[ CONSIDER THE CONSENT AGENDA]
          [1. City Manager’s Proposed Appointment of Scott Vornberg as Chief of Police]
          [00:00:32]
          WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO WRITTEN BRIEFINGS, WRITTEN BRIEFINGS. ITEM NUMBER ONE IS CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED APPOINTMENT OF SCOTT THORNBURG AS CHIEF OF POLICE AND COUNSEL. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THAT ITEM IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA. I WILL BE PULLING THAT ITEM OFF TO BE 
          [2. Proposed Renaming of Jack Coleman Tennis Center]
DISCUSSED SEPARATELY. ITEM NUMBER TWO IS PROPOSED RENAMING OF JACK COLEMAN TENNIS CENTER. 
          [3. Neighborhood Vitality Matching Grant Funding Request — Spring 2026 Cycle]
ITEM THREE IS NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY MATCHING GRANT FUNDING REQUEST. SPRING 2026 CYCLE. 
          [4. Interlocal Agreement Between the City of Garland and the Town of Highland Park]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF GARLAND AND THE TOWN OF 
          [5. Interlocal Agreement Between the City of Garland and the City of University Park]
HIGHLAND PARK. ITEM FIVE IS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF GARLAND AND THE 
          [6. Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) 2027 Comprehensive Grant]
CITY OF UNIVERSITY PARK. ITEM SIX IS TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SELECTIVE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM 2027 COMPREHENSIVE GRANT. ITEM SEVEN IS 2025 HOMELAND SECURITY 
          [7. 2025 Homeland Security Grant Program Resolution]
GRANT PROGRAM RESOLUTION. WITH NO QUESTIONS. WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT VERBAL 
          [8. Overview of the City's Use of Refunding Bonds and the Electric Utility Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2026A]
BRIEFINGS. FIRST VERBAL BRIEFING IS ITEM EIGHT. OVERVIEW OF THE CITY'S USE OF REFUNDING BONDS AND THE ELECTRIC UTILITY REVENUE REFUNDING BONDS SERIES 2026 A. 
          GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL. MR. CITY MANAGER, MY NAME IS ALISON STEADMAN. I'M THE CITY'S CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, AND I'M JOINED UP HERE BY DARYL KLEIN, THE GENERAL MANAGER OF GARLAND POWER AND LIGHT. WE'LL GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF REFUNDING. SO A BOND REFUNDING IS THE MUNICIPAL FINANCE VERSION OF REFINANCING AND OUTSTANDING DEBT. YOU CAN THINK OF THIS LIKE REFINANCING A MORTGAGE OR THE ISSUANCE OF NEW BONDS TO RETIRE AN OUTSTANDING DEBT. SO WHY IS IT A BOND REFUNDING AND WHY DO YOU DO THIS. WELL, THERE'S MULTIPLE REASONS YOU COULD BE DOING THIS TO ACHIEVE A LOWER INTEREST COST COST. SO IF INTEREST RATES GO DOWN YOU COULD SWAP MORE EXPENSIVE DEBT FOR CHEAPER DEBT. YOU LOWER YOUR INTEREST PAYMENTS. YOU COULD RESTRUCTURE YOUR DEBT. SO THAT'S CHANGING THE MATURITY. YOU COULD STRETCH, STRETCH OR SHORTEN ITS ULTIMATE PAYOFF DATE. OR YOU COULD MODIFY YOUR DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS TO ESSENTIALLY SMOOTH OUT ANY YEARS WHERE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS MAY SPIKE BASED ON ITS ORIGINAL DEBT SERVICE REPAYMENT SCHEDULE, YOU CAN MODIFY THE TERMS. THIS IS MOST COMMON WHEN YOU HAVE OLDER DEBT WHERE THE TERMS NO LONGER FIT, AND YOU CAN REPLACE THOSE TERMS TO MATCH A MORE MODERN DEBT SERVICE. REPAYMENT OR CHANGES IN THE STATE LAW. OR FINALLY, YOU CAN FIX OUT SHORT TERM DEBT INTO LONG TERM DEBT, WHICH WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT MORE IN THE UPCOMING SLIDES. SO THE TYPES OF BOND REFUNDING, THERE'S THREE PRIMARY TYPES. 
          AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE IS TIMING. SO YOU HAVE WHAT IS CALLED THE CURRENT. 
          THIS IS OUR MOST COMMON TYPE OF REFUNDING. IT OCCURS WHEN THE OUTSTANDING BONDS ARE REDEEMED WITHIN 90 DAYS OF THE DATE. WHEN THE REFUNDING BONDS ARE ISSUED, YOU CAN DO AN ADVANCED REFUNDING. SO THIS OCCURS WHEN THE OUTSTANDING BONDS ARE REDEEMED MORE THAN 90 DAYS FROM THE DATE WHEN THOSE REFUNDING BONDS BONDS ARE ISSUED. SO IN THIS SITUATION, THOSE FUNDS GET HELD IN ESCROW UNTIL YOUR CALL DATE FOR THAT OLD ISSUANCE. AND THEN ONCE THAT CALL DATE IS MET, YOU PAY OFF THE OLD BONDS. THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES IN FEDERAL LAW IN 2017 THAT ELIMINATED THIS ABILITY FOR CITIES ON TAX EXEMPT DEBT. YOU CAN STILL DO ADVANCED REFUNDING FOR TAXABLE DEBT, BUT THE HIGHER INTEREST OR THE HIGHER RATES ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE MAKES SAVINGS HARDER TO ACHIEVE. AND THEN FINALLY, YOU HAVE WHAT IS CALLED TINDER, WHERE THE ISSUER BUYS BACK THE BONDS FROM THE BONDHOLDERS BEFORE THE CALL DATE. THIS IS OPTIONAL AND HAS THIS HAS BECOME MORE COMMON SINCE 2017 AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED REFUNDING. MAJORITY OF THE ACTIVITY THE CITY DOES WOULD FALL UNDER CURRENT, AND I WILL PASS IT OVER TO DARRELL TO 
          [00:05:05]
DIVE INTO EXACTLY WHAT'S PROPOSED FOR CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION TONIGHT. THANK YOU. ALLISON. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, GOOD EVENING. SO IF YOU REMEMBER FROM THE LAST BULLET ON THE FIRST SLIDE THAT ALLISON SHOWED, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY YOU MIGHT DO REFUNDING IS TO FIX OUT SHORT TERM DEBT INTO LONG TERM DEBT. SHORT TERM DEBT IS TYPICALLY A VARIABLE RATE. DEBT WHICH FLUCTUATE, CAN FLUCTUATE ON A DAILY TYPE OF BASIS. YOU TYPICALLY WILL LOOK AT FIXING THAT DEBT OUT INTO SOMETHING THAT'S A FIXED RATE OVER A LONGER TERM PERIOD. A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND WITH REGARDS TO G L'S. THANK YOU. GPS COMMERCIAL PAPER PROGRAM. WE ESTABLISHED THAT IN 2014. THE REASON WHY WE DID THAT IS IT ALIGNS MORE CLOSELY WITH HOW WE RECOVER OUR COSTS FOR OUR TRANSMISSION CAPITAL PROJECTS. 
          AND SO ESSENTIALLY, WHAT WE DO WITH THE COMMERCIAL PAPER PROGRAM, IT ACTS LIKE CONSTRUCTION FUNDING. SO AS YOU NEED THE THE DOLLARS YOU DRAW DOWN ON THAT CAPACITY OF THE COMMERCIAL PAPER. AND SO WHAT WE DO IS AS WE DRAW DOWN ON THAT COMMERCIAL PAPER BUILDING PROJECTS, WE GET TO A CERTAIN POINT WHERE WE'VE GOT ENOUGH COMPLETED PROJECTS OR SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED PROJECTS WHERE WE'LL TAKE THAT DEBT OUT, THAT SHORT TERM DEBT INTO LONG TERM DEBT. AND WHAT THAT DOES DOES TWO THINGS. ONE, IT FREES UP THE CAPACITY IN THAT COMMERCIAL PAPER WHEN WE PAY IT DOWN WITH THE LONG TERM DEBT, BUT ALSO IT FIXES THE RATE. SO YOU GO FROM A VARIABLE RATE TO A FIXED RATE, TYPICALLY OVER A 30 YEAR TERM. AND SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR TONIGHT, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE APPROVAL FROM COUNCIL WITH REGARDS TO US BEING ABLE TO GO IN AND REFUND UP TO $80 MILLION OF THE COMMERCIAL PAPER. IN ADDITION, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS AUTHORIZATION OF AN APPOINTMENT OF A PRICING OFFICER. BASICALLY, THAT'S WHO ULTIMATELY IS APPROVING THE DEAL ONCE YOU GET A PRICING FROM THE MARKET. AND THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THREE PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE THE CITY MANAGER, FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OR THE GENERAL MANAGER OF GARLAND POWER AND LIGHT. AND IF YOU GOT ANY QUESTIONS, BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER. ALL RIGHT. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM DENTON, THANK YOU FOR GOING OVER THIS WITH US. THE REASON WHY I REQUESTED IT TO BE PULLED IS BECAUSE THERE'S QUITE A. THE TALK ABOUT IT ON THE THE SOCIAL MEDIA. AND SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTIONS IS THAT THIS IS GOING TO GIVE US A, AN EXTRA MONEY. SO CAN WE CONFIRM IF THAT IS ACCURATE OR NOT? SO WHAT WHAT IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF MAYBE MISNOMER, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT'S USED IN THE INDUSTRY. IT'S CALLED A REFUNDING. IT'S NOT CALLED A REFINANCING LIKE YOU WOULD HAVE ON THE PRIVATE SIDE. SO BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE WE'RE TAKING AND BORROWING LONG TERM DEBT TO PAY OFF SHORT TERM DEBT. SO THERE'S NOT FROM A STANDPOINT OF, OF MONEY COMING IN FOR A REFUND OR IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, FROM A COST SAVING STANDPOINT, LIKE YOU MIGHT DO REFUND LONG TERM DEBT WITH LONG TERM DEBT TO GET A LOWER TAX OR LOWER INTEREST RATE. THAT'S NOT THE CASE FOR THIS ONE. THIS IS REALLY JUST TAKING AND FIXING OUT A SHORT TERM VARIABLE RATE DEBT INTO LONGER TERM FIXED RATE. I THINK THAT PEOPLE SEE THE WORD REFUND, AND THEY THINK YOU'RE GOING TO COLES TO GET A REFUND, NOT ACTUALLY RE FUNDING IS SEPARATE. 
          SO DOES THIS AFFECT ANY OF OUR BONDS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE THAT ARE UNFINISHED? NO. 
          PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCILMEMBER TRENT. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. JUST A QUICK QUESTION, JUST TO CONFIRM, FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO UNDERSTAND THIS WAS DOES NOT AFFECT THE CURRENT PROPERTY TAX RATE OR ANY ELECTRIC RATE, RIGHT? CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU. JUST THEIR THEIR MISUNDERSTANDING, THE TERM OF FUNDING THE REFUNDING. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. YES, SIR. COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS. SO CAN YOU TELL US KIND OF WHAT IS WHAT IS THE SHORT TERM RATE VERSUS THE LONG TERM RATE YOU'RE REFUNDING TO? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN ANSWER EVEN OR SO RIGHT NOW, SHORT TERM RATES, PROBABLY ABOUT 3.8% IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. PLUS, WITH YOUR SHORT TERM DEBT, YOU HAVE A COMMITMENT CHARGE BECAUSE THAT THAT CAPACITY IS AVAILABLE FOR USE. AND IT'S JUST YOU CAN'T SIT THERE AND IT'S FREE. SO THAT'S, THAT'S AN A CHARGE THAT'S ON TOP OF THAT. 
          SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT ROUGHLY AROUND A LITTLE OVER 4% FOR THE VARIABLE RATE. WHEN WE GO TO THE MARKET THIS PAST YEAR, WHEN WE WENT, WE WERE LOOKING AT ABOUT 4.5% FOR 30 YEAR. I 
          [00:10:03]
IMAGINE WE GO TO THE MARKET THIS TIME BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN THE FED RAISE RATES AND WE'VE SEEN UPWARD PRESSURE. I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY BE AROUND FIVE PLUS FOR A 30 YEAR TERM. OKAY. 
          AND SO BUT YOU'RE STILL PROPOSING THAT WE MOVE OFF OF THE VARIABLE RATE BECAUSE YOU'VE YOU'VE GOT THE VARIABLE RATE TO BUILD WHATEVER WE'RE GOING TO BUILD. AND NOW IT'S TIME TO FUND THOSE LONG TERM ASSETS WITH LONG TERM DEBT AND LOCK IN A RATE WHERE WE CAN THAT WE CAN COUNT ON FOR THE FUTURE. SO IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, ONE, YOU'RE LOCKING IN THE RATE. THE OTHER THING YOU'RE DOING IS ONCE YOU PAY THAT THAT SHORT TERM DEBT, YOU PAY IT OFF. YOU FREED UP THE CAPACITY OF THAT $150 MILLION TO CONTINUE CONSTRUCTING OTHER PROJECTS, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT DOZENS OF TRANSMISSION PROJECTS THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING. SO YOU NEED THAT CAPACITY AVAILABLE TO FUND THOSE FUTURE PROJECTS. OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. THAT THAT'S HELPFUL. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. WHEN I THINK OF TAKING ON LONG TERM DEBT, ARE WE SAYING THEN THAT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PAY THE SHORT TERM INSTRUMENT THAT WE HAVE PRESENTLY? AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE NEED TO HAVE THE LONG TERM. AND IF, IN FACT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING, HOW IS THAT GOING TO IMPACT US? AND WITH INTEREST RATES AND LONGEVITY, HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE? NO, NO, THIS IS THIS IS A FORM OF CONSTRUCTION FINANCING SO THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE YOU'RE BORROWING MONEY WHILE YOU'RE CONSTRUCTING COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL LONG TERM DEBT WOULD BE THAT IF, LET'S SAY I WANTED $150 MILLION, I WOULD IMMEDIATELY GET $150 MILLION AND BE PAYING INTEREST ON IT, PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST ON IT IMMEDIATELY. WHAT THIS IS ALLOWING YOU TO DO IS ONLY PULL DOWN THE MONEY YOU NEED AT THE TIME YOU NEED IT. YOUR CAPACITY IS $150 MILLION, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU NEED $150 MILLION IMMEDIATELY. AND SO IT'S JUST LIKE TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION FINANCING THAT YOU WOULD SEE THAT THE INVESTOR OWNED UTILILITIES WOULD DO WHERE YOU PULL DOWN AS YOU NEED THE FUNDS. 
          AND THEN ONCE YOU GET YOUR PROJECTS COMPLETED, THEN YOU WOULD TAKE THAT OUT INTO LONG TERM DEBT. AND THE REASON WHY WE USE COMMERCIAL PAPER IS IT ALIGNS CLOSER WITH HOW WE GET OUR RECOVERY FROM OUR TRANSMISSION PROJECTS AND FROM THE PUC WITH OUR OUR T COST RATES. SO IT'S A IT'S AN ALIGNMENT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ONCE YOU START PAYING PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST, IT'S EASIER TO CAPITALIZE THOSE COSTS WHEN YOU'RE USING CONSTRUCTION FINANCING THAN IT IS. I WOULD CALL TRADITIONAL MUNICIPAL FINANCING, WHERE YOU ISSUE JUST ONE LARGE DEBT ISSUE. AND THAT MONEY SITS THERE WHILE YOU'RE WAITING TO DO PROJECTS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FINANCIAL TOOL USED FOR. CORRECT. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR. COUNCIL. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S VERY EDUCATIONAL FOR US AND FOR THE CITIZENS AS WELL. THANK YOU. MOVE ON NOW. ITEM 
          [9. Grow Garland Bond Proposition C: Granville Arts Center Renovation Update]
NUMBER NINE GROW GARLAND BOND PROPOSITION C, GRANVILLE ART CENTER RENOVATION UPDATE. 
          A MOMENT, PLEASE. AS WE GET OURSELVES SETTLED. 
          TA DA! OKAY. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M AMY ROSENTHAL, CULTURAL ARTS DIRECTOR, AND I'M HERE ALONG WITH MICHAEL BUCKLER, OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR. WE ARE THE R AND B OPENING ACT. WE'RE GOING TO GO FAST. YES WE ARE, YES WE ARE. 
          SO WE CAN GET TO OUR HEADLINERS HERE. SO VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL TONIGHT TO GIVE AN UPDATE ABOUT PROPOSITION C FOR THE GRANVILLE ARTS CENTER. SO BACK MAY, THIS JOURNEY STARTED BACK IN MAY OF 2025, WHERE THE VOTERS SAID YES TO A BOND TO HELP WITH MUCH NEEDED RENOVATIONS FOR GRANVILLE ART CENTER. SO THE PEDAL HAS BEEN TO THE METAL. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD THIS LAST YEAR AND A HALF, VERY HARD. AND A COUPLE OF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST KIND OF AN OVERCAP, BUT A COUPLE THINGS TO KNOW. SINCE OUR LAST VISIT IN MAY, WE'VE BEEN VERY BUSY WITH PRICING AND REVISIONS ON THE DESIGNS. AND SO JUST AS FAR AS LAST WEEK, WE 
          [00:15:08]
HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH OUR ART STAKEHOLDERS A PREVIEW OF THE DESIGNS. AND I IM THRILLED TO SAY THEY GAVE US GREAT REVIEWS. WE GOT A COMMENT THAT SAID, THANK YOU. YOU'RE SHOWING US EXACTLY WHAT WE ASKED FOR, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND WE ULTIMATELY GOT A TWO THUMBS UP FROM MISS PATTY GRANVILLE. SO THAT WAS THAT WAS REALLY VERY IMPORTANT. THOSE WERE THE WORDS WE NEEDED TO HEAR ON FRIDAY. SO WE HAVE OUR UPDATES. WE'RE CAPTURING UPDATES IN REAL TIME ON GROW GARLAND.COM. SO PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CHECK IT OUT TO SEE UPDATES. YOU ALL KNOW THIS. I SAY IT EVERY TIME. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE TO THAT THIS MESSAGE CONTINUES TO RISE TO THE TOP. ARTS MEANS BUSINESS. YOU KNOW THE THIS PROJECT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT MEANS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR GARLAND. WE HAVE VISITORS THAT COME AND SPEND THEIR MONEY IN GARLAND WHEN THEY'RE COMING TO SEE SHOWS. THIS IS OUR FABULOUS GROUP, OUR GLOW UP TEAM. SO WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TONIGHT TO HAVE OUR ARCHITECTS HERE WITH US. BUT THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER FOLKS WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES, INCLUDING BURN KAHN CONSTRUCTION. THERE ARE CONTRACTOR SCHULER SHOOK. THOSE ARE THEATER SPECIALISTS, SPECIALISTS JAFFE HOLDEN, WHICH IS THE ACUTE ACQUISITION ACCUSATION. ACOUSTICIANS. YES, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IT ALL SOUNDS GREAT. AND THEN OUR POWER GROUP, WHICH IS OUR PR GROUP. SO LOTS OF GOOD STUFF. AGAIN, Y'ALL WERE THERE BACK IN JANUARY WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO FOLKS. SURVEYS HAVE BEEN VERY IMPORTANT TO HELP GUIDE US THROUGH THIS PROJECT. YOU KNOW, A D A BACKSTAGE AREAS. AND THOSE WERE THE THINGS THAT REALLY OUR GROUPS WERE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT. AND WE WERE ABLE TO DELIVER ON THAT. AND THEN TECHNICAL, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY ALSO SAID, HEY, PLEASE HELP US WITH THE LAYOUT OF THE OF THE BROWNLEE AUDITORIUM. YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED COMFORT. PLEASE HELP US WITH A D A IN THE GRANVILLE ARTS CENTER. AND THEN ALSO WE NEED SOME UPDATED RESTROOMS AND CONCESSIONS. SO LOVE TO GO BACK IN TIME A LITTLE AND TAKE A LOOK AT PICTURES FROM 1981 AND 82 WHEN THE GRANVILLE ARTS CENTER WAS BEING CONSTRUCTED. AND SO REALLY COOL TO SEE THE STEEL, YOU KNOW, PEELED BACK IN THE BUILDING AND THE CRANE. I LOVE THIS PHOTO AS WELL TOO, BECAUSE YOU CAN ALMOST SEE OUR NEW ARTS INCUBATOR WAY IN THE BACKGROUND. IT WAS THERE IN 74, SO IT'S PRETTY COOL TO GET A GLIMPSE INTO THAT DURING THIS PROCESS. WE'RE SO LUCKY TO HAVE LOTS OF PHOTOS AND THE ORIGINAL DESIGNS FROM 82, AND THEN RON HOBBS DESIGNS FROM THE 2000. LOTS OF GREAT INFORMATION, BUT I WILL SAY WE FOUND A GHOHOST STAIR. WE FOUND THE UNUSUAL STAIRCASE THAT REALLY NEVER DEVELOPED. SO THAT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING. BUT WE'RE COMMITMENT. THERE ARE A LOT OF COMMITMENTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN VERY IMPORTANT TO US THROUGH THIS PROCESS. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GROUPS THAT BOOK A YEAR IN ADVANCE, AND WE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE TAKING CARE OF OUR ARTS STAKEHOLDERS. G T GARLAND CIVIC THEATER. YOU KNOW, THEY ARE GOING TO MOVE THEIR PRODUCTIONS NEXT YEAR TO THE PLAZA THEATER. THEY'RE KIND OF CHANGING THEIR APPROACH ON WHAT THEY PRODUCE. AND SO THEY'RE AT THE PLAZA THEATER. GARLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WILL BE AT THE ATRIUM, SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO RECONFIGURE HOW THEY BRING IN THEIR AUDIENCES. AND SO GARLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WILL BE IN THE ATRIUM. BUT THIS IS HARD. 
          WHAT THIS PROJECT HAS DEMONSTRATED IS, IS THAT GRANVILLE ARTS CENTER PLAYS A VERY SPECIAL ROLE IN THE ECOSYSTEM OF PERFORMING ARTS VENUES IN NORTH TEXAS. WHEN WE'RE TAKING GRANVILLE OFF THE LINE OFFLINE FOR A YEAR, IT'S VERY CHALLENGING FOR OUR ARTS GROUPS. AND WE WE FEEL THAT. AND WE'RE WE'RE RIGHT THERE WITH THEM AND DOING OUR VERY BEST TO HELP MAKE THEM SUCCESSFUL. ONE OF THE THINGS TOO, IS, AND WE'LL REALLY SEE THIS NEXT YEAR, IS THE DIRT IS STARTING TO FLY. I MEAN, WE REALLY WANT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGED AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, A POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR AUDIENCES OR FOR SOME OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO TAKE A LITTLE PIECE OF THE GRANVILLE WITH THEM WHILE WE'RE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. STAY TUNED. MORE COMING UP FOR THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, JUST AGAIN, BRIEFLY, WE'RE, WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT THE IN THE VISION AND THE BUDGETING AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO MEET EXPECTATIONS, VERY PROUD OF HOW HARD WE REALLY HAVE WORKED TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THIS PROJECT. AND VERY AND THEY'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I AM GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR HEADLINERS NOW. 
          AND LET THEM. SORRY, I'M NOT VERY SMOOTH AT THIS. YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. GREAT. SO YEAH, LET'S LET'S TRADE FOOD. IF YOU WANT TO START ANYTHING. NO, LET'S JUST JUMP INTO IT. WELL, I'LL, 
          [00:20:07]
I'LL INTRODUCE MYSELF RICHARD WILLIAMS WITH WILLIAMS THARP ARCHITECTS AND CHRIS WEIDMAN WITH TEMPLE BROWN FROM DENVER. AS AMY INDICATED, WE HAD THE PLEASURE OF TALKING WITH GROUPS IN THE COMMUNITY OVER THE PAST WEEK AND GOT SOME GREAT QUESTIONS, SOME GREAT FEEDBACK, BUT THAT ALSO ILLUSTRATED JUST HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS FOR US TO GET THE INPUT THAT AMY WAS TALKING ABOUT. SO FROM THE BOND CAMPAIGN, WE KNEW THE MESSAGES THAT YOU ALL HAD COMMUNICATED TO THE VOTERS ABOUT OUTDATED HVAC, NEEDING TO ADDRESS ADA LIFE SAFETY, REFRESHING THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING. THE ARTS PARTNERS COMMUNICATED VERY STRONGLY ABOUT ADA. AGAIN, THE NEED FOR EXPANDED BACK OF HOUSE SUPPORT IS WHAT THE O STANDS FOR. UPGRADED TECHNOLOGY IN THE PERFORMANCE VENUES AND THEIR HIGH PRIORITY ON KEEPING SEATING CAPACITY IN THE VENUES AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE. WE WERE VERY CLEAR UP FRONT ABOUT WHEN WHEN WE SAID THAT WE WERE GOING TO ADDRESS ADA AND PROVIDE MORE COMFORT. THAT TYPICALLY MEANS WIDER SEATS, THAT MEANS FEWER OF THEM. AND SO BALANCING CAPACITY AND COMFORT WITH ADA WAS IMPORTANT. AND THEN THE COMMUNITY SURVEYS THAT AMY TALKED ABOUT PRIORITIZE SEATING COMFORT AND LAYOUT, ADA AND UPGRADED RESTROOMS AND CONCESSIONS. WHAT WAS GREAT ABOUT ALL OF THAT WAS JUST HOW CONSISTENT ALL OF THAT WAS, AND IT GAVE US EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD DIRECTION FOR THE DESIGN PROCESS. SO I'M GOING TO START WITH EXPANDED BACK OF HOUSE SUPPORT BECAUSE ULTIMATELY ENABLING AMY TO BOOK MORE AND A BROADER VARIETY OF ACTS IS WHAT KEEPS THE BUILDING ACTIVE AND BUSY AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE COMMUNITY. SO IN THE BROWNLEE THEATER, WE HAVE INCREASED DRESSING STATIONS, CHAIRS WITH COUNTER SPACE AND MIRRORS FROM 31 TO 53 PEOPLE. BACKSTAGE, WE'VE ADDED A GREEN ROOM WITH A STAR DRESSING ROOM, WHICH IS FREQUENTLY A REQUEST FROM TOURING ACTS. WE'VE ADDED LARGE REHEARSAL HALL. ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IS LOCK UP YOUR STAGE WITH REHEARSAL ACTIVITY THAT ISN'T SELLING TICKETS. SO THE MORE THAT WE CAN DO THAT ACTIVITY IN A DEDICATED REHEARSAL ROOM AND NOT IN THE THEATER, THE BETTER, WE'VE ADDED A NEW CONTROL BOOTH THAT IS ACCESSIBLE, THAT IS LARGER, AND THAT IS ON CENTER IN THE ROOM FOR ITS VIEW OF THE STAGE. WE'VE ADDED MORE BACK OF HOUSE RESTROOMS, AND WE'VE GIVEN THE TECHNICIANS AND THE BUILDING STAFF 360 DEGREE CIRCULATION AROUND THE BROWNLEE. 
          YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT AT THIS POINT ON ON THE STAGE LEFT SIDE OF THE BUILDING, IF YOU WANT TO GO FROM FRONT OF HOUSE TO BACK OF HOUSE, YOU'RE GOING OUTSIDE. SO THAT WAS AN IMPROVEMENT WE WANTED TO MAKE FOR THE SMALL THEATER. THERE'S NO PARTICULAR CHANGE IN THE DRESSING STATIONS, ALTHOUGH WE WILL HAVE ALL NEW FINISHES IN THOSE SPACES. WE HAVE ADDED A REHEARSAL HALL FOR THAT VENUE AS WELL, FOR THE SAME REASONS. HAVE A NEW CONTROL BOOTH THAT IS ACCESSIBLE AND ON CENTER. EXPANDED THE STAGE AREA AND ADDED BACK OF HOUSE RESTROOMS. SO THIS IS AN AERIAL VIEW. IF YOU'RE A BIRD OR A DRONE FLYING OVER THE PARKING LOT. AND HERE YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT THIS LINE WHERE WE SEPARATE FROM GRAY TO PINK IS THE NEW SQUARE FOOTAGE BEING ADDED TO THE BUILDING. SO ON THE LEFT, THAT IS THE NEW STAR DRESSING ROOM AND GREEN ROOM, THE NEW REHEARSAL HALL, THE NEW BACKSTAGE RESTROOMS AND EXPANDED DRESSING ROOMS AND TECH OFFICES THAT WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SECURE OBSERVATION OF THE LOADING DOCK, THEN A GATE FOR THE LOADING DOCK ITSELF AND THE NEW REHEARSAL HALL FOR THE SMALL THEATER. WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT IN PLAN, THE REHEARSAL HALL FOR THE SMALL THEATER IS ON THE LEFT. HERE HAS A SINGLE HOLE RESTROOM HERE, AND SO THAT THE ROOM CAN BE USED INDEPENDENTLY. ALSO HAS AN EXTERIOR DOOR SO THAT THE ROOM CAN BE USED INDEPENDENTLY. 
          IF THE SMALL THEATER IS BEING BOOKED SEPARATELY, YOU SEE THE EXPANDED DRESSING SPACES AND THE RECONFIGURATION FOR MORE EFFICIENCY BEING DONE ON THE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, ALONG WITH THE ADDITIONAL BACK OF HOUSE RESTROOMS, THE REHEARSAL HALL, THE GREEN ROOM AND STAR DRESSING ROOM. THIS TAKES THE GRANVILLE CENTER FROM HAVING ONE REHEARSAL ROOM TO HAVING THREE. AND THE FLEXIBILITY THAT IT'S GOING TO PROVIDE BACKSTAGE IS ENORMOUS, NOT JUST FOR THE GROUPS THAT ARE USING THE TWO STAGES, BUT ALSO FOR POTENTIAL PROGRAMING IN TERMS OF CAMP ACTIVITIES, IN TERMS OF EDUCATION, WORK, IN TERMS OF WORK WITH STUDENT AUDIENCES. SO 
          [00:25:06]
THAT'S A BIG MOVE WITH SEATING CONFIGURATIONS AND CAPACITY. IN THE BROWNLEE, WE'VE GOT A REVISED AISLE CONFIGURATION, AND I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE THAT WE WERE TOLD VERY, VERY CLEARLY UP FRONT, NO CENTER AISLE, AND YOU WON'T SEE ONE. THE CURRENT CAPACITY IS 728. WE HAVE A PROPOSED CAPACITY OF 645 FIXED SEATS, PLUS 32 TO 45 ON THE AREA OF THE ORCHESTRA PIT, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE. WE'RE PROPOSING A MANUAL ORCHESTRA PIT FILLER FOR THAT AREA, AND WE HAVE ADDED SOUND AND LIGHT LOCKS OR VESTIBULES TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE ENTRANCES INTO THE BROWNLEE, WHICH DOESN'T CURRENTLY HAVE. 
          AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE ISSUES OF SOUND BLEED FROM ROOM TO ROOM ARE SO PREVALENT IS BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF THOSE SOUND AND LIGHT LOCKS. SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE SOLVING IN BOTH THEATERS. THE SMALL THEATER GETS A REVISED AISLE CONFIGURATION TO BE EASIER TO NAVIGATE IN. CURRENT CAPACITY IS 200, AND THAT DROPS TO 190. YOU MAY RECALL BACK IN MAY, WE TALKED ABOUT THE OPTION TO WORK WITH SOME TELESCOPING SEATING THAT MIGHT FOLD OUT INTO THE SMALL THEATER. ULTIMATELY, AND THIS IS A TESTAMENT TO THE VALUE OF WORKING WITH A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER DURING THE DESIGN PROCESS, WE LOOKED AT ALL OF THE COSTS THAT WE WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT TELESCOPING SEATING, NOT JUST BUYING THE SEATING ITSELF, BUT ALSO THE CHANGES TO THE FLOOR SLAB. ALSO THE CHANGES TO THE DEMOLITION AND DETERMINED THAT THAT JUST WASN'T WORTH THE INVESTMENT AND HAVE ADDED THE SOUND AND LIGHT LOCKS THERE AS WELL. ADA IMPROVEMENTS ARE SIGNIFICANT THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING. IN THE BROWNLEE. WE WILL NOW HAVE DISPERSED ACCESSIBLE SEATING LOCATIONS SIDE TO SIDE AND FRONT TO BACK, WHICH IS WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS LOOKING FOR. WE'LL HAVE AN ACCESSIBLE PATH TO THE STAGE SO THAT WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO USE THE BROWNLEE FOR A CIVIC MEETING, AN AWARD CEREMONY, A TRAINING EVENT, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO INVITE PARTICIPANTS WHO MAY USE WHEELCHAIRS FROM THEIR LOCATIONS IN THE AUDIENCE ONTO THE STAGE TO RECEIVE RECOGNITION AND COME BACK OUT AGAIN. THE BOOTH ITSELF WILL BE ACCESSIBLE AND AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WITHIN THE THEATRICAL INDUSTRIES, WE'VE CERTAINLY SEEN DEVELOPMENT IN AWARENESS THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES CAN OPERATE LIGHTING AND SOUND EQUIPMENT FROM A BOOTH. IF IT IS MADE ACCESSIBLE, WE WILL HAVE A NEW ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEM IN THE THEATER, AND THE DRESSING ROOMS ARE LAID OUT TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE IN TERMS OF DIMENSIONS AND CLEARANCES. IN THE SMALL THEATER, WE ALSO GET DISPERSED SEATING LOCATIONS FRONT TO BACK AND SIDE TO SIDE. 
          WE HAVE. WE WILL HAVE A NEW ACCESSIBLE PATH TO THE STAGE, THE NEWLY ACCESSIBLE BOOTH AND THE ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEM THERE AS WELL. SO LOOKING AT THE PLAN OF THE BROWNLEE AT THE VERY TOP, YOU SEE THE STAGE AREA, THAT DOESN'T CHANGE STRUCTURALLY. THAT'S IN PLACE AND AND NOT GOING TO BE MODIFIED. AS YOU MOVE DOWN, YOU SEE THE PIT PLATFORM AND THE SEATS THAT ARE SHADOWED IN THERE. CURRENTLY, THERE IS A HARD CONCRETE WALL SURROUNDING YOUR PIT. THAT MEANS IT CAN'T BE UTILIZED EVEN IF IT IS DROPPED TO THE AUDIENCE SEATING LEVEL FOR AUDIENCE SEATING, THERE'S JUST NO WAY FOR PATRONS TO GET IN THERE. SO WE'RE CREATING NEW OPENINGS FROM THE AISLES TO ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. SO THAT PERFORMANCES THAT MIGHT PRIORITIZE HAVING MORE SEATS VERSUS LESS STAGE AREA CAN DO THAT. YOU CAN ALSO SEE HERE THE CHANGE IN THE IN THE AISLE CONFIGURATION. SO INSTEAD, INSTEAD OF HAVING AN AISLE RUNNING DOWN THE CENTER, WE HAVE AISLES THAT ARE SEPARATING THE SEATING AREAS BASICALLY INTO THIRDS. THERE IS A WIDE CROSS AISLE EXTENDING SIDE TO SIDE FROM THE CORNERS OF THE AUDIENCE CHAMBER. AND WHAT THAT IS PROVIDING FOR US IS A REALLY PREMIUM, ACCESSIBLE SEATING LOCATION, BUT ALSO TAKES ADVANTAGE OF OR GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO RE SLOPE THE SEATING IN THE REAR HALF OF THE ROOM TO IMPROVE THE SIGHTLINES. SO THAT WILL STEP UP MORE STEEPLY THAN IT CURRENTLY DOES. AND ON THE SIDES WITH THE DASHED LINES, YOU CAN SEE WHAT ARE NOW GOING TO BE RAMPED AND CLOSED SOUND AND LIGHT LOCKS THAT BRING THE AUDIENCE FROM THE LOBBY, DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, DOWN THROUGH AN ENCLOSED SPACE AND INTO THE CROSS AISLE. THE 
          [00:30:02]
OTHER NICE THING THAT THIS GIVES YOU IS AN OPTION THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE A PERFORMANCE THAT NEEDS THE STAGE SIZE OF THE BROWNLEE, BUT MAY ONLY HAVE 250 PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE. IN THAT CASE, YOU CAN SEAT EVERYBODY IN THE FRONT HALF OF THE ROOM, TURN OFF THE LIGHTS IN THE REAR HALF OF THE ROOM AND FEEL VERY SUCCESSFUL. PACK EVERYONE TOGETHER AND HAVE AN INTIMATE EXPERIENCE IN THE REAR. DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DRAWING YOU SEE OUR NEW CONTROL BOOTH. THAT IS TWO THINGS. THAT IS A NEW CONTROL BOOTH LOCATION. THAT IS ALSO NEW AUDIENCE ACCESS FROM THE LOBBY VIA STAIR AND A WHEELCHAIR LIFT. SO LATE COMERS AND OTHER FOLKS WHO MIGHT BE ARRIVING AFTER THE START OF THE SHOW CAN BE SEATED WITHOUT DISRUPTING THE REST OF THE PATRONS. SO THIS IS A CUTAWAY SECTION VIEW WITH THE STAGE ON THE RIGHT. THIS SHOWS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THREE OF THESE THAT JUST SHOW THE ORCHESTRA PIT IN ITS DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS. YOU CAN SEE THE SLOPE OF THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE SEATS. HERE'S THE NEW CROSS AISLE RUNNING SIDE TO SIDE, AND THEN THE RESTRUCTURED REAR SEATING SLOPING UP TO MEET THE NEW CONTROL BOOTH. SO THIS SHOWS THE PIT PLATFORM AT STAGE LEVEL, WHERE IT MOST COMMONLY IS USED TODAY TO EXTEND THE STAGE OUT INTO THE AUDIENCE CHAMBER. IN THIS NEXT VIEW, YOU GET THE PIT AT THE MIDPOINT OR AT THE SEATING LEVEL WITH THE IDEA OF THE ADDED SEATS ON THE PIT, SO THAT A BAND THAT MIGHT NOT NEED ALL OF THE STAGE AREA THAT THE BALLET MAY NEED CAN HAVE MORE SEATS IN THE HALL. AND THEN HERE IT SHOWS THE PIT LOWERED TO ITS. THINK OF IT AS THE SUMMER MUSICALS POSITION. WHEN THERE IS A PIT ORCHESTRA ACCOMPANYING THE PERFORMERS. 
          THE WAY THAT WE'RE GETTING AROUND THE BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENT FOR AN ELEVATOR AND EXITS FROM THE PIT IS TO USE A MANUAL PIT FILLER SYSTEM. SO THIS IS A PLATFORM SYSTEM YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, IT IS PARTIALLY IN PLACE. IT IS A COMBINATION OF LEGS AND BEAMS AND THEN PLATFORMS THAT ARE PLACED ON TOP OF THOSE. AND IN THAT VIEW, YOU CAN SEE DOWN INTO THE PIT WHERE ALL OF THAT IS STORED. ON THE RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE THE CONSTRUCTIOION OF THAT SYSTEM. IT'S VERY BEEFY. IT PROVIDES THE SAME AMOUNT OF STRUCTURAL CAPACITY THAT A STAGE FLOOR WOULD NORMALLY HAVE. BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT REPLACES THE HYDRAULICS, GETS RID OF THE MAINTENANCE NIGHTMARE OF THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM, AND ALLOWS US TO MAINTAIN THE FLEXIBILITY AND THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE PIT WITHOUT MAKING AN OUTRAGEOUS CAPITAL INVESTMENT. AS WE LOOK OVER THE HOUSE LEFT SECTION OF SEATING THAT YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE PATH, THE SLOPE IS OUR NEW AISLE LEADING DOWN TO THE SEATING IN THE PIT AREA AND AROUND TO THE TOP. HERE IS THE ACCESSIBLE PATH. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A LEVEL AISLE THAT LEADS FROM THE CROSS AISLE TO THE FOUR STAGE, PROVIDING OUR ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENT THERE. 
          THIS IS A VIEW FROM THE EXTREME HOUSE LEFT REAR AUDIENCE ROW. AND I THINK THIS GIVES YOU A SENSE OF HOW MUCH IMPROVED THE SIGHTLINES CAN BE FROM THE REAR OF THE HOUSE. THE AUDIENCE REALLY IMPROVE FROM FROM THE BACK SEATS AND, AND IMPROVE THE ACCESSIBILITY AND THE SIGHTLINES. THIS ALSO GIVES YOU AN INDICATION THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO RETAIN AND SAVE THE HISTORIC WOOD CEILING IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM. WE'RE GOING TO TALK THIS EVENING ABOUT SEVERAL AREAS WHERE WE FEEL LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT TO CLAIM THE LEGACY AND THE HISTORY OF THE BUILDING AS WE RENOVATE IT, AS WE TAKE A VIEW FROM THE STAGE, YOU SEE THAT CEILING AS WELL, AND WHAT YOU CAN GET A SENSE OF HERE WITH THE EXTENDED STAGE AREA IS THE GREEN SEATING. SO ALL OF THESE ARE NEW SEATS, BUT WE'RE PROPOSING TO RETAIN THE GREEN COLOR FOR THE SEATING FABRIC ITSELF. THAT'S ONE OF THOSE NODS TO HISTORY. WE'RE NOT MAKING THE SAME NOD TO HISTORY ON THE DUSTY ROSE WALLPAPER ON THE SIDE WALLS OF THE THEATER, SO WE FEEL LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT TO DARKEN THE PALETTE OF THE ROOM SO THAT AND MAKE IT MORE NEUTRAL SO THAT THE STAGE PRODUCTION HAS MORE FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF THEIR COLOR PALETTE. 
          [00:35:06]
AND IT'S NOT FIGHTING THE ESTHETICS OF THE THEATER ITSELF. IT ALSO ENABLES THE STAGE TO DRAW YOUR EYE MORE EFFECTIVELY IN THE SMALL THEATER. YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE FLOOR, PLAN THIS CORNER OF THE ROOM OVER HERE ON THE RIGHT OF THE STAGE IS CURRENTLY AREA THAT'S OCCUPIED BY THE GALLERY SPACE IN THE GRANVILLE CENTER, AND I'LL SHOW YOU LATER WHERE WE'RE GOING TO REPLACE THE GALLERY CONFIGURATION. BUT THIS ENABLES US TO EXPAND THE STAGE A MAKE IT MORE SYMMETRICAL. YOU CAN SEE THAT THE NEW SEATING LAYOUT IS MUCH LESS OF A COLLISION BETWEEN LEFT AND RIGHT. NOT REALLY MEETING IN THE MIDDLE. THIS IS A RADIAL SEATING FORMAT, AND THE NICE THING THAT THIS HAS ENABLED US TO DO IS TO MAKE THE SMALL THEATER SELF-CONTAINED. FROM AN AUDIENCE CIRCULATION PERSPECTIVE. WE'VE RELOCATED THE ENTRANCE HERE, JUST UP AGAINST THE GLASS WALLS OF THE LOBBY. AT THAT POINT, YOU'LL COME INTO A SOUND AND LIGHT LOCK, WHICH YOU DON'T CURRENTLY DO. MANY OF YOU HAVE GONE TO PERFORMANCES. KNOW THAT IF YOU OPEN THE DOOR TO THE SMALL THEATER, LIGHT AND NOISE FLOOD IN, SO YOU E ENTER A SOUND AND LIGHT LOCK. IF YOU TURN TO THE RIGHT, YOU WILL HAVE A CHOICE OF GOING DOWN THIS INTERIOR AISLE WITH NEW HANDRAILS OR CONTINUING DOWN A RAMP TO A LANDING AND A RAMP THAT TAKES YOU TO THE FRONT ROW. SO THAT'S HOW WE'RE GETTING ACCESSIBLE SEATING LOCATIONS IN BOTH THE FRONT AND THE REAR OF THE ROOM. ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE. AGAIN, YOU CAN CONTINUE USING THE INTERIOR AISLE OR THE OUTSIDE STAIRS DOWN. SO MUCH EASIER TO SEAT PATRONS IN THAT THEATER WITH FRANKLY, A VERY MINOR LOSS OF SEATING CAPACITY THERE. I DON'T HAVE A SECOND FLOOR PLAN FOR YOU, BUT ABOVE THE SOUND AND LIGHT LOCK IS WHERE WE'RE LOCATING OUR NEW CONTROL BOOTH. SO INSTEAD OF BEING OFF IN THE LEFT HAND CORNER, THE NEW CONTROL BOOTH IS ON THE CENTER LINE AND IS ACCESSED EITHER BY THIS SPIRAL STAIR OR A NEW WHEELCHAIR LIFT. WHEN WE SEE THIS IN THE SECTION CUTAWAY, THE EXPANDED STAGE AREAS ON THE RIGHT. NOW YOU CAN GET A SENSE OF THE SEATING IN THE ROOM. IN THREE SECTIONS. THERE IS AN EXISTING LIGHTING MEZZANINE UP HERE, AND SO WE'RE MOVING THAT CONTROL BOOTH TO THE VERY CENTER OF THAT LOCATION TO HAVE A FULL VIEW OF THE STAGE AND TO BE ELEVATED UP ABOVE THE AUDIENCE. FROM THE PERFORMER'S STANDPOINT, WE'RE ALSO SHOWING THAT WE ARE TAKING THE DRYWALL OFF OF THE PROSCENIUM OPENING, WHICH HAS SOME LIMITING EFFECT ON THE DESIGNERS AND THE TECHNICIANS WHO USE THE SMALL THEATER RIGHT NOW. SO THERE WILL STILL BE CURTAINS HERE, BUT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO DESIGN SCENERY THAT WORKED OUT IN FRONT OF THAT CURTAIN AND MADE USE OF ATTACHING TO THIS STRUCTURE. BUT I THINK THIS GIVES YOU A SENSE THAT THE SMALL THEATER WILL STILL BE A VERY INTIMATE, VERY HOSPITABLE PLACE FOR A RANGE OF PERFORMANCES. AND AGAIN, THE COLOR PALETTE IN THE ROOM GETS DARKER. THIS IS AN IMMERSIVE SPACE. WE WANT THE STAGE DESIGN TO COME OUT AND MEET YOU. AND SO WE DON'T WANT TO COMPETE WITH THAT ARCHITECTURALLY. LOOKING FROM THE FAR REAR SEAT ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE ROOM, THIS IS A SENSE OF JUST HOW OPEN THAT SPACE WILL BE. AGAIN, THIS IS WITHOUT SHOWING THE CURTAINS. AND FOR TECHNICAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TWO THEATERS IN THE BROWNLEE, YOU KNOW THAT YOU'VE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT LIGHTING ISSUES THERE WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF SEASONS. WE'RE GOING TO A NEW ALL LED STAGE LIGHTING SYSTEM THAT WILL BE MUCH MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT AND MUCH MORE FLEXIBLE FOR YOUR STAFF. WE'RE GOING TO REPLACE THE MANUAL COUNTERWEIGHT RIGGING ON THE STAGE WITH POWERED HOISTS. THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT WE CAN'T ADD ENOUGH STRUCTURE TO THE ROOF TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A WALKABLE DECK UP AT THE TOP OF ALL OF THOSE COUNTERWEIGHTS, TO SAFELY ALLOW TECHNICIANS TO LOAD AND UNLOAD COUNTERWEIGHTS IN THAT LOCATION. THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'VE BEEN MISSING FOR A LONG TIME IN TERMS OF SAFETY, AND WE WANT TO REPLACE THAT. WE'RE RECONFIGURING THE DUCTWORK TO MAKE THE RIGGING WORK BETTER AND MAKE THINGS MORE COMFORTABLE ON STAGE. THERE WILL BE AN ENTIRELY NEW AUDIO SYSTEM TO WORK WITH. THE NEW SEATING CONFIGURATION. THERE WILL BE NEW FRONT OF HOUSE LIGHTING AGAIN LED DIMMABLE, MUCH MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT. THE 
          [00:40:07]
MANUAL ORCHESTRA PIT FILLER THAT WE TALKED ABOUT A NEW FOLLOWSPOT PLATFORM UP ABOVE THE CONTROL BOOTH, AND A NEW STAGE FLOOR IN THE SMALL THEATER. AGAIN, LED STAGE LIGHTING, EXPANDED STAGE AREA, RECONFIGURED DUCTWORK, NEW AUDIO SYSTEM, EXPANDED LIGHTING, GRID AND RAILS IN THE FRONT OF HOUSE, AND A NEW STAGE FLOOR. FRONT OF HOUSE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE EXPANDING OUR CONCESSION AREA FROM 150FT■S TO 250FT■S. AND I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU THAT IN A MOMENT. RESTROOMS EXPANDED FROM YOUR CURRENT COUNT OF SEVEN FOR MEN AND 14 FOR WOMEN. THE THE DOUBLING FOR WOMEN OCCURRED BACK IN 2000. NOTHING WAS DONE FOR THE GUYS. 
          WE'RE PROPOSING THAT THAT BE 14 FOR MEN AND 16 FOR WOMEN TO GET US A LITTLE CLOSER TO PARITY. 
          BUT I WILL CAUTION THAT WE'RE STILL MORE FOR WOMEN. AS AS IT SHOULD BE. WE'RE ADDING A NEW PATRON ENTRY FROM THE AUSTIN SIDE OF THE PARKING LOT. AND I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR GALLERY RELOCATION AND A NEW BOX OFFICE WITH FIRST AID SPACE FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. SO THIS IS A LOOK AT THE NEW CONCESSION AREA STANDING. AND YOU CAN SEE JUST UP HERE IN THE UPPER LEFT WHERE WE'VE TAKEN THIS IMAGE FROM, IF YOU WERE THERE TODAY, YOU'D BE LOOKING INTO THE BOX OFFICE. AND WHAT THIS CREATES IS A NOT JUST LARGER BUT MORE FLEXIBLE CONCESSION LOCATION. THERE ARE FIVE POINT OF SALE LOCATIONS HERE, AND YOU COULD CHOOSE TO DEDICATE TWO OF THOSE TO THE SMALL THEATER AND THREE TO THE BROWNLEE. IF YOU HAVE SIMULTANEOUS PERFORMANCES GOING IN BOTH VENUES, YOU COULD HAVE ALL FIVE RUNNING FOR A LARGE AUDIENCE. IN THE BROWNLEE. YOU CAN KIND OF MIX AND MATCH HERE, AND THIS IS BOTH MORE VISIBLE, MORE ACCESSIBLE, AND WE THINK WILL BE MORE SUCCESSFUL. BEHIND THIS DOOR OVER HERE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS A SUPPORT AREA WITH STORAGE AND REFRIGERATION AND COUNTERS AND CABINETS. LOOKING COMING IN FROM AUSTIN AT THE CORNER OF THE BUILDING WHERE THE OFFICES ARE CURRENTLY LOCATED. THIS IS A LOOK AT OUR PROPOSED WELCOME DESK AND ALSO AT THE GALLERY SPACE ON THE WALLS SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED. AND REALLY, THE FIRST THING THAT YOU WALK INTO WHEN YOU COME INTO THE BUILDING. THIS IS A LOOK SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU SOME OF YOU MAYEVER GET A CHANCE TO GO AFTER THE RIBBON CUTTING AND INTO. THIS IS INTO THE WOMEN'S RESTROOM IN THE BROWNLEE. AND WE'RE TREATING THESE AS THEMED SPACES AS NOT JUST PLAIN GENERIC ROOMS THAT YOU HAVE TO GO TO, BUT SOMEPLACE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO GO TO AND TALK ABOUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS INSIDE. THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE FINISHED PALETTE THERE AND THE DRAMA IN THOSE. THE EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE BUILDING INCLUDE A NEW ENTRY CANOPY FACING DOWNTOWN AND THE SQUARE HIGHER, MORE VISIBLE, WITH SIGNAGE ABOVE THE NEW AUSTIN STREET ENTRY THAT I TALKED ABOUT WITH THE WELCOME COUNTER, THE FIRST AID SPACE, AND A NEW ENTRY COURTYARD BRINGING YOU FROM THE SURFACE PARKING WITH RAMPS TO ENTRY, A RELOCATED GALLERY TO THAT MORE VISIBLE LOCATION, AND A CLEARER PATHWAY TO YOUR PREFERRED ENTRY. SO AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE SURFACE PARKING THAT SURROUNDS THE BUILDING CURRENTLY, WHAT HAPPENS IS PEOPLE KIND OF MAKE A CHOICE TO COME AROUND THE ATRIUM SIDE OR COME AROUND THE AUSTIN STREET SIDE. WE'D REALLY LIKE TO PRESS PEOPLE TO, TO, YOU KNOW, DESIGN A PATH FOR THEM TOWARD THE AUSTIN STREET SIDE AND COMING IN HERE. AND THAT'S WHAT'S SHOWN TO BE MORE ASSERTIVE ABOUT WHERE THE BETTER LIGHTING AND ACCESSIBILITY IS GOING TO BE. THAT'S JUST A PLAN VIEW IN CASE YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE. 
          THIS IS A LOOK AT THAT NEW COURTYARD ALONG AUSTIN. SO A NEW FENCE AROUND THAT AREA, A NEW SIDEWALK THAHAT WILL GATHER UP THE PATRONS COMING FROM THE SURFACE, PARKING TO THIS COURTYARD, AND A NEW ENTRY ON AUSTIN STREET AS WELL, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, A KIND OF OUTDOOR AMPHITHEATER THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL FOR SCHOOL GROUPS COMING TO THE SHOW. THIS GIVES YOU 
          [00:45:03]
ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT, SHOWING THAT THERE IS A RAMP LEADING UP TO THAT ENTRANCE TO TAKE YOU INTO THE GALLERY, AND WE THINK WE CAN BE REALLY STEERING PEOPLE OUT OF TRAFFIC IN ORDER TO ARRIVE AT THE BUILDING INSIDE THE SMALL THEATER. THIS IS JUST A SENSE OF HOW THE ROOM WILL BE ONCE IT'S ACTIVATED. WE THINK THAT THIS CAN REALLY BE NOT SIMPLY AN INTIMATE SPACE, BUT A CHARMING SPACE, AND A PLACE WHERE YOU HAVE A GREAT CONNECTION TO THE PERFORMANCE. 
          IN THE BROWNLEE, WE THINK THAT THERE ARE TOUCHES OF HISTORY THAT WE CAN INCLUDE IN THE ROOM, BUT THAT IT CAN HAVE A CLEAR SENSE THAT THIS IS A NEW INVESTMENT BY GARLAND IN WHAT IS A VERY VALUABLE AND IMPORTANT VENUE IN NORTH DALLAS. AND FROM THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING, THE IMPACT OF THE NEW CANOPY AND THE SIGNAGE ABOVE. SO WITH THAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, CAN GO BACK TO ANYTHING THAT WE MAY HAVE RUSHED THROUGH. WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS AND HAPPY TO SHOW IT TO YOU. I WILL COUNT COUNCIL. 
          I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU NINE MINUTES FOR QUESTIONS BECAUSE WE DO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING AFTER THIS, SO BE AWARE OF THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS WILL START WITH YOU, SIR. SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE WIDER SEATS. AS A GUY WITH A WIDER SEAT, I'M APPRECIATE THE WIDER SEATS. AND THAT'S GOING TO REDUCE OUR SEAT COUNT SOMEWHAT. BUT MY QUESTION IS MAYBE FOR YOU, AMY, IS HOW MANY SHOWS ACTUALLY SELL OUT? OR WE WOULD HAVE TO BE TURNING PEOPLE AWAY. 
          JUST WHAT PERCENTAGE ROUGHLY? ANY IDEA? WELL, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN GIVE YOU AN ACCURATE PERCENTAGE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT WE HAVE MULTIPLE GROUPS THAT BREAK THAT 500 POINT LINE. YOU KNOW, TO SELL OUT RIGHT NOW IS 720. AND SO AGAIN, MULTIPLE GROUPS HITTING THE 500 THRESHOLD. BUT THERE, THERE ARE DEFINITELY TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WHERE WE HAVE A SELL OUT. AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, SEATING, YOU KNOW, WE, OUR GROUPS HATE TO LOSE SEATS AND WE FEEL THAT TOO. I STILL THINK WE'RE IN A VERY SWEET SPOT TO BE VERY COMPETITIVE WITH OUR OTHER FACILITIES IN THE AREA AND WILL ALLOW OUR GROUPS TO STILL EARN THE REVENUES THAT THEY NEED TO MAINTAIN THEIR PROGRAMING. OKAY. 
          VERY, VERY GOOD. AND THEN THAT MANUAL PIT SYSTEM, VERY INTERESTING CONCEPT THERE. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SET THAT UP AND TEAR THAT DOWN? THAT'S AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE GROUPS THAT USE THE BUILDING. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO DO ON A WEEKLY BASIS. 
          IT'S IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE A FULL DAY TO RECONFIGURE. IDEALLY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT JUST GETS DONE SEASONALLY. WHEN YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF PERFORMANCES COMING UP THAT ARE GOING TO USE ONE OF THE PARTICULAR CONFIGURATIONS, AND YOU INVEST THE TIME AND ENERGY IN DOING THAT. THAT WOULD BE TRUE FOR THE FOR THE SUMMER MUSICALS, FOR INSTANCE. BUT BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IT, YOU KNOW, MONDAY AND THEN CHANGE IT BACK AGAIN THE FOLLOWING WEEK. 
          OKAY. SO THAT JUST TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF PLANNING AND STAGING AND EVERY CONFIDENCE AMY WILL BE ABLE TO MANAGE THAT. AND THE, THE OTHER NICE THING ABOUT THE SYSTEM IS IT'S STORES WITHIN THE PIT SPACE ITSELF. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO CREATE ANOTHER STORAGE ROOM ELSEWHERE IN THE BUILDING FOR IT. ADDING THOSE THAT AREA AS EXTRA SEATS, I THINK IS ALSO A GREAT IDEA. 
          OR AS DANCE SPACE FOR A BAND ON STAGE. SURE, SURE. OKAY. WELL, VERY INTERESTING. LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. ARE WE HAVING A ONE BIG LAST BASH LIKE WE DID FOR BRADFIELD OR ANY PLANS FOR THAT? WELL, SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE OUR SPECIAL PERFORMANCE WITH BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA AND ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17TH, WHICH WILL SELL OUT. SO I DO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY WATCHING AT HOME TO GET THEIR TICKETS RIGHT NOW, BUT SO I SUSPECT WE'LL WE'LL HAVE SOME, SOME FUN THAT NIGHT. THE LAST OFFICIAL SHOW, I BELIEVE, IS MEXICO 2000 WITH NAVIDAD IN MEXICO ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19TH. OKAY. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. WELL DONE. GENTLEMEN. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR. 
          COUNCILMEMBER LUCK, WE HAVE SIX MINUTES. I'M GOING TO LET US IN RECESS. SO THERE'S THERE'S BEEN QUITE A FEW CHANGES IN THE DESIGN SINCE WE SAW YOU LAST TIME. THE MANUAL PIT FILLER. 
          I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GO TO A PRODUCTION WITH THE GARLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PLAYING AND PLAYERS UP ON THE STAGE. THE MAESTRO GETS UP AND INTRODUCES PEOPLE, AND THEN HE GETS SLOWLY LOWERED DOWN. NOT HAVING THAT. I THINK HAVING THAT IS WHAT MAKES THE GRANDVILLE ACTUALLY VERY SPECIAL. THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT IN THE 80S WAS 
          [00:50:01]
SOMETHING THAT NOT A LOT OF SMALL CITIES AT THE TIME WERE ABLE TO HAVE. I KNOW THAT THAT PUTS YOU ON THE HOOK FOR AN ELEVATOR. I'M. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT PART OF THE DESIGN COME BACK. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. AND I THINK THAT IT ALLOWS US TO HAVE MORE A MORE DIVERSE OFFERING OF PERFORMANCES, NO QUESTION. BUT BUT THAT YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT THAT. IT REDUCES CHANGE OVER TIME FROM ONE CONFIGURATION TO ANOTHER. THERE ARE A LOT OF VENUES I'M AWARE OF THAT WILL NOT ALLOW THE PIT TO MOVE WITH PERFORMERS ON IT. SO THERE IS SOME SAFETY CONSIDERATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT LOWERING IT WITH MUSICIANS ON IT IS EVEN PERMISSIBLE. WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS NOT I'M I'M NOT MAKING THAT ASSERTION. I WOULD HAVE TO TALK WITH YOU ALL FURTHER. I'D BE GLAD TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT THE ALTERNATIVES THAT WE CONSIDERED ALONG THE WAY HERE AND WHAT LED TO THIS AS A COMPROMISE. IT SEEMED DESIRABLE TO US THAT IF WE COULDN'T OTHERWISE MEET BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE REPLACEMENT, WE HAD TO COME UP WITH A WAY TO KEEP THE PIT FUNCTION, AT THE VERY LEAST IN THE BUILDING, BECAUSE GOING TO A CONFIGURATION WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT OPTION AT ALL WAS A REAL POSSIBILITY. YEAH, I THINK IT SHOULD BE EXPLORED. SURE. THAT'S A THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE REALLY REMARKABLE THINGS ABOUT OUR THEATER NOW. SURE. SECONDLY, THE, THE SMALL THEATER, WE PREVIOUSLY SAW SEATS MOVE WERE ABLE TO MOVE AND CREATE A LARGER SPACE FOR CATERING OR WHATEVER. THAT THAT'S CHANGED. THAT'S CHANGED PRIMARILY BECAUSE IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO TEAR OUT AN ENORMOUS PROPORTION OF THE EXISTING FLOOR SLAB AND FOUNDATIONS OF THE SMALL THEATER IN ORDER TO CREATE THE FLAT AREA FOR THE TELESCOPING SEATING. AND THAT WAS GOING TO BE BOTH A TIME AND MONEY COST THAT JUST COULDN'T BE ABSORBED IN THE PROJECT. OKAY, THAT'S DISAPPOINTING. I LIKED IT A LOT BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED US TO HAVE EVENTS IN THERE. YEAH, OKAY. AND THEN. DESIGN WISE, THE, THE AREA THAT YOU WALK INTO THAT'S CALLED THE GALLERY. YES. SO I, I WAS VERY INVIGORATED BY SEEING THE WOMEN'S RESTROOM. I WAS NOT SO INVIGORATED BY THE GALLERY. OKAY. IT'S A, IT'S NOT AS CAPTIVATING AS I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A THEATRICAL PLACE. MAYBE THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ANY ART HANGING OR. I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT THE CASE MAY BE, BUT IT KIND OF REMINDS ME OF THIS ROOM A LITTLE BIT WITH THE DESKS THAT WE HAVE IN HERE. AND MAYBE IT'S THE WOOD, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I FEEL LIKE THERE COULD BE SOMETHING DONE VISUALLY TO MAKE IT MORE STIMULATING. SURE, I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT. I NEGLECTED TO POINT OUT THAT THE CONCESSION DESK AND THIS WELCOME DESK ARE ARE UTILIZING AND REUSING SOME OF THE WALL PANELING THAT'S IN THE BUILDING NOW, BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW WITHOUT DYNAMIC ART ON THE WALLS, YOU WOULD FEEL LIKE THE ROOM IS MISSING A FOCUS. I MEAN, EVEN YOU CAN DO A LOT WITH PAINT. THERE'S I MEAN, SURE, I JUST, I JUST FEEL LIKE IT, IT, IT, IT READS A LITTLE BIT BLAND AND, AND I WANT IT TO BE ONE OF THOSE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE COME IN AND THEY'RE LIKE, WHOA, YOU KNOW, WE JUST SPENT $20 MILLION ON THIS PLACE. AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THAT AREA. SURE. THANK YOU. SORRY. I TRIED TO KEEP IT AS SHORT AS I COULD. 
          I'M GOING TO HAVE TO CALL IT THERE. WE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING. WE HAVE TO GET TO COUNCIL. I CAN LEAVE THIS ITEM OPEN AND WE CAN DISCUSS IT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL BE HERE AFTERWARDS OR NOT. THEN. OKAY, THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RECESS THIS MEETING. WE'LL PICK UP THIS AGENDA ITEM WHEN WE COME BACK FROM OUR REGULAR SESSION. SO COUNCIL, IT IS 654. WE ARE IN RECESS. J 
          [00:55:01]
OCTOBER 5TH, 2026 WORK SESSION. WE WILL NOW PICK UP AGAIN. ITEM NUMBER NINE GROW GARLAND BOND, PROPOSITION C, GRANVILLE ARTS CENTER RENOVATION UPDATE. WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF SOME QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL. I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER TRAN, YOU WERE IN THE QUEUE AND IF YOU WOULD GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. AND I ALSO HAVE NOW I WILL CALL ON MAYOR PRO TEM. SIR, YOU'RE IN THE QUEUE. FIRST, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I AM VERY EXCITED BY THIS. AND I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT CULTURAL ARTS IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I BELIEVE IN THAT. AND THIS IS GOING TO BE THIS GLOW UP THAT WE'RE DOING IS GOING TO JUST BE HUGE. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE IS, AND I'M SURE IT'S SOMEWHERE IN THE DOCUMENTS, HOW MUCH OF AN ADDITION IS THE BACK OF HOUSE ADDING? HOW MUCH SPACE ARE WE ADDING ON? JUST ROUGHLY? YEAH, ROUGHLY. ROUGHLY. THAT'S ABOUT 5000FT■S. WE IT, IT IS MEANINGFUL. OKAY. THAT'S GOING TO MAKE IT, THAT'S GOING TO, I WOULD ASSUME, MAKE A BIG IMPROVEMENT FOR THE, THE COMFORT OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PREPARING FOR THE PRESENTATIONS AND OR THE, FOR THE PROGRAMS. ABSOLUTELY. AND, AND PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU HAVE SIMULTANEOUS USE OF BOTH THEATERS. I MEAN, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, BACKSTAGE USE JUST KIND OF EXPLODES THROUGH THE ENTIRE BACK OF THE BUILDING. AND THIS IS GOING TO ENABLE THE FACILITIES TO SHARE WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY. OKAY. AND PROBABLY THE ONLY THING THAT I, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF SADNESS ABOUT IS SOMETHING THAT COUNCILWOMAN LUCHT HAD MENTIONED. IT'S ABOUT THE, THE NON RETRACTABLE OF THE, THE ORCHESTRA PIT. I'M A, I AM A VIOLINIST IN MY YOUTH, 12 YEARS PLAYING THE VIOLIN. AND SO THAT WAS I, I HAVE ACTUALLY SAT IN A, IN AN ORCHESTRA PIT AND, AND IT WAS, I DON'T KNOW, TO HAVE IT TO BE A MANUAL TYPE OF PROCESS THAT SEEMS LIKE IT'S GOING TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE, THE, THE FINAL QUALITY OF IT. 
          IS IT POSSIBLE TO ADD IT OR IS THIS JUST A DOLLARS AND CENTS THING, OR IS THERE AN ARCHITECTURAL REASON THAT WE CAN'T HAVE IT? THE THE COMPLICATION FOR US IS THAT CURRENT BUILDING CODES REQUIRE THAT ORCHESTRA PITS HAVE EXITS AT. WHEN IT'S IN ITS LOWERED POSITION AND EXIT FOR THE BUILDING, AND THAT A PERSON IN A WHEELCHAIR BE ABLE TO REACH THAT LOWERED POSITION AS WELL. AND WE INVESTIGATED ACCESS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE OF THE PIT. 
          BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE INVADE THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EXISTING BUILDING SIGNIFICANTLY WHEN WE DO THAT, AND WE CAN'T GUARANTEE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN WE PULL ALL THAT DIRT AWAY AND TRY AND KEEP THE WALLS OF THE BUILDING STANDING. SO THE MANUAL PIT FILLER IS A IS, YOU KNOW, YES, A COMPROMISE, BUT IT IS A WAY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT FUNCTIONALITY OF STILL HAVING WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN IN TERMS OF A PIT FOR MUSICIANS TO PLAY WITH MUSICAL PRESENTATIONS, AND NOT HAVE TO MAKE THE REST OF THOSE CHANGES. SO IT FELT LIKE A A GOOD WAY OF ADDRESSING THE BUILDING'S NEEDS WITHOUT PULLING MONEY AWAY FROM OTHER IMPORTANT PRIORITIES IN THE PROJECT. SURE. UNDERSTANDABLE. DO WE HAVE AND DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES WE ACTUALLY DO USE IT IN ITS PIT FORMAT? AND ACTUALLY, THAT'S A TERRIFIC QUESTION. AND AND I WANT TO I ALSO WANT TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, TONIGHT WE SHOW SLIDES AND AND YOU GET TO SEE HIM BRIEFLY. BUT BUT THESE SLIDES ARE BASED ON WEEKS AND WEEKS OF, OF GOING BACK AND FORTH. AND I USED TO SAY, OH MY GOSH, I HAVE A PIT IN MY STOMACH OVER THIS. THE PIT IS USED 12 TIMES A YEAR. OKAY. 12 TIMES A YEAR. OKAY. WE HAVE PERFORMANCES EVERY WEEKEND. 
          THE PIT IS USED 12 TIMES A YEAR FOR ONE USER. RIGHT NOW, PITS ARE USED FOR BALLETS, MUSICALS, OR OR OPERA. YOU KNOW, OUR BALLET COMPANIES WILL PROBABLY ALWAYS USE RECORDED MUSIC BECAUSE HAVING A LIVE ORCHESTRA IS TOO EXPENSIVE. WE'RE NOT GOING TO REALLY SEE OPERA IN GARLAND, BUT WE HAVE A LEGACY TROUPE, GARLAND SUMMER MUSICALS, THAT HAS A LIVE ORCHESTRA, AND THAT IS THEIR SIGNATURE FEATURE OF GARLAND SUMMER MUSICALS. IT'S WHAT MAKES THEM SO SPECIAL. 
          YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT THIS BUILDING 50 YEARS FROM NOW, OKAY, PERFORMANCE IS CHANGING. 
          IT'S LIKE THERE ARE A LOT OF NEW THEATERS BEING BUILT TODAY THAT DO NOT INCORPORATE A PIT. 
          [01:00:06]
THIS WAS A HUGE BACK AND FORTH. HOW HOW DO WE RECONCILE THE EXPENSE INVOLVED WITH 12 TIMES A YEAR FROM A FROM A DIRECTOR STANDPOINT, I THINK THIS IS A TERRIFIC SOLUTION. IS IT? IT DOESN'T CAPTURE THE MAGIC OF THE PIT LOWERING, BUT IT STILL GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MUSICIANS IN A, YOU KNOW, SUPPRESSED SPACE TO HAVE A PERFORMANCE. I MEAN, IT ALLOWS US TO DO THE FUNCTION OF WHAT A PIT. THE ONLY THING WE'RE LOSING IS THE MAGICAL UP AND DOWN. OKAY. HOW'S IT OTHER THAN THE LOSS OF THAT, THAT'S I THINK THIS IS THIS IS BRILLIANT. 
          IT'S IT'S BEAUTIFUL. IT'S WONDERFUL. I, I KUDOS TO EVERYBODY THAT'S WORKING ON IT. 
          AND, AND THE SOONER IT GETS COMPLETED, THE, THE BETTER FOR EVERYONE. I'M SURE YOU ALL WILL BE VERY RELIEVED AND GARLAND WILL BE VERY GRATEFUL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR COUNCILMEMBER. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU, AMY AND THE TEAM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS. I'M EXCITED. CAN WE START TOMORROW? THE THING IS, I, I LIKE THE YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE GOING TO KEEP THE GREEN SEAT COLORS. I LOVE IT BECAUSE SOMEHOW I ALLERGIC TO RED. BUT THAT ONE IS LIKE, I LIKE IT. SO MY QUESTION, I THINK I ASKED AMY EARLIER PRIVATELY, MAYBE WE CAN JUST ASK PUBLICLY THAT FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO UNDERSTAND AS WELL. 
          THIS IS $25 MILLION INVESTMENT. IS THIS GOING TO BE AWESOME NEXT TO OUR DOWNTOWN SQUARE TO ATTRACT A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES, AND THAT WE AS BE GREAT? AND MY QUESTION EARLIER IS THAT WE TRY TO MAKE A GOOD USE OUT OF IT, NOT JUST ONLY FROM 5:00 TO MIDNIGHT OR LATER, BUT WHAT CAN WE DESIGN? A WAY THAT OPEN TO POSSIBILITY TO OPERATE IT DURING THE DAY THAT MAY BE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT NEEDS. RIGHT? YEAH. CONVENTION PLACES, PROJECTORS THAT YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, GOOD USE FOR THAT. SO IS THAT A PLAN? SURE. SO YES SIR. 
          SO THAT IS OUR BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY. WEEKDAYS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY IS OUR BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY. WE HAVE ZERO AVAILABILITY ON THE WEEKENDS. THERE IS SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING IN THAT SPACE EVERY WEEKEND FOR THE NIGHTS. MOST OF THE TIME THERE'S SOME TYPE OF REHEARSAL HAPPENING IN THE THEATER SPACES AT NIGHT, BUT ARE WEEKDAYS. THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL AS WE CONTINUE TO KIND OF LOOK AT THIS AREA THERE. THERE HAS BEEN SOME INTEREST ABOUT A BOUTIQUE HOL THAT MAY BE IN PROXIMITY. 
          IF THAT WERE TO COME INTO FRUITION. YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH WE LOST OUR RETRACTABLE SEATING FOR THE SMALL THEATER, WE STILL HAVE THE TWO NEW REHEARSAL ROOMS THAT WE CONSIDER GREAT FLEXIBLE SPACE FOR CLASSROOMS, FOR CONFERENCE, FOR BREAKOUT SESSIONS. SO THAT'S OUR THAT'S OUR REAL OPPORTUNITY. GOOD IDEA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. SIR COUNCIL. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS. I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A FABULOUS UPDATE. I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING NOT ONLY THE NEW DESIGN, BUT THE REASONS BEHIND THEM AND THE COST CONSIDERATIONS. OF COURSE. YOU KNOW, I WISH WE HAD ENDLESS SUPPLY OF MONEY TO MAKE ALL THESE, BUT I THINK I VERY MUCH UNDERSTAND THE CONSTRAINTS YOU'RE UNDER, AND I APPRECIATE YOU DOING THE BEST WORK YOU CAN TO MEET ALL THOSE GOALS, ESPECIALLY WITH THAT. I'M SURPRISED AND HAPPY THAT THEY ALL ALIGNED REALLY BETWEEN ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS. AND I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB SO FAR, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO JANUARY 1ST WHEN WE START. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL 
          [10. Administrative Services Committee Meeting Report]
RIGHT, COUNCIL, MOVE ON NOW TO ITEM NUMBER TEN, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING REPORT. 
          ARE YOU READY FOR ME? GO RIGHT AHEAD. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. MAYOR. SO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ASKED FOR MICHAEL BAYS WITH CLEAR CAREER PROFESSIONALS TO COME AND BRIEF OUR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE APPOINTEE PROCESS. JUST TO GIVE YOU AN INTRODUCTION TO WHAT FOR WHAT TO EXPECT AS WE APPROACH THAT THAT PROCESS LATER ON IN THE YEAR. AND THEN JEFF. BRIAN, 
          [01:05:02]
SO HARD NOT TO CALL YOU CHIEF BRIAN. HE'LL BE HE'LL BE PRESENTING ABOUT THE A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT WE HAD GO THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES. I'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU ALL. WELL, MAYOR COUNCIL, THANKS FOR HAVING US. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD YEAR THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKIN WITH THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL ON THESE COUNCIL APPOINTEE EVALUATIONS. IT'S A IT'S A GREAT HONOR TO WORK WITH THEM. SO SORT OF THE PROCESS IS WE WE LOOK AT EACH APPOINTEE AND HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM, KIND OF DISCUSS WHAT THE PREVIOUS YEAR HAS LOOKED LIKE. 
          WE HAVE THEM DO A LITTLE SELF-ASSESSMENT THAT WE INCLUDE KIND OF IN THE FINAL REPORT. 
          THE OTHER THING THAT WE DO IS WE MEET WITH A NUMBER OF THEIR DIRECT REPORTS TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON WITHIN THEIR DEPARTMENT AND, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACTS THAT THEY'RE HAVING NATURALLY TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LARGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR CITY MANAGER AND YOUR YOUR MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHILE THE EVALUATION LOOKS AT SEVERAL THINGS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, COMPARABLE, LIKE LEADERSHIP, FOR INSTANCE, IS, IS SOMETHING WE LOOK AT THE WAY IN WHICH THAT LEADERSHIP IS DEMONSTRATED CAN BE VERY DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON THE ROLE OF THE APPOINTEE. SO WE BUILD THE REPORT THAT WAY. 
          AND THEN THE OTHER USEFUL FUNCTION OF THE REPORT IS TO GATHER COUNCIL INPUT. AND IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS WE'VE WE'VE DONE THAT BY EITHER A MEETING VIRTUALLY IN PERSON OR A PHONE CALL. BUT WITH YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE PRETTY PACKED SCHEDULES. MOST OF THE TIME. WHILE WE WANTED TO DO IS ALSO THIS YEAR CREATE A COUNCIL SURVEY THAT WE CAN SEND OUT TO YOU GUYS. WE AT CLEAR CAREER WILL BE THE ONLY ONES THAT GET THAT SURVEY BACK, AND WE WILL JUST DO IT AS A GENERAL THEME. SO WE AREN'T GOING TO BE ASKING YOU TO, TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE RECORD THAT WOULD VIOLATE THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT. IT'S JUST GENERALLY WE WANT TO GET SOME THINGS THAT ARE THAT ARE YOU'RE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IN THE REPORT, BUT NOT IN LIEU OF MEETING. JUST SOMETIMES IN THE PAST, COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO HAVE INPUT BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN TOO BUSY TO MEET, AND WE WANTED TO PROVOVIDE AN OUTLET FOR THEM AS WELL. SO WE WILL BE SENDING OUT THAT SURVEY PROBABLY AROUND OCTOBER 13TH. AND AGAIN, GIVE YOU GUYS A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO COMPLETE THAT AND GET IT BACK TO US. AND THAT WAY WE WILL JUST INPUT THAT DATA, NOT NAMING ANY PARTICULAR COUNCIL MEMBER INTO THE FINAL REPORT. CURRENTLY, WE WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK ON THIS. WE'VE MET WITH THE WITH THE APPOINTEES. WE'VE GOT KIND OF THEIR, THEIR SELF ASSESSMENT SURVEY. WE'VE MET WITH ALL THEIR DIRECT REPORTS. WE ALSO ARE BRINGING TOGETHER THEIR CONTRACTS AND WORKING ON A COMPENSATION STUDY. THE ASC COMMITTEE ASKED US TO ADD THE CITY OF LUBBOCK TO THAT, JUST BECAUSE OF THE ELECTRIC UTILITY AND SOME OF THE SIMILARITIES. AND ALSO IN THE FINAL REPORT, AS OPPOSED TO JUST LISTING WHAT LAST YEAR'S COMPENSATION WAS, THEY'VE ASKED US THE LAST THREE TO LIST THREE YEARS OF COMPENSATION, WHERE YOU GUYS CAN KIND OF SEE HOW THE COMPENSATION HAS PROGRESSED FOR EACH OF THE APPOINTEES. AND THEN I BELIEVE JEFF IS ALSO GOING TO HAVE THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT OR SOMEBODY FROM FINANCE IN OR AROUND THE EVALUATIONS TO HELP YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND WHAT THE IMPACT OF RAISES OR WHAT THE POSSIBILITY, YOU KNOW, FOR FINANCIAL INCREASING SALARIES OR THINGS WOULD BE FOR THE APPOINTEE. SO HOPEFULLY MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU, BUT CONTINUALLY TRYING TO MAKE THE REPORT USEFUL AND SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY GOOD FOR NOT ONLY COUNCIL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE APPOINTEE, BUT ALSO FOR THE APPOINTEE TO, TO REALLY LOOK AT THEIR, THEIR. THEIR WORK AND, AND HOW THEY HAVE, HAVE BEEN DOING FOR THE CITY. BUT REALLY JUST WANTED TO, TO INTRODUCE THAT AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL START WITH DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM DUTTON. SO LAST TIME THAT YOU WERE IN FRONT OF COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, WE OUR STRUCTURE WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. AND SO MY QUESTION IS, KNOWING WHAT WE WENT THROUGH WITH OUR PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER RIGHT AFTER OUR EVALUATION PERIOD, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY THIS YEAR THAN WHAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR? LAST YEAR, ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT I HAD BROUGHT TO COUNCIL WAS THAT WE INTERVIEW LOWER LEVEL STAFF THAT HAVE DIRECT INTERACTIONS WITH OUR APPOINTEES, AND THAT WAS VOTED DOWN. HINDSIGHT IS A IS A FUN THING. AND SO THAT THAT'S MY BIG QUESTION TO YOU IS, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED WITH THAT DOOMSDAY PROCESS? MAYBE A LITTLE QUICKER? YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK SO. I THINK REALLY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FOLKS THAT WE'VE TALKED TO BEING THE DIRECT REPORTS AND REALLY GETTING A LOT OF THAT 
          [01:10:01]
INFORMATION AND, AND EVEN SPEAKING ABOUT THE CITY MANAGER POSITION LAST YEAR, I DON'T KNOW THAT INTERVIEWING OTHER PEOPLE, EVEN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE MANAGERIAL LEVEL, LEVEL TYPE REPORTS WOULD HAVE MADE THAT BIG OF AN IMPACT. I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT ISSUE KIND OF WAS, WAS EVOLVING QUICKLY. AND IT'S SOMETHING WE DEFINITELY HAD TO ADAPT TO AS FAR AS THE EVALUATION PROCESS GOES. BUT I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY SOUND PROCESS IN THE SENSE OF TRYING TO GATHER AS MUCH INFORMATION AS YOU CAN, BUT ALSO MAKING THE APPOINTEES DIRECT REPORTS FEEL COMFORTABLE AND ACTUALLY HAVING THAT CONVERSATION. YOU KNOW, NATURALLY, IT'S ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT OF PRESSURE ON, ON A DIRECT REPORT TO, YOU KNOW, DO I SAY SOMETHING THAT THAT MAY BE NEGATIVE? AND I THINK SOMEWHAT, YOU KNOW, GATHERING THE TRUST AND I THINK OVER TIME, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE BEEN DOING THESE, THE, THE, THE DIRECT REPORTS KIND OF UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE OPERATE AS, AS A COMPANY, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO LIST THEM SPECIFICALLY IN THE REPORT, YOU KNOW, BY NAME OR, YOU KNOW, DAMAGE THEIR CAREER IN SOME WAY. BUT, BUT TRYING TO PROVIDE YOU GUYS WITH AS MUCH INFORMATION. BUT I THINK OUR CURRENT PROCESS WORKS WORKS PRETTY WELL, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT THAT ISSUE HAPPENED LAST YEAR. THANK YOU. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILMEMBER LOOKED SO MR. BATES DID OUTLINE THAT HE'LL BE SENDING OUT SURVEYS FOR ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS. I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROCESS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. WELL, COUNCILMEMBER TRAN, LAST QUESTION. THANK YOU. 
          MAYOR, AS MENTIONONED, I'M A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER, SO WE STILL HAVE A LOT TO LEARN, ESPECIALLY THE POLICY AND PROCEDURES. FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE, I DON'T HAVE A FULL REPORT, BUT FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE, DO YOU HAVE SPECIFICS LIKE KIND OF HOT LIST THAT SUGGESTION FOR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS IN TERMS OF POLICY AND PROCEDURE? WELL, I MEAN, I THINK WE DO, BUT I THINK YOUR STAFF PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, HERE COVERS YOU GUYS REALLY, REALLY WELL. AND SO I, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE WOULD PROVIDE NECESSARILY THAT YOUR TEAM ALREADY HASN'T PROVIDED. YOU KNOW, GARLAND IN THE INDUSTRY IS KNOWN REALLY WELL FOR, FOR HAVING, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY A MANAGEMENT TEAM, BUT ALSO YOUR LEGAL ADVICE THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WELL ABOVE WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE. AND SO, BUT ALWAYS HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, TALK ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL AND, AND HELP HOWEVER WE CAN. AND I ENJOY THE RELATIONSHIP WITH, WITH MANY OF YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS. BEING A RETIRED CITY MANAGER, I DO GET TO ENJOY BEING ON THIS SIDE AS OPPOSED TO THAT SIDE. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, SORRY, COULD YOU JUST VERIFY WHEN WE SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THOSE SURVEYS? YEAH, THE SURVEYS WILL GO OUT ON ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13TH. I WAS TRYING TO AVOID COLUMBUS DAY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, BOTHER YOU GUYS ON THE HOLIDAY. BUT WE WE DO HAVE IT SET UP TO WHERE YOU GUYS WILL HAVE TWO WEEKS TO GET THAT BACK TO US. I BELIEVE RIGHT NOW THEY'RE THEY'RE FOR THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCIL USED THE VERY FIRST YEAR WE DID THIS COUNCIL USED TO GIVE ALL EVUATIONS ON THE SAME NIGHT, WHICH WAS VERY HARD ON COUNCIL AND THE APPOINTEES. AND SO THEY LAST YEAR, THEY SEPARATED THAT INTO TWO DIFFERENT NIGHTS. THE MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES WENT ON ONE NIGHT, AND THEN THE CITY MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY AND CITY AUDITOR WENT ON A DIFFERENT NIGHT. AND SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THOSE TWO DATES SET AS NOVEMBER 16TH BEING THE THE CITY MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY AND CITY AUDITOR, AND THEN NOVEMBER 30TH BEING THE PRESIDING JUDGE AND THE ASSOCIATE JUDGE. AND WE'LL MAKE SURE I'M WORKING WITH JEFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT STILL FITS IN. BUT AFTER WE GET YOUR SURVEYS BACK, WE'RE STILL FINISHING THE COMPENSATION INFORMATION. WE WILL BUILD THE DRAFT REPORT AND BRING THAT BACK TO A COMMITTEE JUST SO THAT THEY CAN SEE WHAT THE DRAFT REPORT'S LOOKING LIKE. 
          BEFORE WE ISSUE THE FINAL REPORT AND COME BEFORE COUNCIL. BUT ESSENTIALLY WHAT HAPPENS THERE IS YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING AT THE REPORT, AND WE'LL GET THAT TO YOU BEFORE THE COUNCIL MEETING. SO YOU HAVE TIME TO REVIEW IT. BUT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS THAT ARE RELATED TO THE REPORT WITH THE APPOINTEE IN FRONT OF YOU, TO BE ABLE TO EVALUATE THEIR PERFORMANCE AND OR COMMENT ON ANYTHING YOU GUYS NEED TO COMMENT ON. AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL BE THE ONLY PERSON THAT DOESN'T BOTHER US ON COLUMBUS STAGES, SO WE APPRECIATE IT. WELL. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER. MR. MR. ENGLAND ADVISES ME THAT HE HAS A SCHEDULING CONFLICT AND WOULD BE. WE MIGHT WANT TO SWAP THOSE SO THAT THEY DO THE. I'M BEING FORCED TO GO TO HAWAII ON THE 16TH. SO. I'M NOT BEING FORCED TO GO TO HAWAII. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE TO THE COUNCIL. I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THE SCHEDULING ISSUE. I CAN MAKE 
          [01:15:01]
THAT SWITCH ON OUR SCHEDULE. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I SEE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE SURVEYS. MAYOR, I HAVE ONE MORE A SC UPDATE WHEN YOU'RE READY. ONE ADDITIONAL ITEM THAT WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE WAS TO EXAMINE THE. 
          THAT IF THE CITY OF GARLAND COULD DO BETTER AT COORDINATING AND ASSISTING VOLUNTEER GROUPS AND CHARITY GROUPS IN THEIR EFFORTS TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO WE SCOPE THAT. 
          WE HAD A LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT. AND SO I'M UPDATING COUNCIL TODAY THAT IN JANUARY 1ST OF THE YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO HOST A SUMMIT HERE. AND MICHAEL GARRETT'S GOING TO HELP US TO BRING ALL THOSE GROUPS TOGETHER INTO ONE ROOM, AND HE'S GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION. CITY MANAGER MIKE BETTS IS GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEY CAN SUPPORT OUR MISSION IN GARLAND, AND THEN TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THEM BETTER. 
          AND FROM THAT MEETING, WE HOPE TO HAVE QUARTERLY MEETINGS MOVING FORWARD WITH AFTER THAT. 
          SO THAT'S JUST AN UPDATE FOR THAT. STILL A LOT OF WORK TO COME, BUT SINCE I'M HERE, I THOUGHT I'D GIVE US AN UPDATE. ANY DATE YET SET FOR THAT. WE DO NOT HAVE A DATE YET. WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT, BUT IT'LL BE LATE JANUARY, LATE JANUARY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. THANK YOU. JEFF. BRIAN, WELCOME. I'D LIKE TO THANK MICHAEL BAYS AND OUR STAFF LIAISON, JEFF. BRIAN. ALSO OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM SUTTON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES. 
          [11. Garland Cares Program Implementation Update]
COUNCIL WILL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 11. GARLAND CARES PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE. 
          ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. I'M JASON WILLHITE WITH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. THE CITY MANAGER HAS ASKED ME TO COME UP AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON GARLAND CARES. SO LET ME GO AHEAD AND BEGIN. THE FIRST THING YOU'LL NOTICE, WE HAVE A RATHER LONG LIST OF NAMES ON THE UNDER TEAM. THIS REPRESENTS ABOUT SIX DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS PLUS ADMINISTRATION. AND WHAT I REALLY WANT TO POINT OUT HERE IS THAT THIS WAS NOT CREATED IN A VACUUM, THAT THE IDEA BEHIND GARLAND CARES WAS THAT THIS WOULD BE INCLUSIVE OF EVERY DEPARTMENT BEING ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO A PATH FOR PEOPLE, FROM PROPERTY TO CONCERNS TO PRACTICAL ASSISTANCE. SO WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE EVERYTHING UNDER ONE BANNER NOW. WHY THOUGH GARLAND CARES? WELL, WE WANT TO CREATE AN OUTCOME OF CORRECTED PROPERTY CONDITION. THE RESIDENT NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO REMAIN SAFE AND STABLE AT HOME, AS WELL AS STILL BEING ABLE TO UTILIZE THE CIVIL CITATIONS FOR AN ENFORCEMENT TOOL AS NEEDED. BUT THE MEASURE OF THE SUCCESS IS THE CONDITION RESOLVED? EXCUSE ME. THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS NOT FOR THE PROGRAM TO ELIMINATE ACCOUNTABILITY. WE WANT IT TO IMPROVE THE PATH FOR COMPLIANCE. AND WHILE A CITATION MIGHT COLLECT A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY, IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY FIX THE ISSUE. AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOR THOSE NOT WILLING TO DO THE WORK BUT ABLE TO, THE CITATION REMAINS IN PLACE AS AN OPTION. HOWEVER, FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LOVE TO DO THE WORK BUT ARE SIMPLYLY NOT WILLING TO, WE NEED AN EASY PATH TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEM FIND THAT COMPLIANCE WITHIN THEIR HOME. THIS IS GOING TO REQUIRE A CLEAR PROMISE FROM THE CITY OF GARLAND. WE HAVE TO LISTEN. WE HAVE TO TAKE THE SITUATION AND LOOK AT IT OBJECTIVELY. WE HAVE TO BUILD THE MOST APPROPRIATE ASSISTANCE PLAN WE CAN WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING I WISH WE COULD. 
          I WISH WE HAD THE BUDGET TO DO EVERYTHING. WE JUST SIMPLY DON'T. IT DOESN'T INCLUDE ONGOING LAWN CARE, ALTHOUGH WE DO HAVE THE SENIOR LAWN CARE PROGRAM. THAT'S A PRETTY LIMITED FUND. IT DOES NOT INCLUDE RECURRING MAINTENANCE. WE CAN'T GO OUT AND AND, YOU KNOW, WATER SOMEBODY'S YARD TWICE A DAY, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE US TO DO. I TOTALLY GET IT. AND WE WE CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT EVERY REQUEST REPAIR CAN BE COMPLETED. WHAT THE PROGRAM DOES PROVIDE, THOUGH, IS A ONE TIME OR LIMITED ASSISTANCE TO RESOLVE A DEFINED PROPERTY NEED. THIS IS A COORDINATED RESPONSE THAT MAY INCLUDE MORE THAN ONE TIER, WHICH. WE'LL GO OVER THE TIERS HERE IN JUST A MOMENT, AND WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE. THIS IS NON-NEGOTIABLE. WE HAVE TO TALK TO THE CITIZENS. WE HAVE TO 
          [01:20:02]
COMMUNICATE WITH THEM WHERE WE ARE, WHERE THEY ARE IN THE PROGRAM, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ENFORCEMENT IS ON PAUSE WHILE THEY'RE APPLYING FOR THIS IS IN IT IS ANY KIND OF CIVIL ENFORCEMENT IS PAUSED. WE. WE DEFINITELY WANT TO SET EXPECTATIONS PLAINLY FOR PEOPLE AND THEN TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GOING AS FAR AS WE CAN TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT THEY MAY BE HAVING. FOR THE RESIDENT EXPERIENCE. THE SAME HOUSEHOLD MAY REQUIRE MULTIPLE TYPES OF ASSISTANCE. SO IN THIS COMPOSITE EXAMPLE, YOU HAVE AN OLDER HOUSEHOLD WHO REPORTS THEY HAVE LIMITED MOBILITY, CAN'T MAINTAIN THE PROPERTY. 
          THE APPLICATION IDENTIFIES YARD MAINTENANCE, DEBRIS REMOVAL, BULK ITEMS, MINOR EXTERIOR REPAIR. THE QUESTION SHOULDN'T BE WHICH SINGLE PROGRAM IT SHOULD BE, WHICH PROGRAMS, BUT WHO'S THE LEAD DEPARTMENT IN THIS CASE? THIS ONE CASE MAY HAVE VOLUNTEER CLEANUP, SKILLED EXTERIOR REPAIR A HOUSING ASSESSMENT IF DEEPER NEEDS APPEAR. ONE RESIDENT, ONE COORDINATED PLAN, MULTIPLE WORK STREAMS WHEN NEEDED. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE TRIAGE OF THE PATIENT. IN THIS CASE, THE PROPERTY IS THE PATIENT. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU SHOW UP WITH A HEADACHE AND A BROKEN LEG, YOU'RE NOT JUST GETTING ADVIL THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THE BROKEN LEG TOO, RIGHT? THAT'S THAT'S THE K IS WE CAN'T IGNORE THE LARGER PROBLEM BECAUSE IT'S EASIER TO DEAL WITH THE SMALLER PROBLEM. SO THIS IS GOING TO REQUIRE US TO LOOK AT THIS IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS. WE'VE BROKEN THIS DOWN INTO FOUR DIFFERENT TIERS. AND THE L LEAD OF THOSE TEARS WILL BE THE LEAD DEPARTMENT ON THAT PROJECT. 
          THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT'S THE ONLY ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE TO THAT PROPERTY. IT'S THAT THAT DEPARTMENT WILL TAKE THE LEAD ON THAT. SO THE FIRST TIER IS THE TOOL SHARE PROGRAM CODE COMPLIANCE, AND THEN VOLUNTEER GARLAND. SECOND TIER IS THE WHERE THE HEART IS, WHERE THE HEART IS LOCATIONS AND INCENTIVE PACKAGES. AND THE THIRD TIER IS STEWARDS AND SPONSORS. AND THEN OUR FOURTH TIER IS HOUSING INTERVENTION. AND I'M GOING TO GO OVER THOSE BRIEFLY HERE IN JUST A SECOND. TOOL ASSISTANCE IS WHAT I CALL THE LOWEST HANGING FRUIT. THIS IS WHERE WE'VE GOT SOMEBODY WHO JUST SIMPLY NEEDS THE TOOL. WELL, WE'VE GOT TOOLS AND WE CAN LOAN THOSE OUT AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, ARE TRACED AND TRACKED AND WE CAN GET THEM BACK. BUT WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO USE THOSE TOOLS THROUGH THE THROUGH THE CODE OFFICE, THE SECOND LEVEL OR SECOND LAYER OF THAT WOULD BE THE CODE ASSISTANCE, WHICH IS GOING TO BE KIND OF YOUR MINOR CLEANUPS, ONE TIME ASSISTANCE, IF THEY'RE QUALIFIED. THIS, OF COURSE, IS FOR HARDSHIP CASES. VOLUNTEER GARLAND IS ONE TIME ASSISTANCE. 
          BUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND DO WITH OUR VOLUNTEERS, SO WE DON'T WEAR OUT OUR VOLUNTEERSIFD CLUSTER THOSE TOGETHER SO THAT WE HIT 5 OR 10 LOCATIONS IN A SMALL AREA WITH OUR VOLUNTEERS TO ADDRESS SOME MINOR ISSUES WITHIN THE AREA, WE'RE GOING TO BE TRYING TO STACK SIMILAR NEEDS AND DO CLUSTER ANALYSIS. ONCE WE GET THE MAPPING UP AND RUNNING THE WAY WE WANT IT TO BE RUNNING. THE SECOND IS THE WHERE THE HEART IS AND INCENTIVE PROGRAMS WHERE THE HEART IS, IS GOING TO BE ACTIVE AND ADOPTED WITHIN THE EFFORTS. THEY'RE GOING TO BE TWO LOCATIONS. I'M GOING TO SAY TWO LOCATIONS PER YEAR, BASICALLY ONE STARTING EVERY SIX MONTHS. 
          IT ENCOURAGES RESIDENTS ENGAGEMENT, WHICH IS A KEY COMPONENT OF WHERE THE HEART IS PROGRAM. IT IDENTIFIES NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND PROJECTS. AND HERE'S WHY WE TIED THIS WITH THE ECONOMIC OR WITH THE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, IS THAT IT'S REALLY A MECHANISM FOR LAUNCHING THE PROPOSED HOMEOWNER DEVELOPMENT AND RENTAL PROPERTY INCENTIVES IN SPECIFIED AREAS, AND IT'S GOING TO BE TAILORED BY THAT NEIGHBORHOOD'S TYPOLOGY. SO WE'RE PUTTING THOSE TOGETHER. WE WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE NOW ON THOSE AGREEMENTS FOR THE THE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING. THE THIRD TIER IS OUR STEWARDSHIP AND SPONSORSHIP. AND I KNOW YOU AS COUNCIL, HAVE SEEN PRESENTATIONS ON THE STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM ALREADY. IN FACT, I FEEL LIKE YOU'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF THIS KIND OF PIECEMEAL. 
          I WANTED TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER FOR YOU. YOU CAN SEE. SO YOU CAN SEE IT IN ONE PLACE, BUT THE STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM IS GOING TO BE KIND OF GROUNDBREAKING IN THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH A STEWARDSHIP PARTNER ORGANIZATION, AND IT'S GOING TO BE FOR LONG, A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. REALLY, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND DO IS BREAK THIS DOWN INTO SMALLER AREAS, 3 TO 6 BLOCKS, AND REALLY LET THEM BE THE LIAISON TO DETERMINE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THOSE AREAS. NOW, THE SPONSORSHIP OUTSIDE OF THAT IS TO HELP US TO GET THE MONETARY AND MATERIALS DONATIONS FOR THOSE STEWARDS TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT WORK DONE AND COMPLETED. THE THE BEST FIT FOR THIS IS ACTIVE 
          [01:25:01]
ORGANIZATIONS WILLING TO ADOPT AN AREA OF LONG TERM TO CREATE REAL RESULTS FOR THE CITIZENS. 
          WE. YOU KNOW, OUR FIRST ONE IS GOING TO BE SPECTACULAR, AND I THINK WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THAT PROGRESSES AS WE MOVE FORWARD. THE FOURTH IS THE GRANT PROGRAMS, AND THIS FINAL TIER IS THE HEAVIEST LIFT IT'S USUALLY SKILLED LABOR PERMITTING REQUIRED. IT'S ALSO THE ONLY ONE WHERE, BECAUSE IT'S HUD AND FEDERAL FUNDING, IT IS REQUIRED THAT WE HAVE WE WE VALIDATE THEIR INCOME LEVELS. SO THERE'S A MORE EXTENSIVE APPLICATION THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FILL OUT AND QUALIFY FOR FOR THIS. HOWEVER, THIS IS GOING TO BE FOR ALSO FOR YOUR LIFE SAFETY AND CRITICAL REPAIRS FOR LOW INCOME RESIDENTS. WE ALREADY RUN THIS PROGRAM, BUT WE'RE OPENING IT UP. IT'S CITYWIDE NOW, BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE DOING SPECIFIC F A WORK FOR THESE AREAS IN THE WEDGE AND IN DOWNTOWN. ANOTHER PART OF THAT THAT IS SPONSORED BY THE GRANTS IS THE SENIOR LAWN CARE PROGRAM. I BELIEVE NEXT YEAR THEY'VE RECEIVED FUNDING FOR ROUGHLY 5050 PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR FULL TIME LAWN CARE HOME INFILL WOULD FALL UNDER THIS BANNER, WHICH IS GOING TO BE FOCUSED MOSTLY IN THE ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS. AND THEN OUR GREAT HOMES REHABILITATION PROGRAM, WHICH WILL ALSO BE ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS. THOSE ARE NOT OWNER OCCUPIED STRUCTURES. THE OWNER OCCUPIED STRUCTURES WILL BE ELIGIBLE BOTH CITYWIDE AND F A. SO WE NEED TO CREATE A PREDICTABLE PATH FOR THE APPLICANT. AS I ALREADY MENTIONED, LISTENING AND VERIFYING WHAT'S GOING ON, MAKING SURE WE'RE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, MAKING THE REFERRAL, SCHEDULING AND COMPLETING THOSE PROJECTS. AND THEN HERE'S THE KEY. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROGRAM. IT'S ALSO AN EVER CHANGING PROGRAM. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MONITOR THESE AND ADJUST TO WHAT'S WORKING, TO ADJUST TO WHAT'S NOT WORKING, TO PIVOT AWAY FROM THINGS THAT AREN'T AND PIVOT TOWARDS THINGS THAT ARE. SO WE NEED TO BE TRACKING THIS. WE NEED TO BE REPORTING ON THIS, AND WE NEED TO BE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING WHAT IS WHAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO ADDRESS, NOT JUST SPENDING MONEY, YOU KNOW, IN WAYS THAT AREN'T EFFECTIVE. SO WHEN ASSISTANCE IS APPROPRIATE, THE NOTICE APPLICATION CREATES THE OPENING FOR A CONVERSATION. 
          THE RECHECK CONFIRMS THE PROGRESS. THE CIVIL CITATION REMAINS AVAILABLE WHEN THE RESIDENT WILL NOT PARTICIPATE, OR THE CONTINGENT CONDITION JUST SIMPLY CANNOT CONTINUE. 
          WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IS THAT WE WANT TO RESOLVE THE CONDITION. WE NEED TO MEASURE WHERE THE PROPERTY, WHETHER THE PROPERTY BECAME SAFER AND CLEANER. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING THE CORRECT LEVELS OF HELP THAT WE'RE NOT SPENDING FRIVOLOUSLY ON ANYTHING THAT'S NOT GIVING US THE RESULTS THAT THEY NEED TO BE, THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TREATING THE RESIDENT WITH DIGNITY. AND I SHOULD HAVE PUT THIS AS NUMBER ONE, BUT ALL OF THESE ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT. WE DON'T WANT TO SPEND FRIVOLOUSLY. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESIDENT KNOWS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO COME AND HELP THEM. 
          AND WE ALSO, AGAIN, NEED TO SET EXPECTATIONS THAT NOT EVERY REQUEST CAN BE FULFILLED. AND THEN FINALLY, THE END RESULT NEEDS TO BE THAT IT BUILDS A STRONGER NEIGHBORHOOD. IF WE ARE NOT ACCOMPLISHING THAT, THEN WE'VE HELPED ONE AT THE EXPENSE OF MANY. SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IS THE CASE, THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING THAT. UNFORTUNATELY, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HELP IMMEDIATELY, AND I FEAR THAT'S GOING TO BE THE NUMBER ONE COMPLAINT WE GET IS, WELL, I, I FILLED OUT AN APPLICATION A MONTH AGO. WE UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT YOU'RE UNAWARE THE HEART IS PROGRAM AND THAT WHERE THE HEART IS ISN'T STARTING UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MONTH. AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING THAT WITH THE RESIDENT, THAT THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU THROUGH THAT PROGRAM. AND THERE'S A MILLION DIFFERENT SCENARIOS WE COULD RUN THROUGH. BUT THE REALITY IS THAT I DON'T JUST HAVE SOMEBODY ON STANDBY WAITING TO GO MOW A PROPERTY. I WISH I DID, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE WAITING. YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE WORKING TO GET THOSE TAKEN CARE OF IN A TIMELY FASHION AND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, AND THEN COMMUNICATING WITH THE HOMEOWNER IF THERE IS A DELAY. 
          SO WHERE ARE WE NOW? WE'RE LIVE. WE'RE ALREADY DOING THIS. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE DIFFERENT AREAS OF OF CONTACT FOR PEOPLE. WE HAVE A MAIN CITY WEBSITE THAT'S UNDER GARLAND CARES. IT'S FROM THE MAIN CITY WEBSITE YOU'LL GO TO LIVES IN GARLAND. THERE'S THE GARLAND CARES NETWORK. WE HAVE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARE ABLE TO TAKE IN THOSE APPLICATIONS. AND THEN ALSO THERE'S THE QR CODE THAT'S STILL AVAILABLE AND UP AND RUNNING. ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCIL. I JUST WANT TO ADD ONE PIECE TO THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND WHAT WE DID WITH RESPECT TO CIVIL ENFORCEMENT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I MADE VERY CLEAR WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE MOVE TO CIVIL 
          [01:30:05]
ENFORCEMENT AND HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER, WAS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE, WE RECOGNIZE WE CAN'T TICKET OUR WAY OUT OF IT. AND TO TRY TO DO SO IS JUST FOLLY. WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE CIVIL ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM HAS TO BE A PROGRAM WHERE WE CAN GET SOMEBODY TO THEN COMMUNICATE WITH US, TO REACH OUT TO US AND SAY, HEY, SO WE'VE ISSUED THEM A TICKET AND THEY SAY, WELL, I CAN'T. I CAN'T FIX THIS. I'M A ELDERLY WOMAN WHO LIVES BY HERSELF, OR I LOST MY JOB LAST YEAR, AND I DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO DO THIS AND THAT, THAT WILL CAUSE THEM TO REACH OUT TO US SO WE CAN PUT ENFORCEMENT ON HOLD AND THEN FIGURE OUT A PLAN TO WORK WITH THEM TO BRING THE PROPERTY TO COMPLIANCE. BECAUSE OUR GOAL AT THE END OF THE DAY IS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS ADJACENT TO, ESPECIALLY THE ONES ADJACENT TO OUR FOCUS AREAS. BUT REALLY ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND, AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE. AND THAT DOESN'T GET SOLVED BY ISSUING CITATIONS. IS THERE A CASE FOR CITATIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO JUST DON'T WANT TO DO THE WORK, BUT ARE FULLY ABLE TO, TO MAINTAIN THEIR PROPERTIES? CERTAINLY. BUT THIS PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED SO THAT WITH THE RECOGNITION THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE CITY WHO NEED HELP BRINGING THEIR PROPERTY INTO COMPLIANCE AND WANT TO WORK WITH US TO BRING THEIR PROPERTIES INTO COMPLIANCE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THAT'S KIND OF THE IDEA. THE CENTRAL THESIS BEHIND GARLAND CARES AND HOW WE BUILT IT OUT. 
          I APPRECIATE IT, JASON. JASON, YOUR WORK TONIGHT. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL, ANY QUESTIONS? I SEE NONE, BUT I'M EXCITED THAT IT IS LIVE NOW AND OUR CITIZENS ARE ALREADY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT. I KNOW I'VE RECEIVED SOME EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS ABOUT IT, SO I'M GLAD THAT IT'S IN PROGRESS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RESULTS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD EVENING. OUR 
          [12. Audit Committee Meeting Report]
NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER 12 AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING REPORT. GOOD EVENING. THE AUDIT COMMITTEE DID MEET ON MAY THE 29TH TUESDAY, AND I WANT TO JUST LIFT UP THE MEMBERS OF THAT COMMITTEE. MAYOR PRO TEM CHRIS OTT, COUNCILWOMAN MAARET LUCK AND OUR STAFF LIAISON, JEFF JOHNSON. AT THAT TIME, WE DID COVER FOR EITHER SUBJECTS OR AUDITS. WE HAVE OUR AUDIT PLAN. FISCAL YEAR 2026GPNL WAREHOUSE SERVICES AGREEMENT, AUDIT FACILITIES, CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AUDIT AND THE INTERNAL AUDIT ANNUAL PLAN AUDIT. AND WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO TURN THINGS OVER TO OUR LIAISON, JEFF JED. AND YOU CAN JUST LEAD US FROM THERE PLEASE, GENTLEMEN. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE YOU TODAY. AS THE CHAIR INDICATED, WE MET ON SEPTEMBER 29TH AND DISCUSSED THESE FOUR ITEMS. IT'S OKAY. IT FEELS LIKE IT'S BEEN A LONG NIGHT, SO I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. SO THE FIRST ITEM WE COVERED WAS THE EXTERNAL AUDIT PLAN. SO AS YOU'RE AWARE, THE CITY HAS HIRED WEAVER TO PERFORM THE AUDIT FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR FOR THE PREVIOUS YEAR. SO THEY MAINLY COVERED THE AUDIT FOCUS, AUDIT APPROACH PROCESS, SOME OF THE CONTROLS THAT THEY WILL BE TESTING ON. I WILL GIVE YOU A FEW EXAMPLES THAT THEY HAVE COVERED FROM AN INNER WORK PERSPECTIVE THAT HAS CASH DISBURSEMENTS, PAYROLL, PURCHASING, PROPERTY TAXES, UTILITIES AND GRANT REVENUES. THEY ALSO HAVE SELECTED THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM, WHICH IS A FEDERAL GRANT TO TO US, THEIR FEDERAL MANAGER, GRANT AUDIT TESTING. ALSO, THEY HAVE IN THEIR SCOPE, THEY WILL BE COVERING WORKDAY AND ACTIVE DIRECTORY THAT, THAT THAT THAT IS PART OF THE SCOPE SINCE WE JUST MOVED TO WORKDAY A YEAR AGO, SYSTEM CHANGES, PHYSICAL ACCESS, SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WILL BE TESTING THAT. AND THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT INTERNAL AUDIT WILL BE HELPING, HELPING THEM ON, ON A NUMBER OF THESE TESTS. THE TIMELINE FIELD WORK IS PLANNED TO BE COMPLETED BETWEEN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY OF 2027, AND THEY WILL COME BACK TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE IN MARCH 2027, THEN EVENTUALLY WILL COME BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO REPORT ON THAT. THEY DID ALSO COVER SOME OF THE CHANGES FROM GATSBY PERSPECTIVE, GATSBY 103 AND 104 ARE EFFECTIVE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 26. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME REPORTING CHANGES, PRESENTATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO 
          [01:35:04]
ADAPT IN THE NEW THE NEW FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. BOTTOM LINE FY 26 AUDIT ATTENTION IS CONCENTRATED ON FINANCIAL RISK COMPLIANCE. IT CONTROLS FEDERAL PROGRAMS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS. SO THAT WAS THE FIRST ITEM. THE SECOND ITEM THAT WE COVERED WAS GARLAND POWER AND LIGHT WAREHOUSE SERVICE AGREEMENT AUDIT. AS MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE, IN 2024, THE CITY OUTSOURCED THE GARLAND POWER AND LIGHT DISTRIBUTION WAREHOUSE OPERATIONS TO A THIRD PARTY. THIS AGREEMENT BECAME EFFECTIVE IN SEPTEMBER 2024, AND THE OPERATIONS BEGAN IN OCTOBER 2024. SO WE HAD TWO OBJECTIVES. WHEN WE DID THE AUDIT, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WHETHER THE VENDOR IS PROVIDING SERVICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AGREED UPON TERMS AND CONDITIONS. SECONDLY, WE ALSO WANTED TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PAYING THEM EFFICIENTLY AND APPROPRIATELY. THE AUDIT BASICALLY COVERED ALL ACTIVITIES SINCE OCTOBER 2024 THROUGH MAY OF 2026. I WANT TO POINT OUT A FEW THINGS THAT ARE WORKING WELL. THE VENDOR IS GENERALLY PROVIDING SERVICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH WITH THE AGREEMENT THAT THEY HAVE WITH US. 92% OF THE TIME THEY HAVE ISSUED THE REQUESTED ITEMS WITHIN 30 DAYS, WHICH IS GREAT. 
          APPROXIMATELY $8.5 MILLION WORTH OF MATERIALS WE HAVE PROCURED DURING THIS TIME FRAME. 
          FROM OCTOBER 24TH THROUGH MAY OF 26, SOME OF THE KEY OBSERVATIONS THAT WE HAD, WE HAVE DONE A NUMBER OF DATA ANALYTICS DURING THAT TIME. WE DID IDENTIFY THREE DUPLICATE PAYMENTS TOTALING APPROXIMATELY $165,000. THIS HAPPENED DURING THE CITY'S FINANCIAL SYSTEM TRANSITION AS WELL AS THE WAREHOUSE TRANSITIONS. I DO WANT TO INFORM YOU, AS SOON AS WE BROUGHT THIS TO THEIR ATTENTION, THEY WORKED WITH GPL, WORK WITH THE VENDOR, AND WE HAVE RECOVERED THE ENTIRE $165,000. ON TOP OF THAT, WE HAVE MADE A FEW RECOMMENDATIONS TO, TO PREVENT FROM THIS KIND OF DUPLICATE PAYMENTS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE. THEY HAVE DEVELOPED A RECONCILIATION PROCESS, AND THEY HAVE ALSO IMPLEMENTED A FEW CONTROLS IN WORKDAY AND CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF CAPTURING ALL THE INVOICE DATA INTO A REPOSITORY. 
          SO TO RUN QUERIES IN THE FUTURE. SECONDLY, WE DID FIND A FEW AREAS WHERE THEY COULD FIND EFFICIENCY, MAINLY ON THE INVOICE REVIEW PROCESS. CURRENTLY, THE GENERAL REVIEW PROCESS IS USED REGARDLESS OF TRANSACTION RISK, COST OR QUANTITY. APPROXIMATELY FIVE EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE IN IN IN INVOICE REVIEW PROCESS, WITH MANAGEMENT ESTIMATING ABOUT TWO HOURS PER DAY. SO APPROXIMATELY TEN HOURS PER DAY. THEY ARE FROM A DIRECTOR LEVEL DOWN TO STAFF LEVEL, REVIEWING EVERY ITEMS THAT WE HAVE PURCHASED FROM THIS THIRD PARTY VENDOR. 
          WE DID NOT THINK THAT WAS EFFICIENT. AND WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY TODAY TO CONDUCT, YOU KNOW, REVIEWS LIKE IF THERE ARE ANY INAPPROPRIATENESS LIKE SUCH AS DUPLICATE PAYMENTS OR. 
          THINGS LIKE THAT, TECHNOLOGY CAN IDENTIFY THOSE EXCEPTIONS. SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE MADE. HOWEVER, WE STILL NEED A GREATER REVIEW WHEN IT COMES TO HIGH DOLLAR PURCHASES. SO THEY CONCURRED WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS. THEY ARE GOING TO CREATE A TIERED APPROVAL PROCESS THAT WOULD MAINTAIN SCRUTINY OVER HIGH RISK TRANSACTION, WHILE STREAMLINING LOWER LEVEL PURCHASES. MANAGEMENT PLANS TO IMPLEMENT THIS GOING FORWARD. LASTLY, OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE VENDOR IS PRICING IS BASED ON A VENDOR AVERAGE COST PLUS AN 18.5% MARGIN. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE A COST INFORMATION FROM THE VENDOR ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, OR AT ANY POINT WHEN WE REQUEST THAT THAT INFORMATION WAS NOT BEING REQUESTED. AND GOING FORWARD, GPL AGREED TO OBTAIN THAT INFORMATION SO WE CAN ENSURE THAT THE VENDOR IS CHARGING US IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. WE ALSO WOULD WANTED TO SEE IF THEY COULD ENHANCE THEIR WARRANTY, HOW WE ARE MAINTAINING A DATABASE TO ENSURE THAT ANY ITEMS THAT IS UNDER WARRANTIES IS TRACKED SO THAT WE DON'T SPEND EXTRA MONEY. BOTTOM LINE, THE WAREHOUSE OPERATION AND PAYMENT PROCESS ARE GENERALLY WORKING AS INTENDED. THE RECOMMENDATION FOCUS ON STRENGTHENING CONTROLS 
          [01:40:02]
AND IMPROVING EFFICIENCY THROUGH DUPLICATE PAYMENT PREVENTION WAS BASED. INVOICE REVIEW, INCREASED COST VISIBILITY AND IMPROVED CONSIDERATION OF WARRANTY COVERAGE. THIS WAS A VERY COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, SO I DO WANT TO THANK GP FOR WORKING WITH US. THE THIRD AUDIT THAT WE COVERED IS THE FACILITIES CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AUDIT. THIS AUDIT WAS REQUESTED BY THE CITY MANAGER. AS YOU'RE AWARE, THE CITY HAS OVER 300 FACILITIES AND ALL OF THESE FACILITIES ARE MANAGED BY A GROUP OF 28 EMPLOYEES. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO. THEY DO PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING FROM REVIEWING PREVENTATIVE ITEMS. YOU KNOW, IF TRE'S FROM SOMETHING FROM HAPPENING, FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM GOING WRONG. THEY ALSO REVIEW PERFORMED VARIOUS TYPES OF PLUMBING, ELECTRICITY, ELECTRIC WORK, HVAC REPLACEMENTS, PRETTY MUCH DO ALL KINDS OF STUFF. SO WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT WHETHER ADEQUATE CONTROL EXISTS TO OUR FACILITIES, CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND MONITORING, AS I MENTIONED, THEY HAVE A VERY SMALL TEAM THAT MANAGES A LARGE POOL OF BUILDINGS. DUE TO THAT, THEY DO HAVE TO DEPEND ON A NUMBER OF CONTRACTORS. AT THE TIME OF THE AUDIT, THEY HAD 30 SERVICE BASED CONTRACTS, WHICH IS A HIGH NUMBER OF CONTRACT PROFILE. SO WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THEIR CONTRACT ADMINISTTION AND MONITORING IS EFFECTIVE. SECONDLY, WE ALSO WANTED TO VERIFY WHETHER THE CONTRACTOR USE IS JUSTIFIED, COST EFFECTIVE AND PROVIDE VALUE COMPARED WITH CITY RESOURCES. OUR TESTING PRIMARILY COVERED OCTOBER 2023 THROUGH JUNE 2026. SOME OF THE OBSERVATION. I WILL GO HIGH LEVEL. ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE COVERED IS CONTRACT THAT WE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT WAS THE CITY'S LONG STANDING DOWNTOWN AGREEMENTS WITH THE OAKS PROPERTIES, AS YOU'RE AWARE. WE HAVE EXECUTED OUR CONTRACTS WITH THEM ON THE FIFTH STREET CROSSING IN 2008, AND THEN LATER IN 2013, WE HAVE EXECUTED A CONTRACT WITH OAKS PROPERTIES REGARDING THE CITY CENTER PROPERTY HERE. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONTRACT LANGUAGE OR THE COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS IN THE CONTRACT IS CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD. AND IF THE CURRENT PRACTICES DO THEY ALIGN WITH WHAT WAS, YOU KNOW, REQUIRED IN THE CONTRACT. SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVES. WE WORKED WITH VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO, TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING. WE WORKED WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, OBTAINED ALL THE CONTRACTS THROUGH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE, WORKED WITH PARKS MANAGEMENT, WORKS WITH THE FACILITIES DEPARTMENT, WORKS WITH THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT OFFICE. WE ALSO WAS ABLE TO MEET WITH THE OWNERSHIP OF OAKS MANAGEMENT. THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONFUSION SINCE THESE CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN EXECUTED A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO. ALSO, THE PEOPLE WHO EXECUTED THESE CONTRACTS DO NOT WORK FOR THE CITIES AS WELL AS ON THE OXIDE. SO AFTER GOING THROUGH ALL THESE CONTRACTS AND AMENDMENTS, THERE WERE MORE THAN 20  THEM. THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONSOLIDATE THESE AGREEMENTS AND CLARIFY RESPONSIBILITIES AND COST SHARING INTO ONE DOCUMENT. SO GOING FORWARD, BOTH PARTIES ARE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE. 
          SO MANAGEMENT CONCURRED. I KNOW FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER MR. BRIAN IS WORKING ON PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, AND EVENTUALLY THEY WILL BE MEETING WITH OAKS PROPERTIES. I WOULD SHARE THE AREAS THAT THEY WILL BE ADDRESSING PARKING, GARAGE, ELEVATORS, MARKINGS, LIGHTING, LANDSCAPING, EV CHARGERS, PARKING FACILITY. THESE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY WILL BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THIS, THIS ONGOING NEGOTIATION. THE SECOND AREA THAT WE COVERED IS THE SECURITY CAMERAS. CITY OPERATES MORE THAN 1000 CAMERAS, WITH APPROXIMATELY 200,000 IN ANNUAL CONTRACT SUPPORT AND 350,000 IN ANNUAL IT INFRASTRUCTURE COST. 
          SO THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO PERIODICALLY EVALUATE. CAMERAS NEED TECHNOLOGY AND SUPPORT MODEL WHILE MAINTAINING SECURITY OBJECTIVES. AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY MANAGER WANTED US TO LOOK INTO. RIGHT NOW, FACILITIES MANAGEMENT IS LOOKING AT THIS. 
          CHIEF BRIAN IS LEADING THIS THIS INITIATIVE AS WELL. THIRDLY, WE LOOKED AT THE 
          [01:45:04]
CITY'S FURNITURE PURCHASES PRACTICES. CITY CURRENTLY MAINLY WORK WITH ONE VENDOR TO PROCURE FURNITURE FOR THE ENTIRE CITY. ONCE WE REVIEWED THESE AND HAVE DONE SOME BENCHMARKING, WE IDENTIFY A POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER MORE COST EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES. MANAGEMENT IS IN AGREEMENT WITH US, SO THEY WILL BE REEVALUATING THE CURRENT PRACTICE. AND IT'S A CULTURE CHANGE. AND I APPRECIATE THE CITY MANAGER IN IN IN EMPHASIZING THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON STRENGTHENING OUR FINANCIAL CAPACITY AS WELL AS MAINTAINING LONG TERM FINANCIAL CAPACITY. SO I APPRECIATE HIS EFFORT IN THAT. AND SO WE WORKED WITH HIM AGAIN. THEY WILL BE REEVALUATING THE CITY'S CURRENT PRACTICE AS PART OF THE AUDIT. WE ALSO IDENTIFIED A FEW AREAS WHERE WE WERE INCORRECTLY BUILT BY A THIRD PARTY. 
          MANAGEMENT IS OBTAINING CREDITS FROM THAT VENDOR, AND THEY ARE ALSO ENHANCING THEIR REVIEW PROCESS. SO WE CAN IDENTIFY THIS EVEN BEFORE THE AUDIT GETS THERE. LASTLY, THERE ARE SOME SEVERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTRACTOR TO TO MAINTAIN CERTAIN TYPES OF INSURANCES. 
          MANAGEMENT IS WORKINGN ENSURING THAT. NUMBER ONE, DO WE NEED TO REQUIRE EVERY CONTRACTOR TO OBTAIN ALL THESE INSURANCES? NUMBER TWO, IF SO, HOW ARE WE ENSURING THAT THEY'RE MAINTAINING THOSE? I KNOW I WENT HIGH LEVEL ON THIS ONE. THE AUDIT COMMITTEE WAS ABOUT TWO HOURS, SO FORGIVE ME IF I WENT TO HIGH LEVEL ON THIS ONE. I HOPE YOU ALL RECEIVED THE COPY OF THE AUDIT REPORTS. AND THESE REPORTS ARE POSTED ONLINE AS WELL. OVERALL FACILITIES HAS PROCESSES IN PLACE TO OVERSEES CONTRACTOR WORK AND PAYMENTS. OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOCUS ON STRENGTHENING CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION, CLARIFYING RESPONSIBILITY, IMPROVING COST OVERSIGHT, AND IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES TO OBTAIN GREATER VALUE FROM CITY RESOURCES. THE LAST ITEM THAT WE COVERED IS MY PROPOSAL TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE. 
          NOW TO THE CITY COUNCIL. THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 ANNUAL AUDIT PLAN. BEFORE I GO OVER THESE AUDITS, I DO WANT TO THANK THE GOVERNING BODY, CITY COUNCIL, FOR REQUESTING A NUMBER OF THIS. 
          I WILL START WITH THE MAYOR. THANK YOU. MAYOR. MAYOR PRO TEM, DEPUTY MAYOR, PRO TEM COUNCILWOMAN, LET YOU ALL HAVE MADE REQUEST TO TO THE UPCOMING AUDIT PLANS. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT. I WILL HIGH LEVEL GO OVER THESE AUDITS, MAYOR, AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. ONE OF THE AUDITS THAT WE WILL BE COVERING IS CONTRACT MANAGEMENT. 
          THIS IS FROM A HIGH LEVEL PERSPECTIVE, JUST LIKE THE FACILITIES CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AUDIT THAT WE DID. WE WILL REVIEW CONTROLS OVER VENDOR CONTRACTS, INCLUDING COMPLIANCE, PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENTS. THE NEXT AUDIT THAT WE'RE GOING TO COVER IS THE CARE CONTRACT. AS YOU'RE AWARE, THE CITY HAS OUTSOURCED ITS HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO A THIRD PARTY. A FEW YEARS AGO, WE WANTED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE CONTRACTED HEALTH CARE SERVICES ARE DELIVERED AS REQUIRED AND PAYMENTS ARE ACCURATE. NEXT AUDIT IS THE STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM. EVALUATE PROGRAM EFFICIENCY EFFECTIVENESS, INCLUDING TRACKING OF LABOR, MATERIAL AND EQUIPMENT COST. NEXT AUDIT IS THE RENTAL PERMITS, AUDIT, REVIEW, PERMITTING AND ENFORCEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR RENTAL PROPERTIES. NEXT, AUDIT COURT FINES AND FEES REVIEW THE ACCURACY COLLECTION, SAFEGUARDING REPORTING AND REMITTANCE OF COURT FINES AND FEES. AUDIT AFTER THAT IS WORKDAY FINANCIAL ACCESS POST IMPLEMENTATION CONTROL SYSTEM FUNCTIONALITY AND RELIABILITY OF REPORTS AND DATA. CUSTOMER SERVICE BILLING AND COLLECTIONS AUDIT EVALUATE METER READING, BILLING, COLLECTIONS AND RATE ADMINISTRATION. NEXT AUDIT STARTS CAMP REVIEW, PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY, REGISTRATION CONTROL FEES AND EXPENDITURES. NEXT AUDIT VEHICLE RETIREMENT AUCTION REVIEW CONTROLS OVER RETIRED ASSETS AND AUCTION PROCEEDS. SPECIFIC USE PROVISIONS. AUDIT REVIEW THE ACCURACY OF YOUR RECORDS AND COMPLIANCE WITH APPROVAL CONDITIONS. NEXT AUDIT IS THE LIBRARY MATERIAL PROCUREMENT. VERIFY PURCHASED PHYSICAL AND VIRTUAL MATERIALS ARE ACCOUNTED FOR AND AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC USE. NEXT AUDIT IS THE TOLL ROAD USAGE REVIEW, DEPARTMENTAL TOLL USAGE, COST MONITORING AND USE OF THE TOLL TAG PROGRAM. NEXT AUDIT IS PAYROLL. ASSESS CONTROLS OVER SUPPORTING ACCURATE AND RELIABLE PAYROLL PROCESSING. NEXT AUDIT IS BUILDING PERMITTING REVIEW, PERMIT, EFFICIENCY TRACKING, INSPECTION AND CUSTOMER SERVICE AND COMPLIANCE. LASTLY, WE WOULD DO A CITY WIDE CASH COUNT AUDIT VERIFYING COMPLIANCE WITH 
          [01:50:04]
CITY'S FINANCIAL PROCEDURES AND SAFEGUARDING OF CASH. ALL OF THESE AUDITS THAT I HAVE MENTIONED HERE, THEY DO ALIGN WITH THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN WITH STRONG, STRONGEST EMPHASIS ON STRENGTHENING FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP AND PROTECTING CORE SERVICES. IN ADDITION TO THIS, WE WILL PERFORM, YOU KNOW, AS WE NORMALLY DO, INVESTIGATIONS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS, AND WE WILL ASSIST OUR EXTERNAL AUDITORS. SO THAT IS THE AUDIT PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. I KNOW IT'S IT'S VERY LOADED. SO PLEASE DO NOT COUNT THAT AGAINST ME. IF WE DON'T GET TO SOME OF THESE WITH THAT MAYOR, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. IF YOU HAVE NO QUESTIONS, I WOULD LIKE TO GET A CONSENSUS ON THIS AUDIT PLAN. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. HE SAID WE'LL HAVE THOSE DONE BY THE END OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. VERY AMBITIOUS. NO, I, I THINK IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THAT PLAN. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF VARIETY IN THERE. COUNCIL. HE'S LOOKING FOR CONSENSUS ON APPROVAL OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE PLAN AS UNANIMOUS. AND WE WANT TO EXPRESS APPRECIATION AGAIN TO JED AND TO HIS TEAM FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO IN BRINGING ABOUT THE PROCESS OF AUDITING OUR ORGANIZATION. IT NOT ONLY SAVES US MONEY, BUT IT SAVES US WASTE. IT TAKES SO MANY THINGS THAT WE WOULD NOT NORMALLY CATCH WERE IT NOT FOR THIS TEAM OTHERWISE. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, SIR. THANK YOU SIR. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCIL. NOW MOVE ON 
          [13. Infrastructure Summit Report]
TO ITEM NUMBER 13 INFRASTRUCTURE SUMMIT REPORT. COUNCILMEMBER. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. GOOD EVENING AGAIN. COUNCIL. ON AUGUST THE 31ST. IN SEPTEMBER THE 1ST, I REPRESENTED THE CITY OF GARLAND AT THE 2026 INFRASTRUCTURE SUMMIT IN IRVING, HOSTED JOINTLY BY THE CITY OF IRVING AND THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COMMISSION. OVER TWO DAYS, I SAT IN ON SESSIONS WITH MAYORS FROM ACROSS THE REGION, STATE TRANSPORTATION AND WATER OFFICIALS, AND PRIVATE SECTOR, AND IN INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS. THAT WAS INTERESTING IN ITSELF. 
          AND SO I WANT TO WALK THROUGH TODAY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD THERE AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK ARE GOING TO TRULY HELP US HERE IN GARLAND. THE SUMMIT OPENED WITH A PANEL O OF REGIONAL MAYORS IRVING, CARROLLTON, PLANO AND ARLINGTON, ALL MAKING THE SAME BASIC POINT FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES, INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING ISN'T A CALL CENTER, IT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE'VE HEARD THAT SEVERAL TIMES TONIGHT. DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. PLANO'S MAYOR POINTED TO THEIR WILLOW BEND PROJECT, BUILT IN ANTICIPATION OF DALLAS STARS, THEIR NEW PRACTICE FACILITY AS A MODEL OF INFRASTRUCTURE READINESS, PAYING OFF BEFORE THE OPPORTUNITY EVEN ARRIVED. THAT'S A LESSON WORTH LEARNING AND HOLDING ON TO A NATIONAL CALIBER FACILITY OR TEAM. LOCATING IN GARLAND COULD BE EXACTLY THAT KIND OF LEVER FOR US. WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THAT BEFORE, AND WE CERTAINLY KNOW THE IMPORTANCE THAT ONE COULD PLAY. AND CERTAINLY THE OPPORTUNITY MAY PRESENT ITSELF AGAIN THE NEXT DAY OPENED WITH TRANSPORTATION FUNDING, AND THIS IS WHERE IT GETS CONCRETE FOR US. TXDOT TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION HAS PASSED A NEW TEN YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, AND TWO GARLAND AREA PROJECTS ARE EXPLICITLY ON IT. STATE HIGHWAY 205 IN ROCKWALL AND STATE HIGHWAY I-30 OR 130 AND I-80. HERE IN GARLAND, PART OF A $30 BILLION STATEWIDE PROGRAM. 
          THE COMMISSIONERS LINE THAT STUCK WITH ME THE MOST WAS THIS MORE PROJECTS DIE FROM LACK OF CONSENSUS AND NOT LACK OF FUNDING. THAT'S WORTH REMEMBERING AS WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE ENGAGE ON THESE CORRIDORS GOING FORWARD. AND THE MONEY IS OFTEN THERE, BUT THE ENGAGEMENT AND THE AGREEMENTS ARE NOT. THEN CAME THE SESSION THAT PROMPTED THIS BRIEFING. THE FUTURE OF REGIONAL TRANSIT. THE PANEL INCLUDED LEADERSHIP FROM THE NORTH TEXAS COG DART DCTA AND TRINITY METRO, AND THE CONVERSATION KEPT CIRCLING BACK TO ONE ISSUE DARK GOVERNANCE IS THE DEFINING REGIONAL TRANSIT QUESTION THIS YEAR. DARK GOVERNANCE IS THE DEFINING REGIONAL QUESTION THIS YEAR, AND IT'S DIRECTLY TIED TO HOW CITIES LIKE GARLAND PARTICIPATE AND WHAT IT COST US IN SALES TAX REVENUE. NORTH TEXAS, NORTH 
          [01:55:02]
CENTRAL TEXAS TRANSIT 2.0 COMMITTEE POSED A QUESTION, AND I THINK IT'S WORTH BRINGING UP TONIGHT. IF YOU HAD A BLANK SHEET OF PAPER, WHAT WOULD TRANSIT LOOK LIKE HERE IN GARLAND? YOUNG MAN CAME BEFORE US THIS EVENING TALKING ABOUT OUR TRANSIT SYSTEMS. IF WE HAD A BLANK SHEET OF PAPER, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE? THE PANEL'S CLOSING ADVICE TO TRANSIT LEADERSHIP WAS TO REMEMBER THAT THE CITIES THEY SERVE AREN'T JUST SERVICE AREAS. THEY ARE MAYORS, THEIR COUNCILS, AND THEIR OWN, AND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PRIORITIES. AND THAT REGIONAL COOPERATION ONLY WORKS WHEN THAT IS RESPECTED. LOGISTICS AND TRADE PANEL ROUNDED OUT DAY ONE AUTONOMOUS TRUCKING, DRONE DELIVERY AND INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS FROM CANADA, MEXICO, INDIA, PANAMA, UKRAINE AND TAIWAN ALL MADE THE CASE THAT NORTH TEXAS AND DFW SPECIFICALLY SIT AT THE CENTER OF A LOT OF THAT ACTIVITY. TEXAS WAS AN EARLY MOVER ON AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE POLICY, AND 26 STATES NOW SHARE A COMMON FRAMEWORK. AND THAT'S RELEVANT TO US. AND THESE TECHNOLOGIES MOVE FROM PILOT TO ROUTINE. THE FINAL SESSION FOCUSED ON WATER AND ELECTRICITY, TWO THINGS THAT WOULD DIRECTLY AFFECT FUTURE GROWTH. WATER SENATE BILL SEVEN COULD EVENTUALLY PROVIDE ABOUT $1 BILLION A YEAR FOR WATER PROJECTS, BUT THE STATE FIRST HAS TO RAISE 46.5 BILLION. SO THIS IS THE LONG TERM FUNDING SOLUTION, NOT MONEY THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE RIGHT AWAY. ELECTRICITY ERCOT IS PLANNING FOR ELECTRICITY DEMANDS TO GROW ABOUT 3 TO 5% EACH YEAR, BUT IT'S DIFFICULT TO PREDICT EXACTLY WHERE THAT NEW DEMAND WILL COME FROM. DATA CENTERS. LARGE DATA CENTERS REQUIRE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF BOTHLECTRICITY AND WATER, ADDING PRESSURE TO THOSE SYSTEMS. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR GARLAND IS AS WE WORK TO ATTRACT DATA CENTERS AND OTHER MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS, WE ALSO HAVE TO ASK THIS QUESTION DO WE HAVE ENOUGH WATER AND POWER CAPACITY TO SUPPORT THEM? THAT NEEDS TO BE PART OF OUR UTILITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANNING. SO HERE'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO BRING BACK. IN SUMMARY, TWO FUNDED STATE PROJECTS STATE HIGHWAY 205 AND STATE HIGHWAY I 3180 PROJECTS. WE SHOULD CONTINUE TRACKING TOWARD LET READY STATUS DOT GOVERNANCE. 
          THIS YEAR'S MOST IMMEDIATE REGIONAL ISSUE, AND ONE OF GARLAND'S SHOULD CONTINUE TO FOLLOW VERY CLOSELY IS THE DARK GOVERNANCE. REGIONAL THOROUGHFARES. I635I30 AND THE GEORGE BUSH TURNPIKE SHOULD REMAIN PART OF OUR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING. WATER AND GRID CAPACITY. THESE ARE IMPORTANT LONG TERM CONSTRAINTS THAT WILL INFLUENCE THE TYPE AND SCALE OF DEVELOPMENT. WE CAN ATTRACT REGIONAL COOPERATION. THE CLEAREST THEME ACROSS BOTH DAYS WAS THAT OUR REGION MAKES THE GREATEST PROGRESS. WHEN CITIES COOPERATE RATHER THAN COMPETE. THE WORLD CUP WAS CITED MORE THAN ONCE AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS REGIONAL COLLABORATION CAN WORK. COLUMN REPRESENTATION GARLAND. I'M GLAD TO HAVE REPRESENTED GARLAND, AND I'M HAPPY TO GO DEEPER INTO ANY OF THESE ISSUES THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO GO INTO, BUT THAT IS MY REPORT AS IT RELATES TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE SUMMIT REPORT. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL. ANY QUESTIONS ON HIS REPORT? NONE. THANK YOU SIR. WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO ITEM 
          [14. Taiwan Design Expo / Taoyuan Sister City Visit]
NUMBER 14, TAIWAN DESIGN EXPO AND TAIWAN SISTER CITY VISIT. COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO VISIT. COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE AND I HAD OUR OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO VISIT OUR SISTER CITY, TAIWAN. THEY WERE HOSTING THE ANNUAL TAIWAN DESIGN EXPO IN TAIWAN. IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS 20 YEAR DESIGN EXPO HAD BEEN HOSTED IN OUR SISTER CITY. AS IT ROTATES AROUND THE COUNTRY, TAIWAN, AND THEY WERE HAPPY TO INVITE SISTER CITY MAYORS. TAIWAN IS. 
          IT'S GROWN INTO A MUNICIPALITY WHICH. ON THE GOVERNMENT. IT'S STARTED OFF AS A SMALL CITY AND 
          [02:00:06]
THE COUNTY SIZE AND EVENTUALLY WAS ADDED AS A MUNICIPALITY IN THEIR GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE SYSTEM. NOT TOO TERRIBLY LONG AGO. THERE WERE ALSO SISTER COUNTIES WITH DALLAS COUNTY AND SISTER CITY WITH DESOTO AND GRAND PRAIRIE, I BELIEVE, AS WELL AS GARLAND. SO THEY WERE EXCITED TO SHOW US THIS DESIGN EXPO, WHICH IS REALLY A LOT OF COMPANIES TALKING ABOUT GREEN MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES, AS TAIWAN IS REALLY THE LARGEST MANUFACTURING CITY IN ALL OF TAIWAN. AND AS YOU KNOW, TAIWAN HAS A LOT OF MICROCHIP MANUFACTURING, AS WELL AS VARIOUS OTHER MANUFACTURING FACILITIES IN THERE. AND GIVEN THAT GARLAND HAS A LARGE MANUFACTURING BASE, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A PARALLEL AND SOMETHING WE COULD LEARNROM THEM. AT A CITY THAT'S ABOUT NINE TIMES OUR SIZE, THEY HAVE ABOUT 2.2 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE CITY, WHICH REALLY GREW OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS AROUND THEIR HIGH SPEED RAIL SYSTEM. THEY HAVE A HIGH SPEED, HIGH SPEED RAIL TRAIN STATION IN TAIWAN, WHICH EXTENDS FROM TAIPEI. AND 20 YEARS AGO IT WAS JUST FARMLAND. AND IN 20 YEARS THEY BUILT UP A CITY OF 2.2 MILLION PEOPLE AROUND IT. SO THEY HAVE VERY MUCH INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOUSING AND WORKFORCE AND OTHER CONCERNS LIKE WE DID. THEY WERE HAPPY TO SHOW US ONE OF THEIR SOCIAL HOUSING COMPLEXES THAT IS GOVERNMENT FUNDED. IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT SYSTEM THAN WE USE HERE, BUT SEEM THEY REALLY TRY TO CREATE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AROUND THEIR HOUSING COMPLEXES. THEY TOOK US THEN TO A CITY PARK, WHICH OPENED ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE WE GOT THERE. IT'S A PARK RIGHT ON THE RIVER. AND INTERESTING THAT THEY DESIGN THEIR PARKS WITH, SIMILAR TO WE DO WITH CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUNDS AND WALKING TRAILS, AND THERE'S EVEN WORKOUT EQUIPMENT FOR OLDER ADULTS. THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH IN EVERY, EVERY LOCATION. AND THEN FINALLY, LATER THEY TOOK US TO ONE OF THEIR LIBRARIES WHERE THEY REALLY LIKE TO INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY. 
          THEY ARE BIG INTO ROBOTICS. SO THEY HAD A, THEIR BOOK HOLD AREA, WHICH IS SHELVES WHERE A ROBOT WOULD GRAB YOUR BOOK ON HOLD AFTER YOU PUNCH IT UP AND DELIVER IT TO YOU, WHICH THE ROBOT TOOK ABOUT ALMOST TWO MINUTES TO GRAB YOUR BOOK. BUT THEY WERE APOLOGIZING FOR THE SLOWNESS. BUT IT WAS JUST KIND OF NOVEL TO SEE THAT THEY'RE INTEGRATING THAT KIND OF TECHNOLOGY INTO ALL THEIR LIBRARIES AND, AND ANOTHER IN THEIR LIBRARY, A BIG SCREEN WALL WHERE YOU WOULD LOOK AT IT AND BASED UPON YOUR EMOTION OR YOUR FACIAL EXPRESSION, IT WOULD RECOMMEND A BOOK TO YOU. AND THEN ONCE IT RECOMMENDED THAT BOOK TO YOU, A ROBOT WOULD COME OUT OF A KIND OF A PORTAL ON THE SIDE, AND IT WOULD LEAD YOU IN THE STACKS TO WHERE THAT BOOK WAS LOCATED. IT KNEW THE WHOLE SYSTEM WHERE THAT BOOK WAS FILED, AND IT WOULD SHOW YOU RIGHT TO THE STACKS, AND THEN THE STACKS WOULD LIGHT UP WITH A GREEN LIGHT SAYING, YOUR BOOK IS RIGHT HERE. SO THEY'RE VERY, VERY HAPPY TO SHOW US ALL THEIR NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY, THAT THEY INTEGRATE INTO ALL THEIR FACILITIES THERE. THE NEXT DAY, OF COURSE, WAS THE DESIGN EXPO, AND WE GOT TO SEE VARIOUS CULTURAL SITES AS WELL. YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE MUSEUMS SHOWCASING THEIR HISTORY, KIND OF THE HISTORY OF THEIR MILITARY HISTORY OF TEA MAKING, WHICH IS A BIG, BIG. HAS A LONG HISTORY IN TAIWAN, ESPECIALLY WITH THE VOLCANIC SOILS CREATED BY THE ISLAND, WHICH IS ON THE PACIFIC RIM, AND TWO TECTONIC PLATES THAT PUSH AGAINST EACH OTHER, WHICH CREATED THE ISLAND. AND I THINK ALL OF YOU HAVE SOME OF THAT TEA THAT WE BROUGHT BACK FOR YOU TO SAMPLE. THAT IS TAIWANESE BLACK TEA. I BELIEVE. TAIWANESE BLACK TEA, SPIRITUAL TEA. THEY GOT ALL DIFFERENT KINDS. THEY HAVE ALL KINDS. I, I BROUGHT SOME OOLONG TEA. I'M A BIG FAN OF OOLONG AND GREEN TEA AND JASMINE TEA I BROUGHT HOME AS WELL. SO MOST OF MY ITEMS I BROUGHT BACK WAS TEA BECAUSE I. I'M NOT A COFFEE DRINKER, BUT A TEA LOVER. THE EXPO IS VERY INTERESTING TO TALK ABOUT. AGAIN, ALL THE GREEN TECHNOLOGIES ARE INTEGRATING LOTS OF TECHNOLOGY, THE SMART MANUFACTURING. THEY'RE REALLY TRYING TO REDUCE WASTE AND LOOK AT THE LIFE CYCLE OF PRODUCTS THAT THEY USE. I WAS HAPPY TO MEET THE MAYOR, MAYOR CHANG OF TAOYUAN, AND PRESENTED WITH A COWBOY HAT. OF COURSE, THE OTHER SISTER CITIES PROVIDED GIFTS AS WELL WITH PLATES AND BOWLS AND ARTWORK, BUT I THINK THE COWBOY HAT WAS REAL. THE THE SHOWPIECE OF ALL THE GIFTS. BUT IT WAS JUST A GOOD TRIP TO SEE REALLY HOW THE CITY ON COMPLETE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD OPERATES. A LOT OF SIMILAR ISSUES, SIMILAR ISSUES WITH GARBAGE COLLECTION. FOR INSTANCE. ONE ASKING ABOUT THAT IS THAT THEIR GARBAGE TRUCKS 
          [02:05:03]
COME AROUND DAILY AND YOU HAVE TO THROW YOUR GARBAGE IN THE BACK OF THE GARBAGE TRUCK AS IT PASSES, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT PICK IT UP FOR YOU. IT COMES AROUND PLAYING FUR ELISE, AND YOU CAN ALSO TRACK THE LOCATION ON AN APP, A SMART APP. AND WE'RE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET ONE DAY AND YOU JUST SEE A BUNCH OF OLD LADIES WITH THEIR TRASH BAGS IN THEIR HAND, WAITING FOR THE GARBAGE TRUCK TO GO BY, BECAUSE IF YOU MISS IT, YOU CANNOT TAKE YOUR TRASH JUST TO WORK OR SOMETHING WITH YOU. THE NEXT DAY THEY'LL FIND YOU FOR THAT. THEY'RE VERY HEAVY ON ON FINDING PEOPLE AND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THEY GET OF THEIR FEDERAL BUDGET OR CITY BUDGET COME FROM FINES, INCLUDING SPEED CAMERAS EVERYWHERE ALONG STREETS. SO NO, NOT MUCH SPEEDING AROUND THERE BECAUSE AS OUR TOUR GUIDE PUT IT, IF YOU DRIVE IN TAIWAN, YOU'RE VERY BRAVE JUST BECAUSE OF THE SPEED CAMERAS, CAMERAS AND A LOT OF MOPEDS EVERYWHERE. IT'S A VERY THE WEATHER IS VERY MILD CLIMATE. SO IT'S MOPEDS TRANSPORTATION TO GET AROUND. INTERESTINGLY, GAS PRICES, WHEN YOU CALCULATE PER GALLON ARE ROUGHLY EQUIVALENT TO WHAT THEY ARE HERE. VERY SIMILAR LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT YOU NOTICE AS YOU GO AROUND. BUT OVERALL, I THINK IT WAS A GOOD TRIP JUST TO CONVERSE WITH NOT ONLY OUR SISTER CITY AND OUR DELEGATION THAT HOSTED US, BUT COUNCILMEMBER MOORE AND I HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH DELEGATIONS FROM JAPAN AS WELL. AND. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT THE CITY FUNDS WERE NOT USED FOR TRAVEL OF THIS COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE AND I PAID FOR OUR OWN FLIGHT, AND OUR SISTER CITY HOSTED US, PAID FOR OUR TRANSPORTATION, MEALS AND AND OUR HOTEL, BUT I WOULD I DID EXTEND AN INVITATION TO MAYOR CHANG TO COME TO VISIT GARLAND, TO VISIT DALLAS COUNTY, TO VISIT OUR OTHER SISTER CITIES HERE. I THINK WE COULD PUT TOGETHER A QUITE A SHOWCASE SHOWING THEM OUR LIBRARIES, OUR PARKS, OUR NEW GRANVILLE ARTS CENTER. WHEN IT OPENS UP IN A YEAR, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THEM COME AND AND EXPERIENCE ALL THAT GARLAND HAS TO OFFER AS WELL. SO THAT'S MY REPORT, SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE, I KNOW YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL THINGS AS WELL. I HAVE A PREPARED STATEMENT HERE. BUT BEFORE WE DO IT, FIRST OF ALL, YOU DO HAVE TEA BEFORE YOU. MAYOR. MAYOR HEDRICK IS REALLY THE THE TEA EXPERT HERE. BUT WE PURCHASED THAT TEA FOR YOU BECAUSE WE WANTED YOU TO HAVE SOME OF THE EXPERIENCE OF WHAT WE HAD WHILE WE WERE THERE. TEA IS A BIG THING, A REAL BIG THING IN TAIWAN. SO WITH THAT, THOUGH, LET US FIRST OF ALL, I WANT YOU TO WATCH THIS VIDEO. WATCH THE HATS EXPO IN TAIWAN KICKED OFF ON THURSDAY, PUTTING TAIWAN'S DESIGN AND INNOVATION ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE. THE CITY WELCOMED DIPLOMATS AND DELEGATIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WHO TOURED THE CITY'S SOCIAL HOUSING AND SMART LIBRARY FACILITIES. THIS YEAR'S EXPO IS CONNECTING FIVE EXHIBITION AREAS ACROSS THE CITY, AND TAOYUAN IS USING DESIGN TO SHOWCASE NOT ONLY ITS INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH BUT ALSO ITS TECHNOLOGY, CULTURE AND GROWING INTERNATIONAL REACH. AN AMERICAN DELEGATION FROM GARLAND, TEXAS, AND A JAPANESE DELEGATION FROM CHIBA WENT ON A TOUR OF TAOYUAN SOCIAL HOUSING COMPLEXES AND THEIR FACILITIES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CITY'S HOUSING POLICY. THEY ALSO VISITED THE QINGPU SMART TECHNOLOGY BRANCH OF TAOYUAN PUBLIC LIBRARY AND HAD A GO AT USING THE SMART BOOK STORAGE SYSTEM THEMSELVES. AN IMPRESSIVE TECH INNOVATION, THE TAIWAN DESIGN EXPO IN TAOYUAN HAS KICKED OFF WITH THE ATTENDANCE OF 15 DIPLOMATS IN TAIWAN AND GUESTS FROM 31 OF TAOYUAN SISTER CITIES. THIS IS. 
          THIS YEAR'S EDITION IS TITLED TAOYUAN AND FLOW. AS WE SAW IN THE VIDEO, TAOYUAN IS KNOWN AS THE LAND OF A THOUSAND PONDS. WATER IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF LIFE IN TAOYUAN. THE EVENT SHOWCASES TAIWAN'S VITALITY ACROSS FIVE EXHIBITION AREAS IN THE CITY. THE QINGPU AREA EXHIBITS TAIWAN'S INDUSTRIAL DESIGN CAPABILITIES, URBAN GOVERNANCE AND INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES. OVER IN THE ZHONGLI AREA, THE FOCUS IS THE CULTURE OF THE MINNAN PEOPLE, THE HAKKA PEOPLE AND THE IMMIGRANTS LIVING IN TAIWAN. THE EVENT, WHICH STARTED OFF WITH THE AIM OF PROMOTING REVITALIZATION LOCALLY, HAS EVOLVED INTO AN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR. TAIWAN'S HARD POWER IS THAT WE ARE TAIWAN'S LARGEST INDUSTRIAL CITY. WE HOPE THAT THROUGH THIS YEAR'S TAIWAN DESIGN EXPO IN TAOYUAN, WE CAN ALSO SHOWCASE TAOYUAN SOFT POWER. VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WITNESSED HOW DESIGN DRIVENN APPROACH TO URBAN GOVERNANCE WHILE EXPERIENCING THE CITY'S TECHNOLOGY, TOURISM AND CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS. TAOYUAN HOPES THE VISITS WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR BROADER EXCHANGES AND EVEN MORE FRUITFUL COOPERATION. 
          [02:10:05]
IT'S THEIR LITTLE. IT'S A SYMBOL FOR LOVE OR SOMETHING IN THE CITY. YEAH. WELL, SOME WEEKS YOU LIVE THROUGH AND SOME WEEKS LIVE ON WITHIN YOU. THIS WAS THE SECOND KIND OF WEEK. A 15 HOUR FLIGHT THAT FELT LIKE A JOURNEY INTO THE FUTURE, TO THE MOMENT. MAYOR SHANG TSUNG SHENG STAFF MET MAYOR DYLAN HEDRICK AND ME AT TAIWAN INTERNATIONAL RPORT. I KNEW GARLAND WAS BEING RECEIVED NOT AS A VISITOR, BUT AS FAMILY. AT EVERY TURN OF THE WEEK, OUR HOST CARED FOR US WITH A HOSPITALITY THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET. WE'RE IN TAIWAN, TAIWAN FOR THE OPENING OF THE 2026 TAIWAN DESIGN EXPO TAIWAN ENVELOPE, WHICH RUNS SEPTEMBER THE 24TH THROUGH OCTOBER THE 11TH, DIPLOMATS AND DELEGATIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD GATHERED TO WITNESS WHAT HAPPENED. WHEN A CITY PUTS DESIGN, CULTURE AND INNOVATION ON FULL DISPLAY. GARLAND DEFINITELY HAD A SEAT AT THE TABLE. THE INVITATION GREW OUT OF A RELATIONSHIP MANY GARLAND RESIDENTS MAY NOT KNOW. 
          WE HAVE. FOR DECADES, GARLAND HAS BEEN A SISTER CITY WITH LUXU, A DISTRICT THAT TODAY SITS WITHIN TAIWAN CITY. THAT BOND IS PART OF A WIDER WEB OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN NORTH TEXAS AND TAIWAN. DALLAS COUNTY AND TAIWAN ARE SISTER COUNTIES AND DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND TATAOYUAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HAVE A SISTER AIRPORT ALLIANCE. TEXAS ITSELF HAS MAINTAINED A SISTER STATE RELATIONSHIP WITH TAIWAN SINCE 1988. SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIPS ONLY MATTER IF SOMEONE SHOWS UP. SO WHEN MAYOR SHANG'S ADMINISTRATION OPENED THE EXPO TO THE WORLD, THEY EXTENDED THE INVITATION TO THEIR FRIENDS IN GARLAND, AND MAYOR HEDRICK AND I WENT TO REPRESENT OUR CITY, RENEW THAT FRIENDSHIP IN PERSON, AND BRING HOME IDEAS THAT CAN SERVE OUR RESIDENTS. I HAVE THESE PICTURES SHOWING AS I SPEAK TO YOU, BECAUSE I TRULY WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO GET A REAL REPRESENTATION OF A FEEL FOR WHAT WE EXPERIENCED WHILE WE WERE THERE. THE TAIWAN DESIGN EXPO WAS ONE TAIWAN'S SIGNATURE NATIONAL EVENTS. SINCE IT BEGAN IN 2003, IT HAS DRAWN MORE THAN 40 MILLION VISITORS, AND EACH YEAR A DIFFERENT HOST CITY IS CHOSEN THROUGH COMPETITION. 2026 MARKS TAIWAN'S FIRST TIME HOSTING THE THEME. TAIWAN AND FLOW COMES FROM THE CITY'S IDENTITY THAT THE LAND OF A THOUSAND PONDS AND AS TAIWAN'S GATEWAY TO THE WORLD FLOW, SHOWS UP EVERYWHERE, WATER MOVING ACROSS THE LANDSCAPES, PEOPLE MOVING THROUGH ONE OF ASIA'S GREAT AIRPORTS, GOODS MOVING THROUGH GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS AND CULTURE FLOWING TOGETHER. TAIWAN IS HOME TO TAIWAN'S LARGEST HAKKA AND NEW IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND A LARGE INDIGENOUS POPULATION, AND THE EXPO CELEBRATED THAT DIVERSITY AS STRENGTH. WHAT WE SAW INCLUDED TWO MAIN EXHIBITION HUBS. KUNG FU SHOWCASED A MODERN, FORWARD LOOKING CITY AROUND THE NEW TAIWAN CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTER, WHILE ZHONGLI SHOWS HOW DESIGN CAN BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO A HISTORIC DOWNTOWN, 16 THEMED EXHIBITIONS SPREAD ACROSS THE MAIN HUBS AND FIVE SATELLITE SITES, INCLUDING ART CENTERS, MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL SPACES. SMART AGRICULTURE AS ART THE LIGHT FLOW ARC EXHIBIT TRACES TAIWAN'S FARMING FROM THE COASTAL PLAINS TO THE MOUNTAINS, PAIRING TECHNOLOGY AND ART WITH YOUNG FARMERS, BRANDS AND STRUCTURE BUILT LARGELY BY RECYCLED STEEL DESIGN. AS A TOOL OF GOVERNMENT, TAIWAN USES URBAN CREATIVE DESIGN CENTERS, URBAN ESTHETIC TASK FORCES AND DESIGN REVIEWS OF PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAKE GOODS DESPITE PARTS OF EVERYDAY CITY LIFE. AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH IS THE AREA THAT I FOUND TO BE MOST FASCINATING. BUILT FOR COMMUNITY, TAIWAN IS CONFRONTING A REAL HOUSING AFFORDABILITY GAP FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND YOUNG FAMILIES, BACKING IT WITH SERIOUS INVESTMENT. A ROUGHLY $30 BILLION RENT SUBSIDY PROGRAM, $30 BILLION RENT SUBSIDY PROGRAM THAT HAS ALREADY HELPED MORE THAN 500,000 HOUSEHOLDS, PLUS LOW INTEREST LOANS TO BRING MORE HOUSING ONLINE. NEW DEVELOPMENT LINKS HOUSING DIRECTLY TO COMMUNITY CHILD 
          [02:15:02]
CARE, BUILDING WHOLE COMMUNITIES, NOT JUST UNITS. SUSTAINABILITY IS PRACTICE IN PRACTICE. A LESS WASTE, MORE FLOW INITIATIVE BRINGS GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY TOGETHER TO CUT WASTE AND EMISSIONS, STARTING WITH EVERYDAY, DIVERSE DELIVERY SERVICES CULTURE. YOU CAN FEEL IF YOU'LL NOTICE, THERE IS A LOT OF FOOD UP THERE. OKAY, FOOD, MUSIC MARKETS AND THE WARMTH OF THE PEOPLE, THE PICTURES AND VIDEOS IN THIS PRESENTATION ARE MY BEST ATTEMPT TO LET YOU FEEL WHAT WE FELT, WHAT GARLAND CAN TAKE HOME A TRIP LIKE THIS IS ONLY WORTH IT IF IT COMES BACK TO MAIN STREET. HERE IS WHERE I BELIEVE GARLAND CAN BENEFIT. GARLAND REVITALIZATION ZONE. HE'S STORY A HISTORIC REBORN THROUGH THOUGHTFUL DESIGN, SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO THE WORK WE'RE DOING IN DOWNTOWN GARLAND AND ON OUR SQUARE DESIGN IN PUBLIC PROJECTS. TAIWAN TREATS THE LOOK AND FEEL OF PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AS A PRIORITY, NOT AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT. WE CAN ASK THE SAME OF OUR STREETS, PARKS AND FACILITIES. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TAIWAN IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S TECHNOLOGY POWERHOUSES AND A MAJOR TEXAS TRADING PARTNER. PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS OFTEN OPEN DOORS FOR INVESTMENTS, JOBS AND BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS IN GARLAND EDUCATION AND YOUTH EXCHANGE. GARLAND ISD STUDENTS HAVE TRAVELED TO TAIWAN BEFORE THROUGH NORTH TEXAS SISTER PROGRAMS. RENEWED TIES CAN OPEN THOSE DOORS AGAIN FOR OUR NEW GENERATION, CELEBRATING OUR OWN DIVERSITY. GARLAND IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE CITIES IN TEXAS. TAIWAN SHOWED THE WORLD HOW A CITY THAT HAS MANY CULTURES CAN BECOME HIS CALLING CARD, AND SO CAN OURS. 
          SUSTAINABILITY IDEAS FROM WASTE REDUCTION TO RECYCLED BUILDING MATERIALS, TAIWAN OFFERS PRACTICAL MODELS WORTH STUDYING. SO I LEFT TAIWAN GRATEFUL TO PREMIER SHANG TSUNG CHING AND HIS STAFF FOR THEIR EXTRAORDINARY HOSPITALITY TO THE PEOPLE OF TAIWAN, FOR OPENING THIS CITY TO US, AND TO MAYOR HENDRIX, FOR INVITING ME TO JOIN HIM ON THE JOURNEY. BUT MOST OF ALL, I LEFT CONVINCED THAT THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN GARLAND AND OUR SISTERS IN TAIWAN IS NOT A LINE IN OLD RESOLUTIONS. IT'S ALIVE AND IT'S FLOWING. AND IF WE CAN. 
          THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAYOR AND I TALKED ABOUT ON OUR WAY BACK. IT CERTAINLY WOULD BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO INVITE THEM TO COME TO GARLAND, TO BE OUR GUEST IN THIS NEXT YEAR. THEY WOULD THEY TALKED ABOUT COMING TO DALLAS AND COMING TO JUST VISIT WITH US. AND I DON'T THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT ANY OF THEM HAVE EVER DONE. BUT I CAN SAY THIS TO YOU, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND TO YOU, COUNCIL. IT IS A TRIP THAT I WILL NOT EVER FORGET. THAT'S MY REPORT, SIR. THANK YOU SIR. WE CERTAINLY HAVE A LOT TO LIVE UP TO IF THEY COME HERE. THEIR HOSPITALITY WAS BEYOND MEASURE. THEY. IT WAS REALLY. AN INTERPRETER TRAVELED WITH US THE WHOLE TIME. THERE WAS A CAR DRIVING US EVERYWHERE. IT WAS. WE HAVE A. BUT I THINK WE PUT ON QUITE A SHOW FOR THEM AS WELL HERE IN GARLAND. BUT. BUT WITH THAT COUNCIL I MIGHT ASK ABOUT THE DUCK. IT'S SMILING AT ME. WE'LL MOVE ON THEN, WITH NO QUESTIONS ON THAT TO CONSIDER 
          [ CONSIDER APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS]
COMMISSION BOARD APPOINTMENTS. BUT THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPOINTED WITH OUR REGULAR 
          [ ANNOUNCE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
MEETING. THEN COUNCIL REQUESTS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AT THIS TIME. GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE. 
          VERY GOOD. AND COUNCIL AT
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.