* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [A. REGULAR SESSION] [00:00:05] PAUL BEING PRESENT. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UH, FOR THE DESOTO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS HEREBY PAUL WARN THIS THURSDAY, AUGUST THE 24TH AT 6:08 PM UM, AUGUST 24TH. 2023. THANK YOU. UH, GLEN JONES, WOULD YOU PLEASE GIVE US INPUT? YOU GIMME A TITLE. LORD, THANK YOU FOR BLESSING US, GUIDING US AND DIRECTING US. GIVE, GIVE WISDOM TO GIVE US DIRECTION. WE BE USED BY YOU. MAKE OUR ASSIGNMENT CLEAR. YES. YOU IN ADVANCE WITH THE NEXT, THE SAME. AMEN. ALRIGHT. UH, I'LL LEAD THE SENATE TO THE FIRST [B.1. Discuss and Take- Action on the Esports opportunity.] ITEM, IF I MIGHT. YES. UM, AND, AND THAT'S A FOLLOW ON FROM OUR, UM, LAST MEETING WITH THE BOARD WHERE, UH, PRESIDENT BALDWIN HAD INTRODUCED THE IDEA OF, UH, THAT AN OPPORTUNITY WAS ON THE HORIZON FOR US TO EMBRACE, UH, A TOPIC THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FOR A WHILE. WE STARTED IT LAST YEAR WITH THE PREVIOUS BOARD. UM, WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS ONGOING WITH, WITH DANNY, UM, ABOUT THAT. AND, AND THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MOVE THAT FORWARD. UM, SORT OF AN ALIGNMENT OF THE STARS, IF YOU WILL. EQUIPMENT WAS AT THE RIGHT PRICE. WE WERE ABLE TO CHAT WITH THE, THE SUPERINTENDENT THIS LAST WEEK. AND, UM, I'M GONNA START WITH IF WE CAN, SOME INTRODUCTIONS, UM, FROM OUR TEAM THAT'S HERE TONIGHT REPRESENTING THE, THE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT REPRESENTING, UH, EAST EXPOSURE. UM, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY THEIR, THEIR COMBINATION OF SKILL SETS THAT WILL BRING THIS TO FRUITION. WE ARE JUST THE POCKET BOOK . UH, ANITA, CAN WE START WITH YOU? YES. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ANITA PERRY. I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE CAREER AND MILITARY READINESS FOR THE SUBTLE ISD. GOOD EVENING. STEPHANIE MCLEOD, CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER. I AM A PART OF DR. ROGERS' CABINET. AWESOME. DANNY MARTIN, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF EAST EXPOSURE. UM, WE REALLY FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT PIPELINES FOR STUDENTS, UH, FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO THAT COLLEGE. UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW DEVELOPING THE TWO INSTRUCTIONAL COURSES FOR HIGH SCHOOL, A INTRO TO ESPORTS FOR REGION 10, WHICH WILL BE APPROVED BY TEA, HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT COMING YEARS. UM, BUT MAINLY FOCUSED ON, UH, STUDENT DEVELOPMENT. TERRIFIC. UM, MAYBE THE BOARD MEMBERS COULD IDENTIFY THEMSELVES. I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS WHO ME AND ANTOINE ARE. MELBA. HELLO EVERYBODY. I'M MIKAYLA HERNDON, UM, BOARD MEMBER. NICE TO MEET YOU. NOW. COME ON. THERE'S A LITTLE MORE TO IT THAN THAT. GET A LITTLE BACKGROUND. YOU LIKE, WHERE DO YOU WORK? YES. OKAY. SO, UH, I WORK AT DALLAS COLLEGE. I'M ACTUALLY LEADING OUR HISTORIC EDA GRANT THAT IS ROUGHLY $9 MILLION TO CREATE A BIOTECH REGIONAL PROGRAM IN THE NORTH TEXAS WORKFORCE. I'VE GRADUATED FROM DESOTO HIGH SCHOOL. I'M BEEN A RESIDENT OF DESOTO HIGH SCHOOL, MY 20 YEAR CLASS REUNION KIND OF COMING UP AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I CAME UP SO FAST, SEE. UM, BUT I'M EXCITED ABOUT, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT TO THE CITY. SO, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. KEILA WALLACE. I'M BOARD MEMBER. UM, RESIDENT RESIDENT, HONESTLY, AS WELL AS, UM, CAREER WISE, UM, NONPROFIT CONSULTANT, UM, TAYLOR WALLACE, SOCIAL IMPACT CONSULTING, UM, CAREER NONPROFIT EXECUTIVE. AND , THE FOUNDER OF THE BLACK CIVIC CIRCLE. HERITAGE IS GIVING FUND. I'M MARK JONES, RESIDENT OF FROST FARMS FOR 23 YEARS. UM, EXCITED ABOUT TONIGHT'S OPPORTUNITY. I'M AN ENTREPRENEUR INVOLVED IN A NUMBER OF THINGS, SOME OTHER THINGS. AND SO WE ARE GLAD TO MARRY WHAT WE THINK THAT WE DO SUPPORT WITH EDUCATION. I WANT ADD I DESOTO HIGH SCHOOL, UM, FRESHMANS CARE. RAH, RAH RAH. ABSOLUTELY. AND I'M, UH, MICHAEL BALDWIN, UHSO RESIDENT FOR THIS TIME, UH, 20.0, 21 YEARS UNDER AN THORN TREE. AND, UM, FROM A PROFESSION STANDPOINT, I'M, UH, I, I HAVE A CONSULTING BUSINESS. I CONSULT FOR AIRPORT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UH, IN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, REVENUE GENERATION, AND VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UM, SERVING ON THE BOARD HERE AT, UH, AT THE CITY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SIT AND CHAT WITH YOU ALL THIS EVENING ABOUT OUR FUTURE POSSIBILITIES. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AS WELL. FOR SURE. THANK YOU. SO THE, THE IMPETUS FOR THESE, THIS CONVERSATION REALLY STARTED [00:05:01] A YEAR AGO. UM, WHEN WE SAT DOWN WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND SHE HAD INVITED ANTOINE AND I TO COME AND TALK ABOUT FUTURE FOCUSED CAREERS. SHE SAID, TALK TO US ABOUT THE RIGHT PLACES TO BE SPENDING OUR TIME FOCUSING ON AND, AND CREATING CAREER PATHS, PATHS TO EXCELLENCE FOR OUR STUDENTS. UM, AND ESPORTS WAS VERY CLEARLY ONE OF THOSE. UM, AND, AND WE HAD A CONVERSATION AROUND IT. THEN SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, YES, SUPERINTENDENT HAD HAD JOINED US OVER AT ESPORTS, AND I THINK, I THINK IT WAS THE SAME TIME THAT THAT, UH, REGION 10 WAS THERE. YEAH. THE EDUCATORS WERE THERE. SHE GOT A CHANCE TO SEE WHAT WE WERE, WHAT WHAT WAS HAPPENING, IF YOU WILL. I KNOW YOU'VE HAD SOME SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATIONS AROUND THAT. UM, THERE WAS VERY MUCH A, A, AN INTEREST AND FOLLOWING OUR CONVERSATION. THEN, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN WE MET AS THE BOARD, UM, WE DREW UP THIS PROPOSAL THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKET TONIGHT. UM, IT IS NOT MEANT TO BE ENTIRELY INCLUSIVE. IT WAS REFLECTIVE OF WHAT WE, BASED ON A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD HAD WITH DANNY, A CONVERSATION I HAD WITH, WITH PRESIDENT BALDWIN. THE CONVERSATION WITH THIS BOARD, I THINK IT WAS YOU, MARK, WHO'S DRAW IT UP. AND THAT'S JUST WHAT WE DID, UH, WAS TO PUT PUT SOME WORDS AROUND IT. UM, IT'S, IT'S, UH, A SKELETAL FORM, IF YOU WILL. UM, AND, AND WE TOOK THAT SKELETAL FORM AND SHARED IT WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT. UM, SHE HAD ASKED THAT I WOULD COME DOWN ON MONDAY AND MEET WITH MEMBERS OF HER, OF HER TEAM, UH, HER CABINET AND HER TEAM. UH, WE DID THAT. UM, GREAT DEAL OF EXCITEMENT THERE. UM, SHE REALIZES THAT THIS IS US REACHING OUT IN AN EFFORT TO ADD AND BUILD WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. UM, I REMEMBER DISTINCTLY AND WALKING OUT WHEN WE, WE WERE AT YOUR PLACE, DANNY THE FIRST TIME, AND SHE GOES, WE DON'T HAVE THE MEANS TO EVEN STAND UP A CLUB. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT. UM, SO I WAS JUST IGNORANT ENOUGH TO ASK AND, AND SAY, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YEAH. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN IT IN LOTS OF DISTRICTS. AND SO HE SHARED WITH ME, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT, HERE'S THE COMPONENTS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, A, A COACH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WILL. IT'S SOMEBODY WHO'S AN EDUCATOR WHO'S GONNA STAY AND DO EXTRA WORK AND TALK THROUGH US ABOUT HOW TO CREATE THAT. AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS A WAY TO OPEN THE DOOR, PROVIDE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO CREATE THIS, THIS ENVIRONMENT, IDEALLY AS A CLUB AT, AT, AT FIRST. AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, LET DANNY TALK A LITTLE BIT, AND, AND STEPHANIE AND, AND ANITA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS. BUT FOR US, THE REAL HOOK FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT IS THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PIECE OF THIS. I THINK WHEN WE HEAR ESPORTS, WE THINK ABOUT GAMING. YEAH, THAT'S FINE. THAT, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE WAY WE ALL THINK ABOUT IT. THE EDUCATION PIECE FOR ME HAS BEEN, THAT OPENS UP A WHOLE SET OF PATHS IN, UH, UH, A HOST OF INDUSTRIES, SOME OF THEM LISTED HERE. AND IT'S REALLY THAT COMPONENT FROM THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO IMAGINE AND ENABLE STUDENTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE SKILLS THAT TAKES OUR DOLLARS AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION AND PUTS 'EM TO WORK. UM, THAT'LL BE THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT. IT ISN'T A DOLLAR INVESTMENT. IT'LL BE THE REWARDS THAT WE SEE AS THESE KIDS ENTER INTO CAREERS THAT EMBRACE THESE SKILLS AND MOVE THEM FORWARD FURTHER THAN THEY WOULD'VE OTHERWISE BEEN. UM, IT, I WON'T, I WON'T BELABOR SORT OF ALL THE PIECES THERE. UM, IT, IT, THE, THE, UM, COMPONENTS IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE PROVIDING AND WHAT THE ISD IS PROVIDING OUR, I OUR, OUR PORTION OF THIS IS TO PROVIDE FUNDING, UM, THAT, THAT BUYS EQUIPMENT, PROVIDES A STIPEND FOR THE COACH AND PROVIDES SOME SMALL OPERATING FUNDS. UM, AND I'LL LET DANNY TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS BECAUSE IT'S EVENTS AND STUFF. UM, BRINGING INDUSTRY TO THE TABLE THAT STARTS WITH EXPOSURE AND THEIR ENGAGEMENT TO SUPPORT THOSE ACTIVITIES, PROVIDE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT AND HELP WITH THAT FOR US TO ENGAGE INDUSTRY SPEAKERS, CELEBRITY CONTACTS TO MAKE THIS THE SPLASH AND THE, THE EXCITEMENT ADD THE EXCITEMENT PORTION OF THAT, UM, THAT, THAT BRINGS THOSE FOLKS TO THE TABLE FOR OUR KIDS TO SEE. UM, AND FINALLY, FOR US TO PROVIDE AN ONGOING PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE, THE SUPERINTENDENT, THE STAFF, THE TRUSTEES, THAT IT, THAT HELPS THEM TO MAKE THIS A WIN FOR EVERYBODY AS WE ALIGN. TIMING IS, THE IDEA IS THAT WE WOULD STAND THIS UP BETWEEN NOW AND DECEMBER, SUCH THAT THIS CLUB WOULD BEGIN OPERATING IN JANUARY. UM, AND CORRECT ME IF I, IF ANY OF THIS, YOU SAY, YEAH, WELL THAT WAS GOOD, YOU KNOW, BUT , UM, BUT THAT GIVES US A RUNWAY TO, TO [00:10:01] START MAKING THE, THE, THE, THIS OPERATIONAL. WE, WE'VE LAID OUT SORT OF A ROUGH TIMEFRAME, BUT THE IDEA IS IF IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE, WE APPROVE FROM A FUNDING STANDPOINT, THEN WE'LL GO FORWARD WITH THIS TO COUNCIL ON SEPTEMBER 5TH. AND THAT OPENS THE DOOR FOR US TO BEGIN MAKING THE PURCHASES OF EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE NOW BECAUSE OF SOME MARKET OPPORTUNITIES. UM, AND THEN FOLLOW THAT TIMELINE FORWARD. AND REALLY THE, THE, THE ASK FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS, IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, DO IT BIG. YES. SHE GOES, I WANT HAVE A BIG SPLASH. I WANT TO HAVE A KICKOFF. I WANT TO HAVE A GRAND OPENING. IF WE CAN PROVIDE THE INDUSTRY CONTACTS TO BE THERE TO TALK ABOUT WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT, IF WE CAN PROVIDE THE SPORTS CELEBRITIES GOING TO BE THERE, I WANNA MAKE THIS INTO A MINI EXPOSURE BUILDING FOR OUR STUDENTS. THAT'S THE VISION. AND IT'S STARTING RIGHT THERE AT THE TOP IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND, AND THEN ALLOWING US TO START TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. UM, IF YOU TURN TO THE SECOND PAGE, IT, YOU TALK ABOUT THE FINANCIAL NEEDS. UM, WE FIRST STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS. WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE ABOUT $15,000 BASED ON SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH DANNY AND THE SUPERINTENDENT AND HER TEAM. WE MOVED THAT TO 20 'CAUSE IT GAVE US A LITTLE BIT OF CUSHION AROUND SOME THINGS LIKE FACILITIES AND, AND FIXTURES, FURNITURE AND THAT KIND OF STUFF. UM, ALSO SOME OF THE PRICING, EVEN EQUIPMENT HAS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UH, DANNY HAS REASSURED US MULTIPLE TIMES THAT WE CAN DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH THIS CLUB, WITH THOSE FUNDS, UM, WORKING AS A TEAM, WE CAN GET THERE. CAN WE NOW ACKNOWLEDGE OUR CITY MANAGERS HERE? ABSOLUTELY. . SORRY, EVERYONE WAS ON A PHONE CALL AND YEP. THANK YOU. AND I DO, I DO HAVE TO LEAVE OUR RELEASE, SO I DO APOLOGIZE, HAVE ANOTHER MEETING. UM, AND, AND THEN WE JUST IDENTIFY SOME IMMEDIATE NEXT STEPS. I THINK MAYBE, UH, UH, NEXT STEP OF THIS MIGHT BE STEPHANIE FOR YOU TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT WHY THIS FITS WITH THE SCHOOL. ABSOLUTELY. AND THEN MAYBE DANNY, FOR YOU TO SORT OF FILL IN WHAT THIS, WHAT THE COMPONENTS LOOK LIKE. SURE. AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. UH, YEAH. GOOD AFTERNOON AND GOOD EVENING RATHER. UM, DR. ROGERS DOES SEND HER REGARDS. SHE IS IN A BOARD WORKSHOP WITH OUR ILLUSTRIOUS TEAM. AND SO, UH, SHE DOES SEND HER THANK YOUS AND ALSO WELL WISHES AS WELL. UM, SO I DID CREATE A PAMPHLET ALONGSIDE WITH MY TEAM IN REGARDS TO THE CAREER TECHNIC FOR EDUCATION AND WHAT THAT WILL BE MEANS FOR US AS A TEAM. SO I'M GONNA PASS THESE OUT AND TAKE A MOMENT TO GLANCE AT IT. BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT UNPACKING THE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES FOR OUR DISTRICT, THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME, THE RIGHT PLACE BASED ON THE GAIN THAT WE HAD, UM, FROM OUR RECENT ASSESSMENT, IT SHOWS THAT THIS IS THE PERFECT TIME FOR US TO INVEST IN ESPORTS. SO WE DID WANNA INCLUDE SOME STATISTICS AS WELL. AND ALSO THE POST-SECONDARY READINESS PIPELINES. AND DR. PERRY, SHE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT IN JUST A SECOND. BUT HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW YOUR GRANDKIDS OR KIDS, THE FIRST THING THAT THEY DO WHEN THEY WANNA COME HOME, WHAT DO THEY ASK YOU TO DO? THEY WANNA GET ON A PLAYSTATION, THEY WANNA GET ON THE XBOX, BUT THEY KNOW THAT THEY GOTTA DO THE HOMEWORK FIRST. RIGHT? HOWEVER, BUT IT'S JUST BIGGER THAN THAT. SO WITH THIS, UM, DR. ROGERS HAS A GO BIG OR GO HOME MENTALITY. SHE IS A VISIONARY, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN IN THE BACK OF HER MIND, BUT WE JUST DID NOT HAVE THE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO FUND THIS IDEA. SHE LIKES TO SAY THAT THEY ARE HAIRY AUDACIOUS GOALS, AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM. AND WE ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH DANNY, WHO IS A GREAT PARTNER, A BRILLIANT MINDED INDIVIDUAL WHO WE KNOW THAT WITH HIS SUPPORT, WE CAN MAKE THIS A GREAT THING IN DESOTO, ISD AND ALSO FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO. SO, DR. PERRY, YOU CAN GO INTO OUR PIPELINES OF SUPPORT AND THE CREDENTIALS THAT GO ALONGSIDE WITH THIS. YES. THANK YOU. ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN, IN THESO ISD IS OUR CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM. AND WITHIN THAT, WE HAVE DIFFERENT MULTIPLE PATHWAYS FOR STUDENTS TO RECEIVE DIFFERENT ENDORSEMENTS, WHICH ARE ALIGNED TO OUR GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, LOOKING AT OUR STEM ENDORSEMENT ALONG WITH PUBLIC SERVICE THAT ALIGN OUR BUSINESS AS WELL. AND ONE OF THE KEY THINGS, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE IN THE PARENTHESIS THAT ARE UNDER SPORT ESPORTS AND STEM, ARE THE PATHWAYS IN WHICH WE CURRENTLY ALREADY PROVIDE WITH THE END DESOTO, ISD. AND SO THERE WILL BE A PERFECT ALIGNMENT FOR THOSE STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ESPORTS CLUB IN THIS EXPOSURE THAT WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE FOR THEM. AND SO THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS. AND SO WE ARE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP. UH, OUR DIRECTOR OF CTE MS. PUGH IS ALREADY HAVE A TEACHER LINED UP WHERE OUR ASSIGNMENT IS READY TO GO. SO WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS OPPORTUNITY. UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE ALREADY, TO YOUR POINT, ALREADY IDENTIFIED A PERSON WHO IS EXTREMELY ECSTATIC TO TAKE THIS INITIATIVE AND RUN WITH IT. THERE IS A HUGE INTEREST LEVEL WITH OUR STUDENTS. UM, JUST IMAGINE [00:15:01] TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT THE DOTS THROUGH SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS ON CAMPUS. SO AGAIN, THIS IS NOT JUST, EXCUSE ME, I'M MORRIS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT. WE WANT TO INVITE THE COMMUNITY IN TO SAY, HERE ARE SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE OFFERING OUR STUDENTS HERE IN DESOTO, ISD, OUR GOAL IS TO RETAIN AND RECRUIT OUR STUDENTS. WE'RE DOING REALLY WELL WITH OUR ENROLLMENT. AGAIN, WE'RE WANTING TO BEEF UP THAT ENROLLMENT AND ALSO OUR AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE, BECAUSE THE MORE OUR STUDENTS COME TO SCHOOL, THE MORE THEY ENJOY THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE, THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN BUILD AND LAY UP A STRONGER FOUNDATION FOR OUR SCHOLARS. NOT JUST TODAY, BUT TOMORROW. AWESOME. I CAN GO NOW. . HE'S GOOD. OKAY. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO, TO, UH, BRING UP TODAY IS, UM, FOR THE SECOND YEAR WE'VE BEEN HOSTING THE ESPORTS HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. THIS IS SCHOOLS THAT ARE DRIVING TO OUR FACILITY WITH BUSES FROM THAT OF FRISCO, ISD FRISCO. ISD WON IT LAST, LAST, UH, LAST UH, SEMESTER, UH, ALL THE WAY UP TO ALDEN TO AUSTIN, ISD, UM, TO NORTH SIDE AND SAN ANTONIO. THESE SCHOOLS ARE TRAVELING TO COMPETE IN GAMES LIKE FORTNITE AND LEAGUE OF LEGENDS AND, AND, UM, THAT OF THAT OF OVERWATCH AND, AND OTHER TITLES AS WELL. AS WE FACILITATE THESE COMPETITIONS, ONE OF THE COOL THINGS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO IN OUR FACILITY IS WORK WITH STUDENTS TO RUN THESE PARTICULAR EVENTS FROM THE PRODUCTION TO THE ANIMATION, TO THE GRAPHIC DESIGNING TO, TO THE EVENT COORDINATION, ALL WHICH ALIGNS WITH THE ACTUAL CAREER PATHWAYS WITH THAT CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION. UM, WHICH IS REALLY COOL BECAUSE WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A HUGE TREND, UM, IN COMPANIES, INDUSTRIES OUTSIDE OF JUST GAME DEVELOPMENT COMPANIES INTERESTED IN THE SKILLS THAT THE STUDENTS ARE DEVELOPING. AND ONE OF THE FACTS RIGHT NOW IS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT GAME DEVELOPMENT AND ESPORTS AS THEIR NEXT PIPELINE TALENT, SIMPLY BECAUSE ESPORTS IS 95% TECHNICAL SOFTWARE. WHEN WE HAVE TO FACILITATE AN ACTUAL EVENT IN OUR FACILITY, EVERY STUDENT THAT'S WORKING THIS ACTUAL EVENT IS LEVERAGING SOME TYPE OF SOFTWARE, WHETHER THAT'S EVENT COORDINATION SOFTWARE, WHETHER IT'S LIGHTNING TECHNICAL, UH, TECHNICAL AV, UM, SOFTWARE LIKE ONYX OR VMIX. AND I CAN JUST NAME A LOT THINGS THAT ARE ALIGNING WITH THAT OF THE ACTUAL CERTIFICATIONS THAT STUDENTS NEEDS TO DEVELOP TO BE SUFFICIENT AT THESE PARTICULAR SKILL SETS. THEY'RE DOING IT IN ESPORTS ON A CONSISTENT BASIS. AND SO FOR OUR PERSPECTIVE, WE SEE THAT RUNNING THESE ACTUAL TOURNAMENTS, ONE, IT IT PROVIDES THE ACTUAL COACHES, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXCITE THEIR STUDENTS AND TO ALLOW THE STUDENTS THAT MAY NOT BE AS, UH, ATHLETICALLY GIFTED TO ALLOW THEM TO HAVE SOMETHING TO BE A PART OF. AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN OUR FIRST YEAR, WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 40 SCHOOLS THAT PARTICIPATED IN OUR ACTUAL ESPORTS EVENT FROM A TOURNAMENT PERSPECTIVE. UM, AND LAST YEAR IT AMASSED AROUND ABOUT 250 SCHOOLS, SO MUCH SO THAT WE COULDN'T EVEN RUN THE ACTUAL TOURNAMENT INSIDE OF OUR FACILITY. OUR FACILITY WAS TOO SMALL. SO WE HAD TO SPEND $150,000 TO RENT OUT ESPORTS STADIUM IN ARLINGTON. AND OVER 2000 ACTUAL ATTENDANCE CAME TO THIS PARTICULAR EVENT. AND RIGHT NOW, WE'RE EVEN LOOKING AT IS GONNA BE MUCH LARGER WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO DECEMBER 9TH AND 10TH. SO WHAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED NOW IS BECAUSE IT'S SO MUCH SCHOOLS THAT ARE EN, EN ENGAGED WITH IT. FOR AN EXAMPLE, UH, SCHOOLS ARE SUPER, SUPER EXCITED. AND, AND, AND DESOTO IS A, IS A SPORTS CITY. I REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, COMPETING, I REMEMBER BEING AT WEST JUNIOR HIGH, AND I REMEMBER, UM, GETTING THE ACTUAL, LIKE GETTING FOOT BEING ON FOOTBALL AND GETTING THE SCHEDULE AND BEING EXCITED AND NOT SO MUCH IN, IT WASN'T SO MUCH IN WEST, BUT IN HIGH SCHOOL, GETTING EXCITED ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND SEEING THAT WE CAN TRAVEL SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT WAS LIKE, WOW, WE GET A CHANCE TO SEE A NEW CITY. AND SO A LOT OF THESE ACTUAL SCHOOLS ARE LOOKING AT BEING ABLE TO LEVERAGE IT AS A RECRUITMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEIR ACTUAL ESPORTS CLUBS, BECAUSE NOW THEY CAN GET THEIR STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE WORLD THROUGH ESPORTS. AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING, WHICH INCREASES, UH, ATTENDANCE AT PARTICULAR SCHOOLS. AND SO FOR US, WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT BEING ABLE TO SAY, THIS IS, ESPORTS IS ALMOST LIKE THE VA SPLASH, IT'S THE FRUIT OF IT, AND THE ACTUAL EDUCATION COMES IN THE VEGETABLES. AND WE'RE RECOGNIZING THAT THE ACTUAL INDUSTRY INDUSTRIES LIKE ESPORTS AND GAMING, BUT ERON ERGONOMICS, UM, AERONAUTICS, UM, THAT OF, UH, GAME DEVELOPMENT, THAT OF, UH, HOSPITALITY, A LOT OF THESE INDUSTRIES ARE LOOKING AT THE GAMING INDUSTRY AS A, AS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP WITH THE WORKFORCE. EVERY INDUSTRY IS, IS, IS, IS COMING ACROSS TERMS IN REGARDS TO FIND, HAVING DIFFICULTIES, FINDING THE NEXT PIPELINES OF TALENT. AND WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, IT JUST GIVES US OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUALS TO LOOK AT THE SKILL SETS THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE DEVELOPING AND HELPING THEM BE SUFFICIENT, UM, AND PARTI, UH, PRODUCTIVE [00:20:01] IN THE WORKFORCE AT WORKFORCE. MAYBE, UM, LAST TIME WE VISITED WITH YOU AT THIS SMALL COMPANY CALLED BOEING HAS JUST BEEN ON YOUR YES, YES, YES, FOR SURE. UM, WHICH IS REALLY AWESOME. UM, BOEING HAS CAME TO OUR FACILITY AND OFFERED AN ACTUAL, UM, A A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT SPONSORSHIP, UH, WITH THE PERSPECTIVE OF THEY RECOGNIZE THAT OVER THE NEXT YEARS THAT PILOTS ARE GOING TO BE RETIRING AND IT'S GONNA LEAVE A HUGE VOID IN THE ACTUAL SYSTEM. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD RECOGNIZE, AND I I KIND OF, I HAVE SO MUCH INFORMATION IN MY HEAD, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE INDUSTRY THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING IS ON AUGUST 25TH, I BELIEVE THERE'S A, AND I WANT YOU GUYS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS IN. THERE'S A, THERE'S A MOVIE THAT'S COMING OUT BY THE NAME OF GRANT ARIMO. AND GRANT ARIMO IS A MOVIE BASED OFF OF AN ACTUAL STUDENT THAT UTILIZED GAMES. AND FROM A SIMULATION, HE WOULD GO INTO THEIR, IN THEIR, THEIR HOUSE. HE WOULD GO IN HIS HOUSE AND HE WOULD PLAY GRANT TOMO THE VIDEO GAME, WHICH IS A RACING SIMULATOR. AND WHILE HE WAS PLAYING THAT GAME, THERE WAS AN AD THAT POPPED UP THAT STATED, HEY, IF YOU WANT, IF YOU WIN THIS PARTICULAR ESPORTS TOURNAMENT, UM, WE WILL ACTUALLY ALLOW YOU TO RACE UNDER FERRARI'S BRAND AND A REAL, UM, CAR. SO HE WON IT. AND IT'S BASED OFF OF A TRUE STORY. AND RIGHT NOW, YOUNG INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE GLOBE RIGHT NOW ARE LOOKING AT THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, I CAN TAKE ME BEING AT THIS COMPUTER THAT'S PROVIDED BY THIS INSTITUTION OR MY PARENTS, AND BEING ABLE TO GET GOOD AT A GAME, AND IT MAY GET ME CLOSER TO ACTUALLY BEING A PART OF THE REAL LIFE RACING. AND THIS STORY WILL LINE WITH SO MANY YOUNG INDIVIDUALS. I KNOW IT WOULD'VE ALIGNED TO ME IF I WAS AT THE AGE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND THIS MOVIE WOULD'VE CAME OUT. AND THINKING ABOUT IT FROM A SIMULATION PERSPECTIVE, UH, BOEING SAYS, HEY, WE NEED TO GET MORE STUDENTS INVOLVED IN SIMULATION USE BECAUSE IT'S GONNA HELP THESE STUDENTS ACTIVELY BE PREPARED ENOUGH TO GO GET THEIR ACTUAL PERMITS OR LICENSE, OR EVEN JUST BE EXCITED ABOUT WORKING AT THIS PARTICULAR COMPANY AS AN ENGINEER OR AS A, AS A PLANE OPERATOR. SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE ACTUAL IMPACT OF THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LEVERAGING THESE EQUIPMENT THAT YOU'RE HERE, THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO NOT ONLY ALLOW SOMEONE TO PLAY A GAME, BUT THEY NOW CAN ACTUALLY LEVERAGE THAT COMPUTER FOR GAME DEVELOPMENT. THEY CAN LEVERAGE THAT COMPUTER FOR THAT OF SIMULATION RACING, UM, AND THEY CAN LEVERAGE THAT COMPUTER FOR SO MANY DIFFERENT ELEMENTS. UM, POINT IN CASE RIGHT NOW, THERE'S AN ENTITY BY THE NAME OF EPIC GAMES. AND EPIC GAMES IS THE ENTITY THAT CREATED FORTNITE. AND FORTNITE IS ACTUALLY DEVELOPED ON A PLATFORM CALLED UNREAL ENGINE. MOST SCHOOLS CRYING RIGHT NOW ARE LEVERAGING UNREAL ENGINE AND UNITY TO BE ABLE TO TEACH AND ENGAGE WITH GAME DEVELOPMENT. EPIC GAMES HAS A RECOGNIZED THAT THIS ENGINE HAS BECOME SO POWERFUL FOR THEM TO HELP THEIR ACTUAL GAME SELL UNITS, WHICH FORTNITE IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR GAMES OUT THERE. THIS COMPANY BRINGS IN BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. UH, AND SO FOR THEM, THEY'VE ACTUALLY TURNED THEIR ACTUAL, UM, GAME INTO A GAME DEVELOPMENT CREATION HUB, KNOWN AS FORTNITE CREATOR. AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS, THERE'S A TREND. THERE USED TO BE A TREND WHERE GAMERS, OR NOT EVEN JUST GAMERS, ANYBODY WILL CREATE CONTENT AND THEY'LL PUSH IT OUT ON YOUTUBE. WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE OF THE INTRODUCTION OF FORTNITE CREATOR, YOU'RE FINDING THAT OF ACTUAL GAMERS THAT ARE CREATING IN FORTNITE VERSUS JUST PLAYING FORTNITE, THEY'RE CREATING THE WORLD. THEY'RE GOING BACK HOME AND SAYING, OR GOING, THEY'RE CREATING 'EM AT HOME AND GOING BACK TO SCHOOL AND SAYING, HEY FRIEND, YOU'RE GONNA HOP ON FORTNITE TONIGHT. ALRIGHT, IF YOU'RE GONNA HOP ON FORTNITE, USE THE WORLD THAT I CREATED. BECAUSE WHY? THE MORE INDIVIDUALS THAT GET ON THAT ACTUAL WORLD, THAT'S ANOTHER REVENUE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM. 'CAUSE NOW EPIC GAMES AND UNREAL ENGINE IS PAYING THESE INDIVIDUALS, LIKE THEY WOULD ACTUALLY PAY THEM IF THEY HAVE A SUBSCRIBER ON YOUTUBE. SO NOW INDIVIDUALS ARE LOOKING AT IT FROM A PERSPECTIVE. BUT LET'S ACTUALLY BUILD IN THE GAME. I SPENT TWO HOURS, THREE DAYS AGO, WE BUILT AN ACTUAL WORLD IN FORTNITE CREATOR, AND I WAS WORKING WITH LADIES JADE AND, AND, UM, AND CHRISTIAN RUS, UH, CHRISTIAN RUSH, AND HER SON WAS STREAMING. AND HE WAS SO EXCITED. AND I GOT ON HIS STREAM AND I SAID, HEY, YOUR PLAN, I'LL GIVE YOU AN ACTUAL CHALLENGE. WHAT WE ENDED UP DOING IS WE BUILT AN ACTUAL WORLD IN FORTNITE THAT'S SIMILAR TO A TOWER, KIND OF THINK OF AS A TOWERS, A CEDAR HILL THAT ARE USED FOR THE RADIO. WE BUILT A TOWER JUST LIKE THAT, THAT WAS VERY, VERY HIGH. AND THE OBJECT OF THE GAME IS TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW THE FASTEST INDIVIDUAL TO HOP ON THAT ACTUAL TOWER AND SEE WHO COULD GET INTO THE TOP THE FASTEST WALL WALL. HIS, WHILE HE WAS ACTIVELY DOING THAT, I WAS ABLE TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT, HEY, THIS IS HOW LONG IT TOOK TO BUILD THIS, BUT DO YOU KNOW THAT SOMEONE CAN GET PAID $20,000 TO TAKE, TO GO UP THERE AND ACTUALLY CHANGE THAT LIGHT BULB ON THERE AND THEN COME BACK DOWN? AND THAT'S ACTUAL CAREER THAT'S ACTUALLY PRESENT AND REAL TIME. SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WORKFORCE, YOU CAN LEVERAGE THAT OF [00:25:01] INTRODUCING INDIVIDUALS TO JOBS, AND THAT'S THE POWER OF GAME DEVELOPMENT. AND THAT'S THE POWER THAT YOU HAVE WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY PROVIDING THESE INDIVIDUALS WITH EQUIPMENT FOR THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL. THANK YOU. YEAH, APPRECIATE. THAT'S TERRIFIC. YOU CAN'T TALK TO THE CITY COUNCIL. THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF PASSION, YOU KNOW, BOTTLED UP HERE. SURE. UM, EVERY, EVERY TIME I, I HIT THERE, IT'S AN EDUCATION, UM, QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. THE ASK OF THIS BOARD IS TO AUTHORIZE US TO EXPEND $20,000 OF, OF DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FUNDS TO SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE. UM, BUT PRECEDING THAT ASK, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING, HOW WE'RE DOING IT, HOW THAT MONEY IS DEPLOYED, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL HAVE, HAVE THE ACCESS AND, AND THE REINS AT THAT AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. I, YEAH, I KNOW YOU DO. I WARNED YOU, AND I'M GONNA NOT GO INTO SOME OF MY QUESTIONS BECAUSE IT'S IN THE WEEDS. UM, BUT IN LOOKING AT THIS, SORRY, WHERE IT'S, OH, TALKS ABOUT THAT THIS CLUB WILL SUPPORT A BROADER THREE YEAR RAMP UP INITIATIVE. MM-HMM. , THE CISD FOR THE, YOU KNOW, THREE YEAR RAMP UP. MY QUESTION IS, WHO IS OVERSEEING THE STRATEGY AND PLAN FOR THAT FOR THOSE THREE YEARS, AS WELL AS, UM, THE SOLICITATION OF ONGOING FUNDING? OKAY. SO I CAN SPEAK TO SOME OF THAT. UM, FIRST THING, THE OVERARCHING UMBRELLA, THE AREAS THAT I SUPPORT ARE, IS VERY BROAD. NOW, IT WILL TAKE ME ALL DAY TO TELL YOU WHAT ALL I OVERSEE, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU, UM, A SCOPE OF WORK, CCMR, THAT UMBRELLA ENTAILS COLLEGE, CAREER, MILITARY READINESS, CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION, ADVANCED ACADEMICS. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, SOME OTHER ENTITIES THAT WE WORK WITH. HOWEVER, DR. PERRY WILL BE OVERSEEING THIS EFFORT ALONGSIDE WITH OUR DIRECTOR OF CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN PARTNERSHIP. WE ALSO HAVE AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL ON CAMPUS THAT IS THE LEAD CCMR, UM, PERSON OR GO-TO. SO WE WILL BE PARTNERING TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR EFFORTS, NUMBER ONE, ALIGNED TO OUR FOCUS, ALIGNED TO OUR INITIATIVE, AND IT WILL FULFILL THE REQUIREMENTS BASED ON WHAT WE ARE AGREEING THAT WE ARE DOING. AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO DOING THAT. SO WE WILL CREATE SOME PROGRESS TRACKERS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE SEEING THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO, WE WILL HAVE A PROJECT MANAGEMENT DOCUMENT THAT WILL BE OVERSEEING BY DR. PERRY, WHO WILL PROVIDE THAT ONGOING FEEDBACK TO BOTH THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL WHO IS OVER CCMR, AND ALSO OUR DIRECTOR OF CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION. NOW, THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER DISCUSSION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE AS A TEAM. LIKE WE'RE TEAM. SO, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT, WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. AND SO MY WONDERING IS WITH THE FUNDS THAT ARE ON THE TABLE, IS THIS A YEAR'S TIME OR WAS THIS OVER A COURSE OF, UM, SO I JUST, I NEED TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE FINANCIAL SUSTAIN. SO OUR, OUR INITIAL THOUGHT ON THIS IS THAT THIS IS THIS YEAR. UM, WE, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS GONNA TAKE SOME TIME. UM, THIS ULTIMATELY, AS I UNDERSTAND FROM DR. ROGERS, THIS ALSO ALLOWS US TO START ACCESSING FUNDS FROM THE STATE ABSOLUTELY. AS IT TIES INTO OUR CTE PROGRAM. BUT THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S NOT TODAY. THAT'S A YEAR FROM NOW. SO THAT STARTS TO PROVIDE SOME FUNDING FOR YOU. BUT WE'RE COMMITTING TO WORKING OUT WITH, WITH THESE INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO LOOK FOR FUNDING AS WELL TO SAY, HERE'S THAT, HERE'S THE BENEFITS WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT FROM YOU. AND WE'LL, WE'LL BE DRIVING THAT THROUGH OUR OFFICE WITH ANTOINE AND I. AND SO I WANNA GO BACK TO MY INITIAL STATEMENT ABOUT RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT AS WELL, BECAUSE MORE STUDENTS THAT WE CAN RETAIN AND RECRUIT, THEN THOSE BRINGS DOLLARS AS WELL SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT AS WE ARE BRINGING STUDENTS IN, THAT CREATES ADDITIONAL FUNDING SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR PROGRAMMING. AND SO, SINCE THIS IS SUCH A HOT TOPIC, I LIKE TO SAY THIS IS, AND STUDENTS ARE EXTREMELY INTERESTED, DALLAS, ISD HAS ALREADY STARTED IT, UM, HAVE 19 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN DALLAS ISD AND COMING OVER HERE TO DESO AS AN INVESTMENT AND EXTREME, UM, INTEREST LEVELS ARE THERE. SO I DON'T FORESEE IT BEING ANY, UM, LAG IN INTEREST JUST BASED ON THE OVERWHELMING RESPONSE AND ALSO INQUIRIES THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM STUDENTS AND ALSO TEACHERS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, YOU, YOU'RE JUST GONNA SAY SOMETHING, SORRY, I WANNA UNDERSTANDING HOW STUDENT PARTICIPATION NUMBERS IMPACT MONEY. YOU SAID LIKE THE MORE STUDENTS, THE MORE MONEY WE GET. YEAH. SO, UM, SORRY, NOT TO, AGAIN, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE IN THE WEEDS CONVERSATIONS. HOWEVER, ONE STUDENT BRINGS IN HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. SO IF WE ARE MISSING STUDENTS, THEN ATTENDANCE, THE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, ATTENDANCE. SO YES, A DA AVERAGE [00:30:01] DAILY ATTENDANCE AND ENROLLMENT, THE STATE GIVES US FUNDING BASED ON BOTH OF THOSE THINGS. SO THE MORE STUDENTS WE HAVE, THE MORE DOLLARS WE GAIN, THE MORE KIDS WE HAVE, THE MORE FUNDING WE HAVE AS WELL. OKAY. I, BECAUSE IS THAT CLEAR, WAS CONNECTING IT TO THE CLUBS SPECIFICALLY VERSUS THE WHOLE DISTRICT, THE SCHOOL, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? OR THE DISTRICT FOR THE, FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL. THE MORE STUDENTS WE HAVE IN THE HIGH SCHOOL, THE MORE FUNDING, UH, AVENUES WE HAVE FROM OUR GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS THAT CAN BE THEN, UM, IT CAN BE DIVIDED TO SAY, WE'RE GONNA COMMIT THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE BASED ON OUR GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT PROGRAMMINGS ON, ON, ON THE CAMPUSES. RIGHT. SO THERE'S AN ASSUMPTION THAT THIS PROGRAM WILL HELP TO ATTRACT THAT'S CORRECT. OTHER STUDENTS AS WELL AS RETAIN STUDENTS. THAT'S CORRECT. AT THE SCHOOL. THANK YOU. AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ONTO THAT AS WELL. UM, THE COMPETITIVE PIECE IS A, AN ATTRACTION THAT CAN HELP INDIVIDUALS SAY, HEY, I WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS CLUB. UM, ONE OF THE ELEMENTS THAT WE SEE THAT WE OFFER, AND GRANTED WE WORK WITH 19 DIFFERENT DISTRICTS ACROSS TEXAS ALONE. AND SO FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED IS THE ACTUAL RECRUITMENT OF STUDENTS THROUGH THAT OF IMMERSIVE PROGRAMMING. THAT'S, THAT'S ESPORTS BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITIONS THAT ALLOW THE STUDENTS TO FORMULATE GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ALIGNS WITH A CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION, WHICH AT THAT POINT IT A LOT, IT HELPS PREPARE THE STUDENT TO ENGAGE WITH THOSE PARTICULAR CERTIFICATIONS, WHICH IS ALSO A REVENUE OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT, UH, RECEIVING STATE DOLLARS. AND SO MOST SCHOOLS THAT OPERATE WITH US, THERE'S ALWAYS THIS ELEMENT OF LIKE, SPECIFICALLY LIKE DALLAS, ISD, IT'S LIKE, IT'S FUN TO COMPETE, BUT HOW DOES IT EQUATE TO THAT OF THE ACTUAL FUNDS THAT ARE RECEIVED TO HELP THESE PROGRAMS GO? AND IT'S REALLY ALIGNED WITH THE ACTUAL WORKFORCE WORKING WITH ENTITIES THAT, LIKE A BOEING WHO'S SAYING, WE HAVE TO INVEST BECAUSE WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA LOSE A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS. SECONDLY, IS ALIGNING THESE ACTUAL STUDENTS AWAY AND PREPARING THEM TO TAKE THEIR CERTIFICATION COURSES. 'CAUSE THE ACTUAL AMOUNT OF CERTIFICATIONS THAT ARE RECEIVED EQUATES TO ACTUAL DOLLARS FOR THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. THANK YOU. GREAT QUESTIONS. OKAY, MR. JONES? I THINK THAT, UH, THAT YOU'VE GONE THROUGH ALL OF THAT, AND I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF THE ASK IS OR NOT. THAT'S, TO BE HONEST, A STORM. MY, UH, I CAN ANSWER THIS, I CAN ANSWER THIS REALLY, REALLY SIMPLY. THE, THE BIGGEST THING RIGHT NOW IS A LOT OF SCHOOLS ARE THINKING THAT YOU NEED AN ABSURD AMOUNT OF ACTUAL EQUIPMENT, UH, AND UM, AND A CAPITAL TO LAUNCH THESE. WHAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED RIGHT NOW IS THERE ARE, BECAUSE MORE SCHOOLS EARLY ON, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN IN THIS SPACE FOR SOME TIME NOW, EARLY ON, UM, SCHOOLS WILL SAY NO TO THIS. AND WHAT WOULD TRANSPIRE IS THERE ARE A LOT OF ENTITIES, NON-PROFIT ENTITIES, OTHER COMPANIES LIKE NEW EXPOSURE THAT COMES IN AND SAY, REGARDLESS, WE'RE GONNA FIGURE THIS OUT AND WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT. RIGHT? AND WHAT YOU'LL IDENTIFY NOW IS THERE IS A COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS THAT ARE SUPER, SUPER, SUPER PASSIONATE. LIKE FOR AN EXAMPLE, TEXAS HEALTH, TEXAS ESPORTS, SCHOLASTIC FEDERATION. IT'S A NONPROFIT THAT MOST OF THE SCHOOLS ACROSS TEXAS, THEY ENGAGE WITH THEIR PARTICULAR LEAGUES AND THEY PROVIDE SUPPORT FROM INDUSTRY JUST AS MUCH. AND SO ULTIMATELY, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO ACTUAL THINKING ABOUT THIS COST, IT'S SMALL, BUT WHAT MY THOUGHT PROCESS IS, IS THE, THE THINGS THAT'S NEEDED, AND THAT'S THE STIPEND FOR THE COACH MOST IN, IN MOST ENTITIES, IF YOU FIND A DEDICATED PERSON, WHICH THEY'VE STATED THEY FOUND, IS THAT'S THE PERSON THAT'S GONNA GO BEYOND, ABOVE AND BEYOND TO FIND THE TECH STEPS TO FIND THE VTA, THE LEAGUES, AND ENSURE THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY SUSTAIN THIS ACTUAL CLUB. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, A LOT OF CLUBS ACROSS TEXAS ARE NOT, THEY DON'T EVEN GET THE FUNDING. SO THE THE EDUCATORS DOING IT THEMSELVES, AND THEY'RE STILL COMPETITIVE IN THE ACTUAL SPACE WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO ENGAGING WITH THEIR STUDENTS. SO, SO WHEN I SAY THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF THE ASSETS DO THE, I I'M SAYING THAT AS A BOARD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD, WE WANT, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT YOU ALL AS A FIVE YEAR COMMITTEE. AND IF THIS IS THE NUMBER, THIS IS THE NUMBER, BUT WE SHOULDN'T, THE PRESSURE OF TRYING TO DO SOMETHING A YEAR MM-HMM. IS A LOT OF PRESSURE. OH YEAH, FOR SURE. I'M A BUSINESSMAN. YEAH. AND WHEN I TALK TO MY BANKER, WHEN I GET READY TO DO A PROJECT, I DON'T TALK ABOUT ABOUT GETTING ENOUGH. YEAH. I TALK ABOUT GETTING AT LEAST THREE TIMES ENOUGH. YEAH, FOR SURE. BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO PRESSURE ON ME TO DELIVER. 'CAUSE THE A I'M GONNA HAVE TO PAY IT BACK REGARDLESS. YEAH, YEAH, FOR SURE. IN THIS CASE, AS WE LOOK AND TALK ABOUT THIS, I'M GOOD WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T PRESSURE THEM TO FAIL, THAT WE GIVE THEM [00:35:01] ONE YEAR, TWO YEAR, THREE YEAR COMMITMENT. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO THAT, MATT, BUT, AND WE TALK ABOUT THIS AND WE'RE GONNA BRING ALL OF THOSE PARTNERS TO THE TABLE. WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT A THREE TO FIVE YEAR COMMITMENT SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT DE SOTO IS COMMITTED SO THAT YOU ALL KNOW THAT YOU'RE, WHOEVER THIS PERSON IS, WE'RE FUNDED FOR THREE YEARS, WE'RE FUNDED FOR FIVE YEARS. AND THAT MAY NOT BE THE CONVERSATION TONIGHT, BUT THAT'S WHERE THE CONVERSATION NEEDS TO GO. FOR SURE. THAT'S MY OPINION. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY GOOD OPINION. WE, UH, WE SEE IT AND, AND LIKE I STATED, THERE'S SO MANY SCHOOLS THAT START IN SO MANY DIFFERENT POSITIONS AND YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE SOME SCHOOLS THAT WILL SAY, MAN, WE'RE GONNA SPEND $20 MILLION ON THE ESPORTS ARENA, YOU KNOW, LIKE IN PROSPER RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW, AND SOME INDIVIDUALS DON'T HAVE THE CAPITAL TO DO IT. AND SO WHAT WE IDENTIFIED IS, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AS A CEO AND FOUNDER OF THIS COMPANY GROWING UP IN THIS AREA, I'M LOOKING AT IT AS WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO JUST GET IT, START AND SHOWCASE DATA AROUND THAT SO INDIVIDUALS CAN BE ABLE TO SAY COMFORTABLY THAT THEY WANT TO CREATE THOSE FIVE YEAR PLANS BECAUSE IT'S NEEDED. BUT ULTIMATELY THERE TENDS TO BE A LOT OF DOUBT AND NEW INNOVATIVE INDUSTRIES, WELL THAT'S NOT THIS BOARD. THAT'S PERFECT. I'M NOT. I LOVE THAT. I'M GONNA LEAVE HERE AND I'M BE LIKE, YES, LET'S GO . WE'VE VERY FORTUNATE TO WHAT I SAY, GET THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST OFF THE SIDELINE AND GATE PERFECT. SO IT IS NOT AN OVER SALE. THIS PRESENTED PERFECT. YOU, SHE SAID EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY. I THINK, UM, LIKE BEING ON A HIGHER EDUCATION SIDE, OFTENTIMES WE'LL HAVE LIKE THESE INITIAL INVESTMENTS, UM, BUT THERE'S NOT A INVESTMENT BEYOND WHEN THE GRANT IS OVER. LIKE EVEN WITH OUR CURRENT GRANT, LIKE IT'S NOT A MILLION DOLLARS. IT SEEMS LIKE IT GOES A LONG WAY, BUT WE'VE ALREADY AT THE BEGINNING, BEEN TALKING WITH CAPITAL INVESTORS LIKE, HEY, WHEN IT'S $8 MILLION IS GONE, CAN YOU GIVE US ANOTHER 3 MILLION OR 6 MILLION OR 65? LIKE WE'VE ALREADY WRITTEN FOR ANOTHER 65 MILLION. SO, UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, I, I DO, AS A CITIZEN OF DESOTO AND A GRADUATE OF DESOTO AND THE BELIEF THAT DESOTO CAN CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO THESE NEW HEIGHTS, UM, I WANNA JUST MAKE SURE THAT THE IS GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL. UM, AND THAT WAS MY THING. LIKE I FEEL LIKE MAYBE THE ASK SHOULD BE A MOST HIGHER ASK. SO THEN THAT WAY YOU ALL CAN FOCUS ON SIMPLY RECRUITING STUDENTS AND SIMPLY FOCUS ON PROGRAM SUCCESS AND NOT HAVING TO SPEND AS MUCH TIME TRYING TO FIND PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO POUR TO, TO THAT PART. ESPECIALLY FROM, I WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER, THE STIPEND IS COOL, BUT THE STIPEND'S NOT A LOT. SO IF WE'RE BEING HONEST, LIKE THE $2,500 FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR, AND NOW I HAVE TO, TO SOLICIT PEOPLE TOO, NOW I'M KIND OF STARTING TO GET BURNED OUT. OR WHEN IF WE CAN TAKE THAT OFF THAT AND THEY CAN JUST FOCUS ON STUDENT SUCCESS, UM, I THINK THAT IT MAY BE A BETTER BET. BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT WAS MY IDEA. LIKE MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE A MULTI-YEAR AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN DO THAT. BUT WE, WE HAVE, WE, WE ABSOLUTELY CONFORM. HOWEVER, WE WHAT WHATEVER THIS BOARD BELIEVES IS, IS APPROPRIATE, IS POSSIBLE. YOU CAN SEE WE WROTE IT INTO A, INTO A THREE YEAR PROGRAM. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S UM, THERE'S OPTICS TO THIS, RIGHT? AND, UM, THIS ISN'T THE ONLY STEP IN THE APPROVAL PROFIT PROCESS, BUT YOU BEHIND US AND, AND PRESENTING THIS AND TALKING THROUGH THIS WITH COUNSEL WILL BE HELPFUL TOO. WE CERTAINLY WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO IT FOR THE LONG HAUL. I, I'LL, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY THE SECRET SAUCE IN THIS, AND I SUSPECT YOU ALREADY FEEL IT. IS THIS GENTLEMAN HERE AT THE END OF THE TABLE, THE NUMBER OF CONTACTS AS WE JUST STARTED TALKING THROUGH WHAT IT WAS GONNA TAKE TO STAND THIS UP, DANNY'S CONVERSATION AROUND, LOOK, I'M ALREADY HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH BELL. I'M ALREADY HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH LENOVO. I'M ALREADY TALKING TO THE FOLKS ABOUT HOW THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN. I'VE ALREADY GOT THE, THE, THE PROGRAMMING WORK. THESE ARE THE PLACES THAT I CAN ACCESS ADDITIONAL FUNDS, RIGHT. TO ENHANCE THIS. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. YEAH, I GOT YOU. BUT I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO, AND I APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENTS OF THE BOARD, UM, LOOKING AT THIS AS A LONGER TERM. WE FEEL LIKE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE INDUSTRY. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE HAVE A HISTORY OF DOING, UM, IN, IN THIS COMMUNITY. BUT YOU SEE IT IN OTHER COMMUNITIES AND, AND IT'S A LOT OF MONEY. I MEAN, IT MAKES OUR CONTRIBUTIONS START TO LOOK PRETTY SMALL. BUT WE FEEL LIKE, AGAIN, WITH THE RIGHT TEAM OF OUR EDUCATORS AND OUR INDUSTRY AND THE, IN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, MAKING THOSE, THOSE CALLS THAT WE REALLY DON'T WANNA RELY ON THE COACH. THAT'S, THAT'S NOT THEIR JOB. THEIR JOB IS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS AND EXCITE STUDENTS. LET US DO, LET US DO WHAT WE DO WELL AND THAT'S GOING AND ASK PEOPLE TO HELP. SO I THINK THAT THERE'S A COMMITMENT FROM US. UM, IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF DOLLARS, ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS PUT A PIECE OF PAPER ON IT. ASHA, HOW ARE YOU DOING? I'M GREAT, THANK [00:40:01] YOU. GOOD. SORRY FOR MY TURN. HI DANNY. HELLO. DOES EVERYBODY KNOW TASHA ALREADY? I'VE SEEN I WAVING IN HANDS. YES, WE KNOW EACH OTHER. OUR DADS KNOW EACH OTHER VERY WELL. VERY WELL. DR. PERRY, DO YOU KNOW NATASHA BUFF? NO, I DO NOT. HI. HI, NATASHA UFF. I'M THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR DIVERSITY INCLUSION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT THE DALLAS REGIONAL CHAMBER. NICE TO MEET YOU. I'M ANITA PERRY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CCMR IN DESO, ISD. NICE TO MEET YOU. THANK YOU. WELL, I KNOW A LOT ABOUT DANNY. WE ARE THE ADVOCATES OF ESPORTS. WE TRY TO INTRODUCE A LOT OF OUR MEMBERS TO, UM, DANNY'S PROGRAM. UM, SO YES, YES, YES AND YES. . I WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING, IF I MAY. I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU GET SO EXCITED ABOUT A POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A MULTI-YEAR OR, YOU KNOW, YEAR, UM, PARTNERSHIP, HOWEVER, KJ, KATHERINE JOHNSON AND RUBY YOUNG, THEY'RE EXTREMELY INTERESTED. AND SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HIGH SCHOOL, THERE IS ALSO AN AVENUE TO TAP INTO OUR SPECIALIZED CAMPUSES THAT SUPPORT THE TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS ACADEMIES. AND SO JUST WANTING YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT THERE IS A EXTREME INTEREST ON ALL LEVELS AT VARIOUS GRADE LEVELS AS WELL. SO KATHERINE JOHNSON, RUBY YOUNG, UM, AND THEN THE HIGH SCHOOL OF COURSE. SO YOU TALK ABOUT A PIPELINE AND CREATING IT AND CREATING, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SUCCESSION. AGAIN, OUR STUDENTS CAN HAVE A CLEAR PATHWAY AND AGAIN, THAT EXCITEMENT WILL BE THERE ONCE THEY LEAVE KJ OR ONCE THEY LEAVE, UH, RUBY YOUNG, THEN THEY CAN KNOW THEY'LL HAVE A STRONG PROGRAM TO GO INTO FOR ESPORTS. WELL, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT, UH, IT'S INTERESTING. WE HAVE OUR STATE OF DEI COMING UP AND WE HAVE FOREST HARPER WHO IS THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF INROADS AND THEY HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH A BLACK RACE CAR DRIVER. HIS NAME IS JESSE . I THINK I HAVE IT RIGHT. YOU GOT IT. AND SO THEY'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THIS AND STEM. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE'S GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF STARTING STEM EDUCATION EARLY. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE GEARED TOWARD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHICH IS GREAT. BUT REALLY, UM, A LOT OF THIS STUFF SHOULD REALLY START THIRD GRADE. YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE MAKING THOSE INTRODUCTIONS EARLIER. SO IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU SAY THAT BECAUSE WE WERE JUST HAVING THAT, THAT SAME CONVERSATION AND BOTH OF THOSE CAMPUSES WHERE THEY ARE SPECIALIZED SO THEY, UH, CATER TO KINDER ALL THE WAY TO EIGHTH GRADE. SO YOU TALK ABOUT CREATING, UM, A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR STUDENTS IN REGARDS TO STEM EDUCATION. THAT'S WHERE IT'S HAPPEN. AND FUN FACT. SO JESSE IS A RACE CAR DRIVER. MM-HMM. AND GRANT THAT I MENTIONED IS THE SAME TYPE OF STORY AND ALSO BACKED BY ETT SMITH AS WELL. HE IS ACTUALLY AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AS ENGAGING TO COME AND BE PART OF OUR KICKOFF. SO WHY DIDN'T I KNOW ABOUT THIS? AND YOU ALL COULD HAVE BE I COULD HAVE HAD HIM ON HIS OWN STAGE. ABSOLUTELY. WELL, OKAY. I'M GONNA BLAME YOU FOR THAT. THAT'S OKAY. WEEKS AGO, WE'RE THRILLED THAT HE'S GONNA KNOW ABOUT DALLAS AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, SO THAT'S GREAT. THAT'S AWESOME. I'LL SHARE WITH YOU, WHEN WE HAD MY CONVERSATION WITH DANNY, AND HE'LL ATTEST TO THIS, SAID, HERE'S A HARD QUESTION. DID WE DO THIS AT, AT, UH, HIGH SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL OR DID WE DO THIS AT THE GRADE SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL? AND HE HAD TO SIT FOR A MINUTE AND SAY, HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE WE CAN'T TEASE HIM AND THEN TURN OFF THE TAP. I REALLY SEE THAT SECOND AND THIRD YEAR INVESTMENT AS BUILDING THIS AND BUILDING THAT PIPELINE AND BUILDING THAT CAPABILITY. BECAUSE I SEE THAT AS YOUR RECRUITMENT TOOL, THAT NOW PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE SCRAMBLING TO BE IN DE SOTO SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY SEE WHAT WE ARE CREATING. AND THIS IS, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE PIECES THAT WE'RE SO THRILLED ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING WITH CTE. 'CAUSE WE REALLY DO BELIEVE YOU'RE CREATE, YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO CREATE SOME GREAT PROGRAMS AROUND CONSTRUCTION TRADES, AROUND AEROSPACE AND, AND AVIONICS, AROUND OTHER ITEMS, BIOTECHNOLOGY. UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE LINKED IN. IT'S NO, IT'S NO MISTAKE THAT THESE ARE THE PEOPLE SITTING AROUND THE BOARD. UM, IT'S INTENTIONAL ON OUR PART. UH, AND IT'S VERY INTENTIONAL ON THEIRS. MR. BALLMAN, I KNOW YOU HAD SOME QUESTIONS. KNOW, I KIND OF GOT TO MARK. I'M SORRY. SO IF I MAY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUS THAT ALL OF US, THE SOUND OF MY VOICE AT SOME POINT OR ANOTHER HAD A VEHICLE IN LIFE HAD PAVED THE WAY FOR US TO BE SAY, ONE OF THE SAVIOR. SOME MAY HAVE BEEN SPORTS, MAY HAVE BEEN MUSIC, IT MAY HAVE BEEN ACADEMIA, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. AND I THINK WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY, [00:45:01] UH, AS CITIZENS, AS PROFESSIONALS, AS BOARD, AS, UM, UH, DIRECTORS OF PROGRAMS AND WHAT HAVE YOU TO GIVE BACK. AND THERE ARE MANY WAYS OF GIVING BACK. GIVING BACK IS NOT ALWAYS FROM A MONETARY STANDPOINT, FROM A SERVICE STANDPOINT. AND SO, UH, MARK MADE A COMMENT THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A, I REPHRASE IT, A STAGNANT MINDED, UH, BOARD HERE. UH, HERE'S THE REASON WHY WE'RE PROBABLY SITTING HERE TONIGHT. I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT A PROGRAM THAT'S A, A THREE YEAR RAMP UP, IF YOU WILL, AND MARK ALLUDED TO, IT NEED TO BE LONG, LONGER. I THINK ALL OF THOSE ARE GREAT OBSERVATIONS, IF YOU WILL. HOWEVER, HOWEVER IS A BIG WORD IN SOME CASES. BUT HOWEVER IN THIS CASE IS WHAT'S THE CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS? WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, YOU'VE GOT 19 SCHOOL DISTRICTS TODAY, WHAT'S GONNA DIFFERENTIATE, DIFFERENTIATE OUR PROGRAM TO MAKE IT STAND OUT. THEY'RE GOING, CAN GO THROUGH A DOORS. HOW YOU GO THROUGH THE DOORS THAT YOU REMAIN, HOW STRONG WHAT'S GOING TO CREATE A PROGRAM THAT PEOPLE WILL TAKE AND SAY, WHILE OTHERS DID IT, DE SOTO REALLY DID IT. AND THAT'S WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A KICKOFF, A GRAND OPENING AND, AND ALL OF THAT. AND WE TALK ABOUT PROGRESS TRACKING. WHAT'S OUR MEASURED SUCCESS WITH IT? IT IS ONE THING TO LAUNCH A PROGRAM, BUT WHEN DO WE STOP AND SAY MIDWAY WE'RE MEETING OUR THRESHOLD. OTHER THAN THAT WE'RE JUST IN, IN THE, THE CUSP OF DOING THINGS AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT. TO THAT POINT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, AND IT'S SO AMAZING THAT THE BOARD SAID THE THINGS I'VE WRITTEN DOWN, I HAD WRITTEN DOWN THE D-D-C-I-S-D PARTNERSHIP BEFORE YOU TALKED ABOUT THE THREE AND LOOKING AT THAT BEFORE YOU TALK ABOUT THE FIVE YEAR. BECAUSE IF YOU'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT A KICKOFF IN THE GRAND OPENING, WHATEVER, THERE'S A PARTNERSHIP THAT'S BEING FORMED HERE WITH ESPORT ESPORTS WITH THE SCHOOL AND WITH THE BOARD HERE AND WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND WHAT HAVE YOU. SO HOW DO WE CAPITALIZE ON THAT AND TELL A BIGGER STORY? 'CAUSE I BELIEVE IN BIG STORIES AND THE BIGGEST STORY THAT WE CAN TELL IS A SUCCESSFUL STORY OTHER THAN THAT WHILE WE'RE DOING THIS. SO IF WE DON'T GO DOWN THE PATH WITH, TO BEGIN WITH THE END OF MIND MINDSET, THAT MEANS THAT WE KIND OF KNOW OUR OUTCOME. 'CAUSE WE'VE LAID THE FOUNDATION STRATEGICALLY, OBJECTIVELY. AND SO THAT WE MEET THAT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN'T SAY THAT WE JUST WASTED $20,000, 30,000, WHATEVER, AND WE PUT A, A, A FULL COURT PRESS ON SOMETHING THAT DIDN'T MATERIALIZE AND MANIFEST. WE WANT. I THINK THAT THERE ARE THE CAPABILITIES OF LOOKING AT EVEN SOME OF THE, THE PRIVATE BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE WILLING TO STEP UP AND ENGAGE TO HELP OUT. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT. NOT ONLY SOME OF THE PARTNERS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, BUT THERE'S SOME DEVELOPERS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THIS AREA. SO I THINK THE SKY'S THE LIMIT, BUT WE HAVE TO GO IN, UH, FULLY, FULLY PREPARED, UH, WITH A GAME PLAN. AND I KNOW THAT WE, WE TALKED ABOUT IT, WE TALKED ABOUT IT A WEEK AGO. I WAS OUT OF TOWN BEFORE I LEFT TOWN. I PERSONALLY MADE SURE THAT I GOT INVOLVED TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS. SO I THINK WE'RE THERE. HOWEVER, IF IN FACT, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT, WE TALKED ABOUT THE INTRODUCTION, THE ADVANCEMENT AND THE SUSTAINABILITY AND THE MAINTAINING THIS THING BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE SEGMENTS COME INTO PLAY AT SOME FORM OR FASHION. AND DANNY, I'D SAY TO YOU, IF I HAVE TO SAY, UM, FROM A VALUE ADD STANDPOINT, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I RECEIVED A CALL TO GO LOOK AT YOUR LOCATION FROM THE AIRPORT. OKAY. UH, ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO. I THINK I MADE REFERENCE TO THAT. SO WE KNOW WE'RE ON THE RIGHT PATHWAY, WAYNE, I JUST WANT TO BE CERTAIN THAT AS WE VENTURE DOWN THIS PATH, THAT TO MARK'S POINT, THAT WE MAKE A, A CONCERTED EFFORT OF LOOKING AT HOW DO WE PARTNER IN THIS THING EFFECTIVELY AND WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO AS A BOARD LEGITIMATELY, THAT WE COULD DO TO LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR THAT. I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT THAT. AND, AND IF WE CAN'T GET THERE, WHAT IS OUR GAME PLAN B? 'CAUSE I ALWAYS BELIEVE IN AN A AND A B. 'CAUSE IF A DOESN'T WORK, THEN B HAS GOTTA WORK. SOMETHING'S GOTTA WORK, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK THE BOARD TO THIS POINT, I'M NOT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, BUT I'M SPEAKING OF ME KNOWING THE BOARD. THE BOARD IS ON BOARD, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. SO I'M GONNA LEAVE THAT NOW, I'LL SAY THIS AND I'LL SHUT UP SINCE MARK ALREADY TOLD ME TO STOP WRITING. UH, UM, BUT DEVELOPING SKILL SETS. UM, [00:50:01] WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DEVELOPING SKILL SETS, WE TALKED ABOUT NEXT STEPS, AND MATT AND I TALKED ABOUT COLLEGE AND WHATEVER. WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE GONNA PUT IN PLACE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ALMOST SEE THE TRACK RECORD OR SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF TUNNEL BECAUSE WE'RE STARTING THIS IN 2024. WHERE AM I GONNA BE THAT STUDENT? WHAT'S MY, UH, SUCCESSION PLANNING FOR THIS? WHAT'S MY PATHWAY THAT IN 2025 OR 2026, I ALREADY, I ALREADY HAVE A GOAL VERSUS JUST SAYING, THIS IS WHAT KIDS ARE GETTING OUT OF THIS. WHAT'S MY PATHWAY? SO WHAT, AGAIN, WHAT WILL DIFFERENTIATE OUR PROGRAM SO THAT OTHER DSDS OR OR ISDS COME AND SAY, WHAT IS IT THAT THEY'RE DOING? THAT'S WHAT I CHALLENGE US COLLABORATIVELY AS A PARTNERSHIP. THAT GOOD GOALS. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CREATING AN EXPECTATION. YES. THAT WE, WE DON'T JUST ASSUME THAT WE'RE GOING HAVE ONE. WE CREATE ONE. YES, FOR SURE. SO WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF YOU GUYS COLLABORATING TO CREATE, TO SAY, THESE ARE THE MEASUREMENTS THAT WE EXPECT THAT YES, SIR, FOR SURE. YEAR TWO, YEAR THREE, EXPECT FOR THE GAMES TO BE AT THIS LEVEL. ABSOLUTELY. SO THIS IS DEFINITELY THE FIRST ITERATION OF THE PROPOSAL AS WE ARE THOUGHT PARTNERING IN THIS, UH, INDEED IN THIS, UH, EFFORT. AND I WAS SUPER EXCITED TO KNOW THAT DR. ROGERS SAID THAT SHE'S LISTENING. SO, UM, SO I I LOVE MY BOSS, BUT NO, SERIOUSLY, SHE'S EXTREMELY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS. AND FOUR WORDS THAT SHE WANTED ME TO MAKE SURE THAT I, I STATED IT. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ADVANCE, TO MAINTAIN AND SUSTAIN. OF COURSE, IT'S THE FIRST ITERATION. BUT AS WE TALK ABOUT SUSTAINING THIS, UH, AGAIN, THE LONG RANGE PLAN PLAN WILL HAVE TO BE DEVELOPED AND OF COURSE, PARTNERING WITH DANNY TO HELP US DEVELOP THAT STRONG VALUABLE PLAN TO SUPPORT THIS EFFORT. WELL, AND KNOW YOU HAVE A PARTNER HERE TO HELP WITH THAT AS WELL. THANK YOU. SO, I MEAN, THAT'S OUR COMMITMENT COMING. IT'S THE REASON WE'RE DOING THIS. AND IF I HEAR YOU RIGHT, THAT'S REALLY YOUR, THAT'S REALLY YOUR MESSAGE WITH A WHOLE LOT OF WORDS ATTACHED IS YOU HAVE A PARTNER. YEAH. AND I BELIEVE WE'RE GRATEFUL. BELIEVE, I BELIEVE THAT'S GONNA BE THE, UM, THE DEFINING FACTOR THAT DIFFERENTIATES THIS PARTICULAR CITY FROM ANY OTHER, UH, CITIES THAT I SEE IN THE SPACE. A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS ARE DOING IT WITHOUT ANY SUPPORT. AND I GET A CHANCE TO SEE THE RESULTS WITH AND BE ENAMORED BY, WOW, YOU GOT THIS PART WITHOUT ANY SUPPORT. THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS AND LADIES ARE EVEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW. UM, 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN VERY FRUSTRATED, JUST BEING HONEST, , YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS LIKE HISTORICAL RIGHT NOW JUST TO BE HERE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION. AND SO THAT IS GONNA BE THE DIFFERENTIATION. NOW GRANTED, WE'RE GONNA BUILD THE MODELS AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS LIKE TRACK IN THERE, UM, BUT ULTIMATELY JUST UNDERSTAND LEAVING HERE THAT BEING ABLE TO HAVE A CITY SUPPORT WITH THE ISDS WITH INDUSTRY IS YOU DON'T, BECAUSE THIS INDUSTRY IS, THIS INDUSTRY IS SO IN ITS INFANCY STAGES, YOU DON'T SEE THAT. SO ANYTIME I HAVE SEEN IT, YOU'RE MEASURING YOURSELVES WITH THE ENTITIES THAT ARE, OR THE, THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE, THAT DO HAVE IT, LIKE YOUR FRISCO, ISDS, LIKE YOUR ALDENS LIKE YOUR GRAPEVINE, COLVILLES. THESE SCHOOLS HAVE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE. AND EVEN WHEN YOU BRING IT TO ATLANTA WITH THEM LEVERAGING THAT, UH, THE MOVIE INDUSTRY AND THE TAX CREDIT TO BE ABLE TO DO ESPORTS AND THEN PRODUCTION, YOU'RE LINING YOURSELVES WITH THAT OF ATLANTA ECOSYSTEMS, WHICH IS, THIS IS JUST SEEING THIS TOGETHER SHOWCASES THAT THERE'S A COMPARE, THERE'S A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SUCCESS METRICS BY WORKING TOGETHER. SO DAN, LET ME ASK A QUESTION. SO YOU STATED EARLIER IT COSTS ABOUT $150,000 FOR, UH, LOCATION FOR A TOURNAMENT. UH, YES. I HAD TO RENT OUT THE ESPORTS STADIUM IN ARLINGTON. YEAH. WHICH I DON'T WANT TO EVER DO AGAIN. , I REALLY HAVE OUR OWN ARENA, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. ONE OF THE COMPONENTS, YOU KNOW, OF OUR NOTE STUDY, RIGHT? YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN THAT IS A PERFORMING ARTS, UH, PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, UH, DOWN IN NOTE SIX, UH, THAT'S DESIGNED AROUND THE PRODUCTION THAT SUPPORTS ESPORTS. SO THIS REALLY BECOMES THE ESPORTS ARENA IN SOUTHERN DALLAS. UH, AND WE'VE GOT THE OPERATOR SITTING AT THE TABLE. SO WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THAT FUTURE LOOKS LIKE. WE'RE, WE'RE BUILDING TOWARDS THAT. UM, WE THINK THERE'S, THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY HERE. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD. I JUST NEED, I NEED DIRECTION FROM THIS BOARD THAT [00:55:01] WE HAVE A, A MOTION TO, TO ADDRESS THIS AND, AND PROVIDE, UH, ME THE AUTHORIZATION TO ENGAGE IN THIS AND CREATE A, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY IF, IF YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT FUNDING GOAL IN MIND, I NEED TO KNOW THAT, UM, WHAT YOU'RE REALLY DOING IS AUTHORIZING ME TO SPEND DDC MONEY MOVE THAT WE, YOU SAY SOMETHING? I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. THE $2,500 OF STIPEND FOR THE COACH, IS THAT CONSISTENT WITH OTHER CLUB STIPENDS OR COACH STIPENDS? DR. PERRY, I CAN SPEAK ON IT, YES. SO, UM, GIVING YOU A PERSPECTIVE, UH, DALLAS, ISD UM, OFFERED A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THEIR ACTUAL STIPEND FOR THEIR COACHES. UM, AND THAT RE WAS RECEIVED WELL, REALLY WELL. WE LOOKED AT THE ACTUAL 2,500 AS BEING IN THIS INSTANCE, HAVING MORE, I HAVEN'T GIVEN SOMEONE MORE, UM, INCENTIVE BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA BE ASKED TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT OF A DALLAS CO, DALLAS ISD THAT HAS ABOUT 10 EDUCATORS THAT'S WORKING ON. AND SO IN THIS INSTANCE, IT GIVES A LITTLE BIT MORE INCENTIVE. NOW THERE'S GONNA BE LESS STUDENTS, UH, HERE THAN THEY WOULD BE THERE THAT PARTICULAR SCHOOL. AND I'M REFERENCING IT 'CAUSE WE SEE IT EVERY DAY. UM, BUT THAT 2,500 IS, UH, LESS THAN GRAPEVINE. COLLEY FIELDS AT 5,000 IN THE MIDDLE AT 2,500 AND THEN HIGHER THAN DALLAS. I THE F THOUSAND. THANK YOU. AND THEN OTHER CLUBS OR OTHER CLUBS WITHIN DESOTO HIGH SCHOOL COACHES RECEIVING STIPENDS AT ALL AND IT, AND IS THIS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THEY WOULD BE RECEIVING THIS STUFF? I THINK THIS STIPEND IS A LITTLE LOFTY. UM, BECAUSE WE WANNA CREATE THE INTEREST LEVEL AND KNOWING THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GETTING OFF THE GROUND, WE WILL TAKE A LITTLE MORE GRID, A LITTLE BIT MORE THOUGHT PARTNERING AND ADDITIONAL TIME TO BE ABLE TO CREATE AND INCUBATE THE, THE IDEAS AND EXECUTION. SO, UM, IT IS, UH, AN ELEVATED STIPEND BASED ON, UM, WHAT WE ARE ASKING THE, UM, THE COACH TO DO. BUT THAT'S FOR THE YEAR, RIGHT? THAT'S FOR THE YEAR RIGHT. TO, TO IMAGINE THAT I, I HAVE TO ASK THAT, THAT QUESTION TOO DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S A MATCH. I'M SORRY. UM, THE, I'M SORRY, AKILA, WERE YOU? NO, I'M, I'M DONE. UM, THE SUPPORT MATERIALS AND FEES AND EXPENSES, THAT SURE SEEMS LOW. I MEAN, IS THAT FOR COM? WHAT IS THAT FOR? IT'S, THAT SEEMS REALLY LOW. YEAH. SO A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF, UM, EFFORT OF EXPOSURE, PUTTING IN THEIR TIME AND EFFORT AND RESOURCES. OKAY. AND INTRODUCING TO, IN BEING SPENDING THE TIME TO WORK WITH THE COACH TO GIVE THEM THEIR RESOURCES. SO LET'S SAY IF IT'S ENTRY FEES TO A TOURNAMENT, THEN THAT WILL COME OUT FROM SUPPORT MATERIALS AND FEES. SO, UH, A ACCESS TO, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT THE PARENTS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN WHY ARE THERE SON OR DAUGHTERS ACTUALLY ENGAGING? WHAT CAN IT GET OUT OF THIS, LIKE A COPE GG? SO THERE ARE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE, UM, THAT HAVE MEMBERSHIP FEES, AND ULTIMATELY, UM, THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT. SO A LOT OF THIS WILL BE COVERED WHERE I'M GIVING INFORMATION. NOW, THIS DOESN'T COME TO ME, IT'S THE ACTUAL FEES OF THE ENTITIES. UM, BUT IT'S FAIRLY LOW. BUT ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE. YEAH. IF WE DON'T START, IT'S GONNA BE PARALYSIS AND IT'S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN. SO ULTIMATELY AS AN ORGANIZATION, I'M LOOKING AT BEING ABLE TO LEVERAGE THE ACTUAL RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT SUSTAINABLE. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE IN HERE WHAT YOU NEED. AND IT'S REALISTIC. I KNOW ABOUT STARTING LOW. YEAH. BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT CONSIDERATION HAS BEEN MADE THAT YOU HAVE WHY, YOU KNOW? YEAH. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE BOARD'S MONEY. JUST MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE, SO TO THAT POINT, LET ME ASK YOU A COUPLE OTHER QUICK QUESTIONS HERE. SO, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM, WHAT'S OUR THRESHOLD? WHAT'S THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN PARTICIPATION TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS SUCCESSFUL? I BELIEVE STARTING OFF, HAVING UPWARDS OF ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 40 STUDENTS, YOU'RE GONNA FIND THAT WE'RE GONNA ALL FIND OUT THAT IT'S GONNA BE AN INTEREST LEVEL WAY MORE. MM-HMM. . AND ULTIMATELY JUST FOCUSING IN ON LEVERAGING, GETTING YOUR GRADES RIGHT. UM, LEVERAGING THE TACTICS THAT KEEP INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED WITH CLUBS WILL BE, WOULD BE THE JOB OF THE ACTUAL COACH, BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA GET A LOT OF INTEREST. AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT IT'S A SMALL NUMBER SO THAT WE'RE AS COMPATIBLE FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL TO ENGAGE WITH, UH, IS GOING TO BE THE, THE, THE, THE DETERMINING FACTOR IN WHICH YOU CAN LEVERAGE THOSE STUDENTS TO GET DATA FROM. SO THEREFORE YOU CAN MARKET THAT FOR THE NEXT COHORT, OF COURSE, OF CLASSES. AND WHO HAS ACCOUNTABILITY OVER THE METRICS? IS IT YOU, DANNY, OR IS IT ON THE SCHOOL SIDE? IT'S ALMOST THE SCHOOL, SCHOOL SIDE. OKAY. SO THEN TO THAT POINT, THE TACTICS OF IT ALL, [01:00:01] UH, ACHIEVING THE OBJECTIVES THAT WE'RE GOING TO ACHIEVE. UM, SO IF YOU SAY 10 TO 40 TO START, LET'S SAY, LET'S SAY WE MIDWAY AT 25 MM-HMM. . THEN OUR OBJECTIVE GOING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT YEAR SHOULD BE TO INCREASE FIVE, 5% OF WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. RIGHT. SO IT WOULD BE NICE FOR US TO KNOW, SINCE WE'RE HAVING TO GO DOWN THE PATH OF TRYING TO ESTABLISH A COMMITTED LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT ANNUALLY. YEP. TO YOUR POINT THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN STAND ON AS A BOARD. I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU SAY, DANNY, THAT THIS IS A CITY THAT'S STEPPING UP, A BOARD THAT'S STEPPING UP TO WORK WITH THE ISD TO CREATE A, A, A, A PRESENCE THAT HAS, THAT'S UNPRECEDENTED, SO TO SPEAK. YEAH. SO THERE SHOULD BE A LOT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. WE WANT THE POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE, IF I MAY SAY, FOR OUR COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS AS AN ISD AND A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, BECAUSE WE NEED TO BUILD ON THE SUCCESS, BREED SUCCESS. THIS IS JUST ONE COMPONENT OF ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR CITY. SO THIS HAS A LOT OF MERIT TO US. OKAY. YES. SO WE NEED, WE'RE GONNA LEAN ON DAN. THAT'S COOL TO, TO STEP UP AND SAY PROSPER. YOU LOOK GOOD. FRISCO. YOU LOOK GOOD. PLANO, YOU LOOK GOOD. BUT DESOTO, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. I NOW YOU PASSIONATE, BUT YOU'RE TALKING TO PASSION. I GOT YOU. I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS. OKAY. I GOT YOU. SO LET ME SAY, A SKILLED SAILOR HAS NEVER DEVELOPED THOSE SMOOTH SEED. NO, IT'S NOT GONNA BE SMOOTH. OH, NO. BUT WE WANT TO BE SOME CAPTAINS AND SOME ADMIR IN THE END. OKAY. FOR SURE. THAT'S, I GOT, I I'M FIRED UP WITH YOU ABOUT THIS. I GOT YOU. I GET BECAUSE, OKAY. THIS IS GOOD. . YES, PLEASE. . I MOVE THAT WE MOVE ON THIS, THIS EVENING, THAT WE MOVE ON ALLOWING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO CREATE THE FINANCING THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TONIGHT. VOTE. GET A VOTE. IT HAS BEEN MOTION AND DULY. UH, SECOND TO APPROVE THE ESPORTS PROGRAM TO THE FINANCING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TO SUPPORT THE INITIATIVE. AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR. THAT'S $20,000, RIGHT? TONIGHT IT'S 20,020. ALL RIGHT. WITH THE CAVEAT THAT WE NEED TO TAKE TO CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THE LONGEVITY OF THE PROGRAM. 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT THERE YET. BUT BASED ON THAT, UM, I WOULD ASK THAT ALL THAT ARE IN FAVOR TO SIGNIFY BY RAISING A HAND. OKAY. FIVE BY FIVE. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ASK YOU TO CONTAIN HIM. . I LOVE IT. I LOVE IT. I THINK TRYING TO, TO HARNESS THAT HERE, SHE'S GONNA BE REALLY HARD. AH, GOODNESS. SO WE HAVE FIVE. ALL THAT ARE IN FAVOR? WE HAVE NO NAYS. SO MOTION PASSES. YES. AND, UH, THANK YOU'ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. WE APPRECIATE. SO WE'LL NEED TO GET BACK WITH THEM LATER ON. THERE'S A LOT MORE TO THIS WE'LL BRING BACK. RIGHT. UM, WE'LL BE TAKING THIS TO COUNCIL ON THE 5TH OF SEPTEMBER. UM, THIS IS, HE COULDN'T GIVE TO THIS ONE FOR SURE. RIGHT. AND HE WAS IN . YEAH. HE COULDN'T, YEAH, HE NEVER GOT HERE. I'M WAVING AND JUMPING. I'M WILLING TO BID. I'M DOING A FAVOR. THOUSAND. SO. WE'LL, IF YOU WANNA WALK OUT WITH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND FORWARD WITH THANK YOU ALL. PERRY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU STEPHANIE. THANK YOU FOR SURE. APPRECIATE IT. TIME MEET YOU, MAYOR. NICE TO MEET, MEET YOU. THANK YOU. THANK SO MUCH. REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. NICE TO MEET YOU. ARE YOU? I SEE YOU SITTING. I LOOKING LIKE YOUR DAD. YOU TOO. ALL YOU. SO NICE TO MEET YOU AGAIN. AND WHAT'S YOUR STUDENT'S NAME? JAYCE WALLACE. JAYCE WALLACE. I'M SORRY. LOOK, I KNOW YOUR MOM. SO NICE TO MEET YOU. [01:05:01] THANK YOU. MM-HMM. SUZANNE. K. SEE? OH YEAH. SHE PROBABLY MENTIONED. I'M SURE SHE WILL THOUGH. . THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, MY FRIEND. OF COURSE. OUT. YES. YEP. THEN ABSOLUTELY. YES, PLEASE DO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD TO SEE YOU. WE GOOD STARTED. YES, WE ARE STARTED. MY YOUNGEST SON DAYS PARTICIPATED. THIS ONE, UM, WEEKEND OR ALL DAY CAMPS HE HAD FEW YEARS AGO. AND HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT THE MARKETING SIDE, HIS PROMOTIONS AND MARKETING SIDE. UM, AT THE TIME STILL WAS PRETTY PANDEMIC, SO HE MAY HAVE NO, IT WAS INDEPENDENT. HE PROBABLY MIDDLE SCHOOLER AND I MEAN, WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE FOR HIM. HE'S A GAMER, BUT SEEING THE BUSINESS SIDE, MM-HMM. , I BELIEVE ATTRIBUTES TO NOW. I MEAN, AS OF THIS WEEK, HE'S TALKING WITH ME AND WE'RE WORKING ON, ON BUILDING HIS OWN BUSINESS. SO FANTASTIC. HE'S THINKING ABOUT THE MARKETING AND HE'S THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THE ELEMENTS THAT'S GONNA TAKE TO PROMOTE IT. SO I APPRECIATE, UM, THE WORK THAT THEY DO. WELL, I SURE APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR SUPPORT AND INSIGHT, UH, THOUGHTS ON THIS. WE'VE GOT A LOT, A LOT OF WORK TO DO, OBVIOUSLY. UM, AND, AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ENGAGING YOU AND, AND HELPING SHAPE THIS PARTNERSHIP. UM, IT IS IT, I'M GONNA USE DANNY'S WORD AND THIS HISTORIC MM-HMM. . THIS ISN'T THE HISTORY OF THIS ORGANIZATION. IT'S FORMED THOSE KINDS OF PARTNERSHIPS. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT. AND, UH, NO, NO. OH, YOU MAY NEED TO KNOW, PLEASE. UM, AND, AND WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE MORE CHANCES TO VISIT ABOUT THAT. UM, I, I MAY ASK, UH, ONE OR TWO OF YOU TO JOIN ME ON THE 5TH OF SEPTEMBER TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL. YOU DO IT FAR MORE PASSIONATELY THAN I CAN. UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT, UM, THAT, THAT MATTERS. SURE. SO I, I'D REALLY LIKE TO HAVE THAT, THAT CONVERSATION HERE IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO ABOUT THAT. UM, THAT'D BE THE 5TH OF SEPTEMBER AT, AT, UH, 6:00 PM IS THE BEGINNING OF THAT. WE'LL BE SOMEWHERE IN THAT AGENDA, BUT PROBABLY WON'T BE REAL DEEP. AND I'LL TALK TO THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT HOW WE FIND OUR WAY TO THE FRONT OF THAT. THE SECOND ITEM ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT, [B.2. Discuss and Take-Action on Alpa Insurance Fayade Grant.] UM, IS, IS TO DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION ON A ALPHA INSURANCE, UH, COMPANIES, UH, AGENCIES, UH, FACADE GRANT. UM, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND HERE FOR YOU. UM, AND I'LL JUST BRIEF IT. UH, BUT, UH, PROBABLY ALL HAVE NOTICED THAT SOMETIME AROUND THE MIDDLE OF JULY, UM, ALPHA AUTO INSURANCE, WHICH IS A SISTER COMPANY TO AMAX INSURANCE, WHICH IS ALREADY HERE IN TOWN. IT'S THE RED AND YELLOW BUILDING DOWN HAMPTON ROAD ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE AS YOU GO SOUTHBOUND, UM, LEASED THE BUILDING AT THE CORNER OF HAMPTON AND PLEASANT RUN. MM-HMM. , IT'S BEEN LONG TERM EMPTY. UM, WE'VE HAD VERY LITTLE LUCK WITH THE, THE, UH, OWNER WHO'S AN OUT-OF-STATE OWNER, UM, GETTING THAT BUILDING LEASED, UM, AND, AND OCCUPIED. UM, IN FACT, EVEN THE WEEK BEFORE, WE HAD MADE INQUIRIES ABOUT WAS THERE A TENANT COMING? WE SAW SOME INITIAL IMPROVEMENTS. UM, DIDN'T GET A A, A RESPONSE OTHER THAN, UH, NO, NO, NO. AND THAT WAS FROM THE CONTRACTOR THAT THERE WAS DOING THE WORK. UM, KIND OF THE NEXT STEP THAT WE SAW IN THAT WAS THE EXTERIOR PAINTING OF THE BUILDING. UM, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IN THE SOTO DIDN'T NOTICE THAT. UM, , UH, AND THEN THE, AND THE FOLLOW ON SIGNAGE, UM, THAT, UH, THAT ALL THAT WAS BEING DONE. BUT, BUT LET ME SAY THAT, UM, WHAT THEY'VE DONE ON THE EXTERIOR OF THAT BUILDING DOES FIT WITHIN THE CODE THAT EXISTS TODAY. UM, AS WE RESEARCHED THOUGH A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER CHANGES THAT WERE HAPPENING ON THE BUILDING, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF, OF CODE ISSUES THAT HAD NOT BEEN BROUGHT, UH, CURRENT, THAT HAD PERMITS THAT HADN'T BEEN PULLED APPROPRIATELY IN A TIMELY FASHION, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. AND THAT REALLY CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ENGAGE IN A CONVERSATION. AND THAT'S JUST WHAT WE DID, UM, WAS TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF THOSE VIOLATIONS, TO ESTABLISH A PATHWAY TO GET, UH, TO A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY. UM, AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE OFFERED, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY, UM, FOR THEM TO ENGAGE WITH US, UH, TO FACILITATE SOME CHANGES TO THE EXTERIOR FINISHES. UM, THAT WOULD MAYBE PUT, START ALL PARTIES OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT. UM, THAT, THAT THERE WAS A BETTER WAY TO ENGAGE IN DESOTO, UH, WITH OUR CITIZENS, WITH OUR BUSINESSES. UM, AND THAT MIGHT ENTAIL SOME CHANGES TO THE, THE BUILDING THAT COULD QUITE CAREFULLY HAD HAD JUST, YOU KNOW, PAINTED. AND AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO IMPLY THAT THEY DID ANYTHING WRONG IN DOING THAT, 'CAUSE THEY DID NOT. UM, BUT WE ASKED THEM AND THEY DULY, THEY DULY CONSIDERED AND AGREED TO WORK WITH US TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO [01:10:01] THAT BUILDING. UM, THE CATCH TO THAT IS THAT, UM, IT, IT, IT, THEY DIDN'T FEEL IT DISTURBED FOR US TO ASK THEM TO PAY FOR THOSE CHANGES. UM, AND, AND SO WE ARE STEPPING FORWARD, UM, TO ENTER INTO A FACADE AGREEMENT, A FACADE IMPROVEMENT AGREEMENT, UM, WHICH IS A PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE WITHIN, WITHIN THE, THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO ESSENTIALLY DO FOUR THINGS. UM, ONE IS TO REPAINT THAT BUILDING, UM, TO A A A, A WHITE, UH, STRUCTURE, A WHITE BODY, IF YOU WILL. THE PURPLE TRIM WILL REMAIN, BUT THE BODY WOULD CHANGE, AND YOU'LL SEE ATTACHED TO THIS ARE PICTURES OF THIS SO THAT YOU CAN GET A, A CHANCE TO FEEL WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. THE BUILDING SIGNAGE, UM, UH, WE'VE AGREED TO ASSIST, UH, WITH UPGRADING THAT SIGNAGE FROM, UH, WHAT THEY HAD PLANNED TO WHAT IS MUCH MORE IN KEEPING WITH, UH, MODERN, NEW, NEW BUILDING CHANNEL SIGNAGE, IF YOU WILL. AND THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH SIGNAGE, UM, THERE'S AN EXISTING POLE SIGN ON THE CORNER. IT'S KIND OF BURIED IN SOME TREES. UM, THAT IS NOT ACCORDING TO OUR, OUR CURRENT, UM, UH, SIGN CODE. UH, WE BROUGHT THAT TO THEIR ATTENTION. WHAT WE'VE AGREED TO DO IS TO ALLOW THEM TO CONTINUE TO USE THAT UNTIL THE HAMPTON ROAD REDESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION BEGINS AT WHICH, WHICH POINT WE ANTICIPATE THAT CORNER OF GETTING RECONFIGURED. UM, THEY'VE AGREED THAT THAT POINT TO REMOVE THAT SIGN CONCURRENT WITH THE, THE CURRENT SIGN CODE, WHICH IS A MONUMENT SIGN ELSEWHERE ON THE PIECE OF PROPERTY. SO THEY'RE CONTRACTUALLY AGREEING TO DO THAT. AND THE LAST THING THAT THEY'VE MADE, UH, THAT WE MADE PART OF THIS WAS, UM, WE FELT LIKE SOME LANDSCAPING, UH, THAT MIGHT HELP BREAK UP SOME OF THE BIG OPEN SPACES, UM, WOULD BE USEFUL. THEY'VE AGREED TO LET, TO ALLOW THE CITY TO INSTALL THAT, THAT AT OUR, AT OUR COST, BUT TO INSTALL LANDSCAPING IN, IN COMBINATION WITH THEM AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T INCREASE THEIR OVERALL MAINTENANCE COST THAT THEY'RE ALLOWED THROUGH THEIR AGREEMENT, THEIR LEASE AGREEMENT. UM, THE ONLY CAVEAT TO THAT MAY BE IF, IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF AN INCREASED COST, WE MAY NEED TO READDRESS THAT. BUT WE HAVE THAT ABILITY GOING FORWARD TO ENGAGE WITH THEM AND INSTALL LANDSCAPING AS WE SEE FIT. WE JUST SIMPLY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET SORT OF A LANDSCAPING PLAN DRAWN UP AND PUT TOGETHER. UM, THE FINANCIAL IMPACTS TO THIS, UH, IN, IN ENTERING INTO THIS AGREEMENT WITH THEM ARE A LITTLE LESS THAN $16,000. WHAT I'VE, I'VE SHOWN HERE IS THE FINANCIAL IMPACTS IS NOT TO EXCEED $16,000. UM, AND IT'LL BE ASSIGNED TO THE PROMOTIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, A PORTION OF OUR BUDGET FOR 23, FOR 2223 COME OUT OF THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. THE NEXT DOCUMENT IS REALLY JUST THE LEGAL DOCUMENT THAT, THAT WE WOULD, THAT WE HAVE, UH, OUR ATTORNEYS DRAFTED, VICTORIA, UH, THOMAS DRAFTED FOR US. UM, THEY HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY EXECUTED THAT. UM, THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE FOR ME TO EXECUTE IT, TAKE THIS TO CITY COUNCIL ON THE FIFTH, UM, TO GET THEIR APPROVAL FOR THE EXPENDITURE OF THOSE FUNDS. UH, AND, UH, THERE ARE ALSO THEN A COUPLE OF, UH, THE ESTIMATES THAT WERE PREPARED AS SOME THINGS I'D ASKED THEM FOR WAS THE ESTIMATES THAT THEY JUSTIFY THE COSTS. AND THEN YOU SEE THE PICTURES ATTACHED. UM, THE PURPLE TRIM REMAINS, THE WHITE BODY CHANGES TO FROM THE YELLOW TO WHITE. UM, YOU SEE VISUAL WHAT, WHAT THEIR, THEIR SIGNAGE MIGHT LOOK LIKE. AND THEN WE HAVE A REALLY COOL ALPACA THAT STANDS ON THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING. UM, SO THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE WE'RE HEADED. UM, MY ASK FOR THE THE BOARD TONIGHT IS TO AUTHORIZE, UH, US, ME, THE DESOTO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ON YOUR BEHALF TO ENTER INTO THIS CONTRACT, UM, AND TO MAKE THE FUNDS AVAILABLE, UM, TO, TO MAKE THESE CHANGES. THEY'VE, THEY'VE ENTERED INTO MAKING THESE CHANGES IN VERY SHORT ORDER. YEAH. WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS. UM, AS THEY GET READY TO OPEN, UM, IN EXCHANGE, WE'VE, WE'VE ALSO ALLOWED THEM TO THEN CONTINUE ON AND MOVE HAVING RESOLVED THESE, THESE, UH, PERMITTING ISSUES SO THAT THEY CAN GET THEIR STORE OPEN, WE'LL GET THE CHANGES MADE. UM, IF THE CHANGES AREN'T MADE, WE HAVE A CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT THAT WE CAN THEN CONTRACT FOR THOSE CHANGES, HAVE THEM DONE AND PAY FOR 'EM OURSELVES. SO AS LONG AS WE APPROVE THE FUNDS, WE HAVE, THE WAY THAT THE METHODOLOGY FOR EITHER THE ALPHA TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES, OR FOR US TO BE THE, THE, THE MITIGATING FACTOR TO MAKE THE CHANGES TO THE BUILDING, THE CAVEAT BEING THAT THIS BOARD APPROVES THOSE $16,000 AND THE, THE CITY COUNCIL ALSO APPROVES THOSE FUNDS. IF WE DON'T, THE AGREEMENT BECOMES NULL AND VOID AND WE CONTINUE FORWARD WITH THE BUILDING AND THE CONDITION THAT IT'S IN THEM HAVING MET THEIR REQUIREMENTS FOR PERMITTING AND A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY. ANY THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS? OTHERWISE, I JUST NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE $16,000. YEAH, I'LL JUST SAY THAT, UH, I'M NOT SURE IF THIS HAS COME UP IN ANY RECENT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, BUT I DEFINITELY SAW A LOT OF DIALOGUE FROM, UM, AREA RESIDENTS ABOUT THIS IN A ONE OF THE DESOTO [01:15:01] TALK FACEBOOK GROUPS. . OH, YEAH. AS, UM, A RESIDENT WHO LIVES LIKE AROUND THE CORNER FROM THIS BUILDING AND DRUNK PASSES DAILY, UM, I ABSOLUTELY AM, UH, IN AGREE WITH, UH, WITH US PARTNERING WITH THIS BUSINESS TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO, UH, HAVE FREE COATS OF GREAT PAINT, UM, WHATEVER THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS, UM, THE BRIGHTNESS OF THIS PARTICULAR, UM, BUILDING. SO, UM, YEAH, BUT ALSO, I MEAN, I DEFINITELY SAW COMMENTS FROM OTHER RESIDENTS AND THEIR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, THIS PARTICULAR BUILDING. I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT. SO AESTHETICALLY, UM, WE'RE DEALING DIRECTLY WITH THE OWNER THAT DISMISSES WE ARE MM-HMM. SO THIS IS NOT A RENTER SITUATION? NO, IT IS A RENTER. SO THEY, THEY ARE LEASING THIS BUILDING FROM AN OUT-OF-STATE BUILDING OWNER UNDER A LONG-TERM LEASE. OKAY. LONG. YEAH. CORRECT. SO WE ARE NEGO WE HAVE NEGOTIATED THIS, THIS AGREEMENT WITH THE RENTERS OF THAT BUILDING TO MAKE THESE CHANGES. I GOT YOU. SO THE RENTER IMPOSED THE, THE PURPLE WALL CORRECT. WAS LOOKING LIKE PIECES NICE. NOW, OMEGA, OMEGA HOUSE, I WALKED DOWN THE HALLWAY AND SAID, YOU KNOW, YES, IN SOME COMMUNITIES THAT THAT ALPHA OPERATES, THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY. UH, THERE ARE ZONING ORDINANCES. UM, YOU KNOW, OUR SIGN ORDINANCE AND OUR ZONING ORDINANCES DON'T HAVE A PALLET ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. DOESN'T HAVE LIMITATIONS, BUT SOME COMMUNITIES DO. THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A CHOICE THAT COMMUNITY MAKES. UM, BUT I WAS, I WAS VERY, UH, THANKFUL FOR THE ORGANIZATION BEING WILLING TO LISTEN TO US AND, AND RESPOND, UM, IN A WAY THAT, THAT MET BOTH PARTIES NEEDS TO COME TO A MUTUALLY AGREEABLE SOLUTION. , I, WELL MAKE A MOTION. WELL, BEFORE WE DO, I'D LIKE TO JUST SAY I WAS LATE, BUT I HAVE TO JUST SAY THAT I ALWAYS GO BACK TO HOW DID WE GET HERE? I MEAN, WE ARE HERE AT THIS JUNCTURE BECAUSE SOMETHING IS LACKING. AND IF WE DON'T ATTACK OUR LACK, WE'RE GOING TO BE FACED WITH SIMILARITIES GOING FORWARD. UH, I, I DON'T THINK THE WHITE PROBABLY DOESN'T POP AS MUCH AS THE YELLOW IS STILL NOT ACCEPTABLE IN MY VIEW, BASED ON WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING AS A CITY, BASED ON WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HEADING WITH THE HAMPTON ROAD PROJECT OR WHAT HAVE YOU. THIS IS STILL GONNA STAND OUT AS AN EYESORE. AND MAYBE WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, BUT I, I DO WANT TO GO ON RECORD FOR SAYING IF THIS IS WHAT WE ARE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE IN ESSENCE, THEN WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING, UH, OUR PALETTE FOR WHAT WE NEED TO CHANGE, THEN WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM. AND I WOULD BE REMISS IN NOT ADDRESSING IT, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. APPRECIATE THE COMMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS NOT WITHIN THE POWER OF THIS BOARD TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES. I CAN, BUT IT IS WELL WITHIN THE POWER OF THIS BOARD TO ADDRESS AND TALK WITH, UM, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, AND TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES AND, AND, AND WHAT APPROPRIATE CHANGES ARE THERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PLANNING ON HAVING A JOINT MEETING LATER ON IN THE FALL. RIGHT. UM, THESE ARE TOPICS THAT I THINK ARE, ARE PROBABLY BEST ADDRESSED IN THAT. SURE. UM, YOU KNOW, WE LIMIT OUR COMMENTS TONIGHT, OBVIOUSLY IN THIS PARTICULAR ONE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE WAY WE CAN SOLVE THIS, THIS PROBLEM TODAY. BUT CERTAINLY YOUR COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED. ANY HARDSHIP? OKAY. UM, I MOVED TO ENTER INTO A, UH, FACADE GRANT AGREEMENT WITH ALPHA AUTO INSURANCE AND APPROVED 16 K FOR UP TO 16 K FOR NEEDED. PERFECT, UM, IMPROVEMENTS. I SECOND IT. THERE'S THEN MOTION. AND SECOND, WE SECOND TO APPROVE, UH, THE, UH, 16 GRAND OR UP TO 16 GRAND FOR THE ADE PAINTING AND, AND, UH, UPGRADE, UH, THAT WE DISCUSSED WITH THE OWNERSHIP FOR THE, UH, THE LEAST SORE, AT LEAST C CORRECT. UM, SO ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. BY RAISE HAND ANY NAYS? FIVE, FIVE BY FIVE YESES AND NO NAYS. THE PASSES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, UH, THIS EVENING ON SHORT NOTICE. I APPRECIATE IT. UM, WE'RE [01:20:01] THRILLED ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP WE'RE, WE'RE FORMING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. UH, MR. PRESIDENT, IT'S YOURS TO ADJOURN. UH, THERE BEING NO FURTHER, UH, ITEMS OR DISCUSSIONS FOR THIS BOARD THIS EVENING. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 7 28. WOW. MAILBOX, MAILBOX. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.