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GOOD EVENING.[Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on November 1, 2023.]
THE NOVEMBER 1ST, 2023 MEETING OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD TO ORDER.UM, WANNA NOTE THAT WE HAVE A QUORUM.
WE'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT ATTENDANCE.
THIS IS AT LEAST TWO MONTHS IN A ROW.
I DIDN'T GO BACK FURTHER THAN THAT, BUT THAT'S TWO MORE THAN WE HAD IN A LONG TIME.
OKAY, WE'LL START OFF WITH THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR THE OCTOBER 4TH, 2023 MEETING.
AS EVERYONE REVIEWED THE MINUTES, UH, FLOOR CHAIRMAN WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE.
THE MINUTES IS PRESENTED, SECOND BY MOLLY BISHOP, THE MOTION BY MR. PERRY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
ALRIGHT, UH, LET'S GET TO, WE HAVE IN THE PUBLIC COMMENTS IF WE HAVE ANYONE, WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE IN, UH, IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT THAT'S NOT, UH, A BOARD MEMBER OR A, UH, STAFF.
SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
UH, NUMBER THREE, A, UH, CHAIR TO APPOINT BOARD MEMBERS, UH, TO COMMITTEES.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY YOU ALL KNOW WHAT COMMITTEES THAT YOU ARE ON.
AND WE SENT OUT A, A NOTE AND ASKED IF YOU, IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT.
AND I'VE GOT TWO OR THREE, UM, RESPONSES BACK.
BUT WE'LL ASSUME THAT YOU SPEAK FOR THE MAJORITY IF YOU DO THAT.
AND EVERYBODY'S, EVERYBODY'S PRETTY WELL HAPPY WITH WHERE, WHERE THEY ARE.
I HAVE ASKED, UH, OUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBER, MS. JANSEN, TO JOIN UP WITH ONE OF THESE, AND SHE SIGNED UP FOR PROGRAMS AND POLICIES.
UM, AND, AND I'LL GO THROUGH THE THREE COMMITTEES.
THERE'S URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE, UH, MOLLY, UH, BISHOP, JASON GUI, DAVID MOOREHEAD IS CHAIR, AND DAVID PARRISH.
TAMARA AINO, MOLLY BISHOP, UH, DON KERNER AS CHAIR.
AND NANCY JANSEN IS OUR, IS OUR NEWEST MEMBER THERE.
WE'LL FIND SOMETHING FOR ALL OF US TO DO HERE PRETTY SOON.
HE'S GONNA BE WORKING ON THAT OVER THE HOLIDAYS.
UH, FACILITIES IN FINANCE, JASON AGUIRE, DAVID MOREHEAD, AND DAVID PARIS'S CHAIR.
AND WE HAD THE ONE VACANCY THERE.
IF WE GET OUR NINTH PERSON ON HERE, SOMEDAY SOON, MAYBE WE'LL GET SOMEONE TO FILL THAT POSITION.
EVERYBODY IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT? I HEAR EVERYBODY THAT SAYS YES.
AND THEN WE, SO WE'LL MOVE ON.
UH, RECREATION SUPERVISOR REPORT.
Y'ALL WEAR SUITS AT ALL HERE? ROBERT DOES.
SO THIS EVENING OUR SUPERVISORY REPORT COMES FROM ROBERT SEARLE, WHO HAS BEEN WITH THE DEPARTMENT SINCE 2017.
HE IS A GRADUATE OF COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY, AND I JUST VERIFIED THAT IT IS A REAL UNIVERSITY.
I GOT THE VERY REAL, THEY HAVE A GOOD FOOTBALL.
YEAH, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT.
GOT THE STUDENT LOANS TO PROVE IT.
BUT, UM, HE'S ACTUALLY WORN A FEW DIFFERENT HATS FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
HE WAS ORIGINALLY HIRED OVER IN THE ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT, AND THEN HE WORKED FOR SEVERAL YEARS OVER WITH SPECIAL EVENTS.
AND THEN HE WAS RECENTLY PROMOTED TO THE GRANGER SUPERVISOR.
AND OF COURSE, THAT ALSO INCLUDES THE ANNEX, WHICH IS STILL, STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS.
BUT ANYWAY, SO HE WILL TAKE IT AWAY.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO EVERYBODY TONIGHT.
UM, I'M GONNA DIVE IN HERE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT GRANGER RECREATION CENTER IN THE ANNEX.
THIS IS ME, AS DELEY ALLUDED TO.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR ABOUT SEVEN YEARS.
UM, I LOVE THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH.
I LOVE THE, OUR PATRONS, OUR CLIENTELE.
I THINK THEY'RE A VERY APPRECIATIVE CLIENTELE.
UM, THEY'RE REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT WE DO.
AND I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, THOROUGHLY HAPPY TO BE HERE.
AND I DON'T LOOK TO GO ANYWHERE ANYTIME SOON.
THIS GENTLEMAN RIGHT HERE IS KEVIN BRANCH.
HE IS OUR RECREATION SERVICES SPECIALIST, PART-TIME COWBOY ON THE WEEKENDS.
UM, KEVIN DOES A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING AT THE FACILITY.
IF YOU KNOW KEVIN, HE'S GOT A PERSONALITY THAT YOU CAN'T FIT IN THIS ROOM.
UM, YEAH, NOTHING BUT GREAT THINGS ABOUT KEVIN.
UM, AND THIS, UH, DAPPER LOOKING GENTLEMAN RIGHT HERE IS MR. ANTHONY RIVERA.
HE'S OUR RECREATION CUSTODIAN.
HE DOESN'T JUST TAKE ON CUSTODIAL DUTIES AT THE FACILITY.
HE DOES A LOT OF, UH, WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER LIKE RECREATION SPECIALISTS ACTIVITIES AS WELL.
HE'S REALLY GOOD WITH CUSTOMERS.
HE'S VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS. SO TONY, I, I BELIEVE IS TRULY A GREAT ASSET TO THE CITY OF GARLAND.
AND WE'LL JUMP INTO OUR RECREATION FAC OR OUR FACILITY RENTAL
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OFFERINGS.WE HAVE THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED GRAINER GRAINGER ANNEX.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, IT'S GONNA BE ABLE TO HOST 125 PEOPLE.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR BASKETBALL GYMS. UH, THEY CAN HOLD 200 PEOPLE PER COURT.
THEY ARE 80 AN HOUR FOR ONE COURT, OR 60 FOR TWO.
AND THEN WE HAVE ROOM 1 0 3, WHICH MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH AS WELL.
THESE ARE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAD OFFERED DURING THE FALL.
UM, WE'VE TRIED TO DIVERSIFY OUR PROGRAMS A LITTLE BIT AND NOT TO BE AS SPORT, UM, UM, INTENSIVE, INTENSIVE AS WE HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO START TO ADD, UH, DANCE CLASSES, ART, UM, STARTING IN JANUARY.
WE'LL ALSO BE ADDING A MATH CLASS, THREE ART CLASSES AND AN EVENING PICKLEBALL CLASS.
UM, BUT YEAH, THAT'S CURRENTLY WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER.
THIS IS OUR REVENUE RECAP OF 20 22, 20 23 FISCAL YEAR.
UM, UH, YOU CAN SEE THE TARGETS AND THE ACTUALS IN FRONT OF YOU.
OUR OVER UNDER, WE WERE OVER BY 9,700 TOTAL.
AND THIS IS THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED GRANGER ANNEX.
UM, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY.
I DON'T THINK THE PICTURES DO IT JUSTICE 'CAUSE I MEAN, YOU SEE IT IN PERSON.
IT'S REALLY, UM, IT'S GONNA BE KIND OF LIKE OUR, UH, CREME DE LA CREME RENTAL FACILITY, I BELIEVE HERE IN THE CITY.
UM, SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHT AMENITIES, UH, IT'S GOT A BUILT-IN RISER, WHICH I'LL SHOW YOU.
SO REALLY NICE, UH, SOPHISTICATED, IF YOU WILL.
RESTROOMS, UM, THAT I THINK WILL CATER VERY NICELY TO WEDDINGS AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, IT GOT GORGEOUS ELEVATED CEILINGS, A 85 INCH TV AND A PATIO THAT'S ADJACENT TO, UH, THE BEAUTIFUL CENTRAL PARK.
UH, THIS IS THE AFOREMENTIONED, UM, BUILT IN RISER THAT WE THINK WILL HOST A LOT OF FUN FUNCTIONS.
UM, GOT YOUR PROFESSIONAL GRADE EQUIPMENT RIGHT THERE, YOUR WARMING BOX, YOUR FREEZER, YOUR REFRIGERATOR, YOUR ICEBOX.
AND THERE'S A FEW PHOTOS OF THE ROOM AS WELL.
AND WE HAVE SOME OUTSIDE PHOTOS AS WELL AS AN ADDITIONAL PHOTO OF THE, UH, INSIDE OF THE FACILITY.
AND WE THINK THIS BACK PATIO AREA IS GONNA BE EXTREMELY POPULAR, IN PARTICULAR IN THE SPRING AND THE FALL.
UM, WE'RE JUST, UH, REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS BUILDING OPENING UP.
SO YOU, UH, GRANGER JIM OR CENTER WAS REFURBISHED A FEW YEARS AGO.
HAVE YOU, DID YOU, HAVE YOU SEEN A DIFFERENCE IN REVENUE BEFORE AND AFTER? YEAH, SO OUR RENTAL REVENUE, UM, IN PARTICULAR HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
THE NUMBERS, UH, HERE, GOING BACK TO LIKE 20 19, 20 20, UM, WE DID 23,400 IN REVENUE.
AND THEN THIS LAST YEAR WE DID, UM, 53,000.
SO THAT'S QUITE A JUMP IN A SHORT SPAN OF TIME.
DID YOU HAVE A BODY SHOP BEFORE THE GYM OR THE YES, SIR.
WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A BODY SHOP AT GRAINGER AND THAT'S QUITE POPULAR.
DID, DID THE POPULARITY QUICK PICK UP AFTER YOU GOT NEW EQUIPMENT AND THAT KIND OF STUFF? YEAH, WE'VE NOTICED AN INCREASE IN, UM, POPULARITY WITH THAT.
AND I THINK ALSO YOU CAN, UH, ATTRIBUTE SOME OF THAT TO TWO FACILITIES BEING CLOSED.
SO WE DEFINITELY HAVE SEEN MORE PEOPLE COME THROUGH OUR, OUR FACILITY.
UM, DO YOU GUYS DO SPORT RENTALS OR NON-SPORT RENTALS ON YOUR BASKETBALL COURTS? LIKE HAVE MEETINGS AND STUFF OUT THERE? OR IS IT JUST KIND OF STRICTLY FOR PRACTICES? IT'S, UH, STRICTLY TOWARDS PRACTICES.
WE DON'T WANT THOSE, WE CHERISH THOSE FLOORS PRETTY DEARLY.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU ALLOW PEOPLE TO BRING TABLES AND CHAIRS ON THERE AND THEY'LL ABRUPTLY, UH, YEAH, NOT LOOK AS NICE.
THOSE WERE BRAND NEW WHENEVER, UH, GRANGER WAS RENOVATED, SO, MM-HMM.
UH, JUST TO COMMENT ON THE ANNEX, UH, THAT ONE IS ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE, UH, FROM WHERE THAT POOR WORE OUT THING WAS FROM, I GUESS WORLD WAR II.
IT WAS THERE, UH, THEN, AND IT WAS, I GUESS THE LAST OF THE BUILDINGS STILL REMAINING FROM THE, THE ARMY COMPLEX THAT WAS THERE.
BUT, UM, WHEN DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO, UH, RESOLVE THESE LAST LITTLE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE? KEEP LINGERING OUT THERE? 'CAUSE I, I, I JUST HOPE THAT EVERYBODY'S AS READY FOR IT AS SOME OF US HAS SEEN IT GROW UP OR, OR I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S MORE READY THAN THE STAFF AT THIS POINT.
UM, BECAUSE WE WERE SET TO BE OPEN IN APRIL.
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WALK TOMORROW.I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TODAY IS.
TOMORROW, UM, PENDING GO RANGERS PENDING THAT WALK WILL DECIDE IF WE'RE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND START MOVING IN AND TAKING OVER THE BUILDING.
WE'LL STILL HAVE SOME WORK THAT WE'RE NEEDING TO DO ON THE EXTERIOR.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THAT WON'T, THAT WORK CAN GO ON WHILE PROGRAMMING AND STUFF IS HAPPENING INSIDE.
SO WE'RE JUST CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO GET GOING.
SO THIS IS A FINAL WALKTHROUGH FOR THE, UH, INTERIOR IS WHAT YOU'RE DOING? YES, HOPE.
ARE YOU DONE? ARE YOU FINISHED? YES.
I MAKE SURE YOU, YOU WERE TALKING, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD ANOTHER COMMENT.
UM, SO IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ONLY HAVE THREE STAFF MEMBERS, SO IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S VACANCIES OR IS IT BECAUSE YOU'RE HOUSING OTHER PEOPLE FROM OTHER, THE REC CENTERS THAT ARE CLOSED, UH, THOSE ARE JUST FULL-TIME STAFF.
SO WE HAVE SIX PART-TIMERS AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY TEEN PROGRAMS? I JUST WONDER IF YOU OR ANY OF THE REC CENTERS HAVE TEEN PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY SINCE WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL ACROSS THE STREET? YEAH.
SO, UM, IN PARTICULAR OUR BASKETBALL PROGRAM, OUR VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM, TAEKWONDO CATERS FOR TEENS.
UH, THE NEST BASKETBALL PROGRAM GUITAR, WHICH WILL BE STARTING SOON.
UH, THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR TEENS AS WELL.
AND THEN, UM, OUR WRESTLING CLASS.
UH, SO THOSE, THOSE ONES CATER TOWARDS TEENS.
DO THEY COME LIKE HIGH SCHOOL TEENS GO? UH, YEAH, OUR BASKETBALL PROGRAM'S EXTREMELY POPULAR.
IT'S PROBABLY OUR HIGHEST GROSSING REVENUE CLASS.
UM, AND TEENS DEFINITELY COME TO THAT.
WHAT IS THE BASKETBALL PROGRAM LIKE? SKILLS AND DRILLS OR JUST OPEN GYM SKILLS AND DRILLS.
UM, ARE THERE ANY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AT GRANGER FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS? UH, YEAH, WE ALWAYS WELCOME VOLUNTEERS.
WE'D HAVE TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, CHECK IT WITH OUR HR DEPARTMENT TO KIND OF SEE THAT PROCESS AND WHAT THAT ENTAILS, BUT SURE.
THAT'LL HAVE AN OBSTACLE PROGRAM.
THEY, THEY'VE STARTED ONE OVER AT GALE FIELDS.
DO, DO, IS THAT, ARE TEENS ABLE TO VOLUNTEER TO? NOT AT THIS TIME.
UM, SINCE WE'RE WORKING WITH KIDS, YOU KNOW, WE'D OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S SOME SPECIFIC TRAINING THAT WE'D WANNA GO HAVE THEM GO THROUGH.
'CAUSE THEY LITERALLY ARE JUST STARTING THAT PROGRAM FROM SCRATCH AND TRYING TO WORK OUT THE KINKS ON THAT.
AND THEN IS THERE ANY AT YOUR CENTER OR ANY CENTER? UM, PRESCHOOL PLAY TIME.
LIKE ANY TIME OF, LIKE, TIME WHERE, I DON'T KNOW, WE'RE CATERING TO LIKE MORE OF THE PRESCHOOL AGES WHERE THEY CAN PLAY, YOU KNOW, WHERE PARENTS CAN TAKE THEIR KIDS AND HAVE JUST TIME TO LIKE, USE THEIR MOTOR SKILLS.
JUST YEAH, JUST KIND OF PLAY OFFERINGS FOR PRESCHOOLERS.
WELL, WE DO HAVE, UH, TUMBLING CLASSES AND PRE-K BALLET CLASSES THAT WE OFFER.
AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING INTO, UH, WITH OUR NEW BALLET INSTRUCTOR TO HAVING KIND OF LIKE, UH, PARENTS NIGHT OUT.
AND THE MAIN IDEA BEHIND THAT WOULD BE KIND OF WHAT YOU JUST ALLUDED TO.
UM, DON? YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, WITH THE BASEBALL PARK BEING RIGHT OVER THERE, J UH, ROBERT AND HIS STAFF HAVE BEEN REAL HELPFUL WHEN WE NEED, WHEN WE NEED A BUILDING TO DO UNIFORM SIZING OR ANY KIND OF EVENT, THEIR STAFF IS REAL HELPFUL.
ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANYTHING YOU WANNA LEAVE US WITH THAT YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY GIVEN US? UM, HEY, UM, IF YOU EVER WANNA COME BY, YOU CAN GET A TOUR OF THE BUILDING.
OR IF YOU EVER HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT ANYTHING, JUST UH, FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME.
WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
UH, NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION, NRPA CONFERENCE UPDATE.
AND, UM, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR HERE IS, UH, WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT TO HAVE, UH, UH, FIVE AND 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 OF US, UH, ATTEND THAT A NATIONAL LEVEL, UH, EVENT, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL, THANK YOU TO THE CITY FOR, UH, MAKING THAT POSSIBLE FOR US.
AND WHAT I WANTED TO SHOW ONE OF THE ONES THAT ATTENDED TO, TO GIVE AWAY, UH, GIVE US A, SOMETHING THAT THEY, THAT THEY TOOK IN, UH, FOR THAT THING.
AND I'M GONNA START ON THIS END BECAUSE MS. TAMARA WAS, UH, A PRESENTER THERE, AND YOU COULD TELL US A LITTLE BIT HOW THAT WAS, HOW THAT WAS, UH, ACCEPTED.
UM, I PRESENTED WITH, UM, MICHELLE WHITE WHO IS ON THE NRPA CONSERVATION STAFF, AND WE TALKED ABOUT POLLINATORS AND SUSTAINABILITY.
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OF, MORE OF THAT KNOWLEDGE OF LIKE, TECH, TECH, UH, TECHNICAL LIKE KNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW, OF WHAT, UH, POLLINATOR HABITATS DO AND ALL THAT.AND THEN I CAME FROM THE SIDE OF THE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OF, OKAY, SO YOU CAN BE, UH, A PARK AND REC PROFESSIONAL AND NOT HAVE TO BE, HAVE NOT HAVE A DEGREE IN BIOLOGY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT TO STILL, UM, ADVOCATE FOR CONSERVATION.
AND SO I JUST KIND HELPED IN THE WAY OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN STILL, THE WAY WE CAN EDUCATE OURSELVES AND EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY.
SO TO LET THEM UNDERSTAND LIKE, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THING THAT WE NEED TO ADVOCATE FOR IS, YOU KNOW, OUR, HOW WE CAN HAVE MORE FRIENDLY CONSERVATION PRACTICES AND POLICIES.
UM, AND THEN SPECIFICALLY LIKE POLLINATORS HAVE LETTING THE, THE LIKE RIPARIAN ZONES AND, YOU KNOW, POLLINATOR GARDENS OR, AND GET MORE OF THOSE EVENTS GOING AND JUST HAVING THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE TABLE TO GET YOU STARTED AND REALLY ADVOCATE, HELP YOU ADVOCATE IN THAT.
YEAH, THAT WAS, AND IT WAS FULL.
UM, I'M, I'M JUST GONNA SKIP YOU FOR A SECOND, MOLLY.
UH, GO OVER, GO OVER HERE TO, TO JASON.
YES, I WAS, UH, NO, SOME OF THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS I CAN SAY FOR THE CONFERENCE.
UM, JUST THE IMPORTANCE OF MASTER PLANNING.
UH, THAT'S ALWAYS A BIG THING, UH, ENGAGING IN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE NEEDS THAT WE, THAT THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY WANTS RATHER THAN JUST PASSION PROJECTS.
WE AS PARKS BOARD MEMBERS OR AS STAFF MAY HAVE.
SO JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A GOAL IN MIND AND A PLAN TO WORK WITH.
UM, I THINK THERE ARE LIKE 200 DIFFERENT SEMINARS OFFERED, UH, IN THIS THING.
AND, UH, I THINK I, I WAS LOOKING AT MY LIST THAT I HAD 29, WHICH IS NO WAY WE COULD MAKE THAT AT THREE OR MAYBE FOUR A DAY.
SO, UH, MR. PARISH AND, AND MS. BISHOP AND MYSELF, WE KIND OF DIVIDED AND CONQUERED.
WE MET AND WENT THROUGH THE, THE DIFFERENT ONES THAT THE PEOPLE WOULD BE MOST INTERESTED IN.
SO, UH, EACH ONE OF US TOOK DIFFERENT, UH, SEMINARS, UH, SO THAT, THAT AT LEAST MAXIMIZED OUR IMPACT AND I APPRECIATE THEM, UH, TAKING THE TIME TO DO THAT.
THERE'S, I GUESS SEVERAL THINGS I, THAT I THOUGHT WERE TAKEAWAYS.
WE WEREN'T THE ONLY PARK BOARD MEMBERS THERE, THERE WERE SOME THAT HAD TRAVELED TO BE THERE.
THERE ARE SOME THAT WERE IN THE, IN THE METRO PEX THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE BOARDS ACTUALLY LONGER THAN ME, WHICH IS KIND OF SURPRISING.
UM, IT WAS INTERESTING WITH SOME OF THE, ONE OF THE, UM, TEENS THAT THEY HAD ON ONE OF THE OPENING, UH, ADDRESSES.
UH, SHE, SHE WAS ACTUALLY KIND OF MAKING FUN OF PICKLEBALL,
SO, TAKING OVER, IS THAT THE TENNIS LADY? UM, NO, THERE WAS A, NO, IT WAS THE YOUNG BLACK, BIG BASKETBALL PLAYER.
THERE WAS A BIG FOCUS ON TENNIS THERE.
AND SINCE WE HAPPEN TO BE BUILDING A TENNIS COURT, THE UTSA HAS GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THERE.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS TO DO THAT OR IF GARLAND IS LOOKING INTO THAT, THAT, UM, THAT WOULD BE REALLY AWESOME.
DID I SAY SOMETHING ABOUT PICKLEBALL? THAT THERE WAS A LOT ON THAT.
UM, I TALKED TO SOMEBODY FROM, YOU KNOW, I TALKED TO SOMEBODY THAT WAS LIKE THE, THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR MISSOURI.
AND I MEAN, WE SAT AT, WE SAT DOWN AT A TABLE, I WAS TALKING TO SOMEBODY TO, YOU KNOW, TONIGHT THAT WAS TALKING ABOUT, ARE THEY ABOUT OUR AGE? SO JERRY AND I ARE HAD WALKED IN THERE TOGETHER.
AND SO I SAT DOWN AT A TABLE OF PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE THEY'RE AROUND THE SAME AGE POINT.
AND SO THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, EXECUTIVE PEOPLE OF THIS AND THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF 'EM GOT UP TO GET ON THE STAGE AND ALL, UM, LET'S SEE, DID FUNDING.
AND, UM, MAN, THERE'S THERE, THERE WAS A LOT THERE.
IT WAS, IT WAS, IT, IT, I THINK THAT THE SPEAKERS THAT WERE THERE AND THE PROGRAMS THAT WERE OFFERED WERE WELL ATTENDED, SO MUCH.
SO I COULDN'T GET INTO USUALLY THE FIRST COUPLE ONES, UNLESS YOU SKIPPED ONE TO GET THERE EARLY TO ANOTHER ONE, YOU COULDN'T, I COULDN'T GET INTO HALF OF THE ONES I WANTED TO SEE.
SO THAT, THAT WAS KIND OF DISAPPOINTING.
UM, BUT KIND OF EXCITING THAT SO MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE TO, TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATE IN WHAT WAS THERE.
THE VENDORS THAT WAS, SOMEBODY HAD DESCRIBED THIS AS, UM, TRAPS ON STEROIDS.
I MEAN, TRAPS TYPICALLY CARRIES AROUND 4,200 PEOPLE THERE.
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YEAH, IT WAS, I I, I MEAN, IT WAS SO WEIRD 'CAUSE YOU'D SEE SO MANY PEOPLE YOU DIDN'T KNOW, AND THEN YOU SEE SOMEBODY YOU KNOW IN THE CROWD.
AND IT, IT WAS ACTUALLY KIND OF COOL.
IT, IT, IT WAS NEAT TO BE ABLE TO GO DOWN TO DALLAS TO DO THAT, UM, IN THE NATIONAL, UM, UH, PARK FOUNDATION ASSOCIATION OF PARKS FOUNDATION, YEAH.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE VENDORS THAT I THOUGHT WAS PARTICULARLY, UM, BENEFICIAL.
THAT AND THE UNITED UNITED STATES TENNIS ASSOCIATION, UH, MEMBERSHIP WAS THERE.
AND, UM, I PROBABLY AM MISSING SOMETHING ELSE THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE'LL GET ANOTHER CHANCE TO DISCUSS IT.
BUT I AM VERY THANKFUL THAT WE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS.
THERE WERE A LOT OF PROFESSIONAL, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT, THAT IS THEIR PROFESSION.
BUT THERE WERE SEVERAL PEOPLE IN MANY OF THE, UH, BREAKOUT SESSIONS THAT I WENT TO THAT WERE ACTUALLY BOARD MEMBERS AS WELL.
AND I, I THINK THAT, THAT YOU CONTRIBUTED A LOT TO YOUR COMMUNITY WHEN, AND, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES TO DO OTHER THINGS, AND THEY CHOSE, THEY CHOSE TO STAY ON THEIR PARK BOARDS.
SO I SPENT SOME TIME IN THE, UH, VENDOR'S ROOM, THE GIANT VENDOR'S ROOM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, SORT OF SEARCH OUT SOME, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT VENDORS THAT I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT FOR SPRING CREEK FOREST.
AND, UH, ONE, ONE OF 'EM WAS LIKE MAKING LITTLE SIGNS TO PUT ON TREES.
SO, SO I GOT SOME INFORMATION THAT WOULD'VE BEEN HARD TO GET OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, IN, YOU KNOW, IN PERSON.
I SCORED A SET OF, UH, UM, GLASSES FOR THE ECLIPSE THAT I GOT FROM, FROM RICE, WHICH IS NICE BECAUSE MY, UH, GRANITE GODDAUGHTER GOES, TEACHES AT RICE THE, UM, SO I WAS ABLE TO SEND HER A NOTE AND SAY, HEY, GUESS WHAT I GOT? AND SHE GOES, I NEVER GOT OVER THERE AND GOTTEN ANY.
ANYWAY, AS FAR AS SESSIONS, ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING ONES I, UH, I ATTENDED WAS CALLED, UH, ACTIVE PEOPLE HEALTHY NATION.
AND IT ACTUALLY DIDN'T HAVE LIKE ANY LOCAL, UH, PARK BOARD PEOPLE ON, BUT IT WAS KIND OF A FEDERAL, UM, THING.
AND IT WAS IN EL PASO, THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT THEY TALKED ABOUT.
AND THEY WERE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THEIR, UH, PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES.
THEY HAD ONE YEAR, THEY HAD LIKE 35 PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES, AND A LOT OF THEM WERE CHILDREN.
SO THEY, UM, HAD, UH, IT WAS BETWEEN, UM, C-D-C-C-D-C, UM, PARK SERVICE, UM, SOMEBODY ELSE.
AND THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION.
AND THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION HAD A GRANT THAT THEY, UM, USED TO, TO LOOK AT CROSSWALKS AND CONNECTING TRAILS TO THE TRA, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE TRA PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC WAS.
SO IT WAS, IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THEY, UH, HAD, HAD A TRAIL THEN IT WAS JUST LIKE OVER, YOU KNOW, A, A BLOCK AWAY.
AND THEY, UH, GOT, UM, UH, MARKINGS ON THE STREET IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT SAFER AND GOT LIGHTS IN THERE TO, TO HELP, UH, THE CHILDREN, UH, GET ACROSS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST APPLIED TO, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF MILES OF TRAILS IN EL PASO.
BUT, BUT IT WAS PRETTY INTERESTING TO, TO SEE THE WHOLE PROCESS THAT THEY DID.
I ALSO WENT AND SAW MY FRIEND BRETT JOHNSON TALK ABOUT HIS CAPRA FOR NATURAL RESOURCES, WHICH WAS PRETTY INTERESTING 'CAUSE I'VE SEEN HALF THE SLIDES BEFORE.
BUT ANYWAY, SO, UM, YEAH, THERE'S LOTS OF OTHERS THAT WERE REALLY HARD TO GET INTO.
AND, UH, SO IT WAS, UH, PARTICULARLY THE ONES, THE SPEED SESSIONS THAT WERE IN THE VENDOR AREA.
ALL THE SEATS WERE FULL AND THERE WAS LIKE THAT MANY PEOPLE STANDING AROUND, SO YOU COULDN'T EVEN GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY HEAR, HEAR 'EM TALK.
SO I THOUGHT, WELL, FORGET THIS.
I CROSSED ALL THOSE OFF AND WENT AND FOUND SOMETHING ELSE.
UH, ANYTHING THERE'S IS THAT, IS THAT TYPICAL THAT HAVE ANYBODY BEEN BEFORE? I MEAN, DID NOT BE ABLE TO GET INTO SO MANY THINGS AND LIKE I HAD THAT SAME EXPERIENCE WITH THE SPEED SESSIONS.
I'VE, I'VE ONLY BEEN TO NATIONAL ONE, ONE OTHER TIME, AND IT WAS KINDA LIKE THAT WHEN I WENT HOUSTON IN 2013.
USUALLY, USUALLY NATIONAL CONFERENCES LIKE THAT, THAT ARE PART OF BIG ORGANIZATIONS, YOU ARE GONNA GET A PRETTY GOOD TURNOUT AND IT'S PRETTY HARD.
WELL, I MEAN, THE
WELL, I, THEY HAVE TO FIND A BALANCE RIGHT? BETWEEN
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NUMBER OF SESSIONS AND THEN SESSIONS AND THEN THE SIZE OF THE ROOM BECAUSE THEY COULD OFFER FEWER SESSIONS, THEN HAVE LARGER SPACE, OR YOU CAN HAVE MORE SESSIONS, BUT YET SMALLER SPACE.UM, AND, AND USUALLY THEY'RE GONNA OPT TO BEING ABLE TO OFFER AS MANY SESSIONS AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN SO THAT YOU'RE MAKING SURE THAT ANYBODY THAT'S THERE IS GONNA FIND SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GONNA LEARN FROM, THEY'RE GONNA BE INTERESTED IN.
AND I WILL SAY ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT THAT THOUGH, WITH, AT LEAST WITHIN OUR PA, IS THEY DO OFFER ALL OF THOSE SESSIONS VIRTUALLY AS WELL.
SO LIKE, IF YOU'VE MISSED SOMETHING, YOU CAN GO BACK AND JUST WATCH THE VIDEO OF IT.
I MEAN, YOU CAN'T ENGAGE IN IT, OBVIOUSLY, BUT YEAH.
THOSE, NOT ALL THE SESSIONS, BUT A LOT OF THEM.
A GOOD PORTION OF 'EM WERE, AND THERE'S, OR HAD ALREADY EVEN HAD ALL THEIR STUFF, LIKE THEY'D ALREADY MAYBE PRESENTED IT BEFORE AND IT'S ALREADY ON THERE.
AND IT WAS STILL THERE LAST TIME I CHECKED.
SO YOU COULD GO ON THE APP AND ACTUALLY GO THROUGH, UH, AND HAVE SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES THAT WE HAD.
I'D LIKE TO CALL, UH, ZID, MARK AND KYLE.
THEY WERE WEARING OUT THE VENDORS OUT THERE ON THE MM-HMM.
UH, GIVE, JUST GIVE US A, A QUICK YOUR IMPRESSION OF, OF THE DEPTH AND THE BREADTH OF WHAT THEY WERE OFFERING OUT THERE.
YEAH, OUR, UM, I'LL START OFF.
AND MARK, YOU'RE WELCOME TO CHIME IN.
UM, WE DID SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THE EXPO FLOOR.
UH, THERE WAS, IT WAS IMPRESSIVE.
I MEAN, EVEN THE PLAYGROUND VENDORS WERE JUST, THEY BROUGHT LIKE THEIR MASSIVE PLAYGROUNDS AND THEY SET UP THESE LIKE HUGE SPACES.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, WE TYPICALLY GO TO THE TEXAS CHAPTER OR THE TEXAS STATE, UM, ASLA CONFERENCE.
UM, AND WE WILL GO TO LIKE, UH, UH, TRAPS, UH, NORTH, UH, WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE NEARBY, WELL, I GUESS THEY, THEY WILL BE NEARBY WITH THE TRAPS NORTH, BUT TRAPS STATE, UH, WE'VE BEEN TO A COUPLE, UM, OH, WE GOT THE GOLD MEDAL AWARD.
UM, BUT YEAH, THIS WAS MY FIRST NATIONAL CONFERENCE.
AND COMPARING THAT WITH WHAT I'M SEEING, WHAT I USUALLY SEE AT STATE CONFERENCE, IT WAS VERY MUCH LIKE STATE ON STEROIDS.
I MEAN, THERE WAS A LOT OF VENDORS WE TALKED TO, UM, QUITE A FEW PLAYGROUND VENDORS, UM, LIGHTING VENDORS AND, YOU KNOW, UH, VARIOUS OTHER, OTHER ONES.
WE TALKED TO THE USTA FOLKS WE TALKED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST DIFFERENT VENDORS THAT PROVIDE GAMES AND THINGS LIKE THAT FOR REC CENTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, SITE FURNISHINGS AS WELL.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES.
SO I WOULD SAY THERE'S JUST A LOT OF VARIETY OF AND DEPTH WITHIN EACH KIND OF MAJOR CATEGORY THAT YOU MIGHT SEE AT A, AT A STATE CONFERENCE.
UM, WE ATTENDED SEVERAL SESSIONS AND THEY WERE INTERESTING.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF, WHEN WE, WE VISIT SESSIONS AND STATE LEVEL CONFERENCES, YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOCAL ISSUES ADDRESSED, YOU KNOW, WHETHER, AND I SAY LOCAL, BUT STATEWIDE, YOU KNOW, IN A NATIONAL CONFERENCE, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT NATIONAL ISSUES AND, AND PLACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN KIND OF RELATE WITH STATEWIDE ISSUES THAT PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING HERE WITH MAYBE FLOODING OR, YOU KNOW, SOIL HEAVING OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, OR, UM, YOU KNOW, TRAILS AND BIKEWAYS OR WHATEVER IT IS.
UM, AND SO IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE SOME OF THOSE COMMONALITIES, SOME OF THOSE DIFFERENCES AMONG PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY THAT KIND OF, UM, DEAL WITH SIMILAR ISSUES.
SO, UM, THERE WAS ONE SESSION WHERE WE TALKED, WE WERE LOOKING AT HOW, UM, A CITY PARTNERED WITH A, UM, UM, A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION TO CREATE A, UM, A MILE LONG, OR WAS IT 10 MILE LONG, UH, 10 MILE LONG, UH, EVENT.
ESSENTIALLY IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS PLACE MAKING EXERCISE OF, OF BLOCKING OFF STREETS AND, AND COORDINATING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND, UM, SETTING UP THESE LITTLE AREAS ALONG THIS, YOU KNOW, I WANNA SAY 10 MILE STRETCH.
UM, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COULD ESSENTIALLY, AND THEY WEREN'T BLOCKING OFF EVERY INTERSECTION, UH, THEY'D KEEP SOME INTERSECTIONS OPEN WITH LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, POLICE OFFICER STATION.
BUT WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO IS JUST CREATE THIS ATMOSPHERE WHERE PEOPLE COULD, YOU KNOW, FEEL WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, WIDE SIDEWALKS HAVE KIND OF A PEDESTRIAN CENTERED, UM, UM, ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE WERE SAFE TO WALK AROUND AND ENGAGE VENDORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THEY WERE GETTING PEOPLE OUTTA THEIR CARS.
AND, UM, IT WAS A REALLY NEAT SOCIAL EXPERIMENT TO SEE THAT KIND OF UNFOLD.
AND SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO TO THESE CONFERENCES, YOU'RE ALWAYS INSPIRED BY THEIR
[00:30:01]
PEOPLE'S, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITIES AND ENDEAVORS AND, YOU KNOW, SEEING SOMETHING LIKE THAT PLAY OUT IN GARLAND WOULD BE PRETTY SPECTACULAR.UM, SO ANYWAY, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE MY TAKEAWAYS AND YEAH.
YEAH, JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON IT, IT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING 'CAUSE YOU KNOW THAT I THINK THAT WAS ACTUALLY IN CALIFORNIA.
BUT YOU KNOW, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT CLOSING OFF CERTAIN AREAS, UH, TEMPORARILY TO ALLOW ACCESS.
AND YOU GET THAT A LOT LIKE IN DALLAS FOR LIKE PARKING DAY, UM, WHERE THEY CLOSE OFF, LIKE, I THINK IT WAS LIKE IN THE DOWNTOWN, THEY WOULD JUST, UH, THE PARKING STALLS, THE PARALLEL PARKING, THEY WOULD POSTPONE ANY EVENTS AND THEY JUST CLOSE IT OFF, ALLOW PEOPLE TO KINDA WALK.
SO KIND OF SEEING THAT COMMONALITY BETWEEN OVER HERE IN TEXAS AND ALSO IN CALIFORNIA WAS, WAS INTERESTING.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE VENDORS, UH, A LOT OF INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS, A LOT OF BIG EMPHASIS ON LIKE WHAT PLAYGROUNDS, UH, SO, UH, SO IT'S, IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, PASSION AND KIND OF INPUT, AND THEY WANNA BRING THIS THING, ALL THESE AMENITIES TO THE PUBLIC FOR LIKE OUTDOOR RECREATION AND PLAY AND, UM, A LOT OF SPORTS.
UH, OUR GUY, UH, KYLE ACTUALLY PLAYED SOME OF THE, I THINK IT WAS CALLED, IT WAS NOT BASEBALL, BUT IT WAS CALLED LIKE A, IT WAS LIKE A MIX BETWEEN BASEBALL AND WIFFLE BALL OR SOMETHING.
SO THEY HAD THAT INSIDE, WHICH WAS KIND OF CONCERNING.
THERE WAS NO BACKSTOP, SO HE WAS HITTING THEM TO THE CEILING.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S CALLED ABOUT
AND YOU CAN DO, YOU KNOW, A VERSION THAT'S TEMPORARY AND A VERSION THAT'S PERMANENT.
CAN, CAN I ASK ONE QUESTION? UM, I, I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAD RECEIVED TRAPS AWARDS AND STATE AWARDS FOR DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY PROUD OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR THAT.
THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAD DONE FOR POPUP AND PLAY.
DID YOU PRESENT ANY OF THESE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL OR SUBMIT ANY OF 'EM? WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T SUBMIT ANYTHING TO, TO PRESENT.
WE HAD SUBMITTED TO DO A TOUR OF THE SKATE PARK, BUT IT WASN'T MM-HMM.
UM, SO I THINK THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAD, WE HAD SUBMITTED YOU UNLESS YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE TO LEAVE.
BECAUSE YOUR IDEA POP UP AND PLAY, I THOUGHT WOULD BE A, WOULD PLAY REALLY WELL IN THE NATIONAL.
I MEAN, THERE'S BEEN SOME VERY INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE IDEAS IMPLEMENTED BY THE PARK STAFF.
WELL, WE ARE GONNA GO FOR THE, THE NATIONAL GOLD AWARD, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
WELL THEN THE DAY I SAW Z MARK AND, AND KYLE, I MEAN, THEY WERE, THEY WERE FLYING.
I, I GOT, SEE, I STOPPED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 20 FEET BACK LATER, YOU KNOW, WHEN GET, GET EVERYTHING STOPPED.
THEY WERE GOING, THEY WERE HITTING HERE AND HITTING THERE, AND THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME OUT THERE IN THE, IN THE, UH, IN THE EXHIBIT AREA.
AND, UH, MOLLY AND I HAD A GOOD TIME OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, TALKING TO SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WHERE THEY, I MEAN, THEY HAD THE, THEY HAD THIS PIECE THAT'S JUST MONSTROUS AND THEY SAID, OH YEAH, WELL, AND WE HAVE THIS AS AN EDITION AND THAT AS AN EDITION, AND YOU CAN OVERHEAR WITH THIS EDITION AND THAT EDITION.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY AMAZING HOW YOU COULD, YOU COULD START OFF WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY NICE AND THEN IMPROVE IT AS YOU GOT MORE FUNDING.
THIS IS SOME SOMETHING THAT I LIKED OUTTA THAT, BUT THANK YOU GUYS FOR DOING THAT AND TAKING THE TIME TO DO THAT.
I WENT, WENT BY ONE OF THE VENDORS.
I LEARNED WHAT ELEPHANT SNOT WAS.
THEY HAD DIFFERENT
WHEN HE FIRST TOLD ME, I WAS LIKE, WAIT, WHAT?
AND IT WAS, I WAS, UM, WE USED TO SNOT OUT OF IT.
THAT, UH, WHAT A QUESTION, MOLLY, WAY TO GO THERE.
IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS A, A SURFACE, A WALKING SURFACE.
IS THAT CORRECT? AND THAT WHAT, THAT WAS, WE, WE WERE LOOKING AT THAT, THAT THING Y'ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT THERE.
YEAH, IT'S ACTUALLY A CLEANING.
IT'S GR GRAFFITI, GRAFFITI SOLVE A GRAFFITI REMOVAL.
BASED ON WHAT THE, UM, MATERIAL IS.
SO YEAH, THE DIFFERENT GRADES,
THANK YOU GUYS, WE APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I'LL, AND I'LL WRAP THIS UP.
WE'VE GONE LONGER THAN IT PLANNED ON GOING, BUT IT, I WANTED EVERYBODY TO KIND OF SEE WHAT THEY, THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE, BUT THEY MISSED.
AND MY LITTLE THINGS, I WENT TO THINGS LIKE, UH, RE-IMAGINING PARKS, UH, UH, WHICH WAS, WHICH WAS AN INTERESTING ONE.
AND IT, AND, AND SO MANY TIMES THEY TALKED ABOUT THE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN YOUNGER PEOPLE AND OLDER PEOPLE, UH, BEING ABLE TO USE SIMILAR AREAS.
[00:35:01]
THAT ONE.UM, UH, OH, HERE'S, OH, HERE'S THE TWO.
UM, I, I, I WENT ON FUNDING PURSUIT OF DEDICATED FUNDING, UH, WHICH WAS INTERESTING USING, UM, NATIONAL, UM, UM, FUND FUNDS THAT YOU WOULD APPLY THROUGH YOUR CONGRESSMAN OR SENATOR.
AND, UH, AND THEY HAD THE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS FOR THE NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION.
AND I ONLY SEE, SAW HIM GIVE OUT ONE BUSINESS CARD ABOUT HOW HE COULD HELP PEOPLE ACROSS THE NATION.
UH, HE WAS, HE WASN'T, HE WAS TRYING NOT TO, HE WAS TRYING TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS.
AND HE DIDN'T GET TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS WHEN I, WHEN I GOT THERE AND WE GOT TO VISITING IT, BECAUSE IT REALLY WAS INTERESTING IN TALKING ABOUT WHEN THEY'RE MAKING FOR THESE, FOR THE GRANTS, THE FEDERAL GRANTS THAT ARE OUT THERE, THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT YOUR CONGRESSMAN OR SENATOR THAT YOU'RE WORKING THROUGH TO, TO APPLY FOR THESE GRANTS IS INTERESTED IN.
'CAUSE YOU GO INTO A CONSERVATIVE AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT'S OUT WAY OUT IN LEFT FIELD, AND THAT MAY NOT WORK.
YOU GO INTO SOMEONE WHO'S A LIBERAL AND YOU GO INTO SOMETHING THAT'S WAY TOO CONSERVATIVE AND THAT MIGHT NOT WORK.
SO ANYWAY, IT WAS, IT WAS VERY INTERESTING.
'CAUSE THAT WAS A PIECE OF THIS I'D NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT.
AND THEN THEY DO HAVE AT LEAST THIS ONE PERSON WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, UH, FOR THE NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION THAT CAN ASSIST US.
SO I HAPPEN TO HAVE HIS CARD IF ANYBODY NEEDS IT IN, IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
UH, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS EARMARKS, FEDERAL FUNDING EARMARKS.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY HAVE, UH, THEY HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS OUT THERE.
AND, AND THEY DID, THEY REALLY DIDN'T HAVE THIS IN THIS LEGISLATION OR IN THIS BILL.
BUT YOU CAN GO TOWARDS TO YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND ASK FOR AN EARMARK TO BE PLACED ON TO SOMETHING.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOUR PIECE, YOUR LITTLE PIECE PUT ON THERE.
AND THEY USED THE TERM THAT EARMARKS CAME FROM, UM, WILD PIGS IN THE, IN THE PAST WHERE THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD PUT THE CLIP ON THEIR EAR TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY 'EM BY WHO'S WHO TO GET PAID FOR PROVIDING THE, THE PIGS IN THERE.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE EARMARKS CAME FROM.
AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS VERY, VERY INTERESTING.
AND THEN THE, THE LAST ONE THAT NOBODY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HANDLING CHALLENGING CONVERSATIONS.
SO ANYWAY, IT WAS A, IT WAS A FUN TIME.
OH, AND ONE LAST THING, UH, AT LUNCH I HAD A COUPLE OF REALLY NICE CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE.
ONE OF 'EM WAS THE, UH, NATURAL PARKS AND TRAILS MANAGER, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES, UH, FOR LAND O'LAKES FLORIDA, WHICH IS IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA.
AND HE WAS JUST REALLY HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME DEALING WITH BUILDERS AND DEVELOPERS BECAUSE THEY HAD, THEY HAD INSTITUTED A, UH, A PARKS DEDICATION FEE.
AND IT WAS ON, IT WAS ONLY $3,000 THAT, THAT THEY'D DONE.
WHICH, OKAY, IT'S $3,000, THAT MEANS THAT ADDS $3,000 TO THE PRICE OF THE HOUSE.
AND AFTER IT WAS OVER WITH, I SAID, IF YOU WANNA KNOW WHY THEY HAVE A, UM, A PROBLEM WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WE NO LONGER USE THE TERM AFFORDABLE.
WE'RE NOW TRYING TO JUST GET ATTAINABLE HOUSING.
BUT THAT $3,000 ONCE IT GOES TO THE DEVELOPER, AND HE ADDS 30% ON TOP OF THAT, OKAY.
BECAUSE HE'S GOTTA MAKE A PROFIT OFF OF DOING THAT.
NOW THAT 30%, HE'LL GET TO KEEP ABOUT 10.
SO THAT MAKES YOU 3000 NOW $3,900.
AND THEN, AND THAT'S WHAT IT COSTS, THE, THE, THE, UH, BUILDER TO BUY.
NOW WHEN THE BUILDER BUYS IT, THEN HE ADDS HIS, UM, UH, 30% ON TOP OF THAT, WHICH IS ANOTHER 1,170.
SO YOU DO A, A $3,000 FEE AT THE GOVERNMENT LEVEL, AND IT COSTS, IT COSTS THE HOMEOWNER, THE PURCHASER, OVER $5,000.
AND SEE, PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT SECOND AND THIRD STEPS OF THIS THING AND BEING IN THE BUILDING BUSINESS.
I THINK HE LOOK AT HIS BUILDERS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY AFTER THAT.
ANYWAY, IT WAS VERY INTERESTING.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF GARTLAND FOR ALLOWING US TO GO.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE, THE VOLUNTEERS AND THE STAFF THAT TOOK THE TIME TO GO.
WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T WASTE A MINUTE OF IT.
NOW, SPRING CREEK PRESERVE UPDATE.
WHO'S THIS COMING FROM? MR. PARISH? IT'S WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY AT THE END OF THE SECOND.
I GOT IT ON THE DVR
SO, SO MATT AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARDER AND MATT'S BEEN SUPPORTING US.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SPRING CREEK FOREST.
'CAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD OF IT ALL BEFORE, EXCEPT MAYBE NANCY AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME OUT THERE ANYTIME.
[00:40:01]
UM, AND, UM, BUT WE'RE ALSO GONNA TALK ABOUT SOMETHING CALLED THE OLD GROWTH, UH, FOREST NETWORK.AND, UM, WHICH, UH, WE, WE HAVE JUST BEEN APPROVED TO, TO JOIN THAT NETWORK AND WHICH IS A BIG HONOR NATIONALLY.
AND, UM, ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT OUR, UM, OUR WEBSITE, SPRING CREEK FOREST.ORG IS ALL NEW.
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AND LINK SEVERAL PLACES OFF THE CITY WEBSITE.
SO WHAT SECTION? SPRING CREEK FOREST.ORG.
IT'S ALL SPRING CREEK FOREST IS ALL ONE WORD.
SO I REALLY JUST HAVE ONE SLIDE TO, UM, KINDA GIVE MYSELF AN OUTLINE TO TALK FROM.
SO WHAT IS AN OLD GROWTH FOREST? UH, THERE ARE A THOUSAND DEFINITIONS, BUT BASICALLY IT'S ONE THAT'S NEVER BEEN CUT BEFORE IN RECENT HISTORY IN RECENT HISTORY IS THOUSANDS OF YEARS, RIGHT? YOU THINK LIKE A REDWOOD FOREST, YOU KNOW, THOSE TREES ARE THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD.
SO ONCE THOSE TREES ARE CUT, THEY'RE GONE.
UH, AND, UM, AND IT'S MUCH MORE THAN JUST THE TREES.
IT'S ALL THE, THE UNDERSTORY, THE SOIL, THE, THE WHOLE ECOLOGY OF THE WHOLE THING.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALWAYS EVOLVING.
THE OLD FOR GROWTH FOREST NETWORK IS A, UH, A GROUP THAT'S BASICALLY DEDICATED TO PROTECTING THESE OLD FOREST.
AND, UH, AND, UH, SO THEY HAVE A, UM, A WHOLE PROCESS, UH, TO KIND OF GO THROUGH AND TO PROTECT THE FOREST.
UH, SO THE OLD, UH, SPRING CREEK FOREST NEVER CUT, UH, LARGE SECTIONS OF IT.
UH, PART OF IT WAS 'CAUSE OF THE TOPOLOGY AND THE, THE FLOODING THAT GOES ON IN THERE.
AND, UM, SO SCOTT LAME WAS FUSSING AT ME ABOUT THE TOPOLOGY, AND I SAID, WELL, THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT SAVED SPRING CREEK FOREST FROM BEING CUT.
THERE'S ALSO SOME SUPERSTITION INVOLVED, UM, IN RECENT HISTORY.
IN RECENT HISTORY IS LIKE 40 YEARS.
THE, UM, SPRING CREEK FOREST WAS DISCOVERED BY A, UH, INDIVIDUAL NAMED, UH, BOBBY SCOTT, I THINK HIS NAME ANYWAY, AND HE KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING SPECIAL.
AND SO HE HAD STARTED HAVING THESE CLANDESTINE MEETINGS TO GET, UH, UM, THE CITY FOLKS IN TOM FRY, WHO WAS THE HEAD ZEDS JOB, UM, YOU KNOW, WAS, UM, INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THIS DONE.
THEY STARTED BRINGING IN PROFESSORS FROM, UH, UM, STEVEN AT AUSTIN, THE FORESTRY GUYS, THE FROM, UH, SMU FROM, UH, NATURE CONSERVANCY.
AND THEY ALL SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS SOMEPLACE SPECIAL.
THE CITY PUT A BUNCH OF MONEY INTO, UH, DOING SOME STUDIES, WHICH, UH, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTED THAT.
AND, AND THEN BASICALLY DEVELOPED A PIECE IN THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT CODE THAT PROTECTED THE FOREST.
SO THERE'S THIS WHOLE PROCESS THAT THE OLD GROVE, UH, FOREST NETWORK PUT TOGETHER TO KINDA FIGHT CITY HALL, RIGHT? AND GET THESE THINGS PROTECTED.
WELL, THIS WAS DONE BY OUR PREDECESSORS MANY YEARS AGO.
SO OUR NOM NOMINATION PROCESS WAS REALLY EASY.
WE FILLED OUT THE FORM AND SAID, HEY, WE WANT TO NOMINATE OURSELVES.
AND, UH, ONE OF MY FOLKS DID THAT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THEN WE HAD A COUPLE OF CALLS WITH THE, UH, A, A YOUNG MAN NAMED, UH, NICK, UH SANCHEZ, WHO'S A FORESTER FOR THE OLD GROVE FOREST NETWORK.
UH, TALKED ABOUT WHAT WAS NEEDED.
WE FILLED OUT AN INFORMATION SHEET, AND I CAN SEND THAT TO EVERYBODY, OR MATT CAN SEND IT TO 'EM TO YOU.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE TWEAKED IT A LITTLE BIT.
THEY HAD A FEW QUESTIONS, UH, BUT, UH, AND, AND WE TALKED TO TOM FRY.
AND, UM, REALLY JUST, YOU KNOW, IN A MATTER OF A COUPLE OF MEETINGS, WE GOT APPROVED.
SO TODAY WE MET TO START PLANNING THE CERTIFICATION CEREMONY.
AND WE'RE PLANNING TO DO THAT, UH, IN, UH, CONNECTION WITH OUR ANNUAL TROUT LILLY, UH, WALK THAT WE DO IN, AT THE END OF FEBRUARY.
THE PUBLIC WALK WILL BE ON, UH, FEBRUARY 25TH.
AND, UM, THE, UM, UM, BUT ON, UH, SATURDAY THE 24TH, WE DO A MEMBERS ONLY WALK.
SO WE START, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE PEOPLE THAT DON DONATE MONEY EVERY YEAR TO OUR SOCIETY.
AND, UM, A COUPLE, THREE YEARS AGO WE STARTED DOING THINGS JUST FOR THE MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SHOW 'EM THAT WE APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THEY'RE, THEY'VE BEEN SUPPORTING US FOR, YOU
[00:45:01]
KNOW, THESE 30 YEARS OR SO.AND, UM, THE, UM, SO WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD DO THE, THE CERTIFICATION CEREMONY, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT, WHICH WILL BE FEBRUARY 24TH, 2024 AT 2:00 PM AND, UH, SO WE WANT ALL THE, THE BOARD MEMBERS, WE'LL INVITE THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, WE'VE, UH, TALKED TO, UH, DALLAS COUNTY OPEN SPACES, WHICH OWNS PROBABLY 60 TO 80 ACRES THERE.
AND, UH, SO THEIR ONLY STIPULATION IS THAT, UM, UH, DR.
THERESA STAN, UH, DANIELS, OUR, UH, LOCAL COMMISSIONER WILL SPEAK.
AND SHE'S VERY, BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE.
SHE'S ACTUALLY BEEN TO SOME OF OUR EVENTS AND THINGS.
AND, UM, THE, UM, UM, AND WE, I NEED TO TALK TO MATT ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS TO, TO BE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE SET UP.
BUT IT'LL BE, UH, BE IN AN EVENT AND WE'LL, UH, GET OUT THERE AND, UH, WE'LL HAVE A, A REPRESENTATIVE, UH, FROM THE OLD GROWTH, UH, FOREST NETWORK.
ONE OF THEIR BOARD MEMBERS IS ACTUALLY HERE IN TEXAS.
I THINK HE SAID SHE WAS DOWN FROM AROUND, UH, HOUSTON AREA.
AND, UM, ANYWAY, SO WHY DO WE DO THIS? WELL, FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION, RIGHT? SO IF YOU CUT THE FOREST, YOU KNOW, YOU GET, YOU HAVE NOTHING.
SO, BECAUSE IT NOT ONLY DESTROYS THE TREES, BUT ALL THE ECOLOGY THAT SUPPORTS 'EM.
AND HERE'S A KIND OF AN EXAMPLE OF A, OF THE CEREMONY.
THEY ALWAYS DO A PICTURE WITH THE WHOLE CROWD AND, UH, THE, THE, UH, LITTLE PLAQUE THAT THEY HAVE.
AND WE GOTTA TALK ABOUT THAT PLAQUE.
THE, UH, 'CAUSE IT'S MADE OUTTA ALUMINUM,
I SAID, JUST NICK, IT'S NOT GONNA SURVIVE OUT THERE.
THE, UH, ANYWAY, I SO THROW THAT OUT, SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
SHOULD WE GET CLOSER? Y'ALL BE INVITED,
WHAT AND HOW DOES YOUR SOCIETY FEEL ABOUT THE APARTMENTS AND HOUSING THAT'S GETTING BUILT NEXT TO IT? AND I GUESS, LET ME, LET ME REPHRASE THIS.
UH, SO IT CAN BE MORE POSITIVE.
DO Y'ALL THINK Y'ALL COULD SEEK A PARTNERSHIP WITH THOSE, WITH THAT DEVELOPER? WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DOING THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE'RE TALKING THE ONE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OR THE ONES ON THE NORTH SIDE.
THE ONES THAT ARE BRAND, BRAND NEW THAT ARE BUILDING, RIGHT.
THEY'RE NOT DONE YET, BUT THE ONES, SO WE'VE HAD THAT DISCUSSION.
YOU KNOW, INTERNALLY, WE JUST HAVEN'T PURSUED IT.
'CAUSE WE, WE THINK, YOU KNOW, OUR NEIGHBORS ARE GONNA BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE DO.
EVERY TIME WE FIND OUT THAT THERE'S GONNA BE SOME DEVELOPMENT, WE DO OUR BEST TO REVIEW THE LANDSCAPE PLAN AND MAKE SURE THERE'S NO PRITT IN THERE.
MM, NO CHINESE MUSTACHE, NONE, NONE OF THE INVASIVE SPECIES THAT WE ARE STARTING TO SEE POP UP IN THE FOREST.
THE 2 24
I WAS JUST, UM, IT'S EARLY VOTING THEN, BUT, UM, JUST WANTED TO GET IT IN MY CALENDAR CORRECTLY.
MR. PARISH, COULD YOU SEE THAT, UM, THE, THE PARKS BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF RECEIVED A, AN INVITATION, UH, TO THIS EVENT? WE'LL, WE'LL GET EVERYBODY, BUT YOU JERRY.
WE, SHE ALWAYS KNOWS EVERYBODY WILL GET AN INVITE.
THAT'S BEEN ONE OF YOUR DREAMS FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
AND, UH, FINALLY, AND I THINK SOME FOREST DOWN IN DALLAS MIGHT QUALIFY, SO WE SHOULD TALK OFFLINE.
WHERE ARE WE NOW ON, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS? IS THAT, ARE WE, ARE WE, WE HAVE A VIDEO.
THIS, I'VE GOT A REAL PROBLEM WITH THIS.
IN THE, IN THE 74 YEARS AND SIX MONTHS THAT I'VE BEEN IN GARLAND, WE HAVE, WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANYTHING THAT WOULD EVEN BECOME, UH, UH, A GNAT'S HAIR ON, ON WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON, UH, OCTOBER THE 14TH OF THIS YEAR.
THAT WAS THE MOST AMAZING THING TO BE A PART OF THAT, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE REVISIONING OF DOWNTOWN GARLAND AND, AND THE HORRIBLE PROBLEMS YOU GUYS CREATE.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU GOT 2,500 PARKING SPACES, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH.
WHEN YOU GOT THE DARK PARKING LOT, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH WHEN YOU'RE HAVING TO BUST 'EM IN FROM WILLIAMS STADIUM.
AND THAT JUST BARELY BECAME ENOUGH FOR THE APPROXIMATELY 10,000 PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE.
[00:50:03]
MAKE SURE THE VOLUME, LOOK AROUND WHAT WE HAVE CREATED.AND I DON'T MEAN WE AS IN THE COUNCIL, I MEAN, WE, AS IN ALL OF US, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE CREATED FOR OUR CITY.
AND IT WOULD CERTAINLY NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE VOTERS ON THE 2019 BOND PACKAGE.
YOU GET THE WHOLE SMALL TOWN FEEL, BUT WITH LIKE A MODERN VIBE TO IT NOW, THIS SPACE DOWNTOWN IS ALL ABOUT GATHERING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
A PLACE, CREATING A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COME TOGETHER, PEOPLE OF A COMMUNITY CREATE THAT GREAT SENSE OF FEEL AND, AND COMMUNITY DOWNTOWN.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
THE KIDS ARE ABLE TO PLAY FRIENDLY AND IT FEELS SAFE.
WE'VE SAT AND WATCHED THIS PROJECT FOR TWO YEARS, UH, AND NOW IT'S GREAT TO SEE PEOPLE ACTUALLY ENTER THIS SPACE AGAIN AND, AND, UH, BRING A COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
THE MAKERS OF STETSON AND RESISTOL.
UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT YOU THESE TWO HATS, WHICH THANK YOU OUT FOR YOU, BUT, UH, WE HOPE THAT, UH, YOU'LL ENJOY THEM.
I KNOW, BUT AM I TAKE IT HOME?
WE'VE BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR TWO YEARS OH WOW.
NOW, I WILL TELL YOU, WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT 20 YEARS AGO.
WHAT WE HAVE ENDED UP WITH IS CERTAINLY NOT THE SQUARE THAT YOU'LL REMEMBER.
BUT IT IS, IT IS COME OUT REALLY GOOD.
AND WE HAVE HAD SUCH A GREAT DAY DOWN HERE AND THE, THE EXCITEMENT HAS BEEN BUILDING ALL DAY.
I JUST HAD THE BEST BARBECUE DOWN HERE.
I HAVE TO SAY INTRINSIC, INTRINSIC BARBECUE WAS SO GOOD.
SO, AND I'VE HAD BARBECUE FROM ALL OVER.
THEY, YOU KNOW, AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY A HUNDRED PERCENT HOMETOWN.
A BOOK THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER BY A LOCAL HISTORIAN.
IT IS, IT IS FULL OF ALL THESE CRAZY OLD PHOTOS.
IT'S A PART OF THE HISTORY YEAH.
IT'S DEFINITELY A PART OF THIS.
MY HISTORY, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I WAS JUST SAYING, THIS IS THE THEATER WHERE I, I PLAYED TINY TIM IN A CHRISTMAS CAROL WHEN I WAS LIKE SIX YEARS OLD.
IT'S LIKE WE'RE, I'M DEFINITELY TAKING A WALK DOWN MEMORY LEE TODAY.
UM, I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN A WHILE, SO IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK.
DO YOU REMEMBER PERFORMING OUT ON THE SQUARE? I MEAN, I PERFORMED AT THE GARLAND OPRY, YES.
I, UM, I PERFORM THERE ALL THE TIME, WHICH I'M SURE THEY DID STUFF OUT ON THE SQUARE, SO, UM, YEAH, I'M SURE I'VE DONE IT BEFORE.
HERE'S A LITTLE BOY NEIGHBORHOOD.
I HAD GONE SEE HIM, I OVER TO HIS, Y'ALL SINGING WITH US TONIGHT.
[00:55:20]
THANK YOU SO MUCH, LING FOR WELCOMING ME BACK HOME AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR BEAUTIFUL NEW SQUARE.THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK BY A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO PULLED THAT OFF.
IS THIS OUT THERE SOMEWHERE? UH, WHERE IS IT, KEITH? RIGHT THERE.
IS IT ON FACEBOOK ON YOUTUBE OR, I WILL FIND OUT WHEN.
I'LL SEND IT TO Y'ALL ON A LINK.
TALKING ABOUT SOME PEOPLE WORKING OUT THERE.
I WAS THERE THE, THE DAY BEFORE AND RAN ACROSS THIS GUY THAT WAS GOING AND I INTRODUCED HIM.
I MEAN, I, I, I RECOGNIZED HIM EVENTUALLY AS BEING MATT.
I SAID, WELL, HOW MANY GUYS YOU GOT WORKING ON UH, 40 SOMETHING AND BYE.
AND, UH, SO HE AND HIS STAFF GOT A A, A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF GOOD THINGS DONE, UH, THOSE LAST FEW DAYS.
IT WAS THE ENTIRE CITY, I'M NOT GONNA LIE.
IT WAS THE ENTIRE CITY CAME OUT TO, TO PULL THIS OFF.
EVERY DEPARTMENT HAD PEOPLE INVOLVED IN PULLING THIS TOGETHER.
SO, AND JUST ONE LAST THING ABOUT OUR LEANNE LOOKED ABOUT 25 OR SO YEARS OLDER THAN SHE DID WHEN SHE FIRST MOVED IN
THEN SHE FIRST MOVED IN THAT NEW HOME I BUILT FOR 'EM AFTER SHE RECORDED BLUE.
SO
UH, IT'S PART OF THE CAPITAL PROJECT.
SO I CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND STUDIES.
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION.
SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL AN UPDATE ON THE SENIOR CENTER.
SO LET ME SEE IF I REMEMBER WHAT ZIA JUST TAUGHT ME A SECOND AGO.
OKAY, SO, UM, I GUESS IT'S ALSO ON YOUR SCREEN.
SO LET ME JUST TO REFRESH THIS PROJECT, IT'S BEING BUILT ON THE EXISTING SITE WHERE THE, OR IT'S BEING BUILT ON THE SAME SITE WHERE THE OLD BUILDING WAS.
WE WENT THROUGH THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ZIAD AND I HAD, UH, SEVERAL DIFFERENT PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT WE DID TO CAPTURE ALL OF THE INFORMATION.
WE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE HAVE A LIST OF WHAT THE PROGRAM PREFERENCES WERE AS PART OF THAT DISCUSSION, AQUATICS WAS MIXED INTO ALL OF THAT.
AND WE GOT DIRECTION OF, YOU KNOW, JUST BUILDING A, A FACILITY WITHOUT AN AQUATICS COMPONENT.
AND SO, UM, JUST TO REMIND YOU ALL, YOU KNOW, THE TOP HITS, I GUESS OF THE TOP OF THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT WERE, YOU KNOW, AN INDOOR WALKING TRACK, DINING AND GATHERING SPACES, CLASSROOMS, UM, THE GAME ROOM, UM, DIFFERENT, UM, SPACES THAT CAN BE USED FOR MULTI-PURPOSE USES.
AND SO WE THEN, UM, STARTED THE SCHEMATIC DESIGN AND STAFF ALSO, UM, DURING THIS PROCESS HAVE HAD SOME PRIORITIES THAT WE WANTED FOR THE SITE, JUST FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE FORMER FACILITY, THERE WERE MULTIPLE ENTRANCES TO THAT BUILDING.
AND IN THIS DAY AND AGE AND FOR CONTROL PURPOSES, WE WANTED TO HAVE ONE SINGLE, UM, POINT, YOU KNOW, THAT EVERYBODY IS COMING AND GOING.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S STILL EMERGENCY EXITS, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING, YOU CAN'T MULTIPLE COME IN FROM MULTIPLE SIDES OF THE BUILDING.
WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THE COVERED DROP OFF AREA.
UM, AGAIN, WE HAVE THE BUS TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THE SENIORS ARRIVE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, CAN SAFELY GET OUT AND IF IT'S RAINING OR SNOWING OR WHATEVER, NOT, UM, BE IMPACTED BY THE ELEMENTS.
OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE JUST SPENT ALL OF THIS MONEY ON THE SQUARE AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS BUILDING IS CONNECTED TO DOWNTOWN AND BECOMES A PART OF THAT, UM, WHOLE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING ON.
PARKING OF COURSE, IS ALWAYS GONNA BE IMPORTANT, AND THAT'S GONNA BE A MATTER OF PERCEPTION IN REGARDS.
UM, BUT SENIORS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE DIFFERENT MO MOBILITY ISSUES, SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S EASY FOR THEM TO GET TO THE CENTER.
AND WE ALSO WANTED TO HAVE A SERVICE ENTRANCE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE MEAL PROGRAM AND SO WE DON'T WANT THE MEALS BEING DELIVERED THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR.
WE WANNA HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A, A PLACE IN THE BACK.
SO WE TOOK ALL OF THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT FEEDBACK, ALL OF THE STAFF PRIORITIES AND, UM, I DUNNO IF YOU REMEMBER, I DON'T HAVE A SLIDE OF IT, BUT I'LL, I'LL, I'LL SHOW IT IN SOME, IT WAS THE BUBBLE DIAGRAM THAT WE DID, YOU KNOW, LIKE, IS EVERYTHING THAT WE WANT GONNA FIT ON THAT SPACE.
[01:00:01]
AND SO WE'RE STILL IN SCHEMATIC DESIGN.UM, TOOK THIS TO THE SENIORS, UH, LAST THURSDAY.
SO THEY HAVE SEEN THIS AND PRESENTING IT TO YOU ALL TONIGHT.
WE WILL TAKE THIS TO THE SENIOR ADVISORY COMMISSION IN THE MORNING, AND THEN WE TAKE IT TO CITY COUNCIL NEXT MONDAY DURING THEIR WORK SESSION.
BUT, SO YOU'VE GOT THE FACILITY, UM, IT IS COMING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FACADE OF THE BUILDING, UH, THERE ON 20, IF YOU CAN SEE 20 UP THERE, THAT'S A COURTYARD.
AND SO THAT'S FACING AVENUE A.
AND SO FROM THAT COURTYARD, YOU WOULD HAVE VIEW OF SIGHT, UH, LINE OF SIGHT TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
AND THEN AVENUE B IS THE ONE WAY STREET.
AND REMEMBER THAT'S WHERE, UM, THE OLD VETERAN'S GARDEN WAS ON THAT BACKSIDE OF THE BUILDING.
SO JUST TRY AND ORIENTATE YOURSELF.
SO OVER HERE ON THE SITE WHERE YOU SEE OVER HERE, AND YOU'VE GOT A DUMPSTER THAT IS INTENDED TO BE FOR OUR OWN FLEET OF VEHICLES SO THAT WE'RE NOT TAKING UP SPACES OVER THERE IN THE PUBLIC AREA.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE GOT ADA PARKING.
WE'VE GOT THE DROP OFF, COVERED DROP OFF AREA, AND THEN OVER HERE IS ALL OF THE PARKING, THE REST OF THE PARKING.
AND TO REMIND YOU ALL, THERE'S EASEMENTS THAT WERE RUNNING ACROSS THIS PROPERTY, WHICH ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD SPACE CONSTRAINTS ON HOW THE BUILDING COULD FIT ONTO THE SITE.
SO ALL THAT BEING SAID, UH, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE LEGEND OVER HERE, THE KEY OVER HERE.
BUT WE HAVE A DINING AND GATHERING SPACE, WHICH IS NUMBER ONE, AND IT CONNECTS WITH THE KITCHEN, WHICH ALSO THEN CONNECTS WITH NUMBER 12, WHICH YOU'LL SEE AS A HUGE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM.
AND THAT CAN BE DIVIDED INTO THREE DIFFERENT ROOMS. UH, AND BASICALLY YOUR ENTRY IS THERE OFF OF AVENUE B.
I MEAN, IT'S A SPLIT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THE, IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUILDING, SO MUCH LIKE THE OLD DESIGN WAS WHERE YOU KIND OF HALF THE BUILDING.
UM, SO ON ONE SIDE IT'S REALLY FITNESS ORIENTED.
SO 15, 16, 17, THOSE ARE ALL, UH, THAT YOU'RE WALKING INDOOR WALKING TRACK YOUR FITNESS SPACE.
YOU'VE GOT SOME STRETCHING AREA.
NUMBER 18 THERE IS YOUR GROUP FITNESS ROOM.
AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING IS MORE OF YOUR PROGRAMMING SPACES FOR THE, UH, THE, UH, CLASSROOM.
YOU'VE GOT THE KILN FOR CERAMICS OVER THERE.
UH, IN THE FORMER SITE AT THE FORMER BUILDING, THE FRONT DESK WAS SEPARATED FROM THE STAFF OFFICES.
SO IN THIS DESIGN, IF YOU SEE NUMBER 13, YOU'VE GOT THE FRONT DESK, AND THEN THE STAFF OFFICES WILL BE RIGHT THERE BY THE, THE, THE FRONT DESK, WHICH WILL ACTUALLY BE REALLY NICE IN CASE THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR, UM, THAT THE PATRONS HAVE THAT THEY NEED STAFF HELP.
YOU'VE GOT RESTROOMS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BUILDING, WHICH THAT WAS ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, TO THE SENIORS.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT GREEN SPACES, UH, OVER HERE ON THE SIDE, THE RED, I GUESS IT'S RED, REDDISH PINK TRAIL THAT'S GOING ALL THE WAY AROUND.
SO ALL OF THIS, THAT'S AN OUTDOOR WALKING TRAIL SO THAT PEOPLE CAN UTILIZE THAT.
MAYBE THEY AREN'T EVEN USING THE CENTER, BUT THEY WALK OVER FROM DOWNTOWN AND THEY COULD WALK THAT LOOP.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE ARE NOT INTO DESIGN DETAIL YET.
WE WILL, THAT WILL BE OUR NEXT STEP.
AND THAT PROCESS WILL TAKE ABOUT A YEAR TO GET THROUGH ALL OF THAT.
AND SO THE NEXT TIME WE COME BACK TO YOU WOULD PROBABLY BE WITH SOME RENDERINGS OF ELEVATIONS AND HOW THINGS ARE ACTUALLY STARTING TO LOOK.
AND SO THEN YOU HAVE CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS PROBABLY ANOTHER 18 MONTHS.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT 2026 FOR THIS FACILITY TO FINALLY GET OPEN.
UM, SO ANY QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO THIS OR COMMENTS? UM, CAN YOU EMAIL THAT? MM-HMM.
IT TOOK US A WHILE TO GET HERE.
UH, WE TRIED SOME DIFFERENT SITE LAYOUTS AND THIS REALLY IS THE, UH, ACHIEVED ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT WE WERE HOPING FOR TO GET, WHETHER IT WAS, YOU KNOW, FROM A STAFF STANDPOINT OR FROM THE PUBLIC INPUT.
SO ON 20, THAT OUTDOOR SPACE, WE WOULD HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, GATED OFF SO THAT IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, FOR EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE, THE MEMBERS.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, YEAH, I THINK IT'S GOOD.
I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT ADA PARKING UP HERE UP FRONT, SO, YEAH.
IS THERE A SPACE BIG ENOUGH FOR THE SENIORS TO HOLD THEIR DANCES AND THAT KIND OF STUFF? YES.
THAT WOULD BE THAT 12, UH, THAT MULTIPURPOSE ROOM.
AND THEN WHAT WOULD BE COOL IS, I'M SURE AS WE GET INTO DESIGN DETAIL, OF COURSE IT, YOU KNOW, IN THE SPRING AND THE FALL WHEN THE WEATHER'S NICE, WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE SOME SORT OF WAY TO OPEN UP THOSE DOORS AND BE ABLE TO GO OUT INTO THE OUTSIDE.
[01:05:01]
BUT SQUARE DANCING, ALL OF THE BIG DANCES, THEY WOULD BE HELD IN THAT NUMBER 12.WHAT ABOUT BETWEEN 12 AND 11? DOES THAT WALL OPEN UP? I'M LOOKING FOR 11.
WHAT'S 11? THAT'S STRAIGHT AHEAD.
WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN INTO THOSE DESIGN DETAILS, BUT YEAH.
SO 11 BEING THE LOBBY, RIGHT? PROBABLY BEING SOME DOORS AND WHATNOT.
YEAH, I MEAN, THAT WAS THE NICE THING ABOUT RICHARDSON.
YES, WE COULD OPEN THAT UP AND IT MADE MAKE IT EVEN BIGGER.
AND WE JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO THOSE DETAILS YET.
WE'VE BEEN REALLY WORKING THROUGH THE SITE LAYOUT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS RIGHT BEFORE WE MOVE INTO THOSE DESIGN DETAILS.
I THINK A LOT OF EXPECTATIONS, NOT A LOT OF EXPECTATIONS, BUT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST ASSUMED.
AND WE KNOW WHEN YOU ASSUME, UM, THAT THE ENTRANCE WOULD BE OFF OF AVENUE A, AND SO IT'S OFF OF AVENUE B, WHICH IS, UM, BUT AGAIN, THE BEST USE OF THAT, UH, SPACE, IT'S, IT'S COOL.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS SENIORS A, UM, ASKED.
AND SO IF YOU'LL LOOK AT THE TOP OFF OF AVENUE A, THERE'S STILL TWO ENTRY POINTS OFF OF AVENUE A, AND THEN YOU STILL HAVE THE ENTRANCE THERE OFF OF B.
SO YOU CAN COME FROM EITHER A OR B, JUST LIKE YOU COULD BEFORE.
OH WAIT, I THOUGHT YOU THE GOAL WAS TO HAVE JUST THE ONE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE BUILDING.
THESE ARE ENTRANCES TO THE PARKING SPACES, INTO THE PARKING LOT.
ONE ENTRANCE INTO THE BUILDING.
AND BEFORE, I THINK WE WERE AT AROUND ONE 30, UH, BUT WE'RE ALSO, WHAT'S NOT BEING COUNTED INTO THIS ARE THE, UH, SPOTS THAT ARE HERE ON AVENUE A.
SO IN THE PICTURE UP HERE, MM-HMM.
AND SO THERE'S PARKING ALL ALONG THAT AREA TOO? CORRECT.
HOW ABOUT THE, THE VETERAN'S GARDEN? WHERE'S THAT GOING TO NOW? THE VETERAN'S GARDEN IS NOT GOING TO BE PUT BACK IN THE WAY THAT IT WAS.
SO THERE WILL BE SOME SORT OF, UM, AGAIN, AND WHEN WE GET INTO THE DESIGN DETAIL, UH, OR, OR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT, WE WILL MAKE SURE, BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT HONORS THE VETERANS.
SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD UTILIZE, YOU KNOW, THE SPACES FOR THE VETERANS DAY OR DIFFERENT CELEBRATIONS.
BUT WE HAVE NOT WORKED THROUGH THOSE DETAILS.
BUT THE VETERANS GARDEN, THE WAY IT WAS, WILL NOT BE PUT BACK IN AT THIS SITE.
ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT THE GREEN AREA ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE THERE? THAT, THAT SQUARE AND THE LITTLE OTHER NO, WE, EXCUSE ME, THAT'S, NO, WE'RE NOT PUTTING THE VETERAN'S GARDEN BACK IN AT THIS SITE THE WAY THAT IT WAS.
WELL, THAT, THAT'S, THERE WILL BE, YOU KNOW, ELEMENTS TO HONOR THE ARMED, UM, FORCES, BUT NOT THE VETERANS' GARDEN WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT STONES AND STUFF THAT WE HAD THERE.
I THINK IT'S STILL TO BE DISCUSSED, BUT THERE WAS LOTS OF DISCUSSION ON THAT ABOUT DO, DOES THE VETERANS GARDEN IS THERE YEAH.
MOVE TO ANOTHER SITE AND IT'S BIGGER AND GRANDER THAN WHAT WAS OVER THERE.
JUST ASK ABOUT THAT ONE LAST THING.
THOSE AREAS ARE THERE IN THE GREEN MM-HMM.
IT WOULD PROBABLY DEPEND IF WE END UP HAVING ANY, YOU KNOW, IF THAT WAS A FENCED AREA.
IF IT'S NOT, THEN PROBABLY NOT, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE WANNA HAVE THAT ONE MULTIPLE POINT OF ENTRY.
BUT WE DO KNOW THAT SOME DIFFERENT, WE, WE'VE DONE JUST TO SEE, UH, LIKE, SO FOR EXAMPLE, ON THAT SPACE, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHAT DIFFERENT KIND OF GAME TABLES COULD GO OVER THERE OR COURTS POTENTIALLY, BUT THEY ARE NOT IN THE PROJECT SCOPE AT THIS TIME.
SO WE'RE SHOWING THAT AS A GREEN SPACE.
UH, AND THAT TO ME, IT SEEMED LIKE IT'D BE A GREAT PLACE TO HAVE AN, AN OUTDOOR PAVILION OFF OF 17, OR AN AREA WHERE 17 IS.
AND THEN, UH, WHERE YOU COULD HAVE SOME TABLES AND CHAIRS WITH THE COVER OVER IT.
THAT'D BE ON THE, UH, WHAT THE EAST SIDE OR OF THE, OF THE BUILDING, I THINK, WHICH WOULD BE REALLY NICE FOR AFTERNOON.
SO THAT'S WHAT THE POINT OF 20 IS.
SO, ALL RIGHT, SO YOU'RE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA, SO THAT'S AN OUTDOOR, UH, I GUESS I'M GONNA CALL IT AN OUTDOOR PLAZA.
SO AGAIN, ALL THOSE DESIGN DETAILS WE HAVEN'T STARTED YET.
SO THIS WAS BASICALLY TO LAY OUT THE FLOOR PLAN, MAKE SURE THAT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE WORKS, DOES IT FIT ON THE SITE? WE MEET ALL OF THE NEEDS OF WHAT CAME OUT IN PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND WHAT ALSO FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT ARE IMPORTANT AND PRIORITIES.
AND SO THIS WAS WHAT WE CAME UP WITH.
AND SO, UH, WE'LL PRESENT THAT TO COUNCIL AND AS LONG AS ALL OF THAT IS MOVED FORWARD, THEN WE WILL GET INTO ALL THOSE DESIGN DETAILS, LIKE HOW MUCH GLASS AND WHAT WE'LL OPEN UP TO WHERE AND WHAT ARE THE COLORS.
ONE LAST QUESTION FOR A SHORT, FOR A VERY SHORT ANSWER.
[01:10:01]
SQUARE FOOTAGE ON THIS BUILDING COMPARE TO THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE OLD BUILDING? THE KIND OF THINGS WE'RE GONNA HEAR? ALMOST DOUBLE.ANYONE ELSE? ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU.
THEY'RE COMING UP THE CAPITAL PROJECTS MOVES, MOVES ON
UM, WE WANNA SHARE, KEITH AND MARK AND I, I WANT TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT JUST TO INTRODUCE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT MET MARK CYLINDER.
UH, MARK CYLINDER IS THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT IN THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.
UM, HE'S BEEN WORKING HERE FOR, WHAT, TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
UM, INTEGRAL PART OF THE TEAM, YOU KNOW, UM, GREAT, GREAT, UM, ASSET TO THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO HE, HE AND I WORK HAND IN HAND ON ALL, ALL THE PROJECTS GETTING THEM DONE.
AND, UH, I KNOW Y'ALL SEE ME A LOT, UH, ESPECIALLY THESE DAYS.
UM, BUT MARK IS, IS UH, UH, BASICALLY THE OTHER PART OF THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.
SO, UM, WANTED MARK TO JUST JOIN US TONIGHT.
HOPEFULLY HE CAN MAKE MORE OF THESE PARK BOARD MEETINGS IN THE FUTURE.
UM, SO YOU'LL HOPEFULLY BE SEEING MORE OF HIM ON, UH, AT PARK BOARD MEETING.
SO, UM, KEITH, MARK AND I, UH, PUT TOGETHER THIS ANIMOTO.
I KNOW Y'ALL LOVE HEARING ME TALK ABOUT PROJECTS, BUT THERE'S NOTHING LIKE SOME PICTURES AND SOME MUSIC TO KIND OF
SO WERE, YOU SING VERY EXCITING STUFF GOING ON IN GARLAND PARKS.
UM, SO I UNFORTUNATELY WAS NOT ABLE TO UPDATE ALL THE PROJECTS HERE LISTED ON THE, UM, ON THE, UM, SUMMARY.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT MAY COME UP.
UM, I WILL POINT OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE OF NOTE.
THEY, UH, DUCK CREEK SOUTH EXTENSION TRAIL PROJECT, WHICH IS THE, UH, TRAIL PROJECT, UH, DOWN NEAR BELTLINE AND I 30 THAT CONNECTS TO THE MESQUITE GARLAND RICHARDSON TRAIL AND MESQUITE HERITAGE TRAIL THAT
[01:15:01]
WILL RUN UNDERNEATH BELTLINE GO EAST TOWARDS TOLER ELEMENTARY.UM, IS HAS BEEN BID AND THE BID'S CLOSED.
UH, WE HAVE A GREAT CONTRACTOR, UH, WITHIN BUDGET.
AND, UM, UH, COUNCIL WILL BE CONSIDERING THAT CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT ON NOVEMBER 14TH.
UH, WE'RE AIMING TO START CONSTRUCTION ON THAT AT THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, SO, UH, THAT'LL BE VERY EXCITING.
NEW TRAIL PROJECT, UH, STARTING, UH, THE TUCKER BILL PARK.
UH, BOB DAY TENNIS CENTER IS CURRENTLY BIDDING, UH, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF INTEREST ON THAT PROJECT AS WELL.
UH, WE'VE EXTENDED THE BID ADVERTISEMENTS ONE, UH, ADDITIONAL WEEK.
UH, SO IT'LL CLOSE NOVEMBER 9TH, SO A WEEK FROM TOMORROW.
UM, SO AS Y'ALL KNOW, WE'RE BUILDING 12 NEW TENNIS COURTS, NEW PRO SHOP, UM, AND ALL THE, UM, UTILITIES AND SITE WORK THAT GO ALONG WITH RECONSTRUCTING OR, OR BUILDING A, A, A PARK FROM SCRATCH.
SO, UM, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
HOPEFULLY ONCE WE GET ALL THE BIDS IN, UH, WE'RE HOPING FOR A REALLY, A GREAT COMPETITIVE BID, HOPING TO START CONSTRUCTION ON THAT PROJECT AS WELL, UH, TOWARDS THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
MORE INFORMATION TO COME ON THAT, UM, UH, AS WE GET IT.
SO, UM, YEAH, SO THERE'S LOTS OF GREAT THINGS HAPPENING.
UH, WATSON PARK IS CLOSE TO THE END.
UM, WE SHOULD BE WITHIN WEEKS OF GETTING EVERYTHING COMPLETED.
AND SO, UH, AS YOU COULD SEE FROM, UH, YEAH, SO RIGHT NOW, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY, UH, FOR WATSON PARK AND A COUPLE OF OTHER SITES.
AND SO BECAUSE THAT PROJECT IS MANAGED BY THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE OFFICIALLY, UM, THEY'RE THE ONES KIND OF OVERSEEING THESE SCHEDULING, UM, OF THOSE EVENTS.
AND SO, UM, RIGHT NOW THEY'RE KIND OF EXPLORING, UM, EVENT TIMES NOW OR IN THE SPRING.
AND SO, UM, AS MORE INFORMATION COMES, I'LL DEFINITELY BE SHARING THAT WITH Y'ALL.
UM, SO LIKELY WATSON PARK WILL GET, UM, LOOPED INTO A FEW OTHER SITES.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT, UH, THE BOND PROGRAM HAS SOME OTHER PROJECTS KIND OF COMING TO A COM, YOU KNOW, COMPLETION, AND SO THEY WANNA, UM, KIND OF CONSOLIDATE, YOU KNOW, SITES AND INTO A, MAYBE A POTENTIAL NEXT BUILD BILL GARLAND DAY.
UM, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PHOTOS, IT LOOKS REALLY AWESOME OUT THERE.
UM, PUTTING IN THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON THE SPLASH PAD AND, UH, THE FUTSAL COURT LOOKS AMAZING.
OR WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, OUR FIRST FUTSAL COURT IN THE SYSTEM, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.
UM, AND THE SOCCER FIELD OUT THERE GOT FULLY RECONDITIONED.
SO NEW SOIL, NEW GRADING, UH, NEW IRRIGATION, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UH, VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, WHAT WATSON PARK HAS BECOME, YOU KNOW, FROM WHERE IT CAME FROM.
UM, A, UH, SOWS HERE AND SO FAR,
SO SINCE I WILL BE ASKED THIS QUESTION NEXT TIME I SEE REBA, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S THE STATUS ON THE NATURE AREA, PLANTING THE AREA? WHAT, WHAT DO WE, WHEN DO WE ANTICIPATE THAT? UH, YEAH.
SO ORIGINALLY WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THAT WE WERE HOPING TO PARTNER WITH GISD ON, ON THAT TO COME TO FRUITION BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT IN OUR BUDGET TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME COMPONENTS THAT WE WERE HOPING TO GET INTO OUR BUDGET, UH, THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO KIND OF DESIGNATE THAT.
UH, WE ARE, UH, WE DID MANAGE TO GET ENOUGH FUNDING PUT IN FOR, UM, IRRIGATION, UH, EXPANSION.
UH, SO WE ADDED A COUPLE OF IRRIGATION ZONES TO GET INTO THAT AREA.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE QUITE ENOUGH FUNDING TO GET SIDEWALKS, UM, YOU KNOW, INTO THAT AREA TO GET, TO BRING PEOPLE THERE.
UM, SO THAT'LL HAVE TO COME AS A FUTURE REQUEST, UH, OR A PARTNERSHIP, YOU KNOW, WITH GISD IF THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, PUT IN SOME OF THE, UM, IN KIND, YOU KNOW, UH, SHARE, UH, FUND SHARING WITH THAT BECAUSE, UM, I UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED BUT NOT WANTING TO REALLY FOLLOW THROUGH.
AND THAT WAS MOSTLY AT THE MM-HMM.
THEY JUST WANTED TO GET THEIR KIDS INTO GARDENS.
AND HAVING A, A POLLINATOR POLLINATOR HABITAT, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT LARGE IN THAT AREA OF THE PARK IS A GREAT IDEA.
UM, IT'S JUST NOT GONNA HAPPEN WITH THIS PROJECT.
IT'LL HAPPEN WITH SOME FUTURE FUNDING.
I WOULD SAY THERE, LIKE, UM, I USED TO WORK AT A SCHOOL BESIDE WATSON AND BEFORE I LEFT I
[01:20:01]
KNOW THAT THE NURSE THERE IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT, OR DID A LOT OF, HAD DONE LIKE A HEALTH FAIR WITH HOLLOW BALL RECREATION CENTER.SO IT DOESN'T SUGGESTION AS LIKE A PIONEER, LIKE AN ADVOCATE FROM THAT SCHOOL TO REALLY HELP, UM, BRIDGE THAT PARTNERSHIP.
YOU KNOW, IF THE NURSE IS STILL THERE.
WHAT WAS THE NURSE'S NAME? I CAN, YES, IT'S BEEN A WHILE, SO I CAN'T REMEMBER.
I KNOW HOW SHE LOOKS LIKE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF SHE THERE
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S HER NAME.
I CAN TEXT SOMEONE THERE THAT STILL WORKS TO SEE IF SHE'S STILL, BUT YEAH, SHE WAS.
UM, I'M SURE THEY WOULD LOVE THAT.
UM, AND I WONDER ALSO THE QUESTION WITH LIKE WATSON PARK, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PARK DEPARTMENT CAN DO MUCH OF, AND MAYBE THAT'S FROM THE VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR THAT'S WORKING WITH MATT, HOW WE CAN REALLY TRY TO HELP THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, EVEN THAT SCHOOL OR PTA HELP FORM LIKE A FRIEND'S PARK GROUP, UM, JUST TO REALLY HELP 'EM, LIKE YEAH, JUST TO GET THEM STARTED AND FOR THEM TO LEAD THAT.
'CAUSE IT'S INSIDE AND IT'S NESTLED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND I THINK IT'D BE GREAT.
IT'D BE THE NEIGHBORHOOD OPPORTUNITY ASSOCIATION.
'CAUSE THAT'S A VERY INVOLVED SCHOOL.
THAT SCHOOL IS HAS A LOT OF PARENTS AND A LOT OF COMMUNITY PARENT INVOLVED.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, YES.
ON UM, BISBEE TRAIL, HOW, WHERE IS IT? CAN YOU PULL, LIKE PULL UP A GOOGLE MAP OR SOMETHING BECAUSE I, YES.
UH, HOPEFULLY THE INTERNET IS CONNECTED HERE.
UH, SHOULD, IT'S BEHIND THE HOUSE WHERE MY COUSIN USED TO LIVE.
NO, INTERNET'S NOT WORKING, UNFORTUNATELY.
BALLPARK IT, IS IT LIKE A BLUE, IS IT THE BLUE LINE? SO BISBEE TRAIL IS A TRANSMISSION EASEMENT THAT IS JUST NORTH OF APOLLO ROAD AT JUPITER ROAD.
SO WHERE APOLLO AND JUPITER INTERSECT, THERE'S A TRANSMISSION LINE THAT RUNS RIGHT NORTH OF THAT.
UM, THERE'S ACTUALLY A WATER, UH, THAT'S WHERE THE WATER UTILITIES OFFICE IS, OR I THINK THEY'RE MOVING.
BUT, UM, SO RICHARDSON WATER, UM, AND GARLAND WATER ARE, THERE'S A TREATMENT PLAN IN THERE AND KIND OF A DISTRIBUTION, UH, TANK.
UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S A TREATMENT PLAN.
IT'S ACTUALLY A, A HUB AND THEN THEY DISTRIBUTE WATER FROM THERE.
UH, ALSO THERE'S ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION, SO THERE'S A LOT OF UTILITIES RIGHT THERE.
AND SO THAT BEING A TRANSMISSION CORRIDOR, UM, FOR, FOR GPNL, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THEM AND, AND GET THAT TRAIL IN THERE.
SO ONE OF THE, THE, THE IMPETUS FOR BUILDING THAT TRAIL WAS APOLLO ROAD IS OUR MAIN ON STREET NETWORK, YOU KNOW, FOR THE, UM, NORTH SOUTH BIKEWAY OR MGR BIKEWAY.
AND SO THAT IS WHERE WE CURRENTLY CONNECT TO THE CITY OF RICHARDSON.
AND, UM, IF YOU'RE ON A BIKE GOING TO JUPITER TOWARDS JUPITER ON APOLLO, IT'S NOT A SAFE PLACE FOR A BICYCLIST TO BE 'CAUSE IT'S NOT A CONTROLLED INTERSECTION.
UH, SO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS CREATE AN OFF STREET CONNECTION THROUGH THIS TRANSMISSION EASEMENT, UM, TO GET BICYCLISTS MORE SAFELY TO JUPITER.
UH, WE STILL NEED TO WORK OUT GETTING ACROSS JUPITER.
UM, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER, UM, COORDINATION EFFORT THAT WE'RE DOING WITH CITY OF RICHARDSON.
UM, WE'VE TARGETED SEVERAL AREAS TO, TO MAKE THAT TRANSITION.
SO WHAT WE'LL LIKELY END UP DOING IN THE FUTURE IS ONCE PEOPLE GET TO JUPITER FROM THIS TRAIL, WE'LL HAVE AN EITHER NORTH SOUTH CONNECTION ALONG JUPITER TO GET PEOPLE TO WHERE WE WANT TO CROSS THEM TO GET INTO RICHARDSON.
AND SO IT'S ALL PART OF THE LARGER PLAN TO GET PEOPLE MOVING THROUGH GARLAND, UH, AND OUR SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
UM, WE HAD TO DO WHAT WE CAN BITS AT A TIME AS FUNDING BECOMES AVAILABLE.
SO THIS IS JUST ONE PIECE OF THE LARGE PUZZLE.
AND HOW LONG IS HOW, UM, THE TRAIL A LITTLE OVER A MILE, ISN'T IT? YEAH, YEAH.
UH, I BELIEVE ONE POINT SOMETHING I CAN'T RECALL.
YEAH, IT'S UH, 12 FOOT, 12 FOOT WIDE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
HE HAS A LOT OF CIRCULATION BACK AND FORTH.
YOU'RE NOT STANDING IN THE GRASS WHEN, WHEN PASSES YOU, SO YOU HAVE, WE A LOT OF REAL ESTATE.
I WONDER IF POLLINATORS GARDENS COULD GO ALONG THAT TRAIL THAT'S BEEN SUGGESTED BEFORE.
I'VE BEEN, UH, TO A TRAIL IN, THERE'S A TRAIL IN DALLAS AND THEY HAVE POLLIN AIR GARDENS ALONG AGAIN.
NORTH, NORTH HAVEN, LAKE HIGHLANDS ON THE HIGH SCHOOL.
WELL, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO WAIT TO ASK GPNL TO GET ON
[01:25:01]
BOARD WITH THAT UNTIL AFTER THEY GET OVER US ASKING THEM TO GET A TRAIL IN.SHOULD
SO WELL NOT DONE, BUT, SO THE TRAILS IN RICK ODEN PARK ARE DONE.
AND IT GOES ALL THE WAY TO DUCK CREEK.
IT CROSSES MILLER ROAD UNDERNEATH MILLER ROAD AND THEN TERMINATES JUST NORTH OF MILLER ROAD.
WE'RE STILL WORKING ON GETTING THAT CONNECTION TO CENTRAL.
BUT GOING BACK THE OTHER WAY, SO THE, GOING BACK SOUTH, WHAT WE DO IS OUR TRAIL, THE OFF STREET TRAIL TERMINATES AT BRIARWOOD DRIVE AND IT TRANSITIONS TO THE ON STREET NETWORK.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE, WE'RE GONNA SIGN THE ROUTE TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF RICK ODEN AND GO WEST ON BRIARWOOD TO GET TO GLENBROOK, WHICH IS THE EXISTING ON STREET NETWORK.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS MORE, I, IF WE COULD, UM, WHEN WE PRINT OUT THESE CAP PROJECT LIST, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, UNLESS IT DOES CHANGE EVERY MONTH, WHICH I FEEL LIKE SOME OF THEM DON'T JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE IN DESIGN, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO LIKE, UH, BOLDEN THE ONES THAT WHERE THERE IS AN UPDATE? HMM.
I JUST FEEL LIKE IT JUST HELPS.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE WOULD WANT THAT GOOD IDEA.
SOMETHING'S NEW SO WE CAN YEAH, I DON'T MIND DOING THAT.
WE CAN, WE CAN KIND OF HIGHLIGHT THE ONES THAT HAVE, UM, HAVE ANY CHANGES.
'CAUSE YEAH, I MEAN EVEN IF WE HAVE MINOR CHANGES, IT'S HARD TO GO BACK AND CHECK WHAT, WHAT WAS DONE.
THAT WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
UH, IS THERE ANY, UH, UPDATE ON THE VAS PRO BOARDWALK? SO, UNFORTUNATELY WE DID NOT GET THE GRANT.
UM, I WAS INFORMED ON THURSDAY, UM, WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACTUALLY, UH, THAT THIS, THAT OUR ITEM DID NOT MOVE FORWARD FROM TDOT'S RECOMMENDATION TO THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
SO, UM, THEY HAD JUST PUBLISHED THEIR AGENDA THAT WEEK, AND SO WE DID NOT SEE OUR PROJECT ON THE AGENDA.
SEVERAL OTHER PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, UM, WERE AWARDED.
IT WAS OVER $350 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS.
UNFORTUNATELY WE DID NOT MAKE THIS ROUND, BUT WE HAVE A GREAT PROJECT AND SO WE'LL APPLY TO THE NEXT GRANT AND HOPEFULLY GET THAT.
AND HOW LONG MIGHT THAT BE BEFORE THAT APPLICATION COULD GO IN? UH, USUALLY THOSE TA TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES, UH, CALL FOR PROJECTS COME AROUND EVERY COUPLE YEARS, UM, BETWEEN TXDOT, UH, NOW TDOT AND THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.
SO WE'RE, WE ALWAYS KEEP OUR EYES OPEN AND THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR INFORMATION AND DATA IN PLACE, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE THAT NEXT APPLICATION SO CAN MOVE QUICKLY.
UH, NEXT ONE, JOHN PAUL JONES PARK, UM, EXTENDING THE TRAIL AROUND THROUGH, UNDER PRESIDENT BUSH AREA AND FINISHING UP THE PARK THERE.
HOW, WHERE ARE WE ON THAT? SO YEAH, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE MHS, OUR CONSULTANT.
UM, WE'VE HAD A FEW KICKOFF MEETINGS HERE.
THEY, UH, IN PARKS RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE DOING THE SURVEY OF THE, THEIR SCOPE, TRYING TO CAPTURE ALL THE EXISTING, UM, SO I THINK THAT SHOULD BE WRAPPED UP.
UM, WHEN WE LAST SPOKE, IT WAS ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, SO IT COULD BE LATER THIS WEEK OR MAYBE NEXT WEEK WE'LL HAVE SOME SURVEY INFORMATION.
WE'LL REGROUP AND REALLY REFINE THAT CONCEPT.
UH, THE INTENT IS REALLY JUST THE PARKING LOT AS YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT IN THE BEST OF SHAPE.
UH, AND YOU HAVE A REALLY EXTREME CROSS SLOPE FOR THAT BOAT LAUNCH.
SO WE'RE LOOKING TO IMPROVE THAT, IMPROVE CIRCULATION, UM, AS WELL AS THE BOAT LAUNCH.
UH, WELL ACTUALLY THE, THE, I GUESS THE OBSERVATION DECK WE'RE CALLING IT, UH, SO WHERE YOU CAN REALLY HAVE MAYBE, MAYBE IT'S A BOARDWALK OR SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY UTILIZE AND, UH, WHETHER YOU'RE FISHING OR YOU JUST WANNA STAND AND LOOK AT IT, BUT IT'S ALSO UPDATING, UH, THE, THE LAKE EDGE.
THERE'S A PORTION OF THE WALL THAT'S REALLY ERODED.
SO THE, THE INTENT IS REALLY JUST TO GET A REALLY GOOD SURVEY, REGROUP AND, UH, YOU KNOW, GET A NICE CONCEPT AND GET THE BALL ROLLING WITH IT.
JUST TO CLARIFY, OUR, OUR SCOPE ENDS BASICALLY AT THE CHA HA BOAT RAMP, YOU KNOW, SO OUR, OUR, THE SCOPE OF THAT PROJECT IS TO, UH, RE REPLACE THE PARKING LOT, REPLACE THE BOAT RAMP, INSTALL A NEW SEAWALL, UH, PUT IN A COURTESY DOCK, UH, POTENTIALLY ANOTHER FISH ONE, ONE FISHING DOCK NEAREST TO THE BOAT RAMP.
AND SO OUR FOOTPRINT IS RIGHT AROUND CHOW HA BOAT RAMP THEN, AND IT DOESN'T EXTEND TO
[01:30:01]
BEYOND THAT BY CHA HA BOAT RAMP BACK TOWARDS I 30.SO RIGHT NOW IT'S, IT'LL END AT ZION ROAD.
SO WHERE THE, WHERE THE, I KNOW WHERE IT COMES IN.
IS THERE ANY, ANYTHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TO FINISH UP THE CLEANUP WORK THAT THE CITY'S DONE ALL DOWN BETWEEN THE BOAT RAMP AND GEORGE BUSH? SO WE HAVEN'T, LET'S GET YOU SPECIFIC, 'CAUSE MATT'S HEARD THIS SEVERAL TIMES AND THAT IS THAT, UH, AS WE GET DOWN THERE TOWARDS GEORGE BUSH, WHERE WE HAVE AN AREA WHERE WE'RE GETTING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE'S FIRST, UM, THOUGHT OF THE CITY OF GARLAND IS THE JUNK.
WE'VE LEFT THEM THERE WITH ALL THE TREES AND THE MESS AND THINGS DOWN IN THERE AND IT'S JUST, IT'S ONLY AN AREA MAYBE 150 FEET, 200 FEET LONG.
AND WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CLEAN THAT UP.
AND YET WE'RE GETTING ALL THESE PEOPLE SITTING UP ON A HIGH ABOVE LOOKING DOWN INTO THAT WHEN, TO ME THAT'S OUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS AGAIN.
YEAH, YOU'RE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A REALLY, A MUCH LARGER ISSUE WITH, WITH ROW THAT CREEK AND ALL THE DEBRIS THAT GETS WASHED INTO THE LAKE AND, AND HOW THE WATER CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH LAKE RAY HUBBARD.
UNFORTUNATELY, DESPITE OUR BEST EFFORTS THAT THAT DEBRIS QUICKLY ACCUMULATES AND, AND WE TECHNICALLY HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS TO, TO DO THAT CLEANUP.
AND, AND WE DO HAVE OUR BEST EFFORTS EVERY SO OFTEN A FEW TIMES A YEAR TO DO THAT.
BUT, UM, THIS PROJECT WILL NOT ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
AND REALLY, I WASN'T TALKING ABOUT THE DEBRIS, I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE, JUST THE PRUNING THE TREES AND CUTTING THE WEEDS UP ON THE SIDE OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
WE STOPPED, WE DID SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB DOWN THERE, ALMOST TO THE END, AND I NEVER QUITE UNDERSTOOD WHY WE DIDN'T CARRY THAT ON JUST A LITTLE BIT FURTHER BECAUSE THERE IS A PLACE YOU, YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION.
IMPRESSION AND EVERYTHING ELSE YOU GOT DOWN THERE DOESN'T MAKE THE FIRST IMPRESSION.
THEY NOT INCLUDING THE STUFF IN THE WATER, BUT THE, THE STUFF THAT'S UP ON THE EMBANKMENT.
AND I JUST THINK THAT WE SURELY, SOME WAY OR ANOTHER WE COULD GET A CREW DOWN IN THERE AND SPEND A SPEND A DAY AND MAKE A, A LOT OF DIFFERENCE IN THAT.
BUT ANYWAY, I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN SAYING THE SAME THING FOR A YEAR OR TWO.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE,
UM, WE NEED TO TRY TO GET THIS THING WRAPPED UP IN THE NEXT HOUR AND A HALF LOT TO THAT PARK OPERATIONS DIVISION UPDATE.
IS THAT YOU SIR? YEAH, I'D BE HAPPY TO, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ANYBODY HAS, UH, JUST SEE ANY, JUST TO, UH, UH, ONE THING THAT WASN'T ON THERE, UH, THIS SATURDAY IS OUR TREE GIVEAWAY IN ARBOR DAY.
UH, CEREMONY WILL BE AT EIGHT 30.
SO IF ANYBODY WANTS TO COME OUT TO THAT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME.
UM, BUT IT'LL BE A BUSY, IT'LL BE A BUSY DAY THERE.
SO WE'VE GOT ABOUT 75 VOLUNTEERS.
WE'RE GONNA BE PLANTING A BUNCH OF TREES AND GIVING AWAY A WHOLE BUNCH OF TREES.
SO HOW MANY, AN APPROXIMATE NUMBER.
HOW MANY YOU THINK YOU HAVE? TREES TREE? UH, WE'RE GIVING AWAY 400 AND WE'RE PLANTING 50 IN THE PARK.
SO, UM, IT'LL BE A BUSY DAY FOR SURE.
BUT IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UH, ABOUT PARKS, MAINTENANCE RELATED ISSUES, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER.
YEAH, THERE'S ONE OUT BY LAKE RAY HUBBARD.
THE, UH, COACHES CORNER ME THE OTHER DAY AT THE, AT THE CAR ABOUT FIELD NUMBER TWO IS THAT FIELD DOESN'T, DOESN'T HAVE A FENCE AROUND IT.
THE BALL FIELD, THE T-BALL FIELD THAT IT HAS BIG HOLES IN IT AND THEY HAVE A HARD TIME PLAYING ON EVEN PRACTICING.
THAT'S, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
AS FAR AS USAGE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE DONE UNTIL, UH, SPRING, BUT THERE'S SOME TEAMS THAT AROUND PLAY.
WAIT, I'M GONNA ASK, UH, DOG PARK, UM, THE SHADE STRUCTURE, IS THAT DONE YET? YES, IT'S DONE.
MARK? YES, IT'S, I'VE SEEN IT.
WELL, I MEAN, I'VE SEEN IT FOR CAP.
MARK WILL HAVE, MARK WILL HAVE AN UPDATE FOR US ON THAT ONE.
UM, RIGHT NOW THEY ARE, UH, THEY'VE COMPLETED THE, THE STRUCTURE ITSELF.
UM, THEY'RE WAITING ON THE SOD FARM TO HAVE THE SOD AVAILABLE SO THEY CAN CUT THAT.
UM, AND THEY'RE ANTICIPATING IF THEY CAN'T GET IT THIS WEEK, IT'S GONNA BE NEXT WEEK WEATHER PENDING.
NOW THEY'RE TRYING NOT TO REALLY DISTURB THE AREA.
'CAUSE IF IT GETS WET AND THEY DRIVE ON IT, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIX IT EVEN MORE.
SO, UM, TODAY THEY WERE PUTTING THE FENCE UP.
UH, THEY HAVE THE STONE BENCHES, THE GRAVEL, THE STRUCTURE IS GOOD.
EVERYTHING IS COMPLETE ON THE PAVING.
SO SOD IS THE LAST LINGERING ITEM.
SO, AND IT COULD BE OPENED UP TO THE PUBLIC CAN.
[01:35:01]
ANYTHING ELSE? UH, COMMUNICATIONS EN CLOSURES.
THE, UH, I TALKED TO CENTRAL PARK ONE DAY DURING THE DAY.
THERE MUST HAVE BEEN 30 KIDS IN THERE JUST HANGING AROUND DIFFERENT PLACES AROUND THE BALL FIELDS AND THE PLAYGROUND.
AND I TALKED TO SOME OF OUR PARENTS.
THEY SAID THEY, THEY CAN'T EVEN GO TO THE PLAYGROUND DURING THE DAY 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY KIDS.
SO I CALLED THE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OFFICE, SAID, HELP YOU.
I SAID, WELL, YOU GOT ABOUT 40 KIDS OVER HERE.
CAN YOU MAYBE SEND SOMEBODY OVER HERE TO BRING THEM BACK? NOPE.
IT IS A ONGOING BATTLE, UH, THAT THE GRAINGER FIGHTS THAT WE FIGHT.
UM, WE DID, WE HAD SOME PARKING ISSUES OVER THERE AND, AND WE PUT UP THREE HOUR PARKING SIGNS AND WE ACTUALLY WROTE, UH, ALMOST 50 TICKETS IN ONE DAY ALL AND BASEBALL.
AND THEY'LL GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE BASEBALL FIELDS.
UH, WE PROBABLY HAVE POLICE CALLS THERE EVERY DAY.
THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, UH, THE HIGH SCHOOL WAS SENDING, UM, SECURITY THROUGH AND TRYING TO ROUND PEOPLE UP.
BUT THAT SEEMS TO HAVE DROPPED OFF A LITTLE BIT.
BUT IT IS A ABSOLUTE CONSTANT, CONSTANT ISSUE.
AND, AND THE ONE THING THAT I RECOMMEND TO YOU AND TO ANYBODY ELSE IS IF YOU SEE SOME THINGS THAT ARE ILLEGAL, UM, MAKE SURE YOU CALL 9 1 1.
UH, THEY'RE ON, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING TWO CAMERAS PLACED OUT THERE.
UM, SO WE'LL AT LEAST HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL EYES ON THERE.
BUT IT IS A, IT'S AN ONGOING ISSUE THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE FOR SURE.
I THINK THAT'S JUST A TESTAMENT TO HOW BEAUTIFUL THE PARKS ARE.
THEY JUST REALLY WANT TO BE THERE.
OH, WE CREATE THESE PROBLEMS. UH, OH.
I WAS ON PART OF A GAME ON FIELD NUMBER ONE AND WENT IN THE RESTROOM, WASHED MY HANDS, AND THE AIR BLOWER THING WAS NOT THERE ANYMORE.
YEAH, THEY'S NEEDED THEM FROM THEIR HOUSE.
THEY'VE, THEY'VE STOLEN MULTIPLE ONES ACROSS THE, THE, THE SITE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF, OF NOT REPLACING THEM WITH AS NICE OF ONES THAT ARE IN THERE, BUT GETTING THEM
TWO 20, WORKING IN THEIR HOUSE.
AND QUICKLY IN ROUNDING UP HERE, COMMUNICATIONS, ENCLOSURES, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO TELL US ABOUT THAT? AND WE KNOW THEY'RE THERE AND LOOK AT 'EM.
THEY'RE THERE AND THEY LOOKING AT 'EM.
UM, UH, JUST AS A, AS A CLOSING, AS A CLOSING THING ON WHAT WE DID WITH THE, THE, THE NATIONAL PARKS MEETING.
IT, IT STARTS WITH WHERE COMMUNITY GROWS IN, IN, IN ALMOST EVERY, I MEAN, EVERY SEEMED LIKE HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF I'D HEAR SOMEONE TALK ABOUT PARKS ARE THE BEGINNINGS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, NOT ACCORDING TO OKAY.
OH,
UM, AND, AND WITH THAT, WHERE'S THE, IS THE BOND BOND COMMITTEE WORKING? UM, SO TO MY KNOWLEDGE IT HAS NOT BEEN SET YET.
I THINK THEY'RE LOOKING TO SEAT THE BOND COMMITTEE COME FIRST OF THE YEAR.
COME SEAT THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
I HADN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, BUT I'M, I'M, I'M SORRY, DON.
THAT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOND
WELL, I'M TELLING YOU, WHEN, WHEN WE WERE HERE, IT WAS ECONOMIC PARKS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WERE, WERE JUST AS INTEGRAL AS ANYTHING YOU COULD GET.
UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, WE HAD, I HAVE KIND OF A LIST THAT WE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO KIND OF GO THROUGH, SEE HOW WE WOUND UP AT THE END OF THE NIGHT TONIGHT.
WE HAD HAD A A, A LONG MEETING.
WE GOT A LOT OF STUFF TO DISCUSS AND I, I, I, I APOLOGIZE FOR, FOR THOSE IF THAT, I KNOW WE ALL WANTED TO GO SEE THE BALL GAME, BUT HOPEFULLY DVR'D IT AND WE COULD SEE IT QUICKER.
WE HAVEN'T MISSED ANYTHING YET.
SOME OF US CAN GET HOME SOONER THAN HOURS.
UH, DECEMBER, THE, DECEMBER THE SIXTH.
THE NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR THE FIRST WEDNESDAY IN JANUARY.
AND MATT AND I TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF MOVING THAT BACK TO JANUARY THE 10TH.
UH, SO THAT YOU ALL HAVE A HEADS UP.
CORRECT? WE'LL, WE'LL WORK ON IT AND SEE WHAT THE BILITIES ARE, SEE WHAT WE CAN, WE CAN DO WITH THAT.
AND IT REALLY, IT COMES DOWN TO THE USAGE OF THIS ROOM AND WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO LET, LET ME REVIEW IT AND WE'LL DISCUSS IT IN DECEMBER.
IF IT'S JUST THE COUNSELING HERE, WE CAN RUN THEM OUT.
AND I, I WHO SAID THAT, SEAN? BE QUIET.
IT SAYS TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS MEETS, I MEAN, EVERY, A LOT OF THE COMMITTEES HAVE STANDING MEETINGS.
WE'LL FIGURE, WE'LL FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.
WE'LL FIGURE THERE'S, IF NOT, WE'LL DO IT ON THIRD
WE CAN MEET ACROSS THE STREET.
[01:40:01]
WE CAN GO MEET AT THE GRANGER.EVERYONE SAID SOMETHING THAT I SAID I MISSED.
JANSSEN, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THIS, SIR? IS THERE SOMETHING WE MISSED OUT THAT YOU, YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE INCLUDED IN THIS? OR HAVE WE GIVEN YOU ENOUGH INFORMATION TO TOTALLY SATURATE YOUR BRAIN CELLS? WE'RE GOOD.
WE GOT, WE GOT SOMETHING THERE.
MR. PARISH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AN UPDATE ON THE SECURITY, YOU KNOW, THE HIRING OF POLICE OFFICERS AND DEPLOYING THEM AND WHEN APPROPRIATE SOONER THAN LATER, PREFERABLY IN REAL, IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE PARKS, IS THAT IT WENT THE SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET OR WHATEVER THEY CALLED IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'LL BE NEXT MONTH OR THE FOLLOWING, BUT I'LL GET IT ON THAT.
IS THAT ONLY FOR SPRING CREEK FOREST? NO, ONE 90 A YEAR.
NO, NO, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S MATT'S CALL.
YOU KNOW, AS TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE, I THINK.
WE'VE HAD A, WE'VE HAD A WONDERFUL MEETING THIS EVENING.
I, I, MY GOAL OUT OF EACH ONE OF THESE MEETINGS IS FOR US TO, IS TO HAVE A FEEL OF, OF WHAT IS TRULY GOING ON IN THE CITY, UH, WITH PARKS AND, AND FROM THE AMOUNT OF QUESTIONS AND, UH, AND COMMENTS THAT WE HAD TONIGHT.
UH, WE ALL HAVE A LITTLE BETTER UNDERSTANDING WHEN WE LEAVE THAN WHEN WE GOT HERE.
IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO BE SAID, AND I HOPE THERE'S NOT, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
OH, UH, I'D BE WILLING TO JOIN SOME KIND OF DIGITAL
I'M GLAD THE MICS ARE OFF RIGHT THERE.