[A. REGULAR SESSION]
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SIX, 10 AND FOUR BEING PRESENT BOARD ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS HEREBY CALL TO ORDER.IT'S THURSDAY, UH, AUGUST THE 10TH AT 6:10 PM UH, THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING IN TO SEE THEM.
AND, UM, THAT'S BEFORE WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, WE'RE GONNA ASK OUR DISTINGUISHED PASTOR AND AND NAME BOARD, GIVE US AN INVOCATION.
THANK GOD OUR FATHER, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THIS DAY THAT YOU'VE ALLOWED US TO COME TOGETHER.
WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THIS BOARD, GOD, FOR HIS LEADERSHIP.
AND, UH, BROTHER PAUL, AND GOD, WE THANK YOU, THANKFUL FOR THE DECK.
AND FOR EVERY DIRECTOR THAT'S AROUND THIS TABLE, WE ASK TH GOD TONIGHT THAT YOU GIVE US CLARITY OF THOUGHT AND MIND GOD, THAT WE MIGHT WORK DILIGENTLY.
FOR YOUR CITY AND FOR YOUR PEOPLE.
WE ASK NOW THAT, UH, WE WILL BE ON ONE ACCORD IN OUR DECISION, GOD, TO BETTER, UM, UH, POSITION THIS GREAT CITY OF DESOTO FOR ADVANCEMENT AND FOR QUALITY OF LIFE.
THESE, UH, BLESSINGS WE ASK IN JESUS NAME.
SO AT THIS TIME, UH, TRACY IS, NO, I ACTUALLY GET TO DO, I'M ACTUALLY STANDING IN FOR TRACY.
[B.1. June 2023 Financial Status Report -- Tracy Cormier, Director of Budget/Finance]
SO AS WE MOVE TO OUR REGULAR AGENDA OF NEW BUSINESS, UH, WE'RE TALK ABOUT OUR JUNE, 2023 FINANCIAL STATUS REPORT.UM, MATT IS GOING TO, IS GONNA JOIN, SHARE THAT WITH US, UH, IN PLACE OF TRACY, UH, A CITY COUNCIL LIAISON UPDATE REGARDING THE CITY EVENTS AND MEETINGS FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDRE BIRD.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE DALLAS ENTREPRENEUR CENTER PRESENTATION FROM BILL CHEN, CEO.
AND TASHA HEARNS, THE SENIOR DIRECTOR.
SO WELCOME, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
LET'S START FOR WITH THE FINANCIAL STATUS.
YOU'LL FIND THAT BEHIND THE, UH, NUMBER ONE TAB IN YOUR BOOK, UM, IS TRACY'S TRACY'S MEMO TO Y'ALL, TO ME, TO Y'ALL, UM, OUTLINING SORT OF THE, THE HIGHLIGHTS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE ACTUAL, UH, BUDGET REPORT IS BEHIND THAT.
UM, IF, IF IN READING THROUGH THAT, IT, THE, WE'RE TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY THROUGH OUR YEAR, Y'ALL, SIX, TWO THIRDS, IF YOU WILL, IN JUNE, UM, WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE SHOULD BE SOMEWHERE AROUND, I'M SORRY, WE'RE 75% OF THE WAY THROUGH OUR, OUR YEAR.
WE'LL BE ENDING IN IN SEPTEMBER.
UH, BUT THESE REPORT THROUGH JUNE.
SO WE WOULD EXPECT THAT OUR EXP EXPENSE EXPENDITURES TO BE SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 75%.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE COLUMN TAB ONE, YEAH.
BEHIND TAB ONE THERE ACTUAL YEAR TO DATE OF BUDGET, THE THIRD COLUMN IN FROM THE RIGHT.
UM, I, I, WHEN I HAVE TO LOOK AT THESE, I ALWAYS JUST SCAN IT TO MAKE SURE THAT, AM I 75% OR LESS? AND IF NOT, DO I UNDERSTAND WHY? BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE OUR EXPENSES SHOULD BE.
UM, WE KNOW THAT OUR SALES ARE, OUR SALES TAX ARE DOWN THIS YEAR.
UM, THE CHANGE IN POINT OF SALE, UH, RECORDING THAT, THAT COLES HAD MADE, UH, LAST YEAR, UH, ON A UNIT, ON A UNILATERAL BASIS, UH, PREDICATED BY SOME, SOME, UH, INDICATION FROM THE COMPTROLLER THAT HE WANTS TO CHANGE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THE WAY THAT IT, THAT SALES TAXES ARE REPORTED AND, AND WHERE THEY'RE, WHERE THEIR POINT OF SALE IS.
UM, HE TRIED TO PUSH THAT THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE.
THE LEGISLATURE SAID NO, UM, HE'S TAKEN ATTACK OF, THEN I'LL DO IT ADMINISTRATIVELY.
UM, THE CITY IS, IS IN A LAWSUIT WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER CITIES, UM, TRYING TO SETTLE OUT WHETHER OR NOT THE, THE COMPTROLLER HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, UM, ONE OF OUR VERY LARGE TAXPAYERS, UH, CHANGED ON UNILATERALLY WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO.
AND SO AS A RESULT, OUR SALES TAXES FROM THAT, IN THAT INDIVIDUAL PROVIDER OR THAT INDIVIDUAL REMITTER, UM, MADE UP A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF OUR SALES TAX.
AND WE'VE SEEN OUR, OUR RAIL, OUR REVENUES ROCK SOME 24% THIS YEAR.
AND YOU KNOW,
THE OTHER PIECE THAT'S WORTHY OF NOTE IS IT'S EASY TO GET EXCITED ABOUT THAT UNTIL YOU REALIZE THAT FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT, THAT, THAT COMPANY REMITTED TO US, WE GAVE BACK 95 CENTS.
WE HAD AN INCENTIVE AGREEMENT WITH THEM FOR, FOR 15 YEARS TO GIVE BACK 95% FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
AND FOR 10 YEARS AFTER THAT, WE GAVE BACK 75%.
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IS PRETTY SMALL.WE ARE ENTIRELY SALES TAX DRIVEN.
THAT'S WHERE WE GET OUR MONEY FROM.
AND, AND SO WHEN THIS WAS ALL GOING ON, AND THERE'S, THERE'S OTHER IMPLICATIONS FOR THE REST OF THE CITY, BUT AS IT RELATES TO THIS BOARD, THE IMPACT REALLY ISN'T ALL THAT GREAT.
YES, IT WILL DROP OUR REVENUES.
YES, THAT WILL, THAT WILL MAKE SOME CHANGES.
BUT THE MONEY THAT CAME IN AND THE MONEY WENT OUT, IT WAS REALLY JUST A MATTER OF, OF TOP AND BOTTOM, BOTTOM LINE.
WHEN YOU GOT TO THE, TO THE END, IT REALLY DIDN'T CHANGE MUCH.
TALKING ABOUT NINE TO 10% IN TERMS OF A DOLLAR NINE OR 10 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT 5 CENTS CENTS.
WE WERE GIVING AWAY 5 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR THAT, THAT FOR EVERYONE THAT THEY REDUCED.
THAT, THAT LOOKS LIKE, UM, WHAT USED TO LOOK LIKE REVENUES ON A MONTHLY BASIS, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, CALL IT, IT'S PROBABLY EASIER TO TRACK OF SOMEWHERE AROUND $3 MILLION.
ACTUAL IMPACT ACTUAL, WHAT WE KEPT ON THE END OF THAT WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 150,000.
SO YEAH, IT'S LESS, BUT NOT, NOT MUCH TO WORRY ABOUT.
AND AS YOU LOOK AT THIS, IF YOU LOOK THE TOP HALF OF THIS, YOU SEE THOSE, THOSE REVENUE NUMBERS.
UM, AND YOU SEE THAT HOW, WHAT, WHAT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE A LONG WAYS BEHIND, REMEMBER THIS IS REPORTING THROUGH 75% OF, OF THE, OF THE REVENUES THAT WE'LL SEE.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA FINISH UP SOMEWHERE PROBABLY ABOUT $300,000 SHY OF WHAT WE ANTICIPATED.
THE, THE TOTAL REVENUES FOR US.
THE REASON THAT THAT'S MITIGATED IS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, WE CHANGED THE INVESTMENT, UM, STATUS AND THE INVESTMENT APPROACH THAT WE WERE USING, MOSTLY BECAUSE WE STARTED SEEING INTEREST RATES RATCHETING UP.
THE OTHER PIECE IS WE HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY A SUBSTANTIAL FUND BALANCE THAT WAS BEING KEPT ESSENTIALLY IN A MONEY MARKET ACCOUNT.
I SAID EVEN, EVEN IF THEY WEREN'T RATCHETING UP, WE COULD STILL EARN 2% VERSUS A QUARTER OF A PERCENT BY SIMPLY STRUCTURING OUR INVESTMENTS BETTER AND, AND TAKING A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
SO WE ANALYZED THAT AND SAID, IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT WE MIGHT USE MORE THAN 50% OF OUR RESERVES? THE ANSWER WAS ZERO.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T GET SURPRISED BY VERY MANY THINGS.
AND SO WE TOOK THE APPROACH OF IF WE TOOK HALF OF OUR FUND BALANCE AND INVESTED IT IN A LADDERED APPROACH OF, OF CDS, WE WOULD BE BETTER OFF.
WELL, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, INTEREST RATES STARTED GOING UP.
AND WE'VE BEEN VERY CAREFULLY MONITORING THOSE, NOT ONLY FOR US, BUT FOR THE REST OF THE CITY.
AND SO YOU SAW REVENUES, INTEREST, REVENUES FOR US JUMPED FROM ABOUT 12 TO $15,000 A YEAR TO THIS YEAR.
TODAY WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE REALIZED ABOUT 150, UH, 153,000.
UH, SO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE THERE THAT'S OFFSET SOME OF THAT.
OTHERWISE SHORTFALL THAT WOULD COME FROM SALES TAX.
WHERE ARE THOSE
TRACY WOULD BE A, AND THEY, AND THEY CHANGE.
SO WE, WE LADDER ON A SIX, 12 AND 18 MONTH, UM, CD, AND PRETTY MUCH WE CHASE THE MARKET.
IT'S A MATTER OF WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE WE SEEING THE RETURNS TO, TO JUSTIFY MAKING THOSE CHANGES WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY, UH, COME AND MATURE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE CURRENTLY HELD.
UM, COUNCILMAN, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD MAYBE IN SOME OF THE REPORTS FROM HILLTOP.
YEAH, I MAYBE MORE INFORMATION THAN I WOULD.
THEY'RE ALL OVER THERE DISPERSED TO, TO MAXIMIZE, AND OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE DIVERSIFIED DEPENDING ON WHICH CD HAS THE GREATEST, UM, THE GREATEST RETURN.
I'M LOOKING, I LOOK FOR MY REPORT AND I
AND SO OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL PULL ALL THE MONEY INVESTED, RIGHT? AND SO IT IS, WHAT HE SAID WAS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
IT'S DIVERSE ALL OVER SEVERAL INSTITUTIONS.
IT'S NOT JUST IN ONE BANK OR ONE SPOT.
AND ARE, IS IT, ARE WE, IS ANY INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNT OVER 250,000 OR ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF WHERE THOSE FUNDS ARE BEING INVESTED? SO EVEN IN CDS, UM, THE ANSWER TO THAT, AGAIN, I'M NOT CERTAIN IF IT'S BROKEN DOWN INTO LESS THAN $250,000 TRANCHES STRICTLY FOR INSURANCE PURPOSES OR NOT.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
UH, HILLTOP'S DONE A WONDERFUL JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL FUNDS THAT ARE INVESTED ARE INSURED, FDIC INSURED.
SO WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, THAT IS, THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DRILL THEM OVER, UH, DOING THE COUNCIL MEETINGS.
SO, UM, I, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME INVESTMENTS THAT'S OVER THAT, BUT THERE'S SOME SOMETHING DEALING WITH THE LAW THAT ALLOWS MUNICIPALITIES TO BE VERY CONSERVATIVE,
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BUT ALSO AGGRESSIVE WITHOUT LOSING THE FUNDS.SO, UM, I, AGAIN, I WILL LOOK AND FIND OUT, UH, THE MONETARY, WE JUST RECENTLY CHANGED THE MONETARY POLICY TO, TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THE FUNDS AS WE SWEEP, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY, UH, THE EDC MONEY THAT WE SWEEP, RIGHT? THIS IS THE CITY'S MONEY, RIGHT.
SO YEAH, OUR ENTIRE, THE, THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE, 'CAUSE THIS IS, WELL NOW, UM, I CAN TELL YOU FOR, FROM OUR STANDPOINT, WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER, A LITTLE OVER $3 MILLION INVESTED ESSENTIALLY IN EACH, IN EACH TRACHE AT SIX AND 12 AND 18 MONTHS OF THAT LADDER.
WE HAVE ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS, A LITTLE MORE THAN THAT INVESTED IN EACH ONE OF THOSE.
UM, LEAVING US LIQUID FOR ABOUT 3 MILLION PLUS OR MINUS DOLLARS A YEAR, UH, CURRENTLY IN TERMS OF, OF WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US.
SEPARATE, SEPARATE FROM THE INVESTMENTS.
SO HOW MUCH CASH DO YOU HAVE ON HAND? SO CA CASH ON HAND WOULD, WOULD, IN OUR FUND BALANCE AND CURRENT REVENUES IS SOMEWHERE IN EXCESS OF $4 MILLION.
SOME OF THAT'S BEING HELD IN JUST A, A MONEY MARKET ACCOUNT, YOU KNOW, SUBSTANTIAL PORTION, 3 MILLION PLUS DOLLARS.
WHAT'S
SO THE COMPTROLLER HAS, HAS SAID, WHERE THE SALES TAKES PLACE IS THE PLACE THAT THE SALES TAX NEEDS TO BE REMITTED.
AND, AND THIS, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT, IF YOU, IF YOU GO BACK, IT'S PROBABLY, IT'S BEEN FOUR OR FIVE YEARS NOW, UH, A SUPREME COURT CASE, UH, UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT CASE OF WAYFAIR AGAINST THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA.
UM, AND IT WAS REALLY DRIVEN BY ONLINE SALES THAT SAID, IF YOU'RE GONNA SHOP ONLINE, YOU CAN'T JUST NOT PAY SALES TAX.
AND THAT DROVE THE QUESTION OF, WELL THEN WHAT SALES TAX DO YOU ACTUALLY PAY? AND THE SUPREME COURT SAID, YOU, YOU PAY WHERE IT'S GOING TO.
SO ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU SAW, WHEN YOU WERE ORDERING ON AMAZON, YOU STARTED SEEING SALES TAX THAT THAT RESPONDED TO WHATEVER YOU, WHEREVER YOU WERE ORDERING FROM.
THAT WAS THE IMPETUS FOR THIS WITHIN THE STATE.
THE QUESTION BECAME, IF YOU'RE ONLINE ORDERING, WHERE IS THAT ORDER FULFILLED? AND THAT, THAT UP UNTIL A YEAR AGO, TWO YEARS AGO, WAS AT THE FULFILLMENT CENTER.
RIGHT? SO KOHL'S HAS THIS HUGE FULFILLMENT CENTER OUT HERE, RIGHT? SO ALL THE SALES THAT CAME IN THERE WERE RECORDED TO SALES IN DESOTO, AND THOSE SALES TAX CAME TO DESOTO.
THEY HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY SAID, WHEREVER THOSE, WHEREVER THOSE STORES ARE, THAT'S WHERE THOSE SALES ARE GONNA BE REPORTED TO.
CAN I, CAN I JUMP IN THERE? ABSOLUTELY.
IT'S A REAL INTERESTING DEAL BECAUSE INSTEAD OF JUST BUILDING WAREHOUSES, WE STARTED BUILDING WAREHOUSES WITH FULFILLMENT CENTERS.
ESSENTIALLY A SALES COMPONENT, A SALES COMPONENT OF IT.
AND SO, BUT ALL OF THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT DID NOT WANT THESE BIG WAREHOUSES STARTED COMPLAINING BECAUSE THEIR TAX DOLLARS NOW WAS COMING TO DESOTO INSTEAD OF GOING NORTH OF 30, IN ESSENCE.
AND SO NOW THE, THE, UH, COMPTROLLER AND ALL THOSE GUYS AND AUSTIN ARE SAYING NOW WE WANT MAKE IT DESTINATION BASED.
SO WHEREVER IT ENDS UP, WHOEVER ORDERS IT, THAT'S WHO SHOULD, THAT'S THE TAXING ENTITY THAT SHOULD GET THE TAX BENEFITS INSTEAD OF WHERE IT'S FULFILLED.
AND SO WHEN DOES THAT GO IN EFFECT? ARE YOU TRYING TO DO IT IMMEDIATELY? ARE YOU GONNA GRANDFATHER THESE CURRENT SYSTEMS ALREADY IN, AND IT, ONE OF OUR VENDORS OBVIOUSLY JUMPED THE GUN THINKING THAT IT WAS GOING TO
WELL, AND I THINK THEY FOUND A FINANCIAL BENEFIT TO THE COMPANY AS WELL.
I MEAN, THE, THE REAL INTERESTING PIECE OF THIS IS TO THE COUNCILMAN'S POINT, MANY PLACES THAT BUILT THOSE WAREHOUSES DID THAT IN PARTNERSHIP, IN, IN THIS INCENTIVE AGREEMENTS, EITHER ON THE CITY SIDE OR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR BOAT SIDE.
UM, AND THOSE WERE LONG-TERM AGREEMENTS.
SO WE HAD A 40 YEAR AGREEMENT, BUT WE DIDN'T REALLY START TO SEE SIGNIFICANT CASH FLOWS FROM THAT UNTIL SOMEWHERE AROUND YEAR 25 AND BEYOND.
SO ALL THIS TIME, WE'VE BEEN GIVEN BACK 95 CENTS ON EVERY DOLLAR.
AND THAT TIME WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE CREEPING UP ON THE PLACE WHERE IT'S GONNA CHANGE AND WE'RE FINALLY GONNA START TO SEE SOME OF THE TAX REVENUES.
AND DARN, IF THEY DON'T CHANGE THE, THE UNDERLYING LAW.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE BASIS, IF YOU WILL, OF THE COMPLAINT, IS THAT BY DOING THIS, YOU'VE HARMED THAT.
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THAT'S THE HARM THAT WE INCUR THAT ALLOWS US TO BRING A SUIT THAT SAYS, THIS ISN'T RIGHT.YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE BUILT THESE CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS THAT YOU'RE NOW IMPINGING UPON AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR REVIEWS.
SO THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S, FROM A PROPORTIONATE STANDPOINT, A BENEFACTOR TO US AS IT RELATES TO THE FULFILLMENT CENTER.
WE, WE GET NOTHING OF THOSE SELF TAX.
WE, WE GET WHEN YOU ORDER, WE DO WHEN YOU ORDER.
WE DO, BUT, BUT IF SOMEBODY IN YOU LIST ORDERS, WE HAVE NO BENEFIT TO FROM THAT.
I KNOW THE END USER, BUT THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S ALLOCATED TOWARD THAT FULFILLMENT CENTER.
THE THINGS THAT 2% OR THINGS THAT ARE SOLD IN THE, SO, CAN I CORRECT, CAN I, CAN I CLEAR THAT UP? YEAH.
WITH CODES, RIGHT? EVERY OTHER FULFILLMENT CENTER THAT WE HAVE STILL OPERATES THE WAY THAT HAS BEEN OPERATING.
BUT EVEN THOUGH CONTROLLER IS, WELL, HE CAN WANT TO DO SOMETHING, BUT UNTIL HE DOES IT RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT STATE LAW.
HE'S ENJOINED FROM DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENT.
COLE'S MADE A UNILATERAL DECISION TO DO IT DIFFERENT.
THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO JUST DISCONNECT THE COLE'S CONVERSATION FROM.
SO ALL OTHER FULFILLMENT CENTERS, WE STILL GETTING ALL OF THE TAX BASE.
AND IT IS GOING TO PROBABLY, UH, UH, NOT TO TALK.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE VERY INTERESTING FOR LANCASTER.
BECAUSE THEY, THEY HAVE A LOT OF GROWTH HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
AND A LOT OF THOSE INCENTIVES, YOU KNOW, UM, AND, UH, ARE TIED.
SO MATT, ONE QUESTION FOR ME, IF FOR MAY, SO, SO SORT OF REVENUES IS, UH, ONE FACTOR, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FACT THAT WE ARE, WHAT, 74%, UM, WE, WE ARE 24%, UH, TO, TO BUDGET, DOES THAT DEPICT THAT OUR BUSINESS GRANTS AND ADVERTISING DEPICT THAT WE DON'T, THAT WE'RE MISSING OPPORTUNITIES? NO, IT DOESN'T.
NO, AND, AND ESPECIALLY ON THE ADVERTISING SIDE, TO SOME EXTENT, IT'S, IT'S TAKING THE STATUTE THAT ENABLED US TO CREATE A, AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AND PART OF THAT STATUTE SAYS THAT YOU CAN SPEND NO MORE THAN 10% OF YOUR ANNUAL REVENUES ON ADVERTISING ACTIVITIES.
AND THEY'RE LOOSELY DEFINED, VERY LOOSELY DEFINED.
AND SO WE MADE A DECISION INTERNALLY WHEN I CAME HERE WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE BOARD AT THE TIME, UM, THAT SAID, ON A BUDGETING BASIS, WE WILL BUDGET 10% OF OUR REVENUES EACH YEAR.
AND THOSE, BY THE WAY, ARE ALLOWED TO ACCUMULATE FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
SO IF YOU DON'T SPEND IT, WE JUST NEED TO ACCUMULATE IT ON OUR BOOKS.
SO IF WE FOUND A NEED FOR A VERY LARGE ADVERTISING EXPENDITURE OR SOMETHING THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED AN ADVERTISING EXPENDITURE, WE HAVE SORT OF A RAINY DAY FUND THERE TO MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS.
AND SO WE'VE JUST ALLOCATED 10%.
AND AS A GENERAL RULE, WE HAVE NOT SPENT ANYWHERE NEAR THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY.
NOW WE'RE TAKING ON SOME ACTIVITIES THIS COMING YEAR AROUND SOME OF OUR, OUR, UH, STRATEGIC MARKETING PROGRAM THAT WILL CAUSE US TO SPEND MORE THAN WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY, BUT PROBABLY NOWHERE NEAR THE 250 TO $300,000 THAT WE'VE BEEN BUDGETING.
AND REMEMBER, THAT'S ACCUMULATED.
AND I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT THAT NUMBER IS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, UM, THAT, THAT CUMULATIVE AMOUNT, BUT IT'S SUBSTANTIAL.
BUT, BUT WE $1.9 MILLION DOWN IN BUDGET FOR BUSINESS GRANTS.
THAT KINDA SAYS TO ME THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'VE NOT CAPITALIZED ON.
UM, I I, I WOULD DISAGREE WITH THAT ASSESSMENT.
SO EVERY YEAR WHEN WE BUILD OUR BUDGET, UH, TO GET TO THESE AMOUNTS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BUSINESS GRANTS, WE LOOK AT THE EXPENDITURES, AND IT'S NOT ZERO BASED BUDGETING BY ANY STRETCH, BUT WE LOOK AND SAY WHAT'S CHANGING AND WHAT WE NEED TO CHANGE, AND WE MAKE THOSE CHANGES ACCORDINGLY.
AND THE FUNCTION REALLY LOOKS LIKE REVENUES, LESS PERSONNEL EXPENSES, LESS THE IDENTIFIED EXPENSES, LEAVES SOME AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND THAT EQUALS THE, AND THAT LESS THE, UH, COMMITTED BUSINESS GRANTS LEAVES A LINE ITEM CALLED IN HERE, THAT'S CALLED UNCOMMITTED BUSINESS GRANTS.
IT'S, IT'S THE BUDGET, LESS THE EXPENSES, LESS THE COMMITTED EXPENSES FOR, FOR ANY INCENTIVES.
AND THAT LEAVES US WITH UNCOMMITTED INCENTIVE FUNDS.
SO WHAT HE SAYING THAT THE 1.9 INCLUDES COMMITTED FUNDS TOO, THAT JUST HAVEN'T BEEN ALLOCATED YET, RIGHT? IT DOES.
UM, AND I, AND I CAN'T, AND I CAN TELL YOU, 'CAUSE I TOLD YOU THAT I WOULD, YOUR SEC, YOUR TREASURER ASKED FOR THESE LAST TIME, IF I, AND JUST HAND THESE ROUND REAL QUICK.
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THANK YOU.REMEMBER WE HAVE THE, THE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, A FISCAL YEAR, NOT A CALENDAR YEAR.
UM, AND YOU SEE THE NAMES OF THE COMPANIES WITH WHOM WE HAVE OR ANTICIPATE HAVING, UH, INCENTIVE AGREEMENTS DOWN THE LEFT HAND SIDE IN EACH YEAR.
YOU SEE WHAT WE HAVE COMMITTED FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE INCENTIVES.
AND AT THE BOTTOM, THE TOTAL CHAPTER 5 0 1 GRANTS TELLS YOU ON AN ANNUAL BASIS HOW MUCH WE'RE COMMITTING IN OUT OF THOSE, OUT OF THOSE FUNDS.
SO THIS YEAR WE ANTICIPATED THAT WE WOULD SPEND ABOUT $361,000 IN COMMITTED FUNDS, 250 TO SOLAR TURBINES, WHICH WE STILL ANTICIPATE WILL HAPPEN THIS YEAR.
$50,000 FOR SQUARE CABINET CABINETRY.
IT'S AN EMPLOYMENT, UH, GRANT.
$50,000 FOR THE DESOTO PRIVATE SCHOOL, WHICH WAS A FACADE GRANT, $11,000 FOR CAMBRIDGE ACADEMY.
ANOTHER
THAT'S WHAT WE, THAT'S WHAT WE KNOW WE THINK WE'RE GONNA DO.
THAT'S WHAT WE, THAT'S WHAT WE BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR.
THERE MAY BE THINGS THAT COME ALONG STILL IN THE NEXT TWO OR THREE MONTHS THAT WE'LL COMMIT TO.
UM, WE HAD A RECENT CONVERSATION WITH A, A PARTICULAR END USER THAT MAY BE A SUBSTANTIAL FACADE GRANT THAT WE WOULD INVEST IN AS WELL.
AND THAT WOULD LIKELY HAPPEN THIS YEAR.
UM, IF YOU LOOK OUT TO 23 AND 24 FOR NEXT YEAR, RIGHT, THAT NUMBER GETS SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER.
UM, PARTLY BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME EXPENSES HERE, UM, THAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO THAT'LL COME ONLINE.
THE SECOND HALF OF SOLAR TURBINES IS FAIRLY LARGE, UM, GLOBAL INDUSTRIAL.
WE HAVE AN EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT WITH THEM THAT THEY FAILED TO MEET ANY YEAR SO FAR.
I CONTINUE TO CARRY IT AS A COMMITTED GRANT BECAUSE IF THEY HOP UP AND ACTUALLY DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, IT'S A SERIES OF, OF ONE YEAR OPPORTUNITIES.
IF THEY, IF THEY JUMP UP AND DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO EARN THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
BUT THEY DO HAVE TO ACTUALLY EARN IT.
UM, THE FACADE GRANT, WE HAVE THE TOWNSEND SQUARE DOWN WHERE THE BES BUILDING IS.
WE'LL MAKE THE FIRST PAYMENT ON THAT EARLY IN, IN 2324.
UM, AGAIN, SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY.
THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE THAT'S PART OF OUR SQUARE CABINETRY, UH, AGREEMENT, UH, IS $200,000 FOR TWO YEARS.
THE COMMITMENT THAT WE MADE WITH THE WILDWOOD COMMERCIAL, UM, UP AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF TOWN IS A $300,000 ANNUAL GRANT.
UM, IT'S, IT'S UNCLEAR AT THIS POINT WHETHER OR NOT THOSE WILL HAPPEN.
BUT AGAIN, WE, WE HAVE A COMMITMENT THAT SAYS THEY WILL, UNLESS THIS AND THAT AND THE OTHER THING HAPPENED.
UM, WE'RE CARRYING 'EM ON THE BOOKS JUST AS A CLARITY ITEM FOR Y'ALL.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE SORT OF A, A GOTCHA MOMENT.
UM, THE ROOTS CHICKEN SHACK, UM, THE MASTER LEASE THAT WE HAVE ON THAT BUILDING, WHICH IS OUR PROPERTY THAT WE'RE MASTER LEASING BACK COMMITS US TO ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
UM, PROJECT ZELDA ARROW, UH, IS A $750,000 POTENTIAL.
UM, IT'S LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKE, PROBABLY NONE OF THAT WILL HAPPEN.
BUT AGAIN, WE EARMARKED IT, IT'S COMMITMENT WE MADE, AND WE'LL SEE WHETHER OR NOT WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO PAY IT OUT OR NOT.
SO THAT CARRIES US INTO SOME SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR ADDS IN INCENTIVES THAT ARE RELATED TO HAMPTON ROAD DEVELOPMENT ITSELF AND, AND SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES THERE.
AND ALSO OUR COMMITMENT IN TERMS OF BUILDING STRUCTURED PARKING FOR THE, UM, THE MEDICAL VILLAGE.
THAT TAKES US UP TO THREE EIGHT AND 24 25 THAT PROJECT MAPLE MM-HMM.
OTHERWISE IT WASN'T FOUR FOUR.
I PROBABLY DID THE, I PROBABLY DID THE, UH, THE SUMMATION.
SO HE MAKE SURE HE, HE DIDN'T CALCULATE WHEN HE GETS
DOESN'T SOMEBODY THAT'S, THAT'S 25% OF
BUT AS, AS YOU, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE, YOU KNOW, AS WE TOTAL THOSE YEAR BY YEAR MM-HMM.
AND WE MAY, WE MAY BE DRAWING INTO FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME, POTENTIALLY INTO, UM, OUR, OUR FUND BALANCE, RIGHT? SO SOME POINT THIS YEAR IS 100,000 IF
[00:25:01]
WE EXPECT TO BE CLOSER TO THE 360 1 BY FISCAL.'CAUSE I KNOW WE'LL MAKE THE SOLAR TURBINE PAYMENT BEFORE YEAR END.
SO THAT GIVES YOU SOME IDEA ON, ON MY COPY ON THIS.
ANYTIME I SEE SOMETHING THAT VARIES FROM THAT 75% NUMBER, I WANT TO AT LEAST KNOW WHY.
UM, IF IT'S A THOUSAND DOLLARS, I, I REALLY DON'T CARE.
BUT WHEN I SEE ADVERTISING AT 277, THAT'S SUBSTANTIAL.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE, WE ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR IT.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LOOKS WACKY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALREADY OVER BUDGET.
AND, AND, AND, BUT WHAT I'VE REALIZED IN SAYING THAT IS DOWN BELOW THAT, UNDER OTHER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, YOU HAVE A $48,000 SHORTFALL.
WE'VE BEEN ALLOCATING THOSE FUNDS IN THE WRONG PLACE.
THAT'S A CONTRACT WE HAVE FOR SUPPORT OUT OF THE, UH, PRO SOTA MARKETPLACE THAT'S JUST BEEN ALLOCATED WRONG IN THE WRONG PLACE.
SO IF YOU COMBINE THOSE TWO, I GET BACK TO BEING $30,000 IN, IN THE, IN THE BLACK FOR THE REST OF THE YEARS IN THOSE TWO CATEGORIES.
AND I FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
UM, SAME THING WITH ADVERTISING AND TRAINING THAT MANY TIMES OUR OUTBOUND RECRUITING TRIPS HAVE TRAVEL EXPENSES, UH, THAT ARE SOMETIMES, UM, WE DON'T DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF GETTING THOSE CODED RIGHT BETWEEN TRAVEL AND THE ACTUAL EXPENSES OF THE, THE SEMINAR.
THE SEMINAR CERTAINLY FALLS UNDER ADVERTISING.
AND THOSE SHOULD BE, THOSE SHOULD BE BETTER BALANCED OUT AND THEY JUST HAVEN'T BEEN DONE.
WE NEED TO GET SOME CORRECTIONS MADE FROM TRACY AND HIS, UH, AND HIS STAFF OVER THERE.
UM, THE ONLY OTHER ONE THAT LOOKS, YOU KNOW, ANY, AT ANY REAL SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT, UH, IS THE CAPITAL OUT OUTLINE THAT, THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE A CAPITAL OUTLAY THIS YEAR, NOR WILL WE GOING FORWARD.
UM, WE'VE JUST CHANGED SOME OF THE WAY THAT WE ACCOUNT FOR EQUIPMENT PURCHASES.
WE'VE HAD THOSE, AND WHEN WE CAME TO THE CITY, THERE'S A PROGRAM FOR AUTOMATIC REPLACEMENT OF ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT.
AND WE NOW HAVE ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT AS PART OF THAT AUTOMATIC REPLACEMENT PROGRAM.
WE HAVE TO PAY SOME AMOUNT TO GET INTO THE GAME, AND THEN IT GETS REPLACED AUTOMATICALLY.
SO WE DON'T BUDGET FOR IT ANYMORE.
THIS'LL BE THE LAST YEAR YOU SEE THAT LINE ITEM BUDGET.
SO THERE'S REALLY VERY LITTLE VARIATION IN TERMS OF, OF, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THOSE FOUR CATEGORIES, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, ADVERTISING, TRAINING, AND TRAVEL.
AND THE OTHER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES ARE THE FOUR THAT I HAD TO GO AND DIG AROUND TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON BECAUSE IT CONCERNED ME ENOUGH THAT THE NUMBERS WERE BIG ENOUGH AND THE VARIATION WAS BIG ENOUGH THAT I WANTED TO KNOW LONGER.
SO GOING BACK TO THIS, THIS FORM, YOU GOT AN EXTRA 400,000, SO HOPEFULLY DOWN FRONT LOAD THAT DON'T HAVE OUR BOARD MEMBERS, MAYBE THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES.
FRONT LOAD, MEANING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
OH, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL 400,000 HERE THAT CAN BE WELL, NO, IT'S JUST ADDED WRONG.
THERE'S REALLY NO ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT THAT GETS THAT'S THERE.
BUT OUR FUND BALANCE GROWS AND HAS, SINCE I'VE COME HERE, AND REALLY AS FAR BACK AS, AS, YOU KNOW, I KEEP RECORDS HAS GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY.
AND THAT'S THE REASON WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AN $8 MILLION FUND BALANCE.
SO, GOING BACK TO WHAT MICHAEL WAS SAYING, IT'S LIKE, LIKE, WELL, SOME ECONOMIC ACTIVITY WITH THOSE, WITH THOSE DOLLARS PERHAPS IF THERE'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY.
AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S THE HURDLE, RIGHT? IS THAT INCENTIVES DON'T MAKE A BAD DEAL A GOOD ONE.
INCENTIVES OFTENTIMES TRIGGER A DIFFERENT DECISION FOR A GOOD PROJECT.
YOU ALL HEARD ABOUT TWO PROJECTS A MONTH AGO.
IT'S NOT OFTEN I GET TO SIT AND KILL TWO PROJECTS IN ONE MEETING.
IT'S NOT OFTEN I KILL A PROJECT IN ANY MEETING.
BUT BOTH OF THOSE WERE JUST NOT WORTHY OF THOSE INVESTMENTS.
WOULD IT HAVE MADE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO COME? YES.
WILL THEY COME ANYWAY? I DON'T KNOW.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD'VE BEEN A GOOD INVESTMENT OF OUR DOLLARS TO HAVE INVESTED IN THOSE SIMPLY TO HAVE THEM FILL UP A BUILDING.
SO DOES THAT MEAN WE MISS OPPORTUNITIES? I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
UM, AND AS WE START TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR BIOLIFE SCIENCE PARTNERS AND WE START LOOKING AT THE INVESTMENT IT'S GONNA TAKE TO MAKE SOME OF THOSE THINGS HAPPEN, WE MAY, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME, HAVE A CHANCE TO ENGAGE THOSE FUNDS, UM, IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST.
SO I THINK AS LONG AS THERE'S A STRATEGY BEHIND YES, HOLDING THE MONEY, IT'S NOT THAT BIG A DEAL, RIGHT? FROM A BOARD STANDPOINT, AS LONG AS THE STRATEGY IS, IF THIS HAPPENS, WE MAY HAVE THIS TO PLAY WITH, WE'LL NEGOTIATE WITH, THAT'S A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION FROM WHAT MICHAEL WAS SAYING, THAT, OH, WHY ARE WE JUST HOLDING FUNDS? YOU'RE NOT JUST HOLDING FUNDS, WE'RE NOT, YOU'RE STRATEGIZING THE FUNDS.
AS LONG AS WE GET THAT, WE'RE GOOD.
AND, AND SOMETIMES THAT STRATEGY IS, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE IT'S COMING FROM,
[00:30:02]
BUT IT WILL WELL, THANK YOU.I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY HEALTHY DISCUSSION ABOUT, SO WELL AGREE.
HOPEFULLY IT HELPS TO MAKE YOU GUYS FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE.
AGAIN, REMEMBER THAT STARTING IN OCTOBER ONE, WE'LL START REPORTING EACH ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL AREAS SO THAT YOU HAVE SOME IDEA OF THE EXPENDITURES THAT ARE HAPPENING IN EACH OF THOSE SORT OF SUB ACCOUNTS, IF YOU WILL, ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
AND, AND OTHER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES WILL BE REPURPOSED.
YOU, YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA TALK TO 'EM IN JUST A MINUTE,
THAT, TRUST ME, THAT IS APPRECIATED.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT HAS NOT BEEN, THAT HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE IN THE PAST.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT IT'S BAD.
IT WASN'T LIKE WE'RE NEGLIGENT IN THE PAST.
IT'S, IT WAS JUST A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT.
AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU LOOK AT IT AND YOU ASK THE QUESTION, MY JOB TO EXPLAIN IT.
IF I CAN'T, THEN IT'S SHAME ON ME, NOT SHAME ON YOU.
[B.2. City Council Liaison update regarding City events, meetings, etc. -- Councilmember Andre`Byrd]
GONNA HAVE, UH, FROM OUR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, DEANDRE BUR AS CITY COUNCIL LIAISON, UH, UPDATE REGARDING CITY EVENTS AND MEETINGS, ET CETERA.AND, UH, I KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT, WE'RE HERE FOR A SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, SO I WON'T TAKE LONG.
UM, THERE'S JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING.
WE, UM, WE DID, UH, MAKE THE CITY MANAGER AND, UH, COUNCIL, UH, AWARE, UH, BUT THE REQUESTS WERE, UH, FOR A GOOD MEETING.
UH, EVERYBODY WAS VERY AMENABLE TO THAT.
AND WE'LL GET THAT, UH, PROBABLY SCHEDULED IN THE FIRST, UH, FIRST QUARTER, SO OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, SOMEWHERE IN THAT TIME.
UM, BUT, UH, WE JUST HAD OUR SUMMER RETREAT, WHICH WAS A, UH, WE HAD AT THE
UM, IT WAS A VERY, VERY, VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING.
UH, JUST SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT, UM, THAT YOU, YOU GUYS SHOULD BE AWARE OF.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD THIS, WHENEVER A, UM, SOMETHING COMES THROUGH PNZ AND IT IS DENIED IN PNZ, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN ON THE BOOKS OR IN OUR CHARTER ACTUALLY, THAT WE HAVE A SUPER MAJORITY TO THE SUPER MAJORITY OF COUNCIL IS THE WAY THAT IS WRITTEN.
SO IF, IF
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO COUNSEL, IT REQUIRES A SUPER MAJORITY OF COUNSEL.
SO IT NORMALLY REQUIRES SIX SIX OF SEVEN.
SO NOT JUST A SIMPLE MAJORITY, IT WOULD REQUIRE A, A SUPER MAJORITY.
UM, UH, WE, A FEW MONTHS AGO, WE RAN, WE RAN INTO SOME CHALLENGES WHERE WITH COVID, PEOPLE WERE GETTING SICK.
AND, AND, AND THE CHARTER SAYS SUPER MAJORITY OF COUNSEL NOT OF PRESENT COUNSEL.
SO, UM, THAT WAS CHANGED JUST TO BE MORE CLEAR, UM, MORE, MORE BUSINESS, UM, UH, FRIENDLY TO SAY THAT SUPER MAJORITY OF PRESENT COUNSEL.
AND SO INSTEAD OF WAITING, TAKING A VOTE WHERE THERE'S ONLY SIX OR FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, IT WOULD, IT WOULD, IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, UH, THE RULES THAT SUPER MAJORITY OF COUNCIL NOT PRESENT COUNCIL.
SO JUST SO THAT YOU'LL KNOW THAT THAT DISCUSSION HAPPENED AND THAT CHANGE WAS MADE, WHICH IS A VERY GOOD CHANGE IN THIS.
I I BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD, UH, MAKE US VERY BUSINESS FRIENDLY.
UH, UM, THE PARTICULAR, UH, BUSINESSES THAT I TALKED ABOUT, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE STARBUCKS AND THE CHICK-FIL-A WELL, WE HELD THEM UP FOR TWO EXTRA MONTHS BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE ALL COUNSEL THERE.
AND SO WE CHANGED TO JUST A LITTLE BIT TO SAY THAT WE CAN TAKE A VOTE ON THAT AND IT WOULD BE A SUPER MAJORITY OF CURRENT, UH, PROOF OF PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBERS, NOT JUST OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THE OTHER, UH, I THINK NOTABLE, UH, DEAL THAT, UH, THE CITY MANAGERS WORKING ON NOW, WE'VE DECIDED TO, BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETIMES WE'RE HERE TILL 11, 12 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, IF WE HAVE A, IF WE HAVE A, AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO WE HAVE MOVED COUNCIL MEETINGS AT SOME POINT WE'LL START AROUND FIVE 30.
COUNCIL MEETINGS WILL START AROUND FIVE 30.
AND WORK SESSIONS THAT WE NORMALLY DO WILL MOVE TO A SEPARATE DATE ENTIRELY.
SO, UH, CURRENTLY, LIKE NEXT WEEK IS A COUNCIL WEEK.
UH, WE WILL HAVE A WORK SESSION ON SATURDAY, ON, ON MONDAY.
[00:35:01]
THAT MIGHT LAST FOR THREE HOURS.SO WE MIGHT BE HERE FROM SIX TO NINE, DEPENDING ON HOW, UH, UH, ADVENTUROUS THE CITY MANAGER TRY TO BE.
UH, I'M ALWAYS VERY ADVENTUROUS,
AND THEN, UH, ON, ON COUNCIL NIGHT, WE WOULD HAVE ANOTHER WORK SESSION FROM SIX UNTIL SEVEN, AND THEN THE COUNCIL MEETING WOULD START AT SEVEN.
AND IF WE HAVE, IF WE HAVE HEARINGS AND ALL OF THAT OTHER STUFF, WE COULD BE HERE TO 10 30, 11 O'CLOCK AND OH, THEY ARE, YEAH.
AND SO, UH, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL HAVE IMPLEMENTED TO KIND OF HELP US GET THROUGH THE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, ONE, IF YOU WATCH IT NOW, YOU'LL SEE A LOT LESS TALKING.
'CAUSE SHE PUT US ALL ON SOME TYPE OF FIVE MINUTES CLOCK.
UM, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATION CLOCK, RIGHT.
SO IT WON'T GO ON AND ON AND ON.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER DEAL IS THAT WE'VE MOVED THE WORK SESSION, UM, SO THAT WE CAN START THE COUNCIL MEETINGS EARLY, BECAUSE WHEN WE STAY LATE, STAFF HAS TO STAY LATE, YOU KNOW? AND SO, UH, A LOT OF, UM, AND SO JUST AS OUR ATTEMPT TO SAVE MONEY AND TO LET, UH, STAFF HAVE A QUALITY OF LIFE, WE MOVED IT UP START TIME TO FIVE 30.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IT'S KIND OF TARGETED TO START MAYBE IN JANUARY OR SO, BUT WE HAVE TO EDUCATE THE, THE, THE CITIZENS ON IT AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND TWEAK IT.
BUT THOSE ARE THE TWO BIG DEALS.
UM, THERE ARE, UH, ONE THING I'M EXCITED ABOUT, AND I'LL JUST REPORT ON THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS REPORT ON WHAT, UM, WE TALK ABOUT THE BEST SOUTHWEST AND DOING SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE THE BEST SOUTHWEST.
AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST, UH, OPPORTUNITIES IS TO CAPITALIZE ON THE CHRISTMAS SEASON.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY PARADE AT NIGHT, AND WE DO THE TREE LIGHTING, AND IT IS A GOOD EVENT, BUT, UH, WE HAVE NOTHING FOR THE CHILDREN.
SO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WE INTRODUCED THE IDEA OF BRINGING AN ICE SKATING LINK, UH, AND, UM, UH, PARKS AND REC ABOUT A YEAR AGO, UH, GAVE IT A, A SHOT
SO HE WAS, THEY, WELL, I WASN'T GONNA TELL IT, BUT I WILL SHARE IT WITH YOU.
SO THEIR SHOP WAS, THEY GOT THIS ORGANIZATION THAT, UH, THAT MAKE YOU SKATE ON PLASTIC.
SO THERE WAS A PLASTIC ICE SKATING RINK.
AND THAT, I MEAN, BUT THE KIDS LOVED IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, I, I WAS NOT TOO IMPRESSED WITH IT,
SO, UH, RIGHT NOW, THERE IS A OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT GRAPEVINE HAS DONE, UH, TO, TO THE EXTENT THAT GRAPEVINE HAS DONE.
IF YOU, IF YOU DIDN'T GO TO GRAPEVINE THIS LAST YEAR, UH, GRAPEVINE HAS THE SAME DEMOGRAPHIC.
THEY'RE ABOUT THE SAME POPULATION.
THEY HAVE A REAL OUTDOOR SKATING RINK, UH, VERY MUCH LIKE FORT WORTH HAS DONE, AND THEY CREATED A WHOLE VILLAGE, VILLAGE AROUND IT.
UH, AND WHAT IT WILL DO, IT WILL GIVE DESOTO A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE, IF YOU WOULD, UH, THE CHRISTMAS CAPITAL OF THE BEST SOUTHWEST, BECAUSE NO ONE AROUND US, YOU KNOW, CEDAR HILL HAS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE WATER THING RIGHT THERE BY BARNES AND NOBLE, BUT WE'RE GONNA BLOW THEM OUT OF WATER.
NOT THAT I, I DIDN'T LIKE IT AROUND.
BUT, BUT, BUT THE IDEA IS THAT, AND SO, UM, THAT, THAT WAS, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL GREAT INITIATIVES, UM, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, DIFFERENTLY ABLED, UH, UH, UM, COALITION AND, AND ACTUALLY CREATING A BOARD THAT, THAT CAME FROM THE MAYOR TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENTLY ABLED AND OR THOSE WHO ARE AGING AND STILL WANT TO WORK.
UH, SO THERE WILL PROBABLY BE A BOARD CREATED VERY SIMILAR TO LIKE THE PARKS BOARD OR THE, UH, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT TO CREATE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT DEMOGRAPHIC OF OUR CITIZENS.
SO THOSE WERE, UH, TWO OR THREE.
THERE WERE SOME WONDERFUL IDEAS THAT, THAT, UH, FILTERED THROUGH THAT.
BUT THOSE ARE TWO, UM, THAT, THAT ARE NOTABLE.
REVENUE TAX DOLLARS, UH, KIND OF CHECK A LOT OF BOXES WITH THAT.
POTENTIALLY SPENDING TIME OF THE YEAR.
WE'LL CONSIDER IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR.
AND YOU KNOW IT, AND RIGHT NOW, UH, UH, STAFF IS STILL WORKING ON THE BUDGET FOR IT.
AND, BUT THE IDEA IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WOULD SPEND, YOU'RE TALKING, I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS, YOU KNOW, WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY DOING THE PARADES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT IT, WE DON'T, WHAT WE KEEP THE CITIZENS KEEP SAYING THEY WANT, WE NEED FAMILY FRIENDLY STUFF, YOU KNOW, WE NEED A MAIN EVENT, WE NEED A THAT.
AND THIS WILL GIVE, I THINK IT RUNS FROM THANKSGIVING ALL THE WAY THROUGH
[00:40:01]
MID-JANUARY.SO ABOUT A MONTH, ALMOST FIVE AND A HALF.
YEAH, ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF.
THIS WILL GIVE FAMILIES AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO DESOTO AND DO SOMETHING FAMILY.
UNTIL SOMEBODY BREAKS THEIR ARM.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT INSURANCE.
WELL, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE COMPANY THAT BRANDON, YEAH, YEAH.
WE, WE HAVEN'T FORMED THE CONTRACT ITSELF, BUT WE INTEND ON PUTTING THE LIABILITY ON THEIR SIDE OF IT.
QUESTION THAT GOTTA GO WITH IT.
THAT SHOULD GO WITH IT, BECAUSE I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA SAVE, UH, THE ELDERLY THAT WANTS TO KEEP ON ICE SKATING.
THAT'S, THAT'S EXCITING FOR BRANDING THE CITY AS A, AS ITS OWN DISTINCTION.
SO AS YOU TALK ABOUT ATTRACTING THOSE AROUND US, GIVING THEM A CENTER POINT TO COME TO DESOTO, WE BECOME THE BEST DESOTO WE CAN BE A GREAT IDEA CONCEPT.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT ALL THOSE VIBES ACROSS THOSE TS WERE THERE ANY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT COUNCIL SEE O OTHER THAN THE HAMPTON ROAD AND, AND, AND, AND, AND REALLY WE ARE KIND OF, UH, LIKE, UH, THOSE PILLARS, WHAT WE WANT IS KIND OF ALREADY LAID OUT.
THERE'S TALK ABOUT THE I 35 CORRIDOR AND, UH, AND, AND, UH, NODES, DIFFERENT NODES.
UM, AND, AND REALLY OUR GROWTH OPPORTUNITY IS, IS I 35, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE HAMPTON ROAD AND I 35.
THOSE ARE OUR FRONTAGE, UH, OUR FRONTAGE ROAD AND, UH, OPPORTUNITIES.
SO EVERYONE STILL, WE ACTUALLY, UH, THERE WAS LIKE 12 INITIATIVE, AND WE ACTUALLY GO THROUGH AND RANK THE TOP EIGHT IN THE TOP, YOU KNOW.
AND SO HAMPTON ROAD IS, IS ONE OF THEM, UH, HAMPTON ROAD, AND THEN THE DEVELOPMENT AND SEEING WHAT, WHERE WE GO WITH THE DEVELOPMENT ON, ON, ON I 35, AND PARTICULARLY A, UM, UH, UH, I, I THINK IT'S ONE OF MATT'S, UH, PET PROJECTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, CREATING, UH, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES THERE, IF NOT INLAND, THEN ON I 35,
ANY, UH, FURTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING SUBJECT MATTER? UH, COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO PUTTING ON MY OLD CHICAGO ICE SCANS,
[B.3. Dallas Entrepreneur Center presentation - Bill Chen, CEO & Tarsha Hearns, Sr. Director]
PROCEED IF YOU WILL, UH, WITH, UH, DECK DALLAS ENTREPRENEUR CENTER PRESENTATION.NEIL AND ASHA, THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN FOR BEING WITH US AND REALLY, REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.
UM, WE'RE REALLY PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY.
WE'RE, WE'RE LOCATED PRETTY CLOSELY.
WE'RE RE IN MONT NOT TOO FAR AWAY FROM THE HERE.
UM, BUT THAT'S NOT OUR ONLY LOCATION.
WE HAD A, AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF FORT WORTH.
WE BOTH, UH, SELL THAT LOCATION IN FORT WORTH.
UM, ANYWAY, FUNNY, MY MIDDLE SON IS IN ORIENTATION AT UNT TODAY, AND HE CALLED DOWN AND HE SAID, HEY DAD, WE HAVE AN ENTREPRENEURIAL CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY.
AND I SAID, YEAH, WE STARTED THAT
HE WAS, HE WAS ACTUALLY IMPRESSED BY THAT.
UM, SO WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A NUMBER OF, UH, DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CENTERS.
UM, BUT WE ARE BASED IN, IN REDFORD AND, UH, UNDER TARSIS LEADERSHIP, UH, WE'VE HAD A 7,000 SQUARE FOOT CENTER THERE FOR FIVE YEARS.
WE'RE NOW GOING 20,000 SQUARE FOOT.
UH, AND IT TALKS A LITTLE ABOUT THE SUCCESS WE'VE HAD OF THE PROGRAMS
SO WE ARE BURSTING THE TEAMS. WE NEED MORE ENTREPRENEURS IN THAT CENTER.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN EVENT SPACE AS WELL AS PART OF THAT DEVELOPMENT.
UM, WE ARE A 5 0 1 3 C SO WE'VE BEEN IN OPERATIONS FOR 10 YEARS.
UM, AND AS I'VE MENTIONED, OUR FOCUS IS ENTREPRENEURS.
WE HAVE, UM, A PASSION AMONG THAT FOCUS, AND THAT IS FOR ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR.
AND AMONG, UH, VERY MUCH THAT WAS SORT OF THE FOUNDING PRINCIPLE.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE GET TO SEE EVERYDAY WORK.
AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE, UH, AMAZINGLY LARGE WAGE GAP AND WEALTH GAP, UM, THERE'S AN INCREDIBLE WORK BEING DONE AROUND INVESTMENT IN RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE.
AND ALL OF THAT WORK IS REALLY HEALTHY AND REALLY GOOD.
WHAT WE SEE IN THE WORLD OF ENTREPRENEURS AND IS FOR SOME REASON AMERICA REWARDS INNOVATION
[00:45:01]
AND THEN REWARD OWNERSHIP.SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT INCREDIBLE WEALTH GAP, BUT THEN WE LOOK AT IT THROUGH THE LENS OF OWNERSHIP, UM, WE FIND THAT THAT GAP ALMOST DISAPPOINTED.
IT DOESN'T DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY, BUT IT NARROWS SUBSTANTIALLY.
SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT WOMEN OWNERS OF A BUSINESS, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OWNERS OF COLOR OF BUSINESS, THEIR WEALTH IS REALLY IMPERATIVE TO THE COMPARABLE GROUP IN WHITE SOCIETY.
SO WE, WE SEE THIS AS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, QUICKLY, UM, REDUCE THAT WEALTH FROM WEDGE GAP, WHICH I THINK IS CLEARLY ARGUABLY THE BIGGEST PROBLEM UNITED STATES, AMERICAN HAS.
THE FUN PART OF THIS IS, YOU KNOW, TARS AND I, AS YOU SAID, OFFICE FOUR AND A HALF MILES AWAY HERE, RIGHT ACROSS FROM MY OFFICE.
UM, AND IT SPEAKS TO THE SPEED OF HOW THAT GAP CAN NARROW.
MISS NIKKI HAS GOT A BUSINESS, I THINK SHE'S HIRED OVER 200 PEOPLE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS.
WHEN YOU'VE GOTTA HIT BUSINESS, IT GOES FAST AND IT GETS EXCITED.
UM, YOU NEED LESS SUPPORT, YOU NEED A LOT OF CAPITAL, HAVE THAT KIND OF GROWTH.
UM, BUT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT QUITE AS FAST AS MS NEED, BUT WE HAVE SEVERAL BUSINESSES THAT WE LOVE WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING OUT HERE.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO ANTOINE AND MATT QUITE SOME TIME, AND THEY'RE TOUGH, BUT THEY'RE VERY FAIR AND THEY'RE VERY PLEASANT.
UM, SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT COMBINING RIGHT IS, AND COMBINING AND GETTING SCALE COUNTS IN THE WORLD OF ENTREPRENEURS.
SO, YOU KNOW, IMAGINE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS VERY THRIVING MENTORSHIP PROGRAM, WELL OVER TWO OTHER MENTORS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I WAS A PROFESSOR OF ENTREPRENEURS, SO I'M A CURRICULUM GUY AND I DO CURRICULUM.
I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT.
EVERYONE NEEDS THE SAME PLATFORM.
EVERYONE NEEDS HOW TO LEGALLY START A BUSINESS.
EVERYONE KNOWS THEIR INSURANCE ISSUES, RIGHT? LET'S GET THAT F*****G INSURANCE, RIGHT? THEY ALL NEED TO, BUT THE END OF THE DAY, THEIR LIFE CHANGE.
SO RADICALLY FINTECH, BIOTECH, IT, IT'S VERY DIFFERENT.
YOU CAN'T HAVE A MENTOR FROM A DIFFERENT VERTICAL.
AND SO YOU DO NEED SOME SCALE.
AND SO THE FACT THAT OUR MENTORS ARE DENTAL, THEY'RE IN DALLAS AND THEY'RE IN FORT WORTH, WE CAN FIND YOU SOMEONE IN YOUR VERTICAL AND LIKELY SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN PRETTY, WHO'S DONE WHAT YOU'VE DONE, CAN INTRODUCE YOU TO THE RIGHT FOLKS.
AND, AND IT'S VERY SIMILAR IN THE WORLD OF CAPITAL TOO, RIGHT? YOU CAN'T FUEL MASSIVE GROWTH WITHOUT AN INFLATION ON CAPITAL.
YOU DON'T NEED TO BE INTRODUCED TO 20 DIFFERENT VENTURE CAPITALS.
YOU NEED TO BE INTRODUCED ONE, BUT IT'S GOTTA BE THE RIGHT ONE.
IT'S GOTTA BE, YOU KNOW, THOSE OTHER 20 DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR BUSINESS PLAN AND THEY NEVER WILL.
'CAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY DO.
YOU NEED, I MEAN, AND THAT, THAT CAPITAL SOURCE COULD BE IN MONTREAL, CANADA, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO GET ACCESS TO THAT.
SO WE'VE WORKED VERY HARD, PARTICULARLY RECENTLY IN TAN IS THE LARGEST ANGEL NETWORK IN THE DFW AREA.
THEY ARE NOW, UH, PART OF THE D NETWORK.
I'M NOT SURE AS A NONPROFIT WE'RE ALLOWED TO SAY WE OWN THEM.
BUT I THINK FROM A TAX POINT OF VIEW, WE OWN THAT ENTITY.
AND, AND ONE IS AUSTIN HAS FIVE TIMES THE ANGEL INVESTMENT THAT WE DO IN ALL OF THEIR ABOVE.
UM, BUT ALSO IT'S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO US TO BUILD THAT UP BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR FREQUENTLY DON'T HAVE FRIENDS OF THE FAMILY.
SO IN THE NORTHERN PART OF TOWN, A LOT OF TIMES IT KNOW, YOU HEAR THE FAMILY STORIES.
A LOT OF THIS IS, YOU KNOW, FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
I MEAN, BILL GATES, RIGHT? HE WENT TO HIS DAD.
UM, SOMETIMES YOUR DAD'S NOT A WEALTHY PERSON.
SO THE ANGELS, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE USUALLY IT A LITTLE BIT LATER STAGE.
SOMETIMES WE FIND WITH OUR FRIENDS AND ROBERT, THAT THE ANGELS COME IN MUCH EARLIER AND THEY'RE REALLY NECESSARY.
SO THESE BUSINESSES NEED THAT CAPITAL INJECTION RELATIVELY, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THAT FRIENDS AND FAMILY'S NOT THERE, BUT DFW NEEDS TO DO MUCH MORE CAPITAL, PARTICULARLY IN THAT EARLY STATE.
SO THE FACT THAT THEY'VE GONE FROM, THEY'RE UP TO 50 MEMBERS NOW OF INTAKE.
THEY'RE GONNA BE BASED OUT OF THE NEW CENTER THAT S BUILDING.
UH, AND SO LITERALLY WHEN WE HAVE FOLKS IN THAT CENTER, THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO TALK TO CDFIS WHO ARE ACTUALLY RESIDENT IN THE BUILDING.
ANGEL NETWORKS, THAT'S RESIDENT THE BUILDING.
'CAUSE AGAIN, IF THERE'S SOMEONE IN YOUR VERTICAL, IF YOU'RE, YOU'RE SORT OF AN ADMIR FINTECH ENTREPRENEUR AND YOU NEED TO TALK TO A VC THAT'S IN MONTREAL, CANADA, THE ONLY PERSON WHO KNOWS THAT, THAT COULD GET THAT FOR IS SOMEONE WHO IS A VC WHO IS AN AGENT.
SO IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE.
AND I THINK AS WE GO THROUGH THE SLIDES, AND I, I THINK I'M SKIPPING AROUND A LITTLE BIT HERE, BUT THERE'S A SLIGHT THING FIX.
AND THIS SPEAKS A LOT TO THAT SCALE.
YOU KNOW, ENTREPRENEUR IS, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOTTA GET THE RIGHT MENTOR, YOU'VE GOTTA GET THE RIGHT CURRICULUM, YOU'VE GOTTA MEET THE RIGHT CORPORATIONS, AND YOU'VE GOTTA MEET THE RIGHT CAPITAL.
SO WHEN YOU, YOU BRING IN AN ECOSYSTEM, AND I PROMISE TO HAVE TO STEAL YOUR LINE'S GONNA GO STEAL.
[00:50:03]
IT THE WAY I SAY IT.SO I'M SORT OF BUILDING UP THIS MOMENT FOR, SO WE GOT A BIG LINE FILMING MESS UP.
I, IT IS HARD NOT TO SAY IT'S A GREAT ONE, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, SCALE DOESN'T.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT WORKING WITH DESOTO IS YOU GET INTO THESE THINGS WHERE TWO PLUS TWO IS THREE IS THAT THERE'S SOME GREAT RESOURCES IN THE SHOW, BUT IT'S SUCH A SPECIFIC NEED.
IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE STARTING A BUSINESS, THEY DON'T NEED A GENERIC MENTOR.
THEY NEED A MENTOR IN THEIR VERTICAL.
THEY DON'T NEED TO TALK TO CAPITAL, GENERALLY.
THEY NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE INVESTMENT YOU'RE ASKING.
SO THE FACT THAT YOU'VE GOT TENTACLES ALL OVER THE CITY, AND YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 10 YEARS, AND YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE CLOTHES REALLY CAN, WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESES.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TOO, BUT WE'VE GOT ENTREPRENEURS THAT WE'RE GONNA INTRODUCE IT TO YOUR NETWORKS, BUT THESE NETWORKS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? AND AS A NON-PROFIT, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO TO FOLKS IN, IN, IN ALL KIND, YOU KNOW, THE UNIVERSITIES, YOU KNOW, AT ALL OF THESE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
AND WE COME ALONGSIDE AS A TRUSTED PARTNER BECAUSE WE'RE A NONPROFIT.
THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW IN THIS SUPPLY CHAIN WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE MONEY OUT IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A GREAT DEAL OF SUCCESS OF TALKING THESE CORPORATIONS INTO LENS, INTO THOSE DISCUSSIONS, AND THEN INVITING OUR ENTREPRENEURS AND OUTSIDE FOR THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
SO I, I'M GONNA STOP HERE BECAUSE IF I DON'T, I WILL STEAL THIS.
BUT I WILL PAUSE FOR QUESTIONS.
AND, AND IF, IF YOU DON'T MIND, THE PART I WANT DO IS, IS A LITTLE BIT OF KIND OF WHO WE ARE AS AN ORGANIZATION, WHAT WE'VE DONE THE LAST 10 YEARS.
BUT THE REAL IMPORTANT STUFF IS THE PROGRAM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD.
SHE'S DONE AN AMAZING JOB, UH, COMING IN AND FIXING, FIXING OUR PROGRAMS, MAKING IT BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER.
BUT I'LL PAUSE QUICKLY FOR QUESTIONS.
WELL, UH, YOU KNOW, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT, UM, ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THIS ECOSYSTEM, UH, WILL, IT REALLY KIND OF SPEAKS TO THAT.
THE ENTREPRENEUR IS IN THE CENTER OF IT ALL.
AND I KNOW WHEN ENTREPRENEURS COME TO THE REDBIRD LOCATION, WHETHER THEY'RE IN THE EARLY STAGES, THE FIRST THING THEY SAY IS, HEY, YOU KNOW, CONNECT ME TO THE RESOURCES.
YOU KNOW, I WANNA GET FALLON, LLC.
WHO DO I TALK TO? OR I NEED FUNDING? WHO DO I, WE GET THAT ALL THE TIME.
AND I'M PRETTY SURE ENTREPRENEURS HERE IN DESOTO HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF QUESTIONS, AND THEY WANNA KNOW WHERE CAN THEY GO TO GET RESOURCES? 'CAUSE RESOURCES MATTER.
UM, AND WHEN YOU'RE IN A METROPLEX WITH RESOURCES ALL OVER THE PLACE, SOMETIMES IT CAN BE OVERWHELMING AND CONFUSING IN TERMS OF WHERE TO GO TO GET RELIABLE, CREDIBLE RESOURCES.
AND NOT ONLY THOSE RESOURCES, BUT TO GET CONNECTED TO A NETWORK.
UM, YOU KNOW, NETWORKING IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL TOOLS IN ANYBODY'S TOOL BELT.
YOU KNOW, UM, A LOT IT'S SOCIAL CAPITAL, RIGHT? AND SOMETIMES, UM, ENTREPRENEURS, ESPECIALLY ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR, REALLY DON'T HAVE THAT SOCIAL CAPITAL TO CONNECT THEM TO INVESTORS OR TO, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE A GUY ON THE GOLF COURSE OR IN THE BEAUTY SALON GETTING OUR NAILS AND OUR FEET DONE.
AND WE'RE JUST HAVING CONVERSATION ABOUT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO THE DECK NETWORK, THAT'S WHAT I MEAN, WE'RE KNOWN FOR, WE'RE A CONNECTOR, WE'RE A CONVENER, AND PEOPLE COME TO US, NOT ONLY THE ENTREPRENEURS, BUT THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THIS WILL ALSO COMES TO US BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT WE ARE THE HUB WHEN IT COMES TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT RESOURCES MATTER.
UM, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR AN ENTREPRENEUR.
AND SO SOME OF THE RESOURCES OR THE THINGS THAT WE CURRENTLY OFFER TO ALL BUSINESS OWNERS ACROSS THE METROPLEX, BUT PRIMARILY FOCUSING ON THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE PITCH COMPETITIONS AND ACCELERATORS PER YEAR.
UM, WE JUST WRAPPED ONE OF A FEW, LIKE, LIKE LAST MONTH, JULY, WE'RE IN AUGUST, YEAH, JULY
AND OUR, OUR BIGGEST PITCH PRIZE WAS AROUND 20 K.
UH, AND THEN WE HOST, UH, THESE MONTHLY LUNCH AND LEARNS.
UH, AND THAT THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY JUST TO CONNECT ENTREPRENEURS TO SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, WHETHER IT'S MARKETING, UM, ACCESS TO CAPITAL, UM, ANY TYPE OF SUBJECT MATTER THAT THEY NEED TO HELP THEM GROW THEIR BUSINESS.
WE DO HAVE A VERY ROBUST MENTOR,
[00:55:01]
UM, NETWORK.WE HAVE A YOUNG LADY NAMED EMILY.
I CALL HER THE MATCHMAKER BECAUSE HER, HER JOB, LIKE LITERALLY HER JOB IS TO MATCH AN ENTREPRENEUR WITH A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST ANOTHER RESOURCE.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE BUSINESS OWNERS IN HERE AND WORK WITH BUSINESS OWNERS.
UM, BUT HOW MANY TIMES, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HAD A, UH, ANOTHER BUSINESS OWNER AS A MENTOR WHO COULD COME ALONGSIDE YOU AND SAY, HEY, I'VE BEEN THERE.
LET ME TELL YOU WHAT NOT TO DO.
UM, BUT EVEN FOR THOSE, UM, ENTREPRENEURS THAT MAY BE STEPPING INTO AN INDUSTRY THAT THEY HAVE NO EXPERIENCE, I MEAN, WE SEE THAT ALL THE TIME.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE, WE, ONE OF THE, THE PEOPLE THAT PARTICIPATED IN ONE OF OUR PITCHES, SHE'S A DENTIST, BUT SHE'S DEVELOPING A PRODUCT.
I MEAN, SHE, SHE KNOWS HOW TO CLEAN TEETH, BUT YOU KNOW, HOW TO SELL A PACKAGE AND SELL A PRODUCT IS SOMETHING THAT SHE NEEDS A MENTOR IN, UM, CONSUMER PACKAGED GOODS TO HELP HER WITH.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF RESOURCES THAT WE CONNECT OUR ENTREPRENEURS TOO.
UM, I'M GOING TO COME DO COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR LAST, BUT OUR SIGNATURE EVENTS AND PROGRAMS, I HONESTLY, I THINK I SAW A STATISTIC WHERE WE DID ABOUT 57 EVENTS IN ONE YEAR.
THERE'S 52 WEEKS IN A YEAR, SO WE DID THREE.
WE HAD, WE DID A FEW EXTRAS, RIGHT? BUT YEAH, I MEAN, WE HAVE EVENTS GOING ON, ONE OR TWO EVENTS GOING ON A WEEK.
AND AGAIN, THIS COULD BE VIRTUAL EVENTS.
THESE ARE OUR COHORTS THAT GO ON A WEEKLY BASIS, OUR LUNCH AND LEARNS.
UH, I THINK EMILY, OUR MATCHMAKER IS HOSTING, UH, AN EVENT NEXT WEEK, I THINK, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE DATE, BUT, UH, WHERE AGAIN, SHE'S, IT'S LIKE, MEET YOUR MATCH.
SO WE HAVE TONS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENTREPRENEURS TO CONNECT.
AND WITH OUR RIVER LOCATION ONLY BEING 15 MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD, IT IS A REALLY EASY, UM, A EASY PATH FOR THEM TO GET CONNECTED AND FOR US TO GET CONNECTED TO THE ENTREPRENEURS HERE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
SO I'VE ONLY BEEN WITH THE DECK FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UM, BUT I'VE BEEN IN THE ENTREPRENEURIAL E ECOSYSTEM FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
AND, UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE ABOUT THIS ECOSYSTEM IS, IS THAT THERE ARE MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT REALLY ARE INVESTED AND PASSIONATE ABOUT SEEING ENTREPRENEURS SUCCEED.
I KNOW I'VE WORKED WITH YOU BEFORE ON SOME ENTREPRENEURIAL INITIATIVES AND, AND BEING ON CALLS TRYING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AROUND WHY CAN'T WE GET CAPITAL INTO THE HANDS OF THESE ENTREPRENEURS? AND THIS COM, THIS COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR, UM, INITIATIVE, WHICH IS, UH, SBAA SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, UH, FUNDED INITIATIVE.
THE DECK, YOU KNOW, THIS JUST SPEAKS TO THE LEVEL OF, UH, THE LEVEL OF THE NETWORK THAT THE DECK HAS.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHY WE CALL THE DECK NETWORK, BUT WE ARE THE ONLY HUB IN NORTH TEXAS THAT WON THE SBA GRANT, AND WE'RE ONLY THE SECOND HUB IN THE WHOLE, UH, STATE.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS, IF THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BELIEVES THAT WE ARE ABLE TO CONNECT ENTREPRENEURS TO THE RESOURCES, UM, ALL OF THESE STAKEHOLDERS IN THAT WILL, UM, COULD, YOU KNOW, PARTNER WITH US AS WELL.
SO THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR, IT REALLY IS MORE OF AN OUTREACH.
IT WAS ESTABLISHED, UM, WHEN, RIGHT AFTER OR DOING THE WHOLE PPP 'CAUSE THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, MANY WOMEN AND PEOPLE IN THE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES JUST DIDN'T GET ACCESS TO P-P-P-E-D-I-L.
AND SO THIS PROGRAM WAS SPECIFICALLY, UM, LET'S GET, LET'S PULL TOGETHER ONE ORGANIZATION THAT'S GOING TO BE THE MAIN HUB, UM, AN ADMINISTRATOR AND GET THAT ONE ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS THE DECK, TO, UH, ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
AND SO WE HAVE SIX COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
ONE FOCUSES ON, UM, VETERANS, ONE FOCUSES ON WOMEN, UH, AND THEN WE HAVE DALLAS COLLEGE, AND WE DO HAVE ONE OTHER ORGANIZATION THAT TAKES A HOLISTIC APPROACH, UM, AROUND WHAT THE ENTREPRENEUR NEEDS.
AND THAT HAS WORKED REALLY WELL FOR US OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
UM, WE, YOU'LL SEE SOME NUMBERS ON THE, UH, THE NEXT PAGE
[01:00:01]
ON THE, UM, BOTTOM PAGE HERE WHERE IT SAYS, YEAH, RIGHT THERE, RIGHT THERE.UM, COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR, THUS FAR, WE HAVE ACTUALLY SUPPORTED 610 SMALL BUSINESSES.
THESE, THESE ARE UNIQUE BUSINESSES, NOT LIKE MULTIPLE.
SO, UM, I DO HAVE SOME HANDOUTS, UM, ON THAT PROGRAM, BUT 610 BUSINESSES IN ALMOST TWO YEARS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SUPPORT.
AND THIS HANDOUT WILL GIVE YOU SOME MORE, UM, STATS ON JUST BEING ABLE TO, UH, REFER BUSINESSES TO THIS PROGRAM.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DEPLOY FOUR $25 MILLION IN HOMES TO THOSE BUSINESSES THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'VE DONE, UM, THE TRAINING HOURS.
I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE ENOUGH.
BUT YOU'LL SEE THE TRAINING HOURS, UM, THE CONSULTATION HOURS.
UH, SO OVER THE PAST YEAR, TWO YEARS RATHER, WE HAVE, UH, I DON'T WANNA SAY PERFECTED, BUT WE'RE CLOSE TO PERFECTING THIS HUB AND SPOKE MODEL WHERE YOU HAVE ONE ORGANIZATION WHO HAS A LARGE NETWORK, AND THEN YOU HAVE SIX SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS OR SIX ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE REFER OUT TO THOSE, UH, STRATEGIC PARTNERS.
SO WHEN A BUSINESS COMES TO US AND SAY, I NEED FUNDING, WELL, WE HAVE THREE CDFIS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE PART OF OUR PROGRAM, AND WE ASSESS THEM, WE VET THEM, AND WE SEND THEM OVER TO OUR, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER.
IF SOMEONE SAYS, HEY, I WANT TO GET A BUSINESS PLAN WRITTEN, AGAIN, WE ASSESS THEM, WE, UH, CONNECT THEM RIGHT TO THE RIGHT COMMUNITY PARTNER TO GET THAT BUSINESS PLAN WRITTEN.
AND IF IT'S NOT A COMMUNITY PARTNER THAT WE CONNECT THEM TO, WE SEND THEM TO ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS, WHICH COULD BE ONE OF THE ACCELERATORS.
UM, OUR ACCELERATORS, WE HAVE ONE FOR EACH STAGE.
IF YOU'RE IN THE IDEATION STAGE, I, HEY, I HAVE THIS IDEA.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA WORK.
AND WE PUT THEM THROUGH, UH, A, UH, A PROGRAM.
WE HAVE A, A ACCELERATOR FOR EARLY STAGE.
SO THIS IS SOMEONE WHO IS YOU UNDER FIVE YEARS OLD.
THEY'RE STARTING TO GENERATE REVENUE.
IT MIGHT STILL BE A SIDE HUSTLE, BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO TURN THAT SIDE HUSTLE INTO A FULL-TIME AND BE SELF-EMPLOYED.
UH, SO WE HAVE A ACCELERATOR PROGRAM FOR THEM, AND THEN WE HAVE ONE FOR SOMEONE IN THE GROWTH STAGE.
AND THIS IS FOR THOSE ENTREPRENEURS WHO ARE LOOKING TO, FOR JOB CREATION.
SO THERE, THERE, AND IF, IF YOU LOOK THERE, IT'LL SHOW THERE HOW MANY JOBS WERE RETAINED, I THINK, THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ONLY PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, BUT WE'RE ALSO PROVIDING THE CONNECTIONS TO THE RESOURCES.
UM, YOU'LL SEE HERE HOW WE TRACK THE SUCCESS OF OUR PROGRAM.
IF YOU GO UP ONE TO THE METRICS, ONE MORE.
THESE ARE METRICS THAT WE ALREADY TRACK, UM, AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO TRACK THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES SERVED THROUGH, UH, OUR PROGRAMS, UH, AND BE ABLE TO REPORT THAT OUT TO YOU ON A MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY BASIS.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE USE SALESFORCE AND WE COLLECT THAT INFORMATION WHEN SOMEONE, UH, REGISTERS OR APPLIES TO ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS. AND WE'RE ABLE TO REPORT OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE WE REFER TO, SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PARTNERS.
AND THEN THAT NEXT SLIDE IS, THESE ARE ACCELERATORS.
THIS IS KIND OF LIKE THE CORE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SIGNATURE EVENTS THAT WHERE I LOOK AT THOSE SIGNATURE EVENTS AS OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENTREPRENEURS TO CONNECT AND CONVENE, UM, AND ALSO LEARN, YOU KNOW, FROM SPEAKERS.
BUT THE PROGRAMS, THE ACCELERATORS ARE THE ONES THAT REALLY SHOW ECONOMIC IMPACT BECAUSE WE ARE TRACKING, DID YOU START A BUSINESS? UM, DID YOU HIRE EMPLOYEES OR, YOU KNOW, OR DID, HOW MANY DID YOU RETAIN? UH, WE'RE TRACKING THINGS THAT HELPS US KNOW IF HOW MUCH FUNDING A PERSON RECEIVE.
SO THIS CHART HERE JUST KIND OF SHOWS YOU OUR PROGRAMS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
THESE ARE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT, UM, CONGRATULATED, YOU KNOW, ACCELERATORS ARE SMALL.
THEY'RE NOT MEANT TO BE, YOU KNOW, LARGE
[01:05:01]
SESSIONS.UM, BUT THEY'RE SMALL SESSIONS.
AND THEN, AND THESE ARE JUST THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE, UM, GRADUATED.
BUT OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE HAD 124 PEOPLE THROUGH OUR ACCELERATOR PROGRAMS. UM, I MENTIONED THAT WE HAD, UM, 200 AND I'M ON THE, UH, ALMOST THE NEXT TO THE LAST PAGE.
YEAH, THAT ONE'S 226 MENTOR MENTEES IN OUR PROGRAM.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING, I'LL JUST TELL YOU ANYBODY IN HERE IN FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING WHERE WE NEED MORE INJURIES,
BUT, UH, BUT WE DO, WE HAVE A, A REALLY ROBUST DATABASE.
UM, AND OUR MATCHMAKER DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB TRYING TO MATCH UP THE NEED WITH THE EXPERTISE.
AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE HERE, UM, THAT GRANTS DEPLOY.
AND YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, OR AREN'T YOU ALL A NONPROFIT? WHY ARE YOU DEPLOYING OUT GRANTS? WELL, A LOT OF THIS CAME FROM THE MONEY WE GIVE OUT IN AS A PIT IN THE PITCH COMPETITION.
AND THAT'S AS A GRANT TO THE ENTREPRENEUR.
UM, BUT WE AS A NONPROFIT ALSO RECEIVE, UM, SOME FUNDING FROM BANKS THROUGH THEIR CRA INITIATIVES.
AND THESE BANKS WANT TO SUPPORT AND, UM, INVEST THEIR DOLLARS INTO THE SOUTHERN SECTOR.
AND SO THEY COME TO US AND THEY SAY, AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE'RE GETTING READY TO RUN OUR BANK SEVEN, UH, GRANT PROGRAM IN OCTOBER WHERE WE'RE GONNA GIVE SIX, $5,000 GRANTS TO ENTREPRENEURS.
SO WE, AGAIN, IT'S ALL ABOUT RESOURCES.
IT'S ALL ABOUT GETTING CONNECTED TO THE RIGHT RESOURCES, AND IT'S ALL ABOUT GETTING CONNECTED TO THE FUNDING AND, AND PROGRAMS THAT ENTREPRENEURS NEED.
SO I'VE KNOWN TARSHA FOR A WHILE.
WE'VE WORKED ON OTHER PROGRAMS TOGETHER.
AND SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MR. BOTH, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ENTREPRENEURS IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR VERSUS OTHER REGIONS MM-HMM.
AND NOW YOU, I KNOW YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT ANGEL INVESTORS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY BUSINESSES IN THIS REGION, IN THIS SECTOR WOULD EVEN, PROBABLY A PRETTY SMALL PERCENTAGE, BUT IN TERMS OF THE TYPE OF BUSINESSES THAT YOU ARE WORKING WITH THIS
AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A BROAD, SO WE GOT COACHES, WE HAVE CONSULTANTS THAT ARE PART OF SERVICE.
UM, SO THAT'S ABOUT FOUR, UH, 14% OF, OF THE CLIENTS.
AND, AND I'M SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY AROUND OUR ACCELERATOR AND MENTORSHIP TYPE PROGRAMS. NOW, OUR EVENTS, WE SEE ALL KINDS OF
BUT, UM, AND THEN THE OTHER, SO AROUND 12% IS RETAIL, BUT THIS IS ONLINE RETAIL.
UM, YEAH, WE HAVE SOME RETAILERS.
UM, ONE GREAT SUCCESS STORY, UH, UM, TJ L COLLECTIONS.
SHE TARGETS LIKE, UM, PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES IF YOU'RE, I'M A SHORT GIRL, SO I DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
I JUST HAD TO LOWER MY CHAIR DOWN BECAUSE MY FEET WERE UP
SO I DON'T HAVE A TALL GIRL PROBLEM.
UH, BUT YEAH, SHE TARGETS, UH, YOU KNOW, PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, WOMEN THAT ARE, I THINK SHE SAID FIVE, EIGHT AND UP, UM, TO PROVIDE, UM, CLOTHING.
SO RETAIL, UH, AND THEN WE DO HAVE A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF TECH.
UM, WE KIND OF LUMP, UM, LIKE DIGITAL AND TECHNOLOGY TOGETHER.
SO WE DO HAVE, UH, AROUND, I THINK IT'S AROUND 9% THAT'S IN TECH, BUT ALSO, UH, LIKE THE DIGITAL MARKETING SPACE.
AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS THAT, WHAT'S THE MIX IN TERMS OF STARTUP MEANING LIKE ZERO REVENUE VERSUS EXISTING? YEAH, WE, WE ACTUALLY, I WANNA SAY, I KNOW IT'S IN THE 50 PERCENTILE.
I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT, UH, PERCENTAGE, BUT A, A, A GOOD 50% ARE IN THE STARTUP EARLY STAGES, ZERO TO ONE YEAR OKAY.
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, THAT THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE GROUP THAT'S COMING TO US SAYING, WELL, WHERE DO I GET CONNECTED FOR RESOURCES? YOU KNOW, AND I'M PRETTY SURE THE BUSINESSES HERE ARE DOING THE SAME THING.
EVERY, EVERY CHAMBER HAS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COME TO THE CHAMBER SAYING, UM, BECAUSE IT'S A CHAMBER FOR BUSINESSES, UM, BUT THE CHAMBER IS NOT GONNA HELP THAT PERSON START A BUSINESS.
[01:10:01]
THEN WE CAN CONNECT YOU TO SOME CORPORATIONS, OTHER MEMBERS GET YOU IN THE DIRECTORY, YOU KNOW? UM, BUT SO WE DO GET A GOOD AMOUNT COMING IN SAYING, I WANNA START A BUSINESS, OR I'VE STARTED A BUSINESS.I'M STILL WORKING MY FULL-TIME JOB AND I NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS WORK.
SO AS I LOOK AT NEXT STEPS AND WHAT YOU GUYS ARE PLAYING, HOW WE BEST UTILIZE YOUR SERVICES COMMUNITY, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RIVER REDBIRD HAS HELPED.
HOW LONG HAVE I WORKED THERE? NO, NOT YOU, BUT HOW LONG HAS
AND SO HOW DO WE GET A BETTER IMPACT OF USE FROM NOT JUST DESOTO, BUT THE SOUTH PERIOD? MM-HMM.
I THINK THAT OUR COMMUNITY, THERE'S A, UH, WE DON'T BELIEVE IN ANYTHING.
WE HAVE THIS, UM, MODEL OF DISPATCH, SOMEBODY DISPATCHES US.
AND WHAT IT'S, HOW DO I GO, HOW DO WE DO, HOW DO WE LEVERAGE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? CITY COUNCIL, MAYORS BEST SOUTHWEST? HOW DO WE LEVERAGE TO BRING OUT THE BEST OF OPPORTUNITY IN BRINGING YOU THE BEST TALENT? MM-HMM.
I, YOU, YOU GUYS HAVE TO HELP US.
'CAUSE YOU, YOU HAVE BEST PRACTICES, YOU KNOW WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT'S NOT REALLY WORKING.
YOU HAVE THESE, UM, MOTIVATORS, INSPIRATOR, YOU HAVE ALL THIS COLLABORATION.
BUT TO BE ABLE TO REALLY GIVE PEOPLE WHO ARE READY TO LEAVE IBN AND COME WHO HAVE AN IDEA WHO IN SOME CASES HAVE CAPITAL, BUT GROUND ZERO IS I NEED TO WALK INTO THIS DECK AND LAY ALL OF MY CARDS ON THE TABLE.
HAVE SOMEBODY COME AND TOLD ME, I'M GONNA WALK BESIDE YOU NEED YOU TO DO THIS, THIS DO YOUR A HERE'S YOUR CPA, HERE'S YOUR LAWYER, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.
HOW DO WE HELP YOU GET TO THAT PLACE? YEAH.
UM, THAT'S A TOUGH QUESTION TO ANSWER.
BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT, UM, PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW.
RIGHT? AND SO IF THEY'RE NOT AWARE THAT THERE ARE RESOURCES AVAILABLE, IF THEY'RE NOT AWARE THAT THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL HOLD YOUR HAND AND WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS, THEN THAT PERSON WORKING FOR IBM IS JUST GONNA KEEP WORKING FOR IBM UNTIL THEY, THEY BECOME AWARE THAT THOSE RESOURCES ARE THERE.
SO WHAT I'M ASKING YOU ALL TO DO IS CREATE LANGUAGE THAT MAKES PEOPLE EMPOWER DOING WHAT YOU DO.
OUR COMMUNITY IS JUST LANGUAGE.
SO WE HAVE TONS OF SUCCESS STORIES FROM INDIVIDUALS.
UH, WE, WE HAVE ABOUT 11 TO 12 ZIP CODES IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR THAT WE FOCUS ON.
AND WE HAVE TONS OF SUCCESS STORIES.
AND I, I CAN, I FEEL LIKE I CAN SPEAK FOR MY COMMUNITY, BUT WHEN I SEE SOMEBODY THAT LOOKS LIKE ME AND WE'RE MARKETING THAT PERSON THAT LOOKS LIKE ME, UM, AND THAT PERSON IS TELLING THEIR STORY.
I MEAN, WE JUST DID A HUGE EVENT WITH THE SBA ADMINISTRATOR.
SHE FLEW IN FROM DC UM, HER ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR CAME DOWN AND WE STRATEGICALLY PLACED FOUR ENTREPRENEURS ON THE PANEL.
AND ALL THEY DID WAS SHARE THEIR STORY.
RIGHT? AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE MESSAGE, THAT'S THE LANGUAGE.
BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT IBM PERSON OR THAT PERSON ON THE FENCE, OR THAT PERSON WHO IS WORKING THAT BUSINESS AND, AND NOT SEEING IT GET TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE, ALL THEY NEED TO SEE IS THAT SOMEBODY ELSE DID IT AND HEAR HOW THEY DID IT AND WHAT RESOURCES THEY TAPPED INTO TO DO IT.
WELL, I'M A PRETTY IN TUNE PERSON INTO WHAT'S GOING ON GLOBALLY, NATIONALLY.
AND I NEVER HEARD OF THE DECK.
MY POINT IS, IF I NEVER HEARD OF IT, MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO KNOW A WHOLE LOT LESS THAN ME, I NOT HEARD OF IT.
SO DO WE INFLUENCE IT THROUGH THE CHURCH? DO WE INFLUENCE THROUGH OUR DIRECTOR? WE INFLUENCE IT.
I'M SAYING, HOW DO WE DO A BETTER JOB OF LETTING PEOPLE KNOW YOUR, I GOTTA KNOW THAT YOU EXIST TO WANT TO HEAR YOUR SUCCESS STORY, AND I WANT TO ENGAGE, I'M LOOKING FOR YOU.
BUT IF I'M LOOKING IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES, HOW DO YOU GUYS DO A BETTER JOB? OR HOW DO WE HELP YOU GUYS DO A BETTER JOB OF GETTING THIS INFORMATION DOCUMENT? YEAH, WE NEED THAT.
NO, THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THIS PARTNERSHIP, RIGHT?
[01:15:01]
THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE, THE REASON WE'VE PROPOSED THIS PARTNERSHIP IS FOR FIVE YEARS WE'VE TRIED TO DO EXACTLY THAT AND HAVE NOT BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.SO WE SAID THERE'S, THERE'S GOTTA BE A DIFFERENT WAY TO START TO REACH OUT.
AND THAT'S THE PARTNERSHIP OF THE DECK, THE EDC AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
'CAUSE TO TARA'S POINT, ANYBODY WHO'S STARTING A BUSINESS, I SHOULDN'T SAY ANYBODY, BUT OFTENTIMES PEOPLE WHO ARE STARTING A BUSINESS WALK IN THERE.
VANESSA, IF SHE WAS SITTING HERE, WOULD TELL YOU THIS AND SAY, I WANNA START A BUSINESS.
WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME? SHE HAS NO RESOURCE TO SEND THEM TO.
AND, AND THIS IS PEOPLE WHO DO THIS EVERY DAY.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN STARTING, WE HAVE A PLACE FOR YOU TO GO AND LISTEN AND HAVE SOME IDEAS AND GET THE TOOLS.
WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY IN TERMS OF THE CITY, THE DDC, TO, TO USE OUR MECHANISMS, OUR, OUR, OUR OUTREACH, THE CITY MANAGERS REPORT, OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, OUR OPPORTUNITIES TO COMMUNICATE IN, IN THE FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD.
RIGHT? THAT TIES RIGHT INTO WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
IF WE'RE ABLE TO BRING THOSE RESOURCES TO THE TABLE TO PUT THESE IN FRONT OF 'EM, THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIND THE, THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
YOU MENTIONED ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID, DO WE DO IT IN OUR CHURCHES? THAT THAT'S NOT AN AVENUE THAT I PROBABLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN THE DOOR, BUT SOME OF YOU DO.
AND IF YOU'RE WILLING TO, AND YOUR PASTORS ARE WILLING TO, THAT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TALK ABOUT, HEY, IF, IF, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, THESE RESOURCES EXIST FOR FIVE YEARS.
WE'VE FOCUSED OUR RESOURCES ON ABOUT 65 BUSINESSES.
WE THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, WITH A ONE AND A ZERO ON THE END OF IT.
THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO MORE.
AND TO THAT END, Y'ALL ARE COMMITTING RESOURCES TO BE HERE.
AND IT, AND IT, AND IT MAY NOT, IT MAY NOT BE FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
PART OF THE PROBLEM WE HAD WAS, IN ANY GIVEN MONTH, WE MIGHT HAVE ONE, MAYBE TWO FOLKS WHO, WHO HAVE THIS DESIRE, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR US TO HAVE A CLASS.
BUT WHEN THOSE TWO COMBINED WITH THREE OUT OF LANCASTER, THAT COMBINED WITH TWO OUT OF OUT DUNCANVILLE AND ANOTHER FOUR OUT OF CEDAR HILL, AND THEY ALL GO HERE, OR THEY COME HERE 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CLASS HERE, OR WE GO TO CEDAR HILL, WHATEVER THOSE LOOK LIKE, NOW WE'VE GOT ENOUGH CRITICAL MASS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
AND THAT'S BEEN OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM.
THAT WAS GONNA BE MY QUESTION.
BUT SO IS IT, THE INTENT IS TO HAVE A SATELLITE OFFICE IN SOUTHWEST, NOT SPECIFICALLY DESOTO, BUT SOMETHING THAT MOVES AROUND.
IS THAT TIER OH, WILL BE HERE.
AND THE IDEA IS TO HAVE A SATELLITE OFFICE PARTNERED WITH THE CHAMBER.
THAT'S THE, THE COMMITMENT THE CHAMBER'S MAKING TO THIS IS THERE'S A PLACE TO SIT WHEN YOU'RE HERE.
AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE NOT HERE, WE'RE ABLE TO HAND THEM YOUR CARD AND HAVE THEM CALL YOU AND CONNECT WITH YOU.
AND WHAT SCALE OF TIME THAT LOOKS LIKE BEING HERE WE'RE GONNA WORK ON.
'CAUSE WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT IT IS.
WHAT WE DO KNOW, AND THIS IS PART OF THIS ENTIRE DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD WITH THE CHAMBER, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS YET, BY THE WAY,
THIS, THIS ISN'T, UH, A SERVICE THAT'S ONLY FOR CHAMBER MEMBERS.
IN FACT, DEFINITIVELY IT IS NOT.
BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO THE CHAMBER AND YOU'RE SEEING THAT THIS IS A SERVICE THEY'RE PROVIDING, WHICH WE'RE PAYING FOR, RIGHT? THE DDC IS PAYING FOR, AT SOME POINT, YOU'RE GONNA BE AROUND THAT ENOUGH TO GO, I, I SHOULD PROBABLY BE A MEMBER OF THE CHAMBER.
THEY'VE GOT OTHER THINGS THAT I NEED.
IT'S NETWORKING, IT'S EVENTS, WHATEVER IT IS.
AND NOW YOU HAVE A WAY TO DRIVE CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP IN ADDITION TO THE, THE SUCCESS OF THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO TRY TO DO IT ON OUR OWN.
WE DON'T THINK WE'RE VERY WELL EQUIPPED TO DO THAT.
WE FELT LIKE IF WE'D GOT THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED, THAT THROUGH THE CHAMBER, THAT ALL BOATS ROSE IN THE TIDE.
WELL, I THINK WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE EXCEPTIONALLY WELL AT REDFORD, I THINK SOMETIMES ONE OF THE BIGGEST BARRIERS FOR A YOUNG, SMALL BUSINESS IS TO YOUR POINT, THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S QUITE INTIMIDATING, UM, TO WANNA GO DOWN THIS JOURNEY.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO THIS, THAT WE'VE SET IT UP FOR
[01:20:01]
SUCCESS IN THE BEGINNING BECAUSE IT CAN BE VERY OVERWHELMING, UM, FOR SOMEONE.AND THAT THE VISIBILITY IS THERE.
YOU ALL, THE VISIBILITY YOU ALL HAVE CREATED, CREATED AT REDBIRD HAS CREATED THIS WHERE YOU ALL EXPANDING YOUR SPACE, YOU, YOU'RE BUSTING OUT OF THE SEAMS. YOU DON'T HAVE ANY PLACE TO PUT PEOPLE.
UM, AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE, I KNOW THE COMMITMENT AND TIME IN THE BEGINNING WON'T BE AT THAT LEVEL, BUT JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF COMMIT IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, THAT WE'RE GONNA DO IT FULL OUT.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE GET, UM, DISAPPOINTED WITH, IS THAT WE LAUNCH THESE THINGS AND IT'S NOT, AND COULD IT ALSO BE THAT EVEN IF SOMEONE COMES IN AND THE DECK IS NOT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT IN OFFICE THE DAY THAT I THINK SOMETIMES ENTREPRENEURS FEEL COMFORTABLE INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE DECK, THAT IF THEY GET, YOU KNOW, SCHEDULE SOME TYPE OF APPOINTMENT WITH YOU THAT THEY CAN MEET HERE IN DESOTO AS A STARTING POINT, I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL.
SO IF I MAY, AND, BUT IF I MIGHT FOR JUST A MINUTE, THEY ALSO HAVE THAT ABILITY THOUGH, TO GO TO THE DECK, RIGHT? YOU, YOU CAN'T WALK IN THERE AND NOT BE SOMEWHAT IMPRESSED THAT THERE'S ALL THIS ACTIVITY GOING ON AND IT'S SHARED OFFICE SPACE AND THERE'S PEOPLE CHATTING AND YOU, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT KIND OF WONDER HOW AND, AND GET A LITTLE BIT EXCITED.
I THINK THERE'S VALUE IN THAT, RIGHT? I THINK YOUR POINT NO, I WOULDN'T SAY AGREE, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH DOORS THEY WANT TO HAVE RIGHT.
AND I THINK THAT TO WHAT EXTENT WE CAN, RIGHT? AGAIN, SOME OF THIS IS, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT RIGHT THERE.
THERE'S THE ECONOMY OF SCALE ISN'T THERE FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTING ALL THE TIME AT SOME POINT.
BUT THERE, THERE SOME I'VE WORKED ON, THERE'S SOME THAT YEAH, YEAH.
THEY, THEY DO, THEY WANT THE ONE-ON-ONE ATTENTION IN THEIR SPACE.
'CAUSE THEY'RE COMFORTABLE, EVEN IF IT'S JUST 15 MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD, THEY, THEY, THEY WANNA BE IN DESOTO.
HOLD UP A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS IF I MAY.
FIRST, I'M GOING TO PIGGYBACK ON SOME OF THE MARK.
I PERSONALLY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE DECK UNTIL ENGAGING WITH THE CITY STUFF.
TO BE HONEST, THAT DOESN'T AMOUNT ANYTHING.
BUT I THINK ABOUT IT FROM THAT ASPECT OF HOW DO YOU TELL THAT STORY? TO YOUR POINT, IF THE STORY IS BEING TOLD, BUT IT'S NOT BEING TOLD TO THE RIGHT PARTIES, THAT BECOMES ANOTHER FACTOR.
BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT 14% SERVICE, UH, 12% RETAIL, 9% TECH.
WHAT GENRES ARE THERE THAT YOU PROBABLY WANT TO TAP INTO THAT'S GOING TO MAKE IT MORE BENEFICIAL? THAT'S AN AREA THAT YOU GOTTA LOOK AT AND SAY, OKAY, UM, I'M GOING TAKE IT AND GIVE THE ONE THAT WE HAVE IN DESOTO AND THE GROVE, UH, DESOTO MARKETPLACE.
HOW MANY ARE THERE? HOW MANY HAVE ENGAGED WITH THIS? HOW MANY KNOW ABOUT THE DECK, IF YOU WILL? AND I THINK THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE REALLY KINDA LOW HANGING FRUIT.
AND HOW EXPANSIVE, HOW IMMERSIVE CAN WE GET IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE'RE NOT CAPITALIZED ON? BECAUSE SERVICES, UH, UH, UH, RETAIL.
WHAT ABOUT FOOD? WHAT ABOUT YOU? SO A LOT OF PEOPLE YOU TALK ABOUT FROM AN ENTREPRENEURIAL STANDPOINT, IT MAY NOT BE SERVICE ORIENTED, IT MAY BE FOOD ORIENTED.
AND SO, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF ENTREPRENEURS THERE FROM A MENTOR MENTORSHIP STANDPOINT OF CAPABILITIES.
I WOULD TAKE YOU A DIFFERENT ROUTE, IF YOU WILL.
ZERO TO ONE YEAR IS A TARGET AUDIENCE, RIGHT? NO.
OUR AVERAGE IS ZERO TO FIVE YEARS.
SO LET ME ASK YOU ANOTHER QUESTION.
WHAT'S THE RANGE OF POTENTIAL INVESTMENTS OF CAPITAL THAT'S BEING DISTRIBUTED? SO WE DEPLOYED ABOUT 219 LAST, UH, YEAH.
SO I'M AN, I'M AN ASPIRING ENTREPRENEUR.
I GOT IS AVAILABLE TO ME? POTENTIALLY.
I OBVIOUSLY THAT VARIES DEPENDING ON, I WOULD SAY AROUND, RIGHT? YEAH.
WE RECENTLY DID A SURVEY AND WE SURVEYED 453 ENTREPRENEURS, AND WE SPECIFICALLY ASKED, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A, IF YOU WERE INTERESTED, WHATEVER THE QUESTION WAS, IF YOU NEEDED FUNDING, HOW MUCH FUNDING WOULD YOU WANT? MM-HMM.
[01:25:01]
AND SO WE, BASED ON THAT SURVEY, THE AVERAGE WAS BETWEEN 50,000 AND A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
WHAT'S THE MAXIMUM THAT THE DECK POTENTIALLY, WE, WE ARE NOT A FUNDER.
BUT I'M SAYING THROUGH YOUR EFFORTS THAT YOU'VE MADE WITH, UH, A LOT OF THE CONTRIBUTORS, IF YOU WILL, INVESTORS, IS IT, WOULD IT GO UP TO 250,000? WOULD IT GO UP TO WELL, IT'S NORM KIND OF DEAL.
NORM, I CAN GIVE YOU THE TOP RIGHT.
I MEAN, SO THERE YOU GO, BRENDA, UH, OVER AT, UH, PICKUP, SHE'S GOT $10 MILLION FROM SPRO JUNIOR.
UM, SO THAT WAS ONE OF OUR ENTREPRENEURS THAT WE STARTED.
NOW SHE'S BEEN AROUND QUITE A WHILE.
SHE'S BUILT A HELL OF A BUSINESS.
UM, BUT, BUT THAT, WE CERTAINLY MAKE THE CONNECTIONS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS REALLY, I THINK WHAT TARCI SAN IS, IS THAT IF YOU WANT TO GET 10 MILLION FROM ROSS PRO JR.
WE KNOW BRENDA, AND LUCKILY WE'RE, WE KNOW SOMEONE LIKE WHO CAN WRITE 10 MILLION CHECKS.
UM, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA MEET WITH HER UNLESS WE SAY, HEY, SURE.
AND WE MAKE THAT INTRODUCTION.
AND IT DID END UP, I THINK IT WAS 10.5.
SO HOW DID BRENDA KNOW TO CONTACTED DICK? HOW DID BRENDA GET THE INFORMATION ACCOUNT THAT SHE, SHE'S ONE OF THOSE STORIES.
SHE LITERALLY WALKED THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR AND SET UP.
WHERE DID SHE GET HER INFORMATION FROM TO KNOW, TO COME? THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.
YOU KNOW WHAT? HONESTLY, IT'S ORGANIC.
WE, WE DO A LOT OF PROMOTIONAL OUTREACH ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
I MEAN, WE HOST 57 EVENTS A YEAR.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE ATTENDED OUR EVENTS, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST FIND OUR EVENTS ONLINE AND THEY COME TO THOSE EVENTS.
THE OTHER THING IS WE DO PARTNER WITH ORGANIZATIONS.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT THE DECK HAS PARTNERED WITH ORGANIZATIONS IN DESOTO.
BUT WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH ORGANIZATIONS.
WE PARTNERED WITH THE DALLAS BLACK CHAMBER.
AND SO THROUGH THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, WE ARE THERE ON SITE WHERE WE'RE COLLABORATING ON EVENTS.
SO BETWEEN THE DIVINE NINE, I WAS ON A CALL WITH 75,000 PEOPLE ON THE, ON THE SAME CALL THROUGH THE DIVINE NINE.
IT WAS TWO DAYS AND THEY PUT IT TOGETHER.
SO BETWEEN THE DIVINE NINE AND ALL THE H HBCUS, ALL OF THOSE AGENCIES HAVE GREAT ALUMNIS THAT ARE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE GOING REACHING, SAYS GREEKS ON THE BOARD.
BUT WE WOULD NEED YOUR HELP WITH A LOT OF THAT BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOU KNOW YOUR ENTREPRENEURS.
SO WE WOULD LOOK TO YOU TO SAY THE DECK.
WE NEED YOU TO JUST GO AND TALK ABOUT YOUR RESOURCES AT X, Y, Z CHURCH OR AT A B, C ORGANIZATION.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL COME THERE, BUT, BUT WE, IT, THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU WILL HELP US MM-HMM.
CAN I SAY THIS? OH, OH, GO AHEAD.
UM, I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE DECK IS THE BRO DESOTO MARKETPLACE ON STEROIDS WITH BETTER ORGANIZATION AND BETTER REACH.
'CAUSE THE BRO BRO DESOTO MARKETPLACE WAS ORGANICALLY BUILT TO HELP LAUNCH ENTREPRENEURS, YOU KNOW, WITH MAYBE NO BUSINESS EXPERIENCE, GOOD FOOD, BUT NO, DON'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE A BALANCE SHEET OR A P AND L.
AND SO, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID WELL WAS THE CONCEPT OF THAT YOU GOT TO LEARN HOW TO BE A BUSINESS PERSON.
YOU HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO DO THIS.
UH, WE TRIED TO MAKE THE EDUCATIONAL PART OF IT, UM, MANDATORY.
WE GAVE THEM REDUCED RENT WITH THIS MANDATORY REDUCED RENT.
THEY'RE DOING BUSINESS WITH THIS MANDATORY EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OVER HERE BY, BY A PERSON THAT MAYBE ALL OF THEM COULD NOT IDENTIFY WITH.
SHE KNEW THE INFORMATION AND SHE, SHE PROBABLY WAS BRILLIANT BACK IN HER DAY, BUT SHE COULD NOT RELATE TO THE DEMOGRAPHIC THAT WAS COMING THROUGH THE INCUBATOR AT THAT TIME.
AND SO NOW IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE SELLING STUFF, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY LEARNING ON THE BACK END HOW TO RECORD IT AND, AND HOW TO BE IN POSITION TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PPE LOANS AND THOSE THINGS.
'CAUSE THEY WEREN'T KEEPING BOOKS, THEY WEREN'T DOING THIS, THEY WEREN'T DOING THAT.
AND HAD THEY HAD, THEY SIMPLY DONE WHAT WAS AVAILABLE.
SO THIS SEEMED LIKE A BIT MORE FORMAL AND A CENTRAL WITHOUT THE HEADACHE OF, OF THE COVERAGE OF RENT SUBSIDIES
[01:30:01]
AND ALL OF THAT OTHER STUFF.JUST SAYING, IF YOU'RE GONNA DO BUSINESS, WE'RE GOING TO HELP YOU DO BUSINESS.
YOU KNOW, HERE ARE THE CONNECTION.
THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AND NOW YOU'RE GONNA HOUSE IT IN THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SO THAT YOU CAN GO AND, AND SET UP APPOINTMENTS.
SO, UH, WHEN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT DESOTO, AND THE REASON, PROBABLY THE REASON THE DECK IS NOT POPULAR IN DESOTO IS 'CAUSE WE WERE PUSHING PEOPLE TO THE INCUBATOR, QUITE FRANKLY.
WE WERE TELLING PEOPLE, IF YOU'RE GONNA START A BUSINESS HERE, GO TO GO TO THE INCUBATOR.
YOU KNOW, TAKE YOUR LITTLE TRINKETS AND OPEN UP A BOOTH.
YOU KNOW, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE CLASSES THAT WERE GONNA SAY MANDATORY, IT'S GONNA BE TIED INTO YOUR LEASE, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY MANDATORY.
YOU KNOW, AND IF WE DO TRY TO MAKE IT MANDATORY, WE'RE GONNA GET A BACKLASH.
'CAUSE NOW WE'RE EVICTING SOMEBODY.
WE HAD A LOT OF TRIGGERS WITHOUT THAT ENTREPRENEUR PERSON TAKING, TAKING OWNERSHIP, IF YOU WOULD, OF SAYING, I'M GOING TO GO INTO BUSINESS.
THERE IS A RISK AND, BUT THERE'S A REWARD IF I, IF I DILIGENTLY DO MY WORK.
YOU KNOW? SO THIS SOUNDS LIKE A MAYBE A BETTER APPROACH TOO, BUT TO YOUR POINT IS NOT SO MUCH AS A BETTER APPROACH.
IT, IT, WE HAVE LOW HANGING FRUIT RIGHT DOWN THE STREET THAT COULD CAPITALIZE ON WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AS IT RELATES TO THE INFORMATION, THE EDUCATION OF IT ALL, AND FULFILLING A DESIRE THAT MAY WALK IN AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN WANTING TO DO THIS.
I, I I HAVE NOT KNOWN HOW TO DO IT.
AND THAT'S WHY I KIND OF BROUGHT FORTH THE ROAD SOTO MARKETPLACE, BECAUSE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY THERE, PERHAPS.
PERHAPS, YOUR HONOR, PERHAPS RIGHT.
AND I'LL PERSONALLY TAKE ON MAKING SURE THAT I SHARE THE WORD THAT I BRING AND MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE ENTREPRENEURS, WHO ARE INTERESTED GROWING THEIR BUSINESS, DEVELOPING THEIR BRAND, UH, MAKING THEIR BRAND BIGGER, KNOW THAT IT LIVES HERE.
SO WE, IF YOU ALL ARE OPEN TO THE POSSIBILITIES AND THE OPPORTUNITIES OF ALLOWING CHURCHES, HBCUS, AND ON AND ON, THE DIVINE NINE TO BE A PART OF IT, I'M ALL OVER IT.
IT IS NOT A DEEP A REVELATION.
WE DON'T HAVE TO, IT'S NOT EVEN AN OVER SALE.
IT'S THE FACT THAT YOU'RE HERE, YOU'RE COMMITTED TO BEING HERE AND YOU WANT TO SEE BUSINESSES.
CAN I ASK ONE LAST QUESTION, SIR? ARE WE LOOKING, YOU USED AN ACRONYM THAT WAS NOT THE CDFI DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.
AND SO ARE, IS THAT WHAT WE ARE SUGGESTING BRINGING HERE? NO.
THIS IS JUST A A WHAT ARE WE, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS THIS SUGGESTION? IT MAY BE ONE, IT MAY BE ONE RESOURCE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO.
IT MIGHT BE AN AN SBA LOAN, IT MIGHT BE AN ANGEL NETWORK.
THEIR CAPITAL CAN COME FROM LOTS OF DIFFERENT PLACES.
SHAMELESS PLUG, YOU KNOW, WE JUST SIGNED THAT DEAL.
BUT HERE'S THE INTERESTING PIECE OF THAT.
I'M SUPER GLAD THAT WE DID, BECAUSE I THINK IT HELPS TO PUT THE WORD OUT THERE.
THEY'VE ALWAYS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE SBA LOAN.
RIGHT? IT'S, THOSE AREN'T NEW LOANS.
HOW DO PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE THEM? AND WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET ONE? BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST WALK IN THE DOOR AND TELL 'EM YOU NEED MONEY.
THERE'S AN ENTIRE PROCESS AND IT'S ARDUOUS.
IT TAKES SOMEBODY WALKING YOU THROUGH IS THE DDC PREPARED TO, YOU KNOW, I, WHAT IS THE MARKETING? HOW ARE WE HELPING, HOW ARE WE GONNA HELP THEM DO THIS? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE CAN'T JUST LET IT BE ON YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL IF THIS IS A TRUE COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP.
DO WE HAVE BUDGETED, DO WE HAVE ITEMS IN WHICH WE ARE SUPPORTING THEM FROM A MARKETING STANDPOINT? HOW, WHAT IS THE OBLIGATION ON THE DDC TO HELP MAKE THE SUCCESSFUL OTHER THAN GIVING THEM A SPACE AND A PLATFORM TO DO IT? SO WE AREN'T PROVIDING A SPACE EITHER.
SO THE, THE, THE, THIS IDEA OF A NETWORK IN OUR COMMUNITY OF THE CHAMBER AND THE DECK AND THE DDC AND CITY.
RIGHT? WHEN YOU SAID WE'D LIKE FOR YOU TO HELP US, I'M GONNA SAY WE NEED FOR YOU TO HELP US, WE NEED FOR YOU TO MAKE THE, THE DIVINE NINE AVAILABLE.
WE NEED YOU TO TALK ABOUT IT FROM THE PULPIT.
WE NEED YOU TO TALK ABOUT IT WHEN YOU'RE HAVING BREAKFAST WITH YOUR GROUPS FROM THE AIRPORT, AND YOU HAVE ENTREPRENEURS THAT ARE THERE.
WE NEED Y'ALL TO TALK ABOUT IT FROM THE DRC AND BE ABLE TO PROMOTE THAT THIS EXISTS NOW IN SOUTHERN DALLAS.
YOU HAVE A SOUTHERN DALLAS INITIATIVE.
BUT I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS
[01:35:01]
I KNOW INDEPENDENTLY ALL OF US CAN DO THIS AS MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD, BUT ARE WE PUTTING ANY EFFORT EXACTLY.WHAT ARE WE DOING COLLECTIVELY FROM A PROMOTIONAL STANDPOINT AROUND THIS TO HELP THIS BE SUCCESSFUL? WE, WE HAVE NOT PROGRAMMED THAT PER SE.
FRANKLY, UNTIL WE HAVE A A, AN AGREEMENT WITH THE TECH TO DO THAT, I THINK THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BEGIN.
NUMBER TWO, TO BEGIN TO SAY WHAT ARE THOSE OUTREACH EFFORTS AND WHERE DO WE SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES? YEAH.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM ARE RIGHT AROUND THIS.
'CAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE VARIOUS GROUPS THAT YOU RELATE TO THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO, THAT FAR EXCEEDS OUR ABILITY.
YOU KNOW, THE DDC IS ITS BOARD.
THERE'S FOUR PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE, AND WE HAVE ACCESS TO PUTTING THINGS INTO PRINTED, PRINTED OPPORTUNITIES, SOCIAL MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES.
WE WILL USE ALL OF THOSE AVAILABLE TO US.
WE WILL WRITE AN ARTICLE AND SEND IT TO Y'ALL TO PUT OUT IN THE, IN THE, THE SOUTHERN REGIONAL TO TALK ABOUT DE SOTO AND THE SOTO CHAMBER AND THE DDC HAVE PARTNERED TO PROVIDE THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO THE SMALL BUSINESSES IN DE SOTO.
AND I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I WAS MAKING SURE THAT IT'S PART OF OUR OVERALL MARKETING PLAN AS WE'RE MARKETING DE SOTO.
THAT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE MARKETING PLAN.
SO A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS WE NEED TO MOVE ON HERE.
UM, LET ME ASK, SO IN THE
DO YOU GUYS TIE INTO ANY OF THE CERTIFICATION AGENCIES LIKE WEBANK AND ALL OF THAT? YEP.
YOU KNOW, SO THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE THIS INFORMATION.
THEY HAVE THIS INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEBT AND, UH, WEBANK SOUTHWEST WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER, UH, THEY WERE, WE HAD A, A TAYLOR LEFT.
SO WE HAVEN'T REESTABLISHED THAT RELATIONSHIP, BUT THEY SECRET BECAUSE, AND WE LET NOBODY, THIS A SECRET.
OKAY, SO THIS HAS BEEN A SECRET.
Y'ALL WOULD KEPT OUT LIST, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP, WE, WE NEED, NEED TO INVITE THOSE PERSONS, THOSE HANDS TO OUR SESSION, LET THEM KNOW THE CAMARADERIE THAT WE HAVE, AND SO THAT THEY CAN TELL, BECAUSE THEY CAN SPREAD THE WORD TOO.
BUT IF YOU GOT ALL OF THESE CERTIFICATION AGENCIES, THE ADVOCACY BUSINESS, ADVOCACY GROUPS, IF YOU WILL, WE NEED TO TALK TO THEM.
LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION ALSO, WITH RESPECT TO, LET'S SAY THE, THE AIRPORT WORLD.
LET'S TAKE ABOUT, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE, ALL THE AIRPORTS, FOR EXAMPLE, LOVE FIELD, DFW, THEY HAVE DIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT SUPPLIERS.
WELL, UH, THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, UH, DEPARTMENTS HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO DO YOU GUYS DO THAT WITH THEM TODAY? GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ALSO? NOT NECESSARILY WITH THE AIRPORTS.
THE AIRPORT MIGHT, MIGHT BE SET UP, BUT WE DONE ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, OR AIRPORTS.
I THINK THERE'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY.
THEY'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AND THEIR, THEIR, UH, SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS PERSONS THAT ARE THERE CAN HELP MENTOR.
SO HE KNOWS THIS GUY WHO WORKED AT DFW FOR LIKE 27, 8 YEARS,
HE WAS OUT THERE TOUGH TONIGHT.
AND TO YOUR POINT, UH, NATASHA, IT IS, IT'S TRUE.
I THINK WE HAVE AN AN AMASSED SET OF RESOURCES.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HOW DO WE PLUG INTO 'EM, HOW DO WE USE THEM? AND, AND PART OF THE FAILING, I THINK IS OFTENTIMES WE DON'T ASK, WE DON'T ASK WITHIN OUR OWN COMMUNITY FOR THE HELP TO MOVE THOSE FORWARD.
I WOULD LOVE TO TELL YOU THAT I THINK THE CHAMBER IS, IS GONNA BE WILDLY SUCCESSFUL WITH THIS.
AND I DO THINK THAT THEY WILL, BUT SHE REMEMBERS THE CHAMBER CONSISTS OF ONE STAFF PERSON WHO, WHO PUTS ALL OF THIS TOGETHER AND MAKES THINGS HAPPEN.
WHEN WE SAT DOWN AND TALKED WITH VANESSA AND WE TALKED, SHE, WHAT SHE FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT SOMEHOW BROTHER, SHE HAD TO STAFF THIS.
AND I SAID, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE.
AND, AND THEN SHE SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW,
[01:40:01]
OUR LEASE.AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THE ROT DESOTO MARKETPLACE WAS BUILT OUT TO ACCOMMODATE THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
AND THEY JUST NEVER DID, FOR WHATEVER REASON, A LOT OF HISTORY.
BUT WE WENT BACK TO MONTE AND SAID, WOULD YOU STILL BE WILLING TO HOUSE 'EM? AND HE SAID, OH, ABSOLUTELY.
THAT'S A GREAT SYNERGISTIC OPPORTUNITY.
AND OUR FOLKS FROM THE, FROM, FROM THE DECK WILL ALSO BE THERE.
SO BACK TO YOUR POINT ABOUT PEOPLE IN THE, IN THE ROT DESOTO MARKETPLACE, THEY'LL HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
NOW THEY, THEY HAVE TO WALK OVER AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT,
BUT IF THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, THAT'S THE POINT.
IF THEY KNOW ABOUT IT, AND AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE GRADUATING AND WHAT HAVE YOU, MAYBE THIS IS THE VEHICLE TO LAY FOUNDATION FOR GREATER EDUCATION AND TO GRADUATE.
BECAUSE NOW, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE CONFUSED, THEY DO NOTHING.
BUT IF THEY HAVE CLARITY AND CAN SEE A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, HERE'S A POSSIBILITY FOR ME TO, TO START GOING THE PATH I WANT TO GO.
WHILE THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY, THEY'RE DOING.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE WANTING TO BE THEIR OWN BOSSES OR THEY THINK THEY HAVE TALENT OR THEY SKILLS.
SO HOW DO WE HELP THEM TO HARNESS THAT MORE? SO, SO JUST FROM A TIME STANDPOINT, WE NEED TO PROGRESS FORWARD HERE.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, UH, FOR, UH, ASHA AND BILL RIGHT NOW? NO.
THANK YOU, MR. OTHER MATTER, WE SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU'ALL FOR WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN PARTNERING IN TO, SO THANK YOU.
WE'LL FIGURE THE REST OF IT OUT.
WHO'S THE THIRD CDFI, UH, FUND? TRUE.
YOU GUYS ALL KNOW THE SAME PEOPLE? YES, WE DO.
THANK THE WEBSITE IS THE CDFI ORG.
THE C HAVE COVERING NO ACTION TO TAKE.
Y'ALL HAD ASKED, Y'ALL HAD ASKED TO MEET THEM, TO UNDERSTAND THEIR PROGRAM, UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE METRICS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS OUR RECOMMENDATION TO YOU, TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S PART OF OUR RECOMMENDATION ABOUT HOW WE PROGRESS FROM THE GU DESOTO MARKETPLACE.
WHERE TO, TO THE COUNCILMAN'S POINT, WE, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO THIS AND, AND IT JUST HASN'T STUCK.
WE WE'RE LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT WAY TO, TO ENGAGE THAT HAS A BROADER APPEAL AND HAS A BROADER REACH.
UM, THIS IS WHAT WE'VE RECOMMENDED AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL HAD A CHANCE TO, TO TALK WITH THEM.
UM, THE NEXT STEP FOR US IS, UNLESS THERE'S SOME OPPOSITION TO IT, IS TO ENGAGE WITH THEM AND CONTRACTUALLY, UM, FOR THE NEXT YEAR, UM, AND HAVE THIS BEGIN, UH, THE 1ST OF OCTOBER, THEY SEEM TO BE ABLE DEFEND POSITION.
SO WHAT WE ASKED HOW REACH THIS COMMUNITY TO HAVE, AND THEY'RE GONNA PRACTICE THE METRICS THE I WANNA DO AND REPORT ON IT.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT.
AND FRANKLY, THAT'S FIRST TIME, RIGHT? WE'RE, WE'RE ANXIOUS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO DO THAT.
THAT'S CERTAINLY ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD ASKED, BUT WE WANTED THEM TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT IT BECAUSE I THINK TO KNOW THEM IS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THEY DO.
[C. CONSENT AGENDA]
SO MOVING ON, UH, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA.AND, UH, TRUSTEE, EVERYONE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW CONSENT AGENDA.
AND IF SO, I ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA, MOVE APPROVAL.
[01:45:01]
ANY EIGHT.[D. BRIEFING BY CHIEF EXECUTIVE - Matt Carlson]
CAN MOVE ON, UH, TO, UH, BRIEFING FROM, UH, CHIEF EXECUTIVE FOR CEMENT CARLSON.SO AGAIN, AGAIN, I'LL PASS THESE AROUND.
SO, UH, AGAIN, THE, THE, THE FORMAT OF THIS, UH, LOOKS SIMILAR EVERY MONTH, UH, WITH JUST UPDATING ALONG FOR BOTH OUR BUSINESS PLAN GOALS, WHICH ARE OUR DIRECTIVES FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, OUR DEPARTMENTAL GOALS AS WE WORK OUR WORK PLAN FOR THE YEAR.
UM, HELPING YOU TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE DOING WITH SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
AND THEN IT JUST GIVES YOU SORT OF A RUNDOWN OF WHAT'S GOING ON SO THAT WE THINK THAT OUR BIGGEST ADVOCATES SIT AROUND THIS TABLE.
UM, AND SO WHEN PEOPLE COME AND ASK YOU, UH, ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS AND, AND THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
UNLESS FOR SOME REASON THEY HAVE TO BE KEPT OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE FOR THE TIME BEING.
UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS. OH NO, WE'RE FINE.
WE WON'T BE TALKING ABOUT ANYTHING IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT IF SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE IN A CONFIDENTIAL MANNER, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT IT.
IT'LL LOOK DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU SEE HERE.
UM, THE, THE, THE COUNCILMAN GAVE US THE QUICK UPDATE.
UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT COUNCIL HAS ASKED US TO FOCUS ON THIS COMING UP YEAR.
UM, THERE WERE FOUR BUSINESS GOALS THAT WE HAD FOR THIS LAST YEAR.
TWO OF THOSE YOU SEE DRAWING DRAWN FROM BECAUSE WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED THOSE.
THE FOURTH IS THE HAMPTON, THE HAMPTON ROOT CORRIDOR, DEVELOPING INCENTIVE PROGRAMS TO ATTRACT ANCHOR DEVELOPMENTS.
THAT'S THE ONE THAT THEY VOTED ON AND WE'RE IN THE TOP EIGHT OR 10, WHEREVER IT WAS.
THAT, UM, IS PART OF THIS YEAR'S BUSINESS PLAN FROM THE THE COUNCIL.
UM, SO YOU SEE TWO ITEMS THERE THAT WE'LL BE, BE WORKING ON IN 24.
UM, THOSE REALLY REVOLVE AROUND LESS AROUND PROPERTY THAT'S OWNED BY THE CITY BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY OWN MUCH PROPERTY THERE.
IT REALLY IS WORKING WITH, UH, LANDOWNERS TO CREATE AGREEMENTS OR AT LEAST AN UNDERSTANDING THAT ALLOWS US TO TAKE THOSE PARCELS, THOSE ASSEMBLED PARCELS, UH, TO THE MARKET AND GET IDEAS ABOUT THE KINDS OF PROJECTS THAT MIGHT, THAT MIGHT LOCATE THERE.
AND THEN TO MOVE THOSE PROJECTS FORWARD.
UM, THAT PROBABLY LOOKS LIKE RFPS.
UM, IN, IN MANY CASES IT WON'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS, BUT THERE ARE TWO OR THREE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE IN THE FORMATION STAGE RIGHT NOW.
AND THEY'LL CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS AS HAMPTON ROAD CONTINUES TO, I SUSPECT THEY, THEY'LL SEE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE ACTUALLY WHEN WE START DIGGING UP HAMPTON ROAD AND PEOPLE START SAYING, WHAT'S WHAT, WHAT'S REALLY GONNA GO ON HERE? THIS ISN'T, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT IT ANYMORE.
I THINK THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AS SOON AS WE START TO BUILD THE NEW ROOTS CHICKEN CHECK BUILDING, NOT AT THE SOUTH END OF TOWN.
UM, WE HAD A VERY IN DEPTH MEETING WITH THE DEVELOPERS THERE AND, AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW THAT HAPPENS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND HOW IT GETS BUILT IS GONNA GET PEOPLE'S INTEREST.
UM, IT'S GONNA START TO LOOK LIKE SOME OF THE NEW THINGS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S MEANT TO KIND OF BE A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.
THIS IS WHAT COUNCIL'S ASKED US FROM, FROM THEIR STANDPOINT THROUGH THE, UH, THRIVING ECONOMY PILLAR OF, OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN TO FOCUS ON.
IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S THE ONLY THING WE FOCUS ON, NOT EVEN CLOSE.
UM, BUT THIS IS WHAT THEY'VE ASKED US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ACCOMPLISH IN THIS NEXT YEAR.
THAT'S THE REASON IT'S HIGHLIGHTED THERE.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW IT 'CAUSE IT'LL BE THE PIECE THAT COMES FORWARD ON, ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
WHEN WE LOOK THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENTAL GOALS AS WE APPROACH THE END OF THE YEAR ATTRACTING THE OUTSIDE INVESTMENT, WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT.
ATTRACTING NEW, NEW INVESTMENT IN THE TUR ZONE TWO.
UM, WE'RE AWAITING WHAT THE, THE VALUATIONS OF THAT ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
BUT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY KNOW WE'VE HAD SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT IN THAT, IN THAT AREA.
UM, THE ONLY QUESTION IS KIND OF BEING AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT, HOW MUCH AND WHAT THAT'S GONNA START TO GENERATE IN TERMS OF TAX INCREMENT FOR US TO BEGIN TO BUILD THAT WAR CHEST OF DOLLARS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SPEND INTO THE CORRIDOR.
UM, AND HELP TO OFFSET SOME OF THE ACTUAL COSTS, UM, THAT ARE THEN DON'T, DON'T HAVE TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND OR THE GENERAL FUND OR EVEN OUR, UM, OUR FUND BALANCE.
UM, EXPANDING BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION.
UM, THIS YEAR THAT WE'VE STOOD UP THE, THE CUSTOMER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, UM, SYSTEM, CRM, UM, WE'VE BEGUN TO POPULATE THAT.
[01:50:01]
OF BUSINESSES IN SOTO AFFIRMING WHO THOSE, WHAT THOSE ARE.I MEAN, WE STARTED OFF AS KIND OF THIS MISHMASH OF LIST AND WE START FIGURING OUT ALL THE, HAVE WE GOT GOOD CONTACTS? HAVE WE GOT, HAVE WE, ARE WE, ARE WE IN CONTACT WITH THOSE? THAT'S THE SURVEY.
UM, AND WE'VE BEGUN CALLING ON OUR MAJOR BUSINESSES AND WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH A FAIR AMOUNT OF THOSE THIS YEAR.
UM, CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY MORE THAN WE ANTICIPATED.
UM, AND CERTAINLY MET OUR GOAL THERE, INCREASING THE NET SALES TAX REVENUE BY A 5% THAT WE'RE GONNA FALL SHORT ON THAT.
WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THAT'S GONNA END UP FOR THE YEAR.
UM, IT WAS ALWAYS KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OUT OF OUR CONTROL, BUT IF YOU DON'T MEASURE IT, YOU DON'T KNOW.
SO IT, IT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT A REASON NOT TO MEASURE IT JUST 'CAUSE YOU MAY NOT ACHIEVE IT.
AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE END OF THE YEAR INCREASING OUR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'VE CERTAINLY BEEN SUCCESSFUL THERE AND ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF JOBS WE'RE CREATING.
IF THERE'S A CAVEAT TO THAT, I THINK IT IS, IT'S THE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD TO FIND THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE WORTHY OF INCENTIVE.
UM, INCREASE THE PAY SCALES, THE KINDS OF JOBS, UM, AND, AND, AND CHANGE THAT OVER TIME.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA CHANGE FAST.
UM, IT REALLY IS THE IMPETUS FOR THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE IT STARTS.
AND WE HAVE TO BEGIN TO BUILD THOSE PIPELINES THAT FEED THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS OR THE, THE TRAINING SYSTEMS. THEY'RE NOT REALLY EDUCATIONAL.
THEY'RE TRAINING, YOU KNOW, IT, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHERE IT IS, IS GETTING, GETTING SKILL SETS IN THEIR HANDS AND GET 'EM A JOB.
AND THEN MAYBE THEY GET THE FORMAL EDUCATION AS TIME GOES ON.
UM, GRADING RELATIONSHIP, UH, DEVELOPMENT PLAN WITH THE, THE FRANCHISORS, THE BROKERS, THE TENANTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HOSTED OUR FIRST FRANCHISE INTEREST MEETING EARLIER THIS YEAR.
WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ONE HERE THIS FALL IN ON HELP ME.
THERE'S A DATE FOR IT ALREADY.
UM, IT, IT'LL LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND.
UM, BECAUSE WE'VE, WE'VE LEARNED AND WE FOUND NEW RESOURCES AND THAT WAS REALLY WHAT THIS WAS ALL ABOUT, WAS STARTING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS THE, WHAT'S THE MISSING? WHAT ARE THE MISSING PIECES? WHAT DO PEOPLE NEED? IF, IF THEY HAVE A DESIRE, WHAT DON'T THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ACTUATE THAT DESIRE.
UM, PRETTY INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS WITH MR. BALDWIN.
PRETTY, PRETTY INTERESTING CONVERSATION WITH CALVIN GOLDEN.
UM, WINGSTOP, UM, YOU KNOW, HE HAPPENS TO BE DESOTO PERSON, BUT HE, HE LITERALLY BUILT WINGSTOP OUT OF THE ORIGINAL SINGLE LOCATION IN GARLAND FROM ZEBRA.
HE CREATED A FRANCHISE THAT'S HOWEVER MANY THOUSANDS OF FRANCHISES.
IT IT WAS AN IMPRESSIVE STORY.
I SAID, WILL YOU COME AND TELL THAT STORY AN ABBREVIATED VERSION?
AND SO HE'S AGREED TO DO THAT.
HE'LL BRING SOME OF THE OTHER TALENTS AS WELL TO, TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
AND WHAT'S THAT DATE? UH, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24TH.
UH, THE WILL, SO THE DECK CONTRACT WOULD'VE BEEN EXECUTED BY YES MA'AM.
WE'LL HAVE SOME MARKETING MATERIALS BY THE END OF THIS MONTH.
UM, IMPROVING OUR FINANCIAL REPORTING.
YOU'VE SEEN THE BENEFITS OF THAT.
UM, AND WE'RE PRETTY PLEASED WITH THAT.
AND YOU'LL START TO SEE THAT EVEN MORE IN THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH WORKFORCE TRAINING AND IN AND INTERNSHIP INITIATIVES.
UM, IT'S A GRIND, BUT IT'S, WE'RE JUST GONNA KEEP GRINDING AT IT.
UM, AND CONTINUING THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN ASSIST.
UH, WE CAN'T REPLACE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT NOR WOULD WE WANT TO.
THEY ARE THE PIPELINE OF STUDENTS.
HOW DO, HOW DO WE ASSIST IN BRINGING OPPORTUNITIES TO THEM AND THEIR STUDENTS TO THE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, FRUITFUL DISCUSSIONS LAST YEAR.
WE'VE BEGUN DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, EVEN AGAIN THIS YEAR AND ARE LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO CONTINUE THOSE.
UM, THE OTHER ONE THAT, THAT, UM, I PUT A YELLOW STAR NEXT DOOR, A YELLOW ARROW NEXT TO, IS EXPANDING THE OUTREACH TO CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE REPRESENTING ALTERNATIVE AND ETHNIC POPULATIONS.
UM, WE HAVE NOT ACCOMPLISHED THE CHAMBER PIECE OF THAT, BUT WE CERTAINLY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED WHEN I THINK OF SORT OF MORE IN OUR, OUR LANE OUTREACH TO THE HISPANIC, UH, CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION AT OUTREACH TO THE BLACK CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, HELPING OUR PURCHASING DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP A LIST OF FOLKS THAT SHOULD BE BIDDING ON CITY PROJECTS.
UM, BRINGING THOSE CERTIFIED CONTRACTORS TO THE TABLE AS PART OF THAT PROGRAM.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ARI, UH, AND THE NEW AND THE NEW, UH, NATATORIUM PROJECT.
[01:55:01]
PROGRAM LAST WEEK, UM, TRYING TO IDENTIFY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACHIEVING OUR GOALS AS A CITY.UM, AND WE'RE ELEVATING, UM, MINORITY BUSINESSES, I THINK MINORITY CONTRACTOR BUSINESSES, UM, BUT SPREADING THAT BEYOND JUST THE CONTRACTING AS WELL.
UM, SO WE LOOK AT WAYS TO DO THAT.
SO IS THERE AN INCENTIVE NUMBER THAT WE'RE AFTER BRANDON? YOU CAN.
AND WHEN YOU SAY, UM, EXPEND OUTREACH, SHOULD, YOU SAID YOU HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN THAT SUCCESSFUL IN EXPANDING THE CHAMBER REACH TO ETHNIC CHAMBERS.
WHAT, WHAT HELP DO YOU NEED IN THAT? I MEAN, HOW CAN YOU BE OF HELP? AN INTRODUCTION.
I MEAN, SOME OF IT IS JUST TIMING.
THERE'S KIND OF A FEW THINGS ON THIS LIST.
UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE PRIORIT PRIORITIZE EVERY DAY.
UM, THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE LEAST, LEAST PRIORITIES.
NOT BECAUSE IT'S NOT IMPORTANT, IT'S JUST HOW, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING CAN'T BE A ONE.
UM, BUT, UH, BUT A A AN INTRODUCTION WOULD HELP A LOT.
AND THEN WE CAN HAVE THAT MEETING AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE BENEFICIAL TO EACH OTHER, UM, THROUGH THE KINDS OF THINGS WE'RE DOING WITH TODAY.
TO STEAL YOUR, YOUR THUNDER HERE, BUT SIMILARLY TO BRINGING IN BRANDS TO TALK WITH US IN OCTOBER.
YOU KNOW, YOU GOT THE BEER AS CHAMBERS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
HOW DO WE TAKE OUR, AS A SUBTLE, UH, CHAMBER AND, AND WORK WITH THE DECK AND BRING THOSE DIFFERENT CERTIFICATION AGENCIES AND WHAT HAVE YOU HERE FOR A ONE DAY, THREE HOUR SESSION OR SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE 24TH NOW WE'RE CAPITALIZING, TELLING EVERYBODY THE SAME STORY AT ONE POINT.
WE'VE GOT SOME RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE CAN CREATE THAT WE CAN FOSTER, AND THEN WHERE DO WE GO FROM THERE? THAT MAY BE A, A VEHICLE FOR US.
COULD BE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A BAD IDEA.
INSTEAD OF PIECEMEAL HERE, PIECEMEAL.
LET'S, LET'S PULL OUR RESOURCES.
HAVE YOU GUYS MET WITH MARGO? WHO? MARIO.
SO SHE RUNS THE MINORITY DEVELOPMENT.
AND I HAVE A STRONG RELATIONSHIP THERE AS WELL.
I'M SAYING THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO.
LET'S CATALYZE ON THE SCALE THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US AND NOT WE, WE'LL, WE'LL START DOING THIS.
SO WE CAN PUT EVERYONE AT CENTRAL STATE CENTER STAGE, BRING EVERYONE TOGETHER.
THAT SENDS ANOTHER MESSAGE TO THE COHESIVENESS OF THE CITY OF DESOTO TOO.
AND PEOPLE WILL START TAKING NOTE.
AND WHEN THEY SEE THINGS LIKE ROOTS CHICKEN AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS AND THE PROGRAM, NOW WE'RE STARTING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE FROM AN AWARENESS STANDPOINT TO YOUR POINT OR LITTLE MORE.
WE JUST WANNA BE IN AGREEMENT.
YEAH, NO, THAT'S, SORRY, YOU ASKED HOW, HOW CAN YOU HELP
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF SAYING NO TO MEETINGS.
ANY QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF THOSE? WE, WE WILL FINISH UP OUR YEAR, YOU KNOW, HAVING ACHIEVED THE THINGS THAT WE AGREED TO ACHIEVE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I PROVIDE THAT WORK PLAN TO THE CITY MANAGER.
UH, HE SHARES IT WITH THE COUNCIL AND WE CERTAINLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACHIEVING THE THINGS THAT THE CITY THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
AND, AND WE FEEL LIKE WE'LL BE ABLE TO BE FINISHING THE YEAR IN, IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE FROM THOSE, WE WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME ACTIVITY UPDATES.
UM, THESE ARE REALLY HERE JUST IN, IN TERMS OF GIVING YOU SOME DATES THAT IF YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED, THERE'S, THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, BUT ALSO JUST GIVE YOU SOME UPDATES ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.
SO YOU'RE MORE FAMILIAR WITH THINGS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY EVEN IN OUR WHEELHOUSE, BUT THEY'RE GOING ON AT THE CHAMBER AND THEY DO AFFECT US.
UM, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER LOOKS LIKE IT'S, THAT'S THE DELIVERY TIMEFRAME FOR, FOR, FOR OUR, OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
IT'S GONE A LITTLE SLOWER THAN I THINK THAT WE ORIGINALLY INTENDED, BUT ALL THE SAME.
UM, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO IN TERMS OF OPENING UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT DE SOTO'S DEVELOPMENT FUTURE DIFFERENTLY.
UM, AND THE KINDS OF PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GET INTO THE COMMERCIAL ASSET CLASSES, OFFICE AND RETAIL, UM, THE COMMERCIAL KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES, WE THINK THAT'S GONNA CHANGE A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION.
[02:00:01]
WE RELATE TO THE HOUSING ISSUES AND WHERE SOME OF THOSE SOLUTIONS FOR INCREASED NUMBERS OF HOUSING LOOK, LOOK LIKE.WE WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT IT SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE TO DEVELOPERS, THE KINDS OF PROJECTS WE WANNA SEE AND WHERE WE WANT TO SEE THEM, AS OPPOSED TO ANY PROJECT COMING ALONG THAT'S, WE KIND OF HAVE TO PROCESS.
AND IT REALLY DOESN'T STAND MUCH OF A CHANCE TO BEGIN WITH.
THAT'S NOT PRODUCTIVE FOR ANYBODY AND IT DOESN'T GIVE US A GOOD FOOTING.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THAT SMALL BUSINESS.
THE DECK WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
UM, WE ANTICIPATE THAT IMPLEMENTING ON OCTOBER 4TH.
WE HAD A GREAT MEETING WITH OUR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS, UH, LAST WEEK.
I APPRECIATED YOU BEING THERE.
UM, MAYBE, MAYBE YOU COULD GIVE YOUR VIEWPOINT FOR A RECAP.
IT WAS NICE TO LISTEN TO THEM, BUT IT ALSO GAVE ME HOPE.
THERE'S, THERE'S SOME YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THEIR HEADS ON, RIGHT? AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT THESE, THESE ISSUES, UM, THESE CHALLENGES AND, AND THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT IT.
UM, AND WHAT I TOOK AWAY WAS THEY THINK ABOUT IT DIFFERENTLY.
THEY HAVE VERY DIFFERENT THOUGHTS ABOUT WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
VERY DIFFERENT THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES A GOOD ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
UM, I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING.
AND, AND REALLY IT WON'T BE THE LAST TIME WE DO THAT.
IT WAS MEANT TO BE ABLE TO STAND UP A YOUNG PROFESSIONALS GROUP AND HAVE THEM BEGIN TO MEET.
UM, WE DEVELOPED A LOT OF GREAT CONTACTS THROUGH OUR, OUR CHURCHES AND OTHERS, UM, THAT, THAT HAVE ACCESS TO THESE YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO START PULLING THEM TOGETHER.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S, MAYBE IT STARTS OUT TWICE A YEAR.
UM, COUNCIL HAS EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN KNOWING WHAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE THINKING.
AND WE HOPE THIS OPENS AN AVENUE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO LISTEN AND HEAR AND, AND ENGAGE WITH YOUNG, UH, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE CREATING DESOTOS FUTURE.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT HOUSING AND MANY OF THEM WOULD LIKE TO STAY IN DESOTO, BUT IT'S NOT AFFORDABLE.
UM, AND ALSO THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT, THEY'D LIKE TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE IF THEY WANT TO HANG OUT IN THE SOTO, THERE'S A PLACE THEY CAN HANG OUT.
'CAUSE THEY HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE TOO.
NO, THAT WAS LOT LOUD AND CLEAR.
UM, RETAIL ACADEMY, THIS IS A CONCEPT THAT, UM, MAYOR PROFE AT THE TIME,
CITY MANAGERS COUNCILMAN BY MYSELF, ANTOINE.
WE WERE ALL AT THE ICSC CONFERENCE EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UM, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH SOME FOLKS, UH, WHO, UH, HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED THE RETAIL ACADEMY.
AND IT REALLY IS, THEIR FOCUS IS RETAIL WHEN YOU, YOU COME OUT THE END OF THAT.
BUT WHAT IT REALLY TALKS ABOUT IS THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
WHAT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES DO YOU, WHAT KINDS OF PLACES DO YOU NEED TO CREATE IN ORDER TO ATTRACT THE RETAIL THAT YOU SAY YOU WANT? YOU CAN STAND AND SAY YOU WANT IT ALL DAY LONG, BUT IF THERE'S NOT THE KINDS OF ENVIRONMENTS THAT THOSE BRANDS WANT TO COME TO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE UNIFORMLY GOING TO BE UNSUCCESSFUL.
THE CITY MANAGER ASKED, AND, AND WE ASKED IF THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THAT PROGRAM FORWARD.
UM, AND WE HAVE HAD RESPONSE FROM THEM.
UM, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT IS THE JOINT MEETING THAT YOU ALL HAVE ASKED FOR IS TO MEET WITH THE CITY, THE CITY COUNCIL, AND THIS BOARD TO BE A PART OF THAT SORT OF JOINT TRAINING, TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, TO EXCHANGE IDEAS.
UM, AND, AND MAYBE THAT STARTS A, A MORE ROUTINE, UH, PROCESS GOING FORWARD.
WE'VE TARGETED SOMEWHERE IN LATE LATE OCTOBER OR EARLY NOVEMBER.
UM, BUT WE NEED TO GET SOME DATES IN MIND.
AND BRENDA, MAYBE YOU CAN HELP US WITH THAT IN TERMS OF OF COURSE.
UM, THE FOLKS AT, AT RETAIL STRATEGIES ARE, ARE VERY, VERY OPEN.
UM, WE'VE ASKED THEM TO BEGIN, BEGIN DOING THE BACKGROUND DATA ANALYSIS THAT THEY'LL NEED TO BRING FORWARD WITH THAT.
UM, BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE NEXT STEP IS TO GET A DATE AND THEN DECIDE IF THAT'S HOW WE WANT TO PROCEED.
SO ARE WE LIMITING IT TO CITY COUNCIL OR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE HEADS OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS ALSO?
[02:05:01]
LIKE, I DIDN'T OWN ANYTHING.WE, WE DON'T MAKE THAT DECISION.
THAT MAN DOWN THERE AT THE END OF THE TABLE DOES
SO I'M GONNA LEAVE THAT, I'M GONNA LEAVE THAT UP TO THE CITY, THE CITY MANAGER.
I HADN'T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, BUT IT'S, IT'S AN INTERESTING IDEA ON IT.
LET THINK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
YEAH, I, WE CERTAINLY THINK THERE'S GREAT VALUE IN Y'ALL MEETING WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, RIGHT? AND, AND IT, WHETHER THAT'S INCLUDES OTHER PEOPLE THIS TIME OR IT'S THE NEXT TIME.
I, I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S GREAT VALUE IN THIS COLLABORATION.
UM, THE FALL WORK PLAN RETREAT, IF YOU REMEMBER, UM, WHEN WE WERE HERE WITH ALICIA, WE SET A DATE ON THE 30TH OF SEPTEMBER FOR A HALF A DAY FOR US TO PUT TOGETHER OUR WORK PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, WE, YOU GUYS WERE COMING UP WITH GREAT IDEAS, AND WE ASKED YOU TO HOLD THOSE UNTIL WE GOT TO THE FALL.
UM, THAT'S THE DATE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
AT THAT TIME WHEN ALICIA WAS WITH US.
IN ALL HONESTY, I'D KIND OF FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT,
UM, SO I WANTED TO AFFIRM THAT WITH Y'ALL, IF THAT'S STILL YOUR DESIRE TO MEET.
UM, WE THINK THAT LINES UP WELL BECAUSE THAT GIVES US A CHANCE TO SORT OF NAIL DOWN WHAT THESE DEPARTMENT GOALS LOOK LIKE FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
AND SHORTLY AFTER THE FIRST YEAR, THE CITY MANAGER AND I'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND WORK PLANS.
SO, UM, THEN CAN YOU SEND OUT SOME ALTERNATIVE DATES ARE CONSIDERED FOR THE 1ST OF OCTOBER THEN? SURE.
WOULD YOU RATHER NOT DO IT ON THAN ON THE 30TH? IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? I THOUGHT YOU SEE IF THAT YOU MADE CLAIMS FAMILY WAY.
NO, NO, I, I DID NOT MAKE 'EM ONE THIS DAY BECAUSE, BECAUSE I HAD IT HELD ON MY CALENDAR.
I I ASSUMED THAT MOST OF YOU WOULD HAVE IT HELD ON YOURS.
SO WE'RE OKAY WITH GOING FORWARD WITH THAT.
I YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST DOWN THERE.
EIGHT O'CLOCK OR NINE O'CLOCK START? NO, EIGHT O'CLOCK.
YOU HAVE TO GET UP WHEN THE SUN COMES UP.
SEVEN
SO WHO DOES, WHO DOES THE SOTO PLAY THE NIGHT BEFORE? THE QUESTION? GOOD QUESTION.
YOU AND I WASN'T THERE, OR MAYBE YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT IT WHEN I WASN'T THERE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY YEAR I'VE BEEN HERE, WE'VE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT GOING TO HAVE A FARMER'S MARKET AS FAR WE WANNA HAVE A FARMER'S MARKET.
SO WE JUST KIND OF GOT TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT IT AND DECIDED WE'D JUST GET ONE.
SO, I, I'M NOT SURE IT'S IN OUR, OUR, OUR WHEELHOUSE.
I'M NOT TRYING TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM THE FOLKS AT PARKS AND REC, BUT WE JUST SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S JUST FIGURE IT OUT.
WE'RE WE FIGURED WE'D GIVE IT A, A TRY FOR TWO WEEKENDS.
OCTOBER 28TH, NOVEMBER 4TH, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DOWN ON BELTLINE, WHERE IS IT? EAST MIDDLE SCHOOL, UM, IS THE LOCATION.
UM, WE'VE BEGUN CONTACTING THE VENDORS, UH, AND SAID, LET'S JUST PUT IT OUT THERE AND TRY IT.
AND IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL, THEN WHEN THE WEATHER GETS BETTER IN, IN MARCH OR APRIL, MAYBE WE PUT IT TOGETHER FOR A STRING OF MONTHS, YOU KNOW, EVERY OTHER SATURDAY.
CAN I ASK WHY THAT LOCATION? RIGHT.
JUST TRYING TO FIND A PLACE THAT HAD SOME PERMANENCE TO IT.
BECAUSE IF WE'RE GONNA START IT, WE OUGHT TO START IT SOMEPLACE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO USE SO IT DOESN'T KEEP BOUNCING AROUND AND NOBODY REALLY KNOWS WHERE IT'S GONNA BE.
HOW LARGE IS IT GONNA BE? PERHAPS WE THAT, AND THAT'S THE OTHER PIECE IS RIGHT.
WE, THERE WERE LOTS OF PLACES THAT IF WE WERE GONNA BE A HALF A DOZEN VENDORS, WE COULD HAVE IT, BUT WE JUST DEFEATED THE PURPOSE OF, OF BEING ABLE TO REPEAT IT IN THE SPRING AT THE SAME PLACE AND GROW.
AND SO THAT WAS REALLY, IT WAS SIZE.
WE, WE LOOKED AT FIRE STATION TWO, THE OLD FIRE STATION TWO, IT'S A LITTLE RUGGED IN TERMS OF PARKING AND THAT.
AND THE OTHER PIECE OF IT IS WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA COME AND IF, IF THERE'S AS MUCH INTEREST AS WE THINK WE'RE KIND OF, WE KIND OF WANTED TO HAVE A PLACE THAT WAS BIG ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE WHATEVER CROWD SHOWED UP.
AND, AND THOSE, THOSE ARE, IF THERE'S SUGGESTIONS, WE HAVE LOCKED THIS, THESE DATES DOWN WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
BUT IF THERE'S A SUGGESTION ABOUT ANOTHER PLACE, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY OPEN TO THE IDEAS.
IT, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE NOT GONNA BE PROVIDING POWER, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT.
WE'RE NOT, THEY'RE PROVIDING THEIR OWN TENTS.
THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE THEIR OWN, IF THEY WANT TENT, THEY GOT IT PROVIDED.
UM, WE'RE GONNA LAY OUT 10 BY 10 PLACES, UM, AND HAVE, AND DO ALL THE COORDINATION IN TERMS OF SECURITY AND GARBAGE.
AND ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE PORT OF POTTIES
[02:10:01]
FIGURE THAT OUT TOO, I GUESS.UM, WE JUST, YOU'LL YOU'LL WANT 'EM.
WE JUST, WE JUST FELT LIKE, GOSH, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S JUST TRY IT.
YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT'S THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN? IF YOU GUYS THINK THIS IS A REALLY BAD IDEA, THIS IS THE TIME TO SAY, SO
IF I CAN JUST ADD TO THAT, A LOT OF THE VENDORS WE'VE TALKED TO, THEY'RE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, DOING THESE FARMER'S MARKETS IN OTHER CITIES.
SO IT'S JUST ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO BE EXPOSED HERE IN DESOTO.
I WOULD BEMIS IF I DIDN'T, I I WOULD PERSONALLY LIKE TO SEE US BRING SYNERGY BACK DOWN TO WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP.
YOU KNOW, UH, SO THE REASON I ASKED MM-HMM.
YOU KNOW, UH, MAYBE ON, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ALWAYS HAVE THE FESTIVALS ON THE BACK PART OF THIS PLACE TO THERE, IT WOULD HANDLE PARKING.
IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, THE BATHROOMS ARE RIGHT HERE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I WOULD ASK, BUT MAYBE WE NEED TO PUT SOMETHING IN A DIFFERENT PART OF THE CITY, YOU KNOW, SO WE, WE ACTUALLY CONSIDERED THE BACKSIDE, BUT THEN YOU START RUNNING INTO ALL KINDS OF DATES.
I MEAN, THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE THE HISPANIC CULTURAL, SORRY.
AND, AND YOU STARTED LOOKING FOR DATES AND WE JUST COULDN'T REPLICATE IT.
PLUS WE HOPE IT'S BIGGER THAN THAT.
UM, HUMAN RESOURCES ROUNDTABLE, UM, AGAIN, A, A NEW PROGRAM THAT WE STARTED END THE YEAR WITH, UM, AS WE BEGAN TO IDENTIFY IN OUR MAJOR, WE VISITED WITH OUR MAJOR EMPLOYERS, IDENTIFIED WHO THE HUMAN RESOURCES, UH, EXECUTIVES WERE, PEOPLE WHO ARE FACE, YOU KNOW, FORWARD FACING AND TRYING TO HIRE PEOPLE AND EXPERIENCING WHAT THE ISSUES ARE THAT ARE NEEDED IN TERMS OF WORKFORCE.
UM, AND WE STARTED ASKING THEM, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN GETTING TOGETHER AS A GROUP? UH, AND BEING ABLE TO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER AND PERHAPS SHARE STORIES AND FIGURE OUT WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER.
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INTEREST.
UM, AND SO IN COMBINATION WITH OUR, OUR, OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE HR DEPARTMENT, UM, ADE GREENLEY AND, UH, GREENLEY AND, UH, LETICIA, UM, THEY'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY FACILITATE THE DISCUSSION AMONGST THE HR LEADERS.
UM, WE'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST WORKING AS A CONVENER, AGAIN, TO SORT OF BRING THEM TOGETHER AND SEE WHERE IT GOES NEXT.
THEN IF THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO MEET, IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THERE OR, OR NOT.
IF, IF THIS KIND OF DOES WHAT WE HOPE IT DOES, UM, WE PROBABLY WILL DO A SIMILAR THING WITH THE GENERAL MANAGERS OF THE, OF THE VARIOUS PLANS.
UM, BECAUSE WE THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THERE FOR, FOR EXCHANGE AND, AND HELP AS WELL.
UM, THE FOLLOW UP FRANCHISE MEETING IN THE FALL, OCTOBER 24TH.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE SPENT A TON OF TIME ON THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UH, EFFORTS, UM, THAT WE CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT.
REMEMBER THOSE FIVE AREAS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT? BIO LIFE, SCIENCE, AVIATION, CONSTRUCTION TRADES, ESPORTS, AND THEN THE CULINARY SIDE.
UM, WE'VE GOT A MEETING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UM, AND WE HAD A MEETING JUST RECENTLY WITH, UH, THE CDE FOLKS ABOUT IDENTIFYING INDUSTRY PARTNERS.
IT'S NOT REALLY CLEAR WHAT THAT PATH FORWARD IS FOR GETTING INDUSTRY PARTNERS ENGAGED.
UM, THAT WAS OUR ASK OF THEM IS, GIVE US A PATH.
AND WE, WE CAN FIND YOU PEOPLE ALL DAY LONG.
WE NEED A PATH TO GET THEM ENGAGED AND GET 'EM IN FRONT OF STUDENTS AND TALKING ABOUT INDUSTRY, TALKING ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES, TALKING ABOUT CAREERS.
UM, THOSE, THOSE OPPORTUNITIES JUST DON'T EXIST TODAY.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET 'EM TO IDENTIFY PLACES WHERE THEY CAN BE.
MATT, CAN I CHIME IN FOR A MINUTE? I HATE TO STEAL YOUR FUND, IF I MAY.
LET ME JUST SHARE WITH THE BOARD.
THERE'S SOMETHING I WANNA BRING TO THE BOARD'S ATTENTION.
AND IT, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ON THE AGENDA.
SO IT'S, IT'S CRITICAL THAT, HOWEVER THAT I BRING IT, BUT IT HAS ESPORTS HERE AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS.
I'VE BEEN MADE AWARE OF A, UH, A HUGE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY AND I NEED TO BRING IT TO THE BOARD UNDER THIS.
THERE'S UMBRELLA BECAUSE IT'S DEALING WITH ESPORTS AND IT'S THE, UM, ESPORTS PROGRAM THAT'S BEING LAUNCHED IN OR IN WITH DIFFERENT COMPANIES IN DIFFERENT AREAS, IF YOU WILL, THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO, UH, US TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
AND THE TIMING IS SO CRITICAL.
SOMETIMES WHEN OPPORTUNITIES PRESENT THEMSELVES, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST KINDA LIKE, IF IT SIZE IT UP AND ACT ON IT, I'M GONNA ASK THAT.
UM, I'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH MATT AND THE TEAM ON IT, AND I WANTED TO, I CAN'T SAY THAT WE NEED TO WAIT TO BRING THIS FORWARD.
[02:15:01]
IT FORWARD NOW.SO CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT SINCE IT'S IN THIS GENRE? SURE.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO, YEAH, YOU GOTTA BE CAREFUL TALKING ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL PROJECT THAT HASN'T BEEN NOTICED ON IT.
IF YOU'RE GONNA TRY AND MAKE ANY DECISIONS ABOUT IT, YOU CAN JUST GIVE AN UPDATE AND THAT'S ALL YOU CAN DO, WHICH IS FAIR, I THINK.
UM, SO DANNY MARTIN, WITH, WITH THE EXPOSURE.
UM, YOU USED TO BE HERE, UH, IS NOW HOUSED OVER IN VILLE WANTS TO BE BACK OVER HERE.
BUT, UM, WE BEGAN CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN DANNY AND THE, THE SOTO ISDA YEAR AGO AND BRINGING THAT RESOURCE TO THE TABLE TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION ABOUT WHY NOT ESPORTS IN, IN THE DESOTO ISD.
UM, AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAVE PROGRESSED SOME SLOWLY.
UM, THAT, AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT WE'VE SORT OF TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SOME OF THE HURDLES ARE.
AND THE, THE SENSE OF URGENCY CAME FROM LITERALLY A, A A, A MEETING RECENTLY THAT APPARENTLY DANNY HAD SHARED THE SAME INFORMATION WE TOOK, WE GOT THE SAME INFORMATION WHEN WE HAD A MEETING WITH HIM.
AND, AND HE SAID, AND I, I JUST ASKED THE QUESTION.
I SAID, WHAT, WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE, THE, THE, THE HURDLE? UM, AND THE ANSWER WAS, WAS THAT THERE AREN'T THE RESOURCES TODAY IN DESOTO, ISD TO STAND THAT KIND OF PROGRAM UP AND BUILD THE CURRICULUM TO SUPPORT IT, ENGAGE THE INSTRUCTORS TO SUPPORT IT.
AND ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT I REMEMBERED THE SUPERINTENDENT MAKING WAS, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE RESOURCES FOR A CLUB.
THAT DIDN'T MEAN A WHOLE LOT TO ME AT THE TIME, BUT I ASKED DANNY IN OUR MEETING, I SAID, WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO STAND A CLUB UP? AND HE SAID, YOU NEED A, UH, AN INSTRUCTOR, MENTOR, A COACH.
AND I, AND I SAID, WELL, IS THAT SOMEBODY SPECIAL OR IS? AND HE SAYS, NO, USUALLY IT'S JUST ONE OF THE INSTRUCTORS THAT'S ALREADY AT THE SCHOOL WHO THINKS THIS IS REALLY COOL.
AND THEN HE'LL BE THE SPONSOR.
I SAID, OKAY, THAT SEEMS PRETTY EASY.
I SAID, WHAT DO, WHAT DO THEY PAY 'EM? HE SAID, WELL, SOMETIMES NOTHING.
THEY JUST DO IT BECAUSE THEY HAVE A PASSION FOR IT.
HE SAID, SOMETIMES THEY PAY 'EM.
I SAID, HOW MUCH DO THEY PAYING A THOUSAND DOLLARS? I ASSUMED THAT WAS A MONTH.
I SAID, OKAY, WHAT ELSE? YOU KNOW WHAT? HOW HARD IS THIS? AND HE SAID, YOU NEED THE MACHINES IN THE PERIPHERALS TO SUPPORT IT'S COMPUTERS AND, AND SCREENS, ESSENTIALLY BIG COMPUTERS AND BIG SCREENS.
I SAID, OKAY, WHAT ELSE? THAT'S IT.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, IF WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN, THERE'S A COMPANY WHO'S CLOSING THEIR GAMING CENTERS IN THE UNITED STATES, 16 OF 'EM, AND THEY'RE LIQUIDATING THEIR EQUIPMENT.
'CAUSE THAT'S, WHAT DOES IT COST TO SET THESE UP? AND HE SAID, THAT'S ABOUT $2,000 A STATION.
AND I SAID, IF YOU DID 10 OF 'EM, COULD YOU JUST STAND UP THE CLUB? AND HE GOES, OH YEAH, GUY KIND OF GOTTA MEET DANNY TO COME SEE.
OH, SO NOW TALKING ABOUT MR. ENERGY.
UM, BUT HE SAID, YOU GOTTA GO BUY EXPOSURE RIGHT NOW.
THESE PEOPLE ARE LIQUIDATING ALL THEIR EQUIPMENT.
IT'S HOT, TOP END, HIGH END EQUIPMENT.
IT'S THE BEST OF THE BEST FOR ABOUT $700 A STATION.
SO 10 TIMES, 700, 7,000, ANOTHER THOUSAND TO GET IT.
WHAT? SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $10,000, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S 15 IF YOU HAD SOME SORT OF CONTINGENCY HE YEAH.
SAID, BUT YOU GOTTA GET THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO COME ALONG.
I'M NOT SURE HOW WE DO THAT EITHER.
BUT WHAT I RECOGNIZED WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY.
I SAID THE, THE ISD DOESN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO JUST PRINT MONEY, BUT PERHAPS THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FOUNDATION AND ACQUIRE THAT EQUIPMENT AND PUT IT IN THEIR HANDS AND PUT, ONE OF THE THINGS DANNY SAID, HE SAID, WE'LL, COACH THE COACH.
I SAID, WHAT DOES THAT COST? I SAID, NOTHING.
THAT, THAT'S ALL THE MORE THAT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IS THERE, OTHER THAN THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE EQUIPMENT QUICKLY.
UM, IT'LL PROBABLY BE AVAILABLE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS IF, IF THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY.
AND THAT'S REALLY ALL THAT'S, THAT'S AS FAR AS KIND OF THE CONVERSATION THAT'S GONE OTHER THAN JUST START TO THINK THROUGH WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES, HOW, HOW MIGHT WE ENGAGE THE ISD, HOW MIGHT WE, UH, WITHOUT SEEMING LIKE WE'RE PUTTING OURSELVES IN A, YOU KNOW, PUTTING OUR FOOT IN THE DOOR A PLACE WE SHOULDN'T BE.
BECAUSE THAT CERTAINLY ISN'T THE INTENT EITHER.
WELL, AND IT'S PART OF A WORKFORCE CONVERSATION.
AND I THINK, AND THAT'S THE PART DANNY HELPED
[02:20:01]
MISUNDERSTAND.YOU HEAR DANNY SPEAK ABOUT, UM, WHAT STUDENTS ARE GAINING FROM GAMING.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE OF A CERTAIN GENERATION
AND, UM, AND SO HOW THESE KIDS ARE, EVEN HOW MANY COLLEGES NOW? I THINK IT'S OVER 700 COLLEGES HAVE E-GAMING, UM, UM, PROGRAMS. PROGRAMS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AND SCHOLARSHIPS AND SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THEM.
SO IT'S THINKING ABOUT, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING A CITY OF THE FUTURE, WE HAVE TO ALSO THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE THOSE, THOSE THINGS LIKE ESPORTS AS IT RELATES TO WORKFORCE AS CAN HELP THE STUDENTS TODAY FOR TOMORROW.
AND SO, TO ME, THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THE BARRIERS ARE VERY SMALL.
I MEAN, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT'S SOMETHING THAT DIFFICULT TO PULL TOGETHER, BUT SO WHY DID HE LEAVE THE SO IN THE FIRST PLACE, WE DIDN'T HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
IT'S AS SIMPLE, AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
WE, HE HAD A SIMPLE ISSUE WITH HIS LANDLORD.
NOBODY WENT OVER THERE TO TALK TO HIM.
AND NOW HAS, HAVE YOU ALL BEEN TO HIS SPACE AND DOCKET BILL? IT, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT, HE, HE'S A START A BUSINESS.
I MEAN, THIS IS A GUY WHO STARTED UP A BUSINESS AND SOME OF IT WAS CASH.
SOME OF YOU KNOW, THE COVID HIT AND THAT RIGHT.
AT THE SAME TIME HE WAS STANDING THIS UP.
AND HE HAD A BIGGER SPACE THAN HE NEEDED.
DUNCANVILLE STEPPED UP AND HELPED BUILD OUT HIS SPACE.
HE'S, HE KNOWS FULL WELL NOW THAT HE NEEDS A MUCH, MUCH LARGER SPACE.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THAT'S AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT CONVERSATION AROUND EXPOSURE AND, AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND WE'RE HAVING SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FACILITATE HIM BEING BACK HERE.
THAT'S GONNA TAKE A WHOLE LOT MORE.
BUT THAT, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT WORKFORCE, THAT WAS THE HOOK THAT I SAW.
WHEN I HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH DANNY, I SAID, THIS IS A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT EFFORT.
AND THEN HE DROVE THE NAIL IN THE COFFIN FOR ME WHEN HE SAID, LAST WEEK BOEING WAS OUT HERE AND THEY WERE SITTING AT THE TABLE TALKING TO ME ABOUT HOW THEY WILL FUND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS ENVIRONMENT FOR ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN.
AND I SAID, HE SAYS, WE TALKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT ARCHITECTURE.
HE GOES, I HAPPENS TO BE SOMETHING I KNOW ABOUT ABOUT CAD.
AND HE GOES, YEAH, BUT YOU GOTTA UNDERSTAND THAT THESE MACHINES ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN THE CAD MACHINES THAT ARCHITECTS ARE USING.
AND THE SIMPLICITY OF IT IS DRIVING OUT THE MORE COMPLEX CAD SYSTEMS FOR THESE KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES.
SO KIDS ARE IN GETTING EXPOSED TO ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT PIECES.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY CLEAR FROM OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT TO DO THAT PORTION OF THE WORK REQUIRES CURRICULUM THAT IS PART OF THE CTE PROGRAM.
AND THAT HAS THE DEVELOPMENT TIMEFRAMES THAT ARE FAIRLY LONG, THOUGH CURRICULUM EXISTS AROUND THE STATE ALREADY, THAT COULD BE TAKEN AND BUILT IN, BUT IT REQUIRES AN INSTRUCTOR, YOU KNOW, AND SO THERE'S COSTS THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE A CLUB, COSTS NOTHING.
AND CREATES THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY CAN BEGIN TO BUILD UPON.
AND ONCE THEY DO THAT, THEN THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET DOLLARS FROM THE STATE BY BUILDING THOSE CTE PATHWAYS DOLLARS.
A PER STUDENT PARTICIPATING TO HELP FACILITATE AND STAND IT UP AND SUPPORT IT GOING FORWARD.
AND DANNY'S ALREADY BUILT THIS CURRICULUM FOR DALLAS, ISDI BELIEVE.
THIS IS ALREADY IN MOTION IN DALLAS.
AND IT, AND IN ABOUT A DOZEN OTHER, UM, OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THAT'S, SO THAT, THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I'M, I'M CONSCIOUS OF WHAT, OF WHAT THE CITY MANAGER HAS SAID.
SO I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO, TO MAKE A DECISION AROUND THAT.
UM, I THINK IT'S WORTHY OF THE CONSIDERATION.
UM, YOU'RE PROBABLY, YOU'RE PROBABLY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $15,000 AUTHORIZATION, UM, IF WE WANT TO OBTAIN THOSE, UH, THOSE, THOSE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT.
BUT LIKE I SAID, THE EQUIPMENT'S NO GOOD WITHOUT A BIGGER PLAN OF HOW TO GET IT THERE.
BUT IF WE HAVE THE EQUIPMENT, WE HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, YOU SHOULD WRITE IT UP SO WE CAN SEE IT.
SO WE CAN MOVE ON IF IT SOMETHING NEEDS TO MORE QUICKLY, WELL, REMEMBER WE DON'T MEET FOR ANOTHER MONTH.
WE CAN, WE, WE CAN'T CALL A SPECIAL SUSPICIOUS.
[02:25:01]
ABSOLUTELY CAN.LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN, UH, OKAY.
SEE, I'M OUT 18TH THE 23RD I THINK IT IS.
SO, SO I HAPPY TO BUILD, I I'M HAPPY TO, ANTOINE AND I WERE AT THE SAME, AT THE SAME MEETING BETWEEN THE TWO OF US.
I THINK WE CAN COME UP WITH A SYNOPSIS OR A, A PROSPECTUS IF YOU WOULD.
AND LET ME SAY THANK YOU ONE, UH, THANK YOU.
YOU KNOW, WITH ADVENT OF, UH, DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY WITH MODERN CORPORATIONS, REALLY, REALLY LOOKING AT THAT MORE, MORE ABUNDANTLY.
IT JUST, THIS JUST KIND OF TIES RIGHT IN THERE.
IT'S THE STUFF THAT AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TO BUILD ON.
THEIR DEMAND FOR, THEY JUST SENT OUT RP LAST WEEK.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR LIKE A THOUSAND AIR CONTROLS.
I, THE LEFT, WE MET RECENTLY WITH, UM, FOLKS FROM SOUTHWEST AIRLINES.
WE'VE GOT THESE SIMULATORS AT THE AIRPORT.
WE HAVE NOBODY TO MAINTAIN THEM.
THANK YOU ALL FOR RECEIVING THAT, FRANKLY SPEAKING.
WE'LL HAVE THAT BETWEEN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
BECAUSE IT, IT IS PROBABLY THAT SHORT OF FUSE.
UM, THESE ARE PROJECT UPDATES.
THE ROOTS CHICKEN SHACK, OUR MEDICAL VILLAGE.
THAT'S THE SIX AND A HALF ACRES WE OWN ON, ON HAMPTON ROAD.
THE PROJECTS THAT ARE ALONG HAMPTON ROAD THAT ARE CITY BASED DEMOLITION NOW COMPLETE DISCRETE TAPE DESIGN, ROADWAY DESIGN AND SUBSTANTIAL DELAYS.
BUT STILL MOVING FORWARD, OUR CHARACTER CODE LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA END UP BEING IMPLEMENTED IN NOVEMBER.
BUT A SOTO MARKETPLACE, WE HAVE A TRANSITION PLAN THAT WE'VE NEGOTIATED WITH, WITH THE OWNER.
UM, WE WILL OFFER, WE WILL WE'LL IN INFORMATIVE OF OUR TERMIN NOTICE TO TERMINATE AS A SIX MONTH, UM, NOTIFICATION.
AND WE'LL DO THAT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UM, WE WANT TO BRING THAT FORWARD TO YOU AT YOUR, UH, YOUR BOARD MEETING IN SEPTEMBER.
UM, BECAUSE THERE'S AN INCENTIVE PIECE OF THAT TO ALLOW HIM TO GO FORWARD AND BE SUCCESSFUL.
ALLOW US TO STAND UP AND, AND SAY, THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY GREAT.
AND IT IMPROVES THE AESTHETICS.
UM, AND IT ALLOWS, UH, US TO MOVE FORWARD IN, IN A LITTLE DIFFERENT FASHION.
UM, THE BIO LIFE SCIENCE ACTIVITY IS NOTHING SHORT OF KIND OF ASTOUNDING.
I, I, I KNOW KAYLA, FROM YOUR STANDPOINT ON THE WORKFORCE PIPELINE, UM, THERE, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.
YOUR PROGRAM STANDS UP WHEN, UH, YOUR FIRST, UH, OCTOBER, IT'LL BE A RED BIRD.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE A STONE'S THROW, BUT THIS IS ANOTHER CONVERSATION WITH THE ISD OF PROVIDING THE PIPELINE OF STUDENTS.
BUT FROM OUR STANDPOINT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT FROM A PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND WE'RE HAVING GREAT CONVERSATIONS, UM, WITH ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT FOLKS.
I CAN'T TELL YOU WE HAVE A DEVELOPER IN HAND YET.
WE HAVE THE LAND UNDER CONTROL WITH THE OWNER.
UM, WE'RE TALKING TO DEVELOPERS ABOUT WHAT THE RIGHT PROJECT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, AND, AND WE JUST KEEP HEARING, MAN, YOU GUYS HAVE REALLY THOUGHT THIS OUT.
AND I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE HAVEN'T
SO WE'RE HAVING TO ASK A TON OF QUESTIONS AND HELP TO DEVELOP, UM, WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE AND WHAT THE RIGHT PROJECT IS.
UM, WE'RE JUST, WE'RE BEING GOOD STUDENTS.
UM, AND CARRYING THAT, THAT FORWARD SOONER OR LATER WE'RE GONNA FIND THE RIGHT PIECE.
UM, BUT WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES IT'LL BRING ON THE MANUFACTURING SIDE.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE JOBS LOOK LIKE? MM-HMM.
SO FOR MANUFACTURING AND, UM, BIOSCIENCES, SO THERE'S TWO SIDES.
LIKE ONE SIDE IS GONNA BE, AND BIO LIFE SCIENCE IS LIKE VERY VAST.
SO I KNOW WE SAY, YOU KNOW, BUT LIKE CLINICAL LAB TECHNICIANS AND STUFF LIKE THAT ARE MORE ON LIKE THE PHARMA SIDE AND THE ACTUAL BIOMEDICAL SIDE.
AND THEN THERE'S A BIOINFORMATIC SIDE.
BUT BIOMANUFACTURING IS MORE LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY MAKE THE CULTURES THAT WILL THEN DO SOMETHING OR THAT WILL THEN MANUFACTURE THE SPECIMEN.
SO THEY'RE KIND OF LIKE THE NEED FOR THE, THE MASSIVE PART OF THE RESEARCH.
SO LET'S SAY LIKE SOMETHING STARTS IN THE LAB IS SMALL, YOU FINALLY DECIDE THAT THAT'S THE THING THAT YOU WANT TO DO.
NOW YOU HAVE TO LIKE MASS PRODUCE THE VACCINATION OR MASS PRODUCE THE PILL OR MASS PRODUCE WHATEVER THE NEXT THING IS.
UM, AND THAT EQUIPMENT AND JUST THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IS LIKE VERY EXPENSIVE.
LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, UM, COLOSSAL IS OUT OF LIKE BIO LABS.
IPO IS LIKE $2.5 BILLION 'CAUSE IT'S JUST SO EXPENSIVE TO MANUFACTURE SOMETHING.
UM, AND THEY HAVE TO EVEN DO QUALITY CONTROL ON IT, RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS DONE A CERTAIN WAY.
SO ON THAT SIDE, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT JOBS, THOSE ARE GONNA BE PEOPLE WHO
[02:30:01]
HAVE LIKE MORE OF THE, THE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES WITH LIFE SCIENCES.IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO HAVE A DEGREE IN IT, BUT YOU KNOW HOW TO MAYBE LIKE PIPET TO TAKE THE STUFF OUT AND YOU KNOW HOW TO KNOW WHAT TEMPERATURE SOMETHING GOES IN IT, YOU KNOW WHAT, HOW TO CLOSE IT AND DO ALL THIS STUFF.
SO FROM OUR SIDE OF THE HOUSE, WHAT DALLAS COLLEGE IS TRYING TO DO IS IN A SENSE CREATE SOME OF THOSE BIOMANUFACTURING JOBS.
BIOMANUFACTURING COMPANIES ARE CONSIDERING COMING HERE LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE EVOLVE, EVOLVE BIOLOGICS, BUT THEN THEY DON'T HAVE SPACE AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WE'LL GO TO SAXE.
AND IT'S LIKE, OH, OKAY, WELL WE DON'T HAVE SPACE SO WE'LL GO TO MCKINNEY.
OR THEY'LL GO EVEN FURTHER THAN THAT OR IT'S LIKE, HEY, THERE'S NO SPACE.
RIGHT? SO FOR MANY OF THESE COMPANIES, UM, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF WORK OUT OF LIKE U-T-A-U-T-R LIEUTENANTS TRYING TO GET A $65 MILLION GRANT TO CREATE A BIO MANUFACTURING HUB, UM, IN DFW.
SO THERE'S DEFINITELY MONEY THERE.
UM, THEY'RE DEFINITELY COMPANIES.
IT'S JUST DALLAS HAS TO KIND OF ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET.
AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE LOSE OUT TO SOME OF THESE OTHER SPACES BECAUSE WHEN THEY GO TO NORTH CAROLINA OR SOUTH CAROLINA, WHEN THEY GO TO MASSACHUSETTS, THERE'S LIKE THE CARPETS ROLLED OUT, LIKE, THIS IS ALREADY BUILT OUT FOR YOU.
UM, BUT MANY OF THEM ARE UNFORTUNATELY TIRED OF BEING IN THAT SPACE.
'CAUSE THEY BASICALLY JUST POST TALENT.
LIKE YOU GO FROM ONE COMPANY TO THE NEXT TO THE NEXT.
SO THEY'RE TRYING TO CREATE THAT HERE.
UM, AND MANY OF THOSE JOBS WILL BE HERE IN THE FUTURE.
AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO CREATE A PIPELINE.
SO WHAT'S PAID FOR? THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK.
SO FROM BIO MANUFACTURING, LET'S SAY FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAME OUT OF NOT, NOT HAVING A DEGREE, BUT JUST HAVING LIKE THE SKILLSET.
BUT LIKE A YEAR OF EXPERIENCE, YOU'RE ALREADY MAKING LIKE 85 TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PAYING JOB.
SO THESE ARE VERY WELL PAYING POSITIONS AND TYPICALLY MOST OF THE STUFF IS LIKE ON THE JOB TRAINING ANYWAY.
SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU JUST NEED TO HAVE CERTAIN LAB SKILLS TO BE ABLE TO DO IT, BUT EACH COMPANY IS GONNA TEACH YOU HOW TO DO WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO DO ANYWAY.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHY MANY COMPANIES ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, HEY, CAN YOU TEACH THEM HOW TO DO GOWNING? 'CAUSE IT'S SO EXPENSIVE TO GOWN IN THE LAB.
IT'S LIKE, IT COULD BE A MILLION DOLLAR MISTAKE IF YOU GOWN WRONG.
SO, UM, FOR MANY OF THESE COMPANIES, THE JOBS PAY WELL BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF REWARD IF THEY CAN GET ALL THE WAY THROUGH, UM, TO GETTING WHATEVER THEY'RE TRYING TO PRODUCE APPROVED.
SO YEAH, SO YOU HAVE PIPELINE CREATION.
WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE THAT SPACE OF THERE'S NO SPACE.
SO YOU GO OUT TO SAXE OR YOU MCKINNEY DOESN'T EVEN HAVE SPACE.
I MEAN THERE'S, THERE AREN'T VERY MANY PLACES AND WE'RE 15 MINUTES FROM THE EPICENTER AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE HEARING IS, HUH? REALLY? YOU GUYS ARE ONLY LIKE 15 MINUTES.
WE DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD ROADS DOWN THERE.
WE LITERALLY HAD SOMEBODY TALK ABOUT THE ROADS.
NOW THAT SOUNDS SILLY, BUT YEAH, REALLY, ANYWAY, THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY.
THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT WE THINK, WHOA, COME AND LIVE IN DESOTO BECAUSE WE BUILT THIS HERE.
WE DON'T PRETEND TO KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE INVESTMENT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
UM, IT MAKES US GLAD THAT WE HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL, UM, UH, FUND BALANCE THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE USED TO MEET SOME OF THESE.
BECAUSE THE COST PER SQUARE FOOT WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO WHAT NORMAL COMMERCIAL LOOKS LIKE IS STAGGERING.
YOU'RE START, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING A SHELL THAT COSTS $1,400 A SQUARE FOOT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE NORMAL COST PLUS A ZERO THAT IT IS, IT'S STAGGERING.
AND, AND, AND WE ARE SUGGESTING THAT IT'S A SPEC BUILDING.
THERE AREN'T END USERS WAITING BECAUSE THEY CAN'T WAIT THAT LONG.
SO ALL THOSE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GONNA HEAR MORE ABOUT.
WE WE'RE WANTING TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING, THAT THE OPPORTUNITIES EXIST AND WE'LL BE FEEDING INFORMATION TO YOU AS, AS WE LEARN IT OURSELVES.
TOWN AND SQUARES, UH, FACADE GRANT.
UM, IF YOU DRIVE BY THERE, YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE STARTING TO REFACE THAT THEY'LL START TO LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
UM, THE KROGER CENTER, UH, ALREADY LOOKS DIFFERENT.
UH, LOTS OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT FILLING UP SOME OF THOSE BIG BOXES.
UM, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THOSE.
AND THEN THE LAST PIECE, AND I'LL LET YOU JUST READ THAT RATHER THAN GOING THROUGH IT, IS SOME OF THE OPERATIONAL ISSUES.
OUR STAFF EDUCATION AND THE LIFE.
ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE FOR ME? MIKE
YOU ATTENDING AS WELL? HMM? ARE YOU ATTENDING AS WELL? WELL, OUR CEO'S THE CO-CHAIR, SO.
OH YEAH, WE, WHEN IS IT? UM, SEPTEMBER 17TH.
I HAVE TO BE THERE FOR TWO DAYS AHEAD OF TIME.
I KNOW IT'S LATE, BUT I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION AND I'LL, I'LL HOLD ONE QUESTION, BUT, UM, I MEMBERSHIP WITH THE CHAMBER, THE REGIONAL CHAMBER IS THE, IS IT, IS IT THE CORPORATION'S MEMBERSHIP
[02:35:01]
OR HOW DOES OUR MEMBERSHIP WORK? OUR MEMBERSHIP IS THE DE IS THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION'S MEMBERSHIP WITH, WITH THE, THE, THE DALLAS REGIONAL CHAMBER.SO IF ANYONE ON THE BOARD WANTED TO ATTEND OR DOES THAT WORK? I MEAN, NO ONE'S EVER ASKED
SO IT TURNS OUT WE HAVE AN EXPERT
SO WHEN YOU HAVE A MEMBER AT, WHEN YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE CHAMBER, THAT MEANS IT'S FOR YOUR ENTIRE STAFF, YOUR TEAM, YOUR ENTIRE TEAM.
SO THE DDC IS A MEMBER, SO THAT MEANS YOU ARE WELCOME TO ANY EVENT, UM, BEYOND A, UM, COUNCIL OR TASK FORCE.
SO, UM, YES, YOU ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THAT WASN'T JUST A RANDOM QUESTION
SO I TO TAKE, BECAUSE I WAS WONDERING WAS LIKE, IT JUST THAT CAME UP BECAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT WE COULD ATTEND CERTAIN EVENT WE DID.
THINKING WE HAVE TO PUT THE BILL AND YOU LIKE NO.
SO, AND, AND IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC EVENT, LET BELVIN KNOW.
THERE'S ONE POINT THAT I DO WANT BRING FORWARD TO YOU.
UM, AND IT'S, 'CAUSE I'M SUPER, SUPER PROUD OF THIS TEAM.
UM, ANTOINE IS GOING NEXT YEAR FOR HIS SECOND YEAR AT O-U-E-D-I.
UM, AS PART OF MY COMMITMENT ON THAT SIDE, I WILL PUT HIM FORWARD NEXT YEAR AS PART OF THE LEADERSHIP DALLAS CLASS.
I WILL BE NOMINATING HIM AS PART OF LEADERSHIP DALLAS.
SO WE'LL ALSO BE WORKING TO NOMINATE HIM AS PART OF CONSULTANT CONNECT, WHO'S A BIG SITE SELECTION COMPONENT, UH, AS RECOGNITION OF ONE OF THEIR 40 UNDER 40 NATIONWIDE.
UM, I'LL BE ASKING Y'ALL FOR LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION.
UM, CITY MANAGER, BOARD MEMBERS, THOSE ARE ALL PART OF THAT PROCESS.
UM, SO I'M JUST PUTTING YOU ON NOTICE.
UM, 'CAUSE THOSE, THOSE THINGS START PRETTY QUICK AND I I CERTAINLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT HE RECEIVES THE RECOGNITION THAT'S DUE.
AND ONE OTHER RECOMMENDATION BEFORE WE CLOSE OUT.
I JUST WANT TO COMMEND, UH, MS. MELVA FOR THE NEW FORMAT THAT SHE SENT US IN AND THE THANK YOU MS. MEL.
UH, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING.
THERE BE NO, I'LL SAVE THE OTHER ONE FOR NEXT ONE.
THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS FOR THIS BOARD THIS EVENING.