Link

Social

Embed

Disable autoplay on embedded content?

Download

Download
Download Transcript


WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME

[00:00:01]

UP AND ADDRESS THE BOARD? WE'D LOVE FOR YOU TO DO IT.

YES.

[Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on March 1, 2023.]

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME TONIGHT AND GIVING ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

UM, UH, I HAVEN'T MET TAMARA.

NICE TO MEET YOU.

UM, BUT I DID SERVE ON THE PARKS BOARD FOR FIVE AND A HALF YEARS AS MANY OF YOU.

AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SHARE THAT TIME WITH YOU.

AND I WANNA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR VOLUNTEER TIME IN DOING THIS.

IT IS YOUR, UM, INPUT AND YOUR TIME THAT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED AS A CITY TO, YOU KNOW, PROPEL PROPELS AND TO LISTENING TO PEOPLE AND HEARING WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY AND GETTING NEW IDEAS.

SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND HAVE A GREAT MEETING.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR REPRESENTING US ON THE COUNCIL, AND, UH, AND WE HAD A, WE HAD A FUN TIME WORKING WITH YOU, AND WE KNEW YOU WERE DOING A GOOD JOB UP THERE, AND YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

OKAY.

ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.

NUMBER TWO, A CONSIDER AND APPROVED, UH, CONSIDER AND PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION FROM THE TEXAS COMMISSION OF THE ARTS.

SURE.

UH, SO WE HAVE, UH, AMY, WHO IS OUR, OH, THERE WE GO.

ARE CULTURAL ARTS, UH, DIRECTOR, WHO'S GONNA GIVE US A PRESENTATION, STEPHEN.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

YES.

GREETINGS.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO PRESENT YOU.

YOU'RE FIRST ON MY ROAD SHOW OF MY, UH, , SEVERAL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT I'M GONNA SHARE ABOUT OUR CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION PURSUIT.

SO, UH, AGAIN, I'M AMY ROSENTHAL.

I'M THE CULTURAL DISTRICT DIRECT OR CULTURAL DIRECTOR, CULTURAL ARTS DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF GARLAND.

UM, AND I AM SO EXCITED TO, TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

UM, SO HERE'S A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT.

I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND.

UH, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS, THE REQUIREMENTS, THE BENEFITS.

WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES OF CULTURAL DISTRICT GRANTS.

WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT GARLAND'S OPPORTUNITY, AND THEN I'D LIKE A LITTLE INPUT FROM Y'ALL.

UM, AND, UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR GOALS.

AND THEN I ALSO NEED A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION OF SUPPORT.

SO, CULTURAL DISTRICTS.

UM, ACTUALLY THE CITY OF GARLAND HAS BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE.

YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T JUST SOMETHING, UH, RECENT THAT'S COME UP WITH ME.

THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A WHILE.

SO RECENTLY, UH, THERE WAS AN ECONOMIC STRATEGY, UH, PRESENTATION.

AND THE RECOMMENDATION WAS DRIVE MORE SALES TAXES BY CREATING AND SUPPORTING AMENITIES TO PROMOTE GARLAND AS A DESTINATION DURING DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME, WEEKDAYS, AND WEEKENDS.

IT WAS ALSO LISTED AS ONE OF THE TOP 10 PRIORITIES IN THE, UH, ARTS MASTER PLAN.

UM, AND IT WAS IDENTIFIED AS A PRIORITY IN THE, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN AS WELL, TOO.

SO, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION FOR A WHILE.

THIS IS NOT A NEW TOPIC.

SO WHAT IS A CULTURAL DISTRICT? UH, WELL, THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS ESTABLISHED A FORMAL PROGRAM FOR CULTURAL DISTRICTS BACK IN 2009.

CULTURAL DISTRICTS ARE, IT'S AN ANCHOR OF A RECOGNIZED LABELED, MIXED USED AREA OF A COMMUNITY IN WHICH THERE EXISTS A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF ARTS AND CULTURAL FACILITIES, INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, AND EVENTS THAT ARE PROMOTED TO ATTRACT CULTURAL TOURISTS.

WELL, WHAT IS A CULTURAL TOURIST? RIGHT.

OKAY.

SO, AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS DEFINES A CULTURAL TOURIST, UH, AS AN INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP SEEKING OUT DISTINCTIVE EXPERIENCES, FOCUSING ON VISUAL PERFORMING ARTS, ARCHITECTURE, CUISINE, AND CRAFTS.

SO, IF YOU THINK ABOUT FOLKS THAT LIKE TO TRAVEL TO SEE COURTHOUSES OR PAINTED CHURCHES OR, UH, MURALS OR GO HAVE WONDERFUL INTERACTIONS, UM, AT ART EXHIBITS, THOSE ARE CULTURAL TOURISTS.

AND THE DATA PROVES THAT THOSE TOURISTS ACTUALLY SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY THAN JUST YOUR AVERAGE JOE TOURIST.

SO WE DEFINITELY WANT TO BRING CULTURAL TOURISTS TO GARLAND.

SO WHO SHOULD APPLY, UM, COMMUNITIES WITH AN EXISTING CONCENTRATION OF ARTS AND CULTURAL ASSETS IN ONE WALKABLE AREA OF A CITY THAT THEY WANNA PROMOTE TO VISITORS.

SO HERE IS THE LIST OF CITIES IN TEXAS WITH A CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION.

SO YOU CAN SEE DALLAS HAS THREE, UM, THAT'S FAIR PARK, DEEP ELM AND THE DALLAS ARTS DISTRICT.

UH, HOUSTON HAS SEVEN, SAN ANTONIO HAS FOUR.

UM, AND IN NORTH TEXAS, WE HAVE ARLINGTON, PLANO, MCKINNEY.

YOU CAN KIND OF GO A LITTLE FARTHER NORTH TO DENNISON SHERMAN.

THIS IS A REALLY PRESTIGIOUS DESIGNATION,

[00:05:01]

AND THEY'RE VERY, UM, PARTICULAR AND TO, TO WHO THEY DESIGNATE, UH, AS A CULTURAL DISTRICT.

SO THIS PROCESS, IT'S A PRETTY RIGOROUS PROCESS.

WE'VE ALREADY SUBMITTED, UH, A LETTER.

UM, YOU HAVE A COPY OF YOUR LETTER IN YOUR PACKET, AND THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL LETTER, UM, NEXT TO YOUR INFORMATION.

SO, UH, MR. REX HELPED US WITH A LETTER.

SO WE HAD TO SAY WE WERE INTENDING TO APPLY FOR THIS, UH, DESIGNATION.

AND THEN WE ALSO NEED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDER GROUPS ARE IN SUPPORT OF A CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION.

SO TONIGHT I'M HERE, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE DIFFERENT MEETINGS.

I'M GONNA ATTEND , GET MY TAP SHOES READY.

UH, YEAH, I'M GONNA BE ON THE ROAD.

SO, UH, EVENTUALLY AFTER GETTING FEEDBACK FROM OUR DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, I'LL GO TO COUNCIL.

I'LL GO TO A WORK SESSION.

I'LL PRESENT SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT I'VE RECEIVED FROM OUR DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS.

WE'LL TALK AT COUNCIL.

AND THEN ULTIMATELY, WE NEED A COUNCIL RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION OR TO, TO APPLY.

SO THE REQUIREMENTS, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THESE PARTNERSHIPS ARE VERY IMPORTANT, UH, TO THIS STATE.

THE STATE REALLY WANTS TO KNOW THAT EVERYONE'S INVESTED IN THIS.

YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE THIS RESOLUTION.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE A, A PLAN, A MASTER PLAN.

THE CITY OF GARLAND HAS INCREDIBLE MASTER PLANS FROM OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND OUR CULTURAL ARTS.

UM, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION.

MANY TIMES THESE LETTERS INCLUDE, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVES OR, UM, YOU KNOW, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBERS.

I MEAN, WE'VE GOTTA BE PRETTY STRATEGIC WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OUR LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION.

UM, THERE'S A FIVE MINUTE VIDEO, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY 50% OF THE SCORING PROCESS.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR VIDEO PRODUCT HAS A LOT OF, UH, GREAT MESSAGES AND GREAT PICTURES, AND REALLY CAPTURES ALL OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S REALLY COMPETITIVE.

UM, AND I, AND I JUST WANNA SHARE A COUPLE THINGS.

YOU KNOW, ARLINGTON WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS TWICE IN ORDER TO GET THEIR DESIGNATION.

UH, THE YEAR THAT MCKINNEY WAS APPLYING, UH, LEGACY WEST WAS ALSO APPLYING IN PLANO A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, AND PUT LOTS OF MONEY AND RESOURCES BEHIND THEIR APPLICATION.

THEY WERE NOT ACCEPTED.

SO IT, AGAIN, IT'S, THIS IS A PRETTY, UH, EXCITING OPPORTUNITY FOR US.

BUT GARLAND HAS ALL THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS, IN MY OPINION.

THIS IS, IT'S GONNA BE A CHALLENGE FOR US TO GET THIS APPLICATION IN, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER.

BUT I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES.

SO, THE BENEFITS OF A DESIGNATION, IT'S THE STATE GIVING YOU A SEAL OF APPROVAL.

HEY, GARLAND HAS ASSETS THAT ARE WORTHY OF THIS TYPE OF A DESIGNATION.

OKAY? SO THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT BENEFIT.

THERE'S MARKETING PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.

IT'S A BRANDING OPPORTUNITY.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR CULTURAL DISTRICT OR OUR ARTS DISTRICT, UH, IT GIVES US A WAY TO REALLY TALK IN A SIMILAR LANGUAGE.

UM, AGAIN, IT INCREASES OUR PARTNERSHIPS, BUT ONE OF THE BEST BENEFITS IS THE ACCESS TO CERTAIN FUNDING.

SO HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF, UH, CULTURAL DIS DISTRICT GRANTS FROM ACROSS THE STATE.

YOU CAN SEE ABILENE USED, UH, THEIR FUNDS TO LIGHT SCULPTURES.

AMARILLO PRODUCED A CONCERT SERIES, UM, CANADIAN, CANADA, , IT'S THE, IT'S OUT THERE.

WEST TEXAS.

UM, THEY HAD A, AN INSTALLATION OF AN ELEVATOR.

I ACTUALLY THOUGHT THAT WAS A PRETTY, UH, UNIQUE USE OF THEIR FUNDS JUST TO HELP WITH ADA.

SO AGAIN, IT'S CAPITAL PROJECTS, IT'S PROGRAMMING, UH, AND, AND IT'S ALSO MARKETING.

SO IF YOU LOOK DOWN HERE TOO, UH, DENTON, UM, USED THEIR DOLLARS WITH A FESTIVAL, UH, EL PASO, ANOTHER EVENT, GALVESTON, A SERIES OF EXHIBITIONS, UM, HOUSTON FOR MARKETING.

UH, AND THEN ANOTHER PROGRAM IN HOUSTON USED IT FOR AN ARTIST RESIDENCY, LUBBOCK IMPROVEMENTS TO A COURTYARD SAN ANTONIO, MORE MARKETING.

UH, TEXARKANA HAD A VARIETY OF THINGS FROM MURALS TO ACTIVATING ALLEYS.

UH, AND THEN WACO USED THEIRS FOR, UH, A D MARTOS PARADE AND FESTIVAL.

SO, AGAIN, TERRIFIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUNDING THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO ACCESS AT THIS POINT WITHOUT THE DESIGNATION.

SO HERE'S, HERE'S GARLAND'S OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT? SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT DEFINITION, IT'S GOTTA BE A WALKABLE AREA USING EXISTING ASSETS.

UM, WE DO, WE HAVE A VERY TERRIFIC WALKABLE AREA HERE IN THE CENTRAL GARLAND AREA.

UM, NOW, SOME DISTRICTS NOW WE MAY LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, OH, GOSH, FOR ME TO WALK FROM CENTRAL PARK TO THE DALLAS COLLEGE, EH, BUT THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED, THIS IS, THIS IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT OTHER CITIES SUBMIT.

THIS IS ABOUT A MILE AND A HALF BY A MILE AND A HALF.

SO HERE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF

[00:10:01]

THE ASSETS IN THIS CENTRAL GARLAND AREA.

UH, WE HAVE THE, THE COLLEGE, THERE'S A NEW POTTERY STUDIO COMING UP, UH, THAT'S NORTH HERE BY THE COLLEGE.

WE HAVE THE ART CENTER, THE LIBRARY, THE MUSEUM.

WE HAVE THE SQUARE.

WE HAVE, UH, GARLAND HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH HAS A TOP FILM, UH, PROGRAM IN THE STATE.

WE HAVE MAGIC 11TH STREET.

UH, WE HAVE LOU HUFF PARK, WE HAVE THE CARVER SENIOR CENTER, AND WE HAVE GRANGER, I MEAN, INCREDIBLE ASSETS RIGHT HERE IN THE CENTRAL AREA OF GARLAND.

THE OTHER THING THAT WE HAVE, WHICH IS VERY UNIQUE AND KIND OF EXCITING, IS THE BANKHEAD HIGHWAY.

SO THE BANKHEAD HIGHWAY TRAVELS AS A RIBBON THROUGH THE DIFFERENT ASSETS IN THE CENTRAL GARLAND AREA.

SO, UM, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT, THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HELP PROMOTE THE BANKHEAD HIGHWAY AS PART OF OUR DISTRICT.

UM, SO IS, IF, IF, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, UH, THE BANQUE IS THIS RIBBON OF ROADS THAT CONNECT SOME OF GARLAND'S MOST IMPORTANT CULTURAL ASSETS.

UM, PLAYED IN A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL GROWTH.

AND IT'S A UNIQUE FEATURE THAT BUILDS E AND T.

SO, AGAIN, AFTER, BASED ON DISCUSSION WITH THE GROUPS AND THEN GOING TO COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, ONE POSSIBLE WAY FOR US TO IDENTIFY THIS CENTRAL GARLAND DISTRICT WOULD BE GARLAND'S, BANKHEAD, ARTS DISTRICT.

DISTRICT.

SO, BANKHEAD ARTS SOUNDS KIND OF, KIND OF COOL.

UM, THIS IS TAKING A LOOK, UH, AT A MAP THAT Z'S TEAM HELPED ME PUT TOGETHER.

THIS IS, THESE ARE THE BOUNDARIES OF THE DISTRICT, AND THESE NUMBERS HERE REPRESENT TRAFFIC.

SO, UH, WE HAVE SOME AMAZING TRAFFIC EXPOSURE.

YOU CAN SEE, UH, RIGHT DOWN HERE, 42,000, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S RIGHT THERE AT FIRST STREET, KIND OF WHERE IT INTERACTS WITH AVENUE B.

SO, SOME GREAT EXPOSURE FROM TRAFFIC, UM, WHICH THE, THE STATE WILL WANNA KNOW TOO, IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT PUTTING IN A SCULPTURE OR A WAYFINDING PIECE, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE THOSE REALLY STRATEGIC PLACES TO PUT, UH, THESE TYPES OF FEATURES.

UM, WE LOVE THIS TOO, BECAUSE IT SHOWS THE CONNECTIVITY.

I KNOW CONNECTIVITY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS BOARD.

UM, AND, UH, BUT, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE TRAILS, IF WE'VE GOT THE, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR PROPOSED TRAILS, I MEAN, AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT OUR DISTRICT, OUR VISION OF THE FUTURE IS REALLY THAT IT'S GONNA BE VERY CONNECTED.

SO, UM, I, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO, TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THIS AS THE BANKHEAD DISTRICT.

SO IN THIS DISTRICT, PARKS AND RECREATION HAS SEVERAL ASSETS, REALLY IMPORTANT ASSETS.

WE HAVE CENTRAL PARK, WE HAVE GRANGER RECREATION CENTER, WE HAVE LOU HUFF PARK.

WE HAVE DOUGLAS PARK, WE HAVE THE SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER.

WE HAVE THE CARVER SENIOR CENTER, AND WE HAVE THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE.

SO, Y'ALL'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE ASSETS OF OUR DISTRICT IS, IS VERY SIGNIFICANT.

SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM Y'ALL TONIGHT, AND MR. CHAIRMAN, IF YOU DON'T MIND HELPING ME OPEN FOR CONVERSATION, UM, I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT Y'ALL MIGHT BE THINKING IN TERMS OF HOW WOULD A CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION, BENEFIT PARKS AND RECREATION.

SO, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE A FEW NOTES, AND THEN I, I DO HOPE THAT WE WOULD HAVE A, A MOTION TO HELP, UM, GARNER SUPPORT FOR, UH, CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, MA'AM.

UH, DOES, UH, ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR STATEMENTS FOR, UH, MS. AL AND YES, UH, MR. KENO? HI.

HI.

GOOD EVENING.

UM, COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

SURE.

UM, WHY ARE, YOU SAID WE HAVE THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS.

YES.

WHAT ARE THOSE INGREDIENTS THAT YOU THINK THAT WE HAVE TO SPEAR THIS? ABSOLUTELY.

WELL, I THINK WE HAVE ALL OF THE ASSETS.

WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, BEAUTIFUL CULTURAL ARTS FACILITIES.

UM, WE HAVE THE HISTORY, WE HAVE THESE HISTORICAL, UM, ASSETS AS WELL.

WE HAVE A 30 MILLION NEW DOWNTOWN THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO DEBUT.

UM, WE'VE GOT THESE PARKS, YOU KNOW, BEAUTIFUL RENOVATED PARKS AND RECREATION SPACES.

SO, AGAIN, AND, AND WE'VE GOT, I THINK THE TIME IS RIGHT.

I MEAN, YOU SEE ALL OF THE REDEVELOPMENT THAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS DOWNTOWN DISTRICT AREA.

UM, YOU'VE GOT THE RIGHT PLAYERS ON BOARD.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT COUNCIL THAT'S CHAMPIONING THIS.

SO, I, I BELIEVE, AND, AND JUST BASED ON MY RESEARCH ABOUT WHAT MAKES OTHER DISTRICTS SUCCESSFUL, THIS IS GARLAND'S TIME.

AND I GUESS YOU MENTIONED PLAYERS, WHICH KIND OF ASK MY SECOND QUESTION.

YEAH.

UM, SO THE ARTISTS THAT ARE GONNA BE FILLING THESE PLACES, EITHER THE SCULPTURES OR THE MURALS, OR DANCING, WHATEVER THAT MAY BE, YEAH.

ARE THESE ARTISTS LOCAL? DO WE HAVE A GOOD BASE OF LOCAL ARTISTS HERE, OR ARE WE GONNA BE MORE

[00:15:01]

IMPORTING THEM FROM OUTSIDE TO COME TO US? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? YOU, YOU TOUCHED ON A VERY IMPORTANT THING, LOCAL ARTISTS.

UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, WE, WE MAY NOT HAVE A, AN ARTIST, UH, CO-OP YET , BUT WE, THERE IS A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF CRE CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS IN THIS DOWNTOWN AREA.

YOU HAVE MICHELLE, NOAH WITH HER GALLERY.

YOU HAVE THIS NEW POTTER THAT'S COMING IN WITH THIS STUDIO.

YOU SEE THE ARTWORK AT ROSALYN'S, AND IT INTRINSIC, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE BUILDING A DATABASE.

THEY'RE, THEY ARE HERE.

UM, AND SO FINDING A WAY TO HELP PROVIDE THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO SHOW THEIR WORK OR HELP TO PROMOTE, UM, WHAT THEY'RE DOING, THE LOCAL ARTISTS ARE CRITICAL TO THIS DESIGNATION.

NOW, THAT BEING SAID, THIS ALSO UP OPENS UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IN AN ARTIST FROM ANOTHER PLACE, ALMOST LIKE AN AMBASSADOR.

SO LET'S SAY WE EMBARKED ON A REALLY COOL BIG PUBLIC ART PROJECT.

UM, AND AFTER SEEING SUBMISSIONS, IT MADE SENSE TO MAYBE BRING SOMEONE IN FROM, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE SOMEPLACE ELSE.

THAT PERSON SAYS, OH, I CAME TO GARLAND, AND GUESS WHAT I SAW IN GARLAND? I SAW ALL OF THESE THINGS HAPPENING IN THIS INCREDIBLE DOWNTOWN.

AND THAT BECOMES KIND OF AN ADVOCATE OR AN AMBASSADOR FOR FUTURE WORK.

SO AGAIN, I THINK IT'S, IT'S FOUNDED ON YOUR LOCALS, BUT THEN IT ALSO PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IN OTHERS AS WELL, TOO.

UM, HOW YOU SAID A , UM, HOW COULD YOU CONNECT THAT JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT HIGHWAY IS, YEAH.

TRACY, HOW WOULD THAT CONNECTION LOOK LIKE? IS, THAT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT I SAW THAT, DID IT REALLY HAVE CONNECTION ON THE CONNECTIVITY? YEAH.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I, I THINK LU H IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ASSET TO INCORPORATE IN OUR DISTRICT, AND IT'S THERE CLOSE TO THE ORIGINAL BANKHEAD HIGHWAY.

UM, THERE, THERE ARE SIDEWALKS.

I, I BELIEVE THERE ARE SIDEWALKS THAT COULD GET YOU ON FOOT FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.

BUT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AHEAD TO THE VISION, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE HOPE THAT THERE WOULD BE ROUTES THAT WOULD EXPAND THE SIDEWALKS THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE BIKE TRAILS.

UM, BUT I TELL YOU WHAT, IF YOU HAD A, A WALKING, NOT A EVEN A TOUR, THE OF DIFFERENT SCULPTURES AT DIFFERENT ASSETS OF DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, REALLY AMAZING COOL THINGS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WOULD DRIVE AND GO TAKE A PICTURE THERE, AND THEN DRIVE AND GO TAKE ANOTHER PICTURE THERE.

YOU KNOW, LOTS OF CITIES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN HAVING THOSE KIND OF, UM, I DON'T WANNA SAY PASSPORT, BUT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE YOU CAN TRAVEL AROUND TO SEE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT WORK.

AND MY LAST ONE IS, UM, OKAY, SO THE NAME, UH, DISTRICT, RIGHT? UM, INVOLVES DOWNTOWN BARLAND.

SO WOULD THAT ESSENTIALLY MEAN IT'S GONNA LIKE, REPLACE THIS IDENTITY OR LIKE THE NAME, YOU KNOW, JUST YEAH, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.

AND, AND THAT'S ONE TOO, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED TO SEVERAL FOLKS PRIOR TO EVEN PUTTING THIS PRESENTATION TOGETHER AND COMING TO Y'ALL.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, AND ONE INITIAL RECOMMENDATION WAS THE DOWNTOWN CULTURAL DISTRICT, OR, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT WHERE I STARTED TO RUN INTO SOME TROUBLE.

LET ME GO BACK TO THIS MAP.

IS IT IN GARLAND, IF YOU'RE IN THE MAGIC 11TH STREET AREA, OR IF YOU'RE IN CENTRAL PARK, YOU MAY NOT NECESSARILY CONSIDER YOURSELF DOWNTOWN MM-HMM.

.

AND SO HOW, HOW, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN REFERENCE THIS AREA? YOU KNOW, AND, AND HONESTLY TOO, TO SAY CENTRAL GARLAND CULTURAL DISTRICT DOESN'T NECESSARILY, I MEAN, IT, IT GIVES YOU A GEOGRAPHICAL SENSE OF WHERE IT IS, BUT I THINK THE STRENGTH IS ACTUALLY USING AN ASSET THAT'S THAT'S HERE, THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT A HUNDRED YEARS.

SO, UM, BUT I THINK, I MEAN, AGAIN, FROM A BRANDING STANDPOINT, YOU DON'T, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT DOWNTOWN, I THINK YOU SAY DOWNTOWN GARLAND IN THE BANKHEAD DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT BECOMES ITS OWN, AGAIN, ITS OWN ASSET.

BUT THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I LOVE AN NAME MY LOT.

OKAY.

THANK YOU MS. KIM.

DOES ANYONE ELSE MOREHEAD? YES.

UM, FROM WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NOT ONLY BENEFITS THE RESIDENTS, UM, BUT ALSO SERVES AS AN ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT, UM, CATALYST.

I MEAN, WE ALL ARE AWARE OF, YOU KNOW, DEEP ALBUM AND MANY OF THE OTHERS THAT HAVE BEEN NOTED, OF COURSE, THAT ALSO WILL FOLLOW UP QUESTION, UH, SECURITY ISSUES, UM, TO AVOID NIGHTLY NEWS LIKE DEEP ALLEN IS KNOWN FOR.

BUT, UM, COULD YOU, COULD YOU ADDRESS, UH, HOW THIS MIGHT ADD AN ADDITIONAL LAYER TO, UM, THE, OUR GARLAND'S MARKETING OF ITS,

[00:20:01]

YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN SQUARE AND OTHER AMENITIES? UM, YEP, ABSOLUTELY.

YOU, YOU HIT IT ON THE HEAD, MR. HEAD MOREHEAD.

SO, UM, NO PUN INTENDED THERE, BUT IT, IT IS, IT IS REALLY, IT IS A MARKETING TOOL, RIGHT? BUILDING A BRAND OR BUILDING, BECAUSE YOU, YOU DO, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT SENSE WHEN YOU THINK OF DEEP ELM, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU THINK OF MURALS OR LIVE MUSIC, WHEN YOU THINK OF BISHOP BART, YOU THINK OF ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, SMALL SHOPS, KIND OF A CREATIVE BOHEMIAN TYPE OF FEEL, YOU KNOW, HAVING, THIS IS ALL ABOUT BRANDING AND, AND IT IS DESIGNED FOR VISITORS, BUT IT BENEFIT, I MEAN, I HATE TO SAY THAT TOO.

I MEAN, IT REALLY IS YOUR, YOUR CITIZENS, YOUR RESIDENTS ARE NOT EXCLUDED FROM THIS.

I MEAN, THE, THE DOWNTOWN WITH THE PLAZA, UM, THE AMPHITHEATER AND ALL OF THE PLAY FEATURES, I MEAN, OUR CITIZENS ARE GONNA LOVE THAT, BUT IT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY ATTRACTIVE FOR VISITORS TO ATTEND AS WELL TOO.

SO, UM, I, I THINK, AGAIN, THE ECONOMIC POSSIBILITIES OF THIS DESIGNATION, YOU KNOW, AND, AND GOING RIGHT BACK AGAIN TO THE ECONOMIC STRATEGY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THREE WEEKS AGO WAS DRIVING SALES ATTACK TAXES WITH THIS DESTINATION TYPE OF ACTIVITY.

AND THOSE ARE EXPERIENCES THAT'S EATING LOCALLY, THAT'S SEEING A SHOW.

UM, IT'S ALL ABOUT, YEAH.

BRINGING PEOPLE IN.

OKAY.

VERY GOOD.

ANY OTHER, MR. PARISH? SO, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

WHEN, WHAT ABOUT THE SENIOR CENTER? SO THE SENIOR CENTERS THAT WE VISITED, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WHEN WE WERE TOURING AROUND AND LOOKING AT IDEAS, I MEAN, THERE WAS A LOT OF ART, YOU KNOW, ASSOCIATED, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY WITHIN THE DESIGN, BUT THE SENIORS THEMSELVES DO A LOT OF ART.

HOW, HOW DO WE BRING THEM INTO THIS, UH, VISION? I, THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I THINK THEY'RE, THEY'RE PART OF, THEY'RE AN ASSET.

I MEAN, I, IN OUR APPLICATION, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO SAY WE HAVE THIS, YOU KNOW, THE ESTABLISHED CARVER SENIOR CENTER, AND WE'RE BUILDING A NEW SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER, YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE COULD BE CLASSES OR WHERE IT COULD BE EXHIBIT SPACE.

I MEAN, THERE, THERE ARE LOTS OF WAYS TO INVOLVE AND ENGAGE OUR SENIORS IN THIS DESIGNATION PROCESS.

THERE COULD BE PERFORMANCES, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, MAYBE DOWN THE ROAD ONE OF THESE GRANTS IS TO HELP FUND SOME TYPE OF PROGRAM FOR, YOU KNOW, OLDER ADULTS.

UM, IT'S JUST A, THOSE ARE ASSETS FOR THIS DISTRICT.

MY SECOND QUESTION THAT MIGHT LEAD TO ANOTHER, YOU NEVER KNOW, .

THE, UH, IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SMALL PORTION OF GARLAND.

YES.

IS DOES THIS ENHANCE THE ABILITY TO DO ART THROUGHOUT GARLAND IN, IN OTHER, YOU KNOW, AREAS? CUZ YOU KNOW, MANY OF US REPRESENT PARTS OF GARLAND THAT ARE NOT WITHIN THIS, THIS AREA.

YOU, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

SO THIS PROGRAM IS REALLY FOCUSED ON DEFINING A CERTAIN AREA.

UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THESE OTHER CITIES, YOU KNOW, LARGER CITIES DO HAVE MULTIPLE DISTRICTS.

UM, WOULD GARLAND EVER REACH THE POINT WHERE THEY MIGHT WANT TO, WHERE WE WOULD WANT, MIGHT WANNA PURSUE ANOTHER DISTRICT, I MEAN, POTENTIALLY.

BUT THIS DISTRICT DESIGNATION PROVIDES GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR ASSETS WITHIN THEIR DISTRICT.

NOW WITH THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION, THEY ARE TASKED WITH MAKING SURE THAT THERE ARE CULTURAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.

THIS SUMMER WE HAVE AN ART VIBE GARLAND PROGRAM THAT WE'RE LAUNCHING IN ALL EIGHT DISTRICTS.

SO I, I DON'T THINK THAT THIS WOULD, UM, TAKE AWAY FROM THOSE TYPE OF INITIATIVES, BUT IT DOES GIVE US THE ABILITY TO REALLY HEIGHTEN THE EXPOSURE OF THE ASSETS IN THE CENTRAL AREA.

OKAY.

I HAVE ONE MORE THING.

SO, AFTER NINE 11, SOME OF US REMEMBER THAT FAR BACK, UH, I WAS TRAPPED IN SAN FRANCISCO WITH MY COLLEAGUES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND FOR SEVERAL DAYS RIGHT BEFORE WE COULD GET OUT OF THERE.

SO AT ONE POINT, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUED TO MEET CUZ THERE WASN'T ANYTHING ELSE TO DO.

BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I SPENT THE DAY AT THE MUSEUM OF ART IN THE MODERN MUSEUM OF ART IN MOMO OR MOMA OR SOMETHING DOWN IN SAN FRANCISCO.

AND ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, EXHIBITS THEY HAD WAS ON COMMUNITY YARD AND THEY HAD THIS MAP.

YOU COULD GO OUT AND YOU COULD, UH, WALK AROUND THE COMMUNITY AND, AND FIND THESE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU KNOW, WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE MUSEUM OF DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO, WHICH IS VERY WALKABLE.

AND, UM, THE, UH, BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY COOL TO GO OUT, YOU KNOW, AND THE ART IN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY WAS HISPANIC ORIENTED AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

AND THEN IT WAS ALMOST AS COOL AS THE STATUE OF MICKEY OR, UH, WILLIE MAYS AT

[00:25:01]

THE, UH, BALLPARK THERE.

YEAH.

BUT, UH, YEAH, THAT WAS A DIFFERENT PART OF MY LIFE.

BUT I THINK THAT THAT IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THE POTENTIAL WHEN YOU HAVE A, A DISTRICT AND YOU SAY, HERE ARE THE SPECIALTY THINGS THAT YOU REALLY HAVE TO CHECK OUT, OR THE SPECIALTY PIECES OF ART THAT IT DOES HELP ENCOURAGE KIND OF A CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN CERTAIN ASSETS WITHIN AN AREA.

SO I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S THE DREAM IS THAT THERE WOULD BE EITHER PROBABLY ON YOUR PHONE, BECAUSE I GUESS WE'RE ALL KIND OF MOVING AWAY FROM THE PAPER BROCHURES EVEN I STILL LOVE THEM, BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT SOMETHING THAT GETS YOU FROM PLACE TO PLACE.

RIGHT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENTHUSIASM, MS. ROSENTHAL.

I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND SURE.

I CAN GIVE YOU JUST BRIEF ANSWERS.

WILL, WILL WORK FOR ME.

OKAY.

OKAY.

BECAUSE YOU, YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF EXPLAINING THINGS.

UM, ARE ALL OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE AREA AWARE THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN? WELL, UH, YOU'RE MY FIRST ON THE ROAD SHOW, SO NEXT WEEK I GO TO THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION.

UM, AND SO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HELP WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF RESIDENTS, RESIDENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS THIS, UH, DESIGNATION PURSUIT HAS BEEN OUT THERE FOR A WHILE.

THIS IS NOT ME JUST KIND OF BRINGING THIS UP, BUT PROBABLY WE'RE ON THE START OF MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE ABOUT IT.

OKAY.

SO IT IS THE BEGINNING.

AND THEN, UM, HOW, IF THIS IS A PASS, HOW WOULD THIS POTENTIALLY AFFECT THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS IF THEY WERE TO SAY WE'RE GONNA TEAR DOWN THEIR HOME AND NOW PUT A ULTRA-MODERN, UH, ALL GLASS HOUSE, UH, IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS YEP.

WITH WINDMILLS ON TOP? WELL, SO THAT, THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO TO PLANNING AND ZONING AND SOME OTHER RATE.

YEAH.

DOES IT, DOES THIS CULTURAL ARTS DESIGNATION? NO, IT HAS, IT HAS NO, UH, IMPACT ON A CITY'S, UM, ORDINANCES OR, YEAH, I MEAN, IT, IT IS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MOST PART IT IS A KIND OF A PROMOTIONAL TYPE OF DESIGNATION OR, YOU KNOW, THE BOUNDARIES AND THEY CAN BE ADAPTED AND MODIFIED.

WE, WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAY, OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE, WE REALLY NEED TO EXPAND A LITTLE BIT MORE TO INCLUDE THIS, OR WE NEED TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, NARROW IT DOWN.

SO LET THIS GROUP KIND OF GO DOWN THERE.

OKAY.

I'M SORRY.

UM, IS THERE A REQUESTED AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS? OR YOU SAID THAT YOU SAW SAID FUNDING THAT CAME IN THERE.

YEAH, THIS, YOU JUST MAKE A REQUEST AND DO THEY AUTOMATICALLY GIVE YOU SOME FUNDING OR NO, IT'S, THEY MAY NOT GIVE YOU ANYTHING.

IT'S VERY COMPETITIVE.

SO THE PROCESS IS, IF WE WERE TO, OKAY, SO WE SUBMIT OUR APPLICATION BY JUNE 15TH, THEY MAKE THE DECISION SEPTEMBER ABOUT WHAT CITIES ARE ACCEPTED AS A CULTURAL DISTRICT.

LAST YEAR THERE WAS ONE, IT WAS CONROE.

OKAY.

SO HOPEFULLY GARLAND, YOU KNOW, WE GET OUR DESIGNATION.

IN AN IDEAL WORLD, WHEN WE LAUNCH THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT TIME TO DEBUT THE DISTRICT AS WELL.

UM, AND THEN WE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR GRANT FUNDS IN JUNE OF 2024.

SO THERE'S NOT A FINANCIAL COMMITMENT.

WE DON'T, THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS FOR THIS DESIGNATION, NOR THEY, NOR DO THEY HAVE EXPECTATIONS OF A RETURN, BUT IT COULD HAVE, WELL, SO AN IMPORTANT, AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS APPLICATION IS DEMONSTRATING THE, THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

THEY WANNA SHOW, THEY WANT US TO BE ABLE TO TRACK THAT WE ARE BRINGING IN AN X AMOUNT OF PEOPLE AND, OR THAT WE HAVE GENERATED X AMOUNT OF SALES TAX.

I MEAN, THE ECONOMIC COMPONENT TO THIS, UM, IS IMPORTANT FOR THE STATE TO, TO TRACK.

OKAY.

AND THE FUNDING IS A ONE-TIME FUNDING.

IT'S NOT A CONTINUED FUNDING.

SO, SO FUNDING THERE, THEY'RE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FROM THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS.

SO THEIR ANNUAL, THEIR ANNUAL OPPORTUNITIES.

OPPORTUNITIES, YES.

OKAY.

THEY'RE GOOD.

GOOD TERM FOR THAT.

YES.

OKAY.

AND, UH, UH, ELTON SQUARE, HAVE WE TAKEN DOWN THE, UH, PLAQUES THAT WERE THERE? THE STATE MONUMENT PLAQUE ABOUT THE BANKHEAD? HAVE WE TAKEN THOSE DOWN TO RESERVE THEM OR TRIED TO DESTROY 'EM, BUT HAVEN'T MANAGED TO YET? OH GOSH, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION.

I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I WILL FIND OUT.

I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS ONE, THERE'S A HISTORICAL MARKER THAT WAS ON BETWE IN BETWEEN FIFTH AND SIXTH ON MAIN STREET.

AND I, I'M SURE IT MUST HAVE BEEN RELOCATED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION, BUT PE TYPICALLY PEOPLE DON'T THROW THOSE AWAY, SO, WELL, NO, I WOULDN'T BE THROWING AWAY.

I JUST WONDER IF THEY, AND THEY WOULD BE COMING BACK THOUGH.

OKAY.

UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. ROSENTHAL? EVERYBODY.

OKAY.

THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE HAVE TO SAY , SHALL WE SUPPORT THE, UH, DESIGNATION OF A CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT? SECONDED.

OKAY.

SO, MR. FERRIS HAS MADE A, MADE A RECOMMENDATION, UH, THAT WE, UH, SUPPORT THE, UH,

[00:30:01]

CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT AND MADE A MOTION.

SO SAYING, AND, UH, SECOND WAS BY MR. MR. KERNER.

OKAY.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND NOW OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.

WE'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.

ALL IS IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED? THANK YOU, MA'AM.

YOU NOW STATE AW, THANK YOU.

WE LOVE YOUR ENTHUSIASM, SUPPORT AGAIN.

I WILL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

ALL RIGHT, THANKS AMY.

A BIT OF HOUSEKEEPING HERE THAT I MISSED ON THE, UH, EARLY IN THIS THING, UH, TODAY, THREE OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD ATTENDED THE, UH, UH, TRAPS MEETING OVER IN, UH, FRISCO, WHICH TRAPS THIS TEXAS RECREATION AND PARKS SOCIETY WITH MEMBERS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE.

UH, COULD BE ADMITTED AS A THOUSAND PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE, BUT THERE WERE THREE OF US THAT WERE THERE.

AND OUT OF THE THREE UNDERSTOOD, UM, UH, UH, GARY AND GARY AND, AND, UH, MYSELF AND MR. KENO AND MRO JUST HAPPENED TO GET A MINOR RECOGNITION THERE AND BE CALLED UP ON THE STAGE IN FRONT OF ALL THESE FOLKS.

, TELL US WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT.

.

UM, I GRADUATED FROM THE TEXAS, UH, TRACKS, UH, AT LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.

UM, I PRETTY MUCH, I SPENT A YEAR GETTING TO TRAVEL TO DIFFERENT FACILITIES ACROSS TEXAS.

UM, GETTING TO HEAR FROM EXPERTS IN THE FIELD, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING I HAD TO APPLY FOR AND, UH, WAS FORTUNATE NOT TO GET SELECTED.

UM, SO THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING FOR A YEAR, AND I FINALLY CONCLUDED THIS MORNING, SO I GOT TO DO THAT.

AND THERE, HOW MANY? DON'T UNDERSELL IT.

OKAY.

, YOU'RE ONE OF LIKE ONE, ONE OF 62 PEOPLE WHO GRADUATED FROM THE SCHOOL, SO IT'S REALLY COOL TO BE A PART OF.

OKAY.

THANK, YOU'RE GOOD.

AND THERE WAS 20, 22 OF YOU TODAY, I THINK.

WAS THAT THE NUMBER? OH, NO.

12, 14 OR SO.

14 OR SO.

12 TO 14.

YEAH.

OUT, OUT OF THE ENTIRE STATE.

AND YOU HAD TO BE, YOU HAD TO APPLY AND BE AND BE SELECTED TO GET IN THERE AND THEN, AND THEN PARTICIPATE.

WE'RE HONORED TO HAVE YOU WITH US.

OKAY? MM-HMM.

.

THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS NUMBER TWO B, CONSIDER RECOMMENDATION OF THE YOUTH PROGRAMS STANDARDS OF CARE.

AND I PRESUME, IS THAT GOING TO BE YOU, MR. LEE? UH, OH, MR. LEE.

OKAY.

I FORGOT.

I SHOULD HAVE DONE ALL BEFORE I, SORRY.

OKAY.

GOOD EVENING.

I DON'T THINK THIS IS ON.

I'LL JUST TALK LOUD.

OKAY.

I'LL JUST TALK LOUD AND THEN HIT A PANIC BUTTON.

OH, OKAY.

.

.

OKAY.

SO THE STANDARDS OF CARE.

SO WE HAVE TO ADOPT STANDARDS OF CARE EVERY YEAR.

UM, THESE ARE THE GUIDELINES THAT WE USE TO RUN OUR, UH, SUMMER CAMP, SPRING BREAK CAMPS, SCHOOL, DAY OUT PROGRAMS. UM, AND WE DO THIS SO THAT WE CAN BE EXEMPT FROM LICENSING BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.

AND SO, BUT IN THE, UM, CODE WE HAVE TO, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS TO ADOPT, UH, THE CITY.

THE CITY COUNCIL HAS TO ADOPT THE STANDARDS OF CARE, AND THERE HAS TO BE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THOSE.

SO MY FIRST, UM, START EACH YEAR IS TO COME BEFORE THE PARK BOARD TO GET Y'ALL'S APPROVAL ON THESE, UM, AGAIN, STANDARDS OF CARE.

WE JUST GO THROUGH THIS.

THESE ARE THE GUIDELINES ON HOW WE SELECT OUR STAFF, THE DISCIPLINE, UH, STAFF TO STUDENT RATIOS, HOW WE WILL TRANSPORT THEM, DIFFERENT DRILLS THAT WE HAVE TO DO.

SO CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO ADHERE TO, UH, FOR OUR PROGRAMS. SO LAST YEAR, THIS BOARD, UH, APPROVED THE STANDARDS OF CARE.

AND THIS YEAR IT'S THE EXACT SAME DOCUMENT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF WE ADDED, UH, ONE REVISION TO, UH, IT'S NINE D.

YEP.

UH, UNDER LEADER RESPONSIBILITIES, WHICH OUR LEADERS ARE OUR CAMP COUNSELORS.

AND IT JUST SAYS LEADERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO POST PICTURES OR VIDEOS OF CAMPERS ON ANY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. UM, IN THE PRE-MEETING, IT WAS TALKED ABOUT, WELL WAIT, YOU KNOW, MARKETING AND OUR PHOTOS ARE A GREAT WAY, YOU KNOW, TO PUT OUT ON FACEBOOK.

WE JUST DON'T WANT IT ON THEIR PERSONAL SITES.

UM, AND THEIR PERSONAL TIKTOK OR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT OR INSTAGRAM.

WE WANNA BE ABLE TO PROMOTE THOSE THROUGH THE CITY.

UM, AVENUES THAT WE HAVE, CITY OF GARLAND ARE OUR, UM, OWN PARKS AND REC PAGE.

SO THAT'S THE ONE REVISION THAT WE MADE.

EVERYTHING ELSE, THE LANGUAGE IS EXACTLY THE SAME.

SORRY, I JUST RE RELATED TO THAT.

YES.

DO YOU ALL HAVE WAIVERS FROM THE PARTICIPANTS? YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN BE PHOTOGRAPHED YES.

USED IN MARKETING PURPOSES? YES.

OKAY.

WELL, IF THERE'S, WELL, THE QUESTIONS, I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE IN THE STANDARDS CARE.

OKAY.

I SECOND, YOU'VE MADE THE MOTION THAT WE

[00:35:01]

APPROVE, THEN WE GET A SECOND.

SECOND.

YOU'RE ACTING TODAY NOT .

AND IT WAS A LONG, LONG DAY OVER THERE.

AND, UH, OKAY.

AND FOR THOSE, THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE, THOSE STANDARDS ARE SEVEN PAGES LONG OF, UH, THINGS THAT, UH, STAFF HAS TO BE AWARE OF AT ALL TIMES.

OKAY.

UH, WE HAVE MOTION TO SECOND.

DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? NO, NO MORE DISCUSSION.

CALL FOR CALL FOR VOTE ON THE MOTION.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

ALL OPPOSED.

LIKEWISE.

COUNT TWO, SIX.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MS. WILLIAMS. NOW WE COME TO ITEM NUMBER TWO C, THE CONSIDER RECOMMENDATIONS OF CITY COUNCIL, UH, TO RENAME THE SKATE PARK.

AND PRIOR TO OUR, UH, PRESENTATIONS FROM OUR, UM, COMMITTEE THAT'S BEEN HANDLING THIS, WE HAVE SOME SPEAKERS, UH, WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.

AND SO I'M GONNA CALL ON THEM NOW AS IN OUR LAST, UH, TIME.

YOU'LL COME UP TO THE, UP TO THE DESK UP HERE, UH, SPEAKING TO THE MICROPHONE.

THEN THERE'S THE MICROPHONE ON THIS SIDE NOW.

OKAY.

YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.

AND, UH, UH, WE'VE GOT THE OFFICIAL TIMER COMING OUT NOW.

AND IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE READY TO BEGIN.

READY.

MY PHONE'S ABOUT TO DIE, SO I'M ASK, I'M DEFERRING THE THREE MINUTES TO YOU.

OKAY.

.

WANT ME TO PLUG IT IN? IF YOU WANT TO, OR THERE'S NO POWER TO THAT'S, OH, THERE'S NO POWER.

WE GOT IT RIGHT HERE.

YES.

ALRIGHT, READY? OKAY.

FIRST, UH, SPEAKER, UH, WELL, WE HAVE ONE HERE.

LET'S SEE HERE.

BRIAN HARRISON, UM, UM, YOUR, YOUR ORAL TESTIMONY, COULD YOU COME UP TO THE CENTER STAGE? CORRECT.

YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND, UH, WE'LL TRY TO GIVE YOU ABOUT A 15 SECOND, UH, NOTICE BEFOREHAND.

AND IF YOU WOULD GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.

THANK YOU.

SURE.

UH, BRIAN HARRISON.

UH, 96.

36 CO.

BETO, I'M ACTUALLY A DALLAS RESIDENT, BUT I USE YOUR SKATE PARK EVERY SINGLE DAY.

WE'RE THERE SINCE THE BEGINNING.

I'VE GOT THREE BOYS, 10, 13, AND 15.

WE'RE, UM, WHO USE IT RELIGIOUSLY.

THE SIGN TODAY FOR THE NAME I THINK IS FINE.

THE BONEYARD.

WE LOVE THAT.

I THINK A NAME CHANGE IS NOT WARRANTED.

I DO SUPPORT, THOUGH A MEMORIAL AS WELL, SOMETHING THAT'S ARTISTIC, SOMETHING THAT EXPLAINS, UM, WAS IT MR. COMMERCE, UM, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT HIM IS HIGHLY IMPORTANT.

I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT MEMORIAL MIGHT BE BETTER FITTED FOR AS OPPOSED TO A NAME, UM, OVER THE BONEYARD OR REPLACING THIS CURRENT SIGNAGE.

ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S ALL.

ANY, ANY QUESTIONS? MAY I SPEAK TO THAT? SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE COMMANDER'S BEEN LOOKING AT IS, UM, UH, NAMING POLICIES FOR THE CITY.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE NAMES THAT ARE ON MO, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE, THE BUILDINGS AND THINGS, THESE, THESE ARE PUT ON BY, YOU KNOW, LONGTIME COMMUNITY LEADERS, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE WORKED, YOU KNOW, EITHER IN THE CITY OR, UH, AS COMMUNITY LEADERS, YOU KNOW, SERVING THE CITY, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, DECADES, YOU KNOW MM-HMM.

10, 20, 30 YEARS, AND, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WE HAVE ON, YOU KNOW, THE, THE NAMING OF THE SKATE PARK.

AND I THINK THE MEMORIAL IDEA FITS MUCH MORE IN MIND THE POLICY THAT, THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO, UH, TO HONOR THIS GENTLEMAN.

SURE.

FOR HIS, UH, INSPIRING LIFE.

YES, ABSOLUTELY.

OKAY.

EVERY 33 MINUTES.

OKAY.

THANK YOU, SIR.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE IT.

APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONY.

UM, SECOND, UH, SPEAKER K JEFFERS, UH, AND I'M NOT TESTIFYING.

NOT TESTIFYING, AND UH, BUT YOU ARE IN FAVOR OF THE NAME CHANGE.

YES.

OKAY.

MR. DULY NOTED.

CAN WE ASK HER A QUESTION? WOULD YOU BE IN FAVOR OF A, UH, MEMORIAL? COULD, COULD THIS MORE IN LINE WITH THE POLICY THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, AT THE CITY LEVEL? MY UNDERSTANDING IS WHEN THE BUILDING OF THE SKATE PARK WAS IN DISCUSSION MM-HMM.

FOR 20 YEARS, .

OKAY.

A FEW YEARS AGO, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO GO AHEAD AND BUILD

[00:40:02]

A SKATE PARK.

DON'T DO IT IN PHASES.

THAT'S TRUE.

BUT DO SOMETHING THAT THE PROS WOULD COME TO.

THE PROS ARE NOT GOING TO RECOGNIZE THE BONEYARD, BUT THEY WILL COMER.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

VERY GOOD.

AND, AND I THINK WHAT HE'S SAYING WOULD HOPEFULLY ACCOMPLISH THAT.

WE'LL SEE.

OKAY.

THANK YOU, MA'AM.

UM, ARE YOU MISS JEFFERS? DID I, I JUST, JUST DID THAT ONE.

I'M SORRY.

YOU TURNED OPEN.

CHRIS JEFFERS, UM, ORAL TESTIMONY IF NEEDED.

YEAH, I, I, IT'S UP TO YOU.

COME, COME UP HERE.

THERE YOU COME UP HERE.

WELL, I GOTTA GO OVER THERE.

SORRY.

YEAH.

NOW GIVE US YOUR NAME, ADDRESS.

OKAY.

NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.

SORRY, MY NAME IS, WELL, UH, I HOPE THAT THE THREE MINUTES WON'T COUNT TOWARDS THIS.

MY NAME IS CHRIS JEFFERS, 8 29 EAST DARDY IN, UH, GARLAND, TEXAS ON 5 0 41.

UH, I, I'M CONCERNED THAT I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO SPEAK TO YOU GUYS BECAUSE I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M ARGUING YET.

WE ORIGINALLY PROPOSED THIS TWO WEEKS AGO, AND WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO, NOW, NOW WE'RE AT THE STAGES OF, OKAY, WE'RE, WE'RE HEARING RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING THAT WE CAN SPEAK TO YET.

SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO HEAR WHAT THE COUNCIL'S PROPOSING SO I CAN ACTUALLY COME UP HERE AND SPEAK TO YOU WITH, UM, WITH, WITH SOME SUBSTANCE.

IS THAT POSSIBLE? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I DON'T, I DON'T, I I'VE ALREADY PUT OUT MY ARGUMENTS TWO WEEKS AGO.

I CAN REPEAT 'EM, I CAN GIVE YOU MORE REASONS.

MM-HMM.

, WHY TO NAME IT.

BUT IF IT'S NOT ADDRESSING YOUR CONCERNS, UH, WHAT ARE WE DOING? WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW IS WHAT IS THE PUSHBACK? WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE? AND LET'S PARTNER TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

AND IF Y'ALL CAN TELL ME WHERE YOUR STANCE IS, THEN I CAN COME BACK UP HERE AND PRESENT SOME IDEAS AND PARTNER WITH Y'ALL.

IS THAT POSSIBLE? AND WE HAVE SOMEONE SPEAK TWICE IN ONE MEETING.

WELL, THEY'LL, THEY'LL ALSO, AND THEN I WILL ADD TOO, IN TERMS OF HOW THE PROCEDURAL WORKS, THAT THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS BOARD THAT WILL THEN GO TO COUNSEL WHO WILL MAKE THE FINAL DECISION.

AND SO THIS ISN'T THE FINAL SAY.

THIS WILL JUST BE A RECOMMENDATION.

AND SO YOU WILL HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AGAIN WHEN THIS GETS TO COUNSEL ON WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION IS FROM THIS BODY.

SO THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO HANDLE THAT ADDITIONAL INPUT ONCE THIS, THIS BODY'S MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL.

OKAY.

THEN IF I CAN JUST TAKE A MOMENT REAL QUICK TO SAY, UH, AND, AND THEN I, I'LL, UM, YOU KNOW, EXCUSE MY TIME, BUT TWO THINGS.

ONE, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT, I KNOW Y'ALL TALKED ABOUT MARKETABILITY AND WANTING TO MARKET THIS PARK.

Y'ALL DISCUSS THAT BACK IN FEBRUARY OF 22, UNBEKNOWNST TO THE SKATERS WHO HAD ALREADY PROPOSED NAMING IT IN MEMORIAL JOHN COMER, ONCE HE HAD DIED, IT WAS JUST ONCE HE DIED, WE WERE TOO EARLY IN THE, IN THE, IN THE PROCESS TO CONSIDER NAMING.

THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TOLD BY THE CITY ONCE IT CAME TO NAMING.

WE WERE NEVER MADE AWARE OF A MEETING.

SO WE COULDN'T BE HERE TO PROPOSE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

AND I UNDERSTAND, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT MARKETABILITY.

THE JOHN COMMER FAMILY IS GOING TO TO, TO OFFER HIS NAME FOR USE.

AND WE, THE SKATERS WE'RE YOUR MARKET.

AND WE KNOW OUR MARKET.

WE HAVE OVER 600 SIGNERS ON OUR PETITION SKATERS NEAR AND FAR WORLDWIDE.

WE EVEN HAVE PROS WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS REACHING OUT TO, EVEN AS HI TO TONY HAWK WITH MILLIONS OF FOLLOWERS, WHO WHENEVER THEY GO TO THE SKATE PARK, THEY CAN EITHER SAY IT'S THE BONEYARD AND PEOPLE ARE GONNA GO, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE BONEYARD LIKE THEY DO TODAY? WHAT'S THAT MEAN? OR THEY CAN SAY, JOHN, COME MEMORIAL SKATE PARK.

OKAY, THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN.

AND IT'S ALREADY DONE, BEEN DISCUSSED.

WE CAN BRING THE JOHN COM JOHN COMMER MEMORIAL EVENT HERE.

ALSO, OSCAR LORETTO, UH, WHO IS JOHN COM'S HERO, UH, HE IS NOW SPONSORED BY RYAN SHECKLER FOUNDATION.

RYAN SHECKLER, BIG MTV MOVIE STAR SKATEBOARDER.

SO THERE YOU HAVE, AND HE WANTS TO COME IN AND BE INVOLVED.

SO NOW YOU HAVE EVEN MORE PRESS WITH THE JOHN COMER MEMORIAL SKATE PARK.

UH, OTHER THAN THAT, YOU BROUGHT UP THE NAMING, WHY WE NAMED BUILDINGS EVERY, UH, PARKS AFTER INDIVIDUALS.

WELL, RICK ODEN, UH, TRAGIC STORY, BUT HE, THE STORY IS HE GOT HIT BY A PITCH AND THEY, HE GOT A, A 15 SECONDS, HE GOT A HUGE BASEBALL FIELD NAMED AFTER A, WE'RE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE WHO IS INFLUENTIAL AROUND THE WORLD, AND TO THIS DAY, EVEN AFTER HIS DEATH IS STILL INFLUENTIAL AROUND THE WORLD, INSPIRING OLYMPIANS.

WHAT? SO WHAT I, I SEE THAT WAY MORE INSPIRATIONAL AND INFLUENTIAL THAN A TRAGIC STORY, AS TRAGIC AS IT IS, BUT MORE WORTHY OF BEING, HAVING A MEMORIAL SKATE PARK NAMED AFTER HIM.

NOT JUST A MEMORIAL BENCH OR OUR FULL SIGNAGE.

THAT WAY PEOPLE CAN SEE IT.

THEY CAN LEARN ABOUT HIM.

GOOGLE, SEE WHO HE WAS, AND,

[00:45:01]

UH, BE INFLUENCED AS WE HAVE BEEN.

THANK YOU.

THANK, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY AND YOU'RE NOT FAR OFF FROM WHERE WE ARE, AND SO WE'LL SEE.

WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW THIS WORKS OUT.

BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

AND WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY WHEN THIS RECOMMENDATION GOES TO THE COUNCIL.

OKAY.

THANK, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE COME TO YOU WITH SUBSTANCE INSTEAD OF REP REPETITION.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

UH, NEXT SPEAKER, JESSICA LLOYD.

UM, NOT TESTIFYING, UH, BUT IT'S FOUR.

YES.

OKAY.

UH, NEXT SPEAKER.

JASON LLOYD.

NOT TESTIFYING, BUT IT'S FOUR, CORRECT.

NEXT SPEAKER, AARON RAMOS.

UH, NOT TESTIFYING BEFORE? YES.

DID I HEAR YES.

YES.

THANK YOU.

YES.

UH, NEXT SPEAKER, EVAN OWEN.

UH, ORAL TESTIMONY FOR STOLEN, I GOT YOUR NAME RIGHT? YES.

PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.

YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES, AND WE'LL NOTIFY YOU WHEN YOU HAVE 15 SECONDS TODAY.

UH, MY NAME IS EVAN OWEN.

I'M FROM FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

SO ONE, UH, 1004 CLARENCE STREET WEST.

UM, I WAS AN OLD FRIEND OF JOHN WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.

HE WORKED AT THE SKATE PARK AND, UH, YOU SEE HIM GROW.

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HE HAD A PROSTHETIC LEG TILL LIKE SOMEONE TOLD ME ORIGINALLY WHEN I MET HIM.

AND, UH, JUST WATCHING HIM ON SKATE, HE WAS TALENTED ALREADY.

THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT LIKE THAT.

EVEN IF, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT THE PROSTHETIC LEG, HE HAD THE TALENT WAS UNDENIABLE.

HE'S JUST ALWAYS BEEN AN INTO TO ME AND WANTED TO TELL Y'ALL, UH, YEAH, THE MEMORIAL, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT SHOULD BE MEMORIAL, LIKE I WERE SAYING, AND THE RENAMING, BUT THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY.

OKAY.

SO YOU'RE SAYING A MEMORIAL AND RENAMED THE PARTY NO.

RENAMED THE SAME.

YES, SIR.

YEAH, HE'S WORTH IT.

WOULD YOU ACCEPT IF IT WAS, UH, IF IT WAS, UH, THE NAME STAYED THE SAME WITH THE, WITH THE MEMORIAL, RECOGNIZING HIM AND WE'RE, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, UH, SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR THAT, NOT JUST A LITTLE PIECE OF BOARD SOMEPLACE, RIGHT? YEAH.

I, I JUST DON'T THINK THE BONEYARD STAYS WITH THE JUSTICE.

I'VE ASKED YOU ACTUALLY TO HELP BUILD THE SKATE PARK, MY CONCRETE FINISHER.

AND, UH, I WORK FOR SPA SKATE PARKS AND WE, I HELPED BUILD IT.

AND ALL THE OTHER, MY EMPLOYEES, THEY'RE ALL SKATEBOARDERS TOO.

AND THEY'RE BMXERS AND THEY KNEW 'EM TOO.

AND THEY AGREE THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED THAT FIRST OFF THE BAT.

BUT I KNOW THE TIMING AND EVERYTHING.

LIKE YOU, THE LAST GUY WAS SAYING JUST WASN'T RIGHT.

THERE YOU GO.

WELL, THIS WILL GO BEFORE THE COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION.

WE'LL GO BEFORE THE COUNCIL.

IF WE'RE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION DENIED THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

BUT THANK YOU, SIR, FOR YOUR TIME TO COME OVER HERE.

THANK Y'ALL.

ALL THE WAY FORT WORTH.

YES, SIR.

AT FIVE O'CLOCK .

YOU LEFT YESTERDAY.

IT WAS ROUGH.

OKAY.

I, I CAN'T QUITE READ THIS NAME.

IT'S NOT TESTIFYING.

C A L E L S S S AT 1 38.

CAN WE, OKAY.

I THINK HE'S IN THE BATHROOM.

OKAY.

HE'S IN THE BATHROOM.

NOT TESTIFYING.

YEAH, IN FAVOR IN.

HE DIDN'T WRITE THAT.

SO I'LL GET THAT.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

NEXT ONE.

UH, BRYCE COFIELD, UH, DALLAS TESTIMONY.

YEAH.

HI.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

I'M BRYCE DALLAS.

HANG ON.

SIT, SIT DOWN.

USE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.

GOT THREE MINUTES STARTING NOW.

YOU GET 15 SECONDS NOTICE.

THANK YOU.

BRYCE CAULFIELD, DALLAS 99 20 ESTATE LANE, DALLAS, TEXAS.

UM, IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHERE TO START WITH JOHN FOR ME, BECAUSE I WORKED WITH HIM AT ESCAPE PARK IN GRAPEVINE MILLS.

AND THEN FOR ME AT THE TIME, AFTER I HAD GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, AT THE TIME, IT WAS LOOKING FOR A CAREER PATH.

AND IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE TO ACTUALLY WORK FOR JOHN BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN A LEGEND IN OUR SCENE SINCE I WAS A YOUNG KID.

I CAN REMEMBER BEFORE CABLE, MY DAD SAYING, YOU GOTTA COME LOOK AT THE NEWS STATION BECAUSE THERE'S THIS GUY WITH ONE LEG THAT'S AN AMAZING SKATEBOARDER.

AND ME AND MY BROTHER WERE AT THE TIME JUST GETTING INTO SKATEBOARDING.

SO LATER IN LIFE WE WOULD SEE JOHN AT THE SKATE PARK AND IN MAGAZINES AND IN VIDEOS.

AND HAVING A LOCAL LEGEND AMONG US WAS, UH, THE ONE LEG THING WAS A BIG DEAL.

BUT THAT WAS LIKE, HE IS BIG.

HE'S BIG ON ANOTHER LEVEL, AS YOU CAN TELL, BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE TONY HAWK, WHO'S A BIGGER NAME THAN

[00:50:01]

MORE PEOPLE KNOW WHO TONY HAWK IS THAN THAN SENATORS.

SO HE'S A, IT IS A BIG, BIG DEAL, JOHN IS.

AND UH, WHEN I WAS WORKING WITH HIM AT THE SKATE PARK, I GOT TO SEE HOW HE WOULD TRAVEL TO DO CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONAL THINGS FOR, UM, ADAPTIVE SPORTS OLYMPICS AND OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS FOR PEOPLE THAT WERE, UM, IN EXTREME SPORTS BUT HAD OTHER, NOT EVERYONE'S MISSING A LAKE FROM THE KNEE DOWN, BUT OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND, UH, I JUST THINK JOHN'S SO SPECIAL AND HAVING THE SKATE PARK NAMED AFTER HIM IS GONNA BE WAY MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN THE BONEYARD, WHICH IS, DOESN'T REALLY STAND FOR ANYTHING IN MY OPINION.

AND, UH, IF ANYTHING IT'S A DETERRENT FROM SKATING AT THE SKATE PARK.

LIKE IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE GONNA GET HURT OR SOMETHING.

UM, I JUST LOVE JOHN AND I HOPE THAT HE CAN LIVE ON AND THE MEMORIAL IS APPROPRIATE AND NAMING THE SKATE PARK AFTER HIM WOULD ALSO BE APPROPRIATE.

VERY GOOD.

YOU MADE IT JUST UNDER TIME.

DID.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, SIR.

WE DO APPRECIATE IT.

UH, THE HONORABLE RICHARD ALMOND SENIOR, OUR VARIOUS AND SUNDRY .

IT'S VERY RARE THAT ANYBODY ACTUALLY CALLS ME HONORABLE, BUT IT'S A LIFE FOR PAUL.

WELL, YOU WROTE IT IN ALL CALVES.

.

I THINK I ABBREVIATED IT.

HE DID NOT.

HE DID NOT.

UM, UH, GOOD EVENING.

THANKS FOR, FOR HAVING ME.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR OF THE REST OF THE BOARD.

I APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE VERY MUCH.

MY NAME IS RICH ALBAN, 1 2 29 SATURN SPRINGS DRIVE IN GARLAND.

UH, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I WAS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR SIX YEARS REPRESENTING THE DISTRICT WHERE THE SKATE PARK IS LOCATED.

UM, I'VE SPENT PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THOSE SIX YEARS AS A LABOR OF LOVE, TRYING TO MAKE THIS SKATE PARK HAPPEN.

UH, I OPPOSE THE RENAMING OF THE SKATE PARK, UH, WITH ALL DUE AND SINCERE RESPECT TO THE MEMORY OF MR. COMER, HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

BUT I BELIEVE THERE ARE BETTER OPTIONS THAT ARE, ARE BETTER ALIGNED WITH POLICY AND BEST PRACTICES.

UM, A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY, IT TOOK 20 YEARS FOR THE SKATE PARK TO GET BUILT.

IT WAS BUILT IN TWO, IT WAS PASSED IN THE 2004 BOND ELECTION, WHICH MEANS IN 2002 AND 2003, THEY WERE PUTTING IT ON THERE.

AND IT WAS, IT TOOK A LOT TO GET IT BUILT.

THERE WAS A LOT OF OPPOSITION TO IT, EVEN THOUGH IT HAD BEEN APPROVED.

THERE WERE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO, OH, NOBODY SKATES OR, AND, AND ALL THESE FOLKS WHO SKATE, THEY KNOW THAT KIND OF OPPOSITION FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT IS OUT THERE.

AND IT TOOK EVERYTHING.

AND NOW IT WAS THE GARLAND YOUTH COUNCIL THAT KEPT US ALIVE FOR YEARS.

I GOT ON THE COUNCIL IN 2016 AND SPENT ALL OF THAT TIME FIGHTING TO GET THIS PARK BUILT TO FIND A LOCATION FOR IT BECAUSE PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT IT.

I WAS THRILLED TO BRING IT TO RICK ODEN PARK TO GET IT FUNDED CUZ PEOPLE WANTED TO FUND A PARK THAT WAS ONE FIFTH, $400,000 INSTEAD OF A 2 MILLION ESCAPE PARK.

AND SO IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE BATTLE.

I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE TRIED TO KILL THIS PARK, BUT IT WASN'T ME WHO GOT IT DONE.

PEOPLE, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THERE WAS ME WHO GOT IT DONE.

THEY GAVE ME A VERY NICE SKATEBOARD, I'LL SHOW YOU IN A MINUTE.

BUT IT WAS, IT WAS THE COMMUNITY THAT CAME AND DID THAT.

IT WAS FOLKS LIKE, WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT DR.

CLINTON HALEY, ABSOLUTELY NOT.

NOT WITHOUT ELIJAH MOORE, NOT WITHOUT GRANT MCAL, WAYNE.

NOT WITHOUT ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP.

THEY SHOWED UP FOR EVERY MEETING AND IT MADE IT HAPPEN.

IT WAS THEM.

AND NO OFFENSE AT ALL TO MR. COMER.

BUT, YOU KNOW, HE PASSED IN 2019 AND THOSE 15 PRECEDING YEARS, NOT ONCE DID HE COME TO ANY OF THOSE MEETINGS.

NOT ONCE DID HE ADVOCATE FOR THIS FACILITY.

TONY HAWK, WHO COMES IN AFTER WE'VE ALREADY BUILT IT, HIS FOUNDATION REFUSED A GRANT TO THE CITY.

I REACHED OUT TO MR. HAWK TO TRY AND GET THIS FACILITY BUILT AND I HEARD NOTHING.

I REACHED OUT MULTIPLE TIMES, PEOPLE REACHED OUT AND WE GOT NOTHING.

IT WAS THIS COMMUNITY, THESE PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP AND THEY MADE IT HAPPEN.

THE, THE FACILITY ULTIMATELY, IT'S NOT FOR PROS, IT'S FOR ALL LEVELS AND IT'S FOR, AND WE DON'T NEED MARKETING.

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS FACILITY? HAVE YOU SEEN HOW BUSY IT IS? WE HAVE PEOPLE SNOWBOARDING ON IT WHEN IT SNOWS WHEN WE NAME FACILITIES AFTER PEOPLE IN THIS CITY.

IT IS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH THE FUNCTION, RENOVATION OR CONSTRUCTION OF THAT FACILITY IN GARLAND.

THIS BUILDING, THE BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET, THE NEW TENNIS CENTER, RICK ODEN PARK, IT'S THE TENNIS CENTER NAMED AFTER SOMEONE WHO, WHO TAUGHT JACK COLEMAN TAUGHT TENNIS FOR YEARS.

I CAN STOP OR THE BY YOUR REQUEST.

I CAN CONTINUE

[00:55:01]

ANOTHER, ANOTHER, ANOTHER MEETING.

OKAY.

I'LL, I'LL BE, I'LL TRY SPEAK EVEN FASTER.

MAYBE EVEN ANOTHER MINUTE.

LEMME, I'M SORRY, SIR.

UM, I KNOW YOU, I KNOW YOU, YOU SPENT A LOT OF, A LOT OF TIME OVER SEVERAL YEARS WORKING ON THIS.

I, I APPRECIATE IT.

THIS HAS BEEN, THIS IS ONE OF THE SIGNATURE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MY TIME ON COUNCIL, UM, RICK ODEN PARK.

AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, YOU KNOW, RICKY ODEN DIED AT RICK ODEN PARK.

HE DIED, THAT'S WHERE HE WAS HIT WITH THE BASEBALL.

HE DIED THERE.

HE WAS THE FIRST LITTLE LEAGUER IN THE UNITED STATES TO BE KILLED ON THE FIELD.

AND SO, AND HIS FAMILY IS STILL INVOLVED WITH THAT PARK.

AND THAT PARK WAS LEFT MOSTLY TO ROT.

AND SO REBUILDING THIS PARK AND MAKING IT A PARK, NOT JUST FOR KIDS WHO PLAY BASEBALL, BUT FOR KIDS WHO CAN'T PLAY ORGANIZED SPORTS, FOR KIDS WHO WANT TO USE SPLASH PADS FOR ALL THE OTHER THINGS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

AND THERE'S A REAL STRONG CONNECTION THERE.

AND, AND, AND IT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIS RICK RICKY ODEN TO REFER OR ANYONE TO REFER TO THIS AS THE BONEYARD THAT WAS SUGGESTED BY THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, ANDY HASSER.

BECAUSE HE THOUGHT, HE THOUGHT IT, HE THOUGHT IT WAS A GRAY NAME AND I THOUGHT IT WAS TOO.

A LOT OF PEOPLE DID.

AND IT REFERENCE RELATES TO A SKATE MOVE.

AND SO THAT WAS BEHIND IT.

THE OTHER PIECE OF THIS HERE IS THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD SWITCH HORSES ON PARK NAMES MIDSTREAM.

THAT'S NOT A GOOD POLICY OR WHAT OTHER PARKS, WHAT OTHER FACILITIES ARE GONNA GO AND RENAME AND FOR WHAT REASON? WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR THAT? AND I'D LIKE TO ADD, IF WE'RE GONNA NAME IT AFTER A PERSON, NAME IT AFTER CLINTON HALEY, NAME IT.

AFTER GRANT MIGUEL, WE NAME IT AFTER CLINTON, HALEY HAS DONE MORE FOR THE BUILDING OF SKATE PARKS IN THE METROPLEX THAN ANY OTHER PERSON I'VE MET.

AND IT COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED AT ALL WITHOUT HIM.

DON'T I HAVE SOME PEOPLE ASKING YOU IF THEY SHOULD NAME IT AFTER ME? I DON'T WANT IT NAMED AFTER ME.

I DON'T WANT ANYTHING NAMED AFTER ME.

I GET, THEY GAVE ME, I LOVE THIS, THIS ALL THE THINGS YOU GET, YOU GET, YOU KNOW, IT IS, YOU THROW ON SOMETHING, THEY GIVE YOU STUFF.

THIS, THEY GAVE THIS TO ME.

IT SAYS GARLAND'S RICH AUBURN GARLAND'S, SKATE PARK HERO.

THAT'S ALL I EVER NEED.

THAT KIND OF THANKS.

I, WE DON'T NEED, I DON'T NEED MONUMENTS.

OTHER PEOPLE DON'T NEED MONUMENTS TO THEIR LEGACY.

AND FINALLY, THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS HERE OTHER THAN HAVING A COMMER PARK.

IN A KUER PARK.

WE HAVE, YOU HAVE A PLAQUE, YOU HAVE A FEATURE.

IF YOU HAD SIGNATURE MOVES, LET'S DESIGN SOMETHING THAT, THAT TELLS THAT STORY.

LET'S DESIGN SOMETHING THAT ALLOWS SOMEBODY TO REPLICATE THAT MOVE OR THAT CREATES A, A MEMORIAL.

THE PARK HAS OVER 70 DISTINCT FEATURES.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND NAME ONE AFTER HIM.

PUT A SCULPTURE OUT THERE.

BETTER YET, YOU KNOW, HERE'S A PERSON, AND I LEARNED THIS THIS EVENING AND IT'S VERY SAD AND I DON'T WANNA MAKE A BIG DEAL OF IT.

BUT HE, YOU KNOW, HERE HERE'S A GENTLEMAN WHO DIED OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE IS WHAT I'M TOLD, WHICH IS HORRIBLE.

I WOULD RATHER SEE IF I WAS A PARENT, I'D RATHER SEE, I'D RATHER HAVE A FOUNDATION NAMED AFTER HIM TO HELP PEOPLE HELP SKATERS WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES.

MY GOD, I, I CAN'T TELL YOU THE OPPOSITION THAT WE HAD INCLUDED FOLKS SAYING, WE DON'T WANT THESE DRUGGIE SKATERS HERE.

WE DON'T WANT WEED, WE DON'T WANT THIS, WE DON'T WANT THAT.

AND THAT'S NOT WHAT IT'S ABOUT.

THAT'S NOT WHO THIS SKATING COMMUNITY IS.

SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE YOU'RE GETTING I WOULD ACTUALLY, SIR, I'M SORRY.

PAST YOUR LIMIT ALREADY.

YOU'RE BADMOUTHING PEOPLE.

I'M NOT BADMOUTHING ANYBODY, MAN.