Jul 21, 2025 Work Session

[00:00:07]

GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE JULY 21ST, 2025 WORK SESSION OF THE GARLAND CITY COUNCIL. I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO'S COME DOWN FOR OUR WORK SESSION. I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING PART OF THIS PROCESS, AND WE WILL LISTEN AND HEAR EVERYONE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO

[ PUBLIC COMMENTS ON WORK SESSION ITEMS]

I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR THE SPRING CREEK PRESERVE. WE WILL TAKE THOSE AFTER THE STAFF PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR EACH OF THE

[ CONSIDER THE CONSENT AGENDA]

[1. Abandonment of Portion of Utility Easement in the Garland High School No. IV Addition]

[2. Consider an Ordinance in Support of Foreign-Trade Zone Designation]

[3. Fire/EMS Stakeholder Committee – Committee Composition and Overview]

IT INCLUDES 11 COUNCIL STAFF AND STAKEHOLDERS PLUS FOUR COMMUNITY LEADERS. SO A TOTAL OF 15 COMMUNITY OR COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT SOME OF THE CRIRITERIA USED TO SELECT TE COMMUNITY LEADERS. AND SO I'LL I'LL MENTION THREE. AND MAYOR, FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN WITH ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS THERE. BUT WHAT REALLY WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR THERE IS, IS EXPERIENCE AND FAMILIARITY WITH THE GARLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT EXPERIENCE VOLUNTEERING WITH THE GARLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT IN SOME OF THEIR PROGRAMS, LIKE THE FIRE CLUB AND CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY, AND THEN OVERALL, JUST AN INTEREST IN SERVING IN THIS IN THIS ROLE IN PARTICULAR. AND THAT'S HOW WE CAME UP WITH THE WITH THE COMMUNITY LEADERS FOR THOSE THOSE FOUR POSITIONS. AND JUST AS A REMINDER, I'LL KIND OF RUN THROUGH THE 15 COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT ARE PROPOSED. OF COURSE, IT'S THE THREE MEMBERS OF THE OF COUNCIL'S PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCILWOMAN DUTTON AND MAYOR PRO TEM LUCHT. MYSELF, OUR CFO MATT WATSON, OUR OUR DIRECTOR OF HR, KRISTIN SMITH, BUDGET DIRECTOR, ALLISON FIRE CHIEF MARK LEE. AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, TYLER LITTLE, BILL CRUZ, THE GARLAND FIRE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR, DOCTOR MATTHEW TICE, AND THEN THE FOUR COMMUNITY LEADER NOMINEES WERE SCOTT LEMAY. MERRILL VALENCIA, JASON COLLARD, AND MELISSA GARNER. AND THAT MAKES UP THE TOTAL. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. YEAH. CHIEF MARK LEE.

AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER REPRESENTATIVE. GOTCHA. COUNCILMEMBER WILLIAMS. FOR I'M NOT LOOKING AT IT NOW, BUT I THINK COMMUNITY LEADERS FROM WHAT DISTRICTS ARE THEY FROM? AND THE CONCERN IS THAT THE ENTIRE CITY FEELS THAT IT'S REPRESENTED IN SOME FORM OR FASHION BY, BY THE, BY THE OTHER GROUP THERE. SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? WE JUST WANT TO ASSURE BEFORE WE, BEFORE THE TRAIN LEAVES THE STATION, THAT COMMUNITY AT LARGE IS REPRESENTED. CAN YOU SPEAK TO EITHER? YEAH. I DON'T HAVE THE ADDRESSES FOR THE FOUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, SO I COULDN'T TELL YOU WHAT COUNCIL DISTRICT THEY LIVE IN. BUT I THINK THE OVERALL GOAL HERE WAS TO SELECT COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT REALLY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE

[00:05:01]

WAS THERE ANY DIALOG AT ALL WITH THOSE MEMBERS? NO, NOT ON THE COMMUNITY LEADER NOMINEES. OKAY.

ON ANY OTHER ASPECTS OF. OF WHAT'S BEFORE, WHAT'S FACING. THIS COMMITTEE? I CAN'T TALK.

THIS COMMITTEE, EMS SERVICES VERSUS FIRE SERVICES, GET INTO ANY OF THAT KIND OF DISCUSSION.

OR IS THAT WOULD IS THAT PREMATURE? WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN INTO THAT DISCUSSION AS WE'RE WAITING. THAT'S SOMETHING THE COMMITTEE IS CHARGED WITH. THEY'LL BE DISCUSSING. HAVEN'T DISCUSSED THAT AT ALL YET WITH ANY OF THE EITHER THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE OR THE PROPOSED MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. SO AND MR. CITY MANAGER, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THAT SLATE THAT'S IN THE THAT'S RECOMMENDED HERE WITH WITH AS FOR AS IS HAS GOTTEN THAT. COMMISSION THE COMMITTEE IS CHARGED WITH ULTIMATELY THE GOAL AND THE TIMELINES. I KNOW THAT SOME OF THOSE A LOT OF THOSE THINGS ARE NOT IN PLACE YET. BUT ARE YOU COMFORTABLE? MAKEUP OF THAT COMMITTEE? I AM I THINK I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE COUNCIL'S COMFORTABLE WITH ON THERE TOO.

THESE THESE ARE FOLKS THAT REALLY ARE GOING TO BE ACTING ON, ON YOUR BEHALF AND ARE CHARGED TO BRING FORWARD POLICY AND MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS. I'M COMFORTABLE WITH IT. YES. TO ANSWER YOUR GOAL. AND TIMELINE. THANK YOU SIR. I'M NOT IN PLACE YET. COUNCILMAN BASS. THANK YOU SIR. FINISH MY WARRIOR. PERHAPS WE COULD SPEAK TO THE QUALIFICATIONS OF. EXCUSE ME. I CAN HELP WITH THAT. SO YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THE CITIZENS CLUB AS WELL? IF YOU WANT TO. GO AHEAD.

I AM, I AM ON THE BOARD. SO. YES. SO MELISSA GARNER IS A MEMBER OF THE GARLAND CITIZENS FIREFIGHTERS CLUB FOR OVER TWO DECADES AND IS CURRENT SECRETARY. HONORABLE SCOTT LEMAY IS THE CURRENT PRESIDENT AND MAYORAL VOLUNTEER, IS A RETIRED FIREFIGHTER AS WELL AS A FORMER INSTRUCTOR FOR THE GARLAND CITIZEN'S FIREFIGHTERS ACADEMY AND WHO WAS THE FOURTH CALLER.

JASON. JASON IS A CURRENT BOARD MEMBER. JASON IS A CURRENT BOARD MEMBER OF THE GARLAND CITIZENS FIREFIGHTERS CLUB. CLEAR SOME THINGS UP. THANK YOU. ONE OF. THE PRESIDENT. THANK YOU SIR.

ONE. ONE MOMENT, ONE MOMENT. COUNCILWOMAN DUTTON, FOR THE. GARLAND FIREFIGHTER. OKAY. AND AS FAR AS DISTRICTS GO, SCOTT IS IN D-7. MELISSA IS IN FIVE MERYL'S IN D1. JASON SIX. OKAY, DADDY. ONE IS SAME THING BASICALLY. SAME THING. THEY'RE CLOSE. THEY'RE CLOSE THAT WE WERE HAVING WE WERE HAVING A DEBATE IF IT WAS 8 OR 1. SO WE'VE GOT A GOOD MIX OF ALL OF

[00:10:05]

COUNCIL MEMBER MORE. THANK YOU. I THINK THAT WHERE COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS IS. CONCERNED WAS THAT WHEN WE PUT TOGETHER, WE WERE ASKED TO PUT THE NAMES TOGETHER. WE WERE THINKING THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE SOMEWHAT OF A COMMUNITY SITUATION, OF WHERE WE WERE GOING TO BE BRINGING MORE PEOPLE FROM THE REGULAR COMMUNITY, SO TO SPEAK, AND WHAT WE SAW IN THE END. AND NOW I DO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE CRITERION WE FIRST TALKED ABOUT IT. I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAD THAT TYPE OF CRITERION THAT WE WERE USED, THAT BROUGHT THOSE MEMBERS ON BOARD, BUT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF WHAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO, I DO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS PARTICULAR GROUP OF PEOPLE, I THINK THAT WHAT WE MAY HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR WHEN WE WERE ASKED TO GIVE THAT GROUP OF NAMES WAS SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WHOSE NAMES THAT WE PUT IN. THERE WERE JUST REGULAR, EVERYDAY CITIZENS THAT WE THOUGHT WOULD PROBABLY DO A VERY GOOD JOB ON THERE. SO I THINK THAT THAT MAY BE SOME OF THE CONCERN THAT COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS WAS HAVING. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU, SIR. COUNCILMEMBER WILLIAMS. THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION. AND COUNCIL, LADY DUTTON, FOR THAT. AND. COUNCILMAN MOORE, IT HIT IT ON THE HEAD. I WANTED TO BRING THIS UP PRIMARILY FOR, FOR THE PUBLIC. YOU KNOW AS WE YOU KNOW, WE AS WE START MOVING, THE PIECES STARTS FLOWING. THEY WANT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO KNOW HOW HOW WAS HOW WAS THIS COMMITTEE SELECTED? OKAY. THAT'S THE FIRST THAT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I, THAT I'VE BEEN GETTING. AND I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH, WITH THE COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE EXPERIENCE. AND FANS OUT. BUT BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS WHAT CRITERIA WE USE TO SELECT THIS COMMITTEE. AGAIN, I HAVE NO, NO, NO PROBLEM WITH IT WHATSOEVER.

BUT COUNCILMAN MO PUT IT RIGHT BECAUSE INITIALLY WHEN WE WERE ASKED FOR NAMES, NAMES, WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS CRITERIA IN PLACE. AND THEN WHEN THIS WHEN THIS COMMITTEE HIT THE PRESS, IT WAS DIFFERENT. AND I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS WHY WE MADE THE SELECTION THAT WE DID. RIGHT. THAT'S WHY I ASKED THAT THAT THIS BE VERBALLY DISCUSSED. MR. CITY MANAGER. SO THAT IT WOULD. THERE WERE THERE WERE THERE WAS A REGULAR CITIZENS WHO WERE NOT FIRE ACADEMY GRADS OR, OR OR CADETS OR OR EXPERIENCE THAT WAS KIND OF WAITING. SO BUT THAT'S BEEN HELPFUL. THANK YOU FOR CITY MANAGER AND MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR. GREAT HERE. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE ON THIS ITEM COUNCIL? I'M GOING TO ASK THEN, SINCE IT HAS BEEN PULLED IN FOR CONSENSUS ON THE COMMITTEE COMPOSITION. IF YOU GET A SHOW OF HANDS ON CONSENSUS. UNANIMOUS, THEN VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. MOVING ON THEN TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.

[4. Pending Items List - City Council Committees and Future Work Sessions]

[5. Spring Creek Forest Preserve - Briefing]

[00:15:01]

IT CAME THROUGH GARLAND. IT WIPED OUT A LOT OF TREES AND IT BROUGHT A LOT OF RAIN. AND THAT WAS ITS OWN DISASTER IN AND OF ITSELF. BUT WHAT HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THAT WEEK, IF YOU REMEMBER WHAT REALLY HAMPERED OUR RESTORATION EFFORTS ON THE ELECTRICITY SIDE, IS THAT IT KEPT RAINING AND ALL THAT WATER EVENTUALLY RUSHED DOWN OUR SEWERS AND TO THE ROWLETT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT. AND AT THE END OF THAT WEEK AND TOWARD THE END OF THAT WEEK, AFTER THE STORM CAME THROUGH, WE WERE NEAR OVERFLOW AT THE AT THE TREATMENT PLANT. AND THANKFULLY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. WE HAD A AS MORE RAIN HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THE, YOU KNOW, WE GOT CLOSE AGAIN A FEW TIMES. AND SO MIKE BRINKMAN, WHO'S OUR MANAGING DIRECTOR OF WATER UTILITIES, TOOK A REALLY REALIZED THAT, OKAY, WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE. THERE'S WATER INFILTRATING OUR SEWER SYSTEM. AND HE MADE A DELIBERATE EFFORT TO START AT ROWLETT CREEK, WHERE IT ENTERS LAKE RAY HUBBARD AND WORK ALL THE WAY UP. AND YOU'LL SEE SOME MAPS HERE OF OUR SEWER SYSTEM AND REALIZE KIND OF WHERE THIS WHERE THIS STRETCH IS GEOGRAPHICALLY. BUT HE AND HIS

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AND IT REQUIRES A LOT OF SPECIAL EQUIPMENT. WE DID BRING ON A CONTRACTOR TO HELP WITH SOME OF THAT CLEARING AND EVENTUALLY THEY WORKED THEIR WAY UP IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR, THE CONTRACTOR THAT WE HIRED TO HELP CLEAR PATHS TO GET TO MANHOLES BEGAN WORKING IN THE SPRING CREEK FOREST PRESERVE, AND EVENTUALLY WE FOUND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. AND I HATE TO I HATE TO SAY IT THIS BLUNTLY, BUT THOSE THAT WERE IN THE DECISION MAKING AND DIRECTING THIS CONTRACTOR SIMPLY DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEY WERE IN A FOREST PRESERVE OR THAT A FOREST PRESERVE EXISTED. I REALIZE THAT'S HARD FOR SOME OF US TO UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE PRESERVE. BUT YOU GO DEEP ENOUGH INTO AN ORGANIZATION, AND SOME PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.

THERE WAS NO THERE WAS NO ILL INTENTION. THIS WAS NOT A EFFORT TO INTENTIONALLY DESTROY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND SPRING CREEK FOREST PRESERVE. THIS WAS A THIS WAS A MISTAKE IN NOT COMMUNICATING WITH WITH THE FOREST PRESERVE BEFORE WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS WORK AGAIN, THE WORK WAS INTENTIONAL. IT WAS NOT A MISTAKE. THEY WERE TRYING TO GAIN ACCESS TO A SEWER LINE THAT YOU'LL HEAR IS 55 YEARS OLD AND HAS NOT HAD EYES ON IT IN THAT IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME. AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW, RECOGNIZING THAT WHERE WE FELL SHORT WAS IN THE COMMUNICATION AND THE COLLABORATION THAT THAT REALLY THESE DOCUMENTS CONTEMPLATE AND THAT THAT THAT PARTNERSHIP THAT'S EXISTED FOR A LONG TIME, WE NEED WE DIDN'T DO OUR PART TO COMMUNICATE AND COLLABORATE IN THAT WAY. AND SO, AGAIN, WE'RE HERE TO FIND A PATH FORWARD. SO WE'VE NOW ENGAGED KIMLEY-HORN, A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING FIRM, TO COME IN AND ASSIST US WITH FINDING A WAY TO PRESERVE THE FOREST, BUT ALSO MAINTAIN THE SEWER LINE THAT'S THAT'S NEEDED. AND SO BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO MIKE AND CRYSTAL TO TALK THROUGH THE SORT OF THE TECHNICAL DETAILS AND, AND ANSWER A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN ASKING. I DO WANT TO I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT OUR COMMITMENT IS TO DO BOTH.

THAT MEANS TO PRESERVE THE FOREST AND TO MAINTAIN THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE NEED TO.

AND THAT'S GOING TO REQUIRE SOME COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE GROUPS. AND AS WE MET WITH THE PRESERVATION SOCIETETY BRD AND TEAM LAST WEEK, THAT WAS OUR COMMITMENT TO THEM, IS THAT THIS COMMUNICATION IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AND HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, PRESENT AND FUTURE. A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT BEFORE WE KIND OF DIVE INTO THE PRESENTATION AND THAT IS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR A LOT OF INFORMATION TONIGHT ABOUT ABOUT SEWER LINES, AND YOU'RE GOING TO LEARN WAY MORE ABOUT SEWER THAN YOU EVER WISH YOU HAD TO KNOW.

THAT IS NOT A AN INTENT, AN INTENTIONAL PART ON OUR PART TO DIVERT ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE FOREST PRESERVE. IT REALLY IS BECAUSE WE NEED THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW. WE NEED THE COUNCIL TO KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS SEWER LINE AND ALL OF OUR SEWER LINES ARE, AND TO FIND A PATH FORWARD AGAIN FOR THOSE TWO THINGS, THOSE TWO INTERESTS TO COEXIST, WHICH I BELIEVE WE CAN. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO DIVERT ATTENTION FROM THE FOREST. THAT'S NOT WHY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SEWER, THAT WE REALLY HAVAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE SEWER FOR US TO FIND A PATH FORWARD AND A SHARED UNDERSTANDING AND COMMITMENT TO MOVE AHEAD. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR OUR STAFF HERE. AND YOU'RE GOING TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT SEWERS NOW. AND. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COUNCIL. AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN ATTENDANCE TODAY AS SIMILAR TO WHAT JUDGE STATED, I WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR THAT THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO ALL OF YOU TONINIGHT, ITS NOT ABOUT CHANGING YOUR MIND. IT IS NOT ABOUT NEGATING YOUR EMOTIONS.

THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TONIGHT. WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE

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[00:30:04]

SEWER AND FLOODPLAINS. WE HAVE 110 MILES, TEN MILES OF SEWER LOCATED IN A LOT OF STORM. IT'S LOCATED IN CREEK BEDS. THE AREA THAT'S BEING AFFECTED SPECIFICALLY BY THIS PARTICULAR SEWER MAIN IS SPRING CREEK SEWER BASIN, AKA SIX. IT'S LOCATED IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER CITY. ALL OF THIS PINK AREA THAT'S SHOWING ON THE SCREEN THAT IS SERVING A POPULATION OF ABOUT 40,000 RESIDENTS. AS JUDD STATED, THAT EQUATES TO APPROXIMATELY 20% OF THE CITY. THAT'S 20 ALMOST 20% OF THE CITY'S POPULATION THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED IF WE WERE TO HAVE A SEWER LINE COLLAPSE, AND THIS LINE WAS NO LONGER SERVICEABLE. AND SO THIS IS IT'S ACTUALLY SHOWING THE MANHOLES LOCATED ALONG SANITARY SEWER LINE IN THE SPRING CREEK AREA. THAT IS ABOUT 55 MANHOLES. WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE CAN ACTUALLY GET IN TO SEE WHAT KIND OF CONDITION THE SEWER LINE IS IN. WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THOSE MANHOLES. I'M SURE THE FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THIS IS, ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU WOULD NEED, YOU KNOW, AN ENTRANCE INTO THE CREEK AT EVERY ONE OF THESE MANHOLES? NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING. WE WOULD NEED TO BE VERY STRATEGIC. IT WOULD TAKE QUITE A FEW ENTRANCES INTO THE CREEK IN ORDER TO ACCESS THESE MANHOLES AND THE LINE CLEAN, AND THEN BE ABLE TO VISUALLY INSPECT AND SEE CONDITION THIS LINE IS IN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT. THIS AREA RIGHT HERE, THIS IS A STRAIGHT THIS IS THE AREA THAT WAS TUNNELED UNDERNEATH THE NATURE PRESERVE OR THE FOREST PRESERVE. THIS STRETCH WAS TUNNELED ABOUT 1250 1250 FEET OR SO. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS LINE IS MOST OF OUR

[00:35:13]

EACH NOT NECESSARILY 55 ENTRANCES, BUT FOR STRATEGIC ABOUT IT, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS MORE THAN ONE, POSSIBLY 2 OR 3 MANHOLES WITH ONE ENTRANCE. BUT EVEN AT THAT, IF, LET'S SAY WE COULD, WE COULD ACCESS, YOU KNOW, FIVE. THAT'S STILL A LOT OF ENTRANCES THAT WE HAVE TO GAIN THIS SPRING CREEK AREA IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GET THIS LINE CLEANED AND TV, NOT NECESSARILY 55. SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING. THERE WAS ALSO A QUESTION THAT WAS PUT OUT. THAT WAS WHY WHY WAS THE LINE NOT ACCESSED FROM THE PARK SIDE OF THE CREEK? ON THE LEFT? THAT IS, IT'S ON THE SOUTH SIDE. IT'S ON THE PARK SIDE. THIS IS SHALE AND LIMESTONE, VERY UNSTABLE MATERIAL WHEN IT COMES TO EXCAVATION. AND THIS IS ALMOST A SHEER CLIFF, VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO ACCESS FROM THE TOP DOWN. PROBABLY DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT, BUT I BELIEVE SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ABOUT 30FT OR SO, IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURE. ON OUR RIGHT AND YOU. SEE NOW, IS THAT BETTER? LOOK AT. SO THE PICTURE ON THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT, THIS IS SHOWING HOLFORD ROAD BRIDGE. THIS IS SHOWING HOLFORD ROAD BRIDGE IN THE BACKGROUND WHERE THE ARROW IS LOCATED. AND THAT'S JUST FOR CONTEXT YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS THAT SAME AREA. IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT AREA. AN IT'S VERY HIGH. IT'S A CLIFF. IT'S ALMOST A CLIFF ACCESS IN THAT AREA AS WELL. LET'S MOVE ON. SO ADDITIONAL OBSTACLES THAT WE FACE WHEN TRYING TO ACCESS THESE LINES OUT THERE, SCOURING AND EROSION IS ONE OF THE CHALLENGES. THIS IS AN EXISTING SEWER MAIN EVENT THAT HAS BEEN EXPOSED BY CREEK SCOURING. THIS CONCRETE AREA THAT YOU SEE RIGHT HERE IS ACTUALLY A CONCRETE CAP. AND THIS CONCRETE CAP SITS ON TOP OF A MAIN OR, I'M SORRY, A MAIN VENT. IF YOU RECALL, I STATED EARLIER THAT WHEN YOU CONSTRUCT A SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM, IT IS A CLOSED SYSTEM OR IT SHOULD BE A CLOSED SYSTEM. WELL, IN ORDER TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT AIR IS BEING RELEASED FROM THAT SYSTEM AND THAT IT'S NOT TAKING UP CAPACITY IN IN THAT SYSTEM, THE WE INSTALL SANITARY SEWER, SEWER MAIN VENTS. AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE SCOURING AND THE EROSION THAT IS TAKING PLACE AROUND THAT VENT. THIS IS ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE FACE OUT THERE. THE BANK IS COLLAPSING. THIS IS THE BANK IS ACTUALLY COLLAPSED. THERE ARE SANITARY SEWER MANHOLES THAT ARE LOCATED DOWN THERE. YOU CAN SEE BY THE SIZE OF THESE PIECES THAT ARE BROKEN OFF. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD GET IN AND MANUALLY MANIPULATE THE LOCATION OF THESE ROCKS OFF OF THE SANITARY SEWER MANHOLES. AND THEN ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE FACE ON A REGULAR BASIS IS THAT WE

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THIS IS THE COMBO TRUCK. IT'S A CLEANING, JETTING. AND THEN IT'S ALSO HOW WE VACUUM OUT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER'S IN THE LINE ONCE IT'S BEEN JETTED. THIS IS PROBABLY THE SIZE OF. THIS IS THE SIZE OF A FIRE TRUCK, WHICH IS PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL IN SIZE. AND THEN THE CCTV OR CLOSED CIRCUIT TV VAN IS ALSO PRETTY LARGE EQUIPMENT. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE WITH GETTING EQUIPMENT IN THIS SIZE, IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT YOU PULL IN STRAIGHT AND THEN BACK IT RIGHT BACK OUT. NOT ONLY DO WE NEED THE WIDTH IN ORDER TO GET THE EQUIPMENT IN, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MANEUVER. THAT EQUIPMENT IS THE PATH THAT WAS CLEARED OUT THERE WIDER THAN WE EXPECTED IT TO BE IN SOME PLACES, YES, BUT IN THOSE PLACES IT WAS WIDENED TO THAT, TO THAT LEVEL BECAUSE IT WAS NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW EQUIPMENT OF THIS SIZE AND OF THIS NATURE TO BE ABLE TO MANEUVER BACK AND FORTH THE, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST GOING IN, BUT ALSO BEING ABLE TO GET OUT, BEING ABLE TO MANEUVER ONCE, ONCE IT GETS IN. AND THEN THIS IS THE CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE EXCAVATOR AND THE FRONT END LOADER. AND THIS IS NOT JUST THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE WOULD NEED TO LOOK AT CONSIDERING CLEARING THE PATH, BUT THIS IS THIS IS THE KIND OF EQUIPMENT THAT WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE, LIKE DOWN INTO THE CREEK BED AREAS WHERE IT'S NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO ISOLATE SOME OF THE MANHOLES, MOVE SOME OF THE LARGER ROCK MATERIAL, EXCAVATE TO BE ABLE TO SEE ANY LIKE ANY AREAS THAT WE ARE HAVING CHALLENGES WITH IN GENERAL. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MIKE AT THIS POINT, AND HE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS STARTING FROM JANUARY OF 2021. AND TESTING. OKAY. SO ON. SO IN JANUARY OF 2021, CITY OF GARLAND ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE THERE ARE REGULATING BODY THAT OVERSEE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF RUNNING A WATER OR WASTEWATER SYSTEM. AND THEY KEEP TABS ON US. AND WHEN WE DO HAVE ANY INCIDENT INCIDENT WITH REGARD TO TECH THAT REALLY IMPACTS THE PUBLIC OR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, WE NOTIFY THEM IMMEDIATELY AND HAVE REPORTING PROTOCOLS TO THE T-C-E-Q. AND PART OF THAT IS THAT T-C-E-Q WANTS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE RESPONSIVE TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AND CONSTRAINTS. AND IN 19 OR 2021, THE CITY MADE THAT COMMITMENT TO PERFORM TYPICAL MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES. AND I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE CAN'T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPACTS OF A SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOW OR A SPILL. SPILLS HAVE IMPACTS TO THE ENVIRONMENT. IT IS EFFICIENTLY. TOUGH TYPE OF MATERIAL THAT'S GOING DOWN THE SEWER MAIN, TO PUT IT NICELY, IMPACTS THE ENVIRONMENT, IMPACTS FISH, IMPACTS WILDLIFE, IMPACTS THE PUBLIC, IMPACTS. FOLKS THAT ARE USING WATERWAYS FOR RECREATION, BUT ALSO IMPACTS OUR DRINKING WATER. SO I TAKE THESE THINGS VERY SERIOUSLY BECAUSE THESE SYSTEMS CARRY PATHOGENS, BACTERIA, WHAT HAVE YOU THAT MAKES THAT IMPACT TO THE PUBLIC VERY IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO. SO THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS GARLAND HAS IS THAT WE HAVE A

[00:45:03]

WORST TYPE OF PIPE YOU CAN PUT IN A SEWER SYSTEM IS A CONCRETE PIPE. WHAT SEWAGE TYPICALLY DOES IS WHEN IT DECAYS, IT GENERATES HYDROGEN SULFIDE GAS, WHICH ULTIMATELY GETS CONVERTED INTO SULFURIC ACID, WHICH THEN EATS AT YOUR PIPE. IT CORRODES IT FROM THE INTERIOR, PUTTING THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF CONCRETE MAINS MUCH LOWER THAN ANY OTHER TYPE OF MATERIAL. IN MODERN DAY, WE TYPICALLY LOOK AT FIBERGLASS RESIN PIPES, WE LOOK AT PVC PIPES, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS THAT AREN'T SUSPECT, AND WEAKENED BY THAT TYPE OF CORROSION. SO, LIKE JUDD'S MENTIONED, WE HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL IN MAY OF LAST YEAR WITH THE STORM. ALSO THE WEEK OR SO AFTER THAT, BECAUSE IT KEPT RAINING AND WE STARTED TO GET SOME SPILLING DESIGN SPILLING AT OUR ROWLETT CREEK PLANT. IT SPILLS ON SITE AND WE'RE ABLE TO RECOVER IT AND PUT IT BACK INTO TREATMENT PROCESSES, BUT WE CONTAIN IT ON SITE. AND SINCE THAT POINT IN TIME, WE'VE HAD A HALF DOZEN OTHER INSTANCES IN WHICH WHEN YOU OK AT OUR WASTEWATER PLANTS, WE SHOULDN'T BE GETTING THE FLOWS THAT WE'RE GETTING THERE. AND SO THAT THEN TELLS ME OVERSEEING THAT SEWER SYSTEM IS THAT I'VE GOT SOME INFLOW AND INFILTRATION ISSUES UPSTREAM SOMEWHERE. AND ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, WE STARTED DEPLOYING METERS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE AND TRIANGULATE AND WHERE I AND I IS COMING FROM. SO A LOT OF OUR INDICATORS INDICATE ROWLETT CREEK AND SPRING CREEK IS WHERE THIS IS ORIGINATING AT. AND SO WHEN WE LOOK FOR RECORDS, DIDN'T FIND ANY RECORDS OF INSPECTION FROM ANYTHING FROM GEORGE BUSH, 190 ALL THE WAY UP INTO CAMPBELL ROAD, ZERO INSPECTION, ZERO OVERSIGHT, NOT KNOWING WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THAT AREA, I ASKED STAFF TO CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THAT AREA AND TRY TO INSPECT THOSE MANHOLES, BUT STAFF HAD A DIFFICULT TIME EVEN TRAVERSING THAT AREA, LAND THAT WAS IMPASSABLE WITH REGARD TO FOREST FLOODING. I REALLY DIDN'T WANT THEM TO REPEL OFF A CLIFF TO GO DOWN THERE AND LOOK AT THAT. SO NO RECORD OF INSPECTION OF THIS THREE PLUS MILES AREA THAT'S I JUST DESCRIBED IN MARCH OF THAT TIME FRAME, WE HAD A COLLAPSE. THE CRYSTAL TALKED ABOUT RESIDENT REPORTED IT TO US. INITIALLY WE HAD A LOT OF INFLOW. BUT THEN AFTER THE PIPE CLOGGED WITH A LOT OF DEBRIS, WE HAD EXFILTRATION OF SEWAGE INTO THE CREEK. SO WE IMMEDIATELY REPORT THAT TO T-C-EQ. AND THEN AN

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[00:55:14]

KRYSTAL MENTIONED THAT SOMETIMES WE TRY TO GET TO 500FT. IN SOME CASES YOU CAN GO TO THE UPSTREAM AND THEN IN SOME CASES A DOSTREAM MANHOLE. BUT IN SOME OF THOSE CASES, SOME MANHOLES ARE PROBABLY 1200 FEET APART. SO YOU'RE GOING TO BE MISSING YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO SERVICE THOSE. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE EXISTING CHALLENGES WE HAVE. AND LOOKING FOR TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL HELP US TRY TO INSPECT ALL OF THAT CONCRETE MAIN. AND LASTLY. SOME OF THAT IS JUST INSPECTION.

I TRIED TO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS CRYSTAL ASKED ME TO LOOK AT WAS, IS THERE A MINIMAL WAY TO TRY TO CONSTRUCT OR RECONSTRUCT SOME OF THESE SEWER MAINS? AND THERE IS AND WE'RE DOING THIS CURRENTLY IN DUCK CREEK AND DUCK CREEK. WE ARE LINING A LARGE SEWER MAIN THAT GOES TOWARDS DUCK CREEK TREATMENT PLANT, BUT IT DOES REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF EQUIPMENT. IT REQUIRES A COMBO. YOU'VE GOT TO CLEAN THAT MAIN. IT REQUIRES BYPASS PUMPS, SETS UP SETUPS SO THAT YOU HAVE A GENERATOR, 2 OR 3 BYPASS PUMPS WITH PIPING THAT SURFACE RAM SEVERAL THOUSAND FEET DOWNSTREAM. SO YOU CAN TAKE THE FLOW OFF AS YOU PUT A FELT IMPREGNATED LINER INTO THAT MAIN AND CURE IT SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE A NEW MAIN. BUT NOT ALL MAINS CAN BE REHABBED THAT WAY. TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION, YOU HAVE TO GET VIDEO OF THAT MAIN.

THE CONTRACTOR HAS TO GET CONFIRMATION VIDEO OF THAT MAIN OF WHERE ANY DEFECTS EXIST, WHERE ANY TEMPORARY REPAIRS NEED TO BE MADE, IF IT CAN BE REPAIRED ON A MINIMAL BASIS. BUT THESE ARE VERY EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES. BUT IN THIS PICTURE YOU'LL SEE THAT YOU'LL HAVE A LARGE VECTOR, YOU'LL HAVE BYPASS PUMPING. AND THEN YOU HAVE EQUIVALENT OF A 40 FOOT TRAILER THAT'S DOWN THERE WITH THE RESIN. THAT HAS TO STAY COOL UNTIL IT'S CURED. SO THEY'LL LAY IT IN RATHER COOL, AND THEN THEY'LL HEAT IT UP WITH HOT WATER SO THAT IT SETS IN PLACE.

THIS IS A MINIMAL TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION OR R RECONSTRUION IF THE PIPE WARRANTS IT IN SUCH A CREEK BED, BUT IT IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF IMPACT TO ANY CREEK AREA. SO. TO REPLACE THESE SEWERS IS IMPACTFUL. TO HAVE THEM SPILL IS IMPACTFUL. IT'S A CHALLENGING EFFORT FOR ALL FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING WITH WASTEWATER MAINS THROUGHOUT THE NATION. SO WE LOOK FOR DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET IT DONE. BEST TIME TO DO IT IS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE AN EMERGENCY, AND TO DO THAT, YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND CONTINUOUSLY INSPECT AND PRIORITIZE YOUR PIPE AND REPLACE IT AT THE RIGHT TIME AND THE RIGHT POINT OF ITS SERVICE LIFE. THAT I'LL PASS IT BACK TO CRYSTAL. THIS IS JUST A WRAP UP AND KIND OF REITERATING JUDD'S STATEMENT ABOUT GARLAND'S COMMITMENT MOVING FORWARD. BEFORE I GET TO THE NEXT STEP STRATEGY, THOUGH, BEFORE I GET TO THE NEXT STRATEGY, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE ON JULY 6TH. I'M SORRY, ON JULY A 11TH, WE MET WITH THE CONSULTANT TO DISCUSS THE RESTORATION AND PROTECTION OF THE FOREST PRESERVE, AS WELL AS LOOKING FOR A PLAN TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THIS, MOVE OUR PROJECT FORWARD TO ACCESS THE WASTEWATER COLLECTION LINE. OUR FOCUS ON THAT IS GOING TO BE DEFINITELY A MORE HARMONIC COLLABORATION BETWEEN THESE TWO INITIATIVES. INSTEAD OF TWO COMPETING INITIATIVES. ON J JULY 16TH, WE MET WITH THE SPRING CREEK FOREST PRESERVE SOCIETY LEADERSHIP, AND WE MADE A COMMITMENT TO THEM THAT OUR COMMUNICATION EFFORTS WOULD CERTAINLY BE IMPROVED. WE WOULD BE WORKING WITH THEM VERY DILIGENTLY TO COME UP WITH A SCOPE OF WORK FOR THE CONSULTANT, AND WE RECEIVED THAT SCOPE OF WORK ON JULY 18TH. IT IS A DRAFT, SO WE COMMITTED TO THE SPRING CREEK FOREST PRESERVE THAT WE WOULD BE REACHING OUT TO THEM ONCE STAFF HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE SCOPE, TO BE SURE THAT WE DID NOT HAVE

[01:00:06]

THAT'S LOOKING AT OUR SEWER LINE, MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAINTAINING OUR SEWER LINE, LOOKING AT OUR PARTNERSHIPS, HOW CAN WE STRENGTHEN OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH NOT JUST NOT JUST THE SPRING CREEK FOREST PRESERVE SOCTY, BUT ALSO ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT I LISTED AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS PRESENTATION, INCLUDING DALLAS COUNTY, INCLUDING THE FOREST PRESERVE, INCLUDING THE RESIDENTS, INCLUDING ALL OF OUR INTERNAL DEPARTMENTS, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS WATER AND WASTEWATER COLLECT, I MEAN, AS WELL AS WASTEWATER COLLECTION AND TREATMENT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN GO ABOUT DOING THE FOREST PRESERVE RESTORATION. I ALSO WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RESTORATION, THIS IS NOT ESTHETICS. THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. ESTHETICS PLAYS A PART IN IT. BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE SOME, YOU KNOW, IMPACTS TO THE WILDLIFE. THERE'S IMPACTS TO PLANTS, THERE'S IMPACTS TO THE ECOLOGY OUT THERE IN GENERAL. IT WAS A VERY, I GUESS, FINE BALANCE RELATED TO THE ECOLOGY OUT THERE. AND WE'RE ASKING OUR CONSULTANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, NOT JUST THE ESTHETICS OF THE AREA. AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE ALSO COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT WE, TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY, LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING THE FOREST PRESERVE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. THROUGHOUT THIS OPERATION. AND THEN COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION ARE KEY TO ALL OF THIS, AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO BOTH OF THOSE, NOT JUST TO THE SOCIETY, BUT ALSO TO THE RESIDENTS AS WELL AS THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE HAVE LISTED HERE. SO WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION, AND WE'RE OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION. FIRST QUESTION IS COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON. OKAY? I'VE GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS. SO WHILE I DO APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION, MEMBER DUTTON, WE PLEASE THANK YOU. SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE. SO FAR. SO THANK YOU. OKAY. HOW ABOUT NOW OKAY. SO WHILE I DO APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION, THIS SHOULD HAVE ALL BEEN DONE PRIOR TO WHAT NOW SEEMS TO BE A CYA MEETING. KNOWING THAT HOW AND WHY SEWERS WORKS IS FANTASTIC. BUT THAT DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO EXPLAIN HOW AND WHY THIS HAPPENED.

THERE'S NOT A SINGLE PERSON, IN MY OPINION, IN THIS CITY WHO IS ON PAYROLL, WHETHER THAT IS STAFF OR CONTRACTED, THAT SHOULD NOT BE FULLY EDUCATED IN ALL THINGS. PRESERVE. IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE AROUND IN NEAR, BREATHE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PRESERVE. YOU SHOULD BE TRAINED IN THE PRESERVE. ESPECIALLY OUR OUR CITY LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE EXTENSIVE TRAINING IN SUCH SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CITY BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, IT IS 20% OF OUR CITY. I MEAN, THAT'S THAT'S HUGE. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD TAKE FOR GRANTED. WE DESTROYED AN ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM. ON AN OOPSIE LIKE THAT. THAT CAN'T BE TAKEN LIGHTLY AT ALL. SO I WILL I WILL READ ALL OF MY QUESTIONS TO YOU AND JUST TO GET THEM OUT, AND THEN YOU CAN ANSWER AFTER. SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, WAS COUNCIL NOTIFIED THAT THERE WAS A WATER BREACHING, THAT THERE WAS WATER BREACHING INTO THE SEWER LINE IN OR AROUND THE PRESERVE? IF SO, HOW AND WHEN? IF NOT, WHY? WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF DIRECTING THE CONTRACTORS? NOT A NAME, I DON'T CARE. BUT WHAT WAS THEIR ROLE? HOW DID THEY FALL ON THE TOTEM POLE? SOMEONE THAT IS DIRECTING

[01:05:02]

AND DID WE NOT APPROVE THE PURCHASE OF DRONES SPECIFICALLY TO AID US IN GETTING VISUALS ON HARD TO ACCESS PLACES? AND MY LAST QUESTION IS, WE'VE HAD A LARGE TURNOVER IN OUR SENIOR STAFF THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN KNOWLEDGE OF THE PRESERVE. SO DO WE FEEL LIKE THAT HAS PLAYED A ROLE IN THIS ERROR? THANK YOU. SO AS FAR AS NO, I THINK YOU'RE A COUPLE QUESTIONS R RELATED TO COUNCIL NOTIFICATION OF INFLOW AND INFILTRATION AND ALSO OF THE OVERFLOW. SO AND YOU GUYS CHIME IN HERE. BUT WE OUR SYSTEM HAS HAD PROBABLY INFLOW AND INFILTRATION ISSUES FOR A LONG LONG TIME. EVERY SYSTEM DOES. YOU ASK ANY CITY MANAGER OUT THERE AND THEY'RE GOING TO SAY THEY HAVE AI AND AI IN THEIR SEWER SYSTEM. AND IT'S A IT'S A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ITEM IN IN MOST CITY'S BUDGET. IT WOULD BE IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO REALLY PREDICT AND EVEN KNOW AND BE ABLE TO NOTIFY COUNCIL ABOUT WHEN THERE'S I AND I THAT HAPPENS. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIM. AS FAR AS THE EVENT, THE SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOW IN MARCH OF LAST YEAR AND I DON'T I CAN'T SPEAK TO EXACTLY HOW OFTEN IT HAPPENS, BUT ACCIDENTS HAPPENED.

DEBRIS RUNS INTO MANHOLES, MANHOLE COVERS BECOME DISLODGED FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS. EVERY CITY PROBABLY HAS ALSO NOTIFIED T-C-E-Q OF A SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOW. THAT IS NOT AT LEAST RIGHT NOW. AND IF IT'S COUNCIL'S EXPECTATION THAT WE NOTIFY YOU OF ALL SOS, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT. I CAN TELL YOU THAT'S NOT BEEN PAST PRACTICE, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.

AGAIN, I CAN'T I D'T HAVE THE DATA IN FRONT OF ME THAT SAYS HOW OFTEN IT HAPPENS, BUT IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. ACCIDENTS HAPPEN. MANHOLE MANHOLES GET OPENED UP, ESPECIALLY DURING STORM EVENTS. AND THERE ARE OVERFLOW EVENTS. AS FAR AS SOME OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS YOU'VE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD? THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT CITY COUNCIL NOTIFIED OF WATER BREACHING. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MANHOLE JUST IN THE IN THE PRESERVE AREA. IN GENERAL. LIKE THE I AND I. YOU WERE SAYING AFTER THE MARCH AND I COULD I COULD BE INCORRECT. SORRY. I'M ALSO MEDICATED. SO THE IRONY IN THE PRESERVE AREA AFTER THE MARCH STORM, IS THAT CORRECT? MY, IT WASN'T NECESSARILY IN THE PRESERVE AREA. IT WAS BY A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT. I BELIEVE IT WAS THE SPRING CREEK AS WELL AS ROWLETT CREEK, BASED ON THE SMART COVERS THAT WE HAD PUT OUT. THERE WAS AN INDICATION FROM THE SMART COVERS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE INI THAT WAS BEING THAT WAS AFFECTING THE TREATMENT PLANT HAD TO BE COMING FROM THE SPRING CREEK, RELIC CREEK AREA. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR? RIGHT? SAY IT AGAIN. THAT WOULD COVER THE PRESERVE AREA. THAT'S THAT'S CORRECT.

WHAT I'M ASKING. SO IF IT IF WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS THAT BREACH SOMEWHERE IN THAT AREA, LIKE BEING SUCH A SENSITIVE, SENSITIVE ZONE. RIGHT. THAT'S KIND OF LIKE IT'S LIKE POISON IVY. YOU TELL EVERYONE LIKE, HEY, WATCH OUT, THERE'S POISON IVY, RIGHT? THE SPRING CREEK PRESERVE. IS THAT POISON IVY? LIKE EVERYONE SHOULD BE ON HIGH ALERT, IN MY OPINION, SO THAT THINGS LIKE THIS DON'T HAPPEN. SO IF THERE WAS A BREACH IN THAT LINE, WE KNEW THAT EVENTUALLY THERE WAS GOING TO HAVE TO BE SOME SOME OVERHAUL GOING ON. SO THAT'S KIND OF MY THINKING IS IF WE KNEW THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, WE KNEW THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO

[01:10:01]

AND I'M NOT ALWAYS THE BRIGHTEST CRAYON IN THE BOX, BUT I CAN THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX. SO I MIGHT THINK OF SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE ELSE DIDN'T THINK OF OR WHATEVER. SO IF WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE EYES ON IT, THINGS LIKE THIS COULD BE PREVENTED SO THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING TO SCOUR AT THE LAST, YOU KNOW, THE LAST MINUTE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO. SO THAT THAT'S KIND OF MY THINKING IS IF SOMETHING IF, IF WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO THE POISON IVY, LIKE, LET'S TELL EVERYBODY, HEY, RED FLAG LIKE, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION SO THAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY AVOID THESE SITUATIONS IN THE FUTURE. CAN I ANSWER YOUR NEXT QUESTION? YEAH. YOU ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT THE TUNNELING OF THE LINE. SO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO TOTALLY SEPARATE LINES.

THERE WAS AN EXISTING LINE THAT WAS DONE BACK IN 1970, AND THEN IN 2009, THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL LINE, THESE TWO LINES, AND SEE IF I CAN GET BACK TO THAT PICTURE. SO MY QUESTION WAS SPECIFICALLY THAT ONE STRAIGHT STRAIGHT WITH NO MANHOLES, THAT ONE, THAT'S NOT THE LINE THAT WE WERE ACCESSING. OKAY. SO THAT'S NOT WHERE THE DAMAGE IS DONE. NO. THE LINE THAT WE WERE ACCESSING IS THE LINE THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED BACK IN 1970. WE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE LINE THAT WAS THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 2009 FROM AN ACCESS STANDPOINT, BUT SPECIFICALLY, THAT IS NOT THE LINE THAT WE WERE ACCESSING. WE WERE TRYING TO ACCESS THE LINE THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN IN 1970. SO WHEN THEY DID THAT LINE IN 1970, THEY HAVE TO CLEAR OUT ALL OF THAT STUFF TO TUNNEL THAT. I'M SO SORRY. THAT PREDATES ME. I MEAN, I MY ASSUMPTION IS LIKE WITH TYPICAL CONSTRUCTION IN A CREEK, THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO SET UP AN AREA WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO ACTUALLY EXCAVATE IN THE CREEK BED. THAT'S TYPICALLY HOW THAT CONSTRUCTION IS HANDLED. IS THAT SORRY? FROM HERE IT LOOKS LIKE THAT STRAIGHT LINE IS NORTH OF THE CREEK BED. IT IS. IT'S DIRECTLY UNDER. IT'S DIRECTLY UNDER THE PRESERVE. OKAY, THAT WAS MY QUESTION. HOW DID THEY GET THAT PART DONE AND NOT HAVE TO TUNNELED UNDER THE SPRING CREEK FOREST PRESERVE? WE CAN'T DO THAT ALONG THE CREEK. IS THAT NOT A THING? THAT'S A GENUINE QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW YET. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE CHECKING INTO WITH THE CONSULTANT. ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT KIND OF CONDITION THAT EXISTING LINE IS IN. THAT'S PART OF THE CHALLENGE. SO CAN YOU DUMB IT DOWN FOR ME? BECAUSE WHAT I JUST HEARD IS WE DESTROYED A BUNCH OF STUFF THAT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. SO IF YOU RECALL, WHEN I STARTED, IT WAS ABOUT ACCESS. IT WASN'T ABOUT NECESSARILY THAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO CONSTRUCT A NEW LINE. IT WAS THAT WE NEED TO LAY EYES ON THE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE OR THE EXISTING SANITARY SEWER LINE OUT THERE, SO THAT WE CAN DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF CONDITION THAT LINE IS IN RIGHT NOW, TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH OF THAT MAY OR MAY NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A FUTURE DATE. I, I. THAT JUST MADE EVEN MORE A LITTLE BIT OF SENSE TO ME. AND. LIKE JUST TO HEAR WE HAD TO DESTROY THIS WHOLE LARGE AREA JUST TO LOOK RIGHT. LIKE THAT'S WILD. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WILD. LIKE, I DON'T I, I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE EQUIPMENT THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH THERE, BUT THAT. THAT IS VERY, VERY. I'M JUST CONSTANT. THANK YOU. OH, A COUPLE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU RAISED THAT I WANT TO ADDRESS. THE ONE IS ABOUT DRONES. SO WE DID INDEED PURCHASE A DRONE THAT'S BEEN USED TO INSPECT SOME OF THE SEWER LINE CORRIDORS. HOWEVER, THE DRONE DOES NOT GO INTO THE SEWER LINE. IT DOES NOT GO INTO MANHOLES. AND SO IT CAN KIND OF PUT EYES ON THE TOP OF MANHOLES TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY BREACHES FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE. BUT THAT IS THAT'S ONE TOOL IN THE TOOL BELT THAT WE HAVE. THE OTHER QUESTION THAT YOU ASKED HAD TO DO WITH TURNOVER AT THE SENIOR STAFF LEVEL. AND AS FAR AS

[01:15:02]

WE HAVE OTHER NEW STAFF MEMBERS IN HIS DEPARTMENT AND ACROSS THE BOARD. AND. WHEN SOMEBODY RETIRES, THERE'S A LOT OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE THAT WALKS OUT THE DOOR. AND WHAT HELPS AN ORGANIZATION THRIVE IN AN ENVIRONMENT LIKE THAT IS, IS WHEN THAT KNOWLEDGE GETS BUILT INTO SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES SO THAT NO, REGARDLESS OF WHO'S HOLDING WHAT TITLE AND WHO'S IN WHAT POSITION THAT THERE ARE, THERE ARE THOSE SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES IN PLACE. AND THAT'S THAT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS. AND I WOULD SAY IN REGARDS TO THE FOREST PRESERVE SPECIFICALLY THAT AGAIN, WE SIT AROUND THE TABLE, WE KNOW WHAT THE FOREST PRESERVE IS. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT 2500 EMPLOYEES KNOW WHAT THE FOREST PRESERVE IS. AND THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF JOB DUTIES, SEGREGATED JOB DUTIES AND DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. IT'S A, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. AND THAT'S JUST I REGRET THAT. I WISH I COULD GO TALK TO EVERYBODY AND TELL THEM, YES, THERE'S A SPRING CREEK FOREST PRESERVE AND HERE'S WHAT IT MEANS. AND PERHAPS THAT'S PART OF TRAINING THAT NEEDS TO BEBE DONE. BUT THAT THAT IS WHAT IT IS. YOU KNOW, AND I'M NOT GOING TO ADDRESS THE CYA. I DON'T I DON'T THINK THAT WAS A VERY FAIR COMMENT. RESPECTFULLY, COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON, WE'RE NOT HERE TO COVER OUR. WE ARE WE ARE HERE TO SPEAK TRUTH. WE ARE HERE TO SPREAD FACTS. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT JOINTLY AND IN COOPERATION. WE'RE OUT OF ORDER. WE'VE APOLOGIZED FOR THAT. I WISH THIS CONVERSATION COULD HAPPEN WITH THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY FIRST AND THAT I APOLOGIZE FOR. BUT WE'RE NOT HERE TO CYA. THAT IS WHAT IT IS. SO I ALSO DON'T THINK THAT IT'S LOGICAL TO THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 2500 EMPLOYEES KNOW ABOUT THE PRESERVE, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT IS VERY LOGICAL. AND WITHIN THE REALM OF POSSIBILITIES TO HAVE THEIR MANAGEMENT AND THEIR LEADERSHIP KNOW ABOUT THE PRESERVE BEFORE THEY GO OUT THERE. I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE EVER GOING TO HAVE ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES KNOW ABOUT THE PRESERVE. I PERSONALLY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE PRESERVE UNTIL I GOT ON COUNCIL. SO YOU ONLY KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW. BUT WHAT I DO EXPECT IS THAT THEIR MANAGEMENT, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GIVING THE ORDERS, THEY KNOW ABOUT PRESERVE AND THEY ARE ABLE TO EDUCATE THEM, EVEN IF IT'S JUST YOU'RE GOING INTO A YOU'RE GOING INTO A PRESERVE AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT DO. SO DO I EXPECT EVERY CITY EMPLOYEE TO KNOW ABOUT PRESERVE? NO, I DON'T I DO EXPECT IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE WORKING IN OR AROUND THE PRESERVE, THAT THEY GET EDUCATED. I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S TOO MUCH TO ASK. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I APPRECIATE THE EDUCATION. MIKE AND CRYSTAL I DO. THAT HELPED ME A LOT AS A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER. BUT TO YOU AND TO CITY MANAGER, MY REQUEST, THIS FOR THIS AGENDA ITEM WAS TWOFOLD. ONE, WHAT HAPPENED? BUT MY SECOND PIECE WAS WHAT PROCEDURES? WHAT PROCESSES ARE WE PUTTING IN PLACE TO ENSURE THIS CAN'T HAPPEN AGAIN? WHEN I WORKED FOR A MANUFACTURING COMPANY, WE MADE ROOF TAR. IT WAS JUST BLACK GOOP IN A BUCKET.

BUT WHEN WE MADE A CHANGE TO THE FORMULA, WE HAD THE QUALITY CONTROL DEPARTMENT, THE PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT, SALES, MARKETING, CUSTOMER SERVICE. EVERYBODY HAD TO SIGN OFF BEFORE WE PROCEEDED WITH A SIMPLE CHANGE. AND SO WHAT KIND OF PROCESSES ARE WE PUTTING IN PLACE TO ENSURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN? WAS KIND OF THE SECOND PIECE. HAVE YOU ADDRESSED THAT YET, OR ARE YOU STILL WORKING ON THOSE? WHERE ARE WE AT? WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT.

AND THE WORD THAT YOU USED I BELIEVE, WAS GUARANTEE. AND I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT SPECIFICALLY. YOU ASK, WHAT COULD WE DO TO GUARANTEE THAT THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN? AND I CAN TELL YOU THERE IS NOTHING THAT I CAN TELL YOU RELATIVE TO A GUARANTEE THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. AND I SAY THAT WITH THE CAVEAT THAT IF WE WERE TO HAVE A SEWER COLLAPSE OUT THERE, IF WE WERE TO HAVE THAT SEWER LINE TO FULLY BREACH, THERE'S NOTHING I COULD DO OTHER THAN GET OUT THERE AND ADDRESS IT AND GET IT ADDRESSED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. SO I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT TERM GUARANTEE AND TAKE THAT OFF THE TABLE, BECAUSE I CAN'T GUARANTEE YOU THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WE

[01:20:05]

THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR. COUNCILMEMBER WILLIAMS. CAN YOU HEAR ME? OH, OKAY. CRYSTAL MENTIONED. AT THE OUTSET OF HER PRESENTATION COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PRESERVE SOCIETY, I THINK, AND ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WILL BE I THINK THAT AS A PART OF THOSE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS, PERHAPS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT COUNCIL DUTTON MENTIONED WAS, WAS, WELL, TWO THINGS. COUNCIL NOTIFICATIO.

IF SUCH A THING HAPPENS AS TO WHEN, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT I THINK CAN BE DISCUSSED BETWEEN YOU AND STAFF AND, AND CITY MANAGER, AND I'LL COME BACK TO COUNCIL IF THAT IS APPROPRIATE.

AND THE SECOND SECOND THING IS. I WASN'T WITH WITH WITH WITH CITY IN 1979, 70. YEAH, YEAH. SO WHAT HAPPENED IN 79 IS, IS OF LITTLE VALUE TO ME. BUT I AM INTERESTED IN RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THAT YOU THAT THE CITY THE PRESERVE SOCIETY WITH THE CONSULTANT ANY THINGS THAT WOULD THAT WOULD HELP TO MITIGATE, IF YOU WILL. OKAY. BECAUSE THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN. SO IS THAT AN EXPECTATION OF YOU AND THE COMMUNICATION WITH THE PRESERVE AND WITH THE CONSULTANT? PERHAPS THAT COUNCIL THAT YOU COULD ADDRESS THOSE AREAS AND EVEN THE REPORTING PROTOCOL? I DON'T EXPECT 2500 PEOPLE TO KNOW ALL ABOUT THIS. I MEAN, THEY CAN'T. OKAY. SO PERHAPS YOU COULD LOOK AT ALSO THE COMMUNICATION PIECE OF IT AND SHARE WITH COUNCIL YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AS THE FLOW OF COMMUNICATIONS SHOULD WHEN AND IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN IS THAT IS THAT SOUND DOABLE? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. I THINK THAT THAT THAT THAT WOULD MITIGATE I THINK THAT WOULD HELP THIS PROCESS ALONG. TRYING TO GET INTO WHAT HAPPENED IN 79, WHAT HAPPENED IN 80. TO ME, THAT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, BUT I THINK. YOU'RE RIGHT. WITH THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PRESERVE, THE CONSULTANT, I THINK YOU YOU CAN RECOMMEND TO THE COUNCIL. WHAT POINT IN THE PROCESS WOULD TRIGGER A COUNCIL NOTIFICATION. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU MAYOR. SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER BASS. THANK YOU MAYOR. YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO START OFF BY SAYING, YOU KNOW, USUALLY IT ROLLS DOWNHILL. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SEWER SYSTEM AND IN, YOU KNOW, MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT ROLLS UPHILL. SO IT'S

[01:25:03]

AND ANYBODY CAN STOP ME IF I'M SPEAKING OUT OF TURN ON THAT AND I'M SORRY. I'M LOOKING AT SOME TEXTS THAT ARE JUST COMING IN. OKAY. NO, NO, THAT'S OKAY. ANYWAY. YEAH, THAT'S JUST KIND OF SUMMING UP. WHAT, WHAT I, WHAT I'VE HEARD AND I DO SECOND MOST OF WHAT, WHAT COUNCIL HAS BROUGHT FORWARD HERE AS FAR AS COMMUNICATION AND, AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TO MOVE FORWARD. AND MAYOR PRO TEM LUCK. I KNOW TO WAIT FOR A LIGHT. NOW, DON'T FIGHT ME ON THE BUTTON.

OKAY. SO FIRST I WANT TO JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT PRESERVE MEANS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE SPRING CREEK FOREST PRESERVE. ROWLETT CREEK PRESERVE, WHAT DOES PRESERVE MEAN AND WHAT DOES THAT BASICALLY? DOES THAT PROTECT THE LAND IN ANY WAY? AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, MAYBE YOU COULD ANSWER THAT FOR ME. WELL, AND I MAY ASK OUR CITY ATTORNEY TO CHIME IN HERE A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE IT REALLY BOILS DOWN TO THE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE SOCIETY AND THE CITY. AND IN ALL OF THAT, AGAIN, IT SPEAKS TO PARTNERSHIP. AND IF THERE ARE IF THERE ARE ACCESS, IF THERE IS ACCESS THAT'S NEEDED, IF THERE'S IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED, THAT WE SIT DOWN TOGETHER AND WE FIGURE IT OUT. AND AGAIN, I WANT TO APOLOGIZE THAT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN ADVANCE OF THIS. THAT

[01:30:01]

WE COULD END UP IN THAT SITUATION. AND THAT'S JUST ON THE SERVICE SIDE OF THINGS. BUT IF THAT RESULTS IN A SPILL INTO THE CREEK, THEN WE HAVE A WHOLE NOTHER LIST OF ACRONYMS THAT COME INTO PLAY. T-C-E-Q, TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT, DALLAS WATER UTILITIES, IT'S A LAUNDRY LIST GETS BIGGER, AND WE END UP IN A SITUATION WHERE WE WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO OPEN AN EOC AND START LOOKING AT EMERGENCY OPERATIONS COMMAND CENTER, AND THEN START LOOKING AT HOW BEST WHAT CAN WE DO TO PROVIDE MINIMAL LEVEL OF SERVICE TO THOSE RESIDENTS WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THIS WHILE WE'RE WORKING ON CLEANUP EFFORTS? SO WERE ANY WATER TESTS DONE ALONG THAT AREA TO MAYBE THE INDICATED THE LEVEL OF I AND I IN THE WATER? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO USE CAMERAS TO SEE IF THERE'S A BREACH, AND WHY CAN'T YOU JUST KIND OF SEE WITH WATER TESTING IF THERE'S A BREACH? SO. SO TYPICALLY TESTING OF THAT WATER, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOME CONSTITUENT THAT IS ABNORMAL. IN THAT CASE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE BACTERIA THAT'S IN THE CREEK AND IN THE SEWER OF SIMILAR NATURE. JUST BY NATURE, WILDLIFE. AND THEN HUMAN WASTE. BUT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE PIPE, MY EXPERTISE TELLS ME I HAVE A PIPE THAT'S SITTING THERE. IT'S 50 PLUS YEARS OLD. IT'S BEEN SITTING IN A CORROSIVE ENVIRONMENT IN MOST CASES. AND IN THIS CASE, GARLAND'S LUCKY IT HASN'T COLLAPSED YET. JUST FROM MY EXPERIENCE. AND TO TELEVISE THAT, WHY WE WOULD HAVE TO TELEVISE IT WOULD TELL ME THE CONDITION OF THE MAIN. AND WHAT I CAN SEE INSIDE IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU SEE ON THE OUTSIDE, BECAUSE IT'S SUBJECT TO THE CORROSION. AND SO YOU CAN TELL WHAT THE ORIGINAL DIMENSION WAS OF THE PIPE WALL AND HOW MUCH IS LEFT. TYPICALLY YOU'LL HAVE EXPOSED AGGREGATE OR SOMETHING ELSE LEFT, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MEASURE THAT. WHETHER YOU CAN REHAB THAT OR NOT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME DETERMINATION, TECHNICAL DETERMINATION OF WHAT'S LEFT OF THE PIPE TO WORK WITH. AND SO YOU OBTAIN THAT VISUALLY OR SIMILARLY, INSTEAD OF A CAMERA, WE CAN RUN A MULTI-SENSOR. IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE SAME EQUIPMENT THAT WE WOULD

[01:35:01]

WE'VE TRIED A DRONE, BUT THE DRONES AREN'T EFFECTIVE OVER CANOPIED AREAS, SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR OTHER MEASURES TO TRY TO LOOK AT THAT. BUT ULTIMATELY WE WOULD NEED SOME SOME ACCESS SOMEWHERE ALONG THAT WAY TO GET ACCESS TO SOME OF THOSE MANHOLES. WELL, DUCK CREEK HAS LIKE A IT HAS A SEWER LINE OR WASTEWATER LINE GOING DOWN THE MIDDLE OF IT. FOR MUCH OF THE PARTS OF IT I'VE BEEN IN. WHY WHY WASN'T SOMETHING LIKE THAT CREATED? OR CAN SOMETHING LIKE THAT BE CREATED IN, IN ORDER TO DIVERT OUT OF THE FOREST AREA AND ACTUALLY INTO THE CREEK. SO, SO IN THIS SPRING CREEK AREA, THOSE SEWER MAINS ARE AT THE BOTTOM AND THE WE CALL IT THE INVERT OF THE CREEK. AND SO THE ACCESS WAS TO TRY TO GET VEHICLES THROUGH THAT. RATHER THAN TRYING TO. IT'S DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE UP THAT CREEK BED LIKE DUCK CREEK.

DUCK CREEK IS VERY WIDE BOTTOMED, NOT AS MUCH OF A NARROW V GAP. AND THIS SPRING CREEK AREA ALMOST SEEMS LIKE IT'S VERY SUBJECT TO FLASH FLOODING. EMERGENCY FLOODING EVENTS COMPARED TO, SAY, DUCK CREEK. DUCK CREEK WILL TAKE A WHILE TO RISE. JUST THE DIAMETER AND SHAPE OF THOSE, OR THE WIDTH AND THE SHAPE OF THOSE CREEKS IS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT. CAN YOU CONSTRUCT PERMANENT DAMS AROUND THE MANHOLES? I'M ASSUMING THAT'S WHAT THOSE RISERS ARE, IS KIND OF LIKE A PERMANENT DAM AROUND IT, SO THAT IT CAN BE ACCESSED DURING FLOOD TIMES OR WHATEVER. OR, AND IS THERE LIKE A DIFFERENT MATERIAL THAT CAN BE USED BESIDES CONCRETE AND, OR A DESIGN THAT BETTER PROTECTS MANHOLES WHEN YOU KNOW A BIG TREE COMES AND HITS IT AND THAT THING GETS MOVED AROUND, LIKELY THE WAY THESE WERE CONSTRUCTED WERE THEY WERE AT GRADE WHEN THEY WERE CONSTRUCTED, AND EROSION IS EATING AWAY AT THEIR SUBSTRATE AROUND THEM. OVER TIME. THERE ARE DIFFERENT MATERIALS. CONCRETE IS IF WE ARE GOING TO PLACE CURRENTLY CONCRETE MANHOLES IN TODAY, WE REQUIRE CERTAIN TYPES OF LINER THAT IS CORROSION RESISTANCE. SO

[01:40:06]

IT GOES WHEREVER YOU DON'T WANT IT TO, I UNDERSTAND. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS CONCERNING ANY OF THE PORTIONS OWNED BY DALLAS COUNTY? DID WE ARE WE GOING TO GET INTO AN AREA THAT'S OWNED BY DALLAS COUNTY? HAVE THEY BEEN CONTACTED? AND YES AND YES, AGAIN AFTER THE FACT? NOT IN ADVANCE. AND THE FOR THESE FOR THE SEWER, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ACCESS RIGHTS TO GO IN AND DO WHAT WE NEED TO WITH THE SEWER IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT AS FAR AS EASEMENTS GO. BUT AGAIN, THE COMMUNICATION DIDN'T HAPPEN. AND I WANT TO SPEAK TO I'VE SPOKEN WITH COMMISSIONER DANIEL ABOUT THIS. I INVITED HER TO WATCH THIS PRESENTATION EITHER LIVE OR ON THE TAPE. SO SHE'S AWARE OF THIS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW DURING OUR WORK SESSION. OKAY. THANK YOU. I OWE MY LAST QUESTION. HAVE WE PUT UP SIGNS YET? ARE THERE SIGNS AROUND SAYING YOU'RE IN A FOREST PRESERVE OR. NO, I'M SORRY, I'M NOT. I'M NOT TRYING TO BE FUNNY OR ANYTHING. I MEAN, WHEN I WAS ON THE PARKS BOARD, WE ASKED FOR SIGNAGE ALL AROUND THE PARKS. EVERY TIME THERE WAS SOME KIND OF BUDGET THING THAT CAME UP. I KNOW JERRY CARTER WAS A CHAMPION FOR SIGNAGE AND PARKS, AND I THINK THAT THIS KIND OF SHOWS THAT WE REALLY DO NEED SIGNAGE IN PARKS, EVEVEN IF IT'S I MEAN, EVEN IF IT'S JUST IDENTIFYING A TREE SOMETIMES, MAYBE SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND SAID, WHY DO THEY HAVE A SIGN HERE? YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SEVERAL SIGNS. THERE'S ONE I KNOW ALONG NORTH GARLAND, AS YOU ENTER FROM THE SIDE, HALF PARK HAS ONE AS WELL. THERE'S SEVERAL SIGNS, BUT THE ENTRY POINTS PERHAPS THAT CAME HERE WITH THE CONSTRUCTION WERE DIFFERENT THAN WHERE OUR SIGNS ARE FOR TRADITIONAL TRAIL ACCESS. SO I GET IT. I MEAN, THEY WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOREST. IT'S NOT LIKE THEY WERE ALONG A CEMENT TRAIL. BUT IF I THINK THAT WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF MARKING THINGS IN OUR FORESTS, IN OUR PARKS, IN IN ALL OF THEM, NOT NOT JUST AT THIS ONE, BUT AT OTHER OTHERS AS WELL. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MY OPINION. SO THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT. AND I. THERE WAS A COMMENT MADE ABOUT WHERE'S THE REMORSE? I, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO SIT UP HERE AND CRY AND SAY I'M SO, SO, SO, SO SORRY. I, I HAVE HEARD THAT YOU'RE SORRY AND I, I THINK THAT YOU ALL REALLY DO FEEL THAT I'VE, I'VE TALKED TO BOTH OF YOU. SO THIIS NOT A. I DON'T WANT THIS TO BECOME A WITCH HUNT. I THINK THAT YOU ALL DO A GREAT JOB. AND I'M SORRY THAT THIS HAPPENED. AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF DISAPPOINTED PEOPLE. SO. AND YOU'RE INCLUDED AMONG THOSE. SO I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AT THIS POINT, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. WE GET ALL. I JUST WANT TO, AT THIS POINT, ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT I, WHAT IHINK

[01:45:11]

YOU'RE KIND OF THE LEADER. YOU'RE THE MANAGER, YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE THE HEAD. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE I THINK THAT THIS STARTS. BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THAT'S WHERE LEADERSHIP STARTS. AND THAT'S THE REASON I'M SAYING TO YOU, FIRST OF ALL, THAT I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE MANNER BY WHICH YOU STOOD UP FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, EXCEPT THAT THE BLAME THREW YOURSELF ON THE SWORD, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, AND THEN BEGAN TO TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE DOING IN THE FUTURE TO ASSURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. AND TO THE TWO OF YOU, THE VERY SAME THING. I REALLY APPRECIATED THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU PUT FORWARD, BECAUSE IT DOES. IT SHOWS EXACTLY WHY YOU HAD TO GO IN THERE WITH THOSE HEAVY EQUIPMENT THAT CHOSE. WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON'T? AND THOSE EXPLANATIONS WERE VERY IMPORTANT TO US. AT THE SAME TIME, I HAVE TO ALSO LOOK OVER TO MY RIGHT HERE, AND I SEE THESE CONSTITUENCY, AND I'M NOT JUST FACED WITH THEM TONIGHT. I'M LOOKING AT EASTERN HILLS, EVEN TREES. NATURE, ECOLOGY. AND BEFORE I REALLY SUMMARIZE WHERE I THINK THAT I AM TONIGHT, MR. MAYOR, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS COMING FROM THE COUNCIL, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HEAR FROM OUR CONSTITUENCY. IS THAT POSSIBLE? NOT YET SIR. WE HAVE SEVERAL MORE IN THE QUEUE. OR DO WE? OKAY. ALL RIGHT, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE LAST ON THIS. I APPRECIATE YOU WANTING TO KEEP MOVING, BUT YEAH, WE HAVE. AND THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT IS BECAUSE I'M STARTING TO HEAR NOW A LOT OF THE SAME QUESTIONS BEING ASKED OR IN THE SAME IN DIFFERENT WAYS. AND I JUST I'M ONE THAT I'M NOT. THERE COMES A POINT THAT I'M JUST NOT LOOKING TO FIND BLAME. WE SEE THE BLAME. WE KNOW WHERE THE BLAME IS. IT COMES TO A POINT THAT THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US, AND OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE IMPORTANT TO US. OUR STAFF ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT, AND I BELIEVE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE DON'T, AS WE DO ON THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, ON OUR AUDIT COMMITTEE, WHEN WE GO AND WE CONDUCT AN AUDIT, WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR BLAME. WE'RE LOOKING FOR HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER. WE'RE LOOKING FOR HOW WE CAN GET ALONG, HOW WE CAN COEXIST, AND HOW WHEN WE LEAVE THIS ROOM, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ASSURE THIS SITUAUATION DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. SO THAT'S THE REASON THAT I WAS ASKING THAT. BUT IF THERE ARE OTHERS, YES, I DO THINK WE NEED TO DO THAT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK AND SUMMARIZE WHERE I THINK THAT I AM AS A RESULT OF WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM OUGHT. TO THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. YES, I THIS WAS SUCH AN A UNUSUAL EVENT. I REALLY HAD TO THINK A LOT ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT MIGHT TRANSPIRE. AND SO I DECIDED TO PUT TOGETHER A STATEMENT THAT PRETTY MUCH SUMMARIZES WHERE I THINK OF WHERE WE'RE AT IS THE SITUATION WEIGHS ON ME MOST OF ALL BECAUSE IT CHALLENGES THE TRUST WE'VE WORKED SO HARD TO BUILD BETWEEN THIS CITY AND ITS CITIZENS. GARLAND TAKES PRIDE IN BEING ONE OF THE MOST TRANSPARENTLY GOVERNED CITIES IN TEXAS, AND NOW IS THE MOMENT TO PROVE THAT REPUTATION IS WELL EARNED, THE WORK DONE IN SPRING AND THE SPRING CREEK FOREST PRESERVE WAS NOT AN EMERGENCY, BUT IT WAS NECESSARY. PROBLEM WAS NEVER THE WHY. IT WAS THE HOW A VITAL INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIR WAS EXECUTED IN A WAY THAT DISREGARDED DISREGARDED THE ECOLOGICAL SENSITIVITY AND STEWARDSHIP HISTORY OF THIS PRESERVE. THAT IS SOMETHING WE MUST OWN. THAT SAID, I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL MAKE THIS RIGHT. HIRING KIMBERLY HORN, PERHAPS THE BEST IN ITS FIELD, IS A STRONG FIRST STEP. I TRUST THAT WITH THEIR HELP, THE GUIDANCE OF THE SPRING CREEK ADVOCATES AND THE FULL PARTNERSHIP OF OUR RESIDENTS, THAT WE WILL NOT ONLY RESTORE WHAT WAS LOST, WE WILL STRENGTHEN THE SAFEGUARDS AROUND IT. AND FINALLY, IF THERE IS ANY SILVER LINING HERE, IT'S THAT THE SPRING CREEK FOREST PRESERVE NOW HAS A BRIGHTER LIGHT ON IT THAN EVER BEFORE. LET'S MEET THAT LIGHT WITH ACTION, HUMILITY AND RESOLVE. AND, YOU KNOW, KENNY AND I WERE BOTHERED BY THIS ENOUGH TO WHERE WE DECIDED THAT WE FELT IT IMPORTANT TO

[01:50:04]

MARGARET HAD. MARGARET HAD ASKED ABOUT THE MEANING OF PRESERVE. SO I JUST WANTED TO READ FROM OUR OWN WEBSITE ON VISIT GARLAND.COM. IT SAYS SPRING CREEK PRESERVE WAS RECENTLY INDUCTED INTO THE OLD GROWTH FOREST NETWORK. THE GENE IS THE ONLY NATIONAL NETWORK IN THE US OF PROTECTED OLD GROWTH NATIVE FORESTS AND CELEBRATES THE OLDEST PROTECTIVE AND PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE FOREST. SO. PROTECTED IT'S PROTECTED. I THINK THAT'S THE BIG THING IS IT'S PROTECTED.

AND SO IT'S NOT JUST A BUNCH OF TREES, BIRDS AND BEES AND TREES AND A FANTASTIC MOTH SHOW THIS WEEKEND IF ANYONE JOINED. BUT IT IS PROTECTED. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF JUST THE UPSET COMES, IS TO PROTECT A PART IN. IT'S MOST DEFINITELY NOT A WITCH HUNT BY ANY STRETCH OF THE MEANS. IT IS JUST ACCOUNTABILITY AND PREVENTION. SO I APPRECIATE YOU. I THINK THAT'S THE BIG THING. THANK YOU MA'AM. COUNCILMAN MOORE, DO YOU HAVE YOU WANT I'LL WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU. I WANT TO HEAR FROM SURE. AND I'D LIKE TO SAY AS WELL I WE CAN'T UNDERSCORE THE POTENTIAL ECOLOGICAL DISASTER THAT WOULD HAVE IF THIS ACTUALLY FAILED. IF THIS SEWER LINE FAILED, WE WOULD HAVE 20% OF THE CITY WITHOUT SEWER SERVICE AND RAW SEWAGE LEAKING INTO THE CREEK, DISTURBING DOWNSTREAM WATERSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE TRINITY RIVER AND BEYOND.

SO IF WE HAD SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND TALK ABOUT INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY, THIS LINE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED SINCE IT WAS INSTALLED. I HOPE EVERYONE CAUGHT THAT. WE DON'T HAVE ANY RECORDS OF ANY HISTORICAL RECORDS AT ALL FROM PAST STAFF ON THIS SEWER LINE BEING INSTALLED. HOW THEY WERE INSTALLED BACK IN THE 70S WAS A VERY DIFFERENT TIME THAN NOW.

THEY GOT IN THERE, THEY PROBABLY DID WHATEVER THEY WANTED IN THE BOTTOM OF THAT CREEK, AND THEY BUILT THE SEWER LINE. NOW IT'S UP TO US TO INSPECT IT AND KEEP THAT SEWER LINE RUNNING. AND WE HEARD ALL THE REASONS WHY THAT IT'S IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CREEK. IT MAKES SENSE. NATURALLY.

THAT'S WHERE ALL THE WATER FLOWS. WATER GOES DOWNHILL. SO IT'S UP TO US NOW TO BE GOOD STEWARDS. AND WE DIDN'T COMMUNICATE THAT WELL, AND I AGREE, I APOLOGIZE AS WELL TO THE CITIZENS THAT WE DID NOT DO A GOOD JOB AS THE CITY TO MAINTAIN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR PILLARS THAT WE HAVE ON CITY COUNCIL, IS MAINTAINING OUR CITY INFRASTRUCTURE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE KNOW THAT THE PRESERVE IS VALUABLE AND HOW VALUABLE IT IS. I'M VERY PROUD TO REPRESENT DISTRICT SEVEN, THAT A LARGE PORTION OF THE PRESERVE WAS IN DISTRICT SEVEN NOW REPRESENT THE WHOLE CITY. THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PRESERVE IS BEYOND WHAT, COUNCILWOMAN, YOU TALKED ABOUT, THE OLD GROWTH FOREST THERE. THAT'S SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT ASSET IN OUR CITY. AND THAT'S A GREAT THING FOR RECREATION AND PEOPLE TO COME. AND MY GOSH, DURING COVID 19, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME OUT THERE BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THAT OUR FAMILY COULD DO AND GO OUT THERE TO THE PRESERVE AND JUST ENJOY NATURE. SO THAT BEING SAID, WE MUST MOVE FORWARD ON A PLAN. I'M VERY CONFIDENT KIMLEY-HORN WILL PROVIDE US. THEY'VE ALREADY PROVIDED US. SOUNDS LIKE A SCOPE OF WORK. WE'RE REVIEWING THAT NOW, AND I HOPE THAT ALL THAT WILL BE SHARED WITH COUNCIL. IT'S CERTAINLY GOING TO BE SHARED WITH THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY AS WELL. AND THEY'RE VERY GOOD ENGINEERS AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS OUT THERE THAT WILL HELP US FIX NOT ONLY THE ECOLOGY BUT THE WHOLE THE WHOLE ENVIRONMENT IN THERE, WHILE STILL HAVING TO GET ACCESS. LIKE I SAID, IT'S NOT DONE YET. WE HAVE TO INSPECT THOSE LINES. WE HAVE TO GET IN THERE TO THESE 50 YEAR OLD LINES AND GET IN THERE AND LOOK AT THEM. SO COUNCIL, I WANT TO TAKE A BREAK. WE'VE BEEN OUT FOR ALMOST TWO HOURS. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A TEN MINUTE RECESS AND WE WILL COME BACK AND HEAR FROM CITIZENS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP. SO

[01:55:04]

GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME BACK TO OUR WORK SESSION. WE ARE CONTINUING WITH ITEM NUMBER FIVE, OUR SPRING CREEK FOREST PRESERVE DISCUSSION COUNCIL. I BELIEVE NOW TIME WE ARE GOING TO OPEN IT UP FOR CITIZEN COMMENTS. MADAM SECRETARY, I KNOW WE HAVE MANY SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP. I WOULD ASK THAT YOU WOULD CALL THE PERSON BEING TO SPEAK NEXT AND THEN PLEASE CALL THE PERSON ON DECK SO THEY CAN BE READY. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE NEXT ROOM AS WELL THAT GIVE THEM TIME TO BE READY TO COME ON OVER. JUST A REMINDER, SPEAKERS, THAT YOU ALL WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES EACH TO SPEAK. I ASK THAT YOU COME. PLEASE GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR OUR RECORD AS WELL. MADAM SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL OUR FIRST SPEAKER ON THIS ITEM? YES, SIR. THANK YOU. MAYOR. MISS SONNY LYNN. AND ON DECK WE'VE GOT JOHN MCWILLIAMS. THANK YOU. MA'AM. ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD. AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. MY NAME IS SONNY LYNN. I LIVE AT 1442 MORRISON COURT. THE STATEMENT I HAD PREPARED WAS PREPARED BEFORE THIS MEETING, SO I WILL MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS. MY FATHER WAS HEAD OF THE STREET DEPARTMENT FOR THE CITY OF RICHARDSON UNTIL HIS DEATH. HE TALKED ABOUT CITY GOVERNMENT WHILE HE WAS THERE, BOTH HIS VIRTUES AND FAULTS. HE WORKED WITH THE CITY MANAGER. I BOUGHT MY PRESENT RESIDENCE IN GARLAND IN 1979. MY SON ATTENDED NAAMAN FOREST HIGH SCHOOL. I LEARNED OF THE FOREST PRESERVE THEN AND THAT IT WAS PROTECTED LAND. MY CAREER WAS AS A LEGAL ASSISTANT. I HAVE SEEN BAD ACTS PURPOSEFULLY DISGUISED AS MISUNDERSTANDING, MISCOMMUNICATION AND IGNORANCE.

WE AND GARLAND ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A PRESERVE AND IT SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH. AND THE WORK CARRIED OUT IN THE PRESERVE SHOULD BEONE WITH A MINIMUM OF DESTRUCTION. THERE ARE WAYS TO DO THAT BESIDES ROLLING IN HUGE EQUIPMENT AND JUST DEVASTATING PULLING DOWN TREES, DEVASTATING PLANTS, CHASING OUT WILDLIFE. I UNDERSTAND, MR. MAYOR. MR. CITY MANAGER, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR MAINTENANCE OF OUR SEWER LINES, OUR WATER SYSTEM. I WANT GOOD WATER, I WANT CLEAN WATER.

I WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE MY SEWER SYSTEM. THAT'S NOT THE POINT. THERE ARE WAYS. THIS IS.

THIS IS NOT STANDARD LAND THAT YOU WORK IN A NORMAL WAY. THIS IS A PRESERVE THAT REQUIRES AND IN RESPECT NEEDS, PARTICULAR TREATMENT. IT IS PART ONLY PART OF OUR CITY. YOU CAN USE ALL YOUR BIG EQUIPMENT EVERYWHERE ELSE, NOT IN A PRESERVE. SO I GAVE A DETAILED, BELIEVABLE SERIES OF EVENTS THAT CAUSED THIS BLUNDER IS NOT HARD, IT'S JUST EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE.

THE CITY MANAGER MADE THE DECISIONS TO TAKE THE EQUIPMENT OUT TO THE PRESERVE AND DO THIS JOB, AS IT IS ALWAYS DONE EVERYWHERE ELSE. BUT THIS PRESERVE IS NOT EVERYWHERE ELSE.

THE NEWLY ELECTED MAYOR. REPRESENTING THE VOTERS WHO PUT HIM IN OFFICE IN AN HONEST, NOT REPRESENTING THE VOTERS IN AN HONEST, TRANSPARENT AND RESPONSIBLE WAY IS A POOR PERFORMANCE TO THE BEGINNING OF HIS TERM. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU MA'AM. MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER, JOHN MCWILLIAMS. AND ON DECK WE HAVE AMANDA LANCIONI. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU GUYS FOR LETTING US SPEAK. MY NAME IS JOHN MCWILLIAMS. I LIVE AT 922 FAIR OAKS DRIVE. I'VE BEEN A GARLAND RESIDENTS FOR 57 YEARS. I HAVE 50 YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION, COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING UTILITIES AND WHAT HAVE YOU. AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I WENT OUT THERE TO THE PRESERVE ON FRIDAY BECAUSE I'VE WALKED MY DOGS AND MY KIDS DOWN THOSE TRAILS FOR YEARS, AND I HADN'T BEEN OUT THERE IN A WHILE. SO WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THIS, I WAS APPALLED. AND I WENT OUT THERE AND I WALKED THE WHOLE THING, AND I WAS REALLY APPALLED

[02:00:04]

BECAUSE I WENT BACK OUT THERE TODAY AND LOOKED. ANYWAY, I AM REALLY DISAPPOINTED IN ALL THIS.

I KNOW THAT ORIGINALLY WHEN THAT SEWER LINE WAS PUT DOWN THERE, THEY HAD A BIG TRENCHING MACHINE THAT DID THAT WITH A BIG WHEEL THAT DIGS ROCK. AND, AND THAT'S HOW THEY TRENCHED THOSE CREEKS.

AND THEY PUT THOSE CONCRETE PIPE IN THERE AND THEY ENCASED THEM IN CONCRETE. YOU CAN SEE IT ALL THESE CREEKS AND GARLAND. YOU CAN SEE IT LOOKS LIKE A SIDEWALK DOWN GOING DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE CREEK. WELL, THOSE PIPES ARE ENCASED IN CONCRETE. IF THE PIPE GETS EAT UP FROM THE INSIDE, THEY STILL HAVE A CONCRETE SHELL AROUND THEM. EVERYTHING WILL STILL FLOW THROUGH THEM. WE SHOULD PROBABLY. I HAVE TO ASK YOU SOME UP, PLEASE. SURE. OH, MY. ALREADY FINISHED. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. THAT'S GOOD. DUDE, YOU WERE JUST GOING. I KNOW GETTING ROLLING THERE.

YEAH. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU SIR I APPRECIATE THAT. MADAM SECRETARY. YOU PLEASE CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER AND THE ONE AFTER THAT AS WELL. YES, SIR. AMANDA LANCIONI AND BARBARA BAINUM NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD. AND. HELLO, MY NAME IS AMANDA CHANEY, AND I LIVE AT TWO, TWO SIX WILLOW CREST DRIVE. I'VE LIVED IN GARLAND FOR FOUR DECADES. I LOVE GARLAND, AND I'M THANKFUL TO LIVE HERE. I WANT TO THANK YOU ON THE CITY COUNCIL FOR LISTENING TO US TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR APOLOGIES. I'M HERE TODAY, THOUGH, BECAUSE I AM ANGRY. WE'VE SET ASIDE A PIECE OF PROPERTY TO PROTECT AS A PRESERVE, AND THEN SUDDENLY WE HEAR ALMOST TWO MILES OF THE FOREST DESTROYED BY THE CITY THAT WAS SET TO PROTECT IT. WHAT THE HECK? THIS BREAKS MY HEART AND BREAKS MY TRUST IN OUR CITY GOVERNMENT AND IN THE OPERATIONS OF OUR CITY. YOU'VE GOTTEN YOURSELF INTO A SITUATION THAT CAN'T ACTUALLY BE FIXED. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M HERE ONE BECAUSE OF COMMUNICATION AROUND. THIS HAS BEEN EXTREMELY POOR. ON JULY 3RD ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, IT SAID, QUOTE, CITY PARTNERS WITH PRESERVATION SOCIETY TO RESTORE SPRING CREEK FOREST PRESERVE. WELL THAT'S DECEPTIVE. UPON HEARING ABOUT THIS, I EMAILED MY COUNCILMAN ON JULY 3RD TO ASK QUESTIONS AND I RECEIVED NO REPLY. THEN A COUPLE OF NEWS STORIES. WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHO APPROVED THIS OR NOW WE KNOW WHERE THE SEWER LINES ARE. BUT ALL THIS WAS SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF THE ACCIDENTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE FOREST. MR. MAYOR, I APPRECIATE YOU MEETING WITH THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY, BUT THE COMMUNICATION COULD HAVE BEEN MORE SWIFT AND MORE TRANSPARENT FROM THE GET GO. SO HOW CAN WE BE ASSURED THAT WE CAN TRUST THE CITY TO DO ITS JOB CORRECTLY, AND WE AS CITIZENS WANT TO HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE, YOU KNOW, TO THINGS LIKE THIS, HOW ARE WE GOING TO REBUILD TRUST? SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HOLD THOSE WHO OVERSAW THIS PROJECT ACCOUNTABLE? THAT'S S BN A DISCUSSION TODAY BECAUSE THIS WAS INDEED NOT AN ACCIDENT. SO WHO UP AT THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE CITY APPROVED THIS? WE STILL DON'T KNOW. WHAT WAS THE PROCESS OF LOOKING INTO THIS PROJECT? WE

[02:05:01]

OH, I'M BARBARA BAYNHAM. I LIVE AT 5806 FIRECREST DRIVE IN GARLAND AND I'M ON THE. I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY FOR SPRING CREEK FOREST AND HAVE BEEN WITH THAT GROUP FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS NOW. SO IF YOU NEED ANY HISTORIC INFORMATION, I'M YOUR HISTORY PERSON. SPRING CREEK IS A HUGELY, AS YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT WATER SOURCE. IT'S THE VERY BASIS OF THE FOREST. AND BECAUSE THIS CREEK FORMED AND CREATED A HUGE FLOODPLAIN, THE FOREST WAS ABLE TO GROW THE ANIMALS, FISH, FROGS, TURTLES AND BIRDS THRIVED. AND OF COURSE, WE PEOPLE NEED IT. WE ALL REQUIRE CLEAN WATER. UNFORTUNATELY, THE 50 YEARS AGO THE STANDARD PROCEDURE WAS TO PUT SEWER LINES IN THE CREEK BEDS. THE SEWERS WERE IN PLACE ABOUT TEN YEARS BEFORE THE. IT WAS EVEN DISCOVERED THAT THIS AREA OF FOREST AND PRAIRIE WERE WORTHY OF BEING CALLED PRESERVE. IF THERE IS A SPILL OR COLLAPSE OF THE PIPE, ALL OF THOSE ANIMALS RELYING ON THE WATER COULD BECOME SICK AND POSSIBLY DIE FROM THE CONTAMINATED WATER. THE FOREST COULD ALSO BECOME SICK AND START DYING. UNFORTUNATELY, THE UTILITY ROADS THAT WERE USED TO ORIGINALLY PUT THE SEWER INTO PLACE WERE NOT MAINTAINED AND THE FOREST WAS ALLOWED TO REGROW, AND IT EVENTUALLY BECAME HARDER AND NOW PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PROPERLY INSPECT AND MAINTAIN. THE OLD LINE. NOW FOR THE HEALTH OF THE CREEK AND ALL THE LIFE THAT DEPENDS ON IT.

THIS SEWER STILL HAS TO BE THOROUGHLY INSPECTED, THE PROBLEMS HAVE TO BE PATCHED AND REPAIRED. I'M HORRIFIED BY THE DAMAGE THAT THE ROAD CAUSED, BUT I WOULD BE JUST AS HORRIFIED IF OUR CREEK WAS CONTAMINATED BY A SEWER THAT KILLED THE ANIMALS THAT ARE RELYING ON IT FOR DRINKING WATER. EVEN MORE DISHEARTENING, DEPENDING ON THE MAINTENANCE NEEDED, RAMPS WILL HAVE TO BE BUILT TO GET THE HUGE FIRE TRUCK SIZED EQUIPMENT TO THE CREEK BED AND GOING FORWARD, AFTER THIS PARTICULAR INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE PROJECT IS COMPLETED, THE SEWER DEPARTMENT WILL STILL NEED CONTINUOUS ACCESS FOR FUTURE INSPECTION AND PROBLEMS. SO IT'S TIME TO CORRECT THIS 50 YEAR OLD ERROR. TO ENSURE THE CREEK IS HEALTHY, WE HAVE TO BEGIN A NEW PROJECT AND I CALL IT THE GET THE PIPELINE OUT OF THE PRESERVE PROJECT. THE NAME EVEN FORMS AN ACRONYM PIPELINE OUT OF THE PRESERVE PROJECT, THE POOP PROJECT. WHEN WE GET THE SEWER OUT OF THERE, WE HAVE NO INSPECTIONS AND NO MAINTENANCE. WHEN WE GET THE SEWER OUT OF THERE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE ROADS. WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE RAMPS. WHEN WE GET THE SEWER OUT OF THERE, WE HAVE CLEANER WATER. THE FOREST REALLY CAN START REGROWING AT THAT POINT. PLEASE MAKE INITIATE A NEW PROJECT NOW SO THAT IN 5 OR 10 YEARS OUR CREEK WILL BE SEWER FREE. MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'D CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. FOLLOWING. YES, SIR. DANA WILSON AND EMILY HOFFMAN, ADDRESS. FOR THE RECORD, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. MY NAME IS DANA WILSON. I LIVE AT 5818 CHRISTY LANE IN GARLAND. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBERS. STAFF. I HAVE BEEN VISITING

[02:10:06]

I APPLAUD YOUR COMMITMENT TO MAKING THINGS RIGHT AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE UPDATES ON THE PROGRESS. I HAVE THREE MAJOR CONCERNS GOING FORWARD. WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS SOMEONE ON THE RESTORATION REMEDIATION TEAM THAT HAS SPECIALTY KNOWLEDGE OF TEXAS REGIONAL ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, INCLUDING PLANTS, ANIMALS AND SOILS. I LOOKED OVER THE KIMLEY-HORN WEBSITE AND SAW NO EVIDENCE OF THIS. I HOPE THIS CAN BE RECTIFIED. I ALSO WANT TO ENSURE THAT THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, PARTICULARLY IN DUCK CREEK, GREENBELT AND PARKS, AS WELL AS ROWLETT CREEK NATURE PRESERVE. I HAVE ENJOYED THESE PARKS FOR YEARS AND THEY ARE GARLAND'S AS WELL AS REGIONAL ASSETS. WHAT POLICIES WILL BE PUT IN PLACE SO IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN IN OTHER PLACES IN GARLAND I WANT. AND THIRDLY, I WANT TO ENSURE THAT GOING FORWARD, THERE IS A MINDSET IN PLACE IN GARLAND IN DALLAS COUNTY, WHERE GREEN SPACES ARE CONSIDERED VALUED LOCAL ASSETS, NOT JUST EMPTY SPACES OF NO ECONOMIC VALUE, BUT NATURAL TREASURES TO BE HONORED AND CHERISHED. WE CAN ACHIEVE THIS THROUGH POLICIES, EDUCATION AND AWARENESS, WHICH NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN TRAINING OF THE CITY. FOLKS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO OUCONCERNS AND.

MADAM SECRETARY, OUR NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. BECKY SANDS, BOB DUCKWORTH. AND ADDRESS. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES AS WELL. MY NAME IS BECKY SANDS. I LIVE AT 2004 OSPREY. I AM THE SECRETARY OF THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY FOR SPRING CREEK FOREST. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THREE MINUTES.

[02:15:05]

IN RESPONSE TO PUBLIC AND PRESERVATION SOCIETY PRESERVATION, OUTRAGE OF THE DESTRUCTION. AN APPROVED PLAN MUST BE DEVISED AND APPROVED BEFORE ANY MORE ACTIONS ARE TAKEN IN THE FOREST. THE FOREST PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE. THE PRESERVATION OF SOCIETY FOR SPRING CREEK FOREST SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN ALL FUTURE PLANS. THIS SERIES OF MISSTEPS HAS RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE FOREST PRESERVE.

DEEP, RAW SCARS ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE, WHERE ONCE THERE WAS THRIVING HABITAT, THE LACK OF OVERSIGHT, COMMUNICATION AND FORESIGHT HAS UNDERMINED NOT ONLY THE ECOSYSTEM BUT PUBLIC TRUST IN THE CITY'S STEWARDSHIP OF THIS TREASURED PRESERVE. NOW, THE COMMUNITY MUST GRAPPLE WITH BOTH ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES AND THE URGENT NEED TO REFORM HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE AND EXECUTED WITHIN SUCH SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTS. THE CITY REFERS TO THE FOREST AS AEWEL IN THE HEART OF THE CITY, AND AS YOU DESCRIBE, A LOCAL TREASURE, REGIONAL ECOLOGICAL ASSET, IT IS LIKE YOU TOOK THE JEWEL OUT OF THE CROWN AND HAMMERED IT INTO PIECES. ARE YOU TRYING TO PUT IT BACK? IT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. SO QUESTIONS. DOES A SEWER LINE NEED TO BE REPLACED? RESIDENTS WONDER WOULD WASTEWATER HAVE PROCEEDED WITH BULLDOZING EVEN IF THEY WERE AWARE OF THE SENSITIVE NATURAL AREA? HOW DID THE CONTRACTS READ? ARE THEY LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGE? WHAT STEPS WILL BE TAKEN IN FORCE FOR FUTURE INTER-DEPARTMENTAL COMMUNICATION? AND WILL THE CITY BLOCK THE SCRAPED ROADS SO NO ONE CAN ENTER THE FOREST EXCEPT BY FOOT? THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM SECRETARY. PLEASE CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER, BOB DUCKWORTH. BRIDGET M. RYAN, MY NAME IS BOB DUCKWORTH. I LIVE AT 909 WAKEFIELD DRIVE, GARLAND, TEXAS. I AM AN ACTIVE PERSON IN THIS COMMUNITY. I'M ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND A MEMBER OF THE TIF BOARD ALSO. SO I HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVITY IN THIS IN THIS CITY. I'VE LIVED HERE ALL MY LIFE. IF ANYONE HAD ASKED ME, IS IT OKAY TO GO OUT THERE AND GO THROUGH THAT FOREST WITH A BULLDOZER, I WOULD HAVE TAKEN THEIR LIFE AND WENT TO JAIL OVER THAT. IT'S THAT IMPORTANT THAT WE THAT WE CONSERVE. WE HAVE. IF THIS COUNCIL HAD EVEN BEEN TALKED TO ABOUT WHAT Y'ALL WAS HAVING, I'M SURE THIS WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE THIS CONVERSATION TONIGHT. WE HAVE TO STAND UP FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. AND I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS BEFORE IT HAPPENED. THAT'S THE KEY THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE COME OUT OF THIS DISCUSSION. WE CAN'T WE CAN'T PUT HUMPTY DUMPTY BACK TOGETHER AGAIN. WE ALL LEARNED THAT RHYME AS KIDS, SO WE KNOW THE WASTE OF TIME AND TRYING TO DO THAT. A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT THAT I'VE HEARD THAT THAT CONCERN ME IS WHY 50 YEARS OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE DONE SO QUICKLY? THIS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN BROUGHT TO THIS COUNCIL AND SAID, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS. AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN SOME VALUABLE REMARKS MADE BY THE SPEAKERS IN FRONT OF ME THAT PERHAPS WE NEED TO FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO PUT

[02:20:05]

YES, WE'RE CONCERNED AS A COMMUNITY. I DON'T HAVE A LOT A LOT OF LIFE LEFT ON THIS EARTH.

BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO LITTLE KIDS TO BE ABLE TO WALK IN THAT PRESERVE WHEN THEY'RE ADULTS. AND IF WE DON'T LOOK OUT FOR THINGS LIKE THIS AS THE ADULTS IN CHARGE NOW, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT. AND A LOT OF THESE LADIES THAT HAVE COME BEFORE ME, THOSE ARE OLDER LADIES THAT HAVE GIVEN A LOT MORE TIME THAN I HAVE, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I APPRECIATE WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. THANK YOU COUNCIL. THANK YOU SIR. MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER, BRIDGETTE M AND LORENE JONES. A LOT SAID ABOUT THIS. I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT. NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD FIRST. THANK YOU. SORRY. 36 COLLINS BOULEVARD, GARLAND, TEXAS. HALF OF MY SPEECH RIGHT HERE, I REALLY. WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN OBSOLETE SYSTEM. SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH JUST I MEAN, AREN'T THEY CUT OFF VALVES SOMEWHERE THAT WE COULD JUST TURN THIS OFF COMPLETELY? CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY, THAT YOU COULD JUST TURN THIS OFF COMPLETELY. BUT FIRST OF ALL, JUST BUILD A SEWAGE LINE SOMEWHERE ELSE, NOT ALONG ALONG THE CREEK. YOU KNOW, AUSTIN HAS HAS ACTUALLY REPLACED THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THAT'S DOABLE WITHOUT DESTROYING WHAT WE HAVE. I MEAN, YOU'VE ALREADY LIKE TWO DAYS. JUST CUT THAT SWATH INTO, YOU KNOW, THE PRESERVES THAT WE ACTUALLY LOVE. AND IT'S JUST A HEARTBREAK TO SEE THAT. SO I'M REALLY NOT GOING TO GO BANG ON. AND I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, CARISSA, FOR EXPRESSING SOME OF MY EMOTIONS ON WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT I FEEL. I THINK SHE SAID MOSTLY WHAT I WANT TO. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LETTING ME TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT IT HURTS MY HEART. YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK IT'S CRAZY. THANK YOU. MA'AM. MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU PLEASE CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN THE FOLLOWING ONE AS WELL. LORENE JONES AND BETH ANDREASEN, NAME AND ADDRESS. FOR THE RECORD, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS LORENE JONES. I LIVE AT 5414 GLEN VISTA DRIVE. I'M LUCKY ENOUGH TO LIVE WITHIN ONE MINUTES WALKING DISTANCE OF THE PRESERVE. I LIVED IN GARLAND 30 YEARS. MY CHILDREN GREW UP IN THOSE WOODS AND IT WAS THE BEST GIFT I COULD IMAGINE. HAVING GROWN UP ON LAND MYSELF, TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM LAND IN THE MIDDLE OF A SUBURB THAT HAS ALL THE OTHER AMENITIES, INCLUDING SEWAGE, WAS A GIFT. HOWEVER, THIS ALL BOILS DOWN TO PRIORITIES. GUYS, I UNDERSTAND EVEN BETTER THAN BEFORE TONIGHT THAT THERE'S A MYRIAD OF CONCERNS AND INTEREST TO BALANCE, AND I THANK EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR SACRIFICING YOUR LIFE TO BE ON CITY COUNCIL. IT'S A LOT AND IT'S NOT REALLY VALUED, I GET THAT, BUT IT'S PRIORITIES FAILING TO PLACE PRIORITY ON OUR FORESTS AND OUR NATURAL SPACES HAS IRREVERSIBLE CONSEQUENCES. GARLAND NEEDS TO BETTER PRIORITIZE THE PRESERVATION OF OUR ECOSYSTEMS, THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CREEKSIDE TREES AND FOLIAGE IN THE SPRING CREEK PRESERVE IS UNCONSCIONABLE. NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN A PROTECTED AREA, BUT IT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN IN ANY AREA OF OUR CITY. FORESTED LAND IS PRECIOUS, VULNERABLE, AND OUR CITY NEEDS TO PROTECT EVERY BIT OF IT THAT'S LEFT. I HAVE WATCHED OVER 30 YEARS. THE FOREST CONTINUALLY CUT INTO, CREPT INTO. APARTMENTS ARE BUILT, DOCTOR'S OFFICES ARE BUILT. THERE IS SO PRECIOUS LITTLE LEFT. THERE'S PRIVATE PROPERTY WHERE THE TREES WERE MOWED DOWN, BURIED ON THE LAND.

I WATCHED IT ALL HAPPEN. I FOUGHT WITH EVERYONE I COULD FIND, THE PRESERVE SOCIETY. THE CITY ENGINEER TOLD ME. IT'S PRIVATE LAND. THERE'S NO BUILDING PERMIT. THERE'S NOTHING

[02:25:02]

SO I AGREE WITH THE POOP PROJECT. IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT DIFFICULT ACCESS DOWN THE 30 FOOT CLIFFS, BUILD A SEWER LINE THAT'S NOT AT THE BOTTOM OF A CREEK. IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE CONCRETE GOING BAD, BUIUILDA NEW SEWER LINE MADE OUT OF SOMETHING THAT'S NOT CONCRETE. I DO AGREE THAT PERHAPS IN THIS CASE, REMODELING IS NOT THE ANSWER, AND I REALIZE THAT BUILDING A NEW LINE IS INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE, SO IS TRYING TO RECOVER AN IRREPLACEABLE FOREST TO CUT DOWN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU MA'AM. MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU PLEASE CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN THE FOLLOWING ONE, BETH ANDREASEN AND DOROTHY WHITE.

NAME AND ADDRESS. FOR THE RECORD, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. ANDREASEN, 8202 OLD MOSS ROAD, DALLAS, TEXAS. I WAS ASSURED I COULD SPEAK FROM DALLAS RATHER THAN BERLIN. I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS PRESERVE MEANS, NOT JUST TO ME, BUT TO THE COMMUNITY. A FEW YEARS AGO, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN A GUIDED TOUR OF THE PRESERVE AS MY GROUP GATHERED DANA WILSON FROM THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY GAVE US THE BACKGROUND OF THE LAND'S HISTORY, SPECIFICALLY HOW IT CAME TO BE NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED. THERE WAS A REAL PRIDE IN HER VOICE AS SHE SPOKE.

SINCE THEN, I HAVE MET COUNTLESS OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO DEDICATE THEIR TIME TO PRESERVE, AND THEY ALL CARRY A SIMILAR PRIDE. THAT PRIDE COMES FROM BEING PART OF SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN HERE LONG BEFORE US, AND SOMETHING THAT WE HOPE WILL BE HERE LONG AHEAD OF US. SO WE FIND OURSELVES IN A POSITION TO DETERMINE WHAT IS NEXT. THE LAND HAS A LIFE STORY, AND THAT STORY IS ONE THAT MOVES SLOWLY. THE AREA THAT WAS CLEARCUT WAS FORMER FLOODPLAIN. YOU WALK IT, YOU CAN FEEL THE GRITTY SOIL BENEATH YOUR FEET, THAT SOIL FORMED FROM MILLENNIA OF INTERACTIONS WITH THE NATURAL WORLD, WATER MOVING, RECEDING, EBBING, FLOWING. STAND STILL.

YOU CAN FIND TREES THAT STRETCH HIGH, HIGH OVERHEAD. THEY PRECEDE OUR LIFETIME, THAT OF OUR GRANDPARENTS AND THAT OF THEIR GRANDPARENTS. I AM CONCERNED THAT IN WANTING TO RESPOND QUICKLY, WE MAY BE FORGETTING THE LESSONS OF THE PAST AND IRREVOCABLY CHANGING THE FUTURE. THE LAND HAS A STORY TO TELL, AND WE ARE LUCKY BECAUSE WE HAVE DATA NOW THAT CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND IT. SO TO DATE, OVER 600 PEOPLE HAVE USED INATURALIST. IT'S A CITIZEN SCIENCE PLATFORM, AND THEY HAVE DOCUMENTED THE SPECIES PRESENT. OVER 2000 SPECIES HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED IN THE PRESERVE, OVER 30,000 OBSERVATIONS. SO WE KNOW WHAT WE HAVE IN THE PRESERVE, WHERE IT GROWS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RESTORATION, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE IT MAY BE A GOOD WHILE AWAY. AND THAT'S SOMETHING I DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND BEFORE THE MEETING. I HOPE THAT WE CAN BE VERY DELIBERATE IN HOW WE HONOR THE LAND, RATHER THAN LOOKING AT MAYBE A GENERIC LIST OF PLANTS THAT GROW IN NORTH TEXAS, WE CAN LOOK AT THE DATA WE HAVE. WE DON'T NEED TO PURCHASE SEEDS OR PLANTS FROM WHOLESALERS, COLLECT FROM THE PRESERVE, AND USE THAT TO REPLENISH. REPLENISH WHAT'S LOST. BUT I SAY THAT HAVING NOT REALIZED HOW MUCH WORK MIGHT STILL BE AHEAD OF US, I WILL ECHO WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID THAT THERE IS MORE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE VERY MUCH COMMUNICATING AND DOING WHAT IS BEST FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS LAND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. MADAM

[02:30:06]

NAME AND ADDRESS. FOR THE RECORD, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DOROTHY WHITE. I LIVE AT 728 HAWTHORNE DRIVE IN GARLAND. I AM ALSO A LIFETIME RESIDENT OF GARLAND AND ALSO A MEMBER OF THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY BOARD. MY, YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS, AND I'M NOT GOING TO REPEAT A BUNCH OF THAT. BUT MY TWO BIGGEST POINTS ARE THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND HOW IMPORTANT THESE NATURAL SPACES ARE TO THIS CITY. FROM THE ACCOUNTABILITY STANDPOINT, I WAS VERY ENCOURAGED TO HEAR THAT YOU CONSIDER STAKEHOLDERS ALSO TO BE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THIS ORGANIZATION. HAD THOSE LINES OF COMMUNICATION BEEN OPEN AND THE AND HAD THERE BEEN SOME LEVEL OF THIS IS PARKLAND, THEREFORE WE OUGHT TO TOUCH BASE WITH PARKS.

YOU MIGHT HAVE CONTRACTED WITH KIMLEY-HORN BEFORE YOU EVER WENT IN THERE TO TRY TO FIND A BETTER SOLUTION, AND THAT COULD HAVE MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, IF I WANT TO REDO SOMETHING IN MY YARD PLUMBING WISE, OR FENCE OR CARPORT OR WHATEVER, I HAVE TO GO TO BUILDING INSPECTION. THERE ARE RULES. THERE ARE PROCESSES. THINGS HAVE TO BE MAPPED. THEY HAVE TO KNOW WHAT I'M ABOUT TO TAP INTO THAT'S UNDERGROUND. YOU CAN'T TELL ME THAT THIS ORGANIZATION DOESN'T HAVE SIMILAR PROCESSES FOR OUR OWN CITY PROJECTS. SO BETWEEN THE DOCUMENTATION AND THE COMMUNICATION, ACCOUNTABILITY NEEDS TO EXIST. AND I KNOW IT DOES. I'VE BEEN AROUND THIS ORGANIZATION. I KNOW IT DOES. IT'S A MATTER OF PUTTING IT IN PLACE AND USING IT. ALSO, I'VE HEARARD SEVERAL PEOPLE AT THIS PANEL. SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT, WHAT AN IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE ASSET THIS PRESERVE IS.

I'M GOING TO OADEN THAT ALL OF OUR NATURAL SPACES IN THIS COMMUNITY OF A FEW OTHERS HAVE SAID THIS AS WELL, BUT ALL OF OUR NATURAL SPACES ARE IMPORTANT ASSETS. WE HAVE MARKETED AND PROMOTED THE VALUE OF THOSE ASSETS IN TRYING TO TELL THE CITY STORY. IF WE TRULY VALUE IT, WE NEED TO BEHAVE ACCORDINGLY, PROTECT IT. AND THAT MEANS WHEN THERE'S OTHER DEVELOPMENT COMING IN THAT'S GOING TO INFRINGE ON SOME OF THESE, THESE SPACES, YOU GOT TO LOOK AT THAT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BUFFERS ARE AND HOW TO MITIGATE THAT. I UNDERSTAND WE NEED DEVELOPMENT. I UNDERSTAND WE NEED TO HANDLE THIS SEWAGE ISSUE, BUT WE HAVE TO PROTECT ESE RESOURCES. ONCE THEY'RE GONE, THEY'RE GONE. MR. REX, I TOO HAVE GROWN UP VISITING ALL THESE NATIONAL PARKS. YOU KNOW THAT. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT. IN FACT, I'M GOING TO UTAH IN SEPTEMBER. I'D LIKE A GUIDE. THOSE NATURAL SPACES DO MORE TO HEAL A PERSON AND FULFILL A PERSON THAN ANY OTHER ASSET THIS CITY HAS. WE NEED TO PROTECT IT FOR OUR SAKE, FOR OUR CHILDREN'S SAKE, FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN'S SAKE, FOR THIS CITY'S ECONOMY'S SAKE. FOR ALL THOSE REASONS.

THANK YOU. MADAM SECRETARY. PLEASE CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER, ROBERT M CARR AND REBA COLLINS.

NAME AND ADDRESS. FOR THE RECORD, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. ROBERT CARR, 1821 LEICESTER STREET. GARLAND. LONG TIME GARLAND RESIDENT AND A LIFETIME AND BOARD MEMBER OF THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY. ALSO THE TRAIL STEWARD AT HALF PARK. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE DEVASTATION IN SPRING CREEK PRESERVE WAS A PREVENTABLE TRAGEDY. THIS DIDN'T IMPACT JUST GARLAND RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO LOCAL OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS, VOLUNTEERS, STUDENTS, SCOUTS, AS WELL AS FUTURE POTENTIAL GARLAND RESIDENTS. I RETIRED AT THE END OF JUNE WITH THE INTENTION OF SPENDING MOST OF MY VOLUNTEERING TIME AT HALF PARK TIME TO MOVE ON TO SOMETHING ELSE. NOW TO THE COUNCIL. QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU, THOUGH, IS HOW SAFEGUARD OUR ASSETS. I'LL SAFEGUARD OUR ASSETS FROM CITY STAFF. I'M NOT TALKING JUST ABOUT OUR GEN PLACES. WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THE SEWER SYSTEM. IT'S SOMETHING YOU NEED TO CONSIDER. THANK YOU. MR. SECRETARY. PLEASE CALL THE NEXT

[02:35:06]

HI, EVERYBODY. I'M REBA COLLINS. I LIVE AT 5010 DRAWBRIDGE LANE, GARLAND, TEXAS, 75044. I'M A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY FOR SPRING CREEK FOREST. AND I HAVE VOLUNTEERED MANY, MANY HOURS THERE IN DIFFERENT ASPECTS. MY PRIMARY INTEREST IS THE NATURAL WORLD. THAT'S THAT'S MY MAJOR PASSION IN LIFE. AND THAT PRESERVE IS ALWAYS REPRESENTED.

ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS I STAY IN GARLAND IS THAT PRESERVE IS WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF MY HOME.

SO I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING. I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT A LOT, ESPECIALLY SINCE, ESPECIALLY SINCE 2020, THE COVID SHUTDOWN. AND THAT IS RESILIENCY. AND DICTIONARIES.

RESILIENCY REFERS TO THE ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY ADAPT TO STRESSFUL EVENTS AND MAINTAIN PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY. IT'S THE ABILITY TO BOUNCE BACK FROM DIFFICULT EXPERIENCES. IT'S HOW YOU COPE IN A DISRUPTIVE AND CHANGING WORLD. URBAN RESILIENCE IS THE ABILITY OF A CITY TO WITHSTAND, RECOVER FROM, OR ADAPT TO MAN MADE AND NATURAL DISASTERS. I THINK THIS RESIDENTS OF GARLAND HAVE EXPERIENCED A LOT OF ADVERSE ACTIONS AND DISASTERS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. I'M CONFIDENT THAT OUR PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED CITY EMPLOYEES ARE AWARE OF THE STUDY OF URBAN RESILIENCE AND HOW TO BUILD IT, UNDERSTANDING THAT BUILDING RESILIENCE, RESILIENCE ACTUALLY SAVES MONEY IN THE LONG RUN BY BEING BETTER PREPARED FOR ADVERSE CONDITIONS. BUT I'M NOT SO SURE THAT CURRENT CITY POLICIES RESPECT THE NATURAL WORLD'S PART IN OUR CITY'S RESILIENCE DOES, FOR EXAMPLE, A GREEN ECONOMY VIEWPOINT EVEN ENTER INTO OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING. SCIENTIFIC STUDIES HAVE REPEATEDLY FOUND THAT GREEN SPACES AND GREEN ECONOMIES FOCUSED ON LOW CARBON EMISSIONS CREATE HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES. PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER IF THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE OUTDOORS, ESPECIALLY NATURAL SETTINGS LIKE THE SPRING CREEK FOREST. I THINK ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE LIKE THIS MOST RECENT MANMADE DISASTER WILL CONTINUE HERE UNTIL GARLAND RESIDENTS DEMAND BETTER POLICIES TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT DEVELOPMENT AND NOT JUST POLICIES TO WRING EVERY LAST PENNY OF REVENUE FROM LAND CONTROLLED BY THE CITY. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S STILL A FEW SMALL, UNDEVELOPED LAND PARCELS TOUCHING THE PRESERVE. THAT'S LAND THAT MIGHT BE ACQUIRED FOR MORE BUFFER SPACE TO PROTECT THE CREEK AND ITS FOREST AND PRAIRIES. I THINK IT COMES DOWN TO WHAT WILL THE NATURAL SPACES LIKE SPRING CREEK FOREST LOOK LIKE IN 75 TO 100 YEARS FROM NOW? WHAT DO WE WANT IN OUR TOWN? TO BE RESILIENT ENOUGH TO SURVIVE THE 21ST CENTURY? THANK YOU, THANK YOU MA'AM. MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER AND THE FOLLOWING ONE AS WELL JONATHAN WISE OR JONATHAN W DAVID PARISH. LIKE 75 TO 169. AND WHAT DO WE WANT IN? I HAVE TO BE SURE. YOU GO RIGHT AHEAD, SIR. THANK YOU. MAYOR ADDRESS. AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, SIR.

MY NAME IS DAVID PARISH. I LIVE AT 2526 PEPPER RIDGE DRIVE, GARLAND. I HAVE BEEN A GARLAND RESIDENT SINCE 1980. FOR MANY PEOPLE AND BEYOND. SPRING CREEK FOREST IS A SPECIAL PLACE. IT WAS. IT IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER FOREST IN TEXAS, PERHAPS THE UNITED STATES. THE TEXAS TRAVEL GUIDE UNDER GARLAND. TWO OF THE EIGHT HIGHLIGHTS ARE PRESERVES. SPRING CREEK FOREST SPANS 100

[02:40:04]

AS I WALKED, I WAS OVERWHELMED WITH GRIEF, WHAT WAS LOST AND COULD NOT BE RECOVERED IN A HUNDRED YEARS, OR PERHAPS A THOUSAND. BE. AND THE BIRD TO ME. THE BIRD SEEMED TO BE FLYING AROUND LOOKING FOR THEIR NEST, SHARING IN MY GRIEF, THE EAGLE SCOUT TRAIL SIGN STOOD USELESS OR WERE BENT OVER BY DEBRIS, DEBRIS AND WASTE. THE SUMMER'S WORTH OF WORK. GOD. AS THE STORY ROLLED OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, MANY EXPRESSED SIMILAR FEELINGS OF ANGER AND LOSS. SOME ARE HERE TONIGHT. MANY CALLED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THIS DISASTER. WAS ONLY ON JULY 10TH.

WE FINALLY HEARD FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND BEGAN TO BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WHY. THE LACK OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION AND THE CONFLICTING PRIORITIES. WE HEARD SOME OF THAT TONIGHT, CITY STAFF EXPLAINED. CITY LEADERS MET WITH STAFF ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT BETTER. THANK YOU. YOU'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SIR.

SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER. JONATHAN WISE. DOUGLAS, ATHENS. THAT WAS THE LAST. ONE.

SO YOU KNOW HOW THIS WORKS. LET'S SEE IF THAT WORKS. HONORABLE ATLAS ATHENS NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, THREE MINUTES. I'M DOUGLAS ATHENS. I AM A GARLAND RESIDENT. I'M ALSO A LIFETIME MEMBER OF THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY. AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE TO YOU, YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF STORIES TODAY, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU QUITE HAVE HAD THE DEPTH OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENED OUT THERE. THOSE TREES AND THINGS BEING SOME OF THEM 200 YEARS OLD. MY GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER SIGNED THE TEXAS DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. THOSE TREES THAT ARE THERE NOW WERE ALIVE WHEN HE SIGNED IT. AS DAVID MENTIONED, I'M NOT SURE IF MY GREAT GREAT GRANDCHILDREN WILL BE ABLE TO APPRECIATE WHAT WAS THERE. THIS WAS IN THE HALF PARK SECTION WAS TOTALLY VIRGIN. IT HAD NEVER BEEN DISTURBED. NO SEWER LINE WAS LAID IN THE BOTTOM OF THAT CREEK. GOING THROUGH THAT PART OF THE PARK. SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS GROSS NEGLIGENCE. IT WAS GROSS NEGLIGENCE. YOU CAN'T SAY THAT. WE DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A PARK THERE. YOU CAN'T LOOK ON ANY MAP. YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE 2500 OF YOUR EMPLOYEES EDUCATED ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE

[02:45:02]

AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL TAKE THAT AND MAKE THAT YOUR GOAL. BE A CHAMPION FOR THE FOREST AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU STAND UP AND PROTECT THE FOREST, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN. AND IT'S JUST AN ISOLATED EXAMPLE TO SOME PEOPLE. SOME PEOPLE THINK IT'S JUST TREES. IT WAS NOT IT WAS DIVERSE. THERE WERE SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF HARDWOODS.

THERE WERE SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF BIRDS. YOU CAN'T FIND THE CONCENTRATION OF DIVERSITY THAT WE HAD IN THOSE 200 ACRES OUT THERE ANYWHERE ELSE. I'LL QUIT BEATING UP ON YOU NOW.

THANK YOU. SIR. ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU MADAM. MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE ANY MORE SPEAKERS? YES, SIR. JUDY ASKED HER. SHE DID NOT SPECIFY IF SHE WANTED TO SPEAK, BUT I WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND CALL HER OUT. WE HAD. OKAY. I DON'T SEE HER. I HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER COMMENT CARDS WHO HAVE REGISTERED THEIR POSITION BUT DO NOT WISH TO TESTIFY. HENRY ASNER STATED THAT THIS IS CENTURIES OLD GROWTH FOREST PRESERVATION DO NOT DAMAGE THIS AREA. TIM COLEMAN SAID FOR PRESERVATION OF SPRING CREEK FOREST RESERVE AND AGAINST HOW THE DESTRUCTION WAS HANDLED. OKAY, AND VICTORIA WOOLVERTON DID NOT PROVIDE ANY COMMENTS, BUT SHE CHECKED FOR. THANK YOU, MA'AM COUNCIL, I'M GOING TO OPEN IT BACK UP TO YOU FOR ANY OTHER FINAL COMMENTS. AND MR. CITY MANAGER, YOU AS WELL. IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.

FOR PRESERVATION. COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON. AND VICTORIA WOOLVERTON. DO WE HAVE ONE MORE? I'M SORRY MA'AM, NO. OKAY. GO AHEAD. YES. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FROM THE PRESERVE SOCIETY FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT AND GIVING US A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION THAT MAYBEE DIDN'T

[02:50:06]

[02:55:02]

BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO APPROACH THIS VERY THOUGHTFULLY AND METHODICALLY SO THAT WE DON'T MAKE ANY KNEE JERK REACTIONS HERE. AND THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF GOAL NUMBER ONE FOR ME RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO RESOLVE OUR ISSUE TONIGHT. I DON'T THINK ANYONE HERE BELIEVES THAT. BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A VERY GOOD LAUNCHING PAD. I THINK THAT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT HAPPENED HERE TONIGHT. LOOKING OVER IN THAT CORNER OVER THERE, I'VE JUST COME THROUGH A LEADERSHIP MENTAL HEALTH SYMPOSIUM THIS PAST WEEKEND. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LEARNED THERE IS WHEN PEOPLE HURT, THEY NEED TO BE HEARD. YOU HEARD TONIGHT, IT'S COUNCIL'S HEARD YOU. BUT NOT ONLY HAVE YOU BEEN HURT, DOUG, WE FELT. I THINK THAT THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED HERE TONIGHT. WE DIDN'T JUST FEEL YOU, THOUGH. I THINK THAT WE FELT OUR CITY MANAGER. WE HAVE FELT THOSE WHO'VE COME BEFORE US IN THE WAY OF ATTEMPTING TO EXPLAIN WHAT WAS HAPPENING OUT THERE AND WHY IT WAS NECESSARY TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE HEARD THE TRIALS. IN THE TRIALS, THE BEAUTY OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE TONIGHT. WE ALSO HAVE HEARD RESOLUTIONS, SOLUTIONS, AND PART OF THAT I'M THINKING, MR. CITY MANAGER, MR. MAYOR, PART OF THAT IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE'VE JUST DONE WITH THIS. THE COMMITTEE THAT WE PULLED TOGETHER AS IT RELATES TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THERE WITH THE STAFF WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER. I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO HERE. EVERY ONE OF THE STAKEHOLDERS, WE NEED TO PULL SOMETHING TOGETHER WHERE THE STAKEHOLDERS CAN COME TOGETHER AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS THING, WE CAN HEAR FROM THEM, WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY WANT TO TAKE US FORWARD. WE CAN LISTEN TO STAFF ALL OVER AGAIN. BUT SOMETHING HAS TO HAPPEN AT THIS POINT WHEREBY WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AND GO FORWARD TO ASSURE THAT THIS PRESERVE IS PROTECTED, THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING OUR OWN RULES AND LAWS AND REGULATIONS. IF THEY'RE NOT THERE, THAT WE PUT THEM INTO PLACE, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT WE LEAVE THIS PLACE NOT ANGRY WITH ONE ANOTHER. WE LEAVE THIS PLACE TONIGHT RECOGNIZING TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE THIS THING WORK. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR.

COUNCIL, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC? HAVING SIGNED A SPEAKER CARD? I'M ABOUT TO. ONE MORE SPEAKER, SIR. THEN WE'LL. THIS WILL BE THE FINAL ONE. AND THEN WE WILL WRAP UP THIS DISCUSSION. ONE SECOND, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS. FOR THE RECORD, I KNOW YOU ARE.

DON'T START SPEAKING TILL YOU GET IN FRONT OF THAT MICROPHONE I APPRECIATE IT. MY NAME IS JASON COLLARD, 2501 LAKESIDE DRIVE, AND I APPRECIATE YOU BREAKING PROTOCOL. I KNOW THAT CITIZENS COMMENTS NOT NORMAL AFTER THE FACT, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT Y'ALL TOOK A HIT TONIGHT. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT CITY COUNCIL HAD NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE TO THE PRESERVE GOING, WHATEVER HAPPENED IN THE PRESERVE, YOU KNOW, BEING TORN DOWN, DEMOLISHED. Y'ALL DIDN'T HAVE ANY PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THIS. IT WAS THE POOR COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE CITY THAT Y'ALL ARE TAKING A HIT ON. SO I JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT TO ANYBODY WHO'S LISTENING. YOU KNOW, Y'ALL ARE Y'ALL ARE NOT TO BLAME. OUR NEW MAYOR IS NOT TO BLAME. DISTRICT

[03:00:02]

[6. DART Overview]

BUT DART MAKES IT VERY, YOU KNOW, PUBLICLY CLEAR IN THAT LETTER THAT THEY WERE THEY HAD SOME DIFFERENT MOTIVES WHEN IT COMES TO THAT GENERAL MOBILITY PROGRAM. AND THE THIRD ITEM, AND THIS ONE I TOOK A LITTLE BIT PERSONALLY BECAUSE I'VE BEEN A PART OF CONVERSATIONS WITH DART AND CITY MANAGERS OF DART, WHERE NO FEWER THAN DOZENS OF IDEAS WERE PASSED ALONG TO DART ON HOW TO RESOLVE SOME OF THESE ISSUES. AND I'M NOT SAYING THEY'RE ALL GOOD, BAD OR UGLY, BUT IDEAS WERE PRESENTED AND THE LETTER THAT CAME OUT THAT SAID, BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, THE CITIES HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD NO, NO SOLUTIONS TO THE DART BOARD, SIMPLY JUST NOT TRUE. AND THAT'S NOT BEEN MY EXPERIENCE IN TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THESE ISSUES, DART IN GOOD FAITH IN THEIR CEO, PULLED THE CITY MANAGERS TOGETHER TO SOLUTION THIS FOR YEARS. IT'S BEEN YEARS NOW, AND

[03:05:06]

TONIGHT. MY THOUGHT COUNCIL IS THAT THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT PATHS THAT THIS, THIS DOCUMENT COULD TAKE. ONE IS THAT WE TURN IT INTO A FORMAL RESOLUTION THAT COUNCIL PASSES. THE OTHER WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, TO GET A CONSENT FROM COUNCIL THAT, HEY, THIS REFLECTS OUR OUR FEELINGS AND POSITION ON DART. WE TURN IT INTO A LETTER THAT COULD THEN BE SIGNED BY THE MAYOR AND SENT TO DART, YOU KNOW, GOT KIND OF AN INFORMAL VERSUS A FORMAL ROUTE. I THINK EITHER EITHER WOULD BE GOOD AND EITHER COULD CONVEY TO DART WHAT OUR WHAT OUR ISSUES ARE AND HOW WE'RE SEEING THE SEEING THE CHALLENGES. AND WITH THAT, I THINK I'M OPEN TO ANY DISCUSSION THAT COUNCIL HAS ON THE ON THE LETTER AND WOULD DEFER TO MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE, MAYOR PRO TEM LUCHT, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD. I KNOW WE WERE A PART OF SOME OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS THAT LED UP TO THE DRAFT AND I MISSED ANYTHING. PLEASE FILL IN THE BLANKS. THANK YOU SIR. YES.

COUNCIL. YOU KNOW THAT DART. WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS REALLY SINCE EARLY THIS YEAR, MARCH OR SO, AND WE HAVEN'T TAKEN A POSITION YET. THROUGHOUT ALL THE HISTORY THAT WE'VE HAD, IF IT LEGISLATURE WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WE WERE KIND OF STANDING ON THE SIDELINES. AND NOW, AFTER HEARING AND DISCUSSIONS, CITY MANAGER HAS HAD WITH DART DIRECTLY AND WITH THE DART CEO, NADINE LEE, SHE'S COME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS BEFORE YOU'VE SEEN HER SPEAK HERE. THE. THE GUIDANCE, THE MISINTERPRETATIONS OR JUST THE MISLEADING STATEMENTS THAT THEY'VE HAD NOW, I THINK IT'S TIME FOR US TO TAKE A STAND. AND THAT'S WHY COUNCILMAN MOORE, MYSELF, MAYOR PRO TEM LOCKE HAVE DRAFTED THIS LETTER, AND I HOPE WE'VE GOTTEN A CHANCE TO READ IT AND LOOK IT OVER. AND REALLY, WE HAVE TO ADVOCATE FOR WHAT IS BEST FOR GARLAND, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THOSE OTHER CITIES DO. AND IF DART IS NOT GOING TO KEEP UP THEIR END OF THE BARGAIN OF US PAYING IN ALMOST THREE QUARTERS OF $1 BILLION SINCE ITS INCEPTION, WE NEED TO LET THEM KNOW THAT. I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE READ IT, AND WE CAN DISCUSS THE CONTENTS OF IT, OR WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO ACTUALLY SEND THIS OUT, BUT I'D APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS. AND I'M NOT GOING TO KEEP UP THEIR END OF THE BARGAIN. I'LL BE BE BE BRIEF. I THINK I READ THIS OVER. I ALSO READ JUDD WHAT I DON'T KNOW WHO. I KNOW WHOAND WROTE THE FIRST DART LETTER. I DON'T KNOW WHO ACTUALLY CRAFTED THE SECOND ONE. OKAY. BUT.

NOTWITHSTANDING THAT SECOND ONE, I ALSO WATCHED THE RTC VIDEOS. AND AFTER WATCHING ALL THAT AND HAVING READ THIS DRAFT, I THINK I THINK IT'S TIME TO I THINK IT'S VERY, VERY CLEAR IN WHAT OUR MESSAGE IS. AND I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THIS. AND FOR A LETTER OVER THE MAYOR'S SIGNATURE TO DART BECAUSE. I THINK IF WE IF WE CONTINUE TO DO NOTHING, THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO NOTHING. I MEAN, I KNOW THAT'S AN ODD WAY OF SAYING IT. THAT'S THAT'S THE WAY IT IS. SO I'M IN FAVOR OF UNLESS SOMEBODY WHO HAS SOME SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES PUT IN THIS THIS IN A LETTER FORMAT AND HAVING THE MAYOR, CITY MANAGER, IT COUNCILMAN MOORE. BUT I DON'T I DON'T CARE WHO IT IS, BUT I THINK IT'S TIME FOR TO BECAUSE TO MOVE OUT OUT OF OUT OF COURT.

[03:10:02]

THIS IS MORE TO KEEP DIALOG OPEN AND LET THEM KNOW OUR STANCE. YES, SIR. OKAY OKAY. THANK YOU.

YEP I WANTED SOMETHING. ALSO I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT COLLABORATION WITH OTHER CITIES.

COLLABORATION WITH OTHER CITIES. YEAH. SO I MEAN, THIS IS WHEN WE WHEN WE GET TOGETHER AS CITY MANAGERS, THIS IS ALL WE TALK ABOUT. IT FEELS LIKE. SO BOTH WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE UNDERWATER CITIES AND THE NOT UNDERWATER CITIES. I MEAN, LAST WEEK I MET WITH CARROLLTON. THE WEEK BEFORE, WE HAD OUR CITY MANAGERS MEETING WITH DART. AND SO IT THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNICATION GOING ON AT THE AT THE CITY MANAGER LEVEL AND WITH WITH DART WITH THE LEADERSHIP AT DART AS WELL. AND IT IS YEAH, THE RTC SIDE OF THINGS. IT'S HARD NOT TO WALK INTO A ROOM AND SOMEBODY IS TALKING NOT TALKING ABOUT DART. WHAT, WHAT OKAY I GUESS FOR ME YOU KNOW I LOOK AT I LOOK AT EVERYTHING, I TRY TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING FROM A COMPLIANCE PERSPECTIVE. YOU KNOW, IF IT'S NOT IN WRITING, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING OFFICIALLY FOR COLLABORATION WITH OTHER CITIES IN THE SAME BOAT? WE'RE IN LEADERSHIP AS WELL. NOTHING YET.

I MEAN, IF FROM AN OFFICIAL STANDPOINT, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE GOALS OF THIS, IS TO GIVE US A POSITION FROM WHICH TO WORK SO THAT, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY ON THE ELECTED SIDE, WE HAVE SOMETHING OUT TO GO RALLY AROUND AND ENCOURAGE. SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE GOALS WITH THE

[03:15:07]

AWESOME. YEAH. I THINK WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS JUST AND I KNOW WE'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALL REALLY NEW AND EVERYTHING. I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS REALLY SOLIDIFIED INTO, YOU KNOW, AN OFFICIAL REQUEST, WHETHER THAT BE GARLAND SOLO OR IF WE COULD GET COLLABORATION MORE STRENGTH WITH OTHER MEMBER CITIES TO, YOU KNOW, TO BE IN COLLABORATION WITH US. THANK YOU. SIR. MAYOR PRO TEM LUCK. ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT WAS FOR ME MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE CANNOT GET ON TO DART BUSSES AND DART RAILS FOR FREE AND RIDE THEM AND DAMAGE THE ENVIRONMENT FOR PAYING RIDERS, WHETHER IT BE SAFETY, WHETHER IT BE JUST A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT. I THOSE ARE THE THINGS I HEAR WHEN I HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WHY THEY DON'T RIDE DART. THE THIRD PART IS IT'S FASTER TO DRIVE THERE. SO I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS LETTER REALLY ADDRESSES IS THESE ARE ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE HAD DECADES TO, TO TRY TO FIX, AND IT'S ONLY JUST GOTTEN WORSE. AND I DON'T KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY GAVE US ALL OF THIS INFORMATION WHEN THEY WERE TRYING TO TAKE DOWN THE LEGISLATIVE BILLS THAT WERE GOING THROUGH. AND QUITE HONESTLY, I JUST DON'T BELIEVE A WORD THEY SAY. I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE ANYTHING TO BACK UP THE NUMBERS THAT THEY GAVE US. THEY SAID THAT OUR POPULATION WASN'T EVEN $250,000, SO WE COULDN'T WE DIDN'T EVEN QUALIFY TO BE CONSIDERED ONE OF THESE LARGE CITY. I, YOU KNOW, I JUST IT ALL JUST ANGERED ME SO MUCH. AND NOW WE KNOW THAT IT WAS ALL JUST A RUSE TO GET PAST LEGISLATION, WHICH I SUPPORTED PUBLICLY HERE, BY THE WAY. I JUST I REALLY WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT. WE DON'T THINK THAT THEY'RE RUNNING THEIR ORGANIZATION WELL. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS LETTER IS SAYING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. YES. AND DEFINITELY THAT ACCESS AND SECURITY IS ADDRESSED IN. YES IT IS. BY THE WAY, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. WELL, I GUESS I'LL KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET. I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS BEING EITHER A LETTER OR A RESOLUTION, WHATEVER THE COUNCIL SEES FIT FOR IT. BUT IT'S DART HAS. IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. IF WE JUST LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF PLANO WITH DART, THEY TALK BEHIND CLOSED DOORS TRYING TO GET CHANGES. WHAT DID IT TAKE FOR THEM TO FINALLY ACTUALLY GET THEIR ATTENTION TO ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING A BIT OUTLANDISH? AND SO THIS IS WHAT IT TAKES. THIS IS WHAT IT TAKES. AND IF THIS IS I THINK THE NIGHT IS NOW. SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU SIR. COME TO YOU NEXT, COUNCILMAN MOORE. THIS IS THIS HAS PROBABLY BEEN LONG IN COMING, BUT TO ANSWER COUNCILMAN BASS'S QUESTION AS IT RELATES TO WHAT WE'RE DOING ON WITH OUR SISTER CITIES, WE'VE JUST HAD A VOTE IN THE RTC AT OUR LAST MEETING WHERE A RESOLUTION WAS CAME FORWARD FROM OUR STAFF AT RTC THAT WE WOULD. ADD THREE MINUTES THERE. OH, THAT WHAT IT IS. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. THAT WE WOULD PULL SOME LEGISLATION TOGETHER AND THAT WE WOULD GO TOGETHER TRYING TO GET OUR LEGISLATORS TO GET INVOLVED WITH THIS SITUATION AGAIN. AND IT WAS A CONSENSUS. I THINK IT WAS 28, 20, 28 OR SOMETHING TO SIX THAT WE DECIDED, NO, WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE THIS BACK TO THE LEGISLATION BECAUSE WE'VE HAD IT TO GO THERE TWICE. AND WHY DID IT GO THERE TWICE? PRIMARILY BECAUSE IT'S SISTER CITIES HAVE ASKED TIME AND AGAIN TO WHICH DART HAS NOT COME FORWARD. THEY'VE ASKED FOR PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT WOULD HELP US TO UNDERSTAND THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS AND WHY THE RIDERSHIP IS DOWN, AND WHY THEY'RE CONTINUING

[03:20:01]

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO SAY TO OUR PUBLIC AND TO OUR CONSTITUENTS TONIGHT, BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT WE DON'T SUPPORT DART. NO, WE DON'T SUPPORT DART, BUT WE DO SUPPORT MASS TRANSIT. WE KNOW THE NEED FOR MASS TRANSIT IN OUR CITY, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GO FORWARD WITH. WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH THE PLAN, WITH THE PROGRAM THAT SUPPORTS OUR PEOPLE AND GETS THEM TO THE PLACES THEY NEED TO BE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S COMING FORWARD RIGHT NOW IS MAYBE WE NEED TO BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT A SINGLE TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT SERVICES THE ENTIRE REGION, VERSUS 2 OR 3 DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. THAT'S ONE THING. THE SECOND THING, AND OF COURSE, IS WE MUST TALK ABOUT THIS 1%. BUT THE OTHER THING IS THE GOVERNANCE. THAT IS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WE GOING IF WE'RE PAYING INTO THE SYSTEM, THEN WE SHOULD HAVE A VOICE. WE SHOULD HAVE JUST AS MUCH A SAY AS ANYONE ELSE. SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE AROUND THE REGION. AND SO NOW WE GET AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE NEEDED FROM YOU. AND TONIGHT THIS DOCUMENT, THIS DOCUMENT WILL GIVE US THAT. WHAT I NEEDED FROM YOU IS TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT SO THAT WHEN I'M THERE REPRESENTING, I'M ABLE TO VOTE IN UNISON WHAT OUR CITY WANTS. NOT NECESSARILY WHAT EVERYONE ELSE WANTS, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE WANT. SO I DO TONIGHT, I SUPPORT THIS DOCUMENT, AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO GO FORWARD WITH IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON, I JUST WANT TO SAY FOR THE RECORD, DART HAS BEEN LIKE A WORST, LIKE A NARCISSISTIC RELATIONSHIP WE'VE EVER BEEN IN IN THIS CITY.

LIKE, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON? LET'S SEE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE. IS TALKING. I DIDN'T TOUCH IT. I DIDN'T TOUCH IT. YEAH. YOU'RE BACK ON. I 100% AGREE WITH YOU. AND WE CANNOT DENY THAT WE ARE A CITY THAT DEPENDS ON MASS TRANSIT. I WISH THAT I DID NOT PERSONALLY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH SO MANY PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT THAT RELY 100% ON DART TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO WORK, BECAUSE OTHERWISE I WOULD BE SITTING HERE TELLING YOU I'M IN FAVOR OF DART TO GIVE US OUR 1% BACK, YOU KNOW? SO I APPRECIATE THE TIME AND EFFORT AND WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE PUT INTO THIS. AND IT THEY'VE PUT US IN A REALLY BAD POSITION BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT RELY AND DEPEND ON THEM, AND I THINK THAT THEY KNOW THAT. AND I THINK THAT NOW WE'RE IN THIS TIME WHERE IT'S LIKE WE ALMOST HAVE TO CALL THEIR BLUFF, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU'RE THE BOSS OF US, LIKE WE GIVE YOU, WE GIVE YOU A LOT OF MONEY, LIKE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE US, LIKE, SOME EXTORTION DEADLINES. LIKE WHAT? IN THE WORLD? IT'S INSANE. SORRY, I JUST, BUT. YEAH. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PUTTING THE TIME AND EFFORT INTO THIS. AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE FINALLY TAKING VOCAL STAND ON DART. AND JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE ABSURD AND SOMEONE'S GOT TO TELL THEM ABOUT IT. SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. ALL RIGHT COUNCIL THEN LOOKING FOR EITHER RESOLUTION OR CHANGES TO THIS DOCUMENT. WE'LL GO WITH RESOLUTION AND SEND AS IS TO DART WITH YOUR SIGNATURE. I THINK EVERYONE IS IN FAVOR OF THAT. AND WELL, A LETTER A LETTER TO SEND AS. AGREEMENT. OKAY, OKAY. WELL, WE'LL START OVER. DECID? WE WANT TO SEND

[03:25:09]

[7. ​Flood Emergency Preparedness]

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR STAYING WITH US. LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY. SO. AND IT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THE FLOOD PRESERVE THE FOREST SERVICE I WAS IN DALLAS WHEN WE WERE DOING OUR MITIGATION PLAN. I DID NOT REALIZE AT THE TRINITY RIVER IS CONSIDERED A FOREST DOWN THERE.

SO WE'RE DOING MITIGATION PLANNING. WE ACTUALLY HAD FOR WILDFIRE. WE HAD TO INCLUDE THAT IN THERE. SO I STARTED DOING THAT. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS CONSIDERED BECAUSE WE HAD WILDFIRE FIREFIGHTING. I'M LIKE, IT'S A RIVER THERE. SO WE HAD TO WE HAD TO CONTEMPLATE FOR THAT.

SO. YEAH, WE DO A PRESENTATION. YEP. OH, SORRY. OKAY. WILDFIRE. THE OTHER PUBLIC I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS. THE WILDFIRE FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT. LET'S SEE WHAT OTHER WE HAD. WE HAD A COMFORTABLE FOR THAT BUT. YEAH I DON'T SEE IT ON THERE. SO I CAN SPEAK FROM MEMORY UNLESS YOU ALL WANT TO SEE THE PRESENTATION. BUT BASICALLY THE REQUEST THAT WE RECEIVED WAS TO GET SOME &-PG EVENTS. OBVIOUSLY EVERYTHING'S HAPPENED IN KERRVILLE. IT'S ON EVERYBODY'S MIND. AND ALSO, HOW DOES THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEAL WITH FLOODING AS IT APPROACHES THE CITY AND ALERTS? SO I'LL LET MIKE TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE FLOODING EVENTS WE'VE HAD IN THE HISTORY, AND THEN I'LL TAKE OVER WITH KIND OF THE PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE PORTION OF IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THIS EVENING, THE HISTORICAL OCCURRENCES OF FLOODING IN GARLAND. FIRST OFF, LET'S START WITH THE DEFINITION OF 100 YEAR FLOOD. FOR THOSE THAT MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW OF, 100 YEAR FLOOD I IS STORM EVENT THAT HAS A 1% CHANCE OF HAPPENING IN ANY GIVEN YEAR. NOW THERE IS THERE IS A FALSE PRECEPT THAT, OH, WE HAD THE HUNDRED YEAR STORM A FEW YEARS AGO. WE DON'T HAVE. WE'RE GOOD FOR ANOTHER HUNDRED YEARS. NO, THAT'S NOT THE CASE. IT CAN HAPPEN A WEEK LATER. IT CAN HAPPEN A MONTH LATER. IT CAN HAPPEN THE NEXT YEAR. WE ACTUALLY HAD THAT HAPPEN IN GARLAND 2015 AND 16. SO BUT GARLAND IS SUBJECT TO FLOODING FROM DUCK CREEK, ROWLETT CREEK, SPRING CREEK, MILLS BRANCH AND A NUMBER OF OTHER TRIBUTARIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WE WENT THROUGH THIS BACK A FEW A FEW YEARS AGO, AND THERE ARE 94 MILES OF STREAM AND CREEKS IN GARLAND WITHIN ITS CITY LIMITS. IN 1991, DUCK CREEK FLOODED. I WAS HERE FOR THAT FLOOD EVENT. THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 4 TO 5IN THAT FELL IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. PRECISE DATA IS NOT EXACT, BUT WHAT THAT RESULTED IN WAS THE CITY PARTNERING WITH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO WIDEN DUCK CREEK BETWEEN WALNUT STREET AND CENTERVILLE ROAD, AND I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL WERE HERE BACK THEN. THAT WAS A HUGE UNDERTAKING, BUT IT TOOK A NUMBER OF PROPERTIES OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN. I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER. I KNOW I BELIEVE IT WAS BETWEEN 150 TO 200 HOMES OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN AT THAT TIME. IN 2015, WE HAD THE 100 YEAR FLOOD. SEVEN INCHES OF WATER FELL WITHIN A 24 HOUR SPAN IN GARLAND AND ESTIMATED $8 MILLION WORTH OF DAMAGES. I HAD SOME STATS ON THIS. I DID FIND SOME INFORMATION ON THIS. THAT WAS MAY 29TH OF 2015. 386 STRUCTURES WERE INUNDATED ALONG DUCK CREEK. 332 OF THOSE RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES, AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER STRUCTURES AROUND THE CITY.

LOCALIZED FLOODING EVENTS OCCURRED AS WELL. WHAT WAS COUNTED UP WAS WHAT HAPPENED ALONG DUCK CREEK. BUT WHAT DID WHAT DIDN'T HAPPEN WERE THE HOMES THAT WE DID TAKE OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN WAS 1991 OR THE 1995 PROJECT? THOSE DIDN'T FLOOD. SO THOSE THOSE PROPERTIES WERE ALL SAVED FROM THAT NEXT SLIDE IS SLIDE THREE. THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF FLOODING THAT OCCUR IN GARLAND. THERE'S INLAND FLOODING, WHICH I JUST MENTIONED A FEW SECONDS AGO, FLOODING THAT

[03:30:03]

EVEN EVEN FLOODING THAT MAYBE AFFECT A RIVER OR A STREAM FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME. THAT MAY CAUSE SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING ALONG THE STREAM. THE IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY. THERE HAVE BEEN 18 FLOOD EVENTS IN GARLAND SINCE 1996 OR 1998. UNFORTUNATELY, WE'VE HAD THREE FATALITIES DURING THAT TIME THAT WERE REPORTED. REGIONAL FLOODING HAS CAUSED APPROXIMATELY $68 MILLION WORTH OF LOSSES SINCE 1996, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE EXACT TIMING, LOCATION AND SEVERITY, ESPECIALLY IN FLASH FLOODING EVENTS, IS VERY DIFFICULT TO PREDICT, EVEN IF EVEN FORECAST.

HISTORICAL. EXCUSE ME. HOW THE CITY ADDRESSES FLOODING. WE HAVE ENGINEERING PROJECTS, CURRENT ENGINEERING PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, AUTOMATED FLOODGATE PROJECTS. THE COUNCIL APPROVED SOME FUNDING IN THE PAST YEAR FOR THIS YEAR'S CIP. WE HAVE FLOOD GATES THAT WERE MANUALLY OPERATED DURING THESE STORM EVENTS AND LOW CROSSING AREAS. HOLFORD ROAD BRIDGE BEING ONE OF THEM. CAMPBELL ROAD BRIDGE THOSE ARE THE MOST TO FAMILIAR IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW. WE ARE. THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT IS HEADING UP THIS PROJECT AND THEY WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CONSULTANT AND THE CONTRACTOR. WE ARE FINALIZING THE EXACT LOCATIONS OF THE EQUIPMENT AND THE GATES, AND IT SHOULD BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION APPROXIMATELY IN A FEW MORE WEEKS. THOSE SHOULD BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR THE AUTOMATED GATES. THERE'S A VOLUNTARY FLOOD PRONE PROPERTIES. THIS WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL OR THERE WAS AN ORDINANCE THAT WAS WAS INSTITUTED IN 2022. WE HAD OUR FIRST APPLICATION IN 2023, WHERE WE RECEIVED 20 PEOPLE THAT WERE INTERESTED IN THE VOLUNTARY BUYOUT PROGRAM. OF THOSE 20 PROPERTIES, 15 QUALIFIED, SUBMITTED OUR APPLICATION TO FEMA, AND FEMA ACCEPTED IT. WE'RE WAITING RIGHT NOW. SHOULD KNOW IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, HOPEFULLY OCTOBER TO DECEMBER. WE UNDERSTAND THAT'S THE TIME THAT WE'LL FIND OUT THAT THE FUNDING IS AVAILABLE SO THAT WE CAN START TALKING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS ONCE AGAIN ABOUT THEIR PURCHASING THEIR PROPERTY AGAIN. THAT WAS FROM 23 TO NOW.

SO IT'S A GOOD 2 TO 3 YEAR PROCESS. WE HAD A SUBSEQUENT APPLICATION IN 24 OR 4 MORE PROPERTIES WERE ADDED TO THAT LIST. THEIR FUNDING WILL NOT BECOME AVAILABLE UNTIL NEXT YEAR. AND THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM. THE CITY OF GARLAND HAS BEEN ON THE REFRONT OF THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM SINCE ITS INCEPTION. WE BECAME A MEMBER CITY AT THE VERY BEGINNING, I BELIEVE IN THE LATE 70S. I'M THINKING IT WAS 1978, BUT DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT. AND THERE'S A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS THAT FEMA LAYS OUT THAT THE CITIES MUST FOLLOW TO BE A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM. IN SOME CASES THE CITY OF GARLAND REQUIREMENTS EXCEED THINGS THAT THE THAT FEMA REQUIRES. ONE IS HAVING A TWO FOOT OF FREEBOARD INSTEAD OF A ONE FOOT FREEBOARD FOR FLOODPLAIN DEVELOPMENT. OTHER OTHER WAYS THAT WE HANDLE OR ADDRESS FLOODING IS THROUGH OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT. WE DO HAVE THREE LARGE SCALE DRAINAGE PROJECTS ON THIS PARTICULAR 2019 BOND PROGRAM IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW, WHICH IS NOT CLEAR. AND SOME OF YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THAT ONE. THERE'S TWO OTHERS, THERE'S COUNTRY CLUB ESTATES AS WELL AS SATURN SPRINGS. AND THOSE ARE, AGAIN, SOME OF THE SUBDIVISIONS THAT WERE BUILT YEARS AGO THAT WERE NOT BUILT TO THE SAME DESIGN STANDARDS AS THEY WERE DESIGNED FOR TODAY. AND OTHER ADDRESSING FLOODING PROBLEMS OR EMERGENCY PLANNING, EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS. WE HAVE OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS. AND THEN FEMA APPROVED FLOOD MITIGATION, APPROVED HAZARD MITIGATION. I HAVE A

[03:35:07]

AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR LESSONS LEARNED. HOW CAN HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE IT I WILL SAY HAVING LILIVED IN T AUSTIN AREA AND THE DALLAS FORT WORTH AREA, IT'S TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS WHEN IT COMES TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, THAT'S NEITHER GOOD NOR BAD. IT'S JUST YOU HAVE AUSTIN, WHICH IS KIND OF THE BIG BOY THERE. SO THEY KIND OF EVERYTHING HAPPENS IN AUSTIN AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT VERY MANY OVER 100,000 POPULATION CITIES YET IN THAT AREA. SO AUSTIN KIND OF RUNS EVERYTHING. SO YOUR PROGRAMS ARE SCATTERED HERE IN DALLAS. WE DON'T HAVE THAT. WE HAVE A VERY STRONG EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT GROUP. WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF CITIES OVER 100,000. EACH ONE HAVE STAFF. AND WITH THAT COMES WE HAVE A VERY GOOD COORDINATION WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. IN FACT, IN THE FORT WORTH, WE ALSO HOUSED THE OFFICE HOUSES, THE RIVER FORECAST, WHICH IS THE ONES THAT WE'RE SENDING OUT THESE WARNINGS. SO WE ARE ACTUALLY IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH THEM. THEY ARE HOUSED HERE IN FORT WORTH. THEY TAKE THEY HANDLE THE TRINITY RIVER FORECASTING DOWN TO WACO, AND THEN FROM THERE TO AUSTIN. OUR AREA IS KIND OF IS THAT THE AUSTIN FLOOD RIVER DISTRICT HAS A THEY GO FROM AUSTIN ALL THE WAY TO THE TO THE MEXICAN BORDER DOWN SOUTH. SO THEY HAVE A HUGE AREA WHERE OUR AREA IS MORE FOCUSED ON DALLAS FORT WORTH, UP TO THE TEXARKANA AND THEN GO SOUTH AND GO SO A LITTLE BIT SMALLER. SO WE'RE ABLE TO GET A LITTLE MORE PERSONALIZED SERVICES FROM THEM. SO USING A FLOODING EVENT, HOW DO WE AS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. WELL FIRST THE WEATHER SERVICE WILL SEND OUT 24 TO 48 HOURS.

THEY SEND OUT A DETAILED FORECAST OF WHAT THEY THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, MOTHER NATURE IS ALWAYS IN CONTROL. JUST BECAUSE THE FORECAST, THE FORECAST IS A COMPUTER MODEL. IT LOOKS AHEAD. IT'S JUST LIKE WITH HURRICANE FORECASTING, IT'S LIKE, WELL, THIS IS WHAT WE THINK IT'S GOING TO DO. AND MOTHER NATURE THROWS A CURVE BALL AND IT DOES SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. SO WITH OUR OUR GUYS THEY SEE OKAY HEY THEY DO FOR THE REGION.

AND THEY'LLHEY'LL KIND OF TELL US, WELL MAYBE EVERYTHING EAST OF 35 IS GOING TO HAVE A HIGHER IMPACT. AND WHAT'S THE 35 FOR FLOODING. WHEN THAT HAPPENS THEN WE WILL START GOING INTO WE HAVE ON CALL DUTY OFFICERS, WHICH I'M SURE YOU HAVE ALL RECEIVED THE 2:00 IN THE MORNING EMAIL THAT WHAT THE FLOOD WARNINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING OR TORNADO WARNINGS. WE WILL LOOK AT THAT FLOODING IS A LITTLE MORE CHALLENGING THAN A TORNADO BECAUSE YOU CAN KIND OF WATCH WHERE THE TORNADO IS GOING, AND YOU CAN KIND OF FIGURE OUT THE PATH THE STORM IS TAKING WITH FLOODING EVENTS FOR US PARTICULARLY, WE HAVE TO START WATCHING IF IT'S WORTH WHERE WE'RE GETTING MORE OF THE FLOOD WAVE. SO WE MIGHT NOT GET ANYTHING HERE IN GARLAND, BUT THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF RAINFALL NORTH OF US, WHICH IS CAUSING THE FLOOD WATERS TO COME DOWN TOWARDS. SO WE HAVE TO KIND OF WATCH THAT. AND HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THAT FOR EMERGENCY? AND WE START WE WORK WITH THE PARKS, WE WORK WITH STREETS DEPARTMENT, WE WORK WITH POLICE COMMUNICATIONS, AND THEY CHECK ALL THOSE LOW WATER CROSSINGS. IF THEY START SEEING THE WATER COMING UP, THEN THEY WILL CLOSE THOSE GATES. AND THOSE GATES STAY CLOSED. STREETS WILL ASSIGN SOMEBODY THERE UNTIL THE FLOODING RECEDES, AND THEY WILL INSPECT THE ROAD BEFORE THEY REOPEN IT. SO THAT'S HOW WE WATCH IT WITH THEIR IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO, IF WE HAD TO, YOU KNOW, WITH WITH FLOODS AND EVERYTHING, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN KERRVILLE AND LOOK AT HOW OUR AREAS, A LOT OF IT IS TOPOGRAPHY, THAT AREA DOWN THERE, BECAUSE IT'S IN THE HILL COUNTRY, EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING FEEDS INTO THE GUADALUPE AND IT JUST IS A VERY BAD AREA FOR FLOODING. HAVING LIVED IN THE HILL COUNTRY, I CAN TELL YOU THAT'S JUST HOW THEY DEAL WITH IT DOWN THERE. A FLOOD HERE, A FLOOD WARNING DOWN THERE IS LIKE US GETTING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING UP HERE. IT'S JUST SOME OF THEM DON'T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO IT FOR UP HERE. IF WE HAD TO, IF WE START SEEING A WORST CASE SCENARIO THAT THE WEATHER SERVICE SAYING, HEY, WE'RE LOOKING AT A LARGE FLOOD WAVE HEADING TOWARDS PORTLAND, FOR EXAMPLE, AND WE WOULD FILL THEY WOULD START TELLING US WHAT AREAS TO LOOK AT THAT THIS MIGHT BE IMPACTED. AND THEN WITH THAT, WE HAVE AN ALERT SYSTEM THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DRAW POLYGON SYSTEM THROUGH. IT'S NOT 100%. YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO GET 100%. BE ABLE TO NOTIFY PEOPLE. ONE, BECAUSE THE ALERT SYSTEM RELIES ON PHONES. AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DO WHEN THEY GET A PHONE IS THEY SHUT OFF THE EMERGENCY ALERTS. SO IF WE SEND OUT A SYSTEM, THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN OVERRIDE THAT ALERT IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

SO IF THEY TURN IT OFF, THEY WON'T GET ANY ALERTS, EVEN IF WE SEND OUT. I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD IPODS HERE LATELY IN THE NEWS. EVEN AN IPOD MESSAGE WON'T GET THROUGH UNLESS IT COMES FROM THE

[03:40:03]

THERE IS A LOT OF NEWS ABOUT IPODS. SO GARLAND RIGHT NOW IS NOT AUTHORIZED ON IPODS. WE HAVE OUR INFORMATION EVERBRIDGE IS APPROVED. AL IT IS, IS WE JUST HAVE TO DO SOME TRAINING WITH IPODS AND THEY TURN IT ON. BUT RIGHT NOW WITH FEMA THAT'S GO THROUGH FEMA AND OBVIOUSLY EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW FEMA IS. SO OUR REQUEST IS IN THERE. AND AS SOON AS THEY AS SOON AS THEY

[03:45:05]

AND WE WANT TO PUSH THEM. IT'S LIKE, YES, WE'RE HERE AND YOUOU KN, WE'LL NOTIFY YOU, BUT WE ARE KIND OF LIMITED BY TECHNOLOGY. YOU KNOW, I WISH I COULD GO KNOCK ON EVERYBODY'S DOOR AND SAY, HEY, GET OUT. BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY REALISTIC. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY SAID YES. WE DON'T WANT THEM TO RELY SOLELY ON THAT. AS WITH ANYTHING RESILIENCY. YOU WANT TO HAVE A BACKUP TO A BACKUP. AND THAT IS MY PRESENTATIONS I HAVE. IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS YOU WANT TO ASK ME, I'LL ANSWER. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD, COUNCILMAN BASS. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY. WE'LL THEN GO TO MAYOR PRO TEM LUCK. WE'RE GOING TO. THERE WE GO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING TONIGHT. I BROUGHT THIS ISSUE FORWARD BECAUSE GARLAND, LIKE YOU SAID, HAS A LOT OF STREAMS AND CREEKS AND THEY FLOOD. I DID HAVE A QUESTION.

WHEN WAS THE WHEN WERE THE I THINK YOU SAID 341 HOMES ON GLENBROOK FLOODED. THAT WAS THAT WAS ALONG DUCK CREEK. THERE WERE I HAVE IT WRITTEN. ABOUT 384, I BELIEVE, AND THEN 322 HOMES.

YES, 386 STRUCTURES AND THEN 332 WERE RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES. WHAT YEAR WAS THAT? THAT WAS IN THAT WAS ON THE MAY 29TH, 2015 FLOOD. YEAH. I GOT MARRIED THAT WEEK IN MY BACKYARD. I HAVE A I HAD A WATER LINE ON MY WEDDING DRESS FROM THAT NIGHT. I THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE MOSTLY JUST CONCERNED ABOUT THE CREEKS RISING NEAR THEIR HOMES AND CAUSING A AN EVENT LIKE WE SAW IN KERR COUNTY. I REALLY LIKE THAT YOU ADDRESSED THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE LAND.E DON'T HAVE A LOT OF VALLEYS HERE. LIKE LIKE THE GUADALUPE MAKES IN THAT AREA. SO, I MEAN, I'M I'M SURE

[03:50:05]

AND THAT'S IF A CATASTROPHIC UNCONTROLLED DAM BREACH OF LAKE LEWISVILLE, WORST CASE SCENARIO.

WILL THAT EVER HAPPEN? HOPEFULLY NOT. THEY'VE MADE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT DAM OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, BUT WHEN WE WERE DOING OUR PLANNING, IT WASN'T FROM TOPOGRAPHY, IT WAS FROM WE HAD A BREACH OF AN UNCONTROLLED WATER. THE CORPS DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB OF CONTROLLING THOSE RELEASES, SO THOSE DAMS DON'T HAVE THE PRESSURE ON THEM. BUT I THINK IT'S 2013, 2014. WE HAD THOSE TROPICAL STORMS THAT JUST LIKE TRAINED OVER US AND DUMPED SO MUCH WATER. THAT LAKE, GRAPEVINE LAKE, LEWISVILLE LAKE, ALL WENT TO UNCONTROLLED SPILLS AND EVERYTHING CONVERGES INTO THE TRINITY RIVER BEFORE IT MAKES ITS WAY DOWN TO THE GULF. WE'RE EVEN OUT TO THE ROCKWALL. YOU KNOW, LAVON WAS THE BIG FOR FLOODING. IF WE HAD TO MAKE A WORST CASE SCENARIO, THERE'S A LOT OF THERE'S A LOT OF. SO BACK IN, RIGHT AFTER KATRINA, THERE WAS A FLOOD PLAN ACT PASSED BY CONGRESS WHERE THEY REQUIRED A LOT OF CONSERVATION LAKES THAT WERE BASICALLY WHEN I WAS AT ROCKWALL, THEY WERE PASTURES. THEY USED TO FOR CATTLE, FOR IRRIGATION, FOR CATTLE. SO NOT THAT DEEP, BUT BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH DEVELOPMENT THAT HAPPENED DOWNSTREAM OF THEM, THEY HAD TO SUBMIT A CONSERVATION DAM PLAN TO THE COUNTY, SAYING THIS IS HOW WE MAINTAIN IT. SO KIND OF MORE IF YOU'RE IN A RURAL AREA, WE HAVE A LOT OF DEVELOPMENTS. EVEN THEN, I THINK IF IT BREACHED, I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ANKLE HIGH. SO IT'S NOT A LOT. BUT FOR US, IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT BAD, IT'S GOING TO BE MOST LIKELY A DAM BREACH SOMEWHERE NORTH OF US. NOT TO SAY THAT IF A TROPICAL STORM REMNANTS JUST PARKS OVER US FOR 48 HOURS, THAT WE GET A TORRENTIAL AMOUNT OF RAIN, THAT WE CAN'T HAVE IT, BUT THE LIKELIHOOD OF US EXPERIENCE THAT IS GOING TO BE MORE OF SOMETHING, AND WE'RE GOING TO KNOW ABOUT IT. BEFORE THE DAM BREACHES, WHEN WE WERE IN DALLAS, THE CORPS GAVE US ABOUT A 48 HOUR WINDOW OF WHAT THEY WOULD EXPECT TO HAPPEN IF WE HAD A DAM BREACH TO DO EVACUATION, WHICH EVACUATING A LARGE AREA LIKE DALLAS ISN'T EASY, BUT 48 HOURS GIVES YOU ENOUGH TO GET THE LOW LYING LEVEL PEOPLE OUT. AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE. AND THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS GROUP WERE ALL IN DISCUSSION WITH THAT. SO IF THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, IF THAT WAS EVEN A POSSIBILITY, WE WOULD BRING THAT TO CITY MANAGEMENT AND THEY WOULD THEN, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD MAKE THE NOTIFICATIONS ON WHAT IF A DISASTER DECLARATION OR SOMETHING NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO START EVACUATING.

EVEN IN TEXAS, EVERYBODY THINKS IF YOU ORDER AN EVACUATION THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO LEAVE, THEY DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE SO THEY CAN STAY IN THEIR PROPERTY. THEY TRY TO PASS LAWS A COUPLE YEARS AGO TO DO THAT, AND THEY'RE LIKE, WE CAN GIVE IT TO YOU. BUT THE STATE, WE CAN'T FORCE PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR OUT OF THEIR RESIDENCE. IF THEY WANT TO STAY AND RIDE IT OUT, THEY CAN. SO IN GALVESTON, WHEN THE HURRICANES COME, WHEN THE LAST HURRICANE THEY CAME THROUGH, WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE THAT SYED, THAT ASKED, OKAY, WELL THEN GIVE US YOUR INFORMATION SO WE KNOW WHERE T O ENTIFY THE BODY BAG. SO IT'S IF YOU'RE GETTING THAT TYPE OF FLOODING. SO I WOULD HAVE THAT UP HERE. BUT YOU KNOW I NEVER SAY NEVER I'M A PROFESSIONAL PESSIMIST. THAT'S KIND OF MY CAREER. SO I ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE WORST AND HOPE FOR THE BEST. BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT MY WIFE'S LIKE. SHE'S THE OPPOSITE. SO I HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WORST CASE SCENARIO AND PLAN FOR THAT. AND YOU HOPE IT NEVER HAPPENS. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. I'M SURE YOU'RE USUALLY THE LIFE OF THE PARTY. OH, I AM, I AM. MY LAST POSITION. I WAS KNOWN AS THE NO GUY. IF THEY WANTED SOMETHING DONE AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SAY NO, THEY SENT IT TO ME. SO. WELL THANK YOU. I THINK THAT THAT PUTS A LOT OF PEOPLE'S MINDS AT EASE. I KNOW IT DOES MINE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. AND YOU'RE THE ONE WHO HAD A WEDDING IN 100 YEAR FLOOD. SO, I MEAN, IT WASN'T ON PURPOSE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. YES, I THANK YOU ALSO FOR THE PRESENTATION.

GENTLEMEN. I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION. YOU MENTIONED. THE NOAA WEATHER RADIO WAS THE BEST.

CAN'T COUNT ON CELL PHONES, CAN'T COUNT ON SIRENS. THAT NOAA WEATHER RADIO IS REALLY BEST THING TO HAVE TO PREPARE FOR SOMETHING. IT'S THE MOST TESTED. YEAH. SO I DID A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH. WHERE CAN I PURCHASE NOAA WEATHER RADIO? I'M SEEING PRICES FROM 1899 TO 74.99. AND SO THERE'S A AND THERE'S A TON OF RADIOS OF SHAPES AND SIZES. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT, I DON'T

[03:55:06]

COUNCILMEMBER DUTTON, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I'M GLAD THAT YOU MENTIONED HAVING CASH ON HAND. I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE MY DEBIT CARD IS, IF WE'RE BEING HONEST, I JUST USE MY PHONE. I. THANK YOU ALL FOR THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. YOU BET. THERE YOU GO. I THINK YOU JUST PUSH THE PUSH BUTTON DURING THE HURRICANE. GARLAND. I LEARNED THE HARD WAY ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING CASH BECAUSE I HAD THE GRANDBABY AND NATURALLY, WE RAN OUT OF MILK THAT NIGHT. SO I HAD TO GO TO THE CORNER STORE TO GET MILK. WELL, THEY COULD SELL ME MILK, BUT THEY COULDN'T TAKE MY CARD. AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE REMEMBER, LIKE CASH SOMETIMES IS IMPORTANT. SO I WAS JUST GLAD THAT YOU TOUCHED ON THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS ROUGH.

WHEN YOU CAN'T BUY MILK BECAUSE YOU ONLY HAVE YOUR LITTLE APPLE PAY. WHAT'S UP. SO PEOPLE ARE USED TO THAT. NOW I GO TO I'M LIKE, WHAT YOU MEAN? I GO PULL MY CARD OUT? I GOT SO USED TO APPLE PAY I JUST CLICK IT. BUT YOU KNOW, IN A DISASTER, IF THEY LOST IT, IF THEY LOST NETWORK AND THEY CAN'T GET IT, THEN YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST FOR 72 HOURS NOW THEY HAVE MOBILE ATMS THAT CAN COME IN, BUT THOSE STILL TAKE TIME TO DEPLOY TO A DISASTER.

AND THOSE DON'T SHOW UP UNTIL YOUR RESCUE OPERATIONS ARE DONE, LIKE THE MOBILE KITCHENS AND THE MOBILE GAS STATION. THE STATES HAVE THOSE DON'T. THOSE DON'T COME IN UNTIL THE AREA IS SOMEWHAT SECURE. BUT YOU OBVIOUSLY OBVIOUSLY CASH WILL ALWAYS WORK IF YOU HAVE IT ON YOU. MY WIFE MAKES ME CARRY CASH. I'LL GET USED TO O NOT HAVING IT BECAUSE I LOSE STUFF.

I'VE LOST MY WALLET SO MANY TIMES I'M LIKE, I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT. I CAN'T REPLACE THE CASH, BUT I CAN CANCEL THE CARD. SO. BUT SHE MAKES SURE I HAVE SOMETHING IN THERE THAT GOES WITH HER. MOM MADE HER DO IT, SO EVEN OFFERED TO LET ME SELL THE CASHIER MONEY. BUT THERE WAS NO CELL SERVICE EITHER, AND SO I COULDN'T EVEN DO THAT SHOUT OUT TO KING TIRES BECAUSE THEY BOUGHT MY MILK. BUT CASH IS IMPORTANT. CASH IS IMPORTANT WHEN THERE'S STORMS BECAUSE LIKE, IF YOU HAVE WATER, WE GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL SEE THE EXPIRATION DATE ON WATER. SO IT'S NOT THAT THE WATER EXPIRES, IT'S THAT THE PLASTIC BREAKS DOWN UNLESS YOU HAVE IT STORED IN A DARK CLOSET. IF IT GETS ANY TYPE OF UV RAYS OR ANYTHING IN THERE, IT'S YOU.

PEOPLE KEEP IT JUST OUT IN THE AREA THAT PLASTIC BREAKS DOWN FASTER. SO LIKE IN FLORIDA WHERE WHERE MY FAMILY LIVES, ALL OF THEIR ALL OF THEIR WATER IS IN PAPER CONTAINERS. SO THEY CAN GO THEY CAN GO TO THE STORE, THE GROCERY STORE AND BUY A WEEK'S WORTH SUPPLY OF WATER. AND IT'S ALL IN PAPER BECAUSE THE PAPER DOESN'T BREAK DOWN. PLUS, THEY ALSO FILL UP THEIR BATHTUBS AND AHEAD OF TIME AND USE THE WATER FROM THERE BECAUSE THEY'VE TWICE THEY'VE LOST THEY THEY'RE MORE INLAND, BUT THEY'VE LOST POWER. AND THE LIFT STATION STUFF CAN WORK. SO THEY HAD TO RUN OFF THEIR, THEIR BATHTUB. BUT YOU KNOW FLORIDA, THAT'S EVERY DAY TO THEM.O LUCKY THAT WE'RE NOT. YES THAT DEPRIVED. BUT IF IT GETS BELOW 65 DEGREES THEY'VE GOT IGUANAS AND STUFF FALLING OUT OF THE TREES. SO THEY'RE LIKE YOU KNOW ANYTHING BELOW THAT? THAT'S THEIR THAT'S THEIR DISASTER. WELL WE APPRECIATE WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR ALL OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE. THANK YOU. THANK

[04:00:05]

WELL THEN THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE ANOTHER RECESS. I'D LIKE TO BE BACK IN TEN MINUTES AT 1125. HOW WELCOME BACK TO THE JULY 21ST, 2025 COUNCIL WORK SESSION. WE'LL CONTINUE ON WITH ITEM NUMBER

[8. Overview on Senate Bill 840]

YEAH. OKAY. DOES IT. YEAH. THERE YOU GO. OKAY. SO GARLAND IS A CITY THAT IS GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS SENATE BILL. AND THAT IS THE THAT WAS THE POINT THAT I WAS GETTING TO THIS BILL DOES TAKE INTO EFFECT SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2025. SO WHAT DOES IT DO. SO THIS BILL REQUIRES CITIES TO PERMIT MULTIFAMILY AND MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS, WHICH THEY DO DEFINE IN THE BILL TO BE PERMITTED BY RIGHT IN MOST NONRESIDENTIAL ZONING CATEGORIES, THE DEFINITION OF MULTIFAMILY AND THE DEFINITION OF MIXED USE IN THE BILL ARE PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY. THERE'S NOT REALLY A LOT OF CAVEAT THERE, ALTHOUGH IT DOES SPECIFY THAT MIXED USE IS A COMBINATION OF RESIDENTIAL AND NONRESIDENTIAL, WHERE AT LEAST 65% OF THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE DEVELOPMENT IS DEDICATED TO RESIDENTIAL. BOTH OF THESE DEFINITIONS DO INCLUDE CONDOMINIUMS AS WELL. THE BILL SPECIFIES THAT IT DOES NOT APPLY TO A ZONING CLASSIFICATION THAT ALLOWS HEAVY INDUSTRIAL USES. SO FOR US, THE ONLY ZONING DISTRICT THAT ALLOWS HEAVY INDUSTRIAL USES, IN OUR OPINION, IS INDUSTRIAL ZONING. WE ONLY HAVE ONE ZONING CATEGORY FOR THAT. AND WE BELIEVE THAT ZONING CATEGORY WOULD BE EXEMPT FROM SENATE BILL 840. SO BEFORE GOING INTO THE DETAILS, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES? SO THE BASIC CHALLENGES, WE CANNOT REQUIRE SOMEONE TO REZONE WHEN THEY COME IN AND ASK TO DEVELOP A CURRENTLY NONRESIDENTIAL ZONED PROPERTY IF THEY COME IN AND ASK TO DEVELOP IT AS MULTIFAMILY OR MIXED USE, WE HAVE TO PERMIT IT BY RIGHT, AND WE CANNOT ASK THEM TO GO THROUGH THE ZONING PROCESS. SO THAT'S A THAT'S A BIG CHALLENGE. THEN THERE'S ANOTHER PIECE OF THAT BILL THAT TALKS ABOUT CONVERSION. SO THAT'S ANOTHER LITTLE BIT OF CHALLENGE WHERE IT REQUIRES THE CITY TO APPROVE OR PERMIT A PROJECT THAT IS CONVERTING A CURRENTLY OFFICE, RETAIL OR WAREHOUSE, A BUILDING THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING USED FOR OFFICE, RETAIL OR WAREHOUSE USE INTO MULTIFAMILY OR MIXED USE PROJECT WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE ZONING PROCESS. SO NOT ONLY THE GREENFIELD SITES ARE AFFECTED, ANY ALREADY DEVELOPED SITES COULD ALSO BE CONVERTED TO MULTI-FAMILY AND MIXED USE WITHOUT GOING THROUGH ANY PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS. FURTHERMORE, WITH THE CONVERSION. THE BILLL ALSO RESTRICTS THE CITY TO ASK FOR ANY TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY, WHICH IS AN ISSUE IN OUR OPINION. IT DOES SAY WE CANNOT ASK FOR ADDITIONAL IMPACT FEE FOR THOSEONVERSION PROJECTS. SO RIGHT NOW WE REQUIRE A DELTA.

SO IF SOMEONE HAD ALREADY PAID THEIR IMPACT FEE IN THE BEGINNING AND THEN WHATEVER THEY'RE REDEVELOPING, WHATEVER THE GAP IS IN THE IMPACT FEE, WE ASK THEM TO PAY THAT WITH THIS

[04:05:03]

SO IN OUR NONRESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS, WE HAVE 16 TO 35FT. IT VARIES BY DIFFERENT DISTRICTS. SO IN OUR OPINION, IN MOST CASES 45FT WILL APPLY AS THE THAT'S THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT ALLOWABLE REGULATION THAT WE WILL HAVE ON THOSE PARTICULAR SITES. SAME THING WITH SETBACK WHICHEVER'S LOWER FOR SETBACK. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO GO BY. SO WE CANNOT BE MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN WHATEVER THEY'RE SETTING UP THEIR REGULATION TO BE. SO THE SETBACK THEY HAVE SET IT TO WHATEVER IS THE LOWER IF THE CITY HAS 24, 30, 40FT OR 25FT. SO WE HAVE 20 TO 30FT, VARIED BY DIFFERENT DISTRICTS FOR SETBACKS. AND THEY SAID THE SETBACK REQUIREMENT TO BE 20, 25FT. SO ON THOSE SITES, WE THINK MOST OF THE CASES IT WILL BECOME 25FT. ON SOME OCCASIONS IT COULD BE 20 IF OUR REGULATIONS WERE SETTING IT TO BE 20 ANYWAY. SO WHATEVER'S THE

[04:10:01]

CURRENTLY WE HAVE 1 TO 2 SPACES BASED ON NUMBER OF BEDROOMS. SO THAT IS AGAIN THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE INTERNALLY WERE LOOKING INTO ANYWAY. WE DO GET A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR DEVIATIONS ON PARKING. BUT BY THIS SENATE BILL WE WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO REQUIRE ONE SPACE PER DWELLING UNIT.

SOME FURTHER ANALYSIS, ALTHOUGH THEY DO SAY WE CANNOT ASK FOR THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT, HAS TO BE 45FT. IN OUR CASE, THEY DON'T PROVIDE ANY RESTRICTIONS ON US APPLYING MINIMUM HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS FOR MULTIFAMILY AND MIXED USE. SO I DO THINK WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. SO THE IDEA BEHIND THAT IS IF WE HE MULTIFAMILY COMING IN, THAT CAN GO IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS IN THE CITY. MIGHT AS WELL GET THE QUALITY URBAN STYLE PROJECTS AND NOT JUST GET TWO STORY GARDEN STYLE MULTIFAMILY, THAT THAT DOES NOT REALLY GENERATE THE TYPE OF QUALITY THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR. SO THAT'S A POTENTIAL. THAT'S A POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATION STEP FOR US. THEY DO ALSO HAVE ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON LOT COVERAGE, AND THEY DO. THE BILL SAYS WE CANNOT IMPOSE THAT, WHICH MAY POTENTIALLY MEAN RESULTING IN LACK OF OPEN SPACE. SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE LOOKING INTO FURTHER AS WELL. I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE DISCREPANCY IN THE PARKING REQUIREMENT FOR CONVERSIONS. AGAIN, IF THE SITE HAS 20 PARKING SPACES AND THE MULTIFAMILY PROJECT HAS 40 DWELLING UNITS, THERE IS A BIG GAP IN THE PARKING THAT IS THERE ON SITE VERSUS THE PARKING THAT SHOULD BE REQUIRED. BUT THE BILL KIND OF RESTRICTS US FROM ASKING FOR MORE. IT DOES NOT HAVE ANY RESTRICTIONS ON APPLYING YOU SPECIFIC ZONING STANDARDS. I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE. WE DO HAVE A SECTION IN THE GDC 2.52 THAT HAS ADDITIONAL STANDARDS FOR SOME USES, NOT ALL. SO SOME PARTICULAR USES, AND IT DOES KIND OF SPECIFY AND GO FURTHER INTO WHAT THOSE USES NEED TO BE AND NEED TO PROVIDE. SO IT DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY RESTRICTIONS ON US APPLYING THOSE USE SPECIFIC ZONING STANDARDS FOR MULTIFAMILY AND MIXED USE PROJECTS. SO THAT IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE COULD BE LOOKING INTO AND ADOPT SOME, SOME POLICY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THE QUALITY PROJECTS THAT WE ASPIRE TO. SO VISUALLY, THE GREEN AREAS, EITHER SOLID OR HATCHED, ARE THE AREAS THAT WE THINK ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS BILL. SO THOSE THE SOLID ONES ARE JUST BASE ZONING, NEIGHBORHOOD OFFICE THROUGH DOWNTOWN DISTRICT WHERE OFFICE RETAIL, WAREHOUSE USES COULD BE ALLOWED. THE HATCHED AREAS ARE THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT. PLANNED DEVELOPMENTS ARE ALSO INCLUDED WITHIN THIS BILL. PER MY UNDERSTANDING, IT DOES. WE SHOW INDUSTRIAL AND INDUSTRIAL PDS IN PINK BECAUSE WE DO THINK THOSE ARE EXEMPT FROM FOR US IN THIS SENATE BILL. SO HERE IS A SITE I BELIEVE THIS IS IN DISTRICT TWO.

AND THERE IS AN ONGOING ZONING CASE ON THIS. BUT NEVER MIND THAT THIS IS NOT ABOUT THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT ZONING CASE. I JUST PICKED THAT SITE. IT'S AN EXISTING GREENFIELD SITE. IT IS ABOUT TEN ACRES ZONED COMMUNITY RETAIL. SO RIGHT NOW, IF SOMEONE WANTED TO COME IN AND PROPOSE MULTIFAMILY ON THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY, THEY'LL HAVE TO COME BEFORE PLAN COMMISSION. THEY'LL HAVE TO COME BEFORE CITY COUNCIL. THEY'LL HAVE TO PRESENT THEIR CASE TO GET MULTIFAMILY AS A PERMITTED USE ON THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY. ONCE THIS BILL TAKES EFFECT, THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT ANYMORE. THEY'LL GO STRAIGHT TO SITE PERMIT. THEY'LL SHOW THEY CAN SHOW UP TO 80 DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE. MAXIMUM MAXIMUM HEIGHT. THEY COULD SHOW MORE THAN 45. WELL, RIGHT NOW OUR APPLICABLE MAXIMUM IS 45 IN THIS LOCATION. SO THEY COULD DO UP TO 45FT. SO ALL THAT CAN BE DONE WITHOUT EVER HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC.

SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RISKS THAT ARE INVOLVED? I MEAN, WE ALREADY KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THE HIGHER POINTS OF, OF THIS. A BIG, BIG CONCERN IS INFRASTRUCTURE. WE DO HAVE AGING

[04:15:02]

BECAUSE AGAIN, THE LINE THE ZONING, TRADITIONAL ZONING LINES ARE GOING TO BE A LITTLE BLURRED WITH THIS WITH THIS BILL. AND TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN, WHERE WE'RE NOT PREEMPTED BY SOME OTHER BILL BECAUSE WE KNOW WE CAN'T REGULATE BUILDING MATERIALS, BUT THERE'S STILL SOME TOOLS WHERE WE CAN LOOK INTO THE BUILDING MASS, HOW THE BUILDING GOING TO LOOK LIKE. SO THOSE KIND OF DESIGN ELEMENTS, AND I'M THINKING OF OUR URBAN DISTRICT, OUR URBAN UB AND REGULATIONS THAT WE HAVE THERE THAT ARE THERE TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF THE PROJECT. IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO GET SOME OF THOSE, NOT TO THE FULL EXTENT, BUT SOME OF THOSE AND IMPLEMENT THAT CITYWIDE FOR ALL MULTIFAMILY AND MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS TO ENSURE WHENEVER WE'RE GETTING THEM, WE'RE TRULY GETTING THE QUALITY PRODUCT. THE OTHER IDEA, AND AGAIN, IT'S A VERY PRELIMINARY IDEA, I KNOW THERE ARE THERE'S SOME APPETITE OF DIVERSIFYING HOUSING, NOT JUST SINGLE FAMILY AND MULTIFAMILY, BUT ALSO THOSE MISSING MIDDLE, THE TOWNHOMES, THE QUADRUPLEX, THINGS LIKE

[04:20:03]

I'LL TAKE IT. ALL RIGHT. PERSON TO ACCUSE MAYOR PRO TEM LUCK. OKAY. SO WE JUST REZONED THE 635 CORRIDOR FROM. JUST A BUNCH OF PDS TO URBAN RESIDENTIAL AND URBAN BUSINESS. HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE OTHER ONE? THE SETBACK IN URBAN RESIDENTIAL THAT WE CREATED AND URBAN BUSINESS AREAS. SO LUCKILY OUR UI AND UB. SO THINK OF THIS BILL AS A VERY AS, AS A TOOL THAT REALLY APPLIES A LOT OF URBAN STANDARDS. THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO TACKLE IT FROM URBAN PERSPECTIVE AS WELL. SO I THINK LUCKILY MOST OF OUR ER AND UB STANDARDS DO SURPASS THOSE MINIMUMS OR MAXIMUMS THAT THE STATE IS TRYING TO IMPOSE ONTO US. SO FOR THOSE, I THINK THE PROJECT QUALITY WISE, WE SHOULD BE GOOD BECAUSE LIKE FOR EXAMPLE 80, WE WOULD STILL GET 80 FOR HEIGHT. WE DO HAVE MINIMUM HEIGHT. WELL THAT'S 20 FOR THEIR MINIMUM. BUT WE DO WANT MORE IN THERE. SO IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY IMPACT THAT SETBACK WISE. WELL WHEN IT'S NEXT TO RESIDENTIAL WE DO HAVE 100 FOOT. WILL THAT BE IMPACTED BY THIS THEN. SO THAT THAT 100 FOOT SETBACK THAT WE WORKED SO HARD TO GET. RESIDENTS WILL NOW TURN INTO 25, POTENTIALLY A WONDERFUL. WELL, NO, NO. WELL NOT SO WHOA WHOA WHOA. SO LET ME GO TO THAT. I DIDN'T TOUCH. SO THAT IS FOR THOSE SITES. SO 20FT 25 LIKE WHATEVER IS THE LOWEST LOWEST SETBACK FOR THOSE PARTICULAR SITES. SO OFFICE, COMMERCIAL, RETAIL AND WAREHOUSE, WHATEVER THE LOWEST SETBACK OR BUFFER THAT WOULD APPLY FOR THOSE USES ON THAT SITE. IN THIS CASE IT'S NOT. SO I THINK WE SHOULD STILL BE GOOD. KEEP IT. KEEP IN MIND ALSO KEEP IN MIND ALSO FOR CITY PROPERTY, CITY OWNED PROPERTY, WE CAN CONTROL THAT THROUGH DEED RESTRICTIONS AND THROUGH DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS AND THAT KIND OF THING. OKAY. WHAT ABOUT CURRENT PROJECTS GOING ON WHERE MAYBE THEY'RE ZONED OVER 65 AND HAVE A HEIGHT RESTRICTION? IT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION. WE'VE RUN INTO THIS BEFORE. WHEN THE LEGISLATURE STARTS GETTING MISCHIEVOUS WITH OUR LOCAL REGULATIONS. THE QUESTION IS, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY'VE SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION UNDER THE OLD SET OF RULES? WHEN THE RULES CHANGE ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, TYPICALLY THERE'S A THERE'S A STATE LAW THAT PROTECTS DEVELOPERS FROM THE RULES CHANGING FROM THE TIME THEY STARTED PLANNING THIS PARTICULAR CASE. THESE WILL BE ADVANTAGEOUS. SO IN THEORY, A DEVELOPER COULD WITHDRAW THE APPLICATION AND THEN JUST PUT THE APPLICATION BACK IN. IT COST HIM AN APPLICATION FEE TO DO THAT. BUT THEY COULD DO THAT TO PLAY BY THE NEW RULES. WELL, IF THEY'RE ABLE TO BUILD AN EIGHT STORY BUILDING RATHER THAN A THREE STORY THAT GOES DOWN TO TWO NEXT TO A NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY'RE GOING TO PAY THE APPLICATION FEE. THAT'S GREAT. OKAY. SO THE AGE RESTRICTION

[04:25:06]

[04:30:12]

MAY I THANK YOU MAY BE ASKING FOR WHO THE LOBBYISTS ARE THAT WERE INVOLVED WITH THIS, THE LOBBYING GROUPS, AND WE PROBABLY DON'T. I MEAN, I'M SURE I COULD FIGURE OUT WHO THOSE ARE, BUT I THINK ARIEL MAY BE THE BEST PERSON TO FIND OUT, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY HAVE DATABASES DOWN THERE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO. AND SO I'LL ASK THAT QUESTION TO HER TOMORROW AND I'LL SEND AN EMAIL OUT, OKAY, OKAY, OKAY. THANKS, SIR. I KNEW YOU WOULD HAVE THE ANSWERS. I KNOW WHERE TO GET THE ANSWERS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR.

COUNCILMEMBER DUTTON. I WAS JUST CURIOUS. WHAT IS OUR CURRENT TALLEST STRUCTURE IN THE CITY? I THINK THAT'S THE CHASE BANK BUILDING. THAT'S SIX STORIES. THERE'S SIX. NO, NO. GO AHEAD. I DIDN'T SHUT YOU OFF. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON INTERSECTION OF BROADWAY AND CENTERVILLE. I WAS JUST CURIOUS. WHAT IS OUR CURRENT? THERE WE GO. YOU GOT TO STOP BY THE DEEDS. I WOULD KNOW WHERE IT IS. OKAY. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE IT. WELCOME. THANK YOU. MA'AM.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCIL ON THIS ITEM? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL CONTINUE ON

[9. Update on Garland Police School Resource Officer (SRO) Program]

WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL OUR SPEAKER UP AND BOB DUCKWORTH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WE WILL ALLOW THAT. WE ALLOW THAT EARLIER, IF YOU WOULD. WE'LL CALL YOU BACK UP AND WE'LL CALL UP CHIEF BRIAN. NAME AND ADDRESS. FOR THE RECORD, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. MY NAME AND ADDRESS. 1891 FOREST LANE. AND. I'LL FIGURE IT OUT. YOU GOOD? I'LL CALL YOU BACK UP. OKAY. MY NAME AND ADDRESS. FOR THE RECORD, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. OR IT'S NOT GOOD MORNING YET, BUT GOOD EVENING. MAYOR AND COUNCIL WILL BE SHORTER. I'LL BE SHORT, BUT I PROMISE, COUNCIL, I'D COME BACK AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE SRO PROGRAM. I KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SRO PROGRAM, AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF RUMORS. I'VE HEARD RUMORS EVERYWHERE FROM WE'RE ELIMINATING THE SRO PROGRAM TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS CREATING THEIR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO QUELL SOME OF THOSE RUMORS AND GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION. I'LL ALSO SAY THAT I KNOW WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET SEASON, AND THERE WAS A DISCUSSION THAT THERE MAY BE BUDGET IMPACTS ON THIS. AND I ALSO PRESENTED TO COUNCIL ABOUT NEEDING ADDITIONAL OFFICERS. BUT THIS IS NOT ABOUT EITHER ONE OF THOSE. EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE OFFICERS INVOLVED IN THIS, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A POTENTIAL BUDGET IMPACT ON THIS, THE REASON THAT WE THIS HAS EVEN BEEN A TOPIC IS BECAUSE OF SENATE BILL THREE, WHICH OCCURRED IN 2023, AND SENATE BILL THREE SAID THAT ALL SCHOOL CAMPUSES MUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE ARMED SECURITY OFFICER DURING REGULAR HOURS. AND THEN SENATE BILL THREE DEFINED WHAT AN ARMED SECURITY OFFICER IS. DISTRICT POLICE OFFICER, AN SRO, A COMMISSIONED PEACE OFFICER, OR AN ARMED SECURITY OFFICER. NOW, BEFORE SENATE BILL THREE, THIS IS WHAT OUR SRO PROGRAM LOOK

[04:35:05]

SO OUR JOB AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S JOB, WHICH IS MORE THEIR JOB, WAS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FILL THAT GAP. AND THOSE OTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. AND THE WAY THEY DID THAT WAS THEY HIRED 28 ARMED SECURITY OFFICERS THAT COVERED 28 SCHOOLS, AND WE HAD SEVEN POLICE OFFICERS THAT COVERED THE OTHER SEVEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. SO THEN THE PROBLEM, THE PROBLEM IS, ARE SEVEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SROS THAT HAD THEIR HOME BASE AT THOSE SEVEN SCHOOLS. BUT THEY ARE ALSO COVERING THE OTHER SCHOOLS ON LAW ENFORCEMENT RELATED TOPICS. AND ASO IS AN ARMED SECURITY OFFICER. HE DOES NOT HAVE LAW ENFORCEMENT DUTIES. HE DOES NOT HAVE THAT AUTHORITY.

AND SO IF THERE WAS A LAW ENFORCEMENT RELATED CALL SUCH AS A CONCERN FOR WELFARE OR CHILD SAFETY INCIDENT, THAT ARMED SECURITY OFFICER WOULD THEN CALL AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SRO WHO WOULD LEAVE THEIR SCHOOL, TAKE CARE OF THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUE, AND THEN RETURN TO THEIR SCHOOL. WELL, THAT'S THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A GAP THERE WHEN THAT HAPPENS. SO ALL THIS CONVERSATION THAT THAT HAS BUDGET IMPACTS AND THE RUMORS THAT FLEW OUT AFTER THAT CONVERSATION STARTED, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIX. WE PROBLEM HERE AND WE RECOGNIZE WE NEED TO FIX THIS. AND SO WE STARTED HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS WITH GISD ON AND THEY RECOGNIZE IT AS WELL. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO FIX THIS EXACT PROBLEM? AND AFTER MUCH DISCUSSIONS, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE MOVING HERE SHORTLY. THERE'S ACTUALLY ONE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT IS CLOSING. I KNOW IT'S BEEN PUBLIC. MONTCLAIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS CLOSING. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OFFICER SRO AND TURN THAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SRO INTO A FLOATER. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ONE OF THE SCHOOLS THAT IS CURRENTLY COVERED BY AN SRO, AND TURN THAT OFFICER INTO A FLOATER. AND SO MOVING FORWARD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, YOU WILL HAVE 29 ASO'S IN THE SCHOOLS. FIVE OF THE CAMPUSES WILL BE COVERED BY SROS. AND FOR THOSE LAW ENFORCEMENT RELATED CALLS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE COVERED BY ASO'S, WE WILL NOW HAVE TWO FLOATER ELEMENTARY SROS THAT WILL RESPOND TO THAT SCHOOL TO TAKE CARE OF THAT ISSUE. FOR PARENTS, THIS IS MORE COVERAGE. THIS IS NOT LESS COVERAGE. THIS IS MORE COVERAGE. SO NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE AN ASO IN YOUR SCHOOL, BUT NOW YOU HAVE THAT FLOATER SRO WHO IS NOT LEAVING A SCHOOL TO TEND TO THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT RELATED ISSUE. THIS IS OUR SOLUTION NOW. THIS GETS US IN FULL OR GETS GISD. THE OBLIGATION IS ACTUALLY ON GISD, NOT ON US. IT GETS GI IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH SENATE BILL THREE. OUR FLOATERS ARE SCALABLE. SO WE'RE GOING TO WATCH TO SEE HOW THIS WORKS. SEE HOW MANY CALLS THAT THEY'RE RESPONDING TO. AND THEN IT SUPPORTS ALL CAMPUSES. THIS IS OUR SOLUTION I ADDED THIS SLIDE IN HERE BECAUSE I DO GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COST OF THE SRO PROGRAM. AND THIS IS A 10,000 FOOT VIEW OF THE COST OF THE SRO PROGRAM, THE GISD, WHEN YOU INCLUDE THE OVERTIME AND GISD PAYS FOR 100% OF SRO RELATED OVERTIME, GISD IS PAYING ABOUT 65% OF THE OVERALL PROGRAM, AND THE CITY IS PAYING ABOUT 35%. THE COST OF VEHICLES THAT YOU ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW, THAT'S UNDER THE OLD CONTRACT THAT'S GOING UP UNDER THE NEW MOU. IT'S MOU, NOT A CONTRACT. THAT'S BY FAR THE FASTEST PRESENTATION THAT. BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF RUMORS THAT WE'RE STIRRING UP OUT THERE. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE A LOT OF LOVE FOR THE SRO PROGRAM, A LOT OF QUESTIONS. I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO GET IN FRONT OF THIS BODY QUICKLY, JUST TO KIND OF SHOW YOU WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND HOW WE'RE FIXING THIS IN THE SHORT TERM AND THE LONG TERM. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO EVALUATE AND MAKE DECISIONS. SO I'LL PAUSE AND OPEN FOR QUESTIONS.

[04:40:04]

THEY KNOW THE PRINCIPALS, THEY KNOW THE SITUATIONS. AND SO WE WANT TO FREE THEM UP TO TAKE CARE OF THAT. BUT WITH THIS SOLUTION, AGAIN, THERE WON'T BE NO SCHOOL THAT'S NOT COVERED. I APPRECIATE THE EXPLANATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF SROS KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE SCHOOLS WITH THEIR STUDENTS, BECAUSE THERE IS THAT RELATIONSHIP. SO I APPRECIATE THAT THAT LITTLE INFO THAT HELPS. THANK YOU. THAT THANK YOU, MA'AM. MAYOR PRO TEM LOOK. CHIEF, HOW DO YOU HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DETERMINE WHICH FIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAMPUSES HAVE A PERMANENT SRO? WE'RE GOING TO LET GISD DECIDE THAT. AND THEY'VE THEY'VE. SO MONTCLAIR IS CLOSING. THAT'S AN EASY ONE. BUT WE'RE GOING TO LET THEM DECIDE ON THAT NEXT SCHOOL. WELL, I MEAN, IT WILL EVENTUALLY REOPEN. RIGHT. AND WHEN IT DOES, WE'LL STORY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. SO. RIGHT OKAY. SO I GUESS I'M JUST A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT HAVING FIVE. IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO ME TO HAVE ALL OF THEM AS FLOATERS. I DON'T KNOW, I, I BECAUSE THEN THEY CAN ALL GO TO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS. IF YOU HAVE FIVE OFFICERS AT FIVE CAMPUSES ALL THE TIME, I MEAN, WELL, AND THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT. AND BELIEVE ME, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT HOW, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW WE FIX THE GAP THAT WE HAVE GOING INTO SEPTEMBER WHEN SCHOOL STARTS, WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE DOWN THE LINE. I'LL COME BACK TO COUNCIL AS WE ADJUST THAT. I DON'T THINK WE NEED FIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FLOATERS.

THERE'S THERE IS ACTIVITY THAT THAT OUR SROS RESPOND TO. NOT ENOUGH FOR FIVE FLOATERS. AND SO AS WE MOVE DOWN THE LINE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BUDGET IMPACTS TO ALL THIS, THIS IS A TIGHT BUDGET SEASON FOR US. IT'S A TIGHT BUDGET SEASON FOR GISD. AND SO AS WE WE'RE GOING TO EVALUATE THIS USING OUR TWO FLOATERS, WE'RE GOING TO EVALUATE HOW MANY FLOATERS WE NEED. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO ALSO EVALUATE HOW WE WANT THIS PROGRAM TO MOVE MOVING FORWARD.

AND AS THOSE CHANGES OR IF CHANGES ARE MADE I WILL BRING THAT BACK TO COUNCIL. OKAY. I MEAN, IT IS SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR YOUNG CHILDREN TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH POLICE OFFICERS. I THINK IT SETS THEM UP FOR FUTURE SUCCESS. I THINK THE SRO PROGRAM IS FANTASTIC AT DOING THAT. BUT IF IT'S ONLY AT FIVE CAMPUSES, IS IT REALLY ACHIEVING WHAT WE INTEND FOR IT

[04:45:06]

WHAT? I THINK YOU JUST ANSWERED THE QUESTION I WAS GOING TO ASK WHAT? YOU SAID THAT ON CLAIRE'S CLOSING, BUT IT'S REOPENING. AND SO THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT I'VE BEEN BEEN HEARING. SO. BUT FOR THIS YEAR. HEATHER GLENN, RIGHT, IS THE RECEIVING SCHOOL RIGHT FOR I'M SORRY FOR MONTCLAIR STUDENTS? YEAH, I BELIEVE SO. I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, BUT IF YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT. SO WHAT'S WHAT'S THE WHAT'S THE OFFICE ACCOUNT FOR THAT CAMPUS WITH THE. EXCUSE ME, THE MONTCLAIR STUDENTS COMING OVER TO HELP AGAIN, I BELIEVE. I'M SORRY. ANY DIFFERENCE? NO, THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE. I MEAN, WE HAVE NO MORE THAN ONE SRO PER SCHOOL OR ONE ASO PER SCHOOL. THERE IS NOT A SECOND ASO OR SRO IN ANY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. AND SO WHAT'S THE WHAT'S THE. MONTCLAIR IS RECONSTRUCTED. THEY ARE RETURNING TO THAT SCHOOL RIGHT. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. AND SO THE SRO WILL ALSO RETURN TO SCHOOL. RIGHT. WELL YES. AND I THINK I THINK WHEN THAT HAPPENS, BY THE TIME THAT HAPPENS THEN WE'LL HAVE A CLEAR PATH BOTH WITH GISD AND WITH US OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THIS PROGRAM. OKAY. RIGHT NOW WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO SEPTEMBER TO GET IT OPENED, MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS AN ARMED SECURITY OFFICER OR SRO IN EVERY SCHOOL. LOOKING FORWARD A YEAR OR HOWEVER LONG IT TAKES TO COMPLETE MONTCLAIR, I THINK THERE WILL BE POSSIBLY DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT CHANGES.

WE'LL ALSO GET AN IDEA OF HOW MANY SRO FLOATERS WE NEED. HOW MANY DO WE NEED? IS ONE ENOUGH? IS DO WE NEED THREE? I THINK WE'LL HAVE AN IDEA OF THAT BY THE TIME THAT MONTCLAIR OPENS.

AND THEN WE'LL WE'LL SPEAK WITH GSD ABOUT HOW TO GET THAT COVERED. THANK YOU. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR UPDATES AS WE MOVE. AS YOU KNOW, ALL THE CONSTRUCTION TAKES PLACE. THANK YOU MAYOR. YES THANK YOU SIR. COUNCILMAN THOMAS. GOOD EVENING CHIEF. SO AS A NEW COUNCILMAN, I'M KIND OF NEW TO THIS WHOLE PROGRAM. AND SO I REFLECT BACK ON MY RECENT PAST LEADERSHIP.

GARLAND. WE WENT THROUGH AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT WAS CLOSED. IT WAS GOING TO BE TURNED INTO A TRAINING FACILITY FOR ACTIVE SCHOOL SHOOTING SITUATIONS AND HOW TO RESPOND TO THAT. AND SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, I, SROS ARE FULL FLEDGED POLICE OFFICERS. YES, YES. AND SO DO THE ASOS GET THE SAME LEVEL OF TRAINING EXPERTISE? CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT FOR ME? WELL, ASOS ARE NOT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. HOWEVER, MOST ASOS ARE RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT, SO YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAT THAT IS THEIR RETIREMENT JOB. IN FACT, A LOT MORE GARLAND RETIREMENT OFFICERS. THEY DO RECEIVE SIMILAR ALERT AND ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT DOES. IT'S NOT EXACTLY THE SAME, BUT THEY DO RECEIVE THE SAME TRAINING, PRETTY MUCH THE SAME TRAINING THAT WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT HAS HAPPENED. IN FACT, WHEN WE DO OUR ALERT TRAINING AND I'M GOING TO ASK WHAT ALERT STANDS FOR ACTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE, I CAN'T REMEMBER, BUT THAT IS OUR ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING. WE DO THAT AND THEY'RE DEDICATED SCHOOL. AND SO THAT THAT IS HAPPENING OKAY. VERY VERY GOOD.

THANK YOU SIR. THAT HELPS ME. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM I. IN FACT.

THERE WE GO. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I'LL BE BRIEF. THANK YOU FOR THE FOR THE UPDATE. I THINK EARLIER IN YOUR BRIEFING, YOU MENTIONED THAT VEHICLE COSTS ARE GOING UP. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. VEHICLE COSTS ARE GOING UP. WELL, YES. WHAT IS THE VEHICLE NEED FOR? WELL, SROS AREN'T JUST IN THE SCHOOL. THEY ALSO PATROL THE PARKING LOTS AND THEY PATROL THE OUTER PERIMETER.

THEY ALSO MAKE ARRESTS THAT THEY TRANSPORT INDIVIDUALS IN. AND SO WE DON'T HAVE A LAW ENFORCEMENT

[04:50:04]

THAT COST MOVE. NOW ON TO ITEM TEN. UPDATE ON. OH SORRY SORRY. REWIND. WE DO HAVE THROW ME OFF.

HE WENT AFTER THE PRESENTATION ON THIS ONE. SO MR. DUCKWORTH IF YOU'D COME UP NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES, SIR, I HAVE NOT MOVED, BUT YES, NOT IN THE PAST COUPLE HOURS. MY NAME IS BOB DUCKWORTH. I LIVE AT 909 WAKEFIELD. CAN YOU HEAR ME? GO AHEAD. YES. I WANT TO MAKE SURE. WHAT? WHAT? BEFORE I SAY, WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY IS IN NO WAY THE POLICE ARE ARE GREAT PEOPLE. I SUPPORT THEM, LOVE THEM, WHAT THEY DO. MY THOUGHTS ARE TO YOU TONIGHT AND WHAT I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT OR LOOKING AT IS PURELY FROM A TAXPAYER STANDPOINT, AS WE UNDERSTAND THE SAME TAXPAYER, TAXPAYERS, SCHOOL TAX, CITY TAX AND THOSE MONIES PAY FOR THESE PROGRAMS. EITHERR WAY THEY GO. SO IT'S THE TAXPAYERS MONEY. THE WAY I LOOK AT IT, I DID I LOOKED AT THE SRO. AUDIT THAT WAS DONE A I THINK IN 22, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND I'VE HAD SOME QUESTIONS OVER THE YEARS ABOUT THE COST, AND I'M GOING TO SKIP OVER SOMEWHAT BECAUSE OF WHAT THE CHIEF SAID, AND I APPRECIATE THAT WHAT HE SAID. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS PROGRAM WITH A LITTLE MORE PRAGMATIC LOOK, BECAUSE THIS PROGRAM STARTED IN 92. AND I THINK AS TAXPAYERS AND FROM A COST STANDPOINT, WE NEED TO LOOK MORE I BELIEVE WE NEED TO LOOK MORE AT THE DISTRICT BURYING MORE OF THIS COST. NOW THEY CAN STILL HAVE SROS AND BEAR THE COST. I'M NOT SAYING TAKE AWAY SROS. IT'S A MATTER OF WHERE THE WHERE THE COST IS COMING FROM. AND I KNOW WE I BELIEVE I UNDERSTOOD THE BUDGET IS WE'RE LOOKING AT LIKE A REALLY TIGHT YEAR THIS YEAR. SO I'M NOT SAYING CUT IT. THAT WAS A COMMENT. I THINK THAT I HEARD HIM SAY I'M NOT IN ANY WAY SAYING WE SHOULD CUT IT. I JUST THINK AS A AS A COUNCIL, WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THIS PROGRAM A LITTLE MORE TIGHTLY, A LITTLE MORE DETAILED IN THE NUMBERS.

AND I AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE BEGIN TO PARE THIS PROGRAM DOWN WITH THE DISTRICT PAYING MORE OVER THE NEXT 2 OR 3 YEARS, AGAIN, NOT TAKING AWAY SROS. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHERE THE CHECKS ARE BEING WRITTEN FROM TO PAY FOR THOSE SROS. AND IF THE DISTRICT REIMBURSED US 100% FOR THOSE THAT WOULD GO BACK THROUGH THE MOU JUST LIKE IT IS NOW, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE COUNCIL LOOK AT THE MOU AND UNDERSTAND THAT HOW IT WORKS, WHAT THE TERMS ARE. I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'VE EVER DONE THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE LOOKED AT THE AUDIT WITH MY PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND. I LOOKED THROUGH THE AUDIT, I HAD SOME QUESTIONS AND I'M LOOKING FOR I'M STILL LOOKING FOR ANSWERS ON ON DETAILS BECAUSE THE A LOT OF TIMES THE DETAILS ARE WHERE WE CAN MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, MAKE BETTER CHOICES AND HAVE A BETTER PRODUCT FOR EVERYBODY. SO. AND OVER THE YEARS, OUR SCHOOLS HAVE BECOME A LOT MORE SAFER. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE EVERY SCHOOL HAS A ONE ENTRY SYSTEM. NOW ALL THE DOORS ARE, ARE, HAVE LOCKS ON THEM. IF THEY'RE OPEN, THE POLICE KNOW ABOUT IT OR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT KNOWS ABOUT IT IMMEDIATELY. SO OUR SCHOOLS ARE MUCH, MUCH SAFER NOW THAN THEY WERE. AND AS FAR AS FROM A COST STANDPOINT, I'M JUST QUICKLY SAYING THAT WE CAN HAVE TWO TWO AND I THINK WITH THE QUALITY OF PEOPLE THAT THE CHIEF MENTIONED, WE STILL ARE KEEPING OUR CHILDREN SAFE. AND I JUST THINK OVER TIME WE CAN AS A COUNCIL, YOU CAN LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS AND, AND BEGIN TO DO A BETTER JOB WITH SPENDING OUR TAX DOLLARS. THANK YOU SIR. ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. THEN WITH THAT WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER

[10. Update on Pet Limits & Wildlife Trapping]

[04:55:02]

GOOD EVENING. EVENING MAYOR. COUNCIL. MR. CITY MANAGER. SO WE'RE HERE TO ALSO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON PET LIMITS AND WILDLIFE TRAPPING. JUST A QUICK HISTORY ON THIS ITEM. THIS BOTH OF THESE ITEMS WERE REQUESTED BY MAYOR PRO TEM AND SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON. AND SO BASICALLY STARTING WITH PET LIMITS, STAFF WAS REQUESTED TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO POTENTIALLY AMEND THE CITY ORDINANCE AND SET A LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF DOGS AND CATS THAT EACH HOUSEHOLD CAN HAVE AS IT PERTAINS TO WILDLIFE TRAPPING. WE WERE DIRECTED TO ALSO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO POTENTIALLY DISCONTINUE PROVIDING THIS SERVICE FOR WILDLIFE, THAT IT IS THE NON RABIES CARRIERS. WE WERE DIRECTED TO TAKE THESE ITEMS TO THE ANIMAL SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THEN TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL WITH WITH RECOMMENDATIONS. SO STARTING WITH PET LIMITS, THE VERY FIRST THING THAT WE DID IS WE LOOKED AT SECTION 22, ONE OF THE CITY ORDINANCE, WHICH ALREADY GIVES US SOME FLEXIBILITY IN REDUCING THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT HOUSEHOLDS CAN HAVE. HOWEVER, THERE HAS TO BE AT LEAST THREE VIOLATIONS WITHIN THAT PERIOD IN ORDER FOR US TO ENFORCE THIS SECTION OF THE ORDINANCE. SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT THIS, WE FELT THAT THIS WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO WORK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY SO THAT WE CAN ENFORCE THIS ACTION ON THE FIRST OFFENSE, IF IT'S WARRANTED, IF THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF HARM TO THE HEALTH OR SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC OR THE ANIMAL. NOW, BEFORE WE ENFORCE THIS ORDINANCE, THERE ARE A FEW FACTORS THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT. WE LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT ARE PRESENT. WE LOOK AT THE SIZE OF EACH ANIMAL, THE HEALTH OF THE ANIMAL, THE TYPE OF EACH ANIMAL, AND THE OWNERS ABILITY TO PROVIDE CARE FOR THIS ANIMAL. THE THING ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE IS IT ONLY TARGETS IRRESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS. LIKE I SAID, THERE HAS TO BE A THIRD VIOLATION WITHIN A 12 MONTH PERIOD BEFORE WE CAN ACTUALLY ENFORCE THIS. NOW, BEFORE WE ALSO SURVEYED THE SURROUNDING MUNICIPALITIES TO SEE WHAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE, AND WE IDENTIFIED THE TEN OUT OF THE 13 CITIES HAVE SOME TYPE OF LIMITS ON DOGS AND CATS, AND IT IS PRIMARILY BASED ON THE TYPE, THE SIZE AND THE ZONING OF THE PROPERTY. BUT THERE IS NO TRUE CONSISTENCY ON ON A SPECIFIC LIMIT. ONE OF THE ONE OF THE PERFORMANCE FACTORS OR THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR THAT I COULDN'T FIND WAS WHETHER OR NOT ANYTHING IMPROVED AFTER THE CITY'S IMPLEMENTED PET LIMITS, WHETHER THE NUMBER OF CALLS FOR STRAY DOGS WENT DOWN, OR OVERALL ANIMAL INTAKES AS IT PERTAINS TO DOGS AND CATS. AND WE COULDN'T IDENTIFY THAT ANY OF THE CITIES ACTUALLY IMPROVED THOSE NUMBERS ON ON A SPECIFIC LIMIT. WE ALSO APPROACHED THIS FROM A COMPLAINT STANDPOINT. AND SO FOR THE MONTHS OF APRIL AND MAY, WE STARTED TRACKING THE NUMBER OF CALLS FROM RESIDENTS, BASICALLY CALLING, SAYING, MY NEIGHBOR HAS TOO MANY DOGS OR TOO MANY CATS. SO DURING THE MONTHS OF APRIL AND MAY OF 2025, WE RECEIVED 3323 CALLS, 122 S SERVICE ORDERS, AND OUT OF THOSE, ONLY FIVE WERE CALLS FOR EXCESSIVE ANIMALS. BASICALLY, LIKE I SAID, WHAT HE'S SAYING MY NEIGHBOR HAS TOO MANY DOGS, TOO MANY CATS. OUT OF THOSE FIVE, WE WERE ABLE TO VERIFY ONLY ONE OF THEM, AND THAT CITIZEN SURRENDERED THE NINE CATS THAT SHE HAD. WE ALSO IMPOUNDED 1316 ANIMALS. WE ISSUED 52 INSPECTION REPORTS AND WE ISSUED 69 CITATIONS. AS WE WERE DIRECTED BY COUNCIL. WE TOOK THIS TO THE ANIMAL SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON MAY 30TH OF THIS YEAR. AND THE A RECOMMENDED THAT WE TABLE THIS ITEM UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THEY WANT US TO CONTINUE GATHERING THIS DATA SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO HOUSEHOLDS THAT HAVE TOO MANY ANIMALS. SO THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT LATER IN THE YEAR OR NEW OR RETURNING ANIMAL SERVICES DIRECTOR WILL BE PRESENTING THIS TO YOU ALL. IN THE MEANTIME, STAFF IS GOING TO CONTINUE TRACKING CALLS AND TAKE ACTION AS NEEDED. WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH THE IT DEPARTMENT. WE'RE CREATING A HEAT MAP IN ORDER FOR US TO TRACK HIGH CALL VOLUME AREAS, AND BASED ON THAT DATA, REALLOCATE RESOURCES. WE ALSO HAVE A COMMUNITY OUTREACH TEAM THAT WE CAN BASICALLY ALLOCATE

[05:00:01]

COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON. THAT WAS FAST. SO I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE ON THIS. I THINK PERSONALLY, MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE PET. WE'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY. I KNOW. THAT. THERYOU GO. OKAY, I'M NOT GOING TO OPEN IT RIGHT NOW. MY PERSONAL CONCERN IS THE PET HOARDERS, WHICH WOULD FALL UNDER THE IRRESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS HOARD PETS ALL DAY LONG AS LONG AS YOU'RE TAKING CARE OF THEM. AND WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, PICKING THEM UP AND HAVING TO EUTHANIZE THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT TAKING CARE OF THAT IN THE BACKYARD.

BREEDERS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IS THE IRRESPONSIBLE. MY PERSONAL OPINION. THE PET ORDERS I MOVED TO FALL UNDER THE RULES. YOU NEED A REFUND, 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED OR WHAT? I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I WAS SAYING. SOMEONE CALLING IN OR PUTTING IN A TICKET, COMPLAINING THAT THEIR NEIGHBOR HAS TOO MANY ANIMALS IS. IT'S. I MEAN, THAT'S SUBJECTIVE. I HAVE TWO DOGS AT HOME AND 90% OF THE TIME I WILL TELL YOU, I HAVE TOO MANY ANIMALS. JUST, YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M SLEEPING AND I'M LIKE, I HAVE TOO MANY DOGS. IT'S CHEAP. OKAY. LIKE, BUT ALSO LIKE, WHO AM I TO TELL SOMEONE THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE 50 CATS IF THAT WOULD MAKE YOU HAPPY INSIDE. AND BUT YOU'RE TAKING CARE OF THEM, SO. I THINK WE WALK A VERY FINE LINE WITH THAT. I WAS READING OVER SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES, AND I, I COULD APPRECIATE LIKE THE NO MORE THAN EIGHT UNDER OR OVER WHAT WAS LIKE EIGHT MONTHS OLD OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, LIKE THERE'S SOME VERY CREATIVE IDEAS. AND SO I'D REALLY LIKE US TO MAYBE, YOU KNOW, REALLY DIG INTO SOME OF THOSE OTHER CITIES.

SOME OF THEM, I THINK ARE SILLY, LIKE TWO CATS AND TWO DOGS. I SMILED, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE PUT INTO IT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THE REST OF THE YEAR PLAYS OUT AND SEE WHAT OTHER INFORMATION WE'RE ABLE TO COLLECT AND THAT WE CAN. THERE'S SOME VERY CREATIVE IDEAS. ANYONE ELSE ON PET LIMITS? COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. BUT MAYBE THIS IS FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY. I MIGHT HAVE SUGGESTED TO MY WIFE THAT WE HAVE THREE CATS, AND I MIGHT HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THERE WAS A LIMIT, AND WHEN SHE WANTS TO GET ANOTHER ONE, I ALWAYS SAY, WHICH ONE OF THESE IS GOING TO GO? AND SO CAN WE. I THINK THANK YOUR YOUR WIFE SHUT YOU OFF THERE.

YEAH. THE ANSWER IS YES. SO I MIGHT HAVE SUGGESTED TO MY WIFE THAT WE HAVE THREE CATS AND I MIGHT HAVE SUGGESTED THAT. I APPRECIATE YOU WORKING ON THIS GENTLEMAN. SERIOUSLY. YOU KNOW, I DON'T. THERE HAS TO BE A BALANCE HERE. AND IT IS KIND OF CITIES HAVE DONE AND KIND OF A FAIRLY WIDE RANGE THERE. THERE'S KIND OF NO STANDARD KIND OF DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU. AND SO ARE YOU TALKING TO SOME OF THESE OTHER CITIES TO SEE. IT'S BEEN A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO GET TO GET INFORMATION FROM THEM. A LOT OF THE INFORMATION WE HAD TO GO ONLINE, BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT TO IDENTIFY EXACTLY HOW THEY CAME UP WITH THIS. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE VERERY CONSIENT TYPE, THE SIZE AND THE ZONING OF THE PROPERTY, IF YOU IF YOU LIVE IN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX, WELL, IT MAKES SENSE THAT YOU SHOULD ONLY HAVE TWO DOGS AND TWO CATS. IF YOU HAVE TWO ACRES OF LAND WILL. THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY. THAT WAS VERY CONSISTENT NUMBERS. IT WAS NOT ALL OVER THE PLACE. OKAY, WE'LL

[05:05:02]

[11. Audit Committee Meeting Report]

[05:10:03]

GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL AS WELL. SINCE I'M THE LAST ONE ON THE AGENDA, I THINK I HAVE ALL THE TIME THAT I NEED. NO, I WILL BE BRIEF AND IT'S BEEN A VERY LONG DAY. AS THE CHAIRMAN INDICATED, WE ACTUALLY MET ON JUNE 24TH. THE FIRST ITEM THAT WE ACTUALLY COVERED WAS AN AUDIT REQUEST THAT ACTUALLY CAME FROM MR. DUCKWORTH. HE WAS FOR THE POLICE SRO PROGRAM, AND HE WAS ABLE TO EXPLAIN THE SCOPE OF HIS REQUEST. AND THE AUDIT COMMITTEE DELIBERATED ON THAT REQUEST.

CHIEF WAS THERE, CITY MANAGER WAS THERE MAINLY WAS FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE. HE WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THE FINANCIAL IMPACT ON THE CITY FROM THE MOU, THE, THE, THE, AT THE END, THE COMMITTEE CONCURRED THAT CITY MANAGER AND THE POLICE CHIEF WILL BRING THAT INFORMATION TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS. AND SO THAT IS THE DECISION THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS MADE. AND SO I BELIEVE THAT INFORMATION IS COMING TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS. SECONDLY, WE DISCUSSED THE IMPLEMENTATION O OF THE HIPAA HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, SECURITY POLICY IMPLEMENTATION. AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, LAST YEAR WE DID A BENEFITS BILLING PROGRAM AUDIT, AS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WAS FOR THE CITY TO IMPLEMENT AND COME UP WITH A POLICY, HIPAA POLICY AND IMPLEMENT A FRAMEWORK, COME UP WITH A FRAMEWORK TO IMPLEMENT THE POLICY ITSELF. SINCE THEN, MR. GARDNER, OUR STRATEGIC INITIATIVE MANAGING DIRECTOR, CHAMPIONED THIS THIS INITIATIVE.

SHE WORKED WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENTNT, H DEPARTMENT, RISK MANAGEMENT, INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT AND CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO DRAFT A CITYWIDE HIPAA FRAMEWORK. AND SHE WENT OVER THE DETAILS OF THAT FRAMEWORK, BASICALLY COVERED THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, HANDLING OF PHI INFORMATION THROUGHOUT THE CITY, RESPONSES TO BREACHES. IF THAT DOES OCCUR, HOW OFTEN DO WE DO RISK ASSESSMENT? WHAT KIND OF TRAININGS WILL BE PROVIDED, DATA PROTECTION MEASURES THAT THE CITY WILL TAKE. SO IT WAS A VERY COMPREHENSIVE HIPAA FRAMEWORK UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE THAT THEY HAVE DEVELOPED. SO THEY WENT OVER THOSE DETAILS DURING THE AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING, AND THE COMMITTEE WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THAT EFFORT AND THE POLICY ITSELF. SO I BELIEVE JED MAY HAVE ALREADY SIGNED THAT POLICY INTO FINALIZE THE POLICY. AND THE NEXT STEP IS TO IMPLEMENT AND CONTINUE TO MAKE AMENDMENTS AND CHANGES AS WE NEED TO. SO THAT WAS THE SECOND ITEM. THIRDLY, THE ITEM THAT WE DISCUSSED WAS THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT AUDIT RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENTATION STATUS. ONCE AGAIN, WE DID AN AUDIT LAST YEAR WITH THIS PROGRAM. THAT WAS IN DECEMBER OF 2024. THE COMMITTEE REQUESTED AN UPDATE FROM THE CITY MARSHAL'S OFFICE. AS YOU MAY R REMEMBER,HERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 22 RECOMMENDATIONS IN THAT AUDIT REPORT. EIGHT OF THEM HAD TO DO WITH UPDATING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND IMPLEMENTING POLICIES. I WILL GIVE YOU A FEW EXAMPLE TRACKING OF LATE FEE ASSESSMENT AND PARTIAL PAYMENT ACCEPTANCE. REVIEWING ACCESS RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES, OBTAINING PHOTO EVIDENCE OF VIOLATIONS. THOSE WERE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE COVERED AS FROM A PROCEDURE PERSPECTIVE. AND THEN THERE WERE ADDITIONAL SIX OPERATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS SUCH AS MOVING THE HEARING OFFICER WHERE PAYMENTS ARE BEING TAKEN, CENTRALIZING THAT THAT FUNCTION

[05:15:01]

AND THE CITY COUNCIL ESTABLISHED THIS PROGRAM BACK IN 2018. AND THOUGH THE PROGRAM ITSELF WAS NOT IN, DIDN'T BEGIN UNTIL 2020. SO THE OBJECTIVE OF THE AUDIT WAS TO SEE IF THE GRANTS ARE APPROVED AND DISTRIBUTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES AND PURPOSE APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL. AS YOU ARE AWARE, THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM INCLUDED PREVENTING URBAN BLIGHT, INCREASING PROPERTY VALUES, MOTIVATING BROADER NEIGHBORHOOD REINVESTMENT, AND IMPROVING THE OVERALL COMPETITIVENESS OF GARLAND RESIDENTIAL AREAS. HEAP OPERATES AS A REIMBURSEMENT INITIATIVE WHERE HOMEOWNERS UNDERTAKE ELIGIBLE EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS AND RECEIVE A 50% REIMBURSEMENT APPROVED COST, SUBJECT TO A MAXIMUM OF $10,000. AS YOU'RE AWARE, IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE COUNCIL APPROVED $500,000 IN FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM. THERE ARE SO MANY, MANY CRITERIAS THAT YOU MUST MEET. I WILL GO THROUGH A FEW OF THEM. APPLICANTS MUST OWN A SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED HOME LOCATED WITHIN GARLAND THAT IS AT LEAST 30 YEARS OLD. THE PROPERTY VALUE MUST NOT EXCEED DALLAS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT'S MARKET VALUE THRESHOLD, WHICH IS CURRENTLY $300,000. SO A NUMBER OF REQUIREMENTS AND THERE MUST BE CURRENT IN THEIR INSURANCE PROPERTY INSURANCES THEY MUST OBTAIN. THEY MUST BE CURRENT ON THEIR UTILITY PAYMENTS, ALL OF THAT STUFF. SINCE WE DON'T HAVE TIME, I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL THE DETAILS.

OVERALL, SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM, AS OF DECEMBER 31ST, 2024, PROGRAM HAS FACILITATED 355 PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, GRANTING APPROXIMATELY $1.9 MILLION IN REBATES. IN TOTAL, ROUGHLY 4.2 MILLION WAS INVESTED INTO NEIGHBORHOODS. THAT INCLUDES 1.9 CONTRIBUTION FROM THE CITY AND 2.3 MILLION FROM THE CITIZENS. SO A TOTAL OF 4.2 MILLION WAS INVESTED DURING THIS FIVE YEAR PERIOD. SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE PROGRAM IS AS WORKING AND THE PROCESSES ARE WORKING AS INTENDED. THERE WERE SOME OBSERVATIONS THAT WE MADE.

FIRSTLY, THE DEPARTMENT WAS EXTREMELY THOROUGH IN ADMINISTERING THE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS, SO KUDOS TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY PROGRAM. HOWEVER, WE DID HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE INTERNAL CONTROLS. ONE ITEM WAS THE CASE MANAGER HAD BOTH TOSS BOTH PROCESSING APPLICATIONS AND APPROVING PAYMENTS FROM AN AUDIT PERSPECTIVE, FROM AN INTERNAL CONTROL PERSPECTIVE, THAT CREATES A SEGREGATION OF DUTIES ISSUES. THE PERSON WHO IS PROCESSING THE APPLICATION SHOULD NOT PROCESS PAYMENT. THAT LEAVES THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INAPPROPRIATENESS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES, SO IT'S NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE TO SEGREGATE ALL THE DUTIES. BUT THIS IS WHEN SOME COMPENSATING CONTROLS CAN COME INTO PRACTICE, SUCH AS REVIEWING. MANAGEMENT IS

[05:20:02]

APPLICANTS. HOWEVER, AS SOON AS WE DEPARTMENT INFORMATION WAS REMOVED FROM THE SHARED DRIVE AND IS BEING PROTECTED AS WE WERE PERFORMING THIS AUDIT, THE CITY MANAGER REQUESTED SOME ADDITIONAL ANALYTICS TO BE DONE. AS WE BRING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION. SO HE BASICALLY WANTED US TO EVALUATE OUR PROGRAM AGAINST SOME OF OUR SISTER CITIES PROGRAM. ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE COMPARED AGAINST WAS RICHARDSON. SO I'LL QUICKLY GO OVER SOME OF OUR OBSERVATIONS. SO THEIR PROGRAM IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN OURS. OURS AS I MENTIONED, WE COVER 50% UP TO $10,000 AS LONG AS IT'S EXTERIOR RENOVATION AND YOUR HOME VALUE CANNOT EXCEED $300,000 PER VALUE. RICHARDSON METHODOLOGY IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. THEIR REBATE IS BASED ON CITY TAX REVENUE INCREASE, SO PROJECT THAT YOU ARE PLANNING TO DO AT YOUR HOUSE. HOW MUCH OF THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE THE CITY TAX FOLLOWING YEAR? AND YOU HAVE TO INVEST AT LEAST $20,000.

AND SO IF YOUR TAX INCREASES BY $100, THEN THE CITY REBATE TEN TIMES OF THAT AMOUNT. SO THEY'RE NOT GIVING YOU 50%. INSTEAD THEY'RE GIVING YOU TEN TIMES CITY TAX REVENUE INCREASE. ■SO&I

[05:25:02]

THE LAST ITEM WE DISCUSSED WAS THE INTERNAL AUDIT REVIEW RESULTS. AS AS YOU'RE AWARE THE INTERNAL AUDIT DEPARTMENT FOLLOWS THE GENERALLY ACCEPTED GOVERNMENTAL AUDITING STANDARDS ISSUED BY THE GAO. THIS STANDARD IS PRETTY STRICT. WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN OUR INDEPENDENCE, WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN OUR OBJECTIVITY, AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ETHICAL STANDARDS THAT WE MUST FOLLOW. WE HAVE WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN OUR EVIDENCE WHEN WE DO AUDITS, MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S SUFFICIENT AND APPROPRIATE. SO THROUGH THE ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUDITORS, I PEER REVIEW TEAM AND EVALUATED OUR DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE GENERALLY ACCEPTED AUDITING STANDARDS. AND AFTER THE EVALUATION, THEY CAN RANK YOU IN THREE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. YOU CAN EITHER PASS OR PASS WITH EFFICIENCY OR FAIL.

I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE PASS, WHICH WE'RE VERY HAPPY ABOUT IT. AND I WANT TO THANK CITY COUNCIL, MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. OBVIOUSLY, CITY COUNCIL BACK IN 1995, THROUGH A CHARTER AMENDMENT. THIS FUNCTION WAS FORMED. AND SO AT THAT TIME, SINCE THEN, IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY AND THE CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INDEPENDENT AND OBJECTIVE. SO YOU ALLOWED US TO DO OUR JOB. HIGHEST INTEGRITY. ALSO WANT TO THANK THE CITY MANAGEMENT AND STAFF FOR WORKING WITH US. THIS IS ALL ABOUT A PARTNERSHIP WORKING TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY AND ITS CITIZENS. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE'S SUPPORT. SO AT THIS TIME. SO THESE ARE THE FIVE ITEMS THAT WE DISCUSSED AS PART OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. DON'T SEE ANY RIGHT NOW. ONE QUESTION. MAYOR PRO TEM LUCK SAID. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REPORTS. I, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU AND YOUR TEAM ON MAINTAINING THE STANDARDS THAT YOU DO. YOU ALL HOLD.

ONE QUESTION. AND SO. THIS PROGRAM IS PAST ITS BEDTIME ON THIS PROGRAM. THERE WE GO. YEP.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I KNOW YOU ALL WORK VERY HARD AND YOU HAVE THE HIGHEST INTEGRITY. THAT'S NEVER BEEN A QUESTION. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR.

THANK YOU MA'AM. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS JUST. GRAB BEDTIME PROGRAM. YES, THANK YOU VERY

[05:30:13]

I'M FROM THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE, AND I'M WENT FULL ADMIRAL ACKBAR GOING, IT'S A TRAP. WHAT DID I DO? AND SO ANYWAY, HE JUST LEFT A MESSAGE THAT CONGRATULATED ME. AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. CONGRATULATIONS, SIR, AND GOOD WORK YOU'RE DOING FOR THE AUDIT HERE. AND WE STILL HAVEN'T HAD THAT LUNCH YET, BUT I WILL. I PROMISE I'LL MAKE TIME FOR THAT SOON. SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU. I JUST HAD TO TELL THAT STORY ON MYSELF. THANK YOU COUNCIL. THANK YOU SIR. GOOD BEDTIME STORY. OTHER QUESTIONS COUNCILMAN. MORE BACK TO YOU IF YOU WANT TO WRAP THIS UP FOR US. YES, SIR, I WILL. AND I WANT TO FIRST OF ALL, SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE AUDIT THAT WE DID NOT COMPLETE AND THAT WAS THE AUDIT. I THINK IT'S

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.