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I KNOW A LOT OF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN EACH OTHER IN A WHILE, BUT WE ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED HERE THIS EVENING. BUT I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO OUR MEETING THIS EVENING, ON THE, OUR JULY 16TH REGULAR MEETING OF THE GARLAND CITY COUNCIL. IT IS A CUSTOM AND TRADITION OF THIS CITY COUNCIL TO HAVE AN INVOCATION AND RECITAL OF THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF OUR MEETING, LED BY ONE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE, IF YOU SO CHOOSE. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN EITHER OR BOTH.
AND YOUR DECISION IS STRICTLY A MATTER OF YOUR OWN CHOICE AND WILL NOT HAVE ANY IMPACT ON THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE HERE THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. WE WILL BE LED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HEDRICK FROM DISTRICT SEVEN, SIR. THANK YOU, MAYOR, CAN YOU JOIN ME IN PRAYER? O GOD, WHO ARRANGES ALL THINGS ACCORDING TO YOUR WONDERFUL DESIGN, GRACIOUSLY RECEIVE THE PRAYERS. TONIGHT WE POUR OUT TO YOU FOR OUR COUNTRY, GOD, OUR FATHER AND GIVER OF LIFE. WE ENTRUST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND THE CITY OF GARLAND TO YOUR LOVING CARE. YOU ARE THE ROCK ON WHICH THIS NATION WAS FOUNDED. YOU ALONE ARE THE TRUE SOURCE OF OUR CHERISHED RIGHTS TO LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. RECLAIM THIS LAND FOR YOUR FOR YOUR GLORY AND DWELL AMONG YOUR PEOPLE. WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD FILL US WITH YOUR SPIRIT OF LOVE AND UNITY AMONG ALL PEOPLES OF THIS NATION. WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD HELP TO US TO SET ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES AND LOOK TO THE GREATER CAUSE, THE CAUSE OF CHRIST. GIVE US A SPIRIT OF YOUR WISDOM TONIGHT DURING OUR PROCEEDINGS, AND SEND YOUR SPIRIT TO WATCH OVER OUR MILITARY, POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, AND FIRST RESPONDERS. REMIND YOUR PEOPLE THAT TRUE HAPPINESS IS ROOTED IN SEEKING AND DOING YOUR WILL. WE THANK YOU THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS WITH US AND FOR GIVING US THIS GREAT PURPOSE AND HOPE. WE ASK THIS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD. AMEN. AMEN. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. WELL. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
[ MAYORAL PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS The Mayor may present proclamations, recognize attendees or accomplishments, and make announcements regarding City events or other matters of interest to citizens including but not limited to listed items. There will be no Council discussion or votes on these matters. National Intern Day]
WE'VE GOT SOME. I'VE GOT SOME RECOGNITIONS BEFORE WE GET STARTED. SO I WILL START RIGHT HERE ON THE FRONT ROW. AND, DAN, IF YOU CAN GET A SHOT OVER HERE, WE HAVE SCOUT TROOP 746 HERE WITH US THIS EVENING. GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. I ASSUME YOU'RE HERE FOR CITIZENSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY. IS THAT. AND, COMMUNICATION AND A FEW OTHER COMMUNICATIONS AND A FEW OTHER ONES. WELL, WE ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE. AND IF YOU NEED TO STICK AROUND AND TALK TO SOME OF US LATER, WE WILL CERTAINLY MAKE OURSELVES AVAILABLE TO YOU. SO WELCOME.AND I HAVE A RECOGNITION HERE. IT IS, NATIONAL INTERNS WEEK. SO KRISTEN, IF I CAN HAVE YOU AND OUR INTERNS FOR THIS YEAR COME FORWARD. Y'ALL CAN JUST KIND OF LINE UP HERE. WELCOME WELCOME, WELCOME. THANK GOODNESS. ALL RIGHT. WELL VERY GOOD. WELL IT IS NATIONAL INTERN DAY AND WE HAVE OUR, OUR STUDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAM THAT WE DO OVER THE SUMMER, SO THESE FOLKS ARE PARTICIPATING IN THAT. AND YOU WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU AS WELL. SO, WHEREAS THE CITY OF GARLAND IS COMMITTED TO BUILDING A WORKFORCE OF PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO ARE DEDICATED TO THE ORGANIZATION AND COMMUNITY AND WHEREAS INTERNSHIPS ARE ONE OF MANY PATHWAYS FOR THIS, FOSTERING AN ENVIRONMENT OF LEARNING AND A PIPELINE FOR FUTURE EMPLOYMENT, THIS PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2019 AS THE STUDENT AMBASSADOR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, AND IT SERVES TO ATTRACT AND RECRUIT QUALIFIED INTERNS EACH YEAR. AS A RESULT, MANY HAVE DECIDED TO START THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS RIGHT HERE WITH TEAM GARLAND, AND WHEREAS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE CITY ALSO RECOGNIZES AND CELEBRATES NATIONAL INTERN DAY, WHICH ONE SERVES AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYERS TO COMMEMORATE AND THANK THEIR HARD WORKING INTERNS? ARE YOU ALL HARD WORKING? YEAH. THANK YOU. IT HAS INSPIRED IT ALSO INSPIRES
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INVESTMENTS IN INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS AND IN THE INTERNS THEMSELVES AND PLANT SEEDS OF EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICE. SO NOW THEREFORE, I, SCOTT LEMAY, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF GARLAND, ALONG WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE NATIONAL INTERN DAY 2024. KRISTEN. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. IF I COULD JUST SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR INTERNS, I JUST CONTINUE TO BE VERY PROUD OF THIS PROGRAM, WHICH CONTINUES THROUGH THE SPONSORSHIP OF CITY COUNCIL, I WOULD SAY WE HAVE ALL OF OUR INTERNS HERE TONIGHT. WE DON'T, BUT WE KEEP LOSING OUR INTERNS BECAUSE WE KEEP HIRING THEM. SO, SINCE THIS PROGRAM STARTED, I'VE ACTUALLY LOST COUNT OF HOW MANY INTERNS WE HAVE HIRED AS FULL TIME EMPLOYEES WITH THE CITY OF GARLAND. SO A LOT OF THEM COME BACK IF THEY ARE STILL IN SCHOOL. AND THEN ONCE THEY FINISH, THEY COME BABACK AND JON US. SO IT'S WORKING A LOT. BUT I DO WANT TO JUST SHARE FOR THE 25 STUDENT AMBASSADOR INTERNS THAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR, THE COLLEGES THAT ARE REPRESENTED. SO DALLAS COLLEGE, OKLAHOMA STATE, SMU, STEPHEN F, AUSTIN, TEXAS A&M, TEXAS A&M, COMMERCE, UNT, UT, UTA, UTD AND YALE. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE SEVEN STUDENTS FROM GIZZARD'S CAREER AND TECHNICAL CENTER PROGRAM. SO WE HAVE SOME AWESOME STUDENTS. THANK YOU ALL. I WILL GIVE YOU THIS. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO STAY FOR THE REST OF THIS MEETING. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU ARE WELCOME TO STAY FOR THE REST OF YOUR CAREERS HERE. I WILL EXCUSE YOU FROM THE MEETING, BUT I WILL CERTAINLY LOVE TO HAVE YOU ON OUR TEAM. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.WELL, ONCE AGAIN, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. WE HAVE, A COUPLE OF BUSINESS ITEMS HERE TO TAKE CARE
[ CONSENT AGENDA All items under this section are recommended for approval by a single motion of Council, without discussion. Council has had the opportunity to review each of these items at a previous Work Session, and approval of the consent agenda authorizes the City Manager or his designee to execute each item. The Mayor will announce the consent agenda and provide an opportunity for members of the audience, as well as Council, to request that any item be removed and considered separately.]
OF BEFORE WE MOVE TO OUR PUBLIC HEARING, THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA. ALL ITEMS UNDER THIS SECTION ARE RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL BY A SINGLE MOTION OF COUNCIL WITHOUT DISCUSSION. COUNCILS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW EACH OF THESE ITEMS AT A PREVIOUS WORK SESSION, AND APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. AUTHORIZES THE CITY MANAGER OR HIS DESIGNEE TO EXECUTE EACH ITEM. I WILL ANNOUNCE THE CONSENT AGENDA AND PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE, AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL, TO REQUEST THAT ANY ITEMS BE REMOVED AND CONSIDERED SEPARATELY. I CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE ANY REQUESTS, BUT LET ME READ THROUGH THE AGENDA ITEM ONE. APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE JUNE 29TH, 2024 SPECIAL WORK SESSION. ITEM TWO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE JULY 2ND, 2024 REGULAR MEETING. ITEM THREE APPROVE THE FOLLOWING BIDS. ITEM THREE A FIRE DEPARTMENT HEART MONITORS. ITEM THREE B CHANGE ORDER FOR PATRICIA, ROBIN AND PATTON DRIVE ALLEY. WASTEWATER MAINS REPLACEMENT. ITEM THREE C SURF AND SWIM CONSTRUCTION SERVICES. ITEM THREE D, G, P, AND L DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. TREE TRIMMING SERVICES. CHANGE ORDER ITEM THREE E, G, P, AND L UNDERGROUND CABLE REPLACEMENT.ITEM THREE F, G, P, AND L DISTRIBUTION, PROCUREMENT AND WAREHOUSE OPERATIONS. ITEM THREE G, G, P, AND L URBAN SWITCH STATION GRADING CHANGE ORDER. ITEM FOUR A PUBLIC HEARING WAS PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTED FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONING CASES. COUNCIL APPROVED THE ZONING REQUEST AND INSTRUCTED STAFF TO BRING FORTH THE FOLLOWING ORDINANCES FOR APPROVAL, THE FIRST ITEM IS ITEM FOUR A THIS CASE Z 22 DASH 67, CCM. ENGINEERING AND DISTRICT THREE. ITEM FOUR B CASE Z 24.
DASH 15 IS 2916. . NATIONALP IN DISTRICT FIVE. ITEM FOUR IS CASE Z 24 DASH 24 KIMLEY-HORN IN DISTRICT THREE. AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, THERE IS A THERE ARE TWO ITEM FOURS LISTED ON OUR AGENDA.
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SO I'M JUST GOING TO READ THEM AS THEY, AS THEY ARE. ITEM FOUR IS A MAYORAL APPOINTMENT ITEM FIVE AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO AMEND AND EXTEND AN AGREEMENT WITH WEAVER AND TIDWELL FOR PROFESSIONAL AUDITING SERVICES. ITEM SIX APPROVE A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE RESERVE AT SHILOH, LLC. ITEM SEVEN, IS BOND STUDY COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS. WE ARE DOING. WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A BOND STUDY COMMITTEE, AND WE ARE DOING IT BY RESOLUTION, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FOLKS WHO ARE BEING APPOINTED, UNDER THE MAYOR IS JUSTIN VARGHESE. LINDSEY FOGLEMAN AND SHARONDA GREENE, UNDER THE MAYOR PRO TEM, WE HAVE JAMES KAWAKATSU AND MARISOL TREVIZO UNDER THE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, KRISTIN LUCIDO. EXCUSE ME. JARRETT JONES. AND UNDER COUNCIL MEMBER BASE RICKY MCNEIL AND PETER ALMANZA UNDER COUNCIL MEMBER BEARD. DOCTOR MARY BRUMBACH AND JOSEPH MARRERO UNDER COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS KASHARA PARNELL AND KIM THEOF UNDER COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON FRANKLIN, JESSIE WOLFE AND REGGIE WALKER UNDER COUNCIL MEMBER HEDRICK, CHIP VAN PELT AND JOE THOMAS, AND UNDER COUNCIL MEMBER OT BOB DUCKWORTH AND TONY TORRES. AND THEN WE HAVE ITEM EIGHT IS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. APPOINTMENTS FOR THE GARLAND YOUTH COUNCIL AND THE APPOINTMENTS FOR THOSE FOLKS THIS YEAR UNDER THE MAYOR, PRESTON BASS, VALERIE OGLE, BOY UNDER MAYOR PRO TEM HANNAH NEARY, UNDER THE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM STEVIE HOGUE, AND SOPHIA SAL UNDER COUNCIL MEMBER BASS. I'M SEE OROZCO AND MILAN LEY UNDER COUNCIL MEMBER BEARD SHALOM UMUKORO AND TAMARA ZAMORA UNDER COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS TOSS TO HOLLY AND NICOLE GREEN UNDER COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON. ARIANA SANCHEZ AND ANNA TANKERSLEY UNDER COUNCIL MEMBER HEDRICK, CINDY LEY AND KEENAN COIL MCCLUSKEY, AND UNDER COUNCIL MEMBER ART MONA BRASCO AND JULIANNA DEJESUS. AND THAT IS OUR THAT IS THE CONSENT AGENDA. SORRY. LOST MY PEN. IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ANY ITEMS PULLED AND CONSIDERED SEPARATELY? SEEING NONE. COUNCIL MEMBER HEDRICK THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER HEDRICK AND A SECOND BY DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM LUCK TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. MADAM SECRETARY, YOU PRAYER THE VOTE FOR US, PLEASE AND COUNCIL. AND DISPLAY THE VOTE. AND THAT IS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY. MOVING ON TO OUR ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION, WE DO NOT HAVE[a. Hold a Public Hearing and Council discussion regarding retiree benefits. The City Council will consider public testimony regarding retiree benefits offered by the City. Following public testimony, the City Council may discuss the topic of retiree benefits and staff may provide additional information or answer questions raised during the public hearing. ]
ANY, ZONING CASES OR ANYTHING THIS EVENING, TONIGHT, WE ARE HERE TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING, FOR REGARDING OUR RETIREE BENEFITS. AND I WILL SAY, WE HAVE HAD A PREVIOUS DISCUSSION ON THIS A COUPLE OF WEEKS BACK, SOME INFORMATION, DURING A SPECIAL WORK SESSION, WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT, WE WILL OBVIOUSLY NOT BE MAKING ANY DECISIONS OR VOTING ON ANYTHING THIS EVENING. WE ARE HERE STRICTLY TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT. AND SO TO THAT POINT, IF ANY OF YOU ARE PLANNING ON SPEAKING THIS EVENING, IF YOU HAVEN'T FILLED OUT A SPEAKER CARD, YOU CAN GET THOSE AT THE CITY SECRETARY AND WE'LL GET YOU QUEUED UP, FOR THAT. AND, I BELIEVE WITH THAT, MR. REX, CAN YOU GIVE US KIND OF A SYNOPSIS OF WHERE WE ARE? SURE, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, AND COUNCIL. AND IT'S KIND OF NEAT TO HAVE MEMBERS OF TEAM GARLAND PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE WITH THE INTERNS TO HERE WITH US. SO IT'S GREAT TO SEE EVERYBODY HERE. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I WANT TO JUST GIVE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE PUBLIC HEARING AND REALLY INTRODUCE WHY WE'RE HERE. SO FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE IN 2023, THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE OF HOUSE BILL 2464, THE CITY OF GARLAND BEGAN LOOKING AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO REINTRODUCE A COLA TO OUR TMRS BENEFITS. AND WHAT, WHAT HB 2464 DID WAS ALLOW CITIES TO OPT BACK INTO COLA WITHOUT PAYING THE CATCH UP PROVISIONS. SO BACK IN 2009, THE CITY, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THE CITY OPTED OUT OF COLA FOR RETIREES. IT WAS A CHALLENGING TIME FOR GARLAND, WE[00:15:01]
HAD THE WE WERE ON THE HEELS OF THE GREAT RECESSION. WE HAD PROPERTY VALUES THAT WERE DECLINING. WE HAD OUR PENSION AND TMRS LIABILITY. THAT WAS INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY DUE TO A NUMBER OF FACTORS. AND FRANKLY, IT WAS JUST A FINANCIAL DECISION THAT THE CITY HAD TO MAKE AT THE TIME, AND SO ON THE HEELS OF HB 2464 LAST YEAR, WE BEGAN LOOKING AND INVESTIGATING WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE TO REINSTATE A COLA, WE CAUGHT IT KIND OF LATER IN THE PROCESS IN TERMS OF COORDINATING WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS. AND SO WHILE WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH KIND OF SUMMER AND WINTER OF LAST YEAR, REALLY BEGAN INVESTIGATING THIS, EVEN MORE, STARTING THIS SPRING, TMRS, WHO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH VERY CLOSELY TO UNDERSTAND THE FINANCIAL IMPACTS AND COSTS OF THIS OF CONTINUED TO PROVIDE US INFORMATION. AND SO WE'RE HERE NOW REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT A COLA WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR THE CITY OF GARLAND, AS YOU MENTIONED, MAYOR NOT LOOKING FOR ANY DECISIONS TONIGHT. I KNOW IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THIS CITY COUNCIL AND TO US AS A STAFF TO GET INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS, THOSE THAT ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS DECISION AND THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE DECISION MADE IN 2009, TO OPT OUT OF A COLA. AND SO I KNOW OUR OUR COMMITMENT AND COUNCIL'S COMMITMENT IS TO TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK AT THIS, THERE ARE A LOT OF FINANCIAL IMPACTS, NOT ONLY JUST THE DIRECT COST OF PROVIDING A COLA ON A REPEATING COLA ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, BUT, IMPACTS ON OUR BOND RATING, IMPACTS ON OUR ABILITY TO ISSUE DEBT AND WHAT THE COST OF ISSUING THAT DEBT IS, IT'S A COMPLEX. IT'S A COMPLEX MATTER. IT'S A COMPLEX ISSUE. AND ONE THAT IMPACTS NOT JUST THE CITY, BUT EMPLOYEES, MEMBERS OF TEAM GARLAND, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT AND REALLY INTERESTED IN, IN WHAT THE WHAT OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND MEMBERS OF TEAM GARLAND HAVE TO SAY. SO, MAYOR, AS YOU MENTIONED, JUST WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE, BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE ITEM TONIGHT AND, BE HAPPY TO LISTEN IN TONIGHT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. SIR. SO AGAIN, IF YOU'RE GOING TO SPEAK THIS EVENING, IF WE CAN GET YOU TO FILL OUT A SPEAKER CARD AND TURN THEM INTO THE CITY SECRETARY, WE'LL GET YOU CUED UP. I KNOW THAT, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLKS THAT AREOING TO BE SPEAKING TONIGHT THAT ARE REPRESENTING LARGER GROUPS OR A LARGE GROUP, IF YOU WILL, THOSE FOLKS, WE WILL, GIVE THEM TEN MINUTES TO MAKE THEIR PRESENTATIONS. THE REMAINING INDIVIDUAL SPEAKERS WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, THE CITY SECRETARY WILL CALL YOU FORWARD. YOU CAN COME TO THE PODIUM, AND IF YOU CAN GIVE US YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, YOU WILL HAVE, THERE IS A TIMER AT THE PODIUM, AND I JUST ASK THAT YOU BE RESPECTFUL OF THAT TIME, AND THEN IF ONCE YOU'RE COMPLETED SPEAKING, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL, WE WILL ADDRESS THOSE.ALL RIGHT. AND WITH THAT, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU CAN CALL OUR FIRST SPEAKER. THANK YOU. MAYOR.
IF I COULD HAVE RANDY BAILEY. VAGUELY. MY NAME IS RANDY BAILEY. I LIVE AT 20, 26, 26 STROTHER GARLAND, TEXAS. I CAME TO GARLAND STRAIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE IN 1978. I CHOSE GARLAND BECAUSE IT HAD AN OUTSTANDING BECAUSE OF ITS OUTSTANDING REPUTATION FOR BEING PROGRESSIV, PROACTIVE, AND KEEPING UP WITH THE MODERN EQUIPMENT. BEING ONE OF THE HIGHEST PAID DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY OR IN THE METROPLEX AND THE STATE AND HAVE AND FOR HAVING A GREAT RETIREMENT SYSTEM STARTING OUT AS A PATROLMAN, I WAS ON I STARTED OUT AS A PATROLMAN AND I WAS ON SWAT FOR 17 YEARS. I WROTE A POLICE MOTORCYCLE FOR 24 YEARS, AND MY LAST 11 YEARS I PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT, TEN OF WHICH I WAS OVER THE TRAFFIC UNIT. I SERVED IN GARLAND PD FOR GARLAND PD FOR 32.5 YEARS, AND THEN SERVED AS A CITY MARSHAL UNTIL 2023. THE FACT THAT THAT GARLAND OPTED OUT OF COLIN 2009 MEANS THAT I RECEIVE THE SAME PENSION AMOUNT NOW AS I DID 14 YEARS AGO. THIS MEANS AS OUR CITY HEALTH INSURANCE GOES UP EVERY YEAR, MY NET GOES DOWN WHILE DEALING WITH THE RISING COST OF INFLATION. IT WAS A HUGE MISTAKE FOR GARLAND TO OPT OUT OF COLA AND THE
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NEGATIVE IMPACT OR THE NEGATIVE EFFECT THAT IT HAS HAD ON ALL OF ITS LOYAL RETIREES. WE WERE TOLD THAT EVERY CITY THROUGHOUT THE STATE WERE GOING TO GIVE UP THEIR COLAS. NOT THE CASE, AND MANY HAVE GOT BACK IN IT SINCE THE BUYBACK HAS BEEN ELIMINATED. IF WE HAVEN'T ALREADY, MAYBE WE SHOULD CONTACT SOME OF THESE CITIES TO SEE WHAT THEY DID TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. I KNOW THAT GARLAND CAN GET OUR COLAS BACK IF THEY CHOOSE. FOR THOSE WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR CAUSING THIS TO HAPPEN, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED FOR THE DAMAGE THAT YOU HAVE DONE TO SO MANY LOYAL RETIREES AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE CURRENT COUNCIL HAD NO PART IN THIS DECISION AND NOW YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO CORRECT IT. THERE'S ONLY ONE YEAR LEFT, SO NOW IS OUR ONE AND ONLY GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO RIGHT THIS WRONG. GARLAND. I HEAR TEAM GARLAND OVER AND OVER BEING PROMOTED BY OUR CITY MANAGER AND CITY GOVERNMENT. WELL, THIS IS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THEM HOW MUCH YOU REALLY DO CARE ABOUT THE TEAM BY BRINGING COLA BACK TO RLAND. THANK YOU.THANK YOU SIR. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE NO ONE IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T BEEN TO CITY HALL IN A WHILE, BEEN TO A CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND TYPICALLY, WE TRY TO, WE TRY TO REFRAIN FROM CLAPPING AND CHEERING AND THAT SORT OF THING, SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE HELP ME OUT WITH THAT TONIGHT, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT, ALTHOUGH I DO APPRECIATE THE REASONS. SO THANK YOU ALL RIGHT. CAN YOU CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE? CLINT MCNAIR. SIR. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. HONORABLE COUNCIL, AND ALL THOSE THAT, CAME OUT TONIGHT TO BE A PART OF THIS, IMPORTANT TOPIC. MY NAME IS CLINT MCNAIR. I LIVE IN FORNEY, TEXAS, 1036 LUFKIN. I WORK FOR TMPA TEXAS MUNICIPAL POLICE ASSOCIATION. WE REPRESENT ABOUT 34,000 POLICE OFFICERS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS. MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY THAN THAT, I'M RETIRED FROM THE GARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND I'M PROUD OF THAT. OR I WAS AT ONE TIME EXTREMELY PROUD OF THAT. WORKING AT TMPA AFFORDS ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL AROUND THE STATE AND THE COUNTRY, AND I CAN'T EXPRESS TO YOU, THE DIFFERENCE THAT TIME HAS MADE FROM WHEN I GOT HIRED TO YOUNG PEOPLE, THAT ARE APPLYING FOR JOBS WE SEE IN THE MILITARY, WE SEE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE THAT THE OBLIGATION FOR SERVICE HAS DIMINISHED SOMEWHAT, WHICH AFFECTS RECRUITING. BUT ULTIMATELY, WHAT AFFECTS IT MUCH MORE IS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE CHOOSING TO GET INTO THESE PROFESSIONS ARE VERY EDUCATED. I WASN'T I WANTED A BADGE AND A GUN AND A POLICE CAR TO DRIVE FAST, AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WE HAD INSURANCE AND BENEFITS. I THAT WAS CAME YEARS LATER. THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING HIRED TODAY, I ASSURE YOU, AS I TRAVEL ACROSS THE STATE, THEY WANT TO KNOW, IS THIS A TMS CITY? WHAT MEDICAL BENEFITS ARE INVOLVED WITH THIS? WHAT MEDICAL BENEFITS DOES MY FAMILY FAMILY ENJOY FROM THIS? AND DO I GET A COLA? I NEVER DREAMED AND I USED TO ALWAYS SAY, YOU CAN'T GET A 22 YEAR OLD TO CARE ABOUT A COLA BECAUSE THAT IS ETERNITIES AWAY FROM THEM. THAT'S NOT THE CASE ANYMORE. THAT AFFECTS RECRUITING GARLAND. UNLIKE A LOT OF OTHER CITIES, IS DOUBLE PUNISHED. I KNOW THAT WINDFALL ELIMINATION HAS BEEN BROACHED WITH YOU GUYS, MEN AND WOMEN. PUBLIC SAFETY DOES NOT ENJOY FULL SOCIAL SECURITY BECAUSE OF WINDFALL ELIMINATION. AT LEAST OTHER CITIES HAVE A COLA SO THAT THEY'RE NOT DOUBLE PUNISHED. THE RETIREES AT GARLAND DO NOT DESERVE TO BE DOUBLE PUNISHED FOR SERVING HERE HONORABLY FOR 2030. SOME OF THEM HERE TONIGHT, 40 YEARS. IT'S A LONG TIME OF SERVICE. AND I'LL ECHO WHAT RETIRED LIEUTENANT RANDY BAILEY SAID. NO ONE ON THIS COUNCIL WAS A PART OF BREAKING IT. BUT YOU GUYS HAVE A BEAUTIFUL OPPORTUNITY NOW TO RECTIFY A WRONG AND TO SHOW THESE PEOPLE, BECAUSE WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND IS THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE RETIREES, INCLUDING MR. REX, ONE DAY. AND I'M SURE WHEN HE IS, HE WOULD LOVE A COLA. AND SO LET'S PRACTICE WHAT WE PREACH. IF WE'RE A TEAM, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT A TEAM IS.
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AND TEAM MAKES HARD DECISIONS AND THEY STICK TOGETHER AND DO THINGS FOR THE COLLECTIVE UNIT.I APPRECIATE EACH ONE OF YOU. YOUR SERVICE IS THANKLESS, ALSO, MR. WILLIAMS, IT'S BEEN YEARS.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU, SIR. YOU GUYS SERVE. AND THAT DOESN'T GO UNNOTICED EITHER. THAT YOU GUYS PUT UP WITH A LOT TO SERVE YOUR COMMUNITY AND GIVE BACK. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU.
SIR I HEARD THAT CLAP. WE DIDN'T WANT. NOPE DON'T MAKE ME CALL. YOU KNOW, A CITY MARSHAL IN HERE TO CLEAR THIS PLACE OUT? OKAY YOU CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. PHILIP SMITH.
HELLO, MY NAME IS PHILIP SMITH. I LIVE AT 6644 FM 512, IN WOLFE CITY, TEXAS. OF ALL PLACES, THANK YOU ALL FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND SPEAK WITH YOU TONIGHT, I DON'T HAVE ANY KIND OF IN DEPTH RESEARCH, ANY KIND OF FANCY NUMBERS TO THROW OUT THERE TO YOU. I RETIRED AFTER 37. I WAS IN MY 37TH YEAR FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HERE IN GARLAND. AND, THAT WAS IN JANUARY, THE 27TH OF 22. AND IN JUST THAT SHORT TIME, IT'S JUST BEEN A LITTLE BIT OVER TWO YEARS. I'M ALREADY STARTING TO SEE THAT I'M SLIDING, SLIDING BACKWARDS A LITTLE BIT. AND, I DON'T KNOW, I JUST THOUGHT OF THIS AND IT'S KIND OF WEIRD, I GUESS, BECAUSE I'M KIND OF WEIRD. BUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU EVER WALKED ON ICE, YOU KNOW, YOU GET OUT THERE ON THAT ICE AND YOU START WALKING AND YOU SLIP JUST A LITTLE BIT, AND IT'S NOT BAD AT FIRST, BUT THEN THAT SLIP GETS BIGGER AND BIGGER. AND BEFORE TOO LONG, YOU'RE LAID OUT ON THE ICE, I JUST WANT TO SLIP ANY FURTHER BEHIND, NO MORE THAN CAN BE PREVENTED. IF Y'ALL COULD GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF SOMETHING TO KEEP US FROM SLIPPING SO FAR AND SO FAST WOULD BE JUST FANTASTIC, TO SPEAK ABOUT THE CITY OF GARLAND. THOSE 37 YEARS WERE WONDERFUL. HAD A GREAT TIME, WORKED WITH SOME FANTASTIC PEOPLE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE SHOP, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER YOU RUN INTO, JUST GOOD PEOPLE ALL TRYING TO DO A GOOD JOB. SO, IF Y'ALL WOULD PLEASE GIVE THIS AS MUCH CONSIDERATION AS YOU CAN TO JUST KIND OF KEEP US FROM SLIPPING BACKWARDS. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
BRANDON DE. GOOD EVENING. MAYOR. COUNCIL. LIKE MY BROTHER FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. MR. MCNAIR, I SERVE ON OUR STATE FIREFIGHTERS BOARD, AND I TRAVETHE STATE AS WELL.
AND I'LL ECHO WHAT HE SAID. A LOT OF THOSE SAME SENTIMENTS ARE SET ON THE FIRE AISLE AS WELL.
FIRST, THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE OF REINSTATING A COLA FOR OUR CITY RETIREES. I'M BRANDON DAY. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DO NOT KNOW ME, A PROUD CITY EMPLOYEE, I WAS HIRED INTO THE FIRE SERVICE IN OCTOBER OF 1999, AND I HAVE STRIVED TO HELP THIS DEPARTMENT DELIVER EXCELLENT SERVICE FOR NEARLY 25 YEARS. GROWING UP, I DID NOT ASPIRE TO BE A FIREFIGHTER LIKE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES. MY FATHER WAS A FUNERAL DIRECTOR AND A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER AND INSTILLED INTO ME A COMMITMENT OF GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IN COLLEGE, AFTER I HAD BEGUN TO PURSUE A CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEGREE, I LEARNED MORE ABOUT THE FIRE SERVICE, FOUND OUT IT WAS A LOT BETTER, AND I SWITCHED PATHS ALONG THE WAY. I LEARNED THAT GARLAND HAD CIVIL SERVICE, A STABLE RETIREMENT SYSTEM FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES. FROM A RECRUITING PERSPECTIVE, THIS MADE THE CITY OF GARLAND MORE APPEALING. LIKE OTHER EMPLOYEES, I APPRECIATED THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO PROPERLY FUNDING THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM THROUGH A 714, AS WELL AS AN ANNUAL COLA.
I BEGAN MY SERVICE AS A FIREFIGHTER IN THIS GREAT COMMUNITY WITH THE IDEA THAT WITH THESE THINGS IN PLACE, I WOULD EARN A RETIREMENT SECURITY. THE REMOVAL OF COLA IN 2008 CONCERNED MANY FIREFIGHTERS. WE UNDERSTOOD THE DECISION AT THE TIME, BUT WE DID NOT EXPECT IT TO BE PERMANENT. I SUPPORT ESTABLISHING THE RSP WHEN WE DID AND I APPRECIATE
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YOUR WORK IN THAT. AND WHILE THIS HELPS SOME OF OUR YOUNGER MEMBERS, INCLUDING MYSELF, IT DOES NOT HELP OUR RETIRED FRIENDS AND OUR MENTORS AND THOSE CLOSE TO RETIRING NEAR ENOUGH. REESTABLISHING A COLA NOW WILL HAVE NO IMMEDIATE EFFECT ON ME. I PLAN ON STAYING A LITTLE WHILE LONGER, BUT IT WILL FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE ALL HOLD IN HIGH REGARD, AND MANY OF THOSE YOU'LL HEAR FROM TONIGHT. GARLAND FIREFIGHTERS UNDERSTAND THE BUDGETARY CHALLENGES BEFORE YOU. WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THE OBLIGATIONS BOTH FINANCIAL AND MORAL, OF A CITY LEADER, TO NOT LEAVE BEHIND THE MEN AND THE WOMEN THAT HELPED BUILD THIS CITY, THIS HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT TIME FOR US SINCE INFLATION CONTINUES TO CUT INTO THE LIVING STANDARD THAT SO MANY OF OUR RETIREES HAVE HAD SINCE THEY'VE HAD BEEN RETIRED WITH NO COLA. AND AS YOU KNOW, THE STATE HAS PROVIDED US WITH A LIMITED WINDOW TO HELP THE ONES THAT PAVE THE ROAD WE ARE TRAVELING ON NOW. WE ALSO MUST LOOK AHEAD, SHORING UP THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM ALSO WILL HELP OUR CITY STAY COMPETITIVE. THIS WILL ALSO HELP WITH FUTURE EMPLOYEE RETENTION, AND IT IS BETTER AND LESS EXPENSIVE TO RETAIN RATHER THAN RETRAIN. AND FOR THESE REASONS, I URGE YOU TO LOOK INTO REINSTATING THE COLA AND HELP KEEP GARLAND COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER TEXAS CITIES. THANK YOU.THANK YOU SIR. CHASE HARRIS. HELLO, MAYOR. COUNCIL FOLKS, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY. MY NAME IS CHASE HARRIS AND I LIVE A FAR WAYS AWAY FROM HERE. TWO, FIVE, EIGHT ZERO WEASEL ROAD, PITTSBURG, TEXAS, I CAME TO WORK HERE 18 YEARS AGOO ON THE FAR SIDE, ANDI KIND OF WANTED TO BRING, A TOPIC IN REGARDS TO THIS THAT MAY NOT BE COVERED HERE, WITH SOME OF THE REST. AGAIN, JUST AS BRANDON SAID, I'VE BEEN HERE 18 YEARS, SO THE EFFECTS OF A LOT OF THE DECISIONS AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE DON'T WON'T REALLY AFFECT ME IMMEDIATELY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT WHAT I HAVE, WHAT I HAVE SEEN IS, IS MY FATHER IS ALSO A FIREFIGHTER AND MY FATHER IS CURRENTLY EMPLOYED AT A DIFFERENT CITY, NOT FOR GARLAND. AND I WATCHED A MAN GO FROM BEING VERY PASSIONATE ON FIRE FOR THE JOB. ONE OF THE BEST FIREFIGHTERS YOU EVER MET IN YOUR LIFE, LOVING HIS JOB TO HATING HIS JOB. AND HE HATES HIS JOB AND DOESN'T WANT TO BE THERE ANYMORE BECAUSE HE IS BROKEN AND HE'S HAD TO STAY A LOT LONGER THAN HE WANTED TO STAY BECAUSE OF THE FINANCIAL PREDICAMENTS THAT HIS PARTICULAR CITY WAS IN, HE TRIED TO HE TRIED TO WORK HARD TO ALLEVIATE THAT, BUT HE IS FINALLY G GOING TO ABLE TO RETIRE NEXT YEAR AND BE ABLE TO ENJOY HIS RETIREMENT, BUT NOT AT NOT AT THE LEVEL THAT HE SHOULD BE ABLTO ENJOY HIS RETIREMENT BASED OFF OF THE DEDICATION THAT HE GAVE THE CITY THAT HE SERVED. HE'S A BROKEN MAN, PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY BECAUSE OF HIS EXTENDED STAY WITH THE CITY. I THINK EVERY SINGLE RETIREE THAT HAS WORKED HERE BEFORE ME, EVERY CURRENT EMPLOYEE THAT HAS WORKED HERE WITH ME, AND EVERY EMPLOYEE THAT COMES BEYOND ME, SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HANG IT UP WHEN THEY'RE READY TO HANG IT UP, NOT WHENEVER THEY HAVE TO HANG IT UP. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU SIR. JERRY CLAR.
HAYDEN. MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL. HOW Y'ALL DOING TONIGHT? MY NAME IS JERRY CLARK. I LIVE IN LONE OAK, TEXAS. I NEED AN HOUR AWAY. I NEED YOU TO COME OVER TO THE PODIUM, TO THE MIC. NO, MY NAME IS JERRY KLICK. I LIVE IN LONE OAK, TEXAS, ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY FROM HERE. I GOT HIRED HERE RIGHT OUT OF THE MILITARY. I WAS LOOKING FOR A JOB. MY GIRLFRIEND LIVED IN GARLAND. I WANTED TO COME TO GARLAND. SHE'S NOW BEEN MY WIFE FOR 40 YEARS. GARLAND. I GOT HIRED BY THE WATER DEPARTMENT IN JULY OF 1984 FOR $5.50. AN HOUR. THEY WON'T LET YOU WORK OVERTIME IN THE WATER DEPARTMENT. BACK THEN UNTIL YOU'VE BEEN HERE SIX MONTHS. BUT I BEGGED THEM BECAUSE I NEEDED THAT 775 AN HOUR. I WAS TRYING TO GET ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WITHIN FOUR MONTHS. I GOT HIRED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, GOT A $500 A MONTH RAISE. WHEN I WENT THROUGH HR ORIENTATION FOR THE WATER DEPARTMENT, AND FOUR MONTHS LATER FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHEN THEY WERE EXPLAINING BENEFITS TO MRS. COLA, WAS EXPLAINED. THAT'S WONDERFUL. I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY WHEN WE RETIRE ABOUT MY FAMILY BECAUSE WE GOT COLA. I'LL KEEP GETTING PAY RAISES, DON'T HAVE TO LIVE LIKE YOU. SEE SOME OF THE PEOPLE BACK IN THE DAY LIVE WELL. 25 YEARS LATER THAT COLA WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM US. OCTOBER THIS YEAR I'LL HAVE 40 YEARS IN. PEOPLE ASK ME EVERY DAY, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO RETIRE? AND I TELL THEM, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M HAVING FUN AS LONG AS I'M HAVING
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FUN, I'M GOING TO STAY WORKING HERE. MY WIFE RETIRED AS A SCHOOLTEACHER LAST YEAR. WE HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MY RETIREMENT, AND ONE THING I TELL HER IS I'LL NEVER GET A PAY RAISE. WHY WOULD I WANT TO RETIRE? I'LL NEVER GET ANOTHER PAY RAISE FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVESES. YOU WON'T GET A PAY RAISE. I'M GOING TO DIE BEFORE HER. I DON'T WANT HER WALKING. WORKING IN WALMART WHEN SHE'S 75 YEARS OLD. SO PART OF THE REASON I STAY HERE IS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO NOT EVER GET A PAY RAISE. MY JOB NOW IS TO TAKE CARE OF MY WIFE FINANCIALLY. THAT'S MY JOB. SO I WORK HERE NOW. I'VE BEEN HERE 40 YEARS IN OCTOBER, GOING TO STAY AS LONG AS I'M HAVING FUN, BUT I'M ALSO GOING TO STAY AS LONG AS I HAVE TO STAY. MANY OF YOU SEE ME DOWN ON THE SQUARE WITH A FIRE ENGINE. ANYTIME WE HAVE AN EVENT 35 YEARS FROM NOW, THAT MAY BE MY SKELETON SITTING DOWN THERE BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING TO LEAVE HIM. I'M NOT GOING TO LEAVE IF WE DON'T GET A PAY RAISE. SO THINK ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL SITUATION. YOUR JOB IS TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY. IF I LEAVE TODAY AND KNOWING THAT I'LL NEVER GET A PAY RAISE, I CAN'T TAKE CARE OF MY FAMILY. SO ALL I'M ASKING, LIKE ALL THE PEOPLE BEFORE ME, LOOK AT COLA. THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING. GIVE US WHAT WE DESERVE. WE DESERVE IT. I WAS PROMISED IT. WE WERE ALL PROMISED IT. I WAS PROMISED IT TWICE. ONCE WITH THE WATER DEPARTMENT, ONCE WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND FOR NO REASON OF MINE, NO REASON OF THEIRS. IT WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM US. YOU GOT A CHANCE TO GIVE IT BACK TO US.GIVE IT BACK. I KNOW IT'S GOING TO COST MONEY. EVERYTHING AROUND HERE IS COSTING MONEY. GIVE IT BACK. TAKE CARE OF YOUR EMPLOYEES. IT'S ALL I'M ASKING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
APPRECIATE IT. GOOD JOB JERRY. THANK YOU SIR. DAVID RIGGS. I BET YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU'D HAVE TO FOLLOW JERRY CLARK. SPEAKING IN PUBLIC, IT WAS AN HONOR TO SERVE WITH HIM, SIR, I, I APPRECIATE HIM, HELLO. I'M DAVID RIGGS, CITY OF GARLAND. GCFD G G F D RETEE. I RESIDE AT 3405 COUNTY ROAD 2322 SULFUR SPRINGS, TEXAS. IT'S NOT MY FIRST TIME TO ADDRESS THIS BODY FOR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS. NOT THE FIRST TIME TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH ELECTED LEADERS IN THE CITY OF GARLAND. HONORABLE MAYOR, I'LL ADDRESS YOU. IS HONORABLE. EVEN THOUGH IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. MADE A JOKE AT MY EXPENSE. AND WORK. RECENT WORK SESSION. BUT I'M SURE I DESERVE IT, AS YOU WELL KNOW, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY MANAGER, CITY STAFF, LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOU. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME A FEW MINUTES TO SPEAK ON THE ISSUE OF, REINSTATING A COLA. I KNOW THIS BODY OVER THE YEARS BECAUSE NOT ONLY DID I SERVE THE GARLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT, I WAS A STUDENT OF THE CITY OF GARLAND. AND WHAT THEY DID OVER THE YEARS THAT I WORKED HERE THROUGH THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CITIZENS, VOTED ON TO HIRE GOOD EMPLOYEES TO PVIDE OUTSTANDING SERVICE. AND THAT BODY HAS, OVER THE YEARS, MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN EMPLOYEE BENEFITS 714 THE RETIREMENT STABILITY BENEFIT, BASICALLY GIVING PARITY, TO THOSE GROUP OF EMPLOYEES THAT DON'T PAY INTO SOCIAL SECURITY, IS MENTIONED BEFORE BY MY BROTHER CLINT THAT, ARE SOMEONE THAT THEY DON'T RECEIVE THE BENEFITS OF THAT AS OLD RETIREES, BUT IT IS A BENEFIT AND IT IS AN ATTRACTIVE PACKAGE TO RECRUIT NEW EMPLOYEE.
THIS IF YOU CAN FIND A WAY TO MAKE THE HARD DECISIONS THAT PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYORS HAVE MADE TO INSTALL A BENEFIT THAT WE ONCE HAD, I BELIEVE IT WILL BENEFIT THE CITIZENS OF GARLAND, ALL EMPLOYEES AND CERTAINLY Y'ALL. SO I ASK YOU TO LOOK, AND I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE, AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT ALL THE REVENUE RESOURCES STILL PROVIDE THE CITIZENS OF GARLAND WITH THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED, BUT PROVIDE THE EMPLOYEES WITH THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED. ALSO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HANG ON. ONE SECOND, COUNSELOR BASS. YES, SIR. DAVID.
HEY, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT HERE TODAY, BECAUSE YOU WERE AROUND IN 2008. CAN YOU. OH, YEAH. SO CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE, BECAUSE OF COURSE, I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN CITY GOVERNMENT THEN, AND I'M NOT AN EMPLOYEE OF THE OF THE CITY, CAN YOU TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT YOU FELT WHEN THE COLA WAS, WAS TAKEN AWAY, THEN? I KNOW YOU WEREN'T RETIRED THEN, BUT YOU
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KNOW, HOW DID THAT MAKE YOU FEE? WELL, I MEAN, IT MADE ME FEEL THAT. WELL, I'M GOING TO BACK UP, COUNCILMAN, AS I SAID IN MY REMARKS, I'M NOT ONLY SERVED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITIZENS OF GARLAND, I KNEW I TRIED TO KNOW WHAT Y'ALL'S JOB WAS, AND I STUDIED THE BUDGET. I'D LIKE TO CLAIM THTHAT I PROBLY KNEW THE BUDGET AS WELL AS THIS COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE CITY MANAGER, BECAUSE I'D SPEND MY TIME DOING IT. AND I KNEW THE RESPONSIBILITIES. AND AT THE TIME WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD HAVE TO LET GO. EMPLOYEES THROUGH EVERY GROUP. AND IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE. BUT I ALSO REPRESENTED THE STATE FIREFIGHTERS ON TMRS, FOR EIGHT YEARS. AND I WAS VERY AWARE THAT THIS BILL WAS GOING TO PASS AT SOME TIME, AND THERE WOULD BE A WINDOW AND I FULLY SUPPORTED THAT. AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY NOW BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A RECENT, INFLATION. BUT FOR YEARS, MR. BRADFORD TOLD ME IT WASN'T THE KETCHUP, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE WERE GOING THROUGH PERIODS OF INFLATION. BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO WORK LONGER TO GET MY BENEFIT UP. AND I'VE TOLD YOUR PEERS AND SOME OF YOU THAT ARE SITTING HERE AGAIN, YOU DON'T WANT A 65 YEAR OLD POLICE OFFICER CHASING THE BAD GUY. YOU DON'T WANT A 65 YEAR OLD FIREFIGHTER GOING IN TO SAVE YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS. SO, LIKE MY BROTHER BRANDON AND OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED, AND CHASE, IT'S A JOB THAT'S PHYSICALLY DEMANDING, AND I KNOW THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE GROUPS THAT ARE GOING TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK TO YOUR POLICE AND FIRE AND, IT'S GOING TO IMPACT THEM BECAUSE THEY CAN'T WORK QUITE AS LONG AS SOMEONE AND I'M NOT TAKING AWAY FROM SOMEONE THAT SITS AT A DESK. WE NEED ALL GROUPS TO PROVIDE OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE. BUT, IT WASN'T THE ACTUAL THING OF, 2008 AND 2009. IT WAS THE BENEFIT ENHANCEMENT FOR THE CITIZENS OF GARLAND OVER AND OVER AND OVER. NOT THE TIME THAT YOU WERE HERE, COUNCILMAN BASS, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT PAST HISTORY, THAT WE DIDN'T TAKE A HARD LOOK WHEN WE HAD REVENUE INCREASES. THAT'S WHAT HURTS SO MUCH. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT THE MANAGEMENT HAS TAKEN, YOU KNOW, TO LOOK AT THAT. AND CERTAINLY THIS COUNCIL HAS TAKEN. AND I JUST WANTED TO COME UP HERE AND TELL YOU, I APPRECIATE YOU AND DO THE HARD WORK THAT THOSE YOUR PREDECESSORS DID TO GET RETIREMENT STABILITY BENEFIT FOR POLICE AND FIRE AND 714 FOR ALL CLASSES OF EMPLOYEES. BUT THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. AND DAVID, I WILL APOLOGIZE TO YOU.THERE'S NO NAME. MY JOKE WAS, SAID OUT OF EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR LACK OF BREVITY. AND TONIGHT YOU SAID YOUR PIECE AND YOU STILL HAD 48 SECONDS LEFT, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY UNHEARD OF. YES. SO.
BUT I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE. MANY TIMES. I WAS THE ONLY ONE REPRESENTING. I UNDERSTAND, BUT NOW I'VE GOT A LOT OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS HERE. WELL, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. HE IS OUR BROTHER. CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. BRIAN BRADFORD. GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL BRIAN BRADFORD, 718 WEEPING WILLOW DRIVE, GARLAND, TEXAS, WHEN I RETIRED A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, I MADE A SOLEMN PROMISE THAT I WOULD NEVER, EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, COME SPEAK AT A COUNCIL MEETING. AND I KNOW YOU WERE COUNTING ON ME KEEPING THAT PROMISE. BUT WHEN I HEARD THAT THAT COLA WAS WAS BACK UP FOR DISCUSSION. QUITE FRANKLY, I FELT AN OBLIGATION TO COME AND TALK. I HAD THE UNFORTUNATE TIMING OF BEING ON THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT OF THE CITY AT THE TIME. TEAMS STARTED HAVING ITS DIFFICULTIES. AND OF COURSE, TMS WAS WAS NOT UNIQUE. EVERY EVERY PENSION SYSTEM IN THE IN THE COUNTRY Y AS WELL WORLDWIDE STARTED HAVING ISSUES AS, AS THE BABY BOOM GENERATION STARTED WORKING THROUGH THE SYSTEMS AND HAD THE GALL TO START LIVING LONGER AND UNFORTUNATELY, THESE THINGS WEREN'T HAPPENING IN A VACUUM. AS AS JUDD ALLUDED TO,
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THESE CHANGES AT TMS CAME AT A AT A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TIME. AND A CHALLENGING TIME FOR THE CITY, WE HAD GONE THROUGH YEARS OF NO INCREASES FOR EMPLOYEES. ONE YEAR WE HAD A PAY DECREASE.WE HAD CUTS IN SERVICES, WE HAD HAD LAYOFFS. AND BY THE TIME TMS HAD HAD FINISHED CHANGES IN THE SYSTEM, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT COST BE BORNE BY THE CITY AND, AND I DO WANT TO I DO WANT TO STOP AND SAY THAT I THINK TMS DID A VERY, VERY HONORABLE JOB IN CORRECTING MISTAKES IN THE SYSTEM. AND PUTTING US ON FIRM GROUND, BUT IT MEANT CHANGES, AND THOSE CHANGES MEANT REDUCING THE BENEFIT LEVEL FOR RETIREES. IT ALSO MEANT SIGNIFICANT MORE COST FOR THE CITY. THE DAY THAT THAT WE TURNED OFF THE COLA FOR TMS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE WORST DAYS IN MY 30 YEAR CAREER WITH THE CITY. WHILE INTELLECTUALLY I KNEW THAT THAT FINANCIALLY THERE WAS NO ALTERNATIVE, AT A VERY, VERY DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT LEVEL, IT FELT LIKE WE WERE BREAKING A PROMISE AND THAT WE WERE BREAKING A COMMITMENT AND THAT EMPLOYEES AND RETIREES HAD MADE VERY SERIOUS FINANCIAL DECISIONS IN THEIR LIVES BASED ON THE FACT THAT A COLA WOULD BE THERE. BUT WITHOUT WITHOUT THE COLA, WE WERE LEFT WITH A RETIREMENT SYSTEM THAT CREATED A GREAT DEAL OF INSECURITY. ASSUMING THAT INFLATION REMAINED LOW BY THE BY THE 10TH YEAR OF YOUR RETIREMENT, THE BUYING POWER OF YOUR PENSION HAD LOST 30. IF YOU WERE IF YOU WERE IN THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM 20 YEARS, YOU LOST OVER 50% OF YOUR BUYING POWER. AND I'M SURE JUDD CAN RELATE TO THIS, BUT WHEN I WAS CITY MANAGER, I WOULD OFTEN GET EMAILS, LETTERS AND PHONE CALLS FROM RETIREES INQUIRING ABOUT IS THERE ANY HOPE FOR A COLA? AND WHEN INFLATION STARTED KICKING UP DURING COVID, THE TONE OF THOSE CALLS CHANGED AND IT WAS MORE OF A PANIC. AND, I KNOW THAT THAT YOU HAVE A PHENOMENAL OPPORTUNITY. AN OPPORTUNITY THAT I'D NEVER DREAMED WOULD COME AGAIN WITH THE CAPACITY TO ISSUE PENSION BONDS, THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPT BACK IN THE SYSTEM AND AVOID THE, THE CATCH UP PVISION, WHICH IS VERY EXPENSIVE. NOW, IT WASN'T EARLIER. WE HAVE WE HAVE A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO RESTORE OUR RETIREMENT SYSTEM BACK TO SOMETHING THAT BRINGS STABILITY AND SECURITY TO OUR RETIREES. NOW, I'VE, I'VE RETIRED FROM GIVING COUNCILS ADVICE, AND I KNOW, I KNOW YOU'RE GLAD OF THA, BUT YOU HAVE A VERY, VERY CAPABLE STAFF. AND MR. REX AND MATT WATSON AND ALLISON BELL AND I KNOW THAT THEY WILL BE WALKING YOU THROUGH THE DETAILS AND THE VARIOUS OPTIONS, BUT IT IS IT'S SIMPLY MY WISH TONIGHT THAT YOU'LL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE AND THAT YOU'LL UNDO A VERY, VERY DARK PERIOD IN THE CITY'S HISTORY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. THAT'S THE FIREMAN AGAIN, WENDY. SHERIFF I GAVE YOU DAVID'S EXTRA 48 SECONDS, PLUS A LITTLE BIT. I'M SORRY, COUNCILMEMBER WILLIAMS, YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. MR. MR. BRADFORD, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO ASK YOU AND ACTUALLY, I'LL JUST CALL YOU BRIAN. NOW, BRIAN, IF YOU COULD COME BACK FOR JUST A SECOND, PLEASE. SORRY, WENDY. YES, SIR. SIR THERE ARE NOT YOU.
COME IN HERE. AND YOU BROKE YOUR PROMISE. YOU SAID YOU'D NEVER. YOU'D NEVER COME BACK. AND PARTICULARLY AT THAT PODIUM, IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU, AND I KNOW YOU. YOU PREFACED YOUR REMARKS BY SAYING YOU'RE NOT AN ADVISORY COUNCIL ADVISORY ROLE ANYMORE, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK YOU THIS, THIS, THIS QUESTION AS WE, AS WE HEAR FROM OTHERS AND MOVE FORWARD. BRIAN, YOU MENTIONED TWO THINGS. YOU MENTIONED THE BONDS. YOU MENTIONED THE CATCH UP
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PROVISIONS. ARE THERE ANY OTHER FEATURES OR POINTS OF CONSIDERATION THAT YOU FEEL WOULD BE IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN MAKING AND DETERMINING, MAKING THIS DELIBERATION DECISIONS? OR ARE THERE ANY OTHER, I'M NOT GOING TO USE TERMS OF NUGGETS, BUT ANY OTHER THOUGHTS THAT PERHAPS WE HAVE NOT NOTICED, NOT LOOKED AT, AT YOU FEEL BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE THAT WE SHOULD THAT SHOULD BE A PART OF THE MIX AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS CONSIDERATION. I'M NOT ASKING FOR YOUR ADVICE. I'M ASKING FOR YOUR OPINION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, I REALLY TRY TO AVOID GIVING OPINIONS THESE DAYS, BUT I, I THINK YOU, YOU AS A COUNCIL, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT A VARIETY OF OPTIONS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF MR. WATSON'S WONDERFUL ANALYSIS, LIKE, LIKE YOU DO ANYMORE, BUT BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES OR HOPEFULLY SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO BE CREATIVE.YOU'VE GOT YOU'VE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS THAT WILL HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IMPACT AS FAR AS THE TAXES PAID BY YOUOUR CITIZES AT THIS POINT, THAT THAT ALONE IS, IS SOMETHING THAT IS ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE FOR ME. BUT IS CERTAINLY A GREAT TESTAMENT TO THE CITY, BUT THERE'S AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT WOULD PROVIDE A 30% COLA AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAS BEEN CONVERSATIONS OF A TAX RATE INCREASE TO, TO BRING THAT TO A 70% COLA. BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT THERE IS ALSO COMBINATIONS OF THE TWO THAT CAN BE LOOKED AT THAT THAT COULD COULD POSSIBLY BRING A 50 OR 70% COLA TO THE TABLE AND, AND REDUCE THE, THE IMPACT TO TAXPAYERS, BUT I FEEL CERTAIN IF, IF THOSE OPTIONS EXIST, YOUR STAFF WILL BRING THOSE TO YOU AND WE'LL BE VERY CREATIVE, AS I ALWAYS HAVE BEEN. THANK YOU SO MUCH, BRIAN. THANK YOU. MAYOR. THANK YOU. NOW YOU CAN SIT DOWN. CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. WENDY. SHERIFF.
DON'T BE A PROBLEM. GOOD EVENIN, MR. MAYOR. CITY MANAGER. FAMILY, FAMILY. MY NAME IS WENDY SHERIFF. I LIVE AT 1891 FOREST. NO, I LIVE AT, 303 HIDDEN WATERS DRIVE IN LAVON, TEXAS. AND, I'M PROBABLY GOING TO GET A LITTLE BIT EMOTIONAL. I'M. I HOPE NOT. SO I DIDN'T COME HERE TODAY TO SPEAK. I JUST CAME HERE TODAY TO BE A SUPPORT. BUT I THINK I'LL BE A MISS IF THAT'S A WORD, TO NOT SAY SOMETHING ON BEHALF OF ALL THE YEARS THAT I'VE PUT IN HERE. SO WHAT WAS IT, CLINT? 94.
SO 30 YEARS AGO, I CAME AFTER SERVING IN THE ARMY. I CAME TO THE CITY OF GARLAND, AND THAT WAS, I THINK, THE PROUDEST DAY OF MY LIFE. I ALWAYS TELL PEOPL, WHICH IS TRUE. I'M THE YOUNGEST OF 12 KIDS, BUT WHEN I CAME TO GARLAND, MY FAMILY GREW. MY FAMILY GREW. AND, IF I MAY, EVEN THOUGH YOU DIDN'T ASK ME, HOW DID I FEEL WHEN WAS IT? 2009. WHEN? WHEN WE HEARD THAT THE COLA WAS TAKEN AWAY, I FELT LIKE I WAS BY AN ELEPHANT. YEAH, IT HURT BAD BECAUSE I KNEW THAT WAS TOMORROW. IT WASN'T THAT DAY. I KNEW IT WAS TOMORROW WHERE THE PAIN WILL COME. AND THAT TOMORROW IS TODAY. SO TO GET A LITTLE PERSONAL, I, LIKE I SAID, I RETIRED FROM THIS AMAZING CITY, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, 28 YEARS, A COMBINATION OF 28 YEARS AND, I'M ON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE. I'M ON A FIXED INCOME. I AM 100% DISABLED VETERAN, BUT MY DISABILITY IS, IS CALLED TDIU, WHICH IS TOTALLY DISABLED INDIVIDUAL UNEMPLOYABILITY I CAN NEVER BE EMPLOYED BY ANOTHER COMPANY. NEVER. SO TO KNOW THAT I WON'T GET A PAY RAISE LIKE MY LEARNED FRIEND SAID HERE, IT HURTS. IT HURTS. AND YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO ME LEAVING THE POSITION THAT I HELD WAS THE HOMELESS LIAISON FOR THE CITY OF GARLAND. I AM NOT GOING TO MENTION THE GENTLEMAN'S NAME, BUT WE HAVE A RETIREE FROM THE CITY OF GARLAND WHO SERVED OVER 30 YEARS, WHO WAS WHO WAS
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HOMELESS RIGHT NOW. WE PUT HIM IN A IN A HOTEL. I'M NOT GOING TO TELL THE DAYS, BUT AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH, RETIREES GET TOGETHER AND IT'S AWFUL. IT'S AWFUL TO SEE THAT RETIREES CAN'T COME TO A MEAL, A LUNCH ONCE A MONTH BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT. THE COLA WOULD HELP. I'VE NEVER BEGGED ANYONE IN MY LIFE, BUT I GET IT. WE CAN'T UNSCRAMBLE EGGS, BUT WE SURE AS THE DICKENS, AS A A MONKEY. UNCE MONKEY'S UNCLE IN THE SUMMERTIME CAN MAKE SOME OMELETS. THANK YO.CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. WILLIAM CRUZ. AND BILL CRUZ IS REPRESENTING A LARGER GROUP.
AND, BILL, I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND TEN MINUTES FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL, AS AS MAYOR SAID, MOST OF YOU KNOW ME, MY BILL, WILLIAM IS MY CHRISTIAN NAME, AND I AM REPRESENTING THE 270 MEMBERS OF THE GARLAND FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION, MEN AND WOMEN WHO PROUDLY SERVE THIS CITY IN AN OCCUPATION THAT, IS A THANKFUL ONE. ONE THAT PEOPLE APPRECIATE. BUT ONE THING I DON'T THINK THEY APPRECIATE IS THE TOLL THAT THAT OCCUPATION TAKES ON THOSE MEN AND WOMEN THAT SERVE IN THAT ROLE, I'M. I HAVE THE FORTUNE TO SERVE, NOT ONLY IN THE, THE GFA, BUT THE STATE ASSOCIATION, BUT ALSO WITH THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION AND MEET WITH MEN AND WOMEN ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES JUST TODAY I WAS TEACHING A CLASS AND I HAD FIREFIGHTERS FROM CANADA, FROM MICHIGAN, FROM MAINE, FROM CALIFORNIA, FROM FLORIDA. AND THE STORY IS THE SAME EVERYWHERE. THE TOLL THAT THIS JOB TAKES ON THE BODY IS IMMENS.
THE TOLL THAT THIS JOB TAKES ON THEIR MINDS AND THEIR PSYCHE IS UNMEASURABLE. AND TO KNOW, TO HEAR OUR BROTHER CHASE TALK ABOUT HIS FATHER, WHO WORKED MORE YEARS THAN HE SHOULD HAVE BECAUSE OF THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS THAT WERE THERE FOR HIM. AND WE'RE SEEING THE SAME THING HERE IN GARLAND, AND WE ARE IN OTHER PLACES THAT FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS WORKING LONGER THAN THEY SHOULD BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES FINANCIALLY WHEN THEY LEAVE HERE AND NOT, UNFORTUNATELY, BE LIKE THE ONE THAT WAS JUST SPOKEN OF WHO'S HOMELESS. YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A GROUP OF FOLKS, NOT JUST IN FIRE AND POLICE, BUT CITYWIDE, WHO DEDICATE THEMSELVES. AND IN THE CITY OF GARLAND PARTICULARLY HAVE DONE SO AT GREAT COST AND HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND AND DONE LESS WITH AND MADE, DONE MORE WITH LESS THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN THIS STATE OR THIS NATION. AND THEY'VE MADE THINGS WORK.
THEY'VE DONE WHAT THEY'VE HAD T. YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AT FIREFIGHTERS WHO JUST ANSWER THE CALL. YOU'RE LOOKING AT FIREFIGHTERS WHO AREN'T AFRAID TO CLIMB UNDERNEATH A FIRE ENGINE AND FIX SOMETHING SO THEY CAN MAKE THAT CALL BECAUSE THE SHOPS CLOSED AT MIDNIGHT, CAPTAINS AND LIEUTENANTS THAT ARE WILLING TO INVEST THEIR OWN MONEY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE A COMFORTABLE PLACE IN THE FIRE STATION TO BE AS RESPITE BETWEEN THE CALLS CITY EMPLOYEES AND WATER, SEWER, ELECTRIC, ALL THESE DIFFERENT PLACES. AND YOU'VE SEEN IT IN JUST RECENT MONTHS AS THE STORMS HAVE ROLLED THROUGH AS COVID, RAVAGED THE CITY, THE THINGS AND THE LEVELS AND THE MEASURES THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO GO TO WITH NO GUARANTEES AND THE THINGS THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO DO IN THE SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS COMMUNITY. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE WILLINGNESS TO TALK ABOUT THIS SUBJECT. IT WASN'T VERY EASY WHEN THE BILL PASSED FOR MR. REX TO GO. IT AIN'T GOING TO HAPPEN. HE DID SAY, I DON'T SEE IT HAPPENING. IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT, BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT IT. I'D SAYAY SOMETHI BAD ABOUT THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER, BUT HE'S HERE, SO, BUT HE WAS WILLING TO TALK ABOUT IT. AND THE WORK THAT MR. WATSON HAS PUT INTO IT TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, THE NUMBER OF PHONE CALLS THAT I'VE HAD WITH YOU AND CONVERSATIONS AND YOUR DEDICATION TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND NOT AT A 30, NOT AT A 50, BUT A 70% COLA. AND WHATEVER MEANS WE HAD TO DO TO GO TO DO THAT. AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THAT, BECAUSE IN SO MANY OTHER PLACES, IT
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WOULD HAVE BEEN A NON CONVERSATION. WE CAN'T AFFORD IT, WE CAN'T DO IT. I WISH WE WERE LIKE, A CITY. I WAS TALKING TO YOU TODAY AND THEY HAD A $35 MILLION, SURPLUS IN THEIR BUDGET THIS YEAR. I WISH WE WERE IN THAT SITUATION, BUT WE'RE NOT. BUT THIS IS ABOUT THE SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS. THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE. THE CITIZENS ELECTED YOU TO. TO SERVE THEIR NEEDS, THEIR DESIRES, THEIR WANTS, AND WHAT THEY WHAT THEY WANT FOR THEIR CITY THAT INCLUDES PUTTING A WORKFORCE IN PLACE TO SERVE THEM AND KEEP THEM SAFE, TO PUT A WORKFORCE IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THEY TURN THAT FAUCET ON, THAT CLEAN WATER COMES OUT OF IT. WHEN THEY FLIP THE LIGHT SWITCH THAT THE POWER COMES ON, AND THAT WHEN THEY CALL 911 THE WORST DAY OF THEIR LIFE, THAT COMPETENT PROFESSIONALS SHOW UP TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR PROBLEM. I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT WE'RE SEEING A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO WORK MUNICIPAL JOBS. THE LABOR BOARD HAS SAID 5% DECREASE IN THAT NUMBER GOES UP EVERY YEAR, AND THE NUMBER OF THOSE ARE WILLING TO WORK. MUNICIPAL JOBS. WHY IS THAT? ONE OF THE BIG FACTORS, THEY SAY, IS BECAUSE OF THE BENEFITS. THEY HAVE A BETTER CHANCE FOR MORE PAY AND BETTER RETIREMENT AND BETTER HEALTH BENEFITS BY WORKING PRIVATE INDUSTRY. THEY'RE AN EDUCATED GROUP COMING INTO THE WORKFORCE, LIKE MY OTHER BROTHERS HAVE SAID, WHEN IN 1996, WHEN I GOT HIRED, I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT HEALTH INSURANCE. I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT COLA. I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT RETIREMENT. JUST GET ME ON A BIG RED TRUCK AND LET ME GO WOO WOO WOO DOWN THE STREET. BUT NOW I'M LOOKING AT THE DOOR OF RETIREMENT AND KNOWING I HAVE TO WORK A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO SUPPORT MY WIFE'S SHOPPING HABITS. BUT YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY NOW TO TAKE TO SAY TO THE CITIZENS THAT WE WANT TO RECRUIT GOOD EMPLOYEES, WE WANT TO RECRUIT, RECRUIT AND RETAIN SOLID EMPLOYEES THAT SERVE YOU WELL. LET'S TAKE THIS TO A VOTE OF THE CITIZENS. LET'S TAKE IT TO THE CITIZENS AND SAY, WE WANT TO PROVIDE YOUR EMPLOYEES WITH A 70% COLA TO TAKE CARE OF THEM IN THEIR RETIREMENT. AND LET THEM HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. AND ALSO IN SUCH A WAY THAT FUTURE COUNCILS CAN'T ON A WHIM, TAKE IT AWAY. THAT IF IT COMES TO TIGHT TIMES, THAT WE'D HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE CITIZENS TO SAY THAT WE WANT TO TAKE THIS AWAY FROM YOUR EMPLOYEES, ARE YOU WILLING TO DO THAT? AND HOPEFULLY YOU WON'T HAVE TO READ THE EMAIL THAT I GOT TODAY. OF MANY OF AN EMPLOYEE THAT DEAR TO ME TALKING ABOUT HOW SHE LIVES ON A FIXED INCOME, 76 YEARS OLD, BARELY ABLE TO AFFORD HER MEDICINES FOR HER DIABETES AND HER OR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. AND EVERY TIME SHE GETS A RENEWAL ON HER LEASE, IT GOES UP. AND WITHOUT A COLA, SHE'S GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE TO SOMETHING MUCH LESS NICE, SOMETHING NOT QUITE AS SAFE. MOVING IN WITH HER CHILDREN IS NOT AN OPTION. SHE WANTED TO BE HERE TONIGHT, BUT BECAUSE OF THOSE THINGS, SHE HAS TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHERE SHE SPENDS HER GAS DRIVING TO. LET'S SEND THAT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. LET'S TELL OUR EMPLOYEES, LET'S GIVE THE CITIZENS A CHANCE TO SAY TO THEIR EMPLOYEES, WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOUR DEDICATION AND YOUR TIME. AND I'LL JUST I'LL END WITH THAT. BUT THANK YOU FOR OFFERING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE 28 YEARS THAT I HAVE.I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEVERAL MORE, AND I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT RETIREMENT KNOWING THAT I'LL HAVE A COLA IN THE FUTURE TO TAKE CARE OF ME, MY BROTHERS, AND MY SISTERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. AMEN I HAVE NO ONE IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU, BILL KELLY MILLER.
HONORABLE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TO COME UP HERE TODAY. MY NAME IS KELLY MILLER. I LIVE AT 282 BENNETT DRIVE IN SUNNYVALE, TEXAS. I'VE BEEN A GARLANDND FIREFIGHTER FOR 28 YEARS. GARLAND IS A SPECIAL PLACE TO ME. MY FATHER WENT TO WORK HERE IN 1957 AS A FIREFIGHTER. HE WORKED HERE FOR A TOTAL OF 33 YEARS. HE LOST HIS RETIREMENT IN 2008 AFTER HAVING BEEN RETIRED FOR SOME 17 YEARS. DURING THAT TIME, HE ENJOYED THE BENEFIT OF A COLA THAT HE HAD BEEN RETIRED ABOUT THREE YEARS PRIOR TO HIS DEATH IN 2018. WE RAN OUT OF MONEY. MY DAD HAD DEVELOPED DEMENTIA. IF YOU'VE EVER HAD A FAMILY MEMBER THAT'S GONE THROUGH THAT, YOU KNOW THE STRUGGLE. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR A PATRIOT GROUP, MY DAD, HAVING SERVED IN THE KOREAN WAR, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET HIM INTO A FACILITY THAT CAN CARE FOR HIM. HE WAS BEYOND THE MEANS OF OUR FAMILY, BUT THAT LEGACY OF WHAT HE COULDN'T
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REMEMBER ABOUT WHO WE WERE WAS A LEGACY HE SHARED WITH ME ABOUT THE GREATNESS OF THE CITY OF GARLAND. HE LOVED THIS COMMUNITY AND LOVED THIS CITY. IT'S WHY I PICKED UP THE PHONE AND ASKED, IS THE CITY OF GARLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT HIRING? I DIDN'T HAVE AN INTERNET TO GO TO SCAN THE MULTITUDE OF PAY RATES RAISES. AS SOMEONE MENTIONED, THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS I CAN DO TO SEE WHAT I WANT TO PICK, I CHOSE HERE. THE CITY HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME, BUT IN 2008, BECAUSE OF THINGS THAT OCCURRED NOT ONLY WITH THE ECONOMY BUT AS MR. BRADFORD SAID, A RESTRUCTURING OF THE WAY THAT TMS ACCOUNTED FOR ITS UNFUNDED LIABILITY. THEY HAD TO TAKE DRASTIC MEASURES FOR 16 YEARS. EXCUSE ME. GOING BACK 16 YEARS, I'VE LOOKED AT BUDGETS. I WAS TRAINED BY DAVID RIGGS, I READ THROUGH BUDGETS. THERE IS A PARAGRAPH IN EVERY BUDGET, EVERY YEAR THAT SAYS THE CITY IS DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO RESTORE SOME TYPE OF RETIREMENT TO REPLACE COLA THAT WAS LOST. IT WASN'T UNTIL THIS PERIOD IN TIME THAT EVEN SUCH A POSSIBILITY AROSE THE WORK OF THIS COUNCIL THAT YOU HAVE DONE, YOU DIDN'T. YOU WEREN'T HERE TO EXPERIENCE WHAT HAPPENED. YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE IN THE DECISION. YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE IN THE HOUSE BILL THAT WAS PASSED IN 2023, AMONG OTHER CHALLENGES AND TRADE OFFS THAT YOU'VE BEEN ASKED TO ADDRESS ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS OF GARLAND, YOU SAW THIS COME UP AND EXPENSE. THIS IS ABOUT THE CITY OF GARLAND EMPLOYEES. EVERY ONE OFHEM. THE ONE THAT IS ON THE CUSP ALREADY, ARE THOSE THAT HAVE WORKED IN ALL KINDS OF SERVICES, BUT AT THE BOTTOM TIER, BUT HAVE SPENT 30, 40 YEARS EVEN THAT I HAVE SPOKEN WITH. THEY'RE ALREADY THERE WITHOUT A COLA. THEY WILL REACH A TIPPING POINT VERY SOON. BUT YOU HAVE PUT IN THE WORK. MATT WATSON PRESENTED AN EXCELLENT ANALYSIS OF THE FINANCIAL SITUATION AND SOME OPTIONS THAT ARE RELATED TO COLA THERE, MR. BRADFORD SPOKE OF THINGS THAT WILL OCCUR AS TRADE OFFS. OUR FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION TOOK A SURVEY OF WHAT OUR PRIORITIES WOULD BE FOR THIS YEAR, 79. AMONG ALL THE OPTIONS, PAY, BENEFITS, OUR MASTER PLAN, WHICH WOULD CREATE MORE STAFFING FOR US, PUT MORE FIREFIGHTERS OUT THERE. THAT WAS ALL DOWNSTREAM BECAUSE 79% SAID IS THE NUMBER ONE THING THE CITY HAS FACED.CHALLENGE AFTER CHALLENGE. WE HAVE HAD 500 YEAR FLOODS. WE'VE HAD EBOLA PASS THROUGH OUR THROUGH OUR RANKS. WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE. WE'VE HAD TERRIBLE TORNADOES, WE'VE HAD ANOTHER TORNADO. WE'VE EXPERIENCED COVID. THE WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THE CITY OF GARLAND IS ITS RESILIENCY, THE RESILIENCY OF ITS EMPLOYEES, THE RESILIENCY OF THEM TO CONTINUE TO SHOW UP, CONTINUE TO SERVE, AND CONTINUE TO SACRIFICE. MR. BRADFORD SAID THAT HE ACTUALLY NEVER THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN, AND I THINK THERE WAS A POINT IN EVERY RETIREE AND EVEN THOSE THAT ARE US ARE APPROACHING RETIREES, OUR TIME LIMITS. WE NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD HAPPEN EITHER. BUT HERE WE ARE AT A CROSSROAD. AT THIS CROSSROAD, WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS ANOTHER WORD THAT MR. BRADFORD USED. THAT'S HOPE FROM ALL THE EXPRESSIONS YOU HEARD AND ALL THE EMOTION, ALL OF THE SERVICE THAT WAS HAS BEEN LAI OUT BY ALL THOSE THAT ARE STILL BROKEN AND ARE STILL CONTINUING TO COME TO WORK BECAUSE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF THINGS THAT WE FACE. I'M ASKING YOU TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO RESTORE ARCOLA TO WHAT WAS LOST TO ONCE AGAIN GIVE US THAT HOPE FOR OUR FUTURE, THAT FUTURE THAT WHEN WE CAME HERE, WE HAD THE DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT THOSE BENEFITS WOULD BE AND WHAT WOULD WE BE ABLE TO DO. BUT AS WE LENGTHENED OUR CAREERS AND WE'VE GOTTEN TO THE END OF THEM NOW, THE TIME IS IN A NARROW WINDOW. WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS GOING TO BE SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED OR NOT, I CAN'T AGAIN, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, THE ONES I'VEVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH. BUT THE EFFORT THAT YOU HAVE GONE TO LOOK BACKWARDS INTO THE COMPLEXITY OF SUCH AN ISSUE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, AND I PRAY FOR THIS COUNCIL TO YOUR WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT IN FINDING A WAY FORWARD WITH THIS. YES, THANK YOU SIR. MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS? NO SIR, WE DO NOT. OKAY, I WILL MAKE A LAST CALL. IF THERE'S ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK THIS EVENING, IF YOU COULD COME FORWARD AND, YOU CAN GET THE, SPEAKER CARD AT THE CITY SECRETARY'S DESK. I SEE I HAVE ONE TAKER, BUT THIS IS THE LAST
[01:10:02]
CALL IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK THIS EVENING. IF YOU COULD FILL OUT YOUR SPEAKER CARD. NOW, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. I WILL, THOUGH. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. I TRUST YOU. YOU CAN DO IT. AFTER YOU SPEAK.YEAH, YEAH, IF YOU CAN JUST GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. FOR THE RECORD, AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES, SIR. YES, SIR. I'M ANTHONY SHORT, I COME, I'M LIVE IN FARMERSVILLE, TEXAS. 605 FM 2194. MAYOR, I REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE CITY COUNCILMAN. I WORKED OUT OF CENTRAL ABOUT 25 YEARS. AND I REMEMBER YOU COMING UP THERE AND I HAVE A CHANCE TO TAKE UP IN THE BUCKET OF TRUCK ONE. IF I KNOW THIS DAY WAS COMING, I'D SCARED YOU. MAKE YOU THINK ABOUT IT. BUT. NO, SIR.
I'M JUST JOKING ABOUT THAT. YES SIR. THANK YOU FOR LETTING US COME AND TALK TODAY. I HAVE NOTHING WRITTEN DOWN BECAUSEE I WASN'T REALLY PLANNING ON DOING THAT DOING THIS. BUT AS I THINK ABOUT MY CAREER, I STARTED IN 1978, LIKE EVERYBODY SPOKE. WE WERE PROMISED A COLA, BUT I KNOW CIRCUMSTANCES COME AND THINGS HAPPEN, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THAT Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT IT AGAIN AND THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING IT AGAIN. I WAS BLESSED IN MY LIFE. I WORKED AT CENTRAL FOR 25 YEARS OF MY 38 YEARS HERE. I HAD BASICALLY THE SAME CREW FOR PROBABLY 23, 20, 23 YEARS AT CENTRAL. WE ALL WORKED TOGETHER. THEY DIDN'T WORK FOR ME. WE WORKED TOGETHER. THAT'S THAT WAS WHAT I THOUGHT. NOBODY WORKS FOR ME. WE ALL WORK WITH EACH OTHER AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE WITH YOU ALL WORKING WITH FOR EACH OTHER, WORKING WITH EACH OTHER TO BE ABLE TO REINSTATE THIS FOR US. I WAS ALSO BLESSED. I WORKED FOR A SCHOOL SYSTEM. ON DAYS OFF, I WORKED 30 OR 40 HOURS AT SCHOOL IN FARMERSVILLE AND I RETIRED FROM THERE AFTER 25 YEARS OF PART TIME WORK, I RETIRED IN 2011 AND LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST TIME WE GOT ANY TYPE OF PAY.
ROSE, ALSO A COLA TO TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM. SO, LIKE I SAY, I'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH WHAT I'VE BEEN GIVEN, AND I THANK GOD FOR WHAT I'VE BEEN GIVEN. AND IF Y'ALL CAN JUST SEE POSSIBLE AT ALL TO GIVE THIS BACK TO THE CITY EMPLOYEES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. NOT JUST FOR US, BUT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO COME, BECAUSE THEY CAN SEE WHAT'S COMING AND THEY'LL REALIZE THAT THEY DO HAVE A FUTURE LIKE THEY'VE BEEN SPOKE BEFORE. SINCE 2011. I'M SORRY I RETIRED HERE IN 2016. EIGHT YEARS AGO, I GOT TO LOOKING AT IT SCARED ME AFTER I SAW IT. INFLATION HAS BEEN 30% SINCE I RETIRED, SO JUST TAKING A NUMBER THAT'S $300 FOR EVERY $1,000 THAT I GET, I'VE LOST. I THINK Y'ALL KNOW THAT, BUT AFTER, 10 OR 15 OR MORE YEARS, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LEFT. IF INFLATION CONTINUES UP. SO YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, CAPTAIN. DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS FOR THIS ITEM? NO, SIR.
WE'VE GOT A COUPLE ON PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. ALL RIGHT, WE ARE GOING TO WIND THIS TOPIC UP AND, THIS IS AN ONGOING DISCUSSION THAT WE ARE HAVING, AMONGST THE COUNCIL, CITY MANAGEMENT. OBVIOUSLY, ALL OF YOU STAKEHOLDERS, I HATE, I HATE REFERRING TO YOU AS STAKEHOLDERS. BUT, WE ARE CONTINUING THESE DISCUSSIONS, AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU COMING OUT HERE TONIGHT, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR THIS CITY, WHAT YOU'RE DOING FOR THIS CITY, AND YOU KNOW, I'M AS AS I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE TONIGHT JUST SORT OF SCANNING, JUST SORT OF SCANNING THE CROWD, MANY OF YOU, AS CAPTAIN SHORT, I, I GOT ON THE CITY COUNCIL IN 2013, MANY OF YOU RETIRED BEFORE 13. MANY OF YOU HAVE RETIRED SINCE 13. SOME OF YOU HAVE EVEN BEEN HIRED SINCE 13. THAT I KNOW. AND SO. SO I GET TO SEE SORT OF THE FULL SPECTRUM OF OUR
[01:15:07]
EMPLOYEES, AND I WILL TELL YOU, ON BEHALF OF THIS COUNCIL AND THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY, BUT CERTAINLY MYSELF, I, I CARE VERY DEEPLY ABOUT OUR EMPLOYEES, BECAUSE I LIVE HERE, YOU SERVE ME? YES. MY NAME IS AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR PAYCHECKS. IF YOU STILL WORK HERE. BUT I AM A CITIZEN OF THIS CITY. AND SO I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO FOR US. AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR US. IF YOU IF YOU'RE A RETIREE AND I HOPE ALL OF THOSE INTERNS THAT WERE HERE TONIGHT COME TO WORK HERE. AND OBVIOUSL, CELL PHONES WERE INVENTED SINCE SOME OF YOU, WERE IN CITY HALL.SO NORMALLY I ASK YOU TO SILENCE THOSE, BUT I FIGURE IT'S JUST AN ASSUMPTION AT THIS POINT THAT EVERYBODY DOES IT. BUT THAT BEING SAID, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY COMING OUT TONIGHT AND I APPRECIATE THE I KNOW THIS IS A HOT TOPIC FOR YOU. I KNOW THIS IS AN EMOTIONAL TOPIC FOR YOU, AND IT IS AGAIN, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME AND IT WILL PROBABLY BE, QUITE FRANKLY, ONE OF THE BIGGEST DECISIONS THAT I MAKE, SITTING HERE. AND SO IT IS STRESSFUL. IT IS THERE IS A LOT TO BE CONSIDERED, BUT THE FACT THAT, THE FACT THAT WE CAN HAVE THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING, IN THE WAY THAT WE'RE HAVING THEM, THAT'S GOING TO GET US A LOT FARTHER, I KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE UPSET. YOU'RE YOU'RE MAD. I GET IT, AND IT WOULD BE AND I KNOW PROBABLY THERE'S QUITE A FEW OF YOU OUT THERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SCREAM AT US. I UNDERSTAND THAT, I UNDERSTAND THAT COMPLETELY, BUT THE FACT THAT WE CAN HAVE, THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING AND HAVE HAD AND WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE AS WE WORK TOWARDS A RESOLUTION, OF THIS, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE. SO, WITH THAT, THANK YOU ALL, FOR C COMING OUAGAIN COMING OUT TONIGHT. WE WILL CONTINUE THESE DISCUSSIONS. AND, SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM IS CITIZEN
[ CITIZEN COMMENTS Members of the audience wishing to address issues not on the meeting agenda may have three minutes to speak. However, according to the Texas Open Meetings Act, Council is prohibited from discussing any item not on the posted agenda.]
COMMENTS. MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE WISHING TO ADDRESS ISSUES NOT ON THE MEETING AGENDA MAY HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. HOWEVER ACCORDING TO THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, COUNSEL IS PROHIBITED FROM DISCUSSING ANY ITEM NOT ON THE POSTED AGENDA. MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU CALL OUR FIRST SPEAKER, PLEASE. MAGDALENA REYES. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. IF YOU CAN GIVE US YOUR NAME AND EXCUSE ME, YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, AND YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. AND. YES, IF YOU CAN PULL THAT, YOU CAN PULL THAT MIC DOWN TOWARDS YOU. THAT'D BE GREAT. GOOD EVENING.MY NAME IS MAGDALENA REYES. MY ADDRESS IS 3100 WEST WALNUT STREET. APARTMENT 2027. I'M HERE SEEKING COUNCIL HELP. THE APARTMENTS WHERE I CURRENTLY RESIDE HAVE NOT HAD FUNCTIONING AC FOR SIX DAYS NOW, IN THE MIDDLE OF 100 DEGREE WEATHER. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE AC HAS BEEN OUT. IT HAS BEEN OUT MULTIPLE TIMES THIS SUMMER FOR VARIOUS DAYS. CODE COMPLIANCE HAS BEEN OUT THERE A FEW TIMES, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. I HAVE A SENIOR GRANDMOTHER AND A DISABLED UNCLE WITH MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY. MANY OF MANY OF THE TENANTS OF THESE APARTMENTS CAME OUT TODAY TO URGE YOU TO PLEASE HELP US RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. OKA.
OKAY. AND DURING THIS SECTION, I WE CANNOT HAVE A DISCUSSION, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT.
THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ALL THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION? NO. HANG ON. DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS? YES, SIR. SARAH PEREZ OKAY. GOOD EVENING. IF YOU CAN GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. MY NAME IS SARAH PEREZ, AND I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO STEP A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE MIC. THANK YOU. SO MY NAME IS SARAH PEREZ. I COME FROM THE SAME APARTMENT COMPLEX AS THEM, WE COME ALL HERE GATHERED TODAY BECAUSE IT'S, SORRY. MY ANXIETY IS GETTING THE BEST OF ME. SO OUR AIR CONDITIONING IS REALLY BAD. WE ASK THAT Y'ALL CAN
[01:20:01]
PLEASE LOOK INTO EACH AND EVERY SINGLE COMP LIKE UNIT THAT WE HAVE THERE. IT IS NOT LIVING.IT'S NOT A LIVING SITUATION WHERE I HAVE MY THREE KIDS. ONE OF THEM HAS ASTHMA. MY VENTS ARE FULL OF MOLD AND YET THEY DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING OR WE HAD PLUMBING SITUATIONS THIS LAST WEEKEND WHERE IT LASTED FROM FRIDAY TO SUNDAY NIGHT, WHERE WE COULDN'T TAKE A SHOWER. WE COULDN'T USE THE TOILET BECAUSE IF NOT, OUR BATHROOM KEPT FLOODING. MY APARTMENT UNIT HAS BUBBLES OF WATER ON TOP OF THE TOILET SEAT, AND I KEPT TELLING MY MANAGER AND SHE WILL NOT DO ANYTHING. IT IS. SHE BROUGHT ME AN EMPTY MOLD CLEANER BOTTLE FOR ME TO CLEAN IT. IT'S EVERYONE HERE HAS SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON THAT WE ARE N. NOTHING IS BEING. OH SORRY.
YOU'RE OKAY. THEY DON'T. THEY DON'T TAKE US SERIOUSLY. THEY THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE WE GO SAY. AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO, THEY SAY WE'RE GOING TO GO. AND I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS SITUATION SINCE SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER. MY KIDS HAVE BEEN GOING TO THE IF NOT TO THE ER FROM A SPIDER BITE BECAUSE THEY'RE ALLERGIC. IF NOT, THERE'S RATS, COCKROACHES, AND THEY TELL US THAT IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL. IT'S NOT. NOBODY WANTS TO LIVE IN THOSE KIND OF SITUATION.
THERE'S NUMEROUS MAINTENANCE ISSUES. MY TOILET SEAT IS WOBBLY, LEAKING TOILET FLOODING, BROKEN DRAWERS AND SHOWER WITHOUT A FUNCTIONAL STOPPER AND YET IT HAS NOT BEEN CHECKED OUT.
IT'S WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE. THE AC IS A HUGE FACTOR HERE BECAUSE IT'S SUPER HOT. WE ALL HAVE KIDS AND WE ARE TOLD THAT IF WE GET A WINDOW UNIT, WE WILL GET FINED. SO WE WANT YOU ALL TO AT LEAST GO IN THERE AND SEE OUR UNITS BECAUSE IT'S NOT A LIVING SITUATION THAT WE WANT TO BE IN. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS? NO, SIR. WE DO NOT. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK THIS EVENIN? SEEING NONE AT 823, WE ARE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.