[00:00:01]
[CALL TO ORDER]
RICHARDSON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER.IT IS 6:00 PM THIS TIME WE'LL GO TO ITEM A.
[A. VISITORS/ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS]
I'M GONNA ASK, UH, MR. MAGNER TO ADDRESS VISITORS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS, BUT BEFORE HE DOES THAT, WE HAVE A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION TO ME.UM, IT IS, UH, A REAL PLEASURE FOR ME TO INTRODUCE, UH, OUR NEW ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, DANETTE GARCIA, TO THE COUNCIL AND TO THE COMMUNITY.
DANETTE, UH, JOINED OUR TEAM LAST THURSDAY AND, UH, HAD A BUSY WEEKEND WITH, WITH ALL OF US, UH, OPENING UP SANTA'S VILLAGE AND THE PARADE AND, UH, OTHER EVENTS.
SO, DANETTE, WE'RE JUST VERY, VERY PLEASED TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, WORKING WITH YOU IN THE COMING, UH, WEEKS AND YEARS AND, AND, UH, WELCOME TO THE TEAM.
UH, WE ARE IN RECEIPT OF, UH, THREE COMMENT CARDS, UM, UH, BEFORE THE 5:00 PM DEADLINE TODAY THAT INDICATED THEY DID NOT WANT TO, UH, SPEAK TONIGHT.
SO LET ME ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE AND THEN I'LL READ THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR, UH, OUR VISITORS THIS EVENING.
UH, MS. UH, CYNTHIA AXONS OF TWO 10 VICKI DRIVE SUBMITTED A COMMENT CARD, UH, REGARDING THE VOTING LOCATION SIGNS AT THE OLD CITY HALL, UH, HAN NAI OF 9 51 SOUTH FORK DRIVE AND ALLEN, UH, ISSUED, UH, OR SUBMITTED A A CARD, UH, REGARDING A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.
AND THEN MR. MOHAMMED SALINE OF 8 49 ROHE DRIVE, UH, ALSO SUBMITTED A CARD REGARDING A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.
UM, I WOULD, UH, UH, ENSURE ALL THREE OF, UH, UH, THESE, UM, UM, UH, SPEAKERS THAT, UH, THEIR COMMENTS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO THE COUNCIL IN WRITING AND, UH, FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR REVIEW.
UM, LET ME READ THE, UH, INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PORTION OF THIS, UH, SECTION.
UH, THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS AND TO PROCEED BY FIVE O'CLOCK AS I JUST DID, AND TO ALLOW VISITORS TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL ON ANY TOPIC THAT IS NOT ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR A PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE TONIGHT.
ALL SPEAKERS SHOULD COMPLETE A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD AND SUBMIT IT TO THE CITY'S SECRETARY WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED.
SPEAKERS SHOULD STEP TO THE PODIUM AND STATE THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, SPEAKERS ARE LIMITED TO FIVE MINUTES AS INDICATED BY THE TWO TIMERS.
SPEAKERS SHOULD REMAIN AT THE PODIUM DURING THEIR COMMENTS.
IF THE SPEAKER HAS HANDOUTS FOR THE COUNCIL, THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE CITY SECRETARY FOR DISTRIBUTION.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT PROHIBITS THE CITY COUNCIL FROM DISCUSSING OR TAKING ACTION ON ITEMS THAT ARE NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA.
THE MAYOR OR THE CITY MANAGER MAY RESPOND WITH FACTS OF POLICY OR DIRECT CITY STAFF TO RESPOND TO THE SPEAKER AFTER, AFTER THE MEETING.
UH, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ALSO, UH, REMIND EVERYONE TO, UH, SILENCE THEIR CELL PHONES, UH, FOR THE DURATION OF THE MEETING.
UM, AS THE CITY SECRETARY CALLS YOUR NAME, UM, UH, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM.
IF YOU DID SUBMIT A CARD AND, UH, DECIDE NOT TO SPEAK, JUST, UH, MAYBE INDICATE TO THE CITY SECRETARY THAT YOU ARE GONNA FOREGO, UH, SPEAKING IF THAT'S WHAT YOU DECIDED TO DO.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MS. EMER TO START CALLING OUR VISITORS.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR HONORABLE MAYOR AND ALL THE TEAM MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR CHECK 1, 2, 3.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR HONORABLE MAYOR AND ALL THIS TEAM MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I WANT TO APPLAUD YOUR LEADERSHIP AND SERVICES TO OUR BILLBOARD CITY.
MY NAME IS ASHER AZIZ AND I USED TO HAVE MY OFFICE HERE IN RICHARDSON, TEXAS FOR ALMOST A DECADE.
I'M A CEO OF AN INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION.
AS OF THIS MORNING, ACCORDING TO UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS, 18 HOSPITALS IN RAZA HAS STOPPED OPERATING AND HAS BEEN EVACUATED SINCE OCTOBER 7TH.
1.6 MILLION RESIDENTS ARE INTERNALLY DISPLACED.
[00:05:01]
PEOPLE ARE DEAD IN RAZA, OUT OF WHICH 66% OF, UH, OF THEM ARE WOMEN AND CHILDREN, MOSTLY BABIES.47,000 PEOPLE ARE REPORTED TO BE INJURED.
41,000 HOUSING UNITS ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED, INCLUDING SEVERAL PLACES OF WORSHIP.
I HAVE BEEN VERY FREQUENTLY TRAVELING TO MIDDLE EAST FOR PAST 20 YEARS AS AN HUMANITARIAN, WHICH GIVES ME A VERY UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE OF THE LANDSCAPE HISTORY AND LIFE IN PALESTINE.
MY LAST VISIT TO WEST BANK, JERUSALEM AND RAZA WAS JUST FEW MONTHS BACK AND I HAVE TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY AND HAVE KNOWN RAZA AS AN INTERNATIONAL AID WORKER.
I'VE BEEN TO BAIT, BAIA, JABAL, ALFA AL, AND OTHER PARTS OF RAZA.
IN MY LAST TRIP, WHICH WAS JUST FEW MONTHS BACK, MY LATE GRANDFATHER AS A PHYSICIAN WORKED OVER HERE IN PALESTINE IN SEVENTIES AND LATER ON, MY LATE MOTHER AS A SURGEON USED TO PERFORM SURGERIES OVER THERE ON BEHALF OF WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION.
AND I'M THIRD GENERATION FROM MY FAMILY WHO IS DEEPLY CONNECTED WITH THE BLESSED LAND OF PALESTINE.
TODAY I APPEAL TO EACH ONE OF YOU AS THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THIS GREAT CITY TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND ACT NOW AND ASK FOR IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE.
THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND ONE OF THE MOST AMERICAN THING TO DO.
ALLOW INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AID TO ENTER RAZA TO PROVIDE BASIC NECESSITIES OF LIFE AND MEDICINE AND FOOD AND WATER TO 2.2 MILLION PEOPLES OF GAZA EVEN BEFORE OCTOBER 7TH.
ACCORDING TO UN, 70% OF THE PEOPLE OF RAZA WOULD STAFF TO DEATH IF INTERNATIONAL AID DOES NOT ENTER RAZA AL INSIDE RAZA IS THE PLACE WHERE S HAVE BEEN GATHERED NOW, WHICH IS ALMOST THE SIZE OF DFW AIRPORT, WHERE THESE OVER 2 MILLION PLUS PEOPLE ARE ASKED TO STAY WITH NO FOOD, NO RUNNING WATER, NO SANITATION, NO ELECTRICITY, NO INTERNET ACCESS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN ASKED TO STAY HERE WITH NO CLUE FOR HOW LONG.
ACCORDING TO ONE OF MY PARTNERS WITH WHOM I HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY PROFESSIONALLY, THE PALESTINIAN RED CROSS, THEY HAVE REPORTED CURRENTLY IT DOES NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF CALLS REQUESTING ASSISTANCE TO EVACUATE PEOPLE INJURED OR TRAPPED UNDER THE TR, UNDER THE RUBBLE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
AND SO-CALLED FUNCTIONAL DEMOCRACIES HAVE LOST MORAL COURAGE TO ASK AND PUSH FOR CEASEFIRE OVER HERE.
I URGE TO DO EVERYTHING WITHIN YOUR AUTHORITY TO PROTECT OUR FIRST AMENDMENT HERE IN US.
AS GUARANTEED BY OUR CONSTITUTION, CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT LAND HAS THE RIGHT TO DISSENT, RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES, RIGHT TO PROTEST IN PEACEFUL MANNER.
WE SHOULD PROMOTE AND STRENGTHEN FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
TAKE MEASURES TO ADDRESS THE RISE OF ISLAMOPHOBIA IN OUR SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, BUSINESSES, AND WORKPLACE.
JOIN OTHER CITIES ACROSS AMERICA BY PASSING THE RESOLUTION, ASKING FOR IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE.
THE WORLD IS WATCHING US AND WE NEED TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HISTORY.
MAY GOD BLESS EACH ONE OF YOU, AND MAY GOD BLESS THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY OF RICHARDSON AND MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS THIS GREAT NATION OF OURS, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
AISHA SABINE, I HAVE SOME HANDOUTS.
DEAR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS ISHA SABINE AND I'VE LIVED IN BUTSON FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS.
I'M A BUSINESS OWNER OF TEXAS INFUSION WHERE WE PROVIDE SPECIALIZED CARE FOR RARE DISEASE TREATMENTS.
OH, IS IT NOT GOING THROUGH? OKAY.
IS THIS BETTER? OKAY, I WILL TRY.
OKAY, DEAR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS AISHA SABINE.
I HAVE LIVED IN RICHARDSON FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS.
I'M A BUSINESS OWNER OF TEXAS INFUSION AND WE
[00:10:01]
SPECIALIZE IN RARE DISEASE TREATMENT.A NUMBER OF MY PATIENTS RESIDE IN RICHARDSON AND I PROVIDE CARE REGARDLESS OF RACE, RELIGION, OR GENDER.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE ISRAELI OCCUPATIONS FORCES CONTINUED CARPET BOMBING OF GODS AND CIVILIANS, A MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY BEING FORCED OUT OF THEIR ANCESTRAL HOME AT GUNPOINT, USING OUR TAX DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THE BOMBS AND GUNS.
SINCE OCTOBER 7TH, THE MURDER TOLL IN ISRAEL REMAINS AT 1,200.
WHILE THE MURDER TOLL IN GAZA IS OVER 20,000, PROPORTIONALITY HAS NO MEANING AT THIS POINT.
WHAT'S WORSE IS LESS THAN HALF OF 1% ARE ACTUALLY HAMAS FIGHTERS HALF OF 1% ACCURACY, 0.5% ACCURACY.
FOR A NATION THAT HAS THE MOST ADVANCED WAR TECHNOLOGY AND SURVEILLANCE CAPABILITY, THIS IS A GENOCIDE.
THIS IS A MILITARY SUPERPOWER TARGETING THE SAME GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN MILITARY IMPOSING POLICING AND IMPRISONMENT FOR THE PAST 75 YEARS.
WHEN INTENTIONAL MISINFORMATION IS MET WITH SILENCE FROM LEADERS, VIOLENCE WILL ONLY OCCUR.
IN MY HANDOUT, I HAVE INCLUDED A PICTURE OF A BILLBOARD ON 6 35 AND ANOTHER ON LOOP 12.
THE BILLBOARD STATES HAMAS IS YOUR PROBLEM TOO.
THIS INTENTIONAL MISINFORMATION MESSAGE IS HOW YOU SOW THE SEEDS OF HATE.
HAMAS IS NOT IN THE US AND THIS BILLBOARD SUGGESTS THAT IT IS.
IT INCITES DOUBT AND FEELS DISCRIMINATION WHILE EMBOLDENING VIOLENCE TO A MISINFORMED PERSON.
ANYONE WEARING A KAFI OR SUPPORTING PALESTINE WOULD BE SEEN AS HAMAS.
CONSIDER THIS WHEN TEXAS BEING OPEN CARRY WITH IT BEING AN OPEN CARRY STATE.
WHAT WOULD STOP ANOTHER VERMONT SHOOTING? WHAT WOULD STOP ANOTHER CONROE, TEXAS DOCTOR'S DEATH? WHAT WOULD STOP ANOTHER ILLINOIS CHILD? DEATH TO OCCUR ON OUR SOIL WAR WILL NEVER END UNTIL SOMEONE HOLDS REASONING AND COMPASSION ABOVE ANGER AND RETALIATION.
PLEASE SUPPORT THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.
IT REFLECTS THE INTERFAITH AND VALUES OF OUR BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY.
WITH ALL RACIST RELIGION AND ORIENTATION, SUPPORTING THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION WOULD MAKE THE CITY OF RICHARDSON THE FIRST BEACON OF HOPE IN TEXAS' CALL FOR PEACE.
WHEN RICHARDSON LOOKS TO ATTRACT THE BEST TALENT, THE BEST COMPANIES, A MORALLY CONSCIOUS CITY THAT STOOD UP AMONGST THE SILENCE WILL BE RECOGNIZED ABOVE OTHERS.
HATE AND WAR WILL NEVER ATTRACT TALENT.
SILENCE WILL NEVER ATTRACT TALENT.
TAKING A STAND FOR PEACE WILL ALWAYS ATTRACT TALENT AND BE RECOGNIZED IN HISTORY.
AT THIS MOMENT, HISTORY IS BEING MADE WITH THE GENOCIDE OF THIS CALIBER.
WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO TELL YOUR GRANDKIDS THAT YOU WERE ON THE SIDE THAT CALLED FOR HUMANITY, PEACE AND RESOLUTION? THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO MAKE YOUR MARK IN HISTORY.
PLEASE PUT THE RESOLUTION ON THE AGENDA AND VOTE YES.
RESPECTED BOB DUBY AND ALL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF.
MY NAME IS IFFA MOINE AND I LIVE ON 6 1 4 ST.
I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING SEVERAL OF YOU BEFORE AT LOCAL EVENTS AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE YOU HERE.
WE COME HERE TONIGHT TO REQUEST THAT YOU AS A CITY COUNCIL CONSIDER A RESOLUTION FOR AN IMMEDIATE SUSTAINED CEASEFIRE INZA.
AS YOU MAY BE WELL AWARE, A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS, 68% ACCORDING TO A ROUTER'S, UH, NOVEMBER POLL, SUPPORT A CEASEFIRE AND SEVERAL LOCAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATES HAVE PASSED SUCH RESOLUTIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, AKRON, OHIO, SEVERAL CITIES IN MICHIGAN INCLUDING
[00:15:01]
DETROIT, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, UM, AND MOST RECENTLY OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.WE HOPE TO ADD OUR GREAT CITY OF RICHARDSON AS THE FIRST CITY IN TEXAS TO DO SO AS WELL.
WE STAND TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY AND HOPE WITH OUR TESTIMONIES TONIGHT THAT WE CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND JUST WHY AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE IS SO DIRE AND AN ACTION THAT THE COUNCIL IN GOOD CONSCIENCE CANNOT TURN THEIR BACKS ON.
I HAVE BEEN HAPPY TO CALL RICHARDSON HOME FOR THE PAST 23 YEARS AND IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE RAISING MY FAMILY IN THIS DIVERSE AND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT.
TO BE HONEST, HANDS DOWN, THE THING THAT HAS MADE ME, MADE ME MOST APPRECIATE MY LIFE IN RICHARDSON WAS ON OCTOBER 10TH, 2023.
THIS WAS THE DAY I GOT AN EMAIL IN MY INBOX FROM OUR OWN TABITHA BRANHAM, THE SUPERINTENDENT OF RICHARDSON INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS.
MY SON ATTENDS RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL AND I CAN TELL YOU THE MOMENT THAT I RECEIVED HER EMAIL WAS THE MOMENT OF PROFOUND RELIEF WHEN THE VIOLENCE ESCALATED IN ZA.
SHE AND OTHER OFFICIALS IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THAT INTERNATIONAL EVENTS HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT AT HOME.
HERE IN RICHARDSON, IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND IN OUR SCHOOLS, SHE RECOGNIZED THAT SOMETHING THAT WAS OCCURRING THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY CAN DO, CAN AND DOES HAVE AN IMPACT.
NEXT DOOR FROM SIX YEAR OLDS TO COLLEGE STUDENTS, TO ADULTS, TO PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE BEEN BULLIED, STABBED, SHOT, AND EVEN KILLED.
IN HER EMAIL SUPERINTENDENT RANNA VALIDATED THAT ANTISEMITISM EXISTS.
SHE VALIDATED THAT ISLAMOPHOBIA EXISTS.
SHE PROMOTED A ZERO TOLERANCE FOR BULLYING AND HATE.
SHE REASSURED AN EMPATHIZED WITH THE ENTIRE RSD COMMUNITY AND RECOGNIZE THAT ALL STUDENTS AND ALL FAMILIES MATTER.
THIS IS WHY I'M SO HAPPY TO LIVE IN RICHARDSON BECAUSE ALL CONSTITUENTS MATTER.
SO NOW WE COME TO THE PART WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO ASK OURSELVES THE HARD QUESTIONS FIRST, IS IT OKAY? LET'S IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT THAT THERE IS A SCHOOL SHOOTER IN A CLASSROOM FULL OF CHILDREN.
LET'S SAY HE SHOOTS TWO KIDS, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT RESPONSE IN THAT CITY IS TO BOMB THE WHOLE SCHOOL.
ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT? THE NEXT MOMENT, NOT ONLY HAS THE SCHOOL BEEN BOMBED, BUT THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK, ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT DECISION? WOULD YOU AGREE THAT THAT WOULD BE AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION TO THAT THREAD? NEXT QUESTION, WHAT WILL YOU DO IF YOU COULD, WOULD YOU STAND UP FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO ARE BEING BOMBED FOR BEING IN THE SAME PLACE AS A SCHOOL SHOOTER? WHAT IF THEY WERE YOUR CHILDREN OR YOUR LOVED ONES? WHAT IF THEY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? WHAT IF IT WERE YOUR NEIGHBOR'S, CHILDREN OR LOVED ONES? RESPECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS, CHILDREN AND LOVED ONES.
PLEASE SPEAK UP FOR ALL OF US AND SUPPORT AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.
AND GAZA, THOSE LIVING IN GAZA ARE IN OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY, OUR CHILDREN, OUR LOVED ONES, AND OUR NEIGHBORS.
THIS RESOLUTION IS NOT ABOUT TAKING SIDES.
THIS RESOLUTION IS ABOUT SAVING LIVES.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DORIAN, COUNCIL MEMBER JUSTICE COUNCIL MEMBER DARIUS, COUNCIL MEMBER CORCORAN, COUNCIL MEMBER RE, I ASK YOU IF YOUR LOVED WAS THE LOVED ONE WAS BEING INDISCRIMINATELY BOMBED? WOULD YOU SPEAK UP? WOULD YOU SUPPORT A RESOLUTION AIMED AT HELPING THE BOMBING STOP? WE ALL NEED TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO SPEAK UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT.
PLEASE SPEAK UP FOR MY CHILDREN, FOR RICHARDSON'S CHILDREN, FOR GAZA'S CHILDREN AND ALL PEOPLE UNJUSTLY KILLED DON'T ALLOW ATROCITIES TO DIVIDE US AND MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES PLACES OF FEAR AND HATE.
IT'S NOT OKAY TO KILL TENS OF THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE.
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS DO HAVE AN IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO STAND UP FOR JUSTICE BY ADOPTING THIS RESOLUTION.
THE CITY OF RICHARD RICHARDSON SENDS A MESSAGE THAT KILLING OF INNOCENT PEOPLE NEEDS TO STOP.
AND THE PATH TO PEACE LIES IN SECURITY AND FREEDOM FOR BOTH THE ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.
PEACE IN THE REGION BRINGS TRANQUILITY TO OUR COMMUNITY LOCALLY.
SO JUST LIKE THE FEELING I GOT WHEN I READ TABITHA BRAHAM'S EMAIL, I PRAY THAT I GET THE SAME FEELING FROM YOU OUR ELECTED CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WHEN YOU HOPEFULLY AGREE TO CONSIDER THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION, PLEASE BRING IT TO THE TABLE AND PUT IT ON YOUR AGENDA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
TALA
[00:20:16]
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR BOB DUBY AND ESTEEMED COUNCILMAN, STAFF OFFICIALS.MY NAME IS HAM M AND I LIVE IN 8 0 8 AR OFF AVENUE, RICHARDSON, TEXAS.
TEXAS IS MY HOME, BUT I SEE MY, MY HOME, MY STATE, MY CITY BEING DISRUPTED.
I SEE MY HOME BEING IN A STATE OF TENSION.
I SEE MY HOME BEING IN A PERPETUAL STATE OF ANXIETY AS THERE IS AN ILLEGAL ONSLAUGHT HAPPENING A FEW THOUSAND MILES AWAY THAT IS AFFECTING A LOT OF RESIDENTS HERE IN RICHARDSON.
I'M A STUDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS AND I MUST SAY THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THAT UNIVERSITY, THE UNIVERSITY THAT THE STATE FUNDS WITH OUR SALES TAX HAS BLATANTLY, BLATANTLY IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS.
NUMBER ONE ISSUED A STATEMENT SIDELINING ALL PALESTINIANS WHOSE FAMILIES HAVE BEEN AFFECTED.
NUMBER TWO, HE DIDN'T ISSUE AN APOLOGY FOR THAT DESPITE REQUESTS TO ISSUE ONE AND NUMBER THREE.
ON TOP OF THAT, HE REMOVED THE SPIRIT ROCKS THAT WERE HISTORICALLY USED TO VOICE STUDENT OPINION ON CAMPUS.
THIS HAS ONLY INCREASED TENSIONS WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY AND THAT UNIVERSITY IS IN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON BECAUSE OF THE ONSLAUGHT HAPPENING.
STUDENTS RIGHT NOW ARE DIVIDED AND SCARED.
ISLAMOPHOBIA IS RISING, ANTISEMITISM IS RISING.
BOTH MUSLIM AND JEWISH PEOPLE ARE IN A STATE OF WORRY EVERY TIME THEY GET OUT OF THE DOOR.
THE OTHER DAY, MY SISTER WHO IS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AND HER FRIENDS, THEY WERE HUGGED, THEY WERE HECKLED BECAUSE OF WEARING THE HIJAB.
IT HAS COME TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE SCARED OF WEARING SOMETHING RELIGIOUSLY, RELIGIOUSLY ORIENTED BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT ONSLAUGHT.
THIS REMINDS ME OF THE ERA, THE STORIES OF DURING THE ERA OF POST NINE 11 WHERE MUSLIMS WERE PERSECUTED BOTH BY OTHER CIVILIANS OR BY THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.
THE EFFECTS OF WHICH ARE STILL PRESENT TODAY.
WE ARE STILL RECOVERING FROM THE EFFECTS OF THAT, BUT IF THIS ONSLAUGHT AND AGGRESSION ACROSS THE WORLD STILL CONTINUES, IT'LL ONLY MAKE THE SITUATION WORSE FOR THE CITY OF RICHARDSON.
SINCE THE MUSLIM POPULATION IS SIGNIFICANT HERE, IT ONLY MAKES THE PROBLEMS WORSE.
MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN, THAT THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY, OF THIS VERY CITY ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE ONSLAUGHT OF CIVILIANS IN PALESTINE BY HAVING TO GIVE PART OF THEIR INCOME TAX TO THE GOVERNMENT THAT WE ARE OBLIGED TO INDIRECTLY HELP THE KILLING OF OUR FELLOW BROTHERS AND SISTERS INHUMANITY WITH OUR VERY OWN MONEY.
I DON'T BELIEVE THIS ALIGNS WITH THE MORALS OF TEXAS AND THE CITY OF RICHARDSON.
AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, I'M VERY PROUD OF BEING A TEXAN AND ONE REASON IS MAYOR, MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN IS BECAUSE OF ITS VERY TRADITIONAL CHRISTIAN VALUES AND THE STATE IS KNOWN THAT THE STATE IS KNOWN FOR.
I KNOW THAT THIS STATE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THIS STATE UPHOLD THE VALUES OF THE SANCTITY OF LIFE.
IT VALUES LOVING THY NEIGHBOR.
IT VALUES CIVILIANS NOT BEING KILLED.
ALL OF US, WHETHER CHRISTIAN MUSLIMS OR JEWISH, HAVE A FIRM GROUNDING IN OUR MORALS.
I KNOW THAT EACH ONE OF YOU, MAYOR, COUNCIL AND STAFF DON'T SUPPORT THE KILLING OF 20,000 CIVILIANS.
YOU DON'T SUPPORT THE KILLING OF MORE THAN A HUNDRED UN STAFF MEMBERS OR THE BOMBING OF HOSPITALS OR THE KILLING OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN YOU DON'T SUPPORT.
DESCENDING OF US MADE BOMBS FROM OUR TAX TAX MONEY THAT ARE USED TO KILL ALL THESE PEOPLE.
YOU DON'T SUPPORT THE FACT THAT OVER 1000 CIVILIANS HAVE JUST BEEN KILLED IN THE PAST TWO DAYS.
THAT YOU DON'T SUPPORT THE USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS ON CIVILIANS, THAT YOU DON'T SUPPORT THE DEMOLITION OF BUILDINGS THAT TAKE YEARS AND YEARS TO BUILD ON.
AS YOU MIGHT KNOW YOURSELF, THAT YOU DON'T SUPPORT CUTTING OFF FOOD AND WATER TO 2 MILLION PEOPLE AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE MORALS THAT YOUR PARENTS INSTILLED IN YOU WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD.
WHETHER FROM A CHRISTIAN BACKGROUND, A MUSLIM BACKGROUND, A JEWISH BACKGROUND, EVEN A NON-RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND.
I KNOW THAT NONE OF YOU HERE SUPPORT THAT AND SO I JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT IT WOULD BE IN THE INTEREST OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO SPONSOR A RESOLUTION IN WHICH WE CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE AND PUT PRESSURE ON THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS TO PUSH FOR A CEASEFIRE BECAUSE NUMBER ONE, A CEASEFIRE WOULD DEESCALATE TENSIONS BETWEEN RESIDENTS OF THE CITY.
ISLAMOPHOBIA AND ANTISEMITISM WOULD GO DOWN BY A LOT IF A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE IS ACTED UPON.
NUMBER TWO, IF PASSED THE RESOLUTION WOULD DISPEL THE BELIEF AMONG UTD
[00:25:01]
STUDENTS THAT RICHARDSON SUPPORTS GENOCIDE AS A SOLE UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY HAS TAKEN A ONE-SIDED STANCE, HEIGHTENING TENSIONS AND MAKING STUDENTS LESS PROUD OF THEIR CITY.NUMBER THREE, THE TAX THAT THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY PAY TO, THAT THEY PAY TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD GO TO A BETTER CAUSE INSTEAD OF CONTRIBUTING THE SLAUGHTER OF THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, MAYOR BOB AND ESTEEMED COUNCILMAN SHERRY, SAD SHERRY SADA.
DEAR RESPECTED CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS MAYOR BOB DUBBY, A PEACE BE WITH YOU.
I LIVE RIGHT UP THE STREET HERE AT 61 26 CLEAR CREEK DRIVE IN GARLAND, BUT MY BUSINESS NOR ART IS AT 1 3 5 6 EXCHANGE DRIVE RIGHT HERE IN RICHARDSON.
I BELIEVE YOU GET MORE BEES WITH HONEY.
SO I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE POSITIVES ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY AND RICHARDSON.
YOU KNOW, THE FIRST ACTUAL PHYSICAL MOSQUE HERE IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA WAS IN WAS INT, ISLAMIC ASSOCIATION OF NORTH TEXAS, RIGHT HERE IN RICHARDSON.
THAT WAS 69, THAT WAS IN 19 69, 54 YEARS AGO.
AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT ALL THESE MOSQUES THAT WE SEE POPPING UP IN EVERY SINGLE SUBURB NOW EVEN MEGA MOSQUES ARE BECAUSE WE HAD SUCH A COMFORTABLE AND WELCOMING HOME HERE IN RICHARDSON, WE WERE ABLE TO OPEN OUR DOORS JUST AS RICHARDSON RESIDENTS OPENED THEIR DOORS TO US, MUSLIMS WERE ABLE TO OPEN BUSINESSES, RESTAURANTS.
WHO HERE HASN'T BEEN DEVELOPED A LOVE FOR FALAFEL AND HUMMUS, SHAWARMA, KFA, MVA.
WE OPENED CAFES, WE SHARED OUR FOOD AND OUR RENOWNED HOSPITALITY SUPERMARKETS OPENED BUSINESSES LIKE MINE, SCHOOLS AND CENTERS AND WE GAVE BACK.
WE HAVE INVITED YOU INTO OUR MOSQUES AND INTO OUR HOMES.
WE HAVE PARTICIPATED IN INTERFAITH WIDELY AND WE'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW THE CITY COUNCIL.
WE WORKED WITH YOUTH THROUGH AT LEAST MY, MY UH, WORK WITH MUSLIM AMERICAN SOCIETY MASS, WHICH IS ALSO JUST AROUND THE CORNER.
WE'VE INVITED MAYOR DOOBY MANY TIMES.
I HAD A VERY GOOD UH, RELATIONSHIP WITH MAYOR PAUL PREVIOUSLY AND SOMEONE WHO REALLY CELEBRATED THE DIVERSITY IN RICHARDSON.
MAYOR PAUL WAS ALWAYS FAMOUS FOR INTRODUCING EVERYONE WHO CAME INTO HIS OFFICE IS BEAUTIFUL CABINET FULL OF GIFTS OF THE MANY DIVERSITIES THAT HERE EXIST, SOMETHING LIKE 63 DIFFERENT DIVERSITIES HERE IN RICHARDSON.
YOU HAVE REALLY MADE THIS AN AMAZING COMMUNITY OF OPENNESS AND WELCOMING AND WE ARE THE BETTER FOR IT AND I BELIEVE WITH OUR PRESENCE, RICHARDSON IS THE BETTER FOR IT AS WELL.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TO NEGATE ALL THOSE NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES.
WE'VE HEARD ABOUT MUSLIMS AND WE'VE BECOME YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, WHICH ALSO HAVE GIVEN YOU A SENSE OF PEACE AND SECURITY THAT THOSE KIND OF NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES YOU HEAR ABOUT US ARE SIMPLY NOT TRUE.
WE ARE HERE, WE ARE ALL ABOUT PEACE AND WELCOMING AND HOSPITALITY AND GIVING BACK TO OUR NEIGHBORS AND THE CITY.
WE'VE BEEN YOUR COLLEAGUES, YOUR CLASSMATES, YOUR TEACHERS, YOUR BOSSES, SOMETIMES TECHNICIANS AND DOCTORS AND YES OF COURSE RESTAURATEURS.
I'VE HAD A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP AS I MENTIONED WITH MAYOR PAUL AND AGAIN, WE'RE SO HAPPY THAT RICHARDSON IS PROUD OF ITS ETHNIC DIVERSITIES HERE AND IT'S SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF FAITH GROUPS AS WELL.
WE HAVE MET YOU IN INTERFAITH, THE TURQUOISE CENTER, WHICH IS JUST AROUND THE STREET.
THE TURQUOISE TURKISH CENTER IS RENOWNED FOR THEIR IFTARS DURING RAMADAN AND WHO HERE HAS NOT BEEN INVITED TO A PARTICIPATE IN SHARING THEIR MEAL WITH US AT SUNSET DURING RAMADAN? I'VE BEEN MYSELF, I'VE BEEN PARTICIPATED WITH DAUGHTERS OF ABRAHAM FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
WE'VE BEEN IN YOUR CHURCHES, WE'VE BEEN IN YOUR SYNAGOGUES, WE'VE BEEN IN THE MOSQUES, ALSO FRIENDS FOR GOOD, WHICH IS PART OF INT, WHICH IS A VERY ACTIVE INTERFAITH GROUP AS WELL, INVOLVING THE FOUR, PROBABLY THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD RELIGIONS, UNITARIANS, MUSLIMS, JEWISH AND EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS.
AND IF THOSE FOUR GROUPS COULD GET ALONG, WE'VE GOT A GREAT THING GOING IN RICHARDSON.
WE'VE HAD SOME PROVOCATEURS WHO CAME WITH THEIR HATE WITH THEIR GUNS AND THEIR MOTORCYCLES, BUT BECAUSE OF OUR NEIGHBORS, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE OF OUR NEIGHBORS THAT RALLIED AROUND US, THAT CAME AND STOOD IN FRONT OF OUR OUR MOSQUE AND LINKED ARMS AND SAID, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BRING YOUR HATE AND YOUR GUNS AND YOUR VIOLENCE TO RICHARDSON.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN THOSE KIND OF PROVOCATEURS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
THANKS TO THE GOOD PEOPLE OF RICHARDSON, AND IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME PLEASE, ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS HAS BABYSITTING DUTY TONIGHT.
SHE HAS TWO SMALL CHILDREN AND SHE FELT SHE WOULD BE DISRUPTIVE WITH THE CHILDREN AND SHE ASKED ME TO SHARE WITH YOU, WE HAVE A WORLD CLASS ROBOTICS TEAM AT MASS, WHICH RECEIVED TWO PROCLAMATIONS FROM THE PREVIOUS MAYOR PAUL AND RECENTLY NOVEMBER 3RD
[00:30:01]
HERE FROM MAYOR DOOBY IN THIS VERY HALL.WE HAVE HOSTED A DOZEN TOURNAMENTS AT OUR CENTER IN RICHARDSON WITH 20 TEAMS IN EVERY SINGLE TOURNAMENT FROM ALL OVER NORTH DALLAS.
THEY PARTICIPATED IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP LAST YEAR PUTTING RICHARDSON ON THE GLOBAL MAP.
WE ARE BEING RECOGNIZED AND SPONSORED BY NASA, GOOGLE, TESLA, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS AND TWO DOZEN MORE INDUSTRY GIANTS.
RICHARDSON IS BIGGER AND PRETTIER WITH THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY AND THAT'S WHAT MUSLIMS DO WHEREVER WE GO, WE BRING PEACE AND WE BRING GREAT NEIGHBORS MASS AND THE COMMUNITY HERE REGULARLY OFFER APPRECIATION MEALS TO OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT, CITY HALL, TRASH COLLECTORS, ANIMAL SHELTERS, MUSLIMS GIVING BACK JUST FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A LOT OF PALESTINIAN RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT JUST FOR EXAMPLE, THE PEOPLE IN PALESTINE AND GAZA IN PARTICULAR HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST DEGREES OF PHDS, RESEARCHERS AND RENOWNED PROFESSIONALS AND AC ACADEMICS.
MOST RECENTLY, PROFESSOR SOPHIA TYA APPLIED MATH AND PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY EXPERT WAS RANKED IN THE TOP 2% RESEARCHERS IN THE WORLD IN 2021 AND OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED BY UNESCO.
I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU A QUICK LITTLE STORY THAT I, WHEN I BECAME A NEW MUSLIM, I WAS 34 YEARS AGO WHEN I BECAME A MUSLIM AND I WAS BACK IN MY HOMETOWN AND I SAW A PARTICULAR PDS DOCUMENTARY ABOUT PALESTINE AND THE THREE GREAT FACE THERE, JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, AND ISLAM.
AND THERE WAS A YOUNG MAN PRAYING IN HIS BACKYARD AND A YOUNG MUSLIM MAN AND I WAS BACK IN MY HOME STATE OF WISCONSIN AND I WATCHED HIM PRAY AND I THOUGHT, UNBELIEVABLY, THIS MAN A HALF A WORLD AWAY WAS PRAYING IN THE SAME DIRECTION THAT I PRAY HE WAS FACING THE SAME DIRECTION I FACE.
HE WAS SAYING THE SAME WORDS THAT I FA, THAT I SAY HE WAS BOWING AND PROSTRATING IN THE SAME WAY THAT I DID.
ISLAM IS A COMMUNITY THAT UNITES US.
IT IS WHAT WE CALL ONE UMMA, ONE BODY, AND THERE'S A FAMOUS SAYING OF PROPHET MOHAMMED THAT ONE PART, WHEN ONE PART OF THE BODY IS SICK, THE ENTIRE UMMAH IS SICK.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE FEELING TODAY.
YOU I WILL, I JUST HAVE ONE MORE THING TO SAY ALONG, I'M SORRY.
APPRECIATE I HAVE A VERY QUICK PLEA AND THEN I'M DONE.
SORRY, I'M TRYING TO FIND MY NOTES.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL VERY EMOTIONAL SO WE HAVE TO WORK FROM OUR NOTES TONIGHT.
I'LL BE TWO SECONDS AND I WILL FEED THROUGH.
JUST GIVE ME THAT ONE MOMENT PLEASE.
THE PHONE IS NOT GOING TO WORK WHEN WE NEED IT TO WORK, SO I WOULD CALL ON MY, MY FRIENDS AND MY GOOD NEIGHBORS.
AND RICHARDSON, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE PEOPLE WITH HEART.
I KNOW THAT YOU ARE PEOPLE OF FAITH.
I KNOW THAT YOU ARE PEOPLE OF CONSCIENCE AND OF MORAL VALUES DEDICATED TO FAMILY AND TO THE BENEFIT OF ONE'S FELLOW MAN.
I ASK YOU TO RISE UP, DEMAND A CEASEFIRE OF THIS SENSELESS SLAUGHTER.
IT IS UNFATHOMABLE THAT AFTER THE SHORT TRUTH, THE BOMBING HAS RESUMED UNABATED AND WITH MORE VENOM, GOOD CITIZENS OF RICHARDSON DO NOT FAIL US.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH RAFFA MALIK.
I LIVE, UH, IN MAPLE STREET, UM, AND I'VE LIVED IN RICHARDSON FOR OVER 10 YEARS.
I MOVED TO THE US 20 YEARS AGO FROM BRITAIN, UM, WHERE I WAS A NATIONAL TELEVISION REPORTER AND NETWORK NEWS ANCHOR.
HERE IN THE US I'VE WRITTEN FOR THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS FOR NPR THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER AND I'M CURRENTLY THE EDITOR IN CHIEF OF A NONPROFIT MEDIA PLATFORM CALLED AMERICAN MUSLIM.
TODAY AT A MT WE FOCUS ON USING PUBLIC SERVICE JOURNALISM TO BUILD BRIDGES BETWEEN DIFFERENT FAITHS AND MINORITIZED COMMUNITIES.
BUT I'M HERE TODAY SPEAKING TO YOU AS A HUMAN BEING AND A MOTHER OF THREE CHILDREN BECAUSE I BELIEVE EVERY ONE OF US HAS A MORAL DUTY TO END THE HORRIFIC MASS KILLING THAT IS UNFOLDING IN GAZA AS WE SPEAK.
WITH OVER 16,000 PEOPLE KILLED AND COUNTING ALMOST HALF OF THEM BABIES AND CHILDREN.
PLEASE FOR A MOMENT JUST IMAGINE THE ABSOLUTE TERROR, DEVASTATION AND HORRIFIC LOSS OF LIFE THAT PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN ENDURING.
DAY IN, DAY OUT FOR NEARLY TWO MONTHS, THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA ISN'T ABLE TO TELL YOU THE FULL STORY.
ACCESS IS RESTRICTED BY ISRAELI MILITARY WHO ROUTINELY MINIMIZE AND GLOSS OVER ATROCITIES.
OVER 60 JOURNALISTS HAVE BEEN KILLED ON THE GROUND, THE HIGHEST RECORD
[00:35:01]
IN CO IN A CONFLICT IN 30 YEARS.THE SCENES ARE SO GRUESOME THAT EDITORS ARE SANITIZING IMAGES AND MANY COLLEAGUES HAVE TOLD ME IN NEWSROOMS HERE AND ABROAD THAT THEY'VE BEEN SO TRAUMATIZED BY GRAPHIC RAW FOOTAGE.
SOME NEEDED WORKPLACE COUNSELING.
OF COURSE, THE 7TH OF OCTOBER, HAMAS ATTACK AND TAKING OF HOSTAGES WAS A TERRIBLE WAR CRIME, BUT NOTHING CAN JUSTIFY UNLEASHING US MADE 2000 TON BOMBS ON ONE OF THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED PLACES IN THE WORLD.
DISPROPORTIONATE INDISCRIMINATE KILLING IS ALSO A WAR CRIME, COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT BY STOPPING FUEL, ELECTRICITY, AND FOOD IS ALSO A WAR CRIME.
FORCING PEOPLE TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES ON POINT OF DEATH IS ALSO A WAR CRIME.
MAKE NO MISTAKE, THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL ARE ALSO VICTIMS IN THE CAMP.
IN THIS CAMPAIGN OF CARNAGE, MANY OF THE FAMILIES OF HOSTAGES IN GAZA BLAME THEIR PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, AS DO OVER 80% OF THE PUBLIC WHO ACCUSED HIM OF IGNORING INTELLIGENCE REPORTS WARNING OF SUCH AN ATTACK OVER A YEAR AGO.
WHY IS AMERICA BLINDLY FOLLOWING AN EXTREMIST RIGHT WING LEADER WHO IS CURRENTLY INDICTED ON MULTIPLE COUNTS OF FRAUD, BRIBERY, AND CORRUPTION, AND WHO HAS MINISTERS CHARGED WITH TERRORISM? AND WHY ARE OUR HARD EARNED TAX DOLLARS BEING USED TO GIVE MILITARY AID TO AN ARMY COMMITTING WHAT THE UN AND HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS CALL A HUMANITARIAN OUTRAGE? IT REQUIRES MORAL AUTHORITY AND BACKBONE TO STAND UP TO SUCH AN AN ALLY.
BUT AMERICAN HISTORY ALLOW SHOWS IT CAN BE DONE.
IN 1991, PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH SENIOR REFUSED TO ALLOW LOAN GUARANTEES TO ISRAEL UNLESS THEY STOPPED ILLEGAL SETTLEMENTS AND COMMITTED TO PEACE TALKS.
HIS COURAGEOUS ACTIONS PAVED THE WAY FOR THE HISTORIC OSLO PEACE ACCORDS SIGNED JUST TWO YEARS LATER.
WE KNOW FROM COUNTRIES LIKE NORTHERN IRELAND, SOUTH AFRICA, AND ELSEWHERE, THE GOVERNMENTS DO MAKE PEACE WITH TERRORIST GROUPS WHO THEN GO ON TO BECOME LEGITIMATELY ELECTED POLITICAL PARTIES AND LEADERS.
ISRAEL'S OWN HISTORY TESTIFIES TO THIS.
IN 1946, A JEWISH TERRORIST GROUP CALLED ERGON BLEW UP BRITISH MILITARY HEADQUARTERS BASED IN JERUSALEM'S KING DAVID HOTEL KILLING ALMOST A HUNDRED INNOCENT PEOPLE.
A YEAR LATER IT KIDNAPPED AND HELD HOSTAGE TWO BRITISH ARMY SERGEANTS ONLY TO BRUTALLY MURDER THEM BY HANGING AND BOOBY TRAPPING THEIR DEAD BODIES.
ONE ERGON LEADER WAS MAN BEAN WHO BECAME ISRAEL'S PRIME MINISTER IN 1977 AND SIGNED THE ONLY PEACE TREATY IN THE MIDDLE EAST WITH EGYPT.
SADLY, AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN DEMOCRACIES GAVE THE BELI PALESTINIANS HOPE IN 2006 WHEN WE HELPED THEM HOLD THEIR FIRST EVER ELECTIONS.
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS LIKE PRESIDENT CARTER WERE IMPRESSED BY THE MIRACLE ELECTIONS.
FOUR BRITISH MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ALSO ATTESTED TO THE CORRUPTION FREE PROCESS WITH AN ALMOST 80% TURNOUT.
ONE OF THOSE PARLIAMENTARIANS WAS MY OWN BROTHER SHAHID, YET ISRAEL AND THE WEST REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE ELECTION.
THEIR ELECTION OF HAMAS, HOWEVER DISTASTEFUL WE MAY FIND A DEMOCRATIC OUTCOME THAT'S DEMOCRACY.
ASK THE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WHO VOTED AGAINST DONALD TRUMP IN 2016.
LET US FOLLOW THE INSPIRING EXAMPLE OF MILLIONS OF JEWS AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING IN ISRAEL AS WELL AS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN JEWS, MANY OF WHOM HAVE LOVED ONES DURING WHO'VE LOST LOVED ONES DURING THE HOLOCAUST.
THEY ARE SAYING NOT IN OUR NAME AND ARE SPEARHEADING THE CAMPAIGN TO END THE END THE BLOODSHED IN GAZA.
I ASK YOU FINALLY TO LISTEN TO ORGANIZATIONS LIKE JEWISH VOICES FOR PEACE, AND IF NOT NOW, AS WELL AS THOUSANDS OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS HERE IN RICHARDSON WHO'VE BEEN PROTESTING EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND.
WE URGE YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER A RESOLUTION TO AN IMMEDIATE, A RESOLUTION FOR AN IMMEDIATE AND SUSTAINED CEASEFIRE.
I'M GOING TO BEGIN CALLING TWO NAMES AT A TIME SO YOU CAN LINE UP.
THE FIRST ONE WILL BE SAMAYA SHAW AND THEN ANILA RI.
LET ME PLEASE JUST REMIND THE SPEAKERS THERE IS A FIVE MINUTE LIMIT AND WHEN THE ALARM GOES OFF, YOU NEED TO UH, UH, WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS AS SOON AS, UH, POSSIBLE TO BE RESPECTFUL OF NOT ONLY, UH, ALL THE OTHER SPEAKER'S TIME, BUT THE COUNCIL'S TIME TONIGHT AS WELL.
GOOD EVENING, RESPECTED CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
[00:40:01]
MY NAME IS SUMAYA SHA.I'M A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR AND A STUDENT AT DALLAS COLLEGE HERE IN RICHARDSON.
AND I STAND HERE TO EXPLAIN THAT IT IS CRUCIAL TO SUPPORT THE PERMANENT CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION IN REZA IN THE WORDS OF UN SPECIAL REPERTOIRE FRANCISCA ALBANESE ISRAEL CANNOT CLAIM SELF-DEFENSE AGAINST A THREAT THAT EMANATES FROM THE TERRITORY.
IT OCCUPIES FROM A TERRITORY THAT IS KEPT UNDER BELLIGERENT OCCUPATION.
ISRAEL V PALESTINE DIDN'T START ON OCTOBER 7TH SINCE 1947 WHEN THE ZIONISTS DISPLACED PALESTINIANS EXPELLING THEM FROM THEIR OWN HOMES AND CONFINING THEM TO REZA AND THE WEST BANK.
THEY HAVE SUFFERED THROUGH OCCUPATION.
PERHAPS IF ISRAEL WAS CONDEMNED FOR THE DECADES OF OPPRESSION TOWARDS THE PALESTINIANS, IT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE OCTOBER 7TH ATTACK BY HAMAS.
HOWEVER, ISRAEL IS USING THE ATTACK BY HAMAS AS AN EXCUSE TO BOMB INNOCENT CIVILIANS IN REZA AND MORE THAN 15,000 PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED, INCLUDING 6,000 PLUS CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH HAMAS.
THESE ARE NOT JUST NUMBERS, THEY ARE HUMAN LIVES.
ISRAEL ALSO HASN'T FACED ANY CONSEQUENCES FOR THE WAR CRIMES.
IT HAS COMMITTED LIKE CUTTING OFF WATER AND ELECTRICITY FROM ZA AND BOMBING CHURCHES, MOSQUES, AND HOSPITALS.
MANY PALESTINIAN HOSTAGES WHO WERE RECENTLY RELEASED WERE CHILDREN WHO SPENT MUCH OF THEIR CHILDHOOD BEING ABUSED IN ISRAELI PRISONS.
SO MANY CHILDREN IN REZA WHO HAVE SURVIVED THUS FAR HAVE LOST THEIR FAMILIES, WITNESSED TRAUMATIC HORRORS AND THEIR SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN BOMBED.
THEIR FUTURES ARE BEING RIPPED AWAY FROM THEM BECAUSE OF THIS GENOCIDE.
MOVING ON TO HOW THIS AFFECTS US.
SINCE THE US FULLY SUPPORTS ISRAEL WITH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND WEAPONS, THIS COUNTRY IS USING OUR TAX MONEY TO AID ISRAEL IN BOMBING INNOCENT CIVILIANS IN RUSSIA, WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE.
WE DO NOT AGREE WITH OUR MONEY GOING TOWARDS VIOLENCE.
ALSO, THE SITUATION BETWEEN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE IS AGGRAVATING ANTISEMITISM AND ISLAMOPHOBIA IN THE US.
AFTER HEARING ABOUT THE 6-YEAR-OLD PALESTINIAN BOY WHO WAS STABBED TO DEATH IN CHICAGO AND THE THREE YOUNG PALESTINIAN MEN WHO WERE SHOT IN VERMONT, I CAN NO LONGER LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT MY SAFETY AS AN AMERICAN MUSLIM.
LASTLY, THIS ISSUE AFFECTS ANYONE WHO IS HUMAN.
ANYONE WHOSE HUMANITY IS INTACT WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT THERE IS NO EXPLANATION THAT CAN BE GIVEN TO JUSTIFY THIS GENOCIDE.
THIS IS NOT SELF-DEFENSE, IT IS A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
THIS IS WHY I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT THE PERMANENT CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION IN EZA.
AFTER NYAH, IT'LL BE ZIAD HUSSEIN AND BARKO RAHIM.
IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MOST COMPASSIONATE, THE MOST MERCIFUL.
I'VE BEEN WORKING AS A COMMUNITY CHAPLAIN, A PRISON CHAPLAIN, A IZED CHAPLAIN, AND A HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA.
UM, MY ONLY PAYING POSITION WAS MY HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY.
THE REST OF MY POSITIONS WERE PRO BONO OR THEY ARE VOLUNTEER WORK.
I WAS NOT ALWAYS WORKING IN CHAPLAINCY BEFORE, UH, CHAPLAINCY.
I CAME TO UNITED STATES WITH MY HUSBAND TO DO A MASTER'S AND PHD IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING.
I WORKED IN ENGINEERING FOR, UH, 15 YEARS, UH, UNTIL NINE 11 HAPPENED AND I SAW MYSELF INVOLVED IN EXPLAINING ISLAM TO PEOPLE.
SO I DECIDED THAT I NEEDED TO GET A THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION, SO THAT'S WHY I SHIFTED TO CHAPLAINCY.
I AND MY HUSBAND, WE HAVE BEEN HERE FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS.
HE'S A PROFESSOR OF NEUROSCIENCE.
AT UTD, WE DON'T MAKE A LOT, BUT WE LIVE COMFORTABLE AND MODEST LIVES.
WHEN WE CAME TO UNITED STATES 30 YEARS AGO, OUR PURPOSE WAS NOT TO MAKE MONEY HERE BUT TO LEAD HIGHEST LIVES AND HAVE EQUALITY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL OF US, INCLUDING US.
WHEN, UM, THE HAPPENINGS OF OCTOBER 7TH HAPPENED, I STARTED, UM, WRITING ABOUT IT ON MY LINKEDIN ACCOUNT.
AND THIS LINKEDIN ACCOUNT WAS FOR MY COMMUNITY CHAPLAINCY, NOT FOR MY HOSPITAL.
I WAS WRITING ABOUT THE BOMBINGS, UH, BY THE STATE OF ISRAEL AGAINST RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, HOSPITALS, CHURCHES, MOCKS, UNITED NATION BUILDINGS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, AND I STARTED PROTESTING IT ON MY LINKEDIN PROFILE.
I WAS NOT ONLY PROTESTING THE MASSACRE, BUT I WAS ALSO PROTESTING THE COMPLICITY OF US POLITICIANS.
[00:45:01]
IT I WAS ALSO PROTESTING CERTAIN RELIGIOUS GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING GENOCIDE TO EXPEDITE THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS.AND THAT BY, BY THE WAY, IS AN INCORRECT THEOLOGICAL NARRATIVE.
KILLING INNOCENCE WILL NOT BRING BACK JESUS.
EARLIER SOMEBODY UM, REPORTED ME ANONYMOUS ANONYMOUSLY TO MY HOSPITAL AND THEY REMOVED ME FROM MY POSITION AS THE ONLY MUSLIM CHAPLAIN IN THE HOSPITAL CITING INFLAMMATORY CONTENT ON MY LINKEDIN PROFILE, WHICH BY THE WAY WAS FOR MY COMMUNITY CHAPLAINCY JOB AND NOT MY HOSPITAL JOB.
SO I WAS REPRESENTING NOT THE HOSPITAL, I WAS REPRESENTING MY COMMUNITY CHAPLAINCY.
WHILE I WORKED AS A HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN, I PRAYED WITH ALL PATIENTS AND I PRAYED FOR ALL PATIENTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR RACE, RELIGION, NATIONAL SEXUAL OR GENDER ORIENTATION.
I WOULD VISIT PEOPLE SUCH WHO WERE OLD AND WHOM NO ONE VISITED.
I WOULD READ SCRIPTURE AT THEIR BEDSIDE, PRAYING TO GOD TO HAVE MERCY ON THEM.
I WOULD PROSTRATE, UH, IN THE HOSPITAL CHAPEL, BEGGING GOD TO SEND MERCY AND BLESSINGS ON ALL STAFF AND PATIENTS.
SOMETIMES I WOULD EVEN PAY SAH, WHICH IS A SPECIFIC ISLAMIC CHARITY TO BE PAID TO ALLEVIATE DISTRESS SO THAT GOD WOULD BRING THESE PATIENTS EASE.
I CREATED NO STANDARD IN MYSELF FOR WHICH LIFE WAS SUPERIOR TO ANOTHER.
HOW COULD I? MY HOLY SCRIPTURE.
THE QURAN TELLS ME ALL HUMANITY.
INDEED WE CREATED YOU FROM A MALE AND FEMALE AND MADE YOU INTO PEOPLES AND TRIBES SO THAT YOU MAY GET TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER.
SURELY THE MOST NOBLE OF YOU IN THE SIGHT OF ALLAH IS THE MOST RIGHTEOUS AMONG YOU.
ALLAH IS TRULY ALL KNOWING, ALL AWARE.
THIS IS CHAPTER 49 AND VERSE 13 OF THE QURAN.
HOWEVER, POST-OC OCTOBER 7TH, WHEN THE MUSLIM COMMUNITIES STARTED REACHING OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, I WAS NOT GETTING THE MESSAGE FROM THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPO SUPPOSEDLY REPRESENTED ME, THAT TO THEM ALL LIVES ARE CREATED EQUAL.
TED CRUZ RESPONDED WITH A TYPICAL STATEMENT ABOUT HOW ISRAEL HAS A RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF WHILE MASSACRING THOUSANDS AS COLLATERAL DAMAGE.
GOVERNOR ABBOTT RESPONDED BY CREATING A LAW IN TEXAS WHERE PEOPLE NEED TO READ THE HISTORY OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL TO MAKE THEM MORE COGNI.
TO SAVE TIME I'LL ABSTAIN FROM WHAT OTHER ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OUTSIDE OF TEXAS SUCH AS LINDSEY GRAHAM, RON DESANTIS, JOSH HAWLEY AND OTHERS HAVE SAID ABOUT THE DEATHS OF INNOCENCE IN GAZA.
AND IN DOING SO, UH, THEY HAVE MADE A GLARING DISTINCTION IN HOW THEY JEW WERE THEY VIEW A JEWISH LIFE VERSUS A MUSLIM LIFE.
I OR NONE OF THE PEOPLE I ASSOCIATE WITH MAKE ANY DISTINCTION BETWEEN INNOCENCE WHILE CONSIDERING A JEWISH LIFE, A CHRISTIAN LIFE, AN ATHEIST LIFE, OR ANY OTHER LIFE, I WOULD NEVER BE FRIENDS WITH SUCH PEOPLE.
SINCE I ABIDE BY THE GOLDEN QURAN PRINCIPLE THAT TAKING AN INNOCENT LIFE IS LIKE TAKING THE LIFES OF ALL HUMANITY AND SAVING ONE INNOCENT LIFE, IT WOULD BE LIKE SAVING ALL HUMANITY.
THIS IS CHAPTER FIVE, VERSE 32 OF THERAN.
IN MY LAST PARAGRAPH, HOWEVER, I IMPLORE YOU, I REQUEST TO YOU THE MEMBERS OF MEMBERS OF THE RICHARDSON CITY HALL AND YOUR MAYOR TO ADOPT THIS CEASEFIRE IN PALESTINE RESOLUTION.
IMMEDIATELY IN DOING SO, YOU WOULD VALIDATE FOR ME THAT THE CITY THAT I HAVE CHOSEN TO LIVE IN ALSO PLACES EQUALITY ON ALL INNOCENT LIVES.
AFTER ZIAD HUSSEIN AND LU FARCOT, THERE'LL BE MARIA MARIA KAHN AND ANNE ALBANA.
CAN YOU REPEAT THE HU ZIAD HUSSEIN LU BARCO.
IF YOU'RE HERE, JUST COME TO THE SPEAKER PLEASE.
IS THERE A ZIAD ESTEE OR IS THAT ZI ESTEE OR IS IT A DIFFERENT NAME? ZIYAD HUSSEIN.
GOOD EVENING DEAR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS LILIA BEARCAT AND I'M A RESIDENT OF MCKINNEY TEXAS.
I'M A GRADUATE OF SMU AND A WIFE OF A MEMBER OF MCKINNEY
[00:50:01]
CITIZENS ON PATROL.I'M THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF PALESTINIAN IMMIGRANTS WHO FLED THE EVENTS OF 1948 IN ORDER TO TRY TO PROVIDE THEIR OFFSPRING WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE AND GET EDUCATED AT A SENSE OF SECURITY.
I'M ALSO THE AUNT OF AN NEPHEW WHO HAS JUST LOST 32 MEMBERS OF HIS FAMILY IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS WHILE HE IS TRYING TO WORK ON HIS MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAM IN THIS VERY NEIGHBORHOOD.
OUR RENOWNED RICHARDSON TELECOM CORRIDOR IS WHERE I STARTED MY JOURNEY IN MY CAREER.
I AM ENAMORED WITH ENABLING MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE.
MY PROFESSIONAL DUTIES INCLUDE PROTECTING SOCIETY FROM THREATS, ARRIVING OVER OUR TELECOM NETWORKS.
MY PROFESSION HAS ALSO TAUGHT ME A THING OR TWO ABOUT PHYSICAL SECURITY.
AFTER THE SHOCKING EVENTS OF THE ALLEN SHOOTING, I DECIDED TO TAKE ACTIVE THREAT SHOOTER TRAINING.
WHAT YOU'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF OUR UTD MEMBERS HERE AND OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IS AN INDICATION THAT WE HAVE TO STEP UP OUR PHYSICAL SECURITY TO PROTECT ALL STUDENTS HATE CRIMES AGAINST A CERTAIN SEGMENT OF SOCIETIES THAT HATE CRIME AND AN ENDANGERMENT TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY.
PERHAPS NOT SO COMMONLY HEARD ON OUR NEWS IS THE THREAT OF CYBERSECURITY THREATS, NOT ONLY IN THE US BUT OTHER INTERNATIONAL TELECOM INDUSTRY.
PARTNERS SUCH AS ORANG HAVE RECENTLY ISSUED ALERTS.
ALL INDUSTRIES SHOULD BE ON HIGH ALERT FOR CYBERSECURITY THREATS.
JUST THIS WEEKEND WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT A THREAT THAT TOUCHES HOME.
IT'S A CYBERSECURITY ATTACK TO DEVICES THAT WERE MANUFACTURED IN ISRAEL.
AND THESE DEVICES ARE COMMONLY USED ACROSS US MUNICIPALITIES IN THEIR WATER SYSTEMS AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS, BUT ALSO IN ENERGY, FOOD AND BEVERAGE, MANUFACTURING AND HEALTHCARE.
IBM CREATED A REPORT THAT SAYS THE GLOBAL AVERAGE COST OF A DATA BREACH IN 2023 WAS $4.4 MILLION, A 15% INCREASE IN THREE YEARS.
IF THERE'S ONE THING I'VE LEARNED IN MY INDUSTRY, IT'S THAT DETECTION AND MITIGATION COSTS FAR MORE THAN PREVENTION.
ADOPTING A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE SUCH AS ADOPTING A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION SENDS A CLEAR STATEMENT THAT HATE CRIMES AND ENDANGERMENT OF OUR SOCIETY IS NOT AN OPTION.
HERE, I IMPLORE YOU TO CONSIDER THAT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PROMOTE EDUCATION, SECURITY, AND PROSPERITY OF OUR CITIZENS, THE STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THIS ROOM, IN OUR COMMUNITY, IN OUR CITY, AND IN OUR NATION.
GOOD EVENING DEAR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND EVERYONE PRESENT HERE.
I'M MARIA KHAN AND I HAVE WORKED IN RICHARDSON WITH T-MOBILE FOR MANY YEARS.
I'M HERE TO PROMOTE FOR A RESOLUTION FOR A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE IN GAZA.
SO WHY ARE WE ALL HERE TODAY AND HOW DOES THIS CONCERN THE RICH RICHARDSON CITY COUNCIL? WE ARE HERE TO LET OUR STAND BE KNOWN HOW WE FEEL ON THE MATTER WITH THOUSANDS OF DEATHS IN ZA RECENTLY BY US FUNDS AND ISRAELI FORCES AND IN A CI.
UH, WE ARE HERE FOR IN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON, WHERE WE LIVE AND PAY TAXES.
THE IMMEDIATE TASK RIGHT NOW IS TO END THE INCESSANT BOMBING TO END THIS HORRIFIC HUMANITARIAN DISASTER AND TO BUILD A GO-FORWARD PLAN WITH A TWO-TIER TWO-STATE RESOLUTION FOR PALESTINE.
AND BECAUSE AMERICA STANDS FOR CORE VALUES OF FREEDOM, PEACE, AND JUSTICE, WE ASK FOR A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE IN GAZA WITH PRESSURE FROM OUR CITIES THAT WE RESIDE IN AND
[00:55:01]
WHERE WE PAY TAXES AS PART OF THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU MIGHT ASK, WHAT CAN WE DO? WHY SHOULD THIS CONCERN US? WE ASK YOU TO ACT ON YOUR HUMANE IMPULSE TO RAISE YOUR VOICES AGAINST THE ATROCITIES BEING COMMITTED AGAINST PALESTINE BY ISRAEL WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS.WITHOUT OUR CONSENT, WE MUST CALL FOR A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE.
NOW, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE, WE HAVE APPROVED OR OUR LEADERSHIP OF THE COUNTRY HAS APPROVED BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN AIDING MILITARY FOR, UH, MILITARY AID FOR ISRAEL.
SOMEHOW THERE'S ALWAYS MONEY FOR AIDING WAR.
SOMEHOW THE BOMBING AND DISPLACEMENT OF THOUSANDS OF CIVILIANS IS COMPLETELY IGNORED.
WHY IS THIS MONEY NOT GOING TO IMPROVE HOMELESSNESS IN OUR CITIES OR TO PROMOTE EDUCATION AND MEDICAL SERVICES? EVENTUALLY, AVERAGE AMERICANS WILL WAKE UP AND WONDER WHY WE SEND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OVERSEAS TO FUND A WAR THAT DOESN'T CONCERN US OR DOES IT? THE EVENTS ON OCTOBER 7TH CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT BE SEEN IN ISOLATION.
MOST ISRAELIS AND AMERICANS ARE NOT AWARE OF THE HISTORY OF WHAT PALESTINIANS HAVE SUFFERED SINCE 75 YEARS.
THEY DON'T KNOW THAT IN 1948 THERE WERE MULTIPLE MASSACRES OF LARGE NUMBERS OF PALESTINIANS BY ISRAELI FORCES AND IT HAS CONTINUED SINCE THEN.
THEY DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY, THE SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE OF THE PALESTINIANS.
AND IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT KNOWLEDGE, THE OCTOBER SEVEN STRIKES EVERYONE AS A HORRIFIC ANTI-SEMITIC EVENT.
THE MEDIA AND LEADERS SPEAK OF THE ISRAELI DESIRE FOR DEFENSE AND THE DESIRE FOR REVENGE, BUT THAT'S IN THE ABSENCE OF THE PALESTINIAN EXPERIENCE.
THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE THAT THE PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN LIVING UNDER OCCUPATION FOR YEARS.
IN THE ABSENCE OF A TWO-SIDED STORY, NOT THE HISTORY PROJECTED BY THE WESTERN MEDIA, BUT A DISCUSSION FROM BOTH SIDES, ANY RESOLUTION WOULD BE A CHALLENGE.
DOES ISRAEL HAVE A RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF? OF COURSE EVERY COUNTRY DOES, BUT ISRAEL DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO IMPOSE AN OCCUPATION ON ANY PEOPLE.
WHEN WE HEAR OF ISRAEL'S RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF, WE MUST NOT FORGET THAT THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE ALSO HAVE A RIGHT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AGAINST OCCUPATION.
DOES ISRAEL HAVE A RIGHT TO DEFEND HIMSELF? YES, BUT AGAINST WHOM? AGAINST A POPULATION THAT HAS BEEN AND IS BEING, AS WE SPEAK, MASSACRED IN NUMBERS OF THOUSANDS.
SINCE 75 YEARS, ISRAEL HAS BEEN TAKING THEIR LAND AND DESTROYING THEIR HOME AND JAILING THEIR CHILDREN AND TORTURING THEM.
WITHOUT THIS CONTEXT, IT SEEMS, OR IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE A POOR COUNTRY TRYING TO DEFEND ITSELF, BUT AGAINST WHOM THIS ACT OF WAR AND WAR CRIMES MUST STOP.
THE US MEDIA COVERS NEWS WITH A BIASED AND ONE-SIDED NARRATIVE.
CNBC AND TONS OF CHANNELS SAY ISRAEL HAMAS FIGHTING REGIMES IN GAZA.
NEWS STRIKES HIT GAZA AS ISRAEL HAMAS FIGHTING RESUMES.
ISRAEL HAMAS WAR LI UPDATES, WAR, LIVE UPDATES.
BUT WHAT IS HAMAS? AND THIS IS NOT A WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS ALONE.
WE URGENTLY ASK YOU TO SET ASIDE THE BIASED NEWS WE HEAR IN THE US AND SEEK OUT THE TRUTH FROM THE OTHER SIDE, THE SIDE OF DYING WOMEN AND INNOCENT BABIES.
WE SET AND SET ASIDE THE RACISM AND POLARIZATION OF SOCIETY AND PLEASE CALL FOR A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE NOW.
I LIVE OFF OF 37 0 1 CANTER LANE RICHARDSON.
DEAR COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT'S ABOUT TIME FOR PALESTINIANS TO BE ALLOWED TO HAVE CONTEXT.
I WAS BORN A PALESTINIAN REFUGEE IN SYRIA, LIKE MILLIONS OF DESCENDANTS OF THE MORE THAN 700,000 PEOPLE WHO WERE FORCIBLY DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOMES IN THE 1948 NAKBA, THE PALESTINIAN
[01:00:01]
CATASTROPHE WHERE I WAS BORN, IN WHICH REFUGEE CAMP AND IN WHAT COUNTRY WAS DETERMINED, DETERMINED BY THE DIRECTION MY PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS WERE FORCED TO TAKE IN THEIR MASS EXPULSION.THIS MEANS THAT FAMILIES WERE TORN APART AND DISPERSED INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY INTO REFUGEE CAMPS OF NEIGHBORING COUNTRY AND THE DIASPORA.
LIKE THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIAN AMERICANS, I AND AMERICAN CITIZEN AND RESIDENT OF RICHARDSON RECOGNIZED THAT IT WAS BY PURE LUCK, I ESCAPED THE FATE OF THE 5 MILLION PALESTINIANS WHO HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO AN ATROCIOUS MILITARY OCCUPATION, COMPLETE CONTROL, AND EVER EXPANDING COLONIZATION OF THE WEST BANK, EAST JERUSALEM AND GAZA SINCE 1967.
HENCE, I WATCHED THE UNFOLDING GENOCIDE OF MY PEOPLE IN GAZA AND WITH THIS HAUNTING IDEA IN MIND, MY FAMILY AND I WOULD BE FACING THE HORROR OF THIS GENOCIDE RIGHT NOW, IF MY PARENTS WALKED SOUTH FROM MIFA TO GAZA BACK IN 1948, MORE THAN 70% OF THE POPULATION OF GAZA ARE ACTUALLY PALESTINIAN REFUGEES, ORIGINALLY DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOMES DURING THE 1948 NAKBA.
HALF OF THE POPULATION OF GAZA ARE CHILDREN WHO WERE BORN AND LIVED ALL THEIR LIVES IN THE CONCENTRATION CAMP THAT IS GAZA.
BEFORE OCTOBER 7TH, THEY SURVIVED FIVE ISRAELI BOMBING CAMPAIGNS, OR AS ISRAEL LIKES TO CALL IT, MOWING THE LAWN WITH THOUSANDS OF THEM BECOMING AMPUTEES.
BEFORE OCTOBER SEVEN, ISRAEL CONTROLLED EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR LIFE OR LACK THEIR OFF BECAUSE ISRAEL CONTROLLED THE ENTRY AND EXIT OF EVERYTHING TO GAZA.
PEOPLE IN GAZA LACKED ACCESS TO CLEAN, DRINKABLE WATER, ELECTRICITY, TO FOOD, AND ESSENTIAL MEDICAL TREATMENT.
THESE ARE FACTS, NOT MY OPINION.
FACTS THAT WERE RESEARCHED, MONITORED, RECORDED, REPORTED, AND PUBLISHED BY OFFICIAL UN INSTRUMENTS AND RELIABLE NON-PARTISAN HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL AND TRANSNATIONAL LIKE BE SALINE IN ISRAEL, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH WHOSE RIGOROUS AND ACCURATE REPORTING IS HIGHLY IMPORTANT FOR INFLUENCING STATES INTO COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND WHO ARE OFTEN CITED IN THE US STATE DEPARTMENT HUMAN RIGHTS REPORTS OF COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD EXCEPT FOR ISRAEL.
WHEN THE UN INDEPENDENT REPORTERS AND THESE HUMAN RIGHTS NGOS DECLARED THAT ISRAEL'S GROSS AND SYSTEMATIC VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN LAW ARE A FORM OF APPETITE, THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN STEADFAST IN REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY DOUBLING DOWN BY PROVIDING MORE FUNDS TO ISRAEL WITH NO PARTICULAR DEMANDS OR CONDITIONS.
THE RESULT ISRAEL HAS BEEN UNABASHEDLY FLAUNTING ITS CRIMES OF GENOCIDE AGAINST THE PALESTINIANS IN GAZA AND THE WEST BANK.
THIS IS REMINISCENT OF AMERICA'S SUPPORTIVE RESPONSE TO SOUTH AFRICA'S APPETITE WHEN THE ENTIRE WORLD SEVERED THEIR RELATIONS WITH IT.
BUT IF HISTORY IS OF ANY LESSON, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT AMERICA'S GRASS GRASSROOTS MOVEMENTS IN THE SEVENTIES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, CONDEMNATIONS, DIVESTMENTS, AND BOYCOTTS OF SOUTH AFRICAN APPETITE REGIME IN THE EIGHTIES FORCED THE US CONGRESS TO PASS THE COMPREHENSIVE ANTI APPETITE ACT IN 1986, WHICH PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE EVENTUAL EVENTUAL COLLAPSE OF THE REGIME.
IT IS NO LONGER MORALLY ACCEPTABLE FOR AMERICANS, BE THEM ORDINARY CITIZENS OR PUBLIC OFFICIALS HOLDING ANY LEVEL OF AUTHORITY TO RING THEIR HANDS IN ANGUISH WHEN OUR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT IS USING OUR TAX DOLLARS TO SUPPLY THE PERPETRATORS OF THE GENOCIDE OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE WITH FUNDS, WEAPONS, AND POLITICAL COVER.
[01:05:01]
OF RICHARDSON CITY, WE CALL ON OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO AWAKEN YOUR CONSCIENCE, TO BE BRAVE, TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY AND DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE.PASS AN IMMEDIATE CEASES FIRE.
NOW AFTER HALI HAMADA, THERE WILL BE YARA ISMAIL AND ZIYAD OTI AND SHADAY SALAM.
ED TI SHADAY SALAM OLD ONE OF MY CLOSE FRIENDS.
SHE'S ALWAYS KNOWN FOR HER ANIMATED PERSONAL, EXCUSE ME MA'AM.
COULD YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE? YES, SORRY.
I LIVE ON 2 0 7 SOUTH TRENTON DRIVE.
SHE'S ALWAYS KNOWN FOR HER ANIMATED PERSONALITY AND DEDICATION TO HER WORK NO MATTER WHAT IT IS.
DEAR RESPECTED CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS LIVE IN RAFA DISTRICT OF GAZA, AND THROUGH THE PAST EVENTS, THEY HAVE ENDURED PAIN AND SUFFERING LIKE NO OTHER.
EVERY SINGLE MINUTE HER FAMILY IS THREATENED WITH BEING KILLED AND THERE IS NOTHING SHE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
MY ONCE BRIGHT FRIEND CAN NOW ONLY SOB.
MY ONCE HARDWORKING FRIEND CAN NO LONGER EVEN SUBMIT HER ASSIGNMENTS OR GO TO SCHOOL.
MY FRIEND IS NO LONGER MY FRIEND, AND THIS IS THE CASE OF ALL OF US HERE.
OUR LIVES AS HUMANS AND EVEN AS PEOPLE OF RICHARDSON HAVE DRASTICALLY CHANGED.
AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, I HAVE NEVER ENDURED SUCH LEVELS OF PAIN AND SAFETY AND FEAR.
I WATCH AS THE 7-YEAR-OLD BOY IN CHICAGO IS STABBED TO DEATH AND THE THREE PALESTINIAN STUDENTS OF VERMONT WERE SHOT AND WONDER HOW MUCH LONGER MIGHT IT BE UNTIL THESE INCIDENTS OCCUR WITH MYSELF OR WITH MY LOVED ONES? MANY CLAIM THAT THE ATTACKS IN PALESTINE SHOULD NOT BE DISCUSSED IN OUR CITY.
BUT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WHEN MY FRIENDS AND I ALWAYS ENSURE THAT WE ARE WALKING AS A GROUP WHEN I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY LOOK AROUND ME AS I WAIT FOR MY SCHOOL BUS, AND WHEN I WALK HOME EVERY SINGLE DAY WITH ANXIOUSNESS AND FEAR, THEN SURELY THE EVENTS ABROAD ARE AFFECTING MYSELF, THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM AND THE CITY OF RICHARDSON AT LARGE.
I ALSO SPEAK AS PART OF THE MUSLIM AMERICAN SOCIETY OR MASS, WHICH HAS ALWAYS WORKED HAND IN HAND WITH THE CITY OF RICHARDSON.
OUR MASS MARVELS ROBOTICS, ROBOTICS TEAM HAS ALWAYS TAKEN PRIDE IN REPRESENTING THE CITY ON THE GLOBAL SCALE, WHICH IT CONTINUES TO DO.
WE HAVE ALWAYS SUCCEEDED TOGETHER AND RAISED THE NAME OF OUR CITY TOGETHER, BUT WE ALSO HOPE TO SHARE OUR PAIN TOGETHER AND ASK THAT OUR CITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE IN GAZA.
WE BEGIN WITH THE NAME OF ALLAH AND IN GOD WE PUT OUR TRUST.
I LIVE AT 6 0 8 TRAIL LAKE DRIVE, RICHARDSON, TEXAS, AND I AM A TEACHER HERE IN RICHARDSON.
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF MY PERSPECTIVE BASED OFF OF EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN THE WORLD THIS PAST SUMMER.
I HAD THE HONOR AND THE PLEASURE OF VISITING PALESTINE.
WE PRAYED TOGETHER, WE ATE TOGETHER.
I WOULD BLOW BUBBLES FOR THEM AND I'D WATCH THEM LOOK UP WITH WONDER, THE EYE OF A CHILD, THE INNOCENCE, THE WONDER, WATCHING AS THEY FALL TO THE GROUND AND THEN THEY POP AND THEN THEY WOULD GIGGLE.
AND AS A TEACHER, THAT'S EVERYTHING THAT I LIVE FOR.
AND IT BREAKS MY HEART TO THINK THAT THOSE VERY SAME EYES MAY NOW BE CRYING AS BOMBS FALL DOWN
[01:10:01]
FROM THE SKY.AND THOSE GIGGLES AND LAUGHS HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH SCREAMS OF TERROR AND THEN SILENCE, DEAFENING SILENCE.
BUT THE WORLD HAS HEARD NO LONGER CAN WE FEIGN ANY SENSE OF IGNORANCE.
PLEASE TAKE IT FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS THERE.
THOSE 15,000 PLUS PEOPLE WHO'VE LOST THEIR LIVES, 6,500 PLUS OF WHICH WE'RE CHILDREN.
THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO LAUGHED, THEY LIVED, THEY LOVED, THEY HAD DREAMS AND AMBITIONS.
THEY WANTED TO GROW UP AND START FAMILIES AND DO GREAT THINGS AND SERVE HUMANITY.
AND I DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN A WORLD AND I DON'T WANT MY CHILDREN TO LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE INNOCENT CHILDREN CAN FACE BEING BOMBED.
AND IN THEIR LAST SECONDS OF THOSE PRECIOUS SHORT LIVES, THEY'RE THINKING, WHY ME? WHAT DID I DO? WHAT IS MY CRIME? WHY DOES THE WORLD HATE ME? I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT NOBODY CAME TO HELP ME.
WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE WE ACTUALLY DISCUSSED IF IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO HAVE A HUMANITARIAN PAUSE, TO TAKE A A BREAK FROM THE GENOCIDE AND TRY TO REMEMBER WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE HUMAN.
AND IT LASTED FOR A FEW DAYS AND THE VIDEOS CAME OF CHILDREN LISTENING TO BIRDS INSTEAD OF BOMBS.
AND THEN JUST LIKE THAT, SOMEONE PRESSED RESUME AND BY PRESSING A PAUSE ON THE HUMANITARIAN PAUSE, THEY PRESSED PAUSE ON OUR HUMANITY AND RETURNED US TO THE SAVAGERY THAT WE WERE IN.
ISLAM TEACHES US TO LOVE FOR OUR BROTHER WHAT WE LOVE FOR OURSELVES.
SO THOSE CHILDREN IN ZA, THEY'RE NOT JUST CHILDREN ZA, THEY ARE OUR CHILDREN.
AND SO I MAKE AN APPEAL TO ANYONE WHO HAS A HEART AND TO ANYONE WHO HAS EVER CLAIMED TO LOVE ANYONE OR ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF THEIR OWN SELVES.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF SOMEONE UNJUSTLY CAME FOR YOUR OWN CHILDREN? I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS ROOM WOULD STAND TALL AND STAND STRONG AND GO TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE CHILDREN.
AND SO AS SOMEONE WHO IS JUST IN PALESTINE, I'D LIKE TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE CALLING FROM ZA AND THEY NEED YOU RIGHT NOW.
SO IT'S TIME TO TAKE A MOVE, TAKE ACTION.
AND IT CAN FEEL REALLY OVERWHELMING BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD, AND I'M SO SMALL, I'M JUST ONE PERSON.
SAID, 1 MILLION PEOPLE SAID 100 MILLION PEOPLE SAID 8 BILLION PEOPLE.
IF WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND WE CAN AGREE THAT INDISCRIMINATE BOMBING OF A POPULATION THAT'S OVER 50% UNDER THE AGE OF 18 IS NOT THE SOLUTION THAT'S GONNA BRING ABOUT PEACE IN THE REGION, THEN MAYBE WE CAN WORK AND WE CAN FIND SOME ACTUAL SOLUTIONS.
WE NEED TO SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SEE A CEASE FIRE SO WE CAN CEASE TO SEE FIRE RAIN DOWN FROM THE SKY ON ZA.
AND SO REALIZE IN CLOSING THAT A PIVOTAL CHAPTER IN HISTORY IS BEING WRITTEN RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK FOR EVERY SUFFERING, THERE'S ALSO THE OVERCOMING OF SUFFERING.
AND WE ALL NOW HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A STAND ON THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, ON THE CITY LEVEL, NATIONAL LEVEL, GLOBAL LEVEL.
AND SO FINALLY, I WISH TO ASK BECAUSE ONE DAY, NOT SO FAR AWAY FROM NOW, MAYBE IT'LL BE IN 10 YEARS OR 20 YEARS OR 50 YEARS, YOUR GRANDCHILD WILL COME HOME FROM HISTORY CLASS AND YOUR GRANDCHILD WILL SAY, GRANDMA, GRANDPA, WE LEARNED SOMETHING TERRIBLE TODAY.
THERE WAS A GENOCIDE IN ZA, THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN BEING KILLED.
THOSE DREAMS AND LIVES BEING CUT SHORT.
GRANDMA, YOU WERE ALIVE THEN GRANDPA, WHAT DID YOU DO ABOUT IT ON THAT DAY? IT'LL BE TOO LATE TO CHANGE YOUR ANSWER, BUT TODAY YOU ARE WRITING YOUR STORY.
AND SO I HOPE FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY HEART THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK YOUR CHILD, YOUR GRANDCHILD, IN THE EYE AND SAY, WITH THE HEART OF PRIDE AND LOVE, IT WASN'T ENOUGH WHAT I DID.
BUT I CAN HONESTLY TELL YOU THAT I FOUGHT TOOTH AND NAIL AND I DID EVERY LAST THING THAT I COULD FOR THOSE CHILDREN IN REZA IN THE SAME WAY THAT I WOULD DO FOR YOU MY CHILD.
LET'S PASS THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION SO WE CAN WORK TOWARDS ACTUAL SOLUTIONS AND BUILD THE WORLD THAT WE WOULD LIKE OUR CHILDREN TO GROW UP IN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR DUBBY AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
MY NAME IS SHADY AS SALEM AND I AM THE PROUD.
I LIVE IN GARLAND, UH, 1 2 0 9 WINDING BROOK DRIVE, AND I AM THE PROUD MOTHER OF A RICHLAND GRADUATE, A UTD GRADUATE.
I AM ALSO, UM, EDUCATED FROM SMU AND I COME BEFORE YOU TO
[01:15:01]
ASK THAT YOU FROM THE ONSET.PLEASE, PLEASE SUPPORT THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.
UM, AS A TEXAS STATE LICENSED THERAPIST, I ESTABLISHED A LOW COST NO-COST THERAPY CENTER AT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY CENTER AND SERVICED ALL FAITHS, ALL AGES, ALL WALKS OF LIFE FOR PAY BY CHOICE BECAUSE I WANTED MENTAL HEALTH AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY.
I DID THIS FOR FREE, MY HUSBAND FUNDED IT, AND UM, I DID IT AT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY CENTER.
SOME OF MY CLIENTS EXPERIENCED ONE EVENT, UM, THAT WAS STRESSFUL OR A TRAUMA, AND I SPENT MONTHS WITH THEM USING CBT SAN TRAY THERAPY, EMDR IN ORDER TO HELP THEM PROCESS AND HEAL FROM THE PAIN.
I HAVE PROVIDED SCHOOL TALKS IN RICHARDSON, PLANO, GARLAND SAXY, MURPHY, FRISCO, AND DALLAS TO DISCUSS THE VISCERAL IMPACTS OF STUDENTS SEEING IMAGES OF CHILDREN BEING KILLED ON THE NEWS.
A FEW DAYS AGO I DELIVERED A MEAL, A MEAL TO A FAMILY THAT LIVES IN RICHARDSON THAT LOST TWO BROTHERS.
AND FROM ONE OF THOSE BROTHERS, HIS WIFE AND HIS SIX CHILDREN, A COMPLETE FAMILY WIPED OUT THE OLDEST HAD JUST GRADUATED FROM DENTISTRY SCHOOL, WAS TWO WEEKS AWAY FROM HER MARRIAGE AND THE YOUNGEST SEVEN YEARS OLD.
I'M NOT SURE HOW I CAN HELP THIS FAMILY PROCESS AND HEAL AS THEY WILL SPEND A LIFETIME MISSING THEIR FAMILY.
AND I'M NOT SURE HOW A TALK AT A SCHOOL TO SOMEHOW PROCESS THE PAIN AND THE IMAGES THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING ON THE NEWS AND FEELING A VISCERAL TRAUMA, HOW ONE TALK OR SEVERAL TALKS CAN HELP THEM WRAP THEIR MINDS AROUND THIS.
I CAN'T IMAGINE THE MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL STATE OF WHAT THE KIDS AND FAMILIES OF REZA WILL BE WHEN THIS ALL COMES TO AN END.
WHEN THE PARENTS KISS THEIR KIDS GOODNIGHT, THEY'RE ACTUALLY KISSING THEM GOODBYE BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT LIFE THERE NOW IS NOT GUARANTEED FROM ONE HOUR TO THE NEXT.
THE KIDS, THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES, THE CITIES, THE STATES HISTORY IS WATCHING MIGHT, DOES NOT MAKE RIGHT.
BE LOCAL LEADERS WITH GLOBAL MINDS AND REJECT ANY RESOLUTION THAT PROMOTES WAR OR GENOCIDE.
REJECT POLICY THAT INSTEAD OF REZA BEING THE LARGEST OPEN PRISON IS NOW BECOMING THE LARGEST OPEN GRAVE WHERE THE DEAD PEOPLE ARE NOW FINISHING OUT THEIR SENTENCES, WHICH IS UNHEARD OF IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
WAR DOES NOT DETERMINE WHO IS RIGHT.
WAR DETERMINES WHO IS LEFT, AND WE CAN'T BE A PART OF THIS.
WE HAVE TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER.
YOU ARE OUR LEADERS AND WE LOOK TO YOU TO MAKE GLOBAL CHANGES EVEN IN THIS LOCAL PLACE.
SO PLEASE, PLEASE TAKE A STAND THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF FOR TODAY AND FOR THE FUTURE, AND BE THE CITY THAT SETS THAT PRECEDENT.
OUR LAST LAST THREE SPEAKERS ARE MOHAMMED IRAM, ENO, SAEED, AND SAMAYA.
GOOD EVENING, RESPECTIVE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY OFFICIALS.
MY NAME IS MOHAM IRA AND I LIVE ON 6 22 PINE VALLEY HERE IN RICHARDSON, TEXAS.
I HAVE HAD THE UTMOST PLEASURE OF LIVING IN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON FOR OVER 21 YEARS, ALSO KNOWN AS MY WHOLE LIFE.
UP TILL THIS POINT, ALL OF MY SCHOOLING, ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH HAS BEEN IN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON.
I GRADUATED FROM RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL HERE IN 2021 AND I NOW ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS, OF WHICH I AM NOW A SENATOR IN THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT, THROUGH WHICH I HAVE MET MANY OF YOU AS A STUDENT SENATOR AT UTDI HAVE SEEN THE DIRECT IMPACT THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING HALFWAY ACROSS THE WORLD HAS HAD ON THE STUDENTS, ON STUDENTS OF THE ONLY UNIVERSITY IN RICHARDSON, STUDENTS OF ONE OF THE PREMIER INSTITUTIONS OF NORTH DALLAS, OF NORTH TEXAS.
[01:20:01]
I HAVE SEEN THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS HAD ON STUDENTS, AND I HAVE SEEN THE RESPONSE THAT THE UNIVERSITY HAS HAD ON THESE STUDENTS.I HAVE SEEN THE BLATANT TURNING OF AN EYE THAT THE UNIVERSITY HAS HAD ON THESE STUDENTS, AND I HAVE SEEN WHAT IT HAS DONE TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, TO PEOPLE AND RESIDENTS OF YOUR CITY.
EVERY PERSON WITH A HEART, WITH HUMANITY, WITH CARE IN THEMSELVES, HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO SPEAK UP AND SPEAK OUT AGAINST ACTIONS THAT ARE MORALLY AND ETHICALLY INCORRECT.
I HAVE SEEN THE REACTIONS THAT STUDENTS HAVE HAD TO LEARNING OF NEWS THAT THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES.
I HAVE SEEN WHAT IT HAS DONE TO THEM AND THE WAY THAT THE UNIVERSITY HAS RESPONDED.
THESE ARE THE FUTURE GENERATION OF RICHARDSON, REPRESENTATIVES OF PROFESSIONALS HERE IN RICHARDSON, OF LEADERS OF THE RICHARDSON COMMUNITY.
CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE IS THE BARE MINIMUM.
AS MENTIONED BEFORE, THE VOICES OF THESE STUDENTS, OF YOUR VERY OWN RESIDENTS ARE BEING STIFLED.
I URGE YOU ALL TO BE THE VOICE FOR THEM.
I URGE YOU ALL TO STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT, TO STAND UP FOR WHAT IS CORRECT AND TO STAND UP FOR HUMANITY.
YOU HAVE HEARD MANY DETAILS THAT I DO NOT NEED TO GO OVER AGAIN OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED, WHAT IS HAPPENING ACROSS THE WORLD, BUT A SINCERE PLEA FROM A STUDENT, FROM A MEMBER OF YOUR COMMUNITY, FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS TAKEN SO MUCH THAT THIS CITY HAS HAD TO OFFER.
I REALLY, I TRULY ASK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART TO HEAR YOUR REPRESENTATIVES, TO HEAR YOUR RESIDENTS, YOUR CONSTITUENTS, THE PEOPLE THAT VOTED YOU INTO OFFICE.
I ASK YOU TO HEAR THEM OUT HERE.
THIS CITY HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN BEFORE.
I AM IMMENSELY PROUD TO CALL MYSELF A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF RICHARDSON AND A RESIDENT OF THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS.
I HOPE NOW THAT YOU WILL NOT LET ME DOWN MOVING FORWARD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, SUN ED, SUN ED, AND SAMAYA MSIM.
THANK YOU ESTEEMED COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR YOUR TIME.
I'M A PROUD RESIDENT OF DALLAS AND A MOTHER OF THREE.
I OWN A COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE FIRM, WHICH IS A MEMBER OF THE RICHARDSON CHAMBER.
I'M HERE TONIGHT AS OUR COMMUNITY IS HURTING AS WE WITNESS 15,000 INNOCENT PALESTINIAN CIVIL CIVILIANS KILLED.
THEIR HOMES, SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, CHURCHES, AND MASKS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED.
THEY FLEE FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH ONLY TO BE BOMBED.
WHERE DO THEY GO? WHITE PHOSPHORUS.
WHOLE FAMILIES HAVE BEEN WIPED OUT.
WHITE PHOSPHORUS HAS BEEN USED.
THOSE THAT SURVIVE HAVE TERRIBLE BURNS AND HAVE LOST LIMBS.
CHILDREN WHO WANTED TO BE SOCCER PLAYERS, THEIR DREAMS ARE NOW DEMOLISHED ALONG WITH THEIR HOMES.
THEIR LEG LEGS ARE AMPUTATED WITHOUT PROPER ANESTHESIA.
CHILDREN ARE BEING ROUNDED UP ON THE WEST BANK AND IMPRISONED.
EVERY YEAR, SEVERAL HUNDRED CHILDREN ARE ARRESTED AND TORTURED.
WHERE IS THE HUMANITY? HOW ARE WE ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN ON OUR WATCH? AS OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVE DISCUSSED, THIS HATRED IS SPREADING TO THE US WITH ISLAMOPHOBIA ON THE RISE, WITH MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY BEING FIRED, MY COLLEGE KIDS ARE SEEING THEIR FRIENDS BEING DOXXED.
WE NEED TO STOP THIS ANIMOSITY AND AFFIRM THE AMERICAN VALUES OF JUSTICE AND EQUALITY.
PLEASE, MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PERMANENCY FIRED.
HI, MY NAME IS SUMAYA, UH, ADDRESS 1414 BEND DRIVE,
[01:25:01]
AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE PALESTINIAN YOUTH MOVEMENT.I'M A RESIDENT IN THE DFW COMMUNITY.
IT'S BEEN TWO DAYS SINCE THE HUMANITARIAN PAUSE ON THE BOMBINGS IN GAZA SINCE THEY'VE ENDED.
AND WITHIN MINUTES OF THAT PAUSE ENDING, ISRAEL IMMEDIATELY RESUMED ITS BOMBARDMENT OF GAZA.
IN JUST TWO DAYS, THERE HAVE BEEN OVER A THOUSAND PALESTINIANS MURDERED.
THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE OVER 15,000 MARTYRED BEFORE THE PAUSE BEGAN.
I URGE YOU ALL TO NOT BECOME NUMB TO THE MURDER OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.
WHAT WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS A GENOCIDE.
AND WE HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE THAT COME TO AN END.
BOTTOM UP POWER BUILDING STARTS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, WHICH IS WHY I AM HERE TODAY.
FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS, THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MOBILIZING TO DEMAND A CEASEFIRE, NOT JUST IN DFW, BUT ALL OVER THE US AND ALL OVER THE WORLD AS WELL.
AND OUR VOICES ARE FINALLY BEING HEARD.
RICHARDSON LEADERS SUCH AS HOUSE REP ANNAMARIE RAMOS, HAVE CALLED FOR A CEASEFIRE ALONGSIDE THE TEXAS DEMOCRATIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, URGING JOE BIDEN TO TO CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE.
AND I HOPE YOU ALL HERE TODAY CAN STAND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY AND REPRESENT THE CALLS OF THE PEOPLE WE CALL ON THE CITY OF RICHARDSON TO LEAD THE NATION WITH ITS MORAL CLARITY AND VISIONARY LEADERSHIP.
AS THE COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO MOBILIZE MORE AND MORE EACH DAY, WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US AS OUR REPRESENTATIVES AND DEMANDING JUSTICE FOR PALESTINIANS AND OPPRESSED PEOPLE EVERYWHERE.
NOT PASSING A RESOLUTION WOULD BE AKIN TO NORMALIZING GENOCIDE AND CONDONING THE MURDER OF THOUSANDS MORE CIVILIANS.
UH, THERE'S NO MORE GUEST SPEAKERS.
I'D LIKE TO THANK ALL THE GUESTS FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.
DO WE HAVE ONE MORE, ONE MORE SPEAKER.
FILL OUT A CARD, AND GIVE IT TO OUR CITY SECRETARY.
YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND SPEAK, FILL IT OUT AFTER YOU'RE DONE, PLEASE GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
UM, I MOVED TO THIS COUNTRY, UH, GREAT COUNTRY MORE THAN THREE 30 YEARS AGO.
AND THE, THE, THE MOST PRECIOUS THING THAT I LEARNED IS TO FIGHT FOR JUSTICE, IS TO BE ALLOWED TO SAY WHAT YOU THINK IS RA THING.
SO THIS IS WHAT REALLY AFFECTS ME MORE THAN 25 YEARS AGO, TO TO BE AN ACTIVIST, ACTIVISTS FOR JUSTICE.
SO I WALK IN MANY STREETS, I WALK IN THE STREET OF NEW YORK, IN DC IN CALIFORNIA, AND THIS, IN THIS GREAT STATE OF TEXAS FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE, NOT ONLY FOR THE PALESTINIANS FOR MANY CAUSES, BUT I NOTICED SOMETHING REALLY STRANGE DURING ALL THOSE YEAR TO BE AN ACTIVIST.
EVERY TIME THE PALESTINIAN ISSUES WILL COME, I SEE ANOTHER FORCE COMING TO TRYING TO STOP THAT.
AND WE HEARD COUPLE OF EXAMPLES ABOUT COUPLE OF MEMBERS HERE THAT THEY LOST THEIR JOB BECAUSE THEY STOOD FOR A PALESTINIAN ISSUES.
BUT LET ME TELL YOU ANOTHER STORY.
IN MY CITY IN PLANO, MY DAUGHTER GOES TO MCMILLAN HIGH SCHOOL AND IT'S LED BY A GREAT PRINCIPAL, MR. WILLIAMS. AND MR. WILLIAMS. YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS THING STARTED, HE STOOD IN A NEUTRAL, HE DIDN'T TAKE ANY SIDES.
SO A, A A A PRO-PALESTINIAN OR PRO JUSTICE GROUP WENT ON RALLIES AND MR. WILLIAMS PROTECT THE RIGHTS 'CAUSE THE RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? THIS GREAT PRINCIPLE, HE'S NOT PALESTINIAN, HE'S NOT MUSLIMS. HE, HE WAS UNDER ATTACK FROM EVERYWHERE, INCLUDING SENATOR CRUZ, ONLY BECAUSE HE STOOD NEUTRAL.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, MR. WILLIAMS, A GREAT PRINCIPAL OF OUR SCHOOL, WE OFFER HIM A NEW JOB, ALL OF A SUDDEN A NEW JOB, AND HE WAS GONE.
EVERY TIME WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT JUSTICE FOR PALESTINE, ALL OF A SUDDEN PEOPLE DISAPPEARED.
SO WHAT HAPPENED? SO I'M GOING BACK TO MY EXPERIENCE LEARNING JUSTICE HERE IN THIS GREAT COUNTRY.
WHAT'S HAPPENED TO JUSTICE? IS IT FOR SALE? IS AMERICA FOR SALE? IS RICHARDSON FOR SALE?
[01:30:01]
AND I'M ASKING YOU NOT ONLY STAND FOR, YOU KNOW, CEASEFIRE IN PALESTINE, I ASK YOU FOR STAND FOR JUSTICE HERE IN THE US I ASK YOU TO STAND FOR FREEDOM SPEECH AND DON'T ALLOW MONEY WHO ALL OF US KNOW WHERE IT COMING FROM TO AFFECT YOUR DECISION.PROTECT JUSTICE AND PALESTINE AND PROTECT JUSTICE HERE IN AMERICA.
DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER, ANOTHER SPEAKER? YES MA'AM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING US SPEAK TODAY.
MY NAME IS AYA AND I LIVE, UM, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'M A ALUMNI OF UTD AND I'M NOW A LAW STUDENT AT SMU DOWNTOWN.
AND, UM, I WANTED TO COME HERE JUST LIKE HOW EVERYONE ELSE DID TODAY TO URGE YOU TO PASS A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.
THIS IS HISTORY BEING WRITTEN RIGHT NOW.
WHEN WE LOOK BACK TO LIKE HISTORY OF GENOCIDES IN THE PAST, THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW.
AND IN THE FUTURE, PEOPLE WILL LOOK BACK AND SAY, WHAT DID WE DO? AND RIGHT NOW, EVERYONE AT THE TABLE HAS THE POWER TO PASS A RESOLUTION.
I ALSO HAD THE CHANCE TO VISIT PALESTINE, EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT PALESTINIAN LAST YEAR, AND I WAS, I WENT AS AN AMERICAN TOURIST.
SO OBVIOUSLY I DIDN'T FACE EVERYTHING THAT PALESTINIANS GO THROUGH.
BUT ON THE TOURIST BUS, WE WERE GOING THROUGH AN ISRAELI CHECKPOINT AND THE ISRAELI, UM, ARMY MEMBERS CAME THROUGH AND LITERALLY POINTED GIANT GUNS AT ALL OF US.
AND IMAGINE THE DAILY HUMILIATION, THE DAILY STRUGGLES THAT PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH FOR 75 YEARS SINCE THEY WERE PUSHED OUT OF THEIR HOMES IN 1948.
IT'S UNACCEPTABLE THAT WE CAN ALLOW THIS TO GO ANY LONGER.
AND IT'S BEEN ALMOST 50 DAYS OF, UM, OF BOMBING ON REZA.
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO KEEP SEEING SOCIAL MEDIA ON SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEOS OF CHILDREN GETTING KILLED, VIDEOS OF CHILDREN, LITERALLY IN PIECES.
AS I'M TRYING TO STUDY FOR MY FINALS, AS ALL OF THESE PEOPLE HERE ARE TRYING TO GO ABOUT WITH OUR DAILY LIVES, IT'S AFFECTING US EMOTIONALLY.
AND WHERE ARE ALL YOUR CONSTITUENTS PLEADING YOU TODAY TO DO, TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY? SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
PLEASE, PLEASE REMEMBER TO COMPLETE FILL OUT THE CARD PLEASE FOR THE CITY SECRETARY IF YOU DID NOT DO SO.
IS THAT ALL THE SPEAKERS FOR TONIGHT? ONE MORE.
I'VE BEEN IN RICHARDSON SINCE 1978, WHICH IS 45 YEARS.
I AM THE FOUNDER OF SARA'S MARKET BAKERY, WHICH GENERATE A LOT TAX MONEY TO THE CITY OF RICHARDSON.
I LIVE IN 1313 EAST SPRING VALLEY ROAD.
THEY ALL BORN IN RICHARDSON AND THEY LIVE IN RICHARDSON.
I'M GONNA SAY MY LAST, I'M GONNA SAY JUST TWO SENTENCE.
WE MUSLIM AMERICAN, WE NOT POWERLESS.
WE ARE POWERFUL AND WE HAVE THE MONEY AND WE HAVE THE VOTES.
SO PLEASE DO YOUR RIGHT THINGS.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.
UM, THE COUNCIL WILL OBVIOUSLY HAS HEARD WHAT YOU'VE HAD TO SAY AND WE'LL PROCEED FROM HERE.
UH, I THINK AT THIS TIME COUNCIL, WE'LL TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
LET EVERYONE HAVE A CHANCE TO EXIT THE FACILITY IF YOU CHOOSE TO, YOU ARE WELCOME TO STAY IF YOU WANT TO, BUT WE'LL GIVE YOU MOMENTS TO CLEAR OUT IF YOU CHOOSE TO.
[B. RECOGNITION OF COMMUNITY EVENTS STAFF FOR TEXAS FESTIVAL AND EVENTS ASSOCIATION AWARDS]
EVENING.WE'RE GONNA RESUME OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
IT'S 7:40 PM WE'RE NOW GONNA GO TO ITEM B ON THE AGENDA, RECOGNITION OF COMMUNITY EVENTS, STAFF FOR TEXAS FESTIVAL AND EVENTS ASSOCIATION AWARDS.
OUR, UH, DIRECTOR OF PARTIAL RECREATION OF V FGO IS GOING TO, UH, TAKE THE PODIUM HERE AND, UH, DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT FOR YOU, UH, WHY WE WANTED TO RECOGNIZE OUR, UH, COMMUNITY EVENTS STAFF.
UM, BY FAR, UH, THE CITY OF RICHARDSON HAS THE, UH, MOST EXCELLENT SUPERIOR EVENTS OF ANY CITY IN NORTH TEXAS, IF NOT TEXAS ALONE.
THERE'S JUST NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.
AND, UM, WHEN YOU HEAR THIS AMAZING STORY, WE JUST HAD TO, UH,
[01:35:01]
ASK DIANA AND AND HER TEAM WHO YVONNE WILL INTRODUCE, UH, TO COME, UM, AFTER THEY, UH, DO THEIR PRESENTATION AND INTRODUCTIONS, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, IF, UH, WE'D LIKE TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT AND HAVE A QUICK PHOTO TAKEN, UH, TO KIND OF COMMEMORATE THE EVENING.SO YVONNE, LEMME TURN IT OVER TO YOU FOR THE BRIEFING.
WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO BRING OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS TEAM HERE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE BEVERLY, BEVERLY HALPRIN, CHRIS FRAZIER AND ELIZABETH WOOD.
UH, THESE FOUR DO AMAZING WORK.
AND I KNOW CHRIS AND ELIZABETH ARE NEW, BUT CHRIS HAS BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH TO TO BE THROUGH WILDFLOWER AND COTTONWOOD.
AND ELIZABETH HAS VOLUNTEERED WITH BOTH OF THOSE EVENTS IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
SO WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE NEWS THAT CAME ABOUT.
THEY ATTENDED THE TEXAS FESTIVAL AND EVENTS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE IN NOVEMBER.
AND AT THAT EVENT, WE FOUND OUT THE WONDERFUL NEWS THAT I'M ABOUT TO SHARE.
BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION, TFEA IS ONE OF THOSE ASSOCIATIONS THAT WE ARE INVOLVED WITH.
WE'RE MEMBERS OF, THEY ARE AFFILIATED WITH OUR INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS AND EVENTS ASSOCIATION.
IT'S A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION IN WHICH, UM, OUR FESTIVAL EVENT PLANNERS, OUR VOLUNTEERS AND DIFFERENT SUPPLIERS COME TOGETHER, NETWORK, AND, UH, DEVELOP DIFFERENT STRATEGIES OF HOW WE CAN MAKE EVENTS BETTER THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND ALSO THROUGH AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STAFF TO GET EDUCATION AND GROWTH AS WELL.
SO WITH THAT, UH, WHEN THEY WERE AT THIS CONFERENCE, WE FOUND OUT THAT WE WON 29 AWARDS FOR COTTONWOOD AND FOR WILDFLOWER, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL.
YES, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT COTTONWOOD AND WILDFLOWER WERE IN TWO SEPARATE CATEGORIES, SO YOU WILL SEE SOME OVERLAP OF, UH, BEST VIDEO PRODUCTION OR BEST WEBSITE, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE IN TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
I WILL NOT GO THROUGH THIS LIST BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY OF 'EM, BUT I DO WANNA POINT OUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE REALLY PROUD OF IS THE MARKETING AWARDS AND THE DIGITAL, UM, AWARDS THAT WE RECEIVED THROUGH THIS, UM, ORGANIZATION.
WILDFLOWER AND COTTONWOOD IS DEFINITELY RECOGNIZED FROM A STATE LEVEL, UM, FOR EVERYTHING THAT IT DOES.
AND IT'S DEFINITELY A TRENDSETTER.
THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE IS WE HAD AN INDIVIDUAL STAFF RECOGNITION AT THIS CONFERENCE AS WELL.
SO DIANA LAWRENCE WAS RECOGNIZED FOR OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE TO TFEA.
DIANA SERVES ON THE BOARD FOR TFEA AND HAS DONE SO SINCE 2021.
UH, SHE HAS SERVED AS THE TREASURER AND SECRETARY IN 2023, AND SHE IS SERVING THIS YEAR, STARTING IN JANUARY AS THE CHAIR ELECT.
AND THEN IN 2025, WE'LL ACTUALLY BE LEADING THAT ORGANIZATION AS THE CHAIR.
SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT DIANA'S ABILITY TO DO SO.
WE THINK THAT BRINGS BACK HUGE, UH, CREDENTIALS FOR US, BUT IT ALSO GIVES HER AN OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE OTHERS COMING THROUGH EVENTS AND FESTIVALS.
SO SHE IS DEFINITELY MAKING A MARK FOR THE CITY OF RICHARDSON, AND WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS SOMETHING TO HIGHLIGHT AS WELL.
GREAT, MAYOR, COUNSEL, UM, IF YOU, MAYBE IF YOU WANNA MAKE ANY REMARKS, DO THAT NOW AND THEN WE CAN TAKE THE PICTURE AFTER.
COUNSEL, ANYBODY? MS. TREASURER RUDDER.
WELL, CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL OF THEM.
NOW, THE ONLY ONE I DIDN'T SEE UP THERE WAS OUTSTANDING STAGE PRESENCE BY A CITY COUNCIL FOR WILDFIRE.
WAS THAT IN THERE? AND I JUST DIDN'T SEE IT.
NO, SERIOUSLY, UH, CONGRATULATIONS.
WE ALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THESE EVENTS AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT Y'ALL DO 'EM.
UM, I'M STILL WORRIED I DON'T SEE SANTA CLAUS HERE TONIGHT.
IS HE OKAY? I, THE ONLY THING I'M A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT, HE'S RESTING AFTER THIS.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T HAVE SANTA NOT NOT FEELING GOOD.
WE, HE'S GONNA BE BUSY IN A FEW WEEKS, SO, UM, BUT NO, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
OUTSTANDING WORK AND JUST LOVE ALL THAT Y'ALL DO ON BEHALF OF OUR, OUR CITY.
SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, MR. CORCORAN.
GOSH, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF A MOVIE SWEEPING, LIKE THE BEST SCREENPLAY, ANDIES AND EVERYTHING.
SERIOUSLY, Y'ALL, UH, Y'ALL DO A FANTASTIC JOB.
AND YVONNE, YOU ALWAYS TELL ME THAT, YOU KNOW, STAFF ACTUALLY LOVES PUTTING ON THE EVENT AND THEY LOVE THE PLANNING, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT REALLY ALWAYS SHINES THROUGH EVERY YEAR.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
I THINK, UH, ANYBODY WHO'S WORKED CLOSELY WITH YOU ALL, EITHER FROM A RESIDENT STANDPOINT, RUSS ON THE COUNCIL KNOWS THAT WE'RE NOT SURPRISED BY THIS.
UM, THE HOURS YOU PUT IN, THE DEDICATION THE ENTIRE TEAM PUTS IN.
I KNOW JUST THIS WEEKEND, I CAN'T IMAGINE.
I, WE CHATTED BRIEFLY ON SATURDAY, I THINK, I FORGET WHAT TIME, BUT IT WAS A CRAZY HOUR OF THE MORNING.
[01:40:01]
UP TIME ON SATURDAY, AND I KNOW YOU WEREN'T THE ONLY ONE OUT THERE THAT EARLY.UM, SO IT'S NICE TO RECEIVE RECOGNITION AND CONFIRMATION FROM THE ORGANIZATION, BUT WE ALL KNOW YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.
UH, BECAUSE THESE, I THINK DON HAS SAID IT BEFORE THAT WE, UH, PUT A PUNCH ABOVE OUR WEIGHT CLASS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IS WHAT DON HAS SAID.
AND REALLY, YOU GUYS JUST, UH, BRING IT TO THE TABLE EVERY TIME.
YEAH, I THINK SHE SAID, YVONNE SAID SHE WAS UP AT 2:00 AM UH, FOR THE PARADE.
SO YEAH, YOU REALLY DO PUT IN THE HOURS.
I THINK WHEN SARAH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, RETIRED, WE WERE ALL LIKE, OH, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH COTTONWOOD? BECAUSE SHE WAS MISS COTTONWOOD.
AND IT IS EVIDENT THAT YOU'VE JUST PICKED UP AND YOU'RE JUST KEPT RUNNING WITH IT AND YOU'RE DOING AN AMAZING JOB.
AND THE ARTISTS LOVE YOU AS MUCH AS THEY LOVE, SIR.
AND IT'S EVIDENT THAT YOU KNOW THAT THESE AWARDS SPEAK VOLUMES TOO.
I MEAN, IT'S A REALLY, REALLY BIG DEAL, UH, TO RECEIVE THE RECOGNITION AND WE'RE REALLY, REALLY PROUD TO HAVE YOU HERE.
YES, I ACTUALLY, I, I'M NOT SURPRISED ABOUT THIS AWARD,
I, I KNOW THAT EVERYONE HAS WORKED SO HARD TO ACHIEVE THIS.
YOU KNOW, I'VE WORKED WITH SIRI FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, UM, PRIOR AND YVONNE FOR MANY YEARS AS WELL.
AND I'M JUST SO PROUD OF WHAT, WHAT YOU GUYS DO TO BRING ALL THIS TO FRUITION.
AND I HEAR IT FROM EVERYONE, BY THE WAY.
EVERYONE, PEOPLE COMING INTO THE CITY, UH, THAT COME TO COTTONWOOD, COME TO WILDFLOWER OR HEAR FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS, UH, JUST FROM FRIENDS, EVEN OUR STAFF, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY ARE ALWAYS SAYING, GOD, WE HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME.
AND IT'S JUST NOT JUST THAT, IT'S JUST ABOUT HOW YOU DELIVER THE PRESENCE OF HOW COTTONWOOD AND WILDFLOWER ARE PERCEIVED.
CAN'T IMAGINE US NOT HAVING THIS EVENT IN RICHARDSON.
UH, WELL, SEEING THOSE SO MANY TIMES THAT BEST WRITTEN, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE AWESOME FEELING.
SO, AND ALSO, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS DON'T SLEEP WHEN EVENTS BEGIN, SO I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU THAT.
DON'T SLEEP BECAUSE WE LIKED A LOT TO SEE MANY BEST ON THE SCREEN.
SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHAT YOU DO.
AND CONGRATULATIONS, UH, DIANE FOR THAT.
ONE QUICK QUESTION IN THE YOU 29 AWARDS.
HOW MANY WAS THE, THE MOST WE'VE EVER RECEIVED PREVIOUS TO, TO THIS? MM.
DIANA, DO YOU KNOW THAT? UM, PROBABLY ABOUT 35.
SO WE'VE, UM, WE ARE VERY MUCH RECOGNIZED.
WE'RE THE LEADING, UM, UM, WE'RE VERY MUCH RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE LEADING, UM, EVENTS, UH, COTTONWOOD AND WILDFLOWER THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UM, AND SO IT'S VERY PROUD FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND THIS CONFERENCE AND CONSISTENTLY GET UP TO RECEIVE OUR AWARDS.
UM, BUT WE'VE RECEIVED UPWARDS TO ABOUT 35 EACH TIME WE, UM, ATTEND THIS CONFERENCE CONFIRMATION.
UM, I'LL JUST ADD THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD ADD, THE COUNCIL PRETTY MUCH HIT ALL THE BULLET POINTS, BUT I WOULD SAY TO YOU THE PASSION IN WHICH YOU DO IT AND THE PRESENTATION IN WHICH YOU DO IT WITH IS JUST ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
WE ARE SPOILED AND WE HAVE HAD, AS A COUNCIL, WE HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO BEHIND THE CURTAIN AND SEE THE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY GOING ON, HOW IT IS REALLY WORKING.
AND Y'ALL DO IT WITH GRACE AND DIGNITY, WITH JUST FLAWLESS EFFORT.
AND THE, THE LONG HOURS HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN MENTIONED, BUT THE EXPERTISE AND WITH THE SMILES ON YOUR FACES IS WHAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
AND OUR COMMUNITY IS VERY BLESSED TO HAVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL.
AT THIS TIME THAT LEADS US INTO A WILDFLOWER ARTS AND PENCIL.
DO YOU WANT ME RIGHT IN THE CENTER? GREG'S GONNA 29TH, JUST JUST SO YOU KNOW HERE.
[01:45:05]
ALL RIGHT.AND IN SILENCE, ONE, TWO, TAKE A CLOSER HERE AND STRAIGHT INTO THE BIG SMILE.
YOU GOING TO WILDFLOWER NOW? YES, SIR.
[C. REVIEW UPDATES TO WILDFLOWER! ARTS AND MUSIC FESTIVAL TICKETING, PRICING, STAGING AND ATTENDANCE STRATEGIES]
WE WILL NOW GO TO ITEM C REVIEW UPDATES TO THE WILDFLOWER ARTS AND MUSIC FESTIVAL, TICKETING, PRICING, STAGING, AND ATTENDANCE STRATEGIES.WELL, MAYOR, UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT BANDS
UM, AS YOU KNOW THOUGH, THE, UH, FESTIVAL SITE'S BEEN UNDER TRANSITION THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, UH, AFTER RETURNING FROM COVID DUE TO SOME CONSTRUCTION.
SO DIANA'S GONNA KIND OF, UH, EXPLAIN HOW WE'RE GONNA, UH, DEAL WITH THE PLAZA STAGES WE RETURN, AND THEN SOME IMPORTANT, UH, CHANGES, UH, WITH SOME OTHER SITE COMPONENTS BASED ON SOME SAFETY AND SECURITY SUGGESTIONS, UM, AS WE HOPE TO INCREASE ATTENDANCE WITH SOME REALLY CLEVER AND INNOVATIVE, UH, TICKETING STRATEGIES.
SO, DIANA, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU FOR THE BRIEFING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND THANK YOU MAYOR DUBY AND COUNCIL FOR GIVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU THIS EVENING.
UM, AS OUR CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, UM, I'M HERE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF 2024 WILDFIRE UPDATES WITH YOU.
UM, WE'LL BE TOUCHING OVER THE TOPICS SUCH AS OUR STAGING UPDATES, TICKETING STRATEGIES, UM, SOME TICKET PRICING ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE ARE MAKING, AS WELL AS CHANGES TO SOME EXISTING FESTIVAL POLICIES.
UM, AS ALWAYS, WE ARE STRIVING TO REACH OUR, OUR MEET OUR CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC GOAL OF PROMOTING AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO BUSINESS PROCESSES BY EVALUATING OUR CURRENT PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, AS WELL AS LOOKING TO EXPLORE TICKETING EVENT PRICING OPTIONS TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY, ATTENDANCE, SECURITY, SAFETY AND ATTENDANCE SATISFACTION.
UM, AS YOU ARE ALL AWARE, THE OVATION OF GALLATIN PARK APARTMENTS ACTUALLY PREVENTED US FROM UTILIZING OUR PLAZA STAGE AREA, UM, IN THE YEARS OF 2022 AND 2023.
SO LAST YEAR, AS YOU SAW, WE JUST HAD THE ONE MAIN STAGE IN THE AMPHITHEATER AREA.
UH, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT CONSTRUCTION BEING COMPLETED BY 2024 AND ARE LOOKING TO BRING BACK THE ACTUAL PLAZA STAGE AND UTILIZING THAT AREA AS A PART OF THE FESTIVAL.
ONCE AGAIN, WE WILL LOOK TO PROGRAM THAT STAGE WITH NATIONAL HEADLINERS AGAIN ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO THE NEW CONSTRAINTS ON THAT PROPERTY, THE PLAZA AREA ITSELF, UM, WE WILL NOT HAVE A VIP DESIGNATED AREA.
AND I DID JUST WANNA SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT OVERVIEW OF THAT SPACE.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE DO UTILIZE OUR STAGE AREA SITS, UM, RIGHT THERE JUST NORTH OF THAT DART, OUR DART RAIL AREA.
UM, AND WE UTILIZE THE ENTIRE CONCRETE PLAZA THERE FOR THE AUDIENCE, UM, ATTENDEES OF THAT STAGE.
OUR VIP AREA WAS LOCATED RIGHT THERE TO THE EAST OF THAT PLAZA AREA WHERE THE NEW APARTMENTS ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, THAT DOES PUSH THAT ATTENDANCE AREA RIGHT UP TO THAT STARTING PIN POINT OF THAT BLUE AREA, WHICH, UH, DENOTES THE NEW APARTMENTS.
SO UNFORTUNATELY WE WON'T BE ABLE TO BRING THAT VIP EXPERIENCE BACK OVER IN THAT AREA, BUT WE ARE VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO BRING BACK A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR OUR ATTENDEES THERE BACK AT THAT PLAZA AREA.
SO SOME OF OUR NEW TICKETING STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR 2024, UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO OF COURSE, UM, IMPLEMENT SOME NEW STRATEGIES TO INCREASE OUR OVERALL TICKET SALES GOING INTO THE NEW YEAR.
UH, ONE OF THE NEW THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT IS ACTUALLY STARTING OUR TICKET SALES STARTING JANUARY 1ST.
AND IN OUR NEXT SLIDE I'LL KIND OF SHOW AND, AND, UM, GO OVER A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT ACTUALLY THOSE PRICING WILL BE STARTING JANUARY 1ST.
UM, OF COURSE, WITH OUR NEW STRATEGY WITHIN OUR TICKET PRICING, WE'RE LOOKING TO REALLY CREATE THAT INCENTIVE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO PURCHASE THEIR TICKETS NOW, UM, BY TIERING OUR TICKETS AND, AND CREATING A PRICE POINT THAT WE'LL START OUT WITH JANUARY 1ST AND THEN INCREASING AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE FESTIVAL.
THAT IS A NEW TIER TICKETING PRICING STRUCTURE WE'RE INTRODUCING.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO INCREASE THE ACCESSIBILITY THAT OUR CURRENT RICHARDSON RESIDENTS HAVE TO PURCHASE THEIR DISCOUNTED TICKETS FOR THE FESTIVAL.
UM, AND BY DOING THAT, WE'RE LOOKING AT TAKING, UM, THAT ONLINE THIS YEAR.
SO HAVING AN IN PERSON AND AN ONLINE OPTION.
I JUST WANTED TO START BY SHOWING, UM, AND SHARING WITH YOU OUR 2023, UH, SALES SCHEDULE.
UM, LAST YEAR OUR TICKETS WENT ON SALE, UM, FEBRUARY 17TH.
WE DID A DEEP DISCOUNT ON OUR TICKETS.
IT WAS $10 OFF A SINGLE DAY TICKET AND $15 OFF OUR
[01:50:01]
THREE DAY TICKET.UM, WE DID A $15 RESIDENTIAL TICKET THAT THEY HAD TO GO IN PERSON TO OUR RECREATION CENTERS AND OUR CITY HALL, UM, AT THE TIME TO PURCHASE THEIR TICKETS IN PERSON.
WE DID TWO ADDITIONAL SALES, UM, WHERE MARCH 5TH WE DID $5 OFF ALL SINGLE DAY TICKETS, AS WELL AS ON APRIL 7TH, $7 OFF ALL SINGLE DAY TICKETS, WHICH COINCIDED WITH A SPONSORSHIP WE HAVE.
AND I JUST SHARED A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAKDOWN OF EXACTLY WHAT OUR TICKET PRICES WERE FOR OUR SINGLE DAY.
AND OF COURSE OUR VIP 400, AS WELL AS OUR RESIDENTIAL TICKETS WERE $15 EACH.
IN 2024, YOU WILL SEE THAT WE ARE MOVING TO A FOURIER SCHEDULE, WHICH WE WILL START JANUARY 1ST THROUGH JANUARY 31ST, OFFERING ONLY OUR THREE DAY TICKET AS WELL AS OUR VIP.
OUR VIP PRICING WILL NOT CHANGE.
UM, OUR THREE DAY TICKET WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR 31 DAY, OUR 30 DAYS, I'M SORRY, AT $40.
UM, I ALSO WANNA NOTE THAT THOSE TICKETS WILL GO ON SALE PRIOR TO US ACTUALLY ANNOUNCING THE VANS, WHICH WE'LL DO IN MID-FEBRUARY.
AS YOU GET CLOSER TO THE FESTIVAL DATES ITSELF, THE TICKET PRICES WILL INCREASE, CREATING THAT INCENTIVE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO GO AHEAD AND PURCHASE NOW.
UM, LIKE I SAID, TICKETS WILL GO ON SALE JANUARY 1ST.
AND THEN WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, OFFERING THE RESIDENTIAL TICKETS ONLINE.
SO INDIVIDUALS THAT DO GO ONLINE TO PURCHASE THEIR TICKETS, WE WILL HAVE THOSE AT A $15 RATE.
THEY WILL NOT INCUR ANY TICKET FEES, SO THE ONLINE PURCHASE WILL BE A FLAT $15.
HOWEVER, WE ARE LOOKING AT INCREASING THE IN-PERSON RESIDENTIAL FEE TO 18 SO THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE THAT INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO PURCHASE ONLINE, MAKING IT A LITTLE BIT MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR THEM TO GET THEIR TICKETS AT THAT DISCOUNTED RATE.
AND DIANA, WHEN IT, THE LAST INCREASE FOR RESIDENTIAL WAS THE LAST INCREASE FOR RESIDENTIAL TICKETS, I BELIEVE WAS 2017.
SO IT'S BEEN ABOUT SIX YEARS SINCE WE'VE GONE OUT.
THE NEXT, UM, ITEM WE WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU IS, UH, ONE OF THE FESTIVAL POLICIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ACTUALLY CHAIN CHANGE IN 2024, UM, IS OUR CURRENT CHAIR POLICY.
OUR CURRENT CHAIR POLICY ALLOWS ANY PORTABLE COLLAPSIBLE CHAIRS OR BLANKET SHEETS OR TOWELS, UM, ARE ALLOWED ONTO THE FESTIVAL SITE.
INDIVIDUALS ARE ALLOWED TO WALK THROUGH THE GATE GATEWAYS WITH THOSE ITEMS. THEY CAN START SETTING, THEY SET UP THEIR CHAIRS AND THEY'RE ALLOWED TO SET THOSE UP IN THE AMPUTATE AREA.
UM, ATTENDEES HAVE A TENDENCY TO SET UP THEIR CHAIRS EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON AT THE AMPHITHEATER AREA AND TAKE THE REST OF THE DAY TO KIND OF GO AND ENJOY THE FESTIVAL AND THEN COME BACK TO THOSE CHAIRS LATER IN THE EVENING AS THEY WISH.
UM, WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND WHAT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT OR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS REALLY NOTICED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS IS AS INDIVIDUALS COME TO THE FESTIVAL AND THEY SET THOSE CHAIRS UP IN THAT DESIGNATED AMPHITHEATER AREA, IT'S CREATING LINES OF ATTENDEES IN THE FESTIVAL AS WE PROCEED THROUGHOUT THE EVENING, AND WE BRING ON OUR NATIONAL HEADLINERS AT THAT, IN THAT FESTIVAL ZONE.
THE NATURE OF THE CROWD IS TO NOT NECESSARILY PUSH, BUT MAKE THEIR WAY TOWARDS THE STAGE.
AND THAT'S CREATING A VERY UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE EXISTING CHAIRS IN THOSE AREA, UM, AREAS.
UM, OUR POLICE CHIEF, OUR FIRE CHIEF, OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM HAVE SAT DOWN AND COLLECTIVELY COME TOGETHER TO PROPOSE A CHANGE TO OUR POLICY THAT HOPEFULLY WOULD CREATE A VERY SECURE, SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL ATTENDEES OF THE FESTIVAL.
WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS WE WOULD ACTUALLY NOT ALLOW ANY PORTABLE CHAIRS OR COLLAPSIBLE CHAIRS, BLANKET SHEETS OR TOWEL IN THE ZONE CLOSEST TO THE AMPUTATE STAGE, WHICH IS HIGHLIGHTED HERE IN THE YELLOW SQUARE.
WE WOULD ONLY PROHIBIT THAT ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAYS ONLY.
SUNDAYS WOULD BE AN OPEN, UM, AREA THAT THEY COULD BRING CHAIRS INTO THAT PARTICULAR, UM, SPOT.
UH, WE WOULD LOOK TO INCREASE OUR SECURITY PERSONNEL TO COMMUNICATE AND IMPLEMENT THAT POLICY.
WE WOULD ALSO LOOK TO BRING IN ANOTHER CORRIDOR FENCING IN THAT AREA THAT WOULD CLEARLY, UM, SHOW INDIVIDUALS ATTENDING EXACTLY WHERE THAT SPACE WOULD START, WHERE THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO PUT CHAIRS.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE WE WOULD LOOK PRE FESTIVAL TO COMMUNICATE ON ALL OF OUR PLATFORMS TO ALL OF OUR ATTENDEES, THAT THIS IS A NEW POLICY THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO IMPLEMENT IN 2024.
UH, THAT COMMUNICATION WOULD COME ACROSS OUR WEBSITE.
IT WOULD BE ON THE PHYSICAL TICKETS ITSELF.
WE WOULD PUT ON ALL OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ATTENDEES KNEW EXACTLY WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN THEY ATTENDED THE FESTIVAL.
UM, ESSENTIALLY THIS WOULD BE A POLICY THAT WE WOULD IMPLEMENT ONLY IN THE AMPHITHEATER AREA.
UM, HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, WE HAVE NOT SEEN A HUGE, UM, IMPACT ON, UM, CHAIRS BEING IN THE LOCATION OF THE PLAZA STAGE.
UM, SO WE WOULD LOOK TO JUST IMPLEMENT THIS IN THE AMPHITHEATER AREA.
AND ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT DATES TO KEEP ON YOUR RADAR FOR NEXT YEAR.
OUR TICKETS ARE LOOKING TO GO ON SALE WITH JUST OUR THREE DAY PACKAGE ONLY FEBRUARY 16TH, WE'RE SLATED TO ANNOUNCE OUR ACTUAL LINEUP FOR NEXT YEAR'S FESTIVAL, AS WELL AS GOING AHEAD AND, AND RELEASING ALL OF OUR
[01:55:01]
TICKETS FOR SALE NEXT YEAR.AND THEN, OF COURSE, OUR FESTIVAL DATES FOR 2024 ARE MAY 17TH THROUGH THE 19TH.
ANY QUESTIONS? COUNSEL? ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I THINK WE'RE GOOD.
[D. REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE INVESTMENT POLICY]
WE'LL GO TO ITEM D, REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE INVESTMENT POLICY.UH, MAYOR, UH, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, UH, TODD, UH, TODD, EXCUSE ME, TODD STRO.
AND, UH, OUR DIRECTOR, ANITA CATHERINE IS HERE, UH, TONIGHT, UH, TO SHARE WITH YOU AN IMPORTANT ANNUAL BRIEFING, UH, THAT'LL HELP US, UH, STAY, UH, MEET OUR, UH, STATUTORY REQUIREMENT OF, UH, REVIEWING YOUR, UM, UH, INVESTMENT POLICY ANNUALLY.
AND, UH, THIS YEAR, WHILE WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UM, UH, NOTEWORTHY CHANGES, UH, COMING OUT OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION OR OTHERWISE, IT'S STILL AN IMPORTANT, UH, UM, UM, BRIEFING TO, UH, COMPLETE THAT REQUIREMENT OF THE ANNUAL CHECKOFF BY THE COUNCIL.
SO, TODD, I'LL THROW IT OVER TO YOU FOR FURTHER BRIEFING.
MR. DUBY SHA AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
SO AS DON SET THE STAGE FOUR, WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS, UH, OUR INVESTMENT POLICY.
SO THIS IS AN ANNUAL REVIEW PROCESS THAT WE DO, UM, TO ENSURE DO WE NEED TO MAKE ANY CHANGES OR IF NOT RATIFY THE EXISTING POLICY.
UM, I'M GONNA GO OVER AND QUICKLY TOUCH ON ALL THE MAJOR POLICY GUIDELINES, UM, AND THEN BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
SO, FIRST OF ALL, FOREMOST STATE LAW, UM, HAS A PUBLIC FUNDS INVESTMENT ACT, WHICH DICTATES, UM, THE TYPES OF THINGS WE ARE ABLE TO INVEST OUR RESOURCES IN.
UM, IT HAS ALLOWABLE INVESTMENTS AS WELL AS THE THINGS THAT WE CANNOT INVEST IN.
UM, AND WITHIN THE PFIA, THE PUBLIC FUNDS INVESTMENT ACT, IT ALSO DICTATES THAT WE NEED TO REVIEW THE POLICY ANNUALLY, UM, WHICH IS PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TONIGHT.
THERE IS AN INVESTMENT COMMITTEE AT THE CITY OF RICHARDSON.
SO, UM, IT CONSISTS OF FOUR KEY MEMBERS.
SO KENT, OUR CFO, UH, ANITA, OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, MYSELF, AND THEN OUR CONTROLLER, HERMAN CHAVEZ.
UM, OUR, OUR KEY ROLES ARE TO MONITOR DAILY LIQUIDITY.
SO IF WE NEED TO MAKE ANY SORT OF TRADES MOVE MONEY TO ENSURE WE HAVE, UM, CASH FOR OPERATIONS AND CAPITAL PROJECTS, WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
WE ALSO MONITOR THE PORTFOLIO TO SEE IF WE NEED TO MAKE ANY, UH, STRATEGIC CHANGES FOR HOW WE'RE INVESTING THE MONEY.
UM, AS WELL, THE CITY HAS AN INVESTMENT ADVISOR, HILLTOP, AND THEY HELP YOU, UM, PROVIDE AN AS ACCESS TO A POOL OF, UH, BROKERS AND DEALERS TO, UM, HELP WITH OUR, UH, INVESTMENT, UM, ACTIVITIES.
THEY ALSO, UM, PROVIDE UPDATES ON THE ECONOMY.
EVERY WEEK I LISTEN TO A PHONE CALL IN AND THEY WALK THROUGH KEY DATA POINTS OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE MARKET AND HELP PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, TO CITY STAFF FOR INVESTING.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT OUR INVESTMENT ADVISOR, THEY ADVISE THEY DO NOT MAKE INVESTMENT DECISIONS.
THOSE ARE ALL MADE BY CITY STAFF.
SO ANOTHER THING THAT THE COMMITTEE DOES IS WE, UM, ANNUALLY REVIEW AND MONITOR, UH, THE POLICY ITSELF.
UH, AS DAWN MENTIONED, WE ENSURE ARE THERE ANY SORT OF LEGISLATIVE CHANGES THAT, UM, WE NEED TO INCORPORATE IN OUR POLICY.
UH, WE LOOK AT WHAT THE MARKET'S DOING TO SEE IF OUR POLICY IS FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CHANGES IN, UH, INTEREST RATES, UH, BOTH UP AND DOWN.
AND THEN WE MONITOR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, FROM OUR INVESTMENT ADVISOR, BOTH REGARDING THE POLICY AND ANY STRATEGIC, UH, DECISIONS WE WANNA MAKE WITH OUR INVESTMENTS.
AND THEN WE FACILITATE AN OUTSIDE REVIEW OF THE POLICY ITSELF.
NOW THEY LEFT, SO I CAN'T GIVE THEM THIS JOKE, BUT WE DIDN'T GET 29 AWARDS, BUT WE DID GET JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, OUR 13TH, UH, AWARD FROM THE GOVERNMENT TREASURER'S ORGANIZATION AT TEXAS WHERE IT'S THE CERTIFICATE OF IT DISTINCTION FOR OUR INVESTMENT POLICY.
AND IT'S REALLY THE STANDARD THAT SAYS WE'VE GOT A, A HIGH QUALITY INVESTMENT POLICY AND CONFORMS WITH STATE LAW AND BEST PRACTICES.
WE GOT THAT FOR THE 13TH TIME, IT'S GOOD FOR TWO YEARS.
SO IN 2025, WE'LL BE, UH, RESUBMITTING FOR THAT.
AGAIN, STATE LAW AS WELL AS OUR POLICY, UM, UH, LAYS OUT THE ORDER OF IMPORTANCE.
FIRST AND FOREMOST IS PRESERVATION OF CAPITAL.
UM, SO WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ONLY INVESTING IN THE HIGHEST QUALITY INCOME PRODUCING SECURITIES.
SO SAFETY IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR INVESTMENTS ARE LADDERED TO MATCH OUR CASH FLOW NEEDS.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE FUNDS WHEN WE NEED THEM FOR OPERATIONS OR FOR CAPITAL, UH, IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THEN FINALLY, AS YIELD, WE DO BENCHMARK AGAINST THE, UH, 13 WEEK TREASURY, UH, BILL AS OUR GOAL OVER, OVER THE PERIOD OF UPS AND DOWNS OF THE ECONOMY.
[02:00:01]
AND BEAT THAT FOR ALLOWABLE INVESTMENTS FROM OUR POLICY.UH, IT ALLOWS FOR US TREASURIES AND FEDERAL AGENCY OBLIGATIONS.
DOES NOT INCLUDE MORTGAGE BACKED OBLIGATIONS.
UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT POOLS OF WHICH WE, UM, PARTICIPATE IN THREE OF THEM.
AND THEN ALSO MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUNDS.
UH, WE'RE ABLE TO INVEST IN CDS AS WELL AS HIGHLY RATED BONDS ISSUED BY, UH, OTHER STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
THERE ARE SOME INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO INVEST IN, UM, FOR OUR POLICY.
UH, ONE IS BAKER'S ACCEPTANCES.
UH, THERE'S BOND MUTUAL FUNDS, UH, MORTGAGE BACKED SECURITIES OR COLLATERALIZED MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS AS WELL AS COMMERCIAL PAPER.
FROM A DIVERSIFICATION STANDPOINT, AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, UM, WE, LIKE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THE MATURITIES OF OUR SECURITIES MATCH OUR CASH FLOW NEEDS.
SO WE DO A LADDER APPROACH WHERE EVERY MONTH WE HAVE, UH, A SET AMOUNT MATURING SO THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE ACCESS TO THAT CAPITAL.
UM, AS WELL THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT POOLS, WE HAVE SAME DAY LIQUIDITY.
IF WE EVER NEED TO MOVE MONEY IN, WE HAVE ACCESS THE SAME DAY TO THAT.
AND THEN THE POLICY DOES INCLUDE SOME LIMITS ON CERTAIN TYPES OF INVESTMENTS JUST TO PROVIDE THAT LEVEL OF DIVERSIFICATION.
SO THERE ARE SOME LIMITATIONS ON THE AMOUNT WE CAN PUT ON ANY ONE POOL IN CDS AS WELL AS IN THE, UH, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT BONDS COLLATERALIZATION.
SO ALL OF OUR, UH, FUNDS THAT ARE IN OUR, UH, DEPOSITORY BANK, UH, CURRENTLY BANK OF AMERICA IS, UH, EITHER FDIC INSURED OR COLLATERALIZED.
UM, THE BANK CAN EITHER, UH, PLEDGE SECURITIES, UH, TO THE CITY IN THE EVENT OF BANK FAILURE.
SO WE'RE MADE WHOLE ON THAT MONEY.
OR THEY CAN PURCHASE A LETTER OF CREDIT FROM THE FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK.
UM, THAT'S WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IS WE'VE GOT A STANDBY LETTER OF CREDIT, UH, WITH THE FHLB AND THEN MORTGAGE BACKED SECURITIES, WHICH WE CANNOT INVEST IN INDIRECTLY, UH, THAT CAN BE USED AS COLLATERAL BY THE CITY'S DEPOSITORY BANK.
SO THIS REALLY INVOLVES OUR INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS.
SO WE HAVE A THIRD PARTY BANK THAT, UM, THEY FACILITATE WHAT'S KNOWN AS A DELIVERY VERSUS PAYMENT, UH, TRANSACTION PROCESS WHERE THEY HOLD OUR SECURITIES AND WHEN WE PURCHASE THEM, THEY ENSURE THAT THE, BEFORE THE MONEY LEAVES THE ACCOUNT, WE RECEIVE THE SECURITY WE WERE BUYING.
SO IT'S TO MAKE SURE THEY FACILITATE THAT TRANSACTION.
SO WE'RE NEVER, WE'RE NEVER SENDING MONEY WAITING TO GET THE SECURITY.
IT'S, IT'S ALL DONE AT THE SAME TIME.
HILLTOP, WHICH IS OUR INVESTMENT ADVISOR PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, UM, THEY PROVIDE US ACCESS TO, UH, A VERY LARGE EXTENSIVE LIST OF BROKER DEALERS, UH, 27 CURRENTLY ON THEIR LIST, INCLUDING 10 PRIMARY DEALERS WHO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP DIRECTLY WITH THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK IN NEW YORK.
AND THEN, AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, WE ALSO HAVE THREE DIFFERENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT POOLS THAT WE UTILIZE AS WELL AS ONE MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUND COMPANY, AND FOR THE MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUND, AND ALL THREE LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT POOLS.
UH, WE HAVE SAME DAY LIQUIDITY WITH THAT.
SO IF WE EVER NEED TO ACCESS FUNDS, WE CAN GET IT SAME DAY WE GET IT WIRED IN OR OUT.
A FEW OTHER ITEMS COVERED BY THE POLICY.
SO THERE ARE SOME MANDATORY TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL INVESTMENT OFFICIALS.
SO ALL THE FOUR I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED THAT ARE ON THE COMMITTEE.
UM, WITHIN 12 MONTHS OF ENTERING A POST AND TAKING ON INVESTMENT RESPONSIBILITIES, YOU HAVE TO ATTEND TRAINING.
AND THEN EVERY TWO YEARS THEREAFTER, YOU HAVE TO TAKE SOME ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT SPECIFIC TRAINING JUST TO MAKE SURE WE ARE UP TO DATE ON ALL THINGS INVESTMENTS.
AND THEN FROM A TRANSPARENCY STANDPOINT, UM, ON CORE.NET, WE HAVE, UH, OUR INVESTMENT POLICY THAT'S OUT THERE TODAY FOR ANYBODY TO SEE, AS WELL AS THE LAST FOUR YEARS WORTH OF QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANYBODY TO DOWNLOAD AND ACCESS.
SO NEXT STEPS, UM, WE DO NOT, THE INVESTMENT COMMITTEE HAS REVIEWED THE POLICY.
UM, IT DO NOT RECOMMEND ANY CHANGES AT THIS TIME.
THERE WEREN'T ANY, UM, CHANGES TO STATE LAW THAT WOULD, UH, REQUIRE ANY SORT OF MAJOR CHANGES.
UM, WE FEEL THAT THE POLICY IS HELPED TO POSITION US TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FLUCTUATIONS IN, IN RATES, UH, WHETHER IT'S UP OR DOWN.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TWO RESOLUTIONS UP FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION NEXT WEEK.
UH, THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, RATIFYING THE POLICY, UM, AS PREVIOUSLY IN PLACE.
AND THEN THE SECOND ONE IS, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF A HOUSEKEEPING RESOLUTION.
SO ONE OF OUR INVESTMENT POOLS, UH, TEXT POOL REQUIRES A COUNCIL RESOLUTION FOR SOMEBODY TO BE ABLE TO, UH, DO TRANSACTIONS.
AND SO, AS YOU KNOW, ANITA'S NEWER TO THE CITY.
SO, UH, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO GET THAT IN FRONT OF YOU TO, UM, TO MAKE HER AUTHORIZED TO DO TRANSACTIONS FOR THE POOLS IF, IF THE OTHER INVESTMENT OFFICIALS ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO, TO MOVE MONEY.
AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
COUNSEL, ANY QUESTIONS MR. CORCORAN? UH, JUST
[02:05:01]
ONE REAL QUICKLY, COULD YOU REMIND US WHAT MONEY, UM, GETS INVESTED? UH, YEAH, THAT'S, SURE.SO WE'VE GOT FOUR KEY BUCKETS.
SO WE'VE GOT OUR OPERATING FUND.
UM, IN GENERAL, WE HAVE A BUCKET FOR ALL OF OUR OPERATIONS.
UM, THEN WE'VE GOT, UH, THAT WE HAVE MATURITIES GOING OUT, UM, AS MUCH AS UP TO A YEAR AND A HALF OUT, UM, FOR OUR WEIGHTED AVERAGE MATURITY, BUT CAN DO IT UP TO THREE YEARS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF THAT WE'RE NEEDING EVERY MONTH.
WE KIND OF ASSESS WHAT OUR BALANCES ARE AND SAY, OKAY, DO WE NEED TO MOVE FUNDS IN OR CAN WE ROLL THAT, REINVEST THAT, UH, THOSE FUNDS.
THEN WE'VE GOT OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND, WHICH IS ALL OF OUR BOND PROCEEDS.
AND FOR THAT, WE'RE TRYING TO MATCH THE MATURITY TO WHEN WE HAVE NEEDS FOR THAT CASH BASED ON, UH, THE FREQUENCY OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS AND HOW WE'RE, HOW QUICKLY OR SLOWLY WE'RE SPENDING THAT MONEY.
UM, WE'VE ALSO GOT, UH, DEBT SERVICE AND THEN OUR RESERVE OR DEPOSIT FUNDS FOR THE DEBT SERVICE AND FOR THE RESERVE OR DEPOSIT FUNDS.
THOSE WE KEEP IN, WE DON'T PUT THOSE IN LONGER TERM MATURITIES 'CAUSE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT AS NEEDED.
UM, SO THOSE WE KEEP IN LIKE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT POOLS WHERE WE HAVE SAME DAY LIQUIDITY, BUT THOSE ARE THE FOUR BIG BUCKETS I WOULD SAY.
MM-HMM,
TODD, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
[E. REVIEW AND DISCUSS SHERRILL PARK GOLF COURSE 2, THE ANIMAL SHELTER, AND FIRE STATION 5 PROJECT UPDATES]
TO ITEM E REVIEW AND DISCUSS CHERYL PARK GOLF COURSE NUMBER TWO, THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND FIRE STATION FIVE PROJECT UPDATES.OUR DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL PROJECTS AND ENGINEERING, JIM, DO LIKE, IS GONNA GIVE THIS BRIEFING.
BUT I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, SONA PEN DEKAR AND A DONNY FAM FROM AECOM, OUR PARTNERS ON THIS PROJECT, UH, ON ALL THREE OF THESE PROJECTS.
UM, THESE ARE, UH, THREE OF YOUR, UH, ACTION ITEMS, YOUR TACTICS THAT WE HAD IDENTIFIED IN TERMS OF BEING IMPORTANT TO, UH, COMMENCE WITH HERE, UH, IN EARLY 2024.
UM, YOU MAY RECALL PREVIOUSLY, UH, IN OCTOBER OF 2022, WE BROUGHT, UH, THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND THE FIRE STATION.
AT THAT TIME, YOU AUTHORIZED US TO EXPAND THE ORIGINAL BOND PROGRAM SCOPE.
SO WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT, TALK ABOUT HOW THOSE BIDS, UH, CAME IN BASED ON, UM, THAT EXPANDED SCOPE AND THEN PRESENT TO YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL ALTERNATIVES THAT WE THINK, UH, IT'S VERY PRUDENT TO, UH, HAVE YOU KIND OF CONSIDER THESE AND, AND THINK THROUGH THEM WITH US, UM, BECAUSE THOSE HAVE BUDGET IMPACTS AS WELL.
UH, THE GOOD NEWS IS, UH, UH, TO TODD'S POINT A SECOND AGO, UM, WITH INTEREST RATES BEING STRONGER, UH, UH, THIS, THESE, UH, PAST, UH, YEAR AND, AND A FEW MONTHS, UM, WE HAVE SAVINGS FROM, UH, OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE CAN PARTNER WITH SOME OF THOSE, UH, HIGHER, UH, INTEREST EARNINGS AS WELL AS THE, UH, PROJECT CONTINGENCY THAT YOU AUTHORIZED LAST YEAR AS WE, UH, CONCLUDED, UH, WITH THE FOURTH QUARTER BUDGET REPORT.
AND, UH, COUNCILMAN HUNTER, I IS, UH, YOU, UH, UH, THINK IN THE THROES OF TWO MAJOR PROJECTS YOURSELF, UH, THAT REALLY WARNED ABOUT THE ESCALATION IN SOME OF THE CONSTRUCTION, UH, COST PRESSURES.
AND SO WE PUT THAT CONTINGENCY TO THE SIDE AND SO WE CAN COVER, UH, THE DELTA ON, UH, BOTH THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND THE FIRE STATION FIVE PROJECT UTILIZING THAT STRATEGY.
AND SO, UH, JIM'S DONE A GOOD JOB OF PUTTING TOGETHER A FEW SLIDES TO SHOW, UH, AND TO TELL THIS STORY.
AND THEN WE'LL CONCLUDE, UH, WITH, UH, TALKING ABOUT, UH, SHELL PARK WITH WHICH, UH, SINCE OUR CFO HERE IS OVER IT, YOU WON'T BE SURPRISED, IS ON BUDGET
I AM, THANK YOU MR. MAGNER AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE BACK TO YOU TO PROVIDE THE UPDATES THAT, UH, DON WAS MENTIONING.
UH, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN ON QUITE A JOURNEY THIS YEAR WITH THE FIRE STATION AND THE ANIMAL SHELTER PROJECT AS WELL AS CHERYL PARK.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO FINALLY BRING THEM TO YOU WITH SOME PROGRESS UPDATES.
AND I'LL, I'LL JUMP RIGHT INTO THE FIRE STATION AND ANIMAL SHELTER PROJECT.
WE WERE HERE A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO IN OCTOBER, UH, MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, AT THE TIME A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK DELIVERY METHOD THAT WE THOUGHT WAS GOING TO PROVIDE US THE BEST OVERALL VALUE AND, UH, HELP US THROUGH THE COMPLETION OF THE DESIGN PROCESS AND, AND GO FORWARD WITH CONSTRUCTION.
AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCESS, UH, WORKING THROUGH SOME OF THE CONSTRUCTABILITY HELP AND THE ESTIMATING THAT THEY WERE PROVIDING, UH, WE REALLY WERE STRUGGLING TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE FROM SOME OF THE, JUST THE, THE, AS YOU'LL SEE, ESPECIALLY ON THE ANIMAL SHELTER PROJECT, THE, THE COST ESTIMATING AND THE, AND THE ANTICIPATED PRESSURES ON THOSE PROJECTS.
AND WE REALLY, AS A TEAM CAME BACK AND DECIDED THAT, UH, IT WOULD BE BEST FOR THEM TO CONTINUE HELPING US THROUGH THE PRE-CONSTRUCTION SERVICES.
BUT THAT THE BEST WAY FOR US TO PROCEED WITH BOTH OF THE FIRE STATION AND THE ANIMAL SHELTER PROJECTS WAS TO CHANGE THE DELIVERY METHOD TO A CONSTRUCTION MAN OR TO A, I'M SORRY, TO A, A, A COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSAL PROCESS FROM CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK.
SO THE CONS, UH, COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSAL
[02:10:01]
PROCESS IS A WAY THAT WE HARD BID THE JOB.IT'S NOT, UH, AN, UH, NOT TO EXCEED, UH, IT IS A, IS A FIXED FEE CONTRACT WITH THE CONTRACTOR AS OPPOSED TO, UM, THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK PROCESS THAT ALLOWS US TO WORK WITH THEIR FEE ON TOP OF ACTUAL COSTS AND, AND ANY SAVINGS COME BACK TO US THAT ARE IDENTIFIED THROUGHOUT THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
SO THE COMPETITIVE SEAL PROPOSAL IS, UH, A, A LITTLE BIT, UM, MORE COMPETITIVE WITH OUR, WITH A LOT MORE SMALLER CONTRACTORS.
AND WE FELT THAT THAT WAS THE BETTER WAY TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT.
UH, IT ALLOWS US TO LOOK AT BOTH QUALITATIVE, UH, COMPONENTS FOR THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE BIDDING ON THE WORK, AS WELL AS THE QUANTITATIVE, THE PRICE OF THE JOB.
AND SO, UH, WITH THE BIDDING PROCESS THAT WE JUST CONCLUDED AT THE IN OCTOBER AND WE'RE SCRUBBING THROUGH THE BIDS AND WORKING WITH THE, UH, WITH, UM, JC COMMERCIAL, THEY PROVIDED US NOT ONLY THE LOWEST BID, UH, THEY HAD THE HIGHEST OVERALL SCORE FOR BOTH IN OUR RATING PROCESS.
UH, AND JC COMMERCIAL ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTED FIRE STATION NUMBER TWO FOR US BACK IN 2009, THE ANIMAL SHELTER EDITION.
AS WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE PROGRESS AND, AND, AND WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, UH, JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON WHAT THE PROJECT ENTAILS AND RECALL THAT IT WAS IN THE 21 BOND PROGRAM WITH OUR PROJECT GOAL OF CONSTRUCTING A NEW ENTRANCE ON NORTH FACADE ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE BUILDING THAT WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE THE VISIBLE SIDE OF THE BUILDING FACING MORE TOWARDS PLANO ROAD.
AND IT WOULD PROVIDE A MORE APPEALING WALKUP AND ACCESS FOR VISITORS AND, AND, UH, UM, PEOPLE USING THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
AND SO THIS IS A FLOOR PLAN LOOKING DOWN ON TOP OF IT, SHOWING THE AREAS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY CONTEMPLATED IN THE 21 BOND SCOPE.
WE CAME BACK TO YOU AS MR. MAGNER MENTIONED IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, AND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE PRICE PRESSURES THEN, UH, THAT WE COULD NOT AFFORD TO DO AS MUCH OF THE INTERIOR AS WE WERE CONTEMPLATING.
UM, AND WE WANTED TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN OPEN DRAWING AND AN OPEN SETTING, UH, MORE ATTRACTIVE SETTING.
AND COUNCIL IN OCTOBER OF 22 AUTHORIZED US TO ENHANCE OUR STAFF OFFICE EXPANSION AND RENOVATION SCOPE.
UH, WE ALSO IDENTIFIED THE NEED AND THE BENEFITS OF, OF PUTTING IN A GENERATOR FOR THE FACILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THE POWER IS OUT, SUCH AS DURING COLD WEATHER OR EVEN EXTREME HOT WEATHER, WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THE 24 7 OCCUPANTS AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
UH, AS WELL AS REFRESHING AND EXPANDING THE SCOPE TO INCLUDE THE PUBLIC RESTROOMS AND STAFF RESTROOMS SO THAT IT WOULD MATCH THE NEW DECOR AND, AND ARCHITECTURAL WORK INSIDE.
UH, THESE ARE THE RENDERINGS THAT WE PRESENTED LAST FALL, JUST AS A REMINDER, UH, AND THIS IS A GOOD SCOPE OF THAT EXPANDED SCOPE FOR ALLOWING FOR A MORE ATTRACTIVE OPENING FOR THE, FOR TRANSACTIONS TO OCCUR IN THE FRONT LOBBY SPACE.
SINCE WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH CENTENNIAL CONSTRUCTION OR DURING THE, UH, DESIGN PROCESS AND GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE CONSTRUCTABILITY REVIEWS, ONE OF THE THINGS WE TOOK A HARD LOOK AT WAS HOW DO WE BUILD THIS PROJECT SUCCESSFULLY, KEEP THE BUILDING OPEN? AND WE WORKED THROUGH A NUMBER OF WAYS WHERE WE THOUGHT WE COULD TRY TO KEEP THE EXISTING FACILITY STAGED IN DIFFERENT, IN SEQUENCES TO KEEP THE BUILDING OPEN IN THE MINIMAL COST.
WHAT WE ACTUALLY DETERMINED WAS IT REALLY WAS NOT FEASIBLE AND IT WOULD BE FASTER AND MORE COST EFFECTIVE TO BE ABLE TO TURN THE WHOLE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OVER TO THE CONTRACTOR ON THE NORTH END OF THE BUILDING.
AND WE'VE WORKED WITH THE CENTENNIAL TO PUT TOGETHER A TEMPORARY FACILITIES, UH, LAYOUT HERE THAT YOU'LL SEE ON THIS MAP ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER.
AND IDENTIFYING THE, UH, SHORT TERM RENTAL FOR APPROXIMATELY 12 MONTHS OF, OF THE TRAILERS THAT WOULD BECOME THE STAFF OFFICE SPACES AND WOULD BE WHERE THE PUBLIC TRANSAC TRANSACTIONS OCCUR, IT WOULD STILL ALLOW ACCESS THROUGH THE BACK OF THE, OF THE ANIMAL SHELTER INTO THE KENNEL AND, AND ANIMAL ROOMS. AND SO THIS IS WHAT WE'VE DETERMINED TO BE, UH, WHAT WE RECOMMEND THE BEST AND SAFEST WAY FOR THIS BUILDING TO STAY OPEN AND SECURE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN, IN THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE MANNER.
WE ALSO BEGAN TO CONSIDER THE ADDITION OF A FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM.
UH, THE ANIMAL SHELTER IS NOT CURRENTLY SPRINKLED, AND IT'S NOT REQUIRED BY CODE.
UH, BUT THIS IS THE MOST OPPORTUNE TIME WITH THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TO CONSIDER SPRINKLING THIS BUILDING AND TO ADD THAT, UH, THAT ADDITIONAL LEVEL OF PROTECTION, UH, AND SAFETY FOR THE BUILDING.
AND THEN IN THE PROCESS OF CONTEMPLATING ALL OF THOSE CHANGES TO THE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM AND TO THE BUILDING ADDITIONS, UH, WE WERE LOOKING AT, UM, MAKING THE, UH, FIRE ALARM THE EXISTING SYSTEM, WHICH IS TIED TO, UH, THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS TIED TO THE STORAGE BUILDING THAT IS ACTUALLY LOCATED, UM, ALMOST FOUR OR 500 FEET SOUTH OF THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
THEY, THEY SHARE THE SAME FIRE PANEL AND IT'S JUST BEST PRACTICES TODAY FOR BUILDINGS TO HAVE THEIR OWN PANELS.
AND WE'RE WANTING TO GO BACK AND MAKE SURE THAT WE SET UP, UH, THIS NEW RENOVATED FACILITY AND OUR, AND OUR STORAGE BUILDING WITH, WITH THE BEST PANEL FIRE PANEL AND, UH, SECURITY SITUATION.
AND THEN WE ALSO INCLUDED, UH, THE STAFF BREAK ROOM AREA THAT YOU SEE THERE IN THE, IN THE GREEN SHADED ZONE.
UH, JUST A, A MINOR TOUCH UP OF THAT FOR FRESH PAINT AND, AND NEW TRIM AROUND THE BASEBOARDS JUST TO MAKE THAT SPACE MATCH AND, AND TIE AND TIE INTO THE REST OF THE FACILITY THAT, THAT WE'RE IMPROVING.
SO THOSE ARE, ARE SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL SCOPE THAT WE CONTEMPLATED.
AND THESE ARE BASED ON THE PRICING, UH, THAT WE DID RECEIVE FROM JC COMMERCIAL THROUGH THEIR BID PROCESS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR ORIGINAL BUDGET
[02:15:01]
THAT WE PRESENTED BACK IN 21 OF, OF $2.5 MILLION, UH, OCTOBER OF 22, THAT EXPANDED TO $3.23 MILLION TO COVER THOSE, UH, ENHANCED, UH, EXPANSION AND RENOVATION SCOPE AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC STAFF RESTROOM REFRESH ON THE GENERATOR.UH, WE RECEIVED BIDS FROM JC COMMERCIAL BACK IN OCTOBER.
UM, AND THAT BASIC SCOPE WITH WITHOUT IN CRUDE LEADING ANY OF THAT ADDITIONAL WORK THAT WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING, UH, ACTUALLY IT CAME IN AT THREE ROSE BROUGHT OUR OVERALL BUDGET UP TO $3.977 MILLION.
SO WE'RE ABOUT $750,000 OFF ON JUST TRYING TO ESTABLISH AND ACCOMPLISH THAT BASE SCOPE.
UH, IF WE WANTED TO CONTEMPLATE SOME OF THOSE ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING, WE WOULD BE ADDING ALMOST ANOTHER $400,000 WORTH OF WORK BRINGING THAT TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET UP TO $4,363,000 FOR THOSE ADDITIONAL ALTERNATE SCOPES, UH, IF WE DEEM THEM, UH, WORTHY OF, OF INCLUDING, WE DO HAVE A PLAN, AS MR. WAGNER NOTED.
UM, OUR 21 BOND PROGRAM FUNDING IS OBVIOUSLY STILL THE LION'S SHARE OF THIS FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT.
WE DID FUND THE GENERATORS LAST FALL WHEN WE APPROVED THAT BUDGET.
AND THEN THESE OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, AS MR. MAGNER MENTIONED, ARE A COMBINATION OF SAVINGS ON OLD PROJECTS THAT HAVE ACCUMULATED A LOT OF INTEREST EARNINGS ON THOSE SAVINGS THAT ACCRUED, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE FUNDING THAT THAT WAS SET ASIDE LAST FALL FOR, UH, CONTINGENCY ON OUR 21 BOND PROGRAM PROJECTS.
SO, UH, APPROXIMATELY $1.6 MILLION IN, IN THOSE OTHER FUNDING SOURCES COMBINED TO, TO GIVE US THE ABILITY IF WE WANT TO FUND ALL OF THIS WORK.
MOVING ON TO FIRE STATION NUMBER FIVE, A REMINDER AGAIN OF THE SCOPE ON THIS PROJECT.
UH, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
IF YOU COULD GO BACK, GO BACK TO YOUR, TO YOUR PLAN UPRIGHT.
UM, FIRST OFF, THE GENERATOR AT 2 75, IS THAT LARGE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT BOTH THE HVAC BOTH IN SUMMER AND WINTER? YES.
SO, AND AND DOES THAT INCLUDE THE ANIMAL YES.
UM, AND DOES THAT INCLUDE AUTOMATIC SWITCHGEAR AS WELL? YES.
OR IS IT A MANUAL? IT'S AN AUTOMATIC.
UM, AND THEN THE FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM THAT IS, THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING THERE, I'M SURE IT'LL COVER THE OFFICES.
WILL IT ALSO COVER THE ANIMAL SECTION AS WELL? TO PROTECT, OKAY, FANTASTIC.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE WERE GOING TO EXPEND THAT MONEY, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE AS TO THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT OUR, THAT THE ANIMALS THAT ARE, THAT WE'RE HOUSING IN THERE WOULD BE PROTECTED BY ALL OF THOSE, AND I ASSUME THE FIRE ALARM SYSTEM WOULD BE AS WELL.
I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE CAN, I WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT THAT JUST CON CONCERNED.
JUST, I WANNA MAKE SURE I DIDN'T HEAR YOU MISSPEAK.
UM, YOU SAID THAT THE, IN THE INTEREST EARNINGS THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE PROPOSED FUNDING SOLUTION FOR THIS ARE INTEREST EARNINGS JUST ON THE SAVINGS FROM THOSE OTHER PROJECTS PRIMARILY? YES.
I KNOW THIS IS SORT OF A CRAZY OVERRUN, BUT I JUST WANNA VOICE MY, MY SUPPORT FOR IT.
FOLKS OVER AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER, UH, WORK REALLY HARD AND $9,000 PROBABLY DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A LOT, BUT THEY QUITE LITERALLY SLEEP IN THAT STAFF BREAK ROOM WHEN WE HAD THE WINTER STORM AND THEY HAD TO BE UP THERE AND WERE TAKING THEIR OWN SWEATSHIRTS TO PUT ON DOGS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE STAYING WARM.
THEY SLEPT ON THAT COUCH 24 HOURS A DAY.
THEY'RE TRULY PUBLIC SERVANTS.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO EXPAND THIS SCOPE AND REALLY, UH, MAKE IT A GREAT PLACE FOR THE STAFF TO WORK, UH, AND TO MAKE IT A COMFORTABLE PLACE.
AND AS COUNCILMAN HUTCHIN RIDER POINTED OUT, UH, A SAFE PLACE FOR OUR STAFF AND FOR, UM, THEIR TEMPORARY INHABITANTS THERE.
UM, I, I THINK THAT THIS IS VERY MUCH NEEDED AND I SUPPORT, UH, USING THIS, THESE SAVINGS IN ORDER TO EXPAND THE SCOPE AND TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
SO THANK YOU FOR GETTING CREATIVE AND, AND FUNDING IT.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO, TO SAY IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT AND, AND I SUPPORT ALL OF THESE, UH, ALTERNATES BEING FUNDED.
AS YOU LOOK AT THIS, UH, DIAGRAM HERE, THE GREEN, I GUESS THOSE ARE CORRIDORS TO GET BACK TO THE DIFFERENT PLACES.
ARE THOSE COVERED? ARE THOSE CONTAINED, THOSE ARE NOT PROPOSED TO BE COVERED AT THIS TIME.
UH, WE WOULD, THERE IS SOME COVERS IN THE BACK BEHIND THE, THE KENNEL AREA THAT IT WOULDN'T TAKE LONG FOR THEM TO GO FROM, FROM THE TRAILER.
UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA PUT A, A WHOLE CUT OF A RECTANGULAR DOOR THROUGH THE SCREENING WALL THAT, THAT IS THE PERIMETER NOW TO PROVIDE THAT SECURE ACCESS AND, AND KEEP IT IN THERE.
BUT, UH, THEY'LL QUICKLY BE ABLE TO GET UNDER THE, THE AWNING THAT'S BEHIND THE, THE ANIMAL SHELTER TODAY.
BUT THE, THE, THE WALKWAY UP THE, UH, EAST SIDE OF THE, THAT GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO THE FRONT TOWARDS THE, TOWARDS THE, UH, ANIMAL ROOM THERE, UM, THAT IS NOT COVERED, NOR WILL IT BE PROPOSED.
I THINK THAT'S JUST MORE OF A, AN ALTERNATE WAY TO GET THROUGH.
IF IT'S RAINING OR ADVERSELY CON UH, WEATHER CONDITIONS.
THE MAJORITY OF THAT PATH WILL BE COVERED
[02:20:01]
INTO THE BUILDING ON THE SOUTH.SO THE GREEN IS JUST IDENTIFYING THE PATH.
IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT'S BUILT OR PHYSICAL THAT'S BEING PUT IN PLACE, NO, WILL BE CONSTRUCTING ON THE TEMPORARY TRAILER FACILITIES, UM, A DECK AND A, AND A RAMPED WALKWAY TO MAKE IT 80 ACCESSIBLE TO GET INTO THE AREA.
THAT WOULD THEN TAKE, PUT THEM IN THE YARD BEHIND THE ANIMAL SHELTER, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HAVE AN ACCESSIBLE ROUTE INTO THE BUILDING.
IF YOU WOULD TALK ABOUT THE SECURITY, THE GATE, THE BLOCKAGE TO, TO ENTER WHERE THE PUBLIC COULD NOT HAVE ACCESS TO IT.
THEY'LL BE CONSTRUCTING A GATE AND, AND AS PART OF THAT, UH, OPENING TO THE, TO THE WALL THAT'S THERE TODAY.
UH, SO IT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT STAFF WILL HAVE A KEY OR AN ACCESS TO TEMPORARY.
MR. RETTER, ONE LAST QUESTION.
SO HOW LONG WOULD THEY BE IN THE TEMPORARY FACILITIES? SO THE TEMPORARY FACILITIES WE EXPECT WILL TAKE A COUPLE MONTHS FOR THEM TO GET ALL SET UP AND TRANSITION INTO THEM, BUT THEY'LL BE IN THOSE FACILITIES FOR NINE TO 12 MONTHS.
SO IT'S A NINE TO 12, 12 MONTH TIMEFRAME TO DO THE, TO, TO DO THE INTERIOR AND THE ADDITION.
AND WILL THERE BE RESTROOMS IN THE TEMPORARY FACILITIES OR, YES.
THERE'LL BE RESTROOM FACILITIES THERE.
UH, IT'LL BE ACCESSIBLE AND, UH, SUITABLE FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR THE, FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER STAFF WORKING THERE.
BUT THE GENERATOR WOULDN'T BE TIED INTO IT, SO IT'D BE NOT YET, NO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE ANIMAL SHELTER? GREAT.
I'LL BOUNCE FORWARD TO THE FIRE STATION.
UH, FIRE STATION NUMBER FIVE WAS APPROVED IN THE 21 BOND PROGRAM AS WELL, SO THAT WE COULD CONSTRUCT AN ADDITION FOR AT INCREASING THE NUMBER OF BEDS FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS, UH, ADDING A FITNESS ROOM SO THAT THEY CAN WORK OUT, UH, IN A DEDICATED SPACE AS OPPOSED TO THE SPACE THAT THEY'VE BEEN USING IN THE APPARATUS BAY.
UH, WE CONTEMPLATED IN THE 21 BOND PROGRAM, UH, IF IT COULD BE AFFORDED AS AN ALTERNATE, UH, BUMPING OUT THE, UM, THE, TO THE WEST FOR THE BUNKER GEAR STORAGE TO ACCOMMODATE THE ADDITIONAL BOOTS AND GEAR FOR, FOR THE ADDED FIREFIGHTERS.
UM, WE CAME BACK TO YOU IN THE FALL OF LAST YEAR.
AT THE SAME TIME WE TALKED ABOUT THE ANIMAL SHELTER SCOPE AND WE IDENTIFIED, UH, THROUGH OUR ESTIMATING THEN, THAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT, UH, COST INCREASES AT THAT TIME.
UM, AND WE IDENTIFIED THOSE COST INCREASES AND GOT, UH, COUNCIL APPROVAL TO CONTINUE PROCEEDING WITH THAT.
UH, AS WELL AS TO GO AHEAD AND INCLUDE THE ADDITION OF THAT BUNKER GEAR STORAGE AS PART OF OUR BASE SCOPE AND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE, UH, GENERATOR AT FIRE STATION FIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS SIZED ADEQUATELY TO SUPPORT THE ENTIRE FACILITY, UH, MOVING FORWARD AND TO REPLACE, UH, AN AGING GENERATOR AT THAT FACILITY AS WELL.
UM, THE ENHANCED SCOPE OF WORK THAT WAS IMPROVED, UM, BROUGHT OUR BUDGET UP TO ABOUT $4.75 MILLION AND THE SECOND EDITION WAS APPROVED.
AND TO INSTALL THAT NEW EMERGENCY GENERATOR.
THIS IS A RENDERING OF WHAT THE BACK OF THAT FIRE STATION LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
AND THAT KIND OF OPEN PAD AREA WHERE THEY USED TO DRY HOSES ON THAT RACK.
THEY DON'T DRY HOSES ON THAT RACK ANYMORE.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE BETTER UTIS OF THAT SPACE.
WITH THE FITNESS ROOM ADDITION THAT YOU SEE THERE.
WE DID INCORPORATE SOME ADDITIONAL SCOPE AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH, AGAIN, THE CONSTRUCTABILITY PHASE AND THE DESIGN FINAL DESIGN.
UM, WE WORKED WITH OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, TO COME UP WITH A GREAT DESIGN FOR FILLING IN THAT POND AT THE BEGINNING, IN THE BEGINNING, UH, IN FRONT OF THE FIRE STATION.
UH, THAT LANDSCAPING AND THE PLANS FOR, FOR FILLING IN THAT POND, UM, LED US TO CONSIDER ADDING IRRIGATION AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE, OF THE FIRE STATION THAT IS NOT THERE TODAY.
UH, AND SO WE INCLUDED AN ALTERNATE TO GIVE US THAT, UH, ADDITIONAL CAPABILITY THAT NOW IS THE TIME IF WE'RE DOING THIS IRRIGATION WORK TO TIE THAT ALL IN AND TO MAKE THIS WORK TO COMPLETE THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM FOR THE PROPERTY.
AND WE ALSO WERE EVALUATING MORE CLOSELY THE CONDITION OF THE EXISTING AIR CONDITIONING UNITS THERE WITH THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WE'RE DOING INTERIOR TO THE FIRE STATION WITH THIS ENHANCED SCOPE.
UH, IT MADE SENSE FOR US TO GO AHEAD AND CONSIDER THESE REPLACING THESE UNITS THAT WERE REACHING THE END OF THEIR USEFUL LIFE.
UH, AND SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING AN ADDITION OF $57,000 FOR THE F FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM REPLACEMENTS, UH, AND $95,000 TO IN, UH, TO COMPLETE THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE SITE.
OUR BUDGET ON THIS, UH, WE HAD $3 MILLION APPROVED IN THE 21 BOND PROGRAM.
UH, OUR BASE SCOPE COST INCREASES WERE APPROXIMATELY $1.1 MILLION THAT WE BROUGHT FORWARD LAST FALL.
UH, WE APPROVED THOSE ALONG WITH THAT BUNKER GEAR STORAGE AT 3 75 AND THE ALTERNATE FOR THE GENERATOR AT 2 75, BRINGING OUR BUDGET AT THE TIME TO $4.75 MILLION.
THE BIDS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM JC COMMERCIAL, WHILE THEY WERE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN WE WOULD'VE LIKED, WE WERE STILL ABLE TO WORK WITHIN OUR CONTINGENCIES AND TO
[02:25:01]
FIT THEIR BASE SCOPE IN, UNDER, UNDER OUR BUDGET.UH, WE COULD PICK UP EITHER THE ALTERNATE FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING WORK OR FOR THE IRRIGATION AND STILL STAY BUDGET.
BUT TO PICK UP BOTH OF THEM, WE PUT US ABOUT $69,000 OVER BUDGET AND WE HAVE A FUNDING STRATEGY FOR US TO GO FORWARD WITH THAT AS WELL.
UH, THIS FUNDING STRATEGY FOR THE OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, UM, THE 1.54 WAS, UH, LARGELY A SIMILAR FUNDING STRATEGY THAT WE USED FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER SAVINGS FROM FIRE PROJECTS USE OF SOME OF THE FUNDS FOR THE, UM, FOR THE, FOR THE END OF YEAR SAVINGS THAT COULD BE PUT TOWARDS THE, THE BOND PROGRAM CONTINGENCY.
UM, BUT ALL OF THAT GOT US UP TO THE 4.7, UH, $5 MILLION AND WE ADDED THE 60, $69 MILLION OR $69,000 TO GET US UP TO 4.8, UH, MILLION AND $19,000 IF YOU, IF WE'RE WILLING TO SUPPORT THOSE TWO ALTERNATES.
SO, UM, THESE ARE THE TWO PROJECTS THAT, AND THE SUMMARY FOR THE FUNDING ON THE, ON THOSE PROJECTS AT THIS TIME.
AND THIS IS THE SCHEDULE THAT WE WERE JUST BRIEFLY DISCUSSING.
IT, IT ENCOMPASSES, UH, BOTH PROJECT SCHEDULE FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND FOR THE FIRE STATION.
WE'RE, UH, WITH COUNCIL CONSIDERATION AND INPUT.
UH, WE WILL COME BACK ON MONDAY NIGHT NEXT WEEK.
UH, IT'LL BE ON YOUR CONSENT AGENDA TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT FOR BOTH THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND THE FIRE STATION WITH JC COMMERCIAL.
UH, WE WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO EXECUTING THAT CONTRACT AND BEING UNDERWAY IN JANUARY OF NEXT YEAR AND, AND BEGINNING CONSTRUCTION IN EARLY FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR AND COMPLETION IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2025.
WHAT, ANY QUESTIONS? SURE, GO AHEAD.
THIS GENERATOR, WILL IT, WILL IT COVER AT THE SAME LEVEL? THE AND IT'S A TS YES, BUT IT'LL COVER HVAC FOR, IT'LL FOR THE FIRE STATION AS WELL.
IT HAS BEEN SIZED TO COVER BOTH THE FIRE STATION THERE AS WELL AS THE HANOCK, UH, BUILDING RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
AND THEN, IS IT PURELY TO INSTALL IRRIGATION OR WOULD WE ALSO LOOK TO ENHANCE SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE, UM, LANDSCAPING, LANDSCAPING AROUND THERE AS WELL? IT IS TO, RIGHT NOW IT'S TURF AROUND THE PERIMETER IN MANY PLACES, SOME HARDSCAPE.
SO WE WOULD BE PUTTING IN THE IRRIGATION JUST TO BETTER SUPPORT THE TURF AND TO HELP THE TURF BE A LITTLE MORE HEALTHY AND, AND VEG AND GREEN.
UH, THE PRIMARY BENEFITS TO THE LANDSCAPING WILL BE HAPPENING WHERE THE POND IS AND IN THE FRONT OF THE FIRE STATION.
I, I JUST DROVE AROUND IT TODAY 'CAUSE I WANTED TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE AND, AND THE TURF IS OBVIOUSLY BEEN AFFECTED NOT HAVING THE IRRIGATION, SO IT, IT KIND OF, THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING THE QUESTION IF WE DO ANYTHING AS A PART OF THE IRRIGATION, IF WE'D BE ABLE TO, TO, TO MY WORDS, BEEF UP THE TURF A LITTLE BIT OR, OR MAKE IT NICER.
I'M SURE THAT IF WE WORKED WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE IN PARTNERSHIP, BOTH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY WORKED WITH US TO INCORPORATE THIS INTO THE PROJECT SINCE WE WERE THERE WORKING.
UH, AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY HELPING WITH, WITH PART OF THE FUNDING STRATEGY ON FILLING IN THE POND AND DOING THAT WORK, WE'LL CERTAINLY VISIT WITH THEM TO SEE IF WE CAN, UH, COME UP WITH, WITH SOME SORT OF A PLAN TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT I KNOW WHERE WE TRENCH AND WHERE WE DISTURB THE DIRT, WE WILL PUT TURF BACK.
UM, BUT BEYOND THAT, WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE CLOSELY AND, AND HOPEFULLY COME UP WITH A PLAN WITH THE PARTS DEPARTMENT PERHAPS.
AGAIN, I'M, I'M, I'M SURE WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT.
YEAH, NO, AND, AND I, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO GO ON THE RECORD.
I FULLY SUPPORT THE, THE, THE WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING AS WELL.
I KNOW YOUR STAFF IS LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE SUPPORT THESE, THESE, UM, OVERAGES AND THE FUNDING STRATEGIES.
SO I JUST, AGAIN, WOULD SAY I DO SUPPORT THIS.
I THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PROJECT AND MAKES SENSE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND STAY COOL AND THEY DON'T HAVE A SYSTEM, GO OUT ON 'EM IN, YOU KNOW, AUGUST STAY.
UH, SO, UM, I, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
UM, AND, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR CREATIVE FUNDING STRATEGIES, MR. BARRIOS.
I THINK KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON, UH, WHAT COUNCILMAN HUTCHEN RE ASKED ABOUT THE IRRIGATION.
'CAUSE I DON'T THINK I QUITE UNDERSTAND, UM, THE ANSWER TO WHAT, UM, HE ASKED, BUT, UM, THE 95,000, I'M THINKING IRRIGATION.
I'M THINKING, UH, IS THIS FOR DRAINAGE? IS THIS SPRINKLERS? IS THIS INCLUDING ALL THE LANDSCAPE? I, I GUESS I'M KIND OF CONFUSED 'CAUSE SO, SO THE HOMEOWNER THINKING 95,000 FOR SPRINKLER SOUNDS LIKE SOUNDS A LOT BIG NUMBER.
IT, IT IS A LARGER PIPE, LARGER SPRINKLER SYSTEM THAT IS MORE OF A COMMERCIAL GRADE FOR, FOR COMMERCIAL, UH, LANDSCAPING.
BUT YES, IT IS PREDOMINANTLY JUST THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM TO, UH, ZONE IT AND TO PUT THE VALVES IN AND TO CONTROL IT SO THAT WE CAN, WE CAN DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER JOB OF KEEPING THAT TURF GREEN AROUND THE PERIMETER.
SO THE, THE, THE, THE, UH, CONTROL PIECES ARE TO BE INTEGRATED WITH OTHER CONTROLLERS THAT WE'RE CHANGING OUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY SO THAT THEY CAN BE REMOTELY, UH, CHANGED.
SO IT'S, IT'S MUCH MORE THAN PVC
I MEAN, IT'S, THE ELECTRONICS PIECE OF THAT IS A, IS A PRETTY CONSEQUENTIAL PIECE.
[02:30:01]
AND WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO THIS STANDARD CITYWIDE AS WE, AS WE ANNUALLY HAVE THIS IRRIGATION, UM, PROGRAM, IRRIGATION REFRESH PROGRAM THAT'S PART OF OUR, UH, OUR PARKS ANNUAL MAINTENANCE.AND SO, UM, I THINK IT'S, IT'S MUCH MORE THAN YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD, UH, YOU CAN'T REALLY EQUATE IT TO A RESIDENTIAL SYSTEM WHERE YOU HAVE ONE CONTROLLER.
IT, IT IS A VERY COSTLY CONTROLLER THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT USES.
UM, IT DOES INVOLVE, UH, BEING ABLE TO BE CONTROLLED REMOTELY AND PROGRAMMED AND INTEGRATED WITH THE REST OF THE CONTROLLERS THROUGH THE, FOR MEDIANS PARKS AND OTHER FACILITIES.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S MOST OF US AS HOMEOWNERS DON'T QUITE HAVE A GRASP OF.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT FROM AN OPERATION STANDPOINT, WHAT IT WOULD COST TO HAVE, LIKE WE DID FOR DECADES, MAINTENANCE HELPERS AND MAINTENANCE WORKERS GO AROUND THE WHOLE CITY TO CHANGE THIS.
AUTOMATION IS ACTUALLY IN THE LONG TERM, GONNA SAVE US, UM, FROM AN OPERATING STANDPOINT YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, BECAUSE WE CAN DO ALL THIS, I MEAN, WE CAN DO ALL THIS REMOTELY NOW WITH THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON AS OPPOSED TO ACTUALLY HAVING TO GO PUT HANDS ON LITERALLY, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF, UH, IRRIGATION, UM, UM, COMPONENTS TO, TO AT DIFFERENT TIMES.
OR IF IT'S, IF IT STARTS TO ICE FOR, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE A COAL FRONT, YOU EITHER THE IRRIGATION WAS ON, YOU DEALT WITH THE ICE ON THE GROUND BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T GET AROUND.
NOW WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF JUST INSTANTLY, UH, CHANGE THE SETTINGS AND, AND, UH, MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE FROM AN OPERATION STANDPOINT.
UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS IF, UH, OBVIOUSLY I WAS NOT HERE IN, UH, 2021 OR PRIOR, UM, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND DID DON DOES, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS YOU OR YOU QUESTION OR, OR JIM QUESTION, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REDOING THESE, UH, DIFFERENT PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY FOR CITY BUILDINGS, AND WE LOOK AT THE LANDSCAPE, HAVE WE LOOKED AT, UH, NATIVE GRASSES OR NATIVE? 'CAUSE I KNOW 2036 IS A, UH, A TOPIC RIGHT? OR SHORTAGE OF WATER, AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN, UM, RESIDENTS HAVE REACHED OUT ABOUT THAT TO ME WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CITY HALL AND PLANS GOING FORWARD, CITY HALL, AND I'M SURE SOME OF THAT OVERLAPS TO THESE KINDS OF PROJECTS, WHICH ARE MUCH SMALLER, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, PLAY IMPACT.
HAVE WE CONSIDERED, UM, DOING MORE OF THAT NATIVE WHERE SOME OF THAT IRRIGATION ISN'T AS REQUIRED JUST FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PURPOSES? I DON'T KNOW, BUDGETARY, IF THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
CITY HAS CONSIDERED AND WHAT HAS YEAH, NO, FOR, FOR FOR SURE.
THE CITY'S, UM, APPROVED PLANT PALATE NOW IS VERY MUCH NATIVE AND IT'S VERY MUCH WATER CONSERVATION ORIENTED.
AND SO THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE SEEING PLANTED, FOR INSTANCE, THE LONG RENNER IN THE MEDIAN, UM, ALL OF THOSE ARE, ARE HARDY AND REQUIRE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS WATER THAN SOME OF THE PLANTS THAT WE WERE USING, UH, YOU KNOW, TWO DECADES AGO THAT NOW YOU SEE A LOT OF THOSE BUSHES, UM, YOU KNOW, BOX HOLLIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BURFORD, HOLLIES, ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, UH, REQUIRED SUBSTANTIALLY MORE, UH, WATER THAN WE'RE USING TODAY.
AND SO, UM, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE AN OFFICIAL PLANT LIST, UH, FROM THE, FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
AND JIM, I, I ASSUME THAT YOU GUYS ARE PULLING FROM THAT.
IN FACT, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HELPED US PUT TOGETHER THE, UH, THE PLANT SPECIES AND THE, AND THE DESIRED LAYOUT FOR THE FRONT CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE.
UH, AND SO YES, THE IRRIGATION IS THERE TO, TO ESTABLISH AND TO SUPPORT EVEN THE NATIVE SPECIES UNTIL THEY GET ESTABLISHED.
BUT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DIAL BACK THE AMOUNT OF WATER CONSUMED OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, UH, WITH THESE, WITH THESE PLANTINGS.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES ON OUR CITY CAMPUSES, THE IRRIGATION'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR THINGS LIKE SIDEWALKS AND DRIVE APPROACHES AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS TOO.
I MEAN, IT, IT GETS JUST SO DRY SOMETIMES THAT YOU COULD HAVE A LOT OF MOVEMENT.
UM, YOU'VE GOTTA PUT SOME WATER ON IT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT KIND OF PLANT MATERIAL IT IS, JUST TO HELP, UM, THE CONSISTENCY OF THE SOIL SO YOU DON'T HAVE SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENT THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, RESULT IN OTHER, OTHER KIND OF FAILURES, JUST LIKE OUR FOUNDATIONS AT OUR HOME.
THANK YOU, JIM, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF, OF, UM, UPGRADING THE SYSTEM.
I, I DO UNDERSTAND, UH, INSTALLING THE COMMERCIALIZED, UH, UH, IRRIGATION SYSTEM OPPOSED TO A RESIDENTIAL.
AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE LISTENING, IT IS A MUCH LARGER TASK.
IT ALSO DISPERSES WATER, UM, MORE EVENLY AND, UM, PRODUCES A, UH, LARGER ARRAY OF IRRIGATION IS, I KNOW THAT'S GONNA HAVE RUNOFF INTO THE POND.
WE'RE NOT UTILIZING ANY, UH, OR RECIRCULATING ANY OF THE WATER FROM THE POND.
ARE WE RESHOOT USING, UM, CITY WATER? THIS PROJECT WILL REMOVE THE POND.
BUT WE WE'RE STILL LEAVING THE POND AND THAT AREA AS A BIT OF A, A SWALE THAT WILL PROVIDE SOME BIO RETENTION AND WATER QUALITY BENEFITS.
UH, AND THEN THE PLANT SPECIES THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING, I KNOW, UH, OUR PARKS DEPARTMENTS WORKS CLOSELY WITH US, THE, TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS SUPPORTIVE ALSO OF, OF BUTTERFLIES AND SOME OF OUR NATURAL INSECTS AND HABITATS AS WELL.
[02:35:01]
IS THAT NATURALLY SPRING FED OR IS IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT OKAY.UH, THE REASON WHY WE WANT TO ELIMINATE THE POND IS BECAUSE WE, WE DON'T THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF GALLONS INTO IT THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF MOST YEARS TO YEAH, THAT MAKES SENSE.
TO KEEP IT AT A RELATIVELY, YOU KNOW, AESTHETIC LEVEL AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THAT AND THE, AND THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT WE WERE PUTTING INTO IT AND LOSING, UH, JUST WAS, WAS NOT SUSTAINABLE.
WELL, I APPRECIATE YOU USING, UH, INDIGENOUS PLANTS SCAPE.
I KNOW THAT, UH, FOR MANY YEARS, AS YOU KNOW, ON HOA AND WORKING WITH, UM, SOME OF THE COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS THROUGHOUT RICHARDSON, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE SORT OF USED THAT AS SORT OF OUR GUIDELINE ACTUALLY TO, UH, CREATE ANY ARCHITECTURAL LANDSCAPING.
UM, AND I'M REALLY GLAD THE CITY IS TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
UH, I KNOW THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ARTIFICIAL GRASS OR TURF, BUT, UM, HAVING SOME NATURAL GRASS IS, YOU KNOW, MUCH MORE REFINED, AND I THINK IT'LL LOOK MUCH MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR DRIVE UP UPHILL.
BUT I APPRECIATE Y'ALL DOING THAT.
BUT AGAIN, I WOULD JUST WANNA SAY I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, AND THANK YOU.
YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN BRIEFED ON THAT, I THINK, A LITTLE BIT THIS YEAR ALREADY.
UH, JUST TO RECALL THAT, UH, IT WAS LAST COURSE TWO WAS LAST RENOVATED IN 2001.
UH, WE COMPLETED THE PLANNING STUDIES WITH WIRY GOLF DESIGN AND FREEZE THE NICKELS IN THE FALL OF 2021, AND BROUGHT TO YOU A PLAN LAST SUMMER THAT WOULD RENOVATE COURSE TWO, SOLVE SOME DRAINAGE PROBLEMS THAT, THAT RONNIE'S BEEN DEALING WITH OVER THE YEARS.
UH, IMPROVE THE AESTHETICS OF THE, OF THE, OF THE COURSE AND THE PLAYABILITY, UM, AND ADDRESS SOME EROSION CONCERNS THROUGH THE COURSE, ESPECIALLY ON HOLES ONE IN 17 WITH SOME MAJOR DRAINAGE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS THERE.
UH, THE DESIGN WAS COMPLETED THIS YEAR.
WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO, WITH OUR TEAMS, TO, TO TRY TO COMPRESS THE DESIGN SCHEDULE AND GET OUR REVIEWS DONE SO THAT WE COULD GET THIS OUT TO BID THIS FALL, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE KEPT THIS, THIS CONSTRUCTION WINDOW OPEN FROM JANUARY THROUGH OCTOBER.
UM, OUR, WE USED A COMPETITIVE SEAL PROPOSAL, UH, LIKE WE DID ON THE FIRE STATION TWO, OR FIRE STATION FIVE AND ANIMAL SHELTER PROJECT.
UH, WE SIMILARLY, UH, ASSIGNED THE QUALITATIVE QUALIFICATIONS OF THOSE CONTRACTORS AT 50%, UH, AS WELL AS THE PRICE.
IT TURNS OUT WE ENDED UP ONLY GETTING ONE BID FROM THIS, AND FORTUNATELY, IT WAS FROM THE CONTRACTOR THAT ACTUALLY DID COURSE TWO FOR US BACK IN 2001, LANDSCAPES UNLIMITED.
SO, UH, WE'RE VERY CONFIDENT IN THE ABILITIES OF THIS CONTRACTOR, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS TO TRY TO BRING THEIR PROJECT AND SCOPE AND OUR BUDGET INTO ALIGNMENT.
UH, THEIR PROJECT DID COME IN THE, THE BUDGETS CAME IN HIGHER THAN WE WERE ANTICIPATING, BUT WE'RE STILL ABLE TO FIT THEM WITHIN THE CONTINGENCIES THAT WERE INCLUDED IN OUR OVERALL PROJECT BUDGET.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE PLEASED TO REPORT TO YOU THAT, UH, THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO KEEP THIS PROJECT ON BUDGET.
UM, WE ARE ALSO CONSTRUCTING WITHIN THAT, UH, PROJECT BUDGET, UH, BY VIA THE BUYBOARD CONTRACT.
IT WAS AWARDED THIS PAST FALL, UH, UH, PUMP HOUSE, UH, SYSTEM TO IMPROVE THE LANDSCAPING AND THE IRRIGATION WORK FOR THE, FOR THE, UM, FOR THE, FOR COURSE TWO.
UH, WE HAD TO ORDER THIS EARLY BECAUSE IT'S A LONG LEAD ITEM, AND THAT THAT CONTRACTOR WILL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH LANDSCAPES UNLIMITED TO INSTALL THAT DURING CONSTRUCTION.
AND AS A SEPARATE CONTRACT THAT WILL BE LET IN FEBRUARY.
WE'RE GOING TO REPLACE THE RESTROOM ON COURSE TWO AS WELL.
UH, WE'RE GONNA BE USING THE SAME DESIGN AS THE BUILDINGS, RESTROOM BUILDINGS THAT ARE CURRENTLY, UH, BEING FINISHED UP ON COURSE ONE.
SO THAT'LL MATCH THE AESTHETICS OF, OF THE COURSE ONE RESTROOMS AND, AND HAVE ALL OF THE NEW AMENITIES IN, UH, THE NEW RESTROOM THERE THAT THE OTHER NEW RESTROOMS WILL HAVE AS WELL.
THE BUDGET FOR THIS PROJECT, UH, AS WE MENTIONED WITH LANDSCAPES UNLIMITED COMING IN, WHERE THE BID WE PLAN TO AWARD IS, UH, $8,391,000 AND 40 $408,391,495.
UH, THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW FOR THE COURSE TWO RESTROOM REPLACEMENT IS AT $385,000.
AND THEN THAT PUMP HOUSE EQUIPMENT CONTRACT THAT'S ALREADY BEEN AWARDED IS $223,505, BRINGING US TO THE LIMIT OF OUR BUDGET AT $9 MILLION.
AND THAT'S WHAT WAS ISSUED IN THE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION EARLIER THIS YEAR, ALLOWING US TO COMPLETE THIS WORK.
THE PROJECT SCHEDULE FOR THIS, WE'RE ON A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPRESSED SCHEDULE, UH, WITH THE AWARD ON MONDAY NEXT WEEK.
WE'RE GONNA EXECUTE THE CONTRACT AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN WITH LANDSCAPES UNLIMITED, UH, ISSUED NOTICE TO PROCEED IN JANUARY AND BEGIN MOBILIZATION AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UH, RONNIE WANTS TO GET THIS OPENED UP SO THAT WE CAN PLAY ON IT NEXT FALL AND, AND THROUGH THE WINTER OF NEXT YEAR.
UH, AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT, UH, BRINGING FORTH A A 10 MONTH CONSTRUCTION WINDOW TIMEFRAME, NINE TO 10 MONTHS, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, UM, AND COMPLETING THIS WORK ON SCHEDULE.
AND THAT'S IT FOR THE GOLF COURSE UPDATE.
ANY QUESTIONS? NEXT STEPS FOR US? COUNCIL? ANY QUESTIONS? EVERYBODY'S GOOD? ALL RIGHT.
UH, WELL, WITH YOUR INPUT FROM THIS EVENING, UH, I'M HEARING THAT WE'LL FINALIZE OUR CONTRACT DETAILS TO INCLUDE THE ADDITIONAL SCOPES THAT WERE PRESENTED IN THIS EVENING'S PRESENTATION.
UH, WE'LL SEE ON NEXT WEEK'S, UH, AGENDA.
ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, A CONTRACT WITH
[02:40:01]
JC COMMERCIAL FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND FIRE STATION NUMBER FIVE, AS WELL AS FOR THE CHERYL PARK COURSE TWO, RENOVATION WITH LANDSCAPES UNLIMITED.UH, WE'LL ANTICIPATE PROVIDING NOTICE TO PROCEED FOR BOTH IN THE JANUARY TIMEFRAME, UH, AND PROVIDE CONSTRUCTION UPDATES MOVING FORWARD AS REQUIRED.
[F. REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE 2024 CITY COUNCIL MEETING CALENDAR]
WE'LL GO TO ITEM NUMBER F REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE 2024 CITY COUNCIL MEETING CALENDAR.THIS IS AN IMPORTANT, UM, BRIEFING EVERY YEAR ABOUT THIS TIME WHERE WE SET OUT, UH, THE CALENDAR FOR THE, FOR THE, UH, NEXT YEAR FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
UM, WE'VE PROVIDED YOU WITH A HARD COPY, UM, SUBSEQUENT TO AMY'S BRIEFING.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU TO DO IS TO, UH, I SPENT SOME TIME REVIEWING THIS, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK, UH, IF YOU COULD, UH, COMMUNICATE THAT TO ME IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
WE'LL INCORPORATE AND SYNTHESIZE THAT FEEDBACK, UH, INTO THE FINAL CALENDAR, AND THEN WE'LL BRING THAT BACK FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, UM, NEXT WEEK.
BUT LET ME RUN, HAVE AMY, UH, RUN THROUGH, UM, KIND OF SOME OF THE, UH, GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT WE USED TO PUT THIS TOGETHER IN THE NEXT STEPS.
AND THANK YOU MAYOR COUNSEL FOR LETTING ME BE HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE YOUR 2024 CALENDAR WITH YOU.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, EACH TIME, UH, EACH YEAR, WE BRING THIS TO YOU THIS TIME OF YEAR, AND THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PLANNING EXERCISE FOR US AND FOR YOU, UH, TO PLAN AROUND HOLIDAY SCHEDULES, VACATIONS, WORK SCHEDULES, AND IT ALSO WILL ALLOWS STAFF TO PLAN FOR, UM, PLAN PROCUREMENT AND, UM, ZONING CASES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, WE ALSO WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A QUORUM FOR CITY BUSINESS, AND THEN WE ALL WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INFORMING OUR, UH, STAKEHOLDERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE.
UM, ALL MEETINGS ARE HELD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CITY CHARTER AND THE TEXAS STATE LAW, AND THEY ARE POSTED 72 HOURS IN ADVANCE.
SO HERE ARE OUR SCHEDULING PRE PRINCIPLES.
THE CHARTER REQUIRES THAT WE HAVE TWO MEETINGS PER MONTH UNLESS CANCEL, CANCEL BY YOU.
OUR MEETINGS START TIMES ARE MONDAYS SINCE 6:00 PM GENERALLY, UH, THE FIRST AND THIRD MONDAYS ARE WORK SESSIONS ONLY.
AND THEN THE OTHER MEETINGS ARE YOUR ACTION MEETINGS.
AND THEN MEETINGS ARE GENERALLY NOT SCHEDULED ON THE FIFTH MONDAY OF THE MONTH.
RECOGNIZE CITY HOLIDAYS, THE MONDAY OF A HOLIDAY WEEK, OR THE MONDAY OF RISD AND PISD SPRING BREAKS.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, YOUR 24 SCHEDULED NOTES ARE THE FIFTH MONDAYS FALL IN JANUARY, APRIL, JULY, SEPTEMBER AND DECEMBER THIS YEAR, WE HAVE ACTIVATED AT THIS TIME, JANUARY THE FIFTH MEETING IN JANUARY FOR YOUR JOINT MEETING WITH CPC CITY HOLIDAYS THAT FALL ON A MONDAY ARE NEW YEAR'S DAY MLK DAY, MEMORIAL DAY AND INDEPENDENCE.
UM, DAY IS ON A THURSDAY OF THAT WEEK, BUT WE WILL HAVE, UH, JULY 1ST OFF OF THAT WEEK.
UM, AND THEN LABOR DAY IS ALSO ON A MONDAY.
UM, YOU ALSO HAVE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY IS YOUR, UH, THE TWO WEEKS, UH, BEFORE THAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE, I'M SORRY, I'M GETTING, UM, MESSED UP HERE.
UM, OUR SPRING BREAK, WE ALSO DO SPRING BREAKS, UH, FOR RSD AND PIC.
AND THAT WILL BE THE WEEK OF MARCH 11TH THROUGH THE 15TH.
WE'VE ALSO ALLOWED FOR YOUR SUMMER BREAK TO BE TWO WEEKS, AND THAT WILL BE JUNE 24TH AND JULY 1ST.
AND THEN SOME IMPORTANT DATES TO NOTE AS OF NOW ARE THE COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION AWARDS ARE FEBRUARY 19TH.
THE AUGUST 5TH AND SIXTH WILL BE YOUR BUDGET WORKSHOP.
AND THEN OC OCTOBER 28TH IS THE CARES RECEPTION.
SO THIS IS WHAT THE CALENDAR LOOKS LIKE.
YOU HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU AS MR. MAGNER SAID.
UM, THE DATES HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW ARE THE DATES YOU WILL NOT HAVE A MEETING.
AND, UM, THIS IS, UH, PROVIDES FOR 40 MEETINGS FOR THE YEAR, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU NORMALLY HAVE.
AND SO, AS MR. MAGNER SAID IS, IF YOU CAN GIVE US FEEDBACK BEFORE DECEMBER 11TH, THIS IS WHEN IT'LL BE ON THE AGENDA FOR YOUR REVIEW AND, UM, ACCEPTANCE.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS, COUNSEL? OKAY, THANKS SIR.
DON, YOU WANT ANY ADDITIONAL INPUT BY WHEN? UH, JUST IN THE NEXT, UH, TWO, TWO TO THREE DAYS.
AS LONG AS WE HAVE IT BY, UH, THURSDAY OR FRIDAY, WE'LL INCORPORATE IT AND, AND THEN, UH, HAVE IT READY FOR YOU IN YOUR PACKET, UH, ON THURSDAY.
COUNSEL, IF YOU WANT TO, YOU COULD MARK IT AND PUT YOUR INITIALS BY IT AND ASK TONIGHT, GIVE IT BACK TO HIM IF YOU CHOSE TO.
IF YOU HAVE TIME TO THAT, IF YOU HAVE NO CONCERNS, THEN YOU WOULDN'T HAVE THEM.
[G. REPORT ON ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]
AT THIS TIME WE'RE GONNA GO TO ITEM G REPORT ON ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST COUNSEL, MS. JUSTICE.[02:45:01]
STUFF.UH, IT WAS A VERY BUSY WEEKEND.
UM, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE RSO ON AMAZING HOLIDAY.
UH, CONCERT WAS REALLY GOOD WITH, UM, UH, FIVE SECOND RULE.
THEY WERE REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
WE GOT A NICE SORT OF CELTIC TOUCH TO THE, THE HOLIDAY CONCERT.
UH, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT ABOUT OUR AMAZING PARADE, UM, THIS WEEKEND.
AND, UM, THE AWARDS IN SANTA'S VILLAGE IS OPEN, AND SO I'LL LET OTHERS TALK.
BUT YEAH, IT WAS, UH, WE CAME BACK FROM OUR BREAK AND IT WAS VERY BUSY ALL OF A SUDDEN.
WE DID HAVE A COUPLE OF WEEKS OFF THEN, AND WE DID A LOT.
WE DID A LOT THIS WEEKEND ALSO.
I'M JUST GOING TO, UH, SAY ONE THING ABOUT, I GUESS ON THE 21ST.
UM, WE, UH, WERE SERVING AS VOLUNTEERS FOR THE SENIOR, UH, SENIOR CITIZEN THANKSGIVING LUNCHEON.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY, UH, I THOUGHT THEY WERE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
AND OF COURSE, UH, WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, SOME STAR POWER IN THE HOUSE WITH MS. PRIDE, MR. PRIDE, SO SINGING, SO I, UM, I REALLY DID ENJOY THAT.
AND THEN THE WILDFLOWER, UH, AROUND WILDFLOWER, I'M SORRY.
THE, UH, THE PARADE WAS INCREDIBLE.
UM, I, I HEARD SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WAS, WERE JUST, YOU KNOW, OVERWHELMED HOW, HOW WONDERFUL IT WAS DONE.
ON FRIDAY, UH, DECEMBER 1ST, UTD HAD A LITTLE OPEN HOUSE CELEBRATION WITH RICHARDSON IQ, AND IT WAS REALLY NICE TO BE THERE.
UM, REALLY NICE TO SEE A LOT OF OUR, UH, TOP LEVEL CITY STAFF THERE TO SUPPORT AS WELL.
SO, UM, IT, IT WAS, IT WAS NEAT THOUGH TO BE ABLE TO SEE HOW ALL THE DIFFERENT BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE THERE SYNERGIZE WITH EACH OTHER AND HOW THEY NETWORK AND KIND OF WITNESS ALL THAT FIRSTHAND.
SO, UH, CHEERS TO THE UTD AND CHEERS TO THE IQ.
UH, LAST TUESDAY I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH, UH, SCOUT PACK 8 93, UH, WHO MEET OVER AT, UH, ARAPAHOE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
UH, THESE STUDENTS REPRESENT MOHAWK AND CANYON CREEK ELEMENTARY, AND THEY WERE LEARNING ABOUT, UH, CITIZENSHIP, WHAT IT TAKES TO, TO, UH, BE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS MY HONOR TO SPEAK TO THEM, UH, AND SPEAK WITH THEM AND ANSWER ALL THEIR WONDERFUL QUESTIONS.
SO I'M, I WAS VERY ENERGIZED TO HEAR THE, THE GREAT QUESTIONS, UM, THAT THEY HAD REGARDING COMMUNITY AND WHAT IT MEANS TO SERVE.
SO I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, LAST FRIDAY, UH, I THINK WE WERE ALL THERE, UH, WAS THE RICHARDSON WOMEN'S CLUB CANDLELIGHT WALK AND RIBBON CUTTING.
UM, I'M, I WAS, I'M A LITTLE EMBARRASSED TO SAY THAT WAS MY FIRST TIME VISITING THE WOMEN'S CLUB, UM, AND BEING ON THE GROUNDS THERE.
AND IT WAS, UH, ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
UH, THEY WERE WONDERFUL HOSTS.
I, UM, WE, WE GOT TO TASTE FOOD FROM, UH, AROUND RICHARDSON AREA RESTAURANTS AND, UH, VISIT WITH A LOT OF RESIDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR MANY YEARS TO, TO, UH, HELP THE COMMUNITY AND BUILD COMMUNITY.
AND IT, IT WAS, IT WAS, I TRULY ENJOYED THE EVENING, UH, AND OF COURSE, THE PARADE SANTA'S VILLAGE, UM, AS A DAD OF SOMEBODY WHO, UH, MY SON AND I HAVE BEEN MEMBERS OF THAT COME OUT IN THAT PARADE AND WANT A FEW TROPHIES OVER THE YEARS, UH, FOR PARADE WITH OUR INVOLVEMENT WITH YMCA.
UM, AND, UH, IT, IT WAS REALLY NEAT TO BE ON THIS SIDE OF IT THIS TIME AROUND.
SO, UM, GREAT JOB TO ALL THOSE INVOLVED WITH THAT.
I'M GONNA GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO NOVEMBER 14TH.
WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE OUR, UM, EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND MYSELF, UH, COUNCIL PERSON, CORCORAN AND JUSTICE.
UH, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH OUR TWO SUPERINTENDENTS.
I DECIDED THAT THEY NEEDED A NEW TAG NAME GIVEN THAT IT'S, UM, TABITHA AND THERESA, THEY NEEDED TO NOW BE CALLED TNT BECAUSE BOY, WHEN THE TWO OF 'EM ARE TOGETHER, THEY ARE DYNAMITE.
AND, UM, WE JUST, UH, GOT A GREAT BRIEFING FROM BOTH OF THEM ABOUT BOTH OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE FACING.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEIR NUMBER ONE THING IS, IS PLEASE, UM, I'M NOT GONNA TRY AND, AND, UM, ASK FOR ANYONE TO, TO, TO THINK A CERTAIN WAY, BUT PLEASE BECOME EDUCATED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR LEGISLATURE AS TO HOW THE IMPACTS ARE AFFECTING THE SCHOOLS.
AND, UM, DO AS YOU SEE FIT, I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT PEOPLE TAKE AN ACTIVE, ACTIVE, UH, ROLE IN THAT.
AND THEN THAT EVENING, I THINK THERE WERE THREE, UM, HOMEOWNERS ASSOCI ASSOCIATION MEETINGS.
THERE WAS NER PARK, UM, WE HAD, UM, BRECKENRIDGE PARK WHERE I LIVE, AND I
[02:50:01]
BELIEVE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, YEAH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, UM, JUSTICE, YOU'RE CHERYL PARK, IS THAT RIGHT? CHERYL PARK? THERE WERE THREE OF 'EM.SO WE KIND OF, WE ALL KIND OF SPLIT, DIVIDED AND WENT TO ALL THREE OF THOSE.
UM, AND I JUST WANT, I REALLY WANT TO THANK OUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS AGAIN, FOR BEING SO ACTIVE AND INVITING US TO COME AND SPEAK, UM, AND BE INVOLVED WITH THEM.
SO JUST WANTED TO, TO GIVE A QUICK SHOUT OUT ON THAT.
AND THEN LASTLY, JUST A, JUST A LITTLE SIDE NOTE, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TODAY TO GO UP TO THE, UM, CALLEN COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT, AND, UH, WAS JUST, JUST INCREDIBLY IMPRESSED WITH, UM, JUDGE HILL AND OUR, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, BOY, I JUST WENT BLANK.
UM, WILLIAMS. THANK YOU, BOY, I JUST WENT BLANK THERE.
I DIDN'T WANNA CALL HER BY HER FIRST NAME.
AND THAT'S ALL I COULD THINK OF FOR A MOMENT.
UM, BUT JUST WANTED TO, TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR HOSPITALITY, UM, AND LET YOU KNOW THAT AT LEAST FROM THE COLLIN COUNTY SIDE, UH, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT IS EXTREMELY WELL RUN AND DOES A GREAT JOB, AND WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THEIR DETAIL AND HOW THEY WORK THROUGH THINGS TODAY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT REAL QUICK, SO IN CASE THEY HAPPEN TO BE LISTENING TONIGHT.
WELL, I JUST WANTED TO SAY ONE THING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD WAS GREAT.
THE DAY WAS BEAUTIFUL, BUT ALSO I WANTED TO THANKS, UH, TO OUR, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT AND, UH, CITY STAFFS AND ALL THE VOLUNTEERS.
THEY'VE BEEN DOING THIS AWESOME, YOU KNOW, VERY COMPLICATED, UH, JOB EVERY YEAR.
AND SO THIS IS ANOTHER YEAR THAT WAS GREAT.
AND THERE WERE SO MANY HAPPY FACES OUTSIDE, AND I LOVE SEEING THOSE HAPPY FACES AND SMILE, ESPECIALLY THOSE KIDS.
UH, IF THAT DOES NOT MELT YOUR HEART, THEN YOU NEED TO SEE THAT AGAIN AND AGAIN.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION]
THIS TIME, COUNSEL WILL CONVENE IN A CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION IN COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 5 51 0.074 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.COUNSEL WILL CONVENE INTO A CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING DELIBERATION REGARDING PERSONNEL MATTERS.
DISCUSSION REGARDING APPOINTMENTS, REAPPOINTMENTS FOR THE QUA, QUASI JUDICIAL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, CITY PLAN COMMISSIONS, CIVIL SERVICE BOARD AND ZONING, BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS, BUILDING AND STANDARDS COMMISSION.
THE EXECUTIVE SESSION WILL BEGIN.