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COMMITTEE MEETING.[ NOTICE OF MEETING CITY OF GARLAND, TEXAS Administrative Services Committee Work Session Room of City Hall William E. Dollar Municipal Building 200 N. Fifth Street Garland, Texas OCTOBER 24, 2024 5 p.m. ]
TODAY IS OCTOBER 24TH, 2024.WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER CHRIS BEARD AND COUNCIL MEMBER DYLAN HEDRICK, PRESENT VARIOUS STAFF.
UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
AGENDA ITEM ONE, MOVE TO APPROVE.
UH, MOVING TO ITEM TWO, PUBLIC COMMENTS.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE PRESENT FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS? MS. POTTER? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, ITEM NUMBER THREE, ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ITEM THREE C TO THE FIRST ITEM, AND THAT IS ANNUAL REVIEW OF CITY COUNCIL POLICIES.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIRWOMAN AND CO.
UM, UM, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE CITY COUNCIL POLICIES, THE ANNUAL REVIEW.
AS Y'ALL KNOW, IN OCTOBER NOVEMBER.
UM, UM, THE COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL GOES BACK OVER THE POLICIES.
TYPICALLY, THERE'S NOT WHOLESALE CHANGES BECAUSE, UM, THE, THE CHARTER ALLOWS Y'ALL, UH, TO CHANGE THESE POLICIES AT ANY TIME.
Y'ALL JUST HAVE TO ADOPT A SET OF POLICIES IN JANUARY.
AND SO WE DO AN ANNUAL REVIEW.
AND LIKE MOST YEARS WE DID SEND OUT AN A, UM, EMAIL ASKING FOR ANY INPUT.
THERE WASN'T, WEREN'T A LOT OF SUGGESTED CHANGES OR DISCUSSION, BUT WE DID RECEIVE A FEW.
AND SO I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT A FEW OF THOSE TONIGHT.
UM, THE FIRST FEW ARE FROM, UM, UM, COUNCILMAN HEDRICK.
UM, HE SENT IN SEVERAL, UM, FIVE OR SIX.
THE FIRST ONE HE ASKED ABOUT WAS THE, THE ORDER OF AGENDA ITEMS REFLECT CURRENT PRACTICE.
AND THAT'S ON PAGE FOUR OF THE, UM, RULES.
AND BASICALLY THAT'S AN EASY CHANGE.
CURRENTLY IT'S A LITTLE OUT OF ORDER.
IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T EVEN MENTION PUBLIC COMMENT.
IT DOESN'T MENTION IT HAS THE EXECUTIVE SESSION UP FRONT.
AND I THINK THE WAY THAT WAS ORIGINALLY DRAFTED IT, UM, WASN'T INTENDED TO BE AN EXACT REPLICA, BUT IT MAKES SENSE TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, UM, SHOW THAT THE ORDER OF AGENDA ITEMS, IT REFLECTS WHAT WE CURRENTLY DO.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S AN EASY ONE.
IF Y'ALL WANNA GIVE ME A THUMBS UP OR DOWN ON THAT ONE, THEN WE CAN RECOMMEND THAT TO COUNCIL.
THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION FROM COUNCILMAN HEDRICK WAS THE CHANGE THE NAME OF THE LEGISLATIVE PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
Y'ALL ACTUALLY VOTED THAT AS A COUNCIL ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
UM, AND WHAT HAD HAPPENED, WE CHANGED THE TITLE.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL, THE VERSION Y'ALL HAD, HAD IT CHANGED IN THERE OR NOT? IT WASN'T.
SO THE, THE NEW VERSION, IT'S BEEN CHANGED, BUT I DID FIND A COUPLE OF REFERENCES IN THE BODY OF IT.
NOT THE ACTUAL, UM, HEADING, BUT THE BODY OF THE TEXT THROUGHOUT THE POLICY THAT REFERENCES IT, THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.
SO I'LL MAKE SURE THAT ALL THAT GETS CHANGED.
UM, SO THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE, SO Y'ALL DON'T EVEN NEED TO GIVE DIRECTION ON THAT ONE.
UM, THE NEXT ONE WAS A REFERENCE TO, UM, THE APPOINTMENT OF FIVE DIRECTORS OF THE D AD BOARD.
AND, UM, YOU ASKED A GREAT QUESTION.
THERE'S A QUESTION I ACTUALLY ASKED ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, MAYBE EVEN THREE YEARS AGO, I GUESS ALMOST THREE YEARS AGO.
UM, OUR D AD APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD IS DONE A LOT.
LIKE OUR DART JUST GARLAND'S NEVER REALLY PARTICIPATED IN THE PROCESS FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, WITH THE LATEST LAW CHANGE ABOUT US NOT EVEN BEING ABLE TO QUESTION THEIR, UM, UM, ASSESSMENTS, UM, OR THEIR EVALUATIONS, UM, IT'S PROBABLY BEST THAT WE STAY OUT OF IT.
BUT, UM, WE CAN REMOVE THAT FROM THE POLICY IF YOU WANT TO, OR WE CAN LEAVE IT IN THERE.
'CAUSE WE TECHNICALLY CAN APPOINT SOMEBODY ON DCAD.
WE JUST HAVE NEVER PARTICIPATED.
ARE THEY ELECTED NOW THOUGH? I THOUGHT ONE IS OR TWO ARE ELECTED AND FIVE ARE APPOINTED BY, BY THE CITIES WITHIN THE COUNTY.
SO WE SHARE AN APPOINTMENT WITH SEVERAL OTHER CITIES.
Y'ALL WANNA LEAVE IT IN OR TAKE IT OUT? WE HAVEN'T ACTED ON IT IN THE PAST.
I MEAN, IF WE HAVE, I DON'T WANNA REMOVE SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO.
WE DO, THEN YOU'LL GET LOST TO OKAY.
SO IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO SO, LET'S KEEP IT IN, I WOULD SAY.
UM, THE FOURTH ONE WAS AD MANAGING DIRECTOR OF LEGISLATIVE PUBLIC AFFAIRS TO THE POSITION RESPONSIBLE FOR REPORTING TO THE LEGISLATIVE AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
UM, AND ALSO CHANGE THE REFERENCE TO THE NEW COMMITTEE NAME.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE INSTANCES WHERE IT WAS IN THE BODY WHERE I NEED TO CHANGE THAT.
SO, UM, THIS IS JUST CURRENTLY IT SAYS, UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE CITY MANAGER, UM, UM, REPORT TO THE COMMITTEE.
UM, NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS NEW POSITION, WE SHOULD ADD THIS NEW POSITION TO THE ONE, THE REPORTING TO 'EM.
AND THEN, UM, THIS IS INTERESTING WHEN IT'S REMOVED, REFERENCES TO THIRD PARTY APPLICATIONS AND SERVICES FOR THE ADVERTISEMENT AND OF, AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PURPOSE OF EACH BOARD AND COMMISSION CURRENTLY AT NAMES NEXT DOOR, NEIGHBORHOOD CHATTER, AND A COUPLE OTHER THIRD PARTY, UM, UM, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA OR PUBLICATIONS, UM, TO ADVERTISE FOR THESE.
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COUNCIL MEMBER HEDRICK ASKED THAT WE JUST REMOVE THE REFERENCES TO THIRD PARTIES.I DON'T WANNA LIMIT TO JUST THOSE.
WHO KNOWS WHAT'S GONNA BE POPPING UP NEXT YEAR.
SO WE'LL JUST LEAVE A GENERAL STATEMENT THAT WE'LL, SOCIAL MEDIA OR HOWEVER OKAY.
AND THEN, UM, THIS IS A GOOD QUESTION AS WELL.
HE ASKED ABOUT THE REQUIREMENT FOR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION TO SUBMIT BYLAWS.
AND WHEN THAT'S REQUIRED, IT'S UPON FORMATION AND PLAT APPROVAL.
AND, AND YOU PICKED UP ON THE MAIN REASON WE DO IT WHEN THERE'S A PRIVATE STREET OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THERE'S ALSO OTHER REASONS.
'CAUSE OFTENTIMES THERE'S SCREENING WALLS AND THERE'S ALSO AREAS DEDICATED AS HOA OWNED PROPERTY VERSUS PRIVATELY OWNED PROPERTY.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE PLANNING PROCESS.
AND SO WE DO REQUIRE THEM TO SUBMIT THE BYLAWS.
WE DON'T, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, REQUIRE PLANNING DOESN'T REQUIRE THEM TO COME BACK EVERY TIME THEY CHANGE THE BYLAWS.
SO IF WE COULD CHANGE THE LANGUAGE TO SAY, BECAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT THEIR BYLAWS TO US AND IT DIDN'T SPECIFY AT THE BEGINNING OR WHATEVER.
IT'S, IT SEEMS LIKE IF THERE'S A CHANGE, IT WOULD COME TO US.
AND I DON'T WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS.
SO IT'S COUNCIL'S MUCH BETTER THAN OUR ASSOCIATIONS TO BE HONEST.
BUT YEAH, IF WE COULD JUST CHANGE IT SO IT'S NOT AT THE BEGINNING, I'M FINE DURING THE CREATION AND ANCIENT LANGUAGE AROUND THAT.
JUST CHANGE IT TO REFLECT THAT AT THE BEGINNING AND MM-HMM.
UM, UM, WELL, YEAH, WE'LL JUST DO IT THAT WAY.
IS THAT OKAY WITH Y'ALL? AND THEN THE FINAL ONE, UM, WAS REMOVE THE RESTRICTIONS OF SENIOR STAFF TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNCIL ON BEHALF OF THE THIRD PARTY.
SO CURRENTLY IF YOU'RE A DIRECTOR, A MANAGING DIRECTOR, AND ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER OR THE CITY MANAGER, IF YOU LEAVE THE CITY, THE COUNCIL POLICY SAYS, UM, THAT YOU'RE NOT TO CO UM, COME BACK AND TESTIFY BEFORE COUNCIL ON A THIRD PARTY ON THE BEHALF OF A THIRD PARTY, UM, FOR THE BENEFIT OF A THIRD PARTY.
UM, IT'S PROBABLY NOT A FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUE AS WRITTEN.
UM, BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE, I'LL SAY THAT.
AND SO IT'S BEEN IN THERE A LONG TIME.
UM, IT, WE PROBABLY CAN DEFEND IT.
WE CAN PROBABLY RESTRICT SOMEBODY IF YOU, I THINK YOU USED AN EXAMPLE LAST WEEK.
WE HAD, WE HAD ONE APPEAR BEFORE A COMMITTEE.
AND IT DOESN'T SAY YOU CAN'T APPEAR BEFORE A COMMITTEE.
IT JUST SAYS BEFORE THE COUNCIL, BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND SO THERE IS A DISTINCTION THERE.
UM, BUT YES, WE COULD HAVE, IF SOMEBODY HAD OBJECTED, WE COULD HAVE, UM, TECHNICALLY THE COMMITTEE CHAIR COULD HAVE RESTRICTED THAT TESTIMONY FROM WILL 'CAUSE HE WAS TESTIFYING FOR A COMMERCIAL PURPOSE ON BEHALF OF HIS NEW EMPLOYEE.
COULD WE ADD COMMITTEE? WELL, UH, YEAH, I'M FINE WITH THAT AS WELL, BUT THE QUESTION IS DO WE WANT TO KEEP IT OR REMOVE IT? I, I MEAN, I WOULD KEEP IT, AND THEN I WOULD ALSO INCLUDE COMMITTEE ON THERE, COUNCIL COMMITTEES ON THERE AS WELL.
SO I ASKED TO REMOVE IT BECAUSE I THOUGHT HE BROUGHT VALUABLE INFORMATION TO THE DISCUSSION THAT OVI OTHERWISE WOULDN'T HAVE OCCURRED.
I, BUT THERE'S ALSO PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT THERE BECAUSE HE, WE KNEW HIM FOR SO LONG, I THINK.
UM, SO WHAT'S THE ARGUMENT THAT IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE IT'S OKAY, BUT IF YOU DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, AND NO, I SEE.
WOULD THERE BE A, LIKE A TIME LIMIT IF THEY, IF, I MEAN, SO IF SOMEBODY WAS, HAVE BEEN IN A SENIOR POSITION IN 1979 AND THEY COME IN TODAY TO TESTIFY, OR THEY JUST, THAT'S WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW.
SO I'M FOR REMOVING THIS, I MEAN, WILL HAVE GONE JUST SEVERAL MONTHS AND HE'S BACK ALREADY TALKING RIGHT.
AND IF IT WENT TO A PUBLIC HEARING, YOU MIGHT HAVE SHOWN UP THERE TOO AT THE WORK, AT THE WORK SESSION OR THE FULL MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
SO I DON'T SEE THE POINT IF WE'RE, IF WE WERE LOOKING FOR THE BEST TESTIMONY, I UNDERSTAND THE, UM, PROBLEMS AROUND THAT WITH, YOU KNOW, INFLUENCE AND ALL THAT.
BUT, BUT WOULDN'T THAT PERSON ALSO BE ABLE TO PRESENT, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO WORD THIS.
UM, WHAT THEY WOULD PRESENT SEEMED, WOULD SEEM TO BE A LITTLE MORE, UM, ACCEPTABLE BECAUSE THEY KNOW ALL THE RULES ON HOW TO PRESENT.
WELL, I THINK THE ISSUE MY FORMER COLLEAGUE ROBERT JOHN SMITH HAD WAS THIS IS THE LOBBYING ISSUE OF THEM COMING BACK AND LOBBYING PEOPLE.
I DON'T HAVE AS BIG OF AN ISSUE WITH THAT.
I THINK WE ARE INTELLIGENT ENOUGH ON COUNCIL TO DECIDE FOR OURSELVES, YOU KNOW, AND IF WE GET MORE INFORMATION, WE CAN PARSE THAT OURSELVES.
BUT HONORABLE SMITH HAD A, A DIFFERENT VIEW ON THAT.
I WILL SAY IT HASN'T BEEN STRICTLY ENFORCED.
AND Y'ALL CAN OBVIOUSLY, Y'ALL CAN THINK, WELL, BESIDES WILL TECHNICALLY WAS IN MY OPINION, WAS WITHIN THE RULE BECAUSE IT WAS, IT DOESN'T REFERENCE COMMITTEES, IT JUST REFERENCE CITY
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COUNCIL.BUT WE HAVE HAD A RECENT ONE AT CITY COUNCIL.
WE HAD A FORMER CITY MANAGER SHOW UP RECENTLY, CORRECT.
TO TESTIFY ON BEHALF OF, UM, UM, CITY EMPLOYEES COLAS.
AND SO, UM, IT WASN'T ENFORCED THEN, BUT IT HAS BEEN ENFORCED ON THE PLANNING SIDE, UM, WITH A FORMER, UH, PLANNER WITH THE CITY WHO, WHO NOW REPRESENTS A, I GUESS IT'S HIS OWN COMPANY NOW.
BUT, UM, UM, HE'S COME BUT BEFORE COUNCIL AND WE DID NOT ALLOW HIM TO TESTIFY IN FRONT OF COUNSEL FOR A YEAR AFTER HE LEFT.
SO I CAN SAY THAT IT WAS ENFORCED IN THAT INSTANCE, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER INSTANCES THAT HASN'T BEEN ENFORCED.
I MEAN, IF IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ENFORCED FOR EVERYONE BROADLY, THEN THEN WE SHOULDN'T HAVE IT.
IF WE ARE GOING TO KEEP IT, IT SHOULD BE ENFORCED FOR EVERYONE IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO I THINK THE REAL QUESTION IS DO WE WANT TO PROCEED WITH REMOVAL AND WITH ALL OF THESE POLICIES, THE QUESTION OF WHETHER WE ENFORCE OR NOT, IS THAT THE COUNCIL TO ENFORCE THEIR OWN POLICIES? IT IS.
SO IF THEY'RE NOT BEING ENFORCED, THEN WHY HAVE THE RULE AGREED.
UNLESS WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING, I'M OKAY WITH REMOVING IT.
UM, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE IT, I, IF WE REMOVE IT, I WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT THAT NEXT, I THINK NEXT REVIEW JUST TO, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW IT, IT'S ON THE UP AND UP BECAUSE I DO SEE WHERE THE, THE LOBBYING ASPECT OF IT COMES AROUND WHEN, UM, THAT FORMER CITY PLANNER GOES BEFORE THE PLAN COMMISSION.
UM, THE CHAIR LIGHTS UP AND
IS COUNCIL POLICY, NOT I UNDERSTAND.
BUT I AM SAYING THAT THERE IS, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN A, UH, FORMER, A FORMER MEMBER OF STAFF CAN COME UP AND, AND EVERYBODY'S LIKE, OOH, NICE TO SEE YOU.
AND ALL OF THOSE ISSUES THAT THEY'RE COMING FOR ARE, ARE A LITTLE OVERSHADOWED BY THAT.
SO, UM, I'M IN FAVOR OF REMOVING IT FOR A YEAR AND REVISITING THE ISSUE TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS ON THE UP AND UP.
IT GOES FOR A YEAR AND YEAH, REEVALUATE.
ALLOW THAT TO THE, AS THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION.
ONCE COUNCIL DISCUSSES IT, IT'LL SHOW UP.
NEXT FEW HAVE BEEN, WERE PRESENTED BY COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS, UM, ADDED PROVISION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER SHALL SILENCE CELL PHONE AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES DURING MEETINGS.
NOW WHAT IS THE PUNISHMENT? WHAT'S THE PUNISHMENT? I MEAN, OF COURSE THERE PROBABLY WON'T BE, BUT THERE IT IS THERE.
AND SO MAYBE IT'S A GOOD REMINDER.
UM, IS THAT A YES? OKAY, PLEASE.
MAYBE WE SHOULD ADD VIBRATION TO THAT.
YEAH, WELL JUST, YEAH, NO, NO NOISE COMING FROM THE PHONE AT ALL BECAUSE I CAN HEAR IT QUITE OFTEN.
THAT'S THE ONLY WAY I KNOW THAT I GET ANY MESSAGES DURING THE MEETING, SO I'M FINE WITH THAT.
TECHNICALLY, SILENCE WOULD INCLUDE VIBRATIONS.
I MEAN, JUST SAYING SILENCE IT, IT WOULD INCLUDES IF YOU MEANS IT'S TURN OFF THE NOTIFICATIONS IS WHAT THAT BASICALLY, BUT I'M AFRAID SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS WON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.
I
JUST PUT HIS HANDS IN HIS FACE.
REALLY? THIS IS A, I'M FINE WITH THAT.
I THINK THIS ONE HERE IS REALLY, IT'S JUST A REMINDER.
A COURTESY AND A REMINDER THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD REALLY WATCH OUR CELL PHONES.
I MEAN, THE IDEA, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO ENFORCE IT.
IT'S PROBABLY, UM, WOULD BE KIND OF, WE CAN ALL GIVE THOSE LOOKS
SO LEAVE IT IN AS A RECOMMENDATION.
AND THEN THIS OF COURSE WE'VE ALREADY ADDRESSED.
UM, HIS SECOND REQUEST AND THEN THE FINAL ONE FOR HIM WAS APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSION.
UM, IT SAYS IT MUST BE APPROVED BY MAJORITY VOTE OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
HE WANTS TO ADD THAT IN THERE, AS YOU RECALL.
UM, UM, CURRENT PRACTICE IS THAT IT GETS PRESENTED EVERYBODY'S APPOINTMENTS AND WE ALL DO A VOTE.
WELL, NOW WE DO INDIVIDUAL VOTES, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING THE MAYOR, I THINK WE PROBABLY SHOULD ADDRESS HERE AFTER THE COMMITTEE WANTS TO RECOGNIZE.
'CAUSE I KNOW THE MAYORS WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE OLD ROLE OF HOW WE APPOINT, UM, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND PEOPLE ON THOSE INSTEAD OF DOING IT INDIVIDUALLY.
DO IT AS A WHOLE AGAIN, LIKE WE USED TO.
SO IT'S KIND OF COMPETING BECAUSE IT SAYS APPOINTMENTS MUST BE APPROVED BY MAJORITY VOTER OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AS A WHOLE? OR EACH INDIVIDUAL APPOINTMENT MUST BE,
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ARE THEY ALREADY APPROVED BY MAJORITY VOTE? WE HAVE TO VOTE ON IT REGARDLESS OF THE METHOD, IF IT'S A WHOLE OR NOT.RIGHT? IS THAT THIS DOESN'T SAY IT IN THE MM-HMM.
AND DO Y'ALL WANNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT HOW TO VOTE ON THEM? WHETHER YOU WANNA DO IT AS A GROUP OR IS THERE ANYTHING IN A CHARTER THAT SAYS HOW WE APPOINT? NO, I DEFINITELY THINK WE SHOULD MOVE TO THE BLOCK.
UH, THE BLOCK BACK TO THE BLOCK VOTE.
UM, PER, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR, UM, THE COUNCIL MEMBER REVIEW EACH APPOINTEE SEPARATELY AND THEN TAKE THOSE AS A BLOCK VOTE UP OR DOWN.
UM, 'CAUSE PEOPLE LIKE TO GET THEIR HEAR THEIR NAME.
SO, UH, I DO WANNA KEEP THAT, UM, MAJORITY VOTE.
IF IT'S NECESSARY TO PUT THAT IN THERE, THEN OKAY.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALREADY ASSUMED, BUT YEAH, I DON'T MIND THE INDIVIDUAL READING OF THE NAMES.
I THINK WE PUT THAT IN THERE FOR A REASON, AND I'M HAPPY TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
I KNOW THE MAYOR WAS QUITE ANNOYED.
WELL, A LOT OF TIMES WE HAVE, JUST LIKE RIGHT NOW I'VE GOT AN INDIVIDUAL SPOT THAT'S OPEN, SO THAT'LL BE AN INDIVIDUAL.
BUT WHEN WE DID THE 50 SOME ODD PEOPLE AT ONE TIME, EACH INDIVIDUAL A MOTION AND THEN A VOTE AND A MOTION AND A VOTE AND A MOTION, A VOTE.
THAT WAS A LITTLE OVERWHELMING.
AND I THINK IT TOOK AWAY FROM THE PERSON THAT'S BEING APPOINTED.
BUT MAYBE IF EACH COUNCIL MEMBER DID THEIRS, I APPOINT THESE PEOPLE AND THEN WE VOTE AS A BLOCK FOR THAT COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO IT WOULD BE EIGHT VOTES INSTEAD OF 50 SOMETHING VOTES, BUT NOT ONE VOTE.
SO, BUT EACH PERSON, EACH COUNCIL MEMBER PRESENT THEIR PEOPLE AND THEN APPROVE THAT ONE, MOVE TO THE NEXT PERSON, LET THEM PRESENT THEIRS AND APPROVE THAT.
WOULD THAT BE A COMPROMISE? I DON'T THINK THAT ACHIEVES WHAT WE'RE GOING FOR WITH THE DIVIDING UP INDIVIDUALLY BECAUSE WE DID IT THAT WAY TO BE ABLE TO OBJECT TO A SINGLE PERSON.
IF WE DID IT BY COUNCIL PERSON, WE STILL HAVE TO OBJECT TO THEIR COMPLETE SLATE.
COULDN'T YOU DO OR AMEND THEIR MOTION? COULDN'T YOU DO A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO EXTRACT ONE NAME FROM IT AND THEN IF IT'S NOT ACCEPTED OR NOT VOTED ON, YOU GET INTO THAT.
THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE DID IT INDIVIDUALLY.
I THEN YOU'RE FORCED, I MEAN, I COULD WRITE IN THE POLICY SOME, SOME LANGUAGE THAT SAYS, Y'ALL CAN, A COUNCIL MEMBER WITH A SECOND CAN REMOVE A NAME FROM THE BLOCK VOTING.
THAT'S HOW WE WANNA HANDLE IT.
'CAUSE OTHERWISE YOU'D BE FORCED TO VOTE, VOTE AGAINST THE SLATE OF PEOPLE FOR JUST ONE PERSON FOR A SEPARATE VOTE.
I MEAN IT, I MEAN, I THINK THAT THAT'D BE, THAT WOULD ACHIEVE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE THERE.
OR COULD YOU JUST HAVE THE COUNCIL MEMBER SAY, UM, I'D LIKE TO, UH, I'D LIKE TO HAVE THIS NEXT, THESE APPOINTEES DONE AS A BLOCK AND THEN EVERYBODY VOTE FOR THE BLOCK.
WELL, IF I, I DON'T LIKE ONE MEMBER OF THAT BLOCK, I'M FORCED TO VOTE AGAINST THE BLOCK AS A WHOLE, SO, RIGHT.
AND THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO EACH ONE SEPARATELY.
WELL, YEAH, BUT IF MY ONE VOTE AND THEN YOU HAVE EIGHT OTHERS THAT PASS IT, THEN IT'S NOT CONSENT.
OH, WELL THEN THAT, THAT TAKES EVEN MORE OUT OF IT TO DO IT BY CONSENT AGENDA, I MEAN LIKE, LIKE WHEN YOU PULL ONE OUT TO CONSIDER.
THAT'S WHAT YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I COULD PUT THAT LANGUAGE IN THAT I THINK THAT, BUT SHE'S, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
NOT NOT BEING FORCED TO VOTE AGAINST EIGHT.
IF YOU'RE APPOINTING NINE PEOPLE OR WHATEVER.
EIGHT GOOD ONES AND ONE BAD ONE AND HAVING TO VOTE NO ON THOSE OTHER EIGHT AT THE SAME TIME VOTING.
BUT THERE HAS IN THE PAST, THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON WE HAD THIS IS THAT MM-HMM.
SO WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD YOUR IDEAL SITUATION BE? KEEPING IT AS IT IS OR I'M FINE WITH THE LANGUAGE TO ALLOW US TO VOTE IN A BLOCK IF POSSIBLE.
DO I THINK AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON, ONE PERSON WOULD VOTE IS MORE GRANULAR IS BETTER, I THINK BECAUSE THEN YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO GO AND DO SEPARATE ONE OR THE OTHER.
OR CALL FOR, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK IT WAS THAT BAD.
BUT I MEAN, IT GOT SILLY NEAR THE END.
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ONLY WAY I'VE DONE IT.SO IT, I, IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME.
I MEAN,
SO IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT FOR DYLAN OVER THERE.
IT'S SEVEN AND EIGHT WHERE, YOU KNOW, UH, AFTER EVERYBODY'S LISTENED TO 47 OTHER, I, I DIDN'T HAVE THAT MANY.
'CAUSE IT MIGHT HOLD ON THROUGH MY TERMS. I DIDN'T HAVE THAT MANY TO READ IT.
WELL, I THINK, UM, WE SHOULD JUST APPROACH COUNSEL WITH TWO OPTIONS.
ONE, TO LEAVE IT THE SAME OR TWO TO, UM, ALLOW THE EXTRACTION OF ONE LIKE WE DO IN THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND THE OTHER ONE'S A HOUSEKEEPING, UM, AMENDMENT, UM, TO AMEND LANGUAGE, REFLECT THE DIGITAL PROCESS FOR RECEIVING APPLICATIONS CURRENTLY.
DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT EMAIL, IT TALKS ABOUT DELIVERY.
UM, I THINK THAT THE CURRENT LANGUAGE CAPTURES WHAT HE'S TRYING TO GET AT, BUT IT'S NOT SPECIFIC.
SO EITHER WAY, I MEAN IT'S, UM, IT WON'T HURT TO PUT IN LANGUAGE THAT, THAT EXPRESSLY SAYS THE DIGIT EMAIL AND THAT KIND OF THING.
AND THEN THE FINAL ONE IS ACTUALLY ONE FROM ME.
UM, UM, AND IT'S BASICALLY CURRENTLY THE CURRENT LANGUAGE IS LISTED UP THERE AND IT SAYS, UM, IT'S ABOUT RULES OF PROCEDURE AND FOLLOWING.
UM, ROBERT'S RULES, THESE RULES CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY CHARTER.
ANY APPLICABLE CITY ORDINANCE, STATUTE, OR OTHER LEGAL REQUIREMENTS SHALL GOVERN THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
TO THE EXTENT NOT INCONSISTENT WITH THESE RULES, CITY COUNCIL PRE PROCEEDING SHALL FOLLOW THE RULES OF PROCEDURE SET OUT IN ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, NEWLY REVISED.
I RECOMMEND THAT WE CHANGE THAT TO ADD A SINGLE WORD AMEND TO READ SHALL GENERALLY FOLLOW THESE RULES OF PROCEDURE.
'CAUSE THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT OUR CURRENT PRACTICE IS.
WE DO NOT FOLLOW, STRICTLY FOLLOW THE ROBERTS RULES.
'CAUSE THIS COUNCIL'S ALWAYS BEEN, UM, UM, ALWAYS PROTECTED THE INTEGRITY OF DEBATE AND DIDN'T WANT SOMEBODY TO, WHO KNEW ROBERT RULES BETTER THAN SOMEBODY ELSE TO BEAT HIM OVER THE HEAD WITH IT AND STIFLE DEBATE AND DISCUSSION.
AND YOU CAN DO THAT IF YOU GET SOMEBODY THAT REALLY KNOWS ROBERT'S RULES.
SO WELL, IT'S UP TO PARLIAMENTARIAN TO ENFORCE IT AT THE SAME TIME.
I WOULD PREFER IF IT SAID BE GUIDED BY.
UM, THAT WOULD BE MY PREFERENCE EITHER WAY, BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY SAY YOU HAVE TO DO IT THIS WAY, BUT WE FOLLOW THOSE RULES TO, YEAH.
ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL ONES THAT WEREN'T SENT IN THAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THERE? NOT AT THIS TIME, NO.
I KNOW JUDD MAY HAVE SOME THAT HE'S GONNA BRING UP AT WORK SESSION.
AND SO, UM, UM, SO THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.
THANK Y'ALL FOR, UM, LETTING ME GO FIRST.
I'M GOING TO DEPUTIZE MIKE BETTS, UM, UM, AS I LEAVE, UM, HE'S FULLY QUALIFIED.
HE HAS A LITTLE BIT OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA.
IF A LITTLE, IF A LEGAL QUESTION COMES UP, WHICH I DON'T THINK ONE WILL IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DISCUSSIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, I CAN ASSURE YOU, AS Y'ALL KNOW, MIKE'S QUALIFIED.
ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO ITEM 3D, POSTING AND OF MOTION AND VOTING HISTORY ON THE CITY WEBSITE.
AND SO WHEN WE WERE HERE LAST, WE TALKED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO DISPLAY THE COUNCIL VOTES.
UH, WE HAVE A, WE'RE SCREENSHOTTING IT OFF OF A DATABASE AND SO IT WAS DIFFICULT TO GET IT BIGGER WITHOUT GOING OFF THE ENDS.
AND WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE ABILITY, UH, TO SIZE THIS THE WAY IT COMES OFF THE DATABASE.
BUT, BUT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS, THE FIRST THINGS I'LL REPORT IS I TOLD YOU WE WERE GOING TO USE AI TO PULL ALL THE VOTING RECORDS.
WE'VE SUCCESSFULLY EXTRACTED ALL OF THE VOTING RECORDS AND ASSEMBLED A SQL DATABASE.
AND THESE RECORDS SIT IN A DATABASE NOW, AND THIS IS WHAT THE, THE DATABASE WOULD LOOK LIKE, JUST SITTING THERE, UH, ON THE WEBSITE.
BUT THEN YOU HAVE SEARCH FUNCTIONALITIES ON THE RIGHT.
SO IF YOU LOOK OVER THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, YOU CAN FILTER BY A COUNCIL MEMBER WHEN THIS IS FILTERED BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS, BY WAY OF EXAMPLE.
YOU CAN SEARCH AND YOU'D SEE BY ANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS CURRENT OR THE
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LAST FOUR YEARS DURING THE TIME OF THE DATABASE.SO YOU'LL, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT.
YOU CAN ALSO SEARCH FILTER BY DISTRICT.
WE HAVE DISTRICT, UH, FILTERING FOR PEOPLE WHO WANNA SEE HOW A DISTRICT VOTED OVER A COURSE OF NUMBER OF DIFFERENT COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE IN IT.
SO YOU COULD SEE HOW DID, UH, ON DURING A SPECIFIC DATE RANGE, A SPECIFIC GROUP OF COUNCIL MEMBERS VOTE.
AND THEN IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER, YOU'LL SEE THERE'S A SEARCH FUNCTIONALITY.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT'S EVERYWHERE.
SO IF YOU JUST WANTED TO LOOK FOR, UM, GPNL, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW GPNL VOTES WERE DONE, YOU TYPE GPNL THERE, EVERYTHING THAT A-G-P-N-L IN IT WOULD SHOW UP.
SO THE GPNL VOTE THAT'S HERE WOULD SHOW UP IF YOU WANTED TO LOOK FOR OCEAN STAR MEDALS.
'CAUSE YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHEN IT WAS, YOU COULD SEARCH OCEAN STAR MEDALS AND IT WOULD FIND ALL THE VOTES RELATED TO THAT ON THERE.
SO IT'S, IT'S PRETTY FUNCTIONAL.
IF THERE'S ANY OTHER TYPES OF THINGS YOU WANNA SEARCH ON.
THERE'S ONLY SO MANY CATEGORIES HERE WE COULD SEARCH ON.
YES, NO, BUT THAT DOESN'T REALLY MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
WE, YOU CAN SEARCH BY DATE OR FILTER BY DATE, JUST PUT THEM IN DATE ORDER AND JUST SEE ALL THE VOTES.
THAT PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE A LOT OF USE.
WE DIDN'T SEE ANY BENEFIT IN DOING IT BY AGENDA ID.
THE ONLY REASON WE KEEP THOSE ON THERE IS BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO GO TO THE DATE, FIND A VOTE, THEY CAN FIND IT QUICKLY ON, GO BACK TO THE AGENDA, GO BACK TO THE AGENDA, LOOK AND READ WHAT THE ITEM WAS.
AND SO THAT'S BASICALLY THE, THE, UH, FUNCTIONALITY.
WE PRETTY MUCH TRIED TO TRACK WHAT DALLAS DID.
THIS IS VERY MUCH VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT DALLAS DID.
UH, ALTHOUGH, UH, ALL DUE RESPECT TO DALLAS, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF WAYS TO DO THIS.
YOU ONLY HAVE SO MANY COLUMNS AND THEN YOU CAN FILTER.
WE JUST MADE IT SO THAT IT WAS FLEXIBLE.
SO YOU COULD FILTER WITH MULTIPLE FILTERS.
SO YOU COULD DO IT BY COUNCIL MEMBER AND DATE, OR COUNCIL MEMBER AND OR DISTRICT AND DATE OR BY TITLE.
YOU COULD SEARCH 'EM BY TITLE OR YOU CAN JUST USE THE SEARCH IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER AND FREE FORM SEARCH THE ENTIRE DATABASE.
AND SO THAT'S THE, UH, THE FUNCTIONALITY THAT WE HAVE.
UH, AND WE DO HAVE ALL THE DATA CAPTURED.
THE ONLY THE IF COUNCIL WERE TO APPROVE THIS, UH, AND WANTS TO PUT THIS ON THE WEBSITE, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF, IT'LL TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TECHNICAL TIME TO DO IT BECAUSE THE WEBSITE THAT WE USE IS HOSTED BY CIVIC PLUS OUTSIDE OF OUR NETWORK.
THIS DATABASE RESIDES INSIDE OF OUR NETWORK, OUTSIDE OF OUR NETWORK WHERE THIS IS, THEY DON'T HAVE A WAY TO DO IT.
SO WE HAVE TO ESSENTIALLY GET THIS DATA TO BE ABLE TO PULL THROUGH AND DISPLAY OUTSIDE OF OUR NETWORK THROUGH THE DMZ WE CALL IT.
WE HAVE TO BRING IT THROUGH SO THAT WE'RE SAFE DOING IT.
THAT THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT OF A, A HILL PROBABLY TAKE US A FEW WEEKS TO GET A SOLUTION ON THAT.
BUT OTHERWISE WE'D BE READY TO GO IF THE COUNCIL'S READY TO GO.
AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE, UH, DISPLAY OR FILTER THIS INFORMATION.
UM, HOW OFTEN WILL THE INFORMATION NEED TO BE UPDATED AND DOES IT HAPPEN MANUALLY? SO AT THE MOMENT WE DON'T RECORD THE VOTES IN A WAY THAT CAN HAPPEN ELECTRONICALLY.
SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS, IS UNTIL WE GO, WE'RE GONNA, AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, WE'RE MOVING TO A NEW AGENDA SOFTWARE AND I'LL DEAL WITH THAT SEPARATELY.
UNDER THE CURRENT SYSTEM, WHAT WE WOULD DO IS WE WOULD PROBABLY, UH, EVERY COUNCIL, EVERY OTHER WEEK, WE WOULD SIMPLY RUN THE, THE AGENDA THROUGH THE AI, HAVE IT DEVELOP THE RECORDS AND THEN SUCK THEM INTO THE SQL DATABASE.
UM, LONG TERM THE, UH, WE'RE GOING TO UH, UH, CIVIC CLERK, UH, AGENDA SOFTWARE THAT DOES RECORD THE VOTES AND KEEPS TRACK OF ALL THE VOTES.
BUT THE WAY IT DISPLAYS IT IS NOT NEARLY THIS FUNCTIONAL.
SO WHAT WE WOULD DO THERE IS JUST WRITE AN INTEGRATION ESSENTIALLY SO THAT, SO THAT EVERY TIME THE VOTES WERE DONE, YOU KNOW, WE'D RUN IT THE WEEK AFTER THE COUNCIL MEETING AND IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY EXPORT ALL THAT DATA AND PUT IT INTO THIS DATABASE.
SO WE'D CONTINUE TO USE THIS DATABASE.
'CAUSE THAT WAY IT GOES BACK ALL THE WAY AS FAR AS WE HAVE DATA FOR, INCLUDING WITH THE NEW SOFTWARE.
AND IT'S A MORE FUNCTION, WE HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER IT THAN WE DO OVER THE THIRD PARTY VENDOR WHO'S GOT SOFTWARE.
SO EVENTUALLY IT WOULD BE AUTOMATED.
SO LIKE WITH A DATA PUMP, I GUESS WOULD IT, WE WOULD JUST DO AN INTEGRATION.
SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT WOULD DO IS WE WOULD, I'M PRETTY SURE THE NEW SOFTWARE HAS AN API CALL.
WE WOULD JUST API AND GRAB THE DATA AND PULL IT INTO THE DATABASE.
UM, SO WHEN WILL THE NEW AGENDA SOFTWARE BE AVAILABLE OR WHEN WILL STAFF START USING IT? THE CIVIC PLUS? DO YOU KNOW? UH, PROBABLY MARCH, APRIL TIMEFRAME WE'RE LOOKING AT.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON, ON HOW LONG IT TAKES THE, THE COMPANY TO IMPLEMENT HERE AND FOR STAFF TO GET USED TO USING IT IN A TEST PHASE AND MAKE SURE IT WORKS PERFECTLY.
BEFORE IT, WE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T BRING IT TO COUNCIL AND BE USED IN THE CITY TILL WE MADE SURE THAT IT WAS WORKING PERFECTLY.
SO OF COURSE, I WOULD THINK MARCH, APRIL TIMEFRAME.
ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS? YEAH, MY ONLY QUESTION
[00:30:01]
WAS GOING FORWARD, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GOT A PLAN FOR THAT USING THE API AND JUST CRAWL IT AND EXTRACT IT? YEAH, WE'LL JUST, WE'LL JUST EXTRACT THE DATA.WE'LL EITHER, WE'LL EITHER SET UP A DUMP IF INTO A CSV FILE AND PULL IT IN, OR WE'LL USE THE APIS THAT THEY HAVE AND, AND PULL IT OVER.
AND THEN, SO AS SOON AS WE GET THE, THE THUMBS UP FROM, UH, COUNCIL, WE'LL, WE'LL ENDEAVOR TO PUT THE, THE SITE ON THE WEBSITE AND WORK ON THE, THE, UH, PIECE TO BRING IT THROUGH.
AND THEN THIS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE, WELL, HOW DO PEOPLE VOTE ON THINGS? AND MORE, IT'LL BE USED PROBABLY FOR SPECIFIC ITEMS AND THEY WON'T KNOW WHERE TO FIND IT.
AND ONE, THEY'LL JUST KNOW IT WAS THIS COMPANY, YOU KNOW, OCEAN METALS, WHO, HOW DO PEOPLE VOTE ON OCEAN METALS? AND THEY CAN RUN THAT SEARCH AND EVERY PLACE WHERE THAT COMPANY NAME APPEARS ON SEVERAL AGENDAS AND THEY CAN SEE THE DATE.
AND IF THEY WANNA GO BACK SINCE THEY HAVE THE DATE AND THE AGENDA ITEM, THEY CAN GO BACK AND FIND THE AGENDA, SEE WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT, READ THE MATERIALS ON IT, DO ALL THE REST OF THAT, AND EDUCATE THEMSELVES AND ALLOWS US TO HAVE GREATER TRANSPARENCY WITH THEIR, OUR PUBLIC.
SO THIS IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE AND UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WORKING ON IT.
WELL, IT WAS, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS FUN.
IT WAS AN INTERESTING CHALLENGE BECAUSE WHEN I REALIZED WE DIDN'T RECORD THE VOTES EXCEPT WHO VOTED NO.
AND I WAS LIKE, IF SOMEBODY HAS TO SIT MANUALLY AND FIGURE OUT ALL THIS, WE WOULD BE HERE NEXT YEAR SOMETIME.
AND THEN AI WAS LIKE, UH, AND SEAN O'BRIEN, WHO'S OUR APPLICATION SOLUTION MANAGERS HERE TONIGHT, UH, I WAS ON A PHONE CALL WITH HIM AND WE WERE BOTH THINKING THE SAME THING.
HE'S, WAIT A MINUTE, I BET AI CAN DO THIS.
AND HE PULLS ONE IN THERE AND AS WE'RE TALKING ON IT, HE'S DOING IT.
AND THEN BOOM, IT CREATES A TABLE OF ALL THE RESULTS.
AND HE GOES, IF I CAN MAKE IT INTO A TABLE, I CAN MAKE IT INTO A SQL DATABASE.
AND THEN HE WROTE ANOTHER MORE ADVANCED ONE TO ACTUALLY PUT IT IN THE FORMAT THAT HE WANTED FOR THE SQL DATABASE INSTEAD OF JUST A TABLE.
BECAUSE IF IT CAN EXTRACT ONE WAY, IT COULD DO THE OTHER.
SO IT WAS KIND OF FUN BECAUSE YOU GET TO USE AI IN A WAY THAT YOU REALIZE HOW MANY MAN HOURS THAT SAVES, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH AI EVERYWHERE AT THE CITY.
AND, UM, WE WILL PRESENT THIS TO COUNCIL AT THE NEXT ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES UPDATE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF OUR AGENDA.
I SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT ONE NEXT.
UM, SO ITEM THREE A, DOWNTOWN SQUARE PROGRAMMING AND USAGE POLICIES.
I LOOKED AT B AND YOU KNOW,
SO THE RELIEF PITCHER, WHAT'S A RELIEF BASKETBALL PLAYER?
UM, I, UM, AM GOING TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON WHY WE ARE GONNA DISCUSS THIS TONIGHT.
BUT, UM, THE DISCUSSION IS REALLY ABOUT THE BEST PRACTICES FOR THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE, KEEPING IN MIND THAT WE WANNA MAXIMIZE AND PROTECT THE ASSET THAT, UM, THAT IS NOW A PART OF OUR DOWNTOWN.
UM, SO, UM, YOU PROBABLY, THERE, THERE, THERE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGES THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS WERE AWARE AND THAT IS WHY, UM, WE'RE COMING IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT.
UM, JUST FOR, UM, TONIGHT'S PURPOSE, WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT DOWNTOWN, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT JUST THAT CENTER AREA AND THE FOUR STREETS THAT SURROUND IT.
SO NOT THE WHOLE DISTRICT OR ANYTHING, UM, BUT JUST THAT SQUARE PROPER AND, UM, CITY PRODUCED.
AND CITY CO-HOST I THINK IS PRODUCED SELF-EXPLANATORY.
THOSE ARE THE EVENTS THAT THE CITY IS PRODUCING.
BUT ONE THAT SOMETIMES, UM, IS CONFUSING IS WE INTERCHANGEABLY USE THIRD PARTY WITH NON-CITY PRODUCED EVENTS.
AND IT'S REALLY EXACTLY THE SAME THING.
IT'S JUST AN OUTSIDE ENTITY THAT'S RE REQUESTING TO HOLD AN EVENT IN OUR STUDY.
SO WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE CLARITY ON THAT.
SO OF COURSE YOU ARE VERY WELL AWARE WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THAT DOWNTOWN SQUARE IS.
IT'S REALLY THE LIVING ROOM OF OUR COMMUNITY, A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME, UM, OUR COMMUNITY CAN COME AND ENJOY.
THEY CAN GO INTO THE RESTAURANTS AND BRING OUT DINNER AND UM, YOU KNOW, LAY ON THE, PUT DOWN A BLANKET ON THE LAWN.
[00:35:01]
WANT TO KEEP THAT IN THE FOREFRONT OF WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THE SQUARE WAS FOR.AND THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS DURING THE DESIGN PHASE.
UM, AND I KNOW ANDY CAN SPEAK ON THAT BECAUSE HE WAS IN MANY OF THOSE DESIGN MEETINGS, UM, LITTLE BIT PRIOR TO MY EMPLOYMENT HERE.
BUT, UM, IT WAS HEAVILY DISCUSSED DURING, UM, THAT TIMEFRAME THAT, UM, THE DIFFERENT SPACES WERE CREATED TO PRIORITIZE CITY PRODUCED EVENTS FROM SMALL EVENTS, MEDIUM LARGE.
AND IT WAS VERY MUCH THOUGHT THAT, UM, DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AMONGST THE CITY WOULD ALL BE BRINGING SOME DIFFERENT KINDS OF ACTIVATIONS TO THE SPACE.
SO THE LIBRARY, UH, THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT OFFICE REC, ANIMAL SERVICES, UM, REALLY THOUGHT TO BE UTILIZED, UM, PRIMARILY BY CITY PRODUCED EVENTS AND THEN INTENTIONALLY NOT PROGRAMMED, UM, AT OTHER TIMES OR A LARGE PORTION OF OTHER TIMES SO THAT THE COMMUNITY COULD JUST COME AND USE IT AS, UM, AS YOU SEE IT THIS EVENING.
UM, SO WITH THAT IN MIND, IT WAS PURPOSELY DECIDED TO NOT COME UP WITH ANY KIND OF RENTAL OR USAGE FEE OR STRUCTURE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT TO BE TREATED LIKE A RENTAL FACILITY.
IT WAS REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE A COMMUNITY, UM, PLACE TO COME AND ENJOY.
DO YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ON THAT? OKAY.
UM, SINCE THE COMPLETION OF THE SQUARE LAST YEAR, UM, I WANTED TO JUST SHARE SOME, SOME EXAMPLES OF THE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT HAVE, UM, REQUESTED TO HAVE EVENTS THERE.
UM, BUT WE'VE HAD A REQUEST FROM, UM, TRADE SCHOOLS WHO WANT TO HOLD, UM, GRADUATIONS, UM, KINANE.
WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE VENDOR MARKETS FROM ACROSS THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH METROPLEX THAT HAVE, UM, REQUESTED TO HOLD, UH, THEIR MARKETS, UM, IN THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE.
UM, JUST DIFFERENT FOLKS WANTING TO DO RETAIL SALES ON THE SQUARE.
UM, WE, ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR IS EASTER EGG HUNTS.
WE GET, UH, MANY OF THOSE, UM, SO JUST A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT EVENTS, UM, THAT, UM, ARE REQUESTED, UM, TO UTILIZE THE SPACE.
AND ONE OF THE OBLIGATIONS WE FEEL LIKE AS THE CITY IS THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO APPROVE ONE, YOU NEED TO BE FAIR AND EQUITABLE AND APPROVE ALL OF THEM.
OR YOU SET A PRECEDENCE THAT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO U UTILIZE THAT SPACE AND IS THAT REALLY TRULY SUSTAINABLE, UM, AND PROTECTING THE RESOURCE THAT WE HAVE.
SO, UM, WITH THAT IN MIND, UM, WE DO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION.
WE DID BRING IN A CONSULTANT, BUT, UM, SO BOTH THE CONSULTANT AND THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE PRESERVE THE SQUARE FOR CITY PRODUCED, UM, OR CITY CO-SPONSORED EVENTS, ALLOWING US TO, UM, BE ABLE TO MANAGE CITY RESOURCES, UM, CONTROL THE IMAGE OF THE EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A BROAD APPEAL TO THE COMMUNITY, THE TYPE OF EVENTS THAT WE BRING IN.
UM, SO AS I KIND OF MENTIONED, WE TRY AS HARD AS WE CAN WITH THE EVENTS THAT WE PRODUCE, THAT THEY ARE OF TOP QUALITY, THAT THEY HAVE A GOOD, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT THEY ARE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION ALL OF THE ASPECTS FROM THE COMMUNITY, THAT THEY HAVE A BROAD APPEAL, UM, THAT WE, WE OBVIOUSLY KNOW WELL IN ADVANCE THAT WE'RE HAVING ONE OF THOSE EVENTS.
SO THEREFORE OUR OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, POLICE, FIRE WASTE SERVICES, EVERYBODY, UM, YOU KNOW, IS IN, UM, IN THE KNOW, IN ORDER TO HELP US MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE'RE DOING THE BEST THAT WE CAN WITH THAT PARTICULAR EVENT.
UM, WE, UM, OBVIOUSLY ALSO HAVE THE AUTHORITY, OR WE HAVE THE CONTROL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FOOD VENDORS THAT ARE ON SITE ARE ALL PERMITTED AND HAVE ALL THE REGULATIONS THAT ALL TENTS ARE SECURED AND AREN'T GOING TO, UH, INJURE SOMEBODY.
[00:40:01]
UM, SO WE JUST TRY, WE HAVE THE CONTROL WHEN IT'S A CITY PRODUCED EVENT.AND THAT IS ONE, UH, ONE OF THE FACTORS WHY THIS IS OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR RECOMMENDATION.
WE ALSO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOME GOOD ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE AREA AND WE'RE VERY COGNIZANT OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE LIMITED IN THE NUMBER OF LIKE FOOD VENDORS THAT WE BRING IN SO THAT OUR BRICK AND MORTARS ARE STILL BENEFITING FROM THE EVENTS THAT WE BRING IN.
SO KIND OF ON THE, THE OTHER SIDE IS SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE WITH, UM, A THIRD PARTY EVENT.
WE BASICALLY HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE QUALITY OF THAT PARTICULAR EVENT, AND YET MOST PEOPLE WILL SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, AS A REFLECTION ON THE CITY.
SO IT IS ONE, ONE OF OUR CONCERNS.
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, WE SOMETIMES DON'T, OR MOST OF THE TIME, UM, DON'T HAVE, UM, WE, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW LARGE THE EVENT, LIKE THEY, THEY GIVE US NUMBERS, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE, UNTIL THAT EVENT HAPPENS, UM, WE'RE NOT ALWAYS IN THE, DON'T ALWAYS HAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND THEREFORE IT'S HARD FOR US TO, UM, MANAGE THE CITY RESOURCES.
UM, AGAIN, KIND OF THE, ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF CITY PRODUCED, IT'S, UM, DIFFICULT TO ENSURE THAT THE VENDORS THAT THEY'RE BRINGING IN OR, UM, THE PEOPLE THAT THEY HAVE WITH THEIR PARTICULAR EVENTS HAVE MET ALL THE PERMITS HAVE, YOU KNOW, UM, SECURED THE TENTS CORRECTLY, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THE TRAFFIC IS, YOU KNOW, HANDLED CORRECTLY.
ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS FOR THIRD PARTIES THAT WE JUST DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER.
AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE THOUGHTS OF DOES IT REALLY ALIGN WITH THAT ORIGINAL PURPOSE? UM, WHAT HAPPENS WITH SOME OF THE, SOME OF THESE GROUPS IS THAT IF YOU GIVE THEM, UM, UM, UM, YOU SAY YES, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE A GRADUATION, THEN THERE IS A, UM, KIND OF A RIGHT IN THEIR MIND THAT THAT SPACE IS THEIRS AND THAT IT'S THEY'VE RE YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'VE RESERVED IT AND THAT THEY GET TO HAVE THE LAWN AND THEREFORE SOMEBODY ELSE CAN'T BE ON THE LAWN AND THROW A FOOTBALL AND, AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO WHEN YOU SAY YES TO THAT, YOU KNOW, TO THAT REQUEST, UM, THEN KIND OF THAT OWNERSHIP OF THIS IS MY SPACE THAT I, THAT I GET TO HAVE.
AND SO WITH THAT IN MIND, DOES THAT REALLY HAVE THE SAME ALIGNMENT, THE SAME PURPOSE, ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF HOW THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE COULD BE USED? UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, DOES IT HAVE A BROAD APPEAL? DOES UM, THE COMMUNITY WANT TO COME TO ONE PARTICULAR PERSON'S, UM, YOU KNOW, WEDDING OR, YOU KNOW, DOES IT ACTUALLY HAVE A BROAD APPEAL? AND, UM, IN MOST CIRCUMSTANCES IT'S PRETTY LIMITED.
AND WITH THAT IT CAN ALSO BE SOMEWHAT LIMITED IN THE ECONOMIC IMPACT.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WITH, UM, THIRD PARTY AND THAT IS, UM, THE REASON WHY WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE GO WITH, UM, CITY PRODUCED OR CITY CO-PRODUCED EVENTS ONLY.
AND, UM, WITH THAT INFORMATION I WOULD BE GLAD TO TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
COMMITTEE MR. HEDRICK, COUNCILMAN HEDRICK, IT'S ON.
ALRIGHT,
SO ONE, ONE THING THAT WE DIDN'T COVER, AND IT'S A, IT'S AN UNDERLYING, REGARDLESS OF THE SIZE, IS THE RESOURCES, THE STAFF RESOURCES IT TAKES.
HOW MANY, HOW MANY SPECIAL EVENT APPLICATIONS DO YOU PRODU PRODUCE WORK WITH EVERY YEAR? IS IT A COUPLE HUNDRED? A HUNDRED? IT'S ABOUT, IT'S BETWEEN 135 AND 150 ANNUALLY.
SO THAT DEPARTMENT WILL PROCESS SPECIAL EVENT APPLICATIONS ALL ACROSS THE CITY.
A LOT OF 'EM ARE, ARE NOW, YOU KNOW, THAT THE, THE SQUARE IS VERY POPULAR AND RIGHTLY SO.
THAT'S WHAT WAS, THAT WAS THE IDEA.
UM, AND SO THE STAFF TIME IT TAKES TO REVIEW THOSE 'CAUSE IT, DEPENDING ON THE SCALE OF IT, MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT GREAT EVENT PLANTERS AND, AND DON'T PUT THEM ON VERY WELL.
SO WE END UP BEING THEIR EVENT PLANNER.
AND SO YOU'VE GOT POLICE FIRE, THEY HAVE TO CHECK FOR, LIKE IF IT'S TENS THEY HAVE TO CHECK
[00:45:01]
FOR FIRE RETARDANT, UH, THEY HAVE TO CHECK FOR SPACING, UM, THE, ALL THE THINGS THAT GO WITH IT, TRAFFIC CONTROL.SO WE END UP MANAGING THEIR EVENT FOR THEM ON SITE NO MATTER WHAT.
IT'S EITHER THAT THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE JUST GOING TO DESTROY THE PLACE.
AND SO ALL THOSE EVENTS, WHETHER THEY'RE SMALL OR LARGE, START OUT WITH A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF STAFF INPUT.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT FEEL LIKE, YES, IT'S A PUBLIC SPACE.
YOU COULD ABSOLUTELY GO AND HAVE A BIRTHDAY PARTY IN A PUBLIC SPACE.
YOU GET, YOU RUN INTO, LIKE IN PARKS, IF IT'S A PAVILION AND IT'S RENTED AND IT'S PAID FOR, YOU STILL GET THE COPS CALLED OUT EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE GOT THE PERMIT AND THEY SHOW THE PERMIT.
'CAUSE SOMEBODY WAS ALREADY THERE HAVING THEIR BIRTHDAY PARTY AND THEY DIDN'T RENT IT.
SO THOSE ARE ALL THE DYNAMICS THAT WHEN YOU PUT 'EM IN THEIR AGGREGATE, THAT'S AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF STAFF TIME REGARDLESS OF THE SIZE OF IT.
AND SO YES, ABSOLUTELY PEOPLE CAN GATHER THERE AS A PUBLIC SPACE UNTIL, SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO EXCLUDE YOU.
I'M TRYING TO RUN THE OTHER WAY THAT UNTIL THEY VIOLATE SOME KIND OF CODE, LIKE BLOCKING STREETS, BLOCKING SIDEWALKS, NOISE VIOLATIONS, ALL THOSE THINGS.
SO THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE WITHIN THE CODE.
BUT IT'S ALSO WITHIN THE BALANCE OF, AND THIS IS MY, THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY BIGGEST FEAR.
WHEN WE, UH, WHEN I GOT HERE FIVE YEARS AGO, WE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, SAME DISCUSSION BEFORE WE EVEN BUILT THE SQUARE.
UM, AND THAT'S IF, IF SOMEBODY PUTS A SPECIAL EVENT APPLICATION IN, THEY AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME THAT THEY'RE ENTITLED TO IT, LIKE YOU MENTIONED.
AND POLICE IN PARTICULAR ARE THE ONES THAT IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES, THEY JUST WILL DENY THE PERMIT.
AND SO THAT, THAT GIVES THAT IMPRESSION THAT THEY'RE ENTITLED TO THAT SPACE.
SO THEN WHAT DO YOU DO IF I'M HAVING A, A, AN EVENT THAT, THAT SOMEBODY, UM, IS PUTTING ON, LIKE LET'S SAY IT'S A GRADUATION AND I'M PAYING FOR THAT.
I FEEL LIKE I'VE GOT THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO THAT PUBLIC SPACE.
YOU SAID SOMETHING, THERE'S A KEY DIFFERENCE.
YOU JUST SAID I PAID FOR THAT.
LIKE IF YOU PAID FOR PAVILION AT A PARK, THAT'S DIFFERENT.
THE SQUARE, THERE'S NO FEE INVOLVED, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PUBLIC SPACE AND HOW IT'S USED AND A, AND A RENTAL SPACE.
AND SO WHEN WE TIP OVER AS WE, AS WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION AD NAUSEUM WHEN WE WERE DESIGNING THE FACILITY, YOU HAVE TO BUILD IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT'S COMPARTMENTALIZED AND EASY TO, TO PARTITION OFF.
OTHERWISE YOU'RE RENTING BARRICADES, YOU'RE, IF IT'S GOT ALCOHOL, YOU'RE HAVING, UH, POLICE OFFICERS THERE.
IF IT'S GOT CERTAIN OTHER FEATURES, FIRE MARSHAL MAY HAVE TO BE THERE FOR FIRE WATCH, ALL THESE THINGS.
AND SO IT JUST BECOMES ENORMOUSLY STAFF INTENSIVE.
UM, AND THAT, AND THEN THE CHALLENGE WITH, UM, THESE EVENTS IS, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT, WHEN YOU ALLOW ONE UNDER THOSE, YOU HAVE TO ALLOW OTHERS REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEIR EVENT IS.
IT MAY BE DISTASTEFUL TO US DEPENDING ON YOUR VALUE SYSTEM, BUT WE CAN'T EXCLUDE THEM ON A FREE SPEECH ITEM.
SO, SO, SO I'M I'M JUST SAYING IT'S A MULTI-LAYERED, NONSTOP ARGUMENT.
MY QUESTION STILL IS, IS A MATTER OF SCALE, BECAUSE I COULD TAKE ALCOHOL OUT ON THE SQUARE RIGHT NOW.
I COULD HAVE A BIRTHDAY PARTY.
WHEN DOES IT TIP OVER INTO NEEDING RESOURCES AT THAT POINT? IT, IT, IT, IT DEPENDS.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL SHOW UP IN LARGE, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, WE'LL HAVE, UM, BUSLOADS OF KIDS SHOW UP.
UM, IF, AND YOU CAN'T PLAN FOR THOSE JUST LIKE AT A PLAYGROUND, YOU CAN'T PLAN FOR THOSE.
IT, IT'S, WHEN IT BECOMES A SPECIAL EVENT APPLICATION, WHETHER IT'S FEE OR NOT, IT'S JUST A, IT BECOMES A RESOURCE.
THE MORE FREQUENT AND THE LARGER THE EVENTS, IT'S BECOMES DOWN TO RESOURCES.
SO YOU, AGAIN, YOU, WE WANT PEOPLE TO SHOW UP, PLAY SOCCER, THROW A FOOTBALL, HAVE A BIRTHDAY PARTY, ALL THOSE THINGS.
BUT WHEN YOU START ASKING TO BLOCK STREETS OR YOU START ASKING TO DO ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, IT'S, IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT IMPACT ON THE BUSINESSES AND THE STAFF.
NOT AT ALL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO YES, IF YOU SHOWED UP WITH FRIENDS FOR A BIRTHDAY PARTY, NO ONE'S GOING TO RUN YOU OFF OR TELL YOU YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
BUT WE WANT THE ABILITY, OR WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS TO HAVE THE ABILITY THAT IF SOMEONE IS LIKE SIGNS UP FOR A PERMIT, THAT WE ARE GOING TO SAY, NO, WE'RE NOT PERMITTING.
SO THEN THIS WILL STOP THE PEOPLE WHO PERMIT.
BUT IF I'M A CHURCH AND I SHOW UP ON SUNDAY MORNING AND HAVE A SERVICE AND I EVEN ROLL OUT A BATTERY AMPLIFIED, YOU KNOW, SPEAKER OR SOMETHING, THEN NOW AMPLIFIED SOUND TRIGGERS A, A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT.
LIKE IF SOMEONE COULD CALL THE COPS AND YOU MM-HMM.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
YOU, YOU COULD ABSOLUTELY SHOW UP AND DO THAT.
YOU COULD, BUT YOU ALSO COULDN'T, IF SOMEONE CAME UP AND STARTED THROWING FOOTBALLS DURING YOUR CHURCH SERVICE, YOU CAN'T BE UPSET THAT SOMEONE'S DOING THAT.
SO IT'S LIKE, YEAH, WE'RE NOT SAYING IT'S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN AND PEOPLE AREN'T JUST GONNA COME DO THAT, BUT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT ASSUMPTION THAT LIKE, THIS IS MY SPACE, NO ONE ELSE'S, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MEETING AT THEIR OWN RISK BASICALLY AT THAT POINT WITH, WITH A FEE OR WITHOUT A FEE.
IF YOU'VE GIVEN THEM A PERMIT, THEY STILL HAVE THAT ENTITLEMENT FEELING THAT THIS SPACE IS THEIRS AND THAT THEY CAN KEEP THE GENERAL PUBLIC OUT AND THAT, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THE COMPLICATION.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WE WANT FAMILIES TO COME AND HAVE BIRTHDAY PARTIES.
[00:50:01]
I MEAN, THE TIME MEAN YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.IT'S JUST WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD TRIGGER A SPECIAL EVENT, WHICH IS AMPLIFIED SOUND AND SIZE AND YOU KNOW, THAT, AND, AND ONE ADDITIONAL DYNAMIC THAT WE WERE VERY CAREFUL TO, TO PAY ATTENTION TO, AND I'VE HAD THIS EXACT EXPERIENCE IN TWO OTHER MUNICIPALITIES FOR DOWNTOWN IS, IS THE FATIGUE OF THE ADJACENT BUSINESS OWNERS.
THERE IS NOT A MAGIC NUMBER OTHER THAN YOU PUSH THE BOUNDARIES AND YOU SEE WHAT THE PUSHBACK IS WHEN IT HAPPENS.
SO THE INTENT OF THE DESIGN WAS TO HAVE A MIX OF MORE REGULAR SMALL ACTIVATION SO THAT WE'VE DESIGNED, THERE'S PROGRAMMING SPACES FOR THE LIBRARY FOR RECREATION, SO THEY CAN DO PROGRAMS AND ACTIVATIONS, BUT NOT A GIANT EVENT EVERY WEEK THAT I THINK THE BUSINESSES WOULD, THEY FIND THAT PROBLEMATIC FOR THEIR PARKING, THE TRAFFIC AND, AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO THERE'S A BALANCE BETWEEN, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY BIG EVENTS WE HAVE DOWN THERE NOW.
I THINK IT JUST WENT UP BY ONE, BUT IT DID JUST GO BY WAY
DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT? SOMEWHERE BETWEEN NINE AND 12 BIG ONES.
AND THEN A LOT OF SMALLER ACTIVATIONS TO TRY TO, 'CAUSE I THINK THE SMALL FLOW OF ACTIVITY IS GOOD.
CERTAIN AMOUNT OF LARGE EVENTS IS GREAT THAT ARE CITY PRODUCED, MANAGE OUR RESOURCES, WE BUDGET FOR IT, WE KNOW TO PLAN AND SCHEDULE FOR IT.
AND THEN THE REST IS JUST ORGANIC USE THAT WE, WE WANNA SEE.
AND ONE PART OF IT TOO IS, IS THAT, I MEAN TO, TO ANDY'S POINT ABOUT, UM, FATIGUE AND OVERACTIVATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT IS, AND GOING ALONG WITH THE, UM, ALLOW ONE ALLOW THEM ALL IS DEPENDING ON YES.
IF YOU PERMIT THEM AND THEY FEEL THE ENTITLEMENT, THEN, I MEAN, WITH WHAT WE'VE SEEN THE, THE NUMBER OF REQUESTS THAT HAVE COME IN AND, UM, WE DIDN'T PUT A NUMBER TO THAT BY ANY MEANS, BUT I MEAN, WE COULD GET TO THE POINT, THERE ARE SOME OF THOSE REQUESTS THAT ARE ASKING MULTIPLE TIMES, LIKE, I WANT THIS, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS, I WANNA DO THIS 10 TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, 12 TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND SO, EXCUSE ME, START ADDING ALL OF THOSE UP.
YOU COULD BE PROGRAMMED EVERY DAY OR, UM, AND THEN THAT, EXCUSE ME, IMPEDES OUR ABILITY TO THEN PLAN OUR EVENTS FOR THE NEXT YEAR BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, GIVEN OUT ALL THE SPACE.
SO IT'S KIND OF LOOKING AT THAT SUSTAINABILITY AND SCALE.
ARE YOU? DO YOU HAVE ANY I'M GOOD MA'AM.
YOU EITHER LET EVERYBODY USE IT WITH A PERMIT OR YOU JUST, OKAY.
YOU CAN COME AND USE IT WHENEVER YOU WANT.
BUT IF SOMEBODY ELSE IS THERE, YOU JUST HAVE TO SHARE THE SPACE.
YEAH, AND I MEAN, WE'VE DONE THAT AND IT HAPPENS EVEN DURING THE CONCERTS.
I MEAN, WE'LL BE IN A CONCERT AND THERE'S A SOCCER BALL OR A FOOTBALL OR A FRISBEE OR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT COMES SAILING BY AT A CONCERT.
UM, I TAKE MY GRANDSON UP THERE, WE WERE AT, UM, THE LIBRARY STORY TIME AND HERE COMES THE FOOTBALL, YOU KNOW, THE KIDS ARE PLAYING WITH THE PARACHUTE FOR STORY TIME AND THE FOOTBALL COMES THROUGH.
WE JUST STOPPED AND WAITED FOR THE FOOTBALL TO COME THROUGH
SO, UM, AND IT'S THE SAME WITH BASIC PARKS.
I MEAN, YES, YOU CAN RENT THE PAVILION AT A, AT ONE OF THE PARKS, BUT IF YOU'RE JUST, IF YOU SHOW UP AT A PICNIC TABLE, YOU'VE GOT THAT PICNIC TABLE BECAUSE YOU GOT IT THERE FIRST, AND SO YOU GET TO CLAIM IT SAME AS YOU GET TO CLAIM THE SEATS AT THE, ON THE SQUARE AND THEN, BUT IF A FOOTBALL COMES ACROSS YOUR TABLE AND HITS YOUR POTATO SALAD, WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST HOW IT IS.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, SO WHAT PARAMETERS ARE USED FOR THE CITY TO DECIDE TO CO-SPONSOR AN EVENT AND WHICH EVENTS ARE THOSE? SO RIGHT NOW, THE CO-SPONSORED EVENTS ARE THE MLK PARADE, THE LABOR DAY PARADE, AND WILLS OF HOPE ARE THE CO-SPONSORED EVENTS RIGHT NOW.
BUT THE IDEA IS THAT THE CITY COULD, IF THERE IS AN ACTIVATION OR SOME TYPE OF EVENT THAT THE CITY FEELS LIKE WOULD BE BENEFICIAL, HAVE THAT BROAD APPEAL, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT COULD WORK WITH A THIRD PARTY TO HOST SOMETHING.
UM, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE ONE OF THE THREE, UM, BUT IT'S JUST GIVING US THE ABILITY TO CONTROL WHAT EVENTS COME IN.
AND SO WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE AND THERE'S A WAY THAT OUR STAFF DOESN'T HAVE TO DO ALL OF THE WORK FOR, WE CAN PARTNER WITH SOMEBODY AND MAKE IT ANOTHER CO-SPONSORED EVENT, WE COULD OPEN UP THAT.
[00:55:02]
BUT CURRENTLY THERE'S THOSE THREE CITY SPONSORED AT THE MOMENT.AND I THINK, UH, AND DID YOU SAY, DID YOU MENTION JUNETEENTH? JUNETEENTH IS CITY PRODUCED? YEAH.
IT STARTED OUT AND THEN MOVED.
I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE THAT AS A, AS A CITY AND A COUNCIL THAT CERTAIN EVENTS ARE DECIDED A COMMUNITY-WIDE BENEFIT, WHATEVER THAT IS DEFINED AS.
IS IT, IS IT IN WRITING? NO, BUT IT IS DEFINED AS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE PARTICIPATE IN THOSE EVENTS THAT IT WAS OF SOME COMMUNITY-WIDE BENEFIT INTEREST TO THE CITY RATHER AS OPPOSED TO A, A MORE SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT, MEANING A PARTICULAR INTEREST GROUP OR AN INDIVIDUAL.
UM, SO LIKE, IF A, IF AN ARTIST CAME THROUGH AND THEY WERE LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE WANNA THROW A CONCERT AND THEN YOU'RE DOWNTOWN SQUARE, THERE'S GONNA BE MORE THAN 10,000 PEOPLE THERE.
UM, WOULD THAT, WOULD, WOULD YOUR DEPARTMENT CONSIDER CO-SPONSORING THAT EVENT SO THAT THEY COULD BE DOWN THERE? UH, I'LL TAKE A STAB AT IT.
I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE THAT BECOMES A CASE BY CASE SITUATION AND THEN IN THAT CASE IT BECOMES A DISCUSSION OF, UM, WHAT'S THE COST? WHO'S GONNA BEAR THAT COST? EXACTLY.
UM, AND, AND SO THERE'S THE, THE, THE HARD EXACT COST, SOMETHING LIKE, THAT'S A BIG DEAL.
THAT WOULD BE A, THAT'S A BIG, THAT'S PROBABLY A MULTI THOUSAND DOLLAR EVENT.
SO IT WOULD BE, IF, IF WE, UM, WANNA PARTNER WITH THEM, THEN WE'D HAVE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION OF WHO'S COVERING THE COST AND DO WE EVEN HAVE THE STAFF BANDWIDTH TO DO IT WELL, THEY SHOULD COVER THE COST.
I MEAN, IF, IF SOMEBODY SHOWS UP AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE THIS AT WINTER'S PARK, UH, BECAUSE IT WAS EASIER TO ACCOMMODATE IT AND, AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, EASIER TO MANAGE.
BUT YEAH, THEY WOULD COVER, COVER ALL THE COSTS AND IT TO A CERTAIN DEGREE.
WE DON'T HAVE IT IN OUR FEE SCHEDULE NECESSARILY, I DON'T BELIEVE.
BUT THERE HA, THERE THERE IS THAT DISCUSSION OF RECOUPING STAFF COSTS BECAUSE, AND I DON'T WANNA GET INTO THE LEGAL WORLD, BUT THERE, AND OCCASIONALLY THIS COMES UP, THAT YOU, YOU DON'T WANT TO GET INTO AN ILLEGAL GIFTING OF PUBLIC RESOURCES TO A PRIVATE GROUP.
AND PRIVATE DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN NON-PROFIT OR PROFIT.
IT CAN ALSO BE NON-PROFIT IN, IN REGARDS TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION.
SO WE ALWAYS ARE MINDFUL OF THAT.
IS THERE JUST AN ABSOLUTE, YOU KNOW, PLAYBOOK THAT'S THE RIGHT, AN I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE IS, I GUESS MY CONCERN WITH THE CO-SPONSORED EVENTS, THERE'S NOT EQUITY WITH, THERE'S NOT EQUITY, RIGHT? THE, THESE THREE, THESE THREE EVENTS ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN CHOSEN.
BUT IF SOMEBODY ELSE COMES AROUND AND, AND IT LOOKS GOOD AND IT FEELS GOOD, THEN WE'RE GONNA DO THAT ONE TOO.
AND I, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I DON'T WANT IT TO BE YES TO THIS GROUP AND NO TO THAT GROUP JUST BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE.
I GET THAT OUR, OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO, YOU KNOW, MAINTAIN THE IMAGE OF THE CITY.
WELL ALSO WE WANNA BE AN EQUITABLE CITY AS WELL, RIGHT? SO THOSE, THOSE ARE MY ONLY, UM, THAT'S THE ONLY PROBLEMATIC THING I SEE IS CO-SPONSORED EVENTS.
I THINK THAT IF THE CITY IS, IF WE ARE DOING THESE EVENTS, THEN UM, IT SHOULD BE THE CITY.
IF THERE'S A CO-SPONSORED EVENT, IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SWALLOW, NOT ALLOWING ANYBODY ELSE TO DO IT, EXCEPT THESE THREE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A LITTLE HARD FOR ME BECAUSE JUST LIKE YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO CHERRY PICK WHO WE PARTICIPATE WITH AND, AND ALL OF THAT.
SO, SO I THINK YOU MIGHT'VE MADE THE POINT BETTER THAN I DID BECAUSE THAT'S THE RECOMMENDATION AT, AT ITS CORE FUNCTION WE'RE MENTIONING THE, I'LL BE HONEST, THE, THE, THE CO-SPONSORING SITUATION HAS BEEN A WORKAROUND HISTORICALLY.
SOME OF THESE EVENTS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
UM, IT IS OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT IT'S FOR YOUR EXACT REASON, IT'S CITY OR NOT FOR THE SQUARE.
THE REST CAN BE CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, BASED ON OTHER, OTHER FACTORS AND OTHER PLACES AND RESOURCES.
BUT I, I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, AND THEN THAT ALSO, WHAT ABOUT URBAN MARKET? WHY ISN'T THAT A CO-SPONSORED EVENT? YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND IT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A, A REALLY FAVORABLE AND, AND GOOD THING FOR DOWNTOWN.
UM, SO I WOULD, I WOULD PREFER TO SEE CO-SPONSORED EVENTS TAKEN OUT OF THAT AND THOSE ADDRESSED SEPARATELY AND HAVE SPECIFIC PARAMETERS AND COSTS APPLIED TO CO-SPONSORED EVENTS.
THERE HAS TO BE, UM, THERE HAS TO BE RESPONSIBILITY BY THAT OTHER PARTY TO HELP US CLEAN UP THE AREA AND HELP US STAFF THE AREA.
IF WE CLOSE DOWN THE STREETS, THAT'S A BIG DEAL.
WE HAVE BALLARDS TO PUT OUT, WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE.
STAFF IS THERE FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE, SOMETIMES
[01:00:01]
ALL THE WAY TILL THE NEXT DAY AND SOMETIMES THEY EVEN COME BACK THE NEXT DAY TO CLEAN EVERYTHING UP.SO, UM, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD PREFER TO SEE.
AND, UM, MAYBE SOME, UH, JUST SOME THROW AROUND SOME IDEAS TO CREATE THOSE PARAMETERS FOR CO-SPONSORED EVENTS.
SO LET ME, LET ME THROW THIS OUT AS A CLARIFYING STATEMENT.
I BELIEVE, AND AGAIN, IT'S BEEN SOME TIME AND IT EVOLVED.
I BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS KIND OF HOW WE ARRIVED AT, UM, THE, UM, UH, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR? THE, THE, THE NONPROFIT ASSISTANCE FUND THAT WAS AN EXACT, THAT THAT WAS AN AN AN ATTEMPT 4, 5, 6 YEARS AGO TO DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, TO PROVIDE SOME, AND, AND THAT LIST HAS NOT CHANGED, UH, IN QUITE SOME TIME.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT AND JUST KIND OF REVIEW IT.
YEAH, AND IT, AND IT'S GENERALLY REVIEWED AS THROUGHOUT, THROUGH THE ANNUAL BUDGET CYCLE, BUT, UH, IT'S A, IT'S A LIST THAT CAN BE PROVIDED PRETTY QUICKLY.
AND YOU'LL RECOGNIZE ALL THE EVENTS THAT ARE ON THERE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HOLD THIS AND, AND MEET AGAIN REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT LANGUAGE CHANGE AND REMOVE CO-SPONSORED EVENTS ON THERE AS AUTOMATICALLY ALLOWED.
UM, JUST SO THERE'S A LITTLE MORE CONTROL OVER THINGS.
AND SO ONE KIND OF CLARIFICATION LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, SO, SO I MEAN C SPONSORED OBVIOUSLY AUTOMATICALLY, UM, APPROVED CITY CO-SPONSORED, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DECIDE ON HOW THAT SHOULD BE HANDLED CORRECTLY, RIGHT? OKAY.
UM, AND IT IS 6 0 1 AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.