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UH, LET ME FIND THE RIGHT PAGE.
UM, I HAVE WITH ME COUNCIL MEMBER CARISSA DUTTON AND, UM, MAYOR PRO, TIM MARGARET LUCK, ALONG WITH OUR CITY MANAGER MIKE BETS.
AND THIS IS THE FEBRUARY 26TH, 2026 ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE.
UM, THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS APPROVAL OF THE JANUARY 22ND, 2026 MINUTES.
I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
UM, PUBLIC COMMENTS, PERSONS WHO DESIRE TO ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE ON ANY ITEM ON THE AGENDA ARE ALLOWED THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS TODAY? NOT AT THIS TIME, MA'AM.
ITEM NUMBER THREE, ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
DISCUSSION REGARDING MEMORIAL HONORING ROXANNE REYES.
THIS ITEM WILL BE A DISCUSSION ON MEMORIALIZING ROXANNE REYES AT THE SITE LOCATED BETWEEN THE CITY'S TWO RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED FACILITIES, WEST GARLAND LIBRARY AND HOLLAND BALL REC RECREATION CENTER.
THE ITEM WAS SUBMITTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON AND SECONDED BY MAYOR PRO, TIM LUCK.
IT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE NOVEMBER 17TH, 2025 WORK SESSION AND REFERRED TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE BY COUNCIL FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
SO I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO AMY AND TIFFANY.
SO GOOD AFTERNOON, AMY ROSENTHAL, CULTURAL ARTS DIRECTOR.
UM, SO TODAY'S, UH, TOPIC IS, IS SENSITIVE AND, AND DIFFICULT.
UH, ROXANNE REYES WAS A 3-YEAR-OLD WHO WAS KIDNAPPED ON NOVEMBER 3RD, 1987 FROM THE MEADOW TERRACE APARTMENTS, WHICH IS NOW THE LOCATION OF HOLLOW BALL RECREATION CENTER AND THE WEST GARLAND LIBRARY.
HER BODY WAS FOUND, UH, IN MURPHY ON MAY 19TH AND 1988.
AND GARLAND POLICE, DETECTIVE GARY SWEET, TOOK UP ROXANNE'S CAUSE, UH, AND AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF INVESTIGATION, HER KILLER WAS INDICTED IN 2003.
UM, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, DETECTIVE GARY SWEET.
HE IS A 38 YEAR, UH, VETERAN OF GPD.
UH, HE SPENT 25 YEARS IN CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS UNIT WHERE HE WORKED OVER 225 HOMICIDES, AS WELL AS NUMEROUS COLD CA UH, COLD CASE HOMICIDES.
HE WAS A TRAINER AND INSTRUCTOR FOR GARLAND POLICE ACADEMY, UH, A KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR STATE AND NATIONAL CONFERENCE, AND HE'S BEEN FEATURED IN TV, UH, IN BOOKS AS WELL.
SO, WHEN WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THIS TOPIC, UM, WE, IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO DEFINE SOME GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
UH, AND THE, THE FIRST, THE THE MOST IMPORTANT WAS HONORING ROXANNE'S LIFE, NOT THE TRAGEDY.
AND THAT WE WANTED TO THINK ABOUT, UH, SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE, UH, A, A CREATION OF A SPACE THAT FEELS SAFE AND WELCOMING FOR FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE ALSO WANTED TO COORDINATE WITH THE FAMILY TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS SENSITIVITY TO THEIR WISHES.
SO, UH, WHEN THE CON CONVERSATION FIRST CAME UP, UM, WE DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH DETECTIVE SWEET AND, UH, AND ALSO TALK WITH ROXANNE'S FATHER WHO'S IN ATTENDANCE TODAY AS WELL TOO, BECAUSE FELT LIKE IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND, UM, SOME OF THE NEXT STEPS, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FAMILY WAS SUPPORTIVE.
UH, AND, AND THEN I TOO NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE FROM DETECTIVE SUITE ABOUT THE, ABOUT THE STORY.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY TOO, WE ALSO, UH, NEEDED TO TALK ABOUT HOW THIS MEMORIAL ALIGNS WITH OUR POLICIES WITH THE CITY OF GARLAND.
WE, WE DO RECEIVE REQUESTS TO MEMORIALIZE OR HONOR INDIVIDUALS.
WE RECEIVE REQUESTS THROUGH PARKS AND RECREATION, AND WE RECEIVE REQUESTS THROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY.
AND SO FOR STAFF, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TRY TO APPROACH THINGS, YOU KNOW, IN A FAIR AND INCONSISTENT PROCESS.
AND SO WHEN LOOKING AT HOW NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY AND HOW PARKS AND RECREATION ADDRESSES THESE TYPES OF, OF TOPICS, UM, A BENCH WAS DISCUSSED AND IN A BENCH WITH A MEMORIAL PLAQUE, UM, WOULD RANGE IN THE COST OF THREE TO $5,000.
SO, YOU KNOW, TODAY WE JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE BACKGROUND, GIVE YOU A SENSE OF OUR PRINCIPLES AND HOW, UM, AND HOW THESE SITUATIONS ARE REFLECTED IN OTHER,
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IN OTHER SCENARIOS.SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR, UM, CONTINUE WITH DISCUSSION.
UM, DO WE KNOW, UM, IF WE WERE TO JUST DO LIKE A PLAQUE ON THE, LIKE ON ONE OF THE BUILDINGS OR, UM, LIKE WHAT THAT MIGHT COST, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE? SURE.
I MEAN, A A A BRONZE PLAQUE, I MEAN, I, I THINK, UM, 3000, YEAH, PROBABLY IN THE ALIGNMENT WITH THREE, THE THREE, SO, SO IT'S NOT THAT MUCH CHEAPER THAN JUST GETTING A BENCH, THE PLAQUE.
AND OUR THOUGHT KIND OF, SORRY, OUR THOUGHT WITH THE, THE BENCH TWO IS WHEN AMY MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, A SAFE SPACE, A GATHERING PLACE, A A KIND OF FAMILY, UM, ORIENTED SPACE IS, WAS KIND OF THE, I, YOU KNOW, THE THOUGHT BEHIND A BENCH AS WELL AS IT, IT FELT LIKE IT WAS INVITING YOU IN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WHILE IT STILL HAD THAT MEMORY AND A SPACE TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE LIFE AS WELL.
UM, IS THIS SOMETHING, THIS MIGHT BE A CITY MANAGER, SEAN.
UM, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE MORE REASONABLE FOR A NONPROFIT TO FUNDRAISE FOR AND DO ON OUR OWN? SURE.
A POLICY QUESTION FOR THE COUNCIL TYP, TYPICALLY YOU WOULD SEE THAT APPROACH, I THINK, BUT WE'VE, WE'VE UH, HAVE WE PUT MEMORIAL PLAQUES UP ON AT CITY EXPENSE BEFORE OR ARE THEY TYPICALLY DONE? WELL, SO I KNOW THE PARKS FOUNDATION, UM, HAS, HAS A PROGRAM AND, AND THEY ARE A SEPARATE 5 0 1 C3.
UM, AND, AND SO THAT, I MEAN, COULD BE AN AVENUE, RIGHT? AND THEN A DONATION TO THE CITY OR INSTALLING ON CITY PROPERTY.
I MEAN, I'M NORMALLY THE ONES THAT YOU SEE THAT THE CITY IS PAID FOR WOULD BE A FORMER, A CITY EMPLOYEE OR A, A CITY ELECTED OFFICIAL AND THAT TYPE OF THING, I WOULD THINK.
BUT, UM, IT'S REALLY A POLICY ISSUE ISSUE FOR THE COUNCIL.
ONE OF THE CONCERNS I, NOT CONCERNS, BUT ONE OF THE, UM, WHEN WE TALKED WITH PARKS AND WE TALKED WITH NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY AND JUST THINKING ABOUT THE POLICY AND, AND SOMETIMES WHAT DRIVES DECISIONS AND WHERE THINGS ARE PLACED IS, UM, LIKE THE UPKEEP AND THINGS LIKE THAT TOO, IS IF IT'S ON OUR PROPERTY, THEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE MAINTAIN AND WHAT CAN WE UPDATE AND PUT IT AS PART OF OUR, YOU KNOW, PROCESS.
SO, UM, GOING THROUGH THE NONPROFIT, UH, PATHWAY WOULD, UM, ONE, IT, IT WOULD RELEASE IN THE CITY FOR MANY LIABILITY FOR MAINTAINING THAT, UM, STRUCTURE, BUT ALSO THE, THERE, THERE REALLY IS NO LIABILITY.
ONCE THE STRUCTURE IS ERECTED, THEN, UM, IF, IF THERE'S A STORM THAT TAKES IT DOWN OR, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, IT'S, IT'S NOT REPLACED UNLESS REFUNDED.
SO THAT, THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE BEST OPTION IS TO, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA GIVE MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES AND SYMPATHY TO THE FAMILY.
I ALSO HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER THAT WAS TAKEN FROM US THROUGH VIOLENT CRIME.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, ISSUE.
IT NEVER GETS, IT NEVER GOES AWAY.
UM, AND WHAT WE DID THERE IS IN HIS HOMETOWN WE DID, WE PAID FOR THE FAMILY, PAID FOR A PARK BENCH WITH A MEMORIAL PLAQUE, AND IT'S JUST A SMALL, LIKE THREE BY SIX OR THREE BY FOUR, I DON'T REMEMBER, THREE BY FIVE PLAQUE THAT GOES ON THE BACK OF THE BENCH THAT SAYS IN MEMORY OF, UM, I BROUGHT TWO COUNCIL BACK WHEN I WAS FIRST ELECTED ABOUT SOMEBODY THAT REQUESTED IT KIND OF, SHE WANTED VERY GRANDIOSE GESTURE FOR A PERSON THAT HAD PASSED AWAY THAT WAS FROM GARLAND.
UM, IT GOT REFERRED TO THE PARKS FOUNDATION FOR A POSSIBLE BENCH.
UM, AND THEY WERE HOPEFULLY TRYING TO RAISE THE MONEY TO DO THAT.
I HAVEN'T HEARD BACK FROM HER, BUT THAT WAS THE PROCESS THAT WE FOLLOWED FOR HER.
AND LIKE I SAID, FOR MY FAMILY MEMBER, THE FAMILY PITCHED IN AND PAID FOR A BENCH IN THE PARK THAT WAS BY HIS HOME.
SO, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE SENTIMENT REALLY WELL, AND, UM, WE WANT TO HONOR OUR LOVED ONES, ESPECIALLY
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THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM US VIOLENTLY.EXCUSE ME, GIRL, I ALREADY, I'VE ALREADY BEEN CRYING.
UM, BUT WE HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT THERE'S NOT FUNDS THROUGH THE CITY TO PAY FOR THIS.
SO I MEAN, I WOULD BE WILLING TO DONATE TO ANY FUNDRAISER YOU GOT OUT THERE, BUT, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO REFER THIS TO EITHER THE PARKS FOUNDATION OR SOME OTHER LOCAL NONPROFIT TO HELP TAKE CARE OF THAT.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THE CITY WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM PUTTING THIS BENCH ON THAT PROPERTY, CORRECT? YES.
WE, WE HAD TALKS WITH LIBRARY AS PART OF OUR DISCUSSIONS AS WELL, AND, AND KAREN MENTIONED THAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR, UM, PLACES TO HAVE BENCHES OVER THERE ALREADY.
AND SO, UM, THIS WOULD FIT IN WITH THEIR PLAN.
'CAUSE IT'S A, A PART OF THE LOCATION IS A RECREATION CENTER.
IT FITS INTO THE PURVIEW OF THE PARKS FOUNDATION.
UM, I'M SURE THE, THERE THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO SPEAK WITH THE CITY ABOUT THAT INSTALLATION.
SO, UM, AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THE ONLY REASON WHY I BROUGHT THIS TO COMMITTEE IS BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT OWN THAT LAND HAD IT HAVE NOT BEEN FOR THE SITUATION.
AND SO THAT WAS WHY I SUGGESTED COMMITTEE AND OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS PRE, UM, UH, NOVEMBER, UH, DISCUSSION
SO, UM, I, I'M NOT, I'M NOT IN THE LEAST BIT WORRIED ABOUT THE FUNDS 'CAUSE I CAN MAKE A COUPLE OF CALLS AND HAVE THAT, UM, IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
SO, UM, BUT I, I DO APPRECIATE YOU GUYS LOOKING INTO IT AND WE CAN LOOK AT YOU CRISP BEARD,
UM, WE CAN LOOK INTO, UH, GETTING THE BALL ROLLING IN IN OTHER AVENUES.
UM, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WE'RE GONNA, OKAY, SO WE'RE GONNA REFER THIS NOW TO PARKS FOUNDATION? IS THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING? OR? I WOULD SAY THE PARKS BOARD AND THEN THEY CAN PARKS, BOARD THE PARKS, UM, DEPARTMENT DELEE, AND THEN SHE CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH, UH, THE GARLAND PARKS FOUNDATION.
BUT I'M, THEY'RE ALREADY AWARE
UM, DO WE NEED TO REPORT TO COUNSEL OR SINCE IT'S GETTING SENT TO, OKAY, SO WE'RE GONNA SEND THIS DIRECTLY TO DELEE AND THEN, OKAY.
I HAVE A QUESTION 'CAUSE I'M SORRY, I'M, I'M STILL BLUBBERING OVER HERE.
WHO NEEDS TO CONTACT DELEE?
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I KNOW WHO'S CONTACTING DELEE AND UM, THEN SHE'LL CON SHE'LL GET IN TOUCH WITH PARKS FOUNDATION AND ALL THAT.
AND THEN LUKE AND KAREN AS WELL TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE KNOWS THAT IT IS GOING, IT IS MOVING THROUGH AND THAT PARKS FOUNDATION WILL COORDINATE WITH HER AND WHERE IT GOES.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON THIS? NO.
THEN, UM, AT FIVE 14 WE ARE ADJOURNED.