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[2021 District 5 Update with Council Member Rich Aubin]

[00:00:09]

HELLO, AND WELCOME TO ANOTHER CITY COUNCIL UPDATE.

I'M DOROTHY WHITE TODAY.

WE'RE IN DISTRICT FIVE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, RICH, AUBURN, AND THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON IN SO MANY PLACES.

LET'S JUST HIT IT.

THAT SOUNDS GREAT.

DOROTHY, THANK YOU.

HI EVERYONE.

I'M RICH ALBAN.

THIS IS MY SIXTH.

AND LAST ONE OF THESE.

I'LL BE TURNING IT ON COUNCIL IN MAY, BUT I'M REAL EXCITED.

WE'VE GOT A PACKED UPDATE FOR YOU.

LET'S START ON THE VERY BROAD CITY-WIDE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY GROUNDBREAKINGS WE'VE DONE IN THE LAST YEAR.

SO MANY GOOD THINGS GOING ON IN, IN THIS YEAR FROM THE 2019 BOND PROGRAM, WE'RE GOING TO START TO SEE THINGS COME TO THE FINISH, LIKE THE ANIMAL SHELTER.

WE'LL START.

WE HAVE THINGS THAT ARE STARTING LIKE THE DOWNTOWN REDO THE LIBRARY RENOVATIONS AND MORE.

BUT WHAT I REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON TODAY IS DISTRICT FIVE.

SO YEAH, AND YOU'RE GOING TO START WITH THE FUN STUFF LET'S TALK ABOUT, OH MY GOD.

THERE'S SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT.

I'M PROBABLY GOING TO MISS A FEW THINGS, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO FOLKS ABOUT THE 2019 BOND PROGRAM, THEY TOLD US THEY WANTED AMENITIES.

THEY WANTED PARKS, THEY WANTED RECREATION.

AND THE COUNCIL AND THE CITY STAFF IS DELIVERING, YOU KNOW, JUST THIS YEAR.

UH, WE HAVE A NEW DEVELOPMENT GOING IN SOUTH OF MILLER AND WE CONVINCED A DEVELOPER TO GIVE US ABOUT THREE ACRES OF THAT TO TURN INTO A PARK.

AND THEN WE WENT AND FOUND SOME REALLY GOOD NEIGHBORS WHO SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WILLING TO SELL THEIR PROPERTY TO THE CITY TO BECOME THIS PARK IS, COULD TAKE A FEW YEARS TO PUT IT TOGETHER, BUT IT'S DOWN BY RIDGECREST AND LAKE MIRROR.

IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT SIX ACRES.

IT'S GOING TO CONNECT A LOT OF DISCONNECTED NEIGHBORHOODS.

AND IT'S AN A PART OF THE CITY WHERE WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY PARTS, SO SUPER EXCITING STUFF THERE.

AND THEN YOU JUST TRAVEL A LITTLE BIT EAST ON, ON MILLER AND YOU COME TO RECODE AND BARK, WHICH IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A 20 PLUS MILLION DOLLAR REDO.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SECOND LARGEST SKATE PARK IN TEXAS AT 46,000 SQUARE FEET.

IT'S ALMOST FINISHED, BUT WE ARE WAITING.

WE'RE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER BEHIND ON THE PARKING AND THE RESTROOMS AND STUFF.

SO THAT'S GOING TO OPEN PROBABLY MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, SECOND QUARTER, AND THEN THE PHASING IS GOING TO CONTINUE.

AND SO BY THE END OF THE NEXT, NEXT YEAR, WE SHOULD HAVE THE NEW BALLPARK, THE WALKING TRAILS, UM, THE BIG PLAYGROUND, AND WE'RE ABLE TO GET FUNDED.

UH, JUST JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO THROUGH OUR, FOR THE COUNCIL, AGREED TO FUND THE ALMOST $3 MILLION REGIONAL SPLASH PAD.

SO SUPER EXCITING STUFF AT RECODE.

AND THAT'S NOT THE ONLY SPORT AND BOGGED DOWN IN DISTRICT FIVE.

THERE'S WELL, TENNIS IS SO HERE'S, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT THE TENNIS CENTER.

THE TENNIS CENTER IS MOVING, UH, WHICH IS GREAT.

IF YOU LOVE TENNIS, WE'RE BUILDING A BRAND NEW TENNIS CENTER OUT ON 66 AT TUCKERBIL PARK.

IT'S GOING TO BE THE MAYOR BOB DAY TENNIS CENTER, WHICH IS GREAT NEWS.

MAYOR DAY WAS COUNCIL FIVE REPRESENTATIVE LIVES IN DISTRICT FIVE.

UH, AND, AND I'M SO HAPPY FOR HIM.

IT'S, IT'S A GOOD, IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT FACILITY AND IT'S A PERFECT FACILITY TO NAME AFTER HIM.

UH, IT'S GOING TO HAVE A CHAMPIONSHIP COURT.

IT'S GOING TO HAVE A BIGGER, IT'S GONNA HAVE A LOCKER ROOM.

IT'S GOT A BIGGER PRO SHOP.

WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO USE IT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BY BRINGING IN SOME REALLY GREAT USTA TOURNAMENTS.

SO THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

UH, AND THEN YOU GO FROM THERE BACK INTO DISTRICT FIVE AND, YOU KNOW, LAWN, WIND PARK, YOU KNOW, AND EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE GREAT MEMORIES OF THE POOL THERE, BUT THE POOLS ARE ABOUT 60 YEARS OLD.

AND SO IT'S TIME FOR THE POOL TO GO.

SO IT IS GETTING, UH, A NEIGHBORHOOD SIZED SPLASH PAD.

IT'S GETTING A NEW PLAYGROUND AND THE RETURN OF LIBRARY SERVICES TO DISTRICT FIVE IS GOING TO HAPPEN RIGHT THERE.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LIBRARY KIOSK, WHICH IS LIKE A, UH, LIKE A REDBOX FOR LIBRARY, SUPER EXCITED.

YEAH.

AND THAT IN THERE, THAT HAS PART OF WHAT PART OF WHAT CAME OUT OF THE LIBRARY MASTER PLAN, CORRECT? YES.

YES.

THAT WAS A LIBRARY MASTER PLAN IN THE 2019 BOND PROGRAM.

NOW THE OTHER PIECE OF THE LIBRARY MASTER PLAN IS THEY SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY NEED A LIBRARY DOWN IN THAT PART OF TOWN, WHICH IS TRUE.

WE USED TO HAVE A LIBRARY RIGHT THERE AT RIDGEWOOD PARK.

IN 2009, IT WAS CLOSED.

IT WAS IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE, BUT, UH, WE'RE GONNA, UH, TH THAT'S GENERALLY THE AREA WHERE THEY THINK WE SHOULD GET A NEW LIBRARY.

SO THAT WON'T BE TILL A FUTURE BOND PROGRAM, PROBABLY LIKE A 20, 25 BOND PROGRAM.

BUT WE'RE STARTING TO WORK ON THAT NOW IN TERMS OF GETTING, UH, UH, GETTING A DESIGN STUDY TOGETHER, TO LOOK AT THAT WHOLE AREA OF THE RIDGEWOOD AREA AND SEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES THERE ARE THERE FOR DEVELOPMENT, FOR LIBRARY AND ANYTHING, ANY KIND OF OTHER GREAT THINGS THAT WE COULD PUT THERE.

SUPER EXCITING.

UM, AND THEN WE'D GO BACK DOWN, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S RIGHT AT KINGSLEY IN

[00:05:01]

FIRST, AND THEN YOU GO WEST ON KINGSLEY.

SO WE'RE GOING ALL OVER THE DISTRICT.

YOU GO TO WESTBOUND KINGSLEY TO KINGSLEY PARK, WHICH HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR NADA PARKS FOR MANY YEARS, MORE LIKE AN EMPTY FIELD, BUT IT IS GETTING A FOOTBALL COURT.

AND, UH, WHICH IS LIKE A W LIKE I SHRINK SIZE SOCCER.

UH, IT LOOKS A LOT OF FUN.

PEOPLE REALLY SEEM TO LOVE IT.

IT'S A BIG THING.

THERE'S ANOTHER, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE GOING UP IN, UH, WATSON PARK.

BUT THIS ONE WE JUST GOT, WE JUST GOT THE FUNDING ALL APPROVED AS PART OF OUR POST.

SO THAT FUNDING IS TOGETHER ALONG WITH SOME OTHER AMENITIES IN THAT PARK.

SO IT'S GOING TO BE SOME GREAT, GREAT THINGS THERE.

IT'S GETTING A PLAYGROUND AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PLAYGROUNDS ARE COMING UP OUT OF THE GROUND ALL OVER THE CITY AND ALL OVER THE DISTRICT.

UH, WE HAVE, UH, I THINK THREE PLAYGROUNDS, UH, GRISSOM WHITE AND DORFMAN PARK THAT ARE JUST ABOUT COMPLETE.

WE HAVE MORE PLAYGROUNDS GOING IN THIS YEAR.

AND THEN THE YEAR AFTER THAT, THEY'LL BE EVEN MORE SO EVERY, I THINK EVERY PLAYGROUND IN DISTRICT FIVE IS GETTING A NEW ONE.

UH, EVERY PARK IS GETTING NEW PLAYGROUNDS, SO SUPER EXCITING.

UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEN WE GO RIGHT FROM THERE AND TO TRAILS TRAILS, MASTER PLAN IS GREAT.

WE'RE GOING TO SEE AS PART OF RECODE AND PARK, THERE'S GOING TO BE A TRAIL THAT GOES UP TO CENTRAL PARK.

IT'S GOING TO GO UNDER THE BRIDGE AT MILLER AND, UH, AND GO UP GLENBROOK.

AND THEN WHEN YOU GET TO THE OTHER, AND THEN YOU GO SOUTH, THERE'S THERE, THERE'S GOING TO BE ONE AT 30.

AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE AT, UH, THERE'S ANOTHER BRIDGE, RIGHT AT CENTERVILLE.

SO LAWN, WIND PARKS GOING TO HAVE ONE UNDER CENTERVILLE, AND IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT.

AND ULTIMATELY THE TRAILS MASTER PLAN IS GOING TO COVER THE ENTIRE IT'S SUPER EXCITING.

SO IF YOU'RE A FAN OF TRAILS, WALKING, BIKING, WHATEVER, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF TRAILS IN GARLAND COMING SOON.

SO SUPER EXCITING.

I'VE JUST GOT TO THROW IN A STORY HERE AS A KID GROWING UP IN GARLAND, WHERE THAT SOME OF THESE BRIDGES ARE GOING IN, WE USED TO WANDER DOWN THE CREEK TO GET TO THESE PLACES.

I WOULDN'T REALLY RECOMMEND THAT, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE DID AS CHILDREN.

WELL, I GUESS, I GUESS IT'S NOW GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN ACTIVITY NOW THERE'LL BE AN APPROVED ACTIVITY IN A PLACE WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO WALK.

I MIGHT ACTUALLY DO IT AGAIN, RIGHT.

YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO WIN WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE.

AND THIS IS A FEW YEARS OUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE DUCK CREEK FROM MS. SKATE ALL THE WAY THROUGH GARLAND, UP TO RICHARDSON WITHOUT, WITHOUT HAVING TO CROSS A STREET, INTERACT WITH TRAFFIC, DO ANYTHING.

NOW I'M PROBABLY NOT GOING TO WALK THAT KIND OF DISTANCE, BUT FOR FOLKS WHO WANT TO, THEY CAN REALLY GET AROUND.

NO, I THINK I'M GOING TO GET ALL MY OLD NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS TOGETHER.

SEE WHERE WE ARE, SEE HOW MANY OF US WERE ON WALKERS BY THE TIME THAT WE'RE DOING THAT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.

WE'LL CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION OF THAT TRAIL.

THAT'S AWESOME.

SO IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'LL PARK.

THAT'S WHERE I REALLY WANTED TO START OFF WITH PARKS CREW.

THERE'S SO MANY GREAT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, AND THAT'S JUST, AND WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN DISTRICT FIVE.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE LAZY RIVER COMING IN AT AUDUBON PARK AND NEW POLES AND NEW REC CENTERS, REC CENTER, REDOS, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF STUFF GOING ON ALL AROUND THE CITY.

I TOTALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, TO JUMP ONTO OUR WEBSITE AND CHECK OUT ALL THE NEWS OF WHAT'S GOING ON.

THERE'S SO MANY GOOD THINGS, GOOD RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES HERE IN GARLAND.

THAT'S WONDERFUL NOW.

AND THIS, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE IN SERVICE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR RESIDENTS WHO NEED THESE AMENITIES, BUT THEY NEED OTHER RESOURCES TOO.

THEY ABSOLUTELY DO.

AND WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON THAT AS WELL AS PART OF THE 2019 BOND PROGRAM.

WE HAD, WE PASSED MULTIPLE DRAINAGE PROJECTS, WHICH ARE REAL IMPORTANT.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IF YOU'RE, IF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS FLOODING, NOBODY'S HAPPY.

AND, UM, SO THERE WERE A COUPLE OF BIG ONES.

ONE OF THEM IS DOWN AT MONTCLAIR ESTATES AND THE OTHER ONE IS THE SATURN SPRINGS DRAINAGE PROJECT, WHICH FOLLOWS ON TO PARKMAN.

UH, AND THAT'S A REAL BIG ONE.

THAT'S ABOUT A 12 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT.

IT IS IN DESIGN.

UM, THE COUNCIL PUT AN ADDITIONAL TWO AND A HALF MILLION TOWARDS THAT DURING OUR BUDGET TO MAKE SURE AS WE DEAL WITH ALL THE, YOU KNOW, INFLATION THAT EVERYBODY'S SEEING AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT PROJECT DONE AND DONE, RIGHT.

UH, SO THAT'S STILL A FEW YEARS AWAY, PROBABLY A YEAR OR SO AWAY FROM AT LEAST A YEAR OR SO FROM CONSTRUCTION AND A COUPLE OF YEARS FROM BEING COMPLETE, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT PROJECT.

TOTALLY EXCITING.

UH, AND THEN WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF OTHER THINGS, NEIGHBORHOOD RELATED, YOU KNOW, FOLKS ARE, WE HEAR ALL THE TIME ABOUT SPEED HUMPS.

AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S MY DOG TELLING US HOW SHE FEELS ABOUT SPEED BUMPS, PEOPLE WANTING THEM AND PEOPLE NOT WANTING THEM.

AND SO WE'RE WORKING ON A NEW SPEED HUMP POLICY.

WE'RE TESTING OUT SOME DIFFERENT DESIGNS AND SOME DIFFERENT IDEAS.

I'M GOING TO PULL A BUNCH OF DATA TOGETHER BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT HOW THE SPEED HUMP PROGRAM WORKS AND HOW WE CAN MAKE IT WORK BETTER FOR PEOPLE AND, AND BOTH BE, UH, MORE USEFUL, BUT LESS INTRUSIVE.

SO WE'RE DOING A LOT ON THAT AND I EXPECT THAT TO COME, UH, TO FOLKS, YOU KNOW, BY THE MIDDLE

[00:10:01]

OF NEXT YEAR, UM, PARKING ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM HAS BEEN SUPER POPULAR, SO POPULAR THAT YOUR, THE WRITING A LOT OF TICKETS, UM, ALL BASED ON COMPLAINTS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE PARKING ON THEIR, UH, PARKING OVER THE SIDE, WALK AND DOING OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT THAT MAKE IT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO GET AROUND AND HAVE MOBILITY.

SO WE'RE WORKING ON, UH, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM.

THE COUNCIL IS COMMITTED TO HIRING ADDITIONAL MARSHALS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO MORE, TO TAKE CARE OF THE PARKING IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.

I KNOW WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DRAINAGE EARLIER, BUT ONE OF THE ISSUES WE DO HAVE IS SOME PROPERTIES THAT ARE FLOOD PRONE, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH FEMA FOR THESE SORTS OF THINGS, CORRECT? YES, YES, WE ARE.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

THE FIRST THING IS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH FEMA TO IMPROVE THE CITY'S FLOOD PROTECTION RATING.

AND WHAT THAT WILL DO IS GIVE PEOPLE WHO DO HAVE TO PAY FOR FLOOD INSURANCE.

IT'LL GIVE THEM A GREATER DISCOUNT ON THAT.

SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.

I EXPECT TO HAVE SOME PROGRESS ON THAT BY MAY.

UH, THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE DOING IS IN THE BOND PROGRAM, WE PASSED $4 MILLION TO BUY OUT FLOOD-PRONE PROPERTIES.

AND THESE ARE PROPERTIES THAT ARE THEY'RE FLOODING BECAUSE OF CREEKS, THINGS LIKE DUCK CREEK AND SOME OF THE OTHER CREEKS, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON A POLICY FOR THAT.

AND WE'LL BE WORKING WITH FEMA ON THAT AS WELL, SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF LEVERAGE THAT MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES THAT FLOOD EVERY FEW YEARS IN RELATION TO ALL OF THIS.

I KNOW WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON SOME SPECIAL PROGRAMS RELATED TO EROSION AND DRAINAGE, CORRECT? YES, WE ARE.

UM, THE, THE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE AND MOBILITY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN WORKING ON REVISING OUR POLICIES.

THERE ARE A RHODESIAN PROGRAM.

WE'RE LOOKING AT A COUPLE OF OPTIONS TO MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE AND REASONABLE FOR PEOPLE TO DEAL WITH A CREEK EROSION.

AND THEN ON THE DRAINAGE PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYTHING QUALIFIES FOR THESE VERY LARGE DRAINAGE THINGS WE DO, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR SMALLER DRAINAGE NEIGHBORHOOD LOCAL, OR, YOU KNOW, ONE OR TWO HOUSE TYPE DRAINAGE ISSUES.

AND WE'RE WORKING ON EXPANDING THAT PROGRAM.

SO THAT WILL BE MORE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.

THAT'S EXCELLENT.

NOW I KNOW ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR AND EXCITING PROGRAMS GOING ON IS THE HOME IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

UH, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST YEAR WE DID IT, I THINK THE FUNDING RAN OUT IN TWO MONTHS.

AND LAST YEAR WE RAN OUT IN THREE MONTHS.

UH, BUT THIS YEAR WE, WE DOUBLED THE FUNDING TO $500,000 AND THE CITY WILL PAY HALF OF THE EXTRA, A BUNCH OF EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS.

UM, SO IF YOU GO ONLINE TO THE CITY WEBSITE AND CHECK IT OUT, WE ALSO INCREASE THE ELIGIBILITY.

SO MORE HOMEOWNERS IN DISTRICT FIVE WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO GET 50% OF, UH, OF THEIR IMPROVEMENTS PAID FOR VERY EXCITING.

AND, UH, AND THAT DOVETAILS ALSO WITH, UM, WITH OUR SIDEWALK PROGRAM.

I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO FORGET THAT, THAT WE CHANGED THAT LAST YEAR.

SO THE CITY WILL PAY UP TO INSTEAD OF THE 50, 50 SPLIT, THE CITY COULD PAY UP TO 90% OF THE COST OF REPLACING YOUR SIDEWALK.

I KNOW ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ON PEOPLE'S PLATES THESE DAYS IS THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR STREETS AND THEIR ROADS.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT.

YEAH, IT REALLY IS.

AND IT HAS BEEN A FOCUS OF, OF OUR COUNCIL FOR PRETTY MUCH ALL SIX YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE PUT A LOT OF MONEY INTO STREETS.

WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT EVERY YEAR.

WE CONTINUE TO ESCALATE THAT FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN DOING NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF FOCUS ON ARTERIALS AND WE'VE REALLY GOT ONE MORE TO DO, WHICH IS MILLER.

UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING, WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO A LOT OF WORK ON MILLER THIS YEAR.

AND, UH, THEN WE'LL START TO SEE A LOT MORE FOCUSED ON NEIGHBORHOOD, A NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS.

IN FACT, BY THE TIME, UH, Y'ALL ARE WATCHING THIS DEVIN WOOD, WHICH IS ONE OF THE WORST STREETS IN THE DISTRICT IS GOING TO BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

THAT'S GOING TO GET A FULL RECONSTRUCTION.

WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER STREETS ARE GOING TO GET A FULL RECONSTRUCTION TO GLENN BURKE DOWN SOUTH BY CAROL.

UH, THAT SHOULD BE COMPLETING SOON.

SO, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

AND, YOU KNOW, AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE THE ONES THAT EVERYBODY COMPLAINS ABOUT, WHICH IS SHILOH, UH, WHICH FROM SHILOH UP TO KINGSLEY HAS BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR A WHILE.

THEY'RE GETTING PRETTY CLOSE ON THAT.

WE DON'T HAVE AN EXACT TIMELINE ON FINISHED, BUT I DO EXPECT IT WILL BE FINISHED HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THE YEAR, IF NOT THE MID POINT OF THE YEAR.

UH, BUT THE, THE OTHER NEWS IS THAT THEN WE'LL GO FROM KINGSLEY TO MILLER WIDENING SHILOH'S.

SO THERE'S, IT'S GOING TO BE A WHILE BEFORE HE GETS SOME RELIEF ON THAT.

BUT, UH, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT PROJECTS AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THOSE DONE THE GARLAND AVENUE, TURN LANES, UH, HAVE BEEN IN PROGRESS.

THE ONE AT MILLER, THE ONES THAT MILLER ALMOST DONE.

THOSE WERE OVER 25 YEARS IN THE MAKING, UH, HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT, BUT THEY'RE FINALLY ALMOST DONE.

THAT'S GOING TO BE GREAT.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, 6 35 HAS STILL GOT SEVERAL YEARS TO GO.

THERE'S CONSTANT PROGRESS, WHICH HAS BEEN GREAT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT ANOTHER

[00:15:01]

THREE OR SO YEARS BEFORE IT'S FINISHED.

BUT AS WE GET TO THAT THREE YEAR POINT, UM, THAT'S GOING TO START BRINGING, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INTERESTS.

WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE WE'RE HEARING FROM DEVELOPERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN BUILDING THINGS IN DISTRICT FIVE.

THEY KNOW THAT 6 35 IS COMING WITH FULL ACCESS ROADS AND FULL EXITS, AND IT MAKES IT, IT MAKES IT REALLY EXCITING.

I MEAN, WE'RE BUSY ALL ACROSS THE CITY WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE'RE DOING SOME GOOD THINGS.

WE HAVE A NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.

I OCTO SCHUSTER.

SHE IS GOING GANGBUSTERS ON THINGS, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY SEEING SOME REAL INTERESTING DISTRICT FIVE.

AND I HOPE WE WILL SOON HAVE SOME THINGS TO ANNOUNCE ABOUT SOME BIG PROJECTS.

THAT'S EXCITING.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.

AND I KNOW THE ISSUE WE'VE ALL BEEN MANAGING THROUGH FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW IS COVID.

YEAH.

IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN TOUGH.

IT'S BEEN TOUGH ON EVERYBODY.

UH, IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN UP AND DOWN.

UM, WE SAW, WE'VE SEEN A DIP THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND COVID THANK GOD, BUT YOU KNOW, UH, THEIR PREDICTION IS THAT COME WINTER, WE'RE GOING TO START TO SEE A RISE AGAIN, PARTICULARLY WITH THE HOLIDAYS.

SO I CERTAINLY ASK THAT PEOPLE BE REAL CAREFUL ABOUT THAT AND START TO THINK ABOUT THAT.

THEY'RE SEEING AN INCREASE OF CASES IN THE NORTHERN UNITED STATES AND IN, UH, IN CERTAINLY IN EUROPE.

SO WE'RE NOT QUITE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS.

UH, AND, AND IT'S BEEN HARD, YOU KNOW, 92% OF COVID DEATHS IN TEXAS SINCE JANUARY MID JANUARY HAVE BEEN PEOPLE WHO ARE UNVACCINATED.

AND SO WHAT I'D REALLY ASK PEOPLE TO DO THIS HOLIDAY SEASON IS TO GIVE YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY TO GIFT OF GETTING VACCINATED.

IF YOU'RE UNSURE OR UNCERTAIN ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO PEOPLE, TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR, TALK TO OTHER FOLKS AND, AND GO OUT AND GET THAT SHOT.

AND I REALLY HOPE PEOPLE WILL, WE HAVE AVAILABLE AT CAREN PUBLIC HEALTH.

YOU COULD JUST WALK IN THE SHOTS WERE AVAILABLE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, UH, I REALLY, I REALLY HOPE THAT WE'LL SEE MORE PEOPLE GET VACCINATED AS THE WINTER COMES.

AND, AND WITH THAT, I JUST HOPE THAT EVERYBODY HAS A GREAT HOLIDAY, THAT Y'ALL HAVE, UM, HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON AND THAT YOU HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR.

WELL, THANK YOU.

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY AND FOR ALL OF YOU FOR, FOR LISTENING.

UM, WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR ANOTHER CITY COUNCIL UPDATE.

THANK YOU.