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SIR, HAVE, WERE YOU ALL IN RICHARDSON?
[Community Inclusion and Engagement Commission on March 26, 2026.]
COMMUNITY INCLUSION AND ENGAGEMENT COMMISSION IS NOW IN SESSION.TODAY IS THURSDAY, MARCH 26TH.
THE TIME IS 6:30 PM I AM RASHMI WMA, CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION, AND I WILL CHAIR THE MEETING THIS EVENING.
THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS TO CALL ANY VISITORS TO SPEAK TO THE COMMISSION.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION? ANYBODY? THERE WAS NOBODY OUTSIDE EITHER.
UH, SINCE WE DO NOT HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT, WE WILL MOVE AHEAD WITH APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM A PREVIOUS MEETING.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES? A MOTION.
THE MINUTES ARE NOW UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.
UH, I THINK WE HAVE MOTION AND A SECOND.
SO DO WE HAVE A CALL, UH, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM ALL, UH, ALL IN APPROVAL? SAY YES, YES, YES.
WITH THAT, WE, UH, WE APPROVE THE, THE MINUTES UNANIMOUSLY.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE SENIOR CENTER SERVICES.
GREG, PLEASE PRESENT MEMBERS OF PARKS AND RECREATION FOR THE FIRST AGENDA ITEM FOR THE EVENING.
SO I KNOW WE HAVE A FEW NEW MEMBERS.
THIS IS YOUR, JUST YOUR SECOND MEETING.
AND, UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION WILL BE SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL BE DOING THROUGHOUT THE, UH, YOUR TIME ON THE COMMISSION.
AND THAT IS, AS WE GO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE'LL HAVE DEPARTMENTS THAT'LL WANT TO COME BEFORE THIS COMMISSION TO PRESENT INFORMATION ABOUT PROGRAMS, PROJECT SERVICES THAT, UH, THAT ARE, WE'RE DOING IN VARIOUS AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND USING YOUR LENS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ANY KIND OF FEEDBACK THAT MAY ASSIST THEM IN, IN HELPING TO, UH, EITHER REACH DIFFERENT AREAS OR MAYBE THINGS THAT THEY MIGHT, MIGHT NOT HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT BEFORE.
AND SO, AS WE CONTINUE ON THIS SERIES FROM, UH, UH, FROM LAST YEAR AND GOING THROUGH THIS YEAR, WE HAVE THE SENIOR CENTER.
AND, UH, IT'S ACTUALLY DONE THROUGH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
IT IS ONE OF THE MANY SERVICES THAT, THAT ARE PROVIDED BY THAT DEPARTMENT.
AND TONIGHT WE HAVE JOHN, JONATHAN, AND SUSAN, WHO ARE, UH, HERE TO TALK TO US ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, YVONNE, WHO IS ALSO HERE THIS EVENING, UH, AS WELL AS OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER WHO PARKS AND RECREATION IS UNDER, WHICH IS, UH, UH, MIKAYLA JUST DOWN THE, THE END OF THE TABLE OVER HERE.
SO, SO WITH THAT, LEAVE IT TO YOU GUYS.
WELL, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HAVING US THIS EVENING.
UH, MY NAME IS JONATHAN WINTERS AND I AM OUR RECREATION AND OLDER ADULT SUPERINTENDENT.
AND WITH ME THIS EVENING IS SUSAN TALBOT, WHO IS OUR, UH, SENIOR CENTER MANAGER.
UH, SO TONIGHT WE WILL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ALL THE PROGRAMMING THAT WE OFFER WITHIN DIRECT, UM, SENIOR CENTER.
UH, BUT BEYOND THAT, WE ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE SENIOR CENTER CREATES COMMUNITY FOR OUR SENIOR POPULATION HERE IN RICHARDSON.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF OUR RECREATION DIVISION.
SO, UH, WHY I WANTED TO SHOW THIS IS I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW OUR RECREATION DIVISION KIND OF SERVES OUR PUBLIC HERE.
RICHARDSON, FROM A VERY EARLY AGE, YOU KNOW, ALMOST EVEN BIRTH ALL THE WAY THROUGH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES END OF LIFE.
SO THOSE EARLY CHILDREN CAN START WITH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE OUR RECREATION EVENTS.
UM, THE PERFECT EXAMPLE WOULD BE OUR E EASTER EVENT THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS WEEK WITH THE, UH, BUNNY TAIL TRAIL OR OUR DADDY DAUGHTER DANCE THAT WE HAD A FEW WEEKS AGO.
UM, THROUGH OUR SUMMER CAMPS, THROUGH OUR RECREATION PROGRAM, WITHIN OUR, OUR RECREATION CENTERS.
UH, WE ALSO DO OFFER, UH, THERAPEUTIC RECREATION, WHICH I BELIEVE WE'LL ACTUALLY BE BACK IN A FEW MONTHS TO TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT.
UM, AND THEN INTO OUR SENIOR PROGRAMMING AS WELL.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I'LL LET SUSAN TAKE OVER A LITTLE BIT HERE.
SO ELIGIBILITY AND ACCESS, STARTING AT AGE 50.
YOU CAN COME TO OUR CENTER AND WE WOULD LOVE, IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN THERE YET, WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU JUST TO COME AND VISIT.
IT'S $25 FOR RESIDENTS, NON-RESIDENTS.
AGE IS 50 TO 54 RESIDENTS, 15 NON-RESIDENTS, 30, AND THEN AGES 80 PLUS RESIDENTS, FIVE NON-RESIDENTS, $10.
AND JUST A SIDE NOTE, WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE A RESIDENT WHO COMES ALMOST EVERY DAY.
AND THIS YEAR HE WILL BE 101 YEARS OLD.
WE HAVE A VARIETY OF PROGRAMMING SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.
DAILY OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY, CONNECT AND BELONG GAMES IN MIND.
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SUCH AS MAHJONG, DUPLICATE BRIDGE, BUNCO, MUSICAL, BINGO, POOL TOURNAMENTS.AND THEN WE ALSO OFFER ARTS, MUSIC AND CREATIVE CLASSES SUCH AS CERAMICS, WATERCOLOR OIL, AND PAINTING, TADING, UKULELE, AND MANY MORE.
ALRIGHT, ANOTHER, UH, VERY POPULAR PROGRAM.
WE COULD PROBABLY SAY ONE OF OUR CORNERSTONES WITHIN OUR, UH, OUR SENIOR CENTERS, OUR DANCE PROGRAMS. UM, SO ANYTHING YOU SEE HERE ON THE LEFT HAND AND SIDE OF THE SCREEN, UM, ARE CLASSES THAT WE OFFER ON A, A WEEKLY BASIS, UH, THAT ARE INSTRUCTED BY A CONTRACT INSTRUCTOR THAT WE, WE HIRE IN, UM, TO HAVE THE, UH, SENIORS COME IN AND ACTUALLY SIGN UP AND TAKE THOSE CLASSES.
UM, AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE ARE, ARE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY NIGHT DANCES.
SO THIS IS ACTUALLY PUT ON BY A GROUP THAT WE HAVE COME IN AND, UH, OFFER THE PROGRAM WITHIN OUR FACILITY, UH, BUT VERY LOW PRICE FOR THEM TO, TO COME IN AND ATTEND THESE PROGRAMS OUR FRIDAY NIGHT ARE OFFERED TWICE A MONTH, THE FIRST AND THIRD FRIDAY, AND THEN OUR SATURDAY NIGHT ARE EVERY, UH, EVERY WEEK OF THE MONTH.
UM, SO OUR FRIDAY NIGHT ARE ALWAYS GONNA BE A SQUARE DANCE, AND THEN THE SATURDAY KIND OF ROTATE THROUGH DIFFERENT STYLES OF DANCE.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, IT IS JUST ABOUT THAT CONNECTION PIECE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR SENIOR POPULATION THAT FIND THESE DANCE CLASSES TO BE SOMETHING THAT THEY REALLY ENJOY.
AND JUST GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE IN SOMETHING WHERE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE THAT CONNECTION PIECE WITH FAMILY BECAUSE THEY'VE MOVED AWAY OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE, THE SITUATION IS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE THEY CAN CONNECT WITH OTHER PEOPLE THAT ENJOY SOMETHING THAT THEY DO.
UM, AND THEN COME IN AND ENJOY THAT OPPORTUNITY WITH US.
ALONG WITH OUR FITNESS CENTER, WE OFFER A VARIETY OF CLASSES FROM VERY PASSIVE CLASSES TO VERY, UM, BIG, UM, CLASSES THAT YOU ARE GONNA REALLY GET YOUR, YOUR, UM, ADRENALINE GOING SUCH AS YOGA, STRENGTH TRAINING, TAI CHI, FALL PREVENTION MORNING, UM, RENEWAL, DRUNK CARDIO, SENIOR BOXING.
AND THEN I DID WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR SIP TALKS.
THAT'S SENIOR INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATIONS.
WE HAVE EXPERTS COME IN, DOCTORS, LAWYERS, FINANCIAL PEOPLE, AND THEY WILL TALK ABOUT HEALTH, FINANCES, SAFETY AND WELLNESS.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST GOING BACK TO THAT CONNECTION PIECE.
SO THESE ARE A COUPLE OF THE EVENTS, UM, THAT, THAT WE PUT ON HERE.
THAT'S THE FIRST ITEMS ON HERE.
SO, UH, WE OFFER A THANKSGIVING LUNCHEON, UM, EVERY YEAR, KINDA A, A VERY LOW PRICE FOR THEM TO COME OUT AND ENJOY A THANKSGIVING MEAL.
UM, NEIL IS SERVED BY OUR CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, UM, BY OUR CITY COUNCIL AND BY SOME OF OUR STAFF IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
UM, THEY COME OUT, THEY GET THE MEAL, THEY HAVE SOME ENTERTAINMENT, THERE'S DANCING.
SOMETHING THAT I'VE ALWAYS EN VOLUNTEERED TO, UH, BE A PART OF AS AS, AS I'VE STEPPED INTO, UH, THIS CITY A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I GUESS.
UM, SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOYED, UH, AND VEGAS NIGHT.
SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.
WE TURN OUR, OUR SENIOR CENTER INTO WHAT LOOKS LIKE A VEGAS CASINO.
UH, FOLKS COME IN, WE HAVE SOME ENTERTAINMENT FOR THEM, UM, SOME FOOD, YOU KNOW, THEIR DANCE, EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
UH, SENIOR PROM, ONCE AGAIN, KIND OF WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THINK BACK TO YOUR HIGH SCHOOL DAYS AND YOU'RE GOING TO YOUR, YOUR PROM.
UM, WE CREATE THAT OPPORTUNITY AGAIN IN OUR SENIOR CENTER AND CALLED THE SENIOR PROM.
UH, SOME UNIQUE THINGS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THAT ARE ACTUALLY SOME PROMPOSALS.
UH, SO WE'VE HAD SOME OF THE SENIORS WITHIN OUR FACILITY THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, ASKED OTHER SENIORS TO ATTEND THE PROM WITH THEM.
UM, AND SUSAN AND HER STAFF HAS ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO CAPTURE THAT AND WE ABLE TO SHARE IT ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH, UH, IS DEFINITELY A FAVORITE OF SOME OF OUR, OUR FOLKS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WHENEVER WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT.
UM, AND PROBABLY I WOULD SAY ONE OF THE, THE MOST LOVED NIGHTS OF THE ENTIRE YEAR, YOUR CENTER, UH, OUR SENIOR TRIPS.
UM, SO WE KIND OF HAVE TWO VERSIONS OF THAT.
WE HAVE LOCAL TRIPS THAT OUR STAFF WILL TAKE THEM ON, THAT'S THINGS LIKE THE ZOO, UM, MUSEUMS, JUST KINDA LOCAL ATTRACTIONS.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO PARTNER WITH A GROUP CALLED, CALLED COLLECT TOURS.
UH, AND THEY WILL TAKE THEM TO NEW YORK, ANYTHING ACROSS THE NATION.
AND THEN THEY'LL ACTUALLY TAKE INTERNATIONAL TRIPS AS WELL IF IN INDIVIDUALS ARE INTERESTED.
UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT SENIORS ARE PAYING DIRECTLY TO THAT, THAT, UM, COMPANY TO DO.
UH, BUT THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT IS IT'S AN ALL-INCLUSIVE EXPERIENCE.
YOU KNOW, YOU LITERALLY SHOW UP WITH YOUR, LIKE BACKPACK OR YOUR, WHATEVER, YOUR SUITCASE, YOU HOP ON THEIR BUS AND THEY TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING FOR YOU.
UM, AND YOU'RE ALSO TRAVELING WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS FROM OUR FACILITY.
SO THERE'S A COMRADERY PIECE THAT COMES ALONG WITH THAT AS WELL, WHERE YOU'VE NOW CREATED THESE KIND OF LIKE LIFELONG EXPERIENCES WITH THAT, WITH THE OTHER INDIVIDUALS.
AND YOU COME BACK AND, YOU KNOW, NOW YOU'RE HAVE THIS LITTLE GROUP, UM, ENTERTAINMENT'S HERE.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME GROUPS THAT COME IN AND DO MUSIC AND OTHER, UM, OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THAT AS WELL.
JUST KIND OF GOING BACK TO THE KIND OF OVERALL THEME OF, OF WHAT WE REALLY WANTED TO, TO SHARE WITH YOU GUYS TONIGHT.
YOU KNOW, LONELINESS FOR SENIORS IS REALLY AN EPIDEMIC, UM, THAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS COUNTRY.
UH, JUST BECAUSE AS YOU AGE, YOU KNOW, YOU TEND TO LOSE A LOT OF YOUR CONNECTIONS WITH EITHER BE FAMILY OR YOUR FRIENDS OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE ONE I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT
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HERE IS THE, THE, LET'S TALK MILITARY.SO THIS IS ONE THAT WE'VE, WE'VE STARTED AT OUR SENIOR CENTER AND INDIVIDUALS ARE ABLE TO COME IN, THEY SIT DOWN, THEY TALK WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE HAD MILITARY EXPERIENCE, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO SHARE EXPERIENCES WITH THOSE PEOPLE THAT THEY MAYBE HAVEN'T EVEN EVER SHARED WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
UM, BUT BECAUSE OF THAT CONNECTION PIECE THAT THEY, THEY HAVE, THEY, THEY FORM THIS REALLY CLOSE, UM, CONNECTION WITH THOSE OTHER INDIVIDUALS AND IT BECOMES THIS KIND OF LITTLE FAMILY.
AND, YOU KNOW, SUSAN CAN TELL YOU THEY JUST KEEP COMING BACK AND COMING BACK AND THEY BE, THEY JOIN MORE AND MORE THINGS.
UM, AND IT JUST CREATES THIS, THIS AMAZING COMMUNITY FOR THEM WITHIN OUR BUILDING.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, ABOUT OUR TRANSPORTATION.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPACTFUL AND LEAST VISIBLE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
THE ELIGIBILITY 50 OR OLDER LIVE IN RICHARDSON.
AND WE ONLY GO TO RICHARDSON CITY THROUGH RICHARDSON CITY LIMITS.
THE COST IS 50 CENTS ONE WAY, A DOLLAR ROUND, CORRECT.
WE OFFER THIS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, THE HOURS 8:00 AM TO 3:30 PM AND THEN I WANTED TO READ THIS BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE I GET THIS RIGHT.
THE DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS, RESERVATIONS BEGIN AT 3:00 PM ON THURSDAYS AND THEN FOR OUR GENERAL TRANSPORTATION.
SO THAT WOULD BE COMING TO THE SENIOR SYSTEM, GOING TO THE LIBRARY, GETTING YOU HAIRCUT, GOING GROCERY SHOPPING.
THAT GENERAL TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION RESERVATION BEGINS ON FRIDAYS AT 8:30 AM PRIOR TO THE WEEK YOU NEED YOUR SERVICE.
I SEE SOMEBODY LOOKING WHAT YOU KNOW, BUT, SO WE ACTUALLY HAD TRANSPORTATION CALLS TODAY FOR DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS FOR NEXT WEEK.
TOMORROW, THEY WILL CALL TOMORROW STARTING AT EIGHT 30 FOR THOSE GENERAL TRANSPORTATION CALLS FOR NEXT WEEK.
AND THEN I DID WANNA TALK ABOUT OUR AFFORDABLE LUNCH CAFE.
SO WE DO $5 DAILY SPECIALS, USUALLY TODAY WE HAD, UM, VEGETABLES, LASAGNA, A SIDE SALAD, AND THEN WE HAD FRESH FRUIT.
WE ALSO OFFER SANDWICHES, EGG SALAD, TUNA FISH SANDWICHES, CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES, AND PIMENTO AND CHEESE FOR THREE 50.
AND THEN SUNDRIES LIKE CHIPS, CANDY, YES.
UM, ALL THOSE ARE A DOLLAR ALSO.
ALRIGHT, SO JUST TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE FACILITY, UM, WE HAVE 142 PARKING SPOTS THERE.
UH, 32 OF THEM ARE RIGHT OUTSIDE, ARE HANDY HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE, UH, WITHIN THE FACILITY.
UH, WE HAVE A VERY LARGE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM, UM, THAT WOULD SERVE OR ANY OF OUR LARGE EVENTS OR SOME OF OUR, OUR LARGER PROGRAMMING AS WELL.
UM, AND THAT ROOM CAN BE DIVIDED UP INTO SECTIONS AS WELL.
SO WE CAN HAVE MULTIPLE THINGS GOING ON IN THAT SPACE AT THE SAME TIME, UH, WE HAVE A DANCE STUDIO THAT ALSO DOUBLES AS, AS OUR FITNESS ROOM, UM, FOR SOME OF THE SMALLER FITNESS CLASSES, UH, THAT CAFE AND DINING AREA THAT SUSAN JUST MENTIONED, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, TO SERVE THOSE HOT MEALS AT.
UM, WE HAVE AN OUTDOOR, UH, COURTYARD AREA THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN GO OUT, READ, JUST KIND OF RELAX, UM, AND THEN A FULL FITNESS, UH, CENTER AS WELL AS A GAME ROOM ATTACHED TO THAT AREA AS WELL.
THE SENIOR CENTER IS DESIGNED TO SERVE FALL MEMBERS OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY REMOVING BARRIERS AND PARTICIPATION AT EV AT ALL LEVELS.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE A TIERED MEMBERSHIP BASED ON YOUR AGE, A DA COMPLIANCE, DOOR TO DOOR TRANSPORTATION, LOW COST PROGRAMMING.
OUR FITNESS CLASSES WILL START AT $5 AND THEY GO UP, UM, FREE SERVICES SUCH AS NOTARY.
WE HAVE SOMEBODY COME IN ONCE A MONTH AND THEY'LL DO FREE NOTARY FOR SENIORS.
ALSO, WE HAVE DIFFERENT HEALTH SCREENINGS THAT ARE PROVIDED FOR THAT AFFORDABLE CAFE, WHICH WE JUST TALKED ABOUT WELCOMING TO RESIDENTS AND NON-RESIDENTS.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE THAT WE SHARED THAT NOT ONLY WE HAVE SOME AMAZING PROGRAMMING, UM, AT OUR FACILITY THAT ALSO WE'RE CREATING AN AMAZING COMMUNITY THAT THESE INDI INDIVIDUALS CAN REALLY COME, UM, AND FIND THAT COMRADERY WITH OTHER SENIORS WITHIN RICHARDSON.
UH, SO WITH THAT, SUSAN, I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE.
WELL, THANK YOU JONATHAN, AND THANK YOU SUSAN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, SUSAN, AN EXCELLENT, UM, PRESENTATION.
I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BRINGING THE THIS INFORMATION TO US.
UM, I'LL, I'LL LET THE OTHERS SPEAK UP AND ASK QUESTIONS.
SO FOR THE LET'S TALK MILITARY PROGRAM.
SO CAN THE NON-MILITARY PEOPLE COME AND LISTEN OR IS IT ONLY FOR MILITARY? EX-MILITARY? THEY PREFER IT THAT IT'S ONLY MILITARY.
WE DO HAVE A FEW THAT THAT COME THAT AREN'T, THAT HAVE BEEN MEMBERS FOR QUITE A WHILE.
AND I THINK PART OF THAT REASON IS IS THAT THEY'RE BRINGING SOMEBODY WITH THEM THAT IS MILITARY, BUT UM, BUT THEY DO PREFER THAT IT IS MILITARY.
BUT I, I DO HAVE TO BRAG ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.
WE STARTED OFF WITH JUST A FEW PEOPLE AND AT ONE TABLE WE ARE NOW FIVE TABLES.
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AND IT JUST CONTINUES TO GROW AND THEY JUST LOVE TALKING WITH EACH OTHER.
AND WE HAVE A YOUNG GENTLEMAN WHO WORKS WHO WAS ACTUALLY IN THE MILITARY AND HE COMES TO VISIT.
AND SO THE OTHER DAY WHEN HE CAME, HE BROUGHT SOME OF THE RATION FOOD.
I'M SORRY, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? YEAH.
SO HE BROUGHT SOME OF THAT FOOD AND THEY WERE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN THE, AND THEN ONE OTHER TIME HE CAME AND THEY WERE PRACTICING ALL THE KNOTS THAT SOME OF THEM LEARNED HOW TO DO.
I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE THAT THEY MEET RIGHT OUTSIDE MY OFFICE, SO I HEAR ALL THE LANGUAGE
THESE, WE HAVE A LOT OF VETERANS AND THEY LOVE TO SHARE THEIR STORIES WITH OUR STAFF.
UM, SO IT'S GREAT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY CAN KIND OF SHARE WITH EACH OTHER AS WELL.
AND THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, MANY OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
THAT'S ONE
UM, I'M SURE THEY WOULDN'T OPPOSE TO THAT.
I JUST DON'T THINK THEY WOULD WANT 15 PEOPLE COMING, YOU KNOW, BUT IF YOU JUST CAME AND YOU FOR THAT, SO IT'S ALWAYS OFFERED ON WEDNESDAY, ON THIRD WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH, AND IT STARTS AT 10 O'CLOCK, YOU JUST COME AND HAVE A SEAT.
I WILL GLADLY INTRODUCE YOU OR YOU CAN INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA KICK YOU OUT, THAT'S FOR SURE.
SO, AND ONE MORE STORY THEY COULD TELL THAT THEY'VE TOLD A HUNDRED TIMES, THEY WOULD PROBABLY PROBABLY ENJOY THAT
I THINK PERHAPS, UH, MAYBE AN OPEN MIC SUGGESTION, LIKE IN THE SENSE LIKE HAVE A STAGE WHERE I'M SURE A LOT OF THEM LIKE TO SHARE STORIES THAT THEY'VE COME THROUGH.
BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF SENIORS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY LOVE TO TELL ME ALL THE PLACES THEY HAVE.
IT'S ONE OF THE FAVORITE THINGS TO DO TO TELL, YOU KNOW, THE YOUNGER GENERATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW THEY GREW UP AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAKE A POINT TO INVITE ANY OF YOU THAT HAVEN'T BEEN A SENIOR DESIGNER TO JUST COME AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GIVE YOU A TOUR.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S A, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY.
UM, WE KIND OF LIKE TO SHOW IT OFF.
SO WHO'S, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU.
WHO'S BEN? SO, I, I HAVE BEEN TO SINCE THE REMODELING.
YEAH, SO I ACTUALLY REALLY, UM, I, I RECOMMEND THE, THE NEW ARCHITECTURE.
IT'S REALLY MODERN, REALLY NICE LOOKING.
I LIVE RIGHT ACROSS FROM IT, SO IT MATCHES THE BUILDING I AM IN.
AND, UM, I ACTUALLY KNOW A LOT.
I, I ACTUALLY INTERACT A LOT OF SENIORS AND I'M GLAD IT'S ON THAT ROAD BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT BY THE SENIOR LIVING.
UM, I FORGET THE NAME OF THE COMMUNITY THAT'S RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
AND THERE'S ONE MORE RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
UM, I, IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, YOUR TRANSPORTATION, EVERYTHING IS QUITE ACCESSIBLE EVEN FOR BRINGING PEOPLE THERE.
I STILL SEE A LOT OF FOLKS TRYING TO CROSS THAT ROAD OVER.
I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'RE HEADING TO THE SENIOR CENTER OR ARE THEY COMING OUT OF THE SENIOR LIVING LOCATIONS TO THE GROCERY STORES THAT, THAT ARE ACROSS FROM IT.
I SEE A LOT OF THEM ON WHEELCHAIRS TRYING TO MAKE IT ACROSS ARAPAHOE.
AND ANYBODY WHO'S LIVED ON ARAPAHOE KNOWS THAT THAT'S A CRAZY WINDING ROAD.
AND MOST PEOPLE ARE SPEEDING THROUGH IT WHILE IT'S STILL 30 MILES PER HOUR.
BUT, AND, AND I SEE THE SENIOR CENTER IS RIGHT, UH, AROUND, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S PA POST PAST THE BEND, BUT RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE RECREATION CENTER.
UM, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT, AND I MEAN, HAVE YOU GUYS HAD ANY INCIDENTS THERE WITH PEOPLE TRYING TO CROSS OVER? ESPECIALLY I, I, I'M KIND OF CONCERNED ABOUT THE SENIOR POPULATION THAT'S TRYING TO CROSS ROADS ON FOOT OR ON WHEELCHAIRS.
SOMETIMES IT'S JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LIGHT'S RED AND THEY'RE KIND OF GOING OVER AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, MAKE IT QUICK BECAUSE I, 'CAUSE I CAN TELL THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE OTHER SIDE.
BUT I, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE JURISDICTION SENIOR CENTER, BUT DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY INSIGHT INTO WHAT YOU GUYS MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO WITH THE CROSSING OVER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING ON, BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF SENIORS ON THAT ROAD, SO I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ALL THE CROSSING, BUT IF ANY OF OUR SENIORS WANT TO GO ACROSS THAT ARE LIKE COMING TO THE CENTER AND THEY'RE THERE AND THEY NEEDED TO PICK UP SOME GROCERIES OR, OR WHATEVER, WE WILL DRIVE THEM ACROSS WITH OUR BUSES.
BUT THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, MOST OF THEM ARE FROM THE EL DORADO.
A LOT OF THEM WERE FROM COTTONWOOD THAT HAD CLOSED BEHIND US.
SO YOU WON'T SEE THAT QUITE AS MUCH BECAUSE MOST OF THEIR RESIDENTS WERE IN WHEELCHAIRS AND WALKERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN THE, UM, APPLE TREE, THEY ACTUALLY DO HAVE THEIR OWN BUSES AND THAT, THAT'S STRICTLY ALL INDEPENDENT LIVE, NOT, I SHOULDN'T SAY INDEPENDENT LIVING, BUT THEY'RE PROVIDING MEALS FOR THEM SO YOU WON'T REALLY SEE, SEE THEM AS MUCH.
BUT I HAVE SEEN, THERE'S JUST ONE, THERE'S A GENTLEMAN THAT SITS OUTSIDE OF THE EL DORADO AND HE WAVES TO YOU ALL DAY LONG AND STUFF.
SO I'VE, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S HIM, BUT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW THAT WILL GO
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I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.BUT ANYBODY THAT COMES TO OUR CENTER, AND IF THEY WANNA GO ACROSS THE STREET, WE WILL PROVIDE THAT AS LONG AS THERE'S A BUS THERE FOR THEM, OR I HAVE PERSONALLY WALKED THEM ACROSS THE STREET AND THEN WALK THEM BACK ALSO.
I, I WONDER A SIGN CAN BE PUT UP RIGHT OUTSIDE THE SENIOR CENTER SAYING SENIOR CROSSING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, SLOW DOWN JUST SO THAT PEOPLE ARE A LITTLE CAREFUL THAT TRAFFIC IS PRETTY, IT'S A VERY HEAVY TRAFFIC.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN CERTAINLY ASK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION ALSO, UM, AGAIN, I'LL ECHO WHAT RMUS SAID, YOUR WRAPAROUND CARE AND THE INTENTIONALITY THAT YOU HAVE OF MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE.
I THINK IT'S EVIDENT FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE, SO, SO IF I WERE THINK LOOKING AT THIS AND HEARING YOU ALL SPEAK, I THINK, GOSH, THEY CHECKED THIS BOX AND YES, THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS.
SO IT MAKES ME THEN WONDER WHAT YOU WOULD IDENTIFY MAYBE AS ONE OF YOUR TWO BIGGEST CHALLENGES, OR, I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT I WANNA CALL 'EM CHALLENGES, BUT I WANNA, MAYBE IT'S THE THINGS THAT YOU GO, AH, THAT'S THE THING THAT WOKE ME UP AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT THAT I CAN'T BACK ASLEEP THINKING ABOUT I'LL WAKE A LOT OF TIME.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, BECAUSE WE SEE THIS AND WE SEE, OR I, I FEEL LIKE I'M SPEAKING FOR YOU ALL, BUT WE'RE GOING, OH GOSH, YOU'RE THINKING OF ALL THESE THINGS.
SO IT MAKES ME WONDER IN YOUR MINDS, WHAT, WHAT'S, DANG, THIS IS HARD TYPE OF THING.
SO THE FIRST THAT YOU CAN SAY IN FRONT OF YOUR TWO BOSSES,
SO I AM CONSTANTLY, HENCE THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING THINKING OF WHAT CAN, AND I DON'T MEAN TO JUST SAY I, I HAVE A WONDERFUL TEAM THAT WE WORK TOGETHER AT COLLABORATE, AND IT'S NOT SUSAN'S CENTER, EVEN THOUGH I LOVE THAT CENTER, I WANNA SAY IT'S MY, BUT IT'S NOT SUSAN'S CENTER.
SO MY BIGGEST THING IS I DON'T WANT IT TO BE STAGNANT.
I WANT TO BE THE BEST SENIOR CENTER, NOT JUST IN TEXAS, BUT IN THE WHOLE UNITED STATES.
AND SO I AM CONSTANTLY DOING RESEARCH, SEEING WHAT OTHER CENTERS ARE DOING AND SEEING HOW WE CAN IMPROVE MM-HMM
AND THEN MY, THE ONLY OTHER THING WOULD BE WE'RE OUTGROWING IT ALREADY, WHICH Y'ALL DON'T WANNA HEAR THAT, BUT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, SO
SO THERE ARE, THERE THERE'S A LOT MORE I COULD DO IF WE HAD A BIGGER FACILITY.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ADDRESSING EXACTLY WHAT YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT, UM, BUT I JUST WANT TO CONTINUE TO BRING IN SENIOR PROMS. I DON'T KNOW IF YVONNE KNOWS THIS, BUT JONATHAN KNOWS I'M WORKING ON A, UM, A LADIES' TEA.
SO I WANTED TO DO A MOTHER'S DAY TEA.
I HAVE THE PROM AND THEN THERE'S MAY, YOU KNOW, AND SO THAT WAS ONE IN FEBRUARY THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING IN JUNE, JUNE 3RD IS OUR SENIOR PROM, AND THEN MOTHER'S DAY IS IN MAY.
SO IT'S LIKE, OKAY, I DON'T WANNA EVER DO ANYTHING HALF BACKWARDS EITHER.
I WANNA DO IT ALL OR NOT AT ALL.
SO I'M GOING TO, TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
I HAVE TILL DECEMBER FOR THIS YEAR AND WE'LL FIGURE OUT ANOTHER DAY TO DO THE T BECAUSE IF WE DO IT, I WANNA DO IT CORRECTLY.
WELL, AND WHAT SUSAN IS NOT GONNA TELL YOU IS THAT THE REASON THAT SHE CAN DO THE T IS BECAUSE SHE GOES OUT AND FINDS SO MANY SPONSORS FOR HER EVENTS MM-HMM
UM, THAT I WAS WAITING FOR FUNDING AND SPACE TO BE, TO DO WHAT I ASSUMED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SAT DOWN AND SAID, OH, YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY DO A T BECAUSE YOU OFFSET, YOU KNOW, 80% OF YOUR COST ON SOME OF THESE OTHER EVENTS, UM, THAT WE HAD BUDGETED FOR MM-HMM
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, SHE DOES, HER AND HER TEAM DO AN AMAZING JOB AT THAT.
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S GREAT THAT PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN, IN SPONSORING A SENIOR CENTER AS WELL.
UM, BUT YEAH, IT MAKES, IT'S BECAUSE OF THAT AND BECAUSE OF HER TEAM THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THINGS LIKE THAT.
I WANNA ADD TO THAT, YOU KNOW, SUSAN'S BIG CONCERN IS NOT TO BE STAGNANT.
WHEN SUSAN CAME ON BOARD, THE BREADTH OF FRESH AIR THAT SHE BROUGHT TO THE BUILDING AND THE ENERGY LEVEL, IT TRANSFORMED THAT FACILITY.
AND SHE HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB.
I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE TO BE BRAGGED ON, BUT YEAH, SHE HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB ON EVERYTHING SHE'S DONE IN THAT BUILDING.
BUT OUR SENIORS COME TO THAT BUILDING BECAUSE OF HER ENERGY AND HOW MUCH THEY LOVE HER.
AND YOU CAN SEE IT IN EVERYTHING, BUT I WAS GONNA SAY, IT'S A PARENT HERE FOR SURE.
AND SO MUCH OF THIS PROGRAM HERE, I WAS WONDERING WHEN CHRISTINA WAS SAYING, I WAS WONDERING, HOW DO YOU DO ALL THIS WITH, WITH SO MUCH OF, UH, DIVERSITY IN, IN THE PROGRAM ITSELF? RIGHT.
SO I WAS, THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
AND THE SECOND THING IS THAT, UM, WE CAN I FIND, UH, INFORMATION AND DO YOU HAVE ANY VOLUNTEERS COMING HELPING YOU OR YOU HAVE STAFF DOING ALL THESE ACTIVITIES? SO VOLUNTEERS, WE ALWAYS ARE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO WORK IN OUR CAFE, BUT, UM, FOR ALL THE, LIKE OTHER PROGRAMS LIKE FOR OUR PROM AND STUFF LIKE THAT, MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO DO OUR SPONSORSHIPS, THEY, SO THEY WILL VOLUNTEER THAT NIGHT BECAUSE THEY'RE SPONSORING SOMETHING.
SO, SO FOR THE PROM WILL DO A MOCK COCKTAIL STATION.
SO I HAVE SOMEBODY WHO WILL DO LIKE TWO OR THREE OR FOUR MOCK COCKTAIL DRINKS
[00:25:01]
FOR US, AND THEN THEY SPONSOR.SO THEY'RE BRINGING ALL THE WHAT WE NEED, BUT THEN THEY'RE ALSO FACILITATING THAT TOO.
BUT, UM, BUT WE'LL NEVER TURN AWAY HELP.
WE JUST DON'T NEED A LOT OF HELP.
I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE JUST DON'T.
UM, AND I'M SORRY, I, CAN YOU REITERATE YOUR FIRST QUESTION FOR ME? THE FIRST QUESTION IS, HOW DO YOU MANAGE SO MANY PROGRAMS? I DON'T KNOW
I I DO, I HAVE A GREAT STAFF AND WE JUST, WE JUST GO GO WITH IT AND YEAH.
UH, BUT AS FOLLOW, DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A BACKGROUND CHECK BECAUSE THIS IS A SENIORS CENTER AND ANYTHING TO DO WITH CHILDREN OR SENIORS, YOU NEED TO HAVE A PROPER BACKGROUND CHECK DONE.
IS THAT CORRECT? WE HAVE NOT INSTITUTED THAT AS OF YET.
I KNOW WE'RE STARTING TO, WE ARE TO DO THAT.
SO WE'RE A LITTLE BEHIND ON THAT PART, BUT WE ARE, BUT MOST OF THE VOLUNTEERS THAT DO LIKE FOR THAT ARE, UM, THE VOLUNTEERS FOR THE CAFE AND STUFF.
MOST OF THEM ARE THE SENIORS THAT COME THERE ALREADY.
SO, AND NOBODY'S EVER LEFT ALONE.
I MEAN, THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEBODY THERE.
IF I'M NOT THERE, THEN I HAVE TWO COORDINATORS THAT WOULD BE THERE.
CAN YOU PLEASE ELABORATE ON YOUR METRICS? FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT IS THE CITY OF RICHARDSON, A SENIOR POPULATION, HOW MANY ACTIVE MEMBERS THE CENTER HAS? HOW MANY WILL YOU ENVISION TO ADD MORE IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS? CAN YOU LET US KNOW ABOUT THOSE METRICS? UM, I HONESTLY HAVE TO PULL 'EM OUT.
IT, IT PULLS MEMBERS FROM EVERY ONE OF OUR RECREATION FACILITIES TOGETHER INTO, SO I HAVE TO GO IN
UM, SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER FOR YOU, UM, IN TERMS OF MEMBERS THAT WOULD JUST BE WITHIN OUR, OUR SENIOR CENTER, UM, WITHOUT DOING A LITTLE MORE RESEARCH, BUT I COULD ABSOLUTELY DO THAT AND GET THAT TO YOU GUYS SOON.
JUST FOR LI BIT OF CONTEXT, ABOUT A THIRD OF OUR HOUSEHOLDS IN RICHARDSON QUALIFY FOR A 65 AND O OVER SENIOR EXEMPTION.
SO ABOUT A THIRD OF THE POPULATION OF RICHARDSON.
AND THAT'S 65 AND OVER AND THE SENIOR CENTER SERVES 50 OVER.
OH, I'M SORRY, I FOLLOW UP FOR THAT TO THAT QUESTION MM-HMM
WHO SHOWS UP USUALLY, I MEAN, I SAW MY JOB THERE, BUT, UH, WHAT KIND OF, WHAT TYPE OF POPULATION COMES INTO OUR FACILITY? YOU MEAN THAT YOU SEE, I MEAN, I'M SURE YOU CAN ALWAYS YEAH.
WRITE IT DOWN, BUT JUST OBSERVATION WISE.
SUSAN, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOUR AVERAGE AGE? ARE YOU TALKING AGE? YEAH.
UM, WELL, AGE, AGE AND LIKE AGE.
I WOULD SAY OUR AVERAGE AGE IS PROBABLY ABOUT 75, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
BUT AS WE HAVE MADE IT 50, WE ARE NOW SEEING MUCH YOUNGER, UM, ADULTS COMING, BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE STILL WORKING.
YOU KNOW, THAT WE ARE WORKING INTO OUR SEVENTIES ANYMORE MM-HMM
SO, BUT AT NIGHTTIME IT'S, WHICH I'M NOT THERE TONIGHT, BUT AT NIGHTTIME IT'S MUCH YOUNGER BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'VE GOTTEN OFF FROM WORK AND SO WE HAVE THE YOUNGER POPULATION, THEY COULD STILL, THEY, THEY STILL QUALIFY.
THEY COULD GO OVER TO HEIGHTS OR HELP VINES, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, I WOULD MUCH RATHER BE ON A TREADMILL AND HAVE ANOTHER 50 OR 60-YEAR-OLD MM-HMM
AND I DON'T HAVE TO FEEL LIKE I'VE GOTTA WALK AN EXTRA MILE OR RUN AND THEN HEAL OVER BECAUSE I WAS, YOU KNOW, I, I'M TOO COMPETITIVE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THAT'S THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE SENIOR CENTER.
YOU'RE WITH PEOPLE YOUR OWN AGE AND THE FRIENDSHIPS THAT YOU MAKE TOO.
SO YOU SEE LIKE A LOT OF VIETNAMESE OR OH MY GOODNESS.
SO WE, WE DO, UH, LANGUAGE CLASSES AND, UM, I HAD SOMEBODY, AN INSTRUCTOR COME TO ME A FEW MONTHS AGO AND WANTED TO DO JAPANESE AND I'M LIKE, WELL, WE COULD TRY IT, BUT I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD MAKE, WE HAD 15 STUDENTS ENROLL THAT FIRST CLASS FOR JAPANESE AND SOME OF THEM WERE JAPANESE, SOME PEOPLE WERE GOING TO JAPAN, SO THEY WANTED TO LEARN LANGUAGE AND STUFF.
BUT WE HAVE INDIAN, WE HAVE, OH MY GOODNESS, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A PLETHORA OF DIFFERENT, UM, ALL SORTS OF YES.
MAYBE JUST KIND OF FOLLOWING UP ON THAT IS THERE'S, OH, I'M SORRY.
I, I WAS GONNA SAY, JUST KIND OF FOLLOWING UP ON THAT, ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC PROGRAMS THAT YOU DO IN ORDER TO ATTRACT THE DIVERSE, UH, RICHARDSON COMMUNITY? KIND OF, SO ARE THERE SPECIFIC PROGRAMMING THAT IS MEANT TO TARGET THAT? UM, AND I, I THINK IT'S ALSO FOLLOWING UP ON THAT.
I MEAN, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THE AGE, I'M, I'M ALSO CURIOUS ON THE DEMOGRAPHICS, RIGHT? I THINK VICTORIA'S ALSO ELABORATING ON IS ASKING AROUND THAT.
IS THAT, YOU KNOW, DOES THE POPULATION THAT ATTENDS AND GOES TO THE SENIOR CENTER, HOW DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I MEAN, ETHNICITY WISE, I MEAN, IS IT, UH, DO YOU SEE IT CHANGING? IS IT, IS IT PRETTY MUCH MOSTLY AN ANGLO POPULATION THAT IS ATTENDING? OR DO WE KIND OF SEE IT KIND OF MERGING? DO WE SEE CHANGES HAPPENING OVER THE PAST? UH, I DON'T KNOW, 10, 15 YEARS, 20 YEARS? I THINK I'VE BEEN THERE.
I THINK IT'S VERY DIVERSE AND I, I DEFINITELY SEE THAT CHANGING BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
[00:30:01]
TO, WE TRIED TO DO SOME SPECIAL THINGS JUST FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH, BRING IN SOME EDUCATIONAL TALKS FOR THAT.OUR FIELD TRIP, UM, GOING TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM, WHICH IS IN DALLAS.
SO WE TRIED TO BE MINDFUL THAT WAY, THAT WE ALSO JUST HAD, UM, IS IT A MARCH WHERE, OR WE ARE IN MARCH.
I, I WORK WITH MY CALENDAR, SO I'M A LITTLE AHEAD.
SOMETIMES I JUST FINISHED THE APRIL ONE, UM, WHERE IT'S WOMEN'S MONTH.
SO WE, WE DID SOME, WE DID SOME TALKS ON THAT TOO.
SO WE TRY TO BRING THAT KIND OF DIVERSITY IN, IN THERE.
UM, THIS FALL WHEN PEOPLE WILL BE SIGNING UP FOR, UM, MEDICARE AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA DO IT.
SO WE'LL HAVE SOMEBODY COME IN AND, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY CAN COME, BUT I DON'T KNOW SPANISH, SO IT DON'T DO ME MUCH GOOD, BUT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO COME AND WE'RE GONNA OFFER THAT.
I'M ANXIOUS TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL, WE'LL BE ABLE, WE'LL PARTICIPATE IN THAT, WHERE THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TALK TO THEM AND ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS.
EVEN WHEN WE HAVE SPONSORSHIPS COME IN, WE MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A, A, A VARIETY AND THAT IT'S, AND IT'S GONNA SUIT EVERYBODY'S NEEDS.
YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY SINGLE ONE WILL SUIT SOMEBODY'S NEED, BUT IT WILL BE THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'M ASKED ANSWERING THAT EXACTLY.
AND MY QUESTION WAS ACTUALLY SEPARATE, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
SORRY I DIDN'T, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IF ANYONE HAD ANY MORE LIKE DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS.
'CAUSE MINES WAS, IS PROBABLY TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
LIKE, DOESN'T MATTER WHICH MILITARY GOES TO THE MILITARY THING, LIKE RUSSIANS AND UKRAINE, NO.
VICTOR, THINK THERE'S A, YEAH, SO FULL-TIME STAFF MEMBER THAT IS FLUENT IN SPANISH AS WELL.
SO AS THAT GROUP DOES COME IN, UM, THEY ACTUALLY WILL HAVE A FULL-TIME STAFF MEMBER THAT CAN ASSIST WITH THAT AS WELL.
YEAH, I WAS, I WENT TO AN EVENT LAST WEEK AND I MET A, A INDIVIDUAL AND SHE WAS TELLING ME, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS RELATED TO THE SENIOR CENTER, BUT IT WAS ABOUT LIKE OFFERING TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES.
SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, EVEN JUST HAVING FOLKS THERE, LIKE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THIS POPULATION, LIKE HOW DO I SEND AN EMAIL OR LIKE A PDF.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THAT THOSE WERE LIKE A PROGRAM WITHIN THIS ENTIRE FUND.
WE HAVE SOME PROGRAMMING THAT I'M LEVEL OF THEM, OR, YEAH, I THINK SHE WAS STARTING IT.
MAYBE THE TECHNOLOGY LAST I WATCH.
SO THE IWATCH, SO SOMEBODY COMES IN, THEY SHOW HOW TO DO THAT.
YEAH, I HAVE SOMEBODY COMING IN ON SATURDAY.
JUST THEY HAVE TO BE A MEMBER AND SHE'S GONNA GO OVER TECHNOLOGY WITH THEM EVERY THREE, THREE TIMES A MONTH ON A WEDNESDAY.
WE HAVE SOME KIND OF TECHNOLOGY CLASS THAT IS OFFERED.
IS THAT, IS THAT, AND I, I'VE, I HAVE THE FORM AT HOME ACTUALLY.
BUT IS THAT SIMILAR MAYBE THAT SHE SPOKE AT AN EVENT LAST WEEK AND SHE WAS LIKE SOLICITING LIKE VOLUNTEERS TO KIND OF HELP WITH LIKE TEACHING COMPUTER CLASSES OR THERE WAS LIKE THIS FOCUS AROUND, UM, CONNECTING LIKE SENIORS WITH TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE AND SUPPORT.
I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S SIMILAR, IF IT'S A TOTALLY SEPARATE PROGRAM.
SO THE LADY THAT IS COM THAT TEACHES THE, THE CLASSES ON WEDNESDAY, HER NAME IS DAPHNE LEE.
SO SHE DOES ANDROIDS BECAUSE NOT ALL SENIORS, NOT EVERYBODY HAS AN IPHONE.
AND IF YOU GIVE ME AN ANDROID, I HAVE, IT'S LIKE SPEAKING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE TO ME,
SO, UM, SO SHE KIND OF SITS DOWN AND IT'S ONE-ON-ONE AND STUFF, BUT THIS WEEK, THIS WEEKEND, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT, THAT THIS PERSON WILL BE IN.
AND I THINK, I DON'T EVEN WANNA SAY HER NAME WITHOUT LOOKING ON MY LOOKING, BUT I, SO I DON'T KNOW.
BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU KNOW, THAT THINGS ARE STREAMLINED MM-HMM
AND SO LIKE, SENIORS KNOW EXACTLY WHERE TO GO AND LIKE EFFORTS ARE NOT BEING DUPLICATED OR CAUSE CONFUSION.
SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS LIKE A STREAMLINED PROCESS OF ALL THE SUPPORT THAT'S BEING OFFERED FOR SENIORS.
THERE'S OTHER SENIOR SUPPORT ACROSS THE CITY AS WELL, LIKE THE NETWORK OF COMMUNITY MINISTRIES.
THEY HAVE THE SORT OF SENIOR NET AND THEY HAVE SENIOR DAYS THERE.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S SERVING A DIFFERENT POPULATION WITH DIFFERENT NEEDS THAN MAYBE THE SENIOR CENTER DOES.
THERE MIGHT BE SOME CROSSOVER.
SO IT COULD BE, I, THERE'S SOMEONE THERE THAT I KNOW PROVIDES, UM, UH, UH, FINANCIAL LITERACY AND, AND FAMILY PLANNING AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO IT COULD BE THAT AND SOME OF THE ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITIES ARE BRINGING IN INDIVIDUALS PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'RE GONNA OFFER A SIMILAR PROGRAMMING, YOU KNOW, TO SOME OF US.
BUT, UM, BUT THIS, THIS DOES OFFER THAT TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT.
SOMETHING I THINK THAT'S A REALLY BIG NEED.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALSO SEE IS IF A SENIOR IS COMFORTABLE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, THEY GENERALLY WILL NOT MOVE OUTSIDE OF THAT ENVIRONMENT.
UNLESS THEY HAVE A SUPPORT SYSTEM GOING WITH THEM.
SO BY SUSAN OFFERING SO MANY OF THE SAME THINGS IN THAT ONE AREA, THERE'S ALREADY A COMFORT WITH THE STAFF.
THEY CAN COME IN AND THEN LIKE THE TRIPS THAT THEY HAD MENTIONED, UM, I THINK THE ONE POINT YOU GUYS TOUCHED ON IT, BUT THERE'S THAT COMFORT BECAUSE YOU'RE TRAVELING WITH PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW, AND IT CREATES THAT SAFE ENVIRONMENT, BUT IT ALSO HELPS TO BUILD THE CONFIDENCE OF GOING OUT AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
SO THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF UNDERCURRENT
[00:35:01]
THAT OCCURS WITH AND PROGRAMMING AND SUSAN IS ATTENDING THOSE KIDS AS WELL.SO THERE'S THAT COMFORT LEVEL WHILE WHERE, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY ARE THEY WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN OUR BUILDING, BUT LIKE HERE'S A FULL-TIME STAFF MEMBER THAT'S THE PERSON THAT THEY'RE GOING TO WITHIN THE FACILITY.
IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS, IT'S LIKE, OH, YOU'RE GONNA HELP GUIDE ME ALONG AND I DON'T HAVE TO DEPEND ON THIS, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL THAT I'VE ACTUALLY NEVER MET BEFORE.
UM, BEN WARREN WHO RETIRED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS.
WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR, YOUR VA TALK, HAVE YOU EVER HAD ANYBODY FROM THE VA TO TALK TO THEM? BECAUSE OFTEN AS I MEET PEOPLE, PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF THEIR BENEFITS MM-HMM
AND THEY HAVEN'T EVEN APPLIED.
SO AS YOU GET OLDER, YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA NEED SOME OF THOSE BENEFITS EVENTUALLY.
SO THAT MAY BE ONE THING IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE THAT.
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE VA, LIKE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEEN IN MILITARY? YEAH.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE HAVING SOMEONE FROM THE VA TO COME AND SPEAK TO YOUR VETERANS GROUP REGARDING? OKAY.
UM, WE HAVE NOT HAD ANYBODY FROM THE VA COME DIRECTLY, UM, CONTACTED THEM.
WE HAVE QUITE A FEW, UM, SPONSORS THAT WORK WITH THE VA AND THEY ARE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ON WHAT BENEFITS.
SO WE WILL HAVE THEM AND INVITE THEM TO COME AND SIT DOWN WITH THE, THE, UM, THE VETERANS AND TALK.
BUT SOMETIMES THEY DON'T WANNA REALLY DISCUSS THAT STUFF 'CAUSE THEY WANNA TELL THEIR WAR STORIES OR WHATEVER.
BUT THAT IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO DO THAT.
I COULD DEFINITELY CONTACT SOMEBODY FROM THE VA AND SEE IF THEY WILL COME.
USUALLY WE HAD A GENTLEMAN, UNFORTUNATELY HE PASSED AWAY, BUT HE WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND, AND HE WAS, HE ALSO SERVED IN THE MILITARY, SO HE WOULD HELP THEM IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE FOR HAVING SOME KIND OF A HEALTH ISSUE IN GETTING TO THE VA AND DIFFERENT THINGS, HE WOULD HELP FACILITATE THAT.
BUT I DON'T HAVE ANYBODY RIGHT NOW THAT DOES THAT.
'CAUSE I KNOW THEY DO HAVE PEOPLE WHO DO OUTREACH.
AND IF YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION OR ANYTHING, FEEL FREE TO SHARE THAT WITH ME.
BUT I, I CAN GO BACK TO THE OFFICE TOMORROW AND GOOGLE IT AND WE CAN, WE CAN DEFINITELY SEE, SHE'LL HAVE HIM CALL TOMORROW.
JONATHAN, I THINK THAT YOU'RE DOING AN AMAZING JOB.
I'M WONDERING FIRST THERE'S ANY CHANCE THAT WE CAN GET LIKE, LIKE A COPY OF THIS PRESENTATION AND SECOND, THERE COULD BE, THERE COULD BE ANY COORDINATION WITH GREG TO BETTER COMMUNICATE ALL THESE ATTRIBUTES TO BETTER, UH, ENHANCE WHAT, WHAT THE, UH, SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER IS EVEN, UH, DEVELOP, LIKE SPECIFIC TACTICS TO BRING OR TO REACH NEW POTENTIAL SPONSORS.
I MEAN, THIS IS, I'M SEEING A LOT OF POTENTIAL IN THIS PROGRAM.
IT IS AMAZING WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT I THINK THAT, UH, WE NEED TO BE MORE, MORE TACTICAL ON THE, ON THE VISIBILITY AND THE IMPACT TO BE MEASURED.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, TO, UH, PRODUCE SOME PORTRAITS OF THE SENIORS THAT ARE USING THE CENTER AND SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE THERE.
THINGS LIKE THAT SO PEOPLE CAN FEEL MORE ENGAGED, UH, AND AND LIKE TO SUPPORT THE CENTER.
THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION HERE.
UM, I'M SURE GREG CAN SHARE THE, THE, UM, PRESENTATION WITH YOU.
UM, WE HAVE WORKED WITH GREG, SAME SOME, UM, IN TERMS OF SOME VIDEOS AND STUFF THAT THEY'VE CREATED, UM, ACTUALLY WITH SOME OF OUR, OUR MEMBERS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO KINDA SHARE THAT STORY A LITTLE BIT OUT.
BUT YEAH, WE COULD DEFINITELY SHARE SOME MORE, UM, INFORMATION AROUND, YOU KNOW, WHAT ALL THE, THE CENTER ENTAILS AND KIND OF HOW SUSAN VISION AND TACTICS AND STUFF THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, AIMING TO IT FORWARD.
JUMPING TO TELL, HE HAS A PRESENTATION IF YOU NEED TO GO AHEAD.
SO YOU DO ACTUALLY HAVE THEIR PRESENTATION IN YOUR PACKET.
IT'S, IT'S IN FRONT OF YOU AND SUSAN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, BECAUSE MY DEPARTMENT'S IN TOUCH WITH THEM EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
IT'S ONE OF, I'LL LET YOU MAYBE GET MORE IN DETAILS, BUT, SO WITH RICHARDSON TODAY, IT GOES TO EVERY RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.
AND IT'S A VERY, UH, THAT AUDIENCE READS RICHARDSON TODAY COVER.
SO, UH, SHE AND SUSAN, EITHER SUSAN OR SOMEBODY ON HER STAFF IS VERY MUCH INVOLVED TOO BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING THEIR, THEIR CLASSES OR THEY'RE GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT.
AND SO IT IT ACTUALLY TAKES UP A GOOD BROUGHT ONE CASE SOMEBODY WANTED IT.
WELL ACTUALLY KUDOS GOES TO, TO YOUR DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WHEN I FIRST STARTED, THAT WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF MY GOALS.
AND WITH JARED'S HELP, WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT LOOK SO MUCH BETTER, LET'S
[00:40:01]
JUST SAY.BUT, UM, IF YOU LIVE IN RICHARDSON, YOU SHOULD RECEIVE THIS.
IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN RICHARDSON, I HAVE PLENTY HERE.
I MEAN, YOU CAN, I, I BROUGHT SOME, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW MANY OR WHATEVER, BUT THE LAST TWO PAGES, THAT'S MY BIBLE
UM, BUT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS RIGHT IN THERE.
AND THE GRAPHICS ARE ALWAYS GREAT.
WE ALWAYS TRY TO HAVE A PICTURE, ONE OR TWO PICTURES OF OUR SENIORS AND, AND DIFFERENT THINGS.
'CAUSE WHO DOESN'T WANNA SAY THAT'S MY FAMILY OR THAT'S ME.
BUT YEAH, SO IF YOU'VE NEVER LOOKED AT THIS, PLEASE LOOK AT THIS.
I, I HAVE ANOTHER THING THAT I HAVE CREATED.
SO IF YOU WERE TO COME IN UP AT THE FRONT DESK AND IT JUST, IT'S BACK AND FORTH.
AND I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST STARTED IT, IT WAS LIKE A HALF OF A PAGE.
AND THE FONT HAS TO KEEP GETTING SMALLER AND SMALL, SMALLER BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T REALLY WANNA HAVE TO DO A THIRD PAGE.
BUT WHAT'S GREAT WITH THAT, IT'S EVERYTHING IN HERE, BUT IT'S ALL CONSOLIDATED.
SO THERE'S NO VERBIAGE OR ANYTHING.
BUT IF YOU WANNA KNOW, HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON ON MONDAY, YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT CLASSES ARE OFFERED AND WHAT TIME THAT THEY'RE OFFERED AND HOW MUCH THEY ARE.
SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE, WE DO AT THE CENTER.
BUT YEAH, PLEASE, I'LL, I'LL LEAVE THESE PAPERS HERE FOR Y'ALL AND YOU CAN KIND OF LOOK AT, AT THAT.
AND I CAN PASS TO, I, TO, TO TO KNOW WHO ARE THE SENIORS, THE STORY OF THE SENIORS.
THEY, THEY HAVE A LOT OF EH KNOWLEDGE AND A LOT OF EXPERIENCE THAT THEY CAN BE SHARED WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND IF YOU CAN JUST LIKE ONE PROFILE PER MONTH TO SHARE THEIR STORY, THEIR LIFE STORY WITH, WITH THE CITY
SO I LOVE THAT YOU SAID YOU'RE SAYING THAT BECAUSE NEXT, SORRY, I ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING I TOLD THEM BE QUIET.
NEXT MONTH IS, IS, UM, SENIOR CITIZEN.
AND SO, UM, THE, THE, THE, THE TAG OR WHATEVER IT IS, IS CHAMPIONS.
ANYWAY, I ALREADY HAVE IT PLANNED.
I'M GONNA DO TAKE FIVE QUESTIONS AND THEN THE TWO COORDINATORS WILL TAKE FIVE OTHER QUESTIONS AND WE ARE GOING TO START INTERVIEWING OUR SENIORS.
SO WHAT MAKES YOU A, WHAT MAKES YOU A CHAMPION OF YOUR HEALTH OR, SO JUST WAIT.
IT'S COMING OUR, THIS IS MARK.
IT'S A PART OF OUR, SO IT'S COMING LAST YEAR AS WELL.
WE, WE KIND OF PULLED SOME INDIVIDUALS FROM ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT FACILITIES, BUT SENIOR CENTER WAS ONE OF 'EM THAT WE WERE SHARING STORIES FROM AS WELL.
WELL, UH, I THINK YOU GUYS ARE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB AND I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE YOU'RE DOING ALL THIS STUFF.
I MEAN, I ALWAYS SEE THAT BUILDING AND I WALKED A FEW PEOPLE OVER THERE.
UH, I DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON INSIDE.
I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD YOU GUYS DO THOSE BRAIN GAMES AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
NOW MY QUESTION IS, UH, AND I'M NOT SAYING, UH, AND THIS IS, THIS IS BECAUSE OF, UH, I, I HAVE NEIGHBORS THAT ARE SENIORS IN MAYBE IN THE SEVENTIES AS, UM, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, A PIANO TEACHER THAT TAUGHT MY KIDS, UH, WE ARE STILL IN TOUCH WITH HER NOW.
AND I KNOW I HAVE WALKED HER THERE TWICE ALREADY.
UH, BUT SHE FORGETS THAT THERE IS A SENIOR CENTER IN RICHARDSON.
AND I HAD TAKEN HER THERE AND ASKED HER TO GO CHECK IN ON THE PROGRAMS THAT, THAT ARE IN THERE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE LOTS OF SENIORS THAT LIVE ALONE.
AND ALZHEIMER'S OBVIOUSLY IS, IS A, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A REALLY, UM, SAD DISEASE TO, TO, TO COME AROUND BECAUSE THEY, THEY DON'T REMEMBER, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, AND IT'S LIKE YOU KEEP REPEATING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER.
NOW, UM, I WONDER IF THERE IS A WAY FOR, UM, THE C SOME, SOME PROGRAM IN THE SENIOR CENTER THAT CAN DO WELLNESS CHECKS, JUST LIKE A CALL TO SAY, ARE YOU OKAY? LIKE IF THEY DON'T SHOW UP, LIKE THIS PERSON KEEPS FORGETTING TO GO TO THE SENIOR CENTER OR KEEPS FORGETTING TO PICK UP HER GROCERIES IF THEY DON'T SHOW UP, IS THERE A WAY FOR SOMEONE TO KIND OF CHECK ON THEM AND SAY, ARE YOU DOING ALL RIGHT? BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM LIVE BY THEMSELVES.
SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO HOW THE CITY WOULD HANDLE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT OUR BUILDING, WE ARE, WE, I CALL IT A LITTLE VILLAGE.
WE ARE A VILLAGE IN THIS, THIS COMMUNITY OF RICHARDSON.
AND IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE, OF THE SENIOR CENTER, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
I MIGHT NOT REMEMBER YOUR NAME ALL THE TIME, BUT I KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
I KNOW WHICH PEOPLES COME ON WHICH DAY.
AND IT'S NOT JUST ME, BUT MY STAFF DOES.
AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THAT IS THAT ALL THE SENIORS KNOW IF SO AND SO IS MISSING TOO.
SO IF SOMEBODY IS NOT THERE, WE HAVE DONE THAT.
SAY, I HAVEN'T SEEN SO AND SO IN A FEW DAYS, CAN YOU CHECK ON 'EM? AND I WILL GLADLY CALL AND FIND AND AND
[00:45:01]
SEE IF THEY'RE OKAY.AND THEN I FIND OUT, OH, THEY WERE, UNFORTUNATELY THEY FELL AND THEY'RE IN THE HOSPITAL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES THEIR CHILDREN OR THEY JUST DON'T, THEY DON'T REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE TO US.
AND SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THEM AND THEY THINK, OH, NOBODY REALLY CARES, BUT WE DO CARE.
AND SO, UM, AND THAT ALWAYS MAKES THEM REALLY HAPPY AND STUFF.
BUT, SO I MEAN, WE KIND OF DO THAT WELLNESS IN, BUT I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, I'D HAVE TO HAVE YOU SPEAK FOR NO, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A GREAT THING WHEN, WHEN THOSE INDIVIDUALS CAN GET INVOLVED WITH SOME OF THESE GROUPS BECAUSE THEN THAT DOES HAPPEN BECAUSE LIKE AS SUSAN SAID, YOU, THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL COME UP WITH 'EM AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, SUSIE HASN'T BEEN HERE IN TWO DAYS.
UM, AND I MEAN, YOU GUYS HAD SOMEBODY A COUPLE WEEKS AGO THAT THAT HAPPENED TOO.
AND THEN WE HAD MULTIPLE MEMBERS THAT HAD GONE TO VISIT THAT INDIVIDUAL AT THE HOSPITAL MM-HMM
UM, AND IT WASN'T THAT THEIR FAMILY DIDN'T WANT TO COMMUNICATE TO US, IT'S JUST THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEIR DAILY ACTIVITY.
UM, BUT YEAH, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW IT WOULD WORK, YOU KNOW, FROM THE CITY PERSPECTIVE, BUT SOMETHING WE COULD EXPLORE A LITTLE BIT.
UM, MAYBE IF THERE'S A LIST, UH, IF WE CAN LIKE NEIGHBORS OR SOMEONE WHO'S CONCERNED ABOUT A SENIOR CAN DROP IN THEIR NAME, THE SENIOR CENTER.
CAN YOU ALREADY CALLED SOMETHING LIKE THAT? CERTAINLY I DO.
THERE IS, UM, AND I CAN'T THINK OF THE NAME OF THE PROGRAM, BUT YOU CAN, YOU CAN REGISTER FOLKS, UM, WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS WELL AFTER A WEATHER EVENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SO YOU CAN REGISTER.
IF YOU HAVE A PARENT THAT LIVES HERE, YOU KNOW, OR UM, A NEIGHBOR THAT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT, YOU CAN REGISTER THEM.
AND IF THERE'S A MAJOR WEATHER EVENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT THEY WILL GO OUT AND DO A WELLNESS CHECK FOLLOWING SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
A POWER LOSS OR A MAJOR STORM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO YOU CAN REGISTER, UH, A SENIOR AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST AN EVENT SPECIFIC, UM, PROGRAM.
BUT STILL SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE THAT NEEDS THAT EXTRA CARE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR JONATHAN AND SUSAN? WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS CULTURE IN THE CORE EVENT.
UH, GREG, PLEASE INTRODUCE KAYLA JOHNSON FOR SECOND AGENDA FOR THE EVENING.
UM, AND SO AGAIN, THIS IS GOING ALONG, ALONG THE SAME LINES AS, UH, AS OUR OTHER PROGRAM CULTURE OF THE CORE START.
WELL, WE'RE ABOUT TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY HERE IN A SECOND.
AND, UH, IS IS, ARE WE INVITED, UH, YOU GUYS OF COURSE TOO, TO TAKE PART IN THIS EVENT, UH, IN DOWNTOWN RICHARDSON AND ASHLEY WOULD, I'LL AHEAD AND JUST HAND IT OVER TO MCCAMISH.
SO WE ACTUALLY, UH, PRESENTED, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO NOW ON FROM THE CORE AND GAVE A, A LONGER PRESENTATION.
KAYLA WAS NEWER AND SHE DID A, ON A GREAT JOB, UH, GIVING A KIND OF A MORE IN DEPTH SUMMARY OF IT.
SINCE THEN, UM, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS COME FIRST, WE HAD CULTURE IN THE CORE, UM, THIS PAST NOVEMBER.
AND WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT, THAT WAS KAYLA'S FIRST CULTURE IN THE CORE.
AND SINCE THEN WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE EVENT AND, AND REALLY TRYING TO, UM, THINK ABOUT WAYS TO IMPROVE IT, GROW THE ATTENDANCE OF IT.
SO THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION IS GONNA BE CENTERED MORE AROUND THAT.
I WANTED TO GET, UM, REVIEW IT BRIEFLY, BUT MORE GET FEEDBACK FROM YOU ON A SPECIFIC SET OF QUESTIONS THAT WE ARE USING AS WE, UM, COORDINATE OR COMMUNICATE WITH SOME OF OUR DIFFERENT COMMISSIONS AROUND THE EVENT ITSELF SO THAT WE CAN DO AN ASSESSMENT OF IT AND TAKE THAT BACK TO COUNCIL WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ON POSSIBLE CHANGES.
WHO'S BEEN TO CULTURE IN THE COURT? THAT'S ONE OF MY QUESTIONS.
UM, SO WE, I'VE GOT A COUPLE THINGS I'LL COVER.
UM, BUT FIRST OFF, ONE THING I DO WANT TO MENTION, UM, AND I, SORRY, I THOUGHT I HAD THAT SLIDE IN HERE TOO.
BUT ONE OF THE, THIS ACTUALLY FALLS IN LINE WITH THE COUNCIL TACTIC TO REVIEW ALL OF OUR, UM, EVENTS, FACILITIES, AND PROGRAMS AS WE'RE GOING INTO THIS NEXT BUDGET CYCLE FOR US.
SO THE TIMING OF THIS IS SO THAT WE CAN GET AHEAD OF, UM, PUTTING OUR BUDGET TOGETHER AND PRESENTING THAT TO COUNCIL, UM, THROUGH DEEP DIVES AND THEN THE END OF THE SUMMER THROUGH THE BUDGET WORKSHOP WITH COUNCIL.
AND, UM, WE'RE DOING THAT BECAUSE OF CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE SEEING AT THE STATE LEVEL IN THE CAP OF REVENUE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO BRING IN AT THE CITY, UM, THROUGH PROPERTY TAXES.
[00:50:01]
ARE HEARING FROM THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT THAT CAP, UM, WILL PROBABLY BE LOWER OR THAT THEY'LL, THERE'LL BE MORE ACTIVITY TO TRY TO DO THAT.AND SO WE'RE IN ANTICIPATION OF OUR REVENUE TRULY NOT GROWING AT THE RATE THAT IT HAS HISTORICALLY.
UM, IN THE PAST AT THE CITY, WE ARE, ARE REALLY MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF THE PROGRAMMING, UM, THAT WE'RE PUTTING ON IS SOMETHING THAT IS COST EFFECTIVE, IS WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS, AND THAT WE'RE UTILIZING OUR DOLLARS, UM, AT THE CITY THE BEST, UH, WAY THAT WE CAN AND THE MOST FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WAY THAT WE CAN TOO.
THIS IS A UNIQUE EVENT, UM, BECAUSE IT IS FUNDED THROUGH OUR TURS, UM, FUND OUT OF THE, THE TIP ONE AREA.
UM, IT'S NOT, CAN YOU SAY, CAN YOU TELL
IT'S A TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE.
SO WE HAVE A DISTRICT WITHIN THE CITY AND THE, THE, THAT DISTRICT WAS SET THAT EXPIRES IN FIVE YEARS, SO IT WAS PROBABLY SET 15 YEARS AGO, MAYBE 20, UM, AT THAT BASE PROPERTY ASSESSMENT, THE PROPERTY VALUE.
AND AS THAT VALUE INCREASED OVER TIME, THAT INCREMENTAL INCREASE IN THAT VALUE FROM THE PROPERTIES WITHIN THAT DISTRICT GETS PUT BACK INTO THATT FUND.
AND THEN THAT FUNDING IS ONLY SPENT WITHIN THAT DEDICATED DISTRICT.
SO IT'S, IT'S AN IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT IN A WAY WHERE THAT FUNDING IS REINVESTED MM-HMM
SO TAX INCREMENT, REINVESTMENT ZONE, UM, SO IT'S FUNDED THROUGH OUR PLACEMAKING PROGRAM IN THAT, IN THAT FUND.
AND IT WAS CREATED AS AN EVENT AND IN 2022 TO CELEBRATE OUR, UM, OUR DIVERSE CULTURAL HERITAGE THAT WE HAVE IN RICHARDSON.
SO IT'S, WE'VE HAD FOUR NOW AND IT'S A FREE FAMILY EVENT AND IT'S NOT ONLY FREE TO ATTENDEES, BUT IT'S FREE TO PARTICIPANTS, EXHIBITORS, VENDORS.
WE DON'T CHARGE A BOOTH FEE, WE DON'T SOLICIT SPONSORSHIPS.
IT IS WHOLLY FUNDED BY THE CITY, UM, OUT OF THAT INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE THAT I MENTIONED.
SO THIS IS A UNIQUE ONE IN A WAY THAT A LOT OF THE OTHER EVENTS THAT WE ARE ANALYZING, WE HAVE SOME TYPE OF REVENUE OFFSET AND THIS ONE ALONG WITH LUNAR NEW YEAR, WHICH IS ALSO IN THE CORE DISTRICT, WE DON'T HAVE THAT, UM, THAT COMPONENT TO IT.
SO WE'RE BEING VERY CAREFUL WITH THESE FUNDS AND REALLY LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN BEST UTILIZE THEM.
AND IT WAS ALSO CREATED TOO, TO ACTIVATE THE CORE DISTRICT.
SO AROUND THE TIME IT WAS CREATED, THERE HAD BEEN REINVESTMENT IN THE MAIN STREET, PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS.
THERE WAS A FOCUS ON THE CORE DISTRICT BRAND, REALLY TRYING TO DRIVE PEOPLE TO THE CORE DISTRICT AND ACTIVATE THE SPACES AND DOWNTOWN AND THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS TO GET THAT FOOT TRAFFIC THROUGH AND TRY TO, UM, ENTICE PEOPLE TO, TO GO INTO THOSE BUSINESSES AND RESTAURANTS AND PLACES LATER.
SO, UH, MICHEL, IF I MAY ASK MM-HMM
BECAUSE YOU TOUCHED ON SOMETHING, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IN THE BEGINNING IT MADE SENSE THAT WE WEREN'T CHARGING, UH, VENDORS, PEOPLE TO COME IN AND SET UP THINGS.
BUT I THINK NOW THAT IT'S GETTING ESTABLISHED, DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO REVISIT THAT IT MAY, LET ME GET THROUGH SOME OF THE DETAILS THAT I HAVE, AND THEN I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
AND BASED ON THE DIRECTION WE GO, WE'LL HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THAT COULD BE ONE OF THEM.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE CONSIDERED, UM, THAT WE REALLY ARE TAKE, TRYING TO TAKE A BROADER VIEW OF WHAT THE EVENT IS SO THAT WE CAN INCREASE ATTENDANCE MORE THAN JUST HAVE A REVENUE OFFSET.
UM, OUR FOCUS IS MORE ON INCREASING ATTENDANCE BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S ESTABLISHED.
IT'S ESTABLISHED IN THAT IT'S OCCURRED FOR FOUR YEARS, BUT IT'S NOT ESTABLISHED IN, IN THAT IT'S CONTINUING TO GROW.
WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY A THOUSAND ATTENDEES EACH YEAR.
THIS NUMBER'S BEEN, UM, PRETTY, PRETTY FLAT ON THIS.
I'VE BEEN TO THREE, AND IT'S BEEN ABOUT THE SAME SIZE EVERY YEAR.
UM, WE HAVE 36 VENDORS AND EXHIBITORS, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THEY'RE BROKEN OUT BETWEEN FOOD RETAIL.
THIS LAST YEAR WE ALSO HAD, UM, CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE INCLUDED IN IT.
SO WE INVITED NONPROFIT ARTS GROUPS THAT RECEIVED GRANT FUNDING FROM THE CITY TO PARTICIPATE AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN WE ALWAYS HAVE SOME, A HANDFUL OF CITY DEPARTMENTS PARTICIPATE WITH, UM, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS OR TOUCH A TRUCK, PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
WE HAD, UH, NINE DIFFERENT PERFORMANCES OVER THE SPAN OF THE EVENT.
[00:55:01]
UH, PRICE ITSELF IS ABOUT $90,000 FOR US TO PUT ON.SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT COST PER PERSON FOR THE ATTENDANCE WE'RE GETTING IS ACTUALLY ONE OF OUR HIGHER, UM, PER PERSON COST OUT OF THE EVENTS THAT WE PUT ON AT THE CITY.
AND THE EVENT, UM, IS FOUR HOURS LONG.
I, IT'S ABOUT 11 O'CLOCK TO THREE O'CLOCK.
WE'VE CHANGED THAT TIME A LITTLE BIT, UM, AND PLAYED WITH IT SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT LUNCH RUSH, BUT EXTEND IT PAST IT.
UM, BUT IT'S THAT FOUR HOUR WINDOW, MIKAYLA ON THE $90,000 BUDGET IS THE PRIMARY.
UM, IF YOU WERE TO TEAR THAT OUT, UM, IS IT THE, UM, UH, IT'S NOT AV IS IT, IS IT STAGE MICROPHONE? LIKE THAT TYPE WOULD BE THE HIGHEST, UH, COST OF THAT BUDGET COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT BUDGET? TENTS? TENTS ARE A BIG COST.
UM, YVONNE CAN VOUCH FOR THAT TOO, BUT YEAH.
BUT THOSE WOULD BE YOUR PRIMARY OF WHAT THE HEART THAT MIGHT BE? YES.
THE PERFORMERS ARE NOT, UM, PAID FOR.
MOST OF THE, UH, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION IS DONE THROUGH I THINK EVERY SINGLE OUTLET THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ON THE CITY SIDE.
UH, SO THE, THE COST ITSELF IS TRULY IN THE SITE, UM, COMPONENTS.
SO THE PROP PERFORMANCE ACTUALLY PERFORM FOR FREE.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT MY DAUGHTER PERFORMED IT, SO I SAID IT IS FREE.
THIS IS A MAP OF LAST YEAR'S EVENT.
UM, ONE THING I DIDN'T MENTION IS, AND I'LL GO UP HERE SO I CAN POINT IT OUT A LITTLE EASIER, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE LAYOUT.
THIS EVENT IS ON DART PROPERTY CURRENTLY.
SO IT'S IN THAT KIND OF UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY IN DOWNTOWN.
WE CALL IT THE MAIN STREET PLAZA, BUT IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S A GRASSY PROPERTY.
SO EVERYTHING THAT WE PUT INTO THE EVENT HAS TO BE BROUGHT IN AND PUT ON THE PROPERTY.
NOW, ONE OF THE RESTRICTIONS THAT WE HAVE WITH THIS IS ON DART PROPERTY, YOU CAN EXCHANGE FUNDS.
YOU, YOU CAN'T HAVE VENDORS, YOU CAN'T SELL ANYTHING, RIGHT? SO ALL OF OUR VENDORS THAT ARE ACTUALLY SELLING, UM, HAVE TO BE ON THE STREET RATHER THAN THE PROPERTY ITSELF.
SO WE SHUT DOWN THE STREETS AROUND IT.
WE PUT THE, THE ON THE AREAS THAT EXCHANGE MONEY ON THOSE.
AND THEN THE GRASSY AREA ARE THE CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING MORE EXHIBITS ON THE CITY DEPARTMENTS, THE INFLATABLES, THE PICNIC TABLES, THE STAGE, THAT TYPE OF THING.
WHAT WE HAVE COMING UP THAT, UM, IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE THINKING THROUGH WITH THIS EVENT AND OR IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO REIMAGINE IT A BIT TOO, IS THERE'S A LARGE, UH, CONSTRUCTION PROJECT THAT WILL BE OCCURRING IN THIS BLOCK RIGHT HERE.
AND WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE COMPONENTS OF THE STREET NEARBY SHUT DOWN.
SO THIS NEXT YEAR, I GUESS THE END OF THIS YEAR, 26, WE'LL BE LOOKING TO MOVE THE EVENT ALONG INTERURBAN COMMON MM-HMM
AND HOLD THE EVENT IN A DIFFERENT SPACE.
SO WE HAVE SOME SPACE CHALLENGES THAT ARE CAUSING US TO REIMAGINE IT.
UM, SO IT'S GOOD TIMING FOR US TO JUST REIMAGINE THE EVENT A BIT IN GENERAL TOO.
IS THAT STILL THE MOVE? IS THAT STILL GONNA BE A PART OF THE, THE DART PROPERTY THAT COULD AFFECT THE OKAY.
IN OUR URBAN COMMON, IT IS DEVELOPED AND WE HAVE, UM, A USE AGREEMENT WITH DART AND TO DEVELOP AND MANAGE THAT PROPERTY, BUT IT HAS THE SAME BASE RESTRICTIONS.
SO OUR VENDOR SELECTION IS APPLICATION BASED.
UM, WE DO DIRECT OUTREACH TO EVERY CULTURAL ORGANIZATION WE CAN FIND TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO PARTICIPATE.
AND I'M SAYING WE, BUT IT'S REALLY KAYLA.
KAYLA SPENDS A TON OF TIME RESEARCHING OTHER CULTURAL EVENTS, TRYING TO FIND, UM, ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAY BE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING, REACHING OUT TO 'EM, ENCOURAGING THEM TO ATTEND, UM, AND THEN THEY'RE SELECTED AND REVIEWED INTERNALLY.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE KIND OF LIMITED SPACE FORUM 'EM TOO.
SO WE TRY TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT A VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE REPRESENTED, UM, AND PLACED IN THE RIGHT AREAS AS WELL.
THE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY, I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO ALL OF THESE IN DETAIL, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HIT EVERY RESOURCE WE HAVE AVAILABLE, AND THEN WE DO PAY FOR ADDITIONAL MARKETING.
UM, THE ONE THAT HAS REALLY, REALLY HELPED US OUTSIDE OF OUR TRADITIONAL CITY SOURCES IS DALLAS SITES 1 0 1.
DOES ANYONE FOLLOW THAT? NICE.
YEAH, THEY'RE KIND OF, UM, DALLAS INFLUENCERS AND THEY, THEY, THEY HAVE GAINED A LOT OF ATTENDEES FOR US WITH LUNAR NEW YEAR ESPECIALLY.
UM, IN COMPARISON, LUNAR NEW YEAR HAS THE SAME BUDGET, BUT GETS ABOUT FIVE TO 6,000 ATTENDEES EACH YEAR.
UM, WE MARKET IT THE EXACT SAME WAY.
IT HAS A SIMILAR FOOTPRINT, BUT IT'S IN THE DALLAS CHINESE,
[01:00:01]
UM, I'M SORRY, IT'S IN THE, UM, CHINA, DALLAS, CHINATOWN AREA, AND WE PARTNER WITH THE DALLAS CHINESE COMMUNITY CENTER IN THAT PARKING LOT.SO THIS IS WHERE I REALLY WANTED TO HAVE MORE OF A CONVERSATION WITH YOU ALL AND GET FEEDBACK ON THE EVENT ITSELF AS WE ARE BRAINSTORMING INTERNALLY AND COMING UP WITH SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT WE WILL ULTIMATELY TAKE TO COUNCIL ON FOR CONSIDERATION ON SOME POSSIBLE CHANGES TO THE EVENT, AS A WAY FOR US TO REALLY HONE IN ON THE AUDIENCE FOR IT AND ENCOURAGE ATTENDEES PARTICIPATION, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE KIND OF HITTING THE MARK ON IT.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, LIKE I SAID, WE, WE'VE HAD THAT STAGNANT, UM, PARTICIPATION AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE, UM, CHANGES TO THE EVENT TO IMPROVE THAT.
SO FIRST, WHO HAS ATTENDED CULTURE IN THE POOR? ALL RIGHT, SO ABOUT HALF.
UM, HOW IS CULTURE IN THE POOR CURRENTLY PERCEIVED IN THE COMMUNITY? HOW MANY OF YOU, UH, THE ONES THAT HAVEN'T ATTENDED, HOW MANY OF YOU WERE AWARE OF IT? HOW MANY OF YOU, OKAY.
DID DID ANYONE NOT KNOW THAT CULTURE IN THE CORE EXISTED? I DO.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE OF YOU BEFORE YOU SERVED ON THIS COMMITTEE? HOW MANY OF YOU? YEAH, I, I DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE.
UM, ACTUALLY I SERVED ON THIS COMMITTEE, IN FACT, BEFORE GREG SAID THAT THERE'S A VOLUNTEER POSITION AND THE COURT, AND I WAS LIKE, IT WAS THAT, AND THEN, UH, THINK PART OF THE COMMITTEE, THAT COMMISSION, THAT'S WHEN I HEARD ABOUT IT.
AND, UH, AND I, I KIND OF HAVE A FEELING, UM, MY, MY KIDS ARE NOT AT HOME ANYMORE, BUT I'M SURE IF THEY WERE, I WOULD'VE HEARD ABOUT IT.
BUT IT ALSO STARTED RIGHT AFTER COVID, LIKE 2022, WHEN PEOPLE WERE JUST VENTURING OUT AND STILL KIND OF SHY OF GOING INTO PUBLIC SPACES.
SO MAYBE THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY, UH, PERHAPS, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
DO YOU FEEL 1,010 DAYS IS A VERY SMALL AMOUNT? YES.
SO, JENNIFER, GOING BACK TO YOUR QUESTION IS, I MEAN, I KNEW ABOUT IT, BUT I NEVER ATTENDED UNTIL LAST YEAR.
AND PRIMARILY BECAUSE I SAW THE PRESENTATION THAT KEL YOU HAD GIVEN BEFORE.
NOW WE'D ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT ATTENDING, BUT KIND OF NEVER REALLY, REALLY JELLED.
AND AFTER HAVING GONE THERE, WHAT I'LL TELL YOU IS THAT MY FIRST REACTION WAS LIKE, WHY AREN'T THERE MORE PEOPLE OVER HERE? MM-HMM
RIGHT? THIS SEEMS LIKE AN AWESOME PLACE.
SO I THINK, UM, DEFINITELY TRYING TO ADVERTISE AND GETTING PEOPLE TO ATTEND IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE SUGGESTION IS I SEE IT IN RICHARDSON TODAY, BUT I THINK, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SORT OF A SPLASH AROUND IT.
SO THE WAY I LOOK AT, WHEN I SEE THE, THE, UM, THE, UM, THE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT, UH, CULTURE IN THE CORE, IT JUST LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER, ANOTHER EVENT.
BUT I THINK IF SOMEHOW, IF YOU CAN MAKE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE SPLASHY, I THINK IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO ATTRACT MORE, MORE PEOPLE.
BIG VEGETARIAN, VEGAN FOOD ARE VEGETARIANS.
THEY'RE VEGETARIAN FOOD STYLES.
I THOUGHT YOU SAID VEGAS STYLE REVIEW.
SO, IS IS, IS THE DEMOGRAPHICS TYPICALLY, UH, YOUNGER FOLKS, MIDDLE AGED FOLKS, OR SENIOR MOSTLY HAVE, IT'S, IT'S YOUNGER THAN MIDDLE AGED, I WOULD SAY.
I DON'T THINK WE GET MANY SENIORS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SITE BEING, YOU KNOW, UNDEVELOPED.
WE DO HAVE A DA STANDARDS THAT WE MEET AND ACCESSIBLE PARKING, RAMPING, ALL OF THAT.
BUT IT'S MORE THAT YOUNGER QUESTION.
IT'S YOUNGER FAMILIES, THREE YEAR OLDS.
IT'S THAT IT'S THAT FREE EVENT THAT WITH ACTIVITIES THAT ARE GEARED TOWARDS PROBABLY YOUNGER CHILDREN TOO, THAT THE BOOTHS ARE PUTTING ON LIKE THE, THE PAINTING AND THE DRESS UP AND UM, THAT TYPE OF THING.
AND, AND THIS IS FACILITATED THROUGH THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS? IT IS NOT, NO.
HOW, HOWEVER, IS THERE, LIKE, CAN, CAN THIS BE ON FLYERS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS? UM, GO AHEAD.
SO WE HAVE ACTUALLY DONE THAT.
SO I WORK CLOSELY WITH, UM, LINDSEY TERM, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES, AND I ALSO DO GIVE HER THE FLYER TO PASS OUT TO THE 75 HOAS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
I'M CURIOUS, AND, AND I'LL JUST JUMP IN HERE, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT THEY ARE, IF WE AS A COMMISSION THINK THEY'RE USING EVERY CHANNEL POSSIBLE, SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY, UM, BRAINSTORMING THE CHANNELS, BUT TO YOUR POINT, UM, WHEN YOU SAID, UH, SPLASH, IF YOU MAKE IT SPLASHIER, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SO LIKE WHEN MCKAYLA ASKS, WE HAVEN'T
[01:05:01]
GOTTEN TO IT YET.I'M JUMPING AHEAD A LITTLE BIT, BUT LIKE THE YEAH, GO AHEAD.
WHAT DOES MAKE THIS CAN'T MISS WHAT MAKES PEOPLE LOOK AT IT AND THEN GO, OH, I, THERE'S NO WAY.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT CHANNELS AS MUCH AS WE ARE, IS WHAT MAKES THIS EVENT SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WILL NOT WANT TO MISS.
AND I, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, 'CAUSE TALKING ABOUT CHANNELS LAST WEEK I WENT TO AN EVENT, I FOUND OUT ABOUT IT ON REDDIT, SO LIKE, DON'T ON REDDIT, BECAUSE THERE IS A RICHON THREAD AND THERE IS A LOT OF FOLKS, LIKE THE EVENT I WENT TO LAST WEEK, I LITERALLY FOUND OUT IT THAT DAY.
'CAUSE I'M, I'M A REDDIT PERSON, I'M ON THERE A LOT.
AND SO KNOWING THAT THAT EXISTS AND PEOPLE ARE FINDING OUT ABOUT EVENTS, UM, AND PEOPLE ARE ALSO POSTING EVENTS THROUGH REDDIT, THAT'S ALSO A LOT OF A PLACE TOO WITH UTD.
LIKE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE COLLEGE POPULATION, UM, THEY'RE UTILIZING REDDIT.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT CHANNEL THAT I JUST DIDN'T SEE THAT.
I THINK JUST FOR LIKE, ALL PROGRAMMING WITH THE CITY, THAT THAT COULD BE A REALLY GREAT PLACE TO GET MORE PEOPLE THAT MAY NOT BE FOLLOWING DALLAS SITES OR RICHARDSON TODAY, OR, OR ANYTHING.
SO I KNOW WE'RE NOT TRYING TO THINK, THINK ABOUT NO, THAT'S ABOUT CHANNEL STRATEGY, BUT I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS SAID.
UM, WE DO, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT, WHAT I WOULD LOVE THIS GROUP'S FEEDBACK ON TONIGHT IS IF THIS, THE MISSION OF THIS IS TO CELEBRATE OUR CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO IF YOU WERE ATTENDING AN EVENT THAT YOU KNEW THAT WAS THE MISSION OF WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT TO SEE AND WHAT COULD WE BE DOING THAT WOULD MAKE THAT SPLASHY OR UNIQUE OR THAT THING THAT PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT? I, I THINK GOING BACK, SORRY.
I THINK GOING BACK TO LIKE METRICS, UM, AND JUST GETTING DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION IS LIKE PROBABLY STARTING WITH LIKE, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP, DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP OF THE CITY? AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S REPRESENTATION AT THE EVENT THAT FOLKS THAT LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY FEEL LIKE, OKAY, IF WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE, I MEAN, I'M JUST USING MYSELF FOR EXAMPLE.
IF WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A PRETTY, WELL, YOU KNOW, A, A PRETTY LARGE, UM, BLACK COMMUNITY IN RICHARDSON, THEN IF I'M GONNA GO TO AN EVENT, MY EXPECTATION IS THAT I SEE SOME REPRESENTATION, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S GONNA BE ADVERTISED FOR CULTURE AND DIVERSITY.
MY EXPECTATION IS THAT I WILL SEE SOME REPRESENTATION THAT REFLECTS WHO I AM.
UM, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, GOING TO AN EVENT AND I DON'T, AND I'M LIKE, OH, THIS IS CELEBRATING DIVERSITY, BUT I LEAVE AND I DON'T SEE THAT REPRESENTATION THAT CAN ALSO LEAVE, YOU KNOW, A NEGATIVE MM-HMM
VIEWPOINT IN SOME, IN SOME FOLKS' MIND.
AND, AND SO I KNOW WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE REALLY GET SOME METRICS BEHIND WHAT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE CITY LOOK LIKE, BUT I THINK THAT THAT COULD BE A REALLY, REALLY GREAT STARTING POINT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE REPRESENTATION IS AT THE EVENT.
UM, WE HAVE ALL OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS ON THE CITY SIDE AND, AND WE'VE GOT A GREAT BREAKOUT OF WHAT THE CULTURAL DIVERSITY IS.
WHAT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT IS, WHEN YOU SAY REPRESENTATION, WHAT SPECIFICALLY DO YOU MEAN? YEAH, I THINK IN PERFORMANCES, I THINK IN VENDORS AND FOOD, AND SO JUST MAKING SURE, LIKE, UM, I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT THE LUNAR CHIN, UH, THE LUNAR NEW YEAR AND HOW, UM, THAT'S REALLY, THAT HAS A MUCH HIGHER ATTENDED, UM, UH, IT HAS MUCH MORE ATTENDANCE.
AND SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THAT, THAT'S NOT JUST PERFORMANCES THAT'S IN THE FOOD THAT'S BEING OFFERED.
UM, AND SO I THINK JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE JUST DOING A GREAT JOB TO HAVE THAT REPRESENTATION.
NOT, AGAIN, NOT JUST PERFORMANCES OR IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE JUST EXCLUSIVE TO PERFORMANCES, BUT EVEN THE VENDORS THAT ARE THERE.
AND I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GREAT EDUCATION STANDPOINT TOO, FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN TRYING OUT, UM, DIFFERENT FOODS THAT THEY CAN DO.
SO, SO FOODS, I I HEAR FOODS A LOT.
FOOD, I THINK EVEN PERFORMANCES.
I, I LOVE THIS PICTURE BECAUSE THAT'S A, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT TO KNOW THAT MAYBE THERE'S NO FOOD THAT'S REPRESENTED REPRESENTATIVE, BUT THERE IS, UM, A, A PERFORMANCE OR SOMETHING WHERE IT'S LIKE, I FEEL PROUD THAT LIKE, I LEFT THIS EVENT AND LIKE THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT I WAS ABLE TO LIKE EXPOSE OTHER PEOPLE THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO.
I EVEN THINK ABOUT, UM, THERE IS THE, UM, AND I'M PROBABLY GONNA BUTCHER IT, BUT IT'S, IT'S LIKE THE THAI FARMER'S MARKET WHERE THEY DO IN THE SUMMER WHERE IT'S, UM, THERE'S LIKE ALL THE THAI VENDORS, UM, OH YEAH, I CAN'T, I CAN'T THINK OF IT, BUT I JUST WENT TO THAILAND, SO THAT'S WHY THAI'S ON MY MIND.
AND I WAS LIKE, I WISH I COULD GET MANGO STICKY RICE AGAIN, AND SOMEONE LET ME KNOW, OH, IN THE SUMMER THEY DO THIS, UM, THE THAI TEMPLE, RIGHT? THE THAI TEMPLE, AND THEY HAVE MANGO STICKY RICE.
AND SO JUST MAKING SURE THAT EVEN LIKE THOSE, THOSE,
[01:10:01]
THAT REPRESENTATION IS THERE TOO.BECAUSE EVEN IF I'M NOT FROM THAT CULTURE, KNOWING THAT I WENT TO THAT COUNTRY AND I'M LIKE, I WISH I COULD GET MY HANDS ON MAPLE STICK RICE, BUT ALSO KNOWING THAT THAT IS OFFERED SOMEWHERE ELSE IN DALLAS THAT I CAN GET EXPOSED TO THAT.
BY THE WAY, THE DRUMMERS WERE AWESOME.
AND THERE WAS ALSO AFRICAN FOOD THERE.
NO, AT THE CULTURE THAT THERE WAS REPRESENTS WHO HASN'T GONE TO CULTURE IN THE CORE, WHAT KIND OF PERFORMANCES DID YOU HAVE THIS PAST YEAR? OR WHAT DO YOU USUALLY TARGET IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCES? KAYLA CAN TELL YOU THAT.
SO FOR THE PERFORMANCES, WE HAD CHAMBER MUSIC, INTERNATIONAL POLYPHONIC, DALLAS BUDDHIST, LIGHT INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NALA NOR BALLET DANCERS, WHICH WAS A BIG HIT.
UM, PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL, FCO, UM, THE BATON, BATON AURA, WHICH IS THE AFRICAN DRUMS THAT YOU WERE JUST MENTIONING, THE HEAT PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL AND THE ANITA N MARTINEZ VALET FULL COURT.
I THINK THAT YOU'RE IN THE, IN THE RIGHT TRACK.
THE ISSUE HERE IS IT'S DIFFICULT TO SELL ART AND, AND CULTURES.
RIGHT? SO I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO THINK ABOUT A LITTLE DIFFERENT, AND EH, I THINK THAT YOUR, YOUR PRIORITIES OR YOUR FOCUS SHOULD BE, UH, AS VICTORIA SAID IN THE PROGRAMMING, IMAGINE TURNING THIS EVENT INTO LIKE THE VANESSA CARNIVAL INTO THE, HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE A FESTIVAL? MEXICO? OKAY.
THE OTHER POEM, READINGS, PAINTING MEAN ALL THAT ENVIRONMENT TURNS INTO ARTS.
SO PEOPLE FROM, I DON'T KNOW, FROM THE CHILDREN'S UP TO SENIORS, LIVING ARTS, THINK ABOUT THAT.
THINK, THINK ABOUT THAT APPROACH.
RIGHT NOW, YOUR COST PER ATTENDEE IS $90.
WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, UH, YOUR GOAL TO REDUCE LIKE 45 OR 20 MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, IN INCREASED PARTICIPATION? WELL, IT IS TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION MORE THAN, SO YOU GO 2000, YOU'LL BE ON 45, RIGHT? OH, YES.
THE COST YOU GO TO, YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? MM-HMM
SO WHAT, WHAT WILL YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR GOAL ON THE, ON THE COST PER ATTENDEE? YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A SET GOAL FOR THAT.
I THINK WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT, UM, WHAT OPTIONS WE HAVE TO ONE, OFFSET THE COST IN IN OTHER AREAS, BUT MORE TO BECOME AN EVENT THAT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WANT TO ATTEND, WHERE THAT WHATEVER THAT COST IS, WHICH SHOULD BE WITHIN THE $90,000 OR LESS AMOUNT, UM, MAKES SENSE FOR US.
I MEAN, THINK ABOUT BRINGING THE, THE, THE, THE NEW TALENT FROM REACH JOHNSON, THE NEW TALENT FROM OTHER CITIES IN THE US UH, FROM PROBABLY FROM ASIA, FROM EUROPE, FROM LATIN AMERICA, UH, TO TALK ABOUT, TO TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT, UH, UH, DISCIPLINES IN THE ARTS, RIGHT? MM-HMM
BUT I THINK THEY ALSO WANT THEIR OWN IDENTITY, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THE COTTONWOOD ART FESTIVAL.
LIKE BASICALLY, UH, ART, DIFFERENT ART FORMS. THIS IS MORE OF THE PERFORMING ARTS.
THAT'S THE THIS IS MORE CUL YEAH.
THE CULTURAL DIVERSITY VERSUS CULTURAL ARTS NECESSARILY.
BUT, BUT THEN AGAIN, DIVERSITY YOU HAVE FOR SINGING, OPERA, PLAYING, I DON'T KNOW, PIANO, PAINTING, SCULPTING.
SO WHEN, WHEN THE COMMUNITIES GO TO LEARN ABOUT THOSE DISCIPLINES AND THEY COACH YOU, THEY PLAY WITH IT.
THAT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO PROVOKE ON THIS EVENT BASED ON YOUR, ON YOUR MISSION, RIGHT? HMM.
JUST TRY TO MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT.
AND I'M PRETTY SURE YOU'RE GONNA START SEEING MORE TRAFFIC AND MORE ENGAGEMENT.
SO I GUESS YOU GUYS ARE NOT TRYING TO BE THE MAR GRAS OR THE BRAZILIAN SAMBA OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU JUST WANT TO BRING THE DIVERSITY THAT'S IN THE CITY.
IN TERMS OF THE PERFORMANCES THAT THIS IS A COMMUNITY EVENT.
IN THAT CASE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THING TO LOOK AT IS THE ICEMAN CENTER.
BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOME REALLY NICE SHOWS THAT COME IN.
UH, YOU HAVE PEOPLE HAVE TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR THOSE.
IF YOU CAN FIND OUT WHICH WERE THE MOST POPULAR SHOWS GOING
[01:15:01]
ON IN ICEMAN, THEN TARGET THOSE BECAUSE THIS IS A FREE EVENT FOR PEOPLE WHERE YOU CAN BRING WHAT'S IN THE ICEMAN WHERE PEOPLE WOULD'VE PAID FOR IT, JUST AS A SNAPSHOT INTO THIS.I THINK THAT ALSO KIND OF HITS MANY, UH, MANY INTERSECTIONS WITH PEOPLE SHOWING THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS INTERESTED IN THESE SHOWS IN THE ICEMAN, WHICH ARE VERY POPULAR.
JUST BRING THEM OUT AND GIVING THAT A SNAPSHOT BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOW AVAILABLE FOR FREE FOR AT LEAST THIS TIME.
SO THE ICEMAN CENTER IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT REPORTS TO ME AS WELL.
I THINK THE CHALLENGE THAT WE'VE SEEN WITH IT IS THE SHOWS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH THE ICEMAN CENTER, WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR, AND IT WOULD BE ABOUT OUR ENTIRE BUDGET.
UM, WE HAVE CONNECTED WITH THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
ONE THING THAT THE EISMAN CENTER HAS, UM, STAFF THAT DO CURRENTLY, OR GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY TO FIND THOSE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO DO OUTREACH WITH, WITH THE ARTISTS WHENEVER THEY COME IN, UM, IN, IN THE CULTURAL AREAS THAT MATCH, YOU KNOW, THE, THEIR AUDIENCES.
SO WE HAVE, UM, WORKED WITH THE EISMAN CENTER TO GET THOSE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS TO INVITE THEM TO PARTICIPATE AND, AND CONNECT WITH THEM FOR THIS EVENT AS WELL.
I MEAN, BECAUSE I THINK THE POPULARITY OF WHO'S PERFORMING ALSO KINDA KIND OF GOES INTO THE THING.
BECAUSE IF THERE IS A POPULAR ARTIST ON THE STAGE, PEOPLE OF THAT COMMUNITY WILL COME UP TO SEE THEM.
I MEAN, I WILL JUST SAY, IF YOU DIDN'T, YOU PROBABLY DID, BECAUSE YOU AREN'T AS NERDY ABOUT COUNCIL MEETINGS AS I AM.
BUT IF, IF YOU HAVE TIME, GO BACK AND WATCH THE COUNCIL MEETING FROM THIS LAST MONDAY.
WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE WILDFLOWER FESTIVAL.
UM, WE LAID OUT THE, THE BUDGETING CHALLENGES WE HAVE WITH THE WILDFLOWER FESTIVAL.
SO MIKAYLA IS BEING VERY SORT OF POLITICALLY CORRECT ABOUT IT, BUT THE REALITY IS OUR BUDGET IS VERY, VERY STRAINED.
I TALKED TO ALL OF YOU ABOUT THAT SORT OF WHEN I FIRST CAME ON AS YOUR LIAISON, RIGHT.
OUR, OUR GENERAL FUND GREW BY 0.67% LAST YEAR.
UM, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE, AND IT'S NOT GONNA GET BETTER, AS SHE POINTED OUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION WE'RE CURRENTLY CAPPED AT 3.5%.
THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING TO TWO POINT A HALF PERCENT, 1% IF SOME FOLKS HAVE THEIR WAY ZERO.
UM, AND SO THERE ARE OUR BASIC CITY SERVICES WILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, TROUBLE KEEPING UP WITH, AND IT'S NOT JUST US.
OTHER CITIES AROUND US HAVE HAD TO RAISE THEIR TAX RATE.
AND SO EVENTS LIKE THIS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO THE COUNCIL, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE, WE HAVE TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT IT AND SAY, IT'S ONLY $90,000 THAT, THAT, THAT'S A RAISE FOR A, YOU KNOW, A FEW FOLKS, OR THAT MAYBE WE SAVE WILDFLOWER AND GET RID OF THIS EVENT.
BUT THAT'S THE HARSH REALITY OF THE LOOK WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE AT THIS.
AND SO, IN ORDER TO SORT OF HAVE A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, I THINK WE REALLY WANNA TAKE A, A, WE REALLY WANNA HEAR FROM YOU, WHAT CAN WE DO TO INCREASE ATTENDANCE? 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, FOR ME, THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT EVENT.
THIS COMMITTEE'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU TONIGHT, IS WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE ANOTHER PUSH FOR ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO TO, TO CONTINUE TO SAVE THIS EVENT AND OTHER EVENTS.
UM, WILDFLOWER IS HAVING TO DO IT.
YVONNE PRESENTED TO US ON MONDAY NIGHT.
YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED TO NECESSARILY BREAK EVEN, BUT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY THE COST, RIGHT? SO THAT, THAT'S SORT OF THE HARSH REALITY OF WHAT, WHAT WE REALLY, REALLY NEED YOUR HELP WITH.
AND, AND THIS COMMITTEE IN PARTICULAR FOR THIS EVENT, SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT LAST YEAR, WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU ALL TO TAKE SOME REAL OWNERSHIP AND REALLY LOOK AT THIS EVENT AND TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN DO IT AND BRINGING IN PERFORMERS.
AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS ARE NICE, BUT THERE'S JUST NOT MORE OF A BUDGET TO DO THAT.
SO WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE REDDIT THING, FANTASTIC.
I'VE NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT GOING ON REDDIT.
UM, IT'S NOT A PLACE WHERE I LIVE, BUT IF THAT'S WHERE THE YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE, GOOD IDEA.
THOSE ARE THE SORTS OF THINGS WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS HOW CAN WE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IF THE PERFORMERS WE HAVE ARE NOT GREAT AND THERE ARE OTHER COMMUNITY PERFORMERS THAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE INCLUDING, THAT'S ANOTHER GREAT IDEA.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY HAVING TO PAY FOR A PERFORMER, BUT MAYBE THERE'S A FEDERAL PERFORMER IN OUR COMMUNITY WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT FOR OUR ATTENTION.
AND COUNSEL JUSTICE, I, I WAS GONNA SAY, I HAVE A COUPLE OF, COUPLE OF, UM, AND AGAIN, I DO NOT CLAIM TO UNDERSTAND THE BIG PICTURE, RIGHT.
BUT I'M THINKING FROM SOMEBODY WHO'S ATTENDED AND HAS SEEN YOUR COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE EVENT.
I'VE LITERALLY, UM, WE, IN MY OFFICE, IN MY WORLD, WE JUST CALL THEM RED MARKER IDEAS AND GREEN MARKER IDEAS.
SO I MIGHT BE THROWING SOME RED MARKER IDEAS OUT THERE, AND IF I AM, DON'T TAKE 'EM
BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S GREEN RUN WITH IT.
BUT I AM CURIOUS, UM, MUCH LIKE WILDFLOWER, DO WE HAVE A LAY OR A, A COMMUNITY DRIVEN PLANNING TEAM THAT WORKS WITH YOU? OR IS THIS ALL CITY PLANNED? IS THERE A COMMUNITY DRIVEN TEAM THAT HELPS PLAN THIS EVENT? THERE IS NOT.
SO THERE IS IT'S STAFF RIGHT NOW, UHHUH,
UM, JUST LIKE WILDFLOWER HAS THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, WHAT I THINK IT MAKES, UM, LUNAR NEW YEAR SUCCESSFUL IS THE PARTNERSHIP WITH DCCC, HAVING THAT COMMUNITY, UM,
[01:20:01]
CONNECTION DIRECTLY IN THERE.THIS ONE, UM, DOESN'T HAVE THAT COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION NECESSARILY A SPECIFIC SINGLE ONE.
SO WE'VE TALKED A LOT INTERNALLY ABOUT WHAT THAT MIX COULD LOOK LIKE, UM, FOR NOT ONLY PLANNING, BUT ALSO HELPING SOLICIT ABSOLUTELY.
VENDORS, PERFORMERS, THAT TYPE OF THING.
SO THAT WE HAVE THAT, THAT DIVERSITY.
NOW WE DO WORK WITH A, UM, AN EVENT, UM, COMPANY THAT PUT, THAT PUTS ON THE EVENT.
SO THE LOGISTICS PLANNING OF IT, WE DO HAVE
AND I'M GONNA, IF Y'ALL DON'T MIND, I'M JUST GONNA KEEP GOING ON A COUPLE THINGS.
UM, I AM WAS ALSO CURIOUS, UM, BECAUSE WE HAD MENTIONED FOOD A COUPLE OF TIMES AND WE ALSO, I HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THINGS LIKE LUNAR NEW YEAR, WHAT HAVE YOU DRAW A LOT OF FOLKS BECAUSE OF, EVEN IF IT'S THE UNWRITTEN EXPECTATION OF WHAT FOOD THEY MIGHT EXPERIENCE THERE MM-HMM
UM, I AM CURIOUS, UH, AGAIN, RED MARKER AND GREEN MARKER IDEAS.
UH, YES, WE HAVE THE TRUCKS AND WE HAVE THE, YOU CAN BUY THIS THING FOR $15, BUT I AM CURIOUS ABOUT IF THERE COULD BE A COMPONENT IN THIS.
IN MY HEAD IT'S LIKE SITES AND BITES, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS 10 DIFFERENT RICHARDSON BASED RESTAURANTS, WHAT HAVE YOU, 15 DIFFERENT RICHARDSON BASED RESTAURANTS WHERE YOU CAN GO UP AND GET THIS SIZE TO TRY BLANK THAT YOU END UP LOVING BECAUSE IT'S MANGO STICKY RICE OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND THEN YOU LOOK, AND AS FAR AS FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MM-HMM
WOULD I THEN GO TO THAT RESTAURANT BECAUSE I HAD THIS LITTLE BABY BITE OF WHATEVER IT IS.
CULINARY CULTURE IN THE COURSE.
WOULD YOU ENVISION THAT? BECAUSE I, I'VE SEEN THAT DONE A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS, RIGHT? WHERE YOU PAY PER BITE, UHHUH
LIKE, I PAID ONE PRICE, YOU HAVE GIVEN ME THIS, AND I CAN GO AROUND TO SAMPLE EIGHT OF THESE.
THEY GET PUNCHED EVERY TIME I PICK ONE UP.
AND AGAIN, I'M THINKING THAT'S, IF THAT'S A FAMILY OF FOUR AND MOMMY WANTS TO TRY THIS ONE, BUT SO AND SO WANTS TO TRY THIS ONE, WE HAVE ONE PUNCH CARD BABY.
AND THAT ALSO ALLOWS ME TO, UM, MONITOR HOW MUCH I SPEND FOR MY FAMILY, RIGHT? SO I CAN CHOOSE TO HAVE, UM, MY THREE KIDS ALL GET TO PICK ONE, UM, OR I CAN GIVE ALL MY THREE KIDS THEIR OWN PUNCH CARD.
UM, BUT THAT ALLOWS ME THE FLEXIBILITY TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT GOING COST IS.
UM, I HAD ALSO WONDERED ABOUT, UM, AGAIN, LOOK AROUND, I RE REALIZE THAT I REPRESENT A CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC
UM, BUT I DO WONDER, UM, BECAUSE THAT MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THE, UM, MIDDLE AGE YOUNGER FAMILIES IS WHO I SEE OUT THERE ACTUALLY A LOT OF SINGLE, UH, I WOULD SAY IN TWENTIES, EARLY THIRTIES OUT THERE AS WELL.
UM, I'M CURIOUS BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE LEAN, OR I THINK THAT THERE IS A CERTAIN GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD LOOK TOWARDS THEIR KIDS AND WANT TO GIVE THEIR KIDS EXPOSURE TO DIFFERENT CULTURES, RIGHT? MM-HMM
BUT THAT MAY NOT HAPPEN WHEN IN THE, UM, I NEED TO WATCH WHAT PRAIRIE CREEK SUBDIVISION OR THE MOHAWK SUB.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT MAY NOT HAPPEN IN THOSE PLACES.
AND SO IF YOU WERE, IF WE HAD SOME MARKETING OR SOME LANGUAGE THAT WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO LETTING CHILDREN EXPERIENCE CULTURE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO IF THAT'S TRYING ON THE TURK, I MEAN DIALOGUE INSTITUTE, BRINGING THE TURKISH THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, I'M THINKING THAT THAT MIGHT BE A MESSAGING LANE THAT WE MAYBE HAVEN'T BLOWN UP OR EXPLORED IN A WAY THAT IT COULD BE, OR, AND OR THROUGH RISD AND SHARING THAT IN A VERY TARGETED WAY.
UM, AND THEN, WELL, AND THEN I CROSSED OUT ONE OF MY IDEAS,
UM, THE STAGE WAS REALLY, UH, VERY LOUD THIS LAST YEAR, UM, FOR CERTAIN PERFORMANCES AND WHAT YOU COULD VIS QUITE LITERALLY VISUAL, I MEAN YOU COULD WATCH THIS WAS POST COUNCIL BEING THAT MM-HMM
UH, AND THE POST, SO THAT LATER PART OF THE DAY OF PEOPLE MOVING BACK AND THEN IT WAS KIND OF AROUND THIS AREA.
AND SO, AGAIN, I WONDER THE ACCESSIBILITY, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF I HAD HEARING AIDS, I'D PROBABLY HAVE JUST TURNED THEM DOWN
UH, THAT WAS THE ONLY, THAT WAS THE ONLY COMMENT THAT I WOULD MAKE WITH REGARDS TO DID YOU GET ANY OF THAT FEEDBACK? YEAH, YOU DID.
SO I COULD JUST, YOU COULD SEE IN THE CROWD.
THAT WAS JUST ONE THING I NOTED ABOUT.
I THINK PART OF THAT IS THE SUN TOO, TO OF COURSE, OF COURSE.
THE RAIL TRACK, WHICH I KNOW YOU'RE, THAT'S A ROLL OF THE DICE ON ANY, GIVEN YOUR
I WAS GONNA, I'LL KEEP THINKING, BUT THOSE ARE JUST LIKE, I THOUGHT, OH, WELL, ARE THESE THINGS WE'VE
[01:25:01]
EXPLORED? SO I DON'T KNOW.I WAS GONNA ASK I, AND JUST 'CAUSE I, I'M NEWER TO RICHARDSON AND NEWER TO THIS EVENT.
I'M CURIOUS, UM, THE 11 TO THREE I THINK IS THE TIMEFRAME.
HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT LIKE A THREE TO SEVEN OR LIKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIKE DURING SOMETHING DURING THE DAY? I JUST, FROM MY, EVEN JUST PERSONAL, LIKE I FEEL LIKE EVENING TIME THINGS MAY INCREASE, UM, ATTENDANCE VERSUS LIKE SOMETHING BETWEEN 11 AND THREE.
ESPECIALLY WITH LIKE THE SUN GOING DOWN.
I FEEL LIKE THAT 11 TO THREE, LIKE I, I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN I MOVED TO TEXAS IN GENERAL, I'M LIKE, 3:00 PM IS LIKE THE TIME, OR LIKE BETWEEN TWO AND THREE, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S WHEN THE SUN, SUN IS LIKE REALLY THE, THE STRONGEST.
AND AGAIN, NOT TRYING TO CHANGE TOO MUCH, BUT JUST LIKE MAYBE, I THINK 11 TO THREE TO ME JUST SEEMS LIKE A TIME WHERE IT'S LIKE, IT WOULD BE HARD FOR ME TO PROBABLY COMMIT TO, TO THAT TIMEFRAME.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING I JUST WAS ASKING HIM, UM, WHAT TIME OF THE YEAR IT IS AND IT'S OCTOBER, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ALSO A WAY TO PARTNER WITH LIKE, OKAY.
OH, FIRST SATURDAY IN NOVEMBER.
UM, BUT SINCE IT'S DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, UM, I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY TYPE OF LIKE PARTNERSHIPS WITH LIKE RISD WHERE IT'S TO, AGAIN, I'M PROBABLY GOING MORE FROM LIKE A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY STANDPOINT.
UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S JUST LIKE ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION.
UM, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING TO WHERE, LIKE TO GET THE SCHOOLS TO REALLY PARTICIPATE TO HELP, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO CONNECT WITH LIKE CHILDREN AND, YOU KNOW, GETTING THEM EXCITED.
I THINK A LOT OF PARENTS, THEY'RE LIKE, IF THEIR KIDS KNOW ABOUT IT, THEN THEIR KIDS WANT TO ATTEND.
UM, THAT COULD BE AN AVENUE AS WELL TO, TO LOOK INTO THAT.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE DISTRIBUTED ANYTHING THROUGH PEACH JAR YET OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I THINK ABOUT HALF OF THE PERFORMANCES WE HAVE ARE SCHOOL GROUPS.
SO WE DO KIND OF ENGAGE WITH 'EM THAT WAY.
BUT WE HAVEN'T DONE JUST A MASS DISTRIBUTION NECESSARILY TO THE, THE PARENTS.
SO WE CAN LOOK AT THAT, PRICE IT OUT.
I DON'T THEY GET CREDIT FOR THAT FOR SOMETHING WHO'S COMMUNITY SERVICE CREDITS OR SOMETHING.
THE ONLY CREDIT I COULD THINK OF IS YOU GET ANR CREDIT FOR ATTENDING
I MEAN, THEY HAVE, I MEAN, BUT THEY HAVE PUBLIC SERVICE, UH, REQUIREMENTS RIGHT.
THEY MAY, BUT WE'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT VOLUNTEERING AT IT.
THEY GET AN AT ATTEND ATTENDANCE CREDIT FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, BUT LIKE, IF YOU'RE PERFORMING, IF YOU'RE PART OF A FOUR P, YOU CAN PERFORM MAYBE WHAT IF THEY HELPS SET UP THE PLACE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
ACTUALLY IT'S PARTICIPATION OR SOME KIND OF PUBLIC SERVICE VENDORS DO THAT.
I MEAN IN TERMS OF GETTING MORE KIDS TO COME OVER AND THEIR FRIENDS, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TALKING TO THE COMMUNITIES AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, UM, YOU KNOW, GET SOME, UH, RESONANCE, GET, YOU KNOW, SOME, A LARGER BANG FOR THE BUCK.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY KIDS WE HAVE.
I MEAN, THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION, LIKE, IS ARE DEMOGRAPHICS IN RICHARDSON GETTING OLDER OR YOUNGER OR STAYING THE SAME? THAT'S, THAT'S A DIFFERENT QUESTION.
BUT I MEAN, I WAS WONDERING, HAVE YOU GUYS TALKED WITH THE PLAY INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OR HAVE YOU GONE TO CHECK OUT THE TEMPLE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? SOME OF THESE OTHER FESTIVALS THAT ARE DOING REALLY WELL.
I KNOW KAYLA'S DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THE OTHER FESTIVALS IN THE AREA, LOOKED AT THE VENDORS, LOOKED AT THE PERFORMANCES.
UM, WELL THE STRUCTURE OF IT, UM, WHERE IT'S ALMOST LIKE A CONTEST OR PEOPLE GET TO CHEER THEIR CULTURE.
I MEAN, I KNOW WE GET A LITTLE BIT OF THAT TOO, BUT THEY HAVE IT SCHEDULED AND SO PEOPLE SHOW UP FOR SPECIFIC THINGS.
UM, ALSO, I CAN'T DO 11 TO THREE SATURDAYS IS LIKE, BOY, THAT'S PHENOMENAL.
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE HAVE YOUNG KIDS.
IF YOU NOTICE THE, THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF PEOPLE WHO ATTEND, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH YOUNG KIDS YOU MAY GET IN THE EVENING.
I THINK IT'S HARDER FOR GETTING THE YOUNG KIDS TO BE THERE.
WE ACTUALLY HAD IT LATER AND WE MOVED IT TO THAT TIME 'CAUSE WE GOT THE OPPOSITE FEEDBACK.
UM, SO WE MOVED IT UP FOR THE, FOR THE FAMILIES.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DO IN PLANO, BUT SHE'S BEEN DOING IT FOR A WHILE.
THAT'S HOW THEY RAISE THE NUMBERS.
AND UH, THAT MIGHT BE ONE I WAS THINKING ALSO ABOUT MAYBE LIKE HAVING A CONTEST OR HAVING SOMETHING THAT WILL RAISE THE ENERGY OF THE PARTICIPANTS.
DO WE DO THAT A CONTEST? WHAT KIND OF CONTEST? YEAH, WELL LIKE A PUBLIC, UM, KIND OF POPULAR, UM, LIKE SAYING THIS IS OUR FAVORITE EVENT OF THIS YEAR.
THIS IS OUR FAVORITE FOOD, OR THESE ARE OUR FAVORITE BEST AWARD.
SOMETHING LIKE THAT KIND OF, UH,
[01:30:01]
POP MUSIC KIND OF THING.DO YOU GUYS DO HENNA OVER THERE? I THINK THEY DID IT ONE YEAR.
LIKE DIFFERENT CULTURAL KIND OF LIKE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT COSTUME STUFF.
I MEAN, JUST GET SOMETHING IN THERE THAT RAISES THE ENERGY OR RAISES THE, UH, THE JUICES.
LIKE THIS YEAR, THE BEST, BEST GROUP FOR, YOU KNOW, GAMBIA OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
OR JAMAICA OR FRANCE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, SOMETHING WHERE IT PEOPLE FEEL SOME KIND OF PRIDE ABOUT THEIR THING AND THEY ALL TRY TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN EVERY COMMUNITY.
I GUESS THAT GOES BACK TO GETTING BACK INTO, UM, COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS.
BECAUSE I MEAN, I'M SURE THE LUNAR FESTIVAL GETS PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE CITY.
IT GETS PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER DFW.
BUT I MEAN, THE POINT IS THE SAME.
IT'S FROM A LOT MORE PEOPLE THAN JUST RICHARDSON.
UM, I THINK THE CULTURE AND THE CORE IS THAT MOSTLY RICHARDSON.
I MEAN, DO WE WANT TO GET OUTSIDE OR DO WE WANNA JUST SHOWCASE OUR NEIGHBORS AND STUFF? I THINK WE COULD GET MORE RICHARDSON RESIDENTS.
UM, THAT'S REALLY THE INTENT OF IT, IS TO CELEBRATE OUR, OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, IF WE EVER GO OUT TO LIKE A NEEDS CELEBRATION AT THE MOSQUES MM-HMM
NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE EATING AND EVERYTHING, BUT EVERYBODY COMES IN THERE, THEY'RE DRESSED AND IT'S REALLY COLORFUL AND YOU GET TO SEE A LOT OF STUFF.
AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT POPULATION.
BUT WE HAVE THE SAME THING WITH ALL THE OTHER POPULATIONS.
I MEAN, IT'S AMAZING WHAT'S OUT THERE.
AND I KNOW THERE'S SOME OF THAT IS THERE, BUT IN TERMS OF CELEBRATING RICHARDSON, I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT MORE TO CELEBRATE.
'CAUSE I'VE BEEN TO THE CULTURE IN THE COURTROOM.
UM, IT SEEMS IF THERE'S SOME WAY FOR PEOPLE TO WANT TO COME AND SEE IT AND COMPETE OR, AND I'M NOT, I DON'T ADVOCATE COMPETITION, LIKE, YOU KNOW, TRY TO, YOU KNOW, HURT YOUR COMPETITORS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT JUST COMPETE IN A GOOD WAY TO SHOWCASE THE BEST YOU HAVE.
MAYBE THAT WOULD BRING MORE INTEREST.
I, I THINK KIND OF, UH, PROMOTING PEOPLE, EVEN THE ATTENDEES COME IN ETHNIC CLOTHING.
LIKE, BECAUSE WE SEE A LOT OF FOLKS AT LUNAR NEW YEAR, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WEARING ETHNIC CLOTHING.
I MEAN, THEY'RE JUST DOING IT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO WANT TO DO MORE THAN JUST PARTICIPATION.
RIGHT? THEY JUST WANNA BRING THE CULTURE, DO IT.
BUT, UH, BUT IF THEY VOTE ON IT, LIKE EVERYBODY POP BY POPULAR, UM, VOTE OR WHATEVER, THESE GUYS HAVE THE BEST PRESENTATION THIS YEAR.
AND THAT'LL MAYBE, UM, ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO SOMETHING ELSE NEXT YEAR OR, UH, JUST GET SOMETHING THAT MAKES THEM MORE INVOLVED IN ENGAGED.
I WONDER IF THERE CAN BE, UM, AGAIN, I'M TRYING NOT TO PULL IDEAS FROM WILDFLOWER, BUT NOW I'M REALIZING THAT SOME OF THEM ARE.
BUT I AM WONDERING IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPOSE PEOPLE TO THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE IN THE CORE BEFORE THEY GET TO CUL CULTURE IN THE CORE.
AND SO WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT THAT IS, IS THAT A, UM, POP UP IN THE MIDDLE OF LOCKWOOD'S, UH, PARKING LOT THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, UM, MAYBE IT'S A FEW TENTS AND TO, AGAIN, I'M REALLY BRAINSTORMING HERE, BUT IF IT'S, UH, IF IT'S A HENA, IF IT'S, IF IT'S WANT TO SEE MORE OF THIS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, OR WANT, LIKE, IT'S THAT, UM, IT'S THE APPETIZER BEFORE THEY GET THE ENTREE MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, UM, OR, OR IF THAT DOESN'T, IF THE PHRASE DOES NOT HAVE A, UH, IF I CANNOT SOLIDIFY WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN MY MIND, IS THERE A WAY FOR ME TO KIND OF SHOWCASE THAT IN THESE LITTLE POCKETS PRIOR TO THE EVENT? EVEN MAYBE LIKE, WE ARE BRAINSTORMING OUT LOUD, AREN'T WE? MIKAYLA, YOU SAY THAT WAS LOUD.
SORRY, I WAS JUST THINKING JUST OFF OF THAT, TO BE HONEST, WHEN I THINK ABOUT CULTURE IN THE CORE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
AND SO SOMEONE WAS SAYING IT AND YOU GAVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT I USED TO DO WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
WE WOULD DO LIKE AN ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
AND SO LIKE, MAYBE IT'S LIKE AN ALL AROUND THE RICHARD RICHARDSON OR SOMETHING, LIKE SOMETHING TO LIKE THE NAME OF IT WHERE PEOPLE KNOW LIKE, OH, I, I'M INTERESTED IN THAT.
OR LIKE, AND, AND MAYBE EVEN LIKE SETTING IT UP TO WHERE, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, LIKE TAKING A LITTLE TICKET FROM LIKE THIS AREA, THIS COUNTRY OR THIS COMMUNITY TO ANOTHER ONE.
LIKE KIND OF, I HATE TO SAY THIS AND I'M SORRY THIS IS MY CORPORATE, BUT LIKE, GAMIFYING THE EXPERIENCE A LITTLE BIT WHERE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THERE IS AN ACTION OR THERE IS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GONNA LEARN FROM IT.
BUT I, I REALLY THINK THAT THE NAME OF CULTURE IN THE CORE DOES NOT NECESSARILY TELL ME IF I'VE NEVER BEEN TO IT, IT DOES NOT TELL ME WHAT I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO EXPECT.
JUST OFF THE NAME CORE IS AN ACRONYM, RIGHT? IT COULD HAVE, WELL, THE CORE DISTRICT, BUT IT COULD HAVE TAGLINE OR SOME TYPE TAGLINE.
THAT'S A GOOD, THAT'S A GOOD, AND THE CORE BY ITSELF DOESN'T DESCRIBE WHAT THAT THING IS.
I THINK MAYBE A NAME THAT SAYS THIS IS WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT WHEN YOU GET THERE.
I DON'T, BUT I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST, AND I MEAN, I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO BE, BE CULTURALLY DIVERSE,
[01:35:01]
BUT EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING THINGS THAT BELONG TO THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION IN THE SENSE LIKE ABSOLUTELY PUT IN JAZZ IN THERE.YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T ALL HAVE TO BE CULTURAL PERFORMANCES.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE OF THE PERFORMANCES IS JAZZ.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT CULTURES, BUT THEY ALL UNDERSTAND ONE FAMILIAR, MAYBE A JAZZ THAT'S FUNNY.
UM, SO YOU MIGHT SEE PEOPLE COMING AND LISTENING TO PERFORMANCES OR WATCHING PERFORMANCES THAT THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH, BUT THE ONES THEY'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH, YOU'LL SEE CROWDS LEAVING.
SO IF YOU KIND OF INTERSPERSE THINGS THAT ARE MORE COMMON THAN A COMMON DENOMINATOR THROUGH THE THING, YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO KEEP AUDIENCE IN THE SEATS.
AND I LIKE THE SUGGESTION OF THE EVENING TIME BY VICTORIA.
UH, YOU KNOW, ADDISON HAS ALL ITS FESTIVALS IN THE EVENING ALSO BECAUSE ADDISON IS A CITY, MOST PEOPLE VISIT FROM OTHER CITIES.
IT'S A, IT'S A PLACE WHERE MOST PEOPLE PLAN THEIR EVENINGS OUT IN.
SO MOST OF THEIR FOOD FESTIVALS AND ALL THAT STUFF IN ADDISON HAPPENS IN THE EVENING.
UM, BUT I CAN, I ALSO UNDERSTAND THERE MAY BE A CONCERN WITH CHILDREN, BUT EVENINGS SEEMS LIKE A BETTER TIMEFRAME ALSO BECAUSE PEOPLE, SINCE IT'S THE FIRST SATURDAY IN NOVEMBER, PEOPLE CAN PLAN THE EVENING AROUND THE FESTIVAL.
'CAUSE MOST PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO IN THE EVENINGS WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
UM, IT'S, THE THIRD THING I'D SUGGEST IS IT'S RIGHT AFTER HALLOWEEN, RIGHT? IT'S THE FIRST SATURDAY RIGHT AFTER HALLOWEEN.
SO EVEN, I MEAN, THAT'S A CULTURE, UH, THAT'S A CULTURE THAT'S CELEBRATED BY EVERY CULTURE IN THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH CULTURE YOU COME FROM, ALL OUR KIDS ARE OUT ON THE STREETS DOING HALLOWEEN.
SO IF THERE'S A FOLLOW ON LIKE MAYBE A, A SMALL TRICK OR TREATING FOR THE KIDS JUST BECAUSE THE FIRST SATURDAY RIGHT ON HALLOWEEN JUST SPILL OVER, YOU KNOW, WE CAN STILL DO CANDIES AND, AND TRICK OR TREATING, BUT STILL BE ABLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DIFFERENT CULTURES.
YOU KNOW, SO YOU STILL NEED SOME KIND OF A COMMON DENOMINATOR TO KEEP PEOPLE IN THE SEATS.
I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT THE DIFFERENT CULTURES, BUT IT'S JUST THAT THE DIFFERENT CULTURES ALSO ARE LOOKING FOR THE COMMON DENOMINATOR IN THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING NOT GONE AND, AND THEN GOING TO CULTURE IN THE CORE, I'LL TELL YOU THAT MY CONCLUSION WAS ADVERTISING.
PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
I KNOW WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PERFORMERS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THESE THINGS, WHICH ARE ALL GOOD.
BUT I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, BECAUSE I'M COMING FROM THE SIDE WHERE I DIDN'T ATTEND AND THEN I ATTENDED.
TO ME, WHAT WAS LACKING WASN'T REALLY THE PERFORMERS.
OF COURSE, YOU, YOU, I AGREE WITH YOU, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN TWEAK AND CHANGE, BUT I THINK THE REASON PEOPLE WEREN'T THERE WAS NOT BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T FIND A PERFORMER OR THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT FOOD OR THE RIGHT TIMING.
I THINK IT WAS JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE REALLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, DO YOU MEAN THE EXISTENCE OR COMPELLING ENOUGH TO GO? THEY JUST DUNNO WHAT IT IS.
SO THAT THEY WOULD KNOW ABOUT IT BUT DON'T, DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
BECAUSE THOSE ARE KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
THEY DON'T KNOW THEY'VE, THEY MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT, SO MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT, BUT DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN THEY GET THERE.
AND SO THEY DECIDE THAT, OKAY, WHY SHOULD I GO OVER THERE? OKAY.
UH, I THINK FROM AN ADVERTISING PERSPECTIVE, I THINK ONE THING THAT IS LACKING, AND, AND I THINK THIS IS CITY OF RICHARDSON WHITE, SO IT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY FOR CULTURE THAT POOR, I DON'T KNOW FROM A CITYWIDE, IF WE CAN DO THIS, IS THAT HOW DO WE PARTNER WITH OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITIES IN ORDER TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT? YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, I MEAN WE HAVE A LOT OF SURVEYS THAT TAKE PLACE, CITY OF RICHARDSON SURVEYS, RIGHT? UH, WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, CHARTER ELECTIONS ARE COMING UP, RIGHT? HOW IS THIS MESSAGING BEING DONE? A LOT OF THINGS ARE BEING DONE AROUND IT, WHETHER IT'S RICHARDSON TODAY OR THE LIKE WHOLE BANNERS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT I THINK ONE THING WE'RE MISSING IS COLLABORATING WITH OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITIES.
AND, AND WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT BUSINESS, I'M TALKING ABOUT ALL THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN THE CITY, WHETHER IT'S KROGER OR WHETHER IT'S STOMP THEM OR WHETHER IT'S YOUR LITTLE RESTAURANT THAT'S OUT THERE.
AND SOMEHOW GETTING THIS MESSAGE TO THEM SO THAT THEY CAN ACT AS CONDUITS TO KIND OF SHOW IT IN THEIR RESPECTIVE BUSINESSES.
YOU KNOW, PUT UP A SMALL FLYER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND GET THAT MESSAGE OUT.
I THINK THIS IS ALMOST LIKE AN UNTAPPED, UM, UM, POTENTIAL THAT WE HAVE TO GET OUR MESSAGE OUT.
BUT I DON'T SEE IT BEING UTILIZED IN EMERGENCY.
EVEN THE EMPLOYEES OF LARGE COMPANIES.
I MEAN, MOST OF THE EMPLOYEES LIVE IN THE CITY BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING IN THE COMPANY, RIGHT? SO G DOES OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
DO ANY OF THAT, DO THEY SEND IT OUT TO LARGE PARTNERS OR? WELL, WE HAVE A, A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE DO IT.
A, A BIG PART OF KAYLA'S JOB IS, UM, AS PLACEMAKING MANAGER, SHE HANDLES THE CORE DISTRICT MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION AND WITH QUARTERLY MEETINGS AND CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH THEM, FLYERS, UM, EVERYTHING YOU JUST MENTIONED, BUT FOR THE CORE DISTRICT SPECIFICALLY.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, THE CORPORATE CHALLENGE, WHICH IS A HUGE PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR PARKS AND REC, UM, SYSTEM.
[01:40:01]
WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR LARGER BUSINESSES THAT WE WORK WITH FOR SPONSORSHIPS, FOR WILDFLOWER, UM, FOR, UM, UH, I FORGET WHAT WE CALL 'EM, BUT KINDA THE BUSINESS PICNIC DAY.SO THEY'RE USUALLY LOOKING FOR WAYS THAT THEY CAN GET THEIR EMPLOYEES INVOLVED.
AND WE HAVE A WHOLE CORPORATE, UM, ENGAGEMENT, UM, COMPONENT THAT WE, WE WORK WITH BUSINESSES ON.
AND THEN ALL OF THAT, OF COURSE, IS COMMUNICATED WITH THE BUSINESSES THROUGH OUR BUSINESS RETENTION PROGRAM.
THAT'S PART OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO OUR, OUR BUSINESS RETENTION PROGRAM HAS EVERYTHING FROM CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY TO INVOLVEMENT, VOLUNTEERISM, COMMUNITY EVENTS, UM, DOWN TO EVEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ARE BRINGING IN YOUR, UM, YOUR CUSTOMERS OR YOUR EMPLOYEES FROM OTHER AREAS, MAKE SURE YOU STAY IN RICHARDSON HOTELS SO THAT ALL OF THAT TAX, YOU KNOW, IS LOCAL TOO.
BUT DO WE USE TO ADVERTISE? SO LIKE ACTIVITIES, THE KROGER THING YOU HAD BROUGHT UP, UH, THEY CHARGE FOR THAT.
THEY, THEY OFFER IT THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY AND IT'S NOT BUILT INTO THE BUDGET.
AND I THINK WHAT MAKES IT REALLY CHALLENGING FROM OUR STANDPOINT IS I CAN EMAIL OUT TO OUR CORPORATE CHALLENGE TEAM, WE CAN SEND STUFF OUT TO THE CHAMBER TO HAVE THEM SEND IT TO BUSINESSES, BUT GETTING IT FROM THOSE SOURCES TO THE BUSINESS TO ACTION IS WHERE THERE'S PROBABLY A DISCONNECT.
BECAUSE THINK ABOUT HOW MANY EMAILS YOU GET IN A DAY AND WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE FORWARDING THOSE ON.
SO THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THAT DISCONNECT.
AND THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THAT CAN BE DONE TO ACTUALLY CREATE ACTION.
SO I THINK GOING BACK TO MCKAYLA'S POINT IS WHAT IS IT THAT WOULD CREATE THAT SPLASH TO CREATE THE, THE DESIRE TO SHARE THIS WITH OTHER PEOPLE? FIRST OF ALL, WINTER, REALIZE SOMETHING.
IT IT, WE NEED TO THINK LIKE BEING ASSERTIVE RATHER THAN BEING RIGHT.
THIS, THIS INTERVENTION IS GROWING LITTLE BY LITTLE.
I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU TO TOUCH BASE WITH A CM, IT'S A MAGNET SCHOOL ON APRIL 16TH, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THE MULTICULTURAL NIGHT.
YOU, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A GREAT, GREAT INITIATIVE ON HOW TO EMBRACE DIFFERENT CULTURES ON ONE NIGHT, RIGHT? AND WHAT DO THEY DO THERE? UH, I LOVE THE, THE IDEA OF THE CONTEST.
I THINK THAT WHAT IS SOMETHING ABOUT NICE ABOUT CULTURE AND ARTS IS THAT IT'S A TALENT BEHIND, BEHIND THAT, RIGHT? SO WE NEED TO, UH, FOSTER THEM AND TO RECOGNIZE THAT TALENT FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OF COLLEGE OR PROFESSIONAL LEVEL, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND THAT WOULD BE MY, NOT MY SUGGESTION, EH, I ALSO LOVE THE, A BRANDING NAME OR THE, OR TOOL AVATAR TO RETHINK THE NAME MORE LIKE A FESTIVAL, MORE LIKE A, I DON'T KNOW, MULTICULTURAL SOMETHING OR ART SOMETHING, BUT MORE LIKE A FEST.
SOMETHING THAT IS, HAS LIKE A CALL TO ACTION TO GO THERE, RIGHT? MM-HMM
EH, THAT WE MIGHT 10 SENSE CORE IS AN ACRONYM.
I MEAN IT'S UM, CITY OF RICHARDSON ENTERPRISES ZONE.
I THINK THAT THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO BRAND IT, RIGHT? OR BRING OUT THE BRAND.
I THINK IT, IT'S LESS WHAT I'M HEARING, IT'S LESS ABOUT CULTURE AND THE CORE AND WHAT DOES CORE MEAN, REALLY JUST WHAT DOES CULTURE AND THE CORE, LIKE WHAT IS THAT? MM-HMM
WHAT AM I GONNA GET WHEN I SHOW THAT EVENT? I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT MEANS DO.
SO I THINK, I MEAN, IT'S NICE THAT CORE IS IN THERE 'CAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE AN IDENTITY AND DRIVE PEOPLE TO GO TO THE CORE AND WANNA BE DOWNTOWN.
BUT YEAH, I MEAN, I, I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOOD.
I MEAN, IF, IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT MEANS, THAT PROBABLY SPEAKS TO WHY A THOUSAND PEOPLE SHOWING UP AT THE EVENT.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT SHOULD, THAT'S BRAND MANAGEMENT THOUGH, ISN'T IT? LIKE SOMETIMES YOU CAN PUT MORE MONEY OR SOMETHING INTO BUILDING THE BRAND AND THEN IT MEANS SOMETHING.
OR YOU CAN JUST DO SOMETHING ELSE.
I MEAN, IT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO SCRAP CULTURE IN THE CORE.
I THINK IT COULD BE CULTURE IN THE CORE AND THEN A TAGLINE, SOMETHING EXPLAINS WHAT IS THAT, YOU KNOW? AND, AND SO I AGREE WE DON'T WANNA COMPLETELY SCRAP CULTURE IN THE CORE AND WE JUST EXPAND ON IT OR EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS BECAUSE THERE'S LIKE FOUR CORES IN RICHARDSON, RIGHT? OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THERE'S SOME DISTRICTS WITHIN THE CORE, THERE'S CHINATOWN, INTERURBAN, DOWNTOWN, YOU KNOW? YEAH, YEAH.
SO WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT SCRAPPING CORE AND THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M HEARING.
IT'S REALLY JUST WHAT, WHAT DOES CULTURE IN THE COURT MEAN? LET'S COME UP WITH A TAGLINE, MAYBE HAVE A SEPARATE PROGRAM THAT ACTUALLY, UM, BRINGS OUT WHAT CORE IS MORE THAN IT'S DOING RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE VALUE OF THE CITY IS.
IT'S MORE THAN JUST THIS EVENT.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, WHAT COUNCIL, UH, MEMBER, UH, JUSTICE IS SAYING IT, IT'S, IT'S JUST LIKE, WHEN YOU HEAR THAT PHRASE, IT, IT, YEAH.
SO AGAIN, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD SCRAP THE NAME, BUT I THINK JUST LIKE EXPANDING THE IDENTITY OR THE BRANDING OF IT SO THAT, 'CAUSE I MAY KNOW WHAT CORE IS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT CULTURE IN
[01:45:01]
THE CORE MEANS AND LIKE WHAT CULTURE? YEAH.LIKE, YEAH, LIKE WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE REASONING FOR GOING? SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT, THAT IT'S NOT LIKE SCRAPPING THE NAME AND TOTALITY, BUT JUST EXPANDING ON IT AND GIVING PEOPLE SOMETHING TO LIKE, WHAT, WHAT CAN I EXPECT IF I COME TO THIS EVENT? BUT I WAS, I WAS GONNA CULTURE IN THE CORE OF FOOD AND MUSIC FESTIVAL.
LIKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHERE, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE, I MEAN, OF COURSE WE DON'T WANNA LOSE THE CULTURE AND THE BOARD, BUT SOMEONE'S GONNA SAY FESTIVAL, YEAH.
GO THROUGH A FESTIVAL AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT BECAUSE WE, IT'S A FESTIVAL.
YOU'RE GETTING FOOD, YOU'RE GETTING PERFORMANCES.
AND SO I LOVE THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT EXPANSION OF A, EVEN JUST PUTTING A FESTIVAL OUT THERE IS GOING TO JUST, OH, I GOT SOMETHING TO DO.
THERE'S A FESTIVAL IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN I THINK ONCE PEOPLE LEAVE, THEN MORE PEOPLE WILL BE LIKE, THAT'S HOW YOU GO FROM CAMP.
UH, A NICE TOHAVE TO A CAN'T MISS IS REALLY LIKE THAT FESTIVAL.
AND, AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT IS THE, THE, UM, IF THIS IS LIKE THE MAIN EVENT THAT WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT CULTURE, I THINK ADDING THAT FESTIVAL IS REALLY GONNA BE KEY.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I WAS GONNA SAY ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMPONENT COMPONENT, ERGS, EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS, UM, YOU COULD POTENTIALLY, BECAUSE THEY'LL DO THAT, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY EXIST TO HAVE REPRESENTATION FOR FOLKS, COMMUNITIES, AND CULTURES WITHIN THE WORKPLACE.
SO YOU MAY EVEN FIND LIKE SOME FREE, UM, LIKE FOLKS WHO WANT TO LIKE AN ERG.
AND IF IT'S A, UM, AGAIN, I'M GONNA PICK ON MY OWN, BUT LIKE THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ERG, IT'S LIKE, OH, THEY, YOU CAN GET VOLUNTEERS OR FIND OUT MORE PEOPLE THAT, UM, LIKE DIFFERENT PERFORMANCES OR DIFFERENT VENDORS WITHIN THOSE ERGS.
AND SO THAT GET CHAMPIONS IN THOSE ERGS.
SOMEBODY THAT CARRIES YOUR MESSAGE SO YOU'RE NOT JUST ALWAYS PUSHING.
THEY'VE GOT SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY WITH LEGITIMACY INSIDE THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN ACTUALLY TRY AND GET SOME TURNOUT OR MAYBE SOME KIND OF OBJECTIVE LIKE, UM, THAT, UM, RICHARDSON CHALLENGE OR WHATEVER THAT IS A CORPORATE CHALLENGE.
HAVE YOU SEEN THOSE GUYS? MM-HMM
LIKE THOSE, THOSE, THOSE, THOSE GROUPS EXIST, ARE NOT LIKE PAID.
THEY'RE NOT REALLY SPONSORED, BUT IT'S A WAY FOR FOLKS TO REPRESENT THEIR CULTURE.
AND SO AGAIN, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO INCREASE THE BUDGET, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO INCREASE ATTENDANCE.
AND SO AN ERG AT THE RICHARDSON, UM, BUSINESSES WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT WAY TO GET SOME MORE FREE PERFORMANCES.
AND, UM, WELL, THE ERG ALSO, YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE, UM, CORPORATES WHO HAVE MONEY FOR SOCIAL AND, UM, COMMUNITY INVESTMENT.
SO THE ERGS ARE THE ONES THAT CAN, UH, APPROACH THAT KIND OF MONEY ALSO.
BUT I DON'T THINK YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING FOR MONEY, BUT THAT'S KIND OF A PATHWAY TO DO THAT.
MCKEN, DO YOU PUT A LITTLE ASTERISK, JUST BECAUSE GIL HAD MENTIONED ARAPAHO CLASSICAL MAGNET AND THEIR MULTICULTURAL, I JUST WANTED TO REVISIT THAT TO, AND I, AND THIS MAY BE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, AND IF IT IS, UM, BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT'S MANDATED THROUGH RISD, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MOST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, AT LEAST, IF NOT JUNIOR HIGHS, ALL HAVE THAT, UM, NIGHT OF SOME SORT.
AND I AM CURIOUS TO YOUR POINT IN THAT AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER TIMEFRAME OF SCHOOLS GETTING BACK AND WHAT DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY'RE HAVING WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PARTNER IN SOME OF THOSE EFFORTS.
BUT I, YOU MENTIONED ONE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND I WANTED TO NAME THAT.
I THINK THAT THERE IS SOME TOP DOWN GUIDANCE.
BUT A LOT OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, MONTESSORI AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, UH, CULTURAL SCHOOLS, ALSO IN, IN THE CITY, A LOT OF OUR KIDS HAVE GONE TO THESE CULTURAL SCHOOLS TO LEARN DANCE AND, YOU KNOW, OUR CULTURAL ETHNIC DANCES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BALLET SCHOOLS, CHAMBER LANE, YOU KNOW, UH, THOSE ARE THE KIND OF LOCATIONS YOU COULD ACTUALLY WORK THIS THROUGH ALSO, BECAUSE THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, DEVELOPING, FOSTERING, YOU KNOW, MULTICULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN THOSE INSIDE SCHOOLS.
SO THAT WAS A VERY GOOD, UH, COMMENT BY ALDO, UH, THE A CM.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AND I REALLY LOVE THE SUGGESTION OF SAYING FESTIVAL BECAUSE IT MEANS A HUGE CELEBRATION.
UH, BUT I THINK WE HA WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO MOVE TO OUR NEXT ITEM BECAUSE WE ARE CLOSING IN ON PRETTY MUCH TWO HOURS TO A MEETING.
AND WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A BIG GOOD FINISH JOB TIME.
AND I THINK WE ARE LIGHTLY RUNNING
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR YOUR PRESENT.
I THINK THIS WAS, UH, THIS IS A GOOD, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHAT THIS COMMISSION IS FOR, RIGHT? I BRING PEOPLE, BRAINSTORM THIS FROM A CULTURAL ANGLE RASH.
DO YOU THINK IF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAD ADDITIONAL IDEAS, UM, AFTER THEY LEAVE HERE, MAYBE TO GO THROUGH GREG? SO INVITE, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY, SO I THINK IF WE CAN, BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL HAVING SIDE CONVERSATIONS.
NO, THAT, THAT'S PERFECTLY, I THINK WE CAN SEND ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AND REMARKS TO GREG SO THAT HE CAN FORWARD IT.
BUT A LAST ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY IS TO DISCUSS
[01:50:01]
THE DAYS OF RECOGNITION.BUT, UM, SO GREG IS GONNA REVIEW THE DAYS OF RECOGNITION WITH THE CIC MEMBERS.
UH, AND SO DAYS OF RECOGNITION ACTUALLY COMES, STARTED WITH YOUR GOALS, TACTICS, JUST PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND SO THE TACTIC WAS TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROCLAMATIONS TO HIGHLIGHT COUNCIL INCLUSION AND ENGAGEMENT GOALS.
AND THEN THAT GOES WITH YOUR GOALS FOR STAKEHOLDER EXPERIENCE, CULTURAL SOCIETAL IMPACT.
THIS HAS EVOLVED A LITTLE BIT.
IT, IT'LL TALK, WE'LL TALK ABOUT PROCLAMATIONS, BUT ALSO THIS TIES INTO OTHER WORK THAT'S ALREADY GOING ON RIGHT NOW WITH DAYS OF RECOGNITION, WHICH IS SOMETHING THE CITY HAS INSTITUTED OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
WHERE ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL HIGHLIGHT DIFFERENT TYPES OF YEAR, UH, OR, SORRY, DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND SO WE WANNA GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON ALL OF THAT.
I WANNA TALK FIRST ABOUT OUR CURRENT POLICY.
WE WERE, THIS, MY DEPARTMENT WAS TASKED WITH, ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE THESE THINGS GOING ON.
WE NEED TO HAVE A METHOD, WE NEED TO HAVE AN APPROVED LIST OF WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO IT SO THAT IT'S NOT, WE WOULD GET RECOMMENDATIONS, REQUESTS, HEY, THIS IS GOING ON, CAN YOU DO OUR THING? AND SO WE NEEDED TO HAVE SOME KIND OF PROCESS THAT WOULD IDENTIFY THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, SO THAT WHENEVER WE'RE CONTACTED, WE SAY, THIS IS THE PROCESS WE'VE HAD, WE CAN LOOK AT OTHER THINGS.
BUT THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS POLICY.
AND SO WE HAVE OUR FORMAL CALENDAR CALENDAR OF, OF SAY THAT FAST ONE TIME, FORMAL CALENDAR OF OBSERVANCES TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND RECOGNITION OF VARIOUS ETHNIC AND CULTURAL GROUPS.
WE REVIEWED POLICIES, POSTINGS AND EDITORIAL CALENDARS OF SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER CITIES.
WHERE I REALLY LANDED WAS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE STATE GOVERNMENT.
AND SO WE HAD THE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM TO PRODUCE THAT HELPS TO PRODUCE THE ANNUAL SCHEDULE.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS IF WE COULD POINT TO STANDARDS THAT THAT WAS EASIER TO DEFEND, WHY ARE YOU DOING IT? WELL, BECAUSE ON THE FEDERAL STATE LEVEL, THESE ARE INTERNA OR NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AS OCCURRENCES OR OBSERVANCES.
AND THAT IS WHY WE HOLD TO, SO OUR COURT PRINCIPLE IS, AND THE REASON THAT WE LOOK TO THOSE ENTITIES IS BECAUSE AS A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, WE HAVE TO BE NEUTRAL.
WE HAVE TO SHOW GOV, UH, UH, UH, GOVERNMENT NEUTRALITY, OR FOR ALL OF OUR OUTREACH.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE, AND YOU'LL SEE HERE IN A SECOND, JUST BASICALLY COMES DOWN TO THE CONSTITUTION.
SO PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS MUST NEITHER PROMOTE NOR INHIBIT.
AND, AND THIS ALSO GOES TO RELIGION.
SO WE WERE GETTING A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR, HEY, IT'S THIS TIME OF YEAR, CAN YOU PUT THESE KINDS OF KIND, KINDS OF INFORMATION OUT? AND SO WHAT WE WERE FOCUSING ON WAS, OKAY, THROUGH GOVERNMENT NEUTRALITY, WE WOULD NOT GET INVOLVED IN THOSE KINDS OF POSTINGS.
SO GOVERNMENT MAY NOT PROMOTE RELIGION THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT.
CAUSE GOVERNMENT MAY NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST RELIGION THROUGH THE FREE EXERCISE CLAUSE.
AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE IS NOT ON RELIGION SO MUCH AS THE RELIGIOUS ADVANCEMENT USING STATE POWER OR STATE RESOURCES TO PROMOTE, OR, AND WE CAN'T GET IN THE WAY OF RELIGION.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE STAY AWAY, BY AND LARGE, FROM RELIGIOUS TOPICS.
THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, WHICH IS AN ASSOCIATION OF CITIES, OR SORRY, IT'S SUPPORTED BY CITIES ACROSS THE STATE, BUT IT'S AN ASSOCIATION THAT PRESENTS, UH, LEGISLATIVE ISSUES THROUGH THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE ON BEHALF OF CITIES.
AND THEY HAVE GIVEN DIRECTION TOO, THAT THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE SAFETY FROM LITIGATION IS FOR CITIES TO MAKE SURE THE DISPLAYS OF INFORMATION ARE STRICTLY, STRICTLY SECULAR IN NATURE.
ESSENTIALLY SAYING THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO STAY AWAY FROM.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF LED OUR, OUR WAY TO THE POLICY.
SO WE CREATE OUR POLICY USING THE CONSTITUTIONAL DIRECTION WE'VE BEEN PROVIDED.
AND LOOKING AT THE FEDERAL AND THE STATE GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE EEOP, THEY HAVE THIS PROGRAM CALLED THE SEP, THE SPECIAL EMPHASIS PROGRAM.
OBSERVANCES SEPS ARE RECOGNIZED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AND CIVIL RIGHTS PROGRAM.
AND REFERRED TO EMPLOYMENT RELATED PROGRAMS THAT FOCUS SPECIAL ATTENTION ON GROUPS THAT ARE ABSENT UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE SPECIFIC OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY OR GRADE LEVEL IN THE NATIONAL WORKFORCE.
THAT'S HOW THEY CAME UP WITH THEIR NEEDS.
THE PROGRAM IS IMPLEMENTED BY PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION, EXECUTIVE ORDERS IN PUBLIC LAW.
NOW, WHEN I CREATED THE POLICY, I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS MAY HAVE CHANGED UNDER THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, BUT WHEN WE CREATED THE POLICY UNDER, UNDER THE FORMER ADMINISTRATION, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY BEEN FOLLOWING, AND WE HAVEN'T
[01:55:01]
CHANGED IT SINCE THEN.AND AS I SAID, I, I HAVEN'T SEEN IF THERE'S BEEN ANY CHANGES.
WE ALSO WENT TO THE STATE LEVEL.
SO THE STATE HAS THE TEXAS CONTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.
THEY PUBLISH A HOLIDAY SCHEDULE.
AND ON THAT HOLIDAY, HOLIDAY SCHEDULE, IT LOOKS AT TEXAS PUBLIC HOLIDAYS THAT INCLUDE METRO.
THEIR CALENDAR INCLUDES THE FEDERAL MAJOR, FEDERAL HOLIDAYS THAT, THAT ARE THERE.
BUT THEY ALSO HAVE KEY TEXAS SPECIFIC DATES SUCH AS TEXAS INDEPENDENCE DAY, SAN JACINTO DAY, LBJ DAY, SOME OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO THAT'S ON THE STATE CALENDAR.
SO WE GO TO ALL THOSE THINGS AND WE CAME UP WITH OUR OWN LIST.
AND THIS IS CURRENTLY, NOW THIS, YOU ARE GONNA SEE SOME OTHERS, BUT IN THE REALM OF OKAY, FEDERAL HOLIDAYS AND OTHER THINGS, THIS IS WHAT'S CURRENTLY ON OUR LIST.
DAY, AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH, WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, ARAB ARAB, AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, PRIDE MONTH, JUNETEENTH NATIONAL SENIOR CITIZENS DAY, HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, AND INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
SO WE, WE TOOK THE TWO LISTS AND KIND OF COMBINED THEM AND, AND GOT KIND OF A CROSS SECTION TO, AGAIN, HIT THE CULTURAL IDENTITIES, TRIED TO EXPAND ABOVE AND BEYOND JUST CITY RELATED EVENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE DO NOT POST REGARDING ALL HOLIDAYS IDENTIFIED, WITH EXCEPTION TO A RELATED FACILITY IMPACT, MEANING THAT, UH, YOU WON'T SEE US JUST BECAUSE IT'S FEDERAL HOLIDAY DOES, BECAUSE CITY'S OPEN ACTUALLY ON CIVIL FEDERAL HOLIDAYS,
SO FOR INSTANCE, LABOR DAY, INDEPENDENCE DAY, NEW YEAR'S WE'RE CLOSED ON THOSE HOLIDAYS.
WE DON'T POST ABOUT IT BEING LABOR DAY.
WE'LL SAY THAT THE CITY FACILITIES, IT'S LABOR DAY, AND THESE ARE THE FACILITY IMPACTS THAT ARE HAPPENING TO YOUR PROJECTS, PROGRAM SERVICES.
WE'LL ALSO POST INFORMATION ABOUT EVENTS AND SERVICES CORRESPONDING WITH HOLIDAY RELATED PROGRAMS. SO YOU'D TALKED EARLIER ABOUT LUNAR NEW YEAR.
WE POST ABOUT LUNAR NEW YEAR, NOT BECAUSE IT'S LUNAR NEW YEAR, BUT BECAUSE THE CITY HAS THINGS GOING ON WITH LUNAR NEW YEAR.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE'RE POSTING ABOUT.
WE POST ABOUT SANTA'S VILLAGE BECAUSE THAT'S A CITY SERVICE.
WE POST ABOUT THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE BECAUSE IT'S A CITY SERVICE AND THINGS THAT WE'RE OFFERING NOT RELATED TO, UH, UH, A, A RELIGIOUS CONNOTATION WITH IT.
IT'S, IT'S A SECULAR CONNOTATION.
WE ALSO HAVE OTHER SPECIAL SERVICES.
SO AGAIN, IT'S NOT, DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ON OUR LIST, BUT FOR INSTANCE, THERE'S THE HEALTHIER TEXAS COMMUNITIES CHALLENGE.
I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY ABOUT TO WRAP UP HERE PRETTY SOON.
SO IT INCLUDES SPECIAL OBSERVANCES FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING JUST EVENT OR CULTURAL INFORMATION.
CITY OBSERVANCES CAN INCLUDE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTING STORIES, AWARENESS, AND ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
WE ALSO HAVE CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT'LL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO NATIONAL PARKS OF MIGRATION MONTH, WE TIE INTO THOSE THINGS.
GOVERNMENT COMMUTER TAKERS DAY.
WE HAD THAT RECENTLY IN FEBRUARY.
SO WE POSTED ABOUT THAT ON, ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS.
WE ALSO HAVE A WHOLE PROCESS FOR CEREMONIAL REQUESTS FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
SO IF THEY WANT THE CITY COUNCIL TO BE A PART OF SOME KIND OF RECOGNITION, WELL, THEY CAN PUT IN CEREMONIAL REQUESTS TO US FOR CIVIC, CULTURAL, OR HISTORICAL OBSERVANCES THAT COMMEMORATE SIGNIFICANT EVENTS ON OUR INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS.
CELEBRATE SHARED COMMUNITY TRADITIONS.
OCCASIONS COULD BE GENERALLY ROOTED IN HISTORY, HERITAGE, PUBLIC SERVICE OR CULTURAL IDENTITY.
PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION, REFLECTION AND RE RECOGNITION OF THE DIVERSE EXPERIENCES THAT SHAPE THE COMMUNITY.
THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF REQUESTS THAT CAN BE BROUGHT INTO.
AND THEY COME THROUGH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
AND THEN THROUGH THAT, UH, THEY START TO, TO TAKE IT FROM THERE.
YOU CAN DO PROCLAMATIONS, CERTIFICATES, LETTERS, APPEARANCES AND ADDRESSES.
AND THE PLACE THAT WE HAVE FOR PEOPLE TO GO IS THAT, UH, COURT NET GOVERNMENT, CITY SECRETARY, AND THEN CEREMONY REQUESTS ESSENTIALLY IS, IS WHERE THAT GET BROUGHT FOR THE GUIDELINES THAT WE HAVE FOR, FOR ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF REQUESTS, THEY HAVE TO BE, HAVE A SPECIFIC LOCAL CONNECTION.
WE DON'T DO THINGS FOR REGIONAL, NATIONAL.
IT'S, IT'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING TO DO WITH HERE.
WE DON'T GET INVOLVED IN THE POLITICS REQUESTS MADE AS FAR WE ASKED FOR, BASICALLY, THEY MADE ENOUGH TIME FOR US TO TAKE CARE OF THEM.
AND THEN THEY'RE SUBJECT TO ESSENTIALLY FINAL APPROVAL.
UH, JUST BECAUSE YOU MAKE THE REQUEST DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET ONE OF THOSE, ONE OF THOSE PROCLAMATIONS OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.
WHOSE FINAL APPROVAL? YOU'VE NAMED THAT BEFORE.
IT GOES THROUGH, WELL, IT COMES THROUGH THE CITY
[02:00:01]
SECRETARY, THEN IT'LL GO THROUGH EITHER IF IT'S MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.SO IT COULD BE STOPPED AT ANY, IT HAS TO GO.
SO YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE HERE, HERE'S THE CRITERIA.
SO, AND, AND THIS ONE'S SPECIFIC TO PROCLAMATIONS.
SO IT'S A FORMAL DECLARATION OF THE DAY, WEEK, MONTH, IN HONOR OF A SPECIAL EVENT.
WE DON'T ISSUE PROCLAMATIONS FOR GROUNDBREAKINGS RIBBON CUTTINGS, GRAND OPENINGS, BUT, AND THIS IS WHERE WE GET INTO THE REVIEW PROCESS.
THEY HAVE TO REFLECT CIVIC, CULTURAL, OR HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE.
BE APPROPRIATE FOR RECOGNITION BY MUNICIPAL GOVERNING BODY, UH, SAMPLE WORDING.
WE ASK PEOPLE TO GIVE A SAMPLE WORDING FOR THEM, AND THEN THEY CAN REQUEST IN PERSON PRESENT PRESENTATIONS.
ESSENTIALLY, WE LOOK AT IT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE.
MOST YOU CAN IMAGINE, YOU KNOW, MOST THINGS.
SO WITH THAT AND THE DIRECTION THAT'S BEEN GIVEN, UH, THROUGH THIS, THIS GROUP CAME UP WITH, I ASKED YOU ALL TO SEND ME YOUR, YOUR IDEAS.
UH, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THOSE REFLECTED UP HERE.
AND THIS IS A DRAFT OF WHAT WE CAN ADD TO THE, UH, THE DAYS OF OBSERVANCES THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE TO EXPAND ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAD BROUGHT UP.
SO, NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH DEDICATED TO THE POWER OF MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS IN, IN TRANSFORMING LIVES.
THAT'S IN JANUARY, MAY WOULD BE MEMORIAL DAY DEDICATED TO HONORING MILITARY PERSONNEL WHO DIED IN SERVICE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK.
UH, I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO READ THROUGH ALL THESE.
I KNOW WE'RE GETTING LATE, BUT BASICALLY THIS IS A LIST THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, UH, SOMEWHAT GENERIC IN THE SENSE, BUT IS COMMUNITY BASED, COMMUNITY RELATED.
WE CAN MAKE CONNECTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT EITHER MAKING A DIFFERENCE, NATIONAL DISABILITY, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO BEFORE I GO ONTO THE NEXT PART OF THIS, I WANNA ASK FIRST, I I, THIS, THIS IS PRETTY MUCH HAS, IF YOU SENT IT TO ME, IT'S UP HERE.
I WENT OUT AND I LOOKED FOR SEVERAL OF THESE ON MY OWN AND PUT IT UP.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU FEEL IS MISSING, WANNA ADD, THEN UH, YOU, YOU COULD SEND THAT TO ME LATER.
UH, BUT GENERALLY, IS THERE ANY, UH, ANYTHING OF CONCERN ON THIS ONE THAT, UH, ANYBODY HAS? NO.
SO NOW THE QUESTION FOR YOU, 'CAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT RELIGIOUS CONNOTATION THINGS.
'CAUSE THIS GROUP HAD SENT ME SOME ITEMS THAT HAD A RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND TO IT.
AND SO THE QUESTION IS TO YOU FIRST IS GOING TO BE, SHOULD THE CITY INCLUDE MENTION OF EVENTS TIMES OF YEAR BASED ON RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE? IF SO, IF YOU FEEL SO, WHAT WOULD BE THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO DETERMINE WHICH RELIGIONS SHOULD BE INCLUDED? AND IF SO, WHAT WOULD BE THE RECOMMENDATION ON HOW RELIGION IS DEFINED? BASICALLY, WHAT QUALIFIES AS A RELIGION, BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT THERE'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT BELIEFS.
AND SO, UH, WITH, LET'S, WE COULD START WITH THE QUESTION.
LET FIRST QUESTION AND GET A SENSE OF, SHOULD THE CITY INCLUDE MENTION OF EVENTS, TIMES OF YEAR BASED ON RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE THAT WON'T SATISFY THE PRIOR CONDITIONS THAT YOU PRESENT TO US BASED ON THE US CONSTITUTION? RIGHT.
THERE IS A WAY FOR US TO WORD A POST AND, AND WE'VE HAD, UH, REQUESTS BEFORE.
AND SO WE, WE'VE, ON A VERY LIMITED BASIS, DONE.
SO THERE ARE OTHER CITIES WHO HAVE DONE SO AS WELL.
UH, WE HAVE THE ABILITY IN A VERY LIMITED WAY TO MENTION GENERICALLY THAT IT'S THIS TIME OF YEAR, FOR INSTANCE.
BUT WE HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY CAUTIOUS ON HOW MUCH FURTHER WE GO THAN THAT IN TERMS OF RISK MANAGEMENT, CONSTITUTIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT, MY OPINION, YEAH, I WON'T GO TO THAT DIRECTION.
RIGHT? BUT I RESPECT THE OPINION OF EVERYONE ELSE, THAT THAT'S WHY WE CURRENTLY HAVE BEEN DOING THINGS THE WAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN IS THE RISK THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH WHEN YOU DO WHAT IT OPENS UP TO.
I WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE A DIFFERENT POSITION.
UM, I MEAN, WE'RE LIVING IN A TIME WHEN THE STATE OF TEXAS REQUIRES EVERY SCHOOL TO DISPLAY THE 10 COMMANDMENTS.
NOW WHETHER WE AGREE WITH THAT OR DISAGREE WITH THAT, THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.
BUT I, I THINK, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, AND HAVING, UH, GONE THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE IN CORPORATE AMERICA WHERE AT ONE TALK, ONE TALK WAS THAT YOU DISASSOCIATE YOURSELF WITH ANY CONVERSATION
[02:05:01]
IN RELIGION TO THE IDEA WHERE, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU EMBRACE EVERYTHING.AND I THINK, UH, WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT ACTUALLY EMBRACING EVERYTHING ACTUALLY IS MORE ADVANTAGEOUS BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY BRINGS IN MORE PEOPLE AS OPPOSED TO THE OTHER IDEA, WHICH IS THAT I'LL BE DISASSOCIATED WITH IT.
UM, NOW, YES, THERE ARE CHALLENGES.
I AGREE WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE THERE.
BUT, BUT I THINK THERE ARE WAYS THAT YOU CAN WORK IT AROUND.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY WITH JUST QUESTION TWO OR QUESTION THREE, I THINK THERE ARE WAYS IN WHICH THOSE CAN ADDRESS.
SO RECALL TWO WITH CORPORATE AMERICA.
SAY, IF YOU'RE A COMPANY, A TI, AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN DECIDE THIS IS WHAT, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE IN OUR COM, IN OUR CORPORATION, THESE ARE THE RELIGIONS WE WILL DECIDE TO DO.
THERE'S, UH, JUST THINK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE GLOBALLY FROM A A COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE WHERE, UH, IF, IF YOU GET A REQUEST FOR SOMETHING THAT MAY BE THE COMPANY MAY, UH, UH, MAY DECIDE ON ITS OWN, WELL, THAT'S NOT, EITHER NOT BIG ENOUGH OR THAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE.
BUT FROM A GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVE, HOW, UH, YOU WOULD DETERMINE THIS, THIS TWO AND THIS THREE, IF YOU GET, UM, SOMETHING THAT YOU MAY FIND QUESTION.
UM, SO I, I THINK THE WAY TO ADDRESS THAT IS, NUMBER ONE, IT HAS TO BE ROOTED IN THE CITY, RIGHT? SO YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT, SIGNIFICANT POPULATION BASE OR A CERTAIN POPULATION BASE, WHICH WE CAN DEFINE THAT WOULD REFLECT THAT PARTICULAR FAITH EXISTING WITHIN THE CITY.
THE SECOND THING IS THAT IT ALSO HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS RECOGNIZED BY THE STATE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, ATHEISM.
IF ATHEISM IS RECOGNIZED AS A RELIGION, UH, BY THE STATE OF TEXAS OR BY, BY THE STATE OF TEXAS, THEN THAT IS SUFFICIENT FOR US TO SAY, THEN THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE TOO WOULD, SHOULD RECOGNIZE.
SO WE COULD DEFER THIS TO WHERE OTHER BODIES HAVE RECOGNIZED CERTAIN FATES.
YOU KNOW, SO IF IT'S, UH, IF IT'S MAGIC, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME PEOPLE TAKE MAGIC AS A RELIGION, THAT'S FINE.
AS LONG AS THERE ARE ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON THAT PRACTICE THAT PARTICULAR, UM, RELIGION OR FATE, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS RECOGNIZED BY THE STATE, THEN TO ME, THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED.
THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE SHOULD BE EXCLUDED.
I, I AGREE WITH YOUR, UH, WITH YOUR POSITION IN MANY THINGS.
BUT WE, WE NEED TO, TO DIFFERENTIATE PUBLIC LIFE FROM THE PRIVATE LIFE AND IN GOVERNMENT, YOU ARE IN THE PUBLIC LIFE, PRIVATE LIFE, YES, YOU ARE ABLE TO CHOOSE A RELIGION THAT YOU LIKE THE MOST, RIGHT? OR THAT YOU WANT TO PRACTICE THE MOST.
BUT ON THE PUBLIC SPHERE, PUBLIC SPECTRUM, IT'S SEPARATE FROM THE PUBLIC, FROM THE PRIVATE LIFE.
SO, AND SOMETIMES IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TO TRY TO, TO SATISFY ALL THE, ALL THE ASPIRATION FROM THE PRIVATE LIFE IN THIS SPHERE, RIGHT? SO I THINK THESE ARE, SO IT'S EASY TO EXCLUDE YOUR, YOUR PREFERENCE FROM THE PRIVATE LIFE.
SO WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THAT SEPARATION AND MAKE SURE THAT IN THE PUBLIC SPACE WE RECOGNIZE ALL
SO, SO GILDA, THOUGH, UH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY'S PERSPECTIVES.
THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
AND OF COURSE, THIS IS A SENSITIVE TOPIC.
UH, I THINK IF WE KINDA STEP AWAY FROM THE, THE TERM RELIGIOUS KIND OF BACK INTO CULTURE, UH, I MEAN IT'S, IT'S, IT COULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED A WAY OF LIFE OR EVEN BACK INTO NATIONALITIES.
SO LIKE, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, UH, A NATION CELEBRATES A FESTIVAL BECAUSE ALL OF ITS NA THE ENTIRE NATION AND, AND A LOT OF, UH, SIGNIFICANT POPULATION THAT NATIONALITY LIVES HERE.
UM, COMING FROM INDIA, UH, WE HAVE OVER 200 RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS ALL OVER THE YEAR.
IF WE KEPT CELEBRATING EVERYTHING AND GIVING A HOLIDAY, WE WOULDN'T EVEN GO TO GET INTO WORK.
BUT THIS, THE COUNTRY ACTUALLY DECIDES THIS.
THESE ARE, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF FESTIVALS THAT THE ENTIRE NATION, UH, CELEBRATES
[02:10:01]
AND IN THE, IN THE CONTEXT OF UNITY OF THE NATION.'CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT DIVERSE POCKETS DOING SO MANY INDEPENDENT THINGS.
AND BECAUSE NATION DOESN'T RECOGNIZE IT, THEY WANNA KIND OF ACKNOWLEDGE A COUPLE OF, UH, THINGS THAT BRINGS THE ENTIRE NATION TOGETHER AS A UNIFYING FORCE.
SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT INDIA HAS DECIDED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PROBABLY CHOOSE TWO THAT IS CELEBRATED ALL OVER THE, ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, OR BY MAJORITY ACTIONS OF IN THE COUNTRY.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO SAY, IS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE FESTIVAL OF INDIA.
SO I THINK IF WE BACK OUT OF RELIGIOUS, THEN IT BECOMES A LITTLE LESS SENSITIVE, POSSIBLY USE THE TERM CULTURAL OR NATIONALITY SIGNIFICANCE, THEN IT BECOMES A LARGER POPULATION BASE WHERE YOU'RE DEFINING SOMETHING THAT'S AT NATIONAL LEVEL RATHER THAN RELIGIOUS LEVEL.
AND I THINK IF I, IF WE LOOK AT THAT PERSPECTIVE, THEN I THINK THINGS BECOME A LITTLE LESS SENSITIVE THAN TRYING TO GET INTO RELIGIOUS DEFINITIONS.
SO THE, THE THINGS THAT WERE SENT TO ME WERE RELIGIOUS.
UH, THERE WAS SOME HINDU HOLIDAYS IN THERE.
UM, THAT'S WHERE IT, THAT'S WHERE THIS DISCUSSION 'CAUSE OTHER ONES THAT WERE NON-RELIGIOUS BASED, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE KIND OF EASY TO DO.
IT, IT GETS TO, OKAY, NOW WE'RE GETTING INTO, 'CAUSE I, I KNOW OF NO LIST NATIONALLY.
I DON'T RECALL EVER SEEING A LIST OF OFFICIAL RELIGIONS.
UM, I'M JUST THINKING WHEN YOU DO ONE RELIGION AND YOU DON'T DO ANOTHER MM-HMM
OR YOU DO ONE RELIGION, THAT YOU HAVE A LOT OF THE POPULATION THAT IS CONTROVERSIAL WITH.
I DON'T THINK YOU REALLY, PERSONALLY, I WOULDN'T GO THERE.
YEAH, I'M A RELIGIOUS PERSON, BUT I WOULDN'T GO THERE AS A CITY BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
'CAUSE WHAT, WHERE DO YOU, YOU HAD THE GUIDELINES INITIALLY, AND NOW WE DO THIS.
WHERE WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE GUIDELINES? I MEAN, WE WOULD ALTER THE POLICY IF WE WERE TO START THIS, WE WOULD HAVE TO ALTER THE POLICY.
WELL, YOU SAID THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAD WORKAROUNDS.
COULD WE SEE WHAT THOSE ARE? AND THEN MAYBE THE, THERE ARE OTHER CITIES ZIP POSTS, BUT THEY DO EXACTLY LIKE WHAT I WAS, IT'S VERY, VERY GENERIC.
UH, BUT THE QUESTION THEN COMES TO WHERE DO YOU STOP? WHICH RELIGIONS DO YOU DO WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE IN POLICY OR SOME, SOME KIND OF GUIDANCE.
I HEARD ONE OF, UH, PRAC, IT HAS TO BE PRACTICED IN THE CITY.
UM, THAT, HOW, HOW WOULD WE, IF WE WERE TO DO THIS, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA GO THROUGH CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, SEND IT INTO THE COUNCIL.
THE GOAL HERE IS TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK.
BUT ONE, DO YOU THINK THAT, THAT WE SHOULD DO, DO IT? TWO, IF WE DO, HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE IT? HOW WOULD YOU QUALIFY IT? AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MY INPUT WOULD BE.
UM, I, I AM GOING TO LEAN TOWARDS, UM, WHEN, WHEN I'M ANSWERING THE FIRST QUESTION, AND SHOULD THE CITY, UH, INCLUDE MENTION OF EVENTS AND TIMES OF THE YEAR BASED ON RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE, I'M GOING TO SAY NO.
BUT IT'S BECAUSE I CAN'T ANSWER TO.
AND THREE, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? MM-HMM
AND SO IF I COULD SEE THAT ROADMAP OF HOW WE CAN CLEARLY HONOR WHO COMES IN AND THEIR BACK, WHETHER THAT'S BACKGROUND CULTURALLY OR THIS DEFINED AS RELIGIOUS, IF IT'S WELL KNOWN, IF IT'S OBSCURE, UM, BECAUSE I CAN'T WITH CONFIDENCE, UH, ANSWER OR EVEN, I DON'T EVEN, NOT EVEN A FINAL ANSWER ON QUESTIONS TWO AND THREE MORE, EVEN IF I COULD SEE THE PATH THAT I WOULD BE NAVIGATING.
BUT THAT IS VERY CHALLENGING TO SEE.
AND AGAIN, IT'S THAT LINE OF, UM, AS FROM A CITY ENTITY, WHAT GUIDELINES YOU WOULD HAVE TO THEN, I MEAN, WHAT YOU WOULD THEN HAVE TO HONOR BECAUSE YOU PUT INTO PLACE.
SO IT'S, DON'T YOU THINK THAT WHEN THE CITY SAYS THAT THERE'S A CHRISTMAS PARADE OR THERE'S SANDERS VILLAGE? I AM.
THAT'S NOT THE, OH, I AM SHOCKED.
PROMOTING FROM MY A CERTAIN RELIGION.
I AM SHOCKED THAT IT'S STILL CALLED CHRISTMAS PARADE.
I THINK THAT'S GREAT THAT WE HAVE A CHRISTMAS PARADE.
UM, NO, I THINK THE, THE PART THAT IS CHALLENGING IS BECAUSE THE PARAMETERS CAN'T BE DEFINED.
AND SO IF I HAVE, UM, A PERSON WHO, UM, UM, WORSHIPS THE MINTS, RIGHT? THEY CAN COME IN AND DO THAT, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
BUT, UM, TO GREG'S POINT, BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE THE DEFINING LINE OF THAT, IT MAKES ME GO ON ANY GIVEN TIME.
I COULD HAVE, UH, I GUESS THE FLOOD GATES ARE OPEN IN A WAY WHERE YOU GO, OH MY GOODNESS, THIS COULD BE ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY AND EVERYBODY HAVING THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL.
BUT LET ME, LET ME SAY, WITH THAT SAID, UM, I
[02:15:01]
STRONGLY ADVOCATE FOR WHAT, WHAT YOU WERE MENTIONING WITH REGARDS TO WE, WE SHOULD BE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE IT IS WHAT BUILDS BRIDGES AROUND.SO IT'S NOT SHYING AWAY FROM IT.
I, I REALLY WISH WE WERE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, BUT I AM STRUGGLING TO ANSWER TWO AND THREE, WHICH IS WHY I WOULD, IF YOU ASKED ME TODAY, THAT WOULD BE MY, BUT I, LIKE, I, AGAIN, I WELCOME THIS DIALOGUE,
IF YOU LOOK AT BAPTISM OR YOU LOOK AT PROTESTANTS, OR YOU LOOK AT, UH, SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS, I MEAN, THERE CAN BE SO MANY DIFFERENT FACTIONS EVEN INSIDE CHRISTIANITY THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU START RECOGNIZING, I MEAN, THE, THERE, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON OVER THERE AS WELL, RIGHT? SO I MEAN, THAT IS TRUE.
I MEAN, HOW, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU TRY TO, UH, LIKE EVEN IF THEY CALL IT A CHRISTMAS PARADE, I GUESS IT'S STILL VERY GENERIC BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO, OH, THAT'S, THEY DO SAY AROUND THE WORLD.
THEY DO USE DIFFERENT THEMES THERE.
WELL, SO THAT, THAT QUESTION'S BEEN BROUGHT TO ME BY RESIDENTS AS WELL.
UH, AND THE ANSWER FOR THAT IS THAT IT'S NOW A SECULAR EVENT.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S HOW WE RESPOND IS ESSENTIALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IT, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE RELIGIOUS ASPECT OF IT.
SANTA, THAT'S WHAT I WAS S RIGHT NOW, THE CULTURAL ASPECT OF IT, CHRISTIAN DON'T CLAIM SANTA, THEY'RE DOWN WITH SANTA
I JUST SAY THAT'S FROM THE RELIGIOUS STANDPOINT.
WELL, THERE ARE OTHERS WHO CLAIM SANTA AS ABSOLUTELY ALL OVER THE WORLD, RIGHT? SO
BUT, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE UPSET MM-HMM
THEY SAY, HOW CAN THE CITY DO A CHRISTMAS PARADE? HOW IS IT THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO DO THAT? AND THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE RESPONSE I HAVE TO GIVE IS, THIS IS NOT A RELIGIOUS, IT'S THE CITY IS DOING A PARADE, AN EVENT.
AND IT'S A SECULAR EVENT BECAUSE IN OUR SOCIETY TODAY, IT'S NOT SEEN AS NECESSARILY A YES.
IS TIED TO WHAT THE HISTORY IS TIED TO.
BUT NOW PEOPLE, IT'S A TIME THAT PEOPLE GET, FAMILY GETS TOGETHER, PEOPLE GIVE GIFTS, THERE'S MORE TO IT.
AND THEN IT'S MORE OF A CULTURAL COMPONENT AND COMMERCIALIZED AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AS OPPOSED TO NECESSARILY, WE DON'T FOCUS ON NECESS THE, THE THE RELIGIOUS COMPONENT OF IT, BY THE WAY, ACTUALLY OTHER RELIGIOUS OBSERVATIONS YEAH.
THAT HAVE ACTUALLY BECOME JUST SECULAR.
SO I MEAN, IF YOU TAKE, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, RAMADAN, YES, THERE'S A RELIGIOUS COMPONENT TO IT, BUT THERE'S A HUGE CULTURAL COMPONENT TO IT.
I THINK ONCE IT TRANSCENDS, YOU TAKE ALI, COMMON CULTURE, IT BECOMES CULTURE, RIGHT? YEAH.
I THINK ONCE, ONCE IT TRANSCENDS INTO COMMON CULTURE WHERE OTHER PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT FAITH ARE ALSO CELEBRATING IT, THAT'S WHEN, YOU KNOW, YOU START SEEING THAT IT'S BECOMING MORE CULTURAL RATHER THAN I LIKE THAT.
WELL, THEY MIGHT NOT DO THAT UNTIL THEY GET EXPOSED TO IT.
I MEAN, NO, LIKE FOR ME, I MEAN, WE GET INVITED TO ALL LIFT STARS AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT TIME BECAUSE I DON'T HOW TO COOK ANYMORE.
EVEN FOR EVERYBODY ELSE, IT'S A CULTURAL EVENT.
I MEAN, THERE, YOU JUST MADE IT A CULTURAL EVENT, BUT IT TAKES THE EXPOSURE TO GET TO THAT THING, RIGHT? THAT'S TRUE.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THESE, OR THE RELATIONSHIPS, IT'S A DE FACT SOMETHING THAT TRANSCENDS RELIGIOUS BOUNDARIES INTO A COMMON CULTURE OR, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I MEAN, IDEALLY FOR US IS A BUNCH OF FIREWORKS.
I MEAN, SO THAT'S, THAT'S CROSS-CULTURAL.
THAT'S IN, THAT'S BUT IN, IN HELPING GREG KNOW HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, IS THERE, I WAS GONNA SAY, IS THERE ANYBODY WHO HASN'T SPOKEN INTO THESE PIECES THAT
SO I CALLED ONE OF MY COUNTERPARTS IN ANOTHER CITY THAT DOES THIS, AND SHE SAYS THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH IT BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN CHALLENGED YET.
SO THAT'S, SHE'S WORRIED ABOUT GETTING CHALLENGED ON IT.
AND ALSO THE PITFALLS, PEOPLE THAT HAVE TRIED IT AND THEY'VE GOTTEN BURNED, I MEAN, THAT'S ALSO NOT A CASE STUDY.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BLIND HERE AND JUST GO, YOU KNOW, AND THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN TRIED ON IT.
SO I'M GOING TO CITY OF FORT WORTH, THEY HAD FLAGS THAT, THAT YOU COULD REQUEST TO PUT YOUR FLAG UP.
THEY GOT A REQUEST FROM A GROUP THAT THEY DIDN'T NECESSARILY FEEL WOULD'VE BEEN APPROPRIATE FOR FLYING IN FRONT OF THE CITY HALL.
AND THEY DECIDED AT THAT MOMENT THAT, OH, WE'RE NOT DOING THIS PROGRAM ANYMORE.
THEY WERE CHALLENGED AND LOST COURT.
I, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD KEEP THIS TOPIC OPEN.
BECAUSE THE CITY'S CHANGING PROBABLY RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE A, AN AN ANSWER OR THE RIGHT ANSWER FOR THIS TOPIC YET.
UH, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THAT IN THE FUTURE WE'LL HAVE MORE CLARITY AND PROBABLY THE DEMOGRAPHICS WILL LET US KNOW WHICH RELIGIONS REGION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN THIS CONVERSATION.
SO I I, I WON'T LEAVE IT AS A YES OR NO.
I'LL KEEP IT AS AN OPEN AND CONTINUE HAVING THE DISCUSSION AMONG US IN THE FUTURE TO CONTINUE REFLECTING.
'CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW, RIGHT? MM-HMM
[02:20:01]
DOESN'T MEAN THAT THOSE RELIGIONS SHOULD BE EXCLUDED OR SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED.SO I WILL KEEP THIS TOPIC OPEN FOR THE FUTURE.
WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF ON A TIMELINE.
WE NEED TO, WE NEEDED TO GIVE GREG AN ANSWER SO THAT HE CAN THEN GO TO THE CITY MANAGER AND COME TO THE COUNCIL AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
I, I'M GONNA LEAN TOWARDS NO, AND THE ONLY REASON WHY I'M LEANING TOWARDS, NO, BECAUSE I, I WANNA MAKE A DISTINCTION, AND AGAIN, THIS IS, IF I DON'T HAVE ALL THE CORRECT INFORMATION, I APOLOGIZE.
BUT BECAUSE THE CITY IS NOT RECOGNIZING, IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT CAN'T BE PRACTICED OR THERE CAN'T BE LIKE ALTERNATIVES OR LIKE A FESTIVAL.
SO TO ME IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, FROM A CITY OBSERVATION, BUT I DO BELIEVE IN WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES.
SO IF THERE IS A COMMUNITY THAT FEELS VERY STRONGLY THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE THAT REPRESENTATION, THIS IS WHY WE HAVE CULTURE IN THE COURT.
THIS IS WHY WE HAVE ALL THESE OTHER PROGRAMMS TO BE ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT THE CULTURE, DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY WITHOUT PUTTING US IN A POSITION FROM A, FROM, FROM A CITY TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE RECOGNIZING.
SO THAT'S JUST MY, MY FEEDBACK ON HOW WE CAN STILL BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE, BUT NOT, NOT HAVE IT BE A CHARGE LED FOR BY THE CITY IN PARTICULAR AS A DAY OF RECOGNITION.
I MEAN, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE DO IT.
I MEAN, WE JUST SAY WE DON'T HAVE A RECOMMENDATION.
I MEAN, NOBODY HAS ALL THE ANSWERS.
SOMETIMES IF YOU'RE CHARGED WITH THAT ANSWER, THAT'S KIND OF A TOUGH POSITION TO BE IN.
I, I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS THOUGH ANSWER THE QUESTION NUMBER ONE.
AND SO THAT, LIKE, WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER.
WE DON'T, WHETHER OR NOT AS AN MUNITION HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE A YET.
DON'T, I'M HEARING SOME ANSWERS, BUT YEAH.
IT MAY NOT BE A UNANIMOUS, BUT YEAH.
I MEAN, SOMETIMES IT TAKES SOME TIME.
WELL, I MEAN, I THINK, SO GILDA'S POINT, IT MAY BE A NOTE TONIGHT BY THE MAJORITY OF THIS BODY, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T COME BACK NEXT YEAR.
DON'T FEEL PRESSURED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THERE'S NO, YOU KNOW, NO GOTCHA.
NO, BUT I WOULD SAY WE'RE DOING, BUT I WOULD SAY AS A COMMISSION, I DO THINK THAT WE ARE CHARGED WITH ADVISING THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND SO IF WE WENT WITH NOTHING, I, I DON'T THINK THAT WE'VE DONE OUR JOB.
AND AGAIN, I, I WANT TO REITERATE, UH, THE OPEN-ENDEDNESS, I THINK THAT YOU DESCRIBED VERY BEAUTIFULLY TO BE ABLE TO SAY, OH, BUT WE'D LOVE TO REVISIT THIS IN A YEAR.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS OUR ANSWER TONIGHT, BUT WE'D LOVE TO REVISIT THIS IN A YEAR.
OR THIS IS WHAT SOME OF THE DIALOGUES WAS AROUND.
I DON'T REMEMBER THIS QUESTION BEING THERE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE COMMISSION.
I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP PRETTY RECENTLY.
BUT YEAH, I THINK THAT'S THE ROLE OF THIS COMMISSION.
IT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID IS TO ADVISE US.
OCCASIONALLY THINGS WILL COME UP.
UM, WE GET REQUESTS ALL THE TIME FROM RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, AND RIGHT NOW IT'S TYPICALLY A NO.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE RECENTLY DID A RAMADAN RECOGNITION, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE DID THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST YEAR.
AND SO NOW FOLKS ARE SORT OF COMING AND SAYING, WHY DID WE DO THAT? WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT IN THE PAST.
ARE WE DOING THAT NOW? IS THAT NOW? CAN MY ORGANIZATION DO IT? AND SO IT'S A QUESTION WE NEED TO, TO HAVE YOU ALL ADVISE US ON, WHICH IS, GIVEN THE SCOPE OF EVERYTHING GREG HAS PRESENTED TO YOU TONIGHT, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY SHOULD OPEN UP THE DOORS TO? UH, AND THAT, AND, AND IT, IT COULD BE A NO TONIGHT AND WE'LL REASSESS IN A YEAR.
OR IF THIS COMMISSION AS A BODY SAYS YES, THEN THAT'S WHAT WE'LL TAKE TO THE COUNCIL.
BUT I MEAN, GREG CAN ALSO TAKE TO THE COUNCIL, IT WAS NOT A UNANIMOUS RESPONSE.
YOU KNOW, THIS MANY PEOPLE SAID, NO, NOT RIGHT NOW.
AND THIS MANY PEOPLE SAID, ABSOLUTELY, LET'S DO IT.
I MEAN, WE NEED A RECOMMENDATION.
WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION FOR TONIGHT? AND IF THE RECOMMENDATION IS NO, BUT THEY WANNA REASSESS IN A YEAR, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT RECOMMENDATION.
BECAUSE YOU CAN STILL WORK ON IT WITHIN THAT YEAR.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? THAT'S GREAT.
IT'S JUST, UH, YEAH, IT DOES MAKE SENSE.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT HAVE TO GET DONE.
WELL, AND AND FROM AN INDIVIDUAL STANDPOINT, YOU ABSOLUTELY, LIKE IF WE HAVE TO TAKE A MAJORITY VOTER, IF WE HAVE TO HAVE ON RECORD COMPLETE, I, I THINK I'M NOT SPEAKING OUTTA TERM WHEN I SAY COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE TO ABSTAIN.
IF YOU GO, GOD, I DON'T REALLY FEEL GOOD PUTTING MY NAME BEHIND EITHER END, YOU CAN STEP BACK AND GO, I WASN'T READY TO PUT MY THAT IN THE HAT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S ACCEPTABLE.
I WOULD THINK WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ENGAGEMENT, THOUGH.
INCLUSION AND ENGAGEMENT, AND WHAT WE'RE ADVOCATING HERE IS NO INCLUSION AND NO ENGAGEMENT.
SO, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK, SO THIS REMINDS ME, I THINK IT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO, MAYBE ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A RABBI WHO PASSED THROUGH SEATTLE AIRPORT, CTECH.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A CHRISTMAS TREE.
THIS WAS, UH, DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON, AND HE INQUIRED AS TO WHY THERE WASN'T, UH, HANUKKAH, UH, CELEBRATION OVER THERE.
AND THE RESPONSE WAS THEY TOOK OUT THE CHRISTMAS TREE, RIGHT? AND HIS, THE, THE REASON HE WAS ASKING WAS NOT BECAUSE HE WANTED THE CHRISTMAS TREE TO GO AWAY, BUT HIS POINT WAS THAT, WELL, THERE
[02:25:01]
CAN BE OTHER THINGS AS WELL THAT WE CAN CELEBRATE TO DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR, RIGHT? MM-HMMSO THAT, THAT GETS BACK TO THE CHALLENGE.
ALL SUPER STRONG RUSSIAN ON IT.
AND THERE'S NO SILVER BULLET, RIGHT? YES, IT IS.
IT'S A, THAT'S BECAUSE THE AIRPORT'S PROBABLY A GOVERNMENT FACILITY, AND THEY WERE CHALLENGED AND THEY TOOK IT OFF.
THEY HAD TO NOT SHOW A PREFERENCE, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT HE WAS, HIS GOAL WAS NEVER TO GET RID OF THE, TO ADD, TO ADD TO IT.
I THINK IT'S JUST LIKE IF YOU, IT'S KIND OF WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, KRISTEN, LIKE ONCE YOU, WHO'S, WHERE DO, WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE? AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE I'M COMING FROM WITH THE NO, UM, BECAUSE THE LINE CANNOT BE DRAWN, AND I THINK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT EVERYONE.
I'M NOT SAYING LIKE, NO, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL INCLUDED, BUT NO, BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT SHOWING PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT TO ONE RELIGION OR THE OTHER.
AND SO, AND, AND IT'S JUST HARD TO DO THAT, BECAUSE AGAIN, IF WE SAY YES, THEN HOW DOES THAT DETERMINE WHICH RELIGIONS ARE INCLUDED? WE DON'T KNOW RIGHT NOW.
LIKE A OR WHO, LIKE IT CAN CONTINUOUSLY LIKE, SPIRAL OUT.
OR, OR, OR I THINK IT'S THE OPPOSITE THOUGH.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S NO INCLUSION, BECAUSE YOU CANNOT DRAW, WE'RE NOT DRAWING LINES.
BUT I, I GUESS I'M NO, THE SENSE LIKE, UH, WHAT, SO, SO THE MAIN THING IS IT'S NOT ABOUT A YES OR A NO.
IT'S ABOUT WHERE ARE WE COMING AT IT FROM? ARE WE COMING AT IT FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF FEAR THAT THE OTHERS MIGHT LASH OUT? OR ARE WE COMING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF, UH, LIKE IGNORANCE? WE DO NOT KNOW ENOUGH TO SAY NO TO THIS.
UH, IT'S, IT'S HOW YOU, WHAT'S YOUR REACTION FROM? AND THAT REALLY SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE CITY.
NOT, I MEAN, AND ABOUT OBVIOUSLY THE COMMISSION REPRESENTS THE CITY.
ARE WE ALLOWED TO DISCUSS THESE THINGS? YES.
ARE WE ALLOWED TO SAY, YEAH, CAN WE CELEBRATE THE DIVERSITY, BUT OR ARE WE SCARED OF CELEBRATING THE DIVERSITY IN THE CITY? RIGHT? WHAT IS THAT, WHAT IS THAT REACTION? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS A SENSE OF HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU MAKE THESE KIND OF DECISIONS? YES, I KNOW THERE ARE ALL THESE GUIDELINES AND CONSTITUTION, BUT THE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE CITY OBVIOUSLY HAS FREEDOM TO DECIDE DO THEY WANT TO CELEBRATE THIS OR DO THEY WANT TO RETRACT FROM IT AND GO STATUS QUO? AND THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE TOO.
THAT'S WHAT THIS WHOLE ELEPHANT DISCUSSING THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IS ABOUT, RIGHT? SO I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DRAW A LINE, BUT WE ALSO WANNA TRY AND UNDERSTAND HOW ARE WE REACTING TO THIS? WHERE ARE WE COMING AT IT FROM? WHAT IS THAT SENTIMENT? I THINK THAT THAT AWARENESS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I THINK WE CAN HAVE A RELIGIOUS CONVERSATION IN THIS ROOM AND YES.
AND USE GREAT, REALLY STRONG EXAMPLES.
WHERE I AM, WHERE I CAN CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE IS IF I, IF WE PUT OUR NORTH STAR ON THOSE THREE QUESTIONS YEAH.
IT'S HOW DO WE ANSWER THOSE THREE QUESTIONS FROM A COMMISSION? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? UM, BECAUSE I WILL TELL YOU FOR SO MANY OTHER REASONS ABOUT THE INCLUSION AND THE INVITE THEM ALL.
I MEAN, SO IF THAT IS OUR ANSWER THAT THE, UM, EXCUSE ME, WHAT WOULD THE RECOMMENDATION OF HOW A RELIGION IS DEFINED? YEAH.
SO IT COULD BE ANYTHING, BUT THAT'S THE, IF THAT'S WHAT WE MEAN, AND WE COULD GO BACK AND SAY IT COULD BE ANYTHING AND INVITE EVERYBODY.
AND THAT COULD, THAT COULD BE FINE.
I, I HAVE SOME PRACTICALITY QUESTIONS IN MY HEAD, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO DRAWING THE LINE, AGAIN, I JUST HAVE SOME PRACTICALITY QUESTIONS, BUT I REALLY DO WANT US TO BE ABLE TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE IN SHARING, EVEN IF IT IS NON, A NON RECOMMENDATION WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.
BUT I REALLY, REALLY THINK WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON THESE THREE QUESTIONS.
'CAUSE THIS IS WHAT'S BEING ASKED OF US.
WE ALSO NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE LIMITS IN THE INCLUSION AND ENGAGEMENT.
THAT WE CANNOT SOLVE ALL INCLUSION AND ENGAGEMENT TOPICS.
WE'RE GONNA FACE LIMITS AND THINGS THAT ARE EASY TO, TO THE CODE OR TO, OR TO ASK.
NO, IT'S OUR, IT'S OUR CHOICE TO EXERCISE THOSE LIMITS.
ACTUALLY, QUITE HONESTLY, IT'S IN OUR, IN OUR HANDS.
HOW MUCH OF IT DO YOU WANNA EXERCISE? DO YOU, IT'S, IT'S, WHAT I'M REALLY JUST ASKING IS FOR EVERYONE'S AWARENESS TO UNDERSTAND WHERE EVERYBODY'S METER IS AT, BECAUSE THAT, THAT ALSO ACTUALLY HELPS US A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY SIDE.
UH, HOW MUCH OF IT CAN, AND IT CAN BE AN INDI INDIVIDUAL APPETITE ALSO.
AND OBVIOUSLY MANY INDIVIDUAL APPETITES MAKE UP A COLLECTIVE APPETITE FOR WHAT THE CITY WANTS REALLY TO DO.
RIGHT? SO IT'S A SENSITIVE TOPIC.
[02:30:01]
AND WHY THE CITY IS SAYING ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS IS BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S APPETITE MAY NOT BE AS AWARE OR AS DIVERSE, AND SOMEBODY WILL BRING UP TO THEM, WHY ARE YOU CELEBRATING ALL OF THIS STUFF? THEN IT JUST OPENS A CAN OF WORMS FOR THEM, RIGHT? BUT THAT'S AGAIN, A LOT OF IN UNUSUAL APPETITES IN THE CITY, AND THAT'S WHERE THE AWARENESS, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE HAVE TO COME UP BEYOND JUST SAYING MY RELIGION OR THAT RELIGION, BUT JUST TRY AND UNDERSTAND THAT SOME THINGS, SOME THINGS ARE TRANSCENDING THE BOUNDARIES OF RELIGIONS.SO, UH, SO, BUT I THINK I'M OKAY TO LEAVE THE CONVERSATION HERE AND SAY WE, WE POSSIBLY RECOMMEND A NO TODAY.
I MEAN, IF THAT'S THE RECOMMENDATION, THAT'S GREAT.
I WOULD JUST SAY, I MEAN, THERE ARE, AND RA'S NOT HERE TONIGHT, BUT I MEAN, HE, HE'S THE PRESIDENT OF THE RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE, RIGHT? LIKE, THERE ARE OTHER WAYS, MAYBE WE GO ABOUT IT, IF THIS, IF THIS COMMISSION'S ANSWER ULTIMATELY FOR TONIGHT IS NO, BUT WE THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO CELEBRATE RELIGION AND RICHARDSON.
I MEAN, WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO SERVES ON THIS COMMISSION THEIR WORKAROUNDS, RIGHT? WE COULD WORK IT THROUGH DIFFERENT CHAMBERS, RIGHT? UH, LIKE THE US INDIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MAYBE THEY COULD, YOU COULD GET TOGETHER WITH THEM.
OR WHEN THEY SAY, WE, WE HONOR THIS FESTIVAL, MAYBE, UH, RICHARDSON CAN REPOST OR WHATEVER IT IS, RIGHT? UM, AND THEN I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE OTHER CHAMBERS YOU, I KNOW THE UKRAINE CHAMBER WAS HERE ONCE, THE KIND OF THINGS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE RECOGNITION, MAYBE WORK IT THROUGH THE DIFFERENT CHAMBERS THAT ARE MORE NATIONALITY ORIENTED.
THAT, THAT'S WHERE I'M LEANING TO AS WELL, IS, IS THE NO, BUT THEN BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE A SPACE FOR FOLKS TO STILL FEEL CELEBRATED.
SO I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR THAT I'M NOT SAYING LIKE WE'RE LIMITING, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'RE NOT BEING INCLUSIVE, BUT WE'RE NOT ENGAGING.
I'M JUST TRYING TO BE THINK ABOUT LIKE, HOW, HOW DOES THE CITY RECOGNIZE IT? AND I, I'M JUST, RIGHT NOW I'M LEANING TOWARDS, NO, FROM A CITY REC, REC, UH, RECOGNITION, BUT I'M NOT.
BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE OTHER AVENUES AND METHODS, AND WE TALK ABOUT CULTURE IN THE CORE, WHICH WAS A BIG TOPIC TONIGHT.
AND THAT'S A REALLY GREAT WAY TO STILL BE ABLE TO BE INCLUSIVE AND TO GET, AND TO ENGAGE THE PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT IT BEING A SPECIFIC DAY OF RECOGNITION FOR THE CITY.
SO, 'CAUSE I, AGAIN, IF WE'RE GONNA SAY NO, I STILL WANNA BE ABLE TO SAY, BUT WE ARE STILL CELEBRATING THE DIVERSITY AND THE CULTURE OF THIS CITY.
WE'RE JUST NOT DOING IT THROUGH THIS METHOD.
I SO APPRECIATE THE, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE DIALOGUE.
I HAVE, FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO SAY THIS AROUND PEOPLE.
I LIKE WHEN THERE'S COMPETING, COMPETING THOUGHTS AND THERE SHOULD BE BECAUSE WE COME FROM A VARIETY OF BACKGROUNDS, RIGHT? BUT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION IN THIS PLACE FOR SOMETHING THAT IS A HARD TOPIC, I THINK, I DON'T WANT TO MISS THAT.
AND YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE NAME OF CHRISTMAS, RIGHT? THEN I THINK THAT SHOULD BE ON THE TABLE FOR DISCUSSION.
AND REAL QUICK, I I WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW THE, IT'S NOT THAT THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE, SO THE, THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE SAYS AN OFFICIAL PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE.
SO WHEN THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE HAS EVENTS, WE DO USE CITY CHANNELS TO PROMOTE, PROMOTE THAT.
BECAUSE IT'S THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE.
IT'S NOT, UH, ONE SPECIFIC, IT'S A GROUP THAT THE CITY HAS AN OFFICIAL PARTNERSHIP WITH.
SO FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A CRISIS EVENT, IT'S THE FIRST THING THAT POPS INTO MY HEAD THAT IS WHEN WE MAY TALK ABOUT, SO, OR IF THEY PULL ONCE A YEAR, THEY MAY HAVE SOMETHING.
UM, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT EITHER CITY COUNCIL OR CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THERE ARE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THERE ARE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WILL HAVE WITH HOUSES OF WORSHIP WITHIN THE CITY.
SO IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE NOT CONNECTING EITHER ON A FOR CULTURAL, BUT THAT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE WHERE EVERY RELIGION, EVERY RELIGION IS IN INVITE THAT IS REPRESENTED IN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON IS INVITED TO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE OR MORE ON RICHARDSON AND HER FAITH ALLIANCE.
SO LIKE, SO THERE IS NO BOUNDARY OF WHO COULD BE CONSIDERED, UM, RELIGIOUS OR, UH, WHAT IS, WHAT QUALIFIES AS A RELIGION.
YOU SAYING THIS IS MY RELIGION IS WHAT QUALIFIES AS THAT.
SO THAT IS A, UM, PARTNERSHIP THAT THE CITY HAS THAT IS INCLUSIVE AND ENGAGING WITH NO LIMIT.
BUT DOESN'T THAT ACTUALLY ANSWER THE QUESTION? 'CAUSE YOU ALREADY ARE SAYING THAT, UH, THE CITY OF RICHARDSON WORKS WITH THE INTERFAITH RELIGION, RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE, AND THERE IS SOME CRITERIA AND BY WHICH SOMEBODY CAN BECOME A MEMBER OF THE RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE.
SO THAT SIMPLY SAYS THAT, WELL, IF YOU ARE A MEMBER, IF YOUR PARTICULAR DENOMINATION IS A MEMBER OF THE RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE, THEN THAT IS RECOGNIZED AS A RELIGION IN THE CITY.
SO WE DON'T DO SPECIFIC HOUSES OF WORSHIP.
IT HAS TO BE THE, THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE THAT'S DOING THE, I THINK THE QUESTION WITH INTERFA ALLIANCE HAVE CRITERIA.
[02:35:01]
THAT'S THE QUESTION.UM, NOT THAT I AM OR I DON'T BELIEVE SO, NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
THEN THAT'S ON THE, AND AGAIN, THAT KEEP IN MIND THAT REALLY IS MY PERSPECTIVE.
I COULD BE MISSING SOMETHING, BUT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, YEAH, BUT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T, THIS POSSIBLY IS AN INITIATIVE NOT BY THE CITY, THEN, UH, MAYBE THIS IS AN INITIATIVE THAT NEEDS TO BE PASSED OFF TO THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE IN THAT CASE.
I MEAN, I'M TASKED, I NEED TO ASK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR GUIDANCE THAT GOES TO CITY COUNCIL.
WHAT AS, AS A COMMISSION AND ADVISORY GROUP, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS FIRST QUESTION SPECIFICALLY, SHOULD WE INCLUDE MENTION OF EVENTS TIMES OF YEAR BASED ON RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE? WE'RE SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA.
THAT IS WHERE WE'RE GETTING THE QUESTIONS.
THAT IS WHERE WE'RE GETTING THE COMMENTS.
WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE GUIDANCE THAT YOU WOULD PROVIDE? YEAH, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS DISCUSSION HAS HAPPENED.
YOU, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN RECEIVING THIS QUESTION.
AND THAT IS WHY THE POLICY IS THE WAY IT IS RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE IT HELPS US TO AVOID, CAN YOU HELP US OUT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE MEANS? I MEAN, WHICH RELIGIONS ARE MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN I, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION, WHICH IS WHY WE DON'T.
GREG, WHEN YOU SAID THAT YOU, I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU, THERE MAY BE REPOSTS FROM THE CITY FOR LIKE ANYTHING.
THAT'S THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE.
IS THAT TODAY, DOES THAT FALL WITHIN THE CRITERIA? LIKE, IS THAT OKAY FOR THE CITY TO DO? ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT THE CITY, IT'S JUST A REPOST.
WELL, SO THERE TOO, GO BACK TO THE CONSTITUTION.
IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THAT EVENT IS WITH INTERFAITH POINTS, RIGHT? IS IT OPEN TO THE ENTIRE CITY? IS IT, UH, UH, NOT PROMOTING, UH OKAY.
THOSE, WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THOSE THINGS.
WE DON'T DO EVERYTHING RIGHT IF THEY DO SOMETHING THAT'S GENERICALLY USED, FEEDING A BENEFIT FROM THE COMMUNITY, FEEDING CHILDREN EVERYWHERE AS AN EXAMPLE.
SO IF RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE COMES TOGETHER TO HOST AN EVENT THAT IS CALLED FEEDING CHILDREN EVERYWHERE WHERE YOU PACK THE MEAL, RIGHT? UM, WHERE ALL, ALL DIFFERENT HOUSES OF WORSHIP CAN PARTICIPATE IN THAT, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT THE CITY SHARES THROUGH THEIR CHANNELS BECAUSE, AND WE WILL SAY IT, THAT IT'S THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE OF DOING IT.
WE WOULD NOT FOCUS ON ANY PARTICULAR HOUSE ABORTION.
SO, SO JUST IN THE, IN, UH, WITH RESPECT TO TIME, I KNOW THIS PRO POSSIBLY NEEDS A LITTLE MORE DISCUSSION.
UH, DO, DO YOU WANT THE RECOMMENDATION TONIGHT? OR DO, CAN WE SAY, CAN WE RESCHEDULE THIS DISCUSSION MAYBE IN THE NEXT, UH, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO COUNCIL NEXT MONTH.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE GOING PART BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S BEING TACKLED WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS.
DID THE FLAG DISCUSSION YOU GUYS HAD EARLIER MM-HMM
THAT'S GONNA BE THERE AT THE SAME TIME.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET A RECOMMENDATION TONIGHT FROM THE, THE COMMISSION SO THAT WE CAN, HE CAN TAKE IT TO THE COUNCIL AND THEN IF IT IS THE DESIRE OF THIS BODY TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION, WHETHER IT'S AROUND THE RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE OR OTHER WAYS WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO WHAT'S UP HERE, PUT IT BACK ON THE AGENDA FOR LATER THIS YEAR.
SO THAT THE BODY CAN CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
'CAUSE WE COULD ALSO PULL IN SOME MORE INFORMATION.
I DON'T LIKE REPRESENTING RICHARDSON FAKE ALLIANCE.
IF I DON'T HAVE, IF I DON'T HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, WE CAN BRING IN MORE INFORMATION.
PERHAPS THEY CAN MAKE A PRESENTATION.
UH, BUT THE LEGEND IS ON, RIGHT? HE'S, AND HE, AND TODAY WE, WE, TODAY THE ANSWER IS NO.
RIGHT? TODAY WE'RE WHAT I WOULD GO TO THE COUNCIL WITH.
WOULD IT, I WOULD TELL THEM THAT.
OR LIKE, WHAT'S BEING PRACTICED BEFORE OUR DECISION? LIKE, 'CAUSE I THINK WHAT I'M, I'M KIND OF GETTING TO IS LIKE, LET'S JUST KEEP IT AS IS.
LIKE WHATEVER EXISTS BEFORE TODAY, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY SAFE FOR US TO JUST CONTINUE WITH WHATEVER EXISTS TODAY, UM, WITHOUT MAKING ANY CHANGES.
AND THEN WHEN WE FEEL COMFORTABLE AS AN ADVISORY GROUP, THEN WE CAN MAKE THE CHANGE THAT, THAT'S WHERE I'M LEANING TO IS BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE UNDECIDED.
I THINK WE SHOULD JUST CONTINUE WITH WHATEVER'S BEING PRACTICED TODAY.
SO I THINK WE SHOULD THIS MOTION, IF THERE IS A YEAH, IF THERE IS A SPECIFIC, UH, I MEAN THERE ARE THREE QUESTIONS THAT ARE POSED OVER HERE AND I THINK IF IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SOMETHING COMING FROM THE CITY, FROM THE COMMISSION FRAME, BUT HOW VICTORIA FRAMED THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE A MOTION IN AND OF ITSELF.
JUST, JUST JUMP IN HERE FOR CLARITY.
IF I AM MISS QUESTION, IF YOU WERE GONNA MAKE A MOTION THEN YOU TO A FORMAL MOTION, I THINK THAT WAS JUST HER DISCUSSION AND POSITION OF THE MATTER.
SO IT HAS TO BE A FORMAL MOTION IN THE SENSE, UH, HOW MANY WOULD FOR A NO ON, ON THIS, UH, ON THIS TACTIC? WELL, IF I CAN SEE IT MAY, MAY MAYBE MAKE A, A MOTION OF IN THE, IN THE WORDING STYLE OF, UH, SO WE, WE FEEL THE CITIES SHOULD A, B, C, UH, AND WE AS A COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD ON LOOKING FORWARD MORE OR CREATING, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING WHICH DIRECTION THINGS GO.
[02:40:01]
CREATING A CALENDAR OF A, B, C, I MEAN, IT, IT, WE WOULD NEED A MOTION LIKE THAT.I THINK IT, YEAH, IT'S VERY SIMPLE.
THE, THE MOTION SHOULD BE SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF, BASED ON WHAT I'VE HEARD TONIGHT, IT SEEMS LIKE MOST ARE NO TO QUESTION ONE.
SO IT SHOULD BE I MOVE THAT THE CITY NOT INCLUDE MENTION OF EVENTS AND TIMES OF YEAR BASED ON RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE.
SO THAT, AND WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL ALSO, WHEN I REPORT CITY COUNCIL, I'LL LET THEM KNOW THAT THIS WAS, UH, IT, WHATEVER THE DECISION LEVEL WAS.
BUT THE TWO, THERE'S A DESIRE TO CONTINUE LOOKING, LOOKING INTO THIS GOING FORWARD.
SO SOMEONE HELP NEED US TAKE THE RIGHT THING.
SO CAN WE HAVE THE MOTION, UH, FOR SHOULD THE CITY INCLUDE MENTION OF EVENTS TIMES OF YEAR BASED ON RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE? UH, ALL IN MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE CITY SHOULD NOT INCLUDE THE MENTION OF EVENTS TIMES AND YEAR BASED ON RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE.
SO THEN KRISTEN MADE THE MOTION.
NORMA AND SOME SECOND AND AUDREY SECONDED.
AND ALL THOSE IN, UH, APPROVAL OF THE MOTION BY KRISTEN AND AUDREY, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS NOW FOR THE PURPOSES 'CAUSE IT'S BEING RECORDED SO THAT WE, SO THAT NORMA CAN HAVE THE APPROPRIATE
THE HANDS ARE RAISING THE HANDS ARE VICTORIA, GILDO, AUDREY, KRISTEN AND ALL THOSE ARE OPPOSED.
PLEASE, UH, SAY NO WE CAN ABSTAIN, RIGHT? I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE I'VE MAY MISSPOKE.
YES, YOU NEED TO, YOU NEED TO CHIME IN ONE WAY OR, UM, IS ABSTAINING ONE WAY TO CHIME IN OR NOT? DID NOT THINK SO.
SO I MISSED, WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ABSTAIN ON THE CITY COUNCIL, SO I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT'S A VIABLE OPTION FOR YOU HERE.
IT'S EITHER A YES OR NO WAY YOU ABS IT'S, YOU CAN SAY, YOU CAN SAY YES IF YOU AGREED TO THIS GREAT IDEA.
SOMEBODY JUST SAID I COULD ABSTAIN, BUT I KNOW.
I MEAN REALLY, TRULY, I HAD TO LOOK TO THEM FOR THE GUIDANCE.
SO ALL OPPOSED TO THE MOTION THAT WAS JUST, UH, DONE BY KRISTEN AND AUDREY.
UM, ALL OPPOSED TO THAT, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS.
I MEAN, DO WE COME IN AND SAY LIKE, THIS IS OUR DECISION FOR US, YOU KNOW, PUT BEING PUT ON THE SPOT AND THEN WE'RE GONNA COME AND REVISIT IT.
IS THAT HOW THIS MOTION, SO THAT, THAT WILL BE OUR SECOND MOTION, WHETHER WE WANNA REVISIT THIS BASED ON THE HAND SHOW OF HANDS.
WE CAN ONLY HAVE ONE MOTION AT A TIME AND WE CAN ONLY VOTE ON ONE MOTION.
WE SHOULD NOT TRY TO MIX MOTIONS OR SO, SO, SO YES, WE CAN DO THAT THOUGH.
SO IF IT'S A, ANY, ANY OPPOSED, JUST RAISE YOUR HANDS SO WE HAVE A SHOW OF HANDS.
IT'S KINDA AWKWARD, BUT OUR SURE.
SO WE HAVE, UH, RAJ RASHMI IS YOUR HAND UP HAM.
THAT CLEAR WHAT WAS NO, THAT, THAT'S CLEAR.
SO, SO, SO YOU, SO YOU HAVE THE SHOW OF HANDS IN, IN FOR AND APPROACH HIS BASED ON THAT.
DO WE NEED A MOTION TO REVISIT THIS AGAIN? BECAUSE I THINK THAT THERE WAS A MAJORITY HANDS THAT WERE RAISED FOR.
I, I, NOW, I DON'T THINK YOU NEED A MOTION FOR THAT.
I KNOW THAT THIS COMMISSION WANTS TO REVISIT AND SO I WILL, I WILL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO, I'LL PROBABLY START OFF WITH GETTING SOME OF YOUR BIGGEST QUESTIONS RELATED TO IT AND FIGURE OUT A WAY TO TACKLE IT FROM THERE.
BUT, UH, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A MOTION THAT'S NECESSARY.
I, I, I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR DIRECTION THAT YOU GUYS WANT TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT IT.
WELL, AND I WAS GONNA SAY, AND I DON'T MIND THE FACT, UH, A FOUR THREE VOTE TO COUNCIL WILL SHOW, GOSH, THERE IS CONVERSATION TO CONTINUE TO BE HAD HERE, EVEN IF IT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN WITH IT.
WELL, AND, AND I'LL BE TELLING COUNCIL EXACTLY THAT, THAT THE, THIS COMMISSION WANTED TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT IT AND WILL BE, WE WILL BE DOING SO AT A FUTURE DATE, AND GEN JENNIFER, UH, COUNCIL JUSTICE IS GOING TO BE THERE AS WELL.
AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO ALSO SPEAK TO THE, THE FEEDBACK THAT WAS PROVIDED HERE TONIGHT.
NO, I WAS THINKING THAT WE HAVE NINE PEOPLE ON THE CO THE COMMISSIONER WE'RE MISSING 1 0 1 THAT AMY'S NOT HERE.
AND THEN, OKAY, SO IT'S NOT YOUR LAST SLIDE OR DO YOU HAVE MORE? NO, THI THIS WAS IT.
I HAD MORE BASED ON DEPENDING WHICH DIRECTION THINGS WENT.
SO, UH, YEAH, RIGHT NOW I'M GOOD FOR, OKAY, SO WE JUST GONNA FLOW THIS AND THEN REVISIT THIS.
UH, UH, WELL, I WAS GONNA TELL YOU, SO WE'LL LOOK, LOOK FOR IF YOU HAD ANY ADDITIONAL INFOR UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ON THAT PRIOR CALENDAR.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT CALENDAR NOW.
SO WE'LL DO THOSE, UM, WE ARE CONTINUING THE INTERNAL REVIEW SINCE
[02:45:01]
WE DON'T, SINCE WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU SHARED TONIGHT.YEAH, IT'S, SEE, IT, IT'S A, OKAY.
THIS IS UPDATED ACTUALLY FROM WHAT I HAD SENT YOU GUYS BEFORE.
SO YEAH, YOU, THE, THE PRESENT THIS PRESENTATION HAS IS A DIFFERENT VERSION.
AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T HAVE IT AGAIN TONIGHT BECAUSE THIS, THIS IS UPDATED, UH, FAIRLY RECENTLY.
BUT I'LL SEND THAT OVER TO YOU.
UH, AND THAT, THAT'LL HAVE THIS LIST.
UH, SO AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL DOING OUR INTERNAL REVIEW BEFORE WE TAKE IT TO CITY COUNCIL.
UH, BUT THEN ULTIMATELY THIS ONE IS, IS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WILL BE DONE.
CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IS GONNA REVIEW FOR A FUTURE, FUTURE POLICY.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, FOR A REALLY NICE DISCUSSION.
UM, I THINK WITH THAT OUR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA ARE COMPLETE FOR TODAY.
ARE THERE ANY COMMISSION MEMBERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? I REPORT ON GIVING YOU THE INTERESTING, JUST VERY QUICKLY.
UM, THIS SATURDAY AT EIGHT 40 AT HUFFINES, IT'S ONE OF THE LAST EVENTS FOR THE HEALTHIER TEXAS COMMUNITY CHALLENGE.
UM, SO COME OUT AND EARN POINTS AND CELEBRATE THAT.
AND THEN COMING UP ON APRIL 11TH, WE HAVE THE TRASH FASH.
BUT SOMETHING OF, UH, PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE GIVEN ALL THE FOOD CONVERSATION WE HAD TONIGHT.
THE CROWLEY PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS THEIR INTERNATIONAL FOOD FEST.
IT'S JUST FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY DON'T ADVERTISE IT BROADLY, BUT IT'S GREAT.
I MEAN, THE NEIGHBORS COME OUT AND BRING ALL SORTS OF FOOD AND SO YOU GUYS SHOULD GO, IT'S TWO TO FOUR, UH, AT CROWLEY PARK.
UM, THEY, THEY DO WELCOME GUESTS.
THEY MENTIONED IT AT THE, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT'S BREAKFAST.
AND SO THEY ARE, THEY ARE OPEN TO, TO GUESTS COMING, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY ADVERTISES 'CAUSE IT'S FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO YOU SHOULD GO ALLEY PARK TWO O'CLOCK ON APRIL 11TH.
ALSO, IF YOU COULD HELP GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE BOND AND CHARTER OPEN HOUSES, THAT'S ON APRIL 4TH AND 11TH.
THOSE TWO SATURDAYS, UH, COMING UP FROM TWO TO FOUR EACH OF THOSE, I, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE CREATED THIS COMMISSION BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO HAVE THIS DIALOGUE AND WE DO NEED YOU GUYS TO ADVISE US ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT.
SO I KNOW THAT FIRST, I DON'T THINK ANY OF YOU'RE SATISFIED BY THE DISCUSSION.
YOU DEFINITELY WANNA KEEP HAVING THE DISCUSSION.
AND SO I JUST, I REALLY DO WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR, FOR HAVING THE DIALOGUE AND BEING WILLING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS AND TO ADVISE US ON, ON FOR NOW WHAT TO DO AND THEN HOPEFULLY INTO THE FUTURE, UH, A SOLUTION THAT MAKES EVERYONE FEEL COMFORTABLE ABOUT, UM, THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC, SENSITIVE TOPIC.
SO JUST ACTUALLY ONE COMMENT ON THE CHARTER ELECTION THAT'S COMING UP.
I THINK HAVING READ THROUGH IT, IT IS THE WORD, THE WORD THE WORDAGE THAT HAS BEEN USED IS DIFFICULT.
I MEAN, IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO KIND OF FIGURE EVERYTHING OUT AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND IT, BUT I THINK FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STRATEGY IS BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO GO TO THE, UH, POLLING STATION AND THEN START READING IT, RIGHT? YOU WANT PEOPLE TO ALREADY HAVE READ EVERYTHING AND KNOW WHAT THEY'RE VOTING ON.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STRATEGY IS GONNA BE FROM THE CITY TO ACTUALLY MAKE SURE PEOPLE ACTUALLY GET, GO TO THE VOTE.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE GUIDE? I'VE LOOKED THROUGH THE GUIDE, YES.
BECAUSE THE GUIDE HAS, HAS THREE ITEMS ON IT.
IT HAS THE CURRENT LANGUAGE, THE BALLOT LANGUAGE, WHAT WHAT'LL BE EDITED, AND THEN THERE'S A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THE LINK KIND OF MEANS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I TOWARDS, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S ONLY BY LOOKING AT THE DESCRIPTION IS I ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO THE POLLING STATION THOUGH, THEY'RE NOT GONNA SEE THAT.
THEY'RE JUST GONNA SEE WHAT THE LANGUAGE IS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE DOING AS MUCH OUTREACH, AGAIN, SOLID TO OUTREACH.
SO WE PROMOTE AS ON ALL OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS THAT WE HAVE THIS GUIDE, WE HAVE IT ON THE WEB, WE HAVE IT IN PRINT FOR PEOPLE TO COME PICK UP.
IF THEY TRULY, IF THEY'RE SEEKING OUT INFORMATION, THEY, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FIND IT.
UH, BUT IF THEY'RE SEEKING OUT INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHARTER AMENDMENTS OR BOND, UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, IF THE FIRST TIME YOU'RE SEEING IT IS GOING INTO THE BOOTH, THE ONLY THING THEY'RE GONNA SEE IS THE BALLOT LANGUAGE.
AND IF THAT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY'RE EDUCATING THEMSELVES ON THE DECISION, WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PLACE WITHIN THE POLLING LOCATIONS INFORMATION RELATED TO THE ELECTIONS.
I MEAN THAT, THAT'S, THE JUDGES OF THOSE POLLING LOCATIONS DETERMINE WHAT'S ALLOWED IN, IN THOSE FACILITIES.
VOTERS CAN TAKE IN A GUIDE WITH THEM.
SO IF THEY DO HAVE THAT GUIDE AHEAD OF TIME, THEY CAN SORT OF SIT CIRCLE YES OR NO FOR WHICHEVER.
UM, IT WILL BE COMING OUT IN THE RICHARDSON TODAY, ALL THE SIDE-BY-SIDES.
THAT WILL BE A GUIDE THAT GOES TO EVERYONE.
UH, AND THEN THERE'S, IS THAT WRONG? UH, WE'RE NOT PUBLISHING THE GUIDE IN THE RICHARDSON TODAY.
OH, JUST THE QR? YES, WE HAVE THE QR CODE THAT SENDS YOU TO IT.
UM, AND IF, IF YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE INTERESTED, WE DO SPEAKERS BUREAUS, WE HAVE PEOPLE COME OUT AND SPECIFICALLY PRESENT ON ALL THE DIFFERENT CHANGES.
SO IF YOU WANT, YOU KNOW, KAYLA,
[02:50:01]
I'M GONNA VOLUNTEER HER, SHE'LL COME AND SHE'LL TALK TO YOUR GROUP ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ALL THE, THE, THE CHANGES.HERE'S WHAT THEY ARE AND WHY THEY'RE, WHY WE'RE DOING THEM.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT AND ASK FOR THAT TOO.
I THINK ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE HOME HOME NURSE ASSOCIATION.
I THINK WE SHOULD GET THAT MESSAGE OUT.
THEN PROVIDE, BUT UNPACKING THAT LANGUAGE IS
I CAN UNDERSTAND IT'S CHALLENGE.
THAT, THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE DO THE GUIDE, BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE, THERE ARE THINGS AS SIMPLE AS GRAMMATICAL CHANGES.
AND, BUT YOU WOULD NOT KNOW THAT UNLESS YOU, 'CAUSE YOU LOOK AND YOU TRY TO DEFINE UNTIL YOU GO TO THE THIRD ONE, YOU GO, OH, THEY'RE JUST CORRECTING THIS.
THERE'S VERY FEW OF THEM THAT ARE SUBSTANTIVE, SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT, RAJ.
VERY QUICKLY, I JUST CHANGED MY PHONE TODAY, SO I GOT LOGGED OUTTA MY, WELL IF I ACT, BUT IS RICHARDSON NUMBER ONE ON THE HEALTHCARE? YES.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO GET COMPET.
SO I JUST FIGURED, I HOPE MY, MY STEPS WERE RECORDED WHILE I WALK HERE.
UM, WELL THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, JENNIFER, UH, FOR THOSE DATES, UM, ARE WE STILL LOOKING THROUGH MORTGAGES FOR APRIL 11TH?
UH,
DID, SO YEAH, LAST YEAR WE HAD IT END OF MARCH.
THAT'S WHY I SENT YOU, I THOUGHT THAT THE DATE WAS CHANGED.
UH, THEY MOVED IT BACK TO THE APRIL DATE.
SO, UH, YOU SHOULD HAVE THE UPDATED, UH, EITHER IN YOUR PACKET OR IN WHAT WAS MAILED TO YOU, THE UPDATED VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
AND IN THAT YOU'LL SEE THE TRASH FASHIONS THAT'S, UH, AVAILABLE.
THE, THE, THAT'S THE NEXT ONE COMING UP THAT'S AVAILABLE NOW, GREG, WHEN WE VOLUNTEER, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO TAKE WITH US OR, SO, SO YES, DEPENDING ON WHO ALL'S VOLUNTEERING, ACTUALLY TRASH BASH.
SO I'LL SET UP, I'LL SET UP THE TABLE.
THERE'S SOME VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES THAT I'LL PROVIDE THE MATERIALS TO WHOEVER'S GONNA BE THERE.
UM, BUT I'LL BE OUT IN THE TRASH BASH, SO I'LL SIT AT THE TABLE.
UH, BUT WE WOULD ASK YOU GUYS, WHOEVER'S GONNA VOLUNTEER TO BE AT THE TABLES AND BASICALLY IT'S PEOPLE DRIVING ALONG.
THEY MAY ASK QUESTIONS OR DROPPING THINGS OFF.
I I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH INTERACTION ACTUALLY AT THIS ONE YOU MAY HAVE.
UH, BUT YEAH, THE TABLE'S NICE.
IT'S GOT A NICE, UH, TOWEL, UH, OR COVER ON IT.
AND THERE'S ALSO, THE BROCHURES ARE VERY NICE.
AND THEN WE BRING A LOT OF CANDY, SO WE GET LIKE A, I'LL BE THERE, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO BRING ANYTHING.
WE, WE RAN OUT OF BROCHURES AND THEN, OH YEAH.
UH, WE'RE GETTING CUT FUNDING WISE ACROSS ALL OF OUR LINE ITEMS. THE BROCHURES ARE NOT CHEAP.
SO I, I WE'LL NEED TO BE A LITTLE SELECTIVE ON IF SOMEBODY'S TRULY, GENUINELY SAYING, YOU KNOW, I REALLY, REALLY WANNA LEARN MORE.
UH, THAT WE MAY SAY THAT TO GIVE TO THOSE FOLKS.
UH, AND MAYBE NOT NECESSARILY JUST HAND IT TO EVERYBODY THAT'S STRUCK WALKING BY.
DO WE HAVE A COAT ON THE TABLE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? UH, WE DO.
I, IF WE DON'T ALREADY, I THINK WE HAVE ONE ALREADY, BUT IF WE DON'T I'LL MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE DO.
THAT CONCLUDES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING WITH NO FURTHER ITEMS TO DISCUSS.
THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.