IN THE PARKING LOTS IN THEIR CARS.
IT'S A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION AND NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WANT OUR CITIZENS AND FAMILIES AND CHILDREN TO SEE.
I AM THRILLED TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT LOCKING THESE PARTS.
AND I THINK THESE TWO PARKS AS THEY OPEN OFF OF HOLFORD ROAD, 1770 AND 1787, THEY ARE AN IN AND OUT PARK WITH A GATE ALREADY.
I DO QUESTION WHY WE'RE SAYING 10 O'CLOCK.
I RE REACHED OUT TO CYNTHIA BENNETT, WHO IS THE PROPERTY MANAGER OF THE CEDAR RIDGE PRESERVE IN DALLAS.
IT'S ONE OF THE DALLAS'S LARGEST PARKS, 600 ACRES.
THEY HAVE OVER 150,000 VISITORS A YEAR.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE PARKED DOWN THE STREET AND WALK IN.
THEY CAN'T EVEN ACCOMMODATE THE TRAFFIC ON THE WEEKENDS AND THEY LOCK THEIR GATES.
SHE SAYS, DAWN TO DUSK, THE TWO PARKS WE'RE SPEAKING OF ONCE YOU'RE OFF THE TRAILS, THEY'RE COMPLETELY DARK.
I DON'T SEE THE VALUE OF HAVING THOSE TWO PARKS IN PARTICULAR, BE OPEN AFTER DUSK.
WE HAVE TRAIL CAMERAS OUT ON SOME OF OUR TRAILS TO LOOK FOR CRITTER ACTIVITY.
AND THE MAIN CRITTER THAT WE'RE SEEING AFTER DUSK IS THE TWO LEGGED KIND.
SO I THINK THAT CLOSING THOSE PARKS EARLIER, I ALSO THINK IT'S MORE PRACTICAL FROM THE STANDPOINT OF HAVING SOMEBODY THERE EVERY NIGHT TO CLOSE THOSE GATES.
SO I WOULD THINK ABOUT THOSE HOURS FOR PARKS, THAT DON'T HAVE A LOT OF LIGHTING.
I HAVE AN EMAIL FROM CYNTHIA WHERE SHE ADDRESSED SOME OF
[00:40:01]
THESE OTHER ISSUES, AND I'D BE GLAD TO SHARE THAT EMAIL.I THINK I'LL JUST FORWARD THAT TO DAVID DAVID, IF YOU'D LIKE TO JUST SEND IT AROUND, AS YOU SEE IT, AS YOU THINK IS APPROPRIATE AND SHARE WITH THE COMMITTEE AND WITH MATT, ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
THESE ARE ALL MY PEEPS, BY THE WAY.
UM, I'M GOING TO BE VERY QUICK BECAUSE I HADN'T PLANNED TO SPEAK.
SO BE SURE TO STATE YOUR NAME AND WHERE YOU'RE FROM.
I LIVE IN RICHARDSON, NOT IN GARLAND, BUT I VOLUNTEER AT SPRING CREEK FOREST.
UH, AND, AND THEY'RE OFTEN AND REGULARLY LIKE, UH, DANA AND CAROL.
UM, SO THEREFORE MY COMMENTS OF COURSE ARE SPECIFIC TO SPRING CREEK AND NOT TO OTHER PARKS, UH, THAT WE HAVE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO MY ONE TAKEAWAY HERE, I HOPE WOULD BE THE TAKEAWAYS.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE URGENCY TO FIND A WAY TO BUDGET FOR THIS GATE LOCKING LIKE DANA'S TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SO SHE WAS SAYING THAT, UH, WHEN YOU GO UP THERE, THERE, I MEAN, THERE'S MEETUP ACTION GOING UP ALL UP THE UP AND DOWN THE PLACE.
AND I SEE COMMENTS ABOUT IT ON NEXT DOOR.
AND I HAVE NEIGHBORS AND PEOPLE THAT ASKED ME ABOUT IT.
SO THESE PEOPLE ARE THERE WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
AND WHAT THEY SEE IS SOMETHING THAT THEY KNOW IS OFF AND IT MAKES THEM UNCOMFORTABLE TO GO AND UNCOMFORTABLE TO USE THE PARK.
BUT THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE WANT TO USE THE PARK.
YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE A, FOR PUBLIC OUTREACH AND A CHANCE TO GO OUT AND WITH YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR KIDS AND LEARN ABOUT NATURE.
AND WHEN YOU'RE SCARED TO GO OUT THERE, BECAUSE YOU'RE AFRAID IT'S PERVERT PARK OR WHATEVER, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
UM, DEGRADATION, I THINK, IS A SLOW SLIDE.
AND I THINK WE'RE ON THAT SLIDE WHERE IT'S GOING TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE ANYBODY THAT LINDA'S SNAKE AREA THAT KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT WHERE SPRING CREEK IS AND HAS HEARD ABOUT IT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, ALL WE GET LEFT IS THE ILLICIT STUFF WE DON'T WANT THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
ANY QUESTIONS MS. NATIONAL? RIGHT? I HAVE A QUESTION.
I ACTUALLY, FOR EACH ONE OF YOU JUST DRY QUICKLY, HOW, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN WORKING SPRING PARK? I CAME INTO THE NEW MASTER NATURALIST PROGRAM.
THE YEAR AFTER CAROL THAT'D BE 2016 AND SPRING CREEK WAS OUR, UH, THE PROJECT THAT I WAS ON.
WE HAVE AN ANNUAL OR EACH TEAM IN THE CLASS HAS A PROJECT.
AND I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR ABOUT A YEAR.
SO 2015 WHEN YOU STARTED THE BOARD FOR FIVE, FIVE YEARS.
AND MR. WILSON, I FIRST VISITED, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YEAR THAT WAS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT NORTH GARLAND AVENUE ACROSS FROM ACADEMY SPORTS DEVICE ACADEMY, SPORTS OUTDOORS, THAT WAS A TWO LANE BLACK TOP IN THAT MORE THAN 10 YEARS? YES.
SO, SO JUST TO ADD SOME OF THE THINGS THEY'RE SAYING, SOME OF THIS ACTIVITY, AND, YOU KNOW, SOME MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD HERE HAVE, UM, FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT HAVE SEEN THESE THINGS, THEN SOME OF THIS ACTIVITY IS IN BROAD DAYLIGHT AND IT GOES ON ALL DAY LONG, PARTICULARLY ME AND MID TO LATE AFTERNOON.
I GOT ONE MORE CARD, REBA COLLINS.
OH, YOU JUST SAID YOU'RE NOT JUST FINE, BUT YOU'RE FOR DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM.
QUICK QUESTION, JUST TO VERIFY IT.
SO WHEN WE'RE CLOSING THOSE GATES, WHO IS THAT BY STAFF OR IS THAT WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING? I'M TRYING TO THAT OUT TO THE CITY OF RELLA TO ENFORCE THAT'S RIGHT.
JASON, ISN'T IT DOWN THE OTHER WAY.
JUST WANT TO SEE HOW WE'RE EITHER THAT'S RIGHT.
CLOSE THESE GATES AND THEY'RE GOING TO GO TO RICHARDSON.
AND THEY ADD A BIT OF BACKGROUND TO WHY THE GATES ARE NOT LOCKED AT SPRING CREEK RESERVE NOW.
AND, UM, KEITH YOU'RE THE, YOU COULD PROBABLY, FORTUNATELY ALL THE PEOPLE THAT KNOW WHERE THE BODIES ARE BURIED OR HAVE RETIRED.
BUT, UM, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THE BOARD THAT THEY HAD LOCKED SPRING CREEK PRESERVE, THEY, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE HAD TO, UM, ENDURE PUTTING IN A SIDEWALK AND DOING CERTAIN THINGS THAT THEY DIDN'T REALLY WANT IN THE PARK THAT WOULD ENCOURAGE VISITORS.
AND THEN WHEN THEY WERE ADDING BATHROOMS AND AN AREA AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT BROUGHT MORE VISITORS
[00:45:01]
IT'S, IT'S NOW OPENED UP TO A LOT OF ACTIVITY THAT WE DON'T WANT TO SEE IN ANY PARK, BUT THE PARK WAS INITIALLY LOCKED.UM, AND IT WAS, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS DONE BY THE, UM, THE PEOPLE WITH THE PRESERVE.
AND ONE OF THE DALLAS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS CAME TO THE PARK AND IT WAS LOCKED AND HE COULDN'T GET IN.
SO THERE, HE RAISED A FUSS AND, UM, THAT'S WHY IT HASN'T BEEN LOCKED SINCE THAT TIME IS MY UNDERSTANDING ON THAT.
YOU HAVE CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
IF I CAN JUST SAY THE PERSON I'VE REFERENCED THE CITY OF MINUTE CEDAR, WHICH PRESERVE IN DALLAS, THAT IS PART OF DALLAS COUNTY OPEN SPACES, THE SAME WAY 1787 IS, AND THEY'VE LOVED THAT PARK FOR YEARS.
SO IF IT'S A DALLAS COUNTY OPEN SPACE IS DOWN THIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER THING, THAT PARK IS BEING LOCKED.
I APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT ON THAT.
I WAS JUST TELLING YOU THAT THE, MY UNDERSTANDING FROM IT AND WHY THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE AN OFFICIAL DOWN THERE TO LOCK IT EACH, EACH NIGHT, WE HAD HEARD THAT AND WE RESEARCHED IT THROUGH DENNIS KENNY UP HIS VOICE BASIS WHEN I WAS ON THE BOARD.
AND AT THE TIME, DAVID OF COURSE, WAS THE PRESIDENT IT'S BEEN WITHIN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND WE COULDN'T, WE COULDN'T FIND ANY LIMITATIONS THROUGH DALLAS COUNTY OPEN SPACES.
IT MAY HAVE BEEN AN IRRITATED COMMISSIONER.
WELL, WE KNOW THE COMMISSIONERS, YOU KNOW, CON YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATE WITH THEM.
WE ALSO HAVE A NEW CONTACT AT A DALLAS COUNTY OPEN SPACES THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING TO YOU IF I COULD.
WELL, I DON'T, I MEAN, I SAID, INITIALLY, I WASN'T GOING TO SPEAK TO THAT.
DID YOU COME TO THE MICROPHONE? YEAH.
I'M GOING TO CHANGE OVER HERE TO ORAL TESTIMONY.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME.
I LIVE AT 50 10 DRAWBRIDGE LANE IN GARLAND.
UH, I'VE BEEN USED AND I'M SORRY, WE'RE GETTING ON TO JUST ONE PART HERE.
AND I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE TO LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE OF ALL OF THE PARKS, SECURITY, AND SAFETY, UH, BUT, UH, YOUR CONTINGENCY OF PUBLIC CITIZENS TONIGHT ARE OFF OF SPRING CREEK FOREST, UH, VOLUNTEERS, UH, I'VE BEEN PERSONALLY GOING AND USING THAT PARK SPRING CREEK FOREST PRESERVE FOR OVER 20 YEARS, HIKING AND BIRDWATCHING.
UH, AND I CAN REMEMBER WHAT HAS MOLLY REFERENCED WHEN THE 1770 HOLFORD SIDE WAS ROUTINELY LOCKED ALL THE TIME.
AND THAT WAS WHEN IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, WE HAD TOM FRY AND IF YOU KNOW, TOM FRY, UH, AND BECAUSE THAT WAS A FRAGILE, SENSITIVE, UM, ECO SYSTEM, UH, WITH, UH, A LOT OF UNUSUAL AND RARE, UH, FLORA TREES, UH, BOTTOMLAND FOREST AROUND THE CREEK, UH, THE POLICY THAT WAS CITY POLICY ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO TO KEEP 77, 17 70 HOLFORD SIDE LOCKED ALL THE TIME EXCEPT FOR PUBLIC EVENTS.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHEN THE DISGRUNTLE COUNTY COMMISSIONER CAME ALONG AND WAS MAD BECAUSE IT WAS BLOCKED DURING THE DAY.
UH, AND THAT'S WHEN IT WAS OPENED ALL THE TIME.
AND THAT, THAT WAS ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO.
I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT, BUT IT WAS ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO THAT THAT NOW BOTH ARE OPEN 24 HOURS, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND IT'S, AND I, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN GOING THERE THIS LONG, I CAN SEE A GRADUAL DETERIORATION OF THAT FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM.
AND THEN THERE, DAVID CAN ALSO TESTIFY TO THE INVASIVE SPECIES PLANT SPECIES THAT THEY'RE ROUTINE CLEANED OUT.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO ADD BECAUSE I HAVE A LONGER MEMORY AND SOME OTHER USERS THAT HELPS TO UNDERSTAND, OKAY, IF I COULD MAYBE DO A FOLLOWUP TO SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS, UM, FOR, FOR STARTERS, WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THE VOLUNTEER TIME THAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
CAUSE IT IS, UH, A FANTASTIC NATURAL RESOURCE.
AND, AND, AND FOR THE TWO YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE AND UPON LEARNING SOME OF THE UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIOR THAT'S IN HERE, UM, IT'S JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE AT ALL, UM, FROM, FROM OUR STANDPOINT.
SO THERE'S NO DISAGREEMENT THERE.
UM, AND WITHOUT A TON OF ADDITIONAL DETAILS, UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HERE VERY RECENTLY, UM, ON, ON ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS SOME OF THESE SUGGESTIONS, UM, FROM TONIGHT REGARDING THE GATE AND THE DAWN TO DUSK, BUT I CAN TELL YOU ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WILL BE SO FOR THE PARCEL THAT'S ON THE NORTH SIDE, UM, IF BLOCKING THAT OFF OR CLOSING THE GATE ENDS UP BEING A LOGISTICALLY POSSIBLE OPTION, IT'S EASIER TO DO THAT THAN THE SOUTH SIDE, BECAUSE YOU RECALL THE TRAIL SECTION THAT GOES FROM THE SOUTH SIDE, IT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO GARLAND ROAD.
SO CLOSING THAT FRONT GATE ONLY CLOSES ONE SIDE.
SO YOU COULD INADVERTENTLY RISK GETTING SOMEBODY STUCK IN THERE THAT CAN'T GET OUT BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT A PAVED
[00:50:01]
TRAIL AND A, AND A SOFT TRAIL, THEY GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO GARLAND ROAD.AND SO THERE'S ALSO THE ISSUE OF WHEN HOLFORD ROAD IS WIDE AND THAT'LL BE A FOUR LANE AND WE'RE WORKING WITH DALLAS COUNTY RIGHT NOW, UH, DEALING WITH THAT, UH, SOME OF THE REGULATIONS THAT WENT ALONG WITH BEING ACQUIRED THROUGH TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE GRANTS, WE HAVE TO DO, UH, THEY HAVE TO DO A LAND CONVERSION FOR THE LAND THAT'S TAKEN UP FOR THE ROAD.
THERE'S ALSO PROPOSED TO BE A TRAIL CONNECTION THAT GOES FROM THE SOUTH SIDE, DOWNHOLE BRIDGE AND HOPE IT ROAD, AND THEN CONNECTS TO THE NORTH SIDE.
SO THAT'LL PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES WITH LOCKING THE GATE TO THE PARKING LOT.
UM, DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT CAN'T BE DONE.
I'M JUST WANT TO POINT OUT SOME OF THE REALITIES OF THE LOGISTICS OF IT MAY BE A LITTLE MORE CHALLENGING THAN, THAN, THAN WE'D LIKE.
SO WE'LL, I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE DAWN TO DUSK ACTUALLY.
AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE 10 O'CLOCK IS A MAGIC APPLIED TO ALL, WE HAVE 63 PARKS SO THAT THERE COULD BE A SITUATION WHERE SPECIALTY PARKS ARE LOOKED AT VERY DIFFERENTLY.
UM, SO THAT, THAT, THAT SUGGESTION, I THINK WE COULD CERTAINLY ENTERTAIN.
AND THEN ANYTIME THAT THAT'S BECOMES AN ENFORCEABILITY CHALLENGE, NOW WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHO'S DOING IT.
AND WHAT DOES IT COST? IS IT, IS THAT A PARK STAFF, IS THAT A POLICE OFFICER'S OUT OF MARSHALL, WHO'S GONNA DO THAT.
AND WHAT ARE THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH? SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF SOLUTIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT INTO THE MIX.
AND, AND, AND ULTIMATELY, YES, THEY MAY END UP BEING A BUDGET REQUEST TO MAKE SURE IT'S HANDLED IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.
SO, UM, WE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PARK STAYS WHAT ITS INTENDED PURPOSE IS FOR.
CAUSE IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE FAVORITE PARKS IN THE INVENTORY.
SO YEAH, I DON'T THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO WALK IN FROM, YOU KNOW, OTHER PLACES IS IT'S GOTTA BE A BIG ISSUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR CROWD THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY LIKED THE CONVENIENCE OF PULLING IN PARKING IN THE PARKING LOT, YOU KNOW, GOING OFF JUST, THEY DON'T GO VERY FAR IN THE WOODS.
I MEAN, WE, WE CAN SHOW YOU SOME, A COUPLE OF PLACES THAT THERE'S ALWAYS, I'M VERY AWARE.
WE CALL IT THE LOVE GROTTO, THE, UM, AND, UM, YEAH, SO, SO I THINK WALKING IN, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THEY'RE GOING TO BE INTERESTED IN.
I THINK WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS WE CLOSED THOSE TWO.
WE'RE GOING TO SEE MORE ACTIVITY AT HOW FARK MORE ACTIVITY AT FREDDIE HARRIS PARK AND SOME OF THOSE OTHERS.
SO, AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THEY MOVE THESE PEOPLE OUT OF THESE GENTLEMEN OUT OF A WHITE ROCK LAKE IS THEY SHOWED UP AT SPRING CREEK FOREST ANYWAY.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION, BUT PUT IT TO THE, UH, I HAVE ASSIGNED IT TO A COMMITTEE AND WE'LL COME BACK AND THANK EVERYBODY FOR YOUR INPUT.
WE HAVE VERY EXCITING, UH, ELECTIONS COMING UP.
THIS IS THE UMBRELLA ROAD WHERE IT HITS THE LAKE AND PEOPLE USED TO GO FISHING ON THE RIGHT AND FISHING ON THE LEFT.
ARE THOSE EITHER CITY PARKS OR THEY ARE CITY PROPERTIES.
UM, PART THE THERE ALONG THE TAKE LINE.
UM, THE ONE TO THE WEST OF RELAT ROAD IS CURRENTLY FENCED OFF.
UM, AND THEN THE ONE TO THE RIGHT IS WE, WE RE WE, WE PUT THE GATE BACK AND SO YOU CAN'T PARK THERE.
YOU CAN STILL WALK THROUGH, BUT THE OTHER ONE IS AN ACTUAL SIX FOOT TALL ORNAMENTAL FENCE AROUND THE WHOLE PARCEL.
AND THEN WORKING WITH THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS LEGAL ACCESS TO THEIR PROPERTY THROUGH THAT RIGHT WAY.
BUT, UM, IT ADDRESSED THAT PROBLEM, BUT IT'S A MUCH SMALLER PARCEL DEFENSE.
THESE, THESE OVER HERE WOULD BE MANY MILES OF, AND I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING.
I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IF YOU CLOSE THE GATE, WHERE'S THE CLOSEST PLACE THESE PEOPLE CAN BARK PARK AND WALK OVER THERE.
SO THE, THE PARCEL TO THE NORTH IS, IS BOUNDED BY PRIVATE PROPERTY, IN A BARBED WIRE FENCE ON THE SOUTHWEST CORNER.
AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDES, IT'S SURROUNDED BY THE CREEK.
I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR BACK THE FENCE GOES ON THAT NORTHWEST SIDE, BUT, UM, THAT'S A TAD BIT MORE, UM, I THINK EASY TO CONTAIN THE OTHER SIDE, JUST WIDE OPEN.
I MEAN, THERE'S JUST NO WAY TO, BUT I MEAN, IF, IF THEY, THEY COULDN'T PARK THERE, HOW FAR AWAY WOULD THEY HAVE TO GO TO PARK SOMEWHERE AND WALK INTO THAT PARK FIRE STATION OR RIGHT UP THE STREET, BUT THEY WOULDN'T DO IT, THE PRIVATE PROPERTY DRIVEWAYS, BUT THEY'RE GATED.
UM, SO YOU KNOW, IT AGAIN, I THINK, I THINK IN, IN THE TOTAL CONTEXT OF THINGS, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF THESE OPTIONS AND WHAT THE PROS AND CONS OF THOSE OPTIONS ARE BECAUSE, UM, I WOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN BEING ABLE TO GET IT OFF, BUT I THINK LOGISTICALLY IT'S GOING TO BE HARDER.
WELL, AN AUDUBON HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.
I KNOW WE HAVE OUR REGULARS AT CENTRAL PARK THAT GO INTO THE WOODS.
EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS. YEAH.
BUT AS I SAID, WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND KIND OF A TASK FORCE CAPACITY NOW.
AND, AND SOME, UH, SOME CAMERAS
[00:55:01]
THAT ARE, THAT ARE BEING USED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE, OF THE PROPERTY.HAVE THEY SEEN ANYTHING ON THOSE CAMERAS AT THIS POINT? HAVE WE HAD ANY KIND OF A REPORT? WELL, LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S KIND OF A, WHEN YOU'RE WORKING WITH PD ON IT, I DON'T WANT TO PROVIDE A WHOLE LOT OF DETAILS JUST YET, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I THINK I'M ON THE NORTH SIDE.
I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
I KNOW WHEN I WAS A ROOKIE, THEY DID A STING OPERATION AT CENTRAL PARK AND I THINK IT WAS ONE 11 RANCH.
THOSE WERE THE TWO HOTSPOTS FOR THE FELLAS TO HANG OUT AND STOPPED IT FOR A WHILE.
HEY, WELL, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE COMMITTEE COMING BACK NEXT MONTH.
CONSIDER ELECTION OF PARKS AND RECREATION CHAIR.
MR. CARTER, DO YOU HAVE A THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN? UM, I THINK I DO NOW, NOW THAT YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, UM, UM, I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF CONVERSATIONS WITH DAVID ABOUT HIS YEARS AS CHAIRMAN AND ABOUT, UM, HOW I FEEL LIKE HE GOT CHANGED AND IN NOT HAVING THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE, THE IN-PERSON THERE, NOTHING BEATS, THIS IN-PERSON MEETING WHERE WE CAN, WHERE WE CAN ALL TALK FREELY ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, RECOMMEND THAT WE REELECT DAVID PARISH AS CHAIRMAN FOR ONE MORE YEAR OF THE GARLAND PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, NOMINATING DAVID PARISH AND A SECONDING.
NOMINATION FROM JERRY CARTER AND A SECOND FROM MOLLY BISHOP, ANY DISCUSSION OF ANY, ANY FURTHER NOMINATIONS OR ANY FURTHER NOMINATIONS? NO.
WAS THIS JUST FOR ONE YEAR OR FOR A TWO YEAR TERM? ONE YEAR, ONE YEAR, ONE YEAR.
WE DO THIS EVERY YEAR BY ORDINANCE.
IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THIS ORDINANCE TO ADDED TO THE LIST, WAIT A MINUTE.
ANY DISCUSSION? I JUST HAVE A COMMENT.
I JUST LIKE TO SAY, DAVID, YOU HAVE DONE A, A GREAT JOB AND JUST THROUGH THE COVID AND ALL THAT, AND JUST KIND OF KEEPING THIS THING ALL TOGETHER.
I, I, I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP, SO THANK YOU.
CONSIDER ELECTION OF PARKS AND RECREATION.
VICE CHAIR, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE JERRY CARTER FOR VICE CHAIR.
WE HAVE A NOMINATION WITH J CARTER.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT THE SECOND FROM DON CARTER, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH, I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ON THAT.
UM, I, I APPRECIATE THAT, DAVID.
AND, AND, AND I'M HONORED THAT YOU, THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER THAT THE, THE THING THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE IS THAT IT GIVES ME A YEAR TO BE AN UNDERSTUDY WITH DAVID TO BETTER PREPARE ME FOR THE TIME WHEN I WOULD BECOME CHAIRMAN.
I'D HOPE THAT WHEN I DO THAT, I'LL HAVE AN UNDERSTUDY THAT WE CAN, WE CAN BRING ALONG.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE A, THAT WOULD BE A PLAN OF ATTACK ON THIS THING.
WE WOULD CERTAINLY DO OUR BEST AND YEAH.
WE HAVE A CHAIR AND A VICE CHAIR, BRIEFING ITEMS. THEY WERE READY FOR THE PARKS FOUNDATION UPDATE KENYA, IS THAT YOU? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
YEAH, WE RECEIVE, UH, I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT WOULD RECEIVE A WORD, THE TERMINATION LETTER.
SO THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE OFFICIALLY A 5 0 1 C3 CHARITY ASSOCIATION.
AND WE ASSUME WORKING ON OUR WEBSITE AND I WE'RE FACEBOOK, WHICH I WILL SHARE, HOPEFULLY THE LINKS FOR THAT.
WE ARE, UM, WORKING ON PROJECTS ON THE LIST OF PROJECTS THAT WE CAN STAR WORKING ON AND IDEAS ON HOW TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT THIS.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO SHARE THOSE LINKS WITH YOU.
SO YOU CAN FASTER READ MORE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND PLEASE HELP US WITH IDEAS OR SUPPORTING US IN ANY WAY ON HOW WE CAN HELP THE DEPARTMENT OF THE PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT HITTING IRELAND, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF OUR MAIN GOALS.
ANYTHING ELSE? MOLLY? ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY.
UH, NEXT ITEM, UH, TEXAS RECREATION AND PARKS SOCIETY.
[01:00:01]
CONFERENCE.THAT IS, UH, COMING UP, UH, QUICKLY AND WE'LL BE IN ALLEN THIS YEAR.
AND SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PARK BOARD WAS AWARE OF IT AND INVITED TO ATTEND.
I KNOW EVERYBODY'S ENJOYED THAT IN THE PAST.
SO, UM, IF YOU'D LIKE, UH, LET US KNOW PRETTY QUICKLY, THERE IS A DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION, SO LET YVONNE KNOW.
UM, AND WE'LL GET THE REGISTRATION FILLED OUT.
I KNOW WHEN WE'VE GONE IN THE PAST, WE'VE BEEN ONE OF THE FEW CITIES THAT HAS GONE AS BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY FEEDBACK IN WHO YOU'VE TALKED TO AND IN TRAPS? NO.
TH THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A STRONG COMPONENT OF ENCOURAGING BOARD MEMBERS TO COME, AND IT DEPENDS, YOU SEE IT SOME YEARS MORE THAN OTHERS IN THE PAST.
UM, UH, I, I KINDA LIKED THE IDEA THAT, THAT OUR, OUR BOARD GOES IN AND SHOWS THAT INTEREST AND CURIOSITY ABOUT THE SESSIONS AND THE EXPO AND ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THAT'LL RUB OFF ON OTHER CITIES AND FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING THAT.
CAUSE I, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S A KEY PIECE OF IT.
IT'S NOT JUST THE STAFF AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S ELECTED OFFICIALS AND IT'S IT'S VOLUNTEERS AND THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE AS VOLUNTEERS.
UM, BUT I COULDN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY OTHER GO, I DON'T KNOW THAT OVER THE YEARS I'VE SEEN, UH, A LARGE AMOUNT, UH, DO IT PARTICULARLY IN THE NUMBERS THAT YOU GUYS SHOW UP IN AND EVERYBODY, I KNOW YOU PROBABLY EAT, YOU GUYS HAVE CAUSE YOU'RE PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD, BUT WE MEAN, WE MISSED IT.
YOU KNOW, OCCASIONALLY YOU'LL SEE CLASSES THAT ARE KIND OF GEARED TOWARDS, UM, ADVOCACY AND, AND VOLUNTEER BOARDS.
UM, AND WELL, I KNOW ON A STATE LEVEL THAT THERE DEFINITELY IS BECAUSE I'VE SEEN PEOPLE, YOU HAVE GREAT NOTORIETY SPEAK THERE THAT ARE VOLUNTEER ADVOCATES FOR THEIR PART OF TOWN.
UM, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT AND IT'S SURPRISING CAUSE IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT WITH ALL THE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AND BUDGET RESTRICTIONS RELATED TO TRAVEL AND TRAINING.
THAT'S, THAT'S MORE COMMON NOW THAN IT'S EVER BEEN.
BUT SO YOU WOULD THINK THAT THE LOCAL REGIONALS WOULD HAVE A HIGHER NUMBER JUST BECAUSE IT'S IN YOUR BACKYARD.
I MEAN, WE CAN ALL GET TO ALLEN AND UNDER AN HOUR IN THE REGION.
SO IF YOU WANT TO GO LET HIM KNOW.
I, I TURNED MY APPLICATION IN ALREADY.
I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT HIM THAT ADDRESSES THE BOARD AND WAS CHAIRMAN.
UM, HAVING ATTENDED THAT FIRST ONE AND HAVING NO IDEA OF WHAT TO EXPECT.
AND UH, I SAID, OKAY, WELL, I'LL GO DO IT.
AND, AND UH, MOST OF THE BOARD WENT, I BELIEVED IN THAT AND THAT FIRST GO AROUND AND I, THE YEAR BEFORE ALL BY MYSELF AND IN ROCKWALL, I WAS GOING TO SET UP.
THAT'S WHEN I SPOKE AT VERY GOOD.
I CAN'T, I CAN'T ENCOURAGE EVERYONE HERE STRONG ENOUGH TO SAY THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GAIN, THAT, THAT ARE THINGS THAT HELP US WHEN, WHEN STAFF IS GIVING US A PRESENTATION ABOUT SOME OF THE PARTS AND PIECES THAT THEY'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH.
WELL, MAYBE WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO GO TO CERTAIN SEMINARS.
I THINK MOLLY, YOU AND I WENT TO TWO OR THREE OF THEM TOGETHER.
WE WOUND UP BEING IN THE SAME, SAME ONES, BUT IT WAS VERY, VERY, VERY INFORMATIVE AT ANOTHER LEVEL THAN WHAT WE GET HERE.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD HOPE THAT ALL OF US WOULD, UH, MAKE THE COMMITMENT TO GO AND BE A PART OF THIS.
WE KINDA, WE KIND OF JOINED TOGETHER AS A GROUP IN THE HALL DURING THE TIME WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD, UH, HAD A LITTLE GET TOGETHERS THERE AND DISCUSSING ABOUT WHO'S GOING HERE, WHO'S GOING THERE.
AND I JUST, I THINK IT WAS A VERY VALUABLE INTRODUCTION TO THE, TO THE BIGGER PICTURE FOR ALL OF US.
AND I WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR ENCOURAGING US TO DO THAT.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYBODY THAT CAN GO, IT'S WORTH IT FOR MORE INFORMATION.
EVENTUALLY THEY'LL PUT THE SESSION THEY'RE NOT UP YET, BUT AS IT GETS CLOSER, THEY'LL PUT THE SESSION LIST UP FOR, YOU CAN KIND OF GET A PREVIEW OF WHAT THE CLASSES ARE GOING TO BE AND WHO DO WE NEED TO GIVE THIS BACK TO YVONNE? OH, HELLO, YVONNE.
AND THEN THE PARK MAINTENANCE RODEO IS TOMORROW IN ROCKWALL.
AND SO WE DO HAVE SOME OF OUR PARK OPERATIONS FOLKS GOING AND COMPETING IN THAT.
THAT'S WHY I HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON TRAP.
I HAVE ONE ORDER OF BUSINESS HERE, JASON, YOUR COMMITTEE LISTS.
SO, UM, WE, WE HAVE A SPOT ON THE FACILITY AND FINANCE, SO I NEEDED A SHIRT.
HE SAID YOU CAN'T DO WITHOUT A SHIRT OR YOU GET HIM A SHIRT.
I HAVE, SIR, WHAT YOU WANT, WHERE AM I? WHAT DO YOU WEAR? LARGE? THE, UH, CAN'T CAMPION ON THE TEAM WITHOUT UNIFORM.
SO, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL APPOINT JASON TO THE FACILITY AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
WE'VE GOT A SEPARATE YOU AND JONATHAN
[01:05:01]
TROUBLEMAKERS.HEY, UH, NEXT DOOR TO A BUSINESS.
SO I HAD ONE QUESTION ON, UH, ANDY AND, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
SO I KNOW THIS IS, THE WHOLE IDEA IS KEEP THESE THINGS UP TO DATE, BUT LOOKING AT WATSON PARK, UM, YOU KNOW, IT TALKS ABOUT BEING AT THE TOP OF THE WILDLIFE LIST.
WELL, WE KNOW ACTUALLY THAT WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR THAT.
SO I JUST, I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERY MONTH WHEN WE GET THIS REPORT, UM, I KNOW IT'S KIND OF, UH, KIND OF UPDATED, YOU KNOW, THE LAST, THE DAY BEFORE IT'S NEW KIND OF A THING, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE, WE DO GET THE LATEST UPDATES ON, ON THESE, UH, PROJECT.
UM, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT WATSON IS UP-TO-DATE THERE'S WE ARE STILL WAITING ON PARKS AND WILDLIFE, OR WE STILL ARE.
I THOUGHT WE'D BEEN APPROVED W WE ARE APPROVED, BUT SO WHAT THEY DO IS THAT WE WERE APPROVED FOR FUNDING.
THERE'S TWO, TWO FUNDING ARMS. ONE IS THE STATE FUNDS, AND ONE IS FEDERAL.
UM, WHICH MEANS IT TAKES LONGER FOR US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO REVIEW IT.
SO WE'VE HEARD ANYWHERE FROM NEXT MONTH TO JANUARY THAT WE WILL HAVE THE GREEN LIGHT TO NOW WE'VE BEEN MOVING FORWARD WITH DESIGN, UH, BECAUSE IT IS NOT PART OF THE GRANT AND THEREFORE WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR A NOTICE TO PROCEED.
IT'S FUNDED AS PART OF OUR MATCH.
UH OVERMATCH ACTUALLY, UM, SO AS SOON AS WE HEAR FROM THEM, WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATE AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL BE READY TO BRING FORWARD A LITTLE BETTER AT CONCEPT DESIGN.
SO IT UNFORTUNATELY IS UP TO DATE.
THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME UNDERSTAND.
UM, THANKS FOR ALL THE UPDATES.
ANY, ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT AUDUBON IS OFFERED THERE COMPLETE.
YOU ARE TO ANYBODY, EVERYBODY THAT MISSED AUDUBON NEEDS TO GO SEE OTTAWA.
LET'S CHECK OUT THE VIDEO THAT KEITH HAS.
SO A YES, DELETE HAS A NEW BUILDING.
WHEN WE CUT THE RIBBON THIS MORNING AND YOU WALK IN TO THIS FACILITY, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT THIS ONE HAS THE WOW FACTOR AND THIS ONE IS, IS DONE, RIGHT? AND IT'S, IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF PROJECTS TO COME IN THE 2019 BOND PROGRAM.
AND WE CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO A WHOLE LOT MORE GRAND OPENINGS IN THE VERY, VERY NEAR FUTURE.
I MEAN, THERE IS NOT ONE SQUARE INCH OF THIS FACILITY THAT IS NOT STATE-OF-THE-ART NOW FROM THE WEIGHT ROOMS TO THE MEETING ROOMS, TO THE GYM SPACES.
I THINK IT IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY FOR DECADES TO COME BEAUTIFUL, JUST BEAUTIFUL.
AND SO MANY THINGS THAT I'VE NEVER TAKING RESERVATIONS.
THIS FACILITY WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN 1980.
IT WAS UPDATED IN 2003 AND NOW IN 2021, IT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY RENOVATED, UPDATED AND EXPANDED.
AND I THINK THAT SHOWS IT IS GROWING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND ITS NAME.
NOW WE HAVE A 2,500 SQUARE FOOT FITNESS CENTER WITH SOME EXCLUSIVE EQUIPMENT, UH, THAT SCHOOLS HAVE TO THIS FACILITY.
ALSO, WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL TURF AREA THAT'S COVERED.
SO WE HAVE A SPACE THERE FOR EXERCISE CLASSES AND ALSO SPORT ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE SOME EXPANDED MULTIPURPOSE ROOMS FOR RESERVATIONS, AND ALSO OUR CLASSES THAT TAKE PLACES.
SO WE HAVE THIS INTERACTIVE LOOP SYSTEM.
SO IT'S A COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS KIDS, ADULTS TO GET SOME EXERCISE.
THAT'D BE PROJECTED ON THE SCREEN.
I HAVE TARGETS AND MATH FACTS.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR THE KIDS AND ADULTS.
IF THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE TO GET MOVIES ONE DOWN IN 50 TO GO
[01:11:35]
YES, MR. CHAIR, UH, JUST, UH, JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, WE WOULD SEE PICTURES LIKE THIS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY AS TO WHAT THIS COULD BE IN GARLAND.AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE ALL THESE PICTURES IN GARLAND TONIGHT.
AND THE COMMENTS ABOUT AUDUBON PARK, ANDY, HOW LONG HAD THAT BEEN IN THE, IN THE BOND ELECTIONS AND MAKING TO GET TO THAT? HOW OLD ARE YOU JARED 17? UH, IT WAS ALWAYS ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, 2004, THEN 2015 THAT TRIED AGAIN.
AND THEN WE FINALLY, FINALLY GOT THAT THING DONE, UH, IN 2021.
SO, I MEAN, IT, IT HAD BEEN A LONG TIME COMING, BUT I TELL YOU WHAT IT WAS VERY WELL WORTH.
THE WAIT, I MEAN, IT IS PHENOMENAL THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM THAT DISTRICT THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS AND THEY WERE ONE OF WHICH I HAD NOT MET UNTIL THE OTHER DAY.
WAS THAT YOU WOULD ASK ME, CAN YOU TELL ME LATER, UM, LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT SOMETHING ABOUT AUDUBON, OH, 2003, THE RENOVATION THERE.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE BIG RENOVATION WAS THERE AT THE REC CENTER IN 2003, THEY ADDED AN OFFICE FOR THE RECREATION MANAGER.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE BIG RENOVATION PAINTED.
THE BASKETBALL GOES TO WELL, THEY MADE IT, THEY MADE KIND OF AN ENTRANCE TO IT.
SO I REALLY WANT TO, UM, SAY AN APPRECIATION TO ADD FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
WE'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD A LONG TIME WITH LOTS OF HOPES AND LOTS OF IDEAS OF THINGS HAPPENING IN IT.
AND NOW WE HAVE, UM, THE BOND PROGRAM AND YOU SEEM TO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THAT'S VERY MOTIVATED AND, UM, AND THE COUNCIL THAT'S VERY MOTIVATED IN GETTING THIS TO HAPPEN.
HE HAD, HE'S READY TO TRUST START WORKING ON THE NEXT ONE IN HIS DISTRICT.
LET'S GO, MR. CHAIRMAN, I HAVE A, ANOTHER QUESTION RELATING TO THE BOND ISSUE IN A DIFFERENT AREA.
AND THAT IS THE, UH, ABOUT REC CENTER AND HAVING THE SHARING SPACE WITH THE LIBRARY.
AND I'M WONDERING TO KNOW, DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF A WIND SHOVEL WILL HIT DIRT? I DO NOT IN FRONT OF ME.
IT'S WE STILL HAVE A LITTLE WAYS TO GO WE'RE IN THE, IN THE, STILL IN THE SKETCH PHASE.
AND SO WE'RE KIND OF AT THE POINT WHERE WE'RE COORDINATING, UH, THE LIBRARY ARCHITECTS WITH THE ABOUT ARCHITECTS, AND THEN WE'RE THE CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW IS THE DRAINAGE.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO RECONCILE WHERE WE'RE HAVING TO MOVE SOME STORM SEWER LINES AND SOME SEWER LINES.
AND SO THERE, THE ENGINEERS ARE WORKING ON THAT.
KEITH DON'T LET ME FORGET, OR YVONNE, LET ME PULL THE SCHEDULE OUT TOMORROW AT THE OFFICE AND I'LL SEND IT OUT TO THE BOARD AND WHAT THE TENTATIVE SCHEDULE IS.
I JUST DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
SO I DON'T WANT TO BE AN ACCURATE, I UNDERSTAND IT, BUT IT IS MOVING IN.
IT, IT'S KIND OF THE PART OF THE WORK BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT YOU DON'T SEE ANYTHING REALLY HAPPENING, BUT I PROMISE THERE'S WORK GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES AND THAT, BECAUSE THERE'S TWO FACILITIES ON ONSITE AND TWO DESIGN TEAMS, THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES THERE AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH AND SOME OF THEM, THEIR FUNDING CHALLENGES.
SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THOSE.
WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO PRODUCE A GREAT PRODUCT, BUT, UM,
[01:15:02]
I'LL GET, I'LL GET YOU THE EXACT DATES TOMORROW.JUST POINT AT ONE ACTIVITY UNDER, UH, UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS UNDER THE RECREATION DIVISION UPDATE, UH, GARLAND'S GONE.
CAMPING HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO LACK OF DUE TO THE LOW PATIENT REGISTRATIONS, WHICH OKAY.
UM, ACTUALLY IT'S FOR ANDY AT MILLER AND GLENBROOK.
IS THAT PARTLY, IS THAT A JOINT THING WAS PARKED OR IS THAT WITH TRANSPORTATION? I DON'T KNOW WHO'S DOING IT.
SO THERE, THERE ARE, UM, THERE'S A TRAIL EXTENSION GOING ON THERE THAT'S ACTUALLY AN ENGINEERING PROJECT, BUT IT'S IN COORDINATION WITH US AND SHE ADDS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING ACCORDING TO THE TRAIL.
THAT'S REALLY NICE TO WORK WITH ENGINEERING AND TRANSPORTATION THAT, UM, THEY'VE GOT SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT YOU'LL SEE, UM, THAT ARE WITH THE DALLAS COUNTY FUNDING AND SEVERAL OTHERS THAT ARE MASTER PLAN, THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCORPORATE INTO THEIR PROJECTS AND THAT'S ONE OF THEM.
UM, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE THE BIG BRIDGE AT CENTERVILLE.
UH, IN DUCK CREEK, THAT'S ENGINEERING.
AND SO NOW YOU'VE GOT A SAFE CROSSING UNDERNEATH, UH, CENTER.
SO ONCE THAT THAT'S FOR THREE BRIDGES GOING ON AND JUST THAT DUCK CREEK SECTION RIGHT NOW THAT REPLACES SOME, SOME OLD IN THE BIG LONG ONES BRAND NEW, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A PHENOMENAL CROSSING OPPORTUNITY.
NONE OF THAT'S WHAT'S PART FUNDING.
WHATEVER GETS IT DONE, MAYBE RATTLE IT AND FIGURE IT OUT.
ANYTHING ELSE? UM, MAY I ASK IT A QUESTION THAT'S ON HERE FOR NOVEMBER THE 13TH ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION? WE'RE DOING THAT ON A SATURDAY.
IT LOOKS LIKE FOR THE FIRST TIME, MATT, MATT.
SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO MATT, SO THERE WILL BE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PROBABLY GOING OUT AT THE END OF THIS WEEK.
IT IS ON A SATURDAY FOR THE FIRST TIME.
UM, AND IT'S GOING TO BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A LARGE TREE PLANTING THAT WE ARE DOING THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE HIT BY THE TORNADO IN 2019.
AND WE'RE DOING THAT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY, GPL, AND ANOTHER, UM, UH, NONPROFIT THAT I'VE WORKED WITH HIM PAST CALLED RETREAT, WHICH IS ACTUALLY PART OF KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL.
UM, THEY ACTUALLY, WE HAVE PLANTED TREES WITH THEM IN, AT, AFTER THE TORNADO THERE.
SO WE WILL KICK THE DAY OFF WITH OUR, UM, ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL TAKE VOLUNTEERS AND WE WILL PLANT, UH, ALMOST 200 TREES.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO PLANT 30 IN CENTRAL PARK TO REPLACE THOSE TREES THAT WERE LOST.
AND THEN THE REST OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE GOING IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, TO REPLACE TREES THAT WERE LOST IN THAT STORM.
SO THERE'S GOING TO BE, UH, MORE INFORMATION THERE'LL BE SENT OUT TO YOU GUYS WE'RE RIGHT AT A MONTH OUT, WHICH IS THE PERFECT TIME TO SEND OUT, SAVE THE DATES AND INVITATIONS AND ALL OF THAT KIND OF GOOD STUFF.
SO WE HOPE ALL OF YOU CAN JOIN US AT LEAST IN THE MORNING AND WE'LL GET YOU BUSY PLANTING TREES.
ANYTHING ELSE? IT'S UH, EIGHT 18 AND THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.