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[00:00:07]

WELL, GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE JANUARY 3RD, 2022 WORK SESSION FOR THE GARLAND CITY COUNCIL.

THIS IS OUR FIRST MEETING OF THE NEW YEAR.

SO HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

WE WILL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED INTO OUR AGENDA.

EXCUSE ME, THE FIRST ITEM ONE IS PUBLIC COMMENTS ON WORK SESSION ITEMS, AND I DO

[1. Public Comments on Work Session Items]

BELIEVE WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SPEAKERS PERSONS WHO DESIRE TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL ON ANY ITEM ON THE WORK SESSION AGENDA ARE ALLOWED THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.

SPEAKERS ARE TAKEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING AND ALSO GROUPED BY ITEM.

SPEAKERS ARE LIMITED TO ADDRESSING ITEMS ON THE WORK SESSION AGENDA.

ANY ITEM RELATING TO A REGULAR SESSION AGENDA ITEM SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AT THE REGULAR SESSION AND MY FIRST SPEAKER HERE IS KIM TITHOFF AND WHEN YOU COME DOWN, IF YOU COULD GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.

SURE.

I'M KIM TITHOFF; I LIVE IN DISTRICT FOUR AT 403 SANTA ROSA DRIVE.

HELLO, MAYOR, COUNCIL, MR. BRADFORD MR. ENGLAND.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE SEEN ALL YOU GUYS.

I'M HERE TONIGHT TO COMMENT ON THE FINAL ITEM OF THE VERBAL BRIEFING PORTION OF THE AGENDA.

THE CRIME RATE IN GARLAND AFTER READING A POST ONLINE ABOUT A POTENTIAL PURCHASE OF A SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM BY THE PD, I KNEW I HAD TO SPEAK UP.

UP UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AFTER COVID HIT, I WAS VERY ACTIVE WITH THIS COUNCIL AND THE CITY IN GENERAL.

I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT MYSELF, THOUGH.

I'M HERE TO SAY THAT DURING THE TIME I WAS VERY INVOLVED, I LEARNED A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I NOW SEE ARE COMING INTO PLAY HERE IN OUR CITY.

THE CITY AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM STRUGGLED TO GET ALONG AT TIMES, AND THE CHURCHES IN OUR CITY DON'T WORK WELL TOGETHER EITHER.

I'M NOT SURE OF THE GENESIS OF EITHER OF THESE DIVISIONS.

I AM, HOWEVER, KEENLY AWARE THAT OUR KIDS ARE PAYING THE PRICE FOR THESE SCHISMS IN OUR CITY, AND AS A RESULT, WE ARE SEEING YOUNGER AND YOUNGER KIDS INVOLVED IN MORE VIOLENT CRIMES.

I DON'T BELIEVE FOR A MOMENT THAT THE ANSWER LIES SOLELY WITH THE PD OR IN A SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM.

THE ANSWER LIES WITH US, THE SO-CALLED ADULTS, AND OUR ABILITY TO GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER.

WHETHER WE ARE AT WORK, IN AN OFFICE, IN TRAFFIC, AT HOME, AT CHURCH OR SCHOOL, PLAY A SPORTING EVENT IF WE'RE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS, AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER OR WALKING ON ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL TRAILS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE SETTING THE EXAMPLE FOR OUR CHILDREN.

NOW I'M NOT HERE TO JUDGE YOU.

WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT ALL OF US ADULTS IN PERSON OR ONLINE CHURCH OR NOT PARENT OR NOT, MUST COME TOGETHER TO SOLVE THIS CRISIS IN OUR CITY FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CHILDREN.

PERSONALLY, I DO BELIEVE THE ANSWERS LIE NOT IN A CHURCH, BUT IN THE CHURCH WITH THOSE WHO CALL THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS.

IF WE CANNOT GET ALONG AND WORK TOGETHER, HOW CAN WE EXPECT TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE? WE OWE IT TO OUR CHILDREN WHO ARE OUR FUTURE TO SET ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES AND ADDRESS THE HEART OF THE ISSUE: GODLESSNESS, IN OUR CITY, OUR SCHOOLS AND YES, EVEN IN OUR CHURCHES.

IT STARTS WITH EACH ONE OF US.

THIS CITY HAS VALIANTLY SPENT COUNTLESS DOLLARS ON TECHNOLOGY PERSONNEL, EQUIPMENT AND PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS THE INCREASE OF VIOLENT CRIME IN OUR CITY, OFTEN AFTER THE CRIME HAS ALREADY BEEN COMMITTED AND STILL, WE CONTINUE TO SEE RISING VIOLENT CRIME RATES AND CRIMES BEING COMMITTED BY YOUNGER AND YOUNGER CHILDREN BEFORE ANY MORE OF OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE SPENT ON FANCY EQUIPMENT AND BY THE WAY, IS THERE EVEN MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS EQUIPMENT? HOW ABOUT THE CITY AND GISD SUPPORT THE CHURCH? AND LET'S SEE WHAT GOD, THROUGH HIS PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER CAN DO TO CURTAIL CRIME BEFORE IT HAPPENS? THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MA'AM AND MY NEXT SPEAKER IS DANIEL RORY.

I'M HOPING I GOT THAT RIGHT.

SINCE WE WENT ELECTRONIC, I DON'T HAVE TO INTERPRET HANDWRITING ANYMORE, SO I'M STRUGGLING A BIT.

HOPE MY HANDWRITING WAS CLEAR.

IT IS VERY GOOD.

MY NAME IS DANIEL RORY; ADDRESS IS 6017 WATERWAY DR.

OVER THERE OFF OF BOBTOWN, BUT MY NAME IS DANIEL RORY.

I WORK WITH AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE MEN AND LADIES OF HONOR.

I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE CITY OF GARLAND WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.

AS YOU KNOW, VIOLENCE AND HOPELESSNESS ARE AT AN ALL TIME HIGH.

WE'VE DONE SOME STUDIES AND FOUND THAT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THESE ISSUES STEMS BACK TO THE LACK OF AN ENGAGED GODLY FATHER IN THE HOME.

IN OUR NATION, 46 PERCENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE WOKE UP THIS MORNING WITHOUT A DAD IN THE HOME.

IN THE URBAN AREAS, IT'S 78 PERCENT, BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING GLOBALLY IS THAT 9 OUT OF 10 HOMES DON'T HAVE AN ENGAGED GODLY FATHER.

A STUDENTS WHO COME FROM FATHERLESS HOMES ARE FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO COMMIT SUICIDE.

THEY ARE SEVEN TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DROP OUT OF SCHOOL.

SEVENTY ONE PERCENT MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A BEHAVIORAL DISORDER.

EIGHTY FIVE PERCENT OF YOUTH SITTING IN PRISON RIGHT NOW COME FROM FATHERLESS HOMES.

SO WE DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, AND WE LAUNCHED THE MEN AND LADIES OF HONOR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

WE'VE SEEN UP TO A 52 PERCENT REDUCTION IN DISCIPLINARY INCIDENT RATES.

WE HAVE SEEN INCREASED TEST SCORES AND INCREASED ATTENDANCE AS WELL.

[00:05:04]

OUR PROGRAM TEACHES CHIVALRY, HONOR, INTEGRITY AND GIVE STUDENTS HOPE FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE.

WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED IN GISD AT FOUR SCHOOLS TO GREAT RESULTS, BUT WOULD LIKE TO LAUNCH TO EVERY SCHOOL FIFTH THROUGH NINTH GRADE WITHIN GISD.

WE THINK THIS IS THE ANSWER TO THE ILLS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH CURRENTLY.

WE BELIEVE THAT AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE.

WE CAN EITHER BUILD A HOSPITAL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CLIFF OR BUILD A GUARDRAIL AT THE TOP TO KEEP STUDENTS FROM FALLING.

EVERY STUDENT DESERVES A CHANCE FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, SIR.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD? MADAM SPEAKER, DO WE HAVE ANYONE ONLINE WITH US? WE HAVE NO VIRTUAL SPEAKERS TONIGHT.

OK, THANK YOU, MA'AM.

OK, THANK YOU BOTH VERY MUCH.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM TO CONSIDER THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR TOMORROW EVENING.

[2. Consider the Consent Agenda]

I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY REQUESTS TO HAVE ANY ITEMS PULLED, BUT CERTAINLY IF YOU HAVE ONE, LET'S MAKE SURE WE KNOW IT AHEAD OF TIME SO WE CAN HAVE STAFF HERE TO EXPLAIN IT IF WE NEED IT.

[3. Written Briefings]

NEXT, WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM THREE WRITTEN BRIEFINGS.

ITEM 3A CONVEYANCE OF CITY PROPERTY 1700 BLOCK SPENCER ROAD, DENTON, TEXAS.

THIS IS THE SPENCER ELECTRIC GENERATION FACILITY.

ITEM 3B NAAMAN SCHOOL ROAD AND BOTTLENECK IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM CONDEMNATION AND ITEM 3C PARKING RESTRICTIONS ON SCOTT DRIVE.

OK, ALL RIGHT.

WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR VERBAL BRIEFINGS UNDER ITEM FOUR.

[4A. COVID-19 Briefing]

ITEM 4A IS OUR COVID-19 BRIEFING.

JASON.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL.

LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE FLYING SOLO TONIGHT.

YES, I AM.

I'LL TRY TO KEEP IT SHORT AND TRYING TO START WITH THE END.

WE'RE DONE.

[CHUCKLING] JASON, I THINK YOU'VE EDITED A FEW TOO MANY SLIDES.

HERE WE GO.

THAT LOOKS BETTER.

[CHUCKLING].

AS YOU ALL HAVE NO DOUBT HEARD IN THE VIEWING PUBLIC AS WELL AND IN THE NEWS, OMICRON CASES ARE SPREADING RAPIDLY FOR A DISEASE THAT WAS ONLY IDENTIFIED A LITTLE MORE THAN A MONTH AGO.

YOU CAN SEE ON THE FAMILIAR GRAPH HERE ON THE RIGHT THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE SPIKE HAS HIT US REGIONALLY, ALMOST RIVALING THE DELTA WAVE BACK OVER THE PAST SUMMER AND FALL.

WE ADDED ALMOST 1500 CASES OVER THE LAST WEEK, A THREE-FOLD INCREASE FROM THE WEEK PRIOR, SO CERTAINLY RAPIDLY INCREASING CASES.

YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES FORTY TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED SEVENTY ONE.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE THANKFULLY RECOVERED IN GREEN.

WE DID NOT ADD DEATHS OVER THE PAST WEEK, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS.

NOW, I WILL SAY WITH THE CAVEAT THAT, OF COURSE, LAST WEEK WAS PART OF THE HOLIDAY WEEK AND WE ONLY HAD CITY OFFICES WERE CLOSED TWO DAYS OUT OF LAST WEEK, BUT THANKFULLY NO REPORTED DEATHS AT LEAST OVER THE THREE DAYS THAT WE WERE OPEN.

AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, WITH THE INCREASED NUMBER OF CASES, THE ACTIVE CASES IS MUCH HIGHER, APPROACHING TWO THOUSAND.

SO WE'RE CERTAINLY FEELING AND SEEING THE EFFECTS OF OMICRON IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE STAFF.

AS YOU PROBABLY RECALL, OVER THE PAST SEVERAL BRIEFINGS, WE HAD ANYWHERE FROM A TOTAL OF 10 TO 20 CITY EMPLOYEES EXCLUDED ON ANY GIVEN WEEK.

NOW WE'RE UP TO, AS OF LAST FRIDAY, 107 EXCLUDED.

SO IF YOU SEE THE GRAPH HERE VERY MUCH MIRRORS THE TREND THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE COMMUNITY, A LARGE NUMBER OF STAFF MEMBERS THAT ARE EXCLUDED EITHER BECAUSE OF POSITIVE COVID-19 TESTS OR EXPOSURE TO INDIVIDUALS THAT TESTED POSITIVE.

THE GOOD NEWS OR THE SILVER LINING, I SHOULD SAY, IS THAT VACCINE UPTAKE AND PARTICULARLY BOOSTER SHOTS CONTINUE TO BE IN HIGH DEMAND.

WE'VE SURPASSED 47000 TOTAL VACCINES ADMINISTERED AND AS I SAID, THE BOOSTER DOSES ACCOUNTED FOR THE LION'S SHARE OF THOSE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE KEY METHODS IN FIGHTING THIS OMICRON WAVE IS TO NOT ONLY GET INDIVIDUALS VACCINATED THROUGH THE INITIAL SERIES, BUT TO GET THOSE WHO HAVE

[00:10:03]

BEEN VACCINATED BOOSTED AND WE'RE SEEING GOOD RESPONSE FROM THE PUBLIC, AT LEAST AT OUR PUBLIC HEALTH CLINIC.

VACCINE EVENTS, WE HAD A FEW AT THE MIDDLE TO END OF DECEMBER.

OF COURSE, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, THERE WERE VERY FEW SCHEDULED EVENTS OVER THE HOLIDAYS.

WE DON'T HAVE ANY ON THE SCHEDULE, WHICH MEANS THAT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SCHEDULE EVENTS.

SO FOR CERTAINLY THOSE OF YOU ON COUNCIL AND THE VIEWING PUBLIC, IF YOU HAVE A DESIRE TO HOST A VACCINE EVENT, PLEASE GET A HOLD OF US.

WE DO HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR THAT.

CERTAINLY ARE PROVIDING VACCINES AT OUR PUBLIC HEALTH CLINIC FROM 7:30 TO 5:30 ON A DAILY BASIS AND JUST IN CASE THERE ARE THOSE OUT THERE WHO MAY NEED THE SERVICE, WE DO PROVIDE HOMEBOUND.

WE DO PROVIDE VACCINE SERVICES FOR THOSE THAT MAY BE HOMEBOUND.

WE'LL COME TO YOUR HOUSE AND VACCINATE YOU IF YOU'RE UNABLE TO GET TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH CLINIC.

COUNCIL LADY MORRIS REFERRED AN INDIVIDUAL TO US THAT NEEDED CURBSIDE SERVICE LAST WEEK, AND THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION THAT WE'LL PROVIDE IT THE PUBLIC HEALTH CLINIC IF INDIVIDUALS ARE UNABLE TO GET OUT OF THEIR CAR OR UNCOMFORTABLE GETTING OUT OF THEIR CAR.

WE WILL PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.

SINCE MISTIE NOT HERE, I'LL GO OVER THE HOSPITAL CAPACITY VERY QUICKLY.

I ONLY HAVE ONE SLIDE AND THE GIST OF THIS IS THAT CERTAINLY HOSPITALIZATIONS OR INDIVIDUALS IN THE HOSPITAL WITH COVID-19 HAS INCREASED CERTAINLY SINCE THE LAST TIME YOU ALL MET IN MID-DECEMBER.

AS YOU SEE THERE, MOST OF THE COUNTIES IN OUR REGION ARE BEYOND THE 15 PERCENT THRESHOLD.

VERY QUICKLY, I WANTED TOUCH ON THE CDC GUIDANCE.

THIS HAS BEEN, I GUESS, THE SUBJECT OF A LOT OF DISCUSSION LATELY AND PERHAPS A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION.

SO THE CURRENT GUIDANCE FOR ISOLATION AND AGAIN, ISOLATION IS THE TIME PERIOD THAT WE ASK INDIVIDUALS WHO TEST POSITIVE TO STAY HOME TO PREVENT SPREADING COVID-19.

SO IF AN INDIVIDUAL TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, THE GUIDANCE THIS IS CDC GUIDANCE IS TO STAY HOME FOR FIVE DAYS AFTER THAT FIVE DAY PERIOD.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS, WHICH THANKFULLY WITH OMICRON, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT SYMPTOMS. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS OR IF SYMPTOMS ARE IMPROVING, THEN YOU CAN LEAVE HOME AFTER FIVE DAYS, BUT THE CDC DOES RECOMMEND STRICT MASK WEARING FOR AN ADDITIONAL FIVE DAYS, AND WE ARE HEARING OF POTENTIAL CHANGES TO THIS PERHAPS AN ADDED TEST AT DAY FIVE, BUT RIGHT NOW, THE CURRENT CRITERIA IS JUST FIVE DAYS OF HOME SYMPTOMS. IMPROVING FIVE DAYS WITH STRICT MASK WEARING.

QUARANTINE IS THE WHAT WE ASK INDIVIDUALS TO DO IF THEY'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO SOMEBODY THAT'S POSITIVE FOR COVID-19.

SO FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE COMPLETED THEIR VACCINE SERIES AND THEY'VE BEEN, THEY'VE HAD THEIR BOOSTER SHOT.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THE GUIDANCE FOR THEM IS SIMPLY TO WEAR A MASK WHEN THEY'RE AROUND OTHERS FOR 10 DAYS.

THE CDC DOES RECOMMEND STRICT MASK WEARING FOR 10 DAYS.

THE GUIDANCE IS ALSO TO TEST ON DAY FIVE, IF POSSIBLE AND I THINK I'M MISSING A SLIDE HERE.

I AM MISSING SLIDE HERE.

THE FOUR INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT BOOSTER DOSE, SO IT'S BEEN GREATER THAN SIX MONTHS SINCE PFIZER OR MODERNA OR TWO MONTHS SINCE J&J.

THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE ASKED TO STAY AT HOME FOR FIVE DAYS AGAIN IF THEY ARE EXPOSED TO SOMEBODY, STAY HOME FOR FIVE DAYS AND TEST, IF POSSIBLE.

ON DAY FIVE, IF NO SYMPTOMS, THEY CAN BE AROUND OTHERS WITH STRICT MASK WEARING AND I APOLOGIZE, I HAD THAT ON A SLIDE, BUT IT DIDN'T MAKE THE PRESENTATION.

FINALLY, FOR THE RANGE OF VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS, I DON'T INTEND TO GO OVER ALL OF THE INFORMATION ON THIS SLIDE.

THE PURPOSE IS TO REALLY JUST SHOW THAT VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANYBODY FIVE YEARS AND UP.

AT THIS TIME, BOOSTERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR 18 AND UP.

I NOTICED THAT THE FDA DID APPROVE BOOSTERS PFIZER BOOSTERS FOR INDIVIDUALS 12 AND UP, BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT THEY'RE STILL ONE STEP IN THAT PROCESS.

WE'RE STILL WAITING ON CDC APPROVAL FOR THOSE BOOSTERS, ACTUALLY FOR INDIVIDUALS 12 AND UP TO ACTUALLY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A PFIZER BOOSTER, BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY ANYONE FIVE YEARS

[00:15:01]

AND OLDER, WE AT THE PUBLIC HEALTH CLINIC HAVE VACCINES FOR YOU AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR OR ELIGIBLE FOR BOOSTER SHOTS.

WE CAN SERVE YOU AS WELL AND NOW WE'RE FINALLY TO QUESTIONS.

NICE TRY.

DEPUTY MAYOR PRO-TEM WILLIAMS THANK YOU, SIR.

I WON'T MESS UP YOUR RECORD.

JASON, OF COURSE, THE BIG TOPIC AND CHALLENGE NOW IS TESTING.

CAN YOU SHARE, DO WE HAVE SOME TESTING SITES OTHER THAN THE HEALTH CLINIC? ARE WE ENVISIONING OPENING UP SOME TESTING SITES? BECAUSE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THEM THAT ARE ADJACENT CITIES.

ONE IS TWO BLOCKS FROM ME AND YOU KNOW, I PASS THROUGH THERE AND THE WAITING LINES OF CARS ARE TWO MILES LONG, LITERALLY, FOR THOSE SITES.

SO CAN YOU COMMENT ON WHAT WE'RE DOING AS A CITY OR WHAT WE'RE DOING IN COOPERATION WITH OTHER CITIES TO MAKE MORE TESTING SITES ACCESSIBLE? CAN YOU COMMENT ON THAT, PLEASE? SURE.

GOOD QUESTION, I KNOW TESTING IS A IN HIGH DEMAND NOW.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID OVER THE, I GUESS, IN THE WEEK BETWEEN CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S, I GUESS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN LAST WEEK WAS TO ESTABLISH, OR SHOULD I SAY, REESTABLISH A LIST ON THE GARLAND WEB PAGE OF CURRENT TESTING SITES AND WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S UP TO DATE.

THERE ARE SEVERAL SITES IN GARLAND, FROM WALGREENS TO, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE SITES THAT ARE PERHAPS IN PARKING LOTS, BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL SITES IN GARLAND WHERE INDIVIDUALS CAN GET TESTED, AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN A LISTING OF THAT ON OUR WEBSITE AND ACCURATE AND UP TO DATE LISTING OF THAT ON OUR WEBSITE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY A NUMBER OF COMPANIES OR VENDORS THAT ARE OFFERING COVID-19 TESTING.

NOW WE'RE EVALUATING THOSE, YOU KNOW, THE POSSIBILITY THE NEEDS, WHETHER IT BE A, YOU KNOW, A SITE OR, YOU KNOW, COST SERVICES TO THE CITY, THE DETAILS OF THE CONTRACT SO DON'T HAVE ANY IMMINENT TESTING SITE SUPPORTED BY THE CITY OF GARLAND TO SPEAK OF, BUT WE ARE MAINTAINING A CURRENT LIST OF OTHER SITES PRIVATE SITES WITHIN GARLAND THAT CITIZENS CAN ACCESS TESTING.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IN YOUR REVIEWING OF THE POSSIBLE VENDORS OUT THERE IN PARTNERSHIPS? ANY IDEA OF WHAT TIMELINES WE MAY BE LOOKING AT BEFORE WE REACH A POINT WHERE WE MAY BE ABLE TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THOSE PARTNERSHIPS OR THOSE CONTRACTS HERE IN THE CITY? I THINK THE TIMELINE IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE MEASURED IN A WEEK OR TWO AT A MINIMUM RATHER THAN DAYS TO FULLY REVIEW CONTRACTS, ASSESS NEEDS, WHETHER IT BE, YOU KNOW, A CITY SITE LOCATION, DRIVE THROUGH, FOR INSTANCE, OR, YOU KNOW, AN INDOOR FACILITY OR REC CENTER AND THEN THE DETAILS OF THE CONTRACT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD WE WERE ON THE CUSP OF TESTING BACK WHEN THE DELTA WAVE WANED AND THE DEMAND DRIED UP AND SO WE SORT OF PUT THAT ON THE BACK BURNER.

NOW THAT OMICRON HAS POPPED UP AGAIN, WE'VE BASICALLY STARTED OVER LOOKING AT.

POTENTIAL VENDORS THAT COME THAT CAN COME IN AND TEST, BUT IN TERMS OF A TIME FRAME, IF WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT A MATTER OF AT A MINIMUM A WEEK OR TWO.

OK, SO DO YOU THINK BY NEXT SESSION THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME MORE GUIDANCE ON THIS PARTICULAR, THE POSSIBILITIES ON SITES, CONTRACTS, THOSE KIND OF THINGS? IS THAT DOABLE? YES, SIR.

OK, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME DEFINING NEEDS; THE NEEDS ARE THERE.

I WAS IN A LOCAL PHARMACY TODAY AND THEY'RE TAKING RESERVATIONS.

THEY'RE NOT TAKING WALK INS ANYMORE AND THAT'S CREATING STRESS FOR PEOPLE.

I'M SEEING THAT.

SO, IF WE CAN SEE THAT MAYBE BY NEXT SESSION.

MITCH, 'YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT? YES, SIR.

IF I MAY JUST UPDATE YOU.

I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH MISTIE AND SEVERAL OF THESE OTHER VENDORS HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT, SO WE'RE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

SOME OF THEM, THOUGH, HAVE REACHED OUT TO US, BUT THEY HAVE THE SAME CHALLENGE AS SOME OF THE OTHER LOCATIONS.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY SHORT TEST.

THE STATE IS SHORT TESTS.

[00:20:01]

WE'VE REACHED OUT TO THE STATE, WHICH WE'VE REACHED OUT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

THERE'S BEEN SUCH A HIGH DEMAND FOR THE COVID TESTS NATIONWIDE THAT'S BEEN THE STRUGGLE.

SO EVEN THOUGH THEIR OPERATIONS ARE REACHING OUT TO US TALKING ABOUT LOCATIONS AND SITE LOCATIONS, WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS THIS IS JUST THEIR STANDARD OPERATION.

THEY'RE REACHING OUT, AND THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT GETTING SOMETHING SET UP, BUT THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH TESTS TO COME PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.

YET THEY'RE ANTICIPATING GETTING MORE.

WE'RE ANTICIPATING GETTING MORE.

WE'VE PLACED MULTIPLE ORDERS WITH THE STATE.

SO BUT THE STATE IS STRUGGLING TO FUND AND PUT OUT TESTS THROUGHOUT.

I MEAN, IN FACT, IN CONVERSATION TODAY WITH THE STATE, THEY HAD 67 REQUESTS STATEWIDE FROM CITIES TODAY FOR ADDITIONAL TESTING.

SO THOSE ARE OUR CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE LOGISTICS.

WE'VE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS.

MISTIE AND I AND JASON AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS.

YOU KNOW, WE WORKED ALL THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS THROUGH THE REST OF IT, BUT THE REAL ISSUE IS THE AVAILABILITY OF TEST TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT TO SUSTAIN A SITE SOMEWHERE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO OPEN THE SITE UP AND THEN HAVE IT ONLY OPEN FOR A SHORT TIME AND THEN THEY RUN OUT OF TEST AND THEN WE'RE CLOSING IT AND THEN WE'RE OPEN IT.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET IT TO WHERE THEY COULD SUSTAIN WHATEVER THAT IS BEFORE WE GET IT MOVING.

SO BUT WE WILL DEFINITELY HAVE MORE INFORMATION AT THE NEXT WORK SESSION, BUT WE'RE HAVING DAILY CONVERSATIONS ON THIS NOW.

OK, SO THE ISSUE WITH THE STATE IS NOT FUNDING, IT'S AVAILABILITY OF TEST QUANTITY.

IS THAT RIGHT? YES, SIR.

THEY HAVE A SHORTAGE AS WELL OF TESTS, THE ACTUAL TEST ITSELF TO GET OUT TO CITIES, TO GET OUT TO DIFFERENT SITES.

EVERYBODY'S SCOURING ALL THE PRIVATE VENDORS.

YOU CAN FIND A FEW ONLINE IN CERTAIN PLACES.

A LOT OF TIMES, EVEN IF YOU ORDER ONLINE, IT'S BACKLOGGED.

CAN YOU GET IT OR NOT? BUT THAT'S BEEN THE CHALLENGE AT A LOT OF THESE LOCATIONS.

SO AND IT'S BEEN OUR CHALLENGE AS WELL.

OK.

ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANKS, SIR.

COUNCIL LADY MORRIS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

JUST TO BE CLEAR, AND I'VE BEEN, AS YOU KNOW, JASON, I'VE BEEN FIELDING A LOT OF CALLS AND REQUESTS AND FRANTIC PEOPLE ASKING, THANK YOU, THIS MIC WAS REALLY HOT.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU JUST SUGGESTED IT OR WHAT, BUT ASKING WHERE THEY CAN GET TESTED AND JUST TO BE REALLY CLEAR FOR VIEWERS, THEY SHOULD NOT GO TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH CLINIC EXPECTING TESTING TO BE HAPPENING THERE BECAUSE IT IS NOT HAPPENING AT THE PUBLIC HEALTH CLINIC.

CORRECT? CORRECT.

THE PUBLIC HEALTH CLINIC IS PROVIDING VACCINATION SERVICES, BUT NOT TESTING.

OK, SO WHERE THEY CAN GO TO FIND A LIST OF PRIVATE TESTING PLACES WOULD BE ON THE GARLAND TX.GOV WEBSITE UNDER THE COVID PAGE, AND IT LISTS THERE BECAUSE I WENT AND SAW IT AND THANK YOU FOR COMPILING THAT.

I WENT AND SAW AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF SITES LISTED THERE WITH PHONE NUMBERS AND ADDRESSES AND EVERYTHING.

SO IF SOMEONE IS LOOKING, THAT WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD STARTING PLACE FOR THEM TO GO.

YES AND AS YOU SAID, THERE'S A PROMINENT LINK TO COVID-19 INFORMATION ON THE HOME PAGE.

THE TESTING INFORMATION IS FAIRLY PROMINENT ONCE YOU GET TO THE COVID-19 HOME PAGE.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, SIR.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

VERY GOOD.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ON THIS ITEM? I SEE NONE, BUT I WILL TELL YOU, JASON, I WAS AT PUBLIC HEALTH A WEEK OR SO AGO TO GET A BOOSTER SHOT; THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB, AS ALWAYS, SO TELL THEM THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, SIR.

ALL RIGHT.

THAT WILL MOVE US TO ITEM 4B 2022 LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT APPLICATION PROCESS.

[4B. 2022 Low Income Housing tax Credit Application Process]

MONA, HAPPY NEW YEAR.

THANK YOU, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AS WELL.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT.

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN FOR OUR LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT APPLICATIONS TO BE COMING IN AND TONIGHT WE JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS BEFORE COUNCIL SO YOU CAN APPROVE OR CHANGE THE PROCESS.

WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT TO DEVELOPERS IS WHAT THE COUNCIL WANTS US TO DO.

THE EXISTING PROCESS THAT WE HAVE WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN DECEMBER OF 2019.

THAT WAS FOR THE 2022 TAX CREDIT YEAR AND A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT.

THIS IS A FEDERAL RESOURCE.

IT'S ONE TOOL TO CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THE TAX CREDITS.

THEY ARE ATTRACTED TO HOUSING DEVELOPERS BECAUSE IT DOES PROVIDE A DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR REDUCTION IN THE TAXPAYER'S FEDERAL INCOME TAX.

THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS IS THE ONLY ENTITY

[00:25:06]

IN TEXAS THAT'S ALLOWED TO ADMINISTER THESE PROGRAMS, SO ANY APPLICATION IN ANY AWARD OF TAX CREDIT HAS TO COME THROUGH TDHCA.

THIS YEAR, THE DEADLINE FOR THE NEW APPLICATIONS TO BE SUBMITTED TO TDHCA IS MARCH 1ST OF 2022 AS PART OF THE SCORING PROCESS FOR THE TDHCA APPLICATION.

THEY GET EXTRA POINTS IF THE CITY ISSUES A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENTS.

SO RIGHT NOW, DEVELOPERS ARE FILLING OUT THEIR APPLICATIONS AND THEY'RE CALLING US ASKING IF COUNCIL COULD ISSUE A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT SO THEY COULD SUBMIT THAT ALONG WITH THEIR APPLICATIONS.

THESE ARE NINE PERCENT TAX CREDITS AND THEY'RE EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE, SO DEVELOPERS ARE OUT TO GET AS MANY POINTS AS POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW AND LAST YEAR, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THAT, COUNCIL APPROVED FIVE PROJECTS AND TDHCA WHEN IT CAME RIGHT DOWN TO POINTS AND AWARDING OF FUNDING, TDHCA ONLY AWARDED TO DEVELOPERS LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS THAT IS THE EMBREE EASTSIDE BY PALLADIUM ON 1010 STATE HIGHWAY 66 AND THE RESERVE AT SHILOH BY MVAH DEVELOPMENT ON 1102 SHILOH.

ONCE THESE TWO DEVELOPMENTS BEGIN CONSTRUCTION, THEY WILL PROVIDE TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN TOTAL HOUSING UNITS.

AS OF TODAY, THE CONSTRUCTION HASN'T BEGUN BECAUSE OF DELAYS IN MATERIALS AND COVID AND ALL OTHER TYPES OF THINGS, BUT RIGHT NOW, WHEN THEY'RE COMPLETED, THEY WILL PROVIDE TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN ADDITIONAL HOUSING UNITS THAT WILL BE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS.

SO COUNCIL, WHILE THE NINE PERCENT TAX CREDIT PROJECTS ARE A GOOD TOOL FOR PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE COMMUNITY, WE ALSO HAVE MANY OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING TOOLS THAT ARE LESS RESTRICTIVE OR PRESCRIPTIVE IN HOW THEY ARE DEPLOYED AND SO SOME OF THOSE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TOOLS THAT ARE ACTIVELY IN THE WORKS IN GARLAND INCLUDE A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY WILL AN EXPANDED PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE GARLAND HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.

OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO INCREASE PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

ONE OF THOSE IS INCREASED FUNDING FOR HOME REPAIRS AND CODE CARES TYPE PROGRAMS TO KEEP RESIDENTS IN THEIR HOMES.

ANOTHER IS AN EXPANSION OF THE HOME INFILL GRANT PROGRAM CAPACITY TO PUT MORE OF THE INFILL HOMES OR MAJOR REHAB HOMES INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

THE CITY ALSO INITIATED ITS FIRST PUBLIC FACILITIES CORPORATION PROJECT THIS YEAR TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE GHFC IS ACTIVELY WORKING TO BRING QUALITY DEVELOPERS TO THE CITY TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING MEDIUM TO HIGH DENSITY PROJECTS OUTSIDE OF THE COMPETITIVE NINE PERCENT PROGRAM AND FINALLY, MOST RECENTLY, THE CITY ACQUIRED THE LAS BRISAS RESIDENTIAL CLUB, AND AMONG THE MANY THINGS WE ARE EXPLORING AT THAT PROPERTY, ONE THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS WHETHER QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING COULD BE PART OF A REDEVELOPMENT THERE.

SO WE BRING YOU THESE THREE OPTIONS TONIGHT AS WE EMBARK ON THE INITIATION OF THIS YEAR'S TAX CREDIT PROCESS REGARDING THE SCORING SHEET THAT SO WHEN APPLICANTS TURN IN THEIR REQUESTS FOR LETTER OF SUPPORT BASED ON COUNCIL'S PAST DIRECTION, WE HAVE A SCORING SHEET THAT MONA'S TEAM REVIEWS AND FILLS OUT AND THEN BRINGS TO COUNCIL WHEN YOU'RE CONSIDERING WHETHER OR NOT TO APPROVE A LETTER OF SUPPORT.

AND SO THE THREE OPTIONS WE BRING TONIGHT IS TO ADOPT THE 22 TAX CREDIT APPLICATION AND SCORE SHEET AS IS.

OPTION TWO TO REVISE THE SCORE SHEET OR APPLICATION PROCESS OR OPTION THREE, DO NOT CONSIDER ANY TAX CREDIT RESOLUTIONS OF SUPPORT FOR THE 2022 CYCLE AND CONTINUE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING TOOLS UNDERWAY.

WITH THAT, WE WILL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION.

ALL RIGHT, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO-TEM WILLIAMS. THANK YOU, MAYOR.

GOOD EVENING, LADIES.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU.

MONA, WOULD YOU, REGARDING OPTION TWO, WOULD YOU DISCUSS BRIEFLY

[00:30:06]

THE QUESTION THAT I SENT TO YOU AND YOU RESEARCHED FOR US, WOULD YOU SHARE THAT WITH THE REST OF COUNCIL? 'BE HAPPY TO--I'M RECOMMENDING A CHANGE TO THE SCORESHEET AND WHAT THAT ITEM IS AND WHY.

SO WOULD YOU SHARE IT WITH THE REST OF COUNCIL, PLEASE? COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS, HE SUBMITTED, IF WE REVISE THE APPLICATION SCORESHEET, HE WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE A CATEGORY A SCORING CATEGORY FOR THE HUD SUPPORTIVE HOUSING VETERANS PROGRAM, THE VASH PROGRAM AND ANY OTHER VETERANS PROGRAM THAT THEY GET ADDITIONAL SCORING POINTS IF THEY'RE VETERANS AND THEY PARTICIPATE IN THESE OTHER VETERAN PROGRAMS. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS IS RECOMMENDING.

IF WE DECIDE TO REVISE THE 2022 TAX CREDIT APPLICATION SCORESHEET.

WE CAN ADD THAT AS A SCORING ITEM FOR DEVELOPERS.

ALL RIGHT.

YEAH, THANK YOU, MONA AND I WAS THINKING BECAUSE THIS IS AN ONGOING CHALLENGE TO US IN OUR CITY, NOT JUST US, BUT PARTICULARLY GARLAND VETERAN HOUSING.

OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE SPENT A LOT OF TIME DISCUSSING LOOKING AT THIS HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, ALL THOSE ITEMS AND I BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TARGET TO MAKE, NOT AS A SEPARATE CATEGORY FOR VETERANS, BUT TO INTEGRATE THAT AND I THINK THAT WOULD COMMUNICATE THE SERIOUSNESS OF OUR EFFORTS TO BRING TO GARLAND MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR OUR VETERANS IF WE PUT IT IN PART OF THIS PROCESS, BECAUSE MOST OF THESE PROJECTS ARE MULTIFAMILY KIND OF PROJECTS.

YES, SIR.

RIGHT AND I THINK THAT IT WOULD SERVE OUR VETERAN COMMUNITY WELL AS A PART OF THIS PROJECT RATHER THAN ANOTHER SEPARATE PROGRAM AND I'VE REVIEWED SEVERAL OF THE OTHER HUD PROGRAMS, ONE THAT YOU MENTIONED THE VASH PROGRAMS, AND THEY'RE VERY COMPATIBLE TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.

DO YOU AGREE? YES, SIR.

THEY WILL FALL IN WITH THE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROGRAM.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU, SIR.

COUNCIL LADY MORRIS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR AND I APPRECIATE THAT RECOMMENDATION BY DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS, I WILL JUST SAY, AND THIS IS THIS IS FOR DISCUSSION, MY FIRST THOUGHT IN LOOKING AT THESE OPTIONS IS FRANKLY NUMBER THREE, BECAUSE THE PROJECTS THAT WE APPROVED LAST YEAR, NONE OF THEM HAVE ACTUALLY BROKEN GROUND AND EVERYTHING WAS DELAYED TO THE POINT.

I'M A LITTLE HESITANT TO FORGE AHEAD WITH APPROVING NEW PROJECTS UNTIL WE KIND OF SEE SOME OF THESE THAT WE ALREADY APPROVED GET DONE AND THE LIST OF OTHER OPTIONS PRESENTED AND THANK YOU.

THOSE ARE VERY VIABLE AND WORKABLE OPTIONS FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

SO THIS ISN'T OUR ONLY THIS ISN'T THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN.

SO I AM PROBABLY LEANING MORE TOWARDS SAYING, LET'S RIDE OUT THIS CYCLE AND NOT ENTERTAIN ANY OF THESE APPLICATIONS THIS YEAR.

COME BACK TO IT NEXT YEAR.

I'M NOT SAYING NEVER AGAIN, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THROUGH SOME OF THESE THINGS WE ALREADY ALTERNATES WE ALREADY HAVE IN MOTION AND ALSO SEE THE PROJECTS WE APPROVED LAST YEAR ACTUALLY HAPPEN BEFORE MOVING FORWARD IN THAT DIRECTION, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR WHAT OTHERS ON COUNCIL FEEL ABOUT THAT.

THANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

I'LL PIGGYBACK ON THAT.

CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS THAT WITH THE MATERIALS COST BEING AS HIGH AS THEY ARE.

WHAT HAPPENS IS PEOPLE COME IN AND MAKE THE PROMISES.

THEY GET THE FUNDING LINED UP, EVERYTHING IS EXECUTED AND THEN THEY START HAVING TO MAKE SEVERE CUTS AND EITHER THE QUALITY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OR THE MATERIALS USED IN OR WHATEVER THEY LOOK FOR ANY WAY THEY CAN TO VALUE ENGINEER IT AND I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE PRODUCT THAT'S GOING IN ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF IT.

I KNOW WE'RE ALL TRYING TO BE CREATIVE.

I'VE HEARD A LOT OF GOOD SUGGESTIONS FROM THIS BODY, IN FACT, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS ON WAYS THAT WE CAN SAVE MONEY ON OUR OWN PROJECTS, AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO HELP PRIVATE DEVELOPERS SAVE MONEY ON THEIRS AS WELL.

I THINK FOR THIS YEAR, I'M MORE INCLINED TO GO WITH THREE, TAKE A LITTLE PAUSE, HOPEFULLY WE SEE MATERIALS COSTS COME BACK IN THE SAME RANGES AND THEN WE MOVE FORWARD.

[00:35:01]

I'M ALSO VERY, VERY HEARTENED BY THE SUCCESSES WE'RE SEEING OUT OF GHFC.

THEY HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB UNDER THEIR NEW LEADERSHIP WITH WITH GETTING US PROJECTS ON THE GROUND, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT EIGHT AS WELL AND SO I WANT TO GIVE THEM PLENTY OF ROOM TO SUCCEED.

SO I'LL BE LOOKING AT OPTION THREE.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANKS, SIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER BASS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

I ACTUALLY WAS GOING TO MENTION ALSO THAT THE GHFC, UNDER THE NEW LEADERSHIP IT'S HAD FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW, IS JUST LEAPS AND BOUNDS FROM WHERE IT WAS BEFORE AND REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, BUT AS FAR AS THIS TAX CREDIT APPLICATION GOES, I DON'T KNOW THAT STAGNATION IS EVER THE RIGHT ANSWER FOR JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.

I DON'T THINK THE WAITING HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH APPROVING THIS OR NOT SEEING WHAT THE PROJECTS YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED ARE GOING TO HOW THAT'S GOING TO GO.

I DON'T SEE HOW THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH WITH THIS.

I DON'T THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, DOING LESS IS GIVING US MORE.

SO I DEFINITELY WOULD NOT BE FOR NUMBER THREE.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

IS IT POSSIBLE, THEN THAT WE MIGHT CONSIDER AN OPTION NUMBER FOUR, WHICH MAY BE DO NOT CONSIDER ANY TAX CREDIT RESOLUTIONS FOR SUPPORT OF THE 2022 CYCLE, BUT YET TO REVISE THE 2022 CREDIT APPLICATION TO INCLUDE WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS HAS PROPOSED.

IT'S CERTAINLY AN OPTION, YES.

AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS IT SOUNDS LIKE THE COUNCILMAN IS ASKING FOR LEGISLATION.

HE'S NOT ASKING THAT WE CONSIDER ANYTHING.

HE WANTS TO JUST REVISE SOME THINGS SUCH THAT WHEN WE DO BEGIN AGAIN, IT'LL ALREADY BE THERE AND THAT SEEMS TO ME, WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD BRING TOGETHER AND WOULD SOLVE SITUATION FOR ALL OF US.

OK, SO JUST I'M GETTING SOME QUIZZED LOOKS OVER HERE.

SO OPTION FOUR WOULD BE TO NOT CONSIDER ANY TAX CREDIT RESOLUTIONS BUT TO GO AHEAD AND REVISE THE SCORESHEET TO INCLUDE VETERANS PROGRAMS? YES.

OK.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M.

I WAS GETTING SOME LOOKS MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE ALL RUNNING DOWN THE SAME TRACK.

LOOKING FOR A WIN WIN.

ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, SIR.

I APPRECIATE IT.

MAYOR PRO-TEM HEDRICK.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

IN THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF THE BRIEFING, YOU SAY THAT SEVERAL DEVELOPERS HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED YOU ABOUT IT.

ARE THOSE DEVELOPERS THE SAME ONES THAT WERE LAST YEAR MADE APPLICATIONS AND THEIR PROJECTS ARE NOT MOVING FORWARD? OR ARE THESE BRAND NEW DEVELOPERS? IT'S SPLIT 50 50.

OK.

TWO OF THEM APPLIED LAST YEAR, AND THE PROJECTS AREN'T MOVING FORWARD AND TWO OF THEM ARE NEW ONES.

SO WE HAVE SOME THAT WERE APPROVED BY THIS BODY LAST YEAR, AND THEY WANT TO TAKE ANOTHER SHOT AT IT.

I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH OPTION NUMBER TWO AND GO AHEAD AND REVISE IT AS DEPUTY MAYOR PRO-TEM WILLIAMS SAID AND LET'S GIVE THEM ANOTHER CHANCE.

THEY WERE WILLING TO PUT THE MONEY UP AND THEY WERE APPROVED BY THIS BODY LAST YEAR.

SO LET'S GIVE THEM ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT THEN.

THANK YOU.

OK AND COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

I GENERALLY CONCUR WITH THE MAYOR PRO-TEM ON THIS.

WE DID HAVE SOME THATTHAT WE APPROVED LAST YEAR, BUT DIDN'T MOVE FORWARD ONLY REALLY MOSTLY BECAUSE OF TECHNICAL REASONS WITH RESPECT TO WHAT THE LAW SAYS, WITH HOW MANY YOU CAN IMPROVE WITHIN X AMOUNT OF DISTANCE FROM EACH OTHER.

THERE WAS ACTUALLY PROPOSED LEGISLATION IN THE LEGISLATURE LAST YEAR THAT WE SPOKE ON DOWN BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE ABOUT PERMITTING MORE OF THESE PROJECTS WITHIN A TRACT AREA.

SO I WOULD BE OK WITH WITH LOOKING AT THESE AGAIN, WE'VE NEVER BEFORE SAID, HEY, WE'VE DONE ENOUGH.

LET'S NOT LOOK AT ANYTHING ELSE.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO APPROVE EVERYTHING.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD THAT ISSUE IN THE PAST WHERE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT A TAX CREDIT, WELL, WE'LL JUST APPROVE IT, AND PERHAPS WE NEED TO BE MORE CIRCUMSPECT IN WHAT WE APPROVE, BUT I DON'T SEE ANY NEED TO SHUT PEOPLE OFF.

THERE MAY BE SOME GREAT PROJECTS OUT THERE.

YOU KNOW, I WOULD REALLY I'D BE TEMPTED TO SAY THAT THE PREFERENCE BECOME ALMOST A REQUIREMENT THAT A PROPOSAL BE FOR A REHAB OF AN EXISTING DEVELOPMENT OR RECONSTRUCTION OF A SUBSTANDARD DEVELOPMENT.

YOU KNOW, I THINK LAST YEAR WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY THAT WERE OF THAT TYPE AND THAT'S

[00:40:01]

SOMETHING THAT WE'VE REALLY PUSHED FOR AND IF THERE'S SOMEBODY OUT THERE WHO WANTS TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I THINK COUNCIL SHOULD GIVE IT VERY SERIOUS CONSIDERATION.

YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE, SOMEONE WANTS TO COME IN AND KIND OF TURN THAT HOUSING STOCK, I THINK WE SHOULD TOTALLY CONSIDER THAT.

SO THAT'S MY TAKE.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU, SIR AND COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

I WOULD CERTAINLY BE GOING ALONG WITH DEPUTY PRO TEM HENDRICKS AND THE MANNER BY WHICH HE'S PROPOSED IT.

THOSE TWO THAT ARE ALREADY THERE CERTAINLY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AND THEN THE LEGISLATION OR THE AGREEMENT THAT COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS PUT IN.

I THINK I WOULD AGREE WITH THOSE.

SO IF WE COULD COMBINE IT THAT WAY, I WOULD CERTAINLY BE WILLING TO SUPPORT IT.

THANK YOU, [INAUDIBLE].

THANK YOU, SIR.

ALL RIGHT, BEFORE WE DO SOME POLLING HERE, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

I THINK THERE'S SORT OF TWO PATHS HERE, BUT THAT SEEMED TO INTERSECT AT SOME POINT AND JUST BY PROCESS OF ELIMINATION, I BELIEVE OPTION ONE, I DON'T BELIEVE I HEARD ANY SUPPORT FOR OPTION ONE JUST TO GET IT OUT OF THE MIX.

OPTION TWO WAS TO REVISE AND THEN ALSO TO REVISE AND INCLUDE THE VETERANS PROGRAMS AND THEN THAT SEEMED TO BE GAINING SOME SUPPORT WITH THAT INCLUSION.

SO AT THIS POINT.

OPTION TWO, IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF OPTION TWO, IF YOU CAN GIVE ME A THUMBS UP, I'D APPRECIATE IT.

I SEE BASS, MOORE, WILLIAMS, THE MAYOR, AUBIN, VERA AND HEDRICK IN SUPPORT OF OPTION TWO.

ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

COUNCIL, I'LL REVISE THIS AND GET IT OUT TO THE DEVELOPERS.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

[4C. Economic Development Strategic Plan Next Steps]

MOVING ON TO ITEM 4C, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN NEXT.

NEXT STEPS.

GOOD EVENING AND HAPPY NEW YEAR, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

OK, LET'S SEE.

I AM NOT HERE TO PRESENT YOUR PROJECT TONIGHT, BUT--YOU WANT TO SKIP STRAIGHT TO QUESTIONS? [CHUCKLING] YEAH, SHOULD I DO THAT? YEAH, BUT I AM HERE TO REQUEST YOUR CONSIDERATION TO ALLOW US TO CREATE OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN.

I HAVE THE REASONS WHY WE NEED THIS, BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, I LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM SIX MONTHS AGO, WE HAD ONLY THREE PEOPLE IN OUR DEPARTMENT.

NOOR AND JACOB, THEY'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR TWO YEARS, AND THEY WORK ON THOSE OLD INCENTIVE PROJECT, WHICH I PRESENT TO YOU RECENTLY AND BOTH OF THEM ARE VERY STRONG IN DATA ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH, AND NOOR, SHE HAS A MASTER'S DEGREE IN THE MATH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ROSEHILL AND THE HOTEL STUDY AND SHE IS TRYING TO CREATE THE FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH I WILL GET TO THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER.

JACOB, HE IS A FORMER GISD TEACHER AND HE'S WORKING FULL TIME, BUT ALSO HE IS GETTING HIS PH.D.. BESIDES, OF COURSE, STRONG DATA ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH SKILL.

HE HAS A VERY STRONG GIS TALENT AND HE IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR BUDGET AND HE'S ACTUALLY THE ONE CREATED THIS COMPREHENSIVE STUDY RFP.

SIX MONTHS AGO, DAVID KONTER, HE JOINED OUR TEAM FROM ILLINOIS.

HE GRADUATED COLLEGE OVER THERE, AND HE SAID HE JUST WANTED TO GET OUT THERE.

SO HE IS REALLY TAKING CARE OF US IN A DAILY OPERATION IN OUR DEPARTMENT.

AND OF COURSE, HE'S LEARNING VERY QUICKLY AND HE COORDINATES ALL THE SITE TOURS AND THE MEETINGS IN OUR DEPARTMENT.

ALEX, HE JOINED IN OCTOBER.

HE IS WORKING PART TIME.

SINCE HE'S AN INTERN, HE STILL GOES TO SCHOOL AT UT-ARLINGTON.

HE'S WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH JACOB AND HE PROVIDES US ALL THE DATA AND THE RESEARCH OR THE INFORMATION WHICH RELATE TO OUR PROJECT.

[00:45:01]

CLARA COBB, PROBABLY MANY OF YOU PROBABLY MET HER BEFORE SHE [INAUDIBLE] DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART, AND SHE WAS COORDINATING ALL THE POP UP ART IN DOWNTOWN GARLAND, SO AND OF COURSE, SHE HAS VERY STRONG MARKETING BACKGROUND.

BESIDES THE MEDICAL DISTRICT IS REDEVELOPMENT REPOSITIONING AND IMPLEMENTATION SHE IS WORKING ON, SHE WILL BE BRING US VERY DIFFERENT, VERY STRATEGIC MARKETING TOOLS FOR OUR DEPARTMENT, AND I SEE SHE CAN REALLY HELP.

SHE'S ALREADY WORKING WITH DOROTHY'S TEAM, BUT SHE CAN BRING US TOTALLY DIFFERENT NEW VISION FOR THE MARKETING FOR THE CITY OF GARLAND.

BILL MEDINA, TODAY WAS HIS FIRST DAY.

HIS BACKGROUND IS PLANNING AND HE WAS WORKING KIND OF NEAR MUNICIPALITY LOCATED A LITTLE BIT NORTH FROM HERE, BUT HE WILL BE WORKING ON ALSO REDEVELOPMENT, AND I'M LOOKING AT HIM WITH HIS PLANNING BACKGROUND, HE'S GOING TO BE REALLY GOOD AT WORKING WITH DEVELOPER AND WORKING ON THE [INAUDIBLE] OR LBJ GARLAND ROAD, THAT NEW CINEMARK PROPERTY AND WORKING WITH DART WITH THE PARTNERSHIP.

SO HE WILL BE VERY GOOD ON THE THOSE TYPE OF PROJECT.

SO WITH THAT, YOU SEE WE ARE FULLY STAFFED.

EVERYBODY IS SO TALENTED AND WE WERE READY TO MAKE MOVE AND WE WANTED TO BRING YOU MORE EXCITING PROJECT TO THE CITY.

NOW I'M GOING TO GET INTO WHY WE NEED THIS.

SO BY ESTABLISHING AN ACTIONABLE PLAN, WE CAN SET CLEAR AND ATTAINABLE OBJECTIVES.

THAT IS THE REASON NUMBER ONE.

NUMBER TWO, DEVELOP NEW PROGRAMS THAT ALIGN WITH THE OBJECTIVE.

REASON NUMBER THREE, IDENTIFY REQUIRED RESOURCES AND TOOLS TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES.

AS YOU SEE, EVERYBODY HAVE A LOT OF NEW IDEAS I LOVE TO IMPLEMENT FACADE IMPROVEMENT.

I MENTIONED EVERYBODY KNOW THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, WE HAVE A VERY SUCCESSFUL FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

I WOULD LOVE TO DEPLOY AN ENTIRE CITY OF GARLAND.

WE HAVE A LOT OF AGING REAL ESTATE, SOMETHING IF THAT THEIR VISION AND THEIR PROJECT IS REALLY FIT OUR VISION, I WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER WITH THEM AND TO WORK WITH THEM TO BRING US MORE EXCITING PROJECT.

THE CHALLENGE IS SOMETIMES YOU KNOW WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW OR THE PROGRAM WE HAVE, DOES NOT REALLY FIT.

SO THAT IS A CHALLENGE WE FACE.

SO I WOULD LOVE TO BRING A NEW PROGRAM AND I WANTED TO IMPLEMENT IT, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A CONFIRMATION OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS REALLY ALIGN WITH OUR VISION.

THE REASON NUMBER FOUR BUILT THE FOUNDATION FOR LONG TERM GARLAND VISION.

NUMBER FIVE, CULTIVATE MEASURABLE AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH, WHICH THE CHANGE IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.

BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THOSE PATHWAYS AND DIRECTION AND TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PROGRESS IS REALLY FOLLOWING OUR RIGHT DIRECTION.

WHERE WE GO IS REALLY FOLLOWING OUR VISION.

SO THIS PLAN SHOULD HELP ON THAT AND THEN LASTLY, NUMBER SIX, ENHANCING PLACEMAKING THROUGH TRADITIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.

THIS PLACEMAKING THIS WORD IS KIND OF NEW, SOMEWHAT NEW TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

TRADITIONALLY, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IS REALLY WE LOOK AT THE ROI, BUT IT'S REALLY WHEN WE DO THE PROJECT, WE LOOK THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND IF IT MAKES SENSE, WE MAKE IT HAPPEN AND THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.

WHY DON'T WE LOOK AT MAYBE MORE A LITTLE BIT DEEPER SO THAT WE CAN REALLY, THE IMPACT CAN BE DOUBLE AND TRIPLE.

WE CAN REALLY MAKING SURE THAT PROJECT IS REALLY FOLLOWING OUR VISION AND CREATING MORE EXCITEMENT AND VIBE IN THAT AREA.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

SO STRATEGIC PLAN THAT PROCESS, I SEE THAT THERE IS A THREE BIG SECTIONS.

IT'S REALLY THE FIRST STEP WITH WHAT DO WE HAVE? THIS IS REALLY ABOUT WHAT THE GARLAND ECONOMY IS.

THAT IS A REALLY ASSESSMENT PIECE.

WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE TALENT AND WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IN GARLAND THE BUSINESSES, INDUSTRY AND THE BUSINESS WE HAVE AND THE HOUSING OPTIONS THAT SOMETHING MONA AND [INAUDIBLE] KIND OF MENTIONED.

THIS IS KIND OF NEW FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

BUT OF COURSE, TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND THE HOUSING OPTIONS PROVIDING A DIFFERENT HOUSING

[00:50:01]

OPTION IS DEFINITELY WE WOULD LOVE TO INCLUDE THAT IN OUR PLAN AND THE SECOND BIG SECTION IS WHAT SHOULD WE DO NEXT? THIS IS DEFINITELY ASSESSMENT PIECE.

WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING TO ASSESS OUR CITY'S PROGRAMING AND ALSO CHAMBERS PROGRAM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RELATED PROGRAM, WHAT WE OFFER.

IS IT SOMETHING HELPING US TO GO INTO THE DIRECTION WE WANTED TO GO? BUT MAYBE THERE IS SOME MISSING PIECE.

MAYBE WE SHOULD BE CREATING A NEW PROGRAM AND A NEW RESOURCE WE SHOULD BE ADDING.

NUMBER THREE, HOW DO WE GET THERE? I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN.

WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER PLAN TO PUT IT IN A BIG FOLDER AND THEN PUT IT ON A SHELF, BUT THIS IS HOW DO WE GET THERE IS REALLY WE'RE GOING TO BE REQUESTING REALLY THE SPECIFIC ACTION AND ACTIONABLE STEPS AND THE PROGRESS WE CAN REALLY LOOKING THROUGH.

THAT'S REALLY WHOLE STRATEGIC PLAN THEY'RE GOING TO PROVIDE US AND RFP AND SELECTION PROCESS.

ED STAFF RESEARCHED OVER 30 STRATEGIC PLANS, MAINLY DFW AREA, BUT WE DEFINITELY LOOK ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AND WE IDENTIFIED AN ADDED 15 QUALITY CONSULTING FIRM.

WE SPECIFICALLY SENT TO RFP TO, IN ADDITION TO THE REGULAR PURCHASING DEPARTMENT PROCESS AND RFP, WAS PUBLISHED ON SEPTEMBER AND EIGHT COMPANIES.

IT'S A VERY HIGH QUALITY CONSULTING FIRM RESPONDED.

WE CHOSE THREE FINALISTS AND WE WE DID INTERVIEW, FACE TO FACE INTERVIEW.

AND WHAT WE LIKE TO DO IS WE SELECT TOP COMPANY AND WITHIN THOSE THREE FINALISTS, THE TIMELINE IS REALLY DEPEND ON THE CONSULTING FIRM, BUT USUALLY ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS TO NINE MONTHS.

NOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE JUST STAY STILL IN THERE.

WAITING FOR THIS PROGRAM IS OVER.

PROJECT PLAN IS OVER.

WE'RE GOING TO BE DEFINITELY WORKING AND A LOT OF PROGRAMS, BUT DEFINITELY WE NEED THOSE.

ACTIONABLE PLAN IN PLACE WITH THAT, I AM HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

GO AHEAD, MS. BRADFORD.

COUNCILMAN COUNCIL ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE QUICKLY REALIZED IS THAT WE ARE STARTING TO GET A NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE GOOD USE OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNDS THAT WERE PROVIDED THROUGH THE BOND PROGRAM AND I REALLY CAN'T REMEMBER A TIME IN MY YEARS WITH GARLAND, WHEN SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES HAVE STARTED TO APPEAR OVER A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE NEEDING TO DO IN A VERY QUICK FASHION IS SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE DONE THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND THAT IS, WE'VE PUT MASTER PLANS IN PLACE THAT HAVE HAVE DIRECTED OUR SPENDING, THAT HAVE DIRECTED OUR FOCUS AND THOSE ARE PLAYING OUT VERY, VERY WELL, AND YOU'RE SEEING THE RESULTS OF THOSE.

WE'RE NEEDING TO PUT SOME OF THAT PLANNING IN PLACE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

WE'RE QUICKLY PASSING THE POINT OF JUST TAKING WHATEVER COMES ALONG TO BEING ABLE TO MAKE STRATEGIC DECISIONS ABOUT WHERE WE SPEND OUR MONEY AND WHERE WE SPEND OUR TIME.

ONE OF THE PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THIS, HOWEVER, IS WE NEED COUNCIL'S INPUT REGARDING YOUR DISTRICTS.

YOU ARE THE EXPERTS WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR DISTRICTS, AND PART OF PART OF THE ASSIGNMENT THAT WOULD BE GIVING TO THE CONSULTANT IS VISITING WITH YOU AND HELP TO FACILITATE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE HAPPENING IN IN YOUR AREA OF TOWN WHERE YOU SEE THE NEEDS ARE WHERE YOU SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES AND WE SEE THAT AS A FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT OF THIS PLAN.

SO AGAIN, THIS THIS FOLLOWS THE DIRECTION WE'VE GONE ON MANY OF THE MASTER PLANS AT THIS POINT.

WE IS, AS AYAKO SAID, WE DON'T EXPECT TO PUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON THE SIDELINES WHILE THIS GETS DONE, BUT SIMPLY TO KEEP THOSE THOSE EFFORTS MOVING FORWARD WHILE AT THE SAME TIME MAKING SURE WE'VE GOT A GOOD FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE.

[00:55:01]

VERY GOOD.

ANY QUESTIONS ON THE SIDE OF? COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE? THANK YOU, MAYOR.

IN VERY LAYMAN TERMS, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'RE ASKING US TO DO? THE NEXT STEP WILL BE WE LIKE TO CHOOSE THE FIRM TO WORK WITH US TO CREATE AND IT'S REALLY THIS IS A PURCHASE AND REQUEST WE LIKE TO MAKE IS THIS WE LIKE TO REALLY ENGAGE THE CONSULTING FIRM TO WORK WITH US TO CREATE THIS PLAN.

WE JUST NEED YOUR PERMISSION TO DO THAT.

ALL RIGHT.

OK.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

MS. VERA.

OK.

DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YES.

I WAS JUST GOING TO CLARIFY THAT WE DON'T HAVE A FIRM IN MIND FOR YOU TO APPROVE TONIGHT.

WHEN THAT TIME COMES, WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO YOU FOR OFFICIAL APPROVAL, BUT AYAKO IS PUTTING YOU ON ADVANCED NOTICE THAT THIS IS AN AREA WE WOULD LIKE TO GO AND IT WILL BE BRINGING BACK A FIRM FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

OK, VERY GOOD.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? AND I BELIEVE THE DIRECTION WILL BE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT AND ALSO WELCOME TO YOUR ENTIRE TEAM.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY IN THE LAST.

THERE WAS THREE OF THEM AND NOW THERE'S SO.

WELL, AT ONE POINT WE WERE LOSING FOLKS FASTER THAN WE COULD HIRE THEM.

SO, SO IT'S GREAT.

CERTAINLY WELCOME TO YOUR TEAM AND I KNOW YOU GUYS WILL DO A GREAT JOB, GETTING THIS THING UP.

SO THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 4D AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT.

[4D. Audit Committee Meeting Report]

COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN, DO YOU WANT TO KICK US OFF HERE? THANK YOU, MAYOR.

IT'S THE COUNCIL AUDIT COMMITTEE MET LAST MONTH AND TOOK THREE REPORTS.

I'LL LET JED KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH THEM, BUT I WILL SAY ONE WAS THE KRAFT EMPLOYEE RETENTION AUDIT, WHICH I THINK IS THE LAST YEAR OF DOING THIS.

WE'VE DONE IT EVERY YEAR, AND IT'S ALSO ALWAYS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.

BUT THE OTHER TWO, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE BOND PROGRAM AUDIT, WHICH WE'LL GO THROUGH, AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT IN DETAIL.

IT RAISED A LOT OF CONCERNS FOR THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, BUT I REALLY WANT TO THANK JED AND HIS TEAM FOR DOING SOME REAL BANG UP WORK ON THIS STUFF.

SO, JED, IF YOU WILL.

THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN.

GOOD EVENING.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, MAYOR AND COUNCIL CITY MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY.

AS THE CHAIRMAN INDICATED, WE MET ON DECEMBER 13, 2021 AND THREE PROJECTS WERE REVIEWED.

THE FIRST ONE WAS THE BOND PROJECT.

THE OBJECTIVE OF THAT AUDIT WAS TO VERIFY THE ACCURACY AND APPROPRIATENESS OF PAY APPLICATIONS.

OTHERWISE, INVOICES THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THREE PROJECTS, MAINLY THREE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

THE THREE THAT WE FOCUSED ON WERE THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND ADOPTION FACILITY, POLICE PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE BUILDING AND THE AUDUBON REC CENTER.

WE CHOSE THOSE THREE BASED ON THE CONSTRUCTION STATUS, THE AMOUNT THAT WE BUDGETED FOR AND THE TYPE OF CONTRACTS.

TWO OF THESE CONTRACTS WERE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE CONTRACTS.

WHAT THAT MEANS IS THERE IS A CEILING WHERE THE CITY AGREED TO PAY.

THIS IS THE MAX THAT WE WOULD PAY, BUT IF THERE IS ANY COST SAVINGS THAT WOULD COME TO THE CITY IF THE COST OVERRUNS, THE CONTRACTOR ABSORBS THAT COST.

SO TWO OF THOSE WERE GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE CONTRACTS.

THOSE WERE ANIMAL SHELTER AND THE POLICE PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE BUILDING.

THE THIRD ONE WAS THE AUBIN REC CENTER, WHICH WAS A FIXED PRICE CONTRACT ONE.

OUR OBJECTIVE WAS, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, JUST TO ENSURE THAT THE CONTRACTORS ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONTRACT TERMS AND THEY ARE PROVIDING THE INFORMATION SO WE CAN VERIFY THE ACCURACY AND APPROPRIATENESS OF THEIR BILLING.

BASED ON OUR REVIEW, UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE UNABLE TO COME TO A CONCLUSION ABOUT WHETHER WE COULD SAY THE INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED WAS APPROPRIATE AND SATISFACTORY.

ONLY A VERY LOW PERCENTAGE OF SUPPORTING EVIDENCE WERE PROVIDED TO US TO THE CITY IN ORDER FOR US TO VERIFY.

SO AN EXAMPLE ANIMAL SHELTER.

BY THE TIME AT THE TIME WHEN WE WERE REVIEWING THOSE INVOICES, THE CITY PAID

[01:00:05]

ALMOST $8 MILLION.

THE EVIDENCE THAT WE COULD IDENTIFY IN THE WORK PAPERS WERE ONLY THREE POINT TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THAT AMOUNT.

SIMILARLY, WITH POLICE PROPERTY ROOM, VERY LOW PERCENTAGE OF SUPPORTING EVIDENCE WERE PROVIDED, AS WELL AS THE AUDUBON REC CENTER, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A FIXED PRICE CONTRACT.

THE INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED WAS INSUFFICIENT FOR US TO ENSURE THAT WHETHER WE GOT CHARGED SALES TAX OR NOT ON THOSE, SO THOSE WERE THE HIGH LEVEL CONCLUSION WITH THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAD.

WE STILL REVIEWED WHATEVER WE COULD IDENTIFY.

THERE WAS A DUPLICATE PAYMENT FOR NINETY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS, APPROXIMATELY.

WE IDENTIFIED SOME OVERAGES WHEN IT COMES TO LIABILITY INSURANCE.

THERE WAS A CAP FOR THE CONTRACT.

THE CONTRACT WERE ACTUALLY INVOICE US EIGHT THOUSAND EIGHTY FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS OVER THAT CAP IN ALL THREE INSTANCES.

WE FOUND THAT SALES TAXES WERE CHARGED TO THE CITY, MULTIPLE RECORDKEEPING LIKE A RETENTION ISSUES.

WE DID PAY IN SOME CASES FOR CORRECTIONS, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE CONTRACTOR.

HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO, NO REASONING WHY WE ENDED UP PAYING THOSE.

SO A LOT OF COMPLIANCE ISSUE.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE JED, MATT AND WE ALL MET OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND CITY MANAGER IS WORKING ON A SOLUTION TO BETTER MONITOR, TO OBTAIN THIS INFORMATION FROM THEM.

WE HAVE NOT PAID THE FINAL INVOICES TO SOME OF THESE VENDORS YET, SO WE ARE.

I KNOW SINCE THE AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING, REACHED OUT TO ALL OF THEM EVEN PRIOR TO THAT, BUT THEY FURTHER REACHED OUT TO THEM TO OBTAIN THE INFORMATION, AND A MATCH GROUP IS REVIEWING THOSE INVOICES.

THEY WILL BE REVIEWING GOING FORWARD, BUT THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS BETWEEN WHAT IS OUR PROGRAM MANAGER'S RESPONSIBILITY VERSUS THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY, BUT BRYAN IS LOOKING INTO THAT AND BASICALLY OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS WE NEED TO HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATION REQUIREMENTS.

WE ALSO NEED TO HAVE BETTER MONITORING.

THAT WAS KIND OF THE HIGH LEVEL OF THAT AUDIT AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOOD THAT WE LOOKED AT THIS BECAUSE WE ARE STILL IN THE BEGINNING PHASES.

THERE IS THIS BOND PROGRAM WILL GO ON FOR SOME TIME AND IF WE CAN PUT THESE PRACTICES INTERNAL CONTROLS IN PLACE, WE FEEL LIKE THERE WILL BE ACCOUNTABILITY, THERE WILL BE TRANSPARENCY, THERE WILL BE BETTER RESULTS THAT WE CAN GET GET AND WE CAN VERIFY IT.

I REALLY WANT TO APPRECIATE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR PUTTING A PROCESS IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE GOING FORWARD.

SO THAT WAS THE SUMMARY OF THE BOND AUDIT AND WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GO TO THE NEXT? LET'S SEE.

LET'S TAKE THEM ONE BITE AT A TIME HERE.

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE BOND PROGRAM AUDIT? COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH? THANK YOU, MAYOR.

I HAVE SEVERAL AND THIS WILL TAKE.

WELL, THEN LET'S WAIT TILL THE END.

I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE CHANCE TO BAIL OUT NOW THERE AND THESE QUESTIONS ARE FOR WHOEVER WE FEEL IS APPROPRIATE TO ANSWER THEM.

OBVIOUSLY, THE AUDIT COMMITTEE DID A VERY THOROUGH JOB.

I APPRECIATE YOU ALL, AS ALWAYS.

I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT WHATEVER WE SPEND IN SALARY AND AUDIT COMMITTEE, WE GET BACK TENFOLD IN SAVINGS AND I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS.

I HAD THE CHANCE TO REVIEW THE AECOM CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE IN FULL, AND I'M VERY DISTURBED BY THEIR INTERPRETATION OF THAT CONTRACT AND SPECIFICALLY, SECTION 4H, THE SERVICE CONTRACT SAYS THAT THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS HAVE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY TO QUOTE, REVIEW, EVALUATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COG ON ALL INVOICES AND PAYOUTS, ASSIGN JOB ACCOUNTING CODES AND TRACK ALL TRANSACTIONS AND I HAVE TO ASK HOW THEY CAN DO THAT IF NONE OF THEM HAVE KEPT THE RECEIPTS.

THEY'VE SAID THAT THIS IS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, THAT WE'RE HAVING TO ASSIGN OUR OWN INTERNAL FINANCE TEAM TO JUST LOOK AT A RECEIPT AND SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY'RE SAYING THEY HAVE NO PART IN THIS, AND I'M PRETTY FURIOUS ABOUT IT, TO BE HONEST.

EVERY PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT I'VE EVER SEEN HAS THIS REQUIREMENT ON IT AND YOU KNOW, WE BROUGHT THEM IN AS THE EXPERTS.

THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A VERY HIGH END GROUP THAT KNEW WHAT THE HELL THEY WERE DOING AND FRANKLY, I'M NOT SEEING IT ON THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SIDE.

SO LET ME THROW THAT OUT THERE FIRST AND SEE IF ANYBODY WANTS TO RESPOND TO

[01:05:04]

IT.

WELL, GIVEN THE SILENCE, I GUESS IT FALLS TO ME, DOESN'T IT? HAS MIKE WENT OUT? YEAH, IT IS.

IT IS CERTAINLY EMBARRASSING TO ALL OF US TO HAVE HAVE COME TO THIS POINT IN THE PROCESS AND FIND OUT THAT WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS HAPPENING ISN'T A CALM HAS A DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION AS TO WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS.

WE WE CONTINUE TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT.

WE HAVE CERTAINLY EXPRESSED OUR LACK OF SATISFACTION, ALSO REALIZED THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF HANDLING OUR OUTSIDE PROFESSIONALS FALLS TO US AND I TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY THERE.

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE, I GUESS, CONSIDER CONSIDERING HEAVY TO ME.

ONE OF THOSE IS IN THIS PARTICULAR ENVIRONMENT, WHO HAS THE MOST TO BENEFIT FROM HAVING TO HAVING EYES ON THIS PORTION OF THE PROJECT.

AND BASICALLY, WE AS THE CITY ARE THE ONES WHO BENEFIT THE MOST.

IF WE FIND SAVINGS, THEN THOSE SAVINGS FALL TO US AND WE HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN IDENTIFYING THOSE PROCESSES, MORE SO THAN AECOM, MORE SO THAN ANYONE ELSE.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO ADD OR TO REQUIRE ADDITIONAL FEES TO GO TO AECOM WHEN IT COMES TO THIS POINT, BECAUSE WE CAN PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES MUCH, MUCH CHEAPER THAN WE CAN IF WE DEPENDED ON A AECOM TO FILL THOSE AUDIT FUNCTIONS, SO TO SPEAK.

I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH MATT WATSON TO FIND THE BEST WAY IN WHICH WE CAN PUT SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE.

MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THE AREAS THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST RISK AND PROVIDE THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SAVE COST.

I THINK THAT WHILE I DO NOT WANT TO UNDERPLAY THE SERIOUSNESS OF WHAT HAPPENED, I DO THINK THAT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, THESE PROJECTS ARE MOST LIKELY GOING TO END UP BEING AT THE MAXIMUM PRICE AND THAT THE RISK OF THE PROJECTS ARE GOING TO FALL TO THE CONTRACTORS THEMSELVES BECAUSE FRANKLY, WE'RE SEEING THE COST OF CONCRETE AND OTHER MATERIALS SKYROCKETING AND SO THE WAY THESE CONTRACTS WORK, THAT BURDEN WILL FALL WITH THE CONTRACTORS.

SO SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO COMMUNICATE IS, IS THAT LIKELY THANKS TO THE EXCELLENT WORK BY INTERNAL AUDIT, WE HAVE CAUGHT THESE WEAKNESSES BEFORE ANY SERIOUS DAMAGE FINANCIALLY, BUT WE HAVE WE DO HAVE SOME SERIOUS WORK TO DO.

WE HAVE SOME SERIOUS AGREEMENTS WITH AECOM TO ADDRESS.

WE HAVE SOME CLARITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WHO IS DOING WHAT AND THOSE THOSE DISCUSSIONS COMPLETE ARE CONTINUING TO HAPPEN, BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK JED AND THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER AND I APPRECIATE, AS I'VE ALWAYS DONE APPRECIATE WITH TO JED AND HIS TEAM.

THANK YOU.

[01:10:02]

WE HAVE 17 PROJECTS CURRENTLY IN FLIGHT RIGHT NOW, AND WE AUDITED THREE OF THEM.

THE ACCOUNTING, WE CAN ACCOUNT FOR 3.25 PERCENT, 0.22 PERCENT, 20.41 PERCENT OF THEIR COSTS.

I'M GOING TO ASSUME THE OTHER 14 PROJECTS ARE IN EQUALLY BETTER SHAPE.

DO WE HAVE A PLAN INTERNALLY TO GO TRACK DOWN THE NUMBERS ON THOSE OTHER REMAINING PROJECTS? YES, SIR.

WE'VE GOT SOME CATCH UP TO DO AND WE HAVE ASKED FOR DOCUMENTATION AND THAT WAS VERY MUCH IN THE WORKS BEFORE THE HOLIDAY.

WE EXPECT THAT WE WILL OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS BEGINNING TO RECEIVE MORE AND MORE OF THE DOCUMENTATION THAT HAS BEEN REQUESTED.

THERE WERE A NUMBER OF SALES TAX PAYMENTS THAT WERE MADE THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE BECAUSE WE ARE A TAX SALES TAX EXEMPT.

ORG.

WHAT WE SEE THOSE REFUNDS FOR THAT SALES TAX THAT WAS ERRONEOUSLY PAID TAKEN OUT OF THE FINAL PAYMENTS OR HOW DO WE SEE THAT MONEY COME BACK TO US? DID YOU WANT TO? DO YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT? I BELIEVE THAT IS THE GOAL.

WE MET WITH MATT'S GROUP LAST TWO WEEKS AGO, AND I THINK THEY WILL START LOOKING AT ALL OF THAT THIS WEEK, AND WE HAVE COMMUNICATED THAT WITH AECOM.

I BELIEVE THEY HAVE TURNED AROUND AND COMMUNICATED THAT WITH THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS THAT IS BEFORE WE RELEASE THE FINAL PAYOFFS.

WE WILL LOOK AT ALL OF THAT AND WE'LL REDUCE THE SALES TAX AND EVERYTHING, ASSUMING THAT THEY WILL PROVIDE ALL THE INFORMATION TO US.

ALL RIGHT.

AT THE RISK OF REPEATING MYSELF, MR. CITY MANAGER, I'M VERY, VERY DISTURBED THAT WE HAVE A GROUP OF EXPERTS PUT TOGETHER WHO HAS MISSED WHAT IS A VERY BASIC FINANCIAL CONTROL.

IT DISTURBS ME TO NO END.

YOU KNOW, HE COMES CONTRACT RENEWALS COMING UP IN SEPTEMBER, AND I THINK THIS HAS TO BE PART OF OUR DISCUSSION AS WE GET READY TO APPROVE THAT, THAT RENEWAL.

I'M JUST VERY DISTURBED BY WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE ENTIRE PROCESS.

I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING OWNERSHIP OF IT AND MOVING OUR INTERNAL STAFF TO COVER IT.

I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE HAD TO, BUT I KNOW THAT OUR FOURTH FLOOR DOESN'T MAKE EXCUSES.

WE JUST GET THE JOB DONE.

SO I APPRECIATE IT AND WE WILL KEEP A VERY, VERY CLOSE EYE ON THIS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANKS, SIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER BASS? THANK YOU, MAYOR.

JED, FIRST, THANKS TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND IT'S GOT TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE STANDING THERE.

IT'S IT FEELS KIND OF LIKE WE'RE SHOOTING THE MESSENGER AND BUT YOU GUYS ARE REALLY DONE A BANG UP JOB AND I A SECOND.

ROBERT TOOK A LOT OF MY NOTES, BUT ONE THING REAL QUICK THOUGH, ON THE SALES TAX, THAT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING WE CAN ADDRESS WITH THE STATE AS WELL.

WE DON'T HAVE TO ADDRESS IT WITH THEM.

YOU CAN ADDRESS SALES SALES TAX OVER PAYMENT DIRECTLY WITH THE STATE, BUT ON, I GUESS, BRYAN, QUESTION PROBABLY FOR YOU.

YOU KNOW, WITH THIS JUST VERY SIMPLE THINGS LIKE DOUBLE PAYING INVOICES AND, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCOUNT FOR 97 PERCENT OF PAYMENTS WE'VE GIVEN THEM, GIVEN THEM WITH RECEIPTS.

I MEAN, WHAT KIND OF ASSURANCE DO WE HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SAME KIND OF ATTITUDE ISN'T PREVALENT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROJECT, SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, THE QUALITY OF WORKMANSHIP BEING DONE, CUTTING CORNERS, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

I MEAN, DO WE HAVE, I MEAN, UNDERSTAND THIS IS AN AUDIT AFTER THE FACT, BUT DURING CONSTRUCTION, DO WE HAVE PROCESSES IN PLACE THAT ARE CONTROLLING THE CONTROLLING THOSE SIDES? BECAUSE I MEAN, IF THE CONTRACTOR DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THE ECONOMICS OF IT, WHAT ASSURANCE DO WE HAVE THAT THEY CARE ABOUT ANY PART OF THE PROJECT? WELL, THANK YOU.

YEAH AND I GUESS WHAT I WOULD WOULD STRESS TO YOU IS THAT AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THIS IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS WITH THE CIP PROJECT.

ONE EXAMPLE OF OF HOW WELL THE PROJECTS THEMSELVES ARE GOING, THE POLICE EVIDENCE BUILDING, FOR EXAMPLE, $6 MILLION IN SAVINGS.

IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME SAVINGS ON THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND SO THE OVERALL PROJECTS THEMSELVES ARE COMING IN VERY WELL.

THEY'RE COMING IN TIMELY.

[01:15:01]

THE PRODUCT IS, AS YOU SAW WITH THE AUDUBON RECREATION CENTER, THEY'RE GOOD QUALITY PROJECTS AND GIVEN THAT THEY ARE CONSTRUCTION ARE COMING IN WELL, THIS IS A CASE OF A LACK OF DOCUMENTATION AND IN NOT HAVING SOMEONE LOOKING AT THE DETAILS BEHIND THAT DOCUMENTATION AND THERE'S SIMPLY THERE'S SIMPLY TOO MUCH MONEY AT STAKE.

THERE'S TOO MANY PROJECTS UNDERGOING FOR THIS TO BE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T HAVE ONGOING SAFEGUARDS, ONGOING INTERNAL WORK, SAFEGUARDING THE VARIOUS PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDER CONTROL AND SO WHILE I SEE THIS IS A SHOCKING DEVELOPMENT AND ONE IN WHICH WE HAVE A BLARING OVERSIGHT IN OUR DOCUMENTATION.

THE OVERALL PROGRAM IN THE PRODUCT THAT'S COMING OUT OF IT IS IS REALLY EXCEPTIONAL AND BUT WE'VE GOT SOME WORK TO DO BECAUSE BECAUSE A LOT OF MONEY'S INVOLVED AND WE HAVE ASKED THE CITIZENS TO TRUST US.

WE'VE ASKED THE CITIZEN TO TAKE THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY AND TURN THIS INTO INVESTMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

WE TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY.

THANK YOU, BRIAN.

THANKS, SIR.

COUNCIL LADY MORRIS? THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU, JED, FOR DOING THE HARD WORK, AND I KNOW THIS WAS NOT PLEASANT FOR YOU AND PROBABLY FOR NOBODY REALLY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS AND I'M NOT GOING TO SAY MUCH FROM THE TIME THAT THIS FIRST CAME TO US.

I'M JUST SEETHING, SO IT'D BE BETTER FOR ME NOT TO TALK MUCH ABOUT IT.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST IS THAT AS THIS IS BEING UNWOUND, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE VERY REGULAR REPORTS BACK TO COUNCIL.

IF THAT'S OK WITH OK.

I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE REAL TIME PROGRESS AS THIS GOES ALONG, AND JUST I WOULDN'T LIKE THERE TO BE LONG GAPS BECAUSE THIS IS AN OUTRAGE.

SO ABSOLUTELY.

IN FACT, COUNCILMAN SMITH REQUESTED AN UPDATE FOR THE MAY OR JUNE AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING.

SO THE UPDATE WILL DIRECTLY GO TO THE COMMITTEE, THEN SURELY WILL COME BACK.

THAT UPDATE WILL COME FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE AGREED ON, BUT I'M PLANNING ON CONDUCTING AN AUDIT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, SO WE WILL KEEP ON ROLLING WITH THIS.

I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE ONE THING AS SOON AS I MENTIONED THIS TO THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS TEAM, HOW THEY RECEIVED IT AND THE RESPONSIBILITY WAS TAKEN AND THEY WANTED TO PUT PRACTICE IN PLACE.

AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT I COULDN'T ASK FOR A BETTER CITY MANAGER OR HIS STAFF TO RECEIVE THIS IN A VERY POSITIVE MANNER BECAUSE THEY DO CARE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY.

SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE BRYAN AND HIS TEAM FOR DOING THAT.

I THINK PART OF THE REASON WAS WE WANTED TO GET THESE PROJECTS GOING, GETTING IT DONE.

SO THE FOCUS WASN'T QUITE BALANCED.

I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE ISSUE, BUT I DO AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN SMITH.

THIS IS SIMPLE ACCOUNTING, AND OUR PROJECT MANAGERS SHOULD, AT LEAST ON A SAMPLE BASIS, SHOULD SHOULD REVIEW AND VERIFY.

THE INFORMATION IS ACCURATE SO WELL AND IT'S A MATTER OF INTEGRITY.

IT'S A MATTER OF A LOT OF THINGS.

SO ANYWAY, I WOULD AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN SMITH THAT WHEN THE TIME FOR REVIEWING THE CONTRACT COMES UP, THIS THIS IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD CERTAINLY TAKE A LONG, STRONG LOOK AT.

SO THANK YOU, JED.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANKS, SIR.

MA'AM.

I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY TIME I'VE EVER MADE THAT MISTAKE.

SO I'M GOOD.

I'M GOOD FOR ONE.

COUNCILMAN MOORE? THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

I ECHO THE SENTIMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED TOWARD YOU FOR HAVING TO DO THIS AND I SIT HERE TONIGHT VERY DISAPPOINTED, VERY DISAPPOINTED

[01:20:01]

WHEN I THINK OF THE TRUST THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN UNTO US.

AND FOR A SITUATION LIKE THIS TO COME FORWARD, JUST IT HURTS.

IT JUST HURTS.

I KNOW THAT ALL OF US AND WE'RE ON TELEVISION TONIGHT AND THEY'RE THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S LOOKING AT US AS WE SIT HERE AND WE TALK ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCOUNT FOR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK THAT IT'S A VERY GOOD REVELATION IN THAT WE'RE BEING VERY TRANSPARENT.

WE'RE ABLE TO FACE UP TO WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE AND NOT ONLY TO FACE UP TO IT, BUT TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ACTION ABOUT IT.

I SAY RIGHT NOW THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE.

THE HOUSE IS BURNING DOWN WHEN YOU CAN'T ACCOUNT FOR 75 TO 80 PERCENT OF THE FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPENDED.

AT THE SAME TIME, I'M HOPING THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT SOMETHING.

MR. CITY MANAGER AFTER WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME WAYS, SOME TYPE OF WAY AT THIS POINT THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SEPTEMBER TO HAVE SOME CHECKS AND BALANCES IN PLACE, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE ALREADY PUT THAT INTO MOTION, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE COME BACK WITH A MUCH BETTER REPORT THAN WHAT WE HAVE PRESENTLY.

SO ON ONE HAND, I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED.

ON THE OTHER HAND, IT'S VERY GOOD THAT WE HAVE CAUGHT THIS UP FRONT AND NOW WE DEAL WITH IT AND WE MOVE FORWARD.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

THANK YOU, SIR.

DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS? THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

THANKS, JOHN, FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR A JOB WELL DONE.

TWO THINGS.

ONE, THIS SHOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE OTHER TEAM LED BY YOU AND WHAT I THINK IS AN OUTSTANDING MANNER AND THE REAL GRIT TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM SHOWS US WHEN YOU TAKE ON TOUGH TASK.

IT'S EASY TO WIN.

IT'S WELL.

A COUPLE OF THINGS AND YOU HAVE TO DO.

SO I COMMEND YOUR TEAM AND I COMMEND YOU ENOUGH, NOT NOT ONLY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE, BUT THE WORK AND THE LEADERSHIP FROM [INAUDIBLE] STANDPOINT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL ON THIS ITEM AND HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

THE OTHER THING IS, AS A MEMBER OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND YOU HEARD ME MENTION THIS DURING OUR LAST MEETING, THERE WERE SOME COMMENTARY ON THE TIMING GETTING THE DOCUMENTATION AND I THINK I SAID THEN PROCRASTINATION BY THOSE THAT WE'RE ASKING IS NOT AN OPTION FOR ME, OK? AND I THINK WE WERE ASSURED THAT SOME TIMELINES HAVE BEEN PLACED ON THE APPROPRIATE VENDORS TO GET THIS DOCUMENTATION TO US SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN BILL WE CAN TURN THIS WHOLE THING AROUND IS.

IS THAT HAPPENING? WHAT'S YOUR SENSE? DEPUTY MAYOR, PRO TEM I KNOW MATT IS WORKING ON THAT.

HE WILL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH AECOM AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE.

HE'S PUTTING THE PROCESS TOGETHER RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK.

UNFORTUNATELY, HIS STAFF WAS OUT LAST WEEK AND A HALF, SO I KNOW HE'S WORKING ON AND HE'S PUTTING THAT TOGETHER RIGHT NOW.

I WILL HAVE AN UPDATE FOR YOU BY AT LEAST BY THE NEXT AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING, FOR SURE WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT DEADLINES THAT WE HAVE GIVEN TO THEM, BUT I KNOW HE'S WORKING ON IT.

HE'S HE HAS TAKEN THIS TASK VERY SERIOUSLY AND HE'S WORKING ON IT.

OK, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO PIGGYBACK ON COUNCILMAN SMITH COMMENT ABOUT THE UNDERSTANDING.

I HOPE HE UNDERSTANDS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE WHERE WE'LL GET AROUND TO IT WHEN WE GET AROUND TO IT.

THAT IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE AND THAT NEEDS TO BE VERY CLEARLY COMMUNICATED TO THEM THAT THIS COULD NOT BE AN [INAUDIBLE].

YOU KNOW, WE'LL DO IT, YOU KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO PAY OUR DEFENSE, BUT YOU KNOW, I WANT TO PLAY OFFENSE ON THIS.

OK? AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THOSE TIMELINES AND PROGRESS ON THOSE TIMELINES THAT WE IMPOSED.

OK.

THIS WILL NOT BE AT THEIR PLEASURE AND SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY CONCERN.

I EXPRESSED THAT AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING AND THAT'S MY CONCERN BASED ON SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM THAT SHOW.

UNDERSTOOD AND [INAUDIBLE], ACTUALLY, HE WASN'T THERE AT THE AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING THE FOLLOWING DAY.

HE ACTUALLY WENT AND LISTENED TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, AND HE'S WORKING

[01:25:01]

TO PUT THAT PROCESS IN PLACE, THE DEADLINES IN PLACE AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO I WILL HAVE, WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S PERMISSION, WILL BRING THAT BACK TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING AND PROVIDE YOU WITH AN UPDATE ON THAT.

OK.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, SIR.

AGAIN, AND THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR A JOB.

WELL DONE.

I DON'T AND I FOR ONE, I DON'T THINK THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE.

THERE'S SMOKE IN THE ROOM AND SO WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, YOUR TEAM.

I KIND OF SENSE YOU AS, IN THIS CASE, THE FIRST RESPONDERS.

YOU KNOW, YOU WARNED US THAT THERE'S SMOKE IN THE ROOM AND GIVING US TOOLS THAT WE CAN CLEAR THE SMOKE FROM THE ROOM BEFORE THE HOUSE BURNS DOWN.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR WORK ON THIS GOING FORWARD.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANKS, SIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN? THANK YOU, MAYOR.

JUST TO KIND OF SUM UP ON THIS, I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT ON THIS ISSUE.

I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT.

I THINK AND I SAID DURING OUR COMMITTEE MEETING THAT WHAT WE ARE SEEING HERE IS A WIDE SPREAD.

YOU KNOW, WE ALL BEAR SOME RESPONSIBILITY HERE TO SOME DEGREE.

THIS IS AN ISSUE OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS, I THINK THE MESSAGE A LOT OF FOLKS GOT ABOUT OUR BOND PROGRAM WAS WAS SPEED.

HOW QUICKLY CAN WE PULL PROJECTS OUT OF THE GROUND, WHICH I THINK HAS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT AND I DO COMMEND AECOM AND OUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE AND STAFF FOR FOR THE INCREDIBLE NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT THEY'VE BEEN MANAGING AND PULLING OUT OF THE GROUND ALL ACROSS THIS CITY, BUT IT SEEMS THAT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, PERHAPS THE MESSAGE GOT MUDDLED ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND THAT MESSAGE.

NEEDS TO COME FROM THE VERY TOP OF THE ORGANIZATION DOWN, AND THAT'S FROM THIS COUNCIL, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL'S FEEDBACK ON THAT, AND I DO WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE NOW.

IT'S NEVER A GOOD POSITION TO BE FIXING THEM ON THE BACK END, BUT WE ARE FIXING THEM BEFORE FINAL PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE AND THERE'S BEEN NO INDICATION OF ANY KIND OF WIDESPREAD POOR PAYMENTS OR THAT WE'RE BEING DEFRAUDED IN SOME WAY.

IT'S JUST IT'S THE LACK OF OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, WHICH IS VERY CONCERNING IN AND OF ITSELF AND AS OTHERS HAVE STATED, I THINK IT'S THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE EXAMPLES OF HOW IMPORTANT OUR INTERNAL AUDIT FUNCTION IS TO ENSURE SO THAT SO THAT OUR RESIDENTS KNOW THAT, THAT WE ARE INDEPENDENTLY ACCOUNTABLE AND TRANSPARENT.

SO I THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH.

I THANK THE COUNCIL VERY MUCH AND, JED, I THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS TO US AND HELPING US GET THIS RESOLVED.

AND MR. BRADFORD.

I APPRECIATE STAFF'S WORK ON THIS VERY MUCH.

I KNOW IT'S CONCERNING, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT ANY TIME THAT WE BRING CONCERNS TO YOU, TO OUR SENIOR STAFF THAT YOU ALL TAKE STEPS TO ADDRESS THEM AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MAYOR, SIR.

ALL RIGHT.

I THINK WE'VE CLEARED THE QUEUE ON THAT TOPIC.

YOU WANT TO MOVE ON TO INVENTORY MANAGEMENT? SURE.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

SO THIS OBJECTIVE OF THE AUDIT WAS TO REVIEW OUR CITY WAREHOUSE TO VERIFY IF INVENTORIES ARE PROPERLY ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE CITY FINANCE SYSTEM.

ALSO, WE WANTED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INVENTORY CONTROLS FOR ORDERING, RECEIVING, ISSUING RETURNS AND OBSOLESCENCE.

AGAIN, THE SCOPE WAS MAINLY THE CITY WAREHOUSE FOR THE PUBLIC.

I MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE A CENTRALIZED WAREHOUSE FOR A PRODUCT.

WE KEEP APPROXIMATELY SIX MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF ITEMS AT THE CITY WAREHOUSE, AND SO A FEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENTS WERE IDENTIFIED.

OBVIOUSLY, THERE WERE SOME DELAYS IN PERFORMING CYCLE COUNTS, AND WHEN THEY PERFORM CYCLE COUNTS, AS WELL AS WHEN WE DID THE SUPPLIES INVENTORY COUNT AT THE WAREHOUSE, THERE WERE SOME VARIANCES AND FROM A DOLLAR PERSPECTIVE, THE VARIANCES WERE LOW, BUT FROM A COUNT PERSPECTIVE IT WAS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, BUT PART OF THE REASON WAS THEIR FOCUS WAS MAINLY SINCE COVID HIT TO OBTAIN THE PPE TO CITY DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER CITY ORGANIZATIONS.

SO THAT WAS PART OF THE REASON WHY THE CYCLE COUNTS WERE NOT PERFORMED.

AND SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO INITIATE THAT CYCLE COUNT BACK AGAIN AND ALSO WHEN THERE IS A VARIANCE, PERFORM ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS.

SO WE KNOW WHY SOME OF THE ITEMS WERE SHORTED OR WE HAVE OVERAGE.

SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE IDENTIFIED.

[01:30:02]

WE DID FIND SOME ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO SEGREGATION OF DUTIES AND PART OF THE REASON IS THEY DO HAVE LIMITED STAFF OVER THERE.

HOWEVER, WE NEED TO HAVE BETTER REVIEW PROCESS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THE SAME PERSON IS ENTERING AND APPROVING OR RECEIVING AND ISSUING THE SAME ITEM, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF REVIEW PROCESS, AT LEAST ON A PERIODIC BASIS, TO ENSURE THAT NOBODY'S TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT.

SO AND ALSO THE STRUCTURE, THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, THIS HAS BEEN A DISCUSSION.

ACTUALLY, THE CITY MANAGER REQUESTED US TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE THING AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT IT, IT'S NOT A, ITS OPTIMAL SEGREGATION OF DUTIES.

BASICALLY, THEY DO HAVE THE PURCHASING FUNCTIONS, THEY DO HAVE THE ASSURANCE FUNCTIONS, THEY DO HAVE THE RECEIVING FUNCTIONS, EVERYTHING WITHIN ONE DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTING FUNCTION, ALL OF THAT WITHIN ONE DEPARTMENT AND THEY ALL REPORT TO PURCHASING.

SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE RECOMMENDED.

IF POSSIBLE, WE SHOULD CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE TO SEPARATE AT LEAST SOME OF THOSE WHO HAVE CERTAIN SEGREGATION OF DUTIES.

WE ALSO FOUND SOME OBSOLETE ITEMS, WHICH WE HAVEN'T USED FOR A WHILE.

SO ABOUT 168 THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF OBSOLETE ITEMS PURCHASING HAS REMOVED.

THAT WAREHOUSE HAS REMOVED THAT ITEMS, AND THEY WILL PUT IT IN AUCTION SO WE CAN GET SOME MONEY FROM THAT.

THERE WERE EIGHT PERCENT OF THE STOCKS ON HAND HAD LESS THAN MINIMUM AMOUNT REQUIRED.

OBVIOUSLY, COVID HIT.

WE HAVE A SHORTAGE OF ITEMS AND I'M SURE THAT HAS AN IMPACT ON IT, BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH STOCK ON HAND.

SO GOING FORWARD, IF SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN, WE DO HAVE THE APPROPRIATE SUPPLIES.

THE NEXT ITEM, WE DID FIND SOME AREAS WHERE WE CAN FIND EFFICIENCY.

THEY DO HAVE SOME.

I AUTOMATED ORDERING PROCESS OR RECEIVING PROCESS SO WE CAN AUTOMATE THAT AND ELIMINATE SOME OF THE DATA ENTRY AND ALSO SOME INEFFICIENCIES, SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE RECOMMENDED.

THE LAST MAIN ITEMS THAT WE FOUND WHEN WE COMPARED THIS WAS A CITY WIDE REVIEW OF THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT CITY PROPERTY, PHYSICAL ACCESS LISTING TO THE HR LIST.

WE FOUND SOME DISCREPANCIES THERE AND WE NEED TO HAVE A BETTER REVIEW.

WE NEED TO HAVE A PERIODIC REVIEW TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE TERMINATING ACCESS ON TIME AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, IF AN EMPLOYEE WENT FROM ONE DEPARTMENT TO ANOTHER.

WE NEED TO TERMINATE THEIR ACCESS RIGHTS AND AT THIS POINT, THERE IS NOT A REPORTING THAT GOES TO EACH DEPARTMENT TO SHOW THAT THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE ACCESS FROM YOUR AREA TO DIFFERENT CITY PROPERTIES.

SO THAT IS ONE AREA THAT WE AS FACILITIES MANAGEMENT TO LOOK INTO AND THEY THEY ARE LOOKING INTO THAT RIGHT NOW.

IN FACT, THEY ARE FORMING A COMMITTEE.

CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND HR IS FORMING A COMMITTEE TO COME UP WITH A DIRECTIVE TO BETTER ADDRESS THIS.

SO THAT WAS THE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTORY MANAGEMENT AUDIT.

THE LAST AUDIT, ASSUMING THAT THERE IS NOT A LOT OF QUESTION, I HAVE NO.

I HAVE NO ONE IN THE QUEUE FOR THAT ONE.

AS THE CHAIRMAN MENTIONED, THE KRAFT EMPLOYEE RETENTION AGREEMENT AUDIT, KRAFT IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR REQUIREMENT OF RETAINING THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY ONE FULL TIME EMPLOYEES, ACTUALLY.

IN FACT, THEY HAVE ALMOST THREE TIMES MORE THAN THAT NUMBER, AND THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT HAS COME EXPIRED RIGHT NOW.

SO THAT IS, AS THE CHAIRMAN INDICATED, THAT THIS IS THE LAST YEAR UNLESS IF YOU RENEW THIS CONTRACT, PEOPLE WILL AUDIT THIS.

MAYOR, IF I MAY? A LOT OF THIS WORK IS DONE BY MY STAFF, SO I DO WANT TO GIVE THEM CREDIT.

I GIVE THEM DIRECTIONS, BUT THEY ARE THE ONES MAKING IT HAPPEN.

SO I DO WANT TO APPRECIATE TED, PATRICIA AND ALEX FOR GETTING THESE AUDITS DONE AND CREDIT SHOULD GO TO THEM.

SO I JUST WANTED TO.

VERY GOOD.

VERY GOOD.

COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH THANK YOU, MAYOR.

QUICK COMMENTS ON THE LAST TWO ITEMS. FIRST IS I JUST WANT TO THANK KRAFT IF THEY'RE WATCHING FOR CONTINUING TO BE GOOD PARTNERS WITH THE CITY AS WE HIT THE LABOR SHORTAGE AND COVID WAS REALLY WEIGHING ON PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE THAT WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER.

I KNOW THAT THEY WORKED VERY, VERY HARD TO KEEP THEIR EMPLOYEES SAFE.

I ALSO SAW THAT THEY UPPED THEIR HIRING AND RETENTION BONUSES, AND THEY'VE JUST DONE EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD HAVE ASKED FOR.

SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING INTO WHATEVER THE NEXT AGREEMENT IS.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.

SECOND, AND THIS IS REALLY JUST A FOOTNOTE ON THE WAREHOUSE INVENTORY AUDIT.

I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING THERE THAT WAS MATERIALLY CONCERNING.

THEY HAVE ALL THE SAME PAINS AND PRESSURES THAT EVERY OTHER WAREHOUSING ENTITY GOES THROUGH.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, IF POSSIBLE, THAT WE HAD A KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURE THAT WE

[01:35:01]

LOOK AT DURING THE O&M BUDGET.

JUST LOOKING AT ERROR OR LOSS RATE BY DOLLAR VALUE, NOT BY ITEM COUNT, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY WORRIED ABOUT TRACKING EVERY NUT AND BOLT, BUT YOU KNOW, $20000 WORTH OF NUTS AND BOLTS GO MISSING.

YEAH, THAT'S IMPORTANT.

SO MAYBE JUST SOMETHING ADDED TO THE O&M BUDGET.

SO THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

VERY GOOD.

VERY GOOD, SIR.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON AUDIT? THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF.

COUNCIL, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A QUICK RECESS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO OUR FINAL, OUR FINAL VERBAL BRIEFING.

LET'S TAKE A QUICK RECESS.

LET'S HAVE EVERYBODY BACK AT 7:45, PLEASE.

7:45.

ALL RIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I BELIEVE WE HAVE FIVE PRESENT, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.

WE'RE COMING.

I'M SORRY.[INAUDIBLE] THIS AT OUR JANUARY 3RD, 2022 MEETING, AND WE ARE AT ITEM 4D NO EXCUSE ME 4E POLICE CHIEF TO BRIEF THE COUNCIL ON OVERALL CRIME IN GARLAND.

[4E. Police Chief to Brief the Council on Overall Crime in Garland]

SIR, GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL.

I'VE GOT A BIG TOPIC TO DISCUSS, SO I'M GOING TO JUST JUMP RIGHT INTO IT.

BUT FEEL FREE TO STOP ME.

I'M GOING TO GO INTO DETAIL ON A LOT OF THINGS, SO FEEL FREE TO STOP ME IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION.

BUT WHAT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT IS CRIME AND SPECIFICALLY CRIME IN GARLAND, NOT JUST OUR PHILOSOPHY AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT ON HOW WE ADDRESS CRIME, BUT CRIME IN GARLAND.

AND I HEARD THE SPEAKERS THAT CAME IN EARLY TALKED ABOUT HOW CRIME IS A COMMUNITY PROBLEM, AND IT'S NOT JUST A PROBLEM FOR THE POLICE TO SOLVE.

AND I COULD NOT AGREE WITH THAT MORE.

CRIME IS A COMMUNITY ISSUE.

IT'S A SOCIETY ISSUE.

IT'S ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AT HOME.

IT'S ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AT SCHOOL.

IT'S ABOUT SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS.

IT'S ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CRIME IN GENERAL PHILOSOPHY, IT IS A SOCIETY PROBLEM.

BUT HOW THE GARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT OPERATES IS WE ARE ORGANIZED FOR OUR COMMUNITY POLICING EFFORTS.

AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY POLICING AND I THINK YOU'LL HEAR A LOT OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS SAY, OK, WE'RE A COMMUNITY POLICING POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU.

I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW WE ARE ORGANIZED AND HOW WE ARE TRULY A COMMUNITY POLICING POLICE DEPARTMENT.

SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO BREAK THIS DOWN IN FOUR MAIN TOPICS.

ONE OF THOSE IS OUR OVERALL PHILOSOPHY OF CRIME, HOW THE GARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SET UP AS AN ORGANIZATION TO ADDRESS THOSE COMMUNITY POLICING THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOPICS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THIS.

THEN I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR CRIME CURRENTLY LOOKS LIKE IN GARLAND.

SO I'M GOING TO TALK SPECIFIC CRIME STATS, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN GARLAND AND THE THINGS THAT WE DO BASED ON THOSE CRIME STATS.

THEN I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME AND SPECIFICALLY HOMICIDES IN GARLAND.

AND THEN I'LL TALK ABOUT OUR IDEAS MOVING FORWARD.

SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO BREAK THAT DOWN INTO FOUR TOPICS.

AGAIN, IF YOU WANT TO STOP ME DURING THIS, PLEASE DO.

BUT HOW DO WE AS THE GARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT, LOOK AT CRIME AND HOW DO WE ADDRESS CRIME FROM AN ORGANIZATIONAL STANDPOINT? AND WE LOOK AT IT IN FOUR AREAS AS FAR AS OUR ORGANIZATION, WE LOOK AT IT AT CRIME PREVENTION, WE LOOK AT IT RESPONSE TO CRIME, OUR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS AND THEN OUR SUPPORT STAFF.

SO IF YOU THINK OF THAT IN THOSE FOUR MAIN CATEGORIES, THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE'VE BROKEN DOWN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THAT.

BUT WE HAVE ONE DIVISION THAT'S CALLED OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES DIVISION, AND THAT DIVISION IS MADE UP OF WHAT IS PRIMARILY OUR CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS.

WE HAVE OUR HOMELESS AND MENTAL HEALTH UNIT, WHICH IS WENDY, LARRY, KEITH WILSON AND TODD JERRY.

AND THOSE ARE THE OFFICERS THAT ARE DEALING WITH THE ONGOING HOMELESS ISSUES, THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.

WE HAVE OUR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, WHICH IS THIRTY ONE OFFICERS.

THESE ARE THE OFFICERS THAT ARE IN THE SCHOOLS.

THEY'RE RUNNING THE SCHOOL CAMPS, THEY'RE RUNNING THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND THEY'RE TEACHING CLASSES.

THEY'RE BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS EARLY, TRYING TO DETER CRIME OR TRYING TO REACH KIDS EARLY.

WE HAVE THE GANG UNIT, AND I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THE GANG UNIT HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.

BUT OUR GANG UNIT, THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE GANG UNIT, IS ON THOSE INTERVENTION EFFORTS.

I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH TIME OUR OFFICERS SPEND IN THE HOMES TALKING TO

[01:40:01]

PARENTS, HOW MUCH TIME THEY SPEND IN THE SCHOOLS, TALKING TO KIDS AND UNDERNEATH THE GANG UNIT IS, OF COURSE, OUR BOXING GYM.

I KNOW EVERYONE KNOWS THIS, BUT I'LL REMIND YOU, WE STARTED THE BOXING GYM MANY YEARS AGO, BUT THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE BOXING GYM WAS TO TAKE KIDS THAT WE RECOGNIZE WE'RE MISSING SOMETHING IN THEIR LIVES.

AND THESE ARE KIDS THAT TYPICALLY CANNOT DO SELECT BASEBALL OR SELECT SOCCER OR SELECT VOLLEYBALL.

AND SO WE WANTED TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO DO INSTEAD OF BE ON THE STREETS, AND WE WANTED TO GIVE THEM GUIDANCE.

WE WANTED TO GIVE THEM DISCIPLINE.

WE WANTED TO GIVE THEM SUPPORT FOR THEIR SCHOOLWORK.

AND SO THE BOXING GYM WAS CREATED AND IT HAS EXPLODED SINCE THEN.

WE HAVE OVER 200 ACTIVE KIDS AT ANY ONE TIME.

AND I KNOW WE ALWAYS FOCUS ON THE FAILURES IN SOCIETY.

BUT MAN, THERE'S A LOT OF SUCCESS STORIES COMING OUT OF THAT BOXING GYM.

OUR TRAFFIC UNIT, I LISTED THEM IN OUR CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS BECAUSE I KNOW NOBODY LIKES GETTING A CITATION.

BUT WE, OUR TRAFFIC UNIT, IS DIRECTED TO AREAS THAT ARE HAVING ACCIDENTS.

AND THEY'RE DIRECTED TO AREAS THAT WE'RE GETTING COMPLAINTS, AND SO THEIR PRIMARY EFFORT IS PREVENTION TO PREVENT THOSE ACCIDENTS.

WE HAVE AN INTELLIGENCE UNIT.

THEY'RE THE ONES MONITORING SOCIAL MEDIA.

A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY IS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY MONITORING SOCIAL MEDIA.

OUR CRIME ANALYSIS UNIT, OUR CPTED, WHICH IS OUR CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN.

OUR GARLAND CRIME STOPPERS PROGRAM, WHICH IS A GROUP OF CITIZENS THAT HELPS SUPPORT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BY RAISING FUNDS TO PAY FOR GARLAND CRIME STOPPER TIPS OUR CITIZEN'S POLICE ACADEMY AND I'LL PUSH THAT AS MUCH AS I CAN ALWAYS PUSH IT.

BUT IF YOU REALLY WANT TO LEARN ABOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, JOIN OUR CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY.

ALL THESE THINGS I'M HITTING NOW, YOU'LL LEARN IN GREAT DETAIL.

OUR UNIDOS PROGRAM OUR UNIDOS PROGRAM AND YOU'LL SEE UNIDOS NOW NATIONWIDE.

ALMOST EVERY POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS UNIDOS.

AND UNIDOS STARTED IN GARLAND, TEXAS, AND THE PURPOSE THAT UNIDOS IS FOR US TO REACH NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING RESIDENTS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO BUILD BEFORE.

OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS GROUP, WHICH IS OUR NAACP, LULAC, GAFA, OUR ASIAN COMMUNITY LEADERS GROUP.

SO WE MEET WITH THAT GROUP TWICE A MONTH AND WE TALK ABOUT CRIME WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OTHER ISSUES.

AND THEN THE CORE OF OUR CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS IS DONE THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD POLICE UNIT.

AND I KNOW EVERYONE KNOWS, BUT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD POLICE UNIT, IF YOU LIVE IN THE CITY OF GARLAND AND YOU LIVE IN AN APARTMENT OR A HOUSE, THEN YOU HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD POLICE OFFICER ASSIGNED TO YOUR AREA, AND THEIR PURPOSE IS TO ADDRESS ONGOING REOCCURRING ISSUES.

AND SO IF YOU CALL 9-1-1, YOU MAY HAVE A RANDOM OFFICER SHOW UP AT YOUR HOUSE, BUT YOU NEED TO GET TO KNOW YOUR NPO BECAUSE HE'S THE ONE THAT CAN HELP YOU WITH THOSE REOCCURRING ISSUES.

UNDERNEATH THEM IS OUR CRIME WATCH GROUPS, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, OUR APARTMENT MANAGERS GROUP, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND THEN SEVERAL OTHER PROGRAMS. AND SO THIS IS OUR CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS.

AND THE THING THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT ABOUT THIS EFFORTS IS THIS IS ALL CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT.

NONE OF THIS IS JUST US.

THIS IS US WITH THE COMMUNITY TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE APARTMENT COMPLEX.

THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE ALL THAT COMMUNICATION IS THROUGH THIS DIVISION.

OUR RESPONSE EFFORT IS PRIMARILY BY PATROL.

SO WE'VE MOVED FROM CRIME PREVENTION NOW TO RESPONDING TO CRIMES, AND THAT'S DONE BY OUR PATROL UNIT.

OUR GOAL IS TO RESPOND TO PRIORITY ONE CALLS UNDER FIVE MINUTES A PRIORITY ONE CALL IS A CALL WHERE THERE IS SOMEONE'S LIFE IS IN DANGER.

AND SO WHAT WE WANT PEOPLE IN GARLAND TO KNOW IS IF YOU CALL 9-1-1 AND YOU NEED HELP.

HELP IS COMING AND IT'S COMING FAST.

AND SO WE REACHED THAT GOAL LAST YEAR.

PRIORITY TWO CALLS ARE UNDER NINE MINUTES.

OUR PATROL UNITS RESPONDED ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND CALLS A YEAR.

THAT'S A LOT OF CALLS, BUT THEY DO A GOOD JOB.

IT'S A TWENTY FOUR, SEVEN, THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE DAY OPERATION IN OUR PATROL UNIT.

AND THEN OUR COURSE, OUR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION IS WHO DOES OUR INVESTIGATIONS ARE FOLLOW UPS, OUR VICTIMS ASSISTANCE.

AND SO AGAIN, THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF ME SHOWING YOU THAT IS TO SEE ORGANIZATIONALLY HOW WE ARE SET UP TO ADDRESS CRIME.

WHICH WE TRY TO HIT IT FROM EVERY ANGLE, BUT WE HAVE A LARGE FOCUS ON THE CRIME PREVENTION PART OF THAT TO GETTING TO FOLKS BEFORE THE CRIME IS ACTUALLY OCCURS.

I'VE GOT NOTES BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A LOT TO TALK ABOUT, SO LET ME MAKE SURE I DIDN'T

[01:45:05]

MISS ANYTHING.

SO WE TALKED ABOUT CRIME, HOW WE'RE SET UP FOR CRIME PREVENTION.

NOW LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CRIME IN GARLAND.

AND WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME HOW IS CRIME IN GARLAND, IT REALLY IS KIND OF A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ANSWER.

I MEAN, WE CAN TALK ABOUT TRENDS, IS CRIME UP, USUALLY CRIME UP OR CRIME DOWN.

WELL, COMPARED TO WHAT WE'LL COMPARE TO THE YEAR TO FOUR, SOMETIMES IT'S UP.

SOMETIMES IT'S DOWN.

WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE THE VIOLENT CRIME INDEX WHEN YOU SEE CITY DATA, WHEN YOU LOOK AT CITYDATA.COM.

A LOT OF TIMES YOU'LL SEE THE VIOLENT CRIME INDEX AND WHAT THE VIOLENT CRIME INDEX IS, HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF GARLAND WERE THE VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME IN THE PAST YEAR? WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE HOMICIDE RATE, BUT THE POINT IS THERE'S A NUMBER OF WAYS TO ADDRESS CRIME.

SO I'M GOING TO HIT THIS FROM SEVERAL ANGLES SO THAT THE COUNCIL HAS A GOOD OVERVIEW OF WHAT CRIME LOOKS LIKE IN GARLAND.

FIRST OF ALL, THE VIOLENT CRIME INDEX, LIKE I SAID, THAT'S HOW MANY PEOPLE OUT OF ONE THOUSAND WERE THE VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME LAST YEAR, NOT IN 2021, BUT IN 2020.

IN 2020, IT WAS TWO POINT EIGHT THREE PER THOUSAND.

NOW, WHEN YOU LOOK ON CITYDATA.COM, A LOT OF TIMES IT'LL SAY THIS IS YOUR ODDS OF BEING THE VICTIM OF A VIOLENT CRIME.

BUT WE KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE.

I MEAN, YOUR LIFESTYLE, HOW YOU LIVE, WHAT YOU'RE DOING AT NIGHT OR DURING THE DAY ALSO PLAYS INTO THE PROBABILITY OF YOU BEING A VICTIM OF A CRIME.

BUT TWO POINT EIGHT THREE GIVES US A WAY TO COMPARE THIS YEAR, AND IT GIVES US A WAY TO COMPARE AGAINST OTHER CITIES.

I CAN TELL YOU, MOVING FORWARD TO 2021, THAT NUMBER WILL BE LOWER AND I'LL SHOW YOU IN A MINUTE, BUT OUR CRIME DROPPED IN 2021.

IF YOU COMPARE US TO CITIES ROUGHLY OUR SIZE CITIES OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND AND WE ARE IN THE TOP 100 LARGEST CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND IF YOU COMPARE US TO THOSE CITIES, OUR CRIME IS MUCH LOWER THAN WHAT IS THE AVERAGE FOR CITIES OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND, IN FACT, WHEN THE REPORTS COME OUT EVERY YEAR.

WE'RE USUALLY IN THE TOP 20 TO TOP 10 SAFEST CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES FOR CRIME.

IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE'S NOT CRIME HERE.

THERE IS CRIME HERE, BUT WHEN WE COMPARE TO OTHER CITIES, THAT'S A WAY TO MAKE THAT COMPARISON.

IF YOU COMPARE US TO A CITY LIKE ST.

LOUIS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S ON THE OTHER END OF THE SCALE.

CITY HAS THREE HUNDRED.

ST. LOUIS HAS THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE.

THEY HAD 200 HOMICIDES LAST YEAR.

THE GARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT, OR THE CITY OF GARLAND, HAD 20 HOMICIDES LAST YEAR.

NOW, 20 IS HIGH FOR US.

WE USUALLY AVERAGE BETWEEN 8 AND 12 OR 14.

SO 20 IS HIGH FOR US, BUT JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU A COMPARISON TO HOW WE COMPARE TO OTHER CITIES.

AND BUT WHEN WE AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT TALK ABOUT CRIME, WE TALK ABOUT IT IN TRENDS AND WE TALK ABOUT IT AS IN STATISTICS, AND WE STARTED THIS MEETING ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO CALLED THE SMART MEETING, AND IT STANDS FOR STRATEGIES, MANAGEMENT, ANALYSIS, RESOURCES AND TACTICS.

AND IN THIS MEETING AND WE MEET TWICE A MONTH, WE TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT CRIME.

AND SO I PULLED THESE THESE SLIDES FROM THAT MEETING AND I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHAT WE TALK ABOUT.

AND I'LL START WITH THIS SLIDE.

AND WHILE I TAKE A DRINK, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THAT.

BUT WHAT THIS IS, IS THE PERCENTAGE OF CHANGE FROM 2021 TO 2020 ON EACH OF THOSE CATEGORIES.

NOW HOMICIDES ARE NOT LISTED INTO THOSE CATEGORIES.

WE DON'T LOOK AT HOMICIDES IN TERMS OF TRENDS.

WE LOOK AT HOMICIDES BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT MANY IN GARLAND RELATIVELY SO WE LOOK AT EACH INDIVIDUAL CASE FOR HOMICIDES.

BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE TRENDS FROM 20 TO 2021, YOU CAN SEE MOST CRIME AREAS ARE DOWN EXCEPT FOR BURGLARY OF MOTOR VEHICLE PARTS.

AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE.

AND SO WE LOOK AT THAT AND WE LOOK AT THAT EACH MONTH AND WE LOOK AT THAT COMPARED TO THE MONTH BEFORE.

BUT ALSO WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO US IS THAT TREND LINE THAT'S ON THE FAR RIGHT.

SO AGG ASSAULTS, FOR EXAMPLE, EVEN THOUGH IT SHOWS A THREE PERCENT DECLINE FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, YOU CAN SEE AN INCREASE FROM 2018 AND NOW IT'S STARTING TO TREND DOWNWARD.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE TRENDS.

IF YOU LOOK AT OUR ROBBERIES, OUR ROBBERIES AND WE TOOK A LARGE, CONCENTRATED EFFORT TO ADDRESS OUR ROBBERIES.

[01:50:01]

YOU SEE A DRASTIC DECREASE IN ROBBERIES OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.

YOU SEE A DECREASE IN BURGLARY HABITATIONS, YOU SEE A DECREASE IN THEFTS.

AND AT THE VERY BOTTOM IS WHERE WE HAVE OUR TOTAL.

AND AGAIN, NOT JUST LOOKING AT THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, WHICH YOU SEE THE SEVEN PERCENT DECREASE.

BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE TREND OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, YOU CAN SEE THAT BOTH PROPERTY AND VIOLENT CRIME IS TRENDING DOWN.

ANOTHER THING WE LOOK AT, AND IF YOU LIKE STATISTICS, YOU'LL PROBABLY APPRECIATE THIS SLIDE, BUT WE LOOK AT THE INDICATOR IS OK.

THREE PERCENT IS NOT THAT MUCH.

WHAT DO WE EXPECT CRIME TO BE THIS YEAR BASED ON THE TRENDS? AND ARE WE NORMAL? ARE WE HIGH OR ARE WE LOW? AND SO WE ALSO LOOK AT THIS.

AND AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THEFT OF MOTOR VEHICLE PARTS IS VERY HIGH.

YOU CAN SEE OUR BURGLARIES ARE LOW AND OUR ROBBERIES ARE LOW.

AND SO THEN NEXT QUESTION IS WHAT IS DRIVING WHAT'S HIGH? WHAT IS DRIVING OUR THEFT OF MOTOR VEHICLE PARTS? AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS.

THEY'RE KILLING US, THEY'RE KILLING THE WHOLE REGION.

AND SO THEN WE START DIGGING DEEPER.

OK.

WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.

WE'VE COME UP WITH A PLAN.

AGAIN, THIS WAS PULLED FROM THAT MEETING.

BUT WHERE, WHEN AND HOW DO WE NEED TO ALLOCATE OUR RESOURCES? AND THEN BASED ON THAT, WE TYPICALLY WILL DEVELOP A TASK FORCE.

YOUR NPOS MAY BE MISSING FOR A WEEK OR SO.

THAT'S BECAUSE WE PULL THEM OFF TO PUT THEM ON THIS TASK FORCE TO ADDRESS THIS HOT SPOT.

IN THIS CASE, WE CAUGHT THE GUY AND MADE THE ARREST.

AND BUT THAT'S HOW WE EVERY TWO WEEKS THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THESE CRIME ISSUES.

GUNSHOT DETECTION OR GUNSHOT CALLS.

WE STARTED PLOTTING THIS EARLIER THIS YEAR BECAUSE OUR GUNSHOTS HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ROOF.

AND AGAIN, IT'S THE SAME REGION WIDE.

I TALK TO THE OTHER CHIEFS, THEY'RE SEEING THIS AS WELL.

WHY ARE PEOPLE WALKING OUTSIDE AND SHOOTING THEIR GUN IN THE AIR? AND SOMETIMES IT'S ALMOST LIKE THEY'RE ANSWERING EACH OTHER.

SOMEONE WILL SHOOT THEIR GUN AND THEN SOMEONE ELSE WILL SHOOT THEIR GUN.

AND SO WE STARTED PLOTTING THESE AND THIS IS FOR A TWO MONTH PERIOD.

THIS IS THE GUNSHOT CALLS THAT WE RESPONDED TO.

NOW SOME OF THESE MAY BE ONE INCIDENT THAT MULTIPLE PEOPLE CALL, BUT WE WE PLOT EVERY SINGLE CALL THAT WE GET ON GUNSHOTS.

BUT THAT IS WHAT WE COMPARE TO THIS SLIDE TO AND WHAT THIS SLIDE IS, IS EVERY INCIDENT THAT WE RESPONDED TO WHERE WE FOUND SHELL CASINGS.

AND SO NOW NOT ONLY DID WE GET A GUNSHOT CALL, THE CHALLENGE FOR US WITH GUNSHOT CALLS IS SOMEONE CALLS AND SAYS, I HEARD A GUNSHOT, IT'S BEHIND MY HOUSE EAST.

GO FIND IT, AND IT'S JUST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND.

SO WE STARTED PLOTTING AREAS WHERE WE HAVE FOUND SHELL CASINGS AND WE CAN START AN INVESTIGATION.

AND THIS IS GOING TO BE THE NEXT IS WHAT LEADS US INTO OUR NIVENS PROGRAM, WHICH I'LL HIT ON HERE IN A MINUTE.

AND THEN WE GO AROUND THE ROOM AND EACH UNIT TALKS ABOUT HERE'S THE PROBLEMS THEY'RE SEEING, HERE'S THE PLAN TO AND I DON'T EXPECT THEM TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS, BUT I DO EXPECT THEM TO RECOGNIZE WHAT THE SITUATION IS AND HAVE A PLAN TO ADDRESS IT AND THEN LET ME KNOW WHAT RESOURCES THEY NEED.

AND THEN FROM THAT, WE START ALLOCATING RESOURCES.

SO WE HAVE THAT MEETING EVERY TWO WEEKS.

I'LL TELL YOU, COUNCIL, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND ONE OF THESE MEETINGS, I WELCOME YOU TO ATTEND.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT CRIME, WHAT WE'RE SEEING AND THEN HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING IT.

IT DOES CHANGE THE DYNAMICS A LITTLE BIT WHEN COUNCIL IS IN THERE.

SO I ASK YOU NOT TO ATTEND EVERY WEEK, BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT TO KIND OF EXPERIENCE IT.

I KNOW MR. MOORE HAS BEEN TO ONE AND IT'S KIND OF EYE OPENING WHEN YOU REALLY SEE HOW MUCH EFFORT GOES INTO ADDRESSING SOME OF THESE ISSUES.

CRIME STOPPER TIPS I MENTIONED THAT TOO.

IF YOU CALL IN A CRIME STOPPER TIP IN THE CITY OF GARLAND, WE INVESTIGATE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE, AND MOST OF THOSE ARE NOT GOOD TIPS.

MOST OF THOSE TURNED OUT NOT TO BE A GOOD TIP, BUT WE INVESTIGATE EVERY SINGLE ONE.

SO IN OUR MEETING, WE TALK ABOUT WHAT TIPS CAME IN.

WE ASSIGNED IT TO SOMEONE TO INVESTIGATE AND THOSE ARE INVESTIGATED.

ALL RIGHT.

I FEEL LIKE I'M TALKING FAST, SO I'LL PAUSE FOR A SECOND.

IS THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT BEFORE I GET INTO.

GO AHEAD.

OK? DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS. THANKS.

THANKS, CHIEF CRIME STOPPERS.

GO AHEAD.

GO AHEAD.

ALL RIGHT.

CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT CRIME STOPPERS?

[01:55:09]

AND I HAD THE QUESTION POSED TO ME FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN CONTRIBUTING TO CRIME STOPPERS, THAT KIND OF THING AND LOOKING AT THE WEBSITE, THERE'S NOT AN ONLINE.

THESE FOLKS DIDN'T SEE AN ONLINE WAY FOR DOING THAT.

SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE ROLE OF CRIME STOPPERS AS IT RELATES TO YOUR WHOLE PRESENTATION HERE? AND IF CITIZENS ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING INVOLVED AND ARE MORE SUPPORTIVE OF CRIME STOPPERS? HOW MIGHT THEY DO THAT? SURE, GOOD QUESTION.

AND SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT CRIME STOPPER TIPS, THERE'S TWO SEPARATE CONVERSATIONS.

ONES THERE'S CRIME STOPPER TIPS, RIGHT? WHICH MEANS YOU CALL IN CRIME STOPPERS.

YOU SAY, HERE'S A TIP ON A CRIME.

WE FOLLOW UP ON IT.

AND THEN THERE'S TWO CRIME STOPPERS, THE ORGANIZATION.

NOW CRIME STOPPERS, THE ORGANIZATION IS NOT A GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION, IT'S A CITIZEN RUN ORGANIZATION, AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO RAISES MONEY TO PAY TO GOOD CRIME STOPPER TIPS.

MOST OF THAT MONEY IS DONE THROUGH TASTE OF GARLAND, WHICH I THINK EVERYONE'S ATTENDED.

SO THEY HAVE THAT FUNDRAISING EVENT, THEY RAISE THE MONEY.

AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S A MAJOR CRIME THAT OCCURS, THEY'LL PAY FOR THAT.

NOW, AS FAR I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE, YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT IT'S NOT.

I MEAN, WE CERTAINLY CAN UPGRADE THAT TO WHERE.

TO DO SOMETHING ONLINE.

AND THEY SAID THAT WAS NOT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DO IT ONLINE.

SO I SAID I'D ASK THE QUESTION TONIGHT.

I KNOW THEY HAVE A WAY TO ACCEPT DONATIONS.

YEAH, AND THAT IS THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE.

BUT WHAT WE NEED ON OUR WEBSITE IS A LINK TO THEIR WEBSITE.

YEAH, BECAUSE THEY THEY WANT TO GPD'S WEBSITE AND PULLED IT UP WITH SPEAKERS].

YEAH.

SO IT WOULD PROBABLY BE HELPFUL IF THAT INFORMATION COULD BE ON YOUR WEBSITE BECAUSE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW CAN WE CONTRIBUTE? HOW CAN WE SUPPORT CRIME STOPPERS? AND THE FOLKS THAT I TALKED TO, THEY KNOW ABOUT TASTE OF GARLAND, BUT THEY WANTED TO DO SOMETHING INDIVIDUALLY AND JUST WANTED TO KNOW HOW CAN THEY DO THAT? AND YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY PROVIDE THAT LINK.

I KNOW THEY ACCEPT MONEY.

THE FUNDRAISER IS THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.

IT'S A FUN FUNDRAISER.

BUT YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY TAKE CARE OF THAT.

THANK YOU.

OK, GO AHEAD.

OK.

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW THAT MOVES US TO VIOLENT CRIME, AND I KNOW THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST TOPIC IS VIOLENT CRIME AND SPECIFICALLY HOMICIDES.

LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WE HAVE BETWEEN 8 AND 12, MAYBE 14 HOMICIDES A YEAR IN A CITY OF A QUARTER MILLION PEOPLE.

THIS YEAR WE HAD 20, WHICH IS EXTREMELY HIGH FOR US.

AND SO WE LOOK WHAT IS DRIVING OUR HOMICIDES IN GARLAND AND THESE ARE NOT OFFICIAL CATEGORIES.

THESE ARE MY CATEGORIES.

AND SO I LOOKED AT EACH HOMICIDE THAT WE HAD THIS YEAR.

AND WHAT IS IT THAT'S DRIVING THAT? THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT'S DRIVING IT IS SOME TYPE OF CONFLICT OR SOME TYPE A RETALIATION BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE THAT KNOW EACH OTHER.

THIS IS WHERE OUR GANGS SHOOTINGS OCCUR.

THIS IS WHERE A DISTURBANCE IS HAPPENING AND SOMEONE PULLS OUT A GUN AND SHOOTS THE OTHER ONE.

YOU KNOW, IF WHEN WE WERE KIDS, WE WOULD GO TO THE PARKING LOT AND FIGHT.

BUT TODAY IT SEEMS LIKE THE KIDS GO STRAIGHT TO PULLING A GUN.

AND SO THOSE INCIDENTS WHERE THE VICTIM AND THE SUSPECT AND KNOW EACH OTHER ARE THE VAST MAJORITIES OF THE HOMICIDES IN GARLAND AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE HOMICIDES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

SECOND IS FAMILY VIOLENCE AND DATING VIOLENCE, AND WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF THESE THIS YEAR.

IS AGAIN, THE SUSPECT AND THE VICTIM ARE KNOWING EACH OTHER AND IT'S SOME TYPE OF BREAKUP GOING ON, OR THERE'S SOME TYPE OF FAMILY VIOLENCE SITUATION THAT ENDS UP IN A HOMICIDE.

THIRD, I HAVE ON THAT LIST IS DRUG RELATED.

IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR US TO SEE A DRUG HOMICIDE DURING A YEAR OR MAYBE TWO.

IT'S NOT WHAT DRIVES OUR NUMBERS, BUT WE DO SEE THOSE WHERE THERE'S A DISTURBANCE OVER A DRUG SALE, A DRUG DEAL TWO PEOPLE USING DRUGS.

THEY MAY KNOW EACH OTHER.

THEY MAY NOT KNOW EACH OTHER, BUT WE HAVE SEEN THAT THIS YEAR AS WELL.

AND THEN FINALLY, WHICH IS THE MOST RARE OF HOMICIDES, IS THE STRANGER ON STRANGER HOMICIDES.

AND WHEN I SAY STRANGER ON STRANGER, I MEAN.

SOMEONE WHO IS MINDING THEIR OWN BUSINESS WHO IS NOT INVOLVED IN A CONFLICT AND

[02:00:02]

MAYBE THEY GET ROBBED OR MAYBE A BURGLARY IS OCCURRING LIKE WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR IN GARLAND? AND IT ENDS UP IN A HOMICIDE.

THOSE ARE RARE.

WE MAY HAVE ZERO IN SEVERAL YEARS.

WE MAY HAVE ONE OR TWO IN A YEAR, BUT IT'S THE TOP TWO CATEGORIES THAT REALLY DRIVE OUR NUMBERS.

AND THE REASON I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT THAT OUT IS IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM TWO CATEGORIES DRUG RELATED, STRANGER ON STRANGER THAT ARE INVOLVED IN ROBBERIES OR BURGLARIES, OR WHATEVER IS OCCURRING.

WE DO A LOT OF WORK TO SUPPRESS THAT ACTIVITY.

WE DO A LOT OF WORK TO SUPPRESS ROBBERIES.

WE DO A LOT OF WORK TO SUPPRESS BURGLARIES.

WE DO A LOT OF WORK TO SUPPRESS DRUGS.

A LOT OF OUR INTEL AND OUR EFFORTS OUT ON THE STREETS ARE TO SUPPRESS THAT TYPE OF ACTIVITY.

THE OTHER TWO CATEGORIES FAMILY VIOLENCE AND DATING AND SOME TYPE OF CONFLICT RETALIATION.

YOU COULD GIVE ME FIVE HUNDRED OFFICERS TODAY, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I IMPACT THOSE TWO CATEGORIES.

THAT IS MUCH FAR.

YOU TALK ABOUT SOCIETY NEEDING TO FIX A PROBLEM.

NOW WE'RE GETTING INTO WHY DOES THIS 14 YEAR OLD KID OUT AT NIGHT WITH THE GUN? WHY ARE THESE TWO KIDS FIGHTING TO THE POINT AND SOMEONE PULLS OUT A GUN? WHAT HAS GONE WRONG? UNLESS THERE'S AN OFFICER THAT HAPPENS TO BE THERE AT THE RIGHT TIME, AT THE RIGHT PLACE, I CANNOT DIRECT RESOURCES TO SUPPRESS THAT.

THAT IS GETTING THAT'S WHEN WE WANT TO GET INTO THE CRIME PREVENTION.

AND WHAT EFFORTS ARE WE DOING TO MAKE SURE THESE KIDS ARE RAISED RIGHT? SO AND THIS IS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

IT'S NOT JUST HERE, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SUPPRESSING HOMICIDES IN THOSE CATEGORIES, CATEGORIES WHERE A SUSPECT IS KNOWN TO THE VICTIM AND THE SUSPECT DECIDES I'M GOING TO PULL OUT A GUN AND SHOOT THE VICTIM TO SUPPRESS THAT.

IT'S BEYOND THE SCOPE OF POLICING.

IT HAS TO BE A BIGGER CONVERSATION, A SOCIETY CONVERSATION, YOUNG MEN AND YOUNG WOMEN CONVERSATION.

AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO ADDRESS THOSE SHORTCOMINGS THAT WE'RE HAVING IN SOCIETY? SO I KNOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE BAD NEWS, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S CONSTANTLY ON OUR MIND.

AND WE COME UP WITH THE BOXING GYM AND WE COME UP WITH ALL THESE COMMUNITY EFFORTS, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THESE EFFORTS.

CHURCH, THE FACT THAT CHURCH HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN AND IS SLOW OPENING BACK UP, I DEFINITELY THINK HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON THIS.

THE SCHOOLS BEING SHUT DOWN AND OPENING BACK UP HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON THIS AND NOT THAT I'M SAYING THAT WAS THE WRONG THING TO DO.

I UNDERSTAND HOW COMPLICATED COVID IS, BUT FIGURING OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THESE KIDS WHO NEED SOMETHING TO BE INVOLVED IN IS A CHALLENGE FOR US.

SO MOVING FORWARD, HERE ARE SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE THAT ARE COMING THIS YEAR.

ONE IS OUR FAIRE PROGRAM, AND I'VE MENTIONED THIS BRIEFLY TO SOME OF YOU, BUT I'VE TEAMED UP WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND WE ARE STARTING A PROGRAM TO TARGET PEOPLE THAT ARE HIGH RISK OF BEING A VICTIM OF A CRIME OR A SUSPECT IN A CRIME.

AND WE'RE TRYING TO DIRECT INTERVENTION EFFORTS TO THEM THROUGH AN ORGANIZATION CALLED UNLOCKING DOORS.

THIS WE ARE JUST STARTING THE PILOT OF THIS.

AND SO WE'RE JUST GETTING THIS UP AND RUNNING.

MY MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN, WHEN THAT PERSON GETS HIRED, WILL BE RUNNING THIS PROGRAM.

BUT IF WE CAN IDENTIFY WHO IS LIKELY TO BE A SUSPECT IN A CRIME OR VICTIM IN A CRIME, THEN LET'S TAKE SOME EFFORT TO NOT JUST INTERVENE ON AT RISK KIDS, BUT THOSE AT RISK OF BEING A VICTIM.

THAT PROGRAM'S COMING AND THEN OUR MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN, WE ARE INTERVIEWING RIGHT NOW TO HIRE THAT PERSON.

THEY'RE GOING TO LEAD SOME OF THESE EFFORTS.

THEY'RE GOING TO LEAD SOME OF OUR VICTIM'S ASSISTANCE EFFORTS.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.

WE HAVE PLANS TO INCREASE OUR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT THIS YEAR.

WE'RE GOING TO START THE CRIME WATCHER, THE CRIME WATCH LIVE PROGRAM AGAIN.

THAT'S ON CHANNEL 10, I THINK.

WE'RE NOT ABLE TO HAVE PEOPLE AREN'T SHOWING UP FOR OUR MEETINGS AS MUCH, AND IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE WITH COVID.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO REACH THEM.

NIBNS MACHINE NIBNS MACHINE IS IN THE PROCESS WITH THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

WHEN A GUN IS FIRED, IT CREATES A SHELL CASING AND WHEN THAT SHELL CASING IS CREATED, IT IS A FINGERPRINT FOR THAT GUN.

AND SO IF I CAN START TRACKING WHERE WHAT ELSE? AND IF YOU LOOK AT THIS SLIDE BACK HERE, IF I CAN START TRACKING ARE ANY OF THESE RELATED? ARE ANY OF THE GUNS WE RECEIVED OFF THE STREETS, ARE THEY RELATED? ARE ANY OF THE OFFENSES THAT WE OCCURRED? HOW IS ALL THIS RELATED? SO A NIBNS MACHINE WILL GIVE US THE ABILITY TO MAP THAT OUT.

BUT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GOING THROUGH THE CIP FOR THAT AND THEN UPGRADE OUR

[02:05:03]

FORENSICS CAPABILITIES, THAT'S ALSO IN THE CIP PROGRAM.

SO THAT'S WHAT'S IN THE PROCESS NOW.

BEYOND THAT, I WAS ASKED, WHAT IDEAS DO I HAVE TO MOVE FURTHER THE LICENSE PLATE READER CAMERA SYSTEM, AND THAT'S A WHOLE SEPARATE PRESENTATION, SO I'M NOT GOING TO JUMP INTO THAT RIGHT NOW.

BUT OUR LICENSE PLATE READER CAMERA SYSTEM, I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT HERE IN A MINUTE AS A TOOL TO HELP US ADDRESS A LOT OF THESE ISSUES.

GUNSHOT DETECTION SYSTEM.

WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A GUNSHOT DETECTION SYSTEM THAT'S AFFORDABLE SINCE I'VE BEEN CHIEF AND WE'VE GONE THROUGH SEVERAL OPTIONS.

SOME EXPENSIVE, SOME DOESN'T WORK, BUT WE HAVE A NEW OPTION THAT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT.

OUR GANG UNIT OFFICERS AGAIN, HAVING THAT INTERVENTION, WE'RE SEEING THIS MORE AND MORE WITH OUR YOUNG KIDS.

MIDDLE SCHOOL AGE USED TO BE IT WAS HIGH SCHOOL AND NOW WE'RE GETTING DOWN TO MIDDLE SCHOOL OF LET'S GET SOME MORE INTERVENTION EFFORTS.

I HAVE SIX GANG UNIT OFFICERS RIGHT NOW.

I'D LIKE TO GET THAT UP TO EIGHT.

I DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT'S POSSIBLE, BUT THAT IS ONE OF MY GOALS TO DO.

AND THEN ADDITIONAL ANALYST SUPPORT SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA ASPECT OF THIS IS BECOMING MORE LARGER FOR US TO WRAP OUR HEAD AROUND.

AND SO RIGHT NOW I'M TAKING GANG UNIT OFFICERS OFF THE STREET TO SIT BEHIND A COMPUTER AND ANALYZE SOCIAL MEDIA.

I'D RATHER HAVE THEM ON THE STREET AND HAVE A CIVILIAN ANALYZING SOCIAL MEDIA.

SO IN THE FUTURE, THAT'S ONE OF MY GOALS.

ALL RIGHT, MAN, I HIT THAT FAST, BUT I'M GOING TO PAUSE BEFORE WE GO, BECAUSE THIS IS A SEPARATE CONVERSATION ABOUT FLOCK AND EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS.

SO AGAIN, I'LL PAUSE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT CRIME OR HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING CRIME.

COUNCIL MEMBER BASS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU, CHIEF.

COULD YOU TELL US REAL QUICK, YOU KNOW, FOR THE VIEWING PUBLIC, THE ROLES AND DUTIES OF THE SRO PROGRAM, THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM? NOW THAT'S SO WE PAY HALF FOR THEM.

WELL, ACTUALLY, WE PAY LESS THAN HALF AND THE SCHOOL PAYS A LITTLE MORE.

SO THEY PROVIDE SECURITY IN THE SCHOOL.

YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN IN THE SCHOOL, THEY'RE THE FIRST RESPONSE.

THEY'RE THERE IMMEDIATELY.

BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT'S ALL THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. IT'S THE BEING ABLE TO MENTOR AND TO REACH THOSE KIDS AND TO BUILD THAT TRUST AT A YOUNG AGE.

IT'S PROGRAMS LIKE THE DARE PROGRAM WHERE WE TEACH ABOUT DRUGS.

IT'S THE SUMMER CAMPS THAT WE RUN.

AGAIN, IT'S RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.

IT'S TRUST BUILDING.

THEY TEACH CLASSES OUT THERE.

SO IT'S A MORE ROBUST PROGRAM THAN JUST SECURITY EFFORTS.

AND A BIG PART OF THAT IS EDUCATION.

BUT REALLY, THE BIGGER PART IS BUILDING THAT THOSE RELATIONSHIPS EARLY.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAD THE TIK TOK CHALLENGES THAT WERE COMING THROUGH AND DAMAGING SCHOOLS, IT WAS THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WE HAD WITH THE KIDS.

THEY TRUSTED US THAT WE COULD START THOSE INTERVENTION EFFORTS, WHETHER IT'S THAT OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S BENEFICIAL TO US.

AND KIDS THAT ARE ENGAGED WITH OUR SROS ARE USUALLY MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL, MUCH MORE.

YOU KNOW WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SAFETY GUIDELINES AND SAFETY INFORMATION.

THEY'RE ALSO INVOLVED WITH THE GANG UNITS AND AND INTERVENTION EFFORTS WITH THE GANG UNITS BECAUSE USUALLY THEY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP THAT MAYBE THE GANG UNIT OFFICER DOESN'T HAVE QUITE YET.

SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.

YEAH.

WELL, AND I GET A QUESTION.

QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT ROLE THE RESOURCE OFFICERS HAVE IN THE DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS IN THE SCHOOLS.

NONE.

AND OUR ROLE IS WE ARE COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS.

THE ONLY TIME OUR OFFICER WOULD INTERVENE ON A DISCIPLINARY ACTION IS IF THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF IMMEDIATE THREAT OF HARM.

IF SOMETHING WAS GETTING TO THE POINT THAT THE OFFICER FELT SOMEONE MAY BE HURT, THEN AT THAT POINT HE WOULD INTERVENE OR SHE WOULD INTERVENE.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, NOTHING WITH DISCIPLINE.

YEAH.

AND THINKING, I FEEL THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THAT DISTINCTION BETWEEN THEM AND THE SCHOOL.

YES, SIR.

AWESOME.

AND HEY, JEFF, REAL QUICK, CAN YOU ON THE BOXING GYM PROGRAM? I JUST, OF COURSE, I THINK THAT'S AN AMAZING PROGRAM AND REALLY LOVE SWAVEY FOR THAT.

CAN YOU JUST HIGHLIGHT ONE OR TWO SUCCESS STORIES OR ANY STATISTICS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE SUCCESSES OF THE BOXING GYM? ALL RIGHT.

AND MAN, I'D LOVE TO HAVE SWAVEY HERE BECAUSE HE CAN TALK ALL DAY.

YEAH.

I CAN TELL YOU THE GRADUATION RATE IS ONE HUNDRED PERCENT.

AND SO IT'S NOT JUST BOXING, BUT WE HAVE A LIBRARY THERE.

WE HAVE TUTORS THERE.

AND SO IT'S ALSO YOU DON'T GET TO PARTICIPATE UNLESS YOU MAKE CERTAIN GRADES.

[02:10:02]

AND SO IT'S ALSO AN EDUCATIONAL PIECE.

I KNOW WE'VE GOT PEOPLE IN THE MILITARY HIGH UP.

I KNOW WE'VE GOT AIRLINE PILOTS.

I KNOW WE'VE GOT A POLICE OFFICER FOR THE GARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT CAME THROUGH THE GARLAND BOXING GYM.

AND LIKE I SAY, WE'VE GOT AROUND TWO HUNDRED KIDS IN THERE AT ANY TIME.

BUT THE KIDS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT IN THE TWENTY FIVE YEARS IS IN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF KIDS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT.

AND THEN SWAVEY HAS SUCH A PASSION FOR IT.

THE OFFICERS THAT YOU SEE AND I SHOWED THAT PICTURE EARLIER.

THOSE AREN'T ON DUTY OFFICERS.

THE OFFICERS THIS IS WHAT THEY DO ON THEIR OFF DUTY TIME.

THEY GO VOLUNTEER AND THEY ASSIST AND THEY GO TO THE BOXING TOURNAMENTS AND THEY HELP TRAIN THE KIDS AND I CAN GO ON AND ON.

BUT IF WE WANT TO GO IN MORE DETAIL, ONE DAY I'LL GET SWAVEY BACK UP HERE.

BUT THERE'S A NUMBER OF SUCCESS STORIES THAT GO SEE WITH THAT PROGRAM.

AWESOME.

AND I KNOW THE PUBLIC WOULD DEFINITELY APPRECIATES HEARING THAT.

THANK YOU, JEFF.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU SIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

CHIEF, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

AND I WANT TO THANK YOU AND THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE HARD WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO IN BRINGING DOWN THE CRIME RATES OVER.

SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL OVER SIX YEARS, I THINK YEAR OVER YEAR, WITH RARE EXCEPTION IN EVERY CATEGORY WE'VE BROUGHT DOWN OR YOU BROUGHT DOWN THESE CRIME RATES, YOU AND CHIEF BATES.

AND THAT'S A LOT OF WORK.

I SUPPORT ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED.

I THINK, YOU KNOW THAT THIS COUNCIL SUPPORTS AND I THINK ON THE INTERVENTION SIDE, IF YOU NEED MORE GANG OFFICERS, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE CITY MANAGER TO LOOK AT IF WE CAN IMPLEMENT THAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND IF WE CAN BRING FORWARD A BUDGET AMENDMENT OR WHATEVER TO TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

I COMPLETELY SUPPORT THAT.

I SUPPORTED THE KIND OF THE REESTABLISHMENT OF THE GANG UNIT.

I THINK IT'S NOW A LITTLE OVER FOUR YEARS AGO IN RESPONSE TO SOME THINGS THAT HAD BEEN GOING ON.

AND IT JUST THERE'S DEFINITELY A FEEL THAT A KIND OF THE YOUTH END.

AND I LOOK AT THE GANG UNIT, IT'S MORE LIKE A YOUTH INTERVENTION UNIT, REALLY.

I MEAN, WE HAVE A LOT OF THERE ARE OTHER GANGS TYPES OF GANG ACTIVITY WITHIN ANY CITY BEYOND YOUTH GANGS.

BUT THAT SEEMS TO BE WHERE WE'RE HAVING MOST OF THESE KIND OF VIOLENCE AND RETALIATION AND OTHER THINGS THAT GO ON.

YEAH.

AND SIMILARLY, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS KEEP TABS AND ON WHERE WE ARE WITH RESPECT TO FOUR STRENGTH.

BUT I HOPE THAT YOU'LL COME TO US WITH ANY ADDITIONAL NEEDS AS YOU WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT YOU HAVE.

YOU CAN TRUST ME, I WILL.

AND I KNOW IT'S ALWAYS THERE'S ALWAYS A BALANCING THAT GOES ON.

I KNOW THAT THE WHEN CHIEF BATES STARTED THE WHEN WE BROUGHT BACK THE GANG UNIT.

THOSE WERE SIX OFFICERS WHO WERE PULLED FROM OUR NPO PROGRAM.

SO IF WE FEEL THAT WE NEED ANY MORE OFFICERS ON THE PREVENTION SIDE, THEN PLEASE LET US KNOW.

OH, REALLY ON ANY SIDE, BUT PARTICULARLY ON THE PREVENTION SIDE, PLEASE LET US KNOW.

I MEAN, I THINK THE COUNCIL FULLY SUPPORTS THAT, FULLY SUPPORTS YOUR EFFORT AND FULLY SUPPORTS THE COMMUNITY POLICING.

YOU KNOW, I KNOW I'VE SEEN SOME COMMENTS ONLINE OR WHATEVER THAT WE OUGHT TO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WE OUGHT TO GET INTO COMMUNITY POLICING, BUT YOU KNOW, AND REALLY CREDIT TO CHIEF BATES.

YOU KNOW, GARLAND STARTED COMMUNITY POLICING.

WE WERE WAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE ON THAT.

WE WERE 20 YEARS AHEAD OF THE CURVE ON THAT.

AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAVE A CITY THAT'S VERY SAFE.

I KNOW THAT BY THE SAME TOKEN, THOUGH, THAT PARTICULARLY IN TODAY'S KIND OF MEDIA FRENZY, SOCIAL MEDIA FRENZY, WORLD AND WHATNOT, THAT THINGS LIKE VIOLENT CRIME, PARTICULARLY RANDOMIZED VIOLENT CRIME.

BUT ANY KIND OF VIOLENT CRIME IS PARTICULARLY CONCERNING FOR FOLKS, PEOPLE HERE.

I GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT GUNSHOTS AS WELL.

IT MAKES PEOPLE FEEL UNSAFE.

AND ONE OF OUR GOALS, AS I'VE HEARD YOU SAY MANY TIMES, IS NOT JUST TO PREVENT CRIME, BUT ALSO THE FEAR OF CRIME.

RIGHT.

YEAH, THE FEAR OF CRIME IS AND IT'S THE FEAR OF CRIME IS VERY DIFFICULT IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT ALSO WHAT WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN IS THOSE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES.

THE GUNSHOTS, THE LOUD MUSIC, THE SCREECHING TIRES, THE RACING, THOSE NEW CARS NOW THAT BACKFIRE WHEN THEY'RE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD.

SO THOSE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES THAT YOU WANT TO FEEL SAFE IN YOUR HOME, BUT IMPACTS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS WE TRY TO CONTROL CRIME, WE ALSO TRY TO CONTROL THOSE

[02:15:04]

ISSUES AS WELL.

AND WE SEE IN A LOT OF THAT, AND I THINK YOU HAD KIND OF HINTED AT THIS OR MENTIONED IT.

THESE ARE NATIONAL PROBLEMS. ALL OF THIS THAT YOU'RE SAYING, WE'RE SEEING IT REGIONALLY, WE'RE SEEING IT NATIONALLY.

THIS STORY IN NATIONAL NEWSPAPER YESTERDAY ABOUT CRIME RATES IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C., AREA, HOMICIDES REACHING LEVELS THAT THEY HAVEN'T REACHED IN OVER 20 YEARS.

RIGHT.

SO THIS IS A NATIONAL PROBLEM, BUT THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH LOCALLY.

I ALSO SUPPORT ANY ADDITIONAL ANALYSTS THAT YOU NEED ANY OTHER ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO START DEALING WITH THIS.

I KNOW THE SOCIAL MEDIA PORTION OF IT.

I MEAN, IT SEEMS THAT A LOT OF THESE ISSUES THAT RESULT IN RETALIATION ARE BEING PLAYED OUT IN SOME REGARD ON SOCIAL MEDIA IS THAT? YES, SIR, THAT'S TRUE.

SO AND SO IF FOLKS SEE THAT KIND OF STUFF AND I GUESS ALSO FOR FOLKS AT HOME, IF YOU SEE THAT KIND OF STUFF, IF YOU SEE THOSE THINGS PLAYING OUT ON INSTAGRAM OR OTHER THINGS, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD REPORT TO US.

YES SIR, THAT'S TRUE.

AND I CAN TELL YOU MOST OF THE TIPS WE RECEIVE LIKE THAT OR SOME KID THAT'S AT MIDNIGHT ON SOCIAL MEDIA CALLS HIS MOM CALLS THE POLICE.

I CANNOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO PROVE NEGATIVES, RIGHT? I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY INCIDENTS WE PREVENTED BY THAT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU FOR SURE WE HAVE PREVENTED INCIDENTS THANKS TO TO THAT TO PROACTIVE KIDS.

HEY, HERE'S SOMETHING THAT I SEE IS WRONG.

AND THEY TELL THEIR PARENT A PHONE CALL IS MADE AND THAT PUTS US INTO ACTION AND THAT GETS BACK TO THE COMMUNITY PIECE OF IT, WE ALL HAVE A PART THAT WE CAN PLAY BY PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITIES, WHETHER THEY'RE ONLINE NEIGHBORHOODS OR WHAT'S GOING ON DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE.

YES, SIR.

DO WE? ARE YOU PLANNING ON HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH GISD ABOUT SRO? I WORRY, AS YOU SEE A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT'S GOING ON IN SCHOOLS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE.

THOSE DISCUSSIONS ARE HAPPENING BEFORE THIS INCIDENT.

RIGHT.

WE IN FACT, I MET WITH HIM JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND WE HAVE MEETINGS COMING UP.

WE'RE GOING TO HELP.

WE'RE GIVING IDEAS ON HOW TO TRAIN TEACHERS, HOW TO INTERACT WITH THE SROS, HOW TO ADDRESS SCHOOL DISCIPLINE WITH THE HELP OF OFFICERS AND WITHOUT THE HELP OF OFFICERS TO THOSE.

WE STARTED THOSE DISCUSSIONS JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

YES, SIR.

GREAT.

AND [INAUDIBLE] AGAIN, IF THE DISTRICT FEELS THAT THEY NEED MORE SROS AS WE'RE SEEING MORE PROBLEMS NATIONWIDE, I THINK IN SOME SCHOOLS I SUPPORT THAT AS WELL.

YES SIR.

I'D LIKE TO ECHO THE SUPPORT FOR THE BOXING PROGRAM AND FOR ALL OF OUR INTERVENTION PROGRAMS. AND YOU KNOW, AS WE START NOW, WE'RE GETTING TO A PERIOD OF OPENING A NUMBER OF OTHER RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A WE HAVE A SKATE PARK THAT SHOULD BE OPENING SOMETIME IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS THAT IF WE HAVE ANY OFFICERS WHO LIKE SKATEBOARDING, THE IDEA OF BUILDING MORE COMMUNITIES.

WE MAY.

YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN IDENTIFY IF THERE ARE THINGS WE NEED TO FUND FOR, WHETHER IT'S SKATEBOARDING OR WHETHER WE'RE OPENING FUTSAL COURTS.

WE'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING FUTSAL COURTS OVER BY UP IN DISTRICT SIX AND THEN ALSO DOWN BY KINGSLEY AND SATURN.

I MEAN, ALL OF THOSE THINGS PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES AND IN AREAS WHERE WE OFTEN HAVE ISSUES.

BUT I THINK THAT'S A BIG PART OF GETTING TO THESE KIDS THAT PREVENTION, IT'S ALL THE STUFF THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT WITH ALL THOSE TYPES OF RETALIATION AND OTHER CRIMES.

WE'RE ONLY GOING TO AFFECT THOSE BY PREVENTION.

WE'RE ONLY GOING TO AFFECT THOSE BY GETTING TO THESE KIDS BEFORE THEY GET INTO GROUPS WHERE THEY FEEL THAT THEY NEED TO SOLVE WHATEVER PERSONAL ISSUES THEY HAVE IN A VIOLENT WAY.

YES SIR.

THANK YOU, CHIEF.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU, SIR.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS WHILE WE'RE AT THIS POINT? DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION.

CHIEF, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE FOR THE PUBLIC TO ONE PIGGYBACK ON COUNCILMAN AUBIN, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO YOUR MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS THAT YOU RECRUITING NOW.

AND I THINK YOU'RE LOOKING AT HAVING THREE OFFICERS AND THAT'S ALONG WITH OFFICER SHERIFF, RIGHT? RIGHT.

SO THAT'S THREE OFFICERS, A MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN AND SUPPORT FOR THEM.

I'M ALSO GOING TO REARRANGE THE ORGANIZATION A LITTLE BIT TO GIVE THEM SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.

BUT YES, SIR.

OK, OK.

WELL, I, FOR ONE, CERTAINLY WOULD IF YOU FEEL THAT IT'S NEEDED, SUPPORT A BUDGET AMENDMENT.

I'M SURE CITY MANAGER CAN FIND THE MONEY IF WE INCREASE THAT NUMBER BECAUSE I VIEW THAT AS A FRONT END INTERVENTION.

YES SIR.

OK.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S CRITICAL.

SO I CERTAINLY WOULD STRONGLY SUPPORT THAT.

AND I WANT TO JUST ECHO TWO THINGS THAT YOU'VE ALREADY MENTIONED.

AGAIN, GO BACK TO THE NPO PROGRAM SEEING THAT IN REAL TIME AND WE DO IT NATIONAL

[02:20:06]

NIGHT OUT.

BUT YOUR NPO'S YOU KNOW, THEY ARE OUT THERE EVERY DAY, NOT JUST NATIONAL, YOU KNOW, AND I'VE SEEN THEM IN DIFFERENT.

AND I DON'T THINK THEY GET ENOUGH CREDIT FOR WHAT THEY DO ABOVE AND BEYOND POLICING.

YOU KNOW, I WATCHED THEM INTERACT AND YOU MENTIONED BUILDING THE TRUST PIECE AND YOU'RE NPOS.

THAT'S WHAT THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME BUILDING THAT TRUST FACTOR AND PARTICULARLY AROUND KIDS.

I'VE SEEN THEM IN MY DISTRICT AT THE CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY, THE TURKEY GIVEAWAY AND ALL THAT AND HOW THEY INTERACT WITH TEENAGERS, HIGH SCHOOLERS AND MIDDLE SCHOOLERS.

AND THEY BEGAN TO TO REALLY SEE THE OFFICERS AS PEOPLE RATHER THAN POLICE OFFICERS.

AND I WATCHED THEM ACTUALLY ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION WITH THE NPOS.

SO I THINK THAT THAT PROGRAM COULD NOT GET ENOUGH [INAUDIBLE] IN WHAT YOUR NPO'S AS FAR AS THE RELATIONSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY AND THAT TRUST FACTOR THAT THEY ARE BUILDING OUT THERE.

I THINK JUST I THINK LT.

TRUSTEE AND AND ITS FOLK WERE DOING A TREMENDOUS JOB IN REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AS FAR AS CRIME PREVENTION AND CREATING THAT TRUST.

THE THIRD THING I WANTED TO MENTION WAS YOUR LATEST ROUNDTABLE.

WE STARTED THAT PROGRAM IN GARLAND OVER 25, 30 YEARS AGO.

WE KNOW NO OTHER CITY IN TEXAS HAD IT, AND NOW IT'S IN [INAUDIBLE].

AND I THINK THAT HAS BEEN A VERY, VERY KEY FACTOR IN COMMUNICATING AND ESTABLISHING COMMUNITY COMMUNICATIONS.

YES SIR.

AND, NONE OF THOSE FOLKS GET PAID FOR DOING THAT.

BUT WITH STARTING WITH CHIEF BATES AND NOW WITH YOU AND CONTINUING THAT KIND OF COMMUNITY DIALOG, I THINK IT'S HUGE AND I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT OUR CITIZENS NEED TO KNOW THAT I THINK YOU MEET WITH THEM TWICE A MONTH AND THAT PREVENTS A LOT OF NEGATIVE COMBATS, A LOT OF THE NEGATIVE INFORMATION ENROLLMENTS THAT GO OUT.

BUT ALSO, I THINK THAT THAT GROUP IS HUGE IN ESTABLISHING COMMUNITY TRUST.

SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THOSE THREE THINGS CHIEF THAT I THINK ARE JUST AWESOME AND THINGS THAT I BRAG ABOUT WHEN I GO TO OTHER CITIES ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN GARLAND UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP AND PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR COMMUNITY.

SO I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE FEW THINGS.

THAT'S GREAT HIGHLIGHTS AND THE COMMUNITY LEADERS GROUP GIVES ME MORE THAN JUST THAT COMMUNICATION.

YOU KNOW, THEY GIVE THE COMMUNITY SOMEONE.

THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T TRUST THE POLICE.

AND SO HERE'S SOMEONE THAT THEY DO TRUST AND AN AVENUE FROM THEM DIRECTLY TO MY OFFICE AND PREVIOUSLY CHIEF BATES OFFICE.

THE VALUE THAT THAT HAS NOT JUST EVERY DAY, BUT WHEN WE HAVE A CRITICAL INCIDENT, IT'S HARD TO IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN IT.

BUT IT'S BEEN ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT IF YOU'RE NOT DOING THIS IN YOUR CITY, JUST COME SEE HOW EFFECTIVE THIS IS.

BUT THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS.

THANK YOU.

I THINK WE'VE CLEARED THE QUEUE SO FAR.

OK, LET'S GO INTO THE FLOCK DISCUSSION AND I'M GOING TO REFER TO THE SPEAKER AGAIN AT THE BEGINNING BECAUSE SHE SAID THE SOLUTION IS NOT THIS AND I'M GOING TO AGREE WITH HER.

THIS IS NOT THE SOLUTION.

IF WE'RE WANTING TO FIX A VIOLENT CRIME THIS IS A TOOL.

IT'S NOT THE SOLUTION, BUT THIS IS NOT A SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM.

AND I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THAT HERE.

BUT IT IS JUST WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NIBNS AND WE TALK ABOUT OUR INVESTIGATIONS AND OUR FORENSICS, THIS IS ANOTHER TOOL TO COMBINE WITH THOSE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE GUN ISSUES THAT WE HAVE GOING ON.

FIRST, LET ME JUST JUMP RIGHT IN TO HOW WE WILL USE AND HOW IT'S SET UP TO USE THIS, PARTICULARLY THE FLOCK SYSTEM AND WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT THE FLOCK SYSTEM IS IT'S NOT JUST LICENSE PLATE READERS, IT'S ALSO GUNSHOT DETECTION.

THIS IS BRAND NEW TECHNOLOGY.

I DO HAVE A FLOCK REPRESENTATIVE HERE THAT PROBABLY IS GOING TO GET QUESTIONS THAT I CAN'T ANSWER.

SO BUT IT IS, THE GUNSHOT TECHNOLOGY IS NEW TO THEM.

RIGHT NOW, THERE'S ONLY ONE AGENCY THAT HAS THIS IMPLEMENTED, WHICH IS FORT WORTH, BUT THERE'S A NUMBER OF OTHER AGENCIES THAT'S IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THIS.

BUT WHAT THE GUNSHOT DETECTION DOES IS IF YOU SURROUND AN AREA WITH A GUNSHOT DETECTION SYSTEM, WHEN A GUN IS FIRED, THE DETECTION SYSTEM PICKS IT UP, SENDS A NOTIFICATION TO THE OFFICERS NEARBY, TELLS THEM THE COORDINATES OF THE GUNSHOT AND THEN SENDS THEM AUDIO OF THE GUNSHOT SO THEY CAN RIGHT THEN LISTEN TO WHAT THAT SOUNDED LIKE.

[02:25:03]

AND SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT AS A RESPONSE EFFORT.

RIGHT NOW, WHEN WE GET A GUNSHOT CALL, IT'S HEY, I HEARD GUNSHOTS TO THE EAST OF ME.

NOW THIS GIVES US COORDINATES OF THE LOCATION.

IT GIVES US A RECORDING OF THE GUNSHOT, AND IT GIVES US SOMEWHERE TO RESPOND.

AND WHEN YOU COUPLE THAT WITH THE NIBNS MACHINE, IT GETS US A LOT MORE FARTHER DOWN THE LINE IN SOLVING THESE GUNSHOT DISTURBANCE CALLS.

SO THAT'S THE GUNSHOT DETECTION SYSTEM.

IT ALSO HAS A LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEM.

AND THE PURPOSE OF THE LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEM IS NOT FOR SURVEILLANCE.

BUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS WE WILL GENERATE A HOT LIST.

WE WILL GENERATE SO FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY YOUR VEHICLE IS STOLEN TONIGHT, AND SO WE WILL TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND WE'LL PUT IT IN THE LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEM.

AND ONCE THAT PLATE CROSSES ONE OF THE CAMERAS, WE WILL GET A NOTIFICATION WITH THE PICTURE SAYING, OK, THIS VEHICLE JUST CROSSED MILLER AND SATURN HEADING SOUTHBOUND, AND SO WE CAN START COORDINATING OUR EFFORTS TO RECOVER THAT VEHICLE.

IT'S ALSO FOR OUR AMBER ALERTS OR WE DON'T GET A LOT OF AMBER ALERTS IN GARLAND, BUT WE DO GET A LOT OF SILVER ALERTS.

AND SO IF WE HAVE A MISSING ELDERLY PERSON AND WE HAVE A LICENSE PLATE, WE CAN ENTER THAT INFORMATION INTO OUR SYSTEM.

IF THAT IS SEEN BY A CAMERA, WE'LL GET ALERT.

WE'LL GET A PICTURE.

IT DOESN'T TAKE VIDEO.

IT TAKES STILL PHOTOGRAPHS, BUT WE'LL GET A PICTURE OF THAT VEHICLE.

IT IS ALSO A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION TOOL.

AND SO IF A CAMERA, LET'S SAY IS AT GARLAND AND MILLER, IT IS RECORDING EVERY LICENSE PLATE THAT CROSSES GARLAND AND MILLER, AND IT STORES THAT INFORMATION FOR 30 DAYS AND THEN THE INFORMATION IS PURGED.

BUT DURING THAT TIME, IF A CRIME IS COMMITTED AND LET'S SAY WE HAVE A DESCRIPTION, THAT'S A RED SUBARU, WE CAN GET INTO THAT INFORMATION AND SEE WHAT RED SUBARU'S DURING THAT TIME PERIOD CROSSED TO THAT PLATE THAT'S NEARBY THE CRIME.

WHAT'S COMING SOON? IT'S NOT OUT YET, BUT THE NEXT UPGRADE IS IT'S ALSO GOING TO DETECT RACING.

SO IF IT'S GOT SCREECHING TIRES, IT'LL DETECT THAT IT'LL TAKE A PICTURE OF THE CAR.

IT'LL GIVE US A DIRECTION AND IT'LL GIVE US AUDIO AND SAY, OK, I'VE GOT RACING GOING ON, ON LAVON, WHICH WE SEEM TO HAVE A LOT.

AND IT'LL GIVE US A CHANCE TO RESPOND TO THAT QUICKER WITH A PICTURE OF THE VEHICLE.

I'VE GOT HOA'S LISTED HERE.

HOA'S RIGHT NOW, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY IN GARLAND BUT HOA'S HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUT THIS SYSTEM AT THEIR HOA AND THEY HAVE CONTROL OVER IT.

THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT OVER PUBLIC STREETS AND THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE DATA.

WE DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE DATA, BUT THIS ORIGINALLY STARTED AS AN HOA CAMERA PROGRAM.

SO IF YOU HAD AN HOA AND YOU WANTED TO REGISTER VEHICLES, WHO'S COMING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S REGISTERED TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WHO'S NOT? HOA'S HAVE BEEN DOING THIS NOW THAT'S SEPARATE FROM OUR PROGRAM, BUT HOA'S IF THEY WERE TO PUT THAT IN PLACE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ALSO LOAD THAT INFORMATION INTO OUR DATABASE.

IT'S INFORMATION THAT WE COULD ACCESS, BUT IT'S NOT INFORMATION.

THEY CAN'T ACCESS OUR INFORMATION.

I HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE.

SO FOR PROACTIVE EFFORTS, IT GIVES US REAL TIME ALERTS WHEN A STOLEN OR WANTED VEHICLE ENTERS INTO GARLAND OR CROSSES ONE OF THE CAMERAS.

AS AN INVESTIGATIVE TOOL IT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO INCREASE OUR CLEARANCE RATES.

AND THEN THE CAMERAS CAN ACT AS A DETERRENT AS WELL.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE AGENCIES RIGHT NOW USING FLOCK.

THESE AREN'T THE AGENCIES.

THERE'S MUCH MORE USING LPR'S.

THIS ONE SPECIFICALLY IS USING THE FLOCK SYSTEM.

I'VE TALKED TO ALL THESE CHIEFS, ALMOST ALL OF THEM.

FORT WORTH IS THE ONE THAT IS TESTING THE GUNSHOT SYSTEM PROGRAM.

SO THAT'S THE PICTURE OF THE RAVEN, WHICH IS WHAT PICKS UP THE GUNSHOTS.

IT USES TRIANGULATION AND THEN NOTIFIES WHEN IT GETS A HIT AND IT CAN HEAR GUNSHOTS NOW YOU ALSO HAVE THE OPTION IN THE FUTURE TO DETECT GLASS BREAKING STREET RACING AND COLLISIONS.

I GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL ABOUT AND HERE'S A LOT OF THE ANSWERS I'VE GOT, SO I'M TRYING TO BE PREEMPTIVE IN SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS.

ALL DATA IS STORED IN THE GOVERNMENT CLOUD, SO IT'S ALL DOUBLE ENCRYPTED.

[02:30:04]

IT'S MUCH MORE SECURE THAN STORING IT ON A LOCAL SERVER SOMEWHERE AT THE STATION.

SO IT'S ALL CLOUD BASED AND IT'S ALL ENCRYPTED.

THERE IS A SEARCH IF YOU'RE GOING TO SEARCH FOR A PLATE THERE IS A FIELD WHERE YOU ARE REQUIRED TO ENTER THE REASON FOR THE SEARCH AND THE CASE NUMBER YOU'RE SEARCHING IT FOR.

IN OTHER WORDS, IT HAS TO BE RELATED TO A CRIME.

YOU CAN'T JUST GO IN AND SEARCH FOR VEHICLES.

YOU HAVE TO BE SEARCHING FOR A SPECIFIC VEHICLE OR A SPECIFIC TIME PERIOD RELATED TO A CRIME, AND YOU HAVE TO ENTER THAT INFORMATION WHEN YOU CONDUCT A SEARCH AND THEN WE AUDIT OR WILL BE AUDITING THAT TRAIL.

IT'S NOT FACIAL RECOGNITION SOFTWARE.

IT DOES NOT TAKE PICTURES OF PEOPLE IT TAKES PICTURES OF VEHICLES.

IT RECORDS IMAGES, NOT VIDEO.

IT'S NOT USED FOR IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT OR TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT.

AND AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, IT HAS END TO END ENCRYPTION.

IT DOES NOT CONTAIN PERSONAL INFORMATION IN FLOCK.

IT'S JUST PHOTOGRAPHS AND DATA FROM THE LICENSE PLATES, AND IT'S NOT CONNECTED TO REGISTRATION DATA OR THIRD PARTY DATABASES.

THE FOOTAGE IS OWNED BY THE GARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY OF GARLAND.

IT'S NOT OWNED BY FLOCK.

FLOCK DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO IT, IT'S OUR DATA.

AND SO WE CAN DICTATE HOW THAT DATA IS USED.

THE 30 DAY RETENTION PERIOD IS MANDATED BY FLOCK.

SO AFTER 30 DAYS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO KNOW NINETY NINE PERCENT OF THE TIME IF A CRIME IS COMMITTED WITHIN 30 DAYS.

SO AFTER 30 DAYS, THAT INFORMATION IS PURGED.

IF WE DO, DO A SEARCH FOR A VEHICLE RELATED TO A CRIME AND WE GET THE REPORT BACK OF WHATEVER THAT IS, THAT REPORT NOW BECOMES PART OF THE CASE FILE AND PART OF IT.

AND SO IT'S FILED WITH THE CASE FILE.

I THINK THIS ANSWERED A LOT OF THE POLICY DECISIONS, BUT WHO CAN ACCESS THE DATA, JUST THE GARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT AND JUST BY OUR POLICY.

UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES? AGAIN, IT WILL BE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSES ONLY, ONLY TO INVESTIGATE A CRIME.

[INAUDIBLE] DATA, SAVED FOR 30 DAYS.

IT IS NOT SUBJECT TO OPEN RECORDS.

SIMILAR TO THE LICENSE, THE RED LIGHT CAMERA DATA WAS NOT SUBJECT TO OPEN RECORDS THE SAME WITH THIS DATA.

THE DATA WILL NOT BE SHARED UNLESS WE ALLOW IT TO BE SHARED.

SO IF PLANO WERE TO HAVE AN INCIDENT AND WERE WANTING TO GET INFORMATION FROM OUR CAMERA SYSTEMS, A SHOOTING OR WHATEVER IT IS, IT WOULD BE US GIVING THEM PERMISSION TO ACCESS THAT.

AND HOW DO WE AUDIT? WE HAVE A PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS UNIT WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO CONDUCTS THE MAJORITY OF OUR AUDITS, PER MY DIRECTION.

AND SO THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THEIR FUNCTIONS.

BUDGET IMPACT, AND WE MET WITH FLOCK JUST A FEW HOURS AGO, IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE IT'S MORE THAN THAT NOW, BUT SO WE'RE JUST GETTING THIS PUT TOGETHER, BUT IT'S A YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION PER CAMERA, SO IT'S TWENTY FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS A YEAR PER CAMERA.

ONE CAMERA RECORDS TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC.

SO IF YOU HAD IF YOU WANTED TO COVER FOREST LANE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WOULD TAKE FOUR CAMERAS BETWEEN THE THREE LANES.

AND THE REASON IT'D TAKE FOUR CAMERAS IS BECAUSE YOU'RE RECORDING THE SAME WAY, SO YOU'RE RECORDING TWO ONE FOR TWO LANES AND THEN ONE FOR THE THIRD LANE.

THE GUNSHOT DETECTION SYSTEM, FLOCK HAS A OFFER RIGHT NOW THAT'S EXPIRING LIKE IMMEDIATELY, BUT FLOCK HAS AN OFFER RIGHT NOW BECAUSE GUNSHOT DETECTION IS SO NEW THAT FOR EVERY 15 CAMERAS THAT WE PURCHASE OR THAT WE SUBSCRIBE TO YOU, YOU RECEIVE ONE SQUARE MILE OF GUNSHOT DETECTION FOR FREE FOR A YEAR.

AND THEN AFTER THAT YEAR IS UP, WE CAN THEN DECIDE, IS THIS SOMETHING WORTH INVESTING IN OR NOT? MY RECOMMENDATION IS FORTY FIVE CAMERAS.

FORTY FIVE CAMERAS IS ROUGHLY 10 TO 12 LOCATIONS.

IT'S REALLY NOT A LOT OF LOCATIONS WHEN YOU CONSIDER EACH ONE HAS TWO DIFFERENT LANES, WHICH WOULD ALSO GIVE US THREE MILES OF GUNSHOT DETECTION FOR THE FIRST YEAR AT NO COST.

AND THE COST OF THAT, SAVANNAH I'M GOING TO LET SAVANNAH TALK ABOUT THAT.

SHE'S THE ONE WHO FIGURED THIS.

SO THE FIRST YEAR COST WOULD BE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS OR ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.

[02:35:01]

AND THEN THE SECOND YEAR WOULD BE ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED.

THAT WAS EASY.

I PROBABLY COULD SAY THAT .

I COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT HER.

[LAUGHTER] SO THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA.

AND IF YOU COMPARE THAT TO THE SHOTSPOTTER SYSTEM THAT WE LOOKED AT, I MEAN, WHICH WAS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

ALL RIGHT.

I THINK THAT'S IT.

SO I'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.

OK? COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN.

THANK YOU, CHIEF.

I THINK THE SHOTSPOTTER SYSTEM WAS IN THE RANGE OF EIGHT OR NINE MILLION, EXCUSE ME, IN THE RANGE OF EIGHT TO $9 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.

SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS SOMETHING THAT'S MUCH MORE REASONABLE.

SO ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY TWO THOUSAND, THAT'S LESS THAN THE COST OF A COUPLE OF OFFICERS.

YES SIR.

WHAT IS THE ON THE LPR? WHAT'S THE ACCURACY OF THAT? SO THE LPR SYSTEM, THE WAY IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME, IS SO WHEN A [INAUDIBLE] PR, THEY RATE IT ON ACCURACY.

SO IT MAY BE WITH 90 PERCENT ACCURACY AND MAYBE NINETY FIVE PERCENT ACCURACY, BUT IT GIVES YOU AN ACCURACY RATING.

BUT THAT'S NOT.

IT TAKES MANUAL CONFIRMATION BECAUSE IT TAKES A PICTURE OF THE LPR.

IT ENTERS WHAT LET'S SAY THE LICENSE PLATE IS BELIEVED TO BE WITH NINETY FIVE PERCENT ACCURACY.

AND LET'S SAY THAT'S THE LICENSE PLATE WE'RE LOOKING FOR IT TAKES MANUAL CONFIRMATION TO CONFIRM THAT IS FOR SURE THE LICENSE PLATE WE'RE LOOKING FOR OR SURE, IT'S AN ACCURATE LICENSE PLATE.

WHEN YOU SAY MANUAL CONFIRMATION, YOU MEAN CONFIRMATION FROM FROM AN OFFICER WHO'S COME UPON THAT VEHICLE TO CONFIRM THAT THEY MATCH.

THAT'S RIGHT.

IF AN OFFICER IS LOOKING FOR A RED DODGE PICKUP THAT COMMITTED A CRIME AND YOU GET THE INFORMATION OF THE RED DODGE PICKUP THAT WENT BY THE CAMERA, THEY CONFIRM MANUALLY FROM THE PICTURE WHAT THE LICENSE PLATE IS.

AND SO THERE IS A MANUAL CONFIRMATION PROCESS TO MAKE THAT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT, OK.

DOES THIS SYSTEM WORK WITH WITH PAPER PLATES? JASMINE.

YES, IT DOES.

YES, IT DOES WORK WITH PAPER PLATES AS WELL.

OK, SO LET ME INTRODUCE JASMINE FOR FLOCK.

SHE'S OUR REPRESENTATIVE IN THE AREA.

SHE'S BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL AND RESPONSIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HOLIDAYS WHEN WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS.

THANK YOU.

THE HOT LIST.

SO THERE ARE TWO.

BASICALLY, THERE ARE TWO FEATURE SETS ASSOCIATED AND ONE IS WE'RE OUT THERE.

WE USE IT TO RUN A SEARCH ON A FOLLOW UP, AND THAT'S ALMOST LIKE A SUPPLEMENT.

I MEAN, ALMOST EVERYBODY HAS CAMERAS THESE DAY IT SEEMS. RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE RING CAMERAS, THEY HAVE OTHER SECURITY CAMERAS, OTHER STUFF.

BUT A LOT OF TIMES I KNOW I'VE BEEN IN NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS WHERE THE NPOS TELL US THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEM WITH A LOT OF THOSE CAMERAS IS THAT THE RESOLUTION YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PULL A LICENSE PLATE, BUT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE THAT IT WAS A RED DODGE PICKUP OR OR WHATEVER IT WAS.

AND SO THIS IS ALMOST LIKE A SUPPLEMENT TO WHAT'S ALREADY THERE.

IN OTHER WORDS, SOMEBODY CALLS IN AND SAYS, YEAH, SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOMEBODY'S STEALING MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND IT WAS A RED DODGE PICKUP.

THEN YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO OR SOMEBODY WOULD BE ABLE TO ASSIGN THAT TO A CASE AND RUN A SEARCH FOR RED DODGE PICKUPS IN THE AREA AT THAT TIME IS THAT.

THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

A CRIME HAS OCCURRED.

WE HAVE A DESCRIPTION MAY EVEN HAVE A PLATE AND TO SEARCH THE DATABASE TO SEE IF THAT VEHICLE MATCHES WHAT WAS IN THE AREA.

ARE THE PICTURES JUST OF THE PLATES? OR IS IT OF THE VEHICLE ITSELF? AND I MAY DID I NOT INCLUDE ONE.

IT IS THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE IF YOU'VE SEEN, WELL, IT'S JUST LIKE THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS IT TAKES A PICTURE OF EXCEPT IT IS NOT VIDEO, IT'S AN IMAGE.

IT TAKES A PICTURE OF THE BACK OF THE VIDEO, INCLUDING THE PLATE.

OK.

BUT THE SECOND FEATURE OF THIS IS BASICALLY THE HOT LIST HITS.

AND CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW WE BUILD? HOW DO WE BUILD A HOT LIST OR HOW DO WE WORK WITH THAT? I ASSUME THERE ARE LOTS OF DATA SOURCES FROM WHICH YOU COULD PULL A HOT LIST.

IN OTHER WORDS, IF PLANO SAID, WE'RE LOOKING FOR X, WE COULD RUN THAT.

WE COULD PUT THAT INTO OUR HOT LIST IF WE WANTED TO.

RIGHT.

THE HOT LIST IS WHAT WE PUT INTO IT.

SO IT MAY BE IF WE GET A STOLEN VEHICLE, THAT'S GOING TO GO ON THE HOT LIST.

SO IF THAT VEHICLE CROSSES ONE OF THESE CAMERAS, WE'LL GET NOTIFICATION.

THE FELONY WARRANTS, IF IT CROSSES, IF IT'S A SUSPECT IN ANY NUMBER OF VIOLENT CRIMES.

WE'LL PUT IT ON THE HOT LIST.

WE ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO PULL FROM NCIC.

[02:40:01]

SO IF WE WANTED TO PULL THE STOLEN VEHICLES IN THE AREA AND PUT THEM INTO OUR HOT LIST, WE WILL GET A NOTIFICATION IF A STOLEN VEHICLE IN THE AREA CROSSES ONE OF OUR CAMERAS.

I CAN TELL YOU, FROM TALKING TO THE OTHER CHIEFS, IT CAN GET OVERWHELMING.

IN OTHER WORDS, YOUR OFFICERS COULD JUST GET CONSTANT NOTIFICATION.

OK, THERE'S SOMEONE WITH THE WARRANT.

OK, THERE'S SOMEONE WITH STOLEN LICENSE PLATES.

THERE'S SOME, SO WE DON'T WANT TO GET OVERWHELMED FOR IT.

WE WANT TO USE IT TO ADDRESS STOLEN CRIMES AND MORE SIGNIFICANT THEFT CRIMES LIKE STOLEN MOTOR VEHICLES, THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THEN ALSO TOO WHEN WE PUT THE GUNSHOT SYSTEM IN PLACE IF WE GET THAT GUNSHOT DISTURBANCE TO USE THAT TO TRY TO IDENTIFY WHO'S SHOOTING THAT GUN IF IT'S COMING FROM A VEHICLE.

DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS? I THINK IT DOES.

YEAH.

AND THAT'S ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THERE ARE SOME REPORTS OUT THERE OF SOME ENTITIES USING LPRS TO BASICALLY GENERATE REVENUE.

IN OTHER WORDS, THEY WANT TO PICK UP EVERY WARRANT.

AND, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A TRAFFIC WARRANT FROM SOME OTHER PART OF THE STATE, THEY WANT TO GET THOSE PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T PAY A SPEEDING TICKET, WHATEVER IT IS.

BUT WE HAVE NO INTEREST IN THAT.

THIS IS PURELY, LET'S SOLVE, YOU KNOW, JUST SIGNIFICANT SERIOUS CRIME.

YEAH, IF THERE'S AGENCIES DOING THAT, THEY HAVE MORE TIME ON THEIR HANDS THAN WE DO.

RIGHT.

WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE MORE SIGNIFICANT CRIMES AND USING THIS AS A TOOL TO ADDRESS THE MORE SIGNIFICANT CRIMES, IF YOU WERE TO PUT THAT IN TO ADDRESS EVERY MISDEMEANOR WARRANT.

THAT'S ALL WE WOULD BE DOING.

IT WOULD TIE ALL OF OUR OFFICERS UP AND THAT'S NOT THE FOCUS OF THIS.

RIGHT.

JUST LOOKING AT THE SERIOUS THINGS.

DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT ON THE GUNSHOT DETECTION? CAN YOU DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT HOW THAT WOULD WORK IF THERE'S A DETECTION AND WHAT THE ACCURACY IS THERE? WELL, I KNOW AND I ASKED THAT QUESTION TODAY.

THAT TECHNOLOGY IS BRAND NEW.

RIGHT.

SO RIGHT NOW THEY'RE NOT GUARANTEEING THE ACCURACY ON THAT IS WHY THERE'S NO CHARGE THE FIRST YEAR, IT GIVES US A CHANCE TO TEST IT OUT.

SO JASMINE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ON THE ACCURACY.

I DO NOT, BUT BOTH THE LPR, AS WELL AS THE GUNSHOT DETECTION DEVICE, ITS MACHINE LEARNING, SO THE WAY THAT TECHNOLOGY WORKS HAS TO BE IN THE FIELD AND IT STARTS PICKING IT LEARNS THAT THIS IS A GUNSHOT.

SO THE ACCURACY RIGHT NOW, IT'S A BRAND NEW PRODUCT.

IT NEEDS TO BE TESTED IN THE FIELD.

AND SO THAT IS WHY WE'RE GIVING IT AWAY FOR FREE.

OK, WELL, IT ALSO TAKES MANUAL CONFIRMATION AGAIN.

SO IF YOU'RE AN OFFICER ON THE STREETS AND YOU GET THAT NOTIFICATION, THERE WAS JUST A GUNSHOT.

YOU GET TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO.

AND OFFICERS CAN TELL, IS THIS A GUNSHOT? IS THIS A FIREWORK? IS THIS A CAR BACKFIRING? AND THEN THEY CAN RESPOND AND LABEL IT ACCORDINGLY.

OK, WELL, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO KIND OF TACKLE, AS YOU KNOW, OUR GUNSHOT PROBLEM.

IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST COMPLAINTS I GOT WHEN I GOT ON COUNCIL, AND IT'S BEEN PERSISTENT OVER THE YEARS.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN IN SEARCH OF A SOLUTION FOR A LONG TIME.

SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT THIS WILL BE IT.

BUT WITH THAT, I SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS.

I KNOW WE'LL NEED TO HAVE YOU KNOW [INAUDIBLE] HAVE A BUNCH OF POLICY QUESTIONS, SOME OF WHICH COUNCIL'S GOING TO HAVE TO ANSWER.

AND I KNOW WE HAD BEEN LOOKING AT THAT AND KIND OF PULLED THIS KIND OF PULLED THIS AHEAD A LITTLE BIT.

BUT THIS IS A SYSTEM I THINK THAT WE NEED TO GET IN PLACE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER AND RATHER THAN WAIT FOR COUNCIL TO TALK ABOUT POLICIES AND THEN BRING IT FORWARD.

YEAH, I THINK WHEN COUNCIL TALKS ABOUT POLICIES AND YOU HEAR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, YOU'LL FIND WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.

WE WE'RE NOT WANTING A SURVEILLANCE OR SYSTEM THAT'S INTERVENING IN PEOPLE'S LIVES.

WE WANT SOMETHING THAT IS ADDRESSING, SPECIFICALLY CRIME.

AND I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'RE PROBABLY PRETTY CLOSE WHEN.

SO YOU'RE TALKING MOSTLY ABOUT MAJOR INTERSECTIONS AT THIS POINT, I WOULD GUESS.

I WOULD SAY MAJOR THOROUGHFARES, NOT NECESSARILY AN INTERSECTION, BECAUSE IT'S ONLY CATCHING ONE WAY OF TRAFFIC.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, BUT ONLY MAYBE NOT IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.

I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT.

THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE WOULD PUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, SO THIS WOULD BE FOREST LANE GARLAND SHILOH.

OUR MAJOR ROADWAYS YES, SIR.

AND AT THIS POINT, THIS IS SOLELY A STATIC SYSTEM, STATIC LOCATION.

IT'S NOT MOBILE.

AND SO THIS ISN'T SOMETHING WHERE THERE'D BE A VEHICLE DRIVING THROUGH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, A POLICE VEHICLE RECORDING ALL THE PLATES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT'S STATIC, ALTHOUGH THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S AN OPTION GOING FORWARD.

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS AN OPTION.

FLOCK HAS TEAMED UP WITH AXON, WHO DOES OUR CAMERAS, SO THAT IS AN OPTION WE

[02:45:05]

COULD DISCUSS AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.

BUT RIGHT NOW, IT'S JUST AT STATIONARY LOCATIONS.

AND I LOOK AT ALL OF THIS AS IT'S BASICALLY A FORCE MULTIPLIER.

IT'S LIKE HAVING A ROBOTIC POLICEMAN.

IF YOU'RE PUTTING IT ON A POLICE VEHICLE, THAT MEANS ANY PLATES THAT AN OFFICER MIGHT SEE.

IF WE PUT A SECOND OFFICER IN A CAR TO JUST RECORD PLATES ALL THE TIME AND SEARCH ON THAT'S EFFECTIVELY WHAT THIS DEVICE WOULD DO.

AND IT'S THE SAME THING WITH A STATIC SYSTEM.

I MEAN, WE OFTEN GET, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL HAVE THIS WHERE WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE BASICALLY WISH THAT WE COULD STATION AN OFFICER ON A STREET CORNER.

AND THAT'S EFFECTIVELY WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

YOU'RE STATIONING A ROBOTIC OFFICER ON A STREET CORNER TO RECORD EVERYTHING THAT GOES.

THAT'S ALL PUBLIC INFORMATION.

EVERYTHING THAT GOES BY.

YES, SIR.

YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.

IT'S NOT CAPTURING ANYTHING THAT ANY CITIZEN COULD SIT THERE AND CAPTURE WITH THEIR CELL PHONE.

AND JUST TO ADD TO THAT, AND THEY DO ALSO BY THE SAME TOKEN, IF WE DO HAVE NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY THAT WANT TO, THEY DO WANT THAT KIND OF PROTECTION IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.

THEY DO WANT THAT KIND OF POTENTIAL FOR INFORMATION OR CRIME REDUCTION, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, OR CRIME SUPPRESSION THAT THEY CAN ACQUIRE A PRIVATE LPR SYSTEM FROM FLOCK AND CONNECT THAT WITH OURS.

YES, SIR.

IT'S THE DATA THAT'S CONNECTED.

THEY CAN GIVE US ACCESS TO THE DATA.

YES, SIR.

OK, GREAT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

COUNCIL LADY MORRIS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, JEFF.

AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A LONG AND GRUESOME TIME.

I'M VERY HAPPY THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS GUNSHOT DETECTION FREE FOR A YEAR.

HOPEFULLY, IT WORKS GREAT.

AND NORMALLY, SINCE THIS ISN'T HAVING THIS IN PLACE WOULDN'T HAVE CHANGED ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

BUT THIS IS A SYSTEM THAT I THINK IS OF GREAT VALUE IN FOR INVESTIGATIVE PURPOSES, FOR CRIME SOLVING.

AND I THINK ONE OF YOUR SLIDES TALKED ABOUT THE HIGHER CLEARANCE RATE EQUALS A LOWER INCIDENCE RATE.

I FORGET HOW YOU SAID IT, BUT WE'VE SEEN THAT THE MORE.

YEAH, YOU SAID IT A LOT MORE GRACEFULLY THAN THAT.

IT WAS BURIED BACK IN THERE SOMEWHERE.

YES, DID I MISS IT? I DON'T KNOW.

IT WAS AS CLEARANCE RATES INCREASE, CRIME RATES DECREASE.

SEE, THAT'S ALMOST WHAT I SAID.

[LAUGHTER] AND THAT IS REALLY TRUE.

AND SO I'M VERY MUCH IN FAVOR SINCE WE'VE GOT THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GET THIS IN PLACE AND HAVE A YEAR OF FREE GUNSHOT DETECTION.

I'M VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF MOVING FORWARD WITH IT.

NOW THAT BEING SAID, AND YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS, BUT FOR THE SAKE OF VIEWERS, ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAD HEARD VOICED AND SEEN IN THE MEDIA AND THIS IS LARGELY IN OTHER CITIES, NOT OURS, WERE CONCERNS ABOUT BASICALLY THIS BEING USED TO MONITOR MINORITY NEIGHBORHOODS AND CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.

AND SO TWO MONTHS AGO, I WENT AHEAD AND REACHED OUT TO IN MY DISTRICT TO A NUMBER OF MY COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO ARE IN VARIOUS MINORITY COMMUNITIES.

AND I JUST TALKED WITH THEM ABOUT THIS AND SAID, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK IF WE WERE TO DO ONE OF THESE LICENSE PLATE READERS PROGRAMS? AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE ALL IN BECAUSE THEY SAW THE VALUE OF THIS IS A CRIME REDUCTION AN CRIME SOLVING TOOL.

AND THE THING THAT SEVERAL OF THEM SAID TO ME WAS JUST WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER.

AND THAT'S HOW THEY SAW THIS AND SAW US USING IT.

AND THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF TRUST WITH THE GARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT, CREDIT TO YOU, CREDIT TO CHIEF BATES, CREDIT TO, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY ON THE FORCE.

AND I THINK WE SAW THAT IN 2020 WITH THE GREAT OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT.

SO WE'RE NOT REALLY HAVING A LOT OF THAT SUSPICION THAT YOU WOULD USE THIS IN ANY WAY TO TARGET PEOPLE OTHER THAN PEOPLE WHO ARE COMMITTING CRIMES AND YOU LOOKING FOR THEM.

SO I AM IN FAVOR OF IT.

I'M HAPPY ABOUT IT.

I HOPE THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.

AND WE ALL KNOW THAT THAT THE CITY MANAGER HAS UNLIMITED FUNDS TO PAY FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE PROMISING TONIGHT.

[LAUGHTER] I CAN KEEP GOING IF WE.

WELL, AND LET ME ADDRESS SOMETHING YOU JUST SAID TOO BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THE REASON

[02:50:02]

THAT IT TOOK US THIS LONG IS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO WORK THROUGH ALL THOSE ISSUES, AND IT'S A NO BRAINER IF IT WASN'T FOR ALL THOSE ISSUES.

AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE POLICY AND AUDIT IN PLACE.

IT'S NOT A TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT TOOL, IT'S NOT A PRO.

WE'RE NOT STOPPING PEOPLE BASED ON THIS.

WE'RE NOT TAKING PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT ACTION BASED ON THIS, AND IT'S NOT IN ANY NEIGHBORHOODS.

IT'S ON THE MAJOR ROADWAYS.

AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING, EVEN THOUGH I APPRECIATE THE TRUST.

WE WANT TO DO MORE THAN TRUST.

WE WANT TO SHOW IF WE DO PUT THE SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT THE TOOLS ARE THERE, THAT IT WILL NEVER BE ABUSED.

SO THAT'S OUR GOAL, RIGHT? SO MY ONE QUESTION THAT I HAD ABOUT THIS IS AND YOU ALREADY PARTIALLY ANSWERED THIS.

HOW WILL YOU CHOOSE THE LOCATIONS FOR THESE CAMERAS? SO FLOCK, WE'RE MEETING WITH FLOCK THIS WEEK AND THEY'RE GOING TO BRING THEIR EXPERTS IN.

WE'RE GOING TO TELL THEM ABOUT OUR GOALS AND WE'RE GOING TO PLOT THAT OUT.

AND IN FACT, I THINK WE'RE DOING THAT ON WEDNESDAY.

I'VE GIVEN DIRECTION FROM ME THAT THIS WILL BE ON THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARES.

THIS WILL NOT BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THAT HOW CAN WE PLOT THAT OUT EQUALLY AND A SHOTGUN EFFECT ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY? AND SO WITH THAT DIRECTION, THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD.

THEY'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH A PLAN.

I'M HAPPY TO BRING THAT TO COUNCIL WHEN IT'S DONE, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

IF YOU GO BACK TO MY SCREEN HERE, THAT'S THE AREA I WANT TO COVER, WHICH IS EVERYWHERE.

[LAUGHTER] WELL, LUCKILY IT'S A SMALL CITY.

YEAH, IT'S A GOOD THING.

YEAH.

OK, WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK YOU PUT INTO THIS.

THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT.

AND IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN.

CERTAINLY WE CAN.

I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE PORTION OF YOUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT PULLED OUT FROM THIS MEETING AS A VIDEO THAT WE COULD PRESENT INDEPENDENTLY JUST WHERE PEOPLE CAN HEAR EVERYTHING YOU REPORTED TONIGHT BECAUSE I THINK IT WAS SIGNIFICANT.

AND PEOPLE, YOU TALKED ABOUT PERCEPTIONS OF SAFETY AND PERCEPTIONS OF DANGER, AND YOU KNOW, I HEAR THAT ALL THE TIME PEOPLE FEEL LARGELY BECAUSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA.

THEY FEEL LIKE LIKE THERE'S A GREAT DEAL MORE DANGER THAN THE FACTS ACTUALLY SAY THERE IS FOR THEM.

SO I THINK A LOT OF WHAT YOU PRESENTED TONIGHT WAS A VERY A GOOD PUTTING EVERYTHING IN PERSPECTIVE, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE VALUABLE FOR ALL OF THE SIT INS.

I KNOW MOST OF THE CITY SITS AND WATCHES OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS.

NOT.

BUT IT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE COULD SHARE A LOT OF WHAT YOU SHARED TONIGHT WITH A BROADER AUDIENCE THAN WE'RE LIKELY TO EVER GET HERE.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

CHIEF, I APPRECIATE THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOU'VE TAKEN JUST TO PUT UP WITH ME AND ALL OF MY QUESTIONS ON THIS.

I THOUGHT ABOUT LABELING YOUR NAME ON IT.

[LAUGHTER] I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB OF BALANCING SECURITY AND CIVIL LIBERTIES AND THAT'S ALWAYS WHERE MY PRIMARY CONCERNS ARE.

I GUESS FIRST COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS TOUCHED ON A QUESTION THAT I'D COME UP WITH, WHICH WAS SIMILAR TO THE POLICY QUESTIONS WITHIN THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS AND WITH STEP GRANTS FOR ENFORCEMENT, WHICH IS HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THE CITY IS GETTING EQUAL TREATMENT? AND I THINK YOU'VE SPOKEN VERY WELL TO THAT.

I WOULD INVITE FLOCK TO SET UP A FEW OF THE MACHINES OVER BY OUR PLEASANT VALLEY GUN RANGE FOR THEIR MACHINE LEARNING MIGHT BE A VERY GOOD LEARNING TOOL FOR THEM AT DIFFERENT DISTANCES.

THE ONLY QUESTION I'VE COME UP WITH THAT YOU HAVEN'T HEARD FROM ME BEFORE IS, YOU KNOW, IF WE DO GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THIS AND IT'S NOT REALLY A QUESTION, I GUESS I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO REPORT BACK WITH WHAT WE'VE GAINED FROM IT AS A CITY PRIOR TO OUR RENEWAL OF THAT SYSTEM.

YOU KNOW, COME BACK WITH SOME STATS.

HEY, HOW IS THIS HELPING US AND UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S THE FIRST YEAR AND WE'RE ALL GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE SOME TIME TO GET USED TO IT.

FOR OUR FLOCK REP I'VE GOT TWO QUESTIONS.

CAN YOU GIVE US A HIGH LEVEL ON THE PHYSICAL SECURITY OF THE DEVICES THEMSELVES? HOW WHAT STEPS YOU'LL HAVE TAKEN TO MITIGATE PHYSICAL HACKING AND THEFT OF THE DEVICE? AND IF ONE OF THOSE DEVICES IS STOLEN FROM US, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL REPLACE? IS THAT SOMETHING WE'RE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR? YES.

TO ANSWER YOUR TWO QUESTIONS, THE FIRST PORTION ABOUT THE ENCRYPTION.

SO IT IS END TO END ENCRYPTION.

SO IT IS ENCRYPTED WHEN IT IS IN TRANSIT TO THE CLOUD AS WELL AS AT REST.

[02:55:08]

IT IS AES 256 ENCRYPTED.

AND THEN TO ANSWER THE OTHER PORTION OF YOUR QUESTION, ACTUALLY, CAN YOU REPEAT THE LAST QUESTION? IF ONE OF THOSE DEVICES IS STOLEN OR ARE WE LEASING THESE DEVICES FROM YOU? HAVE WE PURCHASED THEM? WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACEMENT IF SOMEBODY TAKES ONE? YES.

SO IT WOULD BE A LEASE.

SO WE OWN THE CAMERAS AND THEN YOU'LL JUST OWN THE DATA.

SO IF IT DOES GET STOLEN, IT IS POWERED BY SOLAR AS WELL AS CELLULAR.

SO THE PD WOULD JUST HAVE TO LET US KNOW.

AND WE HAVE GPS TRACKER ON THESE.

OKAY? AND YOU TALK ABOUT THE DATA SECURITY AT REST AND AS IT'S LEAVING THE DEVICE, HOW ABOUT STORAGE CENTRALLY ON Y'ALLS SIDE? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? YES.

SO IT'S STORED BY AMAZON WEB SERVICES AND [INAUDIBLE] COMPLIANT.

OK, SO YOU ALL ARE ON THE GOVERNMENT CLOUD THEN? CORRECT.

OK.

I THINK THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, CHIEF.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THE CAMERAS ARE SOLAR POWERED, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO TAP IN TO POWER OF [INAUDIBLE].

SO THEY'RE BOTH.

BOTH THE CAMERAS AND THE AUDIO DETECTION IS SOLAR POWERED, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THEY'LL WORK AT NIGHT, HOPEFULLY.

YEAH, THEY LAST THREE DAYS.

SO IF WE GO FOUR DAYS WITHOUT POWER, THEN WE MAY HAVE AN ISSUE.

I THINK.

SO IF WE HAVE ANOTHER URI, WE'RE [LAUGHTER].

RIGHT.

YEAH.

SO AS FAR AS NIGHTTIME FOOTAGE, IT TAPS INTO OUR INFRARED TECHNOLOGY.

AND BECAUSE IT IS MACHINE LEARNING AND WE CAPTURE THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, WE CAN DETERMINE WHAT THAT VEHICLE IS BY THE REAR LIGHTS ON THE BUMPERS.

SO GOT IT.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

VERY GOOD.

DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS. THANK YOU, MAYOR.

MY QUESTION, UNLESS IT'S BEEN CUT DOWN, JUST TWO THINGS, AND THIS IS PROBABLY FOR THE FLOCK REPRESENTATIVE.

CAN YOU TALK? WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTENANCE? YOU KNOW, BE IT TECHNOLOGY.

YOU KNOW, IF IT CAN GO WRONG.

IT WILL GO WRONG.

SO WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG WITH THE DATA OR WITH THE HARD CAMERAS.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO'S RESPONSIBLE, MAINTENANCE US OR YOU, AND TELL US WHAT THAT'LL LOOK LIKE.

SO SINCE IT IS A SUBSCRIPTION BASED SERVICE, IT'S ALL TURNKEY.

SO ANY MAINTENANCE UPDATES, INSTALLATION, IT'S ALL GOING TO BE DONE BY FLOCK.

OK? AND I DON'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT FLOCK.

DO YOU HAVE IS THAT LOCALLY OR.

SO HEADQUARTERS IS SO.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE TO CALL YOU IN CONNECTICUT ARE WE.HEADQUARTERS IS IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

I'M THE LOCAL REP.

BORN AND RAISED IN ROWLETT.

SO JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

AND THEN WE HAVE TWO TECHNICIANS IN THE DFW AREA THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO THAT WOULD BE INSTALLING THESE CAMERAS AND LOOKING AT THE CHECKING THE QUALITY AND MAKING SURE THAT IF ONE A CAMERA IS DOWN, THEY WOULD GO OUT AND REPLACE THAT IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OR ANY ANGLE ADJUSTMENTS AS WELL.

IF IT'S NOT GETTING THE CORRECT IMAGES OF THE REAR.

WE'RE ALL DOING THAT FOR YOU GUYS.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

CHIEF MY LAST QUESTION IS GOING BACK TO YOUR FINAL SLIDE ON HERE ABOUT PRIVACY.

ONE THING THAT YOU SAID AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE CITY, BUT ONE OF THE CITIES THAT YOU LISTED HERE HAD AN ISSUE.

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE HOAS AND THAT THEY OWNED THE DATA.

HAD AN ISSUE.

YEAH, THAT WAS I CAN'T REMEMBER THE CITY.

I SAW IT IN A NEWS CLIPPING AND I READ SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT CITY THAT WAS IN.

BUT THE ISSUE INVOLVED AN HOA AND SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T LIVE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT THEY VISITED.

AND SINCE THE HOA OWNED THE DATA AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEY HAD THEIR SET UP AND THEY CHALLENGED IT, I DIDN'T FOLLOW IT ENOUGH TO SEE, YOU KNOW WHAT, THE OUTCOME OF THAT, BUT SO CAN YOU.

AND YOU SAID THAT IF IT'S IN AN HOA THEY OWN THE DATA AND NOT US BEING GPD.

SO HOW DO I LET? HOW DO DOES I'M TRYING TO SEPARATE IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE DATA.

WE HAVE TO HAVE PERMISSION.

SO YOU HAVE TO GET PERMISSION FROM AN HOA, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET PERMISSION FROM REST OF THE PUBLIC.

SO LET ME EXPLAIN.

EXPLAIN THAT TO ME BECAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER CHIEF ALL THE DETAILS, BUT THIS DID HAPPEN RECENTLY AND ONE OF THE CITIES THAT HAS THIS SERVICE, AND IT WAS BEING CHALLENGED BECAUSE THE FOLKS WHO VISITED SOMEBODY IN A HOA FOUND OUT AFTER THE FACT THAT YOU HAD CAMERAS THAT TOOK PICTURES OF MY CAR AND GOING BACK TO COUNCILMAN SMITH, THAT WAS BECAME A CIVIL LIBERTIES ISSUE.

AND THEY I DON'T KNOW WHAT ISSUE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT A VEHICLE ON THE PUBLIC

[03:00:06]

STREET, RIGHT? YOU CAN TAKE A PICTURE OF A VEHICLE.

YEAH, THIS WAS ON THE STREET IN THE HOA.

AND THE ISSUE WAS THE WAY I HEARD IT WAS THAT THE PERSON VISITING IN THE HOA WAS NOT AWARE THAT THERE WAS A CAMERA TAKING THE LICENSE PLATE ON THEIR CAR AND THEY CHALLENGED THAT.

I DON'T KNOW ALL THE DETAILS.

SO AND SAYING THAT AN HOA RESPONSE WAS, WELL, THIS IS OUR INFORMATION, AND I THINK THEY MADE A INFORMATION REQUEST TO GET TO SEE THAT, TO GET THE DATA AND THE HOA WAS CHALLENGING THEIR REQUESTS.

SO.

LET ME LET ME GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW, EXPLAIN A LITTLE BETTER HOW AN HOA CAN USE IT.

YEAH PLEASE.

SO LET'S SAY AND THINK OF AN HOA COMPLETELY SEPARATE THAN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR A GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE AN HOA THAT HAS AN AREA AND THEY HAVE DECIDED TO SET UP FLOCK CAMERAS.

THAT'S A DECISION THAT THEY'VE MADE.

IT'S NOT A DECISION THEY NEED OUR PERMISSION.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S PERMITS THAT NEED TO GO OUT, BUT THAT IS A DECISION THAT AN HOA CAN PUT UP FLOCK CAMERAS WITHIN THEIR HOA AREA, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE RECORDING PUBLIC STREETS, THE CAMERAS THEMSELVES ARE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY NO DIFFERENT THAN IF YOU'RE STANDING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY YOU COULD TAKE PICTURES OF VEHICLES DRIVING DOWN THE STREETS.

THE INFORMATION THAT IS GENERATED FOR THAT BELONGS TO THE HOA IT DOESN'T BELONG TO US.

IT DOESN'T BELONG TO THE CITY.

IT BELONGS TO THE HOA.

NOW WHAT THE HOA CAN DO IS SAY, HEY, WE WANT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE ACCESS TO OUR DATA.

SO IF A CRIME IS COMMITTED IN OUR HOA, THEY HAVE THAT INFORMATION.

THAT'S THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WOULD OCCUR.

THEY COULD SAY YOU CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THE DATA.

THEY GET NOTHING IN RETURN FOR THAT OTHER THAN HELPING US SOLVE A CRIME THAT MAY OCCUR INTO THEIR AREA.

I JUST REMEMBERED, AND THEN I'M DONE COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS REMINDED ME.

WHAT THE CHALLENGE WAS THE INDIVIDUAL ALLEGED PROFILING? OK, WELL.

AND I DON'T AND I'M NOT SPEAKING TO THE MAYORS, I'M JUST SHARING THIS AND SINCE THEY HAVE AND THE HOA CAME BACK AND SAID, THIS IS OUR DATA, YOU CAN'T HAVE IT, YOU CAN'T ACCESS IT NOW.

I THINK IT'S STILL IN SOME KIND OF LITIGATION STATUS AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE CITY.

I WOULDN'T MENTION IT IF I DID, BUT I JUST WANT TO RAISE THAT QUESTION WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT POLICY.

SO AS IT RELATES TO THIS COUNCIL MAKING POLICY, WE WOULD NOT ANY POLICY WE MADE WOULD NOT IMPACT IF AT YOUR HOA WANTED TO DO THEIR OWN THING.

DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM.

YEAH.

TWO ISSUES.

NUMBER ONE IS THE HOA'S CAN SET THESE UP NOW AND ARE COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT OF US.

HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US HAVING IT.

SECOND OF ALL IS AS A LEGAL MATTER.

THE COURTS HAVE ROUTINELY HELD THAT A PERSON HAS NO EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY WITH RESPECT TO THEIR VEHICLE BEING PHOTOGRAPHED ON A PUBLIC STREET.

AND SO THE THE HOA COULD TAKE ALL THE PICTURES THEY WANTED IF EVERY VEHICLE THAT CAME AND WENT ALL OVER THE STREETS IN ITS NEIGHBORHOOD AND THERE'S NO EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY.

THE HOA IS NOT REALLY EVEN A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY.

IF THE GOVERNMENT DID IT THERE'S NO EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY, AND THE SUPREME COURT LONG AGO HELD THAT THE PICTURE ON YOUR LICENSE PLATE, THE LICENSE PLATE DRIVING AROUND A CITY THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE LICENSE PLATE ON THE VEHICLE, AND THERE'S NO SUCH EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY.

PEOPLE CAN RAISE CLAIMS AND SUE FOR ALL SORTS OF REASONS, AS WE'VE SEEN AND HAVE MADE A GOOD LIVING.

IF THEY'RE MAKING THESE FRIVOLOUS CLAIMS, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY A CAUSE OF ACTION THAT ANYBODY WOULD HAVE FOR SUCH A TAKING OF A PHOTOGRAPH OF A LICENSE PLATE.

IT'S AN ONGOING MY UNDERSTANDING.

AND LIKE I SAID, IF I KNEW THAT, REMEMBERED THE CITY, I WOULDN'T MENTION THE CITY HERE, BUT I JUST WANT TO MENTION I KNOW IT WAS A LIVE CHALLENGE MADE BY SOMEONE WHO WAS JUST VISITING, SO I JUST THOUGHT I'D THROW THAT OUT.

AND MAYBE OUR FLOCK REPRESENTATIVE, HAVE HAD SOME OTHER EXPERIENCES IN OTHER CITIES WITH THAT KIND OF THING COULD PROVIDE SOME GUIDANCE.

IT'S RELATED TO THAT, BUT IF IT DOESN'T INVOLVE US JUST FORGET IT.

WELL, THANK YOU.

AND JUST TO SUM IT UP, A GOOD EXAMPLE IS RIGHT NOW THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF RING CAMERAS TAKING PICTURES OF THOUSANDS OF CARS ON PUBLIC STREETS.

WELL, AND I'LL SAY TOO THERE'S LICENSE PLATE READERS ALL OVER THE CITY OF GARLAND RIGHT NOW.

YOU KNOW, YOUR TOW TRUCK DRIVERS, YOUR MANY OF THE BUSINESSES, THE TOLLWAY, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE RIGHT NOW.

THEY'RE NOT OWNED BY US OR OPERATED BY US, BUT TO DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD ANYWHERE THESE DAYS, SOMEONE IS CAPTURING THAT.

[03:05:04]

I DON'T KNOW IF MOST PEOPLE REALIZE THAT OR NOT.

OK, OK.

I JUST RAISED THAT.

AND YOU'VE CLARIFIED IT.

AND I WANTED TO RAISE THIS FOR CLARITY BECAUSE YOU MADE THAT DISTINCTION IN THE PRESENTATION AND YOU'VE DONE THAT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER AUBIN.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

CHIEF JUST A COUPLE OF FINAL POINTS.

ONE THING THAT'S REMARKABLE AND THIS IS FROM, YOU KNOW, THE SMART PRESENTATION THAT I ATTENDED.

AND ALSO, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE SLIDES, THAT CRIME IS ACTUALLY SOMEWHAT WELL DISTRIBUTED ACROSS GARLAND.

I MEAN, IT'S YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT GUNSHOT LIST, THERE'S IF YOU CAN PULL THAT BACK UP AGAIN.

I MEAN, THERE ARE AREAS WHERE THERE ARE MORE REPORTS OR MORE INTENSITY REPORTS THAN OTHERS, BUT IT REALLY COVERS THE ENTIRE CITY.

THERE'S NOT A SINGLE DISTRICT IN THIS CITY WHERE THERE'S NOT A REPORTED GUNSHOT, RIGHT? AND I'D SAY CRIME MIRRORS THAT WE WE FOR A WHILE WE WERE CREATING HOT SPOTS, YOU KNOW, ON THIS MAP.

BUT IT CAME WHERE IT WASN'T ANY USE TO US BECAUSE IT WAS.

IT'S JUST ALL OVER THE CITY.

AND NOW IT'S NOT A LOT.

BUT IF WE HAD A CONCENTRATED AREA LIKE WE DID WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS, THAT'S WHEN WE CREATE THAT GROUP.

BUT YES, I'D SAY YOUR ACCURATE IN THAT.

AND IT'S THE SAME THING WHEN WE LOOKED AT WHEN I ATTENDED THE SMART MEETING AND YOU LOOK AT OTHER CRIMES OTHER THAN GUNSHOTS, THEY ARE REASONABLY WELL DISTRIBUTED.

I MEAN, AGAIN, NONE OF THEM ARE PARTICULARLY HIGH, BUT THEY'RE DISTRIBUTED FAIRLY EVENLY ACROSS THE CITY.

YES, SIR.

THERE'S THIS KIND OF I KNOW SOME PEOPLE HAVE THIS BELIEF THAT SOMEHOW ALL CRIME IN GARLAND ONLY, YOU KNOW, CRIME IN GARLAND ONLY OCCURS SOUTH OF MILLER OR SOUTH OF AVENUE A.

OR WALNUT OR WHATEVER.

AND IT'S ACTUALLY IT'S FAIRLY EVENLY WELL DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE CITY.

AND SO I WOULD.

AND IN THAT REGARD, I WOULD HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE FIND THAT THE GUNSHOT DETECTION IS EFFICACIOUS, THAT WE EXPAND THAT TO OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY SO WE CAN REALLY KIND OF TACKLE THIS PROBLEM.

AND SIMILARLY WITH, IF WE'RE FINDING THAT THE LPRS ARE REALLY WORKING, IF THERE ARE OTHER AREAS WHERE WE NEED THEM THAT WE DON'T BE YOU KNOW, SHY ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THEM WHERE WE NEED THEM.

YES, SIR.

ONE THING I DIDN'T MENTION, WE SAID THAT THE GUNSHOT DETECTION IS FREE FOR THE FIRST YEAR, AFTER THE FIRST YEAR, IT'S TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND PER SQUARE MILE PER YEAR.

SO IF YOU WANTED TO EXPAND THAT OR IF YOU WANTED TO MOVE, THAT'S THE COST OF THAT.

TO MOVE IT THERE'S A SMALL COST, BUT IT'S TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND PER SQUARE MILE FOR COVERAGE.

OK, GREAT.

AND OFF.

I CAN'T DO THE MATH OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT [LAUGHTER] THE SECOND YEAR'S COST THAT I PROVIDED INCLUDED THE PRICE OF THAT GUNSHOT DETECTION SYSTEM THE TWENTY ITS SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND FOR THIRTY SQUARE MILES, AND THAT WAS THE ONE EIGHT.

ONE EIGHTY.

THE ONE EIGHTY.

WOULD ULTIMATELY WANT TO COVER OR WE JUST WANT TO SEE HOW THINGS GO? I WANT TO TEST THIS SYSTEM AND WE ALSO HAVE THE OPTION AFTER THAT FIRST YEAR.

HEY, THIS ISN'T WORKING WE CAN END THE CONTRACT AND NOT EXTEND.

I WANT TO SEE HOW THIS GOES.

I WANT THE TECHNOLOGY PROVEN.

I THINK WHAT WE'LL FIND IS WE'VE GOT A LOT OF REPEAT OFFENDERS.

AND IF WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE REPEAT OFFENDERS, I THINK WE CAN MOVE THIS SYSTEM AND SAVE ON THE COST.

BUT I NEED TO PROVE THAT THEORY FIRST.

AND I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU A LOT OF THESE CRIMES THAT HAVE AFFECTED THE NEIGHBORHOOD I DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO CALL THIS ONE A NUISANCE CRIME, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN CRIMES THAT IT'S LIKE IT ONLY TAKES ONE PERSON, TWO PEOPLE, WHETHER WHETHER IT'S SPEEDING OR WHETHER IT'S OTHER THINGS TO REALLY DISRUPT A NEIGHBORHOOD.

YES.

AND SO CERTAINLY, I SUPPORT THAT.

SO HOW LONG IS THE OFFER GOOD FOR YOU SAID IT WAS EXPIRED.

TODAY ONLY.

NO, IT ACTUALLY EXPIRED AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, BUT I'VE GONE UP THE CHAIN TO GIVE A LITTLE LEEWAY IF WE WANTED TO DO THIS.

CERTAINLY, IF WE WANT TO EXTEND THE CONVERSATION, WE CAN DISCUSS THAT.

BUT IT WOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE.

WE WOULD BE PAYING FOR THE GUNSHOT DETECTION SYSTEM.

OK.

ON THE AND AS YOU SAID BEFORE, I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR BECAUSE I KNOW THE COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH MENTIONED CIVIL LIBERTIES AND OTHER ISSUES, THE ACTUAL TAKING OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND THE RECORDING OF THE DATA.

THAT'S ALL PURELY PUBLIC INFORMATION AND VERY SIMILAR TO IF WE HAD A POLICE OFFICER OR ANY CITIZEN COULD SIT THERE, THE CITIZEN COULD SIT THERE WITH THEIR CAMERA AND RECORD ALL THE TRAFFIC THAT GOES BY.

AND AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, WE HAVE WE'VE RING VIDEO DOORBELLS ALL ACROSS THE CITY.

RIGHT.

SO AND WHEN YOU SAY PUBLIC INFORMATION, I WANT TO BE CAREFUL TO SAY THIS INFORMATION IS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.

ONCE WE'VE CAPTURED IT, THE PUBLIC CANNOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION.

NOW IT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THE PUBLIC COULD DO.

BUT ONCE WE CAPTURED THE DATA, IT'S OUR DATA.

[03:10:02]

IT'S SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT.

RIGHT.

NO, I GET YOU.

AND I DON'T MEAN TO SPEAK OTHERWISE ON THAT.

BUT JUST THE CONCEPT OF, YOU KNOW, THE CITY IS NOT DOING BY RECORDING, BY OBTAINING THIS INFORMATION, BY PUTTING UP CAMERAS.

WE'RE NOT INVADING ANYBODY'S PRIVACY.

IT'S ALL THIS IS ALL PEOPLE TRAVELING ON PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY.

YES, SIR.

AND, YOU KNOW, BUT WHERE THE CIVIL LIBERTIES AND OTHER STUFF COMES IN, THAT'S A QUESTION OF HOW THE DATA GETS USED DOWN THE ROAD.

AND WE'RE BUILDING UP A WEALTH OF DATA.

AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE PROTECTIONS THAT YOU'VE SUGGESTED ABOUT WHO CAN ACCESS IT AND UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES AND FOR HOW LONG THAT DATA IS AVAILABLE.

THOSE ARE THE PROTECTIONS WE HAVE BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT IN AN ILLIBERAL SOCIETY THAT SOMEBODY COULD SAY, WELL, I WANT TO KNOW EVERYBODY WHO ATTENDED, YOU KNOW, THE POLITICAL RALLY IN SUPPORT OF AUBIN.

AND YOU KNOW, IT WAS ONLY THREE PEOPLE, BUT WE GOT THEIR LICENSE PLATE KIND OF THING THAT'S THE CONCERN.

THOSE ARE THE KIND OF CIVIL LIBERTIES ISSUES OR SOME OTHER COMPANY COMING IN AND BUYING THE DATA BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT IF YOU MADE X NUMBER OF TRIPS THIS MONTH TO, YOU KNOW, TO WALGREENS OR TO WHEREVER THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MINEABLE DATA FOR FOLKS.

BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT FLOCK.

WE OWN THE DATA, NOT FLOCK.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NOBODY'S SELLING, BUT THAT'S WHERE THE CIVIL LIBERTY ISSUE COMES IN, WHERE THE CONCERNS COME IN.

AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE FOCUSED ON PUTTING THOSE PROTECTIONS.

YES, SIR.

OK.

WELL, THANK YOU, CHIEF VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORK.

I APPRECIATE FLOCK JUMPING ON THIS AS WELL, AND I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT WE MOVE FORWARD AND KIND OF TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

VERY GOOD.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM.

ALL RIGHT, I BELIEVE WE'VE CLEARED THE QUEUE, BUT.

GO AHEAD.

GO AHEAD.

I JUST LIKE DO WE NEED TO GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF.

I'D LIKE TO GIVE DIRECTION THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DEAL WITH FLOCK.

I WANT TO GET COUNCIL'S SUPPORT ON THAT AND THAT WE ASK THE CITY MANAGER TO COME BACK WITH A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO ADDRESS THAT AND THE STAFFING REQUEST.

IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION TO MOVING FOR? I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY.

I MEAN, WITH ALL THE QUESTIONS I WAS ASSUMING, WE WERE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION, I FIGURED, BUT I JUST THOUGHT I'D ACTUALLY ASK UNLESS SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, THINK WE'RE MOVING THE WRONG WAY? MAYOR OK.

HANG ON.

MAYOR PRO TEM HEDRICK.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HAVE A REVIEW IN A YEAR PERIOD OR WHENEVER OUR CONTRACT COMES BACK UP FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BOTH THE LICENSE PLATE READER AND THE GUNSHOT DETECTION.

BOTH.

OK, VERY GOOD.

I CAN DO MORE THAN THAT.

I CAN GIVE YOU A QUARTERLY REVIEW.

IT'S SOMETHING WE COULD TAKE TO THE.

I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT EVEN BETTER.

THANK YOU.

YEAH, HAPPY TO DO IT.

VERY GOOD.

ALL RIGHT.

I BELIEVE WE'RE ALL IN FAVOR OF MOVING FORWARD.

YES, WE'LL CALL IT UNANIMOUS.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, SIR.

ALL RIGHT.

THAT WAS OUR LAST VERBAL BRIEFING.

THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM FIVE ANNOUNCE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS.

[5. Announce Future Agenda Items]

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS TO ADDRESS THIS EVENING.

IF NOT, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A PROCESS THAT WE CAN GET THEM IN THE QUEUE AFTER TONIGHT.

ALL RIGHT, THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM SIX.

COUNCIL WILL MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

[6. Council will move into Executive Session]

ITEM SIX A.

THE CITY COUNCIL WILL ADJOURN INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 551 .

074 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE RELATING TO PERSONNEL TWO ONE.

EXCUSE ME.

CONDUCT THE ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE, THE ASSOCIATE MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE, CITY AUDITOR AND THE CITY MANAGER, AND TWO TO DISCUSS THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW CITY ATTORNEY AND THE EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT RELATED THERE TO.

WE WILL RECESS THIS WORK SESSION AND WE WILL RECONVENE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.

LET'S DO THAT AT 9:35.

THAT'LL GIVE US A CHANCE TO TO CLEAR THE ROOM AND GET EVERYTHING WE NEED IN ORDER.

AND WITH THAT, WE ARE IN RECESS.

THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.