* 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. [00:00:08] ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON. AND WELCOME TO THE OCTOBER 26TH, 2021 MEETING OF THE NEWLY RENAMED, UH, INTRO GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. UM, CHAIRMAN ROBERT, JOHN SMITH. TODAY I HAVE WITH ME, UH, MEMBERS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JOB AND, AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, BJ WILLIAMS. UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED, UH, OUT OF NIRVANA APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. UH, ALL RIGHT. I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER OVEN AND A SECOND FROM DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS, ALL IN FAVOR, AYE. ANY OPPOSED HEARING NONE THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY ITEM NUMBER TWO, PUBLIC INPUT. I SEE NO MEMBERS FROM THE PUBLIC HERE TODAY. UH, IF ANYBODY DOES SHOW UP TO, TO COMMENT ON THIS WE'LL, UH, MEMBERS, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TO STEP BACK AND GIVE THEM THEIR THREE MINUTES. GEO-DATA NUMBER THREE ADAMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. UH, WE HAVE DISCUSSION ON THE GIS D RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT REQUESTS. UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAME TO US FROM THE DISTRICT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THIS. THIS IS A TWO PAGE, UH, RESOLUTION THAT CAME THROUGH. UH, ESSENTIALLY THE DISTRICT IS LOOKING TO FORM A WHAT, FROM WHAT I CAN TELL A 12 PERSON, A THREE CITY COMMITTEE, UH, THAT INVOLVES, UH, UH, TWO ELECTEDS AND ONE STAFF MEMBER, UH, FROM EACH OF THE GOVERNING BODIES. AND THEY HAVE SENT US A RESOLUTION AND ASKED OUR SUPPORT TO FURTHER DEVELOP AN MOU, UH, AT A DATE, UH, OF EVERYBODY'S CHOOSING TO ENTER INTO THIS, THIS, UH, UH, ESSENTIALLY STANDING COMMITTEE. SO I WILL STOP AND TAKE COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, LONG-WINDED RANTS, WHATEVER ANYBODY WANTS TO DO TO GET THIS STARTED. MR. CHAIR, I DON'T HAVE ANY RANCH, BUT I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION. YES. AND THEY'LL PROBABLY BE ANSWERED IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT HOW DOES ONE, HOW DOES THIS REQUEST DOVETAIL WITH THE CURRENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEE? THAT'S MY THERE'S NO PRESENTATION PLANNED, BUT THIS WOULD BE A SEPARATE ENTITY ENTIRELY. UH, THE CURRENT EDC OR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP OR THE STEERING COMMITTEE, UH, IS A, UH, FOR, JUST FOR THE SAKE OF THE RECORDING HERE, UH, IS THE COMMITTEE, UH, COMPRISED OF, UH, GSD, THE FULL BODY OF THEIR, UH, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, FULL BODY OF THE GROWING CITY COUNCIL AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. UH, IT IS SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO THE CITY OF GARLAND AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHIN OUR CITY. UH, THIS IS A SEPARATE ENTITY, UH, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE A TRI-CITY APPROACH FOR ALL OF THE MAJOR CITIES THAT G I S D COVERS. I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY VERY SPECIFIC GOALS FOR THIS COMMITTEE. I I'VE. ALL I HAVE IS THE WORDING IN THEIR RESOLUTION TO GO BY. OKAY, WELL, YOU JUST ANSWERED MY NEXT QUESTION. THAT WAS MY FOLLOW-UP QUESTION. QUESTION OF WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? NOT SURE. NOT SURE. OH, OKAY. THAT'S THAT'S OKAY. THAT WAS STILL SHOWING TWO QUESTIONS. I HAVE MS. CHAIR, COUNCILMAN ALVIN. YEAH. I MEAN, THING IS FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT, THE, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION OR WHATEVER MEETING IT IS, IS VERY MUCH A, IT'S ACTUALLY NOT PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. IF YOU GO TO THOSE MEETINGS, I MEAN, IT REALLY JUST ROTATES AROUND AND EACH, EACH ENTITY THERE'S THE CHAMBER AND, UH, THE CITY OF GARLAND AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND IT'S REALLY EVOLVED INTO SOMETHING THAT SEEMS SOMEWHAT AKIN TO WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. LIKE, HERE'S THE STATUS UPDATE OF, OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT'S GOING ON. AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CITY AND THEN, SO I, SO I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU, IF YOU DREW KIND OF THE VENN DIAGRAM OF, OF THESE TWO, THE, OF WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT'S PROPOSED, UM, IT, IT SEEMS THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT OVERLAP. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL FEEL THE SAME. UM, YEAH. SARAH AND I, IN DISCUSSION WITH MR. BRADFORD, WE THINK IT WOULD BE EASIER. I REALLY THINK THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF MISUNDERSTANDING ON THE DISTRICT'S PART AND EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON THAT COMMITTEE. MAYBE NOT. THERE ARE SOME NEW MEMBERS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON THE BOARD AND OTHERS THAT DIDN'T REALIZE EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON THROUGH THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP, THROUGH ALL OF US, THE CITY, THE DISTRICT AND THE CHAMBER. UM, [00:05:01] AND THERE IS SO MUCH OVERLAP THAT IF THERE ARE ANY THINGS THAT AREN'T ALREADY COVERED DURING THOSE MEETINGS, WE COULD EASILY ADD IT TO THAT AND CONTINUE THAT PARTNERSHIP IN THAT FASHION WITHOUT CREATING A NEW COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS AND DO THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY BEING DISCUSSED DURING THOSE REGULAR MEETINGS BETWEEN THE CITY, THE DISTRICT AND, AND THE CHAMBER. SO, UH, OUR, OUR, UM, INPUT WOULD BE IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE'RE NOT COVERING, NOT HITTING THAT WE COULD PROBABLY ADDED INTO THAT, YOU KNOW, AND IT WOULD PROBABLY EVEN ONLY BE MAYBE ONE BULLET POINT, YOU KNOW, ON FUTURE MEETINGS AND NOT EVEN ALL MEETINGS ON THAT. I THINK THERE WAS JUST SOME, UH, DESIRE TO MAKE SURE ALL THREE CITIES ARE, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE DISTRICT. WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP, THAT KIND OF THING, UH, AS WE READ THROUGH THE RESOLUTION ITSELF, UH, AND I'LL ASK SEAN TO CONFIRM THAT I KNOW I'VE TALKED TO BRIAN ENGLAND AT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO COMMIT US TO ANYTHING SERIOUS ACCE FROM MY UNDERSTANDING HAS APPROVED THE ORDINANCE AS REQUESTED. I HAVE NOT SEEN OR HEARD YET THAT ROUTE THAT HAS TAKEN, THAT HAS TAKEN ANY ACTION ON THE ORDINANCE ITSELF. SO THEY'RE JUST, BUT THERE'S NOT, THERE'S REGULAR COMMUNICATION ONGOING BETWEEN THE CITY AND DISTRICT ON, YOU KNOW, FROM STAFF ON AN ALMOST DAILY BASIS. UM, AND THEN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP BETWEEN THE THREE COVERS THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE COVERED IN THIS ORDINANCE. AND TO BE FAIR, I MEAN, DID IT JUST BY, YOU KNOW, BY GOING OVER THAT I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT I TH TH THAT WE SHOULD, I MEAN, I'M HAPPY TO DEVELOP CLOSER TIES WITH THE DISTRICT AND WITH THE BOARD, HOWEVER THEY WANT TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. I JUST THINK WE ALREADY HAVE A VEHICLE FOR IT WITHOUT KOREA. I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT CREATING A, UH, ANOTHER COMMITTEE, HIS SECOND VEHICLE, A SECOND, AND, AND COMMITTING SCOTT. CAUSE IT DOES INCLUDE THE MAYORS OF EACH CITY COMMITTING THE MAYOR SPECIFICALLY TO THAT. PLUS ONE OTHER MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL, THE CURRENT KIND OF WHOEVER CAN GO GOES KIND OF THING IS NOT BAD. I WOULD NOT BE OPPOSED TO MAYBE, MAYBE HAVING THAT GROUP RAISE THE DISCUSSION OF WHETHER TO INCLUDE SAXY AND ROUTE WHAT IN THAT GROUP, IN THE, INSTEAD OF THE GARLAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FORUM, MAYBE IT'S THE TRI CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FORUM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO, UM, HAVING GOOD RELATIONS WITH OTHER CITIES IS, IS NEVER A BAD THING. UH, HAVING THOSE KIND OF CONNECTIONS I THINK IS GOOD, THAT KIND OF OUTWARD LOOKING, UH, BY THE SAME TOKEN. UM, THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF DAYS WHERE I WONDER, YOU KNOW, HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON IN SAXY THIS WEEK, UM, OR THIS LAST FIVE YEARS. SO I DON'T KNOW. UM, BUT, BUT, BUT I'M NOT OPPOSED TO, TO IMPROVING THOSE CONNECTIONS. YOU NEVER KNOW, UH, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY MIGHT BE USEFUL AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN APPROACH WITH THEM OR PUT ON THE NEXT FOUNDATION DISCUSSION. YEAH. UH, I, I AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT WITH RICH AND I THINK IS I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS WHEN I FIRST SAW IT, THE SOURCE WHERE THIS COME FROM, IF AN HOUR BEFORE, IF THEY WANT TO MODIFY THE CURRENT COMMITTEE STRUCTURE, IF THEY FELT THEY MEANING THE CITY AND SCHOOL DISTRICT, THERE'S SOME MISSING REPRESENTATION. IF THEY WANT TO EXPAND THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT IF THEY WANT TO EXPLAIN, EXPAND THAT, AND I'M CERTAINLY, I'M CERTAINLY ON BOARD WITH OTHER CITIES AND HAVE THAT REPRESENTATION TO TARGET, AS RICH SAID TO, UH, TO MAKE SURE IT'S INCLUSIVE, UH, KIND OF THING, YOU KNOW, UM, MODIFICATION, BUT THE, PUT THIS TO OVERLAY THE CURRENT COMMITTEE WITH THIS, AND I'M NOT SURE I'M NOT SURE WHY KIND OF THING. SO I GUESS MICHELLE, MY CAN IS, UH, AND, AND I'M NOT RICH. I'M NOT CERTAIN, BUT, YOU KNOW, IMPROVING RELATIONSHIPS AND ALL THAT, BUT PERHAPS WE GO BACK TO THE DISTRICT AT CLARITIN RAISED THE QUESTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, ARE YOU LOOKING AT NO ONE PART OF THE GOALS OF THIS, LOOK AT, LOOK AT THE MISSION OF THE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. CAUSE I, AS I REMEMBER, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE BEEN IN ONE OF THEIR MEETINGS, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY'VE HAVE SOME PRINTED [00:10:01] GOALS AND AIMS. I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THEM IN A WHILE. I ADMIT THAT, BUT I KNOW I REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL YEARS AGO LOOKING AT THAT STUFF AND IF THEY WANT TO EXPAND THAT TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE, THAT WOULD BE A SUBJECT APPROACH THAT I WOULD SUGGEST MR. CHAIR, UH, TO, UH, AND, AND ADD ROUTE LATIN, SEXY, THE MEMBER MEMBER CITIES TO IT. BUT TWO, I'M NOT SURE WHAT, WHAT WE WOULD BE SAYING IF WE ADOPTED THIS, I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT WOULD MEAN. AND GIVEN THAT, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CURRENT STRUCTURE, GET BACK TO THE DISTRICT, HAVE SOME CONVERSATION AND FIND, FIND OUT HOW ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT MODIFYING THE EXISTENCE GROUP RATHER THAN COMING UP WITH A NEW GROUP. THAT'S WHERE THAT'S WHERE I WOULD LAY IN THAT BRIDGE. MR. MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I CAN CLARIFY ONE THING I SAID EARLIER, I GUESS THE ONE THING THAT I, AS I READ THROUGH IT HAD A QUESTION ABOUT WOULD BE A BULLET POINT NUMBER FOUR, ON THE BACK PAGE, WHEN IT GETS INTO A DETAILED MOU BETWEEN THE DISTRICT AND THE CITIES THAT WILL JOINTLY BE JOINTLY CREATED TO OUTLINE THE SPECIFIC STEPS AND THE RESPECTIVE THAT THEIR RESPECTIVE CITIES AND DISTRICT WILL TAKE TO BUILD A SHRINE. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HOW THAT TIES INTO WHAT THAT WOULD BE, HOW IT TIES INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER ISSUES. AND, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THE THREE CITIES AND THE DISTRICT, THAT'S ONE THING, BUT EACH CITY KIND OF DOES THINGS THEIR OWN WAY TOO. SO IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT. UH, THAT'S THE ONE, THAT'S THE ONE BULLET POINT, DEPENDING ON HOW THAT'S CRAFTED AND WHAT IT SAYS IS AN MOU NEEDED, OR IS IT JUST A PARTNERSHIP THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IT THAT THAT'S SOMETHING FOR THE COUNCIL, THIS COMMITTEE AND THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE TO CONSIDER AS WE MOVE. SO, UM, I'LL THROW SOME IDEAS IN. SO WE HAVE, WE'VE GOT OUR EDC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STEERING COMMITTEE, UH, AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WOULD BE TO ADD TWO CITIES TO THAT, RIGHT. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT'S A WEIRD TIME AND IT COULD BE, WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT TO IN EFFECT IS TO HAVE A, A 4, 5, 600 NUMBER, YOU KNOW, ALL THE DIFFERENT ENTITIES COMING TOGETHER AT ONE TABLE, THAT'S EFFECTIVELY WHAT THEY'RE CREATING. RIGHT. ISN'T IT IS AN EXPANSION OF WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING, BUT EFFECTIVELY WE CAN'T TELL THAT. I MEAN, I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW. YEAH. I MEAN, I'VE READ THROUGH THEIR POINTS, BUT I MEAN, THE PROBLEM IS THAT YES. I THINK THAT FROM THERE, FROM WHAT THEY'VE GIVEN IS LIKE, OH, THIS MUST BE IT, BUT I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW IN THE SENSE OF IT. AND MAYBE BECAUSE IT'S, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE INTENTION IS TO BUILD A STRONG COALITION, BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A DETAILED STRUCTURE. SO ARE WE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING AN, UH, AN ENTITY THAT ALMOST LIKE A MINI COG? I MEAN, THAT'S KINDA WHAT IT FELT LIKE A BIT FROM READING IT. SURE. YEAH. AND, AND, AND, AND THEN HOW DOES THAT WORK? AND WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF IT AS OPPOSED TO A PARTNERSHIP WHERE YOU'RE JUST EXCHANGING, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT'S BEEN SO FAR IS, IS WE'RE MOSTLY JUST EXCHANGING INFORMATION. THERE'VE BEEN NO ASKS. THERE'S NO, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WHEN THE, YOU KNOW, HERE'S HERE, LIKE FYI, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE TAX ELECTION LAST YEAR FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, STUFF LIKE THAT, THIS FEELS MORE, UM, MORE, UH, DETAILED STRUCTURE FOR ONGOING COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE DISTRICT TO TRY. SO IT'S, I'M JUST NOT SURE WHAT THE, YEAH. AND SO MAYBE IT'S THE THING WHERE, YOU KNOW, IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT IS, IS EFFECTIVELY WHAT YOU WANT, THE ECONOMIC FOUNDATION, YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP KIND OF BROADENED, UH, INTO INCLUDE OTHER TIMES. I MEAN, JUST IN THE FUNCTIONAL SENSE, THAT GROUP IS NOT RESTRICTED TO ECONOMICS OR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO IS, ARE THEY LOOKING FOR THAT, BUT EXPANDED OR IS THERE SOME OTHER THING? UH, I JUST, WELL, TO YOUR POINT, THERE'S ONE, ONE POINT IN HERE THAT KIND OF BOTHERS ME. AND IT'S THE TOP OF THE BACK PAGE. IT SAYS, WHEREAS ALL COALITION MEMBERS WILL ALSO SERVE AS AMBASSADORS AND ADVOCATES TO COMMUNICATE DISTRICT INITIATIVES, PRIORITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS. SO THAT THE WORK IN PROGRESS OF THE DISTRICT IS CLEARLY COMMUNICATED AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FEEDBACK AND COLLABORATION ARE REGULARLY PROVIDED MR. CHAIRMAN, MY ENERGY, ABSOLUTELY. FROM, FROM MY READING. AND OF COURSE I JUST SAT DOWN AND READ IT. UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PROBABLY HAS SOME GOALS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. SO [00:15:01] THEREFORE THEY PASS THIS RESOLUTION. RIGHT. AND, UH, THEY MAY HAVE SOME THINGS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO ON THEIR END THAT WILL INVOLVE ALL THREE CITIES THAT ARE WITHIN THEIR DISTRICT. SO THEY'RE TRYING TO SET UP THIS GROUP TO MEET FOR THEIR PURPOSES. NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OTHER COMMITTEE THAT HAS YOU GUYS DEEMED MEMBERS ON IT ALREADY DOES. YEAH. ORIGINALLY IT WAS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE BETWEEN THE CITY, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THE CHAMBER IN PARTNERSHIP TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS IS AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, ALBAN WAS POINTING OUT EARLIER. NOW THOSE MEETINGS HAVE GROWN INTO MORE THAN DISCUSSED. SOMETIMES THERE'S INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. OTHER DISCUSSIONS THAT OCCUR ON A PERIODIC BASIS ARE READY. UM, BUT THERE, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS. AND I AGREE WITH THE, THE POINTS ON THE RESOLUTION, UH, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO DISCUSS, BUT, BUT AN OPTION FOR THE COMMITTEE AND FOR THE COUNCIL WOULD BE, WOULD BE TO HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION POTENTIALLY AT THE NEXT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AND, AND STAFF. WE'VE HAD SOME STAFF LEVEL CONVERSATIONS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A CLEAR IDEA. WE READ THIS. AND WHAT WE HEAR IS NOT EXACTLY THE SAME THING. SO MAYBE THAT, UH, FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATION WOULD, AND, AND IT MAY TURN OUT THAT WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING IN OUR COMMITTEES REALLY RESOLVES WHAT ONE OR TWO PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO GET AT AT THE DISTRICT HERE THAT MAY ACTUALLY BE THE CASE, YOU KNOW, OR IF THERE'S MINOR CHANGES TO THAT CURRENT EXISTING COMMITTEE THAT MAY BE ABLE TO RESOLVE IT AS WELL. YEAH. I MEAN, I'M HAPPY TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO IMPROVE TIES WITH OURSELVES IN THE DISTRICT AND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THAT INVOLVES WITH THAT MEANS MEETINGS OR TEA PARTIES OR WHATEVER. UM, BUT I AGREE, UH, WITH THE CHAIR THAT, THAT AS I LOOK AT THAT, THAT KIND OF SECOND LAST, WHEREAS IT'S A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT, ONE SIDE, WHICH IS OKAY, BECAUSE THEY WROTE IT. SO, UH, KIND OF HOW THAT WORKS. UM, IT, IT WOULD GIVE ME, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO HAVE CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BIND EVEN NOMINALLY THE CITY TO, UM, TO BE AN AMBASSADOR OR ADVOCATE FOR DISTRICT INITIATIVES, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE, THERE MAY COME A TIME WHEN THERE'S A DISTRICT INITIATIVE THAT, UM, THAT THE COUNCIL DOES NOT AGREE WITH OR, OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES. I MEAN, HOPEFULLY NOT, BUT, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT THEY'RE ASKING OF US, FROM WHAT I CAN TELL MAN, 0.1 JUST REINFORCES THAT, THAT SAYS THAT THE FINDINGS OF RECITALS IN THE PREAMBLE ARE HEREBY FOUND TO BE TRUE AND CORRECT, AND HEREBY APPROVED AND ADOPTED THAT, THAT JUST REINFORCES EXACTLY WHAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT, BECAUSE IT SAYS THAT OUR COUNCIL AGREES THAT WE SHOULD BE AMBASSADORS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND THAT THAT'S NOT, IT'S NOT OUR JOB. IT'S NOT US IF WE FEEL THAT IT DIVERGES FROM THAT. YEAH. YEAH. CAUSE WE'VE JUST GOT, WE'VE WRITTEN THEM A BLANK PR CHECK. YEAH. AND THEN YOU ENDED UP BECOMING, I MEAN, LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY. YOU KNOW, WE PUT IT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS AND WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SIGNING THE CITY UP IN TERMS OF WHAT ARE THE BILLS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET BEHIND? WHAT ARE, WHAT'S OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA WHILE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALL VOTE ON AND HAVE DISCUSSION ABOUT AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO AS YOU PUT IT, YOU KNOW, GIVING A BLANK CHECK TO ENDORSING WHEREVER THE DISTRICT GOES, EVEN NOMINALLY, I MEAN, IT'S, I UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO GET, I THINK MAYBE, BUT THAT'S JUST, THAT'S NOT SOMEWHERE. I THINK THAT WE CAN EASILY GO. I THINK WE CAN SAY THAT, THAT WE GENERALLY SUPPORT THEM, THAT WE, WHATEVER THAT, THAT WE WANT TO BE ADVOCATES THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE AND SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE MUTUAL SUPPORT AND ADMIRATION AND WHATEVER FOR EACH OTHER, TO THE EXTENT THAT THAT'S, UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT THAT'S COMPATIBLE WITH, WITH EACH ENTITIES, INDIVIDUAL MISSION. CAUSE WE ALL HAVE THEIR MISSION. VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT IS VERY, ALSO VERY, VERY DIFFERENT FROM, FROM THE CITIES AND FROM THE OTHER CITY. SO I KNOW THAT, UM, ONE OF THE ONGOING CONCERNS OF THE DISTRICT IS THAT THEY REALLY, REALLY WANT US TO MARKET THEM AND OUR LITERATURE AND, AND THEIR WHOLE POINT IS, UH, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU CHOOSE SOMEWHERE TO BUY A HOME, ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS, A LOT OF FOLKS ASKS ARE HOW ARE THE SCHOOLS? AND I KNOW THAT THAT CITY OF GHRELIN DOESN'T DO MUCH IN THE WAY OF, UH, [00:20:01] MARKETING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND I KNOW THAT'S A FRUSTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT. MAYBE THAT'S, THAT COULD BE WHAT'S BEHIND IT, BUT THAT'S THE LANGUAGE IS TOO BROAD. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THE SEAT, THE CVV B THERE'S DISCUSSIONS GOING ON FOR YEARS, THEY PUT SOME STUFF IN THERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SOME NUMBERS. THEY'VE GOT SOME MATERIALS, I'VE SEEN SOME STUFF AND THEIR LITERATURE ABOUT IT, BUT I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER AVENUE FOR ADDRESSING THAT. AND I, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I NOTICED ABOUT THIS, AND I DON'T KNOW THIS FOR SURE, MITCH, MAYBE THIS RESOLUTION CAME FROM THE POLICY LEVEL IN DISTRICT. THE BOARD PRESIDENT DID NOT COME FROM THE CHIEF CEO OF DISTRICT. AND I DON'T, I'M NOT SAYING THAT HE WAS NOT RIGHT THE ARCHITECT OR BEHIND THIS, BUT, BUT, BUT ON ITS FACE, THIS CAME FROM POLICY TOP POLICY LEVEL, THE BOARD PRESIDENT. AND MY QUESTION MITCH WOULD BE IF WE TOOK THIS TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEE, WHAT, WHAT VOID DOES THIS FAIL? THAT IS NOT CURRENTLY BEING DONE THAT MS. CHAIR, THAT W I THINK IS ESSENTIAL QUESTION. WHAT, I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO ADD THE ROOMS TO THE HOUSE, YOU DON'T JUST START ADDING THEM. YEAH. WHY DO WE NEED THIS ADDITIONAL SPACE? RIGHT. WELL, IS THERE, OUR MAYOR SAYS, WHAT PROBLEM ARE WE TRYING TO SOLVE? THAT'S, YOU KNOW WHAT WE KNOW, WHAT VOICE ARE WE TRYING TO, TO FEEL HERE? AND THAT'S NECESSARY WHEN I THINK SOME KIND OF WAY, WHETHER WE DO IT AT THAT MEETING OR, OR MEETING WITH, WITH SOME, WITH SOME OF THEIR POLICY MAKERS. I THINK THAT'S THE KEY BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE COMMIT TO THIS. AND THEN I'M THINKING, I'M THINKING CHARTER, I'M THINKING CHARTER ALSO I'M THINKING LANGUAGE. AND I TRIED ABOUT WHAT, WHAT THE COUNCIL'S RESPONSIBLE IS IN SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITY IS, AND THAT'S NOT IT. YEAH. THIS IS NOT EXACTLY IT. WHAT, WHAT DO Y'ALL THINK ABOUT, UH, REJECTING THIS AND THEN, UH, MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL THAT WE MOVE TO EXPAND THE SCOPE OF THE ECONOMIC OR THE, THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STEERING COMMITTEE TO THE OTHER TWO CITIES AND THEIR CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE. I'M GOOD FOR THAT. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US HAVE THAT, PUT THAT QUESTION ON THE TABLE, HOWEVER YOU DEEM APPROPRIATE. AND I DON'T HAVE ANY IN MY MIND. YEAH, EXACTLY. HOW DO YOU ENGINEER THAT? BUT I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE TO PUT THAT QUESTION ON TABLE BEFORE WE MOVED TO WHAT VOID ARE WE TRYING TO FILL? YEAH. SO WHEN WE DO BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL FOR DISCUSSION, WE HAVE THAT, THAT PIECE. WE CAN, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE DO THAT. SHOULD WE, MAYBE THE THING TO DO IS TO SEE THIS, EXCUSE ME, SCENES, THIS CAME DOWN FROM THE POLICY LEVEL IS TO ASK FOR, SEE WHEN WE SIT DOWN WITH, YEAH. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE A, I THINK THEY DO ACTUALLY NOW HAVE A COMMITTEE, A SIMILAR INTER INTER GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND JUST SEE IF WE GET ON THE SAME PAGE. OKAY. UM, MAYBE DO THAT AND THEN REPORT BACK TO, WE COULD TABLE THIS OR POSTPONE THIS DECISION ON THIS, TO THE NEXT MEETING, UH, AND INVITE THEM TO COME JOIN US FOR THAT NEXT MEETING OR INVITE TO MEET THEM MEAN, I EARNED MY RIGHT TO MEET THEM AT A NEUTRAL SIDE OR SIT AND HAVE COFFEE OR AN INFORMAL, UH, IF THE CHAIR WOULD, AND I'M TOTALLY FINE WITH THE CHAIR. IF, IF IT'S BETTER AS A, ONE-ON-ONE TOTALLY FINE WITH THE CHAIR TAKING THAT ON. UM, WE HAVE NO OPEN MEETINGS THAT CONSIDERATIONS AND THAT, THAT TYPE OF DOWN WITH THEM, AS LONG AS IT'S POSTED, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY, BUT GOING BACK TO THIS, MR. CHAIR, ARE THEY ASKING YOU TO DO ANYTHING NOW? OR ARE THEY JUST GIVING YOU A HEADS UP THAT MOU IS COMING OUR WAY. YOU'RE ASKING US TO, FROM WHAT I READ IN SECTIONS FOUR AND FIVE, THEY'RE ASKING US TO COMMIT TO A DATE AND TIME TO SIT DOWN AND DEVELOP THE MOU AND COMMEND OUR MAYOR TO IT. SO THE WAY I READ NUMBER FOUR IS THAT THEY AGREED THAT THEIR FOLKS WOULD WORK JOINTLY WITH THE THREE CITIES. AND AT SOME POINT CREATED AN MOU OUTLINING WHAT THIS NEW COMMITTEE WILL DO. AND NUMBER FIVE IS THAT THEY AGREED A DATE TO DEVELOP. THE MOU WILL BE DETERMINED BY REACHING OUT TO EACH CITY AS TO WHEN THEY WANT TO WORK ON IT. AM I ON THIS STREET? NO. SO WE BASICALLY WOULD, UH, IF THE COUNCIL, IF WE RECOMMENDED IT AND THE COUNCIL TOOK OUR RECOMMENDATION, WE WOULD COMMIT THE MAYOR TO SITTING DOWN DEVELOPING A DATE AND AN MOU. [00:25:01] IS THAT HOW YOU ALL READ IT? I MEAN, I, I READ IT AS THEY WOULD LIKE US TO BASICALLY ADOPT THIS RESOLUTE SIGN ON TO THIS RESOLUTION. AND BY THAT RESOLUTION RESOLVE TO DO THOSE THINGS, PARTICULARLY IN FOUR AND FIVE TO JOINT, WE DEVELOPED AN MOU AND, AND TO AGREE THAT, UM, THAT THESE GROUPS WILL KIND OF WORK TOGETHER TO HAVE A DATE TO DEVELOP THE MOU. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TO START OR TO COMPLETE OR WHAT IT IS, BUT IT IS. UH, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S HOW I READ IT IS WHAT THE GOAL OF THIS IS. AND, UM, AS FAR AS THE OPEN MEETINGS PIECE IN, UH, IN A VERY TECHNICAL SENSE, UH, IT'S NOT AN OPEN MEETINGS ACT ISSUE. WE, WE REALLY DON'T AND THERE'S, THERE'S BEEN, AND I'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION WITH, WITH BRIAN ENGLAND. THERE'S A QUESTION WHETHER YOU HAVE TO POST, THESE IS ALL, WHETHER THIS QUALIFIES AS A MEETING, IT'S THREE OF US. UM, WE DO THAT, THAT WE DO POST THEM THOUGH, BECAUSE, CAUSE WE DO WANT THEM TO BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. AND ALSO BECAUSE THERE'S SOME POSSIBILITY THAT WE'LL HAVE A QUORUM THAT TWO OTHER FOLKS COULD SHOW UP. BUT, BUT IF, IF, IF WE, IF YOU WANT IT TO GO HAVE LUNCH WITH, YOU KNOW, SELLERS OR LARRY CLICKER, SOMEONE THAT'S FOR THE PURPOSE OF, OF A MEETING TO DISCUSS THIS, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU'D HAVE TO POST JUST SOME CORNER OF THE CITY COUNCIL. IF THERE WERE FIVE OF US THERE THAT'S REQUIRED TO POST. IF THERE'S NOT WE'RE OKAY. THAT'S MY, AND ASSUMING WHEN YOU'RE STANDING IN A QUORUM AMONGST THE MEMBERS, I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WE DO, WE DO IT RIGHT. AND IF WE HAD, I'M TRYING TO PUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF PRESSURE ON SHAWN RIGHT NOW, TOO. CAUSE HE'S THE NEW GUY. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU, SIR. KEEP WORKING AT IT. WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW YOU GET TO STARS INSTEAD OF THE STRIPES, YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT LET'S SAY THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE US. DO, YOU KNOW? UH, YEAH. IF THE SICK, IF WE, IF THREE OF US AND HAVE THREE OF THEM, LIKE LET'S GO MEET AT THE GOLD MINE AND SIT AT THE ROUND TABLE AND HASH IT OUT. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GOT TO POST. OKAY. IS MY UNDERSTANDING I'D BE COMFORTABLE IF OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EXITED, IF WE HAD BREAKFAST AT GOLDMAN. AND WE, I THINK, I THINK TO GET SOME CLARITY TO HEAR FROM THE SOURCE FOR MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE GUESSING W W WE'RE GUESSING WHAT THEY MEAN, WE'RE GUESSING. AND, AND WE DON'T KNOW, LIKE I SAID, PARCEL LEVEL. YEAH. THERE MAY BE SOME FOLKS AT THAT LEVEL, MITCH, YOU MAY NOT BE REALLY THAT INFORMED ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE THAT, THAT IS, THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST. YEAH. NOBODY. OKAY. YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT BEING CRITICAL OF ANYBODY. NO. EVERYBODY'S DRINKING FROM THAT FIRE HOSE OF KNOWLEDGE AND IT TAKES TIME. IT TAKES TIME. SO, SO I THINK THIS KIND OF SIT DOWN WITH WHAT HELP WAS FOCUSED ON. AND ONCE WE WALK FROM THE TABLE, WE'LL KNOW WHAT THEIR INTENT IS. THEN WE KNOW HOW TO PROCEED AND WHAT'S RECOMMENDED COUNSEL, BUT RIGHT NOW, I WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT TO RECOMMEND THE COUNCIL. WE ATTENDED STAFF TO STAFF TO CLARIFY IT. AND WE WERE UNABLE THE ONLY THING THAT WE REALLY THINK MUCH OF IT, IT'S JUST A, UH, EITHER A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OR MISUNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THIS ECONOMIC COMMITTED, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE ALREADY DOES, WHICH IT DOES MORE THAN JUST THERE WAS OTHER DISCUSSION ITEMS AND OTHER THINGS THERE. THE ONE DIFFERENCE IS, IS THIS COUNCIL MEMBER ROBIN SAID, OKAY, IT'S SAXY AND WRAL LAT. AND HOW DOES THAT TIE INTO THE BIGGER DISCUSSION? RIGHT. RIGHT. SO, I MEAN THAT'S, BUT THAT CLARIFYING IT, THAT TOP LEVEL WAS PROBABLY CAUSE THAT'S WHERE IT CAME FROM. UM, AND AGAIN, I THINK THERE WAS JUST A LITTLE MISUNDERSTANDING THERE, A DISCUSSION MAY BE ABLE TO CLEAR IT UP OR THIS ISN'T NEEDED THAT WE HAVE, WE ALREADY HAVE AMONG THE CITIES, UH, AND THE DISTRICT AND THE CHAMBER, A PARTNERSHIP THAT'S ALREADY WORKING OR SOMETHING NEW, A, A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT VERSION OF THIS MAY BE ABLE TO COME OUT OF SUPPORTING EACH OTHER OR SOME VERSION OF THAT. UM, BUT I THINK A DISCUSSION AT THAT LEVEL, A ONE-ON-ONE DISCUSSION TO, TO CLARIFY THAT MAY BE ABLE TO RESOLVE A LOT OF IT AND THEN POTENTIALLY AGAIN AT THE NEXT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT KITTY COMMITTEE, IF YOU WISH, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER COUNCIL WISHES TO PROCEED ON THAT. UH, BUT THE FIRST THING A ONE-ON-ONE, IT IT'LL PROBABLY RESOLVE IT. SO, YEAH, BECAUSE I KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT SEXY, BUT I KNOW THAT ED HASN'T ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE YET, I DON'T KNOW MY SEXY COOK, BUT I KNOW THAT ROLLA DOES. AND I'M NOT SURE WHETHER THEY DO THE SAME THING I WAS, DOES NOT. [00:30:02] OKAY. SO I THINK THAT THAT, THAT CONVERSATION WOULD HELP. AND IF THEY TALKING TO EXPANSION, THE TWO, THOSE TWO MEN REMEMBER CITIES, YOU KNOW, IF THAT WOULD, WOULD DO IT, THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A WHOLE DIFFERENT WE'RE LOOKING AT EXPANSION. AND NOT THAT THAT, SO RICHARD YOU'RE, IT DOES. DO WE KNOW IF THE, UH, IF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP HAS ANY, WHERE THERE ANY ENABLING RESOLUTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT GROUP OR ANYTHING? I MEAN, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY, I THINK WE JUST LIKE, HEY, LET'S START BEATING. AND NO, I DON'T THINK IT REQUIRED A SOLUTION WAS SHARED. WE KNOW THAT THEY GET A COPY OF THIS. WELL, IT'S THERE, THIS IS THEIR DOCUMENT. SO I HOPE SO, BUT THIS IS WHAT THEY VOTED ON. SO I HOPE THEY ARE, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. OKAY. I DON'T THINK THE CHAMBER HAS SEEN THIS, BUT, UH, I KNOW THAT THE CITY OF GARLAND HAS, AND I KNOW THAT THE DISTRICT HAS NOT SURE ABOUT, UH, MR. MAYOR'S GROUP. YEAH. YEAH. WELL, I JUST, I THINK THAT SIT DOWN WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL AS CHAIR BEFORE. OKAY. WELL, LET'S, UH, LET'S PLAN TO DO THAT THEN. OKAY. SO WE'LL LEAVE THIS ITEM PENDING, UH, FOR FUTURE DISCUSSION AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE SOME ANSWERS WHEN WE COME BACK. I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR COFFEE WITH OH YEAH, YEAH. UH, I WILL SAY, I MEAN, THE, THE THING THAT, THAT I DO LIKE ABOUT IT IS, UH, I KNOW THAT EVERY TIME I GET TOGETHER WITH OUR, OUR PEERS AND WE'RE ALL AT, UH, I FEEL LIKE I LEARNED SOMETHING AND I FEEL BETTER OFF FOR THE EXPERIENCE. UH, DON'T CONNECT WITH SAXY VERY MUCH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I CAN SEE SOME VALUE THERE, BUT EVERY, EVERY CONCERN THAT'S BEEN RAISED IS A GOOD ONE. SO LET'S GET SOME ANSWERS AND, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE THIS ITEM PENDING FOR NOW. UM, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM HEARING? NONE. WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM FOUR ADJOURNMENT. UH, IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS, WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 4:32 PM. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. THANKS, SIR. * 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.