May 21, 2026 Community Inclusion and Engagement Commission

TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION. IN ATTENDANCE FROM THE PUBLIC.

[*This meeting is joined in progress]

[Community Inclusion and Engagement Commission on May 21, 2026.]

[00:00:09]

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM A PREVIOUS MEETING.

MARCH 26TH, 2026. DID YOU HAVE A MOTION OR AMENDMENT FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES? THANK YOU. AUDREY ANYONE TO SECOND. I SECOND.

AMY. AMY. SECONDS. IT. THANK YOU. AMY. SECOND.

ALL RIGHT. SURAJ SECONDED THE MOTION. ANY IN ANY OPPOSED TO THE MINUTES? ALL IN APPROVAL. PLEASE SAY YES.

YES, YES. WITH THAT, WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM MARCH 26TH, 2026.

NEXT AGENDA IS A PRESENTATION FROM CITY OF FRISCO MULTICULTURAL COMMITTEE.

GREG, PLEASE PRESENT MEMBERS OF CITY OF MULTICULTURAL COMMITTEE FOR THE FIRST AGENDA ITEM FOR THE EVENING.

WELL, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO BRING.

AND THANKS TO OUR GUESTS FROM THE CITY OF FRISCO FOR COMING TO TAKE PART IN THIS WHAT IS REALLY BECOMING AN ANNUAL EVENT FOR THE CIC, WHICH IS TO INVITE OTHER CITIES AND WITH WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GROUPS SIMILAR TO CIC AND BRING THEM BEFORE THIS COMMISSION TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY DO, HOW THEY DO IT, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO ASK QUESTIONS.

AND AND THEN OF COURSE, HAVE A NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY TO TO INTERACT WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AS THEY GO ABOUT DOING THE SAME TYPE OF WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO.

WE'RE PLEASED TO HAVE TONIGHT WITH US FROM THE MULTICULTURAL COMMITTEE OF FRISCO.

THE CHAIR, KIM JOHNSON WHO IS HERE TO MY LEFT.

AND THEN ACTUALLY ALL OF OUR MEMBERS TO THE LEFT.

WE ALSO HAVE MEMBER DYLAN RAFFERTY AT THE END, WHO IS A FAMILIAR, AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, IS A FAMILIAR FACE TO THE CITY OF RICHARDSON TO. AND SOME OTHER EFFORTS THAT HE'S WORKED AT, WORKED WITH.

SHANE GILMORE IS ALSO A COMMITTEE MEMBER HERE WITH US AND THEN ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER, BRITTANY WEBB IS HERE AND SHE IS ESSENTIALLY MY COUNTERPART, I BELIEVE ONE OF MY COUNTERPARTS FOR THEIR, THEIR GROUP AND THEY'VE ALL BEEN ABLE TO JOIN US HERE THIS EVENING.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY OPENING COMMENTS, BUT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO YOU GUYS.

OKAY. SHOULD I YEAH, YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO MOVE AROUND OR BE THERE.

THAT'S THAT'S FINE. WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. THANKS. THIS TIME, THE BOARD CHAIR FOR THE CITY OF FISCAL MULTICULTURAL COMMITTEE.

AND AS HE'S ALREADY SAID. SO WE HAVE DYLAN, OUR BOARD SECRETARY, AND SHANE THAT'S WALKING AROUND.

HE'S OUR BOARD VICE CHAIR. AND SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE THIS EVENING.

I FELT LIKE YOU GUYS SHOULD BE TELLING US WHAT YOU DO.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK AT US AND LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN FORMED.

YOU'LL SEE IN A MINUTE. BUT SO HERE'S FIRST GO BY THE NUMBERS.

WE HAVE 245,000 RESIDENTS AND GROWING. AND THIS IS THE, THIS IS FROM OUR, OUR CENSUS, MOST RECENT CENSUS.

SO THIS IS AS OF 2026, 77 LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN.

OUR ASIAN POPULATION IS ABOUT 34%. AND THEN OUR HISPANIC POPULATION IS 10%.

AND OUR BLACK AND AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION IS ALSO 10%.

WE ARE A MINORITY MAJORITY IN THE CITY OF FRISCO.

SO WHAT WE DO, OUR PURPOSE IS TO ADVISE THE CITY COUNCIL AND FRISCO CITY STAFF ON PROMOTING CULTURAL AWARENESS EVENTS AND CELEBRATIONS REPRESENTING FRISCO DIVERSE ETHNIC CULTURES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

THE. THE COMMITTEE SUPPORTS THE COMMUNITY LED CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS AND CONNECTS CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS WITH CITY RESOURCES.

I DID TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR GUYS'S MISSION. SO IT'S KIND OF SIMILAR, BUT THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFERENCES, LIKE WHERE I NOTICED THAT YOU HAD LIKE THE WORD INCLUSION IN YOUR IN YOUR WORDS.

THAT IS NOT PART OF THIS IS DIRECTLY FROM OUR MAYORAL PROCLAMATION.

SO THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT ARE VERY, VERY SIMILAR.

AND THEN THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT MAKE IT QUITE DIFFERENT.

WE HAVE SEVEN. THAT'S ANOTHER THING. WE ONLY HAVE SEVEN APPOINTED VOLUNTEER MEMBERS ON OUR BOARD AND WE ADVISORY CAPACITY.

I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE MINE. YES. SO WE WERE FORMED BY MAYORAL PROCLAMATION IN JULY 2024.

AND THEN THAT WAS ALSO WHEN PEOPLE FIRST START APPLYING TO BE ON BOARD.

[00:05:03]

SO PRIOR TO IT BECOMING A BOARD AND COMMISSION, WE WERE ACTUALLY WE WERE ACTUALLY A COMMITTEE CALLED THE INCLUSION COMMITTEE. AND SO IT WAS JUST A SMALL GROUP OF CITIZENS THAT CAME TOGETHER AND STARTED SEEING THAT THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE IN THE CITY AND THAT DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES WITHIN OUR CITY NEEDED REPRESENTATION.

AND SO THEY STARTED TALKING AND WORKING WITH THE CITY, WORKING WITH THE MAYOR, AND TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO RESOLVE THOSE ISSUES AND BRING THOSE MEETINGS TOGETHER. AND THEN OVER TIME, IT EVOLVED INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY.

OUR FIRST BOARD OFFICIALLY CONVENED IN OCTOBER 2024 AND WE HIT THE, WE TRIED TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.

WE TRIED. BUT OF COURSE, AS YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMETHING IS FIRST STARTING, YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE THINGS OUT.

SO WE GOT OUT THERE, WE STARTED TRYING TO MAKE SOME THINGS HAPPEN, AND THEN WE STARTED TO COME BACKWARDS BECAUSE WE HAD TO LEARN HOW THE CITY WORK AND HOW WE COULD WORK THE BOARD WITHIN THE CONFINES OF HOW THE CITY ACTUALLY OPERATES.

SO WHAT WE DO IS WE SUPPORT COMMUNITY LED CULTURAL EVENTS ALONG WITH THE CITY LED ONES AS WELL.

AND WE CONNECT ORGANIZATIONS WITH CITY RESOURCES.

THIS IS HOW WE SUPPORT THEM. WE ACT AS THEIR LIAISON BETWEEN THEM AND THE CITY COUNCIL, AND WE ADVISE ON DIFFERENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS. WE DON'T REALLY WE HAVEN'T REALLY GOTTEN INTO THAT AS MUCH THAT PART, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AIMING TOWARD.

SO FROM FROM WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO.

WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE SPONSORS FOR ASIAN LUNAR NEW YEAR WITHIN THE CITY, AND IT WAS A COMMUNITY LED EVENT.

SO IT WASN'T A CITY EVENT. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE IN THE COMMUNITY HAD PUT TOGETHER AN ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, AND WE HELPED THEM SECURE SPONSORSHIP. WE'VE ATTENDED.

WE ALWAYS ATTEND ALL OF THE EVENTS WE. EACH MONTH WHEN WE FIND AN EVENT THAT'S HAPPENING.

A COUPLE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WILL GO OUT AND REPRESENT. WE ALSO TRY TO HELP THEM PROMOTE IT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON DIFFERENT WAYS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AS WELL.

WE ESTABLISHED A STRUCTURE AND A MEETING CADENCE.

AND THEN WE STARTED TRYING TO BUILD OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE CITY.

SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN IN OUR FIRST YEAR.

AND SO JUST TRYING TO GET OUR FEET WET, SO TO SPEAK, AND JUST REALLY TRYING TO SEE, OKAY, WHAT'S OUT THERE, WHAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. HOW CAN WE HELP THEM? DO THEY NEED ANY HELP? BRINGING THOSE THINGS TO PASS OR EVEN JUST GETTING PEOPLE TO THEIR EVENTS.

AND I WILL SAY ON THE SIDE THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WE WERE ABLE TO WATCH IS KIND OF LIKE A RESEARCH.

WHEN YOU START ATTENDING THE EVENT, YOU START TO KIND OF SEE WHAT'S MISSING, WHERE YOU CAN HELP.

IT NEEDS TO BE ADDED, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

AND WE STARTED REALIZING THAT EACH COMMUNITY COMES OUT TO THEIR EVENTS, BUT EACH COMMUNITY DOESN'T COME OUT TO THE OTHER COMMUNITIES EVENTS.

AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO LEARN HOW TO WORK THROUGH THIS YEAR.

AND SO OUR YEAR ONE, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS WERE FORMED, I THINK IN JANUARY OF THE YEAR THAT WE WERE FORMED IN THE SAME YEAR.

RIGHT. AND SO YOU'RE ABOUT SIX MONTHS AHEAD OF US.

YOU GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A RUNNING START, BUT WE HAVE LEARNED THAT AGAIN, WE HAVE TO SHOW UP SO WE CAN LEARN NOT NOT JUST LEARNING ABOUT THEM, BUT SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN ABOUT US. BECAUSE THAT'S THE OTHER THING. WHEN I WAS WALKING AROUND, I STAND IN LINE, LIKE IF I GO TO VOTE AND I'M SITTING THERE AND I'LL JUST SAY SOMETHING RANDOM LIKE, OH YEAH, MULTICULTURAL COMMITTEE.

AND THEY'RE LIKE, I DIDN'T KNOW FRISCO HAD ONE OF THOSE. SO JUST REALLY TRYING TO LET PEOPLE KNOW AND BE AWARE AND THEY'RE LIKE, OKAY, WHAT DO YOU DO? AND THEN JUST, YOU KNOW, TELLING THEM, YOU'RE LIKE, OH, I HAVE THIS EVENT. MY, MY ORGANIZATION AT MY CHURCH IS DOING OR, YOU KNOW, AT OUR SCHOOL OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, YOU START TO HEAR ABOUT THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.

AND THEN ALSO WE'VE, WE'VE ALSO BEEN LEARNING HOW TO MAKE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS NOT JUST WITH THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT EVEN WITH THE PEOPLE ON THE CITY COUNCIL OR THE STAFF, BECAUSE KNOWING HOW WHAT THEY NEED AND HOW THEY NEED US TO BRING THINGS TO THEM SO THAT WE CAN GET THINGS DONE IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND SO WE'VE BEEN WE'VE LEARNED THAT, OKAY, IT'S NOT ALWAYS A NO, IT'S MAYBE A NOT RIGHT NOW, OR IT MIGHT BE A PUT IT IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY UNKNOWN TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK WITHIN THE CONFINES. AND SO I PUT THIS ON HERE JUST TALKING ABOUT RICHARDSON BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF PARTNERSHIP THAT WE CAN DO SOME TALKING THAT WE CAN HAVE.

I KNOW YOU GUYS CAN GIVE US SOME ADVICE ON SOME WAYS TO DO SOME THINGS OR GIVE US SOME INSIGHT ON HOW WE CAN WE CAN DO BETTER, BE BETTER. BUT HERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT, LIKE I SAID, FROM WHAT WE LEARNED, YOU'VE ALREADY GOT CITY COUNCIL. I SEE THAT THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE LACKING THE CITY COUNCIL BUY IN ON OURS, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.

WE'RE BUILDING THAT THIS YEAR STAFF SUPPORT. AS I SAID HERE, IT ACCELERATES WHAT TAKES VOLUNTEERS MUCH LONGER TO MOVE AND THEN START TRACKING

[00:10:05]

AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS IF YOU'RE ATTENDING THE EVENTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, FIND OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY CAME TO THOSE EVENTS.

AND THEN YOU KNOW, EVEN YOU'RE NOT JUST THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, BUT YOUR PERCENTAGES OF DEMOGRAPHICS, LIKE WHO WAS ACTUALLY REALLY THERE. AND THEN THAT HELPS YOU TO BUILD ON WHAT YOU NEED TO WORK ON SO THAT YOU CAN START BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND THEN OF COURSE, YOU GUYS HAVE TO BUDGET.

SO WE'RE GOING TO EXPLOIT THAT PERSON EXACTLY THERE.

ALL RIGHT. SO THESE ARE OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE FOR THIS YEAR.

WE SET THESE IN PLACE IN DECEMBER OF 2025. SO WE HAD A NEW WE HAD SOME THAT THE WAY THEY DO OUR BOARD WHEN WE FIRST CAME IN, WE WERE TWO YEARS, SOME WERE TWO YEAR TERMS AND SOME WERE ONE YEAR TERMS. SO IT WAS SATURDAY. AND SO WE HAD A FEW FALL OFF FROM THE ONE YEAR TERM.

AND WE HAD THOSE THAT REMAINED. IT WAS A TWO YEAR TERM. SO I'M STILL HERE.

BUT AT THAT TIME WE HAD A FEW NEW PEOPLE THAT CAME IN.

AND SO IT WAS A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GO AHEAD AND START PUTTING SOME THINGS IN PLACE. AND WE DECIDED TO HAVE OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION. AND SO DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, THAT'S WHEN WE DECIDED WHAT THESE WOULD BE. SO WE AGREED AS A COMMITTEE THAT THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD JUST FOCUS ON FOR 2026.

AND SO STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS, FORMALIZING OUR PROCESSES AND STRATEGIC ADVOCACY.

AND SO AS SIMPLE AS THOSE MIGHT SEEM, THEY, THEY'RE NOT THAT SIMPLE.

JUST EVEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES ARE AND WHO THE COMMUNITY LEADERS ARE AND HOW DO YOU CONTACT THEM AND WHAT IS IT THAT THEY NEED? AND THEN IN SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES, SOME GROUPS, RIGHT, HAVE MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE GROUP.

SO THEN UNDERSTANDING THOSE SUBSETS WITHIN EACH COMMUNITY.

SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD A LOT OF LEARNING THIS YEAR, I WILL SAY, AND I AND I'VE TRAVELED ALL OVER THE WORLD, BUT JUST IN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE IN ALL THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED WITHIN IT, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES TIME. AND THEN FINDING THOSE RIGHT PEOPLE, NOT JUST THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE A COMMUNITY LEADER, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO TRULY ARE LEADING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

SO FINDING THOSE PEOPLE, MOST OF THE TIME, YOU CAN'T REALLY FIND THEM, RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY'RE BUSY DOING THE WORK. SO FINDING OUT WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE HAVE THE INFLUENCE WITHIN THEIR SUBSETS SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY SPEAK TO THOSE PEOPLE AND SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THOSE PEOPLE TO YOU TO HELP YOU BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH THE STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS AND FORMALIZED PROCESSES IS EXACTLY.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS. FIGURING OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO STUFF, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN ALIGN THINGS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, HOW THEY'RE ALREADY DOING THINGS, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, MIRRORING THEM IN A LOT OF OUR PRACTICES AND JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE WANTING TO SAY THAT WE DID FOR THE YEAR.

RIGHT. SO HOW ARE WE IF WE DON'T HAVE A FORMAL PROCESS OF DOING THINGS, HOW CAN WE SAY THIS IS WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED AT THE END OF THE YEAR? AND SO THAT'S ALWAYS THE GOAL. WHAT DID YOU DO NEXT? SO WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT THAT. WHAT DID WE GET DONE? AND I THINK I SAID THIS IN OUR LAST BOARD MEETING, WHENEVER WE WHEN WE FINISH, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WHEN WE FINISH ANY KIND OF EVENT OR ANY ACTIVITY, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WHAT CAME OF IT.

AND THEN THAT GOES IN OUR REPORT AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO ALWAYS REMEMBERING THAT YOU HAVE A REPORT THAT'S. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS DO, BUT WE HAVE A REPORT THAT'S DUE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO I SAY WE'RE ALWAYS REMEMBERING WE HAVE A REPORT THAT'S DUE. WE'RE ALWAYS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING TRACK. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN THE STRATEGIC ADVOCACY IS, IS WORKING NOT JUST WITH THE COMMUNITY, BUT WITH THE CITY ITSELF, BECAUSE WE ARE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, RIGHT? SO WE ARE LIAISONS ADVISORS TO THE BOARD AND I MEAN TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

AND SO JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP AND THAT RELATIONSHIP.

AND SO OF COURSE, THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT FRISCO.

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT RICHARDSON. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT DFW.

IT'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE STATE OF TEXAS, THE WHOLE NATION.

RIGHT. SO WE WE'RE ALL DOING A GOOD WORK TO TRY TO BRING ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER.

WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO BRING ALL THE DIFFERENT DIVERSE ETHNIC CULTURES TOGETHER IN SOME WAY, SHAPE, FORM, OR FASHION. SO THE WAY THAT WE CAN DO THIS ACROSS CITIES FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IS THAT WE CAN SHARE WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT ISN'T. AND I THINK I KIND OF TOLD YOU KIND OF WHAT WE'RE WHAT'S WORKING FOR US.

WE CAN COLLABORATE BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S PROBABLY SOME EVENTS THAT YOU GUYS ARE HAVING THAT MAYBE WE AREN'T.

WE, I KNOW THERE'S A COUPLE OF MONTHS THIS YEAR THAT WE HAVE, LIKE, I'M GOING TO JUST USE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, RIGHT? SO LET'S SAY WE HAVE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH EVENT, BUT WE'RE NOT HAVING ONE FOR THE CITY.

BUT YOU GUYS ARE. AND MAYBE WE CAN COME AND JUST KIND OF SEE HOW YOU GUYS ARE DOING IT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE ON YOUR END SO THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE IT OR GIVE SOME ADVICE TO OUR CITY SO THAT THEY CAN DO SOMETHING FOR THAT COMMUNITY.

AND THEN OF COURSE, CONNECTING OUR NETWORKS AND CHAMPIONING THE FACT THAT WE, THAT THERE ARE THESE GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING TOGETHER THAT HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO

[00:15:10]

HERE'S SOME QUESTIONS THAT I PUT TOGETHER THAT WE CAN CONSIDER AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO NETWORK AFTERWARDS, BUT I JUST THOUGHT THAT MAYBE AFTER THIS FIGHT, I'M GOING TO ALLOW DYLAN AND SHANE TO HELP WITH SOME Q&A.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN JUST KIND OF TALK THROUGH SOME OF THESE THINGS REALLY BRIEFLY IF THAT'S ALLOWED.

MADAM CHAIR AND SO BUT WHAT ARE SOME RESOURCES THAT YOU HAVE THAT YOU CAN SHARE? MAYBE WE HAVE SOME RESOURCES THAT WE CAN SHARE.

I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ARE, BUT, YOU KNOW, AS WE BRAINSTORM, WE MIGHT FIGURE OUT WHAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME. RIGHT.

AND THEN HOW, HOW ARE YOU GUYS MEASURING SUCCESS? LIKE, MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE US SOME INSIGHT ON THAT SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF REFORMULATE WHAT WE'RE DOING.

HOW IS YOUR STRATEGIC PLANNING GOING? YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FOR THIS YEAR? SO MAYBE WE CAN BOUNCE THAT TOGETHER AND SAY, OKAY, NEXT YEAR, WE MIGHT INCORPORATE SOME OF THOSE THINGS IN WHAT WE'RE DOING AND VICE VERSA. ALL RIGHT. AND SO CULTURE ISN'T AN ADD ON.

IT'S WHO WE ARE. AND THIS IS OUR FESTIVAL OF COLORS EVENT.

AND IT'S SPONSORED BY THE CITY. SO YEAH. SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. YES. YES. DO THAT AND GET VISIBILITY INTO WHAT OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES ARE DOING.

AND I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THIS IN A WAY THAT IT'S VERY COLLABORATIVE.

LIKE YOU'RE ASKING US HOW WE CAN ACTUALLY COLLABORATE AND WORK TOGETHER ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

SO I OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS. FOLKS CAN ASK QUESTIONS NOW AND THEN.

I THINK WE CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF DYLAN AND THE OTHERS ARE GOING TO TOUCH UPON THE SAME THING, BUT WE CAN FIRST START WITH QUESTIONS.

YES. CONGRATULATIONS. YOU GUYS HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB.

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN MEASURING BELONGING. WHICH WHICH VARIABLES DO YOU USE TO MEASURE BELONGING? MEASURE BELONGING. YEAH. OR CAN YOU START. CAN YOU START BY DEFINING BELONGING AND THEN HOW YOU MEASURE IT? YEAH. WELL, YEAH, I THINK WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF WHAT LOGGING IS.

FOR ME, IT'S REALLY FEELING THAT THEY ARE THRIVING.

THEY'RE GROWING IN THEIR OWN UNIQUE WAY. BUT ONE THING THE CHALLENGE WITH MULTICULTURAL IS EVERY CULTURE HAS A DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION OF WHAT BELONGING IS LIKE. BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THEY CAN TALK MORE IN DETAIL IF THEY WERE COLLABORATIVE, EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS NOT A CITY OF FRISCO EVENT.

BUT THEY DID SOMETHING RECENTLY THAT CREATED A SPACE FOR BELONGING TO OCCUR.

AND PART OF THAT WAS TO SUPPORT THE HINDU AMERICAN, HINDU AMERICAN COMMUNITY THAT NEEDED BETTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE POLICE CHIEF, THE FIRE CHIEF, THE CITY MANAGER AND THE MAYOR.

AND BUT IT WAS IN A SAFE CONVERSATION THAT JUST INCLUDED SPECIFICALLY WITH HINDU AMERICANS.

AND SO THAT IS ONE EXAMPLE OF CREATING SPACE, BUT SPACE THAT IS SAFE AND SECURE IN A SENSE OF WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT SENSITIVE TOPICS OF CONCERN.

AND. BUT IT WAS LED BY A DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE CITY OF FRISCO THAT LED THIS SORT OF EVENT.

BUT I THINK BELONGING IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, I KNOW WE HAVE THE THE LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVAL THAT WE DID EARLIER THIS YEAR. AND THAT WAS A COMBINED EFFORT BETWEEN COUNCIL AND MAYOR AND, AND THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT I'M GOING TO LET SHANE AND CAM ELABORATE ON.

YEAH, I YOU KNOW, DYLAN NAILED IT OFF THE TOP, WHICH IS WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS OF BELONGING.

BUT YOU DID SAY SOMETHING THAT I WAS GOING TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF, WHICH IS THAT YOU SAID SAFETY AND COMFORT IS WHAT YOU SAID SECURE.

SECURE. WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT BELONGING LOOKS LIKE, IT'S EXACTLY THAT IT IS.

DO I FEEL SAFE AND SECURE IN MY COMMUNITY? RIGHT.

AND I KIND OF THINK ABOUT IT. AND YOU THINK ABOUT YOURSELF IN YOUR OWN HOME.

[00:20:04]

AND I BELIEVE PART OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS MAKING SURE THAT EXPERIENCE EXISTS WHEN YOU LEAVE THE FOUR WALLS OF YOUR HOME.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE ARE. I'M GOING TO SAY I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE MEASURING IT.

I DON'T BELIEVE WE ARE ACCURATE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT'S A HARD THING TO MEASURE, BUT.

BUT I THINK WE ARE IN A UNIQUE POSITION BECAUSE AS AS A BOARD, SINCE OUR SINCE OUR CREATION, WE'RE IN A UNIQUE POSITION WHERE AS MORE OF OUR COMMUNITY LEARNS ABOUT US, THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE COMING TO US SAYING, HEY, THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MAKE US UNCOMFORTABLE.

DON'T FEEL LIKE WE BELONG. AND DYLAN WAS JUST SPEAKING ABOUT IT.

WE JUST RECENTLY PUT ON, WHICH WAS JUST A COMMUNITY FIRESIDE CHAT, ESSENTIALLY A VERY INTIMATE WITH FOUR CITY OFFICIALS WHERE THEY COULD ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON THAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS EXPRESSED.

AND SO I THINK IT REALLY IS JUST ABOUT CREATING THOSE SPACES.

THE MEASURING, I THINK. YEAH. AGAIN, WE'RE STILL FIGURING THAT OUT, BUT I FOR ME AT LEAST, MY ANSWER WOULD BE JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE TO EXPRESS IF THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG.

AND I'LL JUST ADD THAT IT WAS JUST IT WASN'T THE HINDU AMERICAN.

IT WAS THE INDIAN AMERICAN INDIAN. SO WHAT WE HAD TO DO, THIS IS WHERE I WAS SAYING THAT EARLIER THIS YEAR, I HAD TO LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT SUBSETS. SO I HAD TO ACTUALLY HAVE A SPEED CLASS ON ALL THE DIFFERENT SUBSETS OF THE INDIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE CITY OF BRISTOL. AND THEN I HAD TO FIND EACH COMMUNITY LEADER THAT REPRESENTED THEM AND TRY TO GET THEM IN THAT ROOM.

AND SO BUT THAT'S WHAT WE DID BECAUSE THAT WAS THE THAT WAS THE COMMUNITY THAT WAS HAVING AN ISSUE AT THE MOMENT.

AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE OKAY.

AND SO I THINK LIKE TO ADD ON TO THAT. SO MAYBE WE'RE NOT MEASURING IT IN A, IN A TANGIBLE WAY PER SE, BUT WE ARE LISTENING. AND SO WHEN SOMEONE COMES, WE TRY TO RESPOND.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF I TRY TO FIND A WAY TO RESPOND THAT IS WITHIN THE CONFINES OF WHAT WE CAN DO AS CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, BUT ALSO THAT SAID, THAT PUTS THE COMMUNITY FIRST.

SO NOT A POLITIC SITUATION. NONE OF THAT. WE'RE BOARDS AND COMMISSION.

WE REPRESENT THE MULTICULTURAL, THE THE DIVERSE ETHNIC CULTURES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE DO. WE PUT THAT FIRST BEFORE EVERYTHING ELSE.

I MEAN, AT LEAST I DO. THAT'S HOW I LOOK AT IT WHENEVER IT COMES TO ANYTHING. I'M LIKE, BECAUSE I KNOW EVEN WHEN WE PUT THAT TOGETHER, PEOPLE SAID, CAN WE WAIT TILL AFTER ELECTIONS? AND I SAID, CAN THEY WAIT TILL AFTER ELECTIONS? YOU KNOW WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT, HOW THEY FEEL RIGHT NOW? OR THESE THESE ELECTIONS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH HOW THEY'RE FEELING RIGHT NOW.

AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT. AND SO IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE ADDRESS THE SITUATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THAT COMMUNITY FELT BELONGING. AND I WILL SAY IT WAS A VERY I THOUGHT IT WAS A SUCCESS BECAUSE I HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE PRIOR TO THE EVENT TELL ME THEY DIDN'T WANT TO COME.

THEY DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD RESOLVE ANYTHING. THEY DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD MAKE THEM FEEL ANY BETTER AFTER THE EVENT.

EVEN DURING DIDN'T IT? SEVERAL SAID THEY WERE SO GLAD THAT THEY CAME AND THAT THEY FELT BETTER.

SO EVEN LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT. IT WAS SMALL AND WE PARTNERED WITH ANOTHER BECAUSE WE COULDN'T DO IT AS A MULTICULTURAL COMMITTEE, BUT WE COULD PARTNER WITH AN ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE CITY. AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID. WE FOUND AN INDIAN AMERICAN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS WILLING TO PARTNER WITH US TO PUT IT TOGETHER. AND THEN WE GOT, AS THE COMMITTEE GOT THE CITY INVOLVED AND MADE SURE THAT THOSE PEOPLE WERE IN THE ROOM THAT NEEDED TO BE IN THE ROOM SO THAT THEY COULD TALK TO IT.

WELL, AND I'LL JUST SAY, WE'RE STILL IN THE EARLY STAGES OF DEFINING HOW WE MEASURE THE LIVES.

AND SO KEEP IN MIND, LIKE ANY ORGANIZATION OR ANY COMMITTEE, IT TAKES TIME TO PROCESS.

AND I THINK PART OF IT IS THIS IS I'LL BE STRAIGHT UP FOR AND I KNOW CITY OF RICHARDSON HAD A SIMILAR ENCOUNTER.

THIS IS NEW TERRITORY. AND SO WHEN IT'S NEW TERRITORY, THEY'RE JUST STILL FIGURING OUT THEIR ROPES.

AND SO I THINK IT'S A HARD JOB. AND THAT'S WHY BEING STRATEGICALLY FOCUSING ON STRATEGIC ADVOCACY SO THAT WE CAN BUILD ALLIANCES AND SUPPORT, KIND OF LIKE YOU HAVE IN JENNIFER COUNCIL MEMBER JENNIFER JUSTICE.

I SEE JENNIFER BECAUSE YOU WENT TO LEADERSHIP NORTH TEXAS TOGETHER. BUT ANYWAY, SO REALLY HAVING THAT KIND OF LIAISON.

YEAH. FOLLOW UP ON, ON THAT ON THE COMMUNITY SPACES OR LIKE A PLURALISM PROJECTS, RIGHT.

SO IS THERE A CADENCE FOR THAT? IS IT LIKE A EVERY TWO MONTHS OR YOU HAVE A NEED BASIS? SO IN THE PAST, BEFORE WE BECAME AN OFFICIAL BOARDS AND COMMISSION, IT WAS ME BASIS.

[00:25:02]

WE ARE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT, SEE HOW IT WORKS.

AND THEN NOW WE CAN KIND OF GET THE CONCEPT OF HOW WE WOULD PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER. SO I, AND I DO THINK, HONESTLY, WHEN WE FIRST WERE FORMED, WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE CHIEF OF POLICE OR THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OF POLICE, AND THEY HAD TALKED ABOUT HOW THEY'D DONE THINGS IN THE PAST.

AND WE WERE LIKE, WELL, THIS NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING ONGOING SO THAT WE HAVE LIKE REGULAR COMMUNITY EDUCATION.

THAT'S ONE OF OUR THINGS, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY.

SO WE NEED THINGS THAT ARE ALWAYS HAPPENING. SO YOU GET AHEAD OF IT.

I'M, I'M FORMER MILITARY. AND SO I DON'T LIKE BEING REACTIVE.

I LIKE TO BE PROACTIVE. I'M JUST THAT'S JUST HOW I'M WIRED.

SO LET'S, YOU KNOW, LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW, LET'S LOOK DOWN THE LINE AND SEE HOW THIS MIGHT HAPPEN.

AND LET'S PUT SOME THINGS IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN CIRCUMVENT IT. YEAH, THAT IS A HEAVY TOPIC.

SO THAT WAS VERY CURIOUS TO SEE HOW THAT WORKS.

BUT I ACTUALLY HAD A DIFFERENT QUESTION. THAT'S OKAY. YEAH.

GO AHEAD. SO THE CROSS CULTURAL EVENTS, YOU HAD A SLIDE WHICH HAD DIFFERENT LIKE DIWALI AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

IS THERE A, YOU KNOW AN EFFORT OR A, OR A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE TO ENCOURAGE CROSS CULTURAL FUNCTIONS TO BE ATTENDED BY DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON. SO LIKE I SAID, LAST YEAR, WE SPENT OUR TIME JUST GOING TO THE EVENTS.

SO JUST SEEING KIND OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING, WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE.

AND SO NOW WE'RE SEEING. OKAY. AND I THINK I MENTIONED THAT IN THE PRESENTATION THAT WE NOTICED THAT EVERYONE GOES TO THEIR EVENTS, BUT NO ONE GOES TO EVERYONE ELSE'S. AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS THE EDUCATION PIECE, RIGHT? SO IF YOU START LETTING PEOPLE KNOW, LIKE THESE ARE SOME EVENTS THAT HAPPEN AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS AT THAT EVENT AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME, THEN, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT OPENS UP MY EYES, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I WANT TO I HAD HAD THIS EVENT IN THAT WE WERE SUPPORTING WAS A BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM. AND I TOLD ONE OF MY NEIGHBORS, HEY, SHE'S PERSIAN.

AND I SAID, HEY, YOU SHOULD COME TO THIS BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM WITH ME. SHE SAID, I'M NOT BLACK. WHY WOULD I COME? I SAID, THAT'S WHY YOU WOULD COME. SO I THINK THAT SOMETIMES WE THINK LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW.

AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, JUST DOING THAT EDUCATION PIECE AND SAYING LIKE, HEY, YES, WE'RE DOING THIS TO CELEBRATE OUR CULTURE, BUT ACTUALLY WE'RE ALSO DOING IT TO EDUCATE YOU ON OUR CULTURES.

WE WANT YOU TO COME SO THAT YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT OUR CULTURE.

YEAH. SO A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS IS NUMBER ONE IS THAT DOES THE CITY OF FRISCO CONSULT YOU ON ISSUES AROUND THE CITY? ARE YOU ASKED TO COMMENT ON CERTAIN ISSUES? SO IT'S A LITTLE IT'S NOT DIRECTLY I'LL SAY THAT.

BUT THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THAT STRATEGIC ADVOCACY AS ONE OF OUR STRATEGIES FOR THIS YEAR.

ONE OF OUR THINGS THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.

SO IT HAS THE REASON WHY WE ACTUALLY DID THE EVENT WE DID IS BECAUSE IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME.

HEY, WHAT ARE Y'ALL GOING TO DO? I'M LIKE, OKAY.

MAYOR. I DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO SOMETHING. SO LEARNING, RIGHT? SO AND SO IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE COMING AND SAYING, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING. WE NEED Y'ALL TO DO THIS. IT'S NOT THAT FLAT OUT JUST YET, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING TOWARD THAT WITH STRATEGIC ADVOCACY.

SO JUST FOR THE CLARIFICATION, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY HERE IS AWARE OF THE SITUATION OF WHAT HAPPENED IN FRISCO.

IF YOU'RE AT THE LIBERTY OF DISCUSSING A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON WHAT IS, I THINK YOU MENTIONED THE INDIAN AMERICAN CITIZENS.

IF YOU COULD ACTUALLY, IN A WAY KIND OF EXPLAIN LIKE, WHAT IS THE SITUATION YOU GUYS WERE CALLED TO SOLVE? BECAUSE I DON'T THINK EVERYBODY ON THE TABLE IS KIND OF AWARE OF IT.

SO ON FEBRUARY 6TH, WE HAD A FEW PEOPLE ATTEND ONE OF OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, AND THE PEOPLE THAT ATTENDED WERE NOT NECESSARILY CITIZENS OF FRISCO.

AND WHEN THEY ATTENDED THE MEETING, THEY CAME WITH A LOT OF RHETORIC. THERE WAS A LOT OF HATE TALKING.

JUST REALLY NASTY WORDS AND THINGS. AND SO FROM THAT POINT, YOU WOULD THINK, OKAY, IT WAS A ONE TIME EVENT, BUT IT JUST CONTINUED TO HAPPEN AND IT GOT BIGGER.

I THINK OUR LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING, WE HAD OVER 50 PEOPLE.

I THINK THEY WERE ON THE. THEY WERE THERE UNTIL 1:00 IN THE MORNING WITH ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE COMING WITH CITIZENS.

SO WE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF WE'VE HAD A LOT OF TENSION IN THE COMMUNITY AROUND THE INDIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.

AND I WILL SAY IT HAS TO DO WITH SOME OF IT HAS TO DO WITH LIKE H-1B VISAS, WHICH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

RIGHT. SO CITY COUNCIL CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.

HOWEVER, MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT EDUCATED ON HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS, AND SO THEY JUST WANT TO GO WHEREVER THEY CAN TO GET THEIR TIKTOK VIEWS RIGHT.

SO SO THEY SHOW UP TO CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. AND SO SO THAT'S KIND, AND THAT'S MY OPINION ON PARTY OF ONE.

[00:30:02]

AND WE WERE FEELING LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE INDIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY WAS FEELING SOME KIND OF WAY.

WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW THEY FELT ABOUT IT. THEY HAD BEEN HANDLING IT PRETTY WELL.

LIKE THEY WOULD SHOW UP AT SOME OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND WOULD SPEAK IN WITH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE EDUCATIONAL PIECE, RIGHT. REALLY WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING, RIGHT.

SO THEY'RE GIVING ALL THE EDUCATION ON THEIR COMMUNITY TO TRY TO CIRCUMVENT THE NEGATIVE STUFF THAT WAS BEING SAID.

AND SO WE JUST DECIDED, HEY, WE NEED TO PUT TOGETHER A FORUM AND HEAR FROM THEM AND HEAR WHAT IT IS THAT THEY NEEDED FROM US, IF ANYTHING, AND HOW THEY FELT, AND TO GIVE THEM THAT REASSURANCE THAT THE CITY IS ON THEIR SIDE.

BECAUSE I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE WOULD COME, THEY WOULD JUST ACCUSE THE CITY COUNCIL OF NOT DOING ANYTHING.

BUT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THE CITY COUNCIL CAN DO.

AND SO JUST KIND OF GIVING THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR AND LEARN AND UNDERSTAND.

AND THEN ALSO FOR THE THE CITY, BECAUSE WE HAD THE CHIEF OF POLICE, CHIEF OF FIRE, THE MAYOR AND THE CITY MANAGER IN THE ROOM.

SO THOSE WERE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT CAN TELL YOU ALL THE ANSWERS, RIGHT? AND SO THEY WERE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT YOU DO IN THESE EVENTS OR WHATEVER.

WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT? OKAY, WELL, THIS IS THE ANSWER TO THAT.

SO IT WAS A REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION. AND SO THAT'S WHAT.

YOU'RE HAVING A MAYOR ELECTION, RIGHT? WHAT IF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACCOMMODATING VOTED OUT.

MAYBE WE DON'T PUT THEM IN. I WAS TALKING MY OP ED PIECE WILL BE UP TO MAKE SURE YOU HIT LIKE, RIGHT. OKAY. BUT NO. SO YOU KNOW, THAT'S CAUSING MORE TENSION, OBVIOUSLY, AND MORE DIVISION.

AND I WILL BE HONEST. SO I KNOW YOU SAY, WELL, HOW DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE CITY? SO I'VE BEEN WALKING AROUND TELLING PEOPLE AND I SAID IN VOTING LINES AND I'M CHAIR OF THE MULTICULTURAL CITY AND I'M GETTING TEXT MESSAGES ON A FRIDAY NIGHT THAT ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW, BUT AND SO I SO NOW PEOPLE ARE REACHING OUT AND SAYING, HEY, WELL, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING.

DID YOU SEE THIS REDDIT POST? AND THEY'RE SENDING ME STUFF AND, OR SOMEONE SAID THIS TO ME OR THIS HAPPENED TO MY CHILDREN OR WHATEVER.

AND SO YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS THAT WE CAN WORK ON IT.

WE HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S RECENTLY HAPPENED.

YOU KNOW, WE SIT AND WE JUST, WE TRY TO MOVE AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.

AND WHENEVER WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T AFFECT THE POLITICAL PART.

RIGHT. BUT WE CAN CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY PART.

AND I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT YOU. AND SO I KNOW THAT OUR I KNOW THAT OUR COMMUNITY, THERE'S DIFFERENT SUBSETS THAT ARE LIKE, NOW IT'S THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY.

OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE HAVING TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, WHAT DO WE DO TO HELP THEM? AND SO IT'S REALLY, UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK THE POLITICAL TEMPERATURE IS CAUSING US TO HAVE TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE ALERT, MORE VIGILANT, AND JUST REALLY LIKE ACTIVELY PAYING ATTENTION AND THEN COMING UP WITH SOLUTIONS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE WE JUST TALKED ABOUT IS IT ONGOING? RIGHT. BUT SO WE'RE AT ONE POINT WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S ONGOING, BUT AT THE SAME TIME HEALTHY REACTIVE.

BUT WE CAN DO BOTH, RIGHT? SO WE STILL PLAN OUR LONG TERM, BUT THEN WE, WE STILL TRY TO SERVE.

I'LL JUST ADD, JUST SO YOU KNOW, I COME FROM A MUSLIM FAMILY AND SO FORTH.

SO I HAVE A VERY. AND I'LL JUST SPEAK FOR MYSELF IN THIS SITUATION JUST ON THE RECORD.

BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THIS IS THIS IS WHY, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS A MAYOR LED COMMITTEE, AND THEY COULD COME AND GO AFTER THE ELECTION. I'LL BE STRAIGHT UP HONEST.

THIS COULD BE WE COULD BE LOSING, POTENTIALLY LOSING THIS COMMITTEE.

AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, OUR WORK WILL STILL CONTINUE AS CITIZENS.

BUT I WILL SAY THAT THE THE KEY INDICATOR IS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS.

YOU HAVE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COUNCIL AND WITH THE MAYOR AND THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY STAFF.

AND WITHOUT THAT, THERE'S NO SUSTAINING FACTOR OF THIS COMMITTEE.

AND SO LIKE YOUR ORGANIZATION, YOUR COMMITTEE, YOUR BOARD COMMISSION IS SO IMPORTANT TO BE PRESENT IN THE TIME.

YES. BE BE ALERT. BUT I THINK AT THE SAME TIME, AS APPOINTED OFFICIALS, WE HAVE TO ACT REASONABLY AND ETHICALLY WITHIN OUR CONFINES AS REPRESENTATIVES. BUT AS PRIVATE CITIZENS, WE HAVE A BIGGER OBLIGATION TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.

AND WE OFTEN COMMUNICATING THE VALUE OF WHAT THIS COMMITTEE OR BOARD DOES.

AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO NAVIGATE THOSE WATERS, LIKE YOU SAID, IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE PROACTIVE, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME MEETING THE VARIOUS DEGREES OF WHAT COUNCIL WAS LOOKING TO DO.

[00:35:03]

SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY HAVING TO NAVIGATE THOSE WATERS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME BUILD ALIGNMENT WITH THE ENTIRE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR.

SO IT'S IT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE. SOMETIMES WE'RE HANGING ON A THREAD.

AND BUT FRANKLY, I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY FOCUS ON IS STICK WITH WHAT OUR MISSION IS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, WHAT IS OUR VISION, BUT ALSO WHAT IS OUR MISSION, WHAT WE ARE SET OUT TO DO.

BUT I THINK IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL LAST SEVERAL WEEKS IN THIS UPCOMING MONTH IS REALLY ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS.

AND LIKE ANY ORGANIZATION, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE RELATIONSHIP, I MEAN, I HAVE DIRECT RELATIONSHIP FOR OVER FIVE YEARS NOW.

AND JENNIFER, I'VE KNOWN FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS.

AND SO PART OF THAT IS BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.

AND YES, SOME OF US WORK AROUND THE CLOCK, YOU KNOW? YEAH. YEAH. SO I JUST GIVE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE.

YEAH. YEAH. I HAVE A QUESTION. I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE FORMS OF COMMUNICATION BECAUSE I REALLY LIKED WHAT SHANE SAID ABOUT HOW YOU WANT COMMUNITIES TO FEEL COMFORTABLE COMING TO YOU WITH CONCERNS.

SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE SPOKEN TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.

YOU MENTIONED PEOPLE TEXTING YOU, MEETING PEOPLE GOING MAYBE GOING TO EVENTS, INTRODUCING YOURSELVES IN PERSON, BUT IS THERE, YOU KNOW, A MORE OFFICIAL OR FORMAL WAY OF COMMUNICATION WHERE CITIZENS COULD SUBMIT THEIR CONCERNS OR THEIR THOUGHTS ON OUR ON THE WEBSITE? SO THE ONLY WEBSITE THAT WE HAVE IS THE CITY OF FRISCO WEBSITE FOR OUR PAGES, FOR THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

AND SO THEY'RE ABLE TO SUBMIT THEIR AND THEN THEY CAN ALSO SUBMIT DIRECTLY TO OUR CITY LIAISONS.

AND SO WE'VE HAD SOME REQUESTS THAT COME THROUGH THEM AS WELL.

THAT'S USUALLY HOW EVERYTHING GOES. BUT I THINK THAT AS YOU'RE NAVIGATING THE RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, SOME PEOPLE LIKE THIS, AND THIS WAS A PERSON THAT JUST MOVED TO FRISCO.

SHE'S ONLY BEEN THERE THREE MONTHS. SO I THINK SHE FELT MORE COMFORTABLE JUST COMING DIRECTLY TO ME AND SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW I FEEL. SO I THINK, OH YEAH. YES, YES, YES. BUT BUT BUT YES. SO, BUT THE, BUT THE WAY THAT, THAT WE WOULD EARN IS THROUGH THE WEBSITE THAT WE HAVE.

SO. WELL, WELL I KNOW, GO AHEAD. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY DYLAN ALSO KIND OF JUST HINTED AT THAT, BUT IT REALLY STILL FOLLOWS OR BOILS DOWN TO RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.

RIGHT. THERE IS AN OFFICIAL WAY TO DO IT. AND EVERY PERSON THAT COMES UP TO ME AND SAYS, HEY, I'M THINKING ABOUT THIS, OR I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THIS, I CAN SAY, GO TO THE WEBSITE, FILL IT OUT.

RIGHT. BUT JUST OUTSIDE OF A CITY CONTEXT, THINK ABOUT ANY TIME YOU'VE EVER SHOPPED SOMEWHERE, RIGHT? AND THEY SAY, OH, YOU CAN DO THAT ONLINE.

THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR. I CAME TO YOU FOR A SPECIFIC REASON.

SO THAT'S THE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING ASPECT. SO WE DO HAVE AN OFFICIAL CHANNEL.

I PERSONALLY, I AM MORE COMFORTABLE GIVING OUT MY CONTACT INFORMATION AND BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE, THE, THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR. THEY CAME TO YOU FOR A SPECIFIC REASON.

BUT YEAH, IT JUST IS THE SMARTEST COMMUNICATION I WOULD SAY IS IF YOU CAN'T GO THE OFFICIAL ROUTE, IT'S THE CORE OF WHAT Y'ALL'S OVER HERE IS DOING AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING AS WELL, WHICH IS MAINTAINING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.

I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO ADD IS THAT THE THREE OF US A MONTH AGO WERE DEVELOPING ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES IS TO WORK WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND FIND WAYS TO LEVERAGE NOT JUST BEING.

THE CITY MAYOR'S OFFICE, BUT REALLY FOCUSING ON IS IT FRISCO OR IS IT A.

COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE THINKING OF IS, HOW DO WE GET THE WORD OUT OF THE DIVERSITY AND THE WELCOMING AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE CULTURE THAT WE ARE IN FRISCO AND HOW DO WE EMBRACE IT? AND SO WE CAME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS. AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE STRENGTHENING NEW TIES WITH OTHER CITY LEADERS, DEPARTMENT HEADS DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND, AND REALLY FOCUSING ON HOW DO WE MARKET THE GREAT, THE GREAT THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND HIGHLIGHTING AND MAKING IT MORE YEAR ROUND.

SO YES, WE DO HAVE A DEDICATED FORUM. YES. PEOPLE CAN ASK US FOR INFORMATION.

THERE IS A PROTOCOL, AS YOU KNOW, BLOCKING QUORUM AND ALL THOSE THINGS.

SO WE PREVENT THAT. BUT BUT I THINK WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT AHEAD OF THE CURVE.

AND BY LOOKING AT HOW DO WE MARKET FRISCO AND THE PEOPLE AND THE CULTURES AND THE FOODS AND ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT COMES IN FRISCO?

[00:40:08]

JUST TO SORT OF TOOT GREG'S HORN HERE, HE, HE HAS BROUGHT JUST ABOUT EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD IN THE CITY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE.

YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT THE, WHAT HAPPENS AT THE ICEMAN CENTER AND HOW CAN WE MAKE THAT MORE INCLUSIVE AND HOW CAN WE GET NEW COMMUNITIES TO VISIT THEIR OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, I BELIEVE YOU KNOW, OUR DOWNTOWN CORE DISTRICT PLACEMAKING DEPARTMENT.

AND SO TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU ALL ARE NOT DOING THAT OR HAVING THAT, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU BECAUSE GREG HAS BROUGHT THEM HERE.

IT'S NOT YOU HAVING TO SEEK OUT THOSE FOLKS. THEY COME HERE AND GET FEEDBACK FROM US.

SO WE ACTUALLY DO DO THAT. THEY COME ONCE A MONTH.

WE HAVE A NEW PERSON COME FROM A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT, AND ONCE A QUARTER WE ACTUALLY RELOCATE.

WE GO TO ONE OF THOSE PLACES AND WE HAVE OUR MEETING THERE.

SO THEY CAN ALSO PRESENT. AND WE CAN ALSO SEE WHERE IT IS AND SEE WHAT THEY HAVE AND GIVE US A TOUR IF NEEDED AND ALL OF THAT.

SO WE, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE FOR THIS YEAR.

SO YES, AND THAT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL. BUT THEN I THINK THAT THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT IS NOT JUST HAVING THEM COME AND PRESENT, IT'S WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE PRESENTATION, RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE. YOU GO TO A NETWORKING EVENT, YOU GET A BUNCH OF BUSINESS CARDS, AND YOU DON'T TEXT ANYONE OR EMAIL THEM. IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER.

I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE I WENT TO AN EVENT LAST WEEK AND I NEVER EMAILED PEOPLE. BUT AGAIN, IT'S WHAT HAPPENS, WHAT HAPPENS AFTER, YOU KNOW, THEY COME.

AND SO IT'S JUST MAINTAINING THAT RELATIONSHIP THROUGH THAT. WE WERE ABLE TO GET A PARTNERSHIP LAST YEAR, AND I KIND OF SLIPPED MY MIND TO VISIT FRISCO.

AND SO WE STARTED, WE PARTNERED WITH THEM WITH SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT THEY WERE PUTTING ON TO GET READY FOR FIFA, YOU KNOW, AND SO WE GOT WE GOT INCORPORATED IN THAT.

SO I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND SO IT'S JUST FINDING THOSE PRESENTATIONS, THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THEY'RE PRESENTING TO YOU, BUT THEN YOU'RE NOT JUST LEAVING IT AT, OKAY, NOW WE KNOW WHAT YOU DO, THAT'S GREAT. OR WE KNOW HOW WE CAN HELP YOU A LITTLE BIT. THAT'S FINE. BUT HOW CAN WE HELP YOU A LITTLE BIT BEYOND THE, THE TYPICAL YOU KNOW, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO MAKE IT MORE INCLUSIVE.

KNOW, WHAT CAN WE ACTUALLY DO PHYSICALLY TO COME IN AND HELP YOU DO THAT? YOU KNOW, TAKING IT A STEP ABOVE, NOT JUST GIVING YOU A WRITE UP, NOT JUST GIVING YOU A REPORT.

AND TO BE HONEST EVEN WITH OUR CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD THE OTHER MONTH SOMEONE HAD MENTIONED AT THE VERY BEGINNING, WELL, MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST BRING THEM IN A ROOM AND FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT THEY'RE FEELING, AND THEN WRITE A REPORT ON IT AND SEND IT OUT.

AND I WAS LIKE, THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK. THAT DOESN'T RESOLVE ANYTHING.

SO NO, YOU NEED AN ACTIVE CONVERSATION. SO JUST, YOU KNOW, TAKING THAT ACTION AND DOING MORE, JUST HAVING THE MEETINGS. MADAM CHAIR, WELL, FIRST, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU ALL.

IN FACT, I WROTE DOWN SEVERAL THINGS. FIRST, THE FACT THAT YOU ARE EDUCATING YOURSELF ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES, RIGHT. JUST TO EVEN BE ABLE TO CREATE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AGAIN, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S FOUNDATIONAL.

I ALSO VERY MUCH APPRECIATED WHEN YOU SAID HONEST REFLECTIONS IN THE SENSE THAT, YEAH, THIS, THIS WORK IS HARD AND THERE WASN'T A ROAD MAP OF HERE'S STEP ONE, STEP TWO, STEP THREE.

AND WE ARE FINDING THAT OUT TOO. SO IT'S, WE HAD THIS DIRECTION AND THEN MAYBE MAKE THIS PIVOT.

AND SO TO HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE ECHO WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF OUR EXPERIENCES, I ALSO REALLY APPRECIATED.

AND THEN ALSO I, AGAIN, I, I HEAR YOUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND WHILE OURS HAVE SOME DIFFERENT LANGUAGE OR SOME NUANCES I THINK WE'RE HEADED IN SUCH A SIMILAR DIRECTION.

AGAIN, THAT MAKES ALMOST VALIDITY. IT GIVES SOME VALIDITY TO THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE WHEN YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE.

GROUPS SUCH AS THIS AND SEVERAL CITIES THAT ARE POINTED THE RIGHT WAY.

WE MAY BE CALLED A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS, OR WE MAY HAVE A COUPLE DIFFERENT SENTIMENTS, BUT TO BE ABLE TO POINT THOSE SIMILAR DIRECTIONS, I THINK, AGAIN, IT JUST MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE THE WORK YOU'RE DOING WITH NINE IS MULTIPLIED IN OTHER AREAS.

AND SO AGAIN, NOTHING MORE THAN JUST TO COMMEND YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AND THE WILLINGNESS TO SHARE AND COLLABORATE IS DEFINITELY APPRECIATED.

SO APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE. THANK YOU. ARE YOU GETTING A LOT OF VOLUME FROM THE SPORTS COMMUNITY OR ALL THE SPORTS TEAMS OVER THERE? NOT YET, BUT THAT'S THEY'RE MOSTLY WORKING WITH VISIT FRISCO.

AND SO WE JUST KIND OF THEY, THEY MOSTLY WORK WITH VISIT FRISCO.

AND SO WE JUST KIND OF COME IN TO HELP THEM ON WHATEVER IS THEY NEED AS FAR AS THAT'S CONCERNED.

NOW, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT DYLAN WAS REFERRING TO, THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT ON, THOSE HAVE TO DO WITH WE'RE GOING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT. HAVE YOU HAD ANY SURVEYS OF THE CITY CONDUCTED ANY SURVEYS? DO YOU PLAN TO DO ANY SURVEYS? SO THE CITY DID DO A SURVEY.

[00:45:02]

SO WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THE COMMITTEE, WE WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT SURVEY AND IT HAD THEY HAD, I DON'T REMEMBER ALL OF THE DETAILS FROM THAT, BUT THEY DID IT BACK THEN.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE PLANS TO DO ANOTHER ONE THIS YEAR, BUT I'M SURE THERE SHOULD BE ONE COMING UP.

YEAH, I DON'T I DON'T THINK IT'S THIS YEAR, BUT IT WAS A VERY INTENSIVE SURVEY AND IT COVERED SO MUCH INFORMATION AND IT WAS MAILED OUT.

AND THEN THEY DIDN'T GET THE RESPONSES THEY WANTED FROM CERTAIN AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO I THINK PART OF IT IS THEY'RE TRYING TO STRATEGICALLY THINK HOW THEY CAN GET THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT MAYBE DIDN'T RESPOND AS MUCH AS THEY WANT. AND THEN HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH POLICE AND BAIL OUTS AND DEPARTMENTS AND PEOPLE ARE MOVING SO MUCH.

SO I THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO DO THE SURVEY.

THERE'S A COMMUNITY SATISFACTION SURVEY. YES.

AND WE HAD THE LIBRARY TO COME TO GIVE US A PRESENTATION.

I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY. SOME RECOGNITION HERE.

BUT THEY THEY PRESENTED THAT. BEFORE.

THEY STARTED, THEY STARTED A BOOK CLUB, BASICALLY.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WE CAN DO TOGETHER? OH. WHAT DO YOU THINK WE CAN DO TOGETHER? WHAT DO YOU. WELL, I WOULD LOVE AN OPPORTUNITY.

YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A FORMAL MEETING OR MAYBE A FORMAL MEETING. IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A COLLABORATION MEETING TO KIND OF SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER.

I'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU GUYS. I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL WANT TO COME OUT TO ONE OF OUR MEETINGS AND TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, SO WE CAN SEE WHERE THAT COLLABORATION CAN HAPPEN.

BUT I THINK THAT WILL BE A REALLY GOOD NEXT STEP, YOU KNOW, TO KIND OF SEE, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE WERE ALL FORMED IN THE SAME YEAR.

AND THEN I'M JUST GOING TO THROW THIS OUT THERE.

I CAN ALSO TELL ME HOW I CAN GET THAT SAME AWARD FOR OUR COMMITTEE.

THAT'S NICE. BUT YEAH, SO I MEAN, I THINK THE NEXT STEP WOULD PROBABLY BE TO EITHER HAVE YOU GUYS COME OUT AND THEN WE CAN HEAR EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND THEN WE CAN KIND OF ONE OFF MAYBE THE CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, WE CAN ALL GET TOGETHER BECAUSE I KNOW WE CAN'T HAVE SO MANY AT ONE MEETING.

WHAT'S YOUR GUYS'S NUMBER? OR IS THIS FOR WE CAN'T HAVE FOUR.

IT HAS TO BE NINE. EXCUSE ME. PEOPLE. YEAH. PEOPLE ARE THE SAME.

SAME. BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE A MAJORITY HOW COME YOU BE SO MAYBE A SMALLER PART, AND THEN WE CAN ALL GO BACK TO OUR COMMITTEES AND TELL THEM WHAT WAS DISCUSSED AND GO FROM THERE. I THINK THAT MAKES IT IT WORKS FASTER THAT WAY.

IF YOU HAVEN'T FIGURED THAT OUT, YOU GOT TO HAVE YOUR LITTLE SUBGROUPS.

WE'VE ACTUALLY STARTED WE'VE CREATED SOME SUBGROUPS, SOME SUBGROUPS IN OUR LAST MEETING.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE LITTLE GROUPS THAT ARE MEETING IN BETWEEN YOUR.

I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN YOU MEET. WE MEET ONCE A MONTH. IF YOU'RE ONLY MEETING ONCE A MONTH AND THE NEXT MONTH YOU'RE GOING OVER THE SAME STUFF YOU WENT OVER TWO MONTHS AGO, YOU'RE GOING TO FEEL LIKE YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANYTHING DONE. SO THERE'S GOT TO BE A WAY TO GET STUFF DONE IN BETWEEN. AND SO THAT'S HOW WE'VE KIND OF LEARNED, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOUR THREE HAVE YOUR MEETING, YOU KNOW, GET TOGETHER, COLLABORATE TOGETHER, COME UP WITH SOME THINGS. AND IT'S NOT A WALKING FORUM AS LONG AS YOU COME BACK AND PRESENT TO THE COMMITTEE.

AND SO THAT'S HOW THAT WORKS. SO YOU CAN TALK ABOUT STUFF TOGETHER IN A SMALL GROUP, BUT YOU HAVE TO COME BACK AND PRESENT WITH ME.

AND NOW EVERYBODY, NOW EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT IT.

AND SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS SAYING LEARNING LIKE HOW THE RULES WORK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE. WE'VE HAD THEM IN OUR MEETINGS, AND I'VE GONE TO OTHER MEETINGS WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO BE AT SO I COULD HEAR MORE, MORE QUESTIONS THAT I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OTHER PEOPLE AT OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

SO JUST KIND OF LEARNING SO I CAN KNOW, OKAY, HOW DO WE WORK SO THAT WE CAN DO THE WORK? SO AS A RICHARDSON NATIVE AND AS SOMEONE WHO GREW UP HERE AND KNOW THE.

CITY OF RICHARDSON HAS DONE IN RECENT YEARS, BUT ALSO WITH NOW LIVING IN FRISCO, THERE'S.

THERE'S TWO IMMEDIATE THINGS THAT I'M LOOKING AT IS HOW DO WE BRING LEADERS FROM BOTH RICHARDSON AND FRISCO TOGETHER AS ONE OPPORTUNITY, IN MY OPINION. AND THEN THE SECOND OPPORTUNITY IS REALLY HAVING A ONCE A MEETING, A YEAR COLLABORATION BETWEEN NOT JUST FRISCO AND RICHARDSON, BUT MAYBE OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE SIMILAR CAPACITY ORDERS AND JUST HAVE AN ANNUAL MEETING TOGETHER AND BUILDING FELLOWSHIP AND ALIGNMENT AND, AND LOOKING AT IT FROM A REGIONAL LENS.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, OUR MISSION IN FRISCO AND PROGRESS AND MOTION.

AND SO WHAT GREAT WAY TO ALIGN WITH PROGRESS IN MOTION MINDSET OF BUILDING THAT REGIONAL LENS.

AND I KNOW THE CITY OF RICHARDSON IS VERY COMMITTED TO A REGIONAL CAPACITY AND BEING A REGIONAL LEADER IN THAT IN THAT IN THAT FOREFRONT AS WELL AS FRISCO.

[00:50:06]

ANOTHER THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS I KNOW THAT COMMUNITIES HERE, I KNOW THERE'S A STRONG CATHOLIC COMMUNITY HERE IN RICHARDSON CATHOLIC COMMUNITY. WAS IT THE ONE ON COLLINS? IT'S RIGHT HERE.

YEAH, RIGHT OVER THERE. THE CATHOLICS KNOW THE CATHOLIC CHARITIES AND I'M SORRY.

IT'S LIKE A REGIONAL CHURCH, A COMMUNITY. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

I SHOULD KNOW THIS, BUT I'M SORRY. IT'S RIGHT HERE.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS. YEAH. OKAY. BUT ANYWAY, SO THAT MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY OF COLLABORATION.

IS REALLY TRYING TO FIND SOME ALIGNMENT WITH SOME OF THE CITY OF MS AS WELL.

MIGHT BE ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER, BUT I DO LIKE KHAN'S SUGGESTION IS HAVING DEDICATED LEADERS, SPECIFICALLY OFFICERS, SO THAT THEY CAN BE INCLUDED.

AND THEN AS WELL AS YOUR OFFICERS TO COME TOGETHER AND HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS.

SO THAT'S JUST SOME OF THE INITIAL THOUGHTS. YOU KNOW, RICHARDSON AND SO FORTH WOULD SAY, JUST TO MENTION, IF Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO COME PRESENT, I'M GOING TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER AND SAY, WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO COME. YEAH, THERE YOU GO.

I WAS ACTUALLY THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO LEARN FROM YOU GUYS RIGHT THERE.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? MAYBE WE CAN GET FOOD JUST FOR YOU GUYS. SO WE CAN.

WE'LL MAKE. WE'LL MAKE IT HAPPEN. WE'LL MAKE IT HAPPEN.

YEAH, BUT WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY WAS THAT WE DON'T WE ARE NOT MEETING IN JULY.

I PROPOSED THAT TO OUR BOARD BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE GO AWAY FROM SUMMER, AND I WANT THEM TO FEEL LIKE THEY WERE MISSING A MEETING.

SO WE VOTED TO TAKE THAT OFF THE CALENDAR SO WE DON'T NEED IT.

WE DO HAVE ONE PRESENTATION ON THE AGENDA FOR AUGUST.

TAMARA. YEAH, BUT YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME IN AUGUST.

SEPTEMBER. WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE ON THE CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER.

BECAUSE THAT'S. PARTY TIME. AND THERE WILL BE FOOD AFTER.

BUT BUT SO YEAH, SO I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANYTHING.

SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER. YEAH. WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE A.

SO THOSE ARE THOSE ARE OPEN. IF YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO COME AND THEN HAVE MORE TIME.

WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU. AND I THINK LIKE THE SOONER THE BETTER IS THE WAY I LOOK AT THINGS.

AND SO IF WE THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING. IF WE COULD MEET, HAVE THOSE MEETINGS FIRST AND THEN WE, THEN WE, YOU KNOW, THE ONE OFF MEETING AND THEN WE COME TOGETHER. THAT'S HOW THINGS WORK FASTER.

THAT'S WHAT I'VE LEARNED IN THIS PAST YEAR. I HAD TO PUT MY LESSONS LEARNED ON THE BOARD, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, HAVING THOSE MEETINGS AND THEN COMING BACK AND SAYING, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO BECAUSE WE CAN GET MORE THINGS DONE AND A LOT MORE QUICKLY. SO YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS THAT ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE? APPRECIATE THE THE INVITATION TO ACTUALLY YOUR MEETINGS.

AND I THINK WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL WOULD COORDINATE WITH GREG AND SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN AS ALSO A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AS TO.

ACTUALLY, WE DON'T HAVE ONE OR WE DO HAVE ONE THAT WE PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL, BUT I THINK MAYBE A LITTLE MORE DETAILED, JUST LIKE YOU PRESENTED. WE'D LOVE TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION FOR.

FOR THE MOST PART, OUR, OUR COMMISSION HERE ACTUALLY LOOKS INTO THE PROGRAMS THAT THE CITY HAS AND THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE BRING OUR OWN LIVED EXPERIENCES IN THE CITY, OUR COMMUNITY VOICES INTO THE INTO THE ROOM TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, EACH ONE OF OUR VIEWPOINTS IS BEING INCLUDED THINGS THAT WE HAVE OBSERVED AS CHALLENGES IN THE COMMUNITY, JUST BRINGING THAT AWARENESS BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE STAFF IS NOT AWARE OF STUFF THAT'S BEING TALKED ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND I THINK WE ARE KIND OF THE EARS AND EYES FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT, THAT ARE KIND OF BRINGING THAT INFORMATION IN HERE.

AND THEN WE DO HAVE LIKE AN INTERFACE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE MEET, WHERE WE ACTUALLY HOST A TABLE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND LIKE LUNAR NEW YEAR OR SOME OTHER EVENTS THAT THE CITY IS HAVING DURING WILDFLOWER FESTIVAL.

THE CITY, THE CITY OF RICHARDSON ACTUALLY HAS A LOT OF FESTIVALS IN HERE, WHICH IS A, WHICH IS A GOOD THING BECAUSE THOSE BECOME OUR INTERFACES TO BE PRESENT IN THOSE EVENTS AND BE TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY.

SO THAT'S AS FAR AS BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, IN, I THINK IT'S 2 OR 3 YEARS, THREE YEARS THIS YEAR OF A FORMATION.

TWO. YEAH. TWO THAT YOU'VE ACTUALLY BEEN MEETING FORMALLY THAT IT'S THE FROM CONCEPT TO EVERYTHING.

[00:55:06]

WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? IN FACT, WE'RE LOOKING AT YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF EVENTS THAT YOU CELEBRATE IN DIWALI, HOLI AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WE'VE ALSO BEEN LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO KIND OF HELP PEOPLE FEEL THE BELONGING? BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ASPECT OF WHILE TRYING TO BRING THAT BELONGING IN, WE DON'T WANT TO EXCLUDE CERTAIN OTHER COMMUNITIES TO, TO THE, TO THE POINT THAT THEY FEEL THAT WHY ARE THEY CELEBRATING THESE EVENTS AND WHY OUR COMMUNITY IS NOT BEING CELEBRATED.

SO I WILL SAY TO THAT. SO I'VE HAD PEOPLE ASK ME QUESTIONS LIKE, WELL, WHY IS IT I HAVE BEEN ON HERE? AND THE THING IS, IS MOST OF THE TIME, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT. AND THAT'S THE TRUTH. AND SO BECAUSE WE'RE NEWLY FORMED, WE, WE, WE, WHAT WE DID WAS WE WENT OUT TO THE EVENTS THAT WE KNEW THAT THEY WERE DOING BEFORE.

AND THEN WE JUST, WE ADOPTED THOSE. AND THEN WE START TO ADD AS WE AS THEY'RE BROUGHT TO US.

AND THOSE AREN'T NECESSARILY CITY EVENTS. THOSE ARE JUST CITY.

AND SOME ARE MIXED. RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH. SO BUT THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITIES THAT, THAT, THAT PUBLIC LIKE, I MEAN, THAT ARE CITIZEN LED. AND WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THEM.

BUT WHEN THEY DO MAKE US AWARE, THEN WE'RE ABLE TO SAY, OKAY, NOW WE KNOW.

AND WE CAN HELP SUPPORT. YEAH. BUT THERE'S A THERE'S A LOT OF I MEAN, YOU SAID THERE'S SO MUCH DIVERSITY EVEN IN FRISCO.

YOU HAVE THE SAME HERE IN RICHARDSON. NOW WE'VE WE'VE HAD I MEAN, I PERSONALLY, I MEAN, I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR JUST THE WHOLE COMMISSION, BUT I PERSONALLY HAVE HEARD THINGS FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT LIVE IN FRISCO.

YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, AN ETHIOPIAN FAMILY IN FRISCO THAT'S TRYING TO MAYBE CELEBRATE ORTHODOX EASTER.

I MEAN, IT'S NOT THE SAME EASTER FOR, FOR, FOR ALL OF THEM.

AND IT BECOMES A LITTLE BIT OF LIKE, WHY IS NOT MY WHY IS EASTER BEING RECOGNIZED AND NOT MY ORTHODOX? PLEASE LET THEM KNOW TO REACH OUT TO US BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

YEAH. AND THAT'S, BUT IT'S BUT, BUT IN THAT, IN THAT IN THAT TOO, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WANT TO KEEP THINGS PRIVATE TO, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T WANT TO FLAUNT OR TRY TO DRINK TOO MUCH, BUT THEY ALSO WANT TO BE.

THEY ALSO WANT TO BRING THIS TO OUR AWARENESS THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN EVENTS AND CERTAIN GROUPS THAT ARE FLAUNTING AND DOING A LOT OF THINGS.

THIS SEEMS LIKE IT'S A LITTLE BIT TOO NOISY AND CHAOTIC, AND I'M CHRISTIAN, AND IF YOU NOTICE, THERE'S NO CHRISTIAN EVENTS ON THERE EITHER. AND SO IT'S, IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE PICKING AND CHOOSING ACCORDING TO OURSELVES EITHER.

IT'S LIKE IT'S WHAT THEY HAD, YOU KNOW, AND THOSE WERE THE COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT CAME TO THEM THAT THEY HELPED TO SPONSOR OR HELP TO GET CITY RESOURCES.

AND THAT'S WHERE THOSE CAME FROM. AND THEN IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT FEEL A CERTAIN KIND OF WAY, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO GO WITH WHAT THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE.

AND I'M, I UNDERSTAND AND I MIGHT KNOW THE MILITARY IN ME, BUT I MEAN, LIKE, I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO CELEBRATE THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, IDEALLY, BUT PRACTICALLY, WHAT CAN WE REALLY DO? YEAH, WE CAN ONLY WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE. AND SO, THAT'S THE MIND FRAME THAT I HAVE.

SO I KNOW ABOUT WE KNOW ABOUT THEM THAT WE CAN BRING IT TO THE COMMITTEE, WE CAN VOTE ON IT.

WE CAN DECIDE TO ADD IT TO OUR CALENDAR. AND THEN WE CAN TRY TO REACH OUT TO WHOEVER'S ORGANIZER ORGANIZER AND HELP THEM TO PUT THINGS IN PLACE.

AND THAT'S THE STEPS THAT WE HAVE. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THAT.

IT HAS TO BE, IT HAS TO BE OPEN TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO FOSTER COMMUNITY, RIGHT? SO IF YOU HAVE AN EVENT THAT'S CLOSED OFF, BUT YOU WANT US TO SUPPORT IT, WELL, CAN THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY COME? IF THEY CAN'T COME, THEN WE'RE NOT MEETING OUR MISSION.

AND I AND THEY GET UPSET WITH ME, I'M SURE. BUT I ALWAYS GO BACK TO WHAT IS OUR PURPOSE.

AND IF IT DOESN'T ALIGN WITH OUR PURPOSE, THEN WE CAN'T DO IT. YEAH, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF STUFF I'D LOVE TO DO, BUT IF IT DOESN'T ALIGN WITH OUR PURPOSE, DO WE CHANGE THE PURPOSE? THEN MAYBE WE CAN DO IT. BUT AS IT STANDS, WE GO BY.

BUT WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE IS FROM YOUR FAMILY OR FRIENDS THAT LIVE IN CRESCO TO SPEAK UP AND ASK FOR.

SO IT'S ACTUALLY VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE I'M AN INDIAN AMERICAN.

IT'S ACTUALLY MY NON-INDIAN AMERICAN FRIENDS THAT ARE TRYING TO MAKE A DIALOG ACROSS THE CITY AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE INDIAN AMERICAN, YOU KNOW, WHY, WHY, WHY DO THEY DO CERTAIN THINGS THAT WAY? AND NOW I'M LIKE, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE FOLKS IN FRISCO.

I CAN JUST SAY THAT WE ARE PRETTY NEUTRAL ABOUT THESE THINGS, AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO BLOCK OFF, YOU KNOW, AREAS OF THE SCREEN JUST TO JUST TO PERFORM CERTAIN THINGS OR DO OUR OWN EVENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT THAT THERE ARE OTHERS THAT LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO OBVIOUSLY, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THEM FOR THEM.

BUT BUT I'VE HAD NON-INDIAN AMERICAN FOLKS REACHING OUT TO ME TO SAY, YOU KNOW, ALL WE ARE LOOKING FOR IS JUST SOME PEACE IN THE COMMUNITY.

[01:00:05]

SO I WE DON'T DO THAT HERE. SO AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SPEAK FOR THAT.

WELL, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS PROBABLY A BAD RESPONSE.

BUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU WERE SAYING LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE DOING SO MANY THINGS FOR THAT COMMUNITY? WELL, WE ALREADY KNOW THE LOUDEST IS THE ONE THAT GETS FED TO THE ONE WHO'S SPEAKING UP IS THE ONE THAT'S GOING TO GET.

AND SO IF THEY HAVE SOMETHING LIKE YOU SAID, THEN ENCOURAGE THEM TO COME, WHATEVER IT IS.

AND REALLY WHAT WE LIKE TO DO IS ENCOURAGE OURSELVES BECAUSE IF THEY ATTEND THE MEETINGS AND THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE THERE FOR AND WHAT WE SUPPORT AND HOW WE GO ABOUT MAKING OUR DECISION INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, ASSUMING. AND THEN AND A LOT OF PEOPLE, LIKE I SAID, DON'T KNOW, THE MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY EVEN EXISTS. SO THEY HAVE NO IDEA THAT THIS IS HOW IT'S BEING DONE.

SO I KNEW YOU GUYS WERE COMING HERE TO SPEAK.

AND IN FACT, MY MESSAGE WAS YOU HAVE A MULTICULTURAL COMMITTEE AND THAT'S WHERE YOU GOT TO GO AND PROBABLY HAVE THIS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, WE DON'T WANT TO CELEBRATE OUR CULTURE, BUT WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OTHERS ARE NOT MAKING NOISE AROUND THEIR CULTURE. AND I WAS LIKE, OKAY, I'M NOT QUITE SURE THEY ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME FILL OUT THAT CITIZEN'S INPUT PART. AND, AND, BUT BUT BUT I WILL SAY THAT EVEN THOUGH THOSE THE COMMENT THAT YOU JUST MADE THAT MAKES A UNIQUE POINT IS THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT ONE PARTICULAR COMMUNITY IS BEING MORE REPRESENTATIVE THAN ANOTHER.

AND EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T IDENTIFY IN ANY OF THOSE COMMUNITIES, KEEP IN MIND THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITIES IN FRISCO CHOOSE TO DO THEIR OWN PATH AND DON'T NECESSARILY SEEK SUPPORT FROM A COMMITTEE OR CITY OF FRISCO.

THEY WOULD RATHER HAVE THEIR OWN EVENT AND THEIR OWN FOCUS AREA.

AND WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITIES THAT WERE NOT REPRESENTED VERY WELL AND WE WANT TO, BUT I THINK THAT'S PART OF A RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.

BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT SOME COMMUNITIES WISH AND CHOOSES NOT TO PARTICIPATE OR ENGAGE WITH US.

SOME WANT TO AND JUST GOT TO FIND THE RIGHT EVENT THAT ALIGNS WITH THE WORK THAT WE CAN DO.

AND THEN OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO FIND WAYS TO COME INTO THE ROOM IF THEY SO WISH TO INCLUDE US IN THE ROOM.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO NO. AND THEN I JUST WANT TO SAY LIKE, IF YOU GUYS FACE THIS WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY DON'T ALLOW THE STUFF YOU CAN'T GET DONE TO STOP YOU FROM CELEBRATING WHAT YOU DID GET.

BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU'RE STILL DOING GOOD WORK.

AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK KIND OF GROUNDS ME TO IN THIS, LIKE WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, WELL, YOU DIDN'T DO THIS, BUT WE DID DO THIS, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE MIGHT NOT HAVE DONE THAT, BUT WE DID THESE THINGS AND WE'LL GET TO THIS HOPEFULLY THE NEXT TIME.

BUT YOU KNOW THAT DON'T LET IT RIDE THAT QUOTE DOWN.

DON'T ALLOW. DON'T ALLOW WHAT PEOPLE SAY THAT YOU DIDN'T ACCOMPLISH, KEEP YOU FROM CELEBRATING OR FROM WORKING, CONTINUING TO DO WORK. YEAH. WELL, WHY I AM A PREACHER.

AMEN. CELEBRATING OR CONTINUING THAT WORK? BUT I THINK YOU ALSO NAILED KIND OF WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.

IF WE'RE NOT REPRESENTING A COMMUNITY, IT'S USUALLY BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW AND WE DON'T KNOW EITHER HOW TO REPRESENT OR WE DON'T KNOW WHAT EVENTS ARE GOING ON.

AND AGAIN, I FEEL LIKE ALL OF THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE TIED BACK TO JUST COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND LEARNING THOSE THINGS.

THAT WAS SOMETHING THEY HAD COMMENTED EARLIER, THAT WE'RE GOING OUT AND LEARNING ABOUT THE PEOPLE, ABOUT OUR NEIGHBORS. RIGHT. THAT'S A BIG PART OF IT. AND WE CAN ONLY REPRESENT.

COMMUNITIES THAT ALLOW US TO REPRESENT THEM AND THAT WE KNOW ABOUT THEM.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. CHRIS. MULTICULTURAL COMMITTEE COMING HERE.

THANK YOU. MISS DAVIS. THANK YOU. DYLAN. THANK YOU BRITTANY.

AND THANK YOU, SHANE.

WELL, YOU'RE MOST WELCOME TO STAY, BUT WE ARE GOING TO MOVE AHEAD WITH OUR REST OF THE AGENDA ON OUR COMMISSION.

I'M NOT SURE WHETHER THEY CAN SAY IF THEY WANT TO THEY MAY BE INTERESTED.

WHAT IS NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS A CONTINUATION OF A DISCUSSION ON THE DAYS OF RECOGNITION.

GREG WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE SINCE THE LAST MEETING AND PRESENT NEW INFORMATION FOR US.

CORRECT. PLEASE PROCEED. SO THIS IS A CONTINUATION.

YOU GOT TO DO IT SOONER THAN I THINK YOU THOUGHT.

YOU FOR THE DAYS OF RECOGNITION THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL SHORTLY AFTER YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS

[01:05:09]

SO TO GIVE YOU, SINCE OUR LAST DISCUSSION, HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENED ON APRIL 13TH, THE COUNCIL RECEIVED YOUR INITIAL FOUR THREE RECOMMENDATION TO EXCLUDE RELIGIOUS BASED OBSERVANCES FROM OUR DAYS OF RECOGNITION PROGRAM THAT THAT THE COUNCIL WAS ASKED TO BRING THAT BACK TO YOU NOW, TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION, TO FLESH OUT QUESTIONS BEFORE THEY MAKE THEIR FINAL POLICY DECISION, WHICH WILL BE GOING BEFORE THEM AGAIN ON JUNE 1ST SINCE OUR LAST MEETING.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S SHOWING UP THIS WAY, BUT SINCE OUR LAST MEETING ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY HAD ASKED, AND THAT WAS ALSO PART OF YOUR DISCUSSION ALREADY.

SO WE'RE GOING TO BRING SOME INFORMATION TO YOU TO HELP CLARIFY SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'D HAD.

WAS, WAS THESE THREE THINGS. WE HAVE A SURVEY OF PEER TEXAS CITIES AND HOW THEY HANDLE RELIGIOUS RECOGNITION WITHIN THEIR OUTREACH.

LEGAL BACKGROUND RELATED TO CHRISTMAS BEING DESIGNATED AS A SECULAR HOLIDAY.

I KNOW THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS FOCUSED ON IN YOUR DISCUSSION COUNCIL WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT BEFORE THEM.

IT ALSO WAS A FOCUS OF A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION WITH THEIR DISCUSSION.

AND SO WE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SHOW YOU BASICALLY CASE LAW, THE BACKGROUND THAT HOW CHRISTMAS IS DEFINED AS A SECULAR HOLIDAY.

AND THEN WE HAVE A FORMAL LEGAL OPINION FROM OUR OUTSIDE CITY COUNCIL, BASICALLY THE CITY ATTORNEY WHO HAS PROVIDED AN OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATION FROM, FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE. AND THEN WITHIN THIS, YOU'LL ALSO SEE A STAFF RECOMMENDATION.

SO AGAIN, JUST AS A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, THESE ITEMS THAT YOU WERE GOING OVER THAT YOU MENTIONED, THESE ITEMS HAVE NOT REACHED CITY COUNCIL, CORRECT? THEY HAVE NOT SEEN WHAT YOU'RE SHOWING US HERE TODAY.

TONIGHT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SURVEY, THE LEGAL BACKGROUND, THEY HAVE NOT SEEN THOSE IN COURT.

YOU'RE THE FIRST ONE TO SAY THANK YOU. SO AS AN UPDATE, OUR CURRENT CITY POLICY, OUR CURRENT DAYS OF RECOGNITION IS BASED ON FEDERAL RECOGNITION PRACTICES, BASICALLY AS ASKED TO CREATE A POLICY.

WE HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA COMING IN. THIS WAS CAME IN 16 YEARS AGO.

SO THIS WAS ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO. AND AT THAT TIME I ESSENTIALLY BASED IT OFF WHAT I WAS SEEING HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL AMONG AMONG THE PEER CITIES, BUT REALLY TAKING A LOT OF GUIDANCE FROM OUR STATE AND NATIONAL PEERS.

AND SO IT'S BASED ON RECOGNITION PRACTICES USED.

AND OF COURSE, THEY CREATE EVERYTHING OFF OF SECULAR CALENDAR, AND THEY LIST CULTURAL AND CIVIC OBSERVANCES DESIGNED TO ENHANCE ENGAGEMENT AND ETHNIC, CULTURAL, CIVIC AND HISTORICAL, BUT RECOGNIZE NOT RELIGIOUS.

AND SO THE CURRENT POLICY EXCLUDES RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS FROM THE.

THE. THE LIST. IT ALSO DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN A.

SO WHILE WE DON'T HAVE. ON OUR OFFICIAL LIST, WE HAVE A BASE MINIMUM.

THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE SHALL DO WHICH YOU HAD ADDED TO AT YOUR LAST MEETING TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION.

SO WE HAVE THAT BASE MINIMUM, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE CAN'T DO OTHER OBSERVANCES.

AND WHAT'S GOING TO TRY TO FIX THIS, BUT THE OFFICIAL OBSERVANCES, IT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T DO THEM.

SO WE HAVE THE HEALTHIER TEXAS CHALLENGE RECENTLY.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE ADD ON BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY. AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO ADD THOSE, THOSE TOPICS OF DISCUSSION INTO ALL OF OUR MEDIA OUTREACH.

IT'S NOT JUST SOCIAL, BUT OUR PRINTS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE DO.

IT DOESN'T, IT DOES DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY IN, BUT IT ALSO DOESN'T IMPACT OUR SERVICE IMPACTS.

IF WE CLOSE DOWN FOR LABOR DAY, FOR NEW YEAR'S DAY, THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO JUST BECAUSE WE'RE NOT EXPLICITLY WRITING IT OUT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THINGS CAN'T BE COVERED WITHIN IT.

IT JUST, IT SAYS WHAT SHALL ESSENTIALLY BE COVERED.

AND SO OUR CORE PRINCIPLE AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS WE TRY TO BASICALLY WHAT'S REALLY LEADING THAT IS OUR, OUR CONSTITUTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS. AND I'M SORRY, I'M GOING TO.

JUST SO YOU CAN SEE SO I CAN SEE EVERYTHING. YEAH.

OUR CORE PRINCIPLE IN GOVERNMENT IS NEUTRALITY PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.

AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A SHALL, IT'S NOT, IT IS A MUST NEITHER PROMOTES NOR INHIBIT RELIGION.

THE CONSTITUTION SETS OUR OUR POLICIES AND MISSION.

SO THERE'S TWO ELEMENTS, AS YOU MAY RECALL. AND SOME OF YOU WEREN'T HERE.

SO I'M GOING OVER THIS AGAIN. BUT THERE ARE TWO ELEMENTS FROM THE CONSTITUTION THAT GUIDE US AND SET THE BOUNDARIES FOR WHAT WE DO.

[01:10:06]

NOW, IT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T MENTION SOMETHING GOING ON WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

THEN THERE'S THE FREE EXERCISE CLAUSE. AND THIS IS THE ONE THAT CATCHES US.

GOVERNMENT MAY NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST A RELIGION.

AND SO THE FREE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE OR THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE IS NOT RELIGIOUS ACKNOWLEDGMENT ITSELF.

WE CAN ALL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT'S RAMADAN, IT'S ROSH HASHANAH.

IT'S THE NAME OF THE RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY, WHEREVER YOU WANT.

BUT THE US SUPREME COURT HAS SIGNIFICANT CASE HISTORY THAT CONFIRMS THAT ONCE A CITY ENDORSES ONE RELIGION TO AVOID LEGAL CHALLENGES, WE HAVE TO BE AN OPEN FORUM FOR ALL WE DON'T GET A CHOICE OF SAYING WHAT IS OR IS NOT RELIGION, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WILL DO IT. OH IT DOES.

SO THEN THERE'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER. SO RELIGION IS PROTECTED BY FIRST AMENDMENT.

THERE'S ALSO FREE SPEECH PROTECTED BY FIRST. ALL OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA IS CONSIDERED A LIMITED PUBLIC FORUM, WHICH MEANS YOU HAVE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. IF YOU POST A COMMENT ON SOMETHING THAT WE PUT UP, YOUR COMMENT IS PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT BECAUSE IT'S A GOVERNMENT SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE.

IT'S PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT, JUST AS IF YOU WENT TO A CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND YOU WANTED TO GET UP, THERE ARE LIMITED THINGS THAT WE COULD DELETE. IF SOMEBODY PUT SOMEBODY CAN BE PROFANE, THEY COULD SAY, I THINK THAT THIS PROGRAM IS A. AND THEN ENTER PROFANITIES.

AND THEN THEY COULD SAY WASTE OF MONEY, ANY NUMBER OF THINGS.

AND WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE EXPRESSING THEIR OPINION.

IT'S PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT. IF THEY WERE, THOUGH, TO GET ON THERE AND SAY, I THINK YOU SHOULD GATHER YOUR ARMS, HEAD TO CITY HALL, BURN IT DOWN, THEN THAT'S NOT PROTECTED.

WE ARE ABLE TO DELETE THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. SO THERE ARE LIMITS, BUT IT IS CONSIDERED A LIMITED PUBLIC FORUM.

THE OTHER THING THAT YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER IS ALL POSTS THAT WE MAKE COULD BECOME A PLATFORM FOR UNINTENDED CONVERSATIONS OR CONFRONTATIONS.

CITY SOCIAL MEDIA. AS I SAID, IS DEFINED AS A LIMITED PUBLIC FORUM WHICH PROHIBITS DELETION OF COMMENTS UNDER MOST CIRCUMSTANCES.

A COMMENT CANNOT BE DELETED FOR CRITICISM OR EXPRESSING AN UNPOPULAR VIEWPOINT.

THIS IS A LOCAL. THIS IS A POST FROM A LOCAL CITY THIS YEAR THAT POSTED HAPPY EASTER.

I TOOK OUT THE NAME OF THE CITY. WISHING YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES JOYFUL EASTER FULL OF HOPE AND RENEWAL.

IN THE COMMENTS, THIS PERSON PUT THIS COMMENT THAT SOME PEOPLE WOULD BE FINE WITH OTHERS.

IT'S SPECIFICALLY THE PART WHERE HE SAYS, BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE SAVED.

THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN TO MANKIND BY WHICH HE MUST BE SAVED.

YES, INDEED. HAPPY EASTER. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEWPOINT ON THAT.

SO IF WE DO POST SOMETHING LIKE THIS, IT'S IT'S REALIZING THAT THERE'S TWO PARTS TO THIS AS WELL.

YOU'RE NOT JUST GETTING ONE PART, YOU'RE DEALING, YOU'RE OPENING UP A DOOR AND DEALING, HAVING TO DEAL WITH OTHER THINGS THAT COULD BE THERE TOO. SO EYES OPEN GOING IN AS YOU START TO DISCUSS THIS GOING FORWARD.

SO LOOKING AT WHAT OUR PEER CITIES DO TO NORTH TEXAS CITIES, NORTH TEXAS CITIES WENT ACROSS THE STATES AS WELL.

AND SOME KEY OBSERVATIONS. ONE, AS OF THIS YEAR, THE MAJORITY OF TEXAS CITIES THAT WE REVIEWED HAVE NO RELIGIOUS COMMENTS POSTED AT ALL.

AND THAT'S ALL OF THESE. THERE'S ONE THAT DOES SO REGULARLY, WHICH WAS THE CITY OF PLANO.

THIS YEAR THEY'VE DONE RAMADAN, THEY'VE DONE YOM KIPPUR, THEY WERE DOING DIWALI.

THEY QUIT DOING IT AFTER 2022. I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT THEY DO REGULARLY POST ABOUT RELIGIOUS THINGS.

NOBODY ELSE HERE DOES. PAST AND CURRENT POSTS REVIEWED THAT WE'VE REVIEWED HAVE BEEN SELECTIVE.

SO YOU'LL SEE HERE, AND I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT IN A SECOND AND INCONSISTENT, WHICH IF YOU'RE INCONSISTENT, THEN YOU'RE ALSO RAISING YOURSELF MORE OPEN TO BE SUED.

AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT AMARILLO AND DALLAS ARE THE ONLY CITIES ON THEIR SOCIAL THAT HAVEN'T POSTED ANYTHING WITH A RELIGIOUS CONTEXT.

ARLINGTON IN 2011 HAD SOMETHING IN HANUKKAH IN 2021, HAD SOMETHING IN RAMADAN.

AUSTIN HAD IN 2023, SOMETHING ON HANUKKAH 2017, THEY DID A POST ON EASTER.

IN 2020, THEY DID A POST ON RAMADAN, BUT THEY DID IT FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF COVID.

THEY SAID IT'S RAMADAN. IF YOU'RE GETTING INTO SOCIAL SETTINGS, IT'S COVID.

BE CAREFUL. SO THAT WAS REALLY THE RELATED POST ON THAT.

[01:15:05]

DID WE HAVE FISCO IN HERE? SO SO THEN THERE WAS THE QUESTION ABOUT, OKAY, WELL WHAT ABOUT CHRISTMAS? HOW CAN YOU SAY, HOW CAN YOU HAVE A CHRISTMAS PARADE AND NOT SAY THAT YOU CAN DO OTHER THINGS? AND THIS IS WHERE CHRISTMAS IS, IS WHY YOU SEE CITIES WITH CHRISTMAS PARADES OR ANYTHING THAT HAS CHRISTMAS IN IT. CONGRESS DECLARED DECEMBER 25TH AS A PUBLIC HOLIDAY IN 1870.

IT'S BASICALLY ONE OF THE ORIGINAL FOUR. SINCE THAT TIME, THE CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION HAS BEEN LITIGATED, LITIGATED. SO THEY'VE BEEN SUED AND ENDED UP IN THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT EXTENSIVELY WITH THE SUPREME COURT AND LOWER FEDERAL COURTS SAYING AND ACKNOWLEDGING THAT, YES, CHRISTMAS IN A CIVIC OR CULTURAL CONTEXT, WITHOUT SPECIFICALLY PROMOTING ITS THEOLOGICAL CONTENT DOES NOT VIOLATE THE ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE, WHICH WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE TWO CLAUSES BEFORE.

SO IN LYNCH VERSUS DONNELLY, THE US SUPREME COURT, AND THIS IS A QUOTE FROM THAT CASE, THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY IN OUR NATIONAL CULTURE CONTAINS BOTH A SECULAR AND A RELIGIOUS DIMENSION. FOR MOST AMERICANS, CHRISTMAS FUNCTIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY AS A RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE AND AS A SECULAR CULTURAL EVENT WITH THE TWO DIMENSIONS.

AND THIS IS KEY COEXISTING INDEPENDENTLY HOW THE CITY OF RICHARDSON IS ABLE TO DO A CHRISTMAS PARADE.

BECAUSE WE DO NOT. IN ANYWHERE IN THE PARADE WE SEE A CROSS OR A NATIVITY SCENE.

THE RELIGIOUS COMPONENT OF CHRISTMAS PARADE IS IT'S ALL.

EVERYBODY WAITS FOR SANTA AT THE END, AND SANTA IS NOT PART OF THE.

THE RELIGIOUS COMPONENT OF THE CHRISTMAS DISCUSSION.

AND NOR IS SANTA'S VILLAGE. WE GO TO SANTA'S VILLAGE.

AT THE TOP OF THE TREE. THERE IS NOT A CROSS ON THE LIGHTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

IT IS ALL NON RELIGIOUS BASED. SO THEN WE WENT TO OUR OUR CITY ATTORNEY AND SAID, LOOK, WE NEED TO HAVE YOU GIVE US SOMETHING IN WRITING ON THE DIRECTION THAT WE SHOULD GO.

AND THIS, THIS IS WHAT THEY SENT BACK TO US. THE ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE PROHIBITS THE CITY FROM USING GOVERNMENT SPEECH TO REASONABLY APPEAR TO ENDORSE RELIGION.

THIS APPLIES TO SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, RESOLUTIONS, PROCLAMATIONS ALIKE.

BASICALLY ANYTHING THAT CITY CITY STAFF CANNOT USE STATE RESOURCES, GOVERNMENT TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO DO ANYTHING TO PROMOTE ANOTHER RELIGION.

NOW, AGAIN, WE CAN WE CAN RECOGNIZE AND THAT'S WHERE YOU GET TO ENDORSE THAT.

IF YOU DO THE FIRST PART, IT'S THE SECOND PART THAT CATCHES YOU AGAIN.

SO THE SECULAR CONTENT IS GENERALLY SAFE, MEANING CHRISTMAS PARADE, SECULAR HOLIDAY DISPLAYS AND RESOLUTIONS.

AGAIN, RESOLUTIONS MEANING THE COUNCIL OR THINGS LIKE THAT THAT DO NOT PROMOTE ONE RELIGION OVER ANOTHER ARE GENERALLY NOT ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE VIOLATIONS.

RELIGIOUS REFERENCES MAY BE PERMISSIBLE WHEN A LEGITIMATE SECULAR RATIONALE CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THEM.

AGAIN, LYNCH VERSUS DONNELLY. AGAIN, WE CAN MENTION.

WE CAN RECOGNIZE, HOWEVER, THEN YOU COME BACK THAT IT IS BEST FOR THE CITY TO REMAIN NEUTRAL AND ENSURE THAT THERE IS NO ENDORSEMENT OF ANY ONE RELIGION OVER ANOTHER. ONCE YOU ENDORSE ONE RELIGION TO AVOID CHALLENGES, YOU THEN HAVE TO GIVE OPEN FORUM TO ALL.

MEANING THAT WE DO ONE. WE DO ALL. MEANING THAT IF YOU DON'T AGREE WITH SOME VIEWPOINTS ON A RELIGION, WE DON'T HAVE THAT CHOICE. WITH GOVERNMENT. WE CAN'T SAY NO.

WE START. IF WE START WITH ANY, THEN WE HAVE TO BE OPEN TO EVERYTHING.

WHICH IS ALSO WHY THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.

SO NOT JUST OUR CITY ATTORNEY, BUT THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, WHICH IS AN ASSOCIATION OF CITIES FROM ACROSS THE STATE.

THEY HAVE A LEGAL DEPARTMENT OF THEIR OWN. AND THE GUIDANCE THAT THEY'VE GIVEN TO ALL TEXAS CITIES IS THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE SAFETY FROM LITIGATION IS FOR CITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT DISPLAYS OR INFORMATION IS STRICTLY SECULAR IN NATURE, STAY AWAY FROM RELIGION.

SO THAT HAS LED AND THIS IS WHAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO YOU AS YOU LOOK AT YOUR DECISION.

AND THEN WE WILL ALSO BE TAKING THE SAME, SAME RECOMMENDATION STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL.

AND THAT IS CITY STAFF RECOMMENDS A STRICTLY SECULAR POLICY FOR RECOGNITION.

NO CITY RECOGNITION OF RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES OF ANY FORM.

[01:20:01]

BASICALLY, THE CALENDAR THAT YOU GUYS APPROVED AND ADDED ON TO WHICH I THINK I HAVE ON ANOTHER SLIDE THAT, THAT THOSE WOULD BE THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD PROMOTE AND BRING AWARENESS TO, TO RAISE AWARENESS, EXISTING TRADITIONS WITH CULTURAL, CIVIC DIMENSION, SUCH AS THE CHRISTMAS PARADE, LUNAR NEW YEAR EVENTS WOULD BE REVIEWED INDIVIDUALLY TO CONFIRM THAT WE ARE STAYING SECULAR AND THAT THEY ARE BEING WHERE THEY NEED NEED TO BE STAFF OPINION THAT OTHER LOCAL GROUPS WOULD BE.

IT IS OUR STAFF OPINION. SO IN OUR RECOMMENDATION.

WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT IN OUR OPINION, THERE ARE OTHER LOCAL GROUPS THAT WOULD BE BETTER SERVED OR WOULD BETTER SERVE AS A RESOURCE TO RECOGNIZE RELIGIOUS EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES OF WHICH IS WHY ON THE NEXT ON OUR AGENDA FOR TONIGHT, NIRANJAN WILL BE TALKING TALKING ABOUT THE THE RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE.

SO REVIEW AND FINALIZE THE RECOMMENDATION. HAVING REVIEWED THE LEGAL OPINION, THE PEER CITY DATA, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION. DO YOU EITHER REAFFIRM YOUR VOTES? AND ONE OF THE THINGS COUNCIL WANTED WAS TO MAKE SURE. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. THEY WANTED TO HAVE A FULL, FULL VOTE FROM EVERYBODY WITHIN THE CITY.

DO YOU EITHER REAFFIRM, MODIFY, OR REVERSE YOUR FOR YOUR ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTION SHOULD THE CITY INCLUDE RELIGIOUS NON SECULAR OBSERVANCES AS PART OF ITS RECOGNITION PROGRAM.

FOR EXAMPLE, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, RESOLUTIONS, PROCLAMATIONS.

THE FULL NINE MEMBER COMMISSION WILL VOTE. IF YOU SAY YES, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR STANDARDS FOR.

WHAT MAKES THE RELIGION? WHAT GUIDANCE ARE YOU GOING TO PROVIDE TO THE CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE THEY'VE ASKED FOR THIS GUIDANCE? IF IF YOUR ANSWER IS YES, HOW WOULD YOU PLACE A STANDARD ON WHAT MAKES RELIGION UNDER WHAT DEFINITIONS WOULD YOU SAY MAKES A RELIGION? BASICALLY, IF SOMEBODY COMES TO THE DOOR AND SAYS, MY RELIGION IS THIS, DO I SAY NO? AND THEN WHAT LIMITS WOULD YOU SAY? IS IT BASED ON POPULATION? IS IT BASED ON WHAT WE WOULD NEED THAT GUIDANCE SO THAT IF IF YOU WERE TO VOTE YES, WE NEED TO KNOW HOW YOU WOULD DEFINE THAT ESSENTIALLY, BECAUSE THIS WILL EVENTUALLY GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON JUNE 1ST.

AND THEY WOULD NEED TO HEAR, HEAR THAT GUIDANCE.

IF YOU VOTE NO, THEY ALSO STILL WANT YOUR FEEDBACK AND RECOMMENDATIONS AS THEY START TO LOOK TO MAKE THEIR FINAL DECISION.

AND SO WOULD YOU, IF YOU SAY NO, THEN WHAT OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS MIGHT YOU HAVE RELATED TO THIS QUESTION AND THIS TOPIC? FROM HERE WE'LL TAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IT OVER TO CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE WITH WHATEVER SUPPORTING RATIONALE THAT YOU PROVIDE, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE DRAFT POLICY FINALIZED.

WE'LL ADD THAT TO YOUR RECOMMENDATION, AND THEN IT'LL AGAIN BE BROUGHT TO THE CITY COUNCIL, WHICH IS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 1ST. SO WITH THAT, I THINK THAT WAS.

YEAH. WE NOW LEAVE IT OPEN OR MADAM CHAIR WILL.

YES. TO THIS. SO SO ANY QUESTIONS. YEAH. NO. GO AHEAD.

SORRY, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION, GREG. AND I WISH WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE GATHERED THIS BEFORE TODAY, BUT IS THERE ANY GUIDANCE? WHEN THE US CONSTITUTION MADE THE DECISION TO CONSIDER THAT CHRISTMAS WAS A NON SECULAR HOLIDAY? LIKE, IS THERE ANY GUIDANCE THAT THEY PUT OUT THERE TO HELP, LIKE WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO DEFINE THAT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY GIVE US A FRAMEWORK THAT IF THERE IS A HOLIDAY THAT WAS IN ORIGIN RELIGIOUS, BUT NOW HAS A LENS OF BEING NON SECULAR, JUST LIKE IS THERE ANY GUIDANCE OF WHAT THE NONES.

HOW DO WE CONSIDER A RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY A NON SECULAR SECULAR.

THAT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT I'M AWARE. I'M SORRY.

YEAH A SECULAR SO SORRY. A RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY TO A SECULAR.

YEAH. THE ONLY HOLIDAY I'M AWARE OF THAT'S CONSIDERED SECULAR IS CHRISTMAS.

AND IT'S BEEN LIKE I SAID, IT'S ONE I KNOW OF THAT'S BEEN LITIGATED.

BUT THERE'S NO GUIDELINES FRAMEWORK OF HOW THEY IF THERE WAS, I'M NOT AWARE.

OKAY. AND I'M SORRY, I ALL I KNOW IS THEY FOR THAT PARTICULAR HOLIDAY, THEY'RE SAYING IT'S BOTH OKAY, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO GIVE IT TO THE SECULAR CONTENT.

YES. OKAY. BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW DEEP IN THE WISE.

YEAH. I JUST WANT TO KNOW. I KNOW THE END. THE END RESULT WAS THEY'RE SAYING IT'S BOTH.

OKAY. AND SO THAT'S WHAT ALLOWS CITIES TO HAVE THE WORD CHRISTMAS.

BECAUSE THERE'S A SECULAR CONTEXT TO IT. AND BUT I DON'T KNOW ALL THE EVIDENCE IN THE CASE.

[01:25:04]

BECAUSE I LOVE HAVING FRISCO. IT'S LIKE THINKING ABOUT THE THE CONFINES.

BUT IS THERE ANY WAY DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CREATE WHAT THAT SECULAR FRAMEWORK WOULD BE? SO SAY WE'RE LIKE, WE LEAVE TODAY AND WE'RE LIKE WE'RE LIKE, HEY, WE WANT TO RECOMMEND THAT WE DO NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS, BUT GIVING THAT ALTERNATIVE, RIGHT? LIKE IF WE SAY NO, BUT WE THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE AN ALTERNATIVE.

ARE WE ALLOWED TO DEVELOP WHAT THAT FORM WOULD BE SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE COME TO US WITH A HOLIDAY OR AN EVENT OR SOMETHING, OR I GUESS A RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY, THAT THEY WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED, THAT WE CAN SAY, OKAY, HERE IS THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TO BE ABLE TO PASS THIS. LIKE, ARE WE, ARE WE ABLE TO CREATE THAT FRAMEWORK? SO I WOULD SAY IS I WOULD SAY, SURE, YOU COULD CREATE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO.

WHAT COMES TO THE ISSUE THAT ARISES IS IF YOU CREATE THAT AND IT ENDS UP IN THE SUPREME COURT, CAN YOU DEFEND IT? THE ONLY CASE THAT I HAVE THAT I CAN I CAN'T POINT TO A RAMADAN THAT THE US SUPREME COURT HAS SAID THIS IS BOTH A SECULAR AND NON SECULAR EVENT. THEY HAVEN'T DECIDED THAT ONE.

I KNOW FOR SURE THEY HAVEN'T DECIDED. AND SO I ONLY I BASICALLY I ONLY HAVE THAT FOR CHRISTMAS WHEN THE US SUPREME COURT HAS DEFINED AND SAID FOR THIS ONE NONE OF THE LIKE, NOT EVEN EASTER IS COVERED WITH THAT.

AND EASTER IS PROBABLY WELL, YOU HEARD THERE'S DIFFERENT FORMS OF EASTER.

BUT EASTER IS PROBABLY, I MEAN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT IN THE CONTEXT OF CHRISTIANITY, THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT OF CHRISTIAN HOLIDAYS, WHICH MAY BE WHY IT'S NOT COVERED. IS THAT PART OF WHAT I'M SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE CALENDAR UP.

IS EASTER TODAY A PART OF ONE OF OUR DAYS OF RECOGNITION? NO. OKAY. NO. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WEREN'T.

WE HAVE NO RELIGIOUS EVENTS AS PART OF OUR DAYS OF RECOGNITION, CHRISTMAS AND ORIGIN, BUT NOW CONSIDERED SECULAR.

YES. OKAY. YES. AND IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, MAYOR HAD ASKED FOR THESE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS, SAYING IF WE WERE TO GO THIS DIRECTION WHERE WE DID NOT RECOGNIZE RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS WHAT WOULD THAT IMPACT, YOU KNOW, AND SO LIKE THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAVE WE BEEN DOING THAT IF WE SAID WE'RE NOT GOING TO RECOGNIZE THIS ANYMORE.

WHAT DOES THAT CHANGE? AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS MENTIONED WAS THE THE CHRISTMAS PARADE OR WHAT HAVE YOU.

AND SO THIS WOULD GIVE A FRAMEWORK TO THAT NOT CHANGING BECAUSE IT'S HAD BEEN DONE THIS LONG OR WHAT HAVE YOU.

BUT IN THIS CASE, BEING SECULAR, I BELIEVE IN THAT MEETING.

HE ASKED FOR ANY ADDITIONAL EVENTS OR WHAT HAVE YOU THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED SHOULD WE CHOOSE TO NOT RECOGNIZE RELIGIOUS.

WERE YOU ABLE TO FIND ANY OTHERS THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED THAT ARE ONGOING EVENTS RIGHT NOW? SO YES. OKAY. AND WHAT ARE THOSE? WE HAVE CHANGED THE NAME OF OUR.

IT WAS AN EASTER EGG HUNT THAT IS NO LONGER CALLED EASTER EGG HUNT.

IT IS NOW FLUFFY TAILS. AND AGAIN WE TALK ABOUT THE BUNNY.

OKAY, SO SO AGAIN, KIND OF FOCUS THE BUNNY, NOT ANYTHING ON A RESURRECTION OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT'S A PAGAN RITUAL. WE WILL CROSS THAT BRIDGE.

AND SO IS IT TRUE? YEAH, EXACTLY. BUT IT'S ALL OPEN AGAIN.

YEAH. SO FLUFFY TAILS. WHAT ELSE WAS? EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE USED TO DO IS NO LONGER OKAY.

OKAY. SO THOSE WERE STOPPED BEFORE THIS. OKAY.

ONE OF MY CONCERNS WOULD BE THAT WHEN YOU SAY OPEN FORUM FOR ALL THAT, YOU JUST WEREN'T RIGHT.

AND ANYBODY CAN SAY, AND I DON'T THINK I KNOW WHERE I COME FROM, MY BACKGROUND WAS EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY.

AND IF THEY SAID WEARING GREEN HATS WAS A RELIGION, RIGHT? IT WAS A RELIGION. SO IF IT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.

AND I THINK THAT'S GOING TO OPEN UP A WHOLE LOT, YOU KNOW.

WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF WE LOOK AT AND I THINK IT WAS SOMETHING.

OH, AND THEN YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT RATIONALE TO GIVE A RATIONALE.

OKAY, SO WHO'S GONNA. I MEAN, WHAT STANDARDS? HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE. HOW WOULD YOU. I MEAN, AND I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S OPENING UP SO MUCH FOR DEBATE OR SUITS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. BUT I JUST THINK THE BIGGEST PART FOR ME IS OPEN FORUM FOR ALL.

ONCE YOU MAKE THAT DECISION, AND I THINK THERE'S OTHER AVENUES THAT CAN BE UTILIZED TO GET RECOGNITION

[01:30:03]

BUT THAT'S WHERE I WAS LIKE KIND OF GETTING TO LIKE, ARE WE, ARE WE ABLE TO DEFINE LIKE A FRAMEWORK THEN LIKE, YOU KNOW, SO IF IT'S LIKE, BECAUSE I'M ASSUMING THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO DEFINE IS THAT IF WE SAY, YES, WE ARE GOING TO RECOGNIZE RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS, THEN WE ARE STUDYING WHAT IS THAT STANDARD? SO LIKE IF SOMEONE I'M ASSUMING WE CAN DEFINE THAT, RIGHT? LIKE SO IF SOMEONE SAYS, HEY, WE'RE IN GREEN HATS, IS THE HOLIDAY.

LIKE IT NEEDS TO GO THROUGH LIKE A PROCESS SO THAT BECAUSE THEN WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO LIKE, LIKE I'M TRYING TO SORRY, MY BRAIN IS LIKE REALLY AT CAPACITY TODAY.

SO I'M, I'M SORRY IF I'M NOT USING THE RIGHT WORD, BUT IT'S HOW DO WE JUST MAINTAIN THE CONTROL OF IT, YOU KNOW, NOT TO SAY LIKE WE'RE SAYING NO, BUT IT'S LIKE, THERE HAS TO BE THIS PROCESS FOR, FOR THIS TO EVEN BE THERE. SO I'M JUST SAYING, LIKE, I AGREE WITH YOU.

LIKE RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE THAT ESTABLISHED. BUT I THINK THAT IF OUR DECISION IS, YES, WE WOULD HAVE TO ESTABLISH WHAT ARE THOSE STANDARDS AND WHAT ARE THOSE FRAMEWORKS? AND IT SEEMS LIKE THAT IS SOMETHING WITHIN WHAT WE CAN DO.

IF YOU SAY YES, THEN WE WOULD NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD SAY, RIGHT? AND THEN IT WOULD STILL THE. TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO DETERMINE.

WOULD THAT MEET A LEGAL DEFINITION? BECAUSE. TO GIVE YOU AN ANALOGY, WHEN A POLICE OFFICER GOES TO A POLICE OFFICER GOES TO A 911 CALL, THEY TREAT EVERYBODY THE SAME. NOT IF THEY WEAR THE GREEN HAT OR NOT, IF THEY HAVE A CROSS UPSIDE DOWN OR NOT, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, EVERYBODY'S THE SAME.

THEY DON'T HAVE WITHIN THEIR DEFINITIONS OF WHEN THEY RESPOND TO AN INCIDENT, A BOOK THAT SAYS, WELL, YOU CAN RESPOND TO ALL THESE EXCEPT WHEN THEY HAVE THE GREEN HAT OR EXCEPT IF THE CROSS IS UPSIDE DOWN.

THAT'S THE MENTALITY THAT WE AS GOVERNMENT TAKE TO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO THAT WE.

IT'S NOT UP TO US TO DECIDE WHAT YOU TELL US.

THEN THAT'S. THAT'S WHAT WE DO. BECAUSE IT'S NOT MY PLACE TO TELL YOU WHAT IS OR IS NOT A RELIGION.

OPEN FORUM AGAIN OR OR THE QUESTION YOU GUYS.

SORRY. YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S ME AS A GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE.

THAT'S THAT'S WHY WE'RE MAKING THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE ARE TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THAT AS THE COMMISSION, IF YOU VOTE YES, WE WOULD ASK IN A STAFF AND A COUNCIL IS ALSO ASKING FOR ART.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO SAY YES, THEN PLEASE GIVE US WHAT YOU ARE DEFINING OR WHAT YOU'RE THINKING OF AS PARAMETERS AS THINGS TO THINK ABOUT IN THAT REALM.

I KIND OF WANT TO GO BACK TO WHAT YOU JUST SHARED ABOUT THIS DECISION.

I THINK IT GOES ALSO BACK TO VICTORIA'S QUESTION.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS NOT ONLY FOR FOR CHRISTMAS, ACTUALLY, IT'S TRUE FOR ALL RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS.

SO RAMADAN FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IS DEEPLY RELIGIOUS.

AND FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IT'S CULTURE, RIGHT? IT'S THE SAME FOR DIWALI.

I KNOW A LOT OF HINDUS FOR WHOM IT IS VERY RELIGIOUS, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE FOR WHOM IT IS THEIR CULTURE.

THAT FACT ACTUALLY HOLDS TRUE FOR EVERY RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY.

BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT, RIGHT? SO YOU DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT SOMETHING. THERE IS ONLY AN ASSUMPTION THAT, WELL, IT IS ONLY PURELY RELIGIOUS, RIGHT? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, WHEN THEY HEAR CHRISTMAS, THEY THINK IT'S PURELY RELIGIOUS.

THEY DON'T REALIZE, OH, THERE'S ACTUALLY A COMPONENT OF IT, WHICH IS CULTURE.

AND IN THE SAME WAY, WHEN PEOPLE IN THE US HEAR ABOUT RAMADAN, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT EXPOSED TO IT, THEY SIMPLY THINK, WELL, IT'S JUST RELIGIOUS, RIGHT? BUT THEY DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S ACTUALLY DEEPLY INGRAINED IN CULTURE.

AND SO THE REASON WHY THAT DECISION EXISTS IS SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE MAJORITY.

YEAH. THAT'S THE MAJORITY KNOWS. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU WHERE YOU LIVE.

AND SO YOU FRAME YOURSELF IN THAT SAME DIMENSION, RIGHT? I APPRECIATE THAT. I AGREE. WHICH IS WHY I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM, YOU KNOW, OTHER FOLKS SINCE I'LL BE HONEST, IT'S LIKE LIMITED IN MY EXPERIENCE OF LIKE SOME, ALL THE DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS, BUT WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL TO TELL AND EDUCATE THE REST OF US WHO MAY HAVE THAT LIMITED SCOPE OF LIKE HOW WE CAN BRING OUT THE CULTURAL PIECE OF IT SO THAT WE CAN DEFINE IT IN THAT SECULAR WAY WHERE WE STAY WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE CONSTITUTION.

SO THAT'S WHERE I'M LIKE, I'M SAYING LIKE, IF WE ARE GOING TO SAY YES, THEN HOW CAN WE DEFEND THAT DECISION TO SAY, BECAUSE WE ARE CELEBRATING ONE, TWO, AND THREE THAT ARE MORE CULTURALLY HIGHLIGHTED VERSUS A RELIGION.

BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, I DON'T I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT FOR CHRISTMAS.

I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT FOR EASTER, EASTER, EASTER BUNNY, I MEAN, THE THE BUNNY AND EASTER EGG HUNTS AND ALL OF THAT EGG DECORATING CHRISTMAS.

I UNDERSTAND THAT WITH SANTA AND GIFT GIVING AND FAMILY TIME, BUT I REALLY NEED FOLKS WHO HAVE THAT DEEPER KNOWLEDGE TO,

[01:35:03]

SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, LIKE I AM LOOKING FOR, FOR OTHER FOLKS IN THE COMMISSION TO HELP EDUCATE THE REST OF US IN THE COMMISSION THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO JUST PULL THAT OUT TODAY. I MEAN, IT'S A DIFFERENT QUESTION THAN I THINK IT WOULD BE.

AND THAT'S YEAH, THAT'S THE THING IS LIKE HOW, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT NOT NECESSARILY PROBABLY HAVING A LOT OF THE TIME TO DIG DEEP INTO IT. I WAS ASKING GEMINI AND HE WAS SUGGESTING SHE YOU CAN DEFINE RELIGIOUS ENTITY BY THEIR TAX EXEMPT STATUS. SO I'VE LOOKED INTO THAT TO THE IRS DOESN'T EVEN TOUCH IT.

YEAH. THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE A LIST OF WHAT MAKES RELIGION.

NO, THEY DON'T HAVE A I TRIED THAT ROUTE AS WELL IN THE IRS AS I'M DOING A LOT OF CRITICISMS OF THAT ACTUALLY.

NOW. NOW HERE'S THE THING. IF YOU'RE GOING TO TRY TO SAY YOU'RE AFFECTED AND JUST BECAUSE WE'VE DONE.

IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THE RISK, THEN YOU RISK WHETHER OR NOT THEY GO AND CHECK YOU.

SO YOU SAID THEY DON'T DO THAT. WELL, IF YOU SUBMIT A CONDITION OR A CONDITION, IT'S NOT CHECKED.

AND THEY SAY, NO, THEY DON'T HAVE A LIST ON THEIR SITE THAT SAYS, THESE ARE OUR RECOGNIZED PROVISIONS.

THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT THEY DO HAVE A TAX EXEMPTION, BUT YOU CAN DO FOR RELIGION.

THEN IT'S UP TO YOU. SO IF YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO CLAIM A RELIGIOUS TAX EXEMPTION AND THEN YOU OPEN YOURSELF UP TO A FUTURE, IF THEY DO, THEN THEY WILL GET A NUMBER, RIGHT.

THEY WILL GET A TAX EXEMPT NUMBER FROM THE STATE OR FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON THE BASIS OF A FIVE ONE C 3050.

I GUESS YOU HAVE TO CLASSIFY IT AS ONE OF THOSE.

AND THAT'S WHAT EXEMPTION. BUT THEN HOW DO THEY FILE IT.

LET'S SAY IT'S A SOLE PROPRIETOR ACCOUNT SETUP.

I MEAN I THINK IT'S STILL YOU STILL HAVE TO BRING THAT INTO THE DEFINITION OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE TAX THAT THE IRS.

BECAUSE THE IRS DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THE RELIGIONS, BUT IT HAS THE STRUCTURE.

SO YOU HAVE TO FIT IT INTO ONE OF THE STRUCTURES THAT THE IRS ACTUALLY.

I MEAN, THAT'S STILL THE SAME ANSWER. IF THEY CAN PROVE THAT THEY FIT INTO THE STRUCTURE, CAN THEY CLAIM TO BE A RELIGION, THEN THAT WOULD BE A STARTING POINT. AND THE CITY WANTS TO DO THAT BECAUSE.

THE HASSLE WOULD BE FOR THE PEOPLE APPLYING FOR IT.

THEY HAVE TO PROVE, YOU KNOW, AFFIRMATIVELY THAT THEIR RELIGIOUS ENTITY.

I CAN IMAGINE WE COULD FIND AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS CONSIDERED A RELIGION UNDER THE IRS CODE.

THAT IS NOT A RELIGION THAT THIS COMMISSION WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE RECOGNIZING.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT. NO, NO, I MEAN, ONCE WE DO IT, WE HAVE TO.

BUT WHY SHOULD WE UNDERSTAND? THIS IDEA WAS HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN SOME GUY AND SOMEBODY ELSE.

I'M NOT SAYING I'M A GO FOR IT. SO WE'RE SAYING WE DON'T WANT TO SEE ALL THE WHY SHOULD WE EXCLUDE ANYBODY? LIKE, I MEAN, I DON'T SEE WHY I SHOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I LIKE WHITE PEOPLE.

I LIKE BLACK PEOPLE. I LIKE BROWN PEOPLE. BUT GUESS WHAT? I DON'T LIKE GREEN PEOPLE OR I DON'T LIKE RED PEOPLE OR I DON'T LIKE YELLOW PEOPLE.

RIGHT. I THINK IF YOU IF YOU GET INTO INCLUSION, YOU HAVE TO BE OPEN TO INCLUDING EVERYTHING.

YOU CANNOT JUST BE BECAUSE IT SERVES ME OR MY PURPOSE OR MY FAITH OR YOU KNOW WHAT I STAND FOR.

I WANT THAT TO BE INCLUDED. BUT EVERYBODY ELSE, YOU KNOW WHAT? WELL, THEY'RE A SMALL MINORITY, SO I DON'T REALLY WANT TO.

AND IF IT'S SOMEBODY ELSE, RICHARDSON OR SOMETHING, THEN I THINK THERE ARE WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN RECOGNIZE EVERYTHING.

RIGHT? YOU CAN HAVE A DAY WHERE WE RECOGNIZE NON TRADITIONAL FAITHS AND THERE ARE MANY NONTRADITIONAL FAITHS.

WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS IS NOT ASKING FOR EQUAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF EVERYTHING, BUT IT'S REALLY SAYING THAT THE CITY IS OPEN TO THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE AND THE DIFFERENT PRACTICES AND FAITHS BY WHICH PEOPLE LIVE HERE.

NOW, IF THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HYPOTHETICALLY WORSHIP COFFEE.

WELL, SURE, WE CAN HAVE A RECOGNITION FOR NONTRADITIONAL, NON TRADITIONAL WAYS OF THINKING.

WE CAN DISAGREE WITH IT, RIGHT? WE CAN DISAGREE THAT YOU WANT TO SAY COFFEE AND MAKE THAT AN OBJECT OF WORSHIP.

IF THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE THAT IN RICHARDSON. I LOVE PEOPLE.

THEY SHOULD BE PART OF OUR CITY ALREADY. PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS GET ALONG.

CAN WE GO TO THE LAST SLIDE, PLEASE? TO YOUR POINT FIRST.

[01:40:03]

FOR SPACES OF POWER. YOU HAVE THE ECONOMIC POWER, YOU HAVE THE POWER, YOU HAVE THE CHURCH POWER, AND YOU HAVE THE POLITICAL POWER, THE CITY MANAGER, THE POLITICAL POWER.

THAT'S. THE THEY. THEY TRY TO FOSTER LIFE, LIBERTY AND PROPERTY. THAT'S THE MAIN OBJECTIVE BEING THE POLITICAL POWER.

OKAY. WHICH IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE ECCLESIASTICAL CHURCH POWER.

OKAY. AT ONE POINT. NOW WHAT? YOU ARE RIGHT. I MEAN, SOMETHING I REALLY LOVE ABOUT THE PRESENTATION OF PEOPLE OF THE FRISCO.

THE FRISCO IS THE WAY THEY ARE A CONNECTING COMMUNITIES AND CULTURE.

OKAY. SO TO THAT POINT, MY RECOMMENDATION, NOT ONLY FOR THE COMMITTEE BUT FOR THE CITY, IS TO START THINKING ABOUT A PROCESS AND A POLICY DESIGN ON HOW TO RECOGNIZE THIS IMPORTANT RELIGIOUS EVENTS UNDER THIS CONCEPT.

THAT IS A I MEAN, IT'S NOT TURNING NOW INTO A RELIGIOUS THING PER SE, OR A RELIGIOUS THING. EXACTLY. SO HOW CAN WE DRAW THAT POLICY? OKAY. BASED ON WHAT? OKAY. BASED ON THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE CITY.

IF WE HAVE, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW THE RIGHT NUMBER FOR 35% OF MUSLIMS. OKAY. HOW IS IT GOING TO HOW IS IT GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR THE INDIAN COMMUNITY IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE, OKAY. AND I START THINKING ABOUT THAT AGAIN IN THE LONG TERM BECAUSE WE CANNOT IMPLEMENT THAT IMMEDIATELY. OTHERWISE WE'RE GOING TO BE REACTIVE AND WE'RE GOING TO BE JEOPARDIZING WHAT THE FUNCTION OF THE CITY, WHICH IS LIBERTY, PROPERTY AND. PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

OKAY. BUT THERE IS SOME SPACE FOR YOU TO START DESIGNING THAT POLICY IN THE LONG TERM.

AND WE HAVE TO BE VERY SMART TO JUSTIFY THAT PROCESS, TO FOSTER CULTURE AND INCLUSION IN A SECULAR WAY. THAT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION. AND LET ME SEE UNDER WHAT DEFINITIONS OF STANDARDS THOSE LIMITS.

AND BY UNDERSTANDING OUR DEMOGRAPHICS, AGAIN, THAT'S, I THINK, SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT.

AND. ONE OF MY CONCERNS AGAIN IS TO, TO COMPROMISE.

THE, THE VISION AND THE MISSION OF THE CITY AND PUT THE CITY OUTSIDE OF THEIR SCOPE ON THE ON THE POLITICAL FUNCTION.

AND YEAH, I AGREE WITH THAT. ACTUALLY, THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOW FRISCO IS SETUP VERSUS HOW THIS CITY COMMISSION IS SET UP.

IT'S A MULTICULTURAL COMMITTEE, AND I THINK THAT WAS GOOD TO HAVE THAT.

I JUST COINCIDENTALLY HAPPEN. I DON'T THINK THAT THESE TWO DISCUSSIONS WERE PLANNED TO BE ON THE SAME DAY.

WE HAD THE FRISCO MULTICULTURAL COMMITTEE PLANNED A LONG TIME AGO, AND THEN THIS HAPPENED TO COME BACK FROM THE COUNCIL AS SOMETHING THAT WE NEEDED TO DISCUSS. SO IF YOU LOOK AT A MULTICULTURAL COMPANY IT LOOKS LIKE THEY KIND OF STAND AS A FACTION THEY OWN WHERE THEY ARE LIKE A LIAISON TRYING TO CONNECT THE CITY WITH THE CULTURE OF THE COMMUNITY. BUT AS I SAID, THEY DON'T HAVE A CITY LIAISON ON THE TEAM YET.

THEY ARE STILL TRYING TO BRING IN THE CITY COUNCIL.

BUT THE THING IS, CIC COMMISSION IS ACTUALLY VERY INTEGRATED INTO THE CITY ITSELF.

WITH THEM, THE CITY ACTUALLY CAN DISTANCE THEMSELVES AND THEY ACT AS A MIDDLE GROUND.

WHEREAS WITH THE CIC COMMISSION, THE CITY CANNOT DISTANCE ITSELF FROM THIS.

AND ACTUALLY NOW IT'S ACTUALLY BUTTING AGAINST THE CITY HAS TO FOLLOW THE CONSTITUTION'S BINDING AGAINST WHAT THE CITY NEEDS TO DO VERSUS WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. AND I THINK IT'S JUST THE, THE WAY THAT WE ARE FORMED, WE OPERATE A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY IN TERMS OF HOW WE CAN MAKE SUCH RECOMMENDATIONS. HERE IS WHAT I SEE. SO IT'S LIKE INSTEAD OF PUTTING THE CITY INTO A PREDICAMENT WHERE THEY ARE,

[01:45:07]

MIDDLE PERSON. I FEEL THE CIC COMMISSION CAN FULFILL THAT ROLE AS THE MULTICULTURAL.

DOES THE CITY OF FRISCO. SO FOR THAT, I FEEL THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES, LIKE LOOKING AT THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE.

BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE STILL KIND OF HAVING TO CREATE SOME BUFFER IN BETWEEN, BETWEEN THE CITY WHERE WE CAN NOW LOOK AT WHETHER CULTURES CAN BE RECOGNIZED. MAYBE THAT'S A LENS WE SHOULD POSSIBLY LOOK AT.

IT'S NOT CULTURES, IT'S RELIGION. IT'S RELIGIOUS CULTURE.

YEAH. CULTURE IS DIFFERENT. IT'S SECULAR. HOWEVER, I THINK SOMEWHERE, SOME SOME COMMISSION, SOME COMMITTEE LIKE THE MULTICULTURAL COMMITTEE, HAS TO CREATE THAT SECULARISM AND BUFFER SPACE AND SO I DO HAVE A CONCERN HERE THAT WHEN WE SAY A RECOGNITION OF RELIGIONS, WHAT DOES IT MEAN? IS IT LIKE A CITY OF RICHARDSON'S WEBSITES THAT WE SAY WE RECOGNIZE THESE, THESE, THESE RELIGIONS OR ANY NEW RELIGION COME WHICH IS ADDED THERE? OR DOES IT HAVE TO BE PROCLAMATION LIKE PROCLAMATION? NO. IT'S EVERYTHING. SO THE NATIONAL MEDIA, IT'S RICHARDSON TODAY, IT'S PROCLAMATIONS, IT'S ANY.

IT'S AS SIMPLE AS USING CITY PERSONNEL'S TIME TO DO ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE RELATED TO RELIGIOUS NATURE.

AND HOW DOES IT HELP TO THE RELIGION ITSELF IS.

I'M NOT CLEAR ABOUT THAT. SO AGAIN, AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE, THE POST, THE POST.

WE CAN DO THAT. THAT'S THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE. WE CAN ABSOLUTELY GO ON AND POST ABOUT ANY RELIGION ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. THE CONCERN IS THE SECOND PART.

SO IF WE OPEN UP, IF WE DO STEP ONE, YOU HAVE TO DO STEP TWO.

BUT REPEAT YOUR QUESTION. SO HOW DOES IT HELP THE RELIGION ITSELF? BY ALL THESE PROCLAMATIONS THAT BECAUSE I PRACTICE WHAT I PRACTICE, I'LL STILL CONTINUE TO PRACTICE.

HOW DO PROMOTIONS HELP RELIGION? WHAT DOES IT MAKE? SO AGAIN, WE'RE NOT PROMOTING, WE'RE ENDORSING BY MENTIONING THE FACT THAT IT'S HAPPENING.

BUT HOW DOES THAT HELP THE RELIGION IS WHAT HE'S ASKING.

WELL SOME PEOPLE. SO GET INTO SOME OF THE DISCUSSION YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT IS YOU IN THE COMMUNITY.

YOU SEE, OH, MY CITY POSTED ABOUT RAMADAN. MY CITY POSTED ABOUT WHAT I BELIEVE IN THAT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD, THAT MAKES YOU FEEL CONNECTED. YOU'RE PART. YEAH, YOU HAVE THE BELONGING.

YOU HAVE ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. SO TODAY, BECAUSE OF THE RELIGION.

TODAY WE LIVE IN GOOD, HARMONIOUS CITY OF RICHARDSON.

TOMORROW SOMEBODY MIGHT COME AND SAY, HEY, NOWRUZ IS ALSO RELIGION.

YOU DIDN'T PUT IT. OKAY, SOME IRANIAN SECTORS MIGHT COME AND SAY, HEY, HOW COME THAT IS NOT POSTED? THIS IS NOT POSTED. AND IN INDIAN FESTIVAL ITSELF, WE HAVE TOO MANY OF THEM.

AND IF YOU START POSTING THEM EVERY DAY, YOU WILL HAVE 2 OR 3 RELIGIONS SHOWING UP.

DOES IT REALLY MAKE SENSE? IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.

AND THOSE ARE SO THOSE ARE THE THOUGHTS. I KNOW I MISSED WHAT I WAS GOING THROUGH THIS, WHICH IS WHY I DIDN'T LIKE MAN, WHICH IS WHY WE STILL DON'T RECOMMEND DOING THAT.

I THINK THE SPIRIT OF SURAJ'S COMMENTS, IT IS THE BELONGING AND THE UNDERSTANDING AND THE TEACHING AND THE RECOGNITION.

AND LIKE, I THINK THAT THAT IS SO TRUE. I THINK WE SEE YOU.

YEAH. YEAH. THE RECOGNITION IS JUST A TO ME, IT'S JUST A FRONT FACE.

GOOD FACE. RIGHT? RIGHT. BUT IF YOU HAVE TO CELEBRATE IT, YOU NEED TO GO ONE STEP BEYOND NOT JUST RECOGNIZING.

RECOGNIZING. YOU NEED TO PROBABLY DO SOMETHING THAT THE RELIGION STANDS FOR, LIKE THE SECULAR PEACE.

CAN YOU GO AGAIN TO THE LAST? OKAY. NOW, THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CITY, IT SHOULD BE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF INCLUDING ALL THE RELIGIONS. BECAUSE IF YOU OPEN THIS RECOGNITION FOR ALL THESE RELIGIOUS, HOW MUCH HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST FOR THE CITY TO CELEBRATE YOUR EXERCISE CELEBRATION OR EVENT FOR THAT, FOR THAT. THAT COST BENEFIT FOR THE CITY. WE NEED TO MEASURE THAT BEFORE TAKING, ACCEPTING THE POLICY. I WAS NOT LOOKING AT THE COST, BUT TO UNDERSTAND THE FESTIVAL ITSELF.

RIGHT. YOU KNOW, ISLAM STANDS FOR SURRENDER, RIGHT? I KNOW THAT PART BECAUSE I HAVE GOOD FRIENDS WHO TAUGHT ME THAT.

BUT TO DO THAT KIND OF A CELEBRATION OF ISLAM, DO WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING THAT THE RELIGION STANDS FOR?

[01:50:06]

IF YOU HAVE TO GO ONE STEP FURTHER, CAN YOU GO TO THE MOSQUE AND PRAY? OR CAN WE TAKE A VALUE OF ISLAM OR CHRISTIANITY, WHATEVER THAT IS, TO PUT INTO PRACTICE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY? THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT. THE ONE POINT WHICH THE FRISCO BROUGHT UP IS THAT DIWALI IS CELEBRATED BY A GROUP OF PEOPLE.

NOBODY ELSE GOES TO THAT. RIGHT. THERE IS NO CROSS-POLLINATION HAPPENING HERE, RIGHT? NOT IN THE SENSE OF I MEAN, AT LEAST LEARNING PART OF IT, RIGHT? SO IF WE DON'T GO THAT ONE STEP BEYOND THIS IS MAYOR, I DON'T KNOW.

DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME. YEAH. I REALLY LOVE YOUR POINT.

AND I WHERE I'M KIND OF LEANING TO IT'S TWO WAYS.

IT'S IF THERE IS A SUGGESTION OF, OF SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE DAYS OF RECOGNITION AND IT TENDS TO HAVE SOME RELIGIOUS UNDERTONE, THEN IT NEEDS TO BE WE NEED TO BE EDUCATED ON THE SECULAR OR THE SUPERFICIAL THINGS ABOUT THE CULTURE. LIKE SO IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WHAT ABOUT THIS RELIGION IS BRINGING FOLKS TOGETHER BECAUSE IT'S CELEBRATING FAMILY.

IT'S CELEBRATING COMMUNITY, IT'S CELEBRATING CONNECTION. IT'S CELEBRATING PEACE.

IT'S CELEBRATING LOVE, LIKE WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE.

AND TO ME THEN. SO, SO BASICALLY, IT'S, IT'S A NO FOR RELIGION, BUT THERE ARE WAYS FOR RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS THAT OR HOLIDAYS THAT HAVE RELIGIOUS UNDERTONES TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE CITY THAT ALSO PROTECTS THE CITY.

BECAUSE I LOVE YOUR POINT ABOUT WE HAVE TO PROTECT THE CITY FROM LITIGATIONS, AND WE'RE NOT TRYING TO DO ANYTHING THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITS.

THAT'S WHAT I KEEP LOOKING AT. IT'S LIKE NOT TRYING TO GET US TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE OUTSIDE OF THAT.

SO WE CAN GO LIKE ONE WAY WE CAN SAY, OKAY, NO, BUT THEN WE ARE OPEN TO HAVING SECULAR ASPECTS OR LIKE A RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY THAT HAVE SECULAR ASPECTS, LIKE WE DO FOR THAT POST WITH HAPPY EASTER OR CHRISTMAS PARADE OR, AND OR FOR THE FOLKS WHEN WE WANT TO CELEBRATE RELIGION, BECAUSE THAT'S A BIG DEAL FOR FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY, THEN THAT'S WHEN I THINK THIS IS WHERE I LOVE THE MULTICULTURAL COMMITTEE FOR FRISCO IS THAT WE HAVE ALL THESE AMAZING PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE, THAT EXIST WITHIN RICHARDSON, THAT WE CAN PARTNER BETTER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE EDUCATING FOLKS ON THE DIFFERENT THINGS.

BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT'S A REALLY BIG PIECE IS THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WANT TO SEE THE THINGS THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT THEM.

BUT GETTING PEOPLE TO GO BEYOND TO BE WILLING TO LEARN FROM ANOTHER CULTURE OR LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT FOLKS WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

SO FOR ME, IT'S NO FURTHER RELIGIOUS, BUT DEFINITELY THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE WE SEE IT WITH CHRISTMAS, TO HAVE THAT SECULAR AND I HATE, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO SECULAR RELIGION IN THE SAME SENTENCE, BUT, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO CELEBRATE THAT THAT RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY FROM A SECULAR PERSPECTIVE AND THEN ALSO LEANING ON RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE OR OTHER DIFFERENT COMMUNITY GROUPS TO BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE AND CONNECT DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE MY THINKING IS, IS LIKE A NO.

BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER ALTERNATIVES THAT WE COULD DO TO REALLY BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FOLKS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG, THAT THEY'RE INCLUDED AND THAT THEY'RE HEARD AND THAT THEY'RE REPRESENTED. I THINK SO I'VE BEEN HEARING A LITTLE BIT OF A THEME, AND I'M GOING TO GO OVER SOME POSSIBLE ORGAN TO RUN BY YOU HERE IN A SECOND.

BUT GETTING TO YOUR IDEA OF THIS RELIGIOUS THAT CAN TURN SECULAR HOLIDAY.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS PICKED UP ON IT. I DID WHENEVER FRISCO WAS PRESENTING, BUT THEY TOOK THIS EVENT.

IT'S NOT DIWALI, IT'S THE FESTIVAL OF HOLY, HOLY.

I SHOULD KNOW THAT. BUT ANYWAY SO HOLI IS THE FESTIVAL OF COLORS.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU PICKED UP ON IT, BUT THEY DIDN'T CALL IT HOLI.

THEY CALL IT THE FESTIVAL OF COLORS. SO THEY THEY CREATED THE SECULAR.

WHAT I'M HEARING IS THEY HAD THE SECULAR COMPONENT TO IT. THEY WEREN'T FOCUSING JUST ON CHRISTMAS. THEY WEREN'T FOCUSING ON THE RELIGIOUS COMPONENT OF IT.

AND THAT'S HOW I'M GUESSING THAT'S HOW FRISCO IS ABLE TO GET INVOLVED.

SO HEARING THIS DISCUSSION, IF WE WERE TO ADD TO THE POLICY SOMETHING THAT SAYS LEAVING OPEN TO BEING INCLUSIVE TO ALL SECULAR HOLIDAYS AND CREATING AN OUTLINE FOR THAT, I THINK IS WHAT I'M HEARING AMONG THE GROUP THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO LIMIT BECAUSE OF THE CONNECTION FROM DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THAT THEY RECOGNIZE SOME PART OF THIS. ALSO RECOGNIZING THAT OVER TIME, OTHER THINGS HAVE BECOME SECULAR TOO, THOUGH THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN LITIGATED UP TO THE SUPREME COURT.

IF THERE'S A WAY TO RECOGNIZE THROUGH SECULAR DIMENSION IN THE COMMUNITY OF RAMADAN, OF ROSH HASHANAH,

[01:55:07]

I DON'T GO TO THE MOSQUE TO TO PRAY, BUT I JOIN THE FOOD.

AS WE ALL DO. WE ALL JUST I'M JUST KIND OF PARTICIPATING IN.

YEAH. AND SAME WITH THE COLORS. YOU KNOW, NOBODY IS PARTICIPATING IN THE RELIGIOUS PART OF IT BECAUSE YOU CAN THROW COLORS AT TOTAL STRANGERS AND.

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE JUST JOINING INTO THE FUN.

AND THAT'S WHAT THE CULTURAL AND THE SECULAR PART IS, YOU KNOW, JUST SKIMMING OFF THE SURFACE AND SAYING, HEY, I LIKE THIS PART OF IT. AND IT ALLOWS ME TO BE MORE OPEN TO SOMEBODY ELSE'S CULTURE.

YOU'RE THINKING OF THE RELIGIOUS PART OF IT. YEAH.

YEAH. I'M JUST GOING FOR THE. I THINK THAT'S TRUE FOR SO MANY.

WELL, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT TO YOUR POINT. IT'S LIKE, HOW DO I SAY I FEEL LIKE WE'RE ALMOST WORKING IN LIKE THE DECISION BY THE BY THE SUPREME COURT ABOUT RAMADAN OR JUST HASN'T HAPPENED YET.

RIGHT. I LOVE GOING TO SANTA'S VILLAGE WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE, BUT NOW THEY DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR LITTLE.

THEY LOVED IT. AND I THINK CHRISTIANITY IN OUR NATION HAS.

SO THAT HAS MADE IT. WE STILL HAVE THE CHRISTMAS TREE COMING FOR THAT DAY.

I STILL HAVE MY CHRISTMAS TREE. THEY DEDICATE.

THEY DEDICATE THEIR 2 OR 3 DAYS TO DECORATE IT.

WE ENJOY IT. SO WE DON'T WANT IT EXACTLY HALFWAY THERE.

YEAH. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR BECAUSE I KNOW WE WERE VERY LIKE SPLIT LAST TIME.

AND ONE OF THE REASONS I WAS A NO ON THIS BECAUSE I WANTED THIS DIALOG TO HAPPEN.

AND WE JUST DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THE TIME TO HAVE THIS DIALOG.

BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING VERY SENSITIVE TO FOLKS WHO, WHO MAY HAVE AT THE BEGINNING WERE LIKE, YES, I WANT TO JUST LIKE, HOW DO Y'ALL FEEL THAT IF THERE WAS A WAY FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THESE ALTERNATIVES TO SAY, YOU KNOW, LIKE GREG WAS SAYING, HE SAID IT'S SO MUCH MORE ELOQUENTLY THAN I DID, BUT LIKE PULLING OUT THE SECULAR ASPECT OF THE RELIGION AND BEING ABLE TO CELEBRATE THAT LIKE WE DO CHRISTMAS. BUT THEN ALSO, WE'RE NOT NEGLECTING RELIGION.

WE'RE JUST USING OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO EDUCATE OTHER FOLKS.

BECAUSE I THINK ABOUT THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE, BUT THEN I ALSO THINK ABOUT DIALOG DALLAS, WHICH IS ANOTHER REALLY GREAT, AMAZING PROGRAM THAT DOES A LOT OF EDUCATION AND BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND LIKE SHARING FOOD AND CULTURE.

AND SO AGAIN, THERE'S ALL THESE AMAZING PROGRAMS. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS TO HEAR LIKE HOW, HOW OTHER FOLKS ARE ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATION IF WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION VENUES.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO THAT THE OTHERS, I THINK WE ARE PROBABLY ASKING THE SAME THING.

YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND I LIKE NIRANJAN'S COMMENT AND THAT THERE, THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME GOOD MESSAGES IN ALL OF THIS, RIGHT? I MEAN, LIKE THE FESTIVAL, LIKE THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT BRINGING IN LIGHT.

AND TYPICALLY WE LIGHT CANDLES. AND THAT'S THE PART THAT IS THE FUN PART.

BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, FESTIVAL OF COLORS. RAMADAN.

YOU KNOW,. SURRENDER. THESE ARE THE BASICALLY THE GENERAL MESSAGES THAT WE WANT TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE SOME OF THE MORE HOW DO YOU SAY LIKE BRIGHTER ASPECTS OF WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE, THE CITY OR THE CULTURE OR THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL? SO I THINK MAYBE IF WE HEAR FROM INTERFAITH ALLIANCE REAL QUICK, AND I THINK FROM A POSITION OF, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WHAT DO WE DO? TABLE THIS AGENDA ITEM.

AND THEN AND THEN YOU'D HAVE TO CALL THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM TO.

IS THAT THE RIGHT WORD TABLE? IT TABLE THIS DISCUSSION.

YOU CAN TABLE IT AND JUST BRING IT BACK UP AFTER YOUR IDENTITY PRESENTATION.

THAT'LL BE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME BECAUSE COUNCIL PERSON JUSTICE.

SO SO WE'LL NEED A MOTION. SECOND. YEAH. THANK YOU.

THEY WANT TO HAVE A DISCUSSION. YEAH. SO. SO WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE THIS AGENDA FOR NOW.

AND I WILL GO ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA, WHICH IS WHICH IS A REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF THE RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE.

AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS AGENDA ITEM AFTER THAT PRESENTATION.

YES. YOU NEED A MOTION TO TAKE A SECOND TO VOTE.

AND THEN SO CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO TABLE THIS AGENDA UNTIL THE PRESENTATION OF THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE?

[02:00:09]

YES. THE MOTION HAS MOTION TO ANYONE SECONDING.

SECONDED IT. AND CAN WE HAVE ALL THAT OPPOSED? PLEASE? PLEASE SAY NO. ALL THAT ARE IN FAVOR, SAY YES.

YES. YES. AND THAT'S UNANIMOUSLY TABLED AT THIS POINT.

AND WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT PRESENTATION FOR INDICATOR LINES.

SO LIKE FIVE MINUTES. WE'LL INTRODUCE NIRANJAN FOR THE PRESENTATION REGARDING THE GROUP'S COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, THE RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE AND PARTNERSHIP ROLE WITH THE CITY.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND SO YES AS IT JUST SO HAPPENS TO ALSO BE THE CHAIR OF THE RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE AND THE RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE, HE'LL BRING YOU SOME OF THE HISTORY, THE WORK THAT THEY DO. THIS WAS ALSO, AS HAPPENED TO ME, I THINK IT WAS EARLIER THIS YEAR, A DISCUSSION ITEM YOU HAD JUST COINCIDENTALLY WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT THE RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE WAS.

AND SO I HAD ASKED HIM TO, IN LIGHT OF THE DISCUSSION WE WERE HAVING TONIGHT TO GO AHEAD AND BE READY TO DO A PRESENTATION.

AND HERE YOU GO. GET AWAY. YES. YES. AND YEAH, YOU'LL NEED TO MOVE OVER TO THE CENTRAL.

THERE YOU GO. SO THIS LOGO WAS PREPARED BY A BUNCH OF FOLKS, WHICH FELT THAT ALL COLORS SHOULD BE IN THE HANDS AND THE PEOPLE AROUND IT.

SO IT'S KIND OF A LAMP IN BETWEEN THAT LIGHTS ALL OUR LIVES WHEN WE KNOW EACH OTHER.

SO THAT'S WHAT IT IS. SO BASICALLY MISSION STATEMENT OF RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE, OR WE CALL IT RAH RAH, IS COINED BY A FEW FOLKS WHO WERE QUITE FOCUSED IN HARMONIOUS LIVING.

SO THE STATEMENT ITSELF SAYS THE PURPOSE OF RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE IS TO INCREASE RESPECT OF ALL FAITHS THROUGH EDUCATION AND INCREASED AWARENESS, AND TO COORDINATE AND ENHANCE FAITH BASED SERVICES FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY, THEY SAY.

RICHARDSON COMMUNITY. BUT IT SAID OUR COMMUNITY, THE REASON I'M POINTING AT THAT OUR COMMUNITY, IS THAT IT HAS STARTED IN RICHARDSON FOR RICHARDSON CITY, BUT IT HAS GROWN BEYOND.

SO WE HAVE GROUPS FROM ADJACENT CITIES AS WELL.

SO THE HISTORY I DID NOT DETAIL HERE. IT WAS RE RE REVIVED IN 2012. THERE WAS A DOMINANT GROUP IN THE AREA THEN MAYOR OF MAYOR TOWNSEND.

HE REVIVED IT AND THEN GAVE A STRUCTURE TO IT AND MADE IT MORE ACTIVE.

SO WE FOR OFFICIAL PURPOSES, WE CALL IT 2012 WAS WHEN IT WAS CREATED, BUT IT WAS EXISTING BEFORE VERY, VERY DORMANT NATURE. SO AGAIN, IT'S BASICALLY PROMOTES EDUCATION AND AWARENESS AND COORDINATION BETWEEN THE FAITHS THAT LIVED IN RICHARDSON. THAT WAS THE FOCUS THEN. BUT AGAIN, THE FOCUS HAS GROWN MORE.

AND AGAIN, PLEASE STOP ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU HAVE TO WAIT TILL THEN. PRIMARY GOALS OF RA IS TO BUILD BRIDGES BETWEEN DIFFERENT FAITH COMMUNITIES. WE DO HAVE REGULAR MEETINGS ON THE FOURTH THURSDAY OR LUNCHTIME.

WE DO TAKE BREAKS IN SUMMER MONTHS OF JUNE AND JULY AND WINTER MONTH OF DECEMBER, MOSTLY DECEMBER IS BASICALLY BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ON VACATION YOU KNOW, TRAVEL, ALL THAT STUFF. SO THERE IS A GUEST SPEAKER.

WE NORMALLY PICK A GUEST SPEAKER BASED ON NOT POLITICS, NOT MONEY, NOT FINANCES NOT ANY GROUP THAT IS ONE SIDED. BASICALLY, IT'S MORE OF A THAT IS SOMETHING USEFUL, USEFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD A GUEST SPEAKER COME AND TALK ABOUT SECURITY, RIGHT? HOW YOU NEED TO BE AVOIDING PHISHING EMAILS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE USED. THERE WAS ONE OTHER TOPIC WHICH WAS ABOUT WOMEN VOTERS LEAGUE.

THEY DID TALK ABOUT THE THE ELECTION ITSELF, BUT THEY DIDN'T.

THEY WERE NOT TOWARDS OR FOR ANY GROUP. SO THERE ARE DIVERSE TOPICS OF THAT NATURE.

SO THAT'S ONE THING. AND THEN WE DO TALK ABOUT LOCAL AND GLOBAL ISSUES AS WELL.

THAT CAN BE HUMAN RIGHTS. IT CAN BE IMMIGRATION, STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF COORDINATION COORDINATING ENHANCING BASED SERVICES THAT WE ADDRESS FOR THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS.

ONE OF THE EVENTS IS BASICALLY A 100,000 MEALS FOR FEEDING CHILDREN EVERYWHERE.

[02:05:03]

BUT THE NAME WENT THAT WAY. NOW IT IS JUST HUNGER.

SO MOST OF THE BENEFITS GOES TO THE NETWORK OF COMMUNITIES MINISTRY AND SOME FOOD BANKS AROUND.

THERE IS A PROMOTION OF COMPASSION ACTION. THERE IS A NEW GROUP THAT WAS VERY ACTIVE, FOR SOME TIME AND THEIR DOMINANT NOW.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO REVISE THEM. AND ALSO THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TOO.

SO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS COULD BE NETWORK THAT COULD BE ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL.

SO IT'S NOT LIMITED TO ANY ONE PARTICULAR THING.

SO THE MONTHLY GATHERING HAPPENS WITH LUNCH.

WHAT WE DO IS THIS IS A ZERO COST GROUP WE DON'T HAVE A FIVE, THREE C OR WHATEVER.

SO WE, WE DO OPERATE ON A VERY PRIVATE BASIS.

WE DO HAVE MEMBERSHIP GROUPS. ABOUT 40 WILL COME TO THAT IN A MINUTE.

THERE'S NO MEMBERSHIP FEE PER SE. WHICHEVER GROUP CAN HOST LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, FIRST UNITED WANT TO HOST THEY SEND ME AN EMAIL AND THEN WE PUT IT ON THE CALENDAR. THEY PROVIDE GOOD FOR THE TEAM THAT IS PARTICIPATING.

AND THERE'S AN RSVP REQUIRED FOR THAT TOO. SO THAT'S WHAT WE DO.

AND THE CITY OF RICHARDSON, WE ARE INVOLVED IN MANY FACETS.

ONE IS IT COULD BE TRASH BASH OR IT COULD BE WEATHER WARNING SYSTEM.

THERE'S A FLOOD OR A WINTER FREEZE. WE DO CITY REACHES OUT TO US AND THEN WE PUBLISH THAT INFORMATION, OPEN UP SOME OF THE HOUSES FOR WARMING STATIONS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO THE STRUCTURE OF MEMBERSHIP ITSELF. WE DO HAVE ABOUT 40 DIFFERENT GROUPS.

IT'S ACTUALLY GROWING. THIS, IT'S NOT LIMITED TO JUST THE RELIGIOUS BASED GROUPS.

WE DO HAVE OTHER GROUPS AS WELL. FOR EXAMPLE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT.

THEY ARE PART OF THIS GROUP AS WELL. WE DO HAVE EGYPTIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY GROUP AS WELL.

THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS WHICH I DIDN'T WANT TO PUT. THERE'S GOING TO BE TOO MANY OF THEM THERE, ARE DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS OF CHRISTIANITY AND DIFFERENT ISLAMIC RELIGION REPRESENTATIVES LIKE INT OR DIALOG INSTITUTE FOR THAT MATTER.

WE HAVE ALL THOSE GROUPS THAT PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY.

THERE ARE SOME UNITARIAN GROUPS AS WELL. C C IS A NEW MEMBER WHO JOINED RECENTLY.

SAI BABA CENTER IS A UNITARIAN GROUP AS WELL.

THAT KIND OF GROUPS. AND THERE'S A STEERING COMMITTEE WHICH SUPPORTS THE CHAIR.

IT'S ABOUT 8 TO 10 PEOPLE. IT KIND OF VARIES.

SOMEBODY DROPPED OUT AND WE KIND OF PULL IN MORE FOLKS IN.

THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE IS TO HAVE A DIVERSITY SO THAT THERE'S NO DECISIONS OR GUEST SPEAKERS COMING FROM ONE GROUP OR THE OTHER. THERE'S A DISCUSSION THAT HAPPENS ONCE IN A MONTH, MOSTLY ON THE THIRD WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE NEXT WEEK OF MEMBERSHIP MEETING.

AND THEN WE COME UP WITH A PLAN AND THE MEETING ITSELF IS A ONE HOUR MEETING.

WE STARTED 1130, SOCIALIZED TILL 12 ALONG WITH THE LUNCH, AND THEN 12 TO 1 IS THE MEETING TIME.

SO SO WE DID HAVE SOME CHALLENGES. WE DO. WE WERE GETTING ABOUT 30 TO 40 PEOPLE AT THE MINIMUM BEFORE COVID.

AND WE DID LIMITED FROM EACH HOUSE OF WORSHIP AS TWO AS THE MAXIMUM BECAUSE 40 TO 200 PEOPLE TO FEED. SO IT'S NOT EASY FOR THE, THE HOSTING ORGANIZATION.

SO WE SAID, OKAY, TWO PEOPLE PER GROUP. AND THEN IT WAS GOING TO 50, 60 BEFORE COVID.

NOW IT'S SLOWLY GOING BACK. WE DID SOME ONLINE DISCUSSIONS FOR SOME TIME ON ZOOM DURING THE COVID, BUT SLOWLY IT'S GOING BACK TO 2530 NOW. SO AND THERE'S A LOT OF COMMITMENT.

ALL OF US ARE VOLUNTEERS TO WORK THROUGH ALL THE MEMBERSHIP IS ALSO VOLUNTEER, SO IT'S ON A GOODWILL BASIS.

SO WHAT THE IMPACT THAT WE ARE CREATING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY IS I DO HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS I CAN CALL IN.

I HAVE POST ISSUE, I CALL IT KIND OF A THING.

SO I PROBABLY CALL THEM ON A WEEKEND OR STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO SHE'S STILL A SPONSOR. SHE GIVES. SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE FRIENDSHIP.

SO WE HAVE CREATED HERE. SO WE HAVE ALSO CREATED A IT'S KIND OF A COMMUNITY DRIVEN SPACE TOURISM PROJECT THAT IS DRIVEN BY ITSELF. I KNOW CITY SUPPORTS US A LOT AND WE CONTRIBUTE SOME TO THE CITY AS WELL,

[02:10:03]

SO THERE'S A LOT OF PARTICIPATION. WE HAVE QUESTIONS AND YOU KNOW, WE INVITE PEOPLE TO GUITARS OR NOWRUZ CELEBRATIONS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. WE TAKE A FAMILY AS WELL AND RECENTLY HAD TAKEN A CLASS OF SAI BABA GROUP TO A MOSQUE WHERE THEY LEARNED IS IT 25 TIMES? JESUS'S NAME IS MENTIONED IN QURAN.

IT'S NOT A QUIZ, BUT I LEARNED THAT WHEN I WAS WITH THESE KIDS AND THEY THOROUGHLY LOVED IT.

IT'S LIKE A MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS. THEY HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS, TOO.

SO, SO IT STARTS FROM CHILDHOOD THAT THEY'RE LEARNING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO SO THAT'S ONE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND CIVIC LIFE CAN BE FOSTERED FROM THE EARLY STAGES. IN SUMMARY RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE'S TOTALLY LOCAL BASED ORGANIZATION COALITION FORMED IN 2012, LIKE I SAID, BUT IT'S GROWN BEYOND.

WE DO HAVE FOLKS JOINING FROM SACHSE AND MURPHY AND SOMETIMES PLANO AND GARLAND.

WE DO PUBLISH A NEWSLETTER, WHICH IS ONCE IN A WEEK, AND SOMETIMES I SKIP IT IF THERE'S NO NEED FOR AN EMAIL OR IF THERE'S SOME TIME. SO ONLY THERE'S A REASON FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, GARLAND GLOVES.

RIGHT. LIKE IN PLANO WARNING STATION. SO IF THEY HAVE ANY NEED FOR VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE DO POST IT AND THEY DO COME POST. SO IT'S WORKING VERY WELL SO FAR.

WE'RE LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER AND LEARNING NEVER ENDS.

SO IT'S A CONTINUOUS PROCESS. WE DO GET NEW, NEW PEOPLE COMING IN ASKING, CAN WE JOIN? THERE'S A FACEBOOK PAGE. WE DON'T HAVE A WEBSITE PER SE, BECAUSE WE HAD A WEBSITE AND THAT COSTED MONEY TO LEAVE.

THEY KNEW IT. IT'S A ZERO COST, SO WE DID NOT RENEW IT.

FACEBOOK HAS ABOUT 500 600 PEOPLE FOLLOWING. SO EVERY WEEK I SEE SOME NEW PEOPLE FOLLOWING US.

SO IT'S WORKING FINE. THE PURPOSE IS NOT TO GLORIFY OR ANYTHING.

SO IT'S BASICALLY SHOW THAT WE CAN STILL LIVE IN HARMONY WITHOUT HAVING ANY ANY STRONG RELIGIOUS OR, YOU KNOW, CONNECTIONS TO ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION.

SO IT'S A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO COME AND ENJOY WHEN WE HAVE THESE MEETINGS, THE REQUEST TO THE MEMBERSHIP IS TO TAKE THAT MESSAGE BACK TO THEIR CONGREGATION AND SHARE IT WITH THE REST OF THE TEAM.

LIKE SOMETHING IS HAPPENING SO AND SO PLACE OR THERE'S A NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS.

WE DO SHARE IT IN AN EMAIL AND THEY SPREAD THE MESSAGE ACROSS.

AND IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO JOIN THAT VOLUNTEERING, THEY CAN DO IT.

IT'S BASICALLY A CONDUIT WITH NO COST. QUESTIONS? HOW DO YOU WORK WITH THE CITY? I MEAN, IS IT JUST COMMUNICATION OR DO THEY SEND THINGS YOUR WAY? THEY DO SEND THINGS OUT, AND SOMETIMES I DO TALK TO THEM.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE WARMING STATION. A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE OF REACHING OUT FROM CITY.

I DO REACH OUT TO. I RECENTLY REACHED OUT TO GREG AND ASKED HIM IF THERE'S A PLACE WE CAN HOST OUR MEETING.

AND HE JUMPED IN. SO THERE'S BOTH COMMUNICATION AND TO BE MORE PARTICULAR, WHEN I REACH OUT TO CITY THERE IS NORMALLY I INVITE THE CITY OFFICERS TO COME AND PRESENT SOME OF THE PRESENTATIONS THAT PROBABLY NEED TO KNOW, LIKE ONE OF THE MOST.

RECENT ONE. COUNCIL. LA FORCE. SO DAN CAME AND PRESENTED THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO AND WE DO HAVE THIS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TRAINING.

A LOT OF THOSE THINGS HAPPEN. AND THEN THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THE MEMBERS, ONE OF THE MEMBERS ASKED FOR THE PRESENTATION AND SAID, OKAY, THAT'S GOOD. SO LET'S GO WITH THAT. AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT THE STEERING COMMITTEE ALSO COMES TOGETHER AND SOMETHING IS HAPPENING SOMEWHERE ELSE.

THEY KIND OF SUGGEST, CAN YOU THINK THIS PERSON WAS INVOLVED IN, IN THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY AND SO ON.

SO YOU CAN LEARN FROM THAT. THOSE ARE THE THINGS.

WHEN IT COMES TO MEMBERSHIP, I GUESS THOSE QUESTIONS THAT'S BEEN ON EVERYBODY'S MIND IS LIKE,

[02:15:03]

YEAH, THEY'RE ALL WELCOME. I WOULD SAY, COME SIT BY ME.

HOW DO YOU THINK THE RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE CAN HELP? PRECISELY TO THE PROBLEM. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PROBLEM THAT.

YEAH. AND AND SERVE AS A BUFFER TO START DOING ALL THE SECULAR.

YEAH. NOT JUST SOME POLICY. THAT COMMUNICATION STRATEGY THAT WE CAN.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE STRUCTURE ITSELF, IT'S NOT RELIGIOUS OR POLITICAL BASED.

SO IF YOU TAKE OUT, SAY, I'LL GIVE YOU A LONGER ANSWER.

IF I LOOK AT A RELIGION, CHRISTIANITY, AND I LOOK AT THE HINDUISM.

HINDUISM, IN FACT, IS NOT A RELIGION PER SE, BUT I MIGHT GET BEATEN UP IF I SAY THAT LOUDLY.

SO LET'S CONSIDER HINDUISM AS A RELIGION. TAKE OUT THE RELIGION TOPIC OUT OF IT.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE VALUES UNDER THESE RELIGIONS, THEY ARE ALL THE SAME.

YEAH, YEAH. TREAT YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF OR HELP EACH OTHER.

DON'T YOU KNOW THOSE KIND OF THINGS? SO WE ARE AT THAT LEVEL WHERE WE'RE WORKING VERY HARMONIOUSLY WITHOUT LOOKING AT A PARTICULAR RELIGION OR A POLITICAL AFFILIATION. RIGHT. SO IF THAT IS THE CASE AND IT CAN WORK FOR MANY YEARS NOW I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ALMOST SIX, SEVEN YEARS. I'VE BEEN ASKING SOMEBODY TO PULL MY CHAIR. HE'S JUST TOO GOOD OF A JOB.

SO. SO I THINK THE POINT HERE IS IF I'M NOT ATTACHING SOMETHING TO, TO MYSELF THAT TAKES OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER QUOTE UNQUOTE EGO OR ATTACHMENT TO MY VALUES GREATER THAN YOUR VALUE, THOSE KIND OF THINGS, RIGHT? SO IF YOU BRING THAT SAME THING TO THE TOPIC, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CITY.

MY RELIGION IS MINE. YOUR RELIGION IS YOURS. AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR RELIGION IS ALSO AS GREAT AS MY RELIGION.

IT DOESN'T MATTER. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE ANY, YOU KNOW, ACCEPTANCE OR ACCEPTANCE IS NEEDED.

MY APOLOGIES, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO PROCLAIM IT OR ANNOUNCE OPENLY THAT WE NEED THIS OR THAT OR THIS VERSUS THAT. RIGHT. SO TO ME, EVERYTHING IS THE SAME.

YEAH. DO YOU VISUALIZE THE RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE AS THE FIRST POINT TO START? PUTTING ALL THIS INFORMATION TO ALL THESE DIFFERENT RELIGIONS? THE RELIGIONS, WE DON'T PROCLAIM ANYTHING TO THE RELIGION.

THE RELIGIONS COME TO OUR AID BECAUSE WE ARE NOT RELIGIOUS.

THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE. SO WE ARE NOT A RELIGIOUS GROUP.

WE ARE A SPIRITUAL GROUP OR WE ARE A FRIENDSHIP GROUP.

WHERE THAT BOTTOM LINE IS GONE, THERE'S NO BOUNDARIES.

SO I HAVE A DALLAS MEDITATION CENTER, WHICH IS WHICH IS AS FAR AS THE MEDITATION GOES.

THEY ARE NOT RELIGIOUS, BUT THEY DO FOLLOW THICH NHAT HANH FOR BUDDHISM KIND OF PRACTICES.

BUT WHEN THEY COME, THEY DON'T. THEY ARE LIKE HINDU CHRISTIANS, HINDUS.

THEY ARE ALL IN THAT GROUP. BUT THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT RELIGION PER SE.

THEY ONLY TALK ABOUT SPIRITUALITY, MEDITATION, THAT KIND OF THING. RIGHT.

SO YOU TAKE OUT THAT ASPECT OF STRONG CONNECTION.

YOU HAVE THE THERE'S NO REASON FOR HAVING ONE AND HOW IT HELPS TO CITY.

I HAVE NO CLUE. SO BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY DIRECTIONS THAT YOU CAN CERTAINLY TAKE IT FROM.

THIS ONE ALSO WAS NOT THE APPROXIMATION FOR RELIGIONS POPULATION TO RECOGNIZE CERTAIN COMMUNITIES ARE CELEBRATING SOMETHING.

SO IF SO, THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE. SO IF YOU CELEBRATE SOMETHING AS PART OF YOUR RELIGION, INSTEAD OF RECOGNIZING THE RELIGION ITSELF, YOU CELEBRATE THAT VALUE THAT IS TIED TO THAT RELIGION THAT BECOMES AN ARRAY.

RIGHT? AND I HAVE A QUESTION. SO KIND OF TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING HERE.

IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE? SO IF A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY GROUP THAT PART OF THIS RELIGION, WE'RE HAVING THIS CELEBRATION AND COULD THE RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE LIKE, LIKE NOT JUST SHARE LIKE THE POSTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, LIKE IT'S COMING FROM YOU ALL BECAUSE YOU ALL KIND OF ARE SITTING AT THIS INTERSECTION OF ALL FAITHS AND WANTING EVERYONE THAT REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER YOUR FAITH IS, YOU, THIS, YOU ARE INCLUDED IN RECOGNIZED.

AND SO IS THERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ALLIANCE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION TO A WIDESPREAD GROUP OF PEOPLE?

[02:20:09]

RIGHT, RIGHT. SO LIKE I SAID, INTERFAITH ALLIANCE IS NOT ABOUT A PARTICULAR RELIGION OR A GROUP OF CHURCHES, RIGHT? SO IF I, AS A RELIGION OR A ANNOUNCED THAT CITY.

ACKNOWLEDGES A PARTICULAR RELIGION OR A GROUP OF RELIGIONS.

THAT IS NOT A SOLUTION FOR A PROBLEM. YOU MOVE THE PROBLEM FROM CITY TO ANOTHER GROUP.

RIGHT. BECAUSE CITY OF RICHARDSON CANNOT ACKNOWLEDGE AREA AS THEIR PART OF AS THEIR LIMB OR AN ARM OF CITY PROGRAM ITSELF.

IT'S A, IT'S A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION THAT WAS STARTED BY THE MAYOR IN A GOODWILL.

RIGHT. SO YOU CAN DO THAT. I DON'T THINK IT SOLVES THE PROBLEM AS FAR AS WE THINK THAT'S THE PROBLEM, RIGHT? IF IT IS IF IT IS LIKE, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? LIKE, WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO SOLVE? SO IF I PROCLAIM IT CHRISTIANITY, FOR EXAMPLE, AND I FORGET TO DO THAT FOR RAMADAN OR, OR NOWRUZ OR ANY OTHER FESTIVALS, THEN THAT BECOMES A PROBLEM OF RA, RIGHT? SO YOU ALL ARE NOT SHARING. SO IT'S NOT LIKE AN EDUCATION OF SHARING OUT THAT THIS EVENT IS GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE JUST SHARING THIS EVENT FROM AWARENESS THAT IS NOT AT ALL WITH OUR.

I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. OKAY, SO THANKSGIVING, WE DO CELEBRATE AS A GROUP, BUT A HOST IS DIALOG INSTITUTE. THEY SEND AN INVITE AND SAYING THAT, HEY, RSVP TO THIS LINK AND WE PUBLISH THAT AND SAY, WHOEVER WANTS TO GO, THEY DO ATTEND IT, RIGHT? IT IS NOT OUR AIR AND DIALOG. SO IF I CAN JUMP IN THERE AND DIALOG INSTITUTE HOSTS THAT TODAY, BUT WE HAVE HAD OTHER HOUSES OF WORSHIP HOST THAT COLLECTIVE THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION IN THE PAST.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO LIKE TODAY, THERE ARE CURRENT HOSTS DURING THAT TIME, BUT THAT IS IN ITSELF AN ENTITY THAT HAS MOVED AROUND TO DIFFERENT HOUSES OF WORSHIP AS A PROGRAM OR. YEAH, I THINK I WAS JUST TRYING TO SAY BECAUSE I REALLY, AGAIN, I'M NOT TRYING TO GO BACK, BUT I WANT TO JUST SEE LIKE, WHAT ARE ALL THE ALTERNATIVES THAT WE HAVE ON THE TABLE SO THAT IF WE SAY NO, THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO RECOGNIZE RELIGION. IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO DO THAT THROUGH THIS? AND RIGHT NOW, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE IS THIS.

IT'S JUST YOU'RE BASICALLY NOW TAKING INFORMATION FROM ANOTHER GROUP OR ENTITY AND SHARING THAT FROM THE MEMBERS THAT ARE PART OF THOSE ENTITIES AND SHARING THAT INFORMATION. AND THEN IT SEEMS LIKE, OKAY, IT IS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THIS GROUP THAT DOES THAT DOES GET SHARED THOUGH, BECAUSE I THINK, WELL, AND I WILL TELL YOU, THIS GROUP, NIRANJAN IS HUMBLE WITH REGARDS TO WHAT HE DOES.

AND IF I LOOK AT WHAT THE CITY OF FRISCO IS SAYING, WHEN THEY SAY, GOSH, WE GO INTO COMMUNITIES, EDUCATE OURSELVES, WHAT HAVE YOU, I CAN TELL YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL, HE DOES THIS AND SO WELL AND IS SUCH A GOOD PERSON FOR THE REST OF US TO LEARN FROM.

SO THAT SAID, THAT SAID, I'M THINKING OF LIKE BETH TORAH, FOR EXAMPLE.

SO IF CONGREGATION BETH TORAH IS DOING A READING OF NAMES, WHICH THEY DO KIND OF ONCE A YEAR, IT IS VERY COMMON FOR THEM TO LIFT THAT UP FOR NIRANJAN AND FOR HIM TO INCLUDE THAT IN A NEWSLETTER THAT GOES OUT TO THE MEMBERSHIP OF RICHARDSON AND CLIENTS.

SO THERE IS A PROMOTION OF EVENTS THAT OCCURS WITHIN THE MEMBERSHIP BASE.

LET'S ALSO NOT, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS WORTH SAYING AND THAT WHILE THAT DOOR IS OPEN AND ANYBODY CAN COME TO ANY RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE MEETING WE DEFINITELY HAVE PEOPLE IN THE CITY OR HOUSES OF WORSHIP WITHIN THE CITY THAT, THAT DON'T SUBSCRIBE TO THE LIVING IN HARMONY WHO ABSOLUTELY THINK THAT THEY ARE, THIS IS THE WAY TO DO IT AND THIS IS THE BEST.

AND THEY CHOOSE NOT TO SHARE THOSE SEATS WITH US.

AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO NAME, YOU KNOW, THAT WE, WE AS A GROUP WOULD HOPE THAT EVERYBODY WOULD COME TO THE TABLE, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS NOT THE CASE.

BUT THOSE WHO DO. I THINK THAT THE, WHAT, WHAT FRISCO WAS DESCRIBING ABOUT THE CHALLENGE OF HAVING DIFFERENT GROUPS STAY WITHIN THEIR GROUPS.

I THINK THAT THE ARIA IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF ATTEMPTING TO CREATE THOSE BRIDGES WHERE I WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING TO THE MOSQUE.

I FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING TO CONGREGATION BETH TORAH.

I FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING INTO THOSE PLACES AS PART OF RICHARDSON INTERFAITH ALLIANCE DOES THAT.

[02:25:05]

OKAY. AND THAT ANSWER, I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THAT THERE MAY BE FOLKS OR COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT ARE LIKE, WE'RE REALLY NOT WANTING THIS TO BE PUBLICIZED OR ADVERTISED BECAUSE I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN TRY TO NOT, NOT MAYBE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE CAN TRY TO SOLVE, YOU KNOW, THAT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, RIGHT? BECAUSE IS IT JUST THAT MAYBE THERE'S NOT TRUST HERE OR MAYBE THERE'S NOT SAFETY? SO I REALLY LIKE THAT YOU HIGHLIGHTED THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GREAT POINT. AND I, I LOVE WHAT THE CITY OF FRISCO, WHAT SHE SAID, BECAUSE THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT I'M SAYING EVERY DAY NOW IS LIKE ITERATIONS OR PHASES, RIGHT? LIKE YOU CAN'T DO EVERYTHING IN PHASE ONE AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO. SO I'M LIKE, WE CAN DO THIS.

AND THEN WE CAN LIKE, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE PHASE TWO OR WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT ITERATION OF IT.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING TOO, THAT I WANT TO CONSIDER THAT LIKE, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SOLVE FOR ALL OF IT TODAY.

BUT THERE'S THE POSSIBILITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD CONTINUE TO EVOLVE THE POLICY AND SO FORTH AS WE CONTINUE TO EDUCATE OURSELVES.

AND I DO WANT TO MENTION REAL QUICK TO THAT BECAUSE OF THE LARGEST SPACE IS WE DO A VERY LIMITED BASIS, BUT WE DO SHARE SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT AS LONG AS IT'S THE ALLIANCE THAT'S DOING IT.

CORRECT. WE DO A VERY LIMITED OCCASIONS SHARE, AND WE ABSOLUTELY WOULD IN THE CASE OF A CRISIS EVENT.

I MEAN, THAT'S THERE ARE RECOGNIZED PARTNER WITH THE CITY THAT'S HELPING ACTIVATE.

AND SO THOSE THOSE THINGS WE WE DO HAVE. AND IT'S MY.

I THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A OPPORTUNITY I DIDN'T KNOW.

I DID SOME LEARNING, BUT THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY WILL ABSOLUTELY.

SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXCLUDE THOSE. NOT THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE THE WAY THE SYSTEM TODAY.

BUT AGAIN, WE CAN DISCUSS FURTHER. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO OTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I KNOW YOU GET APPLAUSE.

WE WILL NOW BRING BACK THE AGENDA THAT WE TABLED BEFORE THIS IN.

CAN WE COME BACK TO THE SLIDES? SO I THINK THE QUESTION THAT REMAINS IN FRONT OF US IS THE CAC DISCUSSION AND VOTE FOR. YES. UNDER WHAT STANDARDS. USING WHAT DEFINITIONS WITH WHAT LIMITS, IF ANY FEEDBACK OR RECOMMENDATIONS AS COUNCIL DETERMINES FINAL DECISION. SO DO YOU WANT US TO TAKE A VOTE? YES. SO THE CITY COUNCIL IS LOOKING FOR A VOTE AND VERY HAPPY TO HAVE ALL MEMBERS, BECAUSE THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY ASKING AND HOPING THAT ALL MEMBERS WOULD BE HERE FOR FOR THIS TO GIVE THIS DIRECTION SO THEY CAN ENGAGE, ENGAGE THAT FEEDBACK.

BUT YES, IT'D BE TAKING A VOTE AND THEN DEPENDING ON THE DIRECTION OF THE VOTE, IT'S WHAT WOULD YOU PROVIDE HERE OR WHAT WOULD YOU PROVIDE HERE? CAN YOU ASK THE QUESTION? YEAH. WHAT IS THE QUESTION.

IT'S ON THE PREVIOUS IT'S ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.

SHOULD THE CITY INCLUDE RELIGIOUS NON-SECULAR OBSERVANCES AS PART OF ITS RECOGNITION PROGRAMING FOR EXAMPLE, THAT AGAIN, THIS IS NOT LIMITED TO SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, RESOLUTIONS, PROCLAMATIONS, ANYTHING OF THAT, ANY ANY FORM OF OUTREACH. ARE WE AGREE THAT ON THAT QUESTION, THE CITY SHOULD NOT PROCEED WITH NON SECULAR OBSERVANCES? HOWEVER, THE CITY OF RICHARDSON SHOULD GO TO SECULAR.

A POTENTIAL INTERVENTIONS THROUGH. FOR EXAMPLE, THE COMMISSION.

BY CREATING. THIS OFFERS OF A CULTURAL CONNECTION WITH DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS.

SO I THINK THE QUESTION IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW IS WHETHER WE SHOULD INCLUDE RELIGIOUS NON SECULAR OBSERVANCES OR NOT.

I THINK THE YES AND NO SHOULD BE TO THIS QUESTION.

AND AS PART OF THAT RECOMMENDATION, IF IT'S A YES, IF IT'S A NO, AS PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION, IT SHOULD BE THE WE SHOULD GO FOR SECULAR OBSERVANCES WITH SOME CONNECTION OF THE COMMISSION WITH SOMETHING LIKE AN INTERFAITH ALLIANCE OR WHAT HAVE YOU. LIKE, WHAT WOULD YOUR RECOMMENDATION? YOU SAID YES. YEAH. SO, SO DO YOU WANT FOR US TO GO AROUND THE TABLE AND JUST COLLECT THE YES OR NO AND

[02:30:08]

IT'S PROBABLY GOOD TO GO AND GET THE VOTE, FIGURE OUT WHICH DIRECTION THIS IS AND THEN THAT LEADS THAT THEN OPENS THE DIRECTION TO HOW DO WE DO THIS? OR WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO FOR THIS? AND I, I, WELL, I'LL, I HAVE NOTES DEPENDING ON WHICH DIRECTION BEFORE WE GO THERE. I HAVE A QUESTION. IS THAT ON THIS PARTICULAR VERBIAGE THAT IS THERE, WHO IS GOING TO DEFINE WHAT IS RELIGIOUS OR NOT? WHAT IS A RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE OR NOT? IT DOESN'T MENTION THAT.

IT JUST SIMPLY SAYS RELIGIOUS NONSENSE. RIGHT.

DOES IT INCLUDE WHO DOES THE DEFINITION OF WHAT IS THIS? I DON'T HAVE THAT. I CAN ALWAYS ADD THAT, BUT IT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION.

IN MY MIND, I'M THINKING ANYTHING WITH ANY FORM OF DEITY, BUT AS A RELIGION HAVE TO INCLUDE A DEITY.

IS COFFEE. NO NO NO. QUESTION IS DIFFERENT. IS THAT THE OBSERVANCE? RIGHT. THIS IS SPECIFIC TO OBSERVANCE. AND THE QUESTION IS THEN WHO DECIDES WHETHER THIS IS A RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE OR IS THIS A SECULAR OBSERVANCE? I THINK WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE INSTITUTION OF THE RELIGION PER SE.

CATHOLIC CHURCH. IS PART OF THE FRAMEWORK THAT HAS REDEFINED ALSO.

LIKE WHAT? BECAUSE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH CONSIDERS CHRISTMAS.

YEAH, BUT THE RELIGION IS BASED ON THIS INSTITUTION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

RIGHT. SO THE SAME FOR THE MUSLIMS. SO I THINK THE CITY OBVIOUSLY HAS A IT HAS INFORMATION ON THE SLIDES THAT TELLS US THIS IS FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, THE CITY'S POINT OF VIEW. THIS IS CONSIDERED RELIGIOUS.

THIS IS CONSIDERED NON SECULAR. SO I THINK AS FAR AS CHRISTMAS IS CONCERNED IT'S CONSIDERED A SECULAR HOLIDAY.

HOWEVER, IF ANYTHING OTHER THAN CHRISTMAS, WHICH IS RAMADAN, DIWALI, HOLI, EASTER INCLUDED ALL FORMS OF EASTER YOU KNOW, ANY JEWISH HOLIDAYS, THOSE ARE ALL COUNTRIES THAT ARE BASICALLY ALL CONSIDERED RELIGIOUS AND NON SECULAR OBSERVERS.

SO THIS IS FROM THE CITY'S POINT OF VIEW. SO FROM THE CITY'S POINT OF VIEW ONLY BECAUSE THEY COULD BE SECULAR.

SO THAT THAT YEAH THAT THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING.

I THINK IN THE BEGINNING IT'S LIKE IF WE SAID YES, LIKE COULD WE DEVELOP WHAT THAT FRAMEWORK IS? NOW WHAT I HEARD FROM GREG IS WE CAN DO THAT, BUT THEN IT STILL HAS TO BE LIKE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL AND, AND, AND GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS. BUT YES, I DO THINK THAT RIGHT NOW, I FEEL LIKE THAT IS A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I THINK IN THE EXAMPLE OF CHRISTMAS, THERE WASN'T THIS LIKE FRAMEWORK THAT THE CONSTITUTION PUT OUT, BUT THEY BASICALLY LIKE CALLED OUT THAT LIKE CHRISTMAS HAS SECULAR COMPONENTS.

AND SO MY STATEMENT ABOUT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THIS IS WHERE I'LL ADMIT LIKE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND WHERE I'LL NEED TO DEPEND ON OTHER FOLKS WITHIN THE COMMISSION IS LIKE, ARE THERE OTHER RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS THAT HAVE SECULAR COMPONENTS THAT IF SOMEONE FEELS VERY STRONGLY THAT THIS RELIGION SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED BY THE CITY OF RICHARDSON.

WE HAVE TO DEFINE THOUGH, LIKE THERE HAS TO BE SOME TYPE OF OKAY, WELL, BUT WHAT ABOUT THIS RELIGION HAS THAT SECULAR COMPONENT.

AND THERE SEEMS TO BE THAT THERE THERE PROBABLY IS A SECULAR COMPONENT BETWEEN ALL THE RELIGIONS.

BUT AGAIN, THAT IS NOT JUST BEING DERIVED WHEN THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING, LIKE IT'S HAPPENING WITH CHRISTMAS TODAY, LIKE CHRISTMAS WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPREME COURT. OTHER ONES HAVEN'T.

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT LIMITED TO SAY THAT, LIKE WE CAN STILL MAKE THAT DECISION AND SAY, OKAY, IF YOU COME TO US AND SAY, DIWALI SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED BY THE CITY. AND HERE'S WHY, BECAUSE IT FALLS UNDER THIS SECULAR COMPONENT.

I THINK THAT WE ARE IN OUR RIGHTS TO DEFINE WHAT THAT SECULAR COMPONENTS ARE.

I DON'T I JUST DON'T THINK WE I JUST THINK THERE'S I DON'T THINK THERE'S NOTHING COMPONENT EVERYTHING.

IT JUST HAS TO BE TALKED ABOUT. YEAH, IT HAS TO BE EDUCATED. IF THERE ISN'T, YOU CAN MAKE IT. YEAH. I MEAN, SO I JUST BUT I DIDN'T DO THIS QUESTION WHETHER THE CITY SHOULD INCLUDE RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES.

I THINK WE SHOULD VOTE ON THAT FOR SURE. YEAH.

AND THEN BASED ON HOW WE VOTE, THEN WE LOOK FOR WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP TO SAY YES.

SO CAN WE GO AHEAD AND CALL IN THE VOTE FOR THIS? SHOULD THE CITY INCLUDE RELIGIOUS NON SECULAR OBSERVANCES AS PART OF ITS RECOGNITION PROGRAMING,

[02:35:01]

YES, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. DID IS THAT RECORDED? SIRAJ HAS HIS HAND UP AS ONE. YES. VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF NO.

PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS.

AND. YEAH. AND, AND IF YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO WITH THAT. AND START FIRST BY SAYING THANK YOU.

I KNOW THESE ARE NOT EASY QUESTIONS. IMAGINE, I MEAN, SO I'M THE ONE THAT HAS TO RESPOND EVERY TIME CHRISTMAS PARTIES.

I'M THE ONE THAT HAS COME UP WITH A RESPONSE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY, VERY ANGRY THAT WE ARE POSTING CHRISTMAS PARADE AND NOTHING ELSE.

SO I THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH YOUR HEAD THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.

I JUST PLEASE KNOW, I APPRECIATE IT. I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY.

AND SO, AND THE COUNCIL'S GOING TO BE DEALING WITH THIS VERY, VERY SOON TOO.

AND IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO GO AND SEE SEE HOW THAT GOES.

BUT I JUST WANT TO FIRST OFF, SAY THANK YOU FOR TACKLING THIS.

IT'S THE REASON YOU'RE HERE IS TO HELP, HELP ANSWER A LOT OF THESE HARD QUESTIONS AND PROVIDE THIS KIND OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND PULLING ON YOUR DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES HELPING US TO GET HERE. SO NOW WITH THAT, I'VE HEARD AGAIN, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF GOOD DISCUSSION AND I'VE HEARD WHAT I THINK CAN BE IN ADDITION TO I'M GOING TO THROW IT OUT THERE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, LET YOU GUYS CONTINUE.

BUT IT'S WE NEED TO ADD A SECTION TO THE POLICY LEAVING OPEN OF BEING INCLUSIVE TO ALL SECULAR HOLIDAYS THAT WE LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO BE INCLUSIVE. AND THAT WILL BE ESSENTIALLY BE A BULLET POINT WITHIN THE POLICY OF, OF THIS, THIS COMMISSION IS MAKING RECOMMENDATION TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES IN ORDER TO BE INCLUSIVE OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, FOR ANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR SECULAR DEFINITION THAT THAT BE SOMETHING THAT THE CITY INCLUDES.

SO I HAVE THAT. BUT LEAVING NOW OPEN. ANY OTHER FEEDBACK RECOMMENDATIONS? THAT ONE I'M GOING TO TAKE THE COUNCIL AS AN EDIT TO THAT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR ME TO MAKE OR ANY ADDITIONS, SUBTRACTIONS. SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE SAYING OVER THERE IS NOT THAT TO TO RECOGNIZE SECULAR OBSERVANCES, BUT RATHER TO RECOGNIZE THAT WITHIN RELIGIOUS OBSERVATIONS, THERE ARE COMPONENTS OF THAT ARE SECULAR COMPONENTS THAT ARE INCLUDED, AND THAT IS FOR ALL HOLIDAYS, AS HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE SUPREME COURT ITSELF.

RIGHT. WHEN THEY RULED ON CHRISTMAS, THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT BOTH ELEMENTS EXIST.

I THINK, GREG, IF YOU CAN MAKE MENTION JUST BECAUSE SIRAJ SAID THIS EARLIER, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A RELEVANT AND IMPORTANT FOR COUNCIL TO HEAR IS THE RECOGNITION THAT WHILE CHRISTMAS HAS BEEN ELEVATED TO A SUPREME COURT DECISION IT COULD BE, IT COULD BE THE LACK OF EDUCATION AROUND RAMADAN AND DIWALI HAS JUST NOT ESCALATED IT TO THAT POINT YET.

RIGHT. AND SO THE RECOGNITION THAT BY EDUCATING OURSELVES IN THESE DIFFERENT PHASES AND THESE DIFFERENT FAITH TRADITIONS AND CULTURAL TRADITIONS, AND WE'RE UNDERSTANDING THAT THOSE LINES ARE PROBABLY BLURRED IN MANY OTHER AREAS OUTSIDE OF CHRISTIANITY AND CHRISTMAS.

CORRECT. I THINK ANOTHER THING, JUST REPEATING ALL OF YOUR WORDS, SIRAJ, BUT I'M HAVING HIM WRITE THEM DOWN.

YOU KNOW, AND THAT THEY COULD IF THEY UPHOLD THE VALUES AND THE MISSION OF THE CITY THAT.

I THINK THAT THE MAIN INTENTION BEHIND BRINGING THIS WAS TO CREATE THAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP BUILDING BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AND BEING ABLE TO SAY WE, YOU KNOW, BE MORE TRYING, TRYING TO SHOWCASE THE MORE INCLUSIVENESS, THE INCLUSIVE NATURE OF THE CITY. BUT THAT WAS IN INTENTIONS INITIALLY WHEN THIS DISCUSSION FIRST STARTED.

OF COURSE WE WE UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO DO INCLUSION, THERE CAN BE SOME, SOME OF THIS WHICH COMES INTO PLAY WHILE LOOKING NICE ONE AND NOT THE OTHER. SO AS FAR AS RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES ARE CONSIDERED, I GUESS THE MAJORITY VOTE HERE IS NO.

HOWEVER, WE STILL NEED TO WORK ON HOW DO WE CREATE THAT? HOW DO WE DO THAT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY?

[02:40:03]

YEAH. WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT THE COUNCIL IS ASKING YOU TO DO SO THAT YOU CAN BRING THOSE HERE TOO.

ARE WE GOING TO COUNCIL? DO YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED? AND BASICALLY, YOU JUST HAVE. YOUR POLICY WOULD BE THAT THE CITY DOES NOT RECOGNIZE RELIGIOUS NON SECULAR HOLIDAYS FOR THESE CATEGORIES.

THAT'S THE POLICY ASSUMING THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL ADOPTS.

AND THEN I THINK THIS DIALOG CAN CONTINUE HERE IN ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS CAN COME TO THE COUNCIL ABOUT WHAT THIS WOULD ALL BE.

RIGHT. I DON'T THINK THAT HAS TO BE SETTLED BY THE COUNCIL WHEN YOU BRING THIS TO US.

I NEED TO TALK TO DON. YEAH, I THINK I THINK PART OF IT IS, YES.

I'LL TELL THE ENTIRE COUNCIL THIS DISCUSSION AND THAT THERE'S THIS DESIRE FOR THE SECULAR COMPONENT.

BUT TO YOUR POINT, THERE'S A LOT OF DEFINITION.

THEY MAY VERY WELL SAY, ALL RIGHT, WE'LL HAVE THE CAC CREATE THE DEFINITION.

THIS IS SECULAR. BUT WE'LL SEE HOW THERE ARE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF THAT KIND OF EVENTS.

ONE IS THE CHINESE NEW YEAR. THERE'S ANOTHER ONE WHICH IS BUDDHIST TEMPLE.

THERE IS THEY DO THE BUDDHA BATHING CEREMONY.

IT'S NOT LIMITED TO BUDDHIST ONLY, BUT THEY'RE ALL INVITING EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO GO AND JOIN FOOD, SOME MUSIC AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO THAT COULD BE ONE VENUE WHERE PARTICULAR RELIGIOUS CELEBRATION CAN BE RECOGNIZED.

SO MY, MY POINT HERE IS IF I'M SUPPOSED TO GO TO A PARTICULAR PLACE, I MOSTLY WILL NOT.

IF I'M PRESENTED AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO LEARN, I PROBABLY WILL.

SO THE DIFFERENCE IN THAT. SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK IN THAT DIRECTION, OPEN UP A NEW SCHOOL FOR PEOPLE TO GO AND PARTICIPATE AND LEARN RATHER THAN LIKE FRISCO WAS GOING TO GO DOOR TO DOOR THAT TO ME MAY NOT WORK VERY WELL.

IT MIGHT BREAK THE CITY TO A COMMUNITY. KIND OF BRIDGES OR BREAK BARRIERS.

BUT ARE ONE COMMUNITY GOING TO ANOTHER? COMMUNITY MAY NOT.

I DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING SO WELL. AND THEY'RE DEALING WITH A DIFFERENT SITUATION TOO.

WHEN YOU'RE IN A CRISIS EVENT, IT'S SUDDENLY BARRIERS TO LOWERS.

THEY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. THEY'RE ALSO DEALING WITH THAT.

GREG, I'M WONDERING, GOING BACK TO WHAT COUNCILMEMBER JENNIFER MENTIONED, LIKE FOR THE PURPOSES OF PROVIDING THE INFORMATION BACK TO CITY COUNCIL, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SAYING, NO, WE'RE NOT CHANGING THE POLICY BECAUSE THE POLICY EXISTS TODAY THAT WE DO NOT RECOGNIZE RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES THAT DO NOT HAVE A NON SECULAR COMPONENT. IS THERE A WAY, EVEN IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE ALTERNATIVES ARE, SO WE CAN CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION TO DEVELOP THOSE ALTERNATIVES.

CAN WE STILL BE ABLE TO TELL CITY COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE STILL CREATING A COMMUNITY WHERE FOLKS FEEL INCLUDED, THEY FEEL HEARD AND THEY FEEL REPRESENTED.

BECAUSE I DO GO BACK TO WHAT COUNCILMEMBER JUSTICE SAID, WE MAY NOT KNOW, LIKE ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE PLAN TO DO THAT OR THE WAYS THAT WE PLAN TO HAVE THIS INTERSECTION. BUT AT LEAST THEY KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IT.

AND THEN MAYBE WE CONTINUE TO ADD THIS TO AN AGENDA ITEM, EVEN IF WE JUST TOUCH ON IT BRIEFLY AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY.

BECAUSE I DO AGREE, LIKE, WHAT DO WE NEED TO GIVE YOU BY JUNE 1ST? AND THEN WHERE CAN WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THE DIALOG? SO I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED TO SAY FIRST THAT THAT PART IS TAKEN CARE OF.

I THINK THE CONTINUATION OF THE DIALOG, AND I'M THINKING IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT FIRST CAME TO MY MIND WAS, WE DO HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN. EVERY NOVEMBER WE UPDATE IT.

AND THAT COULD BE A GREAT FUTURE TACTIC THAT WE ADD TO YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN EVENTUALLY.

IF THE CIC WANTS TO CONTINUE THAT DISCUSSION, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU DO, THEN WE JUST INCLUDE THAT AS PART OF THE TACTIC FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AND YOUR STRATEGIC AS YOUR FUTURE ITEMS TO TO TACKLE.

THAT AND START INVITING PEOPLE WHEN YOU SEE THOSE INVITATIONS TO GO TO THE TEMPLE AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF, THEY SEND IT OUT TO THIS GROUP SO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT THE FRISCO WAS TALKING ABOUT.

YEAH. I WAS GOING TO SAY I ACTUALLY MADE A NOTE TO MYSELF TO BECAUSE THE MEETINGS ARE PLANNED THROUGH THE END OF 2026.

I THINK WE HAVE ALL. SO THAT MIGHT AGAIN, WORK AHEAD FOR SIX MONTHS FOR YOU ALL TO HAVE AN OPEN.

I'M INVITING YOU ON. BUT TO HAVE AN OPEN INVITATION FOR THEM TO COME TO WHICHEVER ONE MIGHT WORK FOR YOUR STUDIES.

[02:45:08]

AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO THINK ABOUT WITH.

THAT IS LIKE EVEN PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK OF HOW WE SHOW UP, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE WANT TO STILL MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING THAT THE CITY IS NOT PARTIZAN, ALTHOUGH WE'RE GOING INTO THESE, THESE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY SPACES. SO I THINK IF WE ARE GOING TO BE LIKE SHARING EVENTS, I THINK IT PROBABLY WOULD BE, I DON'T KNOW. WHAT DO Y'ALL THINK ABOUT PROVIDING GUIDANCE? LIKE, I KNOW I'M NEWER TO THIS ROLE.

AND SO HAVING THAT GUIDANCE OF LIKE, HOW CAN I DO WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO AS THIS COMMISSION, BUT LIKE ALSO MAKING SURE I'M APPOINTED OR WE ARE APPOINTED BY THE CITY, THAT WE'RE STILL SHOWING UP IN A VERY NONPARTISAN WAY, BECAUSE IT WON'T JUST PROBABLY BE RELIGIOUS EVENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WILL WANT TO GO TO.

BUT JUST LIKE EVEN EVENTS JUST CENTERED ON OTHER THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HELP US AND EQUIP US TO BE JUST BETTER AT MAKING SURE WE'RE REPRESENTING EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY. SO NOT ANYTHING WE HAVE TO DO TODAY.

BUT I DO THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD THINK OF AS A COMMISSION IS PROVIDING THAT FRAMEWORK OF HOW WE DO THAT SUCCESSFULLY.

I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

AND I THINK THAT WAY IS. I MEAN, WE WE USUALLY I MEAN, I, I GET ASKED, I USUALLY ASK THEM TO COME IN HERE TO GIVE A PUBLIC COMMENT.

AND THERE IS AN EMAIL ADDRESS ON THE BROCHURES THAT WE ACTUALLY POINT TO.

HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD FROM SEAN SHANE AT CITY OF FRISCO.

IT'S ABOUT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING. YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE POINTING PEOPLE TO A FORM ON THEIR WEBSITE AS WELL.

HOWEVER, I THINK WE STILL HAVE THE PUBLIC COMMENT FORUM THAT AT LEAST BRINGS PEOPLE FACE TO FACE, WHICH IS THE MOST UNDERUTILIZED PART OF OUR MEETING BECAUSE NO ONE USUALLY COMES.

BUT THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT. AND YOU.

YEAH. YES, I HEAR YOU. JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS COULD BE POTENTIALLY NEW THAT WE'RE, THAT WE COULD, BUT WE HAVE SEEN A SPILLOVER FROM CISCO INTO, INTO OTHER CITY BECAUSE SIMILAR QUESTIONS ARE BEING ASKED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

SO, SO OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS IN ONE PLACE, IT'S NOT OTHERS ARE NOT SHIELDED.

THERE WILL BE A SPILLOVER. SO SO WE SHOULD START THINKING A LITTLE MORE PROACTIVELY ON HOW TO WORK THROUGH SOME OF THESE THINGS.

BUT I THINK THAT'S WHERE I SEE THE. DIFFERENCE, RIGHT.

WHEREAS IT SEEMS LIKE THE WAY THEY'RE ABLE TO OPERATE IS TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT IN COMMUNITIES AND CULTIVATE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.

I THINK THE WAY WE OPERATE REALLY IS VERY MUCH IN THIS ADVISORY KIND OF FORMAT, WHICH IS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THINGS COME TO US AND THEN WE KIND OF GIVE OUR OPINIONS ON THOSE, NOT SO MUCH SO THAT WE ARE GOING OUTSIDE AND TALKING TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AND TAKING THE COMMISSION TO THOSE COMMUNITIES. I THINK THAT'S THAT'S AN ELEMENT THAT WE NEED TO PROACTIVELY LOOK AT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN CASE WE DON'T WANT TO WAIT FOR A SITUATION LIKE THAT. I THINK THAT'S A COMPONENT.

SORRY. THAT IS A COMPONENT OF WHAT WE WANT YOU TO DO.

WE WERE HERE REPRESENTING COMMUNITIES WITHIN RICHARDSON.

OUR HOPE IS THAT YOU GO INTO THOSE COMMUNITIES, YOU TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE HERE.

YOU HEAR ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT YOU REPRESENT OR THAT YOU GO INTO, AND THAT YOU BRING THEM HERE, OR THAT YOU BRING THEM TO THE COUNCIL, THAT YOU ADVISE US ON WHAT THOSE ISSUES ARE AND WHAT WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT AS A COUNCIL. SO THAT IS DEFINITELY A COMPONENT OF WHAT WE THINK THAT THIS THIS COMMISSION SHOULD BE.

I THINK THAT'S RIGHT. ON TO THAT POINT. WE NEED TO WORK AS A TEAM AND REDEFINE, I GUESS, OUR MISSION, OUR VISION, OUR TACTICS, OUR STRATEGY.

WE NEED TO BUILD THAT. WE NEED TO PROBABLY FIND MORE TIME TO, TO RETREAT AND WORK ON THOSE.

I THINK THOSE ARE THE NEW MEMBERS. WE SHOULD REVISIT OUR, OUR, OUR SLIDES AND OUR VISION MISSION.

THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL IN FACT, FOR US AS WELL TO KIND OF REVISIT ONE MORE TIME, LIKE GO BACK TO IT AT REGULAR CADENCE JUST TO SEE WITH ALL, WITH ALL THAT WE'VE COME THROUGH NOW AND LEARNED WHICH PARTS STILL NEED WORK AND WITH WHAT NEEDS TO BE ADAPTED, WHICH WHAT NEEDS A LITTLE BIT BETTER REFRAMING, MAYBE, MAYBE NEXT MEETING WE SHOULD.

I ALSO WANT TO MENTION SOMETHING THAT I PICKED UP ON WITH FRISCO.

I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL DID THERE. MAYOR WENT TO THEM AND GAVE THEM DIRECTION, WHICH IS NOT HOW THIS COUNCIL IS OR THIS COMMISSION IS COUNCIL. THE WORK THAT COMES TO YOU IS APPROVED BY COUNCIL AS A WHOLE.

WE WORK ON THE THINGS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL WANT TO WORK ON, BY AND LARGE.

NOW, YES, IT'S EXACTLY AS COUNCIL MEMBER JUSTICE HAD SAID, THEY ABSOLUTELY DEPEND ON YOU TO BRING THINGS TO THEM SO THAT THEY DON'T GET

[02:50:05]

BUT POLITICS ARE DIFFERENT HERE THAN THEY ARE IN FRISCO, APPARENTLY, BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE A VERY INTERESTING DAY FOR THE MAYOR TO START VOTING FOR THE COMMISSION THAT OUR COUNCIL APPROVED AND DRIVEN AND START SETTING DIRECTION. SO IF YOU SEE WHAT IT IS, IT IS ACTUALLY OUT OF HAND.

SO I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT. I THOUGHT I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING THAT THEY MENTIONED THIS IDEA OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THREE. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD NEVER DO, WHICH IS TALK ABOUT SOMETHING OUTSIDE. SO DON'T FORGET THE OTHER PART OF THAT. THAT'S IT HAS TO COME BACK. SO IT'S DRIVEN BY THE COMMISSION.

SO YOU CAN HAVE A SUBCOMMITTEE, BUT THE REPORT HAS TO COME BACK IN AN OPEN SETTING AND BE PART OF PART OF THAT SESSION.

IT'S NOT THAT THE THREE OF YOU OR THREE OF YOU KNOW, HOWEVER THAT GOES AND YOU START GOING HERE, I THINK WE SHOULD START DOING THAT. AND YOU START WORKING ON YOUR OWN THING AND THEN SOMEHOW CREATE, CREATE YOUR OWN AGENDA ITEM OF SORTS. AND THEN THE TAIL DOESN'T WAG THE DOG THAT WAY.

IT'D BE THE ESSENTIALLY THE DIRECTIONS HAVE TO COME FROM THE COMMISSION, FROM THE COMMITTEE TO SAY THAT, OKAY, YOU GUYS GO AHEAD, LOOK AT THIS AND THEN COME BACK AND PRESENT TO US ON THIS PARTICULAR IN AN OPEN FORUM.

THAT MAKES SENSE. YOU DO YOU DO THE WORK ON A COMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE THAT PRESENT.

THAT'S BETTER THAN THE OTHER INFORMATION WE GOT.

YEAH, I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT. I MEAN, I'M JUST CURIOUS, DOES THIS COUNCIL ALSO OPERATE IN THAT SAME FASHION WHERE YOU FORM COMMITTEE? WE HAVE A WE HAVE A BUSINESS COMMITTEE. WE HAVE AN EDUCATION COMMITTEE.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CREATING A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE. AND SO THERE'S THREE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL THAT SIT ON EACH OF THOSE COMMITTEES.

SO YEAH, IT. I MEAN, I THINK ESPECIALLY SOME OF THESE THESE FINE DETAILS, I THINK IT'S EASIER FOR YOU TO GO OUT ON A SUBCOMMITTEE, KIND OF FIGURE OUT HOW THIS WORKS AND WE'LL COME BACK BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.

WE'RE TAKING THESE TWO DIRECTLY TO THE FOLKS ALSO, RIGHT.

LIKE THE THE NEW THING, THEY'RE FINDING OUT THE TALKING ABOUT CIC.

RIGHT. AND PREVIOUSLY, I THINK GREG SOMEBODY HISHAM WENT FOR THE YEAH, SILVER LINE.

SO WE ARE TAKING INTO THE COMMUNITY, BUT AGAIN, HOW EFFECTIVE THAT IS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT SEEING ANYBODY HERE.

SO AND I, AND I KNOW LIKE PART OF ME BEING NEWER, BUT LIKE, AS I HEAR THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY, I'VE INVITED COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE LIKE, OH, WHEN DO YOU CALL ME? AND THERE WAS SOMEONE TODAY THAT THEY WERE GOING TO COME, BUT THEY HAD ANOTHER EVENT TO GO TO. BUT I THINK THAT'S AS EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT TOO, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE COMING INTO THE ROOM BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S GOOD FOR ALL OF US TO BE ABLE TO SOMETIMES HEAR WHAT IS REALLY BOTHERSOME FOR FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY AND THINGS AROUND PUBLIC EDUCATION.

THERE'S SO MANY ISSUES RIGHT NOW THAT I HAVE LIKE BEEN EXPOSED TO THAT HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS REALLY UPSET.

AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, NOT OUT OF HAVING THOSE SUBCOMMITTEES ALREADY FORMED, IT'S JUST LIKE, COME TO COME TO THE COMMISSION SO THAT WE CAN HEAR THESE THINGS AND SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THEM.

AND THEN WE CAN ALSO HELP TO BE THE EYES AND EARS TO CITY COUNCIL.

SO I DO THINK THAT THERE'S JUST MORE, TOO, ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS ARE INVITED INTO THESE SPACES THAT WE'RE HAVING.

SO ONE THING I DIDN'T DO, I THINK I APOLOGIZE THAT I SHOULD HAVE LISTED THOSE HOSTS AND MEMBERSHIP DETAILS A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE OUR ISD IS ONE OF THE MEMBER AND THEY DO INVITE US TO THEIR FACILITY AND PROVIDE UPDATES ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE RICHARDSON SCHOOL DISTRICT.

SO THOSE ARE VERY USEFUL. AND WE LEARN FROM FIRSTHAND.

THEY GIVE US SOME MATERIAL AND WE SHARE IT TO THE DIFFERENT MEMBERS.

SHOULD I DO UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT? MAKES SENSE.

WE DID GET ONE PERSON FROM THE DARK. ONE PERSON CAME UP AS OH, IS IT OKAY? SO IT SAYS, I GUESS IT'S A SNOWBALL. IT STARTS AT ONE PLACE.

SO. I HEARD THAT FOR FUTURE TECH DISCUSSION AS WELL.

SO I'M WRITING ALL THESE NOTES DOWN AND YOU'LL BE SEEING THINGS YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT. YOU'LL BE SEEING AGAIN HERE EVENTUALLY.

WELL, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OUR MEETING ACTUALLY HAS GONE FAST OVER. WE TRY TO WE TRY TO END THE MEETING AT 830, BUT IT'S GONE AN HOUR OVER AT RIGHT NOW.

WE HAD AN EXTERNAL PRESENTATION. WE HAD AN IMPORTANT AGENDA, ITEMS THAT WE NEEDED TO DISCUSS.

ARE THERE ANY COMMISSION MEMBERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? SOMEONE. THIS IS THE LAST THING. BUT AS WE'RE TALKING THROUGH, LIKE THE TACTICS AND REVIEWING, I DO THINK I FELT LIKE THE COMMISSION WAS MEETING MONTHLY.

[02:55:03]

SO JUST LIKE A CONSIDERATION, IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE WILL GET LIKE DISCUSSES, BUT THEN LIKE THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING WOULD BE NEXT MONTH.

AND SO I DON'T KNOW, JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT NOT TRYING TO CHANGE ANYTHING, BUT JUST THINK ABOUT LIKE OUR MEETING FREQUENCY AND LIKE HOW SOMETIMES THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HELP US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE LIKE THE MOST THOUGHTFUL DIALOG BECAUSE WE'RE BEING PRESENTED WITH SOMETHING, HAVING TO MAKE A DECISION FOR THE NEXT MONTH WITH CITY COUNCIL.

SO JUST SOMETHING TO POTENTIALLY DISCUSS IN THE FUTURE.

AND I DID JUST IN RESPECT TO THAT, I DID, DID EVERYBODY FEEL BECAUSE I SENT IT MORE THAN A MONTH AGO TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS DISCUSSION WAS BE HAPPENING TONIGHT TO GET INFORMATION. SO HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY FELT LIKE THEY WERE PROPERLY NOTIFIED.

SO BUT I THINK, I THINK GOING BACK TO YOUR POINT, I THINK THE POINT IS THAT IF THERE IS A NEED AND THERE SHOULDN'T BE, THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY REASON WHY THE COMMISSION CANNOT BE CALLED TO.

GREAT, GREAT. I DID WANT TO MENTION JUST REAL QUICK, THIS IS ANOTHER TACTIC CIC TACTIC.

YOU GUYS WANTED A ONE STOP SHOP FOR THE RICHARDSON CAMPAIGN.

WE HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT THAT. YOU'D ASK IF WE MADE THAT IF YOU AS YOU OR AS WE ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE THAT.

AND SO THIS WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU NOW, WE'LL HAVE A CLEANER COPY OF IT MADE.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IT PROFESSIONALLY DONE. BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU THAT THIS IS NOW ANOTHER TACTIC COMPLETE OFF YOUR LIST. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GREG. I THINK THAT CONCLUDES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING WITH NO FURTHER ITEMS TO DISCUSS.

THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.