[CALL TO ORDER ] [3. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS AND VISITORS FORUM ] [4. PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATION TO RISD SUPERINTENDENT TABITHA BRANUM ] [5. CONSENT AGENDA] [6. PUBLIC HEARING ON THE FY 2026-2027 PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET. ] [7. PUBLIC HEARING ON AMENDING THE DRAINAGE UTILITY SYSTEM SCHEDULE OF CHARGES. ] [8. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR THE DEFEASANCE AND REDEMPTION OF PORTIONS OF THE OUTSTANDING “CITY OF RICHARDSON, TEXAS GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, TAXABLE SERIES 2016B,” AND RESOLVING OTHER MATTERS INCIDENT AND RELATED THERETO. ] [9. CONSIDER ORDINANCE APPROVING AND ADOPTING A BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2026 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2027. ] [10. CONSIDER ORDINANCE LEVYING THE AD VALOREM TAXES FOR THE YEAR 2026 (FISCAL YEAR 2026-2027) AT A RATE OF $0.54218 PER ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100) ASSESSED VALUATION ON ALL TAXABLE PROPERTY WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF RICHARDSON AS OF JANUARY 1, 2026. ] [11. CONSIDER RATIFYING THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE REFLECTED IN THE ADOPTED BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2026 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2027. ] [12. BUDGET CONSENT AGENDA] [13. CONDUCT INTERVIEWS WITH FINALISTS TO FILL A VACANCY FOR CITY COUNCIL PLACE 3 FOR AN UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING MAY 1, 2027. ] [00:53:51] SO IT MAY HAVE COME ACROSS A BIT SCRIPTED, BUT MUCH OF IT WAS STUFF THAT YOU ALREADY KNEW. [00:53:56] BUT MAYBE THE PUBLIC DIDN'T. AS YOU'VE SEEN ME WORKING AND SERVING IN THE COMMUNITY ACROSS [00:54:01] A BROAD SPECTRUM OF ORGANIZATIONS AND TEAMS, SERVING IN A WIDE VARIETY OF [00:54:06] OUR NEIGHBORS AND CONSTITUENT GROUPS, THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ME WELL ALSO KNOW THAT TALKING [00:54:12] ABOUT MYSELF, MUCH LESS BRAGGING, IS NOT MY STYLE. BUT SOMETIMES THE OCCASION CALLS [00:54:17] FOR IT. I BELIEVE THAT MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT KATHRYN AND I WERE BOTH NOMINATED FOR THE [00:54:23] RICHARDSON REAL HEROES PROGRAM OR AWARD IN 2024. AS OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY HAD ALSO OBSERVED, [00:54:29] BOTH OF OUR COMMITMENT AND LONG HISTORY OF VOLUNTEERISM AND SERVICE IN RICHARDSON. AND YOU [00:54:34] MAY ALSO KNOW THAT I WAS ACTUALLY NAMED THE LEADERSHIP RICHARDSON ALUMNI ASSOCIATION [00:54:39] ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR IN 2024. I WAS DEEPLY HONORED TO BE NOMINATED FOR EACH OF THOSE [00:54:44] AWARDS AND TRULY TOUCHED, AS THERE ARE SO MANY. AS YOU GUYS HAVE NOTED, WITH EVEN THIS APPLICATION PROCESS, THERE ARE SO MANY IN OUR IN OUR CITY WHO WHO TRULY CARE ABOUT THE CITY AND ARE WORTHY OF EACH OF THOSE RECOGNITIONS. AS I MENTIONED WHEN RECEIVING THE AWARD, I SEE [00:55:04] AND I'M INSPIRED BY SO MANY SERVANT LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. I HARDLY FELT WORTHY, AS IS THE CASE WITH MOST TRUE SERVANT LEADERS. WE DON'T SERVE FOR THE RECOGNITION, BUT IT IS NICE TO BE OCCASIONALLY RECOGNIZED. WE DIDN'T SPEAK AS MUCH LAST TIME ABOUT MY PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, SO I WANT TO TOUCH ON THAT A LITTLE BIT. I HAVE SPENT MY ENTIRE CAREER IN TECHNOLOGY, SPECIFICALLY IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, INITIALLY IN QUALITY CONTROL FOR HOSPITAL LAB INSTRUMENTS, AND NOW IN MODERNIZING MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION. I CUT MY TEETH AS A CODER WORKING ON STATISTICAL ANALYSIS, MEASUREMENTS, METRICS, SIGMA VALUES FOR LAB INSTRUMENTS, AND THEN APPLIED SOME OF THOSE SAME TECHNIQUES TO MY EMPLOYEE EVALUATIONS AS I BEGAN MANAGING TEAM MEMBERS IN MY CURRENT POSITION. WE'RE FOCUSED ON MODERNIZING DOCUMENTATION AND DIGITAL INFORMATION EXCHANGE. A FEW OF OUR SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM ARE IN DC AT THIS VERY MOMENT, MEETING WITH LEADERS FROM MULTIPLE STATES AND FEDERAL AGENCIES, PROMOTING THE INNOVATION THAT'S BEING DEVELOPED AT OUR COMPANY RIGHT HERE IN RICHARDSON AND THE IQ. I BELIEVE THAT MY PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN BOTH LARGE AND SMALL COMPANIES AND EXPERTISE IN TECHNOLOGY COULD BE A UNIQUE AND VALUABLE ATTRIBUTES FOR THIS POSITION. I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED CONVERSATION THIS EVENING, AND I THANK YOU FOR SELECTING ME TO BE ONE OF THE FINALISTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BURDETTE. COUNCIL MEMBER. GRIFFIN. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AND THANK YOU ALL. GO STRAIGHT TO MY QUESTION, BECAUSE I JUST HAVE 30S. IMAGINE YOU ARE SWORN IN NEXT WEEK, AND WITHIN A FEW DAYS, YOU MUST VOTE ON A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE THAT YOU HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY FOLLOWED CLOSELY. WALK US THROUGH EXACTLY WHAT YOU WOULD DO BEFORE CASTING YOUR VOTE. IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION, AND THERE ARE MANY OF THE ISSUES THAT COME UP, I GUESS. I, I, I THINK I WOULD SEE COMING BECAUSE I'VE BEEN CLOSELY WATCHING THE PROCEEDINGS BOTH HERE AT CITY PLANNING COMMISSION. BUT OF COURSE, A LOT OF THINGS COME UP IN THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT. ONE THING YOU KNOW, I THINK MR. PETTY MENTIONED LAST WEEK, YOU KNOW, I COMMITTED TO WATCHING AND OBSERVING AND AND I ON CASES, I KNOW ONE OF THE MANY RESPONSIBILITIES YOU HAVE IS TO GO BY DRIVE BY A SITE AND SEE WHAT THINGS LOOK LIKE, SEE WHAT PEOPLE ARE PLEASED WITH ABOUT A PROPOSAL, OR SEE WHAT PEOPLE ARE CRITICAL OF, AND SEE WITH YOUR OWN EYES IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH THAT, THAT SITUATION. SO I THINK CERTAINLY THE, YOU KNOW, BEING AVAILABLE AND BEING INTERESTED TO GO OUT AND LEARN THE DETAILS, SEE FOR YOURSELF FIRSTHAND FOR YOURSELF WHEN, WHEN SOMETHING IS ON THE AGENDA IS VERY APPROPRIATE. AND I'M PREPARED TO DO IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT COMES UP THAT'S NOT ON A PREVIOUSLY SLATED AGENDA. I THINK CERTAINLY ONE THING, AND MR. BARRIOS, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T ADEQUATELY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION LAST WEEK ABOUT WHAT I LEARNED AS A CANDIDATE. ONE THING THAT I LEARNED WAS I LOVED MEETING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AND LISTENING AND HEARING PERSPECTIVES. AND, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY JUST OF WHAT IS CONCERNING TO THEM OR WHAT THAT'S OFTEN WHAT'S GOING WELL OR, YOU KNOW, SEEKING THAT FEEDBACK IS SOMETHING I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH. AND I KNOW THERE'S NOT ALWAYS TIME TO HAVE A TOWN HALL OR A, YOU KNOW, A MEETING TO SOLICIT INPUT. BUT, BUT I DO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF TRUSTED ADVISERS AND ALLIES. AND CERTAINLY WITH CITY MANAGEMENT AND OTHERS WHO HAVE WHO'VE SERVED IN THOSE ROLES, THAT CAN HELP ME THINK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND IDEAS THAT I NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHEN, WHEN CONSIDERING A SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT MAY BE CONSEQUENTIAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I COUNCIL MEMBER CORCORAN. PLEASE DESCRIBE THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM. OH. I DID NOT SEE THAT ONE COMING. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. AND I HAVE NOT RECENTLY LOOKED BACK AT THAT. CERTAINLY KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR BOND PROGRAMS IN GENERAL. THEY'RE GENERALLY SUPPORTED BY THE PUBLIC. AND AND MUCH SCRUTINY IS GIVEN TO THEM. CERTAINLY THERE ARE SOME WHO FEEL WE'RE NOT WE'RE OVEREXTENDING OR TAKING ON TOO MUCH DEBT. I'M OF THE OPINION THAT THAT BOND DOLLARS ARE AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO, ESPECIALLY AS WE HAVE LARGE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT THAT NEED MULTIYEAR FUNDING. THAT'S NOT PART OF OUR OUR GENERAL ANNUAL BUDGETS. SO USING THAT AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE BENEFIT OF HAVING OF GETTING THE BEST INTEREST RATES WE POSSIBLY CAN DUE TO OUR REPEATED TRIPLE A RATINGS FROM, FROM BOTH OF THE [01:00:06] CREDIT AGENCIES. SO WE CERTAINLY CAN AND SHOULD USE DEBT APPROPRIATELY TO, TO SUPPLY THE CAPABILITY OF TAKING ON SOME OF THE THE LARGER CAPITAL PROJECTS. BUT SO I THINK WE DO A GREAT JOB WITH THAT, AND NOT ONLY ON HOW WE PROVISION DEBT, BUT ALSO HOW WE PAY IT OFF EARLY IN MANY CASES, AGAIN, WHEN POSSIBLE, AVOIDING PAYING MORE INTEREST THAN WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER BARRIOS. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU DANIEL. AS YOU MAY KNOW, I KIND OF LEAD WITH MY HEART. AND SO I WANT TO KNOW WHAT DO YOU CARE SO MUCH ABOUT. THAT? TO STAND FOR WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING. WHEN EVERYONE. WELL, NOT EVERYONE MAY UNDERSTAND SOMETHING YOU'RE WILLING TO PERHAPS STAND ALONE ON, OR MAYBE EVEN UPSET SOME PEOPLE OVER. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I THINK ONE SOME THINGS THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT ME, I. WHEN POSSIBLE, I LIKE TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP INDIVIDUALS OR SOMETIMES GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY SURPRISE SOME PEOPLE WITH JUST THE. ALTHOUGH I THINK I'M ALSO SOMEWHAT KNOWN FOR LEADING WITH HEART. BUT ONE EXAMPLE IS A FRIEND OF MINE THAT I MET WHEN HE WAS LIVING IN A HALFWAY HOUSE. HAVING SERVED 32 YEARS OF A LIFE SENTENCE AND WAS RELEASED IN EARLY 2020. I MET HIM THROUGH A PROGRAM CALLED BACK ON MY FEET THAT PARTNERS WITH HOMELESS SHELTERS AND ACTUALLY ALL OVER THE NATION, BUT THEY HAVE SOME IN DALLAS HERE THAT THEY PARTNER WITH. BUT THEY HAD RECENTLY STARTED A PARTNERSHIP WITH A WITH A HALFWAY HOUSE ABOUT LESS THAN TWO MILES FROM MY HOUSE. SO JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE, ON THE DALLAS SIDE OF CHOROID AND MET HIM THERE. AND AND THE PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO PARTNER, YOU KNOW, LOCAL VOLUNTEERS WHO WILL GET UP AND RUN A COUPLE OF MILES, THREE DAYS A WEEK. AND EITHER WITH THE HOME, YOU KNOW, GUESTS OF THE HOMELESS SHELTER OR IN THIS CASE, WITH THE WITH THE HALFWAY HOUSE AND TO HAVE ROLE MODELS, TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN TALK TO, TO, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT WHAT STEPS TO TAKE NEXT. AND CERTAINLY WE WERE ADVISED TO BE CAUTIOUS ON, ON HOW WE ADVISED IF WE WEREN'T EQUIPPED TO DO THAT. BUT JUST THE FACT OF SHOWING UP AND RUNNING THREE DAYS A WEEK AND HAVING SOME ACCOUNTABILITY AND SOME, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THEY AND WE ARE NOT OUT, YOU KNOW, STAYING UP TOO LATE NIGHT AND, AND DOING THINGS THAT WOULD PREVENT US FROM BEING ABLE TO GET UP AND RUN IN THE MORNING. SO THERE ARE THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT, THAT I'VE BEEN PROUD TO SERVE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY ADVERTISE WIDELY, BUT ANY, ANY OPPORTUNITY WE CAN HAVE TO SHOW PEOPLE RESPECT AND, AND HELP PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO IMPROVE THEIR STATION IN LIFE. I'M ALL FOR IT. AND THE SAME HAPPENS WITH OUR ELK, WITH THE, YOU KNOW, PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE AND THE ROLE THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO PLAY, EVEN SMALL ROLE IN GIVING PEOPLE THE ABILITY TO LEARN TO READ, WRITE AND SPEAK ENGLISH, THAT HOW HELPFUL THAT IS LIVING IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH TEACHERS AND WITH DOCTORS AND READ SIGNS IN THE GROCERY STORE. IT'S A I'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED OR APPRECIATED THE SAYING, YOU KNOW, GIVE A MAN A FISH, YOU TEACH HIM OR YOU'LL FEED HIM FOR THE DAY, TEACH HIM TO FISH AND YOU'LL FEED HIM FOR A LIFETIME. SO HELPING TO GIVE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND IMPROVE THEMSELVES. I'M ALL FOR IT. COUNCIL MEMBER. JUSTICE. MR. BURDETTE. ALTHOUGH THE BUDGET AND TAX RATE YOU COULDN'T SEE BECAUSE YOU WERE IN HIDING TONIGHT. BUT ALTHOUGH THE BUDGET AND TAX RATE WERE RESOLVED TONIGHT, I WANT TO UNDERSTAND YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON BOTH. IF YOU WERE SITTING ON THIS DAIS FOR THE VOTE THAT JUST HAPPENED. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD CHANGE ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND WHY? WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO STREAM THAT. SO I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THE HOW THE VOTE PLAYED OUT. BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT TOPIC HAS COME UP AND PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME ABOUT THE TAX RATE. AND I WAS HERE LAST WEEK WHEN THE THE NEIGHBOR CAME AND SPOKE, YOU KNOW, SUGGESTING THAT WE KEEP THE THE NEW COST OR NO NEW REVENUE RATE INSTEAD OF WHAT WAS PROPOSED. AND I THINK WHAT WAS PROPOSED WAS THE, IN MY MIND, THE BEST SOLUTION, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT EXPENSES ARE GOING UP. AND THAT'S TRUE FOR OUR CITY AND OUR ABILITY TO, TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR NEIGHBORS. CERTAINLY THE VALUATIONS GO UP AND OUR, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THE RATE STAYS [01:05:02] THE SAME, THE THE TOTAL TAX BILL INCREASES. BUT I THE WAY I DESCRIBE IT IS IF IF YOU'RE IF YOU WANT YOUR TOTAL TAX BILL TO STAY THE SAME, WHICH MEANS A REDUCTION IN RATE, WHICH MEANS NO NEW REVENUE OR A, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CITY, BUT EXPENSES ARE GOING UP. WHICH SERVICE ARE YOU WILLING TO HAVE US CUT? AND SO THAT THOSE ARE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS, ESPECIALLY WITH WITH PEOPLE ON FIXED INCOMES OR BUDGETS THAT ARE NOT AS FLEXIBLE. I THINK WE DO A GREAT JOB WITH INCREASING THE, YOU KNOW, THE SENIOR EXEMPTION AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITIES TO TRY TO CURTAIL THE THE INCREASES FOR AS MANY AS WE CAN. BUT WE DO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SERVICES AND OUR EXPENSES GO UP. AND THERE'S CERTAINLY ROOM FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR BECOMING MORE EFFICIENT. AND TECHNOLOGY CAN OFTEN PROVIDE A AUGMENTATION OF STAFFING THAT THEY CAN MAKE US MORE EFFICIENT. I APPRECIATE THAT MR. MAJOR AND HIS TEAM TOOK A VERY HARD LOOK AT OPEN POSITIONS AND SAID, YOU KNOW, WE WE CAN PROBABLY GO WITHOUT FILLING THOSE. AND THAT WILL THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, LESSEN THE NEED FOR INCREASING, YOU KNOW, INCREASED BUDGET YEAR OVER YEAR. SO, SO I THINK WE DO A LOT OF GREAT THINGS TO KEEP THAT MAINTAINED AS MUCH AS WE CAN. BUT WE I'M COMFORTABLE WITH KEEPING THE RATE THE SAME, EVEN IF THAT MEANS SLIGHT INCREASES TO EACH OF OUR OF OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE THE TOTAL TAX BILL AT THE END OF THE YEAR. COUNCIL MEMBER DORIAN. THANK YOU, MR. BURDETTE. IF APPOINTED TO CITY COUNCIL. IN YOUR OPINION, BASED ON LOCAL POLICY, PROPRIETY OR PRIORITIES, WHAT IS YOUR SPECIFIC STANCE ON CRITICAL LOCAL ISSUES SUCH AS HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, TRAFFIC INFRASTRUCTURE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY, AND PUBLIC SAFETY? I THINK THEY'RE ALL IMPORTANT. OF COURSE, IT COMES DOWN TO A MATTER OF PRIORITIZATION, AND AGAIN, SOMETHING I HAVE SEEN AND BEEN PLEASED TO SEE WITH THE WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY. YOU KNOW, THE THE ANALYSIS THAT WAS DONE AND, AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES AND WHICH OUR COMPETITORS FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRST RESPONDERS SEEING THE INCREASED OR HIGHER THAN OTHERWISE INCREASE IN THE SALARIES FOR, FOR OUR POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS, I THINK WAS APPROPRIATE. CERTAINLY INFRASTRUCTURE IS AN ONGOING NEED. AND, AND I PLEASED AS MANY YEARS AS I'VE BEEN WATCHING WHEN WE SEE, YOU KNOW, AN EXTRA PENNY OR, YOU KNOW, THE PORTIONS OF A PENNY ALLOCATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE AND MAINTENANCE, GIVEN THE AGE OF OUR CITY, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED, YOU KNOW, AND SO MUCH OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT 5060 GOING ON, 70 YEARS OLD NOW. SO I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY ALSO A PRIORITY. LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE BETWEEN THOSE TWO WOULD PROBABLY BE SOME OF THE MORE SIGNIFICANT ONES. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT THAT'S THE ENGINE THAT WILL WOULD CAN CONCEIVABLY GIVE US MORE REVENUE OR CERTAINLY THE MORE BUSINESSES THAT WE ATTRACT HERE, WE CAN AGAIN, KIND OF TAP INTO TAX POTENTIAL THERE. THAT AGAIN, CAN ALLOW US TO INCREASE SERVICES WITHOUT HAVING TO ASK THE RESIDENTS TO, TO KEEP BUMPING IT UP. SO THAT THAT CERTAINLY IS SOMETHING I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT. WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT AND WHETHER IT'S RENOVATING EXISTING BUILDINGS TO ATTRACT NEW CLIENTS. I WAS PLEASED TO SEE THE AT&T ANNOUNCEMENT LAST WEEK. I GUESS THEIR EXPANSION, WE KNOW GEICO'S EXPANDED. PART OF THAT TAKES AN INTENTION BY THE. AND A VISION BY THE COUNCIL AND THE CITY MANAGEMENT STAFF TO RECOGNIZE WHERE INCENTIVES COULD BE GIVEN THAT WOULD WOULD REALLY ATTRACT THOSE THOSE BUSINESSES AND NOT JUST THE BIG ONES EITHER THE THE SMALL ONES AS WELL TO, TO MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE HAVE A DIVERSE TAX BASE SO THAT NO ONE POCKET OR RESIN OR WHATEVER HAS TO BEAR THE FULL BURDEN OF THAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM HUTCHENRIDER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. DANIEL, YOU. IF APPOINTED, YOU'LL HAVE APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MONTHS TO SERVE BEFORE REELECTION OR BEFORE ELECTION, I SHOULD SAY. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM FACING OUR CITY THAT IS CURRENTLY NOT GETTING ENOUGH ATTENTION? I DON'T AGAIN, I THINK PROBABLY THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ALTHOUGH I WOULDN'T SAY THAT IT'S NOT GETTING ENOUGH ATTENTION. SO. I THINK WE SHOULD. THERE'S [01:10:06] CERTAINLY OPPORTUNITY THERE AGAIN, AND I THINK WE'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT. BUT. THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. SO I KNOW WE HAVE A FEW REGIONS OF TOWN, ESPECIALLY LIVING IN PLACE. THREE YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SOME KIND OF PLACEMAKING OR DESIRE FOR FOR SOME PLACEMAKING OR IDENTITY AROUND THE SPRING VALLEY CORRIDOR, ESPECIALLY SPECIFICALLY ON THE WEST SIDE OF 75. AND, AND AS OUR KIND OF SOUTHERN GATEWAY INTO THE CITY. I KNOW WE'VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL NEW NORTHERN GATEWAY INTO THE CITY WITH WITH THE DART RAIL AND THE ARCHES COMING IN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE IN RICHARDSON, THE SOUTH SIDE, IT LEAVES A LITTLE BIT TO BE DESIRED. WE CERTAINLY HAVE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO KIND OF PLACEMAKING IN THE CORE AND THE IQ AND TRYING TO NOT ONLY THE BRANDING, BUT BUT THE INVESTMENT INTO MAKING THOSE PLACES THAT WILL DRAW MORE ATTENTION. I THINK WE POSSIBLY COULD SPEND A LITTLE MORE EFFORT ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER AND THE, THE ENTRANCE INTO THE CITY AND SOME OF THE PLACEMAKING THAT WE'VE TRIED TO DISCUSSED AND CONSIDERED AND HAVE TIF DOLLARS AVAILABLE FOR, FOR SUPPORTING THAT. SO THANK YOU. MR. BURDETTE. AS YOU KNOW, PLACES ONE THROUGH FOUR HAVE A RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT. TO SOME DEGREE, THIS WAS DONE TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE MEMBER WHO REALLY KNOWS AND UNDERSTANDS A PARTICULAR QUADRANT OF THE CITY. IN ADDITION TO KNOWING ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT FACE THE CITY AS A WHOLE, IF SELECTED, YOU'D BE THE ONLY COUNCIL MEMBER LIVING IN SOUTHWEST RICHARDSON. CAN YOU SHARE ONE CHALLENGE SPECIFIC TO PLACE THREE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE COUNCIL PUT ENERGY TOWARDS? SHOULD YOU BE CHOSEN TO FILL THE SEAT? WELL, NOW I'M GOING TO SOUND REPETITIVE. SO YEAH, I THINK YEAH, KIND OF THE DEVELOPMENT OR REDEVELOPMENT OF SOME OF THE PORTIONS OF SPRING VALLEY CERTAINLY COULD USE ATTENTION. I KNOW OUR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT SPENDS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME IN OUR QUADRANT, AND I'VE DONE A FEW RIDE ALONGS AND, AND HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT THERE'S THERE'S SOME NEED THERE, PERHAPS SOME ADDITIONAL OUTPUT. I KNOW WE HAVE SOME PROGRAMS LIKE UNIDOS AND SOME OTHERS TO KIND OF ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AND ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY POLICING AND, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATION BY THE, BY THE RESIDENTS IN KEEPING THEIR, THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEIR SURROUNDINGS SECURE AND SAFE OR SAFE AND, AND FEEL COMFORTABLE CALLING WHEN HELP IS ACTUALLY NEEDED THOUGH. SO I GUESS THOSE WOULD PROBABLY BE TWO OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT, THAT SPECIFICALLY IN SOUTHWEST COULD USE SOME CONTINUED ATTENTION, I GUESS. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE AT THE POINT OF THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO GIVE A THREE MINUTE CLOSING. SO WHENEVER YOU'RE COMFORTABLE AND READY, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO DO THAT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO ONCE AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE IN ME AND EVEN SELECT ME AS A FINALIST. AS WAS NOTED IN A COUPLE OF YOUR COMMENTS LAST WEEK, BEING INVOLVED IN A VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS AND, AND OVER SO MANY YEARS, I HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW MANY OF THE THE PLAYERS AND THE LEADERS IN THE CITY, WHETHER THEY BE CITY STAFF OR LEADERS IN THE LOCAL COMPANIES AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. I'VE ALSO HAD THE PLEASURE OF GETTING TO KNOW MOST OF YOU, AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OVER THE YEARS TO TO REALLY INQUIRE ABOUT THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CITY COUNCIL. I HAVE A SOLID APPRECIATION FOR HOW MUCH OF A COMMITMENT SERVING IN THAT ROLE ENTAILS, AND I DO THANK YOU. IF I DON'T THANK YOU OFTEN ENOUGH, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THAT SERVICE. SO MORE THAN ONE OF YOU EXPRESSED THE VOLUME OF INFORMATION THAT WILL HIT YOU SOON AFTER BEING SWORN IN, I THINK COUNCILMAN HUTCHENRIDER SAYS DRINKING OR DESCRIBED IT, AND I'VE HEARD THAT BEFORE. DRINKING FROM A FIRE HOSE. SO REALLY TAKING TAKING ON AS MUCH INFORMATION IN THE. IN THE BEGINNING, I FULLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT AS MUCH INFORMATION AS I HAVE ABSORBED OVER THE YEARS OF LEARNING AND PREPARATION THROUGH PROGRAMS LIKE CARES AND THE CITIZENS POLICE AND FIRE ACADEMIES, I HAVE MUCH TO LEARN AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE UPTAKE OF INFO. IF YOU SELECT ME FOR THIS APPOINTMENT. AGAIN, MY BACKGROUND IN STATISTICS. WE SPOKE OFTEN IN TERMS OF CURVES AND FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF BEING A TEAM LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT. AS A MANAGER, WE OFTEN SPEAK OF THE LEARNING CURVE, WHICH THE BREADTH OF DEPARTMENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT I'VE WORKED WITH OVER THE [01:15:01] LAST 20 YEARS. I CERTAINLY KNOW THAT I'M FAR FROM THE TOP OF THE CURVE, BUT I FEEL LIKE I'M FARTHER UP THE CURVE THAN MOST. SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO KNOWS AND HAS A RAPPORT WITH MANY OF THE CITY LEADERS AND IS READY TO GOVERN ON DAY ONE, I FEEL I'M PREPARED FOR AND EXCITED ABOUT THAT OPPORTUNITY AND ASK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THIS APPOINTMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BURDETTE. MR. NORRIS BEEN CALLED. WELCOME, MR. NORRIS. AS YOU MAY KNOW ALREADY, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE YOU START WITH A THREE MINUTE OPENING. AT THE VERY END. YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A THREE MINUTE CLOSING. WE WILL BE. WHENEVER WE DO START THE QUESTIONS, WE'LL START FROM THE FAR END, JUST LIKE WE DID LAST TIME. EACH COUNCIL MEMBER WILL ASK YOU A QUESTION AND YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, THREE MINUTES OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. SO WHENEVER YOU ARE COMFORTABLE AND READY, FEEL FREE TO GET STARTED. OKAY. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. WHEN I WAS SELECTED AS ONE OF THE FINALISTS A WEEK AGO, I WAS HONORED AND I FELT THE WEIGHT OF IT. BUT THE BEST PART OF THAT NIGHT WAS TALKING WITH THE OTHERS AFTERWARDS, INCLUDING THOSE THAT WERE NOT SELECTED, AND CONTINUING TO BUILD THOSE FRIENDSHIPS. AND LIKEWISE, THE FOLLOWING MORNING AT THE PRESIDENT'S BREAKFAST IN THIS VERY ROOM, I WAS ONE OF THE LAST TO LEAVE BECAUSE I WAS SO CAUGHT UP IN CONVERSATION. IT'S PRETTY UNLIKE ME. BUT MY WIFE HAS TOLD ME THAT SHE'S NEVER SEEN ME THIS ENERGIZED. I'VE BEEN TRYING FOR A LONG TIME TO SAY PLAINLY WHY I WANT THIS SEAT. AND RECENTLY I HEARD IT PUT INTO WORDS BY SOMEONE MUCH MORE ELOQUENT AS A SERVANT LEADER. I HAVE A BURNING DESIRE TO LOVE MY NEIGHBORS THROUGH PUBLIC POLICY. ALTHOUGH I'M NOT AN ESPECIALLY RELIGIOUS MAN, I DO HAVE A PROFOUND FAITH, AND I BELIEVE THIS IDEA OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP HAS A HOME. IN FIRST CORINTHIANS 13. LOVE IS PATIENT AND KIND. IT DOES NOT ENVY OR BOAST. IT IS NOT PROUD. IT DOES NOT DISHONOR OTHERS. IT IS NOT SELF-SEEKING. IT IS NOT EASILY ANGERED. IT KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS. THIS MAY SOUND OUT OF PLACE IN THIS PARTICULAR ROOM, BUT IT FITS MY PARTICULAR APPROACH TO PUBLIC SERVICE. BECAUSE I DON'T MEAN LOVE AS A FEELING. I MEAN IT AS A JOB DESCRIPTION. THE NOT BOASTING PART COMES NATURALLY. I'M NOT GREAT AT GRANDSTANDING OR SELF-PROMOTION. I DON'T ENJOY IT. WHAT I DO ENJOY IS PROMOTING THE PEOPLE AROUND ME. I'LL GRANDSTAND ALL DAY FOR THE ORGANIZATIONS I'M PART OF. I DO POLITIC FOR THE THINGS I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT, JUST NOT SOLELY FOR MYSELF. IN THE FOUR WEEKS SINCE MY FIRST INTERVIEW HERE, THAT HAS MEANT CUB SCOUT RECRUITING EVENTS AND A SERVICE PROJECT, TWO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS AND MEALS FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS ON NINE OVER 11 AND NINE LIVE LIKE LUKE GRANT APPLICATIONS. WHICH BRINGS US TO 168 FAMILIES SERVED OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS. SO WHEN I SAY I LOVE RICHARDSON, THIS IS WHAT I MEAN. I'M HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL. I WANT TO SERVE THE CITY AND THE BIGGEST CAPACITY THAT I CAN AND WORK MY BUTT OFF TO ENSURE IT CONTINUES TO BE THE BEST PLACE TO RAISE MY KIDS, THE BEST PLACE TO LEARN HOW TO BE AN EMPTY NESTER, AND THE BEST PLACE TO RETIRE. PAUL'S LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS GOES ON. LOVE ALWAYS PROTECTS, ALWAYS TRUSTS, ALWAYS HOPES, ALWAYS PERSEVERES. I KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT PERSEVERANCE. NOT LONG AGO, I STOOD AT MY OFFICE WINDOW LOOKING AT THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. ACROSS THE STREET. I COULD SEE THE WINDOWS OF ROOMS I'D LIVED IN WITH MY SON BACK IN 2018. OVER IN APRIL WEEKEND THAT YEAR, WE WENT FROM THINKING SOMETHING BENIGN WAS GOING ON TO BEING ESCORTED TO THE PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY DEPARTMENT WHILE STILL IN SHOCK. MY WIFE AND I QUICKLY BUILT A PLAN. ONE OF US. ALWAYS WITH HIM. BOTH OF US THERE FOR THE HARD DAYS. BOTH OF US ALWAYS WORKING. WE'RE STILL WORKING. SORRY. THROUGH FOUR MONTHS OF TREATMENT, I DID NOT MISS A DAY OF WORK. WHEN I COMMIT TO SOMETHING, I SHOW UP. I DID IT THEN AND I'M HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR DISCUSSION. THANK YOU, MR. NORTON. COUNCIL MEMBER. RUFFINI. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. WELL, TO BE FAIR, I'LL BE ASKING THE SAME QUESTION THAT I ASKED BEFORE. NOW, IMAGINE YOU ARE SWORN IN NEXT WEEK AND WITHIN A FEW DAYS YOU MUST VOTE ON A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE THAT YOU HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY FOLLOWED CLOSELY. WALK US THROUGH EXACTLY WHAT YOU WOULD DO [01:20:05] BEFORE CASTING YOUR VOTE. I'M SORRY. CAN YOU REPEAT THE FIRST PART OF THAT QUESTION? I MISSED THE FIRST PART. IMAGINE YOU ARE SWORN IN NEXT WEEK, AND WITHIN A FEW DAYS YOU MUST VOTE ON A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE THAT YOU HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY FOLLOWED CLOSELY. WALK US THROUGH EXACTLY WHAT YOU WOULD DO BEFORE CASTING YOUR VOTE. OKAY, SO ON ANY MAJOR ISSUE, I'M GOING TO FIRST LOOK TO SEE WHAT INFORMATION IS ALREADY AVAILABLE. I KNOW THE CITY DOES AN INCREDIBLE JOB ON PUTTING TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, PACKETS OF INFORMATION. I MEAN, I'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH EVERYTHING I'VE SEEN FROM THE CITY. SO THAT'S WHERE I WOULD START. AND THEN I WOULD START TO DO MY OWN RESEARCH. YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M PRETTY TECH SAVVY. I KNOW HOW TO FIND LOTS OF REALLY GOOD INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET. I KNOW HOW TO VET THAT INFORMATION. SO THAT WOULD BE MY SECOND STEP. AND THEN THE THIRD STEP WOULD BE TO ENGAGE WITH RESIDENTS AND SEE WHAT PEOPLE ARE FEELING OR WHAT THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING. I THINK THIS IS AN APPROACH THAT I BRING, BEING ABLE TO WEIGH THE WHAT THE DATA IS SHOWING VERSUS WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING OR WHAT THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT. AND THAT WOULD BE HOW I WOULD APPROACH THIS. I WOULD START PROBABLY WITH THE DATA IN THIS SITUATION WHERE THERE'S ALREADY SOMETHING THAT'S IN THE WORKS. I WOULD LOOK AT THE DATA AND THEN I WOULD SEEK RESIDENT INPUT. THERE'S OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE CASES WHERE IT GOES THE OTHER WAY AROUND, WHERE IT STARTS WITH THE RESIDENT INPUT, AND THEN I'M GOING TO GO AND LOOK FOR THE DATA. SO I'M VERY FLEXIBLE IN THAT WAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CORCORAN. PLEASE DESCRIBE THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM. THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. WELL, THE BOND PROGRAM I KNOW IS 223 SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS. AND SO IT'S THE BIGGEST BOND WE'VE EVER PASSED. AND I KNOW MORE THAN HALF OF THAT IS GOING TO INFRASTRUCTURE AND STREETS. AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'M EXTREMELY PASSIONATE ABOUT. I DIDN'T SAY THIS AT ALL IN THE LAST INTERVIEW, BUT I'M AN AVID RUNNER. I'VE RUN ALL OVER THE CITY AND NOT JUST IN PLACE THREE, BUT I'VE RUN ALL THE WAY TO BRECKENRIDGE PARK AND BACK. IT'S ABOUT 17 MILES. SO I'VE SEEN A LOT OF THE STREETS AND I'VE SEEN A LOT OF THE ALLEYS. I DON'T REALLY RUN IN THE ALLEYS THAT WOULDN'T BE SAFE, BUT I HAVE SEEN THE NEED FOR THIS BOND IN THAT WAY, AND I WAS EQUALLY PLEASED WITH THE BUDGET. AND HOW MUCH OF THE BUDGET IS BEING DEDICATED TO STREET REPAIRS? THIS IS GOING TO BE UNPRECEDENTED. THE AMOUNT OF WORK WE'RE GOING TO BE SEEING IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, AND I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE PAINFUL, BUT I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S WHAT THE CITY NEEDS, AND I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING FOR THE CITY. COUNCILMEMBER BARRIOS, THANK YOU, MAYOR JORDAN, WHAT DO YOU CARE SO MUCH ABOUT TO STAND FOR WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING, WHEN NOT EVERYONE MAY UNDERSTAND SOMETHING YOU'RE WILLING TO PERHAPS STAND ALONE ON, OR MAYBE EVEN UPSET SOME PEOPLE OVER? WOW, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION. THIS MAY NOT BE THAT CONTROVERSIAL, BUT I THINK IT CAN BE. I MENTIONED THAT THE THREE THINGS I CARED ABOUT MOST IN THE LAST INTERVIEW WERE PUBLIC SAFETY, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. I'M GOING TO GO WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE MY HEART IS. OBVIOUSLY, THE THINGS I'M INVOLVED WITH, I'M I'M JUST REALLY BIG ON ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND I THINK THAT I WOULD BE WILLING TO STICK MY NECK OUT FOR ANYTHING THAT WAS FOCUSED ON BRINGING MORE PEOPLE IN, MORE TOWN HALLS TO GET MORE INPUT FROM RESIDENTS, MORE EVENTS WHERE WE CAN PROMOTE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AND I KNOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING WE SHOULD ALL BE DOING, AND I THINK THE CITY DOES A GREAT JOB OF THAT. BUT I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS NOT DISCUSSED ENOUGH AND SOMETHING THAT I WOULD BE PUSHING FOR MORE. THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER JUSTICE. THANK YOU. MR. ALTHOUGH YOU WERE HIDDEN AWAY, THE BUDGET AND THE TAX RATE WERE RESOLVED TONIGHT. THEY PASSED. I WANT TO UNDERSTAND YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON BOTH. IF YOU WERE SITTING ON THE DAIS FOR THE VOTE, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD HAVE CHANGED ABOUT THE BUDGET AND WHY IT WOULD CHANGE ABOUT THE BUDGET? I THINK THAT'S A TRICKY QUESTION BECAUSE THE BUDGET WAS SO COMPLICATED WITH TRYING TO NOT CUT ANY CORE SERVICES. OBVIOUSLY, INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS TO BE THE BIGGEST FOCUS, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND I KNOW PEOPLE IS THE BIGGEST PART OF THE BUDGET, AND I'M ALL ABOUT PEOPLE. I THINK WE HAVE GREAT WE HAVE A [01:25:02] GREAT CITY STAFF, SO I'M REALLY STRUGGLING WITH WHAT I WOULD CHANGE WITH THE BUDGET. I MEAN, I GUESS JUST IN A GENERAL SENSE, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE MONEY FOR LIBRARY AND ARTS PROGRAMS, BUT THAT WOULD HAVE TO COME AT THE COST OF THE THINGS THAT ARE CORE SERVICES FROM THE CITY. SO I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD REALLY RECOMMEND CHANGING THOSE THINGS. YEAH, I, I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE REALLY GREAT ANSWER FOR THAT. THAT'S, THAT'S A TRICKY ONE. YEAH, I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO JUST THANK THE CITY BECAUSE I THINK THE CITY DID A GREAT JOB ON THE BUDGET. THEY DID A GREAT JOB PRESENTING THE BUDGET, LAYING IT OUT IN A VERY EASILY UNDERSTANDABLE WAY. AND I THINK MAYBE BECAUSE OF THAT, I'M STRUGGLING TO TO THINK ABOUT HOW I WOULD HAVE DONE THINGS DIFFERENT OR BETTER. SO YEAH. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER DORAN. MR. NORRIS, THANK YOU. I HAVE A DIRECT QUESTION ON SPECIFIC STANCE. IF APPOINTED TO CITY COUNCIL AND YOUR OPINION BASED ON LOCAL INPUT, WHAT IS YOUR SPECIFIC STANCE ON ISSUES SUCH AS HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY? HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK ABOUT A LOT, SO I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON THAT PUBLIC SAFETY. I THINK OUR CITY DOES AN INCREDIBLE JOB ON THAT, AND I DON'T I DON'T THINK WE REALLY SHOULD BE CHANGING ANYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY. I THINK WE'RE ON A GREAT TRAJECTORY. SO I'LL FOCUS ON HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, AND THAT CAN BE SOMEWHAT OF A LOADED WORD BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU ACTUALLY ARE USING IT. IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR LOWER INCOME, OR IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABILITY OF EXISTING HOUSING FOR RESIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN IN NEIGHBORHOODS FOR 40 OR 50 YEARS AND THE PROPERTY VALUES HAVE SKYROCKETED. SO THERE'S QUITE A FEW ISSUES HERE THAT ARE SOMEWHAT RELATED. WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, WHAT I CARE ABOUT IS KEEPING PEOPLE IN RICHARDSON THAT WANT TO BE HERE AND FINDING WAYS TO DO THAT. AND I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT THERE CAN BE CREATIVE WAYS TO DO THAT WITHOUT. CAUSING ANY FINANCIAL ISSUES FOR THE CITY, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH SOME SORT OF INCENTIVES OR MAYBE SOME COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I WOULD PROBABLY LEAN AT FIRST IS UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP PERSPECTIVE ON THIS. AND IF THERE'S WAYS TO HELP LOWER INCOME HOUSING. I THINK THE SENIOR CITIZEN. HOUSING ISSUE IS SOMEWHAT, SOMEWHAT THERE'S SOME RELIEF THERE ON ON TAXES AND ALL THAT. BUT. I THINK THAT THERE'S PROBABLY SOME MORE WE CAN DO IF WE HAD SOME CREATIVE SOLUTIONS. AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS COULD PLAY A BIG PART. MAYOR PRO TEM HUTCHENRIDER THANK YOU. MAYOR, WHAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM FACING OUR CITY THAT YOU BELIEVE ISN'T GETTING ENOUGH ATTENTION? THANK YOU FOR THAT. THAT'S A GREAT ONE. I THINK THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEM HAS TALKED ABOUT NAUSEAM. SO THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT NOT THE ONE UNLESS YOU CONSIDER WATER PART OF THAT. AND THAT'S THAT'S WHAT I THINK THAT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT ENOUGH IS WATER SUPPLY. NOW, I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF. CONTROL OVER NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT WATER SUPPLY, BUT I THINK THAT WE CAN USE OUR INFLUENCE FOR THE LONG TERM VISION. AND I'M TALKING 30 TO 40 YEARS SECURING THE FUTURE WATER SUPPLY. AS A GEOLOGIST, THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT FOR AT LEAST 20 YEARS SINCE I TOOK MY FIRST GEOLOGY CLASS, AND WE WERE TOLD OVER AND OVER THAT WATER IS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE. AND I CAN SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE. WHEN I WENT ON A TRIP FOR WORK TO A SMALL TOWN NEAR EL PASO SEVERAL MONTHS AGO IN THIS TOWN, RAN OUT OF WATER LAST YEAR, AND AT CHRISTMAS THE MAYOR WAS DELIVERING WATER BOTTLES TO FAMILIES. NOW THAT'S PRETTY DIFFERENT THAN RICHARDSON, BUT WATER SUPPLY IS A MAJOR PROBLEM, AND IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO BECOME MORE OF A PROBLEM AS OUR POPULATION GROWS. SO I HAVE FAITH THAT THE WATER DISTRICT IS DOING THE RIGHT THING, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT AND USE RICHARDSON'S WEIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WATER SUPPLY IS THERE WHEN WE NEED IT. THANK YOU, MR. NORD. AS YOU KNOW, PLACE ONE THROUGH FOUR HAVE A RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT. TO SOME DEGREE, THIS WAS DONE TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE MEMBER WHO REALLY KNOWS AND UNDERSTANDS A PARTICULAR QUADRANT OF THE CITY. IN ADDITION TO KNOWING ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT FACE THE CITY AS A WHOLE, IF SELECTED, YOU'D BE THE ONLY CURRENT COUNCIL [01:30:06] MEMBER LIVING IN SOUTHWEST RICHARDSON. CAN YOU SHARE ONE CHALLENGE SPECIFIC TO PLACE THREE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE COUNCIL PUT ENERGY TOWARDS? SHOULD YOU BE CHOSEN TO FILL THE SEAT? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. THAT'S A GREAT ONE. I THINK THERE'S A VERY OBVIOUS ANSWER IN MY HEAD ON THIS, AND THAT IS THE SPRING VALLEY CORRIDOR. I THINK THAT WE HAD PLANS. I'VE SEEN ALL KINDS OF REALLY COOL STUFF, AND I REALIZE THAT THERE'S SOME DIFFICULTY THERE WORKING WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS, AND IT'S HONESTLY JUST A TRICKY AREA IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A RENEWED EFFORT ON PLANNING THE FUTURE OF THAT SPRING VALLEY CORRIDOR. I THINK IT'S THE GATEWAY INTO RICHARDSON FOR MANY PEOPLE, AND IT'S THE FIRST THING THAT PEOPLE SEE, OR MAYBE THEY DON'T EVEN REALIZE THAT THEY'RE COMING INTO RICHARDSON, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME MORE EFFORT TOWARDS CHANGING THAT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME, YOU'VE GOT YOUR CLOSING STATEMENT TO GO. YOU'VE GOT THREE MINUTES FOR THAT AND YOU CAN START WHENEVER YOU ARE COMFORTABLE. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, NOT ONLY FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THIS APPOINTMENT PROCESS, BUT ALSO FOR BEING THE INSPIRATION FOR SO MANY OF US THAT APPLIED. I WANT TO THANK MR. BARRIOS IN PARTICULAR, FOR HIS EXAMPLE OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP IN THE PLACE THREE SEAT, AND I WISH HIM EVERY SUCCESS IN WHAT COMES NEXT. I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS. MOST OF ALL MY WIFE WHO HAS BEEN MY SOURCE OF STRENGTH. WHAT HAS SURPRISED ME MOST IN THIS PROCESS IS HOW MUCH WE ALL ACTUALLY AGREE ON. ALMOST EVERY ONE OF US NAMED THE SAME PRIORITY. LAST MONTH. THE AGING STREETS AND WATER LINES UNDER THE CITY, AND THE HARD QUESTION OF HOW TO PAY FOR THEM. AND WHEN YOU ASKED ABOUT WHETHER RICHARDSON SHOULD SETTLE FOR WHAT THE MARKET BRINGS OR HOLD OUT FOR SOMETHING BETTER, NOT ONE OF US TOLD YOU TO SETTLE. WHOEVER YOU CHOOSE. I WANT EVERY PERSON WHO APPLIED FOR THIS SEAT KEPT IN THE WORK. I WANT NOT JUST THE EIGHT INTERVIEWED, BUT ALL 13 APPLICANTS ON BOARDS, ON COMMISSIONS AND AT THIS PODIUM. HERE'S WHAT YOU WOULD GET WITH ME. I'LL BE THE ONE THAT READS THE PACKET COVER TO COVER, THE ONE WHO LISTENS TO WHAT PEOPLE ARE TELLING US, GOES AND LOOKS AT WHAT THE NUMBERS ACTUALLY SAY, AND IS STRAIGHT WITH FOLKS. WHEN THOSE TWO DON'T LINE UP, YOU GET A FULL WORKING VOICE. FROM THE FIRST NIGHT ON THIS COUNCIL'S EXISTING DOCKET. NOT AN AGENDA OF MY OWN TO INSTALL IN SEVEN MONTHS. MY CASE IS A RECORD, NOT A PROMISE. I'VE NEVER WAITED FOR A TITLE. I GET PASSIONATE ABOUT SOMETHING, FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THE JOB, AND THEN I DO IT WELL ENOUGH THAT THE NUMBERS SHOW I WAS DELIBERATELY QUIET THESE LAST FOUR WEEKS. BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR DECISION, NOT MY CAMPAIGN. LET ME RETURN TO FIRST CORINTHIANS FOR A MOMENT. LOVE IS PATIENT, WHICH IN COUNCIL MEANS YOU DO NOT RUSH A DECISION BECAUSE YOU WERE TIRED. IT IS KIND, WHICH MEANS THE PERSON WHO LOSES STILL GETS A CALM, STRAIGHT ANSWER ABOUT WHY IT'S NOT SELF-SERVING, WHICH MEANS THE SEAT IS NOT THE POINT, AND IT KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS. WHICH MEANS THE VOTE LOST LAST WEEK HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE VOTE TONIGHT. I TRY TO LIVE THIS OUT ALREADY. I'VE SPENT YEARS PULLING NEIGHBORS INTO WORK NOBODY'S PAID FOR. I DON'T DIVIDE ROOMS. I WORK HARD TO FILL THEM. I HAVE A VISION FOR THE CITY THAT I WANT AN OPEN DOOR AND A CROWDED TABLE, BECAUSE THERE SHOULD ALWAYS BE ROOM FOR ONE MORE. AND I MEAN EVERYBODY. I DON'T HAVE STRONG POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS. I VOTED BOTH WAYS IN THE PAST, CANDIDATE BY CANDIDATE PROPOSITION, BY PROPOSITION. AND THAT COMES FROM THE WAY THAT I WAS RAISED. MY FATHER IS ABOUT AS RED AS THEY COME. MY MOTHER IS ABOUT AS BLUE AS THEY COME. PUT THE TWO TOGETHER AND GET ME PRETTY PURPLE. I GOT THAT COLOR FROM THEM BOTH, THOUGH. ONLY MY MOTHER HAS THE PURPLE HAIR TO MATCH. TRUE STORY. THANKS MOM AND DAD, I LOVE YOU. I TOLD ALL OF YOU EARLIER TONIGHT THAT I'M NOT GREAT AT SELF-PROMOTION, SO LET ME DO IT JUST ONE MORE TIME. PLAINLY, I KNOW I CAN DO THIS JOB WELL AND I CAN DO IT FAITHFULLY. I AM ASKING FOR THE SEAT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU, MR. NAUGHT. MR. DAVIS HAS BEEN CALLED IN. GOOD EVENING, MR. [01:35:04] DAVIS. VERY SIMILAR FORMAT TO WHAT WE DID LAST TIME. THIS TIME YOU'LL HAVE A THREE MINUTE OPENING. FROM THERE, WE WILL BE DOING THE QUESTIONS PRETTY MUCH IN THE SAME ORDER YOU SAW BEFORE STARTING AT THE VERY END. ONE COUNCIL MEMBER AT A TIME. WE WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR YOU TO ANSWER. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE FULL THREE MINUTES, THAT'S UP TO YOU. AND THEN WHEN WE'RE AT THE END OF ALL THOSE QUESTIONS, WE'LL GIVE YOU THREE MINUTES TO MAKE ANY CLOSING REMARKS THAT YOU LIKE. SO AT THIS TIME, WHENEVER YOU'RE COMFORTABLE, YOU CAN START WITH YOUR OPENING. OKAY. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, FIRST OF ALL, I AM GRATEFUL AND HONORED TO STAND HERE. ONCE AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE DIFFICULTY IN SELECTING A CANDIDATE THAT YOU BELIEVE WILL SERVE THE CITY WITH ENTHUSIASM AND DEDICATION, AND ONE THAT CAN EARN THE TRUST OF THE COMMUNITY. FROM MY APPLICATION AND FIRST INTERVIEW, I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHO I AM NOW. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES THIS EVENING TO EXPLAIN WHAT I AM NOT. I AM NOT AN EXPERT FROM MY TIME IN BUSINESS. IN VARIOUS LEADERSHIP ROLES, I HAVE LEARNED THAT THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO LEARN AND SOMEONE TO LEARN FROM. MANY TIMES I'VE ENTERED INTO A CONVERSATION OR FACED A PROBLEM THAT REQUIRED A SOLUTION WITH MY MIND PRETTY MUCH MADE UP, ONLY TO FIND THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT THE ISSUE, ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW, ANOTHER SET OF SOLUTIONS. I MIGHT END UP STILL THINKING I WAS ON THE RIGHT TRACK, BUT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT A SUBJECT IS HOW QUESTIONS ARE BORN. REAL CONVERSATION HAPPENS, KNOWLEDGE IS GAINED, AND CONSENSUS IS POSSIBLE. I'M NOT A POLITICIAN. MERRIAM-WEBSTER DEFINES POLITICIAN AS, QUOTE, A PERSON, A PERSON EXPERIENCED IN THE ART OF SCIENCE, OF THE SCIENCE OR GOVERNMENT, OR A PERSON ENGAGED IN PARTY POLITICS AS A PROFESSION. I AM NEITHER OF THOSE. I AM AN ORDINARY CITIZEN WHO VALUES GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY BY SERVING ON THE CITY COUNCIL. NOT ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE MULTITUDE OF VOLUNTEERS IN RICHARDSON THAT GIVE THEIR TIME TO MAKE RICHARDSON A BETTER PLACE EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND I MEAN CERTAINLY NO DISRESPECT TO INDIVIDUALS WHO MAKE THE ART AND SCIENCE OF GOVERNMENT THEIR LIFE'S WORK. IT IS AN HONORABLE AND MEANING ENDEAVOR. HOWEVER, I SEE MY CONTRIBUTION TO OUR CITY'S GOVERNANCE AS ONE OF INDEPENDENT THOUGHT AND ENGAGEMENT. LISTENING TO OUR NEIGHBORS, FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OUR CITY MANAGEMENT BEFORE WEIGHING EACH DECISION ON WHAT IS BEST FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS OF OUR CITY. PASSING ON A RICHARDSON THAT IS JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN WHEN I FOUND IT. I'M NOT WITHOUT FAULTS. I SEE LIFE AS A CONSTANT OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE. I STRIVE TO SHARPEN MY LISTENING SKILLS. I STRIVE TO PUT MYSELF IN OTHERS SHOES. I STRIVE TO TREAT OTHERS AS I WOULD BE TREATED. I BELIEVE THAT THE TRUST A COMMUNITY HAS IN ITS LEADERS IS ROOTED IN SEEING THEIR GENUINE EFFORTS TO EVOLVE TO BE BETTER THAN WE WERE YESTERDAY. I KNOW THAT MY PAST EXPERIENCES HAVE HELPED SHAPE WHO I AM TODAY, BUT TOMORROW ALWAYS BRINGS A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH. AND FINALLY, I AM NOT ALONE. MAYOR NOAH, WHO DID SO MUCH WORK FOR OVER FOUR DECADES FOR RICHARDSON WHEN ACCEPTING THE KEY TO THE CITY, SAID, AND I AM PARAPHRASING HERE THAT IT IS NOT ME, BUT RATHER IT IS WE. I TAKE THAT TO MEAN INDIVIDUALLY WE ARE JUST ONE PIECE OF THE COMPLETE PUZZLE. IF SELECTED, I WILL ALWAYS WORK WITH THE MINDSET THAT INDIVIDUAL CREDIT PALES IN COMPARISON TO COLLABORATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. WE CAN ACHIEVE MORE THAN I EVER COULD. THANK YOU FOR I SORRY I WENT OVER A SECOND. THAT'S ALL RIGHT, MR. DAVIS. SO WE'LL START WITH OUR QUESTIONS AND WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ARFIN. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. OKAY. IMAGINE YOU ARE SWORN IN NEXT WEEK, AND WITHIN A FEW DAYS YOU MUST VOTE ON A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE THAT YOU HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY FOLLOWED CLOSELY. NOW WALK US THROUGH EXACTLY WHAT YOU WOULD DO BEFORE CASTING YOUR VOTE. I BELIEVE. AND NOT TO. YOU KNOW, I HAVE A HARD TIME SAYING THE THINGS THAT I'VE DONE, BUT I CAN SAY THAT I HOPE THAT NOT TO HAPPEN BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION. I'VE BEEN TO MOST COUNCIL MEETINGS, NOT EVERY ONE, FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW. AND ALTHOUGH I'M NOT UP, I'M NOT SAYING I COULD SIT IN, YOU KNOW, RIGHT THIS SECOND AND KNOW EVERYTHING THAT THE COUNCIL KNOWS OR THE MAYOR OR, YOU KNOW, I CERTAINLY NOT, BUT I'M I'M PRETTY AWARE OF THE TOPICS AND OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ALREADY BEEN MADE IN [01:40:04] COUNCIL ABOUT SOME OF THE LARGER THINGS THAT HAVE HAVE COME BEFORE COUNCIL IN THE LAST 3 OR 4 MONTHS OR SIX MONTHS. IF IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE, I'LL ANSWER THE QUESTION. IF IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I JUST I WALKED IN OFF THE STREET AND I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT. I KIND OF TOUCHED UPON THAT IN MY FIRST. IN MY STATEMENT, I WOULD RELY ON DISCUSSING WITH COUNCIL WHEN, YOU KNOW, APPROPRIATELY WITH CITY MANAGEMENT, APPROPRIATELY DO MY OWN RESEARCH, COME BACK AND ASK SOME MORE QUESTIONS AND. TRY TO ASSUME THAT I DIDN'T KNOW THE ANSWERS. AND I DON'T KNOW SOME MAYBE IT'S IN SOME WAYS THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A BLESSING BECAUSE YOU GET TO START WITH NO PRECONCEIVED IDEAS. AND OKAY, I DIDN'T HEAR EVERYBODY'S OPINION AND I GET TO START FRESH AND DO ALL THE RESEARCH WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO, AS YOU SAID, OKAY, THAT'S A, THAT'S A LUXURY YOU MAY NOT HAVE. YOU MIGHT HAVE TO RELY ON WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID OR RESEARCHED. SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. COUNCILMEMBER CORCORAN. PLEASE DESCRIBE THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM. WELL, VERY GOOD. THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM. AND I'M TRYING TO COME UP WITH THE EXACT FIGURE ON HOW MUCH THAT BOND WAS. I'M THINKING YOU DON'T REALLY CARE HOW MUCH IT WAS. BOND PROGRAM HAS SEVERAL COMPONENTS, OBVIOUSLY. PARKS AND REC. THERE WAS A BIG COMPONENT WITH OUR MASTER PLAN FOR THE PARKS, FOR POOLS AND. POOLS AND AND POSSIBLE NEW RECREATION FACILITIES, AND THAT ALL THOSE A LARGE COMPONENT FOR FOR PARKS AND REC STREETS AND ALLEYS ARE ALWAYS PART OF A BOND PROJECT. BOND PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, AS YOU ARE ALL AWARE, ARE FOR THE BIG THINGS IS FOR THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO NEED TO HAVE TO GO OUT AND BORROW MONEY FOR. SO PARKS AND REC WAS A GOOD SIZE PART OF THAT. STREETS AND ALLEYS DRAINAGE. I THINK DRAINAGE WAS ON THERE. YES. TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT THE OTHER MAJOR COMPONENTS OF IT WERE. I'M REMISS IF I DON'T IF I DON'T HAVE MORE COMPONENTS THAN THAT. IT WAS A LARGE BOND AND. OBVIOUSLY OBVIOUSLY PASSED WITH BY THE VOTE OF THE PUBLIC AND. THAT'S ALL I REALLY CAN SAY ABOUT IT. I WISH I COULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SUCCINCT ABOUT SOME OF THE FACTS. COUNCIL MEMBER BARRIOS. THANK YOU. MAYOR JEFF, WHAT DO YOU CARE SO MUCH ABOUT TO STAND FOR WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING, WHEN NOT EVERYONE MAY UNDERSTAND SOMETHING YOU'RE WILLING TO PERHAPS STAND ALONE ON, AND MAYBE EVEN UPSET SOME PEOPLE OVER. I BELIEVE THERE MIGHT BE SEVERAL THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, I'LL SAY MY LOVE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND HOW HOW IMPORTANT I THINK OUR ENVIRONMENT AND WATER ISSUES AND THINGS ARE. YOU KNOW, AVAILABILITY, AVAILABILITY OF WATER, ESPECIALLY IN TEXAS HERE. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME STRONG CHOICES AND HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT. RAISING TAXES IS NOT A POPULAR THING TO EVEN SAY OUT LOUD. BUT IF WE NEED HIGHER TAXES IN THE CITY TO SUPPLY FRESH WATER TO RESIDENTS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS DON'T RUN OUT OF WATER IN THE WHOLE AREA, THEN YEAH, I'M I WOULD CERTAINLY SUPPORT WE HAVE TO FIND THE MONEY SOMEPLACE. AND IF THAT'S FROM EVEN HIGHER RESIDENTIAL TAXES, I MEAN, I WOULDN'T LIKE THAT NOBODY HERE WOULD LIKE THAT. WE ALL WOULDN'T LIKE THAT. BUT YES, I MEAN, IF WE NEED IF WE NEED MONEY FOR ESPECIALLY ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES THAT THAT OUR LIVES DEPEND ON, LIKE WATER, I'D GO OUT ON A LIMB AND, HEY, IF I'M GOING TO GET SOME, YOU KNOW, HATE MAIL BECAUSE OF HIGHER TAXES, BUT THAT'S JUST KIND OF THE WAY IT IS. THAT'S, THAT'S WHY THIS IS A HARD JOB. AS YOU WELL KNOW. I'M TRYING TO THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE. ANOTHER TOPIC THAT I WOULD I WOULD GO OUT ON A LIMB FOR. LET'S SEE, [01:45:03] THAT'S REALLY KIND OF THE BIG ONE. LET'S SEE. YEAH. I CAN'T THINK OF ANOTHER ONE THAT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT TO ME, FRANKLY. YEAH. I'M NOT SURE I HAVE ANOTHER ONE. THAT'S THAT'S I'VE HAD THE DISCUSSION WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE ACTUALLY FAIRLY LATELY THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE KEEP OUR TAXES DOWN? HOW CAN WE GET MORE REVENUE AND HOW CAN WE MAKE UP FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE STATE NOT ALLOWING US TO, TO CONTROL OUR OWN OWN INCOME THESE DAYS AND HIGHER TAXES MIGHT BE THAT THAT ANSWER, UNCOMFORTABLE AS IT MAY SEEM. SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS THAT QUESTION. HOPE I DON'T GET TOO MUCH HATE MAIL ALREADY. COUNCILMEMBER JUSTICE, THAT SEGUES NICELY INTO MY QUESTION. YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF WATCHING, BUT WE DID PASS THE BUDGET AND THE T RATE EARLIER TONIGHT. OKAY, I UNDERSTAND, I WANT TO UNDERSTAND FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, BOTH BUDGET AND TAX RATE. IF YOU WERE SITTING ON THE DAIS FOR THAT VOTE TONIGHT, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD CHANGE ABOUT THE THE PROPOSED BUDGET, NOW PAST BUDGET AND WHY? I DID GO OVER THE BUDGET AND I WAS HERE. I HEARD IT SEVERAL TIMES AND I DID GO OVER IT. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING THAT I WOULD HAVE MAJORLY HAD A A PROBLEM WITH. FRANKLY. I MEAN, THEY PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, THIS MIGHT GET ME IN TROUBLE. I, I, I THINK NOW WOULD HAVE BEEN THE TIME TO MAYBE AT LEAST FLOAT THE IDEA OF A SLIGHTLY HIGHER. TAX. IT WITH PUBLIC INPUT THAT COULD HAVE GONE DOWN AND SAID, OKAY, WELL, WE GOT ENOUGH, ENOUGH FEEDBACK ON THAT AND GOOD REASONS AND MAYBE WE CAN GO BACK DOWN. BUT I THINK THAT COULD HAVE COULD HAVE BEEN FLOATED A SLIGHTLY HIGHER TAX RATE. THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I WOULD SUGGEST IN THAT BUDGET IS OUR TAXES AND FEES DID GO UP DRAMATICALLY THIS YEAR AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. WE'RE STILL AT THE LOWER END OF A LOT OF THOSE, AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE MORE MIDDLE TO HIGHER END OF THOSE AND NOT NOT AT THE TOP. OBVIOUSLY, WE DON'T WANT TO BE THERE ALL IN ONE BIG FELL SWOOP, BUT I FEEL WE HAVE SOME CATCHING UP TO DO. THE WATER. I THINK IT'S FANTASTIC. THE THE JOB THEY DID ON THE WATER METER, YOU KNOW, RIGHTSIZING THE WATER METER FEES, ALTHOUGH WE'RE STILL IN THE VERY LOW END OF THAT. I THINK RICHARDSON IS ATTRACTIVE ENOUGH THAT THOSE HIGHER FEES AND MAYBE HIGHER WATER RATES FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS COULD BE JUST ONE THING THAT COULD BE ABSORBED EASILY. I KNOW WE, WE, WE TRY TO PRIDE OURSELVES ON BEING, YOU KNOW, LOWER TAXES AND LOWER RATES ON A LOT OF THINGS. BUT I THINK WE HAVE A LITTLE CATCHING UP TO DO. AND I HOPE THIS IS JUST THE FIRST STEP OF GETTING US UP THAT LADDER A LITTLE BIT. COUNCILMEMBER DORAN, THANK YOU. WELL, SEGUE FROM THE BUDGET, IF APPOINTED TO CITY COUNCIL, IN YOUR OPINION, BASED ON LOCAL INPUT AND PRIORITIES, WHAT IS YOUR SPECIFIC STANCE ON ISSUES SUCH AS A HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY? CAN YOU REPEAT THE FIRST PART OF THAT? I'M SORRY. SURE. IF APPOINTED TO CITY COUNCIL, IN YOUR OPINION, BASED ON LOCAL INPUT AND PRIORITIES, WHAT IS YOUR SPECIFIC STANCE ON ISSUES SUCH AS HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY? OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. EXCUSE ME. I'M SORRY. HOUSING IS A VERY INTERESTING QUESTION. AND AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, HOUSING PRICES ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE AVERAGE IN RICHARDSON NOW IS 419,000, IF MEMORY SERVES OR SOMEWHERE IN THERE HOUSING PRICE. I BELIEVE RICHARDSON WOULD BENEFIT FROM A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT THE, YOU KNOW, EXPERT THAT WAS UP HERE THAT THAT GAVE US SOME OF THE INFORMATION ON THE HOUSING WHEN THE THE CONSULTANT CAME. I THINK WE NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE DIVERSE HOUSING OPTIONS IN RICHARDSON. I FOUND OUT NOT [01:50:05] TERRIBLY LONG AGO, WE DON'T REALLY EVEN HAVE ANY HIGH END CONDOS IN RICHARDSON. THEY JUST DON'T EXIST. THAT'S A WHOLE MARKET THAT YOU KNOW IS IS EMPTY NOW, THAT'S NOT LOW, LOW INCOME OR MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING. I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THOSE KINDS OF DEVELOPMENTS, DEVELOPMENTS CAN COME WITH THEM. MIDDLE SIZED HOUSING AND EVEN LOWER END HOUSING. I THINK WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF WORK TO TO ATTRACT LARGER HOUSING AMBITIONS, PUT IT THAT WAY. THAT IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE. THE CONDOS AND THAT CONDOS AND APARTMENTS AND MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING. THE OTHER THING THAT IS A LITTLE BIT CLOSE TO MY HEART IS NEIGHBORHOODS. A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS ARE BEING EATEN UP BY TEARDOWNS AND REBUILDS OF HOUSES THAT ARE $800,000. THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAD HOUSES THAT WERE $300,000 OR $400,000 AFFORDABLE. IF YOU CAN SAY THAT AT A $400,000 HOUSE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN DO ANYTHING DIRECTLY ABOUT THAT. I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE I COULD I COULD LEARN. BUT I THINK THAT'S A TREND THAT I, I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED TO SEE IN, IN MOST PART, NOT ALWAYS, BUT SOME OF OUR MIDDLE AND MIDDLE INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS ARE TURNING VERY QUICKLY INTO HIGHER END, HIGHER END NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE NOT AFFORDABLE AS FAR AS PUBLIC SAFETY. VERY QUICKLY, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T WANT TO GET OFF THE HOUSING. PUBLIC SAFETY. SAFETY IS ONE OF THOSE FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT, FRANKLY, THAN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS. PUBLIC SAFETY IS ONE OF THOSE THOSE PEERS THAT ALLOWS WHY PEOPLE MOVE HERE AND WHY BUSINESSES MOVE HERE, AND WHAT ATTRACTS A HIGHER WAGE. CORPORATIONS TO MOVE TO RICHARDSON, PUBLIC SAFETY IS REALLY IMPORTANT. LEG OF THAT STOOL. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM HUTCHENRIDER. THANK YOU. MAYOR, WHAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM FACING OUR CITY THAT YOU BELIEVE ISN'T GETTING ENOUGH ATTENTION? WELL, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT AREN'T GETTING ATTENTION. I THINK. I DON'T WANT TO LUMP THAT ALL INTO NOT ENOUGH ATTENTION BECAUSE NOT ENOUGH ATTENTION. BECAUSE WE AS A CITY ARE NOT GIVING IT ENOUGH THOUGHT. AND THOSE THINGS THAT AREN'T GETTING ENOUGH ATTENTION BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS AND THE REVENUE TO SUPPORT THOSE, THOSE ARE REALLY KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. I'LL APPROACH BOTH OF THEM AS FAR AS THINGS THAT. THAT I DON'T THINK ARE MAYBE GETTING ENOUGH ATTENTION. AND AGAIN, I'M NOT AWARE OF EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON BESIDES ESPECIALLY BEHIND THE SCENES. BUT I BELIEVE OUR OUR IQ AREA IS, YOU KNOW, GOT OFF TO A REALLY GREAT START AND IT IS WORKING WELL. I THINK THAT INCUBATOR OF NEW BUSINESSES AND STARTUPS AND TECH ALONG WITH UTD, IS KIND OF OUR FUTURE. A LOT OF OUR FUTURE, NOT OUR ENTIRE FUTURE. BUT I THINK THAT'S A LOT OF OUR FUTURE. AND. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GETTING ENOUGH ATTENTION IS THE ISSUE OR IT'S JUST FINDING THE, YOU KNOW, FINDING THE DEVELOPERS AND FINDING THOSE COMPANIES AND, AND MAKING THAT WHOLE THING WORK. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT MOVING A LITTLE BIT FASTER IF, IF POSSIBLE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A GREAT AREA. SO I'M NOT SURE WHICH ONE THAT FIT. TELL YOU THE TRUTH, THE MONEY OR OUR ATTENTION WISE. I DON'T REALLY KNOW. I THINK THAT THE CITY DOES A GREAT JOB OF NOT OVERLOOKING WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS. YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, THE PUBLIC WOULD LOVE AN INDOOR SWIMMING POOL. I DON'T THINK IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE NOT GIVING ATTENTION. THAT'S ONE OF THOSE ONES THAT WE SEE. THE MONEY IS REALLY NOT THERE. IT DOESN'T MAKE FINANCIAL SENSE AT THIS POINT. SO I DON'T THINK THAT'S A WE'RE NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION. IT'S JUST NOT THE RIGHT TIME FOR IT. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, SIR? THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS. AS YOU KNOW, PLACES ONE THROUGH FOUR HAVE A RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT TO [01:55:02] SOME DEGREE. THIS WAS DONE TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE MEMBER WHO REALLY KNOWS AND UNDERSTANDS PARTICULAR QUADRANT OF THE CITY. IN ADDITION TO KNOWING ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT FACE THE CITY AS A WHOLE. IF SELECTED, YOU'D BE THE ONLY CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBER LIVING IN SOUTHWEST RICHARDSON. CAN YOU SHARE ONE CHALLENGE SPECIFIC TO PLACE THREE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE COUNCIL PUT ENERGY TOWARDS? SHOULD YOU BE CHOSEN FOR THIS SEAT? YES, A COUPLE OF THINGS. SINCE I'VE LIVED IN PLACE. THREE ON EITHER SIDE OF BELTLINE ROAD ON PLACE THREE FOR MANY YEARS NOW. FROM. I HAVE NOT LIVED ALL THE WAY OVER TOWARD COIT AND ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, SOUTH OF BELTLINE, OVER TOWARD COYOTE, AND IN A LOT OF RESPECT, I THINK THAT AREA OF TOWN, ESPECIALLY SPRING VALLEY AND BELTLINE, YOU KNOW, THOSE PROJECTS WERE KIND OF STARTED AND, AND HAS BEEN STRUGGLING ALONG WITH WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT OF COIT AND SPRING VALLEY. I THINK THAT AREA HAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL. I BUT I THINK IT NEEDS MORE FOCUS. I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY. I CAN'T GIVE YOU CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE DONE THERE, BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY HAVEN'T BEEN PRIVY TO THE THE WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES AND THE, THE CONTRACTORS AND DEVELOPERS HAVE OFFERED AT THIS POINT, BUT I THINK THAT AREA REALLY COULD HELP THE ENTIRE SOUTHWEST, SOUTHWEST QUADRANT OF THE CITY PLACE THREE BASICALLY. SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT I, I, I WOULD LOVE TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN AND SEE MORE DEVELOPED. LET'S SEE. WELL, THIS KIND OF GOES TO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT I'VE SPOKEN ABOUT PREVIOUSLY, AND THIS IS NOT PLACE THREE SPECIFIC, BUT MY NEIGHBORHOODS IN PLACE. THREE AND THERE'S SEVERAL OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS IN PLACE. THREE AND WE HAVE SEVERAL SCHOOLS AND OBVIOUSLY IN PLACE THREE, INCLUDING RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL. I BELIEVE WE COULD ALL WORK TOGETHER BETTER. I THINK THE. ALMOST TERRITORIAL NATURE OF, OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND SCHOOLS CAN BE IMPROVED. WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AND HELP EACH OTHER. WE DON'T VE TO BE ONE BIG ASSOCIATION, BUT INDIVIDUAL ASSOCIATIONS CAN CAN SHARE ALL SORTS OF THINGS. AND ALONG WITH OUR SCHOOLS AND WE HAVE ONE OF THE, THE THE FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS IN TOWN AND THE OLDEST, I BELIEVE, AND A VERY, YOU KNOW, HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY IS RIGHT, RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FROM MY HOUSE. I THINK OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD WE COULD WORK WITH THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICT MORE TO INCORPORATE THEM INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAN JUST TO BE ONE THING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT JUST OUR JOB. THAT'S THAT'S A RISKY THING I JUST DID. I WENT TO A MEETING LAST WEEK WITH, WITH TABITHA, THE, THE, AND SOME OF THE OTHER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS EXACT SAME THING. AND I'VE GOTTEN INFORMATION FROM THEM. AND WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET TOGETHER AND SEE, SEE WHAT WE CAN HELP DO FOR THAT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS. WHENEVER YOU'RE COMFORTABLE, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO USE FOR YOUR CLOSING. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION THIS EVENING. IT'S A REAL JOY TO HAVE QUESTIONS POSED THAT SOMETIMES DO NOT HAVE JUST ONE ANSWER. I MENTIONED IN MY OPENING THAT I WOULD BE JUST ONE PIECE OF THE COMPLETE PUZZLE. YOU KNOW THAT FUNNY SHAPED PIECE THAT HAS JUST ONE COLOR AND NO STRAIGHT EDGES AND GETS PICKED UP AND PUT. I MEAN, I COULD SAY THIS BETTER. THIS IS JUST AN ANALOGY. THAT LOAN PIECE OF THE PUZZLE IS OUR SEWER SYSTEM. WITHOUT THAT ONE PIECE FITTING PROPERLY, ALL BAD STUFF HAPPENS, RIGHT? WE ALL KNOW THAT THE SAME THING GOES FOR OUR WATER SYSTEM, ROADS, TRASH COLLECTION. I'M SURE YOU KNOW WHERE I'M HEADED HERE. IT TAKES PIECES OF ALL SHAPES, SIZES, AND COLORS TO COMPLETE THE CITY'S PICTURE. FROM ZONING CHANGES THROUGH AND FILTERING THROUGH BUDGETS. THE CITY COUNCIL IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PICTURE, AND EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER ARE VERY IMPORTANT PIECE, ONE THAT IS INDEPENDENT OF OUTSIDE INFLUENCE OR POLITICAL PRESSURE AND HAS THE BEST INTEREST OF EVERY BUSINESS AND RESIDENT OF OUR RICHLY DIVERSE RICHARDSON AT HEART, ADDING STRENGTH AND DIRECTION TO THE CANVAS. NOW THAT OUR CITY IS SUBSTANTIALLY BUILT OUT, THE OPPORTUNITY TO REIMAGINE OUR LAND USE AND DETERMINE RIGHT SIZE HOUSING, RECREATION FACILITIES AND [02:00:05] BUSINESSES THAT HELP US FIND NEW REVENUE STREAMS AND SERVICES FOR OUR RESIDENTS ARE AMONG THE CITY'S NEW CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES. ISSUES LIKE CYBERSECURITY AND DRONES ARE NOW PART OF OUR WORLD, BUT I BELIEVE RICHARDSON CAN BECOME A MODEL FOR OTHER CITIES TO EMULATE. INCENTIVIZING RESPONSIBLE CONSERVATION OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, LEVERAGING THE TALENT AND ENTHUSIASM OF OUR VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY, DOING WHAT WE CAN TO ATTRACT QUALITY, HIGH WAGE EMPLOYERS AND AN EQUALLY DIVERSE HOUSING MARKET TO RICHARDSON CAN HELP ENSURE THAT THOSE WHO WORK HERE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE HERE AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, SPEND THEIR MONEY HERE, ALL WHILE WIDENING OUR TAX BASE. THERE'S ALWAYS SOME MORE WORK TO DO, AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF ■THAT WORK. I KNOW THAT I WOULD JUST BE ONE PUZZLE PIECE IN THE COMPLETE PICTURE. HOWEVER, WITH MY EXPERIENCE, PERSPECTIVE AND KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM YEARS OF ATTENDANCE AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, I BELIEVE I'M A GOOD FIT. MY RECORD OF WORKING DIRECTLY WITH RESIDENTS AT HEIGHTS PARK AS VICE PRESIDENT OVER TEN YEARS. EARNING THEIR TRUST AND SUPPORT IS SOMETHING I'M VERY PROUD OF. I BOUGHT MY FIRST HOME HERE IN 91, AND MY WIFE AND I CHOSE RICHARDSON AS OUR HOME. MY COMMITMENT TO RICHARDSON IS REFLECTED IN THE CARES PROGRAM AND MY ROLE IN PARKS AND REC. RICHARDSON IS STUCK WITH ME WHEN FIRST CONSIDERING IF THIS WOULD BE A GOOD FIT FOR ME, I PONDERED THE TIME AND COMMITMENT IT WOULD REQUIRE, GIVEN THAT I'M RETIRED AFTER THREE DECADES OF RUNNING MY COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS AND NOW TRANSITIONING OUT OF A LEADERSHIP ROLE WITH MY NEIGHBORHOOD. I THOUGHT, AND NOT TO STEAL THIS FROM J. D LUDMER, ONE OF THIS YEAR'S RICHARDSON REAL HEROES, BUT I THOUGHT, I CAN DO THAT. TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, I'M READY TO DRINK FROM THAT FIRE HOSE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I'D LOVE TO KIND OF IF THERE ARE ANY COMMENTS, I KNOW WE HAVE OUR NEXT ITEM, BUT BEFORE WE GET THERE, COUNCIL MEMBER BARRIOS, YOU HAVE A COMMENT? MAYOR. THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COUPLE COMMENTS. ONE, THANK YOU TO ALL THE APPLICANTS FOR COMING AGAINST AGAIN, IN FRONT OF US IN ANSWERING QUESTIONS. THAT WAS NOT EASY. I'VE OFTEN SAID ON THIS CAMPAIGN TRAIL, AS I. THAT GOVERNMENT DOESN'T REQUIRE FAITH. IT REQUIRES PARTICIPATION. AND YOU ALL ALL STEPPED UP. AND I SAY THAT AS A PERSON OF FAITH. TO ALL THOSE WHO CAME AND SPOKE ON BEHALF OF THEIR FAVORITE CANDIDATE, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT YOU HAVE TIES TO MANY OF THESE PEOPLE. TO, TO, TO IN VARIOUS WAYS AND SUPPORT THEM AT VARIOUS LEVELS. SO THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SPEAKING UP AND BEING PART OF THIS PROCESS. I MYSELF HAVE BEEN DEBATING, YOU KNOW, ONE, I'M NOT PART OF THIS NEXT PROCESS. SO HERE MOMENTARILY I WILL BE STEPPING DOWN AND JOINING THE AUDIENCE IN THE CHAMBERS HERE. BUT I'VE DEBATED WHETHER OR NOT I WANTED TO PUBLICLY ENDORSE OR SAY SOMETHING ON BEHALF OF, AND I'M GOING TO CHOOSE NOT TO DO THAT, BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO HURT THE CHANCES OF ANYBODY WINNING THAT SEAT. SO I'M GOING TO STAY SILENT ON THAT. I WILL SAY THAT WHICHEVER ONE DOES COME OUT, I 100 HOLY. WHOEVER THE THE COUNCIL DECIDES I WHOLLY SUPPORT YOU. TO THOSE THAT DO NOT MAKE THAT FINAL CUT, I WOULD LIKE TO BE A RESOURCE FOR YOU AS WELL. THERE'S WHOEVER GETS CHOSEN HERE SHORTLY. IF THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN DO TO SUPPORT YOU TO SHARE MAYBE WHAT MY INVOLVEMENT HAS BEEN, EITHER WITH THE SPRING VALLEY PROJECT OR ANY OTHER THING GOING ON, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO REACH OUT. I THINK PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM HAS MY NUMBER, BUT YOU KNOW HOW TO REACH ME, AND I HOPE TO BE A RESOURCE TO YOU ALL. AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ALL SAT, BUT I'M LOOKING AT EVERYBODY TO THE COUNCIL. WHEN I FIRST RAN, THE FIRST TIME I THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT A UNIQUE VOICE I BROUGHT, AND WHEN I RAN, I RAN BECAUSE I DID WANT TO BRING UNIQUE VOICE. AND I SAY THIS ALL THE TIME, THAT THE STRENGTH OF A DECISION ISN'T MADE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE EVERYBODY AROUND THE TABLE IS A ATTORNEY OR AN I.T, OR IN MY CASE, SALES AND MARKETING IS WHAT I'VE SPENT MOST OF MY CAREER DOING. IF YOU PUT A BUNCH OF SALES SALESPEOPLE AROUND A TABLE, THAT'S DECISION ISN'T VERY STRONG. THE STRENGTH COMES FROM THE UNIQUE DECISION, THE UNIQUE LIFE EXPERIENCES THAT THAT PERSON BRINGS. AS I PREPARE TO STEP DOWN, I AND YOU ALL PREPARE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION. I WANT TO URGE YOU THAT THAT THINK OF THE UNIQUE VOICE THAT THAT PERSON BRINGS. WHAT HOLE? I WAS [02:05:06] ELECTED BY THE COUNCIL, BY THE RESIDENTS OF RICHARDSON. AND I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY. LEAVING IS BITTERSWEET. AND THERE IS A A GAP LEFT BEHIND, A UNIQUE VOICE IN MANY DIFFERENT. WHILE NOBODY IS HERE TO. YOU KNOW, NONE OF US COULD EVER REPLACE ANY ONE OF US BECAUSE WE'RE ALL SO DIFFERENT. IN MANY WAYS. I ASK THAT YOU SIT. THAT YOU LOOK AT EACH INDIVIDUAL AND SAY, WHO IS TRULY GOING TO COME IN, GIVE THEIR WHOLE HEART. WHO IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF PLACE THREE AND AS A LARGER WHOLE, THE PEOPLE OF RICHARDSON. BUT WHAT UNIQUE VOICE AND EXPERIENCE DO THEY BRING TO THIS TABLE? BECAUSE THAT TRULY IS WHERE THE STRENGTH IS. WITH THAT SAID, Y'ALL'S DECISION IS NOT AN EASY ONE, AND I ASK THAT THE PEOPLE. RICHARDSON. WHATEVER THE COUNCIL COMES BACK WITH, THAT YOU UNITE BEHIND THAT PERSON BECAUSE THE CITY'S AS STRONG AS THIS. THE TABLE HERE, WHEN WHEN WE COME TOGETHER, THERE'S NOTHING WE CANNOT ACCOMPLISH. SO I ASK THAT WHATEVER DECISION THEY COME BACK, THIS NOT BE A MOMENT THAT WE DIVIDE, THAT IT NOT BE A MOMENT THAT WE GET UPSET BECAUSE OUR FAVORITE CANDIDATE DID NOT GET CHOSEN. I WILL SAY TWO OF THE THREE ARE MEMBERS OF MY OWN CHURCH, AND I SEE SEVERAL CHURCH MEMBERS, FELLOW CHURCH MEMBERS IN THE AUDIENCE. SO BUT THAT WE STAND BEHIND THEM. AND THERE'S A LOT OF DECISIONS, A LOT OF POINTS THAT GO INTO THEIR DECISION. SO, COUNCIL, I TRUST IN YOUR DECISION. I ASK THAT YOU ALL PLEASE HAVE SOLID CONVERSATION AND TAKE IN SOME OF THOSE THINGS INTO CONSIDERATION OF WHAT THAT THE UNIQUE VOICE THAT PERSON BRINGS, AND I WILL STAND IN SUPPORT YOU, ALTHOUGH NOT TECHNICALLY AS PART OF THE VOTE. BUT I STAND BEHIND YOU AND I STAND BEHIND WHOEVER GETS ELECTED OR APPOINTED. MY APOLOGIES. THAT SAID, THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE A MOMENT AND STEP AWAY. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER BARRIOS. I THINK WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, PERHAPS FOR MANY OTHER THINGS, THAT WE CAN ALL SAY TOWARDS YOUR [14. CONSIDER THE SELECTION OF A LONE FINALIST FOR APPOINTMENT TO FILL A VACANCY FOR CITY COUNCIL PLACE 3 FOR AN UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING MAY 1, 2027, WITH THE APPOINTMENT TO OCCUR AT THE SEPTEMBER 28, 2026, CITY COUNCIL MEETING.] SERVICE IN OUR FUTURE MEETING, BUT FOR THE TIME BEING, OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS TO CONSIDER THE SELECTION OF A LONE FINALIST FOR APPOINTMENT TO FILL A VACANCY FOR CITY COUNCIL, PLACE THREE FOR AN UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING MAY 1ST, 2027, WITH THE APPOINTMENT TO OCCUR AT THE SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2026, CITY COUNCIL MEETING. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER, JUSTICE MAYOR, I MOVE [EXECUTIVE SESSION ] THAT WE MAKE AN EXCEPTION IN COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 551.074, ONE OF THE SUBSECTION ONE OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS, REVIEW AND DISCUSS APPLICANTS TO FILL THE VACANCY OF COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE THREE COUNCIL MEMBER CORCORAN SECOND. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER JUSTICE, A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER CORCORAN. ALL IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. AND WITH THAT, IN COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 551.074, ONE OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE COUNCIL WILL CONVENE INTO A CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING PERSONNEL MATTERS. REVIEW AND DISCUSS APPLICANTS TO FILL THE VACANCY OF COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE THREE. THE TIME IS 8:08 P.M. WE GOT EVERYONE IN. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL WILL RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION AND TAKE ACTION, IF ANY. ON [RECONVENE INTO REGULAR SESSION ] MATTERS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. THE TIME IS 8:56 P.M. I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. MAYOR PRO TEM HUTCHENRIDER. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION TO SELECT AS THE LONE FINALIST FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO FILL A VACANCY FOR CITY COUNCIL. PLACE THREE FOR AN UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING MAY 1ST, 2027, WITH THE APPOINTMENT TO OCCUR AT THE SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2026 CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF DANIEL BURDETT. COUNCIL MEMBER. JUSTICE. I'LL SECOND THE MOTION. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUTCHENRIDER, A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER JUSTICE. ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. CONGRATULATIONS, MR. BURDETT. MR. BARRIOS, DO YOU WANT TO JOIN US BACK ON THE DAIS AT THIS TIME? WE'LL MOVE [15. REPORT ON ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST ] ON TO ITEF COMMUNITY INTEREST. MAYOR PRO TEM HUTCHENRIDER OH ONE THAT I WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT. WE HAD ON SATURDAY THE CHERYL PARK GOLF COURSE TRAINING CENTER. GROUNDBREAKING ALONG WITH THE MAINTENANCE BARN. VERY, VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS COME TO FRUITION. THIS IS A TRAINING CENTER THAT IS IN COOPERATION WITH TITLEIST. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT GOLF OR PROBABLY SEVERAL OTHER SPORTS, TITLEIST IS BY FAR THE LEADER IN THAT INDUSTRY, AND WE WILL HAVE THE ONLY TRAINING CENTER WITH TITLEIST AT A PUBLIC COURSE. [02:10:01] THERE ARE. OTHER ONES ARE EITHER ALL PRIVATE OR AT A MINIMUM THEY HAVE ONE. THEY SAID THAT WAS AT A SEMI-PRIVATE. BUT OURS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT IS COMPLETELY PUBLIC. AND SO AGAIN, IT JUST GOES TO THE LEVEL OF QUALITY OF RONNIE GLANTON AND THE TEAM THAT WE HAVE OUT AT CHERYL PARK AND JUST VERY, VERY PROUD AND VERY HAPPY FOR RONNIE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS. IT JUST ONE MORE ACCOLADE. I THINK IN HIS IN HIS OVERALL RESUME, IF YOU WILL, OF BEING OUR HEAD PROFESSIONAL OUT THERE. SO THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER NGUYEN. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'LL JUST SAY ONE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT EVERYONE ELSE WILL HAVE SOME OTHERS TO TO COMMENT ON, BUT I WANTED TO COMMENT ON FRIDAY'S FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH IN RICHARDSON. WE HAD THE NONPROFIT FAIR HOSTED BY GROWTH GOOD, AND IT WAS A COME AND GO EVENT. THIS IS ACTUALLY A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL NON-PROFITS TO EXPOSE AND EDUCATE PEOPLE ON WHAT THEY DO, PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING, AND HONESTLY, A LOT CAN COLLABORATE TOGETHER AS A TEAM. SO IT WAS A GOOD TURNOUT. ALL OF THEM DO WONDERFUL WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY AND I REALLY DID THOROUGHLY ENJOY IT. I ALSO LEARNED A LOT. I WENT TO EACH STATION AND SPENT SEVERAL MINUTES OR MORE AND JUST LEARNED A LITTLE MORE. EVEN THOUGH I KNEW MOST OF THEM, IT JUST REALLY GOOD TO HEAR WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER JUSTICE. THANK YOU MAYOR. SO THIS PAST WEEK AND MAYOR, I ASSUME YOU'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT TOO. WE HAD THE RICHARDSON READS ONE BOOK AUTHOR LECTURE AND A GREAT RECEPTION BEFOREHAND. SHE WAS A LOVELY HUMAN BEING TO INTERACT WITH AND SHE DID SO MUCH WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY. SHE WENT OUT INTO SCHOOLS AND DID READINGS AND TALKED TO STUDENTS, AND HAS A REALLY GREAT BODY OF WORK THAT IS WONDERFUL FOR YOUNG ADULTS. SO IF YOU'VE ONLY FAMILIAR WITH THE BOOK THAT SHE WAS CHOSEN FOR, RICHARDSON READS ONE BOOK. I ENCOURAGE YOU, IF YOU HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR IN YOUR LIFE TO GO OUT AND GET HER OTHER WORKS AND SHARE THEM, THEY TALK ABOUT REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUES TO TEENS. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO DO THAT. AND THEN ONE FORWARD LOOKING THING. THIS WEDNESDAY, WE HAVE THE GET ON BOARD RECEPTION IN THIS ROOM STARTING AT 530. SO PLEASE COME AND GET ON BOARD, FIND A BOARD THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN. COME MEET THE COUNCIL. IF YOU'VE NOT ALREADY, COME MEET MEMBERS OF THOSE BOARDS, THE STAFF MEMBERS THAT SUPPORT THOSE BOARDS AND LEARN ABOUT WAYS THAT YOU CAN SERVE IN THE CITY. COUNCILMEMBER BARRIOS, THANK YOU. MAYOR, I THINK COUNCILMAN DORIAN SAID ABOUT THE VOLUNTEER FAIR, IT'S AN ABSOLUTE PLEASURE GETTING TO SEE ALL THE VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR CITY THAT SERVE IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT WAYS. THIS WAS, I THINK, MY IS THIS THE SECOND TIME THEY DID IT? I THINK IT WAS SECOND OR THIRD TIME THEY DID IT. I KNOW I'D BEEN TO IT BEFORE AND COMPARED TO PREVIOUSLY, LEARNED MORE AND MORE ABOUT ORGANIZATIONS LOOKING FORWARD. TWO THINGS. ONE, THIS THURSDAY, THE DIALOG INSTITUTE HERE IN RICHARDSON IS HOSTING AN EVENT AT THE DOUBLETREE. IT IS A DINNER AND AWARDS CEREMONY. DIALOG INSTITUTE IS PROBABLY THE SINGLE ORGANIZATION THAT I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT PRIOR TO SERVING ON THIS COUNCIL, AND PROBABLY MY FAVORITE OR ONE OF MY FAVORITE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITY. THE AMOUNT OF STUFF THEY DO TO CARRY CONVERSATIONS AND HAVE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR NEIGHBOR ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. AND IT WILL BE MY LAST, I GUESS, KIND OF PUBLIC EVENT AS AS A CITY COUNCILMAN. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO JOINING THEM ON THURSDAY. AND OF COURSE, NEXT MONDAY. I THINK WE ALL INVITE EVERYBODY BACK AS WE HAVE AS I STEP OFF THE COUNCIL AND MR. BURDETTE TAKES THE OATH OF OFFICE. SO WE INVITE EVERYBODY TO COME AND BE A PART OF THAT AS AS BE A PART OF THIS TRANSITION. THANK YOU. I'M JUST GOING TO FOREGO MY REPORTS OF ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST AND MAKE AN APOLOGY THAT I DIDN'T SAMORE BEFORE THE MOTION OR EVEN BEFORE THE DECISION ON THE MOTION. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THREE OF YOU. YOU JUST HAD AMAZING PRESENTATIONS, ALL THREE OF YOU, HUGE BODIES OF WORK. SO THANK YOU FOR PUTTING YOURSELVES OUT THERE. IT'S REALLY AN HONOR TO GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH THIS REALLY UNIQUE PROCESS WITH YOU GUYS. SO REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU GUYS PUT INTO THIS. IF THERE ARE NO OTHER LIGHTS ON AT THIS PERSON AT THIS POINT AND * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.