Dec 12, 2024 Community Multicultural Commission

NOW SIX O'CLOCK,

[00:00:01]

[ NOTICE OF MEETING CITY OF GARLAND, TEXAS COMMUNITY MULTICULTURAL COMMISSION Work Session Room of City Hall 200 N. Fifth Street Garland, Texas December 12, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. A meeting of the Community Multicultural Committee of the City of Garland, Texas will be held at the aforementioned location, date, and time to discuss and consider the following agenda items.]

UM, WHEN GETS HERE, THEN SHE CAN, WHATEVER NOTE SHE HAS, SHE CAN TAKE OVER.

UM, THIS IS THE MEETING OF THE MULTICULTURAL COMMITTEE AT CITY GARLAND, UM, HELD IN THE INFORMATION LOCATION HERE TODAY AT SIX O'CLOCK.

UM, DID EVERYBODY HAVE A CHANCE TO GO TO THE MINUTES FROM LAST MONTH? WE, THE LAST MINUTES WE WOULD'VE FROM OCTOBER.

WE, NOTHING LATE NOVEMBER.

I DID, YES.

YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FROM, FOR OCTOBER 17TH, 2024.

OKAY.

WELL, SO THAT'S YOUR CAR AT THE BACK DOOR SECOND.

YOU RIGHT NOW? YOU SECOND? I SECOND.

SECOND IT.

OKAY.

THE MINUTES HAVE BEEN APPROVED.

UM, MR. CHAR IS HERE.

WE HAD JUST STARTED A MEETING AT SIX O'CLOCK THAT ONE MINUTE AGO.

THE MINUTES WERE, UH, APPROVED, AND WE'RE AT THE, UH, NUMBER TWO OF PUBLIC COMMENTS.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE OVER AT THIS? YES, SIR.

I'LL GO AHEAD.

YOU HAVE A SPEAKER OR YES, SPEAKER.

ALL RIGHT.

SORRY FOR MY NESS, GUYS.

ALRIGHT.

WE ARE ON BULLET NUMBER TWO FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.

AND, UH, WE HAVE A VISITOR.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLEASE STAY IN AND SAY SOME WORDS, IF NOTHING MORE THAN JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND LET US KNOW WHY YOU'RE HERE THIS EVENING.

OH, GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS LESLIE MARTINEZ.

I'M THE OWNER OF EPIPHANY GALLERY.

AND, UM, I WAS INVITED TO COME TO THE MEETING THIS EVENING, SO I'M JUST HERE TO OBSERVE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE VISITED THE GALLERY, UH, DOWNTOWN GARLAND.

WHERE IS YOU? UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TELL THE ADDRESS? YES.

I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS IT? WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED? IT IS 6 2 2 WEST STATE STREET.

SO, UM, RIGHT BY, UM, POEY YOGA ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE, UM, VISUAL AID BUILDING.

THANK YOU.

AND YOUR FREE TIME, PLEASE GO DOWN AND CHECK IT OUT.

SHE HAS SOME WONDERFUL ARTWORK IN THERE.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UM, NUMBER THREE ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.

A THE CMC FINANCIAL REPORT.

I'M SURE YOU GUYS ALREADY HAVE A COPY OF THAT REPORT.

MR. PHILLIP, IS THERE SOMETHING, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS IN PARTICULAR FOR, NO, MA'AM.

THIS JUST ONE THING WE WANTED TO DO A CONTINUOUS UPDATE TO THE COMMISSION ON, I KNOW THERE WAS DISCUSSION IN THE PAST ABOUT, UH, NOT OPTIMIZING THE USE OF OUR FUNDS IN THE PAST.

AND SO JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A REMINDER.

WE'VE GOT AN $8,000 BUDGET, UH, SO FAR THIS YEAR.

WE'VE SPENT, UH, $2,377 AND 35 CENTS.

WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF EVENTS THAT WE BOUGHT TICKETS TO, AND THEN WE ALSO, UH, PLACED AN ORDER FOR, UH, SWAG.

AND THEN AS A DISCUSSION, UH, THAT I HAD SENT TO, TO EMAIL, WE NEEDED A NEW TABLECLOTH, OUR PREVIOUS TABLECLOTH, UM, UH, FALLING APART ON US.

SO, UM, JUST IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, ESPECIALLY WITH CHRISTMAS ON THE SQUARE, WE, UH, TRACY AND I ORDERED ONE, AND SO THAT'S ENCOMPASSED IN HERE AS WELL.

OKAY.

AND THE 5,000 THAT'S REMAINING, UM, THE FOOD THAT WE PLAN TO GIVE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, UM, THAT'S STILL INCLUDED IN THAT BUDGET OR IS IT CORRECT.

SO, UH, FOOD FOR THE EVENT OR FOR THE MEETINGS WILL BE COMING OUT OF THAT 5,000 6, 6 22.

ALRIGHT.

AND I KNOW ONE MEETING WE HAD, WE AGREED THAT, LET'S JUST SAY IF WE WERE ORDERING FOR 12, THAT WE WOULD ORDER FOR LESS, SO THERE WASN'T LEFT MUCH LEFT OVER, OR DID WE AGREE WE WOULD CONTINUE ORDERING THE SAME AMOUNT AND THEN THAT FOOD WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED TO, UM, OTHER AREAS? SO ONE THING THAT, AND TELL ME IF I'M, IF I'M WRONG COMMISSION, WHAT, UH, WE, WE STARTED TO, TO DECIDE TO ORDER, UM, UM, I GUESS LESS FANCY FOOD IF YOU WANNA CALL IT.

IF YOU'LL NOTICE TODAY WE HAD SALAD AND, AND PIZZA FOR, FOR FOOD.

I KNOW WE HAD OTHER TYPE OF FOOD IN THE PAST.

THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF THINGS WE WERE PLANNING ON ORDERING, UH, IN THE FUTURE.

UH, LIKE SINGLE SERVE MEALS, LIKE, UH, A BOX OF OF BARBECUE FROM DICKIES OR SOMETHING TO THAT AS A, AS AN EXAMPLE.

SO, UM, THINGS THAT ARE NON CATERED THAT ARE EASILY DELIVERED THAT ARE TYPICALLY CHEAPER, BUT STILL PROVIDING FOOD FOR EVERYBODY FOR THE MEETINGS.

SO, DOES ANYONE REMEMBER IN PARTICULAR WHAT WE DECIDED? FROM WHAT I RECALL, IT WAS DOWN TO SINGLE SERVING.

SO WE DIDN'T HAVE SO MUCH EXTRA FOOD LEFT OVER AND WE AS A COMMISSION BE CONCERNED WHERE THE FOOD WAS GOING.

RIGHT.

SO SINGLE SERVINGS, IT IS COLD CUTS ARE FINE.

HOT PIZZA IS FINE.

PEANUT BUTTER

[00:05:01]

, I GUESS WE CAN PUT THAT ON THE LIST.

OH, SOMEBODY SAID JELLY DONUTS.

VERY GOOD.

, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE BUDGET AS WELL, IS THIS NO, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT ON THE END.

OKAY.

I HAVE, I HAVE ON THE BUDGET.

THE BUDGET.

YEAH.

AND, UH, M-K-M-L-K PARADE, IF WE'RE GONNA BE IN IT, WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE SOME CANDY.

WE NEED TO EITHER BUY IT OR GET DONATIONS OR SOMETHING.

UH, WE GOT, WE HAD VERY LITTLE LAST YEAR, SO BY THE TIME WE WERE CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN, THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT.

YES, MA'AM.

I THINK WE WILL BE ABLE TO CO COVER THAT IN Y UM, B OR C.

OKAY.

UH, EVENT PARTICIPATION OR MONTHLY CALENDAR.

OKAY.

UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET? WE NEED TO REMEMBER? WE HAVE 5,000, WE HAVE $5,622 AND 65 CENTS REMAINING THIS FOR UP TO THE END OF NEXT YEAR.

YES, SIR.

THAT WILL GO THROUGH OCTOBER NEXT YEAR.

UH, SEPTEMBER 30TH OF NEXT SEPTEMBER 30TH.

ALL RIGHT.

THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, UM, MONTHLY CALENDAR AND EVENTS REPORTS, UH, COMMITTEES FOR THE CMC MAY REPORT OUT MEETING INFORMATION INDIVIDUALS WHO PARTICIPATED IN EVENTS MAY ALSO, UM, PROVIDE INFORMATION.

SO WE ARE NOW IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.

IT HAS, WE MET BEFORE THANKSGIVING, SO I KNOW THERE WAS SOMETHING ON THE CALENDAR FOR THANKSGIVING.

UH, SOMEONE WAS DOING THE TURKEY TROT OR THE, UM, WAS IT YOU, UH, MR. JIMMY THAT DID SOMETHING IN THANKSGIVING? UH, BEFORE THANKSGIVING, I THINK.

OH, WASN'T MR. CHARLES, MR. MR. PICKETT? WE BELIEVE RANDY.

OKAY.

IT WAS MR. PICKETT.

OKAY.

UM, ANYONE ELSE HAS ANYTHING WE DID THAT Y'ALL WANNA DISCUSS? I KNOW WE HAD CHRISTMAS ON THE SQUARE, UM, THAT I'M GUESSING QUITE A BIT OF US SHOWED UP FOR, UH, I KNOW WHEN I WAS THERE, IT WAS THREE OF US, UH, THAT WAS THERE.

UM, BY THE TIME I GOT THERE, I THINK I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE AT SIX.

BY THE TIME I GOT THERE AT SIX, WE ONLY HAD FIVE CUPS LEFT.

UM, I WAS TOLD MISS DID A GREAT JOB OF MAKING SURE ALL OF OUR SWAG WAS HANDED OUT.

UH, AND ALSO BY THE TIME I GOT THERE, ALL THE COOKIES WERE GONE.

SO THE EVENT STARTED AT WHAT, THREE, FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON? FIVE FIVE AS WE WERE SETTING UP.

I BELIEVE WE, IT WAS FOUR 30.

WE HAD KIDDOS RUNNING AROUND ALREADY.

SO THERE WERE, THERE WERE FOLKS THAT WERE, THAT WERE THERE EARLY.

UH, THAT WAS A NOTE THAT DANA FROM OUR SPECIAL EVENTS TEAM TOOK, I BELIEVE THERE WERE 300 COOKIES, 400 COOKIES.

WE PROBABLY WANT TO DOUBLE THAT NEXT YEAR WITH, UH, WITH THE, UH, THE TURNOUT THAT WE HAVE.

SO, UM, YEAH, JUST SO THERE'S SOME LEARNING THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO ON THE EVENTS.

I REALLY ENJOYED IT AND THE KIDS LOVED IT.

RIGHT.

UM, THE ONLY COMMENT I HAVE IS IT, THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHO WAS DOING IT.

YOU KNOW, AT OUR TABLE WAS WAY AT THE FRONT.

SURE.

AND THEN IT WAS SO WINDY THAT THEY MOVED IT TO THE SIDE, BUT PEOPLE WERE JUST COMING STRAIGHT UP.

WELL, THEY FELT LIKE THE TABLE WAS A BLOCKADE.

THEY ALSO, THAT'S WHY THERE WAS VERY LITTLE ROOM.

OKAY.

YEAH.

SO, UM, WHAT I CAN, I'M SORRY.

YOU KNOW, THE TABLE BEING THERE IS TERRIFIC, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW WE, UNLESS WE'D HAVE LIKE, MAYBE WE CAN HANG OUT LIKE A POSTER SIGN OR SOMETHING, LIKE A BIG POSTER SIGN THAT SAYS WHO WE ARE, AND THEN COOKIES, YOU KNOW, AND NARROW POINT INTO COOKIES, THEN WE KNOW WE'RE THE SPONSOR BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.

RIGHT.

UH, I, I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT INFORMATION.

AND I CAN WORK WITH DANA.

UH, IF YOU RECALL, WE, I BELIEVE, UH, MS. VE, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THERE WAS PICTURES OF THE, THE ELF EVERYWHERE.

MM-HMM .

SO WE'VE GOT THE ABILITY TO PRINT, UH, DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT ITEMS. SO WE CAN PRINT A SIGN THAT, UM, COOKIE BOOTH RAN BY COMMUNITY MULTICULTURAL COMMISSION OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE, AND STILL HAVE OUR TABLE.

THAT WAY WE CAN HAND OUT THE, THE SWAG OR WHATEVER WE, WE'VE GOT.

BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY TAKE THAT AS AN ACTION AND WE CAN, WE CAN DO THAT.

UH, GOING FORWARD, JUST PEOPLE WOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, WHERE OF COOKIES, YOU KNOW, JUST STRAIGHT THAT DIDN'T EVEN LET YOU SAY WHO WE ARE.

RIGHT.

THEY JUST GOT, BUT IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS.

IT REALLY WAS A KIDS WERE JUST, PARENTS WERE JUST FLOCKING TO IT.

ALL THE TABLES WERE FREQUENTLY FULL.

FULL, YEAH.

MM-HMM .

THE LIGHTS WERE, THEY HAD SOME LIGHTS.

LIGHTS THAT WERE FUNCTION CORRECTLY.

SO, OKAY.

UM, SO THAT IS PRIVATE PROPERTY.

IT'S NOT THE CITY'S PROPERTY.

AND SO

[00:10:01]

IF WE UTILIZE THAT SPOT, WE'D LIKE FOR THEM TO, UM, BE MORE ACCOMMODATING AS IT RELATES TO THAT.

SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S, THAT'S TAKEN CARE OF.

UH, ONE THING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND TALK WITH DANA A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WAS, UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT LIKE LITTLE CARDS WITH QR CODES OR SOMETHING DUE TO THE HEALTH REGULATIONS.

ALL THE STUFF HAS TO BE PREPACKAGED.

SO WE COULD POTENTIALLY STAPLE OUR WHATEVER CARD WE COME UP WITH, OR A FLYER ABOUT CMC.

AND THAT WAY IF PEOPLE BLOW BY US, THEY CAN STILL GET SOME INFORMATION FROM US ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

SO.

ALRIGHT, MS. TRACY, BY ANY CHANCE, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY UM, CUPS WE, WE HAD? DO YOU REMEMBER HOW MANY WERE SENT? I BELIEVE THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 32 LEFT.

OH, OKAY.

YES.

OKAY.

DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY, OH, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE UP CALENDAR.

TODAY IS DECEMBER 12TH.

THE UPDATE UPCOMING CALENDAR EVENT THAT WE HAVE WILL BE FOR MLK.

AND I WANT TO SAY WE AGREED THAT WE WERE GOING TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY, UH, NO, WE COULD NOT RIDE ON THE BACK OF THEIR VEHICLES.

UM, BUT WE WILL PARTNER WITH THE CITY FOR THEIR, UM, BECAUSE THEY HAVE MORE STUFF.

THEY'RE USED TO DOING THIS AT A BIGGER TIME.

IN REGARDS TO CANDY, WE CAN GO AHEAD TONIGHT AND SET AN AMOUNT THAT CAN BE SPENT ON CANDY.

UM, I VOLUNTEERED TO BAG THE CANDY AND IF ME AND I WORKED TOGETHER, LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR, MERYL CAN PICK THE CANDY UP AND HAVE THE CANDY FOR THE EVENT, UM, MONDAY MORNING.

AS FAR AS OUR BANNER THAT WE HAVE, YOU GUYS FOUND A WAY LAST YEAR HE WAS STRAP IT TO MY TRUCK.

DID WE FIND A POLE TO GO THROUGH IT THOUGH? MM-HMM.

IT WAS, HE JUST WRAPPED IT IN FRONT OF MY TRUCK.

HE GOT, HE GOT UNDER MY TRUCK AND HE, HE PUT IT ON UNDER THE HOOD AND UNDER THE TRUCK.

SO IT WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE FRONT OF MY TRUCK.

AND DID THAT WORK? FINE? WELL, THE TRUCK WAS LIKE SEVEN FEET TALL.

OH.

HOW ABOUT LIFTED TRUCK ? I HAVE TWO NOW.

.

BUT I MEAN, Y'ALL HAD SAID THAT YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE IT ON THE SIDES OF THE TRUCK BEFORE WE HAD TWO.

TWO, YEAH.

ONE IS FINE.

OKAY.

TO HAVE UNTIL WE DECIDE WE WANT TO PURCHASE ANOTHER ONE.

UH, IN MY OPINION, WHAT DO Y'ALL THINKING? SO WE HAD, WE MADE IT WORK.

HE HAD TRAPPED ON THERE.

GOOD.

YEAH.

WELL IF IT IS ON BOTH SIDES, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEN AT ONE POINT WHERE PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET, YOU KNOW, WE GOT, WE GOT DOWN RIGHT BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC.

THERE WAS TIME WHERE WE GOT REALLY CLOSE.

WE TRIED NOT TO, BUT TO THE PEOPLE IN FRONT OF US AND NOBODY WAS ABLE TO UNDERSTOOD.

OKAY.

OUT THE SIGN.

SO IS THERE A WAY TO PUT IT ON THE SIDE? I KNOW WE KEEP VOLUNTEERING YOUR VEHICLE.

OH, AND THAT'S FINE.

YEAH.

IS THERE A WAY THAT IF WE DID HAVE TWO BANNERS THAT THEY COULD GO ON THE SIDE OF YOUR VEHICLE? IT WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE AS BIG AS THAT ONE WE HAD.

YEAH.

BUT YEAH, YOU'RE LOOKING ON THE SIDE.

SO YOU LOOKING FOR MORE, UH, LIKE A DECAL, LIKE A MAGNET? WELL, I MEAN, IT WOULDN'T, I MEAN, IF IT WAS FIVE FEET, THREE FEET, I MEAN, IT WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE, I KNOW , WE HAD 'EM LIKE ABOUT MAGNET, ABOUT THIS SIZE MAGNET AND ABOUT THAT SIZE, AND IT WAS PERFECT.

YOU PUT 'EM ON EACH SIDE OF THE DOOR.

MADAM CHAIR, IF I MAY, UM, THE, THE COMMISSION MAY RECALL AND UH, I CAN TRY AND PULL IT UP, BUT IF, IF YOU RECALL, BUT, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT MAYBE A MONTH, MAYBE TWO MONTHS AGO, I SENT OUT AN EMAIL AND OUR FLEET DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO MOCK UP SOME BANNERS AND I'M GONNA HAVE JUST HAD THEM PRINT SOME BECAUSE WE HAD THE MATERIAL TO DO IT.

YES.

UH, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DE I'VE GOT THOSE PRINTED AND THOSE ARE READY TO GO.

WANT TO UTILIZE THOSE FOR BOTH SIDES.

YOU COULD HAVE THE BANNER IN THE FRONT.

YOU CAN HAVE THE BANNER FROM THE SIDE.

THAT'S FINE.

I, IF WE COULD GET IT ATTACHED SOMEHOW.

THAT'S YEAH.

RIGHT.

THEY'VE GOT THE ABILITY FOR THEIR STRING TO TIE ONTO EM.

RIGHT.

TAILGATE SIZE.

YEAH.

THE TAILGATE ALREADY HAS NICER WEATHER.

COLD.

IT WAS, I STOOD OUTSIDE AND WALKED WHILE HE HAD THE QUESTION OFF I HAVING, HAVING TO CHASE HIM, AND HANDED THE CANDY OUT THAT WAY.

SO WHY WERE WE, UM, TALKING ABOUT CANDY? UM, BECAUSE I'VE DONE THIS FOR PLENTY OF YEARS.

UM, RENEE GOT THE CANDY FOR US LAST YEAR.

WAS IT RENEE? WAS RENEE STILL HERE LAST YEAR? WHATEVER AMOUNT OF CANDY WE HAD LAST YEAR AS MS. UH, ELVIA POINTED OUT, IT WAS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.

UM, I GENERALLY SPEND ABOUT $200 ON CANDIES AND BAGS AND THAT'S AT A MINIMUM.

AND WE DON'T HAVE TO BAG ALL OF IT BECAUSE WE CAN START THROWING OUT AND SEE WHO NO, NO, NO, NO.

THAT'S AN IN CITY ORDINANCE MEETING.

OH, IS IT? YEAH.

NO, .

YEAH.

NO, I, I DON'T MIND.

UM, I HAVE ADULT YOUNG ADULT CHILDREN.

I HAVE LITTLE KIDS

[00:15:01]

I DON'T DO IT WEEKS IN ADVANCE.

I DO IT THE NIGHT BEFORE EVERYBODY GETS THEIR CANDY THE NEXT MORNING, EVEN IF I HAVE TO GET THERE AND PASS THE CANDY OUT.

BUT BECAUSE I HAVE FAILED SO MANY TIMES, WE'RE GETTING THE CMC THE THINGS THEY NEEDED.

ME AND MR. MERRILL WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER, UH, THE NIGHT BEFORE SO THAT HE, I CAN GET THE CANDY TO HIM AND HE CAN BE THERE ON TIME WITH THE CANDY.

OKAY.

SO, UM, CAN WE GET A MOTION TO, UM, SET ASIDE $200 TO PURCHASE CANDY AND SNACK SIZE BAGS, NOT SANDWICH SNACK SIZE BAGS FOR THE MLK 2025 PARADE.

TAKE A MOTION THAT WAS SPENT $200 TO GET CANDY HIS NEXT SIZE.

UH, LITTLE BAGS FOR THE MLK PER I SECOND.

THAT WAS A MOTION BY MS. ELVIA AND SECOND BY, WHAT'S THAT? YOU, LEE .

MS. JENNIFER.

PHILLIP, COULD YOU EXPLAIN THE, UH, WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE PROCEDURE FOR HANDY KENNY ON? SURE.

SO WHAT IS REQUESTED AND, UH, UH, THROWING CANDY FROM THE MOVING VEHICLES AGAINST CITY ORDINANCE, BUT UM, AS IT RELATES TO THE CANDY OF HANDING ITEMS TO, SO ESSENTIALLY THERE WOULD NEED TO BE SOMEONE WALKING TO, UH, HAND OUT THE BAGS OF CANDY.

OKAY.

THAT IS A RULE THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US.

DO NOT THROW CANDY FROM THE VEHICLE.

IF YOU GET OUT OF THE LINE, YOU'RE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE SIDE, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO HAND THE CANDY OUT OR YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO HAVE SOME YOUNGER LEGS THAT SAY OFF TO WALK TO THE SIDE AND THROW IT.

UM, I'VE BEEN TOLD, I'VE SAT IN THESE MEETINGS FOR THE, UM, PARADE YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR UNTIL COVID.

AND, UM, THE, UM, THE ONES WHO ARE THE, THE PERPETRATORS OF IT ALL, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY LEAVE FROM THE FRONT IS THE CITY COUNCIL.

SO WHAT I HAVE DONE IS I VOLUNTEERED MY SERVICES FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AS WELL.

SO WHEN I SAY I BAG CANDY, TRUST ME, I BAG CANDY.

I BAG CANDY FOR THE NAACP'S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, THE CITY COUNCIL, AND NOW THE COMMISSION.

I DO NOT MIX AND MINGLE CANDY.

WHATEVER YOU GIVE ME.

I BAG I IF IF YOU COME OUT TO ONLY HAVING TWO WALMART BAGS OF CANDY, THAT'S WHAT YOU GET.

AND WHOEVER I, I SEPARATE IT AND I BAG IT SEPARATELY.

I HAVE NOTHING BUT TIME THE DAY BEFORE.

UM, I MAKE PLENTY OF TIME THE DAY BEFORE THAT EVENT TO BAG CANDY.

IT'S ALSO GOOD FOR OUR CITIZENS WATCHING TO UNDERSTAND.

YES.

OH NO, I DID.

I WALKED AND HANDED IT ALL OUT.

LIKE I SAID, HE KEPT TAKING OFF ON ME AND I WOULD'VE TO RUN, TO CATCH BACK UP TO MY TRUCK BECAUSE HE WOULD TAKE OFF ON ME.

THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING.

IS THERE ANY WAY WAY THAT WE COULD GIVE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE TWO, FOUR YOUTH THAT WOULD HELP WITH THE, BECAUSE I CAN'T WALK, I BE THE BE, BUT I CAN'T WALK.

ELLIE WAS THERE.

YEAH.

JUST MAKING TRUCK.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THEM WILL BE DRIVING.

NO, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN GO AND GO WALKING IF WE, IF WE HAVE SOME, UM, BEING THAT WE WILL BE NEAR THE CITY.

THEY HAVE THE CITY YOUTH COUNCIL.

SO IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN GET MAYBE TWO YOUTH THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO ASSIST US? I, I CAN ASK.

I CAN'T GUARANTEE I'LL, I CAN DEFINITELY ASK TO SEE IF THAT'S, UH, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.

OKAY.

AND IF NOT, I HAVE A CUP I CAN VOLUNTEER TO THEM.

YEAH, TWO OR FOUR.

THEY'RE WILLING TO TO, TO, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY.

BUT IF NOT, MAKE , WE HAD A BUNCH OF THEM THERE.

OKAY.

AND IN REGARDS TO THE CANDY BAGS AS WELL, THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE AS THE COMMISSION GET A CHANCE TO, UM, PUBLICIZE BY GIVING A CARD, PUTTING A CARD INSIDE OF THE SNACK BAG.

AND I PROMISE YOU A BUSINESS, A NORMAL SIZED BUSINESS CARD FITS IN IT.

IF, UH, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BUSINESS CARD, YOU CAN USE LABELS, PRINT, UH, UH, EIGHT BY 10 OR EIGHT BY 11 PAGE OF LABELS OFF.

UH, OF COURSE THAT WOULD BE MORE WORK FOR SOMEONE ELSE.

WE ALL HAVE BUSINESS CARDS OR YOU DON'T.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? YOU DON'T.

WHO DOESN'T HAVE BUSINESS CARDS? MR. JIMMY, DID YOU GET BUSINESS CARDS? SO YOU DON'T HAVE ANY 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3.

AND I KNOW IT JUST GENERIC, RIGHT? YOU SIGNED UP.

YEAH, WE, I HANDED ALL OF MINE OUT AT THE, OR THE ONES I HAD ON ME AT THE, UM, EVENT THAT NIGHT.

I HAVE MINE.

SO AT THE EVENT THERE, SOMEBODY ASKED ME IF I DRIED OUT WITH MY NAPKINS TO GIVE TO THEM.

.

YEAH.

SO, UM, MS. JENNIFER SHOW MR. JIMMY AS, OH, HE HE SAW IT.

OH, HE SAW IT.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAD ONE THAT HAD A QR CODE ON IT.

MS. TRACY, DO YOU REMEMBER? IT'S A QR CODE ON THERE.

'CAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING A QR CODE THAT PEOPLE COULD JUST SCAN AND GO TO

[00:20:01]

WE HAD A, A TEST ONE, RIGHT.

AND EVERYBODY WAS GIVEN SOME AND I TOOK THE REMAINING OF THE BOX.

NOW IF I NEED TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT GETS TO YOU GUYS AS WELL, I CAN DO THAT.

AND THAT ONE WAS MORE GENERIC.

IT SAID CMC ON THERE VERSUS OUR INDIVIDUAL CARDS HAS OUR NAME ON THERE.

UM, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IF YOU HAVE CARDS, GET YOUR, BRING YOUR CARDS, GET 'EM TO ME, CALL ME.

I CAN PICK 'EM UP AND I CAN STUFF DIFFERENT CARDS IN DIFFERENT BAGS.

SO THAT WAY, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S CARDS IN ALL OF THE BAGS AND NO ONE PERSON IS, UH, DEPLETION DEPLETING.

THEY'RE, UM, CARD STOCK.

AND IF YOU KNOW ANYONE ELSE THAT'S HANDING OUT CANDY BAGS, LET THEM KNOW.

ALSO, THAT'S A WAY THAT THEY CAN ADVERTISE THEIR, UM, BOARD, COMMISSION, ORGANIZATION, CHURCH, WHATEVER ORGANIZATION THEY'RE AFFILIATED WITH.

THAT'S A WAY THAT THEY CAN ADVERTISE THAT AS WELL.

YOU PUT IT INSIDE OF THE BAG, EVEN IF YOU DO A LABEL, PUT THE LABEL INSIDE OF THE BAG BECAUSE IF IT'S RAIN OR IT'S DUE ON THE GROUND, YOU DON'T WANT THE CARD TO GET WET.

AND THAT'S THE MAIN CONCERN ABOUT THE, UM, ADVERTISING OF THE CARD.

WELL, I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE, THE QR CODES ON THE CARD AND THAT'S THE WAY THAT THEY CAN SCAN AND UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT CMC OR GO TO OUR WEBSITE.

MM-HMM .

UH, I THINK MOST OF THE NEWS MEMBERS DON'T HAVE A CARD.

I GUESS WE HAVE THIS, THIS, THIS TIME WE HAVE A FEW MEMBERS.

AND SO THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED TO YOU AND, AND PHILLIPS, I THINK THE BEST WAY TO DO IT WILL BE TO POSSIBLY GO THE GENERIC ROUTE WITH A CARD, EVEN WITH THE QR CODE ON THERE.

UM, THE ONLY CATCH IS, IS THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE WEBSITE TO FIND OUT WHO THEY CAN TALK TO.

WHEREAS IF I GIVE THEM A CARD, NO MATTER WHAT DISTRICT THEY'RE IN, THEY KNOW THAT IT'S ME AND THEY CAN CALL ME DIRECTLY AND I CAN POINT THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

SO THEY HAVE A, UM, MORE PERSONABLE, UH, CONTACT.

SO WE CAN, UM, WE CAN DISCUSS THIS MORE AT A, AT A LATER DATE.

AND I HAVE ONE WHERE I GUESS THERE'S A COMMITTEE MEMBER AND AS A CITIZEN, WHEN THE FIRE ENGINE IS IN THE, UH, PARADE, IF THEY BE OUTTA SERVICE, 'CAUSE THEY'LL CATCH A RUN.

THEY'LL SAY WE CALL A RUN, WE HAD TO GO, BUT THEY, THEY HAVE A RESERVE ENGINE AND THEY CAN PUT PEOPLE ON THERE JUST FOR THE PARADE.

IT'S JUST AN HOUR OR TWO.

SO THEY NOT BE ON CALL AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARADE THEY GOTTA PULL OUT AND, AND ALSO REQUEST THAT THEY HAVE SOME, UM, BLACK FIREFIGHTERS ON THERE.

THERE'S SEVERAL IN THE CITY, BUT DEFINITELY BE NICE IN THE PARADE ON MLK DAY, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THEM IN, IN THE ENGINE, YOU KNOW, REPRESENT.

I'LL DEFINITELY RELAY THOSE CONCERNS TO, UH, TO CHIEF FLEA AND WE WILL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THAT.

YEAH.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHTY.

AND WE'LL MEET IN JANUARY SO WE DON'T HAVE TO COVER IT.

UM, FEBRUARY.

WOULD Y'ALL LIKE TO COVER FEBRUARY JUST TO GET OUR MINDS RIGHT ON THE NEXT EVENT.

THE ONE EVENT I KNOW FOR SURE IN FEBRUARY IS THE WINTER BALL AND MR. ISAAC SAID HE WILL BE SURE THAT HE SHOWS UP TO THE WINTER BALL THIS YEAR.

WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED IT.

UM, THAT IS AN EVENT WHERE WE DO PURCHASE TICKETS.

WE'VE AGREED AS A COMMISSION, IF YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ATTEND THE EVENT AND YOU DO NOT, THEN THE MONEY THAT WAS SPENT ON YOUR TICKET, YOU HAVE TO REIMBURSE THE COMMISSION'S, UM, FUNDS.

WE AGREED ON THAT AS A COMMISSION.

IF WE ARE NO LONGER IN AGREEMENT IN IT, THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT AT THE, UH, RETREAT.

WE WON'T DISCUSS THAT.

DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE ON THE MONTHLY CALENDAR? IT'S AROUND, UM, THE 14TH MS. ELVIA OVER TO THE VALENTINE'S DAY.

VALENTI VALENTI.

OH, YOU GUYS HAVE SOME FANCY DUDS TO DELIVER THAT.

WHAT'S TODAY'S DATE? AND I KNOW I KEEP SAYING WHAT'S TODAY'S DATE? UM, TODAY'S THE 12TH AND I'M SORRY, THE EVENTS ARE ON THE BACK OF ONE OF OUR HANDOUTS.

UM, WE HAVE COFFEE WITH A COP DECEMBER 20TH.

IT DOESN'T SAY WHO THE ORGANIZER IS, BUT IT SAID WHITE RONALD COFFEE.

ANYBODY FAMILIAR WITH THAT? IT'S UP BY WALMART ON ONE MAIN.

THAT'S A CITY CITY EVENT.

UH, CHIEF BRIAN AND HIS TEAM ARE TRYING TO DO MORE PUBLIC OUTREACH.

AND SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THEY'RE GONNA GO INTO, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS, COFFEE SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, UM, PRETTY MUCH JUST SET UP AND IF YOU'VE GOT A QUESTION, COME SEE ME, UH, TYPE TYPE OF THING.

SO, UM, I THINK

[00:25:01]

YEAH.

AND SO IT'S UH, REALLY JUST A WAY OR THEY'RE GOING TO THE COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF THE COMMUNITY GOING TO THEM.

UNDERSTOOD.

THIS IS DECEMBER 20TH.

I'VE WORKED THESE IN THE PAST, SO YOU'LL HAVE A HANDFUL OF OFFICERS THERE AND THEY'RE JUST OPEN FOR QUESTIONS IF ANYBODY JUST WANTS TO ASK A QUESTION OR INTERACT WITH THE POLICE, THEY ARE THERE FOR.

AND THE AREA OFF OF BY WALMART BY ONE 90.

WHAT DISTRICT IS THAT? IT SHOULD BE DISTRICT.

IS IT ONE THAT'S 1 1 1 90 AND AND ONE 90.

AND AND WHAT CORNER GARLAND ROAD.

GAR GARLAND AVENUE.

OH, OKAY.

THAT DISTRICT ONE.

MM-HMM .

ALRIGHT.

THE NEXT EVENT ON HERE IS THE LUNA NEW YEAR CELEBRATION.

UM, CALL SAIGON MALL JANUARY 11TH FROM 10:00 AM TO 10:00 PM UM, IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TO ONE OF THESE EVENTS, I WOULD SUGGEST HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT YOU GO TO ONE OF THESE EVENTS.

I WENT LAST YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME AND I HAD A GREAT, AWESOME TIME, SO PLEASE, Y'ALL SHOULD SHOW UP.

IT'S A LOT OF, AND IT IS CROWDED, BUT IT IS A LOT OF FUN.

I'VE BEEN GOING FOR THREE, FOUR YEARS AND, UH, I LOVE TO SEE THE DANCER.

YES, THE FIREWORKS ARE PRETTY GOOD TOO, BUT YEAH, IT'S A LOT OF FUN.

MS. JENNIFER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ELABORATE ON THAT EVENT? UH, YES MA'AM.

THANK YOU.

THIS YEAR WE WERE, WE ARE SO HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE ARE OVER 120 CHILDREN FROM GISD AND FROM THE VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE PROGRAM.

, UH, FROM BRIDGELAND COLLEGE.

WE'LL BE PERFORMING IN THE AFTERNOON FROM RIGHT AFTER THE FIRECRACKERS.

WE WILL BE HAVING VIP LUNCH.

SO GIVE YOU ALL RSVP, THEN WE WILL PUT YOUR NAME DOWN THE LIST AT THE RECEPTION AFTER THE FIRECRACKER.

THEY TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO VIP ROOM TO EAT LUNCH AND THEN COME TO THE FOOD COURT AREA FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM.

UM, THE RSVP DATE IS BY WHEN? UH, THE 10TH IS FINE.

BY JANUARY 10TH? YES, MA'AM.

WHAT TIME, WHAT TIME ARE THE FIREWORKS? I REALLY LIKE FIREWORKS .

SO PLEASE COME.

WHAT, WHAT TIME ARE THE FIREWORKS? DO YOU KNOW MORE THAN THIS? UH, 1130 IS, UH, BETWEEN 11 32, 12 30 TO DO THAT TIME.

SO BECAUSE WE HAVE LINE DANCES AND DRAGON DAMS, WE PAY $7,000 FOR IT.

WOW.

SO COME THE FLYER, DON'T YOU? YEAH.

SO WE CAN GET A FLYER? YES, WE WILL.

WE WILL SEND YOU THE FLYER IN ENGLISH.

YES.

ENGLISH.

I SEND IT TO PHILLIP AND CC TRACY AND THE CHAIR.

YES, MA'AM.

SO YOU ALL CAN PLEASE SHARE? YES MA'AM.

THANK YOU.

AND, UM, LAST YEAR, UM, MS. JENNIFER SMILED ON US AS A COMMISSION.

UM, SHE HAD US ALL COME ON STAGE AND INTRODUCE US, UM, AND WE GOT TO TAKE A REALLY BIG GROUP PICTURE WITH EVERYONE ELSE'S THAT WAS ON STAGE.

SO IT WAS A AWESOME MOMENT.

THANK YOU.

AND VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

AND YOU THERE EARLY? YOU WANT TO PARK? YEAH.

.

YEAH.

YES.

AND THE GOODIE BAG WAS GREAT TOO.

THE GINGER, UM, THE GINGER GUMMIES.

YEAH, THOSE WERE REALLY GOOD.

UM, THE NEXT THING ON THE EVENT IS UNIDOS, AND THAT'S JANUARY 14TH AT 7:00 PM THE ORGANIZER'S, UM, GARLAND, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT.

MS. ELVIA, WILL YOU BE ATTENDING THAT EVENT? PROBABLY, YES.

PROBABLY.

YEAH.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD, UM, BE ATTENDING IT WITH MS. ELVIA? I'LL VOLUNTEER TO ATTEND.

YOU GUYS HAVE EACH OTHER'S NUMBER, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM.

OKAY.

AND MAKE SURE WHEN YOU COME BACK IN FEBRUARY, YOU'RE PREPARED TO LET US KNOW HOW THAT EVENT WENT.

UM, THE NEXT THING ON HERE IS THE 36TH ANNUAL DRIVE, DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR PARADE IN MARCH.

AND AGAIN, I JUST ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT IN REGARDS TO THE CANDY, UM, THE LINEUP.

SO MR. PHILLIP WILL LET US KNOW BECAUSE WHAT MS. GWEN DOES, MS. GWEN DANIELS, SHE DOES THE LINEUP AS THE LINEUPS COME IN.

AND THEN THE WEEK OF THE EVENT, IF SHE GETS 'EM DONE IN ENOUGH TIME, SHE SENDS THEM OUT TO THE CONTACT THAT'S LISTED ON THE FORM THAT'S FILLED OUT AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT SPACES YOU ARE IN.

SO WHEN YOU GUYS SHOW UP IN YOUR VEHICLES, THERE WILL BE MEN FROM THE GARLAND AREA BROTHERHOOD THAT ARE STANDING AT DIFFERENT POSTS.

YOU TELL THEM WHAT ORGANIZATION YOU ARE WITH AND THEY'LL TELL YOU WHAT SLOT NUMBERS TO GO TO.

NOW MR. PHILLIPS'S RESPONSIBILITY

[00:30:01]

AND MADAM CHAIR, WE ALSO, THE ASIAN COMMUNITY, WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE PARADE EVERY YEAR.

YES, MA'AM.

YOU GUYS DO.

UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF YOU GUYS ARE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EXTRAVAGANZA ON SUNDAY.

SO SUNDAY'S EVENT IS THE, UH, GARLAND MLK YOUTH EXTRAVAGANZA.

WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 10 GROUPS, YOUTH GROUPS, UH, NO OLDER THAN 22 THAT, UM, COME ON STAGE AND THEY PERFORM.

THEY DO, UM, DANCE DRILL, UH, LITURGICAL DANCE, PRAISE, DANCE, MOM, ANYTHING OTHER THAN SINGING ON SUNDAY'S EVENT.

UM, I'M THE CHAIR FOR THAT EVENT ON SUNDAY AND I'VE BEEN CHEERING THIS EVENT I THINK SINCE MY DAUGHTER WAS SIX.

SO IT'S BEEN A VERY LONG TIME.

UM, I KNOW ONCE COVID HAPPENED, A LOT OF PEOPLE, UM, HAVE NOT MADE IT BACK OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.

BUT IF YOU KNOW CHILDREN THAT WANT TO SING IN THE CHOIR, THEY DO NOT HAVE TO BELONG TO A CERTAIN CHURCH, UM, OR ORGANIZATION.

IF YOU HAVE A GRANDCHILD THAT'S GONNA BE HERE OVER THE WINTER MONTHS AND YOU'D LIKE FOR THEM TO PARTICIPATE, THEY'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE.

UM, I BELIEVE THE PRACTICES WILL BE AT SOUTH GARLAND THIS YEAR.

UH, I CAN SEND AN EMAIL OUT TO MR. PHILLIP FOR HIM TO SEND OUT TO THE COMMISSION TO CONFIRM THE DATES AND TIMES, BUT THEY WILL NOT START PRACTICING UNTIL AFTER CHRISTMAS.

NORMALLY WE HAVE ONE PRACTICE BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND THEN TWO AFTER THERE.

ALL THREE PRACTICES WILL BE AFTER CHRISTMAS.

UM, BUT AS I WAS SAYING, THE EVENT ON SUNDAY, 10 GROUPS TOPS, THE EVENT IS FROM FOUR TO SIX.

UH, ANYBODY PARTICIPATING NEEDS TO BE THERE.

THREE, THERE IS AN ENTRY FORM.

I THINK THE PARADES ENTRY FEE WENT UP TO $15 THIS YEAR.

UM, I WAS TOLD THAT IN DALLAS IS WELL OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR EACH VEHICLE.

SO $15 IS A A, A DECENT LOVE OFFERING TO GIVE BACK.

AND THE MONIES GO TO DIFFERENT THINGS FOR THE, UM, DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT THE NAACP HOSTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

SUNDAY'S MONEY GOES TO THE N-A-A-C-P YOUTH COUNCIL.

SO WHEN THEY GO OUT OF TOWN OR GO ON EVENTS OR TRIPS OR SOMETHING, THAT MONEY THAT'S COLLECTED ON SUNDAY GOES TO HELP THOSE YOUTH.

IF YOU WANT TO, UM, CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY, YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BELONG TO AN ORGANIZATION.

IF YOU DON'T WANT YOUR NAME MENTIONED, YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO STILL CONTRIBUTE, UH, WITHOUT HAVING IT TIED TO YOUR NAME.

UH, THE NEXT THING I KNOW WE MENTIONED ALREADY AS WELL, THE WINTER BALL IS FEBRUARY.

SO IT'S ON VALENTINE'S DAY THIS DAY.

UH, 6:00 PM AND USUALLY SIX TO 10, SOMETIMES I THINK THEY PUT SIX TO 11.

UM, THEY DO HAVE A PROGRAM THAT TAKES PLACE.

THEY HONOR DIFFERENT, UM, LAST ONE YEAR THEY HONOR DOCTORS OR BLACK DOCTORS, UM, PASTORS, PASTORS WIVES, THE NURSES GUILD.

SO THEY DO HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY WILL HONOR SOMEONE THEY WILL HONOR THIS YEAR.

AND I'LL LET YOU GUYS KNOW, UM, AT THAT, UM, EXTRAVAGANT, THE WINTER BALL, WILL THEY AGAIN THIS YEAR ALLOW THE POLITICIANS TO DO A ONE MINUTE SPEECH LIKE THAT? THEY ONLY DO IT WHEN IT'S VOTING SEASON.

SO IF THE POLITICIANS ARE NOT UP FOR, IF THERE'S NO NO VOTING COMING UP THIS TIME AROUND, THEN NO.

THEY, THEY, THEY DON'T SAY ANYTHING.

THAT WAS INTERESTING.

I, I ENJOYED, OH, LEARNING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT POLITICIANS IN THEIR STANCES.

I THAT VERY, UM, EDUCATION, WHATEVER EVENT WE HAVE GOING ON, IF IT'S AROUND THE TIME THAT THERE'S A BALLOT, UM, UP FOR ELECTION OR REELECTION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEY ALWAYS GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY.

AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, I CAN PROBABLY, UM, GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO, UM, THEY DO, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS, DEBATES.

MM-HMM .

WHEN PEOPLE ARE RUNNING FOR A PARTICULAR POSITION, THEY HAVE A, I KNOW IT'S NOT CALLED A DEBATE, BUT IT'S KIND OF ALMOST LIKE A DEBATE AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS WITHIN THE CITY.

IT'S CALLED CANDIDATES OPEN FORUM OF THE FORUM.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

YES.

I NOTICED THERE'S ONE THING THAT'S DONE ON HERE.

WE TALKED ABOUT ONE OF THE OTHER MEETINGS OF US GOING TO A GARLAND YOUTH COUNCIL MEETING WITH THEM ONE DAY.

I'VE ATTENDED ONE OF THOSE BEFORE.

YEAH.

UM, PROBABLY BACK IN SEPTEMBER OR SO, BECAUSE I THINK WE SAID WE WERE GONNA DO ONE IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY, OR I THINK WE MAY HAVE SAID FIRST QUARTER BECAUSE THEY HAD A REALLY FULL CALENDAR AND MR. PHILLIP NEEDED TO TAKE TALK TO THE DIRECTOR SO THAT THEY COULD COORDINATE.

[00:35:01]

AND, UH, WE ARE STILL SHOOTING FOR THE FIRST QUARTER.

DON'T HAVE A DATE YET.

UM, THE, UM, STAFF LIAISON TO THAT COMMITTEE IS ON MEDICAL LEAVE AND SO HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO COORDINATE THAT, BUT WE WILL, UH, WHEN THEY ARE BACK, WE WILL MAKE SURE WE GET THAT COORDINATED.

OKAY.

AND FOR, UH, WE VOTE ON THAT YET.

OUR, UH, CITY COUNCIL OUR RETREAT, IT'S ON THE, IT'S ON THE TURN ON THE BACK.

ALL RIGHT.

SO, UH, ANYTHING ELSE ON MONTHLY CALENDAR AND EVENT REPORTS? ALL RIGHT, WE'LL MOVE TO CCMC COMMITTEE REPORTS AND EVENT PARTICIPATION.

I THINK WE KIND OF COVERED ALL OF THEM.

AND B YES.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING TO SEE YOU WANT TO ADD? I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT TO THE COMMISSION BOARD MEMBERS THAT ON NOVEMBER THE 10TH, UM, THERE WAS AN ORGANIZATION, VIETNAMESE MUTUAL ASSISTANT PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN DISTRICT SIX FOR 20 YEARS UNNOTICED.

AND THEY REACH OUT TO ME INVITING US TO COME IN FOR THEIR, THEIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY.

AND WE INVITING THE MAYOR AND ALL THE CITY COUNCIL TO COME IN AND THAT WAS AN EYE-OPENING.

SO WE ARE NETWORKING WITH THEM RIGHT NOW.

THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE CITY, UNFORTUNATELY, THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THEIR OWN DISTRICT NUMBER SIX.

SO IT IS UNDER WORKING RIGHT NOW AND IF I HAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION, I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMISSION.

WE WOULD LIKE VERY MUCH, MAYBE ONE OF THESE DAY ALL THE COMMISSION MEMBER WILL BE AVAILABLE ON WEEKEND TO COME TO VISIT ALL THESE ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN PUTTING A LOT OF EXTRA MONEY, ENERGY ON THEIR OWN.

AND THEY HAVE LIKE 45, 4,005 MEMBERS AND VERY ACTIVE.

THEY HAVE THEIR OWN VIETNAMESE AND ESL CLASSES.

SO THIS IS MY RECOMMENDATION AND WE ARE SO PROUD TO HAVE THEM WITHIN OCD AND OUR COUNCIL ARE DOING SUCH A FANTASTIC JOB IN COMMUNICATION.

THANK YOU.

I THANK YOU.

UM, I WAS TOLD AT ONE POINT THE CMC WAS VERY, WAS A VERY INTRICATE PART IN PARTICIPATING IN EVENTS WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

AND AT SOME POINT OVER TIME IT JUST KIND OF SLACKED OFF.

SO IF ANY OF YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING GOING ON THAT YOU WOULD LIKE THE COMMISSION TO BE A PART OF, PLEASE LET US KNOW.

UM, ANYTIME EMAILS GO OUT, SEND 'EM TO, UH, MR. PHILLIP, COPY, MS. TRACY, COURTNEY, MYSELF ON IT.

SO THAT WAY THAT'S THREE, FOUR SETS OF EYES LOOKING AT IT, WE CAN MAKE SURE WE COORDINATE DATES AND, UM, NINE TIMES OUTTA 10.

AND THERE'S BEEN EVENTS THAT I'VE GONE TO THAT THE COMMISSIONER HAS NOT, UM, WEREN'T GIVEN ENOUGH NOTICE TO ATTEND THAT EVENT.

SO I WENT AND REPRESENTED THE, UM, COMMISSION, WHICH I HAVE NO PROBLEM DOING.

SO IF THERE'S AN EVENT THAT'S COMING UP, YOU'D LIKE US TO ATTEND, SEND THAT INFORMATION OVER TO OUR, UM, OUR CITY HELP, UH, HELP MATES AND WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO BE AT THAT ADVANCE.

ALL RIGHTY, LET'S GET ONTO THE FUN PART.

THE, UM, TEAM BUILDING EVENTS.

SO I'VE BEEN TOLD SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS.

THE TEAM BUILDING EVENT HAPPENS IN JANUARY.

IT HAPPENS IN FIRST QUARTER, I KNOW FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.

WE DIDN'T DO IT UNTIL, UH, MID-YEAR, YOU KNOW, JULY, WHICH PUT US CLOSER TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR IN OCTOBER.

SO MY GOAL, UM, AS THE CHAIR IS TO ENSURE THAT THIS TEAM BUILDING EVENT HAPPENS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ONCE 2025 ARRIVES.

ONE THING I HAVE ALSO FOUND OUT IS THAT WE WILL ALL NOT BE ABLE TO BE AVAILABLE.

MY PERSONAL OPINION, THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR SHOULD DEFINITELY BE AVAILABLE.

UH, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A, A TEAM BUILD IN THE TWO PEOPLE YOU GUYS HAVE VOTED IN TO REPRESENT YOU OR NOT AVAILABLE.

UM, EVERYONE ELSE, NOT TO SAY THAT YOU DON'T MATTER, BUT IF FIVE Y'ALL CAN'T BE HERE, THEN OF COURSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE IT.

WE'RE GONNA DO OUR BEST.

MR. UH, FILLMORE, MS. TRACY HAS PROVIDED SOME POTENTIAL DATES FOR THE RETREAT.

UM, 1 4 1 25 2 1 2 8.

TODAY IS THURSDAY.

THE SOONER WE GET THIS BACK, THE BETTER.

I KNOW SOME OF US HAVE TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT CALENDARS.

UM,

[00:40:01]

YES MA'AM.

WELL, IT'LL BE JANUARY, ANY SATURDAY AND JANUARY.

OKAY.

I WOULD SUGGEST PROVIDING TWO DAYS.

IF YOU SAY YOU'RE AVAILABLE FOR ALL, THEN JUST PUT, YOU'RE AVAILABLE FOR ALL.

BUT IF YOU HIT OR MISS, THEN PROVIDE AT LEAST TWO DATES, UM, THAT YOU'RE AVAILABLE.

YES MA'AM.

MADAM CHAIR, UNFORTUNATELY I WILL BE OUT OF THE COUNTRY ON TWO EIGHT.

ON TWO EIGHT, YEAH.

FOR SIX WEEKS.

OKAY.

SO I WOULD LOVE TO PARTICIPATE IN TEAM BUILDING 'CAUSE UH, I THINK THAT I'M FEELING MUCH BETTER NOW AND HAVE, UH, WORKING AS HARD AS I CAN AND I HAVE SO MANY GREAT IDEAS AND HAS BEEN YEARS AND PRACTICES IN THE PAST.

WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING IT BACK FOR CONSIDERATION.

YES, MA'AM.

DEFINITELY YOU, MR. CHARLES, MR. ISAAC, MS. ELVA, I THINK YOU GUYS BRING A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION TO THE TABLE.

SO YES, I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU ALL TO BE ABLE TO BE IN ATTENDANCE.

SO, UM, EVERYBODY TAKE, PLEASE TAKE THIS IN CONSIDERATION.

AND IF YOU NOTICE ON THE, THE NOTES UNDERNEATH IT SAYS, STAFF WILL PROPOSE POTENTIAL DATES FOR AN OFFSITE TEAM BUILDING MEETING WITH THE COMMISSION WHILE IDENTIFYING KEY OBJECTIVES TO ENSURE THE MEETING ALIGNS WITH THE COMMISSION'S GOALS AND PRIORITIES.

UM, YES, I KNOW WE DO THINGS OUTTA HABIT SOMETIMES HABIT MEANS A CONFINED AREA, SECURE AREA, COMFORTABLE AREA.

BUT WHEN WE'RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE OUTSIDE OF OUR COMFORT ZONE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE IN A DISTRICT WHERE NO ONE LOOKS LIKE US OR SPEAKS THE SAME LANGUAGE WE DO.

OR, UM, THE AREA JUST LOOKS DIFFERENT IN ITSELF.

I THINK MY PERSONAL OPINION, WE NEED TO LEARN TO GET OUTSIDE OF OUR BOX.

IF WE ARE GOING TO LEARN TO REACH OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, WE CANNOT STAY INSIDE THE BOX AND EXPECT DIFFERENT RESULTS.

UM, WHO, SOMEONE JUST SAID IT JUST A MINUTE AGO.

UH, WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE GOING TO THE COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF HAVING THE COMMUNITY COME TO THEM.

AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO LEARN TO DO THE SAME THING.

WE HAVE TO LEARN TO START PATRONIZING, UH, SOME OF THE, THAT PLACES THAT ARE DOWNTOWN ON A MORE FREQUENT BASIS VERSUS JUST ONCE A YEAR.

SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE IN MY HEAD IT WAS OFFSITE.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE OFFSITE WAS .

AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT POSSIBLY WHERE, UM, IT CAN BE.

AND DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEA? NORMALLY THE LAST TIME I'VE, I'VE DONE THIS MAYBE THREE YEARS AND WE'VE HAD IT RIGHT OVER THERE ON THE OTHER SIDE, UH, WE GET COMPLACENT IN MY MY MINDSET.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE WE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE IT? KEEPING IN MIND IT WILL BE COLD SOMEWHERE OFFSITE WHERE WE CAN HAVE IT, WE CAN, WE CAN TALK AND STILL COVER THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO COVER, BUT NOT IN SUCH A, UM, STRUCTURE.

STRUCTURE.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

'CAUSE I WAS GONNA GIVE A WORD AND NOT IN SUCH A STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT.

ANYBODY HAVE ANY IDEAS? Y'ALL CAN THINK ON IT? UM, SHOOT IT TO ME BY NEXT WEEK WEDNESDAY WE CAN, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.

KEEPING IN MIND THE FIRST POTENTIAL DATE IS THE FOURTH.

WHAT ARE Y'ALL THOUGHTS ABOUT OFFSITE? I LOVE THE IDEA.

I I LIKE THAT ALSO.

YEAH, BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE READY JUST IN CASE.

WE DECIDED AS A GROUP FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH, WHICH WE HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE PAST WITH, UM, THE COMMISSION BOARD MEMBER AND SEE THE STAFF, WE REACH OUT TO COMMUNITY THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW THEM, BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT.

THAT'S OUR MISSION.

WHATEVER LOCATION WE CHOOSE.

IT WOULD ALSO BE NICE IF WE HAVE ACCESS TO SOME KIND OF DIGITAL MEDIA, WHETHER IT'S A, A COMPUTER AND A MONITOR OR A, UH, I, I THINK MR. PHIL AND THEM WORK WONDERS AND WHEREVER WE GO, I THINK THEY'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE US A TV AND A LAPTOP IF NEEDED.

AM I WRONG? TV MAY BE A CHALLENGE.

LAPTOP WE CAN ACCOMPLISH.