[District 7 Update with Council Member Dylan Hedrick]
          [00:00:15]
          HELLO AND WELCOME TO ANOTHER CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT UPDATE. I'M DOROTHY WHITE. WE'RE JOINED BY COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN. REPRESENTATIVE DYLAN HEDRICK. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE . GLAD TO BE HERE. THANK YOU CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR YOUR UPDATES ABOUT 2022 THINGS WE MIGHT LOOK AHEAD TWO AND 2023 READY TO JUMP ON IN. LET'S DO IT ALL RIGHT. LET'S START WITH THE STUFF. 
          THAT'S JUST BEEN THE MOST FUN LIGHTLY, AND THAT'S BOND PROJECTS. WE'RE REALLY MAKING SOME PROGRESS. YES WE ARE, AND IT'S ALWAYS MY FAVORITE TOPIC TO TOPIC ABOUT BEING ON THE BOND STUDY COMMITTEE AND THEN NOW BEING ABLE TO SERVE ON COUNCIL AND SEE THESE PROJECTS ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED. START WITH THE ANIMAL SHELTER. THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST ONES. IT WAS A PROPOSITION ALL BY ITSELF. IT FINALLY OPENED THIS YEAR. AND THEN WITHIN A FEW MONTHS, MY DAUGHTER'S DRUG ME DOWN THERE AND WE ADOPTED A NEW CAT, SO IT IS ALREADY PAYING DIVIDENDS. AND WE HAVE A NEW, FLUFFY ANIMAL RUNNING AROUND MY HOUSE NOW SO ANIMALS CENTER IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE GYMS THAT WE HAVE AS PART OF THE BOND PROGRAM NOW, BUT OTHER PROJECTS ARE OPENING UP TO. WE JUST HAD A BIG RIBBON CUTTING A FEW MONTHS AGO ON SOUTH SHILOH ROAD THAT'S BRAND NEW THREE LANES EITHER DIRECTION THAT OPENED UP IT'S GOING TO HELP THE TRAFFIC FLOW IN THE AREA. WE JUST OPENED UP OUR NEWEST SKATEPARK HERE IN GARLAND, WHICH IS 46,000 SQUARE FEET SKATING SURFACE IS THE SECOND LARGEST IN TEXAS AND PLACES FROM ALL THE WAY FROM BEGINNER AREAS DID MORE ADVANCED WITH FOOD TRUCKS. COURTYARD I MEAN, IT'S AMAZING. IT'S ANOTHER JEWEL THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE CITY. PEOPLE ARE REALLY LOVING THAT I AM HEARING THAT IT'S JUST BUSY ALL THE TIME AND PEOPLE HAVING A GREAT TIME OUT THERE. IT'S GREAT. YEAH I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT THIS BOND PROGRAM IS SUPPOSED TO DO IS BRING THESE KIND OF AMENITIES THAT SO GLAD THE VOTERS PASSED IT, AND NOW IT'S ODD JOB ON COUNCIL TO IMPLEMENT IT AND MAKE SURE THEY HAPPEN AND WE'RE DOING THAT NOW. THAT'S GREAT, AND THERE'S A FEW MORE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, FIRE STATIONS. REC CENTERS. ROADS SURE. YEAH UH, WE'RE LOSING THE FIRE STATION OUT OF MY DISTRICT FIRE STATION SIX AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME HOW IS THIS GOING TO AFFECT OUR FIRE SERVICE HAS BEEN AFFECT MY INSURANCE, RIGHT? IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE WORRIED. THE PHYSICAL LOCATION OF THE STATION WON'T BE AS CLOSE TO THEIR HOUSE AS IT WAS PREVIOUSLY, BUT WE DID A STUDY THAT NEW FIRE STATION LOCATION IS GOING TO BE MOVED TO THE NORTH SIDE OF GEORGE BUSH TURNPIKE RIGHT AT CAMPBELL, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY IMPROVE RESPONSE TIMES INSTEAD OF BEING DOWN IN THE VALLEY IN HOLFORD ROAD, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO RESPOND MORE QUICKLY USING THE MAIN SERVICE LANES OF THE GEORGE BUSH THERE. BE ABLE TO RESPOND QUICKLY TO THE CAMELOT NEIGHBORHOODS OR POINTS TO THE WEST AND SOUTH. FROM THERE. IT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD THING HAVING TO MOVE THAT AND IMPROVED RESPONSE TIMES ON FIRE STATION SIX. SO I MADE A GROUNDBREAKING ON THAT AND HOPE TO SEE THAT BUILT WITHIN THE NEXT 18 MONTHS OR SO. THAT ALLOWS US ALSO TO BEGIN WORK ON HOLFORD ROAD. WE HAD TO MOVE THE FIRE STATION BEFORE WE COULD CLOSE DOWN THAT ROAD AND REBUILD THE ROAD AND HAVE A NICE ROAD THAT WILL ACTUALLY INTEGRATE INTO THE SPRING CREEK FOREST PRESERVE WITH TRAILS AND BIKE PATHS AND ALL THE AMENITIES THROUGH THERE, SO GIVING THAT FIRE STATION MOVE WAS FIRST STEP HOLFORD ROAD WILL BE THE NEXT PART. AND IT'S JUST ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER. WE'RE TRYING TO DELIVER ON WHICH IS WONDERFUL. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOLFORD. 
          LET'S MOVE DOWN TO HOLFORD REC CENTER, RIGHT. HOLFORD RECKONED HOLFORD WROTE TO THE TO ONE BIG ONES IN MY DISTRICT AND THE HOLFORD RECREATION CENTER. IT HAD ITS LAST DAY OF OPERATION WITH SEPTEMBER 30TH. NO MORE CLASSES. NO MORE PROGRAMS THERE , BUT THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO DO A COMPLETE RENOVATION. AND OVERALL, THE WHOLE FACILITY, INCLUDING THE AQUATICS FACILITY NEXT TO IT. SPENT A LOT OF TIME THERE THIS SUMMER, GETTING THE LAST BIT IN THAT SMALL POOL, AND IT'S DEFINITELY TIME FOR UPGRADE TO THE POOL AND THE REC CENTER TO SO WE WILL. BE PUTTING A BRAND NEW REC CENTER THERE. TWO STORIES, KITCHEN FACILITIES, NEW GYM NEW MEETING ROOMS. IT'S GOING TO BE ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL AND INTEGRATE INTO FORESIGHTED REC CENTER OPENED AT THE PARK AND TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD INTO THE AQUATIC CENTER. SO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS FROM ALL DIRECTIONS TO THAT NEW FACILITY. OKAY I'M GONNA DATE MYSELF HERE. I REMEMBER WHEN HOLFORD WAS NEW, SO I'M PARTICULARLY EXCITED BY SEEING PEOPLE IMPROVEMENTS TOLD ME I USED TO TAKE SWIMMING LESSONS THERE WHEN I WAS A KID, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S GREAT. WE CAN HOPEFULLY HAVE MORE OF THAT, IN THE FUTURE IN THE NEW POOL IS GOING TO BE AMAZING WITH A LAZY RIVER TYPE AND A CLIMBING ONE SLIDES. AND IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO THE HEIGHTS RECREATION CENTER IN GARLAND, WE'RE GOING TO DO EVEN BETTER THAN THAT. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT COMING TO MY DISTRICT. I BET YOU ARE NOW, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT IN YOUR DISTRICT. YOU'RE ALSO EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AT JALAPA. YES THAT'S A SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN NEEDED FOR A WHILE. WE HAD PLANS TO HAVE THAT 
          [00:05:04]
RECREATION CENTER OF A CERTAIN SIZE. THE FUNDING WAS NEVER THERE, BUT NOW WE'RE ABLE TO COMPLETE THOSE AT A NEW GYM ONTO IT HAD A NEW NEW BUILDINGS AND EXPAND THAT AND HAVE NEW OUTDOOR FACILITIES AS WELL THAT AT THAT RECREATION CENTER, AND THAT'S ALSO GOING TO BE THE NEW LOCATION OF OUR NEW WALNUT. CREEK BRANCH LIBRARY, WHICH WILL BE MOVING FROM ITS CURRENT LOCATION. IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THE REC CENTER, THE PARK OPERATIONS AND THE LIBRARY FACILITIES CAN CREATE SHARED PROGRAMMING AND COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES THERE. THAT'S GOING TO BE A VERY EXCITING THING FOR US. I THINK SO, TOO. 
          I'M HOPING FOR THAT. I'M HOPING FOR THAT. THAT LOCATION AT HOFER . MAYBE WE CAN HAVE OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING AS WELL. SO A LOT OF GOOD THINGS COMING WONDERFUL. NOW, THE OTHER THING WE ALL DRIVE THE ROADS. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HEALTH ABROAD EARLIER BUT ALSO BOTTLENECK IMPROVEMENTS. WE ALWAYS HAD THESE SPOTS WHERE THINGS JAM UP. SO TALK ABOUT THAT. AND THANKFULLY LOT OF THE BOTTLENECK IMPROVEMENTS AND WHAT THAT IS, IS INTERSECTIONS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDING AN ADDITIONAL RIGHT TURN LANE. WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDING A SECOND LEFT TURN LANE AT THESE INTERSECTIONS TO HELP GET THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. FASTER WHENEVER THERE'S A RED LIGHT GREEN LIGHT , THERE'S TURNING MOVEMENT. SO A LOT OF THESE BOTTLENECK IMPROVEMENTS ARE IN MY DISTRICT ALONG SHILOH ALONG JUPITER THAT ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO INCLUDE IMPROVE THE TRAFFIC FLOW ALONG THOSE AREAS, SO CONSTRUCTION WILL START ON THOSE VERY SOON. 
          THE COUNCIL ALSO PASSED A REALLY POSITIVE BUDGET THIS YEAR. THAT'S GOING TO REALLY BRING MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO US AS WELL. TALK ABOUT THAT BIGGEST BUDGET IN GARLAND HISTORY, WE'RE ALMOST A BILLION DOLLARS JUST UNDER AT 960 $60 MILLION, WHICH IS A BIG IMPROVEMENT, BIG INCREASE FROM OUR PREVIOUS BUDGETS. IT'S JUST A FACT THAT THE PROPERTY VALUES HAVE RISEN TO SUCH A POINT, WHICH ALLOWS THE REVENUE TO COME IN. WE WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO PRODUCE THE ADMIRAL AND TAX RATE. AND KEEP THE REVENUES THE SAME WHILE REDUCING THE TAX RATE. SO WHY WOULD MAYBE PAY MORE IN TOTAL TAX AMOUNT? YOUR RATE ACTUALLY WENT DOWN, WHICH IS A GOOD THING, BUT THAT NEW REVENUE ALLOWS US TO A LOT OF THINGS WITH IT. THERE'S A LOT OF PUBLIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS FOR OUR FIREMEN. WE BOUGHT SOME VEHICLES THAT WILL ACTUALLY BLOCK THE HIGHWAY WHEN THEY'RE RESPONDING TO REX ON 6 35 OR GEORGE BUSH THAT THEY CAN PUT DOWN AND A LOT OF THE ACCIDENTS ARE CORRECT. SECONDARY ACCIDENT WHERE ANOTHER MOTORS MAY HIT THE BACK OF THE FIRE ENGINE WHILE THEY RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT THAT'S ALREADY TAKEN PLACE. SO SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS LIKE THAT NEW TRAINING FOR OUR SWAT TEAM, NEW SUPPLIERS THEY HAVE MEDICAL TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT FOR SWAT , UH, LOT OF THINGS LIKE THAT FOR A PUBLIC SAFETY TO HELP AND WERE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET BUT ALSO MORE OF THESE LIFE. AMENITIES THAT WE ALL ENJOY. 
          THAT MAKES GIRL IN A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE AND TO BRING OUR FRIENDS AND MAYBE IN FRONT OF HIM ABOUT A FEW OF THEM TO COME. JOIN US OVER HERE. PERMANENTLY YES, THAT'S A WE HAVE. LOT MORE IN OUR BUDGET THAT'S NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY. THESE ARE PROGRAMS THAT HELP IMPROVE THE NEIGHBORHOODS. MAKE THEM LOOK MORE BEAUTIFUL. ONE IS OUR HOME IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO GET REIMBURSED FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE TO YOUR HOUSE TO IMPROVE THE EXTERIOR APPEARANCE. WE ADD ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THAT IN THE BUDGET, UM ALL THESE BONDHOLDERS I TALKED ABOUT ALSO TAKE STAFF, TOO. SO THE NEW WRECK THE NEW ANIMAL SHELTER, IT'S MORE THAN DOUBLING THE SIZE OF THE PREVIOUS ONE. WHAT TAKES MORE STAFF AND ALLOWS MORE CAPACITY FOR ANIMALS, MORE FOOD, MORE SUPPLIES FOR ALL THOSE ANIMALS, SO ALL OF THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET TO HELP PREPARE AND PROVIDE FOR THIS NEW BOND PROJECTS. EXCELLENT. LET'S TALK ABOUT POWER. PML IS ONE OF OUR GREATEST ASSETS AND REALLY PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS REALIZE WHAT A GREAT BARGAIN WE GET WITH G P AND L LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT LOVE SHOWING THIS GRAPHIC. IT'S EVERY TIME PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT MY RATES TOO HIGH. WELL I PULL IT UP FROM THE WEBSITE AND WE ARE THE LOWEST PROVIDER AS FAR AS THE OTHER PROVIDERS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE METROPLEX. 
          PEOPLE MAY COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR LACK OF CHOICE. BUT WOULD YOU WANT ANY OTHER CHOICE? WE CAN ALREADY PAID THE LOWEST RATE. POSSIBLE I LOVE SHOWING THIS GRAPHIC HERE. UH JUST HAD AN INCIDENT TODAY IN MY DISTRICT WHERE THERE WAS A POWER OUTAGE, SQUIRREL GOT INTO A LINE CAUSED THE POWER OUTAGE, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO RESPOND VERY QUICKLY AND FIND THE SOURCE THE OUTAGE AND, UM, RESPOND TO THAT AND GET POWER BACK AND RUNNING VERY QUICKLY, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAD OVER LABOR DAY WEEKEND WE HAD ANOTHER INCIDENT IN MY DISTRICT WHERE BIG GUST OF WIND STORM CAME THROUGH LOCKDOWNS AND POWER POLES KNOCKED DOWN SOME WIRES. UM, WITHIN 24 HOURS POWER WERE DESTROYED. AND MRS UM MORE MAJOR EVENT THAT EVEN WHEN WE HAD TODAY, BUT THEY RESPOND VERY QUICKLY AND GET POWER BACK UP AND RUNNING VERY QUICKLY, AND WE'RE INVESTING IN SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO TRY TO START UP QUICKER WHEN WE HAVE AVERAGES. RIGHT RIGHT. THERE'S A ONE THING 
          [00:10:03]
THAT WE DO IS WE'RE LOOKING. WE ACTUALLY APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF SEVEN. SEVERAL QUICK START GENERATORS, YOUR NEW TURBINES THAT WILL BE AT THE OLD ANGER POWER PLANT THAT ARE ACTUALLY MANUFACTURED IN HOUSTON AND THEN DRIVE THEM RIGHT UP THE HIGHWAY AND UNLOAD THEM HERE IN GARLAND , WHERE THEY'LL HOOK UP. IT'S 69 MEGAWATTS OF POWER CAPACITY THAT CAN SPIN UP TO FULL PRODUCTION WITHIN 10 MINUTES, SO THIS WILL ALLOW US TO RESPOND TO OVER THE SUMMER WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE A POTENTIAL BLACKOUT PERIOD ROLLING BLACKOUTS. THIS WILL HELP STABILIZE THE WHOLE GRID, THE TEXAS GRID OR EVEN WHEN WE HAD OUR BIG POWDER OUTAGE DURING FREEZE TWO YEARS AGO, THIS ALL BE ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION CAPACITY THAT WILL BE ONLINE TO HELP RESPOND TO THAT. THAT'S EXCELLENT AND GOOD NEWS FOR ALL OF US. LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE FUN STUFF. CULTURAL ARTS. WE JUST HAD A PRESENTATION BY OUR CULTURAL ARTS DIRECTOR OR WORK SESSION LAST NIGHT, AMY ROSENTHAL, SHE IS EXCITED ABOUT PUBLIC ART COMING TO OUR CITY, AND I AM TOO. I THINK ALWAYS NEW BOND PROJECTS WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE A NEW PUBLIC ART STRUCTURE , SCULPTURE, PAINTING MURAL, WHATEVER IT MAY BE. ALONG WITH THOSE BOND PROJECTS THAT JUST PUT ON THE BALL. NOW WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL MURAL. YOU HAVE A NICE SCULPTURE IN FRONT OF HER SOMETHING IT JUST ADDS TO THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY THERE AND PART OF THE COMMUNITY TO WE'RE LOOKING FOR. LOCAL ARTISTS TO BE INVOLVED AND ALSO HAVE A PLAN TO HAVE LOCAL ARTISTS BEING INVOLVED IN THE SELECTION PROCESS OF THE ARTIST AND WHAT THE ART SHALL BE, SO REALLY GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN BACKING BEHIND THAT. AND THEN ALSO MORE MUSIC. WE LOVE LIVE MUSIC AND GARLAND OUR SUMMER CONCERT SERIES WITH SUCCESS. I WENT TO AS MANY AS I COULD, AND THEY WERE BOTH AT WINTER'S PARK AND THEN DOWN SOUTH WINTERS PARK. LITTLE CLOSER FOR DISTRICT SEVEN RESIDENTS. BUT WE HAVE SOME BIG NAMES COMING TO MAVIS STAPLES IS COMING SOON HERE, AND I HOPE TO HAVE EVEN MORE. YOU KNOW WHY KNOWN LOCAL AND NATIONWIDE ARTISTS COMING TO OUR CITY AND IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THOSE MORE TO COME. WE WILL HAVE TO KEEP KEEP LISTENING. KEEP STAY TUNED. WE WILL HAVE MORE DETAILS AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE . YES, EXACTLY COURSE, A NEW CELEBRATION. IT'S NOT A NEW CELEBRATION. BUT WE AS A CITY, UH, PUT TOGETHER A NEW EVENT RELATED TO JUNETEENTH. WE DID YEAR MUCH LIKE, UM THE DEAL. DEAL DEAL IS MARTOS, WHICH WAS FOR OUR HISPANIC COMMUNITY, WHICH WE JUST CELEBRATED THIS MONTH. JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION IS ANOTHER CULTURAL GREAT CULTURAL CELEBRATION FOR THE ENDING OF SAFE SLAVERY IN TEXAS. WE LOVE TO CELEBRATE ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT CULTURES HERE IN GARLAND. I KNOW I'M WORKING WITH JENNIFER WIN AND SHE WANTS TO HAVE THE CHINESE NEW YEAR, EVEN A BIGGER CELEBRATION THERE. CALLIE SAIGON MALL IN MY DISTRICT, SO BRINGING IT ALL ALL THESE CULTURES TOGETHER AND BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE. IT IS REALLY WHAT MAKES GARLAND WHAT IT IS. IT REALLY IS. THE DIVERSITY IN OUR COMMUNITY BRINGS SUCH RICHNESS TO OUR TO OUR LIVES. UH I KNOW OUR VISIT. GARLAND GROUP HAS SPOTLIGHTS ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD THAT'S AVAILABLE AND GROWING. WE'VE GOT I COULDN'T EVEN TELL YOU HOW MANY DIFFERENT TYPES BUT IT'S ALWAYS OH, WE'VE GOT THIS FLAVOR HERE IN THIS FLAVOR HERE, TALK ABOUT BRINGING GREAT FLAVOR TO LIFE. YES. WE'VE GOT IT HERE. MHM WELL, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH FOLKS BEFORE WE WRAP UP? I ALWAYS WANT TO SHARE IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME AT ANY TIME, WHETHER YOU'RE IN MY DISTRICT OR NOT, I'M HAPPY TO HELP ARE HAPPY TO POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. ANY OF THE CITY RESOURCES YOU MAY NEED, UM, HAPPY TO BE THE CONDUIT TO HELP DIRECT US. EXCELLENT WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AND PROVIDING THESE UPDATES. UM I LOOK FORWARD TO AN EXCITING 2023 TO AS WELL, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US FOR THIS CITY COUNCIL UPDATE. WE'LL SEE YOU FOR THE NEXT ONE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.