[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:06]
I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING OF THE RICHARDSON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER AT 6:00 PM THIS TIME WE'RE GONNA ASK COUNCIL MEMBER JOE CORCORAN TO LEAD US IN THE INVOCATION IN THE PLEDGE.
YOU PLEASE, UH, BOW YOUR HEADS IN PRAYER.
LORD, PLEASE BLESS THIS WONDERFUL CITY, BLESS OUR LEADERSHIP NATIONALLY, UH, STATEWIDE, AND OF COURSE LOCALLY.
HELP US TO MAKE WISE AND JUST DECISIONS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE.
AND PLEASE, IN THIS WEATHER, HELP EVERYBODY ATTENDING THIS MEETING GET HOME SAFELY.
WE'LL START WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
AND NOW THE TEXAS PLEDGE HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
[3. MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 8, 2024 MEETING ]
AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GONNA GO TO ITEM NUMBER THREE.IT'S THE MINUTES OF JANUARY 8TH, 2024.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE, UH, MR. HUTCHIN RIDER GIVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE.
MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 8TH, 2024 MEETING.
ALL IN FAVOR? SHOW OF HANDS, PLEASE.
[4. VISITORS/ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS]
TIME WE'LL GO TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, VISITORS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS.MR. MAGNER, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.
THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS RECEIVED BY 5:00 PM AND TO ALLOW VISITORS TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL ON ANY TOPIC THAT'S NOT ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR A PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH WE HAVE NONE TONIGHT.
ALL SPEAKERS SHOULD COMPLETE A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD SUBMITTED TO THE CITY 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 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.
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 CITY MANAGER MAY RESPOND WITH FACTS, A POLICY OR DIRECT CITY STAFF TO RESPOND TO THE SPEAKER AFTER THE MEETING.
AT THIS TIME, I'D ALSO LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE TO SILENCE THIS THEIR CELL PHONES DURING THE MEETING.
UH, MAYOR, WE ARE IN RECEIPT OF ONE PUBLIC COMMENT CARD.
IT WAS ACTUALLY SUBMITTED, UH, LAST WEEK ON JANUARY 15TH, UM, WHICH WE DIDN'T MEET.
UH, IT'S FROM MR. ZARIA SAHAN OF 16 3 0 3, BEDFORD FALLS, FRISCO, AND IT'S REGARDING A CEASEFIRE.
AND, UM, THAT'S ALL THE COMMON COVERAGE WE HAVE IN ADVANCE.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE CITY SECRETARY TO CALL OUR VISITORS.
MAYOR, I HAVE FOUR CARDS TONIGHT.
I'LL HAND THEM OUT AFTERWARDS.
I LIVE AT 4 4 8 TIFFANY TRAIL.
DEAR STEAM CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS KO, I'M A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF RICHARDSON AND A PROUD RAKI PALESTINIAN AMERICAN.
I COME BEFORE YOU TO SPEAK ABOUT AN ISSUE THAT WEIGHS HEAVILY ON MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, THE DELIBERATE DESTRUCTION OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN GAZA, AND TO REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT AND ADOPTING AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION AT BERGNER HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS HONORED WITH THE BU B LAMAR AWARD FROM THE RICHARDSON FREEMASON LODGE ATTRIBUTE TO LAMAR, THE FATHER OF TEXAS EDUCATION.
LAMAR'S ADVOCACY FOR EDUCATION WAS ROOTED IN HIS VISION OF TEXAS AS A RELIANT SELF-RELIANT, ENLIGHTENED NATION STATE, HE BELIEVED IN THE POWER OF EDUCATION TO ENLIGHTEN SOCIETY AND SUSTAIN FREEDOM.
LAMAR'S ADVOCACY FOR EDUCATION WAS NOT A MERE POLICY POSITION.
IT WAS A DEEPLY HELD CONVICTION ABOUT THE ROLE OF EDUCATION AND UPLIFTING OUR SOCIETY.
LAMAR'S POLICIES WERE DRIVEN BY THIS BELIEF LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR TEXAS'S GROWTH AND INDEPENDENCE.
HE SAW EDUCATION AS A CRUCIAL, AS CRUCIAL FOR AN INFORMED AND AUTONOMOUS CITIZENRY.
EDUCATION IN LAMAR'S EYES WAS THE MEANS THAT INSURED FREEDOM WOULD BE ENDURING AND SELF-SUSTAINED.
I KNOW FROM MY TIME SERVING ON RSD SUPERINTENDENT STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL THAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT INTIMATELY UNDERSTANDS WHAT EDUCATION MEANS.
THESE DEEPLY ROOTED VALUES TEXAN AMERICAN AND FUNDAMENTALLY HUMAN, ARE NOT CONFINED WITHIN THE BORDERS
[00:05:01]
OF THE UNITED STATES.THEY ECHO PROFOUNDLY AMONG THE PEOPLE OF PHILISTINE, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN GAZA, AND A PLACE WHERE THEIR PHYSICAL FREEDOM IS HEAVILY RESTRICTED.
THEY HAVE TURNED TO EDUCATION AS A VESSEL OF LIBERATION IN THIS CONSTRAINED ENVIRONMENT.
ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE IS NOT JUST LEARNING, IT IS EMANCIPATION.
EDUCATION AFFIRMS THEIR DIGNITY AND THE PURSUIT OF THEIR DREAMS. THE STORY OF WABA.
A 23-YEAR-OLD SYSTEMS ENGINEER FROM MU KAZA STANDS AS A TESTAMENT TO THIS SPIRIT.
ALTHOUGH ISOLATED FROM THE REST OF THE GLOBAL TECH COMMUNITY, SHE FOUND THE RESOURCES TO SHINE AS A FREELANCE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER RESPECTED BY HER GLOBAL PEERS.
WHEN THAT REPRESENTS A BROADER NARRATIVE, ONE OF RESILIENCE AND EMPOWERMENT, THE ZA SKY GEEKS ORGANIZATION IS A PRIME EXAMPLE, EQUIPPING THOUSANDS OF HESITANT WOMEN WITH THE SKILLS TO THRIVE IN THE GIG ECONOMY, THE RESULTS ARE TANGIBLE.
MORE THAN 2000 GRADUATES IN THE CREATION OF 30,000 TECH JOBS FOR THE SMART CAPABLE WOMEN OF GAZA.
YET AS WE SPEAK, GAZA LIVES UNDER THE SHADOW OF AN INDISCRIMINATE BOMBING CAMPAIGN FUNDED DISTRESSINGLY BY OUR TAX DOLLARS.
AMID THIS TURMOIL, 570 SCHOOLS AND KAZA STAND AS BEACONS OF HOPE.
THESE INSTITUTIONS ARE MORE THAN JUST EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES.
THEY ARE SANCTUARIES OF DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS, EMBODYING THE UNDYING SPIRIT OF A PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO BE DEFINED BY THEIR OPPRESSORS.
AS OF TODAY, 340 SCHOOL, 346 SCHOOLS IN GAZA HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY OR PARTIALLY DESTROYED.
THAT IS JUST OVER 60% OF ALL SCHOOLS IN GAZA.
IN THIS MOMENT OF REFLECTION, I INVITE YOU TO CONSIDER A HARING PARALLEL.
IMAGINE INSTITUTIONS THAT FORM THE BEDROCK OF OUR OWN COMMUNITY BEING SUBJECTED TO THE SAME FATE AS THOSE INZA PICTURE RICHARDSON OR BERGNER HIGH SCHOOL, MY ALMA MATER.
BEING PLACES OF HOPE AND SYMBOLS OF OUR COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION LYING IN RUINS, ENVISION THE CHILDREN WHO WALK THE HALLWAYS FILLED WITH DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS, NOW FACING A LANDSCAPE OF DESTRUCTION WHERE THEIR CLASSROOMS ONCE STOOD.
WHAT IF THE SANCTUARIES OF LEARNING FOR OUR CHILDREN WERE RIDDLED WITH THE SCARS OF CONFLICT? THEIR WALLS ECHOING WITH THE MEMORIES OF WHAT ONCE A PLACE THAT PROMISED A BETTER TOMORROW? HOW WOULD WE AS A COMMUNITY CONFRONT THE SIDE OF OUR SCHOOLS BEING REDUCED TO RUBBLE OUR CHILDREN? THE BEARS OF OUR COLLECTIVE HOPES BEING EXTRACTED FROM THE WRECKAGE OF THEIR SMALL WORLDS? THIS GRIM SCENARIO IS NOT A REA, IS A REALITY FOR THE PEOPLE OF GAZA.
IT IS A REALITY FOR THE PALESTINIAN AMERICAN MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY THAT YOU ALL REPRESENT.
THE DESTRUCTION OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IS NOT JUST THE LOSS OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT IS A PROFOUND ASSAULT ON THE SOUL OF A SOCIETY, AN ATTEMPT TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAME OF HOPE AND ASPIRATION.
YESTERDAY I ATTENDED A TEACH IN WITH THE MAYOR AND THREE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM THE CITY OF ARLINGTON.
THIS INCLUDES MAYOR JIM ROSS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS RAUL GONZALEZ, NIKKI HUNTER, AND LONG FAM.
AS AMERICANS, WE KNOW THAT REAL CHANGE HAPPENS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
THAT IS WHY WE HAVE COME TO YOU AS OUR BEACONS OF HOPE.
THE STATE REPRESENTS YOU, AND THE COUNTRY REPRESENTS THE STATES.
I REITERATE MY REQUEST THAT YOU SUPPORT A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.
I END MY TIME WITH A REQUEST TO THE COUNCIL TO DIRECT STAFF TO FOLLOW UP WITH ME SO THAT WE MAY FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF ARLINGTON AND ARRANGE A TIME OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT FOR OUR GRIEVING COMMUNITY TO THE MAYOR BOB DUBY, I KNOW YOU ARE A MAN OF CHARACTER.
I KNOW THAT WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR MY COMMUNITY WHILE A STUDENT ATHLETE AT NER, I HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME.
AND I WANNA PERSONALLY THANK YOU FOR MAKING SURE WE ALL GOT A FAIR SHOT.
GOD BLESS PHILISTINE AND MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA.
UM, I LIVE AT 2323 TRELLIS PLACE HERE IN RICHARDSON.
UM, I HAVE COME TO YOU HERE TODAY, UH, TO ASK THAT YOU CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION, UH, PASSED AN IMMEDIA CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION HERE, UM, TO THE ONGOING GENOCIDE THAT IS HAPPENING IN PALESTINE AT THE HANDS OF THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION FORCE.
AND BY EXTENSION US, THE UNITED STATES.
I'VE SEEN MANY VIDEOS ACROSS THE COUNTRY OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS JUST LIKE YOU, UH, SAYING THAT THEY DO NOT FEEL THAT IT IS THEIR PLACE TO STAND UP AND DEMAND A CEASE FIRE.
UM, I HOPE THAT YOU ALL DO NOT HOLD THAT SAME OPINION HERE.
UM, BUT IF YOU DO, I WISH TO ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY TO OPEN YOUR HEARTS AND SEE PAST THE POLITICAL SMOKESCREEN THAT SAYS, STANDING UP FOR INNOCENT MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN, IS A POLITICAL ACT RATHER THAN A HUMAN ONE.
THE CITY OF RICHARDSON HAS AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE NORTH TEXAS, TO SHOW NORTH TEXAS AND THE WORLD AT LARGE, WHO WE ARE AS A CITY, TO SHOW THE WORLD THAT RICHARDSON SEES THE SUFFERING OF THE PEOPLE OF PALESTINE AND SAYS, NO MORE.
NO MORE TO THE TORTURE, TO THE STARVATION, TO THE DISPLACEMENT THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING LONG BEFORE OCTOBER 7TH.
PLEASE OPEN YOUR HEARTS AND SHOW THE WORLD WHO
[00:10:01]
RICHARDSON IS AND WHAT IT TRULY MEANS TO BE RICHARDSON STRONG.PASS A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION AND FREE PALESTINE, AMIR WAAN.
UM, I AM A RESIDENT OF RICHARDSON.
I GREW UP HERE, WENT TO SCHOOL HERE FROM KINDERGARTEN ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL.
I, UH, GRADUATED FROM BERKER HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, RAN TRACK, UH, THERE, UH, PLAYED FOOTBALL AS A RUNNING BACK IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AT WESTWOOD JUNIOR HIGH.
MY ADDRESS IS FOR THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.
UM, SO I'VE LIVED IN THAT HOME PRETTY MUCH MY ENTIRE LIFE.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A SPEECH PREPARED FOR YOU GUYS.
I ACTUALLY DID NOT EVEN PLAN ON SPEAKING TODAY.
UM, I'M GOING TO SPEAK TO YOU GUYS JUST AS A PERSON TO PERSON.
UM, THE FIRST TIME I WAS CALLED A TERRORIST WAS WHEN I WAS 11 YEARS OLD.
I'VE HAD A LONG TIME TO PROCESS THOSE TYPE OF INTERACTIONS.
UM, THAT HAPPENED IN THE PARKING LOT OF RICHLAND COLLEGE WHERE I WAS, UH, WAITING FOR MY MOM TO GET OUT OF HER COLLEGE CLASSES.
SHE WAS A SINGLE MOM OF TWO KIDS OF PALESTINIAN DESCENT, JUST TRYING TO MAKE HER WAY, UH, IN THIS COUNTRY.
OKAY? SO I GREW UP WITH THESE KIND OF INTERACTIONS MY ENTIRE LIFE, AND I NEVER LET IT MAKE ME A RESENTFUL OR HATEFUL PERSON BECAUSE RICHARDSON HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BEACON OF A DIFFERENT PLACE IN TEXAS.
IT IS A PLACE OF DIVERSITY UNLIKE ANYWHERE ELSE YOU WILL SEE IN ANY OTHER CITY IN TEXAS THAT I'VE BEEN TO.
I'VE BEEN TO PALESTINE, I'VE GONE TO AS MANY CITIES AS I CAN.
UM, IN TEXAS, IT'S KIND OF ONE OF MY THINGS THAT I LIKE TO DO.
UM, NEVER, THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOWHERE LIKE RICHARDSON, OKAY? UH, GOING TO SCHOOL HERE, I WAS, UM, EXPOSED TO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF ETHNIC GROUPS, UH, AND CULTURES.
AND THAT REALLY SHAPED WHO I AM TODAY.
OKAY? UM, RICHARDSON, WHEN I WAS 11 OR 12 YEARS OLD, WAS ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES TO, UH, INVOKE A TERRORIST UNIT FOR THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE NATION.
UM, WHICH IS A HUGE SLAP TO THE FACE OF ANY ARAB OR MUSLIM POPULATION, WHICH THERE'S A LARGE GROUP HERE IN RICHARDSON.
AS WE ALL KNOW, WE NEED TO FIND SOME KIND OF COMMON GROUND THAT HAS THE PROPER TERMINOLOGY AND WORDING IN A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION THAT CAN COME TO TERMS AND, UH, APPEASE ALL PARTIES ON BOTH SIDES.
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE FIND COMMON GROUND IN THIS TIME.
WE DON'T HAVE VERY MUCH TIME TO LOSE.
PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR LIVES ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT AISLE.
AS WE ARE SPEAKING EVERY SINGLE DAY, A HUNDRED CHILDREN ARE BEING KILLED.
OKAY? I ALMOST DIDN'T SAY THE WORD KILLED BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH CENSORSHIP WE HAVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
I'VE ALMOST BEEN PROGRAMMED TO NOT SAY THE WORD KILLED WHEN IT COMES TO PALESTINIANS, BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING.
OKAY? MANY PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES.
THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO STAY FOCUSED ON, IS PEOPLE ARE STILL LOSING THEIR LIVES.
AND WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW, GUYS.
WE NEED TO FIND THE COMMON LANGUAGE THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE UPON FOR THIS CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.
AND I IMPLORE SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, ANY ONE OF YOU, TO JUST TAKE SOME TIME TO DRAFT A RESOLUTION THAT YOU REALLY THINK WOULD APPEASE BOTH SIDES.
IT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS YOU COULD DO IN YOUR POLITICAL CAREER.
IT MIGHT BACKFIRE OR IT MIGHT NOT, BUT ONE OF YOU GUYS HAS TO TAKE THAT RISK AND TRY TO DO THAT.
AND THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING YOU GUYS TO DO.
OKAY? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
MY ADDRESS IS 1 3 9 SOUTH CLARK ROAD.
I'M HERE IN FAVOR OF A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION JUST BEING BROKEN.
UM, I WAS ACTUALLY NOT PREPARED TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
I WAS OVER THERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, FUMBLING OVER MY WORDS OF WHAT TO SAY TO YOU ALL.
[00:15:01]
A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.I'VE LIVED ALL OVER DALLAS AND EVEN WENT TO SCHOOL IN RICHARDSON, ISD WHEN I WAS IN SIXTH GRADE AT ALDO CREEK ELEMENTARY, I WAS ABLE TO SEE HOW DIVERSE THE CITY OF RICHARDSON WAS AS A WOMAN IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY WHO WAS PREVIOUSLY IN CHARTER IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
I WAS NEW TO THIS TYPE OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
THERE WAS A MUSLIM GIRL WHO WAS NEW IN OUR SIXTH GRADE CLASS.
SHE SPOKE BROKEN ENGLISH, BUT SHE WAS VERY KIND TO EVERYONE, AND SHE USUALLY ONLY COMMUNICATED WITH A SMILE.
ONE DAY AT RECESS, TWO BLACK GIRLS DECIDED TO JUMP HER.
ANOTHER'S ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HOW BLACK PEOPLE CAN'T BE RACIST, BUT I DEFINITELY SAW THAT IN THIS CASE, EVERYONE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE RACIST.
AND, UM, I'M NOT ONE TO BE A BYSTANDER.
THE GIRLS THREW HER BINDER ON THE GROUND AND THEY SHOVED HER, AND THEY CALLED HER SLURS.
UM, LIKE I SAID, I AM NOT ONE TO BE A BYSTANDER, AND I'M EVEN A FIGHTER NOW, AND I COMPETE EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
QUITE LITERALLY, THE TEACHERS AT THE TIME DID NOT CARE MUCH FOR REASONING BEHIND FIGHTING.
THEY INSTIGATED AND THEY TALKED ABOUT IT.
AND ONE OF THE GIRLS WANTED TO FIGHT ME AGAIN.
SHE SHOWED UP TO MY APARTMENT COMPLEX AND WE FOUGHT AGAIN.
SHE WAS A BULLY IN MANY WAYS, INCLUDING PREVIOUSLY TRYING TO STEAL MY SCHOOL FUNDRAISER MONEY.
BY THE TIME WE HAD OUR THIRD ROUND, SO TO SPEAK, OF FINALLY, SHE FINALLY HAD ENOUGH OF ME.
AND I NEVER SAW HER BULLY THE MUSLIM GIRL AGAIN.
THE MUSLIM GIRLS FAMILY INVITED ME AND MY SISTER OVER FOR DINNER, AND WE WERE EVEN FRIENDS LEADING INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL UNTIL I MOVED AWAY.
THAT BEING SAID, I WASN'T A BYSTANDER THEN.
AND I REFUSE TO BE A BYSTANDER.
NOW WHEN I SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN PALESTINE, AND I SEE HOW PEOPLE ARE BEING CARPET BOMBED AND GENOCIDE, AND THEY'RE BEING IN AN OPEN AIR PRISON, AND THEY ARE CONSTANTLY BEING BOMBED TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
AND I HEAR THE ARGUMENT THAT ISRAEL IS USING MEANS OF SELF-DEFENSE.
I GENUINELY TAKE OFFENSE TO THAT.
I DO TAKE IT PERSONALLY THOUGH I'M NOT MUSLIM, THOUGH I AM NOT PALESTINIAN.
I DO KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO, UM, USE SELF-DEFENSE.
AND I DO KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO STAND UP FOR PEOPLE.
I KNOW WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE WHENEVER I TRIED EXPLAINING TO THE TEACHERS WHAT HAPPENED, AND THEY DIDN'T CARE.
THEY JUST WANTED IT TO BE THE TALK OF THE SCHOOL.
SO WHENEVER WE GO TO CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS IN RICHARDSON, DALLAS, PLANO, ARLINGTON, AND WE TRY AND DO WHAT I DID WHEN I WAS IN SIXTH GRADE, TALKING TO THE TEACHERS, AND WE SEE NO RESOLUTION OF ANY KIND, AND THE CONVERSATION STILL KEEPS GOING.
AND WE KNOW OUR REPRESENTATIVES TALK AMONGST EACH OTHER ABOUT IT, AND WE KNOW OUR REPRESENTATIVES ARE AWARE OF IT.
IT JUST REMINDS ME OF BEING THAT SIXTH GRADE GIRL WHO WAS SIMPLY TRYING TO STAND UP FOR WHAT I KNEW WAS WRONG.
I KNEW THAT SHE WAS BEING BULLIED, AND I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES, AND I REFUSED TO STAND THERE AND WATCH IT.
I AM OUT HERE PROTESTING, AND NOW I'M OUT HERE SPEAKING.
I'M OUT HERE EVEN AT MY TOURNAMENTS.
I EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHAT'S GOING ON.
I'M CONSTANTLY TALKING ABOUT IT AND TRYING TO RAISE AWARENESS.
UM, I WASN'T A BYSTANDER THEN.
AND I PLEASE ASK YOU ALL TO NOT BE LIKE THE TEACHERS THAT WE RAN TO IN SIXTH GRADE, TRYING TO GET THEM TO HELP STOP THE BULLYING.
I GENUINELY ASK YOU TO HELP WITH THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION AND JUST TAKE TIME TO HEAR US OUT AND LISTEN TO US WITHOUT ACTUALLY LISTENING.
POINTLESSLY LISTENING TO JUST HAVE A CONVERSATION AMONGST EACH OTHER.
PLEASE LISTEN SO THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN CHANGE THIS AND HAVE A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.
I WOULD JUST PERSONALLY LIKE TO THANK ALL THE SPEAKERS.
WE APPRECIATE YOU SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS WITH US, AND
[5. REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE SALE OF SERIES 2024 DEBT OBLIGATIONS]
WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE SALE OF SERIES 2024 DEBT OBLIGATIONS.MR. MAGNER, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.
I WOULD, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND NEED OF COTRAN IS GOING TO, UH, UH, PROVIDE THIS BRIEFING.
UH, LAST SUMMER DURING YOUR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
WE OUTLINED A, UH, DEBT PLAN FOR YOU FOR THE, UH, SERIES, UH, UH, 2024, AND ANITA'S HERE TONIGHT TO DETAIL THAT AND TO GIVE YOU A PREVIEW OF THE, UH, SCHEDULE AND CAL CALENDARING ITEMS THAT YOU'LL WANT TO TAKE NOTE OF.
THANK YOU, ANITA, FOR BEING HERE.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, LIKE MR. MAGNER SAID, THIS IS A, A REVIEW AND DISCUSS ITEM FOR THE DEBT PLANNING FOR FY 24.
AS YOU DISCUSSED LAST SUMMER WHEN YOU DID YOUR BUDGET WORKSHOPS.
UM, YOU HAVE A HANDOUT, AND I THINK YOU GOT IT ELECTRONICALLY AS WELL.
WE DON'T HAVE A SLIDE FOR THE SCREEN.
BUT, UM, YEAR THREE, IT'S YEAR THREE OF THE 2021 GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND AUTHORIZATION, WHICH ARE YOUR VOTER APPROVED BONDS.
AND THEN YEAR ONE OF THE 2023 GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND AUTHORIZATION.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT SOME MONEY IN THERE FOR SI CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION FOR EQUIPMENT AND SELF-SUPPORTING DEBT.
SO THE TOTAL GO BONDS, WE PLA PLAN TO SELL OF 67.530 MILLION, INCLUDES 55.530 MILLION FROM THE 2021 AUTHORIZATION, WHICH INCLUDES MAJORITY IS FOR STREETS, 47.330 MILLION,
[00:20:02]
4 MILLION FOR PUBLIC LI BUILDINGS, WHICH IS THE LIBRARIAN CITY HALL, 2.4 MILLION FOR SIDEWALKS PROGRAM, A A MILLION FOR DRAINAGE PROJECTS, WHICH WILL HELP WITH EROSION CONTROL.AND THEN THERE'S 12 MILLION FROM THE 2023 AUTHORIZATION, WHICH IS STRICTLY JUST THE NEW CITY HALL REBUILD.
SO THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL TO 67.5 MILLION FOR THE VOTER APPROVED BONDS.
ONCE WE SELL THIS DEBT, YOU'LL STILL HAVE AROUND 90 MILLION IN AUTHORIZED, BUT UNISSUED DEBT FOR STREETS AND BUILDINGS AND PARKS, I BELIEVE.
AND THEN THE TOTAL CO BONDS WE PLAN TO SELL OF 20,955,000, INCLUDE 3 MILLION FOR THE LIBRARY SUPPLEMENT, WHICH IS THE REMODEL OF THE EXISTING LIBRARY, UH, 1.6 MILLION FOR FIRE EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS AN ENGINE 1.645 MILLION FOR SOLID WASTE EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS, UM, CABS FOR TRUCKS AND CONTAINERS.
AND ON THE HANDOUT THAT WE GAVE YOU, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT WE ONLY FINANCE FOR EIGHT YEARS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA FINANCE SOMETHING FOR GREATER THAN THE LIFE OF THE ASSET.
SO, AND THEN 14.7 MILLION IS FOR OUR WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PLANNING TO SELL.
OUR CELL CALENDAR WAS ALSO ATTACHED PER YEAR REVIEW.
UH, BASICALLY WE PLAN TO SELL IN APRIL.
WE'LL HAVE OUR WRITING CALLS IN MARCH, AND WE'LL BE PREPARING OUR BOND BOOK AND, UM, OUR OFFICIAL STATEMENT IN FEBRUARY.
SO I WOULD BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
WE DO, WE WILL BRING TO YOU FEBRUARY 26TH FOR THE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
WE'LL HAVE TO BRING TO YOU A NOTICE OF INTENT AND IT'S A RESOLUTION THAT YOU WILL APPROVE.
AND THEN WE WILL ADVERTISE FOR THOSE CERTIFICATES OF ALL OBLIGATIONS SINCE THEY'RE NOT VOTER APPROVED.
BUT I'D BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
COUNSEL, MR, JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD DIRECT IT TO YOU OR TO DON DON THE, UM, UH, THE BOND TO COVER THE FIRE ENGINE, IS THAT FOR ONE THAT WE'VE ALREADY ORDERED AHEAD OF TIME OR IS THIS PUTTING US BACK IN THE CYCLE? NO, I BELIEVE THIS IS ONE THAT WE HAVE ALREADY PREVIOUSLY ORDERED.
I THINK WE'RE TOO AHEAD RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OKAY.
WE HAD, WE HAD, AS, AS YOU'RE AWARE, WE HAD TO DO THAT TO GET LINE.
I JUST WASN'T SURE WHERE WE WERE AT IN THE CYCLE.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE WHERE WE WERE AT.
JUST WANTED TO GET THAT CLARIFICATION, SO THANK YOU.
MM-HMM,
CAN, YOU CAN, AND I'M, I KNOW YOU SAID THIS, I WAS KIND OF READING AND LISTENING AT THE SAME TIME.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE THERE BETWEEN THE TWO MUNICIPAL PUBLIC BUILDINGS? THE WHY IS THAT LISTED TWICE? AND ONE OF 'EM IS FROM YOUR 2021 BOND ELECTION THAT THE VOTERS APPROVED, AND THAT'S WHEN YOU WE'RE GONNA REMODEL CITY HALL AND THE LIBRARY.
YOU'RE STILL GONNA REMODEL THE LIBRARY, BUT YOU WENT OUT IN 2023 FOR A BOND ELECTION.
AND THE ONLY THING ON THAT ELECTION WAS THE REBUILD OF CITY HALL, WHICH WAS 46 MILLION, I BELIEVE.
SO THE 4 MILLION AND THEN 12 MILLION, THOSE ARE JUST TWO SEPARATE BONDS? YES.
THEY WERE TWO SEPARATE AUTHORIZATIONS.
SO WE TWO SEPARATE AUTHORIZATIONS.
THE, THE 4 MILLION IS FOR DESIGN OF THE, UH, OLD CITY HALL, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GONNA DEMOLISH IT.
AND THEN THE LIBRARY WORK, THE 12 MILLION IS FOR ALL REBUILD OF THE NEW CITY HALL.
AND I KNOW, UM, WE HAVE THIS IN FRONT OF US.
IS THIS POSTED ONLINE? IF RESIDENTS ARE QUESTIONED ABOUT WHAT, WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW? IT IT IS POSTED ONLINE.
[6. REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE OVER 65 AND DISABLED PERSONS EXEMPTION ]
GO TO ITEM SIX, REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE OVER 65 AND DISABLED PERSONS EXEMPTION, MR. MAGNER.UH, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, TODD GASTROP, IS GONNA TAKE THIS, UH, BRIEFING.
UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, UH, THE CITY'S FINANCIAL POLICY PROVIDES THESE YEAR DURING THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WILL REVIEW, UH, THIS EXEMPTION WITH THE GOAL OF, UH, ACHIEVING THAT 30% PROTECTION.
AND SO, UH, TODD'S GONNA OUTLINE, UH, THE RESEARCH THAT THEY'VE DONE, AND THEN WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR YOU AT THE CONCLUSION.
THANK YOU, MR. MAGNER, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
SO AS DON MENTIONED, SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS TODAY IS IN KEEPING WITH, UH, THE COUNCIL'S, UH, STRATEGIES AND GOALS.
ONE OF THOSE IS TO MAINTAIN STRONG FUND BALANCE AND BOND RATING, AND THEN THE TACTIC TO ANNUALLY EVALUATE OUR PROPERTY EXAM EXEMPTIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES.
AS DON MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE THAT IN PLACE, AND I'LL GET INTO THAT ON THE FOLLOWING SLIDE.
BEFORE WE GET INTO THE PRESENTATION, THE ANALYSIS AND WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING THIS EVENING, I WANTED TO SET THE TABLE FOR SOME DIFFERENCES IN, UH, DEFINITIONS.
SO THERE'S MARKET VALUE FOR A HOME, AND THERE'S ALSO THE TAXABLE VALUE FOR A HOME.
SO WHEN YOU THINK OF MARKET VALUE, THAT'S GONNA BE THE PRICE AT WHICH YOU'D PAY FOR A PROPERTY, GIVEN THE, UH, PREVAILING MARKET CONDITIONS.
[00:25:01]
BE THAT MARKET VALUE MINUS ANY EXEMPTIONS THAT EXIST ON THE PROPERTY.AND THEN THE TAX LEVY WOULD BE THAT TAXABLE VALUE TIMES WHATEVER OUR ADOPTED TAX RATE IS.
SO THE EXAMPLE I SHOW THERE SHOWS THE MARKET VALUE OF AN AVERAGE SENIOR HOME, UM, LESS THE SENIOR EXEMPTION THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE TODAY, WHICH IS $130,000 OF THAT PROPERTY VALUE IS EXEMPT FROM CITY TAXES.
THAT PROVIDES A, A, A REDUCED TAX VALUE, MULTIPLY THAT TIMES OUR TAX RATE, AND THEN THE AVERAGE SENIOR WITH THAT HOME VALUE.
AND, UM, JUST THE SENIOR EXEMPTION, THEY'RE PAYING $1,722 TODAY AT THE CURRENT TAX RATE.
SO, UM, WITH OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES, UH, ONE OF THE, THE GOALS OF COUNCIL AND PRIOR COUNCILS HAS BEEN TO, UH, EVALUATE OUR SENIOR EXEMPTION ANNUALLY, AND WITH A TARGET OF HAVING 30% OF THE MARKET VALUE OF A SENIOR'S HOME TO BE, UM, EXEMPT THROUGH THIS EXEMPTION.
SO AS WE SEE CHANGES IN THE AVERAGE MARKET VALUE, WE NEED TO REEVALUATE WHETHER THE CURRENT EXEMPTION IS SUFFICIENT TO MEET THAT FINANCIAL TARGET.
LAST YEAR, UH, ABOUT THIS TIME, WE INCREASED, UH, BROUGHT FORTH THE PRESENTATION.
THE COUNCIL AGREED TO INCREASE THE EXEMPTION FROM 105,000 TO 130,000.
THAT WAS A MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT JUMP THAN WE TYPICALLY SEE IN AN AVERAGE YEAR, BUT THAT WAS DUE TO RECORD GROWTH OF ABOUT 27%.
UM, THE PRIOR YEAR AFTER RECEIVING THE CERTIFIED ROLES THIS PAST JULY, THE CURRENT EXEMPTION AMOUNT, UM, WOULD HAVE US BELOW THE, UH, 30% TARGET.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, RECOMMENDING AN INCREASE TODAY.
A LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS, UM, OUR ACCOUNTS HAVE INCREASED FROM A YEAR AGO TO TODAY.
UH, WE'VE GOT A LITTLE OVER 8,800 SENIOR, UH, UH, ACCOUNTS THAT QUALIFY FOR THIS EXEMPTION, WHICH REPRESENTS 31% OF ALL OF OUR RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNTS.
SO IT'S A PRETTY SIZABLE CHUNK, UM, OF OUR ACCOUNTS.
THE NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS THAT RECEIVED THE EXEMPTION YEAR OVER YEAR WENT UP 4.17%, WHICH IS ONE OF THE HIGHER GROSS WE'VE SEEN.
UM, HOWEVER, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THAT'S AVERAGED OUT TO ABOUT 1.4% ANNUAL GROWTH.
AND AS YOU'LL SEE IN FUTURE SLIDES, WE'RE GONNA PROJECT OUT BASED ON 1% GROWTH.
JUST WE DON'T YET KNOW IF THE TREND OF 4% GROWTH IS SUSTAINABLE OR IF IT'LL GO BACK DOWN TO ABOUT A 1% PER YEAR GROWTH AT OUR CURRENT TAX RATE.
UH, THERE'S A LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF SAVINGS FOR THE AVERAGE SENIOR.
SO $130,000 EXEMPTIONS PROVIDING $729 OF TAX RELIEF FOR OUR SENIORS.
UH, AND EVERY $5,000 INCREMENT THAT WE WOULD INCREASE THE EXEMPTION WOULD PROVIDE ABOUT AN EXTRA $28 IN, UH, TAX SAVINGS FOR, FOR A SENIOR.
IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, EXEMPT TAXES AMOUNTED TO A LITTLE OVER $6.3 MILLION.
AND IF WE DO NOT CHANGE THE EXEMPTION AMOUNT, UH, BUT DUE TO THE PROJECTION OF INCREASED NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS, UH, WE ANTICIPATE THAT, UH, TAX EXEMPTION WOULD BE ABOUT 6.48 MILLION.
UM, NOW THE FOLLOWING SLIDE, WE'LL DIG INTO A TABLE THAT'S GONNA SHOW ASSUMPTIONS BAKED IN ON 5% HOME VALUE GROWTH, AND A 1% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS.
THESE ARE JUST PROJECTIONS AS THIS TIME, THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS JUST STARTED THEIR APPRAISAL PROCESS A FEW WEEKS AGO.
AND SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY GOOD NUMBERS AT THIS POINT AS TO WHAT, UH, HOME VALUE IS GONNA DO.
SO LOOKING AT THE CURRENT, UM, MARKET VALUE OF A SENIOR HOME BASED ON JULY'S, UM, AVERAGE IT WAS 400, JUST SHY OF 437,000, UM, AT OUR CURRENT FINANCIAL POLICY TARGET OF 30%, WE WOULD NEED TO INCREASE THE EXEMPTION TO AT LEAST 131,000 TO MEET THAT.
HOWEVER, IN THE TABLE BELOW, WE ARE PROJECTING OUT, WE DON'T WANT TO JUST HIT THAT NUMBER KNOWING THAT HOME VALUES ARE ALREADY GONNA BE INCREASING THIS YEAR.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO BAKE INTO THE PROJECTION WHAT WE THINK HOME VALUES MIGHT BE DOING THIS CURRENT YEAR.
SO FOR THE CHART BELOW YOU, THAT'S BAKING IN A 5% VALUE GROWTH, UH, FOR THE MARKET VALUE OF A HOME.
AND THEN ALSO ONE INCREASE, 1% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS.
SO LOOKING AT THE CHART FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, AS YOU LOOK AT, UM, $5,000 INCREASES TO THE EXEMPTION, YOU START TO SEE WHAT THAT WOULD AMOUNT TO IN TERMS OF, UH, ARE WE HITTING THAT 30% TARGET? SO IT LOOK BASED ON THAT AND OUR PROJECTIONS, UH, WE WOULD NEED TO GO UP TO AT LEAST 140,000, POSSIBLY 145,000 TO PROVIDE SOME ADDED PROTECTION IN THE EVENT.
OUR GROWTH ASSUMPTIONS ARE FALL SHORT OF WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING.
UM, AND THEN AS YOU MOVE TO THE RIGHT, YOU SEE THE IMPACT, UM, IN TERMS OF THE TAX ROLL.
AND SO THE EVERY $5,000 INCREMENT YOU GO UP, IT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT OF, UM, UH, TAX SAVINGS FOR THE HOMEOWNERS, REVENUE LOSS FOR THE CITY, HOWEVER YOU WANNA SAY THAT.
AND THEN FOR THE INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS, AGAIN, SHOWING THAT $729 IN SAVINGS OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
[00:30:01]
UH, $5,000 INCREASE IN THE EXEMPTION, YOU'RE GOING UP ABOUT 28 ADDITIONAL DOLLARS OF ANNUAL SAVINGS.THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO INCREASE THE, UM, CURRENT EXEMPTION FROM 130,000 UP TO 145,000.
UM, THAT WOULD HIT 31.6% OF AN ESTIMATED TAX BENEFIT TO SENIORS FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, THAT WOULD INCREASE THE SAVINGS FROM SEVEN $29 PER YEAR UP TO $813 PER YEAR.
AND THAT WOULD AMOUNT TO CITY EXEMPT TAXES ESTIMATED AT $7.2 MILLION.
AT THIS POINT, OPEN TO HEARING COUNCIL FEEDBACK AND DIRECTION, UM, REGARDING THE EXEMPTION AND ANY INCREASE IN THE EXEMPTION TO HAVE IT IN EFFECT FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UH, WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE, UH, PUT IN PLACE BY JULY 1ST OF, OF THE CURRENT CALENDAR YEAR.
AND THEN UPON YOUR DIRECTION, UH, OUR PLAN WOULD BE TO BRING FORTH, UH, A RESOLUTION ON FEBRUARY 12TH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TO, UH, FORMALLY INCREASE THE EXEMPTION.
AND AT THIS TIME, WE'RE, I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
TODD, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, MS. JUSTICE.
I'M IN SUPPORT OF, UH, SORT OF THE OVERESTIMATION SO THAT WE'RE NOT, UH, HAVING SENIORS LAG BEHIND GIVEN PROPERTY VALUES ARE STILL ON THE RISE, AS YOU POINTED OUT.
UM, AND THEN FOR ANYONE LISTENING THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OF A SENIOR FREEZE AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS COME UP, I'LL REMIND YOU THAT LAST YEAR WE, WE DID HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THIS, IT WAS REALLY GREAT.
UM, AND IT'S NOT ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE FOR THE CITY.
I THINK WE DETERMINED IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE THE ENTIRE SALARY FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IF WE WERE TO DO AN ACTUAL FREEZE.
UM, SO CORRECT ME IF I GOT THAT WRONG, BUT I THINK IT WAS SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
SO, UM, I THINK THIS STRIKES THE RIGHT BALANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT OUR SENIORS ARE TAKEN CARE OF AND MAKING SURE WE CAN MAKE PAYROLL AS WELL.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE WORK ON THIS.
UH, I WANT TO ECHO A COUNCIL MEMBER JUSTICE'S COMMENTS AND JUST ADD ON THAT.
I REALLY, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS IN PRIOR PRESENTATIONS OR NOT, I DON'T REALLY REMEMBER, BUT THE TABLE THAT WE HAVE HERE IS JUST SO GREAT FOR TRANSPARENCY FOR THE RESIDENTS, UM, SHOWING THE EXACT IMPACT TO ALL OF OUR FUNDS AND WHAT THE DIFFERENT INCREASES, UM, WOULD COST US.
UH, I THINK IT'S A WORTHWHILE THING TO SPEND TAXPAYERS MONEY ON, BUT, UM, BUT I DO, I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND YOU AND SAY THAT IT'S REALLY HELPFUL FOR US AS POLICY MAKERS TO SEE THE NUMBERS LIKE THIS, AND I THINK IT'S TRANSPARENT FOR THE RESIDENTS.
UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO TAG ON AS WELL.
I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE 1 45.
I THINK IT'S MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO GET, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA SLIDE BACK AND CHASE CONSISTENTLY THIS, SO, AND WOULD, WOULD ECHO EVERYTHING THAT, THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CORCORAN SAID AS WELL.
I THINK IT'S VERY TRANSPARENT.
AND I THINK WE'RE, I THINK IT STRIKES THE, THE RIGHT BALANCE OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
SO I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE, SO THANK YOU.
MR. BARRIOS, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.
I ECHO EVERYTHING THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, CORCORAN SAID AS WELL.
UM, I, THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE, I THINK DON, UM, JUST FOR THIS IS PROBABLY TOWARDS YOU, UH, JUST FOR THE PEOPLE WATCHING, AND I KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF WE DISCUSSED THIS AND YOU KNOW, IT'S PART OF A DISCUSSION OR I REMEMBER HEARING THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT FOR THOSE WATCHING HOME, CAN YOU TELL US HOW RESIDENTS CAN SIGN UP FOR THIS EXEMPTION THAT WHO MAY QUALIFY, AND THEN KIND OF MAYBE GIVE US A, A LOWDOWN OF HOW WE'RE GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT TO THEM TO MAKE SURE WE'RE UTILIZING SOME, BUT THEY, SO THEY CAN CONTACT US.
THEY DO HAVE TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION WITH BOTH THE COLLIN APPRAISAL DISTRICT, IF THEY LIVE IN COLLIN COUNTY OR DALLAS APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
IF THEY LIVE IN DALLAS COUNTY.
IT'S A, A RELATIVELY EASY PROCESS.
I BELIEVE THEY CAN GO ONLINE AND DO THAT.
UM, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY HELP THEM IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THEY CAN GIVE US A CALL.
ARE WE DOING ANY, UH, OUTREACH OR DOES THIS GO INTO RICHARDSON TODAY OR HOW WE'RE COMMUNICATING THIS OUT? YES, WE HAVE MADE THAT OUTREACH IN THE PAST, AND WE CAN DO THAT AGAIN THROUGH RICHARDSON TODAY, AS WELL AS OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES AND SO FORTH.
JUST TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE MORE CLEARLY, I THOUGHT THAT IF THIS IS COMING FROM THE DALLAS COUNTY, THAT UH, THEY DON'T HAVE TO APPLY FOR THIS, UH, EXEMPTION, UH, IF THE OWNERS IS CURRENT CERTAIN AGE, UH, IS THAT, WHERE IS THE AGE EACH? JUST SIX FIVE, I BELIEVE DALLAS COUNTY DOES MONITOR THIS, BUT I THINK THEY'D LIKE TO HAVE THEM MAKE APPLICATIONS SO THEY HAVE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THIS.
THEY'LL NEED SOME SORT OF OFFICIAL RECORD THAT THEY TURN 65.
[00:35:01]
SO, SO IT'S BETTER FOR THEM TO APPLY, MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING REALLY HAPPENED.AND, UH, YEAH, I DO SUPPORT DEFINITELY THIS, UH, EXEMPTION.
AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DO THIS THING MANY WAY PUTTING PERCENTAGE HERE AND THERE EXEMPTION, BUT I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST TRANSPARENT WAY GIVING THE EXEMPTION.
UH, JUST QUESTION, UM, WHEN, WHEN DOES THIS, UH, GO INTO EFFECT AND WHEN ARE THE APPLICATIONS DUE FOR THE SENIORS? SO, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
WELL, THEY CAN APPLY AT ANY TIME.
UM, SO WE WOULD NEED TO PUT THIS IN EFFECT, UM, BY JULY 1ST, AND THEN THE SENIORS WOULD NEED TO DO IT BY, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S BASED ON THE CALENDAR YEAR, UH, FOR THAT PARTICULAR TAX YEAR.
UM, SO IF WE WERE TO PUT THAT IN EFFECT NOW, IT WOULD BE FOR TAX YEAR 2024, WHICH JUST STARTED THE TAXES OF WHICH ARE DUE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.
SO YOU WOULD NEED TO TURN 65 THIS YEAR OR THIS CALENDAR YEAR PRIOR? THIS CALENDAR PRIOR.
THAT'S, WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT.
CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, KENT.
YEAH, THEY CAN APPLY AT ANY TIME AND THEY, I BELIEVE GET A PRORATED PIECE OF THAT WHEN THEY DO THAT.
SO WHEN THEY TURN 65, THEY CAN APPLY.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, CHART.
IT'S VERY TRANSPARENT AND I'M, I'M IN SUPPORT OF IT, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. CORCORAN.
UM, COUNCILMAN BARRIOS QUESTION SPURRED A QUICK QUESTION IN MY HEAD AS WELL.
THAT 4%, UH, GROWTH IN, IN ACCOUNTS, IS THAT, DO YOU THINK THAT THAT THAT GROWTH IS THROUGH OUTREACH ON OUR END? OR IS IT ORGANIC, SO TO SPEAK? I WOULD VENTURE TO GUESS IT'S MORE ORGANIC.
AS, AS POPULATION AGES, PEOPLE ARE HITTING THAT MARK.
UM, UH, IF WE, UH, CONTINUE TO BE A HOME WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO STAY AND LIVE, THEN YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT NUMBER PROBABLY GROW.
THAT'S WHY WE ARE ANTICIPATING IT CONTINUES TO GROW.
BUT JUST AS A FRAME OF REFERENCE, LAST YEAR, THE NUMBER ACTUALLY WENT DOWN, SO RIGHT.
THERE ARE SOME YEARS WHERE IF SOMEBODY MOVES IN OR OUT, I MEAN, IT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA FLUCTUATE, BUT LOOKING AT THE LAST 20 PLUS YEARS, WE TEND TO HAVE ABOUT A 1% OR MAYBE SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 1% AVERAGE GROWTH RATE FOR ANY FIVE YEAR CHUNK.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO, TO DO, JUST TO ESTIMATE.
I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD AGREE THAT THIS IS A DIRECTION WE AS A COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO GO.
THIS, THIS IS FOR SENIORS WHO ARE 65 AND OVER AND OR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
CAN YOU HIT THE DISABILITY PART? THAT WAS SOMEHOW NONE OF THAT WAS MENTIONED.
AND I'D LOVE FOR US TO GET A LITTLE CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
HOW DO WE IDENTIFY 'EM? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT HAVE TO FALL IN PLACE FOR THEM TO QUALIFY? SO, SO MY UNDERSTANDING WITH THE DISABILITIES PIECE IS IF IF YOU'RE CLASSIFIED AS DISABLED BY SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, THEN THAT IS WHERE YOU'D FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY AND BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE EXEMPTION.
SORRY FOR, I DIDN'T MEAN TO ISOLATE ANY PARTICULAR GROUP.
ALSO AS A PART OF THIS WOULD BE SURVIVING SPOUSES OF SOMEONE WHO IS A SENIOR OR DISABLED.
UM, SO A SURVIVING SPOUSE JUST NEEDS TO BE 55 AND ABOVE TO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE EXEMPTION ON THE PROPERTY.
IF THE SPOUSE WHO HAD THE EXEMPTION AS A DISABLED PERSON OR SENIOR OR 65 PLUS, UM, IF THEY, IF THEY WERE TO PASS AWAY.
I APPRECIATE FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
[7. REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE LIBRARY SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN AND OUTREACH VAN]
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE LIBRARY SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN AND OUTREACH VAN.MAYOR COUNCIL, OUR DIRECTOR OF, UH, LIBRARY SERVICES, JENNY DAVIDSON AND OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, BRENDA PATRICK HERE, HERE TONIGHT.
UM, THEY ARE, UH, GOING TO PRESENT TO YOU, UH, A REFRESH OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, THIS PLAN COVERING 24 TO 29 IN AN IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR ACCREDITATION PROCESS.
AND SO, UH, JENNY'S ALSO GONNA TOUCH ON SOME, UH, FUN THINGS THAT THE LIBRARY ARE DOING ON, IN TERMS OF OUTREACH AT THE END OF HER PRESENTATION, AS WELL AS GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE ABOUT THE, UH, LAST, UH, A HUNDRED OR SO DAYS AS THEY BEGIN OPERATIONS HERE, UM, IN, IN THE TEMPORARY LOCATION.
SO JENNY ANDREINA, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID TO GET READY FOR TONIGHT'S BRIEFING.
THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR LIBRARY.
SO OUR OBJECTIVE TONIGHT IS TO REVIEW THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR 2024 TO 2029, AND THEN TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK AND INPUT ON IT SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND IMPLEMENT IT.
AND THEN ALSO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE OUTREACH FAN AND THE TEMPORARY LOCATION.
SO THE STRATEGIC PLAN FALLS UNDER YOUR COUNCIL STRATEGY TO IMPROVE ACCESS, USABILITY,
[00:40:01]
AND USER EXPERIENCE WITH POLICIES, PROCESSES, AND PROCEDURES.AND THE PARTICULAR TACTIC IS IMPLEMENT RICHARDSON PUBLIC LIBRARY STRATEGIC PLAN 2024 TO 2029.
TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND, THIS IS A REQUIREMENT FROM THE TEXAS STATE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES COMMISSION THAT EVERY PUBLIC LIBRARY IN TEXAS HAVE A LONG RANGE PLAN THAT IS APPROVED BY ITS GOVERNING BODY AND IT'S REVIEWED AND UPDATED AT LEAST EVERY FIVE YEARS.
AND WE HAVE TO HAVE A TECHNOLOGY AND A COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT AS PART OF THE PLAN.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE LIST OF THE PAST PLANS.
WE JUST FINISHED UP THE 2018 TO 2023 PLAN, AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT PLAN.
WE INCREASED OUR SERVICE HOURS FROM 64 TO 68, WHICH MADE US AN EXEMPLARY LIBRARY.
ACCORDING TO THE TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, WE ADDED AUTOMATIC RENEWAL AND MATERIALS, WIFI HOTSPOTS FOR CHECKOUT.
UM, WE ADDED CURBSIDE DELIVERY AND WITH YOUR APPROVAL LAST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO ELIMINATE OVERDUE FEES.
WE ALSO EXPANDED OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, PARTICIPATING IN MULTIPLE CITY EVENTS SUCH AS WILDFLOWER KIDS AREA, AND WE ALSO STARTED HOSTING PROGRAMS AT THE IQ HQ.
WE ALSO OBTAINED COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THE RENOVATED LIBRARY.
WE'RE AT A HUNDRED PERCENT CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS WITH PLANS TO START CONSTRUCTION IN MARCH.
UM, THE LIBRARY MOVED TO THE TEMPORARY LOCATION IN OCTOBER AND WE OPENED ON OCTOBER 23RD.
AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO ADD DIFFERENT DIGITAL PLATFORMS FOR MATERIALS AND ONLINE LEARNING.
UM, IN PARTICULAR, PRESS READER AND CANOPY WERE ADDED LAST YEAR.
WE CAN CONTINUE TO ADAPT OUR PROGRAMMING TO ADD NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND CLASSES AND GAMING PROGRAMS SUCH AS DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS FOR ALL AGES.
AND INSTAGRAM WAS ADDED AS A SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLET.
WE WORKED WITH OUR IT DEPARTMENT TO GO TO SOFTWARE AS A SOLUTION FOR OUR LIBRARY CATALOG.
AND THIS MEANS THAT CRC DX, OUR LIBRARY CATALOG VENDOR HOSTS OUR SERVER, AND THAT MEANS THAT PATRON DATA IS MORE SECURE ON THEIR SITE.
AND WE ALSO ADDED A WEB-BASED CATALOG.
AND THEN WE ADDED THE LAPTOP KIOSK FOR PATRONS TO CHECK OUT LAPTOPS AND USE IN THE LIBRARY BUILDING.
SO WORK ON THIS YEAR'S, OR, OR THE, THE NEXT FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN BEGAN IN SPRING OF 2022 WITH THE LIBRARY RENOVATION SURVEY.
THEY WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY ONLINE OR COME INTO THE LIBRARY AND USE A KIOSK OR GET A PAPER COPY OF THE SURVEY.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAD OUR ARCHITECT, STEINBERG HART MET WITH VARIOUS FOCUS GROUPS, WHICH WERE RESIDENTS, TEENS, LIBRARY PARTNER GROUPS.
THEY MET WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND THEN ALSO CITY STAFF.
AND YOU CAN SEE FROM THE LIST THE VARIOUS GROUPS THAT PARTICIPATED.
AND THEN WE ALSO MET WITH THE MAYOR BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE LAST, UH, WELL NOT LAST SEPTEMBER, THE SEPTEMBER BEFORE SEPTEMBER, 2022.
AND THE PRIORITIES FROM THAT MEETING WERE TO, TO REALLY SEE WHAT RICHARDSON WANTED.
WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE OUR SPACE WAS INCLUSIVE AND THEN TO ASK FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATION FOR DIVERSE PROGRAMMING.
AND THEN FINALLY, OUR, THIS PAST SEPTEMBER, OUR LIBRARY STAFF, EVERY YEAR WE HAVE A STAFF AND SERVICE DAY, AND WE USE THE TOP FACILITATION METHOD TO COME UP WITH IDEAS TO UPDATE OUR LIBRARY MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT.
SO THIS IS INFORMATION ON WHO COMPLETED THE PUBLIC SURVEY.
THESE ARE PERCENTILES, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAD, UM, EVERYTHING FROM YOUNG CHILDREN UP TO SENIORS WITH GOOD AMOUNT OF PEOPLE IN EVERY GROUP.
AND THE KEY FINDINGS COMING FROM THIS ARE THAT COLLECTIONS AND OUR READING FOR ENJOYMENT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO USE THE LIBRARY.
AND THE TOP FOUR THINGS THAT THEY REALLY WANT IN THE RENOVATED BUILDING IS A WELCOMING, COMFORTABLE, SAFE, AND SECURE, AND AN INNOVATIVE AND MODERN BUILDING.
THE MOST NEW REQUESTED ITEMS THEY WANTED WAS A DRIVE-THROUGH BOOK DROP, LARGER CHILDREN'S AND TEENS AREA, A PLACE TO PICK UP HOLDS AFTER HOURS, AND THEN AN IMPROVED MAKERSPACE AND CLASSROOMS. THEY ALSO MENTIONED THEY WANTED INCREASED DIGITAL COLLECTIONS, UM, MORE PROGRAMS, BETTER BATHROOMS, MORE LIGHTING, UM, AND ESPECIALLY NATURAL LIGHTING AND VIEWS.
AND THEN TO HAVE STRONG WIFI THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING AND MORE POWER OUTLETS.
[00:45:01]
WE ALSO ASKED WHAT DID THEY LIKE ABOUT THE CURRENT BUILDING? SO THEY CAME BACK AND THEY SAID THEY LOVED THE CHILDREN'S AREA.THEY LIKED QUIET PLACES TO READ AND STUDY.
UM, THEY LIKED OUR PROGRAMS AND EVENTS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES ABOUT DIVER, THE DIVERSE RICHARDSON AREA.
AND THEN THEY LIKED TO HAVE THE WIFI AND THE PUBLIC COMPUTERS AVAILABLE FOR EVERYBODY.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE DID AT, ON OUR STAFF AND SERVICE DAY.
WE HAD STAFF GET TOGETHER AND WE STARTED INDIVIDUALLY AND WE ASKED WHAT AND WHY OF LIBRARY SERVICE, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR IT AND WHY ARE WE DOING IT? AND WE WERE ABLE TO GROUP OUR IDEAS TOGETHER AND TO CREATE THIS, THIS NEW MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH IS THE RICHARDSON PUBLIC LIBRARY PROVIDES WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE, HIGH QUALITY SERVICES AND RESOURCES THAT SERVE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN FOR THE VISION, WE WERE LOOKING AT WHAT, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE IN FIVE YEARS SINCE IT'S A FIVE YEAR PLAN, OR WHAT'S OUR GOAL AT THE END OF THIS FIVE YEARS? AND THE RICHARDSON PUBLIC LIBRARY IS A VIBRANT COMMUNITY HUB THAT OFFERS A WELCOMING SPACE FOR ALL PEOPLE TO LEARN, PLAY, CONNECT, AND ENGAGE.
SO TO GET TO THIS VISION, WE HAVE THREE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, PEOPLE, PLACE AND TECHNOLOGY IN TERMS OF PEOPLE.
WE REALLY WANT TO REACH THE COMMUNITY AND GET A SENSE OF THEIR GET CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT THROUGH OUR PROGRAMMING INITIATIVES AND REALLY CELEBRATE RICHARDSON'S DIVERSITY.
WE WANT OUR MATERIAL SELECTION, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE STATE THAT WE TALK ABOUT COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS OUR BOOK COLLECTIONS AND DIGITAL COLLECTIONS, AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE REFLECTING THE EVOLVING INTERESTS AND LIFESTYLES OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN WE WANNA LOOK TO REACH THOSE PEOPLE WHO DON'T PHYSICALLY COME INTO THE LIBRARY AND DO MORE OUTREACH TO REACH THEM.
SO TO REACH THIS, WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING ACTION ITEMS. WE WANNA CONTINUE TO TARGET PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES TO, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH VARYING NEEDS TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE.
WE WANNA EXPAND OUR ADULTING 1 0 1 PROGRAMS. SO THIS COULD BE A BASIC FINANCE CLASS OR A CLASS ON HOW TO LIKE FIX YOUR CAR.
AND THIS, WE DO IT RIGHT NOW FOR TEENS, BUT TO EXPAND IT FOR ALL AGES.
UM, WE WANNA CONTINUE TO DO, UM, ADD MAKER EQUIPMENT.
WE'RE GOING TO GET A, A DEDICATED MAKER SPACE IN THE NEW BUILDING.
SO WE'RE, WE'LL BE ADDING NEW MAKER EQUIPMENT, SO HAVING THE CLASSES TO GO ALONG WITH THAT TO TEACH THESE NEW, THE NEW ART AND TECHNOLOGY.
WE WANNA CONTINUE TO BE A CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY LEADER.
AND THEN WE WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE WE ARE REFLECTING WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE.
AND THEN WE WANNA LEVERAGE OUR PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER COMMUNITY ENTITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HELPING EACH OTHER REACH THESE SHARED GOALS.
SO WE ARE, WE HAVE OBTAINED AN OUTREACH VAN, SO WE WANNA GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND DO MOBILE STORY TIMES, HAVE LIBRARY CARD DRIVES, DO LEARNING LABS, PARTICIPATE IN CITY FESTIVALS, AND GET OUT INTO THOSE UNDERSERVED AREAS OF RICHARDSON.
UM, WE WANNA MAKE CHANGES TO OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
IN THE LAST PLAN, THAT'S WHERE WE GOT RID OF THE OVERDUE FEES.
SO CONTINUALLY TO LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHY WE'RE DOING IT AND MAKE SURE IT'S REFLECTING, UM, WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS.
SO WE HAVE OFFER AN EXCELLENT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND MAKING SURE OUR STAFF IS WELL TRAINED SO THEY'RE PROVIDING EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND THEN WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE KEEPING, UH, RICHARDSON'S HISTORY.
WE WILL BE GETTING A LOCAL HISTORY ROOM IN THE RENOVATED SPACE, SO ENSURING THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SAFE, KEEP THOSE MATERIALS AND HIGHLIGHT THEM IN THAT AREA PLACE.
OBVIOUSLY WE WILL BE RENOVATING THE BUILDING BY THE END OF THIS PLAN, WE WILL HAVE MOVED BACK AND BE USING THE RENOVATED BUILDING.
SO WHILE WE'RE STILL IN OUR TEMPORARY SPACE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE MAINTAINING OUR CURRENT SERVICES AND ADDING THEM AS WE NEED TO.
BUT WE REALLY WANNA LOOK AT THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE RENOVATION.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE GOT A LOT OF THESE ITEMS. AND OUR GOAL IS TO REVITALIZE AND TRANSFORM RICHARDSON'S ICONIC BUILDING INTO A VIBRANT, FLEXIBLE, 21ST CENTURY LIBRARY THAT SERVES ALL OF RICHARDSON'S STAKEHOLDERS.
SO A LOT OF THESE ITEMS COME OFF OF THAT SURVEY WHERE THE PEOPLE SAID WHAT THEY WANTED MOST.
SO WE WANNA HAVE A WELCOMING, SAFE, AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT THAT PEOPLE HAVE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY PRIDE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED IN THE OLD BUILDING, THAT THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH EMERGENCY EXITS.
SO INCREASING THE NUMBER OF EMERGENCY EXITS AROUND THE BUILDING.
UM, WE WANNA HAVE INTUITIVE ENTRY AND WAYFINDING
[00:50:01]
BETWEEN THE FLOORS.UM, WE'LL HAVE A, A HIGHLY VISIBLE STAIRCASE SO PEOPLE CAN EASILY GET TO THE VARIOUS AREAS IN THE BUILDING.
WE WANNA INCREASE OUR VIEWS OF THE FOUNTAIN AND ADD TO THE NATURAL LIGHT.
AND WE WANT COLLABORATIVE, ADAPTABLE AND VERSATILE SPACES WITH DURABLE EQUIPMENT THAT WILL LAST FOR YEARS.
WE ARE GETTING A DRIVE UP BOOK DROP.
THESE ARE JUST EXAMPLES OF WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE.
WE HAVEN'T SETTLED ON THAT YET.
AND THEN WE'LL BE IMPROVING THE MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND PLUMBING IN THE BUILDING.
AND THEN WE WANT TO, UM, USE FLEX, HAVE FLEXIBILITY IN THIS SPACE.
SO WE'LL BE USING FURNITURE SOLUTIONS RATHER THAN HAVING FIXED ROOMS. SO USING STUDY PODS INSTEAD OF HAVING FIXED STUDY ROOMS SO THE LIBRARY CAN CONTINUE TO ADAPT OVER THE NEXT 50 YEARS.
WE WANNA CONSOLIDATE OUR STAFF AREAS SO IT'S MORE EFFICIENT FOR BOTH STAFF AND PATRONS TO MOVE THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING.
AND THEN WE WANT OUR INCREASE OUR CHILDREN AND TEEN SPACES.
SO THESE YOUNGEST COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE MOST UP-TO-DATE TECHNOLOGY AND ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA EXPAND OUR GROUP SPACES.
WE'LL HAVE RESERVABLE MEETING ROOMS, UM, TEACHING CLASSROOMS, A LARGE ADAPTABLE EVENT SPACE, A DEDICATED MAKER SPACE, AND A LOCAL HISTORY ROOM.
AND THEN THIS LAST SECTION, TECHNOLOGY IS ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE STATE.
SO WE CONSIDER OUR ONLINE PRESENCE A VIRTUAL BRANCH.
WE OFFER INFORMATION AND SERVICES 24 7.
UM, WE'RE CONTINUALLY LOOKING AT THE MATERIALS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND EXPLORING NEW TOPICS IN DIGITAL LITERACY.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO UPDATE OUR DIGITAL PLATFORMS TO MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE THE BEST CONTENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO UPDATE THE LIBRARY CATALOG AND THE WEBSITE.
UH, I KNOW THE CITY IS UNDERGOING AN A WEBSITE UPDATE.
THE LIBRARY'S WEBSITE WILL BE PART OF THAT.
AND THEN CONTINUING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MARKETING OUR POPULAR LIBRARY MATERIALS AND SERVICES SO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE OUR ONLINE PRESENCE IS USER FRIENDLY AND EASY TO USE.
UM, WE WANNA CONTINUE TO EVOL RESPOND TO THE EVOLVING NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT NEW FORMATS WE WANNA ADD TO THE DIGITAL COLLECTION, WHETHER IT'S EBOOKS, AUDIOBOOK, OR STREAMING MEDIA AND LOOKING AT VARIOUS PLATFORMS. SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING NEW THAT THE PA THAT THE PUBLIC WANTS THAT WILL SWITCH IF IT'S FEASIBLE.
AND THEN CONTINUING TO LOOK AT THE INSTRUCTION AND KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE PEOPLE SUCCESSFUL.
AS TECHNOLOGIES CHANGE, WE WANNA CONTINUE TO OFFER NEW TRAINING AND ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS WITH BOOK A LIBRARIAN THAT IF SOMEBODY NEEDS HELP, THAT THEY CAN HAVE A ONE-ON-ONE TUTORING SESSION WITH A LIBRARIAN.
UM, WE WANNA CONTINUE TO TECH, UH, TO GET IN CONTACT WITH TECH EXPERTS IN THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE THEM GIVE US ADVICE ON THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
AND THEN ALSO HAVE THEM INTO THE LIBRARY TO OFFER PROGRAMS. WE'LL CONTINUE TO ADD SERVICES AND MATERIALS FOR GAMING ENTHUSIASTS, AND THEN USING NEW SOCIAL MEDIA AS IT COMES AVAILABLE IF THE CITY APPROVES IT TO REACH THESE YOUNGEST, UM, USERS OF THE NEW GENERATIONS OF LIBRARY USERS.
AND THEN IT CONTINUED TO TALK TO, WITH OUR IT DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE UPDATING OUR INTEGRATED LIBRARY SYSTEM, WHICH IS OUR CATALOG, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE OFFERING THE BEST EXPERIENCE AND THAT IT SECURITY ON THEIR PATRON RECORDS IS A PRIORITY.
AND THEN CONTINUING TO ISSUE LIBRARY CARDS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WHEN WE'RE DOING OUTREACH.
SO THE LEAD UP TO TONIGHT ON HOW WE'VE GOTTEN APPROVAL ON THIS, WE HAD THE MEETING WITH OUR STAFF DURING THE IN-SERVICE DAY WHERE WE KIND OF TOOK THE IDEAS TOGETHER AND WE CRAFTED REINA AND I CRAFTED THE MISSION AND VISION AND THEN WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE STAFF AND THEY APPROVED THE NEW MISSION AND VISION STATEMENTS.
AND THEN WE TOOK THE ENTIRE STRATEGIC PLAN TO OUR SUPERVISORS AND THEY APPROVED IT.
AND THAT, THAT ENABLED US TO BRING IT TO THE LIBRARY BOARD IN NOVEMBER WHERE WE REVIEWED THE PLAN WITH THEM AND THEN GAVE THEM TWO MONTHS TO REVIEW IT.
AND THEY CAME BACK AT THE JANUARY MEETING AND THEY UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED IT.
AND THEN WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE IT WITH YOU AND THEN TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION ON, UM, WHAT YOU THINK, IF YOU THINK WE NEED TO ADD ANYTHING OR CHANGE ANYTHING.
AND SO ONCE IT IS FINALLY APPROVED, OUR PLAN IS TO LINK IT TO OUR WEBPAGE, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE OUR MARKETING TEAM MAKE A INFORMATIONAL BROCHURE THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN
[00:55:01]
THE LIBRARY AND AT OUTREACH EVENTS.AND THEN WE'LL AS REQUESTED, WE CAN GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND DO OUTREACH PRESENTATIONS AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU AS WE ACHIEVE SOME OF THESE GOALS AND GIVE YOU UPDATES ON WHERE WE'RE AT.
MOVING ON TO THE OUTREACH VAN, THIS IS PART OF YOUR STRATEGY.
PROMOTE AVENUES FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND INPUT AND YOUR PARTICULAR TACTIC.
ENGAGE COMMUNITY AND CUSTOMERS THROUGH UTILIZATION OF THE NEW LIBRARY OUTREACH VAN.
SO WE HAVE PURCHASED A FORD TRANSIT THREE 50.
IT'S CURRENTLY IN OUR FLEET DEPARTMENT BEING UPFITTED WITH SHELVING STORAGE AND SAFETY FEATURES.
AND WE HAVE RECLASSIFIED ONE OF OUR FULL-TIME LIBRARIAN POSITIONS TO BECOME AN OUTREACH LIBRARIAN.
THIS PERSON WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, CONNECTING WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND SETTING UP AN OUTREACH SCHEDULE.
ALL LIBRARY STAFF WILL BE REQUIRED TO WORK AT LEAST ONE OUTREACH EVENT A YEAR.
AND THEN WE HAVE RECEIVED ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM TWO ORGANIZATIONS.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY HERE TONIGHT.
WE HAVE, UM, THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY GAVE US $30,000 TO HELP US FINISH OUT THE INSIDE OF THE VAN.
AND THEN ALSO WE RECEIVED A $5,000 GRANT FROM THE RICHARDSON ROTARY FOR THE PURCHASE SUPPLIES AND ACTIVITIES FOR THE VAN.
WE'RE LOOKING TO HAVE THE VAN READY TO BE OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY IN APRIL.
AND, UH, WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED TALKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS STAFF ABOUT HAVING THE VAN AT WILDFLOWER.
AND THEN FINALLY, THIS IS A UPDATE ON WHERE WE'RE AT IN OUR TEMPORARY SPACE.
YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS FOR OCTOBER, A LITTLE SMALL.
WE WERE ONLY OPEN NINE DAYS, SO, UM, BETWEEN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER THAT WE HAD ABOUT 500 VISITORS A DAY.
THE STORY TIME ATTENDANCE WAS STARTED AT THE END OF OCTOBER AND RAN TO THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER.
SO NOVEMBER WAS THE ONE THAT WE HAD THE MOST ATTENDEES.
SO THAT'S WHY THAT NUMBER'S THE HIGHEST.
AND WE'VE HAD VARIOUS YOUTH AND ADULT PROGRAMS ALREADY, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PICTURES.
THE BOTTOM LEFT IS ONE OF OUR CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY CLASSES FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN.
THE MIDDLE PICTURE IS AN ARTS AND CRAFT PROGRAM THAT'S HELD IN OUR CONFERENCE ROOM IN THE TEMPORARY SPACE.
AND THIS WAS OPEN TO ALL AGES.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT IS ONE OF OUR NEWEST PROGRAMS. IT'S CALLED FINE MOTOR MONDAYS.
UM, PRESCHOOLERS LEARN FINE MOTOR SKILLS AND THEY GET TO DO THAT IN OUR STORY TIME ROOM.
UH, IN TERMS OF OUTREACH, WE DID A LOT IN OCTOBER TO GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WHILE WE WERE CLOSED.
WE PARTICIPATED IN MULTIPLE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION EVENTS.
WE WERE PART OF NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, AND WE ALSO PARTICIPATED IN POTTO FEST IN NOVEMBER.
WE WERE PART OF CULTURE IN THE CORE.
WE HAD A, A BOOTH UP, AND THEN IN DECEMBER WE HAD A DWELLING AT SANTA'S VILLAGE.
AND THEN FINALLY OUR CIRCULATION STATISTICS, UM, NOVEMBER, ANYTHING THAT HAD BEEN CHECKED OUT BEFORE WE CLOSED WAS DUE THAT FIRST WEEK OF NOBE NOVEMBER, AND THAT'S WHY THOSE NUMBERS ARE SO HIGH.
BUT, UM, SO IT STEADIED OUT IN DECEMBER BEFORE WE MOVED OUT.
WE WERE SEEING ABOUT 80,000 CHECKOUTS A MONTH.
SO NOVEMBER WAS CLOSE TO IT, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE STILL FINDING THAT PEOPLE ARE CALLING AND SURPRISED THAT WE MOVE THAT THE BUILD, THERE'S A FENCE AROUND THE OLD BUILDING, SO WE'LL, WE'LL EVENTUALLY BUILD IT BACK UP.
SO, AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN ABOUT 40,000 ACTIVE CARD HOLDERS.
THAT'S ANYBODY WHO'S USED THEIR CARD IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE PLAN OR ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE UPDATE OF THE LIBRARY.
GREAT PRESENTATION, MR. BARRIOS.
I AM ONE, I I I AM EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT THIS VAN.
UH, AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT THINGS HAPPENING AT THE LIBRARY FROM THE MOVE HERE TO THE RENOVATIONS.
UH, JUST THIS WEEK I HAD, UH, I THINK THREE DIFFERENT, THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHO I SAW IN THE COMMUNITY ASKED ME ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE LIBRARY, WHEN THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITEMENT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, I KNOW ON MY OWN TIME I'VE HEARD ARTICLES AND RED AND, UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN LIBRARY SERVICE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK LIBRARY AND THEY THINK BOOKS.
BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS LIKE THIS AND SEE THE DIVERSITY FROM, YOU KNOW, BABY BOOKS AT, AT SIX WEEKS TO SOME OF OUR SENIOR PROGRAMMING, THERE'S A, THERE, THERE'S A HUGE VARIETY OF PROGRAMS THE LIBRARY OFFERS
[01:00:01]
AND Y'ALL DO A LOT WITH WHAT, WHAT, UH, WHAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO MANAGING THE RESOURCES YOU'RE GIVEN.IT'S INCREDIBLE HOW YOU, HOW Y'ALL MANAGE.
SO Y'ALL, 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S A, IT'S A TEAM EFFORT OVER THE LIBRARY.
UM, IT'S FASCINATING THAT PEOPLE THINK BOOKS AND WHEN IT STARTED GOING ALL DIGITAL, INITIALLY IT WAS A COST SAVING AND IT WAS ACTUALLY MADE SENSE.
AND I KNOW KIND OF THAT SOME OF THE FEE FEES AND HOW THESE DIGITAL BOOKS ARE CHARGED, THAT HAS CHANGED A LOT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY REALIZES THE INCREASING COST OF, UM, AND KIND OF KEEPING UP WITH ALL THAT.
UH, THERE, THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO THAT.
I WOULD HOPE THAT WE AS A COUNCIL IN THE CITY CONTINUE TO SUPPORT EVERYTHING THE LIBRARY DOES.
UM, I KNOW YOU GUYS DO A LOT WITH WHAT YOU'VE, WITH WHAT THE RESOURCES YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN.
AND, UM, IT'S AMAZING WHAT YOU DO WITH, WITH YOUR BUDGET.
UH, SO HATS OFF TO YOU AND THE ENTIRE STAFF BECAUSE IT, IT TAKES A LOT.
AND I KNOW I'VE, SINCE BEING APPOINTED TO, UH, THE LIBRARY BOARD, UH, I'VE GOTTEN TO SEE IT FROM THIS SIDE OF, OF THINGS.
AND, UH, I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GREAT THINGS ABOUT YOU AND YOUR STAFF, UM, AND WHAT YOU DO FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS, SO THANK YOU.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, JENNY.
UM, UH, WELL ECHO, ECHO SOME OF THE REMARKS THAT COUNCILMAN BARRIO SAID WHEN I WAS READING THE STRATEGIC PLAN THIS WEEKEND, I WAS JUST SORT OF STRUCK, LIKE HAVING STARTED ON THE LIBRARY BOARD, I KNEW ALL THE THINGS THAT WAS GOING ON, BUT WHEN YOU SORT OF READ IT ALL WRITTEN DOWN AND WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, IT'S INCREDIBLE THE BROAD SERVICES THAT, THAT YOU PROVIDE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, I, I, I THINK THE MISSION IS GREAT.
THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS EXCITING AND IT'S GONNA MAKE YOU STRETCH.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WONDERFUL.
SO I, I THINK THAT IT'S A GREAT STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, JUST ON A TEMPORARY LOCATION.
I THINK I SHARED WITH YOU OUTSIDE OF THIS MY FAVORITE, UM, UH, INTERACTION RIGHT AFTER YOU HAD OPENED.
I WAS OVER IN THE CHILDREN'S SECTION.
THERE WAS A MOM THERE WITH HER DAUGHTER AND SHE WAS JUST SO GRATEFUL THAT THE LIBRARY WAS OPEN.
SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT SHE WAS DOING FOR THE LAST MONTH BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T HAVE SOMEWHERE TO TAKE HER LITTLE TODDLER.
SHE WAS JUST SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE A PLACE TO GO AND SORT OF, YOU KNOW, ENGAGE WITH, WITH HER, HER CHILD, HER TODDLER.
SO IT WAS REALLY, REALLY GREAT.
UM, AND FROM A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
UH, I SET A GOAL LAST YEAR OF READING A BOOK A MONTH, AND YOU HELPED ME DOUBLE THAT WITH ALL THE AMAZING SERVICES THAT YOU HAVE.
AND I ALWAYS ENJOY WHEN YOU'RE HERE.
WE WERE TALKING BEFORE THE MEETING ABOUT WHAT BOOKS WE WERE READING AND SHARING IDEAS.
AND SO, UM, I, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
YOU, UM, YOU, UH, I LIKE THE WORD THAT YOU USED, THE VIRTUAL BRANCH.
THAT'S WHAT IT'S BEEN FOR ME, BEING ABLE TO USE THE DIGITAL SERVICES THAT YOU HAVE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I'M A PATRON OF THE LIBRARY AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WHAT YOU DO THERE.
WELL THANK YOU JENNY, FOR THIS DETAIL AND VERY INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, GO BACK TO YOUR SLIDE NUMBER 11.
YES, THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS A GREAT, I CAN SEE THAT MUCH.
SO I'M GONNA BRING MY SLIDE HERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE COVERED PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING.
UH, I JUST HAVE A ONE QUESTION ON THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, AFTER HOURS WHOLE PICK UP, WHAT WAS YOUR THOUGHT ON THAT ONE? HOW DID YOU ADDRESS OR IS THERE SOMETHING BEING ADDRESSED OR IT'LL BE ADDRESSED IN THE FUTURE? SURE.
IT'S WHEN WE GO BACK TO THE, ONCE THE BUILDING'S RENOVATED, THERE'LL BE A HOLD LOCKER OUTSIDE OF THE FRONT DOOR AND PATRONS WILL BE ABLE TO GO UP.
IT'S, IT'S TIED IN WITH OUR, UM, SORTER.
SO YOU WOULD SCAN YOUR LIBRARY CARD AND WE WOULD HAVE PLACED YOUR BOOKS IN, IN THE LOCKER AND AS SOON AS YOU SCAN, IT WOULD POP OPEN THE DOOR AND YOU COULD GRAB YOUR BOOKS AT ANY TIME.
SO IT'S A LOT LIKE AN AMAZON LOCKER.
YEAH, I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO HEAR CLEAR, LOUD, AND CLEAR THAT SOMETHING IS COMING UP REALLY GOOD NOW.
THAT MAKES ME A LITTLE MORE GREEDY, ASKING FOR MORE THINGS.
HOW ABOUT THE APP? ANY IDEA WHEN THAT MIGHT BE COMING UP? I'M SURE YOU HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THIS, BUT WELL, UH, WE DID HAVE SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE APP.
[01:05:01]
WORKED WITH CCY DX, UM, BACKED OUT THE SOFTWARE.WE'RE, UM, CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO BECOME PART OF THEIR PILOT PROGRAM.
AND THEN I THINK WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HEAR SOMETHING THIS WEEK ABOUT THE CRC DYNEX WAS TALK, TALKING WITH THAT COMPANY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GONNA TRY TO BRING IT BACK UP OR GET US INTO THE PILOT PROGRAM SOONER, BUT WE DID UPDATE OUR LIBRARY CATALOG SO IT'S USER FRIENDLY ON A, YOU KNOW, A DEVICE.
SO PATRONS CAN STILL LOOK AT ITS ENTERPRISE IS THE NAME OF THE, YOU JUST GO THROUGH THE WEBSITE AND CLICK CATALOG.
BUT YEAH, IT WAS SORT OF OUT OF OUR HANDS THAT THE, THE APP WENT DOWN.
I MEAN AS LONG AS THIS IS, THERE IS A PROCESS GOING ON AND YEAH, SOMETIMES IN THE FUTURE YOU CAN JUST LOOK AT YOUR APP IF AN APP PROBABLY WOULD BE WALKING YOU TO THE PLACE WHERE THE BOOKS LOOK AT.
SO TALKING ABOUT GRADE, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING EVEN THAT KIND OF SERVICE IN THE FUTURE.
UH, BUT ONE COMMENT, THE VAN, I LOVE THE VAN IDEA.
UH, RIGHT NOW THERE IS NO ARTWORK ON THE VAN, SO I'M SURE YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT PUTTING, UH, YEAH, YEAH, THERE IS LIKE LOTS, I SEE LOTS OF SPACE FOR SOME KIND OF, THIS IS THE ACTUAL VAN, SO IT'S SITTING OUTSIDE.
ARE YOU LOOKING AT PUTTING ANY KIND OF ART LOGO? YEAH.
SO I ACTUALLY FORGOT TO MENTION THAT WE WILL BE GETTING A WRAP FOR THE VAN.
WE'RE DESIGNING IT RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE VERY THANKFUL THAT THE ROTARY AND THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY, UM, GAVE US FUNDING FOR THAT TO HELP US WITH THAT.
AND THEY WILL BE HIGHLIGHTED ON THE WRAP OF THE VAN.
SO THEY'RE APPRECIATIVE OF THEIR SUPPORT.
I SAW LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY, UH, WHITE SPACE.
YEAH, WELL WITH THAT NEW LIBRARIAN, WE'RE SORT OF TASKING THEM WITH, UH, NAMING THE VAN TOO TO SEE IF THEY WANNA REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND START A NAMING PROCESS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR AN UPLIFTING AND UH, INSPIRING PRESENTATION.
I'M ALWAYS SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE LIBRARY AND, AND I'M GONNA ECHO ECHO, UH, COUNCILMAN JUSTICE EARLIER WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING ABOUT THE OUTREACH AND TECHNOLOGY, I, I THINK THAT THAT IS PROBABLY SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS A LIBRARY CAN DO.
AND OBVIOUSLY I THINK RICHARDSON HAS ONE OF THE, UH, BEST LIBRARIES OUT THERE.
AND MOSTLY I LIKE THE, UH, PLETHORA OF SERVICES THE LIBRARY OFFERS.
I MEAN, IT CATERS TO AN ARRAY OF AGES, ARRAY OF CULTURES.
UH, IT'S JUST, UH, SORT OF BREATHTAKING TO KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL NEW LIBRARY IN THE FUTURE.
AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE THE TURNOUT FOR THE, UH, TEMPORARY LIBRARY.
SO, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I DID, UH, I GOT HANDED OUT TONIGHT, I THINK WE ALL DID, BUT REALLY LOVE THIS, THIS PIECE.
AND THE NICE THING ABOUT IT IS I LIKE THAT THEY ARE, UH, EDUCATING PEOPLE ON TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE.
'CAUSE EVERYONE NEEDS THIS EDUCATION NO MATTER WHAT AGE BRACKET YOU ARE.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN.
I'VE DONE A GREAT JOB AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO EVERYONE THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS.
THANK YOU MAYOR ECHO EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID.
BUT THE ONE THING THAT KIND OF CAME OFF THE PAGE TO ME THAT I'VE NOT REALLY EVER HEARD MENTIONED ABOUT OUR, OUR LIBRARY BEFORE IS WHEN YOU SAID THAT THE PATRONS WANT IT SAFE AND SECURE AND THE WORD SECURE IN LIBRARY DON'T REALLY NECESSARILY, IN MY MIND, GO TOGETHER.
BECAUSE I ALWAYS THINK OF LIBRARIES BEING AN OPENING, OPEN, WELCOMING, GATHERING PLACE.
SO DO YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHT AS TO WHAT PEOPLE WERE, WERE MEANING WHEN THEY WERE, WHERE THEY WERE SAYING SAFE AND SECURE? 'CAUSE I, I, I JUST, IT KIND OF DO ME TO, I THINK OF OTHER PLACES WHERE YOU WOULD THINK MORE SECURE, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T THINK OF THE LIBRARY PER SE AS SECURE IN WHAT I THINK OF AS SECURE.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALWAYS, AND Y'ALL HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB ON THIS, HAS BEEN VERY OPEN, INVITING, WANTING PEOPLE TO COME IN, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO I WAS JUST A LITTLE SURPRISED AT THAT COMMENT.
DIDN'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAD A BETTER FEEL FOR THAT.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE WHAT I'M ASKING? YES.
UH, SOME OF IT IS PROBABLY, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE A PUBLIC INSTITUTION AND THE PUBLIC COMES IN, SO WE DO GET HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN THE BUILDING.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN JUST THE TIMES, I MEAN, I, SOME OF THIS CAME FROM STAFF LI, THE LIBRARY STAFF HAS ALWAYS REALIZED IN THE OLD BUILDING, WE ONLY HAD REALLY THREE EXITS.
THEY WERE ALL RIGHT OFF THE LOBBY IN THE SAME SPOT.
SO WE BROUGHT IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO REVIEW THE RENOVATION PLANS AND THEY EVEN SAID THAT YOU NEED EXITS FROM EVERY SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
UM, OBVIOUSLY FIRES CAN HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, OTHER INCIDENTS CAN HAPPEN THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT THAT THE EASIEST WAY.
[01:10:01]
SO IT'S, I I THINK MOST PEOPLE ARE MORE CONSCIOUS THESE DAYS OF THINGS THAT MAYBE COULD GO WRONG IN A PUBLIC SPACE.SO THAT JUST, I, I DON'T, DON'T, THEY THINK IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
BUT
SAY IF I GET SECURE PIECES WHERE I'M STILL KIND OF, KIND OF STRUGGLING WITH WHAT THE, THE THOUGHTS WERE.
I, I, I JUST, I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK AS WE GO FORWARD, I THINK IT'D BE INTERESTING IF WE HAVE, IF WE HAVE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES.
I THINK, I THINK WE OUGHT TO EXPLORE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
'CAUSE I JUST, I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE THAT JUST REALLY CATCHES MY EYE.
'CAUSE AGAIN, I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND I AGREE AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, HAVING EXITS OUT AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT KIND OF DOESN'T, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? IT'S A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT LIKE AN OXYMORON A LITTLE BIT IN MY BRAIN.
AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I'M IN MY BRAIN.
I MEAN, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE THINK PUBLIC LIBRARIES ARE, YOU KNOW, SUPER SAFE WHERE WE HAVE SPACES FOR KIDS, BUT IT IS A PUBLIC BUILDING.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING.
UM, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN, UM, HAD HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES AT THE OLD BUILDING WAS THAT KIDS LITTLE TODDLERS WOULD BREAK AWAY FROM MOM AND DAD AND THEY WOULD HEAD STRAIGHT OUT THE FRONT DOOR.
SO BY FIXING THAT IN THE NEW BUILDING, WE HAVE GLASS DOORS THAT THE TODDLERS AREN'T ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, PUSH OPEN THEMSELVES.
YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE WAY OF SECURING IT FOR OUR YOUNGER AUDIENCE.
ANOTHER WAY OF SECURING IT HAS TO DO WITH US MOVING OUR SOFTWARE TO THE CLOUD FOR, UM, OUR PATRON RECORDS AND THAT KIND OF THING TOO.
SO THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE THINKING OF AS WELL.
IT'D JUST BE NICE AS WE CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THE DESIGN AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, OF COURSE YOU GOTTA REMEMBER NOW WHEN BOB AND I COME IN THERE IN A FEW MORE YEARS, IF A TODDLER CAN CAN'T GET OUT, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EITHER
BOB, YOU'RE YOU'RE WITH ME ON THAT
UH, BUT NO, I MEAN, I NO, I I I APPRECIATE THAT.
I JUST, THAT JUST KIND OF, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, THAT KIND OF CAME OFF THE PAGE A LITTLE BIT, SO, OKAY.
BUT AGAIN, OVERALL GREAT JOB AND FULLY SUPPORT WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING AND AGREE WITH WHAT ALL HAS BEEN SAID.
SO THANK Y'ALL VERY, VERY MUCH.
UH, YEAH, HUGE THANK YOU TO THE RICHARDSON ROTARY AND FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY FOR SPONSORING THE VAN.
UM, THAT IS JUST AWESOME THAT THEY'RE PUTTING MONEY BACK TO THE CITY TO, TO REALLY IMPROVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND, AND HELP FACILITATE NEW PROGRAMMING.
UH, THAT IS JUST, I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, THAT CAN'T BE STATED ENOUGH.
AND, UH, AND JENNY, I WANNA REASSURE YOU AND, UM, THE REST OF YOUR TEAM THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND BETWEEN COVID AND THE MOVE, IT'S NOT ALWAYS A REASONABLE EXPECTATION TO HAVE THOSE CONSISTENT CIRCULATION NUMBERS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, ONCE EVERYONE'S MOVED BACK INTO THE NEW LIBRARY AND HABITS START REFORMING, I THINK THAT WE COULD EXPECT CONSISTENCY.
BUT UNTIL THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS RIGHT? THAT THAT CHANGING HABITS MEAN THAT STUFF IS GONNA BE INCONSISTENT FOR A WHILE ON THOSE, UH, THE ONLY, THE ONLY QUESTION I REALLY HAD WAS, UH, A QUICK CURIOSITY QUESTION.
EVERY TIME, UM, BEFORE CITY HALL BURNED DOWN, BEFORE THE RENOVATION STARTED, UH, I'D KIND OF GO DOWNSTAIRS IN THE LIBRARY AND, YOU KNOW, DO WORK AND STUDY AND AND STUFF BEFORE COUNCIL MEETINGS.
AND I ALWAYS WAS FASCINATED BY HOW MANY STUDENTS WERE DOWN THERE STUDYING IN THOSE ROOMS. UM, MAYBE THEY WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING ELSE IN THE LIBRARY BESIDES STUDYING.
AND HOW IS THAT REALLY UNIQUE USER SEGMENT? HOW'S THAT TRANSITION GONE FROM GOING TO THE OLD LIBRARY TO THE NEW LIBRARY? DO WE STILL SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE GOING IN AND JUST USING IT TO STUDY? OR HAS THAT GROUP KIND OF FADED OUT? UM, WITH, WITH THE MOVE N NO, I THINK THEY REALLY STILL COME.
THAT'S, THERE'S TIMES WE WALK THROUGH THE BUILDING AND EVERY SEAT IS TAKEN.
I'VE SEEN PEOPLE SITTING ON THE FLOOR.
IF THEY'RE
BUT I, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT TO THE NUMBERS, IT WAS 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE FOUR FLOORS FOR THEM TO GO THROUGHOUT AND WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY CHAIRS, BUT, UM, WE, THEY DO COME AND THEY, THEY STAY AND THEY STUDY.
SO WE, I SEE SOME OF THE SAME PEOPLE EVERY DAY.
AND THIS BUILDING IS REALLY THE ONLY PLACE THAT FACILITATES THAT.
JENNY, I'LL MAKE, JUST MAKE ONE LITTLE QUICK COMMENT.
I WANT TO SAY ONE THING THAT THE PEOPLE MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW THAT THIS JUST SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THE REASON, BUT THE LIBRARY IS THE MOST USED FACILITY IN THE ENTIRE CITY OF RICHARDSON.
AND IT'LL CONTINUE TO BE THAT WAY BECAUSE OF WHAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE.
AND THEN FROM A COUNCIL, I'D LIKE, AS THE COUNCIL, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE FRIENDS AT THE LIBRARY AND THE ROTARIANS FOR THEIR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS TO
[01:15:01]
HELP US ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS.AND I WILL SAY THAT YOUR VISION AND YOUR MISSION STATEMENTS THAT YOU PUT ON THE, UM, SCREEN UP THERE REALLY CAPTURE THE HEART OF WHAT WE WANT IN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON.
[8. REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE MOBILE FOOD VENDOR ORDINANCE UPDATE]
WE'RE GONNA GO TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE MOBILE FOOD VENDOR ORDINANCE UPDATE.MAYOR, COUNSEL, UM, OUR DIRECTOR OF HEALTH BILL, ALSO PIER, AS WELL AS, UH, DAN NEWMAN, WHO IS OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH MANAGER.
SHE'S GONNA, UM, UH, STAFF THE NEXT TWO BRIEFINGS.
UH, FOR THIS, UH, WE JUST WANTED TO, UH, SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, NEED TO TWEAK OUR ORDINANCE BASED ON SOME STATE LEGISLATION FROM THIS PAST SESSION.
AND, UH, SO DANNY IS GONNA RUN THROUGH THAT FOR YOU AND THEN GIVE YOU SOME IDEAS IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS.
THANK YOU, DAWN, FOR THE INTRODUCTION.
SO I AM GOING TO GO THROUGH THE MOBILE FOOD VENDOR ORDINANCE UPDATE AND THE COUNTY, THE COUNCIL STRATEGY THAT THIS MEETS ARE DOCUMENT AND CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE BUSINESS PROCESSES, IMPROVE ACCESS, USABILITY, AND USER EXPERIENCE WITH POLICIES, PROCESSES, AND PROCEDURES.
SO THERE WAS A HOUSE BILL 28 78 THAT WAS PASSED BY TEXAS LEGISLATOR EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER OF 2023.
ANY MOBILE FOOD VENDOR CONDUCTING BUSINESSES IN MULTIPLE MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN DALLAS COUNTY WILL NEED TO OBTAIN A HEALTH PERMIT FROM DALLAS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
NOW, THE MOBILE FOOD VENDORS OPERATED IN THE DALLAS COUNTY PORTION OF THE CITY OR ANY OTHER MUNICIPALITY WITHIN THE COUNTY ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED TO GET A HEALTH PERMIT FROM RICHARDSON HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
A MOBILE FOOD VENDOR PERMIT ISSUED BY DALLAS COUNTY IS, UM, DOESN'T EXEMPT THE VENDOR FROM ADHERING TO OR LOCAL OR, OR, UM, OR LOCAL RULES OR REGULATIONS AS IT RELATES TO ZONING, PARKING, OR NON-FOOD TRUCK RESTRICTIONS AND POLICE AND FIRE PERMITS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT ORDINANCE.
THE HOUSE BILL ONLY AFFECTED TWO COUNTIES.
THIS INCLUDE TARRANT COUNTY AND DALLAS COUNTY.
SO IF A MOBILE FOOD VENDOR IS OPERATING IN THE COLLIN COUNTY SIDE OF OUR CITY, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO GET AN OPT, UM, OBTAIN A HEALTH PERMIT FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
RICHARDSON HEALTH DEPARTMENT DALLAS COUNTY WILL NOW BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONDUCTING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY INSPECTION AS IT RELATES TO PERMITTING THE PERMITTING PROCESS RATHER THAN RICHARDSON.
SO THE MOBILE FOOD UNIT MUST COMPLY WITH THE FIRE AND SAFETY INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CITY AND ANY OR INCORPORATED AREAS WITHIN THAT AREA, THEY PLAN TO OPERATE.
AND THE MFU MUST PROVIDE PROOF OF THE COMPLETED FIRE SAFETY INSPECTION UPON GOING TO GET THEIR MOBILE UNIT INSPECTED IN DALLAS COUNTY.
BUT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, RICHARDSON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WILL CONTINUE TO PERFORM THE HEALTH AND SAFETY INSPECTION, BOTH ROUTINELY AND AT TEMPORARY EVENTS.
HISTORICALLY, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ISSUED APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15 VENDING PERMITS, UM, VENDING HEALTH PERMITS ANNUALLY.
BUT FOLLOWING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS HOUSE BILL, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL ONLY ISSUE PERMITS TO MOBILE FOOD VENDORS OPERATING IN COLLIN COUNTY PORTION OF THE CITY.
AND CURRENTLY WE HAVE AROUND SEVEN, UM, MOBILE FOOD VENDORS IN THAT AREA.
SO WE DON'T, WE ANTICIPATE A PHYSICAL IMPACT OF LESS THAN 2000 IN LOST REVENUE ANNUALLY.
CURRENTLY OUR MOBILE FOOD VENDOR REGULATION IS COVERED UNDER CHAPTER 12, WHICH, UM, TALKS ABOUT LICENSING, TAXATION AND MIS MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS REGULATIONS.
AND UNDER SECTION 12,000 1 21 SALES OF MERCHANDISE ON PUBLIC RIGHTAWAY, CITY PARKS AND MOBILE VENDOR.
AND THIS OUTLINE PARAMETERS FROM PARK K EIGHT TO K AND IT INCLUDES NO PERSON ENGAGE IN OR ATTEMPT TO ENGAGE IN ANY MOBILE VENDING OPERATION INVOLVE INVOLVING FOOD PRODUCTS UNLESS SUCH PERSON HAS AN IMMEDIATE POSITION OF A VALID SOLICITOR'S PERMIT AND A HEALTH PERMIT ISSUED BY THE CITY.
SO WE ARE PROPOSING, UH, AMENDMENT TO THE CITY OF RICHARDSON ORDINANCE
[01:20:01]
TO ALIGN WITH THE MODIFICATION IMPOSED BY THE HOUSE BILL.WE ARE PROPOSING THE ADDITION OF SECTION 12,121 A, WHICH WILL COVER MOBILE FOOD SERVICES ESTABLISHMENTS PERMITTED BY DALLAS COUNTY.
AND IT WOULD INCLUDE, IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR AND AN OFFENSE FOR PERSON TO OPERATE A MOBILE FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT IN THE PORTION OF THE CITY LOCATED IN DALLAS COUNTY, UNLESS THAT PERSON HAS A CURRENT VALID PERMIT ISSUED BY DALLAS COUNTY TO OPERATE THAT MOBILE FOOD ESTABLISHMENT.
AND OF COURSE, THEY ARE STILL REQUIRED TO UPHOLD ALL THE PARAMETERS IN SECTION 12,000 1 21 THROUGH PART A TO K.
SO ON OUR NEXT STEP IS TO MAKE THE NECESSARY AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 12 AND THEN INCLUDE IT TO INCLUDE IT ON THE FEBRUARY 12TH AGENDA WARD OPTION.
SO NOW I'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
SO WHEN I WAS READING THIS, PREPARING FOR TONIGHT, UM, SO ANYTHING ON DALLAS COUNTY SIDE, AS LONG AS THEY HAVE THE COUNTY, IT'S FINE.
DOES, BUT IF THEY'RE ON THE COLLIN COUNTY SIDE, IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT, OR WE'RE PROPOSING TWO DIFFERENT PROCESSES.
UM, WOULD, IS THERE A WAY WE CAN JUST SAY, HEY, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY'RE IN RICHARDSON, WE KIND OF DEFAULT TO THE DALLAS COUNTY SIDE BECAUSE TWO
WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT PROPOSING TWO DIFFERENT PROCESSES.
IT'S MANDATED BY THE STATE LAW.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
SO, SO THE DALLAS COUNTY REQUIREMENT IS, IS NOT, IT'S NOT AN OPTION.
WE HAVE TO PASS THIS ORDINANCE TO COMPLY WITH THE STATE LAW.
WE'RE KEEPING THE COLLIN COUNTY SIDE THE SAME THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE BEEN USING, WE'RE JUST, THIS WAS, THIS WAS THRUST UPON US BY THE, THE HOUSE BILL.
WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE STATE LAW.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE WERE CHANGING OUR APPROACH IN DALLAS COUNTY.
WHAT'S THE, I GUESS I DON'T UNDERSTAND KIND OF THE STRATEGY.
'CAUSE THAT SEEMED, IT WOULD SEEM INEFFICIENT FOR A CITY THAT'S MOSTLY ONE COUNTY TO HAVE TWO DIFFERENT PROCESSES.
UH, BUT WOULD, CAN WE NOT JUST SAY, WELL WE'RE GONNA, SINCE MOST OF THE CITY IS WITHIN DALLAS COUNTY, WE'RE JUST GONNA UMBRELLA THE ENTIRE CITY TO FOLLOW THE DALLAS COUNTY SIDE AND WELL, A COLLIN CAN'T, CAN'T BECAUSE IT'S COLLIN, BUT RIGHT, RIGHT.
A FOOD TRUCK OPERATING COLLIN COUNTY WON'T BE, WON'T BE PERMIT, COULD NOT BE PERMITTED BY DALLAS COUNTY.
SO, SO IF, IF A FOOD TRUCK IS PERMITTED IN DALLAS COUNTY, DOES THAT MEAN IT, IT CANNOT OPERATE ON THE COLLIN COUNTY SIDE OF RICHARDSON UNLESS IT HAS A COLLIN COUNTY PERMIT, UNLESS THEY HAVE A COLLIN COUNTY PERMIT.
WELL, THE, THE CITY OF RICHARDSON PERMIT FOR COLLIN COUNTY.
I MEAN, WE, WE WERE PERFECTLY FINE WITH THE WAY WE'RE OPERATING.
IT WAS EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE FOR US AS WELL AS OUR CUSTOMERS.
AGAIN, THIS, THIS BILL WAS, WAS ADOPTED IN THE LAST SESSION.
AND, UH, WE'RE JUST DOING WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO COMPLY WITH THE STATE, THE STATE MANDATE.
WELL, THIS IS VERY INTERESTING, UH, JUST TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION, BY THE WAY, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION,
MY QUESTION IS THAT SINCE THIS IS THE DALLAS COUNTY, THINGS CAME UP, SO DOES THE CITY OF DALLAS ALSO FOLLOWING THAT DALLAS COUNTY? YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
ALL THE CITIES THAT BELONGS IN DALLAS COUNTY.
ONCE YOU'RE IN DALLAS COUNTY, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO OBTAIN THE HEALTH PERMIT FROM DALLAS COUNTY HEALTH SERVICES.
IS IS THAT JUST THE HEALTH PERMIT OR IS THE FUNCTIONAL PERMIT JUST THE HEALTH PERMIT? JUST THE HEALTH PERMIT.
SO THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, UH, THEY CAN OPERATE ANYWHERE IN THE CITY.
UM, JUST GIMME SOME GUIDANCE ON THIS SUBJECT.
SO IF YOU, IF A FOOD TRUCK WANTS TO OPERATE WITHIN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON IN DALLAS COUNTY, IT WILL NEED TO OBTAIN THE, UH, VENDOR PERMIT FROM DALLAS COUNTY THAT WOULD ALLOW IT TO OPERATE ANYWHERE WITHIN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON IN DALLAS COUNTY.
IF THE, UH, UH, VENDOR WANTS TO OPERATE IN COLLIN COUNTY, THEN THEY WOULD OBTAIN THE PERMIT FROM RICHARDSON.
IF THEY WANNA BE ABLE TO OPERATE ANYWHERE WITHIN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON, EITHER DALLAS OR COLLIN COUNTY, THEY'LL NEED TWO PERMITS.
THEY'LL NEED THE DALLAS COUNTY PERMIT AND THE CITY OF RICHARDSON PERMIT.
I MEAN, ANY MAJOR CRITERIA THAT DALLAS COUNTY FOLLOW TO ALLOW THEM, UH, GIVE THEM ISSUE THEM IS THE SAME PROCESS, THE SAME CRITERIA, UH, UH, EITHER DANIA THE PROCESS, UH, FOR OBTAINING A PERMIT IN DALLAS COUNTY, UM, FROM THE COUNTY.
IS IT SIMILAR TO THE PROCESS OF, OF OBTAINING THE PERMIT HERE? IS IT YOU FILL OUT AN APPLICATION, YOU GO THROUGH AN INSPECTION AND THAT
[01:25:01]
YES, THAT'S CORRECT.AND THEY'RE REQUIRED TO, UM, BRING THEIR APPROVAL FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IF IT, UM, IF THAT TRUCK NEEDS A FIRE INSPECTION.
SO BASICALLY THE SAME PROCESS, JUST THEY'RE TAKING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ISSUING THEM.
ESSENTIALLY, WE CANNOT, UM, CHARGE THEM FOR A HEALTH PERMIT.
BUT IT'S ALSO LIKE LESS WORK FOR THE RESEARCH JUST TO ISSUE THE PERMIT.
SO, UH, ONLY WE HAVE TO FOLLOW ANOTHER PROCESS FOR COLLEEN COUNTY.
UNFORTUNATELY, CAN'T REALLY CHANGE ANYTHING.
UM, NO, I AGREE WITH MY, MY COLLEAGUES THAT THIS GETS KIND OF CONFUSING IF IT'S CONFUSING FOR US.
I'M SURE IT'S CONFUSING FOR VENDORS AS WELL.
BUT, UM, SO JUST, I THINK MY QUESTION WAS BACK ON, UH, THE IMPACT TO OPERATION SLIDE SLIDE FIVE ONE UP OR ONE SLIDE UP? YEAH.
SO I, I'M SORRY, I THINK I JUST MISSED THIS.
UM, FROM YOUR PRESENTATION, IT SAYS THE RICHARDSON HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO PERFORM HEALTH AND SAFETY INSPECTIONS BOTH ROUTINELY AND AT TEMPORARY EVENTS.
BUT WOULD, WE WOULD ONLY BE PERFORMING THE, THOSE WOULD ONLY REALLY BE RELEVANT FOR FOOD VENDORS THAT ARE LICENSED FOR IN RICHARDSON FOR, OR SORRY FOR RICHARDSON IN COLLIN COUNTY.
WHY WOULD WE PERFORM THOSE ON PEOPLE IN DALLAS COUNTY? WELL, THAT, THAT'S THE, UM, NUANCE OF THE LEGISLATION.
DALLAS COUNTY GETS TO PERMIT 'EM AND THE REVENUE FROM THAT, AND WE GET TO CONTINUE TO ENFORCE OUR LOCAL ORDINANCES TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TRUCKS, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FOOD TRUCKS ARE, ARE PROVIDING A HEALTHY SERVICE AND A, AND, AND, AND A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S, I MEAN IT'S, I'M, I'M, I'M KIND OF, THAT IS THE NUANCE OF THE ORDINANCE.
WE, DALLAS COUNTY HAS NO, HAS NO, I MEAN, THEY, THEY HAVE THE JURISDICTION, BUT THEY HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY.
I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO APPROACH IT THE WAY WE ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FOOD TRUCKS ARE OPERATING IN A, IN A CLEAN AND SAFE AND HEALTHY MANNER.
BUT, UM, YEAH, IT'S, WE'LL, WE'LL STILL, WE WILL WANT TO STILL ENSURE THAT BY THROUGH OUR INSPECTIONS.
AND WE'LL BE THE ONES THAT WILL ADDRESS ANY COMPLAINTS OR ANY HEALTH OR SAFETY ISSUES WITHIN OUR CITY.
Y YOU KNOW, EVEN I FEEL, I FEEL, I FEEL, I FEEL THAT'S THE, I FEEL THAT'S WHAT OUR COMMUNITY WOULD EXPECT OF US NOT TO YES.
NOT TO JUST SAY, BECAUSE DALLAS COUNTY HAS THE PERMITTING REQUIREMENT, NOW THEY HAVE THE, WHILE WE DO STILL CONTROL SOME OF THE JURISDICTION ON THE INSPECTION, I THINK OUR COMMUNITY WOULD EXPECT US TO, TO, TO TAKE ON, TAKE ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY, DONNA.
I, READING THE FIRST BULLET POINT AGAIN, HELPED ME UNDERSTAND.
RE OH, JUST REAL QUICKLY, FIRST OFF, GREAT PRESENTATION.
I'M GLAD WHAT YOU JUST SAID, SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE SAFE.
TO ME, THIS SEEMS LIKE AN INCREDIBLE OVERREACH BY THE STATE.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD ASK THAT WE REMEMBER THIS WHEN WE PUT TOGETHER OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AND PUSH ON OUR LOCAL LEGISLATORS TO RE REVERSE THIS, BECAUSE THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE WHATSOEVER.
I, I MEAN, I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR DOING IT, THEN YOU NEED TO, THEY WOULD NEED TO, THEY SHOULD HIRE UP AT ANY TIME OF FOOD TRUCK'S IN RICHARDSON.
THEY OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO, WE OUGHT TO, OUGHT TO SAY YOU NEED TO COME OUT AND INSPECT IT.
I MEAN, IT JUST SEEMS, THAT JUST SEEMS RIDICULOUS AND A HUGE OVARY.
SO I JUST ASK, IF WE COULD JUST REMEMBER THIS, WHAT IN ANOTHER, WHAT WOULD THAT BE ANOTHER YEAR APPROXIMATELY? GIVE OR TAKE THAT WE ADD THAT ONTO OUR LEGISLATIVE, UH, WHAT DO WE, WE, I I SAY LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
I DON'T HAVE TO MENTION THAT ANOTHER TIME.
BUT IS THERE ANY WAY, I KNOW THAT THE BILL DOESN'T SAY THAT, BUT IS THERE ANY, ANY WAY TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE DALLAS COUNTY SAYING THAT THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING, YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT, BUT WE WOULD BE ASKING FOR REIMBURSEMENT.
THE MANPOWER THAT WE SPENT INSPECTING, CHARGEBACK.
UH, WE, WE DEFINITELY WILL HAVE THAT.
I MEAN, WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH THEM.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF THEY DID THAT FOR US, THEY WOULD HAVE TO PROBABLY DO THAT FOR EVERY CITY.
AND THAT WOULD PROBABLY RUN CONTRARY TO WHY THEY, THEY WANTED THE, UH, PERMITTING RESPONSIBILITY IN THE FIRST PLACE.
I MEAN, THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S A BENEFIT, I GUESS, TO A VENDOR, BECAUSE YOU CAN GO FROM CITY TO CITY UNDER THE DALLAS COUNTY PERMIT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN DEFINITELY HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THEM, BUT I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE ANY, I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE INDICATED THEY HAVE ANY PLANS AT ALL OF, OF ADDING STAFF TO COUNCILMAN HUTCHIN RIDER'S POINT TO KIND OF STAFF UP TO DEAL WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY ASSOCIATED WITH PERMITTING, WHICH IS THE INSPECTION.
I MEAN, WE UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY WE WANT OUR CITY,
[01:30:01]
OUR BACKYARD FRONTIER TO BE SAFE AND HEALTHY.UH, SO, BUT IF WE CAN, UH, CHARGE THEM BACK FOR THAT, OUR SPEND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A TEAMWORK.
WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE BAD OR NOBODY'S, EVERYBODY'S GOOD.
IT JUST, UH, GETTING THE MATH CORRECT.
[9. REVIEW AND DISCUSS PROPOSED CHANGES TO PUBLIC/SEMI-PUBLIC POOL REGULATIONS]
OKAY, SO LET'S MOVE ON TO THE UPDATE, THE PROPOSED CHANGES.DANNY, THE PUBLIC, THE MAYOR'S GONNA READ THE CAPTION.
ALRIGHT, WHAT AM I READING NOW? YOU JUST DUMP ME OFF.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO NUMBER NINE.
REVIEW AND DISCUSS PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE PUBLIC SEMI-PUBLIC POOL REGULATIONS.
UH, MAYOR, UH, STATE OF TEXAS HAS ADOPTED, UH, SOME, UH, CONTEMPORARY AND UPDATED, UH, REQUIREMENTS.
AND, UM, OUR HEALTH TEAM, UH, VERY PRUDENTLY WAITING ABOUT A YEAR SO THAT THEY COULD REFINE THOSE AND SEE THEIR IMPLEMENTATION OVER THE COURSE OF A SWIM SEASON.
BUT NOW I THINK THEY'RE, UH, CONFIDENT THAT THEY'RE READY TO ADOPT THOSE.
AND SO, UH, DANNY IS GONNA RUN YOU THROUGH THAT.
SO THE CONSULT STRATEGY THAT, UM, MEET THESE, UH, ARE DOCUMENT AND CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE BUSINESS PROCESSES, IMPROVE ACCESS, USABILITY, AND USER EXPERIENCE WITH POLICIES, PROCESSES, AND PROCEDURE.
SO THE RICHESON HEALTH DEPARTMENT CONDUCTS INSPECTIONS OF PUBLIC AND SEMI-PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS AND SPA WITHIN THE CITY.
AND ALL PUBLIC AND SEMI-PUBLIC POOLS AND SPA ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A PERMIT TO OPERATE.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE 186 TOTAL PERMITTED POOLS, SPA AND SPLASH PADS.
THE OUTDOOR POOLS AND SPARS ARE INSPECTED AT LEAST TWICE PER SEASON.
AND THE INDOOR POOLS ARE INSPECTED QUARTERLY PER YEAR.
AND OUR INSPECTIONS, THEY'RE CONCENTRATED ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY ASPECT OF THE POOL AND SPA OPERATION, WHICH INCLUDE MAINTENANCE, WATER CLARITY, WATER CHEMISTRY, FENCING, ENCLOSURE, SAFETY EQUIPMENT, AND WARNING SIGNS.
WE SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE OUR CURRENT CODE.
THE CODE OF ORDINANCE IS FOUND IN CHAPTER 10, ARTICLE SIX, WHICH COVERS PUBLIC SWIMMING, POOL, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.
IT LACKS THE UPDATED SAFETY AND SANITATION STANDARDS FOR POOLS, SPA, PUBLIC, INTERACTIVE WATER FEATURES AND FOUNTAINS, AND THE ARTIFICIAL SWIMMING LAGOON IN 2021, THE STATES REVISED THEIR CODE WITH, UH, WITH THE LATEST UPDATED UPDATE IMPLEMENTED IN JANUARY OF 2023.
AND UP UNTIL THIS POINT, WE HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDING THESE UPDATED CODE SINCE 2021 AND HAVE BEEN, UM, PROVIDING THESE UPDATES TO OPERATORS AS THE CODE EVOLVES AND UNDERGO REFINEMENT.
SO WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE CURRENT ORDINANCE AND TO ADOPT BY REFERENCE THE STATE CODE AND, UM, THAT COVERS PUBLIC SWIMMING, POOL AND SPA, PUBLIC INTERACTIVE WATER FEATURES AND ARTIFICIAL SWIMMING LAGOONS.
WHAT IS A PUBLIC INTERACTIVE FEATURE? WE CALL IT P IT'S ANY INDOOR OUTDOOR INSTALLATION MAINTAINED BY PUBLIC RECREATION.
THAT INCLUDES WATER SPRAYS, DANCING, WATER JETS, WATERFALLS, DUMPING BUCKETS, OR SHOOTING WATER CANNONS IN VARIOUS AIRWAYS TO WET THE PERSON PLAYING IN THAT SPRAY STREAM.
AN ARTIFICIAL LAGOON IS AN ARTIFICIAL WA BODY OF WATER USED FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES WITH MORE THAN 20,000 SQUARE FEET OF SURFACE AREA AND A ARTIFICIAL LINER AND A METHOD OF DISINFECTANT.
SO IT, THE TERM DOES NOT INCLUDE A BODY OF WATER THAT IS CONTINUOUSLY RECIRCULATING WATER FROM A SPRING OR A POOL.
AND WHEN WE SAY LAGOON, IT MEANS ARTIFICIAL SWIMMING LAGOONS.
THE STAKE POOL CODE NOW REQUIRES AN APPROVED DRAIN COVER TO BE INSTALLED.
A PUMP FOR A POOL AND SPA MUST NOT BE OPERATED IF THE DRAINER CRATE OR THE COVER IS MISSING OR BROKEN OR LOOSE.
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF THE POOL AND SPA MUST BE MAINTAINED AND REPAIRED BY ELECTRICAL, UM, AND, AND, AND A LICENSED ELECTRICIAN.
AND IT'S PROHIBITED TO USE EXTENSION CARDS.
ALL PORTION OF THE WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM MUST BE PROTECTED AGAINST BACKFLOW AND BACKAGE, AND THE FILTER BACKWASH MUST BE DISPOSED OF IN AN APPROVED
[01:35:01]
MANNER.PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE FOR USING POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS, UM, CHEMICALS MUST BE TRAINED AND BE PROVIDED WITH THE PROPER APPROPRIATE PPE AND THE SAFETY DATA SHEET MUST BE PROVIDED, ARE AVAILABLE.
THERE ARE MORE, GREATER DETAILS AS IT RELATES TO SAFETY ROPES, FLOAT LINES, DECKS ON POOL MARKINGS, RESCUE EQUIPMENT, EMERGENCY TELEPHONE, POOL, LIGHTING AND SIGNAGE.
AND A CERTIFIED POOL OPERATOR MUST BE ON STAFF.
LIFEGUARDS ARE REQUIRED TO BE PRESENT AT COMPETITIVE AND PUBLIC POOLS.
THEY'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE EMERGENCY PLAN RECORDS OF TRAINING AND DRILLS AND HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, SAFETY EQUIPMENT ALSO IS REQUIRED.
STRUCTURES AND SITE FURNISHINGS MUST NOT BE PROHIBITED WITHIN 36 INCHES OUTSIDE THE ENCLOSURE.
TREE LIMBS MUST BE KEPT TRIMED TO PREVENT, UM, IT BEING USED TO BE SOMETHING TO CLIMB OVER TO THE ENCLOSURE, DISPENSING CHEMICALS INTO THE SKIMMER OF THE POOL AND SP IS NOT ALLOWED.
SLAM BIOFIELD LAYERS MUST BE REMOVED FROM ALL ACCESSIBLE POOL AND SPA SURFACE AND FROM ALL AQUATIC FEATURES.
AND LOCAL AUTHORITY HAS THE RIGHT TO ENTER ANY ERA AT ANY REASONABLE TIME TO DO INSPECTION FOR COMPLIANCE.
AND THERE ARE COMPARABLE, UM, REGULATIONS APPLICABLE TO THE PS AND ARTIFICIAL LOG SWIMMING LOGS.
THE ADVANTAGES OF ADOPTING THE STATE RULES IT.
THIS UPDATES OUR CODE TO THE CURRENT ACCEPTABLE SAFETY AND SANITATION REGULATION.
IT STANDARDIZE OUR CODE TO BE CONSISTENT WITH OTHER REGULATORY AGENCIES IN SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
OPERATORS WHO MANAGES POOLS IN RICHARDSON, OTHER COMMUNITY BENEFIT FROM THIS BECAUSE IT THERE THEY WILL BE FOLLOWING THE SAME REGULATIONS ALSO, OR ORDINANCE WILL BE EASILY UPDATED AS IT AUTOMATICALLY CHANGED WHEN THE STATE UPDATES ITS RULES.
NOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN OFFERING AS, UM, FROM THE STATE POOL CODES WILL NOW BECOME REQUIREMENT.
WE WILL NEED TO UPDATE OUR INSPECTION REPORT.
AND AT THE, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE ANY IMPACT TO THE CITY POOLS IMPLEMENTATION.
WE ARE CONSIDERING TO HAVE THIS EFFECTIVE ON MAY 1ST, 2024.
WITH THIS, WE WILL DISTRIBUTE INFORMATIONAL PACKETS TO PERMITTED POOLS AND SPA IN DIGITAL AND HARD COPY FORM.
WE'LL HOST EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH CLASSES FOR OPERATORS.
AND IN OUR FIRST GO AROUND FOR INSPECTIONS, WE'LL BE SURE TO CONTINUE THE EDUCATION BEFORE WE START AN ENFORCEMENT.
OUR NEXT STEP IS SOLICIT YOUR FEEDBACK FROM THE COUNCIL AND ALSO PLACE THE NEW ORDINANCE FOR ADOPTING THE STATE POOL CODE ON FEBRUARY 12TH.
OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
IS THAT, UM, ARE THOSE APARTMENTS, ARE THOSE COUNTRY CLUB POOLS WHAT IS CONSIDERED SEMI-PUBLIC? YES, SIR.
IT'S LIKE YOUR, UM, APARTMENT, YOUR, YOUR, UM, AS YOU SAID, COUNTRY CLUB HOAS.
NON RESIDENTIAL, UM, YEAH, PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL
SO UNLESS IT'S IN MY OWN PERSONAL BACKYARD, IT'S, SO H HOA.
THE, UH, CPO UH, CERTIFIED POOL OPERATOR, UM, ON STAFF, CORRECT.
IS THAT, UM, IS THAT, I'M ASSUMING WE, I WOULD ASSUME WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THOSE IN THE CITY.
OUR SITE IS THAT MANY POOLS WE HAVE? YES.
SO, SO I GUESS THE QUESTION THERE IS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT MOST THESE PLACES ALREADY HAVE? YES, WE HAVE BEEN REQ, WE HAVE BEEN, UM, REQUIRING THIS SINCE 2021 WHEN THE STATE, UM, CH UPDATED THEIR CODE.
SO WE HAVE BEEN, UM, RE REQUIRING THE CERTIFIED POOL OPERATOR.
SO, SO IS THAT SOMEBODY, LIKE IF I HAVE, HAVE AN APARTMENT OR I, YOU KNOW, RUN GREENWOOD HILLS COMMUNITY POOL, I KNOW THEY HAVE A LITTLE COMMUNITY GROUP THAT KEEPS THAT ALIVE OVER
[01:40:01]
THERE.UM, WOULD THAT MEAN THAT MAYBE ONE OF MY LIFEGUARDS OR THE POOL MANAGERS IS CPO AND I HAVE TO BE JUST ON CALL? IT'S NOT THAT I HAVE TO BE THERE.
ONE OF THE POOLS OVER, THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A CPO THERE DURING OPERATING HOURS.
SO THEY'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE, IF THEY DON'T HAVE THAT PERSON AVAILABLE AT ALL TIME, THEY MUST HAVE SOME POSTING OF THAT PERSON CREDENTIAL WITH THEIR NUMBER AND INFORMATION SO THEY CAN BE CONTACTED IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES.
SO IT'S NOT REQUIRED FOR THEM TO BE THERE AT ALL HOURS, BUT TO BE AVAILABLE.
THIS ALLOWS Y'ALL TO UPDATE CODE AS THOSE LAWS CHANGE WITHOUT HAVING TO COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL.
IT SEEMS, UH, YOU KNOW, KEEP EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALRIGHT, SEEING NONE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[10. CONSENT AGENDA]
AT THIS TIME WE'RE GONNA GO TO ITEM NUMBER 10, CONSENT AGENDA.IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS OR ITEMS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE MR. HUTCHIN RIDER.
MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PUBLISHED.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
MR. CHU? I, YOU WOULD SECOND IT.
ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? SHOW OF HANDS, PLEASE.
[11. REPORT ON ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]
WE'LL GO TO ITEM NUMBER 11, REPORT ON ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST.MR. HUTCHIN? RIDER? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
ON, UH, JANUARY 9TH, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE OUR, UM, BUSINESS COMMITTEE OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S MYSELF, MAYOR PRO TIM, UM, SHACHO AND COUNCILWOMAN JUSTICE, AND WE HAD A PRESENTATION BY DR. JOSEPH PENO WITH UTD ABOUT THE ONGOING WORK AND COLLABORATION WITH, UM, UTD AND THE IQ.
WE, WE WERE, I, I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF, I'LL, I'LL LET THEM SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, BUT I WAS ABSOLUTELY MESMERIZED AS TO ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW AND ALL THE OPPORTUNITY THAT'S BEING DONE.
AND THERE'S QUITE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE THINK WILL BE COMING UP IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE THAT WILL BE ANNOUNCED, UM, WITH THE, WITH THE IQ.
AND SO I JUST WANTED, WANTED TO MENTION THAT BECAUSE I THINK THE PRESENTATION WAS AMAZING.
UM, I THINK, UH, THE MAYOR PRO, TIM'S GONNA HAVE HIS DAUGHTER IN THE, UH, POLY CRAFT WORLD.
THIS IS BASED ON MINECRAFT, AND, UH, WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT IT.
I DID NOT, I CAN PERSONALLY SPEAK, I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH THERE, HOW YOU CAN MOVE THAT OVER FROM THE MINECRAFT WORLD TO THIS POLY CRAFT WORLD AND REALLY HAVE SOME INCREDIBLE STUFF GOING ON.
SO, UM, JUST CONTINUE TO BE SO PROUD OF WHAT WE PUT TOGETHER A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO BETWEEN THE CITY AND UTD.
AND WE'RE SEEING, WE REALLY ARE SEEING, HONESTLY, FRUITS OF THE, THE LABOR, SO TO SPEAK, AND MANY MORE TO COME, UM, BASED ON THE PRESENTATION THAT WE SAW.
UH, JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT IF ANYONE IS NOT INVOLVED OR SIGNED UP FOR THE COMMUNITY CHALLENGE, UM, I THINK YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THAT.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE, I THINK IT RUNS THROUGH FEBRUARY, MARCH AND MARCH.
ANYWAY, IT'S, UH, QUITE CHALLENGING.
SO JUST REMEMBER TO LOG ALL OF YOUR FOOD ITEMS, YOUR WATER CONTENT, YOUR ALL YOUR EXERCISING AND STRETCHES AND VIRTUAL, UH, PARTICIPATION THAT JUST TO KEEP THE POINTS UP SO RICHARDSON CAN BECOME AT LEAST AT THE TOP 10 THIS YEAR.
WELL, I, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD JUST A COUPLE MORE THINGS THAT, UH, WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER HUTCH RETTER MENTIONED ABOUT THE, UH, PRESENT, UH, BUSINESS MEETING THAT WE HAD LAST WEEK OR SO.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, SO MUCH WORK HAS BEEN DONE IN THE BACKGROUND AND HAS BEEN DONE OVER THE YEARS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST NOT THAT WE CAN SAY EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THOSE HAPPEN.
SOMETIMES THOSE ARE, THERE'S A GOOD REGION THAT WE DON'T PUBLISH THE PUB PUBLICLY TALK ABOUT THOSE THING UNTIL THOSE THING HAPPEN.
SO I CAN, I CAN SAY THAT WHAT I HAVE HEARD THAT MEETING, THAT THAT LOTS OF THINGS ARE POSITIVE THINGS ARE HAPPENING, PEOPLE ARE WORKING REALLY, REALLY HARD.
AND THIS IS, I'M SAYING THIS IS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART THAT THI YOU'RE GONNA SEE SOMETHING COMING UP SOON, GOD WILLING.
UH, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME.
NOBODY'S SITTING AROUND AND DOING NOTHING.
AND OF COURSE, UH, THE POLY CRAFT, MY DAUGHTER PROBABLY WILL BE COMING AND PLAYING THAT THIS IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A MINECRAFT, IT'S A GAME.
THIS IS EDUCATIONAL GAME IT TO SHOW YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT THE CHEMICAL BONDING CHEMICAL.
SO NOT TO ADVERTISE THE PROJECTS THEY'RE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE WORKING HARD IS AN EXAMPLE.
[01:45:01]
LAST SATURDAY I ATTENDED, UH, AN EVENT THAT WAS ORGANIZED BY US CHINA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.UH, THAT OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THIS KIND OF PROGRAM, UH, MEETING LOTS OF FRIENDS AND, UH, LOTS OF BUSINESS OWNERS.
UH, IT'S NOT JUST A FRIEND THAT I, BODY BUDDY FRIENDS, IT'S A FRIEND ABOUT BUSINESS AND KNOWING THE REGIONAL LEADERS.
UH, BUT ONE THING I HEARD THAT NIGHT, MULTIPLE TIMES FROM MANY, FEW MORE INDIVIDUALS AND WHICH IS THE LEADERS, COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ALSO THE BUSINESS OWNERS IS ABOUT RICHARDSON.
THEY LOVE DOING BUSINESS WITH RICHARDSON.
AND RICHARD HAS BEEN DOING SO MUCH GREAT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND, UH, SO I DID NOT, I HEAR ALL POSITIVE THINGS FROM EVERYONE THAT, UH, LAST THAT NIGHT.
AND END OF THE MEETING I CAME, I EVEN THOUGH IT WAS COLD OUTSIDE, I WAS WARM INSIDE.
UM, FRIDAY NIGHT I ATTENDED THE HOT SARDINES AT THE EISEN CENTER, A GREAT JAZZ GROUP.
WHEN, UH, ALLIE WAS HERE PRESENTING THE EISEN CENTER PRESENTS SERIES TO US, SHE MENTIONED THAT THE HOT SARDINES WERE HER FAVORITE.
AND I CAN SEE WHY THEY WERE FANTASTIC.
WENT HOME, DOWNLOADED SOME OF THEIR SONGS WHEN I GOT HOME.
SO IT WAS A REALLY, ANOTHER REALLY GREAT PROGRAM AS PART OF THE, UH, EISMAN CENTER PRESENTS.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO CHECK THEM OUT.
THEY WERE REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
UM, AND I ECHO COUNCILMAN DORIAN'S COMMENTS.
THE COMMUNITY CHALLENGE IS GOING THROUGH MARCH.
I WON'T SAY WHO ON THIS DIOCESE CURRENTLY LEADING THE PACK, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST GONNA THROW THE GAUNTLET DOWN.
SO
UH, ON JANUARY 9TH, THE PARKS COMMISSION, UH, MET AS WELL.
AND, UH, THEY INTRODUCED, UH, A NEW, A NEW EMPLOYEE, UH, PATRICK GARCIA, WHO'S OUR NEW, UH, SENIOR CENTER, UH, OLDER ADULT COORDINATOR, UH, TO THE COMMISSION.
UM, GOT THEM FAMILIAR WITH HIM.
WE, UH, ALSO THE, THE PARKS COMMISSION ALSO HEARD A, UH, DIVISION REPORT FROM SPENCER DOYLE FOR THE RECREATION DIVISION OF THE PARKS OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE HEARD THEY ALSO HEARD AND COMMENTED ON THE CLEAN PARK PROGRAM THAT WE WERE PRESENTED HERE, UH, JUST PRIOR TO THAT.
AND THEN, UH, HAD SOME DISCUSSION AROUND, UH, MEMORIAL PARK NAME CONSIDERATIONS, THE ANNUAL BUDGET LETTER THAT IS SUBMITTED TO THIS BODY.
UM, AND, UH, SCHEDULE FOR THE PARKS COMMISSION TO MAKE THEIR, UH, ANNUAL FA FACILITY VISIT ROTATIONS WHERE, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION WILL ACTUALLY VISIT EVERY SINGLE FACILITY OPERATED BY OUR PARKS, UH, TEAM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO IT'S, IT'S A HUGE, UH, HUGE LIFT FROM THAT, UH, PARKS COMMISSION THAT I THINK WE'RE ALL GRATEFUL FOR THAT SECOND SET OF EYES, UM, AND THE WORK THAT THEY PERFORMED THERE.
UM, COUNCILWOMAN JUSTICE DEFINITELY AM NOT LEADING THE PACK.
UH, BUT I DID, I DO GET SOME CREDIT 'CAUSE I DID ATTEND MY FIRST EVER ZUMBA A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE QUICK SHOUT OUT THE, UM, I SAY YOUNG LADY WHO LED THE ZUMBA, I BELIEVE HER NAME WAS META, I THINK I MAY HAVE THAT NAME INCORRECT.
I, THERE WERE SEVERAL, I WAS TALKING TO A COUPLE LADIES ON THE WAY TO THE CAR AT THE END OF THE ZUMBA AND THEY NORMALLY DO IT AT THE SENIOR CENTER AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THIS WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A CHALLENGE THAN WHAT THEY NORMALLY DO AT THE SENIOR CENTER.
AND THEY WERE TELLING ME ALL ABOUT THE DIFFERENT GREAT ACTIVITIES AND BRAGGING ABOUT THE SENIOR CENTER.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES OUT.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, HEARING THAT FROM THE COMMUNITY IS ALWAYS GREAT.
UM, SO HATS OFF TO NOT JUST WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WITH ITS TIME, TEXAS, BUT JUST THE WORK EVERYBODY DOES DAY IN, DAY OUT IN PARKS AND SENIOR CENTER, UM, IN LIBRARY WHO WE HAD EARLIER.
JUST 'CAUSE THAT THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF THAT CITIZENS REALLY SEE.
UM, I ALSO GOT AN EMAIL TODAY FROM ONE OF THE LOCAL CHURCHES WHO, UH, SOMETIMES CHURCHES AND OTHER GROUPS IN THE COMMUNITY HIRE OFFICERS AS THESE EXTRA SIDE, YOU KNOW, OFFICERS WILL TAKE, UH, THESE EXTRA SIDE JOBS AND THEY WOULD NOT IN THIS EMAIL, THEY, UH, JUST WERE BRAGGING ABOUT OFFICER, UH, NICHOLS, WHO JUST, EVERYBODY FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM AND SAID NOTHING, BUT THEY GOT A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS FROM THEIR, UM, PARISHIONERS ON SUNDAY WHEN HE WAS THERE WORKING THIS SIDE GIG OUTSIDE OF HIS RESPONSIBILITIES OF, UH, RPD.
AND, UH, JUST TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT HE IS.
UH, WE KNOW THE GREAT STAFF THAT CITI HAS AND, UM, THEY, THEY, BEYOND THEIR NORMAL HOURS JUST BEING A PART OF, UM, THE CITY OUTSIDE, THEY ALSO JUST CONTINUE TO CARRY THAT, UM, GOOD SERVICE AND CONTINUE TO CARRY RICHARDSON'S NAME FORWARD.
[01:50:01]
SHOUT OUT TO THAT OFFICER AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR RPD AND ALL THE GREAT WORK THEY PUT IN.ALRIGHT, COUNSEL, WITH NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO DO, I OFFICIALLY CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED AT 7:50 PM THANK YOU AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING.