[CALL TO ORDER]
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I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE RICHARDSON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER AT 6:00 PM AND I'M GONNA CALL ON COUNCIL MEMBER CURTIS HISTORIAN FOR THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYER AS WE GATHER HERE TONIGHT.
WE THANK EVERYONE FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ATTEND AND SHARE YOUR APPRECIATION FOR THE CITY OF RICHARDSON AND FOR ALL THE INDIVIDUALS THAT SERVE AS VOLUNTEERS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
WE ASK THAT YOU GUIDE US IN GOOD DECISION MAKING AND TONIGHT'S OPERATING BUDGET REVIEW, AND LET US BE THANKFUL TO THE TEAM OF CITY STAFF FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND HARD WORK THAT WENT INTO TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
LET US BE RESPECTFUL OF THE TACTICS WE'RE ABOUT TO REVIEW SO WE CAN PROVIDE CLEAR DIRECTION AND VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF RICHARDSON AND FUTURE LEADERSHIP.
WE ASK THIS FOR YOUR GLORY AND PRAISE.
JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
JOIN ME IN THE TEXAS FLAG, HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER DORIAN.
[3. MINUTES OF THE SEPTEMBER 8, 2025 MEETING ]
ALL RIGHT, ITEM NUMBER THREE, UH, ARE THE MINUTES OF THE SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2025 MEETING MAYOR PRO TIM HUTCHIN, RIDER, MAYOR.I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE, THE MINUTES OF THE SEPTEMBER 8TH MEETING AS PUBLISHED COUNCIL MEMBER HUMMEL, I SECONDED.
ALRIGHT, HEARING A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
UH, COMMENTS, PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS AND VISITORS FORM.
WE ARE NOT IN RECEIPT OF ANY COMMENT CARDS IN ADVANCE OF THE 5:00 PM DEADLINE, AND I DO NOT BELIEVE WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
UH, I'D ALSO LIKE TO NOTE AT THIS POINT, MAYOR, THAT WE HAVE, UH, REVIEWED THE TAX TRANSPARENCY WEBSITES OF BOTH COLIN AND DALLAS COUNTY AND THERE ARE NO NEW COMMENTS.
UH, I RECALL WE, UH, PREVIOUSLY REPORTED TWO COMMENTS LAST WEEK, BUT NO NEW COMMENTS.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? ALRIGHT, SEEING NONE, UH, WE'LL MOVE
[5. PUBLIC HEARING ON THE FY 2025-2026 PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET.]
ON TO PUBLIC HEARING ITEM, UH, NUMBER FIVE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING ON THE FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26.MR. MAGNER, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, VERY EXCITED TONIGHT TO, UH, UH, UH, HAVE OUR, UH, BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH IS THE FINAL STEP BEFORE YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THE FY 26 BUDGET.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, THIS HAS BEEN A, UH, A YEAR LONG PROCESS WORKING UP TO ADOPTION TONIGHT.
UM, AGAIN WITH, UH, THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE, UH, BUDGET SCHEDULED, UH, SUBSEQUENT TO MY, UH, BRIEF PRESENTATION, UH, LET'S START WITH, UH, TAX RATE.
YOU DID, UH, HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON TAX RATE LAST WEEK AND, UM, HAVE SETTLED ON THE 5.218, UH, TAX RATE THAT, UH, IS A CHANGE.
UH, NO CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR, BUT AGAIN, IF YOU, UH, LOOK BACK, UH, DATING, UH, PRIOR TO 2006 AT THAT BOND PROGRAM WITH TAX RATE INCREASE, UH, WAS PART OF THAT CONSIDERATION, UH, IS, UH, THE LAST TIME WE'VE HAD A TAX RATE AS LOW AS THAT FIVE, UH, 0.54218.
UH, THAT PUTS US ABOUT 2 CENTS BELOW THE AVERAGE OF OUR PEER CITIES.
UH, THE AVERAGE OF 56, 6 3, 7 7 AND, UH, HAS AN IMPACT, UH, BOTH IN DALLAS AND COLLIN, UH, COLLIN COUNTY.
UH, THE RICHARDSON PORTION BEING ABOUT 25% IN DALLAS COUNTY, AND, UH, JUST SHY OF 30% IN COLLIN COUNTY.
UH, BASED ON THAT TAX RATE, WE'VE, UH, PRESENTED YOU WITH A BUDGET, UH, IN THE GENERAL FUND OF, UH, 181 MILLION, UH, UH, PLUS DOLLARS, UH, 83%, UH, OF THE REVENUE, UM, UH, COMING FROM, UH, REAL, REALLY THREE PRIMARY SOURCES.
UH, PROPERTY TAXES, UH, FRANCHISE FEES AND SALES TAXES, UH, AS WE HAVE, UH, UH, DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY, UH, PROPERTY TAXES, UH, FOR, UH, UH, UH, SEVERAL REASONS INCLUDING THE, UH, TI ABATEMENT, UH, UH, ERROR AS WELL AS THE NORTH SIDE EXEMPTION.
UH, STATUS, UH, PROPERTY TAXES DOWN OVERALL THIS YEAR, JUST SHY OF $900,000.
UH, OUR FRANCHISE FEES, AGAIN, UM, UH, ONE OF OUR, UH, THREE LARGEST, UH, SOURCES OF REVENUE, UH, GENERALLY, UM, UM, NET NEUTRAL HERE WITH AN, A SMALL INCREASE OF $300,000.
BUT AGAIN, UH, A BIG PORTION OF THAT, UH, INCREASE, OFFSET BY, UH, REACHES RECENT CHANGES IN LEGISLATION, UH, RESULTING IN OUR INABILITY TO CHARGE FRANCHISE FEES ON STREAMING SERVICES.
UH, THAT WAS, UH, A, UH, $260,000, $258,000, UH, NEGATIVE IMPACT THIS YEAR, UH, UH, AND WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE IMPACTS IN COMING YEARS.
UH, OUR, UH, SALES TAX, UH, CAUTIOUSLY, UH, BUDGETED FOR FY UH, 26, AS YOU'LL RECALL, UH, IN FY 24, EXPERIENCING A APPROXIMATELY A A $4 MILLION, UM, UH, DECLINE, UH, NOW REBOUNDING
[00:05:01]
SOMEWHAT IN FY, UH, 25, BUT AGAIN, UH, TAKING A CAUTIOUS APPROACH IN FY, UH, 26 FOR SEVERAL REASONS THAT WE'VE DE DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY.UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, OUR BUDGET, UH, DRIVERS, UH, MIXED, UH, BEVERAGE AND MINGO TAX REMAINING, UH, MINOR CHANGES RELATIVELY IMPORTANT.
AND THEN FINALLY, WITH OTHER REVENUES, UH, LOOKING AT, UM, UH, SEVERAL THAT, UH, ARE BASED ON JUST OUR, UH, NORMAL POST COVID I, UH, YEAR THAT WE WOULD, UH, EXPERIENCE A $147,000 INCREASE IN LICENSE AND PERMITTING, UH, BASED ON, UM, TRENDING ASSUMPTIONS, UH, FINES AND FORFEITURES, UH, UH, CORRESPONDING, UM, TO OUR CURRENT LEVEL OF ACTIVITIES.
OTHER REVENUES WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, FORECAST DECREASE OF ABOUT $334,000, UH, AS A RESULT OF AMBULANCE, UH, SERVICE, UH, UH, SERVICES AND 9 1 1 SERVICE FEES BEING DOWN OFFSET, HOWEVER, BY ABOUT A $500,000, UH, REVENUE INCREASE FROM THE, UH, ADDISON JAIL CONTRACT.
UH, THE, PROBABLY THE BIGGEST NOTEWORTHY, UH, PART OF THIS IS THE $750,000, APPROXIMATELY $750,000 DECLINE IN INTEREST EARNINGS, UM, UH, UH, MOSTLY ANTICIPATED, UH, UH, AS A RESULT OF TWO PROJECTED, UH, RATE CUTS BY THE FEDERAL RESERVE.
UH, ONE, UH, MAYBE, UH, OCCURRING THIS WEEK IN TERMS OF EXPENDITURES.
UH, UH, PERSONNEL SERVICES CONTINUE TO BE THE LARGEST DRIVER AT 67, UH, JUST OVER 67%, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, GENERAL GOVERNMENT RECREATION, LEISURE AND INFRASTRUCTURE MOBILITY ACCOUNTING FOR, UH, THREE QUARTERS OF THAT $181 MILLION OF EXPENDITURES, UH, IN TERMS OF PEOPLE, UH, WANT TO, UH, UH, DEMONSTRATE AND, AND SHARE OUR APPRECIATION FOR YOUR SUPPORT AGAIN, UM, AND, UH, PEOPLE BEING OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
UM, PUBLIC SAFETY SWORN ELIGIBLE FOR UP TO A FOUR AND HALF PERCENT MERIT BASE INCREASE AS PART OF THIS BUDGET.
TWO AND A HALF PERCENT ON 10, ONE 2% ON APRIL ONE, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, SWORN, UH, AND NONS AND NON-SWORN, UM, QUASI SWORN POSITIONS.
ALSO BEING ELIGIBLE FOR THEIR STEPS, UM, IN, UH, POLICE AND FIRE, GENERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, ELIGIBLE FOR A TWO AND A HALF PERCENT MERIT BASED INCREASE ON TEN ONE, AS WELL AS, UH, RAISING OUR MINIMUM STARTING WAGE FOR FULL-TIME, UH, EMPLOYEES AND PERMANENT PART-TIME EMPLOYEES FROM 20 TO $21, AND THEN $120,000 SET ASIDE, UH, FOR A STRATEGIC PAY PLAN.
ADJUSTMENTS, UH, THESE WOULD BE, UH, UH, POSITIONS THAT AFTER THE TWO AND A HALF PERCENT, UH, BEING APPLIED, WOULD, UH, STILL RANK, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW THAT FOURTH, UH, UH, RANK IN OUR COMPARISON CITIES.
UM, YOU SEE THE, UH, GREAT BENEFIT THAT THE 4.5% HAS ON PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, ALL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF, UH, ONE POSITION AND FIRE, ONE POSITION IN POLICE STRONGLY POSITIONING US, UH, HERE IN THE METROPLEX AND ACHIEVING THAT GOAL OF BEING IN THE TOP QUADRANT.
AND THEN EVEN MORE SO, UH, ON GENERAL EMPLOYEE, UH, GENERAL EMPLOYEE PAY, UH, POSITIONING US AGAIN VERY STRONGLY, UH, ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND INCREASE OF JUST 1.1, $1.5 MILLION YEAR OVER YEAR.
HOWEVER, SOME KEY FUNDING, UM, UM, DEDICATIONS, UH, IN FIRE, OF COURSE, UH, MOST NOTEWORTHY HERE IS THE ADDITION OF 12 APPRENTICE FIREFIGHTERS AS PART OF A NEW RECRUITING CLASS.
UH, OUTFITTING THEM WITH ALL OF THEIR PPE AND ALL THE GEAR THAT'S, UH, REQUIRED.
YOU SEE THE BATTALION CHIEF VEHICLE BEING REPLACED AS WELL AS TWO AMBULANCES, UH, BRUSH TRUCK, AND, UH, IMPORTANTLY FOR SAFETY, 70 BALLISTIC VESTS, THAT'LL AND PROTECTIVE PLATES THAT'LL BE ON, UH, ALL OF THE APPARATUS AND, AND FIRE AS THEY RESPOND.
UH, AND POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES SOME, UM, UM, SOME KEY, UH, REINVESTMENTS, UH, IN THINGS LIKE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH FIRE AS WELL FOR THAT.
UM, OUR CONTINUING FUNDING OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES SUCH AS UNIDOS, THE DEPARTMENT MANAGERS, UH, MEETINGS, FAITH-BASED, UH, PROGRAMS, AND THEN 13, UH, REPLACEMENT PATROL VEHICLES, UH, THE RED DOT OPTIC SITES, UH, AND, UH, COMPATIBLE HOLSTERS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT TO OUR PD, UM, IN TERMS OF TRAINING AND, AND, UM, UH, FOR CONSISTENCY, UH, AMONGST THE DEPARTMENT AND WITHIN, UH, OTHER AGENCIES.
UH, A, UH, FROM A, UH, RESTRICTED PURPOSE FUND, I BELIEVE IT'S THE, UH, SCHOOL SAFETY FUND, UH, THE PURCHASE OF SIDE BY SIDE UTILITY VEHICLE, AND THEN AS A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT HERE.
BUT, UH, FIRST YEAR BEGINNING IN FY 27, UH, FOR THE NEW TRAINING CENTER, UH, WITH THE CITY OF PLANO, UH, OUR, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, UH, UH, CHANGE OF ABOUT $500,000, BUT IMPORTANTLY, UM, NOT NEEDING TO, UM, UM, REDUCE ANY OF THE TRANSFER OUTS, UH, FOR STREETS, ALLEYS, PARKS AND FACILITIES.
AND THEN MAINTAINING OUR STREETS, I'M SORRY, OUR SCREENING, WALL BRIDGE MAINTENANCE, BRIDGE RAIL MAINTENANCE, UM, AND, UH, OUR TRAFFIC, UH, MARKING SIGNS, SIGNALS, AND STREETLIGHTS, UH, THE LATTER OF WHICH WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO, UM, UH, HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN ADJUSTMENT FOR INFLATIONARY PRESSURES THAT WE WERE SEEING.
UM, I WON'T GO THROUGH THESE PROJECTS.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THESE SEVERAL TIMES NOW, BUT YOU'LL SEE, UH, A ROBUST, UM, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE WORK PLAN, UH, FOR FY, UH, 26.
IN TERMS OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS, I'LL JUST HIT SOME HIGHLIGHTS HERE.
COMMUNITY SERVICES CONTINUING OUR, OUR, UH, FUNDING IN THE HOME IMPROVEMENT CENTER PROGRAM, AS WELL AS OUR FOCUS ON NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION SUPPORT PROGRAMS, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UH, AN INCREASE OF JUST $20,000, BUT IMPORTANTLY, COMBINING PLANNING DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TO PROVIDE MAXIMUM, UH, FLEXIBILITY AND BUDGET MANAGEMENT
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FOR THE, UH, OUR DIRECTOR, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, OVER $3 MILLION FUNDING, UH, FROM GENERAL FUND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND AND TAX INCREMENT FINANCE, UH, FUNDING, UM, UH, CONTINUING, UM, A, UH, KEY MAINTENANCE, UH, AS I'VE STATED PREVIOUSLY TO THE DECREASE IN THE GENERAL FUND IS JUST FROM, UH, SOME, UH, UM, A MORE SENIOR LEVEL POSITIONS, UM, UH, SOME ATTRITION IN THOSE AND BEING REPLACED WITH, UH, NEW OR YOUNGER TALENT.UH, AND SO NO, NO DECREASE IN STRATEGICALLY IN ANYTHING THAT WE'RE SPENDING.
UH, A LARGE INCREASE, UH, RELATIVELY SPEAKING THIS YEAR IN FLEET AND FACILITY SERVICES.
UH, FACILITY SERVICES, UM, CONTINUING, UH, ON KEY, UH, MAINTENANCE INVESTMENTS FLEET, UH, UM, REALLY NEEDING TO DEPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE ON EXTERIOR, UH, OR EXTERNAL SERVICES TO, UH, HELP WITH THE FLEET MAINTENANCE, UH, GENERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, YOU SEE DOWN, UH, $1.6 MILLION.
A BIG PART OF THAT IS THE $2.2 MILLION ASSUMPTION, UM, AND SAVINGS FROM, UH, ATTRITION AS WELL AS THE 26 FROZEN POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, BUT IMPORTANTLY, KEEPING KEY CONTRIBUTIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH NETWORK COMMUNITY MINISTRIES, UH, COUNCIL IN PLACE IN THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
UH, IT, UH, JUST AN INCREASE OF $287,000, UM, BUT, UH, CONTINUING, UH, IMPORTANTLY ALL OF THE WORK ON OUR LEGACY SYSTEMS, UH, TRANSITION, AS WELL AS, UM, UH, UH, WHEN APPROPRIATE, UH, UM, UM, TRANSITIONING TO OUR CLOUD-BASED, UH, SERVICES, UH, THE LIBRARY, A HUNDRED EIGHTY, FIFTY, A HUNDRED FIFTY $8,000 INCREASE, UM, SUPPORTS, UH, THE PURCHASE OF, UH, OF OUR, UM, LIBRARY, UM, BOOKS AS OUR ANNUAL PURPOSE, UH, PURCHASE AS WE DO, BUT ALSO, UM, SUPPORTS OUR, UH, RETURN, UH, TO, UH, OPERATIONS FROM THE TEMPORARY LIBRARY TO OUR PERMANENTLY, UH, REMODELED, UH, LIBRARY, UH, MID, UH, MID 2026, UH, AND, UH, INCREASED ABOUT $500,000 AGAIN IN, UM, IN PARKS AND REC.
UM, A LOT OF THAT, UH, FOCUSED ON OUR TRADITIONAL, UH, COMMUNITY EVENTS, UM, BUT ALSO THE CONTINUATION OF THE PROPERTY TAX DEDICATION FOR PARKS MAINTENANCE.
UH, TRANSFER OUTS, AS I MENTIONED, HAVE NOT CHANGED.
YOU CAN SEE STREETS, ALLEY FACILITIES AND PARKS.
VERY MUCH APPRECIATES YOUR SUPPORT ON THAT.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS WELL REMAINS UNCHANGED, AS DOES OUR, UM, UM, UM, DEDICATION, UM, FOR CAPITAL, UH, REPLACEMENT FUND.
ACTUALLY A REDUCTION OF 400 8100, UH, $481,000.
HOWEVER, THAT'S JUST A RIGHT SIZING, UM, OF THE TRANSFER OUT FOR THE PURCHASES THAT WE IDENTIFIED AS NEEDED FOR THIS YEAR.
UH, AGAIN, UH, MOVING FORWARD, THAT NUMBER WILL FLUCTUATE YEAR TO YEAR, AND WE'LL JUST KIND OF ADJUST ACCORDINGLY AS A RESULT.
UH, THAT'S A SUMMARY OF THE GENERAL FUND, THE WATER AND SEWER SUN, UH, WATER AND SEWER, UH, FUND.
119, ALMOST $120 MILLION FUND.
UH, ROUGHLY 97% OF THAT REVENUE COMES FROM WATER AND SEWER RATES.
UH, AS, UH, WE'VE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, THERE'S A 6% INCREASE IN BOTH WATER AND SEWER RATES.
UH, 5.6 OF THE $6.6 MILLION TOTAL INCREASE IN REVENUE FROM THESE CHANGES.
I RECALL ALSO THAT WE'RE TAKING A, A TWO YEAR VIEW, UH, OF THIS, UM, INCREASES THAT THE NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT SHARED WITH US, BOTH ON WATER AND SEWER, AS WELL AS SOLID WASTE.
UH, BY LEAVING THE FY 25 YEAR-END FUNDING, UH, YEAREND FUND BALANCE IN THE FUND, UH, THAT'S HELPING PROVIDE FOR A TWO YEAR SMOOTHING APPROACH IN RESPONSE, UH, TO THOSE INCREASES THAT THE DISTRICT SHARED WITH US.
RECALL, UH, WE WERE ANTICIPATING ANYWHERE FROM MAYBE A SEVEN TO A 9% INCREASE HAD WE NOT, UH, USED THAT.
UM, IMPORTANT, UM, IMPORTANT BALANCING STRATEGY THERE.
UM, JUST AS A REMINDER, UM, FOR PURCHASING ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF WHOLESALE WATER, THIS, UH, NEXT YEAR, WE'LL BE PAYING ABOUT $1.8 MILLION MORE THAN WE DID THIS YEAR.
AND FOR TREATING ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF SEWER, WE'LL BE, UH, PAYING ABOUT $5.3 MILLION MORE, UH, NEXT YEAR COMPARED TO THIS YEAR.
IN TERMS OF EXPENDITURES, YOU CAN SEE THERE THAT 63% OF THE EXPENDITURES ARE DEDICATED SIMPLY TO BUYING WATER, UH, AND TO TREATING OUR SEWER.
UH, THE REMAINING, UH, LARGE, UH, UH, CONTRIBUTORS THERE, OBVIOUSLY, UH, FOR OUR PERSONNEL SERVICES, UH, AND FOR OUR, UM, OPERATING, UH, TRANSFERS OUT AND OTHER USES AT 10%, UH, SOLID WASTE FUND, UH, NINE 20, UH, JUST OVER $20 MILLION BUDGET, 90% OF THAT REVENUE COMES FROM OUR SOLID WASTE REVENUES.
AGAIN, HERE, WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT ON THE RESIDENTIAL COLLECTION SIDE OF 50 CENT PER MONTH, PER, UH, TAX, UH, PER MONTH PLUS TAX, UH, RATE INCREASE WILL BE, UH, IMPLEMENTED FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
UH, SENIORS WILL STILL, UH, OBTAIN THAT 37 SET, UH, PER MONTH INCREASE, UM, WHILE MAINTAINING THAT 26% DISCOUNT THAT WE HAVE FOR MANY YEARS.
UM, THESE ADJUSTMENTS ARE ONLY EXPECTED TO GENERATE ABOUT $143,000 COMPARED TO THE COMMERCIAL COLLECTION IN ADJUSTMENTS OF $560,000.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS A, UM, A RATE INCREASE THAT, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT IN A TWO YEAR VIEW.
RECALL, WHILE WE HAD A 2.3% RATE INCREASE THIS YEAR FROM THE WATER DISTRICT, WE'RE LOOKING AT A 9.1% RATE INCREASE NEXT YEAR.
AND SO TRYING TO GET AHEAD, UM, AND REALLY TAKE A TWO YEAR VIEW FOR SMOOTHING PURPOSES LIKE WE DID ON THE WATER FUND AS WELL.
SOLID WASTE FUND, UH, ABOUT 20% OF OUR, UH, UH, UH, EXPENDITURES ARE FOR, UH, DISPOSAL FEES.
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REMAINING, UM, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE REMAINING SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ON THAT IS THE PERSONNEL SERVICES AT ABOUT 36%, UH, AND THEN AGAIN, OPERATING TRANSFER OUTS AND OTHER USES AT ABOUT 22%.THE GOLF FUND, UH, VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD THIS YEAR, JUST AT ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
99.3% OF THOSE REVENUES ARE FROM, UM, UH, UH, UH, FOR, UM, UM, UM, COURSE RELATED, UH, UH, FEES THAT ARE CHARGED.
ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, ABOUT 40%, UH, OF THE PERS OF THE EXPENDITURES ARE RELATED TO PERSONNEL SERVICES.
UM, THE OTHER DRIVERS, UH, THINGS LIKE SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS FOR MAINTAINING, UH, THE COURSES AND SOME PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AS WELL.
HOTEL MOTEL TAX FUND, UM, AT, UH, JUST ABOUT AN EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THIS YEAR.
UH, ALMOST 60% OF THAT, UH, REVENUE COMES FROM, UH, EISMAN CENTER, UH, RENTALS, EISMAN CENTER, PRESENT REVENUES, UM, AND, UM, AND THEN, UM, OTHER, UH, REVENUES FROM, UH, PARKING FEES IS THE NEXT LARGEST CATEGORY IN TERMS OF THE EXPENDITURE SIDE.
UH, PERSONNEL SERVICES IS THE LARGEST DRIVER HERE AT 30, UH, JUST ABOUT 37%, UM, AND THEN PROFESSIONAL FILED BY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AT ABOUT 20, UH, 7%.
AND THEN SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, UH, THERE IS A, UH, INCREASE IN THE DRAINAGE FUND OF $1 PER MONTH, UH, RISING TO, UH, $6 AND 25%, $6 25 CENTS PER MONTH OVERALL, AS WELL AS THE, UM, THE, UM, PROPORTIONAL INCREASE FOR COMMERCIAL.
UH, AGAIN, I THINK THE IMPORTANT PART HERE IS TO NOTE THAT ALL $758,000 HERE, UH, THAT, UH, THAT THE PROPOSED FEE ADDS WILL BE DEDICATED TO CONSTRUCTING CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THERE'S NO MORE NO OPERATING COSTS THAT WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
UM, THIS IS, UH, UH, NEEDED, UH, PREDOMINANTLY TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH CAPITAL, UH, DRAINAGE PROJECTS, UM, MORE THAN JUST, UH, ON THE REGULAR RHYTHM OF OUR BOND PROGRAMS. AND SO THIS WILL BE IMPORTANT, UH, IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH MORE.
UH, AND IF WE DECIDE TO TAKE A TWO OR A THREE YEAR VIEW, UM, AND, UH, PUTS AND RESERVE SOME OF THESE DOLLARS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT DRAINAGE, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS, AS WELL AS JUST MORE FREQUENT.
UM, DID WANNA POINT OUT ON PAGE JUST 25 OF ONE OH THROUGH 1 0 4 OF THE, UM, FILED BUDGET WILL BE, UM, BOTH THE INTERNAL SERVICES FUNDS, THE RESTRICTED PURPOSE FUNDS, UH, FOR, UH, REVIEW.
UH, OUR CAPITAL AND DEBT, UH, PROGRAM FOR FY 26 TIES OFF TO ALL THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'VE SEEN PREVIOUSLY IN GENERAL GOVERNMENT, $41.8 MILLION, UH, WASTEWATER WATER AND WASTEWATER, 20, UH, 0.14 MILLION.
AND THEN SOLID WASTE, UH, JUST OVER 2 MILLION, 2.2 MILLION FOR A TOTAL OF 64, UH, 1 45.
UH, JUST A COUPLE OF FINAL THOUGHTS HERE.
UM, OUR, UH, TOTAL BUDGET, UH, IS, UH, 400, UH, 418, UH, MILLION DOLLARS, UH, 498, 2 70.
THAT'S AN INCREASE OF ABOUT $12.4 MILLION OR 3.1% YEAR OVER YEAR.
UH, HOWEVER, I DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE GENERAL FUND LINE, UH, AND $181.5 MILLION BUDGET.
WE'RE INCREASING $1.2 MILLION OR 0.67%.
UM, I JUST WANNA, UH, THANK OUR, OUR DEPARTMENTS, UM, AND, UM, OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM HERE.
THAT IS AN AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT, UH, GIVEN WHERE WE WERE, UH, AND HAD WE NOT DONE THAT GOOD WORK, UH, WHERE WE MIGHT BE TODAY, AND WHAT WE MIGHT BE DISCUSSING.
AND SO, JUST WANNA, UH, REALLY GIVE GREAT CREDIT TO OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND, AND ALL OF OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM FOR WORKING THROUGH THAT.
AGAIN, UM, OF THAT $12.4 MILLION, $10.3 MILLION OF THAT INCREASE IS IN THE WATER AND SEWER FUND, AND LARGELY DRIVEN BY THE INCREASES THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING, UH, IN RATES FROM, UH, FROM THE NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT.
ALMOST ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS OF THAT IS IN, UM, THE, UH, SOLID WASTE FUND WHERE WE'VE DISCUSSED AT LENGTH THE PRESSURES.
AND SO, UM, AS, AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE, WE'LL CONTINUE, UH, TO BE EXTREMELY MINDFUL OF OUR WATER AND WASTEWATER AND SOLID WASTE FUNDS, AS, UH, THEY ARE, ARE BY FAR THE LARGEST DRIVERS, UH, IN THE INCREASE, UH, IN OUR YEAR OVER YEAR BUDGET.
UM, IN TERMS OF A IMPACT FOR OUR TYPICAL TAXPAYER, YOU CAN SEE YEAR OVER YEAR A CHANGE OF ABOUT 237, UH, DOLLARS, ABOUT $127, AND, UH, ADDITIONAL PROPERTY TAXES, 61, UH, IN WATER, 9 29 IN SEWER, 12 IN DRAINAGE, AND THEN EIGHT ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE.
UH, JUST A, UH, COUPLE OF CLOSING REMARKS HERE.
UM, I, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THIS BUDGET IS, IS HIGHLY ALIGNED AND, AND, AND, UH, HIGHLY ALIGNED WITH AND, AND RESPONSIVE TO OUR CORE MISSIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND YOU'VE HEARD ME, UM, SINCE THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE BUDGET RETREAT, IF NOT EVEN IN THE DEEP DIVES, UH, TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
I BELIEVE THAT, UM, OUR MAIN GOAL HERE IN THESE, UH, THIS NEXT YEAR AND UNTIL WE RETURN TO A GROWTH MODE, SHOULD BE DELIVERING ON THESE CORE SERVICES IN A WAY THAT INSTILLS CONFIDENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK IF WE DO THAT WE'LL CONTINUE AND CONTINUE TO, UM, UM, CONCENTRATE ON OUR, THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE, UM, STAKEHOLDERS
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AND, AND RESIDENTS WILL, UH, CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE UNINTERRUPTED, RELIABLE SERVICES, UM, THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.AND THAT SHOULD BE A, A PRIMARY GOAL OF OUR OURS.
UH, BY EXCELLING AT THESE FUNDAMENTALS DURING THIS TIME, WE'RE GONNA CREATE STABILITY THAT'LL CONTINUE TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT AND FOSTER DEVELOPMENT AND LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR OUR LONG-TERM PROSPERITY.
WE CAN'T TAKE OUR EYE OFF OF THESE IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES.
I, I, I HAVE, UH, SPOKEN AT NAUSEUM, PROBABLY IF YOU ASK OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS ABOUT MAKING SURE WE AVOID MISSION DRIFT.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY AROUND THIS DAIS, UM, SHOULD BE, UH, COMMITTED TO AS WELL.
IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT WE CONTAIN COST AND WE PRIORITIZE THE LIMITED RESOURCES THAT WE DO HAVE DURING THIS TIME.
UM, WE HAVE TO PROTECT AGAINST OVEREXTENSION IF WE DON'T CORE MISSIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES WILL SUFFER.
AND THAT'S WHAT, UH, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE ON THAT.
AND I, I STRONGLY BELIEVE, UH, THIS, FOR ALL OF THE REASONS THAT WE DISCUSSED DURING THE RETREAT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OUTLOOK, BY MAINTAINING THIS CLEAR FOCUS ON OUR CORE MISSIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES THROUGHOUT THIS ECONOMIC CYCLE AND THESE, UM, CHALLENGING TIMES THAT, THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN TODAY, UM, WE WILL BE ONE OF THE BEST POSITIONED CITIES IN NORTH TEXAS TO RESPOND TO OUR GROWTH MODE.
AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE QUEUE TODAY FROM AN INVESTMENT STANDPOINT IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE GOOD WORK THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT, AND HOW THAT'LL IMPACT US 12 AND 18 AND 20 MONTHS, UH, 24 MONTHS FROM NOW.
AND SO, UM, AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, I JUST WANNA THANK, UH, BOB AND OUR WHOLE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND THE CMO, ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS, UH, COUNCIL, I WANT TO THANK YOU.
MANY PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE WATCHING THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME, DON'T REALIZE THAT IN ADDITION TO OVER 20 HOURS OF BRIEFING TIME, UM, YOU'VE SPENT, UM, UM, PROBABLY, UM, UM, AS MUCH TIME PREPARING AT HOME, LOOKING AT THE, THE BUDGET, LOOKING AT PREPARING FOR ALL THE DEEP DIVES.
IF YOU THINK OF THE DEEP DIVES, YOU THINK OF THE WORKSHOP, YOU THINK OF THE PRESENTATIONS, UM, IT'S AN INCREDIBLE TASK.
AND, AND IT'S AN ALL A REALLY HONOR TO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PUT TOGETHER, UH, THIS KIND OF A BUDGET TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU'VE BEEN INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE, UH, TO CITY STAFF THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS, AND I REALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO MAKING SURE THAT, UH, WE DO THIS IN AN EXCEPTIONAL WAY.
AND SO, UH, AND AGAIN, TO THANKS TO THE WHOLE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND BOB, UH, THANKS TO BOB.
BOB WAS A SOLO BUDGET BOB, UH, THIS YEAR, UM, AS, UH, AS KARA TOOK A, UM, A MUCH, UH, DESERVED RETIREMENT.
AND SO BOB, THANKS, UH, THANKS TO YOU AND, AND THE WHOLE TEAM.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? ALRIGHT, AS YOU MENTIONED, UH, THIS IS, UH, A NUMBER OF TIMES AND A NUMBER OF HOURS SPENT ON THIS.
AND, UH, FOR THOSE WATCHING AT HOME THAT MAY BE WATCHING FOR THE FIRST TIME, UH, THE COUNCIL HAS SPENT JUST A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME, DOZENS AND DOZENS OF QUESTIONS.
UH, SO IF YOU'RE SEEING NONE TODAY, IT'S JUST BECAUSE THOSE HAVE BEEN ASKED AND ANSWERED.
UH, AT THIS TIME, I'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND SEE IF THERE ARE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS.
MS. ER, I DON'T HAVE ANY CARDS, MAYOR.
ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE HAVE A COMMENT THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE? ALRIGHT.
SEEING NONE, UH, I WILL HEAR A MOTION.
UH, MAYOR PRO TEM HUTCHIN, WRITER MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER MSO SECOND DO ALRIGHT, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[6. CONSIDER ORDINANCE APPROVING AND ADOPTING A BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2025 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2026. ]
WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER SIX.UH, CONSIDER ORDINANCE APPROVING AND ADOPTING A BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2025, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026.
MAYOR, I MOVE TO APPROVE AND ADOPT A BUDGET BY ORDINANCE FOR ALL CITY SERVICES EXCEPT WELLNESS SERVICES, IMMUNIZATIONS, EMPLOYEE SHOTS, AND METHODIST RICHARDSON MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION.
EVENT SPONSORSHIP SLASH ADVERTISING FOR THE YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2025, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026.
ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER WO I SECOND IT.
ALRIGHT, HAVING THE MOTION AND THE SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MOTION? ALRIGHT.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? ALL THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, UM, WITH SEVEN VOTES IN FAVOR AND NO MEMBERS OPPOSED.
MAYOR PRO TEM HUTCHEN RIDER MAYOR, DUE TO A C, CONFLICT OF INTEREST ON A FILE WITH THE CITY SECRETARY.
I'LL ABSTAIN FROM THIS DISCUSSION.
VOTE AND I WILL STEP OUT OF THE ROOM.
COUNCIL MEMBER DOREEN, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION MM-HMM
TO APPROVE TO, TO APPROVE AND ADOPT A BUDGET FOR
[00:25:01]
WELLNESS SERVICES, IMMUNIZATION, EMPLOYEE SHOTS, AND METHODIST RICHARDSON MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION.EVENT SPONSORSHIP ADVERTISING FOR THE YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2025 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026.
COUNCIL MEMBER CORCORAN SECOND.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH SIX MEMBERS VOTING IN FAVOR AND ZERO MEMBERS OPPOSED.
[7. CONSIDER ORDINANCE LEVYING THE AD VALOREM TAXES FOR THE YEAR 2025 (FISCAL YEAR 2025- 2026) AT A RATE OF $0.54218 PERONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100) ASSESSED VALUATION ON ALL TAXABLE PROPERTY WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF RICHARDSON AS OF JANUARY 1, 2025. ]
MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, CONSIDER ORDINANCE LEVYING THE AD VALOREM TAXES FOR THE YEAR 2025, FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26 AT A RATE OF 0.54218 PER $100 ASSESSED VALUATION ON ALL TAXABLE PROPERTY WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF RICHARDSON.AS OF JANUARY 1ST, 2025, COUNCIL MEMBER SAMSO, I MOVE THAT THE PROPERTY TAX RATE BE INCREASED BY THE ADOPTION OF A TAX RATE OF DOLLARS 0.54218, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 2.54% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CORCORAN SECOND.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER SCH SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER CORCORAN.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
SEVEN MEMBERS VOTING IN FAVOR.
[8. CONSIDER RATIFYING THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE REFLECTED IN THE ADOPTED BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2025 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2026. ]
MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.CONSIDER RATIFYING THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE REFLECTED IN THE ADOPTED BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.
BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2025 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026.
COUNCIL MEMBER CORCORAN, I MOVED TO RATIFY THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET ADOPTED FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2025, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER CORCORAN SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER SHAM.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, THAT, UH, PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH ALL SEVEN MEMBERS VOTING IN FAVOR AND NO MEMBERS OPPOSED.
[9. BUDGET CONSENT AGENDA]
OH, OKAY.UH, WE HAVE NEXT THE BUDGET CONSENT AGENDA AND I SEE COUNCIL MEMBER JUSTICE, UH, MOVE TO APPROVE THE BUDGET CONSENT AGENDA AS PUBLISHED.
ALRIGHT, MAYOR PRO TEM HUTCHIN, UH, I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION.
ALRIGHT, AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BUDGET.
[10. CONSENT AGENDA]
ALRIGHT, UH, ITEM NUMBER 10.THERE IS ANOTHER CONSENT AGENDA.
COUNCIL MEMBER CORCORAN, I MOVED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PUBLISHED COUNCIL MEMBER JUSTICE.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND ON THAT CONSENT AGENDA.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[11. REVIEWAND DISCUSS THE CORE DISTRICT ART DROP ]
WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 11.UH, THAT IS TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE COURT DISTRICT ART DROP.
MR. MAGNA, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.
VERY EXCITED TO HAVE, UH, KAYLA JOHNSON, OUR PLACEMAKING, UH, MANAGER, UH, WITH US TONIGHT.
UH, SHE IS GONNA SHARE A VERY, UH, A VERY CREATIVE, VERY, UH, EXCITING, UM, OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO REALLY, UH, GET INVOLVED IN OUR, UH, DOWNTOWN PORTION OF OUR COURT DISTRICT.
UH, UH, SO LET KAYLA, LET ME, UH, THROW IT OVER TO YOU AND LET, UH, LET YOU SHARE, UH, THIS REALLY NEAT IDEA THAT YOU, UH, CAME UP WITH WITH THE COUNCIL.
SO HELLO TO THE COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE MAYOR.
SO, IN RICHARDSON, THE CULTURE ARTS REPRESENT THE VERY HEART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
RICHARDSON'S THRIVING ART SCENE FOSTERS A SENSE OF BELONGING.
IT CREATES PLACES INTO SPACES WHERE STORIES ARE TOLD, TRADITIONS ARE HONORED, AND NEW IDEAS TAKE PLACE.
SO I'M SO EXCITED TO INTRODUCE TO YOU ART DROP DAY.
ART DROP DAY IS A NATIONAL MOVEMENT, ONE WHERE LOCAL ARTISTS DONATE ORIGINAL PIECES OF ART TO THE CITY AND STAFF, WHICH IS ME, WILL GO OUT AND HIDE IT WITHIN PUBLIC SPACES, RESIDENTS AND VISITORS SEARCH, FIND AND KEEP THE ART.
ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, YOU'LL NOTICE THE FLYER, WHICH IS SIX BY NINE INCHES, IS ALSO RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AS WELL.
THIS FLOWER WILL ALLOW THE SEEKER THAT THE ARTWORK THEY FOUND IS PART OF THE OFFICIAL ART DROP DAY.
FOR RICHARDSON, WE DESIGNED THE FLYER WITH RICHARDSON IN MIND.
THE X REPRESENTS THAT RICHARDSON WAS FOUNDED WITHIN A RAILROAD DEPOT.
THE QR CODE TAKES YOU TO THE CORE DISTRICT INSTAGRAM PAGES, AND THE O AND DROP IS ALSO OUR CORE DISTRICT LOGO.
IF YOU FLIP IT OVER, YOU'LL NOTICE WHERE WE SHOWCASE THE ARTISTS.
[00:30:02]
YOU'LL SEE THE NAME OF THE ARTIST AT THE TOP, THE TITLE OF THE ARTWORK, THE TYPE OF MEDIUM THAT THE ARTIST USED, THE ARTIST'S PERSONAL WEBSITE, AS WELL AS THEIR INSTAGRAM PAGES, A PICTURE OF THE ARTIST AND A PICTURE OF THE ARTWORK THAT THEY FOUND NEXT TO THE ARTIST'S BIOGRAPHY.ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE, YOU'LL FIND TWO QR CODES.
THE FIRST QR CODE WILL TAKE YOU TO THE RICHARDSON'S CORE DISTRICT WEBSITE PAGES WHERE WE SHOWCASE OUR MERCHANTS WITHIN CORE AND WITHIN THREE CATEGORIES, SHOP, RETAIL, AND SERVICES.
THE SECOND QR CODE WILL TAKE YOU TO OUR INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK'S PAGES, WHERE WE HIGHLIGHT OUR CORE MERCHANTS WITH WHAT THEY SELL, AS WELL AS WHAT WHAT THEY MAKE THE RULES ARE ALSO SHOWN TO.
WHAT YOU DO IS YOU TAKE A PHOTO OF THE ARTWORK THAT YOU FOUND, YOU TAG RICHARDSON CORE DISTRICT, AND YOU USE THE HASHTAG CORE MEMORY, AND THEN YOU GET TO KEEP THE ART ARTWORK FOR FOREVER.
NOW, AT THIS POINT, YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING WHERE ARE WE FINDING THESE ARTISTS? HOW DO THE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS KNOW EXACTLY ABOUT THIS EVENT? AND WHERE ARE WE HIDING THE ARTWORK? WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE RICHARDSON CIVIC ART SOCIETY, AS WELL AS THE ARTISTS THAT HAVE WON THE TRAFFIC BOX SIGNAL CONTESTS.
VISIT RICHARDSON AND THE CORE DISTRICT WILL BE PROMOTING THIS EVENT THAT WILL TAKE PLACE THIS COMING UP FRIDAY.
SO SEPTEMBER 19TH FROM 12 P TO ONE P.
AND OUR CORE INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK STORIES WILL SHOW CLUES TO THE SEEKER TO FIND THE ARTWORK.
THE ARTWORK WILL BE HIDDEN IN FIVE NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN THE CORE DISTRICT.
IF YOU LOOK ON THE LEFT SIDE, I ACTUALLY HAVE CULTIVATED AN EXAMPLE.
SO YOU'LL SEE THE PIECE OF ARTWORK AS WELL AS NEXT TO ONE OF THE PIECES OF ART THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE CORE DISTRICT.
YOU'LL SEE THE CLUE FOLLOW THE TRACKS OF THE DOWNTOWN WHERE TEXAS PRIDE AND A RISING SUN TELL RICHARDSON'S 150 YEAR STORY.
WE ALSO HAVE THE ARTIST CHARLES CLAUDETTE'S, HIS INSTAGRAM PAGES.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT OUT THERE, BUT YOU WANT TO FOLLOW IN LOG WITH WHAT THE ARTISTS HAVE SHOWCASED BEFORE, YOU CAN CLICK ON IT.
IT'LL TAKE YOU TO THEIR INSTAGRAM PAGES.
AND THEN JUST IN CASE, IF THE WIND HAPPENS TO BLOW THE FLYER AWAY AND YOU FORGET WHAT EXACTLY THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE, WE HAVE IT FOUND IT.
TAG RICHARDSON CORE DISTRICT AND HASHTAG CORE MEMORIES.
WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR THIS EVENT BECAUSE NOT ONLY WAS IT SO MUCH FUN BRAINSTORMING WITH OUR SENIOR GRAPHIC ARTIST, CHARLES CLAUDETTE, BUT IT ALSO ALIGNS WITH THE NEWLY ADOPTED MASTER PLAN.
THE MASTER PLAN S THE MA ARTS MASTER PLAN SUPPORTS RICHARDSON'S ALREADY EXISTING, EXISTING CULTURAL COMMUNITY AND SUPPORTS, SUPPORTS OUR NEW EMERGING ARTISTS.
ART DROP DAY APPEALS TO EVERYONE AND CULTIVATES OUR REPUTATION AS A HUB FOR ACTIVITIES ENTERTAINMENT WITHIN NORTH TEXAS.
ART DROP DAY STRENGTHENS OUR CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ARTISTS AND COMMUNITIES WHILE PROMOTING THE CORE DISTRICT AS A CULTURAL DESTINATION.
WE ARE SO EXCITED TO GROW AND CELEBRATE THIS ANNUAL EVENT WITHIN THE CORE DISTRICT.
NOW, YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING, KAYLA, THIS IS ALL FINE AND DANDY, BUT THIS IS JUST ONE DAY.
WHAT ELSE ARE YOU DOING FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR? SO I'M HAPPY TO SHARE IT WITH YOU.
SO, CULTURE IN THE CORE IS GONNA BE NOVEMBER 8TH, 2025.
IT'S A CHANCE FOR US TO SHOWCASE OUR DIFFERENT CULTURES THAT ARE WITHIN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON.
WE DO THIS BY MUSIC, DANCE, CRAFTS AND CUISINE.
IT IS GOING TO BE LOCATED WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN AT MAIN STREET PLAZA.
WE HAVE A APPROXIMATELY 40 VENDORS AND SOMETHING NEW THAT WE ARE DOING, BECAUSE THE ARTS DO HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART.
WE HAVE INCLUDED THE CULTURAL ARTS NONPROFITS.
ANOTHER EXCITING INITIATIVE THAT I'M SO EXCITED TO INTRODUCE WAS SHOP SMALL SATURDAY, WHICH IS ACTUALLY NOVEMBER 29TH, 2025.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO BE ESSENTIALLY HAVING A, A LIVE SIZE MONOPOLY BOARD GAME.
SO WHAT THIS IS, IS THAT PLAYERS CAN VISIT LOCAL BUSINESSES, THEY COLLECT STICKERS, AND ONCE, WHENEVER THEY BLACK OUT THE BOARD, THEY'RE GOING TO BE ENTERED TO WIN A HUGE GIFT BASKET THAT OUR BUSINESSES HAVE ACTUALLY DONATED TO US.
SO IF I CHOOSE OUT YOUR NAME, YOU BRING THIS HUGE BASKET THAT OUTSIDE TEXAS HAS DONATED, AS WELL AS, UH, ANNIE HOLLAND WITH LONG CHIMNEY MERCANTILE AND 16 MERCHANTS WILL BE INCLUDED ON THIS.
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THIS YEAR.
ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, OR JUST NEED A PEP TALK.
UH, THANK YOU MAYOR KAYLA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, I'M EXCITED THAT, UH, THE, THESE ARE IN THE PLANS AND JUST CONTINUING AS WE SEE MORE AND MORE HOPEFULLY ACTIVATION DOWNTOWN, UH, RICHARDSON.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK IN THIS AND, UH, FOR EVERYBODY ELSE THAT TOUCHED THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT STUFF LIKE THIS REQUIRES A LOT OF PLANNING.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OUR COMMUNITY CAN BUY
[00:35:01]
INTO AND, UH, ENJOYED BEING A PART OF.UH, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REALLY CREATIVE IDEAS.
THANK YOU FOR COMING AND PRESENTING THEM TO US AND YEAH.
AND DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS.
THESE ARE, THESE ARE WONDERFUL CREATIVE IDEAS.
I CAN'T TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY MM-HMM.
FOR THESE, I'M, I AM ONLY ONE PERSON.
STAFF HAS DEFINITELY HELPED ME, ESPECIALLY COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.
SO PLEASE ALSO THANK THEM IF YOU SEE THEM AROUND.
GREAT JOB ON THE PRESENTATION.
[12. REVIEWAND DISCUSS COUNCIL TACTICS FOR THE 2025-2027 COUNCIL TERM ]
WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 12.REVIEW AND DISCUSS COUNCIL TACTICS FOR THE 20 25, 20 27 COUNCIL TERM.
UM, I WANT TO, UM, UM, KIND OF, UH, LEAD THIS, UH, DISCUSSION, BUT I WANT TO THANK OUR WHOLE TEAM, UM, UH, HERE, UH, OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM AS, AS WELL AS OUR OUR, UH, DIRECTORS.
UH, SO MUCH THOUGHT IN CONSIDERATION GOES INTO, UH, HOW WE, UH, UH, COM COMPILE THIS LIST OF TACTICS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TO HELP ULTIMATELY TIE BACK AND MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE'RE HELPING YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS AND, AND YOUR VISION FOR THE CITY.
JUST AS A REMINDER, UH, WE MET IN THIS VERY ROOM BACK ON JULY 26TH, ON A SATURDAY FOR OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT FIVE HOURS OR SO, TO, UH, REVIEW AND DISCUSS YOUR STATEMENT OF GOALS.
THAT INCLUDES THE ROLE OF THE COUNCIL, THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, THE VISION, GOALS AND STRATEGIES.
UM, ON AUGUST 25TH, UH, YOU ADOPTED THAT STATEMENT OF GOALS VIA RESOLUTION.
UH, AND AGAIN, THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT'S BRIEFING IS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A LIST OF RECOMMENDED TACTICS THAT HOPEFULLY WILL AID IN ACHIEVING, UH, THE GOALS THAT, UH, THAT YOU IDENTIFIED.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA READ THIS, BUT, UH, THIS IS THE UPDATED VISION, UH, THAT, UM, THAT YOU ADOPTED AS PART OF, UH, OF, UH, YOUR STATEMENT OF GOALS.
UH, AND THESE ARE THE FOUR GOALS, UH, TO HAVE WELL-TRAINED, ENGAGED, AND INNOVATIVE EMPLOYEES WHO DELIVER AN EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE WHILE WORKING IN A SAFE, INCLUSIVE, AND EQUITABLE ENVIRONMENT TO HAVE CLEAR, EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT, CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVED AND CONSTANTLY APPLIED PROCESSES AND POLICIES THAT MAKE IT EASY FOR RESIDENTS, EMPLOYEES, AND ALL STAKEHOLDERS.
TO INTERACT WITH THE CITY, TO HAVE RESIDENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS CHOOSE, RICHARDSON IS THE BEST PLACE TO LOCATE, CONTRIBUTE, AND ENGAGE.
AND FINALLY, TO EFFECTIVELY, EFFICIENTLY, AND TRANSPARENTLY MANAGE CITY RESOURCES WHILE MAINTAINING AND ENHANCING CITY SERVICES.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TACTICS, UH, UH, DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND, UM, THE, THE TACTICS THAT ARE GONNA BE SHARED WITH YOU TONIGHT WERE DEVELOPED, UH, WITH THE GOAL OF ENSURING A BALANCE, UH, AMONG ON-CALL ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, PRIORITIES, WHILE KEEPING THE RECOMMENDED LIST REALISTIC AND ACHIEVABLE.
UM, WE, UH, I THINK IT WAS RICK THAT REFERRED AND, UH, MAYOR, UH, BACK IN THE DAY, I THINK WE WOULD HAVE, UH, A HUNDRED TO MAYBE 150 NEAR TERM ACTION ITEMS AS WE CALLED THEM.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE IDEA HERE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE ARE THOUGHTFUL AND MEANINGFUL AND IMPACTFUL TACTICS, BUT THAT HOPEFULLY BY, UH, THE END OF THIS, UH, 25, 27 TERM, WE'RE LOOKING AT THEM AS ALL COMPLETED AND ACTED ON.
UM, THE TACTICS ARE ALSO DESIGNED TO HELP ACHIEVE, UH, UM, I'M SORRY.
MANY OF THE TACTICS ARE, UH, DESIGNED TO HELP ACHIEVE MULTIPLE STRATEGIES.
AND LIKEWISE, MANY ARE, ARE ONGOING EFFORTS THAT SPAN, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL COUNCIL TERMS DUE TO THEIR SIGNIFICANT NATURE.
YOU THINK OF SOME OF THE MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS LIKE CITY HALL.
UH, THE TACTICS, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, PRESENTED TONIGHT WILL, UH, NOT PRESENT A, A COMPLETE WORK PLAN.
AS YOU KNOW, MANY TACTICS COME UP ORGANICALLY OR IN RESPONSE TO, UM, UH, SITUATIONS OR EVENTS.
UH, I THINK BACK TO THE MAY 28TH STORM, UH, OF, UH, 2024 AND HOW THAT, UH, CREATED A WHOLE NOTHER ELEMENT TO OUR WORK PLAN.
AND SO, UH, THE THINGS THAT ARE ON THIS LIST ARE NOT ALL WE'LL BE WORKING ON, UH, NOR DO EVERYTHING ON, ON THIS LIST WARRANT A COUNCIL, UH, BRIEFING.
UH, MANY OF THESE THINGS ARE, UH, THINGS, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT, UH, RE UH, REVOLVE AROUND PROCESSES AND INTERNAL, UH, PROCESSES THAT, UM, THAT WE WILL JUST DO AS PART OF OUR GOOD WORK AND THE, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT WE DO EACH AND EVERY DAY.
UH, UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UH, THE, THE COUNCIL TACTICS WERE DEVELOPED, UH, BEARING IN MIND, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR CURRENT BUDGET AND STAFFING CONSTRAINTS IS JUST TO BE AS REALISTIC AS POSSIBLE.
UH, THESE ARE YOUR 14 STRATEGIES RECALL.
UM, UH, TWO ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES, UH, WERE ADDED, SEVERAL WERE, UH, REWORDED, UH, BUT, UH, ALL ADOPTED AS PART OF YOUR STATEMENT OF GOALS.
SO LET'S GET RIGHT INTO THE, UH, CONSULT TACTICS.
UH, FIRST, UH, STRATEGY IS TO ATTRACT, DEVELOP, AND RETAIN HIGH QUALITY, INNOVATIVE EMPLOYEES.
UH, WE ARE PROPOSING TO CONTINUE THE PRACTICE CONDUCTING A COMPREHENSIVE, UH, COMP ANALYSIS ANNUALLY TO ENSURE OUR SUSTAINED MARKET COMPETITIVENESS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO EACH YEAR AS PART OF THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
UM, ALSO, UH, CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE OUR, UH, HR DEPARTMENT WORKING WITH OUR DEPARTMENTS TO CUSTOMIZE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION STRATEGIES FOR HARD TO FILL POSITIONS, UH, AND TO ENCOURAGE, UH, DIVERSE, UH, TO ENCOURAGE A DIVERSE APPLICANT POOL.
UM, I WOULD ADD TO THIS, UM, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL BE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, IS, UM, ALSO, UH, PARTNERING WITH, UM, A LOT OF OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ON HOW WE MIGHT CREATE, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS,
[00:40:01]
UH, THAT COULD FILTER IN AND, AND, AND FOR US, UH, BE RESPONSIVE TO SOME OF THOSE HARD TO FILL POSITIONS.NOT MANY INDUSTRIES HAVE WATER OPERATORS OR WASTEWATER OR TREATMENT PLANT OPERATORS.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BE CREATIVE AND WE HAVE TO BE VERY, UH, I THINK, RESPONSIVE TO THESE POSITIONS, UM, UM, THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE DEEMED HARD TO FILL AND WORK PROACTIVELY, UH, WITH OUR PARTNERS TO TRY TO CREATE PATHS FORWARD FOR THAT.
WE'VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS IN SOME DEPARTMENTS IN EXPANDING OUR CROSS TRAINING, UM, AND, AND, UH, CREATING PROMOTIONAL PATHWAYS THAT REWARD ADVANCED TRAINING AND AIDED, UH, AND ADDED EXPERIENCE.
I, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE ON TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION, WHERE, UH, FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, WE HAD, UH, YOU KNOW, SIGN TECHNICIANS AND WE HAD, UH, SIGNAL TECHNICIANS.
AND WE'VE CREATED A PATH FORWARD THAT NOT ONLY CREATES RESILIENCY BECAUSE WE HAVE EMPLOYEES NOW THAT DO BOTH, BUT BECAUSE WE'VE CREATED VERY SPECIFIC, UH, MILESTONES IN CAREER DEVELOPMENT, UM, WE'RE NOT ONLY USING THAT TO RETAIN EMPLOYEES, BUT IT'S A GREAT RECRUITMENT TOOL WHEN YOU CAN SIT DOWN WITH A YOUNG PERSON AND SAY, THIS IS THE PATH FORWARD FOR YOU, AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU MUST DO TO ACHIEVE THESE LEVELS OF COMPENSATION AND, AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITY.
IT'S A VERY, IT'S A VERY POTENT TOOL TO, UH, TO, TO HAVE THEM, PARTICULARLY WHEN THEY GO OTHER PLACES, AND THEY CAN'T BE THAT ARTICULATE.
AND SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE EXPANDING THIS IN PARKS MAINTENANCE.
WE'RE EXPANDING THIS IN FLEET, AND WE'RE EXPANDING THIS IN, UH, WATER AND WASTEWATER.
AND THEN, UH, UM, WE WANNA CONTINUE TO EXPLORE INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO RECOGNIZE AND REWARD EMPLOYEES.
AND SO WE APPRECIATE VERY MUCH THAT RECOMMENDATION.
A STRATEGY IS TO CONTINUE TO EXPLORE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN RESIDENTS AND, AND, AND ALL STAKEHOLDERS.
UH, THE FIRST, UH, TACTIC IS TO EX EXPLORE STRATEGIES TO MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT AND POTENTIAL OF OUR CENTERS.
THINGS LIKE THE EISMAN CENTER OR REC CENTER, OR THE SENIOR CENTER, OR EVEN THE TENNIS CENTER, UM, OUR FACILITIES AND OUR VENTS, THINGS LIKE WILDFLOWER.
AND THE PURPOSE HERE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LEVERAGING THESE ASSETS, UM, AS TO, TO, TO, TO DRIVE GROWTH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT THEY'RE ADDING AND CONTRIBUTING TO QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND SO, UH, WE'LL BE TAKING, UH, WE'LL BE TAKING THESE, UH, MANY OF THESE AS INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATIONS, UM, TO REVIEW EXISTING MASTER PLANS AND PRIORITIZE ACTION ITEMS FOR FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION AND FUNDING.
UH, THIS WILL BE HIGHLY COORDINATED WITH THE 20, WITH THE REVIEW OF OUR 20 POTENTIAL 2026 BOND PROGRAM.
UH, AS I MENTIONED TO YOU PREVIOUSLY, BETWEEN, UH, KIND OF THE CUTTING FLOOR, IF YOU WILL, OF STREET PROJECTS THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE 21 PROGRAM, AND THE VERY ROBUST LIST OF ACTION ITEMS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN GENERATED IN THINGS LIKE OUR, AT OUR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, LIKE OUR PARKS MASTER PLAN, OUR AQUATICS MASTER PLAN CAN, WE CAN GO ON AND ON.
UM, WE FEEL LIKE, UH, THE COORDINATION OF THESE MASTER PLAN PRIORITIES AND OUR BOND PROGRAM CONSIDERATION WILL BE ONE AND THE SAME.
UM, I STRONGLY FEEL, UM, THAT, UM, WE NEED TO EVALUATE OUR EXISTING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES IN TWO, TWO WAYS.
ONE, TO ENSURE THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, CURRENTLY ALIGNS WITH, UM, YOUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, AND THEN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESOURCING THOSE FROM A BUDGET CONSIDERATION STANDPOINT.
UH, THE TREND IS, UM, OUR ABILITY TO, UM, RAISE REVENUE, UM, AND RESOURCES IS GONNA CONTINUE TO BE LIMITED.
HOWEVER, OUR COSTS ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO RISE.
SO IT'S REALLY ASKING OURSELVES, AND I THINK WE MUST ASK OURSELVES IF WHAT WE'RE DOING OR, OR WE DOING WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING, THE WAY WE SHOULD BE DOING IT, AND SPENDING THE AMOUNT ON THAT, THAT WE SHOULD BE SPENDING.
AND SO I, WE WANNA PROACTIVELY BRING TO YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, UH, DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND, UH, SERVICES AND EVEN EVENTS, UH, AND ASK THOSE QUESTIONS TO MAKE SURE, IF THE ANSWER IS YES, THEN GREAT.
WE'VE GOT OUR MARCHING ORDERS.
IF THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO RETHINK THINGS, UH, AND PERHAPS DO THEM, UH, IN EITHER A MORE COST EFFECTIVE WAY OR A MORE CREATIVE OR, UM, A MORE EFFICIENT WAY, WE THINK THAT WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES THOSE QUESTIONS GIVEN WHERE WE ARE.
AND THEN FINALLY, A CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD SEVERAL TIMES.
WE REALLY WANNA LEVER LEVERAGE, EXCUSE ME, THE 2026 WORLD CUP TO POSITION RICHARDSON AS REALLY A PREMIER INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION FOR VISITORS.
UH, THERE'S SO MUCH THAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY FROM AN INTERNATIONAL STANDPOINT, AND WE WANT TO, UH, WE WANT TO LEVERAGE THAT AS WE, UM, AS WE WELCOME ALL OF THESE, UH, FOLKS TO NORTH TEXAS, UM, PROMOTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT BENEFITS THE WHOLE CITY.
OBVIOUSLY, ADVANCING THE ARAPAHO STATION MASTER DEVELOPMENT, UM, IS A BIG, UM, CHORE.
UM, WHAT WE'RE REALLY SEEKING TO DO HERE IS TO, TO, TO DRIVE PROGRESS ON THE RFP, UH, EVOLVE FROM THE RFQ TO RFP SO THAT WE CAN, UH, REALLY, UH, KIND OF, UH, JUMPSTART, UH, THE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AT THE ARAPAHO STATION WHILE LEVERAGING THE PROJECT TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT AND, UH, ENHANCE OUR MOBILITY AND, AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THAT IMMEDIATE AREA.
UH, EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES.
UM, THIS IS ALL ABOUT KIND OF CONDUCTING A RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF, UH, BOTH OUR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, UH, TO REALLY ASK OURSELVES WHETHER THE GOALS WE HAVE BEEN, UH, THAT, THAT WE SET FOR THESE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED.
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UM, AND REALLY TO USE THE FINDINGS OF THAT TO REFINE OUR FUTURE INCENTIVE, UH, STRATEGIES, UM, EXPAND SUPPORT FOR SMALL AND MID-SIZE BUSINESSES HERE.WE WOULD REALLY WANNA IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT NEW STRATEGIES THAT ENCOURAGE, UH, GROWTH AND RESILIENCE OF OUR SMALL AND MID-SIZE BUSINESSES, WHICH BY FAR, UH, MAKE UP OUR, UH, BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM.
AND THEN FINALLY, STRENGTHEN RETAIL ATTRACTION AND PRIORITY AREAS, PRIORITIES, AREAS LIKE, UH, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, FOR INSTANCE, OR AT CITYLINE, WHERE WE LOOK TO, UH, UM, UM, UM, REALLY KIND OF MAXIMIZE OUR SECOND AND THIRD GENERATION, UM, USES IN SOME OF THE SPACES.
UH, AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THINGS LIKE ALIGNING INCENTIVES AND MAKING, UM, UH, OUR MARKETING EFFORTS, UH, UM, UM, UH, UM, TO, UH, MAXIMIZING OUR MARKETING EFFORTS TO ENHANCE AND, UM, THE, THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THESE AREAS TO, UH, KEY USERS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ATTRACT.
UM, ENSURE SYSTEMS ARE SAFE AND SECURE HERE.
UH, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ADVANCE THE PHASE REPLACEMENT OF OUR LEGACY SYSTEMS. UH, WE'VE SEEN SO MANY, UH, IMPROVEMENTS, UH, IN THINGS LIKE EFFICIENCY AND SECURITY AND SCALABILITY AS A RESULT OF THE, UM, THE, THE LEGACY SYSTEMS BET THAT HAVE BEEN IMPROVED SO FAR, MAINTAIN CONTINUOUS TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES, SYSTEM PATCHES AND REFRESH CYCLES TO ENSURE VENDOR SUPPORT AND SAFEGUARD AGAINST VULNERABILITIES.
THIS IS WHY, UM, WE FARED SO WELL, UM, LAST YEAR DURING THE CYBERSECURITY ATTACK.
UM, IF IT WASN'T FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING THIS TACTIC AND, UH, ANNUALLY FUNDING IT, UM, WE WOULD NOT HAVE FARED SO WELL.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, IT'S A NEVER ENDING RESPONSIBILITY, UM, THAT WE DON'T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IN GREAT DETAIL, UH, TO FURTHER, UM, OUR CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS AND, AND REALLY IMPLEMENT OUR CYBERSECURITY BEST PRACTICES AS THOSE EVOLVE, UM, CONSTANTLY, UH, AS A RESULT OF, UM, THE THINGS THAT GO ON MAINTAIN STRONG FUND BALANCE AND A BOND RATING.
UH, SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE DONE NOW FOR, UH, 16 YEARS, UH, WITH BOTH THE AAA BOND RATING, UM, FOR BOTH, UH, STANDARD REPORTS AND MOODY'S.
UM, A BIG PART OF THAT RECENTLY HAS BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN AND ARTICULATE A MULTI-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, AS WELL AS, UH, CONDUCTING OUR ANNUAL REVIEW OF PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS AND OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES.
UM, OF COURSE, UH, KENT AND TODD AND THE WHOLE TEAM, UH, DO A GREAT JOB OF CONSTANTLY EVALUATING OPPORTUNITIES, UM, UH, FOR, UM, REFUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR, UH, OUR OUTSTANDING DEBT AND, AND DO THAT ON A, ON A REGULAR BASIS, NOT JUST AN ANNUAL BASIS, A REGULAR BASIS.
AND THEN I THINK A VERY GOOD SUGGESTION TO, UH, REALLY GO BEYOND WHAT WE'VE DONE, UH, SO FAR, UM, UH, OVER THIS TIME, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THESE, THESE TWO, UH, RATINGS, UM, TO CONSIDER NEW AND ENHANCED BEST PRACTICES TO SAFEGUARD THAT AAA BOND RATING.
WE WILL NEVER TAKE THAT BOND RATING FOR GRANTED, AND WE NEED TO REMAIN VIGILANT AND MINDFUL OF, OF, OF, OF, OF BEST PRACTICES AND HOW THEY EVOLVE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GUARD THAT, UM, AT ALL COSTS WORK TO INCREASE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND INPUT HERE.
UH, LOOKING AT REVIEWING OUR CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES, UM, AND ASSESSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS THAT ADVANCE, UH, AWARENESS AND PARTICIPATION PRIORITIES.
UH, THINGS FOR INSTANCE, LIKE RECONSIDERING, UM, THE PROS AND CONS OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, FOR INSTANCE, OR, UH, CONSIDERING NATIVE, UH, MEDIAN OR REWILDING INITIATIVES.
UH, ALL COULD BE THINGS THAT, UH, YOU MAY TAKE ON.
EXPLORE STRATEGIES TO MAKE, UH, IT EASIER FOR STAKEHOLDERS TO PROVIDE INPUT TO C TO THE CITY.
I MEAN, THINGS LIKE, UH, UH, SUGGESTIONS HAVE BEEN EASY TO USE AS CITY DIRECTORIES OR ONLINE SUGGESTION BOXES WOULD BE EXAMPLES OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL BRING TO YOU FOR CONSIDERATION.
AND THEN FINALLY, CONSIDER WAYS TO MAKE VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES EASIER TO KNOW ABOUT AND UNDERSTAND HOW TO TAKE PART OF.
WE ARE BLESSED WITH THOUSANDS, AND THAT'S NOT AN EXAGGERATION.
THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEERS OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR.
UM, AND BEING ABLE TO, UH, EXPLAIN, UM, IN A, UH, MORE, UM, ARTICULATE WAY TO THEM HOW THEY CAN, UM, OR FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING, HOW THEY CAN GET PLUGGED INTO ONE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AND WHEN AND WHERE THEY CAN TAKE PART, UM, IS A, IS A, IS A GOOD GOAL, UH, TO HAVE, UH, IMPROVE ACCESS, USABILITY AND USER EXPERIENCE WITH POLICIES, PROCESSES, AND PROCEDURES.
THIS IS A MOUTHFUL AND, UH, THIS IS AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK.
I JUST WANT TO GO ON RECORD BEFORE I SHARE THIS.
UH, BUT THIS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT WORK THAT I THINK I'VE, WE'VE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM YOU THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND I'VE ORDERED THESE IN A WAY THAT I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE, UH, FROM A, FROM A PROCESS STANDPOINT.
AND SO, FIRST, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO, UM, QUICKLY HERE AS WE GET STARTED WITH IMPLEMENTATION, IS TO FACILITATE A DISCUSSION AMONGST THE COUNCIL TO ENSURE ALIGNMENT OF YOUR CURRENT DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE LOTS OF PRIORITIES, BUT WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO IS COALESCE AROUND THE HIGHEST PRIORITIES SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE, UH, TO WORK ON.
TO THAT END, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT REVIEWING THE CZO AND THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, UM, AND RECONCILING THOSE WITH OUR FUTURE LAND USE PLAN DIFFERENTLY.
ALSO, REVIEWING OUR EXISTING DESIGN STANDARDS, WHICH
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TEND TO BE, UH, MORE ARTICULATED IN OUR PDS, THE LARGE PDS THAT WE ADOPTED SPRING VALLEY IQ, UM, 75 MAIN STREET, AND LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES, UM, UH, TO ENHANCE THOSE DESIGN STANDARDS NOW, OR, UH, MAYBE STANDARDIZE THEM.UH, WE NEED TO REVIEW EXISTING SPECIAL REINVESTMENT AREAS AND RECONCILE ANY OUTSTANDING DIFFERENCES IN UNDERSTANDING AS UNDERSTANDING AMONGST THE COUNCIL, BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND STAFF, OR BETWEEN COUNCIL STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY.
AND, BUT REALLY, WHAT DOES THIS WEST SPRING VALLEY PD MEAN TODAY? UM, AND WHERE DO WE WANT TO TAKE IT? SAME QUESTION FOR OUR IQ.
SAME QUESTION FOR US, 75 AND MAINE.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UM, WE NEED TO, UH, EVALUATE THE APPROACH THAT WE WANNA TAKE AS WELL AS THE ORDER WE WANT TO APPROACH, UH, UH, THE VARIOUS SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT STUDY AREAS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED, UH, AND ENVISIONED RICHARDSON.
AND SO, UH, THE GOOD NEWS IS, UM, THAT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, A, A GREAT TEAM TO LEAD, UH, THESE, UH, THESE EXERCISES.
MANY OF THESE WILL BE INTERNALLY, UH, STAFFED, UH, TINA FERGUS, UH, CHARLES FROM OUR OFFICE, AND, AND, AND A REALLY TALENTED TEAM OF, UH, CROSS DEPARTMENTAL TEAM, UM, WILL BE, WILL BE WORKING TO, TO MANAGE THESE, UH, VALUE PROTECT AND CREATE A POSITIVE RETURN ON CITY RESIDENT AND OTHER STAKEHOLDER INVESTMENT IN THE CITY.
UH, THIS ONE BULLET IS, UH, AGAIN, IT IS A, IT IS A NOTEWORTHY, UH, TACTIC HERE.
SO ON YOUR, DURING YOUR 25, 27 TERM, OUR GOAL, UH, UH, AND IS TO, UH, OPEN FIRE STATION FIVE, THE ANIMAL SHELTER, THE LIBRARY CITY HALL, UH, GOAL TO OPEN CHERYL PARK, TITLEIST FITTING CENTER AND THE MAINTENANCE BARN, AND TO REOPEN THE RENOVATED HEIGHTS AQUATIC CENTER, UH, ALL OF THAT OVER THE NEXT 20 MONTHS.
UM, UM, A BIG, BIG, UM, TASK THERE ALL WHILE WE'RE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE BY REVIEWING AND DISCUSSING, UH, YOUR DESIRE AND PRIORITIES FOR CALLING A 2026 BOND PROGRAM, UH, WHICH WOULD HAVE TO BE CALLED BY FEBRUARY, UH, MID-FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR FOR A MAY ELECTION.
UM, WE WANT TO CONTINUE WORKING TOWARDS ACHIEVING THAT SILVER LEVEL BIKE FRIENDLY DESIGNATION WHILE LEVERAGING OUR CURRENT PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE INVESTMENTS.
UM, UM, AND SO NOT JUST THINKING ABOUT THE, UH, ACHIEVING THAT DESIGNATION, WHICH IS IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO HOW DO WE CONTINUE AND, AND CONTINUOUSLY LEVERAGE THE INVESTMENTS WE'VE ALREADY MADE.
UM, WE ARE, UH, JUST, UH, NOW AS WE UNDERSTAND IT, A FEW WEEKS AWAY FROM ACCOMPLISHING THE FIRST, UM, OR PART OF THE FIRST, WHICH IS TO SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCH THE SILVER LINE, UH, WITH NOW REVENUE SERVICE SCHEDULED TO, UH, START ON OCTOBER 25TH.
BUT THERE'S AN IMPORTANT SECOND PART TO THAT FOR RICHARDSON, WHICH IS THE, UM, AESTHETIC ARCHES THAT WILL GO OVER US 75, WHICH, UM, MY NOW UNDERSTANDING MIGHT BE, UH, CONSTRUCTION, UH, OF THE ARCHES THEMSELVES MAY START SOMETIME AROUND MARCH OR APRIL OF NEXT YEAR.
AND SO A LOT OF COORDINATION WITH TDO, WITH DART WITH THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY, UM, FOR, UH, CONSTRUCTION OF THOSE ARCHES.
UH, AND OF COURSE, UH, CONTINUING, UM, GOOD WORK BY DANIEL, UM, AND MARK AND TRA AND TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY ON, UM, CONNECTING, UM, AND HAVING CON UH, COMPLETING CONSTRUCTION OF THE COTTON BELT, UH, TRAIL TO, UH, CONNECT US, UH, WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION.
AND THEN FINALLY, SOMETHING THAT, UM, UM, I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS OUR STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS AND REPAIR STRATEGIES.
UH, WE SEE COMMUNITIES ACROSS NORTH TEXAS.
UH, WE SEE, UM, EXAMPLES RIGHT HERE WITHIN RICHARDSON OF, UM, A ASPHALT, UH, AN A AN ASPHALT COMPONENT TO A STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAM BEING VERY WELL RECEIVED.
UM, AND SO I'D LIKE TO COME BACK AND AT LEAST HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE, UM, HERE IN RICHARDSON DOCUMENT AND CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE BUSINESS PROCESSES.
UM, WE NEED, UM, TO REVIEW THE COUNCIL RULES OF ORDER AND PROCEDURE FOR CLARITY, UM, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S REFRESHED IN THE WAY THAT THE COUNCIL, THIS COUNCIL, UH, DESIRES.
UH, LIKEWISE, WE'LL BE, UH, BRINGING TO YOU AN EVALUATION OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UH, SOME OF THE THINGS WE'LL LOOK AT, THERE ARE THINGS LIKE THE DEVELOPMENT OF, UH, JOB DESCRIPTIONS OR, OR, UH, MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS.
UH, A PROCESS PERHAPS FOR EVALUATING BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEMBERS.
UH, THE INTERVIEW PROCESS ITSELF, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? UH, DOES IT REMAIN THE SAME OR ARE THERE CHANGES? AND THEN FINALLY, IS THERE A DESIRE TO VIDEO RECORD MEETINGS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MOVING FORWARD? SO THOSE WILL BE SOME OF THE COMPONENTS THAT WE'LL TAKE TO YOU.
UH, ENSURING COUNCIL DECISIONS, UH, UH, STAFF HELPING, UH, COUNCIL INSURANCE DECISIONS ON, ON REGULATIONS ARE INFORMED BY NOT ONLY A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT MIGHT BE AT, AT, UM, AT ISSUE, BUT THE IMPACT OF THAT TECHNOLOGY AND VIABLE POLICY APPROACHES, LOOKING AT BEST PRACTICES, WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES DO.
AND THEN FINALLY, INITIATING A COMPREHENSIVE WATER WASTEWATER RATE ANALYSIS STUDY, INCLUDING EVALUATING THE CURRENT RATE STRUCTURE, SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT DURING THE, UH, WATER WASTEWATER DEEP DIVE, AS WELL AS OUR BUDGET, UH, WORKSHOP, PROTECT AND PROMOTE INNOVATIVE INTEGRITY AND VITALITY PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT NEIGHBORHOOD DESIRABILITY AND ENCOURAGING INVESTMENT.
UH, WE WILL BEGIN THIS BY REVIEWING THE CITY'S REGIONAL INVOLVEMENT IN
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UNHOUSED INITIATIVES, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, UM, AND BUILDING ON THAT BY RECEIVING AND DISCUSSING NEXT STEPS OF THE HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT.ALL OF THAT TO TAKE PLACE HERE, UH, WITHIN THE, THE, THE, THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE IN THE COMING WEEKS.
UH, WE ALSO WANNA REVIEW MINIMUM PROPERTY STANDARDS TO CONFIRM, UH, ALIGNMENT WITH CONTEMPORARY REGULATIONS AND EVALUATE STANDARD ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES, UH, TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY WITH BEST PRACTICES.
NOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, UM, AS COMING OUT OF THE FRAT HOUSE BILL THAT, UM, WAS PASSED THIS LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
SO WE HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY HERE TO LOOK AT WHAT OUR CODE SAYS ABOUT OCCUPANCY IN SINGLE FAMILY OR RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS, FOR INSTANCE, AND COMPARE THAT TO THE MOST, UH, MOST UPTODATE INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODES, AND MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE CRITERIA THAT'S IN THAT INTER INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE, UH, IS ADOPTED LOCALLY HERE, SO WE CAN HAVE THE MOST ROBUST, MOST COMPLETE SET OF OCCUPANCY STANDARDS.
AND THEN ON THE ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES, WE REALLY WANNA LOOK AT HOW WE'RE APPROACHING, UH, DIFFERENT, UM, UM, ENFORCEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES IN CODE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, UM, UTILIZING BEST PRACTICES FROM OUR, FROM OUR NEIGHBORS.
FOR A LONG, LONG TIME, WE HAVE BEEN THE BEST PRACTICE IN COMMUNITY SERVICES.
UM, NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE NOT ANYMORE, JUST WANNA CONFIRM THAT.
UH, ENHANCE ENGAGEMENT WITH NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP FOR INSIGHT AND BEST PRACTICES.
WE DO THIS, UM, ON A ROUTINE BASIS AT OUR HOA PRESIDENT'S MEETINGS, AT OUR LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS.
UM, BUT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS, UH, FOR MORE ENGAGEMENT, UM, FROM MORE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS.
UM, AND, UH, WE WANNA LOOK AND EVALUATE THOSE.
AND THEN, UM, WE'LL BE, UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE'LL BE RECEIVING THE HOUSING NEEDS STUDY, UH, PROMOTING ECOSYSTEM INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP WHERE BUSINESSES OF ALL SIZES CAN THRIVE.
UH, HERE WE WANNA EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE OUR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STRATEGIES AND PROGRAMS. UH, WITH THAT OPENING OF THE SILVER LINE ON OCTOBER 25TH, WE HAVE AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE THAT IN RICHARDSON.
UM, WE ALL KNOW, UH, WHAT A, A, A, UM, ECONOMIC DRIVER DFW AIRPORT IS WITH OVER, YOU KNOW, FROM BEING, BEING ABLE TO BE CONNECTED TO 250, UM, DESTINATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
72 OF THOSE DESTINATIONS, INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS THAT YOU CAN CONNECT TO DIRECTLY.
RICHARDSON IS THE ONLY PLACE IN THE ENTIRE DART SYSTEM WHERE A COMMUTER LINE AND A LIGHT RAIL LINE CONNECT ON THE SAME PLATFORM AT A MAJOR EMPLOYMENT CENTER.
THE ONLY OTHER PLACE THIS OCCURS IN THE WHOLE LINE IS IN CARROLLTON, IN THEIR DOWNTOWN AREA.
THAT IS NOT A MAJOR EMPLOYMENT CENTER.
THE SILVER LINE CAN TAKE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSES FROM DFW AIRPORT IN LESS THAN AN HOUR, CONNECT THEM TO CITY LINE, WHICH COULD CONNECT THEM TO GALLATIN OR TO ARAPAHO STATION.
NO ONE ELSE IN THE DART SYSTEM CAN SAY THIS.
UH, AND SO WE NEED TO LEVERAGE, UH, UH, OUR THINGS LIKE THE SILVER LINE TO GROW OUR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PRESENCE, UH, AND TO CONTINUE, UH, TO EXPAND AND DIVERSIFY OUR ECONOMY AND, AND OUR ECO BUSINESS SY OUR BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM.
UH, WE ALSO WANNA EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND COLLABORATION AND RESEARCH INNOVATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WITH EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS.
UH, THINGS LIKE CONSIDERING, UM, STRATEGIC, UM, USE OF CAPSTONE PROJECTS AT UT DALLAS OR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS WITH COLIN LEDGE.
UH, WE JUST HAD A, A, UH, A VERY, VERY PRODUCTIVE EDUCATION COMMITTEE, UH, MEETING AROUND THIS VERY TOPIC, VERY FERTILE GROUND THERE.
CONTINUE TO ASSESS SMART CITY INITIATIVES FOR STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT AND EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPLEMENT MEANINGFUL, UH, USE CASES THAT DELIVER COMMUNITY VALUE.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE KEY THAT MEANINGFUL USE CASES.
UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT SMART CITY INITIATIVES AND SAY, HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHAT MAKES SENSE? AND IT'S REALLY WHEN IT HAS A MEANINGFUL IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT USING THE IQ AS A INCUBATOR TO TAKE PART IN, UM, IN THE EXPLORATION BY PROVIDING, UH, USE CASES IS A ROLE THAT THE CITY CAN DEFINITELY PLAY, UH, UH, A BIGGER PART IN LEVERAGE OUR REGIONAL LEADERSHIP POSITION TO POSITIVELY IMPACT COUNTY, STATE, AND FEDERAL ISSUES.
UH, FIRST HERE IS HOW TO EXPLORE, UH, HOW EXPLORE, HOW COUNCIL CAN ENGAGE WITH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES IN A MORE DIRECT AND INTENTIONAL MANNER.
UH, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE DEFINITELY HAVE SEEN THE NEED TO DO THAT COMING OUT OF THIS LAST LEGISL I'LL LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE AND FACILITATE, UH, ENGAGEMENT, UM, IN REGIONAL BOARDS AND COMMITTEES TO ADVANCE THE CITY'S INTEREST IN COLLABORATION.
UM, UM, ON, ON REGIONAL EFFORTS.
UM, AND, UM, UH, COUNCILWOMAN JUSTICE, SERVING ON THE COG BOARD, UH, MAYOR ON RTC, UH, COUNCILMAN SHAEL ON, UH, DRMC.
UM, AND, AND, AND QUITE, QUITE FRANKLY, OUR STAFF IS VERY INVOLVED, UH, IN REGIONAL WAYS.
AND SO, UH, THE REASON THAT, UM, I THINK WE ARE ABLE TO LEVERAGE SO MANY PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL IS BECAUSE OF THIS, UM, THIS INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, SOMETHING I, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOUR HELP WITH IS TO EXAMINE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COUNCIL TO STRENGTHEN, UH, A PURPOSEFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH FRANCHISEES.
UM, OFTENTIMES WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, DELAYS IN CAPITAL PROJECTS, FOR INSTANCE, UM, IT IS DUE TO SITUATIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS A CALL FROM, UH, THE MAYOR OR THE MAYOR PRO TEM
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OR PERHAPS INVITING THAT UTILITY, UH, HERE TO, UH, HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT THEIR DELAYS ARE HAVING ON OUR PROJECTS.SO, MORE PURPOSEFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH THESE, UH, THESE PARTNERS OF OURS, UH, THAT ARE OFTEN, UM, DRIVING SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE THAT, UM, WE HAVE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR, UH, WITH THE PUBLIC EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES HERE, UH, WE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT THIS.
UH, WE BELIEVE A, A GOOD FIRST STEP IS TO CONDUCT A MARKET SCAN, UH, TO, UH, IDENTIFY AND EVALUATE POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES.
THESE THINGS WOULD INCLUDE GRANTS, UH, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, UH, PHILANTHROPIC CONTRIBUTIONS, UM, STATE AND FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE USED.
AND THEN WHAT WE WANNA DO IS WE WANNA ANALYZE, UM, THE FINANCIAL, LEGAL, AND OPERATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF EACH OF THESE OPTIONS.
IE WHAT WE OFTEN CALL THE RED TAPE, OR THE, OR THE STRINGS THAT ARE ATTACHED, RIGHT? AND WE, BUT WE NEED TO BRING THOSE BACK TO YOU.
AND WE NEED TO BE MORE ARTICULATE ABOUT WHAT THE PROS AND CONS OF PARTICIPATING IN SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS ARE.
'CAUSE THAT'S A POLICY DECISION THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE AND CREATE A ROADMAP FOR PURSUING THE HIGH IMPACT FUNDING STREAMS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THE ONES WITH THE MOST RETURN ON INVESTMENT, THE ONES THAT PROVIDE THE MOST FUNDING TO LEVERAGE OUR DOLLARS WITH THE LEAST STRINGS OF RED TAPE, UM, IS WHAT, WHAT WE ARE THINKING THERE.
FINALLY, UH, HERE, EFFECTIVELY, UH, NAVIGATE THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT.
THIS IS ONE OF YOUR NEW TACTICS.
UH, HERE WE'RE LOOKING, UH, TO ASSESS EMERGING LEGISLATION, UH, AND OTHER, UM, LAWS, UH, THAT MAY, UH, BE CREATED, UH, THROUGH THINGS LIKE EXECUTIVE ORDERS TO IDENTIFY, UH, ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACTS AND STRATEGIES, UH, TO THAT, THAT CAN MITIGATE AND, UH, THAT RISK AND ENSURE OUR ADHERENCE, UH, 'CAUSE WE HAVE TO REMAIN COMPLIANT.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY, TWO BIG THINGS HERE.
PARTNER WITH NORTH TEXAS TO, UM, SECURE FUTURE WATER SUPPLY AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT CAPACITY.
UH, THAT ALONG WITH, UH, ELECTRIC, UH, POWER IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THREAT, NOT ONLY TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH TEXAS, BUT MAYBE JUST OUR CONTINUED THRIVING AS A, AS A METROPOLITAN AREA, AS OUR METROPLEX.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PLANS ARE ALIGNED WITH, UH, OUR LONG-TERM COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEEDS.
AND THEN FINALLY, ON THE DART FRONT, WON'T BELABOR THIS POINT, BUT, UH, WE ARE INVOLVED IN SUPPORTING, UH, THE DESIGN OF A MODERN GOVERNANCE MODEL THAT REFLECTS THE NEEDS AND, AND, AND, UH, OF ALL OF OUR MEMBERS, ALL OF DART'S MEMBER CITIES, AS WELL AS THE, THE, TO COLLABORATE ON A SUSTAINABLE, UH, REGIONALLY VIABLE FUNDING PLAN TO ENSURE THE LONG-TERM SUPPORT OF ALL 13 MEMBER CITY, UH, MEMBER CITIES, AS WELL AS DART'S EXISTENCE.
UH, AND THAT'S, I DON'T THINK THAT'S BEING TOO DRAMATIC, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE STARING, UH, IN THE FACE HERE.
UM, SO IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS, COUNSEL, UM, BY THE WAY, THAT'S, UH, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T STAY TO MY GOAL, WHICH IS TO KEEP, UH, UH, THE TACTICS, UM, TO, UH, THREE TO FOUR, UM, PER CATEGORY THAT WOULD'VE GENERATED 40 TO 45 TACTICS, UH, WHICH YOU SEE HERE IS 50 PLUS TACTICS.
BUT, UM, AFTER A LOT OF THOUGHT, THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION, I THINK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE ARE IMPORTANT IN THEIR OWN WAY.
AND I HOPE, HOPE YOU'LL AGREE THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIVE, UH, TO, UH, TO THE CONVERSATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS AND DIRECTIONS WE'VE RECEIVED.
UH, I'M GONNA STOP TALKING HERE IN JUST A SECOND.
UM, ONCE, UH, WE GET YOUR FEEDBACK TONIGHT, AND IF WE AGREE ON THESE TACTICS, WE'LL ADD THOSE TO YOUR STATEMENT OF GOALS.
UM, I'LL BEGIN, UH, COORDINATING WITH OUR STAFF ON A, A, A TERM LONG, UM, A COUNCIL TERM LONG IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
BUT I DO WANNA TELL YOU THAT I'VE ALREADY STARTED ON OUR AGENDA PLANNING SHEET, PLUGGING IN SPECIFIC BRIEFINGS.
UM, ON THE, UH, 13TH OF OCTOBER, WE WOULD REVIEW AND THE COUNCIL RULES OF ORDER AND PROCEDURE.
ON THE 20TH, WE WOULD EVALUATE THE BOARDS, UH, EVALUATE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
I REALLY WANNA GET THAT IN, UH, HERE BECAUSE, UH, YOU'LL BE CONDUCTING YOUR ANNUAL REVIEW OF, UH, VACANCIES, UH, STARTING IN NOVEMBER.
AND SO ANY DIRECTION RELATED TO AT LEAST THE PROCESS WE CAN GET WILL BE IMPORTANT.
UH, THE MASTER PLAN PRIORITIZATION AND THE, UH, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COIN OR REVIEW ANY DISCUSSING POTENTIALLY CALLING A BOND PROGRAM IN 26, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOTTA WORK BACKWARDS FROM THAT FEBRUARY DATE.
WE'RE GONNA SPEND OVER THE NEXT SEVEN, EIGHT MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE REMAINING IN 26.
WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TWO OR THREE BRIEFINGS TO THIS END.
UM, AND THEN, UM, WE ALSO, UH, WE'LL BE BRIEFING YOU HERE, UH, JUST THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS ON BOTH THE, OUR, OUR, UM, REGIONAL INVOLVEMENT AND UNHOUSED INITIATIVES, AS WELL AS, UM, UH, COMPLETING AND DELIVERING THE HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND TALKING ABOUT NEXT STEPS.
SO, UH, AGAIN, MAYOR, COUNSEL, THANK YOU FOR, UM, ALLOWING ME TO, TO RUN THROUGH THIS.
UM, WE'LL STAND BY FOR ANY FEEDBACK OR, UH, SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UM, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, DON, AND TEAM, GREAT JOB ON PUTTING THIS LIST TOGETHER.
YOU KNOW, WHAT I, WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS IS THAT THESE TACTICS ARE STILL KIND OF HIGH LEVEL.
SO, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MENTIONED CAPSTONE PROJECTS, BUT YOU ROLLED THAT INTO SOMETHING THAT WAS, THAT WAS BROADER.
SO IF THIS ONE SPECIFIC THING WE FIND, IT DOESN'T WORK FOR US, IT'S NOT AS IF WE HAVE, WE, WE ARE FORCED TO GO ALONG AND TRY TO MAKE IT FIT.
YOU KNOW, YOU AND YOUR TEAM CAN ASSESS HOW TO BEST DO
[01:05:01]
THIS SORT OF WITH WHAT DOES THE TACTIC ACTUALLY SPEAK TO.UM, AND I, I, AGAIN, I JUST APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU HAVE.
THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU DID EXCEED YOUR, SORT OF YOUR PERSONAL SET GOAL OF THE NUMBER OF TACTICS.
IF NEW THINGS COME UP OR NEW IDEAS COME UP, DOES THIS LEAVE YOU ENOUGH ROOM WITH FLEXIBILITY ON DEVELOPING NEW TACTICS? UM, I, I THINK IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE NEW TACTIC IS.
SOME, NOT ALL TACTICS CREATED EQUAL, OBVIOUSLY.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK THAT THIS IS DOABLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY AS WE GO BACK TO A LOT OF THE PLANNING WORK THAT WE DESCRIBED.
SO FIVE, LIKE I SAID, THAT ONE SLIDE, UH, THE FIVE TACTICS, EVERYTHING FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, FACILITATING THAT INITIAL DISCUSSION TO CREATE ALIGNMENT IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES ALL THE WAY THROUGH, UM, THE OTHER, THE OTHER FOUR, UM, THAT WILL PROBABLY, UH, TAKE, UM, TO GET THROUGH ALL FIVE OF THOSE IF WE DO THOSE SEQUENTIALLY, WHICH I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PROBABLY AT LEAST A WHOLE TERM TO GET THROUGH ALL FIVE OF THOSE MM-HMM
UM, AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS, AS NEW TACTICS COME UP, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND, UH, COUNCILMAN CORKIN, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL COMMIT TO YOU JUST TO COME BACK.
I MEAN, THERE IS, WITH 26 FROZEN POSITIONS AND LIMITED NEW DOLLARS, THERE ARE GONNA BE CONSTRAINTS.
AND SO I, I COMMIT TO YOU TO COME BACK AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT THIS AS A LEDGER, RIGHT? EVERY, EVERY NEW TACTIC WE PUT ON ONE SIDE OF THE LEDGER, WE HAVE TO AT LEAST DISCUSS HOW WE'RE GONNA MANAGE THAT WITH ALL THE OTHER TACTICS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LEDGER.
AND SO I'LL, I'LL COMMIT THAT IF I GET IN, IF WE GET IN THAT POSITION, OR I'M FEELING, UH, CONFLICTED IN THAT WAY, I'LL COME HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU SO THAT THE WHOLE COUNCIL CAN WEIGH IN AND, AND GIMME THE DIRECTION I NEED.
AND I A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE WITH THAT APPROACH, AND I, I WAS REALLY HOPING MORE FOR, OR REALLY THINKING MORE STAFF GENERATED TACTICS TO ACHIEVE THESE.
DO YOU HAVE FLEXIBILITY FOR YOUR STAFF TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO BEHIND THE SCENES? YES.
YEAH, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? HEY, IT, IT WAS A GOOD POINT FOR ALL OF US TO HEAR AS WELL ANYWAY.
SO, UM, CAN I, ONE MORE QUESTION BEFORE I HAND IT OFF COURSE, MAYOR.
UH, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD FOR YOU IS ON THIS FALL 2025, WINTER 2026 WORK PLAN, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE ITEMS UNDER VALUE PROTECT, ET CETERA, THAT THAT'S A LOT OF WORK FOR YOUR STAFF MM-HMM
AND, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE, I GUESS I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IT'S IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY THOSE FIRST TWO BULLET POINTS THAT WE CALIBRATE AS A COUNCIL ON THAT AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE FOR YOUR BENEFIT AND YOUR STAFF'S BENEFIT.
HELP ME IF I'M NOT, I DON'T SEE THAT ON THE FALL 25 WORK PLAN THOUGH, AND SO I'M JUST, I'M WONDERING FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS IF WE, IF IT'S EARLY NEXT YEAR THAT WE START CALIBRATING ON SOME OF THAT STUFF, IS THAT, IS THAT NOT TOO LATE? I MEAN, THAT'S ALREADY ESSENTIALLY A QUARTER OF THE WAY INTO THIS COUNCIL TERM.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I'LL JUST KINDA GIVE YOU A, A, A KIND OF A, A VIEW, UM, AS I, AS I TRIED TO APPROACH THIS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL, AS WE, AS WE COME BACK FROM THE SEPTEMBER BREAK, THE FIFTH MONDAY BREAK, UM, WE HAVE THE FIRST MEETING OF THE, OF THE OCTOBER IS KIND OF DEDICATED ALREADY.
SO FROM THAT POINT ON, WE HAVE SEVEN MEETINGS LEFT.
AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, UM, SOME OF THE ZONING WORK THAT WE KNOW THAT'S FORTHCOMING SOME OF THE ZONING CASES THAT WE KNOW THAT'S FORTHCOMING THROUGHOUT THE END OF THE YEAR, UM, WHAT'S NOT ON THIS LIST IS, UM, THE BOARD AND COMMISSION INTERVIEWS.
AND SO, AS I LOOK AT SEVEN MEETINGS AND I LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, KICKING OFF ALL SIX OF THESE MM-HMM
UH, SOME OF THESE I BELIEVE WILL BE VERY IN DEPTH CONVERSATIONS.
I, I, I'M PLANNING TWO HOURS, FOR INSTANCE, FOR THE HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT REPORT QUESTIONS, AND THEN A DISCUSSION OF NEXT STEPS.
AND SO, UH, COUNCILMAN, IT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
I THINK THAT'S THE NEXT HIGHEST PRIORITY TO GET IN A LOT OF, UM, A LOT OF THE NOVEMBER, DECEMBER MEETING AGENDAS WILL BE, UM, I THINK, UM, THE, UM, THE CONTENT WILL BE GENERATED BY SOME OF THE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE EARLY ON IN OCTOBER WITH, FOR INSTANCE, HOW DO YOU WANNA APPROACH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS? IF WE APPROACH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME WAY WE HAVE IN THE PAST, WE CAN PROBABLY DO THAT IN TWO MEETINGS, UH, TWO, TWO EVENINGS.
UM, IF THERE'S CHANGES, HOWEVER, THEN I, I NEED TO KIND OF EVALUATE WHAT THOSE CHANGES MIGHT BE TO DETERMINE HOW, HOW LONG THAT MIGHT, MIGHT TAKE.
UM, AND SO, UM, I AGREE WITH YOU, THE NEXT HIGHEST PRIORITY ITEM WOULD BE TO DIS TO START THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT A LAND, UH, ALIGNMENT AROUND PRI UH, DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES.
UM, SO IF I HAD KIND OF A ONE WITH A STAR MM-HMM.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO, I, I BELIEVE STRONGLY WE CAN GET ALL SIX OF THESE KICKED OFF.
UM, UH, WE JUST NEED TO SEE WHAT, WE'D NEED TO SEE WHAT YOUR DESIRES ARE.
WHAT, SO, SO FOR INSTANCE, I KNOW, UH, AND AMY CAN KIND OF CHECK ME ON THIS.
WE HAVE SEVEN OR EIGHT VACANCIES THAT WE KNOW OF TODAY, AND YOUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
[01:10:01]
YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANNA HOLD INTERVIEWS, YOU KNOW, EVEN FOR TWO OR THREE OF THOSE, WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING ONE OF THOSE SEVEN MEETINGS, PROBABLY THE MAJORITY OF ONE OF THOSE SEVEN MEETINGS ON THAT.UH, UNLESS YOU DECIDE YOU WANNA CALL AN EXTRA MEETING, SOMETIMES VACANCIES BEGET OTHER VACANCIES AS WE MOVE PEOPLE AROUND TO DOES.
AND SOMETIMES THAT'S A GOOD POINT, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY, THE, THE, THE FIRST MEETING WE FOCUS ON THE ACTUAL APPOINTMENTS RESULTS IN A SECOND MEETING BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND SO I, I, I DO BELIEVE, AGAIN, IF I, IF I COULD ADD AN ASTERISK HERE NOW THAT STARTING THAT CONVERSATION WOULD BE THAT I, I FEEL STRONGLY WE CAN COMMIT TO GETTING THESE IN AND ALL OF THESE KICKOFF BRIEFINGS BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR.
UM, I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN CORCORAN THAT, UM, THE TACTICS PROVIDE MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY, WHICH ON THE ONE HAND IS A GOOD THING.
BUT AS I WAS SITTING HERE LISTENING AND TO THESE, AND READING SOME OF THEM, I WAS THINK THINKING BACK TO YOUR PRIOR PRESENTATION ABOUT MISSION GROUP MM-HMM
UM, AND SOME OF THE, HOW BROAD SOME OF THESE ARE, I THINK COULD LEAD TO THAT.
AND SO DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERN AROUND POTENTIAL MISSION CREEP? IS THERE ANY WAY TO NARROW SOME OF THESE BUT STILL GIVE YOURSELF FLEXIBILITY SO WE REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITHIN SOME OF THEM? UM, YEAH.
THAT, THAT WAS MY CONCERN IN SORT OF SEEING THEM IS, IS YOU NEED THAT FLEXIBILITY, BUT ALSO SOME OF THEM ARE JUST SO WILDLY BROAD THAT WE COULD COME TO YOU AND ASK YOU TO DO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING WITHIN SOME OF THEM.
UM, WELL, UM, WHAT I WOULD, UM, YEAH, THANK YOU.
YOU KNOW, MY PLAN FOR THAT IS, UM, I, I DO THINK THERE ARE, THERE ARE SEVERAL IDEAS, UM, THAT HAVE ALREADY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THROUGH JUST, UH, PRIOR DISCUSSIONS, PRIOR COUNCIL BRIEFINGS, UM, THAT AS I, AS AND COUNCILMAN CORCORAN DESCRIBED IT.
WELL, I MEAN, IT WAS KIND OF LIKE I WAS TAKING SEVERAL THINGS AND ROLLING IT UP, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS LIST OF, OF 50 OR 60.
I WOULD SAY THAT ANYTHING NEW THAT I ALREADY KIND OF DIDN'T HAVE IN MIND THAT I THINK WASN'T DIRECTLY RESPONSIVE TO ONE OF THESE, I WOULD PROBABLY COME AND, AND SEEK GUIDANCE FROM THE COUNCIL, UM, TO, TO, I THINK, I THINK PART OF THAT IS WHAT LEADS TO MY CONCERN THOUGH, HOW MUCH ARE YOU ROLLING UP INTO A SINGLE TACTIC MM-HMM
SO DO WE REALLY HAVE 90 TACTICS OR, YOU KNOW, IS IT THAT BROAD? RIGHT.
OR, OR I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING HOW, HOW, HOW IMPACTFUL THAT IS IF WE'RE TRYING TO BE SO BROAD IN OUR TACTICS.
JUST THOSE BECOME STRATEGIES INSTEAD OF TACTICS AT ONE POINT.
UM, LET ME GIVE A GOOD EXAMPLE.
I REMEMBER IT IS, UM, OKAY, SO LIKE EXPLORE STRATEGIES TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR STAKEHOLDERS TO PROVIDE INPUT TO THE COUNCIL.
LIKE MY IDEA THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE FOUR OR FIVE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD, UM, THAT OKAY, THESE COULD BE, SO WHAT I WOULD LIKELY DO UNDER THAT IS WE'D BRING THOSE TO Y'ALL AT ALL IN ONE BRIEFING AND SAY, SO HERE'S THE TACTIC.
YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD EVERYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, AN ONLINE SUGGESTION BOX TO A EASY DIRECTORY TO, YOU KNOW, HERE'S FOUR OR FIVE THINGS, YOU KNOW, AND THEN IT WOULD BE UP, I WOULD LOOK TO YOU GET TO, TO THE COUNCIL TO SAY, WELL, HERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT WE THINK WOULD BE REALLY VALUABLE BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF WORK AND THE COST.
UM, AND SO I DON'T, I, LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, I, MY PLAN WOULDN'T BE TO BRING THE SUGGESTION BOX IDEA AS ONE BRIEFING, AND THEN, UM, THE, UM, YEAH, NO, I'M, I'M WITH YOU ON THAT.
I JUST THINK THERE'S A STAFF IMPACT TO THAT THOUGH.
IF YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, IS IT EIGHT STRATEGIES THEN FOR THIS ONE OR SEVEN? UM, IF YOU'RE ADDING FOUR, YEAH.
I MEAN, THERE'S, TO YOUR POINT, THERE'S SUB BULLETS UNDER MANY OF THESE.
AND, BUT, AND THAT'S MY CONCERN IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY, THIS IS A STRATEGY, NOT A TACTIC, AND THE TACTICS ARE FALLING UNDER IT.
AND MY CONCERN, AND IT LEADS INTO MY SECOND QUESTION, IS IT, IS THIS REALISTIC? CAN YOU ACTUALLY GET THIS DONE? OR ARE WE TRYING TO DO SO MUCH BY SORT OF BEING CUTE IN THE WAY THAT WE'RE WORDING OUR TACTICS TO GIVE THE FLEXIBILITY, BUT THEN LEADING TO MISSION CREEP OR OVERWORKING THE STAFF AND NOT REALLY BEING ABLE TO ACHIEVE ALL OF THESE THINGS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU FEEL CONFIDENT, THAT'S OKAY.
I JUST DON'T WANNA PUT STAFF IN A POSITION OF THE COUNCIL FOR THAT MATTER TO TRIP.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO, TO BREATHE, UM, WHILE YOU WORK AS WELL.
AND I, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, I, SO, SO I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I THINK, THINK I CAN ANSWER THAT IN THIS WAY.
UM, GIVEN THE, THE NUMBER OF THINGS EACH COUNCIL PERSON WAS INTERESTED IN, UM, AND THE DIVERSITY OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, IF I HAD BEEN MORE SPECIFIC, ONE OF TWO THINGS WOULD'VE HAD TO HAPPEN.
I WOULD'VE EITHER HAD A LIST OF 60 OR 70 TACTICS, OR THERE WOULD'VE BEEN A LOT THAT WOULD'VE PROBABLY BEEN LEFT OFF.
THERE WOULD'VE BEEN A LOT OF INDIVIDUAL THINGS THAT HAD BEEN RAISED AS INTEREST THAT WOULD'VE NOT MADE THE LIST OR WOULD'VE NOT EVEN, SO I WAS, I GUESS MY, MY APPROACH WAS TO TRY TO FIND A BALANCE WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK I COULD, I COULD SAY, YES, YOU SAID YOU WERE INTERESTED IN THAT.
THIS IS WHAT I THINK THAT MEANT.
AND I CAN BRING THAT AS PART OF A MULTIFACETED BRIEFING TO SEE
[01:15:01]
IF THAT'S THE HIGHEST PRIORITY, YOU KNOW, TO, UM, MAKE IT EASIER FOR STAKEHOLDERS TO PROVIDE INPUT TO THE CITY.UM, BUT I, I DO AGREE WITH YOU.
THEY'RE THE, THESE ARE MORE, UH, GENERAL.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, I, I'VE, I'VE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD THIS MANY, UM, DIFFERENT THINGS, UH, BE EXPRESSED AS AN INTEREST FROM, FROM FROM THE SEVEN OF YOU.
AND SO IT WAS EITHER GONNA BE A, A, A PRETTY IN DEPTH SPECIFIC LIST, UM, OR IT WAS GONNA BE A WAY TO TRY TO ROLL THEM UP INTO WHERE HOPEFULLY IN, IN, IN ONE EVENING, MAYBE WE COULD KNOCK OUT THREE OR FOUR OF 'EM, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF A, A, A, A MORE, UM, UM, COMPREHENSIVE CONSIDERATION.
SO, YEAH, I MEAN, I, I THINK THAT THAT'S FINE.
I, YEAH, COMBINE THEM, UH, YOU KNOW, AND WE DON'T NEED 10 PRESENTATIONS ON, ON ONE TACTIC BY ANY MEANS.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO SOME OF THESE, THAT WAS MY CONCERN, IS I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE TACTICS.
I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE IN AN IMPOSSIBLE POSITION TRYING TO, UH, LISTEN TO SEVEN DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND TRY AND MAKE THEM ALL HAPPY.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, AS A COUNCIL, WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT OUR BUDGET CAN DO AND WHAT OUR STAFF CAN DO.
AND I'M REALLY CONCERNED THAT, THAT WE ARE PUTTING YOU IN A POSITION, UM, TO, TO NOT BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE ALL THESE THINGS OR TO BE PUSHED IN 12 DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE ARE SO BROAD.
UM, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IT'S YEOMAN'S WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE HERE TO TRY AND LISTEN TO THE COUNCIL AND FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE EVERYONE FEEL HEARD.
BUT I, I HAVE REALLY SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER STAFF CAN GET THIS DONE.
UM, AND I THINK THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO BE ASKING STAFF TO DO.
ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER BARRIOS, WILL YOU DO ME A FAVOR AND LOWER YOUR MICROPHONE WHENEVER YOU MAKE THE COMMENTS YOU'RE ABOUT TO MAKE? THANK YOU.
DAWN, I HAVE A SPECIFIC QUESTION ABOUT ONE OF THESE, AND THEN I'LL GO INTO SOME GENERAL COMMENTS.
UM, ENSURE SYSTEMS ARE SAFE AND SECURE.
CAN YOU TAKE THAT SLIDE? THERE'S A, THERE YOU GO.
UH, THIRD BULLET POINT, FURTHER, CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS AND ADVANCED CYBERSECURITY BEST PRACTICES.
OBVIOUSLY, WITHOUT GOING TO SPECIFICS HERE, UM, BUT THIS FEELS, I KNOW THERE WAS A TERM THAT WAS USED, UH, WHEN WE, WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING TACTICS ABOUT THINGS BEING OPERATIONAL.
THIS FEELS LIKE THIS IS PART OF WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY IN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON.
UM, WAS THERE SOMETHING HERE I'M NOT SEEING? I MEAN, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE, AND I, I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE KIND OF COMING ON THE FIRST AND TWO, I, I SEE SOME, I FEEL THAT SOME OF THAT'S BASED ON, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE COUNCIL'S FEEDBACK.
UH, BUT THIS THIRD ONE FEELS LIKE MAYBE THAT'S ONE THAT WE CAN MAYBE LIGHTLY LOOK, TAKE THE LOAD OFF, JUST 'CAUSE I THINK CYBERSECURITY, UM, AND THE SAFETY OF OUR CITY IS SOMETHING THAT PREVIOUS COUNCILS AND THIS COUNCIL, I'M SURE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND ALMOST SEEMS OPERATIONAL.
UM, IT, IT IS, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S, IM, IT'S AN IMPORTANT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO, UM, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE REASON IT'S ON THERE, I THINK YOUR POINT IS RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA DO IT, WHETHER IT'S ON THERE OR NOT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SIGNAL, UM, FOR US TO STAFF THE SIGNAL TO YOU TO SIGNAL TO THE COMMUNITY, TO SIGNAL TO OUR OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, UM, THAT THAT'S A PRIORITY.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHY IT'S ON THERE, IS TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE, UM, WE SAW THE BENEFIT OF, UH, HAVING THIS, UH, AS, AS A, AS ONE OF, YOU KNOW, YOUR MAIN TACTICS AND PRIORITIES PREVIOUSLY.
AND SO I THINK IT'S MORE OF A, OF A STATEMENT IF WE, IF WE, I GUESS TO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IF WE TAKE IT OFF, UM, IT'S, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT, RIGHT.
THAN IF IT'S ON, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT GONNA SAVE ANY WORK
I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA ELIMINATE ANYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING BY TAKING IT OFF.
UH, CAN YOU GO TO THE LAST SLIDE, PLEASE? SORRY.
SIMILAR TO, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS COUNCILMAN CORCORAN'S COMMENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT THIS FALL 25 WORK PLAN, AND I SEE THINGS LIKE REVIEW COUNCIL, RULES OF ORDER AND PROCEDURE, EVALUATE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND THE LAST ONE, RECEIVE AND DISCUSS NEXT STEP FOR HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
I KNOW THAT JUST BASED ON SOME OF THE COMMENTS, YOU KNOW, SINCE THIS TERM STARTED, OR EVEN TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, LAST TERM, I FEEL LIKE THOSE THREE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE HEAVY ITEMS AND COMBINED WITH ALL THE OTHER TACTICS, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SIMILAR CONCERNS OF WHAT, UH, COUNCIL OF I JUSTICE, UH, SHARED IS, IS THERE SEEMS LIKE A LOT.
AND MY CONCERN IS THAT I SEE THOSE THREE THINGS AS REALLY BIG ITEMS WE SHOULD REALLY TAKE TIME IN DISCUSSING.
UH, MY CONCERN HERE IS THAT BECAUSE
[01:20:01]
OF ALL THE TACTICS, WHETHER IT'S THESE ITEMS OR THE NEXT ITEMS, I POINT THESE THREE OUT, THOSE THREE ARE VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART AND THINGS THAT I'D LOVE TO SINK BY HELP, UH, YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH OTHERS SINK THEIR TEETH INTO.BUT I, I WONDER THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA PUT IT INTO AN HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF WHEN THERE ARE THINGS THAT REALLY SHOULD BE DISCUSSED LONGER AND DEEPER.
UM, BUT INSTEAD WE'RE GONNA KIND OF JUST GLANCE OVER IT OR DISCUSS IT QUICKLY AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT THING.
BECAUSE WE HAVE, BECAUSE YOU OR STAFF, UH, WHETHER IT'S YOUR OFFICE OR, UM, EVEN THOSE THAT WORK BELOW THEM ARE GONNA FEEL THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF STUFF TO COVER IN THE NEXT, UH, WHAT IS YEAR AND A HALF.
UM, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT, AND I KNOW AS COUNCILMAN JUSTICE MENTIONED, YOU'RE KIND OF IN AN IMPOSSIBLE POSITION HERE.
UM, I WANNA CHALLENGE YOU TO TWO THINGS.
AND, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWERS HERE, BUT OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE WAY MORE CITY GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE THAN I DO INDIVIDUALLY, AND I THINK OTHERS WOULD SAY THAT AS WELL.
SO WE LOOK AT YOU TO SAY, OKAY, PLEA PLEASE.
THINGS IN OUR CITY HAVE ARE CHANGING.
THEY, THEY, EVERY COUNCIL HAS FACED THIS AS CITIES CHANGE.
AND EVERY COUNCIL HAS THEIR OWN UNIQUE SET OF CHALLENGES THAT THEY MUST, THEY MUST CONSIDER ONE, WHEN WE PUT THINGS ON YOU AS INDIVIDUAL, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALLY, PLEASE PUT THAT BACK ON US.
UM, AS SHE SAID, THERE, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S SEVEN OF US THAT HAVE IN INDIVIDUAL THOUGHTS, BUT COLLECTIVELY, WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE KINDS OF DISCUSSION BECAUSE THE LAST THING I'D WANT IS FOR YOU TO HAVE TO START FINDING REPLACEMENTS BECAUSE, UM, THINGS ARE GETTING A LITTLE HECTIC AT, AT CITY HALL.
UM, SO WHEN, WHEN YOU OR YOUR STAFF ARE FEELING, HEY, THIS IS A LOT RIGHT NOW, YOU NEED TO BRING THAT BACK TO US.
WE SERVE AS ELECTEDS FOR A REASON, AND WHILE WE WILL, WE'LL, UM, PUSH BACK WHEN WE NEED TO AND ASK QUESTIONS WHEN WE NEED TO.
AND IN EACH OF US HERE FROM DIFFERENT RESIDENTS AND DIFFERENT CONCERNS AND HAVE DIFFERENT, OUR OWN LITTLE HEART PROJECTS, WE, WE LIKE, UH, YOU NEED TO PUT THAT BACK ON US.
UM, ALSO, I'M WONDERING, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT I FEEL THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD START LOOKING, OKAY, HOW DO WE MANAGE OUR MEETINGS DIFFERENTLY? BECAUSE IF, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE, AND AGAIN, DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER HERE, BUT SHOULD WE START THINKING OF, HEY, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT ZONING CASES, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST AND THIRD MONDAY, AND WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT, UH, UPDATES ON THE SECOND MONDAY, OR MAYBE MANAGING IT DIFFERENT SO WE HAVE THAT PROPER TIME VERSUS TRYING TO FIT IT ALL INTO A MEETING SO THAT WE HAVE PROPER TIME GIVEN TO THE STAFF UPDATES.
AND THOSE KIND OF, I GUESS, OPERATIONAL STUFF, ESPECIALLY, IT'S COME TO NEW YEAR AND WE ALREADY START LOOKING AT BUDGET PRETTY EARLY ON.
SO, UM, PERHAPS IT'S TIME WE LOOK AT HOW WE, HOW WE DO MEETINGS DIFFERENTLY, UH, TO GIVE THOSE, I, AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER, MAYBE NOT, MAYBE STAY THE SAME, UM, BUT MAYBE LOOKING AT THINGS CREATIVELY AND SAYING, UM, YOU KNOW, IF TO GIVE THE ITEMS, WE DO LOOK AT THE ENOUGH RESPECT TO WHERE WE TRULY ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AND NOT JUST MOVE PAST THEM.
I, I AM CONCERNED AGAIN ABOUT ALL THESE, THEY SEEM LIKE A LOT, BUT IF YOU AND YOUR STAFF SEEM TO THINK THIS IS, THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO, UM, YOU KNOW, I TRUST YOU AS A PROFESSIONAL.
WELL, SO I I, I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH THE, THE SPIRIT OF THAT AND, AND, UM, I'M OPEN TO TALKING ABOUT MEETINGS AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CITIES ONLY MEET 12, TWICE A TWICE A MONTH.
SO WE HAVE HAD THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT JUST, UH, SERIOUSNESS, UM, UH, COUNCILMAN, I, I, AM I ON YOUR FORMER POINT? THAT IS WHAT I THINK I'M DOING TONIGHT,
SO, I MEAN, THESE ARE RECOMMENDED.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S YOUR FEEDBACK, YOUR SUGGESTION.
SO I, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT LIKE, THESE ARE THE 50, OR THESE ARE THE, YOU KNOW, THE HOWEVER MANY CACS AND LIKE, I MEAN, I AM LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK AND I AM LOOKING FOR YOUR INPUT AND YOUR SUGGESTIONS.
I TOOK MY JOB IN PRESENTING TONIGHT TO BE AS RESPONSIVE AS I POSSIBLY COULD TO ALL SEVEN OF YOU, AND TO TRY TO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN YOUR PRIORITIES AND THE THINGS THAT YOU TOLD ME THAT WERE OF INTEREST TO YOU.
AND, UM, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE BEST I COULD DO, UM, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE FEWEST TACTICS IN THE WAY THAT I PRESENTED THEM TO BE ABLE TO GET AT ALL THAT I, I'M VERY MUCH OPEN TO YOUR FEEDBACK COLLECTIVELY, AND IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CHANGES THAT YOU WANNA MAKE, SO, SO BE IT.
I MEAN, I'M, I'M HERE TO, TO, TO TAKE THAT DIRECTION FROM YOU.
EVERY BIT OF WORK THAT WE GOES INTO IT THAT WE HAVE TO
[01:25:01]
DO, THERE'S WORK THAT YOU HAVE TO DO AS WELL,AND SO, UM, BUT, BUT COUNCILMAN BAR, I APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT OF THAT.
AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO TONIGHT IS TO BRING THIS TO YOU TO SAY THIS, I'M TRYING TO BE RESPONSIVE TO EVERYONE ON, ON ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT I HEARD.
GIVE ME FEEDBACK IF THIS IS, THIS FEELS RIGHT TO YOU.
AND IF IT DOESN'T, I'M NOT OPPOSED AT ALL TO, TO TAKING YOUR FEEDBACK AND COMING BACK WITH A, A DIFFERENT PLAN.
SO IT'S HARD TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE, THERE'S NOT ONE ON THERE THAT I'M SAYING, HEY, THIS SOUNDS LIKE A BAD IDEA.
RIGHT? I, I DON'T, AGAIN, DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER THERE, BUT I GUESS WE'RE ABOUT TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
THANK YOU, MAYOR TOM, HUTCHIN.
UM, DON, NUMBER ONE, IF WE COULD GO BACK FOR JUST ONE MOMENT.
I'M, I, I, I SHARE THE CONCERNS, BUT THEN I ALSO START TO KIND OF LOOK AT THE, I WAS JUST KIND OF SPINNING THROUGH, UM, LOOKING AT 'EM.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE ONE ON THE, THE CYBER OR ON THE SECURITY ONE, I MEAN IN, UH, UH, WHERE WAS IT? YEAH, I MEAN, I, NO DISRESPECT, BUT YOU PROBABLY DON'T NEED THE SEVEN OF US TO DO ANYTHING ON THESE THREE TACTICS.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT AN INCREDIBLY, WITH, WITH, WITH THE, WITH THE TEAM AND THE STAFF.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THREE TACTICS RIGHT THERE THAT REALLY WE'RE NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING WITH.
WE PROBABLY WON'T EVEN DISCUSS 'EM NUMBER THREE FOR SURE.
WE PROBABLY WON'T EVER DISCUSS IN CITY COUNCIL JUST 'CAUSE OF WHAT YOU MENTIONED EARLIER.
SO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I GUESS I, I GUESS I ALMOST, AND I, I, I TRIED, I TRIED TO GO THROUGH, BUT I CAN'T GO THROUGH FAST ENOUGH AND TRY TO NAME OFF THOSE THAT WHERE WE'RE REALLY NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING ON 'EM.
I MEAN, I, AND I'M NOT BEING DISRESPECTFUL.
I'M, I'M TRYING TO SAY THAT WHEN I LOOK AT OUR OVERALL, OUR, IF YOU WILL, OUR TIME MANAGEMENT, WE'RE NOT GONNA TOUCH THOSE.
YOU, YOU KNOW, REALLY THE, IT, YOU, YOU, YOU'LL OVERSEE IT.
I DON'T MEAN THIS THAT WE'RE DISRESPECTFUL EITHER, BUT I MEAN, REALLY THE IT, OUR TEAM IS GONNA BE LIKE, YEAH, WE GOT THIS.
WE'RE, WE'RE DOING IT ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
IF YOU GO TO THE, IF YOU GO TO ANOTHER ONE, UM, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, REVIEW OUTSTANDING DEBT ANNUALLY FOR REFUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
YOU KNOW, UH, KENT AND HIS TEAM AND OUR, AND OUR, UM, AND I'M DRAWING A TOTAL BLANK ON THE FIRM THAT WE USE, WOULD PROBABLY COME AND SAY, HEY, HERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY.
WE'RE GONNA PROBABLY SPEND FIVE MINUTES ON IT.
IF, IF, IF AN OPPORTUNITY COMES UP.
AND IF, IF Y'ALL FELT STRONGLY AND SAID, HEY, WE CAN, FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU KNOW, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE RATES GO DOWN, WHATEVER.
AND YOU SAY, HEY, WE GOT A CHANCE TO REFUND THIS.
WE THINK WE OUGHT TO REFUND IT, AND WE'RE GONNA SAVE WHATEVER, A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS.
IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE A PRETTY QUICK CONVERSATION, I WOULD GUESS, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE JUST GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DO THAT.
SO I, I'M TRYING TO BALANCE THIS ALL OUTTA MY MIND.
AND SO I GUESS MIKE KIND OF, AND I'M NOT DISAGREEING WITH ANYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID 'CAUSE I HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS, BUT I ALSO AM TRYING TO GET IT REALISTICALLY IN MY MIND.
DO YOU SEE A FAIR NUMBER OF THESE WHERE YOU HAVE 'EM ON HERE AS THINGS THAT YOU KNOW COLLECTIVELY, IF YOU WILL, WE NEED TO DO, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE REALLY NOT GONNA HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH IT.
AND I, AND I DON'T, I, AND I, I COULDN'T GO FAST ENOUGH TO COUNT THROUGH.
I'D LOVED TO BEEN ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, LIKE CONSIDER NEWER ENHANCED BEST PRACTICES, SAFEGUARD OR AAA BOND RATING.
I'LL SAY PROBABLY SIX OUTTA SEVEN OF US WOULDN'T HAVE A CLUE.
MAYBE COUNCILMAN CORCORAN, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHERE HE, HE DABBLES IN COMPLIANCE AND ALL OF THAT.
MAYBE HE WOULD HAVE SOMETHING WHERE HE WOULD BE LIKE, HEY, HERE'S SOMETHING MAYBE WE OUGHT TO THINK ABOUT DOING.
THAT'S ANOTHER ONE WHERE I JUST DON'T SEE US DOING A LOT ON THAT.
AM I, IS THAT A FAIR POINT? I TO TOTALLY AGREE.
THE REASON WHY HISTORICALLY, THE REASON WHY, WELL, I SHOULD SAY HISTORICALLY, SINCE WE BEGIN USING THIS PROCESS FOR YOUR GOALS DEVELOPMENT AND, AND, AND THIS STAFF HAS BEEN RESPONSIVE, UM, THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A LIST OF EVERYTHING WE DO EVERY DAY, BUT IT IS A LIST OF THE THINGS, THE WAY WE BEGIN, THE WAY WE APPROACH THIS INITIALLY.
AND WE'VE TRIED TO, UM, BE BE MINDFUL OF THE THINGS, UM, THAT, UM, DO TAKE STAFF TIME AND RESOURCES.
BECAUSE WHEN WE ARE, WHEN WE ARE DOING THESE THINGS TO HELP ACHIEVE YOUR, UM, STRATEGY OF MAINTAINING STRONG FUND, UH, FUND BALANCE AND BOND RATING, THESE ARE THINGS YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
I MEAN, KENT AND THESE GUYS WILL SPEND, YOU KNOW, HOURS ON END.
UH, WITH HILLTOP REVIEWING AS HILLTOP, THANK YOU,
OUTSTANDING, UH, DEBT AND REFUND OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO I GUESS THE, THE REASON SOME OF THESE THINGS WERE PLACED ON, UH, INITIALLY, AND WE'VE KEPT THEM ON THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, IS BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF STAFF COMMITMENT AND RESOURCES THEY TAKE WHEN WE ARE, UH, DEDICATED TO THOSE KINDS OF SPECIALTY THINGS.
UM, THAT JUST MEANS WE HAVE LESS CAPACITY TO DO OTHER THINGS.
AND SO IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A, A KIND OF A BALANCE TO, TO TRY TO DEMONSTRATE.
UM, BUT, UH, BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THE COUNCIL'S ROLE IS, IS RATHER, UM, UM, MINIMAL, MINIMAL, MINIMAL.
[01:30:01]
IT REALLY, BUT, BUT THEY, BUT THEY ARE, YOU DON'T WANT US INVOLVED IN ALL OF, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THAT, THAT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.THE CYBERSECURITY, I MEAN, CYBERSECURITY FOR US IS, I MEAN, IS A DAILY GRIND.
MEAN LITERALLY AS IN YOUR ORGANIZATIONS, EVERY SINGLE DAY IS A TEST.
AND SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT TAKE A LOT OF STAFF TIME AND A LOT OF STAFF RESOURCES.
AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TENDED TO PUT ON THIS LIST, EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T REQUIRE A LOT OF COUNCIL, UH, TIME AND SUPPORT BECAUSE THEY ARE IMPACTFUL TO OUR OVERALL ABILITY.
AND THEY DO IMPACT OUR OVERALL CAPACITY, OUR OVERALL ABILITY TO DO NEW THINGS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, JUST A CAPACITY ISSUE.
IT'S JUST HOW MUCH CAN YOU GET THROUGH THE, OKAY.
AND THEN MY ONLY OTHER, MY ONLY OTHER QUESTION IS IF YOU CAN GO AND, AND MAYBE IT'S ON THE, THE LA NOT THE LAST SLIDE, BUT THE LAST TACTIC SLIDE, UH, GO BACK ONE, UM, THE TOP TWO, YOU, YOU PUT ASSESS EMERGING LEGISLATION TO IDENTIFY ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACTS AND STRATEGIES THAT, THAT MITIGATE RISK AND ENSURE ADHERENCE.
MAYBE IT BELONGS HERE, MAYBE IT DOESN'T.
MAYBE I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT FELT THIS WAY, BUT I THOUGHT WE KIND OF HAD A PRETTY STRONG AGREEMENT THAT WE WERE GOING TO MY WORDS PROFESSIONALLY CALL OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THE STATE ON THE, ON THE CARPET.
AND HAVE THEM COME HERE AND GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO I, I WOULD ASK IF WE COULD MAYBE, MAYBE LOOK AT THAT ONE AND MAYBE STRENGTHEN IT A LITTLE BIT AND KIND OF, YOU CAN PROBABLY WORDSMITH THAT A WHOLE LOT BETTER THAN WHAT I JUST SAID.
I TENDED TO CAPTURE THAT WITH THAT FIRST BULLET ON A DIFFERENT TACTIC.
MAYBE I PUT IT ON THE WRONG TACTIC, BUT I, AND I CAN EVEN, EVEN STRENGTHEN THAT LANGUAGE.
IF THAT, I MEAN, I JUST, I JUST THINK WE JUST HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO DO THAT.
AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER ONE WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAID, AND I THINK I, I MEAN, I, I KNOW SPECIFICALLY I SAID IT, AND I KNOW THE MAYOR WAS ON BOARD WITH THAT.
I THINK I HEARD SOME OTHER PEOPLE IN AN AGREEMENT WAS ON THE, AND AGAIN, IT IS THE LAST ONE WHERE YOU TALK ABOUT NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT, ABOUT NOT ONLY SECURING FUTURE WATER SUPPLY AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT CAPACITY, BUT THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE RATES.
YOU HAD SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'D COME UP WITH A PRETTY GOOD, I THOUGHT WAS A PRETTY GOOD TACTIC AS TO HOW WE WERE GONNA ENGAGE WITH THE NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT ON THE CONTINUING 8, 9, 7, 8, 9, WHATEVER PERCENT INCREASES.
AND SO I WOULD, AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO THAT REALLY JUST KIND OF JUMPED OFF AT ME ON THE PAGE WHERE I THOUGHT IF WE COULD JUST DO A LITTLE BIT OF WORDSMITHING.
UM, IF ANYBODY DISAGREES WITH ME, PLEASE SAY SO.
IT'S JUST, I THOUGHT WE KIND OF HAD AGREEMENT ON, ON BOTH OF THOSE OF KIND OF A, UH, HOLDING OUR LEGISLATORS MORE ACCOUNTABLE AND THEN ALSO HOLDING NORTH TEXAS, MORE NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT MORE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR EVER INCREASING RATES ON A YEAR BY YEAR BASIS.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, I WOULD JUST SAY, SINCE WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, YOU KIND OF HEARD OUR FEEDBACK TONIGHT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU AND YOUR TEAM TO GO BACK AND IF YOU SEE SOME THAT YOU JUST THINK, YOU KNOW, ARE ONES THAT ARE GONNA BE AN INCREDIBLE, YOU KNOW, TIME, EFFORT, THAT YOU'RE NOT QUITE SURE WE'RE ALL, MAYBE WE'RE NOT ALL IN AGREEMENT ON IT.
MAYBE THERE'S ONLY ONE OF US WHO, WHO FELT THAT WAY, OR MAYBE TWO OF US, THEN I WOULD JUST ASK, DID YOU BRING THOSE BACK? KIND OF TO COUNCILMAN BARRIOS POINT OF, YOU KNOW, BRING IT BACK AND, AND LET'S HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND IS IT A TECH NEEDS TO SAY ON THERE? I'M NOT SEEING ONE RIGHT AT THE MOMENT THAT'S JUMPING OUT AT ME AGAIN.
UM, BUT THERE MAY BE ONE OR TWO WHERE YOU SAY, HEY, IT WAS ONLY, AND I'M JUST PICKING A MO MOMENT 'CAUSE HE'S SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO ME.
GOSH, IT WAS ONLY COUNCILMAN DORIAN WHO WANTED TO, TO LOOK AT THAT.
THEN IF, IF THAT'S THE CASE AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT THREE OR FOUR OF US AT LEAST THAT AGREE, THEN PLEASE BRING THAT BACK BEFORE WE MAKE THE FINAL DECISION ON.
AND I FORGET WHAT DATE IT WAS THAT YOU HAVE ON THERE FOR THE FINAL DECISION.
BUT, UM, UM, THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY OTHER ASK TO KIND OF PICK UP THE POINTS THAT WERE MENTIONED BY THE OTHER COUNCIL FOLKS.
THANK YOU VERY, BUT AGAIN, OVERALL, GREAT JOB.
AND IT DOES LOOK LIKE YOU DID CAPTURE THOSE TWO THAT WERE JUST ASKED ABOUT, I THINK IN, UH, SLIDE 77 AND 74.
THEY'RE JUST, UH, INTERMIXED THERE.
UH, ON THE STATE AND FEDERAL REP REP REPS AND, AND THE, UH, UH, WATER ELEMENT THAT, UH, MAYOR PROTIME MENTIONED.
CAN YOU SAY THAT LOUDER, MAYOR, PLEASE? UH, THE, THE TWO ITEMS THAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM WAS MENTIONING THAT, UH, HE WASN'T SURE IF THEY WERE INCLUDED.
THEY, THEY WERE IN A COUPLE OTHER SLIDES.
UM, UH, BUT IT DOES LOOK LIKE HE'S GOT A TACTIC THAT ALREADY ADDRESSES THEM.
SO MAYBE THERE WON'T NEED TO BE AN ADDITION, BUT MAYBE A SLIGHT CLARIFICATION, IF ANYTHING.
YEAH, NO, I WASN'T ASKING FOR A NEW TI DEFINITELY NOT PURELY A CLARIFICATION.
NO, NO, I'M NOT ASKING FOR NEW TACTICS.
WELL, YOU KNOW, IT, IT DOES LOOK LIKE THERE IS LOTS OF BULLET POINTS, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT REALLY MUCH.
IF YOU LOOK, UH, IN A SENSE THAT YOU TRY TO, I'M GLAD THAT YOU, THIS, YOUR GOAL WAS TRY TO CAPTURE THE RESULT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL IS LOOKING FOR, INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON JUST A SPECIFIC WAY OF DOING IT, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE PROCESS MIGHT FAIL,
[01:35:01]
BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR RESULT, WE CAN GO DIFFERENT WAY AND GET IT DONE.SO I THINK THIS IS REALLY GOOD.
I MEAN, YOU, YOU CAPTURE THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, HIGH LEVEL, UH, THINGS.
AND I, I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM HAVING ALL THESE STUFFS OUT THERE, UH, BECAUSE MOST OF THE ITEMS ARE ALSO THAT IT'S ONGOING PROCESS, UH, YOU CAN'T ACHIEVE, EVEN IF YOU TRY TO SPEND WHOLE WEEK DISCUSSING THAT TOPICS, YOU ARE NOT GONNA BE PERFECT.
IT'S GONNA BE A PROCESS THAT YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE WORKING ON IT YEAR AFTER YEAR AND MAKE IT BETTER.
IF YOU DON'T DO IT NOW, YOU'RE GONNA BE BEHIND MANY WAY.
LIKE IF YOU DON'T UPDATE YOUR GI S MAP, YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE YOUR GIS, YOU'RE DONE, FOCUS ON WHAT WE HAVE.
AFTER ONE YEAR, YOU'LL FIND YOURSELF THAT OUTDATED.
SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE A PROCESS.
SO HAVING THOSE THING DOESN'T MEAN MAKE MEAN THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING DISCUSSING ALL DAY, BUT IT'LL GIVE YOU SOME IDEA THAT, OKAY, WE CAN BUDGET IT PROPERLY BECAUSE COUNCIL CARE FOR THIS, THAT KIND OF THINGS.
SO JUST FOR THAT PURPOSE, I THINK HAVING THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE OKAY.
UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN FOR THE BOND RATING THAT HAVING THAT THING IS GREAT IDEA.
I KNOW THAT COUNCIL COUNCIL CAN REALLY TOTALLY SCREW UP THE BOND RATING, UH, EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T WORK WITH THE NUMBERS.
BUT SOMETIMES, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, UH, SOME OF THE POLICY GOES MM-HMM
IF COUNCIL COME UP WITH A POLICY THAT, THAT REALLY AGAINST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THOSE AGENCY DOESN'T LIKE, OUR BOND RATING WILL DROP JUST BECAUSE PURELY WHAT COUNCIL SAY, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS THING FROM, FROM NOW ON.
SO I THINK THOSE ARE IMPORTANT THINGS AND, UH, WE CAN'T REALLY TAKE A RISK OF LOSING ANYTHING.
WE ARE, WE ARE SAVING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
SO I DON'T MIND DISCUSSING THOSE THINGS.
BUT ONE THING, MY CONCERN ON THIS TACTICS IS THAT, IS, IS THE COUNCIL REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, WE COULD REALLY FOCUS ON ONE SMALL THINGS, USE MY, YOU KNOW, MAGNIFYING GLASSES AND THEN BECOME VERY UNPRODUCTIVE.
YOU KNOW, MAKE OURSELF THINKING THAT WE'RE WORKING, LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT'S, UH, THAT IS IMPORTANT, BUT NOT FOCUSING ON THE RESULT THAT WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO.
SO MY, MY WORRY ABOUT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, NEXT TWO YEARS ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO, I DON'T HAVE ANY DOUBT, GOD WILLING, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON, ON THE RESULT, UH, INSTEAD OF, UH, PROCESS PROCEDURE.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU JUST TAKE ONE PROCESS, ONE BULLET POINT AND TRY TO MAKE IT SOMETHING HAPPEN, YOU'LL BE ANSWERING THAT QUESTION THE WHOLE TWO YEARS BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO FIND THIS PERFECT SOLUTION BECAUSE THERE IS, FOR MANY THINGS, THERE IS NO PERFECT SOLUTION.
THERE ARE OPINIONS, BUT NOT SOLUTION.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW TO, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK HOW TO HANDLE THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE ONLY THE TIME WILL ANSWER.
UH, BUT WE DO NEED TO FOCUS ON, ON THE, ON THE RESULT WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY AND HOW WE MAKE THIS THING MAKE, YOU KNOW, BETTER EVERY DAY, NOT GO BEHIND OR, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST.
I THINK I'M OKAY OVERALL, OTHERWISE, THANK YOU.
UH, I WANT TO, UH, STATE A LIKE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE SAYING AND, AND, AND TO SAVE TIME ON REPEATING THE DETAILS.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE, WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS AGAIN THIS YEAR, WE TALKED ABOUT WE HAD NEVER FINISHED THE ORIGINAL TACTICS THAT WE ORIGINALLY HAD, AND WE'RE GONNA ALWAYS HAVE THAT ISSUE.
HONESTLY, WE'LL NEVER FINISH ALL OF OUR TACTICS.
AND, AND WE'VE ADDED A LOT OF NEW TACTICS, AND SOME OF THEM ARE OVERLAPPING OR, UH, COUNCILMAN JUSTICE MENTIONED, UH, WHICH I AGREE.
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS THIS IS ALMOST KIND OF LIKE, UH, WHAT I LOOK AT IS A LARGE GROCERY LIST AND YOU'RE AT THE GROCERY STORE AND YOU'VE GATHERED ALL THIS DATA AND YOU'RE ON, YOU'RE ON A BUDGET AND YOU'RE HAVING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DO YOU PUT BACK AND HOW ARE YOU GONNA MANAGE IT.
I ALMOST FEEL LIKE YOU, YOU NEED TO HAVE TWO COLUMNS ON THE SPREADSHEET, KEEP ALL THIS GROCERY LIST AS IS POTENTIALLY GO THROUGH AND CONSOLIDATE THE ONES THAT SEEM LIKE THEY POTENTIALLY MAY BE VERY SIMILAR, UH, WITHOUT A LOT OF UNDER BULLETS.
AND THEN KEEP THE, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE ONES WE WANT TO TACKLE OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
SO WE HAVE OUR MASTER GROCERY LIST, AND NOW WE'VE CONSOLIDATED THOSE ELIMINATED PROBABLY AS WE, IF I, AS I'VE HEARD TONIGHT, PROBABLY ABOUT EIGHT DIFFERENT LINE ITEMS, UH, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE CONSOLIDATED.
AND THEN JUST KEEP OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SPREADSHEET OF THE, THE TACTICS THAT WE HAVE LEFT AND OUT OF THOSE CHERRY PICK THE ONES THAT, THAT YOU SUGGESTED IN, UH, THE VERY END OF THAT, THE VERY END OF THAT SLIDE.
I AGREE THAT THE VERY END OF THE SLIDE IS A LOT.
WE ALL NEED, WE NEED TO DO EVERY ONE OF THEM.
[01:40:01]
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A LOT OF WORK, A LOT OF TIME, AND A LOT OF, UH, PRESSURE ON STAFF.SO SORT OF STREAMLINING THAT AND REDEFINING IT, I THINK BY TAKING IT BACK AND, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE CALLING IT COLUMN IT, IF YOU WILL.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU HAVE THIS ORGANIZED.
I MEAN, I'M JUST CALLING IT A SPREADSHEET, BUT IF I WERE DOING IT, I'D HAVE MY GROCERY LIST ON ONE SIDE AND THEN I CHERRY PICK WHAT I WANNA DO ON THE OTHER.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT BECAUSE WE WANNA BE REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH, AND WE'RE STILL TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH SOME OF THE OLDER TACTICS THAT WE'VE, WE STARTED AND NEVER REALLY GOT A CHANCE TO COMPLETE.
AND WE HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD NEW TACTICS ON THE LIST HERE.
UM, BUT I'D JUST LIKE FOR US TO LOOK AT THAT AND, AND SORT OF STREAMLINE A LITTLE BIT AND CLEAN IT UP.
I, I KNOW WE'VE GOT TWO OTHER COMMENTS AND I JUST WANNA MAKE MY FIRST COMMENT ON THIS, WHICH IS, UM, THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT JOB, ESPECIALLY WITH SEVEN VOICES IN YOUR EAR.
UM, I THINK EVERY ONE OF US WOULD SAY THAT LEFT TO OUR OWN DEVICES, WE WOULD TRUST THE CITY MANAGER IN MAKING THE DECISIONS THAT HE NEEDS TO MAKE TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE ON THE DATA THAT HE'S BEEN GIVEN.
HE SAT THROUGH A GOAL SETTING, HE'S BEEN THROUGH A FEW OTHER MEETINGS.
HE'S DONE THIS FOR A WHILE, BEEN AROUND IT FOR A WHILE.
HE'S TAKEN ALL THE INFORMATION, AND HE CAME TO US WITH THIS PARTICULAR WORK PLAN.
UM, SO I DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUES.
I DON'T HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, I DON'T HAVE ANY, ANY OF THAT AS IT RELATES TO ANY OF THIS.
AND IF, IF WE COME SHORT BECAUSE WE TAKE A LOT LONGER OR WE DISCUSS IT LONGER AS COUNCIL MEMBER BARRIOS TALKED ABOUT A NEED POTENTIALLY FOR THEN, SO BE IT.
UH, I THINK WE CAN ALL RECOGNIZE, UH, HERE UPFRONT.
I THINK EVERYONE CAN JUST RAISE THEIR HAND AND SAY, HEY, YEAH, WE KNOW YOU SIGNED UP FOR WAY TOO MUCH FOR THIS TWO YEAR TERM.
IF WE CAN'T GET THROUGH ALL OF IT, WE ALL UNDERSTAND AND WE'RE WORKING ON IT IN A PRIORITIZED BASIS BASED ON WHAT YOU KIND OF ARE SEEING AND HEARING FROM EVERYBODY.
SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUE WITH, UH, WITH WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE IN FRONT OF US.
COUNCIL MEMBER CORCORAN IS NEXT.
I HAVE, I HAVE A SIMILAR FEELING TO WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'M NOT, WHAT I'M GONNA SAY IS GONNA SOUND PREACHY.
I'M NOT TRYING TO COME OFF THAT WAY, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT EVERYONE HAS BEEN SAYING AND YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOU.
I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN SHAEL.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THE WAY THAT WE MAKE THIS WORK IS FOR ALL OF US TO COMMIT TO LETTING STAFF EXECUTE AND PRESENT ON THESE TACTICS AS THEY'RE WRITTEN.
AND WE JUST TAKE A STEP BACK AFTER THIS MEETING AND I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER INDIVIDUAL, VERY HYPER-SPECIFIC SORT OF SUBTASKS GO UNDER THIS.
UM, WE JUST THINK ABOUT WHAT THOSE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE, AND THEN STAFF MAY SEE THAT A DIFFERENT ITEM ACHIEVES THE SAME THING AND ACHIEVES IT BETTER.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF WE DON'T DO THAT, THEN THE ALTERNATIVE IS THAT WE EITHER COME BACK AT A DIFFERENT MEETING OR WE SIT HERE FOR THE NEXT HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF AND REALLY JUST START STRIKING STUFF AS A GROUP, WHICH I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYONE WANTS TO GO THROUGH THAT EXERCISE RIGHT NOW, BUT I MEAN, I, I WOULDN'T MIND DOING IT.
I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAS THE DESIRE TO DO IT.
DON, CAN YOU HELP CLARIFY, WHEN MAYOR PROTI, UM, WAS SPEAKING, UM, HE WAS BASICALLY SAYING, YOU KNOW, THE STUFF THAT Y'ALL DO, Y'ALL DO TAKE CARE OF YOUR BUSINESS AND STUFF YOU DO EVERY DAY.
YOU'VE MADE, AND I FORGET THE EXACT WORD YOU USED, BUT YOU BASICALLY SAID, HEY, THIS, THIS, OR AT LEAST WHAT I TOOK OF IT WAS, UM, THERE ARE THINGS THAT TAKE UP A LOT OF YOUR TIME AND YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE IN THE WORK PLAN SO THAT WE'RE FULLY AWARE OF ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU AND STAFF SPEND A LOT OF TIME DOING THAT KIND OF EVERYDAY STUFF.
BUT IT'S, IT'S DETAIL AND CONSTANTLY KIND OF CHANGING.
SO IT CONSTANTLY CHANGES, BUT IT'S VERY DETAIL ORIENTED, THEREFORE MAKING IT VERY TIME CONSUMING STUFF.
IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO SAY IS, OR WHAT AM I, I FELT LIKE MAYBE WHEN YOU SPOKE, I WAS LIKE, I I WANTED TO CLARIFY FURTHER WHAT YOU WERE MAKING TOO.
'CAUSE WHEN MAYOR PERAM AND CHAD THOUGHT, OH, KEN IS TALKING ABOUT EFFICIENCY, AND THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.
RIGHT? AND, UH, YOU SAID SOMETHING.
OKAY, WHAT AM I NOT, I FELT LIKE MAYBE I DIDN'T CATCH SOMETHING, WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO SAY.
SO, UM, THE COUNCIL ADOPTED 14 STRATEGIES.
THE WAY WE APPROACH THIS SINCE WE MOVED TO THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS IS TO IDENTIFY BOTH EXISTING AND NEW THINGS THAT ARE RESPONSIVE TO THOSE, TO THOSE STRATEGIES.
UM, WE DON'T PUT THE ROUTINE OR THE ORDINARY THINGS THAT WE DO ON THIS LIST, YOU KNOW, UM, SPENDING, UH, TIME MODELING, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, SEARCHING FOR, AND THEN MODELING AND THEN COORDINATING A SALE OF A, UH, UH, OF A REFUNDING IS NOT AN ORDINARY AND ROUTINE THING.
THAT'S WHY THAT'S ON THAT LIST.
BUT THAT'S VERY RESPONSIVE TO THE STRATEGY THAT YOU IDENTIFIED.
AND SO, UM, IT'S, IT, IT IS, IT IS IN ONE SENSE.
I MEAN, ONE OF THE, I GUESS ONE OF THE CRITERIA OF WHAT MAKES THIS
[01:45:01]
LIST IS THE AMOUNT OF CAPACITY AND RESOURCES IT TAKES, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S, YOU KNOW, EACH, EACH TERM, YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, EACH OF THE LAST THREE TERMS, SINCE I'VE BEEN CITY MANAGER, THE STRATEGIES HAVE CHANGED.WE'VE HAD, I THINK WE HAD 13, THEN WE WENT TO 12.
AND SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE STRATEGY, I LOOK AT THE EXISTING THINGS THAT WE DO THAT ARE NOT ORDINARY AND ROUTINE, BUT THAT TAKE A LOT OF RESOURCES.
'CAUSE IF IT TAKES A LOT OF RESOURCES, YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOCATE, THAT'S PART OF YOUR BUDGETING PROCESS.
OR IT TAKES A LOT OF STAFF TIME BECAUSE THAT HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR BEING ABLE TO DO OTHER THINGS.
BUT THE DRIVER ON THE, THE DRIVER OF EVERY, EVERY ONE OF THESE TACTICS IS THAT I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS RESPONSIVE TO THE STRATEGY THAT YOU COLLECTIVELY ADOPTED.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, WE, THESE ARE NOT ORDINARY OR ROUTINE THINGS.
IF IT'S AN EXISTING, IF IT'S AN EXISTING RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE THAT'S RESPONSIVE TO THE STRATEGY.
IT'S NOT AN ORDINARY OR ROUTINE RESPONSIBILITY.
THERE'S NOTHING ON THIS LIST THAT I WOULD CONSIDER ORDINARY ROUTINE.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, ONCE A YEAR, BUT THEY'RE VERY INTENSE.
FOR INSTANCE, A LOT, A LOT OF THOSE AROUND THE DEBT, OR THEY'RE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
I MEAN, CYBERSECURITY IS ON THIS LIST BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST LIKE A PRACTICE WE HAVE TO DO.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT, IT IS THE UNDERLYING, IT HAS AN UNDERLYING IMPLICATION FOR EVERY SINGLE THING THAT WE DO AS A CITY.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S OF, TO MY OPINION, IT WAS OF A MAGNITUDE, UM, THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A TACTIC, I MEAN, IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A STRATEGY THAT TALKS ABOUT SAFETY OR SECURITY, YOU KNOW, SAFETY AND SECURITY, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME, A LOT OF MONEY, A LOT OF, UH, ENERGY TOWARDS, UH, MAINTAINING.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HELPS OR NOT, BUT I MEAN, THE, AGAIN, THE, THE, THE SUB BULLETS ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE EITHER EXISTING OR THAT I'VE HEARD YOU SAY YOU WANT TO EXPLORE EITHER INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, THAT TIES BACK TO YOUR STRATEGIES.
IF YOUR STRATEGIES ARE DIFFERENT, THE SUB-BULLETS WOULD BE DIFFERENT.
UM, I DO WANNA MAKE ONE COMMENT.
UM, AND IT'S RELATES TO SOMETHING I HEARD FROM A RESIDENT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO VIA EMAIL, AND THEN SOMETHING WHAT, UH, MAYOR PROTI SAID REGARDING THE SLIDE THAT'S, UH, UH, WHAT TOPIC? I BELIEVE IT'S THIS ONE WHERE, WHERE HE MADE THE COMMENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CALLING ON CARPET TYPE, YOU KNOW, UM, OR HAVING FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH STATE NUMBER ONE.
I, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE HEART BEHIND WHAT I BELIEVE.
I UNDERSTAND THE HEART BEHIND WHAT MAYOR PER TEM SAYS, OR, OR IS SAYING THERE.
I DO KNOW, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO I HEARD FROM A RESIDENT WHO WAS UPSET ABOUT A BILL THAT RECENTLY PASSED, AND THEY SAID, WELL, WHY HAVEN'T YOU DONE ANYTHING? I'M THINKING, I'VE BEEN ENGAGING WITH, YOU KNOW, OUR REPRESENTATIVES FROM BOTH PARTIES FOR A FEW MONTHS ON THIS EXACT ONE.
AND, UH, THERE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, MANY TIMES THIS SESSION, PREVIOUS SESSION, UH, THE LAST TWO SESSIONS, I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF COUNCIL EVEN THEN IN, IN MY, UM, PRIOR TO JOINING THE COUNCIL WHERE I'VE BEEN ENGAGED WITH, UH, MEMBERS OF OUR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
UM, AND I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO THERE TO MAYBE COMMUNICATE THAT.
I KNOW, UM, CHIEF TITTLE GAVE US SEVERAL, UH, DEBRIEFS, AND I GUESS THIS RESIDENT HAD MISSED THAT.
UH, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT IF WE BRING THEM IN TO ANSWER, IT OPENS UP A CAN OF WORMS OR A PANDORA'S BOX THAT IS HARD TO SHUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE PARTISAN NATURE OF WHAT OUR STATE LEGISLATURE DOES.
SO I WOULD PREFER NOT TO GO THAT ROUTE, AND I WOULD PREFER NOT TO HAVE FURTHER CLARIFICATIONS.
IN ALL HONESTY, I'D RATHER THIS THIS BE MUCH MORE OF A APPROACH OF COMMUNICATING WHAT WE ARE DOING, AND THEN CONTINUE TO DO THAT THROUGH WHETHER IT'S CHIEF OR WHOEVER YOU APPOINT FOR THE NEXT SESSION, UH, TO BE OUR LIAISON, UH, TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
BUT I, I AM CONCERNED OF THE PARTISAN NATURE AND WE ALL HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME LEANINGS IN WHATEVER DIRECTION.
BUT I, I AM CONCERNED ON BRINGING THAT TO THE DIOCESE.
SO I WOULD NOT, I WOULD NOT SUPPORT THAT, UM, INDIVIDUAL TACTIC.
SO LET'S DISCUSS IT WHENEVER THE TACTIC COMES UP, AND THEN WE CAN EITHER AGREE WITH IT OR DISAGREE WITH IT, IF THAT'S COOL.
I STILL HAVE THE SAME CONCERN.
I'M GOING BACK AND LOOKING AT THE 2325 TACTICS.
THEY'RE QUITE SPECIFIC, MOST OF THEM.
THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE BROAD, BUT I FEEL LIKE STAFF HAD A VERY CLEAR WORK PLAN.
WE'RE GONNA REVIEW THE CODE OF ETHICS.
WE'RE GONNA CREATE A CITY, UH, WE'RE GONNA CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE CITY FEE ORDINANCE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA, UH, YOU KNOW,
[01:50:01]
LOOK AT THE GOLF COURSE, A DISC GOLF, WE'RE GONNA ACTIVATE THE DISC GOLF COURSE.I MEAN, THEY, THERE WERE VERY SPECIFIC TACTICS.
I FEEL LIKE MOST OF THESE ARE BROAD.
I RECOGNIZE, AGAIN, THAT YOU HAVE A DIFFICULT JOB AND THAT, OF COURSE, WE ALL TRUST YOU TO DO YOUR JOB.
THAT'S WHY WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE YOU, UH, AS OUR CITY MANAGER.
UM, THE, MY FEAR IS THAT WE ARE NOT GIVING YOU CLEAR SPECIFIC DIRECTION.
UM, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE, BUT I THINK NOW IS THE TIME TO DO THAT.
OR WE ARE GONNA WIND UP IN A SITUATION SIX MONTHS OR NINE MONTHS FROM NOW WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF RESENTMENT.
UM, STAFF IS CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES ARE BECAUSE WE HAVE A BROAD TACTIC HERE.
AND YOU COME BACK TO US AND SAY, WELL, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SPENT FOUR MONTHS WORKING ON SOMETHING THAT THE FIVE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS DIDN'T THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPENDING, BUT MAYBE IT FALLS UP UNDER THIS, THIS LARGE UMBRELLA.
I'M, I'M REALLY CONCERNED THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, PUTTING STAFF IN A REALLY TERRIBLE POSITION, NOT GIVING YOU CLEAR DIRECTION.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T REMEMBER, I THINK IT MIGHT'VE BEEN COUNCILMAN HUTMAN WRITER, BUT IF, IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN, OR MAYBE COUNCILMAN BARRIOS, I DON'T REMEMBER IT.
BUT IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN COME BACK TO US WITH MORE SPECIFIC TACTICS, I, I FEEL LIKE FOR YOUR OWN SANITY AND SAKE, WE, WE AS A COUNCIL NEED TO SORT OF PUT OUR BIG POI PANTS ON AND TELL YOU WHAT WE WANT YOU TO DO.
AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE DOING THIS HERE.
I, I REALLY HAVE CONCERN ABOUT HOW BROAD SOME OF THESE ARE.
SO THAT, THAT'S MY CHALLENGE TO YOU.
I KNOW THERE, AND OTHERS HAVE CHALLENGED YOU IN SOME WAY, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT WE CAN'T AGREE ON WHETHER OR NOT THESE TACTICS ARE RIGHT, I THINK IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE HEADING DOWN A PATH THAT WE, WE REALLY NEED TO GIVE YOU CLEAR DIRECTION.
AND I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GETTING IT HERE.
AS YOU GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH US AND DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT, UH, UH, WE HAVE A COMFORT LEVEL OR NOT, UH, I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT YOU'VE PRESENTED, AND I THINK YOU'LL BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE THIS.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING IN TERMS OF, IN SOME OF THESE CASES, BRINGING THREE OR FOUR THINGS UP AT THE SAME TIME AND BEING ABLE TO KNOCK THOSE OUT IN ONE MEETING, I THINK THAT MAKES A LOGICAL, LOGICAL SENSE.
I THINK YOU WERE TRYING TO SPARE US THE THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT BULLETS THAT MIGHT GO UNDER EACH OF THESE THAT YOU WOULD ACTUALLY PRESENT ALL AT ONCE.
UM, UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, LIKE LOOKING AT TWO PIECES OF ART, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST TWO DIFFERENT SUB-BULLETS.
BUT, UM, THAT'S THE WAY I, THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY I LOOK AT IT.
AND THE PROFESSIONAL HAS COME UP WITH A PLAN.
SO I'M, I'M GENERALLY COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
BUT, BUT IF THERE ARE OTHERS WHO ARE ALSO UNCOMFORTABLE, AND IF, IF THERE'S A MAJORITY THAT ARE UNCOMFORTABLE, WE CAN, WE CAN PROCEED LOOKING AT IT IN TERMS OF NEEDING TO REPRIORITIZE OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN THERE.
I'M, I'M COMFORTABLE DOING, UM, IF THERE'S YES, COUNCIL MEMBER, MOR, MAY, CAN I GET CLARIFICATION? WHAT'S THE NEXT STEPS ON THIS? 'CAUSE THIS IS REVIEW AND DISCUSSED.
SO IS THIS COME, WHAT'S THE NEXT STEPS FROM THIS? IF WE WANTED TO HAVE, AND OR I GUESS DON, THAT'S A QUESTION FOR YOU BECAUSE IF WE WANTED TO HAVE, UM, A FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THESE IN AN OPEN WAY SO WE CAN NAIL THESE DOWN.
IS THERE A WINDOW HERE OR THE NEXT STEP? YOU'RE, WE'RE HAVING INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS AND IT'S COMING BACK FOR VOTE.
CAN YOU I CLARIFY THAT OR RESTATE IT IF SOMEHOW I'M NOT REMEMBERING WHAT, NO, UM, WELL, SO YEAH, I, I MEAN, THE NEXT STEP WAS OBVIOUSLY TO, TO TAKE YOUR FEEDBACK AND, AND SUGGESTIONS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, UM, I'M HAPPY TO GO BACK INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN I, YOU KNOW, I, I, UM, I DRAFTED THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TACTICS LAST TERM AND THE TERM BEFORE THAT, AND PROBABLY THE TERM BEFORE THAT.
UM, SO I, I UNDERSTAND THE LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY THAT, UM, WE HAVE USED PREVIOUSLY.
YOU KNOW, I, IF I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT, BUT I DO THINK THAT THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO BE EYES OPEN TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT PRIORITIES AND AS JUST EVIDENCED EVEN ON THE PRIORITIES, UM, THAT ARE AGREED SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE.
THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON HOW TO DO THAT.
SO IF I BRING A TACTIC BACK THAT SAYS WE NEED TO CALL OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS INTO THE, INTO A COUNCIL MEETING TO DISCUSS THAT, I ALREADY KNOW THAT, THAT NOT EVERYBODY AGREES ON THAT, RIGHT? AND SO WE CAN SPEND, WE, AND, AND I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.
I'M HAPPY TO GO BACK AND TAKE EACH OF THESE AND UNWIND THEM.
UM, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I JUST WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO TRY TO AGREE OR NOT AGREE OR, OR IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO TRY TO DO THAT WHEN THERE'S A CONVERSATION AROUND A PARTICULAR POLICY OR PROGRAM OR HOW WE'RE GONNA PROCEED FORWARD.
SO, BUT I MEAN, SO I'M TRYING TO NOT ONLY BALANCE MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS EVERYBODY AND COUNCIL, UH, WOMEN JUSTICE, I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT.
'CAUSE I, ONE TEST FOR ME IS THAT EVERYBODY DOES LOOK AT THIS LIST AND THEY KIND OF, THEY SEE THEIR OWN REFLECTION IN IT, RIGHT? I MEAN, THEY SEE THAT THIS LIST IS REPRESENTATIVE OF SEVEN RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE ON THE WORK PLAN,
[01:55:01]
BUT EVEN THE THINGS THAT THEIR AGREEMENT ON FROM MY TAKEAWAY, THAT SHOULD BE ON THE PLAN.THERE'S NOT AGREEMENT ON HOW IT SHOULD BE REFLECTED ON THE PLAN, WHICH MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO BRING BACK A LIST THAT'S SPECIFIC.
I'M JUST, I JUST THINK THAT THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO BE PREPARED TO EVEN HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK USING THAT ONE EXAMPLE, I DON'T THINK I CAN BRING BACK A LIST THAT'S MORE SPECIFIC.
UM, THAT IS GONNA BE HIGHLY AGREEABLE RIGHT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
I THINK THAT YOU, YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO BE PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT THAT SPECIFIC LIST AS WELL.
AND THAT'S JUST BASED ON, THAT'S BASED ON MY TAKEAWAY FROM OURS IN SOME CASES OF CONVERSATIONS WITH EACH OF YOU, AS WELL AS THE COLLECTIVE DISCUSSIONS THAT YOU'VE HAD.
SO I, I, I'M READING AND UNDERSTANDING AND I APPRECIATE, I THINK EVERY COUNCIL PERSON HAS THE BEST INTENTIONS IN MIND HERE, WHICH IS TO LOOK OUT FOR STAFF AND TO LOOK OUT FOR YOU.
UM, AND, AND THERE'S PROBABLY OTHER THINGS THAT I'M NOT MISSING IN THERE, BUT ARE ALL THE RIGHT INTENTIONS, UM, I THINK TO THE POINT YOU'RE MAKING, IF, IF OUR GOAL IS TO NOT OVERWHELM AND TO ASK FOR OUR STAFF TO DO MORE WORK THAN THEY NEED TO, SIMPLY BY ASKING FOR THEM TO GO BACK AND REDO THE TACTICS AFTER THIS HAS TAKEN WEEKS TO PUT TOGETHER IS EXACTLY THE THING YOU'RE TRYING TO AVOID, WHICH IS MORE WORK FOR THE COUNCIL, UH, FOR THE CITY MANAGER.
NOW, WHEN WE GO INTO ANY ONE OF THESE TACTICS, EXPLORE HOW COUNCIL CAN ENGAGE WITH STATE AND FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES, WHEN THAT COMES UP IN A COUNCIL MEETING, THERE ARE PROBABLY GONNA BE FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT POSSIBLE WAYS THAT WE COULD INTERACT WITH THE STATE REPS.
WE WILL THEN BE ABLE TO DISCUSS WHETHER OR NOT WE WANNA BRING THEM IN OR IF WE WANNA JUST ARTICULATE IT ANOTHER WAY OR IF WE WANNA PUBLISH THEIR VOTING RECORD ON, ON THE NEWSPAPER OR HOWEVER WE WANT TO DO THAT, THAT'S WHEN WE CAN DISCUSS THOSE DETAILS.
AND WE CAN AT ONE POINT TAKE FOUR OR FIVE VERY SPECIFIC POSSIBILITIES AND ADDRESS 'EM ALL IN ONE PART OF ONE MEETING, WHETHER IT'S AN HOUR OR TWO HOURS OR THREE HOURS.
BUT WE'LL KNOCK OUT A HANDFUL OF THINGS THAT OTHERWISE WE WOULD HAVE TO ARTICULATE AS ONE PARTICULAR TACTIC THAT IS SPECIFICALLY CALL THEM IN A SEPARATE TACTIC THAT IS, LET'S PUBLISH THEM IN OUR PAPER AND, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
INSTEAD OF DOING ALL THAT, WE'RE JUST GONNA HANDLE IT IN ONE, OR I BELIEVE HE'S GONNA HANDLE IT IN ONE COUNCIL MEETING, ONE PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM WHERE WE TALK ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES OF HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THAT, AND THEN WE CAN WEIGH IN ON THAT AS A TEAM AND BE DONE WITH IT.
SO, I, I JUST, I HATE THE, THE, THE THOUGHT THAT HE DID ALL THIS WORK AND NOW WE'RE GONNA ASK HIM TO GO REDO ALL THIS WORK SO THAT WE CAN BE MORE SATISFIED WITH THE TACTICS.
I, I, I THINK THIS IS FINE AND I THINK WE CAN WORK THROUGH THIS, AND IF WE CAN'T, THEN TWO YEARS FROM NOW, WE CAN DO THIS DIFFERENTLY.
BUT WE'RE ALL ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF ON HERE.
I JUST DON'T WANNA ADD ANOTHER THING BY ASKING HIM TO REDO THE TACTICS.
WELL, I MEAN, THIS IS THE FIFTH YEAR I'M WORKING WITH, UH, OUR CITY MANAGER AS HE, YOU KNOW, I, I TRUST HIM, NOT BECAUSE I TRUST HIM, BECAUSE OF HIS, UH, HIS INTENTION AND HIS, UH, NATURE AND THE WAY HE HAS DONE BUSINESS.
SO I, I'M OKAY WITH THIS, UH, LIST.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND ALSO THE REGION I, I FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THIS LIST IS THAT IT'S NOT GIVING A SPECIFIC WAY OF DOING THINGS LIKE INVITING THE ELECTED MEMBERS TO THE MEETING.
YOU KNOW, IF WE WILL, IF WE HAD THAT TACTIC SPECIFICALLY SAID THAT WE NEED TO DO IT, WE ARE GONNA, WE ARE SETTING UP OURSELF FOR FAILING BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE WILL COME AND MEET US HERE.
UH, MAYBE THERE IS ONE OR TWO SHOW UP, AND SOMETIMES WE MAY HAVE TO GO MEET WITH THEM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
I MEAN, IF THE GOAL IS TO SEND THEM THE MESSAGE, WHAT WE ARE HEARING HERE, IF THAT'S THE GOAL AND THAT'S THE MAIN THING, THEN WE CAN ACHIEVE IT ANY DIFFERENT WAY.
WE DON'T HAVE TO START DISCUSSING ONE SPECIFIC WAY OF DOING THINGS.
I'LL SHARE ONE QUICK EXPERIENCE.
WE HAD, LIKE ONE TIME, FIVE OF US WAS IN A LEADERSHIP PROGRAM.
MANY OF YOU PROBABLY HAVE SEEN THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A SPIDER NET AND THE INSTRUCTOR WAS SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST CHOOSE A WINDOW TO JUMP TO THE OTHER SIDE.
IT CAN GO, BUT REST OF, YOU'LL HAVE TO HELP THAT PERSON TO GO TO THE OTHER SIDE.
SO I'M A SMALL GUY, SO I WAS LOOKING, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA LOOK THE QUICKEST AND SOMETHING THAT'S ON THE LOW SIDE, BUT ONE OF THE MEMBER, THAT MEMBER WAS MUCH BIGGER, MUCH HEAVIER, AND THAT PERSON DECIDED TO GO TO THE TOP ONE.
AND I WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE NEED TO JUST JUMP IN, JUST CHOOSE ONE SOMETHING THAT QUICKER FOR US.
AND THAT PERSON SAID THAT, NAH, THIS IS THE THINGS I DREAM, AND THIS IS
[02:00:01]
WHERE MY DREAM IS NOW.WE ARE FOR LIKE, STUCK THAT WE NEED TO LEAVE THAT PERSON.
AND THEN, SO I MEAN, WE CAN ACHIEVE THE SAME GOAL DIFFERENT WAY.
I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT WILL ACHIEVE THAT TO US, BUT IT'S UP TO US HOW WE DO OUR THINGS.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES INTENTIONS ARE GREAT, BUT WE'RE CREATING MORE WORK FOR US BY DOING, ARGUING SOME OF THE SMALL THINGS.
AND ARGUMENT IS ALWAYS HEALTHY.
UH, THAT WILL AVOID SOME OF THE LARGER ARGUMENT DOWN THE ROAD.
UH, AND I TOTALLY SUPPORT THIS LIST IS COUNCIL MEMBER JUSTICE.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I DISAGREE SORT OF WITH THE NARRATIVE THAT MY SUGGESTION IS A REFLECTION ON MY FAITH IN THE CITY MANAGER.
I KNOW NONE OF YOU HAVE SAID THAT, BUT I, I FEEL LIKE THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING HERE.
AND REALLY, UM, MY INTENTION IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY MANAGER, UM, CAN DO HIS JOB, UM, WITHOUT US GETTING IN THE WAY.
SO JUST WANNA MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION.
I WOULD SECOND THAT INTERPRETATION.
UM, ALRIGHT, IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE ON THIS, UM, YOU'LL, YOU'LL FIGURE OUT HOW YOU WANNA PROCEED ON THIS, BUT I'M FEELING LIKE MAYBE WE'RE MOVING IN SOME SORT OF A COHESIVE DIRECTION THERE.
[13. REPORT ON ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST ]
UM, ITEM NUMBER 13 IS REPORT ON ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST.ANYONE DO ANYTHING INTERESTING THIS WEEK THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD? MAYOR PRO TEMP, HUTCHIN RIDER? JUST ONE THING, I JUST WANNA, UM, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO FRIDAY TO THE DART STATE OF THE YEAR AGENCY.
DON MENTIONED IT EARLIER, BUT I WANNA REEMPHASIZE IT THAT THE SILVER LINE THAT WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT FOR, I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE HOW MANY YEARS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS WILL BE FUNCTIONAL AS OF THE 25TH OF OCTOBER.
AND SO I'M INCREDIBLY PROUD BECAUSE I THINK YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WE'VE SAID TIME AND TIME AGAIN AS WE STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF OUR OTHER COUNCILS, THERE ARE A LOT OF COUNCILS WHO DID A LOT OF WORK TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY SEE IT REALIZED ON OCTOBER 25TH.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT.
A COUPLE THINGS HAPPENED THIS WEEK, UM, IN MY WORLD.
UH, ONE, WE HAD A PARKS COMMISSION MEETING ON TUESDAY, AND IT WAS THEIR ANNUAL FIELD TRIP, WHICH IS ALWAYS JUST A, A TON OF FUN FOR THE PARKS COMMISSION.
WE WENT TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLAYGROUNDS THAT ARE BEING, UH, EITHER CONSTRUCTED OR, OR WORKED ON THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND GOT TO SEE WHAT THE NEW EQUIPMENT WAS.
UM, IT WAS, IT'S ALWAYS NICE WHEN WE GO TO PLACES THAT ARE IN THE CITY BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT'S HAPPENED, A RESIDENT OF RICHARDSON HAS COME UP TO YVONNE AND COMPLIMENTED HER ON SOMETHING WITH THE PLAYGROUND.
AND IN THIS CASE, IT WAS REPLACING THE SORT OF TRADITIONAL SPLINTER, UH, THE SORT OF LIKE SPLINTER GROUND AREA UNDER THE EQUIPMENT WITH THE ACTUAL, LIKE RUBBER AND WOMAN JUST HAD NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THAT DECISION.
AND IT'S, IT'S JUST REALLY NICE TO HEAR WHEN YOU HEAR THAT, LIKE RIGHT THERE IN THE MOMENT AS THE KIDS ARE PLAYING.
ALSO, UH, THERE'S, WE MAYOR AND I WENT TO A RIBBON CUTTING FOR SHERRY LANE IN TWO CREEKS, WHICH IS JUST A WONDERFUL LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESS.
LOTS OF, APPARENTLY THE LINE WAS OUT THE DOOR ON OPENING DAY WITH RESIDENTS FROM CANYON CREEK, UM, GOING IN AND, AND SHOPPING THERE.
SO REALLY GOOD PLACE EVERYONE SHOULD GO CHECK OUT IF THEY NEED ANYTHING.
UH, NEW CLOTHES, SPORTS RELATED, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I JUST WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO TWO, UH, RSD HIGH SCHOOLS.
UH, PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL HAD THEIR HOMECOMING THIS PAST WEEK, AND I HEARD IT WAS A GREAT ONE.
AND RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL, MY WIFE AND I HAD THE JOY OF ATTENDING.
UM, THEY HAD A MUSICAL THIS WEEKEND.
UH, THEY PRODUCED CYCLONE, THE, UM, THEATER MAGNET THERE AT RHS.
AND IT WAS A FABULOUS PRODUCTION.
AND IT'S CRAZY TO THINK THAT, UH, A LOT OF THESE, UH, LOT, SEVERAL OF THE STARS WERE ACTUALLY KIDS I'VE KNOWN SINCE KINDERGARTEN.
'CAUSE THEY'RE, MY SON'S A SENIOR AND THEY WENT TO KINDERGARTEN WITH MY SON.
AND, UM, WE HAVE SOME AMAZING TALENT WHENEVER I'M, UH, I KNOW MAYOR, YOU AND I BOTH ATTENDED A SHOW, UM, YESTERDAY AS WELL, ANOTHER LOCAL THEATER GROUP OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
AND IT'S AMAZING TO SEE THE TALENT THAT, UM, WE HAVE HERE IN RICHARDSON.
IT REALLY IS COUNCIL MEMBER JUSTICE.
UM, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN CORCORAN'S.
UM, DISCUSSION WITH THE PARKS COMMISSION REMINDED ME THAT I OMITTED SOMETHING LAST TIME.
I TALKED ABOUT THE, UH, COMMUNITY INCLUSION AND ENGAGEMENT COMMISSION.
UM, THEY ARE GETTING TO A PHASE NOW WHERE THEY'RE GETTING READY TO ACTIVATE.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT WAYS OF GETTING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, ONE OF THE, THE WAYS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT DOING THAT IS, UH, JOINING OUR CITY SECRETARY OR TAKING OVER POTENTIALLY, SO OUR CITY SECRETARY DOESN'T HAVE TO, UM, SIT AT BOOTHS ABOUT GETTING ON BOARDS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRE PURPOSE OF THAT COMMISSION IS TO ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITIES THAT WERE NOT OTHERWISE REACHING.
UM, AND HAVING SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE YOU SITTING AT A BOOTH, UM, MIGHT MAKE YOU WANNA ENGAGE WITH THE CITY WHERE YOU HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY.
UM, AND SO THEY'RE LOOKING, UM, AT OPPORTUNITIES
[02:05:01]
TO, TO TAKE OVER THAT BOOTH OR SIT WITH AMY, AND SHE'S PROBABLY HOPING THAT THEY'LL JUST TAKE OVER.UM, UH, BUT ANYWAY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE FINALLY GETTING TO A STAGE, UM, WHERE THEY'RE GETTING COMFORTABLE.
THEY'RE GETTING THEIR MATERIALS TOGETHER, AND I THINK WE'LL START SEEING THEM OUT AND ABOUT AT OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS, WHICH IS REALLY, REALLY GREAT.
UH, GOSH, I HATE HAVING THIS MANY, UH, THINGS.
I WAS HOPING PEOPLE WOULD, UH, MENTION SOME MORE OF THESE.
UM, UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A A, A MAJOR, UH, RIBBON CUTTING OVER AT SOCIO, WHICH WAS AMAZING.
AND I KNOW A, A GOOD NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, WERE THERE AND, AND JUST SO COOL TO SEE EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE DOING THERE.
AND WHAT A BUILDING REDO THAT WAS.
UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CORCORAN AND I, I THOUGHT HE MIGHT BRING THIS UP AS WELL, BUT, UH, UH, TECH TITANS, UH, WAS SOMETHING THAT, UH, HE AND I GOT TO BE A PART OF.
THAT IS A LONGSTANDING, UH, UH, THING THAT RICHARDSON'S BEEN A PART OF.
AND REALLY COOL TO SEE RICHARDSON COMPANIES BOTH PAST AS WELL AS CURRENT, UH, UH, BE REPRESENTED THERE AND, AND A NUMBER OF TECHNOLOGY AND, AND, AND INNOVATION LEADERS, UH, WHERE THEIR UTD WAS A MASSIVE PLAYER AT TECH TITANS THIS YEAR.
UH, THEY ARE REALLY, UH, SEEMING TO WANT TO PUT THEIR STAMP, UM, NOT ONLY ON THEIR, UH, NEW PRESIDENT, BUT ALSO KIND OF ON THEIR NEW PATH AND, AND ALL THAT THEY HOPE TO DO.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, OUR, UH, SHAUL AND COUNCIL MEMBER, DORIAN AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO, UH, NER PARK, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION'S FALL MEMBERSHIP, UH, EVENT.
UH, JUST ANOTHER, UH, WELL ATTENDED GREAT EVENT.
UM, AND, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, HUGELY DONE.
UM, APPARENTLY THERE WAS ETHIOPIAN NEW YEAR THIS LAST YEAR, AND THEY WERE, THEY HAD A SMALL GATHERING AT THE RETREAT HOUSE, UM, UH, THAT I GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF TAKE PART IN.
SO, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO THE ETHIOPIAN COMMUNITY, UM, AND A WONDERFUL NEW RESTAURANT.
I DON'T THINK IT WAS A, A TRADITIONAL RIBBON CUTTING, BUT AT LEAST A SOFT OPENING RIBBON CUTTING FOR A COMPANY, UH, RESTAURANT CALLED NOSHA THAT'S OVER OFF SOUTH SHERMAN.
THERE IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ACTIVITY HAPPENING ON SHERMAN, BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH, UM, THIS KIND OF FEEDING FRENZY OF, OF, OF INVESTORS THAT ARE REALLY TRYING TO ONE UP THE NEXT.
AND, AND IT'S A GREAT THING FOR THAT AREA AND IT'S EXCITING TO SEE.
UM, I'M GONNA JUST MENTION THE NAME OF TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS, BUT THERE'S TY DALLAS, WHICH WAS A WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM THAT HAPPENED LATE LAST WEEK, UH, THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE SOME WELCOME COMMENTS TO.
AND THEN EARLIER TODAY, UM, UH, THE CITY MANAGER, UH, GOT TO OPEN AND I GOT TO BE, UH, LIKE AN INTERMISSION ACT, UH, FOR THE, UH, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOFTWARE AND SERVICE COMPANIES.
UH, UH, THIS CONVERSATION GOING INTO DEEP TECH, UH, GOING INTO QUANTUM COMPUTING, THE CONCEPT OF MAYBE HAVING A QUANTUM CORRIDOR HERE IN RICHARDSON.
WE'VE GOT SOME PLAYERS THAT ARE REALLY EXCITING AND PEOPLE WHO REALLY COULD HELP, UH, OUR CITY FIND YET ANOTHER REALLY INTERESTING NICHE FOR US.
SO COOL TO BE A PART OF THAT AND NEAT TO SEE SOME OF THE PLAYERS THERE.
OH YES, COUNCIL MEMBER DORIAN, PLEASE.
UH, THERE WAS ONLY ONE THING THAT WAS NOT MENTIONED THEN I'LL GO AHEAD AND GO AHEAD, PLEASE.
UM, WELL, UH, SOME THE STAFF, UH, OUR CITY MANAGER AND OF COURSE YOURSELF AND MYSELF, WE, UH, ATTENDED THE NORTH TEXAS COMMISSION 54TH ANNUAL MEETING THIS WEEK.
SO I THINK THAT CONCLUDES OUR
I'M SORRY I MISSED SOMETHING, BUT I THOUGHT I WAS OVER TALKING ANYWAY.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION ]
UM, WITH NOTHING ELSE, UH, THE COUNCIL, UH, WOULD NOW CONVENE IN A CLOSED SESSION, UH, CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION IN COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 5 51 0.072 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING, DELIBERATE REGARDING DELIBERATION REGARDING REAL PROPERTY.CONSIDER SALE OF CITY PROPERTY, NETTE STREET AND CUSTER ROAD AREA.