[*This meeting was joined in progress*]
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[Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on April 3, 2024.]
MOTION TO APPROVE.UH, WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE, UH, MARCH 6TH, 2024, UM, MINUTES TO THE MEETING.
AND WHO MADE THAT MOTION? I'M SORRY.
AND WE NEED A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE, APPROVE THE MINUTES.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
THE FIRST THING WE HAVE IS PUBLIC COMMENTS.
IF WE HAVE ANYONE IN THE ROOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO, UH, SAY SOMETHING TO THE PARKS BOARD, WELL NOW'S THE TIME TO DO IT.
UH, THEY'RE OH, PUBLIC COMMENTS.
AND, UH, NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK ON THAT.
SO WE'LL GET ONTO THE ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
UH, FIRST THING IS, UH, CHAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS, WHICH I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.
'CAUSE THE ONE QUESTION I HAD WAS BEEN ANSWERED, OR WILL BE.
AND, UH, I THINK IS ANYBODY, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY ITEMS THAT, UH, THAT THEY'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THAT THIS POINT IN TIME DON'T TYPICALLY DO? WE WANNA MAKE SURE.
UH, THREE B, CONSIDER A PARKS AND RECREATION PARK TOUR IN JUNE OF 2024 IN LIEU OF REGULAR JUNE MEETING.
SO, UM, I GUESS, ARE WE ON? THERE WE GO.
UH, SO BY PAST TWO JUNES, WE'VE DONE A, A PARKS TOUR TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE CIP PROJECTS THAT ARE, UM, GOING ON.
AND SO, JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ALL'S ATTENTION, I'M ASSUMING, TO ME.
I THINK THEY'RE A FANTASTIC WAY TO BE ABLE TO GET YOU ALL OUT TO, TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND JUNE'S USUALLY PRETTY LIGHT MONTH.
SO IF YOU ALL ARE INTERESTED, WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE A, A FORMAL, UM, CONSIDERATION HERE TO MOVE THAT.
AND THEN WE CAN ALSO TALK ABOUT SOME POTENTIAL LOCATIONS THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA GO LOOK AT.
UM, OBVIOUSLY HOLLOW BALL, I THINK, NEEDS TO BE ON THE LIST.
HOLFORD, UH, SOME AMAZING, SOME OF THE THINGS OUT, OUT AT HOLFORD RIGHT NOW.
BISBEE TRAIL, I THINK IS A GOOD ONE THAT'S OUT THERE.
WE COULD EVEN SWING DOWN THROUGH THE, THE GREEN, UM, DUCK CREEK SOUTH EXTENSION TRAIL IS A, A, A REALLY GOOD ONE THAT WE COULD GO LOOK AT.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S JUST A, A HANDFUL.
SO DO IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE'VE DONE IN PAST, YOU KNOW, UH, MEET IT POC OR MEET AT, UH, ADMIN, LIKE AROUND EIGHT 30.
WE'LL HAVE SOME DONUTS AND COFFEE.
GET ON THE ROAD BY NINE AND FINISH UP AND EAT TOO MUCH AT BABE'S AND BRING Y'ALL BACK BY NOON.
SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, WE WERE LOOKING AT, AT DATES, UM, IN JUNE.
SO IF Y'ALL LOOK AT THAT, TO ME, THE EIGHTH THROUGH THE 15TH IS GONNA BE OUR BEST BET.
UH, THE 15TH IS JUNETEENTH, WHICH IS THE, UM, WHEN WE DID IT LAST YEAR.
BUT EITHER ONE OF THOSE, IF ONE OF THOSE WORKS BETTER FOR, FOR ONE OF YOU ALL, THEN YOU GUYS CAN MAKE A MOTION.
AND, OR IF YOU WANTED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION, IF YOU WANNA DO IT A DIFFERENT MONTH, IT'S COMPLETELY UP TO YOU ALL.
UH, IT'S JUST A RECOMMENDATION, BUT WOULD BE GOOD TO GET YOU OUT.
THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT THINGS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW ON THESE PROJECTS, AND I'M SURE YOU ALL WOULD LOVE TO SEE.
SO, DO YOU NEED A MOTION TO DO THIS? WE SHOULD HAVE A MOTION TO, TO GET THE DISCUSSION STARTED.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DISCUSS HAVING A MEETING, UH, BOARD RETREAT.
A TOUR A TOUR OF OUR FACILITIES IN LIEU OF A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING THAT MONTH.
NOW, WE'LL NOW WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THIS.
FIRST OFF, LET'S, I NEED YOU ALL, WELL, YOU'VE ALL MADE A MOTION NOW, WHICH IS FINE.
YOU NEED TO, YOU, YOU NEED TO VOTE ON YOUR MOTION.
BUT THERE WAS ALSO, THERE WASN'T A DATE IN THAT.
WE'RE IN DISCUSSION NOW TO GET THERE.
RIGHT? BUT YOU, BUT YOU HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR THAT'S BEEN SECONDED IT, SO YOU HAVE TO ACT ON THAT, OR, UNLESS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOME DISCUSSION, AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MOLLY DO A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO HER MOTION TO ADD THE DATE.
WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE FOLLOWING ROBERT'S RULES HERE.
OKAY? I A WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR, AND NOW WE'RE OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
AND THAT DISCUSSION WOULD, UH, BE TO, UNLESS THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO IS DETERMINE A DATE.
AND WE'RE LOOKING IN JUNE AND JUNE THE EIGHTH IS THE FIRST SATURDAY, UH, IN THE MONTH OF JUNE 2ND.
AND I HAD IT IN FRONT OF ME THE SECOND SATURDAY.
UH, HAS, DOES ANYBODY KNOW OF ANY CONFLICTS THAT THEY MAY HAVE ON THAT DATE? UH, I KNOW I'LL PROBABLY BE HAVING A NEW CHILD THAT FIRST WEEK, SO
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ABOUT FOUR YEARS LATER.UM, WELL, THE 15TH, I'M, I ALREADY HAVE A COMMITMENT, AND SO I HAVE A, I HAVE A COMMITMENT ON, LIKE I SAID, YOU DON'T HAVE TO MOVE IT ON MY BEHALF.
I WAS JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE START.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE EIGHTH? DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE EIGHTH? YOU'LL HAVE TO WORK WITH YOUR WIFE AND GET THAT ARRANGED PROPERLY.
CHERYL
MIGHT HAVE A PLUS ONE WITH ME.
DO WE HAVE A, DO I NEED TO MAKE AN, UH, FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO MY AMENDMENT TO, UH, SAY THAT WE HAVE A, UH, CONSIDER IN LIEU OF THE REGULAR JUNE MEETING, DOING A PART TOUR ON JUNE 8TH? THANK YOU, MA'AM.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE NEW MOTION AS AMENDED.
OKAY, NOW WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE JUNE 8TH.
ON JUNE THE EIGHTH FOR A TOUR.
AND JUST ONE LAST PIECE, UM, BEFORE WE GET THERE, WELL, WE'LL FINISH THIS UP AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS.
UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? UH, THAT LIST, UH, THAT MATT PRESENTED WAS A VERY SWEET BEGINNING TO WHAT THE TOUR SHOULD BE.
I LIKED EVERY ITEM YOU PUT ON THAT LIST.
WE'LL TRY NOT TO LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN.
OKAY, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S HAVE A VOTE.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION AS AMENDED, SAY AYE.
THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
AND, UH, I JUST, I BROUGHT THIS ONE JUST TO SHOW, UM, SHOW EVERYBODY WHAT, WHAT YOU'LL GET SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
PROBABLY, MAYBE SAME THING WITH JUST DIFFERENT CYCLE.
AND, AND, AND THE, THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT, IS THERE, IF THERE'S ANY WAY, IF WE COULD GET THE, WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO AND GET THIS TO US MAYBE A WEEK BEFORE, UM, SO THAT WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE TIME TO, TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT, UH, TO SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING SO WE CAN HAVE APPROPRIATE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
TWO WEEKS BEFORE, THREE WEEKS BEFORE, FOUR WEEKS BEFORE? OKAY.
MAYBE, MAYBE JUST SOME CONTENT.
I, I'D RATHER HAVE IT WHEN I'M THERE AT THE TOUR, I THINK DON'T MATTER.
YEAH, I'D IF IT, IF IT WORKS INTO THE SC SCHEDULE.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO GET IT NOW.
I MEAN, YOU'RE GONNA, THAT'S WHAT YOUR WHAT TO DO ANYWAY.
BUT IF YOU COULD HAVE IT SO THAT WE COULD GET IT OUT TO US.
'CAUSE I, I ENJOY READING ABOUT ALL THESE WONDERFUL PLACES WE HAVE HERE IN THE CITY OF GARLAND.
UH, THIS WAS FROM, UH, ONE OF THE LAST ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA REQUEST TO, UH, REPORT FROM STAFF ON THAT.
AND THEN MR. PARISH WILL HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO ADD TO THAT, I BELIEVE.
WELL, THEY TURN ON OVER THERE.
IF THEY DON'T GO BACK TO WHERE YOU WERE, MIGHT TURN ON BY.
WILL YOU JUST ADVANCE SLIDES AND I'LL JUST GO OVER? THAT'S OFF.
I'LL GO OVER HERE IF YOU DON'T MIND.
NOW DO WE NEED THESE LIGHTS ON NOW ANYMORE? UH, NO.
SO MR. PARISH SHOULD ASK FOR A, A KIND OF AN UPDATE ON SOME OF THE SAFETY AND SECURITY THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITHIN THE PARK SYSTEM, UH, AND KIND OF GIVE YOU A PREVIEW ON SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE.
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ALSO KIND OF JUST CAN THE NOTE THAT ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION IF ANYBODY HAS ANY ADDITIONAL IDEAS.YOU KNOW, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY OPEN TO ALL OF THEM BECAUSE PARK SAFETY AND SECURITY IS NUMBER ONE, UM, TO US.
WHETHER IT'S MAKING SURE THAT OUR EQUIPMENT'S KEPT UP THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE AND BEING INSPECTED THE WAY THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, TO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD, UH, SAFE PLAYING FIELDS FOR, FOR OUR LEAGUES.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S OTHER ISSUES THAT WE, WE, WE RUN INTO ALL OF THE TIME AS WELL.
AND SO I WAS GONNA KIND OF, I'LL JUST RUN THROUGH KIND OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE, THAT WE SEE.
SOME OF 'EM ARE FUN, SOME OF 'EM ARE JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU A SMALL TASTE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT WE DEAL WITH ON A DAY IN AND DAY OUT BASIS.
SO, A BIG ONE IS, YOU GUYS ALL KNOW IS HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS, AND WE DEAL WITH, UH, HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS AND, AND THOSE THAT FIND THEMSELVES HOMELESS ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
UM, OUR STAFF DEALS WITH THEM LITERALLY, UH, WEEKLY.
UM, WE DO HAVE A HOMELESS TASK FORCE.
THIS HOMELESS TASK FORCE IS VERY, VERY ACTIVE.
UH, AND JUST SINCE LAST YEAR THROUGH THIS YEAR, THEY HAVE REMOVED OVER 385 CAMPS AND OVER 254 TONS OF DEBRIS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THIS IS, UH, THIS IS ONE OF THE SMALLER CAMPS, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF A MID-SIZE CAMP.
UM, THAT WE, THAT WE HAD THAT WAS IN OUR, OUR DUCK CREEK GREEN BELT A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO.
AND THERE WAS LIKE FOUR INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN HERE.
HERE'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN WE'RE DONE.
SO WE GO IN, THERE IS ONE FULL-TIME CODE OFFICER AND ONE FULL-TIME POLICE OFFICER.
AND ALL THEY DO IS DAY IN AND DAY OUT IS THEY, UM, GO OUT AND THEY'RE IN TOUCH WITH THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY.
THEY HAVE ESSENTIALLY A DOSSIER OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE.
THEY KNOW WHEN, IF IT'S SOMEBODY THAT'S NEW, UM, HOW THEY CAME TO OUR CITY, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR, WHAT THEIR, THEIR CONDITIONS ARE, WHAT THEIR SITUATION IS.
THEY WORK VERY, VERY CLOSELY WITH THE METRO HOMELESS ALLIANCE AND ALL, ALL OF THE OTHER NONPROFITS, NOT ONLY IN GARLAND AND DALLAS AND IN RICHARDSON.
AND TRULY, I HAVE SEEN THEM WORK MIRACLES.
IF THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR CITY AND THEY TRULY, TRULY NEED HELP, THEY GET THEM HELP.
I'VE SEEN THEM GET PEOPLE INTO APARTMENTS THE SAME DAY.
OR THEY GET 'EM INTO A HOTEL, OR THEY FIND THEM HOME, OR THEY FIND A, A SHELTER FOR THEM TO STAY AT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT WE RUN INTO HAVE SEVERE MENTAL ISSUES OR HAVE SEVERE DRUG ADDICTION ADDICTIONS, AND THEY LITERALLY DO NOT WANT TO BE HELPED.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT DOESN'T WORK 'CAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE, UH, GROUPS OF PEOPLE SETTING UP RESIDENCIES IN OUR PARKS, IN OUR NATURE AREAS AND AROUND TOWN.
UM, THEY'RE VERY, UM, CONSCIENTIOUS.
THEY GIVE ALL, ALL THESE GROUPS GET 24 HOUR NOTICE.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE APPROACHED ON A, A THURSDAY OR A FRIDAY.
THERE'S A SIGN THAT'S POSTED THAT SAYS YOU HAVE 24 HOURS TO, TO GET ALL YOUR STUFF AND TO MOVE ON.
AND EVERY MONDAY, UH, WHETHER DEPENDING THEY GO IN AND THEY CLEAN THESE OUT.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IT'S WEATHER DEPENDENT.
'CAUSE A LOT OF THESE ARE IN GREEN BELTS AND IN GREEN AREAS THAT THEY, THEY JUST CAN'T PHYSICALLY GET IN THERE BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES YOU SAW THE AMOUNT OF STUFF THAT WAS IN THAT PICTURE.
THEY NEED HEAVY, UH, MACHINERY.
AND SO THERE, STORM WATER STAFF HAS A CREW DEDICATED WHERE EVERY MONDAY THEY'RE NOT WORKING ON STORMWATER STUFF.
THEY'RE WORKING ON CLEANING UP HOMELESS CAMPS.
IF THEY'RE SMALLER CAMPS, UM, PARK STAFF WILL GO IN AND WORK WITH THEM TO DO IT.
UM, THEY HAVE TO HAVE EXTRA PD INVOLVED WHEN THEY GO INTO SOME OF THESE CAMPS.
THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES THAT ARE BEING PUT TO ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE IN GARLAND IS, IS VERY IMMENSE.
AND IT'S NOT EVEN SCRATCHING THE SURFACE, UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, IT, IT BECOMES A GAME BECAUSE THEY KNOW WE CAN'T KICK 'EM OUT AS FAST AS THEY CAN SET UP.
AND SO THEY WERE LIKE, OH, YEAH, OKAY, WELL, YOU'RE MOVING ME THIS TIME.
AND THEN THEY GO OVER INTO ANOTHER AREA AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, YOU'RE OKAY.
YOU'RE GONNA MOVE ME AGAIN THIS WEEK.
AND THEN THEY GO OVER TO ANOTHER AREA.
SO IT REALLY IS A, A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE.
BUT THROUGH PERSISTENCE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF 'EM HAVE GOTTEN HELP, SOME OF THEM HAVE MOVED ON, BUT THERE'S MORE THAT COME IN AND TAKE THEIR PLACE.
WE ALSO WORK VERY, VERY CLOSELY WITH DALLAS AND MESQUITE AND THE OTHER SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO IF THERE IS A CAMP CLOSED UP THAT'S ON THE BORDER, THEN WE HAVE PD AND OUR STAFF IS LITERALLY SITTING ON THE BORDER.
SO AS THEY'RE MOVING OUT OF ONE CAMP, THEY KNOW, HEY, DON'T COME THIS WAY.
THIS IS NOT GONNA, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SPEND AN ENTIRE NIGHT, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT
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THIS ISSUE.UM, BUT I WANTED IT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT IT'S NOT THAT, IT, THAT IF YOU SEE THIS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY OF 'EM.
WE HAVE AN ONGOING MAP OF WHERE THEY ARE.
WE KNOW WHERE THE HOTSPOTS ARE, BUT THEY ALWAYS POP UP.
AND SO THE MORE EYES, THE BETTER.
IF YOU SEE A CAMP, LET ME KNOW.
I WILL LET OUR HOMELESS TASK FORCE KNOW.
AND MOST OF THE TIME THEY KNOW ABOUT IT BEFORE WE DO.
OUR STAFF ARE INSTRUCTED THAT IF THEY SEE CAMPS AND IF THEY SEE TENTS TO CALL, UH, THE CODE ENFORCEMENT, HER NAME'S DEIDRE.
SHE'S ABSOLUTELY FREAKING FANTASTIC.
UM, AND WE, WE ADDRESS 'EM AS ABSOLUTELY AS FAST AS, AS WE FIND OUT WHERE THEY ARE.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT THAT THERE'S NOT STUFF BEING DONE.
THIS COULD, THIS, THIS WHOLE CREW COULD DOUBLE IN SIZE AND WE'D STILL WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO COVER IT ALL.
BUT FOR WHAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY, THEY'RE DOING YEOMAN'S WORK AND MAKING, AND HOW WE ADDRESS HOMELESS.
AND ALSO, I WANNA LET Y'ALL KNOW, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, IS THAT IT'S DONE IN A HUMANE WAY.
AND THAT IF THEY NEED HELP, THEY DO GET HELP.
ALL RIGHT, SO NEXT STEP, VANDALISM AND GRAFFITI.
I COULD, YOU KNOW, LITERALLY IT'S, IT'S 24 7.
THIS IS JUST A, A, I COULD SIT HERE FOR AN HOUR AND SHOW YOU PICTURES OF GRAFFITI.
THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF, OF ONE DAY.
THE, THE BURNED AREA THAT YOU SEE ON THE LEFT.
UM, WE HAD A KID THAT
AND THEN HE POSTED IT ON HIS INSTAGRAM PAGE,
SO WE WERE ABLE TO TRACK HIM DOWN.
WE HAVE FIRE MARSHALS GOING AFTER HIM FOR ARSON.
HE WAS ABLE, WE ABLE TO, TO, TO DO SOME THINGS TO HIM.
BUT THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE, WE DEAL.
I MEAN, MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY COOL VIDEO, BUT WE CAN'T HAVE THAT BECAUSE IT WAS, IT WAS PRETTY NEAT.
BUT ANYWAY, THIS IS JUST A TASTE.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S LITERALLY DAILY.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH GRAFFITI ISSUES.
UM, WE HAVE A POLICY THAT, UH, WE TRY NOT TO HAVE GRAFFITI BE ON ANYTHING MORE THAN 48 HOURS.
SO AS SOON AS WE KNOW ABOUT IT, MY GUYS KNOW THAT THEY HAVE 48 HOURS TO GET IT REMOVED.
UM, 'CAUSE I'VE PROMISED ANDY, AND I'VE PROMISED COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WE WILL NOT LOSE THE GRAFFITI BATTLE.
SO IF YOU SEE GRAFFITI, LET ME KNOW.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE OTHER VANDALISM.
THIS IS, UH, UH, ONE OF THE VENT DOORS FOR ONE OF OUR NEW RESTROOMS. DURING THE COLD SPELL, WE OBVIOUSLY HAD TO LOCK THE RESTROOMS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT PIPES FREEZING.
WHILE HE HAD BUSTED OUT THIS GRATE, HE HAD CRAWLED INSIDE AND THEN REPLACED THE GRATE AND THEN DISABLED THE LOCK.
AND SO HE WAS ABLE TO LIVE IN THERE DURING THE, THE COLD SPELL.
AND WE DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS IN THERE UNTIL AFTERWARDS FOUND HIM.
SO WE DEAL WITH THAT STUFF ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
BUT AGAIN, JUST SOME, SOME FUN GRAFFITI, SOME I CAN'T SHOW YOU 'CAUSE THIS IS FOR THE PUBLIC.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT WANNA USE OUR EQUIPMENT AS TARGET PRACTICE.
SO THIS IS OUT AT, UH, WINDSURF BAY.
THEY LITERALLY SHOT UP THE PLAYGROUND, THEY SHOT UP THE PAVILION, THEY SHOT UP EVERYTHING.
UH, WE HAVE IN, SINCE THEN, WE'VE INSTALLED A NEW PLAYGROUND OUT THERE.
IT'S GOING THROUGH SOME FINAL INSPECTIONS AND IT SHOULD BE OPENED BY, UH, MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
SO, UH, AGAIN, ALONG WITH VANDALISM, JUST LIKE GRAFFITI, UH, WE TRY TO GET THOSE FIXED AND REPAIRED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SOME THINGS LIKE A PLAYGROUND THAT ARE A MUCH LARGER TICKET ITEM, UH, TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO REPLACE.
UH, I, I FORGOT TO PUT THE PICTURE IN HERE, BUT WE HAD A, A RESTROOM BURN DOWN.
THAT ONE'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO, TO REPLACE.
UM, SO, BUT WE HAVE REPLACED THIS.
WE'LL BE REPLACING THE, UM, UH, THE BASKETBALL GOALS AND THE, THE ROOF ON THE PAVILION HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
AND THEN SOMETIMES WE GET REALLY FUN ONES.
SO THIS, WHEN WE WERE GETTING READY TO, WHEN WE WERE DOING THE WORK AT AVALON PARK, WE HAD TO, UH, DRAIN A LITTLE BIT OF THE POND DOWN THERE.
IT TURNED OUT THE CAR HAD BEEN STOLEN OUTTA DALLAS AND HAD BEEN ROLLED INTO AVALON POND.
SO EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE WE GET FUN.
THAT WAS A FUN CALL WHEN HAD A WALKER CALL AND SAID, YEAH, THERE'S A CAR IN YOUR POND.
WE'RE LIKE, REALLY? SO NOBODY WAS IN THE CREEK.
UM, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THESE ISSUES? UH, ONE, IT'S DILIGENCE ON OUR STAFF.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE ADDRESS SOME OF THIS STUFF VERY, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THEY KNOW THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT VERY, VERY QUICKLY.
WE, WE DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT.
UH, WE DO A LOT OF POLICE REPORTS.
'CAUSE WE DO REPORT ALL OF THIS TO POLICE.
'CAUSE THEY HAVE A REALLY GREAT WAY OF TRACKING THESE THINGS.
WE TRACK THE AMOUNT OF HOURS, STAFF HOURS THAT WE SPEND, UM, CLEANING UP GRAFFITI, FIXING VANDALISMS. BUT WE ALSO TRACK THE COST SO THAT WE KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S ACTUALLY COSTING US TO DO THIS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE FUTURE BUDGET REQUESTS FOR STAFF, FOR CHEMICALS, FOR EQUIPMENT, FOR YOU NAME IT, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE REACTIVE.
'CAUSE AGAIN, IT'S NOT A BATTLE I'M GONNA LOSE.
AND AGAIN, AND I I JUST ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THIS IS, THIS IS NOT NEW TO PARK SYSTEMS. EVERY PARK SYSTEM FROM THE HIGH, YOU KNOW, THE MOST WEALTHIEST NEIGHBORHOODS TO, YOU KNOW, THE,
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THE LOWEST ARE E EXPERIENCE VANDALISM.UM, DO WE HAVE MORE OF IT IN SOME AREAS THAN IN OTHER AREAS? YES, OF COURSE.
AND IT, AND IT FLUCTUATES WITH TIME.
UH, ANY PARKS YOU GO TO ARE GONNA HAVE THESE ISSUES.
I'M JUST KIND OF GIVING YOU A HIGHLIGHT OF SOME OF THE STUFF THAT, THAT WE SEE.
UM, BUT IT IS AN ISSUE AND YOU DO NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU STAY ON TOP OF IT.
AND YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE BUDGETED FOR IT.
AND YOU NEED TO BE LOOKING FOR, UH, UNIQUE WAYS TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS IT.
AND ONE OF THE WAYS WE DO IT IS THROUGH OUR NEW VOLUNTEER PROGRAM AND OUR PARTNERSHIPS.
YOU KNOW, I COULD NOT DO ALL OF THE WORK THAT IS DONE AT SPRING CREEK PRESERVE WITHOUT THAT GROUP OR IN RA CREEK WITHOUT DOBA.
UM, THIS GROUP THAT YOU SEE ON THE LEFT IS A GROUP THAT JUST CAME OUTTA NOWHERE.
IT'S A GROUP, IT'S A NONPROFIT CALLED SKATE PARK RESPECTS.
UH, AND THIS, UH, THE LA THE LADY ON THE LEFT IS A VOLUNTEER WITH SKATE PARK RESPECTS.
AND SHE, WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW SHE WAS THERE.
AND SHE WAS DOING WEEKLY SATURDAY CLEANUPS FOR LIKE THREE MONTHS BEFORE WE EVEN KNEW SHE WAS DOING IT.
AND THEN WE GOT IN TOUCH WITH HER AND WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE HER A BIG BOOST AND HELP HER OUT.
AND NOW SHE DOES, UH, SHE STILL DOES, UH, EVERY SATURDAY SHE GOES OUT WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE AND THEY CLEAN UP, UH, AT THE SKATE PARK.
AND SO NOW WE PROVIDE THEM WITH SUPPLIES.
UM, WE GIVE THEM, UH, GRAFFITI REMOVAL.
WE GIVE 'EM PICKERS, WE GIVE 'EM, UH, TRASH BAGS.
WE GAVE 'EM ALL THE RESOURCES THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE.
AND SHE MANS THESE, THESE, UH, VOLUNTEER CLEANUP FOR US.
AND SHE'S ACTUALLY NOW, SHE, UH, WORKS FOR US.
SHE ACTUALLY WAS WORKING AT, AT EMRY.
AND UH, NOW SHE'S WORKING WITH US AS A, UH, WITH, WITHIN OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.
WE ALSO ARE DOING MORE WITH, UH, CORPORATE GROUPS.
SO THIS IS A VOLUNTEER DAY THAT WE HAD WITH, UH, TRICON RESIDENTIAL.
AND THEY CAME OUT TO CENTRAL PARK AND HELPED US DO A WHOLE BUNCH OF WORK.
UH, AND WE HAVE SIX VOLUNTEER, UH, DAYS SCHEDULED WITH DIFFERENT CORPORATIONS OVER THE NEXT, UH, FOUR WEEKS.
AND SO USING THEM TO BE ABLE TO HELP REPAIR AND TO CLEAN AND TO DO THOSE THINGS HELPS TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF AS WELL.
UM, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE HAVE COMING IS WE'RE INSTALLING THROUGH THE CIP PROCESS.
UH, WE'RE INSTALLING SOME CAMERAS, UH, IN SOME OF OUR, UH, TROUBLE SPOTS.
AND SO I'M GONNA SHOW YOU RIGHT NOW, THIS PROJECT IS GETTING READY TO LET, WE FINALLY GOT ALL OF THE, UM, PLANNING DONE AND FIGURED OUT WHERE WE'RE GONNA GET THE FIBER AND FIGURED OUT WHERE WE'RE GONNA GET THE ELECTRICITY AND FIGURED OUT ALL THAT KIND OF GOOD STUFF.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TWO CAMERAS AT CENTRAL PARK.
ONE IS GONNA BE RIGHT ON THE CURVE THERE BY THE PLAYGROUND, WHICH IS NOTORIOUSLY BAD SPOT.
AND THEN THE OTHER AREA, THE OTHER CAMERA IS GONNA BE DOWN IN THE LOWER PARKING LOT.
UM, BY FIELD FIVE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TWO CAMERA THREE CAMERAS AT RICK OIN.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE ONE, UH, UH, AT THE DRIVEWAY.
AS YOU ENTER THE PARK, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ONE THAT WILL COVER THE ENTIRE SKATE PARK.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE ONE ON THE BACKSIDE THAT WILL CATCH THE ENTRANCE TO THE TENNIS CENTER.
AND WE'LL CATCH THE, UH, FUTURE SPLASH PAD AND THE PLAYGROUND AND THE RESTROOM THAT ARE THERE.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE THREE AT SPRING CREEK.
AND I KNOW THIS SEEMS LIKE PROBABLY OVERKILL, UM, BUT WITH THE ACTIVITY THAT WE GET AT SPRING CREEK, WE REALLY, REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD EYES, UM, ON THE ENTIRE PARKING LOT.
AND SO THIS WILL GIVE US FULL COVERAGE.
AND WE, WHEN WE DID THIS, WE COORDINATED WITH PD.
SO WE MET OUT WITH PD, WITH IT, WITH PARKS AND PD ACTUALLY HELPED US LAY THIS OUT BASED ON THE, THE NUMBER OF CAMERAS THAT ARE IN EACH OF THESE CAMERAS, THE ANGLE THAT THEY SHOW, WHAT YOU CAN SEE, ALL OF THAT KIND OF GOOD STUFF SO THAT WE KNOW THAT WE WILL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE FULL COVERAGE OUT THERE.
SO IN ALL, WE'LL HAVE SEVEN NEW CAMERAS IN PHASE ONE.
UH, ONCE THIS PROJECT IS DONE, WE'LL ASK FOR ADDITIONAL DOLL, UH, MONEY AND WE'RE GONNA INSTALL CAMERAS AT ALL OF OUR CONCESSION STANDS AND ALL OF OUR ATHLETIC COMPLEXES.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR OTHER AREAS WHERE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, TEND TO BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, UM, HAVE HIGHER INCIDENCES AND, AND LOOK AT POTENTIALLY PUTTING CAMERAS THERE.
NOW, I WILL SAY THIS, THESE ARE NOT ACTIVELY MAN, ACTIVELY VIEWED MONITORED CAMERAS.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE PURELY A DETERRENT AND FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND CAPTURE INFORMATION AFTERWARDS SO THAT WE COULD GO AFTER SOMEBODY, UM, IF WE HAD TO.
BUT OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO BE ABLE TO ACTIVELY MANAGE THESE CAMERAS.
BUT, UH, IT WILL BE LIVE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO CAPTURE IT.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND, AND, YOU KNOW, FIND INFORMATION IF SOMETHING DOES HAPPEN.
UH, THEY'RE NOT MOTION SENSOR.
NO, NO, THEY'RE, THEY'LL BE FULL-TIME.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, WE NEED, WE NEED MORE AND MORE AND MORE, MORE AND MORE POLICE PRESENCE IN OUR PARKS.
UH, BUT AS YOU ALL HAVE, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW THE CITY, POLICE ARE UNDERSTAFFED ACROSS THE CITY.
UH, WE WORK EXTREMELY CLOSELY WITH OUR NPOS.
ALL OF MY SUPERVISORS HAVE THEIR LOCAL NPO ON SPEED DIAL.
UH, THEY HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM.
I KNOW THEY PROBABLY DO, THEY DO
[00:25:01]
IN REC TOO.UM, SO IF WE HAVE ISSUES IN OUR PARKS, WE GET WITH OUR NPOS TO HELP ADDRESS THOSE ISSUE.
IF WE NEED A LITTLE BIT EXTRA SURVEILLANCE, WE GET WITH THE NPOS TO BE ABLE TO OPEN THAT AND GET THEM IN THERE.
UM, AND I OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS ENCOURAGE, ALWAYS, ALWAYS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CALL 9 1 1 BECAUSE I LOVE IT WHEN WE GET ON FACEBOOK THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING GOING DOWN AND SOMEBODY SHOULD REALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
AND WE'RE LIKE, HEY, YOU COULD HAVE CALLED THE POLICE.
SO, BUT YOU KNOW, SO IT'S AN EDUCATION DEAL OUT THERE IN TERMS OF, OF STOPPING CRIME.
UM, IS PEOPLE NEED TO REPORT IT, REPORT, REPORT, REPORT.
THE MORE REPORTS THAT WE GET, UH, OF THINGS GOING IN THE PARK HELPS US STRENGTHEN OUR CASE.
IT IT CAN START TO, TO SHOW TRENDS AND WE CAN USE THAT TO, TO UP PATROL.
BUT THE REALLY EXCITING THING, AND YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT THIS BEFORE AND LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, UH, WE WERE GIVEN SOME ONE-TIME MONEY TO DO A KIND OF A PILOT PROJECT WITH OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICERS.
UM, THAT PROJECT IS, IS KICKED OFF AND MOVING.
UH, SO WHAT WE HAVE IS WE HAVE A POLICE OFFICER THAT WORKS FOUR TO FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK, DEPENDING ON WHEN IT GETS STAFFED.
THEY WORK FROM 11 O'CLOCK TILL THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
UM, AND THEIR CHARGE IS TO CHECK EVERY RESTROOM, UH, WHEN THEY CLOSE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY INSIDE.
'CAUSE THEY FIND UNIQUE WAYS TO CIRCUMVENT THE LOCKING SYSTEMS THAT ARE ON THOSE, THOSE BATHROOMS. SO THEY GO AND CLEAR THOSE BUILDINGS AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE THERE, THERE, THAT THERE'S NOBODY IN THERE.
AND THEN THEY DO GENERAL, GENERAL DRIVE THROUGHS OF PARKS.
AND SO I ACTUALLY DID A RIDE AROUND WITH THEM, UM, LAST MONTH, LAST MEETING.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS EYEOPENING TO SEE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE IN OUR PARKS AFTER MIDNIGHT
UM, NOTHING WAS, BUT I GUESS FORTUNATE FOR ME, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS NOTHING NEFARIOUS GOING ON ON THOSE NIGHTS.
IT WAS ALL JUST KIND OF NORMAL, NORMAL STUFF.
UH, AND EVERYBODY WAS VERY POLITE AND WHEN THEY WERE TOLD THE PI PARK WAS CLOSED, THEY, THEY LEFT.
AND, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT JUST HAVING THAT POLICE PRESENCE IS GOING TO HAVE A HUGE, HUGE IMPACT IN, IN MY OPINION.
AND WHAT I TOLD, UH, LIEUTENANT STOKES OR UH, WHEN WE PULLED IN WAS, UM, WE PULLED INTO THE BOTTOM PART OF AUDUBON AND THERE WAS A GUY THAT WAS SLEEPING IN HIS CAR.
AND AS SOON AS HE PULLED INTO AUDUBON AND THEY TURNED ON THE, YOU KNOW, THE FLASHERS AND TURNED ON THE HIGH BEAMS AND, YOU KNOW, WENT OVER AND STARTED TALKING TO THIS GUY AND HE SAID, YOU CAN'T SLEEP HERE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO OVERNIGHT PARKING.
FOUR OTHER CARS TURNED THEIR LIGHTS ON AND ALL DROVE OUT.
AND I WAS LIKE, SEE, THAT'S ALL I NEEDED.
YOU DON'T EVEN NEED TO ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, JUST HAVING YOU HERE, UH, GETS THE COURT GETS THE, THE WORD ACROSS AND THE PRESENCE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE, RIGHT? THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE POLICE PRESENCE AND THAT, HEY, IF YOU'RE HERE DOING THINGS THAT ARE ILLEGAL, YOU NEED TO, YOU NEED TO MOVE ON.
SO I HAVE, I HAVE A LOT OF, OF HOPE FOR, FOR THIS PROGRAM.
WE'VE GOT MATRIX IN PLACE THAT WE'RE, THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE CHECKING THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE, UM, RECORDING WHEN THEY'RE ON PATROL.
AND SO, UH, AS WE WORK THROUGH, AS WE GET SOME MORE DATA UNDER OUR BELTS, UH, WE'LL COME BACK AND, AND THEY CAN PRESENT SOME MORE INFORMATION.
SO ADDITIONAL MOSTLY ON THE WEEKEND OR, UH, IT'S FOUR TO FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK.
AND WHAT I'VE ASKED 'EM TO DO IS TO STAGGER IT.
'CAUSE I DON'T WANT 'EM TO GET USED TO DOING THE SAME NIGHT, THE SAME PATROL OVER AND OVER AGAIN BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SMART.
UM, AND SO THEY, UH, HAVE DIFFERENT ROUTES AND IT'LL BE DIFFERENT NIGHTS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE'RE DOING IT.
UM, OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING THAT WE, AS WE HAVE BUDGET, AS BUDGET ALLOWS AND AS WE'RE ABLE TO DO IT THAT WE ARE ACTIVELY PURSUING IS ADDING ADDITIONAL SIGNS.
THINGS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, DON'T LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR CAR.
UH, WE PUT UP SAFETY SIGNS ON DUCK CREEK TRAIL AND AT SPRING CREEK TRAIL AS WE CONTINUE TO EXTEND OUR TRAIL SYSTEM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO ADD SAFETY THINGS THERE.
UH, ADDING ADDITIONAL LIGHTING WHERE WE CAN.
AND AS BUDGETS ALLOWED, IF WE FIND AREAS THAT ARE DARK, THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST EYE-OPENING PARTS, DRIVING AROUND AT NIGHT AS YOU CAN REALLY SEE WHERE OUR DARK AREAS ARE.
AND SO STARTING TO MAP THOSE AND MAKE FUTURE BUDGET REQUESTS SO THAT WE CAN ADD LIGHTING, UH, AS YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY BEFORE, WE COME IN AND WE CLEAR OUT OVERGROWN AREAS SO THAT THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, PRONE TO HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS.
AND SO WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
UH, TRAINING FOR STAFF IS A HUGE ONE.
UH, JUST GETTING STAFF COMFORTABLE THAT HEY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CALL A SUPERVISOR IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED OR CALL THE PD IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
UM, 'CAUSE SOMETIMES THEY'LL JUST TURN A BLIND EYE.
SO TRAINING OF STAFF AND ALSO TRAINING OF STAFF OF HOW TO BE, HOW TO BE SAFE, UH, WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE ON SITE, CONTINUING TO LOOK FOR PARTNERSHIPS.
FRIENDS GROUPS ARE FANTASTIC WAY OF DOING THAT.
[00:30:01]
THE PARTNERSHIP WITH SPRING CREEK FOREST AND NOW THEY HAVE, UH, PEOPLE THAT, THAT GO OUT AND VOLUNTEER JUST TO WALK TRAILS.AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IF YOU HAVE SO OF THIS WALKING TRAILS LOOKING FOR THINGS THAT ARE, DON'T LOOK RIGHT AND THEN CALLING POLICE WHEN THEY SEE THAT, THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE OVER TIME.
SO BEING ABLE TO INCREASE OUR, OUR EYES AND OUR EARS AND OUR, OUR FORCE, UH, WILL HELP.
SO, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THAT, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL DO THAT AS THEY COME AND, AND THEN, UM, CONTINUE TO, TO REQUEST NEEDED RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO, TO MEET THE, MEET THE DEMAND AND TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
UM, ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED, DAVID, BUT THAT'S KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING, KIND OF THE PLAN MOVING FORWARD.
UM, I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME SPECIFIC REQUESTS THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT.
UM, AND I'LL ALSO OPEN IT TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU GUYS HAVE.
SO COURSE THE LAST THING THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK WAS EVERY NOW THEN SOMEONE JUST COMES IN AND USES, YOU KNOW, THE PARKING LOT IS A DUMP SITE, YOU KNOW, DUMP CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND ALL THAT.
SO WE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T HANDLE IT.
WE'LL REPORT IT TO MATT, PICK IT UP.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE GET SOME, YOU KNOW, UNIQUE KIND OF ISSUES THAT SPRING CREEK FOREST US 'CAUSE IT'S BOTH ISOLATED AND ACCESSIBLE.
SO, SO YOU KNOW, SATURDAY NIGHTS, FRIDAY NIGHTS, YOU KNOW, PARTY AND YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S BEER, SOMETIMES IT'S, YOU KNOW, OTHER THINGS.
SO KIND OF KEEPING ON THAT THE UM, WITH HAD ADAM PEOPLE SHOOT UP OUR BIRDHOUSES AND UH, SO WE OUT A BIRDHOUSE BECAUSE YOU KNOW YEP.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN I USED TO BE MORE ACTIVE WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHEN WE HAD OFFICER BARNES BEFORE HE RETIRED, UM, THE, UM, HE SAID AS FAR AS REACHING HIM, YOU KNOW, SEND AN EMAIL IS THE FASTEST WAY.
'CAUSE HE DOESN'T ALWAYS ANSWER HIS PHONE.
AM I GETTING THEM ON? AND UH, THE UH, YEAH.
AND USUALLY WE JUST SEND THEM, SEND IT TO MATT OR SEND IT TO UH, MATT STAFF.
SO YOU KNOW, THE NORTH AREA SUPERVISORS CHRIS? MM-HMM.
AND CHRIS IS THE OVERALL, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST TO LET HIM KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALSO HAD CODE COMPLIANCE ISSUES.
WE GOT A, UH, A UH, A NEIGHBOR THAT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, BULL UPS AND TREES AND YOU KNOW, RECONFIGURING HIS AREA.
IT'S CAUSED THE FLOODING AT ONE END OF THE RESERVE.
SO WE'VE BEEN GETTING SUPPORT ON THAT AND UH, SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
SO IF IT IS NOT AN EMERGENCY THING, IS IT BETTER TO CALL 9 1 1 OR IS IT BETTER TO CALL THE NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER? UH, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T, TO ME, IF SOMEBODY'S DOING SOMETHING ILLEGAL, CALL 9 1 1.
KNOW SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE FIND A CAR.
WE GOT A TRUCK OUT THERE ONE TIME.
NO, TO ME, IF YOU FIND A TRUCK, CALL 9 1 1 BECAUSE THAT COULD BE SOMEBODY THAT'S MISSING.
IT COULD BE SOMEBODY THAT'S HURT.
YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WE FOUND ON THE RIDE ALONG WE FOUND MULTIPLE CARS THAT DIDN'T HAVE PEOPLE.
THERE WAS ONE CAR THAT IT WAS PARKED IN.
IT WAS PARKED IN A HOLFORD BASEBALL PARKING LOT, WINDOWS DOWN, KEYS IN IT.
AND THEY RAN THE PLATES, WALKED THE PARK.
WE LOOKED ALL OVER TO SEE IF SOMEBODY DIDN'T RE COME BACK STOLEN, COULDN'T GET AHOLD OF THE OWNER.
SO WE JUST KIND OF HAD TO LEAVE IT AND CAME BACK.
UH, I CAME BACK, UH, THE NEXT DAY, LATER IN THE AFTERNOON IT WAS GONE.
BUT IT'S JUST CURIOUS THAT SOMEBODY WOULD LEAVE THE
SO MAYBE IT JUST BROKE DOWN AND, AND THEY, YOU KNOW, ROLLED IT IN THERE AND, AND THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING AND THEY JUST FORGOT TO TAKE THEIR KEYS WITH THEM.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THOSE INTERESTING THINGS THAT HAPPENED.
BUT THEY COULD HAVE BEEN SOMEBODY IN TROUBLE.
SO IF YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YES, DEFINITELY CALL 9 1 1.
NOW IF IT'S SOMEBODY CAME IN ILLEGALLY DUMPED, THEN YEAH, JUST SEND IT TO US AND WE'LL, WE'LL COME PICK IT UP.
BUT, AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID AT, AT HAL PARK WAS MATT GOT SOME BIG HUGE BOULDERS, SQUARE BLOCKS JUST PUT AROUND THE PARKING LOT SO THEY COULDN'T GET OUT OF THE PARKING LOT.
AND THEY GET OUT IN THE FIELD.
SO IT'S ONE OF THE TOPICS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
YOU DON'T MEAN TO DOMINATE OPEN HERE, BUT UM, IS THE ABILITY TO CLOSE THE PARKS AT NIGHT AND WHICH IS A BIG ISSUE WITH SPRING CREEK 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT SECTIONS AND DIFFERENT, UH, THINGS THAT WOULD'VE TO BE CLOSED.
AND UH, WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO DALLAS COUNTY, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN, THE, UM, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE BROUGHT UP THE IDEA OF
[00:35:01]
AUTOMATED GATES.BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR FOLKS ARE INTERESTED IN.
BUT WE PROBABLY NEED TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE PROS AND THE CONS ON THAT AND YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME KIND OF AN IDEA WHAT THOSE THINGS MIGHT COST.
UM, YOU HAVE TO PROGRAM 'EM PROGRAMS, OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE TO WORK, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THEN OTHERWISE THEY DON'T OPEN UP.
AND IF IT REALLY BECOMES A STAFF DRIVEN ISSUE OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.
AND ALWAYS, THE BIG THING WHEN IT COMES TO GATES IS WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEBODY GETS LOCKED INSIDE? THAT'S ALWAYS THE ISSUE, RIGHT? BECAUSE NOW THEY'RE CALLING 9 1 1 AND THAT'S CAUSING A WHOLE ISSUE.
SO THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
AND SO IF THAT, IF THAT PIECE OF IT CAN BE ADDRESSED EITHER THROUGH TECHNOLOGY OR THROUGH UM, MONITORING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I THINK THAT WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY BE IN FAVOR OF IT.
BUT THAT WOULD BE THE THE BIGGEST QUESTION THAT WOULD NEED TO BE ASKED.
NOW THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, INSIDE THE GATE AND THE PARK IS OFFICIALLY CLOSED, YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ISSUE 'EM A TICKET.
I MEAN SOME PEOPLE IT'S ACCIDENTAL OR THEY JUST DIDN'T GO AND THAT'S ONE THING.
AND AT LEAST HE LETS YOU KNOW IF THERE ARE P UH, REPEAT OFFENDERS.
BUT MOST OF THE TIME YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET THAT.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA, A REPEAT OFFENDER'S NOT GONNA GET CAUGHT MULTIPLE TIMES.
AND YOU'RE GONNA END UP JUST CAPTURING, YOU KNOW, THE MOM AND, AND YOU KNOW, SON THAT WERE OUT FOR A LATE NIGHT WALK AND LOST TRACK OF TIME AND NOW THEY'RE STUCK IN THERE AND YOU THAT YOU CAN SEE WHERE THAT, THAT CONVERSATION GOES.
SO THERE HAS TO BE A REAL TIME WAY TO BE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE OUT.
AND IT'S NOT EVEN AS SIMPLE AS, AS, YOU KNOW, PUTTING A MOTION DETECTION ON THE BACKSIDE.
'CAUSE THEN SOMEBODY COULD JUST WALK AROUND THE GATE, ACTIVATE THE MOTION DETECTOR AND THE GATE OPENS AND THEN THEY DRIVE RIGHT IN.
SO IT HAS TO BE A WAY THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO, YOU WOULD HAVE TO INVOLVE, UM, UM, ON-CALL DISPATCH, WHICH IS DONE THROUGH THE WATER DEPARTMENT.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY FOR SOMEBODY TO HAVE A CALL IN TO, TO THERE TO SAY, HEY, I'M STUCK INSIDE.
YOU'D HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CHECK THE CAMERAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY REALLY ARE STUCK INSIDE AND THEN THEM TO BE ABLE TO ACTIVATE THAT GATE TO OPEN.
SO IS THE TECHNOLOGY THERE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT? YES, BUT I DON'T, JUST DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THAT'S GONNA COST.
BUT I MEAN, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE CAN KIND OF LOOK INTO OVER TIME.
IT'S NOT HIGH ON THE LIST RIGHT NOW, I'M GONNA TELL YOU RIGHT NOW.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DEFINITELY ADD TO OUR LIST OF THINGS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO RESEARCH, UM, AND SEE IF WE CAN, CAN FIGURE OUT SOME, SOME OF THOSE COSTS.
AND THAT'S WHERE I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE DALLAS COUNTY OPEN SPACE PLAN THAT IS GOING ON.
AND SO THERE'S SOME PUBLIC MEETINGS COMING ONTO THAT.
'CAUSE THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT I WOULD HOPE THAT MAYBE DALLAS COUNTY COULD HELP FUND.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DALLAS COUNTY MEETING IS NEXT WEDNESDAY 10TH DOWN AT AUDUBON PARK.
I'LL GO DOWN THERE AND TELL THEM WHAT TO THINK.
WE'LL BE DOWN THERE AT THE REC CENTER? YES MA'AM.
AND WHAT TIME IS THAT? SIX 30 TO CHECK, CHECK OUR WEBSITE.
I HAVEN'T, I'VE BEEN OUT FOR A LITTLE BIT, SO I, I GOTTA CATCH UP.
SO WE CAN, YOU CAN ANSWER SHORTLY IF YOU'D LIKE.
UM, HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS, UH, WHENEVER WE HELP TAKE CARE OF THEM OR IN GENERAL, WHEN THOSE ARE BEING TAKEN CARE OF AND IT'S ON OUR PROPERTY PARK PROPERTY, WHERE IS IT BUDGETED FROM? LIKE WHERE ARE THE COSTS COMING OUT OF THE FUNDS? IS IT US A DIFFERENT DIVISION? SO THE CLEANUP IS, IS FUNDED BY EACH INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT.
SO CODE COVERS HER SALARY, PD COVERS THEIR SALARY.
THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A BUDGET WITHIN STORM WATER TO MANAGE THAT.
BUT IF WE'RE ASSISTING IT, IT COMES OUT OF OUR BUDGET.
SO IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S ON PARK PROPERTY.
UM, HOW MANY, HOW CAN PEOPLE REPORT, UM, HOME? IS IT THERE AN OPTION TO DO IT ON EIST? UH, YEAH, YOU CAN DO IT ON EIST.
UH, YOU CAN CALL OUR OFFICE DIRECTLY AND WE'VE EVEN, EVEN HAD THEM CALL 9 1 1.
UH, EIST IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY.
THAT'S HOW, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO TURN IN ANY ISSUE THAT THEY SEE WITHIN THE CITY, EIST IS THE BEST WAY.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
AND I THINK YOU CAN ALSO LIKE UPLOAD PICTURES ON YOU SURE CAN.
UM, AT ONE POINT, AT ONE POINT, IF THEY'RE LIKE USING, LET'S SAY OUR PAVILIONS TO SLEEP IN THERE AND ALL THAT, UM, ARE THEY ARE, ARE THEY TO A POINT WHERE THEY ARE TRESPASSING, LIKE CITED A VIOLATION 'CAUSE THEY'RE SLEEPING IN IT.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO WHAT AT ONE POINT IS IT NOT JUST A WARNING, BUT THERE IS ACTUAL LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT HAPPENS TO IT? SO, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S NO MORE LO LO LOITERING LAWS.
[00:40:01]
SOMEBODY IS SLEEPING ON A BENCH IN OUR PARKS, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.UM, NOW IF THEY SET UP A TENT, THEN WE CAN, 'CAUSE THERE'S STATE LAW THAT SAYS THAT YOU CAN'T SET UP TENTS AND YOU CAN'T STAY OVERNIGHT.
NOW ONCE THEY'RE THERE PAST HOURS, THEN WE CAN ENFORCE IT.
UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE, THE LOITERING LAWS ARE, ARE NO LONGER THEY, THEY TOOK 'EM AWAY OUTTA STATE, OUTTA STATE STATUTE.
AND SO SOMEBODY CAN SIT AT A BENCH ALL DAY, LAY DOWN ON A BENCH ALL DAY.
UH, AND THERE'S NOT MUCH WE CAN, WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
EVEN IS THAT DIFFERENT OR IS THERE MAYBE JUST DIFFERENT WARRANTS LIKE IN GARLAND OR DALLAS PD? 'CAUSE I BELIEVE IN, IN DALLAS, IF THEY'RE SLEEPING IN A PAVILION LIKE THEY'RE, EVEN DURING THE DAYTIME, THEY CAN BE ASKED TO LEAVE.
WE CAN ASK THEM TO, AND THEY CAN BE CITED.
IF THEY DON'T, UH, WE CAN ASK 'EM TO LEAVE.
BUT FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN GIVEN DIRECTION FROM OUR CITY ATTORNEY IS WE CAN'T CITE THEM.
WE CAN ASK THEM TO LEAVE RESPECTFULLY AND THEN IF THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, BUT OKAY.
THAT HAS TO BE, WHY DOES THAT HAVE TO BE A STATE LAW, NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CAN PASS? WELL, BECAUSE I THINK, WELL FOR ONE STATE LAW TRUMPS UH, CITY LAW AND THERE'S STATE LAW, I'D HAVE TO LOOK UP THE STATUTE.
I'LL HAVE TO LOOK UP THE ACTUAL STATUTE.
THAT IS WHY CITIES HAD TO GET RID OF THOSE LOITERING LAWS.
'CAUSE I KNOW WE'VE HAD WHERE THEY'RE, UM, SLEEPING OR THEY'RE CAMPED OUT ON, ON TRAILS OR PARTS TO PARKS.
AND SO WE HAVE OUR, WE DALLAS HAS LIKE THEIR DALLAS MARSHALS THAT COME AND ASSIST WITH REMOVING WHERE, WHERE THEY CAN BE CI IF THEY DON'T COMPLY OR CONTINUE TO COME BACK.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS JUST ASKING.
SO FOR, FROM WHAT OUR DIRECTION IS FROM OUR CITY ATTORNEYS, UH, WE HAVEN'T BEEN GIVEN THAT DIRECTION YET.
UM, WITH THE, ARE AMENITIES THAT, AND SIGNS THAT GO UP, ARE THEY COVERED WITH A LIKE TYPE OF VANDALISM, UM, ANTI GRAFFITI, UH, PAINT OR WHAT, YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS, I CAN'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S CALLED, BUT SOMETHING THAT HELPS IT.
LIKE IF IT DOES GIVE ANALYZED, IT'S EASIER TO WIPE OFF.
UH, SO LIKE EVEN ON LIKE SOME OF OUR WALLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WE WILL, WE'LL CODE IT WITH WHAT'S CALLED A SACRIFICIAL COATING, WHICH MAKES IT EASIER TO, TO REMOVE THE GRAFFITI MM-HMM.
UM, OUR SIGNS ARE ALL FAIRLY GRAFFITI PROOF, WHICH WE CAN USE WIPES OR POWER WASHERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO, TO GET THE STUFF OFF.
UM, WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIPS, UM, I THINK MAYBE LATER IF WE, UH, JUST KIND OF GET VOLUNTEER REPORTS OF LIKE, LIKE YOU SAID, LIKE SECOND SATURDAYS WE'VE BEEN GETTING THOSE NUMBERS.
SO JUST TO REALLY CHECK AND SEE IT'S INCREASED.
BUT I THINK WITH THAT, I WONDER IF, 'CAUSE THEY'RE A CONSISTENT GROUP AND ALMOST SEEMS LIKE IT'S ALMOST THE SAME PEOPLE.
IF THERE WOULD BE A CHANCE TO INSPIRE OR SEE IF THEY WOULD WANNA BE A FRIENDS OF THE JOHN COMER SKATE PARK.
AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE AN ACTUAL LIKE, AGREEMENT WITH THEM.
UM, JUST KIND OF JUST SAYING LIKE, THEY'RE BEAUTIFYING THE, THE SKATE PARK, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE A PARTNER.
AND THEN AGAIN, HOPEFULLY THAT THE VOLUNTEER LABOR HOURS, UH, INSPIRES THEM AND HAS PEOPLE DONATE TO THEM TO WANT TO DO MATCH MONEY OR DO AMENITY STUFF AT THE SKATE PARK.
AND THEY CAN PROVIDE MORE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TOO.
BUT THEY CAN DO WORKSHOPS AT THE SKATE PARK IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY OF GARLAND.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE A FANTASTIC GROUP THAT'S OUT THERE RIGHT NOW AND THEY'RE A DEF THEY'RE NOT LIKE AN OFFICIAL AGREEMENT TYPE OF MM-HMM.
BUT IN ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES THEY ARE.
THEY PARTNERED WITH, UM, A LOCAL FOOD BANK AND THEY DID A, A A CAN DRIVE, UH, OVER THANKSGIVING.
UM, THEY DID A DONATION OF SWEATERS THAT THEN THEY DONATED TO THE SALVATION ARMY.
I MEAN, THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY INACTIVE, UH, A GROUP AND DO A LOT OF, A LOT OF GREAT THINGS OUT THERE.
WHO'S THE COUNCIL DISTRICT? IS THAT, THAT'S COUNCIL, THAT'S UM, UH, LUXE.
WELL MAYBE THIS CONVERSATION YOU AND COUNCIL CAN LIKE, HAVE WITH HIM AND EVEN IF IT'S, IT'S, THEY'RE NOT DOING HUGE THINGS LIKE SPRING CREEK IS DOING, BUT YOU GOTTA START SMALL.
YOU GUYS, SERGEANT BALL AND MARGARET'S MET WITH THEM.
COUNCIL MEMBER LUCK HAS MET WITH THEM AND SHE'S ACTUALLY BEEN OUT TO SOME OF THEIR CLEANUPS, SO THAT'S GOOD.
WELL HOPEFULLY IF YOU'RE LISTENING, YOU SHOULD BECOME FRIENDS OF JOHN COMER SKATE PARK.
UM, AND THEN OF THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, LIKE YOU SAID WITH LIKE, UH, BUSINESSES AND ALL THAT, HOW CAN WE HIGHLIGHT IF WE'RE NOT DOING THAT ALREADY? BRINGING LIKE AWARENESS? I THINK Y'ALL DO SHARE, UM, LIKE PHOTOS OF THEM WHEN Y'ALL DO HAVE BUSINESSES COME OUT AND OR GROUPS THAT COME OUT TO CLEANER OUR PARKS.
UM, WE, YOU WERE HERE WHEN NANCY CAME AND SPOKE ON THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.
AS THAT PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW, WE WILL CONTINUE TO GROW THAT PROMOTION AND MARKETING.
AND OF ALL OF THOSE GROUPS THAT VOLUNTEER WITH US, UM,
[00:45:01]
FOR THE CAMERAS THAT Y JUST STARTED SPRING CREEK, THESE ARE ALSO LIGHTS AROUND THOSE CAMERAS SO THAT WHEN TO GET DARK, THEY CAMERAS CAN SEE.WELL, AND ALSO THESE CAMERAS HAVE, UH, THEY'RE NOT TRUE NIGHT VISION, BUT THEY DO HAVE A NIGHT, A NIGHT, UM, SETTING ON 'EM.
SO WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN, THEY STILL PICK UP.
THEY WORK, THEY WORK PRETTY WELL, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THEY CAN STILL SEE THE LIKE, LICENSE PLATES ON THE CARS.
UM, UH, EVENTUALLY AS AS, WHICH IS GREAT, THE DPD AND UH, THAT PROGRAM THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING, JUST ALSO JUST, YOU'RE JUST GREAT.
I JUST, I JUST REALLY LIKE APPLAUD FOR LIKE YOU AND THE PARK DEPARTMENT LIKE DOING ALL THIS STUFF, LIKE TO BRING MORE SECURITY TO OUR PARKS.
UM, AND SO EVENTUALLY IN THE FUTURE PHASES, COULD IT EVER BE AWARE WE HAVE LIKE A DPD, UM, UM, GOING THROUGH OUR PARKS IN THE MORNINGS? WELL, AND SPECIFICALLY LIKE OUR PARKS THAT ARE NEAR LIKE HIGH SCHOOLS AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS, UM, ESPECIALLY LIKE CENTRAL PARK, UM, HAS A GREAT DEAL OF INCIDENTS OF, UM, KIDS GOING OUT THERE AND LIKE SMOKING AND DOING OTHER STUFF WHEN THEY SHOULD BE AT SCHOOL.
I I, I, MY HOPE IS, IS THAT WE CAN, WE CAN GROW THAT PROGRAM SO THAT WE CAN GET, YOU KNOW, MAJORITY OF THE NIGHTS COVERED AND WE CAN EXTEND HOURS SO THAT WE COULD CAPTURE THOSE LIGHTER NIGHT HOURS, EARLY MORNING HOURS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO YEAH, IF IT, IF IT PROVES SUCCESSFUL AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO, TO GET MORE FUNDING FOR IT, I COULD SEE THAT, THAT THAT PROGRAM GROWING.
AND THEN LAST ONE IS I GUESS MORE A STATEMENT THAN A QUESTION, BUT I'M KIND OF HOPING THAT THE NEXT LITTER DUCK CREEK GLITTER CLEANUP CREEK GLITTER CLEANUP, DUCK CREEK GLITTER CLEANUP.
SO IT'S A LOT AND IT'S CONTINUE TO GO THERE.
SO MAYBE, HOPEFULLY WE, WE CAN USE THAT EVENT TO SPARK UP AN INTEREST TO CREATE A FRIENDS OF DUCK CREEK.
I'D BE HAPPY TO HELP YOU WITH THAT.
SO COME TO THE, COME TO THE DUCK CREEK ONE.
AND THANK, THANK YOU MS. KENO FOR ALL THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND I CAN'T, I CAN'T COMPETE WITH HER WHEN SHE GETS LIT UP.
THAT WAS VERY, THAT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE.
UH, MR. PARIS, YOU HAVE A GUEST WITH US TONIGHT WITH SOMEONE THAT'S SPECIAL TO YOUR SPRING CREEK RESERVE.
AND, AND JUST GIVE, GIVE US A QUICK ONE ABOUT HER AND LET HER STAND UP.
SO THIS IS BARBARA HAM AND SHE'S MY VICE PRESIDENT AND SHE DOES OUR NEWSLETTER EVERY MONTH.
AND SHE'S BEEN, UH, HELPING PUT OUR PROGRAMS TOGETHER SINCE OUR PROGRAM PERSON.
SHE'S BEEN, SHE'S BEEN AT MORE PARK BOARD MEETINGS THAN ALL OF Y'ALL.
NOT THOUGH, USUALLY DARLING AND SPRING CREEK FOREST.
AND, AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ACTIVE AT SPRING CREEK FOREST BARBARA? UH, I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT IT'S OVER 20 YEARS NOW.
AND SHE CAN REMEMBER THAT FAR BACK.
WELL, MOLLY WAS THERE WAS HERE WHEN I FIRST STARTED MYSELF, SO THERE YOU GO.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THE MEETING TONIGHT AND HOPEFULLY WE'VE, YOU'VE GAINED SOME INSIGHTS INTO THINGS GOING ON.
AND JUST AS A, AS A LAST PIECE HERE ON, ON THE, THE HOMELESS, UH, PROBLEMS, UH, WE NOT ONLY HAD THE HOMELESS PROBLEM WITH PARKS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THEM WITH BUSINESSES.
AND UH, UH, WE HAD A, UM, TOWN HALL MEETING DOWN IN DISTRICT THREE, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
AND WE HAD TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF STAFF.
I I COULD NOT BELIEVE PROBABLY EIGHT OR 10, UH, SENIOR STAFF THAT WERE THERE.
AND IT REALLY IS BEGINNING TO SHOW, BECAUSE THE ROOM WAS COMPLETELY FULL AND STANDING ROOM ONLY AT THE SOUTH BARN BRANCH LIBRARY, WHICH IS A BIG ROOM.
AND THAT'S GENERALLY NOT THE WAY IT IS.
BUT ONE OF THE PIECES OF THAT WAS THE HOMELESS AND BUSINESSES.
AND, UH, WE DISCOVERED THAT WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A, A BANK, UH, DOWN IN THE SOUTH GARLAND AREA.
AND, UM, THE BANK HAS, UH, GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE THEY HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR FRONT DOOR LOCKED BECAUSE OF THE, BECAUSE OF THE HOMELESS PEOPLE IN, IN, UH, IN THEIR GIVING PROBLEMS TO CUSTOMERS AND ALSO TO THE STAFF.
AND, AND IN THAT, IN THAT BANK BUILDING IS A, IS A REGIONAL PRESIDENT.
THIS IS NOT A, THIS IS NOT A LITTLE BRANCHY THING.
AND IT'S TO THE POINT THAT IF WE DON'T GET SOMETHING ACCOMPLISHED ON THAT, WE MAY, WE MAY LOSE SOME, UH, ONE OF OUR PEOPLE THAT WE DON'T NEED TO LOSE.
UH, WHEN THAT, THAT BANK GOES AWAY, IT'S PHENOMENAL BANK FOR THE SOUTH GARLAND AREA.
AND SO IT HAPPENS NOT ONLY WITH THE PARKS, BUT IT'S HAPPENING WITH, UH, WITH BUSINESSES TOO.
BETTER THAN TAMARA AND I COULD DO COMBINED
[00:50:01]
EVERYONE ELSE.UM, YES, MOLLY, WHAT IS THE POLICY? I MEAN, WHEN SOMEBODY'S OBVIOUSLY LIVING OUT OF THEIR CAR, THEY CAN BE ANYWHERE IN THE PARK DURING THE DAY, BUT THEY JUST CAN'T STAY OVERNIGHT.
NOW THE DIFFERENCE WITH DALLAS IS DALLAS HAS HOMELESS SHELTERS.
THAT'S WHERE THEY CAN ARREST THEM.
WHERE HERE WE DON'T HAVE A HOMELESS SHELTER.
SO YOU CAN'T TAKE ACTION AGAINST SOMEBODY IF THERE'S NOT SOMEPLACE WHERE THEY CAN GO.
AND ONE LAST PIECE THAT I FAILED TO MENTION, THAT THE, UH, THE CHIEF OF POLICE WAS AT THAT MEETING AND, UH, HE HEARD ABOUT THAT AND UH, THE NEXT DAY HAD THREE NPOS AT THE BANK BUILDING.
AND THE, AND THE BANK PRESIDENT WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
AND UM, UNFORTUNATELY I GOT A CHANCE TO GIVE HIM A, A HEADS UP THAT THEY WERE COMING AND HE, HE PROPOSED TO DEAL WHERE WE'LL GET THE BUSINESSES TOGETHER IN THE AREA TO TRY AND ADDRESS THAT.
AND SO, LET'S SEE, WE'LL SEE HOW THAT MOVES FORWARD.
BUT THAT, THAT'S A GOOD WAY OF DOING IT BY WORKING ALL THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND STUDIES, DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION, WRITTEN UPDATE.
SO AS ALWAYS MARK'S HERE, MARK'S HERE.
IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY PARTICULAR PROJECT.
SO I WENT BY UM, WATSON PARK JUST 'CAUSE I HADN'T HAD A CHANCE TO GO TO THAT.
SO THERE WAS LOTS OF KIDS, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE PLAYING ON EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE SPLASH PAD.
THAT WAS THE, THAT WAS THE OTHER ONE WE NEED TO HAVE ON THE PARK TOUR.
YEAH, WATSON WILL DEFINITELY BE ON THE PARK TOUR.
YOU, I THINK IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS THAT JUST KIND OF HAVE A COUPLE OF BENCHES AND MAYBE A BRAND NEW PLAYGROUND.
AND I THINK THERE'S A, THERE ARE A BLANK CANVAS TO DO SOMETHING.
LIKE WE GOT MAYBE NOT AS FULL AS WHAT WE HAVE, BUT WATCHING, BUT, UH, TO DO SOME NICER THINGS FOR THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
ONE OF THOSE BI PARK, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, IN OUR DISTRICT WHAT WE HAVE B GOT A NEW PLAYGROUND IN.
BISBEE GOT A, BISBEE GOT A NEW PLAYGROUND, A RANGE.
IT'S GOT A MOAT AROUND IT AND, UH, BUT KNOW IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE A WALKING TRAIL AROUND IT, YOU KNOW, A PLACE WHERE THEY COULD GO DO PICNICS AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE KIND OF THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, A FULL PART WITH ALL THE AMENITIES TO HAVE.
AND I, I AM SURE THERE MUST BE OTHER PARTS.
THERE'S A LOT THAT WE, UM, FROM THE THREE OTHER PACK PREVIOUS PACKAGES THAT WE WANT TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE.
BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY OTHER PLAYGROUNDS THAT YOU MOVING.
WE HAVE NEW IMPROVEMENTS WE CAN ALWAYS EXPAND ON.
YEAH, JUST MAKE IT MORE USEFUL.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR MARK WHILE HEARING? OKAY.
THIS IS THE BULLET BULLET POINTS AND TO DO IT FAST.
WE'LL JUST START AT THE VERY TOP UP HERE.
THE GARLAND SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER CENTER RENOVATION AND EXPANSION, UH, WHERE SITE LAYOUT IS DONE AND WE'RE INTO THE DESIGN.
ARE WE EARLY IN DESIGN? MIDDLE OF DESIGN? END OF DESIGN KIND.
DO THE EARLY DESIGN, SAY THIS IS KIND OF THE LEAST.
WE MAY HAVE MORE DESIGN DETAIL.
WE HAVE ABOUT A FEW MORE WEEKS OF THAT.
AND SO THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS.
SO WE'LL GO OUT, UH, FOR A COST ESTIMATE.
SO SOMETIME IN MAY MAYBE WE'LL GET ANOTHER COST ESTIMATE.
SO COST ESTIMATE ON THE CONSTRUCTION? YES.
SO THEY'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH ALL THE CONSTRUCTION.
BUT THE DESIGN DETAILS, WE HAVE A FEW MORE WEEKS TO GO THROUGH THAT.
HALL BALL, RECREATION CENTER EXPANSION.
UM, SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION ANTICIPATED FOR APRIL 18TH.
ARE WE GONNA MAKE THAT SO WE CAN HAVE OUR, WE HAVE A PUNCH WALK TOMORROW ACTUALLY.
SO, AND, UH, LEAVE THE FITNESS EQUIPMENT'S FOR THE END OF THIS MONTH.
AND THEN THIS, OF COURSE, IT'S NOT UNDER OUR PURVIEW, BUT THE LIBRARY NEXT DOOR.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN DOWN THERE IN A WHILE.
HOW'S IT COMING ALONG? IT'S COMING ALONG.
THEY'RE STILL, THEY'RE STILL GETTING, UH, ALL THE STUFF WE DON'T SEE.
SO THEY'RE A LONG WAY OFF THEN THEY'RE COMING ALONG.
UM, HOW'S, HOW'S THAT ONE COMING ALONG? IT WAS GOING LIKE GUNGHO THE LAST MEETING.
WE, UH, THEY HAVEN'T START ON THE, REVIEWED ALL THIS, TRYING TO GET ALL THIS, ALL THE DUCKS
[00:55:01]
IN A ROW FOR ALL THAT.AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S LONG TERM.
BUT, UH, COMPLETION WOULD BE, UH, APRIL 20, 25 ISH.
AND, UH, THAT WHEN THEY ALREADY 20, 25.
THEY'D ALREADY EXCAVATED FOR THAT.
OR THEY, I THINK WHEN I WAS THERE LAST TIME, WELL, THEY, THEY STARTED ON, UH, YOU KNOW, POOL.
THERE'S PIPING THAT HAD THAT LAID OUT.
UH, THEY POURED SOME, THE, THE SWIMMING, THE TOP POOL.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS FINISHING THE STOVE, LITTLE BIT ON THAT, BUT IT'S COMING TOGETHER.
UM, RIVER, IT'S, THAT'S SHAPING UPS GONNA BE PHENOMENAL.
I, I WAS, WHERE I WAS DRIVING BY THERE A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK THERE FOR A WHILE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, TWICE A WEEK.
AND I COULD SEE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST OF THE WEEK AND THE END OF THE WEEK EVERY SINGLE WEEK.
AND BIG EFFECT AS SOON AS THEY WENT VERTICAL, THE BUILDINGS
UH, WE'RE, LET'S SEE WHERE BIDDING.
SO WE'RE A LITTLE FURTHER ALONG THAN, UH, THAN THE OTHER ONE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE.
WE HAVE A ALL PRE BID MEETING SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW.
SO FROM THE PRE-BID MEETING, ABOUT HOW LONG IS IT BEFORE THEY REQUIRED TO HAVE THE BIDS BACK IN? UH, YEAH, I THINK WITH THIS ONE IT MAY BE, UH, A TWO, IT MAY, MAYBE A THREE WEEK TYPE, UH, TURNAROUND.
THEY'VE GOT, THEY'VE GOTTA HAVE TIME TO TAKE ALL THE THINGS YOU'VE GOT IN THERE.
UH, LET'S GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO, UH, AUDUBON PARK, PICNIC AREA.
LOU HUFF, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH LOU HUFF PARK? LOU HUFF? WE ARE, WE ARE IN DESIGN.
WE, UH, HAVE COMPLETED THE CONTRACT STAGE OF THE TASK TWO FOR MPS, UH, ROLE IN THIS.
SO, UH, WE, UH, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESIGN FOR TAKING ALL THE PREVIOUS PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT WE HAD.
UM, A REALLY GREAT PROJECT, BUT THERE'S STILL DESIGN FOR THAT.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT, UH, DESIGN WILL BE COMPLETED TOWARD THE END OF THE COURT.
SO IT COULD BE PUSHING SOMETIME IN AUGUST.
LIKE STARTING CONSTRUCTION IN AUGUST OR THAT THE DESIGN IS DONE.
UM, I'M SORRY, MS. KEENAN, ARE YOU THROUGH? YEAH.
UH, WINDSURF BAY, UH, PARK IMPROVEMENTS, NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST ON PERMANENT HOLD UNTIL WE DETERMINE MORE OF WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH, UM, STATE HIGHWAY ONE 90 COMING THROUGH THERE.
THERE WASN'T ANY CIP MONEY FOR, UH, WINDSURF BAY, BUT THAT HAD TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT WE'RE TOO, WE'RE TOO EARLY IN BEING ABLE TO DECIDE WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO THERE.
IT'S GONNA BE CLOSED THIS SUMMER ON THE WEEKENDS.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S NOT A CIP PROJECT, SO WE GOTTA MOVE ON.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ON THIS? THANK YOU.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S, TO BE A, I'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT THERE'LL BE A RIBBON CUTTING FOR WATSON PARK AND I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, I'M ALSO HOPING THAT IF, UH, AUGH CAN SURVIVE THE PUNCH THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WALKTHROUGH WE'VE GOT GOING ON
WELL, THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE FOUND.
BUT IF IT'S MINOR, IT CAN BE DEALT WITH.
UM, WILL YOU PLEASE PUSH TO TRY AND GET, UH, ITS RIBBON CUTTING, PUT ONTO MAY 11TH? THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
IT'S
BUT I WILL, I WILL SAY WE HAVE VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH WHAT GETS PUT ON THAT IS ALL PMO WE CAN MAKE SUGGESTIONS, BUT HE, HE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE.
I GUESS I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.
WHY WE ONLY HAVE TO HAVE A ONE DAY CELEBRATORY EACH YEAR FOR ALL THESE NEW PROJECTS WHEN WHENEVER WE HAVE ANY NEW PARK, NEW TRAIL, NEW HUGE RENOVATION THAT SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN DAY TO CELEBRATE ALL THE WORK THAT THE CITY HAS CONTRIBUTED.
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT HAS PARTNERS OR THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF THE STAYING, LIKE STAYING, UH, STAKE WAIT, STAKE PAIN.
ENGLISH, SOMETIMES ENGLISH WORDS.
UM, PAINSTAKING PROCESS OF LIKE BEING PART OF THE INVOLVEMENT.
AND I FEEL LIKE THE COMMUNITY SHOULD HAVE ITS TIME.
[01:00:01]
NOT HAVE TO WAIT JUST ONE DAY A YEAR.UM, AND IF IT DOESN'T GET THE LIST, IT DOESN'T GET A LIST.
BUT IT SHOULD STILL BE CELEBRATED.
IT JUST, MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO TALK WITH OUR COUNCIL PEOPLE TO DIRECT FUNDS.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY IT, RIGHT? JUST HAVING THE FUNDING FOR THESE EVENTS.
UM, AND I DO THEM ALL THE TIME.
BUT AS MUCH AS ME, I ALWAYS HAVE TO, UH, LIKE COORDINATE THEM.
IT'S A LITTLE STRESSFUL, BUT IT'S ALSO REALLY GREAT 'CAUSE THE CITY AND THE NEIGHBORS KNOW THAT SOMETHING NEW HAS HAPPENED IN THEIR PARK.
AND SO I GUESS TO LIKE DAVID'S POINT, I, I THINK IF WE CAN HAVE BOTH OF THOSE PREVENT CUTTINGS AND ON THE SAME DAY, OR IF IT DOESN'T GET ON THE DAY, IT SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN RIBBON CUTTING.
'CAUSE THAT'S A, A GOOD THING TO CELEBRATE.
'CAUSE PEOPLE, GARLAND RESIDENTS NEED TO KNOW ALL THAT IS HAPPENING.
'CAUSE IT'S LIKE THE SAYING LIKE, IF IT WASN'T ON INSTAGRAM, DID IT REALLY HAPPEN?
BUT THEY NEED TO KNOW LIKE, NO, IT WAS NOT THERE.
AND IT'S BECAUSE THE CITY SAID YES TO BOND MONEY THAT PUT IT THERE.
SO THEY JUST NEED TO BE AWARE THAT THEIR VOTE ACTUALLY MADE SOMETHING.
AND YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD, YOU NEED TO PROBABLY TALK TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, 'CAUSE PMR DOES SET THOSE UP WITH THEIR CIP PROJECTS.
WE HAVE DONE SOME SEPARATE RIBBON CUTTINGS FOR THAT.
SO IF THEY WERE PARK PROJECTS, WHICH MEANS THEY WERE NOT MANAGED BY OUR PMO OFFICE, WE'VE DONE SEPARATE RIBBON CUTTINGS FOR THOSE.
UM, IF THEY'RE PMO PROJECTS, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE CONVOLUTED.
THAT'D BE HAPPY TO GET WITH YOU AFTERWARDS AND KIND OF EX, UH, BREAK IT OUT FOR YOU.
SO IF THERE'S GONNA BE ADDITIONAL RIVING CUTTINGS FOR THINGS THAT DON'T MAKE, UM, BILL GARLAND DAY, IT WOULD COME THROUGH PMO.
AGAIN, MS. ENO, ANYTHING ELSE? YOU GOOD? OKAY.
UH, SOMETHING THAT MAY DAVID SLATE.
SO BISBEE TRAILS NOT ON THE TRAIL TALKING ABOUT THAT.
UH, IS IS SBE, IS THAT AN ENGINEERING'S? THAT'S AN YEAH.
O BUT, AND WE TALKED ABOUT GOING AND WALKING THE NAME AND FOREST ROUTE AT SOME POINT AND WE STILL NEED TO DO THAT.
OH, THROUGH THE, JUST THE, THROUGH THE FOREST.
MATT AND I WERE DOING THAT EARLIER THIS WEEK JUST TO KIND OF GET A, A FEEL FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT TREES COMING BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF PREP WORK.
WE MARKED, UH, IT'S, THERE'S PINK FLAGGING ON, UM, THAT, THAT WILL SHOW ESSENTIALLY THE, THE CLEAR AREA.
UM, AND I THINK WE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB.
THERE'S, THERE'S ONE THAT WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO FOLLOW BACK UP WITH THE, THE DESIGNER ON.
UM, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THEY DID A, THEY DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF, OF THAT ALIGNMENT.
OBVIOUSLY SOME TREES ARE GONNA HAVE TO COME OUT.
UM, BUT NOTHING THAT GAVE ME HEARTBURN EXCEPT FOR ONE, WHICH WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REEVALUATE.
LET'S MOVE ON, UH, NOW TO, UH, VISIT GARLAND SPECIAL EVENTS AND DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT.
THIS, AGAIN, THIS CAN BE, THIS CAN BE A A, A QUICK SHOT ON THREE OR FOUR THINGS HERE.
SO I'VE GOT A COUPLE THINGS I WANNA ALL MAKE YOU AWARE OF JUST TO KEEP 'EM ON YOUR RADAR.
UM, THIS SATURDAY AT 11 O'CLOCK CENTRAL PARK, NEWLY RENOVATED FIELD TWO, WE'RE GONNA BE CUTTING THE RIBBON ON THE NEW RENOVATIONS FROM FIELD TWO TWO FROM THE BALLPARK BUNS GRANT THAT I, THAT I SPOKE ABOUT, UH, LAST MONTH.
SO IF YOU WANT TO COME TO THAT, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE GOING ON.
AND THEN ALSO KEEP ON YOUR RADAR APRIL 27TH, UM, WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE, UM, UNVEILING AND FOR THE JOHN COMER, UH, SKATE PARK SIGN AND THE JOHN COMER SKATE JAM.
SO THOSE ARE TWO KIND OF REALLY BIG PARK THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP BEFORE WE MEET AGAIN IN MAY.
SO, OH, I GOT SOMETHING ON DON.
WE'RE ALSO HAVING A BIG CARNIVAL OPENING DAY.
IF YOU COME OUT WITH YOUR KIDS OR GRANDKIDS, COME SEE ME.
IT'S, UH, WE, WE CHARGE EVERYBODY 20 BUCKS.
BUT CAN I GET, I GOT A, I'M GONNA CHARGE YOU THAT.
SO IF YOU WANT
UM, UM, CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE PAINTBALL TOURNAMENT? IS THAT LIKE GONNA BE ALONG THE FRISBEE? GOLF? THAT WOULD BE FUN.
NO, IT'S GONNA, ACTUALLY, WAIT A MINUTE.
[01:05:01]
UM, UH, BY THE, ON THE CRICKET FIELD.BY, ON A AUDIBLE ALL OUT IN THE OPEN.
WELL THEY, IT IS GONNA, THEY'LL HAVE A BIG TENT, WELL NOT A TENT OF A FENCE THAT GOES ALL THE WAY AROUND IT.
AND IT'LL HAVE THE BIG INFLATABLES INSIDE OF IT.
THIS IS LIKE A NATIONAL TOURNAMENT THAT BRINGS IN, UH, THOUSANDS OF PAINTBALL PLAYERS.
AND IT GOES ON FOR TWO AND A HALF WEEKS.
IT'S A REALLY BIG GET, IT'S A REALLY BIG DRAW.
UH, IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA BE REALLY COOL.
SO THAT'S WHERE IT'S GONNA BE.
ARE YOU GONNA DRIVE ALL OVER THE PITCH OUT THERE? NO, IT WON'T BE ACTUALLY ON THE PITCH.
AND THERE WON'T BE ANY CARS OUT THERE, BUT THERE WILL BE A LOT OF PEOPLE SHOOTING PAINTBALL GUNS AT EACH OTHER.
MIGHT BE FUN TO STOP BY THERE AND SEE.
I JUST HAVE TO WALK OUTSIDE OUT THERE, I THOUGHT.
WHAT, WHAT IS THAT? THE CHURCH THAT'S NEXT UNDER PAINTBALL? THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THROUGH CVBI.
I HONESTLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT, BUT I KNOW SHE PUTS ON HERE.
SO THEY, THEY WORK CLOSELY WITH THE, THE GARLAND AUDITORIUM TO HELP BRING, TO HELP BRING SWIMMING TOURNAMENTS THERE.
SO THAT PROBABLY HAS TO DO WITH THAT.
BUT THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS A A, A GARLAND SPONSORED EVENT.
UH, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY THE CVB HELPED BRING TO GARLAND.
WHERE IS THAT ONE? THAT'S TWO DOWN, THREE DOWN RIGHT AFTER THAT.
HOW ABOUT FOUR SQUARE IN THE AIR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? OR US QUAD BALL? ANYBODY? I, ANYBODY IDEA? IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA, THAT'S OKAY.
I DON'T HAVE AN IDEA WHAT THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING.
CODE ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS.
WAY DOWN UNDER MARKETING CAMPAIGN ALMOST TO THE BOTTOM 31ST.
JUST WHO KNOWS WHAT THE TROUT LILY WALK MR. PARIS ASKED HIM.
YOU'VE TALKED ALL NIGHT THAT THIS WAS WHEN WE DID OUR, UH, OLD GROWTH FORCE NETWORK.
THAT WAS THE DAY OF THE OPENING.
THEY'RE ALL GONE OF I KNEW I'D HEARD IT SOMEPLACE, BUT I DIDN'T OKAY.
THE BORDER SKATEBOARDING TOURNAMENT.
THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S HAPPENING.
QUAD WITH THE MOVIE, UH, HARRY POTTER.
IT'S JUST PLAYED ON THE GROUND THOUGH, OBVIOUSLY.
REALLY FLYING AROUND THE PARK IN BROOM.
SO THEY HAVE HOVERBOARDS AND STUFF.
OH, WE KNOW NOW WE KNOW THE BORDER SKATE BAR.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS LAST WEEKEND.
THAT WAS WHEN YOU WERE SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT, OKAY.
WHERE'S THE SIX 17 WEST STATE STREET MUR, UM, MURAL.
UH, SO THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW WHERE THE VISUAL
VISUAL AID BUSINESS IN THAT BUILDING.
I'M TRYING RAM'S WORKING ON IT.
UM, I DON'T EVEN EVEN KNOW WHAT THE BUSINESS IS.
UH, YOU, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T MISS IT.
THERE IS, THERE'S A NEW, THERE'S A NEW PARKING LOT THERE.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THAT CORNER, THERE'S A NEW YEAH.
UH, AND ACTUALLY IF YOU WERE, IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, ON FACEBOOK FOR CITY OF GARLAND AND FOLLOW IT, THEY DID A SPECIAL ON IT, I THINK LATER LAST WEEK.
'CAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY, REALLY COOL BECAUSE THE GENTLEMAN THAT, UM, DID THAT MURAL IS, IS BLIND AND IT'S REALLY, REALLY COOL.
OH, IT'S REALLY WORTH GOING TO LOOK AT.
SIX 70 STATE STREET, WHEREVER IT IS.
IT'LL PROBABLY BE THE ONLY MURAL THERE AT SIX 17 STATE STREET.
UH, RECREATION DIVISION, WRITTEN UPDATE.
AND ALL IT HAS IS JUST GOT SOME OF THESE THINGS ON HERE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA GET TO THOSE AGAIN IN JUST A MINUTE.
UNLESS ANYBODY HAS SOMETHING THEY WANNA SAY.
THAT'S THE WRITTEN UPDATE THAT GETS US THROUGH.
ANY, ANYTHING ON WRITTEN UPDATE? ANYTHING ON WRITTEN? UPDATE MS. KEEN.
NOW YOU WANNA GIMME THREE, FOUR.
OH, NOW WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THE MEETING SHORT.
WE HAD A PHENOMENAL REPORT FROM OUR, OUR DIRECTOR HERE.
ANY, ANY QUESTIONS ON, UH, ONE THREE GI, I DO.
WHAT'S, WHAT IS SATURDAY STAMPS? WHICH, WHAT IS WHAT?
[01:10:01]
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.UH, IS THIS MOVING EVERY DAY? NOT SURE.
I WILL LOOK INTO IT AND FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
OH, WE HAVE, THIS IS, THIS IS THE ONE WE HAVE CENTRAL BASEBALL FIELD.
AND, UM, COMPREHENSIVE RENOVATIONS COMPLETED CENTRAL BASEBALL FIELD.
IMPROVING BOTH FUNCTIONALITY AND APPEAL.
MR. KERNER, ANYTHING YOU WANNA SAY ABOUT IT? YOU HAPPY? DID THEY DO A PHENOMENAL JOB OR BETTER? WELL, YOU KNOW, WE GOT THE $20,000 GRAND FROM, UH, BALLPARK BUNS.
PROBABLY BALLPARK FRANKS, BALLPARK BUNS.
AND, UM, WE GAVE THE MONEY TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THEY ADDED TO IT, ALLEGEDLY.
AND, UH,
THAT FIELD WAS NOTORIOUS FOR ALL THE, UM, GO KARTERS AND MINI BIKERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO DO DONUTS ON.
AND THEY, THEY CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE.
AND I ALSO NOTICED THE FOOTBALL FIELD NOW HAS A FENCE AROUND IT.
SO THE HIGH SCHOOL KIDS CAN'T GO FULL WHEELING ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD RIGHT WHEN IT'S MUD.
AND THAT, UH, COMPLETES OUR REPORTS, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. AND I HAVE TWO OR THREE THINGS HERE JUST TO DISCUSS.
WE'LL SEE IF THEY SEE WHERE THEY GO.
UM, ONE OF 'EM IS TO LOOK FOR THAT STATE STATUTE ON LAUNDERING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THIS EVENING, MR. GRU.
AND, UM, ANOTHER ONE, LET'S SEE, UM, SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IN THERE.
WE HAVE A MOLLY AND MATT AND I HAVE A ABOUT AN HOUR MEETING, UH, ONCE A MONTH TO TRY AND TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT WE, WE MAYBE COULD BE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT, UM, IS OUT THERE, AND I'M JUST GONNA THROW IT OUT HERE AGAIN, FOR EVERYBODY TO, TO BE THINKING ABOUT, UM, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOARD? WHAT, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOARD? AND I'M BEGINNING TO DO RESEARCH TO FIND OUT WHAT THE CITY SAYS THE PURPOSE OF THIS, OF THIS BOARD IS.
AND SO THAT, SO THAT WE CAN KNOW THAT, THAT WE'RE USING THE TALENTS THAT WE HAVE HERE TO, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT.
'CAUSE WHENEVER STAFF IS IN THE, IS IN THE, THE FIGHT EVERY DAY, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY KNOW A LOT OF THE LITTLE DETAILS ABOUT THAT AND SOMETIMES THEY CAN'T THINK OUT FAR ENOUGH IN FRONT.
HADN'T BEEN THE PROBLEM WITH THIS GROUP, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE THAT WAY.
AND SO ANYWAY, SOMETHING, SOMETHING ABOUT A THOUGHT ABOUT HOW TO, HOW TO GET THE MOST, UH, USEFUL INFO FROM THE, THE LIFE EXPERIENCES OF EACH BOARD MEMBER.
SO THIS IS JUST, THIS IS A THOUGHT IS WHERE I'M, I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO BE A BOARD OF PARTICIPANTS, NOT OBSERVERS.
AND YOU'RE ALL DOING A GREAT JOB OF THAT.
AND ONE MORE THING THAT CAME UP OUT OF THIS NIGHT.
WE'RE HAVING, HAVING A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING, WE'RE FINALLY GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS ARE FINISHING.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE, UH, FOR STAFF TO, UH, SAY AT THE, AT THE FIRST OF THE MONTH TO PRESENT US JUST A CALENDAR WITH JUST, JUST TAKE A CALENDAR AND, AND GIVE US WHATEVER EVENTS MAY BE HAPPENING, UH, IN THAT MONTH ON THAT ONE CALENDAR? THAT ONE PAGE ONE TIME? ISN'T THAT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE BACK THAT WE ASKED FOR? WE DON'T, WE, I'M TALKING ABOUT AT THE FIRST OF, AT THE FIRST OF THE MONTH.
HAVE IT HAVE IT JUST SO THAT WE CAN, SO THAT WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT OUR SCHEDULES TO SEE EARLY ON WHEN, WHEN WE MIGHT CAN BE AVAILABLE, NOT AVAILABLE.
AND YOU TAKE THAT UNDER ADVISEMENT.
THAT'S NOT A MANDATE, BUT IT WOULD SURELY BE NICE IF WE HAD SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
CAN I JUST ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION? ARE YOU JUST ASKING FOR THE MONTH DIFFERENT THAN THE SPECIAL EVENTS THAT ARE LISTED DOWN HERE? OR YOU ASKING FOR LIKE, THE REST OF THE YEAR? I WOULD LIKE A CALENDAR THAT HAS ON, ON APRIL THE THIRD WE HAVE THIS, AND ON APRIL THE SIXTH WE HAVE THIS.
AND ON APRIL THE EIGHTH WE HAVE THIS.
AND THEN IT JUST SOMETHING UP THAT WE KNOW THERE'S AN EVENT THAT DAY THAT THE EVENT THAT DAY AND THE TIME STARTS.
IT DOESN'T, AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE MOST OF THE OTHER INFORMATION ONCE WE CAN HAVE THAT.
BUT THE TIME, BY THE TIME ALL THIS GETS HOME, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS GET BROUGHT BACK UP AGAIN.
BUT WHAT I ISN'T, WELL I, I MEAN THERE'S, THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN IN A MONTH BESIDES WHAT'S ON, ON HERE, FOR INSTANCE, LIKE THE RIBBON CUTTING IS IS NOT ON THERE.
SO WHAT WE CAN DO IS TO THE, THE BEST THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH HAVE A A CALENDAR OF, OF PERTINENT INFORMATION, PERTINENT DATES THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR THE BOARD.
THAT, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.
COULD YOU EXTEND, DID YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING? CLARIFY ARE, SO LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, THIS IS THE MAY MEETING.
DO YOU WANT THE MAY CALENDAR OR
[01:15:01]
YOU WANT JUNE'S CALENDAR AT THE MAY MEETING? IT'S A GOOD CLARIFICATION.AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH THAT WE'D LIKE THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH THAT'S COMING UP.
SO WE NEED THE MAY CALENDAR AND THEN WE'LL NEED A JUNE CALENDAR.
AND UH, AND SO IN MAY WHEN YOU'RE DOING, ONCE YOU START DOING 'EM, YOU'LL HAVE THINGS OUT IN FRONT THAT YOU'LL BE DOING PARTS OF THINGS FOR THE NEXT MONTH AND THE NEXT MONTH IN YOUR, IN YOUR DATABASE.
SO YOU CAN JUST PRINT US THE CALENDAR.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE TONIGHT, WOULD YOU WANT THE JUNE CALENDAR OR MAY BECAUSE LIKE DEPENDING UPON HOW OUR MEETING FALLS, THERE'S GONNA BE DAYS MISS ALREADY OF THE CURRENT MONTH.
I ARE YOU LOOKING FOR LIKE TONIGHT WE WOULD'VE GIVEN YOU THE JUNE CALENDAR.
I MEAN, I'M SORRY, THE MAY CALENDAR RIGHT, RIGHT.
DO YOU WANT THE MONTH AND MAY A MONTH? AND IT IS CLOSE TO THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH.
SO WE GET AS MANY OTHER THINGS IN THERE AS WE CAN.
SO SO YOU'VE GOT PLENTY OF TIME TO DO.
MAY WE'LL HAVE TO ASK YOU TO DO IT RIGHT AWAY 'CAUSE YOU GOTTA THINK ABOUT IT AND WORK THOSE THINGS THROUGH.
AND THEN, UH, UM, LAST, UH, AND CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, WE HAVE A, WE OUR, OUR, OUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBER, MR. VALIER AND I, I'VE ASKED HIM IF HE, 'CAUSE SEVERAL PEOPLE WEREN'T HERE WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GAVE THAT ELOQUENT STATEMENT OF WHERE YOUR FAMILY'S FROM AND WHAT YOU DID, UH, TO GIVE US A COUPLE OF MINUTES OF TELL US ABOUT YOU.
IT SHOULD BE, UH, PUSH THE, ALRIGHT.
UM, MY DAD, UM, WAS IN THE MILITARY.
SO WE UM, ME AND MY BROTHERS, TWO BROTHERS.
MY MOM MOVED BACK TO GARLAND IN 1974.
THE REASON I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE MY DAD'S FAMILY HAS BEEN HERE SINCE 1928 AND WE'RE RECOGNIZED JUST ALMOST A YEAR AGO BY THE STATE OF TEXAS WITH THE HISTORIC MARKER IN GARLAND AS THE FIRST HISPANIC FAMILY THAT MOVED HERE.
UM, MY GRANDPARENTS MANUEL AND MARIA BAIER, THERE'S A RIGHT THERE IN THE, ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH ON AVENUE C IN SANTA FE IS A, IS A STATE MARKER.
AND THEN, UH, IN AUGUST OF 2014, THE UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT NAMED THE UH, STUDENT CENTER AFTER HIM ON GLENBROOK, RIGHT THERE BY WILLIAMS STADIUM.
AND THAT DOESN'T MAKE ME IMPORTANT, BUT
I, ME AND MY BROTHERS DID GRADUATE FROM GARLAND HIGH SCHOOL.
I HAVE THREE GROWN KIDS THAT WENT ALL, WENT THROUGH THE MATH AND SCIENCE PROGRAM AND WENT, GRADUATED FROM NORTH GARLAND HIGH SCHOOL AND DID ALL THE PTA STUFF AND BOOSTER STUFF.
I'M RIGHT NOW MY WIFE AND I LIVE IN NORTH GARLAND IN THE KUER CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD AND I'M THE KUER CREEK CRIME WATCH PERSON.
I THINK I'M THE ONLY PERSON IN THAT GROUP, SO
BUT I MANAGED TO GET TWO TO 300 PEOPLE AT KUER PARK THE LAST THREE TIMES WE DID IT, UH, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.
SO, UM, I DO USE THE PARK THERE
IT'S, IT'S IMPROVED SINCE I'VE LIVED THERE FOR 23 YEARS.
AND, UM, CHRIS OTT ASKED ME TO BE ON THE BOARD TO FILL, I GUESS KENYA COULDN'T BE ON 'CAUSE HE'S A COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND UM, I SAID YES, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING, BUT, UM,
AND ONE OF YOUR RELATIVES WAS, UH, OH, MY ONLY UNCLES IS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL UNCLES STILL ALIVE.
UM, THEY LIVE IN BUCKINGHAM NORTH AND, UH, HIGH SCHOOL S EXPERIENCE MINE? NO, HIS FOOTBALL.
MINE IS NOT AS IMPRESSIVE AS HIS FOOTBALL.
SO HE WAS, UM, IN THE SPORTS HALL OF FAME IN GARLAND AND HIS SON TONY FOR BASEBALL.
MY UNCLE WAS FOR TRACK AND UH, HE WENT TO EAST TEXAS I THINK.
I'M NOT SURE WHERE TONY WENT TO, BUT, UM, AND I BARELY FINISHED COLLEGE.
SO, BUT
THAT'S KIND OF HOW I MET JERRY.
I DON'T, HE PROBABLY DIDN'T REMEMBER ME FROM THERE.
BUT, UM, AFTER THAT IT WAS 15 YEARS AT THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS WHEN WE USED TO READ NEW HOME BUILDERS AND REAL ESTATE IN THE PAPER.
A LOT OF THOSE HUGE ADS FOR TY HOMES, GRAND HOMES, AND STEVEN BROOKS AND ALL THOSE PEOPLE.
AND I KNEW HER FOR UP UNTIL, I GUESS SHE DIED.
DID YOU MISS EBY? I FOR YEARS? YEAH.
SO I KNEW MISS EBY AND UM, I SAW HER EVERY WEEK, TWICE A WEEK WHEN I WAS AT THE MORNING NEWS 'CAUSE THAT WAS MY ACCOUNT AND I GOT TO SEE HER.
SO, AND HER LIST OF PEOPLE SHE KNEW FOR CHRISTMAS CARDS WAS, UM, IF THERE WAS A HIGHWAY OR STREET THEY'D ACTUALLY KNEW THAT PERSON.
BUT, UM, NOBODY READS THE PAPER ANYMORE.
THAT'S WHY I'M A, A REALTOR NOW WITH MY WIFE AND, UM, LIVE IN NORTH GARLAND, WORKING OUT OF HER HOME, TRYING TO, TO MAKE A LIVING THAT WAY.
SO I, I MET PA GRAVE, YOU KNOW YEAH.
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THEIR HOUSE? YEAH, DID WORK ON THEIR HOUSE.AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIRST I HAD HEARD ABOUT THE FAMILY AND THEN I HADN'T HEARD ANYTHING IN ALL THESE YEARS.
SO NOW Y'ALL KNOW, UH, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE PIONEER FAMILIES OF THE, OF THE CITY OF GARLAND, THE VALIER FAMILY.
ANYTHING ELSE TO BRING BEFORE THE BOARD? IF NOT HEARING NOTHING.
I SEE NOTHING ELSE THAT WE WILL CALL THIS MEETING OFFICIALLY CLOSED AT 8 21 THIS EVENING.
WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENDANCE AND YOUR PARTICIPATION.