* 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. SO [00:00:01] THE TIME IS [A. REGULAR SESSION ] PRESENTLY, UH, SIX NINE, I MEAN SIX FIVE. YOU RIGHT? SIX 14. OH, I'M SORRY. I PUT ON MY GLASSES AND LOOKED AT IT. SIX 14. UH, THE COURT BEING PRESENT. UH, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE DESOTO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS HEREBY CALLED TO ORDER THIS THURSDAY, 2023 6:14 PM THAT'S IT. LET'S HAVE A LOCATION. ONE OF OUR DISTINGUISHED MINISTERS HERE. MOST DISTINGUISHED JUST HERE. YOU LOST ME AT DISTINGUISHED. THINK WE LOST YOU? YES, LORD. THANK YOU. WE WERE GLAD TO BE REPRESENTED TONIGHT. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TRIBAL GRACE TO JUST GIVE HERE. WE ASK THAT YOU BLESS THIS MEETING. BLESS OUR CITIZENS. AND GIVE US THE GUIDANCE TO STRENGTH AND THE WISDOM TO MAKE PRACTICAL, REASONABLE DECISIONS. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU MR. JONES FOR THAT GREAT EVOCATION. UM, SO, UH, MOVING ON TO CONSENT AGENDA. I TRUST OPPORTUNITY. I GOT DEAL WITH THAT FIRST. OH, YOU, OKAY. . UM, LET ME, LET ME TALK ABOUT THE REGULAR BUSINESS ON THE, UH, FINANCE, THE FINANCE STATUS REPORT, UH, AS OF JANUARY, 2024. UM, WE ARE GOING TO NOT HAVE A FINANCE REPORT THIS EVENING, UH, DUE TO, UH, A, UM, LOGISTICAL SITUATION THAT, UH, WE'RE DEALING WITH UNTIL, UH, THIS EVENING. WE WON'T HAVE THAT. WE WILL ENGAGE THAT. OKAY. UH, SO THEN MOVING FORWARD, UH, HOPEFULLY I DON'T NEED TO EXPLAIN THAT E MORE THOROUGHLY THINK WE'RE OKAY. [B.2. City Council Liaison update regarding City events, meetings, etc. by Councilmember Andre' Byrd ] UH, CITY COUNCIL LIAISON, UH, UPDATE REGARDING CITY EVENTS, UH, MEETING ET BY OUR COUNCILMAN, MEMBER AND LIAISON. UH, COUNCILMAN ANDRE BERG, PLEASE. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. AND LET ME TELL YOU THAT, UM, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR PRESENTING AT OUR, UH, WINTER RETREAT. IT WAS, UH, I BELIEVE THAT YOUR PRESIDENT INVITE AND MR. JONES, AND, UH, SEVERAL OF YOU SHOWED UP AT OUR WINTER RETREAT, AND, UH, MAC, UH, DID A PRESENTATION. IT WAS EXTREMELY WELL RECEIVED. UH, IT REALLY WELL, UH, IT SHOWED THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THIS, THIS COMMITTEE AND, AND, AND COUNSEL. UH, WE WERE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH AND ASK, ASK QUESTIONS. THE MEETING PRIOR, UM, UH, THAT WAS A JOINT MEETING. UH, YOUR, OUR MEETING THAT HAPPENED IN JANUARY, UH, EARLY ON IN JANUARY, THAT MEETING WAS VERY, VERY GOOD. AND SO, UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK THIS BOARD FOR, FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND FOR WANTING TO BE A PART OF WHAT, UM, UH, WHERE ARE WE GOING AND KNOW YOUR PART AND KNOW OUR PART AND HOW WE CAN PARTNER UP. SO THAT'S A, UM, I, I FEEL, UM, I WAS VERY ELATED AND I KNOW THAT THE COUNCIL WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT. I BROUGHT SOMETHING, UH, ALL OF YOU KNOW, THAT WE LOST OUR CITY MANAGER. AND, UM, AND NOW, UM, THE MAYOR HAS APPOINTED AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO WORK WITH THE SEARCH FIRM, UH, TO, TO LOOK NATIONALLY FOR HIS REPLACEMENT. OKAY. UM, AND SO I BROUGHT SOMETHING, I WAS, I WAS PRINTING, SO I BROUGHT FOUR COPIES OF THIS, AND YOU GUYS CAN, CAN, IT'S ONLY FOUR. OH, LOOK AT THERE. SEE THE LOWER NEW. HERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. IT, IT JUST KIND OF TALKS THIS FOR YOUR LEISURE READING. IT, IT, IT WILL KIND OF TELL YOU WHAT, WHAT, UH, WE HAVE DECIDED THAT WE NEED IN A CITY MANAGER. UH, IT IS ALSO PUBLIC. IT'S ON THE, UH, TML, UH, UH, WEBSITE FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING. AND IT'S ON ANOTHER, UM, UH, WEBSITE THAT, UH, SEARCH WEBSITE IF, FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR JOBS TO KINDA GET AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. SO I WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU BECAUSE, UM, SINCE WE'VE, SINCE WE'VE EMBARKED UPON THIS, UH, UH, HANDHOLDING, YOU KNOW, IN PARTNERSHIP, UH, I THOUGHT THAT THIS MIGHT BE GOOD FOR YOU GUYS TO, TO LOOK OVER AND KNOW, AND IF THERE'S ANY SUGGESTIONS OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU, OR IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE, WE WE MISSED THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO INTERJECT. HEY, IT MIGHT BE, IT MIGHT BE GOOD FOR US TO LOOK IN THIS AREA, ASK THIS QUESTION AND FIND OUT. BUT THIS WILL GIVE YOU SOME OVERVIEW ON WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT JOB AS CITY MANAGER. HMM. UM, SO THAT'S COMING. SO THE WINTER RETREAT WAS VERY GOOD. THAT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE TWO COUNCIL [00:05:01] PERSONS UP FOR A REELECTION. UH, AS OF, UM, I THINK AS OF TODAY, OR AS OF FRIDAY, I KNOW WE HAD NOT HAD ANYONE TO SUBMIT OUR APPLICATIONS OTHER THAN THE TWO INCUMBENTS, WHICH IS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, IT'S, IT'S GOOD THAT WORK WITH PEOPLE THAT YOU ALL THAT ALREADY KNOW THE WORK. YEAH. YOU KNOW, SO, UH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN CHISHOLM AND COUNCILWOMAN, UM, UM, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM LETITIA HUGHES, BOTH ARE UP FOR REELECTION. SO IF THERE ARE NO, UH, IF NO ONE APPLIES BY FRIDAY, NEXT FRIDAY, NEXT FRIDAY, NEXT FRIDAY THE 17TH, SO NEXT FRIDAY, NEXT FRIDAY, IF NOBODY APPLIES BY NEXT FRIDAY, THEN WE WILL, UH, WE WILL, UH, NOT HAVE TO HAVE A CITY INDUCED, UH, ELECTION. UH, NOW, I KNOW THAT THERE'S SEVERAL PEOPLE, UH, I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE SEESAW WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AS WELL, AND I HAVE NO, NO INFORMATION ON, ON THAT, WHETHER OR NOT SOMEONE HAS A OR HAS NOT APPLIED FOR THAT. BUT THOSE ELECTIONS ARE VERY, VERY, VERY EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. UM, YOU KNOW, UH, RECALLS AND ALL, ALL OF THAT STUFF ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. SO, UM, WE ARE GRATEFUL. UM, SO THAT'S JUST, UH, GOING DOWN THAT, THAT, UH, THAT PLACE, UM, YOU, I BELIEVE COMING UP REAL SHORT, REAL SOON WE WILL BE ADOPTING, OR WE ARE EXPECTING THAT THE CHARACTER CODE WILL COME BEFORE US. UM, AND, AND, UH, THERE WILL BE, UH, AT LEAST DISCUSSION. IT MAY BE A VOTE ON THE CARRIAGE CODE. I THINK THAT YOU GUYS ARE ALL AWARE, THE MAYOR, UH, IF YOU MISS THE STATE OF THE, UH, CITY TODAY, UH, THE MAYOR AND, UH, HER TEAM AND THE, UM, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB OF, UH, IT WAS VERY, VERY, VERY, UH, VERY WELL, UH, ORGANIZED. THE INFORMATION WAS, UH, WAS SPOT ON. UH, AND, AND YOU LEFT THERE. IT WAS HARD TO LEAVE THERE NOT BEING PROUD OF YOUR CITY. RIGHT? I THINK IT WAS VERY HARD TO, UH, UH, IT WAS, THE PRESIDENT WAS THERE, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE HARD TO LEAVE THERE, NOT BE PROUD OF YOUR CITY. IT WAS VERY, VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER. AND, AND I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AFTER I LEFT. THE CONTINUITY OF IT WAS JUST SO SPOT ON, AND IT WASN'T A BORING SITUATION. IT WAS, IT WAS REFRESHING THE WAY IT WAS DELIVERED. VERY INCLUSIVE AND EXTREMELY COMPREHENSIVE. SO THAT WAS GOOD. THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S EXCELLENT. THAT WAS THE LAST THAT I HAD. NOT ONLY SIX QUESTIONS FOR ME. WELL, I, I SAY THIS, COUNCILMAN BURN. IF NOBODY GETS IN THE RACE, THAT'S ACCUSED YOU, A LITTLE OF CONFIDENCE THAT YOU MOVING ON THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THANK YOU. AND SO PLEASE RELAY THAT TO THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. YES, SIR. THAT THE, THE NOISE AND THE THE RHETORIC GO ALONG WITH THE JOB. AND SO YOU DON'T GET DISTRACTED. I OFTEN SAY, YOU TAKING YOUR FAMILY ACROSS COUNTRY IN A CAR AND A NAP, GET IN THE CAR, DON'T WAVE AT THE GNA. LET THE NAP BE AGNA. OTHERWISE YOU COULD KILL EVERYBODY IN THE CAR. MM-HMM. ALL IT CAN DO IS BE ANNOYING AND DISTRACTING, BUT A NAP CAN'T HURT YOU. YES. , YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA TAKE BACK, PUT THAT IN RESPECTFULLY. I, I ALSO SEE PROBABLY ON THE OTHER END, I MEAN, YES, I DO AGREE THAT IT IS, IT IS WONDERFUL, UM, AND AFFIRMING OF OUR EXISTING CITY COUNCIL. HOWEVER, AS SOMEONE WHO, YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN WANTING TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S A PIPELINE OF, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO SEE THEMSELVES, UM, NOT ONLY, UH, PREPARED, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, JUST EVEN INTERESTED, UM, IN CONSIDERING CONSIDER CONSIDERATION OF PUBLIC OFFICE. AND SO FOR ME, I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMS LIKE LEADERSHIP SOUTHWEST AND OTHERS. UM, BUT I'M VERY MINDFUL OF THE WAYS IN WHICH, LIKE, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN THE WAYS THAT COMPETITION IS NOT A BAD THING. UM, AND FOR ME, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE PEOPLE FROM OUR COMMUNITY SHOWING UP AND SAYING, HEY, I WANNA TAKE A CHANCE AT, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERATION OF, UM, ELEVATING MY VOICE AND EXPERIENCE, UM, AND PROVIDING THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE TO THE CITY. SO AS MUCH AS I, I THINK THAT IT'S GREAT, YOU KNOW, BUT ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, I'M LIKE, I'M REALLY HOPEFUL THAT, YOU KNOW, IN FUTURE ELECTIONS, WE DO SEE MORE PEOPLE, UM, RUNNING FOR, UM, FOR POSITIONS HERE IN THE CITY. WE WANT THEM TO BE ENGAGED, BUT WE DON'T WANT 'EM TO START AT THAT LEVEL. WELL, I DIDN'T SAY THEY HAD TO START. YEAH. BUT, BUT WE HAVE OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THERE'S OTHER, THERE'S OTHER BOARDS, THERE'S OTHER COMMISSION. I MEAN, THERE'S PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN THE COMMUNITY IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS, RIGHT? AND SO, HOPEFULLY, AGAIN, THERE'S A PIPELINE. IT'S WHATEVER ASPECT THAT LOOKS, BUT IT DOES LOOK GOOD WHEN YOU START TO SEE [00:10:01] A LOT OF DIVERSITY, LET ME SAY A DIVERSITY AND JUST AN INCREASED NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO ARE RAISING THEIR HAND. NOT BECAUSE SOMETHING'S WRONG OR SOMETHING'S FOUND JUST TO GET, BUT ULTIMATELY JUST BECAUSE THERE'S THAT MUCH ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT ABOUT THOSE WHO REALLY WANT TO HAVE, UM, A I MEAN, WHO WANNA CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY BETTER. YES. SO, CAN I SAY THIS? I I AGREE WITH, WITH WITH BOTH OF YOU. IT, IT IS THE WRONG PLACE FOR THOSE WHO JUST MAD ABOUT AN ISSUE. IT IS THE WRONG PLACE FOR THOSE WHO ARE JUST MAD AT A, AT AN INDIVIDUAL. YEAH. IT IS ABSOLUTELY THE RIGHT FOR PLACE FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. AND I THINK THAT THERE IS A LOT OF PIPELINE INTO, UH, GETTING ON BOARD AND, AND, AND, AND EVENTUALLY HOLDING A, A SEAT ON COUNCIL. I, I THINK THAT, UM, ONE THING THAT I WOULD, UM, I WOULD PRAY THAT OUR CITIZENS, SOMEONE ASKED ME JUST THIS WEEK, WELL, WHY DOES, WHY IS THERE SEEM TO BE NO PIPELINE, IF YOU WOULD? UH, IT TAKES A LOT OF, UM, YOU, YOU SAID, UH, THE NAT GET IN THE CAR, AND THE NA SOMETIME MAKE NO MORE NOISE THAN THE PEOPLE IN THE CAR, YOU KNOW? SO WE HAVE TO START SPEAKING WELL OF OUR CITY. WE HAVE TO START SPEAKING WELL OF THOSE. AND, AND, AND IF I DARE SAY, UH, BECOME APPRECIATIVE OF THE TIME THAT IS REQUIRED, YOU GUYS SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE. YOU KNOW, UH, YOU DON'T GET PAID, BUT IT AIN'T FREE. OH, IT'S A SACRIFICE. IT'S A SACRIFICE. RIGHT. AND, AND A LOT OF TIMES, UM, WE, WE WILL, WE REALLY, UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, AND I, I BELIEVE I CAN SAY THIS, EVERYBODY ON THE CITY COUNCIL WORK MORE HOURS THAN JUST THAT TUESDAY OR, OR, OR THAT MONDAY. MM-HMM. , YOU KNOW, ON AVERAGE, I WOULD SAY THAT THE AVERAGE PERSON IS PUTTING IT AT LEAST, AT LEAST 10 TO 12, 10 TO 15 HOURS A WEEK, YOU KNOW? UH, AND, AND THAT'S NOT INCLUDING, UM, WEEKS THAT WE HAVE, UH, COUNCIL. 'CAUSE THERE'S VERY FEW WEEKS THAT WE ONLY HAVE ONE MEETING. SO, UM, SO THAT, THAT'S THE REPORT. AND I APPRECIATE BOTH SENTIMENTS AND, UH, UH, WE, WE PRAY FOR OUR CITY AND, AND FOR THE LONGEVITY AND FOR THE PIPELINE THAT, UH, GOD WILL ALLOW TO COME. WELL, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY, UH, UH, TO PIGGYBACK ALL OF THE DISCUSSION ITEMS, UH, DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HAD, YOU CAN FEEL THE BUZZ. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I SAY. YOU CAN FEEL THE BUZZ. I GO BACK TO WHEN WE DID THE, UM, THE DISPLAYING OF THE FRANCHISE, UH, LEVELS OF INTEREST AND THE WHOLE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING, THE COLLABORATION, UH, AND, AND LOOKING AT THAT AND DETERMINING, OR LEARNING FROM OUR OPPORTUNITIES, I'M NOT GONNA SAY MISTAKES, BUT LEARNING FROM OUR OPPORTUNITIES. AND YOU BEGIN TO FEEL THE BUZZ. I FELT THE BUZZ TODAY. AND SO THAT MADE ME PROUD THAT I HATED FOR IT, THE END, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. KEEP TALKING. SO WAS, WAS IT, WAS IT RECORDING? YES. OKAY. SO I'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT LATER. AND IF FOR SOME REASON YOU CAN, I HAVE A LINK THAT I CAN SEND YOU TO GET TO THAT. THANK YOU, COUNSEL. WHEN YOU MENTIONED THE AD HOC COMMITTEE FOR THE CITY MANAGER, SIR, WHO'S ON THAT COMMITTEE? UM, UM, MATT, HE'S SUPPOSED TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS OFFLINE ONLY WE FOLLOW UP WITH US. NO, I DO. I I DO. WE, UH, UH, UH, MAYOR IS ON THE COMMITTEE. UM, DR. MARKS IS ON THE COMMITTEE AND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN CHISHOLM. AND, AND, AND THEIR JOB IS TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE SEARCH COMMITTEE AND THEN PARLAY THAT INFORMATION DOWN. SO THIS INFORMATION, THEY MET WITH THEM, WE ALL GOT TOGETHER AND KIND OF PUT OUR LITTLE 2 CENTS IN IT. THEY TOOK IT UP SO THAT, THAT, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, RECRUITER IS NOT HAVING TO DEAL WITH SEVEN VERY STRONG PERSONALITIES AND THEN KIND OF FILTER IT DOWN. WELL, I MEAN, THAT'S AN INTERESTING POINT. UH, WE LOOK AT THIS, UM, GUIDE. I'M CALL IT A GUIDE BECAUSE MANY OF US HAVE REFERRALS AND RELATIONSHIPS. THERE MAY BE PEOPLE WE COULD RECOMMEND, AND WE KNOW SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS SOMEBODY, SUGGESTIONS OF BEING ABLE TO INTERVIEW EM, SO ON AND SO FORTH. AND SO I THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT APPROACH TO, UH, LOOKING FOR IT. ALLY. IT MAY BE SOMEBODY WHO LIVES ON YOUR STREET THAT YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT, THAT YOU TALKING ABOUT. THAT'S RIGHT. WHO'S INTERESTED AND IS RETIRED READY TO GET BACK TO WORK DONE AND BEING AT HOME OR WHATEVER. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW. THAT'S RIGHT. AND SO I THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT IDEA. IT IS A, THE BROCHURE IS, IS, IS, IS. AND, AND, AND YOU PROBABLY HAVE ALREADY HEARD THAT DUNCANVILLE, UH, UH, JUST HIRED A NEW CITY MANAGER. UH, SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS THAT SEASON, RIGHT? WHEN PEOPLE JUST START CHANGING, LIKE, LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE. YEAH. UH, IT IS THAT SEASON AND, UH, WE GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE SEASON. [00:15:01] SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY. UM, I LIKE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I BELIEVE THE MAYOR OR MAYOR PROTO SAID, UH, IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, UH, UPGRADE. NOT THAT WHAT WE HAD WAS, WAS SOMETHING WAS WRONG, BUT NOW WE KNOW WHAT HE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE, AND MAYBE IT'S CLEAR WHAT ELSE WE NEED AS A COMMUNITY. SO WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT IT VERY POSITIVELY, UH, AS WE GO THROUGH IT. OF COURSE, THE OLDER I GET, THE LESS I LIKE CHANGE. SO THAT. BUT I THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR. I'LL SAY THAT YOU, YOU ALL HAVE SELECTED A STELLAR SEARCH FIRM. GPS IS WELL KNOWN AMONGST MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES. OKAY. AS BEING ONE OF THE, THERE'S A HALF A DOZEN THAT ARE ALL TOP, NOT SEARCH FIRMS. IF THEY'RE CONDUCTING A NATIONAL SEARCH, YOU'LL GET INTEREST FROM, FROM NOT JUST LOCALLY, BUT FROM AROUND THE NATION. SO EVEN THAT HELPS TO INFORM SOMETIMES THE, THE CONVERSATIONS CHOICE. WELL DONE. I, I'VE SEEN THE, THE RECRUITING PACKAGE. IT'S A, IT'S A GOOD, IT'S A REALLY WELL DONE. THANK YOU. FOR SURE. WELL, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN BUR APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. UH, SO AT THIS POINT, WE'LL [C. CONSENT AGENDA] MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. AND DOES EVERYONE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, REVIEW THE CONSENT AGENDA? AND IF SO, UH, ENTERTAIN ANY, UH, MOTION TO APPROVE AND CONSIDER AGENDA. MOVE A MOTION THAN WE ACCEPT THE SENATE AGENDA. IT'LL BE, UM, ONE AND TWO. YEAH. ONE AND TWO. UH, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT CONSIDERING THE FIVE, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE, CORRECT. SO WE CONSIDER A MOVE MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT. CONSIDER GENERAL ITEM ONE AND TWO. SECOND. OKAY. I HAVE A MOTION AND DUTY SECOND, UH, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. ITEMS ONE AND THREE. ONE AND TWO. ONE AND TWO. I'M SORRY. ONE AND TWO. OKAY. TWO. THANK YOU. UH, ONE AND TWO. ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HANDS. A ALL NAYS HAS BEEN, UH, UM, SOME PROOF ACCEPTED, AND DULY NOTED AND APPROVED THAT THE CONSENT AGENDA ONE AND TWO IS APPROVED. UH, SCHOOL FOUR. AND AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GONNA [D. EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE] GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AT, UH, 6:32 PM OKAY. WE'RE ON. THERE WE GO. WE ARE BACK IN [E. RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION & TAKE ACTION ] PUBLIC. WE'RE BACK. AN OPEN SESSION, OPEN SESSION HERE. SEVEN AT 7 0 3. AND WE'RE GONNA TAKE ACTION ON THE RESULT OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION NOW. NO ACTION. NO, NO ACTION. IT'S 10 SECONDS. SO YOU'RE GONNA CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING. SO NOW WE'RE GONNA GO BACK INTO CONDUCTING PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. AND WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER TAKING ACTION. WELL, YOU HAVE TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION TO OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. FORGIVE ME. WE NEED A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER TAKING THE ACTION ON THE, UH, EXECUTIVE. JUST A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE FACADE GRANT FOR NAIMI OILS. I, I MOTION THAT WE OPEN FACADE GRANT ON THE OIL FACILITY REMOVAL. SOMEBODY OIL MO. GET A SECOND. SECOND. A SECOND. IS THERE MOTION? AND DO A SECOND THAT WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TO TAKE ACTION. ALL. NOPE. JUST OPEN HEARING. OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT. PUBLIC HEARINGS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. YOU GOT ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ANY NAS SAY SO NOW IT HAS BEEN MOTION. SECOND. AND, AND APPROVE. TO OPEN THE PUBLIC. TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. ANY DISCUSSION? PUBLIC HEARING IS HEREBY ANY DISCUSSION OPENED. MAD GAVE. YEAH. THEN INVITE THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK. THERE IS NO PUBLIC. SO ANY, ANY COMMENTS AMONGST THE DIRECTORS, THOUGH, ARE WELCOME AT THAT POINT. THIS IS THE FIRST FOR ME, SO AT THIS TIME, SORRY. IT'S ALRIGHT. SO, UM, YOU'RE DOING ANY COMMENTS FROM ANY DIRECTORS HERE? OR THE PUBLIC? OR THE PUBLIC? HEARING NONE. HAVING NONE. MOTION TO CLOSE HEARING. HAVING NONE. HAVING NONE. [00:20:01] WE, WE MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING THIS TIME. CLOSE HEARING. GET A SECOND. SECOND. THERE'S BEEN MOTION. AND SECOND, UH, TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. PUBLIC HEARING THAT IS NOW CLOSED, BUT, SO NOW YOU TAKE, NOW WE'RE GONNA TAKE A VOTE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. TO CLOSE. YOU HAVE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, THEN YOU'LL TAKE ACTION. NOW WE'LL TAKE A VOTE TO CLOSE A PUBLIC HEARING. GOSH. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? A. AYE. THOSE AND NAY IS CLOSED. PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. OKAY. THAT'S A SERIOUS ONE THERE. OKAY. THE BOARD CAN TAKE ACTION. OKAY. SO NOW THE BOARD WILL TAKE ACTION ON THE, THE FACADE GRANT FOR THE MUI BOHEMI MIHI OILS. FORGIVE ME, PLEASE. OKAY. UM, AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $50,000. AND YOU NEED A MOTION FOR THAT TOO? YES. THE MOTION WOULD BE, UH, AND THE MOTION REALLY IS TO, TO AUTHORIZE THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO NEGOTIATE AND ENTER INTO A FACADE IMPROVEMENT GRANT NOT TO EXCEED $50,000. WELL, IT WOULDN'T BE TO NEGOTIATE BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY IN THE PACKET. SO IT IS TO APPROVE THE YEAH. 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY CHANGES TO IT. OBJECTION. CORRECT. WE APPROVE THE FACADE GRANT, UH, THE INCENTIVE AGREEMENT FOR THE FACADE GRANT WITH NOMO OILS AND AMOUNT, NOT 15, $50,000. SO I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE, UH, TO TAKE ACTION FOR THE CEO TO APPROVE THE FACADE GRANT FOR MUHI MUHI OILS AND NOT TO EXCEED $50,000. CORRECT. GOTTA GET A MOTION. YES. I MAKE A MOTION FOR THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO GO INTO AN INCENTIVE AGREEMENT WITH, IS IT M LUMO OILS? UM, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $50,000. OH, SORRY. FOR A FACADE GRANT. UM, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $50,000. GET A SECOND. I SECOND. IT HAS BEEN MOTION AS SECOND, UH, TO APPROVE, TO TAKE ACTION ON FOR THE CEO TO, UH, CONSUMMATE THE FACADE GRANT WITH, WITH HU MOVE OILS IN THE MOUNTAIN. NOT TO C CONSUMMATE. NOW YOU HAVE TO HAVE A VOTE. NOW, MAY YOU HAVE A VOTE? ALL IN FAVORS SAY AYE. AYE. A NAYS. IT HAS BEEN DULY NOTED AND VOTED AND APPROVED WITH THE, UH, APPROVAL TO GO FOR IT. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. EXERCISE WAS DURING ROBERT'S RULES. MORE LEGAL TECHNICAL THAN ANYTHING. IT'S LEGAL BECAUSE IF SHE'S GIVING YOU, WHAT IF WE WERE CAUGHT UP IN A LAWSUIT, THIS IS WHAT THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD PICK APART. THAT'S RIGHT. DID YOU CLOSE THE MOTION? DID YOU OPEN THE MOTION? DID YOU VOTE A CHANGE? DID YOU CLOSE IT? ALL OF THAT'S JUST LEGAL. AL AND IT, AND IT KEEPS FROM VOIDING THE DECISION. NOBODY'S GOING TO JAIL. MM-HMM. . BUT SOMEBODY COULD CHALLENGE AND THEN VOID THE ACTIONS OF THE BOARD IF IT WASN'T DONE PROPERLY. I KNOW. IT SEEMS ARDUOUS. SO THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S THE FIRST TIME, THAT FIRST TIME WE HAD TO DO THAT. I PRAY WE HAVE TO DO IT NEXT TIME TOO. SO, , IT'S A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE. IT'S A GOOD LEARNING. SO THANK YOU. SO, UM, SO LET'S, UH, UH, THANK YOU, UH, DIRECTORS FOR THAT. LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ATTENDANCE. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE DELIBERATION. YES. THAT'S IMPORTANT. YES, IT IS. THANK YOU. WE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM. WE IN THE SAME DIRECTION. OH, YEAH. YEAH. BUT IT'S OKAY TO WRESTLE WITH THINGS IF, OH, GOSH, YES. I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT BRIGHT MINES AROUND THIS TABLE. , RIGHT? IF IF IT WAS A RUBBER STAMP, THAT'S NOT HELPFUL. YEAH, I LEARNED. I MEAN, I'LL TELL YOU. THANK YOU. BECAUSE WELL, SAME HERE, SAM. I, I THINK THROUGH HOW I HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH AN ADVOCATE. MM-HMM. . AND WE GET TO HEAR FROM ON THE TONE OF WHAT THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO HEAR. AND THAT'S VIOLATED BOARD BECAUSE WE'RE, THAT, WE'RE THEIR ASSOCIATE, THE ADVOCATE. SO ONCE WE GET IT, WE NEED, THEY NEED TO KNOW HOW WE NEED TO DELIVER IT. MM-HMM. . YEP. WE'RE GOOD. AND WE CAN HEAR FROM OUR ESTEEMED, UH, IN-HOUSE COUNSEL OR OUR EXTERNAL COUNSEL, I SAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FOR THAT GUIDANCE. MM-HMM. . OKAY. AS WE PROCEED, [F. BRIEFING BY DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - Matt Carlson] WE'RE GONNA GO TO BRIEFING BY OF THE CEO OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. [00:25:01] UM, ON PAGE 79 OF YOUR PACKET, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE MY, MY MONTHLY REPORT. UM, IT'S THE FIRST ONE WE'VE REALLY DONE THIS YEAR. THERE WAS NOT ONE IN JANUARY. UM, AND, AND LIKE THEY ALL, UM, START WITH OUR MISSION, BUT THEN OUR BUSINESS PLAN GOALS, THESE ARE LAID OUT TO US FROM THE CITY COUNCIL. THESE ARE THE GOALS THAT ARE WITHIN THE STRATEGIC PLAN. UM, YOU CAN SEE AS I START TO HIGHLIGHT 'EM, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE COMPLETED IN 2024 ALREADY. UM, AND, AND WE HAVE FOR ALL LOTS OF PURPOSES MET OUR GOALS WITH THE COUNCIL. UM, THE ONLY THING THAT REMAINS TO BE DONE IS AS WE BRING THE, THE PARTICULAR PIECES OF PROPERTY THAT THE COUNCIL OR THAT THE CITY OWNS TO THE MARKET, WE MAY IN FACT BE USING FOUR B TO DEVELOP RFPS FOR CITY OWNED PARCELS AND POTENTIAL ASSEMBLAGES. UM, WE'RE AT A PLACE NOW WITH OUR DISCUSSIONS AROUND A P THREE THAT, THAT, THAT'S NOT RELEVANT. BUT IF THAT, IF THAT IS NOT THE COUNCIL'S, UH, PREFERRED WAY TO GO FORWARD, THEN WE MAY FIND OURSELVES DOING SOME OF THOSE AS AS WE GO. UM, OUR FEES ARE LONG, DRAWN OUT, INVOLVED PROCESSES. UM, BUT SOMETIMES THEY, THEY DO, THEY CAN AND DO GENERATE, UM, ALTERNATIVES AND, AND IF THEY JUST HAPPEN TO BE A, A LITTLE MORE, UM, A LITTLE MORE ARDUOUS, THEY BECOME HARD IF YOU DON'T OWN THE PIECES OF PROPERTY THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING AN RFP FOR. UM, BUT THEN WE REALLY MOVE ON TO OUR APARTMENT GOALS. THERE ARE SOME, THERE ARE SOME, UH, I THINK THERE'S NINE THAT WE, THAT WE HAD OUTLINED THIS YEAR THAT Y'ALL APPROVED WHEN WE MET EARLIER IN THE YEAR. UM, IN TERMS OF ATTRACTING A NET OUTSIDE INVESTMENT, UM, WE ARE ON TRACK TO DO THAT. THAT, UM, IN TERMS OF MAKING, UH, THE SODO MORE PROSPEROUS, OBTAINING COMMITMENTS OF AT LEAST A MINIMUM, UH, A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN THE TUR ZONE. UM, WE ARE ON TARGET TO DO THAT. THAT'S REALLY REVOLVES UP IN THIS P THREE. UM, COMPLETING OUR CRM IMPLEMENTATION, EXPANDING OUR BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION SURVEY. UM, VERY MUCH SO ON TARGET WITH THAT. AND WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT KIND OF HOW THAT'S MOVING ALONG AND, UM, GIVING US A CHANCE TO START TO ENGAGE WITH BUSINESSES. I I HAVE TO APPLAUD MY COLLEAGUES, BOTH, UH, RHONDA AND MELBA. UM, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO DO THE LION'S SHARE OF THOSE CALLING. UM, AND THEY'VE ALSO BEGUN TO DO BUSINESS WALKS, UH, AND GOING OUT AND MEETING BUSINESSES WHERE THEY'RE AT, BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE'RE SENDING SURVEYS AND WE'RE MAKING PHONE CALLS. AND IF WE'RE NOT HEARING BACK, UM, THEY'VE TAKEN IT UPON THEMSELVES TO GO OUT AND MEET THESE BUSINESSES. AND, UM, THAT'S REALLY EXCITING. IT'S IN THAT SAME VEIN THAT WE DO OUR HR ROUNDTABLE ON A, ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. UM, OUR HR ROUNDTABLE WILL BE MEETING FOR THE SECOND TIME, UM, NEXT WEEK, TUESDAY. UM, OUR NUMBERS FOR THAT, UM, HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLED FROM THE FIRST TIME THAT WE DID THAT AND CONTINUE TO EXPAND. UM, IT'S GREAT GROUP OF FOLKS. AND, AND REALLY THE, THE IDEA BEHIND GETTING OUR HR PROFESSIONALS, THE IN INDUSTRY HR PROFESSIONALS TOGETHER, IS TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AND, AND KNOW WHERE THE PAIN POINTS ARE. AND, AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT POACHING FROM EACH OTHER FOR THE NEXT 10 OR 15 OR 25 CENTS AN HOUR. HOPEFULLY, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS EXPANDING THE PIE, NOT JUST DIVIDING IT UP SMALLER. AND SO IN THAT VEIN, WE INVITE OUR TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION, UH, COLLEAGUES IN THAT VEIN. WE INVITE OUR, UM, THE IN, UH, THE INLAND PORT, UH, TMA MANAGER WHO TALKS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION SO THAT IT EXPANDS THE POOL OF APPLICANTS. UM, WE TALK ABOUT, UM, BILINGUAL MATERIALS SO THAT WE, AGAIN, EXPAND THE MAT, THE, THE, THE POOL OF, OF APPLICANTS IN INTO, UM, A SECOND LANGUAGE. UM, THOSE ARE ALL, UH, OPPORTUNITIES THAT, THAT WE ARE, UH, TEEING UP, IF YOU WILL, FOR THE PROFESSIONALS TO SHARE WITH US WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND ALSO TO LEARN FROM THEM AS WELL. AND SO WE CONTINUE TO REACH OUT. WE REALLY DO SEE THIS GROWING AS IN INTO A, UM, A MORE REGIONAL EFFORT. UM, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO A NUMBER OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE IN THE LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY IN LANCASTER, WHICH IS GROWING MUCH, MUCH FASTER THAN WE ARE IN THAT PARTICULAR INDUSTRY. UM, AND INVITING THEIR HR PROFESSIONALS. WE'VE REACHED OUT TO THE HR PROFESSIONALS AT METHODIST, UH, AT METH, CHARLES METH METHODIST, UM, AND ARE ASKING THEM TO REACH OUT TO THEIR HEALTHCARE, UH, COUNTERPARTS AT PARKLAND AND AT, UH, UPCOMING FOR CHILDREN'S, WHO'S GONNA BE LOOKING TO HIRE PEOPLE AT UT SOUTHWEST AT THEIR NEW CLINIC, INVITING THEM TO THE TABLE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, HIRING IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY. WE KNOW THAT'S A PRINCIPLE, UM, SOURCE OF TALENT IN DESOTO TODAY. WHEN UT SOUTHWEST WAS OPENING THEIR CLINIC, THEY CAME TO US, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS FROM THE BEST SOUTHWEST, AND SAID, WOULD YOU HOST A, UH, A JOB FAIR FOR US TO HIRE FOLKS AT, AT THE, AT THE CLINIC? AND WE DID AT 2,500 PARTICIPANTS [00:30:02] . WOW. AND 80% OF THOSE WERE FROM WHAT I CALL THE SOUTHERN CRESCENT FROM SOUTHERN DALLAS. WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. THAT KIND OF, AND SO THAT'S WHAT REALLY THIS, THIS HR ROUND TABLE, UM, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S NOT BEEN DONE. AND, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT EXPANDING THAT. AND THAT'S PART OF OUR BRE EFFORTS, INCREASING NET SALES TAX REVENUES THAT CONTINUES TO GROW. UM, YOU HEARD SOME OF IT AT THE DISCUSSION WITH THE, THE, UM, THE BOARD RETREAT OR THE COUNCIL RETREAT AROUND SOME OF THE PECULIARITIES OF WHAT'S IDENTIFIED AS A BUSINESS AND HOW WE ARE ALLOCATING OR HOW THE, THE COMPTROLLER IS, IS ASKING US TO ALLOCATE SALES TAXES, ESPECIALLY FOR FULFILLMENT CENTERS. SO THAT'S PARTICULARLY MEANINGFUL FOR US AND OTHERS WHO HAVE THAT SAME KIND OF OPPORTUNITY, UM, IN THE INDUSTRIAL PARKS, BECAUSE THE RULES HAVE CHANGED, UM, OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. UM, WE HAVE A KOHL'S DISTRIBUTION CENTER, UM, THAT PROVIDED IMMENSE AMOUNTS OF SALES TAX. AND THAT'S CHANGED NOW BECAUSE IT'S NO LONGER CONSIDERED THE SOURCE OF SALE. AND SO THE SALES TAXES ARE BEING ALLOCATED ELSEWHERE. WITHOUT GETTING TOO IN DEPTH INTO THAT, UM, THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS IF YOU TAKE THAT AND JUST PUT IT IN ITS OWN BOX, IT'S RESOLVING ITSELF, OUR SALES TAX OUTSIDE OF THAT BOX CONTINUE TO GROW AT A VERY GOOD RATE AND ARE IN FACT, MAKING UP THE DIFFERENCE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THAT BOX. UM, SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. UM, WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO INCREASE THE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND THAT'S REALLY THE OUTREACH THAT YOU SEE US DOING AROUND VERY SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES AND RECRUITING IN THE KINDS OF, OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL PROVIDE GOOD OP THAT WILL PROVIDE GOOD EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS WHO MAY WANT TO, TO RELOCATE HERE. BUT CERTAINLY IT'S A COUNTER COMMUTE IF WE ARE ABLE TO RECRUIT GOOD COMPANIES HERE. AND THEN ALSO, THAT'S WHERE OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS REALLY, WE HANG OUR HAT IN THERE ON THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PIECE AND CREATING A PIPELINE WITH OUR DESOTO ISD AND WITH OUR FRIENDS AT, AT CEDAR VALLEY CAMPUS WITH JOE SEA BROOKS, DR. JOE SEA BROOKS, UM, IN TERMS OF CREATING A PIPELINE OF FOLKS, UM, WHO HAVE THE TALENT TO BE EMPLOYED, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, AT LEAST MAKING THEM AWARE OF THE JOB OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST. UM, WE CONTINUE TO TRY TO STRENGTHEN OUR, OUR TIES TO THE ISD. UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT AT THE COUNCIL RETREAT, UM, AND COUNCIL'S ASKING US TO ENGAGE WITH SOME OF THEM. UM, THE OTHER PIECE THAT, THAT WE'VE ASKED ABOUT, AND IT ISN'T THAT IT SLIPPED OUR MIND, IT'S JUST THAT WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING AT THE ISD IS TO ENGAGE WITH PRIVATE SCHOOLS, UH, AS WELL. AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT IN EXPANDING THOSE EFFORTS. UM, THIS IS THE POINT WHERE I GET TO, TO REMIND EVERYBODY. WE ARE NOT STAFFED FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. WE ACT AS A CONVENER, BUT WE FIND OURSELVES DOING IT BECAUSE WE THINK IT'S THE RIGHT WORK TO BE DOING. WE MAKE IT HAPPEN. WE ALL STRETCH. WE ALL JUST, WE JUST, WE JUST MAKE IT HAPPEN. UM, AND, AND WE CONTINUE TO, TO ASK FOR, UH, HELP FROM DR. SEABROOKS AND FROM OUR, OUR FRIENDS AT THE ISD, UM, OUR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AROUND NATIONAL FRANCHISORS. UM, MELBA AND I AT ANTOINE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE, BUT HE, HE HAD SOME ORAL SURGERY, UM, AT THE ICSC RED RIVER EVENT, WHICH TAKES IN SORT OF THE CENTRAL STATES, UM, PRINCIPALLY AROUND RETAILERS. AND A LOT OF THOSE ARE FRANCHISORS. WE WERE MEETING WITH THEM LAST THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. UM, HAD GREAT CONVERSATIONS THERE. WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND THAT LIST OF FOLKS THAT, UM, LEARN ABOUT DESOTO. SOMEONE IN CAN SOME CASES KNOW ABOUT DESOTO, UM, AND ARE CONTINUING TO, TO CHAT WITH US. WE REMAIN CHALLENGED. THIS IS NOTHING NEW THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE, WE HAVE TO FIND PLACES TO PUT THOSE BUSINESSES, UM, BUT WE CONTINUE TO OPEN NEW BUSINESSES. YOU SAW MARCO'S DO OVER ON BELTLINE. THAT SIGN WENT UP. UM, AND THAT, THAT'S A, A NEW FRANCHISE TO TOWN. YOU'RE OF COURSE, THE STARBUCKS AND THE CHICK-FIL-A THAT YOU SEE DOWN ON BELTLINE. UM, THERE'LL BE SOME NEW FACILITIES UP ON HAMPTON ROAD THAT YOU'RE SEEING DEVELOPED RIGHT NOW. UM, THERE'LL BE SOME LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES THERE. UM, IT, IT CONT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE ONE-OFF OPPORTUNITIES. WHAT WE'RE REALLY, UM, EXCITED ABOUT IS THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN THESE LARGER PROJECTS. UM, BECAUSE THAT CHANGES THE, UM, IT CHANGES THE CALCULUS ENTIRELY WHEN YOU START TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE GOOD CO-TENANCY. MEL WOULD BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU IF WE HEARD IT ONCE, WE HEARD IT 20 TIMES. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY, THEY TALK ABOUT THEIR NEEDS. AND IT'S CO-TENANCY WITH THESE OTHER PRODUCTS. WE NEED TO BE THE, AROUND THESE I, THESE, THESE KINDS OF THINGS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHO HELPS MAKE US SUCCESSFUL, WHICH, RIGHT, IT'S A LITTLE COUNTERINTUITIVE. YOU'D THINK THEY'D WANT THE WHOLE MARKET. THEY DON'T. THEY JUST WANT THEIR PART OF IT. BUT THAT MARKET IS BIGGER WHEN THEY'RE SURROUNDED BY THREE OR FOUR OTHERS WHO LOOK SIMILAR OR HAVE COMPLIMENTARY KINDS OF, OF [00:35:01] OPPORTUNITIES. UM, AND THEN I'VE MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CONTINUING OUR EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH WORKFORCE TRAINING AND IN AND INTERNSHIP INITIATIVES. UM, I PUT A YELLOW BUTTON NEXT TO OUR EXPAND OUR OUTREACH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, UH, THAT ARE REPRESENTING ALTERNATIVE AND ETHNIC POPULATIONS. UM, WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, SEVERAL OF THOSE, BUT I GUESS IT'S ONE OF THOSE THAT I DON'T REALLY WANT TO PUT A GREEN BUTTON TO IT. 'CAUSE THEN WE STOP . I, I WANT IT TO BE AWARE. I WANT US TO BE AWARE THAT WE'RE, WE HAVE AN ONGOING RELATIONSHIP TO DO THAT. WE HAVE AN ONGOING OBLIGATION TO CONTINUE TO REACH OUT AND LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE, UM, IN, IN NEW WAYS. UM, AND THEN I PUT A RED BUTTON NEXT TO OUR IMPROVING FRICTIONLESS DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS. IT, IT'S, IT JUST IS AN ONGOING CHALLENGE. IT'S NOT HELPED BY THE ABSENCE OF A NEW CITY MANAGER. UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU'RE MAKING SOME PROGRESS THAT SORT OF HAS COME TO A STOP 'CAUSE OF A CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT. UM, AND THAT SORT OF, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF LEAVES THE BOAT ICE AND CAMERON'S DOING A GREAT JOB AS AN INTERIM CITY MANAGER. BUT EVEN THEN, YOU KNOW, I, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME JUST THE, THE, THE IMPETUS OR THE, THE, THE FORWARD DRIVE JUST ISN'T THERE. UM, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THAT. BUT I, BUT I DON'T WANT US TO BE, UM, BLIND TO THE, THE FACT THAT THAT CONTINUES TO BE A CHALLENGE. UM, ACTIVITY UPDATES, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. I THINK, I THINK IT'S ONE THING THAT YOU MAY HAVE LEFT OUT, COUNCILMAN, IS THAT Y'ALL APPROVED THE, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TUESDAY NIGHT. DID YOU NOT? WE DID, YEAH. SO THE COMP PLAN HAS NOW BEEN ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL. IT'S DOING THAT OFF FOR ME. . UM, UH, NEXT WEEK OR NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH IS COMING UP ON FEBRUARY 20TH, UM, REMEMBER THAT'S THE TIME THAT WE'LL BE REDRESSING THE DECKS, UH, SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACT OR A CONTRACT WITH OUR COUNCIL. UM, ONE OF THE COUNCIL PEOPLE HAD ASKED FOR US TO, UM, RESCHEDULE THAT FROM LAST FALL UNTIL THE 20TH. UM, AND WE'VE MADE LOTS OF EFFORTS TO INFORM OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, ABOUT THOSE, THOSE ACTIVITIES AT THE DECK AND GIVING THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO OUTREACH, UM, AND LEARN SOME MORE. UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING THE SAME CONTRACT BACK IN FRONT OF COUNCIL, UH, ON THE 20TH. UM, WE THINK WE'VE AN ADEQUATELY ANSWERED ANY QUESTIONS. THE RELEVANT QUESTIONS THAT WERE RAISED WAS, IS THE DECK THE CORRECT PLACE? WE CONTINUE, Y'ALL HAVE VETTED THAT AND HAVE NOT CHANGED YOUR OPINION THERE. THE OTHER PIECE WAS, YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT WAY TO GET OUT OF THAT CONTRACT? AND IF YOU REMEMBER, OUR CONTRACT WAS BASED ON SIX MONTH EFFORTS. UM, AND SO THAT'S BEEN REDRESSED. UM, I REALLY WOULD LIKE, UH, FOR YOU, MR. PRESIDENT OR ANY OF YOU, UM, THERE TO BE THAT, TO BE THERE THAT NIGHT TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OF WHY DID THE BOARD APPROVE THIS. UM, WE'LL HAVE BILL, WE'LL HAVE BILL CHAN, WHO'S THE CEO AT THE DECK THERE THAT EVENING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR PARTICULAR ACTIVITIES. I WAS REALLY HOPING THAT TARSHA HEARNS WOULD BE ABLE TO JOIN US. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, SHE HAS A PRIVATE, UH, A PERSONAL COMMITMENT ALREADY THAT NIGHT. UM, THAT'S THE EVENING OF THE 20TH. IT'S THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING. UM, IT'S ALREADY ON THAT AGENDA, AND WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO ANSWER ANY FINAL QUESTIONS AND THEN BRING IT TO A VOTE. ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA SAY ABOUT THAT MR. COUNCIL? UM, IS, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT, UH, I, I THINK THE LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD IN DECEMBER, UH, KIND OF HELPED BRIDGE THE GAP, REMINDED THE COUNCIL THAT, UH, EVERYONE AROUND THIS TABLE ARE PROFESSIONALS. AND, UH, YOU WERE, YOU WERE SEATED HERE FOR YOUR EXPERTISE. AND WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING, IT COMES UP TO US. YOU'VE ALREADY DONE ALL THE LEG WORK. SO, UH, IT, BUT IT'S GOOD FOR MATT TO HAVE THE BACKUP, UH, AT LEAST ONE, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOMEONE THERE THAT CAN HELP VOUCH. SURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, OUTBOUND ATTRACTION. UM, I HAD MENTIONED ICSC RED RIVER LAST WEEK. UM, I THINK WE HAD 29 MEETINGS IN A DAY AND A HALF, UM, WITH PERSPECTIVE, UH, USERS AND, AND DEVELOPERS. UM, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, WE HAD A MEETING WITH, UH, MR. WHITEMAN AND, UH, ONE OF HIS COLLEAGUES, BY THE WAY, THAT'S NOT GOING ANY PLACE, BUT, UM, UH, BUT, BUT WE HAD A NICE MEETING THERE. UM, LET HIM KNOW THAT WE WERE ADOPTING THE NEW CHARACTER CODE, UM, WHICH IS NOW OBVIOUSLY IN PLACE, UH, OR BEING, COMING FORWARD TO COUNSEL IN THE NEXT, UH, THREE WEEKS. I THINK IT'S MARCH 5TH. IT'S ANOTHER, UH, GOOD PLACE TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR THAT, UM, BEING THERE AS, AS THE DEVELOPMENT BOARD WOULD BE HELPFUL. UM, BUT LET HIM KNOW THAT, THAT, UM, THE COMP PLAN WAS IN PLACE, UH, THAT, THAT WAS CONSIDERING A LITTLE DIFFERENT, UH, EFFORTS IN TOWN. AND, UM, LETTING HIM KNOW THAT WE PROBABLY, AS WE GOT A NEW CITY MANAGER IN PLACE, WE'RE GOING TO BE REACHING OUT AND TALKING MORE ABOUT THEIR PROPERTIES. UM, I JUST GOT BACK AND ANTOINE'S STILL THERE, UH, AT THE SITE SELECTOR CONFERENCE IN NEW ORLEANS. [00:40:01] UM, MET WITH A DOZEN SITES SELECTORS OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS. UH, HE'S WRAPPING UP THAT CONFERENCE, UH, TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. AND, AND THEN WE'LL BE BACK TOMORROW NIGHT. UM, VERY SUCCESSFUL. UM, GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO, TO CONTINUE TO NURTURE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, UM, SUCH THAT WE'RE ON THE, WE'RE WE'RE TELLING OUR STORY. AND IT'S THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, SITE SELECTORS MOST OFTEN ARE, ARE MORE OFTEN TODAY THAN THEY EVER HAVE, ARE USING TECHNOLOGY TO DRIVE WHAT THEY THINK THEY KNOW ABOUT A COMMUNITY. I ALWAYS ENJOY THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP TALK WITH THEM ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW, AND WHAT I CAN TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN'T FIND IN A DATABASE. UM, AND, AND THAT'S REVOLVES AROUND OUR PIPELINE OF WORKERS. IT REVOLVES AROUND, UM, OUR ACTIVITIES WITH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM, DALLAS COLLEGE, AROUND AVIATION, AROUND MEDICAL AND BIO, UH, THE TRAINING PROGRAMS THAT ARE THERE. UM, THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT, BECAUSE THEY'RE IN PROCESS SITE SELECTORS, JUST DON'T KNOW. UM, AND IT, IT'S ALWAYS FUN WHEN THEY TAKE OUT THEIR BOOKS AND START WRITING STUFF DOWN. OH, I JUST TOLD 'EM SOMETHING THEY DON'T KNOW. UM, OUR NEXT ACTIVITY IS THE TEDC WINTER CONFERENCE. UM, WE HAVE MADE APPLICATION FOR A, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. UM, THERE'S A STRICT CRITERIA THAT YOU HAVE TO MEET. UH, YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH A MINIMUM OF A HUNDRED POINTS IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED. I THINK WE CAME UP WITH, WAS IT 109? SOMETHING LIKE THAT? YES. UM, SO WE WERE CERTAINLY, UH, WELL IN THE RUNNING. UM, AND WE'LL, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO MAYBE BRINGING HOME SOME HARDWARE FROM, FROM THAT, UH, FROM THAT CONFERENCE COMING UP, UH, AT THE END OF FEBRUARY, OUR NEXT FRANCHISE EFFORTS WERE SCHEDULED FOR THE FOURTH, BUT I THINK WE MAY BE RESCHEDULING THAT. WE HAD SOME CONFLICTS. UM, BUT THAT'S STILL ON THE CALENDAR FOR THE FOURTH, BUT WE'LL KEEP YOU ABREAST. UM, OUR FARMER'S, UH, OUR FALL FARMER'S MARKET, WE WOULD UPDATE COUNCIL ON THE 19TH, BUT, UM, WITH THEIR NEW COUNCIL SCHEDULE, , THE JANUARY AND FEBRUARY MEETINGS ARE A LITTLE OVERWHELMED WITH STUFF. UM, AND SO THEY'VE ASKED US TO PUT THAT OFF TO A, A DATE PROBABLY IN MARCH. UM, SO WE WON'T GET A CHANCE TO DO THAT. UM, BUT PART OF THAT IS TO OFFER UP TO COUNCIL THAT A, A POTENTIAL PATH FORWARD. WE, WE FELT LIKE THE PILOT, WHICH IS WHAT WE WERE ASKED TO DO, IT WAS ONE OF OUR STRATEGIC EVENTS, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN EVENTS, WAS TO PILOT THE, THE PROGRAM. WE DID THAT IN THE FALL. WE THOUGHT IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. THERE WAS A LOT OF, OF REQUESTS TO CONTINUE THAT. UM, WE PUT TOGETHER A PLAN THAT, UH, COUNCIL COULD EMBRACE IF THEY CHOOSE TO. UM, THE REAL ISSUE BECOMES, UM, THERE'S COSTS ASSOCIATED AND THERE SOMEBODY HAS TO DO THAT, THAT'S STAFFED TO DO IT. AND WE ARE NOT. UM, BUT WE HAVE GIVEN THEM, AND WE'LL PRESENT TO THEM WHEN WE DO, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE THAT. RHONDA, HELP ME OUT. APRIL, MAY AND JUNE. YES. SKIP JULY AND AUGUST BEGINNING, GET IN SEPTEMBER. YES. AND RUN THROUGH THE FIRST WEEKEND IN NOVEMBER. NOVEMBER. AND THAT WOULD BE YOUR CHRISTMAS YEAH. HOLIDAY BIZARRE TYPE OF THING. THAT'S THE WAY IT'S PROPOSED. SAME PLACE. UM, MUCH EXPANDED EFFORT IN TERMS OF OUTREACH FOR VENDORS AND THAT TYPE OF THING. UM, SO WHEN WE HAVE A DATE CERTAIN FOR THAT, WE'LL ALSO MAKE YOU AWARE, TALK ABOUT BUSINESS OPENINGS. MARCOS, UM, IS, WILL, WILL BE OPENING HERE IN THE SUMMERTIME. UH, THEY'RE BUILDING OUT THEIR INTERIOR NOW. I LOVE IT WHEN I SEE A NEW SIGN GO UP. AND I HAVE GREAT, GREAT COMFORT THAT THEY ACTUALLY MIGHT DO THAT. STARBUCKS HEALTH RESOURCES AND CHICK-FIL-A YOU, AS YOU DRIVE BY, YOU SEE HEALTH RESOURCES BUILDING IS ALL SKINNED AND THEY'RE BEGINNING THEIR, UH, THEIR BUILD OUT. UM, STARBUCKS, I THINK THEY POURED A PAD, UH, AT LEAST, UH, THEIR ACCESS ROADS, UH, SO THEY CAN BEGIN THEIR PAD WORK, UH, LAST WEEK. UM, AND CHICK-FIL-A IS VERY CLOSE TO DOING THE EXACT SAME THING. UM, TWO OTHERS THAT HAVE OPENED ON HAMPTON ROAD ON THE WEST SIDE, UM, NORTH OF BELTLINE IN A SMALL LITTLE STRIP CENTER. THEY'RE BOTH IN THE SAME CENTER, IS BUNCHA HOLICS AND, AND AUNT IRENE'S. UM, VERY SMALL LITTLE RESTAURANTS. UM, ONE IS COMING OUT IS A SECOND LOCATION, AND IRENE'S IS, AND BRU OF HOLICS IS COMING OUT OF A FOOD TRUCK. UM, AND IS NOW OPEN THERE. UM, THEY GOT A GREAT REVIEW FROM AN ONLINE FOOD REVIEWER. KEITHLEY KEITHLEY. KEITHLEY. THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. I HAD TO REMEMBER HIS NAME. MM-HMM. . UM, SO SOMETHING NEW TO, SOMETHING NEW TO GO AND TRY. I'VE BEEN THE BOAT AND THEY'RE REALLY GOOD. . I LOVE HEARING THAT THEY'RE AROUND THE CORNER FROM ME. UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE BUSINESS OPENINGS. UM, ONE, I MEAN, I PRESUME BECAUSE SEE ONLINE, ARE Y'ALL NOTIFIED OR DID, I MEAN, NOT THAT BUSINESSES HAVE TO, BUT DO THEY KIND OF GIVE YOU A HEADS UP WHEN THEY'RE GONNA BE HAVING THESE, UM, GRAND OPENINGS? NO. NO. IT JUST WHAT HAPPENS THAT SOME [00:45:01] LIKE THE MAYOR COUNCIL DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT. I MEAN, BECAUSE I'M SEEING IT ONLINE WHERE THEY'RE PROMOTING THAT THEY'RE AT THESE THINGS AND I'M LIKE, OH, WELL, HOW DID THEY KNOW THAT THAT WAS HAPPENING? IT, I WISH THERE WAS A BETTER MECHANISM TO DO THAT. OKAY. THERE, REMEMBER, THERE IS NO BUSINESS LICENSE AT THE CITY OF DESOTO. OKAY. SO THERE'S REALLY NO MECHANISM TO KNOW WHEN A NEW BUSINESS IS GOING TO OPEN UNLESS, OKAY. IT'S THEIR BUILDING PERMIT. AND SO, GOTCHA. WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH DOUG KEY THAT WE GET REPORTS FROM THEM WHEN HE'S ISSUING CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY. OKAY. AND THAT'S REALLY THE FIRST HEADS UP THAT WE HAVE, THAT THEY'RE GETTING CLOSE. OKAY. AND THAT'S WHEN WE START DOING OUR OUTREACH. AND TO THE EXTENT WE KNOW, THEN WE SHARE THAT WITH COUNSEL. WE SHARE THAT WITH THE CHAMBER. REMEMBER, THE CHAMBER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RIBBON CUTTINGS AND GRAND OPENINGS. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE DO AT THE CITY. UM, SO WE TRY TO INVOLVE THE CHAMBER TO THE BEST THAT WE CAN. UM, REMEMBER THERE'S A CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP GOING ON AT THE CHAMBER AS WELL. YOU KNOW, VANESSA IS LEAVING THE CHAMBER AT THE END OF THE MONTH, AND SO THEY'LL BE LOOKING FOR A NEW EXECUTIVE. UM, AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT ISN'T HELPING IN TERMS OF THOSE, BUT THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS, WE DO OUR LEVEL BEST TO KNOW WHEN THEY'RE GONNA OPEN AND IF THEY'RE COOPERATIVE WITH US. SOMETIMES WE DO. AND THEN THERE'S SOMETIMES WE JUST HAVE NO IDEA. FIRST THING WE KNOW ABOUT IS THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE POSTING SOMETHING ON NEXTDOOR ON SOCIAL MEDIA. AND, UM, IT'S A LITTLE FRUSTRATING, I THINK, AT TIMES. 'CAUSE I THINK THAT WE'D LIKE TO BE MORE SUPPORTIVE, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S A BIG DEAL. YOU OPEN A NEW BUSINESS. SO I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE KNOW THE FUNCTIONING, UH, MISSION OF THE EDC MM-HMM. , ONE OF THE THINGS WE SHOULD PUT AS WE DO A LOT OF LINKING STUFF, IF YOU, IF YOU ARE OPENING UP NEW BUSINESS IN , PLEASE LET US KNOW. MM-HMM. . SO WE SHOULD GIVE THEM A PATHWAY TO SAY, GOOD IDEA. CONTACT US. THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. WE LOVE TO SEND OUR MEMBERS A LOVE TO PARTICIPATE IN YOUR CUTTING. WE LOVE AS AN EDC, WE LOVE TO BE A PART OF IT. YEAH. NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT AT ALL. IN THIS SPIRIT OF SO MUCH TO LOVE. YEAH. RIGHT. YEAH. THAT, THAT WOULD ANSWER THE BELL AND CREATE EVEN MORE HOOP LAW FOR THE BUSINESS. MM-HMM. . MM-HMM. . YEAH. BECAUSE I MEAN, WE, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE CITY IN TERMS OF THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA. RIGHT. UM, SO THE, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE KNOW, WE CAN SHARE THAT WITH MATT SMITH AND AND HIS TEAM. RIGHT. UM, AND ENGAGE ALL OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHERS CHAMBER, I THINK, YOU KNOW, COMES IMMEDIATELY IN MIND, UM, TO THE EXTENT WE KNOW. SO YEAH. GOOD IDEA. IT MAY BE, UM, KIND OF A ROUTINE POST THAT WE WANT TO SHAPE UP. THANK YOU. UM, BIO LIFE SCIENCE CAMPUS. UM, RIGHT. WE CONTINUE TO TALK A LOT ABOUT THAT. WE HAVE ENGAGED AS THE DDC WITH LPA ARCHITECTURE TO BEGIN, UH, TO COMPLETE A SMALL AREA PLAN FOR THAT PARTICULAR, UM, 80 ACRE SITE, AND GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT KINDA A FIT TEST, IF YOU WILL. BUT PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE THAN THAT. TAKE THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S THERE AND I ANTICIPATE WHAT THOSE BUILDINGS MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND HOW THEY MIGHT RELATE TO ONE ANOTHER. BECAUSE AS WE START TO DO OUTBOUND MARKETING OF THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT, UM, WE WANT TO HAVE THAT PACKET, UH, FIRMED UP ENOUGH THAT PEOPLE SAY THAT'S A PLACE I CAN ENVISION MYSELF. UM, WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH, UH, DR. GP ABOUT SORT OF THAT, THE ETHOS OF WHAT WE'RE CREATING IN THAT ENVIRONMENT. UM, AND, UH, WE'LL BEGIN TO, TO FINALIZE THAT. ANTOINE, AND I'LL BE OUTBOUND TO, UH, SOUTHERN SAN FRANCISCO AND SAN AND SAN JOSE FOR A THREE DAY, UH, DISCUSSION. NUMBER OF DISCUSSIONS. SOME 20 ODD MEETINGS I THINK WE HAVE PLANNED, UM, OVER THOSE THREE DAYS WITH COMPANIES WHO ARE AT THAT GROWTH STAGE WHERE THEY'RE STARTING TO LOOK IN THE 24 TO 48 MONTH PERIOD AND ARE LOOKING TO LEAVE CALIFORNIA. BUT WE THINK TEXAS PRESENTS A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY. UM, WE'VE ASKED THE FOLKS FROM BIO NTX AND THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE, THE BIOLIFE SCIENCE, UM, GROUP AT, UH, DALLAS REGIONAL CHAMBER TO JOIN US ON THAT OUTBOUND TRIP. UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UM, AND STARTING TO TEE UP THE OPPORTUNITY THAT DESOTO IS GONNA PRESENT, UM, WITH THE DEVELOPMENT THERE. UM, THE PROPERTY IS UNDER AN LOI AND I CAN'T REALLY SAY ANYTHING MORE ABOUT THAT OTHER THAN IT IS. UM, AND, UH, WE'RE HAVING PARTNERS HAVING MEETINGS WITH ARCHITECTURAL PARTNERS WHO DO THAT KIND OF WORK, DEVELOP LABORATORIES AND, AND OFFICE SPACE. UM, AND WE'RE DOING A LOT OF FOOT, A LOT OF SHOW AND TELL INVITING PEOPLE TO BE AT THAT SITE AND SEE JUST, JUST HOW, JUST HOW INTERESTING IT REALLY IS. BEAUTIFUL SITE. IT IS ESPORTS. UM, WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PLAN ADDITIONAL FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES. UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE COACH IN AND DO THE [00:50:01] DESOTO LIVE, UH, INTERVIEW WITH MATT SMITH ONE MORNING. UH, WE WANNA FOLLOW 'EM ALONG THROUGH SOME OF THEIR, THEIR EARLY TOURNAMENTS AND KIND OF HOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE COMING ALONG AGAINST TEAM, KEEP IT IN THE PUBLIC EYE. WE'VE MADE AN INVESTMENT. AND I THINK THAT'S THE RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT IS THAT WE KEEP A LEVEL OF EXCITEMENT. UM, MATT, TO THAT POINT, UM, I MAY BE CERTAIN THAT, IF I RECALL, I THINK WE ARE THE ONLY CITY AS AN ENTITY THAT HAS TAKEN ON OUR POSITION IN SUPPORT OF THAT OTHER THAN THAT HAS BEEN CORPORATIONS. IS THAT CORRECT? UM, THINK SOME OTHER SCHOOLS, THEY MAY NOT BE HERE THOUGH. THEY COULD BE ALSO, BUT I THINK YOUR QUESTION IS, IS THE THE CITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION? YES. GOT YOU. RIGHT. AND, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW OF ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WHO HAS TAKEN THAT SAME STEP. RIGHT. UM, I, I AM BY NO MEANS AWARE OF WHAT EVERY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IN THE STATE OF TEXAS IS UP TO. THERE IS A, UM, A BUZZ AROUND ESPORTS, UM, IN, IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS. MOST OF IT'S DRIVEN BY ISDS. RIGHT? RIGHT. SO WE'RE NOT THE FIRST ISD TO EMBRACE ESPORTS, BUT I DO, BUT I, WE ARE THE ONLY ONE I KNOW OF. YES. WHERE THE, THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION HAS PARTNERED WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. RIGHT. TO ENABLE THAT KIND OF AN OPPORTUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION SLASH CITY. NO, THE DEVELOPMENT CORP, THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION MADE THAT GRANT. I KNOW THAT. NO, BUT I'M SAYING, BUT WE HAD TO GET IT APPROVED BY COUNCIL, OBVIOUSLY. OKAY. YES. MY MY POINT BEING IS THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A MESSAGE THERE. THERE'S A BIG STORY, AND IT, IT, IT HAS A LOT OF MERIT THAT WE'VE STEPPED UP AS A CITY AND AS A DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO PARTNER AND EMBRACE THAT. I JUST HEARD IT TODAY, UH, DURING THE STATE OF THE CITY. MM-HMM. . I DIDN'T HEAR THAT STATED. AND SO I REMEMBER US TALKING ABOUT THAT WHEN WE DID OUR, OUR VETTING OF THE WHOLE PROGRAM EARLY ON TOO. YEAH. THIS IS A LOT OF MERIT. THAT'S ALL. YEAH. VERY, VERY BENEFICIAL. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE REACHED OUT IS TO THE DALLAS BUSINESS JOURNAL TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT THAT, THAT PROGRAM IN PARTICULAR. WE, WE THINK IT'S, WE THINK IT'S REALLY GREAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, GET ANYBODY ELSE TO WRITE ABOUT IT AND TALK ABOUT IT. THAT'S AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT STORY. UM, OTHER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ISSUES OR, UH, EFFORTS. WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CONSTRUCTION TRADES AND, UM, ONE OF OUR LOCAL COMPANIES IS, UM, ASKING TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST IN DEVELOPING AN OFF-CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION TRADES TRAINING CAMPUS. BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ISD AND THE STATE. UH, WE'RE, WE'RE DESIGNATED AS A INNOVATION CAMPUS, I THINK IS WHAT IT'S CALLED, THAT ALLOWS THEM TO CREATE THAT KIND OF A RELATIONSHIP. SO WE'RE PARTNERING INDUSTRY AND THE SUPERINTENDENT, UM, AND THEIR CTE FOLKS TO PURSUE THAT. UM, THE BIOLIFE SCIENCE PIECE, AGAIN, IS THE WORK WITH DALLAS COLLEGE AND CONTINUING TO INTEGRATE THEIR EFFORTS WITH, UM, CTE FOLKS AT, UH, DALLAS, ISD, DESOTO, ISD. THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHERS THAT ARE ALSO PART OF THAT. UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE CREATING THE WORK, THE CLASSES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT WILL ENABLE THEM TO PURSUE CAREERS INTO THOSE, INTO THOSE AREAS. UH, BIOLIFE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, UM, AVIATION. UM, WE HAVE, WE ARE, WE'RE REALLY THE ONLY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION THAT IS, THAT IS AT THE TABLE THERE. UM, PUSHING FORWARD THE IDEA THAT, UM, A FAA SECTION 1 47 AND AN AIRFRAME AND AND POWER PLANT, UH, CERTIFICATION IS IMPORTANT, UM, FOR SOUTHERN DALLAS. YES. UM, WE BROUGHT, UM, A NUMBER OF PLAYERS TO THAT TABLE. PROBABLY THE MOST INTERESTING THING HAS BEEN THE INDUSTRY CONVENING THAT BROUGHT AMERICAN AIRLINES AND SOUTHWEST AIRLINES AND, UH, CITY OF DALLAS AVIATION TO THE TABLE. DON BLAIR THERE AT CITY OF DALLAS AVIATION HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN OPENING DOORS TO HAVE THE RIGHT CLASSROOM AREA THERE AT DALLAS EXECUTIVE FIELD. UM, THEY HAVE NOW LEASED A HANGAR SPACE AND A CLASSROOM SPACE, AND WE'LL BEGIN RETROFITTING THAT. THEY HAVE ENGAGED THE, THE CONTENT EXPERT, UM, TO BEGIN CRAFTING THE PROGRAM. UM, AND WE CONTINUE TO, TO LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL INDUSTRY PARTNERS. WE'VE BEEN IDENTIFIED [00:55:01] SEVERAL. UH, PROBABLY THE MOST INTERESTING THING WAS WHEN THE LAST TIME WE WERE ON THE PHONE CALL AND THEY, THEY HAVE A LIST OF 200 SET TOOL SETS THAT NEED TO BE A PART OF THIS. AND I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE TOTAL DOLLARS WERE THAT THEY AMOUNT TO, BUT THE ITEMS THAT CAUGHT MY MIND, THAT CAUGHT MY EYE WAS THE FACT THAT THEY NEED THREE COMPLETE JET ENGINES. THOSE ARE ABOUT $600,000 A COPY. AND SOUTHWEST RESPONSE WAS, COME ON DOWN, , COME DOWN AND TALK TO OUR SUPPLY FOLKS. WE CAN GET THAT. WE WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT. THAT'S THE POWER OF INDUSTRY COMBINING WITH OUR EDUCATORS. MM-HMM. . AND IT'S, IT'S, IT IS POWERFUL. IT REALLY IS. UM, SOUTHWEST HAS A KEEN INTEREST. SO IS AMERICAN, YOU KNOW, AMERICAN'S BIGGEST, UM, UH, OPPORTUNITY. THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY HAVE A VERY LARGE, UH, TULSA PRESENCE WHERE MOST OF THEIR AIR, AIR AIRFRAME POWER PLANT WORK IS DONE. BUT THEY HAVE A SHOP HERE AS WELL. IT'S NOWHERE NEAR AS BIG AS SOUTHWEST. THIS IS SOUTHWEST HOME. AND THIS IS WHERE MOST OF THEIR WORK GETS DONE. THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY MUCH, UH, ENGAGED ON THE CULINARY SKILLS PIECE. WE'RE REACHING OUT TO OUR CULINARY FOLKS AT CTE AND, AND, UM, THE OWNERS AT ROOTS CHICKEN SHACK, UM, HAVE BEGUN SPEAKING WITH DALLAS COLLEGE TO TAKE THE ADDITIONAL SPACES THAT ARE IN THAT DEVELOPMENT. REMEMBER, THAT'S A THREE UNIT DEVELOPMENT, UM, THAT WE'RE IN THE, THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS UNDERWRITING, UH, A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT THERE. AND LEGALESE OF IT IS, WE'RE ACTUALLY LEASING THE BUILDING FOR FIVE YEARS. BUT THERE'S TWO SPACES IN ADDITION TO ROOTS. AND THEY HAVE A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH DALLAS COLLEGE ALREADY. SO THEY WOULD LIKE TO CREATE A DESOTO ISD DALLAS COLLEGE TRAINING FACILITY RIGHT ADJACENT TO ROOTS WHERE THEY CAN BE WORKING WITH THE WORLD CLASS CHEF ON AN ONGOING BASIS. AT WHAT LOCATION? HERE? THAT'S, THAT'LL BE THE NEW ROOTS CHICKEN SHACK DOWN ON, ON BELTLINE JUST NORTH OF, OR ON, UH, HAMPTON ROAD, JUST NORTH OF BELTLINE, WHERE WE CLEARED THE TWO SITES. SO WHAT SOUTH? WHAT'S ROOTS THAT'S RUNNING FRONT OF WALMART? NO, THAT'S BEEF OR ROOT BEEF BEFORE REPLACE ROOTS CHICKEN SHACK. ROOTS CHICKEN SHACK IS CHEF TIFFANY, GARY. MM-HMM. AND HER PARTNER TOM, UM, OR IS, IS THEY'LL BE DEVELOPING A FRANCHISE OPERATION IN 1300 FEET ON THAT. THERE'LL BE A TOTAL OF ABOUT 3000 SQUARE FEET OF DEVELOPED SPACE. THREE SEPARATE, ONE SEPARATE SPACE, AND THEN TWO CONJOINED SPACES ALL BUILT OUT TO BE AVAILABLE AS RESTAURANTS STILL HAVE COMBINED GREASE STRAPP FACILITIES AND VENTILATION FACILITIES AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. UM, BUT WE VERY MAY, MAY VERY WELL END UP LEASING THAT TO DALLAS COLLEGE AND WORKING WITH OUR CTE FOLKS THEN TO PROVIDE A, A CULINARY TRAINING FACILITY. SO, SO MATT, ALONG THOSE LINES, UH, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, UH, DR. SEABROOKS. MM-HMM. , UH, HE AND I JUST GOT A BRIEF AT THE, UH, THE ESPORTS INITIATIVE. MM-HMM. AND GRAND OPENING. AND WE, SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, HAD A CONVERSATION AND WE'VE DISCUSSED THE CULINARY PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THE FACT IN THE AIRPORT ENVIRONMENT, YOU HAVE A LOT OF, OF DEVELOPMENT THAT NEEDS TO ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. AND, AND SO I HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS FOR CULINARY AND IN HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE, UH, DALLAS COLLEGES AND PROGRAMS, CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS THAT THEY HAVE, UH, WHAT ARE THOSE TYPE OF PROGRAMS THAT, IN SOME CASES HAVE CERTIFICATION, FOOD SERVICE, UH, TRAINING, MANAGERIAL TRAINING. SO I THOUGHT ABOUT IT WHEN WE HAD THE CONVERSATION. I THOUGHT ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS HERE AND HOW DO YOU, OUR PROGRAMS HERE AT CEDAR VALLEY? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT? WELL, CEDAR VALLEY AND ANY PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE IN OUR AREA THAT COULD ALIGN WITH THIS. OKAY. BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT I'LL TAKE CONCESSIONAIRES. THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS. SO I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT. SO WANNA SAY VERY CLOSE TO THAT BECAUSE SURE. COULD BE HUGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT. YEP. UM, AND CULINARY IS IS SUCH A BIG WIDE OPEN. YEAH. IT'S BIG. YES. AND, AND REMEMBER, THE, THE CULINARY PROGRAM DOESN'T RESIDE AT S CEDAR VALLEY. I KNOW IT RESIDES AT, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH ONE OF THE CAMPUSES IT IS RUN BY A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. SEE, IT DOESN'T TAKE YOU VERY LONG TO FIGURE OUT THAT DALLAS COLLEGE IS, IS KIND OF A BLI WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT POCKETS [01:00:01] OF TALENTS AND PROGRAMS THAT I THINK THERE'S 12 TOTAL, EIGHT CAMPUSES AND FOUR CENTERS, I THINK IS HOW IT WORKS OUT. AND CULINARY'S THE ONE THAT'S, UH, NORTHERN, NORTHERN DALLAS, IN NORTH DALLAS, UM, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER STEVE'S LAST NAME, THE GENTLEMAN WHO RUNS THAT. UM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'VE, WE'VE CREATED OUR RELATIONSHIP THERE BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S THE MOST DIRECT LINK WE HAVE IN TERMS OF THE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AND THE EXPOSURE OPPORTUNITIES. AND SO THAT MAY, THAT MAY BE ANOTHER PLACE FOR US TO, TO LINK THAT. THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT THAT, THAT, AGAIN, THE POWER OF THE BOARD IS THE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, STEVE THEE. THAT'S EXACTLY IT. YEP. UM, WE'LL KEEP YOU CLOSE ON THAT PLEASE, BECAUSE THAT, IF, IF, IF THE CULINARY FOLKS THAT AT THE AIRPORT ARE LOOKING FOR MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS AS WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT CREATES INTERNSHIP PRO. I MEAN, THERE'S LOTS OF, THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES THERE. YOU HAVE ABOUT 240 SOMETHING, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, BUSINESSES THAT ARE OUT THERE FOR A HUNDRED SOMETHING OPERATORS, AND THEY'RE LOOKING, I MEAN, ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMS IN THE WORKFORCE TODAY IS LACK OF QUALITY, UH, TEAM MEMBERS. AND SO IF THEY CAN TRAIN PEOPLE AND TRAIN THEM UP AND, UM, GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES YEAH. OPPORTUNITIES. SO, YEAH. NO, THAT'D BE GREAT. WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP YOU CLOSE ON THAT. KEEP PLUGGED IN PLEASE. UM, WE'RE FINALIZING OUR, OUR, OUR, UH, CONTRACTS WITH, WITH ROOTS. UM, THEIR DRIVE THROUGH HAS BEEN APPROVED. THE, THEIR, UM, SITE PLAN AS IT IS, HAS BEEN APPROVED AS THROUGH THE PLANNING AND ZONING AND THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS, UM, WITH THE COMP, WITH THE CHARACTER CODE COMING TO FRUITION. UM, IT WILL ELIMINATE SOME OF THE KIND OF DISCONNECT, IF YOU WILL, UM, THAT WE HOPE WILL BEGIN THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS ON THAT VERY, VERY SOON. THAT SITE'S BEEN READY FOR SOME TIME. UH, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF, OF GETTING THAT, UH, UNDERWAY. UM, OUR MEDICAL VILLAGE PROJECT, AS WELL AS THE HAMPTON ROAD CORRIDOR, AND THE PROJECTS THAT ARE A PART OF THAT ARE ALL AWAITING, UH, P THREE DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, THE COUNCIL. WE SHOULD BE HAVING A, A PROPOSAL BROUGHT BACK TO THEM AT, AT SOME POINT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, UM, THE DESOTO MARKETPLACE. REMEMBER, WE WILL CLOSE OUT OUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE GROW DESOTO MARKETPLACE AT THE END OF MARCH. UM, IT'LL TAKE US A COUPLE OF MONTHS TO GET THE FINANCING, THE REMAINING REVENUES AND EXPENSES BALANCED OUT SUCH THAT ALL, EVERY, ALL, BOTH, ALL THE PARTIES ARE MADE WHOLE. UM, BUT WE'LL BE BY THE END OF MAY, WE SHOULD BE COMPLETELY DONE WITH RO DESOTO MARKETPLACE AND HAVE IT BACK IN PRIVATE HANDS. AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT, UH, MR. ANDERSON DOES WITH THAT BUILDING AS HE CONTINUES TO MAKE IT MORE SUCCESSFUL. UM, ON THE 35 CORRIDOR. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE KEEN INTEREST THERE IN SEVERAL PLACES. WHAT WE THINK OF AS RESTAURANT ROW, WHICH IS KIND OF THE NORTH END UP NEAR THE HOTELS, THE CENTER, WHICH IS THE KROGER CENTER, WHICH HAS RECENTLY CHANGED HANDS. NOT KROGER ANYMORE. NO, IT'S STILL KROGER. BUT, BUT THE CENTER HAS CHANGED HANDS. THE OWNER, THE OWNERSHIP OF THE SHOPPING CENTER IN ITS ENTIRETY OKAY. HAS CHANGED HANDS FROM, UM, IT'S BEEN OWNED SINCE THE EARLY SEVENTIES WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED. THE SAME OWNERS, AND THEY HAVE SOLD IT, SOLD IT TO ANOTHER DEVELOPER WHO'S, WHO'S, UH, AND IT IS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IT'S EITHER A HUNDRED PERCENT LEASE OR VERY CLOSE TO IT. THERE MAY STILL BE A SINGLE OPPORTUNITY IN THERE. IT'S LIKE 95. YEAH. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NO WONDER THEY HAD SOMEBODY WHO WANTED TO INVEST IN IT. UM, AND THEN AT THE TAIL END OF 35, DOWN BETWEEN BELTLINE AND PARKVILLE, WHAT WE'VE CALLED NODE SIX, IF YOU REMEMBER, IN OUR NODE STUDY, UM, THAT ASSEMBLAGE, WE CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, AND ARE GETTING VERY CLOSE TO, TO MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT. WE HOPE WE'LL SEE. UM, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THAT THERE'S TWO PLACES I KNOW WHEN A PROJECT IS REAL, AND THAT'S WHEN YOU CLOSE THE DIRT AND WHEN YOU GO VERTICAL. YEAH. UM, I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE THE DIRT ON AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT. UM, A COUPLE PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES, AND IT WAS INTERESTING AS WE APPLIED FOR THIS EDO ACHIEVEMENT GRANT, UM, SEVERAL OF THE, UH, CHARACTERISTICS THEY LOOK FOR IN, IN AWARDING THAT, UH, IT'S NOT A GRANT, IT'S AN AWARD. MM-HMM. SE SEVERAL OF THE CATEGORIES THAT THEY LOOK FOR AS PART OF THAT AWARD ARE THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE BOARD. UM, AND SPECIFICALLY IN, UH, SALES TAX SEMINARS, WE HAVE, I HAVE TO DO IT BY, BY LAW. I HAVE TO GO . SO I DUTIFULLY GO EVERY YEAR. UM, BUT, UH, I, I AM, I'M, I NEVER CEASE TO BE AMAZED HOW MANY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE SOME, OR EVEN IN SOME CASES, ALL OF THEIR BOARD MEMBERS THERE. I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S NECESSARY TO HAVE EVERYBODY THERE, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS A REMINDER. IT'S MORE THAN JUST THE SALES TAX SEMINAR. IT'S A REMINDER OF WHAT THE STATUTE IS BASED ON, WHAT THE CON THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE STATUTE ARE. IT'S A GOOD REMINDER TO US OF WHAT, WHAT [01:05:01] WE CAN AND CANNOT DO, OR AT LEAST ASK THE QUESTIONS. OKAY. SO HOW DO WE SQUEEZE THESE THINGS IN THAT, THAT ALLOW US TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT AREN'T JUST THE EXACT LETTER LAW, BUT THEY'RE CERTAINLY IN THE SPIRIT OF, UM, AND, AND WHEN IS THAT? THEY, THEY RUN THERE, THERE ARE A NUMBER, A HALF A DOZEN OR SO OPPORTUNITIES LAST. I WENT IN DECEMBER, UM, THAT I, NOT BECAUSE I PREFER TO GO IN DECEMBER, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME I TRY TO GET IT DONE EARLIER, I, SOMETHING GETS IN THE WAY. AND SO I END UP AT THE VERY LAST ONE AT THE TAIL END BEFORE THE YEAR ENDS. AND THEN I, THEN I'M OUT IN VIOLATION. WE CAN PICK ANY ONE OF 'EM. I CAN GET US A LIST IF THERE'S AN INTEREST OF ANYBODY GOING, OR ONE OR TWO OR Y'ALL WANT TO GO FOR THAT MATTER. UM, I, I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO, UM, AND THEN THE COUNCILMAN AND I GO TO, DOWN TO, TO BASTROP, UH, IN EITHER LATE NOVEMBER OR EARLY DECEMBER, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE HOLDS THEIR ANNUAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE. UM, I I, I HAVE A SELFISH INTEREST THERE BECAUSE WHAT THEY DON'T PRESENT IS A PRACTITIONER'S VIEWPOINT. WHAT THEY PRESENT IS AS A LEGAL VIEWPOINT. UM, AND THAT'S FINE. THERE'S, THERE'S A PLACE FOR ATTORNEYS . I'M NOT GONNA ASK FOR THAT. THERE'S A SPECIAL PLACE FOR ATTORNEYS, BUT , DON'T GO THERE. DON'T SUCK YOU. BUT I REALLY HOPING AT SOME POINT WE GET THE CHANCE TO HELP THE FOLKS AT TML EXPAND THAT OFFERING TO, TO REALLY TALK MORE ABOUT WITH OUR LEGAL COUNSEL AND OUR, AND OUR PRACTITIONERS ABOUT WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND HOW IT RELATES TO PLANNING AND ZONING, HOW IT RELATES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I THINK THAT'S A DISCUSSION THAT CITY MANAGERS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD BENEFIT FROM. BUT YOU KNOW, THE, THE GUY FROM OUT STATE WHO'S BEEN HERE A COUPLE YEARS IN TEXAS, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CAN'T, YOU CAN'T GET IDEAS FROM OUT STATE, UM, ISN'T THE RIGHT GUY TO DO THAT UNTIL HE IS BEEN THERE A WHILE AND SHOWED UP AND, AND BEEN PART OF IT. BUT THAT COMES UP AT THE END OF THE YEAR. UM, WE WOULD WELCOME ANOTHER BODY THERE. UM, AGAIN, THAT IF THERE'S SOME BODY THAT YOU ALL WANT TO THINK ABOUT THAT WOULD BE JOINING US THERE, I THINK IT WOULD BE, I THINK IT'D BE WORTHWHILE. SO AGAIN, I'M JUST TEEING 'EM UP AS, AS OPPORTUNITIES AND THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT THINK ABOUT. UM, I JUST GOT BACK FROM THE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, UH, IN, UH, LATER THIS YEAR, I'LL BE AT THE FUTURE TRENDS, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUTURE TRENDS CONFERENCE, UM, ANTOINE'S AT, AT, UH, O-U-E-D-I FOR HIS SECOND YEAR IN MAY, UM, OF THIS YEAR. HE'S THERE FOR A WEEK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA'S TRAINING PROGRAM. HAPPENS TO BE IN NEW ORLEANS. IT'S DONE BY THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA. IT JUST ISN'T DONE IN OKLAHOMA. UM, HE, I'VE ALSO ASKED HIM TO, UM, UH, MAKE APPLICATION FOR THE LEADERSHIP DALLAS, UH, FOR 2025. UM, AND SO WE'RE MAKING, UM, INROADS TO DO THAT, AND I'LL NEED SOME HELP FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS AND FROM BOARD MEMBERS, UH, WRITING LETTERS OF SUPPORT, UM, TO, TO SEE IF WE CAN'T BE A PART OF THAT. AND THEN IT'S KIND OF NICE HE'S NOT HERE. I'M WRITING A RECOMMENDATION TO, UM, SITE SELECT SITE SELECTORS CONSULTANTS WHO PUTS TOGETHER A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT BRING SITE SELECTORS TOGETHER TO RECOGNIZE HIM AS ONE OF THE UP AND COMING LEADERS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THEY HAVE A 40 UNDER 40, UH, AND I'M SUBMITTING HIS NAME, UM, IN, INTO THAT. HE CERTAINLY IS ANTOINE, MR. LONG, YOU'RE NOT NO, I, I'M SUBMITTING ANTOINE'S NAME AS, AS TO BE RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY AS ONE OF THE 40, UNDER 40 IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORLD. I THINK HE CERTAINLY EARNED IT. HE CERTAINLY HAS THE CREDENTIALS TO DO IT. UM, THEY MAY PUSH HIM OUT A YEAR UNTIL HE FINISHES THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE AT, AT UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA. UM, THAT'S OKAY. IF THEY DO. I DON'T, I I THINK WE'LL GET SOME TRACTION THERE. MATT KNOWS PETE , UM, OUR INDUSTRY CONFERENCES AGAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE EXPANDING SOME OF THOSE IN TERMS OF BIOLIFE SCIENCE AND IN TERMS OF AVIATION. WE'RE GOING SOME NEW CONFERENCES. I THINK I SHARED WITH YOU, BETWEEN ANTOINE AND I, WE WILL ATTEND 42 CONFERENCES THIS YEAR. UM, UH, SOME OF THOSE WERE AT THE SAME CONFERENCE, BUT MOST OF THOSE WE ARE NOT. UM, AND THEN I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE RNE EARLIER, AND THAT REALLY ENDS MY REPORT, MR. PRESIDENT. IT'S A, IT'S A LOT OF IT'S INFORMATION. IT'S A BUSY FIFTH MONTH OF THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR. IT'S A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION. SERIOUSLY. ANY QUESTIONS FOR MATT AND HOPE PROJECT? YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY. ANY FURTHER OBSERVATIONS, DISCUSSIONS, THANK YOU ON THE BOARD. YOU'RE WELCOME. APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE THAT, MAN. VERY COMPREHENSIVE. [01:10:01] AND I'M GONNA TAKE, UH, THE LIBERTY AGAIN, UH, UH, THE RETREAT AND SIGHTING THAT I KNOW SOME OF US WERE THERE AND THE PRESENTATION THAT, UH, THAT THE TEAM HAD PUT TOGETHER AND MATT DELIVERED WAS A STELLAR PRESENTATION. AND IT, IT MADE, UH, IT MADE A REAL STATEMENT THAT SAYS THAT THERE'S BEEN A CONCERTED EFFORT OF WORKING COLLABORATIVELY TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT IS MEANINGFUL TO SUSTAINABLE. AND I THINK EVERYONE THERE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATED IT. I KNOW I PERSONALLY APPRECIATED IT, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I THINK IT'S, YOU CAN WRITE THE GREATEST BOOK IN THE WORLD, BUT IF YOU DON'T NOT MARKET IT, IT DOESN'T GO ANYWHERE. YEAH. MM-HMM. . SO THE MARKETING OF THAT EVENT, UH, THROUGH THE EFFORTS THAT YOU PUT FORTH THERE, JUST KIND OF APPEAL IN COMPARISON TO WHAT PAUL YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT. SO, UH, THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WELL, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING THAT IN A MORE, UM, COMPREHENSIVE MANNER AND IN A MORE POLISHED MANNER. YEAH. MM-HMM. , BECAUSE WE REALLY DO THINK THAT'S, THAT'S DESOTO, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THE THE INTERVIEW QUESTION YOU GET, WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS? WELL, THAT'S WHERE WE SEE OURSELVES IN 10 YEARS, IS MAJORATIVELY THOSE FOUR PROJECTS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT DAY, UM, BEING EITHER COMPLETED OR IN SOME STAGE OF COMPLETION ON ALL FOUR OF THOSE. OKAY. AND, AND THE REALITY OF THAT IS IT CAN HAPPEN. YEAH. IT CAN HAPPEN IF WE GET OUT OF OUR OWN WAY, RIGHT. WE HAVE TO EMBRACE IT, AND THEN WE HAVE TO START MAKING IT EASIER FOR OUR DEVELOPERS TO SEE THE PATH FORWARD. AND THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE ROLL OVER. THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE ROLL OVER AND INVITE ANYTHING. IT'S, WE LAY, WE SET THE TABLE AND WE INVITE THE DEVELOPERS TO COME AND HAVE DINNER AT OUR TABLE, SET THE WAY THAT WE SET IT UP SO THAT WE GET THE KINDS OF PROJECTS THAT WE WANT. AND THE REAL TEST TO THAT IS WE'RE WILLING TO HELP PAY FOR DINNER. RIGHT? I MEAN, SERIOUSLY, WE'RE, WE'RE WILLING TO HELP WITH THOSE. WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO CARRY THE FULL BURDEN. WE'RE WILLING TO HELP. AND THAT'S A HUGE MESSAGE, AND IT'S WELL RECEIVED IF, IF WE LIVE UP TO OUR END OF THE BARGAIN IN TERMS OF ENTITLEMENT, IN TERMS OF, UH, ZONING, IN TERMS OF, UH, PERMITS, IN TERMS OF INSPECTIONS. MM-HMM. , IF WE DO THAT RIGHT? MM-HMM. . AND WE MAKE THAT A SMOOTH PROCESS. WE'LL GET THE TRACTION IN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY THAT WE NEED AND WANT. YEAH. TO YOUR POINT, WE ALWAYS NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF WHAT'S THE PATH OF THIS RESISTANCE? HOW DO WE TAKE IT SO THAT NO. HOW DO WE CREATE IT? WELL, YEAH. IT DOESN'T JUST EXIST. WE CREATED. YEAH. WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. HOW DO WE, HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THAT? YEP. WITH CONSISTENCY. YEP. SO, SO THAT SAID, ANY OTHER DISCUSSIONS TONIGHT, MR. PRESIDENT? NO DISCUSSION. MM-HMM. . I JUST GOT, I WAS [G. BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS ] INVITED TO SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THIS BOARD AND AS WELL AS THE CITIZENS THAT MIGHT BE WATCHING FROST BANK IS HOSTING SOMETHING AT THE DECK. I'VE NEVER GONE TO THE DECK. I I KNOW WHERE IT IS. I, I WENT THERE FOR A MEETING WHEN THEY FIRST, UH, WHEN THE POWERS FIRST, UH, UH, OPENED IT. UH, BUT, UH, THEY ARE HAVING A, I WAS TRYING TO FIND IT IN MY, BECAUSE I, I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY INTERESTING. THE, THE TITLE. I'M SORRY, I, I, I DO KNOW WHAT I'M DOING SOME DAYS. IT IS A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION ON BUILDING GENERATIONAL WEALTH. MM-HMM. IS HOSTED BY FROST BANK, AND IT WILL BE AT THE DECK, UH, THE DECK NETWORK, UM, 35 60 WEST COUNT WISDOM ROAD, SUITE 200. IT WILL HAPPEN ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY THE 22ND AT FIVE 30. THERE ARE SOME INTERESTING, UM, UH, SPEAKERS, UM, FROM, UM, UH, THAT, SO, SO YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND LOOK AT IT, BUT I THOUGHT THAT IT, OKAY. YOU KNOW, OF COURSE YOU WOULD HAVE THE IN INVITATION. YOU PROBABLY THE ONE WHO PUT ME ON THE INVITATION. THANK YOU, . BUT WHY DON'T YOU JUST SAY IT. PREACHER. WELL, I MEAN, WHEN THE PREACHER, WHEN THE PREACHER, HE A NAME MAN FROM SOMEWHERE. KELLY CORNISH, UH, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF TD JAKES FOUNDATION. GUEST PANELIST IS JAMES ARMSTRONG, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF BUILDING THOSE OF HOPE. UM, THERE ARE, UH, [01:15:01] OKAY, HERE WE GO. TONY HILLS, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF S-T-A-T-T FINANCIAL SERVICES. AND SADIQUE, RASHAD. RASHAD AS THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMERCIAL BANKING. UH, ALL OF THAT. UH, BENJAMIN VAN, FOUNDER AND CEO OF THE IMPACT VENTURES. UH, ALL OF THESE GUYS. SO I, I'M GOING SIMPLY 'CAUSE I WANT GET TO KNOW THE DECK A LITTLE BETTER. MM-HMM. AND TRY TO GET ENTRENCHED A LITTLE BIT MORE REGISTRATION PROCESS. I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF THERE. THERE HE IS. YOU HAVE TO HAVE, UH, YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHO, UH, MR. JONES IS. OKAY. AND THAT'LL GET YOU IN. YOU GOT, I'LL SEND IT TO YOU. THANK YOU. YOU SENDING IT? BUT I STILL NEED TO GO THROUGH HIM. I, YEAH, OF COURSE. YEAH. I'M GONNA SEND IT, YOU STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH IT, , BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE FROST BANK IS, UM, UH, I, I'M SURE IF YOU GO TO THEIR WEBSITE, UH, YOU CAN JUST, OR AS WE, BUT I'LL SEND IT TO YOU AS WELL. BUT I, I'M GOING TO, THIS GROUP MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THAT VERY MUCH, BUT COURSE WE HAVE THESE BIG BOWLERS THAT ALREADY KNOW ABOUT IT AND KNOW ALL THESE PEOPLE. I KNOW NONE OF THEM. SO WE'RE GOING TO GET TO KNOW THEM. SO THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU. WELL, YOU KNOW HOW YOU GOT THOSE BIG EYES, THAT LITTLE, LITTLE, YOU, YOU, YOU. WELL, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY GOOD INFORMATION. I'M INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THAT. DID YOU GET THE DATE? THE 22ND? MAYBE WE CAN GET THAT FROM THE DECK AND SEND IT TO THE BOARD. AND, AND I'VE GOT A DIRECT LINE THAT I CAN SAY PLEASE. ALL HORSE CLEAR, ALL MAN. HARD, CLEAR . I LOVE IT. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA BE TIME CONSCIOUS HERE. NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, UH, FROM THE BOARD THIS EVENING. UH, IT IS CURRENTLY 8 1 0 1 IN THE DESOTO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING. UH, NO FURTHER DISCUSSION. IT IS HEREBY CLOSE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK I, I THANK YOU. THANK YOU. * 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.