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WELL, GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2023 WORK SESSION FOR THE GARLAND CITY COUNCIL.
WE WILL GET UNDERWAY WITH OUR AGENDA HERE THIS EVENING.
FIRST ITEM, UH, ITEM ONE, PUBLIC COMMENTS ON WORK SESSION ITEMS. I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS SIGNED UP THIS EVENING.
[2. Consider the Consent Agenda]
THAT WILL MOVE US TO ITEM TWO, CONSIDER THE CONSENT AGENDA.THIS WILL BE FOR TOMORROW NIGHT.
AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS, UM, HAS ASKED THAT ITEM TWO C BE PULLED, UH, FOR, UH, FURTHER DISCUSSION TOMORROW NIGHT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS? OBVIOUSLY, IF NOT NOW, IF, BUT IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING BEFOREHAND, WE CAN MAKE SURE WE HAVE STAFF AVAILABLE, BUT WE WILL BE PULLING TWO C TOMORROW NIGHT.
[3. Written Briefing]
MOVING ON TO ITEM THREE, WRITTEN BRIEFINGS, EXCUSE ME.ITEM THREE, A ATMOS SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.
[4.a. Introduction of a new Team Garland member: James Sacker, Director of the Wastewater Department.]
UH, ONTO ITEM FOUR, VERBAL BRIEFINGS.ITEM FOUR, A INTRODUCTION OF A NEW TEAM.
GARLAND, MEMBER JAMES SACKER, DIRECTOR OF THE WASTEWATER DEPARTMENT.
MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UH, YOU GET TO COME ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE CHAIRS, THAT WAY WE'VE GOT MICROPHONES.
JAMES IS, UM, AN EMPLOYEE FOR ABOUT 10 HOURS.
AND YOU HAVE TO SHOW UP AT A WORK SESSION FOR THE CITY COUNCIL.
VERY, VERY EXCITING TO BE HERE.
I AM YOUR NEWEST MEMBER OR ONE OF YOUR NEWEST MEMBERS.
I SHOULDN'T SHOULDN'T SAY NEWEST.
SOMEBODY MIGHT HAVE COME IN IN THE LAST 10 HOURS,
UM, BUT I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE IN MY NEW ROLE AS, UH, A DIRECTOR OF WASTEWATER.
I'M SEEING A LOT OF POSITIVE ENERGY IN THIS ORGANIZATION.
I'M ALREADY VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM, SO, THANK YOU.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANY COLOR COMMENTARY? EXCITED.
WE TOOK A LITTLE LONGER, UH, ON THIS SELECTION, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT FOLKS AND, AND, UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE JAMES WITH US.
AND HE COMES TO US FROM AMARILLO.
SO HE'S BEEN HERE FOR A FEW YEARS AND, AND I THINK, UH, I THINK WE HAVE THE RIGHT PAY.
TOMORROW'S NOT GONNA BE NEARLY AS EXCITING AS TODAY.
ALRIGHT, UH, COUNCIL, NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, UM, IS OUR UPDATE FROM OUR, UH, SOME OF OUR STATE LEGISLATORS, BUT THEY ARE NOT HERE YET.
SO WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM AND WE'LL COME BACK TO THEM, UH, SHORTLY.
SO WE ARE GONNA MOVE PAST ITEM FOUR B,
[4.c. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Ed Moore, Chair of the Audit Committee, will report on the following items]
UM, AND WE WILL GO DIRECTLY TO ITEM FOUR C.DEPUTY MAYOR, PRO TEM, ED MOORE, CHAIR OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE WILL REPORT ON THE COMMITTEE WORK.
LET ME FIRST OF ALL JUST SAY THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THE APPOINTMENT TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE.
WE ARE MET AND I WANT EXPRESS A SPECIAL APPRECIATION TO JED FOR THE MANNER BY WHICH HE HAS BROUGHT ME IN AND MADE ME AWARE OF ALL THAT'S TAKEN PLACE THERE AND TOLD ME EXACTLY HOW TO CONDUCT MYSELF.
AS WE CON HAVE OUR MEETINGS AND, UH, TO OUR, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, CHRIS OTT AND, UH, BJ WILLIAMS. AT THIS POINT, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND ALLOW MR. UH, ALLOW YOU TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, GIVE US THIS REPORT.
COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
AS THE CHAIRMAN INDICATED, WE'VE MET ON SEPTEMBER 5TH TO GO OVER A NUMBER OF ITEMS, UH, IN, IN THE NEW AUDIT COMMITTEE.
GLAD TO SEE THAT WE HAVE THE PRIOR AUDIT COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN JUST TO BE HERE TO LISTEN TO US AS WELL.
SO THE FIRST ITEM, UH, WE HAD THE EXTERNAL AUDITORS WHO CAME AND PROVIDED AN OVERVIEW OF THEIR F Y 23 FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT, UH, THE TIMING OF THEIR AUDITS, THE TYPE OF, UM, PROGRAMS THAT THEY WILL LOOK AT, INCLUDING SINGLE AUDITS, HOME PROGRAM, E R A DRINKING, WATER REVOLVING LAWNS, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER TESTS THAT THEY WILL CONDUCT IN THE UPCOMING YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE REPRESENTED ACCURATELY.
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SO THEY PROVIDED AN OVERVIEW OF THAT, AND THEY ALSO COVERED A FEW NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENT, SUCH AS GAS B 96, SUBSCRIPTION BASED.IT ARRANGEMENTS, UH, THE DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS.
THE NEXT ITEM WE COVERED WAS THE FUEL AND PROPANE MANAGEMENT AUDIT.
UH, AS, AS YOU'RE AWARE, THE CITY PROCURES FUEL, UH, FOR ABOUT 28 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
WE PROCURE ABOUT 1.4 MILLION GALLONS PER YEAR, WHICH COST APPROXIMATELY $3.5 MILLION.
UM, THIS AGREEMENT, UH, THE, WE PROCURED THROUGH CHERIN COUNTY.
IT'S AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT WE PROCURED THROUGH THEM DURING THE AUDIT.
WE DID IDENTIFY THAT, UM, UH, WE DID PAY, UH, FEDERAL EXCISE TAX, UH, FOR APPROXIMATELY $217,000, UH, WHICH ARE EXEMPT.
SO DO WANT TO THANK MANAGEMENT FOR IMMEDIATELY ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE.
WE HAVE ALREADY REQUESTED, UM, A REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE I R SS AS SOON AS WE INFORMED MANAGEMENT.
SO THANKS TO THE FLEET DEPARTMENT, ESPECIALLY PHIL, FOR MANAGING THIS PROGRAM.
AND WE ALSO DID IDENTIFY ALSO THE OTHER SIDE THAT WE LOOKED AT WAS THE PROPANE MANAGEMENT, UM, SIDE OF IT.
WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE PROPANES WERE PROCURED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAD.
WE DID IDENTIFY APPROXIMATELY $26,000 IN EXCESS CHARGES.
ONCE AGAIN, PHIL AND HIS CREW ARE WORKING TOWARDS OBTAINING A CREDIT OR GETTING A REIMBURSEMENT FROM, FROM THOSE VENDOR.
THERE WERE TWO OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, TO ENHANCE OUR DOCUMENTATION, UM, SUCH AS, UH, DELIVERY RECEIPTS AND BILL OF LADING FROM THIRD PARTIES TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PAYING ACCURATELY WHEN WE GET THOSE BILLS.
WE ALSO DID RECOMMEND A CENTRALIZED PROCESS FOR PROCURING PAYING, AND BASED ON PHIL'S LEADERSHIP, UH, HE HAS DIRECTED, UM, THE FLEET DEPARTMENT TO, UH, CENTRALIZE THAT PROCESS, UM, GOING FORWARD.
SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT THAT AND THEY'RE ALSO, UH, IN THE PROCESS OF EVALUATING THE BEST OPTION TO PROCURE PROPANE AND MANAGEMENT GOING FORWARD.
SO OVERALL, UH, I BELIEVE THIS WAS A VERY VALUE ADDED AUDIT, AND I DO WANT TO THANK, UM, THE FLEET DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY ADMINISTRATION FOR THEIR SUPPORT DURING THAT AUDIT.
THE NEXT ITEM WAS THE MUNICIPAL COURT COMPLIANCE PROGRAM.
ARTICLE 45 OF THE TEXAS COURT OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURES REQUIRES THE MUNICIPAL COURT TO OFFER A PAYMENT PLAN PROGRAM FOR DEFENDANT THAT ARE UNABLE TO IMMEDIATELY PAY THEIR FINES OR COST.
SO WE WANTED TO EVALUATE OUR PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THE SERVICE AS WE INTENDED.
UM, WE STARTED THIS PROGRAM, I BELIEVE, BACK IN 2005.
UM, AT THE TIME, FOR THE TWO YEARS THAT WE LOOKED AT TWO PLUS FEW YEARS, TWO YEARS AND FEW MONTHS, UH, THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 3,650 PLANS CONSISTING OF ALMOST 7,000 CITATIONS.
SO, UM, THIS WAS A VERY COLLABORATIVE AUDIT BETWEEN THE JUDGES' OFFICE AND ALSO THE ADMINISTRATION.
UH, SO US THREE WORKING TOGETHER, A LOT OF KUDOS TO KEVIN SLAY AND ALSO THE JUDGES FOR WORKING, WORKING ON THIS WITH US, WE DID IDENTIFY THAT THE PROCEDURES FOR PROCESSING REQUESTS FOR ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT OPTIONS ARE NOT CLEARLY DEFINED, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO PROVIDE THE BEST SERVICE, ALL THE OPTIONS TO CITIZENS.
SO THAT'S ONE AREA THAT, UH, THE JUDGES HAVE ALREADY UPON, UH, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY HAVE ALREADY STARTED WORKING ON STANDING ORDERS TO IMPLEMENT THAT PROCESS.
UH, WE ALSO IDENTIFIED THAT, UH, WHEN INFORMANTS, UH, DEFENDANTS COME FOR HEARING PROCESSES, UH, NOT ALL TIMES THAT INFORMATION WAS READILY AVAILABLE TO THE JUDGES.
AND, AND ALSO NOT ALL THE INFORMATION WAS READILY AVAILABLE TO THE JUDGES.
SO WE HAD TO POSTPONE THE HEARING ON A FEW OCCASIONS.
SO THAT PROCESS IS BEING REVIEWED AT RIGHT NOW, UH, TO ENHANCE, UH, THAT EFFICIENCY PROCESS.
UH, THERE WERE SOME CONFUSIONS ABOUT, UH, WHAT IS, UM, THE DUTIES OF THE COMPLIANCE GROUP VERSUS, UH, WHAT THE LAW ALLOWS THEM TO DO.
UH, ACCORDING TO THE STATE LAW ARTICLES 43 AND 45, THE TEXAS COURT OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURES, ONLY A JUDGE HAS THE DISCRETION TO DETERMINE IF A DEFENDANT HAS SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO PAY, CAN PERFORM COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND WHETHER TO WEIGH OR REDUCE FINES AND COURT COSTS.
THERE WERE SOME CONFUSION, UH, REGARDING THAT.
AND CURRENTLY THE JUDGES HAVE ISSUED A FEW NEW STANDING ORDERS TO CLARIFY THAT.
SO THE STAFF WILL NOT DO WHAT THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO.
WE ALSO MADE SOME OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO ENHANCE THEIR PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
UH, TO, AND KEEP IN MIND, WE ARE DEALING WITH A VERY OLD SYSTEM.
SO THERE, THERE WERE LIMITATIONS, BUT WE DO NEED TO ENHANCE OUR REPORTING ON THAT PLAN.
TEMPS WERE NOT CONSISTENTLY CONSISTENT WITH ESTABLISHED GUIDELINES WITHOUT EVIDENCE OF APPROVALS.
[00:10:01]
AS AUDITORS, WE ALWAYS LOOK FOR IF SOMEBODY WENT ABOVE OR BEYOND, UM, THEIR AUTHORITY, HAVE THEY HAD PROPER APPROVALS TO PERFORM THAT IN, IN, IN A FEW INSTANCES, WE COULD NOT FIND THAT.ALSO, SOME OF THE DOCUMENTATION WITHIN THE SYSTEM WAS NOT COMPLETE ENOUGH FOR US TO EVALUATE, AND THERE WAS NO ONLINE PORTAL FOR DEFENDANTS TO APPLY FOR A PLAN OR TRACK THEIR CASES.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER, UH, AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE MADE.
REVERSAL TRANSACTIONS WERE NOW CLEARLY DOCUMENTED.
AND WE ALSO WANTED TO DISCUSS FURTHER ABOUT ACCEPTING PARTIAL PAYMENTS AND LOOKING AT THAT PROCESS.
OVERALL, A NUMBER OF ITEMS WERE DISCUSSED.
UH, AND, UH, DO WANNA THANK, UH, CUSTOMER SERVICE MAINLY KEVIN SLAY, UH, HIS DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY PROVIDED SOME REPORT FOR US, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A MUNICIPAL AUDIT.
DO WANNA THANK THE JUDGE AS ASWELL FOR WORKING WITH US.
SO, ONCE AGAIN, I BELIEVE THIS WAS A PRODUCTIVE AUDIT.
THE NEXT ITEM WE DISCUSSED WAS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM REIMBURSEMENT AUDIT FOLLOW UP.
AS SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER, TWO YEARS AGO, WE DID AN AUDIT AND THERE WERE A FEW SIGNIFICANT RECOMMENDATIONS.
THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 22 RECOMMENDATIONS.
HAPPY TO REPORT THAT MAJORITY OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED AT THE TIME.
UM, WE DID IDENTIFY APPROXIMATELY $10 MILLION THAT WE COULD GET REIMBURSEMENT FROM VARIOUS PARTIES.
HAPPY TO REPORT TO YOU THAT ALL THOSE MONIES WERE PROCURED.
KUDOS TO MATT WATSON AND HIS TEAM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, PARKS DEPARTMENT, STREET DEPARTMENT, REVENUE RECOVERY DEPARTMENT.
THIS WAS A CITYWIDE EFFORT TO WANT TO THANK ALL OF THEM FOR WORKING TOGETHER TO ENHANCE OUR PROCESSES.
SO, UH, WE DID NOT ONLY LOOK AT VARIOUS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS, WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE DRAINAGE PROGRAM, THE SIDEWALK PARTICIPATION PROGRAM.
COLLECTIVELY, OVERALL, ALL THOSE PROCESS HAVE HAVE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY.
SO THANKS TO JED, UH, FOR GIVING PROPER DIRECTIONS TO THE ENTIRE CITY, UH, TO ENHANCE THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS SIGNIFICANT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF MONEY.
SO DO WANNA THANK EVEN BRIAN BRADFORD BEFORE JUDGE TIMES OR BRIAN STARTED THIS PROCESS.
I DO WANNA APPRECIATE THEM FOR ENHANCING THIS.
THE NEXT ITEM WAS, THAT WAS THE TAKE HOME VOCAL DIRECTIVE UPDATE.
WE ACTUALLY DID AN AUDIT LAST YEAR, AND PER THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION, UM, IT WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE, UM, TO TALK ABOUT THE ENHANCEMENT OR THE UPDATES ON THE DIRECTIVE.
I KNOW HE'S NOT HERE, BUT I'LL HIGHLY GO OVER IT.
UH, THE CITY HAS DECIDED TO ELIMINATE THE FUEL REIMBURSEMENT, UM, REQUEST FROM THE EMPLOYEES.
UH, ALSO, UM, HE'S WORKING ON UPDATING, FINALIZING THE, THE DIRECTIVE AND ENHANCING TAXABLE FRINGE BENEFIT OVERSIGHT AND TRACKING.
SO OVERALL, IT'S, IT'S MOVING TOWARDS, UM, UH, A GREAT, UM, GREAT PROGRAM AND IT WILL BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS, UH, THE CITY.
THE LAST ITEM THAT WE DISCUSSED WAS THE F I 24 AUDIT PLAN, AND I DID SEND AN EMAIL TO ALL OF YOU.
UM, I'LL QUICKLY GO OVER THE PROPOSED AUDIT, AUDIT PLANS.
THE FIRST AUDIT IS THE, AT THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT FEE ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTIONS.
ANIMAL SERVICES AUDIT IS THE NEXT ONE.
WE DID AN IT SECURITY RISK ASSESSMENT IN 2019, AND WE WILL CONDUCT THE SAME THIS YEAR.
CONTRACT MANAGEMENT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THIRD PARTIES ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONTRACTS THAT THEY EXECUTED WITH THE CITY ATRIUM FACILITY RENTAL PROGRAM, POTHOLE REPAIR OPERATIONS PROGRAM, PARKING ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM, LANDFILL GAS AGREEMENT, BENEFITS PROGRAM, PARKS, MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, L E D, STREETLIGHT CONVERSION, AND PCARD.
WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE BOND AUDIT.
UH, THE COUNCIL DID ASK ME TO, UM, REPERFORM THAT AUDIT.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON THE PROPERTY ROOM EVIDENCE DISPOSITION AS IT RELATES TO WEAPONS AND FIREARM DESTRUCTION.
UM, DO YOU WANT TO THANK A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS BECAUSE A LOT OF YOU HAVE REQUESTED AUDITS TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS, UH, IN THIS PLAN.
MAYOR, UM, UH, AT THIS POINT, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE COVERED DURING THE AUDIT COMMITTEE.
I WOULD LIKE TO GET A CONSENSUS, CONSENSUS, UH, REGARDING THE AUDIT PLAN, UH, IF YOU ALL ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH IT.
COUNCILOR MOORE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING AS CHAIR OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE? DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD BEFORE WE, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF OR THE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING, AND, UM, I'D LIKE FOR US TO GO FORWARD WITH, UH, GIVING HIM THE CONSENT THAT HE'S GOING TO NEED TO IMPLEMENT.
IS ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, UH, FOR JED THIS EVENING? NO.
AND LOOKING FOR A CONSENSUS ON THE AUDIT PLAN, UH, FOR 24.
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BE UNANIMOUS, SIR.I'M NOT SURE, BUT ARE TOGETHER.
SO OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES ARE HERE.
SO BEFORE WE GO ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, I WILL, I WOULD SUSPECT THAT THEY'RE MAKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE BUILDING NOW.
[4.b. 2023 State Legislative Session Update]
RIGHT.WE WILL COME BACK TO, WE ARE COMING BACK TO ITEM FOUR B 2023.
STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION UPDATE.
MR. ENGLE, DO YOU WANNA GIVE US, WE WANT TO PROCEED UNTIL REPRESENTATIVE BOWERS ARRIVES AND MAYBE GIVE HER A FEW ISSUES HERE YET, OR, YES.
SO I THINK WE'RE, WE'LL GIVE IT ABOUT 30 SECONDS HERE AND GET GOING.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, UM, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, UM, UM, BOTH OF OUR DISTINGUISHED GUESTS TONIGHT HAVE HAD VERY, VERY BUSY YEARS, AND MOST YEARS, MOST LEGISLATIVE YEARS WERE AT THAT POINT IN THE CALENDAR TO WHERE THEIR WORK FROM THEIR SESSION HAS BEEN DONE.
BUT THIS HAS BEEN A VERY UNUSUAL YEAR BECAUSE NOT ONLY DID THE GOVERNOR CALL ONE SPECIAL SESSION, HE CALLED TWO, AND THAT'S FOR OCTOBER.
AND THAT MAINLY IS GONNA BE TO DEAL WITH, UM, UM, UM, ISSUES RELATED TO, UM, PROPERTY TAXES ON THE I S D SIDE.
AND SO THERE'D BE SOME TAX REFORM THERE ON THE I S D SIDE.
BUT THE BIG TOPIC OF 88TH LEGISLATIVE, AND BY THE WAY, I'M NOT GONNA GIVE A, A VERY DETAILED LEGISLATIVE REVIEW HERE.
THIS IS A VERY, VERY HIGH LEVEL.
'CAUSE THIS ISN'T MY SHOW TONIGHT.
THIS IS GONNA BE OUR, UM, UM, REPRESENTATIVE'S, UM, TIME.
AND I WANT THEM TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU AND Y'ALL, Y'ALL DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOUR LAWYER AGAIN.
UM, BUT THE BIG TOPIC THIS SESSION WAS THE $33 BILLION.
AND EVERYBODY WAS CURIOUS GOING INTO THE SESSION WHAT THEY WERE GONNA DO WITH ALL THOSE FUNDS.
AND HALF OF THOSE FUNDS WERE DEDICATED TO PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.
UM, ON THE I S D SIDE, THERE WERE RECORD 8,300 BILLS FILED.
THAT'S A LOT OF BILLS TO GO THROUGH.
AND THAT MADE, THAT MEANT THAT THE SPRING WAS VERY BUSY FOR THEM, 1200 BILLS PASSED, AND MORE THAN 200 OF THOSE BILLS IMPACTED CITIES IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A LOT OF BILLS, AND, AND WE'LL DISCUSS SOME OF THOSE BILLS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
BUT, UM, WE'LL, WE WILL SET A LATER DATE FOR THAT.
UM, THE COURSE, THE SESSION CAME TO END IN MAY, UM, UH, WHEN NEGOTIATIONS ON PROPERTY TAXES AND BORDER ISSUES KIND OF BROKE DOWN.
AND, UM, OF COURSE, THE GOVERNOR THAT RESULTED IN THE GOVERNOR CALLING FOR AN IMMEDIATE SPECIAL SESSION, WHICH HE DID.
AND THEN, UM, UM, UM, OF COURSE, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THEY'RE STILL WORKING.
UM, BUT THEY'RE, UM, THE GOVERNOR'S ANNOUNCED THAT THERE WOULD BE A NEED FOR AN ADDITIONAL SPECIAL SESSION THIS OCTOBER TO DEAL WITH ISSUES RELATED TO SCHOOL FUNDING AND VOUCHERS.
UM, SO THEIR SERVICE AND WORK'S NOT DONE YET.
UM, BUT CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS ASKED ME TO COORDINATE WITH THEIR STAFF TO FIND A TIME THAT WAS CONVENIENT FOR BOTH OF THEM TO COME IN THE MIDDLE OF, WHILE THEY'RE PREPARING FOR SPECIAL ASSESSMENT FOR THEM TO COME AND DISCUSS THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF THE REGULAR SESSION.
BUT I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS SO HE CAN FORMALLY INTRODUCE OUR, OUR GUEST.
UM, AND SO, MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU, MR. CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, WE ARE, WE ARE A SPECIAL HONOR THIS EVENING.
AND, AND, AND, UH, WE HAVE, UH, TWO VERY DISTINGUISHED, DISTINGUISHED, HONORABLE.
WE HAVE TWO VERY HIGH HONORABLES THIS EVENING WITH US
UM, WE HAVE FIRST, UH, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE VICTORIA NIVE CRETO.
SHE REPRESENTS DISTRICT 1 0 7, AND SHE'S REPRESENTED THAT DISTRICT, UH, SINCE 2018.
UH, SHE GREW UP IN DALLAS AND COMES FROM A WORKING CLASS FAMILY, UH, REPRESENTATIVE IF YOU'D LIKE TO PROCEED TO THE, YOU, YOU MAY.
UH, SHE GREW UP IN DALLAS AND COMES FROM HER WORKING CLASS FAMILY.
SHE WAS THE FIRST IN HER FAMILY TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE AND EARNED A DEGREE IN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS OF DALLAS, AND THEN GRADUATED MAGNA C*M LAUDE.
AND THE TOP 3% OF HER CLASS, UH, THERE'S MUCH MORE, I'LL LET HER SHARE AS SHE DES NECESSARY.
UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE BOWERS IS IN THE PARKING LOT, SO SHE'LL BE ENTERING THE ROOM SHORTLY.
UH, BUT WE ARE PRIVILEGED AND HONORED.
THANK YOU FOR CARVING, UH, A FEW MINUTES OUT OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE TO COME BY AND SEE US IN GOD AND SHARE WITH US.
AND, UH, WITH, WITH WELCOME YOU TO YOUR
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HOME, GOD IS YOUR HOME.UH, SO THIS IS A TIME WHERE WE WANT TO JUST HEAR FROM YOU AS YOU DEEM APPROPRIATE.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
I AM REALLY HONORED TO BE HERE WITH Y'ALL.
I, I THINK DURING THE LAST MULTIPLE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS, THIS IS MY FOURTH LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
I DON'T REMEMBER THAT WE'VE HAD THIS TYPE OF OPPORTUNITY, BUT I, WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS IN OTHER MEETINGS ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR GARLAND.
AND SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE AND FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
THERE ARE FOUR REPRESENTATIVES THAT REPRESENT DIFFERENT PARTS OF GARLAND, OR AT LEAST ACTUALLY, I NEED TO GO BACK THROUGH THE REDISTRICTING.
I'M PRETTY SURE WE'RE STILL FOUR.
SO IT'S ME, UH, ANGIE CHIN BUTTON REPRESENTATIVE, BUTTON REPRESENTATIVE RTA BOWERS, AND REPRESENTATIVE ANNA MARIA RAMOS.
AND SO THE FOUR OF US WORK VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS TO TRY TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO UPLIFT AGENDAS THAT IMPACT OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY.
UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY BACKGROUND AND, UH, I'LL SAY MY CONNECTIONS TO GARLAND.
MY MOM WORKED FOR THE CITY OF GARLAND FOR MANY, MANY YEARS BEFORE SHE RETIRED.
AND SO I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL KNOW HER FROM BACK IN THE DAY.
AND, UM, SHE ALSO DID WORK WITH, UH, HOPE STORE, NEW BEGINNING CENTER, UH, ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
SHE WAS A BILINGUAL CASE MANAGER.
SO A LOT OF THE WORK THAT I'VE DONE, AND HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUE, IT WAS JUST MENTIONING YOU AND THE, AND THE, THE CHAIR MENTIONED YOU AS WELL.
UM, UM, SHE, SO A LOT OF THE WORK THAT I DO IS FOCUSED ON THE ISSUES THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT WOMEN FOR US AS, UH, WOMEN IN THE LEGISLATURE.
THERE ARE, WE NEED MORE WOMEN AT EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT, BUT CERTAINLY, UM, IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, UM, WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS REALLY UPLIFT THE AGENDA FOR ALL OF OUR FAMILIES.
AND SO WHAT I'LL TOUCH ON BRIEFLY IS JUST SOME OF THE BILLS THAT I FILED, AND THEN I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE THAT Y'ALL, UM, THAT WE ALL SUPPORTED DURING SESSION.
AND THEN HAPPY TO LISTEN TO ANY OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO Y'ALL.
UM, RTA AND I ARE, REPRESENTATIVE BOWERS AND I ARE, UM, GOOD FRIENDS.
WE'RE ALIGNED ON A LOT OF THE ISSUES.
AND OFTEN, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER Y'ALL ARE COMING DOWN OR TEXTING US, YOU KNOW, WE OFTEN TALK AND WE'RE LIKE, DID YOU HEAR THIS IS THE CONCERN THAT GARLAND HAS RAISED? SO WE ALWAYS TRY TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE, UM, JUST REALLY TO BE, TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS.
UM, SO WHAT I'LL TOUCH ON BRIEFLY IS THE COMMITTEES THAT I SERVED ON.
I WAS APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER TO CHAIR, THE COUNTY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
THE COUNTY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE DEALS WITH JURISDICTION OF ALL 254 COUNTIES.
SO ANY AUTHORITY THAT A COUNTY COMMISSIONER HAS, UM, OR A COUNTY, UM, JUDGE, COUNTY, SHERIFFS COUNTY HOSPITALS, THINGS LIKE THAT, EMANATE FROM THE JURISDICTION AND WORK THAT, OR BILLS THAT PASSED THROUGH OUR COMMITTEE.
AND SO WE DEALT WITH ALL TYPES OF LEGISLATION FROM, UM, PPFS, WHICH ARE LOCAL PARTICIPATION PROVIDER FUNDS, WHICH HELP FUND OUR COUNTY HOSPITALS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, SHERIFF'S QUALIFICATIONS,
UM, SO THOSE, THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES.
WE ALSO, A LOT OF OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A CITY OR A COUNTY THAT HAS, FOR EXAMPLE, SHERIFFS THAT, OR FIREFIGHTERS THAT HAVE, UM, JURISDICTION OUTSIDE THE CITIES WE DEAL WITH, YOU KNOW, TRY TO HELP GIVE THEM THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
UM, SO THAT'S SOME OF, SOME OF THE THINGS I ALSO, UH, APART FROM THAT SERVE ON THE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY COMMITTEE.
SO THOSE TYPES OF BILLS THAT WOULD COME THROUGH, THERE ARE ISSUES THAT IMPACT WORKERS' COMPENSATION FOR FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE.
UM, WHAT ELSE, UM, DID YOU SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE IN THE PAST? B N I? MM-HMM.
UM, IT'S, IT, IT, IT'S A WIDE VARIETY OF ISSUES.
UM, A LOT OF WORKERS' COMP, EMPLOYER, EMPLOYEE RELATIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THEN SEPARATELY, APART FROM THAT, AS A REPRESENTATIVE, I, UH, WAS ELECTED BY MY PEERS TO SERVE AS A CHAIR OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS.
WE ARE THE LARGEST AND OLDEST LATINO CAUCUS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
SO WHAT WE DO, WE ARE A BIPARTISAN CAUCUS, AND WHAT WE DO IS WORK TO ADVANCE, UM, POLICIES AND BILLS TO HELP UPLIFT THE LATINO COMMUNITY IN OUR STATE.
I KNOW THAT GARLAND IS INCREDIBLY DIVERSE, THE BEAUTY OF OUR LATINO COMMUNITY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, IS HIGHLIGHTED AND THAT THERE ARE BILLS THAT ARE NOT, WE PLAY A LOT OF DEFENSE AS WELL.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE BILLS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS THEY ATTACK OUR COMMUNITY, UM, THAT THOSE BILLS DO NOT MAKE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND THEN ALSO, EDUCATION IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, AND THAT IS, AS THE, OUR CI THE CITY ATTORNEY MENTIONED EARLIER, IS GONNA BE THE BIG, BIG ISSUE OF OUR NEXT SPECIAL SESSION THAT WE ANTICIPATE TO BE CALLED IN OCTOBER.
UM, FOR US, UH, I WON'T SPEAK FOR HER, BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT SHE IS, YOU KNOW, JUST AS COMMITTED AS I AM TO MAKE, MAKING SURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
[00:25:01]
SCHOOLS, THAT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN GARLAND, UM, GARLAND STE, GETS ALL THE FUNDS THAT THEY NEED, UM, AND THAT WE DRIVE MORE RESOURCES SO THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE PAID HIGHER WAGES THAT, UM, AND REALLY THAT WE KNOW THAT IF A KID GETS THE RIGHT EDUCATION, GETS QUALITY EDUCATION, THAT THAT'S DIRECTLY TIED TO OUR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT I CAN GET INTO, BUT, UM, I WANNA PASS THE FLOOR TO, TO MY COLLEAGUE.
WELL, WE'LL LET WE HAVE AN INTRODUCTION UP FOR YOU HERE.
WE JUST BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO ARRIVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE TO DROP BY AND SAY HELLO TO US IN GARLAND.
WE'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST HONORED TO HAVE YOU HERE ALONG WITH BOTH OF YOU.
AND IN BEHALF OF OUR IN GOVERNMENT CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATIVE, UH, COMMITTEE, UH, WE EXTENDED THE INVITATIONS, AND THIS IS WHAT WE DO IN GARLAND.
SO WE HOPE TO HEAR FROM OUR ENTIRE DELEGATION AT SOME POINT THIS YEAR.
BUT JUST, JUST TO TELL THE FOLKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU, UH, REPRESENTATIVE BYERS WAS ELECTED TO SERVE HOUSE DISTRICT ONE 13, UM, ON NOVEMBER 8TH AND 2018.
UH, SHE MADE HISTORY AS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN ELECTED TO REPRESENT THE DISTRICT.
SHE IS AN ALUM OF SPELMAN COLLEGE IN TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, WHERE SHE EARNED DEGREE IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS WITH AN EMPHASIS IN BROADCAST JOURNALISM AS REPRESENTATIVE BYERS.
WE ARE UNDER THE, HAVE YOU, AND I'LL PITCH IT BACK TO YOU FOR WHATEVER REMARKS YOU WANNA MAKE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU CHAIR WILLIAMS, AND TO, UH, THE COUNCIL.
UH, IT IS A DELIGHT TO BE HERE IN PERSON AND IN, AND PRESENT WITH YOU ALL THIS EVENING ED, AS WELL AS MY COLLEAGUE, UH, CHIVE CRITO.
UM, AND I WANNA SAY, I WILL LET YOU SPEAK FOR ME ANY DAY.
YOU ARE LIKELY, IT'S LIKELY TO BE TRUE OR RIGHT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.
SO, UM, I, I DEFINITELY WOULD LET YOU DO THAT.
BUT I AM STATE REPRESENTATIVE RETTA ANDREWS BOWERS, REPRESENTING AS CHAIR WILLIAMS SAID, HOUSE DISTRICT ONE 13 IN THE TEXAS HOUSE.
UM, SINCE I HAVE BEEN THERE, THIS IS MY THIRD TERM, AND I SERVE ON, UH, HOMELAND SECURITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
THIS IS MY SECOND TERM ON THAT COMMITTEE.
UM, WE DO EVERYTHING FROM MAKING SURE THAT AS A STATE WE'RE PREPARED AND READY, UH, TO BORDER SECURITY, UH, DEALING WITH GUN SAFETY, UH, UM, GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION, AND THEN CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN THIS LAST SESSION DEALT WITH UVALDE AND SCHOOL SAFETY, BECAUSE I ALSO SERVE ON THE SPEAKER SELECT COMMITTEE FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY.
SO, UM, GOSH, IT SEEMS LIKE ANYTHING CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, BECAUSE I ALSO SERVE ON, UH, THE CRIMINAL JURISPRUDENCE COMMITTEE.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, I AM VICE CHAIR OF LOCAL AND CONSENT CALENDARS.
AND, UH, THAT IS ONE OF THE LOVES OF, OF, OF MY TIME IN THE LEGISLATURE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE THIRD TERM FOR ME ON LOCAL AND CONSENT CALENDARS.
SERVING AS VICE CHAIR MEANS THAT, YOU KNOW, I CALL IT THE LITTLE SISTER TO CALENDARS.
I, I CALL IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A BABY, UH, COMMITTEE, BUT TO ME IT MEANS THE MOST, BECAUSE IT IS THE COMMITTEE THAT SENDS THOSE BILLS HOME FOR HELPS, HELPS ALL OF THE MEMBERS PASS THINGS TO BRING HOME TO THEIR COMMUNITIES.
SO IF WE'RE NAMING A HIGHWAY OR, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A FALLEN SOLDIER, I THINK IN ONE OF OUR OTHER CITIES TOGETHER, WE, WE DID THAT.
IF WE HAVE A FALLEN SOLDIER, UM, WHETHER THAT'S A FIRST RESPONDER AND WE WANNA NAME A HIGHWAY AFTER THAT FIRST RESPONDER, THAT WOULD HAPPEN.
OR IF IT WAS A MUD BILL OR HOT TAX OR THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD BRING REVENUE TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO I, AND, AND ANY KIND OF RECOGNITION.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE DONE, SOME OF THE BILLS THAT, THAT I WAS ABLE TO PASS.
UM, THIS LAST SESSION, UH, THE CROWN ACT, UM, WHICH YOU MIGHT'VE HEARD OF, IS RECEIVING NATIONAL ATTENTION NOW.
AND, UM, WE HAVE HAD SOME CASES, THANKFULLY NONE OF THOSE CASES HAVE BEEN IN GARLAND, I S D, UM, MAYBANK, I S D, BARBARA BARBERS HILL, I S D I'M HEARING A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, RUMBLING FROM MAYBE THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OVER IN DESOTO.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, I ALSO PASSED IN ADDITION TO HOUSE BILL 5 67, I PASSED HOUSE BILL 5 68, WHICH WE WORKED WITH THE ALZHEIMER'S, UH, ASSOCIATION.
AND IT IS TO TRAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT TO DEAL WITH, UM, PATIENTS THAT SUFFER WITH ALZHEIMER'S AND OTHER DEMENTIAS.
SO, UM, IT'S TO TRAIN THEM ON HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM.
AND I THINK I HAVE TO SAY THAT SOME OF THAT WORK STEMMED
[00:30:01]
FROM, THIS IS A BILL THAT I FILED MY FIRST SESSION, AND THIS IS WHEN YOU KNOW THAT THAT BILLS TAKE A WHILE, UH, TO PASS.UM, I FILED IT MY FIRST SESSION.
IT REALLY WAS GEARED TOWARDS THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY.
AND Y'ALL KNOW, WE HAVE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH THE HOMELESS, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND WE WANTED OFFICERS TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO INTERACT.
UM, IT GOT SENT TO OVER TO THE SENATE, IT DIDN'T PASS, AND THEY GUTTED IT.
THEY SURELY NARROWED IT, MADE IT MORE, UM, ALZHEIMER'S RELATED.
AND IT CAME OUT BACK, I KEPT REFILING IT IN THIS SESSION, IT PASSED.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WILL MEAN THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT IS TRAINED PROPERLY IN HOW TO DEAL WITH PATIENTS THAT SUFFER WITH, UM, MENTAL ILLNESS.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS FOR ME.
UM, I I, I HAVE TO SAY, UH, AS VE CREO SAID, YOU KNOW, AND, AND SHE WILLIAMS, YOU CERTAINLY SAID THAT HEARING FROM OUR ENTIRE DELEGATION, WE, YOU KNOW, MY, MY THOUGHT AS I GOT OUTTA MY CAR TO WALK IN HERE WAS, GOSH, IF EVERYBODY'S IN THERE, THAT WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY GREAT.
UM, AND, AND VEDO DEFINITELY KNOWS WE'LL FIND EACH OTHER ON THE FLOOR IF IT COMES TO GARLAND, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO, TO OUR CITIES AND GARLAND, FOR SURE.
WE'LL FIND EACH OTHER ON THE FLOOR, UM, TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING RIGHT BY THE CITY, BY OUR SCHOOLS.
UM, AND JUST BY EVERYBODY THAT MAKES THIS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE IN.
UM, THERE'S A LOT WE COULD TOUCH ON
DURING SESSION, THERE'S, I'LL SHARE WITH THE FEAR OF THE BILLS THAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, AND THEN I'LL, I'LL SURE PUN IT BACK.
GIVE IT BACK TO THE MAYOR FOR, SEE IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS FROM HERE, BUT SURE.
UM, THERE'S ONE BILL THAT IMPACTS POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
UH, WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT ON IT.
AND, UM, DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A HUGE SHORTAGE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, I'M ASSUMING GARLAND THE, THE SAME.
IT'S REALLY A NATIONAL CRISIS.
UM, SO WE WERE LOOKING AT LEGISLATION TO WIDEN THE POOL OF APPLICANTS FOR POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, AND ONE OF, THERE ARE CERTAIN OTHER STATES THAT HAVE PASSED THIS LAW.
AND SO WHEN WE STARTED DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE, UH, REALLY BUILT BROAD BIPARTISAN SUPPORT TO GET THIS BILL, UM, OUT AND PASSED INTO LAW.
UM, THERE WERE VARIOUS ITERATIONS FILED.
WHAT THIS BILL, ONE OF THE BILLS THAT WE FILED DOES, IS IT ALLOWS LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENTS TO APPLY TO BE POLICE OFFICERS.
IT WENT THROUGH SEVERAL ITERATIONS.
A VERSION THAT PASSED WAS A VERSION THAT CAME OUT OF THE SENATE, WHICH ALSO REQUIRES THAT, UH, THEY BE VETERANS.
SO IF YOU ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, IN OUR STATE OR IN OUR NATION, REALLY, UM, IF YOU'RE A LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENT, YOU GO THROUGH NUMEROUS, PER NUMEROUS HOOPS AND YOU ARE ALLOWED TO GO FIGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY OVERSEAS, AND YOU SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO FIGHT AND PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT HERE IN OUR LOCAL BACKYARDS.
SO THAT LEGISLATION, UM, PASSED, WAS SIGNED INTO LAW BY THE GOVERNOR.
IT WAS A LOT OF WORK AND A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS, LAW ENFORCEMENT CAME TO TESTIFY IN SUPPORT OF IT.
SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THAT.
THE VERSION THAT PASSED, UM, I DON'T REMEMBER THE, I HAD FILED HOUSE BILL 10 76.
IT ENDED UP BEING A SENATE VERSION THAT PASSED.
I'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO GET THAT NUMBER TO YOU SO THAT WE CAN GET Y'ALL THAT EXACT LANGUAGE.
SO, UM, UH, THAT HAS GONE INTO LAW.
UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE IS DATA OF REALLY THE APPLICANT POLLS FROM THE CITIES.
SO THAT NEXT SESSION WE CAN SEE, DID IT WORK, DID IT EXPAND THE APPLICANT POOL OR NOT? AND REALLY LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENTS HAVE TO GO THROUGH NUMEROUS BACKGROUND CHECKS, LIKE A REALLY RIGOROUS VETTING PROCESS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO EVEN BECOME A LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENT.
AND SO WHAT WE WANNA SEE FOR NEXT SESSION IS, DID THAT POLL WIDEN? UM, I THINK THERE ARE CONCERNS THAT THE, THE, THE, FROM SOME THAT THE VETERAN REQUIREMENT MAKES IT REALLY LIMITED.
SO IF WE REMOVE THAT REQUIREMENT, WILL THAT WIDEN THE POLL EVEN MORE? SO I'D LOVE TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE CITY ABOUT THAT.
IF, IF Y'ALL CAN LET US KNOW, DID IT, DID IT WIDEN YOUR POOL? DID IT HELP OR NOT? ARE THERE TWEAKS THAT WE CAN MAKE FOR NEXT SESSION TO, UM, HELP ADDRESS THE, THE, THE POLICE, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SHORTAGE? UM, WE ALSO FILED LEGISLATION, UH, HOUSE BILL 52 0 2.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE DO ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UM, TEXAS IS THE FIRST STATE TO PASS IT.
THERE'S A FOUNDATION THAT WE WORK VERY CLOSELY ON AS WELL AS, UH, D P D AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THAT WAS TO, WHAT THE LEGISLATION DOES IS IT CREATES AN ONLINE DATABASE, DATABASE WITH D P SS FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ASSAULT, UM, REALLY INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE TYPE OF CASES, STALKING, SO THAT AN INDIVIDUAL CAN FOR FREE, IT ELIMINATES REALLY A FINANCIAL
[00:35:01]
BARRIER, CAN LOOK UP AND SEE IF THAT INDIVIDUAL HAS, IT'S NOT JUST FOR SINGLE ONE TIME OFFENDERS, IT'S FOR LIKE, IF YOU'VE BEEN CONVICTED MULTIPLE TIMES.AND THE GOAL IS THAT WHEN YOU'RE ARMED WITH THIS INFORMATION THAT YOU KNOW, THAT CAN HELP YOU HOPEFULLY BE IN A SAFER ENVIRONMENT.
AND IT REALLY STEMMED FROM A YOUNG LADY WHO WAS KILLED BRUTALLY MURDERED BY HER BOYFRIEND AT THE TIME, WHO HAD A HISTORY OF JUST WAS A REPEAT OFFENDER.
AND HAD SHE NOT KNOWN THAT, UM, SHE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE SITUATION.
SO HER FAMILY'S REALLY BEEN ADVOCATING FOR THIS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD TO HAVE PASSED THAT.
UM, ONE THING THAT IS RIGHT NEXT TO GARLAND THAT IMPACTS IS, UM, WE PASSED HOUSE BILL 9 75, WHICH DESIGNATES A PART OF 6 35 THAT RUNS THROUGH MESQUITE AS THE OFFICER RICHARD HOUSTON II MEMORIAL HIGHWAY.
I WANNA THANK REP BOWERS FOR SIGNING ONTO THAT AS WELL AND FOR VOTE HELPING US ON THE OTHER BILL THAT CAME THROUGH YOUR COMMITTEE.
UM, OFFICER HOUSTON, AS Y'ALL KNOW, WAS, UM, MURDERED IN MESQUITE.
AND, UM, HE, WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE MESQUITE POLICE ASSOCIATION AND HIS FAMILY TO GET THE LEGISLATION NEEDED SO THAT WE CAN DESIGNATE THAT.
SO, UM, THE MONEY HAS BEEN RAISED FOR THAT AS WELL.
'CAUSE APPARENTLY, I REALIZE IT'S THAT THE STATE DOESN'T FUND THOSE TYPES OF, UM, MEMORIAL HIGHWAYS.
SO, UM, THE MEKI POLICE ASSOCIATION, THEIR CHARITY HELPED RAISE ALL OF THE MONEY.
SO, UM, THAT SHOULD BE UP BY DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
YOU SHOULD BE SEEING SIGNS ON THE SITE OF 6 35 NAMED AFTER OFFICER RICHARD HOUSTON II.
UM, WE ALSO HAD LEGISLATION AS AN UPDATE.
UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, I HAVE WORKED ON, UH, SEXUAL VIOLENCE.
THE RAPE KIT BACKLOG REP BOWERS HAS SUPPORTED US ON THIS TOO.
UM, AND SO WE IN 2019 GOT $50 MILLION ALLOCATED FROM THE BUDGET TO ADDRESS THE BACKLOG.
UM, AND WORKING WITH THE DA'S OFFICE, WE REALIZE THAT NOW THAT WE'RE GETTING ALL THESE RAPE KITS TESTED, IT'S NOW SOLVING COLD CASES.
SO THE DA'S OFFICE REALIZED THAT BECAUSE IT'S SOLVING SOME COLD CASES, THERE'S SOME STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS THAT HAVE RUN FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF CASES.
SO, UM, I FILED HOUSE BILL 2019 AND WORKING WITH THEM, WHAT THIS DOES IS IT CLOSES A LOOPHOLE.
SO IF A RAPE KIT HADN'T BEEN TESTED, AND THERE IS A BURGLARY WITH INTENT TO COMMIT A SEXUAL ASSAULT, SO SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, BREAKS INTO YOUR HOUSE WITH THAT SPECIFIC INTENT, NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE DA'S OFFICE HAS THE EVIDENCE, THEY CAN NOW PROSECUTE FOR, UH, THAT FELONY'S A FIRST DEGREE FELONY CASE.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT I CAN GO INTO
UH, CHAIRWOMAN ANGIE CHIN BUTTON SITS, SITS, UH, RIGHT ACROSS.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING BOWERS AND ALWAYS TALKING AND REP ANNA MARIA RAMOS ALSO SITS IN OUR SAME VICINITY.
SO, UM, YEAH, BUT WE'RE HERE ALSO TO LISTEN TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO Y'ALL.
BUT CERTAINLY EDUCATION'S GONNA BE TOP, TOP PRIORITY FOR THE UPCOMING SPECIAL SESSION FOR US.
WELL, REPRESENTATIVE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A, WE'RE A LITTLE MORE CASUAL DURING OUR WORK SESSION, SO
I DUNNO,
WELL, I MEAN, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE MAIN THINGS, BUT THAT I WANTED TO COVER.
BUT I KNOW THERE WERE BILLS DURING SESSION THAT CAME UP THAT WERE OF IMPORTANCE TO THE CITY, AND SO, YEAH.
WELL, WE APPRECIATE IT, REPRESENTATIVE BOWERS.
UH, MAYOR, MAY, THE, THE ONLY THING THAT THINGS, COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I DIDN'T MENTION BEFORE THAT I DO WANNA ADD.
UM, I CERTAINLY SERVE AS, UM, SECRETARY FOR THE TEXAS LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS.
AND SO I WANTED TO SAY THAT, BUT ALSO TO SAY, UH, TO REVE CREO, ONE THING ABOUT THE BOTH OF US AND SHE IS, IS CORRECT, THEY SIT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FLOOR.
I HAVE TO GET IN MY STEPS AND WALK OVER TO TALK TO THEM
UM, BUT THANKFULLY THEY COME OVER AND SEE ME ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE, THE FLOOR.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THE, THE ONE THING THAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT THE TWO OF US IN THE DALLAS DELEGATION IS THAT SHE AND I ARE BOTH FORMER CHAIRS AND SO OF THE DEMOCRATIC CHAIRS OF THE DELEGATION, AND WE SERVE WITH CHAIR CHAIR BUTTON.
SO, UH, REVE PASSED THE TORCH TO ME AS THE DEMOCRATIC CHAIR.
SO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO, AND WE ALWAYS WORK WELL WITH REPRESENTATIVE, UM, ANGIE CHIN BUTTON.
SO, UM, THAT'S ONE THING THAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT US.
AND, UM, IT WAS AN HONOR TO, TO RECEIVE THAT FROM HER.
THERE ARE A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT I DID WORK ON, UM, THAT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE HERE IN GARLAND.
AND SO I, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE INVESTMENT INTO BROADBAND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH ACCESS BEING AN ISSUE AND SCHOOL CHANGING, UM, WITH EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO MAKE
[00:40:01]
A, A MASSIVE INVESTMENT IN BROADBAND, UM, WHICH WAS SOMETHING THAT WE SAW LOCAL DEMAND FOR, ESPECIALLY AFTER COVID, UM, AND VIRTUAL SCHOOLING.AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE HI HISTORIC INVESTMENT WITH A DROUGHT THAT WE'VE BEEN SUFFERING, UM, THIS SUMMER I ALSO SERVED IN MY TIME IN THE LEGISLATURE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, THE HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE.
AND SO WE WORKED FOR THAT INVESTMENT IN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, AS WELL, UH, WHICH REALLY HAS MADE AN IMPACT ON SUCH RAPIDLY GROWING COMMUNITIES.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A BILL THAT, THAT I REALLY HAVE TO SHARE THAT WE, WE WORKED HARD ON, AND THAT'S THE DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS BILL.
AND THIS DEALT WITH DUMPING IN OUR, IN OUR AREAS AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE WERE NOT DOING THAT.
UM, THE WATER BILL PASSED IN THE HOUSE, UM, AND IT WOULD'VE CREATED A WONDERFUL OUTLET, UH, FOR WATER CONSERVATION.
UM, BUT THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER BILL THAT DEALT WITH PERFORMANCE INDICATORS AND IT ALMOST MADE IT, UM, OVER THE FINISH LINE.
UM, BUT IT, IT WOULD'VE BEEN GREAT FOR BOTH OUR EMPLOYERS AND OUR, OUR STUDENTS.
UM, SO AGAIN, AS, AS RENI AVE CREO SAID, WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO, TO BRING HOME BILLS THAT ARE GONNA MATTER FOR THE CONSTITUENTS THAT WE SERVE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT IS, IT IS OUR HONOR TO SERVE THE PEOPLE HERE IN GARLAND.
WE'RE OPENING FOR ANY QUESTIONS FROM FROM COUNCIL? OKAY.
ANY, ANY QUESTIONS? LET'S SEE.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING BEFORE THE MEETING, WE NOT OFTEN, WE GET A REPRESENTATIVES TO COME AND SPEAK TO US DIRECTLY ON COUNSEL AND I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
SO, UH, A FEW QUESTIONS I HAVE JUST READ YOU AND REPRESENTATIVE BOWERS, I'M SORRY, I KNOW YOU WENT TO TEXAS SOUTHERN.
I HAVE TO BRAG THAT MY RICE OWLS BEAT YOUR TEXAS SOUTHERN YES.
SO YOU HAVE TO SAY, YEAH, IT WAS FOR THOSE KEEPING SCORE, IT WAS CLOSE.
YEAH, I DON'T GET TO BRAG ON MY FOOTBALL TEAM VERY OFTEN, SO I, I HAD TO TAKE THE OPPORT
UH, SO, BUT, UH, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT BILLS THAT YOU EITHER FILED OR, OR CO-AUTHORED ABOUT REPRESENTATIVE BOWERS.
I LOOKED AT THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA ON BILLS THAT AFFECT GARLAND SPECIFICALLY, AND ONE YOU FILED WAS HB 5 72, AND THAT RESTRICTED MUNICIPALITIES FROM CONFISCATING FIREWORKS WHEN THERE'S A, UH MM-HMM.
AND THAT FAILED TO GET OUTTA THE COMMITTEE.
AND I'M WONDERING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE FIREWORKS ARE A HUGE COMPLAINT WE GET EVERY YEAR AROUND NEW YEAR'S, AROUND 4TH OF JULY.
AND, UM, AS ALL OF MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW, THAT IS A HUGE PROBLEM THAT WE'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THOSE OFF THE STREETS AND NOT HAVE OUR WASTE, OUR RESOURCES ON FIREWORKS WHEN WE CAN PUT THAT TOWARDS CELEBRATORY GUNFIRE, WHICH IS ALSO A BIG PROBLEM ALSO.
SO I WAS JUST HOPING YOU WOULD COMMENT ON THAT, BILL.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, IF I COULD, I WOULD GO BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN AND FILE IT AGAIN AND AGAIN.
AND TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT PASSED.
AND I THINK THIS IS WHAT, UM, I MENTIONED BEFORE ABOUT SOMETIMES LEGISLATION TAKES, TAKES MULTIPLE SESSIONS.
UM, THERE'S A BIG, BIG LOBBY EFFORT AGAINST ANY TYPE OF LEGISLATION WHEN IT COMES TO FIREWORKS.
SO, UM, THE FIRST TIME I FILED IT, UM, THE CITY OF MESQUITE IS WHO ACTUALLY BROUGHT THE BILL TO ME, UM, BOTH SECOND SESSION AND THIRD.
UM, BUT I REALLY HAD NO IDEA THAT THAT FIREWORKS LOBBY WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, AGGRESSIVE, UM, IN MAKING SURE THAT THEY BLOCK ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH FIREWORKS.
AND THE FIRST TIME I FILED IT, UM, GOSH, WE, WE DEALT WITH SIGNAGE, YOU KNOW, ON, ON FIREWORKS.
IT WAS, IT WAS KIND OF A THREE-PRONGED LAYER LAYERED BILL.
UH, BUT I, I JUST THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S GONNA TAKE MANY MORE TIMES TO GET IT TO PASS BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT SELL FIREWORKS, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO HAVE PUT MANY RESTRICTIONS ON THOSE ON, ON THE SALE OF THOSE FIREWORKS, MUCH LESS WHEN THEY'RE, WHERE AND WHEN THEY'RE, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY SET THEM OFF.
AND I, I, I'VE, EVERY TIME I'VE FILED IT, IT HAS GOTTEN SOME OPPOSITION IN COMMITTEE.
UM, AND I THINK, UM, IT IS A REAL ISSUE AND IT'S A REAL PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR VETERANS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THE ONES TOO, THAT WHEN THEY HEAR THOSE, THOSE POPS GO OFF, UM, IT'S TRIGGERING FOR THEM AND OUR ANIMALS.
SO I REALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN, IN ASKING ABOUT THAT LEGISLATION, BUT IT, IT, IT HAS BEEN A TOUGH ONE TO GET PASSED.
[00:45:02]
I ALSO, REPRESENTATIVE RADO, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU REGARDING THIS ONE SPECIFIC TO GARLAND.IT WAS REALLY ONE OF THE ONLY BILLS THAT SPECIFICALLY, UM, REFERRED TO GARLAND ITSELF, AND THIS IS HOUSE BILL 1694, WHICH WAS CO-AUTHORED BETWEEN YOU AND REPRESENTATIVE BUTTON AS WELL.
AND THIS ALLOWED FOR THE, UH, CITIZEN TO HAVE A LOCAL OPTION ELECTION WITHIN THE CITY.
AND I, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, UH, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT BILL, ON, ON THE PATH IT TOOK, IT WAS STALLED AT, UH, BY A POINT OF ORDER, BY REPRESENTATIVE BRYANT AND, UM, OH, I DON'T REMEMBER THAT ONE.
THIS IS, UH, I THINK I REMEMBER THAT TOO, BUT I WAS WONDERING WHY I, I, I'D LOVE TO HEAR THIS TOO.
WELL, THE, SO REP BUTTON WAS CARRYING UP FOR THE CITY, IS THAT RIGHT? MM-HMM.
UM, I DON'T RECALL THE REASON WHY IT WAS, IT WAS KILLED ON A POINT OF ORDER, BUT POINTS OF ORDER, WHAT I WILL SAY IS, IF THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS A BILL DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE RULES, THEN ANY MEMBER, UM, CAN RAISE THE ISSUE AND THEN YOU ARGUE IT TO THE PARLIAMENTARIAN.
AND SO I BELIEVE IT MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, BUT I, WHEN, WHEN CHAIRWOMAN BUTTON RAISED THAT IT WAS A PRIORITY FOR GARLAND IS WHY I HAD SIGNED ONTO IT.
UM, AND SO EACH, AND I THINK BECAUSE OF THE TIMING, I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN WE'D HAVE TO PROBABLY PULL THE LEGISLATIVE HISTORY TO SEE WHEN IT WAS, WHEN THE POINT OF ORDER WAS SUSTAINED, IF IT'S SUSTAINED TOO LATE IN THE PROCESS, AND THAT IMPACTS ITS ABILITY TO COME BACK, OR THE ERROR IN THE PROCEDURE TO BE, UH, CURED SO THAT IT CAN COME BACK IN THE PROCESS.
BUT I, I, YEAH, I, I REMEMBER THAT DAY BECAUSE CHAIRWOMAN, BUT WORKED VERY HARD TO TRY TO ARGUE AND DEFEND AGAINST THAT.
AND, UM, I, YOU KNOW, IT HAD NOT COMPLIED WITH THE RULES, WHICH IS WHY THE, THE POINT OF ORDER WAS SUSTAINED.
UHHUH, YES, MR. MAYOR, IT WAS ABOUT THE, UM, BRACKET AND HOW WE BRACKETED THE LEGISLATION.
THE POINT OF ORDER WAS, IS THAT IT WAS, UM, TOO LIMITING AND APPLIED ONLY TO THE CITY OF GARLAND.
UM, AND SO WHEN REPRESENTATIVE BRYANT, UH, MADE THAT POINT OF ORDER, UM, UM, THE SA THE SAME BILL WAS, WAS PASSED THIS SESSION BEFORE.
MOST OF THE TIME IT GETS THROUGH.
IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE RUMOR I'VE HEARD WAS THAT THE, UM, UM, UM, PACKAGING INDUSTRY HAD COME TO COME TO HIM AND ASKED THAT, UM, HE FIND A WAY TO KILL THE BILL, AND HE FOUND A WAY.
SO I THINK MOVING FORWARD, IF, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE, THERE'S A GROUP OF CITIZENS THAT ARE, UM, SPONSORING A OR TRYING TO GET A LOCAL OPTION ELECTION CALLED FOR, UM, UM, NEXT YEAR.
UM, IF, IF THAT'S NOT SUCCESSFUL, THEN MOVING FORWARD WE MIGHT ASK, UM, TO WORK WITH THEM AGAIN, TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH, UM, UM, REPRESENTATIVE BRYANT'S OFFICE AND SEE IF WE CAN'T WORK OUT AN ARRANGEMENT WITH HIM THAT HE MIGHT, UM, FEEL THAT'S ACCEPTABLE, I THINK.
AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOU BOTH BEING HERE.
UH, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO, TIM MOORE.
I JUST WANNA, FIRST OF ALL SAY WE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING IN THE CAPITOL, BUT I THINK EVEN MORE SO, IT'S JUST GOOD TO SEE BOTH OF YOU AS YOU ARE AS I ENCOUNTER YOU IN THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE PLACE WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD.
IS THAT JUST SENIOR FACES, ALL THESE DIFFERENT, UH, VENUES THAT TAKE PLACE.
UH, A QUESTION I HAVE, IT NOT ONLY IMPACTED GARLAND, BUT IMPACTED CITIES ALL OVER THE STATE.
I'D JUST LIKE TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT YOU WERE THINKING, UH, AS THEY DEALT WITH THIS SUPER PREEMPTIVE BILL.
THE, I THINK IT'S HOUSE BILL 2127.
UH, WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS AS IT RELATES TO HOW THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT CITIES? IT'S, IT'S, IT'S DEVASTATING FOR CITIES FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, UM, THROUGHOUT, IT WAS ONE OF THE BIG BILLS, THE, THE DEATH STAR BILL IS HOW, WHAT SOME CALL IT, UM, THAT REALLY WAS, YOU KNOW, I THINK IS WE BELIEVE IN LOCAL CONTROL.
WE BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ELECTED AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO MAKE DECISIONS TO BEST IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THAT BILL REALLY WAS AN ATTACK ON LARGE CITIES FROM OUR VIEW.
UM, AND SO, UM, THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, THERE WERE NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS WITH LOTS OF FOLKS TO TRY TO DEFEAT THAT LEGISLATION AND TO NOT LET IT GET TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT, IT'S IN LITIGATION, I BELIEVE.
I BELIEVE MAYBE A LOCAL DISTRICT COURT MAY HAVE HELD IT UNCONSTITUTIONAL, PERHAPS.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE LATEST OR IF IT'S ON APPEAL, I ASSUME, BUT, UM, YEAH.
AND SO, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, BUT YEAH, FOR US, WE WANT LOCAL CONTROL AND SO WE DID NOT SUPPORT THAT LEGISLATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE FOR YOUR QUESTION AND, UM, AGREE TOTALLY WITH NY IVY RADO, ANY TIME THAT IT IS AGAINST LOCAL CONTROL, WE, WE
[00:50:01]
DEFINITELY ARE GONNA STAND UP, UM, FOR OUR CITIES.AND SO, UM, WE DEFINITELY WERE, UM, AGAINST THAT BILL.
AND THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT AT THE CITY LEVEL, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING MAY WORK FOR GARLAND THAT MAY NOT WORK FOR RURAL TEXAS.
AND SO IF THEY DON'T WANT LEGISLATION DEALING WITH PAYDAY LENDERS OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WATER BREAKS FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WAS ONE OF THE BIG TOPICS THAT MADE THE HEADLINES.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST SO MANY DIFFERENT ISSUES.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY RESTRICTIVE FOR CITIES.
SO WE'RE GLAD TO SEE THAT THE COURTS, UM, HAVEN'T JOINED IT TEMPORARILY.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
COUNCILOR WILLIAMS. AND I DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE.
MAY I? WELL, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AS I'M GONNA WRAP THIS UP, YOU ALL WILL HAVE THE LAST, LAST WORDS, UH, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY IN REFERENCE TO THE BILL THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN HAD, UM, MENTIONED, UM, I JUST WANNA EXPRESS, I LEARNED THIS FROM, UH, THE HONORABLE, UH, FORMER COUNCILMAN FROM DISTRICT EIGHT.
UH, HE TAUGHT ME A LOT OF THINGS AND, UH, UH, HOW TO COMMUNICATE WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, OUR DELEGATIONS FOR BEING ACCESSIBLE.
THERE WERE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR OFFICE, YOUR STAFF, YOU ANSWERED THE PHONE AS WE WERE, OUR COMMITTEE WAS WORKING ON THIS THROUGH OUR CITY ATTORNEY.
YOU DIDN'T, YOU DIDN'T RUN AWAY FROM IT.
RIGHT? SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO AT LEAST ANSWER THE PHONE.
UM, THAT I CAN'T SAY THAT IF EVERYBODY DOWN THERE.
BUT, UH, I APPRECIATE DO YOU ALL FOR AT LEAST ANSWER, BEING WILLING TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND HAVE THE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS, UH, FOR, FOR CALLING.
SO REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND APPRECIATE IT.
SO, MAYOR, THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL I'VE, I'VE GOT HERE.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT TO COME TO YOU.
AND MY MAYOR HAS THE LAST WORD.
WELL, THIS IS A FIRST, UH, FOR US TO HAVE, UM, OUR REPRESENTATIVES COME AFTER A LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
I HOPE IT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE LAST TIME MM-HMM.
UM, SO, UM, BUT NO, I THINK THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US HAVE INTERACTIONS, CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU AT EVENTS OR, OR WHATEVER.
AND, AND, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, DURING MY TIME AS MAYOR, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF CRISIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A LITTLE POWER OUTAGE I THINK MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD OF.
AND, UH, WE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH COVID, I'M CERTAIN THAT YOU'VE HEARD OF, AND DURING THOSE TIMES I SPOKE WITH BOTH OF YOU.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST CHECKING IN AND WHAT CAN WE DO AND WHERE, WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE'S, AND HOW'S OF ALL OF THAT.
UM, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT'S GREATLY APPRECIATED, UH, DURING THOSE TIMES.
SO, UM, WE THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UM, AND, UH, HONESTLY, YOU'RE WELCOME BACK ANYTIME.
AND, UH, UNLESS YOU, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO GIVE US IN CLOSING, UNFORTUNATELY, LIKE THE, UH, UNLIKE THE, THE SPEAKER, I DON'T HAVE A GIANT GAVEL
BUT IF YOU'D LIKE, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING BEFORE YOU LEAVE, WE'RE CERTAINLY HERE.
AND WE, WE APPRECIATE THE CONSTANT COMMUNICATION AND THE DIALOGUE THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US.
WE WANNA MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS FOR OUR JOINT CONSTITUENTS.
AND SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND SO WE VALUE IT AND THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, MAYOR MAY FOR HAVING US, AND I AGREE, CERTAINLY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE, THAT SEEING EACH OF YOU AROUND THE CITY AT DIFFERENT EVENTS, IT'S REALLY MAKES IT FOR ME.
UM, I THINK THIS LAST 4TH OF JULY WAS, WAS ONE OF THE, THE GREATER AND HIGHLIGHTS.
UM, BUT, UM, Y'ALL, Y'ALL ALWAYS DO IT RIGHT.
I, I REALLY WANNA SAY THAT BECAUSE MARILYN, MAY, YOU BROUGHT UP C O V I D AND YOU ALL WERE THAT SHINING EXAMPLE ON HOW TO DO IT WITH THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW? UM, I HAVE TO SAY, FOR VACCINES, FOR THE VACCINE, I SENT MY DAUGHTER THROUGH GARLAND.
I, I, UM, I SIGNED UP, BUT IT WAS THE, IT WAS SLOWED A LITTLE BIT AND DELAYED WITH ME GETTING MY SHOT, BUT I THINK I CALLED YOU AND SH HERS WAS GOING THROUGH PRETTY FAST.
SO I SENT HER LIKE A GOAL 'CAUSE I WANNA SEE HOW THAT'S WORKING.
UM, AND, AND IT WAS, IT WAS AMAZING.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST THANK YOU AS YOU SAID, COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE CA, COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS, UM, ANY OF YOU THAT HAVE CALLED THAT IS WHAT WE WANT Y'ALL TO DO.
SO THIS KIND OF DIALOGUE IS SO APPRECIATED, THIS IN PERSON, BUT HAVING OUR NUMBERS, WHETHER THAT'S THE NUMBERS OF OUR STAFF OR OUR CELL PHONES, IS, IS THE BEST.
I MEAN, BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE ON THE FLOOR, UM, I HOPE YOU KNOW IT, BUT WHETHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT, WE'RE THINKING OF YOU AND, UM, THAT PHONE CALL WHEN
[00:55:01]
YOU KNOW THAT LEGISLATION IS COMING UP, IT REALLY DOES MATTER, WHETHER IT'S A PHONE CALL OR A TEXT TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T GOOD FOR OUR CITY, AND, AND WE WANNA HEAR FROM YOU.UM, SO IT REALLY DOES MATTER WHEN WE GET READY TO PRESS THAT VOTE.
UM, I, I NEED YOU TO KNOW THAT.
AND IT'S MADE A DIFFERENCE FOR, WHETHER IT'S THE CITY OF GARLAND OR GARLAND, I S D, IT'S MADE A DIFFERENCE IN HOW I VOTED.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS WELL.
SO, AND I DIDN'T TELL BRITTANY VE WHAT COLOR TO WEAR.
WELL, I WAS GONNA ASK IF THERE WAS A PLAN.
THAT, THERE WAS DEFINITELY A PLAN THERE.
[4.d. Development Services Committee Chair, Dylan Hedrick, will report on the following items]
UH, WE WILL, LET'S SEE.NOW WE WILL MOVE FORWARD TO ITEM FOUR D DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE CHAIR.
UH, HEDRICK WILL REPORT ON MULTIPLE ITEMS. GO AHEAD SIR.
WE HAVE FIVE ITEMS. THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN BUSY LATELY WITH, UH, GETTING THROUGH THEIR AGENDA ITEMS, AND I'M HAPPY TO PRESENT SEVERAL OF THOSE TODAY.
FIRST ONE I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON IS A, UM, ITEM THAT WAS CONVERSIONS OF CAR WASHES TO AUTO REPAIR USES AND MINOR, MINOR AUTOMOTIVE, AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR IN COMMUNITY RETAIL ZONING DISTRICTS.
UH, REALLY WE WERE LOOKING AT INSTANCES WHERE A PREVIOUS CAR RELATED USE WAS, UH, EITHER THROUGH A ZONING BY RIGHT, OR BY A PD OR, AND HOW THIS WOULD, IF THE BUSINESS WENT OUT OF BUSINESS, TURN INTO A CAR RELATED USE LIKE A BRAKE SHOP OR AN OIL SHOP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WHAT THE COMMUNITY DECIDED IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO, UH, PROPOSE TO AMEND THE G D C TO ALLOW FOR MINOR AUTO REPAIR USE IN THE COMMUNITY RETAIL DISTRICT BY S U P ONLY.
SO CURRENTLY IT'S ALLOWED BY WRIGHT, I BELIEVE, IN THAT COMMUNITY RETAIL DISTRICT.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT INTO BEING BY S U P.
SO THEN THIS COUNCIL WOULD'VE A LITTLE MORE CONTROL OVER THOSE TYPE OF USES IN THAT DISTRICT.
SECOND ITEM WAS A REVIEW OF THE CURRENT I 30 CORRIDOR ZONING.
AND THIS WAS BY, UH, DEPUTY MAYOR PROTON MOORE AROUND, UH, THE I 30 CORRIDOR IN HIS DISTRICT.
THIS WAS A DIFFICULT ITEM FOR THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE THE VARIETY OF USES ALONG THAT CORRIDOR AND SOMETHING THAT THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSED.
AND WE THOUGHT THAT THIS MIGHT BE A FUTURE DISCUSSION TO LOOK AT ZONING IN THAT AREA BY EITHER A REVIEW OF THE, UH, OR RE-REVIEW OF THE G D C OR LOOKING AT LIGHT COMMERCIAL ZONING USES IN THAT AREA, BECAUSE IT SEEMED TO BE THE CONCENTRATION OF LIGHT COMMERCIAL THROUGHOUT THE CITY WAS CONCENTRATED ALONG THAT I 30 CORRIDOR.
SO IT REALLY, UM, MAY BE A FUTURE COMMITTEE, A G D C REVIEW COMMITTEE THAT COULD BE ONE OF THEIR PURVIEWS THERE.
SO THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED NO ACTION AT THIS TIME, BUT WANTED TO KEEP IT OPEN FOR FUTURE DISCUSSION BY ONE OF THOSE SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES.
THIRD ITEM WAS HYBRID ZONING USES.
THIS WAS A, UH, A ONE ITEM THAT I SUGGESTED, AND THIS WAS A RESULT OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STUDY THAT SAID WE NEED TO ALLOW FOR THESE HYBRID TYPE USES WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE ONE TYPE OF USE IN THE FRONT OF A BUILDING AND A DIFFERENT TYPE OF USE IN THE REAR OF THE BUILDING.
THE, UH, EXAMPLE THAT WAS GIVEN WAS A BAKERY THAT MIGHT BE A RETAIL SHOP UP FRONT WITH A MORE OF A INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION FACILITY OUT THE BACKSIDE OF IT AND TUCKING IT OVER WITH OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
THEY ALREADY HAVE METHODS THAT THEY USE TO PARSE THE DIFFERENT USES IN A SINGLE FACILITY, SO THEY DIVIDE UP SQUARE FOOTAGE BASED UPON OFFICE USE AND INDUSTRIAL AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO THEY DO A GOOD JOB OF LOOKING AT THESE HYBRID TYPE USES.
SO THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS NO ACTION AT THIS TIME ON THAT ITEM.
NEXT ITEM IS THE REUSE OF VACANT COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS AND POLICY OPTIONS AROUND THAT.
UH, THIS WAS A TOUGH ONE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT NECESSARILY TO GET IN THE WAY OF A PROPERTY OWNER AND HIM CHOOSING IT AT THE OPPORTUNITY COST OF NOT RENOVATING OR NOT REDOING THAT BUILDING AND US MANDATING THAT HE DO SOMETHING WITH THAT BUILDING.
THERE'S A LOT OF PROPERTY RIGHT, CONCERNS INVOLVED AND THE CA THE COMMITTEE FELT LIKE WE DIDN'T WANT TO GET BETWEEN WHAT WE MAY PERCEIVE AS A LANDOWNER AND HIS POOR DECISION TO REDEVELOP HIS PROPERTY.
SO WITH THAT, WE TALKED ABOUT POSSIBLY MAKING A LIST OF THESE VACANT BUILDINGS, BUT THAT WOULD REQUIRE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF STAFF TIME TO KEEP THAT LIST UP TO DATE.
UM, SO WE DECIDED TO FOREGO THAT AS WELL AND ULTIMATELY DECIDED THAT WE WOULD REMAIN STATUS QUO AND HAVE
[01:00:01]
NO CHANGES TO THIS ITEM AT THIS TIME.THE FINAL ITEM WAS BICYCLES AROUND THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
THIS WAS A, UH, VERY APROPOS DISCUSSION WITH THE OPENING OF SQUARE.
VERY SOON THEY, UH, WE HAD PRESENTATIONS FROM IMPARTIAL RECREATION STAFF ABOUT BICYCLE RACK LOCATIONS, EITHER AT DIFFERENT VARIOUS CORNERS OR MID-BLOCK LOCATIONS AROUND THE SQUARE.
AND WE ALSO HAD DISCUSSION ABOUT A LOCKER SYSTEM THAT WOULD BE IN THE PARKING GARAGE OFF OF STATE STREET OFF OF THAT ENTRANCE.
AND, UM, PUTTING A MAYBE A THREE OR FOUR LOCKER SYSTEM WHERE BIKES WILL BE ABLE, THE LOCKER WILL BE ABLE TO BE RENTED AND, UH, IT'LL BE PROTECTED FROM THE ELEMENTS UNDER A COVER THERE AND PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE SECURITY THAN JUST A STANDARD BIKE RACK.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, STAFF IS LOOKING INTO AND, AND HOPING TO IMPLEMENT AND WILL REQUIRE OF COURSE FUNDING APPROVAL AND SO FORTH.
BUT THAT IS A, IT'S BEEN A REQUEST FOR PATRONS OF BIKE PATRONS OF DOWNTOWN FOR A WHILE NOW, BUT, UM, THANKFULLY STAFF HAS ALREADY COME WITH A FEW PROPOSALS ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT THAT.
UH, COUNCILOR MOORE OR DEPUTY MAYOR PROAM MOORE.
UH, LUCK OF THE CHAIR TO ONCE AGAIN EXPLAIN THE RATIONALE BEHIND NO ACTION PRESENTLY ON THE ZONING FOR THE I 30 CORRIDOR.
IT WAS A QUITE A LARGE AREA TO REZONE AND WE WOULD DIDN'T WANT TO LOOK AT ZONING IT IN THAT COMMITTEE.
WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE PART OF A LARGER EFFORT TO LOOK AT THE ZONING OVER THAT WHOLE AREA AS PART OF A G D C REVIEW, SO THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T WANT TO IN COMMITTEE DISCUSS REZONING THAT AREA WHEN WE'RE NOT, UM, REALLY EXPERTS ON ZONING.
ALSO, THE COMMITTEE, ME, THE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE WAS NOT IN THAT COMMITTEE DISTRICT.
WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER SERVED LOOKING AT ALL THAT THROUGHOUT THE, UM, MAYBE PERHAPS THAT OVERALL CITY REZONING LOOK AT A G D C REVIEW AND HAVE THEM FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON THAT I 30 CORRIDOR AREA.
UH, QUESTION TO, UH, OUR CITY MANAGER, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED THERE PRESENTLY IN THE WAY OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE COMING UP, UH, BECAUSE THEY MEET THE, THE ZONING THAT IS PRESENTLY THERE IN SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD AS IT RELATES TO CONTAINING SOME OF THAT, TRYING TO BE VERY PURPOSEFUL IN THE TYPE OF BUSINESSES THAT WE ARE ALLOWING THE CORRIDOR TO BRING ABOUT THE IMPACT AND THE EFFECTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UH, HOW MIGHT, UH, THE SUGGESTION THAT THE CHAIR IS BRINGING, HOW MIGHT THAT SUGGESTION BE WORKED OUT, UH, OVER A SHORTER TERM? BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE IF THE COMMITTEE DOESN'T DO ANYTHING WITH IT, IT'S KIND OF, KIND OF OUT THERE
ONE IS THAT, UM, AS PART OF THE 2024 BUDGET, WE, UM, INCLUDED FUNDING FOR AN UPDATE TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ENVISION GARLAND.
AND REALLY WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE LAND USE VISION OF A CORRIDOR OR A PARTICULAR AREA OF THE CITY, UM, THAT'S REALLY THE BEST TIME TO ADDRESS LAND USE ISSUES IS WHEN YOU UPDATE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND SO WHILE THE, THE COMMITTEE DIDN'T TAKE ACTION, UM, THAT, THAT PLANNING EFFORT, UPDATING ENVISION GARLAND AND THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE I 30 CORRIDOR AND REALLY THE WHOLE CITY IN TERMS OF WHAT LAND USES, UH, ARE APPROPRIATE AND WHAT THE VISION FOR THOSE CORRIDORS ARE.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S A, A GOOD OPPORTUNITY WITH CERTAINLY WITH SOME COUNCIL DIRECTION.
WE COULD LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT I 30 AND, AND ANY OTHER AREAS AS PART OF THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE.
UM, THE OTHER IS THAT, UH, I WOULD SAY IF THERE'S SPECIFIC ZONING, UH, DISTRICTS IN THE G D C THAT WE FEEL LIKE ADJUSTMENTS ARE NEEDED, WE CAN ALWAYS DO THAT ON THE INTERIM, SIMILAR TO WHAT THE, THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED WITH, UH, ONE OF THE COMMERCIAL ZONES AND, AND MINOR AUTO REPAIR BECOMING AN S U P.
SO THERE'S KIND OF QUICK ACTIONS THAT COULD BE TAKEN IN CERTAIN ZONING DISTRICTS, UH, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, PROHIBIT USES OR ALLOW MORE USES, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT EFFECT.
SO I THINK BOTH THOSE THINGS ARE PROBABLY OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO LOOK AT I 30 AND, AND ANY OTHER AREAS OF TOWN THAT THE, THE CITY MIGHT OR THE COUNCIL MIGHT WANT US TO LOOK AT.
SO AS IT STANDS PRESENTLY A BY RIGHT TYPE OF A PROJECT WOULD AT THIS POINT BE ALLOWED TO GO AS IS? YEAH.
I MEAN, WELL, THE G D C IS AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, AND CERTAIN ZONES HAVE, UH, USES BY RIGHT AND USES BY S U P.
UM, UH, SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS ADJUSTMENTS THAT COULD BE MADE THERE.
I DEFINITELY WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU LOOK AT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR, TO SORT OF LAY THE LEGISLATIVE GROUNDWORK FOR ANY LAND USE CHANGES.
I, I THINK, UM, UM, TO HELP WITH THE DE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEMS QUESTION, I, I THINK I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE COMING WITH THIS, MAYBE NOT SO YOU CAN STOP
[01:05:01]
ME IF I'M CHASING A RABBIT I SHOULDN'T BE CHASING.UM, BUT TO THE POINT THAT THE CHAIRMAN MADE ABOUT, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF ZONING DISTRICTS ALONG THAT 30 CORRIDOR, IT'S DIFFICULT TO TARGET A SPECIFIC USE.
AND I THINK YOUR SPECIFIC USE MAY BE SOMETHING RELATED TO, UM, UH, FOOD DESERTS AND THE TYPE OF RETAIL, UM, ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE STORAGE FACILITIES, RIGHT.
AND WHAT'S DIFFICULT IN TARGETING THOSE, THOSE PRECISE TYPES OF LAND USE WITHOUT DOING A STUDY IS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO FIND SOME FACTS AND SOME FINDINGS BEHIND TARGETING THOSE SPECIFIC USES.
NOW, IF IT WAS JUST FOR ONE LITTLE AREA OR LOCATION, UH, ALONG THE 30 OR ONE TYPE OF DISTRICT THAT THAT'D BE EASIER TO FIX.
THE PROBLEM IS WE HAVE A, A VARIETY OF DISTRICTS DOWN THERE, AND SO IT'S HARDER TO DO THAT, AND YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T DO THAT UNTIL WE GET A STUDY DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING IT FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.
I THOUGHT WE HAD A STUDY, THOUGH, IN THE I 30 CORRIDOR CATALYST ITSELF.
UH, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME AFTER THE G D C, WHICH WERE NEVER IMPLEMENTED.
SO THERE IS A STUDY ALREADY CONDUCTED.
WE JUST NEEDED TO GO BACK AND MAKE THE AMENDMENTS, SO MAKE THE, UH, THE CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE DONE, WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN DONE.
SO, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE COMMITTEE LOOKED SPECIFICALLY AT THE, AT THE I 30 CATALYST STUDY, BUT, UM, STAFF WOULD BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT MM-HMM.
BECAUSE AS I RECALL, UH, MANY OF THE OBJECTIONS, OR MANY OF THE PROBLEMS WERE ADDRESSED IN THAT I 30 CARD CATALYST, IT WAS ADDRESSED AS TO THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE, BUT ALSO THE OPPORTUNITIES BY THE REZONING.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT DONE IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
UM, REGARDING THE PA PARKING FOR BICYCLES IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UM, MY CONCERN FOR THIS IS JUST THAT WE GET A MOVE ON.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF THE AD WAS GOING TO SHARE ANY INFORMATION TONIGHT, OR ARE WE GONNA GET THIS, DOES THIS NEED TO GO TO ANOTHER AGENDA WHERE HE CAN SHARE THE SPECIFICS AND WE CAN GIVE A THUMBS UP? WHAT IS THE PROCESS TO GET THIS ROLLING? BECAUSE WE'RE NOW T MINUS ABOUT FOUR WEEKS AND, AND GOING,
I, I HATE TO PUT Z ON THE SPOT, BUT I'M GONNA PUT HIM ON THE SPOT ANYWAY.
OH, REALLY? AND LETICIA
SO, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
AND THANK YOU LETICIA, FOR JOINING ME.
UM, I DO HAVE THE PRESENTATION THAT WE, UH, PRESENTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE HANDY, UH, JUST TO WALK THROUGH THE DETAILS.
UM, I WON'T SPEND A WHOLE LOT OF TIME JUST TO GIVE YOU A REALLY GOOD SUMMARY ON WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THE, IN THE COMMITTEE.
UH, THIS MAP SHOWS, UH, A LOT OF THE BIKE RACKS.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT BIKE RACKS AND BIKE LOCKERS.
UH, THE CONCLUSION WAS TO ADD, UH, ONE BIKE LOOP, UH, ALONG STATE STREET HERE, ONE BIKE LOOP ALONG, UH, SIXTH STREET HERE, AND THEN TWO AT, AT MAIN AND SEVENTH.
AND SO ONE OF THE DRIVING FORCES WAS TO ADD BICYCLE PARKING CAPACITY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
THE BLUE DOTS ON THIS MAP SHOW WERE EITHER EXISTING OR FUNDED.
BIKE RACKS ARE CURRENTLY IN THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT.
SO, UH, THESE, THESE LIGHTER COLORED, UH, DOCKS SHOW AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD SOME ADDITIONAL LOOPS.
AND, UM, IF YOU CAN'T SEE IT THAT WELL, I'LL ZOOM IN.
UM, THIS ONE DOWN HERE, WE HAD LOOKED AT AS A POTENTIAL SITE FOR A, A BIKE LOOP.
I'M CALLING 'EM BIKE LOOPS BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST ESSENTIALLY THE BIKE RACKS THAT ARE JUST THE METAL LOOPS THAT COME FROM, UH, THE GROUND.
BUT IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS LOCATION WASN'T REALLY A VIABLE LOCATION TO HAVE, UM, A BIKE LOOP.
SO WE, UH, WE WERE LOOKING AT ADDING, ADDING ONE ALONG STATE, ONE ALONG SIXTH AND TWO AT MAIN AND SEVENTH.
UH, REGARDING BICYCLE PARKING, WE HAD EXPLORED AN IDEA ABOUT, UH, REPLACING THE BIKE RACK IN THE DOWNTOWN GARAGE THAT CURRENTLY HAS A BIKE RACK IN IT WITH BICYCLE PARKING.
ONE OF THE CONCERNS WE HEARD, UH, FROM RESIDENTS WAS THAT, UH, THERE ISN'T A SECURE PLACE TO PUT THEIR REALLY EXPENSIVE BICYCLES.
AND SO THE BIKES BIKE LOCKER SYSTEM,
[01:10:01]
UM, APPEARED AS A, YOU KNOW, VIABLE OPTION FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE VIABLE BIKES THAT DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE USING THE BIKE LOOPS.AND SO THIS SYSTEM, UH, WE TALKED TO THIS VENDOR ABOUT, UM, LOGISTICS ON, ON HOW TO GET THINGS IN.
WE MEASURED IN THE DOWNTOWN, UH, IN THE PARKING GARAGE BACK THERE AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS LIKELY ROOM FOR THREE.
AND SO WE KIND LAID THOSE OUT.
IT'S RIGHT AS THE ENTRANCE, UH, AT THE ENTRANCE FROM STATE STREET INTO THE GARAGE ON YOUR LEFT HAND SIDE.
UH, YOU MAY NOT HAVE NOTICED, BUT THERE'S ALREADY A BIKE RACK IN THERE, AND THAT'S TAKEN UP ALONG A LOT OF AREA.
SO THIS HAS A LOT OF DETAIL ON THE DIMENSIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU CAN, UH, BASICALLY EXPAND, YOU KNOW, ON THE SYSTEM AND, AND GET MORE, UH, IF YOU WANT START WITH ONE, EXPAND TO TWO OR THREE, UH, YOU CAN ACTUALLY RECONFIGURE THE THREE OR THE TWO TO ACCOMMODATE LARGER BIKES JUST BASED ON THE INTERNAL WALL SYSTEM OF THE BIKE LOCKERS.
SO, UM, YOU CAN EITHER HAVE, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THREE UNITS, YOU COULD GET ROOM FOR SIX BIKES OR ROOM FOR FOUR LARGER BIKES.
UH, THE SYSTEM, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT, UH, LOCKING SYSTEMS. THE ONE, UH, LOCKING SYSTEM WE CAME UP WITH THAT SEEMED THE MOST VIABLE WAS, UH, THE BLUETOOTH OPTION.
UH, IT, IT OBVIOUSLY COMES WITH A COST, AND, UM, BUT IT GIVES THE CITY THE MOST FLEXIBILITY ON ALLOWING PEOPLE TO COME IN WITH THEIR SMARTPHONES AND CONNECT WITH THE LOCKERS, MAKE RESERVATIONS AHEAD OF TIME.
UH, THE CITY CAN ASSIGN DIFFERENT RATES, UH, FOR DIFFERENT PERIODS OF TIME.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF USERS CREATE GROUPS.
THERE'S A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY, A LOT OF OPTIONS ON, ON PAYMENT.
UM, AND SO THERE'S A, AN APP THAT GOES WITH IT THAT PEOPLE CONNECT VIA BLUETOOTH TO A LOCKER, CAN OPEN IT, CLOSE IT, UH, AFTER THEIR RENTAL, UH, IT'S BATTERY OPERATED, IT COMES WITH A SUBSCRIPTION.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, OPTIONS AND FLEXIBILITY WITH THAT, WITH THAT SYSTEM.
UH, SO LIKE I SAID, IT COMES WITH AN APP AND YOU CAN SIGN IN AND, AND RESERVE IT AHEAD OF TIME.
UM, UH, WE DISCUSSED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ON THESE BIKE LOCKERS TO, UH, POTENTIALLY HAVE SOME ROOM FOR ADVERTISEMENT IF THAT WAS SOMETHING WE WANTED TO USE, UH, FOR, UH, PROMOTION.
UM, AND SO WENT INTO SOME OF THE DIAGRAMS THAT SHOW THE LAYOUT OF THE BIKE RACK ON THE STREET SCAPE.
THIS IS, UH, SORRY, THIS IS A TYPO.
UH, SO THERE WAS ROOM, WE, BASED ON SOME OF THE, THE WAYS WE MEASURED THIS OUT, THERE WAS ROOM FOR ONE, UH, BIKE LOOP, UH, SO THAT THE BIKES DON'T ENCROACH INTO THE, THE CLEAR PATH AREA OF THE SIDEWALK.
IT'S ESSENTIALLY, UH, IN LINE WITH, AND WITHIN THE LINE OF THE, THE TREE WELLS.
THIS IS HOW IT LOOKS ON SIXTH STREET.
SO IF, IF THIS MOVES FORWARD, UH, WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE ADD A WHEEL STOP IN FRONT OF BOTH OF THESE, UM, THESE ANGLED PARKING STALLS SO THAT, UH, NO CAR WOULD GET TOO CLOSE TO THE BICY, UM, BICYCLISTS AS THEY'RE PARKING THEIR BIKES.
AND SO, UM, YEAH, THAT'S, UH, THE, ALL, ALL OF THE INFORMATION.
IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT COST.
UM,
UM, I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT INSTALLATION.
THEY DON'T PROVIDE INSTALLATION.
SO THAT WOULD BE HAVE, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE INSTALL, UM, AS A, AS A CITY STAFF, WHICH IS VERY EASY.
IT'S, UH, IT COMES WITH INSTRUCTIONS.
UM, BUT YEAH, INCLUDING FREIGHT, IT'S, UM, IT'S 25,000 FOR THE THREE.
AND THERE'S AN ONGOING COST FOR THE, UM, FOR THE APP AND, UH, THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEES, I THINK THE, UH, COST SHOWS HERE.
SO IT'S, UH, THAT INCLUDES A THOUSAND DOLLARS BLUETOOTH, UH, DOOR LOCK, AND, UH, AND THEN AF AND THEN FIVE YEARS OF THE ADMIN SOFTWARE.
SO THEN AFTER THE FIVE YEARS, THERE WOULD BE A HUNDRED HUNDRED $20 PER YEAR FOR THE, UH, FOR THIS ADMINISTRATIVE COST FOR THE SOFTWARE.
SO THE 25,000 WOULD, ARE YOU SAYING THAT THAT WOULD BASICALLY TAKE CARE OF FIVE YEARS OR THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE FIVE YEARS.
OKAY, SO THAT'S NOT JUST A, THAT'S NOT PER YEAR.
THAT'S A ALL FIVE, THE FIRST FIVE YEARS.
SO THAT'S THE THREE, THREE UNITS WITH THE BLUETOOTH LOCK ON EACH DOOR.
SO I, I THINK LOOKING AT THAT AMOUNT, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BUDGETED FOR EITHER IN THE OPERATIONAL BUDGET OR C I P.
WE COULD GO, UH, IF COUNCIL WANTS US TO LOOK AT IT, WE CAN COME BACK WITH SOME FUNDING OPTIONS.
[01:15:02]
WELL, THIS PART OF COUNCIL WOULD LIKE US TO LOOK AT IT AND COME BACK WITH FUNDING OPTIONS.I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF THOSE REQUESTS ABOUT DOWNTOWN.
SO IF WE CAN DO THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US AT LEAST DISCUSS IT AND FIND A WAY.
WE'LL SWING BACK AROUND TO THAT.
ANY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? SORRY, I'M SORRY.
UH, COUNCILOR WILLIAMS. SORRY.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, UH, COUNCIL LADY MORRIS IS EXACTLY RIGHT.
UM, I'VE BEEN TO CAVALRY ON THIS ONE.
UM, A QUESTION IS ECHO HER QUESTION.
WE WERE ABOUT A MONTH, A MONTH AND A FEW HOURS AWAY FROM THE BIG DAY, AND FROM WHAT I'M HEARING, IMPLEMENTATION, IF WE FIND THE MONUMENT, MISS CITY MANAGER, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT WITH ANY PHASES OF THIS? THE LOCK RACKS OR THE, THE FANCY ONES THAT YOU'RE SHOWING THERE IN THE, IN THE GARAGE COMING ABOUT? WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS THE IMPLEMENTATION? ARE WE GONNA HAVE THE LOCK RACKS WHEN, WHEN WE CUT THE RIBBON? I DON'T, I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT CAN YOU COMMENT ON WHAT'S OUR IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE IF WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD AS PROPOSED? THE SCHEDULE WOULD PUT US AFTER THE, AFTER THE EVENT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S LIKELY THAT, UM, OKAY.
ANY OF THIS COULD BE INSTALLED BEFORE OCTOBER 14TH.
THIS, THIS IS, THAT IS, I'M SORRY, THAT IS FOR THE BIKE.
THAT IS JUST FOR THE BASIC BIKE RACKS AS WELL, CORRECT? OR NOT JUST THE BIKE LOCKERS.
SO YOU'LL STILL HAVE THE, UM, THE PROPOSED BIKE RACKS THAT ARE INCORPORATED CURRENTLY AND APPROVED GOING IN WITH THE STREET ENHANCEMENTS THAT COME ONLINE.
BUT THE, THE TWO ADDITIONAL LOOPS AND THE BIKE LOCKERS WOULD BE OKAY.
SO THE, SO THE STUFF THAT'S, THAT'S SHOWN ORIGINALLY WILL STILL BE INCLUDED THAT WE'VE SEEN ALREADY? YES, SIR.
AND I'M SORRY, NOT TWO ADDITIONAL LOOPS FOR ADDITIONAL LOOPS.
SO ONE AT EACH OF THE MIDBLOCK CROSSINGS AND THEN THE TWO AT MAIN AND SEVENTH, AND THEN THE BIKE LOCKERS, SHOULD WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT WOULD BE POST-OC OCTOBER 14TH.
SO WHEN WE CUT THE RIBBON, THERE WILL BE, THOSE WILL BE ON THE GROUND OPERATIONAL ACCESSIBLE TO THE BIKERS.
THOSE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING, IN ADDITION ONES THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE PLANE WOULD BE, WILL BE ON THE GROUND OPERATIONAL AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE USERS, THE BIKERS.
WHAT, WHAT WOULD WE HAVE AVAILABLE AS A DAY OF RIBBON CUTTING THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THAT DAY TO THE BANKERS? SO GIVEN THAT THE RIBBON CUTTING, KEEP IN MIND IS FOR THE SQUARE ITSELF.
LET ME COME BACK TO YOU AND, AND WE CAN GET THIS TOMORROW.
TO LET YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHICH, UH, BIKE RACKS WILL BE UP IN OPERATIONAL ON OCTOBER 14TH.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION TOMORROW.
AND AGAIN, HOW MANY OF THE FANCY ONES, UM, THEY KIND OF LOOK LIKE ELECTRICAL BOXES, BUT YOU SAY THEY'RE OKAY, HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE WE PROPOSING, ED? WE HAVE ROOM FOR THREE IN THAT ONE LOCATION IN THE PARKING GARAGE.
THREE THAT WOULD, THAT COULD POSSIBLY HOUSE SIX BICYCLES.
IT CAN, IT CAN HOUSE EITHER BETWEEN FOUR OR SIX BICYCLES DEPENDING ON HOW THEY'RE CONFIGURED ON THE INSIDE.
SO 4, 2, 2 LARGE BIKES WITH TWO SMALL BIKES OR SIX SMALLER BIKES LIKE REGULARIZED BIKES, I SHOULD SAY O O.
AND TELL ME IF I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF, MR. CITY ATTORNEY, ON THOSE, ANY LIABILITY ISSUES, IS THERE ANY, DO ANY THOSE GO IN THE PARKING GARAGE AND OUR PARKING GARAGE? DOES THE CITY INCUR ANY LIABILITY ISSUES? NOT THAT I KNOW OF.
THEY'RE GONNA BE INSTALLED ACCORDING TO THE SPECIFICATIONS PROVIDED BY THE VENDOR IN TERMS OF SPACING.
UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY EVERYBODY'S GONNA BE NEEDING TO BEHAVE, YOU KNOW, MUCH LIKE THEY DO IN TERMS OF KEEPING THEMSELVES SAFE IN A PARKING GARAGE.
UM, BUT NO, THERE'S THOSE GONNA BE ADEQUATE, THERE'S GONNA BE ADEQUATE SPACE AROUND THESE LOCKERS TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO GET THEIR, UH, BIKES IN AND
[01:20:01]
OUT, UM, ACCORDING TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE, OF THE VENDOR.WELL, WELL TO TO, TO PIGGYBACK ON CONSTELLATED, MORRISS, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE GOING, MOVING FORWARD BEYOND, BEYOND REVENUE CUTTING DAY AS YOU PROPOSED THERE, UH, SOME MATTER OF TIMELINE OR SCHEDULE PROPOSED AS TO WHEN, SO THAT WE, AS WE COMMUNICATE WITH THE BIKE COMMUNITY, UH, WE, SO I'D LIKE TO YEAH.
HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN COMMUNICATE TO THEM THAT THESE, THIS IS PROPOSED, THE PROPOSED BEING OPERATIVE, WE'RE WORRIED, BUT VERY MUCH LIKE FOR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, TO BE REALISTIC, BUT, BUT SOMETHING TO WORK WITH.
WOULD THAT, IS THAT DOABLE? YES, SIR.
AND AT THIS POINT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND PUT THAT ON THE NEXT WORK SESSION, THIS ITEM, LET'S BRING IT BACK.
WE CAN HAVE, WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION JUST ABOUT BIKES.
SO LET'S GET THAT ON THE NEXT WORK SESSION.
UM, JUST A, UM, DOESN'T DART HAVE THOSE PODS AT THEIR STATIONS THAT YOU JUST PUT YOUR BIKE IN AND THEY SEEM LIKE THEY WOULD BE MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE? UM, WELL, THEY'RE ALSO MUCH LESS SECURE.
WELL, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT, I MEAN, I SEE PEOPLE RIDING AND STUFF, I JUST DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S AN EXPENSE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE ON RIGHT NOW IN LIEU OF EVERYTHING GOING ON DOWNTOWN, BUT THAT'S JUST MY OPINION.
UM, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE, UH, THE REGULAR BIKE THINGS ARE SUFFICIENT FOR NOW, UM, UNTIL, I MEAN, IF THERE'S A WAVE OF BICYCLE, UM, THEFTS AND STUFF, MAYBE SOMETHING TO LOOK INTO.
BUT, UM, MY STUFF WAS ABOUT THE VACANT PROPERTY, UH, LIST.
IS IT OKAY THAT I MOVE ON TO THAT OR ARE WE STILL IN BIKE MODE? BIKE MODE IS GONNA COME BACK IN TWO WEEKS.
UM, SO MY INTENTION WITH THE VACANT PROPERTY LIST WAS NOT TO BRING MORE TO THE PLATE OF STAFF.
I KNOW CODE IS ALREADY INUNDATED WITH A LOT RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT IS THE PROCESS AFTER, UM, YOU KNOW, AFTER THERE'S A COUPLE COMPLAINTS ON A VACANT LOT OR A PROPERTY THAT JUST ISN'T TAKEN CARE OF? WHAT IS THE PROCESS THAT STAFF GOES THROUGH IN ORDER TO, UH, MAYBE KEEP A LIST OF THOSE PROPERTIES? OR IS IT KEPT LIKE THAT? IS OUR SOFTWARE UP TO DATE ENOUGH THAT WE HAVE, UM, ALL OF THE VIOLATIONS FOR A PROPERTY KEPT IN ONE PLACE WHERE IT COMES UP AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WELL THIS PLACE HAS JUST GOTTEN THIS MANY THINGS GOING ON.
WE, WE DID TALK ABOUT IT ON THE COMMITTEE, AND OUR KOCH MINE DIRECTOR DID COME IN AND TALK TO US ABOUT IT.
UM, WE ALSO HAD, THEY ALSO EXPLAINED THAT THEY, THEY KEEP A LIST OF ACTIVE UTILITY ACCOUNTS, WHICH IF THE UTILITIES ARE OFF, THEN YOU KNOW, IT MAY LEAD TO BEING, IT'D BE CLASSIFIED AS THE VACANT BUILDING.
UM, THE PROBLEM IS THAT, UM, THEY MAY GET A CO COMPLAINT, THEY MAY ADDRESS IT AND IT STILL BE VACANT BUILDING.
SO HAVING THAT KINDA LIST DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT IT'S NOT BEING USED OPTIMALLY.
LIKE I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE KIND OF GETTING AT IS WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH FOR REDEVELOPMENT AND REUSE OF THESE BUILDINGS, BUT STILL, IF THE OWNER DECIDES THAT HE WANTS TO FOREGO THE OPPORTUNITY CAUSE OF REDEVELOPING IT AND WANTS TO KEEP IT IN A CREPT STATE, THAT'S ULTIMATELY HIS HIS RIGHT TO DO SO.
UH, AS FAR AS LISTS FROM THE CITY, AGAIN, HE LOOKED AT THOSE DIFFERENT CODE VIOLATIONS, AND IF THERE'S A LOT FOR ONE PROPERTY, THEY CAN TAKE ACTION ON THAT.
BUT IT'S, IT'S SOMETIMES IT'S NOT AS ACCURATE OR NOT AS EASY AS JUST KEEPING A LIST OF VACANT BUILDINGS AS YOU WOULD THINK.
I KNOW DALLAS HAS A PROGRAM WHERE IT, THEY REQUIRED VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION,
UM,
SO, UM, I KNOW THAT THAT REQUIRES A LOT OF STAFF TIME AND EFFORT.
AND, AND I DO, I AS, I ALSO WANT TO AVOID THAT, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'RE WORKING ON A KIND OF CODE MASTER PLAN OR ABOUT TO START SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR ONCE, ONCE THAT ONCE YOU ALL GO THROUGH THE G D C DEVELOPMENT, REDEVELOPMENT AND CODE GETS A MASTER PLAN, I WOULD LIKE FOR VACANT PROPERTIES TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S LOOKED AT.
LIKE, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN MAYBE PUT SOME MORE, UM, STAFF TIME INTO IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, IF A, IF AN OWNER HAS A DECREPIT
[01:25:01]
PROPERTY, WELL THAT ISN'T OKAY.UM, IT'S NOT OKAY THAT THEY'RE VIOLATING ORDINANCES AND CODES AND THAT THEY DO IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
UM, AND, AND I AGREE IT'S THEIR PROPERTY, THEY CAN DO WITH WHAT THEY WANT, BUT WE DO HAVE RULES.
AND IF THEY'RE VIOLATING THOSE RULES, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
UH, I AGREE, AND I THINK THE COMMITTEE AGREES TOO, THAT IF THEY'RE IN VIOLATION OF OUR CODE, WE'RE GOING TO ENFORCE THAT.
BUT IF THERE'S NO VIOLATIONS AND IT'S STILL AN UNUSED OR UNDERUTILIZED BUILDING, WE CAN'T NECESSARILY FORCE THEM TO DO ANYTHING.
AND WE DID HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT STAFF TIME ON WHAT IT WOULD TAKE.
I MEAN, JUST THIS PAST BUDGET WE DID FINALLY APPROVE A, A REAL ESTATE DEPARTMENT THAT'S GONNA BE A DEPARTMENT OF TWO PEOPLE, WHICH IS A ADMINISTRATOR AND AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT EVEN TO, I MEAN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SPENDING STAFF TIME ON THOSE COURT SORT OF INITIATIVES.
WHAT'S THE BIG PAYOFF? WHAT WOULD RESULT IN, AND DIDN'T NECESSARILY THINK IT WAS WORTH TO HAVE TIME TO ENFORCE THAT IT'S UNDERSTOOD.
YEAH, I, I MEAN, I, YES, I WOULD MUCH RATHER SEE CODE, MORE CODE ENFORCEMENT FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AS A WHOLE, NOT JUST FOCUSED ON THAT ONE THING, BUT, BUT IF IT COULD BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION, I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS TO THAT POINT, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, WITH G D C, I MEAN, WE, WE WILL BE THAT COMMITTEE, IT, IT, IT WILL BE ALL OF US.
SO YOU CAN CERTAINLY BRING THOSE CONCERNS IN.
ALL RIGHT, COUNCILOR ROT? WELL, I FORGOT TO, UH, TO THANK THE COMMITTEE FOR THEIR THOUGHTFUL, UH, ADDRESSING OF ITEM ONE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I BROUGHT UP, WHICH WAS ABOUT THE, WHICH WAS ABOUT THE CONVERSION OF CAR WASHES INTO AUTOMOTIVE PLACES.
AND SO I WAS, UH, I THINK THAT'S A, A GOOD MOVE WHAT Y'ALL CAME UP WITH.
AND THAT, THIS COMMITTEE WORKING ON THAT, AND REALLY IT'S TO GET THAT AUTOMOTIVE USE IN LINE WITH OTHER COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICTS THAT ALLOW IT BY SS U P ONLY COMMUNITY RETAIL.
I FAILED TO MENTION PREVIOUSLY, I BELIEVE WAS JUST THE ONE THAT IT'S ALLOWED BY WRIGHT RATHER THAN S U P.
SO THIS GETS IT IN LINE WITH THE OTHER COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS.
AND MR. ENGLAND, UM, WILL WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE FOR THAT, UH, AMENDMENT IN OUR NEAR FUTURE? IS THAT WE CAN, OOPS, GO AHEAD.
YES, MAYOR, WE CAN GET ONE TO GET, IF WE GET CONSENSUS ON THIS ITEM TONIGHT.
YEAH, WE CAN GET AN ORDINANCE, WE CAN GET AN ORDINANCE MOVING FORWARD.
UH, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU TO THE COMMITTEE, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, THESE ARE FIVE, THESE ARE FIVE VERY BROAD ITEMS THAT REQUIRE A LOT OF A LOT OF WORK.
SO THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AT THAT.
UM, AND TO THAT POINT, UM, DO WE HAVE CONSENSUS ON ITEM ONE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT? I'LL TAKE THAT AS, UH, UNANIMOUS.
SO LET'S, LET'S BRING THAT FORWARD.
[4.e. Resolution Establishing a Charter Review Committee]
US TO ITEM FOUR E RESOLUTION, ESTABLISHING A CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE, UH, IN THE PACKET.UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE ALL GOT OUR APPOINTEES LINED UP AND YOU'VE SEEN THE CHARGES THAT WE'VE PUT FORTH.
UM, SO TONIGHT, OR ACTUALLY TOMORROW NIGHT WILL BE SORT OF THE, THE FINAL STEP IN GETTING THAT PROCESS MOVING.
UM, THIS IS GONNA BE TREY SHOW TONIGHT.
UM, HE'S BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, UM, GETTING THIS PRESENTATION TOGETHER AND GETTING THE, GETTING THE RESOLUTION AND THE CHARGE TOGETHER FOR Y'ALL TO DISCUSS TONIGHT.
AND THERE WILL BE ONE MOMENT WHERE I STEP BACK UP AND HAVE A BRIEF DISCUSSION ABOUT LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED THIS LAST SESSION.
THAT MIGHT BE A QUITE A SURPRISE TO Y'ALL.
SO I SHARED WITH THE MAYOR BEFOREHAND, BUT, UM, WE'LL WAIT UNTIL HE GETS TO THAT SLIDE BEFORE I STEP IN.
SO MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THANK Y'ALL.
I'M TREY LANCE FOR DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, WE HAD OUR MEETING, UH, A MONTH AGO NOW, UH, WHERE Y'ALL SUBMITTED A LOT OF PROPOSED TOPICS.
AND THEN SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE GOTTEN SEVERAL EMAILS AND THINGS FROM Y'ALL AS WELL FOR CONSIDERATION FOR THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UM, SO WE'VE PUT ALL THOSE TOGETHER AND, AND YOUR BACKUP TONIGHT IS A PROPOSED, UH, RESOLUTION FOR Y'ALL TO CONSIDER TOMORROW, WHICH WOULD, UH, INSTITUTE THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR THIS YEAR.
IT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO APPOINT THE MEMBERS AND THEN GIVE THEM THEIR CHARGE.
AND PART OF THAT WOULD BE THEM REPORTING BACK IN JANUARY AS TO WHAT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FOR EACH OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE BEEN CHARGED TO REVIEW.
SO JUST QUICKLY TONIGHT, WHAT WE WANNA TALK ABOUT WAS JUST GO THROUGH THE CHARTER REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS FROM Y'ALL.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 17 SUBSTAN, I'M, I'M GONNA CALL THEM SUBSTANTIVE, UH, PROPOSALS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, 14 OF THOSE ARE IN THE CHARGE THREE OR NOT.
AND I'LL KIND OF GO THROUGH WHY WE DID OR DID NOT PUT
[01:30:01]
SOMETHING IN THERE.AND THEN THERE WERE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEN SEVERAL FROM US JUST INTERNALLY ON THE ATTORNEY SIDE FOR JUST LEGAL REVIEW.
AND SO I'VE JUST KINDA LISTED THOSE AT THE END.
WE WILL GO THROUGH THOSE IN OUR OFFICE AND IF WE HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, WE WILL TAKE THOSE TO THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE AND LET THEM MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO PRESENT 'EM BACK TO Y'ALL WITH THE SUBSTANTIVE ONES.
SO TOMORROW NIGHT, Y'ALL HAVE YOUR RESOLUTION.
THE C R C WILL CREATE THEIR OWN MEETING SCHEDULE.
HOPEFULLY THEY'LL MEET MULTIPLE TIMES BETWEEN SEPTEMBER AND JANUARY, AND THEN THEY WILL PRESENT BACK TO Y'ALL IN JANUARY.
SO TONIGHT WE'VE GOT THE WORDING UP THERE FOR THE CHARGE.
UM, AS I GO THROUGH 'EM, AND I'LL HAVE, AND I'VE ALSO NOTATED, WHICH ONE OF YOU GAVE US THE RECOMMENDATION.
AND I PUT THIS UP THERE JUST SO THAT YOU CAN TELL ME IF I MISHEARD YOU OR IF I AM OFF BASE AS TO WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION WAS FOR THEM TO CONSIDER.
SO IF FOR SOME REASON I'VE GOT IT WRONG, I THERE IS NO PRIDE OF AUTHORSHIP, YOU JUST LET ME KNOW AND WE'LL CHANGE THAT TO WHAT YOU HAD IN MIND.
SO WE'LL START GOING THROUGH THESE.
AND THESE ARE JUST SPECIFICALLY IN ORDER OF THE CHARTER FOR SAKE OF CONVENIENCE, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, ALL OF COUNCIL MEMBER OTTS, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER HEDRICKS, THEY'RE JUST IN ORDER AS THEY COME UP TO THE CHARTER.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS ARTICLE THREE, SECTION ONE A, UH, FROM COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS ABOUT, UM, CONSIDER AMENDING THE CHARTER TO LENGTHEN THE CURRENT TERM FROM TWO YEARS TO THREE YEARS, BUT THEN REDUCE THE TERM LIMITS FROM THREE TO TWO.
SO IT'S STILL A MAXIMUM OF SIX YEARS.
AND I'LL, I'LL PAUSE BETWEEN EACH OF THESE IN CASE Y'ALL WANNA TELL ME THAT I'M OFF BASE.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS FAST, BRIAN.
SORRY, I KNEW I WAS IN TROUBLE.
SO
UH, BUT GO AHEAD, SHARE, SHARE PLEASE.
THIS PARTICULAR, UM, UM, RECOMMENDATION OR THIS, UM, UM, ITEM THAT Y'ALL ASK FOR THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT.
IT'S GONNA HAVE A SLIGHT COMPLICATION THANKS TO OUR TEXAS LEGISLATURE.
UM, AND, UM, UM, IT'S HOUSE BILL 36 13, WHICH PASSED.
AND BASICALLY WHAT HOUSE BILL 36 13 SAYS IS THAT A MUNICIPALITY THAT IS DIVIDED INTO DISTRICTS FROM WHICH MEMBERS OF ITS GOVERNMENT BODY ARE ELECTED, UH, WHICH IS US, SHALL ELECT ALL MEMBERS OF THE MUNICIPALITY'S GOVERNING BODY, FOLLOWING EACH CENSUS ON THE FIRST UNIFORM ELECTION DATE THAT ALLOWS SUFFICIENT TIME TO COMPLY WITH THE ONLY REQUIREMENTS OF LAW.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS EVERY 10 YEARS, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE STAGGERED ELECTION, WE HAVE STAGGERED DISTRICTS, UM, BY YEAR.
UM, BUT EACH CENSUS, WHICH IS EVERY 10 YEARS, 20 20, 20 30 IS OUR NEXT ONE.
THIS IS WHEN THIS IS GONNA KICK IN FOR US, WILL BE 2031.
UM, UM, EACH MEMBER OF COUNCIL IN 2031 WILL BE GOING BACK UP FOR ELECTION.
NOW, THE HISTORY BEHIND THIS IS, IS SOMEWHAT, UM, UM, MURKY, BUT THERE'S RUMORS FLOATING AROUND.
I'VE TALKED TO A FEW PEOPLE AND THE RUMOR IS, IS THAT AUSTIN WAS A LITTLE MISCHIEVOUS WITH THEIR REDISTRICTING THIS LAST TIME.
AND IF IT RESULTED IN SEVERAL IMPORTANT OR POLITICALLY MOTIVATED CITIZENS FOR MISSING TWO ELECTIONS, BEING ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN TWO ELECTIONS.
AND SO THE LEGISLATURE STEPPED IN AS THEY TYPICALLY DO WITH AUSTIN WHEN THEY ACT IN A MISCHIEVOUS WAY.
AND THEY DECIDED, WELL, IF YOU'RE GONNA ACT THIS WAY AND REDISTRICT THIS WAY IN SUCH A MANNER, THEN UH, WE'RE GONNA MAKE YOU ALL RUN FOR REELECTION THE YEAR FOLLOWING A CENSUS.
AND THAT MEANS YOU SHOULD HAVE NINE YEARS TO GET RETAGGED IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE WITH STAGGERED DISTRICTS.
AND SO THE ISSUE BEFORE, UM, UM, BOTH THE COMMITTEE AND THIS COUNCIL WILL BE, IS THIS SOMETHING WE WANT TO DEAL WITH NOW WHEN YOU CONSIDER WE HAVE AT LEAST FOUR LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS TO TRY TO GET THIS FIXED BEFORE 2031.
AND, UM, OR DO YOU WANT TO, UM, UH, REVIEW THIS AGAIN AND SAY 20 29, 20 20, 28, AND WHEN IT GETS CLOSER TO THE DATE, IF THE LEGISLATURE HASN'T HAD TIME TO FIX? AND I ASSURE YOU THIS WILL BE A TOP OF THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR ALL CITIES NEXT TIME.
UM, AND MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO BE THAT LET'S, LET'S MOVE FORWARD AS IF THIS DOESN'T EXIST BECAUSE IT WON'T AFFECT US FOR, UH, NINE YEARS AND HOPE THE LEGISLATURE DOES THE RIGHT THING AND FIX IT, FIXES IT.
AND IF THEY DON'T, THEN THE NEXT CHARTER REVIEW, WE WILL BE SURE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A CHARTER REVIEW AND WE FIX OUR CHARTER TO COMPLY WITH THIS THE NEXT TIME AROUND.
AND COUNSEL, I WANT YOU TO IMAGINE THERE ARE 30, JUST LET'S, LET'S JUST BRING THIS TO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GARLAND.
ALL RIGHT? BUT LET'S JUST IMAGINE DALLAS COUNTY, THERE ARE 31 CITIES IN DALLAS COUNTY, AND EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR IN ALL 31 OF THOSE CITIES IN DALLAS COUNTY ALONE WILL BE UP FOR ELECTION AT THE SAME TIME.
[01:35:01]
THAT'S CRAZY.SOME, I'M, I'M INVESTING IN A SIGN COMPANY NEXT WEEK.
UM, BUT I WANT YOU TO IMAGINE THE CHAOS.
FORGET JUST THE CHAOS HERE IN GARLAND.
I MEAN, DALLAS COUNTY ITSELF WILL BE A 31 RING CIRCUS.
I, I DON'T EVEN, I MEAN, THAT IS JUST IMPOSSIBLE FOR MY BRAIN TO EVEN COMPREHEND HOW THAT WORKS.
NOW, IS THIS SOMETHING WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THIS YEAR? NO.
UH, BUT CERTAINLY IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS IN OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, UH, FOR THE NEXT SESSION, THIS IS PROBABLY NUMBER ONE AT THIS POINT ON MY LIST AND ANYBODY'S LIST IN DALLAS COUNTY.
UM, BUT YEAH, I JUST WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT 31 CITIES EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER UP FOR REAL.
NOW THAT'S JUST DALLAS COUNTY.
THERE'S 200 AND 253 OTHER COUNTIES OUTSIDE OF US.
WELL, OKAY, THERE'S A FEW AT LARGERS IN THERE, BUT THAT JUST, UH, UNBELIEVABLE CUSTOMER WILLIAMS. SO MR. CITY ATTORNEY FOR CLARITY, I WHAT DO WHAT HE, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE BILL.
UH, AFTER I SUBMITTED THIS, I, I LOOKED AT IT AND I STARTED TO PULL IT.
UH, SHOULD OR YOUR RECOMMENDATION A CITY ATTORNEY, UH, 20 WHATEVER, 2047.
WHENEVER, WHENEVER THEY TALKING ABOUT THIS 2031.
YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T HAVE SUBMITTED IT.
I THINK IT, I THINK IT MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE THAN WHAT I HEAR COMING OUTTA AUSTIN.
SO WHAT ARE IS YOUR RECOMME RECOMMENDATION TO THE CHARTER AS A CHARTER REVIEW ITEM? I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE.
YOU THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE? SURE.
I MEAN, I, I THINK WE MOVE FORWARD AS IF THIS BILL, AS OF RIGHT NOW, I THINK IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THIS COUNCIL IS INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING AND THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE WANTS TO REVIEW, CERTAINLY I THINK THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE DISCUSSION ITEM AND REVIEW ITEM.
UM, AND WHERE Y'ALL LAND ONLY Y'ALL KNOW, BUT I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT AS A PROPOSAL.
AND I SUBMITTED THIS BASED ON SOME FEEDBACK THAT I'D GOTTEN FROM CONSTITUENTS, SOME FEEDBACK FROM SOME FOLKS BECAUSE THEY BEING ON COUNCIL, UH, YOU KNOW, FIRST YEAR IN FROM EXPERIENCE AND THEN YOUR SECOND YEAR YOU'RE RUNNING FOR REELECTION AGAIN, RIGHT IN, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT AS A CITY.
AND SO MY THINKING IS FOR CON CONTINUITY, FOR CONTINUITY AND TO GIVE WHOMEVER THE ELECTED OFFICIAL, AT LEAST THEY'VE GOT, THEY'VE GOT TIME TO REALLY GET INTO THEIR PRIORITIES OF WHAT THEY WANT TO, RATHER THAN AFTER YEAR WON.
YOU RUN YOU RUNNING FOR THE REDUCTION AGAIN IN, IN YEAR TWO, WHICH, WHICH, WHICH, WHICH I BLAME OUR LEGISLATORS TOO.
SO FOR THE REST OF THE COUNCIL, THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SURE.
SO FOR CLARIFYING, UM, CLARIFYING THAT AND WE'LL SEE WHERE IT LANDS FOR THE COMMITTEE, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S MY RATIONALE FOR PROPOSING IT.
UH, ONE THING, AND I'VE, I'VE BEEN SINCE COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS BROUGHT THIS UP, I'VE BEEN RUNNING IT THROUGH MY HEAD ABOUT HOW IF, IF THIS COMES TO PASS, HOW WE WOULD TRANSITION WITH THE NINE OF US SITTING HERE FROM TWO YEAR TERMS TO, TO THREE YEAR TERMS AND NOT HAVE IT BE KIND OF INSANE.
SO I, I WONDERED IF, IF THERE NEEDS TO BE, UM, ANOTHER LINE IN THERE ALONG THE LINES OF, UH, TOTAL TERM SHALL NOT EXCEED SIX CONTINUOUS OR CONTINUOUS YEARS, YOU WOULD ASSUME THAT FROM REDUCING THE TERM LIMITS OF THREE TO TWO.
BUT IF WE'RE, SO OUR, OUR TWO NEWEST COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, I'M LOOKING AT THE WRONG ONE.
SO IF, IF THIS WERE TO PASS, I MEAN, I'M JUST THINKING WE COULD JUST EXTEND, I ASSUME THEIR, THEIR INITIAL TWO YEAR TERMS, THEY WERE ELECTED TWO TO THREE SO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO RUN FOR ELECTION.
YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? BUT THE REST OF US WOULD BE IN THESE KIND OF ODD SEQUENCE THAT WOULD NOT NEATLY END ON YEAR SIX.
AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A LEGITIMATE CONCERN.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL SHOULD, ONCE THEY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, Y'ALL SHOULD HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
WE'RE PROBABLY WAY TOO EARLY FOR THAT.
BUT I'LL JUST TELL YOU AS A, AS A
[01:40:03]
MATTER OF FACT, THERE WILL BE AT LEAST TWO, THERE HAS TO BE AT LEAST TWO MEMBERS OF COUNCIL THAT ARE EXTENDED.NOW THE DISCUSSION'S GONNA BE WHO IS THAT TO? AND THERE'S SOME RATIONALE FOR WHO IT COULD BE OR WHO IT SHOULDN'T BE.
AND THAT'S OF ALL POLITICAL, THAT'S ALL POLITICAL REASONS.
AND SO Y'ALL WILL HAVE TO BE, THAT'S JUST WHETHER IT'S, WHETHER IT'S A MEDIA EXTENSION OR AN EXTENSION DOWN THE ROAD, SOMEBODY IS GONNA HAVE TO BE EXTENDED.
THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT, THAT'S THE WAY THE NUMBERS WORK.
WHEN YOU GO FROM TWO TO THREE, THE MODELS ARE, ARE ARE CLEAR.
AND I'VE LOOKED AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT MODELS AND THEY'RE ALL SAY THE SAME THING, THAT SOMEBODY'S GETTING EXTENDED.
BUT THAT DOESN'T BLUR THE SIX YEAR HARD STOP.
UM, YOU CAN'T HAVE A SIX YEAR HARD STOP WITHOUT CUTTING SOMEBODY SHORT.
UNLESS THAT'S SOMEBODY WAS ME,
AND THEN THERE'S SOMEBODY WHO'S SERVING
YEAH, NO, I COULD GO TO SIX WITHOUT BEING CUT.
YOU COULD BECAUSE I'M NOPE, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
'CAUSE THAT'LL BE, I I, I SUSPECT THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE LIVELY DEBATE AND, UM, IT'S Y'ALL'S DEBATE, NOT MINE.
SO, AND I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT TOO.
IT'LL HAPPEN IN THE COMMITTEE.
THEY MAKE, THEY WILL GIVE YOU A RECOMMENDATION.
RECOMMENDATION AND THEN Y'ALL WILL GET TO DECIDE IF YOU'D LIKE THEIR RECOMMENDATION OR NOT.
ALRIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S IT.
UH, COUNCILOR MOORE, YOU WERE IN THE QUEUE.
SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY SOUNDING LIKE IF THIS WERE APPROVED, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT, WELL, IF IT WERE APPROVED, WHEN WOULD THE, WHEN WOULD IT BEGIN? THIS IS 23, 24, 25.
THAT WILL GIVE US TWO, THREE YEAR CYCLES IT SOUNDS LIKE BEFORE 2031, CORRECT? YES.
THAT COULD WORK BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T MATTER THEN IF IT'S NOT GONNA MATTER IF THEY DID NOT CHANGE THE LEGISLATION IN 2031 AND EVERYBODY WOULD RUN AND THEY WOULD STILL DO THREE YEARS REGARDLESS.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THE THREE YEARS IS MUCH BETTER THAN THE TWO.
HOWEVER, WE
SO THE SECOND ONE ALSO FROM COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS WAS, UM, REGARDING THE ELIGIBILITY, UH, WAIT TIME FOR ALTERNATIVE COUNCIL POSITIONS.
SO WE HAVE, UM, CONSIDER AMENDING THE CHARTER, UM, SECTION, ARTICLE THREE, SECTION ONE D TO REVISE THE AMOUNT OF TIME A PERSON MUST WAIT BETWEEN SERVICE AND ONE ELECTED ROLE, AND THEN RUNNING FOR ANOTHER ELECTED CITY POSITION.
THIS ONE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER LUCK, UM, ABOUT CONSIDER AMENDING THE CHARTER TO THE AMOUNT OF TIME A PERSON MUST WAIT BETWEEN SERVICE AND ELECTED ROLE AND APPOINTMENT TO A CITY BOARD, COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE.
I WILL JUST SAY, I, I, I KNOW THE COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, WILL DO THEIR THING ON THIS, BUT, UM, I JUST WANT TO BRING IT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT, HOW, HOW COMMITTED TO THIS ONE ARE WE? UM, BECAUSE, UM, BECAUSE CURRENTLY WE HAVE APPOINTED A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER AND WE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT PENDING FOR A FORM COUNCIL MEMBER THAT HAS RAISED NO DISCUSSION OR DISSENSION.
SO HOW COMMITTED BEFORE WE HAVE THE COMMITTEE SPEND TIME LOOKING AT THIS, ARE WE REALLY COMMITTED TO IT? UH, BECAUSE CURRENTLY WE'RE DOING IT WITH, WITHOUT ANY DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND I, THIS ITEM I'M NOT COMMITTED TO MYSELF PERSONALLY.
I KNOW HISTORICALLY, AND YOU KNOW, AS WELL WITH COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS THAT THERE'S TYPICALLY BEEN NO OPPOSITION TO ANY APPOINTMENTS, REALLY EVER.
THE ONLY TIMES I CAN THINK OF PERHAPS IF THERE WAS A CANDIDATE WHO RAN AGAINST SOMEONE IN AN ELECTION AND SOMEONE WAS APPOINTING THEIR OPPOSITION TO A BOARD.
SO IT'S, IT'S VERY RARE THAT WE DO GET ANY KIND OF OPPOSITION ANYWAY, BUT AS FAR AS THIS ITEM, I'M NOT TIED TO THIS ITEM.
I MEAN, I, I, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE IDEA OF THE ITEM, BUT THE, THE PRACTICE, THE CURRENT PRACTICE SEEMS TO BE IN CONFLICT WITH THAT.
UM, I, I MEAN, I'M, I'M PERFECTLY WILLING TO LET THE COMMITTEE MOVE FORWARD, BUT ALSO WITH THE UNDERSTANDING AMONGST THE NINE OF US THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING SOMETHING THAT WE ARE INTENTIONALLY NOT DOING.
CAN WE HEAR FROM THE AUTHOR? CERTAINLY.
[01:45:01]
ROTT.WELL, SEEING AS I JUST, UH, APPOINTED SOMEBODY MOST RECENTLY TO A, TO A BOARD THAT WAS ON THE COUNCIL JUST BEFORE I, UH, I, MY LOGIC MIGHT FALL INTO THIS.
I DID THAT TO PROVE A POINT THAT, UH, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT AND TO WHAT END, UH, IS IT GOING TO BE BECOME JUST A TRADITION FOR US TO APPOINT OUR OUTGOING, UH, THE PERSON, UH, UH, THAT IS LEAVING THE OFFICE AND, UH, THE POLITICS CHANGE IN THE CITY OVER TIME.
AND IF YOU, IF WE HAVE THAT TREND, THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S ACCELERATED GREATLY.
IF YOU LOOK AT, WE STARTED WITH PRESTON EDWARDS THAT WENT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT HE HAD BEEN OFF OF THE, UH, OFF OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR AT LEAST A YEAR, AT LEAST MORE THAN THAT, MORE THAN THAT
SO FOLLOWING THAT, THEN WE HAD, UH, WE HAD, UH, LORI DODSON, AND SHE HAD BEEN ON THE PLAN COMMISSION BEFORE THEN ON THE COUNCIL, AND THEN SHE CAME BACK TO THE PLAN COMMISSION AGAIN, THEN BECAME THE MAYOR.
I BELIEVE THAT'S THE SEQUENCE OF HOW EVERYTHING WENT.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE RICH ALBIN AND IT'S JUST BEEN BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN HAPPENING AT A FASTER RATE.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S TOO MUCH TO AT LEAST HAVE IT HAVE THE DISCUSSION WITHIN THE, UH, WITHIN THE, THE COMMITTEE THAT WE'RE CHARGING.
THAT'S AS REASONABLE LOGIC AS ANY.
COUNCILOR MOORE, OR DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIM MOORE.
HAVING HAD SOME RECENT EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY WITH BRINGING PEOPLE ONTO THE TWO COMMITTEES THAT WE'RE SPEAKING OF, MY CONCERN BECOMES THEN, FIRST OF ALL, FINDING PEOPLE THAT WILL SERVE.
THAT IS NOT THE EASIEST THING IN THE WORLD.
I'M FINDING, JUST BRINGING PEOPLE ON, AND I'M WITH YOU.
I BELIEVE THAT WE DO NEED NEW BLOOD, WE NEED NEW THOUGHTS, NEW IDEAS, BUT A SITUATION THAT JUST HAPPENED TO ME RECENTLY, OF WHICH I WILL NOT GO INTO, BUT HELP ME TO REALIZE ALSO THOUGH THAT WE DO NEED HISTORY IS IMPORTANT.
UNDERSTANDING HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS, UNDERSTANDING WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE, UH, GONE THROUGH AND HOW WE GOT THERE, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND OFTENTIMES THE ONLY PEOPLE WE HAVE THAT HAVE THAT HISTORY ARE PEOPLE WHO JUST LEFT OFFICE, BUT NOT JUST THE HISTORY.
HAVE SOME DISCIPLINE, HAVE SOME THOUGHT INTO HOW THE PROCESS SHOULD GO.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I WOULD NOT, I WOULD NOT BE THAT VESTED IN IT.
I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CONTINUE THE ROUTE BY WHICH WE'RE GOING CONTINUE TO TRY AND FIND PEOPLE THAT ARE NEW, YOUNGER AND NEW, INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE IDEAS TO BRING THEM ON BOARD, BUT NOT NECESSARILY CUT PEOPLE OUT BECAUSE THEY'VE ONLY BEEN GONE FOR A YEAR OR LESS.
AND SO FOR THAT REASON, UH, I WOULD NOT REALLY JUST SIGN ON TO THIS, UH, IN THE WAY OF, UH, COMMITTING THE COMMITTEE TO TIME FOR IT.
WAS MAYOR COUNCILOR WILLIAMS. THANK, THANK YOU MAYOR.
UH, I'M AT A POINT OF BUYING, BUT I AM AT A POINT OF, SINCE WE'RE APPOINTING A COMMITTEE, UH, THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING, UH, THAT'S SORT OF BEEN IN, BEEN IN THE WIN.
WE HAVEN'T TAKEN A POSITION, BUT IT'S OUT THERE.
UH, I'D VERY MUCH LIKE FOR SOME NEW EYES AND EARS AND BRAINS TO LOOK AT IT AT LEAST AND COME BACK TO THIS BODY WITH A RECOMMENDATION.
IT'S UP OR DOWN ON US, BUT I THINK IT MERITS AT LEAST, UH, TO HAVE SOME FRESH EYES, FRESH MINDS MASSAGE THIS AND, AND, UH, I'LL COMMIT AT, AT THE POINT WHEN THEY BRING BACK THE RECOMMENDATION.
UH, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A REALISTIC, IT'S REALITY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALSO AMONG THIS BODY IS, UH, WE LOOK ACROSS THE SPECTRUM.
WE GOT A LOT OF, UH, UH, UH, EXPERIENCE.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE PUSHING FOR TOO IS TRYING TO GET ADDITIONAL PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
THAT'S HARD, TRYING TO GET NEW PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
SO FOR THAT REASON, I'D LIKE TO AT LEAST GIVE THE COMMITTEE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASSESS THIS AND, AND, AND MASSAGE IT AND COME BACK TO US WITH WHATEVER POSITION THEY TAKE.
AND OF COURSE, WE CAN ACCEPT THAT OR REJECT IT, BUT AT LEAST I'D LIKE, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T WANNA BE, I DON'T, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE THE SIDE OF TRADITION.
I KNOW IT HISTORICALLY IN THIS CITY, BUT SOMETIMES YOU NEED SOME
[01:50:01]
NEW EYES AND EARS TO LOOK AT SOME THINGS THROUGH DIFFERENT SET OF LANDS.I THINK THE COMMITTEE SHOULD HAVE A CHANCE TO AT LEAST LOOK AT THIS.
AND I APOLOGIZE GOING TWICE, BUT ON THIS ITEM, BUT IT SEEMS A TREND HERE.
WE'RE KIND OF GIVING A THUMBS UP OR DOWN FOR ALL THESE.
AND DURING OUR LAST DISCUSSION, IT WAS SIMPLY THE COUNCIL THROWING OUT ITEMS TO THE COMMITTEE.
WE REALLY DIDN'T DECIDE YES OR NO ON ANY OF THESE.
AND THAT SEEMS TO BE WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW.
I'M FINE WITH SENDING ALL OF THESE IS A LOT TO THE COMMITTEE, LETTING THEM COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AND LET'S HAVE THE DEBATE AT THAT POINT.
SO I I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE FORGOING SOME OF THE DISCUSSION WE'RE HAVING NOW, BUT I'M, AND I HOPE ALSO THAT WHATEVER WE HAVE HERE ON THE SLIDES, THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS THE PURVIEW TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING IN THE CHARTER AND NOT JUST WHAT WE DECIDE HERE.
THAT THEY MAY COME BACK WITH SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T EVEN DISCUSSED YET.
SO I HOPE THAT'S PART OF THEIR CHARGE AS WELL.
AND I, I WASN'T GOING TO OPINE ON THIS.
WE NEED TO JUST SEND IT ALL IN AND LET THE COMMITTEE DO THEIR THING, BUT CORRECT ME, COUNCILMAN OTT, IF I'M WRONG, WAS THIS NOT YOUR REFERRAL? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER LUCK HAD A DIFFERENT REFERRAL, BUT THIS WAS YOURS,
OKAY, SO JUST TREY, YOU HAD ASKED IF, IF ANY OF THESE HAD THE WRONG NAME.
THIS SHOULD BE COUNCILMAN OTT.
WELL, I THOUGHT THE ONE BEFORE THIS OT.
AND WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE, I'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE FROM YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER OTT, THAT I THINK WAS MORE POINTED TO YOUR REQUEST, SIR.
OKAY, WELL THEN MAYBE, MAYBE THERE'RE I'VE GOT ONE COMING UP, I PROMISE.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER LUCK.
UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT IT SHOULD JUST GO TO COMMITTEE.
IF THEY DON'T WANNA SPEND TIME ON IT AND THEY THINK IT'S A BAD IDEA, THEN THEY'LL THROW IT OUT.
ALRIGHT, UH, ARTICLE THREE, SECTION THREE.
UM, CONSIDER AMENDING THE CHARTER TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION PAID TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO ARTICLE THREE, SECTION FOUR IS, UM, CONSIDER AMENDING THE CHARTER TO SPECIFICALLY REFERENCE THE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM POSITION.
IS THAT, THAT WAS FOR CLARITY PURPOSES, IS THAT CORRECT SIR? ME OUT
UM, ARTICLE THREE, SECTION FIVE IS AMENDING THE CHARTER TO REDUCE THE CANDIDACY WAITING PERIOD FOR APPOINTED INTERIM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, THAT COULD CHANGE DEPENDING ON IF THERE'S A RECOMMENDATION TO CHANGE, CHANGE THE TERMS AND THEN THAT IS PUT BY Y'ALL TO THE VOTERS AND THEN THAT GOES FORWARD.
THERE WOULD PROBABLY BE ANOTHER CHANGE BECAUSE THEN THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION HAS SPECIFIC RULES FOR IF YOU HAVE A TERM LONGER THAN TWO YEARS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO CONSIDER FROM THE LEGAL SUB.
UM, ARTICLE THREE, SECTION SIX IS ONE THAT WE DID NOT PUT IN THE CHARGE.
UM, IT'S CONSIDERED AMENDING THE CHARTER TO ADD VIRTUAL OR REMOTE POLICY FOR MEETINGS.
UM, THE, AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS SPECIFICALLY UNDER ARTICLE THREE, SECTION NINE, YOU HAVE RULES OF PROCEDURE THAT YOU PASS AND REVIEW ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
UH, THE CHARTER IS, IS BASICALLY OUR CONSTITUTION AND IF WE HAVE SPECIFIC THINGS FOR MEETINGS, IT WOULD BE BETTER PLACED IN YOUR POLICY THAT YOU CAN RULES OF PROCEDURE THAT YOU COULD DO ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
AND THAT WAY, EVEN IF TECHNOLOGY CHANGES OR GETS BETTER, Y'ALL CAN MORE APPROPRIATELY ADDRESS THAT AT THAT TIME.
AND EVEN AS THINGS COME UP, UH, RESTRICTION ON RESIGNATION FOR CANDIDACY, CANDIDACY, UM, UH, CONSIDER AMENDING, UH, ARTICLE THREE, SECTION 11 TO RESTRICT THE RESIGNATION FOR CANDIDACY PROVISION TO SOLELY ELECTED POSITIONS WITHIN THE CITY OF GARLAND.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BASS, THAT WAS YOURS.
UM, CONSIDER AMENDING ARTICLE FOUR, SECTION ONE J TO CLARIFY, THE POWERS OF COUNCIL IS RELATED TO THE ALIGNMENT OF STREETS, THOROUGH AFFAIRS AND ALLEYS.
UH, COUNCILMAN BUR HEDRICK, YOU HAD RAISED THAT IT SPECIFICALLY JUST SAYS STRAIGHTENED ROADS AND SO WE'LL CHANGE THAT TO, UH, MORE GO ALONG WITH THE ALIGN THE ROADS.
SO, UM, ARTICLE FOUR, SECTION TWO.
UM, CONSIDER AMENDING THE CHARTER TO CLARIFY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY REMOVE THEIR OWN APPOINTEES AT ANY TIME.
UM, CONSIDER AMENDING THE CHARTER TO CLARIFY WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER COMMUNICATIONS OR INTERACTIONS WITH CITY STAFF APPOINTEES MADE BY THE CITY MANAGER ARE NOT IMPERMISSIBLE INTERFERENCE UNDER THIS SECTION.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS, THAT WAS YOURS.
THERE WAS SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WORD INTERFERENCE MEAN.
SO WHAT IS THAT? RIGHT? SO JUST FOR CLARITY, I PUT THAT IN THERE FOR CLARITY FOR THE COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT.
I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT, IF THEY COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION OF ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE OR
[01:55:01]
WOULD THEY KNOW WHAT THAT WORD MEANS? SEE NOW AS OF BEHOLDER RIGHT NOW,THEN ARTICLE FIVE, SECTION TWO.
UM, CONSIDER REMAINING THE CHARTER TO REVISE THE LINKED LIMITATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER'S CONTRACT.
AND THEN ARTICLE EIGHT, SECTION EIGHT, UH, THIS WAS ANOTHER ONE THAT WE DID NOT ACTUALLY PUT IN THE CHARGER.
UM, CONSIDER AMENDING TO CLARIFY THE DIFFERENCES AND PURPOSES OF AMENDMENT AND SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGETS.
AND UH, THE REASON WE BROUGHT THAT UP IS THAT AMENDMENT AND SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGETS HAVE SPECIFIC, SPECIFIC DEFINITIONS AND WHICH ONE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IN A GIVEN SITUATION MUST BE DECIDED AT THAT TIME.
DEPENDING ON WHAT'S BEING DONE AND OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, I'M SURE WE'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO EXPLAIN WHY THEY'VE DONE A SPECIFIC ONE AS SOMETHING COMES UP THAT WAS UNEXPECTED IN THE ORIGINAL BUDGET PROCESS THAT WOULD REQUIRE EITHER AN AMENDMENT OR A SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET.
COUNCIL MEMBER OTT, THIS ONE WAS YOURS.
UM, SPECIFICALLY ARTICLE 11, SECTION ONE B TO ADD A WAITING PERIOD FOR PERSONS WHO WERE SERVING AS MAYOR OR COUNCIL MEMBER BEFORE HE OR SHE MAY SERVE ON THE PLAN COMMISSION.
UM, YOURS WAS SPECIFICALLY TO PLAN COMMISSION AND SO BECAUSE THERE WAS A SECTION ON THAT, THAT'S WHAT I PUT IT TOWARDS
AND ARTICLE 11, SECTION THREE.
UM, THIS WAS YOUR OTHER ONE AMENDING THE CHARTER TO INCREASE THE VOTE NECESSARY FOR CITY COUNCIL TO OVERRIDE A PLAN, COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION.
THEN ARTICLE 11, SECTION FOUR IS AMEND, UH, CONSIDER AMENDING THE CHARTER TO REVISE THE POWERS GRANTED TO COUNCIL RELATED TO PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS.
BUT WHAT, SORRY, ARE WE ASKING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HENDRICK? THAT ONE WAS YOURS.
WE'RE, WE'RE NOT IN A ROUNDABOUT HERE.
IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION PUNCH IN, WE'LL GO WITH IT.
YEAH, I THINK WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR A LITTLE MORE CLARITY ON THIS.
IT SAYS, REVISE POWERS GRANTED TO COUNSEL.
CAN YOU, UH, EXTRAPOLATE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE? EXPAND A LITTLE BIT MORE, REVISE THE POWERS.
HAPPY TO THE, UH, LIST OF ITEMS THAT, UH, THE PURPOSE OF ZONING THERE.
I WOULD LIKE THE COMMITTEE TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
YOU SEE THE WHOLE LIST UP THERE IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH AFTER THE TERM OFFICIAL LANG ORIGINAL LANGUAGE.
UH, I'D LIKE THE COMMITTEE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
I DON'T THINK THAT CLEARED ANYTHING.
WELL, I MEAN, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL EXPAND THAT.
EVEN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH, UH, DESIGNED TO LESSEN, LESSEN, LESSEN CONGESTION IN THE STREETS, FOR EXAMPLE.
WELL, BY DEFINITION, ANY ADDITION THAT WE MAKE THAT'S NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE AN OPEN LOT TO SOMETHING ELSE, YOU'RE ADDING CONGESTION TO THE STREETS.
SO IT'S, UH, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW THIS, THESE GUIDELINES HERE, IF WE'RE REDEVELOPING OFTEN OR, UM, YOU KNOW, ZONING DIFFERENT PROPERTIES.
UH, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF MANY EXAMPLES IN OUR CHARTER OF, OF, OF NOT ORIGINAL CHARTER LANGUAGE BACK FROM THE 1950S.
AND IT'S, IT'S SOMEWHAT BOILERPLATE AND ARCHAIC, AND THAT LANGUAGE DOESN'T LIMIT Y'ALL'S POWERS IN ANY WAY THAT, SO THAT'S NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF WHAT POWERS Y'ALL HAVE.
IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE THAT THEY WOULD USE QUITE OFTEN TO SAY, THESE ARE THE TOP POWERS THAT, THAT COUNCIL HAS.
QUITE FRANKLY, AS A HOME RULE MUNICIPALITY, Y'ALL HAVE ALL THE POWERS THAT THE STATE HAS, UNLESS THE STATE HAS EXPRESSLY SAID, Y'ALL DON'T HAVE THOSE POWERS, OR THEY, OR THEY CLAIM THOSE POWERS FOR THEMSELVES.
SO THIS ISN'T A LIST THAT'S GOING TO LIMIT Y'ALL'S POWERS IN ANY WAY AT ALL.
UM, UM, IT'S JUST SOME, UM, TRADITIONAL ALBEIT ARCHAIC LANGUAGE THAT YOU FIND IN MANY CITY CHARTERS ACROSS THE STATE.
AND IT'S CERTAINLY APPROPRIATE IF YOU WANT TO AMEND IT.
UM, UM, BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA LIMIT ANY AUTHORITY THAT THE COUNCIL HAS.
SO WITH SOMETHING LIKE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO.
'CAUSE I THINK I'M UNDERSTANDING NOW WHAT HE'S ATTEMPTING TO SAY, THAT IF, UH, IF, IF, IF I WERE GOING TO REALLY ADHERE TO THIS, I COULD SAY, WELL, YEAH, BUT THIS DOESN'T SPECIFY WHAT THOSE POWERS ARE.
THAT'S ONE, THAT'S ONE SOLUTION.
I, I KNOW WHEN I, WITH THE GOVERNMENT, THAT WAS ALWAYS A CATCH
YEAH, THAT'D BE FOR THE COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT IT.
IF, IF Y'ALL WANNA SEND IT THE COMMITTEE, IT'S PERFECTLY APPROACH.
COUNCIL MEMBER HENDRICK FOR THE EXPLANATION.
[02:00:01]
I MEAN, THEY, THEY AMENDED, THEY, THEY CHANGED, THEY CHANGED THE WORDING IN THE BIBLE MULTIPLE TIMES JUST TO BRING IT UP TO DATE.SO IF IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE BIBLE, I THINK THAT WE CAN UPDATE OUR POWER LANGUAGE.
ALSO, I THINK WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
I THINK WE'RE JUST GONNA MOVE RIGHT ON TO THE NEXT THING.
THIS ONE WAS ARTICLE 11, SECTION FIVE.
THIS ONE, WE ALSO DID NOT PUT IN THE, UH, PROPOSED RESOLUTION, BUT IT MAINLY BECAUSE IT WAS SO SPECIFIC, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HEDRICK, THIS WOULD, WAS, UH, TO CLARIFY THE EFFECT OF PERMIT REQUIREMENTS ON PARKING LOTS.
UM, AS THIS IS OUR CONSTITUTION, A MORE GENERAL LANGUAGE, IF WE'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER FOR PARKING LOTS, SPECIFICALLY, THE G D C WOULD PROBABLY BE THE BEST PLACE TO DO THAT AND HAS ITS OWN PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS TO, TO CHANGE.
BUT ON THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, HAS, CAN BETTER, CAN BETTER ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF SPECI OF A SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENT.
SO THAT WAS THE END OF THE SUBSTANTIVE, UH, PROPOSALS THAT Y'ALL PUT FORWARD.
UM, LIKE I SAID, UM, SEVERAL OF YOU MENTIONED JUST YOU WANTED US IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO REVIEW, UH, SEVERAL THINGS FOR JUST LEGAL APPLICABILITY OR EVEN NEW CHANGES IN STATE LAW.
SO THIS IS JUST THE LIST OF THOSE.
AND THEN WE HAVE ADDED A COUPLE OF OUR OWN BASED ON THIS MOST RECENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UM, SUCH AS THE PLATT APPROVAL ONE, BECAUSE THERE WAS A BILL REGARDING PLATT APPROVAL, UM, THAT WOULD ALLOW, UH, CHANGES TO THAT PROCEDURE.
BUT TO DO THAT, WE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE OUR CHARTER TO ALIGN WITH THE NEW LAW.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE WILL LOOK AT AND WE WILL TAKE TO THE C R C OURSELVES AND LET THEM MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ONE WAY OR ANOTHER TO BRING TO YOU.
AND SO WITH THAT, YOU HAVE YOUR PROPOSAL FOR TOMORROW NIGHT, UM, AND YOUR BACKUP.
AND, UM, I AM HAPPY TO STAND FOR ANY OTHER QUESTIONS YOU HAVE RELATED TO THE PROCEDURE AT THIS POINT.
UH,
THERE WAS NO ATTACHMENT TO THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
IT'S IN THE, I THINK IT'S ATTACHED TO TOMORROW.
OH, IS IT TOMORROW NIGHT'S AGENDA.
I KNEW IT WAS ATTACHED TO, TO AN AGENDA
YES, IT IS ATTACHED TO, TO THE, THE RESOLUTION IS ATTACHED TO TOMORROW NIGHT'S, RIGHT? THE DRAFT RESOLUTION IS ATTACHED.
WHEN IT'S THERE TOMORROW, I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO, THAT'S ME, NOT YOU, BY THE WAY.
ALRIGHT, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? AND OBVIOUSLY, UH, WE WILL, I BELIEVE, UH, I'M NOT SURE WHERE THIS APPEARS ON THE AGENDA, BUT WE WILL TAKE IT UP TOMORROW NIGHT.
[5. Discuss Appointments to Boards and Commissions]
THAT MOVES US FORWARD TO ITEM FIVE, DISCUSS APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.OBVIOUSLY TOMORROW NIGHT WE ALL HAVE OUR APPOINTEES TO THE CHARTER REVIEW.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE ONE OTHER, UH, APPOINTMENT AS WELL TO ANIMAL SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TAKE THESE AS A BLOCK AND JUST FOR SIMPLICITY AND SAKE, UM, IF, UH, MAYOR PRO TIM, UH, BASS, IF YOU COULD MAKE THE, UH, MAKE THE NOMINATION FOR THE ANIMAL SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THEN NEXT YOU CAN MAKE MY APPOINTMENT TO THE CHARTER REVIEW AND THEN YOURS AND, AND THEN WE'LL WORK OUR WAY THROUGH THE LINE.
AND THEN WE'LL TAKE ALL OF THESE AS A BLOCK JUST FOR, JUST FOR SIMPLICITY OF MOVEMENT OF DOWN THE MICS FOR TOMORROW NIGHT.
ALRIGHT, I'M LOOKING AT JEN AND COUNCILMAN REMORSE.
UM, I'M LOOKING AT OUR AGENDA FOR TOMORROW NIGHT, ITEM FOUR.
AND IT'S NOT ATTACHED THERE EITHER.
SO CAN I JUST REQUEST THAT IT GET SENT TO US OR PUT INTO BOX A RESOLUTION? SHOULD BE, IT'S RIGHT THERE BECAUSE I LOOKED AT IT EARLIER TODAY.
WELL MAYBE ITEM FOUR ON THE REGULAR SECTION.
AND, ALL RIGHT, WELL I'M LOOKING AT BOX AND MAYBE IT'S JUST NOT ADDING THE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE POSTED AGENDA, SO, OKAY.
YEAH, 'CAUSE THAT, YEAH, I WAS READING THROUGH IT EARLIER, SO, OKAY.
IT'S ON THERE AS LONG AS IT'S THERE SO I CAN LOCATE IT.
ITEM SIX, ANNOUNCE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THIS EVENING? ALL
[7. Council will move into Executive Session]
RIGHT, UH, THAT MOVES US TO ITEM SEVEN.COUNCIL WILL MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, THE CITY WILL, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL ADJOURN INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT OF SECTIONS 5 5, 1 0.0 7 1 5 5, 1
[02:05:02]
0.087, AND 5 5 1 0.072 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE TO DELIBERATE OR DISCUSS ONE, THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE VICINITY OF THE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN DISTRICT AND ATTORNEY-CLIENT MATTERS CONCERNING PRIVILEGED AND UNPRIVILEGED CLIENT INFORMATION RELATED TO SAME.AND TWO, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MATTERS RELATED TO COMMERCIAL OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION THAT THE CITY HAS RECEIVED FROM ONE OR MORE BUSINESS PROSPECTS THAT THE CITY SEEKS TO HAVE, LOCATE, STATE OR EXPAND IN THE VICINITY OF SOUTH GARLAND AVENUE IN INTERSTATE 6 35 AND WITH WHICH THE CITY IS CONDUCTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
NEGOTIATIONS AND ATTORNEY-CLIENT MATTERS CONCERNING PRIVILEGED AND UNPRIVILEGED CLIENT INFORMATION RELATED TO SAME.
UH, AT THIS POINT WE WILL, UH, WE WILL RECESS, UH, THIS WORK SESSION AND IF WE COULD HAVE EVERYONE BACK FOR THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I KNOW WE RAN A LITTLE BIT LONGER, UH, BUT OUR NORMAL BREAK, UM, IF WE COULD HAVE EVERYBODY BACK AT EIGHT 20 PLEASE, WE WILL RECONVENE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND WITH THAT, WE ARE IN RECESS.