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FOR ROLL CALL.[Environmental and Community Advisory Board on April 13, 2022.]
YEAH.JIM DOBBINS, DISTRICT ONE OS RODRIGUEZ.
I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH FOR QU, DON'T YOU DO? YES, WE DID.
I THINK THE FIRST THING WE HAVE IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES THAT EVERYBODY TAKE A LOOK AT THESE.
WE ACCEPT THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
WE HAVE APPROVED THE MINUTES AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE PRESENTATION FROM GP AND L TO START.
WHY UP ACTUALLY, HOW YOU DOING? EITHER ONE.
FIRST OF ALL, UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THIS EVENING.
UM, MY NAME IS DAVID COLLIBRA, AND I AM, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR MY VOICE, UM, THAT, THAT GREEN STUFF THAT'S FALLEN ON ALL OUR VEHICLES, LIKE, I GUESS HAS GOTTEN IN MY HEAD.
BUT, UH, I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY, UH, FOR GARLAND POWER LIGHT FOR 18 YEARS.
AND, UH, MY, UH, TITLE IS COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS ADMINISTRATOR.
AND PART OF MY, UH, RESPONSIBILITY, MY MAIN RESPONSIBILITY IS TAKING CARE OF GARLAND'S LARGEST CUSTOMERS, AND THEY KEEP ME QUITE BUSY.
I'M ALSO OVER ALL OF OUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY EFFORTS HERE IN HERE IN THE CITY.
UM, IN 2004, ACTUALLY 2008, UH, WE CREATED, UH, ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM FOR ENERGY STAR WINDOWS, DOORS, AC REPLACEMENT, UH, SOLAR SCREENS, WINDOW UNITS.
AND THEN THE REAL REASON I'M HERE TODAY, UH, IS TO TALK ABOUT SOLAR AND WHAT WE'VE, UH, KIND OF ACCOMPLISHED HERE IN GARLAND.
UH, ALONG THOSE LINES, IN 2014, WE CREATED A SOLAR PROGRAM AND, UH, IN ORDER TO GET IT OFF THE GROUND AND GET CUSTOMERS INTERESTED, WE OFFERED A $5,000 CREDIT, UH, SO THAT CUSTOMERS WOULD, WOULD MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR THEM TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
WELL, THAT FIRST YEAR WE HAD 21 CUSTOMERS, AND, UM, AFTER ABOUT FOUR YEARS, ABOUT 2017, WE KEPT LOWERING THE CREDIT AND FINALLY, UH, GOT RID OF THE CREDIT AND IT KIND OF, THINGS REALLY START TO COME ON.
AND, UM, WE'RE EXPECTING THAT FIRST YEAR WE HAD 21.
THIS YEAR WE'RE EXPECTING 286 CUSTOMERS TO INSTALL SOLAR ON THEIR HOMES.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE WELL OVER 700 HOMES NOW THAT, THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY CERTIFIED US A SOLAR CUSTOMER.
SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY, UM, IT'S REALLY KIND OF TAKEN OVER HERE IN GARLAND.
UH, THERE, WE'VE, WE'VE PROBABLY GOT ABOUT, UH, I'LL HAVE TO CHECK WITH MY GUYS, BUT MAYBE FIVE OR SIX REALLY GOOD, UH, SOLAR COMPANIES THAT, UH, JUST WORK THE STREETS DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
SO, AND WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS KIND OF TALK ABOUT, UM, WHAT IT IS TO HAVE A SOLAR SYSTEM AT YOUR HOME.
IS ANYBODY HERE HAVE A SOLAR SYSTEM? YOU DO? YES, SIR.
WHAT SIZE, IF I MAY ASK? A 40, UH, I DON'T KNOW, 43 UNITS EACH.
UM, DOING SOME RESEARCH, UM, TYPICALLY A A HOME, AN AVERAGE SIZE HOME, WE'LL USE ABOUT 10 KW 10,000 WATTS.
UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, MY HOME, I'M AT 2000 SQUARE FEET.
I HAVE GAS HEATING AND GAS WATER HEATING, BUT MY DEMAND IS 11 KW.
SO IF, IF I HAD ELECTRIC HEAT, ELECTRIC WATER HEATER, AND
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PROBABLY GONNA BE MORE LIKE 15 OR 16 OR 17 KW, UM, ON AVERAGE, A 10 KW SYSTEM COST ABOUT 30,000.AND THAT'S BEFORE, UH, REBATES.
THERE ARE STILL FEDERAL CREDITS AVAILABLE TAX CREDITS.
AND IN 2017 THAT CHECKS BETWEEN 2017 AND 2019.
THAT TAX CREDIT WAS 30%, WHICH WAS QUITE LARGE, VERY ENCOURAGING FOR FOLKS TO INSTALL SOLAR BETWEEN 2020 AND 20 20 20 AND 2022, IT'S, IT'S GONE DOWN TO 26%.
IN 2024, THERE WILL BE NO MORE CREDITS FOR RESIDENTIAL AND IT'LL ONLY BE 10% CREDIT FOR COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS.
WHY IS THAT? YEAH, HONESTLY, UH, I'M NOT REAL SURE BASED ON THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE IN THESE DAYS, BUT, UH, I REALLY THINK THAT, IN MY OPINION, IT'S TAKEN OFF SUCH THAT CUSTOMERS THERE, THERE'S MORE COMPETITION IN THE MARKET.
THERE'S A LOT MORE SOLAR INSTALLERS, SO THE PRICES HAVE COME DOWN, THE PRICE OF SOLAR PANELS HAS COME DOWN.
SO I THINK THAT'S MAYBE PART OF IT.
THAT MAY MAY NOT BE ALL OF IT, BUT, UH, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING TO DO.
BY REMOVING THE TAX CREDIT, DOESN'T IT SEEM TO DEINCENTIVIZE THE PROGRAM? YES, SIR, IT DOES.
SO THAT SOUNDS LIKE A POLITICAL MOVEMENT.
SO, UH, UH, 300 WATTS WILL, WILL, WILL, UH, LIGHT SIX OR FIVE 60 WHITE LOCK BULBS.
NOW, IF YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT YOUR WHOLE HOME AT 10 KW OR 10,000 WATTS, YOU'RE GONNA NEED ANYWHERE FROM 27 TO 33 OF THESE PANELS ON YOUR ROOF TO MEET, TO GET TO 10 KW.
ANOTHER THING THAT, UM, COMES INTO PLAY IS, IS THE ORIENTATION OF YOUR HOUSE.
UH, THE BEST WAY TO FACE PANELS IS SOUTH, AND THEN THE NEXT BEST WAY IS WEST.
AND, UH, NOT ALL HOMES ARE GONNA BE SITUATED LIKE THAT.
SO EVERY, THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT SOLAR IS EVERY HOUSE IS DIFFERENT UNLESS YOU HAVE THE SAME HOUSE, NO TREES, SAME ROOF LINE, HOUSE AFTER HOUSE, HOUSE AFTER HOUSE.
UM, I DID HAVE AN INTERESTING PHONE CALL A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK.
UH, UH, A CUSTOMER CALLED ME AND SAID, UM, I'M THINKING ABOUT PUTTING IN SOLAR.
AND I SAID, WELL, WE, WE DO HAVE A PROGRAM.
AND SHE SAID, BUT MY HOUSE IS COMPLETELY SHADY BY TREES.
ONE OF I'M WONDERING IS, SHOULD I CUT THE TREES DOWN? AND TO PUT UP THE SOLAR PANELS AND
BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING.
UH, A LOT OF OUR CUSTOMERS THAT DECIDE TO GO SOLAR, UH, REALLY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND, UM, IT'S BEEN SHOWING UP.
SOLAR SYSTEMS LAST ON AVERAGE 25 YEARS.
AND DEPENDING ON, UH, HOW BIG OF A SYSTEM YOU GET, IT, IT DEPENDS ON HOW, HOW, HOW MANY, MANY YEARS IT'LL TAKE YOU TO, TO PAY THAT SYSTEM OFF.
PROBABLY ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 20 YEARS TO, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH YOU SAVE EACH MONTH.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S, THAT'S GOING TO MAKE SOLAR EVEN MORE, UH, RELIABLE AND MORE, UH, ATTRACTIVE IS A BATTERY STORAGE.
BECAUSE MOST ALL OF THE SYSTEMS HERE IN GARLAND AND A LOT OF THE SYSTEMS IN TEXAS AND EVERYWHERE ELSE, UM, DON'T HAVE BATTERY BACKUPS.
SO DURING THE DAY, AS LONG AS THE SUN SHINE IN, YOU'RE PRODUCING, AND THEN AT NIGHT, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANY PRODUCTION OUT OF 'EM, BUT, UM, YOU CAN BUY A FIVE TO NINE KILOWATT HOUR BATTERY BETWEEN FOR ABOUT FIVE TO $9,000.
A 10 KILOWATT HOUR BATTERY IS ABOUT, UH, $10,000.
AND IT, BUT IT, IT WILL FULLY CHARGE, IT'LL GIVE YOU 10 TO 12 HOURS OF 10 KW PRODUCTION, WHICH WILL GET YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT.
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A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT GARLAND IS DOING, UM, PART OF OUR, UM, PRODUCTION AND GENERATION THAT WE USE TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, UH, 35% OF OUR GENERATION MIX IS WIND AND SOLAR FARMS. WE HAVE, UH, WE'RE PART OWNERS IN FARMS UP IN AMARILLO, CLOSE TO LUBBOCK, AND THEN IN CLO OVER THERE CLOSE TO EL PASO.AND THEN THERE'S SOME STUFF DOWN IN, IN, ON THE, DOWN ON THE COAST, UH, IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO CORPUS CHRISTI, BUT DRIVING FROM SAN ANTONIO TO CORPUS, WHEN YOU GET CLOSE TO CORPUS, JUST LOOK OFF TO YOUR LEFT AND YOU, YOU CAN'T COUNT HOW MANY SOLAR, I MEAN, UH, WIND TURBINES ARE OUT THERE.
SO WE ALSO HAVE A, UH, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WE CREATED A, WHAT WE CALL A GREEN RATE RIDER, WHERE CUSTOMERS CAN SIGN UP TO BE ON THIS, TO BE ON A GREEN RATE.
AND I THINK AS OF TODAY, I'VE GOT ABOUT 174 RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THAT.
YOU SAID THE GREEN RAY COMMITTEE? GREEN, RIGHT? RIGHT.
WHAT IS THAT EXACTLY? IT IS A, UM, IT IS A, A IT'S, IT'S ONE PENNY HIGHER THAN OUR REGULAR RATE, BUT THE CUSTOMER IS BUYING INTO THE 35% OF RENEWABLES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR GENERATION.
HOW IS THAT BENEFITING THEM? WELL, THEY'RE PAY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, I GET IT, BUT THEY'RE PAYING MORE AND MOST OF OF THE CUSTOMERS THAT SIGN UP FOR IT WANNA SIGN UP FOR IT BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE IT'S THE ENVIRONMENTALLY RIGHT THING TO DO.
IS IT JUST A DONATION THEN, BASICALLY, ARE THEY GETTING ANY POWER RECOVERY FROM IT? NO.
SO IT IS JUST BASICALLY A DONATION PRETTY MUCH YES, SIR.
TO THE COST OF THE EQUIPMENT TO GENERATE THE POWER.
SO IN THEORY, OVER TIME, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ADD TO IT.
FORK OVER THAT EXTRA PENNY
AND, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL FINE AND GOOD.
UH, EXCEPT, UH, IF YOU HAVE A DAY WHERE THE SUN'S NOT SHINING AND THE WIND'S NOT BLOWING, YOU'RE GETTING ZERO
SO UNTIL THERE'S A VIABLE BATTERY BACKUP SYSTEM STORAGE, WHICH IS COMING, THEN UH, WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE TO HAVE FOSSIL FUEL.
FOSSIL FUEL GENERATION, NATURAL GAS.
WHERE DID YOU TALK ABOUT OUR RATES? A LITTLE BIT.
UM, YOU GUYS KNEW WHAT HAPPENED TWO ARIES AGO? UM, I'VE BEEN IN THE BUSINESS FOR, UM, FOR 18 YEARS, AND I'VE NEVER SEEN WEATHER LIKE THAT THAT WE HAD.
UH, WHEN YURI CAME THROUGH, UH, I WAS, UM, ON THE PHONE I FELT LIKE, FOR ABOUT THREE DAYS STRAIGHT WITH A LOT OF THOSE REALLY BIG CUSTOMERS THAT I TAKE CARE OF.
UM, AND JUST WANTING TO KNOW WHEN THE POWER IS GONNA BE BACK ON.
AND I FINALLY DETERMINED THAT, AND THIS WAS MY ANSWER.
I SAID, ONCE THE HIGH AND THE LOW IS ABOVE 32 DEGREES, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE ABLE TO GET YOU BACK ON.
BUT YOU KNOW HOW THAT WENT FROM THE 15TH, 16TH, 17TH.
IT WAS JUST, JUST ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.
UM, WE HAVE NOT RAISED OUR RATES SINCE THEN.
WE HAVE NOT RAISED OUR RATES SINCE.
IN 2006 WE STARTED TO COME DOWN AND WE'VE SLOWLY STARTED.
WE'VE, WE'VE NEVER GONE BACK UP.
SO THERE IS A, UM, UH, A WEBSITE CALLED POWER TO CHOOSE.ORG.
AND IF YOU LIVE IN A DEREGULATED AREA OR IF YOU LIVE IN A PART OF GARLAND THAT'S SERVED BY ENCORE, YOU CAN CHOOSE ANOTHER PROVIDER.
AND PART OF MY POWER TO CHOOSE POWER TO CHOOSE TWO OR T W O T W O, YES, MOST OF GARLAND, THAT DOESN'T AFFECT AT ALL, BUT YEAH, EXACTLY.
THE GREAT THING ABOUT THAT SITE IS YOU CAN SEE THAT ACTUALLY WE PAY LESS YEP.
THAN ANY OF THE ENCORE CUSTOMERS DO.
I, UM, ONCE A MONTH I PUT TOGETHER A,
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UM, A RATE COMPARISON THAT COMPARES GP AND L TO MOST ALL OF THE OTHER RETAIL ELECTRIC PROVIDERS.EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT IN COMPETITION, WE'RE COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY IT.
IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP OUR RATES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE AND RELIABLE.
AND, UH, EVER SINCE YURI HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO, GAS PRICES, NATURAL GAS PRICES HAVE GONE UP FROM $2 PER MMBTU TO OVER $7 PER MMBTU.
AND BECAUSE A LOT OF THE POWER PLANTS IN TEXAS STILL USE NATURAL GAS TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY, THAT'S MADE THE PRICE REALLY GO UP.
AND THESE REPS WILL FOLLOW THAT GAS MARKET, AND WE'VE STAYED THE SAME.
UH, OUR RATE AT 1500 HOURS IS A 9.91 CENTS, AND THE RATES ON POWER TO CHOOSE ARE ANYWHERE FROM 11.1 TO 18 CENTS PER KILOWATT HOUR.
UH, SO WE WE'RE LOOKING REALLY GOOD RIGHT NOW,
AND I'VE ALWAYS ASKED THAT YOU COMPARE IT TO ANYBODY ELSE.
AND I, I THINK PART OF, PART OF THE REASONING OR PART OF THAT MINDSET IS BECAUSE WE ARE A MUNICIPALITY AND WE, WE PROVIDE ALL THESE OTHER SERVICES, WATER, SEWER, TRASH PICKUP.
AND I, I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T REMEMBER THAT OR THINK ABOUT THAT WHEN THEY LOOK AT THAT BILL AND IT'S $300, UM, 200 MAYBE FOR ELECTRIC AND THE REST IS FOR EVERYTHING ELSE.
YOU'RE, I'M THINKING ABOUT $5 DIESEL FUEL.
AND, UM, I CAN TELL YOU TOO THAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING, UM, OUR SOLAR INITIATIVE LOOKED AT AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, WE'RE SEEING ELECTRIC CARS ARE REALLY COMING ON, SO WE WANNA FIND OUT IF ALL OF A SUDDEN IN 20 YEARS EVERY CAR THAT'S MADE IS ELECTRIC, THEN EVERY HOUSE IS GONNA HAVE AN ELECTRIC CHARGER.
AND MOST OF THE TIME THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT AT NIGHT.
WE MAY HAVE TO RECONDUCT, OR EXCUSE ME, CUZ ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE OVERLOADED IN CERTAIN AREAS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE DOING SOME STUDIES RIGHT NOW TO, TO FIND OUT HOW THAT'S GONNA AFFECT US BECAUSE IT, IT'S COMING, UH, YOU SEE, UH, FIVE YEARS AGO, SIX YEARS AGO, YOU VERY SELDOM SAW ELECTRIC VEHICLE COMMERCIAL.
NOW IT'S EVERY OTHER COMMERCIAL IS ELECTRIC YOU TO RUN IT AGAINST YOUR COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS BECAUSE MANY OF OUR, OUR WAREHOUSES USE ELECTRIC FORKLIFTS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE A JUMP AT NIGHT TOO.
DO YOU HAVE ANY NUMBERS TO INDICATE, LIKE IF YOU GOT, IF YOU WERE TO BUY AN ELECTRIC CAR PLUGGING IT IN? WHAT'S THAT? I MEAN, HOW MUCH OF A HIT TO YOUR ELECTRIC BILL, IS THAT GONNA BE A MONTH? 25, $50? NO, I, I SURE DON'T.
I, UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, EACH VEHICLE IS DIFFERENT NOW, AND I KNOW THAT MORE AND MORE VEHICLES ARE GETTING TO WHERE YOU CAN CHARGE 'EM IN THREE OR FOUR HOURS AND DRIVE 500 MILES ON 'EM ANYMORE.
THAT'S SOMETHING I CAN RE, I CAN LOOK INTO, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF WHAT THE COMPANY'S GONNA DO TO HELP US DETERMINE, BECAUSE THEY MAKE 120 VOLT CHARGERS AND THEY MAKE 240 VOLT CHARGERS, AND THOSE LARGER CHARGERS USE MORE POWER AND THEY'RE GONNA CHARGE IT QUICKER.
BUT, UH, IT'S GONNA BE INTERESTING TO SEE, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER, BUT PROBABLY 10 YEARS AGO, WE ACTUALLY HAD, AND WE WE MAY STILL HAVE A FEW, WE HAD QUITE A FEW ELECTRIC HYBRID VEHICLES HERE IN GARLAND, AND IT JUST, UM, WAS GAS PRICES THE WAY THEY ARE NOW, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE REALLY NOT GONNA SEE A, A TEXAN THAT DRIVES A SUBURBAN IS GONNA GO BUY AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE.
AND UNLESS GAS GETS SIX TO $8 A GALLON
WHAT ABOUT CHARGING STATION? I WAS ABOUT THAT.
I KNOW THERE'S PRIVATE COMPANIES THAT ARE BILLING CHARGING STATIONS.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY PLANS TO PUT ANY OF YOUR OWN IN? YES, YES.
WE ACTUALLY, WE ACTUALLY STILL HAVE SOME OVER HERE IN THE PARKING GARAGE.
THERE'S ABOUT FOUR, THERE'S ABOUT SIX CHARGING STATIONS INSIDE ON THE FIRST FLOOR, UH, RIGHT OVER THERE BY THE APARTMENTS.
I'M BACKWARDS THERE, BUT I, BUT A PART OF THAT, UH, APPROACH WILL BE LIKE THE BASS PRO SHOP HAS CHARGING STATIONS THAT WE INSTALLED.
WE PUT SOME AT THE LIBRARY, SO THERE, THERE'S GONNA BE PUBLIC CHARGING STATIONS.
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A LOT.I THINK ONCE YOU START LOOKING YEAH, THERE, THERE, THERE REALLY IS, IS THERE A LIST TO SOMETHING WHERE YOU COULD SEE WHERE THE CHARGING STATIONS ARE? THERE ARE TWO OR THREE S, ISN'T THERE AN APP? YEAH.
I USED TO USE ONE BECAUSE WE BOUGHT PROPANE VEHICLES, BUT ARE NOT A GOOD IDEA.
AND THEY'RE SUPER EXPENSIVE AFTER 10 YEARS, THE CAR, SO THE MONEY THAT YOU SAVE ON THE FUEL IS PRETTY WELL WASTED, ISN'T YOU? YEAH.
UM, I KNOW THAT TESLA HAS PUT CHARGING STATIONS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
YEAH, WE WERE, WE WERE AT, WE WERE IN WACO AT A BAKERY, UH, THERE'S A BIG BAKERY DOWN IN WEST, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF IT.
AND THEY HAD ABOUT EIGHT CHARGING STATIONS RIGHT IN A ROW.
ALL YOU WERE JUST DOWN IN SAN ANTONIO AND THERE WAS LIKE THREE HOTELS WHERE WE WERE STAYING AND YOU COULD SEE CHARGING STATIONS AT ALL OF THEM.
UM, IT'S ALREADY, UM, THE ELECTRIC CAR IS PRODUCING MORE AND, UH, THE OTHER CAR BECAUSE THERE'S NO CHIPS AVAILABLE NOW IN THE MARKET.
SO, SO THEY'RE NOW GOING TOWARDS TO EVERYTHING.
YOU WON'T GET ANY OTHER CARS,
NO, I WAS JUST SOLAR AND GARLAND.
WE AT, AT, AS WE SIT TODAY, THE LIMIT THAT WE HAVE IS 10 KW.
SO A LOT OF COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS AREN'T GONNA GET MUCH OF A BIG, MUCH BANG FOR THEIR BUCK FOR 10.
WE'VE HAD SOME CUSTOMERS TALK ABOUT, UH, PUTTING IT ON TOP OF, UM, PARKING STRUCTURES, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO, BUT 99.9% OF THE CUSTOMERS THAT CALL IN ARE RESIDENTIAL AND, UH, IT JUST KEEPS GETTING EVERY YEAR I THINK IT'S GONNA PEAK AS FAR AS HOW MANY WE'RE GETTING, BUT IT JUST KEEPS GOING.
THEY HAVE SOME FAIRLY DECEPTIVE PROGRAMS FOR THAT TOO, WHERE THEY'LL PUT SOLAR PANELS ON YOUR HOUSE AND YOU'RE BASICALLY RENTING THEM.
UH, WE, MY DAUGHTER WAS BUYING A HOUSE AND IT HAD SOLAR PANELS ON IT AND GOT TO THE CLOSING DOOR.
AND SO IT CREATED, THEY WALKED OFF, BUT IT CREATED A HUGE PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU'RE RENTING THOSE THINGS, SO IT'S GENERATING POWER FOR YOU, BUT YOU'RE STILL ARE PAYING FOR POWER TO THIS COMPANY, SO YOU'RE NEVER GONNA YEAH, EXACTLY.
EVEN WE, WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD SOME SITUATIONS WHERE, UM, WE'VE HAD ROOFER ROOFING COMPANIES ALL OF A SUDDEN BECOME SOLAR COMPANIES.
WE MIGHT AS WELL PUT SOLAR PANELS UP AND WE'VE HAD SOME, AS, AS WITH EVERYTHING IN LIFE.
YOU'VE GOT YOUR POSITIVES AND YOUR NEGATIVES.
SUNPRO IS ONE OF THEM I HAVE WITH SUNPRO AND THEY HAVE ROOFING ALSO SUNPRO MM-HMM.
AND WE'VE HAD SOME CUSTOMERS CALL JUST REALLY BESIDE THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY GOT, UM, SOLD A BILL OF GOODS, IF YOU WILL, UM, PUT UP FIVE FIVES, 10 PANELS, AND YOU WON'T HAVE TO HAVE GP AND L ANYMORE.
AND, UH, THAT'S NOT, I'VE HAD SOMEBODY STAND IN MY LIVING ROOM AND SAY THAT.
AND, UH, I'VE GOT THREE, FIVE TON AIR CONDITIONERS ON MY HOUSE.
YOU'D HAVE HAVE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF ACRES.
LET'S, LET'S GO OVER AND LOOK AT THIS ONE.
HOW MANY PANELS FOR THIS ONE? WE FIGURED LIKE 70 PANELS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO RUN AC.
JUST THE AC THAT'S A LITTLE PRICEY.
SO THESE COMPANIES THAT TELL YOU YOU'LL, THERE'S NO OUT OF POCKET COST, THAT'S JUST A COME ON, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
YOU'LL BE PAYING THEM FOR THE POWER.
I MEAN, UH, FOR THE, WE, I'VE BEEN APPROACHED BY SOME COMPANIES THAT WANT TO COME IN AND BUILD SOLAR FARMS MM-HMM.
UM, I HAVEN'T RUN ACROSS ANY OF WHERE THEY'VE GOT US, UM, LIKE A SINGLE LOCATION, A SINGLE HOUSEHOLD WHERE THEY COME IN AND SAY, WE WANT YOU TO RENT THE PANELS.
MOST ALL THAT WE'VE SEEN, THE CUSTOMERS ARE ACTUALLY PAYING FOR THE PANELS.
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SO THEY'LL PUT 'EM ON FOR ZERO DOWN, BUT THEN YOU PAY, BUT THEN FIXED AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY PAYING FOR ELECTRICITY TO THE SOLAR COMPANY UNTIL SOME MAGIC HAPPENS AND YOU DON'T OWE 'EM ANYMORE.IS IT MORE OR LESS THAN THE SAME? IT'S YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT SAVING ANYTHING UNLESS YOU ARE PAYING PAID OFF THE INSTALLMENT.
ONCE YOU PAID OFF THE INSTRUMENT.
SO THAT ZERO COST TO, TO INSTALL IS, IS NOT TRUE.
RIGHT NOW I'M PAYING $40 FOR, THERE'S A COUPLE COMPANIES THAT ARE USING THE DITCH WILL INSTALL IT FOR FREE, FOR CENTRAL AND WE'LL USE YOUR HOME AS A MODEL, AS AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS, AND THEN YOU WON'T HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING FOR IT.
I MEAN, I LISTEN TO THIS GUY FOR 20 MINUTES, I'M LIKE, THIS JUST DOESN'T TO SOUND RIGHT.
NO, THAT, UH, I MEAN, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY EXPENSIVE.
I MEAN, IT'S, UH, YOU GOTTA BE REALLY CAREFUL AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF, UH, UM, SENIOR CITIZENS THAT HAVE BEEN CONVINCED, UH, TO, TO GO A CERTAIN ROUTE AND, AND IT JUST DIDN'T END UP BEING WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO, BUT THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN, UH, IT'S ON THE ROOF AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.
SO THEY'RE LIKE A LIST OR SOMETHING FOR LIKE REPUTABLE COMPANIES? OR HOW DO YOU EDUCATE CONSUMERS ABOUT LIKE THE PROTOCOL, THE PROCESS? YEAH.
WE, ON OUR WEBSITE, WE'VE GOT, UM, A PRETTY INTENSIVE, UM, PROCESS THAT THESE COMPANIES HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO GET CERTIFIED.
AND, UH, WE, WE WALK 'EM THROUGH AND WE'RE WITH THEM ALL, ALL THROUGH THE PROCESS.
THEY HAVE TO GET A ELECTRICAL PERMIT MM-HMM.
AND, UH, IF YOU GO TO GP AND L.ORG AND, AND UH, LOOK UNDER RESIDENTIAL AND ENERGY SAVING PROGRAMS, YOU'LL FIND OUR, OUR SOLAR, UH, PROCESSES IN THERE.
BUT WE ACTUALLY SEND OUT, UM, SKILLED ELECTRICIANS, OR NOT ELECTRICIANS, OUR, OUR METER TECHS THAT WORK FOR GP AND L ONCE THE CUSTOMER IS GREEN TAGGED BY THE CITY BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO HAVE A DISCONNECT.
UH, WHAT HAPPENS IS IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE A STORM AND THEY'RE OUT THERE, THERE HAS TO BE AN AUTOMATIC DISCONNECT THAT SHUTS.
IF, IF YOU LOSE POWER IN A CERTAIN AREA AND YOU'RE SITTING HERE AND YOU HAVE SOLAR AND YOUR SOLAR STAYS ON MM-HMM.
SO WE CERTIFIED THAT THEY HAVE A SWITCH THAT AUTOMATICALLY SHUTS THE SYSTEM OFF IF THERE'S AN OUTAGE.
IN THE AREA, THEN IT AUTOMATICALLY ON TOO.
ONCE THE POWER IS RESTORED FROM GP AND L IT AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHES THE SOLAR SYSTEM BACK ON.
SO, WELL, SOLAR CUSTOMERS DID NOT BENEFIT FROM THE WINTER STORM.
YOUR HOUSE CAN RUN ON THE BATTERIES, BUT YOU ALWAYS HAVE POWER FLOWING BACK OUT.
IT'S, IT'S ANOTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION TOO.
UM, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UM, THE WINTER STORM THAT WE HAD AND, AND, AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAD A LOT OF CUSTOMERS THAT WERE OUT FOR SOME TIME AND THIS WAS ALL OVER THE STATE.
UM, SOME CUSTOMERS WERE GOING AND, AND PURCHASING THIS SMALL GAS GENERATORS.
AND, AND THE ONLY THING ABOUT IT, THE, YOU GOTTA BE REALLY CAREFUL WITH THOSE BECAUSE A LOT OF CUSTOMERS WERE PUTTING THEM IN THEIR, I SAY A LOT OF CUSTOMER, THEY WERE, YOU'RE, IF, IF ITS FREEZING OUTSIDE, YOU'RE JUST GONNA PUT IT IN THE GARAGE, BUT IT'S LIKE RUNNING YOUR CAR IN THE GARAGE.
UM, ME PERSONALLY, IF I LIVED OUT WAY OUT IN THE COUNTRY SOMEWHERE, I THINK I'D INSTALL A WHOLE HOUSE GENERATOR THAT, THAT, UM, IS WIRED STRAIGHT INTO THE HOME.
PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO USE LIKE A C PAP OR A IPAD MACHINE.
SO I HAVE A FEW GENERATORS, BUT I HAD TO RUN A SMALL ONE JUST FOR THAT.
BUT YOU GOTTA HAVE THAT THING GOING THERE.
YOU START GAGGING IN YOUR SLEEP.
LOT OF, LOT OF LESSONS LEARNED, UH, FROM WHAT HAPPENED.
I LEARNED THAT WE, A FEW YEARS BEFORE WE HAD SOME POLES KNOCKED DOWN OVER ON WIND JOYCE, AND WE WERE WITHOUT POWER FOR ABOUT A WEEK, AND I LEARNED HOW TO FEED MY GENERATORS INTO THE PANELS.
AND, AND THEN I WOULD JUST SHUT OFF EVERYTHING BUT THE REFRIGERATOR AND IT WOULD HAD ENOUGH POWER TO RUN THE REFRIGERATOR.
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SO WE HAD REFRIGERATOR, INTERNET, BATHROOM LIGHTS AND, AND HOT WATER, ALL THE MAIN STUFF, YOU KNOW MM-HMM.MY MY MOTHER WAS INVITING PEOPLE OVER
AND THEN I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE LABOR WOULD BE TO GET IT INSTALLED TO WIRE IT IN.
AND THOSE ARE THE SYSTEMS THAT AUTOMATICALLY COME ON AND BRING THE HOUSE UP.
IT'S LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, SOME PEOPLE ARE WAITING, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS.
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THAT TO COME OUT FOR FIVE YEARS.
IT AIN'T GONNA
BUT THAT'S, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO PREPARE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, WE'VE ONLY GOT SO MUCH GENERATION IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND WE'VE GOT SO MANY PEOPLE MOVING TO TEXAS AND YOU CAN'T KEEP 'EM FROM DOING THAT.
AND TO PREPARE FOR THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE, WHERE IT ONLY HAPPENS ONCE EVERY FEW YEARS.
YOU MAYBE, MAYBE YOU HAVE A PEAKER PLANT THAT YOU BUILD, BUT THOSE COST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
AND IF I'M GOING OUT AND TRYING TO FIND INVESTORS TO BUILD A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR POWER PLANT THAT'S ONLY GONNA BE USED A FEW HOURS A YEAR, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO CONVINCE ANYONE TO DO THAT.
UH, ONE OF THE PROGRAMS, AND I'LL, I'LL BE DONE AFTER THIS.
ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT IRCO, I'M SURE EVERYONE KNOWS WHO IRCO IS AFTER FEBRUARY, UM, ERCOT HAS WHAT'S CALLED THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICE PROGRAM.
AND THEY WILL PAY COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS TO SHUT DOWN SHED LOAD IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.
AND I'VE GOT ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN REALLY LARGE CUSTOMERS THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT PROGRAM.
AND, UH, THEY ACTUALLY GET PAID TO, UH, TO SHED LOAD IN AN EMERGENCY SITU SITUATION.
AND THEY GET PAID EVEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE TO.
SO THEY CONTINUE GET TO GET CHECKS TO BE ON STANDBY.
AND OUR BUILDING, DUCKWORTH BUILDING'S GOT A 500 KW GENERATOR.
WE'VE GOT IT ON THE PROGRAM, AND THEY ACTUALLY TESTED US TODAY.
SO THE GENERATOR CAME ON TODAY, IT RAN FOR 45 MINUTES.
ERCOT SENDS THE NOTICE OUT AND THEY TRY TO, AND, AND IT'S A SURPRISE TEST.
YOU SAY YOU'RE GONNA DO IT, WE NEED YOU TO PROVE IT.
AND THEN, SO TOMORROW I'LL GO AND READ THE METERS AND SEND IT TO ERCOT AND THEY'LL TELL ME WHETHER OR NOT I'M GOOD FOR THE PROGRAM FOR THE NEXT, FOR THE NEXT PERIOD.
IT REALLY NEEDS TO, YOU, YOU EITHER BUILD MORE GENERATION, WHICH IS VERY HARD TO DO RIGHT NOW, OR YOU GET CUSTOMERS TO SHED LOAD, BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT IT.
BUT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF LAND LEFT TO BE BUILT IN THIS STUFF.
SO THANK THAT IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE THIS EVENING.
UH, YOU GUYS HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I'VE GOT SOME CARDS IN CASE YOU WANT MY CARD AND YOU CAN EMAIL ME AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I, ONCE AGAIN, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL HAVING ME IN.
YEAH, IF YOU WANNA LEAVE YOUR CARD TO THE MICHELLE, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD OKAY.
YOU, IF YOU CAN GET ELON MUSK, MUSK TO FUND A BATTERY FOR YOU, YOU'LL BE IN GOOD SHAPE, RIGHT? WHAT'S THAT? YOU GET ELON MUSK TO BUILD A DYNAMO? NO.
HE'S GOT THE MONEY DOESN'T HE
AT LEAST HE ACTS LIKE HE DOES.
HE'LL BE THE ONE THAT COMES UP WITH ME THOUGH.
I THINK WE'RE READY FOR PARKS.
LOOKED AROUND LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
I'M SORRY, WHAT A FLASH DRIVE.
I THOUGHT MAYBE I COULD PLUG IT IN, UH, TO THIS.
SO YEAH, JUST A REALLY QUICK POWERPOINT.
SO NO, LEARNED THAT FROM MY GRANDDAUGHTER? NO, NO.
SAY IT LIKE SHE THE BEST AT IT.
WHEN DID YOU GET YOUR SOLAR PANEL? WHEN DID YOU GET THEM? ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I WORKED WITH THE CITY GALLERY AND PARKS DEPARTMENT IN THE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT DIVISION.
UM, BEEN HERE ALMOST A YEAR, COMING
[00:35:01]
IN FROM APRIL 25TH, I BELIEVE.SO, UM, QUICK FACT, I FROM LOUISIANA, I'VE BEEN IN TEXAS FOR 12 YEARS.
I STILL HAVE THE SAME AREA CODE, CELL PHONE,
SO IF YOU SEE SOMEONE CALLING, WHAT'S THE AREA CODE? 3 37.
I KNOW WHERE YOU AT? LAKE CHARLES.
UM, SO IF YOU SEE THAT POP UP, IT'S, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M THE ONLY ONE IN THE CITY THAT HAS THAT, BUT I LIKE TO THINK I DO.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, IT'S BEEN PRETTY BUSY OVER HERE AT PARKS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE BOND, THE BOND ISSUE, I BELIEVE IT WAS 2019, I BELIEVE.
UM, THAT WAS A REALLY BIG SHOP IN THE ARM FOR A LOT OF PROJECTS AND A LOT OF THINGS WERE OVERDUE, UH, THROUGHOUT GARLAND, YOU KNOW, ALL THE PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS.
SOME OF 'EM HAD BEEN BUILT IN THE EIGHTIES AND, UH, REALLY JUST NEEDED A GOOD ALL OF UPDATE OVERALL, TAKE 'EM OUT, REDO.
AND, UH, SO IN ADDITION, THE PLAYGROUNDS, WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, RESTROOM CONCESSION BUILDINGS THAT ARE AGAIN, REALLY DATED.
UM, WE HAVE, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THOSE, THOSE IN A BIT MORE DETAIL, BUT, UM, THOSE ARE GONNA BE AT BASEBALL FIELDS, FOOTBALL FIELDS, UM, SOME OF THE PARKS THAT WE'RE DOING, A LOT OF THE, UM, PARKING LOTS ALSO ARE KIND OF RELATED TO THE CONCESSION RESTROOM BUILDINGS AS WELL.
UM, KINDA A NEAT THING ABOUT THESE RESTROOM CONCESSION BUILDINGS.
THEY'RE BUILT IN LAS VEGAS COMPLETELY IN A INSIDE A WAREHOUSE AND THEY'RE LOADED.
WENT TO THE BACK OF A FLAT BAG TRUCK AND DRIVEN ALL THE WAY TO HERE AND SORT OF LIKE A, LIKE A MOBILE HOME, BUT IT'S CMU STRUCTURE AND THEY WEIGH LIKE 50,000 POUNDS A PIECE AND OFTENTIMES THEY'RE IN FOUR DIFFERENT SECTIONS, FOUR OR FIVE, THEY PICK 'EM UP AND CRANE 'EM IN.
UM, IT'S KINDA A NEAT APPROACH TO DO THAT.
SO IT'S FULLY BUILT, PLUMBING'S INCLUDED DRYWALL AND TILE.
SO, UM, SO IN ADDITION TO THE, UH, RESTROOM CONCESSIONS, WE HAVE THE PARK EIGHT PARKING LOTS, RANGER GRANGER AND CENTRAL PARK.
A LOT OF THESE, UH, PARKING LOTS HAD BEEN ASPHALT AND THEY HAD JUST REALLY DEGRADED POTHOLES ALL OVER.
AND, UH, WERE GOING IN AND BASICALLY REDOING ALL OF THEM NEW CONCRETE ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPOTS, SAFE LIGHTING, YOU KNOW, INTRODUCING NEW LIKE, UH, I THINK IT SAID 20 FOOT POLE OR MAYBE THE 30 FOOT POLES REALLY KIND OF BRINGING THAT SENSE OF SAFETY FOR A LOT OF THESE PARKS.
UM, UH, WE HAVE FOUR SPLASH PADS.
THREE OF THEM ARE IN, UM, THE BIDDING STAGE ACTUALLY RIGHT NOW.
EMRE PARK, LAWN WIND, WATSON PARK.
UH, THE FOURTH ONE BEING IT'S NOT OUT FORBID YET.
I THINK IT'S PROBABLY ANOTHER YEAR AND A HALF OR TWO.
UH, THERE'S GONNA BE ONE AT RICK OEN PARK.
SO RICK OEN IS, UH, BECOMING A REALLY LARGE AREA.
THERE'S GOING TO BE ALL HUGE AMOUNT OF FEATURES FOR THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
UM, I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF THE SKATE PARK.
UM, THAT'S, THAT WAS COMPLETED JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS, THE SKATE PARK ITSELF, AND IT'S DRAWN SO MANY PEOPLE COMING IN TRYING TO GET INTO THE JOB SITE.
AND UH, THE CONTRACTOR HAS PLACED AT LEAST 15 SIGNS THAT'S SKATE PARK'S CLOSED.
BUT EVERY DAY I'M OUT THERE, THERE'S SOMEONE, SOMEONE COMING IN AND ASKING IF IT'S OPEN, BUT, UH, IT'S KIND OF THE HABIT OF, YOU KNOW, PLEASE REFER TO THE SIGN AND, YOU KNOW, BE POLITE AS YOU CAN BE.
BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOUR TIMES THAT WEEK.
SO
WELL, THE, UH, THEY'RE THE, UH, THE AVENUE H STREET SCAPE JUST AROUND THE DOG PARK WAS COMPLETED.
I THINK IT WAS RIGHT AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME.
THAT ONE, UM, I DON'T RECALL WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE BEFORE, BUT, UM, THIS ONE REALLY PROVIDED A LOT OF PARKING AND STREET LIGHT STREET LIGHTING.
I THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY NEEDED FOR THAT AREA.
UM, NOW THE DOG PARK IS COMPLETED, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING, WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY INTRODUCE A SHADE STRUCTURE IN THE CENTER OF THE DOG PARK DESIGN PENDING, BUT, UM, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE BECAUSE IT VIA IT NICE AMENITY IF YOU'RE OUT THERE WITH YOUR DOG.
AND, UM, JUST TO HAVE THAT COVERAGE FROM THE SUN.
SO, UM, BUT I DIDN'T WORK IN THE DOG PARK, BUT I KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.
SO, UM, RICK OING, AGAIN, JUST, WE HAVE A REALLY COOL INTENT AND IT'S GONNA BE BASEBALL FIELDS, PLAYGROUNDS, SPLASH PADS, OF COURSE, A HUGE SKATE PARK.
I THINK THE SKATE PARK IS 44,000 SQUARE
[00:40:01]
FOOT, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST ONES.UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IN NATIONWIDE, BUT IN TEXAS AT LEAST, IT'S QUITE LARGE.
I THINK, UH, I HAVE HEARD WHEN THAT DALLAS MAY BE WANTING TO DO SOMETHING.
SO WE MAY HAVE TO INFLATE OUR NUMBERS FROM 44 TO LIKE 50 OR SOMETHING.
UM, SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE SOME REC CENTERS, HOLFORD, UH, THAT'S IN THE DESIGN PHASE.
UH, SENIOR CENTER GAL FIELDS AND BOB DAY TENNIS CENTER, UH, ALSO THE TUCKER TENNIS CENTER OFF OF, I BELIEVE IT'S 66 SOMETHING, 66 BY A MICRO PACK.
UH, SO, UH, THAT A LOT OF THESE ARE EITHER UNDER CONSTRUCTION, BUT BOB DAY IS GONNA BE A REALLY NICE, UH, TENNIS CENTER.
IT'S GONNA BE, UH, PICKABLE AND TENNIS WHERE THEY CAN HOLD COMPETITIONS OR HIGH SCHOOL, EVEN SEMI-PROFESSIONAL TYPE STUFF.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY NEAT, UM, PROJECT ONCE IT GETS GOING.
UH, WE'RE STILL IN THE DESIGN PHASE WITH THAT, BUT IT'S COMING TOGETHER.
UH, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION, I HAVEN'T LISTED HERE, BUT WE HAVE, I GUESS, NUMEROUS TRAIL PROJECTS, UM, UH, PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE PROJECTS ALONG DUCK CREEK.
I'VE SEEN THERE'S ONE ALONG CENTERVILLE, UH, THAT MARK IS YOUR POWERPOINT ON? DO YOU HAVE A POWERPOINT YOU'RE ON RIGHT NOW? OH, I WAS LOOKING AT IT THE WHOLE TIME.
GOOD THING I, I I DIDN'T MOVE ONE SLIDE.
YOU JUST HAVE TO HIT THE, UM, THE PRESENTATION BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM.
SO YOU'VE DONE THIS BEFORE? YEAH, I THOUGHT I WAS READY TO GO TOO.
OH, CUZ YOU'VE GOT IT AS A PDF.
I HAVE IT, UH, IN A POWERPOINT AS WELL.
YEAH, IF YOU OPEN THAT IN POWERPOINT.
I'M SO GLAD I BROUGHT THE POWERPOINT.
AND IF YOU COULD FANCY AND PUT NOTES AT THE BOTTOM, IT'LL ONLY SHOW YOU GOT TECH SKILLS.
OH, I DIDN'T GET THE NOTES PART I WISH DID.
OKAY, SO THEN YOU SAID THAT LITTLE BINGO.
ALL RIGHT, THANKS FOR SAYING THAT.
HE WAS RUNNING AROUND AND LOOKING AT YOUR SCREEN, RIGHT.
SO I JUST PUT TOGETHER REALLY QUICK, UH, WINE KING SUMMARIZING SLIDE FOR EACH OF THESE KIND OF CATEGORIES.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW CURRENTLY WE HAVE HALL HUFF, DOUGLAS OAKS BRANCH, DOUG CREEK, DORFMAN, BISBEE, GR WHITE CALL AND PV OPEN.
UM, SO I STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND HALL PARK, UH, WAS, IT WAS ABOUT A MONTH INTO MY JOB AND THAT ONE HAD FINISHED.
SO ALL OF THESE OTHER PLAYGROUNDS, UH, WE HAVE 25 IN TOTAL THAT ARE GOING TO BE EVENTUALLY COMPLETED AND PERHAPS IN THE NEXT BOND ISSUES COULD BE MORE, BUT THEY REALLY, UH, SPEAK TO A NEED OF HAVING A LOT OF, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD INVOLVEMENT.
A LOT OF THESE AREAS, SOME WERE JUST SIMPLY A FIELD, SOME WERE REALLY DEGRADED IN PLAYGROUND STRUCTURES.
SO REALLY BEING ABLE TO INTRODUCE REALLY COOL FEATURES AND, YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS YOUNG, YOU KNOW, FROM TWO TO 12 OR WHATEVER AGE IS REALLY EXCITING TO KIND OF GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUTSIDE AND KIND OF GET AWAY FROM THE IPADS.
AND, UM, I TELL MY SON ALL THE TIME ABOUT THE IPAD, SO IT'S
SO I THINK IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO BE INVOLVED ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, SO IN ADDITION TO ALL THOSE, WE HAVE, UH, THE PLAYGROUNDS THAT WERE DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS.
UH, FIRST GROUP BEING THE ONE THAT'S CURRENTLY OPEN.
UM, SECOND GROUP, ALAMO WINTERS, MEADOW CREEK ROSS, AND INDEPENDENCE.
SO I GET CALLS A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE ASKING, WHAT ARE WE DOING AT ROSS PARK? AND THE PLAYGROUND IS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE BIG SIGN THAT HAS THE PHOTO OF THE PLAYGROUND THAT PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED WITH, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS WHAT ARE WE DOING? SO WE, IT'S ALWAYS KIND OF NEAT TO KIND OF SHOW 'EM, SEND 'EM THE RENDERING AND YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD SO FAR THAT PEOPLE DO APPRECIATE IT.
BUT I COULD UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT SOMETHING NEW COMING INTO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S BEEN THERE FOR QUITE A WHILE.
SO, UM, AND ULTIMATELY A PACKAGE THREE, WHICH SHOULD BE STARTING, I BELIEVE IN SOMETIME IN MAY, UH, WOULD PICK UP THE LAST OF THESE PLAYGROUNDS.
[00:45:01]
UM, SO A LOT OF THESE PLAYGROUNDS ALSO HAVE PARKING LOTS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE AS WELL.SO WE HAVE A LOT OF CONTRACTOR COORDINATION HAPPENING WITH THAT.
SO, UH, HERE'S A FEW EXAMPLES OF COUPLE OF COMPLETED PROJECTS.
THIS WAS SIMPLY JUST A, I THINK IT HAD A SMALL PLAYGROUND, BUT NOT A LOT.
UM, THIS IS A NOW A THREE STORY LEVEL KIND OF ROCKETSHIP STYLE, UH, BEING.
AND A LOT OF THE PLAYGROUNDS, EACH ONE, EACH, ALL OF THE 25 PLAYGROUNDS ARE ALL DIFFERENT.
WE ALL EACH HAVE THEIR OWN THEME AND, UM, RANGING FROM SPACE AND SOME OR ANIMALS.
UH, WE HAVE A BIG LINE SCULPTURE AT DORSMAN PARK, UM, THAT REPLACED THE PLAYGROUND FROM, I THINK, UH, THE LATE SEVENTIES I BELIEVE IT WAS.
UM, SO IT'S REALLY JUST MAKING REALLY COOL FEATURES AND HOPING THAT KIDS COME OUT AND ENJOY THESE AND GIVE THEM REALLY CHANCE TO KIND OF GET OUTSIDE AND KIND OF EXPLORE AND USE IMAGINATION AND EVERYTHING.
UM, SO THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF 'EM THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
SOME THAT ARE AWAITING, UH, CONSTRUCTION OR THIS IS AT SPRING CREEK GREEN BELT.
UM, SO THE OVERALL THEME IS THEY GET THEY HEAD, THEY GOT THE RIBCAGE AND THE TELL IS A LITTLE BIT OVER THERE AND CAN'T REALLY TELL.
BUT, UM, IT'S JUST REALLY NEAT.
AND A LOT OF THE SURFACING IS, IT'S EITHER WOOD FIBER SURFACING OR IT'S PORT IN PLACE SURFACING.
UM, SO IT REALLY GIVES THAT IMPACT PROTECTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE TIMES IT'S DRIVEN BY THE COST, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH POUR IN PLACE THERE IS.
UH, BUT PLAYGROUNDS, WE HAVE REALLY, UH, ONE IN ALAMO PLAYGROUND, ALAMO PARK IS GONNA BE POUR IN PLACE.
THAT'S A REALLY EXPANSIVE PORTION OF POUR IN PLACE.
SO IT'S TRULY NEAT AND, YOU KNOW, IT, UH, IT'D BE GREAT JUST TO HAVE THE KIDS TO, YOU KNOW, KINDA WALK AND FEEL SAFE ABOUT GOING INTO THESE PLAYGROUNDS WITH THAT.
WHERE IS THAT SPRING CREEK GREEN BUILT AREA? UH, LET'S SEE.
THIS ONE IS, I THINK IT'S OFF OF, MAYBE OFF OF DUCK CREEK.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I TRY TO GET OUT AS MUCH AS I CAN WITH REGARDLESS, BUT, UM, THERE'S SOME AREAS WHERE IT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT, I KNOW IT STRETCHES IT'S YEAH, RIGHT PORTION BY SPRING CREEK.
BY HOPE BETWEEN HOLFORD AND GARLAND ROAD AND THEN DOWN BY HALF PARK.
AND THEN I WAS WONDERING IF THAT WAS A, I THINK THIS ONE MAY BE ACROSS FROM WINTERS, MAYBE.
AND THAT AREA, THAT'S WHERE I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIKE A LITTLE RIGHT DOWN THE HILL.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE THIS ONE IS.
BUT I THINK THERE'S LIKE DUCK CREEK.
BUT I THINK THIS PARTICULAR ONE'S ACROSS FROM WINTERS.
EVEN BEFORE I HAD THIS MEETING, I HAD A LITTLE MAP ON THE TOP RIGHT CORNER.
IT'S LIKE, I'M NOT GONNA NEED THAT.
SO THIS IS JUST A FEW, UH, EXAMPLES FOR THE, UM, PLAYGROUND.
SO MOVING ON, THESE ARE THE, UH, RESTROOM CONCESSION BUILDINGS.
THIS IS ONE OF THE, UH, PANELS, OR NOT PANELS, BUT BUILDING BLOCKS OF HIS BELT, LAS VEGAS.
ALL I HAVE TO DO IS BRING IT INTO THE SITE.
UM, A LOT OF COORDINATION WITH THE, UH, LARGE CRANE THEY HAVE, CUZ YOU HAVE THE RADIUS ARM, UH, MAKING SURE YOU, UH, HAVE GOOD CLEARANCE FROM UTILITIES AND TREES AND WHATNOT.
BUT, UM, WE HAVE FIVE IN TOTAL AS NOW, UH, CENTRAL PARK BASEBALL AND FOOTBALL.
HOLFORD, BRADFIELD, AUDUBON PARK.
WE, UH, ALSO HAD TWO MORE AT RICK ODEN, UM, WHICH YOU'RE NOT ON HERE JUST YET, BUT, UH, IT'S FROM A COMPANY CALLED PRC PUBLIC RESTROOM COMPANY.
SO THEY MAKE REALLY GOOD QUALITY MATERIALS IN, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY NEAT.
SO ARE, HOW ARE THOSE ANCHORED? SO THERE'S A, A CONCRETE FOUNDATION THAT'S POURED A FEW WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME.
UM, AND THEN THE BUILDINGS ARE DROPPED ONTO IT AND THEY ARE SHUNNED IF THEY NEED TO NEED TO BE SHOWNED, BUT THEN THEY'RE SIMPLY JUST BOLTED INTO THE FOUNDATION.
AND THE, THE ONE AT CENTRAL BASEBALL, THE FOUNDATION WAS 30 INCHES DEEP, UM, BY 18 ACROSS WHICH QUITE LARGE.
UM, IT'S REALLY TRICKY BECAUSE, UH, BRADFIELD, THE, THE BUILDING IS, UH, IT'S A RECTANGLE AND IT'S, I BELIEVE AROUND 60 FEET IN LENGTH.
SO THE RECTANGULAR FOUNDATION HAS TO BE PERFECTLY LEVEL, WHICH IS SOMEWHAT TRICKY TO DO IF IT'S, I MEAN, SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE LAY THROUGHS OUT AND YOU'RE
[00:50:01]
SURVEYING.YOU DON'T WANT THE, THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON CREW.
YOU WANT THE, ARE PEOPLE ONE IN CHARGE OF RICK O PARK? I AM WORKING WITH, UH, AECOM IS, UH, THE PM ON, UH, SOME OF THESE PROJECTS.
UM, BUT UM, IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DIVISION, I'M, I'M AT RICK ODEN WORKING WITH, I THINK YOU, WERE YOU INVITED TO OUR ORCHARD HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, ANNUAL MEETING? I WAS NOT.
WERE ARE YOU ONE THAT'S GONNA BE GONE TO A CONFERENCE ON APRIL THE 21ST? I AM GOING WITH ZED IN OUR, YEAH.
THAT'S WHY YOU WEREN'T INVITED.
YEAH, HE'S GONNA COME TALK TO US.
BUT WE WERE HOPING TO GET, UH, WHAT'S THE NEXT IS I ZIZI? UH, WE WERE HOPING HE WOULD COME CAUSE HE GAVE A PRESENTATION TO US LAST YEAR.
BUT THAT WAS BEFORE YOU CAME TO THE CITY.
WE'RE GOING TO A CONFERENCE IN SAN ANTONIO OF FOR, BUT THIS IS APRIL THE 21ST.
AND SO THAT'S OR NIGHT OF OUR MEETING.
WHAT TIME IS THAT ON THE 21ST? LIKE EVENING TIME? THURSDAY NIGHT AT SEVEN O'CLOCK.
SEE WHAT TIME THAT ENDS, BUT YEAH.
WELL IF I CAN'T MAKE THIS ONE, WELL I ASKED MATT IF HE HAD A SUGGESTION, SO FINALLY HE DECIDED HE WOULD COME.
AND I THINK, MARK, ARE YOU GUYS, AREN'T YOU GUYS IN INSTALL ON ONE OF THESE HERE DOWNTOWN? OH, YES.
SO I IMAGINE I'M WORKING ON THAT ONE RIGHT NOW TOO.
SO, UH, WE'RE, THAT'S GOING TO BE BY THE BOY SCOUTS BUILDING AND I BELIEVE YOU SEE TO BE, UH, AND THEN THE ALLEY, RIGHT? SO I THINK THERE WAS A PIZZA PLACE MAYBE.
YEAH, RIGHT BEHIND THE, UH, IT'S BEHIND THE HOUSE.
SO THAT DG, THAT DG GRANTED AREA LAND THERE.
I'M SORRY, THE CITY BUY THAT LAND THERE.
YEAH, WELL THEY'VE OWNED THAT FOR, IT'S, I'M NOT SURE WHEN THEY PURCHASED IT, BUT IT WAS, YEAH, IT IS PART OF THE CITY.
ONE OF THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS GUYS WAS TRYING TO SELL THAT SLOT.
WELL LIKE IT'S THE ONE WHERE THE PORTA POTTIES USED TO BE THAT TRAILER.
YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD ABOUT THOSE.
I HAD NEVER GOT THE CHANCE TO SEE THEM WORK A LOT OF FESTIVALS.
WELL, BECAUSE THEY'RE AIR CONDITIONED, RIGHT, RIGHT.
SO, YOU KNOW, IN TEXAS, UH,
THEY HAVE AIR CONDITIONED POTTIES.
IT, MY ADVICE TO THE CITY WOULD MAKE 'EM LADIES ROOM ONLY
WELL, I KNOW THIS ONE HAS A HIGH CAPACITY, UH, UH, I GUESS OCCUPANCY.
SO IT'S, IT'S MORE THAN THE OTHER ONES THAT YOU SEE HERE.
I THINK THE ONE DOWNTOWN WILL BE PROBABLY TWICE THE SIZE AS THE USUAL ONES.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE BUILT IN.
IT'S GONNA HAVE TO HAVE GOOD PLUMBING.
SO, UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS, THAT ONE DOWNTOWN'S GONNA BE, UH, BIT MORE ENHANCED THAN THE ONE YOU SEE HERE.
IT'S HAD LIKE A STILL ROOF, BUT TO MIMIC TERRACOTTA ROOF TILES.
UM, HAVE, IT'S GONNA HAVE TRELLIS SCREENS AND BRICK AND, UM, TILE WORK ON THE EXTERIOR.
THESE, UH, THESE ARE NICE AS WELL, BUT THE INTENT FOR IS FOR THESE TO KIND OF BLEND INTO THE AREA.
SO, UM, BUT THE DOWNTOWN RESTROOM IS, I BELIEVE THAT ONE IS GOING TO BE INSTALLED IN AUGUST.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF UTILITIES TO, ARE THEY AIR CONDITIONED? THEY'RE NOT.
UH, THAT'S A GREAT TIME TO BE INSTALLED.
BUT THEY DO HAVE VINCE AND UH, I THINK I ASKED, UH, WHEN I FIRST STARTED ABOUT AIR CONDITIONING, BUT THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE JUST STAYING A LITTLE TOO LONG IN THE EVENING.
I MEAN, I WOULD, I'D HANG OUT, SEE IF IT'S THAT HOT TOO.
I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF COOL PHOTOS ABOUT THE PARKING LOTS, BUT I THINK YOU KIND OF CAN PICTURE, UM, SOME OF THESE.
I THINK, UH, THIS ONE WAS ASPHALT AT ONE TIME AND UH, IT LOOKS LIKE O'BANION OVER THERE, DOESN'T IT? OH, O'BANION.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY PHOTOS OF THAT ONE, BUT, WELL THAT'S CENTRAL.
THIS IS CENTRAL GRA YEAH, BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE OLD CHURCH ACROSS THE STREET.
SO, UH, THIS ONE WAS TAKEN OUT A PORTION OR JUST ABOUT ALL OF IT, BUT MAINTAINING THE, UH, ADA STALLS FOR THIS PARTICULAR ONE.
SO, UM, ONCE THEY GET GOING WITH THAT ASPHALT PAVING JUST POPS UP WITHIN A DAY AND THEN YOU CAN REALLY SEE THE BIG DIFFERENCE.
UM, SO YEAH, THEY'RE WORKING ON GRANGER RIGHT NOW, ALSO AT DUCK CREEK IN ABANDON AND COLLIN.
SO, UH, THEY SHOULD FINISH GRANGER WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH, I BELIEVE MAY 6TH.
THERE IS A LARGE, UH, EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION TYPE EVENT HAPPENING.
SO MATT WAS MAC RUB WAS TALKING TO THE CONTRACTORS.
HE'S LIKE, IF WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS PLAYGROUND OPEN, UM, IF YOU DON'T HAVE STRIVING, WE'RE STILL GONNA OPEN IT.
[00:55:01]
HE SAID THERE'S GONNA BE, I BELIEVE IT'S MAY 6TH.YEAH, IT'S A, IT'S THE, UH, THEY MOVED THE, UH, CITY WORKERS APPRECIATION WEEKS IN MAY NOW.
IT USED TO BE IN OCTOBER AND THEY MOVED IT TO MAY.
SO ON THAT FRIDAY OF THAT WEEK, I THINK IT IS MAY THE SIXTH.
BUT IT SHOULD BE PRETTY, PRETTY FUN DAY FOR, FOR THE CITY.
SO THEY'RE EXPECTING A LOT OF REALLY BIG CROWD FOR THAT.
SO IS THAT PART OF THE REC CENTER THING AT RANGER TOO? I'LL RUN REC CENTER IS, IS A DIFFERENT ONE, A DIFFERENT PROJECT, BUT I KNOW IT'S, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE AT ON THAT ONE.
I KNOW THEY, I'M SURE IF THEY'RE STILL ON THE BID STAGE OF THAT.
I FEEL LIKE THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A BIT OF A OVERAGE ON THE PRICES THAT CAME IN, WHICH I'M NOT SURPRISED.
IT KIND OF HAS HAPPENED A LOT.
UM, BUT UM, THIS IS OVER HERE AT GRANDER, BUT YOU KNOW, JUST, UM, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF GRANDER, THERE'S THE, UH, NEAR THE PLAYGROUND THAT'S THERE, THERE'S AN OLD BUILDING THAT'S HAS BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME THAT'S BEING DEMOED AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE A NEW RESTROOM CONCESSION BUILDING THERE TO SERVE PLAYGROUND AND ALSO THE FOOTBALL FIELD AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN ACCESSIBLE ROUTE AND UM, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF ACTIVITY, UM, FOR THAT AREA.
SO ONE THING THING I'VE NOTICED THAT THEY'VE HAD TO PLACE, UH, POLICE CAMERAS BECAUSE A LOT OF THE HIGH SCHOOL KIDS USED THE PLAYGROUND JUST TO HANG OUT.
SO, UM, THAT'S TAKEN A BEATING ON THE, THE PLAYGROUND.
YEAH, THAT LITTLE CHURCH IN THE BACKGROUND, THAT PARKING LOT'S FULL OF LIKE VAPOR CARTRIDGES AND ALL KINDS OF PERIPHERAL, THEY'RE NO LONGER A LITTLE CHURCH THERE.
IT'S LIKE EMPTY LITTLE BUILDING.
NO, THEY'VE, THEY'RE RENTING IT OUT.
THERE'S STILL A CHURCH SERVICE GOING ON.
I LOOKED AT BUYING IT NOT THAT LONG AGO.
OH, I WISH I COULD GO BACK FIVE YEARS AGO AND JUST BUY A BUNCH OF LAND JUST TO, JUST TO HAVE, CUZ YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE A LOT.
UM, SO, UH, THIS IS A USA SHADE COMPANY.
THEY DO A REALLY COOL KIND OF STUFF WITH THESE CANVAS STYLE SHADE STRUCTURES.
SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, BRADFIELD CARTER SOFTBALL.
UH, CARTER SOFTBALL IS, THIS IS, UH, THE SCHEMATIC DESIGN FOR THAT.
UM, BASICALLY REPLACES WHAT'S CURRENTLY THERE WITH THE SEMI ARCH TRUSSES THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE.
THAT'S ALL GONNA BE TAKEN OUT AND, UH, REPLACED, UH, FOR THE REMAINING PLAY, UH, PARKS THAT YOU SEE.
IT'S GONNA BE A CANTILEVER STYLE, SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BUT JUST TO PROVIDE SHAPE FOR A LOT OF THE, UH, PEOPLE RATHER YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE WATCHING FOOTBALL OR WATCHING BASEBALL, UM, AND EACH ONE OF THESE PARKS, SOME OF 'EM HAVE AT LEAST THREE TO FOUR OF THESE STRUCTURES IN THERE.
SO, UM, I'VE ROASTED IT A FEW OF THOSE.
I USED, I USED TO, UH, PLAY BASEBALL A LOT AND I WAS ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT, I DON'T HAVE LIKE BIG OUTDOOR LIKE EITHER COVERS OR LIKE AC UNITS.
I HAVE SEEN THE, IT'S LIKE, UH, YOU GET ROASTED.
IT'S PART OF THE JOY OF TEXAS.
TO GO TO A GAME, JUST SIT THERE AND ROAST.
I MEAN I DO THAT ALL THE TIME.
UM, SO, UH, SPLASH PADS, LIKE, UH, LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE, UH, EMRE PARK, LAWN WIND, AND UM, THEY ARE CURRENTLY BIDDING.
UH, AND THEY'RE KIND OF IN THEIR PRECONSTRUCTION STAGE ULTIMATELY.
EVENTUALLY, I GUESS, UM, RICK AND PARK WILL HAVE ONE DESIGN STILL TO BE DETERMINED, BUT IT SHOULD BE A REALLY LARGE ONE ACTUALLY.
IT'S, UH, UM, FORGET THE SQUARES, BUT IT'LL BE LARGER THAN ALL THREE OF THESE TOGETHER.
UM, SO HERE'S JUST A QUICK BEARING OF, UH, BRINGING IN SOME LIBRARY KIOSKS FOR PEOPLE TO STOP IN, CHECK OUT SOME BOOKS.
AND THEN GOING INTO THE SPLASH PAD, WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, COORDINATED WITH, UH, AN ARTIST TO DO CUSTOM SCULPTURES OF THESE, UM, BUTTERFLIES.
AND, UM, UH, REALLY JUST THIS IS THAT, UH, LONG WIND.
SO, SO THIS WILL REPLACE THE, UM, THE LARGE POOL THAT'S CURRENTLY THERE.
AND THEN LET'S SEE, BRICK OWEN PARK.
UM, ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE SKATE PARK.
UM, THIS IS GONNA BE REALLY COOL.
IT'S GONNA HAVE SKATE PARK FOOD, TRUCK PARKING, CUZ WE WE'RE PLANNING FOR A HUGE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU CONSIDER THE SKATE PARK, THE PLAYGROUND, THE, THE BASEBALL FIELD SPLASH PADS AND ALL THE SERIES OF LOOP TRAILS AROUND THE SITE AND IN, INTO THE SITE AND OUT TO THE SITE, UM, IT'S GONNA HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVITY.
SO BRING IT IN THE FOOD TRUCK PARKING AND SOMETHING COULD REALLY JUST KIND OF BRING IT OUT.
[01:00:01]
OF WHAT WE HAVE.THIS ISN'T, THIS IS IT CURRENTLY, BUT USUALLY THE STRUCTURES THAT ARE IN THE PROGRESS AND IT'S JUST, IT'S A PAVING.
IT DIDN'T SHOW THE MESS THAT'S THERE TOO.
WHERE'S THE MESS? SO YOU DIDN'T TAKE PICTURES, SHOW THE PICTURES OF ALL THAT, ALL THAT DIRT PILE UP.
SO IN THE UH, YEAH, THERE IN THE PILE.
AND THEN THE SUBCONTRACTOR SAID, WE'LL NEED IT.
AND HE WAS LIKE, WELL ULTIMATELY THEY DIDN'T NEED IT.
SO LIKE NOW THEY HAVE TO GET RID OF THEIR AIR.
SO, UM, HIS, THAT IS IN MY BACKYARD.
WELL EVENTUALLY RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
EVENTUALLY IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE GONE.
BUT, UM, PUT THAT FREE DIRT SIGN UP.
I COULD, OH, I NEED SOME IN MY YARD.
YEAH, YOU PULL MY LITTLE WAGON OVER IN THERE.
SO THIS IS UNDERNEATH THE, THE MILLER BRIDGE CROSSING AT OEN.
UM, PREVIOUSLY IT WAS JUST RIP WRAP, A LARGE CONCRETE WALL, BUT AS ABOUT A MONTH AGO THEY HAD THIS POURED UP, UM, RETAINING WALLS ON THIS SIDE DOWN HERE.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE PERMA TRACK, UH, UH, TRAIL, WHICH IS BASICALLY A CONCRETE PANELS THAT WEIGH ABOUT TWO TONS A PIECE AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UH, STAMPED WITH A WOOD GRAIN.
SO EACH RECTANGULAR PIECE GETS SET ON PIERS AND THERE'S PIERS THAT LEAD UP UP THE CREEK AND THEN BACK TO RICK ODEN.
SO, UM, REALLY PROVIDING, AND THEY'RE 12 FEET ACROSS, SO IT'S REALLY PROVIDING A REALLY NEAT CIRCULATION FOR HIKING AND TRAIL CONNECTIONS.
BUT THIS IS JUST PART OF WHAT YOU SEE HERE.
UH, ULTIMATELY IN THE FUTURE IT WILL HAVE A TRAILS EXTENDING ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO KIND OF BE PART OF THE, THE MASTER PLAN TO HAVE A COMPLETE CIRCUIT.
SO, UH, BUT THIS IS REALLY TRICKY TO DIG IN HERE CUZ YOU'RE ALREADY ABOUT 15 FEET DOWN FROM FINISHED GRADE, SO, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS BLUE ROCK ALREADY, SO IT'S REALLY HARD TO, SO YOU ACTUALLY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DIG DOWN TOO FAR BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOLID ROCK.
SO, UM, BUT REC CENTERS, I DON'T HAVE A GOOD PHOTO FOR THAT ONE RIGHT NOW, SO I JUST PUT IT IN A LITTLE SEESAW GROUP ON THERE.
SO, UH, WE HAVE A HOLFORD I FEEL LIKE I TALKED ABOUT THAT, BUT YEAH, HOLFORD REC CENTER, BOB DAY, AGAIN SENIOR AND GALS IN AUDUBON REC CENTER, WHICH, UH, HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
SO THIS WAS JUST A REALLY QUICK RUNDOWN OF KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, ANYTHING, UH, PARKS, DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT COULD EVER HELP OUT WITH ANYONE, YOU KNOW, UM, FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME.
AND I DID NOT BRING SOME BUSINESS CARDS TODAY, BUT I WILL.
YEAH, WE'LL CIRCULATE YOUR INFORMATION.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU SEE THAT 3 37, THAT'S, THAT'S ME.
SO
TO BE HONEST, THEY'RE LONG OVERDUE.
AND I KNOW MARK'S BEEN REAL, REAL BUSY WITH ALL THIS STUFF, BUT THESE PARKS, ONCE THEY'RE DONE, THEY'RE GONNA BE, IT'S A GREAT ASSET TO THE CITIZENS.
AND I THINK IT'S SERIOUS STARTING, YEAH.
AND IT'LL BE AT AUTOBON THE FIRST ONE.
I THINK IT'S, AND I THINK SEEING THE PARKS BEING BUILT AND OPEN, IT REALLY KIND OF SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE AND YOU KNOW, WHAT A LITTLE BIT OF A BOND ISSUE CAN DO AND REALLY PROVIDE FOR THE CITY.
SO IT'S, YOU SEE THE, THE MONEY IN THE WORKS AND SEEING PROGRESS WITH THAT.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY FORTUNATE.
DID THE BOND, DID THE BOND ISSUE ALLOW FOR OR PROVIDE FUNDING FOR, FOR FUTURE MAINTENANCE THESE PROJECTS? I BELIEVE IT DID, YES.
CUZ UH, ALL OF THESE, ESPECIALLY A LOT OF THESE, UM, SPLASH PADS, THAT'S, THAT'S MAINTENANCE IS CRITICAL WITH THAT KIND OF STUFF.
YOU KNOW, SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE AND, YOU KNOW, BEING VERY ADAMANT ABOUT CLEANING REGIMENS AND STUFF.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF THAT.
SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER BOND PACKAGE TO, FROM MAINTENANCE OF ALL THIS STUFF WE'VE PUT IN, RIGHT.
UH, WHO KNOWS? UH, THERE'S A, THERE'S PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF CROSSINGS AT DUCK CREEK, UM, NEAR O'BANION, THERE'S A, CURRENTLY YOU CAN WALK DOWN TO THE CREEK AND IT ALWAYS GETS FLOODED.
SO IF ALL, I'VE BEEN OUT THERE A FEW TIMES AND PEOPLE HAVE ASKED, WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET THE BRIDGE ACROSS, YOU KNOW, I WAS LIKE, WELL, THAT'S ANOTHER BOND ISSUE.
I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT TRAIL'S GONNA CONNECT, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, IT'S GONNA CONNECT PLANO, RICHARDSON, GARLAND, AND THE S***T.
SO YOU CAN, YOU CAN HIDE FROM MESQUITE ALL THE WAY.
I THINK IT MAY GO ALL THE WAY UP INTO ALLEN.
THAT'S, IT'S QUITE THE TRAIL SYSTEM THAT SHOULD OPEN UP PRETTY SOON.
[01:05:01]
AT LEAST THE PARTNER, UH, QUI TO BELIEVE.WELL, I APPRECIATE THE INVITE AND NO, THANK YOU.
ARE Y'ALL GONNA HATE ME IF I HAVE TO RUN AT THE BATHROOM?
SO YOUR WATER RUNNING
ALL RIGHT, LET, I NEED TO GET BACK TO THAT.
WHERE ARE WE AT? WHERE'S MY DRIVE? THERE I AM.
I STARTED TO PUTTING THE DATES ON 'EM SO I CAN FIND THEM.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT DISAPPEARS ON ME.
OH, LORDY, WE GOT ISSUES, Y'ALL.
THIS IS LIKE A STEADY PREACH AT MY HOUSE.
I'M TELLING YOU, MY, MY BLUE CONTAINER WOULD BE PERFECT IF I COULD GET THOSE YOUNG ADULTS OUT OF THE HOUSE BECAUSE I'D BE THE ONLY ONE PUTTING ANYTHING IN IT.
I'VE CUT ALL OF THEM ALL AGES NOW, WALKING BY THE RESTROOM, CUZ WE HAVE A RECYCLE BIN IN THE GARAGE BEFORE YOU TAKE IT OUT.
YOU LOOK DOWN THERE, IT'S LIKE YOU PUT TISSUE PAPER IN THERE.
AND AGAIN, EVERYBODY DOES THAT
I KEEP FINDING PLASTIC STRAWS AND STUFF LIKE THAT AND I'M REALLY, YOU KNOW, I EVEN BOUGHT 'EM ALL METAL STRAWS AT CHRISTMAS, YOU KNOW, STILL YOU, NO.
SO, UM, YEAH, WE'RE JUST GONNA KIND OF TOUCH ON SOME OF THE, UM, THE CONTAMINATION ISSUES WE'VE HAD.
UM, SO WE'VE GOT KIND OF THE, WE HAVE A PROBLEM, I'M GONNA KEEP LOOKING AT OZ SO HE CAN TELL ME TO IF I GET OVERBOARD HERE.
BUT, UM, OUR CONTAMINATION RATE FCC IS GREAT ABOUT, UM, WHEN THEY BRING IT IN TO THE, THEY KIND OF GO THROUGH, THEY DO TABLE AUDITS ONCE A MONTH AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND, UM, THEY'RE FINDING, UM, OUR CONTAMINATION IS GOING UP.
SO, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE A PLAN, UH, TO GET OUT MORE IN THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY SINCE NOW THAT COVID RESTRICTIONS HAVE LIGHTENED UP SO MUCH THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY GET OUT THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, ASSOCIATIONS AND WHATEVER, CALL ME.
I'LL COME AND I'LL LECTURE IF YOU NEED ME TO.
SO, UM, BUT BASICALLY, SO, UM, WHAT'S THE BREAKDOWN IS BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA START WITH.
UM, WHEN FCC DOES ONE OF THESE AUDITS FOR US, UM, THEY SEND US BACK A LIST OF THE DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY FIND.
AND THEY GIVE US PERCENTAGES EVERY MONTH OF HOW MUCH WE GET.
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE GOOD STUFF, WHAT'S THE BAD STUFF.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND JUST CLICK MY WAY THROUGH THIS.
SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY SEE THE LEAST OF, UM, BULKY, RIGID PLASTIC.
SO, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE LIKE PLASTIC LAWN CHAIRS, UM, BASKETS, BUCKETS, YOU KNOW, LIKE THOSE FIVE GALLON BUCKETS FROM HOME DEPOT, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
THEY REALLY DON'T, WE DON'T GET A LOT OF THAT.
UM, NEXT PLASTIC'S THREE THROUGH SEVEN, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK IMMEDIATELY THAT THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF THAT PEOPLE ARE RECYCLING.
WE'RE NOT GETTING A LOT OF THAT.
UM, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT MORE MONEY COMES IN FROM, THEY'RE ABLE TO RESELL THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
SO THINK LIKE DETERGENT, BOTTLES, UM, EVEN, YOU KNOW, YOUR COOKING OIL BOTTLES JUST, YOU KNOW, BUT RENTS IT WITH SOME DAWN, CLEAN IT OUT.
THAT SHOULD BE GOING UP TOO BECAUSE THE PETROLEUM GOES UP, THE PLASTIC GOES UP.
BUT THE KEY TO IT IS IT'S GOTTA BE CLEAN.
SO, WHICH I KNOW I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR HERE, YOU GUYS KNOW, BUT, UM,
SO, UM, ALUMINUM, STEEL AND TIN.
UM, SO, UM, YEAH, WE'LL JUST ROLL THROUGH IT REAL QUICK.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE LIKE PLASTIC NUMBER TWOS, LIKE YOUR, UM, MILK JUGS, HIGH DENSITY.
MILK JUGS, SHAMPOO BOTTLES, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
UM, P E T, WHICH IS OUR, OUR WATER BOTTLES.
AND LIKE EVEN THOSE LITTLE PLASTIC CUPS LIKE THAT, UM, CLEAN THOSE OUT, THROW 'EM IN THE BIN.
UM, THEN WE'VE GOT A MIXED GLASS.
THIS WAS SOMETHING I HAD TO GO AND READ ABOUT CAUSE I WAS NOT FAMILIAR.
WHEN THEY SAY THREE MIXED GLASS, I'M LIKE, WHAT ON EARTH IS THIS? OH, UM, YEAH.
WHAT THEY USE FOR, UM, THAT WAS NOT, I JUST HADN'T HEARD CALLED THAT.
BUT BASICALLY THE, IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE FILLER WHEN THEY'RE REDOING, UM, WHEN THEY'RE RECYCLING GLASS.
AND THAT'S COMING FROM THE FACT THAT WE DO THAT SINGLE STREAM AND THROW EVERYTHING IN THERE
[01:10:01]
TOGETHER AND IT ALL GETS BUSTED UP AND MIXED TOGETHER.SO IT'S USED FOR MAKING NEW GLASS SORT OF DARK GLASS THOUGH.
SO BASICALLY ANYTHING THAT'S NOT CARDBOARD OR NEWSPAPER.
SO THESE ARE IN ORDER FROM LEAST TO WHAT WE FIND IN OUR RECYCLE BINS THE MOST.
SO WE STARTED OUT THAT RIGID PLASTIC, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOUR LAWN CHAIRS AND WHATNOT.
THEN WE GET DOWN HERE, WE'VE GOT MIXED PAPER.
THE NEXT THING THAT WE GET THE MOST OF TRASH AND UH, WHICH WE'RE GONNA TALK MORE ABOUT.
AND THEN LAST IS OUR CORRUGATED CARDBOARD.
AMAZON HAS DONE US SOME FAVORS AS FAR AS THAT GOES.
SO NOW THE TRASH, THIS WAS THE THING CUZ WHEN WE GET THESE REPORTS IN, IT JUST SAYS TRASH AND THEN THEY GIVE US A PRINT PERCENTAGE, YOU KNOW, EACH MONTH TELLING US HALF IT'S UP, IF IT'S DOWN, THAT KIND OF THING.
IT DOESN'T GIVE US A BREAKDOWN.
SO I HAD TO REACH OUT TO FIND OUT.
AND I'VE GOT THE TOP FOUR CONTAMINANTS LISTED HERE.
THESE ARE ACTUAL PICTURES FROM MY CELL PHONE ON THE TIPPING ROOM FLOOR DOWN THERE ON KELLER STREET.
YEP, THAT'S, AND THAT'S ONLY NUMBER FOUR THOUGH.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THE, YOU KNOW, OLD SCHOOL LETTERMAN COUNTDOWN HERE.
AND IT JAMS UP THE GEARS ON THE MACHINERY.
SO HERE, NOW THIS IS A LITTLE TRICKY CUZ THAT'S NOT A VERY GOOD PICTURE OF ONE OF THOSE, BUT IT WAS THE ONE I FOUND CUZ I WAS SITTING THERE GOING THROUGH ALL MY PICTURES GOING, I KNOW I GOT ONE OF THESE GARDEN HOSES.
IT'S MORE OF THOSE TANER TYPE THINGS.
UM, I GUESS CLOTHES, CLOTH, FABRIC.
WE HAVE HAD GIS D LOADS COME THROUGH.
NOT TO CALL 'EM OUT CUZ IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT.
THERE WERE A PAIR BOX OF SHORTS IN THERE.
I DIDN'T FIND THAT PICTURE OR I WOULD'VE PUT IT IN HERE FOR YOU.
THEY WERE GREEN WITH POLKA DOTS.
UM, AND THEN LAST PRETTY DISGUSTING FOOD.
SO THAT IS A BIG ONE RIGHT THERE.
THAT'S JUST CONSTANT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST EITHER, WHETHER IT'S NOT BEING RINSED OUT OR PEOPLE ARE USING THE BLUE CONTAINER LIKE A TRASH CAN.
SO LIKE I SAID, I KNOW EVERYONE HERE REALLY KNOWS WHAT THE RIGHT WAY TO RECYCLE IS.
BUT, UM, JUST KIND OF, UM, SOME TIPS ON WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT I'D LIKE TO GO INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND TALK WITH, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, THE SCHOOL COMMUNITIES, JUST DIFFERENT GROUPS.
IT'S, THAT'S ESPECIALLY CUZ IF WE CAN GET IN THERE AND TALK TO THE KIDS, THEY BRING IT HOME TO TAKE
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY BRING IT HOME.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY'RE GONNA DON'T THEIR PARENTS.
SO, UM, BRINGING, YOU KNOW, YOUR REUSABLE BAGS.
UM, I WENT TO ALDI TODAY, DIDN'T HAVE THE BAGS IN THE BACK OF MY CAR CAUSE I HAD CUB SCOUT STUFF AND I HAD TO ACTUALLY BUY MORE BAGS.
LIKE I NEED MORE REUSABLE BAGS, BUT THEY'LL GET USED.
SO I WANNA PUT IN A LITTLE PLUG ABOUT THAT.
UH, OUR CHURCH HAS A PANTRY AND WE HAVE, WE GIVE OUT FOOD, UH, EVERY TUESDAY MORNING, UH, THURSDAY MORNING, THURSDAY NIGHT, AND SECOND SATURDAYS UHHUH.
THEY COULD ALWAYS USE THOSE PLASTIC BAGS AND I CARRY 'EM BY, BY THE BUNDLE.
AND SO IF, YOU KNOW, UH, CHECK WITH, WE GET ASKED ALL THE TIME.
SO WHAT, WHAT CHURCH IS IT? IT'S CALLED THE FIVE LOAVES PANTRY.
BUT IT'S WITH NORTH POINT CHURCH OF CHRIST, BUT IT'S FIVE LOAVES PANTRY.
AND THEY WILL TAKE, SO IF YOU, I DON'T WANT TO SAY I'LL TAKE 'EM, I DON'T WANT YOU TO BRING 'EM FEEL THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE GONNA UNDERSTAND, BUT, UM, I DO, PEOPLE DO GIVE THEM TO ME AND I WILL TAKE BIG BAGS OF THEM.
BECAUSE THEY NEED THEM WITH GIVING OUT THAT MUCH FOOD.
NOT THAT MANY, THAT MUCH STUFF.
AND THEY ALSO GIVE CLOTHES WHEN WE GET TO THAT CLOTHING SWAP THING.
BUT AT CHECK WITH YOUR THRIFT STORES, CHECK WITH, UH, UH, LIKE THE BAPTIST CHURCH, UH, FRIENDSHIP HOUSE.
SO THERE'S, THAT'S ONE THING THEY CAN DO BEFORE THEY HIT THE BIN.
WE WANNA, THAT'S, THOSE ARE, THAT'S GOOD INFORMATION.
IF YOU WANNA SEND THOSE TO US, AUTOMO IS GOING TO LOVE THAT.
AND I SAY, I KNOW THERE'S, IT'S IN SAXY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, IF WE'RE ALLOWED TO TAKE THINGS FROM GARLAND TO SAX, BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S WHERE IT IS.
IT'S OUT OF GARLIC, IT'S OF SECTION.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S A WAY TO USE THE PLASTIC BAGS.
AND THE METHODIST CHURCH, I THINK THEY'RE STILL DOING IT.
[01:15:01]
WOMEN MAKE THESE MATS.AND THEY USE THOSE AND WEAVE THEM TOGETHER AND THEY GIVE THEM TO THE HOMELESS FOR BEDS.
YOU TO ROLL UP THEIR LIGHTWEIGHT AND IT KEEPS THE MOISTURE OFF OF THEM IF THEY'RE LAYING ON THE GROUND.
THAT'S, AND SO THAT'S A REALLY GOOD, GOOD THING, UH, TO DO.
THERE'S A CHURCH IN RICHARDSON THAT DOES THAT.
THAT'S THE METHODIST CHURCH THAT DOESN'T CARE.
THE METHODIST CHURCH IN RICHARDSON.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO THROW YOUR PLASTIC BAGS AWAY.
THERE'S A, YOU CAN FIND A HOME FARM.
PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO WILL TAKE 'EM.
SO, UM, THE REDUCING THE FOOD WASTE, THAT'S KIND OF ONE I'VE BEEN TRYING TO WORK ON.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I GO TO MAKE SPAGHETTI, DO I REALLY NEED TO DO THE ENTIRE PACKAGE OF PASTA? NO.
BECAUSE IT'S GONNA GO IN THE FRIDGE UNTIL IT GETS MOLDY AND THEN WE HAVE TO THROW IT OUT.
SO BETTER TO CUT BACK AND JUST SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH TO EAT.
SO
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF LOOKING AT THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
RE THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE KITCHEN WHEN WE'RE, UH, WHEN WE'RE COOKING AND, AND THAT KIND OF THING WILL REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF FOOD WASTE, WHICH KEEPS IT FROM ENDING UP IN THE WRONG BIN.
UM, AGAIN, DOES, UH, CONSIDER A COMPOST CONTAINER? ARE YOU HAVING A CLASS WANT? I WANT TO.
WE HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE ONE SET, BUT YOU KNOW, I, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS I DO YOU KNOW DAVID? YES, YES.
I NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HIM.
BUT DEFINITELY I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN A COUPLE OF TIMES A YEAR.
BUT EVEN, YOU KNOW, JUST, I KEEP A LITTLE CONTAINER ON MY KITCHEN COUNTER AND THEN WHEN IT STARTS TO GET BAD, I TAKE IT OUT BACK.
SO YOU, UM, IT'S REALLY, IT'S VERY SIMPLE PUT TOGETHER, SAY SOMETHING ELSE.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A COMPOST CONTAINER.
YOU CAN DO THE HOLE IN YOUR GROUND.
YOU'VE GOT, IF YOU'RE GROWING BEANS OR LETTUCE OR ANYTHING MM-HMM.
YOU CAN JUST GO OUT THERE AND DIG A HOLE BY IT AND PUT YOUR MM-HMM.
IT WILL BE CO IT'LL COMPOST ON ITSELF.
STIRRED UP A LITTLE BIT EVERY NOW AND THEN.
NOT HAVE TO OWN A COMPOST CONTAIN MM-HMM.
BUT IT'S SO MUCH FUN TO SPEND THAT WELL
SO, UM, THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT YOUR CLOTHING SWAPS, WHICH RIGHT HERE, I WANNA STOP THIS.
IN FACT, PETE, SOME PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY HEARD THIS SPEECH.
AND WE HAVE, WE DON'T MAKE CLOTHES.
WE MAKE QUTS AND WE HAVE THESE LEFTOVER SCRAPS AND WE TRY TO FIND PLACES FOR 'EM.
I HAVE CALLED ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES TRYING TO FIND A PERSON.
I FOUND ONE IN NEW YORK CITY THAT'LL SEND US THIS GREAT BIG CONTAINER AND WE FILL IT UP, SEND IT BACK TO, AND PAY, YOU KNOW, SHIPPING CHARGES AND SO ON.
BUT I TOLD YOU, YOU'RE REAL ABOUT THIS AND IT'S CALLED FABRIC MOUNTAIN IN GHANA.
AND IF YOU WANNA SEE SOMETHING ABOUT WHERE CLOTHES GO WRITE THAT DOWN FABRIC.
HAVE YOU SEEN, HAVE YOU SEEN YEAH, IT'S, IT'S LIKE, IT'S A BIG, UM, UM, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S A HUGE DUMP FOR UNWANTED, MOSTLY T-SHIRTS AND ALL, ALL KIND KINDS OF STUFF.
ALL KINDS OF, AND ALL KINDS OF FABRIC.
UH, SO PEOPLE HAVE MADE DOG DOGGIE BEDS FOR DIFFERENT SHELTERS AND THERE'S A GROUP CALLED DALLAS COUNTY QUILTING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THAT.
BUT THEY SAY NOW THAT, UH, THE SHELTER'S QUICK TAKING ON WHEN COVID STARTED AND THEY HAVEN'T STARTED BACK MM-HMM.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT AS A PLACE TO SEND THEM.
ALL THAT, ALL THAT FABRIC, ALL THOSE CLOTHES THAT PEOPLE BUY BY THE TON AND THEN THEY THROW 'EM AWAY BY THE TON.
UH, AND UM, IF ANYBODY HAS AN IDEA OF HOW THIS CAN BE RECYCLED, LET ME KNOW.
CUZ WE, THERE'S A GROUP OF US THAT ARE REALLY WORKING HARD TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO RECYCLE MM-HMM.
THEY'RE MAKING INSULATION OUT OF BLUE JEANS NOW.
UH, WELL ACTUALLY THERE'S THIS LITTLE PLACE IN THE KONA THAT MAKES A BASEBALL GLOVES.
AND THE INSULATION IS THEY SHRED FABRIC.
WELL, THEY ONLY NEED SO MUCH, YOU KNOW.
YOU, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEND THEM EVERYTHING FROM THE BARLIN TO TONA.
BUT, UM, I SET 'EM UP FOR A WHILE.
THERE ARE PLACES THAT USE A LITTLE, I HAVE A PAIR OF BLUE JEANS THAT, OF JEANS THAT ARE MADE OF RECYCLED COAT BOTTLES, PLASTIC BALLS.
UM, SHOULD HAVE WORN 'EM TONIGHT SO I COULD SHOW 'EM OFF
BUT THERE ARE THINGS THAT CAN BE, IF, IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA, LET ME KNOW BECAUSE THIS IS
[01:20:01]
REALLY ONE OF MY, WELL I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR YEARS AND YEARS, SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING NEW.YOU KNOW, DON'T PUT THOSE IN THERE.
DON'T PUT 'EM IN A RECYCLE BIN.
NO, THEY'RE NOT RECYCLABLE THAT WAY.
PEOPLE THINK THEY'VE HEARD SOMETHING GETS RECYCLED AND THEY THROW IT ALL IN.
IT JUST, BECAUSE IT IS RECYCLABLE, IT SHOULD ALL GO IN THERE, WHICH IS NOT TRUE.
SO, UH, NEXT ON HERE I'VE GOT MY, UM, MY TANKERS, WHICH LIKE, I HAD THAT PICTURE OF THE HOSE.
YOUR WIRE HANGERS, CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, ANYTHING STRINGY.
CUZ I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN VIDEOS OF THE, THE MURPHS BEFORE WHERE THEY'VE GOT THOSE STAR GEARS THAT THEY USE TO SWEAT, YOU KNOW, SEPARATE STUFF OUT.
IT'LL GET JUST, IT GETS ALL, IT'S A MESS.
BETTER TO, YOU KNOW, PUT IT OUT.
I DID CALL YOU WERE LOOKING HERE TRYING TO GET 'EM OUT.
SO LIKE BOTH THE CLOTHES HANGERS WAS SOMETHING I HAD WHEN I FIRST STARTED WITH THE CITY.
I KEPT HITTING CALLS ABOUT THOSE AND I FOUND THAT, UM, YOU CAN ALWAYS TAKE THEM BACK.
YOU CAN TAKE 'EM BACK TO THE DRY CLEANER OR YOU CAN ACTUALLY DFW METALS, THEY SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL TAKE IT THEN THEY'RE RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE WE'RE LOCATED.
THEY COME AND THEY COLLECT OURS.
THEY DON'T WANT US TO PUT 'EM IN THE BLUE BIN.
THEY'D RATHER YOU TAKE IT TO THEM DIRECTLY BECAUSE AGAIN, THEY, THEY DON'T WANT IT TO GET TANGLED.
THEY WANNA BE PREPARED FOR IT, BUT THEY'LL TAKE 'EM THERE AS WELL.
SO, UM, AND THEN AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, INVITE US OUT TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS AND WE'LL COME OUT AND TALK ABOUT IT AND, YOU KNOW, HELP YOUR NEIGHBORS.
CAUSE LIKE I SAID, I KNOW HERE I'M, I'M, LIKE I SAID, PREACHING TO THE CHOIR.
YOU GUYS KNOW THIS IS, THAT'S, IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU WOULDN'T BE HERE.
SO, UM, I'D JUST LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO GET OUT THERE MORE.
SO NOW AT THE BIN
UM, I THINK FOR A WHILE FOLKS THOUGHT, WELL AS LONG AS IT'S KIND OF CLEAN, IT'S OKAY.
BUT WE REALLY, WITH OUR FOOD CONTAMINATION PROBLEMS, WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE IT'S THOROUGHLY RINSED.
IF IT'S OILY OR GREASY, LIKE I SAID, GET SOME DAWN, RINSE IT OUT, THROW IT IN THERE WITH YOUR OTHER DISHES THAT YOU'RE WASHING BEFORE YOU PUT IT IN THE BIN.
UM, WE HAVE A BIN INSIDE THE HOUSE THAT WE COLLECT OUR RECYCLING BEFORE WE TAKE IT TO THE BLUE BIN.
SO I'LL RENT STUFF OUT AND THROW IT IN THERE SO THAT BY THE TIME I TAKE IT OUT, IT'S AIR DRIED.
UM, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT RECYCLING THE CLOTHES WITH THE THRIFT STORES OR OTHER PROGRAMS. WE HAVE THE WORLD WEAR PROJECT BINS AT THE RECYCLING CENTER.
THOSE ARE ALSO OUT AT THE LANDFILL.
SO I KNOW SOME, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, A REALLY FUN TRIP TO HEAD OUT TO THE LANDFILL.
BUT THAT'S ANOTHER PLACE THAT THEY CAN GO.
UM, LIKE I SAID, THE, IF IT'S, IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO MAKE A REPAIR ON YOUR GARDEN HOSE OR YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANNA DRIVE OUT TO THE METAL RECYCLING FOR YOUR, UH, HANGERS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEY'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO GO INTO THE GREEN CAN.
CUZ YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT CANNOT GO IN THE BLUE CAN.
UM, OR YOU CAN FIND OTHER WAYS TO UPCYCLE IT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S THAT HOSE, IF IT'S BUSTED, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO CUT IT AND USE IT FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
PINTEREST IS A WONDERFUL PLACE FOR ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, PLASTIC BAGS, YOUR BIG BOX STORES.
UM, THEY DON'T ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BRING OTHER STORES BAGS, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA TURN YOU AWAY.
AND IT IS BACK IN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AREA.
THEY HIDE IT SO YOU CAN'T FIND IT.
UM, I THINK MY GREW UP HERE ON WALNUT.
I THINK THEY STILL HAVE THEIRS RIGHT AT THE FRONT DOOR.
KIND OF NEAR WHERE THE, UM, THE CARTS ARE AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, SUPPOSEDLY TOM AND WALMART, I MAKING A POINT NOT TO GO INTO WALMART IF I CAN.
BUT ALL OF THESE LOCATIONS HAVE THEM, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, COLLECT A BAG, THROW IT IN THE BACK OF YOUR CAR AND THEN WHEN YOU GET THERE, RUN IT IN WITH YOU.
UM, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I'M TRYING TO KEEP THE BAGS OUT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I GOT FOR YOU GUYS.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO, LIKE I SAID, REDUCE IT.
WE WANNA SEE THE NUMBERS OF OUR CON CONTAMINATION ON THESE TABLE AUDITS GO DOWN.
AND THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT CUZ YOU THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED ONE.
WHAT YOU GOT WHAT? CORRUGATED PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR CORRUGATED BOXES OUT.
AND THEN ONCE THEY GET WET THE TRASH AND IF YOU PUT THOSE WET BOXES IN YOUR, IN YOUR RECYCLING, WHEN THEY DUMP IT INTO THE TRUCK, YOU'RE CONTAMINATING THE WHOLE TRUCKLOAD.
SO ANYTHING YOU PUT IN THERE THAT'S WET WILL CONTAMINATE THE WHOLE LOAD AND THE CITY PAYS FOR THAT.
SO THEY, AFTER THEY'VE PICKED IT UP, THEY PAID TO PICK IT UP, THEY PAY TO SORT IT, THEY PAY TO DRIVE IT OUT TO GRAND PRAIRIE AND THEN THEY PAY FOR LAND FILL IN GRAND PRAIRIE, WHICH IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN OUR LANDFILL HERE.
IF IT, IT IS CHEAPER TO THROW IT AWAY IS, AND WE CAN FOOLISHLY TRY TO RECYCLE FOOD.
THAT'S ONE OF THE ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE WANT, YOU KNOW, CITIZENS TO UNDERSTAND IS IF YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE IT GOES, JUST PUT IT IN THE GREEN CONTAIN.
PUT IT IN THE, IN THE TRASH CAN.
IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST SO MUCH EASIER CUZ IT, YOU KNOW, AS MICHELLE WAS SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE MORE CONTAMINATION WE HAVE, THE MORE EXPENSIVE OUR RATES TO PROCESS THAT STUFF IS AND IT COSTS THE CITIZENS A LOT OF MONEY TO
[01:25:01]
DO THAT.SO WHEN IN DOUBT THE WHERE THAT SUCKER IN THE GREEN CAN, THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST PLACE FOR IT ANYWAY.
AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE APPS, WE HAVE A, A WASTE WIZARD APP ON OUR WEBSITE THAT YOU CAN TYPE IN ANYTHING, UH, WHATEVER YOU CAN THINK IF YOU CAN TYPE IT IN AND IT WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU, WHERE YOU SHOULD PUT THAT, UH, THAT ITEM EITHER IN THE GREEN BIN, THE THE BLUE BIN OR ON THE CURB OR WHEREVER TO POLICE STATION.
IT GIVES YOU ANY KIND OF RESOURCE.
SO IT'S UH, IT'S PRETTY COOL, PRETTY COOL LITTLE TOOL.
SO JUST REALLY TRYING TO GET OUR CONTAMINATION RATES DOWN CUZ IT'S STARTING TO CREEP UP THERE A LITTLE BIT.
KIDS KIDS ARE GONNA BE YOUR YEAH.
GET GO TO THE BOY SCOUTS, ALL THE BOY SCOUTS, ALL THE BOY SCOUTS IN TOWN AND GET THEM ON IT.
AND THEN THE SCHOOLS AND THEN THE CHURCH GROUPS.
WELL IF, IF IT'S NOT COMING UP, YOU KNOW, MY CLIENTS ARE A LITTLE BIT EASIER BECAUSE THEY SEND US STUFF THAT'S MIXED AND WE SAID, WAIT, WE CAN'T PAY YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE IT'S MIXED.
IN FACT, WE'RE GONNA CHARGE YOU IF WE CAN CHARGE YOU A CITATION FEE IF YOU'D LIKE US TO TAKE THE $20 POUND STUFF OUT FROM THE 2 CENT POUND STUFF.
AND YOU, SINCE YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITH RESIDENTS.
YOU EITHER HAVE TO START TAKING AWAY BLUE BINS FROM PEOPLE.
BUT WE'LL BE DOING A LOT MORE PUBLIC EDUCATION AT THESE SCHOOLS, AT ALL THESE EVENTS, TALKING TO CHURCHES, DOING WHATEVER WE CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT.
WE'RE GONNA REALLY GET BACK OUT THERE, TRY TO REALLY MAKE A DENT IN THIS, IN THIS CONTAMINATION NUMBER.
IF THEY HAD ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THEY WERE SPENDING ON THAT, SOME THE MORE RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE MIGHT BACK THAT OFF A LITTLE BIT.
SAY GE THE CITY COULD BE SPENDING THAT MONEY ON SOMETHING ELSE.
EVERY TIME YOU SEE SOMEBODY MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE CITY AND HOW THEY'RE SPENDING THEIR MONEY, SAY, WELL, QUIT PUTTING STUFF IN THE BLUE BIN.
IT'S JUST THE RECYCLING PROGRAM HAS BECOME SO EXPENSIVE.
THEY JUST, THEY JUST COULD NOT AFFORD TO KEEP DOING IT.
SIMPLE STREAM RECYCLING IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.
IT JUST, IT MAKES EVERYBODY FEEL GOOD AND IT'S REALLY THE ONLY WAY A CITY CAN ACTUALLY DO IT.
BUT YEAH, YOU'VE GOTTA BE PERFECT AT IT FOR IT TO BE, YOU HAVE TO WORTH IT YOUR OWN SORTING PLANT.
YOU DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS FOR THE, UH, GREEN DAY OR EARTH DAY? SO, UM, I, I'M GONNA DOUBLE CHECK WITH PAULA ON IT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE HAD, UM, WE'VE APPARENTLY HEARD FROM TELEMUNDO AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO, UH, DO A STORY ON OUR EARTH DAY RECYCLING DRIVE THROUGH.
AND SO, UM, IF THEY DO IT AHEAD OF TIME, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA NEED SOME EXTRA HANDS OUT THERE.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT OUR, OUR FOUR VOLUNTEERS FROM OUR GROUP, UM, AND EACH PORTION OF GORI GARLAND IS BRINGING IN TWO TO FOUR PEOPLE TO HELP.
SO IF Y'ALL, DEPENDS ON WHEN THAT FALLS.
I WAS ABOUT TO SAY, LIKE YOU BROUGHT IT UP.
I I AM GONNA, WE'RE GONNA COME OUT MY FAMILY.
UM, I'LL TALK TO PAULA SOME MORE THIS WEEK AT FRESH HERE.
SOMETHING LUNCH WATER ARE NUMBERS OF CAN RIGHT.
AND I WILL DEFINITELY REACH OUT TO YOU GUYS IF THAT, IF THAT'S THE CASE.
I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS NOW CUZ I'M GOING, OH, IT'S GONNA GET, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE EWS VEHICLES.
IF SOMEBODY COULD DESIGN A POSTER THAT SAID NO PLASTIC BAGS IN THE RECYCLING, SOMEBODY MIGHT ACTUALLY SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, SITTING IN TRAFFIC.
I HAD THAT ON A PIECE OF PAPER ON MY DESK CUZ I WAS MAKING NOTES ABOUT DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE COULD GET THIS MESSAGE OUT.
CUZ YOU KNOW, THERE ARE LIKE BILLBOARDS AND STUFF COULD PROBABLY GET SOME OF THE LOCAL RECYCLING COMPANIES TO SPONSOR THOSE.
SO WE JUST, UH, WE JUST ACQUIRED OUR, OUR NEW WEBSITE, GARLAND ANION.COM.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA DO NOW WE HAVE THIS WEBSITE, IS HOW WE CHANGE A LOT OF THE SIGNAGE THAT WE HAVE ON OUR VEHICLES.
I MIGHT OWN GARLAND RECYCLES.COM IF YOU WOULD LIKE.
IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS A TOUR GETTING THIS ONE.
SO YEAH, I'VE HAD TO TAKE 'EM BACK FROM THE CITY.
SO WE WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA USE THAT NOW WE'VE GOT OUR, OUR WEBSITE.
WE'RE GONNA USE THAT TO MUTE, PUT NEW SIGNS ON THE VEHICLES AND JUST TRY TO DO MORE TO, TO GET THE WORD OUT.
SO YEAH, I'D LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME NEW TRUCKS THAT DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ON 'EM.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME, UH, ABSOLUTELY.
WE'D LIKE TO MAKE SOME SIGNS TOO.
DON'T PUT PLASTIC BAGS IN YOUR YEAH, WE CAN GET SOME.
[01:30:01]
WELL I HAVE A LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT, OH LORD, NOBODY WANTED TO HEAR THAT
AFTER THE LAST, UH, TIME I PUT OUT THIS APPEAL FOR, UM, PEOPLE TO DO CLEANUP.
MS. DEAN CAME UP TO ME, SHE SAID, HOW DO I DO THAT? YEAH.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO? SO YOU WANT TO TELL 'EM WHAT YOU DID.
I WANT TO THANK YOU AND MR. OAL VOTE CUZ YOU DID A GREAT JOB.
YOU KNOW, THE CITY COMING OUT THE NEXT DAY, JUST PICKING UP EVERYTHING.
SO I CONTACTED MISS BETTY AND GOT ALL THE SUPPLIES, EVERYTHING WE NEEDED.
AND I NEED TO SEND YOU PICTURES.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A PUBLICATION, BUT, UM, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE, UM, OUR VOLUNTEERS WERE STUDENTS, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
AND THEY REALLY, IT WAS AN INTERGENERATIONAL CLEANUP IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT WAS WONDERFUL.
KIDS WERE SAYING THINGS LIKE, WOW, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT EARTH DAY, YOU KNOW, IN SCHOOL, BUT WE NEVER DO ANYTHING.
YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD DO MORE THINGS LIKE THIS.
YOU KNOW, STAY REALLY SAW THE CONNECTION AND THEY REALLY ENJOYED IT.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS, IT WAS A LONG DAY.
BUT, UM, SHE GAVE ME THE TRASH PICKUPS AND THE PICKUP HAM.
WHAT DO YOU CALL THOSE THINGS? WHAT DO YOU CALL THOSE? I DON'T, WE CALL 'EM GRABBERS.
AND SHE GAVE BAGS AND SHE ALSO GAVE GLOVES AND AS GIFTS FOR PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT.
WE GAVE THEM THE, UM, THOSE TUMBLERS, THOSE REALLY GREAT TUMBLERS.
SO, AND WE ALSO PAIRED THE COMMUNITY.
EVERYONE THAT CAME OUT, WE HAD LUNCH, UM, AND WE HAD SNACKS.
AND IT WAS JUST A REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GREAT DAY.
WE FILLED UP ALL THE BAGS AND UM, LIKE I SAID, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING OUT.
YOU KNOW, WE JUST FOUND SO MANY THINGS.
AND SO IT WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, ADULTS AND ELEMENTARY STUDENTS, MIDDLE SCHOOL WERE PRIMARILY HIGH SCHOOLERS.
UH, AND UH, ON THE, UH, ON SATURDAY, MICHELLE DID KENNETH LEAVE? I THINK YOU MIGHT RUN THAT.
YEAH, HE SLID OUT THE BACK RIGHT HERE.
HE WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE THIS WITH HIM, MAYBE HE DIDN'T.
UH, THE, UH, ON SATURDAY, KEN IS DOING A CLEANUP IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, AND THEN THERE IS A GROUP FROM DALLAS, UH, THAT DOES CLEAN UP, BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE A CUTE DALLAS BEAUTIFUL ANYMORE.
THEY DO NOT HAVE A SOURCE FOR SUPPLIES.
UH, AND MANY OF 'EM LIVE IN GARLAND.
SO THEY ARE, UH, PICKING UP SUPPLIES FOR ME TO, UH, DO THEIR WORK ON SATURDAY ON THE 22ND, ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, THE 22ND, WE ARE GOING TO RALLY IT TO THE KEEP RALLY, UH, EARTH DAY AND HAVE A, UM, BOOTH AND TALK TO PEOPLE AND SO ON.
AND THEN ON THE 23RD THERE IS A, UM, AN EARTH DAY EVENT OUT AT FIRE WHEEL THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING IN THE AFTERNOON.
UH, I'M GONNA PUT IN A LITTLE PLUG RIGHT HERE.
REBA COLLINS DOES, UM, DESIGNS POLLINATOR GARDENS AND SHE'S DOING ONE FOR, UH, RT.
AND SO KEEP GARLAND BEAUTIFUL IS GETTING THE CREDIT FOR THE POLLINATOR GAR GARDEN IN R I THINK THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.
UH, SO WE ARE DOING THAT ON, UH, FRIDAY NIGHT WITH THEM ON THE 29TH AND 30TH.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THE INTERNATIONAL THAT DURING LEADERSHIP AND ON THE SA ON FRIDAY, THEY HAVE 660 STUDENTS THAT WILL BE CLEANING IN ALL PARTS OF GARLAND.
AND THAT'S A LOT OF TRASH BAGS, ISN'T IT?
AND, UH, WE ARE GIVING, WE ARE PROVIDING TRASH BAGS AND THEY ARE GETTING JUST THE REGULAR OLD CHEAP, UH, GLOVES TO CLEAN WITH.
THEY'RE NOT GETTING THOSE FANCY GLOVES.
UH, UH, SO WE ARE DOING THAT ON FRIDAY AND THEY WILL HAVE AT EIGHT 30 FRIDAY MORNING THEY'RE HAVING A, A KICKOFF OR WHATEVER.
AND, UH, RECOGNIZING, UH, WELL THE MAYOR WILL BE THERE AND SOME OTHER PEOPLE WILL BE THERE TO TALK AND THEY'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE KEEP GARLAND BEAUTIFUL FOR DOING ALL THE, PROVIDING ALL THESE THINGS.
NOW I KEEP SAYING WE PROVIDE, BUT WE ALSO TAKE PART IN, IN THINGS.
SO ON SATURDAY THEY ARE HAVING AN ALL DAY,
[01:35:01]
WELL FROM NINE TO TWO EVENT AND WE HAVE A BOOTH AND WE'LL BE TALKING TO PEOPLE AND SIGNING UP PEOPLE AND UM, UH, WORKING THERE.SO WE'LL GO GARLAND GREEN, THEY'LL BE THERE.
UH, THAT'S THROUGH APRIL ON MAY THE 14TH.
WE ARE WORKING WITH THE DUCK CREEK CLEANUP.
AND, UM, THIS IS AN EFFORT THAT I GUESS MATT IS PUTTING TOGETHER.
AND, UM, THE, UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY AND, UH, STORM WATER AND, UM, PARKS AND KICK GARLAND.
AND THERE MAY BE SOME OTHERS WHO ARE, MAYBE THERE'S ONE OTHER GROUP, MAYBE SANITATION.
IS THAT YOU, MICHELLE, OR Y'ALL? YEAH, I'M SUPPOSED TO GO TO A MEETING FOR THAT.
THERE'S A ZOOM MEETING ON THE 20TH.
SO, UH, UH, WE'LL BE DOING THAT.
SO, UH, THERE ARE, THERE IS A LITTLE CORE OF US NOW.
WE JUST HAVE SOME PEOPLE ON THE BOARD, SO PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN, IN BEING ON THE BOARD.
THERE'S JUST SMALL CORE OF US WHO DO A LOT OF WORK AND, UM, TRY TO GET A LOT DONE.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING BETWEEN NOW AND MAY THE 14TH.
THAT'S, UM, OH, I WANNA GIVE CREDIT TO PAULA.
AND THOSE HUGE CONSTRUCTION GARBAGE BAGS, UH, SHE, UM, PROVIDED FOR US.
AND THOSE REALLY NICE, THESE, WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT GLOVES, I'M TALKING ABOUT REALLY NICE GARDEN TYPE WORK GLOVES.
AND THEN SHE, UH, PROVIDES SOME OF THE GIFTS THAT WILL BE DOING SO AT THE, UM, CLEANUP, AT THE INTERNATIONAL TRAINING LEADERSHIP OF, UH, THING.
SHE IS PROVIDING SMALL THINGS, TOKENS FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WORK.
SO THIS IS REALLY, SHE DOES A LOT AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE HER.
ANYBODY CAN SIGN UP THAT WANTS TO, ANY ENVIRONMENTAL EXCUSES? NO, I'M TOO BUSY DOING, PASSING OUT GRABBERS.
ANYBODY, ROBERT, ANY INVOLVEMENT? UM, NO.
I MEAN THE SPRING CREEK WORK SESSIONS WERE LAST WEEKEND, SO NOTHING COMING UP THAT I'M AWARE OF.
I HAVE SOMETHING, OUR ORCHARD HILL'S NEIGHBORHOOD IS HAVING A PLANT SALE THIS SATURDAY AND PEOPLE ARE INVITED TO COME BUY PLANTS.
AND WE USE THESE TO DO ALL OF OUR FLOWER BEDS AND THINGS WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S AT A LITTLE, IT'S AT A PLACE CALLED SATURN HILLS COMMUNITY GARDEN.
AND IT'S RIGHT BEHIND SATURN ROAD, CHURCH OF CHRIST ON DANIEL DRIVE.
BE HERE'S SATURN ROAD AND THEN DANIEL DRIVE.
AND THE CHURCH IS IN BETWEEN AND WE INVITE PEOPLE TO COME AND, UH, PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD MAKE DONATIONS.
UH, UH, GARDEN CENTERS DONATE THINGS.
AND THEN NAIMAN FOREST TWO WEEKS AGO HAD THEIR, UH, AR CULTURE SALE AND THEY GIVE US THE LEFTOVERS.
SO WE DO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD, UH, SELECTION.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BUYING SOME GOOD PLANTS THAT ARE REALLY GOOD PRICE, UH, IT'S FROM NINE TO TWO FORMS OF PAYMENT.
PARDON? WHAT KIND OF PAYMENTS ARE YOU TAKING? MONEY.
UH, BUT IF YOU ARE TRUSTWORTHY, WE MIGHT TAKE A CHECK.
UM, BUT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN FINDING GOOD SELECTION, A GOOD PROCESS.
ANY COMMUNITY INITIATIVES OR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? WE, I SEE WE HAVE CODE COMPLIANCE DOWN FOR A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
IT SHOULD BE HERE, UH, NEXT MEETING.
HOPE I'M NOT STILL MAD AT HIM BY THEN.
AND I DO THINK, DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZEN COMMENTS? WE DO.
WE HAVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP NEXT MONTH.
THE HOMEOWNERS INVITING HOMEOWNERS, HUH? MA'AM, IF YOU WOULD, UH,
[01:40:01]
START OFF GIVING US YOUR NAME, UH, AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.IT SHOULD BE EVERYTHING YOU NEED.
I LIVE AT 29 60 WHITELEY ROAD IN WILEY.
MS. KNIGHT, LET ME, LET ME JUST MENTION THIS BEFORE YOU GET STARTED, IS OUR, OUR BOARD CAN'T COMMENT IF IT'S NOT AN AGENDA ITEM.
SO YOU CAN HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK, BUT WE CAN'T COMMENT ON ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE GONNA SAY.
UM, BUT THEN AFTER THE THREE OR THREE MINUTES IS UP, THEN I WILL MEET WITH YOU PERSONALLY.
WE CAN KIND OF TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I MEAN, I FELT I ENJOYED THIS WHOLE MEETING.
ALL OF THE TOPICS ARE THINGS I'VE SPENT MY LIFE INVOLVED WITH.
PART MOST OF, I, I WAS PART OF THE FIRST EARTH DAY CLEAN UP.
I TOOK MY STU I WAS STUDENT TEACHING AND TOOK MY KIDS, MY STUDENTS SEVENTH GRADERS OUT AND WE CLEANED UP ALONG THE ROADSIDE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I'VE DONE ALL OF THAT KIND OF STUFF THROUGHOUT MY YEARS.
I'VE TAUGHT, I'M AN EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TEACHER.
I'M RETIRED NOW AND I'M A FREELANCE CURRICULUM WRITER.
SO I HAVE CREATED, UH, AND THIS IS NOT REALLY WHY I CAME HERE, BUT THE FIRST GENTLEMAN WHO TALKED ABOUT THE ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND THE GRIDS AND THE, THE POWER WALLS AND SO ON.
I HAVE WRITTEN A GRAPHIC NOVEL FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
IT IS BEING PILOTED IN THE LA SCHOOL DISTRICTS NOW.
SO, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT.
I, I'LL LOVE TO SHARE IT WITH YOU FOLKS, BUT I'M REALLY HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT I LIVE ABOUT HALF A MILE NORTH OF THE HINTON LANDFILL.
I LIVE IN THE EJ SO I'M KIND OF A HOMELESS CONNECTION TO CITIES.
WHEN I MOVED UP HERE FROM HOUSTON, WHERE I TAUGHT FOR 30 PLUS YEARS, I, ONE OF THE EARLY THINGS I DID WAS LOOK, HOW DO I RECYCLE? AND I WAS DIRECTED TO GO TO GARLAND AND TAKE MY, MY RECYCLE MATERIALS TO THE RECYCLE CENTER.
THE PEOPLE THERE HAVE BEEN VERY NICE.
THEY'VE BEEN, WHEN I HAD HIP SURGERY, THEY ACTUALLY HELPED ME CARRY THIS.
THE WORKMAN HELPED ME CARRY STUFF UP THE, THE STEPS.
SO I WAS REALLY UPSET WHEN I LEARNED THAT WE WERE, MY NEIGHBOR CALLED ME YESTERDAY AND SAID HE HAD TAKEN HIS THERE AND AFTER HE PUT IT IN THE BIN, HE WAS APPROACHED BY TWO MEN WHO SAID, SIR, CAN I SEE YOUR ID? AND, UH, ARE YOU, AND I GUESS THEY SAID, ARE YOU A GARLAND RESIDENT? AND HE SAID, NO, I'M NOT.
I, BUT I WAS TOLD I COULD COME HERE.
AND THEY SAID, WELL, NOT ANYMORE.
AND IF YOU DO, WE WILL, YOU HAVE TO GO FIRST AND PAY.
HE WAS A LITTLE VAGUE OF WHAT THE CHARGE WOULD BE, BUT $10 TO, TO $10 TO DRIVE A 30 MINUTE DRIVE BACK THERE AND BACK AGAIN TO TAKE THE RECYCLING GOODS.
AND NOW I LIVE, I COULD JUST, IF I CAN'T DO THAT AND I'M, I'M RETIRED AND I'M ON A FIXED INCOME, YOU KNOW, SO I TRY AND GUARD HOW I SPEND MY MONEY.
BUT IF I DO THAT, I'M, IF I CAN'T DO THAT, THEN I WILL JUST PUT ALL MY, ALL MY TRASH, INCLUDING THE RECYCLE STUFF INTO THE BIN.
AND I PAY FOR A SERVICE TO COME OUT IN THE COUNTRY TO MY FIVE ACRE PROPERTY.
AND THEY PICK UP AT ONCE A WEEK.
THEY PICK UP A STUFF, THEY DRIVE HALF AN HALF A MILE DOWN THE ROAD TO THE HITTEN LANDFILL AND THEY PUT IT WHERE YOU DON'T WANT IT.
SO I'M HOPING WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF, UM, SOME RECOGNITION THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AND WANNA DO IT.
AND I DID LEARN, YOU KNOW, SOME ADDITIONAL, I HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS CUZ I'M A TEACHER AND ALWAYS HAVE IDEAS.
BUT THE SCHOOLS ARE THE POWER.
WE USED TO DO ALL KINDS OF RECYCLING AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUFF IN THE, IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY AT MIDDLE SCHOOL AND RUN CONTESTS AND, AND DO THINGS TO FEEL THE, EMPOWER THE KIDS TO HARASS THE PARENTS TO GET IT ALL RIGHT.
AND I THINK THAT'S DROPPED LISA UP.
YOU HAD ABOUT 20 MINUTES, 20 SECONDS.
NO, BUT THANK YOU FOR, FOR LISTENING TO ME.
AND, AND MY NEIGHBOR WROTE A LETTER AND TWO, TWO, I DON'T KNOW WHO, BUT TWO PEOPLE RESPONDED TO HIM, VERY NICE RESPONSES AND HELPFUL AND SO, AND DIDN'T SAY GO
[01:45:01]
AWAY.SAID, WE'LL WORK WITH YOU JUST LIKE YOU TOLD ME TODAY.
AND I SAID, I'LL MEET WITH YOU AFTERWARDS AND WE WILL, WE'LL TALK, BUT OUR BOARD CAN'T COMMENT.
BUT THEY CAN DEFINITELY LISTEN.
AND DO YOU WANNA SAY ONE OTHER THING? YOU'RE THE ROAD THAT LEADS UP TO THE HINTON LANDFILL WHERE ALL THESE TRUCKS GO.
YOU, YOU DO AN EXCELLENT JOB OF KEEPING THAT PICKED UP AND CLEAN.
BUT, BUT I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT CUZ THAT'S MY PATH TO EVERYWHERE.
OUR NEXT MEETING DATE, WE HAVE, UH, MAY THE 11TH.
ANYBODY GOT ANYTHING? OLD YOU? GOOD NIGHT AND THANK YOU.
WHAT IS IT? DIDN'T I, OOH, PROGRAM.