[00:00:06]
          GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE MONDAY, AUGUST 4TH, 2025 WORK SESSION OF THE GARLAND CITY COUNCIL. FIRST ITEM WILL TAKE TONIGHT'S PUBLIC COMMENTS ON WORK SESSION ITEMS. MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS REGISTERED? NO SPEAKERS REGISTERED. VERY WELL. WE ALWAYS 
          [ CONSIDER THE CONSENT AGENDA]
INVITE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO COME AND JOIN US IF THEY WISH. NEXT ITEM IS CONSIDERING THE CONSENT AGENDA. I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY REQUEST TO PULL ANY ITEMS, BUT EVERYONE KNOWS HOW TO 
          [1. Approve a Resolution Supporting the Foreign-Trade Zone Designation for Nobilia North America Inc.]
DO SO IF THEY WISH. MOVING ON TO WRITTEN BRIEFINGS. ITEM NUMBER ONE APPROVE A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE FOREIGN TRADE ZONE DESIGNATION FOR NOBILIA NORTH AMERICA, INC. ALL RIGHT. 
          [2. Amendment to the Note Purchase Agreement]
ITEM NUMBER TWO IS AMENDMENT TO THE NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT. AND ITEM NUMBER THREE IS GRANT 
          [3. Grant Disbursement Agreement - Garland Housing Finance Corporation]
DISBURSEMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE GARLAND HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION. THEY'LL BE JOINING US LATER TO TALK ABOUT THEIR ANNUAL REPORT. ITEM NUMBER FOUR WORKERS COMPENSATION, CASH FLOW 
          [4. Workers' Compensation Cash Flow Plan Claim Reimbursement]
PLAN, CLAIM REIMBURSEMENT. ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. THEN WE'LL MOVE RIGHT ALONG TO OUR VERBAL 
          [5. Garland Housing Finance Corporation (GHFC) Annual Report]
BRIEFINGS. I KNOW WE HAVE A FEW MEMBERS OF THE GARLAND HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, AND I'D INVITE THEM UP. TO GIVE THEIR ANNUAL REPORT. TO THE HONORABLE MR. GIBBONS. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, SIR. THANK YOU. SIR. YOU HAVE IT. MR. MAYOR, AS YOU WELL KNOW FROM OUR PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIP TECHNOLOGY, AND I DON'T NECESSARILY I WAS GOING TO ASK IF YOU NEED SOMEONE TO HELP COME UP AND HELP YOU OUT THERE. LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE HANDLING IT. HOPEFULLY, SINCE THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME, MAYBE I'VE GOT IT DOWN BY NOW. SO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THERE WE GO. PERFECT. ALL RIGHT, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, MR. REX, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE TONIGHT ON BEHALF OF GARLAND HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION. MY NAME IS DAVID GIBBONS. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. WITH ME IS DALE ADAMS, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. ALSO, WE HAVE TONY TORRES. ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS IS HERE AS WELL. UNFORTUNATELY, A COUPLE OF OUR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WERE UNABLE TO JOIN US THIS EVENING. I SEE THAT YOU'VE GOT THE BUDGET NEXT ON YOUR AGENDA. SO I KNOW THAT YOU'RE REALLY EXCITED TO GET MR. WATSON AND MISS STEADMAN UP HERE RATHER THAN ME. SO I'LL TRY TO BE AS BRIEF AS POSSISIBLE. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU. IT'S ALWAYS OUR PLEASURE TO COME ANNUALLY AND GIVE AN UPDATE ON ON OUR ACTIVITY AND OUR ACTIONS FOR THE LACK OF A BETTER TERM FOR THE PAST YEAR. AND SO TONIGHT WE WILL TRY TO BRING YOU UP TO DATE ON THE LATEST OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON. SO AS YOU PROBABLY WELL KNOW, THERE ARE FIVE MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD. DALE ADAMS AS I SAID, DOLORES ELDER JONES IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD. JENNY WALKER IS OUR TREASURER. OH, THERE SHE IS. TONY TORRES, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IS THE BOARD SECRETARY. AND PETER ROMANACH IS A BOARD MEMBER. UNFORTUNATELY, MISS ELDER JONES IS NOT FEELING WELL TONIGHT. AND MR. ROMANACH HAD PREVIOUS COMMITMENTS. SO FIRST WE'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR MORTGAGE CREDIT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM AND OUR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 2024 WAS AN EXCITING YEAR FOR US. WE ISSUED THE LARGEST BOND ISSUE EVER FOR HFC. WE ISSUED JUST OVER $32 MILLION IN TAX EXEMPT BONDS FOR TAX CREDITS FOR OUR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. WE ARE TOLD I'VE DONE NO RESEARCH ON THIS, BUT WE ARE TOLD THAT GARLAND HFC HAS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL DOWN PAYMENT PROGRAMS IN THE STATE. JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A REFRESHER ON OUR ON OUR PROGRAM, THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE IS A COMBINATION OF A LOAN OF $10,000, WHICH IS A NO INTEREST LOAN. IT IS NOT REPAYABLE UNTIL THE HOUSE SELLS, IT IS REFINANCED, OR THE FIRST MORTGAGE IS PAID OFF. THE. IN ADDITION TO THE $10,000 NO INTEREST LOAN, THERE'S A $5,000 GRANT, WHICH IS JUST A GIFT. AND SO THE PURCHASER CAN USE THAT ENTIRE $15,000 ANY WAY THEY WANT TO AS PART OF THEIR PURCHASE ACTIVITY THAT CAN BE USED FOR BUYING DOWN INTEREST RATES. IT CAN BE USED FOR CLOSING COSTS. 
          IT CAN BE USED FOR ADDITIONAL DOWN PAYMENT ANY WAY THAT THEY WISH TO USE IT. IN ADDITION TO 
          [00:05:04]
THAT DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, EACH BORROWER PARTICIPATES IN THE MORTGAGE CREDIT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM. THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT IS MONITORED AND WAS DEVELOPED AND MONITORED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE THAT QUALIFYING HOMEOWNERS. IN ADDITION TO BEING ABLE TO DEDUCT THEIR INTEREST ON THEIR MORTGAGE ON THEIR TAX RETURNS, THEY CAN ALSO GET UP TO A $2,000 DIRECT TAX CREDIT, NOT JUST A DEDUCTION. SO THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES NOT ONLY ASSISTANCE TO FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS IN GARLAND, BUT ALSO PROVIDES THEM WITH WITH A GREAT DEAL OF TAX BENEFIT AS WELL THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE LOAN. THERE ARE INCOME LIMITATIONS TO THE PROGRAM FOR ONE, FOR 1 OR 2 PERSON HOUSEHOLD, THE ANNUAL INCOME FOR THAT PERSON CANNOT EXCEED 140,760. AND IF THE HOUSEHOLD HAS THREE OR MORE PERSONS, THE ANNUAL INCOME CANNOT EXCEED 164,000 TO 20. SO IT IS LIMITED TO THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE IN AN INCOME LEVEL THAT PROBABLY MOST LIKELY NEED ASSISTANCE. I WOULD NOTE THAT OUR BORROWERS OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS OR EXCUSE ME, DURING 1924, THE AVERAGE INCOME OF A BORROWER WHO WHO OBTAINED A DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE LOAN AND GRANT THROUGH US WAS APPROXIMATELY $57,000 A YEAR. SO THIS IS TRULY TARGETED TO FOLKS WHO NEED THAT KIND OF ASSISTANCE IN BUYING A HOUSE. AGAIN, I REMIND YOU, THIS IS FOR A FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER AS WELL. IN 2024, WE FUNDED 80 OF THESE LOANS AND GRANTS, LOANS TOTALING 800,000 GRANTS TOTALING 400,000, THAT FUNDED $21 MILLION IN MORTGAGES. 
          FOR THESE PURCHASERS. YOU CAN SEE THAT THE AVERAGE LOAN IN 24 WAS THE AVERAGE MORTGAGE, NOT NECESSARILY THE PURCHASE PRICE, BUT THE AVERAGE MORTGAGE FOR OUR 2024 PROGRAM WAS $266,000. JUST WOULD NOTE TO DATE, WE HAVE TOTALLY FUNDED 321 LOANS SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM BACK IN 2008. SINCE WE IMPLEMENTED THE PROGRAM, WE HAVE OUR FUNDING HAS CREATED OVER $71 MILLION IN NEW MORTGAGES FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS IN GARLAND. MOST OF THOSE ARE FIRST TIME VOTERS, TOO. SO. JUST YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE HISTORY. YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE PROGRAM REALLY TOOK OFF DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN EVERYONE WAS TRYING TO BUY HOMES, AND THEN IT DROPPED IN 2022 SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE WASN'T INVENTORY IN THE PRICE RANGE WHERE YOU CAN AFFORD TO BUY. AND SO NOW WE'RE SEEING THAT GO BACK UP. HUD HAS ALSO INCREASED THE TOP DOLLAR OF HOW MUCH THE LIMIT IS ON THE LOAN. SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH DRIVEN BY THE BORROWERS INCOME TO DRIVE VALUE THAT THEY CAN BORROW. AND ALSO JUST SOME HISTORICAL INFORMATION HERE. YOU CAN SEE WHEN WE STARTED THE THIS IS TEN YEARS BACK. SO IN 2015 THE AVERAGE MORTGAGE THAT WE WERE SEEING WAS 127,000. AND RIGHT NOW THE LAST THREE YEARS YOU CAN SEE IS RIGHT IN THE 268, 267,000. I THOUGHT I'D SHARE THESE NUMBERS WITH YOU BY YOUR DISTRICT, SO YOU'D HAVE SOME IDEA OF HOW THE PROGRAM IS BEING USED BY BY OUR CITIZENS IN GARLAND DISTRICT TWO, FOUR AND FIVE HAD LARGE NUMBER, HAD THE LARGEST NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS. AND AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS, ALL BUYING EXISTING HOMES WITHIN YOUR DISTRICT. AS YOU KNOW. ALSO, WE ARE INVOLVED IN A NUMBER OF MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES THAT PROVIDE AFFORDABLE RENTS IN GARLAND. WHEN WE CREATED THIS REPORT AT THE END OF 2024, EXCUSE ME, END OF 2024, WE HAD ABOUT 1780 UNITS EXISTING, WITH ANOTHER 1349 UNDER CONSTRUCTION, FOR A TOTAL OF ABOUT ANTICIPATED. ABOUT 3129 UNITS. I WON'T DWELL TONIGHT ON HOUSE BILL 21. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH HOUSE BILL 21, BUT HOUSE BILL 21 BASICALLY HAS BROUGHT AN END TO BUSINESS AS WE KNOW IT. WE BELIEVE THAT BY THE END OF 26, BY THE DEADLINE OF 2027, WHEN ALL OUT OF JURISDICTIONS, HFC DEVELOPMENTS HAVE TO BE RESOLVED IN SOME MANNER, WE THINK THAT THIS NUMBER WILL GO FROM ABOUT 3000 UNITS DOWN TO ABOUT 1300 UNITS. THAT WILL HAVE STILL, WE EXPECT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE TO FLIP OUT TO ANOTHER HFC OR JUST BE REVERTED BACK TO MARKET RATES, WHICH IS UNFORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE POSSIBILITY OF OVER 2000 UNITS OF FOLKS THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD WHERE THEY'RE LIVING NOW, THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO FIND OTHER ALTERNATIVE FOR THAT, AS YOU 
          [00:10:04]
WELL KNOW, THE PROPERTIES IN GARLAND, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THESE EVERY YEAR IN THIS PRESENTATION. BUT JUST TO REMIND YOU, AS THIS IS ONE OF OUR COMMUNITIES IN DISTRICT EIGHT, IT'S 204 UNITS OF ACTIVE SENIOR AT 100, 100% OF THE PROPERTY IS AT 60%. AMI HOMETOWN IS IN DISTRICT TWO. OVER ON CASTLE DRIVE. IT IS 100% AFFORDABLE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS, 50% AT 60, 45% AT 50, AND 5% AT 30. CITY SQUARE LOFTS, WHICH IS A REDEVELOPMENT OF A BANK BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN GARLAND IN DISTRICT TWO IS 126 UNITS OF WORKFORCE HOUSING. THAT'S A COMBINATION OF AFFORDABLE AND MARKET RATE. THE 190 FIREWHEEL IN DISTRICT ONE IS 475 UNITS OF WORKFORCE HOUSING OF2% AT 80% AMI AND 48% AT MARKET RATE. WATER NEAR GARLAND IS ONE OF OUR NEWEST COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE PARTNERING IN. THIS IS A NEW COMMUNITY RIGHT ON 635 AT CAMPBELL. IT WILL BE 301 UNITS, IS CURRENTLY BEING DEVELOPED UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THE FIRST RESIDENTS HAVE MOVED IN. IT IS AGAIN A SENIOR COMMUNITY WITH AMI LIMITATIONS OF 80%. AND JUST TO GIVE YOU KIND OF AN IDEA, A 60% AMI, A ONE PERSON HOUSEHOLD HAS A MAXIMUM INCOME OF $49,000 TO BE ABLE TO LIVE IN ONE OF THESE COMMUNITIES, AND A TWO PERSON HOUSEHOLD HAS A MAXIMUM INCOME OF $56,000 A YEAR TO QUALIFY TO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITIES. AND THAT EQUATES FOR ONE BEDROOM UNIT AFFORDABLE. THAT'S A DEBATABLE TERM. THESE DAYS. A ONE BEDROOM UNIT IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 1300 AND $1,700, DEPENDING ON WHETHER IT'S A 80, 60 OR 30% AMI, AND A TWO BEDROOM UNIT IS ANYWHERE FROM 1500. IT CAN GO AS HIGH AS 2100, WHICH WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT THAT LEVEL. BUT THAT'S THE CURRENT HUD LIMITATIONS. THE OLSON IS A NEW PROPERTY UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW IN DISTRICT THREE. IN FACT, FIRST, RESIDENTS ARE MOVING IN THERE. THIS IS A 238 UNITS RIGHT OFF OF BOBTOWN ROAD AND I-30 IN DISTRICT THREE. AND THEN HUNTINGTON PLACE IS OUR LATEST COMMUNITY THAT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW IN DISTRICT TWO. THIS IS ANOTHER 204 UNITS FOR SENIORS. THIS IS A GREAT INFILL PROJECT IN DISTRICT TWO. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE AWARE, THIS WAS A VACANT TRACT OF LAND THAT HAD BEEN VACANT, I GUESS FOREVER. THERE WAS APARTMENTS SURROUNDING IT AND MOST OF THE APARTMENTS AROUND IT WERE FROM THE 1950S AND 60S. IT WAS AN AREA THAT REALLY NEEDED SOME NEW BLOOD PUT INTO IT, AND FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER MORRIS, AND CERTAINLY CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBER BEARD WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL. I BELIEVE THIS BACKS UP TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S BACKYARD. AND SO SHE SUPERVISES CONSTRUCTION FOR US EVERY MORNING. SO ANYHOW, WE'RE REAL EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT. YOU KNOW, WE THINK IT'LL BE 100% LEASED AS SOON AS IT'S OPEN. THERE IS SUCH A DEMAND IN GARLAND FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR OUR SENIOR COMMUNITY. SO. AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO PURCHASE AND REDEVELOP EITHER VACANT LOTS OR OLDER HOMES THAT BURN OUTS. MOST OF YOU PROBABLY HAVE SEEN KNOW ABOUT OUR THREE HOMES ON ALAMO LANE. WE SOLD ALL OF THESE IN EARLY 2024. THIS WAS A TRACT OF LAND IN DISTRICT EIGHT, AND FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ART CAME IN, WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE. AND SO THERE WAS A LITTLE BITTY CHURCH. AND WE'LL USE THE TERM CHURCH LOOSELY THERE, VERY SMALL BUILDING. UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE IT WAS A CHURCH, WE HAD TO DO ASBESTOS REMEDIATION ON A BUILDING OF ABOUT 300 400FT■S. SO IT'S AMAZING HOW THE DEFINITIONS OF PROPERTY COST YOU LOTS OF MONEY. BUT NONETHELESS, WE WERE ABLE TO SUBDIVIDE THAT TRACT OF LAND AND PUT THESE THREE HOMES ON THERE. AND I WENT BACK AND LOOKED THE PREVIOUS TRACT OF LAND THAT WAS THERE. THE CITY TAXES WERE $831 A YEAR, AND THESE THREE HOUSES NOW COMBINED, WILL BE PAYING JUST OVER $9,000 A YEAR BETWEEN THE THREE HOUSES. SO WE'RE HAPPY TO SEE NOT ONLY NEW HOMES COME IN. THESE ARE ALSO WERE HOMES THAT WERE ALL FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS IN GARLAND. THESE WERE DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU BECKY. 
          THANK YOU JASON. THANK YOU MONA, FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION, THEIR CREATIVE FINANCING ALLOWS FOR FOLKS WITH LIMITED INCOMES WHO QUALIFY TO BE ABLE TO MOVE IN THESE HOMES FOR A TOTAL OF $500 TOTAL MOVE IN COST. AND SO. AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ART GOT SIX NEW VOTERS AS PART OF THE AS 
          [00:15:03]
PART OF THE PROCESS. SO THEN WE MOVED OVER INTO DISTRICT TWO. THERE WAS A VACANT TRACT OF LAND THERE. AND I UNDERSTAND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER BEARD, IT'S BEEN VACANT FOR AS LONG AS SHE'S LIVED IN GARLAND MANY YEARS. IT WAS ALSO APPARENTLY THE SITE OF A LOT OF NEFARIOUS ACTIVITIES IN THE EVENING. IT WAS A WELCOME NUISANCE ATTRACTION FOR THOSE TEENAGERS WHO HAD NOTHING ELSE TO DO BUT SPEND THEIR TIME IN VACANT LOTS IN THE EVENING, SO WE WERE HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO BUY THIS TRACT OF LAND AND DEVELOP THESE TWO HOUSES. THEY THEY WERE FINISHED IN EARLY 25. ONE IS SOLD. WE HAVE STILL ONE IN THE MARKET. SO IF ANYBODY'S LISTENING, ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN A FOUR BEDROOM, TWO BATH, 1500 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE FOR $500 IF YOU QUALIFY, THAT'S YOUR TOTAL MOVE IN COST. SO AGAIN, I WENT BACK AND LOOKED THIS IS A VACANT TRACT OF LAND. THE TAXES THAT WERE BEING PAID ON THAT WERE $398 A YEAR. AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE TAXES ON THESE TWO HOUSES WILL COMBINE WILL BE ABOUT $4,500 A YEAR. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT, AGAIN, BRINGING FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS TO GARLAND, BRINGING NEW PEOPLE TO GARLAND, AND GIVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO THOSE FOLKS THAT NEED IT. 1406 SHOREHAVEN DRIVE IN DISTRICT TWO WAS A BURNOUT. WE BOUGHT THIS PROPERTY, TORE DOWN THE HOUSE. WE JUST RECENTLY STARTED CONSTRUCTION. THIS ALSO WILL BE ANOTHER FOUR BEDROOM, TWO BATH HOUSE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU WITH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. I HOPE THAT WE WILL SEE THE FORMS ARE THERE AND THE AND THE PLUMBING HAS BEEN STUBBED IN. I HOPE TO SEE VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION OVER THERE HOPEFULLY BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO AGAIN BRINGING REPLACING A BURNED OUT HOUSE WITH A NEW HOME IN AN AREA THAT NEEDS SOME NEW DEVELOPMENT. WE WERE APPROACHED IN LATE 2023 BY AN INVESTOR THAT HAD FIVE HOUSES HE WANTED TO SELL IN DISTRICT TWO, AND WE BOUGHT ALL FIVE OF THEM, AND THEY'VE ALL BEEN RAISED. NOW THAT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THESE LOTS AGAIN AND IN COOPERATION WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, OF PUTTING NEW HOUSES ON THOSE 600, RAYBURN WAS A 648FT■S, 73 YEARS OLD, WHEN TE BULLDOZER CAME AND HIT THE SIDE OF IT, THE WHOLE HOUSE JUST MOVED OFF THE FOUNDATION. SO I DON'T THINK ANYTHING WAS HOLDING IT ON THERE. 145 EAST WANDA. 215 GLENFIELD AND 910 GARDEN. I WON'T TELL YOU ABOUT THIS HOUSE. YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT. 
          ALSO 1801 AND 1802 CUMBERLAND. ALL THESE ARE IN DISTRICT TWO. WE JUST HAD THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR THIS PROPERTY, THESE TWO PROPERTIES, LAST THURSDAY. WAS IT COUNCIL MEMBER? YEAH. AND SO IN COOPERATION WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND TED LYON, WHO'S LINE CONSTRUCTION WHO BUILDS OUR HOUSES, CONSTRUCTION WILL START FOR TWO NEW HOUSES ON THE CORNER OF 1801 AND 1802 CUMBERLAND, HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE NEXT 30 TO 60 DAYS, DEPENDING UPON THE NICE FOLKS AT THE BUILDING PERMIT OFFICE. VERY NICE FOLKS AT THE BUILDING PERMIT OFFICE. AND THEN LASTLY, WE CAME ACROSS A LARGE TRACT OF LAND ON NAAMAN SCHOOL ROAD. THERE WAS AN OLD FARMHOUSE AND A BARN. IF ANY OF YOU REMEMBER DRIVING BY THERE BEFORE WE RAZED THE STRUCTURE, THE BARN WAS KIND OF LEANING A LOT, AND SO WE REALLY HAD TO PUSH IT DOWN TO GET IT GONE. BUT WE HAVE WE HAVE CLEARED THE PROPERTY. BUT AS YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY, I'M SURE COUNCIL MEMBER OT NAAMAN SCHOOL ROAD IS NOT THE MOST ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO TRY TO BRING IN TRAFFIC FOR BUYING A HOUSE. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL ALL THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE AND THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD. WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN SUBDIVIDE THIS TRACT INTO THREE HOUSES, THREE FOR THREE NEW HOUSES IN DISTRICT EIGHT. SO WE'RE WE'RE ABOUT THAT. WE CONTINUE TO WORK. AND AS YOU WELL KNOW, FROM THE LAST FIVE YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE, WE'RE STILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON 1922 CASTLE. IT REMAINS A CHALLENGE TO US, BUT WE ARE HOPEFUL. WE'RE HOPEFUL. WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO BREAK GROUND HERE SHORTLY. WE HAD SOME CHALLENGES WITH ENGINEERING, WITH ENGINEERING, THE PROPERTY, AND WE THINK NOW WE HAVE MADE THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT HAPPY WITH THE ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS. THIS PROPERTY IS ON A CREEK AND IT IS A VERY DEEP CREEK. AND THE COST TO TRY TO STABILIZE THAT CREEK BANK HAS BEEN A REAL CHALLENGE. AND WE'VE LOOKED AT DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES, AND WE FINALLY HAVE DECIDED THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY REDESIGNED THE PROPERTY AND TAKEN A BUILDING OUT SO THAT THE PROPERTY IS FURTHER AWAY FROM THE CREEK, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO SPEND AS MUCH MONEY WITH CREEK EROSION COST. SO INTERESTINGLY, WE ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO ADD ONE 
          [00:20:09]
UNIT WITHOUT AFTER TAKING A BUILDING OUT. UNFORTUNATELY, IT MEANS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MANY MORE ONE BEDROOM UNITS THAN TWO BEDROOM UNITS. BUT BECAUSE WE'RE DESIGNING THIS FOR SENIORS, WE BELIEVE THE DEMAND FOR ONE BEDROOM IS GOING TO BE HIGHER THAN TWO BEDROOM UNITS TO BEGIN WITH. SO I HOPE TO COME BACK NEXT YEAR AND TELL YOU THAT GROUND HAS BEEN BROKEN. ALSO IN DISTRICT TWO, IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, WE PURCHASED THE AVENUE A APARTMENTS LOCATED ON AVENUE A AND DOWNTOWN GARLAND, AND IT'S A 12 UNIT BUILDING. IT HAD BEEN OWNED BY THE SAME FAMILY SINCE 19. IT WAS BUILT IN 1967 AND BEEN OWNED BY THE SAME FAMILY SINCE 1971, AND DURING THAT INTERVENING 4050 PLUS YEARS, THEY SPENT ABOUT $12 IN DEFERRED MAINTENANCE DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME. AND SO I HAVE FOUND EVERY EVERY PLUMBING CHALLENGE, EVERY AIR CONDITIONING CHALLENGE, EVERY CHALLENGE. BUT NONETHELESS, WE HAVE BUDGETED ABOUT $600,000 IN RENOVATION COSTS. OUR FIRST TWO UNITS HAVE JUST BEEN FINISHED. ALL NEW FLOORING, ALL NEW CABINETS. I MEAN, BASICALLY WE'VE GOT INTO THE STUDS, ALL NEW KITCHENS, ALL NEWATHROOMS, NEW APPLIANCES, NEW TOILETS, NEW TUBS, EVERYTHING, NEW WINDOWS, NEW DOORS, ALL NEW APPLIANCES. AREA. 
          WE'VE REPLACED ALL THE EXTERIOR STAIRS. WE HAVE REALLY SPENT SOME MONEY HERE, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL BE A GOOD LONG TERM INVESTMENT FROM OUR STANDPOINT, NOT FROM A MONEY STANDPOINT, BUT FROM BEING ABLE TO DELIVER MORE SAFE, SUSTAINABLE, CLEAN, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN GARLAND. THIS THIS PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD IS NEEDS SOME LOVE AND ATTENTION FROM THE OTHER PROPERTIES THAT ARE AROUND THERE. AND WE'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF ATTENTION FROM THE NEIGHBORS SAYING, WOW, YOU REALLY GOT THIS PLACE CLEANED UP. AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE TAKING CARE OF IT. AND WE'VE GOT FOLKS THAT ARE ALL THE TIME CLEANING AND TAKING CARE OF THE LANDSCAPING AND THE IMPROVEMENT. WE CHANGE OUT ALL THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING IT. YOU COULD LAND A 747 OVER THERE. NOW THAT THING IS SO LIT UP. SO AND OUR AND OUR RESIDENTS LOVE IT. SOME OF SOME OF OUR OLDER FEMALE CITIZENS WERE LIKE WE WERE AFRAID TO GET OUT AT NIGHT. IT WAS SO DARK OVER HERE. AND SO WE'RE JUST WE'RE TICKLED TO DEATH TO BRING THESE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FOLKS. 
          IN ADDITION TO THAT, AS YOU WELL KNOW, WE'VE BEEN VERY COMMITTED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS PLUS TO COMMUNITY SUPPORT HERE IN GARLAND. WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU AND THROUGH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, NOT ONLY WITH THE PARTNERSHIP OF BUILDING HOUSES, BUT ALSO WITH THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS WE FUNDED. AGAIN, OUR OUR THIRD GRANT, I BELIEVE IT IS, IF NOT FOURTH GRANT OF $540,000 IN 2024 FOR ADDITIONAL HOME REPAIRS. IF YOU'LL RECALL, THESE HOME REPAIRS ARE ONLY FOR CITIZENS. HOMEOWNERS THAT ARE AT THE ARMY OF 80% OR LESS. THE TOTAL THAT WAS FUNDED THROUGH THE END OF 2024 WAS $1,000,790. IT'S BEEN FUNDED FOR THIS PROGRAM, AND WE'VE ALREADY MADE OUR COMMITMENT AND HAVE FUNDED THE 2025 COMMITMENT OF AN ADDITIONAL $540,000. SO AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, WE'LL BE WE'LL BE JUST OVER 2.3 MILLION. AT THE END OF 24. WE HAD ASSISTED 99 FAMILIES IN GARLAND. THAT WAS AN ADDITIONAL 21 THAT WE ASSISTED LAST YEAR. COUPLE OF PHOTOGRAPHS. YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE BEFORE AND AFTER OF WHERE WE'VE HELPED SENIORS WHO WERE UNABLE TO GET INTO THEIR THEIR TUBS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OF MOBILITY ISSUES. THIS IS A NEW ROOF THAT WE PUT ON. YOU REALLY CAN'T SEE. BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF WOOD ROT AND OTHER CHALLENGES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED WITH THIS HOME. YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO SHOWERS. THE ONE ON THE RIGHT LOOKS BETTER THAN THE ONE IN MY HOUSE. AND SO. THIS IS PROBABLY A SAFETY ISSUE. SO WE'RE GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT. JASON, CALL ME SAID DAVID. 
          I HAVE AN EMERGENCY. AND I SAID, OKAY, SPEND IT, BUT MAKE ME A PHOTOGRAPH OF IT. SO THIS IS THE KIND OF THINGS THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE LIVING WITH, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO MAKE REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR HOME. AND WE ARE JUST TICKLED TO DEATH THAT WE CAN HELP BY FUNDING THIS GRANT. AND A BIG THANKS AGAIN TO JASON AND MONA AND BECKY AND THEIR TEAM FOR OVERSEEING THIS PROGRAM. I WON'T GO THROUGH THEM ALL, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE MAJOR ITEMS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS PLUMBING AND SUPPLY LINES. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY SEWER LINES AND LINES WE REPLACED, BUT THE DYNAMIC SOIL IN OUR AREA THAT MOVES HOUSES, AND PARTICULARLY WHEN THESE HOUSES ARE 40 OR 50 OR 60 YEARS OLD, EVERYONE HAS JUST A CONTINUE PLUMBING PROBLEMS. WE ALSO, AS YOU SEE, SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH HVAC REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS AND A LOT WITH ELECTRICAL. AGAIN, FOR 
          [00:25:03]
YOUR EDIFICATION, I WE BROKE DOWN. OF THE 99 HOMES OR 99 FAMILIES WE'VE ASSISTED, YOU CAN SEE AGAIN, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE FAMILIES ARE IN DISTRICT TWO, FIVE AND SIX THAT RECEIVE THE MAJORITY OF THESE PROGRAMS. ALSO A LARGE NUMBER IN DISTRICT EIGHT. I WOULD ALSO MENTION TO YOU, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE SAY THIS IS FOR 80%. AM I OR LESS. THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS SOMEONE WHO GOT ONE OF THESE GRANTS. HERE IN GARLAND, THE AVERAGE INCOME WAS $30,268 A YEAR. AND MOST OF THOSE ARE FOR A FAMILY OF 2 OR 3 ON TOP OF THAT. SO THESE ARE FOLKS WHO NEED OUR HELP, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO WORK THROUGH THE CITY TO HELP PROVIDE THAT. WE CONTINUED OUR SUPPORT WITH GISD LAST YEAR OF ANOTHER $75,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS. THESE ARE SET ASIDE FOR KIDDOS THAT ARE SOMEHOW GOING INTO THE BUILDING. TRADES. ENGINEERS. ARCHITECTS. ELECTRICAL. 
          CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, HVAC, WELDING. WE'VE WE'VE TOLD THE DOCTOR, LOPEZ AND DOCTOR LOPEZ AND I HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS. HE'S A FIRM BELIEVER THIS THAT NOT EVERY KID NEEDS A FOUR YEAR COLLEGE DEGREE AND $150,000 WORTH OF DEBT THAT, YOU KNOW, KIDS NEED TO BE ABLE TO LEAVE AND GO OUT INTO THE WORLD AND MAKE A LIVING. AND SO WE PARTICULARLY WANTED THEM TO PUSH VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS. WE BUY TOOLS FOR THE KIDDOS WITH GO TO VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, WE BUY THEIR UNIFORMS. YOU KNOW, YOU YOU CAN'T GO TO WORK ON A CONSTRUCTION SITE AND FLIP FLOPS. SO THEY HAVE TO HAVE THOSE CONSTRUCTION FOOTWEAR AND THAT SORT OF THING. SO THAT'S ALL PART OF THE PROGRAM THAT WE FUND. IN ADDITION TO THE ACTUAL SCHOLARSHIP FOR THE FOR THE CLASSES LAST YEAR, WE AGAIN, THIS IS OUR THIRD YEAR TO COMMIT $200,000 A YEAR TO THE SALVATION ARMY FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE. EXCUSE ME. THEY, THE SALVATION ARMY, WAS ABLE TO HELP 35 GARLAND FAMILIES LAST YEAR WITH THAT FDING. AGAIN, THIS IS THEIR HOME SWEET HOME PROGRAM. 
          THIS IS NOT JUST A DOLE OUT. YOU COME BY AND GET A CHECK AND PAY YOUR RENT AS YOU COME IN AND THEY GO OVER YOUR BUDGET WITH YOU, THEY GO OVER YOUR FAMILY SITUATION WITH YOU. THEY GO OVER YOUR EXPENSES SITUATION WITH YOU, YOUR INCOME AND WORK WITH YOU OVER A MULTI-MONTH PERIOD OF GETTING YOU OUT OF THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU'RE HAVING, SO THAT YOU CAN THEN NOT HAVE TO KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE AID. YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. AND IT'S ALSO FOCUSED ON THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE THE CLOSEST TO HOMELESSNESS. I MEAN, THESE FOLKS IN MANY TIMES HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN THEIR EVICTION NOTICES WHEN THIS PROGRAM STARTS. I FORGOT TO MENTION ON THE SCHOLARSHIPS, THE AVERAGE FAMILY INCOME FOR THE KIDDOS THAT GOT SCHOLARSHIPS IS $43,000 A YEAR. 
          SO AGAIN, THESE ARE KIDS THAT NEEDED HELP ON THE ON THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE. AGAIN, WE BROKE IT DOWN BY COUNCIL DISTRICT IN 2024. AND THEHE HIGHEST NUMBER S DISTRICT FOUR, WHICH WE ATTRIBUTE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF APARTMENT COMMUNITIES IN DISTRICT FOUR. IN ADDITION TO ALL THAT, WE ACTUALLY WITH OUR PARTNERS WHO HAVE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE NEEDS, WE FUND DIRECT RENTAL ASSISTANCE AT HOMETOWN AND AT SISERA AND AT FIREWHEEL AND THE OTHER COMMUNITIES WHERE THERE'S NEEDS THERE. SO IN ADDITION TO THE SALVATION ARMY FUNDING, WE FUNDED ANOTHER $22,000 FOR DIRECT RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR ANOTHER 18 FAMILIES IN THOSE COMMUNITIES. 
          SO ALL IN ALL, LAST YEAR, IN 2024, 166 FAMILIES IN GARLAND WERE ABLE TO GET SOME BENEFIT FROM THE FUNDS WE PROVIDED TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. YOU KNOW, I'M THE LONE RANGER THERE. I HAVE A WE HAVE A PART TIME ADMINISTRATOR. BUT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY OF JASON AND HIS TEAM TO OVERSEE CONTRACTORS AND TAKE APPLICATIONS. I DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, RENTAL ASSISTANCE. YOU KNOW, WE JUST DON'T HAVE IT. SO WE GO OUT AND FIND THESE PARTNERS THAT ARE DELIVERING THE SERVICES IN THE CITY FOR OUR CITIZENS AND FUND THOSE THROUGH GRANTS. SO HAPPY TO DO THAT. AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST MENTIONED TO YOU, WE FUNDED ANOTHER $44,000 IN DIRECT DONATIONS TO LOCAL CHARITIES, INCLUDING GOOD SAMARITANS, THE NAACP, GOFFA COUNSELING INSTITUTE OF TEXAS, NINTH STREET, JIM HOPE CLINIC AND THE GARLAND POLICE NEVER WALK ALONE FOUNDATION. AND SO. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HOUSE BILL 21, AND I'LL BE QUITE HONEST WITH YOU, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH HOUSE BILL 21 AND WHAT THE LONG TERM OUTCOME IS. THERE'S A THERE'S A LOT OF. RUMORS THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE LITIGATION TO TRY TO SET PART OF IT ASIDE. SO. OUR BOARD IS VERY CONCERNED AND AS AM I. AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT AS WE MOVE THIS TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, THC HAS NOT PUBLISHED ANY 
          [00:30:04]
RULES YET. I MEAN, THERE'S JUST EVERYTHING IS UP IN THE AIR, UNFORTUNATELY. AND I KNOW YOU WILL FIND THIS IS A GREAT SURPRISE. THE LEGISLATORS DECIDED TO PASS LAWS WITHOUT TALKING TO ANYBODY THAT THAT AFFECTED THEM. AND SO NOW WE'VE GOT TO GO BACK AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT. THEY THEY'VE PASSED A LAW WITH ALL THESE TERMS, BUT THERE'S NO DEFINITION OF THE TERMS. AND SO THERE'S JUST ALL SORTS OF THINGS THERE. SO WE DON'T KNOW. ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WE BELIEVE THAT OUR REVENUE STREAM WILL BE DRAMATICALLY, DRAMATICALLY LIMITED PAST 2027. AND THE BOARD IS GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS ON PRIORITIES OF WHAT PROGRAMS WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SEE. WE BELIEVE THAT THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS VITAL AND KEY, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM IS VITAL AND KEY. AND SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS. WE HAVE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE LEGISLATORS LEGISLATURE. IF THEY DO ANY CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE STOPPED BUYING LAND. 
          WE'VE STOPPED PRETTY MUCH ALL CAPITAL EXPENDITURES. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON BOTH CASTLE AND AVENUE A BECAUSE WE HAVE SET ASIDE THOSE FUNDS. WE SET ASIDE THOSE FUNDS FOR YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED THE PROCESS. SO THOSE HAVE BEEN EARMARKED FOR THOSE DEVELOPMENTS. BUT IN TERMS OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND. EARLIER THIS EVENING YOU SAW THAT WE HAD JUST AGREED TO I FORGOT HOW MUCH IT IS. IS IT 325? YES, YES, WE AGREED TO ANOTHER $300,000 PLUS FOR FREEMAN HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD IN DISTRICT EIGHT. AND WE'RE HAPPY TO DO IT. BECKY'S TIMING WAS MUCH BETTER TO ASK FOR IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR THAN AT THE END OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE HAD DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS. BUT ANYHOW, THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE HAPPY TO BE HERE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR IN 2025. WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE GET CASTLES STARTED, WE GET THESE OTHER HOMES BUILT AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO NOT ONLY HELP FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS IN GARLAND COME TO GARLAND AND BUY HOM, BUT ALSO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HELP WITH AFFORDABLE RENTS FOR OUR SENIORS AND HOPEFULLY HAVE SOME SOME FUNDS SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO HELP PEOPLE WITH WITH THEIR WITH THEIR MAINTENANCE NEEDS AND BEING ABLE TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES. I'VE TALKED. WE'RE JUST SO EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS AND TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY ON MANY OF THESE PROJECTS, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. SO THANK YOU. WELL, LET ME BE THE FIRST TO THANK YOU FOR THE GENEROUS DONATION. I KNOW WE WENT PAST IT PRETTY QUICK ON THE BRIEFINGS EARLIER, BUT I KNOW THAT WHERE THE HEART PROGRAM IS, THEY APPRECIATE THAT. AND CERTAINLY THE NEIGHBORHOOD THERE THAT IS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOODS REALLY GOING TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE THERE. WE APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH. IT SOUNDS EXCITING, SOUNDS VERY EXCITING. FIRST IN THE QUEUE, I HAVE COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS. YES, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I'M AS YOU MIGHT KNOW, I'M BRAND NEW TO COUNCIL, LESS THAN 90 DAYS ON COUNCIL. SO I'M STILL LEARNING ABOUT A LOT OF THIS STUFF. AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. IT REALLY HELPED ME UNDERSTAND A LOT. A COUPLE OF SLIDES I SAW WHERE YOU PUT UP THE DISTRICT AND THE PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT THAT BENEFITED. SEVEN CAME IN WITH THE LOWEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT BENEFITED, AND I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY THAT WOULD BE IS, FIRST OF ALL, COUNCILMAN, WELCOME TO COUNCIL. THANK YOU. 
          AND I CAN TELL YOU, AFTER FIVE YEARS, YOU STILL WON'T KNOW ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING AFTER FIVE YEARS EITHER. SO IT'S A IT'S A CONSTANT LEARNING PROCESS. SURE. AND JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING, THEY CHANGE THE RULES ON YOU. SO I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF SEVERAL THINGS, BOTH SEVEN AND ONE ARE THE NEWEST PARTS OF GARLAND, HAVE THE NEWEST HOUSING STOCK. AND I THINK THAT. THAT LENDS ITSELF A GREAT DEAL TO WHY THERE'S FEWER. I WOULD ALSO SAY, AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO TRY TO GET INTO SOCIOECONOMICS HERE, BUT I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE DEMOGRAPHIC INCOME LEVELS OF PEOPLE IN 1 IN 7 ARE PROBABLY HIGHER THAN PARTICULARLY TWO, FOUR, FIVE AND SIX. AND I THINK THAT PROBABLY IS PROBABLY THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTION. I THINK. AND I WOULD CERTAINLY DEFER TO BECKY AND HER TEAM AS TO. THE WORD OF THE PROGRAMS GETTING OUT TO PEOPLE, I THINK THAT PROBABLY PEOPLE IN IN TWO, FOUR, FIVE IN THOSE AREAS PROBABLY ARE OUT LOOKING FOR MORE ASSISTANCE THAN SOMEONE MIGHT, MIGHT NOT BE 
          [00:35:01]
LOOKING FOR AGAIN IN SEVEN. I DON'T THINK IT'S INDICATIVE OF. US NOT WANTING TO SPEND MONEY IN THE IN DISTRICT SEVEN. IT'S JUST I DON'T THINK PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR THAT ASSISTANCE. OKAY, WELL, I CERTAINLY WASN'T IMPLYING THAT YOU'RE IGNORING SEVEN, BUT YOU THINK JUST A COMBINATION OF THE VALUES OF THE PROPERTY, THEY DON'T QUALIFY AND OR THE JUST THE STANDARD INCOMES FOR PEOPLE IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE IS ANOTHER REASON THEY'RE OVER THE, THE. IS IT THE AM I 80% AM I. SO AGAIN THE SAME THE SAME DOLLAR LIMITATIONS THAT APPLY FOR THE RENTAL AND EVERYTHING ELSE. 
          THOSE ARE HUD NUMBERS. THOSE SAME NUMBERS APPLY TO WHO CAN QUALIFY FOR THE RECEIVE THE ASSISTANCE. OKAY. WELL THAT THAT DOES MAKE SENSE TO ME. THANK YOU SIR. YOU'RE MOST WELCOME. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER WILLIAMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU DAVID. GOOD JOB. GOOD SHOW AS ALWAYS. THANK YOU SIR. AND. FIRST TIME FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DEFAULT RATES ON THE HOME. THE HOME NEW HOME, THE NEW HOME OR RECONSTRUCTED VERSUS THE APARTMENT DWELLERS? CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WHAT THAT IS AND WHERE YOU HOPE TO GO NEXT YEAR? I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION, COUNCILMAN, IN IN TERMS OF THE RENTAL OPERATIONS BECAUSE WE BASICALLY ARE PASSIVE PARTNERS THAT WE'RE JUST PROVIDING. AND MOST TIMES THE TAX EXEMPTION, THE BONDS IN TERMS OF THE BORROWERS, THIS IS VERY INTERESTING OF THE OF THE CENSUS PROGRAM STARTED, I THINK IT WAS IN 2008 OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE LOANS WE'VE MADE, WE'VE ONLY HAD TWO FORECLOSURES EVER IN THE ENTIRE PROGRAM. WOW. I MEAN, THESE ARE POOR WORKING PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP. THIS IS NOT THIS IS NOT A HANDOUT PROGRAM. I MEAN, THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR OWN MONEY IN AND WE'RE JUST HELPING THEM. YOU KNOW, HERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE TO GET OVER THE HUMP. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE NOW IN THEIR HOMES FOR 15 YEARS, 20 YEARS. AND. THEY PAY THEIR BILLS AND THEY JUST NEED HELP. I MEAN, I WAS SHOCKED, I WOULD TELL YOU WHEN I FIRST CAME TO, I WAS IN SHOCK THAT THE THAT THE, THE FAILURE RATE, THE DISCOUNT RATE WAS SO LOW. OKAY. SO THAT'S, THAT'S MAKE FOR A WINNING WINNING PROGRAM. WE THINK SO. YOU KNOW, IT COSTS US A LOT IN TERMS OF CASH FLOW. AND AS THE INTEREST RATES HAVE CONTINUED TO CLIMB, OUR REPAYMENT RATE HAS GONE DOWN SUBSTANTIALLY. ONE IS THAT PEOPLE AREN'T MOVING. AND SO THERE'S NO SALE OR REFINANCE TO GET OUR MONEY BACK. BUT TYPICALLY, WE SAW A CONSTANT TURN IN THE MARKET OF IF WE FUNDED 20 NEW LOANS, YOU'D SEE MAYBE 4 OR 5 GET PAID OFF. NOW WE'RE SEEING WE'RE FUNDING 80 LOANS AND MAYBE TWO GETTING PAID OFF. AND SO CURRENTLY WE HAVE JUST OVER $2.3 MILLION OUTSTANDING IN LOANS. THAT AND WE'RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW BASED ON HISTORY THAT WE'LL GET PAID. OKAY. WELL THANKS AGAIN FOR AN OUTSTANDING JOB THAT YOU CONTINUE THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO. WELL, I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER TO THANK THE BOARD. IT'S THEIR WISE AND SAGE COUNSEL, YOU KNOW. BUT BUT YOUR YOUR ENTIRE BOARD. YEAH. AND EVERYBODY WHO'S AFFILIATED WITH THIS PROGRAM, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK THANK YOU FOR THE FROM FROM THE CITY OF GARLAND. WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR YOUR DOING THE SAME KIND OF WORK FOR YEARS TO COME. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR. COUNCILMAN. MAYOR PRO TEM LUCK. THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE ON YOUR TWO EVER DEFAULTS FOR THE D THE DPA PROGRAM. I'M. I'M FLOORED. THAT'S I AM TOO. IT'S REALLY AMAZING. I I'M JUST I WISH I COULD HAVE APPLIED FOR THAT AND KNOWN ABOUT IT. SO MAYBE YOU SHOULD COME TO A TOWN HALL SOMETIME AND LET SOME PEOPLE KNOW. I WANTED TO KIND OF TOUCH ON THE INFILL PROJECTS THAT YOU HAVE, BECAUSE I SAW THAT MOST OF THEM WERE IN LIKE D2 AND THERE WERE A COUPLE IN DISTRICT EIGHT. SO HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THOSE PROJECTS? AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE KIND OF HOLDING OFF ON DOING MORE RIGHT NOW, BUT I FEEL LIKE IN THE FUTURE YOU WILL BE BACK INTO THAT GAME. SO WE WOULD LOVE TO DO MORE. WE WEREN'T LOOKING FOR THE FIVE THAT WE BOUGHT INTO. WE JUST HAD AN INVESTOR KNOCK ON OUR DOOR AND SAY, I'M TRYING TO GET RID OF THESE 
          [00:40:03]
THINGS. AND SO WE TYPICALLY HAVE LOOKED FOR VACANT LAND OR CLOSE TO VACANT OR THE BURNOUTS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO THE FIVE THAT THE FIVE THAT WE GOT THAT HAD HOUSES ON THEM, WE WEREN'T LOOKING FOR THOSE JUST THAT JUST CAME ALONG. I WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED ABOUT THE ONE ON NAAMAN SCHOOL ROAD, BECAUSE I LIKE TO SEE LARGER TRACTS THAT WE CAN SUBDIVIDE AND PUT MORE HOUSES ON. SO CERTAINLY COUNCILMEMBER WILLIAMS HAS A HOUSE. I WON'T I WON'T SAY THE ADDRESS OUTSIDE, BUT HE CALLS ME AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR AND SAYS, WILL YOU COME BUY THIS PIECE OF DIRT? AND WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO BUY IT FOR FIVE YEARS, AND THE LENDER WON'T SELL IT TO US. SO IF ANY OF U HAVE ATTRACTIVE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO REDEVELOPMENT ON ANY OF YOUR DISTRICTS, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO LOOK AT IT. ABSOLUTELY. GREAT. THANK YOU. YEAH, WELL, YOU'RE DOING WONDERFUL THINGS FOR WONDERFUL PEOPLE AND IT'S TRULY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU. 
          I'M JUST GLAD WE'RE AS AS AS PRESIDENT ADAMS SAID. WE'RE JUST HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO, TO PARTNER WITH YOU GUYS AND HELP FOLKS AS WE LIKE TO SPEND MONEY. YEAH. PART OF THE LIMITATION, TOO, IS THE FUNDING TO BUILD THE NEW HOMES COMES FROM HUD. AND SO THERE'S SOME LIMITATIONS THERE AS WELL. WE CAN BUY ALL THE LAND IN THE WORLD, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE THE MONEY TO BUILD THE HOUSE. YEAH. THE OTHER THING, COUNCILMEMBER, IS THAT WE USED TO BE LE TO BUY A LOT FOR 80,000 BUCKS. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT. AND THESE THESE LITTLE BITTY HOUSES WE BOUGHT, WE PAID ABOUT $140,000 FOR EACH OF THEM, AND WE THINK WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE A LOSS OF ABOUT 100 GRAND ON EACH ONE OF THEM TO BE ABLE TO PUT THE HOUSE THERE, WHICH WE SET ASIDE THOSE DOLLARS. BUT NOW WE SEE HOUSES THAT ARE THE SAME COMPARABLE HOUSE THAT'S ON THE MARKET FOR $250,000. AND TO MAKE THAT NUMBER WORK WITH HUD, WE'VE GOT TO TAKE A $200,000 LOSS. AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE THOSE KIND OF FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. SO AGAIN, RIGHT NOW, DESPERATE SITUATION. THERE WAS IN FACT, THERE WAS ONE IN DISTRICT FIVE THAT CODE WAS TRYING TO GET US TO BUY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE NIGHTMARE OF THAT STORY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A CODE ISSUE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAPPY TO TRY TO WORK WITH CODE ON THAT. WE'VE DONE A COUPLE WITH WITH CODE COMPLIANCE AND BEING ABLE TO DO THOSE OR THE BURNOUTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO. AND I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE MORTGAGE COMPANY'S PHONE NUMBER. AND ONCE YOU RETIRE, YOU CAN CALL THEM EVERY WEEK. IT WOULD BE REALLY COOL TO SEE SOME OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT HAVE JUST KIND OF AGED OUT AND REALLY JUST NEED REPAIR. AND JUST LIKE ON AVENUE A, I THINK THAT'S AMAZING. THOSE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ARE REALLY COOL AND EXPENSIVE, I KNOW, THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. 
          I'LL BE BRIEF, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE CITY OF GARLAND AND FOR THE CITIZENS OF DISTRICT EIGHT. THIS AREA HAS ALWAYS BEEN RUN VERY WELL. PEOPLE ARE HAPPY WITH IT. VERY MUCH SO. THE ALAMO, THREE HOMES OVER THERE AND THE NAME AND SCHOOL PROPERTY. AND THEN THE FREEMAN HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT. THAT'S JUST PHENOMENAL. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU PERSONALLY FOR THAT. THANK MY BOARD AND THANK COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR OWN FOLKS. WE WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A VERY GREAT WORKING PARTNERSHIP WITH WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THEY'RE GREAT TO WORK WITH. SO IT SHOWS. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. ANYONE ELSE. WELL SIR, I WANT TO SAY IF THERE'S ANYONE WHO CAN GET 1922 CASTLE DONE TO YOU, I'VE SEEN YOU STRUGGLE WITH THAT THROUGH YOUR YEARS ON COUNCIL AND NOW ON THE HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION. SO I HOPE TO SEE AN UPDATE ON THAT NEXT TIME YOU COME NEXT YEAR. THAT'S TWO. WELL, MR. MAYOR, I'LL TELL YOU, IS WHEN I STARTED THIS PROJECT, I HAD HAIR LIKE YOU, AND NOW I HAVE HAIR LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER BASS WILLIAMS AND I AND OUR THOMAS. EXCUSE ME. SO ALL MY HAIR IS ON 1922. CASTLE, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT. YES. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT COUNCIL, MOVING ON. WELL, ACTUALLY, WE GOT A SPEAKER. WE DIDN'T REALIZE AT FIRST. THIS IS ON ITEM NUMBER ONE FOR THE FREE TRADE ZONE. 
          FOREIGN TRADE ZONE FOR NOBILIA NORTH AMERICA. I WOULD INVITE THE CITY SECRETARY TO PLEASE CALL THAT SPEAKER UP. WE'LL JUMP BACK QUICKLY TO THAT ITEM. MUHAMMAD JUNIOR. PLEASE. YES. IF YOU'D PLEASE GIVE YOUR NAME A ADDRESS. AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, SIR. YEAH. SO IT'S MUHAMMAD, 5416 BONFIRE DRIVE, GARLAND, TEXAS. SO, REGARDING FREE TRADE ZONE TO NORTH 
          [00:45:05]
AMERICA, I. THESE ARE NOT MY QUESTIONS, BUT THESE ARE MY CONCERNS THAT I THOUGHT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AND BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION BEFORE WE APPROVE IT. HOW MANY OTHER FTC'S NOBILIA DOES HAVE IN TEXAS? IN OTHER CITIES LIKE SUCH LOCATIONS IN TEXAS, AND IN WHICH STATES IN WHICH CITIES? IF GARLAND IS THE FIRST EVER CITY THAT IS GRANTING NOBILIA A FREE TRADE ZONE, THEN I THINK IT SHOULD BE CONSIRED FURTHER BEFORE WE APPROVE IT. THE QUESTION IS THAT WHAT ECONOMIC BENEFIT WOULD THIS TRADE ZONE WOULD BRING TO THE CITY OF GARLAND IN TERM OF JOB, IN TERM OF TAX REVENUE, AND IN TERMS OF OVERALL ECONOMIC PROSPECT. SO THE QUESTION IS HOW, WHEN, WHERE AND WHAT ECONOMIC BENEFIT WOULD IT BRING TO THE CITY OF GARLAND? EXCUSE ME, WHAT ARE THE PROJECTED NUMBERS LIKE LET'S SAY, BECAUSE AS PER MY LITTLE RESEARCH, THOSE ECONOMIC ZONES MOST OF THE TIME ARE BEING MISUSED OR ABUSED BY PRIVATE CORPORATIONS JUST TO SAVE THEIR DUTIES ON IMPORTS. SO IF THEY IMPORT A LOT OF MERCHANDISE FROM OVERSEAS AND BYPASS PAYING DUTIES AND THEN REEXPORT THEM, THEN THE CITY OF GARLAND WILL HAVE NO BENEFIT BECAUSE WITHOUT LOCAL SALES, IF YOU HAVE, GARLAND CANNOT MEET SALES TAX REVENUE ON THOSE TRANSACTIONS. AND IF ANY PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION BEEN GIVEN TO THOSE OR TO THIS LOCATION, THAT WOULD BE ON TOP OF, YOU KNOW, BENEFITS THAT THEY WOULD BE GETTING FROM THE CITY OF GARLAND. SO OUR FEDERAL AGENCIES AND STATE AGENCIES, THEY ARE REGULATORS FOR COMPLIANCE ENFORCEMENT FOR THESE TRADE ZONES, BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH CAPABILITIES AND RESOURCES TO EFFECTIVELY AND TIMELY ENSURE. SO LET LET'S SAY IF WE GRANT THEM A FREE TRADE ZONE STATUS TO THEM, HOW CITY OF GARLAND WOULD ENSURE THAT THEY ADHERE AND ALWAYS COMPLY WITH THE REQUIRED RULES AND REGULATION FOR THAT TRADE ZONES. BECAUSE EVEN IN STATES OR LEGISLATION, THERE IS NO SUNSET CLAUSE. SO ONCE THEY HAVE IT, THEY WILL HAVE IT FOREVER. SO THOSE ARE SOME  MY CONCERNRNS THAT BEFORE GRANTING THEM OR TRADE ZONE STATUS, WE SHOULD THOROUGHLY EXAMINE THE BENEFIT THAT IT WOULD BRING TO THE CITY OF GARLAND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. ALL RIGHT THEN COUNCIL WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER SIX, PRESENTATION OF THE FISCAL YEAR 
          [6. Presentation of the FY 2025-26 Proposed Annual Operating Budget]
20 2526 PROPOSED ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET. ALL OF YOU HAVE YOUR 481 PAGE BINDERS SITTING NEXT TO YOU HERE FOR SOME LIGHT READING TONIGHT AFTER OUR WORK SESSION. BUT, CITY MANAGER, IF YOU'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE BUDGET, SIR. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. AND BEFORE WE BEGIN, I DID WANT TO GIVE SOME CREDIT FOR THOSE 481 PAGES WHERE IT'S DUE. AND THAT IS TO THE TWO WONDERFUL MEMBERS OF TEAM GARLAND SITTING IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW, MR. WATSON AND MISS STEADMAN, WHO WITH THEIR STAFFS HAVE DILIGENTLY WORKED OVER 5 OR 6 MONTHS TO PUT THIS BUDGET TOGETHER. AND SO I WANT TO GIVE, GIVE THEM AND THEIR STAFF CREDIT FOR HELPING WORK THROUGH THIS. IN ADDITION, AS YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS WORK THROUGH A BUDGET PROCESS AS WELL TO SUBMIT WHAT THEIR OPERATIONAL BUDGETS WILL BE FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST. AND THEN I GET TO BE THE ONE THAT PRESENTS IT TONIGHT. AND WHILE THE PRESENTATION IS BRIEF, COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KICKING OFF THE PROCESS AND WE HAVE AN UPCOMING WORKSHOP ON AUGUST 16TH WHERE WE'LL GO INTO MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE BUDGET. 
          MATT AND ALISON AND THEIR TEAMS, ALONG WITH SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS, WILL BE THERE ON THE 16TH TO PRESENT WHAT WE THINK ARE KIND OF THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE BUDGET, SOME OF THE MAIN CONSIDERATIONS. AND TONIGHT I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE BUDGET TONIGHT. 
          AND IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT GARLAND'S CHALLENGE. AND I SHARED THIS WITH COUNCIL EARLIER, BUT JUST HOW THAT PLAYS OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S A GAP IN RESOURCES OR, YOU KNOW, BELOW AVERAGE PER CAPITA TAX REVENUE, 
          [00:50:03]
GARLAND'S CHALLENGE PLAYS OUT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS AND THINGS. YOU HEAR FROM RESIDENTS, THINGS WE HEAR FROM STAFF, WHERE'S MY TRADER JOE'S? AND O COURSE, MY FAVORITE THAT I ALWAYS SHARE EVERY YEAR. IT'S GOING TO BE A TIGHT BUDGET THIS YEAR. THIS IS HOW GARLAND'S CHALLENGE PLAYS OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY AND BUDGET, TIME, BUDGET, SEASON AND BUDGET CREATION REALLY IS THE TIME WHEN WE SEE THIS MOST PLAY OUT. AND SO IN APPROACHING GARLAND'S CHALLENGE, THERE'S REALLY TWO PATHS TO TAKE AND IN PREPARING THE BUDGET AND TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH OVERCOMING GARLAND'S CHALLENGE, WE CAN TAKE A PATH OF ACCEPT AND ADAPT TO WHAT GARLAND'S CHALLENGE IS AND MANAGE THE SYMPTOMS THAT WE SEE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND PRESERVE STATUS QUO, OR WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST AND TRANSFORM GARLAND, WHERE AND I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO STEAL IT. COUNCILMAN JUST OR DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM ON. WE HAD OUR LAST LUNCH. HE SHARED SUCH A POWERFUL STATEMENT, WHICH WAS THAT HE WANTS TO CHANGE A FUTURE COUNCIL PERSON'S INBOX IN 20 YEARS SO THAT THEIR THE CHALLENGES ARE DIFFERENT. WE'LL PUT IT THAT WAY. BUT THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO OVERCOME GARLAND'S CHALLENGES, GIVING SOMEONE ELSE A DIFFERENT INBOX IN 20 YEARS SO THAT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY DEALING WITH THE SAME CHALLENGES WE ARE NOW, BUT THROUGH INVESTMENT, TRANSFORMING, GROWING OUR TAX BASE, DATA DRIVEN DECISIONS, ETC, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF THE PATH THAT WE'RE ON RIGHT NOW. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH AS BACKGROUND TO THE BUDGET AS WE MOVE FORWARD HERE. SO WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGET PRIORITIES AND CONSIDERATIONS, I SHARED THIS EARLIER AS WE KIND OF KICKED OFF THE BUDGET PROCESS IN JUNE, BUT OUR GENERAL FUND IS GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS REALLY, REALLY TIGHT AND SB TWO AND THE IMPACT OF IMPLEMENTING THAT OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS. WE STARTED THIS YEAR PUTTING THE BUDGET TOGETHER FOR THE GENERAL FUND WITH ABOUT $4 MILLION IN THE HOLE. AND WE'LL GO INTO MORE DETAIL, ESPECIALLY ON AUGUST 16TH, ABOUT WHAT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE REALLY. SO OUR FOCUS THIS YEAR AND I'LL, YOU'LL HEAR ME REFER TO FISCAL 26 AS A BRIDGE YEAR SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THAT'S TO BRIDGE US TO A TAX RATE SWAP ELECTION IN NOVEMBER 2026. AND SO WE'VE LIMITED SPENDING IN THE GENERAL FUND AND ARE ALSO TRYING TO BUILD SUSTAINABILITY INTO OUR OTHER FUNDS TO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE AS WELL. AND AT THE SAME TIME, ALSO WORKING WITHIN OUR GPS. GARLAND'S PATHWAY TO SUCCESS AND TRYING TO PRIORITIZE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE THAT COUNCIL INDICATED WERE PRIORITIES AND ALIGN WITH THAT GPS AS WELL. COMBINED ALL OF OUR FUNDS TOGETHER THIS YEAR, WE CROSSED $1 BILLION LAST YEAR. WE'RE AT ABOUT 1.1 BILLION FOR ALL OF OUR FUNDS. THAT INCLUDES ALL OF OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS, THE GENERAL FUND, OUR UTILITY FUNDS, ALL OF THOSE TOGETHER. AND THAT'S AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 32.8 MILLION, OR AROUND 3% THIS YEAR. SPECIFICALLY, THE GENERAL FUND IS 257 MILLION, ABOUT A 4% INCREASE OF 10.3 MILLION. THIS IS THE TOTAL OPERATIONAL BUDGETS FOR THIS YEAR. DIGGING IN A LITTLE DEEPER, LOOKING AT SOME OF OUR OUR LARGER FUNDS, WHAT I WANT TO SHARE HERE IS THAT COUNCIL SET A POLICY FOR OUR FUND BALANCE RESERVES FOR EACH OF THESE FUNDS. ON TOP OF THAT, WE ALSO HAVE A GOAL THAT WE TRY TO MEET. AND THE FISCAL 26 BUDGET FOR ALL OF THOSE FUNDS GENERAL ELECTRIC, WATER, WASTEWATER AND SANITATION, WE MAINTAIN THE RESERVES NEEDED TO NOT ONLY MEET THE FUND BALANCE REQUIREMENT AND BUT ALSO OUR FUND BALANCE GOAL. AND THE LITTLE ASTERISK THERE FOR THE SANITATION FUND. YOU'LL RECALL FROM HURRICANE GARLAND LAST YEAR THAT WE DID DIP INTO OUR RESERVE FUNDS TO HELP RECOVER FROM THAT, AND SOME ADJUSTMENTS WE MADE AFTERWARD WERE TO MAINTAIN ADDITIONAL BALANCE IN THAT FUND FOR ANY UNFORESEEN EXPENDITURES THAT MIGHT COME UP, WHETHER IT'S A DISASTER OR HIGH GAS PRICES, THAT FUND IS POSITIONED WELL FOR THE FUTURE ALSO. I MENTIONED THAT THIS IS A BRIDGE YEAR. I WANTED TO POINT OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS I'LL CALL SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THAT. THE SECOND PARAGRAPH BELOW, WHERE IT SAYS FY 2026 FUNDING OPERATIONS. IN ORDER TO GET TO NOVEMBER 2026, WHEN WE CAN GO TO THE VOTERS AND PURSUE A TAX RATE SHIFT, WE ARE TREATING SOME ONGOING EXPENSES. 
          [00:55:07]
AS WITH ONE TIME RESOURCES OR ONE TIME DOLLARS. AND I REALIZE THIS IS THIS WAS KIND OF A DIFFICULT DECISION THAT WE MADE. THIS IS NOT AN OPTIMAL SITUATION, BUT I I'LL GIVE THE EXAMPLE OF SURF AND SWIM, WHICH IS GOING TO COME ONLINE THIS YEAR, THIS FISCAL YEAR OR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR FOR ONE USING ONE TIME RESOURCES OR ONE TIME FUNDS TO FUND THOSE OPERATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ONGOING. WE'RE NOT GOING TO FUND SURF AND SWIM FOR ONE YEAR AND THEN SHUT IT DOWN. THAT'S GOING TO BE AN ONGOING OPERATION. WHAT WE DID TO BRIDGE THIS TO THE TAX RATE ELECTION OF NEXT YEAR IS TO TREAT THOSE AS ONE TIME EXPENSES, AND THAT ALLOWS US TO BETTER, BETTER GAUGE EXACTLY WHAT EXPENSES ARE GOING TO BE INCURRED AT SURF AND SWIM. OUR STAFF HAS DONE A GREAT JOB ESTIMATING WHAT THOSE ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE AND COMING UP WITH THE FEES AND THE REVENUE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. BUT ULTIMATELY, THAT FIRST YEAR IS REALLY GOING TO PLAY OUT PROBABLY DIFFERENT THAN WE THINK IT IS. AND SO IT HELPS US BRIDGE THERE, BUT ALSO IT'S TO ALLOW US AGAIN TO GET TO THAT NOVEMBER 2026 ELECTION WHEN WE CAN GAUGE WHAT OUR TRUE LONG TERM ONGOING EXPENSES ARE GOING TO BE WITH. WITH ALL OF THE NEW FACILITIES COMING ONLINE AS PART OF THE 2019 BOND PROGRAM AND CATER THAT TAX RATE SHIFT TO MEET THOSE THOSE NEEDS. THE OTHER THING IN OUR THAT'S PROPOSED IN THE FISCAL 26 BUDGET IS FOR A 2.5% ONE TIME LUMP SUM PAY FOR EMPLOYEES FOR FISCAL 26. AND AGAIN, THE REASON FOR NOT TAKING ON A ONGOING EXPENSE AND DOING A WHAT WE TYPICALLY WOULD DO AS A AS A 3% ONGOING SHIFT IN SALARY IS TO GET US TO THAT NOVEMBER 2026 ELECTION. AND WHILE I THINK ALL OF YOU KNOW, THE TEN OF US AROUND HERE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE VOTERS ARE GOING TO HELP US AND VOTE FOR THAT SHIFT, WE HAVE TO PLAN THAT. MAYBE IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, POSITION THE CITY FOR SUSTAINABILITY MOVING FORWARD. AND SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO CALL OUT THOSE THOSE COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE'RE TREATING SOME THINGS AS ONE TIME EXPENSES AND ONE TIME RESOURCES IN ORDER TO GET US TO THAT. 
          NOVEMBER 2026 ELECTION. AND YOU KNOW, THE GRAPHIC THERE WITH OUR TWO BUCKETS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL IS AWARE OF AND I KNOW THE PUBLIC IS GOING TO BE EVEN MORE AWARE OF AS WE START TO TALK ABOUT THAT TAX RATE SHIFT, THE DEBT SERVICE SIDE OF OUR TAX RATE IS NOT CAPPED, BUT THE OPERATION SIDE IS. AND THAT'S 3.5% CAP EVERY YEAR. THERE IS SOME LEGISLATION THAT'S PROPOSING TO DECREASE THAT TO 2.5%. AND THAT COULD POSE A WHOLE DIFFERENT SET OF CHALLENGES FOR US IF THAT HAPPENS. IN TERMS OF THE GENERAL FUND, OUR YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE PIE CHART IN TERMS OF WHAT RESOURCES OR REVENUE ACCOUNTS FOR THE GENERAL FUND, ABOUT TWO THIRDS GOES INTO OUR FOUR LARGEST REVENUE SOURCES. OR ACTUALLY IT'S CLOSER TO 70% NOW. 
          PROPERTY TAX, SALES TAX AND LANDFILL. THIS IS WHERE GENERAL FUND RESOURCES COME FROM IN TERMS OF EXPENSES. PUBLIC SAFETY MAKES UP THE GREATEST PORTION OF THE GENERAL FUND. POLICE, FIRE CODE, ANIMAL SERVICES, ALL OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY RELATED DEPARTMENTS JUST ABOUT MATCH UP WITH THOSE FOUR LARGEST REVENUE SOURCES. AND SO IT EVERYTHING ELSE KIND OF GETS GETS PINCHED IN THERE. AND THAT'S HOW THE GENERAL FUND EXPENSES LOOK LIKE THIS YEAR. I DID WANT TO NOTE A FEW REVENUE CHANGES. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE DEPARTMENTS HERE TO PRESENT ON THESE AT THE WORKSHOP ON THE 16TH LANDFILL FEES. WE ARE PROPOSING A CHANGE THERE IN HOW NOT ONLY WHAT THOSE FEES ARE CHARGED EXTERNALLY, BUT ALSO TO OUR OWN SANITATION FUND IN ORDER TO HELP IMPACT THE GENERAL FUND REVENUE. WE'VE MADE SOME SHIFTS THERE. CHIEF LEE WILL BE HERE TO TALK ABOUT OUR EMS REVENUE AND SOME CHANGES TO OUR BILLING SERVICES THERE AS WELL. TIFF NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS EXPIRING THIS YEAR. WE HAVE A CONSULTANT AND THAT'S WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR FINANCE AND BUDGET TEAM TO PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THAT TIFF. AND IN DOING SO, HELP DIVERT SOME REVENUE TO THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH, IF YOU RECALL, WHEN A TIF EXPIRES, ALL OF THAT REVENUE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS GOES BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND. AND SO THERE'S A THERE'S A BALANCING ACT THAT WE NEED TO DO THERE. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION AT THE AUGUST 
          [01:00:02]
WORKSHOP ON THAT. AND THEN OF COURSE, SURF AND SWIM. WITH THAT OPENING UP, PARKS TEAM WILL BE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE REVENUE PROJECTED FOR THAT FACILITY AS WELL. REAL BRIEFLY, OUR OUR PROPERTY TAX BASE. AND I GOT A CALL OUT THE TEAM AGAIN, BECAUSE THEY PROJECTED A 5.6% INCREASE IN OUR TAX BASE. AND OF COURSE, IT WAS EXACTLY 5.6%. SO SUPER ACCURATE PROJECTION THERE. 
          HOWEVER, THEY TEND TO BE VERY, VERY CONSERVATIVE IN THEIR PROJECTIONS. AND SO I WAS HOPING THAT IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN 5.6. IT CAME IN RIGHT ON ON PROJECTION. AND SO WE ARE UP TO 28.3 BILLION FOR A TAX BASE. AND I THINK THE NEXT SLIDE TALKS ABOUT THE GROWTH THIS YEAR. WE HAD RECORD NEW CONSTRUCTION GROWTH THAT MAKES UP FOR THE $552 MILLION IN OUR IN OUR TAX BASE GROWTH. SO THERE THERE WAS SORRY 552 MILLION NEW CONSTRUCTION GROWTH THIS YEAR. 
          LAST YEAR IT WAS 297. SO A LOT OF NEW CONSTRUCTION HAPPENING THIS YEAR, A LITTLE LESS THAN HALF OF THAT WAS INSIDE THE TIFS. AND SO THAT WAS A GOOD RETURN TO THE GENERAL FUND THIS YEAR AND HELPED CLOSE THAT, THAT $4 MILLION HOLE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER. AS FAR AS CLIMBING OUT OF THAT PERCENTAGE WISE, THIS IS SHOWS THE LAST TEN YEARS OF OUR EXISTING PROPERTY AND NEW CONSTRUCTION GROWTH FOR THE FOR THE PROPERTY TAX BASE. AGAIN, A REALLY GOOD YEAR FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, MADE UP 2.1% OF THAT 5.6% TAX GROWTH. SO LOTS OF UPS AND DOWNS ON THIS CHART. 
          BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY GOOD FOR OUR TAX BASE. AND THAT IS COMING DOWN TO A NORM WHERE WE THINK THINGS ARE RETURNING TO WHAT IS MORE OF A HISTORICAL NORMAL FOR THE GROWTH OF OUR TAX BASE. I OFTEN GET ASKED, WELL ASKED, WHERE DS THE WHERE DOES THAT GROWTH IN THE TAX BASE COME FROM? IS IT RESIDENTIAL? IS IT COMMERCIAL? IS IT BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY? YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT BREAKS DOWN. BUT A LOT OF THE GROWTH THIS YEAR CAME IN THE COMMERCIAL SIDE. NOT SO MUCH THE CAP LOSS THAT HAD BEEN ACCRUING OVER TIME IN THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE SAW A LOT OF GROWTH ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE THIS TIME, AS YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT HOW THAT BREAKS DOWN. AND HERE IS OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE PROPOSED FOR NEXT YEAR. OF COURSE, KEEPING THE TAX RATE THE SAME, WE DO SHED SOME OF THE O&M SIDE OF THE TAX RATE, WHICH IS THE GREEN BOX. YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT HAS SHRUNK OVER TIME. AFTER SB TWO WAS PUT IN PLACE. AND WE'VE WE'VE SWITCHED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO SWAPPING THAT OVER TO DEBT SERVICE SIDE. AND OF COURSE, THE TAX RATE ELECTION NEXT YEAR WILL BE FLIPPING THAT BACK AROUND SO THAT WE HAVE SOME SUSTAINABILITY IN THE OPERATION SIDE OF THE TAX RATE. SALES TAX REVENUE. THIS IS ANOTHER INDICATOR THAT I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, IS STARTING TO LEVEL OFF. THE LAST FEW YEARS WE'VE HAD A LOT OF ONE TIME TAX, SALES TAX REVENUE THAT HAS HELPED TO GROW THAT NUMBER. 
          WE'RE SEEING THAT BACK OFF AND ARE PROJECTING ABOUT 45.7 MILLION IN SALES TAX REVENUE FOR FISCAL 2026. AND THEN GETTING TO GPL ■AND OUR LANDFILL REVENUE, GPL. WE ARE SWITCHING OUR ROI EQUATION SLIGHTLY. IT HAS BEEN HELD STEADY OVER THE LAST VERY LONG TIME, AND LOOKING TO HELP MATCH THAT UP WITH SOME OF THE INFLATION AND OTHER PRESSURES THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVINGG ON THE GENERAL FUND SIDE. AND SO WE'RE PROJECTING 26.8 MILLION IN REVENUE FROM FROM GPL TO THE GENERAL FUND ON RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND THEN ON THE LANDFILL SIDE, 26.3 MILLION PROJECTED FOR REVENUE FROM THE LANDFILL FOR NEXT YEAR. AS I MENTIONED, A FEW CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE BUDGET TO LOOK AT HERE. AND WE'LL WE'LL DIG INTO THIS MORE IN AUGUST ON THE AUGUST 16TH WORKSHOP. BUT WE HAVE PUT IN A ONE TIME, 2.5% LUMP SUM PAYMENT TO ALL EMPLOYEES FOR FISCAL 26. YOU'LL RECALL THAT WE ARE ALSO COMPLETING THE PHASE IN OF OUR RETIREMENT STABILITY BENEFITS, INCREASING THE CITY'S PORTION TO TWO AND THREE QUARTERS. OUR GROUP HEALTH. THIS IS A FUND THAT WE ARE CLOSELY MONITORING AND REALLY TRYING TO GET ON A SUSTAINABLE PATH. THIS YEAR, WE'RE MATCHING BOTH THE CITY AND EMPLOYEES. ACTIVE EMPLOYEES WILL SEE A 6% INCREASE 
          [01:05:07]
IN THEIR GROUP HEALTH CONTRIBUTIONS TO PREMIUMS. AND THEN ON THE RETIREE SIDE, 3% FROM THE CITY AND 10% TO RETIREES. YOU CAN SEE THE ASSOCIATED COSTS TO THE CITY FOR BOTH OF THOSE INCREASES 2.3 MILLION. SO THIS IS ONE THAT IN FUTURE YEARS YOU'RE GOING TO SEE MORE CHANGES MADE TO THIS, TRYING TO GET IT ON A SUSTAINABLE PATH TO WHERE THE GROWTH OF THE GROUP HEALTH FUND AT LEAST AS MUCH AS WE CAN GET IT TO CLOSELY MATCH WHAT OUR ACTUAL GROWTH AND REVENUE IS GOING TO BE. THAT'S THAT'S GOING TO BE THE GOAL OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. SOME OF OUR COST PRESSURES ON ON THE OPERATING SIDE HAVE TO DO WITH FLEET MAINTENANCE AND PARTS THAT THAT HIT THE GENERAL FUND QUITE A BIT THIS YEAR. AND THEN JUST AS OUR AS THE SOFTWARE SYSTEMS CHANGE AND HOW WE PAY FOR THOSE CHANGE, THERE'S THAT'S COMING AT A COST AS WELL. AN ADDITIONAL 1.6 MILLION THIS YEAR. WITH THAT WANT TO KIND OF CLOSE THINGS OUT TALKING ABOUT SOME OF OUR WHERE WE ARE PROPOSING NEW PERSONNEL, THE ONLY ONE IN THE GENERAL FUND IS FOR SURF AND SWIM REGIONAL AQUATIC FACILITY. THERE ARE POSITIONS PROPOSED IN THE GENERAL OR SORRY IN THE ELECTRIC FUND. ONE NEW FTE SIX FOR SANITATION, NINE FOR OUR WATER WASTEWATER UTILITIES, ONE FOR STORM WATER, AND THEN FOR HOTEL, MOTEL, TAX FUND. AN ADDITIONAL FTE THEHERE AS WELL. AND SO I WT TO CALL THOSE OUT. WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO MORE DETAIL AT THE AUGUST 16TH WORKSHOP TO TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THOSE AND WHAT NEEDS THERE THEY'RE TRYING TO FILL. THEN I MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SURF AND SWIM COMING ONLINE AND, AND THE OPERATIONAL HIT FOR THAT 1.4 MILLION, SOME ADDITIONAL NEW PARK FACILITIES AND MAINTENANCE REQUIRED THERE, AND TEMPORARY THAT'S ANOTHER $92,000. THAT'S BEEN A THAT'S BEEN IN PAST BUDGETS. WE'RE TRYING TO TURN THAT INTO AN ONGOING OPERATIONAL COST VERSUS JUST A ONE FUNDING IT WITH ONE TIME, ONE TIME DOLLARS THERE. SO AGAIN, WANTED TO CALL OUT A FEW OF THOSE NEW OPERATING COSTS THAT ARE HITTING THE GENERAL FUND THIS YEAR. AND WE'LL CLOSE OUT WITH THE COUNCIL CALENDAR. SO PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE SCHEDULED FOR THE 19TH AND SEPTEMBER 2ND. WE DO HAVE AN OPTIONAL SPECIAL SESSION IN THERE ON THE 26TH IF NEEDED AND IF REQUESTED BY COUNCIL. AND THEN, OF COURSE, OUR OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP ON AUGUST 16TH IS OUR OUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY THERE. AND I'M GOING TO LOOK AT MATT AND ALLISON AND SEE IF I MISSED ANYTHING BECAUSE I DID. I CATCH EVERYTHING THAT WE NEEDED TO. I REALLY APPRECIATE THEIR HELP. AND LIKE I SAID, THIS HAS BEEN A HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING YEAR FROM THE BUDGET STANDPOINT, ESPECIALLY IN THE GENERAL FUND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING COUNCIL AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS. THIS IS NOT THE END. THIS IS THE BEGINNING, AS WE LIKE TO SAY. VERY GOOD SIR. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND MATT ALLISON, NOW'S YOUR CHANCE. YOU HAD 481 PAGES AND NOTHING TO SAY. THEY WILL ON THE 16TH. IN THE 16TH. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT ON THE BUDGET? I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO EVEN LOOK IT OVER YET IN DETAIL, BUT WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME BEFORE OUR WORK SESSION ON THE 16TH. VERY GOOD. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THEN. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON THEN TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. REQUEST FOR DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE FROM LOCKWOOD DISTILLING COMPANY. OH, ON THE BUDGET. YEAH, YOU CAN GO BACK. 
          HAD A LATE PUNCH IN ON THE LAST ITEM ON THE BUDGET. COUNCIL. COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON, PLEASE. 
          [7. Request for Development Assistance from Lockwood Distilling Company]
ARE YOU SURE? VERY GOOD. ALL RIGHT, THEN, WE'LL MOVE ON THEN. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. OKAY. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. TONIGHT I'LL BE PRESENTING LOCKWOOD DISTILLING COMPANY PROJECT. TONIGHT WE HAVE EVAN, BUT I'M SEAN SANDERS FROM LOCKWOOD DISTILLING COMPANY. 
          THEY ARE JOINING US IN CASE YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. BEFORE GOING OVER THE PROJECT DETAIL, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT HOW THIS PROJECT IS ALIGNED WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN AND ALSO CITYWIDE. GARLAND PATHWAY TO SUCCESS, THE FOCUS AREA WHERE IT'S ALIGNED. OF 
          [01:10:03]
COURSE, OUR DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE AND GROWING GARLAND'S ECONOMIC BASE. WE LIKE TO PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, CREATING LOCAL AND REGIONAL VISITOR DESTINATION. OF COURSE, LOCKWOOD DISTILLING COMPANY IS THEY HAVE SEVERAL LOCATIONS IN DFW AREA. 
          AND A LOT OF MANY OF YOU BEEN THERE, ENJOYED THEIR GREAT FOOD. THIS IS OUR RECRUITMENT EFFORT TARGETED, TARGETED TO RETAIL, DESTINATION, RETAIL. OF COURSE THEY ARE. THEY ARE LOOKING AT THE DOWNTOWN LOCATION. SO WE ARE COMMERCIALLY THRIVING DOWNTOWN. THAT IS ONE OF THE OUR FOCUS IN CREATING THE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY DESTINATION. AND WE WANTED TO BRING OTHER ATTRACTING VISITORS AND INSPIRE RESIDENTS TO SHOP, DINE AND PLAY. ABOUT COMPANY. IT'S A FAMILY OWNED, FAMILY FRIENDLY DISTILLERY AND RESTAURANT. IT'S A REALLY CASUAL RESTAURANT WITH A CRAFT SPIRITS OPEN IN RICHARDSON IN THE FIRST LOCATION IN RICHARDSON IN 2019. AFTER THAT, THEY ADDED TWO OTHER LOCATIONS, SO CURRENTLY THEY HAVE THREE LOCATIONS RICHARDSON, MCKINNEY AND FORT WORTH. GARLAND GOING TO BE THE FOURTH LOCATION. NO DISTILLING OPERATION IN GARLAND LOCATION, AND THAT'S GOING TO B TASTING ROOM AND CASUAL DINING. THAT'S THE RESTAURANT THEY'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING TO US. THIS IS THE SITE. AND THEN SHOWING YELLOW IS OUR SQUARE. AND IN THERE THE LOCATION IS SOUTHEAST CORNER OF A MAIN STREET AND THEN NORTH SIXTH STREET. HERE IS THE SITE THAT THE PHOTO OF THE BUILDING. SO PROJECT VISION THEY ARE THEY LIKE TO LEASE 5000FT■S AT 532 MAIN STREET. THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE IS 77,260FT■S. THE PROPERTY OWNER IS CARLOS AND JODY PARIS. THEY OWN THIS PROPERTY SINCE 2015. THEY ALSO HAVE ANOTHER TENANT, MOMENTUM TATTOO. THEY OCCUPY 2200FT■S, SO THIS 5000FT■S IS FORMER MILL HOUSE, PIZZA HOUSE AND INFINITY ARCADE. CURRENTLY THAT'S VACANT SPACE. THEIR PLAN IS TO RENOVATE THE SPACE INTO INVITING RESTAURANT WITH A FULL SERVICE KITCHEN AND EVENT SPACE. THEY LIKE TO REFLECT THE BRANDING OF THE OTHER THREE LOCATIONS THROUGH COLORS, DECOR AND A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT. HERE IS A CONCEPT FLOOR PLAN AND THE TOTAL INVESTMENT IS OVER $1 MILLION. RENOVATION COST FOR THE BUILDING IS ABOUT 300,000 AND OTHER COST, RELOCATION COSTS AND ALL OTHERS. IT'S ABOUT OVER 700,000. THE PROJECT GAP IS 350,000. SO WE WERE LOOKING AT THE OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 380 AGREEMENT. THAT'S A FINE STRUCTURE WE'RE LOOKING AT. INCENTIVE STRUCTURE. WE CITY PROVIDES 350,000 CASH GRANT. THAT IS REALLY CREATING A DESTINATION. BRING THOSE OUR FOCUSED RESTAURANT AND RETAILER TO THE CITY 150,000 CASH INCENTIVE. UPON RECEIPT OF CEO TO ASSIST WITH THE CONSTRUCTION COST UP TO 200,000 PERFORMANCE BASED INCENTIVE. THAT'S THE REALLY THE DESTINATION CREATION GRANT OVER THREE YEARS. THERE'S A CERTAIN THRESHOLD THRESHOLD REQUIRED TO OPERATE FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME. ALSO REQUIRED MAINTAIN THE BUILDING IN A MANNER THAT SUPPORTS HISTORIC DESIGNATION. ALSO REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THE EXISTING WALL MURAL AND IN SUPPORT. THEY ARE COMMITTED TO SUPPORT DOWNTOWN SQUARE EVENTS IN VARIOUS WAYS. IN JUST A QUICK COMPARISON, WE HAVE SEVERAL EXCITING PROJECTS WE BROUGHT TO DOWNTOWN AREA. BUT FORTUNATE SON. IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO, ABOUT 7400FT■S. A TOTAL INCENTIVE AMOUNT WAS A HALF MILLION DOLLARS $500,000 DOLLAR PER SQUARE FOOT WAS $67.45. OUR ICE HOUSE, IT'S 13,000FT■S AND INCENTIVE AMOUNT WAS $740,053 PER THREE, $53.85 PER SQUARE FEET. SO THIS ONE IS LOCKWOOD IS 5000FT■S AND PROPOSED INCENTIVES 350,000. SO THIS IS $70 PER 
          [01:15:01]
SQUARE FEET. OUR BENEFIT ACTIVATED VACANT SPACE BY INTRODUCING THIS VIBRANT LONG TERM RESTAURANT. ADDITIONAL DINING EXPERIENCE IN GARLAND. AND THEN OF COURSE, NEW SALES TAX REVENUE AFTER FOURTH YEAR. SO THIS IS OVERALL IT'S VERY CONSERVATIVE NUMBERS. BUT THIS IS REALLY THE THRESHOLD WE ARE LOOKING AT. WITH THAT. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I AM HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. COUNCILMEMBER WILLIAMS, THANK YOU. EXCELLENT PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. DID YOU SAY THAT THE TWO GENTLEMEN. YES, SIR. THEY JOIN YOU. CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE SLIDE? THE 350 AND THE 200,000. WHICH ONE IS THIS? IT HAS BOTH OF THOSE NUMBERS ON IT. RIGHT THERE. OKAY. GOOD EVENING SIR. GOOD EVENING. HOW ARE YOU? HELLO. YOUIR, HOW ARE YOU? OKAY. WALK ME THROUGH YOUR LOCKWOOD, RIGHT? YES, SIR. OKAY. I'VE BEEN IN YOUR PLACE A NUMBER OF TIMES. I HOPE WE TREATED YOU WELL. IT DID GOOD. IT DID? WITH LOOKING AT LOOKING AT THAT CHART. THERE. WHAT? WHAT BENEFITS WOULD THOSE NUMBERS UP THERE HAVE FOR YOUR BUSINESS? COMING TO GARLAND? YEAH. SO THIS IS A THIS IS PARAMOUNT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND. SO WE'RE WE'RE A MOM AND POP OPERATION. 
          SO WE'RE 100% FAMILY OWNED. IT'S ME AND MY WIFE. SEAN'S A NEIGHBOR AND COWORKER EMPLOYEE AND BIG SUPPORTER. SO WE'RE A PRETTY SMALL OPERATION. SO THIS THIS FOR US MAKES THIS DEAL POSSIBLE. YOU KNOW, WE'VE WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN GARLAND EVALUATING THIS THIS OPPORTUNITY. SEAN'S FROM GARLAND GREW UP HERE. MY DAUGHTER ACTS AT THE PLAZA THEATER ON THE CORNER. SHE JUST SHE JUST TRIED OUT FOR THE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT. SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED. SO WE'RE WE'RE VERY COMMITTED TO THE PROJECT AND THIS, THIS DEAL TT HAS BEEN SUPER HELPFUL IN HELPING US WITH IS REALLY GOING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. AND TO 150,000. YES SIR. IS IT SPEAK TO THAT. SPEAK TO THAT TO THAT AMOUNT. SO THE BUILDING WE'RE GOING TO OCCUPY IS, IS NOT IN A MANNER WHERE WE WOULD NORMALLY. I MEAN, IT'S GREAT BECAUSE THE SECOND GENERATION IT WAS A IT HAS A KITCHEN, IT'S GOT A GREASE TRAP AND A VENT HOOD. HOWEVER THE HVAC IS IN DISREPAIR. THE BATHROOMS NEED TO BE UPDATED FURTHER DECOR IN HONORING THE. 
          THE HISTORICAL DISTRICT. THE FACADE HAS SOME IMPROVEMENTS WE'RE GOING TO DO AS WELL. SO IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF A LOT OF UPDATES PER THE BUILDING. SO THAT'S WHERE THAT'S WHERE ALL THIS AND MORE WILL BE SPENT. AND 200,000 SAME SAME. YES, SIR. OKAY. AND DO YOU HAVE A TARGET DATE FOR OPENING. WE'RE HOPING TO WRAP THIS UP AND START CONSTRUCTION ASAP AND OPEN IN NOVEMBER. IS THE GOAL. AND HOW MANY EMPLOYEES DO YOU PROJECT AT THIS NEW LOCATION? SO WE HOPE THIS I MEAN OUR OUR GOAL IS THAT THIS MIRRORS OUR RICHARDSON OPERATION IN RICHARDSON. WE'RE IN 4333FT■S. WE'VE GOT ABOUT 75 EMPLOYEES THERE, INCLUDING PART TIME AND THOSE THAT THAT STORE DOES SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN THE THAN THE LOW PROJECTIONS WE MADE. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO PLAY SAFE. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN THE FUTURE AND HOW THE AREA WILL REACT. BUT WE'RE VERY POSITIVE. 
          SO WE THINK WE'LL OVERSEE THAT AND BE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO THE COMMUNITY. DO YOU KNOW THE CEILING AT THE GARLAND LOCATION? RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIG. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. BOTH OF YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON. HI. HOW ARE YOU GUYS? VERY WELL. HOW ARE YOU? I'M. I'VE HAD BETTER DAYS. I'M SUPER EXCITED TO HAVE YOU GUYS OUT ON THE SQUARE. WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO TAKE A LITTLE FIELD TRIP TO YOUR RICHARDSON LOCATION AND ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A FANTASTIC ADDITION TO THE SQUARE. MY ONE QUESTION IS, ARE WE GOING TO BE 
          [01:20:02]
ABLE TO BUY BOTTLES OF HONEYSUCKLE VODKA IN GARLAND? WE'LL MAKE THAT HAPPEN. 
          FANTASTIC. AND I'M I'M ALL ON BOARD. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS. WE'RE SUPER EXCITED. ABSOLUTELY. IT'S WONDERFUL. COUNCIL MEMBER BASS THANK YOU I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING HERE. AND REALLY I WANT TO GIVE KUDOS TO THE CITY STAFF AND CITY COUNCIL FOR HAVING THE VISION AND FOR THE CITIZENS FOR PASSING OUR 2019 BOND. THAT ALLOWED US TO PUT $23 MILLION INTO OUR DOWNTOWN SQUARE TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES SUCH AS LOCKWOOD. YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN OVER FIVE YEARS SINCE WE PASSED THAT BOND. IT'S BEEN A COUPLE YEARS NOW, ALMOST COUPLE YEARS THAT THE SQUARE IS OPEN. AND I THINK WHAT WITH BUSINESSES SUCH AS LOCKWOOD COMING TO US AND WANTING TO BE A PART OF GARLAND, IT REALLY YOU KNOW, THE HARD WORK WE'VE PUT IN OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS IS REALLY STARTING TO PAY OFF. GLAD THAT YOU GUYS SEE THE VISION IN WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE, AND REALLY HAPPY TO BE WELCOMING YOU AS A PART OF OUR PART OF OUR GARLAND COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. YEAH, WE COMPLETELY AGREE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED WITH MANY, MANY CITIES. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SEE THE VISION SO CLEAR AND THE AMBITION, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY, REALLY GIVES US THE COMFORT TO EVEN START LOOKING AND NEGOTIATIONS. SO I ECHO YOUR SENTIMENT 100%. AWESOME. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER BEARD, I JUST WANT TO SAY WELCOME TO GARLAND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'VE GOT VERY GOOD COUNCIL. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME ON THIS. AND I THINK IT'S WORTHY TO NOTE THAT THE FUNDING FROM THIS COMES DIRECTLY FROM TIF. NUMBER ONE, THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF FUNDING, $350,000 COME FROM TIFF NUMBER ONE. SO THAT MEANS TIFF IS WORKING AS INTENDED TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES SUCH AS THIS. SO I WOULD ALSO SAY WELCOME TO GARLAND. THANK YOU FOR COMING YOUR NEXT LOCATION. IT'S OURAKEE PLEASURE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SO CURRENTLY THIS ITEM GOING TO BE PLANNED TO BE AUGUST 19TH, REGULAR SESSION. YES. NO COUNCIL WAS SCHEDULED FOR THE MEETING TOMORROW. WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO POSTPONE IT FOR TWO WEEKS UNTIL THE AUGUST 19TH SESSION. 
          VERY GOOD. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM ON OUR 
          [8. Communications Master Plan Overview]
AGENDA IS NUMBER EIGHT COMMUNICATIONS MASTER PLAN OVERVIEW. 
          AND CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER REX, I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL THIS EVENING TO TALK ABOUT OUR COMMUNICATIONS MASTER PLAN. WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS THE 15 MONTH DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AS WELL AS OUR KEY FINDINGS AND NEXT STEPS. BUT AS WE BEGIN, I FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION OF WHAT IS COMMUNICATION? SO IN TERMS OF THIS MASTER PLAN, WHAT DO WE MEAN AND WHAT'S INCLUDED? WELL, AS WE APPROACH THE DEVELOPMENT, WE REALLY WANTED TO LOOK AT EVALUATING AND LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE OUR AWARENESS OF AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION. SO WE WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVERYTHING THAT GARLAND HAS TO OFFER. WE ALSO WANT THE INFORMATION THAT THEY RECEIVE TO FOSTER A PRIDE OF PLACE. WE WANT THEM TO HAVE A GOOD IMAGE OF GARLAND TO ENJOY BEING HERE, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE NOT JUST RESIDENTS OF GARLAND. WE KNOW THAT IT'S ALSO VISITORS WHO COME TO ENJOY OUR SQUARE A PLACES LIKE OUR NEW RESTAURANTS THAT ARE COMING, OUR PERFORMANCES THAT WE HAVE HERE. IT'S ALSO PROSPECTIVE RESIDENTS AND PROSPECTIVE VISITORS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WHAT MESSAGES WE'RE PUTTING OUT FOR THEM AS WELL. AND THEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATION CHANNELS AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING WITH THOSE THREE AUDIENCES IN TERMS OF OUR MASTER PLAN, WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT IS MAINLY SOCIAL MEDIA, WEBSITES, PRINT AND DIGITAL MARKETING, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE CONCEPTS THAT CAN BE USED THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION AT ALL LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION. BUT MAINLY WHAT WE'RE ADDRESSING HERE ARE THOSE THAT ARE LISTED THERE. ONE OTHER THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION IS JUST THE WHY. WHY DID WE NEED A MASTER PLAN? IS IT ALIGNED WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION? AND SO AS YOU GUYS KNOW, YOU'VE SEEN THIS GRAPHIC MANY TIMES. WE HAVE THE GPS, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, GARLAND'S PATHWAY TO SUCCESS. AND THERE ARE SEVERAL FOCUS AREAS AS WELL AS DESTINATIONS AND ACTIONS THAT ALL DEAL WITH COMMUNICATION. SO IT WAS A VERY ALIGNED WITHIN THE 
          [01:25:05]
ORGANIZATION. AND I'M GOING TO GO OVER SEVERAL OF THOSE. THERE ARE AREAS WHERE COMMUNICATION IS LIKE THE WAY THAT THAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED, THAT ACTION CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED. AND SO THOSE I KIND OF PUT TOGETHER UNDER A SUBHEADING OF BRANDING AND AWARENESS NOW, THEY COVERED MULTIPLE FOCUS AREAS AND DESTINATIONS, BUT THESE WERE JUST SOME OF THE ACTIONS THAT SPECIFICALLY COMMUNICATION WAS THE WAY YOU WERE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH THAT ACTION. SO THINGS LIKE ENHANCING GARLAND'S REGIONAL IMAGE THROUGH BRANDING, ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION. BUT THERE WERE ALSO SEVERAL OTHER FOCUS AREAS DESTINATIONS, ACTIONS WHERE COMMUNICATION WAS A PART OF IT. IT WAS A WAY THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE ALIGNED WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION, HELPING MOVE THE ENTIRE THING FORWARD. SO I PUT THOSE UNDER CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHAT I LABELED THERE. BUT AGAIN, MULTIPLE FOCUS AREAS AND DESTINATIONS. SO A COUPLE OF THOSE WERE PROVIDING MULTIPLE CHANNELS FOR SERVICE ACCESS AND INTERACTIONS, DEVELOPING CLEAR GUIDES TO HELP CITIZENS NAVIGATE CITY PROCESSES CLEARLY, AND THEN PRIORITIZING AWARENESS OF VARIOUS COMMUNICATION STYLES AND LANGUAGES. AND THEN, OF COURSE, AS WE APPROACHED OUR MASTER PLAN, WE WANTED OUR GPS TO GUIDE US AS WELL TOO. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ALIGNED WITH THE DIFFERENT TYPE OF THINGS THAT WE WERE PUTTING IN THE MASTER PLAN, SO I LABELED THAT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, THOSE ACTIONS THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE MET AND HAD ALIGNMENT WITH DEFINING KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS SPECIFIC TO EACH SERVICE AREA, EVALUATING PRACTICES REGULARLY, AND THEN USING FEEDBACK TO IDENTIFY PATTERNS AND TRENDS. SO THOSE ARE THE ALIGNMENT THAT I THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO TALK THROUGH. BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE THE WHAT AND THE WHY OUT OF THE PLACE OR OUT OF THE WAY, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE HOW, WHICH IS THE ACTUAL PROCESS FOR OUR MASTER PLAN DEVELOPMENT MENTIONED EARLIER THAT IT WAS 15 MONTHS OF DEVELOPMENT. WE PARTNERED WITH COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY AND RESEARCH CONSULTANT MAGID TO HELP US THROUGH THAT PROCESS. THEY LED US THROUGH FIVE PHASES, WHICH WE WILL HIT ON EACH ONE HERE IN JUST A MINUTE. BUT THEY ALL BUILT ON ONE ANOTHER. THEY HELPED US DISCOVER, IDEA, IDENTIFY, VALIDATE, DELIVER AND EVOLVE. AND THEN OUR CULMINATION WAS THE MASTER PLAN, WHICH WE WILL IMPLEMENT OVER THE NEXT 3 TO 5 YEARS. SO GOING INTO PHASE ONE, THAT WAS OUR COMMUNICATIONS AUDIT. WE HAD THE EXPERTS WHO ARE MAGGID JUST REALLY LOOK AT OUR CURRENT LANDSCAPE, CURRENT EFFORTS, OUR CHANNELS. AND THEY INTERVIEWED CITY LEADERSHIP, THEY INTERVIEWED CITY COMMUNICATORS, AND THEIR GOAL WAS TO IDENTIFY THOSE POTENTIAL GAPS AND AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT. BUT THEN IN OUR PHASE TWO, OUR CO-CREATION WORKSHOP, WE REALLY TOOK THAT IDEA OF INPUT AND BROADEN THAT SCALE TO INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY. THAT WAS KIND OF OUR FIRST STEP OF INCLUDING THE COMMUNITY. SO WE RECRUITED 14 PEOPLE THROUGH FIELD RESEARCH, MARKETING THAT HAD TIES TO GARLAND. SO THEY EITHER LIVED IN GARLAND, WORKED IN GARLAND, OR VISITED REGULARLY. AND THEN WE ALSO HAD FIVE CREATIVE CONSUMERS, WHICH MEANS THEY HAD A PROFESSION IN COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING. SO THIS FIRST KIND OF BASELINE STEP WAS TO GET THOSE CONCEPTS. WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT BRANDING OR THINKING ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS THAT WE CAN TEST AND VALIDATE AND BUILD ON IN OUR FUTURE PHASES. SO WE TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT GARLAND STRENGTHS. WE ASK THEM, WHAT ARE GARLAND STRENGTHS? WHAT ARE OUR SELLING POINTS? WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT US? WE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THEIR THEIR IDEAS IN GENERAL, ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS, HOW THEY LIKE TO RECEIVE COMMUNICATIONS, WHAT KIND OF MESSAGES RESONATE WITH THEM, WHAT THEY WHAT THEIR PERCEPTIONS WERE IN REGARD TO JUST MUNICIPAL INFORMATION AND MESSAGING THAT THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN REGULAR. SO OUR KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS PHASE WAS THAT GARLAND'S NUMBER ONE, OR ONE OF OUR BIGGEST ATTRACTORS OR SELLING POINTS WAS OUR DIVERSITY, WHICH CAN MEAN A LOT OF THINGS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. BUT WHAT THIS GROUP SPECIFICALLY POINTED OUT AND REALLY ENJOYED ABOUT GARLAND WAS OUR FOOD THAT YOU CAN DRIVE, YOU KNOW, SHORT DISTANCES AND FIND JUST A VARIETY OF CUISINE THAT WE HAVE ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF ETHNICITIES REPRESENTED WITHIN THE CITY. EVERYBODY FEELS WELCOME AND THAT THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS TO DO, A VARIETY OF THINGS TO DO. THEY ENJOYED THAT. THE SECOND IS A QUOTE THAT I PUT IN HERE TO JUST KIND OF SHOW PERCEPTION. WHEN IT CAME TO MUNICIPAL INFORMATION, PEOPLE SAID, IT'S EASY TO FIND WHAT I DON'T CARE ABOUT AND HARD TO FIND WHAT I DO CARE ABOUT. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT STEMS FROM THEM NOT KNOWING WHERE TO LOOK. OR MAYBE IT'S JUST THERE'S SO MUCH INFORMATION OUT THERE, HOW DO THEY WADE THROUGH IT TO FIND WHAT WHAT RESONATES WITH THEM? THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO BUILD ON IN OUR NEXT STEPS. AND SO WE FOUND THAT IN TALKING WITH THEM, TRANSPARENT AND AUTHENTIC COMMUNICATION WAS KEY. THAT WAS THE KEY TO RESONATING WITH PEOPLE. BUT THEN ALSO THE WORD OF MOUTH AND FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTS 
          [01:30:04]
WAS HOW THEY REALLY KIND OF ACCEPTED THAT MESSAGING TO THAT WAS A WAY THAT WAS THEY PLACED A HIGH VALUE ON THAT. SO TAKING THOSE CONCEPTS AND MOVING ON TO OUR PHASE THREE, WHICH WAS OUR FOCUS GROUPS, WE WANTED TO REALLY TEST THOSE OUT, AS S I MENTIONED. SO WE BUILT STIMULI AS WE CALLED THEM. WE BUILT SOME SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT TO KIND OF DO SOME A, B TESTING, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS RESONATE WITH YOU. WE ASKED THEM, YOU KNOW, WOULD YOU LOOK ON THESE CHANNELS FOR THIS TYPE OF CONTENT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY? WE CREATED SOME MESSAGING. DOES THIS SIGNAL DIVERSITY TO YOU? THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT THAT WE TESTED OUT IN THOSE FOCUS GROUPS. AND WE HAD FOUR FOCUS GROUPS WITH ABOUT 10 TO 12 PEOPLE FOR EACH ONE. AND THEY WERE ORGANIZED INTO RESIDENTS LIKE FREQUENT VISITORS, OCCASIONAL VISITORS, AND THEN PEOPLE WHO HAD AT LEAST HEARD OF GARLAND BUT MAYBE NEVER VISITED, LIKE WE HAD NEVER REALLY ACTIVATED THEM TO COME HERE. AND SO WE THOUGHT THOSE WERE ALL GOOD VOICES TO HEAR THEIR PERSPECTIVES. AND OUR TAKEAWAYS FROM THAT WAS THAT SOCIAL AND DIGITAL MEDIA WAS THE NUMBER ONE PLACE IN OUR REAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENHANCEMENT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE WERE FINDING THEIR INFORMATION GOING TO LOOK FOR THAT WORD OF MOUTH OR THOSE FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTS, OR JUST LOOK FOR THINGS TO DO. BUT A CHALLENGE, THE COMMENT THAT YOU SEE ON NUMBER TWO, IF IT DOESN'T POP UP, I DON'T KNOW IF I'D SEE IT. SO WHILE THEY'RE LOOKING ON ON DIGITAL CHANNELS AND SOCIAL MEDIA, THEY EXPECT IT TO BE IN THEIR FEED. THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO LOOK FOR IT THEMSELVES, LIKE A LOT OF THEM DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ALL THE CHANNELS THAT WE HAD AS A CITY, ALL THE DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS THAT WE HAD, BECAUSE MAYBE WE DIDN'T HAVE. THERE'S ALGORITHMS. AND SO YOU HAVE TO GIVE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH YOU AND HAVE ENGAGING CONTENT SO THAT YOUR CONTENT SHOWS UP MORE OFTEN IN THEIR FEED. AND SO OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT WAS WAS SOMETHING THAT REALLY CAME OUT OF THIS AND, AND SOMETHING THAT WE PUT INTO THE PLAN OF REALLY TRYING TO ENHANCE AND INCREASE THAT IN OUR GROUP OF OUR LESS OCCASIONAL VISITORS. 
          THEY'D COME MAYBE ONCE AND NEVER COME BACK. THIS WAS A QUOTE THAT WE GOT THAT BASICALLY THEY WERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED A REASON TO MAKE ME COME TO YOU, THAT YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO OFFERS SOMETHING AND REALLY SELL YOUR IDENTITY AS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE OFFER OF THAT THING. SO THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT PIECE FOR US TO REALLY LEAN INTO, KNOWING THAT THE CONTENT AS PEOPLE ARE SCROLLING, THAT REALLY CAPTURES THEIR EYE AS WE DID THE A, B, TESTING THE THINGS THAT HAD THE REALLY INTERESTING PHOTOS OR THOSE TIKTOK INFLUENCER STYLE SHORT FORM VIDEOS. THAT'S WHAT GRABBED PEOPLE'S ATTENTION. AND THEN IN REGARD TO WEBSITES, BECAUSE WE TESTED THOSE TOO, THE CONCEPTS OF JUST EASE OF NAVIGATION AND BEING A ONE STOP SHOP, THEY WANTED THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GO MULTIPLE PLACES. THEY WANTED TO FIND EVERYTHING WHERE THEY WERE LOOKING. AND THEN SOME EVEN SUGGESTED HAVING VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS. THOSE WERE ALL KIND OF CONCEPTS THAT CAME OUT OF THE FOCUS GROUPS IN REGARD TO WEBSITES. AND THEN LASTLY, AS WE, YOU KNOW, DELVED INTO DIVERSITY, WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT TRANSLATED CONTENT AND WHAT'S PROVIDED AND IF THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND SO THEY ALL KIND OF AGREED THAT IT WAS SOMETHING NICE TO HAVE AND IT WAS IMPORTANT TO OFFER, BUT THAT THE AWARENESS OF HOW TO FIND IT WAS A KEY. IT'S NOT JUST OFFERING IT. YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW HOW TO GET TO IT. SO THEN PHASE FOUR AGAIN, KIND OF BUILDING ONTO THAT WITH OUR CO-CREATION. WE STARTED WITH 25 PEOPLE, FOCUS GROUPS. WE DOUBLED THAT. AND THEN WE DID AN ONLINE SURVEY TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, SEE WHETHER THOSE SAME THEMES WERE SHOWING UP WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC. SO WE HAD 1606 RESPONDENTS TO OUR ONLINE SURVEY, 750 OF THEM LIVED IN GARLAND, ANOTHER 632 IN THE DFW METROPLEX, 218 IN BROADER TEXAS, AND THEN SIX OUTSIDE OF TEXAS. AND OUR KEY TAKEAWAYS ARE JUST SOME OF THE TAKEAWAYS THAT I WANTED TO KIND OF POINT OUT IN RELATION TO OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT, THE SOURCES THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING, THEIR INFORMATION WAS VALIDATED. YOU KNOW, THE WORD OF MOUTH, THE CONDUCTING SEARCHES ON GOOGLE, THAT DIGITAL MEDIA, THE SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU CAN SEE THE PERCENTAGES THAT THAT THIS IS THE PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS THAT SAID THESE ARE WHERE THEY LOOK AND USE. THEY USE THESE THINGS ONCE A WEEK OR MORE OFTEN TO FIND THAT COMMUNITY INFORMATION. BUT WE ALSO DID IS JUST A SIDE NOTE, KIND OF ASK THEM WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THAT SO THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO BUILD OUT THAT STRATEGY OF WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO BE PUTTING INFORMATION OUT THERE. I ALSO MENTIONED THAT PREVIOUSLY, A CHALLENGE COULD BE GETTING IT IN FRONT OF PEOPLE, BECAUSE IF THEY'RE, THEY MAY NOT ACTIVELY GO LOOK FOR IT, YOU KNOW, GETTING IT IN THEIR FEEDS. THIS 
          [01:35:04]
KIND OF VALIDATED THAT THAT YOU CAN SEE THE BARS THAT ARE ON THE VERY LEFT OF EACH OF THOSE PLATFORMS IS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SCROLLING IN THEIR PERSONAL FEED TO FIND THEIR INFORMATION. AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S HIGHER THAN, THAN EVERY OF THE OTHER BARS. SO FINDING THOSE WAYS TO REALLY MAKE IT INTO THEIR FEEDS IS KEY. THEN LASTLY, IN REGARD TO THE TRANSLATED CONTENT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, TAKING THAT BROADER SCALE ABOUT WHETHER YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS IMPORTANT AND WHAT TYPES OF INFORMATION THEY THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE ACCESS TO AND TRANSLATED DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. THIS WAS THE FINDINGS THERE. AND WE ALSO WANTED TO CALL OUT ON THE RIGHT THAT THE WAYS PEOPLE ARE FINDING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TRANSLATED OR GETTING THEIR TRANSLATED MATERIALS RIGHT NOW, GOOGLE, SOCIAL MEDIA, FRIENDS AND FAMILY. AND SO JUST AS WE LOOK TOWARDS AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN BRING AWARENESS TO THEIR OWN FRIENDS AND FAMILY, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT, WE JUST WANTED TO KIND OF SEE WHAT THEY'RE USING CURRENTLY TO, TO GET TRANSLATIONS. SO THEN THAT BRINGS US TO OUR PHASE FIVE, WHICH IS THE MASTER PLAN, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SPEND THE REST OF OUR TIME TALKING ABOUT OUR SHORT TIME. I PROMISE I WON'T BE TOO MUCH LONGER. SO I'VE ORGANIZED THIS INTO THREE AREAS. OUR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE WHOLE 30 PAGE MASTER PLAN. 
          AND SO THOSE THREE AREAS ARE OPTIMIZATION, CONTENT STRATEGY, AND PARTNERSHIPS. EACH COMES WITH A KEY FINDING AND THEN COMES WITH THOSE AREAS OF ACTIONS. THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY THE SPECIFIC ACTIONS WE'RE TAKING, BUT THEY'RE THE CONTENT, THE TOPICS THAT WE WILL BUILD SPECIFIC ACTIONS INTO. SO OUR FIRST AREA OPTIMIZATION, OUR FINDING WAS THAT EXISTING COMMUNICATION CHANNELS APPEAR FRAGMENTED, LEADING TO USER FRICTION AND A DILUTED BRAND PRESENCE. OPTIMIZATION SOLUTIONS IMPROVED THE USER EXPERIENCE AND STREAMLINE INFORMATION ACCESSIBILITY. SO THINGS THAT WE WILL LOOK AT DOING TO REALLY OPTIMIZE OUR CHANNELS AND THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT THERE IS CONSOLIDATE WHERE POSSIBLE. WE THAT IDEA OF THERE BEING NOISE, THERE BEING TOO MANY THINGS TO LOOK THROUGH, IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY THAT THERE'S INACTIVE PAGES OR INACTIVE CHANNELS, CAN WE SET SUNSET THOSE MAKE THOSE GO AWAY. IF THERE'S OVERLAPPING CONTENT, IF THERE'S CONTENT THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE A CHANNEL THAT HAS REALLY LOW ENGAGEMENT, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT INFORMATION IS SOMEWHERE ELSE. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY LOST, BUT THAT WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE NOTHER CHANNEL MAYBE FRAGMENTING OUR AUDIENCES. OUR WEBSITE, WE KNOW, IS A LARGE AREA FOR AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ENHANCEMENT. AND THE BIGGEST THING THAT I WANT TO TOUCH ON HERE, WE KNOW THERE ARE SOME EXISTING ISSUES LIKE LOADING TIMES OR BROKEN LINKS, THINGS LIKE THAT. THAT WILL ALWAYS BE SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE WORKING. YOU KNOW, IT'S A NEVER ENDING CYCLE. BUT BUT WHAT WE REALLY WANTED TO ADDRESS HERE IS THE CONCEPT OF PROVIDING INFORMATION THE WAY OUR CONSUMERS EXPECT TO SEE IT AND LIKE WILL CONSUME IT, VERSUS THE WAY WE THINK TO DELIVER IT. LIKE REALLY DELVING INTO WHAT OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR FOCUS GROUPS AND ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE SAID THAT EASE OF FINDING THINGS ONE STOP SHOPS, HOW DO WE PUT OUR INFORMATION IN A WAY THAT OUR USERS LOOKING FOR IT VERSUS THE WAY THAT WE OPERATE AS AN ORGANIZATION? AND SO REALLY RESTRUCTURING THE WEBSITE AS PART OF THAT 3 TO 5 YEAR PLAN, IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG PROCESS, BUT THAT'S WHY IT'S IN THE 3 TO 5 YEAR PLAN. AND THEN REALLY AS PART OF THAT, THIS ADOPTING AND APPLYING SEO BEST PRACTICES. SO SEO SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, REALLY TAKING WHAT PEOPLE ARE SEARCHING FOR. WE SAW THAT GOOGLE IS A BIG WAY THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR INFORMATION. SO THOSE KEYWORDS THAT THEY'RE USING, MAKING SURE THAT THOSE KEYWORDS ARE ENDING UP ON OUR PAGES AND OUR HEADLINES AND OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT SO THAT AS PEOPLE SEARCH THOSE THINGS, THEY'RE FINDING WHAT THEY WANT. LIKE IF WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THINGS TO DO, THEN THINGS TO DO THIS DAY OR WHATEVER NEEDS TO BE EMBEDDED INTO OUR INFORMATION SO THAT THEY CAN EASILY FIND IT. NEXT AREA IS CONTENT STRATEGY. THE FINDING IS THAT CRAFTING AND DELIVERING MESSAGES THAT RESONATE WITH GARLAND'S DIVERSE AUDIENCES ARE CRITICAL GAPS IDENTIFIED IN ALL PHASES OF RESEARCH. SO THAT RESONATING. WE HEARD THAT TRANSPARENCY, AUTHENTICITY, DIVERSITY, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE RESONATE WITH PEOPLE. HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT OUR MESSAGES SCREAM THAT OR EXCUSE ME, REALLY FOCUS ON THAT, OR GIVE OFF THAT IMPRESSION? OR SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH MAJID TO DEVELOP A BRAND MESSAGE MAP AND AUDIENCE SPECIFIC PROFILE SO THAT IF SOMEONE HAS THEIR TARGET AUDIENCE THAT I'M TALKING TO 
          [01:40:01]
RESIDENTS AND I NEED TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THIS CERTAIN THING, THAT THAT MESSAGE MAP AND THAT AUDIENCE PROFILE SAYS THAT I NEED TO MAKE SURE MY MESSAGE IS TRANSPARENT, I NEED TO MAKE SURE IT FOCUSES ON DIVERSITY OR WHATEVER THAT MAKEUP IS, AND THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE PUTTING OUT THE MESSAGING THAT RESONATES WITH PEOPLE. BUT THEN ALSO, THE OTHER PART OF IT IS THAT WE CAN REGULARLY AUDIT IT AND IMPLEMENT TRAINING OR ACCOUNTABILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALL CONSISTENTLY AS AN ORGANIZATION DOING IT. IT'S NOT JUST ONE DEPARTMENT THAT'S GOING TO DO IT. WE ALL NEED TO BE DOING IT AS AN ORGANIZATION. AND THEN ONCE WE CREATE THAT MESSAGING, THIS DEFINING A CHANNEL STRATEGY IS THEN KNOWING WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO PUT THIS. MAYBE EVERYTHING DOESN'T NEED TO BE ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM AND YOUTUBE AND NEXT DOOR. AND YOU KNOW, LIKE IF WE KNOW THAT MY VISITORS ARE MAINLY LOOKING AT INSTAGRAM, THEN NOW I HAVE MY MESSAGING AND I KNOW THAT I'M GOING TO PUT IT ON INSTAGRAM. I DON'T HAVE TO DO THE WORK OF ALL OF IT. SO CREATING THAT FRAMEWORK FOR DETERMINING THE BEST PLATFORM, BUT THEN ALSO CROSS POSTING AND PAID TARGET MARKETING, BECAUSE WE HEARD THAT PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WE HAVE THESE OTHER CHANNELS. WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE TO GET IN FRONT OF PEOPLE? LASTLY, OUR THIRD AREA IS PARTNERSHIPS. PARTNERSHIPS ARE AN ESSENTIAL FACTOR IN THE SUCCESS OF THE MASTER PLAN BECAUSE CITY COMMUNICATIONS REQUIRE SUPPORT. 
          WE CAN'T. IT'S NOT JUST THE PUBLIC AND MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES COMMUNICATING IN THE ORGANIZATION. THERE ARE 40 SOMETHING DEPARTMENTS AND THEY'RE ALL COMMUNICATING, AND WE HAVE MULTIPLE SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS AND THEY'RE ALL POSTING THEIR OWN CONTENT. SO HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S ALIGNED? AND THAT'S PART OF OUR WORKFLOW AND INTERNAL WORKFLOWS, BUT THEN ALSO GETTING SOME OUTSIDE HELP AS WELL. SO ON THE INTERNAL WORKFLOW PART WE'RE GOING TO OUTLINE DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR CITY COMMUNICATORS. WITHIN EACH OF OUR DEPARTMENTS. THEY HAVE A CITY COMMUNICATOR. AND WE'RE GOING TO START MEETING MONTHLY TO JUST COLLABORATE ON THAT CONTENT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS THOSE MESSAGE MAPS, THE CONTENT GUIDELINES, THE DISTRIBUTION FRAMEWORK THAT WE ALL KNOW HOW TO USE IT. BUT THEN ALSO IF SOMEONE COMES UP AND SAYS, HEY, THIS MONTH, THESE ARE THE THINGS I'M REALLY WORKING ON, THEN WE CAN SAY, WELL, ALL OF OUR CHANNELS CAN HELP YOU PROMOTE THAT. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST YOU ON YOUR OWN. 
          HOW CAN WE ALL HELP? OR IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE, CAN WE ALL WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE KIND OF THING. THEN WITHIN THAT BUILD PARTNERSHIP, PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY WITH COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS OR CREATORS. IT'S REALLY BUILT ON THAT WORD OF MOUTH CONCEPT THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TAKE THE WORD OF SOMEONE THEY KNOW VERSUS THE CITY, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE THE WORD OF SOMEONE THEY KNOW. BUT ALSO, IF WE'RE POSTING INFORMATION DIGITALLY AND HOPING TO BE IN PEOPLE'S FEEDS, IT'S A LOT BETTER IF WE CAN GUARANTEE THAT, HEY, IF I HAVE AN AMBASSADOR GROUP, MY AMBASSADOR GROUP HAS GOTTEN MY MESSAGE AND I KNOW BECAUSE I'VE PERSONALLY CONNECTED WITH THEM, AND THEN THEY'RE PERSONALLY GOING TO CONNECT WITH ANOTHER GROUP AND THEN THEY'RE PERSONALLY GOING TO CONNECT. AND SO IT'S YOUR MESSAGE CAN GROW IN A GUARANTEED WAY VERSUS POSTING IT AND JUST HOPING PEOPLE SEE IT. AND THEN LASTLY, THE ADDRESSING MULTILINGUAL SUPPORT, JUST KNOWING WHAT RESOURCES ARE OUT THERE THAT WE CAN USE AS A CITY IF WE NEED TO DO THE TRANSLATING, BUT THEN ALSO INCREASING AWARENESS OF OTHER TRANSLATION SERVICES AS WELL. SO THOSE WERE BIGGER, BROADER CONCEPTS AND THE IDEAS OF THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT. 
          SO I DID WANT TO ADD IN HERE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW AND IMPLEMENTING OVER THE NEXT MONTHS THAT ARE SPECIFIC STEPS. SO PUBLIC AND MEDIA RELATIONS HAD A VACANCY EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO SPLIT THAT INTO TWO POSITIONS, TO HAVE A DEDICATED SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIST WHO'S BEEN ON THE JOB FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS NOW, SHE'S BEEN WORKING ON REALLY INCREASING THAT ENGAGEMENT AND ALSO JUST INCREASING THE TYPE, LIKE THE AMOUNT OF CONTENT THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT THERE, THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE SHARING. 
          AND THEN WE'RE WORKING ON HIRING THE WEBMASTER WHO WILL REALLY BE IN CHARGE, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, PROCESS OF RESTRUCTURING THE WEBSITE AND JUST OPTIMIZING IT. IN SEPTEMBER, WE'RE MEETING WITH MEGAN TO DO THOSE BRAND AND CONTENT GUIDELINES. THE MESSAGE MAP THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE GOING TO BE DRAFTING THOSE. AND THEN OF COURSE, THAT'LL, YOU KNOW, LAST LONGER THAN JUST THE ONE DAY SESSION THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM. BUT BUT WE'RE GOING TO START THAT IN SEPTEMBER. AND THEN WE'LL ALSO BEGIN OUR MONTHLY MEETING WITH THE COMMUNICATORS THIS FALL. 
          WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF RESEARCHING THOSE TRANSLATION RESOURCES AND THEN ALSO LOOKING INTO TOOLS THAT CAN HELP CHECK THE MESSAGE ALIGNMENT. IF WE HAVE THIS MESSAGE MAP, WE KNOW THAT THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS. CAN WE PUT IT INTO A TOOL THAT TH EVALUATES IT AND SAYS, YES, YOU DID THAT VERSUS SOMEONE HAVING TO READ OVER IT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND THEN JUST UPDATING OUR CITY POLICIES TO REALLY ENSURE THAT ALIGNMENT FROM OUR MASTER PLAN ALL THE WAY 
          [01:45:03]
THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION. SO WITH THAT, QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON. WE DID A COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS PROGRAM A FEW YEARS AGO. YES, THAT WORKED OUT. YEP, I DO I WAS PART OF IT ACTUALLY. I MEAN, WAS IT BENEFICIAL? WAS IT NOT. IT WAS BENEFICIAL IN SOME ASPECTS. WHAT THE ONE THING I KNOW THAT LIKE I MENTIONED, I WAS PART OF IT AND IN THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OTHER WAYS THAT IT WAS CONDUCTED. THE WAY THAT I WAS INVOLVED WITH IT WAS I SIGNED UP TO SHARE THINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND I RECEIVED AN EMAIL OF, HERE'S SOME THINGS THAT YOU CAN HELP SHARE. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I HELPED AND SOMETIMES I, YOU KNOW, SQUIRRELED AWAY AND THAT EMAIL GOT BURIED AND I DIDN'T POST IT ON THERE. WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO WITH THIS PROGRAM IS, IS MAKE IT MORE OF AN IN PERSON, IN PERSON, THAT WORD OF MOUTH IDEA THAT LIKE I AM CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE OR LIKE I'M CONNECTING WITH YOU SHARING THIS INFORMATION, WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE? AND THEN YOU CAN GO, YOU KNOW, SPREAD THAT FOR PEOPLE VERSUS SAYING, LIKE BEING MORE DIGITAL, THAT PEOPLE CAN OR CAN'T, YOU KNOW, THEY, YOU KNOW, IT'S EASIER FOR PEOPLE NOT TO DO IT IF IT'S JUST DIGITALLY VERSUS IF I'M HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU AND I'M REGULARLY MEETING WITH YOU AND YOU'RE GOING TO COME BACK AND TELL ME WHETHER YOU SHARED IT OR NOT, AND THEN IF I GIVE INCENTIVES OR DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT, I THINK THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN CREATE A DIFFERENT PROGRAM THAT HOPEFULLY HAS A BIGGER IMPACT. I DO THINK THAT THE PREVIOUS PROGRAM DID HAVE AN IMPACT, BUT I THINK WE COULD HAVE AN EVEN BIGGER ONE. OKAY. AND THEN YOU MENTIONED A DISTRIBUTION FRAMEWORK FOR DEPARTMENTS. SO ONE THING I, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING MINDFUL OF ALGORITHMS. I THINK RIGHT NOW A LOT OF OUR STUFF GETS LOST IN THE ALGORITHM BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME PICTURE, 200 WORDS. BOOM. SO THE ALGORITHM IS SEEING IT AS SPAM. AND SO A LOT OF OUR POSTS AREN'T GETTING PUT UP INTO PEOPLE'S FEEDS. SO JUST SOMETHING TO BE MINDFUL OF KIND OF GOES WITH THE SAME ONE ONE FACEBOOK FOR EVERYTHING, RIGHT? YOU GET IT SOUNDS GREAT IN THEORY. HOWEVER THINGS GET LOST. SO THE ALGORITHM IS A MONSTER AND I FEEL LIKE IT CHANGES ALL THE TIME, SO YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO. BUT I WILL SAY THAT OUR NEW SOCIAL MEDIA GIRL HAS BEEN ON IT, AND THERE'S SOME FANTASTIC THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING. SO REALLY, REALLY EXCITED FOR THAT TO KEEP GROWING. AND SHE'S SHE'S DOING AMAZING WORK RIGHT NOW. SO WE WANT TO KEEP THAT UP. THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT, SO I APPRECIATE YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. YOU CAN ALWAYS CHIME BACK IN IF IT COMES BACK TO YOU. THANKS. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS TIFFANY. GOOD. GOOD PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. I THINK WE'RE WE'RE WE'VE GOT A GOOD WAY TO GO HERE TO GET IT, GET US ALL ALIGNED LINED UP. 
          AND I AGREE WITH THAT ON THE DIGITAL SIDE. BUT I HAVE YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT CAMELOT HAS AN AWARD WINNING NEWSLETTER. I AM AND YOU MAY BE AWARE, YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT ABOUT 40% OF THOSE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA. WE HAVE A DOZEN OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE EMAIL. WE STILL MAIL THEM A PAPER COPY INSTEAD OF SENDING THE PDF. AND SO I ASSUME WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS, THAT COMMUNITY NEWSLETTERS LIKE THIS, WE HAVE SEVERAL IN THE CITY IS A CHANNEL THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO ACCESS. YES. AND SO I'M THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CONTENT THAT YOU WOULD PROVIDE FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR NEWSLETTERS LIKE THAT AS A MAYBE A MONTHLY BECAUSE OURS IS A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER. AND I KNOW THERE'S OTHERS THAT ARE MONTHLY, MAYBE QUARTERLY, EVEN THAT YOU COULD UTILIZE SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHERE YOU COULD PROVIDE ME WITH SOMETHING. I'VE BEEN WRITING A LOT OF CONTENT FOR THAT NEWSLETTER. AS THE PRESIDENT OF THAT FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AND SO I FEEL LIKE I'M A TRUSTED VOICE AND OFTEN GET THAT COMPLIMENT. AND SO, SO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I THINK FOR THE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOR THE DIGITAL WORLD IS GREAT. BUT I DON'T WANT TO FORGET THAT WE'VE GOT SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST NOT INTO THAT DON'T HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA ON PURPOSE. AND SO IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING, IT'S NOT FORGET THAT SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION. AND BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN OLDER NEIGHBORHOOD AND I'VE GOT SOME FOLKS THAT JUST HAVE NO INTEREST IN SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT THEY'RE TALKING TO EACH OTHER, AND CERTAINLY THEY'RE READING THAT NEWSLETTER AS ONE OF THEIR CHANNELS OF INFORMATION. SO THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING YOU 
          [01:50:02]
COULD DO MONTHLY THAT YOU KNOW, THAT LIKE, YOU, LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING, YOU KNOW, IN LIKE THE CITY PRESS BRIEF COMES WEEKLY. YOU MAY NOT SEE THAT IF THEY DON'T HAVE EMAIL. RIGHT. 
          AND THAT IS DEFINITELY I APPRECIATE YOUR YOUR THOUGHT THERE BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY KIND OF WHAT, WHAT MY HOPE IS. OBVIOUSLY WE HAVEN'T FLESHED OUT WHAT THIS PROGRAM LOOKS YET. 
          THAT'S PART OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS. BUT IN MY MIND IT'S WHETHER IT'S QUARTERLY OR WE AND WE BUILD UP TO MONTHLY OR WHATEVER CADENCE OF THE MEETINGS WE COME IN WITH. 
          HERE'S, HERE'S THE TOPICS THAT WE'D REALLY LIKE TO GET AWARENESS ON AND INCREASE INFORMATION OUT THERE. AND WE CAN YES, COME PROVIDING INFORMATION IF YOU NEED, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, IF YOU NEED CONTENT FOR NEWSLETTERS, HERE'S READY MADE THINGS. OR IF YOU JUST HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LET'S TALK WITH YOU SO THAT YOU ARE NOW AN EXPERT. YOU KNOW HOW TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. IF SOMEONE WERE TO ASK YOU LIKE, THAT'S KIND OF THE POINT IS, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE SO THAT WHEN SOMEONE ASKS YOU INFORMATION ABOUT IT, YOU CAN ANSWER IT, BUT THEN ALSO GIVE YOU THOSE KIND OF CONTENT PIECES THAT YOU COULD PLUG INTO OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU HAVE AS WELL. AND YES, THAT'S GOING TO BE THE KEY TO ALL OF THIS IS GOING TO BE BUILDING THAT LIST OF AMBASSADORS AND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVE ACCESS TO GROUPS OF PEOPLE KIND OF THING. AND, AND THOSE NEWSLETTERS, COMMUNITY NEWSLETTERS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IS A IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE. OKAY, GOOD. AND SO KIND OF ON THE OTHER END OF THAT SPECTRUM, I LOOKED AT KIND OF SOCIAL CHANNELS AND I'LL JUST WHISPER THE DIRTY WORD NEXT DOOR. A LOT OF PEOPLE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THERE'S ABOUT 80% PARTICIPATION IN NEXT DOOR, AND THAT'S NEARLY 1600 HOMES. AND SO I DON'T SEE A LOT THAT COMES THROUGH THE CITY. I ASSUME WE HAVE AGENCY ACCOUNTS. WE DO, AND WE'VE EBBED AND FLOWED. SO WITH OUR NEW SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIST, SHE'S REALLY BEEN FOCUSING ON INITIALLY LIKE, AGAIN, SHE'S JUST ONLY BEEN HERE ABOUT THREE MONTHS. SHE'S BEEN FOCUSING INITIALLY ON THE FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM, BUT BECAUSE WE WEREN'T GETTING AS MUCH ENGAGEMENT ON NEXTDOOR, WE WERE PUTTING OUT A LOT OF POSTS, BUT WE WEREN'T GETTING AS MUCH ENGAGEMENT. SO SHE WAS FOCUSING ON THE ONES AND BUILDING THE ENGAGEMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT OF POSITIVITY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PROMOTE. BUT NEXT DOOR IS DEFINITELY WE KNOW THERE'S ABOUT 80,000 PEOPLE THAT ARE SUBSCRIBED. AND SO THAT ACTUALLY HAS OUR LARGEST REACH OUT OF ALL OF THE SOCIAL CHANNELS. AND SO THAT IS A BIG PART OF IT AS WELL. FIGURING OUT THE BEST STRATEGY AND BEST CONTENT TO PUT ON THERE. OKAY. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU MA'AM. THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU SIR. MAYOR PRO TEM LUCK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING TONIGHT. DID THEY HAVE DID THE CONSULTANT, MAJID OR ANY OF THE FOCUS GROUPS HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CITY PRESS, WATER BILL INSERTS OR BILLBOARDS? SO WHAT'S INTERESTING. AND SO I KNOW WHEN I FIRST CAME ONTO THE JOB THAT I'M LIKE, YEAH, CITY PRESS 16 PAGES PRINTED. I MEAN, IS THAT A THING? IS IT GOING BY THE WAYSIDE? AND I WILL SAY, SO I PUT UP SOME OF THE, OUR, OUR SURVEY WAS REALLY LONG, BUT THE I ONLY PUT UP ABOUT THREE OF THOSE SLIDES. AND ONE OF THE SLIDES ASKED HOW PEOPLE GOT PREFERRED TO GET INFORMATION DIGITALLY PRINT AND DIGITAL OR JUST PRINT, AND YOU HAD 49% THAT WAS PREFERRED DIGITAL, BUT YOU HAD ANOTHER LIKE 40% THAT DID PRINT AND DIGITAL. SO WE DID HAVE PEOPLE IN THE FOCUS GROUP THAT I MEAN, THAT'S HOW THEY FOUND OUT ABOUT THINGS WAS CITY PRESS. AND SO, I MEAN, FROM BEING HERE, THAT WILL NEVER GO AWAY BECAUSE IT IS A KEY PIECE OF PEOPLE FINDING INFORMATION. WE MAY MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO, TO HOW IT'S PRESENTED OR HOW LONG IT IS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT BUT IT IS. WE KNOW IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE. WE ALSO HEARD FROM FOCUS GROUPS DON'T GET RID OF THE OTHER PRINT PIECES LIKE BILLBOARDS AND FLIERS AND JUST OPPORTUNITIES THAT WHEN I'M OUT, IT'S IN MY FACE IN CASE I'M AGAIN NOT GOING AND SEARCHING THINGS OUT OR SCROLLING THAT I'M JUST DRIVING ALONG, THAT PEOPLE LIKE THE ROAD SIGNS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE KNOW THAT IT'S REALLY IT'S GOT TO BE ALL OF IT. 
          WE KNOW THE MAJORITY ARE LOOKING ONLINE, BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T AND GET IT FROM THE OTHER PRINTING PLACES. IT'S LIKE THEY WERE IN MY HEAD. YEAH. NO, I, I DEFINITELY WOULD HATE TO SEE THE CITY PRESS GO. IT'S SOMETHING I THINK THAT PEOPLE LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING. 
          I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT CONTENT WISE, LIKE WHAT THEY SUGGESTED FOR THOSE, THOSE MEDIA TYPES, REALLY, THEY WERE THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD THAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR MOST, WHICH THERE'S TWO PARTS TO IT. THEY THEY WERE MOSTLY TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY FIND IN CITY PRESS IS FINDING 
          [01:55:03]
OUT ABOUT THINGS HAPPENING. AND SO IT'S THAT EITHER THINGS TO DO OR JUST BIG, I GUESS MAYBE INITIATIVES KICKING OFF. BUT I THINK THAT WHILE WE KNOW THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, IT'S ALSO AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET SOME OTHER INFORMATION IN THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE EYES ON. SO WHILE THEY MAY NOT ALWAYS BE LOOKING FOR ALL THE STORIES THAT WE PUT IN THERE, IF WE FEEL THEY'RE IMPORTANT ENOUGH AND WE WANT TO GET THE EYES ON THEM, WE'LL PUT THEM IN WITH THE THINGS WE KNOW THEY ARE LOOKING FOR. RIGHT. COOL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE, YOU'RE IN. YOU'RE OUT. SIR. ARE YOU IN? OH, THERE YOU GO. ALL RIGHT. YES. I LISTENED TO THE DIFFERENT COMMENTS. A LOT OF WHAT I WAS WANTING TO SAY WAS BEING SAID ALREADY. BUT, TIFFANY, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE MANNER BY WHICH YOU'VE COME BEFORE US THIS EVENING BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT PROBABLY SOCIAL MEDIA. AND DON'T GET ME WRONG, THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER MEDIA TYPES, BUT PROBABLY SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE MOST RECOGNIZED TODAY THAT PEOE ARE REALLY GETTING A LOT OF THEIR INFORMATION FROM. AND I THINK IT VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY BE ABLE TO REALLY BRAND ITSELF. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE MANNER BY WHICH YOU ARE TRYING TO BE PURPOSEFUL IN TAKING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT MEDIA TYPES AND BRINGING THEM FORWARD SUCH THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT OUT THERE. THERE ARE SYNCHRONIZATIONS ALSO. FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAN PUT SOMETHING TODAY ON THE INSTAGRAM AND IT'LL IMMEDIATELY APPEAR ON THE FACEBOOK. AND SO THOSE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS ALSO THAT WE CAN GO ABOUT GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT. I GUESS ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I'M HAVING AS WE DISCUSS THIS, HOWEVER, IS THAT EVEN AFTER YOU PUT IT OUT, I THINK FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, MOST OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT OUT IS GOING TO BE FACTUAL. IT CAN'T BE OPINIONATED, IT CAN'T BE BIASED, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. AND SO AS A RESULT OF THAT, IT KIND OF PUTS A GOOD, VERY GOOD IMPETUS ON US AS COUNCIL PEOPLE AND AS PARTNERS, AS YOU'VE ALREADY STATED, TO BE ABLE TO THEN GET THAT INFORMATION AND THEN BE ABLE TO SHARE IT AS IT RELATES TO OUR FOCUS GROUPS AND TO OUR CENTERS OF INFLUENCE AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. SO I THINK THAT THIS IS A VERY GOOD APPROACH THAT YOU IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU HAVE DONE A LOT OF THINKING AS IT RELATES TO HOW TO GO ABOUT BRINGING FORTH THIS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. SO WITH THAT, I JUST WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS AND HEY, CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT. IT IS GOING TO BE A LOT OF WORK, BUT IN THE END, I THINK THAT IT'S GOING TO BE VERY MEANINGFUL AS FAR AS WE ARE CONCERNED AS A CITY. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORD. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. COUNCIL, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ITEM I LOOK FORWARD TO. GOOD THINGS TO COME. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE A RECESS HERE. LET'S GET BACK AT 810 THERE WE GO. THERE'S ONE MORE. ALL RIGHT. WELCOME BACK TO THE WORK SESSION FOR THE GARLAND 
          [9. Update on MD Health Pathways Program]
CITY COUNCIL. OUR NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM NUMBER NINE, UPDATE ON MD HEALTH PATHWAYS PROGRAM. ALL RIGHT, MR. MAYOR. COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE MD PATHWAYS UPDATE THIS EVENING. IF COUNCIL RECALL, BACK IN MAY, THERE WAS AN ORIGINAL PRESENTATION THAT WAS DONE BY THE MD PATHWAYS GROUP TO DISCUSS THEIR PROGRAM. FAST FORWARD TWO MONTHS FROM THERE. THERE WAS A FOLLOW UP IN WHICH MYSELF AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM PRESENTED ABOUT THE ABILITY FOR THIS PROGRAM AND WHAT CHALLENGES WE POTENTIALLY SAW WITH THE PROGRAM. SINCE THEN, AS WE PROMISED TO COUNCIL, WE BROUG BACK MORE INFORMATION. WE'VE ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP OF OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO NEGOTIATE A POTENTIAL CONTRACT WITH THE M PATHWAYS GROUP. SO WITH THAT, I'LL GO THROUGH WHAT WE'VE SEEN AS FAR AS TERMS OF A CONTRACT AND LOOK FOR DIRECTION AND NEXT STEPS FROM THE COUNCIL. SO STARTING FROM THE BEGINNING, I REALIZED WHEN WE HAD THE ORIGINAL PRESENTATION FOR MD PATHWAYS JUST JUMPED INTO THE PRESENTATION. BUT AT THAT TIME WE HAD A NEWEW COUNCIL MEMBER AD COUNCIL MEMBER, THOMAS, AND DIDN'T REALLY EXPLAIN THE MD PATHWAYS. AND THAT WAS THAT WAS MY FAULT FOR NOT JUMPING IN THAT. AND WE HAD A SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATION TO GET YOU UPDATED ON THAT. BUT JUST AS A REMINDER THAT MD PATHWAYS IS A TELEHEALTH PROGRAM THAT IS ACCESSED BY ADDING A MONTHLY FEE TO UTILITY BILLS AND AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE SYSTEM IS THAT IT'S GOING TO BE AN OPT OUT STRUCTURE RELATED TO, TO THE SERVICE. SO THIS WILL BE BILLED TO THE EXCUSE ME, SORRY TO UTILITY BILLS, AND IT WILL BE AN OPT OUT PROGRAM. AND AGAIN THIS IS A MUNICIPAL PARTNERSHIP THAT'S BEEN PREVALENT ACROSS TEXAS. SORRY I'M LOSING MY VOICE AS WE'RE SPEAKING HERE I THINK. I KNOW 
          [02:00:07]
THAT. SO THIS IS A MUNICIPAL PARTNERSHIP. AND AS WE DISCUSSED AT OUR LAST MEETING, THERE ARE OTHER CITIES IN TEXAS THAT HAVE UTILIZED THIS PROGRAM. HENDERSON, FERRIS AND CRANDALL ARE OTHER GROUPS THAT HAVE UTILIZED THIS PROGRAM. WE DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AS STAFF TO TALK WITH THE STAFF AND THE CITY MANAGERS AT THESE CITIES, AND THEY'VE ALL EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE PROGRAM AND BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM IN THEIR CITIES. SORRY ABOUT THAT. ONE THING I DID WANT TO POINT OUT IN VISITING WITH THE WITH THE CITY MANAGERS, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO LET THE COUNCIL KNOW THAT THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, THEY DID STATE THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THAT HAD TO TAKE PLACE. AND THEN GOING BACK TO THE PROGRAM BEING AN OPT OUT PROGRAM, THAT THEY DID HAVE INDIVIDUALS ATTEND COUNCIL MEETINGS THAT WERE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE OPT IN PROGRAM, EXCUSE ME, OPT OUT PROGRAM. SO I DID WANT TO PREPARE COUNCIL FOR THAT, THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT INDIVIDUALS WOULD COME TO COUNCIL MEETINGS AND SPECIFICALLY SPOKE WITH THE CITY MANAGER OF HENDERSON, AND HE DID STATE THAT THEY DID HAVE INDIVIDUALS COME TO THEIR COUNCIL MEETINGS FOR SOME TIME TO DISCUSS THIS, BUT HE ALSO SAW THIS AS A POSITIVE AS THIS BROUGHT MORE LIGHT TO THE PROGRAM AS WELL, DUE TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WERE INVOLVED IN IN DISCUSSING IT. 
          AND THE BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM IS THAT IT'S A COMMUNITY HEALTH INITIATIVE THAT'S AIMED AT REDUCING THE NUMBER OF UNNEEDED ER VISITS THAT MAY BE OUT THERE, AS WELL AS REALLY GETTING OUR SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN AND OUR WORKFORCE BACK TO WORK. FOR THOSE THAT MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, JUST QUICKLY WANTED TO SHARE A FEW FEW NUMBERS. GARLAND HAS ABOUT A 25.8% RATE OF INDIVIDUALS THAT DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE, AND THAT WAS AS OF A 2023 CENSUS. AND THAT WAS A NUMBER THAT WENT UP SLIGHTLY FROM 22 2022 CENSUS DATA. THOSE THAT ARE UNDER 65 WITHIN OUR CITY ALSO SHOW THAT THERE'S 28.7% OF INDIVIDUALS THAT DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE. THAT IS ON PAR WITH DALLAS COUNTY, THAT WE SEE ABOUT A 24.15% OF THOSE UNDER 65 THAT DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE. AND ONE THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT, ACCORDING TO A STUDY FROM THE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION, THAT TEXAS HAS THE HIGHEST UNINSURED RATE IN THE UNITED STATES. AND THEY ALSO SEE ABOUT A 21.7% OF INDIVIDUALS BETWEEN 19 AND 64 THAT DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE. SO WE MOVE FORWARD, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH WITH DOCTOR DIRK AND BRIAN DAVIS RELATED TO THE PROGRAM THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO OFFER. THAT'S ALSO BEEN OFFERED IN THE OTHER CITIES. THROUGH THE HELP OF THE CITY'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WE WERE ABLE TO BEGIN NEGOTIATING A CONTRACT, AND I WANTED TO POINT OUT SOME KEY TERMS OF THE CONTRACT. IF COUNCIL DOES DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS. SO ONE THING THAT WE HAVE NEEDED TO WORK OUT INITIALLY WAS WHEN A POTENTIAL LAUNCH DATE WOULD BE FOR THIS PROGRAM. SO WHAT WE ARE SEEING, IT WOULD BE A SPRING OR A LATE SUMMER DEPLOYMENT IN 2026. AND AS A REMINDER TO THE COUNCIL, THIS WOULD BE A UPGRADE THAT'S NEEDED, OR A BILL LINE ITEM THAT NEEDS TO BE PUT ON OUR SOFTWARE SYSTEM FOR BILLING. AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE NEED TO UPGRADE OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE UTILITY SOFTWARE. AND THAT IS IN MOTION RIGHT NOW. AND SO OUR I.T. TEAM, AS WELL AS OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM IS DOING THAT. NOW. THERE IS A TIMELINE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT THAT WE ANTICIPATE THAT WILL BE LIVE BY THE BY THE END OF THE YEAR. SO THAT'S WHY THAT TIME FRAME GOES OUT TO SPRING AND POTENTIALLY SUMMER. AND IN TALKING WITH THE MD PATHWAYS TEAM AS WE PRESENTED LAST MEETING, THIS IS ALSO WITHIN THEIR TIME FRAME AS WELL AS IF WE DO PROCEED FORWARD THAT THIS GIVES THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAFF UP AND BE ABLE TO BUILD A PROGRAM FOR US. WE BUILT IN AN INITIAL SEVEN YEAR TERM WITH OPTIONAL RENEWALS TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM IF IT IS SUCCESSFUL. ONE THING WE DID BRING UP WAS THAT THERE WOULD BE NO TERMINATION FEES IN THE EVENT THAT WE NEEDED TO TERMINATE THE CONTRACT, AND SO INITIALLY, THERE WOULD BE A SIX MONTH TERM WHERE WE CIRCLE BACK UP IN THIS GROUP AGAIN AND WE TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING AS SUCCESS, WHAT WE MAY BE NEEDING TO IMPROVE UPON, AND WE CAN HAVE A DECISION POINT AT THAT TIME IF WE NEED TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM OR NOT. AND THEN ONCE WE GO LIVE PAST THAT, THERE IS AN ABILITY TO IN THE CONTRACT AGAIN AFTER 24 MONTHS. AGAIN, THIS IS AN OPT OUT BILLING SERVICE, AND INITIALLY FOR THE FIRST YEAR IT WILL BE $6 PER MONTH FOR EACH WATER BILL. AND SO JUST TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S ABOUT AN 8 TO 10% INCREASE ON EVERY RESIDENTIAL WATER BILL THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE CITY. AND THIS WILL BE A SCHEDULED INCREASE THROUGHOUT THE TERM OF THE SEVEN YEAR AGREEMENT, WITH THE LAST YEARS OF YEAR SEVEN 
          [02:05:05]
GOING UP TO $9. SO THE FIRST TWO YEARS WOULD BE AT THE $6 RATE. ONE THING THAT I WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THAT WE WORKED OUT WAS THAT WE WOULD ONLY PAY FOR FEES THAT WE COLLECT. SO MR. SLAY'S OVER THERE, AND HE CAN ATTEST TO INDIVIDUALS ACCOUNTS THAT WE HAVE THAT GO PAST DUE, AND WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO COLLECT ALL OF THE FEES ASSOCIATED WITH MD PATHWAYS AT ALL TIMES. SO WE WOULD ONLY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REMITTING THE ACTUALLY COLLECTED. AND ANOTHER BENEFIT THAT HAS BEEN OFFERED BY MD PATHWAYS IS PROVIDING THIS SERVICE TO ALL CITY OF GARLAND EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS RETIREES UNDER 65 AT AT NO CHARGE. THIS IS A BENEFIT THAT THE CITY HAS NOW THROUGH OUR HEALTH HEALTH COVERA THAT WE HAVE, BUT IT IS ADDITIONAL COVERAGE THAT CAN BE OFFERED TO INDIVIDUALS, AND THEY HAVE OFFERED TO START THIS. IF WE DO EXECUTE AGREEMENT BEFORE WE LAUNCH THE PROGRAM. WE DID ALSO TALK ABOUT STAFFING UP TO ENSURE THAT WE COULD HANDLE THE VOLUME OF CALLS THAT THAT COME IN. AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS ON THE NEXT SLIDE. AS IT RELATES TO THE STAFFING AND ONE OF THE OTHER KEY ITEMS WITHIN THE AGREEMENT IS THAT IF COUNCIL DOES MOVE FORWARD, MD PATHWAYS WOULD BE THE EXCLUSIVE PROVIDER OF TELEHEALTH SERVICES FOR THE CITY. SO I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FEES ASSOCIATED WITH WITH THE CONTRACT. AGAIN, IT'S THE $6 FEE FOR YEARS ONE AND TWO, AND IT ESCALATES UP TO YEAR SEVEN AT THE AT THE TOP RATE THERE. INITIALLY, WE ASKED FOR $308,000 IN FUNDING TO GET THIS OFF THE GROUND, AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHY. SO THE FIRST WAS 150,000 FOR SOFTWARE SUPPORT, 100,000 FOR A PROGRAM ESCROW ACCOUNT, 50,000 FOR LOCUM LOW INCOME ASSISTANCE, AND 8000 FOR BILLING INSERTS TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS PROGRAM. WHAT WE ENDED UP COMING DOWN TO IS 163,000 AS A FIRST YEAR COST, AND THIS WAS IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE MD PATHWAYS GROUP. SO THE FIRST ITEM IS THE ESCROW ACCOUNT OF $50,000. AND SO OF THE LIFE OF THE CONTRACT, MD PATHWAYS WOULD PUT $50,000 ASIDE THAT THE CITY WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO. IF WE GET INTO THIS PROGRAM, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY UPGRADE. WE NEED ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER. WE'D HAVE FUNDING THAT WE COULD GO AND PULL TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM FOR ANY UNWANTED NEED, UP TO THAT 50,000 PER YEAR THAT'S THERE. WE WOULD ALSO ENSURE THAT WE CONTINUE A MISSION OF SUPPORTING THOSE THAT MAY NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO PAY THEIR THEIR BILLS. AND SO MD PATHWAYS HAS AGREED TO PROVIDE A $25,000 DONATION ANNUALLY TO ASSIST WITH LOW INCOME ASSISTANCE ON OUR BILLS. WE ALSO DISCUSSED AND $80,000 SOFTWARE SUPPORT FOR THE CITY. AND SO WHERE THAT NUMBER IS COMING FROM, WE DO HAVE A QUOTE IN HAND FROM AWS, WHO IS OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE SOFTWARE PROVIDER FOR 70,000, TO ADD THE LINE ITEM TO OUR BILL FOR MD PATHWAYS. SO THAT IS A COST THAT WE DON'T HAVE BUDGETED NOW THAT WE WOULD NEED TO PAY FOR. IT'S AT 70,000. ALONG WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY FEES FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO GET THAT UPGRADE DONE TO OUR TO OUR BILL TO ADD THAT LINE ITEM, AS WELL AS UPGRADE OUR BILL PRINTING INFORMATION, AND SO THAT 80,000 WILL BE ABLE TO COVER US THERE. AND THEN GOING BACK TO THE 8000 FOR THE UTILITY BILL INSERTS FOR YEAR ONE TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON THE PROGRAM. SO YEAR ONE, BASED ON THE CONTRACT TERMS WE'VE DISCUSSED, IS 163,000. AND AGAIN, THE MD PATHWAYS FOLKS ARE AGREEABLE TO THIS. SO TO SHIFT OVER TO THE STAFFING RELATED TO THIS, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM. AND WHEN WE VISITED WITH COUNCIL AT THE LAST MEETING, HAD DANA MITCHELL, ONE OF OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE ADMINISTRATORS WITH ME, HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH NOT ONLY DANA, KEVIN SLAY, MANNY HARRELL AND CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM. ONE THING THAT WE WANTED TO POINT OUT AS STAFF THAT THIS IS A THIS IS A NEW PROGRAM FOR US. WHAT'S WHAT'S INTERESTING IS WHEN WE START SOMETHING NEW, WHETHER IT'S A MUNICIPAL COURT SOFTWARE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, OTHER COURTS OUR SIZE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A COURT SOFTWARE AND WE CAN PICK UP THE PHONE. WE CAN CALL THEM, ASK THEM WHAT THEY'VE SEEN, WHAT CHALLENGES THEY'VE HAD, WHAT'S THE GOOD, WHAT'S THE BAD? WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANOTHER CITY THAT'S OUR SIZE, THAT HAS GONE WITH THE PROGRAM SUCH AS THIS. 
          SO THERE MAY BE SOME VARIABLES THAT WE NEED TO ADJUST TO. THERE MAY BE SOME UNFORESEEN AREAS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS AS WE GET INTO THE PROGRAM. SO I KNOW THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. I POINT THAT OUT TO COUNCIL AS WE CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THIS, BUT WITHIN THE AGREEMENT, WE'VE HOPEFULLY TAKEN STEPS TO MITIGATE ANY KIND OF RISK THAT WE SEE AS RELATES TO 
          [02:10:03]
CUSTOMER SERVICE ISSUES. SO THE FIRST IS A UTILITY BILLING AGENT THAT WILL BE FUNDED BY MD PATHWAYS. AND THIS IS AA6 MONTH POSITION. AND THIS WILL BE AN INDIVIDUAL TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS FOR ANY TYPE OF BILLING QUESTIONS, HELPING US PROCESS THE OPT OUTS D THEN ALSO THE IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT AS IT RELATES TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE SOFTWARE. MAYOR PRO TEM LOGAN, THE LAST TIME WE VISITED, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT AN APP THAT COULD HELP US PULL PEOPLE IN AND OUT OF THE PROGRAM, AND THAT IS STILL SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD WORK TOWARDS AND ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY FOR, FOR FOLKS TO OPT OUT ONLINE. ONE THING I WANTED TO POINT OUT, WE'VE HAD ABOUT LAST YEAR, ABOUT 230,000 PHONE CALLS. WE STILL HAVE A POPULATION THAT WANTS TO CALL US. THEY THEY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE GETTING ONLINE OR THEY MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO GET ONLINE. AND WE STILL HAVE ABOUT 29,000 VISITS TO OUR LOBBY AS WELL. SO WE WILL STILL NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAN A PUBLIC SERVICE COUNTER. AND WE ANTICIPATE AN INCREASE OF PHONE CALLS RELATED TO THIS PROGRAM. BUT WE DO HAVE AN OPTION TO BE ABLE TO OPT OUT ONLINE. WE ALSO DISCUSSED A COMMUNITY LIAISON, AND THIS WAS IN THE PATHWAYS IDEA OF HAVING THIS INDIVIDUAL. THAHAT WOULD BE A99 MONTH ROLE. SO THEY WOULD COME ON THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE AGREED UPON LAUNCH DATE, AND THEY WOULD BE ON SIX MONTHS PAST LAUNCH DATE. SO THIS WOULD BE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WOULD GO TO SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, HOA MEETINGS, VARIOUS COMMUNITY EVENTS TO HELP GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THIS PROGRAM. LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THIS IS AN OPT OUT PROGRAM. LET THEM KNOW WHAT THE BENEFIT DOES PROVIDE FOR THEM. SO ESSENTIALLY ANOTHER VOICE FOR US IN THE IN THE COMMUNITY. ONE THING WE DID TALK ABOUT IS THAT GARLAND HAS A VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE VARIOUS LANGUAGE SPEAKERS, WHETHER IT BE VIETNAMESE, SPANISH, AMONGST OTHERS. SO WE WOULD NEED TO COORDINATE WITH THAT, THOSE TYPE OF RESOURCES AS WELL. FOR WHOEVER GOES OUT INTO OUR COMMUNITY. WE DID HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT PARTNERING WITH SOME OF OUR GROUPS THAT THAT HAVE SPANISH SPEAKERS, VIETNAMESE SPEAKERS. AS EXAMPLES, WE DISCUSSED GROUPS SUCH AS THE LULAC GROUPS, VIETNAMESE AMERICAN GROUPS THAT ARE HERE AS WELL TO ASSIST WITH THE LANGUAGE BARRIERS THAT MAY BE OUT THERE. AND THIS WOULD BE AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR THAT'S REPORTING DIRECTLY TO MD PATHWAYS, BUT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP COORDINATE THE WORK FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL. THE NEXT STAFFING ITEM WOULD BE THREE POSITIONS THAT WOULD BE BASED IN THE CALL CENTER FOR SIX MONTHS. SO THIS WOULD BE. AN AMENDMENT TO STAFF TO ALLOW FOR THE ABILITY TO HANDLE THE INFLUX OF CALLS THAT WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE FROM FROM THIS FROM THIS SERVICE, MD PATHWAYHAS AGREED TO FUND THESE POSITIONS DURING THE SIX MONTH PERIOD FROM LAUNCH TO BE ABLE TO HELP ASSIST WITH WITH PHONE CALLS. SO BEFORE I TURN IT, TURN IT OVER TO YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO MENTION TO THE COUNCIL THAT MD PATHWAYS IS ON WHAT'S CALLED THE TIPS PURCHASING COOPERATIVE. YOU MAY SEE ON OUR OUR BIDS THAT THAT GO OUT THAT THERE ARE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS THAT WE CAN PURCHASE OFF OF. THERE ARE OTHER VENDORS ON PURCHASING COOPERATIVES THAT MAY BE AN OPTION IF THE COUNCIL WANTS US TO LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS, SUCH AS BIDDING, BIDDING THIS OUT. WE DO HAVE HEALTH BROKERS WITHIN THE CITY THAT HELPS OUR HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM PURCHASE OUR COVERAGE. FOR CITY STAFF AT THIS TIME. THAT MAY BE A RESOURCE, BUT THAT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT AS THEY ARE ON A PURCHASING COOPERATIVE NOW. IT'S JUST AN OPTION THAT'S THERE FOR THE COUNCIL. AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDES, THAT THIS IS AGAIN SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED AS A AS A STAFF. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT A CITY OUR SIZE IS NOT NECESSARILY EXPERIENCED. SO WE DO ANTICIPATE SOME SOME HICCUPS ALONG THE WAY. BUT IT'S NOT THINGS THAT WE CAN'T OVERCOME. WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WOULD BE A POTENTIAL OF FOLKS COMING TO COUNCIL MEETINGS AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PHONE CALLS COMING IN TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER. BUT AGAIN, THOSE IN TALKING WITH THE CITY MANAGERS OF THE OTHER CITIES, THOSE ARE KIND OF AN INITIAL WAVE THAT COME IN. AND THEN THEY, THEY DO START TO GO DOWN. BUT WITH THAT, MR. MAYOR, THAT'S THE INFORMATION I HAVE AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SIR. WE HAVE QUESTIONS ARE COMING IN HERE. WE'LL GO FIRST TO COUNCIL MEMBER BASS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTION. A LOT OF INFORMATION THERE. AND SO JUST THIS IS MAINLY FOR OUR VIEWING PUBLIC BECAUSE I NOTICED THE AGE 65 WAS MENTIONED A COUPLE TIMES IN THERE. SO I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM FOR CITIZENSS THERE'S NO AGE RESTRICTIONS. CORRECT. THERE'S NO AGE RESTRICTION FOR CITIZENS. YEAH. LIKE I SAID, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION AND I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO JUST REMEMBER THAT THEY SAW THE NUMBER 65 A FEW TIMES AND THINK THAT THAT HAD A RESTRICTION ON IT. OKAY. AND THEN A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE, YOU MENTIONED THAT. SO WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR WE'RE ONLY GOING TO PAY FOR FEES WE'VE COLLECTED. RIGHT. SO 
          [02:15:05]
HYPOTHETICALLY SOMEBODY MISSES A COUPLE OF THEY OWE THE CITY MONEY FOR THE UTILITY BILL. 
          THEY'RE THREE MONTHS BEHIND. WELL SO MY QUESTION IS THIS HOW DID THOSE FEES, THOSE $6 FEES ACCUMULATE? BECAUSE WHEN THEY GET THEIR BILL, IT'S GOING TO HAVE $6 ON THERE FOR HEALTH PATHWAYS. BUT THREE MONTHS LATER WHEN THEY STILL HAVEN'T PAID THEIR BILL, WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT, THAT $6 THAT'S ACCUMULATING BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PASSING THAT ON BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T COLLECTED IT. SO THEN WHERE DOES THAT MONEY WHERE DOES THAT MONEY GO? SURE. SO YOUR QUESTION IS RELATED TO THE $6 THAT HAS NOT BEEN COLLECTED. AND THEY COME IN AND MAKE A PAYMENT. 
          CORRECT. ONCE THEY GET CAUGHT UP ON THEIR BILL. SO ONCE THEY GET CAUGHT UP ON THEIR BILL AND I GUESS I CAN GIVE YOU A SCENARIO. KEVIN AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS SCENARIO. SAY SOMEONE OWES $200 THAT'S PAST DUE, AND THOSE THREE MONTHS WORTH OF $6 FEES ARE IN THERE. IF WE GET $100 PAYMENT, WHICH MOST TIMES WE DO GET A PARTIAL PAYMENT, NOT A FULL PAYMENT TO CATCH SOMEBODY UP, WE ARE GOING TO PAY OUR UTILITIES FIRST. THAT THAT FEE WILL BE PAID NEXT IN THERE. NOW THAT WILL BE COMMUNICATED TO THE MD PATHWAYS IN A MONTHLY REPORT OF WHO HAS PAID AND WHO HAS NOT. 
          SO WHO'S CURRENT, WHO'S NOT. AND SO IS THAT AS LONG AS THAT ACCOUNT IS OPEN, WE'LL BE ABLE TO REFLECT IF THAT FEES BEEN PAID OR NOT. AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT AFTER THREE MONTHS OF NONPAYMENT, THEY WILL NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE SERVICE. OKAY. SO THEY COULD THAT ACTUALLY LEADS TO MY NEXT QUESTION ABOUT. OKAY. SO WE REPORT EACH MONTH WHO'S PAID AND WHO HASN'T PAID. AND THEN WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS WHEN SOMEONE HAS NOT PAID IN FOR THREE MONTHS, THEN THEY'RE DROPPED. SO THEY STILL HAVE COVERAGE. IF THEY'RE TWO MONTHS BEHIND ON THEIR UTILITY BILL. AND WE HAVEN'T PASSED ON THAT $12, THAT TWO MONTHS OF $6, WE HAVEN'T PASSED THAT ON TO THEM, THEN THE CITIZEN IS STILL COVERED THOUGH FOR THREE MONTHS. RIGHT? OKAY. 
          SO THEY'RE NOT LOSING ANYTHING OUT BY GETTING THEIR UTILITY BILL CAUGHT UP AND PAYING THAT PAST BILL. OKAY. PERFECT. AND THEN CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE SLIDE WHERE YOU TALKED ABOUT LOW INCOME ASSISTANCE, PLEASE? YES, SIR. OKAY. SO WE'VE GOT REDUCED LOW INCOME ASSISTANCE FUND TO 25,000 A YEAR OKAY. SO HOW HOW IS THAT MANAGED? CAN YOU TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT THAT? I DON'T RECALL US DISCUSSING THAT. HOW IS IT MANAGED? WHO'S MAINTAINING IT? WHO DETERMINES UPFRONT WHO'S ELIGIBLE FOR IT? WHAT KIND OF ELIGIBLE ELIGIBILITY ARE THEY LIKE? ARE WE COVERING THE WHOLE THING? ARE WE COVERING 350 PEOPLE FOR A YEAR OR HOW DOES THAT PART WORK? IT'S AN APPLICATION PROCESS THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM PARTNERS WITH WITH SEVERAL NON-PROFITS AND I SAY SEVERAL. I BELIEVE IT'S THREE. I KNOW THE SALVATION ARMY HAS BEEN ONE IN THE PAST. SAINT LUKE'S IS ANOTHER ONE. SO THEY ARE GROUPS THAT ADMINISTER THIS PROGRAM FOR US. AND SO THEY THEY HAVE AN APPLICATION PROCESS. THERE IS A DETERMINATION OF NEED AS IT RELATES TO THE APPLICATION PROCESS. AND SO IT MAY BE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT HAS SEVERAL MONTHS BEHIND, ONE MONTH BEHIND. 
          IT DEPENDS ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT COME IN OKAY. SO BASICALLY WE TAKE THE 25,000, WE GIVE IT TO A THIRD PARTY AND THEY MANAGE IT. CORRECT. AND THEY HAVE TO REPORT THAT INFORMATION. THEY WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM ON THAT. OKAY. PERFECT. AWESOME. NO MORE QUESTIONS. 
          REALLY APPRECIATE IT. EXCITED TO SEE THIS. GO GET GET MOVING FORWARD AND EXCITED TO JUST REALLY REALLY BE THE, YOU KNOW, THE BIG TEST MARKET FOR THIS. AND THEN LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THIS THING GROW OVER THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, DECADE OR SO TO BECOME STATEWIDE AND, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY NATIONWIDE. AND JUST HAVE YOU GUYS SEE YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT OF SUCCESS. HAPPY TO BE A PART OF IT. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. FEEL A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FIRST. HAVE WE DISCUSSED THE PLAN THE PROGRAM WITH. ARE THERE OTHER CITIES, MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE PROGRAM FOR FIVE OR MORE YEARS THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN FEEDBACK FROM? NO, S. NOT FOR MORE THAN THAN FE YEARS. THE CITIES THAT WE'VE SPOKEN TO IN TEXAS ARE LESS THAN THREE YEARS. OKAY. YOU MADE A STATEMENT THAT REDUCED THE NEED FOR ER VISITS. 
          ELABORATE, PLEASE. SURE. SO THIS IS BASED OFF INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN TOLD TO ME FROM FROM MD PATHWAYS. IF I'M AN INDIVIDUAL THAT DOES NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE, TYPICALLY I WOULD NOT GO TO A DOCTOR'S OFFICE AS THEY WOULD REQUIRE PAYMENT UP FRONT FOR ME TO GO INTO TO THE DOCTOR. 
          AND SO INDIVIDUALS GO TO THE ER BECAUSE ANYONE HAS TO BE TREATED AT THE ER, AND THAT'S WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE SEEKING CARE. SO IF THERE'S AN OPTION OUTSIDE OF THE ER WHERE THEY CAN TEXT PHONE IN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO KEEP FOLKS OUT OF THE ER THROUGH THAT METHOD. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF GROUPS IN THE CITY AS WE'VE ALREADY STATED, AS IT RELATES TO 
          [02:20:06]
DIVERSITY OF GROUPS, OUR VIETNAMESE GROUP, OUR HISPANIC GROUPS, HAVE WE MET WITH ANY OF THOSE ENTITIES TO DISCUSS A PROGRAM SUCH AS THIS AND WHAT THE WHAT THEY THINK THE ENROLLMENT MIGHT BE FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES? NO, SIR. WE HAVE NOT SPOKEN WITH THOSE GROUPS AT THIS POINT. WE WANTED TO BRING A POTENTIAL CONTRACT TO COUNCIL BEFORE WE BEGIN THOSE TYPE OF DISCUSSIONS. BUT THAT'S WHERE THAT COMMUNITY LIAISON POSITION WOULD COME IN. I'VE ALREADY HAD THE DISCUSSION WITH WITH MR. BRIAN DAVIS WITH MD PATHWAYS. AGAIN, WE'VE GOT THE GROUPS LIKE THE NAACP THAT DEFINITELY THE CHURCHES THAT WE WOULD SEND THEM INTO IMMEDIATELY IF WE WERE TO INITIATE THIS PROGRAM TO GET THE WORD OUT. PRESIDENT, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A OPT OUT PROGRAM. 
          WHAT WOULD A OPT IN PROGRAM LOOK LIKE? THAT'S A DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD WITH WITH MD PATHWAYS, AND THAT IS NOT A MODEL THAT THEY'VE UTILIZED IN THE PAST. IT'S BEEN TYPICALLY AN OPT OUT. 
          THAT'S A QUESTION WE HAVE ASKED THAT WOULD IN MY EYES WOULD WOULD REQUIRE A VERY INTENSE UPFRONT PROGRAM TO GET PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR THE PROGRAM FOR IT TO BE SUCCESSFUL. CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE SLIDE WHERE YOU WERE SHOWING THE COST? THIS THIS ONE HERE, SIR, I BELIEVE, YES. 
          THAT'S IT. WHEN WE BEGIN TO TALK COST AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING THE COST OF THE SOFTWARE. WE'RE TALKING THE COST OF STAFF, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW PUTTING A BILL ON OUR WATER BILLS. 
          CORRECT? YES, SIR. WHAT WHAT WOULD YOU ESTIMATE THE TOTAL COST TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM? THE TOTAL COST? I DON'T HAVE A TOTAL END COST WITH ME RIGHT NOW. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU OUR COST THAT WE HAVE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FOR THE THREE STAFF MEMBERS THAT ARE WITHIN THE CALL CENTER, THEY WOULD BE HOURLY EMPLOYEES. THEY WOULD BE IN THE BALLPARK OF 12 TO $14 AN HOUR. 
          THE COMMUNITY LIAISON THAT WOULD BE A DIRECT CONTRACTOR FOR MD PATHWAYS. I DON'T HAVE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, BUT I CAN WORK ON GETTING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. BUT I DO HAVE THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH OUR TECHNOLOGY NEEDS. I'M ASKING THESE QUESTIONS BECAUSE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, I HAVE NOT REALLY BOUGHT INTO IT. AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, I'M WILLING. 
          STILL, WE'RE TALKING A SIX MONTH TRIAL PERIOD, AND THAT'S GOING TO GIVE US THE INFORMATION. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE ARE OTHER CITIES OUT THERE WHO HAVE ALREADY WHO HAVE NOT. THERE ARE NO CITIES OUT THERE THAT WE CAN TRULY COMPARE THE PLAN TO THE PROGRAM TO. AND SO I'M IN A POSITION AT THIS POINT THAT I'M HEARING WHAT I THINK IS MOST OF COUNCIL PRETTY MUCH IN FAVOR OF AND GOING FORWARD WITH THIS. AND I WOULD CERTAINLY LOOKING AT A SIX MONTH, I WOULD CERTAINLY BE WILLING TO GO FORWARD WITH IT ALSO. AND SO I'M JUST KIND OF IN A SITUATION RIGHT NOW WHERE I SEE A LOT OF WORK GETTING READY TO TAKE PLACE, EXPENSES BEING READY TO BE SPENT. AND I'M JUST NOT CONVINCED THAT AT THIS POINT THAT THIS IS THE ROUTE TO TAKE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO INSURE UNINSURED. I I'M NOT GETTING IT YET, BUT I AM WILLING I AM WILLING TO TAKE A LOOK AT SIX MONTHS, EVEN A YEAR IF IT TAKES THAT. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. MAYOR PRO TEM LUCK. IS THERE AN OPTION FOR PAPERLESS BILLING FOR UTILITIES? YES, MA'AM. SO IF BILL INSERTS ARE ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'RE GOING TO ADVERTISE THIS TO PEOPLE, WHAT IS THE I MEAN, DOES THAT TURN INTO AN EMAIL? I'M ASSUMING IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING WHEN AN EMAIL GOES OUT THAT THE FLIERS OR THE INSERTS ALSO GO WITH THAT BILL AS WELL IN A DIGITAL FORMAT? I'M, I'M THINKING THAT THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST WAY TO CORRESPOND WITH PEOPLE REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. I THINK IT SHOULD BE A SEPARATE EMAIL, TOTALLY SEPARATE FROM THE BILL EVEN. AND LIKE JUST, HEY, YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULD OPT OUT OF IF YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED IN, IN GOING FORWARD. SO THAT'S JUST THAT'S ONE THING. AND SO WE DID TALK TALK ABOUT THE OPT OUT PROCESS. I'M GLAD THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE AN ONLINE WAY TO DO THAT. THAT'S VERY CONVENIENT FOR THOSE OF US THAT LIKE TO PLAY ON OUR PHONES. SO WILL YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE OPT OUT PROCESS? HOW MANY IF SOMEONE JUST NOTICES ON THEIR BILL THAT THEY'VE BEEN 
          [02:25:03]
PAYING FOR THIS AND THEY DIDN'T WANT IT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? JUST GO THROUGH LIKE THE WAYS PEOPLE CAN OPT OUT AND THEN WHAT? THE TIME PERIODS IN WHICH THEY CAN OPT OUT.. YEAH. SO THE TWO AVENUES TO WELL REALLY THERE WOULD BE THREE AVENUES TO OPT OUT. OF COURSE, IN PERSON WE DO HAVE OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE HELP CENTER AT THE DUCKWORTH BUILDING. THAT'S AN OPTION. 
          WE'RE WORKING ON A POTENTIAL OPT OUT SOLUTION ON OUR MY METER APP, RELATED TO UTILITY BILLS. 
          THAT WOULD BE ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL. AND THEN ALSO THE ABILITY TO CALL IN WOULD BE AN OPTION. 
          AND OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO HAVE A THREE MONTH OPT IN OPT OUT PERIOD. EXCUSE ME. SO IF AN INDIVIDUAL DOES NOT BECOME AWARE OF THIS UNTIL TWO MONTHS IN, THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CANCEL THAT THAT PROGRAM FOR THEM. SO IF THEY REACH THAT THREE MONTH PERIOD AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THREE MONTHS AFTER THAT, THEY REALIZE THEY'VE BEEN PAYING FOR THIS, WHAT, IS THERE A REFUND OR ANYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH THE AFTER THREE MONTHS, THERE WOULD BE NO REFUND THAT WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH IT. UNDER THE CURRENT TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT, THEY WOULD JUST BE PULLED OUT OF THE PROGRAM AND NO LONGER BILLED GOING FORWARD. OKAY. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT FEE PER HOUSEHOLD WILL GO UP AFTER THE INITIAL ONE AND TWO YEAR PERIODS? YES, MA'AM. FOR YEARS ONE AND TWO IS $6. YEARS THREE AND FOUR GOES UP TO $7, AND THEN IT GOES TO $8 FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS. AND THEN IT WILL GO TO THE $9 FOR THE LAST YEAR. OKAY. AND THEN THAT'S THE END OF OUR SEVEN YEAR, IF YOU KNOW. YES, MA'AM WOULD REQUIRE RENEGOTIATING THE AGREEMENT FOR AN ADDITIONAL FEE AND AN EXTENSISION. OKAY. WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS AND EVERYTHING, DON'T FORGET ABOUT UNIDOS AND THE GARLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. THEY HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES TOO. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. COUNCILMEMBER WILLIAMS. OH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          I WON'T REPEAT WHAT HAS BEEN STATED ALREADY. I'M GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM. 
          WHERE DID YOU SAY THE CHART THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT NOW? DID YOU SAY THAT THE SOURCE OF FUNDING HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED YET? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ABOUT THAT? THIS WOULD BE FUNDS THAT WOULD COME FROM MD PATHWAYS. AND SO WITHIN THE CURRENT AGREEMENT, WHATEVER WE COLLECT AS IT RELATES TO MD PATHWAYS, WE WOULD CREDIT, I WOULD SAY CREDIT, WE WOULD WE WOULD MAINTAIN $163,000 OUT OF WHAT WE COLLECT TO ENSURE WE CAN PAY FOR THESE ITEMS. SO UPFRONT WE WOULD HAVE TO FUND THEM, BUT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO REIMBURSE OURSELVES BASED ON THE FEES THAT ARE COLLECTED. SO OUR FRONT EXPENSES, WE WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT FIRST, RIGHT CORRECT. YES, SIR. AND THEN WE WOULD WE WOULD DEFER TO THEM TO GET REIMBURSEMENT. RIGHT? YES, SIR. SO WE WILL BE COLLECTING THE FEES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM. AND SO WE WILL DEDUCT THE 163,000 OUT OF THE CHECK WE REMIT TO THEM TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN PAY OURSELVES BACK PER SE. THAT'S THAT'S INCLUDING THE CITY'S REVISED PROPOSAL. YES, SIR. SO HOW LONG? WOULD YOU. ESTIMATE WILL THAT WILL BE, WILL BE, LET'S SAY AT BREAK EVEN POINT IN RECOUPING THOSE UPFRONT COSTS. MONTH ONE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO O RECOUP THESE COSTS BAK TO BACK TO THE CITY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THE SECOND THING YOU SAID, YOU SAID POSSIBILITY OF GOING OUT WITHIN OUR YOU CALLED IT SOMETHING ELSE. YOU SAID WE COULD UTILIZE PURCHASING COOPERATIVE AND WE COULD LOOK AT OTHER VENDORS, OR WE COULD DO AN RFP IF THAT WAS THE CHOICE OF THE COUNCIL. HOW ARE THE PARTICIPATING CITIES THAT THEY HAVE CONTRACT WITH SO FAR? HOW WHAT INSTRUMENT ARE THEY USING? THE THREE CITIES THAT WE'VE WE'VE SPOKEN WITH, THEY HAVE CONTRACTED DIRECTLY WITH, WITH MD PATHWAYS THROUGH THEIR CONTRACT. THEY THEY DID NOT SOLICIT BIDS FOR THEIR PROGRAMS. AND HAVE THEY HAD ANY WHAT'S BEEN THEIR EXPERIENCE. SO AGAIN, IT'S A VERY YOUNG PROGRAM. IT'S STILL IN ITS INFANCY. IS COUNCILMEMBER MOORE'S QUESTION. THE GROUPS THAT WE'VE TALKED TO HAVE HAD LESS THAN THREE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE PROGRAM. AGAIN, INITIALLY, THEY HAD A WAVE OF INDIVIDUALS COME IN TO 
          [02:30:03]
TALK TO THE COUNCIL ABOUT THE PROGRAM, WHETHER THEY WERE FOR OR AGAINST IT. BUT AS THE PROGRAM HAS MOVED FORWARD, WE DID HAVE MR. WILLIAMS, ANOTHER CITY MANAGER, COME IN AND HE TALKED ABOUT THE SUCCESS THAT HE SAW WITHIN WITHIN HIS CITY AS FAR AS THE PROGRAM. SO I THINK IT'S STILL BEING VETTED AS A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM. BUT THE CITIES THAT HAVE HAD IT, THEY THEY HAVEN'T MENTIONED WANTING TO DISCONTINUE IT OR ANYTHING TO THAT EFFECT. IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'VE THEY'VE HAD SOME, SOME PROBLEMS WITH IT, DO YOU THINK THAT GARLAND THE CITY THINK THAT HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT GETTING PUBLIC INPUT, IF YOU WILL, ON THE FOLKS THAT IN OR OUT OR WHAT? HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT THIS PROGRAM? HOW WOULD YOU HOW WOULD YOU HOW DO YOU SEE THAT SHAPING UP? SURE. I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD RELY HEAVILY ON THE COMMUNITY LIAISON THAT MD PATHWAYS WOULD FUND FOR US TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE GETTING THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S THE COMMUNITY GROUPS, THE CHURCHES. THEY'VE ALSO MENTIONED MAKING A HEAVY OUTREACH INTO THE SCHOOLS AS WELL. AND SO THAT FIRST SIX MONTH PROGRAM, FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, AND THAT WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN AND SAY, THIS IS WORKING WELL. THE COMMUNITY IS RECEIVING IT, AND OR IT MAY BE GOING THE OTHER WAY, AND THAT WILL BE A DECISION THAT COUNCIL CAN HAVE AT THAT POINT. SO YOU SEE, IF THE COUNCIL SO WISHES GOING AHEAD AND LETTING THIS PROGRAM HOOKING UP WITH THIS PROGRAM SO TO SPEAK, AND RELYING ON COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, IF THERE ARE SOME HICCUPS. RIGHT. I'M SORRY SIR, I DON'T THINK I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION. YOU'RE SO YOU'RE GOOD WITH IF THE COUNCIL SO DIRECTS OF GOING WITH THE PROGRAM AS OF THE CITY'S. YOU SAY THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE. AND ALONG THE WAY AS THEY. MAKE PRESENTATIONS OR DEAL WITH OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS OR CHURCHES, USE THAT VENUE AS A SOURCE TO GET FEEDBACK FOR ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, RIGHT? YES, SIR. SO GOING BACK TO THE INITIAL SIX MONTHS, I FEEL THAT THAT'S GOING ABLE TO CONTINUE TO VET OUT THE PROGRAM IF THE COUNCIL WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT. SO WE'RE WE'RE AT NOW, IF WE WERE TO ASK MD PATHWAYS, GO VET THE PROGRAM WITHOUT AN AGREEMENT, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT. THEY WANT TO HAVE SOME KIND OF ASSURANCE. THEY WANT TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF SAFEGUARD THAT WE HAVE A CONTRACT IN PLALACE. ANDO FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GO DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE AND ALSO US TO WALK ALONGSIDE IT DURING THAT THAT TIME PERIOD, WE WOULD WE WOULD NEED TO ENTER INTO THAT AGREEMENT AND HAVE THAT SIX MONTH ABILITY TO PULL OUT IF WE NEED. SO HOW MUCH TIME WOULD YOU THINK? THIS COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE GROUP WOULD, WOULD, WOULD WANT OR NEED TO SETTLE IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER? HOW MUCH TIME? SURE. SO I WOULD I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER TO THEM ON THAT THAT QUESTION. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE THAT HAVE OPTIMIZED THE PROGRAM AND BUILT THE PROGRAM IN THE OTHER CITIES. WE ARE A LARGER CITY THAN THAN OTHER CITIES THAT THEY HAVE IMPLEMENTED IN. SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE PEOPLE TO TALK TO, A LOT MORE INDIVIDUAL GROUPS TO, TO, TO CONNECT WITH. SO THEY WOULD BE UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY HAVE SIX MONTHS TO TRY AND MAKE THIS PROGRAM WORK. AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE CONSTRAINTS THEY'D BE UNDER. AND IF AND IF AND IF. SIX MONTHS GO BY AND IT'S NOT WHATEVER THE FEEDBACK IS, IT'S NOT WORKING THE WAY THEY, THEY ENVISIONED OR IT'S WORKING IN OTHER CITIES, THEN WHAT. AND THE CONTRACT CAN BE CANCELED AND WE BOTH GO OUR OWN WAYS. AND THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE CONTRACT LANGUAGE, CORRECT? YES, SIR. THAT IS AT SIX MONTHS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANTT FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW. SO AFTER SIX MONTHS, WE WOULD DO THE VETTING, THE EVALUATION, AND IF IT WOULD COME BACK TO, TO YOU GET FEEDBACK FROM. RIGHT. CORRECT. YES, SIR. WE WOULD BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATION ABOUT THE INPUT INTO THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE OUR TECHNOLOGY UPGRADE THAT WE NEED TO DO IN CUSTOMER SERVICE. THAT WILL BE ANOTHER ROUND OF UPDATES THAT WOULD COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL AND DECISION POINT REALLY FOR THE COUNCIL IF WE'RE PROCEEDING OR NOT. AND YOU WOULD BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL AND ASK FOR GUIDANCE, DECISION UP OR DOWN ON THE CONTINUATION OF THE CONTRACT, RIGHT? CORRECT. YES, SIR. YOU WOULD DO THAT? YES, SIR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU 
          [02:35:03]
MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. YES, I'D JUST LIKE TO YOU MADE A STATEMENT A MINUTE AGO THAT YOU THOUGHT THE WHEN THE EMAIL COMES OUT WITH THE BILL, THAT THE ATTACHMENTS GO WITH IT. AND AS A GUY WHO HAS OPTED OUT OF PAPER MORE THAN A DECADE AGO, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE IS NO ATTACHMENT THAT COMES WITH THE BILL ANYMORE. THERE ARE HYPERLINKS, SO THERE'S A HYPERLINK HERE TO REGISTER TO GO TO THE PORTAL. THERE'S A HYPERLINK HERE TO MAKE YOUR PAYMENT. THERE'S A LINK HERE TO SEE THE INSERTS, BUT THERE'S NO ACTUAL DOCUMENT ATTACHED TO THE BILL. SO WHAT I'M THINKING IN THIS IN THIS EMAIL IS, IS KIND OF AN IT GUY IS THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING ON THE EMAIL THAT SAYS, HEY, NEW FEE HERE. YOU KNOW, BEGINS THIS DATE AND SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHERE YOU PUT IT RIGHT IN THE EMAIL BECAUSE I PROBABLY HAVEN'T CLICKED ON THAT ATTACHMENT, YOU KNOW, TO GO SEE THE INSERTS. NOT IN THE LAST DECADE. I JUST DON'T GO LOOK. AND SO I'M THINKING THAT IS ANOTHER WAY TO GET THAT OUT. FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE OPTED OUT OF PAPER LIKE MYSELF, IS THAT THAT'S BECAUSE THIS IS THE ONLY THING I SEE. I SEE THE AMOUNT OF MY BILL. I GO TO MY ONLINE BANKING AND PAY IT THERE. AND SO ANOTHER WAY TO KIND OF GET THAT WORD OUT IS RIGHT IN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE OPTED OUT. SO I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT POINT FROM YOUR QUESTION THERE. MAYOR PRO TEM, THANKS FOR ASKING THAT. 
          COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS. WE CAN DEFINITELY TAKE THAT AS AN ACTION STEP. IF THE COUNCIL CHOOSES TO, TO MOVE FORWARD. AND THAT IS A CONCERN THAT WE HAVE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM. WE'VE GOT ABOUT 30% OF OUR CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ON E-BILL AND ALSO BANK DRAFT. AND SO I'LL TELL YOU, I'M GUILTY OF IT MYSELF. I MAY NOT GO LOOK AT MY WATER BILL ALL THE TIME. IT JUST COMES OUT OF THE BANK AND I MAY NOT LOOK AT WHAT COMES COMES OUT OF IT. SO THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE SOME ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH OR SOME KIND OF CORRESPONDENCE. OKAY, WELL, I JUST I JUST GOT MY BILL ON TUESDAY AND SO I'M, I'M FAMILIAR AND JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IT SAYS RIGHT ON THERE YOUR PDF IS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE BILL. SO MAYBE WE PROBABLY WE CAN REPLACE THAT SENTENCE WITH, OH, BY THE WAY, THERE'S A NEW FEE COMING. 
          HERE'S EFFECTIVE DATE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WE CAN WORK WITH OUR VENDOR TO ELECTRONIC ONLY. SO ANYWAY VERY GOOD. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER BEARD. FIRST OF ALL I LOVE THIS PROGRAM. MY DAUGHTER LIVES IN CRANDALL. SO WHEN I FOUND OUT THEY WERE IN CRANDALL, I STARTED ASKING SOME QUESTIONS. SHE SAID THAT THEY GOT NOTIFICATION MONTHS IN ADVANCE THAT THIS PROGRAM WAS COMING. SHE OPTED OUT BEFORE IT EVER STARTED BECAUSE SHE ALREADY HAS A FREE TELEHEALTH WITH HER INSURANCE. BUT SEVERAL OF HER FRIENDS THAT LIVE NEARBY DO USE THIS PROGRAM. THEY'VE BEEN VERY THANKFUL FOR IT. CRANDALL HAS A VERY LIMITED EMERGENCY SERVICE, EMS SERVICE, ETC. SO IT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL FOR HER COMMUNITY. SHE SAID THE PROCESS TO OPT OUT WAS VERY SIMPLE, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I ASKED HER. I SAID, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT'S BEEN COMING UP. SO. AND CRANDALL PAYS A HIGHER MONTHLY RATE THAN GARLAND WILL. SO AGAIN, I'M VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM. I DID ASK QUESTIONS OF PEOEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY USE THIS PROGRAM. 
          THE ONES WHO USE IT HAVE LIKED IT. THE ONES WHO'VE OPTED OUT OF IT SAID IT WAS VERY EASY TO OPT OUT OF, AND THEY SAID THEY GOT PLENTY OF NOTICE. SHE SAID SHE GOT NOTICE THREE DIFFERENT WAYS. 
          SHE GOT IT THROUGH HER UTILITY BILL. SHE GOT IT THROUGH A CITY EMAIL, I THINK, AND THEN SHE GOT IT THROUGH HER HOA EMAIL. SO SHE RECEIVED THE NOTICE THREE DIFFERENT WAYS. SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, IT IT WAS NOT HARD TO SEE THAT INFORMATION AND KNOW THIS WAS COMING. SO I THINK MD PATHWAYS HAS DONE A VERY GOOD JOB IN OTHER MARKETS. ON LETTING PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S COMING. AND AGAIN, THE PEOPLE I'VE TALKED TO IN CRANDALL THAT USE IT, LOVE IT. THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE OPTED OUT IN CRANDALL SAID IT WAS NO BIG DEAL. IT WAS NOT HARD AT ALL TO OPT OUT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO TEM LUCK. SORRY TO JUMP BACK IN WITH THE OPT OUT OPTION. IS THAT A FOREVER OPT OUT OR DO THEY HAVE TO DO IT CONTINUOUSLY? WOULD BE FOREVER OPT OUT UNLESS THEY WERE TO CHANGE ADDRESSES. OKAY, SO IT WOULD ALWAYS BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE WITH THE ADDRESS. SO IF AN INDIVIDUAL MOVES AND THEY OPEN A NEW ACCOUNT UNDER THAT THAT ADDRESS THEY HAVE TO OPT OUT AGAIN. OKAY. AND THEN IS THERE. SO COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS MENTIONED LIKE I GUESS TRYING TO FIND OUT HOW WELL IT'S TAKEN OUT LIKE BEFORE THE SIX MONTH BEFORE OUR OPT OUT. IS THERE A WAY TO KIND 
          [02:40:06]
OF LOOK AT ATTENDANCE RATES? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE CITY THAT CAME AND VISITED US, THEY SAID THAT THEIR ATTENDANCE RATES WENT, WENT UP LIKE 30% AFTER THIS PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED. I THINK THAT WAS A REALLY HUGE NUMBER. AND IF WE CAN KIND OF QUANTIFY THAT WITH OUR ATTENDANCE RATES, THAT WOULD I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY GOOD INFORMATION FOR US TO HAVE. SO JUST A HEADS UP ON THAT ONE, I'LL PROBABLY ASK. YES, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT THAT, ESPECIALLY AS WE CONNECT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. ONE THING I HAVE SPOKE TO, TO MR. BRIAN DAVIS WITH THE PATHWAYS IS AS WE GET DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, THAT WE START WITH SOME TYPE OF PILOT PROGRAM. SO MAYBE IT'S INITIALLY A LARGE CHURCH, A SPECIFIC SCHOOL OR SCHOOLS, SOME KIND OF COMMUNITY GROUP THAT WE AT LEAST GET OUR FEET WET WITH THE PROGRAM, BRING MORE AWARENESS TO IT. AND THAT MAY BE AN AREA WHERE WE CAN START TRACKING NUMBERS TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF CALLS WE'RE GETTING, HOW MANY PEOPLE WE KEPT AT WORK, WE KEPT OUT OF THE AIR THAT THAT TYPE OF THING. BUT THAT'S ALSO INFORMATION WE'LL HAVE ON THE BACK END OF THE PROGRAM DOES GO LIVE ON HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE DID NOT GO TO AN ER. WE ACTUALLY IN TALKING WITH THE OTHER CITY MANAGERS, THEY'RE ABLE TO SEE LIKE THERE'S A, THE'S A, THERE'S A FLU OUTBREAK IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN MULTIPLE FLU OUTBREAK CALLS OR COLD OR COVID RELATED STREP THROAT, THAT TYPE OF THING. IT'LL GIVE US REAL TIME DATA ON THE COMMUNITY OF WHAT CALLS WE'RE SEEING WITHIN THE CITY. AWESOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU, PHIL, FOR ALL THE, YOU KNOW, THE BROAD STROKES OF THE PROGRAM. I'M I'M I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THE PROGRAM AND I'M VERY AND I'M VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT IT AS WELL. I HAVE BEEN SINCE THE BEGINNING. 
          BUT SEEING ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE, YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE PUT INTO REALLY DRILLING DOWN ON ALL THE DETAILS, IT'S I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A REAL BIG SUCCESS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WE DON'T JUST HAVE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, 25.8% OF GARLAND DOESN'T HAVE INSURANCE. 
          THERE'S ALSO THE UNDERINSURED. THEY HAVE AN INSURANCE POLICY, BUT IT REALLY, REALLY DOESN'T DO MUCH FOR THEM. IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T COVER EMERGENCY ROOM BILLS. AND WE'RE THEARGEST CITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. WE HAVE THE WE HAVE THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE LARGEST CITY WITH NO HOSPITAL AND NO EMERGENCY ROOM. SO I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A RUNAWAY SUCCESS, I REALLY DO. I KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF CALLS TO ALL OF US. THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF WORK. BUT WHEN PEOPLE REALLY GET TO UNDERSTAND IT, IT'S GOING TO BECOME BECOME SOMETHING THAT COULD BE THE ENVY OF THE ENTIRE METROPLEX. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THAT. AND SO I JUST WANT TO THAT'S ABOUT IT. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON. I HAVE ALSO BEEN A VERY BIG FAN OF THIS PROGRAM SINCE IT WAS BROUGHT TO THE BOARD. ONE THING I WOULD LIKE COUNCIL, JUST TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT WHILE WE DO HAVE A LOT OF UNINSURED AND I KNOW COUNCILMEMBER MOORE WAS ASKING ABOUT THE UNINSURED PEOPLE AND HOW IT KEEPS THEM OUT OF THE HOSPITAL. SO LIKE THEY WERE SAYING, UNINSURED PEOPLE WILL TEND TO GO TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM BECAUSE IT'S A PUT IT ON MY CREDIT TYPE OF THING, YOU KNOW, OPPOSED TO HAVING TO COME OUT OF POCKET FOR A REGULAR PCP VISIT. SO THIS GIVES YOU THE OPTION SORRY, I CANNOT BREATHE WITH THIS THING. IT GIVES YOU THE OPTION OF BEING ABLE TO SEND A TEXT MESSAGE AND GET THAT MEDICAL ADVICE WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM AND TAKE UP BED SPACE. I RECENTLY HAD A CONVERSATION WITH CHIEF LEE ABOUT WHERE WE HAVE AMBULANCES THAT ARE HAVING TO GO OUT OF THE CITY TO TAKE TAKE PATIENTS THAT DON'T REALLY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. AND IT'S CAUSING THIS, THIS OVERLOAD IN THE HOSPITALS WHERE OUR AMBULANCES AREETTING TIED UP FOR TWO AND THREE HOURS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T LEAVE THAT PATIENT UNTIL THERE'S A SPOT AVAILABLE, UNTIL THERE'S A BED TO TRANSFER THEM ONTO. SO WE'VE GOT OUR AMBULANCES THAT ARE BEING TIED UP FOR NO REASON, REALLY, OTHER THAN THEY DON'T HAVE ANOTHER OPTION. SO I'M VERY HOPEFUL THAT THIS IS GOING TO HELP ALLEVIATE A LOT OF THAT SO THAT WE'RE NOT PAYING OUR AMBULANCE DRIVERS IN OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS TO SIT AT IN A HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM WHEN IT'S EXPOSING THEM TO ILLNESSES, IT'S WASTING THEIR TIME SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A BED TO TRANSFER THEM INTO. SO I THINK THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER BENEFITS OTHER THAN THE 
          [02:45:09]
SURFACE LEVEL THAT WE SEE RIGHT NOW. AND SO I'M I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE HOW IT HOW THIS PLAYS OUT. I HAVE A COUSIN THAT IS ON CITY COUNCIL IN CRANDALL. THEY SPEAK VERY HIGHLY OF THE PROGRAM. SO I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT IT DOES FOR GARLAND. AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF UNDER AND NOT INSURED. AND I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN SAVE IT HAS POTENTIAL TO SAVE A LIFE IN SIX MONTHS. RIGHT? IN THE SIX MONTH WINDOW, WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SAVE ONE PERSON'S LIFE. I THINK THAT IT'S PAID FOR ITSELF. SO I'M SUPER EXCITED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. CLEAR THE QUEUE THERE. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU, ESPECIALLY REGARDING THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE WITH THE REVISED NUMBERS. HOW DO YOU ARRIVE AT THOSE LOWER NUMBERS FOR THE CITY, ESPECIALLY IN THE ESCROW AND THE LOW INCOME ASSISTANCE FUND. SO THAT WAS JUST DISCUSSIONS WITH THE MD PATHWAYS TO GOING BACK TO THE IT COST. WHEN WE INITIALLY PUT IN THE 150 150,000 NUMBER FOR THE SOFTWARE SUPPORT, WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL OF OUR QUOTETES IN. WE DIDNT KNOW WHAT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES WOULD BE. WE WERE MOVING AT A FAST SPEED. AND SO WE DID HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET A QUOTE FROM US, THE SOFTWARE PROVIDER, THE 70,000 FOR THE ACTUAL ADDING OF THE LINE ITEM TO THE BUDGET, AND THEN AS WELL AS THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH ADDING IT TO THE PRINTING. AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE 80,000 NUMBER CAME TO THE 25,000 NUMBER. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT ORIGINALLY IN THE PROPOSAL I'D ASKED FOR, FOR 50 TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT SOME OF OUR STUDENTS THAT MAY NEED SOME, SOME HELP. THROUGHOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS. WE CUT THAT IN HALF AND CAME TO THE 25,000 NUMBER, THE 8000 FOR THE BILLING INSERTS. THAT'S OUR STANDARD COST FOR BILL INSERTS THAT WE HAVE NOW. SO ANYTHING THAT MAY GO OUT THAT'S COSTING US THAT, THAT, THAT 8000 AND THEN THE ESCROW ACCOUNT AGAIN, WE CUT THAT IN HALF. THAT'S JUST AGAIN, THE ABILITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO FUND AN FTE. THAT'S AN ABILITY TO FUND A CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE OUT OF THAT. SO MY CONCERN WITH THOSE NUMBERS IS WHILE THE MD PATHWAYS FEE ESCALATES OVER TIME, THERE'S NO ESCALATION IN OUR FEES. LIKE IF YOU LOOK AT A SEVEN YEAR PERIOD, INFLATION IS 28% OVER THAT TIME. FROM SEVEN YEARS AGO TO TODAY. 
          WE DON'T HAVE ANY ABILITY IN THE CONTRACT AS IT CURRENTLY TO ESCALATE EITHER A BILLING INSERTS OR THAT ESCROW CONTRIBUTION. AND WE JUST GOT OUR BUDGET TODAY AND IT'S VERY TIGHT BUDGET AND WE'RE CONCERNED MORE AND MORE ABOUT THAT 3.5% RESTRICTING OUR ABILITY TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THOSE INCREASES SEEM LIKE IF WE DON'T HAVE THOSE SIMILAR TYPE OF INCREASES TO THIS CONTRACT, WE WILL HAVE TO EAT MORE AND MORE OF THOSE COSTS IF YOU KNOW, IT GETS TO THAT POINT RIGHT THERE. SO THAT'S ONE OF MY CONCERNS WITH THIS RIGHT HERE. OTHERWISE, I'M WILLING TO GO FOR THE, YOU KNOW, SURE, SIX MONTH TRIAL PROGRAM. SEE HOW IT WORKS OUT. I DO AGREE, COUNSEL. 
          WE'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND CALLS ABOUT IT. I'M WILLING TO TAKE ON THAT BURDEN IF IT IS A BENEFIT TO OUR COMMUNITY. BUT I NEED TO SEE THAT BENEFIT. AND THAT'S WHY I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND AS PART OF THIS CONTRACT AS WELL, THE REPORTING BACK FROM THE MD MEDICAL MD HEALTH PATHWAYS BACK TO US, I'D LIKE TO SEE PROBABLY DURING THOSE FIRST FEW MONTHS AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, BI MONTHLY DURING THAT TIME, JUST SO WE CAN ANALYZE AND EVALUATE THE PROGRAM AS WE'RE MOVING THROUGH IT. I WOULD JUST LOVE TO SEE THAT ESCALATION AND COST ADDED TO IT, IF POSSIBLE, JUST TO COVER THE CITY'S EXPENSES AS IT IF IT DOES GO THROUGH THE SEVEN YEARS BEFORE WE HAVE A TIME TO RENEGOTIATE THIS CONTRACT. BUT COUNCIL WITH THAT, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE. LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE ON POSSIBLY GOING FORWARD WITH A PROGRAM LIKE THIS. ANYONE IN FAVOR? LOOKS LIKE THAT IS UNANIMOUS. THEN, MR. MAYOR, WILL THAT UNANIMOUS TO GO ON? NOT TOMORROW, BUT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING IN AUGUST FOR APPROVAL WITH THE PENDING CHANGES OF THE ONGOING HAVING SOME TYPE OF ESCALATOR? YES. I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT ESCALATION THERE TO JUST PROTECT THE CITY BETTER MY MONTHLY UPDATES AND THEN MAYBE A BIANNUAL UPDATE FOR SUBSEQUENT YEARS. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WOULD WANT TO SEE YEARLY IF WE'RE GOING TO DO LIKE, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY COME BACK YEARLY TO GET AN ANNUAL UPDATE ON IT. 
          YOU KNOW, SOMEONE CAN ALWAYS REQUEST UPDATES AS WE GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE PROGRAM. BUT CERTAINLY DURING THAT TRIAL PERIOD, VERY FREQUENTLY. UPDATES. YES, SIR. 
          WE'LL HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON THEN TO 
          [10. Public Safety Committee Report]
ITEM NUMBER TEN IS OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE REPORT. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, CHAIRMAN OF THE 
          [02:50:03]
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. WELL, I AM THE FRESHLY MINTED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN. THIS WAS NOT A MEETING THAT I WAS THAT I ATNDED. BUT WE HAVE A WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ON EVERYTHING. SO MITCH. YES. THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE. IS THAT WONDERFUL? WE GO FOR THE SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS? EVERYTHING. THAT WORD EVERYTHING SCARED ME. BUT NO. SO THE COMMITTEE MET SEVERAL WEEKS AGO. THERE WAS A REQUEST FROM COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON, A SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER LUCK ON AN UPDATE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, FROM CHIEF BRIAN ON THE OPERATIONS INVOLVING GANG ACTIVITY, THE GANG UNIT AND SWAT TEAM OPERATIONS. AND CHIEF BRIAN PROVIDED A PRESENTATION. DURING THAT TIME. THE SHORT VERSION OF THAT IS THAT THE NICE THING? I KNOW CRIMINAL GANG ACTIVITY HAS BEEN ON THE DECLINE. IN PARTICULAR, THE VIOLENT GANG ACTIVITY HAS BEEN ON A DECLINE FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS IN A ROW. ARE THERE STILL GANG MEMBERS OUT THERE? ARE THERE STILL ACTIVE GANGS OUT THERE? SURE THERE ARE. THUS THE NEED FOR THE GANG UNIT TO BE INVOLVED. BUT AS A REMINDER, I THINK I KNOW COUNCIL KNOWS THIS, BUT FOR THE CITIZENS WHO ARE WATCHING, GANG UNIT DOES MUCH MORE THAN JUST THE INTERVENTION TYPE THINGS. THEY THEY DO A LOT OF PROACTIVE ACTIVITIES WITH KIDS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TRYING TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS TO INTERVENE BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENS. AND THEN OF COURSE, IF SOMETHING DOES HAPPEN, THEN THEY TAKE ACTIONS FROM THAT REGARD. 
          SO THERE WAS THERE WAS QUITE A LENGTHY DISCUSSION DURING THE COMMITTEE ITSELF. BUT THE GOOD NEWS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT, I BELIEVE, WAS THAT CRIMINAL GANG ACTIVITY AS A WHOLE IS HAS BEEN ON THE DECLINE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. STILL SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF, STILL SOMETHING TO MONITOR, STILL A CHALLENGE. IT'S NOT GOING AWAY. IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO DEAL WITH. I MEAN, THE HEIGHT OF THE CRIMINAL GANGS WAS BACK IN THE 90S, AND IT HAS DECLINED SINCE THEN, BUT IT'S STILL A CHALLENGE FOR THEM. CHIEF BRIAN AS WELL DID DISCUSS THE SWAT TEAM OPERATIONS. 
          SPECIAL WEAPONS AND TACTICAL UNIT ARE USED FOR UNIQUE SITUATIONS, HOSTAGE SITUATIONS. 
          THEY THEY PREPARE FOR THE WORST OF THE WORST SITUATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE. I THINK SO FAR THIS YEAR, THERE HAVE BEEN FIVE ACTIVATIONS OF THE SWAT TEAM WHERE THEY'VE BEEN CALLED OUT AND I THINK IT WAS SIX TIMES LAST YEAR. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CHIEF TALKED ABOUT IS THAT THERE ARE ACTUALLY ACTIVATE THE UNIT ON SOME OCCASIONS SOONER, AND USING IT AGAIN AS A PREVENTATIVE, PROACTIVE KIND OF THING AND NOT WAIT UNTIL AFTER SOMETHING'S HAPPENED. SO I THINK THAT'S LED TO A COUPLE OF THOSE. SO CHIEF BRIAN DID PROVIDE QUITE A BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THAT AS WELL. AND WITH THAT I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AND COULD YOU ALSO JUST KIND OF RELATE? WE KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN CRIMINALITY HERE OF LATE, BUT DOES THAT HAVE VERY MUCH AT ALL TO DO WITH GANG RATED? I THINK SOME OF THE HIGH PROFILE THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN, I WILL SAY IN TALKING WITH CHIEF BRIAN AGAIN, ACTUALLY CRIME STATISTICS ACROSS THE BOARD HAVE BEEN DOWN STATISTICALLY. SO IT'S A GOOD THING FOR OUR PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT. BUT OCCASIONALLY WE DO HAVE SOME HIGH PROFILE VIOLENT CRIMES OR OTHER TYPES OF CRIMES THAT DO HAPPEN. AND A FEW OF THOSE HAVE BEEN GANG RELATED, BUT THE MAJORITY HAVE NOT BEEN. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU SIR. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? CHAIRMAN? ART, I KNOW YOU'RE NEW TO THE COMMITTEE. DO YOU HAVE ANY SAGE WORDS? SAGE WORDS OF WISDOM? NO. I STAND BEHIND THIS REPORT WHOLEHEARTEDLY. YEAH. THANK YOU. 
          ALL RIGHT, WELL, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT? WE'LL MOVE ON TO. OUR NEXT ITEM 
          [11. Citywide AppointmentChristie Fuentes, Animal Services Advisory Committee]
IS CONSIDERING APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. THERE'S A CITYWIDE APPOINTMENT TO THE ANIMAL SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND MAYOR PRO TEM. I ASK IF YOU TAKE THAT TOMORROW FOR THE NOMINATION. ALL RIGHT, THEN, ON TO ANNOUNCING FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. COUNCIL. IS THERE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE. YOU KNOW HOW TO GET THEM TO ME. IF YOU COME 
          [ EXECUTIVE SESSION]
UP WITH ONE BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT TIME. SO. ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. THEN WE'LL MOVE IN THEN. 
          NEXT ITEM IS FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION. THE CITY COUNCIL WILL ADJOURN INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTIONS. 551.071551.072551.074 AND 551.087 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT 
          [02:55:08]
CODE TO DELIBERATE AND DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING ITEM NUMBER 12 A POTENTIAL OFFER BY THE CITY OF FINANCIAL AND OTHER INCENTIVES TO A BUSINESS PROSPECT, AND THE RECEIPT OF COMMERCIAL OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION THAT THE CITY HAS RECEIVED FROM THE SAME BUSINESS PROSPECT WHICH THE CITY SEEKS TO HAVE LOCATE WITHIN THE CITY. IN THE AREA OF SOUTH GARLAND AVENUE AND WILSON STREET, AND WITH WHICH THE CITY IS CONDUCTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS. 
          551.087 AND ATTORNEY CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS RELATED TO THE SAME 551.071 ITEM NUMBER 13, A POTENTIAL OFFER OF THE CITY OR OF FINANCIAL AND OTHER INCENTIVES TO A BUSINESS PROSPECT, AND THE RECEIPT OF COMMERCIAL OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION THAT THE CITY HAS RECEIVED FROM THE SAME BUSINESS PROSPECT WHICH THE CITY SEEKS TO HAVE LOCATE WITHIN DOWNTOWN DISTRICT OF THE CITY, AND WITH WHICH THE CITY IS CONDUCTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS. 551.087 INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF THE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY 551.072 AND ATTORNEY CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS RELATED TO THE SAME 551.071 ITEM NUMBER 14, A POTENTIAL OFFER BY THE CITY OF FINANCIAL AND OTHER INCENTIVES TO A BUSINESS PROSPECT, AND THE RECEIPT OF COMMERCIAL OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION THAT THE CITY HAS RECEIVED FROM THE SAME BUSINESS PROSPECT WHICH THE CITY SEEKS TO HAVE LOCATE WITHIN DOWNTOWN DISTRICT AND WITH WHICH THE CITY IS CONDUCTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS. 551.087 INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF THE LEASE OF REAL PROPERTY 551.072 AND ATTORNEY CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS RELATED TO THE SAME 551.071 ITEM NUMBER 15 ATTORNEY CLIENT MATTERS CONCERNING PRIVILEGED AND UNPRIVILEGED CLIENT INFORMATION RELATED TO REGULATION OF SHORT TERM RENTALS. 551.071 AND ITEM NUMBER 16. PERSONAL PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO THE EMPLOYMENT, EVALUATION OR DUTIES OF THE CITY MANAGER. 551.074. THERE WE GO. AWESOME. YES, YES I KNOW. COUNCIL. I'LL ASK THAT YOU ALL RETURN AT 920. WE WILL RECESS INTO
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.