Jul 13, 2026 Plan Commission

[00:00:09]

JULY 13TH MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION. IT IS OUR CUSTOM. WE COMMISSIONERS, START OUR MEETING WITH A PRAYER AND A PLEDGE. YOU'RE INVITED TO JOIN US WHETHER YOU DO OR NOT. NO WAY AFFECTS THE DECISIONS OF THIS COMMISSION. TONIGHT'S PRAYER AND PLEDGE WILL BE LED BY COMMISSIONER JENKINS. THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR. IF YOU ARE SO INCLINED, PLEASE BOW YOUR HEADS. GOD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE OF US. THANK YOU FOR THIS LOVE AND THE PRESENCE OF OUR SHORTCOMINGS, OUR STUMBLING AND OUR SIN. FORGIVE US. WE PRAY. WE PRAY FOR THOSE AROUND THE WORLD LIVING IN CONFLICT. FOR THOSE DEALING WITH THE IMPACT OF NATURAL DISASTERS, AND FOR THOSE WHO RUN TOWARDS THE DANGER TO HELP PROTECT AND SAVE LIVES. FINALLY, WE PRAY FOR THIS CITY, FOR ITS RESIDENTS, FOR ITS LEADERS AND THEIR STAFF AND FAMILIES, AND FOR THE WISDOM TO ORDER OUR DECISIONS IN THE INTEREST OF ALL. NOW, PLEASE JOIN WITH ME AS WE RECITE THE RECITATION OF THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. GOOD EVENING AND AND WELCOME TO OUR MEETING.

I SEE SOME OF YOU ALREADY FOUND OUR SPEAKER CARDS. IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TONIGHT, IF YOU'LL PLEASE FILL THESE OUT AND HAND IT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION SECRETARY, THEN I CAN CALL YOU UP TO THE FRONT. AND WHEN YOU COME UP, PLEASE SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONES. AND WE DO NEED YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR OUR OFFICIAL RECORDS. APPLICANTS WILL BE GIVEN 15 MINUTES TO PRESENT THEIR CASE. OTHER SPEAKERS WILL BE ALLOWED THREE MINUTES AFTER SPEAKING. FOR AN ORGANIZATION, SUCH AS A BUSINESS GROUP OR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, TO ALLOW MORE TIME AFTER EVERYBODY'S SPOKEN. IF NEEDED, WE ALLOW THE APPLICANT BACK UP TO RESPOND TO ANY COMMENTS. AGAIN, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. OKAY, JUMPING INTO THE MEETING, FIRST

[a. June 22, 2026 Plan Commission Minutes]

AND SECOND, BY COMMISSIONER MIRANDA. OKAY. THERE YOU GO. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. NO DISCUSSION. PLEASE GO. AND THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. ALRIGHTY. NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, OUR

[a. Z 26-17 The Dimension Group (District 6)]

ACCORDING TO OUR GDC DEFINITION, WHICH REQUIRES AN SUP IN THE INDUSTRIAL ZONING. THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS ADDRESSED AT 3614 SECURITY STREET AND HAS AN AREA OF ABOUT LIKE 0.80 ACRES. IT'S A PART OF COUNCIL DISTRICT SIX, AND THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPED WITH AN EXISTING INDUSTRIAL BUILDING WHICH IS CURRENTLY VACANT. THE PROPOSAL IS FOR ADAPTIVE REUSE OF THE EXISTING BUILDING, WITH NO INCREASE TO THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT OR HEIGHT. THIS IS A LAND USE ZONING MAP. THE SITE HAS ACCESS FROM BOTH SECURITY STREET AND RESERVE STREET, AND THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES ARE PREDOMINANTLY INDUSTRIALLY ZONED AND ARE DEVELOPED WITH INDUSTRIAL AND AUTOMOTIVE RELATED USES. THE FUTURE LAND USE. THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN RECOMMENDS INDUSTRY CENTER FOR THIS SITE. THE PROPOSED USE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE INDUSTRIAL CENTER DESIGNATION, AS IT WOULD ALLOW THE ADAPTIVE REUSE OF EXISTING INDUSTRIAL BUILDING.

[00:05:01]

SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY THEY ARE, THEY ARE, THEY WANT TO GO THROUGH THE ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE PROCESS. SO THEY'RE GOING TO, IF THEY GET THE CP, THEY'RE GOING TO COME BACK AND REQUEST A YES DEVIATION ON THE PARKING. Y YES, SIR. THEY MAY BE ABLE TO DO IT THROUGH STAFF VIA PROVIDING A PARKING STUDY. THAT IS CORRECT. IT WILL BE A AN ADMINISTRATIVE. ADMINISTRATIVE.

OKAY. THANK YOU. PART OF OUR NEW STREAMLINED PROCESS. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT WHAT WAS THE PREVIOUS USE OF THIS BUILDING? SORRY, WHAT WAS THE PREVIOUS USE OF THIS BUILDING? IT WAS

[00:10:01]

I'M KEATON. MY. I'M AT 10755 SAND HILL ROAD, DALLAS, TEXAS. THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING. I'M THE DIMENSION GROUP, THE APPLICANT HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE. AND I HAVE REPRESENTATIVES OF GATEWAY SERVICE HERE AS WELL. SORRY I MISSED A LITTLE DOT OVER YOUR NAME HERE. THAT'S WHY I THOUGHT IT WAS AN. COMMISSIONER. DALTON.

THANK YOU. YOU'RE GOING TO RUN A CREMATORYERVICE HERE, CORRECT? CORRECT. OKAY. WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE IS CERTAIN AROMAS THAT WILL OCCUR. IS THERE PLANS TO SCRUB THAT IN SOME MANNER PRIOR TO EXITING THE BUILDING? I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO DEFER TO GATEWAY ON THE EXACT OPERATIONS OF THE BUILDING. BUT I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS PART OF THEIR OPERATIONS IS THAT THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, MEET ALL LAW REQUIREMENTS TO THAT ARE ON THE BOOKS THAT REGULATE THAT TYPE OF BUSINESS. BECAUSE I'M THINKING IN TERMS OF THE SURROUNDING BUSINESSES AND WHAT THEY MIGHT CONSIDER A QUESTION THEY WOULD RAISE. YEAH. AND I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE INS AND OUTS. I'M THE CIVIL ENGINEER. SO OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING IS ALL I KNOW, BUT I'M SURE THEY'D BE WILLING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE OPERATION. OKAY, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE MORE SPEAKERS. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU ALL. I HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION FROM THE SITE PLAN. IT WAS A LITTLE UNCLEAR. IS THERE PLENTY OF PARKING AISLE SPACE? I DON'T RECALL THE QUOTES ON THERE. I DO NOT RECALL THAT. BUT A LITTLE BIT TO THE PARKING.

I THINK THE WAY THIS IS WRITTEN IS IT MENTIONS A FUNERAL HOME. AND SO I THINK THAT WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE CODE THAT PROBABLY BEST FIT. AND SO THE WAY WE OPERATE OR THE WAY GATEWAY OPERATES, IT DOESN'T HAVE THAT FORD CUSTOMER FACING AS MUCH. THE MAJORITY OF THE BUSINESS IS BUSINESS TO BUSINESS. SO THERE'S NOT THE GENERAL PUBLIC STOPPING BY. SO WE DID DO A PARKING ANALYSIS THAT WE'VE SHARED WITH STAFF AND ARE GOING TO DO THE ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE PLAN. I WAS MORE CONCERNED AND YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK, MAKE SURE YOU'RE PARKING SPACES ARE COMPLIANT. I KNOW YOU'VE ANGLED SOME OF THEM, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE A LESSER PARKING AISLE AND THEN STRAIGHT ON ONES AND IT JUST LOOK A LITTLE TIGHT.

YEAH, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. AND I HAVE A ONE MORE QUESTION, COMMISSIONER JENKINS. SORRY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING. YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE LANDSCAPING. SCREENING REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN PRESENTED BY STAFF. DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR. ANGST OR ANXIETY ABOUT ANYTHING THAT STAFF I RECOMMENDING AT THIS POINT? NO. I MEAN, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE EXISTING SITE IS ESSENTIALLY 100% PAVED. THERE'S SOME EXISTING PLANTER BOXES IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING. AND, YOU KNOW, IN AN ATTEMPT TO BEAUTIFY IT, I THINK THE POTTED PLANTS, WE DON'T TAKE ANY ISSUE WITH DOING WHAT STAFF WANTS. IS IT NINE THERE ALREADY, OR DID STAFF COME UP WITH THEIR. NINE IS THE NUMBER THAT STAFF CAME UP WITH. I THINK THERE'S THREE RAISED PLANTERS OUT THERE EXISTING, WHICH YOU KNOW, ARE EMPTY NOW, AND THEN ADDITIONAL POTTED PLANTS WOULD BE PROVIDED. THANK YOU. THAT'S A QUESTION IS GOING TO BE FOR STAFF. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND. IF YOU BOTH WANT TO

[00:15:06]

HI, MY NAME IS MISTY SEARCH. I'M WITH GATEWAY SERVICES. ADDRESS IS TWO DANIELS WAY, CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND, 02921. I'M MICHAEL DUNNING, I'M WITH GATEWAY SERVICES. I PUT MY HOME ADDRESS ON THE CARD 2226 CHANDLER STREET, FORT COLLINS, COLORADO. ALL RIGHTY. OKAY.

THANK THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE TONIGHT. A LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT GATEWAY. SO WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS SINCE THE EARLY 1990S. WE ARE THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF PET AFTERCARE IN NORTH AMERICA. WE HAVE ABOUT 150 LOCATIONS. SO THIS IS WHAT WE DO. THIS IS WHO WE ARE. REGARDING YOUR QUESTION FOR ODOR OUR LOCATIONS, WE HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF LOCATIONS THAT WE OCCUPY. SOME OF THEM ARE MULTI-TENANT BUILDINGS WHERE WE HAVE ANOTHER TENANT THAT'S JUST SEPARATED BY A DEMISING WALL, AND THEN WE HAVE FREESTANDING BUILDINGS. ODOR HAS NEVER BEEN A CONCERN, AND WE DO SCRUB THE BUILDINGS ENTIRELY WHEN WE VACATE. SO IT WILL BE RETURNED BACK TO THE CONDITION THAT IT'S IN TODAY OR WHATEVER WE'VE COME UP WITH, WITH THE LANDLORD FOR THE LEASE. BUT AS FAR AS CLEANING THE FACILITY, IT WILL BE CLEANED. A FEW OTHER QUESTIONS THAT ARE USUALLY ASKED BY US. WE HAVE NO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ON SITE. WE DO NOT DISPOSE OF ANY OF THE ASHES ON SITE. SEE WHAT ELSE WE APPLY. WE. WE ARE COMPLIANT WITH ALL EPA REGULATIONS. TEXAS IS ONE OF THE MOST STRINGENT IN THE UNITED STATES. SO WE HAVE LOCATIONS IN TEXAS. WE HAVE LOCATIONS IN CALIFORNIA. WE HAVE LOCATIONS IN OREGON, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. SO WE SET THAT AS OUR BAR. THOSE ARE THE GUIDELINES THAT WE FOLLOW FOR ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. SO WE DO HAVE HEAVY COMPLIANCE STANDARDS THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW FOR THE EPA. I JUST I'M THE OPERATIONS MANAGER. I'M JUST TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR OPERATIONS. WE'RE A B2B BUSINESS. WE ARE AN EXTENSION OF THE VETERINARY SERVICES. SO YOUR VET HOSPITALS N'T HAVE CREMATION UNITS THEMSELVES. SO THAT'S WHERE WE BASICALLY COME IN THE BACK DOOR, TAKE THE ANIMALS, DO THE SERVICES, BRING THEM BACK TO THE VET, AND THEN THEY GIVE THEM BACK TO THE PUBLIC. SO IT'S NOT A PUBLIC FACING SPACE. WE'RE AN EXTENSION OF THE VET SERVICES AND WE DO A LOT OF BEHIND THE SCENES WORK. IT'S NOT THE PRETTY PART OF OWNING A PET, BUT WE DO IT VERY DISCREETLY AND WITH A LOT OF COMPASSION AND CARE. AND IT'S THAT'S THE BUSINESS. AND AS KEATON MENTIONED, THAT'S WHY OUR PARKING REQUIREMENTS ARE SO LOW, BECAUSE THE 55 SPACES ARE USUALLY FOR A FUNERAL HOME AND THEY'RE HAVING FUNERALS. WE DON'T OFFER THAT TYPE OF SERVICE. COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH, I THAT'S A TEN ZERO ZERO ZERO SQUARE FOOT BUILDING, AND YOU'RE ALL GOING TO UTILIZE IT, THE ENTIRE BUILDING FOR THE SERVICE. THAT'S CORRECT. IS THERE ANY LIMIT ON THE SIZE ANIMAL YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF? I'M WE KNOW I MEAN, WE IT'S BASICALLY IF YOU CALL IT A PET, WE CAN CREMATE IT. SO I MEAN, UP TO THE SIZE OF A HORSE. BUT THAT WOULD BE PRETTY RARE AROUND HERE. IT'S 99% OF OUR BUSINESS IS CATS AND DOGS. OKAY.

BUT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HANDLE LARGE ANIMALS. WE COULD IF REQUIRED. YEAH, YEAH. IF WE WERE PERMITTED TO. YEAH. I WAS JUST SURPRISED BECAUSE I HAVE A FRIEND WHO OWNS CREMATORIUM AND THE SIZE OF THAT IS KIND OF IT'S LIKE, DO YOU REALLY NEED THAT MUCH ROOM? BUT WE'RE GRATEFUL YOU'RE TAKING UP AN EMPTY BUILDING AND PUTTING IT BACK ON THE TAX ROLL, SO TO SPEAK. SO WE IT IS A SERVICE THAT'S NEEDED, AND I'M SURE THE PUBLIC APPRECIATES IT. A LARGE PART OF THE SPACE IS TAKEN UP BY FOR COLD STORAGE. WE HAVE A LARGE MORGUE TO KEEP THE ANIMALS COLD IN. SO IT'S NOT JUST MAKES SENSE. AND OKAY, CREMATING THEM NOW THAT NOW YOU TURN THE RIGHT LIGHT SWITCH ON. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YOUR ANSWER ANSWERED ONE OF MY QUESTIONS. YOU DO HAVE LARGE COOLING CAPACITY AND EVERYTHING, AND YOU'RE PROBABLY USING STATE OF THE ART FURNACES THAT SCRUB AND CLEAN AND CLEAN BURNING FOR SAKE OF A BETTER TERM. THE MACHINES THAT WE USE ARE CUSTOM MADE FOR PETS. WE'RE NOT ADAPTING, YOU KNOW, MACHINES FOR HUMANS. THESE ARE TWO UNITS MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS PURPOSE. OKAY. UNFORTUNATELY, PROBABLY MANY OF US HAVE NEEDED YOUR SERVICES FAR TOO OFTEN. SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHTY. THESE ARE THE THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THESE ARE THE ONLY SPEAKER CARDS I HAVE. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISHES TO ADDRESS THIS CASE? SEEING NONE. COMMISSIONERS. MOTION DISCUSSION. COMMISSIONER

[00:20:01]

ONE, HOW DO WE GET TO THE NINE TOTAL PLANTER RECOMMENDATIONS? AND THE SECOND IS, ARE WE DEFINING A USE? IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE CONSIDERATIONS, THE TERM OF THE. I GUESS THE USE IS REALLY CLEARLY DEFINED. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT PART OF THE SUV INCLUDES THE DEFINITION THAT STAFF HAS WORKED ON. SO THOSE ARE MY TWO QUESTIONS. OKAY. REGARDING THE PLANTATIONS, WE WERE LIKE, KIND OF LIKE INITIALLY PLANNING TO LIKE REQUEST, LIKE RECOMMEND MORE LIKE AN ORNAMENTAL PLANTATIONS, BUT THEY WOULD BE LIKE, IT'S MORE LOOKING LIKE IT WOULD BE UNFIT, LIKE BECAUSE OF THE SPACE CONSTRAINTS THE SITE WAS HAVING. SO LIKE, IT WAS JUST LIKE WE, DEPENDING UPON THE AVAILABILITY OF SPACE AND LOOKING AT THE AVERAGE SITE OF THE POTTED PLANTS, WE JUST CAME UP WITH A NUMBER. IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE DON'T HAVE LIKE SPECIFIC CALCULATIONS THAT WE USED TO GIVE THAT NUMBER. JUST I JUST SAW SOME AVERAGES OF A POTTED PLANT SIZES. AND THAT'S WHAT I FELT LIKE. WE FELT LIKE THEY WOULD FIT. THEY WOULD BE FITTING THERE. IF YOU CAN SEE ALONG SECURITY STREET, THAT'S WHERE THE THREE RECTANGULAR GREEN BOXES ARE. THAT'S WHERE THE NINE PLOTTER PLOT PLOTTER PLANTS WILL GO. SO IF YOU LOOK, IT IS KIND OF EVENLY DISTRIBUTED ALONG THE BUILDING. SO IF THREE OF THOSE HOLD EACH OF THOSE HOLD THREE PLANTS, WE THOUGHT THAT WOULD BEAUTIFY THE BUILDING IN A FAIR WAY. AND IN TERMS OF THE DEFINITION, YES. SO THE FUNERAL HOME IS THE CLOSEST POSSIBLE LAND USE DEFINITION THAT WE HAVE. BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT CANNOT BECOME THAT IF THIS BUSINESS, FOR SOME REASON LEAVES THIS SITE. SO WE HAVE COME UP WITH A SPECIFIC CONDITION THAT WILL ADDRESS THAT. THIS CAN ONLY BE A PET AFTER CARE FACILITY AND CANNOT BECOME A FUNERAL HOME.

THAT IS A CONDITION IN THE SUPI. I GUESS THE LOOKING AT STAFF RECOMMENDATION NUMBER ONE, SPECIFICALLY, IT SAYS THE FACILITY NOT SHALL NOT OPERATE AS A GENERAL PUBLIC MORTUARY, FUNERAL HOME OR RETAIL SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT. PART OF THEIR BUSINESS IS GOING TO THE VETS TO SAY, HEY, WE WANT YOUR BUSINESS. SO ARE WE LIMITING THEM IN SOME WAY BY INCLUDING THAT SORT OF LANGUAGE? I UNDERSTATAND WHAT 'RE TRYING TO GET TO, BUT THAT WAS MY CONCERN.

I DO NOT I DO NOT SEE WHAT THEY WERE DESCRIBING AS HAVING TOO MUCH CONNECTION WITH THE RETAIL SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT. I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE AN ISSUE, BUT WE CAN WE CAN WORK WITH THEM TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY ISSUE THAT THEY SEE WITH THIS DEFINITION, BUT I THINK THAT'S FINE. WE CAN ASK THE APPLICACANT CK UP TO ASK THEM IF THEY HAVE ANY. THINK OF A BETTER TERM WALK IN TRAFFIC. IF ONE OF YOU WANT TO COME BACK UP AND ANSWER THAT FOR US, I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GETTING IN, RIGHT? IS WHAT PERCENTNTAGE OF YOUR BUSINESS COMES FROM VETS AND WHAT PERCENTAGE MAY BE FROM PUBLIC THAT WANTS TO I MOST I, I CAN'T PUT A PERCENTAGE ON IT, BUT LARGE, LARGE MAJORITY IS FROM THE VET DIRECTLY. BUT IT'S ALWAYS POSSIBLE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE'S PET PASSES AT HOME, THEY GO TO THEIR VET, THE VET TELLS THEM TO BRING STRAIGHT TO US THAT IT CAN HAPPEN. BUT MOST OF OUR BUSINESS IS WORKING WITH VET SERVICES. OKAY, I THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE THE MODEL AND YOU COULD EVEN OFFER TO PICK IT UP AT THEIR WHERE THEY ARE, CORRECT? YEAH. OUR PREFERENCE IS TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE VET HOSPITALS. BUT I MEAN, IF SOMEONE WALKS IN THE DOOR WITH A DECEASED PET, WE'RE GOING TO HELP THEM. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TURN THEM AWAY. RIGHT? RIGHT. YEAH. THANK YOU. IS IT THAT HELP, SIR? THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

OKAY. ANY MORE DISCUSSION OR MOTION? COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH? HERE WE GO. THANK YOU SIR. I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY MR. JENKINS DISCUSSION. WE'RE NOT. THIS MOTION OR THIS PRESENTATION IS NOT GOING TO LIMIT THE PUBLIC COMING INTO THIS FACILITY, IS IT? NO. OKAY.

THANK YOU. I DIDN'T WANT Y'ALL TO BE HANDICAPPED BY THAT. THANK YOU. I THINK STAFF'S WRITING WRITTEN IT. SO IT'S NOT A WHOLESALE PUBLIC DEAL WITH SIGNAGE AND EVERYTHING. YEAH.

ALL RIGHTY. DISTRICT SIX ISN'T HERE, SO ANYBODY CHIME IN? OKAY. OH, COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH, I FORGOT TO LOOK AT THAT. JUST A SECOND. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YES, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THIS SUP AS PRESENTED WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS. OKAY. THAT WOULD INCLUDE ALL EIGHT ITEMS IN THERE. YES, SIR. OKAY. AND COMMISSIONER JONES,

[00:25:05]

TEN YEARS, TEN YEARS. OKAY. ALL RIGHTY. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY, LET'S GET RID OF THE VOTE. DID I JUST WIPE WIPE OUT THE MOTION? COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH, CHIME IN YOUR MOTION AGAIN. AND COMMISSIONER JONES'S SECOND. I'M TOO FAST NOW. YOU'LL HAVE TO VOTE. I KEEP FORGETTING THAT'S LINKEDIN. AND THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU.

[b. GDC Amendment 26-05]

GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. DID I GET A YELLOW CARD FROM, YOU KNOW, JUST. RYAN MULKEY, LONG RANGE PLANNING ADMINISTRATOR WITH PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT. I WON'T REPEAT THE REQUEST, BUT IT'S ORDINANCE NUMBER 26-05. A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THIS ITEM.

THE GDC CURRENTLY PROVIDES A FEW DIFFERENT RELIEF PROCEDURES AT SECTION 420 K THAT ALLOW A DEVELOPMENT TO EXCEED PARKING REQUIREMENTS BY VERY SPECIFIC PERCENTAGES. BASED ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE PROJECT. THESE EXISTING REGULATIONS ARE VERY COMPLEX AND REALLY DON'T PROVIDE ENOUGH RELIEF AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL. SO THIS PROPOSAL WOULD JUST SIMPLIFY THESE RELIEF PROCEDURES AND STREAMLINE REVIEW OF REQUESTS FOR DEVIATIONS TO PARKING REQUIREMENTS. AND SO THE AMENDMENT IS BROKEN DOWN INTO A FEW DIFFERENT SECTIONS. FIRST THE CHANGE TO THE LAND USE MATRIX. SO ALL PARKING REQUIREMENTS IN THE GDC ARE LISTED BY USE IN THE LAND USE MATRIX. HOWEVER, IT'S CURRENTLY UNCLEAR WHETHER THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF SPACES REQUIRED OR IF IT'S THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF SPACES. SO ONE OF THE CHANGES WOULD JUST SPECIFY THAT THESE PARKING REQUIREMENTS ARE THE MINIMUM REQUIRED, AND THEN BUILDING FROM THERE. OF COURSE, DUE TO SB 840, WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE OUR MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENT BE ONE SPACE PER DWELLING UNIT. HOWEVER, WITH THIS WE ARE ADDING A MAXIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENT THAT IS ESSENTIALLY OUR OLD MINIMUM BEFORE WE HAD TO CHANGE IT DUE TO SB 840. SO THAT WOULD BE ONE SPACE FOR AN EFFICIENCY UNIT, 1.5 SPACES FOR ONE BEDROOM, AND THEN TWO SPACES FOR ANY UNIT THAT HAS TWO OR MORE BEDROOMS. AND THEN ANYTHING BEYOND THAT MAXIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENT, THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY ADDITIONAL THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY RELIEF PROCEDURE NECESSARILY. THE ONLY OPTION SOMEONE WOULD HAVE WOULD BE TO SUBMIT, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER PARKING RATIO THROUGH A PD REQUEST. AND THEN ON THE NONRESIDENTIAL SIDE. SO ANY INCREASE ABOVE THE MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENT, UP TO 15% OF THAT MINIMUM FOLKS WOULD NEED TO FILE ANY KIND OF RELIEF PROCEDURE OR ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE REQUESTS, ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THEY COULD JUST SORT OF DO IT. HOWEVER, ANY INCREASE MORE THAN 15% AND UP TO 30% OF THAT MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENT WOULD REQUIRE A PARKING DEVIATION REQUEST, WHICH I'LL GET INTO HERE IN A SECOND. AND THEN ANYTHING MORE THAN 30%, THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY OTHER KIND OF RELIEF PROCEDURE.

AN APPLICANT WOULD JUST NEED TO FILE THAT THROUGH A PD REQUEST. SO AS FAR AS THE RELIEF PROCEDURE ITSELF, THE PARKING DEVIATION REQUESTS MAY BE SUBMITTED FOLLOWING THE SAME PROCESS AS AN ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE REQUEST JUST FOLLOWS THE SAME PROCESS. HOWEVER, THE REQUEST WOULD REQUIRE A PARKING GENERATION STUDY PREPARED BY A LICENSED TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER THAT DEMONSTRATES THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL PARKING. OR WE'VE ADDED AN OPTION WHERE AN APPLICANT CAN ALSO SUBMIT OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT, AT THE DISCRETION OF THE PLANNING DIRECTOR, DEMONSTRATE THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL PARKING AND THEN ANY PARKING DEVIATION REQUESTS WOULD NEED TO BE MITIGATED THROUGH METHODS SUCH AS PERVIOUS PARKING, INCREASED LANDSCAPING, INCREASED STORMWATER CONTROLS JUST SOMETHING THAT OFFSETS THAT ADDITIONAL PAVEMENT THAT WE WOULD BE ALLOWING IF WE APPROVE THE REQUEST. AND THEN ANY KIND OF STRUCTURED PARKING WOULD BE EXEMPT FROM THESE MAXIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS. IT'S STRUCTURED PARKING IS PRETTY PRICEY, SO IT'S VERY RARE THAT SOMEONE WOULD EXCEED THE

[00:30:04]

ANY ANY QUESTIONS OR THINKING ABOUT IT. COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. PERVIOUS PARKING, CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE THAT MIGHT BE? PERVIOUS PARKING, LIKE PARKING ON GRAVEL OR. YEAH, WHERE WATER CAN RUN OR DRAINAGE CAN GO. THAT WOULD KIND OF FALL OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THIS ORDINANCE AMENDMENT. WE DIDN'T REALLY LOOK AT THAT WITH THIS.

THIS IS JUST TO KIND OF FLEX OUR PARKING DEVIATION. I THOUGHT THAT WAS IN YOUR PRESENTATION. THAT'S PROBABLY WORKED INTO THE ENGINEERING STANDARDS AND CALCULATING RUNOFF BECAUSE THERE IS SUCH A THING AS GRASS CREEK, WHICH IN ESSENCE KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A CONCRETE BLOCK ON ITS SIDE AND GRASS CAN GROW. YOU CAN STILL DRIVE OVER IT. SO THAT'S JUST IN MY WHEN I READ THAT, I THOUGHT, I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD TAKE YOU TO A PLACE AND SAY, THIS IS APPLICABLE TO THIS TERM FOR PERVIOUS PARKING. WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT LIKE THE ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE PROCESS AND MITIGATING THE. AM I USING THE RIGHT TERM? BUT DID I SAY IMPERVIOUS OR PERVIOUS? IMPERVIOUS, PERVIOUS PERV, WHICH IS WHERE WATER CAN RUN OFF OR DRAIN THROUGH? YEAH. IF I SAID PERVIOUS, I MEANT IMPERVIOUS SURFACE. IT SAYS PERVIOUS. OH, OH, I'M SORRY, I'M CAUGHT UP NOW. YEAH. SO YEAH, THAT WOULD BE A POTENTIAL OPTION TO MITIGATE THAT ADDITIONAL PARKING. AS FAR AS EXAMPLES IN THE CITY, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY. SO THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO WORK OUT WITH ENGINEERING, BECAUSE THE MATERIAL IS SPECIFIED IN THE TECHNICAL STANDARDS MANUAL. IT'S ALSO SPECIFIED IN THE GDC THAT REQUIRED PARKING HAS TO BE CONCRETE. BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS. WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT ASPHALT IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARKING LOT. THAT'S NOT THE INTENT OF IT, BUT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS THERE COULD BE CONCRETE BLOCKS OR PAVERS WITH GAPS OR WIDER JOINTS WHERE WATER CAN RUN OFF IN THE IN THE MIDDLE. SO THOSE THINGS WILL HAVE TO WORK OUT WITH WITH THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT IN A WAY THAT WILL NOT DECREASE THE LOOK AND FEEL OF OUR PARKING LOT. IT'LL KEEP IT INTACT, BUT IT HAS SOME ENGINEERING OPTIONS TO MAKE IT ENVIRONMENTALLY A LITTLE BIT MORE SUITABLE. SO WE ARE HEADING TOWARD PERVIOUS PARKING THEN. YEAH. IF IF THEY'RE PROVIDING MORE THAN 15%, THAT IS ONE WAY THAT THEY CAN MITIGATE. BUT THEY CAN PUT MORE LANDSCAPE ISLANDS, THEY CAN PUT MORE LANDSCAPING. SO RYAN WASAS TRYING TO PUT IN SOME TOOLS FOR THE DEVELOPERS TO AVAIL IF AN ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE REQUEST COMES IN AND IT'S WRITTEN OR IT'S OPEN FOR THEM TO CONSIDER OTHER THINGS, BECAUSE IT SAYS METHODS SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, NOT EXACTLY METHODS. THAT'S CORRECT. THANK YOU. RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? I'M SORRY. ON YOUR ON YOUR LIST OF YOU ADDED AT THE TOP OF THAT MINIMUM PARKING APPLIES TO EVERY ITEM ON HERE. YES. SO THAT THOSE WOULD BE CHANGES TO THE THE LAND USE MATRIX, JUST THAT ONE COLUMN THERE THAT OUTLINES THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS BY USE,UST SPECIFYING THAT THOSE ARE MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS.

BECAUSE BEFORE IT WASN'T REALLY CLEAR IF THEY WERE THE MINIMUM OR THE MAXIMUM. WELL, I, YOU KNOW, I ASKED YOU ABOUT THE MEETING. I WENT BACK AND LISTENED TO IT AT THE CLOSE.

THEY TALKED ABOUT BRINGING MINIMUM PARKING BACK LATER. SO APPARENTLY Y'ALL HAVE PULLED THAT FORWARD TO IN THIS PRESENTATION. THAT WILL BE ANOTHER GDC AMENDMENT FOR A FUTURE TIME. OH, IT WAS THAT WILL REQUIRE A LOT OF RESEARCH. SO THAT WILL BE A FUTURE ITEM.

THIS WAS A QUICK REMEDY FOR THE MAXIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENT. BUT YES, IN IN FUTURE YOU WILL

[00:35:05]

I SECOND THAT MOTION. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CORNELIUS AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MIRANDA TO APPROVE THE GDC CHANGE PER STAFF RECOMMENDATION. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE.

THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. VERY GOOD. ALL RIGHT. NEXT ITEM ON OUR

[a. General overview of citywide plans and strategic initiatives]

I WANT TO START BY THANKING EACH OF YOU FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU GIVE THIS CITY. A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS DON'T REALIZE THAT WE SERVE HERE WITHOUT PAY ANDD GIVE UP MANY EVENINGS.

GOING THROUGH THE CASES THAT WE PRESENT TO YOU. AND I CAN TELL YOU, I, AS CITY MANAGER, I KNOW THE STAFF IS VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE FACT THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO COME AND GIVE THEIR TIME AND LISTEN TO CASES AND DECIDE CASES, AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE CASES FOR OUR CITY. THE GARLAND ON THE RISE STRATEGIC PLAN WAS PRESENTED A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AGO FOR THE FIRST TIME TO THE COUNCIL, AND THEY ADOPTED IT ALMOST A MONTH AGO NOW. SO IT IS NOW THE STRATEGIC PLAN OF THIS CITY. THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T WATCHED EITHER THE PRESENTATION WHERE WE INFORM THE COUNCIL AND TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH THE PLAN OR THE MONDAY NIGHT WORK SESSION WHERE WE HAD A BRIEFER PRESENTATION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN. I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT. I'M NOT GOING TO REITERATE THE ENTIRE PLAN TONIGHT, BUT INSTEAD I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN ASKS. FOR THOSE OF YOU IN THIS ROOM WHO DECIDE LAND USE CASES, BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BECAUSE MUCH OF WHAT WE'RE DOING INVOLVES LAND USE AND HOW TO FIX PROBLEMS THE CITY HAS THAT ARE RELATED TO THE LAND USES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY. AND SO THE REASON FOR THIS, AND THEN I'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE REASON FOR THE PLAN AND DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CONDITIONS THAT GOT US HERE. SO YOU UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS. THE REASON FOR THIS SESSION IS BECAUSE HAVING ADOPTED THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND AS I SAID, IT'S ON THE WEBSITE, IT'S GOT FOUR BASIC COMPONENTS. ONE IS TO MAINTAIN CORE SERVICES OF OUR CITY. YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, OF COURSE, WE'LL MAINTAIN CORE SERVICES. WELL, THE PROBLEM IS WE'RE INCREASING IN AN INCREASINGLY TIGHT FINANCIAL ENVIRONMENT AS A RESULT OF BOTH LEGISLATION AND A LONGER TERM DECLINE IN OUR HOUSING AND COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS. THAT'S CAUSED INCREASINGLY TIGHTENING BUDGETS. AND SO ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE PLAN IS TO TRY TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO MAINTAIN CORE SERVICES OVER THE NEXT DECADE WHILE THE PLAN IS IMPLEMENTED.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT PART OF THE PLAN IS FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP, THAT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY IS USING MONEY AS WISELY AS IT CAN, AND SAVING MONEY AS MUCH AS IT CAN, AND SPENDING MONEY TO REVITALIZE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, TO USE THE MONEY TO TO GROW OUR WAY OUT OF THIS

[00:40:05]

YOU ARE THE FIRST LINE TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT HOW THOSE PARCELS WILL BE USED GOING FORWARD. THE COUNCIL HAS DETERMINED THAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN WAS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY, AND I THINK IF YOU WATCHED EITHER THE SATURDAY OR THE MONDAY WORK SESSIONS THAT WE HAD ON THAT, YOU WOULD SEE THAT THE COUNCIL IS BOTH UNANIMOUSLY AND STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO UNDER THIS STRATEGIC PLAN. IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS CITY. I TOLD THE COUNCIL, AND I WILL SAY IT HERE, WE'RE AT A CROSSROADS IN THE CITY OF GARLAND. WE'RE AT A CROSSROADS BECAUSE WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE THE SERVICES THAT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE COME TO DEMAND AND COME TO EXPECT CANNOT BE SUPPORTED FINANCIALLY GOING FORWARD WITHOUT TURNING THE CITY AROUND, WITHOUT ECONOMIC REDEVELOPMENT, AND WITHOUT TRYG TO GROW OUR WAY OUT OF A LONG TERM STRUCTURAL PROBLEM THAT'S BEEN EXACERBATED BY SENATE BILL TWO. AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT. BUT WE HAVE TO BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE GET OUT OF THE INCREASINGLY TIGHT FINANCIAL ENVIRONMENT WE'RE IN SO THAT WE CAN, TEN, 15 YEARS FROM NOW, MAKE SURE WE CAN PROVIDE OUR RESIDENTS THE SERVICE THAT THEY'VE COME TO EXPECT. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS PLAN DOES. AND AS I SAY, WE'RE AT A CROSSROADS BECAUSE WE CAN DO ONE OF TWO THINGS. WE CAN DO NOTHING. AND THEN THE ECONOMIC FORCES WILL DETERMINE WHAT THE FUTURE OF THIS CITY IS. OR WE CAN HAVE A PLAN AND GROW OUR WAY OUT OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE. THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AS I EXPLAINED TO THE COUNCIL, CHOOSES THE SECOND PATH. THAT IS WHERE WE DECIDE OUR OWN FUTURE, WHERE WE DECIDE WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO GROW OUR WAY OUT OF SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE AS A RESULT OF SOME OF THE LONG TERM DECLINES IN SOME OF OUR COMMERCIAL AREAS, AND AS A RESULT OF SOME FINANCIAL PRESSURES THAT I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT IN JUST A MOMENT. AND THE REASON THAT I SAY THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS BECAUSE THE REDEVELOPMENT THAT YOU WILL SEE IN THE COMING YEARS AND THAT IS UNDERWAY, AND THE WORK IS UNDERWAY FOR WILL TAKE WILL TAKE SHAPE ONE LAND USE CASE AT A TIME. AND THOSE CASES COME HERE FIRST. THIS IS WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD WITH RESPECT TO WHETHER WE ARE SUCCESSFUL OR UNSUCCESSFUL IN REDEVELOPING THE CITY. EVERY ZONING CASE YOU HEAR, EVERY SUP CASE, YOU HEAR EVERY COMP PLAN AMENDMENT THAT YOU HAVE IN THE YEARS AHEAD WILL EITHER MOVE US CLOSER TO THE PLAN OR MOVE US AWAY FROM THE PLAN. THERE'S REALLY NO MIDDLE GROUND EITHER WHAT YOU'RE DOING AS A PLAN COMMISSION AND WHAT YOU'RE RECOMMENDING TO THE COUNCIL MOVES US CLOSER TO SUCCESS OR FURTHER AWAY FROM SUCCESS. EVERY SINGLE CASE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE MATH THAT HAS DRIVEN US HERE. THE SENATE, SENATE BILL 2 IN 2019, I BELIEVE IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE GAIN EVERY YEAR OVER THE PRIORD YEAR, THE ANNUAL REVENUE INCREASE FOR OUR OPERATING BUDGET WAS GOING TO BE CAPPED AT 3.5%. SO NO MATTER WHAT INFLATION IS, NO MATTER HOW MUCH COSTS HAVE GONE UP FOR THE CITY, WE'RE LIMITED TO GAINING 3.5% REVENUE. AND I EXPLAIN IT THIS WAY. IMAGINE YOU RAN A BUSINESS AND YOUR COSTS WENT UP 10% A YEAR. SO YOUR COSTS OF

[00:45:05]

HOW IS IT THAT OUR COSTS GO UP 7%? WELL, THINK ABOUT THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT A CITY PURCHASES, CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS TO BUILD STUFF. ANYBODY WHO'S BUILT ANYTHING IN THE LAST TEN YEARS KNOWS WHAT THOSE PRICES HAVE DONE. THE COST OF CONCRETE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS DRAMATICALLY HIGHER.

WE BUILD ROADS AND SIDEWALKS AND OTHER THINGS OUT OF CONCRETE. IT'S WAY MORE THAN 7% HIGHER. BIG VEHICLES, WE BUY FIRE TRUCKS. FIRE TRUCKS ARE DRAMATICALLY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THEY WERE FIVE YEARS AGO, ALMOST DOUBLED IN PRICE. WE ALSO PAY FOR THINGS LIKE PROPERTY INSURANCE FOR OUR BUILDINGS. PROPERTY INSURANCE PRICES HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ROOF AS A RESULT OF CONSTRUCTION COSTS. WE PAY FOR HEALTH INSURANCE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS HAVE GONE THROUG THE ROOF, AND SO 7.7% ANNUAL GROWTH IS A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE OF WHAT WE ARE FACING IN THE GENERAL FUND AS AN UPWARD COST, BUT WE'RE LIMITED TO 3.5% REVENUE IN THE GENERAL FUND FROM OUR PROPERTYAX BASE. ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE FACE IS THAT IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGE TO SOLVE, BECAUSE 63% OF OUR BUDGET RIGHT NOW, ALMOST TWO THIRDS OF OUR BUDGET, GOES TO PAY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. THAT IS POLICE AND FIRE, MEANING ALMOST THE ENTIRE SQUEEZE GETS PUT O ON E REST OF THE BUDGET. THAT'S OUR PARKS, THAT'S OUR LIBRARIES, THAT'S OUR CULTURAL ARTS, THAT'S OUR STREETS. THAT'S EVERYTHING ELSE HAS TO GO INTO THAT. THE OTHER IMPORTANT FACT YOU NEED TO KNOW IS THAT GARLAND IS A VERY MODEST COMMUNITY, AND IT IMPACTS THE 3% REVENUE CAP AS FOLLOWS. IF YOU LOOK AT OUR PER CAPITA, THAT'S PER PERSON TAX BASE. IN GARLAND, IT'S ABOUT $354 PER PERSON, LESS THAN THE METROPLEX AVERAGE. IF YOU JUST SAID, WELL, WHAT'S THE AVERAGE PERSON PAY IN MUNICIPAL TAXES, WHETHER THROUGH SALES OR PROPERTY TAX OR WHAT'S THE AVERAGE PERSON PAY ACROSS THE METROPLEX? IN GARLAND, THEY PAY $354 PER RESIDENT LESS. THAT RESULTS IN HAVING $90 MILLION LESS, $90 MILLION LESS IN OUR GENERAL FUND EVERY YEAR. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY. WHY DOES THAT HAPPEN? WELL, TWOFOLD. NUMBER ONE, WE'RE A VERY MODEST COMMUNITY WITH A FAIRLY LOW TAX BASE IN TERMS OF OUR PROPERTY VALUES. IF SOME OF THE MOST AFFORDABLE PROPERTIES IN THE ENTIRE METROPLEX RIGHT HERE IN GARLAND, THAT'S GOOD NEWS. BAD NEWS. THE GOOD NEWS IS IT'S AN AFFORDABLE PLACE TO LIVE. THE BAD NEWS IS WE DON'T GET A LOT OF PROPERTY TAX. THE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENS IS WE HAVE A VERY MODEST SALES TAX. OUR SALES TAX IS MUCH LOWER, MUCH, MUCH LOWER THAN MOST PLACES IN THE METROPLEX. WHY? BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR COMMERCIAL SHOPPING CENTERS THAT WE ONCE HAD THAT WERE GENERATING INCOME, PROPERTY TAXES, SAL TAX, THAT SALES TAX BASE HAS DISAPPEARED AS OUR COMMERCIAL CENTERS HAVE AGED OUT AND TURNED INTO NON PRODUCTIVE USES. SO WHERE WE ONCE HAD SHOPPING CENTERS THAT HAD LOTS OF GOODS SOLD AND RESTAURANTS AND THINGS OF THIS NATURE IN OUR CORRIDORS, WE NOW HAVE VERY LOW PRODUCING USES. AND YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THOSE USES AND SEEN THEM. IF YOU'VE DRIVEN AROUND OUR CITY, IF YOU'VE LIVED HERE FOR ANY AMOUNT OF TIME, AND YOU GO BACK 25 YEARS AND ASK WHAT SOME OF OUR NICER SHOPPING CENTERS LOOKED LIKE THEN, AND GO DRIVE BY THEM TODAY. YOU WOULD SEE THE USES ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, MUCH LOWER SALES TAX USES. IN FACT, THERE ARE PARTS I TELL PEOPLE IF YOU IF YOU GO UP NORTH AND YOU GO, SAY, INTO 1 OR 2 MILE STRETCHES OF PLANO OR 1 OR 2 MILE STRETCHES OF RICHARDSON, THEY HAVE MORE SALES TAX IN JUST A COUPLE OF MILES THAN OUR ENTIRE CITY HAS IN SOME OF THESE AREAS, AND THEY HAVE THRIVING SHOPPING CENTERS AND RESTAURANTS AND ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF. BUT WHAT CAUSED OUR DECLINE IN OUR SHOPPING CENTERS? PART OF IT IS A RESULT OF THE HOUSING DECLINE THAT BECKY KING WILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT AND TELL YOU ABOUT THE HOUSING STUDY. AND THAT CAUSES BECAUSE OF THE HOUSING DECLINE, THE SHOPPING CENTERS DON'T HAVE THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN THE AREAS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THEM. AND SO THEY

[00:50:04]

AND WHAT WE SAY IS WE DON'T NEED A BIGGER GARLAND. WE CAN'T GROW OUT. WE'RE COMPLETELY LANDLOCKED. SOME CITIES HAVE DEALT WITH SENATE BILL TWO BY GROWING OUT, AND THEY MAKE THEIR CITY BIGGER. AND THEN THE NEW CONSTRUCTION IS EXEMPTED FROM THE SENATE BILL TWO CAP.

THERE'S NOT MUCH MORE LAND FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION IN GARLAND. WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF PARCELS, BUT WE'RE PRETTY MUCH LANDLOCKED. WE'RE PRETTY MUCH COMPLETELY BUILT OUT. AND SO WHAT WE WE DON'T NEED A BIGGER GARLAND. WE CAN'T GET BIGGER. WE NEED A FINANCIALLY STRONGER GARLAND.

AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE REINVESTMENT IN PLACES THAT ARE READY TO GROW. AND THAT'S WHAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN DOES. IT IDENTIFIES CERTAIN ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS, AND BECKY WILL TALK ABOUT THEM. ECONOMIC FOCUS ARS WHERE THE CITY WILL PUT PUBLIC MONEY IN THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THIS. OUT OF THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE BECOME WHAT IS NOW A THRIVING ECONOMIC AREA. ANYBODY WHO WAS HERE 15 YEARS AGO, IF YOU WERE OUT THERE ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, 15 YEARS AGO, AT 9:00 AT NIGHT, YOU WERE PROBABLY LOST.

THERE WAS NOBODY ON THAT SQUARE YOU COULD WALK AROUND AND TUMBLEWEEDS WERE BLOWING THROUGH THERE. THERE WAS NO ECONOMIC ACTIVITY GOING ON. LOOK OUT ACROSS THE SQUARE NOW.

ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, I SIT IN MY OFFICE SOMETIMES, AND I, AS THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE KNOW, I TEND TO WORK LATE. I'LL LOOK ACROSS THE SQUARE ON FRIDAY NIGHT AT 9:00 AND IT'S A BASTION OF ACTIVITY. THERE'S PEOPLE EATING AT RESTAURANTS. THERE'S PEOPLE GOING IN AND OUT OF THE SHOPS. THERE'S ALL SORTS OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY THAT DID NOT HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT. THAT HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF COUNCIL LEADERSHIP DECISIONS MADE BY THIS COMMISSION AND BY CITY COUNCIL, BY THE SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC IN PUTTING PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE THERE.

AND THEN WE PUT PUBLIC MONEY IN AND PRIVATE DOLLARS FLOWED IN. AND THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. WHEN THE PUBLIC PUTS PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IN, PRIVATE SECTOR WILL COME IN AND RESPOND AND PUT DEVELOPMENT IN THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE IS PROOF OF THAT. TODAY, AS I SAID, IT'S A MUCH DIFFERENT PLACE THAN IT WAS 15 YEARS AGO. SO THAT'S THE MODEL. THE MODEL IS WE DON'T NEED A BIGGER GARLAND, WE NEED A STRONGER GARLAND. HOW DO WE MAKE IT STRONGER? WE INVEST IN CERTAIN AREAS IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND IN PLACEMAKING AND IN IN ENHANCING CERTAIN OF OUR ECONOMIC CORRIDORS. AND BECKY WILL IDENTIFY THOSE FOR YOU. AND WHEN WE DO THAT, THE IDEA IS PUBLIC MONEY WILL FLOW IN. WE'VE PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS. WE HAVE DE-RISKED. THAT IS, WE HAVE LOWERED THE RISK FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO BUILD THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE WE HAVE MADE IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR CORRIDORS. THOSE IMPROVEMENTS WILL ALSO EXTEND TO THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS SURROUNDING THOSE CORRIDORS. ONE OF THE THINGS DEVELOPERS WILL TELL YOU WHEN THEY COME IN TO LOOK AT SOME OF OUR ECONOMIC CORRIDORS, AND THEY THINK ABOUT STARTING A BUSINESS HERE. THEY DRIVE THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THEY DETERMINE THAT THE CONDITION OF THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS CREATES TOO MUCH RISK FOR THEM TO BUILD THEIR BUSINESS HERE. ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO IS NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD, GO IN AND HELP THE RESIDENTS IMPROVE THE THE CHARACTER OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS BY IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS AND MAINTAINING MINIMUM PROPERTY STANDARDS. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COUNCIL HAS DEALT WITH. SO THE WAY WE'RE LOOKING AT AT THE LAND USE LINK IS IMPROVING THAT VALUE. AND THE WAY WE'RE MEASURING IT IS PER ACRE, NOT PER BUILDING OR USE. AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR HIGHER VALUED USES IN THE ECONOMIC CORRIDORS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS HOUSING OF THE TYPE THAT WILL FEED THE NEARBY SHOPPING CENTERS. THAT IS HOUSING OF THE TYPE THAT WILL ATTRACT PEOPLE AND FAMILIES, THAT WILL COME AND LIVE HERE, THAT WILL SUPPORT THE NEARBY SHOPPING CENTERS. THAT MEANS MIXED USE, THAT WILL GIVE MULTIPLES OF TAX VALUE PER ACRE OVER SOME OF THE EXISTING USES THAT WE HAVE.

THAT MEANS USES THAT HAVE RECURRING SALES TAX, THAT FLOW BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND. AND

[00:55:02]

[01:00:02]

IF WE TURN THAT AROUND AND HAVE A THRIVING COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND HAVE SALES TAX REVENUE, WE'LL NEED LESS PROPERTY TAX REVENUE. SO IF THIS PLAN IS SUCCESSFUL, WHICH I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE A GOOD PLAN AND THAT IT CAN BE SUCCESSFUL, IF THIS PLAN IS SUCCESSFUL, THEN IN THE FUTURE, LESS OF THE TAX BURDEN WILL BE BORNE BY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, AND MORE OF THE TAX BURDEN WILL BE BORNE BY SALES TAX AND COMMERCIAL TAX, WHICH IS HOW IT IS IN OTHER CITIES. SO ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE LEARNED, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DECIDED TO DO UNDER THE STRATEGIC PLAN WAS FOCUS ON CERTAIN AREAS. IF YOU TRIED TO REDEVELOP AND YOU TRIED TO REVITALIZE AN ENTIRE CITY ALL AT ONCE WITH A LIMITED AMOUNT OF MONEY, AND IT'S NOT CLEAR, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT $75 MILLION IN BONDS FOR ECONOMIC REDEVELOPMENT, PROBABLY ANOTHER 30 OR $40 MILLION IN ONE TIME MONEY WE CAN USE OVER THE NEXT DECADE OR SO. IF YOU SPREAD THAT MONEY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY, INSTEAD OF FOCUSING IN AN ECONOMIC FOCUS, AREAS, YOU WOULD EXPECT WHEN YOU CAME BACK IN TEN YEARS TO NOTICE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. IT WOULD LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME AS IT DID. WHY? BECAUSE IF WE, INSTEAD OF FOCUSING OUR INVESTMENT DOWNTOWN AND SPREAD THAT MONEY THROUGHOUT THE CITY, YOU WOULD SEE NOTHING AS A RESULT OF IT. SO WHAT THE EXPERTS HAVE TOLD US TO DO IS TO FOCUS OUR ECONOMIC EFFORTS IN KEY CORRIDORS THAT ARE READY TO GROW. IT'S NOT A SUGGESTION THAT ONE NEIGHBORHOOD OR ONE AREA IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANOTHER. IT'S JUST MORE LIKELY TO BE PRODUCTIVE NOW THAN ANOTHER. AND IT'S A SEQUENCING STRATEGY. YOU DEVELOP ONE ECONOMIC NODE AND YOU GET IT TO START THROWING OFF SALES TAX AND PROPERTY TAX. AND THEN THE.

THEN WHEN THAT STARTS THROWING OFF MONEY, YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT NODE AND YOU DEVELOP THE NEXT NODE, AND YOU DO THEM ONE AT A TIME. AS THEY THROW OFF MONEY, YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE. AND THAT'S A STRATEGY THAT'S DELIBERATE. AGAIN, IT'S NOT A CHOICE. IT'S NOT A CHOICE OR A SUGGESTION THAT ONE NEIGHBORHOOD IS BETTER THAN ANOTHER OR MORE DESERVING THAN ANOTHER. IT'S ONE IS MORE READY FOR REDEVELOPMENT THAN ANOTHER, AND IT'S MORE LIKELY TO THROW OFF MONEY AND THROW OFF ECONOMIC BENEFIT SO THAT WE CAN THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.

AND AGAIN, IT'S A SEQUENCING STRATEGY, THE ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS. AND AND BECKY WILL SHOW YOU THESE ARE DOWNTOWN THE AREA IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA DOWNTOWN WHERE WE HAVE THE SQUARE. WE'LL PROBABLY ADD ABOUT 2000, 2500 HOUSING UNITS OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS. AND IT'S AN EXTENSION OF WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE DOWNTOWN. THE EXPERTS, WHEN THEY CAME IN AND LOOKED AND SAID, THERE'S MORE ECONOMIC VALUE TO BE HAD GROWING THE DOWNTOWN AREA, AND YOU WILL STABILIZE IT FOR DECADES IF YOU ADD SOME ADDITIONAL HOUSING AND FINISH BUILDING IT OUT. ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SEE DOWNTOWN IS THE RESTAURANTS ARE BUSY AND IT SEEMS TO BE THRIVING. THE CONCERN THAT THE EXPERTS HAVE IS SOMEDAY THE NEW WILL WEAR OFF. THE PEOPLE WHO COME IN FROM OTHER CITIES TO SEE THIS WILL BE LESS FREQUENT, BECAUSE THEY WILL COME HERE LESS FREQUENTLY, BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY EATEN ALL THE RESTAURANTS ON THE SQUARE. AND AT THAT POINT, YOU NEED TO HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE IN THE VICINITY TO MAINTAIN THOSE RESTAURANTS IN THOSE AREAS. AND SO WE'LL BE ADDING HOUSING UNITS DOWNTOWN. AND AGAIN, DOWNTOWN SERVES, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IS AN IMPORTANT PROOF OF CONCEPT. THAT IS WHERE

[01:05:05]

AND THAT'S THE ASK TONIGHT. AND THAT'S WHY THIS TRAINING, EVERY THING YOU APPROVE HERE BECOMES A 20 YEAR COMMITMENT IN THAT CORRIDOR. YOU PUT SOMETHING IN, IT'S GOING TO BE THERE AT LEAST 20 YEARS. EVEN WHEN YOU GIVE IT AN EIGHT YEAR'S U P, I WILL EAT MY HAT IF I COME BACK HERE NINE YEARS AND YOU'VE SAID, OH, SORRY, YOU'RE EIGHT YEARS IS UP. GET OUT. I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF GARLAND. I JUST HAVEN'T SEEN IT. AND I'VE BEEN AROUND HERE AND

[01:10:03]

AND SO PATIENCE IS FAR BETTER THAN, THAN, THAN PUTTING A LAND USE IN PLACE THAT WILL PERSIST FOR DECADES AND MAKE SOME OF THESE COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS ECONOMICALLY UNVIABLE FOR DECADES. THE OTHER THING IT DOES, IT MAKES LAND ASSEMBLY HARDER FOR US. WE CAN'T FIND.

THE MORE PLACES, THE MORE ECONOMIC CORRIDORS WE DO THIS TO, THE HARDER IT BECOMES TO FIND PLACES TO TO ASSEMBLE LAND THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY OFFER TO DEVELOPERS FOR HIGHER VALUE USES. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS SIGNAL TO INVESTORS THAT GARLAND IS PUTTING A TON, A TON OF MONEY. WE'VE SPENT ALMOST $1 BILLION IN BOND FUNDS TO PUT OUT, TO BUILD PARKS AND, AND FIRE STATIONS AND LIBRARIES AND ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT THE VOTERS SAID THAT THEY WANTED. AND THAT SENDS A SIGNAL TO INVESTORS, RIGHT? THAT TELLS INVESTORS THE CITY IS WILLING TO COMMIT PUBLIC MONEY TO THIS CITY BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN THIS CITY AND I BELIEVE IN THIS CITY. WHEN WE PUT A LOW VALUE USE OUT, WHEN WE PUT A LOW VALUE USE AND APPROVAL, LOW VALUE USE, THAT SENDS THE OPPOSITE SIGNAL TO THE MARKET. WHEN YOU TAKE A SHOPPING CENTER THAT IS ON THE TEETERING ON THE VERGE OF EITHER THRIVING OR NOT THRIVING, AND PUT A LAUNDROMAT, A COIN OPERATED LAUNDROMAT IN IT WITH AN SUP. THAT'S A SIGNAL TO THE MARKET THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN UP ON THAT SHOPPING CENTER, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A LOW VALUE USE FOR THE REMAINING OF IT'S THE REMAINDER OF ITS LIFE. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO DO THAT. WE NEED TO HAVE THE DISCIPLINE TO WAIT UNTIL THE PRIVATE CAPITAL SHOWS UP. ONCE WE'VE SPENT ALL THIS MONEY IMPROVING THE CORRIDORS, IMPROVING THE GATEWAYS, AND WITH THE INVESTMENT THAT WE'VE MADE IN PUBL INFRASTRUCTURE, IN ROADS, WE'VE MADE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INVESTMENTS, AND WE'RE MAKING UNDER OUR BOND PROGRAMS, IN OUR IN OUR STREETS AND ROADWAYS, WE'RE MAKING INVESTMENTS IN OUR CORRIDORS AND OUR ENTRYWAYS. WE'RE MAKING INVESTMENTS IN OUR PARKS AND OUR LIBRARIES AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THE VOTERS HAVE SAID THAT THEY WANTED. IF YOU TAKE ALL OF THAT AND THEN SPOIL IT BY TELLING THE INVESTMENT COMMUNITY WE'RE OKAY WITH A LOW VALUE USE, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO COME SIT NEXT TO IT, AND IT'LL ALL BE HAVE BEEN FOR NAUGHT. AND SO WHAT I SAY, AND THEN I'LL MOVE ON AND I'LL COME BACK LATER AND WE'LL GO THROUGH SOME JUST A FEW SAMPLE CASES TO SHOW YOU HOW, HOW WE CAN THINK ABOUT THESE IS THERE'S FIVE QUESTIONS THAT YOU SHOULD REALLY ASK ON EVERY QUARTER CASE. WHEN YOU HEAR IT'S IN AN ECONOMIC FOCUS AREA, YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF, DOES THIS USE MAKE THE QUARTERS PER ACRE VALUE HIGHER OR DOES IT LOCK IN A LOW PERFORMING USE? WOULD APPROVING THIS CASE MAKE THE QUARTERS TARGET FUTURE HARDER OR EASIER TO REACH? IF YOU. APPROVING A USE MAKES IT SO THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THAT ECONOMIC CORRIDOR BECAUSE WE APPROVED A LOW VALUE SUP USE. AND WHAT THE ASK IS, IS REMEMBER, WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING UNDER THE PLAN. WE'RE PUTTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN. IF WE PUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TO TRY TO IMPROVE A CORRIDOR, AND THEN WE PUT A BUNCH OF LOW VALUE USES IN IT, SO THAT CORRIDOR IS NEVER GOING TO DEVELOP TO ITS POTENTIAL. WE'VE WASTED ALL THAT MONEY. WE SHOULD HAVE PICKED SOMEPLACE ELSE TO DO IT. WHAT IS THIS PRECEDENT? WHAT IS THE PRECEDENT SET FOR THE NEXT PARCEL ON THE BLOCK? IT'S NOT ONLY THE PRECEDENT THAT YOU DID IT, IT'S WHAT DOES IT TELL THE INVESTMENT COMMUNITY WHEN THEY SEE SOME OF THE LOW VALUE USES GOING TO THESE SHOPPING CENTERS? THEY SAY THE CITY IS NOT SERIOUS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT HERE.

[01:15:03]

AND SO IT'S EXACTLY THE RIGHT COMMENT IS YES, THAT'S THE THAT'S THE GUIDANCE YOU NEED.

YOU NEED THE STAFF TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION BASED ON WHAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND TO LET YOU KNOW THIS USE WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH UNDER OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. AND IF IT'S NOT, YOU NEED TO BE TOLD THAT DIRECTLY. THIS IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR UNDER THE STRATEGIC PLAN. I SAY JUST BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE GET LOST IN THE POLITICS AND IN THE BACK AND FORTH HERE AT COUNCIL, ASK YOURSELF THESE FIVE QUESTIONS. IS THIS CONSISTENT WITH ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THAT CORRIDOR, OR AM I ALLOWING THIS BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO GO WITH WHAT'S THERE NOW? AND YOU CAN I GET THE SENTIMENT OF THAT? AND IT MAKES A LOT OF JUST BASIC SENSE. YOU SAY, WELL, IT GOES WITH WHAT'S THERE NOW. AND IF WE DIDN'T NEED TO CHANGE THE ECONOMIC CHARACTER OF SOME OF OUR CORRIDORS, IF WE HAD THRIVING ECONOMIC CORRIDORS, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT QUESTION TO ASK. IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS, IF WE HAVE QUARTERS THAT AREN'T THRIVING, THOUGH, AND WE ADD USES THAT GO WITH NON THRIVING CORRIDORS, WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE A DECADE FROM NOW IS NON THRIVING CORRIDORS. AND WE WANT TO SEE THRIVING CORRIDORS. SO I APPRECIATE THE COMMENT MR. JENKINS. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE INTEND TO DO GOING FORWARD SIR. WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE, COMMISSIONER? NOTHING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH. THANK YOU SIR. MR. THANK YOU. I WANT TO DITTO WHAT COMMISSIONER JENKINS SAID. YOU'RE. IT'S PHENOMENAL TO SEE THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND GOING ON IN OUR CITY, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I LIKE YOUR IDEA HERE. AND I LIKE HIS IDEA OF KEEP FORCE FEEDING THAT TO US. WHEN YOU BRING PRESENTATIONS TO US AND MAKE US THINK THROUGH AND PAST WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND DOING TO REMEMBER WHAT YOU'VE TOLD US TONIGHT. AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, MAYBE IT'S BEEN A YEAR AGO BEFORE YOU BECAME CITY MANAGER. WE WE REZONED OR CHANGED THE DEVELOPMENT ON A PRETTY SIZABLE TRACK. AND ONE OF THE TARGET AREAS YOU'VE GOT, I'M ANXIOUS TO HEAR FEEDBACK ON THAT AS WE MOVE ALONG, AS IT'S AS IT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN TELL US OR

[01:20:06]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. COMMISSIONER DALTON. THANK YOU. BETWEEN 10 AND 15 YEARS AGO, MYSELF, WHEN I WAS IN DISTRICT THREE COMMISSION AND THE DISTRICT FOUR COMMISSIONER DID A. WE WERE INVITED BY A CONSULTANT TO LOOK AT THINGS IN OUR DISTRICTS, SPECIFICALLY BROADWAY AND 30. WE RODE THROUGH THE AREA WITH THE CONSULTANT TALKING ABOUT WHAT WAS THERE AND SO FORTH, AND A COMMENT MADE BY THE CONSULTANT TO ME FITS COMPLETELY IN WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. IT SAID THERE'S PLENTY OF RETAIL HERE. IT'S THE WRONG KIND. THAT'S RIGHT. AND THAT IS SO TRUE. AND HERE IT IS 15 YEARS LATER AND IT'S STILL THERE. THE SAME RETAIL. THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S IT. I'LL JUST REITERATE WHAT THEY SAID. AND WE NEEDED THIS PRESENTATION.

IT IS REALLY GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL. AND I WOULD SUGGEST TO WE COMMISSIONERS THAT THOSE FIVE QUESTIONS GO BEYOND THE CORRIDOR, MAYBE NOT WITH THE SAME INTENSITY. THAT'S CORRECT.

THAT WE LOOK AT ALL FIVE QUESTIONS IN EVERY SINGLE CASE, MAYBE WITH A HIGHER SCRUTINY IN A CORRIDOR. SO. ABSOLUTELY. AND THE QUESTION IS THIS PUSHING THE CITY TOWARDS A HIGHER ECONOMIC VALUE USE? IS THIS IMPROVING THE VALUE PER ACRE OF THE PROPERTY WE ALREADY HAVE EVERYWHERE IN THE CITY? WE DO THAT. WE'RE FOCUSING SPECIFICALLY ON THE CORRIDORS BECAUSE WE'RE INVESTING MILLIONS THERE. BUT EVERY TIME YOU LOOK AT A CASE, YOU SAY, IS THIS IMPROVING THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF THIS? AND AGAIN, THE PATIENCE TO BE ABLE TO SIT AND LOOK AND SAY, WELL, THIS MIGHT SIT EMPTY IF WE DON'T PUT A CAR WASH HERE, THE RESPONSE I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT'S OKAY, THAT'S OKAY. IF IT SITS EMPTY WITHOUT A CAR WASH, WE'LL BE OKAY. BUT IF YOU PUT A CAR WASH THERE AND IT MEANS WE DON'T HAVE A NICE RESTAURANT OR SHOPPING CENTER THERE IN TEN YEARS, THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR US. SO THAT STATEMENT ALONE HELPS GIVE US PERMISSION TO SAY, OKAY, NO, NOTHING, COMMISSIONER CORNELIUS, THE BEAUTIFUL THING IS THE INVISIBLE HAND OF ECONOMICS WORKS. SO IF YOU PUT NOTHING THERE AND WE SPEND MONEY IN OUR CORRIDORS TO IMPROVE OUR CORRIDORS, DEVELOPERS WILL COME IN. THE ONLY THING THAT'S GOING TO KEEP THEM OUT IF WE IMPROVE THESE CORRIDORS IS IF WE PUT USES IN. THAT'S INCONSISTENT WITH THE USES. I WANT TO END WITH ONE STORY. YOU REMEMBER WE HAD A CAR WASH CASE HERE AND THE IT WENT TO THE COUNCIL AND THE DEVELOPER SAID, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S WRONG WITH CAR WASHES. AND THERE WAS ONE OUT ON I-30 THAT WE APPROVED, AND IT'S RIGHT ACROSS THE HIGHWAY, NOT FAR DOWN FROM WHERE WE'RE PLANNING. IF YOU LOOK AT THE THE PLANS THAT WE HAVE FOR A HIGH VALUE HOTEL AND MAYBE SOME VERY FANCY RESTAURANTS, AND I SAID TO THE DEVELOPER IN THE HALLWAY, STOPPED ME AND SAID, WHAT'S WRONG WITH A, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE LAUNDROMAT? AND I SAID TO HIM, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A RUTH'S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE? WELL, YES, I HAVE, HE SAID. I SAID, WHEN YOU'RE STANDING IN THE PARKING LOT OF A RUTH'S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE AND YOU LOOK AROUND, DO YOU SEE A LAUNDROMAT? HE SAID, OH, OF COURSE NOT. I SAID, THERE YOU GO, THERE YOU GO. IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE, IS THAT IF YOU WANT A RUTH'S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE AND YOU WANT A FANCY HOTEL, DON'T PUT A LAUNDROMAT ACROSS THE STREET

[01:25:06]

AND THAT'S HOW YOU TURN THE CITY AROUND. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE TAX INCREASE FROM THE STUFF INSIDE, THAT CAN BE THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE. THAT'S CORRECT. FROM THE BASIC BUILDING. THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, FOR YOUR CAREFUL ATTENTION. I'LL BE BACK AT THE END TO WALK THROUGH A FEW CASES. AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MISS KING. HOWDY. GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN ROBERTS AND COMMISSIONERS. I AM BECKY KING. I AM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT. AND IT'S MY PLEASURE TO SPEAK TO YOU TONIGHT. THERE WE GO. SO AFTER TWO YEARS, MORE OR LESS OF STUDYING THE GARLAND HOUSING MARKET, THE CITY COUNCIL ON JUNE 16TH ADOPTED THE GARLAND HOUSING STRATEGY. AND I BELIEVE YOU ALL HAVE COPIES OF THAT STRATEGY HOT OFF THE PRESS AT YOUR SEATS TONIGHT. IT'S CRITICAL THAT THIS HOUSING STRATEGY NOT COLLECT DUST ON A SHELF. IT MUST BE IMPLEMENTED.

AND CITY MANAGER BETTS HAS JUST COVERED A LOT OF THE REASONS WHY THE CITY'S FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY RESTS IN LARGE PART ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS STRATEGIC PLAN. AND THAT'S WHAT BRINGS ME HERE TO YOU TONIGHT. SO. YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, IF YOU HAVE WATCHED JUST JUST AS MR. BETTS WAS TALKING ABOUT THE CITY STRATEGIC PLAN, THE HOUSING STRATEGIC PLAN WAS ALSO PRESENTED IN GREAT DETAIL AT THE JUNE 6TH SATURDAY WORK SESSION. IF YOU WANT TO GO WATCH, THERE'S A 2.5 HOUR LONG PRESENTATION ABOUT THE HOUSING STRATEGY, AND THEN THERE'S A MUCH BRIEFER SUMMARY OF IT AT THE COUNCIL MONDAY NIGHT WORK SESSION ON JUNE 15TH. I'M NOT GOING TO GO OVER ALL OF THESE THINGS, BUT I AM GOING TO TRY TO HIT POINTS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO YOU AS THE PLANNING COMMISSION. SO IN THOSE PRESENTATIONS, YOU MIGHT HEAR A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT CITY PROGRAMS, GRANTS AND INCENTIVES. AND AND THAT'S FOR THE CITY STAFF TO DO THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS, THE INCENTIVES TO HOMEOWNERS, FACADE GRANT IMPROVEMENTS, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. BUT AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE HOUSING STRATEGY SITS LAND USE. AND THAT IS YOUR ROLE. AND YOU ARE OFTEN THE FIRST BODY TO SEE AND WEIGH IN ON THOSE DECISIONS. AND THAT IS WHY ZONING, IF THE ZONING DOES NOT ALLOW OR UPHOLD THE VISION FOR A CORRIDOR OR REVITALIZATION, YOU KNOW, TARGET AREA, THEN ALL THE CITY PROGRAMS IN THE WORLD CAN'T FIX THAT. ON YOUR ON YOUR SLIDE THERE, YOU'LL SEE SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW THOSE MIGHT COME IN IN FRONT OF YOU, REZONING CASES WHERE THE COMMISSION DECIDES WHETHER CORRIDOR LAND CAN BECOME WHAT THE STRATEGY NEEDS, SPECIAL USE PERMITS DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT LOW VALUE USES REENTER THE CORRIDOR. WE'RE TRYING TO LIFT PLATS AND SITE PLANS, DECIDING WHETHER A NODE MOVES TOWARDS A WALKABLE FORM, OR IT'S JUST ANOTHER AUTO USE PATH. COMP PLAN AMENDMENTS, WHICH WILL REVEAL WHETHER OR NOT THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP IS UPHELD. THOSE ARE ALL CRITICAL DECISIONS. MR. BETTS SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FINDINGS IN THE HOUSING STRATEGY, AND AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IDENTIFIED IS THAT OUR HOUSING MARKET HAS A PROBLEM. IT IS A SLOW STRUCTURAL DECLINE, BUT THAT DECLINE IS MASKED BY REGIONALLY RISING HOME PRICES. SO EVERY YEAR YOU SEE YOUR APPRAISAL HOUSE PRICES ARE GOING UP. IT LOOKS LIKE THE GARLAND HOUSING MARKET IS MOVING WITH THE REGION. IT'S NOT EXACTLY THE CASE. IT IS BEING MASKED. AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THESE TWO GAPS THAT HE MENTIONED. ONE IS AN AFFORDABILITY GAP. ONE IS A MARKET GAP. THE AFFORDABILITY GAP, SPLY PUT, IS THAT THE COST TO PRODUCE, ACQUIRE AND MAINTAIN HOUSING EXCEEDS INCOME

[01:30:05]

THEY'RE POTENTIAL RESIDENTS WON'T. AMENITIES. CURRENT RESIDENTS WANT AMENITIES. AND AS THIS CYCLE CONTINUES, ULTIMATELY, SALES TAX CARRIES TOO LITTLE OF THE BURDEN, WHICH THEN IN TURN JUST CYCLES BACK AROUND AND HITS OUR AFFORDABILITY GAP AGAIN.

BECAUSE, AS MR. BETTS MENTIONED IN GARLAND, BECAUSE OUR SALES TAX AND OUR COMMERCIAL TAX REVENUES ARE SO MUCH LOWER, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WELL, IT MEANS THE RESIDENTS HAVE TO CARRY MORE OF THE BURDEN. AND SO THAT'S PART OF STRUCTURALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO SHIFT BY ADDRESSING BOTH OF THESE GAPS AT THE SAME TIME. DOING SO REQUIRES A VERY CAREFULLY CURATED PROGRAM OF SOLUTIONS. SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THIS MANIFESTS. SO ONE OF THE KEY ELEMENTS IN THE HOUSING STUDY REVEALED THAT GARLAND IS CAUGHT IN THIS NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LOOP. MR. BETTS HAS DESCRIBED THAT TO SOME DEGREE. I'LL TELL YOU, I'LL TAKE YOU THROUGH IT, BUT BASICALLY DOING MORE OF THE SAME MAKES THINGS WORSE, DOESN'T THEY DON'T STAY THE SAME. THEY GET WORSE BECAUSE WE'RE IN A SELF-REINFORCING NEGATIVE LOOP. SO HOUSING STOCK, STRIP CENTER STOCK AGES THAT RESULTS IN A DRAG ON PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION OF THE COMMUNITY AS THEIR PERCEPTION DECLINES, THEIR WILLINGNESS TO REINVEST FALLS IS THEIR WILLINGNESS TO REINVEST. FALL FALLS VALUES TRAIL OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES AS VALUES TRAIL THEN HOUSEHOLD INCOMES TO SUPPORT MORE AMENITIES. FALLS AS AMENITIES DON'T COME. THE MARKET REFLECTS THAT IN LESS IN MORE OF A WILLINGNESS GAP THAN THE TAX BASE STAYS THIN. AND THEN NOW IT PUTS MORE AND MORE PRESSURE ON HOMEOWNERS TO COVER THE TAX BURDEN TO MAINTAIN QUALITY CITY SERVICES. BREAKING THIS LOOP TAKES A DIFFERENT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT IN OUR CORRIDORS, NOT MORE OF THE SAME. SO HOW DOES THIS REALLY APPLY TO YOU? WELL, PART OF THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED BY MR. BETTS IN THINKING OF HIGH VALUE USES. IT ALSO COMES TO YOU IN THE FORM OF WE REALLY NEED TO REBALANCE OUR LAND USE. SO THE HOUSING STUDY FOUND THAT OUR HOUSING MARKET, OUR LAND USE AND OUR TAX BASE ARE STRUCTURALLY OUT OF BALANCE. AND THIS IS THE MOMENT TO BEGIN CORRECTING THAT IMBALANCE. AND YOU PLAY THE KEY ROLE. DELIBERATELY SHIFTING THE MIX OF USES ON A CORRIDOR AWAY FROM LOW VALUE, AUTO ORIENTED

[01:35:07]

SO AS THE COMMISSION INTERACTS WITH DEVELOPERS ABOUT QUALITY AND FORM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT PLACEMAKING IS NOT JUST ABOUT BEAUTIFICATION, IT IS A FISCAL STRATEGY. IN FACT, THE HOUSING CONSULTANTS NOTED THAT TWO, 2 TO 5 TIMES THE VALUE PER ACRE CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH PLACEMAKING OVER AUTO ORIENTED, SINGLE USE DEVELOPMENT. NODES THAT ARE AUTO ORIENTED PASS THROUGH TODAY. THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE IN GARLAND. IN FACT, YOU CAN ALL SIT HERE AND THINK OF CORRIDORS WHERE YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOUR GOAL IS JUST TO MOVE THROUGH THEM AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. BUT THE GOAL SHOULD BE TO CREATE PLACES THAT PEOPLE WANT TO LINGER. BUT ZONING ALONE CANNOT OVERCOME THIS UNINVITING PUBLIC REALM. SO FORM MUST BE PART OF THE CONSIDERATION. IT MUST BE ABOUT HOW YOU EXPERIENCE A PLACE AND THAT GOING BACK TO THAT NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LOOP, HOW YOU PERCEIVE A PLACE, NOT JUST WHAT THERE IS TO DO THERE.

SO WHAT IS THIS? ASK OF THE PRIVATE REALM IN THE FORM OF DEVELOPMENT. IT ASKS THAT BUILDINGS ENGAGE THE STREET THAT ENTRANCES FRONT THE STREET PARKING IS AT THE SIDE OR THE REAR FIRST FLOOR. TRANSPARENCY AND ARTICULATED FACADES, PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED GROUND FLOOR USES AND UPPER FLOOR RESIDENTIAL AND OFFICE. WHAT IT ASKS OF THE PUBLIC REALM ARE SIDEWALKS OF SUFFICIENT WIDTH 5 TO 12FT ON ALL STREETS, HOPEFULLY WITHOUT UTILITY POLES IN THE MIDDLE OF STREET TREES AND PEDESTRIAN LEVEL LIGHTING, STREET FURNITURE ON STREET PARKING, BIKE LANES OR SHARROWS, AND HIGH VISIBILITY CROSSINGS EVERY 300 TO 500FT. MORE DETAIL ABOUT THESE THINGS WILL COME FORWARD IN THE NEW COMP PLAN, SO I DON'T WANT TO OVERWHELM

[01:40:03]

AND AS YOU SEE THE YELLOW AREAS AND THEN EVENTUALLY THE RED AREAS, THAT'S SORT OF A PHASING PLAN OF HOW YOU'LL SEE THE CITY MOVEHROUGH DOWNTOWN. THE 2500 HOUSING UNITS THAT ARE NEEDED ARE ACTUALLY NEEDED TO MAKE DOWNTOWN A LONG TERM, THRIVING BUSINESS DISTRICT. AND THERE'S ACTUALLY SOME RULES OF THUMB THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT. ABOUT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF HOUSING

[01:45:02]

SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THE NODES ARE SATURN, NORTHWEST HIGHWAY, SATURN, KINGSLEY AND FIRST AND KINGSLEY. AND THEN THOSE BLUE CIRCLES ARE HALF MILE RADIUS, RADIUS RADII AROUND THE NODES.

AND SO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT FALL WITHIN THAT BLUE CIRCLE, THOSE ARE PART OF OUR TARGET INTERVENTIONS WHERE WE'LL HAVE GRANT AND INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. SO WHAT TO WATCH FOR IN THE WEDGE. THIS IS WHERE WE PROVE THAT REDEVELOPMENT CAN WORK OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN. SO AUTO ORIENTED PAD SITES MAY FIT THE EXISTING CONTEXT, BUT THEY CAN COMPROMISE FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES TO ASSEMBLE LAND FOR A MORE CONNECTED, MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT PATTERN. SO HERE'S SOME DETAILS. I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM. YOU HAVE THEM ON PAGES 58 AND 59 OF THE HOUSING STRATEGY THAT WAS PASSED OUT. AND THEN LIKE I SAID, ALSO THE COMP PLAN WILL BE FLESHING SOME OF THIS OUT EVEN MORE. BUT WITHIN THAT DOCUMENT YOU WILL FIND SOME TARGETS. SO THOSE TARGETS AND DESCRIPTIONS TALK ABOUT THE SCALE AND CHARACTER THAT EACH OF THESE NODES SHOULD, SHOULD, SHOULD DREAM TO ACHIEVE THE NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS THAT NEED TO BE ADDED AT EACH OF THESE NODES. RECOMMENDED HOUSING TYPES THAT ARE APPROPRIATE AT EACH OF THESE NODES. AND THEN FINALLY, A RECOMMENDED LAND USE MIX. AND SO THE LAND, THE CURRENT LAND USE MIX MAY BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU SEE IN THE PROPOSED LAND USE MIX. THEN WE MOVE INTO SORT OF OUR FUTURE NODES. SO WE WILL BE DOING SOME WORK IN THESE LAST TWO NODES I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT. ONE IS BELTLINE, THE OTHER IS BROADWAY.

BUT IT. BUT WE CAN'T WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO WORK EVERYWHERE AT ONCE. RIGHT. WE TALKED ABOUT IT'S A SEQUENCING STRATEGY. SO THESE ARE KIND OF QUEUED UP AS NEXT TO COME. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE WON'T BE ACTIVELY WORKING ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN THE AREA, THAT WE WON'T ACTIVELY BE WATCHING, OR TRYING TO ENCOURAGE LAND ASSEMBLAGE AS WE GO. IT JUST MEANS THAT THINGS LIKE OUR GRANTS AND INCENTIVE PROGRAMS ARE FURTHER DOWN THE LINE. SO IN BELTLINE, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT GATEWAY THAT KIND OF TAKES YOU FROM THAT, THAT HIGHWAY 190 VISITOR DESTINATION AND FEED YOU INTO THE DOWNTOWN VISITOR DESTINATION. OBVIOUSLY, IN ADDITION TO LAVON DRIVE, BUT THIS NODE AT BELTLINE IN NORTH GARLAND, ONE THAT THE HOUSING STUDY IDENTIFIED AS A GOOD POTENTIAL FOR REDEVELOPMENT, THE PRIORITIES HERE TO WATCH FOR. IS TRY T TO RESIST, TRY TO BE PATIENT AND NOT GO FOR THOSE LOW VALUE APPROVALS THAT CAN

[01:50:09]

YEAH. SOME OF THIS IMPLEMENTING, ESPECIALLY THE HOUSES AND THE AUTO ORIENTED USE. SEEMS LIKE CODE ENFORCEMENT WOULD BE A BIG PARCEL IN THIS AND NOT ONLY BRINGING THEM UP TO DATE, BUT INCENTIVIZING GOOD BEHAVIOR, OR IN THE CASE OF SOME AUTO USE, IS MAKING IT TOO EXPENSIVE FOR THEM TO CONTINUE THAT USE BECAUSE SOME OF THEM HAVE CARS JAMMED, PACKED TOGETHER ON THE STREETS AND EVERYWHERE ELSE. ANOTHER THING THAT MIGHT HELP OUR VALUES IS OUR SCHOOLS. OUR HOOLS HAVE PROGRESSED SO MUCH OVER THE YEARS, BUT IT'S NOT ADVERTISED. IT'S NOT PUT OUT THERE. AND I THINK MAYBE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WON'T DO IT. THE CITY MIGHT NEED TO DO IT.

CHARDSON, FOR A LONG TIME LIVED OFF OF THE REPUTATION OF THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND WE'RE TRYING TO LIVE DOWN THE OLD REPUTATION OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS. WE NEED TO BUILD THAT BACK UP, GET OUT THERE AND SELL IT. AND ONE OF THE PODCASTS, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, THE NEW MARKET RATE APARTMENTS THAT ARE IN GARLAND. THEY'RE ONLY LIKE RENTAL RATES OF 20 TO 50 BUCKS BELOW WHAT THEY'RE GETTING IN PLANO, WHICH MEANS IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THAT

[01:55:02]

SO THIS IS JUST A START. MY REQUEST IS THAT I'M REALLY, REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH MY TEAM TO MAKE THESE PLANS COME TO FRUITION. BUT PLEASE KEEP THE COMMENTS COMING SO THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM YOU AS WELL. AND WE WILL TRY OUR BEST TO SAY THINGS IN THE REPORT THAT WILL TIE THINGS WITH THESE PLANS AND STUDIES AND MAKE OUR PRESENTATIONS SUCH AS WELL. SO THAT'S OUR COMMITMENT, BUT ALLOW US A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO FIGURE IT ALL OUT FOR IT TO BE PERFECT. BUT WE'LL START IT RIGHT AWAY. I'M JUST TOSSING OUT IDEAS.

OKAY. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. OH, COMMISSIONER JENKINS, THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF THE CHAIRMAN'S SENTIMENTS SPECIFICALLY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALL HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT IN YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE HAS PUT INTO THE POLICIES. THE CHAIRMAN MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY THAT YOU'RE YOU'RE ATTEMPTING TO RAISE STANDARDS AND YOU'VE GOT THE CODE ENFORCEMENT POLICY THAT WILL ALSO BE HELPING A PROGRAM THAT WILL ALSO BE HELPING WITH THIS. I WOULD ONLY SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS IN THE CODE RELATING TO SUBSTANDARD HOUSING 323 AND 3211. I HOPE THAT YOU ALL WILL USE THEM TO, TO GREAT EFFECT AND, AND HOPEFULLY SEE SOME CHANGES IN THE CULTURE AND EXPECTATIONS OF COMMUNITIES REGARDING THE HOMES THAT THEY LIVE IN. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, GOOD EVENING. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. I ECHO SCHUSTER AND DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD CITY MANAGER BETTS AND MISS KING THIS NEWLY ADOPTED PLAN. SO I'M GOING TO GO REALLY QUICK. THIS IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN. IT WAS ADOPTED APRIL 2023. IT'S VERY, VERY SIMILAR CONCEPT.

SO I'M GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF MAPS AND GRAPHS. AND I'M GOING TO GO REALLY QUICKLY. SO WHY WE DID IT? SO THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED ABOUT SB TWO. IT WAS A PASSED IN 2019 I BELIEVE. AND SINCE THEN WE REALLY THAT'S CREATED A LONG TERM FISCAL CONSTRAINTS FOR GARLAND. SO IT'S REALLY WE NEED IT FOR HOW WE CAN FOCUS OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH PROJECT IS REALLY BEST USED AND WHAT IS REALLY MOST TAX GENERATED DEVELOPMENT. SO THAT'S REALLY WE START FOCUSING ON. SO CLARIFY THE PRIORITIES, PROVIDE DIRECTION, INFORMS FUTURE CITY DECISION MAKING. IT HAS MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS INTERVIEW. IT WAS OVER A 12 MONTH PERIOD.

AND THEN WE FOUND A LOT OF FINDINGS. CITIES POSITION WITHIN THE DFW MARKET HOW

[02:00:05]

WE KIND OF HEARD THAT TOO. SO WHEN YOU DO THE REDEVELOPMENT, THE SHOPPING CENTER, WE ALREADY HAVE AN IMPROVEMENT ON THERE, SOME BUSINESS IN THERE. SO WE HAVE TO REPLACE IT OR RELOCATE THEM. THAT'S ANOTHER COST. WHEN DEVELOPER LOOKING AT THE REDEVELOPMENT OF LAND ASSEMBLAGE, THAT'S THE COST AND TIME. THAT'S THE REASON THEY SKIP GARLAND AND GO TO THE NEXT CITY. THEY CAN GET 100 ACRE PROPERTY, VERY EASY SINGLE OR SINGLE OWNERSHIP. THAT'S HOW THE DEVELOPMENT SOMETIMES WORKS. AGAIN, INCOMING GARLAND IS MORE MODERATE, AND IN THOSE, DUE TO THE DIVERSE SPREAD OF INCOME, ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH WILL NOT WORK. SO HERE IS MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME MAP. IT'S REALLY VERY SIMPLE. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A WIDE GARLAND DOESN'T HAVE X. IT CAN BE GROCERY STORE CAN BE RESTAURANT CAN BE ENTERTAINMENT AND STORE.

SOMETIMES THAT'S THE REASON PEOPLE JUST LOOKING FOR CHEAP LAND. VERY SIMPLE DEVELOPMENT AND THEN HOUSEHOLD INCOME. SO THIS IS A COMMUNITY AND A MARKET CHALLENGES. YOU'VE HEARD ALL THE SALES TAX GENERATION AND WHAT IS OUR PUBLIC IMAGE. BUT IT'S REALLY HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN GARLAND WAS KIND OF STRENGTH FOR THE LONGEST TIME. BUT THAT'S THAT IS REALLY LIMIT THE FEASIBILITY OF A HIGHER END, HIGHER END RETAIL. SO THIS IS REALLY FOR CITIES. WE'VE COMPARED AGAIN, THIS IS BACK IN 2021 NUMBER. SO DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, SINCE THEN, OUR HOUSEHOLD INCOME INCREASED ALL OTHER CITIES TOO COMPARED TO THE CITY.

RICHARDSON PLANO IS AT THAT TIME, IT'S CLOSE TO 90,000 FOR THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD HOUSEHOLD INCOME. AND THIS IS THE SALES TAX COLLECTIONS BY CATEGORY. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE IT'S VERY SMALL FONT, BUT IT'S REALLY TOWARDS LEFT. THE LEFT SIDE IS REALLY CONSUMER SPENDING. AND THIS IS 62% OF SALES TAX COMES FROM CONSUMER SPENDING. THIS IS REALLY YOU GO YOU DO THE AMAZON ONLINE SHOPPING OR YOU GO EAT, YOU GO SHOPPING. THIS IS REALLY 62%.

NOW, IF YOU HAVE TO GO TO OUTSIDE THE CITY OF GARLAND AND IF YOU ARE SPENDING MONEY THERE, WE ARE MISSING THOSE OPPORTUNITY THAT'S REALLY AFFECTING THIS 62%. IF WE HAVE A MORE PLACES TO SHOP AND DINE, AND IF OTHER PEOPLE COME TO CITY OF GARLAND TO SPEND MONEY, THIS NUMBER GOING TO INCREASE. THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. AND THIS MAP SHOWS WHICH AREA IS GENERATING HIGHER TAX VALUE. AGAIN, THIS IS A 2021 NUMBER AND NORTH GARLAND PART. IT'S OF COURSE, DATA CENTER WAS AT THAT TIME STILL KIND OF UNDER CONSTRUCTION. BUT MOSTLY THIS ONE IS COMING FROM NEWER MULTIFAMILY. AND THE WEST SIDE IS OF COURSE, OUR INDUSTRIAL BASE, VERY STABLE, HIGHER TAX GENERATED BUSINESSES RIGHT THERE. THIS IS ONLY SALE, NOT SALES TAX INCLUDED. THIS IS ONLY PROPERTY TAX. AND THE BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX. AND IN THIS ONE PROBABLY YOU FIND A VERY INTERESTING THIS IS THE DEED TRANSFER AFTER 2010. SO THE LAST TEN YEARS. SO WHAT IS THE. THE DEED TRANSFER. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS MAP AND THE ONE SIDE IS COMMERCIAL, THE OTHER SIDE IS RESIDENTIAL. BUT THIS IS THE BOTH COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL. APPROXIMATELY 50% OF ALL THE PARCELS HAVE SOLD IN THE LAST TEN YEARS. THAT MEANS THE OWNERSHIP CHANGE AND THE NEW PROPERTY OWNERS COME FORWARD WITH THE LAND USE ZONING REQUESTS TO YOU. THIS IS THE TIME WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY ENHANCE AND GUIDE THE REDEVELOPMENT ALIGNMENT WITH OUR CITY STRATEGIC PLAN. AND THIS ONE IS REVENUE PER ACRE BY BUILDING TYPE. AGAIN, THIS IS AT THAT TIME A DATA CENTER WAS

[02:05:03]

YOU KNOW, 25,000, 30,000 PEOPLE COME TO GARLAND WHERE PEOPLE COMING FROM, IT'S REALLY HARD TO SEE, BUT IT'S SHOWING RED IS HIGH TRAFFIC CORRIDOR. A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING FROM GEORGE BUSH EXIT IN. LAVON COMING DOWN TO DOWNTOWN. ANOTHER ONE IS EXITING 635, GOING UP GARLAND AVENUE. ANOTHER ONE IS COMING FROM A FOREST LANE AND 66 THAT IS THE IMAGE OF GARLAND PEOPLE COMING THROUGH. SO THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO TO DO THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT BEAUTIFICATION. THAT'S REALLY ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, IMPROVING THE IMAGE OF GARLAND. SO THIS ONE, MISS KING, TALK ABOUT SOME AREA FOCUSED AREA. AT THAT TIME OUR CONSULTANT MENTIONED AND IT REALLY BROADWAY AND BROADWAY CORRIDOR HAVE A REALLY HIGH OPPORTUNITY AND ALSO KIND OF MISSING A NEIGHBORHOOD BASED RETAIL. OKAY. IN SUMMARY, WE NEED SHIFT FROM TRADITIONAL INDUSTRIAL FOCUSED STRATEGY TO MULTI-DIMENSIONAL PLACE BASED ECONOMIC MODEL AND REALLY IMAGE IMPROVEMENTS OR REVENUE STRATEGY, NOT COSMETIC ENHANCEMENT. THE PLAN PROVIDE A PATHWAY TO ATTRACT HIGHER INCOME RESIDENTS AND IMPROVING RETAIL FEASIBILITY. AND A REALLY LONG TERM SUCCESS REQUIRES ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT. SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS IS REALLY A TEAM EFFORT AND IT TAKES A VILLAGE. AGAIN, IT TAKES TIME AND IT'S EXPENSIVE PROCESS, BUT I THINK WE CAN DO IT. SO THAT'S ALL WE GOT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING DOWN. ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. AT THE VERY BEGINNING, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE GARLAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP, MADE UP OF THE CITY SCHOOL AND CHAMBER. YES. THAT GROUP USED TO BE VERY ACTIVE. I ATTENDED A LOT OF THOSE MEETINGS. THEY HAVE BECOME INACTIVE. IS THAT IS THAT GROUP? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT GETTING REACTIVE AGAIN, BECAUSE I FOUND THOSE THOSE MEETINGS VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE YOU GET ALL THREE OF THE LARGE PLAYERS BASICALLY TOGETHER IN A ROOM TO HEAR EACH OTHER. AND IF WE DON'T DO THAT, SOMETIMES WE DON'T HEAR WHAT'S WHAT WE COULD BE A PART OF. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO LOOK AT THAT AND MAYBE THINK ABOUT REVITALIZING THAT GROUP TO, TO BUY INTO THIS, THIS PLAN, BECAUSE BY AND LARGE, IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL THREE OF US TO OR ALL THREE OF THOSE GROUPS TO FOR THIS TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE LONG RUN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COME ON BACK HERE. MR. CHAIRMAN, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE COMMISSION'S PATIENCE THIS EVENING. AND AND I'LL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GONE A LITTLE LONGER THAN I THOUGHT WE WOULD, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT INFORMATION. AND I THINK THAT THAT GETTING THIS RIGHT IS SOMETHING THAT IS WORTH THE TIME THAT WE SPEND TONIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET RIGHT WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. BECAUSE THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY AND THE PATH THAT WE TAKE FOR THE NEXT

[02:10:05]

THE FIRST ONE IS, AND AGAIN, I SAY THAT NOT IN A IN A FLIPPANT WAY. I'VE SAT AND WATCHED AND.

AND WITHOUT THIS INFORMATION, I DON'T KNOW. IT'S A CAR WASH. AND IF WE DON'T PUT THE CAR WASH THERE, THAT MIGHT LAND, MIGHT SIT EMPTY FOR A DECADE OR FOR FIVE YEARS, WHICH WE WOULD SAY, GOOD, THAT WOULD BE PERFECT BECAUSE THEN WE'LL GET A USE THAT THE CORRIDOR WILL DESERVE, AND THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE ECONOMICALLY. SO THE FIRST ONE THAT I HAVE IS A SIX ACRE, PRIVATELY HELD TRACK AT BROADWAY AND OATS. THAT'S THE PROPERTY NEXT TO THE SOUTH LIBRARY THAT WE'VE JUST SPENT A BUNCH OF MONEY PUTTING PLACEMAKING IN TO TRY TO MAKE A PLACE THERE TO TRY TO INCREASE THE VALUE OF THIS ECONOMIC NODE.

AND THE THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU IS A CAR WASH HAS SHOWN UP AND SAID, HEY, WE WANT TO PUT A CAR WASH HERE. WELL, THE DEVELOPER IS SAYING, YOU KNOW, THIS LAND HAS BEEN FOR SALE FOR A LONG TIME. AND, AND NOBODY'S BID ON IT. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS CAR WASH USE. THEY WANT TO HAVE THIS CAR WASH USE. AND IN THE OLD WAY OF THINKING ABOUT IT, YOU'D LOOK AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK ABOUT THAT CORRIDOR AND YOU SAY, YEAH, I GUESS I COULD SEE A CAR WASH THERE. THERE'S NOT A LOT GOING ON DOWN THERE. AND IT'S NOT WHAT WOULD IT HARM? AND IN THE NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT IT, YOU'RE LIKE, THAT'S GOING TO HARM THE VERY CORE OF THAT NODE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP. AND I'D SAY, YOU KNOW, IF IF THERE'S AN INTEREST AND THERE'S BEEN SOME INTEREST UNDER THIS SCENARIO OF OF A MIXED USE OR, OR HOUSING, HIGHER END HOUSING, WAIT FOR THAT, WAIT FOR THAT. DON'T, DON'T SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE LAND HAS BEEN VACANT FOR A WHILE. LET'S PUT SOMETHING ON IT. SO THE FIRST CASE IS, IS A HYPOTHETICAL CAR WASH THAT WANTS A SITE THERE AND LOOK AND SAY, DOES THAT GO WITH WHAT'S THERE NOW? PROBABLY.

I THINK YOU WOULD BE I THINK I WOULD BE MISLEADING YOU. I SAID, NO, THAT DOESN'T GO THERE. YOU GO DOWN THERE AND SAY, YEAH, MAYBE IT GOES WITH WHAT'S THERE. NOW, DOES IT GO WITH WHAT WE'RE PLANNING THERE? ABSOLUTELY NOT. DID WE JUST SPEND ALL THAT MONEY ON PLACEMAKING AND THE MONEY WE SPENT TO IMPROVE THAT CORRIDOR? SO WE HAVE ANOTHER CAR WASH AT THE CORNER. A LOW VALUE USE. OF COURSE NOT. AND THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT I WANT US TO BE THINKING ABOUT.

THE NEXT ONE IS YOU'VE GOT AN AGING COMMERCIAL NODE IN THE WEDGE, AND THE DEVELOPER IS IS.

OR THE CURRENT OWNER IS TELLING YOU, YOU KNOW, THIS PROPERTY IS REALLY NOT BEEN DOING WELL.

IT'S FINANCIALLY NOT VERY VIABLE AND IT'S STRUGGLING. AND, AND THEY WANT TO PUT IN A LOW USE ORIENT AUTO ORIENTED DRIVE THROUGH PAD SITE ON THEIR, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEDGE. SO WOULD THAT GO WITH WHAT'S THERE NOW? PROBABLY, PROBABLY. BUT IF WE KEEP WHAT'S THERE NOW THERE FOR A DECADE OR TWO WILL NEVER BE SUCCESSFUL REDEVELOPING THAT CORRIDOR. AND IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD ASK YOU TO, TO CONSIDER IS THAT, IS THAT THE KIND OF USE THAT WE HAVE? YES. DOES IT MATCH THE BLOCK? SURE. IS THAT THE PATTERN THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN THE IN THAT NODE? NO. IS IT STEERING US TOWARDS WALKABLE MIXED USE PATTERN WITH STREET PRESENCE AND AND PLACEMAKING? NO. SO THE ANSWER THERE WOULD BE HOLD IT FOR ASSEMBLY, HOLD IT FOR SOMETHING BETTER TO COME ALONG. AND THERE'S A REAL INCLINATION TO. AND I GET IT. I'VE SAT IN THIS SEAT AND LISTENED TO IT. THERE'S A REAL INCLINATION TO SAY, WELL, WE REALLY DON'T WANT IT JUST TO BE VACANT, SO WE'LL LET SOME LOW USE BLOCK THE CHARACTER OF THIS CORRIDOR IN FOR TWO DECADES. AND MY URGE TO YOU TONIGHT IS TO FIGHT THAT INCLINATION AND TO HAVE FAITH THAT WE'RE BUILDLDING THES CORRIDORS OUT AND THAT THE MARKET WILL WORK. THE DOWNTOWN IS PROOF THAT THE MARKET WORKS. THE LAST CASE IS, IS A CASE THAT IS VERY SIMILAR. IT'S IN THE BELTLINE EFA, AND SOMEBODY HAS A HALF VACANT RETAIL CENTER, AND THEY WANT TO PUT IN A SUP FOR EITHER A, AN AUTO USE OR A SELF STORAGE CONVERSION OF THE VACANCY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HEY, IT'S VACANT. WE DON'T HAVE WE ONLY HAVE ONE TENANT LEFT THERE AND THE SHOPPING CENTER IS DYING. AND SHOULD WE ALLOW THAT? AND THEN THE QUESTION IS, DOES IT GO WITH WHAT'S THERE NOW? AND YOU HEAR THIS SOMETIMES. WELL, IT'S BETTER THAN NOTHING. AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, NO, IT'S NOT REALLY BETTER THAN NOTHING. BECAUSE A USE THAT WILL LOCK IN A PATTERN OF ECONOMIC DECLINE FOR THE NEXT TWO DECADES IS NOT, IN FACT, BETTER THAN NOTHING. IT'S BETTER TO WAIT AND LET US BUILD THE CORRIDOR OUT, AND TO MAKE THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE

[02:15:02]

AND SO I WILL TELL YOU THE MMON THREAD IN ALL OF THESE, WHEN YOU SEE A SITUATION WHERE THERE'S A PROPERTY THAT'S STRUGGLING ECONOMICALLY OR HASN'T DEVELOPED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, THE SES IS OFTEN THE EASY DECISION TO MAKE. BUT I WILL SAY IT'S OFTEN THE CORRIDOR KILLING. YES, IT'S THE S THAT YOU SAY YES TO A USE THAT WILL THEN LOCK THIS CORRIDOR IN TO ITS DEMISE FOR DECADES AHEAD. AND THE ASK TONIGHT FOR YOU IS TO CONSIDER THAT AND TO LOOK AND SAY THIS IS IN ONE OF OUR ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS. IF THE PLANNING STAFF TELLS YOU THIS IS NOT PLANNING IN THE FUTURE, AS THE PLANNING STAFF, YOU AS THE PLAN COMMISSION, LOOKING FORWARD INTO WHAT'S NECESSARY FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. I WOULD URGE YOU TO HOLD AND WAIT FOR A USE THAT IS IN FACT CONSISTENT WITH THE USE. I WANT TO I WANT TO CLOSE BY SAYING WHAT WE'RE REALLY ASKING TONIGHT, THIS PLAN, AND I TOLD THIS TO THE COUNCIL. THIS PLAN IS GENERATIONAL AND IT'S CHANGE THAT WE INTEND TO IMPACT AND EFFECTUATE IN THIS CITY. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A CHANGE THAT A GENERATION FROM NOW, PEOPLE WILL LOOK BACK AND REALIZE WE DID SOMETHING TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF THIS CITY. AND YOU GUYS ARE THE FRONT LINE. YOU'RE THE FRONT LINE OF SAYING YES OR NO TO WHETHER A PROJECT IS ECONOMICALLY GOING TO CONTRIBUTE AND CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, OR IS GOING TO HOLD US IN THE PATTERN THAT WE'VE HAD. AND THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT I'D LIKE YOU TO ASK YOURSELF OUT LOUD AT MEETINGS AND SAY, IS THIS CONSISTENT WITH THE PLAN THAT WE HAVE FOR THESE AREAS? IS THIS CONSISTENT WITH THE CHANGE THAT WE NEED? SO THE NEXT GENERATION CAN HAVE A CITY THAT'S THRIVING, AS OPPOSED TO A CITY THAT WILL BECOME MORE AND MORE AN ECONOMIC DECLINE. IF WE DON'T FIX THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE. AND I WANT TO CLOSE BY SAYING, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THERE'S SOME DOUBT. PEOPLE SAY, CAN YOU DO THIS AS A CITY? AND WHAT I TOLD THE COUNCIL AND COUNCILMEMBER TRAN ASKED, IS THERE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS? CAN YOU SHOW ME AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE THIS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND THE HOUSING STRATEGY FOLKS HAVE SOME CITIES THEY'LL POINT TO AND SAY, IT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THIS CITY AND THAT CITY. AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, FROM MY PERCH ON THE FOURTH FLOOR, I DON'T NEED TO SEE ANOTHER CITY. I CAN JUST LOOK OUT MY WINDOW. I CAN LOOK OUT MY WINDOW ACROSS THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE AND SAY, WE HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE, AND WE'LL DO IT AGAIN. AND WITH YOUR HELP, WE WILL DO IT AGAIN. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FOCUS THAT YOU'VE ALL GIVEN US TONIGHT AND ATTENTION. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MATTERS FACING OUR CITY IS TO MAKE SURE WE GET THIS RIGHT. AND YOU GUYS ARE THE FRONT LINE IN THAT. AND I APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US THIS EVENING. WITH THAT, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS IF THERE ARE ANY. OTHERWISE, I WILL THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. OKAY. AND BEFORE BEFORE WE GET INTO QUESTIONS, IF I CAN JUST MAKE A GENERAL STATEMENT. FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE STAFF TO TAKE THIS MEETING, CUT OUT THE BEGINNING, AND CREATE A VIDEO THAT CAN BE USED FOR TRAINING OF ANY NEW INCOMING PLAN COMMISSIONER OR EVEN COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF.

THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT PRESENTATION AND IN ALL MY YEARS HERE, WE'VE NEVER BEEN PRESENTED THIS KIND OF INFORMATION. YEAH, WE HAVE REPORTS, WE HAVE PLANS, BUT WE HAVEN'T BEEN TOLD THE TRUE PURPOSE, THE TRUE WAY TO IMPLEMENT THEM, AND THE HOUR AND A HALF, WHATEVER WE SPENT HERE HAS BEEN WELL, WORTHWHILE, I THINK, FOR EVERYBODY HERE.

AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR DOING THAT. AND COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH AND COMMISSIONER CORNELIUS, THANK YOU, SIR. MR. BATES, I'M NOT A REAL CARD PLAYER, BUT ONE TIME I TRIED TO PLAY BLACKJACK, AND I COULDN'T REMEMBER ALL OF THOSE COMBINATIONS AND STUFF. YOU KNOW, IF YOU GOT ONE OF THIS AND TWO OF THAT, YOU HOLD. AND I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY AS CLOSE TO THAT SIMPLE MECHANISM FOR US TO HAVE A MEMORY PATTERN FOR OUR STAFF AND FOR US TO LOOK AT AS A, AS A SIEVE, TO KIND OF SIFT THESE THINGS TO THROUGH TO SEE WHERE THEY FIT.

AND I APPRECIATE IT A WHOLE LOT. IT'LL BE A, THIS WILL BE A GREAT TOOL FOR ALL OF US. I'LL HAVE THEM DO IT AND THEY WILL BE AT YOUR PLACES NEXT MEETING. WELL, I THINK I THINK THIS IS GOING TO FIT FOR ALL OUS FROM COUNCIL STAFF ALL DOWN IF WE ALL ADOPT THIS. YES, SIR. AS YOU SAID, IF WE DON'T. IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING FAILURES IN THE FUTURE, IF WE DON'T, WE DON'T DO SOMETHING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CORNELIUS. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT TEMPLATE. THIS IS LIKE ONE OF THOSE. WHEN I FIRST CAME IN AS A COMMISSSSIONER, I HAD 12 MILLION QUESTIONS AND NO ONE COULD REALLY ANSWER THE QUESTIONS FOR ME. I HAD TO DO A

[02:20:01]

AND I'M SITTING HERE THINKING BECAUSE MY THOUGHT WAS, OH, I'M GOING TO CREATE THIS. I USE, I SEE THE QUESTIONS. I'M GOING TO CREATE A LITTLE TEMPLATE FOR MYSELF. OH MY GOSH, I SEE THE CASE SCENARIOS HERE. THIS IS THE TEMPLATE. SO WHEREAS I REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE A BIO BREAK RIGHT NOW. I HAVE REALLY ENJOYED THIS TO THE POINT WHERE I HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE FACT THAT I COULD USE A BIO BREAK, BUT AWESOME. BRAVO. I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL DOING THIS.

THANK YOU. AND I WILL SAY THOSE THE CASES GENUINELY, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE TRAINING TONIGHT AND WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THESE CASES, YOU COULD IMAGINE YOURSELF, WELL, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE DO THIS? AND WHEN YOU HAVE THE DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD TONIGHT AND YOU LOOK AT THESE CASES, I DON'T EVEN NEED TO GO THROUGH THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE SIMPLE. LIKE, OF COURSE WE WOULDN'T ALLOW THAT USE. IT'S NOT CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE PLAN IS. AND THAT WAS THE IDEA BEHIND THE PLAN. THE CASES WHEN I WAS PUTTING THEM TOGETHER, I WAS LIKE, THESE WOULD BE KIND OF HARD. AND I REALIZED THEY WON'T BE HARD ONCE WE EXPLAIN WHAT THE GOAL IS. BECAUSE THE ONE THING I KNOW FROM BEING WITH THIS COMMISSION IN THE PAST YEARS AND FROM WATCHING YOU ALL IN THE MORE RECENT YEARS, IS YOU LISTEN, YOU FOCUS, YOU UNDERSTAND THE MATERIALS THAT ARE HERE. YOU JUST NEED SOMEBODY TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR. AND IF WE TELL YOU THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR, IT BECOMES EASY.

AND THAT WAS THE GOAL TONIGHT. BRAVO. THANK YOU. AND REMEMBER, AS THE GREAT YODA ONCE SAYS, THERE IS NO TRY. ONLY DO. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT OTHER STAFF HERE. WE'VE GOT ANDY HESS, OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, WHO HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN PUTTING THESE PLANS TOGETHER AND IN WORKING WITH US ON THE HOUSING STRATEGY AND THE AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN. AND WITHOUT HIS EXPERT GUIDANCE AND THE WORK THAT HE'S DONE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE WOULDN'T BE HALFWAY WHERE WE ARE. AND I DO NEED TO RECOGNIZE HIM TONIGHT THAT HE'S HERE. AND NABEEL HAS WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH US ON THESE MATERIALS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TRAINING THAT WE PROVIDED TONIGHT WAS ONE THAT WOULD BE USABLE. AND I DO NEED TO THANK THE STAFF. WE HAVE AN OUTSTANDING STAFF HERE IN THE CITY, AND I'M BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO BE ASSISTED BY THEM.

YES WE DO. IT TOOK AT LEAST 2 OR 3 HOURS TO PUT ALL THIS TOGETHER. WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MISTER ROBERTS. BY 100. YES. THANK EVERYBODY IN THE STAFF. IN ALL MY YEARS HERE, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD GOOD STAFF. AND I LOVE THAT YOU FOLKS LOVE THE CITY AND LOVE YOUR JOBS AND AND BRING US ALL THE INFORMATION WE CAN. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH, I WANTED TO MAKE A SUGGESTION. MR. CITY MANAGER, I KNOW OUR COUNCIL Y'ALL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. AND I THINK I HAVE OBSERVED IN THE PAST THAT SOMETIMES I THINK WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD IDEA FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND EXECUTIVE AND THE COUNCIL TO HAVE HAD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND TALKED ABOUT THIS, AND I'LL LEAVE THAT TO YOUR THOUGHTS.

SOMETIMES WE WE WE LOOK AT THINGS THAT COUNCIL HAS TALKED ABOUT IN EXECUTIVE SESSIONS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THAT KNOWLEDGE, AND PERHAPS THAT MIGHT BE A TOOL TO, TO INCLUDE US IN SOME OF THESE HARD DECISIONS. THIS, THIS I THINK PROBABLY NOT ON I THINK FOR SPECIFIC CASES THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL IN THE FUTURE. IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC CASES THAT WERE COMING TO YOU ON THAT HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND IMPACT, THAT THERE MIGHT BE A CHANCE FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION? I THINK FOR TRAINING, A TRAINING LIKE THIS SHOULD BE DONE IN THE OPEN.

SO. SURE. DEFINITELY 100%. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING OF THIS COMMISSION AND THIS IS ITS IMPORTANCE TO THIS COMMUNITY. SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW, WHY IS THE PLANNING COMMISSION SAYING YES TO THIS USE AND NO TO THAT USE? THEY UNDERSTAND WE AS A TEAM HAVE DECIDED THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO THIS AS A COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN TURNING AROUND OUR CITY ECONOMICALLY. THANK YOU. AND NOT ONLY ARE YOU TRAINING US, YOU'RE TRAINING THE PUBLIC. AND THAT THAT IN THIS CHARTER STATES THAT'S PART OF OUR DUTY, IS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING. AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT VIDEO CAN BE EDITED DOWN, HOWEVER MUCH AND PUT OUT THERE FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO WATCH TOO.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE LAST ITEM ONHE AGENDA. I THINK SOMEBODY WANTS US TO ADJOURN REAL QUICK. SO IT IS NOW 850 FOR OUR NEXT MEETING

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.