[2021 District 4 Update with Deputy Mayor Pro Tem B.J. Williams]
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WELCOME TO ANOTHER CITY COUNCIL UPDATE.
WE'RE IN DISTRICT FOUR WITH DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, BJ WILLIAMS. UM, BJ, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US.
I KNOW YOU'VE HAD A LOT GOING ON, THINGS THAT YOU'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
SO GIVEN SOME OF THE DAUNTING CHALLENGES WE FACED, UH, IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENT OR PROJECT ARE YOU THE MOST PROUD OF FOR DISTRICT FOUR? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UH, DOROTHY AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYBODY IN DISTRICT FOUR AND CITYWIDE.
IT'S AN, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE THIS MORNING.
AND I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT, UH, REALLY A JUUL, DESPITE THE CHALLENGES THAT OBSTACLES THAT WE HAVE FACED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A REAL WIN FOR OUR DISTRICT AND FOR A CITY THAT BEING AUTOBON RECREATION CENTER AUTOBON IS BACK AND IT'S BETTER THAN EVER.
THE CITY COUNCIL CELEBRATED THE COMPLETION OF RENOVATIONS AT THE AUTOBON RECREATION CENTER, LOCATED 3 42 WEST OAKS, UH, REOPENING ON OCTOBER THE FIFTH, UM, THROUGH VOTER APPROVED BOND PROGRAMS, THAT PROJECT, WHICH WAS A $6.1 MILLION, UH, PROJECT FOR THE EXPANSION AND RENOVATION OF THE FACILITY.
THE PROJECT ADDED MORE THAN 5,000 SQUARE FEET, UH, TO THE SIDES, TO THE SPACE THERE.
UH, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF INTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS, THE LAYOUT AND RENOVATIONS, YOU KNOW, AUDUBON PARK IS THE FIRST OF OUR RECREATION CENTERS THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE 2019 BOND PACKAGE TO ACTUALLY HAVE THE RIBBON CUTTING.
SO WE ARE EXCITED TO BE FIRST OUT OF BOND.
UH, IT'S KIND OF ONE OF OUR, UH, ONE OF OUR SENIOR CITIZENS AMONG REC CENTERS.
UH, OUR BARN WAS BUILT IN 1980 AND LAST REMODEL IN 2003.
UH, THIS PROJECT WAS INCLUDED IN THE 2004, A BOND BOND BOND PROPOSAL, BUT SUCH AS GRINDERS GRINDING TAKES TIME.
AND FINALLY IN 2019, WE RECEIVED THE FONT TO DO THIS.
SO RIGHT NOW IT'S ABOUT FOUR 14,000 SQUARE FEET OF AWESOME RENOVATED SPACE.
SO OUT OF BOND RECREATION CENTER IS IT'S THE JEW.
SO WHY IS THIS RENOVATION REOPENING SO IMPORTANT TO THE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT FOUR? THE ONLY THING I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION.
UM, ONE, IT GIVES THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACCESS TO SAFE, CLEAN USER-FRIENDLY FACILITY, UH, NEARBY.
UH, IT SAVES THEM ALL TRAVEL EXPENSE, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE WAY ACROSS TOWN OR TO SOME PROVINCE TO 70, UH, FOLK FOR WORKOUT.
UH, THE, THE MEMBERSHIP FOR THE, FOR THE, UH, PHYSICAL FITNESS PORTION OF THE RECREATION PROGRAM IS VERY NOMINAL.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS TOO, THAT WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON, WE'RE NOT THERE YET, BUT OUR STAFF IS WORKING ON HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS EVEN MORE AFFORDABLE FOR OUR SENIOR CITIZENS AND DISTRICT FOUR.
SO STAY TUNED FOR THOSE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
AND, UH, THIRDLY, UH, THE, THE, THE RENOVATIONS, UH, AT AUDUBON PARK, UH, PROVIDES FOR ALL KINDS OF CLASSES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS.
AND IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS, GO TO OUR CITY WEBSITE AND CLICK ON PLAY GUY, AND HE'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING FROM, I DIDN'T KNOW, YOU LEARN HOW TO PLAY DOMINOES, NONE TO PLAY BASKETBALL.
UH, Y'ALL GOT ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND, AND FOR MOST OF US INDIVIDUALLY FOR A AUDUBON AUDUBON REC CENTER IS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE ALONG THE TRAILS.
SO IT'S A HUGE BENEFIT TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO GIVE US A BRIEF SNAPSHOT OF SOME OF THE AMENITIES THAT WE CAN ENJOY AT AUTOBON REC CENTER.
WELL, NUMBER ONE IS FITNESS ROOM.
I MEAN, IT'S A STATE OF THE ART FACILITY WITH STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENT, AND YOU CAN EVEN SEE THE OUTDOORS, UH, THOSE WHO REMEMBER OUT OF MIND, WE HAD THE WALLS, ALL OF THOSE BRITS AND MODERN GOLD.
WHY ARE YOU, WHY ARE YOU DOING YOUR PHYSICAL FITNESS ROUTINE? WE ALSO HAVE THERE, WE'VE GOT LU INTERACTIVE PROJECTION GAMING SYSTEM, UH, FOR NOT ONLY FOR THE, FOR THE KIDDOS, BUT FOR US OWN KIDDOS, OUR OLDER KIDDOS, UH, WE CAN SERVE ANY AGE,
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ANY KIDS OF ANY AGE AND WITH THAT NEW INTERACTIVE ASSISTANT AND ENJOY THE GAMES.AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THANK GOD WE ARE, WE SEEM TO BE RUNNING THE CURVE WITH COVID AND PEOPLE ARE HITTING MORE, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE PLANNING, FAMILY REUNIONS AND BABY SHOWERS AND BIRTHDAY PARTIES.
WELL, THE NEW RECREATION CENTER HAS AN OUTDOOR PAVILION, A COVERED, FAMILIAR WHERE FAMILIES CAN, CAN, CAN LEASE THAT SPACE AT A MINIMAL CAUSE, YOU KNOW, FOR YOUR BABY SHOWERS.
AND EVEN IF YOU WANT TO BRING SOMEBODY TO, THEY, ALL TWO PEOPLE WANT TO DO A WEDDING, YOU CAN DO A WEDDING THERE.
SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE ADVANTAGES THAT WE'VE HAD THAT TAP DOWN AT AUTO BUTTON REC SAID, THAT'S WONDERFUL.
SO HOW CAN FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, HOW DO THEY UTILIZE THE REC CENTER? HOW DO THEY GET THAT ACCESS? I THINK ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS JUST SHOW UP, JUST SHOW UP.
UH, WE'VE GOT A NEWLY RENOVATED, UH, GYMNASIUM FOR THOSE WHO THINK YOUNG AND OLD WHO THINK THEY CAN STILL HOOP, UH, A GYM THERE.
UH, WE'VE GOT MEETING ROOMS, UH, THERE, THAT IS, THAT IS, UH, AVAILABLE.
UH, THOSE ROOMS ARE AVAILABLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS OR ACTIVITIES AND THE SPACE AND OUR STAFF THERE JUST WITH ANY AND EVERYBODY, UH, TO AUDUBON.
SO I SAY ALL THE TIME, UH, IT'S IT'S UH, TO OUR CONSTITUENTS AND OUR RESIDENTS, IT'S YOUR HOUSE.
SO PLACE USED, ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS SHOW UP, GO, GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND YOU CAN DO A VIRTUAL TOUR, BUT, BUT YOU REALLY DON'T GET THE IMPACT OF WHAT HAS BEEN DONE THERE UNLESS YOU WALK IN THE PLACE AND OUR STAFF THERE IS PHENOMENAL AND THEY WELCOME YOU THERE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW, IT'S THE BEST, BEST EXAMPLE OF STEWARDSHIP OF TAXPAYERS DOLLARS THAT ARE I'VE EXPERIENCED, UH, DOING MY YEARS HERE IN GOLDEN.
WELL, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE FOLKS, IF YOU DO WANT TO USE THE MEETING SPACE OR RESERVE SOME SPACE FOR A SPECIAL EVENT, REACH OUT TO THE STAFF THERE'S INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE, OR WHEN YOU GO VISIT, YOU KNOW, GET YOUR, GET KIND OF MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE THOSE RESERVATIONS, BECAUSE THAT IS IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY POPULAR PLACE WITH ALL THESE NEW AMENITIES.
SO WHAT'S NEXT, ARE THERE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS ON THE HORIZON? I MEAN, THIS IS A WONDERFUL COMPLEX, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF RESOURCES OUT AT AUTOBON WHAT'S NEXT.
WELL, DOROTHY, WE'RE NOT DONE YET.
UH, EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT SURFING SWAM.
HOWEVER, YOU GOT TO BE SOME FACE LIFTING FOR SURFING SWIM, UH, UH, ALSO THE TRAILS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FOLKS, THAT'S HOW THEY GET THEIR EXERCISE.
WASN'T SURE THE TRAILS CONNECTION, UH, TO AUTOBAHN, WE'RE DOING SOME IMPROVEMENTS ON THE TRAIL SYSTEM.
UH, I WOULD SAY, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT THE PARKING LOT.
WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT PROBABLY CENTERED 70% OF THE PARKING LOT REDONE PAYMENT, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL ABOUT 30, 30 TO 35%.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THAT SECTION HAS BEEN DELAYED NORTH EQUIPPED WITH ALL OF THE HEAVY VEHICLES COMING INTO THE PARK, UM, DURING THE RENOVATION PROCESS, WE DIDN'T WANT TO COMPLETELY REDO ALL OF THE SERVICE STREET AND THEN HELP AND RISK HAVING THEM TONE UP WITH HEAVY VEHICLES.
SO WE'RE WAITING UNTIL ALL THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE DONE.
AND THEN, UH, WE GOT TO RESURFACE THE, UH, THE PARKING LOT.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, EXPAND ON THE TRAILS.
THERE ARE SOME IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED.
THERE ARE SOME AREAS WHEN WE GET HEAVY RAINS, THERE ARE FLECTION.
SO OUR, OUR, OUR PARKS AND RECS DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN, HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSELY, UH, DOING SURVEYS AND ANALYSIS ON THAT WHOLE SYSTEM.
SO WE'RE JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, UH, ALL OF THOSE IMPROVED LIMITS.
UH, OUR, OUR SOCCER FIELDS, OUR SOFTBALL FACILITIES ARE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO BE EVEN NORTH IT DOWN TO, UH, IT DOWN TO OUR WASTE, OUR TRASH CANS AND OUT OF BOX, AND PEOPLE WILL DROP BY, UH, YOU'LL, YOU'RE GOING TO NOTICE THAT A GREAT MAINTENANCE, SO LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE IMPROVEMENTS AND AUDUBON, AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, UH, A CROWN JEWEL.
UH, THEN THERE'S A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES.
SO, UH, HOPEFULLY BY THIS TIME, NEXT YEAR, WE'LL HAVE ALL OF THE REST OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
THERE ARE SOME CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE CAN CONTROL AS A CITY, YOU KNOW, LIKE SUPPLIES, EQUIPMENT, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND OF COURSE THE WEATHER, I THINK, GOLDEN, I THINK WE'VE HAD
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OUR SHARE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, UH, WEATHER CHANNEL, WE'RE DONE, HOPEFULLY WE'RE DONE WITH THOSE WELL CHATS, BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE, THE, UH, UH, THE REMAINING, UH, CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE, UH, EXPECT.AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT HAVING IT, UH, OUT OF BOND AND THEN CLOSING, UH, AUDUBON HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERY AGE GROUP, EVERY AGE GROUP, AND WE JUST ENCOURAGE OUR COMMUNITY TO COME OUT.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING FROM A PROGRAMMING STANDPOINT THAT YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE AS A COMMUNITY THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE AT AUTOBAHN, IF IT'S FEASIBLE, OUR STAFF WILL TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND I'M SURE THERE'LL BE RECEPTIVE TO ADDING IT.
IF, IF IT'S FEASIBLE, IF IT'S, IT'S A FULL IT'S AFFORDABLE FOR US AND IT'S SAFE FOR US.
SO IF YOU'VE GOT SOME SUGGESTIONS AND ONCE YOU GO OVER THERE TO OUR STAFF, THEY'RE VERY OPEN, VERY FRIENDLY, VERY CUSTOMER OVER IT.
JUST SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OUR STAFF OVER THERE.
AND, UH, UNLESS IT MAKES LESS LET'S, LET'S, LET'S KEEP SHINING THIS CRYSTAL AND, AND SOUTH GARLAND AUTOBON RECREATION CENTER.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH YOUR, WELL, I JUST, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, THAT, UH, UM, WE'RE DOING A NUMBER OF, OF UPGRADES IF YOU'VE NOTICED AND, AND, AND THIS BIG FOR, UH, AND I KNOW YOU'VE NOTICED CAUSE I'VE GOTTEN SOME OF YOUR CALLS AND YOUR EMAILS.
UM, OUR STREETS PROJECTS AS ARE OUR STREETS DEPARTMENT IS BLOWING AND GOING, YOU KNOW, WITH THE LITTLE RED CONES AND ALL THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO TEAR UP THE FIX UP, BUT WE'RE REALLY BLOWING AND GOING, UH, TO IMPROVE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE OF THERE.
AND ALSO OUR STAFF IS LOOKING AT, UH, BRIDGING THAT DIGITAL DIVIDE, STAY TONE FOR SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS TO COME IN THAT AREA, UH, BECAUSE, BECAUSE OUR STAFF IS WORKING DILIGENTLY, UH, LOOKING AT FAIR AND OUR COUNCIL HAS BEEN, UH, LOOKING AT POSSIBLE RESOURCES FOR THAT.
SO STAY TUNED, UH, FOR, UH, FOR, UH, IMPROVEMENTS AND FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, UH, THERE AND ALL THAT.
AND ALSO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY DEPARTMENT, UH, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF NUMBER OF MIRACLES IN OUR DISTRICT.
THEY WERE JUST OUT SEVERAL DAYS AGO.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THEM UP ABOUT AROUND TOWN WITH, WITH, UH, IMPROVING MATERIALS AND A PARTICULAR CHALLENGE TO OUR TEENAGERS AND YOUNG FOLKS WHO FEEL THAT YOU CREATIVE AND YOU CAN DO MAGIC WITH PAINT, BRUSHES, CONTACT A NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY OFFICE, BECAUSE THEY'LL NEED VOLUNTEERS AND THEY'LL NATURE, ENERGY AND YOUR IMAGINATION AND YOUR CREATIVITY.
AND I'M SURE THAT YOU CAN PARTICIPATE WITH THAT NEIGHBORHOOD BY TALENTED, UH, DEPARTMENT AND, AND, AND BRINGING THE BRIGHTENING UP A NUMBER OF THE MATERIALS THAT WE PLAN TO DO HERE ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
AND, AND SPEAKING OF CONTACTING THESE DEPARTMENTS AND KEEPING UP WITH THESE TYPES OF THINGS, IF YOU VISIT GARLAND, TX.GOV WITH ANY REGULARITY, YOU'RE GOING TO FIND UPDATES ABOUT THESE THINGS AND VARIOUS RESOURCES, BUT YOU CAN ALSO SUBSCRIBE.
IF YOU GO TO THE CITY'S WEBSITE, GARLAND, TX.GOV, AND CLICK ON THE NOTIFY ME BUTTON, YOU'LL FIND A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE TO, TO CONTINUALLY GET THOSE UPDATES AND GET THAT INFORMATION PROACTIVELY AS WE SEND IT OUT.
SO, AND I'LL ALSO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED, UM, IN OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AS WE GET INTO THE SPRING, WE'RE GOING TO BE PUSHING OUT THE APPLICATIONS QUITE A BIT, AND WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS BASED ON YOUR, YOUR AREAS OF INTEREST.
MAYBE IF YOU HAVE SOME EXPERTISE, WE HAVE A PARKS BOARD, WE HAVE SENIOR CENTERS, SENIOR CITIZENS ADVISORY.
WE HAVE A YOUTH BOARD LIBRARY, BOARD, ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF BOARDS THAT WOULD GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY AS A CITIZEN TO GET INVOLVED AND HAVE, HAVE SOME INPUT, SOME MORE DIRECT INPUT.
WE'RE ALWAYS LISTENING TO CITIZENS, BUT WE ALSO NEED CITIZEN VOLUNTEERS TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THOSE BACK ENDS OF THE PROCESSES.
SO WATCH FOR THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN, ADORES IT TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
ALWAYS DOING AWESOME JOBS AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST THANKS TO, UH, THE RESIDENTS OF COUNCIL, DISTRICT FOUR FOR GIVING ME THE HONOR TO SERVE AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE.
AGAIN, I DON'T TAKE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR VOTE AT KNOWN TAKE TIER SUPPORT.
I DON'T TAKE YOUR CRITIQUES FOR GRANTED.
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THOSE THAT GENERALLY WILL IMPROVE OUR CITY.SO I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE.
AND I THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT YOU IN YOUR LIVING ROOMS, IN YOUR BACKYARDS, WHEREVER YOU ARE, WHEN YOU SEE THIS BROADCAST, UH, WE'RE HERE TO SERVE YOU, CONTACT US IF WE CAN BE OF ASSISTANCE.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME VIEWERS.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AS WELL.
I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US FOR ANOTHER CITY COUNCIL UPDATE.