[1. SPECIAL JOINT WORK SESSION WITH THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION Call to Order Roll Call]
[00:00:07]
GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.IT IS NOW 6:00 PM AND I WANT TO CALL THE, UH, SPECIAL DESOTOS SPECIAL AND JOINT MEETING.
AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO ASK OUR CITY SECRETARY TO GIVE US A ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
HERE, MAYOR PRO TEM LETITIA HUGHES.
COUNCIL MEMBER NICOLE RAPHAEL.
COUNCIL MEMBER DYNA MARKS HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CRYSTAL CHISHOLM HERE.
I'M GONNA NOW TURN IT OVER INTO OUR, UH, MR. BREWER'S HANDS FOR THE CITY'S FOR THE CITY'S PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
ROLL CALL CHAIRMAN KEITH STONE, VICE CHAIRMAN TH THEO PUGH.
COMMISSIONER PRESTON GILSTRAP.
COMMISSIONER COFFEE, CAESAR COMMISSIONER TANYA BROOKS.
AND COMMISSIONER GERALD RENELL.
[2. Presentation and discussion regarding the creation of green space requirements for residential and commercial developments in the City of DeSoto]
UH, MS. THOMAS, WE'LL HAVE THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.FIRST WE HAVE PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION REGARDING THE CREATION OF GREEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CITY OF DESOTO.
MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS BESTER ZI PLANNING AND ZONING MANAGER.
THE MAYOR, THE CITY COUNCIL, AND THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
BEST PLANNING AND ZONING MANAGER.
GREEN SPACES IS ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE GOALS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS FOR THE YEAR 2023.
THE GOAL IS TO DEVELOP, THE GOAL IS TO DEVELOP GREEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THE GOAL REQUESTED THAT STAFF REACH OUT TO NCT COG AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION IS TO PRESENT THE OUTCOME FROM STAFF.
IF YOU COULD ADVANCE THE SCREEN, PLEASE.
I'M, I'M NOT YET READY FOR THAT.
SO TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION IS TO PRESENT THE OUTCOME FROM STAFF RESEARCH, AND THE PURPOSE IS TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, AS WELL AS THIS PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION IN THE FORMULATION OF AN ORDINANCE THAT WILL GOVERN CITY, CITY, UH, GREEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS.
AND, UM, STAFF WAS ABLE TO GET DATA FROM, UH, SEAT OF AUSTIN, SEAT OF ARLINGTON, SEAT OF BENBROOK, SEAT OF C SEAT SEAT OF CEDAR, YALE, SEAT OF LANCASTER, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION, EPA, UH, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CODE IN GLEN CARBON, ILLINOIS.
AND CURRENTLY THE CITY OF OTTO IS, UM, PLANNED DEDICATION REQUIREMENT.
THIS REQUIREMENT IS FOR DEVELOPERS TO PROVIDE MINIMUM OF TWO ACRES FOR EACH 400 DWELLING UNITS.
IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE TWO ACRES, THE REQUIREMENT IS THAT THEY, THEY PAY $500 PER DWELLING UNIT.
WE ALSO HAVE, UH, THE, FOR OPEN SPACE, WE HAVE OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS FOR MULTI-FAMILY, AS WELL AS TOWN HOMES, WHICH REQUIRES THAT, UH, IF, UH, A TOWN HOME HAS ONE BEDROOM, THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE 600 SQUARE FEET FOR THAT ONE BEDROOM.
AND IF IT IS TWO BEDROOMS, THEN THEY HAVE TO ADD THREE, 300 SQUARE FEET.
THOSE ARE THE CURRENT REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE.
AND, UM, BE IN MIND THAT, UM, THE REQUIREMENTS, THE PARK DEDICATION IS FOR THE PARKLAND.
THIS IS THE BIG, BIG PICTURE, BUT THE USABLE OPEN SPACES FOR ONLY, FOR ONLY TOWN HOMES, AS WELL AS, UM, UM, MULTIFAMILY UNITS.
THE PARK DEDICATION IS FOR PUBLIC AND THE SEATED LARGE, BUT, UH, USABLE OPEN SPACES FOR AN INDIVIDUAL, LIKE A MULTIFAMILY UNIT OR MULTIFAMILY, UM, COMPLEX.
THAT'S WHERE THE, IS THE YOUTH THE NEED FOR USABLE OPEN SPACE.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEAR ON THAT.
THE USABLE OPEN SPACES, JUST FOR A MULTIFAMILY, SAY, UM, SUBDIVISION OR SOMEONE IS COMING TO, TO, TO THE CITY TO PROPOSE A TOWN, UH, DEVELOPMENT, THEN WE REQUIRE THAT, UH, USABLE OPEN SPACE WITHIN THAT, THAT DEVELOPMENT.
AND THESE ARE OTHER NAMES THAT ARE USED FOR GREEN SPACE.
THEY CAN BE CALLED GREEN SPACE.
THEY CAN BE CALLED PRIVATE COMMON OPEN SPACE, USABLE OPEN SPACE, GREEN
[00:05:01]
BELT, BUFFER ZONE ALONG STREAMS AND GREEN ZONE.GREEN SPACE IS DEFINED AS A PIECE OF LAND WITH VEGETATION CAN BE DEFINED AS OPEN SPACE MAINTAINED IN NATURAL AND DISTURB OR RE-VEGETATED CONDITION.
IT CAN ALSO BE DEFINED AS AREA THAT IS PERMANENTLY SET ASIDE FOR PUBLIC SLASH UH, PRIVATE USE AND WILL NOT BE DEVELOPED.
IT CAN ALSO BE DEFINED AS OUTDOOR AREA UTILIZED FOR LIVABLE OUTDOOR LIVING AND RECREATION PURPOSES.
AND SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF GREEN SPACE INCLUDE REDUCTION OF, UH, RAIN, RAINFALL, POLLUTANTS, LOADS TO STREETS, AND OTHER WATER SOURCES.
IT PRESERVES OPEN SPACE FOR RECREATION.
IT ALSO PROVIDES RESIDENTS WITH OPPORTUNITY FOR CONTACT WITH NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
GREEN SPACES ALSO PROVIDE SOCIAL INTERACTION AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE.
THESE ARE THE BEST, UH, MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FROM OTHER CITIES.
SO TO CALCULATE, UM, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH GREEN SPACES IS REQUIRED, SOME CITIES ARE USING THE NUMBER OF, UH, DWELLING UNITS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF, UM, THEY CAN SAY 200 SQUARE FEET FOR, FOR EVERY DWELL DWELLING UNIT, THEY ALSO USE, UM, GROSS FLOOR AREA FOR MULTIFAMILY AS WELL AS MIXED USE.
THOSE MIXED USES THAT HAVE A RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT, THEY CAN ALSO JUST HAVE A FLAT, UM, ACREAGE REQUIREMENTS, SAY FOR, FOR, FOR IF SOMEONE IS DEVELOPING A HUNDRED ACRES, THEN YOU CAN JUST SAY, WE NEED 10, 10% OF THE, THAT 10 ACRES, THAT A HUNDRED ACRES TO BE, TO BE USABLE, OPEN SPACE.
SO THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT, UH, YOU CAN USE TO CALCULATE, UH, USABLE OPEN SPACE.
AND THE CRITERIA FOR DESIGN IS THAT THESE OPEN SPACES HAVE TO BE READILY AVAILABLE AND USABLE.
THEY HAVE TO BE CLEAN, CLEAN, HYGIENIC, AND ATTRACTIVE.
THEY HAVE TO EITHER JOIN, EXTEND EN LARGE, THE EXISTING TRAIL PARK AND OTHER OPEN SPACES.
WHENEVER POSSIBLE, THESE AREAS CAN BE MAINTAINED IN A NATURAL OR UN DISTURBED CONDITION.
THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROMOTE PASSIVE OR ACTIVE RECREATION.
THEY SHOULD HAVE DIRECT ACCESS FROM LOTS OR BUILDINGS, AND THEY HAVE TO BE QUALITY SPACES.
THAT IS SPACES WITH WALKING PATH SHED, WATER FEATURES, ATED LAWNS, BED LIFE LIGHTING, SPORTING FACILITIES, AND PLAY PLAYGROUNDS.
IN TERMS OF OWNERSHIP, UH, THESE OPEN SPACES CAN BE OWNED BY PRIVATE OWNERS ASSOCIATION OR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
THEY CAN ALSO BE DE RESTRICTED, UM, THROUGH A PRIVATE OWNERSHIP.
THEY CAN ALSO BE CITY OR PUBLIC AGENTS DEDICATED, DEDICATED, JUST LIKE WE HAVE PARK DEDICATION, THEY CAN JUST BE OWNED BY FEE SIMPLE OR PERPETUAL EASEMENT.
SO AT TONIGHT, WE ARE EXPECTING AT LEAST SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
AFTER THAT, WE LOOK FORWARD TO BE DEVELOPING SOME SORT OF, UM, FRAMEWORK FOR THE ORDINANCE, UH, REQUIREMENTS THAT WE CAN IMPOSE ON, ON A RESIDENTIAL AS WELL AS COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS.
THEN AFTER THAT, WE'LL BRING THE, THE FRAMEWORK TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION OF LET ANOTHER JOINT MEETING SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHETHER, UH, THE ORDINANCE WILL WORK OR WILL NOT WORK.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO SCHEDULE A PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO ADD GREEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS.
THEN AFTER MY PNC WEIGHS ON IT, THEN THE CITY, IT'LL COME TO CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO ADD GREEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS IN IT.
UM, MY SUPERVISORS JUST REMIND ME THAT, UH, WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO REACH OUT TO DEVELOPERS AND, UH, GET THEIR INPUT.
OF COURSE, THEY MAY NOT REALLY LIKE IT, BUT WE WILL MAKE AN EFFORT AND AT LEAST HEAR FROM THEM AND WE'LL PICK IT UP FROM THERE.
SO, IN A NUTSHELL, THIS IS WHAT, UM, STAFF WAS ABLE TO, TO GET.
AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU TONIGHT.
YEAH, JUST TO KIND OF CLARIFY WHAT OUR ASK IS, UM, FOR TONIGHT.
UM, SO TONIGHT WE'RE, THERE ARE SOME GENERAL GUIDELINES THAT MOST, UM, OF THESE GREEN STATES POLICIES SEEM TO BE, UH, BUILT AROUND.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR STAFF, AND AS WE GO TO P AND Z AND AS WE GO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY TO CITY COUNCIL, WE HAVE TO KIND OF WORK ALL TOGETHER ON THIS, WOULD BE TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
WHAT DOES GREEN SPACE MEAN TO YOU, RIGHT? WHAT, SO, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA HERE IS THAT YOU KIND OF CREATE GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THAT WITHIN YOUR ORDINANCE, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT A PLAN
[00:10:01]
THAT IS IN LINE WITH THAT, UH, WITH THAT, THE REQUIREMENTS OF THAT ORDINANCE.AND SO WHAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO IS BE AS SPECIFIC AS WE CAN WITHOUT BEING OVERLY SPECIFIC, RIGHT? SO, SO WE WANNA BE ABLE TO KIND OF GUIDE THEM TOWARDS THE TYPES OF GREEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE THINK WOULD BE MOST VALUABLE FOR OUR RESIDENTS HERE.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT TYPE OF FEEDBACK, UM, WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR US AS WELL AS KIND OF WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE GENERALLY, UM, ABOUT HAVING THEM FOR, YOU KNOW, BUILT ON THE, UH, THE FRAMEWORK OF NUMBER OF HOMES OR KIND OF DEDICATION OF THE NUMBER OF ACRES THAT ARE WITHIN THAT, UH, WITHIN THAT PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT.
SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT, I CAN GO AHEAD AND ANSWER THOSE, BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE, GENERALLY THE FEEDBACK WE'RE LOOKING FOR THIS EVENING, BOTH FROM THE CITY COUNCIL AND ALSO FROM OUR PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AS WELL.
UM, WE HAVE, AGAIN, WE HAVE OUR, UH, PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION HERE, UH, WITH US TONIGHT.
AND SO I'M GOING TO, UM, JUST TAKE A, A POINT OF PRIVILEGE AS I, AS I TYPICALLY DO WHEN WE HAVE ONE OF OUR BOARDS THAT ARE HAVING A JOINT MEETING WITH US, IS ALLOW THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, SPEAK OR ASK QUESTIONS FIRST.
UM, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF REGARDING THE PRESENTATION FIRST AND FOREMOST.
AND THEN IF THERE ARE ANY COMMENTS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET THE DISCUSSION STARTED AND GIVE STAFF SOME GENERAL DIRECTION ON HOW WE WISH TO PROCEED WITH, UH, THE GREEN SPACE ORDINANCE.
MAYOR, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, WE DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS HERE FROM P AND Z.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE STAND AND GIVE US YOUR, UH, JUST GIVE US YOUR NAME AND AS YOU, UH, PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENT.
UM, CAN WE GO BACK TO SLIDE NUMBER 10, BUSTER, PLEASE? WELL, EVEN BEFORE THAT, I THINK THE DEFINITIONS, LET'S GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE
THAT, THAT ONE, THAT'S GOOD RIGHT THERE.
I THINK YOU ALL DID AN EXCELLENT JOB IN DEFINING GREEN SPACE.
UM, I THINK WHAT I'M MISSING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS THE BENEFITS OF THE GREEN SPACE AND HOW IT, UH, BENEFITS AIR QUALITY.
AND, UH, IF WE HAVE A DEFINITION OF, UH, WHAT'S SUSTAINABLE, SPECIFICALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING TO DEVELOPERS, UM, TYPICALLY THEY WANNA BUILD AND DEVELOP EVERY COURSE, EVERY PIECE OF THEIR ACREAGE.
SO CON COMMUNICATING WITH THEM ON, YOU KNOW, WHY THE CITY BELIEVES IN SUSTAINABILITY AND HOW IT BENEFITS AIR QUALITY, UH, WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
AND HAVING IN THE ORDINANCE SOME TYPE OF, WHEREAS, UH, THAT THE CITY HAS ADOPTED ON, WE SUPPORT SUSTAINABILITY BECAUSE OF THESE BENEFITS.
AND HERE ARE THE BENEFITS TO AIR QUALITY.
HERE ARE THE BENEFITS TO SU SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, WHAT I, WHAT I FIRST THINK ABOUT, WHEN I THINK ABOUT GREEN SPACE, I THINK ABOUT FLOODING.
UM, AND AS WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP, DEVELOP AND PUT ALL THIS CONCRETE IN, WE START TO PUT IN MATERIAL THAT'S NON-POROUS AND RAINWATER CANNOT BE, YOU KNOW, IT CAN'T JUST KIND OF GET THROUGH.
AND I THINK THAT'LL RESONATE WITH PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY'RE SEEING FLOODING IN AREAS THAT HAVE NEVER FLOODED BEFORE AND LOSING PROPERTY BECAUSE OF THE FLOODING.
SO I THINK IN TALKING ABOUT THE DEFINITIONS, UH, WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CLARIFYING WHAT THE BENEFITS ARE, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THESE GREEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BROOKS, COMMISSIONERS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THANK YOU.
UH, COUNCIL, ARE THERE COMMENTS? YES.
FIRST, MY FIRST QUESTION IS, WHERE IS COMMISSIONER UH, GILSTRAP? BECAUSE HE'S THE ONE ON THE COMMISSION, THERE IS NOT ONE CASE, AND THEY CAN ATTEST TO THIS.
THERE, THERE IS NOT ONE PLAN DEVELOPMENT CASE THAT COMES BEFORE THAT COMMISSION, THAT HE DOESN'T BRING UP GREEN SPACE.
SO, AND I THINK THAT KINDA, UH, CAME UP WITH ME A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WITH, UM, UH, A, A PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK IT WAS KENDALE FARM, OF COURSE, PLACE, UH, PLACE FIVE.
AND OF COURSE IT WAS KENDALE FOUR.
UH, AS A WALKER, A PERSON THAT EXERCISES, WHEN I'M WALKING, I THINK ABOUT GREEN SPACE EVEN MORE.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD LOVE TO, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT GREEN SPACE, UM, IS THERE A BENCH SOMEWHERE THAT I CAN JUST CATCH MY BREATH? UM, AND I ALSO THINK ABOUT ACREAGE, UH, DEPENDING ON HOW LARGE THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT IS, AS TO HOW MANY, YOU KNOW, ACREAGE THAT, HOW MUCH ACREAGE IS ALLOWED FOR THAT.
THANK YOU, DR. MARKS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BURKE.
THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
MY, UM, MY COMMENTS IN REGARDS TO THE GREEN SPACE.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD MUCH CONVERSATION
[00:15:02]
ABOUT THE USE OF DETENTION POND AREAS VERSUS, UH, RETENTION POND AREAS.AND YOU KEPT USING THE TERM, UH, WATER FEATURES, UH, UM, UM, AS, AS IN PART OF YOUR PRESENTATION, WHICH I, I LIKE, I LIKE, I LIKE WATER FEATURES.
UM, SO THE QUESTION WOULD, IS IT, UH, IS IT THE, IS IT THE, UH, BUSINESS MODEL PRACTICE IS THE BEST BUSINESS MODEL PRACTICE.
DO YOU SEE OTHER COMMUNITIES USE THOSE RETENTION PONDS AS A, AS A GREEN SPACE IF THEY PUT A WALKING TRAIL AROUND IT? UM, I, I NOTICED THAT IN DESOTO, WE DON'T HAVE MANY NATURAL LAKES OR, OR RETENTION POND LAKES.
AND IN PARTICULAR, THERE'S AN AREA I BELIEVE IN, UM, AREA SIX THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FLOATING THE FLOODING ISSUES IN THAT AREA WHERE WE WOULD LOOK AT POSSIBLY PUTTING RETENTION PONDS IN, UH, TO HELP BEAUTIFY THAT AREA.
SO WHAT IS THE COMMON PRACTICE WITH THAT? WHAT IS THAT NORMALLY? WOULD THAT BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE GREEN SPACE IF THEY PUT A FOUNTAIN IN IT? UH, OR WOULD WE REQUIRE MORE, MORE LAND THAN, THAN THOSE? I KNOW THAT A LOT OF OUR AREAS HAVE DETENTION PONDS.
AND, AND, AND YOU MIGHT WANT TO EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DETENTION AND THE RETENTION PONDS.
CHARLES, BROAD, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND MD, IF I SAY THIS WRONG, 'CAUSE SOMETIMES I REVERSE 'EM, DETENTION VERSUS RETENTION POND ONE RETAINS THE WATER, AND THAT'S PART OF THAT WATER FEATURE THAT YOU GET.
ONE DETAINS, IT SLOWS IT DOWN BEFORE IT'S DISCHARGED.
OUR STORM WATER, UH, DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS CURRENTLY DO NOT ESTABLISH OR OR MANDATE THAT THE DEVELOPER PUTS IN, UH, AERATION SYSTEM.
UH, A LOT OF TIMES THAT IS PUT IN TO TRY TO KEEP WATER MOVEMENT SO YOU DON'T HAVE A STAGNANT CONDITION.
BUT RIGHT NOW, THAT IS NOT IN OUR STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, BUT THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE ARE REFERRING TO AT TODAY.
I DIDN'T, I, I GUESS I MISSED THE, THE CORRELATION.
WELL, I, I BELIEVE THIS QUESTION IS, UM, IS IT CONSIDERED A AND, AND LIKE I CAN JUMP IN IF, IF YOU DO, BUT IS IT A CONSIDERED A BEST PRACTICE TO HAVE? UH, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW MANY OF OUR, I THINK THE, THE GENERAL QUESTION HERE IS RIGHT NOW MANY OF OUR DEVELOPERS, WHEN THEY COME FORWARD, THEY, THEY, UM, WILL REFER TO DETENTION OR RETENTION AREAS AS USABLE GREEN SPACE.
I BELIEVE WHAT THE CONCERN MIGHT BE IS THAT IT'S NOT REALLY ACTIVE, USABLE GREEN SPACE.
I, I, I'VE, I'VE LOOKED AT MULTIPLE OF 'EM AS WELL.
UM, ALANA, THEY TYPICALLY WILL NOT INCLUDE A RETENTION OR DETENTION AREA AS USABLE GREEN SPACE.
SO USUALLY SOMEWHERE WITHIN THEIR, THEIR DEFINITIONS OF WHAT'S ACCEPTABLE, THEY'LL SPECIFICALLY STATE A RETENTION OR DETENTION POND IS NOT THE SAME AS US USABLE GREEN SPACE.
AND WHAT, UH, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
AND WHAT I'VE HEARD, WHAT I'VE SEEN AND WHAT I'VE RESEARCHED IN OTHER, UH, OTHER CITIES IS THAT THOSE RETENTION PONDS, BECAUSE OF THE WATER FEATURE, THEY DO BECOME PART OF THE GREEN SPACE BECAUSE IT BECOMES A FEATURE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING WE WOULD CONSIDER? YES.
AND SOME OF 'EM WILL THEN SAY THAT THEY WILL CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS IT FOR SO LONG AS IT'S NOT, IT, IT CAN ALLOW IT FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT, BUT NOT ALL OF IT.
UH, SO YOU'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE IT CONTRIBUTE IN SOME WAY.
AND AERATED ACCOUNT IN OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT CONTRIBUTE SO MUCH TOWARDS THE GREEN SPACE, BUT IT CANNOT BE, IT CANNOT BE ALL OF IT.
YOU HAVE TO DO SOME OTHER WAY OF HAVING USABLE GREEN SPACE TO MEET YOUR DEFINITIONS.
THAT WOULD BE MY, MY, UH, MADAM MAYOR.
AND, UH, UM, THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE WATER SEEMS, SEEMS TO CALM PEOPLE DOWN, GIVE THEM SOMETHING PRETTY TO LOOK AT.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A BIG FISHING TOURNAMENT OVER IN ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THERE'S A NICE LITTLE CREEK AND THERE'S WATER, THERE'S A FOUNTAIN, WHICH IS VERY ATTRACTIVE.
AND SO, UH, TO MAKE IT MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR THOSE HOMEOWNERS, I WOULD REALLY BE IN FAVOR OF GIVING THE, UH, THE DEVELOPER SOME CREDIT OUT OF, YOU KNOW, FOR PROBABLY NOT ONE-TO-ONE, BUT SOME TYPE OF CREDIT, THEY PUT SOME KIND OF FOUNTAIN IN THERE THAT, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THAT, UH, WASTEWATER.
AND JUST SINCE WE'RE THERE, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF PARTIALLY BUT NOT LETTING IT GO
[00:20:01]
TOWARDS ALL IN TERMS OF CREDIT TO THE DEVELOPER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND I'LL CONCUR AS WELL AS RELATES TO THE RETENTION PONDS AS AS AN AMENITY FEATURE RELATED TO GREEN SPACE.
BUT COULD YOU GO TO SLIDE SIX? OKAY.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE THAT LARGER, JUST AS A BASIS OF, YOU KNOW, DEFINITIONS.
'CAUSE THE QUESTION ON THE FLOOR IS WHAT WE LIKE TO SEE, I GUESS IN THIS POLICY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, CAUGHT MY ATTENTION, WHAT, AS IT RELATED TO WHAT YOU SHARED ON SLIDE EIGHT, AND I'M, AND I'M GONNA BOUNCE BACK TO, TO SLIDE SIX, UM, YOU GAVE OUT, YOU KNOW, PROPORTIONAL LIKE FIVE TO 10%, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, DOING SOMETHING BASED OFF THAT, THE 10 TO 20% OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, WHAT WERE THE FINDINGS AS IT RELATED TO MULTIFAMILY OR TOWN HOMES? WHAT, GENERALLY SPEAKING, MAYBE THIS IS A QUESTION I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW FROM THE DEVELOPERS, HOW MUCH SPACE DO THEY ALLOW FOR AMENITY SPACE? AND I WOULD, I WOULD THINK OF THAT AS MORE OF AN AMENITY FOR A MULTIFAMILY, UM, WHAT'S CUSTOMARY? UM, MM-HMM,
SO THOSE WHO USE IT, THEY USE IT, THEY USE BETWEEN FIVE AND 10%.
SO FOR MULTIFAMILY, YOU CAN CHOOSE TO SAY, WE WANT 7% OF THE GROSS PER AREA OF THE MULTIFAMILY.
SO THEN WHAT'S CUSTOMARY, BUT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE IF WE'RE GONNA CREATE MY, WHAT IT MADE ME THINK OF IS IF WE'RE CREATING A POLICY AROUND IT AND DO WE WANT TO USE WHAT THEY HAVE AS ACCEPTABLE? ARE WE LOOKING FOR MORE OR, UM, AND THEN PICTURES ALWAYS HELP, YOU KNOW, TO SEE WHAT THAT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF AN AMENITY SPACE OR A GREEN SPACE INSIDE OF A MULTIFAMILY CONSIDERING.
I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD, COUNCILWOMAN.
I JUST DID WANT TO ADD, I BROUGHT UP THIS SCREEN.
THE CITY DOES HAVE REGULATIONS EXISTING NOW FOR SINGLE FAMILY ATTACHED AND MULTIFAMILY.
SO THAT SECTION THAT SAYS IT'S EITHER 23.4 F OR 24.6 0.7, THAT SECTION UNDERNEATH, AND, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY USED THAT WITH THE DEVELOPER WE SPEAKING TO NOW WHO'S LOOKING AT SOME TOWN HOMES THAT, SO THAT'S OUR CURRENT REQUIREMENT.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR, FOR POINTING THAT OUT.
IN THIS PARTICULAR GREEN SPACE POLICY THAT WE'RE CREATING, ARE WE NOW ELIMINATING, OR ARE WE SAYING, ARE YOU ASKING US, IS, ARE WE GOOD WITH THIS? DO WE WANT MORE? DO WE WANT LESS? IS THAT A QUESTION ON THE FLOOR FOR US TO CONSIDER? THAT IS ONE QUESTION.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE IS SINGLE FAMILY ATTACHED MULTIFAMILY.
WE HAVE NOTHING FOR SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED.
NOTHING WHATSOEVER OTHER THAN THE PARKLAND DEDICATION.
UM, WE HAVE SPOKEN TO A COUPLE OF DEVELOPERS ALREADY AND THEY HAVE BOTH SHARED WITH ME THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THIS IS AN EXTRA FINANCIAL BURDEN ON THEM.
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, ONE DEVELOPER SAYING HE HAD TO PAY FOR LIKE $27,000 SINCE HE DIDN'T HAVE A TRAIL OR DEDICATED PARK.
AND HE IS SAYING ON TOP OF THAT, NOW YOU'RE ASKING ME TO GIVE YOU MORE LAND FOR A GREEN SPACE OPEN SPACE.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE IT.
THEY ARE STEPPING UP AND I'LL USE KENDALE FARM.
THEY IDENTIFIED, UH, ONE PARTICULAR LOT, WHICH I'M, I'M JUST GONNA SAY ABOUT 10,000 SQUARE FEET WAS A LOT.
AND IF WE USE THE FORMULA, WHETHER IT'S BY TOTAL NUMBER OF LOTS OR BY ACREAGE, BY A PERCENTAGE, THAT MAY HAVE REQUIRED THEM TO GIVE ABOUT 43,000 SQUARE FEET, WHICH IS AN ACRE, WHICH IS CAUSING THEM TO TAKE AWAY FROM MORE OF THEIR PROPOSED LOTS.
AND THAT'S JUST PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD THUS FAR.
SO THEN WHAT WE'RE REALLY JUST SIMPLY TALKING ABOUT IS THAT SINGLE FAMILY, DID YOU SAY SINGLE, SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED.
WHAT DID THE OTHER CITIES HAVE? SO YOU LISTED SOME CITIES AT THE FRONT END SAYING, YOU KNOW, THOSE WERE SOME SOURCES.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN THE OTHER CITIES? THEY ARE USING THE FORMULA OF EITHER THE TOTAL NUMBER OF LOTS.
LET'S SAY THEIR SUBDIVISION HAS, UH, 100 SINGLE FAMILY LOTS.
THEY'RE MULTIPLYING THAT BY A PARTICULAR DETERMINED SQUARE FOOTAGE MARK HERE ON THE SCREEN YOU SEE 200.
SO IF THEY HAD A A HUNDRED LOTS MULTIPLIED, IF THE FACTORS 200, YOU'LL BE OVER 20,000 SQUARE FEET OF NEEDED OPEN SPACE.
IF WE TOOK THE ACREAGE, A DEVELOPER, SAY IF HE HAD, UH, 200, UH, ACRES OF LAND, AND IF YOU MULTIPLY IT BY A CERTAIN DETERMINED PERCENTAGE, THEN THAT WOULD EQUATE TO WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT AT THE OTHER CITIES.
[00:25:01]
MY NEXT QUESTION RELATED TO THE CITIES THAT WE'RE USING IS SOURCES.ALL THOSE CITIES ARE USING, USING THOSE EQUATIONS? WELL, ONE OR THE OTHER.
ONE OR THE OTHER, IT'S NOT THE BOAT.
THEY HAVE SET THEIR FORMS TO EITHER BE ON LOTS OR ACREAGE.
THEN MY NEXT QUESTION IS, OF THOSE CITIES, WHICH ONES WERE MORE DEVELOPED THAN THE OTHERS BASED OFF OF, YOU KNOW, UM, WHICH FORMULA THEY USED.
AND THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING THAT QUESTION, AND YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO IT, THAT'S FINE, BUT I'M JUST ASKING, SO DID THIS LOOK LIKE A RESTRICTION FOR THEM? YOU KNOW, ARE DEVELOPERS CHOOSING TO GO TO OTHER CITIES BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR REGULATIONS LOOK LIKE? RIGHT NOW OUR LOOK LIKE NOTHING, YOU KNOW, WHAT, NOT HAVING THAT BUT OF THE CITY.
SO IT'S NOT TO SLOW DEVELOPMENT, BUT TO ALSO MAKE THE ACCOMMODATION FOR GREEN SPACE AND, AND PROMOTING, UH, WHAT I HAVE HEALTHY LAND STEWARDSHIP.
UM, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF STILL PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO HAVING THAT TYPE OF, YOU KNOW, GREEN SPACE REQUIREMENT OR HEALTH RELATIONSHIP.
AND THAT IS THE REASON WE IDENTIFY.
WE NEED TO TALK TO SOME DEVELOPERS AND HEAR WHAT THEY SAY.
AND IT WOULD BE GOOD TO KNOW, LIKE FROM CITY TO CITY, LIKE WHAT DID THE GROWTH LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, IN THOSE CITIES RELATED TO THIS REGULATION SPECIFICALLY.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, I BELIEVE YOUR LIGHT IS ON COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM FOR COMMENTS.
UM, AND THEN AFTER WE HEAR FROM YOU, WE'LL HEAR AGAIN, UH, REACH OUT TO OUR PNZ TO SEE IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.
THANK YOU, UH, MADAM MAYOR AND THANK YOU MS. BEST FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU PARKS, UH, COMMISSIONER BROOKS FOR YOUR COMMENTARY.
I DEFINITELY AGREE, UM, WITH ALL OF THAT AS WELL AS MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE SPOKEN BEFORE ME, I THINK THAT, UM, WHAT, WHAT MY ASK, I GUESS WOULD BE IS BECAUSE, UH, WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, UH, BEING ON COUNCIL IS THAT OFTENTIMES THE GREEN SPACES ARE JUST A LOT THAT THEY WILL JUST REMOVE AND NOT, UM, UM, INTENTIONALLY PUT A HOUSE THERE AT THAT LOCATION.
UM, AND THEN THAT JUST BECOMES JUST AN EMPTY LOT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PERCENTAGE OF SI OF SIZE FOR THE GREEN SPACE.
I GUESS FOR ME, DOES IT HAVE TO BE CONTINUOUS? UM, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SOMETHING, WELL, HITTING 10 OR 15% AND THAT EQUALS AN ACREAGE, ARE COULD WE NOT GIVE FROM A DEVELOPER STANDPOINT AND MAKING IT KIND OF BALANCED? COULD WE NOT CONSIDER THINGS THAT THEY COULD DO TO MAYBE ADD ADDITIONAL TREES IN SOME AREA? OR, UM, A SMALL PLACE TO SIT AND, AND NOT HAVE IT JUST CONTINUOUS JUST WITH ONE LOT JUST TO CHECK THE BOX AND SAY THAT THEY DID THAT.
IF YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT, THAT POINT.
THE LAST POINT ON THAT SLIDE SAYS QUALITY SPACES, WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE TO BE PROVIDING SOME WALKING PATH.
SHED WATER FEATURES IRRIGATED LAWNS, BUT THEY HAVE TO GET, GIVE SOMETHING.
IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO BE JUST AN EMPTY VACANT CAN'T LOAD THAT IS JUST LEFT THERE.
AND THERE ARE ALSO REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU CAN REQUIRE THAT THEY, THEY HAVE TO BE CERTAIN, UM, UM, SQUARE UH, SQUARE FOOTAGE CONTINUOUS, NOT JUST TINY LITTLE BIT HERE AND THERE, BUT A CERTAIN SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT YOU, YOU CAN MINIMUM THAT YOU HAVE TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED, THIS WILL MEET.
BECAUSE YOU CAN ACCEPT OR NOT ACCEPT WHAT THEY THEY'RE OFFERING.
YOU DON'T JUST HAVE TO ACCEPT ANYTHING IF IT DOESN'T MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS.
UM, BEFORE WE GO TO OUR PNZ MEMBERS, I DID WANT TO INTERJECT, I GUESS JUST AS A ASK FOR, UM, FOR COUNCIL IS TO GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT WE HAVE.
'CAUSE WE ALWAYS HEAR DESOTO IS PROBABLY 80, 85% BUILT OUT, BUT WHAT DOES THAT REALLY LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF THE ACTUAL LAND THAT WE HAVE THAT IS DEVELOPABLE AND THAT THIS GREEN SPACE POLICY WOULD ACTUALLY APPLY TO, AND THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
I GUESS, LET ME JUST SPEAK FOR MYSELF.
IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR ME TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT IN TERMS OF WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DEVELOPERS IN, IN, WE ABSOLUTELY WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET THEIR FEEDBACK ON THE POLICY, BUT WHAT TYPES OF SPACES ARE WE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THAT ARE STILL DEVELOPABLE, BUT THAT WOULD EVEN BE IMPACTED BY THIS POLICY.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR ME IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT EVEN WHAT'S AVAILABLE VERSUS WHAT WE WOULD REQUIRE, UM, FOR THE REMAINING PARCELS OF LAND THAT WE HAVE LEFT.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT'S MY ASK IN TERMS OF WHEN WE'RE BRINGING BACK DATA, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE COULD EVEN GIVE ADDRESSES RIGHT.
DROP SOME PENS IN A FEW PLACES, AND SO WE CAN ACTUALLY LOOK AND SEE WHAT IS ACTUALLY AVAILABLE, UM, AND, AND PUT THINGS IN CONTEXT AND PERSPECTIVE FOR, FOR US AS WE ARE GETTING THE INFORMATION THAT I THINK IS REQUIRED TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION SO THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING SOMETHING THAT REALLY DOESN'T SOLVE THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ADDRESSING THE, THE AREAS THAT WE HAVE
[00:30:01]
LEFT.UM, COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, ANY INPUT? YES, MS. CAESAR COFFEE, CAESAR P AND Z COMMISSION.
I AM IN TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM.
AND I THINK THAT POINT NUMBER, THE LAST POINT ON THIS SLIDE IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE MANY TIMES YOU DO SEE THE GREEN SPACE AND IT'S JUST THERE, IT'S JUST A LOT.
BUT IF WE COULD MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, ADHERING TO THE WALKING PATH, THE SHADE, AND I'M ASSUMING THAT'S WITH TREES, WATER FEATURES, SOME IRRIGATED LUNGS, THAT IT WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO US, UH, RESIDENTS HERE IN DESOTO.
MY OTHER POINT IS THAT I JUST WANNA SAY YOU GUYS DID AN EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT JOB.
I COMMEND YOU ON WHAT YOU DID TO, WITH, UH, THE, UM, STUDY HERE.
CAN WE LOOK AT THE NEIGHBORING CITIES AND SEE, COMPARE US TO OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES AND SEE WHAT THEY ARE DOING? AND I DO AGREE PICTORIALS ARE VERY HELPFUL.
IF WE COULD GET SOME PHOTOS, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL WITH ME.
AND I, I DID SEE TO, TO, UH, COMMISSIONER CAESAR'S POINT, UM, I DID SEE CEDAR HILL ON THE LIST, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES.
DO THE OTHER CITIES SUCH AS LANCASTER, DUNCANVILLE, OVE, RED OAK, DO THEY HAVE GREEN SPACE POLICIES OR WAS CEDAR HILL JUST SELECTED FOR JUST AS ONE OF THEM? NO, IT WAS, UM, CITIES THAT WE COULD GET SOMETHING SUBSTANTIAL BECAUSE SOME OF THE CITIES MIGHT NOT HAVE ANYTHING ELABORATE THAT WE CAN EMULATE.
I KNOW CITY OF LANCASTER DOES HAVE SOME OPEN SPACE.
SO, BUT ESSENTIALLY THE ONES THAT WERE ON THERE, UM, TO HER POINT, ARE ONES THAT HAD SOMETHING SUBSTANTIAL YES.
LIKE YOU SAID, TAKE SOME DIRECTION OR INSPIRATION FROM, IN TERMS OF A POLICY.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, CAN I ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, PLEASE? YOU MENTIONED, UM, THE PARK FEE MM-HMM.
SO ARE WE SUGGESTING THAT THEY PAY THE PARK FEE IN ADDITION TO THIS GREEN SPACE? WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION AND WHAT DO WE SEE? WHAT IS THE BEST PRACTICE BY OTHER CITIES? YEAH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE THAT ONE.
WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD A, A, A HEALTHY AMOUNT OF DEBATE ON THAT.
UH, INTERNALLY, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE COME TO A, A, A FOR SURE RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO, UM, IN THAT SPACE.
BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT EXACTLY THAT QUESTION.
HERE'S ONE OF THE ISSUES WE RUN INTO, RIGHT? IS THAT WE USE THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT THAT FUND IS ACTUALLY A VERY GOOD SOURCE OF MONEY FOR US TO HELP, UM, OFFSET SOME OF OUR PARKLAND AREAS.
IF YOU SWAP IT OUT ENTIRELY, UH, YOU, YOU HURT THAT SYSTEM, RIGHT? IN BENEFIT OF THIS SYSTEM WHERE YOU CREATE MORE LOCALIZED, UH, GREEN SPACES WITHIN NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT WE ALSO REALIZE THAT THERE ARE SOMETIMES ON LIMITATIONS ON HOW MUCH YOU CAN DO WITH DEVELOPERS, RIGHT? WE MIGHT RUN A FILE OF SOME STATE LAWS IF WE WERE TO TRY AND DO BOTH ON THAT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF REALLY WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT LATITUDE DO WE HAVE IF WE WERE TO TRY AND MAINTAIN BOTH SYSTEMS, UM, WHAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO THEM, OR AT THE END OF THE DAY, IS IT TRULY KIND OF A ONE OR THE OTHER, UM, TYPE OF A SYSTEM THAT WE WOULD NEED TO PROPOSE, UH, AS PART OF THAT, THAT THAT FINAL RECOMMENDATION.
SO I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER RIGHT NOW FOR YOU, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE STARTED TALKING ABOUT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT, THAT IT WILL BE A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION YEAH.
TO ANSWER, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IF I UNDERSTAND THE NATURE ARE THE, THE HEART BEHIND REQUIRING GREEN SPACES IS SO THAT THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE BEING DEVELOPED WILL HAVE PARK LANDS AND WE'LL HAVE THOSE AREAS IN THERE.
AND SO IF WE'RE REQUIRING THE DEVELOPER TO PUT IT THERE, AND THEN WE'RE STILL CHARGING THEM THIS FEE ON TOP OF IT, IT SEEMS, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT IT IS IS.
AND SO, UH, TO SEE WHAT THE BEST PRACTICES MIGHT BE IN OTHER CI IN OTHER CITIES MIGHT BE INTERESTING.
I MAYBE IF WE CAN DO BOTH, MAYBE, UH, WHO RAY, UH, ONE OR THE OTHER, WHICH ONE WOULD BE THE BETTER SYSTEM FOR US? THANK YOU.
WELL, THE FEW CITIES THAT I, IT'S USABLE OPEN SPACES OVER AND ABOVE PARKLAND.
PARKLAND IS A PARKLAND DEDICATION IS NUMBER ONE, BUT OVER AND ABOVE THE PARKLAND FEES OR LAND DEDICATION, THEY STILL HAVE TO PROVIDE FOR, YOU KNOW, JUST THE BREATHABLE SPACE WITHIN A NEIGHBORHOOD, WITHIN AN AREA WHERE PEOPLE ARE, CAN JUST EASILY WALK TO, UNLIKE A PARKLAND DEDICATION.
BECAUSE PUBLIC PARK MAY NOT BE CLOSED AS YOU KNOW, YOU MAY WANT IT TO BE.
SO THIS USABLE OPEN SPACE GIVES, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE AN OPTION.
COMMISSIONER BELL COUNCIL, UH, AND
[00:35:01]
EVERYONE WHO'S IN ATTENDANCE, MY NAME IS WARNER BELL.I AM, UH, ON THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
MY QUESTION IS, UH, YOU SAID OF THE CITIES THAT YOU REVIEWED SOME DID PERCENTAGE OF OVERALL SQUARE FOOTAGE AND SOME DID A NUMBER BASED ON LOTS.
DID YOU GET A SENSE OF WHAT WAS THE MAJORITY CHOICE OF THOSE CITIES, WHICH, UH, OF WHICH WAY THEY WENT MOST OFTEN? AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS, I, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A TREE ORDINANCE.
UH, WHAT EFFECT WOULD THIS GREEN SPACE ORDINANCE OR THE TREE ORDINANCE HAVE ON THE GREEN SPACE ORDINANCE, IF ANY? ADDITIONAL? WELL, UH, BECAUSE WE ARE SAYING THESE OPEN SPACES HAVE TO BE AMENITIZED IN SOME WAYS.
SO YES, THEY WILL HAVE TO, TO PLANT SOME TREES.
LIKE WE SAID, AGAIN, WE NEED SOME SHADE.
WHEN SOMEONE WANTS TO SIT AT A, YOU KNOW, THEY SAID A BENCH YOU ALMOST WANT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE HEAT NOWADAYS, YOU WANT A TREE CLOSE BY.
SO YEAH, IT IS EXTRA COST TO DEVELOPERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO, BUT MOST DEVELOPERS, SOME OF COURSE THEY'LL RESIST, BUT SOME THEY TAKE IT AS PART AND PARCEL OF DEVELOPMENT, COST OF DEVELOPMENT.
GARY RAVENELL, MY QUESTION TO YOU IS THAT WHAT I'M OFTEN HEARING IS THIS COST SEEMS TO BE THE MAIN PUSHBACK FROM THE DEVELOPERS.
I'M WONDERING IF THIS IS BENEFICIAL TO THE CITY.
ARE THERE WAYS THAT THE CITY COULD INCENTIVIZE THEM TO DO GREEN SPACE, SOME TYPE OF WAY TO OFFSET SOME THINGS THAT, JUST A THOUGHT THAT I HAD.
SECONDLY, I'M, I'M QUESTIONING IF THESE DEVELOPERS ARE DEVELOPING NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE HOAS, HOW DOES THAT, UH, HOW WOULD THAT WEIGH IN TO PARKS AND, AND WITH SWIMMING POOLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT COUNT AS THE GREEN SPACE AS THIS RECREATIONAL SPACE? AND HOW DO, HOW DOES THAT WEIGH IN AND HOW WOULD THEY PLAY A ROLE AS FAR AS MANAGEMENT OF THOSE GREEN SPACES DOWN THE ROAD? POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONER, JUST FOR THE HOA IN GENERAL.
UM, IF THE DEVELOPMENT SITE IS INITIALLY KICKING OFF, IT'S THE DEVELOPER WHO IS THE HOA MANAGER.
AND UNTIL IT GETS TO A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE, 75%, DEPENDING ON HOW THEY SET IT UP, THAT'S WHEN IT WOULD BECOME, UH, LED BY A BOARD OF RESIDENTS, UH, TO WHERE THEY WOULD MANAGE THEIR, THEY WOULD CREATE THEIR BUDGET, THEY WOULD MANAGE THEIR EXPENDITURES, THEY WOULD GET THEIR, UH, SUBCONTRACTORS TO DO THE MOWING OR, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING ELSE.
BUT THE HOA CREATES A PRIVATE PRIVATELY OWNED LOT THAT'S NOT OWNED BY THE CITY, AND THEY WILL BE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN IT.
IF THEY HAD A FACILITY WITH AMENITY POOLS, FACILITY, EVERYTHING THERE WOULD BE, UH, THEIR COST.
SO OF COURSE, THAT MANAGEMENT FIRM WOULD PASS IT ON TO THE, UH, RESIDENTS.
MARTIN, CAN I JUST
THEY'RE NOT, THEY DON'T HAVE, THEY CAN'T DEVELOP ANOTHER HOME.
THEY CAN'T SELL ANOTHER HOME ANOTHER LOT OR VARIOUS THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT IF THERE WERE SOME WAYS THAT WE COULD SHOW THEM HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THE GREEN SPACE, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA PUT IN, UH, JUST TO HELP ALONG THAT.
AND THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD FOR YOU ALL WAS IN YOUR TALKING WITH THE DIFFERENT CITIES, WERE YOU JUST LOOKING AT, UH, DATA OR WERE YOU HAVING, UM, DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, THOSE CITIES? I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THE WORD DAY DATA.
LIKE IF YOU'RE, OR YOU'RE JUST GOING OUT DOING MARKETING RESEARCH, JUST LOOKING AT THE MARKETING RESEARCH OR THE DATA THAT YES.
ONLINE, ARE YOU, DO YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH PEOPLE, UH, ONE-ON-ONE, TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING AS FAR AS THE CITIES THAT MAY HAVE GREAT GREEN SPACES THAT ARE DOING EXTREMELY WELL, TO HAVE THOSE ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE DOING, HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO SELL PEOPLE INTO, TO CREATING THE GREEN SPACES, WHAT'S MADE THEM SUCCESSFUL THAT IS ON OUR TASK TO DO, UH, IS IF WE HAVE DEFINITELY IDENTIFIED ONE PARTICULAR CITY THAT HAD A FULL ORDINANCE, AND WE WERE GONNA BE REACHING OUT TO THEM TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THEY CREATED THEIRS AND THE BENEFITS PLUS AND MINUSES THAT THEY'VE BEEN ENCOURAGED
[00:40:01]
SINCE IT GOT CREATED.MR. BREW, TANYA BROOKS, AGAIN, UM, I THINK MINE KIND OF FOLLOWS COMMISSIONER RAVEN'S POINT.
I'M VERY AGAINST POLICIES FOR THE SAKE OF POLICIES, AND WE WANT SOMETHING THAT'S ENFORCEABLE.
WE WANT SOMETHING THAT'S NOT A BARRIER TO DEVELOPMENT OR, UH, A DETERRENT TO DEVELOPMENT IN OUR CITY, RIGHT? SO AS WE LOOK AT THE OTHER, OUR CITIES THAT ARE, THAT WE'RE GOING TO, UM, LOOK AT THEIR POLICIES THAT ARE IN PLACE OR ORDINANCES THAT'S IN PLACE, LET'S NOT JUST LOOK AT THE POLICY, BUT LET'S LOOK AT SOME FOLKS WHO ARE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING IT.
WELL HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND SEE IF THEY OFFER WAIVERS OR SUBSTITUTIONS TO WHAT WE'VE SPECIFICALLY LISTED IN THE ORDINANCE SO THAT WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT'S, WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT'S NOT WORKING, AND GO VISIT THOSE CITIES AND MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, SEE HOW IT LOOKS SO WE CAN, YOU KNOW, USE THAT AS A GREAT EXAMPLE.
YES, THOSE ARE ALL, UM, GOOD POINTS.
AND SOMEWHAT, I GUESS I DIDN'T NECESSARILY EXPLICITLY STATE THAT, BUT SOMEWHAT FOR MY REASONING FOR ASKING FOR, UM, WHAT IS OUR AVAILABLE DEVELOPABLE LAND EVEN LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, AND NOT NECESSARILY THAT WE HAVE TO ALWAYS FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TO INCENTIVIZE THEM TO DO THINGS.
UM, BUT I THINK SOMETIMES THERE, THERE DOES NEED TO BE THAT.
SO AGAIN, THAT WE DON'T CREATE MORE BARRIERS TO DEVELOPMENT, WHICH OUR CITY, WE WANT DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? WE WANNA BE A DEVELOPMENT FRIENDLY, UH, CITY, SO WE DON'T WANNA CREATE MORE BARRIERS, BUT WHAT ARE WAYS THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY INCENTIVIZE OR GIVE CREDIT OR GIVE THEM OTHER OPTIONS THAN JUST YOU HAVE TO DO THIS ONE THING.
AND SO I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN YOU, YOU KNOW, TO KNOW, AGAIN, WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING, THINGS THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED INCENTIVIZING, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THESE PARTICULAR POLICIES.
AND OBVIOUSLY AS, AS COMMISSIONER BROOKS HAS STATED, LET'S GO AND ACTUALLY SEE IT, TO SEE WHO'S IMPLEMENTING IT AND, AND WHAT DOES IT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE IN, IN, YOU KNOW, REALITY IN TERMS OF HOW THESE POLICIES, UM, IMPACT THE COMMUNITY OVER TIME.
UM, AS, AS, AS IT GOES WITH THAT CO UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, RAPHAEL.
UM, WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DO WE LOOK INTO AS IT RELATES TO THE EPA.
AND SO YOU HAD THEM LISTED IN TERMS, I GUESS, OF, OF, UH, INFORMATION THAT WAS, WAS RESEARCHED, AND THEN DOES THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAVE SOME, SOME CERTAIN GUIDELINES THEY'RE REQUESTING CITIES TO DO? DID YOU FIND ANY, YOU KNOW, UH, FUNDING SOURCES FOR WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MIGHT BE SUGGESTING? NO, IT WAS NOT ABOUT, UH, FUNDING OR REQUIREMENTS FROM EPA, BUT IT WAS JUST ARTICLES THAT THEY HAVE ON OUR GREEN SPACES THAT WAS JUST HERE HOPING TO ADD WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO.
AND SO I'M JUST TAKING A CURSORY LOOK AT WHAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR G THREE, UH, THEIR GREEN STREET SCREEN JOBS, GREEN TOWNS INITIATIVE, AND SO THEY HAD SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AS IT RELATED TO STORM RUNOFF AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THAT PART WAS REALLY INTERESTING.
SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE LOOK INTO THAT AND SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT LANGUAGE LOOKS LIKE AND MAYBE EVEN, UH, WHAT BEST PRACTICES IN OTHER CITIES MAY LOOK LIKE WHO HAVE IMPLEMENTED SOME OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL, UM, TO OUR PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSIONER, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BEFORE WE TRY TO GET A, UM, SUMMATION? I'M GONNA ASK OUR CITY MANAGER IF HE'S, I KNOW HE'S BEEN DILIGENTLY TAKING NOTES, SO IF WE COULD GET KIND OF A SUMMATION IN TERMS OF WHAT WE ARE LOOKING TO GET BACK, AND THEN MAYBE IN ANTICIPATION ON WHEN WE'LL SEE SOME THINGS BACK TO CONSIDER.
I KNOW YOU KIND OF GAVE A, A BRIEF TIMELINE THERE, BUT IF WE COULD JUST MAYBE, UM, LEAVE DI'S MEETING WITH MORE, UH, MORE OF A, MORE OF AN IDEA ON WHEN WE COULD LOOK TO POSSIBLY EVEN SEE SOMETHING BACK.
THERE LOOKS TO BE NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
CITY MANAGER, RIGHT? YES, PLEASE.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY YOU PLEASE USE THAT.
IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, I THINK MOST OF THE CITIES THAT WE USED WERE TEXAS OR TOWNS.
I THINK IT MIGHT ALSO BENEFIT US IF WE LOOK OUTSIDE OF OUR STATE TO OTHER CITIES THAT MAY HAVE GREAT GREEN SPACE POLICIES AND THAT ARE DOING EXTREMELY WELL, BECAUSE WE MAY BE ABLE TO LEARN SOMETHING FROM PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
CITY MANAGER WRIGHT? YEAH, I, I HAVE AN ENTIRE PAGE OF NOTES HERE.
UM, SO I'M NOT GONNA TRY AND NECESSARILY GO BACK THROUGH IT.
MAYBE I'LL LIST A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE HEARING, UM, FOR TODAY.
FIRST OF ALL, REGARDING THE ACREAGE PART OF IT OR, OR THE NUMBER OF UNITS.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR REALLY IS JUST KIND OF WHAT THE BEST PRACTICE IN THAT AREA IS.
TAKE, YOU KNOW, A A REASONING FOR WHY OVER THE OTHER, AND THEY BOTH HAVE THEIR PLUSES AND MINUSES, UM, FOR THAT.
BUT CERTAINLY, UM, WE WILL, UH, DO THAT.
AND AS FAR AS KIND OF COMING FORWARD AND, AND EXPLAINING THAT RECOMMENDATION WHEN WE BRING THAT, UM, BACK TO P AND C INTO THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, REGARDING
[00:45:01]
THE GREEN SPACE DEFINITIONS, I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD, UM, ABOUT THINGS LIKE INCLUDING THE REASONING WHY, RIGHT? SO WHAT BENEFITS DOES GREEN SPACE HAVE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT'S PART OF THE ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING, AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT IT IS INDEED A USABLE SPACE.UM, SO A USABLE SPACE HAS THINGS IN IT FOR YOU TO USE, RIGHT? THOSE MIGHT BE AREAS TO SIT, SPORT, RECREATE, WALK, JUST, JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU REALLY LIKE THE, UH, QUALITY SPACES, UM, DEFINITION THAT WE HAD BEFORE.
SO WE'LL USE A LOT OF THOSE POINTS TO PULL THAT IN AS FAR AS HOW THAT HAPPENS, UM, REGARDING THE, UH, THAT WE NEED TO BE WORKING WITH DEVELOPERS TO TRY AND FIND OUT HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH.
UH, THERE ARE, AND, AND THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF STATE LAW THAT COMES INTO ACCOUNT HERE AS WELL, RIGHT? THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN, UM, IN WHAT WE CAN KIND OF REQUIRE AS FAR AS GREEN SPACE DEVELOPMENTS, AND THEN WHEN YOU GO OVER A CERTAIN THRESHOLD, IT ACTUALLY BECOMES A TAKING OF PROPERTY.
SO WE HAVE TO KIND OF BE CAREFUL ON THE WAY THAT WE APPROACH THAT AND DO THAT CORRECTLY.
UH, SO WE'LL BE WORKING A LOT WITH DEVELOPERS AS WELL AS OUR LEGAL COUNSEL, UH, AS, AS WE KIND OF CONSIDER THOSE IDEAS, UH, FOR THAT.
UM, AND THAT ALSO GOING BACK TO THE AREA OF, UM, OF RETENTION PONDS AND HAVING FOUNTAINS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT CAN BE USED AS PART OF THE FORMULA OF HOW IT IS THAT YOU'RE MEETING A REQUIREMENT FOR, UH, FOR SPACE.
SO THAT'S, SO IF I JUST KIND OF SUMMARIZE EVERYTHING WE HEARD, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.
AND THEN THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS FOR US TO GO AND RESEARCH THINGS LIKE HOW MUCH DEVELOPABLE, UH, HOW MUCH DEVELOPABLE LAND WE HAVE LEFT IN THE CITY THAT THIS COULD BE APPLIED FOR.
UM, ONE QUESTION THAT CAME UP THAT REALLY WASN'T ASKED EXPLICITLY, BUT I THINK IT WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP SEVERAL TIMES, WHICH IS THIS IDEA OF WHAT SIZE OF A DEVELOPMENT WILL THIS APPLY TO, RIGHT? CERTAINLY IF I HAVE A HALF ACRE DEVELOPMENT, THAT'S PROBABLY NOT THE PLACE TO APPLY THIS.
MAYBE TO CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, NUMBER OF ACRES AND ABOVE, UM, WOULD BE WHERE IT IS THAT WE APPLY, UH, THIS PARTICULAR POLICY, UM, AS WELL, UM, LOOKING INTO OTHER CITIES AND HOW IT IS THAT THEY'VE DONE THINGS GOING OUTSIDE THE STATE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF NOTES HERE.
UM, FOR THAT WE'LL BE DIGESTING ALL OF IT AS WE, UH, COME BACK AND TRY AND PUT THAT INTO WHAT WE BELIEVE IS THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL, OF THE P AND Z, UM, FORWARD.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO PLENTY OF MORE GREAT CONVERSATIONS ON THIS TOPIC AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
[3. Adjourn Special Joint Work Session with Planning & Zoning Commission CONTINUE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING]
THANK YOU.ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AS WE WRAP UP THIS PORTION OF OUR MEETING? HEARING NONE, UH, PLANNING, ZONING, COMMISSIONERS, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR FEEDBACK YOU WANNA INTERJECT BEFORE WE CLOSE UP? OKAY.
HEARING NONE AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR P AND Z TO ADJOURN THEIR MEETING MEMBERS OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO IT HAS BEEN MOTION PROPERLY.
AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO, UM, ASK FOR A 10 MINUTE RECESS, UM, BEFORE WE GO INTO THE SECOND HALF OF OUR MEETING FOR CITY COUNCIL.
IT IS NOW 6:55 PM AND WE ARE GOING TO RECONVENE, UH, OUR MEETING, UH, SPECIAL MEETING OF THE DESOTA CITY COUNCIL.
AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO ASK OUR CITY SECRETARY IF SHE WOULD CONDUCT A WORLD CALL AGAIN SINCE WE, UM, JUST ADJOURNED OUR SPECIAL MEETING, OUR JOINT MEETING, MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR.
COUNCIL MEMBER NICOLE RAPHAEL.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDRE BIRD HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER DYNA MARKS HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CRYSTAL CHISHOLM HERE.
[4. Presentation and discussion of updates recommended by DeSoto's Stormwater Utility Fee Study]
TAKE THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA.NEXT WE HAVE PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF UPDATES RECOMMENDED BY DESOTOS STORMWATER UTILITY FEE STUDY.
MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS MD HASSAN CITY ENGINEER.
GOOD EVENING, MR. HASSAN, OUR AND THE CITY COUNCIL.
AS YOU KNOW, THE STATE OF TEXAS ALLOW THE CITIES TO HAVE DRAINAGE OR STORMWATER UTILITY FEE.
THE CITY OF DESOTO HAS A DRAINAGE OR STORMWATER UTILITY FEE, AND THE CURRENT RATE WAS ADOPTED BACK IN 2004.
IN LAST JANUARY, YOU APPROVED A, UH, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE ARGUMENT WITH FREEZE AND NICKELS TO CONDUCT A UPDATE TO CURRENT GAINERS FISH STRUCTURE.
AND TONIGHT THEY ARE HERE TO PRESENT YOU THE UPDATES ON THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE COMPLETED SO FAR.
UH, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION IS TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTION.
AFTER WE RECEIVE YOUR FEEDBACK, WE WILL FINALIZE THAT STUDY, THEN WE WILL PUBLISH A PUBLIC NOTICE FOR ONE MONTH.
THEN WE WILL BRING THIS ITEM TO YOU SOMETIME IN SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER
[00:50:01]
THE LATEST FOR YOUR ACTION.UH, PLEASE NOTE THAT, UH,
SO THAT MEANS WE WILL HAVE ONE ER FOR PUBLIC OUTREACH AND TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE RESIDENTS AS WELL AS THE BUSINESS ABOUT THE NEW FEE.
AND IT'LL ALSO HELP US TO, UH, UPDATE THAT BILLING SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE.
UH, WITH THAT, I AM, UH, I WILL LIKE TO INVITE MRT SHANG AND PETER DY.
THEY ARE FROM RAI NICHOLS TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE EASTERN WATER UTILITY.
UM, IT'S GOOD TO SPEAK WITH YOU TONIGHT.
I'M TREY SHANKS, UH, WITH FRIES AND NICHOLS.
UM, I'LL, UH, WALK THROUGH, UM, THE SLIDES AND HAVE KIND OF AN UPDATE ON OUR STUDY, UM, THAT, UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITH STAFF.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF SLIDES, SO I'LL TRY TO GO PRETTY QUICKLY HERE, BUT, SO DON'T HESITATE TO STOP ME IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU WANT ME TO MAKE SURE TO DIG IN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER ON.
UH, SO REAL QUICKLY, AS AS MD NOTED, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOU HAVE A STORMY UTILITY FEE, LIKE MOST CITIES IN NORTH TEXAS.
UM, YOUR, YOUR FEE WAS ESTABLISHED BACK IN 2001.
UM, AND THEN LAST TIME YOU UPDATED THE RATES WAS IN 2004.
THE PURPOSE OF A FOREIGN UTILITY FEE IS TO GENERATE REVENUE TO ADDRESS, UH, STORMWATER ISSUES.
SO IT'S A, UM, A FUNDING MECHANISM THAT'S SPECIFICALLY ALLOWED IN TEXAS BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
UM, AND THERE'S SOME, UM, REQUIREMENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, ABOUT HOW THAT MUST BE DONE, THAT A KEY PART OF THAT, IT MUST BE NON-DISCRIMINATORY, REASONABLE AND EQUITABLE, AND BASED OFF OF THE COST OF, UM, PROVIDING STORMWATER SERVICE.
SO IT'S, IT'S LIMITED TO JUST STORMWATER USES.
SO IN FY 24, YOUR PROJECTED REVENUE IS A LITTLE OVER $1.5 MILLION FROM THE FEES.
THE WAY YOU COLLECT THOSE FEES OR ASSESS THOSE FEES ACTUALLY IS, UM, FLAT RATE.
SO FOR EVERY RESIDENCE, UM, THERE'S A $6 MONTHLY CHARGE, UM, FOR THEIR, UH, UTILITY COUNT.
THEY HAVE A RESIDENTIAL WATER METER, UM, AND THEY'RE CHARGED $6.
UH, AND IF, IF IT'S A COMMERCIAL WATER METER FOR BUSINESSES, IT'S A $24 A MONTH CHARGE.
AND YOU'LL NOTE THAT THERE'S A SENIOR CITIZEN RATE OF $2 AND 50 CENTS PER MONTH IN YOUR CURRENT STRUCTURE.
SO WHAT I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH, UM, TONIGHT IS THREE KEY FOCUS AREAS.
ONE IS WHAT ARE THE STORMWATER NEEDS, THE SERVICE NEEDS, UM, IN THE CITY TO, UH, MANAGE STORMWATER, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND THE, THE COSTS FOR THAT.
WHAT'S THE APPROACH TO DETERMINE WHAT THE FEE SHOULD BE, UM, AND WHAT WE CALL THE FEE BASIS.
UH, AND THE SIMPLE WAY OF THINKING THAT IS FOR, FOR USING WATER IN YOUR HOUSE, YOU HAVE A WATER METER THAT, THAT TRACKS HOW MUCH WATER YOU USE.
THERE'S A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MECHANISM THAT'S TO TYPICALLY USED FOR, UH, STORM WATER THAT, UM, FITS INTO THAT REASONABLE AND EQUITABLE APPROACH THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE'LL KIND OF ROLL THAT TOGETHER INTO RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, FOR RATE, STRUCTURE AND, UH, RATES GOING FORWARD.
OKAY, SO FIRST, THE STORMWATER SERVICE NEEDS THEMSELVES.
SO CURRENTLY, UH, YOU, THE, THE CITY HAS, UH, SEVEN FULL-TIME STAFF THAT ARE FUNDED BY THE STORM UTILITY REVENUES.
UH, YOU'RE ALSO PAYING FOR ONGOING WHAT'S CALLED PHASE TWO MS FOUR COMPLIANCE.
UH, THAT'S THE UNFUNDED FEDERAL MANDATE FOR WATER QUALITY COMPLIANCE.
THERE'S THE FEMA FLOODPLAIN ADMINISTRATION, AND THEN YOUR ONGOING O AND M, UM, FOR THE STORMWATER SYSTEM INSPECTIONS AND THE LIKE.
UM, THERE'S SOME CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE FUNDED EACH YEAR, UH, BUT, UH, AS WE'LL SEE IN A SECOND, NOT ENOUGH TO KNOCK OUT THE, THE, UH, BACKLOG.
SO STORMWATER SERVICES OVERALL, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT REALLY ENTAIL? AND SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, GRAPHIC OVERALL, YOU SEE THAT THERE'S STAFF THAT INCLUDES MAYBE INSPECTORS, UH, FOR THE STORM SYSTEM, CONSTRUCTION SITE INSPECTORS OR STORM SYSTEM INSPECTORS, MAINTENANCE CREWS TO CLEAN OUT, UM, THE SYSTEM THAT THERE'S, UM, BLOCKED CULVERTS OR INLETS AND THE LIKE, UM, CREEK MAINTENANCE AND THE LIKE STORMWATER MANAGER EQUIPMENT THAT GOES WITH THAT STAFF FOR THE ACTIVITIES, PLANNING SERVICES THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, A MASTER PLAN TO IDENTIFY WHAT IS OUR STORM SYSTEM? IS IT SERVING OUR NEEDS? IS IT, UH, PREVENTING FLOODING OR ARE THERE ISSUES WHERE, UH, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT OR ALSO POTENTIALLY ARE THERE ERODING CREEKS? UM, AND WHAT PROJECTS WOULD BE NECESSARY TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS? I MENTIONED THE MS FOUR COMPLIANCE, WHICH IS THE STORMWATER QUALITY COMPLIANCE, AND THEN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT OFTEN COME OUT
[00:55:01]
OF THOSE STORMWATER MASTER PLANS.SO WHAT FOR EROSION CONTROL, WHICH YOU TYPICALLY SEE ALONG CREEKS FLOOD PROTECTION, WHICH COULD BE ALONG CREEKS OR LOCAL, WHAT WE CALL LOCAL, UH, DRAINAGE ISSUES AROUND PIPE SYSTEMS AND THE LIKE.
UH, AND THEN FURTHER UP IN THE SYSTEM WITH SUBDIVISIONS.
SO CURRENTLY, UM, THIS IS JUST THE, THE BREAKDOWN OF YOUR, YOUR SERVICES.
UM, AT THE TOP THERE'S THE, THE MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES, UH, RECURRING, UH, PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, UH, AND THE, LIKE YOU SEE, THERE'S SOME MONEY ABOUT $400,000 A YEAR GOING TOWARDS BOND PAYMENT FOR, UM, PRIOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND THERE'S THIS YEAR BUDGETED $700,000 FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS, UH, FOR THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR, THERE'S A ONE-TIME PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BUDGET THAT INCLUDES, UH, AN UPDATE TO THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN, UH, THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT HERE IN JUST A MINUTE.
SO THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL STAFFING NEEDS, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, STAFF HAS IDENTIFIED THAT ARE NECESSARY TO WORK TO SHIFT FROM THAT REACTIVE MODE TO MORE OF A PROACTIVE, UH, MODE, UM, TO TAKE CARE OF THE STORM SYSTEM.
SO WE SEE HERE IS NOTHING IS, IS INDEED MENTIONED, NOTHING IN UPCOMING, UH, FISCAL YEAR BUDGET TO ADD, BUT IN FUTURE YEARS TO ADD AN INSPECTOR, UM, FIELD OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR AND THEN, UM, MAINTENANCE WORKER.
UM, SO THIS COVERS THROUGH FY, UM, 27, 28, UM, THE RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL STAFFING NEEDS.
THERE'S FUTURE, UM, STAFFING NEEDS BEYOND THE PLANNING PERIOD.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT THOSE NOTED AT THE BOTTOM, BUT THOSE AREN'T INCLUDED IN THE FINANCIAL ANALYSIS, UM, IN THIS PLAN.
SO WITH THAT, BOTH THE ADDITIONAL STAFFING NEEDS AND, UM, FOR EXISTING STAFF, THERE ARE ALSO EQUIPMENT, UH, NEEDS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED.
SO, UM, SOME NEW EQUIPMENT TO, UM, MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM.
EVERYTHING FROM THE GRADE ALL ON A DUMP TRUCK, UH, STEER LOADER, TRACK LOADER, AND THE LIKE.
THOSE COSTS ALSO ARE STAGGERED, UM, OVER THE PLANNING PERIOD, UM, TO BALANCE THINGS AND HAVE A STEADY IMPLEMENTATION, UM, OF THOSE ADDITIONAL NEEDS.
SO YOU SEE THE UPFRONT, UH, CAPITAL COST OF THAT AND THE ANNUAL, UM, OPERATIONS, UH, COST FOR THAT BUDGETED IN THERE.
SO ROLLING THAT TOGETHER JUST FROM AN OPERATIONS STANDPOINT, YOU SEE THE CURRENT SERVICES AND THEN THOSE, UH, PROPOSED ADDITIONAL STAFF, THE PROPOSED ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT.
AND THEN, UH, AND I NEGLECT ON THE PRIOR SLIDE, THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IS REALLY THE ONGOING MS FOUR COMPLIANCE, UH, SERVICES.
UM, UH, THAT WILL, THE NEW PERMIT YEAR WILL BE COMING UP FOR NEXT YEAR, AND THAT'S A FIVE YEAR JUST ONGOING, THE GIFT THAT GIVES, UM, FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
OKAY? SO, SO THAT'S THE OPERATIONS SIDE OF THINGS.
UM, BUT, BUT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT SIDE WE WANNA TALK ABOUT SEPARATELY.
SO, UM, BACK IN 2001, THE CITY CONDUCTED A STORMWATER MASTER PLAN THAT IDENTIFIED $37 MILLION WORTH OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT NEEDS.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH CHANGING STAFF OVER TIME, LIKE, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY CLEAR WHAT ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN DONE, BUT MOST OF THOSE PROJECTS HAVE NOT BEEN DONE.
SO SOME OF THOSE ARE STILL OUT THERE.
THE, SO WHAT WE, UH, WORKED WITH STAFF TO DO HERE THIS YEAR WAS TO, UM, DO WHAT WE CALL A WINDSHIELD SURVEY, DRIVE AROUND TO KNOWN PROBLEM AREAS AND DO, UM, A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF WHERE WE KNOW THERE'S PROBLEMS, BALLPARK, WHAT WOULD THAT COST TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
OKAY? SO THESE AREN'T TIGHT ENGINEERING, YOU KNOW, COST ESTIMATES, BUT YOU KNOW, KIND OF A ONE PAGE SUMMARY.
AND SO WE'VE IDENTIFIED ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF MILLION AND YOU SEE THAT ON THE MAP UP THERE OF JUST, YOU KNOW, BASED OFF OF, UM, STAFF KNOWN ISSUES.
AND THERE'S THAT, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, WAS PROPOSED FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL BUDGET IS, UH, AN UPDATE TO THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN.
SO IT'S BEEN OVER 20 YEARS SINCE ONE WAS CONDUCTED.
UM, AND UH, SO CLEARLY THERE'LL BE, UH, PROJECTS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED OUT OF THAT.
UM, SOME THAT, YOU KNOW, WERE NOT COMPLETED IN 2001 AND POTENTIALLY NEW ISSUES AS NEW DEVELOPMENT HAS OCCURRED OVER TIME.
WHAT THAT AMOUNT WILL BE IS SUBJECT TO, YOU KNOW, BE DETERMINED, BUT A TYPICAL RANGE FOR, UM, A CITY THE SIZE OF DESOTO AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT CHARACTERISTICS IS YOU SEE A PRETTY GOOD RANGE HERE.
20 TO 75 MILLION WOULD NOT BE UNEXPECTED.
OKAY? SO, UH, KIND OF KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE GO FORWARD.
UM, ON THE, THE ROLLUP OF THE COSTS.
SO JUST FROM A SERVICES STANDPOINT, UM, KIND OF A HIGH LEVEL PLANNING PERSPECTIVE, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, UM, WHAT WE, WE HAVE THREE OPTIONS HERE.
AND IF YOU SEE THE CURRENT SERVICE LEVEL, WHAT THE BUDGETING IS ABOUT 1.5 MILLION FOR YOUR OPERATIONS COMPLIANCE ACTIVITIES, PAYING THE DEBT THAT'S ALREADY INCURRED.
[01:00:01]
UM, CURRENT YEAR BUDGET OF 700,000 FOR CIP.UM, THERE'S THREE OPTIONS THAT WE EVALUATED, UH, FOR FUNDING GOING FORWARD.
UH, SERVICE LEVEL OPTION ONE REALLY GENERALLY KEEPS THE OVERALL FUNDING ABOUT THE SAME.
OKAY? UM, THAT WOULD NOT CHANGE THE SERVICE BENEFIT TO THE CITY, UM, FOR SOME NO NEED.
SO THE, THE REACTIVE APPROACH WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE ABLE TO CHANGE, UM, WOULDN'T BE MUCH OF A BUMP.
IT WOULD WOULDN'T BE KNOCKING OUT MORE OF THAT CIP THAT, YOU KNOW, IS COMING.
OPTION TWO, UM, PROVIDES THAT, UH, PLANNED, UH, YOU KNOW, BUDGETING FOR YOUR COMPLIANCE AND O AND M, UM, BUT STARTS TO KNOCK OUT SOME OF THAT CAPITAL, UH, NEED THAT WE KNOW IS GONNA BE THERE.
AND THAT'S ABOUT $2.7 MILLION UNCHANGED.
SO ABOUT $500,000 MORE IN REVENUE THAN WHAT IS CURRENTLY PROJECTED.
AND THEN SERVICE LEVEL OPTION THREE IS REALLY JUST A MORE AGGRESSIVE APPROACH TO, UM, DOCKING OUT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, KNOWING THAT WE ALREADY KNOW OF FIVE AND A HALF MILLION.
WE KNOW THAT WITH A STORMWATER MASTER PLAN, THAT WHEN THAT IS DONE, THERE'LL BE, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER AMOUNT THAT COMES FROM THAT.
IT'S JUST THINK, THINK OF THAT 940,000 VERSUS THE $1.5 MILLION, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM A, A LEVEL OF AGGRESSIVENESS OF TACKLING THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
OKAY? SO WE'RE GONNA SHIFT NOW TO HOW WE WOULD, HOW WOULD WE ALLOCATE THOSE CHARGES TO THE COMMUNITY IN A FAIR, EQUITABLE, NON-DISCRIMINATORY WAY.
SO THIS IS THE FA BASIS FOR FEE DETERMINATION.
OKAY? SO AS YOU LOOK AT HOW A FEE IS SET UP, THINK OF IT FROM A STANDPOINT OF WE WANT TO BE EQUITABLE, BUT WE ALSO WANNA MINIMIZE THE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN ON STAFF, RIGHT? WE DON'T WANNA DO SOMETHING THAT TAKE COSTS SO MUCH AND STAFF TIME, UM, AND EFFORT THAT, UM, IT, IT'S NOT WORTH THAT.
YOU SEE A SIMPLE GRAPHIC UP HERE SHOWING RIGHT NOW THE CITY'S AT A WATER METER APPROACH, OKAY? IF IT'S A RESIDENTIAL WATER METER, YOU GET ONE FEE.
IF IT'S A COMMERCIAL METER, YOU GET ANOTHER FEE.
UM, MOST CITIES THAT HAVE HAD THAT IN THE PAST, IT'S EASY TO SET UP, RIGHT? IF YOU JUST GO TO UTILITY DEPARTMENT, AND IF IT'S ON THIS AT THAT FEE, IF IT'S ON THAT, YOU KNOW, TYPE OF METER, YOU ADD THE OTHER FEE, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY DIRECTLY CORRELATED TO YOUR STORM SYSTEM USAGE.
UM, AND SO I WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN JUST A SECOND OF WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON APPROACH TO REALLY ESTIMATE STORM SYSTEM USAGE THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO MANAGE? IF YOU LOOK IN THE MIDDLE THERE, YOU SEE IMPERVIOUS AREA, UH, I'M GONNA HAVE NANO GRAPHIC WILL SHOW IN JUST A SECOND, BUT IMPERVIOUS AREA IS ESSENTIALLY THE HARD SURFACE WHERE IT'S ROOFTOP OR PAVEMENT THAT KEEPS RAINWATER FROM SOAKING INTO THE GROUND.
IT IS MORE RUNOFF THAT GOES INTO THE STREET, GOES INTO THE PIPES THAT HAS TO BE MANAGED, OKAY? SO THAT'S THE MIDDLE APPROACH.
AND ON THE FAR RIGHT IS THERE'S, WHAT SOME CITIES DO IS, UM, A MORE DETAILED APPROACH TO THAT IMPERVIOUS AREA, RECOGNIZING THAT DIFFERENT PROPERTIES MAY HAVE DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS THAT, UM, NEED TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR.
IT'S MORE EQUITABLE, BUT IT'S ALSO MORE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN.
SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT MORE IS THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD APPROACH WITH IMPERVIOUS AREA HERE.
SO RIGHT HERE, THIS IS WHERE THINGS ARE.
YOU LOOK AT THE CURRENT APPROACH, TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL, AND HOW, WHAT SIZE PROPERTIES ARE, THESE ARE ALL AT THE SAME SCALE.
UM, AND SO YOU SEE, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE THE AMOUNT OF RAIN GOING ON THAT ONE PROPERTY, UM, YOU KNOW, WOULD THEY BE PAYING, DO THEY HAVE THE SAME IMPACT TO THE SYSTEM? SO THE RESIDENTIAL METER IS $6.
YOU LOOK AT THE COMMERCIAL ON THE MIDDLE, AND IT'S BIGGER THAN THE RESIDENTIAL BED IS NOT FOUR TIMES BIGGER.
YOU LOOK AT THE LARGE COMMERCIAL AND IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY BIGGER THAN THE, UM, MIDDLE PROPERTY, BUT IT'S PAYING THE SAME RATE, OKAY? WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS HAVE MORE OF AN EQUITABLE APPROACH, UH, FOR THAT.
SO REALLY WE WANNA SHIFT TO, IS THAT GREEN IN THE MIDDLE, THE IMPERVIOUS AREA, UM, APPROACH A LITTLE BIT OF A GOLDILOCKS, UM, OPTION HERE.
OKAY? SO IMPERVIOUS AREAS, AS I MENTIONED, IS THE HARD SURFACE THAT, UM, PREVENTS RUNOFF.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, PRECIPITATION FROM, UH, SEEPING INTO THE GROUND AND GENERATES MORE RUNOFF.
OKAY? UM, A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES, UH, THERE GRAPHICALLY ON THE RIGHT, UM, AS YOU IDENTIFY THAT, YOU SEE ALL THE HARD SURFACE, BUT NOT GRASSY AREAS, UM, ARE ACCOUNTED FOR, UH, IN, UH, THE IMPERVIOUS AREA CALCULATION.
IT'S, IT IS REALLY THE STANDARD APPROACH FOR ESTIMATING STORMWATER USAGE, UH, REALLY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
AND ESPECIALLY IN NORTH TEXAS.
OKAY? SO HERE'S A QUICK EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING.
THERE'S, LEMME LEMME GO BACK ONE SLIDE FOR JUST A SECOND.
AT THE BOTTOM, A A TERM YOU'LL HEAR A LOT IS AN ERU OR AN EQUIVALENT RESIDENTIAL UNIT.
SO KIND OF LIKE WATER, YOU'LL TALK ABOUT USAGE RATE IN THOUSANDS OF GALLONS, YOU KNOW, USAGE FOR STORM WATER, THE EQUIVALENT RESIDENTIAL UNIT IS YOUR TYPICAL BASIS FOR THAT.
AND ESSENTIALLY IT'S THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS AREA, OKAY? THAT HARD SURFACE
[01:05:01]
ON THE AVERAGE PROPERTY IN DESOTO, OKAY? IS WHAT WE'RE GETTING AT.SO I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA DESCRIBE THAT IN JUST A MINUTE.
SO THE AVERAGE AMOUNT IN DESOTO, I'LL SAY IS ABOUT 3,600 SQUARE FEET OF IMPERVIOUS AREA.
AND THE, USUALLY THE FIRST THING COMMENT WE GET BACK IS, MY HOUSE IS NOT THREE 600 SQUARE FEET.
AND SO I WANT THIS GRAPHIC HERE IS REALLY TO EXPLAIN WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS.
THE LIVING AREA THAT YOU SEE THERE IS WHAT WOULD TYPICALLY BE WHEN SOMEBODY TALKS ABOUT THE SIZE OF THEIR HOUSE.
THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LIVING AREA, OKAY? SO THIS WOULD BE ABOUT A 2000 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE, BUT THAT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR THE GARAGE, THE COVERED PATIO, THE REGULAR PATIO, THE DRIVEWAY, THE SHED THAT MIGHT BE THERE, THE WALKWAY AND ALL, LIKE ALL OF THAT GOES TOGETHER TO ADD UP TO THAT 3,600, UH, SQUARE FEET OF IMPERVIOUS AREA.
OKAY? SO WHEN YOU FACTOR THOSE SAME PROPERTIES THIS WAY, YOU LOOK AT THAT FROM A STANDPOINT OF, UH, ONE ERU, OKAY? ONE EQUIVALENT RESIDENTIAL UNIT FOR THAT HOUSE, $6 A MONTH THAT THE MIDDLE PROPERTY IS NINE ERU.
IT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF NINE HOUSES WORTH OF IMPERVIOUS AREA.
SO THEIR FEE WOULD BE $54 A MONTH, AND THE LARGE PROPERTIES, THE EQUIVALENT OF 50, UM, HOUSES IN DESOTO.
RIGHT? NOW, THAT FEE IS $24 A MONTH.
OKAY? SO YOU, YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE, THIS GETS TO THAT EQUITABLE, UM, ALLOCATION OF THE FUNDS.
OKAY? SO ON THE LEFT IS THE CURRENT SETUP.
ON THE RIGHT IS THE IMPERVIOUS AREA APPROACH.
IF, IF YOU LOOK AT THE WAY THIS IS ON, ON THE LEFT IS HOW THE REVENUE IS CURRENTLY DISTRIBUTED, OKAY? UH, AND SO ABOUT 85% OF ALL THE STORMWATER UTILITY REVENUES COME FROM RESIDENTIAL.
CURRENTLY, IF YOU LOOK ON THE RIGHT, THAT'S BASED OFF OF IMPERVIOUS AREA AND, AND THE REVENUES WOULD MATCH THAT.
BUT WHAT THE RIGHT ALSO REPRESENTS IS THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE USE OF THE SYSTEM.
SO THE RESIDENCES USE 53% OF THE STORM WATER OR DISCHARGE 53%, BUT THEY'RE PAYING 85% CURRENTLY.
OKAY? COMMERCIAL IS PAYING 12.5%, BUT DISCHARGING 38%, OKAY? SO THIS, THE GOAL IS LET'S GET IT CLOSER TO, UH, WHAT THAT, THAT USAGE IS.
OKAY? SO NOW THAT WE'VE DONE THOSE TWO PARTS, WE'VE IDENTIFIED COSTS, WE'VE IDENTIFIED, UM, A, AN APPROACH, LET'S, LET'S BRING THAT TOGETHER INTO PROPOSED RATES.
SO WE TALK ABOUT THOSE THREE SERVICE OPTIONS.
ONE WAS AT 2.2 MILLION, ONE AT 2.7, AND ONE A LITTLE OVER 3.3 MILLION.
AND, UM, SERVICE LEVEL OPTION ONE, WELL, TWO, TWO THINGS ON THIS, UM, SERVICE LEVEL.
OPTION ONE IS SET UP TO ASSUME THAT ALL RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES WOULD STILL PAY $6 A MONTH, OKAY? SO THERE'D BE NO CHANGE TO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, UM, BUT THAT COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES WOULD BE PAYING BASED OFF OF THEIR USE OF THE SYSTEM.
OKAY? SO SHIFTING FROM THAT, UH, 12.5% TO PAYING THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT SAY 35, YOU KNOW, PERCENT, 38%.
UM, AND SO THERE WOULD BE AN INCREASE IN REVENUE BY, UM, CHARGING THE EQUITABLE AMOUNT TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
UM, SO THAT WOULD GENERATE THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE THERE.
OPTIONS TWO AND THREE, UM, CONTEMPLATE BREAKING THE RESIDENTIAL INTO TIERS TO ACCOUNT FOR SMALLER HOUSES AND LARGER HOUSES TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN HOW LARGE HOUSES ARE.
SO SERVICE LEVEL OPTION TWO, TO GET TO THAT SERVICE LEVEL WE TALKED ABOUT, WHICH WOULD BE WHAT? $940,000 OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, 75% OF THE RESIDENCES WOULD BE PAYING $6 A MONTH, BUT THE LARGEST 25% OF THE HOUSES WOULD BE PAYING $12.
THEY'RE MUCH LARGER THAN THE, UM, OTHER PROPERTY, OTHER RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.
AND SO ON AN EQUITABLE BASIS, THEY WOULD BE PAYING TWICE AS MUCH PER MONTH, UM, FOR THAT 'CAUSE THEY'RE TWICE THE SIZE.
UM, AS THE, UM, TIER, WHAT WE CALL TIER ONE SERVICE LEVEL THREE WOULD BE A DIFFERENT APPROACH THAT ABOUT THE, THE SMALLEST THIRD OF THE PROPERTIES WOULD PAY $6 A MONTH, AND THE LARGEST TWO THIRDS WOULD PAY $11 A MONTH.
OKAY? ALL OF THOSE, UM, WOULD GENERATE THE REVENUES NEEDED TO MEET THOSE SERVICE LEVELS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
UM, ALL OF THESE STRUCTURES SET UP TO ALLOW FOR A NO CHANGE APPROACH IN FEE FOR, UM, SOME OR ALL OF THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.
OKAY? SO, UM, RECOGNIZING THAT THOSE HAVEN'T CHANGED SINCE 2004.
SO THERE'S NOT TOO MANY RATES THAT HAVEN'T CHANGED, YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE SINCE 2004, BUT THIS ALLOWS FOR THAT AS A CONSIDERATION.
OKAY? SO JUST SOME QUICK EXAMPLES.
YOU KNOW, A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT CURRENTLY
[01:10:01]
PAYING ALL, ALL OF THESE ARE CURRENTLY PAYING 24 BUCKS A MONTH.THE FAST FOOD RESTAURANT, THEY PAY 30 42 OR 48, OKAY? SO YOU CAN SEE THOSE EXAMPLES ACROSS TYPICAL RETAIL, UM, BE LIKE A GROCERY STORE.
TYPICAL BIG BOX WOULD BE LIKE A HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE OR THE LIKE, AND YOU GET A FEEL FOR THE DIFFERENT RATES ACROSS THE BOARD.
SOMETHING THAT'S KEY IS ALMOST EVERY CITY IN NORTH TEXAS HAS A STORM UTILITY FEE AND ALMOST, YOU KNOW, AND SO THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS PART OF THE BUSINESS.
THEY'RE ALL USED TO PAYING THESE RATES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE THESE LOOK DIFFERENT THAN WHAT, YOU KNOW, YOU FEEL LIKE THEY'RE USED TO.
THEY'RE USED TO PAYING IT EVERYWHERE ELSE, OKAY? SO THIS, THIS WOULD NOT BE NEW NEWS, UH, TO MOST BUSINESSES.
SO WE DID WANNA GIVE YOU A COMPARISON OF, OF WHERE RATES ARE, UM, RELATIVE IN OTHER CITIES.
UM, SO FROM A RESIDENTIAL STANDPOINT, FIRST, AND THEN FROM A COMMERCIAL STANDPOINT.
SO YOU SEE DESOTO AND GREEN IN THE MIDDLE AND YOU SEE A SELECTION OF OTHER NORTH TEXAS CITIES, UM, IN EITHER LIGHT OR DARK BLUE.
UM, AND I'LL EXPLAIN THAT IN A SECOND.
THERE'S ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT FEE STRUCTURES.
SOME ARE FLAT RATE, UM, LIKE DESOTOS IS NOW, SOME HAVE TIER LIKE WE'RE PROPOSING.
UM, AND SO THE FLAT RATE ARE IN THE LIGHT BLUE.
THE ONES WITH TIER ARE IN THE DARK BLUE.
MOST ARE IMPERVIOUS AREA, BUT SOME ARE OFF OF PROPERTY SIZE OR THE LIGHT.
SO WHAT WE DO IS WE SAY, IF YOU TOOK THIS HOUSE AND THE IMAGE AND PUT 'EM INTO THESE TOWNS, HERE'S WHAT THEY WOULD PAY EACH MONTH.
OKAY? BUT SOME OF 'EM HAVE RATES THAT ARE WELL BEYOND WHAT THEY'RE SHOWING HERE, UM, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TIER.
SO WHAT YOU SEE IS DESOTO IS REALLY VERY MUCH MIDDLE OF THE PACK, YOU KNOW, WITH YOUR CURRENT, UH, RATES ON, UH, RESIDENTIAL SIDE OF THINGS.
SO TAKE A, A TYPICAL WHATABURGER ON THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THINGS AND YOU SEE WHERE YOU ARE.
YOU'RE VERY MUCH ON THE LOW END OF THE SCALE, UM, IN THE NORTH, YOU KNOW, TEXAS AREA.
UM, FOR, UH, COMMERCIAL SIDE OF THINGS, IF YOU WERE TO GO TO THE, THE IMPERVIOUS AREA OF BASIS, YOU, YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT SHIFTS TO.
UM, AND IT, IT IS, YOU KNOW, IT DEFINITELY HAS SHIFTED OVER TO THE RIGHT, BUT IT'S STILL, UM, IT'S A VERY FLAT CURVE UNTIL YOU GET TO THE END.
AND THEN THOSE LAST FEW INCREASE A LOT.
TYPICALLY, THE REASON THE ONES THAT ARE ON THE RIGHT INCREASE THE MOST IS BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO PAY FOR 100% OF THEIR COSTS, UM, THROUGH A STORMWATER UTILITY FEE.
SO WHETHER IT'S OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, COMPLIANCE, AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, 100% OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
OKAY? UH, ONE THING I WANTED TO MENTION, I WON'T GO INTO MUCH DETAIL, IS JUST TO KNOW THAT, UH, A NUMBER OF CITIES, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE FROM FRISCO, HAVE ALSO, AS THEY'VE DONE RATE STRUCTURE ADJUSTMENTS, IS TO BUILD IN A FEE CREDIT MECHANISM TO ALLOW, UH, FOR THE CITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT CERTAIN PROPERTIES BY HAVING SAY, ONSITE DETENTION OR RETENTION OR, UM, YOU KNOW, OR IN PARTICULAR, THEY DO SOMETHING ABOVE AND BEYOND THE REQUIREMENTS, RIGHT? TO ALLOW THEM TO GET CREDIT FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT FEATURE ON THEIR SITE.
UM, AND SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE CREDITS THAT FRISCO PROVIDES, UM, FOR THEIR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES IF THEY APPLY FOR THAT.
SO UP TO A 40% CREDIT FOR A VARIETY OF STRUCTURAL AND ACTIVITY DRIVEN, UM, BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.
OKAY, SO JUST TO, TO SUMMARIZE A RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A STORMWATER SERVICE, UM, WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS THE, YOU KNOW, 2.7, THAT SERVICE LEVEL OPTION TWO, $2.7 MILLION REVENUE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO, UM, START TO MAKE A DENT IN YOUR, UM, PENDING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT NEEDS.
UM, SHIFTING THE FEE BASIS FROM A WATER METER BASIS TO AN IMPERVIOUS AREA BASIS, UM, THAT, THAT WILL IMPROVE THE EQUITABILITY, UM, FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THEN, UH, TO ADJUST YOUR RATE STRUCTURE TO, UM, A TWO TIER.
SO FOR SMALL RESIDENTIAL AND LARGE RESIDENTIAL, AND THEN A RATE PER EQUIVALENT RESIDENTIAL UNIT FOR NON RESIDENTIAL.
FOR THE COMMERCIAL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS, IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THE EXEMPTION I MENTIONED FOR SENIOR CITIZENS.
IT'S CURRENTLY, UH, UH, A REDUCED RATE FOR SENIOR CITIZENS, UM, TEXAS STATE LAW.
IT'S LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 5 52 SUB.
CHAPTER C HAS SPECIFIC, UM, STATEMENT ABOUT WHAT CAN BE EXEMPTED, UM, AND WHAT MUST BE EXEMPTED.
AND, UH, ONE THING IT DOESN'T DO IS PROVIDE A SPECIFIC ALLOWANCE, UM, FOR SENIOR CITIZENS OR FOR OTHER THINGS, AS NOBLE AS IT IS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE OFTEN RECOMMEND PUTTING IN A FEE STRUCTURE ADJUSTMENT TO ALLOW FOR, UM, KNOW,
[01:15:01]
SOME KIND OF, UM, OFFSET.BUT, UM, AND IT'S NOT THAT FEES DON'T END UP LEAVING THE END, JUST KNOW THAT THERE'S NOT A DIRECT BASIS, UM, IN STATE LAW, UM, TO ENABLE IT.
AND SO THERE'S JUST, UM, THAT COMPONENT TO BE FACTORING IN WHAT IT DOES ALLOW FOR FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE.
SO COUNCIL PERSPECTIVE IS TO EXEMPT, YOU KNOW, CITY, COUNTY, UM, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL DISTRICT CHURCHES CLOSED CEMETERIES.
UM, AND SO RECOMMENDATION, UM, IS THAT CITY PROPERTY, UM, COUNTY PROPERTY.
SO THE GOVERNMENT PROPERTY ESSENTIALLY AND SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPERTY WOULD BE EXEMPTED FROM PAYING, UH, THE FEE.
AND THAT'S FACTORED INTO, UM, THE SCENARIOS THAT WE PROVIDED.
SO THAT, THAT'S KIND OF THE RECOMMENDATION THERE, UM, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
OH, LET'S JUST, YEAH, CIRCLING BACK TO IT IF WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
SO, UH, AS MD MENTIONED THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, CONTEMPLATED FOR NEXT, GOING INTO EFFECT IN OCTOBER 1ST, 2024 TO ALLOW FOR, UM, PLENTY OF PUBLIC OUTREACH, UH, AND, UH, INTEGRATION AND UPDATE TO THE UTILITY BILLING, UM, IN A VERY MEASURED WAY.
UM, SO THERE'S NO RUSH, UH, FOR THAT.
BUT, UH, PLENTY OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH.
IF YOU DECIDE AS A COUNCIL THAT YOU DO WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
THERE ARE SOME, UM, STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS.
UM, AND SO I JUST HAVE THOSE PARTS LISTED HERE.
IT DOES REQUIRE 30 DAYS OF PUBLIC NOTICE, THREE TIMES A LOCAL PAPER.
IT DOES REQUIRE A PUBLIC HEARING AND IT DOES REQUIRE A COUNCIL VOTE.
SO THOSE ARE THE REQUIRED COMPONENTS OF THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, ON TOP OF WHATEVER, UM, PUBLIC OUTREACH OR ENGAGEMENT YOU CHOOSE TO DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S IT.
THAT IS EVERYTHING I'VE GOT THERE.
ARE WE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE? THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
PLEASE GIMME YOUR LAST NAME AGAIN.
UM, COUNSEL, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES.
THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND THE TIME YOU TOOK TO, UM, PROVIDE THIS STUDY.
IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE, THAT THE REASON WHY YOU OFFERED STRUCTURED, UM, RATES IS BECAUSE OF OUR NOBLENESS TO OUR, THAT'S A WORD.
UM, OUR ABILITY TO BE NOBLE TO OUR SENIOR POPULATION AND OFFER THE $2 AND 50 CENTS.
SO IF THAT'S NOT SOMETHING BY STATE LAW THAT TECHNICALLY WE ARE ABLE TO DO, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FROM, 'CAUSE I, THAT WASN'T CLEAR TO ME WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FROM A LINE ITEM.
IF I GET MY BILL, IF WE ARE SAYING WE CAN'T DO IT IN POLICY, THEN HOW DOES THAT STRUCTURE WORK IF WE WANTED TO CONTINUE ON WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHICH I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THIS COUNCIL DOES, 'CAUSE WE, I DEFINITELY SEE THE BENEFIT IN IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THE WAY THAT SOMETHING, SOMETHING THAT WE GET ASKED TO EVALUATE A LOT IS, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A WAY TO PROVIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, A REDUCED FEE FOR SENIOR CITIZEN OR, YOU KNOW, FIXED INCOME, YOU KNOW, OR THE LIKE, AND THERE'S, SINCE THERE'S NOT DIRECT MECHANISM FOR THAT, THERE'S TWO WAYS.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE IS BY EVALUATING THOSE TIERS.
AND SO SOME CITIES WILL PUT IN, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE TIERS AND SO YOU, YOU'LL HAVE THREE TIERS SOMETIMES FOR YOUR TYPICAL HOUSE, YOU KNOW, TAKES UP MOST OF IT.
AND THE SMALLEST HOUSES WILL GET A FEE BREAK BECAUSE THEY'RE A SMALLER AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS AREA.
THE LARGEST HOUSES WILL PAY THEIR MORE, UH, FAIR SHARE FOR THE LARGER.
UM, SO IF YOU WERE SAY TO ADD A THIRD TIER FOR THE SMALLEST HOUSES, UM, IT MIGHT BE, IT WOULD SHOW AS LESS THAN $6 IF YOU WERE TO ADD IN AN EXTRA TIER.
SO THEN WE JUST QUALIFY ALL THE SENIORS IN THE SMALL HOUSE.
FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, IT WOULDN'T, SO YEAH, IT'S, THE ONE THING IT WOULDN'T DO IS IT WOULDN'T BE SPECIFIC JUST TO SENIORS, IT'D BE TO ANYBODY WHO'S IN A SMALLER HOUSE.
YEAH, BECAUSE THAT WAS ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE HAVE, WHAT'S SOMETHING WE TAUGHT ABOUT VERY LARGE LOTS, UH, YEAH.
AND THEY'RE DEFINITELY VERY BEAUTIFUL TO SEE, BUT SOME OF THEM COULD BE AS BIGGER IF NOT AS BIG OR BIGGER THAN AN AVERAGE COMMERCIAL LOT.
SO YOUR ANSWERING MY QUESTION FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
I WANTED TO, UM, GO DIG IN A LITTLE BIT, UH, LEAN INTO THE OPTION THREE.
UM, I WAS LOOKING AT THE, UH, RATES FOR OPTION THREE.
SO COULD YOU REVIEW THAT ONE AGAIN? SO OPTION THREE IS, IS REALLY TO ALLOW, UM, FOR THE SAME PROPOSED SERVICES, SO EXISTING SERVICES PLUS THE ADDITIONAL STAFF AND EQUIPMENT, UM, BUT ABOUT $1.5 MILLION FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUNDING.
UM, BUT JUST IN TERMS OF, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE RATE OPTIONS, RESIDENTIAL TIER ONE, TIER TWO, SO,
[01:20:01]
UM, YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO, YEAH, YOU WANT ME TO EXPLAIN LIKE HOW WE GET TO, TO THAT? YEAH.AMOUNT OF, YEAH, NO, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
AND SO, UM, 'CAUSE THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WE WOULD OFTEN DO, BUT REALLY WHAT ONE OF THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WE TRIED TO WORK WITH HERE IS, YOU KNOW, SHOW ME SOME RATE STRUCTURES THAT IF WE WANTED TO KEEP A $6 FEE AVAILABLE, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME OR ALL OF THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, HOW WOULD WE DO THAT? SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT PIE CHART ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT, WHAT YOU SEE IS IT'S ABOUT 35 OR 40%.
UM, OF THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES WOULD FALL INTO THAT DARK BLUE, WHICH IS THE SMALL RESIDENTIAL, AND THEY'D STILL PAY $6 A MONTH, BUT BECAUSE 65% OR SO OF THE RESIDENCES WOULD GO TO $11 A MONTH, THERE'S, THEY'RE PAYING THEIR, WHICH IS BASED OFF OF THE IMPERIOUS AREA AVERAGE.
UM, THAT REVENUE WOULD BE INCREASING BECAUSE THERE'D BE $5 A MONTH MORE PER RESIDENCE.
IS THERE A RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT THAT SQUARE FOOTAGE WILL LOOK LIKE FROM THE TIER ONE TO THE TIER TWO, FROM THE SMALLER HOMES TO THE LARGER HOMES? YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
SO TIER ONE WOULD BE ONE ERU ONE EQUIVALENT RESIDENTIAL UNIT.
THAT'D BE DEFINED AS THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS AREA IN TIER TWO IS 1.8 ERU.
UM, AND THAT'S BASED OFF OF THE ACTUAL DATA IN DESOTO.
SO IF YOU TOOK ALL THE PROPERTIES IN, UH, TIER ONE, UH, THEIR AVERAGE AMOUNT, UM, WE DEFINE THAT AS THE, AS THE ONE ERU.
AND THE AVERAGE AMOUNT IN TIER TWO IS 1.8 TIMES LARGER THAN THIS, THAT SMALLER TIER.
AND THE ONE ERU IS THAT 3,600 SQUARE FOOT UNIT.
AND THEN, ALRIGHT, SO DO WE KNOW WHAT, SO THE NUMBERS THAT WERE, THIS PIE CHART THAT I'M LOOKING AT, MM-HMM.
AND THEN WHAT DOES THE TIER TWO LOOK LIKE IN THE 1.8 OUS LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF LIKE AN SF FIVE, UH, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
YEAH, SO I, I GUESS THAT'S ONE THING.
IT IT'S, IT'S NOT TIED TO EVEN LOT SIZE.
IT'S TIED TO THE, THE STRUCTURE.
BACK BACK TO THAT BEAUTIFUL COLORFUL GRAPHIC THAT, OH, THIS GUY RIGHT THERE.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT COULD BE, YOU MENTIONED A LARGE LOT, RIGHT? IT COULD BE THE HOUSE THAT'S ON A COUPLE OF ACRES IN THAT AMOUNT, OR IT COULD BE ON, THAT'S 3,600 SQUARE FEET.
IT COULD BE ON A 5,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT.
SO THEN, OKAY, SO FOR THIS IMPERVIOUS AREA, UH, WHAT DO OTHER CITIES DO IN TERMS OF DETERMINING, YOU KNOW, THE SIZE OF STRUCTURES? 'CAUSE I SUSPECT THAT SOME, LIKE HERE WITH THE LARGER PROPERTIES, THEY ARE ADDING A DETACHED SHED MAYBE 10 YEARS LATER OR ADDING ANOTHER PATIO OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WORK WITH STAFF TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ACCURATE AT THE START OF BILLING AND THERE'S WHAT WE, WE CALL A MAINTENANCE METHODOLOGY THAT IS NEW DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT OCCURS THAT THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS THAT THE INFORMATION IS COLLECTED AND THEN, UH, CONNECTED TO THE UTILITY BILLING SYSTEM.
AND THEN YOU SAID THE CITY OF FRISCO, THEY GIVE CREDITS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE VARIOUS THINGS THAT THEY DO.
UM, SO I, WE JUST HAD THE CONVERSATION ABOUT GREEN SPACE AND THEN I MENTIONED EPA HAVING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AS IT RELATES TO STORM WATER.
ARE ANY CITIES THAT YOU KNOW OF, ARE THEY DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR, DESIGNING THEIR CITIES OR GIVING CREDITS FOR HAVING SUCH FEATURES AS RECOMMENDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? SO, UH, OR PLANNING UNITS, IS IT IN HERE? LET'S SEE, DID I ALREADY PASS IT? PETER, WHERE AM I? I MUST BE FURTHER.
SO, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP LEFT, IT SAYS ADOPT A STREET, YOU KNOW, PROGRAM.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, ONE OF THE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES THAT FRISCO HAS AS PART OF THEIR MS FOUR PROGRAM.
THEY HAVE THAT SAME WATER QUALITY COMPLIANCE PROGRAM, SO THERE'S NOT A STRUCTURAL ACTIVITY, YOU KNOW, UH, OR YOU KNOW, FEATURE THERE.
BUT BY AN ACTIVITY OF CLEANING UP THE STREETS, IT KEEPS IT FROM WASHING INTO THE CREEKS WHEN IT RAINS.
AND LIKE, AND SO THAT HELPS THE CITY FROM A COMPLIANCE STANDPOINT TO SAY, THIS IS ONE OF OUR BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.
AND IT HELPS THAT, UH, THAT PROPERTY OWNER THAT HAS AGREED TO ADOPT A STREET BY GETTING A FEE REDUCTION ON THEIR MONTHLY BILL.
UM, AND SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF STAFFING? SO FOR CERTAIN YOU WOULD HAVE TO INCREASE STAFF, I SUSPECT, SO THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION BECAUSE IT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CITIES HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED WITH, OF PUTTING IN A FEE CREDIT MECHANISM AND, AND IT TURNING INTO A BIRD'S NEST OF WORK, RIGHT? TO TRY TO KEEP UP WITH.
[01:25:01]
APPROACH REALLY IS INTENDED TO BE A VERY SIMPLE PROGRAM, UM, AND LOW, LOW BURDEN ON THE PROPERTY OWNER AND LOW BURDEN ON STAFF TO BE ABLE TO, UH, IMPLEMENT.AND SO, UM, IT'S, IT WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED, YOU KNOW, BY THE COMMUNITY, VERY WELL RECEIVED BY COUNCIL.
IT'S BEEN A SUCCESSFUL, UH, PROGRAM FOR THEM.
THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION, BUT I DO HAVE A, A COMMENT.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, UH, BECAUSE I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UPDATE THE PLAN, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVEN'T DONE IT IN 20 YEARS OR MORE.
BUT FROM A CITY STANDPOINT, I JUST WANNA PUT THIS OUT THERE.
IT'S GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT, UH, IF WE DO GO AHEAD WITH WHATEVER OPTION THERE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET, UH, THE MESSAGING OUT REAL EARLY.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE 30 DAY NOTICE FOR YOU, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR RESIDENTS, I THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME IN THAT I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, IT DOESN'T GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL 2024.
SO AS SOON AS WE, UH, VOTED IN OR WHATEVER, WE PROBABLY NEED TO GET STARTED ON THE MESSAGING BECAUSE THAT'S ALWAYS AN ISSUE FOR US.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? YES, MEMBER BROCK? YES, JUST A FEW MORE.
SO AS IT RELATES TO, UH, MOBILE HOME PARKS, SO WOULD IMPERVIOUS AREA, SO THOSE AREA ALMOST LOOK CONTINUOUS.
SO IS IT, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY BILL, IF THEY BILL INDIVIDUALLY.
UM, WHAT GOING TO THAT ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN, TRYING TO KEEP THAT SIMPLE CONCEPT.
WHAT WE REALLY TRY TO DO FOR THOSE IS, UM, IDENTIFY THAT FOR THE PROPERTY OVERALL, RIGHT? AND ASSESS THE FEE TO THE PROPERTY OWNER, THE MANAGEMENT ACCOUNT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THEN HAVE THE, UM, THEN THEY CAN DISTRIBUTE THAT FEE, UH, TO THE TENANTS, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, OWE THAT PROPERTY.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THAT GO, GO TO THE STRIP SHOPPING CENTER AS AN EXAMPLE, IS KEEP THE CITY STAFF OUT OF NEEDING TO BE AWARE OF LEASE AGREEMENTS AND FIGURING OUT, WELL, YOU'VE GOT THIS MUCH OF THE BUILDING, BUT HOW MUCH OF THE PARKING LOT ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR? AND ALL THAT.
AND YOU REALLY TRY TO KEEP THAT SIMPLE THAT WAY.
THAT'S A A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL, COUNSEL, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY, LAST QUESTION.
RELATED TO THE 30 DAYS THAT'S REQUIRED BY, BY LAW THE 30 DAYS? YES.
COULD WE ADD ADDITIONAL DAYS IF WE SO CHOSE TO? OF COURSE.
COUNSEL, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS BEFORE WE, UM, GET A OVERVIEW OF STAFF IN TERMS OF DIRECTION THEY NEED? OKAY.
HEARING NONE, UH, CITY MANAGER, RIGHT? IF YOU COULD ASSIST US WITH JUST PROVIDING US WHAT YOU ALL NEED FROM US.
IF YOU CAN GO TO THIS SLIDE THAT HAS ALL, UH, LET'S SEE, THROUGH ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE ON THEM.
UH, THIS RIGHT HERE IS THE RECOMMENDATION THAT, UH, THAT WE ARE PROVIDING.
IT'S THAT GREEN BOX RIGHT THERE, WHICH WOULD BE THE, THAT, THAT MIDDLE SERVICE AREA.
UM, FOR THAT, THAT WOULD BE HOW WE WOULD PROPOSE THAT THE ORDINANCE BE CRAFTED.
THAT'S WHAT WOULD GO INTO THE PUBLIC NOTICE.
THAT IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD KIND OF KICK OFF THE PROCESS.
SO THERE WOULD BE A PUBLIC NOTICE OF ALL THAT.
UM, THERE WOULD BE AT LEAST A 30 DAY PERIOD FOR, UH, FOR A PUBLICATION BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING IS HELD.
THEN WE'LL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON IT AND THEN THE COUNCIL CAN CONSIDER IT AT THAT PUBLIC HEARING.
THEY CAN CONSIDER IT AFTER THAT POINT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
YOU JUST NEED TO WAIT, WAIT THAT 30 PERIOD, THEN CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THE ORDINANCE.
UM, IF, SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS GENERAL CONSENSUS.
YOU'D LIKE TO MOVE DOWN THAT ROAD IF THERE ARE ANY ALTERATIONS TO THAT PLAN.
UM, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HEAR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO THINK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND THEN COME BACK AND VISIT IT.
WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT AS WELL.
SO, UM, WE'RE KIND OF JUST TESTING OUT WHERE IT IS THAT THE COUNCIL IS AT THIS MOMENT SO THAT WE KNOW HOW TO PROCEED FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT.
UH, COUNSEL, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE WE, UH, LOOK TO GET A CONSENSUS? YES.
THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, I'M, I'M, I'M A LITTLE APPREHENSIVE WITH JUST MOVING STRAIGHT TO A PUBLIC HEARING WITHOUT TESTING THE WATERS OF THE PUBLIC.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT MAKES SENSE TO KIND OF HAVE MAYBE A FOCUS GROUP OR SOME SORT OF MAYBE A BALANCED GROUP OF JUST FROM OUR DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, UH, DIFFERENT HOME SIZES.
I, I, I DON'T SEE THE ONE, THE RESIDENTS IN THE SMALL RESIDENT IN THE HOMES BEING AS PROBLEMATIC AS THOSE IN THE LARGER HOMES.
AND I THINK FOR ME IN PLACE SIX, THAT'S A GREAT NUMBER.
[01:30:01]
PLACE FIVE.AND SO MY CONCERN AND, AND ALL OVER TOO, RIGHT? SO I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH LARGE RESIDENTS TO WHERE I THINK IT WOULD BE FOR THEM QUALITY, LIKE LIFE CHANGING, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THE DOUBLE THE COST, BUT IT WOULD DEFINITELY EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS, RIGHT? SO, UM, THAT'S MY CONCERN.
AND THEN WHEN YOU MENTIONED THAT MULTIPLE TIERS, THE GREEN SIDE JUST SHOWS SMALL AND LARGE FOR RESIDENTIAL IN A MONTH FOR NON-RESIDENTIAL.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A THIRD TIER, I GUESS FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, AS YOU JUST MENTIONED AS WELL, SO THAT THERE'S SOMETHING IN BETWEEN THERE AS, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SORRY.
AND I, UH, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL'S, IF WE CAN DO ABOVE THE STATE'S ASK ON THE 30 DAY NOTICE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT TOO.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL, SURE THING WITH THIS, WITH THE TIER TWO, UM, WITH THE LARGER RESIDENTS, ARE WE LOOKING AT LARGE RESIDENTS AS IN THE 1.8 ERU UH, TIER TWO? IT, IT SHIFTS SLIGHTLY AND IT'S ACTUALLY TWO ERU, SO IT'S DOUBLE THE SIZE BECAUSE WE'RE SHIFTING THE PERCENT OF PROPERTIES THAT ARE IN EACH TIER.
AND SO THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE IN TIER TWO ON AVERAGE ARE TWICE AS LARGE AS THE PROPERTIES IN TIER ONE.
SO THAT'S WHY THAT WOULD BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
SO THEN THE MOST THAT ONE COULD PAY WOULD BE 12.
AND THAT WOULD BE $12 FOR SOMETHING THAT IS DOUBLE TO 3,600 SQUARE FEET? THAT'S RIGHT.
SO, OR A RESIDENCE ABOUT 7,200 IF I DO IT RIGHT.
7,200 SQUARE FEET OF IMPERVIOUS SURFACE AREA, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO REALLY WHAT IT ON AVERAGE, YEAH, YEAH.
IT GETS TO THERE, THERE'S A TIER BREAK POINT, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT AND IT'S, SO IT'S SOMEWHERE, BUT BETWEEN THAT, THAT 3,600 IS THE AVERAGE.
AND SO THERE'S SOME AMOUNT ABOVE 3,600, BUT LESS THAN 7,200, WHICH IS THE DOUBLE, UM, IS WHERE THAT BREAK POINT WOULD BE.
COUNCIL MEMBER BUR, UM, YEAH, JUST SO WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, UH, UNDER THIS RECOMMENDATION? YEAH, IT IS SHIFTING FROM THAT WATER METER BASIS TO THE IMPERVIOUS AREA BASIS.
AND THEN IT'LL BE $6 PER ERU FOR COMMERCIAL.
SO THAT COULD VARY FROM BUSINESS TO BUSINESS AT AS OPPOSED TO WITH THE RESIDENTS IS ONE OR THE OTHER.
AND SO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, I HEAR SHE'S, YOUR, YOUR ASK IS TO ADD A THIRD TIER MEANING LOWER THAN THE $6 CORRECT.
TO ACCOUNT FOR THE SMALLER HOMES.
AM I HEARING YOU CORRECTLY? YES.
I, AND THAT WOULD MEAN THAT THE $2 AND 50 CENTS FOR OUR SENIOR CITIZENS WOULD BE GOING AWAY.
UH, IT'S YOUR CHOICE ON THINGS, BUT, BUT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE WOULD RECOMMEND IS NOT TO HAVE THE $2, THE SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT.
'CAUSE THERE'S NOT A, A LEGAL MECHANISM FOR THAT.
SO THAT'S WHY I SAID THAT MADAM MAYOR.
'CAUSE I WAS UNDER IMPRESSION THAT WE'RE NOT OPERATING WITHIN THE STATE LAW BY DOING THAT.
UM, THE $2 AND 50 CENTS PER MONTH.
AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME, LIKE, I THINK THERE'S AN IN BETWEEN WHEN WE SAY SMALL AND LARGE, UM, THERE, THERE'S DEFINITELY A HOUSE THAT'S EITHER EXTRA LARGE
I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I JUST WELL, AND, AND, AND I AGREE.
UM, I GUESS FOR ME, I GUESS I'M KIND OF STUCK ON THE SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT.
UM, TO, TO TAKE THAT AWAY, YOU KNOW? UM, AND AGAIN, I KNOW IT, I GUESS, I GUESS WHAT'S A LOT OR NOT A LOT IS RELATIVE DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ASK IN TERMS OF THEIR FINANCES.
AND SO TO TAKE THAT, UM, TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM OUR SENIOR CITIZENS, AND I KNOW THAT AS, AS COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM MENTIONED, I THINK ALL OF THE COUNCIL WILL SUPPORT, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE KEEP AS MANY MECHANISMS IN OUR PLACE, UH, IN PLACE TO SUPPORT OUR SENIOR CITIZENS AS POSSIBLE.
I GUESS MY QUESTION, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT CAN BE ANSWERED TONIGHT, IS FROM A, JUST FROM A INTERNAL CITY POLICY, IS THERE NOT A WAY FOR US TO, UM, PROVIDE THEM WITH A CREDIT ON THEIR BILL EVEN IF WE CANNOT DO IT NECESSARILY THROUGH THE RATE? IS THERE A WAY THAT FROM A INTERNAL CITY POLICY, IF WE COULD PROVIDE OUR SENIOR CITIZENS THAT QUALIFY FOR THIS, UM, A CREDIT ON THEIR BILL THAT GOES AGAINST THAT RATE? AND THAT WOULD BE MY ASK IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE THAT WORK.
AND I THINK THAT THAT WOULD EVEN, EVEN, AND I, AND I DEFINITELY, I DON'T, I, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THERE MAY NEED TO BE ANOTHER TIER IN BETWEEN THEIR, REGARDLESS IN TERMS OF THAT JUST TO CAPTURE EVERYBODY.
BUT I'M, BUT SPECIFICALLY MY, MY, MY GOAL IS TO HELP TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP THAT DISCOUNT FOR OUR SENIOR CITIZENS.
UH, CAN WE ASK OUR FINANCE DEPART? CAN WE WE DO THAT.
WELL, I SEE FINANCE SHAKING THEIR HEAD.
[01:35:01]
WE DO THAT? SO I'M THINKING, I THINK I LIKE THAT MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES.UM, AND I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA PUT ANYBODY ON THE SPOT, BUT I JUST WANNA THROW THAT OUT THERE.
SO IF YOU'RE LISTENING, CATCH IT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IS THERE ANY FLEXIBILITY AT ALL ON THE RATE FOR THE COMMERCIAL SIDE? IS THERE ANY FLEXIBILITY? ANY FLEXIBILITY AS FAR AS THE, THE RATE? UM, SURE.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA GO BACK JUST A LITTLE BIT TO THIS GUY HERE.
UM, SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT YELLOW BOXED OKAY, ONE ON THE RIGHT, UM, THAT WOULD BE THE, YOU KNOW, A WAY TO LOOK MORE THE PART OF THE REASON, YOU KNOW, MARY ASKED ABOUT, THERE'S TWO TIERS SHOWN FOR RESIDENTIAL RESIDENTIALS BECAUSE THERE'S A RANGE, BUT THERE'S STILL A PRETTY TIGHT RANGE RELATIVE TO COMMERCIAL, RIGHT? COMMERCIAL IS SUCH A WIDE RANGE THAT IT MAY BE SMALLER THAN SOME OF THE SMALL HOUSES AND IT MAY BE A HUNDRED EQUIVALENT HOUSES, RIGHT? UM, AND SO WE, WE TYPICALLY LOOK AT THOSE ON A PROPERTY BY PROPERTY BASIS.
THIS ALSO ON THE RIGHT RECOGNIZES THAT TWO PROPERTIES MAY HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS AREA, BUT MAY HAVE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT IMPACT ON THE STORM SYSTEM, RIGHT? UM, AND ONE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS AREA MAY RUN ACROSS A LOT OF GRASS BEFORE IT GOES TO THE PUBLIC SYSTEM.
AND SO A LOT OF IT DOES INFILTRATE STILL, WHEREAS ANOTHER ONE IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED IN ALL OF ITS GOING IN, RIGHT? AND SO ON THE RIGHT IS, YOU KNOW, TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, DIFFERENCE.
WHAT, WHAT MOST CITIES DO, UM, INSTEAD OF DOING THAT DETAILED ANALYSIS, GOT A HIGH ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN FOR ALL, IS TO DO THAT FEE CREDIT APPROACH.
THAT ALLOWS FOR, HEY, IF YOU DO FEEL THAT YOUR PROPERTY HAS LESS IMPACT THAN WHAT WE'RE SHOWING BY DEFAULT, THEN YOU CAN APPLY AND WE'LL LOOK AT IT.
AND IF IT'S LESS OF AN IMPACT, WE'LL LESSEN YOUR FEE ACCORDINGLY.
OKAY? SO, SO THAT'S WHERE THE, YOU KNOW, KINDA HAPPY MEDIUM IS ON BEING EQUITABLE, BUT NOT ADDING A LOT OF ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
UM, SO COUNSEL, LET'S GET A CONSENSUS SO WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA IN TERMS OF WHAT WE, UH, WANT TO SEE.
I THINK WE, I THINK I HEAR US SAYING THAT WE ARE OKAY WITH IT, AS IS WITH THE ADDITION OF LOOKING AT THE WAYS TO IMPLEMENT THE SENIOR CREDIT, UM, TO THE BILLING AND THEN THE, UM, LOOK EXPLORING THE THIRD TIER FOR THE SMALLER, SMALLER HOMES.
MAYOR PRO TIM HUGHES, COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM.
WOULD A CAVEAT, I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY SENIOR, SENIOR, UM, HOMES WE HAVE, RESIDENCES WE HAVE, UM, THAT'S TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE CREDIT RIGHT NOW, OR THE DISCOUNT RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO, TO COMPARE THAT WITH, IF WE HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT, WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF WE WENT TO THE THIRD TIER SYSTEM.
BUT I'M OKAY WITH THE SECOND TIER SYSTEM.
UM, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD EXPLORE THAT IN LIGHT OF IT AND OR IF THE RECOMMENDATION IS, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE IMPACT OF THE HAVING THE SENIOR DISCOUNT, I MEAN THE, THE CREDITS AS THEY STAND NOW AND MAYBE EVEN RAISING IT JUST $1 TO $3 AND 50 CENTS.
AND THE ONLY REASON I'M SAYING THAT TO CITY COUNCIL IS JUST LOOKING AT THE CIP MAINTENANCE NEEDS AND, UM, AND, AND KNOWING, YOU KNOW, ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AS IT RELATES TO, TO SOIL GROCERY CONTROL AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I THINK THAT'S A CONSIDERATION FOR US.
SO, UM, YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST.
UH, SO THAT'S WHERE WE CAN, CAN I JUST CLARIFY SOMETHING REAL FAST? I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THIS POINT.
UM, IF WE ARE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO INCORPORATE A SENIOR DISCOUNT, I'M NOT, I'M GETTING EVIL LOOKS HERE, BUT IF WE'RE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THAT PART, DO YOU, WOULD YOU LIKE THAT AND A LOWER TIER OPTION? OR IS IT, IF WE ARE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THE SE SENIOR DISCOUNT PART THAT WE, THAT YOU WOULD GO AHEAD AND STAY WITH THE TWO TIER OPTION, UM, FOR THAT? SO I WANT, I WOULD JUST CLARIFY THAT POINT.
IF YOU COULD CLARIFY THAT, THAT FOR ME, THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD POINT TO CLARIFY.
UM, I WOULD BE OKAY IF WE WERE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THE SENIOR DISCOUNT, I WOULD BE OKAY WITH TWO TIERS.
UM, DR. MARKS, I, I, I AGREE WITH YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM? YES, I AGREE.
AND, AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER RAFAEL.
SO, YES, THAT'S, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE SAYING.
I THINK IT WAS MORE SO TO, TO, TO MAKE SURE WE COULD KEEP A DISCOUNT FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
AT THIS TIME, AND THANK YOU MS. SHANKS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, YES, MADAM CITY SECRETARY WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM
[5. Presentation and discussion of the Texas Comptrollers' Transparency Stars Program]
ON THE AGENDA.NEXT WE HAVE PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF THE TEXAS COMPTROLLER'S TRANSPARENCY STARS PROGRAM.
MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS LAKITA SUTTON, ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
[01:40:02]
OKAY, THIS EVENING WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE TRANSPARENCY STARS AWARD.UH, WE'RE GONNA OPEN WITH THE AGENDA, UM, TO WALK US THROUGH KIND OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE GOING OVER THIS EVENING.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT IS TRANSPARENCY AS DEFINED BY THE, UM, TEXAS STATE CONTROLLER SITE.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE STARS AWARD PROGRAM IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
CAN YOU ADVANCE THAT FORWARD PLEASE? ONE, THANK YOU.
UM, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT, UH, THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND ALSO, UM, THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
SO IN LOOKING AT, UM, TRANSPARENCY AND LOOKING AT, UM, THE COMPTROLLER SITE, WE HAVE, UM, A VERY KINDA WORDY DEFINITION OF WHAT, WHAT THEY DEFINE AS TRANSPARENCY.
UM, DEMOCRACY CANNOT SURVIVE AND THRIVE UNLESS CITIZENS HAVE THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS.
SO TRANSPARENCY IS BASICALLY ABOUT, UM, OPENING OUR BOOKS AND BEING AS WIDE OPEN AS WE CAN, UM, IN, IN REGARD TO OUR FINANCES AND THE, UM, OTHER CATEGORIES THAT ARE, UH, WITHIN THE TRANSPARENCY STARS PROGRAM.
SO, UM, THESE DATES HERE KIND OF SHOW YOU A PROGRESSION OF HOW THE PROGRAM, UH, SOMEWHAT EVOLVED.
BACK IN 2007, IT BECAME AN ONLINE TOOL THAT WAS CREATED TO SHARE STATE AND REVENUE SPENDING, UH, BACK SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
AND THEN, UM, IT ADVANCED TO, UM, HIRING STAFF, UM, SPECIFIC STAFF THAT WAS DEDICATED TO SUPPORT TRANSPARENCY AND TO HELP ENTITIES TO KNOW WHAT TRANSPARENCY MEANS AND TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE CERTAIN STATUSES.
AND THEN IT ADVANCED IN 2015 INTO, UM, A DA MORE DATA ANALYSIS AND THE ACTUAL TRANSPARENCY ITSELF WAS CREATED, CREATED.
SO LET'S LOOK AT THE FIVE STAR AWARDS.
UM, THE FIRST STAR THAT WOULD BE ACHIEVABLE WOULD BE THE TRADITIONAL FINANCES AWARD.
UM, AND IT IS ACTUALLY THE OVERARCHING ELEMENT OF THE PROGRAM.
IN ORDER TO OBTAIN ANY OF THE OTHER STARS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE OBTAIN THIS ONE.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, YOU GO INTO LOOKING AT THE OTHER SUBCATEGORIES THAT INCLUDE DEBT OBLIGATIONS, PUBLIC PENSIONS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENT.
AND EACH ONE OF THESE ARE SEPARATE AWARDS WITH A SEPARATE APPLICATION PROCESS.
SO THE MISSION OF THE PROGRAM IS TO, UM, AWARD LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND IN THEIR TRANSPARENCY EFFORT.
UM, IT IS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF ENTITIES, ISDS, MUNICIPALITIES, COUNTIES.
IT IS INTERNALLY REVIEWED BY STATE CONTROLLERS, OFFICE, OFFICE.
UM, IF YOU DO ACHIEVE THE AWARD, OF COURSE YOU WILL GET A MEDIA PACKET IN A, IN AN IN CIGNA TO BE, UM, DISPLAYED ON THE WEBSITE.
THERE IS NO APPLIC WELL, WE'LL GO OVER THE APPLICATION DEADLINE.
I THINK ONE OF THE CATEGORIES ACTUALLY DOES HAVE AN APPLICATION DEADLINE.
UM, AND THERE IS A ONE TIME APPLICATION PER STAR.
AND THEN AFTER THAT THERE IS A, UM, A VERY, UM, DETAILED LIST OF, OF MAINTENANCE, UM, TO KEEP THAT AWARD.
'CAUSE YOU COULD DEFINITELY BE AWARDED IT.
AND THEN IF YOU DON'T MAINTAIN IT, YOU COULD, UM, ACTUALLY HAVE THAT AWARD TAKEN, TAKEN BACK, BACK.
SO A LITTLE BIT, JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM.
WE TALK ABOUT, UM, KIND OF THE PROGRESSION ON THE OTHER SLIDE.
THE LEADERSHIP CIRCLE AWARD DID, UM, COMMENCE IN 2009.
THAT PROGRAM WAS EVENTUALLY REPLACED BY THE TRANSPARENCY STARS PROGRAM.
UM, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE WAS A LOT OF TRACTION IN BETWEEN 2009 AND 2015 IN, IN REGARDS TO THIS TRANSPARENCY EFFORT.
UM, IN 2015, THERE WERE 1,878 LEADERSHIP CIRCLE AWARDS AMONG ENTITIES.
AND IN THE DEVELOPMENT, THEY WANTED TO LOOK AT WHAT TYPE OF INFORMATION WOULD BE REQUIRED FROM THE ENTITIES, UM, TO PROVIDE BETTER TRANSPARENCY.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THESE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
BUT VISUALIZATIONS DOWNLOADABLE DATA, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IS GOING TO INCLUDE SPREADSHEETS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ALLOWS USERS TO EVEN DO DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANALYSIS AS IT RELATES TO YOUR FINANCIALS.
UM, BULLETED LIST OF KEY FIGURES, OPEN DATA AND ACCESSIBILITY, AND THEN, UM, HIGHER TRANSPARENCY STANDARDS.
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AFTER THAT, WE MOVE INTO THE STAR AWARD CATEGORIES THEMSELVES.SALES A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE GENERAL CRITERIA.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A DEDICATED PAGE OR SECTION OF YOUR WEBSITE.
AS YOU KNOW, ON OUR, IF YOU GO TO THE CITY OF DESOTO AND GO TO THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, YOU WILL SEE THAT WE HAVE A DEDICATED PAGE THAT IS DEDICATED TO OUR TRANSPARENCY AREA.
YOU NEED TO HAVE TRANSPARENCY AREA SUMMARIES, SNAPSHOT OF KEY FIGURES, BUDGET NUMBERS, UH, ACT FOR INFORMATION VISUALIZATIONS, CHARTS AND INTERACTIVE TOOLS, AND DIFFERENT OTHER TYPES OF VARIOUS DOCUMENTATION THAT'S REQUIRED.
AND FOR EACH CATEGORY, YOU WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE LAST FIVE FISCAL YEARS OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE.
SO, UH, SOME OF THE GENERAL CRITERIA FOR EVERY SUBCATEGORY IS GONNA BE, AGAIN, THE DOWNLOADABLE DATA.
THEY'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT PDFS THAT YOU SCAN INTO THE WEBSITE.
UM, THESE NEED TO BE, UM, RAW FORMAT DATA, AND AGAIN, DATA THAT CAN BE ANALYZED THE WAY THAT THE END USER WANTS TO SEE IT ANALYZED.
OTHER INFORMATION INCLUDES GA SB STANDARDS.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOVERNED BY THE GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS BOARD.
THEY WANT THOSE UPTODATE, GABY STATE STATEMENTS ON THE WEBSITE WITH CONTACT INFORMATION AND LOOKUP TOOLS.
LET'S LOOK AT THE MOST AMBITIOUS AREA OF THE TRANSPARENCY STAR AWARD, WHICH IS GONNA BE THE TRADITIONAL FINANCES.
IT MUST BE EARNED BEFORE ANY OTHER TYPE OF TRANSPARENCY.
IT IS OUR BASELINE TRANSPARENCY TOOL.
UM, AGAIN, A DEDICATED PORTION OF THE WEBSITE WITH, UM, HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF THE ENTITY FINANCES.
AGAIN, YOU'RE GONNA NEED THOSE VISUALIZATIONS AND THOSE ARE GONNA INCLUDE VARIOUS TYPES OF, UM, TIME CHARTS, UH, PIE CHARTS, AREA CHARTS, UM, HISTOGRAMS, INTERACTIVE TOOLS.
AND THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT MUST BE INCLUDED.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE ALL OF THESE THINGS HERE INCLUDED ON OUR, ON OUR CURRENT PAGE, DOWNLOADABLE DATA.
AGAIN, WHAT IS NOT ACCEPTED IS A PDF.
UM, IT MUST BE IN A MACHINE READABLE FORMAT.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO OUR CHECK REGISTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, IT MUST BE PARALLEL TO THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
WE MUST HAVE OUR CHECK REGISTERS, WHICH INCLUDES ALL OF OUR, UM, TRANSACTIONS, INCLUDING CHECKS, A, CH.
THOSE MUST BE UPDATED QUARTERLY.
AND WE MUST HAVE GENERAL CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE GOVERNMENT, UM, DIRECT CONTACT INFORMATION FOR OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, OF COURSE.
AND THEN, UM, VERY PRONOUNCED INFORMATION ABOUT HOW OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS ARE MADE, UM, AND VERY DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS ON THAT.
SO AS WE MOVE INTO THE NEXT CATEGORY, DEBT OBLIGATIONS, UM, KINDA GIVES US A SUMMARY HERE OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE PROVIDED.
UM, REPORT THE, YOU HAVE TO REPORT ALL OF YOUR DEBT INFORMATION FOR POSTING ON THE COMPTROLLER'S INTERNET WEBSITE, OR YOU CAN POST THE INFORMATION ON THE POLITICAL SUBDIVISION'S OWN INTERNET SITE AND MAKE IT AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION BY ANY PERSON.
THIS IS A CATEGORY THAT WILL, UH, BE SOMETHING THAT IS LIKELY ACHIEVABLE, UM, FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO BECAUSE WE DO GET A LOT OF HELP IN THIS AREA FROM OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS EACH YEAR.
THEY DO SUPPLY US WITH A DEBT BOOK THAT GIVES US THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION.
SO, UM, MOST OF THIS INFORMATION WE, WE WOULD HAVE, UH, READILY AVAILABLE.
THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS 180 DAYS FROM THE LAST DAY OF OUR FISCAL YEAR TO GET THIS INFORMATION IN PUBLIC PENSION PROGRAMS. UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DATA HERE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE, UM, THE MORE DIFFICULT AREAS TO ACHIEVE, TO BE HONEST.
UM, THE PUBLIC PENSION PROGRAM HAS A LOT OF AMORTIZATION FUND RATIO INFORMATION.
A LOT OF THIS DATA IS, IS ATTAINED THROUGH OUR TEXAS MUNICIPAL RETIREMENT SYSTEM.
AND ACCORDING TO THE WEBSITE OF THE COMPTROLLER, IF YOU HAVE A, IF YOU PARTICIPATE IN A STATEWIDE PROGRAM LIKE TMRS, UM, THEY ARE NOT LOOKING AT, UM, YOU, UM, YOUR APPLICATIONS AT THIS TIME BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF DATA THAT GOES INTO ACHIEVING THIS AWARD.
IF YOU LOOK ON THE STATE CONTROLLER SITE, YOU'LL SEE PROBABLY ABOUT EVERY 12 TO 15 CITIES WHO ACTUALLY HAVE THIS AND CAN QUALIFY FOR THIS.
[01:50:01]
UM, ACTUARIES WITHIN TMRS WHO PROVIDE US WITH THIS TYPE OF VERY DETAILED AND KIND OF DIFFICULT TO, UM, TO GET TOGETHER, UH, WITH THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION.UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A LOT, UM, OF CRITERIA HERE FOR THE PUBLIC PENSION STAR.
AGAIN, OUR A DC, WHICH IS OUR ACTUARY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTION RATE WITH THE COMPARISON TO THE CURRENT TOTAL CONTRIBUTION RATE THAT HAS TO BE INCLUDED.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS ACTUALLY IN, UH, SOMETHING THAT IS PRESENT IN OUR A CFR DOCUMENT.
BUT AGAIN, IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT A CITIES THEMSELVES READILY PREPARE.
AND IF YOU PARTICIPATE IN A STATEWIDE PROGRAM LIKE A-T-M-R-S OR A TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM, UM, ACCORDING TO THE SITE, THEY ARE NOT, UH, REVIEWING THOSE TYPE OF APPLICATIONS AT THIS TIME.
JUST THOSE CITIES WHO KIND OF MAINTAIN THEIR OWN ONE-SIDED OR THEIR, UM, OWN KIND OF PRIVATELY RUN RETIREMENT SYSTEMS AT THIS TIME.
BUT AGAIN, IF WE EVER DO BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR THIS, THOSE SAME THREE VISUAL VISUALIZATIONS DOCUMENTS AND DOWNLOAD DOWNLOADABLE DATA WOULD BE REQUIRED.
THE NEXT TRANSPARENCY STAR IS WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UM, FOR THE REQUIREMENTS HERE, WE WOULD NEED TO POST OUR, UH, EDC SUMMARY THAT INCLUDES NARRATIVES AS WELL AS ITEMS FOR TAX ABATEMENTS.
UM, HOW MANY TAX ABATEMENTS HAVE WE GRANTED? HOW MANY, UM, HAVE WE GRANTED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR? WHAT IS THE TOTAL AMOUNT PER CAPITA, THE ESTIMATED TAXES ABATEMENT FOR, UH, FOR A LIFE OF AGREEMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT HAVE TO DO WITH OUR ECONOMICS, UM, AND OUR INCENTIVES AS WELL.
UM, NUMBER OF JOBS CREATED AND RETAINED BY THESE AGREEMENTS.
AND SOME OF THIS INFORMATION MAY BE INFORMATION THAT IS MORE KEPT IN MORE DETAIL WITHIN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, BUT OF COURSE THEY WILL ALSO NEED TO HAVE VISUALIZATIONS, DOCUMENTS, DOWNLOADABLE DATA AND OTHER INFORMATION AS WELL AS ALL OF THIS TYPE OF INFORM INFORMATION FOR THE CURRENT YEAR AS WELL AS THE PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS FOR CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENT.
UM, THIS IS THE LAST SECTION OF TRANSPARENCY STAR.
UM, IT SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS COMPLETED FOR THE FISCAL YEAR YOU'RE SPENDING ON PROCUREMENT.
WHAT ARE YOUR CONTRACTING ACTIVITIES EXPRESSED AS A TOTAL PER CAPITA TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLICLY POSTED BIDDING AND CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES.
I KNOW THAT WE, UM, CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO POST THOSE PUBLICLY SO THAT INFORMATION IS, IS LIKELY, READILY, READILY AVAILABLE IN OUR PURCHASING DEPARTMENT.
TOTAL NUMBER OF CLOSED BIDS AND SOLICITATIONS.
WE ALSO KEEP UP WITH THAT HERE LOCALLY.
UM, TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT OF BIDS RECEIVED.
HOW MANY INVITATIONS FOR BIDS AND TOTAL A DOLLAR AMOUNT AWARDED FROM CONTRACTS.
AND AGAIN, YOU WOULD NEED YOUR, UM, VISUALS, VISUALIZATIONS, DOCUMENTS, DOWNLOADABLE DATA AND OTHER INFORMATION OVER THE CURRENT YEAR AND PAST FIVE FISCAL YEARS.
SO WHAT IS OUR TRANSPARENCY STAR STATUS? WE HAVE, UM, ATTAINED THE TRADITIONAL FINANCES TRANSPARENCY STAR BACK IN 2019, AND WE HAVE MAINTAINED THAT SINCE THEN.
UM, THE MAINTENANCE PROCESS, UM, IS, IS, UH, REVIEWED QUARTERLY.
SO WE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THESE FOUR CATEGORIES UPDATED FOR OUR TRADITIONAL FINANCES, UM, STAR AND FOR US TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THAT, UM, INTACT.
AND CURRENTLY, UM, WE, LOOKING AT THE, IN LOOKING AT THE TRANSPARENCY SITE, IT LOOKS LIKE THE PUBLIC PENSION STAR IS NOT ATTAINABLE FOR US AT THIS TIME, BUT WE WILL LOOK INTO WAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MAY BE ABLE TO, TO TRANS, UM, TO QUALIFY FOR THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
SO HOW DO YOU APPLY? IT'S VERY, IT'S NOT A LONG APPLICATION PROCESS.
THE PROCESS IS GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT THERE TO BE ABLE AND TO BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR ONE OF THE OTHER SUBCATEGORIES.
BUT BASICALLY YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO IN ANY ORDER AFTER YOU OBTAINED THE TRANSPARENCY.
UM, THE, THE FIRST, THE BORDERLINE AWARD, UH, FOR TRADITIONAL FINANCES, YOU WOULD BASICALLY LOOK AT THE AREAS THAT YOU FEEL THAT YOU QUALIFY FOR, AND THEN YOU CAN PUT IN AN APPLICATION FOR THOSE.
STAFF WILL GO ONLINE AND COMPLETE THE APPLICATION.
WE WILL BE CONTACTED WITH WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS.
AND THEN IF AWARDED, WE WILL BE GIVEN OUR MEDIA PACKET
[01:55:01]
AND THE INSIGNIA AWARD IS PLACED ON OUR WEBSITE.AND THEN AT THAT TIME WE WILL START THE QUARTERLY REVIEW PROCESS FOR COMPLIANCE.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
MS. SUTTON, COUNSEL, ARE THERE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES.
UM, MADAM MAYOR AND THANK YOU MS. SUTTON FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, WHAT I, I, I AND I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DELIVERING.
WHAT I DID NOT HEAR THOUGH WAS, UH, FINANCIAL IMPACT IF, BECAUSE I IMAGINE, UM, TO DO MOST OF THIS, SOMETHING WOULD, SOMETHING MECHANICALLY WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE OR ADMINISTRATIVELY WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE IN ORDER TO GUARANTEE CONSISTENCY, RIGHT? YEAH.
HAVE YOU, DID YOU ALL LOOK INTO THE, THE COST OR IMPACT THAT THIS WOULD HAVE ON THE CITY? NO, WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN THAT FAR.
UM, I CAN JUST TELL YOU THOUGH, IT, IT IS VERY AMBITIOUS TO OBTAIN ANY OF THESE STARS.
AND IF YOU GO ONTO THE WEBSITE, YOU CAN SEE, YOU CAN SEE THAT, YOU'LL SEE A LONG LIST OF CITIES WHO HAVE THE TRADITIONAL FINANCE STARS AND THEN THE OTHERS JUST KIND OF DROP OFF FROM THERE.
AND A LOT OF TIMES IT'S BECAUSE OF THE RESOURCES THAT THE CITY IS, YOU KNOW, HAVING TROUBLE MAINTAINING IT OR EVEN ACHIEVING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE JUST DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF, UM, AMBITION THAT IT TAKES TO, TO PUT INTO IT.
I, I DID, UH, ASK THE CITY SECRETARY OFFICE TO SEND THE LINK TO, 'CAUSE IT WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE PRESENTATION SO THAT THE CITY COUNCIL COULD SEE, UM, 'CAUSE THEY ACTUALLY POST ALL THE CITIES AND THEN THEY, THE DIFFERENT CRITERIA AND THEN THERE'S LINKS THAT YOU CAN CLICK ON TO GO DIRECTLY TO THOSE CITIES WEBSITES TO SEE WHAT THE, THAT VISUAL INFORMATION.
ONE CITY THAT REALLY STANDS OUT TO ME IN THIS IS IN OUR METROPLEX IS THE CITY OF ARLINGTON.
I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THEM 'CAUSE THEY ARE ACTUALLY HITTING ALL FIVE OF THE STARS METRICS.
AND SO, UM, BEING ABLE TO SEE THAT IT IS ATTAINABLE JUST WITHIN OUR METROPLEX AND SOMEONE IS DOING IT.
MAY I ASK, HAS STAFF REACHED OUT TO THEM, UH, FOR ANY, UM, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO EXECUTE THAT? NOT AT THIS TIME, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE IT'S BECAUSE OF THEIR SIZE.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE WITH THE PENSION PORTION, YES.
UM, THEY HAVE WHOLE DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE DEDICATED TO THAT TYPE OF THING.
SO THE SIZING PROBABLY HAS A LOT TO DO WITH IT AND THE ECONOMIC CONDITION OF THE CITY.
I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT AFTER THOSE QUESTIONS IS THAT, UM, AND THAT'S MORE SO TO THE COUNCIL.
WHY? I UNDERSTAND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS AMBITIOUS AND I CAN IMAGINE, UM, IF I WAS A STAFF MEMBER, I WOULD LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, WHAT THE HECK? UM, WHY AREN'T WE EVEN DOING THIS? RIGHT? UM, BUT AS A TAX PAYING RESIDENT HERE IN THE CITY, UM, AND, UM, UM, UH, A VERY GRATEFUL COUN COUNCIL MEMBER TO BE SERVING ALONGSIDE OF YOU ALL, I THINK THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE ALL HAVE TO BE, TO OFFER EVEN A GREATER TRANSPARENCY WHEN THOSE MOMENTS ARISE, WHERE WE CAN, UM, SO THAT FOLKS KNOW WHERE OUR MONEY IS GOING AND THAT WE CAN RAISE THE LEVEL AND SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT, WE DON'T HAVE TO BE REACTIVE.
WE CAN SAY THIS IS THE CITY OF DESOTO AND OUR EXCELLENCE AROUND FINANCE TRANSPARENCY.
UM, AND SO I'LL JUST STOP THERE.
COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? YES.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BUR THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR.
WHAT, UM, UM, I, I'M ALWAYS FOR CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS, BUT WHAT, WHAT CERTIFICATIONS DO WE ALREADY HAVE? WE HAVE LIKE A, THE TOP CERTIFICATION ALREADY IN FINANCE AND WE'VE GOTTEN IT, WE HAVE AN AUDIT AND BUDGET.
AND SO THIS IS A STATE, HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS.
THIS IS A STATE PROGRAM TO BE ACCREDITED THROUGH THE STATE AND THE AUDIT AND BUDGET IS AN INDUSTRY.
SO THE, UM, THE BUDGET AND THE AUDIT AWARDS THAT WE CURRENTLY RECEIVE AND HAVE BEEN RECEIVING FOR SEVERAL YEARS IS OFFERED THROUGH THE GFOA.
UH, WHICH IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE.
SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE VERY, UM, WIDELY RECOGNIZED AWARDS AND VERY PRESTIGIOUS AS WELL.
SO, UH, BUT THEY ARE SEPARATE FROM THIS, THIS IS STATE PROGRAM.
SO, AND DO WE KNOW THE PRESTIGE OF THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM? HAVE YOU GUYS DONE ANY RESEARCH ON IF YOU HAD TO HAVE ONE OR THE OTHER, WHICH IS MORE, MORE PRESTIGIOUS? UM, NO, AND I WOULDN'T TRY TO, UM, PUT ANY TYPE OF, UM, LABEL ON EITHER ONE OR THE OTHER AND SAY THAT ONE, YOU KNOW, TOPS THE OTHER.
I MEAN, I, I CAN'T SAY THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT HAVING THIS, UH, MORE TRANSPARENCY STARS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE I DO, AND IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD WHEN YOU GO ONTO THOSE CITIES' WEBSITE AND CLICK ON TRANSPARENCY AND THEY HAVE THREE STARS AND THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT, UM, DOWNLOADABLE DATA, YOU KNOW, AT YOUR FINGERTIPS.
SO I WOULDN'T PUT ONE OVER THE OTHER.
[02:00:01]
FIVE STARS, WE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR HOW MANY, I BELIEVE AT THIS TIME, WE, WE HAVE THE ONE.SO IF YOU HAVE THAT ONE, THE TRADITIONAL FINANCES YOU'RE DOING REALLY WELL.
'CAUSE THAT ONE IS VERY HARD TO KEEP UP WITH.
ARE WE KEEPING UP WITH THAT ONE? WE ARE.
WE'VE GOTTEN IT, UM, HAD IT SINCE 2019 AT THIS TIME, I THINK PROBABLY THE DEBT ONE WOULD BE ACHIEVABLE FOR US, UM, AS WELL AS PERHAPS THE PROCUREMENT PIECE.
UM, THE PENSION, THE PENSION PLEA PIECE IS GONNA BE, UH, OUR, PROBABLY OUR GREATEST CHALLENGE IF WE WERE GONNA TRY TO GO FOR ANOTHER ONE.
SO IS THE ASKED FOR US TO GO FOR ALL OF THEM, OR IS THE ASKED JUST TO GO FOR ONE OR THE, EITHER ONE ADDITIONAL ONE? UH, COMPARED TO WHAT, WHAT IS I, I, I GUESS I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING.
IS IT TO EAT THE WHOLE PIE OR IS IT TO JUST ADD ANOTHER, ANOTHER ELEMENT THAT WE CAN, I THINK IT WAS, AND THIS WAS BROUGHT TO EAT THE WHOLE PIE.
THIS WAS PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, NOT NECESSARILY FROM STAFF.
SO I THINK HER, HER, THE POINT OF PRESENTING WAS TO LOOK AT POSSIBLY ACHIEVING THEM ALL.
THAT'S WHY THE TERM AMBITIOUS WAS USED.
BUT, UM, TO LOOK AT THEM ALL, I WOULD, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF LOOKING AT WHAT'S MOST ATTAINABLE AND MAINTAINABLE FOR US AT THIS TIME WITH THE LEVEL OF STAFFING THAT WE HAVE, UM, HERE IN DESOTO AND, AND START AND KIND OF START THERE AND THEN SHOOT FOR MORE IN THE FUTURE AS WE'RE ABLE TO.
UM, THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE MY, MY ASK.
I WOULD HATE FOR US TO SEE, TO TAKE OUT OF THE GATE REALLY FAST AND THEN NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN IT AND THEN PUTTING UNDUE STRESS OR HARDSHIP ON STAFF FOR ANY REASON.
I'M, I'M, I THINK I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH EVERYONE WHEN I SAY I, I DON'T THINK, UM, MORE TRANSPARENCY COULD HURT AT ALL.
HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE INTRODUCE THESE THINGS, THAT IT DOESN'T PUT ANY UNDUE HARDSHIP ON STAFF.
AND SO I WOULD SAY TO LOOK AT THE ONES KIND OF, WHAT IS OUR LOW HANGING FRUIT? AND I THINK YOU'VE ARTICULATED THAT WITH THE FACT THAT OUR DEBT IS ALREADY SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH OUR CONSULTANTS, AND THAT'S, THAT INFORMATION IS RATHER EASILY ACCESSIBLE.
I THINK I ALSO HEARD YOU SAY THAT WE ARE SOMEWHAT INELIGIBLE FOR THE PENSION ONE AS WELL, CORRECT.
UM, AND THEN THE PROCUREMENT, AND THEN, UM, POSSIBLY MAYBE START WITH THOSE AND THEN WORK OUR WAY UP WOULD BE, WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION.
BUT THAT'S, I'M ONE, I'M ONE THOUGHT, SO WHATEVER COUNCIL WANTS TO DO IS WHAT, WHAT WE SHALL DO.
COUNCIL, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? YES.
THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION IS AN INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION.
UM, I TOOK A LOOK AT, UM, CITY OF ARLINGTON'S, UH, FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY WEBSITE, AND I KNOW WE'RE UNDERGOING THE PROCESS OF REVAMPING OUR WEBSITE.
AND SO IN TERMS OF IMPROVEMENTS, WHAT ARE OUR IMPROVEMENTS AS FAR AS HOW WE PRESENT OUR FINANCIAL TRADITIONAL FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY? WHAT IMPROVEMENTS AND MAYBE UHHUH, MAYBE THIS IS MORE SO FOR THE DIRECTOR.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF REVAMPING OUR WEBSITE.
UM, I FIND THAT OUR TRANSPARENCY PAGE IS INFORMATIVE, BUT IT'S, IT'S CONVOLUTED IN NAVIGATING.
I TOOK A LOOK AT THE CITY OF ARLINGTON'S WEBSITE.
UM, SAME BASIC INFORMATION, BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO NAVIGATE.
AND SO AS FAR AS WHAT THE PROCESS HAS BEEN IN TERMS OF, I'M, I'M ASSUMING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECT MANAGER HAS SPOKEN WITH THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENT HEADS AND HOW WE WANT, YOU KNOW, OUR PAGES TO LOOK HOW OURS LOOK MORE, WILL OUR BE MORE NAVIGATABLE, NAVIGATABLE, WILL IT BE EASIER TO JUST MOVE AROUND? SAME THING COUNCILMAN MURPHY.
BECAUSE IT GETS TO THE FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY PIECE BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING TO HAVE A BUNCH OF DATA ON THE, ON THE WEBSITE, BUT IF YOU GET LOST INTO JUST, YOU GOTTA CLICK, CLICK, YOU KNOW, AND DO ALL THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST REALLY HARD.
AND SO FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY IS ONE, HAVING THE INFORMATION THERE, BUT THE ALSO THE OTHER PART OF IT IS THE EASE OF GETTING THAT INFORMATION.
AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND LIKE, ARE WE HAVING ANY, ARE WE MAKING ANY IMPROVEMENTS ON THAT? SO I WANT, I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION FROM MY OWN, UH, BENEFIT MM-HMM.
WHAT IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE MADE TO OUR TRANSPARENCY PAGE AT THIS? RIGHT.
TO THE TRANSPARENCY PAGE RIGHT NOW, ONCE OUR WEBSITE IS REVAMPED? YES.
I MAY NOT HAVE THE DIRECT ANSWER TONIGHT.
UM, BUT WHAT, WHAT WE WILL DO IS GO BACK AND LOOK AT SOME OF THE SISTER CITIES AND SEE WHAT THEIR TRANSPARENCY PAGE LOOKS LIKE IF THEY ARE EASIER TO NAVIGATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE, UM, ENGAGED WITH, YOU KNOW, UM, AVENUE INSIGHTS.
THEY'RE AN AGENCY THAT WHO DOES ASSIST CITIES IN GOING IN AND ORGANIZING DATA THE WAY THAT THEY WANT IT TO LOOK.
AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UM, ENGAGED WITH THEM IN THE PAST.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CURRENT STATUS OF THAT IS, BUT, UM, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT MAKING IT EASIER TO NAVIGATE.
HAVE, HAVE, AND AND THIS IS DIRECTED TO THE DIRECTOR, HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS OR THE CITY MANAGER,
[02:05:01]
ARE WE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS IN TERMS OF THE WEBSITE? I KNOW THAT'S A PROJECT, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN RAPHAEL WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FINALIZING THE SITE MAP, WHICH IS REALLY SORT OF HOW WE MOVE THROUGH.AND WE HAVEN'T STARTED MOVING DATA YET.
WHEN WE START MOVING DATA, THAT'S WHEN WE START.
I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE DISCUSSIONS HAVE HAPPENED WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE WORKING WITH REVISED, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH ALL SITE MAPS, TRYING TO FINALIZE THOSE, AND CERTAINLY WE HAVE PUT A STRONG EMPHASIS ON CLEARING THOSE UP AND MAKING 'EM MORE NAVIGABLE.
AND THEN AS IT RELATES TO, UM, I'M JUST GONNA GIVE YOU A WEBSITE JUST, JUST AS, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE DOING THE RESEARCH, BOSTON.GOV IS HANDS DOWN, I THINK THE BEST CITY WEBSITE, BOSTON.GOV SIDE NOTE.
BUT JUST COMING BACK TO THE VARIOUS STARS, UM, IN TERMS OF, UM, THE, THE PROCUREMENT PIECE AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR, FOR, IF WE WENT IN THE DIRECTION OF ADDING THOSE, WHICH BASICALLY HAVING THAT STAR IS HAVING THE INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE OR MAKING IT EASIER TO FIND ALL OF THIS.
GENERALLY WE HAVE IT ON THE WEBSITE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, BUT HAVING THE, YOU KNOW, JUST ONE PLACE, ONE STOP SHOP, JUST EASE OF USE.
THAT'S THE BIGGEST THING THAT I HEAR FROM RESIDENTS.
UH, FROM A RESIDENT WHO'S NEVER GONE TO OUR WEBPAGE, YOU KNOW, WHO'S NEVER LOOKED AT ANYTHING WITH THE CITY, YOU KNOW, HEY, WOW, IT'S GREAT, BUT THEN IT TAKES ME 15 CLICKS TO GET TO WHERE I WANT TO GET TO.
AND SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, TOWARDS YOU AND THEN ALSO TOWARDS THE DIRECTOR AS WELL.
UM, BUT IN THOSE TWO PARTICULAR AREAS, MY QUESTION IS, WHAT WOULD STAFFING NEED TO LOOK LIKE? DO WE HAVE THE CAPACITY AS WHAT, UM, OUR MAYOR HAS MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, JUST MAKING CERTAIN WE DO THINGS THAT ARE ATTAINABLE.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S ATTAINABLE? I THINK SO.
I THINK IT'S GIVEN IF WE GIVEN THE TIME.
I APPRECIATE UNDERSTANDING THAT.
AND THEN, UM, THE LAST THING WAS JUST TO, UM, LET'S SEE, AS IT RELATED TO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER BERG, YOU HAD MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT THE ONE, UM, ACCOLADE OVER THE OTHER, I THINK THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE AND THE NEAT PART OF WHAT THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM DOES IS IT, YOU KNOW, IT SAYS THAT WE HAVE CHECKED ALL THESE BOXES, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, PACKAGED IT IN A WAY THAT RESIDENTS CAN SEE IT AND UNDERSTAND IT.
AND THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO GO TO, YOU KNOW, 15 LAYERS DEEP INTO SOMETHING TRYING TO GET SOMEWHERE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY GET CONFUSED AND GOING INTO THE EASE, EASE OF USE.
THAT'S THE BENEFIT THAT I SEE.
THANK YOU IRE, APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND ALONG THOSE LINES, UM, ONE OF THE, THE CRITERIA THAT, UM, THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE DOES LOOK AT FOR EASE OF USE, IF SOMETHING IS MORE THAN THREE TO FIVE CLICKS AWAY, THEN IT DOESN'T FIT WITHIN THE TRANSPARENCY BECAUSE IT'S, THEY'RE SAYING THAT IT IS TOO HARD TO FIND.
SO IF YOU EVEN LOOK AT OURS, IT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONVOLUTED OR A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, INFORMATION THAT'S THERE THAN SOMEHOW HOW THE OTHER CITIES HAVE STREAMLINED IT.
BUT IT'S THREE CLICKS AWAY FOR THIS TYPE OF CORE DATA, AND THAT IS SOME, THAT IS A RULE THAT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW TO, TO MAINTAIN THAT AWARD.
AND THIS IS A HISTORICAL QUESTION, MORE SO MAYBE FOR THE DIRECTOR, LIKE HOW DID WE GET HERE? LIKE, HEY, WE DECIDED WE WANTED TO DO THIS.
WAS THIS A POLICY THAT CAME FORWARD? UM, UM, YEAH, IN THE PAST OR, YEAH, I THINK IT WAS, IT WAS BACK IN 2018 IS WHEN WE FIRST STARTED.
AND LIKE LAKITA SAID, WE GOT THE FIRST AWARD IN 19 AND WE HAD PLANNED ON MOVING FORWARD, GOING TO THE OTHERS TRANSPARENCY.
BUT OF COURSE, IN 20 THE PANDEMIC HIT.
AND THEN AFTER THAT WE HAD A LOT OF TURNOVER AND STAFF.
SO WE'VE REALLY NEVER GOT BACK ON TRACK.
AND ARE WE OKAY NOW? WE'RE FULLY STAFFED, YES.
YEAH, I THINK, I THINK WHAT THE UNIQUENESS OF IT IS REALLY MORE SO BECAUSE AS YOU MENTIONED AND, UM, THE DATA IS THERE, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE
BUT I THINK THE POINT OF IT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S EASE OF USE FOR RESIDENTS TO FIND IT AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO SEARCH AND DIG AND PUT OUT AN A, PB TO, UH, TO FIND IT, FIND INFORMATION.
MADAM MAYOR, CAN I CLEAR? SURE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR, AND THANK YOU TRACY, AND THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, SO, UH, I, I THINK I'M CONFUSED NOW, SO THE INFORMATION'S THERE.
UH, BUT, BUT I GUESS THE QUESTION, ARE WE STAFFED AND CAN WE KEEP IT UP ONCE WE STARTED THE INFORMATION'S THERE.
THE CLICKS AND ALL OF THAT YEAH.
TO MAKE IT, UH, AND, AND THEN ARE WE STILL TRYING TO EAT THE WHOLE MONTY? ARE WE STILL TRYING TO EAT IT ALL? ARE WE, ARE WE DECIDING TONIGHT TO GET BACK ON THE PROGRAM? THE PROGRAM ALREADY EXISTS FROM 2019, SO ARE WE GONNA ADD ONE MODULE TONIGHT? YOU KNOW, SO I I I'M, I'M, I'M STILL ASKING THAT SAME QUESTION.
[02:10:01]
MY, AND, AND I'LL, I'LL KIND OF REPEAT MY THOUGHTS ON IT ALL.UM, AGAIN, JUST MAKING SURE AND I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW BECAUSE I, I HEARD YOU SAY, AND I MEAN JUST FROM LOOKING AT IT, THAT A LOT OF CITIES WILL HAVE THE ONE THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE IS PRETTY MUCH THE EASIEST TO GET AND MAINTAIN, UH, FOR CITIES.
BUT THEN OTHERS SEEMS LIKE IT KIND OF TAPERS OFF POSSIBLY BECAUSE IT MAY BE MORE DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN FOR CITIES.
AND THAT THAT WOULD BE MY WHAT IS CAUSING CITIES NOT TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN.
LIKE WHAT IS THE OBSTACLE TO MAINTAINING IT? IT SOUNDS TO ME SIMPLE ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN, HOWEVER, MAYBE I'M MISSING SOMETHING WITH WHY THE INFORMATION IS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN.
'CAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE ONCE YOU'VE GOT YOUR WEBSITES, YOU'VE GOT YOUR, YOU KNOW, SITE MAPS, ALL THOSE THINGS DONE, IT'S JUST CONTINUOUSLY UPDATING THE INFORMATION.
BUT IS IT THAT THE INFORMATION DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY UPDATE? OR WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE DIFFICULTY THAT IT SEEMS TO JUST KEEP THE INFORMATION UPDATED? UM, WELL ONE THING YOU STATED WAS THAT, UM, I DON'T WANNA SAY THAT THE, UH, TRADITIONAL FINANCES IS EASY TO OBTAIN.
THAT IS ACTUALLY THE MOST DIFFICULT ONE TO, TO MAINTAIN AND TO OBTAIN BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONE THAT REQUIRES THE MOST.
UM, IF YOU SEE, UM, SOME OF THE SLIDES HERE THAT, THAT PARTICULAR PART HAS, UM, SEVERAL PARTS TO IT, TRADITIONAL FINANCES, UM, IT'S BASICALLY THE VISUALIZATIONS, UM, DOWNLOADABLE DATA, THE VERY, UM, VERY DETAILED INFORMATION THAT HAS TO BE PUT ON THERE EVERY, UH, EVERY QUARTER.
AND SO WHOEVER OBTAINED IT IN 2019, YOU KNOW, GREAT JOB BECAUSE I'M SURE IT WAS A LOT OF WORK.
AND EVER SINCE THEN, WE ARE DEFINITELY GOING IN AND WE ARE UPDATING THAT QUARTERLY BECAUSE THAT IS ABSOLUTELY INFORMATION THAT THE CITIZENS NEED TO BE ABLE TO GO AND SEE, UM, EVERY, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER THEY GO ONTO THE SITE.
AND SO MOST OF THE CITIES ON THE WEBSITE, IF YOU GO ON THERE, UH, MOST OF THE CITIES HAVE THAT ONE IF THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.
AND THEN YOU'LL SEE A FEW CITIES WITH TWO STARS, THEN A FEW MORE WITH THREE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE PROBABLY ABOUT EVERY 15 CITIES THAT HAS ALL FIVE.
SO IT, IT'S A BIG GAP IN BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THE ONE AND THEN THOSE CITIES THAT HAVE ALL FIVE.
BUT, UM, I CERTAINLY THINK THAT AS FAR AS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER BYRD STATED THE INFORMATION ALREADY BEING ON THE SITE NOW, UM, AS FAR AS THE DEBT AND THE PURCHASING, WE HAVE THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION INTERNALLY.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION ON THE SITE RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK THAT THOSE TWO CATEGORIES ARE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ATTAIN JUST BY THE DATA THAT WE HAVE INTERNALLY IN WORKING WITH OUR CONSULTANTS AND GETTING THAT OUT THERE.
SO, UM, KINDA LIKE, UM, MAYOR PROCTOR STATED THAT KINDA LOW HANGING FRUIT, THOSE ARE TWO THAT, UH, I THINK WE DEFINITELY CAN PUT IN OUR WORK PLAN AND, AND WORK TOWARDS THOSE.
AND I HAD A, I HAD A QUESTION.
HOPEFULLY IT'LL COME BACK TO ME.
SO, UM, I GUESS WE CAN START GETTING CONSENSUS FROM THE COUNCIL.
I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE YOUR LIGHT.
THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO ASK, 'CAUSE WE, THE LOW HANGING FRUIT, WOULD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BE IN, IN THAT, UM, GROUPING TOO? I WAS, BECAUSE YOU, YOU DIDN'T SAY THAT ONE AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS HARD TO GET INFORMATION AS WELL, OR IS THAT EASILY ATTAINABLE? THAT ONE, TO BE HONEST, I WOULD HAVE TO GO AND I WOULD HAVE TO, UM, TALK WITH, WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THAT SPECIFICALLY.
'CAUSE THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD DEFINITELY NEED THEM ON BOARD, UM, TO, TO KNOW IF THEY KEEP ALL OF THAT REQUIRED INFORMATION ON HAND.
AND WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO KEEP THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION UPDATED QUARTERLY.
SO WE WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO LOOK FURTHER INTO THAT ONE AND WORK WITH MATT ON THAT ONE.
AND, AND HE'S, HE'S SITTING THERE LOOKING, UH,
SO WOULD THAT, SO IT WOULD DEPEND ON EACH DEPARTMENT TO KEEP THEIR INFORMATION UPDATED? CORRECT.
SO ONCE THAT INFORMATION IS GOING, SO LIKE WITH PROCUREMENT MM-HMM,
THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THEIR DATA IS, IS UPDATED AS NEEDED.
AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS PROBABLY THE, ONE OF THE MORE DIFFICULT ONES, UM, RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOT, UH, NICE THING ABOUT FINANCE IS THAT FINANCE HAS A LOT OF SYSTEMS THAT TRACK AND MAINTAIN.
WE LOAD THINGS INTO SOFTWARE SYSTEMS AND, AND THERE IS NO SUCH SYSTEM OVER AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO EVERYTHING WOULD'VE TO BE PULLED OUT MANUALLY, UM, TO BEGIN.
THAT ONE WOULD PROBABLY BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST HURDLES OF GETTING STARTED WITH, AS WELL AS WANTING TO DEVELOP SOME SORT OF A PROGRAM THAT COULD ELECTRONICALLY TRACK THIS INFORMATION FOR US SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO EVERY QUARTER GO IN AND MANUALLY PULL INFORMATION AND TRY AND UPDATE THAT.
UM, SO, BUT THAT, THAT'S ALL THAT'S THERE.
SORRY,
[02:15:01]
UH, SOME OF THE OTHER ONES, WE HAVE SYSTEMS THAT HAVE THE INFORMATION, IT'S JUST, UH, FIGURING OUT THE RIGHT WAYS TO PULL THAT INFORMATION, GET 'EM TALKING TO EACH OTHER THE RIGHT WAY.UM, THOSE ONES ARE PROBABLY A LITTLE LOWER HANGING FRUIT.
SO MY QUESTION RELATED TO THAT THEN IS I KNOW WE'RE GOING THROUGH A NEW ERB SYSTEM AND IS, IS THAT THE TERM E-R-P-E-R-P-A-E-R-P SYSTEM IN TERMS OF TRACKING INFORMATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT? ARE THERE ANY COMPONENTS WITHIN IT THAT COULD HELP ASSIST WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? THAT'S ONE THING, BUT IN TERMS OF TRACKING AND PULLING INFORMATION TOGETHER QUICKLY, BUT IN JUST TAKING A CURSIVE LOOK, CURSORY LOOK AT, UM, WHAT I SEE THE CITY OF ARLINGTON HAS POSTED, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST THING, EVERYTHING HERE IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT I HAVE SEEN ON OUR, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE.
ASIDE FROM SEEING THE ACTUAL, UH, THREE 80 AGREEMENTS THAT ARE LISTED.
UM, IT DID NOT LOOK THAT DIFFICULT, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF AT LEAST EXPLORING WHAT IT WERE REQUIRED TO TAKE, BECAUSE WE PRETTY MUCH HAVE THE INFORMATION WHY NOT GET THE, UH, STAR OR THE, THE BENEFIT OF, OF SAYING WE ARE BEING TRANSPARENT.
SO COUNSEL, TO GET A CONSENSUS SO WE CAN MOVE TO, WE HAVE, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION THIS EVENING, SO I WANNA GET US, UM, ON THE ROAD TO THAT, BUT DO WE HAVE A CONSENSUS TO, UM, AT LEAST EXPLORE WHAT, WHAT I HEAR ARE THE, UH, PROBABLY WOULD BE THE, THE, AND WE DON'T WANT, I GUESS I SHOULDN'T USE THE TERM EASY 'CAUSE YOU, YOU CORRECTED ME, UH, VERY ELOQUENTLY ON THE EASE OF THAT OR THE LACK THEREOF.
UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT WOULD BE, LET ME, IN MY OWN WORDS, THE LOW HANGING FRUIT IN TERMS OF THE ONES TO START WITH, AND THEN WITH THE, I GUESS WITH THE GOAL OF ACCOMPLISHING THEM ALL OVER TIME, AND I, I HEARD YOU DIRECTOR CORMIER, IN TERMS OF IF STAFF IS GIVEN THE TIME TO DO IT, UM, IT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT, THAT, UM, CAN BE ATTAINABLE OVER TIME.
SO I WILL BE IN FAVOR OF THAT.
I HAVE, I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION IN TRYING TO OBTAIN ONE, HOW LONG DO YOU ANTICIPATE FOR THAT? IS THAT A YEAR'S WORTH? HOW DOES THAT, UM, I MEAN IF WE WERE, IF WE WERE LOOKING AT THE TWO THAT WE WERE, UM, CITY MANAGER WRIGHT, DID YOU WANT TO ANSWER THAT WHEN I SEE YOU REACHING FORWARD?
WHAT I, WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND ON, ON TIMELINE, RIGHT, IS THAT THE, SO EVERY, EVERY YEAR I WORK WITH EACH DEPARTMENT TO BUILD A, A WORK PLAN, UH, FOR THEM.
I, I THINK ISOLATING THIS OUT OF CONTEXT WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT THEY DO, UM, IS PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT PREMATURE IN THAT CONVERSATION.
SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS DURING OUR NEXT WORK PLAN REVIEW WITH THEM, WHICH WOULD BE COMING UP FOR BEGINNING OF OCTOBER ONE OF THIS YEAR, RIGHT, TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT WOULD IT REQUIRE TO BE ABLE TO AT OBTAIN, YOU KNOW, ONE OR TWO OF THESE, PROBABLY NO MORE THAN TWO AND UP IN DURING THAT NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND THEN SETTING A WORK PLAN AROUND HOW IT IS THEY DO THAT RELATIVE TO ALL THE OTHER GOALS THAT THEY HAVE FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND THEN TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT DURING THAT YEAR, UM, WITH THEM.
THAT'S HOW I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, UM, ON THAT AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO SAY, LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW WE JUST DO THIS ONE ITEM RIGHT THERE.
THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT THEY, THAT THEY, UH, HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF.
SO DO WE HAVE A CONSENSUS, UM, IN, IN TERMS OF JUST SOME, SOME SUMMARIZING, IS THAT A WORD? SUMMARIZING? SUMMARIZING? SUMMARIZING IS NOT.
I'VE HEARD SUMMING IT IS A WORD.
I THOUGHT
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, EXCUSE ME, MAYOR TIM HUGHES.
HOWEVER, JUST A CAVEAT FOR THE ITEMS THAT ARE NOT CONSIDERED LOW HANGING FRUIT, COULD WE GET A TIMELINE OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE OR, UM, ANTICIPATED EFFORT OR COST SINCE THAT WAS KIND OF LIKE THINGS THAT COULDN'T BE ANSWERED TODAY? SIR, THANK YOU.
AM I CONCURRENT TO JUST STARTING WITH ONE? IS THAT WHAT'S ON THE TABLE? IS IT JUST SO IT STARTED WITH THE ONES THAT WERE CONSIDERED TO BE LOW HANGING FRUITS.
SINCE WE'RE USING THE TERM, WHICH ARE, WHICH ARE DEBT AND WHAT ELSE? AND PROCUREMENT.
AND THEN AS CITY MANAGER RIGHTS SAID, UM, WORKING WITH STAFF OVERTIME THROUGH THEIR WORK PLANS TO GET TO GET IT DONE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BUR AYE I CONCUR WITH KEEPING THE STAR THAT WE ALREADY HAVE AND ADDING THOSE TWO.
[6. The City Council will convene into Executive Session for the following items: A. Pursuant to the Texas Government Code, Section §551.072, for the purpose of deliberations regarding the purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property generally located along Hampton Road. B. Pursuant to Section §551.074, Personnel Matters, of the Texas Government Code, for the semi-annual review of the City Manager.]
MUCH MS. SAME.UM, AT THIS TIME THAT CONCLUDES THAT ITEM.
UH, WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION ON OUR AGENDA FOR TONIGHT.
SO WE'RE GONNA GIVE IT BACK OVER TO OUR CITY SECRETARY FOR THAT.
THE CITY COUNCIL WILL CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE FOLLOWING ITEMS PURSUANT TO THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 FOR THE PURPOSE OF DELIBERATIONS REGARDING THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY,
[02:20:01]
GENERALLY LOCATED ALONG HAMPTON ROAD.AND PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0.074 PERSONNEL MATTERS OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE FOR THE SEMI-ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE CITY MANAGER AND ANY ACTION AS A RESULT.
UM, AT THIS TIME IT IS 8 27, UH, PM AND WE WILL CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THEN ONCE THAT CONCLUDES, WE WILL RETURN WITH ANY ACTION IF THERE IS ANY AS A RESULT OF IT.
IT IS NOW 10:37 PM AND WE HAVE, UH, ADJOURNED FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[7. Action as a result of Executive Sessions]
UM, AT THIS TIME, THERE IS NO ACTION AS A RESULT OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.SO COUNSEL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MARK SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL TO ADJOURN.
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
IT IS NOW 10:37 PM 10:38 PM AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.