* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. THE MEETING [00:00:01] FOR THE COMMUNITY MULTICULTURAL PERMISSION TO ORDER. UH, THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS, UH, CALL TO ORDER . THE NEXT, UH, THING ON THE AGENDA IS TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FROM JULY 16TH. CAN YOU GUYS PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW THOSE MINUTES? IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PACKET, LET US KNOW. I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE MEETING MINUTES AS PRESENTED. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION BY MR. CJ AND A SECOND BY MR. ARTHUR. WHAT WAS THAT? OH, SORRY. OH, WERE YOU SAYING YOU SECOND? YEAH, I CAN. OH, . IF NOBODY'S THERE, I'LL DO IT. . MR. ARTHUR. GOT IT. OKAY. GOT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. MAYBE NEXT SECOND. MM-HMM . THEY QUICK AROUND HERE. . ALRIGHT. UM, WE ARE UP TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS. UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE THAT IS HERE FROM THE PUBLIC. WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, THE COMMISSION REPORT UPDATES, PAST AND FUTURE. UM, I KNOW THERE ARE QUITE A FEW OF YOU THAT ATTENDED A COUPLE OF MEETINGS, UM, ON MONDAY, THIS PAST MONDAY. IF YOU GUYS WANT TO GIVE SOME UPDATES OR INFORMATION THAT WAS RECEIVED THAT YOU FEEL SHOULD BE PASSED ON TO US, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. WELL, I WILL SAY, UM, I WAS THERE AND FOR THE THREE NEW INCOMING CITY COUNCIL REPS, UM, THEY VOTED ON THE NEW APPOINTEES FOR THE DIFFERENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND VOTED ON IT. AND THEY WERE ALL UNANIMOUS VOTES, UM, TO ACCEPT WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL REPS PRESENTED. YEAH. UM, AND THEN I'LL SAY WE WERE ALSO HERE. A FEW OF US WERE HERE FOR THE WORK MEETING AS WELL ON MONDAY. UM, THERE WERE, UH, CANDIDATES FOR THE, WHAT IS THE BOARD? GARLAND HOUSING. GARLAND HOUSING FOUNDATION. UH, THOSE CANDIDATES, UH, WERE INTERVIEWED. AND, UM, MR. CHRISTOPHER LENIER WAS APPOINTED TO THE BOARD TO REPRESENT THE CITY, AND HE DID A REALLY FANTASTIC JOB IN HIS INTERVIEW. UM, AND THERE WERE SOME OTHER UPDATES AS WELL, SOME BUDGET UPDATES, UM, AND OTHER ITEMS. BUT IT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING. AND I'LL LET BROTHER GREG COVER, UH, MAYBE THE OTHER PORTION THAT HE WAS HERE FOR AS WELL. OH, YES. UM, I WAS HERE FOR THE MEETING AS WELL, AND THE, UM, THE PROPOSED, UM, NEW NEIGHBORHOOD STEWARDSHIP PARTNERSHIP PLAN OR PROGRAM, WHICH IS GOING TO BE, UM, PART OF ON THE RISE. UM, AND SO IT'S, IT'S, UH, A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THIS. RIGHT NOW IT'S THE CITY AND, UM, OUR FRATERNITY ALSO. AND, BUT WE'LL BE THE PILOT GROUP. AND SO WHAT, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, THEY'RE GONNA INVITE OTHER GROUPS IN AFTER THAT. BUT BIG PICTURE IS THERE'S SOME AREAS IN THE CITY THAT, UM, NEED A LITTLE, LITTLE HELP, LITTLE REVITALIZATION. AND SO THEY'LL HAVE GROUPS WHO GO IN AND KIND OF DO AN ESTIMATE OF THE AREA AND SEE WHAT'S NEEDED. AND THEN, UM, WORK WITH THE CITY AND THE VOLUNTEERS OF GARLAND TO GO IN AND BEAUTIFY AND MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS. IT COULD BE ANYTHING FROM A NEW FENCE PAINTING, A HOUSE WAS SOME LANDSCAPING. UM, AND SO THAT WAS PRETTY EXCITING, UM, TO HEAR THE PLAN, UH, AND THE PARTNERSHIP THAT'S COMING UP. SO THE WORK THAT'S GONNA BE DONE IS ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS. IT WON'T BE A FINANCIAL, UH, COST FOR THE OWNER? NO, NO. THE CITY IS, THE CITY WILL PROVIDE THE RESOURCES, UM, THE MATERIALS, UM, AND THE, THERE'S LIKE A, A PARTNER WILL GO IN AND DO THE ASSESSMENT AND THEN THE VOLUNTEERS WILL COME IN AND DO THE ACTUAL, UM, ALONG WITH THE PARTNER. THE ACTUAL WORK. YEAH. HOW DO THEY, UM, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE, UH, VOLUNTEER ORGANIZER, UM, FOR THE C OF GARLAND. SO THEY'VE GOT THE VOLUNTEER DATABASE, AND THOSE WILL BE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT COME OUT. AND THEN ONE WORLD IS LIKE THE AMAZON OF BUILDING SUPPLY. SO THEY WILL BE PROVIDING [00:05:01] THE MATERIALS. THE CITY WILL PICK THEM UP, DELIVER THEM TO THE WORK SITE, UM, IN WHICH THAT TIME WE WILL BE THE PROJECT MANAGERS GUIDING THE PROJECTS, AND THE VOLUNTEERS WILL THEN COMPLETE THE WORK AS ASSIGNED. SO IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO THIS RECORDING AND WOULD LIKE TO PUT YOUR NAME ON THE VOLUNTEER LIST, WHERE EXACTLY COULD YOU GO? VOLUNTEER GARLAND COM. VOLUNTEER GARLAND.ORG. ALL RIGHTY. SINCE WE MET, I ATTENDED THE, I THINK CJ DID MERRILL SOMETHING LIKE THE, AT THE, UM, TOWN HALLS, THE, UH, THE MAYOR'S TOWN HALL MEETINGS ABOUT, UH, THE TAX INCREASE OR, UH, THEY SAID TAX INCREASE, THE TAX, THE REDUCTION. THANK YOU. YOU MEMBER, UM, THE TOWN HALLS, WHICH EACH ONE OF THEM ALSO HONORED A, A GARLAND RESIDENT. AND I UNFORTUNATELY DIDN'T MAKE THE ONE WHERE MS. JENNIFER WAS RECOGNIZED AND SHE HAD HER HUSBAND, BUT I'VE SEEN ALL THE PICTURES AND READ THE, THE WRITE UP ON IT. YOU JUST DID AMAZING, AMAZING WORK. THANK YOU. AND, UH, THE OTHER INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS RECOGNIZED IS, UH, DAVE SWAY, WHO IS THE FOUNDER OF THE GARLAND POLICE BOXING GYM. AND, UH, HE WAS THERE AND HAD PROBABLY 20 OF HIS, UH, BOXERS THERE AND TALKED ABOUT THEIR TRAJECTORY. SOME OF THEM ARE POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, ENTREPRENEURS, BUILDING GLOVE CHAMPIONS. UM, SO JUST A, A GREAT LEGACY, UM, ALONG WITH MS. JENNIFER AND HER HUSBAND. THE OTHER THING THAT I'LL SAY, IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO THE RECORDING IS IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO COME OUT TO THE POLLS AND ACTUALLY READ THE PROPERTY TAX, UM, ITEM THAT WILL BE ON THE AGENDA. IT WILL SAY THAT IT IS A INCREASE BECAUSE IT HAS TO LEGALLY SAY THAT BECAUSE WE'RE DECREASING THE BUILDING PORTION OF WHAT'S COLLECTED FOR THE TAX, BUT WE ARE INCREASING THE OPERATIONAL PIECE. AND THAT WILL PREVENT THE CITY IN FUTURE YEARS FROM HAVING TO REDUCE SERVICES THAT WE RECEIVE IN THE CITY TODAY. SO THERE WILL BE 4 CENTS REDUCED ON THE BUILD SIDE AND 3 CENTS INCREASED ON THE OPERATIONAL SIDE IN 1 CENT. WE'LL GO BACK TO THE HOMEOWNER. SO IT IS TECHNICALLY A TAX DECREASE. SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET OUT TO THE POLLS AND ACTUALLY READ THAT AND VOTE. YES. THANK YOU. UH, THERE WAS ANOTHER EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE, THE MISS ASIA AMERICA INTERNATIONAL PAGEANT. YES. AND I ATTENDED THE PAGEANT. UM, I AM DEFINITELY THAT SOUTHERN BELLE THAT LIKES TO GET DRESSED UP, SO I HAD TO GIVE ME A CUTE LITTLE DRESS, UM, TO SEE THE YOUNG LADIES. AND I THINK THE YOUNGEST IS HOW OLD MS. JENNIFER? SIX, FOUR. 4 4, 4 YEARS. OKAY. SO THE YOUNGEST IS FOUR. AND TO SEE THE YOUNG LADIES, UM, RESPONDING IN SUCH AN ELEGANT MANNER WHEN YOU SPEAK TO THEM, WHEN YOU ASK THEM HOW THEY'RE DOING, HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN A PART OF THE PAGEANTS, UM, IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO SEE THAT YOUNG LADIES ARE BEING POURED INTO REAL EARLY IN LIFE ABOUT HOW THEY ACT, HOW THEY SPEAK, HOW THEY, UM, CARRY THEMSELVES, EVEN THEIR ATTIRE. UM, THEY REPRESENTED DIFFERENT, UM, AREAS, CORRECT, UH, CATEGORY, DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. I GOT TO SEE THE SCIENCE FAIR OR THE END, THE SCIENCE ONE. SO, UM, MOST PEOPLE DIDN'T SHOW UP UNTIL IT WAS DINNERTIME, BUT I SHOWED UP A LITTLE EARLY AND I GOT TO SEE, UM, ONE OF THE CATEGORIES FOR THE SCIENCE FAIR. IT WAS VERY INTERESTING. SO NEXT YEAR, IF YOU ALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND, I WILL DEFINITELY SAY A ATTEND. IF YOU'RE CITY COUNCIL REP TELLS YOU THAT IT IS, UH, A CASUAL EVENT, IT IS NOT PUT ON YOUR BEST SUNDAY OUTFIT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A TUX THAT YOU KEEP, 'CAUSE YOU DO NOT PLAN ON OUTGROWING IT, MAKE SURE YOU DRESS UP REALLY, REALLY NICELY. AND I GOT A LOT OF NICE PICTURES WITH SOME OF THE PREVIOUS, UM, YOUNG LADIES THAT HAVE WON THE TITLE. MS. JENNIFER, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT? IT MEANS SO MUCH TO OUR COMMUNITY TO SEE THESE YOUNG LADIES CARRY ON THEIR TRADITION. ALSO SO PROUD TO EMBRACE INTO THE AMERICAN CULTURE. AND THEY EXPRESSED THE F THE SIX YEARS OLD. I ASKED HER, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE IN THE FUTURE? I'M GOING TO RUN FOR AN OFFICE, . [00:10:01] I'M GOING TO BE THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF GARLAND, SIX YEARS OLD. THAT'S GOOD. LOT OF AMBITION. UM, WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ANYONE ATTENDED? UH, NORMALLY ON OUR CALENDARS, THE PREVIOUS MEETING WE PUT THINGS DOWN THAT WE'RE GONNA ATTEND A TOWN HALL, CITY COUNCIL MEETING. UM, I, I DON'T THINK WE'VE BEEN HAVING ANY SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS, 'CAUSE IT WAS SUMMER TIME. UM, I, I DID TWO THINGS. I DID, UM, I DID IT IN THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR THE, THE NEW MULTI, OH, IT'S CALLED THE MULTI, UM, WHERE IS IT AT? AT NORTH, AT NA OF FOREST. SO ALL OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE THIS NEW MULTI-ACTIVITY. MULTI-ACTIVITY, YEAH. MULTI-ACTIVITY CENTER, MULTI THE MATCH. I COULDN'T EVEN THINK OF MULTI-ACTIVITY CENTER. UM, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS REALLY COOL BECAUSE IT IS NOT JUST FOR THE ATHLETES, IT'S FOR THE BAND, THE CHEER, THE DRILL TEAM, THE BASEBALL TEAM. THEY HAVE A, A BASEBALL SET WHERE THEY COULD DO PRACTICE BASEBALL, UM, BATTING AND ALL THAT IN THERE. AND SO I ATTENDED THAT AND I HOPE NEXT YEAR, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN, UH, THE, UH, BACK TO SCHOOL DRIVE WITH GISD AND THE NAACP. UM, LOT OF PEOPLE, I, I JUST COULDN'T IMAGINE WE GOT THERE EARLY, SO WE COULDN'T REALLY SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WEREN'T REALLY LINING UP. BUT THEN I HAD TO LEAVE A LITTLE EARLY TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT WERE LINED UP AND THEN COMPARED TO WITH HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT WERE ALREADY HAD BEEN SERVED. UM, AND JUST SEE ALL THE VOLUNTEERS COME TOGETHER AND EVERYBODY WAS WORKING TOGETHER. AND IT WAS REALLY, REALLY, UM, A GOOD, A GOOD, GOOD, UH, PROGRAM. AND I THINK IT WOULD, IT WOULD BENEFIT US TO MAYBE HAVE A TABLE OUT THERE AND PASS OUT SOME INFORMATION. UM, I TALKED TO JUST A COUPLE OF PEOPLE AND I WAS TELLING 'EM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE DO AND THEY WERE LIKE, OH, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. NEVER HEARD OF THAT. AND SO I THINK IF WE HAD SOME PRESENCE OUT THERE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE PRETTY COOL. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A DRIVE THROUGH THIS YEAR. I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYTHING WILL BE SET UP NEXT YEAR, BACK AT SOUTH GARLAND, I THINK. OKAY. THIS YEAR WAS AT, UM, THE FOOTBALL STADIUM AT HBJ. SO IT'S PRETTY COOL. OKAY. UH, FOR SOME FUTURE ITEMS. UM, CURRENTLY I AM SITTING ON A PANEL, UH, TO CHOOSE AN ARTIST. THERE'S, UM, AT THE LU HUFF REC CENTER WHERE THEY'RE REDOING IT. UM, THERE'S AN AREA CALLED THE CULTURE RING. UM, IF YOU GO OUT THERE, THE WAY THAT IT'S BEEN EXPLAINED TO ME, IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE MAIN ENTRANCE, VEER OFF TO THE RIGHT, A LITTLE GO OVER A BRIDGE, THAT'S AN AREA THAT'S GONNA BE SITTING OUT THERE. UM, THEY HAVE THIS LIVE OAK TREE, SO IT'S NOT, IT'S A EVERGREEN, SO IT WON'T EVER DIE. UH, IT LEAVES WON TURN BROWN, BUT WHILE YOU'RE OUT THERE, THERE'S A LITTLE SITTING AREA. UM, AND THEN THEY'LL HAVE THESE BIG OLD CONCRETE WALLS FOR A LACK OF BETTER WORD SQUARES THAT ARE AROUND IT. AND, UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY PICKING AN ARTIST, I'M EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS. LIKE THEY DID FOR THE FLATS. THEY HAD A PANEL THAT PICKED THE ARTIST TO DO, UM, THE MOSAIC THAT'S RIGHT OVER HERE BY THE ATRIUM. UM, THEY STARTED OUT WITH, I WANNA SAY APPROXIMATELY 22 CANDIDATES, UM, THAT FILLED OUT THE APPLICATION, GOT IT BACK IN THE DEADLINE. THE STAFF GOT IT DOWN TO MAYBE 20 ISH. AND THE PANEL'S INITIAL RESPONSIBILITY WAS TO GET IT DOWN TO FOUR OR FIVE. UM, I I, I'M NOT AN ARTIST BY NO MEANS. UM, I CAN APPRECIATE GREAT ART AND I FOUND OUT BY BEING ON THIS PANEL THAT I LIKE SCULPTURES. UM, WE GOT TO SEE SOME LINE WORDS, WE GOT TO SEE SOME, UM, VERY COLORFUL 3D WORK. UM, WE GOT TO SEE A LOT AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTING. BUT WE WERE, MAN, WE MANAGED TO GET IT DOWN TO FOUR FIVE. WE MANAGED TO GET IT DOWN TO FIVE ARTISTS. AND WE HAVE AN UPCOMING MEETING WITH THEM TO DO AN INTERVIEW WITH THOSE ARTISTS TO LET THEM TELL US HOW THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE THE VISION THAT THE STAKEHOLDERS HAD MAYBE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO ON THE REVITALIZATION OF BLUE HEALTH. THEY'RE GONNA SEE HOW THEY TIE IN THE PAST, THE PRESENT, AND THE FUTURE INTO THEIR ARTWORK. UH, WE WILL NOT GIVE THEM SPECIFICS ON WHAT TO PAINT AND WHAT NOT TO PAINT, BUT WE WILL GIVE THEM A VISION OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE EXPECTING, UM, TO SEE HAPPEN. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. I BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE THERE WILL BE A TIME WHERE THE ARTISTS WILL MEET WITH THE COMMUNITY. SO IF YOU GUYS ARE AVAILABLE, I'M SURE IT WILL BE PUBLIC, UM, INFORMATION SO THAT YOU CAN COME OUT, TALK TO THE ARTISTS, SHARE YOUR IDEAS, UM, ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK AND HOW YOU THINK THINGS SHOULD FLOW. AND, UM, BE RESPECTFUL OF THE ARTISTS. THAT IS THE, THAT IS THE ONE THING THEY SAID TO US THE OTHER NIGHT THAT REALLY STUCK WITH ME. WE ALL DON'T LIKE THE SAME THING. THE ARTIST HAS THEIR OWN CREATIVITY, [00:15:01] SO JUST BE MINDFUL OF THEIR CREATIVITY. OKAY. THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I WOULD ADD IS, UM, SINCE WE LAST MET, I HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTNER WITH OUR GARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT BY WAY OF THEIR, UH, POLICE TRAINING ADVISORY BOARD. AND HAVE BEEN A PART OF, UH, TWO DIFFERENT INTERVIEW PANEL SESSIONS WHERE WE ARE LOOKING AT CANDIDATES WHO ARE POTENTIAL, UM, CANDIDATES FOR THE POLICE ACADEMIES COMING UP. SO IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THE TALENT AND THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE COMING FORWARD TO POTENTIALLY POLICE OUR GREAT CITIES. SO, UM, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT AND, UM, WE'LL HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL TRAINING, UH, COMING UP AS WELL. SO, OKAY. ONE CAME FROM THE BOXING GYM. MM-HMM . YEAH. OKAY. WELL I AM EXCITED. SEEMS LIKE Y'ALL ON FIRE, UH, THIS LAST 30 DAYS, SO I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THE SACRIFICES THAT ARE MADE GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND DEFINITELY ATTENDING THESE MEETINGS. PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. HERE'S A COUPLE THINGS IN YOUR IN PACKET I WANNA BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION. UH, SOME FUTURE EVENTS. UH, THE FIRST ONE IS THE, UH, THE CHILDREN'S FALL FESTIVAL, UH, ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16TH. JENNIFER, DO YOU WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? YES. UM, EVERY SINGLE YEAR THAT WE AT COLLEGE, MOM, MY, OUR FAMILY, AND THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY LEADER, WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT TOGETHER A, TOGETHER A FALL FESTIVAL FOR THE CHILDREN AND ALSO A NIGHT MARKET ON FRIDAY NIGHT. FRIDAY THE 16TH. THE 16TH FROM FIVE TO 10:00 PM ON SATURDAY 17TH, THE 17TH ON SATURDAY. THAT MOST OF THE TIME THAT'S THE BEST DAY FOR THE CMC AND ELECTED OFFICIAL TO COME OUT. AND I, WE TRULY BELIEVE IT WOULD BE THE BEST TIME TO PROMOTE THE GALLON TAX RATE REDUCTION THIS YEAR OF, SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. WE WILL HAVE A TABLE, WE WILL TAKE CARE OF THE TABLE AND THE CHAIR FOR THE VOLUNTEER TO SIT THERE, SIT THERE AND GIVE OUT THE, UH, INFORMATION FOR NOVEMBER ELECTION IN ENGLISH AND IN VIETNAMESE. AND WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON IT. WE ARE NOT GOING TO WAIT UNTIL OCTOBER. WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF MEETINGS, COMMUNITY MEETINGS, CHURCH AND TEMPLE OR ANY KIND OF MEETING, HOA, WE TALK ABOUT IT. UH, THERE WILL BE ON THE 17TH, THERE WILL BE A FUN EVENT OF 14 COUNTRIES PARTICIPATE ON CULTURAL DANCES AND SING. AND WE ALSO GIVE OUR PRIZE FOR THE CHILDREN FROM SEVEN TO 14 YEARS OLD FOR TALENT CONTESTS. SO THERE'S A LOT GOING ON. AND WE WOULD LIKE VERY MUCH TO SEE, UH, IF THE, UH, COMMISSION BOARD MEMBER CONSIDERING OF HAVING A TABLE THAT WHERE WE CAN PROMOTE WHAT THE CNCS ALL ABOUT, WHAT WE CAN DO, HOW TO REACH OUT TO US, UM, TO US, WE ARE SERVING AS A PLEASURE OF OUR MAYOR AND COUNCIL. WE ARE HERE FOR GOOD REASONS AND THERE'S A LOT OF RESIDENTS. THEY ARE UNAWARE OF WHAT WE CAN DO, WHAT WE CAPABLE OF, ESPECIALLY FOR THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES. SO THIS IS THE BEST TIME WE CAN PROMOTE CD SERVICES IS NUMBER ONE. A LOT OF TIMES YOU SEE CD SERVICES STAFF ARE DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB, YOU DON'T HEAR RESIDENT SAYING NICE THING ABOUT HOW, HOW GREAT THEY ARE. THEY DO SOMETHING WRONG OR WE DONE SOMETHING WRONG. AND THEN WE'RE ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA. SO WE WOULD LIKE VERY MUCH FOR THE CMC CONSIDERATION TO HAVE A TABLE. AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE, YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO SIGN UP TO, UH, TO MEN THE, UH, BOUNCE HOUSE. WE HAVE TWO FOR THE CHILDREN, SO WE NEED SOME VOLUNTEER TO MAKE SURE THEY CHECK OUT THEIR SHOES BEFORE THEY GET ON AND NO, NO FIGHTING WHILE THEY INSIDE. SOUNDS GOOD. I'M SORRY, CJ GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. YEAH, SO IF THEY WANT VOLUNTEER, THEY CAN REACH OUT TO YOU DIRECTLY. YES, SIR. OKAY. ALRIGHT. VERY GOOD. AND WOULD YOU BE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR BOTH FRIDAY AND SATURDAY? FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. OKAY. AND THEN ALSO WE WOULD LIKE FOR THE CMC OR COMMUNITY LEADERS TO COME OUT AND HELP US [00:20:01] AT SEVEN 30 ON SATURDAY, SATURDAY NIGHT AFTER DINNER, AFTER SPEAKING TIME ON STAGE, AND HELP US TO PASS OUT 1000 GIVEBACK FREE. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. SO IF YOU GUYS WANNA VOLUNTEER, WE TOUCHED. YEAH, WE NEED VOLUNTEER TO DO THAT TOO. JENNIFER. WHAT? JENNIFER WILL PUT YOU TO WORK FOR. SURE. YES. SO MR. OZ, DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON WHETHER WE AS THE COMMISSION ARE IN AGREEMENT TO HAVING A TABLE ON OCTOBER 17TH? I, I THINK THAT WOULD DEPEND ON THE VOLUNTEER. IF WE HAVE ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS THERE, THEN I THINK WE SHOULD GET A TABLE. UM, BUT IT'S UP TO YOU GUYS. WE CAN, WE CAN DEFINITELY ASK JENNIFER FOR A TABLE. SO THAT'S WHAT MS. JENNIFER WAS ASKING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO HAVE A TABLE FOR CONSIDERATION. FOR CONSIDERATION IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A TABLE, WE'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU. WE PROVIDE DINNER FOR BOTH NIGHTS. AND DO YOU HAVE A ANSWER BY DATE? UM, TWO DAYS BEFORE THEN. TWO DAYS BEFORE 16. WE EASILY FLEXIBLE SO WE COULD GO MISS UNIT FOR, WOULD THIS BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO GIVE YOU FINAL ANSWER AT OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING? YES, THAT WOULD HELP. BUT JUST IN CASE, JUST IN CASE WE CAN REACH OUT TO YOU EARLY . YES, JUST SOMETHING HAPPENS SOMETIME THAT I SIGN UP AND I UN I AM UNABLE TO MAKE IT, BUT MERRILL ABLE TO MAKE IT, THEN HE CAN LET US KNOW. OKAY. ALRIGHT. WE'LL BRING, WE'LL BRING HER BACK IN SEPTEMBER FOR SOME FINAL, FINAL APPROVALS OR FINALS. UH, UH, I GUESS OURS. THANK YOU. UH, THE NEXT ONE YOU GUYS HAVE IN YOUR PACKET THERE IS THE, UH, 35TH ANNUAL NAACP FREEDOM, UH, FUND, BRUNCH AND SOLID AUCTION. YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT HEAD CHAIR? YES. SO, UM, THIS IS AN EVENT WHERE THE N-A-A-C-P, UM, GIVES CHILDREN IN THE DISTRICT SCHOLARSHIPS. UM, THEY TAKE USUALLY IN THE PAST, WHAT IT HAS BEEN WAS THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN THE, UH, TOP AFRICAN AMERICAN GIRL AND BOY GPA A WISE IN AT EACH OF THE SEVEN HIGH SCHOOLS. AND THEY HAVE, UM, GIFTED THOSE CHILDREN WITH A SCHOLARSHIP. UH, DUE TO, UM, DEI THE APPLICATION HAS TO BE RE VITALIZED OR REVAMPED. IT CAN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY, UH, AFRICAN AMERICAN GIRL OR BOY. SO THE N-A-A-C-P IS WORKING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN WHO NEED THE SCHOLARSHIP WILL STILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE SCHOLARSHIP, UM, COME OUT TO THAT EVENT. IT IS, UM, A BRUNCH. UM, AGAIN, IT IS, IT IS NOT A WHITE TIE EVENT, BLACK TIE EVENT. I'M SORRY, IT'S NOT A BLACK TIE EVENT. BUT COME, DON'T COME NICELY DRESSED. NO JEANS, NO TENNIS SHOES UNLESS YOU KNOW, YOU JUST ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO BE IN THEM. UM, UM, GENERALLY IF IT'S A VOTING YEAR, THEY DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, THOSE THAT ARE RUNNING FOR AN OFFICE TO GIVE A FEW MINUTES OF WORDS TO, UM, SAY WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR THEM. UH, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE FLYER, IT'S VERY COLORFUL. YOU CAN SEE ON THE FLYER, THE LOCATION, THE TIME. UH, THERE WILL BE A SILENT AUCTION. THE LAST TWO YEARS, I THINK THE SILENT AUCTION HAS BEEN ONLINE. SO YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AT THE EVENT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SILENT AUCTION. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU GUYS GET OUT THERE, THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME GREAT ITEMS THAT CAN BE BIDDED ON AND PURCHASED. PURCHASED IS THE KEY WORD. UH, KEEP THAT IN MIND. AND AT THE LAST MEETING, I THINK WE HAD, UM, UH, AS FAR AS MEMBERS THAT WANTED TO ATTEND, UH, ALEX KIMBERLAND AND MR. JOHNSON, DOES ANYONE ELSE WANT TO ATTEND THE, THE BRUNCH? WHAT DID YOU SAY? JOHNSON? YEAH. OH, I 'CAUSE YOU CJ . CJ, CJ KIMBERLIN AND ALEX WERE THE ONE. SO YOU GUYS ARE STILL COMMITTED TO GOING, WE'RE ABOUT TO BUY TICKETS. YES. SO, OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO ATTEND THE BRUNCH? I'LL DO IT. OKAY. MR. OKAY. AND ACTUALLY, MS. DANIELS, SO I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT IT UP BECAUSE SHE REACHED OUT TO ME YESTERDAY. SO, UH, MS. WHO? MRS. GWEN DANIELS. OKAY. WITH THE N-A-A-C-P? SHE KNEW KHAR HAD IT, BUT SHE DID REACH OUT YESTERDAY. OKAY. WE'LL, WE'LL GET THOSE TICKETS PURCHASED FOR YOU GUYS. AND HOW MANY WAS THAT? FIVE OR FOUR? UH, ALEX, KIMBERLY, UH, CHRIS OR CJ AND, AND LEONARD? FOUR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NEXT IN YOUR PACKET, UH, THE CITY OF GARLAND SAFETY FAST IS ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER THE THIRD AT 10:00 AM. UM, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT THE, UH, THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE US TO RESERVE A TABLE FOR YOU? SO IN THE PAST WE HAVE HAD A TABLE. UM, GENERALLY THE CHAIR HAS BEEN THERE MYSELF. UM, MERRILL SHOWS UP TO HELP SET UP. MS. GLENNON MAY COME THROUGH, MR. [00:25:01] RENEE WOULD COME THROUGH. UM, IF YOU GUYS ARE ABLE TO ATTEND AS A COMMISSION, I WOULD SUGGEST TWO PEOPLE, JUST SO THAT YOU CAN GET A SHADE BREAK, WATER BREAK. UH, WE SHOULD BE FINE WITH SHADE NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE THE TENT, THE OVERHEAD TENT THAT TRADES US A LITTLE. UM, THERE IS FREE WATER THAT GOES AROUND. IT IS A GREAT EVENT. UM, MY GRANDSON IS FOUR. WHEN HE WAS TWO, HE WENT TO THE EVENT AND HE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, PUT ON A FIREFIGHTER OUTFIT AND HIS MOM PUT ON ONE AS WELL. AND SHE ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH THE TRAINING FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SHE DID NOT MAKE IT, BUT SHE, SHE DID GO THROUGH THE TRAINING WHEN HER BABY WAS LIKE THREE MONTHS OLD. SO SHE DID A GREAT, GREAT JOB. I WAS PROUD OF HER FOR EVEN TRYING. UH, IT IS DEFINITELY A GREAT EVENT TO GO OUT TO. AGAIN, THIS IS IN SEPTEMBER, SO IF A, NO, I'M SORRY, OCTOBER. WE CAN TABLE IT TO SEPTEMBER SO WE CAN HAVE A CLOSER DATE AND A MORE FIRM CONFIRMATION ON WHO WE'LL BE ABLE TO ATTEND. UH, JUST KNOW THAT OUR FACE IS NORMALLY SEEN AT THIS PARTICULAR EVENT. WE'LL BRING IT BACK IN, UH, SEPTEMBER AND GET A FINAL HEAD COUNT ON THAT. YES SIR. UH, THE NEXT, AS FAR AS ITEMS TO TALK ABOUT, UM, WOULD YOU WANT TO TALK, UH, ABOUT, UH, UH, THE, UM, NEW MEMBERS THAT ARE COMING ON? UH, BUT BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE NEW MEMBERS, I THINK, UH, CJ WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING. ALRIGHT. UM, I DO. SO, KHAR, DID WE CHANGE AGENDA ITEMS? MR. OZ? WE'RE ON STAFF UPDATES. WE'RE ON STAFF UPDATES. WE'RE ON FOUR. OKAY. SO KHARA, WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WITH THE CMC FOR A LONG TIME. YOU HAVE BEEN PART OF THE HEART AND THE SOUL. YOU HAVE LED FEARLESSLY, YOU HAVE MENTORED, YOU HAVE SHARED YOUR INSIGHTS AND YOUR WISDOM THAT YOU'VE GAINED BY SITTING HERE. AND WE KNOW THIS IS YOUR LAST MEETING AND WE HATE TO SEE YOU LEAVE, BUT YOU ARE LEAVING THE LEGACY BEHIND YOU FOR THOSE TO COME. AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE, ALL THAT YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED AND ALL THAT. YOU WILL CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE IN YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY IN ALL OF THE OTHER MANY ENDEAVORS THAT YOU ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN. YOU ARE A ROLE MODEL FOR EACH AND EVERY PERSON. SO WE APPRECIATE YOU AND WE JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AND GIVE YOU A LITTLE SOMETHING AS YOU DEPART. AW, THANK YOU. I WAS TOLD NOT TO CRY. UM, OH, , I WILL SAY THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN THE ONE THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS TOUCHED ME THE MOST. UM, WHEN I FIRST STARTED, I WAS SO DISCONNECTED. UM, MS. KIMBERLY, I THOUGHT SHE WAS SO MEAN , BUT SHE REACHED OUT AND SHE KEPT SAYING, YOU VOLUNTEERED. NO ONE ASKED YOU TO DO THIS. YOU VOLUNTEERED. AND IF YOU VOLUNTEERED, YOU NEED TO STEP UP AND YOU NEED TO VOLUNTEER. AND WHEN SHE SAID THAT TO ME, I TOOK IT TO HEART AND I HIT THE GROUND RUNNING. UM, AFTER THAT, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF CITY STAFF COME THROUGH AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN FROM RENEE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO US. SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS A LOT. UM, I WILL MISS THIS COMMISSION. IF I COME BACK, GREAT. IF I DO NOT, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT I CAN DO GREAT THINGS ON AND I PLAN TO DO GREAT THINGS ON OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT I'M A PART OF. UM, NO HARD FEELINGS. UM, NO, ILL WILL. IT CHANGE IS DIFFERENT AND, UM, I'M A CREATURE OF HABIT, SO SOMETIMES CHANGE IS HARD FOR ME. SO, UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT. THAT'S VERY THOUGHTFUL. UM, CJ HAS ONLY SERVED HERE WITH ME, BUT JUST THIS LAST YEAR. SO I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFULNESS AND DEFINITELY, UH, YOU SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION AND GET USED TO IT. 'CAUSE YOU WILL HAVE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION A LOT OF TIMES. UM, IT WAS REALLY HARD FOR ME TO STEP UP FRONT. I'M USED TO SERVING BEHIND THE SCENE. UH, LIKE YOU SAID, I AM A PART OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS OR JUST DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT I LIKE TO STAY IN THE BACK. UM, I LIKE TO LEAD FROM BEHIND AND IT IS A SUCH THING. I WAS IN THE MILITARY AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS A, UM, A LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTIC LEADING FROM BEHIND. I, YOU GUYS, I HEAR WHAT Y'ALL SAY AND I QUIETLY ENCOURAGE YOU FROM BEHIND. UM, THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE COMMISSION THAT WOULDN'T TALK WHEN THEY FIRST CAME, UH, WHEN THEY WERE HERE. AND THEN BY THE TIME IT WAS ALL SAID AND DONE, EVERYBODY WOULD TALK. THEY WOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY. AND I APPRECIATED THAT, UM, A LOT BECAUSE EVERYBODY VOICE DOES MATTER AND WE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE SEE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE. AND THIS IS A COMMISSION THAT CAN MAKE THAT CHANGE. [00:30:01] YOU MAY NOT FEEL LIKE IT, BUT IT IS. WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GREAT THINGS. AS MS. JENNIFER SAID, SHE'S BEEN HERE FOR 20 PLUS YEARS, IF NOT 25 PLUS YEARS. UM, STAY ON THE COMMISSION AS LONG AS YOU CAN. WORK HARD, DEFINITELY BE A FACE COMMUNITY. MULTICULTURAL SAYS A LOT. THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT CULTURES IN GARLAND AND EVERYBODY DESERVES THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD AND TO BE SEEN, AND WE ALL WANNA FIT IN. SO WE NEED TO DO OUR BEST TO REPRESENT EACH CULTURE, UM, THAT GARLAND DOES HAVE FOR US. UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, I TOO HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU GUYS. UM, AND I USUALLY DO THIS WHEN WE HAVE OUR TEAM BUILDING, BUT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO HAVE OUR TEAM BUILDING THIS YEAR. I HAVE SOME LITTLE THINGS THAT I PUT TOGETHER. I DIDN'T GET HERE EARLIER ENOUGH TO STACK 'EM OUT LIKE I NORMALLY WOULD HAVE. BUT AGAIN, THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR COMMITMENT BECAUSE THIS IS A COMMITMENT, UH, GIVING AWAY YOUR WEEKENDS OR YOUR EVENINGS. IT'S A HUGE COMMITMENT AND I APPRECIATE IT. SO I WANT Y'ALL TO CONTINUE TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING. UH, LIKE IN THE SENSE RUNNING FOR REAL, BECAUSE THERE'S STILL WORK AS THE N-A-A-C-P SAY, THERE'S STILL WORK TO DO. THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT NEED OUR PRESENCE. SO IF Y'ALL DON'T MIND, UM, I GUESS AT SOME POINT I'LL PASS THESE DOWN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. UM, BUT DEFINITELY AGAIN, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. UM, I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND MR. OZ, GOOD LUCK. YEAH. GOOD HANDS. BUT MADAM CHAIR, AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO MAKE YOU GUYS AWARE THAT WE ARE GONNA GET SOME NEW MEMBERS, UH, AT THE NEXT MEETING. UH, THOSE MEMBERS ARE MARIA, UH, BGA, UH, COREY MCLAURIN AND TONY BOWIE. THEY WILL BE JOINING US AT THE NEXT MEETING, UH, IN SEPTEMBER. YOU SAID MARIA COREY AND MARIA BINGA, COREY MCLAURIN AND TONY BOWIE. AND WE'LL SEND THE, WE'LL SEND THE, THE COMMISSION AN UPDATED ROSTER. I THINK THEM NAMES ALREADY ON NAMES. OKAY, WELL THEY'RE ALREADY ON. THERE YOU GO. THIS TIME HERE ALREADY, TU IS ALREADY ON. YES. THANK YOU. UH, AND, AND FINALLY, AS FAR AS AS BUSINESS IS CONCERNED, UH, SEPTEMBER, UH, ARE ARE MONTHS FOR ELECTIONS OR NEXT MEETING WE WILL BE DOING ELECTIONS. UM, SO IF YOU WANT TO BE, UH, YOU CAN NOMINATE YOURSELF, WE CAN HAVE SOMEONE NOMINATE YOU AT THE NEXT, UH, AT THE NEXT MEETING. YEAH. AND MAKE SURE YOU LOOK AT THE, UM, BYLAWS, BECAUSE THERE DOES HAVE TO BE A NOMINATION COMMITTEE, A NOMINATING COMMITTEE, AND THEN THAT COMMITTEE HAS THE MEET PHONE, USUALLY BY THE PHONE IS HOW THEY DID IT. UM, MR. MERO HAS BEEN ON THAT COMMITTEE BEFORE. UH, MS. JENNIFER, I THINK MR. LEONARD MAY HAVE SERVED ON IT ONCE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, BUT MAKE SURE YOU GUYS READ THE BYLAWS TO ENSURE THAT YOU'RE FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES TO MAKE SURE THE ELECTION IS DONE PROPERLY. RIGHT. AND, UM, AND WE'LL SEND THE BYLAWS, WELL, THE BYLAWS ARE THERE IF YOU GUYS WANT TO GRAB A COPY. UM, I DIDN'T READ ANYTHING ABOUT AN ELECTION COMMITTEE THAT MIGHT HAVE CHANGED. OH, OKAY. SINCE THE BYLAWS REDONE, UH, NOW IT'S A LOT MORE SIMPLER. YOU CAN JUST, AGAIN, YOU CAN NOMINATE YOURSELF OR SOMEONE COME, CAN NOMINATE YOU, UH, FOR CHAIR OR VICE CHAIR. OKAY. SO IT'S A LOT MORE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DID THE BOARD, THE COMMISSIONS BYLAWS LAST YEAR, AND THAT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT THEY DID WITH THIS COMMISSION. GOTCHA. AND THAT'S ALL THE, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT AS FAR AS THE STAFF UPDATES. OKAY. FOR THE FUTURE EVENTS, WE HAVE OUR AUGUST CALENDAR, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, UM, CALENDAR. AGAIN, IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO ATTEND, UM, GENERALLY WE PICK IT OUT NOW. UH, BUT WE CAN ALSO SEND AN EMAIL TO OUR CITY STAFF THAT'S ASSISTING US NOW TO JUST LET THEM KNOW. AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY TO HOLD YOUR FEET TO THE FIRE, BUT IT IS TO GET THE COMMITMENT AND TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU DO HAVE AN ACTIVITY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ATTEND TO BRING THAT INFORMATION BACK, UH, TO US. YES. MR. CHARLES. UH, MADAM CHAIR, IS THIS SITTING ON? YES. YES, SIR. JUST PULL IT A LITTLE CLOSER TO YOU. YEAH. UH, I, I'D LIKE TO, UH, PROVIDE SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THE EVENT ON THREE OCTOBER, SATURDAY THAT GARLAND FALL FEST AND GUZZLER. NOW THE GARLAND, THE, THE FALL FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE DURING THE DAY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME IT STARTS, BUT THE GARLAND GOLER IS A FOOT RACE. I'M REGISTERED FOR, I'M THE RUN . AND, UH, IT STARTS AT SEVEN O'CLOCK AND SATURDAY EVENING. AND IT'S, UH, YOU'VE HEARD OF ALL HEARD OF A 5K. THIS IS A 0.5 K . IT'S A, IT'S A, ABOUT ABOUT A THIRD OF A MILE. IT'S, IT IS BASICALLY AROUND [00:35:01] SQUARE DOWN MM-HMM. DOWN IN CARLAND. AND, UH, THE START START LINE IS RIGHT OUTSIDE HERE IN FRONT OF THE FRONT OF STATE HALL. AND ALSO THE FINISH LINE. THIS IS, THIS IS A, UH, CHIP TIMED RACE. DO IT JUST LIKE THE BIG GUYS DO, RUNNING MARATHONS AND HAT MARATHONS. AND SO WHEN YOU PICK, YOU'LL BE WEARING A, A, A BIB WITH A PIN OR CHIP IN IT, WHICH YOU TEND TO USE FRONT OF YOUR SHIRT. YOU GOT, YOU GET A T-SHIRT AND SLAG AND A FREE BEER AFTERWARDS, . SO, UM, THERE'S A WINNER FOR LAST PLACE TOO. , SORRY, THE PRIZE FOR LAST PLACE. PEOPLE SAID THERE'S A PRIZE FOR LAST PLACE UHHUH. YEAH. I DON'T INTEND TO BE IN THE LAST PLACE. NO. THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BE LAST PLACE IS WHAT I'M SAYING. SO ANYWAY, YOU CAN REGISTER UNTIL SEPTEMBER 13TH FOR, UH, FOR $25 AFTER THAT PRICE GOES UP. BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO HAVE TO PRE-REGISTER FOR THAT. SO, UH, I'M TRYING TO GET TOGETHER A GROUP OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD TO RUN THAT. AND, UH, IT'S ALWAYS FUN. SO JUST, IT'LL GIVE FUN EVENT. AND IF YOU DON'T WANNA RUN, WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST? THIS, UH, SOMEONE FROM THE COMMISSION HAS GONE OUT TO SUPPORT MR. CHARLES, UH, TO BE ON THE SIDELINES CHEERING HIM ON. YES. IT'S ALWAYS, BY THE WAY, THERE'S, THERE'S MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT. YES. BESIDES, BESIDES THAT. SO YEAH. WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME SUPPORT YOU. MR. CHARLES? YES, SIR. UH, LET'S SEE. IS THERE ANYTHING ON THE CALENDAR THAT STANDS OUT THAT YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT? MR. OZ? UH, YOU WERE PARKS AND REC, RIGHT? I'M WITH SANITATION. OH, SANITATION. I'M SORRY. MS. ANGIE, WHO IS MS. ANGIE WITH? SHE'S, SHE WORKS, UH, SHE'S ONE OF OUR MANAGERS. I WORK SANITATION. I GOT IT ALL WRONG. I SHOULD TAKE, SHE JUST GOT PROMOTED. SHE'S ONE OF OUR MANAGERS NOW. OKAY. UM, I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER EVENTS THAT WE HAVEN'T ALREADY NOTED WHERE WE MAY HAVE CMC PARTICIPATION. ALL RIGHT. CAN I ASK YOU ONE QUESTION, MR. OZ? YES, SIR. I KNOW THAT THE CURRENT MEMBERS HAVE BUSINESS CARDS. WILL WE HAVE THOSE PROACTIVELY FOR THE NEW MEMBERS COMING IN WHEN THEY GET HERE NEXT MONTH? YES. ONCE THEY OFFICIAL, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET 'EM A BEFORE THEY, BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING. OKAY. BUSINESS CARDS AND NAME PLACARDS AND ID TAGS. OKAY. AND ALL THAT. COOL. SO HAVE YOU CONFIRMED IF THEY WANT A BUSINESS CARD? 'CAUSE I THINK QR CODE IS AN OPTION AS WELL. OKAY. WE'LL CONFIRM WITH THEM. YEAH. OKAY. BECAUSE EVERYBODY DIDN'T WANT THE, UH, BUSINESS. THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. THANK YOU. GOOD THOUGHT. YES. AND ALSO, UM, I HAVEN'T UNTIL AUGUST 31ST, UH, BUT I NEED TO SPEAK WITH MS. ANGIE SO WE CAN FINISH THE SWAG, UH, CONFIRMATION. OKAY. AND THERE'S A, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IN THE BUDGET PART. YEAH. IN THE BUDGET. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THE NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA, ITEM FIVE, FOR ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION, UH, WE HAVE FIVE, A DISCUSSION AND PREPARATION FOR PRO PROJECT UNITY'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY PRESENTATION. UM, MR. CJ, DO YOU WANT TO GIVE US A YES. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. MM-HMM . THERE IS A HANDOUT IN YOUR PACKET, AND I'M NOT GOING TO WALK THROUGH THE WHOLE PACKET TODAY. I REALLY WANTED TO HIT ON TWO THINGS THAT WERE CENTRAL TO OUR CONVERSATION LAST MONTH. AND THE FIRST WAS THE OVERALL THEME. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE THEME MIGHT BE. SO TAKING THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD LAST MONTH, UM, THE THEME THAT I'M PROPOSING IS SHAPING OUR FUTURE RESIDENT VOICES AND CIVIC BELONGING. AND WHY THIS THEME, THIS THEME MIRRORS THE THIRD PILLAR OF OUR ANNIVERSARY NARRATIVE, HONORING OUR PAST, CELEBRATING OUR CULTURES, AND SHAPING OUR FUTURE. AND WHAT THIS IS ABOUT AS WE THINK ABOUT ACTION, IS CONNECTING OUR GARLAND RESIDENTS DIRECTLY TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND CITY COUNCIL FEEDBACK. Y'ALL KNOW, I'VE BEEN ON MY SOAPBOX SINCE I GOT HERE. HOW DO WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE? AND I THINK THIS IS A WONDERFUL WAY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO COLLECT INFORMATION, LIVED EXPERIENCES AND DESIRES OF OUR CITIZENS OF GARDEN. AND WHAT ARE THEY EXPERIENCING? HOW HAS THEIR EXPERIENCE BEEN GOING? WHAT WOULD THEY LIKE TO SEE THAT'S GONNA MAKE THEIR EXPERIENCES, CITIZENS OF GARLAND RICHER AND MORE IMPACTFUL? UM, ANY QUESTIONS ON THE THEME? ANY CONCERNS, ANY QUESTIONS? I WOULD LIKE US TO MAKE A DECISION TODAY ON OUR THEME. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS OR ANY HESITATIONS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I PERSONALLY LIKE THE THE THING. [00:40:02] ALL RIGHT. UM, AND THEN SECONDLY, THE PROPOSED QUESTIONS. THERE WERE A FEW QUESTIONS THROWN OUT, UM, ON THE TABLE FROM OUR LAST MEETING. AND I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A, A VERY INSIGHTFUL CONVERSATION WITH AI, AND REALLY LOOK TO EXPOUND UPON THOSE QUESTIONS AND AROUND THE THEME. SO IF YOU LOOK AT PAGE TWO INTO PAGE THE BOTTOM OF PAGE TWO INTO PAGE THREE AND THE TOP OF PAGE FOUR, PLEASE BRIEFLY LOOK OVER THOSE QUESTIONS. I'M NOT GOING TO READ THEM. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF ANY OF THEM DON'T SIT WELL WITH YOU OR IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT I CAN AT LEAST CAPTURE TODAY. BECAUSE I'D LIKE US TO, WHEN WE MEET WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVE IN SEPTEMBER FROM PROJECT UNITY, WE'D LIKE TO SAY, WE'VE MADE SOME DECISIONS. WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE HEADED, WE ARE READY FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP. ANY QUESTIONS? NO, I THINK, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE MERYL, MAYBE GLENNA WOULD RECOGNIZE, AND I KNOW MS. JENNIFER DEFINITELY WILL, UM, YOU SEE HOW OPTION A SS JOURNEY TO GARLAND, UM, WHETHER YOU GREW UP RIGHT HERE IN GARLAND ACROSS THE US OR IN ANOTHER COUNTRY WHERE BROUGHT YOU HERE, YOU REMEMBER AN HOUR, UM, WE BELONG VIDEO. EVERYONE TALKED ABOUT HOW THEY ENDED UP HERE IN GARLAND AND WHAT INSPIRED THEM TO ACTUALLY STAY HERE IN GARLAND. DO YOU GUYS REMEMBER THAT ON THE VIDEO? THE WE BELONG VIDEO? UM, I THINK THE ONLY ONE REALLY SPOKE A LOT WAS CAMERA LAYING IN IT. YEAH. I WASN'T ON THE VIDEO, BUT I'M THE, I I WAS ASKING IF Y'ALL REMEMBER WHAT YES, WE SEEN IT. YEAH, I SAW WE THAT THAT WAS A QUESTION. YES. MM-HMM . IN THE VIDEO. SO I'M SAYING THAT TO SAY IT IS STILL TYING INTO SOMETHING THAT WE WERE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON OR HAVE PUT IN PLACE AT SOME POINT. YEAH, I, SO IT'S IN A GOOD PLACE. THAT MAKES SENSE. THANK YOU. YEAH. SO, UM, THAT BEING SAID, CAN I HAVE A MOTION FOR US TO SETTLE IN ON THE THEME FOR OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY, AS WELL AS THE SELECTED QUESTIONS AS PRESENTED TODAY? UM, FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE AS A PART OF OUR PLANNING? I I HAVE ONE COMMENT WHO ABSOLUTELY SURE. FOR CATEGORY NUMBER TWO, NORTH SOUTH GARLAND DISPARITIES AND INVESTMENT. THE QUESTION READS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT CITY SERVICES, PARKS, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, OR ROAD IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS GARLAND, SUCH AS NORTH VERSUS SOUTH, WHERE DO YOU NOTICE THE BIGGEST GAPS AND HOW DO THOSE DIFFERENCES IMPACT YOUR DAILY ROUTINE? I SOMEWHAT UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, BUT IT IS ALSO A LITTLE CONFUSING BECAUSE I DON'T, I MEAN, WHAT I GUESS I'M TRYING TO ASK, WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO GET OUT? WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO GET AT? I MEAN, SO WHEN, YEAH, GREAT, GREAT QUESTION. SO THE, DURING THE LAST MEETING, THERE WAS A CONVERSATION THAT REALLY CENTERED AROUND THE EXPERIENCES AND I THINK THE PERCEIVED EXPERIENCES FROM INDIVIDUALS LIVING ON THE NORTH SIDE OF GARLAND TO THE SOUTH SIDE OF GARLAND, FOR EXAMPLE, NORTH GARLAND IS GETTING THE HB WHERE SOUTH GARLAND IS GETTING THE JOVI, WHICH SOME PEOPLE SEE AS A LESSER OF THE TWO OPTIONS, RIGHT? SO THIS QUESTION WAS REALLY KIND OF CENTERED AROUND THAT EXPERIENCE. UM, I'M DEFINITELY OPEN TO ADJUSTING, SO IF YOU DO HAVE A SUGGESTION, I WOULD DEFINITELY BE OPEN TO IT. IF YOU WANT TO WORDSMITH IT AND GIVE IT BACK TO US, I'M TOTALLY OPEN AND I MIGHT JUST BE THE ONLY ONE. I DON'T, ME TOO. , THIS IS VERY, VERY SENSITIVE ISSUE TO DISCUSS. IT IS THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT. I HAVE FACTS. I HAVE ATTEND COFFEE WITH, UH, COUNCIL TRAINING AND THIS TOPIC WAS BROUGHT UP DISTRICT ONE, NORTH GARLAND, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PARK AND RECREATION AND WE BROUGHT IN A LOT OF TAX DOLLARS TO SUPPORT THE SOUTH GARLAND. SO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANT TO BRING UP SOMETHING THAT WE WILL REGRET. SO YOU ALL MIGHT RETHINK. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT PERSPECTIVE. [00:45:01] WHAT I WOULD ALSO MAYBE PLAY DEVIL'S ADVOCATE A LITTLE BIT IS THIS IS THE EXACT REASON WHY WE'RE BRINGING THESE PEOPLE TOGETHER, BECAUSE WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THEIR LEARNED EXPERIENCE AND IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE DECISIONS ARE DONE RIGHT, BUT ARE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT OUR CITIZENS OF GARLAND WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT WOULD MAKE THEIR LIVES RICHER? I THINK WE OWE IT TO THE MAYOR AND TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE STEWARDS OF THAT CONVERSATION. SO AGAIN, I'M VERY OPEN TO ADJUSTING THE QUESTION, BUT I I DO THINK WE NEED TO TACKLE IT. YEAH. WE NEED TO TACKLE IT. THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT STRONGLY, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE A HEATED CONVERSATION TAKE AWAY FROM OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT. YEAH. AND WHAT I'LL SAY IS WE WILL HAVE THE PROJECT UNITY MODERATORS WHO ARE VERY SEASONED AND ABLE TO MODERATE CONVERSATIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE ONE I ATTENDED WAS IN REGARDS TO CIVIL RIGHTS AND AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND BLACK HISTORY MONTH. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE SENSITIVE TOPICS THERE AS WELL. AND WE TACKLED THEM AND ARE MODERATORS, UM, WHO ALL DIDN'T LOOK LIKE ME, DID A VERY WONDERFUL JOB IN MODERATING THAT CONVERSATION. SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT SPECIFICS, UH, WORDING OF THE QUESTION. UM, BUT I WOULD URGE US, ENCOURAGE US NOT TO SHY AWAY FROM TOPICS THAT MATTER. I HAVE A LITTLE INPUT ON THAT QUESTION RIGHT THERE, BECAUSE MATTER OF FACT, WE, JIMMY MET WITH HIS, UH, ALL HIS BOARD MEMBERS AND HE SAID THAT COSTCO WANTED TO COME IN AND BUILD ON THE NORTH SIDE OFF ONE 90. BUT, UH, THEY WERE TELLING THEM, WELL, WHY DON'T YOU GO ON THE SOUTH SIDE? THEY DON'T HAVE A COSTCO THERE. BUT THEY SAID FINANCIALLY IT WAS COSTCO'S DECISION TO SAY THE SOUTH SIDE IS NOT GONNA SUPPORT, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE THE PEOPLE THERE WITH THE FINANCIAL NEEDS WITH THAT WOULD, WITH THEIR STUDIES, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THAT COSTCO. SO A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES AND DECISION MAKING GOES IN NOT THE CITY, BUT INSTEAD OF THOSE COMPANIES THAT COME IN AND MAKE THAT DECISION, THEY SAY, WE WANNA BE ON ONE 90. WE DON'T WANT TO BE ON 30, OR WE DON'T WANT TO BE ON THE SOUTH SIDE. YEAH. AND TRUST ME, I HEAR Y'ALL, I DON'T WANT TO DEFINITELY TAKE AWAY CAUSE CONFUSION OR ANYTHING, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE ALSO GOTTA BE BRAVE. AND SO IF IT'S A MATTER OF US WORDING IT, HOW DO WE WORD, HOW DO WE STRUCTURE THE QUESTION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE PERSPECTIVES OF OUR GARLAND RESIDENTS SO WE DON'T HAVE TO SOLVE THAT TODAY. RIGHT. BUT I WOULD LOVE YOU ALL TO TAKE THESE QUESTIONS, SIT WITH THEM, MARINATE ON THEM, DIGEST THEM, TEAR 'EM APART, PUT 'EM BACK TOGETHER. UM, SO LET ME AMEND MY MOTION TO, YOU CAN'T MAKE THE MOTION. I'M SORRY. WELL, SO WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS, LET ME AMEND IT TO SAY, MAY I GET A MOTION ON JUST THE THEME TODAY? I WANT Y'ALL TO SIT WITH THE QUESTIONS FOR A WHILE. WELL, LET ME, LET, LET, LET ME, LET ME DO THIS. YEAH. I MOVE THAT WE, UM, PROVE THE THEME OF THE EVENT AND THE THEME OF THE QUESTIONS. UM, FOR THE THEME, UH, TONIGHT, I, THAT'S MY MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE THEMES OF THE EVENT AND THE QUESTIONS. OKAY. I CAN THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND REVISIT THE QUESTIONS SO THAT, SO WE CAN MOVE THIS FORWARD. YEAH. WE'LL KNOW WHAT THE THEME IS AND THAT THE THEMES THAT YOU HAVE FOR THE QUESTIONS OR THE THEMES THAT WE HAVE FOR THE QUESTIONS THAT WE GO FORWARD, WE JUST CAN RESPECT THE QUESTION. I LOVE IT. MAY WE GET A SECOND? THIS IS IT, MR. ALEX SECONDS. OKAY. YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY I CAN SECOND NO, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. WE HAVE, IT IS BEEN PROPERLY MOVED AND SECONDED THAT WE ACCEPT THE THEME AS PRESENTED TODAY AND THE THEME OF THE QUESTIONS. AND THIS COMMITTEE WILL COME BACK TOGETHER AND CONTINUE TO WORDSMITH TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE WORDED APPROPRIATELY, UM, TO GENERATE THE RIGHT LEVEL OF CONVERSATION AND DIALOGUE. THANK YOU. AND LET ME ADD THIS TOO TO THE COMMISSION. MAYBE SOMETHING THIS MAY HELP IS, UH, I'M NOT SURE IF THE COMMISSION HAS EVER HAD A PRESENTATION FROM OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT ON HOW THESE, HOW THESE BUSINESSES, HOW, WHO DECIDES ON WHO GO WHERE GOES WHAT? I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GUYS EVER HAD A PRESENTATION FROM BANK. NO, WE HAVE NOT. NO. I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE COULD SCHEDULE DOWN THE ROAD TO GIVE YOU, GIVE YOU GUYS AN IDEA OF EVERYTHING THAT GOES INTO PLAY WHEN A BUSINESS COMES IN. REGARDLESS, I WANT TO BUILD HERE. YEAH. THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO THAT. UM, LIKE, UH, MS. WYNN MENTIONED EARLIER, A LOT OF THESE IS THE BUSINESSES THAT'S THAT'S BASED ON THEIR METRICS. YEAH. THEY THINK IT'S THE BEST PLACE FOR THEIR BUSINESS TO BE AT. [00:50:01] YEAH. BUT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER FACTORS THOUGH. IF YOU GUYS WANT MAYBE FOR A FUTURE MEETING AGENDA, WE CAN BRING OUR PLANNING PEOPLE IN HERE. THEY CAN KIND OF GO OVER THAT PROCESS WITH YOU GUYS JUST TO GIVE YOU A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THAT WHOLE THING WORKS. IT'S, IT'S VERY COMPLICATED. IT'S VERY, IT VERY, I WOULD LOVE THAT. OKAY. YEAH, LET'S GET TO THAT FOR A FUTURE MEETING. I WOULD LOVE THAT. AND THEN ONE OTHER QUESTION I DO HAVE FOR YOU MR. OZ, IS, SO I SENT THIS TO AN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL LOOKED AT IT OR IF YOU JUST PRINTED IT AND PUT IT IN THE PACKETS. I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AND GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL AS WELL. OKAY. UM, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL, COUNCIL PERSONS, HOW WOULD THEY RECEIVE THESE? BE COMFORTABLE WITH THESE, SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE AS WELL. SURE. HAPPY TO DO SO. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, MAD CHAIR. YES MA'AM. I'M NOT GONNA BE HERE IN SEPTEMBER MEETING, SO IS THERE ANY WAY THAT YOU CAN SCHEDULE MAYBE OCTOBER MEETING? 'CAUSE I REALLY WANT TO LISTEN IN THAT THAT WOULD BE UP, THAT WOULD BE UP TO, TO THE COMMISSION IF THEY WANT TO. BUT, BUT LET, LET ME ADD THIS, UH, MS. HEWORTH IS COMING TO SPEAK AT THE NEXT MEETING. SO I THINK TO GIVE HER SOME DIRECTION ON HOW TO PROCEED, I THINK SHE MAY NEED TO HAVE THIS INFORMATION. YEAH. OKAY. COULD WE POSSIBLY WE RECORD THE MEETING. ALL THE MEETINGS ARE RECORDED. YEAH. ALL THE MEETINGS ARE RECORDED JUST ON THE QUESTIONS. ALSO, CAN WE MAYBE HAVE A CONVERSATION BECAUSE THEY MAY CAN HELP US CRAFT A QUESTION IN CONVERSATION SINCE THEY'LL BE FACILITATING, THEY MAY CAN HELP US CRAFT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO THE QUESTION AND THEY MAY LOOK AT THE QUESTION AND SAY, OH, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WILL WORK. YEAH. BUT THEY MAY CAN HELP US CRAFT IT. SO I, I WOULD SAY IN OUR NEXT, IN OUR PRESENTATION TO ASK IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD RIGHT. AND THAT, THAT IS THE POINT OF HAVING HER COME TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT BE SAID OR CAN AND CANNOT BE DONE AT THAT PARTICULAR EVENT. YEAH. UM, ALSO I WOULD SUGGEST IF THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEFORE SHE COMES OF WHAT TO PRESENT TO HER, YOU CAN ALWAYS CALL A SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING. UM, YOU NEED, WHAT IS IT, TWO WEEKS, 14 DAYS? HOW MANY DAYS IS IT YOU NEED BEFORE YOU CAN UM, YEAH, I THINK IT'S JUST LIKE THREE DAYS ACTUALLY. OH, OH, OH, OKAY. SO YOU CAN ALWAYS CALL A MEETING BEFORE THE SEPTEMBER MEETING WHERE SHE ATTENDS TO HAVE JUST THE COMMISSION THERE TO DISCUSS, OKAY, WE LIKE THIS THING, BUT MAYBE AMONGST US WE CAN SEE IF WE CAN REWORD IT. IF WE CAN'T REWORD IT, THEN WE'LL ALLOW TOGETHER AND WE DINE TO HELP US REWORD IT. YEAH. OR COME UP WITH ANOTHER, ANOTHER QUESTION, UH, IN ANOTHER WAY. YEAH. I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD NOT SHY AWAY FROM THINGS THAT MAKE US UNCOMFORTABLE. THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION, THAT STATEMENT CAME FROM MS. KIMBER LANE BECAUSE WHEN SHE, WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THIS BOARD, SHE LIVES ON THE NORTH END OF GARLAND AND I LIVE ON THE SOUTH END OF GARLAND. AND APPARENTLY WE HAD A CONVERSATION THAT REALLY RESONATED WITH HER AND IT SHOWED I GUESS THE WAY I FELT AND MY CONCERNS ABOUT SOUTH GARLAND COMPARED TO NORTH GARLAND BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER USED TO PLAY SOCCER AND I WOULD HAVE TO DRIVE FROM SOUTH GARDEN ALL THE WAY TO NORTH GARDEN FOR MY BABY TO PLAY BECAUSE THERE WERE NO LIKES AT AUDUBON REC CENTER. AND EVENTUALLY AFTER I SPOKE TO MY CITY COUNCIL REP AND NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT HIS ROLE WAS, WE EVENTUALLY GOT LIKES AT AUDUBON REC CENTER. SO IT WAS LIKE, OH, SO WE CAN HAVE STUFF OVER HERE. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER IN THE GARDEN TO HAVE THINGS. NOW, AS THEY MENTIONED WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESSES, OKAY, MAYBE IT IS A BUSINESS DECISION TO SEE WHERE, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO A PARK AND RECREATION CENTER IN THE AREA WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF TAX DOLLARS GOING INTO THAT AREA AND THEY DON'T HAVE A RECREATION CENTER IN THAT AREA, THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL. 'CAUSE WHEN THESE BOND ELECTIONS ARE DONE, WHERE'S OUR MONEY GOING? YEAH. IS THE CONVERSATION THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL HAVE. SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED. YEAH. AND THIS IS MY FIRST TIME PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, SO I'M NOT, UH, OFFENDED AT ALL BY ANY OF THE FEEDBACK. I THINK IT'S ALL GREAT FEEDBACK. THIS IS THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO MAKE GREAT PROGRESS TOGETHER. SO I LOVE THE IDEAS, I LOVE THE AMENDMENT TO THE EMOTION AND I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. I THINK WE CAN COME BACK IF, IF, IF NO ONE HAS ANY CONCERNS OR, UM, QUESTIONS, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST SEE US COME BACK AND HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH MS. EDWARDS. IF YOU DO HAVE A QUESTION THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ADD BEFORE THEN PLEASE SEND IT TO ME. I CAN UPDATE THIS PRESENTATION WITH THE QUESTIONS AND THEN WE CAN PRESENT THEM TO HER TOGETHER [00:55:01] AND WE CAN WEED THROUGH THEM AS A PART OF THAT MEETING. BUT I'M VERY OPEN AND I APPRECIATE THE COLLABORATION. THANK YOU. BUT I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ON CLARIFICATION OR THE NOMINATIONS THAT WERE MADE. WAS THAT FOR THE CHANGE THE QUESTIONS OR GO OVER THE QUESTIONS FOR THE EVENT AND MEET WITH THE LADY OR DID WE ALREADY VOTE THAT THIS IS WHAT THE, IS GONNA BE THE 25 YEAR? YES. SO THIS WOULD BE THE THEME OF THE EVENT. THE TOGETHER WE DINE, WE ALREADY AGREED THAT THAT WOULD BE THE 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EVENT IS CONDUCTING OR EXECUTING A TOGETHER WE DINE WITH PROJECT UNITY. OKAY. NOW WE DO WE VOTE ON THAT AT ONE OF THE MEETINGS? YES, WE DO. YES. AND SO THIS, THIS MOTION WAS TO AGREE ON THE THEME SO WE KNOW WHICH DIRECTION WE'RE HEADING AND THEN THE THEME OF THE QUESTIONS. BUT WE WILL RESERVE THE RIGHT TO WORDSMITH THE QUESTIONS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ENGAGING THE CITIZENS APPROPRIATELY AND WE'RE NOT CAUSING ANY DISRUPTIONS OR INAPPROPRIATE CONVERSATIONS OR FEELINGS. SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THE QUESTIONS ARE WORDED APPROPRIATELY. TWO THINGS, I THINK I'M HEARING TWO THINGS. I'M, I THINK MERRILL IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, ARE ARE YOU SAYING, WELL, THE ANNIVERSARY THEME IS ONE THING AND THE ONE THAT WE VOTED ON IS THE THEME OF THE EVENT. WELL, THE EVENT, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. IS THIS THE, THE 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EVENT IS THIS YES. AS A SIT DOWN. RIGHT. BECAUSE AT SOME POINT WE WERE THINKING OF, UH, COLLABORATING WITH ANOTHER CITY EVENT THAT WAS GOING ON. WE SHOW UP, WE DO THEIR, AND WE HAVE A 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WITH THAT EVENT. THEN WE THOUGHT ABOUT HAVING THE, UM, THE EVENT ON OUR OWN. THEN WE REALIZED WE DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET TO HAVE THE EVENT ON OUR OWN. SO AT SOME POINT, THE UH, QUESTION BECAME LET'S DO A TOGETHER WE DIME AS OUR ANNIVERSARY EVENT BECAUSE IT WILL ALLOW US TO COLLABORATE WITH THE COMMUNITY. IT'LL ALLOW US TO CELEBRATE THAT 25 YEARS AND ALSO TO LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW THIS IS THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING. SO YES, AT SOME POINT WE DID VOTE ON TOGETHER WE DINE AS THE WAY WE ARE GOING TO CELEBRATE OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY. IF THAT'S YOUR QUESTION. YEAH, THAT WAS, SO WE DO HAVE THE BUDGET FOR THAT. THAT'S WHY WE ARE BRINGING HER IN IN SEPTEMBER FOR HER TO TELL US WHAT WE COULD, UM, WHAT A POSSIBLE BUDGET WOULD BE. AND ONCE WE FIGURE OUT WHAT A POSSIBLE BUDGET WOULD BE, THE SUBCOMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE TO MEET ALONG WITH MS. JENNIFER'S HELP CJ'S GUIDANCE. THEY WILL GO THROUGH AND POSSIBLY CREATE SOME, ANOTHER COMMITTEE OR SOME FOLKS TO HELP GO OUT AND SECURE FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS PARTICULAR EVENT. EXACTLY. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. YOU'RE WELCOME. , ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER UNREST THAT WE NEED TO CALL FOR THE VOTE? I, I KNOW WE HAD THE MOTION AND IT WAS SECOND, BUT I DON'T THINK WE EVER VOTED. WE DID NOT BECAUSE WE STILL HAD SOME, SOME CONVERSATION ON READINESS. OKAY. RIGHT. SO ALL THOSE THAT ARE IN FAVOR WITH THE MOTION SAY AYE A ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY. THE AYE HAVE IT. THANK YOU. YOU ARE WELCOME. THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, UM, AND MR. OZ, I'M NOT SURE IF THIS WAS WORDED IN ITS ENTIRETY. UH, DISCUSSION OF COMMUNITY MULTICULTURAL COMMISSION SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING FREQUENCY. YEAH, I GUESS WE KIND OF TOUCHED ON THAT JUST A MINUTE AGO. UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IF, IF THE, IF THE COMMISSION WANTS TO CONTINUE TO MEET IN SUBCOMMITTEE, WE COULD DO THAT ALMOST AT WILL. SOUNDS LIKE WE MAY NEED TO, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THIS TO AFTER THE SEPTEMBER MEETING. OKAY. ONCE WE HAVE OUR INFORMATION, UM, FROM PROJECT YES. TO DECIDE TO DECIDE. YES. FAIR ENOUGH. AND THE OTHER QUESTION IS WHY I SAY IT WASN'T, I DON'T THINK IT WAS WRITTEN IN ITS ENTIRETY. UM, THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATION REGARDING GOING TO ONCE A QUARTER MEETING FOR THE COMMISSION OR CONTINUING TO MEET EVERY MONTH. CORRECT. WE THOUGHT WE WOULD TABLE THAT UNTIL THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS COME ONLINE. I UNDERSTAND. AND I THINK YOU TOLD ME THAT. I THINK MS. ANGELA TOLD ME THAT. OH, I ACTUALLY, I HAD FORGOTTEN TO AND SHE REMINDED ME. YEAH. GOTCHA. YEAH. ALRIGHT. SO AGAIN, UH, WE'LL TABLE AGENDA ITEM FIVE B UNTIL THE NEW COMMISSIONERS HAVE COME ON BOARD AND, UM, NEW OFFICERS HAVE BEEN PICKED, CHOSEN. UM, ITEM FIVE C IS THE BUDGET UPDATES. UH, IF YOU LOOK IN YOUR PACKET, MR. OZ HAS THAT INFORMATION AND HE WILL GO OVER THERE. YOU GUYS CAN HAVE IT, UH, IN YOUR PACKET. BUT AS YOU GUYS CAN SEE, UM, WE'VE GOT, UH, AS FAR AS ALL THE PURCHASES, WE GOT EVERYTHING ENCUMBERED. SO, SO FAR OUR REMAINING BALANCE IS $433. THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE NEXT MEETING'S, DINNER. UM, BUT ALL THE TICKETS FOR THE NAACP, THE, UH, 3,500 YOU GUYS ALLOCATED FOR SWAG, THAT'S BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET AS WELL. SO THAT, THAT'S INCLUDED IN [01:00:01] THIS. UM, SO, UH, WE SHOULD BE OKAY THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR. UM, WE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY LEFT OVER, BUT YOU KNOW, AS THEY SAY, WE WE'RE POOR. SO, SO WE'LL NEED TO UPDATE THE ONE FOR THE NAAC THAT, THAT ADDITIONAL TICKET. OKAY. SO WE'RE STILL OKAY. OKAY. BUT THERE'S NOT MUCH, UH, AFTER THE NEXT DINNER THERE'S GONNA BE NOT MUCH IN THERE. YES. AND AS I STATED, MYSELF AND MS. ANGIE, WE'VE GONE THROUGH, UM, SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE PREVIOUS SECRETARIES, UH, TO ASSIST HER WITH THINGS THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY ORDERED ALONG WITH SOME NEW ITEMS THAT SHE AND I WENT ONLINE, UM, AND ORDERED OR WE HAVE IN A BASKET SO THAT WE CAN ORDER THEM. OKAY. AND WE, WE'LL FINALIZE THAT BEFORE OUR DEADLINE. YES. YES. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE BUDGET? I HAVE NOT A REALLY A QUESTION, BUT MAYBE SOME WE NEED DISCUSSED. I'M LOOKING AT THE FOOD BUDGET AND THERE'S SOME OF 'EM THAT WERE $500, $400 AND I THINK WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A, A SET AMOUNT THAT WE DON'T GO OVER. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY. THAT'S NOT, THERE'S THREE MEALS HERE THAT WAS $900, TWO THREE OF 'EM. AND, UM, AN AND I AND AT SANITATION. WE WE'RE, WE'RE, THEY CALLED US CHEAP IN THE PAST. UM, SO LIKE TONIGHT'S DINNER WAS DEFINITELY A LOT CHEAPER THAN WHAT WE'VE, UH, DONE IN THE PAST HERE. SO I THINK MOVING FORWARD, I THINK WE'LL, WE'LL GO MORE THAT DIRECTION YEAH. THAN THE, THAN THE FOUR OR $500 DINNERS THAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING IN THE PAST. AND I WAS ACTUALLY JUST GETTING READY TO SAY, I LOVE LOOKING AT THE PRICE OF TONIGHT'S DINNER. IT'S A LOT LESS EXPENSIVE, BUT WE, WE WE'LL GO THAT ROUTE MOVING FORWARD. WE'RE UNDERSTAND. YEAH. AND JUST AS A REMINDER, ALL COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS DON'T GET A BUDGET FOR DINNER, JUST SO YOU GUYS KNOW. AND THAT IS ONE THING THAT WE HAVE FOUGHT TO KEEP, A BUDGET TO FEED US WHILE WE ARE HERE. NOW GRANTED, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ON THE HIGHER END, BUT THEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR YOU WILL HAVE TO BE SURE TO HAVE YOUR MONTHLY MEETINGS, QUARTERLY MEETINGS, AND ALLOT THAT MONEY TO GO SOMEWHERE. BECAUSE IF AT THE END OF THE YEAR YOU HAVE, YOU STILL HAVE HALF YOUR BUDGET, THEN WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT MONEY WILL BE SPENT SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE GRANTED THAT MONEY. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.