Mar 24, 2025 City Council (Not Published)

TALKED ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD VANDALISM.

[4. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS AND VISITORS FORUM]

ALL RIGHT.

ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS AND VISITORS FORUM.

MR. MAGNER.

UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.

WE ARE IN RECEIPT OF, UM, ONE CARD IN ADVANCE OF THE 5:00 PM DEADLINE INDICATING, UM, THE SPEAKER WOULD LIKE TO, UM, OFFER COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEM, UM, UM, CONSENT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, AND THEN I THINK MS. ERS IN RECEIPT OF ANOTHER CARD.

SO, UM, LET ME READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND THEN, UH, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MS. ER TO CALL THE, UH, SPEAKERS.

UM, DURING THE, THIS PORTION OF THE COUNCIL MEETING, 30 MINUTES IS ALLOCATED FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO PROVIDE COMMENTS TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON AGENDA ITEMS. UM, IF THE FULL 30 MINUTES ALLOCATED FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENT IS REACHED, THEN SPEAKERS WHO HAVE SUBMITTED A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD MAY SPEAK AT THE VISITOR'S FORM SCHEDULE.

AT THE END OF THE MEETING, ALL SPEAKERS SHOULD COMPLETE A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD AND SUBMIT IT TO THE CITY.

SEC CITY SECRETARY.

BEFORE THE MEETING BEGIN, SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED IN THE ORDER THAT THEY RECEIVE.

WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED, PLEASE STEP TO THE PODIUM AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.

ALL SPEAKERS WILL BE LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM OF FIVE MINUTES IS INDICATED BY THE TIMERS.

WHEN THE TIMER BEEPS, THE SPEAKER SHOULD CONCLUDE THEIR COMMENTS PROMPTLY.

SPEAKERS MUST NOT PHYSICALLY APPROACH MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL OR STAFF AND SHOULD REMAIN AT THE PODIUM.

DURING THOSE COMMENTS, SPEAKERS WITH HANDOUTS MUST PROVIDE THEM TO THE CITY SECRETARY FOR DISTRIBUTION.

SPEAKER SUBMITTING COMMENTS ON THE SAME TOPIC ARE ENCOURAGED AS TO REDUCE REPETITIVE REMARKS BY INDICATING THEIR COMMENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED.

OR BY SELECTING A REPRESENTATIVE SPEAKER, THE TEXAS OPEN MEETING ACT PROHIBITS THE CITY COUNCIL FROM DISCUSSING OR TAKING ACTION ON ITEMS THAT ARE NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA.

CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF WILL NOT AFFIRM OR OPPOSE ANY SPEAKER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.

THE MAYOR, CITY MANAGER MAY RESPOND WITH FACTS, A POLICY OR DIRECT CITY STAFF TO RESPOND TO THE SPEAKER.

AFTER THE MEETING, THE AUDIENCE IS ASKED TO REFRAIN FROM APPLAUDING OR OTHER EXPRESSIONS OF SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION, A COPY OF THE, UH, COUNCIL RULES OF ORDER AND PROCEDURE.

AND THESE GUIDELINES MAY BE FOUND ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.

AT THIS TIME, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE TO SILENCE THEIR CELL PHONE FOR THE DURATION OF THE MEETING.

MS. ER, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, ALEXANDER.

SCOTT, AS A REMINDER, PLEASE REMEMBER TO STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.

UH, I'M ALEXANDER SCOTT.

I LIVE AT, UH, GREENBRIAR NINE 16 GREENBRIAR LANE.

UH, JUST SOUTH OF UTD.

UH, I WANNA TALK ABOUT AGENDA ITEM FOUR.

UM, AND MAINLY JUST MY SUPPORT FOR IT.

I REALLY, UM, THE ROAD THAT'S BEING RECONSTRUCTED AND THE BIKE LANE ADDED, UM, IS PART OF, UH, A FREQUENT ISH COMMUTE FOR ME, UM, AND MAINLY ON MY BIKE.

UM, AND IT'S JUST EXCITING TO SEE MORE BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE ON GETTING BUILT OFF WATERVIEW.

UM, THAT'S CONNECTING NOT JUST AS LIKE A NICE PLACE TO LIKE GET TO UTD, UM, BUT ALSO TO GET TO THE GROCERY STORE FOR ME, UM, IT IS JUST SLIGHTLY SHORT OF CONNECTING FULLY TO THE TOP THUMB, BUT, UM, OUTSIDE OF THAT, I JUST REALLY LIKE SEEING THE CITY BUILDING MORE BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE.

[00:05:01]

I LIVE AT THE 1300 BLOCK OF TIMBERLAKE.

I WAS HERE AT THE JANUARY 27TH MEETING EIGHT WEEKS AGO.

EXCUSE ME.

I HAVE ROOF DAMAGE EACH NIGHT FROM ROCKS HITTING MY ROOF.

SINCE THEN, I'VE COMMUNICATED WITH CHIEF TILLEY.

I HAVE FOUND FOUR GUYS IN THE BACKYARD BEHIND MY HOUSE AT 1305 NANTUCKET DURING THE PERIOD MARCH 22ND, MARCH 12TH, EXCUSE ME, TO THE 22ND.

I HAVE SENT CHIEF TILLEY VIDEOS EACH DAY BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 6:00 AM THESE FOUR GUYS ARE OUT THERE IN THE BACKYARD AT LEAST SIX HOURS EVERY NIGHT.

EACH VIDEO IS PROCEEDED BY A LARGE BANG ON MY ROOF, A ROCK.

THE VIDEOS DO NOT CA CAPTURE THESE GUYS COMMITTING VIOLENCE, BUT WHAT ARE THE ODDS FOR AN INDEPENDENT EVENT OCCURRING ON 11 CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS? THE ONLY REASON IT WAS 11 BECAUSE I WENT OUT OF TOWN ONE NIGHT, UH, AND WASN'T THERE.

AND THE NEXT NIGHT THEY STARTED TO RIDE BACK UP.

ALL THE POLICE HAVE TO DO IS VISIT 1305 NANTUCKET AND ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, AND THIS CRIME WILL BE SOLVED.

RECENTLY, I HAD A ROOF ROUTE TO EXAMINE THE CONDITION OF MY ROOF.

HE DID FIND SOME HAIL TYPE DENTS ON THE ROOF, WHICH COULD BE ROCKS.

SO IN CONCLUSION, I ASKED WHEN WILL THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SOLVE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD VANDALISM CRIME.

NO FURTHER CARDS, MAYOR.

CAN I MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT AT ALL? UM, IF YOU'RE GONNA DIRECT YOU, MAYOR, IF YOU'D LIKE TO OFFER, UM, MR. SMITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH STAFF, IS THAT WHAT YOU WELL, I WAS GOING TO ASK MR. TERRY SMITH TO PLEASE VISIT WITH STAFF, AND I WILL SAY THAT, UM, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MR. SMITH AND HE WAS GONNA SEND ME THE VIDEO, BUT IT HAS NEVER SHOWED UP.

SO I DON'T HAVE A COPY OF THE VIDEO.

AND IT MAY BE WE'RE SENDING IT TO THE WRONG EMAIL ADDRESS BECAUSE OUR CHIEF POLICE CHIEF IS MR. TITTLE, AND YOU HAD HIS NAME WRONG.

SO IF YOU'RE SENDING IT TO HIM, THAT MIGHT BE THE PROBLEM.

THAT'S ALL I'D LIKE TO SAY RIGHT THERE.

PERFECT.

THAT BRINGS US TO ITEM FIVE, PRESENTATION OF A PROCLAMATION OF THE RICHARDSON GYMNAST GYMNASTICS.

AND THAT'S ALL MS. NEER.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

UM,

[5. PRESENTATION OF A PROCLAMATION TO RICHARDSON GYMNAST ASHLEE SULLIVAN WITH METROPLEX GYMNASTICS]

AND, UM, THIS IS, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND TAKE THIS ONE AND LET MR. MAGNER SAVE HIS VOICE.

UM, WE HAVE A YOUNG LADY WHO IS A RICHARDSON RESIDENT BY THE NAME OF ASHLEY SULLIVAN.

AND SHE IS A GYMNAST WITH THE METROPLEX GYMNASTICS, WHICH IS HELD OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF RICHARDSON, BUT THE OWNER OF IT IS A RICHARDSON BORN AND GROWN YOUNG MAN, GRADUATED FROM NER HIGH SCHOOL.

AND ASHLEY, I'M GONNA READ THIS LITTLE PROCLAMATION, WE ORIG, BUT SHE HAD SOME PLAIN CHANGES AND SO FORTH, AND THEY HAD TO LEAVE TOWN TODAY.

BUT SHE'S ON HER WAY TO GERMANY TO COMPETE INTERNATIONALLY AND REPRESENT OUR CITY.

AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF THIS BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY THE OWNER OF THE GYMNASTICS FACILITY, BUT IT'S ALSO A RICHARDSON RESIDENT WHO'S DOING SOME AMAZING THINGS.

SO LET ME READ THIS REAL QUICK.

I'M NOT GONNA READ IT ALL, BUT I'M GONNA HIT A FEW HIGH POINTS.

SO, WHEREAS ASHLEY SULLIVAN HAS DEMONSTRATED EXTRAORDINARY DEDICATION, SKILL, AND PERSEVERANCE IN THE SPORT OF GYMNASTICS, CULMINATING IN HER TRIUMPH AT THE USA GYMNASTICS WINTER CUP, BY WINNING THE ALL ROUND TITLE.

AND WHEREAS THE PRESTIGIOUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAS POSITIONED ASHLEY AT THE PINNACLE OF USA GYMNASTICS MARK AND HER AS ONE OF THE NATION'S TOP GYMNASTS.

AND WHEREAS ASHLEY SULLIVAN'S ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDE BEING CROWNED THE 2025 WINNER CUP ALL ROUND CHAMPION EARNING A SILVER MEDAL IN FLOOR EXERCISE, AND A BRONZE MEDAL IN BALANCE BEAM FURTHER SOLIDIFYING HER ELITE STATUS IN THE SPORT.

AND WHEREAS ASHLEY ALSO EARNED THE SILVER MEDAL IN ALL AROUND IN THE 2023 WINTER CUP, ALONGSIDE THE BRONZE MEDALS IN BOTH BALANCE BEAM AND FLOOR EXERCISE, AND CAPTURED THE BRONZE MEDAL IMBALANCE BEAM IN THE 2022 WINTER CUP, DEMONSTRATING CONSISTENT EXCELLENCE IN HER PERFORMANCE.

AND ASHLEY SULLIVAN

[00:10:01]

ACHIEVEMENTS REFLECT NOT ONLY HER COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE, BUT ALSO HER REPRESENTATION OF THE SPIRIT OF DETERMINATION AND RESILIENCE THAT EMBODIES THE VALUES OF USA GYMNASTS.

AND SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE ASHLEY, I GOING DOWN, WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS MARCH 25TH, ASHLEY SULLIVAN DAY 2025, AND RICHARDSON, TEXAS, AND WE WANNA CELEBRATE HER AMAZING USA GYMNASTICS WINTER CUP.

SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, GOOD LUCK ASHLEY, AND THANK Y'ALL FOR LISTENING, AND WE WILL MAKE SURE SHE GETS THAT DOCUMENT.

SO THAT'S AWESOME.

ALL RIGHTY.

THAT BRINGS US TO

[6. CONSIDER APPOINTMENTS AND REAPPOINTMENTS TO THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION AND ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT/BUILDING AND STANDARDS COMMISSION]

ITEM NUMBER SIX, CONSIDER APPOINTMENTS AND REAPPOINTMENTS TO THE CITY PLAN, COMMISSION AND ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS AND STANDARDS COMMISSION.

MR. MAGNER, UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR.

SUBSEQUENT TO YOUR ANNUAL REVIEW OF YOUR BOARD AND COMMISSION, UH, ASSIGNMENTS, WE HAD TWO RESIGNATIONS, UH, FROM THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION, UH, A FEW WEEKS AGO.

THE COUNCIL MET AND, UH, UH, WE BROUGHT BEFORE YOU TONIGHT THE APPOINTMENTS THAT YOU REQUESTED.

AND SO, UM, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MS. ER AND SHE CAN, UH, CALL THE, UM, WELL ACTUALLY FIRST LET ME, UH, HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MAKE THE MOTIONS.

YES.

UM, AND THEN MS. ER WILL HAVE, UM, THOSE IN ATTENDANCE COME UP TO BE SWORN IN.

COUNCIL MENDO, WOULD YOU MAKE THE FIRST PLEASE? THANK YOU, MAYOR.

I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO APPOINT JEREMY THOMASON AND JOE QUIRK TO FILL AN UN UNEXPECTED OR UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.

MR. SAM SCHUL SECOND ONE.

I IT, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.

YES, MR. DO.

I'M SORRY.

I MESSED THAT UP.

KEN, WOULD YOU SECOND THAT PLEASE? YES, I'D BE HAPPY TO SECOND THAT.

JUST TAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.

ALL IN FAVOR, SHOW OF HANDS.

THE SECOND COMMISSION OR DO WE NEED TO GO WITH YOU? JUST ALRIGHT, MAKE THE MOTION ON THE SECOND ONE, PLEASE.

I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO APPOINT SABRINA EK TO FILL AN UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.

GOT A MOTION.

MR. HUDSON WRITER IS SECOND.

I WOULD LIKE TO SECOND THAT MOTION.

GOT A MOTION TO SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? SHOW OF HANDS, PLEASE.

THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

MS. ER, MR. KIRK, WHERE YOU CHILDREN MAY APPEAR, PLEASE, PLEASE WRITE, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND RESPOND.

I DO AT THE END OF THE OATH, DO YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR TO FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF BOARD MEMBER FOR THE CITY OF RICHARDSON CITY PLAN COMMISSION, AND TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES AND OF THIS STATE.

HERE, I GET MY THANK YOU.

DO THE REST OF IT, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

UH, JEREMY AND SABRINA WILL BE SWORN IN, UH, IN ADVANCE OF THEIR FIRST MEETING, UM, THAT THEY ATTEND.

OKAY, GREAT.

WE CAN DO A PICTURE OR NOT.

ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE TREE PLANNING PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS, MR. MAGNER.

THAT BRINGS US TO

[7. REVIEW AND DISCUSS TREE PLANTING PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS]

WELL, THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UM, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE, UH, VON AUGU AND SEAN ROGERS HERE.

UM, AS EVIDENCED BY MY VOICE AND SEAN'S TIE.

UH, THE TREES ARE A BALLOON , UH, AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.

WE, UH, WANTED TO REALLY SHARE, UM, THREE IMPORTANT UPDATES WITH YOU.

FIRST, UH, PROVIDE YOU WITH A PREVIEW OF RICHARDSON, UH, UH, PLANTS FOR, UH, THE SPRING, UH, SECOND, UH, THREE IMPORTANT, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT HAVE, UH, IMPORTANT PLANTING ELEMENTS TO IT.

AND THEN FINALLY, UH, SEAN WANTS TO, UH, SHARE SOME, SHARE SOME EXCITING NEWS ABOUT, UH, ONE OF YOUR GOALS THAT, UH, WE'LL KIND OF HOLD TO THE END.

SO, SEAN, THANKS, UH, FOR BEING HERE AND PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.

AND YVONNE, THANK YOU AS WELL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS.

I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.

SEAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DON.

UH, MAYOR COUNCIL, REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE THIS EVENING.

AND OF COURSE, I KNOW WHEN YOU SAW MY NAME ON THE AGENDA, YOU KNEW YOU WERE GONNA HEAR ABOUT TREES, RIGHT? SO, UM, LIKE DON SAID, WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME UPDATES ON SOME TREE PLANNING PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON.

UM, THIS REALLY SUPPORTS YOUR GOAL TO HAVE RESIDENTS, STAKEHOLDERS CHOOSE RICHARDSON AS THE BEST PLACE TO LOCATE, CONTRIBUTE, AND ENGAGE, BECAUSE OF COURSE, EVERYBODY LOVES TREES.

SO A BRIEF OVERVIEW, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE RICHARDSON REPLANTS PROGRAM, WHICH OF COURSE WAS INSTITUTED TO HELP THE CITY RECOVER FROM THE MAY 28TH, 2024 STORMS. UM, THE FALL PROGRAM WE HAD, UH, SOME HIGHLIGHTS WANNA, UM, REALLY LEAN INTO SOME OF THE SUCCESSES OF THAT.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE SPRING PROGRAM, WHICH WE'RE ABOUT TO KICK OFF AGAIN.

UM, I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR SPONSORS WE HAD FOR THAT PROGRAM.

AND THEN ALSO CITY TREE PLANTINGS THAT ARE PART OF THAT.

I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME MEDIUM TREE PLANTINGS ON RENA ROAD AND MAIN STREET AND WHAT'S GOING ON AT CITY HALL WITH THE TREE SITUATION THERE.

[00:15:01]

AND THEN AN UPDATE ON OUR APPLICATION TO BE A TREE CITY USA THROUGH THE ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION.

SO, JUMPING RIGHT INTO IT, UM, RICHARD GONNA REPLANTS, UM, IS, IS REALLY, REALLY A GREAT PROGRAM THAT HAS GOTTEN A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY.

UM, AND IF, IF YOU RECALL, THAT WAS TO HELP RETRE THE CITY AFTER SO MANY TREES WERE LOST IN, UH, IN MAY OF LAST YEAR.

UM, THERE WERE TWO PRONGS TO THAT, GIVING AWAY TREES TO THE CITIZENS AND PLANTING TREES IN THE CITY, NOTABLY IN PARKS.

UM, SO WE HAD FIVE DIFFERENT EVENTS LAST FALL WHERE WE GAVE AWAY TREES.

UH, THE PUBLIC SAFETY EXPO AT FOUR OF THE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

THE LIBRARY HAD A TREE CARE PRESENTATION, LITIGATION TREES AWAY AT, UM, AND HUFFINES HARVEST FEST.

WE HAD A LITTLE AREA SET UP WHERE WE GAVE AWAY A BUNCH OF TREES.

AND THEN ON TEXAS ARBOR DAY, THE FIRST MONDAY, OUR FIRST FRIDAY IN NOVEMBER, WE GAVE AWAY TREES AT GLENVILLE PARK.

UH, THERE ARE THREE SPECIES WE GAVE AWAY.

DESERT WILLOW, WHICH IS MY FAVORITE ORNAMENTAL TREE, A CHIN CAPIN OAK, WHICH IS A GREAT NATIVE CANOPY TREE.

AND THEN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CULTIVARS OF PEACH TREES BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NICE TO GIVE SOME FRUIT TREES OUT INTO THE CITY.

SO MANY PEOPLE CAN ENJOY A, UH, PEACH COBBLER IN A FEW YEARS ONCE THOSE START PUTTING ON FRUIT.

UH, BUT WE GAVE AWAY OVER 505 GALLON TREES LAST FALL, AND I DON'T THINK ANYTHING MAKES SOMEBODY HAPPIER THAN GETTING A FREE TREE.

WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO SHARE A LOT OF EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION, HOW TO PLANT TREES, HOW TO CARE FOR TREES, AND JUST DO A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY.

YOU KNOW, IN SOME CASES, THESE TREE GIVEAWAY EVENTS WERE, YOU KNOW, HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF LONG.

WE HAD PEOPLE COMING UP ASKING ABOUT THE TREES, HOW DO I DO THIS? HOW DO I DO THAT? AND IT WAS A REALLY GOOD WAY FOR US TO, UH, TO SPREAD THE JOY OF TREES IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO DO IT AGAIN THIS SPRING.

SO 500 TREES LAST FALL.

WE GOT 500 TREES THIS SPRING AS WELL.

WE'RE GONNA DO THREE EVENTS TO GIVE AWAY TREES, STARTING AT TRASH BASH THIS SATURDAY.

AND WE'LL BE AT MIMOSA PARK ON APRIL 12TH.

AND THEN ON NATIONAL ARBOR DAY, WHICH IS THE LAST FRIDAY IN APRIL, UH, WE'LL BE GIVING AWAY TREES AT TERRACE PARK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TREE PLANTING THERE.

SO WE'RE DOING THE SAME SPECIES AGAIN, DESERT WILLOW, CHICOPEE, OAK AND PEACH TREES.

AND OUR GOAL IS TO GIVE AWAY 500 TREES AGAIN THIS SPRING.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA BE ANY PROBLEM AT ALL.

AND THEN, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE SPONSORS WE HAD FOR, FOR THIS PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY, REALLY GRATIFYING, UH, TO US IN PARKS AND RECREATION.

THERE'S A LOCAL GROUP, UH, CALLED ONE EARTH ONE CHANCE, AND THEY DO A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITY ALL AROUND THE METROPLEX.

AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS DOING, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF ONE OFF TREE PLANNINGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

BUT THEY FOUND OUT ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND SAID, HEY, WE WANNA SPONSOR THIS.

AND THEY ENDED UP BEING ABLE TO GIVE US PARTIAL FUNDING FOR, FOR ALL THE FUNDS WE'RE SPENDING, BASICALLY TO BUY THE GIVEAWAY TREES AND FOR THE TREES THAT WE'RE PLANTING, UM, BOTH IN THE FALL AND IN THE SPRING.

UH, THEY'RE PROVIDING VOLUNTEERS.

THEY WERE THERE ON ARBOR DAY LAST NOVEMBER, PLANTING TREES AT GLENVILLE PARK.

AND THEY'RE GONNA BE HERE AGAIN ON A NATIONAL ARBOR DAY IN APRIL TO PLANT TREES AT TERRACE PARK.

AND THEN RICHARDSON ROTARY CLUB ALSO GAVE US A GRANT WHICH FUNDED APPROXIMATELY 10 OF THE TREES THAT WE PLANTED IN CITY PARKS LAST FALL.

ALSO, A LITTLE BIT EXTRA TO BUY SOME SIGNAGE TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS RICHARD AND REPLANTS, UM, TREE PLANTING SPONSORED BY THE ROTARY CLUB, AND THEY'RE GONNA SEND SOME VOLUNTEERS TO TRASH BASH ON SATURDAY TO HELP US GIVE AWAY TREES TO THE PUBLIC.

SO THE TREE REPLANTING HAS BEEN GREAT.

UH, WE DID 42 TREES LAST FALL, UH, SPREAD OVER 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 PARKS, FOXBOROUGH, GLENVILLE, WOOD GROVE TREE CREEK PARK, HEIGHTS PARK, AND ON MAIN STREET.

AND THERE YOU SEE A PICTURE OF THOSE VOLUNTEERS FROM ONE EARTH, ONE CHANCE HELPING US PLANT THOSE.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TREES THAT WE LIKE TO PLANT IN PARKS ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, SMALLER FIVE OR 10 GALLON.

WE DO LIKE 30 45 GALLON TREES.

WE WANT TO BE TWO TO THREE CALIBER INCHES.

SO THEY'RE RIGHT AT THAT SWEET SPOT WHERE THEY'RE ESTABLISHED, THEY'RE IN GOOD SHAPE, BUT THEY'RE STILL YOUNG ENOUGH THAT THEY CAN GET THEIR BEARINGS AND, AND GROW IN THAT NEW LOCATION.

SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LOT FOR, FOR TWO OR THREE VOLUNTEERS TO LIFT.

BUT THESE FOLKS ARE WONDER IF ONE CHANCE COME IN AND THEY'RE READY TO ROLL THEIR SLEEVES UP, GET TO WORK, AND, UH, AND THEY GET IT DONE.

THEY ARE, THEY ARE GREAT.

SO WE'RE GONNA DO 59 TREES THIS SPRING IN VARIOUS PARKS.

WE'VE ALREADY GOT THOSE ORDERED AND GETTING THE SCHEDULE SET UP TO HAVE OUR CONTRACTOR FAN TREE FARMS COME OUT AND PUT THOSE IN THE GROUND.

UH, WE'LL BE AT BRECKENRIDGE TERRACE AND THAT WILL BE A TREE PLANTING WITH ONE EARTH ONE CHANCE, AND ALSO THE GIVEAWAY, UM, RIGHT AFTERWARD ON ARBOR DAY, MIMOSA MAIN STREET, NER PARK, COTTONWOOD PARK, AND HUFFINES PARK.

UM, SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY.

THAT'LL BE 101 TREES.

WE'LL, WE'LL BEAT OUR GOAL BY ONE OF TREES.

WE'LL PLANT TOTAL, UM, THROUGH RICHARDSON REPLANTS.

AND THEN HERE'S A MAP THAT SHOWS ALL THOSE LOCATIONS AROUND TOWN.

WE'RE PUTTING TREES.

UM, AS YOU REMEMBER, THAT WAS A PRETTY WIDESPREAD EVENT LAST MAY THAT THAT TOOK DOWN TREES ALL OVER THE PLACE.

SO WE WANTED TO SPREAD THE LOVE AS IT WERE AND MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING, UH, TREES OUT AS MANY PLACES AS POSSIBLE.

NOT TO MENTION ALL THE ONES WE GIVE AWAY THAT PEOPLE ARE PLANTING IN THEIR YARDS AND, AND WHO KNOWS WHERE ALL ACROSS THE CITY.

AND THEN ALSO WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE RENTER ROAD MEDIAN.

UM, AS YOU REMEMBER, UH, A YEAR

[00:20:01]

AGO OR TWO YEARS AGO ALMOST, UM, WORK STARTED ON THAT WATERLINE THAT'S GOING RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE MEDIAN.

UM, WE LOST A FEW TREES ON THE MEDIAN, UH, WEST OF CUSTER BETWEEN CUSTER AND, UH, SYNERGY PARK.

UM, AS YOU KNOW, AND I I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN UPDATED ON, THAT WAS A REAL TRICKY PROPOSITION, UH, THAT WAS STUDIED VERY, VERY INTENSELY BY OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.

AND THEY LOOKED AT MULTIPLE ALIGNMENTS FOR THAT WATERLINE.

UM, AND REALLY THIS WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WORKED TO AVOID THE CONFLICT WITH ALL THE OTHER UTILITIES.

IF YOU RECALL, THERE ARE TONS OF UTILITIES, ELECTRIC WATER, GAS, FIBER, TELECOM, RUNNING DOWN WINTER ROAD.

AND THIS WAS REALLY THE BEST SCENARIO TO GET THAT WATER LINE PUT IN ON SCHEDULE THAT, THAT WE NEEDED TO.

SO THERE ARE FOUR TOTAL OF 40 TREES REMOVED, UM, AS PART OF THAT 8 25 PRESSURE ZONE PROJECT.

BUT WE'RE COMING BACK WITH 122 TREES TOTAL.

THAT INCLUDES 72 TREES THAT'LL BE ON THE MEDIAN ITSELF.

AND THEN 50 HARDWOOD CANOPY TREES THAT ARE GONNA BE PLANTED IN THE AREA AROUND WINTER ROAD.

UM, AND I'VE GOT A MAP THAT, I'LL SHOW YOU THAT IN JUST A SEC, BUT THE MEDIA, AND WE'RE GOING WITH ORNAMENTAL TREES, WHICH HAS KIND OF BECOME OUR POLICY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS BECAUSE IT REALLY WORKS A LOT BETTER FOR A MEDIAN ON A ROADWAY, ESPECIALLY A BUSY ROAD LIKE RENTER.

UM, ME, OUR ORNAMENTAL TREES HAVE A SMALLER ROUTE SYSTEM.

THEY DON'T TAKE UP QUITE AS MUCH SPACE.

THERE'S ALSO LESS CONFLICT WITH TRAFFIC.

YOU DON'T HAVE THE CHANCE BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT A BIG CANOPY SPREADING OVER THE LANES OF, YOU KNOW, BRANCHES OR ACORNS OR PINE CONES OR FRUIT OR SEEDS DROPPING INTO THE LANES OF TRAFFIC.

AND THERE'S ALSO A LOWER IMPACT UTILITIES.

NOW, AS WE KNOW, RENTER ROAD HAS TONS OF UTILITIES RUNNING THROUGH IT.

SO THERE'S STILL BEAUTIFUL TREES STILL DOING A LOT OF GOOD, BUT IT'S REALLY JUST A RIGHT CHOICE.

AND YOU KNOW, THOSE OF US IN THE OUR BORA CULTURE WORLD, OUR MOTTO IS RIGHT TREE, RIGHT PLACE, AND YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THE RIGHT TREE IN THE RIGHT PLACE CHANGE A LITTLE BIT.

AND WE'RE LEARNING THAT FOR MEDIANS.

ORNAMENTAL TREES ARE REALLY KIND OF THE SWEET SPOT FOR WHAT WE WANT.

SO ON RENTER, WE'RE GONNA PLANT 36 POSSUM HAW HOLLY, WHICH IS A GREAT TREE.

IT'S AN INSIDIOUS HOLLY TREE.

IT DROPS THE LEAVES IN THE WINTERTIME, BUT IT'S COVERED IN RED BERRIES.

REALLY, REALLY STRIKING IN THE WINTERTIME 22 DESERT WILLOW, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I CAN BE INVOLVED IN A TREE PLANTING PROCESS WITHOUT GETTING DESERT WILLOW IN THERE 'CAUSE I LOVE THEM SO VERY MUCH.

UH, AND THEN 14 VITEX TREES, UH, WHICH ARE ALSO REALLY, REALLY BEAUTIFUL.

AND THEN THIS IS THE MAP OF WHERE WE'RE PLANTING 50 CANOPY TREES, BUR OAK, CEDAR ELM AND BALD CYPRESS IN THE AREA AROUND RENNER ROAD.

SO YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT AREAS THERE.

35 OF THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN PLANTED.

THAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR.

UH, THE LITTLE BIT THAT'S LEFT IN IN POINT NORTH PARK, UH, RIGHT THERE BY THE, UH, THE BALL FIELD.

AND THEN THE, THE ONES UP THERE KIND OF IN THAT TRIANGLE BETWEEN RENTER AND SYNERGY PARKWAY AND, UH, AND POINT NORTH PARKWAY WE'LL PLANT ONCE THE CONTRACTOR HAS MOVED OUT AND IS DONE WITH THOSE, THOSE PROCESSES.

BUT STILL 15 LEFT TO GO.

AND THEN ON MAIN STREET WANTED TO UPDATES YOU ON THAT.

UM, WE'RE GONNA BE PLANNING THIS WEEK ACTUALLY ON THE MEDIAN AGAIN, UM, AS YOU RECALL, THAT WAS ALL PART OF THE MAIN STREET MASTER PLAN AND SPECIFICALLY THE TREE MASTER PLAN.

UM, AND THE FORM-BASED CODE FOR, FOR THE MAIN STREET.

UM, THE ORIGINAL SELECTION WAS MEXICAN SYCAMORE.

AND I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN THERE, THERE ARE LOTS OF THOSE THAT ARE DOING REALLY WELL DOWN THERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

THE ONES IN THAT MEDIUM WE HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE, MORE TROUBLE WITH, UNFORTUNATELY.

BUT WINTER FREEZES, SOME OF 'EM BEEN HIT BY CARS.

UM, HEAVY WINDS, UM, DROUGHTS OVER A COUPLE SUMMERS HAVE BEEN REALLY, REALLY TOUGH.

AND THAT IS A, THAT'S A REALLY ROUGH ATMOSPHERE FOR A TREE, ESPECIALLY ON A MEDIAN WHEN YOU'VE GOT SO MUCH PAVING AROUND IT VEHICLES GOING, UH, EITHER DIRECTION ALL THE TIME.

UH, SO WE DID A LOT OF RESEARCH, A LOT OF INVESTIGATION TO MAKE SURE WE REALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT ENVIRONMENT AND WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO TO, TO CARE FOR THESE TREES AND NURTURE THEM SO THAT THEY'LL BE SUCCESSFUL, WHICH IS OF COURSE, UM, WHAT WE ALL WANT.

WE ARE GOING BACK WITH MEXICAN SYCAMORES AGAIN BECAUSE THAT REALLY COMPLETES THE LOOK THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, FULFILLS THE ORIGINAL PLAN FOR THAT STRETCH OF ROAD.

UM, BUT WE HAVE REGULAR HORTICULTURAL AND UROLOGICAL CONSULTATION.

UM, WE HAVE A, A HORTICULTURIST THAT'S BASICALLY ON RETAINER FOR THE CITY.

WE CALL 'EM OUT EVERY MONTH AND SAY, HEY, WE USUALLY LOOK AT THIS PLANT OR THIS BIT PLANTING OR THIS LANDSCAPE OR THESE TREES, AND HE'LL GIVE US RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE SEEING.

WE HAD HIM COME OUT A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, TEST THE SOIL AND THOSE MEDIAN TREE WELLS GIVE US A REALLY ROBUST RECOMMENDATION FOR A PROGRAM OF FERTILIZER AND SOIL AMENDMENT WE COULD DO THAT'S GONNA GIVE THOSE TREES THE NUTRIENTS THEY THEY NEED.

AND WE ARE GONNA FOLLOW THAT PLAN.

WE'RE ALSO INSTALLING WIRELESS MOISTURE SENSORS IN EVERY TREE, WELL IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

SO ALL THE SYCAMORES, ALL THE AUTUMN, LAZE, BLAZE, MAPLES, ALL THE BALD CYPRESS WILL HAVE A, IT'S ABOUT A 20 INCH PROBE GOES DOWN IN THE GROUND, HAS A LITTLE MUSHROOM CAP ON THE END OF IT, BUT THOSE WILL COMMUNICATE WITH A BASE STATION THAT'S MOUNTED ON A LIGHT POLE DOWNTOWN.

UM, AND THEN WE CAN LOOK ON THE INTERNET, YOU KNOW, LOG INTO THAT AT ANY TIME AND SEE EXACTLY WHAT THE MOISTURE LEVEL IS FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TREE SO WE CAN REALLY DIAL IN THE IRRIGATION EXACTLY HOW WE NEED IT TO MAKE SURE THOSE TREES HAVE, YOU KNOW, NOT TOO MUCH, NOT TOO LITTLE, JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF WATERING SO THAT, UH,

[00:25:01]

THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED.

UM, THAT'S GONNA START ON THURSDAY DOWN THERE ON MAIN STREET.

AND THEN ALSO, UM, MAIN STREET, PHASE TWO IS GOING ON.

SO THAT'S ON MAIN STREET GOING TO THE EAST OF GREENVILLE.

THERE'RE GONNA BE 15 MORE AUTUMN BLAZE MAPLES PLANTED AS PART OF THAT PROJECT.

AND THEN JUST AS AN UPDATE, UM, ON CITY HALL, UM, BECAUSE WORK HAS ALREADY BEGUN ON SOME OF THE TREES DOWN THERE, I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN THAT, THAT GRAPHIC BEFORE, THOSE LIGHTER GREEN TREES ARE, ARE NEW TREES THAT ARE PROPOSED FOR THE CAMPUS.

UM, WE DID HAVE TO REMOVE SOME TREES IN THE PROCESS OF REMOVING TREES THIS WEEK, UH, FROM THE CAMPUS FOR, FOR VARIOUS REASONS.

THIS GAVE US A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE, UH, ONE OF OUR PRIMARY CONTRACTORS, OUR BIOLOGICAL SERVICES COME THROUGH AND DO MULTIPLE ASSESSMENTS ON THE TREES ON THE CAMPUS.

UM, OBVIOUSLY IN, IN SOME CASES THERE ARE CONFLICT WITH THE CONSTRUCTION.

UM, BUT SOME OF THOSE TREES ARE IN DECLINE.

SOME OF 'EM DON'T HAVE A GREAT FUTURE PROGNOSIS.

UM, AND SOME OF THEM, YOU KNOW, WERE DAMAGED IN THE STORM, UH, LAST MAY AS WELL.

BUT, YOU KNOW, A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY LOOK AT THAT, THAT LITTLE PART OF OUR URBAN FOREST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MAKING THE RIGHT DECISIONS AND DOING THE BEST THINGS FOR THE NEXT 20, 30, 40 YEARS.

UM, SO THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 92 TREES THAT EITHER BEEN REMOVED OR, OR WILL BE REMOVED, BUT WE'RE GOING BACK WITH 234 NEW TREES TOTAL ON THAT CAMPUS.

UM, THAT PROJECT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY HALL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY'S TREE MITIGATION FUND, WHICH IS SET UP IN THE, UH, THE NEW TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE THAT YOU APPROVED LAST MAY.

SO SOME OF THE TREES TAKEN OUT WILL BE MITIGATED BY PLANTING TREES, AND THEN SOME OF 'EM WILL BE PAID INTO THAT FUND TO MAKE UP FOR THE REST OF THOSE CALIPER INCHES.

UM, THAT WILL WILL BE REMOVED.

BUT YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, LIKE ON MAIN STREET, WE ARE TAKING VERY ROBUST STEPS TO ENSURE THE FUTURE HEALTH OF ALL THE TREES ON THE CAMPUS, WHICH IS REGULAR CONSULTING.

UM, WE'LL DO DISEASE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT AS NEEDED.

THERE.

THERE HAS BEEN OAK WILT OBSERVED ON THAT CAMPUS IN THE PAST, BUT, UM, THE, THE TREATMENT FOR THAT HAS GOTTEN MUCH BETTER EVEN IN THE LAST 18 YEARS.

AND A LOT OF THOSE TREES HAVE BEEN ON A REGULAR REGIMEN OF, OF TREATMENT WITH HERBICIDE OR FUNGICIDE RATHER FROM OUR BIOLOGICAL SERVICES.

THEY COME THROUGH, INJECT AROUND THE ROOTS AND REALLY HAS SLOWED THAT DOWN A LOT.

SO WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF HIGH HOPES WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO REALLY SLOW THAT DOWN AND NOT LOSE MORE TREES BECAUSE OF THAT.

BUT STILL A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE HIGHLY QUALIFIED ARBORISTS OUT REGULARLY TO LOOK AT THE TREES, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THEM.

THIS NEEDS TO BE PRUNED HERE, THAT NEEDS TO BE PRUNED THERE AND LOOK FOR SIGNS OF DISEASE OR OTHER PATHOGENS.

UH, WE HAVE A PROGRAM AT DEEP ROOT FERTILIZATION, ESPECIALLY FOR TREES THAT ARE SHOWING A LITTLE BIT OF STRESS.

WE'RE DOING THAT TO THE BIG PECAN TREE OUT FRONT ALONG ARAPAHOE, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THEM COME IN DEEP ROOT FERTILIZE AND ALSO DO A PROCESS CALLED VERTICAL COMPOSTING, UH, WHICH BASICALLY DRILL A BUNCH OF HOLES IN LIME AND A RADIUS OUT FROM THE TRUNK AND THEN FILL THOSE UP WITH COMPOST IN ORGANIC MATTER JUST TO GET THAT DOWN INTO THE ROOT SYSTEM, UH, WHERE, WHERE IT NEEDS IT THE MOST.

AND THEN A, A REGULAR ANNUAL PRINTING SYSTEM OR PROCESS, UM, IS VITAL, ESPECIALLY FOR THE NEW TREES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE PLANTING THERE.

BECAUSE WHEN TREES ARE YOUNG, THAT'S WHEN YOU CAN REALLY GIVE THEM THE STRUCTURE THAT THEY'LL HAVE FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE.

SO YOU MAKE SURE IT HAS REGULAR SPACE BRANCHES THAT THEY, THEY LOOK GOOD, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, STRONG UNIONS.

SO YOU PRUNE THOSE OFF ON THE TREES YOUNG, THAT GETS YOU A LOT OF WAY DOWN THE, DOWN THE ROAD.

SO YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO COME IN WITH A BUCKET TRUCK OR LADDERS AND PRUNE THOSE TREES WHEN THEY'RE OLDER.

GET 'EM WHILE THEY'RE SMALL AND THEY'LL GROW.

RIGHT, SAME WAY I DO WITH MY KIDS .

AND THEN ALSO ONE OF THE UPDATES YOU ON OUR, OUR APPLICATION FOR TREE CITY USA STATUS, WHICH IS A PROGRAM MANAGED BY THE, THE ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION.

I THINK ONE OF OUR, OUR STRATEGIES FOR, FOR THIS YEAR IS TO ACHIEVE THAT CERTIFICATION.

UM, AS YOU MAY RECALL, WE PRESENTED ON THIS BEFORE, THERE ARE FOUR STANDARDS REQUIRED FOR A CITY TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A TREE CITY, USA, UH, THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN A TREE BOARD OR DEPARTMENT OR BY, BY STATUTE HAVE SOMEBODY RESPONSIBLE FOR TREES, WHICH WE DO, UH, HAVE A COMMUNITY TREE ORDINANCE, WHICH WE DO SPEND AT LEAST $2 PER CAPITA ON URBAN FORESTRY.

UH, JUST IN THE PARKS AND REC BUDGET.

WE'RE ABOUT 2 25, 2 30 PER CAPITA ON WHAT WE SPEND ON FORESTRY AND THEN HAVE AN OFFICIAL ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION OR RECOGNITION, WHICH WE HAD THAT PROCLAMATION LAST YEAR.

WE HAD AN ARBOR DAY OBSERVANCE IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR WITH THE, THE TREE PLANTING.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT GETS US WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

UM, AND THE VALUE OF THAT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL IT RECOGNIZING REWARDS COMMUNITIES THAT TAKE THOSE STEPS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE MAINTAINING THE URBAN FOREST AND DOING THE RIGHT THINGS FOLLOWING BEST PRACTICES.

IT ALSO INCREASES PUBLIC AWARENESS OF ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF TREES AND HOW VALUABLE THEY ARE TO A COMMUNITY AND TO THE WORLD.

AND THEN ENSURES THAT THERE'S A VIABLE TREE MANAGEMENT PROCESS IN PLACE.

AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE TREE CITY USAS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT SHOWS PEOPLE TURNING THEIR MIND TOWARD HOW DO WE REALLY TAKE CARE OF THESE FORESTS THAT ARE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

AND I'M HAPPY TO, UH, TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE WERE RECOGNIZED AS A TREE CITY USA AS OF MARCH 10TH OF THIS YEAR.

SO THAT IS A REAL FEATHER IN OUR CAP.

I AM OVER THE MOON.

UM, THIS IS SOMETHING A LOT OF THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES HAVE AND YOU KNOW, WE REALLY BELONG THERE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[00:30:02]

I WILL SAY IT TRULY IS JUST A RECOGNITION OF WHAT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN DOING.

WE HAVE HAD ALL THESE STANDARDS IN PLACE, WE'VE BEEN DOING ALL THESE THINGS.

WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING BEST PRACTICES, SPENDING, YOU KNOW, MONEY ON URBAN FORESTRY, TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF OUR TREES.

BUT IT'S REALLY NICE SOMETIMES TO HAVE THAT OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION SAY, YEAH, GOOD JOB, RICHARDSON.

YOU'RE DOING WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.

SO AS YOU SEE THERE, WE APPLIED FOR THAT IN SEPTEMBER, JUST GOT THE WORD, UM, IN MARCH.

NEXT STEPS IS TO START PREPARING OUR APPLICATION FOR RENEWAL FOR 2025 AND THEN HAVE AN URBAN DAY PROCLAMATION COMING UP IN, UH, IN APRIL TO TO OBSERVE AND HONOR, UH, NATIONAL ARBOR DAY.

AND I THINK, OH, THAT'S ALMOST IT JUST TO, TO PUT A A, A FINAL CAPSTONE ON IT.

1,472 TREES PLANTED IN RICHARDSON THIS YEAR, BETWEEN A THOUSAND THAT WE GIVE AWAY AND THE 472 PLANTED BY THE CITY, EITHER THROUGH REPLANTING OR PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON.

SO THAT IS, THAT IS REALLY SOMETHING TO, TO CROW ABOUT.

THAT'S A LOT OF TREES AND THAT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF GOOD FOR PEOPLE FOR, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

I MEAN, AS WE ALL KNOW, THE BEST TIME TO PLANT A TREE IS 20 YEARS AGO.

SECOND BLESSED TIME IS NOW AND WE ARE IN THE NOW OF IT RIGHT NOW, PLANTING TREES.

AND OUR CHILDREN AND OUR GRANDCHILDREN ARE GONNA THANK US FOR THAT, UH, FOR YEARS TO COME.

AND SO WITH THAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS WITH SEAN, GREAT PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU MR. CORCORAN.

THANK YOU MR. MAYOR.

YEP.

NO, THIS IS A HUGE INVESTMENT IN OUR FUTURE, SO THANK YOU.

IT'S A, IT'S A LOT OF TREES AND A LOT TO MANAGE TOO, SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU PUT INTO THAT.

I HAD TWO, TWO QUICK QUESTIONS FOR YOU.

ONE, I REMEMBER LAST YEAR THERE WAS JUST A TON OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE EMERALD ASH BORE IN DALLAS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF, IS THERE ANY SORT OF, UM, PLANS OR PROTECTIONS YOU'RE PUTTING IN PLACE FOR THE TREES THAT WERE PLANTING HERE? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT? SO WE'RE NOT PLANTING ANY ASH TREES.

AND WE WON'T PLANT ASH TREES AT THIS POINT BECAUSE OF, OF EMAL ASH BORE.

WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF ASH IN OUR, IN OUR URBAN FOREST, ESPECIALLY IN, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CALL MODE AND MAINTAIN AREAS IN PARKS.

YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, THERE ARE A LOT IN SPRING CREEK NICHE AREA.

THERE'S SOME OF BRECKEN RIDGE, YOU KNOW, IN PLACES LIKE THAT WHERE THERE THEY'RE HEAVILY WOODED AREAS AND A FEW SPRINKLED HERE AND THERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR IT.

EMERALD ASH BORE IS IN DALLAS COUNTY NOW WE KNOW THAT, UM, WE HAVE NOT INSTITUTED A PROGRAM YET, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY EVIDENCE HERE, HERE IN RICHARDSON.

BUT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY NOT GONNA PLANT ANY ASH 'CAUSE WE WANNA TAKE THAT CHANCE, BUT WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR IT.

IT'S A GOOD UPDATE.

I LIKE, THANK YOU.

UM, SECOND, SO THE SECOND QUESTION I HAD WAS, UH, HOW DO BOTH, SO THE ORNAMENTAL TREES AND THE MEXICAN SYCAMORE, I MEAN, I KNOW ON MAIN STREET WE'RE WORKING, YOU'RE WORKING A LOT TO PREVENT ANY SORT OF IMPACTS FROM DROUGHT AND I COULD REALLY SEE THE CONTROLS IN PLACE THERE.

I MEAN, WHAT ABOUT FROM THINGS LIKE HEAVY STORMS? I MEAN, ARE ANY OF THOSE TREES STILL VULNERABLE TO THAT OR IS THERE ANY EXTRA CARE THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE? YOU KNOW, THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S HARD TO SAY.

ANY TREE IS GONNA BE VULNERABLE TO, YOU KNOW, TORNADIC WINDS, STRAIGHT LINE WINDS, I MEAN A HEAVY STORM.

UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU SEE IS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE MINOR STORMS COME THROUGH AND TAKE CARE OF SOME OF YOUR PROBLEMS BEFORE THE BIG ONES COME IN.

SO YOU'RE IN A LITTLE BIT BETTER SHAPE, UM, WHEN THAT HAPPENS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT STORM LAST MAY REALLY WAS BEYOND THE PALE.

RIGHT.

UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT MORE DAMAGE THAN, THAN WE ANTICIPATED.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO SAY THIS TREE IS MORE VULNERABLE OR LESS VULNERABLE.

I SEE.

AND THAT TREE, UM, BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ALMOST MICROCLIMATE CONDITIONS AND THIS TREE IS FINE AND THE ONE RIGHT NEXT TO IT, IT IS COMPLETELY TOAST.

SO, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT WE CAN DO IS MAKE SURE WE'RE PLANTING GOOD SPECIES, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE REALLY TRY TO PLANT NATIVE SPECIES, WE TRY TO, LIKE I WAS TALKING EARLIER, STRUCTURALLY PRUNE THEM SO THAT THEY HAVE STRONG BRAINS UNIONS THAT'S GONNA RESIST STUFF LIKE THAT BETTER.

UM, AND THEN JUST MAKE SURE THEY'RE AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE.

'CAUSE A HEALTHY TREE IS GONNA BE LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO WIND DAMAGE OR STORM DAMAGE.

SO I GUESS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE THE MEXICAN SYCAMORES, RIGHT? IT, THEY'RE VERY GOOD AGAINST, UM, LIKE YOU, YOU PLAN FOR THEM, THEY'RE GOOD AGAINST DROUGHT, BUT SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT CAUSE TREE DAMAGE AND MAIN STREET LIKE VEHICLES, HEAVY STORMS, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT TREE WE WOULD PLANT THERE MEAN IT WOULD BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THAT.

I, I DON'T, I DON'T LIKE TO SAY EXTENT.

IT DOESN'T MATTER , BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T CONTROL FOR MM-HMM .

NO, I APPRECIATE THAT.

I'D LIKE TO GET BACK TO HER, AND YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED THIS, SO I APOLOGIZE IF IT'S SOMETHING YOU ALREADY, YOU ALREADY MENTIONED THOSE PEACH TREES, UH, THAT WE'RE DOING AS PART OF THE, UM, TREE GIVEAWAY.

AND A LOT OF THAT DEPENDS ON WHAT TIME OF YEAR IT IS AS WELL.

YOU KNOW, IF IT'S IN THE MM-HMM .

THE SPRING SUMMER WHEN THE TREES ARE LEAFED OUT, THAT'S MORE SURFACE AREA TO, TO CATS WIND.

WHEN IT'S IN THE WINTER THERE'S LESS AND SOMETIMES THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

YEAH, NO, THAT MAKES SENSE.

UH, SEAN, I WANNA APOLOGIZE FOR WALKING IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR PRESENTATION.

I HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A FAMILY MEDICAL EMERGENCY, SO I'VE BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL IN THE ER WITH MY MOTHER THE PAST FEW HOURS, BUT I'M SORRY, EVERYTHING'S OKAY.

I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW I DIDN'T, WASN'T TRYING TO, TRYING TO AVOID YOUR PRESENTATION OR ANY OF THE PRESENTATIONS PRIOR TO YOU.

UM, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.

MY NEIGHBOR ASKED IT TO ME YESTERDAY AS I WAS UNLOADING SOME STUFF FROM MY CAR AND, UH,

[00:35:01]

ARE THEY, UM, DWARF OR ARE THEY ACTUAL PEACH, YOU KNOW, FRUIT BEARING PEACH TREES? THEY'RE, THEY'RE FRUIT BEARING PEACH TREES.

UM, LAST FALL WE, WE ENDED UP GETTING A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT CULTIVARS.

UM, AND I AM, I'M NO PEACH FARMER.

UH, SO I, I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH TO, TO MAKE SURE I WAS READY FOR, FOR THAT.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF I AM YET, UM, THIS YEAR FOR, FOR SPRING WE'RE GETTING A VARIETY CALLED EARLY ALBERTA, WHICH, UM, YOU KNOW, PEACH TREES AND A LOT OF STONE FRUITS HAVE TO HAVE SO MANY, LIKE, THEY'RE CALLED CHILLING HOURS IN THE WINTERTIME.

THEY HAVE TO HAVE SO MUCH, YOU KNOW, LENGTH OF TIME AND A TEMPERATURE BELOW, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME THRESHOLD TO BE ABLE TO SET FRUIT THE NEXT YEAR.

EARLY ALBERTA IS ONE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAVE FEWER CHILLING HOURS, WHICH I THINK IS PROBABLY A GOOD THING FOR, YOU KNOW, THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY.

ESPECIALLY AS WEIRD AS THE WINTERS HAVE BEEN, THEY'VE STAYED WARM SO LONG IT SEEMS LIKE.

UM, BUT IT'S SUPPOSED TO FRUIT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IN THE SEASON.

ALRIGHT, ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, WE'LL REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE NETWORK OF COMMUNITY MINISTRIES.

I WILL LET HER KNOW.

I'M SURE SHE'LL BE GLAD TO HEAR.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

[8. REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE NETWORK OF COMMUNITY MINISTRIES]

MR. MAGNER.

UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.

MAYOR COUNCIL, WE ARE EXCITED TODAY TO, UH, HAVE ABBY KAUFMAN, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NETWORK OF COMMUNITY MINISTRIES AND A VERY FAMILIAR FACE TO COUNCIL MEETINGS.

UH, MARTA, UH, GOMEZ FRY, WHO IS THE, UH, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD FOR THE NETWORK, UH, AT THIS TIME.

AND SO, UM, ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THE NETWORK'S UPDATES, OBVIOUSLY, UM, ONE OF OUR MOST, UM, INSTRUMENTAL PARTNERS IN PROVIDING A VARIETY OF SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY.

AND UNFORTUNATELY NOW, UM, I THINK TWICE OR THRICE WITHIN THE LAST TWO YEARS, UM, OUR MOST IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIP, UH, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RESPONSE HAS BEEN REALLY PUT TO THE TEST AND, UH, COULD NOT BE MORE THANKFUL FOR AND PROUD OF, UM, THE WAY THAT, UH, THE NETWORK AND THE CITY PARTNER TOGETHER ON THOSE, UM, RESPONSES.

AND SO IT WAS A REAL, UM, TREAT TO ASK, UH, ABBY AND MARTA TO COME AND PROVIDE THIS ANNUAL UPDATE FOR YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE, UH, FOR THEM AS, UH, AS WE HAVE THIS IMPORTANT DIALOGUE.

SO ABBY, THANKS AGAIN FOR BEING HERE AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.

OKAY, ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU MR. MAGNER.

UM, AS BOTH A RESIDENT OF RICHARDSON AND CEO OF NETWORK, IT'S ALWAYS A GREAT HONOR TO STAND IN FRONT OF YOU AND SHARE THE GREAT WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TOGETHER IN OUR COMMUNITY.

UM, AS ALWAYS, I START EVERY PRESENTATION WITH OUR MISSION BECAUSE THAT IS OUR NORTH STAR AT NETWORK AND IS WHAT CONTINUES TO GUIDE THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.

UM, AND I'VE WORKED IN SOCIAL SERVICES FOR WELL OVER A DECADE NOW AND IT STILL IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPACTFUL MISSIONS I'VE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF BEING A PART OF BECAUSE IT, IT IS SO PROFOUND AND IT'S SIMPLICITY, YOU KNOW, CARING, COACHING AND EMPOWERING.

WHEN PEOPLE COME TO NETWORK FOR THE FIRST TIME, THAT IS NOT, UM, A GOOD DAY.

UM, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO BE THERE BECAUSE THEY CAN NO LONGER AFFORD THEIR GROCERIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN EVICTION NOTICE, UM, BECAUSE THEY ARE UNABLE TO CARE FOR THEMSELVES IN THEIR HOME.

AND SO, UM, THAT IS THE FIRST WORD THAT WE STRIVE TO MODEL OUR SERVICES AROUND IS CARING AND A DIGNIFIED EXPERIENCE, UM, COACHING, ENSURING THAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE RECEIVING THE RESOURCES EMBEDDED IN OUR ORGANIZATION AND THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS TO IDEALLY, UM, BE A PROBLEM SO THEY CAN PROBLEM SOLVE AND THEN IDEALLY EMPOWER THEMSELVES SO THEY, UM, AREN'T NECESSARILY NEEDING TO RECEIVE OUR SERVICES FOR THE LONG TERM.

UM, AND THEN I ALSO LOVE THE SECOND PART OF OUR MISSION FOCUSED ON QUALITY OF LIFE BECAUSE QUALITY OF LIFE TO A 5-YEAR-OLD, LIKE MY DAUGHTER IS HAVING CLEAN CLOTHES AND A FULL BELLY TO BE ABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL AND PARTICIPATE IN THE CLASSROOM FULLY.

UM, FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME THAT IS A SOUND BODY AND SOUND MIND, IT'S PARTICIPATING FULLY IN THE WORKFORCE AND BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY AND FOR A SENIOR AND OUR COMMUNITY, IT'S AGING IN PLACE AND LIVING ON THEIR FIXED INCOME COMFORTABLY, UM, FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

SO I THINK A GREAT EXEMPLIFICATION OF OUR MISSION IS TO ALWAYS HEAR FROM OUR NEIGHBORS RATHER THAN, UM, HEARING IT FROM ME.

SO I WANNA START WITH, UM, A STORY, UM, FROM ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS BY THE NAME OF JESSICA.

AND AS ALWAYS, UM, GREG WAS WONDERFUL IN GETTING EVERYTHING TEED UP AND READY TO GO.

SO HERE'S JESSICA'S STORY.

MY NAME IS JESSICA RANKIN.

I HAVE THREE KIDS, MY OLDEST, WHO IS 16, MY MIDDLE CHILD, SHE'S SEVEN AND OUR YOUNGEST ONE IS FIVE.

THE FIRST TIME I CAME TO NETWORK WAS BECAUSE OF TOY LAND.

WITHOUT KNOWING THE OTHER BENEFITS THAT WERE HERE ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO, WE WERE GOING THROUGH A ROUGH TIME AND OBVIOUSLY TOYS ARE NOT A PRIORITY, BUT I DIDN'T WANNA LEAVE MY OLDEST 'CAUSE HE WAS OBVIOUSLY IN THE AGE THAT HE THOUGHT THERE WAS STILL A SANTA.

I SAID, WHY NOT GO LOOK AND IT LIKE, IT DOESN'T HURT YOU COME IN, THEY TELL YOU THIS IS HOW MUCH YOU GET PER

[00:40:01]

CHILD AND YOU DECIDE WHAT TOYS YOU WANT FOR THEM.

YOU GET REALLY GOOD TOYS FOR THEM.

THEY HAVE LEARNING TOYS, THEY HAVE BOOKS, THEY HAVE COLORING BOOKS, THEY HAVE PUZZLES.

WE WERE JUST COMING IN FOR LIKE A TOY.

WE ACTUALLY GOT GIFTS FOR ALL THREE.

WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT MORE THAN THAT AT NETWORK NOWADAYS.

NOW WE GET CLOTHES, WE GET FOOD.

IT'S THE HELP THAT WHEN WE DO NEED THE EXTRA LITTLE PUSH, THE NETWORK IS THAT EXTRA LITTLE PUSH.

AND THEN WE HAVE THE WONDERFUL HOLLY THAT I SEE ON A WEEKLY BASIS ING HER PICTURE OUT THERE AND SAID THERAPIST.

AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, YOU ARE NOT CRAZY.

BUT THEN IT DESCRIBED WHAT HER JOB WAS AND I SAID, OH, THIS IS WHAT I NEED.

I WAS IN A VERY DARK PLACE AND I SAID, I NEED SOMEBODY TO WALK THIS JOURNEY WITH ME AND WHY NOT JUST GIVE IT A TRY? THAT IS LIKE A FULL ON RELATIONSHIP NOW SHE'S LIKE MY PARTNER IN CRIME.

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD GET THE HELP AND HAVE THAT ONE PERSON WALK ALONG WITH ME AND HELPING ME EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, BEING A BETTER PERSON, BEING A BETTER MOM, AND JUST FIND THE JOY IN LIFE.

I WAS TALKING TO HOLLY AND SHE WAS TELLING ME, SO WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD WOULD LIKE TO DO? AND I SAID, I WANT TO GO BACK TO WORK.

I WORKED AS A MEDICAL ASSISTANT, I SPECIALIZE IN UROLOGY.

I WORKED TILL THE LAST DAY UNTIL I HAD TO DELIVER MY DAUGHTER.

IT'S A SACRIFICE TO STOP SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVE TO DO FOR YOUR KIDS, BUT TO ME THAT WAS PRIORITY AT THE TIME.

BUT NOW I DON'T HAVE A LICENSE.

SO THEN I GOT INTRODUCED TO ASHLEY.

ASHLEY SAT DOWN WITH ME AND WE LOOKED AT THE CERTIFICATIONS, WHICH ONE WE NEEDED, WHICH ONE WAS THE RIGHT ONE.

I NEEDED A BOOK TO STUDY MY CERTIFICATION AS A MEDICAL ASSISTANT.

IT WASN'T IN OUR BUDGET TO ADD HOWEVER MUCH IT COSTED FOR THE BOOK AND FOR THE RESOURCES THAT WE WOULD GET WITH THE BOOK.

AND SHE ORDERED THE BOOK RIGHT THERE AND THEN SHE'S LIKE, THERE, IT'S DONE.

UH, GET A CALL FROM ME AND YOU CAN COME PICK IT UP AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.

THANKS TO ASHLEY AND HOLLY, WE'RE GETTING TO SEE ABOUT ME.

RETURNING TO SCHOOL NETWORK HAS EVERYTHING THAT COULD STABILIZE YOU BACK TO YOUR NORMAL LIFE WITHOUT THE STRUGGLES, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE.

THERE'S NOW A WHOLE TEAM THAT CAN HELP YOU WALK ALONG WITH YOU TO THE BEST PERSON THAT YOU WANNA BE.

OH, SO I LOVE TO SHARE JESSICA'S STORY BECAUSE IT'S SO POWERFUL THAT SHE CAME TO NETWORK FOR ONE THING AND INSTEAD SHE FOUND SO MANY DIFFERENT RESOURCES AND A VARIETY OF OUR SERVICES.

AND IT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE INCREDIBLE NEW PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN SUPPORTED, UM, BY THE CITY OF RICHARDSON.

SO, UM, LAST FISCAL YEAR WE SERVED 29,673 INDIVIDUALS LIKE JESSICA.

UM, THIS REPRESENTS A LITTLE OVER 5,100 HOUSEHOLDS.

AND UM, THIS IS, UH, SLIGHTLY DOWN FROM WHERE WE WERE IN FISCAL YEAR 23.

UM, I SHOULD CLARIFY, OUR FISCAL YEAR RUNS FROM JUNE OR JULY 1ST THROUGH JUNE 30TH.

UM, SO WE ARE, UM, IN Q3 OF OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.

UM, SO THIS WAS A SIX POINT A HALF PERCENT DECREASE IN HOUSEHOLDS SERVED.

BUT WHAT WE SAW CONVERSELY WAS THAT WE HAD A 14.5% INCREASE IN SERVICES PROVIDED.

SO EVERY TIME A NEIGHBOR RECEIVES A SERVICE FROM NETWORK, WHETHER THAT'S TOY LAND DISTRIBUTION, A FOOD DISTRIBUTION, A COUNSELING SESSION, A CASE MANAGEMENT SESSION, HOME DELIVER GROCERIES, WE DOCUMENT THAT AS A SERVICE AND WE PROVIDED MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A MILLION SERVICES IN LAST FISCAL YEAR.

OUR NEIGHBORS ARE INCREDIBLY DIVERSE.

UM, AS A WHOLE, MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORS, UM, DO HAVE SOME FORM OF INCOME.

THEIR AVERAGE INCOME LAST FISCAL YEAR WAS $1,865.

BUT AS Y'ALL ARE VERY WELL AWARE, HOUSING COSTS CONTINUE TO INCREASE EVERYWHERE.

UM, AND SO LAST YEAR THEY SPENT ABOUT $1,550 OF THEIR INCOME ON THEIR HOUSING EXPENSES, WHETHER THAT'S THEIR RENT, UTILITIES OR OTHER ITEMS THAT HELP THEM REMAIN HOUSED.

AND THAT ONLY LEAVES $350, $15 AT THE END

[00:45:01]

OF THE MONTH.

AND THAT'S SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH TO GROCERY SHOP TO, UH, PROVIDE BACK TO SCHOOL ITEMS FOR YOUR CHILDREN.

UM, FOR UNEXPECTED MEDICAL EXPENSES, FOR COUNSELING SESSIONS, UM, FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT NETWORK'S ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY SEEN AN INCREASE IN INCOME IN OUR NEIGHBORS OVER RECENT FISCAL YEARS.

UM, LAST, UH, FISCAL YEAR 23, OUR NEIGHBORS, UM, INCOME WAS $1,338.

SO WE KNOW JOBS ARE CATCHING UP AND PAYING A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH THIS INFLATIONARY TRENDS.

UM, AND THIS YEAR SO FAR WE HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN A LITTLE DIP IN INCOME.

UM, OUR AVERAGE, UM, NEIGHBOR INCOME RIGHT NOW IS $1,611.

BUT CONVERSELY, WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN HOUSING COSTS.

UM, AND OUR AVERAGE HOUSING COST FOR NEIGHBORS THIS YEAR HAS BEEN $1,780.

SO THEY ARE, UM, ACTUALLY IN A DEFICIT BY THE TIME THE MONTH ENDS.

UM, MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORS, UM, ARE EITHER, UM, EMPLOYED IN SOME WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM OR RETIRED.

UM, BOTH THOUGH ABOUT 45% OF OUR NEIGHBORS ARE EXPERIENCING UNEMPLOYMENT, WHICH IS USUALLY TEMPORARY.

IT'S WHY WE HAVE SUCH A HEAVY EMPHASIS ON EMPLOYMENT SERVICES WITHIN OUR STABILIZATION PROGRAM.

UM, AND INTERESTINGLY, UM, OUR AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SIZE IS ABOUT 3.3 INDIVIDUALS PER HOUSEHOLD.

BUT, UM, 27% OF OUR NEIGHBORS ARE A HOUSEHOLD OF ONE.

WE SERVE A LOT OF SENIORS WHO ARE LIVING INDEPENDENTLY AND 30% OF OUR HOUSEHOLDS HAVE FIVE OR MORE PEOPLE LIVING IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD.

AND SO, UM, THEY ARE USUALLY MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOUSEHOLDS OR REFUGEE HOUSEHOLDS THAT JUST HAVE VERY LARGE FAMILIES.

OUR NEIGHBORS ARE AS DIVERSE AS THE CITY OF RICHARDSON.

WITHIN OUR, UM, NEIGHBOR BASE, WE HAVE 36 UNIQUE LANGUAGES THAT ARE SPOKEN AS THE PRIMARY LANGUAGE IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD.

AND OUR NEIGHBORS REPRESENT 94 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN.

UM, SO THEY ARE LITERALLY FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE.

WE'VE ADDED WITHIN THIS PAST YEAR A DEDICATED LANGUAGE LINE WITH A LANGUAGE LINE RESOURCE THAT IS ALLOWING US TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO OUR NEIGHBORS, UM, MORE IN THEIR NATIVE TONGUE.

UM, WHICH DEFINITELY HELPS WITH SOME COMMUNICATION ISSUES THAT WE MIGHT BE ENCOUNTERING.

AND IT'S A PRETTY EVEN SPLIT BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE IN TERMS OF WHO WE'RE SERVING.

UM, SOMETIMES SINGLE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLDS PARTICULARLY HEADED BY, UM, SINGLE MOTHERS HAVE LOWER INCOME.

WE'VE SEEN THAT IN THE DEMOGRAPHICS, BUT THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE, UM, FOR OUR NEIGHBORS.

SO WE SUPPORT OUR NEIGHBORS THROUGH FOUR PILLARS OF OUR MISSION.

UH, THE FIRST IS BASIC NEEDS.

LAST FISCAL YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE, UH, OVER 3.6 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD.

UM, ACCESSING A FOOD PANTRY CONTINUES TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY FOR FAMILY TO STRETCH THEIR BUDGET IN ANY GIVEN MONTH.

I CHALLENGE YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE LAST TIME YOU WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE AND HOW MUCH THAT YOU SPENT AND IF WE CAN ELIMINATE THAT EXPENSE OR SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THAT EXPENSE FOR A NEIGHBOR THAT'S MONEY THAT'S GOING BACK INTO THEIR POCKET TO PAY FOR THEIR HOUSING EXPENSES, MEDICAL NEEDS, OR POTENTIALLY THE UM, NEEDS FOR THEIR CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN.

UM, THIS IS ALMOST A 50% INCREASE FROM OUR PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR IN TERMS OF FOOD DISTRIBUTION.

SO THIS IS AN AREA THAT WE'VE LEANED INTO HEAVILY KNOWING IT'S A RESOURCE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE OUR NEIGHBORS THAT WILL MAKE AN INCREDIBLE DIFFERENCE IN THEIR BUDGET EVERY SINGLE MONTH.

WE ALSO WANT TO ELIMINATE FOOD INSECURITY IN THE CLASSROOM.

AND SO WE DO, UM, BOTH A-R-A-S-D EDUCATOR PANTRY AS WELL AS A PROGRAM CALLED BIG MEALS FOR LITTLE KIDS WHERE WE DO SNACK PACK DISTRIBUTION.

AND THOSE SNACK PACKS TYPICALLY CONSIST OF, UM, A SHELF STABLE MEAL ITEM LIKE A LV VITA MAC AND CHEESE THAT YOU CAN STICK IN THE MICROWAVE OR A CHEF BOY OR D BREAKFAST BARS, UM, BEEF JERKY, TRAIL MIX, THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES THAT ARE FILLING, UM, NUTRITIOUS AND KID FRIENDLY.

UM, AND LAST YEAR WE DISTRIBUTED ALMOST 18,000 SNACKS THROUGH THAT PROGRAM.

AND OUR MOBILE MARKET ALSO HAD A RECORD INCREASE IN LAST FISCAL YEAR.

OUR MOBILE MARKET IS A, UH, VERSION OF OUR COMMUNITY MARKET.

SO IT'S CLIENT CHOICE, WE BRING IT TO SIX TITLE ONE RISD SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS DFW REFUGEE OUTREACH CENTER AND TO MANY DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND ARE LOOKING ACTUALLY THIS FISCAL YEAR TO EXPAND IT INTO APARTMENT COMPLEXES.

UM, SO WE'RE REALLY MEETING NEIGHBORS WHERE THEY ARE.

AND LAST YEAR WE DISTRIBUTED ALMOST 200,000 MEALS FROM THAT PROGRAM, WHICH WAS A 35% INCREASE FROM OUR PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR AS WE ADDED ADDITIONAL SITES, UM, WITHIN OUR ADDITIONAL AREA OF INCOME SUPPORTS.

UM, OUR CLOTHING CLOSET IS, UM, OUR SECOND HIGHEST VOLUME PROGRAM BEHIND OUR COMMUNITY MARKET.

AND WE HAD 10,506 INDIVIDUALS THAT SHOPPED FOR CLOTHING ITEMS LAST FISCAL YEAR IN THAT CLOSET.

ON AVERAGE, WE DISTRIBUTE ABOUT 1200 CLOTHING ITEMS A DAY.

UM, SO WE ALL ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT COMMUNITY DONATION BASED AND HAVE A GREAT 24 HOUR DONATION BIN OUTSIDE OF OUR CLOTHING DONATION AREA.

SO IF IT'S OUTSIDE OF BUSINESS HOURS, YOU CAN DROP THERE AND I PROMISE

[00:50:01]

IT WILL GO TO GOOD USE.

UM, LAST YEAR WE DISTRIBUTED ABOUT $181,000 IN HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND THAT HELPED ENSURE ALMOST 1000 PEOPLE REMAINED IN THEIR OWN HOMES, WHETHER THAT WAS UTILITY ASSISTANCE, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, OR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE.

UM, ALL FAMILIES WHO ARE RECEIVING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM NETWORK MUST UNDERGO A BUDGET BEFORE WE DISTRIBUTE THAT ASSISTANCE.

THAT'S PART OF OUR COACHING AND EMPOWERMENT THAT WE FOCUS ON AS OUR MISSION.

UM, BECAUSE IF A FAMILY HAS GREATER NEEDS THAN THAT ONE MONTH OF ASSISTANCE CAN SUPPORT, WE WANT TO MAKE A REFERRAL TO A MORE APPROPRIATE RESOURCE THAT CAN PROVIDE MORE COMPREHENSIVE ASSISTANCE THAN WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE.

SO, UM, THIS ASSISTANCE FOR US IS TYPICALLY OFFERED ONCE IN A 12 MONTH PERIOD FOR THAT NEIGHBOR.

AND SO AGAIN, IF A NEIGHBOR IS GOING TO FIND THEMSELVES IN THIS SITUATION THE NEXT MONTH, WE WOULD RATHER MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING, UM, WHAT SERVICES THEY CAN FROM US AND APPROPRIATE SERVICES FROM SOME OF OUR PARTNERS.

UM, RENTAL ASSISTANCE CONTINUES TO BE OUR GREATEST DEMAND AS WE'VE CONTINUED TO SEE HOUSING COST RISE AND COORS ACT AND ARPA FUNDING THAT WAS PREVALENT DURING THE PANDEMIC THAT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN THIS MARKET.

THE COACHING AND EMPOWERMENT COMPONENT OF OUR SERVICES ARE REALLY HONED IN ON IN OUR STABILIZATION AND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM.

UM, WITHIN OUR STABILIZATION PROGRAM LAST YEAR WE SERVED 1,964 UNIQUE NEIGHBORS.

UM, THIS INCLUDES DISTRIBUTING ALMOST UH, $11,000 IN CONTINUING EDUCATION ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE PAT DOHERTY MEMORIAL FUND FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION.

THIS FUND, UM, REALLY FOCUSES ON PEOPLE LIKE JESSICA, WHO ENDED UP BEING HELPED BY THAT FUND AND WAS ABLE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND IS NOW BACK IN THE WORKFORCE AS SHE STATED THAT SHE DESIRED.

UM, AND WE TRY AND BRING RESOURCES INTO NETWORK AS WELL.

SO LAST YEAR WE HELD TWO HEALTH FAIRS AS WELL AS TWO CAREER FAIRS, UM, JOB FAIRS OF WHICH WE ARE PROUD TO SAY THAT THE CITY OF RICHARDSON CONTINUES TO SUPPORT, UM, OUR JOB FAIRS BY BRINGING HIRING DEPARTMENTS FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT AREAS.

WE OFFER A COMPUTER BAR IN OUR FACILITY OPEN TO ANYBODY, UM, DURING OUR BUSINESS HOURS TO ASSIST IN THEIR JOB SEARCH.

SO IF THEY'RE THERE FOR A FOOD APPOINTMENT AND THEY WANT TO SUBMIT SOME RESUMES ON INDEED, THEY CAN DO THAT ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

UM, AND THIS PROGRAM IS WHERE WE DO A LOT OF REFERRALS, LIKE I MENTIONED ON THAT HOUSING ASSISTANCE.

SO NETWORK COUNTS 76 DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PARTNERS AS OUR WARM REFERRAL PARTNERS.

AND THIS FISCAL YEAR TO DATE, WE'VE MADE OVER 2,100 REFERRALS.

ONE THING I'M ALSO, UM, PROUD OF OF THIS PROGRAM IS THE STABILIZATION PROGRAM.

WE HAVE A STABILIZATION COACH AND A CLINICAL CASE MANAGER, AND WE'RE REALLY NOT GONNA GET TO THAT EMPOWERMENT COMPONENT OF OUR MISSION.

UM, IF YOU COME IN ONCE AND THEN YOU CHOOSE NOT TO RETURN.

SO, UM, 76% OF OUR NEIGHBORS WHO UNDERGO A STABILIZATION ASSESSMENT ENGAGE WITH A COACH FOR LONG TERM, WHICH WE COUNT AS THREE OR MORE SESSIONS.

SO THAT'S A GREAT METRIC THAT SHOWS THAT ONCE THEY ARE INTRODUCED AND IN THIS PROGRAM, THAT THEY CONTINUE TO ENGAGE TOWARDS THAT.

UM, COACHING AND EMPOWERMENT PORTION.

MENTAL HEALTH WAS INTRODUCED LAST YEAR AS WELL.

UM, OUR FIRST THERAPIST WAS ADDED AND STARTED SEEING NEIGHBORS IN OCTOBER, 2023.

UM, WE ADDED A SECOND THERAPIST BECAUSE OF THE DEMAND IN FEBRUARY, 2024.

UM, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE BOTH OF THOSE THERAPISTS UNDERGO EMDR TRAINING, WHICH IS A VERY EFFECTIVE MODALITY FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING TRAUMA.

AND MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS WHO WERE PRESENTING WERE PRESENTING WITH TRAUMA.

WE HAVE A CONTRACT PSYCHIATRIST WHO JOINED US ON CONTRACT IN MARCH, 2024.

AND, UM, OUR CLINICAL CASE MANAGER STARTED SEEING NEIGHBORS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023.

UM, SO THROUGH THAT PROGRAM IN LAST FISCAL YEAR, WE SAW 355 NEIGHBORS, AND WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND THIS.

UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH, JUST THIS LAST WEEK, WE OFFERED OUR FIRST MOTHERS AND BABY SUPPORT, UH, GROUP IN PARTNERSHIP WITH RICHARDSON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA AS OUR NEIGHBOR INTAKE MANAGER, WILL BECOME THE ONLY SECOND BILINGUAL, UH, FACILITATOR FOR THIS PROGRAM IN THE DFW AREA.

SO CONTINUING TO IDENTIFY WHAT NEEDS ARE AND HOW WE CAN FILL THAT VOID.

SENIORS NET IS, UH, AN INCREDIBLY ROBUST PROGRAM AT NETWORK.

UM, WE KNOW QUALITY OF LIFE, LIKE I SHARED FOR SENIORS, LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT.

SO WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, PROGRAMS TAILORED SPECIFICALLY FOR THEM.

AND THIS CITY ALONE, I'M SURE Y'ALL KNOW, THAT ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 16% OF OUR POPULATION, WHICH IS FAR MORE THAN SOME OF OUR OTHER SUBURBAN PEERS HERE IN DFW.

AND WE'VE SEEN THAT REFLECTED IN HOW WE SERVE OUR SENIORS.

SO THIS PAST YEAR, UM, 991 SENIORS ATTENDED OUR SENIORS DAY.

I CALL IT THE ROWDIEST PARTY IN RICHARDSON.

UM, EVERY THURSDAY OUR COMMUNITY ROOM TRANSFORMS. UM, AND WHEN THIS PROGRAM STARTED AT THE BEGINNING OF LAST FISCAL YEAR, WE WERE SEEING 35 TO 40

[00:55:01]

SENIORS AND WE'RE NOW AVERAGING OVER 80 EVERY SINGLE WEEK.

UM, AND THESE AREN'T JUST NEIGHBORS OF NETWORK, WHAT WE WOULD QUALIFY AS A TYPICAL NEIGHBOR, UM, OF THAT 991 COMING TO SENIORS DAY, 600 OF THOSE WERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO, UM, WERE JUST THERE TO BE ALONGSIDE, UM, AND TAKE PLACE IN THAT FELLOWSHIP.

UM, AND MAYBE NOT ACCESSING OUR FOOD PANTRY OR NEEDING HOME DELIVERED GROCERIES.

OUR ALL VOLUNTEER HANDYMAN PROGRAM, OF WHICH I HANDED Y ALL A WONDERFUL HOPEFULLY VOLUNTEER HANDYMAN CALENDAR.

UM, COMPLET A 287 JOBS LAST YEAR IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE CITY TO ENSURE THAT, UM, NEIGHBORS BEFORE THEY RECEIVE CODE VIOLATIONS FOR THINGS LIKE TALL GRASS, TREE TRIMMING, SIDING, ROOFING, UM, THEY GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND THEY TAKE CARE OF THOSE FOR NO CHARGE.

AND THAT IS NOT AN INCOME RESTRICTED PROGRAM.

AND THEN, UM, WE DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY HOME BOUND SENIORS WHO HAVE TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY ISSUES.

SO THIS PROGRAM ALSO, UH, LAST YEAR DELIVERED 2,129 DELIVERIES OF GROCERIES INTO THOSE HOMES.

AND THAT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR, UM, ADDITIONAL PORTIONS OF OUR SENIORS NET PROGRAMMING, LIKE OUR COMPANION CALLS WHERE WE JUST CALL AND CHECK IN ON PEOPLE OR LOADS OF LOVE WHERE WE HAVE A SPECIFIC AREA OF HYGIENE ITEMS AND BASIC HOME GOODS THAT ARE TARGETED FOR OUR SENIORS.

LASTLY, OUR LAST PILLAR IS FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY BUILDING AND FAMILY PROGRAMS. WHEN NEIGHBORS COME THROUGH THE INTAKE PROCESS AT NETWORK, WHAT WE SEE IS THAT MANY OF THEM ARE NOT CONNECTED INTO THE COMMUNITY FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.

AND SO WE STRIVE TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE, UM, A COMMUNITY BUILT AT NETWORK.

UM, THIS REALLY IS FOCUSED INTO OUR FAMILY PROGRAMMING WHERE, UM, THIS PAST YEAR AS PART OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH AND STABILIZATION PROGRAM, WE'VE ADDED A PARENT CAFE, UM, THAT'S HELD MONTHLY.

IT'S CONDUCTED IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH.

UM, AND IT'S A FOLLOWS THE MODEL FROM THE BE STRONG FAMILIES FOUNDATION.

SO THIS IS A NATIONAL PROGRAM.

UH, WE TYPICALLY HAVE ABOUT 14 IN ATTENDANCE, UH, FAMILIES IN ATTENDANCE, TYPICALLY A SINGLE MOTHER.

UM, AND THEY TYPICALLY HAVE TWO TO THREE CHILDREN.

SO THIS ALLOWS KIDS TO GO BE KIDS AND MOMS TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON PROTECTIVE FACTORS AND BUILD COMMUNITY WITHIN THEIR FAMILY.

UM, OUR TOY LAND PROGRAM CONTINUES TO, UM, AS YOU HEARD, JESSICA STATE BE A HIGH DEMAND PROGRAM FOR US.

SO, UH, LAST FISCAL YEAR WE DISTRIBUTED, UH, 1,459 CHILDREN RECEIVED TOYS, THEY TYPICALLY RECEIVE MORE THAN ONE TOY.

UM, AND THIS YEAR WE, UM, DISTRIBUTED ONE THOU, UH, TOYS TO 1,554 CHILDREN.

SO THAT CONTINUES TO GROW, AND WE TRY AND HOLD FIVE FAMILY EVENTS ANNUALLY.

UM, LAST THIS FISCAL YEAR SO FAR, WE HAVE HELD, UM, A GREAT BACK TO SCHOOL PHYSICALS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH METHODIST MEDICAL GROUP AND METHODIST RICHARDSON MEDICAL CENTER, WHERE OVER 60 KIDS, UM, RECEIVED THEIR BACK TO SCHOOL PHYSICALS, A BASH, WHICH INCLUDED A TRUNK OR TREAT, AND LOTS OF FUN GAMES WITH 177 CHILDREN IN ATTENDANCE.

A SUPPER WITH SANTA, WITH MORE THAN 200 CHILDREN IN ATTENDANCE.

AND WE HAD OUR SPRING FLING DANCE DURING SPRING BREAK, AND OUR SUMMER KICKOFF IS AROUND THE CORNER ON JUNE 12TH.

ALL OF THIS TAKES TIME AND MONEY.

SO, UM, HERE IS A HIGH LEVEL ACCOUNTING.

UM, OUR MOST RECENT AUDIT, UM, HAD ABSOLUTELY NO FINDINGS, AND BOTH THAT AND OUR NINE 90 ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.

IF I HAD GIVEN THIS PRESENTATION TO THE COUNCIL FIVE YEARS AGO, THESE NUMBERS WOULD LOOK QUITE DIFFERENT.

AS NETWORK HAS CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE, UM, A PERIOD OF UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH IN BOTH DEMAND OF SERVICES, AS WELL AS HOW OUR COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO SUPPORT US, WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLY BALANCED FUNDING MODEL WHERE WE AREN'T OVERLY RELIANT ON ONE SOURCE.

UM, SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO, UM, GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH, AND WE REALLY FOCUS ON ENSURING THAT EVERY DOLLAR THAT'S INVESTED IN OUR MISSION GOES EXACTLY RIGHT BACK INTO OUR MISSION.

SO 92 CENTS ON EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR IS REDIRECTED BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY.

UM, I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO HIGHLIGHT OUR INCREDIBLE VOLUNTEERS WHO MAKE OUR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY SO POSSIBLE.

LAST YEAR, WE HAD OVER 850 UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS, UM, CONTRIBUTE 3000 OR 32,527 HOURS.

THIS ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 80 VOLUNTEER SHIFTS A DAY ACROSS OUR PROGRAMS, AND ENSURES WE CAN KEEP OUR STAFFING, UM, PRETTY LEAN AND MAKE THE PROGRAM IMPACT EVEN GREATER.

THIS IS, UM, WE CONTINUE, LIKE I JUST SAID, TO SEE AN UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND FOR OUR SERVICES.

SO OVER THE PAST THREE FISCAL YEARS, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, SOME CHANGES.

OOPS, I WENT ONE SLIDE TOO FAR.

UM, THAT POUNDS OF FOOD DISTRIBUTION I SHARED WAS ALMOST A 50% INCREASE FROM FISCAL YEAR 23, UM, WHICH WAS ALMOST A MILLION POUND INCREASE FROM FISCAL YEAR 22.

WE'VE REALLY, AGAIN, LEANED INTO THIS AREA.

UM, SO FAR AT THE END OF FEBRUARY, 2025, WE'VE DISTRIBUTED 3.3 MILLION

[01:00:01]

POUNDS OF FOOD, UM, COMPARED TO THIS TIME OF 2.38 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD LAST FISCAL YEAR.

SO WE ARE ON TRACK TO FULLY SURPASS LAST YEAR'S TOTAL, ACTUALLY VERY QUICKLY, POTENTIALLY EVEN THIS MONTH.

UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THE CLOTHING, UM, NUMBERS SERVED THROUGH OUR CLOTHING CLOSET HAS CONTINUED TO INCREASE, UM, WHICH WE'RE ALSO SEEING, UM, REFLECTED IN THIS.

SHE'S NUMBERS AS WELL.

THOSE STABILIZATION RESOURCES, WHICH ARE SO CRITICAL TO HELPING PEOPLE REMAIN HOUSED, UM, HAVE PLATEAUED A LITTLE BIT.

UM, TO THIS SHEER TO DATE, WE'VE DISTRIBUTED $168,659 IN, UM, CLIENT ASSISTANCE.

THE CURRENT FUNDING STREAM THAT WE RELY ON PREDOMINANTLY FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE SUPPORT IS FEDERALLY FUNDED AND IS ON PAUSE AT THIS TIME.

AND SO WHEN PEOPLE ASK, UM, THE QUESTION OF HOW IS, UM, FEDERAL PAUSES AFFECTED NETWORK, THIS IS THE ONE AREA THAT I CAN 0.2, UM, WE'VE REDIRECTED SOME OF OUR PRIVATE FUNDRAISING EFFORTS TO FOCUS ON RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE ACCESS TO THIS.

AND THE AVERAGE NUMBERS OF FAMILY REGISTERING FOR SERVICES PER MONTH CONTINUES TO INCREASE.

I LOOKED AT THE DATA TODAY BEFORE I WALKED OUT THE DOOR, AND WE CERTIFIED 13 NEW HOUSEHOLDS, UM, JUST TODAY.

UM, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR 18 CHILDREN, 28 ADULTS AND TWO SENIORS.

WE ARE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL, GRATEFUL FOR OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STUDY OF RICHARDSON.

DAWN MENTIONED SOME OF OUR, UM, HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE'VE HAD TOGETHER THIS PAST YEAR.

WHEN I TOOK OVER IN SEPTEMBER 22 UNTIL MAY OF LAST YEAR, I WOULD JOKE THAT I NEVER HAD FORTUNATELY HAD BECOME A DISASTER RESOURCE CENTER, AND THAT QUICKLY CHANGED.

UM, SO, UM, AFTER THE MAY 28 STORMS, WE PIVOTED TO BECOME THE DISASTER RESOURCE CENTER, AS WELL AS THE MA MULTI-AGENCY RESOURCE CENTER, AND EVEN WELCOMED FEMA INTO OUR FACILITY FOR A LITTLE UNDER 90 DAYS TO BE A DALLAS COUNTY RESOURCE.

UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THAT TOP RIGHT, UH, OR TOP LEFT HAND CORNER.

AFTER THE BOIL WATER NOTICE WAS ISSUED IN NOVEMBER OF THIS PAST YEAR, NETWORK DELIVERED OVER 20 PALLETS OF WATER.

UM, I CAN TELL YOU OUR BOX TRUCK CAN ACCOMMODATE ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE AT A TIME.

SO IT WAS AN ALL DAY UNDERTAKING, BUT ONE THAT WE WERE VERY HAPPY TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY ON.

UM, I WANT WANT TO POINT OUT THAT BOTH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT GOT SAME SIZE BILLING OF THEIR PHOTOS ON HERE, SO NOBODY CAN CLAIM ANY FAVORITISM.

WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO BOTH RPD AND RFD AS WELL AS THE CITY FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF OUR TOYLAND.

UM, OF COURSE WE HAVE OUR WONDERFUL, UH, ART AUCTION GUITAR, OUR GUITAR ACTION COMING UP AT, UH, THE WILDFLOWER FESTIVAL THAT ALSO SUPPORTS OUR PARTNERS AT RICHARDSON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.

UM, UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO WEATHER, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE CHRISTMAS PARADE THIS YEAR, BUT WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL THAT THAT ALSO, UM, HELPS SUPPORT NETWORK AND TOYS IN BOTH DOLLARS.

UM, AND OF COURSE, UM, THE WONDERFUL, UH, FOOD THAT'S COLLECTED DURING NATIONAL NIGHT OUT ALWAYS ACCOUNTS FOR SOME SIGNIFICANT POUNDAGE, UH, DONATED BACK TO NETWORK.

UM, WHAT'S NOT HIGHLIGHTED ON HERE ALSO INCLUDES, UM, OUR TEAM PROVIDING SOME DEESCALATION TRAINING WITH, UH, CITY OF RICHARDSON DEPARTMENTS.

UM, THE CITY OF RICHARDSON LIBRARY HAS BEEN SO GENEROUS IN THEIR CURRENT TEMPORARY LOCATION, UNABLE TO HAVE THEIR LIBRARY BOOK SALE.

THOSE BOOK DONATIONS ARE GOING TO NETWORK EITHER FOR OUR, UM, LIBRARY GEARED TOWARDS SENIORS OR OUR LIBRARY SECTION GEARED TOWARDS CHILDREN IN OUR LOBBY.

AND OF COURSE, WE PARTNER ON TRASH BASH, WHICH WE HEARD ABOUT THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND IN AN UPCOMING BIKE SAFETY EVENT.

SO WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO WORK IN STEP WITH THE CITY.

WHAT ARE WE CONTINUING TO WORK ON? THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHANGE IN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T REST ON OUR LAURELS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY SO PREVALENT.

UM, AS I SHARED, FOOD CONTINUES TO BE THE HIGHEST VOLUME AND HIGHEST DEMAND AREA AND OUR COMMUNITY MARKET AFTER THREE YEARS IN THE FACILITY.

UM, WE'VE HAD TO MAKE SOME VERY, UH, QUICK TWEAKS TO ENSURE WE CAN KEEP UP WITH THE VOLUME AND WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES PERMANENT, UM, BOTH TO THE FLOW, TO THE WAREHOUSING, TO CART STORAGE, AS WELL AS OUR APPOINTMENT, UM, SYSTEM TO IMPROVE OPERATIONS AND THE EXPERIENCE FOR ALL.

UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON ARCHITECTURAL TEST FITS FOR CHANGING AND RENOVATING THAT SPACE, UM, TO ENSURE THAT OUR WAREHOUSING IS CONGRUENT.

WE'RE UTILIZING BOTH GARAGE DOORS THAT WE HAVE IN THE FACILITY, UM, AND THAT IT REALLY JUST CONTINUES TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND AND MEET THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

TECHNOLOGY MAKES OUR LIVES MUCH EASIER.

WE RELAUNCHED OUR CLIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN JULY 1ST OF THIS YEAR, WHICH WAS AN 18 MONTH PROJECT.

UM, AS PART OF THIS, WE ALSO INTEGRATED A STABILITY MATRIX SO WE'RE ABLE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT NEIGHBOR'S CHALLENGES ARE, AND WE ARE THEN ABLE TO USE THAT AS A PIPELINE AND A RECRUITING RESOURCE FOR OTHER PROGRAMS. UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY NOW,

[01:05:01]

UM, THIS IS NOT A FINISHED PROJECT, THAT'S FOR SURE.

UM, AND THE FIRST PHASE OF LAUNCHING A NEW APPOINTMENT SYSTEM, UM, THAT IDEALLY WILL THEN INTEGRATE INTO OUR CLIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

AND THIS APPOINTMENT SYSTEM ALSO HAS AN INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, BARCODE SCANNING, AND SOME OTHER SIGNIFICANT TIME EFFICIENCIES THAT IF WE LIKE THE APPOINTMENT MANAGEMENT COMPONENT, WE WILL BE INTEGRATING, UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

AS OF JANUARY, WE ALSO WENT PAPERLESS IN OUR MOBILE MARKET, WHICH IS WONDERFUL, SO WE CAN GET THAT DATA IN REAL TIME.

THE GREATEST PART ABOUT THIS OVERHAUL IS THAT WE NOW HAVE, WE HAVE MULTIPLE SYSTEMS. THEY ARE NOW WORKING TOGETHER.

SO RIGHT BEFORE I CAME, I WAS ABLE TO LOG IN AND QUICKLY SEE ON THE DASHBOARD THAT TODAY WE SERVED 155 DISTINCT HOUSEHOLDS REPRESENTING 991 NEIGHBORS.

AND THAT'S A TYPICAL DAY AT NETWORK.

UM, THAT INCLUDED 424 CHILDREN, 476 ADULTS AND 31 SENIORS.

TODAY ALONE, WE DISTRIBUTED ALMOST 11,000 POUNDS OF FOOD AND 900 CLOTHING ITEMS, UM, LEFT OUR CLOTHING CLOSET TO GO HOME WITH A NEIGHBOR.

WE ARE WORKING ON OUR NEXT ITERATION OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.

WE OVERHAULED OUR 2022 STRATEGIC PLAN SHORTLY AFTER I STARTED.

WE ARE COMING TOWARDS THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THAT.

UM, SO WE ARE EVALUATING, UM, THE BROADER NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, THE BROADER NEEDS WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORS SPECIFICALLY AS WELL AS GATHERING FEEDBACK.

THIS YEAR WE INSTITUTED A CRITICAL INITIATIVE CALLED THE CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE.

THAT'S A SUBCOMMITTEE OF OUR INTERNAL COMMITTEE.

AND, UM, IT'S OUR INTERNAL BRAIN THINK TANK, UM, THAT CHALLENGES ASSUMPTIONS, LOOKS AT LOGIC MODEL, LOOKS AT DATA, AND LOOKS AT NEIGHBOR SURVEYS TO HELP US CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY HOW WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AS AN ORGANIZATION AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR SERVICE.

AND LASTLY, NETWORK TURNS 40 THIS YEAR.

SO NETWORKS, ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION WERE SIGNED MAY 2ND, 1985.

OUR INITIAL SERVICES WERE RENDERED FEBRUARY 2ND, 1986.

SO WE'LL BE HAVING A FULL 40TH ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN WITH MANY, UM, DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR CELEBRATION.

UM, THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS THE ORIGINAL TIMELINE FOR WHAT NETWORK WAS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE IN 1985.

THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO START SERVICES OCTOBER 7TH, 1985, BUT IN THE NONPROFIT WORLD, UM, BUS LAID PLANS AND ALL OF THAT, UM, THE DALLAS TIMES HERALD COVERED THE OPENING OF NETWORK, UH, ON JANUARY 1ST, 1986, AND THE FIRST ITERATION OF THE NETWORKER NEWSLETTER WENT OUT IN 1980, UH, 1985.

UM, I DID WANT TO COMMENT THAT VIRGINIA MOIN, WHO WAS ONE OF OUR FOUNDERS OF OUR ARTICLE OF INCORPORATION, UNFORTUNATELY PASSED ON FRIDAY.

AND, UM, HER MEMORY HAS BEEN A BLESSING TO SO MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY.

UM, AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE ALL OF THE WORK THAT SHE'S DONE THROUGH, UM, JUST CONTINUING OUR MISSION.

THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. DORIAN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR ABBY.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, THANK YOU.

AND THIS IS SO IMPRESSIVE.

UM, I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF WORK AND WE ARE JUST SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE NETWORK AND THE RESOURCES IT PROVIDES IN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON, AND I THINK I SPEAK FOR EVERYONE WHEN I SAY THAT.

I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU.

YOU'RE DOING SUCH AN INCREDIBLE JOB ALONG WITH MARTA AND ALL THE NETWORK TEAM.

SO I JUST WANNA SAY A, A BIG THANK YOU AND A HATS OFF TO ALL OF YOU.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'M VERY FORTUNATE.

I HAVE AN INCREDIBLY SKILLED AND COMPETENT STAFF WHO MAKE ME LOOK OKAY, AND, AND A BOARD THAT ALSO ASSIST IN THAT.

MR. DORRY.

I MEAN, NO, IT'S ALL GOOD.

CORCORAN.

THERE ARE AN INTRODUCTION OF ADDITIONAL SERVICES IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE LOCAL GOOD PANTRY, OPEN TO NETWORKS, FORMER LOCATION, UM, CATHOLIC CHARITIES, DALLAS OPENED JOE'S PANTRY AT PARK CENTRAL, UM, AT 75 AND PARK CENTRAL.

SO JUST A, A QUICK QUESTION.

UH, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED A 6.5 DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING THE SERVICES, BUT AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF SERVICES THAT EXISTING PEOPLE ARE USING.

I MEAN, AS A CITY COUNCIL, WHAT DO WE READ INTO THAT? DO WE READ INTO IT THAT THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER FOR SOME PEOPLE, BUT WORSE FOR OTHERS? OR , WHAT I READ IT AS, AND OUR DATA SHOWS US THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE ENGAGED WITH OUR SERVICES LONG TERM AND THAT WE ALSO HAVE A NEED FOR SOME CAPACITY BUILDING IN SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS. AND SO, UM, WE HAVE TAKEN THAT, UM, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE FOOD MARKET OPERATIONS TO REALLY TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN ENSURE IT'S MAXIMIZED AND PEOPLE BEING SUPPORTED.

UM, WE DID GO TO AN APPOINTMENT SYSTEM IN MID 2023, UM, OR WAS THAT 2020? 2023.

UM, PART OF THAT WAS WE WERE SEEING ALMOST TWO HOUR WAITS, UM, FOR FOOD.

AND THAT IS NOT DIGNIFIED.

AND SO WE WENT TO HONOR PEOPLE'S TIME, AS YOU SAW, MANY OF THEM WORK, OR THEY MIGHT HAVE DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS, SMALL CHILDREN.

UM, AND SO, UM, WE USED TO HAVE THESE CHAOTIC HIGH VOLUME DAYS AND THEN CONTRACTION OF THAT.

UM, NOW WE HAVE MUCH MORE CONSISTENCY AND WE'RE LOOKING HOW TO BUILD MORE TIME SLOTS INTO THAT.

UM, AND THEN

[01:10:01]

SO AS MORE RESOURCES COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY, PEOPLE WHO ARE ENGAGING WITH US LONG TERM ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT, AND PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NEED AN IMMEDIATE QUICK FIX ARE ABLE TO FIND THAT SOMEWHERE ELSE.

NO, THANK YOU.

THAT MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE.

MR. BARRIOS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR ABBY.

YOU KNOW, I'M A BIG FAN OF WHAT YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE STAFF DOES.

UM, WE NEED ORGANIZATIONS LIKE YOU AND YOU JUST MENTIONED SOME OF THE OTHER MORE RECENT ADS MM-HMM .

TO COMMUNITY.

SO IT'S REALLY GREAT TO, TO HAVE LEADERS LIKE YOU ALL, UH, WHO REALLY STEP UP AND PARTNER WITH US AS A CITY.

AND I KNOW PARTNER, I KNOW A LOT OF DIFFERENT FAITH COMMUNITIES, AND YOU DO A LOT.

UM, AND I, I SEE THE NEED NOT JUST IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT AS A TEACHER IN THE COMMUNITY.

I SEE THIS NEED DAILY, AND I KNOW SOME OF MY FELLOW TEACHERS HAVE USED, UM, YOUR RESOURCES THAT YOU HAVE FOR TEACHERS.

SO, UH, GREAT JOB ON THAT AS WELL.

QUESTIONS I HAVE ABOUT YOUR FUNDING.

YES.

UM, WHAT DO YOU INCLUDE AS FAR AS LIKE, WHAT'S, WHAT'S A STAKEHOLDER? I MEAN, I KNOW WHAT THE WORD STAKEHOLDER MEANS.

YES.

BUT WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE YOU CALLING STAKEHOLDER? MM-HMM .

IS, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO THINK, OKAY.

WHERE OUR CHURCH GIVES, WHERE DOES THAT FALL INTO GOVERNMENT? IS THAT FEDERAL GRANTS OR IS THAT KIND OF WHAT WE, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, HELP WITH? CAN YOU KIND OF? ABSOLUTELY.

SO STAKEHOLDER IS FORMALLY DEFINED BY NETWORKS BYLAWS.

UM, SO WE HAVE STAKEHOLDER AGREEMENTS AND THESE, UM, THIS MODEL HAS DATED BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF OUR ORGANIZATION.

UM, WE ASK THAT OUR STAKEHOLDER PARTNERS SIGN AN AGREEMENT ANNUALLY, AND WE, THEY PROVIDE TWO OF FOUR THINGS.

UM, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, FINANCIAL FUNDING FOR NETWORK IN KIND, UM, SUPPORT FOR NETWORKS OF HOLDING A CLOTHING DRIVE OR A FOOD DRIVE, UM, TO SERVE AS A REFERRAL RESOURCE OR TO PROVIDE VOLUNTEER HOURS.

SO SOMEBODY DOES NOT HAVE TO, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, A, A SMALLER STARTUP CONGREGATION OR A HOUSE OF WORSHIP DOESN'T NEED TO HAVE DEEP POCKETS TO BECOME A STAKEHOLDER.

SO WE HAVE, UM, ROUGHLY 60 STAKEHOLDERS.

THEY ARE LISTED IN OUR ANNUAL REPORT.

UM, AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS, UM, ARE ACTUALLY WHO VOTE ON AND RATIFY OUR INCOMING SLATE OF OUR BOARD, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AS WELL AS THAT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ANNUALLY IN JULY.

SO, UM, THAT STAKEHOLDER BUCKET, UM, IS WHO THOSE FORMAL, FORMAL PARTNERSHIPS ARE.

SO IF A HOUSE OF WORSHIP IS NOT A FORMAL STAKEHOLDER, THEY WOULD HIT A DIFFERENT BUDGET.

UM, LINE ITEM AS FAR AS GOVERNMENT FUNDING, UM, OUR PREDOMINANT SOURCES OF, UM, WE ARE NOT, WE DO NOT TAKE ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER PROGRAM, WHICH IS ADMINISTERED THROUGH FEMA.

AND THAT IS ALMOST DIRECTLY PASSED THROUGH FOR, UM, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, SHORT-TERM HOUSING ASSISTANCE THAN SOME FOOD PURCHASING.

UM, THAT DOES REFLECT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE CITY OF RICHARDSON IN THERE, WHICH USED SLIGHTLY HIGHER THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR DUE TO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT TO IMPROVE SECURITY AT OUR FACILITY TO REDUCE SOME OF THE SECURITY NEEDS THAT WE WERE RELYING ON THE CITY FOR.

THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ABSOLUTELY.

FOR CLARIFICATION.

I KNOW IN TALKING TO SOME FRIENDS AND WHO DO RECEIVE SOME FEDERAL GRANTS, SOME, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN THERE IS, UM, IN SOME OF THOSE AREAS RIGHT NOW.

UM, SO THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT YOU'VE GOT SOME STABILITY THERE.

THANK YOU, ABBY, FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK Y'ALL DID.

THANK YOU, MAYOR PERILLO.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

WELL, THANK YOU ABBY, AND THANK YOU MARTA.

AND THANKS TO ALL THE NETWORK VOLUNTEERS.

UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU DO IS AMAZING IN ALL THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SHOW ON THE SCREEN THAT SPEAKS ITSELF.

SO I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTION AFTER ALL THESE DETAILED PRESENTATION, UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU.

AND IT'S NOT THAT NETWORK IS JUST HELPING.

THEY'RE ALSO DOING IT.

YOU ARE DOING IT VERY THOUGHTFUL WAY.

UH, YOU DO, YOU KNOW, MY OBSERVATION THAT YOU DO SEE HOW PEOPLE, WHAT THEY NEED, HOW THEY NEED, AND THIS IS, UH, THIS IS AMAZING.

I'M, I'M, I'M SO PROUD THAT WE HAVE NETWORK HERE.

WE ARE FORTUNATE, WE HAVE WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER UNICORN IN THAT POSITION, UM, WHERE OUR STABILIZATION STAFF IS SPENDING A LOT OF TIME IS IN CASE MANAGING SOME COMPLEX SENIORS NEEDS.

THANK YOU, MS. JUSTICE.

UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.

UM, ABBY, I'M, I'M CURIOUS, I MIGHT BE GETTING AHEAD OF YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT I'M WONDERING IF THERE ARE OTHER, UH, ANY ADDITIONAL SERVICES THAT YOU'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO OFFER IN THE COMING YEARS? UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON? IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN SHARE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE? ABSOLUTELY.

UM, WELL, THAT'S NOT A FIRMED UP DOCUMENT.

I CAN TELL YOU THE CONVERSATIONS IN OUR CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS HAVE REALLY FOCUSED ON SHORING UP THE EXISTING SERVICES THAT WE HAVE NOW AND NOT NECESSARILY ADDING TO THE ADDITIONAL PILLARS OF OUR MISSION AT THIS TIME.

UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, AS WE SEEN AN INCREASE IN OUR SENIORS NET DEMAND, UM, THAT PROGRAM IS STAFFED BY ONE PERSON PART-TIME, UM, .

SO TO SERVE A THOUSAND PLUS SENIORS ANNUALLY AND MANAGE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF VOLUNTEER FORCE, UM, IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.

AND

[01:15:01]

AND THAT'S REFLECTED IN THOSE STABILIZATION NUMBERS.

SO, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE HORIZON, POTENTIALLY NOT COMMITTING TO ANYTHING, BUT HOW WOULD WE POTENTIALLY EXPAND THAT PROGRAM TO INCLUDE A GERIATRIC, UH, CASE MANAGER WHO COULD, UM, SUPPORT NEIGHBORS AS THEY'RE TRANSITIONING MAYBE FROM THEIR OWN HOMES INTO INDEPENDENT OR ASSISTED LIVING.

UM, AND THEN GOING OUT WITH BOTH THE HANDYMAN OR HOME DELIVERED GROCERIES TO DO ASSESSMENTS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE REMAINING IN THEIR HOMES SAFELY AND WHAT OTHER SERVICES WE CAN PROVIDE.

UM, AGAIN, FOOD CONTINUES TO BE OUR HIGHEST DEMAND, AND THERE JUST SIMPLY AREN'T ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY, UM, FOR US TO MEET THE DEMAND ON THAT.

SO, UM, EXPANSION OF OUR FOOD SERVICES AND HOW WE LEAN INTO THAT IS ALWAYS UNDER CONSIDERATION.

AND HOW WE, WE'VE REALLY FOCUSED ON LET'S GET THE DESIGN RIGHT, THE APPOINTMENT SYSTEM, RIGHT, AND THEN CONTINUE TO EVALUATE WHAT ELSE IS NEEDED THERE.

THAT'S GOOD TO HAVE A WISHLIST.

SO ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW.

THANK YOU COUNCIL FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

MS. MARTA FRY, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU, MA'AM, IF YOU WOULD, UH, CARE TO SHARE.

ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF, UM, AND ALL OF THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT ARE LISTENING TO THIS, WE ARE VERY PROUD OF WHAT ABBY AND THE STAFF HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH.

BUT THE ONE THING THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH YET IS WE NEED TO WORK OURSELVES OUT OF A JOB.

UM, NETWORK IS WONDERFUL, BUT ONCE WE ARE ABLE TO, UM, HELP SUPPORT ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS SO THAT THEY DON'T NEED OUR SERVICES, THAT'S GONNA BE A GREAT DAY.

SO WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN IN EVERY WAY WE CAN RIGHT NOW TO HELP, UM, ALL THOSE IN NEED TO CARE COACH AND EMPOWER.

SO, UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT, WE APPRECIATE YOUR WELL WISHES, WE APPRECIATE YOUR DONATIONS BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA MAKE US BETTER TOGETHER.

THANK YOU, MARTA.

ONE, ONE LAST THING.

I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY HOW PROUD I AM AND THIS ENTIRE COUNCIL AND OUR CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF, THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PARTNER WITH YOU IN A WAY THAT IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

WE SAY IT ALL THE TIME, HOW WE'RE NOT THE EXPERT.

WE HAVE YOU FOR THAT.

AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT Y'ALL ARE ABLE TO, IN ALL OF OUR CRISIS, WHETHER IT'S THE WIND STORM, THE TORNADO, THE FREEZE, THE WHATEVER IT IS, Y'ALL HAVE STEPPED UP AND HAVE FILLED THAT VOID.

SO WE COULD GO ABOUT, OUR CITY COULD GO ABOUT DOING THEIR DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES AND YOU'RE TAKING CARE OF IT, AND YOU DO IT VERY, VERY WELL.

WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU, AND WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA TRY TO COLOR IN YOUR SPACE, OKAY? , WE WANT YOU TO CONTINUE DOING WHAT YOU DO VERY WELL AND ALLOW US TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE DO AND TAKE CARE OF OUR CITY.

SO THANK YOU, GREAT PRESENTATION AND KEEP DOING IT.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

ABSOLUTELY.

IT TRULY IS A PARTNERSHIP.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

WE'RE GONNA GO TO ITEM NUMBER NINE TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE RICHARDSON FIRE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT.

[9. REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE RICHARDSON FIRE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT]

MR. MAGNER.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

UH, CHIEF VY, UH, IS HERE WITH HIS COMMAND STAFF AND I'M GONNA LET HIM, UH, INTRODUCE THEM.

UH, BUT AGAIN, ALWAYS A VERY IMPORTANT BRIEFING EACH YEAR.

UH, PUBLIC SERVICES SUCH A PRIORITY FOR THIS COUNCIL, UH, SUCH A DRIVER, UH, IN OUR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT AND OUR, UM, PRIORITIES, UM, AS AN ORGANIZATION.

AND SO WHAT WE ASK CHIEF TO DO IS PROVIDE HIS ANNUAL REPORT.

UM, HE'S GONNA TOUCH, UH, TOWARDS THE END OF THE BRIEFING ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOLLOWING, UH, THE, UH, JANUARY BRIEFING.

I'LL LET YOU KNOW THAT, UM, YOU CAN EXPECT A DEEP DIVE DURING OUR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, UM, THAT WILL OUTLINE THAT STRATEGIC PLAN IN MORE DEPTH.

UM, THERE ARE BOTH OPERATIONS AND DEBT CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO WORK THROUGH.

AND SO THAT'S A STORY STILL EVOLVING AND THE CHIEF AND HIS TEAM ARE WORKING VERY HARD ON THAT.

UM, BUT THAT WILL BE THE PLAN FOR, UM, REALLY KIND OF, UM, EVALUATING THAT IN GREATER DETAIL.

UM, AND, AND RIGHTLY SO DURING THAT BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS BECAUSE THERE'S, UM, UM, CONTRACT COMPARING AND CONTRAST THAT WE HAVE TO DO WITH OTHER, OTHER PRIORITIES, UH, WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION AS WELL.

AND SO, UH, CHIEF, THANKS FOR, UH, PUTTING THIS, THIS PRESENTATION TOGETHER AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU FOR FURTHER BRIEFING.

THANK YOU, MR. MAGNER.

MAYOR COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TONIGHT.

UH, UH, ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING TO COME AND BRAG ON YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT OVER THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE LAST YEAR.

SO TONIGHT WE HAVE, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF CENTER AND ASSISTANT ASSISTANT CHIEF CASKEY WITH US ASSISTANT CHIEF YOUNGER IS ACTUALLY IN WISCONSIN RIGHT NOW DOING THE, UH, UH, PRE-BUILD ON A FIRE APPARATUS.

SO HE'S UP THERE DOING THAT NOW.

UM, AND THEN I HAVE SARAH FISHER FROM OUR OFFICE ALSO IN THE, UH, THE, UH, SEATS BACK HERE.

SO TO START OFF WITH OUR ANNUAL REPORT, THIS IS FOR, UH, CALENDAR YEAR 24.

[01:20:01]

AND WE ARE STILL IN ALL HAZARDS FIRE DEPARTMENT.

SO WE HAVE HANDLE EVERY TYPE OF RESCUE, EVERY TYPE OF FIRE, MEDICAL EVENT, TACTICAL, EMS, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, DISASTERS, RESPONSE, AND ALL THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.

WE DO STILL GET CATS OUTTA TREES.

, I'M GONNA TRY TO GET THROUGH WITHOUT SNEEZING BECAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE SEAN'S TIE GOT ME .

UH, , OUR ORG CHART IS THE SAME AS IT WAS LAST YEAR, UH, ON, ON OUR PERSONNEL.

UM, OUR STAFFING RIGHT NOW IS REALLY GOOD.

WE HAVE 184 APPROVED FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, AND I HAVE 183.

SO WE'RE ONLY DOWN ONE PERSON.

AND I HAVE ONE FROZEN, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION THAT WE'VE HELD FROZEN JUST BECAUSE, UM, THE WAY THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING IN THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE AND THE SPEED AT WHICH IT'S BEEN GOING, WE'RE OKAY.

SO WE'RE HOLDING THAT FROZEN UNTIL WE REALLY NEED THAT, AND THEN WE'LL FILL IT.

UM, WE DO HAVE THREE PART-TIME INSPECTORS.

FIRE, UH, FIRE INSPECTORS APPROVED.

I HAVE ONE, I HAD TWO, I LOST ONE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.

SO WE NEED TO FILL THOSE TWO POSITIONS.

BUT, UH, FULL-TIME.

WE'RE DOING GREAT.

WE'RE ONLY DOWN ONE.

UM, OUR YEARS OF SERVICE, WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE YEARS OF SERVICE TO US.

LAST TIME WE WERE ABOUT 54% UNDER 10 YEARS.

WE'RE NOW AT 50% LESS THAN 10 YEARS.

BUT I DO LOSE A LOT OF SENIORITY.

THIS YEAR.

I'M GONNA HAVE PROBABLY FIVE RETIREMENTS AND THE COMMON THEME IS ABOUT 30 SOMETHING YEARS OUT OF THOSE FIVE.

SO I'M GONNA LOSE A LOT OF SENIORITY THIS YEAR.

HIRING AND RECRUITING STILL WORKING.

WELL, THE, UH, THE LAST CLASS CLASS 45 GRADUATED IN JUNE.

ABOUT JUNE WE HAD 591 APPLICATIONS COME THROUGH.

YEP, 5 91, UH, 586 SIGNED UP FOR THE WRITTEN TEST.

AND 297 SHOWED UP FOR THE WRITTEN TEST.

WE HIRED 18, AND THAT'S THE 18 THERE THAT GRADUATED.

SINCE THEN, WE'VE LOST ONE OF THOSE GENTLEMEN, UH, BUT WE HAVE 17 THAT ARE FINISHING UP ALL OF THEIR TRAINING RIGHT NOW.

FIRE AND EMS TRAINING.

WE COMPLETED 36,766 HOURS OF FIRE RESCUE TRAINING THAT GOES TOWARD OUR ISO AND 10,024 PARAMEDIC CE HOURS FOR THE DEPARTMENT.

THAT'S A LOT OF TRAINING OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS A LOT.

LAST YEAR, UH, WE REPLACED AMBULANCE 34 AT STATION FOUR, REPLACED ENGINE FOUR AT STATION FOUR, REPLACED HAZMAT FIVE.

WE INCORPORATED THE MENTAL HEALTH, THE MENTAL WILDNESS EVALUATIONS FOR ALL PERSONNEL THAT YOU APPROVED.

IN OUR LAST BUDGET, WE RECEIVED, UH, THE, UH, GOLD PLUS RECOGNITION FROM AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION'S MISSION LIFELINE, UH, MAINTAINED HEART SAFE COMMUNITY DESIGNATION.

WE TRAINED THE 18 FIREFIGHTERS FOR CLASS 45 COMPLETED.

CFA CLASS 26 MAINTAINED OUR ISO CLASSIFICATION THAT GAVE ME A LOT OF EXTRA GRAY HAIR, UH, PLACE BLOCKER WANTED INTO SERVICE.

YOU APPROVED THAT LAST YEAR AND MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE LIFE SAVES.

SO, REAL QUICK, I WANT TO TOUCH THAT AND I PUT IT INTO ACCOMPLISHMENTS 'CAUSE THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT.

BUT YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FRIDAY NIGHT COUNSEL ABOUT PROBABLY 10 INCIDENTS OF LIFE SAVES.

BUT THOSE INCIDENTS WERE WHERE THIS PERSON WAS CLINICALLY DEAD.

I MEAN, THEY WERE DEAD AND WE BROUGHT THEM BACK.

WHAT'S NEVER, UH, CAPTURED IS THE HUNDREDS, MAYBE EVEN THOUSANDS OF PATIENTS THAT WE NEVER LET GET TO THAT POINT, THEY WOULD HAVE DIED HAD THEY NOT HAD THE INTERVENTION THAT THESE TEAMS DID.

SO THIS COMING YEAR, WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO CAPTURE THOSE A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

AND SOME OF THEM ARE AS SIMPLE AS GIVING A SHOT OF NARCAN, WAKING THEM UP, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, JUST WALKING THEM IN THE HOSPITAL TO A DIABETIC UNCONSCIOUS.

THEY'RE NOT GONNA WAKE UP UNLESS THEY GIVE 'EM THAT DOSE OF SUGAR ALL THE WAY THROUGH A MAJOR TRAUMA THAT THEY STOP THE BLEED AND FIGHT ALL THE WAY THE HOSPITAL TO KEEP THIS PERSON ALIVE.

SO THERE'S A WIDE RANGE THERE, BUT THOSE ARE THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS THAT, THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN CAPTURED.

SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO CAPTURE THAT THIS YEAR A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

UH, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, BUSIER.

WE WERE UP, UH, JUST 18 SHY OF 15,000.

SO 14,982 CALLS.

SO IF YOU LOOK FOR OUR 10 YEAR LOOK, LOOK BACK, OUR EMS CALLS ARE DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT, BUT OUR FIRE CALLS WERE UP SIGNIFICANTLY THIS YEAR.

IT'S JUST WHAT I, THERE'S NO RHYME OR REASON TO IT.

THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT, THE WAY IT HAPPENED.

BUT OF THAT 14,982 CALLS, THIS TELLS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BETTER STORY.

THAT'S 24,035 APPARATUS RESPONSES.

THE WAY THAT WORKS IS THERE'S MANY TIMES THAT THERE'S NOT JUST ONE APPARATUS GOING, IF IT'S A HEART ATTACK, THAT'S AN ENGINE AND AN AMBULANCE.

IF IT'S A STRUCTURE FIRE THAT'S EIGHT VEHICLES AND ANYWHERE IN BETWEEN.

SO THAT'S REALLY OUR UTILIZATION OF OUR VEHICLES AND OUR PEOPLE.

THEY'RE ON THE ROAD THAT

[01:25:01]

MUCH.

SO BREAKING IT DOWN, WE ALWAYS LIKE TO LOOK AT IT LIKE THIS OF OUR TOTAL CALLS.

THAT'S THE DEMANDS BY DAY OF THE WEEK, DEMANDS BY THE MONTH, AND, UH, DEMAND BY HOURS.

SO I WENT BACK THREE YEARS AND LOOKED AT THIS.

THE ONLY THING CONSISTENT IS OUR HOURS.

THAT'S PRETTY CONSISTENT ACROSS THE YEARS, THE DAYS OF THE WEEK AND THE MONTH VARIES.

SO IT'S REALLY NOT A, NOT A PATTERN TO IT.

UH, OUR BUSIEST DAY THIS YEAR WAS TUESDAY.

AND THEN THE EMS CALLS, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, THAT DRIVES MOST OF IT BECAUSE THAT WAS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 78% OR SO OF THE CALLS THAT WE MADE.

SO THAT, THAT NUMBER RIGHT THERE DRIVES A LOT OF THOSE.

AND AGAIN, THE HOURS ARE ABOUT THE SAME.

WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR HEAT MAPS, I ALWAYS LIKE TO SHOW YOU THIS 'CAUSE THIS TELLS THE STORY OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND TOWN.

UH, BLUE IS, YOU KNOW, THE, YOUR LOWEST AMOUNT OF CALLS THAT REDS ARE HIGH, YELLOW IN THE MIDDLE, AND THAT'S ALL OF OUR RESPONSES.

FIRE AND EMS. AND THEN YOU LOOK AT EMS, IT'S PRETTY MUCH EMS DROPS THE STORY.

BUT INTERESTINGLY, IF YOU LOOK RIGHT IN THE VERY CENTER WHERE YOU SEE, UH, THE HIGHWAY 75 SIGN, YOU'LL SEE IT CHANGING.

SO THE, THE CHANGE IS THE LARGE BUILDINGS THAT WE HAVE UP AND DOWN THE HIGHWAY DOING, UH, MAINLY FIRE ALARMS, A LOT OF FIRE ALARMS, STRUCTURE FIRES.

WE'RE UP THIS YEAR ABOUT 20, UH, TO 74 WORKING STRUCTURE FIRES.

MOST OF THOSE ARE RESIDENTIAL, JUST SPREAD OUT ALL OVER THE CITY.

OKAY? OUR, UH, PROPERTY VALUE SAVED AND LOST.

THE, THE STRUCTURES INVOLVED IN FIRE IS A, IS A VERY GOOD NUMBER, THE GREEN LINE.

SO THAT WAS 29 MILLION, $250,000 OF VALUE.

WE GET THAT OFF OF THE TAX ROLLS OFF THE CADS.

OKAY? SO WE KNOW THAT NUMBER CITY HALL TAUGHT US SOMETHING, AND Y'ALL BROUGHT SOME GREAT QUESTIONS AFTER CITY HALL BECAUSE I SHOWED YOU THIS.

AND THEN SOMEBODY WENT, WHAT ABOUT CITY HALL? AND I WENT, OOPS, .

SO HERE, HERE'S HOW THIS WORKS.

SO WHEN WE HAVE A STRUCTURE FIRE, WE, WE DO THE INVESTIGATION, WE CHECK IT OUT.

WE, WE DO ALL THE REPORT.

WE GET THE, UH, THE DOLLAR FIGURE OF THE INVOLVED STRUCTURE.

NOW, IF THIS IS AN APARTMENT FIRE, JUST A ROOM AND CONTENTS FIRE, THEN THE VALUE OF THE BUILDING THAT COULD HAVE BURNT DOWN IS THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY.

OKAY? IF WE HADN'T HAVE TOUCHED THAT BUILDING, THEN THAT BUILDING WOULD'VE WENT DOWN.

THEN WE WORK WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO COME UP WITH THE, UM, COST OF HOW MUCH IT'S GONNA COST TO REPAIR THAT PROPERTY.

AND THAT'S OVER ON THE FAR RIGHT.

UM, MANY TIMES THAT'S DEAD ON.

SOMETIMES IT'S A REALLY GOOD GUESS.

AND OCCASIONALLY IN THE CASE OF CITY HALL, IT CHANGES ON US AND WE DON'T GET TO CAPTURE THAT.

SO THAT'S WHY THAT THAT ONE WAS AN ANOMALY.

MOST OF THE TIME IT'S PRETTY PRETTY SQUARE ON.

BUT THE BIGGEST POINT OF IT IS, YOU CAN SEE, EVEN IF YOU HAVE SOME OF IT ESTIMATES, IS THE, THE AMOUNT OF INVOLVED AND THE AMOUNT SAVED IS HUGE.

OKAY? SO WE, WE DO LOSE SOMETHING EVEN TO THE POINT THAT IF WE KNOW, IF WE LOSE A ROOF OF A HOUSE, WE WRITE THE WHOLE STRUCTURE OFF.

SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY STRAIGHT ON THAT.

IN OUR FIRE PREVENTION SECTION, WE HAVE, UH, THE SAME HAS ALWAYS BEEN, THAT'S, THEY LOOK AT ALL NEW DEVELOPMENTS THROUGH THE DRC PROCESS, WORKING WITH PLANNING AND, UH, UH, THE, UH, BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND EVERYTHING.

WE DO ALL THE PERMITTING, PUBLIC EDUCATION, INVESTIGATIONS AND INSPECTIONS.

OH, THAT TIE'S KILLING ME.

UH, THROUGH THE .

I'M GETTING THINK, UH, INVESTIGATIONS.

SO OF ALL THOSE FIRES AND THAT, THAT INCLUDES EVERY FIRE, NOT JUST STRUCTURE FIRES.

UH, WHEN WE DO HAVE A FIRE, IF THE, THE OFFICER ON SCENE KNOWS WHAT CAUSED IT, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'LL CALL THE ON-CALL INVESTIGATOR AND SAY, HEY, HERE'S WHAT DID IT.

AND AN INVESTIGATION DOESN'T TAKE PLACE.

OUT OF ALL THOSE FIRES, WE DID FOUR, UH, 42 INVESTIGATIONS.

OUT OF THE 42, WE FOUND FOUR OFFENSES, WHICH MEANS, OKAY, THERE, THERE'S SOME TYPE OF, UH, ILLEGAL ACTIVITY HERE, BUT ONLY ONE CASE WAS FILED.

WE ONLY HAD ENOUGH EVIDENCE AND IDENTIFIED A PERSON ON THAT FOR ONE CASE.

AND WE DID FILE THAT CASE.

IT'S STILL PENDING, I BELIEVE, RIGHT? OKAY.

UH, 2,243 INSPECTIONS WITH 353 PERMITS.

THE PERMITS ARE ALREADY PICKING UP, UH, WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE'RE DOING AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

ONCE THEY'LL START HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING, THEN WE'RE GONNA GET REALLY BUSY WITH THE PERMITS AND THE, THE INSPECTIONS.

AND THAT'S PROBABLY WHEN I'M GONNA COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, I NEED THAT PERSON.

UH, UP IN THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE, THAT FROZEN POSITION, FIELD EDUCATION, FIRE SAFETY EDUCATION, WE DID

[01:30:01]

ABOUT 4,000 ADULTS AND CHILDREN.

WE HELD A CPR EVENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH METHODIST HOSPITAL AND OUR PARTNERS AT UEMR, UH, OVER AT METHODIST RICHARDSON.

LAST YEAR, THAT WAS A HIT.

WE JUST COMPLETED IT AGAIN WITH ABOUT WHAT, A HUNDRED AND SOMETHING PEOPLE THAT CAME THROUGH AND DID THAT.

THAT WAS A BIG HIT.

OUR SOCIAL MEDIA IS DOING GREAT.

SHABBY FROM NOT TOO SHABBY IS THE COMPANY, UM, IS IS DOING REALLY GOOD.

WE'RE GETTING LOTS OF HIT, LOTS OF COMMENTS ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA.

EVERYONE FOLLOWS US, RIGHT? I MEAN, I KNOW YOU.

THEN WE HAVE GAS THAT MAKES IT WAY, MAKES ITS WAY INTO THESE HOUSES, RIGHT? SO IF WE THINK GAS IS IN A HOUSE, WE HAVE TO KICK A DOOR.

OUR UTD STAFF, OUR UNIVERSITY, UH, EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM TO RECAP THAT IS A VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION.

WE STARTED BACK IN 2017 WHEN WE REALIZED THERE WERE HUNDREDS OR A HUNDRED PLUS EMTS ON UTD CAMPUS.

AND THEY NEED, THEY WANTED TO BE UTILIZED.

UH, A TEAM OF STUDENTS CAME AND SAID, HEY, WE WANT, WE HAVE THIS IDEA.

WE WANNA START THIS, THIS, UH, TEAM UP AND RUN EMS CALLS.

WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS.

THEY DID A FABULOUS JOB, PLANNED THE WHOLE EVENT OUT.

UM, WE DEVELOPED IT AND HAS GROWN INTO JUST AN AGENCY THAT IS OUTSTANDING.

RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE ABOUT A HUNDRED VOLUNTEERS, I THINK, WHAT, THREE FULL-TIME STAFF.

UM, THEY ARE RUNNING EVERY EMS CALL ON CAMPUS.

THE, THEY'RE WE'RE DISPATCHED TOGETHER.

IT IS DOING REALLY GOOD.

UM, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT 'EM.

SO WE HAVE SOME OF THEIR TEAM HERE TONIGHT.

IT'S LED BY MS. SHEILA ELLIOT.

AND THEN THE REST PART OF THE TEAM HERE CAME WITH US TONIGHT BECAUSE, UH, MAYOR WOULD LIKE TO TAKE JUST A SECOND, BECAUSE IN TEXAS THERE'S, THERE'S ONLY ABOUT THREE COLLEGIATE EMS TEAMS ON ALL THE CAMPUSES.

AND IN THE NATION, THERE'S ONLY ABOUT 300 AND, OR I'M SORRY, THERE'S 300.

AND THERE'S AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE NATIONAL COLLEGIATE EMS FOUNDATION WHO HOLDS A CONFERENCE EVERY YEAR.

AND UAMR THIS LAST YEAR WAS RECOGNIZED AS COLLEGIATE ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR.

SO KUDOS YOU GOT.

AND THAT'S UTD IN RICHARDSON .

SO WHAT ARE THEY DOING FOR US? THEY ARE, THEY'RE OUT THERE MAKING THE EMS CALLS.

WHEN A, WHEN A CALL HAPPENS, UH, SAY WE GET A 9 1 1 DISPATCH, THEN THEY GET, UH, AS SOON AS THAT'S PUT IN OUR 9 1 1 SYSTEM, THEY GET THE CALL AS WELL AS US.

UH, THEY RESPOND OUT AHEAD OF US BECAUSE THE CAMPUS IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET AROUND.

YOU TRY TO GET AN AMBULANCE OR FIRE TRUCK AROUND THERE, IT'S PRETTY DIFFICULT.

THEY'RE RUNNING ON GOLF CARTS.

UH, THEY ZIP IN, START THE PATIENT, UH, ASSESSMENT, TRIAGE, START BASIC TREATMENT.

CALL US ON THE RADIO, TELL US WHAT WE'RE GOING ON.

WE GET THERE.

WE WORK THE CALL TOGETHER, WE TAKE 'EM OVER, TAKE 'EM TO THE HOSPITAL.

IT'S, IT'S A GREAT TEAM.

MANY TIMES THEY GET THE CALL THROUGH UTD, UH, PD DISPATCH, WE NEVER EVEN GET THE CALL.

SO THEY DETERMINE AT THAT POINT, DO THEY NEED US OR NOT? IF THEY NEED US, THEY CALL US.

IF THEY DON'T, THEY GO HANDLE IT ON THEIR OWN.

SO SIX OF ALL THE CALLS THAT HAPPENED ON THAT CAMPUS, 63% THEY HANDLE WITH, WITH US NOT EVEN KNOWING ABOUT IT HAPPENING.

AND WE RAN UP THERE 35 OR 37% OF THAT TIME AND ONLY TRANSPORTED 27% OF THOSE.

SO KUDOS TO THE TEAM FOR HANDLING 63% OF THE CALLS, BECAUSE THAT MEANS AMBULANCE 32 AND AMBULANCE 33 WAS ABLE TO BE FREE TO TAKE CARE OF OTHER INCIDENTS WHEN THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF THE INCIDENTS ON THE CAMPUS.

SO, FABULOUS JOB TEAM.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND I FOUND OUT TODAY THE MOST COMMON INJURY IS A SKATEBOARD INJURY.

SO YEAH, .

GOTCHA.

BUT THEY DO HAVE EVERYTHING.

WE'VE HAD CARDIAC ARREST UP THERE THAT WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER.

WE'VE HAD SUICIDES, OVERDOSES, HEART ATTACKS, UH, YOU NAME IT, IT, IT'S BASICALLY A CITY IN THE CORNER UP THERE.

OKAY? OUR CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY CLASS 26, WE HELD, THAT COMPLETED 22 STUDENTS.

IT WAS A 10 WEEK PROGRAM, UH, MARCH THROUGH MAY.

OUR NEW CLASS, CLASS 27 STARTS WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

SO WE'LL HAVE THAT GOING ON EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR 10 WEEKS.

THE CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION'S BEEN VERY BUSY.

UH, THEY'VE BEEN HELPING US WITH WILDFLOWER 4TH OF JULY, LUNAR NEW YEAR, AND THEY STILL RUN, UH, FIRE ONE.

OUR FIRE REHAB UNIT THIS LAST YEAR.

THEY'VE DONATED SEVERAL THINGS TO THE DEPARTMENT THROUGH THEIR FUNDRAISING OF GOLF TOURNAMENTS AND CHALLENGE COINS.

UH, ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS, I WENT TO THEM AND SAID, HEY, THERE'S THIS THING I NEED .

I I REALLY WANT IT.

I SAW IT.

ATMOS HAS ONE.

AND WHEN WE GO OUT ON GAS LEAKS IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, LET'S SAY THERE'S A MAJOR GAS LEAK CONTRACTOR TOOK OUT A, A GAS LINE IN THE, IN THE ALLEY,

[01:35:01]

WE HAVE TO FORCE ENTRY SOME WAY TO GET INTO THAT PERSON'S HOUSE TO TAKE.

THE MONITORS ARE IN.

WELL NOW, UH, ATMO WAS USING ONE FOR A WHILE WHEN WE SAW IT.

THEY MAKE LASER GAS DETECTORS.

SO ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SHOOT IT THROUGH THE WINDOW AND IT TELLS YOU HOW MUCH GAS IS IN THERE.

IT'S NOT NEAR AS ACCURATE AS PUTTING A SNIFFER IN THERE, BUT IT GIVES US A GOOD IDEA.

DO WE REALLY NEED TO FORCE ENTRY INTO THAT PERSON'S HOUSE OR NOT? SO TALK TO THEM.

THEY'RE ABOUT $8,000.

THEY BOUGHT ONE FOR US.

WE USED IT, LOVED IT SO MUCH.

WE WERE ABLE TO GET A GRANT THROUGH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TO, UH, GET SIX MORE OF THEM.

SO NOW WE HAVE 'EM ON APP EVERY APPARATUS.

SO KUDOS TO THE CFA FOR HELPING US GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF.

UH, DEFINITELY SAVE SOME HOUSES AS FAR AS FORCIBLE ENTRY.

UH, THEY ALSO BOUGHT SOME INVESTIGATIVE EQUIPMENT FOR THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE, AND THEY STILL DOING THE SCHOLARSHIP FOR FIREFIGHTERS KIDS.

SO, UH, GREAT, GREAT JOB BY THE CFAA HEALTH AND WELLNESS.

WE'VE BEEN BUSY.

WE'RE STILL DOING THE, UH, ANNUAL, UH, NFPA PHYSICALS ARE ACTUALLY GOING ON RIGHT NOW FOR THIS YEAR OUT AT THE TRAINING CENTER.

WE HAVE A MANDATORY FITNESS EVERY SHIFT FOR AT LEAST 45 MINUTES THAT EVERY TEAM MEMBER DOES.

AND WE HAVE THE FITNESS INITIATIVE THAT IS VERY POPULAR.

THAT'S THE, WE CALL IT ROWING FOR DOLLARS.

AND THEY, UH, AND THEY WEAR THESE ROWING MACHINES OUT, WHICH HELPS TAKE CARE OF OTHER THINGS LIKE HEART ATTACKS, , RIGHT? SO THE MORE THEY'RE ON THOSE ROWERS, THE LESS PROBLEMS WE'RE GONNA HAVE.

SO, UH, GOOD JOB WITH THE TEAM ON THAT.

OUR MENTAL WELLNESS.

SO YOU'VE BEEN HERE, US TALKING ABOUT THAT FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS.

I THINK WE'RE DOING REALLY GOOD.

WE HAVE THE PEER PEER SUPPORT TEAM THAT IS STILL REALLY ACTIVE.

THE, UM, THIS LAST YEAR WE DID A DEPARTMENT WIDE RESILIENCY TRAINING WITH DR.

TANYA LY THAT'S UP THERE IN THE RIGHT CORNER.

YOU SEE HER UP THERE TEACHING.

SHE'S OUT OF AUSTIN.

SHE'S ONE OF THE PROVIDERS THAT I HAVE ON SPEED DIAL.

WHEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM, I CALL TANYA AND SAY, HEY, NEED A LITTLE HELP.

AND THEN WE DO THE NEW MENTAL WELLNESS CHECK-INS THAT YOU APPROVED.

LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, WE DID THAT FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE DEPARTMENT.

AND THE REPORT I GOT BACK REALLY SURPRISED ME BECAUSE A MEMBER HAS TO GO, THEY HAVE TO SIT DOWN WITH A COUNSELOR IN A ROOM.

JUST THOSE TWO.

THEY, IF THEY DON'T WANT TO TALK, THEY DON'T HAVE TO.

THEY CAN TALK ABOUT FISHING FOR 30 MINUTES.

THEY CAN TALK ABOUT KIDS, WHATEVER, OR THEY CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON IN THEIR WORLD.

AND I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED WHEN THEY CAME BACK AND SAID, LISTEN, A MAJORITY OF YOUR PEOPLE TALKED AND THEY REALLY SAID, HEY, THIS IS GOING ON, OR THIS IS BUGGING ME, OR, HEY, THINGS ARE GREAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A ROUGH JOB SOMETIMES.

SO I WAS REALLY PROUD OF THE TEAM FOR DOING THAT.

AND SEVERAL EVEN MADE, UH, FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENTS TO GO TO GO GET A LITTLE HELP.

SO THAT'S A FABULOUS.

SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.

THAT'S HUGE TO US.

FIRE STATION FIVE, UPDATE DRIVEN BY STATION FIVE.

IT'S STILL TORE UP.

IT'S A LITTLE BEHIND SCHEDULE.

THE CONTRACTOR IS, UH, UH, CHALLENGING TO, TO WORK WITH, BUT WE'RE GETTING THERE.

SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION FOR THE ADD-ON IS SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.

I'M NOT FEELING REAL FUZZY ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY TELL ME.

UM, BUT SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT IS SUPPOSED TO BE JUNE.

SO HOPEFULLY BY JUNE YOU'RE GONNA SEE IT PUT BACK TOGETHER, THE FRONT LANDSCAPED AND, AND EVERYTHING BACK IN.

RIGHT NOW, THE PERSONNEL ARE STILL LIVING IN THE, UH, POLICE SUBSTATION AND RUNNING THROUGH THAT TUNNEL, TO THEIR APPARATUS, FIRE APPARATUS.

YOU'VE HEARD ME TALK IN THE PAST ABOUT OUR DIFFICULTIES IN GETTING FIRE APPARATUS AND AMBULANCES THAT CONTINUES.

THE GOOD THING IS, IS IT'S NOT ABOUT PARTS AND PIECES ANYMORE.

IT'S ABOUT LEAD TIMES BECAUSE, UM, THERE'S SO MANY BEING ORDERED.

SO RIGHT NOW IT TAKES 18 TO 24 MONTHS TO GET AN AMBULANCE.

36 TO 40 MONTHS TO GET AN ENGINE, UH, QUINT, 48 TO 50 MONTHS, WHICH WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT HERE IN A MINUTE.

'CAUSE THERE'S ONE ON YOUR CONSENT AGENDA.

AND A TRUCK TAKES 50 MONTHS.

IF YOU REMEMBER, UH, MOST OF YOU, I CAME TO YOU ABOUT THREE YEARS OR THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO AND SAID, HEY, I NEED A TRUCK FOR, IT'S GONNA TAKE FIVE YEARS TO GET IT.

CAN WE ORDER IT NOW? THAT WAS LIKE, WHAT, THREE YEARS AGO? UM, IT IS SCHEDULED TO BE IN RICHARDSON IN JUNE OF 26.

UM, WE NEED ENGINE TWO REPLACED.

IT SHOULD BE ON NEXT YEAR'S CAPITAL PROGRAM.

UM, I CAN'T GET IT UNTIL 29 NOW.

SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BE BEHIND AND RECEIVING APPARATUS.

THERE'S GONNA BE TWO YEARS.

I CAN'T GET ANYTHING.

JUST IF I ORDERED IT TODAY, I COULDN'T GET IT.

SO, UH, ENGINE TWO NEXT YEAR'S, UM, APPARATUS.

BUT IF

[01:40:01]

WE ORDER IT BEFORE APRIL 1ST, THEN I'LL SAVE ABOUT 6%.

THERE'S GONNA BE A 6% INCREASE BETWEEN NOW AND, UH, AUGUST.

SO THERE'S 3% APRIL 1ST AND 3% IN AUGUST.

SO, UM, COMING TO YOU, IT'S ON YOUR CONSENT AGENDA TONIGHT.

THAT'S WHY IT'S ON THERE FOR EARLY IS NUMBER ONE, TO GET IT IN LINE NUMBER TWO, IT SAVES US ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IF WE GO AHEAD AND ORDER THAT.

UM, WE HAVEN'T, WE'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED ABOUT A 10 YEAR LOOK AHEAD ON OUR FIRE APPARATUS FOR BUDGETING PURPOSES.

THEY COST, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE MILLION DOLLAR TRUCKS AND IT'S CHANGED A LITTLE BIT.

OUR PLAN BECAUSE OF THESE LEAD TIMES AND WE HAVE TO GET SO FAR AHEAD OF IT.

SO, UH, KENT, TODD AND I JUST WENT THROUGH A WHOLE PROCESS OF TRYING TO MAP THIS OUT TO WHERE WE NEED TO ORDER THESE TRUCKS SO WE CAN GET 'EM AT THE RIGHT TIMES.

WE PAY FOR 'EM AT DELIVERY.

SO LIKE THE ONE TONIGHT, IF YOU APPROVE THAT TONIGHT, THEN WE DON'T PAY FOR IT TONIGHT.

WE PAY FOR IT IN 29 WHEN IT COMES.

SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF WORKING, FIGURING OUT WHEN TO ISSUE THE DEBT AND ALL OF THAT.

SO PRETTY SOON WE'RE GONNA BE COMING RIGHT BACK ON TOP OF THIS AND SAYING, OKAY, WE NEED TO ORDER THIS APPARATUS AT THIS TIME.

WE NEED TO ORDER AT THIS TIME SO WE CAN START MARCHING THESE IN AT THE RIGHT YEARS.

AND THAT GOES FOR AMBULANCES AS WELL.

SO OUR FOCUS MOVING FORWARD, OBVIOUSLY, IS OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND TRAINING.

WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO DO TONS OF TRAINING, UH, WORKING WITH OUR REGION TO, ON SOLUTIONS FOR THOSE ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND LITHIUM BATTERY FIRES.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE BECOMING EVEN A BIGGER PROBLEM.

UH, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THESE PROBLEMS OUT, UH, PARTNERING WITH THE DALLAS COUNTY HEALTH OVERDOSE RESPONSE TEAM.

SO THE DALLAS COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT RECEIVED A HUGE GRANT FROM THE STATE FOR MULTI-YEAR, UH, OVERDOSE RESPONSE TEAM.

SO IT'D BE NO COST TO THE CITY, BUT WHEN WE REPORT AN OVERDOSE, BASICALLY WHERE WE'VE GIVEN NARCAN, THEN WE REPORT IT TO THEM.

THEY FOLLOW UP WITH THE PERSON AND THEN HELP THEM THROUGH, DO THEY GET COUNSELING? DO THEY GET TRAINING? WHAT DO THEY NEED? AND WORKING WITH THE FAMILY TO HELP THEM THROUGH.

AND IT'S NO COST TO THE CITY, BUT IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM.

UH, WITH DALLAS, WITH A, YOU KNOW, A BIG CHUNK OF OUR CITY BEING COLLIN COUNTY, THEY AGREED TO DO THE ENTIRE CITY AS DALLAS COUNTY.

SO THAT'S A HUGE BONUS FOR US IS THEY, WE GET THE WHOLE CITY TAKEN CARE OF.

THE PAPERWORK'S ALREADY DONE THE IT'S SETTING IN LEGAL AT DALLAS COUNTY.

HAVE NO CLUE HOW LONG THAT'LL TAKE, BUT WE'RE CLOSE TO GETTING THAT DONE.

AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WE GAVE 55 DOSES OF NARCAN.

SO IT'S, IT'S HERE.

UM, AND THEY'LL BE BUSY.

UH, ALSO MAINTAINING OUR ISO, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY HUGE.

UH, COMPLETING THE FIRE MASTER PLAN THAT'LL TAKE AWAY SOME OF THESE OTHER GRAY HAIRS.

AND, UM, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, INCLUDING CPR TRAINING AT THE WILDFLOWER.

SO THIS YEAR WE'VE WORKED WITH PARKS.

WE'RE GONNA PUT ON A PROGRAM, I BELIEVE THE NAME OF IT IS THE BEAT GOES ON AND IT'LL BE IN THE HILL HALL.

WE'RE WORKING ONE TIME ON SATURDAY, TRY TO GET THIS THING GOING.

I WANT TO GROW IT EVERY YEAR IF IT WORKS.

AND, UM, BASICALLY IT'LL BE KIND OF VIDEO DRIVEN, UH, THERE IN THE HILL HALL WITH SOME OF OUR PEOPLE UP ON STAGE DOING SOME THINGS.

AND THEN, UH, AREA SET UP OUT IN THE HALL WITH MANNEQUINS AND PERSONNEL TO, UM, HELP, UH, FACILITATE SOME HANDS-ON.

AND ALSO OUR PARTNERS AT UMR AND OUR CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY WILL BE HELPING OUT WITH THAT.

SO LOTS TO LOTS TO COME ON.

OUR, OUR FIRE MASTER PLAN UPDATE, IF YOU RECALL, WE HAD A LOT OF INITIATIVES, UH, IS WHAT, UH, MR. POZO TALKED ABOUT, UM, THROUGH HIS WHOLE PLAN.

AND THEN WE HAVE SOME AS WELL TO TIE INTO THAT.

SO I'VE REALLY BROKEN THESE DOWN INTO TWO PIECES.

SO WE'VE GOT THE ONES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF THOSE ARE LIKE CREATION OF THE HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE, SUCCESSION PLANNING, CHANGE MANAGEMENT, THE EMS SHIFT ROTATION THAT HE TALKED ABOUT.

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, UH, SUPPORT FACILITIES, MAINTENANCE AND FLEET MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS WE'RE SOLID ON THOSE.

UM, MAINTAINING OUR ISO, THE MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTH SYSTEM, THAT WAS WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, WHERE YOU WORK WITH THE HOSPITALS AND HAVE PEOPLE TO KIND OF, UH, INTERVENE BEFORE THE EMS CALL HAPPENS.

UM, REALLY DIG INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.

I DON'T THINK.

AND MY TEAM REALLY DON'T, UH, AT THIS POINT BELIEVE THAT WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE WE NEED TO BRING THIS IN.

AND WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT METHODIST RICHARDSON, UM, THE NUMBERS AREN'T THERE FOR THESE PATIENTS.

SO WE HAVE A FEW THAT CALL US QUITE A BIT, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY WHOLE STAFF TO TAKE CARE OF IT.

SO WE'RE REALLY WATCHING THAT ONE TO SEE HOW IT DEVELOPS.

WE ALWAYS EVALUATE OUR AUTOMATIC AID AGREEMENTS AND THE ENHANCE THE DISPATCH SYSTEMS TO DECREASE RESPONSE TIMES.

WE'RE DOING THAT RIGHT NOW.

THE MOCK RADIO SYSTEM OR THE MOCK

[01:45:01]

DISPATCH SYSTEM IS BEING INSTALLED AT ALL THE STATIONS IN DISPATCH.

AND WHEN THE RADIO SYSTEM GOES LIVE, THEN THIS WILL SPEED UP OUR DISPATCHING.

IT'LL TAKE ALL THE HUMAN ELEMENT OUT OF IT EXCEPT FOR ONE DISPATCHER GOING, YEP, CLICK AND THEN BOOM, THEY GET DISPATCHED.

SO THAT'S REALLY COOL.

THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.

THE SECOND PART OF IT IS THE STUFF THAT COSTS A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY.

UM, WE HAVE, UH, SOME PERSONNEL IN THE WAY OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR, ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, PROJECT APPLICATION SPECIALIST, UH, A REMODEL AT STATION SIX TO INCLUDE THE MOVING THE, OR BUILDING A FITNESS ROOM, UH, PEAK DEMAND AMBULANCE AT STATION ONE FULL-TIME FIRE EXP INSPECTOR, UH, EMS CAPTAINS ON SHIFT APPARATUS STORAGE BUILDING SECOND BATTALION CHIEF TO SHIFT ADDITIONAL AERIAL TRUCK AT STATION THREE, ADDITIONAL FIRE STATION.

UH, ANOTHER PEAK DEMAND AMBULANCE AFTER THAT FIRE STATION GOES IN.

SO THAT'S WAY DOWN THE ROAD.

AND THEN ADDITIONAL STAFF REPORT OR SUPPORT THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO BE WATCHING THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS TO SEE WHAT DID WE ACTUALLY NEED.

SO THAT'S WHAT IS REALLY TO COME IS, IS WHAT IS IT, HOW MUCH IS IT? AND HOW ARE WE GONNA PAY FOR IT? SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THE SUMMER.

THAT'S IT, CURTIS.

GREAT JOB.

ANY COMMENTS MR. BARRIOS? THANK YOU, MAYOR.

CHIEF, UH, I WANNA START OFF BY SAYING THANK YOU TO YOU AND, UH, ALL THOSE THAT HELPED ME THIS AFTERNOON.

UH, WHILE I WAS AT WORK THERE, I GOT A CALL THAT MY MOTHER, UM, WAS SHOWING SOME SIGNS OF, UM, NOT DOING SO WELL.

AND I WAS IN, IN THE DALLAS WORKING AND I THOUGHT, WELL, I I CALLED YOU THE STATION.

'CAUSE I THOUGHT, WELL, IF I GET CALLED 9 1 1, THAT'S GONNA CONNECT ME TO DALLAS AND WHO KNOWS IF THEY'LL ANSWER AND THEN BY THE TIME THEY GET CONNECTED TO RICHARDSON.

SO I CALLED THE STATION DIRECTLY, WHOEVER ANSWERED THE PHONE, DID A GREAT JOB.

AND, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SERIOUSLY.

UM, AND YOU'RE, UM, LOCAL FIRE STATION RESPONDED AND TOOK VERY GOOD CARE OF MY MOTHER.

AND I HAD, I HAD TOLD MY SON WHO WAS HOME WITH MY MOM AND HE HAD CALLED ME AND I SAID, MAKE SURE HE GETS TO METHODIST.

AND UH, AND THEN HE TOLD THE, HE TOLD THE RESPONDENT FIREFIGHTER, MY DAD SAYS SEND HIM TO METHODIST.

SO THEY SAID, NOPE, SHE NEEDS TO GO SOMEWHERE CLOSER.

AND, UM, THEY TOOK GOOD CARE OF HER AND UM, AT THE SAME TIME WAS ABLE TO KEEP MY SON, MY TEENAGE SON AND HELP HIM KIND OF CALM.

AND SO I THINK IT JUST SPEAKS TO THE PROFESSIONALISM.

AND I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE MOMENT TO THANK YOU.

AND, UH, PLEASE PASS ON MY GRATITUDE TO, UM, EVERYBODY AT THE FIRE STATION AS WELL.

WE POUR A TON OF WATER ON THAT, BRING ALL OF THAT DOWN TO THE GROUND, AND NOW WE'VE GOT IT WASHING DOWN.

WILL DO.

UM, THAT, THAT MEANS A LOT.

AND I THINK WHEN, UH, WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN NEED, THEY REALLY SEE THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DO DAY IN, DAY OUT.

AND AS I WAS LEAVING TO COME HERE, THEY KIND OF GAVE ME THE ALL CLEAR AND I LEFT HER IN THE ER TO COME IN LITTLE LATE TO THIS MEETING.

SHE WAS GONNA BE RELEASED.

SHE'S AT HOME NOW.

UM, BUT AS I WAS LEAVING MY, I WAS HUGGING MY SON, I TURNED AND IN THE ROOM NEXT TO US, THE FIREFIGHTER WHO HAD HELPED MY MOM TO GET TO THE ER, HE WAS DELIVERING SOMEBODY ELSE.

AND IT JUST GOES TO SHOW, IT'S, IT'S NONSTOP WHAT YOU ALL DO DAY IN, DAY OUT.

IT'S NONSTOP.

AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK HIM IN PERSON AS I WAS LEAVING AND HE WAS HELPING SOMEBODY ELSE.

'CAUSE IT'S JUST WE DON'T THINK OF THAT UNTIL WE NEED IT, AND Y'ALL DO IT DAILY.

SO THANK YOU.

UH, ONE QUICK QUESTION.

YOU KIND OF ALLUDED TO IT, AND BY THE WAY, CONGRATULATIONS.

I, THE NUMBERS ARE IMPRESSIVE.

UM, THE, YOU KIND OF MENTIONED IT AND I IT WAS THE ONE QUESTION I WAS GONNA HAVE FOR YOU BECAUSE I REMEMBER IT BEING A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION LAST YEAR.

UM, YOU MENTIONED WORKING WITH REGION ON SOLUTIONS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND LITHIUM BATTERY FIRES.

I REMEMBER THAT BEING A TOPIC THAT I BELIEVE REMEMBER CORRECTLY LAST YEAR, SHORTLY AFTER, UH, THE Y'ALL PRESENTED, THERE WAS GONNA BE LIKE A DISCUSSION WITH THE, WITHIN THE STATE TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING, NEW RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT.

THERE WAS, I THINK, SOME POSSIBLE FIRE BLANKET.

HAS THERE BEEN ANY, I GUESS RESEARCH AND FIRE SAFETY TOWARDS THAT, OR ANY UPDATES THAT YOU CAN GO IN FURTHER ON THAT PARTICULAR THING? UM, SO THOSE DISCUSSIONS DID HAPPEN AND THERE'S A, THERE'S THE TS THE ORGANIZATION OUT OF, UH, TEXAS A AND M, UH, DID A WHITE PAPER ON SEVERAL PIECES OF THAT.

SO NATIONALLY, WHAT HAS BEEN BASICALLY FIGURED OUT AS THE BEST PRACTICE OF A BURNING, SAY, A CAR THAT IS, THAT IS BURNING WITH, UH, THOSE BATTERIES IS TO LET IT BURN.

UM, IT CREATES MORE OF A HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INCIDENT.

[01:50:01]

UH, AND THEN WE DO HAVE THE FIRE BLANKETS.

WE PURCHASE THOSE FOR EVERY APPARATUS.

AND REALLY WHAT, WHAT THAT WOULD BE FOR IS, SAY WE HAVE A BURNING ELECTRIC VEHICLE INSIDE OF A GARAGE.

PUTTING WATER ON IT REALLY DOESN'T HELP.

IT KIND OF KNOCKS IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT WILL NOT PUT IT OUT.

SO WE CAN PUT THESE BLANKETS ON IT, GARAGE, PARKING, GARAGE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND HELP GIVE US A LITTLE TIME TO GET A VEHICLE WITH A WINCH OR A TOW TRUCK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND PULL IT OUT OF THE GARAGE.

UM, WE HAVE THE BLANKETS WHERE WE THROW ON CARS NEXT TO IT TO TRY TO SAVE THOSE, UM, THESE, I DON'T WANNA CALL 'EM BY NAME, BUT BASICALLY THESE POWER WALLS, YOU KNOW, IN GARAGES, THINGS LIKE THAT.

THEY ARE WHAT THEY ARE.

THERE'S A, THEY'RE A HUGE LITHIUM BATTERY, SO WHEN THEY TAKE OFF, THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN THE HOUSE AND THEY'RE BURNING.

SO THE BEST WE CAN DO IS IF WE KNOW THEY'RE THERE, WE CAN SEARCH IT OFF THAT HOUSE AND BASICALLY TRY TO CONFINE IT THAT WAY.

THERE'S NO PUTTING IT OUT RIGHT NOW.

UM, CHIEF SENATOR, YOU GOT ANYTHING ADDITIONAL? I KNOW WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP.

YES, SIR.

SO, SO TWO THOUGHTS ON THAT, MR. BARRIOS.

UH, LOCALLY, WE HAVE A CAPTAIN FROM OUR DEPARTMENT THAT'S INVOLVED WITH MOST OF NORTH TEXAS.

THEY'VE INVESTED IN GETTING THIS GROUP TOGETHER TO TRY AND SEE HOW OUR DEPARTMENTS IN THIS AREA CAN APPROACH LITHIUM FIRES.

THE, THE COMPLICATOR IS, AS YOU REMEMBER FROM THE LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT IT, LITHIUM PROVIDES ITS OWN OXYGEN.

SO LITHIUM IN A BOWL OF WATER WILL STILL CONTINUE TO BURN.

SO WATER BEING OUR PRIMARY METHOD OF EXTINGUISHMENT, UH, THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE NATION ARE HAVING BIG DISCUSSIONS BEYOND HOW BIG IS BIG AND HOW BAD IS BAD.

BUT NOW WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THIS BIG AND BAD PROBLEM? UM, IN FACT, IN APRIL, WE'RE ACTUALLY SENDING THREE MEMBERS OF OUR DEPARTMENT TO INDIANAPOLIS, INCLUDING THE CAPTAIN THAT REPRESENTS US ON THE LOCAL COMMITTEE, UM, FOR THE NATIONAL DISCUSSION.

UH, IN ADDITION TO SEVERAL OTHER BIG, BIG IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS THAT OCCUR IN OUR INDUSTRY.

AND WE'RE HOPING THAT WE COME BACK WITH SOME SOLUTIONS.

UM, IT, IT IS HANDS DOWN IN MY 31 YEARS IN FIRE SERVICE, THIS IS THE BIGGEST AND MOST DIFFICULT PROBLEM THAT THE UNITED STATES FIRE SERVICES FACED.

SO ANSWERS ARE NOT READILY AVAILABLE.

WE'RE GETTING BETTER AND BETTER IDEAS.

WE'RE TRYING NEW SOLUTIONS.

EVERY MAJOR RESEARCHING ORGANIZATION IN AMERICA AND IN THE STATE OF TEXAS IS ACTIVELY THROWING DOLLARS AT THIS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

AND THEN THE SECONDARY PROBLEM, THIS IS ABOUT AS TOXIC AS SMOKE CAN POSSIBLY GET, UH, THAT COMES OFF OF AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE FIRE FAR WORSE THAN AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE FIRE.

SO HOW DO WE KEEP OUR PEOPLE SAFE WHILE KEEPING THE COMMUNITY SAFE WHEN THESE, THESE CATCH FIRE AND WHAT, WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT COMES A HUGE PRICE TAG WHEN WE FIGHT ONE OF THESE FIRES, UM, FOR ANY PERSONNEL THAT REALLY GET ENVELOPED IN, IN, IN SMOKE THAT GETS IN THAT BUNKER GEAR, THERE'S ONLY TWO PLACES IN THE NATION THAT WE CAN SEND IT TO BE CLEANED.

THEY, THEY BASICALLY, THEY SUBMERGE IT IN LIQUID CO2 RIGHT LIQUID CARBON DIOXIDE AND DO IT THAT WAY AT THE COST OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

SO THEN WE HAVE TO SAY, OKAY, IS THAT GEAR WORTH CLEANING OR DO WE HAVE TO REPLACE IT? SO WE THINK ABOUT ONE TESLA OR ONE OTHER ELECTRIC CAR IN A PARKING GARAGE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE PROBABLY A MINIMUM OF EIGHT PERSONNEL BURIED UP IN THAT SPOT.

SO THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.

CHIEF UHHUH.

FORCE, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE EMS FOR THE STATE.

AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING THIS AFTERNOON.

SO, MR. HUTCH RUDDER, WHAT WAS THAT? OR IS THAT JOE? MR. RICHARD RUDDER.

OH, THANK YOU MAYOR .

UM, YOU DIDN'T DO IT, BUT I'LL, I'LL BRING IT UP BECAUSE I'VE TALKED TO, TO CHIEF CENTER ENOUGH TIMES.

UM, ALSO, WOULD YOU MIND JUST BRAGGING A LITTLE BIT IN THAT NOT ONLY ARE YOU SUPPORTING AND CARING FOR EVERYONE HERE IN RICHARDSON, BUT Y'ALL ALSO DEPLOY ON TEXAS TASK FORCE TWO, AND I KNOW YOU'VE HAD SEVERAL DEPLOYMENTS, SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, THAT PEOPLE ALSO RECOGNIZE WE'RE NOT ONLY CARING FOR THE CITY OF RICHARDSON, BUT YOU'RE ALSO CARING IN SOME CASES FOR VARIOUS AREAS OF THE STATE AS WELL.

SO YOU DIDN'T MENTION IT, BUT I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA EMBARRASS YOU AND MAKE YOU , MAKE YOU BRAG ON YOURSELF.

'CAUSE I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE TO.

YEAH, GOOD CATCH.

UM, SO WE STILL DEPLOY PERSONNEL FOR THINGS LIKE HURRICANES, TORNADOES, AND ALL THAT IN THE FORM OF TEXAS TASK FORCE TWO.

AND THAT'S CHIEF CENTER IS A TASK FORCE LEADER, AND WE HAVE, I BELIEVE, EIGHT OR NINE OTHER PERSONNEL THAT GO AS MED TECHS OR, UM, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS PERSONNEL OR RESCUE SPECIALISTS.

UM, NOT A REAL BUSY YEAR.

LAST YEAR WE'VE HAD SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS FOR JUST A FEW DAYS, UH, BUT FREQUENTLY WE'RE GOING OUT THE DOOR WITH THEM.

THEN WE STILL SUPPORT TEXAS, UH, EMS, UM, YEAH, THE TEXAS EMERGENCY MEDICAL TASK

[01:55:01]

AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ONE CREW OUT.

THEY'VE BEEN OUT ABOUT TWO WEEKS, AND WE'VE ROTATED CREWS OUT IN WEST TEXAS FOR THE WILD WILDFIRES OUT THERE.

AND THEY'VE, THEY'VE GONE ALL OVER WEST SOUTH TEXAS IN ONE OF OUR AMBULANCES, UH, WITH A, WITH A FORESTRY TEAM, AND THEY'RE OUT THERE DOING THAT NOW, BEFORE LONG, I'LL HAVE A FEELING WE'LL BE SENDING OUT OUR WPU, WHICH IS WILD DAM PARAMEDIC UNIT, WHICH ARE, UH, UH, RESCUE AND EMS PERSONNEL ON A, ON OUR, UH, FIRE CART THAT YOU SAW, WILDFLOWER.

SO THEY'LL PROBABLY BE GOING OUT ON THAT PRETTY SOON BECAUSE THEY'RE KICKING UP WITH THIS WIND.

SO, YEP.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AWESOME.

ANY MORE COMMENTS, CHIEF? GREAT JOB.

I THANK YOU.

I'D LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO SHEILA AND YOUR TEAM, UM, EMS OF THE YEAR.

I MEAN, THAT'S QUITE IMPRESSIVE.

AND THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR COMMITMENT IN PARTNERING WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.

AND WE'RE A BETTER CITY BECAUSE OF YOU.

AND IT'S, UH, WE TALK ALL THE TIME, THIS COUNCIL DOES.

AND MR. MAN, UH, DON MAGNER AND HIS TEAM, WE TALK ALL, ALL THE TIME ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY, AND THIS IS JUST ONE OTHER LITTLE PIECE OF IT.

IT'S MAKING A HUGE IMPACT.

SO, YOU KNOW, DON'T GRADUATE TOO SOON, LADIES.

WE WOULD, WE NEED YOU HERE A LITTLE LONGER AND, UH, WE DO APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING.

SO THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH.

CHIEF, CHIEF, CHIEF, THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH, .

OKAY,

[10. CONSENT AGENDA]

AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GONNA GO TO ITEM NUMBER 10 FOR ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA.

I'D LIKE TO HAVE A MOTION.

MR. HUTSON RIDER MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO PROUDLY PUT FORTH THE CONSENT AGENDA, INCLUDING THE APPARATUS THAT THE CHIEF TALKED ABOUT JUST A MINUTE AGO.

SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE THAT MOTION FOR APPROVAL, MS. JUSTICE PROUDLY.

SECOND, I'D LIKE THE PRIDE.

WE TAKE A MOTION.

I GOT A, A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL A FAVOR.

SHOW OF HANDS, PLEASE.

PASSES.

THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

ALL RIGHTY.

[11. REPORT ON ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]

THAT'S GONNA BRING US TO ITEM NUMBER 11, REPORT ON ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST, MS. JUSTICE.

YEAH, I'M, WE'VE BEEN OFF FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS THERE.

I KNOW THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF THINGS.

THE ONE THING I WANNA HIGHLIGHT IS THE HIP HOP ORCHESTRA THAT HAPPENED AT THE EISMAN CENTER.

NOT ONLY WAS IT A REALLY COOL PROGRAM, BUT THE ORCHESTRA WAS THE PLANO EAST HIGH SCHOOL ORCHESTRA PLAYING WITH THESE PROFESSIONALS WHO CREATED THIS MUSIC.

UM, SO IT WAS REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL.

UM, I, WE WALKED IN AND MIKE SAID, WELL, I LOOK A LITTLE BIT YOUNG, AND I WAS LIKE, YEAH, THEY KIND OF DO.

AND THEN THEY ANNOUNCED THAT IT WAS THE PLANO EAST ORCHESTRA.

WE HAD LEARNED THIS MUSIC AND WAS ACTUALLY PERFORMING.

AND THIS GROUP, UM, THE, THE HIP HOP OR ORCHESTRA HAD A PBS SPECIAL COMING UP.

SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, BIG TIME STUFF THAT THE, THE PLANO EAST HIGH SCHOOL GOT ORCHESTRA GOT TO PLAY WITH.

SO IT WAS REALLY GREAT PROGRAM.

UH, SHOUT OUT TO, TO, UH, ALLIE OVER AT THE ICEMAN.

IT WAS REALLY, REALLY NEAT PROGRAMMING AND, UM, REALLY PROUD OF THE, THE SENIORS OVER AT PLANO EAST.

THANK YOU, MR. CORCORAN.

OH, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

UM, JUST, UH, A COUPLE THINGS REALLY QUICKLY.

UH, FIRST THE PARKS COMMISSION MET, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST TUESDAY.

IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE TUESDAY BEFORE, BECAUSE I'M GETTING THE LAST TWO WEEKS KIND OF CONFUSED WITH US BEING OFF, BUT EITHER WAY, UM, THEY PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO THEIR BUDGET RECOMMENDATION LETTER TO US.

AND SO, UM, WE SHOULD ALL BE LOOKING AT THAT SHORTLY.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I JUST, JUST REMIND EVERYONE THAT IT'S A LOT OF EFFORT THAT THEY PUT IN WITH NARROWING EVERYTHING DOWN.

AND SO, UH, FOR THIS BUDGET CYCLE, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THAT.

AND THEN, UM, ALSO, UH, ESTA DALLAS ALSO ESTA RICHARDSON REALLY HAD THEIR, UH, BIG RIBBON CUTTING RENOVATION FOR THAT.

SOME OF US MAY, I KNOW YOU WERE THERE.

I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER DORIAN, YOU WERE THERE.

UM, I DON'T REMEMBER ANY OF US THAT WERE THERE BESIDES US, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY NICE.

IT LOOKS AWESOME.

AND, UM, I MEAN, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A FULL RESTAURANT, A NICE LITTLE BAR MEETING AREAS IN THERE THAT PEOPLE CAN RENT.

IT'S A, IT'S A REAL NICE THING, AND IT REMINDS ME OF SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD ON COUNCIL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR ROLE WITH MEETING ROOM SPACE AND HOW THAT INTERACTS WITH SOME OF THE FULL SERVICE HOTELS IN THE AREA.

AND SO THIS IS DEFINITELY A FULL SERVICE HOTEL THAT, UH, THE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE EXCITED ABOUT UTILIZING.

THANK YOU, MR. .

UH, JUST MENTION ONE REAL QUICK.

WE HAD A GREAT, UM, OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT AND SPEND TIME WITH OUR FOLKS AT THE ISLAMIC ASSOCIATION OF NORTH NORTH TEXAS, THE ANNUAL INTERFAITH IF TAR DINNER AND OBSERVANCE OF RAMADAN.

THAT WAS ON WEDNESDAY THE 19TH.

I KNOW SEVERAL OF US WERE THERE AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BREAK BREAD, SO TO SPEAK, WITH OUR FRIENDS.

UM, AND JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THEM FOR INVITING US AND, AND MAKING IT SUCH A, A WARM AND A ACCOMMODATING EVENING.

THAT LAST WEEK, UH, MARCH 18TH, WE HAD A MAYOR, UH, AND I HAD A TRIP, AND WITH DON HAD A TRIP TO AUSTIN TO RECEIVE THAT, UH, TRANSPARENCY TRAIL, UH, START TRAIL BRIDGE, RIGHT? YES.

THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

WELL, I THINK I WILL HAVE YOU TALK A LITTLE MORE, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T FORGET THIS,

[02:00:01]

UH, AWARD, UH, FOR THE CITY OF RICHARD.

SO THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS SHOWS THAT WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND WE ARE DOING MORE THAN AVERAGE AND WE ARE DOING REALLY ALL THE RIGHT THINGS TO GET THAT AWARD.

I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE, UH, OUR, UH, CITY STAFF, WHOEVER INVOLVED, DON DEFINITELY, AND KEN.

AND IT'S LIKE EVERYONE, IT'S NOT JUST ONLY ONE OR TWO DEPARTMENT, MANY DEPARTMENT S AWARD.

UH, IT'S NOT JUST THE FINANCIAL, IT'S THE PROCUREMENT AND MANY OTHER THINGS.

SO MAYBE, UH, YOU CAN ELABORATE A LITTLE MORE.

THANK YOU'LL, I'LL BE HAPPY TO SAY A LITTLE MORE.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA SAY? NO, I, I THINK THAT'S, UM, YEAH, WELL, I JUST HAPPENED TO HAVE THAT AND I HAVE THIS TROPHY AND ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE COUNCIL AND MR. MAGNER AND SO FORTH, WE HAVE THIS STATE AWARD, I THINK ONE OF 19 OTHERS WHO HAVE ACTUALLY RECEIVED THIS TRANSPARENCY TRAILBLAZING AWARD.

NOW, THE COUNCIL HAS SET GOALS AND WE HAVE CHALLENGED OUR STAFF AND WE HAVE SAID WE WANT TO BE THE VERY BEST, WE WANT TO BE SETTING THE PACE FOR OTHERS.

AND, AND THIS INDICATES THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING AS A TEAM.

BUT THERE'S ANOTHER TEAM THAT ACCEPTED THAT CHALLENGE.

AND I, I, I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO IDENTIFY THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

OF COURSE, UNDER KENT'S GUIDING HAND AND HIS ENCOURAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, WE, IN FINANCE, WE HAVE AN ANITA COTRAN, TODD GASTRO.

TODD WAS ONE OF THE VERY FIRST TO START A WORK ON THIS PARTICULAR ASSIGNMENT GOING WAY BACK WHEN CASEY BENNETT GOING BACK TO, TO PROCUREMENT AND, UH, PURCHASING.

WE HAVE ALLIE DOBBINS AND VANESSA BORING IN BUDGET.

OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR GOOD FRIEND BUDGET, BOB BOBMEYER.

WE HAVE, WE HAVE KARA COPLEY, AND IN OUR TAX OFFICE WE HAVE CARLA BOLDS BOLTS IN COMMUNICATIONS.

WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT GREG AND HIS TEAM, GREG SOLES AND HIS TEAM, WHO IS GENERATING THE DYNAMIC WORDING THAT GETS ALL THIS A ACROSS TO THE COMMUN TO COMMUNICATE IT TO OUR, UH, COMMUNITY AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT MATTERS.

SO, AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T THANK JOE AND DAN FOR BEING ON THE AUDIT COMMITTEE THAT HELP OVERSEE AND HELP GUIDE AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WHILE WE'RE IN THERE.

SO, KENT, THIS IS FOR YOU, BUDDY.

TAKE IT.

YOUR, AND THAT, THAT AWARD, THAT AWARD IS REALLY, REALLY SIGNIFICANT.

IT REALLY IS.

AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

I KNOW ARFIN WAS THE EYE CANDY, AND DON AND I JUST KIND OF STOOD THERE, YOU KNOW, AND WAVED, BUT WE GOT TO RE WE GOT TO TAKE THAT, BUT IS ON THE BEHALF AND REPRESENTATION OF SO MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORKED COUNTLESS HOURS, AND I JUST WOULD BE REMISS IF WE DIDN'T CELEBRATE THEM AND SAY THANK YOU.

SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, SAID, YEP.

YES SIR.

CAN I JUST ONE? YEAH, I HOPE YOU DO.

YEAH, PLEASE DO.

UM, IT'S ACTUALLY A DIFFERENT TOPIC, BUT, UH, SO I JUST, UH, LAST THURSDAY, UM, WE GET TO CELEBRATE 126 OF OUR EMPLOYEES, UH, FOR SERVING, UM, ANYWHERE FROM FIVE YEARS TO 40 YEARS.

UH, AN AMAZING, UM, AN AMAZING MORNING.

UM, TWO OF THOSE, UH, EMPLOYEES ARE HERE TODAY.

SO I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE CHAD AND STEPHANIE, CHAD, STEPHANIE COME UP, UH, CHAD, UH, ONE OF THOSE.

SO, SO YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW BY LOOKING AT HIM, BUT CHAD, UH, RECEIVED HIS 25 YEAR PIN, 25 AMAZING YEARS OF SERVICE, AND STEPHANIE RECEIVED HER 30 YEAR PIN, UH, 30 YEARS OF AMAZING SERVICE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, UM, THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS AFTER THAT MANY YEARS, I, I WOULD THINK YOU GUYS COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET OUT OF THIS ASSIGNMENT.

, YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? JEFF? I DIDN'T KNOW THAT TO YOU.

STEPHANIE, APPRECIATE THE OVERTIME OPPORTUNITY.

, NO.

UM, WELL SERIOUSLY, IF, IF I

[02:05:01]

CAN SPEAK PLEASE.

UM, THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY UNIQUE POSITION TO BE ABLE TO SEE THIS EVERY WEEK AND, UM, TO SEE HOW Y'ALL WORK.

AND IT GIVES US A HOLY APPRECIATION.

AND I'VE BEEN SOMEWHERE IN THOSE 30 YEARS I FIGURED OUT WAS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHO THE COUNCIL PEOPLE WERE, BUT TO REALLY GET TO KNOW YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT AND SEE YOU GUYS SO REGULARLY, IT'S BEEN REALLY COOL.

YEAH.

SO, UM, I'M HAPPY TO DO THIS EVERY MONDAY NIGHT, SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WELL, THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.

IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

IT IS 8 0 5, COUNSEL, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A BREAK FOR 15 MINUTES AND GO HAVE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS MADE OF US.

GONNA GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AFTER 15 MINUTES, WE'LL BE BACK IN HERE.

AND GET READY FOR THE TRASH BASH PRESENTATION.

SO WE'RE

[EXECUTIVE SESSION]

SO IN COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION FIVE 5.1074, AND SECTION 5 5 1 0.0 8, 7 1, AND TWO OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE COUNSEL WILL CONVENE INTO A CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING DELIBERATION REGARDING PERSONNEL MATTERS, DISCUSSION REGARDING APPOINTMENTS AND REAPPOINTMENTS OF THE QUASI-JUDICIAL BOARDS AND COMMISSION, CITY PLANNING COMMISSION DELIBERATION REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO DELIBERATE COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM A BUSINESS PROSPECT, OR TO DELIBERATE THE OFFER OF A FINANCIAL OR OTHER INCENTIVE TO A BUSINESS PRO PROSPECT PROJECT, NOVA PROJECT JOURNEY AND PROJECT CONNECT.

THE TIME IS CURRENTLY 8 0 6 AND WE'LL RECONVENE AT 8 21 OR NOT RECONVENE, GOING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.