[1. CALL TO ORDER]
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GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.IT IS MONDAY, MARCH 18TH, AND IT IS NOW 6:00 PM WE WANNA CALL OUR SPECIAL MEETING OF THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER.
WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE ROLL CALL FOR MS. THOMAS, PLEASE.
COUNCIL MEMBER NICOLE RAPHAEL.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDRE BY PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER DYNA MARKS HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CRYSTAL CHISHOLM.
[a. Presentation of Community Development Block Grant 2023-2024 Program Updates]
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.WE'LL HAVE THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.
FIRST WE HAVE PRESENTATION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, 20 23, 20 24, PROGRAM UPDATES.
MAKING A BRIEF INTRODUCTION IS DR.
ESTHER WILLIAMS, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER.
I AM HERE TONIGHT TO INTRODUCE TO, TO YOU, UM, MS. PATTY SANTA CRUZ FROM GROW AMERICA, FORMERLY NDC.
AND WE ARE ACTUALLY BOTH GONNA PRESENT TONIGHT BECAUSE I CAN'T HELP MYSELF.
I REALLY WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN DESOTO WITH THE CDBG GRANT PROGRAM.
CAN YOU MAKE, OH, YOU KNOW WHAT? I JUST PUT IT ON, START IT FROM THE BEGINNING.
SO TONIGHT WE ARE GOING AFTER OUR BRIEF INTRODUCTION AND SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
WE ARE GOING TO GO INTO, UM, OUR FOUR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE INITIATED THIS YEAR, INCLUDING OUR, UM, UPDATES AND BUDGET OVERVIEW FOR EACH OF THOSE PROJECTS.
AND THEN WE WILL END THE PRESENTATION WITH A PROPOSED 2024 ACTION PLAN TIMELINE, BECAUSE IT IS ALMOST ABOUT TIME TO GET STARTED ON THAT, AND WE'RE JUST GONNA GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION ON THAT.
AND THEN, UM, MOVE FORWARD AS FAR AS PLANNING GOES, UM, UH, IN OUR NEXT MEETING TOGETHER.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND COUNCIL, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
THANKS FOR HAVING US TONIGHT TO GIVE YOU THIS BRIEF, UM, UPDATE ON CDBG.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, JUST BRIEFLY ON THE BACKGROUND, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN RECIPIENTS OF CDBG FUNDS SINCE 2015.
THESE FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, AND HOUSING ACTIVITIES, UM, THAT MUST PRIMARILY BENEFIT LOW AND MODERATE INCOME PERSONS.
UM, EVERY FIVE YEARS, YOU ALL ARE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A CONSOLIDATED PLAN TO HUD THAT PROVIDES AN ASSESSMENTS OF YOUR COMMUNITY NEEDS.
UM, SO THE LAST ONE WAS DONE IN 2020, AND THE NEXT ONE WILL BE REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED BY NEXT AUGUST, 2025.
SO THAT'S, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, UM, IN LATER SLIDES.
AND THE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN MUST BE SUBMITTED TO HEAD EACH YEAR, WHICH TELLS THE COMMUNITY HOW YOU'RE GOING TO ALLOCATE YOUR ANNUAL ALLOCATION OF CDBT FUNDS.
THAT'S GOING TO BE DUE IN AUGUST.
AND THEN EACH YEAR YOU RECEIVE YOUR HUD ANNUAL ENTITLEMENT ALLOCATION ANNOUNCEMENTS.
SOMETIMES, UM, USUALLY BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND MARCH OF EACH YEAR.
UM, WHOOPS, PRESS THE BOTTOM BUTTON.
OKAY, SO JUST AS A REMINDER, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE HUTS 2023 YEAR, WHICH BEGAN, WHICH IS THE PERIOD OF OCTOBER 1ST TO 2023 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024.
UM, YOUR CDBG AL ALLOCATION THIS YEAR IS 2 94.
AS OF TO DATE, THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE 2024 FUNDS.
UM, THAT WON'T HAPPEN UNTIL, UM, CONGRESS APPROVES THE 2024 FEDERAL FISCAL BUDGET.
SO, UM, THE ANNOUNCEMENT MAY COME A LITTLE BIT LATER THAN IT, THAN IT HAS BEEN IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
UM, SO THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A PROGRAM UPDATE ON TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, HOME REPAIR, SENIOR CENTER, AND SIDEWALK REPAIR PROJECTS.
THESE ARE THE FOUR MAIN, UM, ACTIVITIES THAT ARE FUNDED WITH CDBG FUNDS.
THIS SLIDE PROVIDES A SNAPSHOT OVERVIEW OF YOUR, UM, BUDGET BALANCES AS OF MARCH 8TH.
SO THAT FIRST COLUMN IS ANY REMAINING BUDGET ROLLOVER FUNDS THAT HAD BEEN, UM, UH, APPROVED IN PRIOR YEARS AND WHAT WAS REMAINING.
AND THEN THE SECOND COLUMN IS THE 20 23 20 24 BUDGET.
UM, SO, AND, AND THAT INCLUDES THE CUMULATIVE BUDGET OF ALSO WHAT WAS ALLOCATED, UM, DURING 2023.
SO, UM, SO YOU CAN SEE THE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM AND HOME REPAIR PROGRAM WELL UNDERWAY, UM, SENIOR CENTER AND SIDEWALK PROJECT.
UH, WE'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THOSE, NO EXPENDITURES JUST YET, BUT WE ANTICIPATE TO SEE SOME ACTIVITY IN THE NEXT QUARTER.
AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO ESTHER.
SHE'S GONNA GO OVER SOME OF THE PRO ACTIVITIES PHASE.
SO OUR TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, THIS PROVIDES, UM, UH, FUNDING FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, UM, WITH A VOUCHER
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TYPE PROGRAM WHERE THEY RECEIVE A CARD THAT HAS, UM, UP TO $85 ON IT, UM, EACH MONTH.AND, UM, THEY'RE ABLE TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, USE THE, USE THE TAXI CAB SERVICES OR, UM, AND, AND GET FROM WITHIN DESOTO AND ALSO OTHER, OTHER CITIES SURROUNDING US.
PREVIOUSLY WE WERE ABLE TO SERVE 55 INDIVIDUALS.
THIS YEAR WE WERE, UH, BUDGETED TO SERVE 52.
WE ACTUALLY ONLY HAD 41 ENROLL, UM, UH, AS OF RIGHT NOW.
BUT, SO WE KEPT THE APPLICATIONS OPEN.
IT'S REAL ON A ROLLING BASIS, SO ANYONE WHO MEETS THE CRITERIA CAN ACTUALLY START, UM, THE FOLLOWING MONTH ON THE FIRST, IF THEY TURN IN ALL THEIR, UM, ALL THEIR PAPERWORK BY THE 15TH OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH.
SO, UNTIL WE GET TO, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, UNTIL OUR BUDGET RUNS OUT, UM, WE ACTUALLY DID, UH, PUT OUT FOR AN RFP THIS YEAR TO TRY TO FIND A BETTER PROGRAM.
UM, WHEN WE DID A COMPARISON OF THE AMOUNT THAT WAS SPENT PER RIDE, UM, THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE FOUND THAT THERE, THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, A A, IT'S, IT WAS PRETTY LARGE AND WE WERE HOPING THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO FIND A BETTER, UM, COMPANY THAT COULD PROVIDE MORE, UM, SERVICES FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE PUT THE RFP OUT FOR.
IT'S ACTUALLY ISSUED IN THE END OF, IT WAS ISSUED END OF DECEMBER.
UM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY SOMEONE IN FEBRUARY, OH, NO, I'M SORRY, THIS ONE, I'M SORRY.
UM, THIS IS ISSUED IN FEBRUARY, AND WE ARE STILL, UM, ACCEPTING RFPS FOR THIS, FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
UM, AND THEN WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO SELECT OUR, A NEW VENDOR OR THE, THE CURRENT VENDOR, UM, IF THEY'RE ABLE TO, UH, UPDATE THEIR PROGRAM, UM, AND EXECUTE AN A CONTRACT BY THE END OF MAY SO THAT THEY CAN START THEIR NEW SERVICES BY JUNE.
AND THEN, SO THESE ARE THE NUMBERS.
UM, SOME, SOME DATA THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, REGARDING THE CURRENT TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM FOR THIS ALLOCATED YEAR.
WE HAVE YOUR AGE RANGES HERE OF WHO ALL ARE ACTUALLY, UM, USING THE PROGRAM.
UM, YOUR GENDER BREAKDOWN, RACE BREAKDOWN, FEMALE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD, UM, THAT WAS ALSO PART OF THEIR APPLICATION.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE MINIMUM INCOME, MAXIMUM INCOME OF ALL OF OUR, UM, APPLICANTS AND THE AVERAGE.
AND THEN AT THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE OUR RIDERSHIP AMOUNT.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE WERE CHARGED FOR, UH, THE RIDES THAT WERE TAKEN, UM, THROUGHOUT THAT MONTH.
UM, SO PER MONTH, SINCE SEPTEMBER, UP TO FEBRUARY.
SO NOW GOING INTO OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
UM, THE $319,012 IS THE ACTUAL CUMULATIVE ALLOCATION, UM, FOR THIS YEAR, PLUS ANYTHING REMAINING FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.
UM, THE TOTAL, A TOTAL OF 16 HOMES WERE ACTUALLY COMPLETED IN 2023.
AND CURRENTLY WE HAVE 27 PROJECTS THAT ARE TO BE COMPLETED, UM, BY THE END OF 2024.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE DO HAVE A WAITING LIST OF 22 APPLICANTS, AND THAT'S JUST UP TO WHEN WE ACTUALLY CLOSED THE APPLICATION WINDOW.
UM, SIX OF THEM HAVE CURRENTLY BEEN APPROVED.
THAT MEANS THEY WERE ABLE TO SUBMIT ALL OF THE, THE APPLICATION DOCUMENTS AND REQUIREMENTS, AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACTUALLY REVIEW IT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY MET THE CRITERIA.
AND JUST A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, ROUND ONE TO FOUR SUMMARY, UM, BASED ON HOW MANY HOMES WERE SERVED AND HOW MANY HOMES ARE STILL IN PROGRESS.
AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN FOR YOU.
SO OF YOUR AGE RANGE, AGAIN, YOUR GENDER, UM, RACE, FEMALE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD, AND THEN THE MINIMUM INCOME, MAXIMUM INCOME AND AVERAGE.
AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE HAS MORE OF A BREAKDOWN AS FAR AS PER ROUND, HOW MUCH WE ACTUALLY EXPENDED EACH ROUND FOR THAT AMOUNT OF HOUSES.
UM, AND YOU'LL SEE IN ROUND FOUR, WE ARE STILL CURRENTLY IN THAT PROCESS, BUT WE ARE ESTIMATING TO SPEND $111,000, $454 AND 56 CENTS.
SO, UM, WE DID WANNA GIVE YOU SOME, UM, INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONTRACTORS THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH.
UH, WE HAVE, UM, WE HAD A TOTAL OF SIX THAT WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, UTILIZE FOR THIS PROGRAM.
UM, TWO OF THEM, WE HAVE HAD TO ACTUALLY, UM, UH, STOP OUR, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY.
YEAH, I THINK WE, WE HAD TO SUSPEND OUR, UH, OUR
UH, A COUPLE OF HOMEOWNER ISSUES.
UM, BUT LUCKILY WE WERE ABLE TO FIND, UH, A COUPLE OF OTHER CONTRACTORS TO COME IN.
SO THESE, THESE TWO, UH, THAT ARE NO LONGER WORKING UNDER THE PROGRAM, THEY WERE THE, THE FIRST TWO TO START MM-HMM.
AND, UM, AS WE'RE ABLE TO EXPAND IT AND WORD GOT OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, UH, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE WANTED TO HAPPEN, TO ATTRACT OTHER GOOD CONTRACTORS TO COME IN AND, AND, UM, START WORKING WITH THIS PROGRAM.
SO WE HAVE FOUR, RIGHT? AND NUMBER ONE WAS ACTUALLY ALSO ONE OF THE FIRST, UM, CONTRACTORS
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THAT WE, UM, WE HAD ON OUR TEAM.AND SO THEY'VE BEEN CONTINUING SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING.
UM, WE IDENTIFIED, WELL, THE CHECK MARKS UNDER MWBE.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY IDENTIFIED AS, UM, MWBE CONTRACTORS, HOWEVER, ONE OF 'EM IS ACTUALLY CERTIFIED.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CLEAR FOR YOU.
UM, AND WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GIVEN THEM THE INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, UH, BEING CERTIFIED AND EVERYTHING.
SO WE'RE JUST, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN I GUESS WE CAN TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE TYPICAL REPAIRS THAT WE'VE SEEN.
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LIST, IF I CAN FIND IT, BUT WE, IT'S MOSTLY HVAC AND PLUMBING THAT WE'VE SEEN THROUGH THE APPLICATIONS.
AND ONCE THEY ACTUALLY WALKED THE HOUSE, THEY SAW, THEY SAW THAT THOSE WERE THE MORE DIRE NEED, UM, TYPE OF PROJECTS.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE FOCUSED OUR FUNDING ON, UM, FOR THESE HOMES.
UM, OTHER REPAIRS INCLUDED, LIKE SOME, UH, ROOFING, UM, REPAIRS, UH, NOT TOTAL ROOF REPAIRS, BUT SOME, SOME ROOF REPAIRS.
UM, INDOOR, UH, CONSTRUCTION WITH DOORS, WINDOWS, UM, FLOORING, UM, AND, UH, ELECTRIC ELECTRICAL WIRING AND THINGS LIKE THAT TOO.
UM, WE DID TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES ALREADY, AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO IMPROVE OUR PROCESSES AND COMMUNICATION IN ALL OF OUR AREAS.
AND THEN THE LAST, UH, COMBINED PROJECT THAT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT IS THE SENIOR CENTER AND SIDEWALK REPAIR PROGRAM.
SO THIS IS THE PROGRAM THAT WE ACTUALLY STARTED LATE, UM, DECEMBER, AND WE HAVE SELECTED A, UH, WE WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS OF, UM, LOOKING AT THE CRITERIA AND, UM, SELECTING ONE THAT MET AND, UH, CAME UP WITH, UH, THE MOST, UH, POINTS IN OUR, IN OUR JUDGING.
AND WE HAVE SELECTED A ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING FIRM TO COMPLETE, UM, RENOVATIONS AT THE SENIOR CENTER, AS WELL AS, UM, ADD SOME A DA APPROVED SIDEWALKS, UM, AROUND SENIOR CENTER, AND INCLUDING SOME SECURITY AND SAFETY, UM, AREAS WITH THE DOORS AND WINDOWS.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO LOOKING INTO A POSSIBLE, UM, SUPPLEMENTAL, UM, GRANT, UH, WHICH IS THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONSERVATION BLOCK GRANT FOR CONSIDERATION.
BUT WE'LL PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT IN THE NEXT, UM, IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE BRINGING THIS, UH, THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE SELECTED, OR THE CONTRACTOR THAT WE SELECTED TO YOU, UM, IN APRIL, SO THAT WE CAN PRESENT 'EM TO YOU AND THEN POSSIBLE CONTRACT CONSIDERATION, UM, THE FOLLOWING NIGHT.
AND THEN PATTY'S GONNA TALK ABOUT A TIMELINESS TEST.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL REMEMBERED, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY BEEN, UM, OVER A YEAR SINCE WE LAST TALKED ABOUT THIS, BUT THE TIMELINESS TEST IS A CRITICAL HUD TEST FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM.
UM, HUD REQUIRES THAT GRANTEES CUR OVER NO MORE THAN 1.5 TIMES HER ANNUAL GRANT.
UM, AND THAT'S TESTED 60 DAYS BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO, UM, DE SOTO'S TIMELINESS TEST IS DONE ON AUGUST 2ND OF EACH YEAR.
AND, UM, THIS GRAPH JUST PROVIDES AN, AN OVERVIEW OF THE LAST FEW YEARS.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, IN JULY OF 2022, IN 2023 HUD, UM, THE CITY DID NOT MEET ITS TIMELINESS TEST FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
WHEN YOU DON'T MEET IT FOR A THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR, YOU MAY BE REQUIRED TO HAVE FUNDS DEED FOR THAT BALANCE THAT IS, THAT YOU DID NOT MEET.
UM, BUT WE ARE PLEASED TO REPORT, UM, THAT WE, WE'VE KNOWN ABOUT THIS, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TARGETED EARLY ON.
WHEN GROWER CAME ON BOARD, UH, WANTED TO GET YOU ALL IN A, IN A GOOD POSITION AND GET A PLAN OF ACTION.
THAT PLAN OF ACTION BEGAN REALLY WITH THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM AND GETTING FUNDS, UM, GOING AND GETTING THAT PROGRAM RAMPED UP.
SO, UH, WE JUST HAD TO REPORT TO A QUARTERLY REPORT.
WE REPORT EVERY QUARTER TO HUD, UH, FROM NOW UNTIL THE END OF, UM, UNTIL THE TIMELINESS TEST.
UH, SO THIS LAST REPORT SHOWS THAT THE CITY HAS AN EXPENDITURE RATIO OF 1.93, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHERE YOU ALL ENDED UP LAST YEAR.
WE ANTICIPATE TO BE BELOW 1.5, UM, BY JULY.
SO WE THINK THIS IS A, A REALLY GOOD ACCOMPLISHMENT, AND WE DEFINITELY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS, UM, BECAUSE IT SHOWS, I THINK THE CITY'S GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE ACTION PLAN.
I MENTIONED THAT THE ACTION PLAN'S GONNA BE DUE IN AUGUST.
SO THESE ARE ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE, UM, PLANNED, UM, UPCOMING FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
WE'LL INITIATE THIS, UM, ACTION PLAN, UM, PERIOD WITH A, A RESIDENT SURVEY THAT WE HOPE TO HAVE OUT BY THE BEGINNING OF APRIL HAD REQUIRES TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS WHEN WE'RE DEVELOPING THE ACTION PLAN, UH, ONE BEFORE YOU PUT OUT YOUR PROPOSED ALLOCATION.
SO WE PLAN TO HAVE AN A PUBLIC HEARING IN MAY.
UM, WE WILL HAVE A DRAFT PLAN OUT BY JUNE, UH, PROPOSED TO HOLD A SECOND PUBLIC HEARING IN JULY WITH A PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL ON JULY 15TH AND THE PUBLIC HEARING ON JULY 16TH.
AND THEN FINAL, UM, UH, CITY COUNCIL ACTION ON AUGUST 6TH
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IN TIME TO GET THAT SUBMITTED TO HUD.AND THEN HERE'S JUST MORE DETAILS YEAH.
UH, ABOUT THE TIMELINE AND, AND, AND PREPARATIONS JUST TO SHOW YOU WHAT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE PLAN TO INITIATE THAT SURVEY, DO SOME COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE THE COMMUNITY PLENTY OF TIME TO PROVIDE INPUT ON THIS.
I THINK THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATIONS.
SO WE'D HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.
UH, DR. WILLIAMS AND MS. SANTA CRUZ FOR, UH, FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, I DO SEE A LIGHT OR TWO ON, I DID HAVE, I HAVE TWO, TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
UM, MR. FEER, IF YOU COULD SET OUR, UM, ROUNDS, WE'LL DO ROUNDS IF EVERYBODY HAS QUESTIONS.
UM, THE FIRST QUESTION I HAD WAS A QUICK QUESTION.
YOU MAY HAVE ANSWERED IT IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT HOW MANY, WHAT IS THE MAX AMOUNT OF INDIVIDUALS WE CAN TAKE WITH THE TAXI CAB TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM ASSISTANCE? WELL, SO WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, OUR BUDGET ALLOCATED 4 54.
NOW THAT WE'VE ONLY HAD, WAS IT 41, UM, WE WILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL FUNDS BECAUSE OF ALL THE MONTHS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A FULL CAPACITY.
SO I CAN PROBABLY GET MORE, UM, MORE OF THAT CALCULATION TO YOU.
BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY DO ANOTHER 10 AND MORE.
AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION IS WITH THE, THE RATE, THE, UH, YOU JUST MENTIONED IT, WHAT, WE DIDN'T MEET IT FOR TWO YEARS ANYWAY, THE TIMELINESS, THE TIMELINESS TEST.
SO WHAT, DID IT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM? 'CAUSE I WAS GONNA ASK WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THAT? AND I KNOW FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO DISPERSE ANY OF THOSE FUNDS, RIGHT? WAS IT DUE TO THAT PART OF IT YES.
WAS DUE TO HAVING THAT DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND I THINK WHEN WE FIRST CAME ON BOARD IN 2022, IT'S WHERE WE CAME, I THINK IN JULY OF 2022 AND RECOMMENDED THAT YOU REPROGRAM THOSE FUNDS BECAUSE THOSE, JUST BECAUSE OF THE MARKET AND THE DESIGN OF CDBG.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I ACTUALLY, UM, LOOKED AT THIS AND I WANTED TO ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, THE NEED TO PUT IT AT LYON STREET AS FAR AS THE SIDEWALK IS CONCERNED.
WHERE DID THAT JUDGING PIECE COME FROM? UM, WAS THE CITY'S, UM, RATING OF, OR RANKING OF THE ACTUAL SIDEWALKS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN, WHEN THIS WAS DONE? AND THEN WHAT KIND OF OUTREACH, BECAUSE I USUALLY DON'T SEE CDBG ANYWHERE UNTIL AROUND NOW.
WHAT WAS THE OUTREACH THAT IS ACTUALLY GETTING THAT OUT TO PEOPLE THAT SAY THAT THE, UM, THE RIDERSHIP WAS A LITTLE LOW, WE'D LIKE TO ADD MORE PEOPLE, YOU HAVE OPPORTUNITY.
WHERE WAS THAT OUTREACH? OKAY, SO THE FIRST QUESTION WITH THE LION STREET, WE ACTUALLY, THIS, THE, I THE PROGRAM IDEA ACTUALLY STARTED, UH, A YEAR AND WITH LAST YEAR'S FUNDING.
SO WE DID IN, UM, INCORPORATE THE CITY, UH, ENGINEER AND THEIR TEAM INTO THE PLAN.
AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE MATS AND TOOK A LOOK AT POSSIBLE AREAS WITH, UM, A DA SIDEWALK NEEDS, UM, WE DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH WE WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO HAVE FOR, UH, THIS PROGRAM.
SO WE DID IDENTIFY THAT STRIP OF, UM, ON THAT BLOCK ON THAT SIDE WHERE IT COULD BE MORE WALKABLE FOR ANYONE WHO WAS TRYING TO GET TO THE SENIOR CENTER.
UM, SO THAT WAS HOW THAT STREET WAS, WAS CHOSEN.
UM, AND THEN AS FAR AS, UH, INFORMATION FOR THE TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, NORMALLY, SO THIS IS NORMALLY, THAT PROGRAM FILLS UP WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO MM-HMM.
UM, AND WE DID PUT IT OUT IN C, THE CMO REPORT.
WE DID PUT IT OUT ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA AT THAT DURING, RIGHT BEFORE THE APPLICATION WINDOW OPENED.
UM, AND THEN IT WAS, YOU KNOW, APPLICATIONS WERE COMING IN.
UM, AND THEN I THINK WHEN THE APPLICATION WINDOW CLOSED, WE DID PUT ANOTHER, UH, UM, UM, UH, I GUESS SOLICITATION OR, OR INFORMATION OUT THERE TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THE APPLICATION WINDOW WAS STILL OPEN.
BUT YOU, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY INFORMATION OR COMMUNICATION SINCE.
BUT WE ARE COLLECTING, UM, APPLICATIONS BETWEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, SPORADICALLY NOW.
SO THERE ARE, THERE IS PEOPLE THAT KNOW ABOUT IT AND ARE HEARING ABOUT IT OR ARE LOOKING AT OUR WEBSITE FOR IT, UM, ON OUR WEBSITE THAT SAY APPLICATION WINDOW IS STILL OPEN.
UM, I THINK WE ACTUALLY JUST GOT A, ANOTHER EMAIL YESTERDAY ABOUT AN, UH, APPLICATION, UH, FOR THE TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
BUT WE COULD DEFINITELY DO MORE FOR, UM, GETTING THAT WORD OUT THERE.
AND THEN JUST THE LAST THING ABOUT THE SIDEWALKS, WHEN WE TALK IN TERMS OF, AND I KNOW I DIDN'T HAVE MY TWO MINUTES ON WHILE I WAS TALKING
UM, THE THING ABOUT THE SIDEWALKS IS THAT THERE'S SO MANY PLACES THAT NEED SIDEWALKS.
IS THIS 107 SUPPOSED TO TAKE THE ENTIRE AMOUNT FOR THAT AREA ONLY? WELL, WE, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT ESTIMATE YET.
SO ONCE WE FIND OUT HOW MUCH THAT PROJECT WILL TAKE UP, THEN WE CAN, UM, DEFINITELY CONSIDER MORE.
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WE DO, UM, WE HAVE OTHER AREAS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED WERE EITHER LOW TO MODERATE INCOME AREAS THAT ARE ALREADY IDENTIFIED OR SERVICE, UM, MAJORITY POPULATION OF OUR ELDERLY OR SENIORS OR, UM, UH, THE OTHER POPULATIONS THAT CDG IS ABLE TO, UM, ACCOMMODATE.SO WHEN YOU SAY LOW TO MODERATE INCOME, YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE PEOPLE IN OR THE FOLKS BEING SERVED YES.
BY THAT SIDEWALK ARE LOW TO MODERATE? CORRECT.
BASED ON THOSE MAPS, THE MAPPING AREAS.
THANK YOU, UH, MADAM MAYOR, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION THIS AFTERNOON.
THE, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE COST, UM, IS 20%, IS THAT THE STANDARD AND COULD IT BE LOWERED? HOW IS THAT DETERMINED OR IS THERE A CRITERIA FOR THAT? THERE'S A, A CAP, SO YOU CAN SPEND NO MORE THAN 20% OF YOUR CDBG FUNDS EACH YEAR.
AND THOSE FUNDS ARE REALLY GROW AMERICA'S FUNDS THAT ARE USED TO ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM.
SO WE DO SPEND A LOT OF THOSE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM YEAR WHEN WE'RE DOING THINGS THAT ARE PURELY ADMINISTRATIVE IN NATURE, LIKE MM-HMM.
SO A LOT OF THOSE ARE ACTIVITIES ARE, ARE PRETTY HEAVY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM, AND THEN SLOW DOWN AS THE PROGRAM YEAR GOES ON, BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY JUST, UH, USING SUBCONTRACTORS LIKE LAURA TO HELP US WITH THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM OR TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SPEAKING OF HOME REPAIR, UM, YOU SAID THAT YOU HAD 22, MS. WILLIAMS, I THINK YOU SAID YOU HAD 22 APPLICATIONS WAITING TO BE APPROVED, AND SIX WERE SOMETHING MM-HMM.
AND YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO, CAN YOU JUST GIVE ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT, PLEASE? SURE.
THEN TELL ME, UM, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE DOING ALL YOU CAN TO GET THEM THROUGH? BECAUSE CONSIDERING WE HAVE $141,000 LEFT IN THAT POT, UM, THAT CERTAINLY WOULD HELP.
SO IF YOU WOULD PLEASE EXPLAIN THAT.
SO WE HAVE 22, UM, 22 HOMES THAT HAVE, OR 22 APPLICATIONS THAT WE RECEIVE.
SO THEY GO THROUGH AN APPLICATION PROCESS OR APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS FROM GROW AMERICA, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE APPLICATION, GO THROUGH AND VERIFY THEIR PLACE OF RESIDENCY AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE, UM, EVERYTHING LINES UP.
SO OF THOSE 22 APPLICATIONS, SIX OF THEM HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY APPROVED, THEY'RE READY TO GO.
AND WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT OUR FUNDS CURRENTLY TO SEE, UM, IF WE CAN GET THEM INSPECTED BY THE, UH, THE LEAD INSPECTION AND GET THEM THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF, UM, GETTING THEIR WORK RIGHT UP CREATED.
AND ONCE WE FIND OUT HOW MUCH THAT WILL COST, THEN WE WILL PROBABLY OPEN UP ADDITIONAL, UM, HOMES OR APPLICATIONS TO, WELL, APPLICATIONS ARE CONSTANTLY BEING, UM, REVIEWED, BUT THEN MAYBE WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, AFFORD ADDITIONAL HOMES BEFORE, UM, WE RUN OUT OF THOSE FUNDS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, DR. WILLIAMS. AND THANK YOU AS WELL FOR BEING HERE.
AND MS. LORD, THANK YOU AS WELL.
UH, WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY TOGETHER TO MY ADOPTIVE, UH, SENIORS THAT I'VE HAD TO HELP THROUGH THIS, UH, PROCESS FOR THE HOME REPAIR.
AND PARTICULARLY, I, I, WHAT I HAVE SEEN THROUGH THIS PROCESS IS THAT IT IS PRETTY EXTENSIVE.
AND MY CONCERN WAS, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE WERE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER TO, UH, GET MR. ARMSTRONG TAKEN CARE OF, THAT'S NOT ALL.
NOT EVERYONE HAS A CRYSTAL READY TO FILL OUT YOUR PAPERWORK AND BRING IT ALL IN AND ALL THAT DIFFERENT JAZZ.
SO I WANTED TO KNOW, LIKE, FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, DID YOU, ARE THERE SOME LESSONS LEARNED THAT FROM THIS ON HOW WE CAN SPEED UP THE PROCESS A LITTLE BIT? YOU TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THE LEAD, UM, PIECE, AND I KNOW THAT THE HOME HAS TO BE INSPECTED LIKE QUITE A FEW TIMES.
UM, THAT, AND, AND THAT SEEMS TO BE A REPEAT IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER ISSUE TOO.
MY SECOND ONE IS RELATED TO THE SELECTION FOR THE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY.
UM, BECAUSE THIS WAS THE FIRST I'VE HEARD THAT YOU ALL WERE OUT, UH, DOING A RFP FOR A NEW TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM, AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF, IF, WHO'S THE MAKEUP OF THAT DECIDING THAT NEW COMPANY, WILL CITIZENS HAVE AN INPUT ON, ON THAT BASED ON USER EXPERIENCE OR, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, UNDER THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
SO THOSE WERE THE TWO AREAS THAT I WAS, UM, MOST CONCERNED ABOUT, JUST THE PROCESS, UM, BECAUSE IT DOES SEEM A BIT EXTENSIVE, UM, AND, AND NOT SENIOR FRIENDLY, YOU KNOW, MS. LAURA DOES AN AMAZING JOB.
UM, BUT SHE'S JUST ONE PERSON, YOU KNOW.
AND WE ACTUALLY, AND WE DO VERY THANKFUL FOR, UM, LAURA, UH, WE ACTUALLY ALSO HAVE MELISSA THAT WHO CAN HELP AS WELL.
UM, AND WE, WE ACTUALLY DID HAVE ANOTHER ONE, AT LEAST ONE OR TWO OTHER HOMES THAT WE HAVE HAD TO SORT OF DO HOUSE VISITS TO DO, UM, TO DO THE PAPERWORK.
[00:25:01]
WE ALSO HAVE LADIES AT THE ACTION CENTER THAT'S ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE AS THEY WALK IN TO COMPLETE, OR AT LEAST KNOW WHERE TO GET THEIR INFORMATION, HOW TO DOWNLOAD THEIR BANK STATEMENTS SO THAT IT'S PDF FORM AND THEY'RE NOT TAKING PICTURES, YOU KNOW, SIDEWAYS.UM, SO, UM, AS FAR AS GETTING THAT EVEN MORE CLEANED UP, WE ARE JUST CONTINUALLY CON HAVING CONVERSATIONS AS TO WHAT WE CAN DO, HOW TO MAKE IT GO FASTER, UM, WITH INSPECTIONS.
HOW, SO THAT'S THE APPLICATION PART.
UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO, UM, IMPROVE THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS INSPECTIONS GO, IT IS JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, UM, WE, WE THINK WE HAVE A INITIAL INSPECTION UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY GET IN BEHIND THE, THE, THE WIND, THE, THE WALLS AND, AND REALLY SEEING WHAT THE TRUE DAMAGE IS.
AND THAT'S JUST, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN AVOID.
I THINK IN THAT, I, WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD, UH, CONTRACTOR AND INSPECTOR WHO GOES OUT THERE.
SO INITIALLY THE, UH, APPLICANT WILL SAY, THIS IS WHAT I NEED, THIS IS WHY, UM, I'M APPLYING FOR A HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
AND THEN WE ALSO ASK THAT INSPECTOR TO DO THEIR OWN ASSESSMENT TOO, IF THEY SEE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE MORE CRITICAL OR MIGHT BE AN ISSUE THAT MIGHT REVISE THE SCOPE OF WORK.
SO THAT PROCESS MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER BECAUSE WHAT THEY'VE ASKED FOR, WE NEVER WANT 'EM TO JUST GO IN THERE AND SAY, WELL, YOU ASKED FOR THIS, THIS IS ALL WE'RE GONNA DO.
ESPECIALLY IF WE CAN DO ANY HEALTH AND SAFETY, UM, ITEMS AND GET THAT WITHIN THE BUDGET, WE WANT THAT ADDRESSED AS WELL.
BUT DEFINITELY, UM, SPEAKING TO LESSONS LEARNED, WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT AND ARE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO REFINE THE PROCESS, THE APPLICATION PROCESS, AND JUST THE, UM, INSPECTION AND GETTING THESE, UM, PROJECTS BID OUT TO CONTRACTORS BECAUSE EVERY, WE GROUP THEM TOGETHER, UM, HAVE A FEW INSPECTIONS DONE, AND THEN, AND THEN WE TRY TO GET THEM DONE SO THAT IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE MORE EFFICIENT THAT WAY.
HAVE THE CONTRACTOR SO THEY'RE NOT BIDDING ON, YOU KNOW, ONE HOUSE AT A TIME.
UM, SO APPLICATION PROCESS, WE GET THOSE AND THEN, AND THEN SEND THEM OFF.
AND ANY PRE 1978 HOME IS ALSO GONNA REQUIRE A LEAD INSPECTION.
IT'S JUST PART OF THE, UM, RULES, HEAD RULES.
SO WE HAVE TO DO, UH, UH, THAT PART TOO, EVEN THOUGH IT'S, IT'S A ONLY A $10,000 PROGRAM, SO DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR, UM, HUD STILL REQUIRES THAT WE ASSESS IT IN SOME MANNER FOR, FOR LEAD.
BUT, UM, YEAH, WE'RE ALWAYS, ALWAYS LOOKING TO IMPROVE, UM, THE PROGRAM.
BUT, SO YOU CAN SEE A JUMP FROM 2023 TO 2020, OR 20 22, 23 TO 23, 24, WE'RE ALMOST GONNA BE ABLE TO DO DOUBLE, UM, THE NUMBER OF HOMES.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST BASED ON IMPROVING PROCESS.
AND THEN FOR THE TRANSPORTATION, UM, PROGRAM, SO THAT RFP THAT WAS PUT OUT, AS ESTHER SAID LARGELY WAS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE WERE GETTING THE BANG FOR THE BUCK ON WITH THE EXISTING, UM, UH, VENDOR.
UM, SO GAVE THEM PUTTING ON AN RFP, I THINK THE CITY USES IS IT, UH, DART, UH, STAR, STAR, STAR.
UM, WE SAW THAT THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE THAT, THAT THERE ARE OTHER VENDORS, BUT BESIDES THE ONE THAT, THAT THE CITY'S CURRENTLY USING, UM, TO SEE IF WE CAN'T MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE COMPETITIVE.
AND THEN, UM, AND THAT WILL ENABLE YOU ALL TO HELP MORE RESIDENTS UNDER THIS PROGRAM.
SO IT'S THAT, THAT'S THE HOPE THERE.
BUT, UM, THE, I DON'T THINK THE RFP IS CLOSED, SO I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOME FEEDBACK, UM, OR, OR SOME SORT OF INPUT, UM, ON THAT SCORING PROCESS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK, UM, OVER THIS YEAR WITH ALL THE PROGRAMS. AND SO I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION PIECE TOO.
SO I'M GONNA PARET BACK WHAT I THINK I UNDERSTAND.
SO YOU'RE HOPING THAT STAR WOULD CONNECT TO SEE IF WE CAN LEVERAGE STAR WITH THIS PROGRAM? IS THAT WHAT I UNDERSTAND WE'RE LOOKING FOR JUST, UM, MORE VENDORS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RFP PROCESS TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE COMPETITIVE.
I THINK WHEN WE COMPARE THE PRICES OF WHAT, UM, CDBG IS CURRENTLY PAYING FOR WITH THIS VENDOR TO WHAT IS OUT THERE, THAT WE THOUGHT THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE MORE, UM, FOLKS UNDER THE PROGRAM WITH, WITH BETTER, BETTER PRICES.
SO, SO THAT WAS A YES TO START.
AND, AND OTHERS AND ANYONE ELSE? ANYONE ELSE? ANYONE ELSE? YEAH.
AND THEN AS IT RELATES TO PARTNERSHIPS, HAVE WE LOOKED AT ANY OF OUR, OF OUR SOCIAL SERVICES IN OUR COMMUNITY NONPROFITS TO POSSIBLY PARTNER WITH LIKE MINT OR THE FOOD, UH, DESOTO FOOD PANTRY IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, ONE MARKETING, BUT THE OTHER PART ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HELPING NAVIGATE PEOPLE, SOME NAVIGATORS AS IN FOR, AS IN, SO THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT YOU WERE, YOU WERE ASKING.
UM, I KNOW WE DID HAVE, UM, I DID CONNECT WITH OUR, OUR, UH, CARES TEAM AND, AND BECAUSE I THINK THEY ACTUALLY CONNECTED WITH ME.
SO WE, WE STARTED THAT PROCESS AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE TOO, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, ONE OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS ACTUALLY WAS ONE OF OUR MAIN CONTACT PEOPLE TOO.
I THINK YOU, YOU, YOU MET WITH HIM TOO.
SO THEY'RE DEFINITELY REACHING OUT TO WHOEVER CAN HELP, UM, AND, AND MAKE THOSE HOUSE CALLS AND, YOU KNOW, AND SOMETIMES IF YOU HEAR OF PEOPLE, THEN WE DEFINITELY TAKE THOSE AS WELL.
[00:30:01]
THANK YOU.I DON'T SEE ANY ADDITIONAL LIGHTS, UH, WITH QUESTIONS.
SO THAT WILL CONCLUDE, UM, THIS PRESENTATION.
[b. Presentation of Financial Report February 2024]
WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.NEXT WE HAVE PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL REPORT FOR FEBRUARY OF 24.
MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS LAKITA SUTTON, INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
GOOD EVENING FOR OUR FEBRUARY, 2024 REPORTS.
WE ARE ALREADY AT 41% INTO FISCAL YEAR 2024.
WE'RE GONNA START BY TAKING A LOOK AT OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL CATEGORIES IN WHICH WE'VE EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTED BUDGET, PROPERTY TAX, LICENSE AND PERMITS, FINES AND FORFEITURES AND INTEREST REVENUE ARE ALL ABOVE TARGET.
RIGHT NOW, OUR TOTAL BUDGETED REVENUE IN THE GENERAL FUND IS 58.5, 58.5 MILLION.
AND YEAR TO DATE, WE HAVE RECEIVED 43.8 MILLION, WHICH PUTS US AT 74.9% RIGHT ABOUT WHERE WE WERE THIS TIME LAST YEAR.
SO WE ARE REALLY PLEASED WITH HOW REVENUE IS LOOKING.
SO FAR, OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES ARE NEXT.
WE HAVE BUDGETED 58 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES.
YEAR TO DATE, WE ARE AT 20.8 MILLION.
THAT PUTS US AT 36%, JUST A TAD BELOW WHERE WE WERE THIS TIME LAST YEAR.
YOU CAN SEE THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES LISTED HERE.
OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES ARE ALWAYS GONNA BE LISTED BY DEPARTMENT, AND ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE ABOUT WHERE WE EXPECTED THEM TO BE.
THIS TIME OF YEAR, YOU'LL SEE ONE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS NON-DEPARTMENTAL, THAT'S SHOWING, UM, HIGHER DEFINITELY BECAUSE, UM, WE BUDGETED TO BUDGET SEPARATE FOR LIABILITY INSURANCE.
600,000 OF THAT BUDGET IS FOR LIABILITY INSURANCE, WHICH WE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER FUND.
SO THAT ONE WILL BEGIN TO LEVEL OUT AS THE YEAR GOES ON.
RIGHT NOW IT'S SHOWING AT 82.7%, BUT TOTAL OVERALL, WE'RE LOOKING AT 36% AND WE'RE ON TRACK WITH OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES.
NEXT IS OUR PUBLIC UTILITY FUND.
OF COURSE, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR, UM, METERED SALES FOR WATER AND SEWER, AS WELL AS ANY TYPE OF REVENUE, UM, CONNECTED WITH RECONNECTIONS AND, UH, NEW SUBDIVISION REVENUE.
WE BUDGETED 28 MILLION AND YEAR TO DATE, WE HAVE RECEIVED 11.2 MILLION.
THAT PUTS US AT 42, 40 0.2% EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE THIS TIME LAST YEAR.
OUR EXPENSES IN THE PUBLIC UTILITY FUND ARE GONNA INCLUDE OUR PUBLIC UTILITY ADMINISTRATION, OUR ACTUAL BILLING, UM, UTILITY FIELD OPERATIONS, WHICH IS WHERE WE PAY DALLAS WATER UTILITIES AND NON-DEPARTMENTAL, WE BUDGETED 28 MILLION AND YEAR TO DATE, WE'VE SPENT 11.2 MILLION.
THAT PUTS US AT 40.3%, SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR.
I DID TAKE A LOOK AND SEE WHAT WAS CAUSING AT THIS POINT.
IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, OUT OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, UM, IS A LITTLE BIT, UM, HIGHER, I'M SORRY, NON-DEPARTMENTAL AS WELL.
UM, NON-DEPARTMENTAL IS GONNA CONSIST OF OUR ENERGY COST AS WELL AS ANY LARGE EQUIPMENT PURCHASES AND LEGAL FEES.
OUR SANITATION REVENUE IS AT 42.9% COMPARED TO 40.3% LAST YEAR.
UM, THE DIFFERENT REVENUE CATEGORIES ARE LISTED THERE.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR, UH, MAJOR ONE, WHICH IS OUR SANITATION FEES, OUR COMMERCIAL SANITATION FEES, OUR TAX RETAINAGE PORTION, UM, OF THE TAX THAT WE'RE ABLE TO RETAIN AFTER WE'VE PAID OUR SALES TAX TO THE STATE.
BUT OVERALL, WE'RE AT, UH, 2.9 MILLION ON OUR REVENUE, ON OUR EXPENDITURES.
IN THE SANITATION FUND, WE HAVE BUDGETED 6.9 MILLION AND WE HAVE SPENT 2.2 MILLION SO FAR.
WE'RE AT 32.4% COMPARED TO 24.8% LAST YEAR.
[00:35:01]
ONE IS SLIGHTLY UP IN PROFESSIONAL IN, UM, SERVICES AND FEES.THIS IS WHERE WE PAY, UM, WASTE MANAGEMENT.
OF COURSE, OUR INVOICES FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 SEEM TO BE HIGH, SEEM TO BE A BIT HIGHER.
I DID KIND OF TAKE A LOOK, UM, THIS AFTERNOON WE'RE GONNA KIND OF LOOK AT THAT AND TRY TO DO A COMPARISON FOR LAST YEAR TO KIND SEE WHERE WE ARE THERE.
UH, WE BUDGETED 300,000 FOR, UH, WASTE COLLECTION EXPENSE THIS YEAR, AND WE'VE SPENT QUITE A BIT OF THAT SO FAR.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S KIND OF DRIVING THAT ONE UP.
WE WILL BE MONITORING THAT TO SEE IF, IF THERE, UM, NEEDS TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING FORTH THE BUDGET AMENDMENT TO COUNCIL.
OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE NEXT.
UM, OUR REVENUE IS LISTED AT THE TOP.
YOU'LL HAVE ALL OF YOUR, UM, ORIGINAL BUDGET, ANY BUDGET REVISIONS AND OUR YEAR DAY ACTUALS LISTED THERE, AS WELL AS THE CORRESPONDING EXPENDITURES FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE FUNDS.
ALL, UM, THESE ARE MOSTLY GENERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDS, UH, OR SOME INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS.
YOU'LL FIND IN THE MIDDLE COLUMN THE CURRENT BUDGET.
AND ON THE FAR RIGHT SIDE, YOU WILL FIND THE CORRESPONDING YEAR TO DAY ACTUAL FOR THAT FUND.
AND CONSEQUENTLY, ON THE NEXT PAGE, WE LIST THE EXPENSES, THE ACTUAL EXPENSES ARE GONNA BE FOUND IN THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN AS WELL.
UH, I DID HAVE A QUESTION LAST MONTH, UH, REGARDING ONE OF THOSE LINES, WHICH WAS FUND 2 21, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY FUND.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN CHISHOLM ASKED ABOUT THOSE EXPENDITURES THERE.
WE DO KNOW THAT THAT FUND IS RESTRICTED FOR, UM, ESTABLISHMENT OR ENHANCEMENTS OF TOURISM ACTIVITIES.
SO I WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE WHAT WAS THERE.
UH, WE HAVE PAID A FIRM ROGERS ARCHITECTURE OUT OF THAT FUND.
UM, WE HAVE SOME CHARGES RELATED TO NANCE FARM.
WE ARE AUTHORIZED TO PAY, UM, CERTAIN BILLS THAT ARE RELATED TO NANCE FARM, SUCH AS UTILITIES.
AND WE DO HA GO AHEAD AND CHARGE THAT TO THAT FUND.
UH, WE ARE A MEMBER OF NATIONAL HOTEL ASSOCIATION AND WE PAY THAT OUT OF THERE AS WELL.
IT'S SOME EXPENSES RELATED TO THE ARTS AND GRANTS PROGRAM.
SO ALL OF THE EXPENDITURES ARE, UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO SPEND OUT OF THAT, OUT OF THAT FUND.
AND THOSE ARE THE FOUR CATEGORIES THAT, THAT THEY ARE.
OF COURSE, WE KNOW THAT THE REVENUE THAT IS THERE IS, UM, CONSEQUENTLY COMING FROM OUR, UM, OUR HOTELS THAT NEED TO PAY HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
SO PER STATE LAW, THEY HAVE TO PAY US 6% OF THAT.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE REVENUE COMES FROM.
NEXT WE HAVE OUR PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS.
WE KNOW THAT THIS TIME OF YEAR WE'RE PRETTY MUCH WHERE WE NEED TO BE WITH PROPERTY TAX.
WE'RE MUCH OVER 90% ON OUR PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS AS OF THE END OF FEBRUARY, WE'RE AT 96.1%.
SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY WITH THAT.
AND FINALLY, WE HAVE OUR HUB REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.
WE HAVE A NET AP EXPENSE OF 2.6 MILLION.
AND YEAR TO DATE OUR HUB VENDORS, WE'VE PAID OUT 14,005, I'M, I'M SORRY, 14 5 0 6 3 16.
UM, WHAT WE'VE DONE, NEW
WHENEVER OUR PURCHASING DEPARTMENT GOES AHEAD AND RELEASES AN RFQ OR AN RFP, WE GO AHEAD AND BE PROACTIVE.
WE MAKE CONTACT WITH THAT LIST DIRECTLY, AND WE LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, TO POTENTIALLY DO BUSINESS AT THE CITY OF DESOTO, HOPING THAT WE CAN GET THEM TO APPLY TO OUR RF, QS, OUR BS OR OUR RFPS.
SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE'RE DOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE PROACTIVE, BUT YEAR TO DATE, WE'RE AT 4 3, 4 0.3%.
AND, UM, WE'RE HOPING TO, TO CLIMB HIGHER AS WE GO.
UH, COUNCIL, DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THE FINANCE REPORT? UM, MR. GERT, IF YOU WOULD START OUR ROUNDS PLEASE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAD A, UH, SO YOU MENTIONED IN, IN, IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT HOTELS ARE REQUIRED TO PAY THE HOT TAX, RIGHT?
[00:40:01]
MM-HMM.NOW, BEFORE WE RECEIVE, BEFORE WE, UM, ACQUIRED THE MANAGEMENT SERVICES THAT WE, WE REQUIRED LAST YEAR, MM-HMM.
SO SINCE, AND ONE OF THE PROMISES THAT THIS MANAGEMENT SERVICE PROVIDED WITH THAT THEY WOULD KEEP TALLY OF WHAT THAT SHOULD BE.
AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS THAT, UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING SOMETHING NEW WITH THE MWB, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH DFW, UM, UM, MINORITY SUPPLIER.
BECAUSE WHEN WE SAT AT THE TABLE WITH THEM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD DO WOULD HELP DO SOME OF THE THINGS YOU, YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO, UM, AND I'VE SEEN THAT OUR LIBRARY HAS DONE SOME THINGS AS WELL AROUND, YOU KNOW, UM, HOSTING CLASSES, BUT HONESTLY, THAT PARTNERSHIP THAT WE PAY FOR SHOULD BE DO, SHOULD BE HOSTING THOSE THINGS RIGHT HERE AT CITY HALL.
SO I WAS JUST WONDERING, ARE WE ENGAGING WITH THEM AS WELL BECAUSE WE'RE PAYING FOR IT.
UM, IN ORDER TO INCREASE THAT NUMBER ALSO.
'CAUSE THAT HASN'T BEEN MENTIONED MUCH AT ALL.
SO THOSE ARE MY TWO QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, TO ADD TO THAT, WE, WE DO INTERACT WITH, UM, DFW MINORITY SUPPLIERS.
UM, WE PROBABLY HAVE NOT HELD THEM TO THE FIRE AS MUCH AS FAR AS PUTTING, TRYING TO PUT ON EVENTS FOR US AND, UM, ADVERTISE MORE FOR US.
UH, WHAT WE STARTED WITH DOING WITH WAS COLLECTING THE INFORMATION THAT THEY WOULD LIKE FOR US TO DISPLAY TO OUR POTENTIAL VENDORS.
AND SO WE STARTED THERE AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THERE.
AND, UH, WHAT WE, ONE THING THAT THEY DO DO FOR US IS ADVERTISING OF OUR SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY.
THEY, THEY HAVE BEEN ACTIVE WITH DOING THAT.
UH, BUT AS FAR AS EVENTS AND OTHER TYPE OF OUTREACH THAT THEY COULD BE DOING, LET ME, LET ME FOLLOW UP AND SEE WHAT ELSE WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SINCE WE'RE PAYING FOR THAT.
THE SHORT TERM RENTAL, THE SHORT TERM RENTAL, IBEL, LET ME GET AN ANALYSIS FOR YOU.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE DO TRACK THAT THERE'S A WAY FOR ME TO PULL EXACTLY WHAT WE COLLECT, UM, SINCE WE'VE GOTTEN THE OTHER AGENCY.
SO, UM, LET ME PULL IT AND GET AN ANALYSIS SO I CAN DO A COMPARISON BETWEEN WHAT WE HAVE NOW VERSUS HOW WE WERE TRACKING IT PRIOR.
AND I CAN GET THAT EMAILED OVER TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
OKAY, MS. SUN, THAT MAY ALSO BE A DATA POINT, IF IT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT.
I MEAN, I, I'M, I DON'T ANTICIPATE SHORT TERM RENTALS VERSUS HOTELS WITH THE, THE NUMEROUS AMOUNT OF HOTEL STAYS TO BE COMPARABLE IN THAT REGARD, BUT IT MAY BE JUST ANOTHER DATA POINT.
UM, THAT WE COULD PULL OUT FOR EACH OF THE MONTHS REPORTS, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, SINCE WE DO HAVE THAT TRACKING MECHANISM.
NOW, IT MAY BE USEFUL DATA JUST AS A FYI, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER REMARKS.
I THINK I'LL JUST, UM, YIELD BACK MY TIME FOR THE SAKE OF TIME.
UH, IT WAS A GENERAL QUESTION IN REFERENCE TO THE GENERAL FUND, BUT I CERTAINLY CAN GET WITH, WITH YOU OFFLINE.
UH, IN REFERENCE TO THAT, IT WAS A GROUP THAT HAD ZERO AND I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THAT WAS ALL ABOUT.
IT WAS, I THINK IT WAS CALLED ECONOMIC INCENTIVE OR WHATEVER, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT NOW.
I'LL JUST YIELD MY TIME BACK FOR THE SAKE OF TIME.
I DON'T SEE ANY ADDITIONAL LIGHT, SO I'LL TAKE THAT AS THERE ARE NO REMAINING QUESTIONS.
MS. THOMAS WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE.
NEXT WE HAVE PRESENTATION OF DESOTO FARMER'S MARKET PILOT UPDATE AND EVALUATION.
MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS MATT CARLSON, EDC DIRECTOR.
EVENING, MADAM MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU HERE TONIGHT.
UM, TONIGHT WE'RE HERE TO JUST UPDATE YOU, UH, ON THEIR EFFORTS LAST FALL WITH THE FARMER'S MARKET.
UH, I KNOW I SAW MANY OF YOUR FACES THERE THAT DAY, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
UM, LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET A PRESENTATION UP HERE, MAYBE.
IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE COOPERATING.
SO TONIGHT WE WANTED TO RUN THROUGH OUR OBJECTIVE QUICK RESULTS AND THEN, UH, OUTLINE A PATH FORWARD.
UH, REALLY THIS IS FOR YOUR INFORMATION, UM, WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO GO FORWARD OR NOT.
UH, WE JUST WANTED TO KINDA GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'D LEARNED AND,
[00:45:01]
AND IF THERE'S A DESIRE TO GO FORWARD.UH, THE PIPE WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO, UH, RUN OVER A TWO DAY PERIOD.
UM, WE DID THIS BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, AND THE OBJECTIVE THAT WAS ASSIGNED TO DEVELOP, UH, TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP WAS TO INITIATE A FARMER'S MARKET PILOT PROGRAM THAT WOULD INCLUDE LOCAL VENDORS AND FOOD TRUCKS.
UM, WE HAD SCHEDULED IT OVER TWO DAYS, THE END OF NO, OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER.
UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF THOSE DAYS WAS NOT SO GREAT WITH A WEATHER STANDPOINT, SO WE HAD TO CANCEL THAT.
AND WE HAD THIS OVER ON NOVEMBER 4TH AT THE SOTO EAST MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WE CONDUCTED EXTENSIVE, UH, IN IDENTIFICATION AND OUTREACH EFFORTS FOR OUR VENDORS, UH, IN MULTIPLE CATEGORIES, INCLUDING ARTISANS, CRAFTERS, FOOD TRUCKS, RANCHERS, FARMERS, BAKERS, AND MULTIPLE SPECIALTY VENDORS.
WE ADDED TOTAL COMMITTED, UH, 35 VENDORS, BUT ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT, UH, 22 OF THOSE ACTUALLY WERE THERE.
WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB IN TERMS OF GETTING 'EM THERE IF WE HAD CHARGED A, UH, A RESERVATION FEE.
BUT BECAUSE IT WAS A PILOT AND IT WAS A TWO TIME EVENT, UM, WE HAD MADE SORT OF A STRATEGIC DECISION OF LET'S SEE HOW THIS GOES, AND THEN WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT GOING FORWARD.
BUT AS ONE OF OUR LESSONS LEARNED WAS PROBABLY BEST TO USE IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE VENDORS AND DO THAT OUTREACH FOR THEM TO MAKE A RESERVATION AND PUT A SMALL AMOUNT DOWN, A $25 RESERVATION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO PARTICIPATE.
22 VENDORS, OH, STAY THERE FOR ME IF YOU WOULD, FOR JUST A SECOND.
YOU CAN SEE THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES THEY CAME FROM.
UM, WE HAD, WE CONDUCTED EXTENSIVE OR WE, UH, HAD FORMAL AND INFORMAL FEEDBACK DURING THE EVENT AND CONVERSATIONS WITH THE VENDORS AND THE PARTICIPANTS THAT WE WERE WANDERING ABOUT.
AND THEN AT THE END, WE ALSO CONDUCTED A POST, UH, EVENT SURVEY.
UM, WE HAD MULTIPLE SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE RECEIVED FROM UNANIM THAT RECEIVED, BUT RECEIVED UNANIMOUS, UH, SUPPORT FROM OUR ATTENDEES IN TERMS OF WANTING TO GO FORWARD AND DO THIS AGAIN NOW WE CAN FEED FORWARD.
WE ASKED THEM REALLY TWO QUESTIONS IN ADDITION TO DO THEY WANT TO GO FORWARD? AND THAT WAS THEIR OVERALL SATISFACTION, AS YOU CAN SEE, WAS QUITE HIGH.
AND KIND OF AN OTHER INTERESTING QUESTION THAT WE WANTED TO ASK WAS, WAS IT WORTH YOUR TIME AND YOUR MONEY? WAS IT, WAS IT PROFITABLE? AND SURPRISINGLY, A LARGE NUMBER FOUND IT HIGHLY PROFITABLE AND SOMEWHAT PROFITABLE, 60% PLUS OR MINUS.
AND THEN THE REST WAS SPLIT BETWEEN THE, THE REST OF 'EM OF SORT OF, EH, WE BROKE EVEN, OR MAYBE THIS WASN'T AT ALL.
UM, SO WE'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW BECAUSE LITERALLY ACROSS THE BOARD WE HAD PEOPLE SAY, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE TELLING US IT WAS, IT WAS NOT PROFITABLE, THAT THEY'D BE BACK AND TRY IT AGAIN, WHICH IS KIND OF AN INTERESTING, INTERESTING PIECE THERE.
SOME OF THE COMMENTS WE GOT, UM, WERE IN ARE, ARE ON THE SCREEN THERE FROM OUR SURVEY RESULTS.
UM, AGAIN, VERY, VERY POSITIVE, BUT ALSO SOME CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IN TERMS OF OUTREACH, IN TERMS OF SIGNAGE, IN TERMS OF GETTING PEOPLE THERE IN AND OUT.
UM, SO THAT WAS CERTAINLY VERY USEFUL AS, AS WE STARTED TO FRAME A, A FORWARD FACING PROGRAM.
I, I THINK I'LL PAUSE THERE FOR JUST A SECOND IN CASE THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EFFORT, UM, BECAUSE FROM HERE WE WANTED TO, TO SHOW TO YOU A PLA A PATH FORWARD.
UM, IF THERE IS NO INTEREST IN THAT, WE'LL STOP.
UM, BUT, BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO FORWARD THEN, THEN CERTAINLY WE WOULD, WE WOULD SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME COSTS, ALTHOUGH THIS WAS VERY, VERY MINIMAL IN TERMS OF THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH IT, UM, BECAUSE VIRTUALLY EVERY DEPARTMENT WAS CONTRIBUTING TIME, WHETHER IT WAS THE LIBRARY OR THE POLICE OR FIRE OR PARKS AND REC.
UM, AND, AND CERTAINLY OUR STAFF IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE WERE, WHO WERE VERY MUCH INVOLVED FROM, FROM THE BEGINNING.
MR. COSTA, I ASK THAT YOU COMPLETE THE PRESENTATION AND THEN WE'LL ASK ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS AT THE END JUST IN HAPPY TO DO SO, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE STAY WITH TIME ON THE PRESENTATIONS.
SO ON A, IN A FORWARD LOOKING WAY, UM, OUR SUGGESTION WAS THAT BY APRIL IT'S, IT'S WARMED UP ENOUGH.
WE HAVE SOME GREAT SPRING WEATHER, IT'S PROBABLY TIME TO TAKE THIS ON AGAIN.
UM, AND THAT WE'D RUN UP UNTIL AND STARTED GETTING JUST TOO DARN HOT TO BE OUTDOORS ON A SATURDAY FOR THE DAY.
SO THAT WE SUGGESTED APRIL 6TH THROUGH JUNE 29TH.
THEN AGAIN, STARTING AT THE EARLY SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER ON THE FIRST AND THIRD WEEKENDS OF EACH MONTH.
FIRST AND THIRD WAS, WAS, UH, WAS NOT JUST A WILD GUESS.
CEDAR HILL DOES THEIRS ON THE SECOND AND FOURTH.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE HEARD BACK FROM VENDORS THAT WE WERE REACHING OUT TO, WE HAPPENED TO BE DOING OUR PILOT RIGHT AT THE TAIL END OF CEDAR HILL'S, UH, PROGRAM.
UM, BUT VENDORS TOLD US, IF YOU DID A NEW A PROGRAM GOING FORWARD, WE'D COME ON THOSE FIRST AND THIRDS, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE ALREADY
[00:50:01]
PARTICIPATING IN CEDAR HILL.UM, IN ORDER TO, TO PULL THAT OFF, WE FELT LIKE WE PROBABLY NEED TO START IN FEBRUARY TO BEGIN MARKETING AND DOING THE VENDOR OUTREACH, INTENSIFY OUR MARKETING EFFORTS, THEN THROUGH MARCH AND, UM, AND ADDRESS ANY LOGISTICAL REQUIREMENTS AND THEN LAUNCH THIS THE FIRST WEEKEND IN APRIL.
THIS PRESENTATION IS TAKING, UM, PLACE MUCH LATER THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED, SO IT PROBABLY GET PUSHED BACK A LITTLE BIT, BUT HOPEFULLY NOT TOO FAR.
WE'D SUGGESTED IT WOULD RETURN AGAIN TO THE DESOTO EAST MIDDLE SCHOOL.
UM, NOT IN, NOT IN, UH, SMALL PART BECAUSE IT IS A SEMI-PERMANENT LOCATION.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS NO, UH, PLANS TO REOCCUPY THAT BUILDING ANYTIME SOON.
WE CERTAINLY HAD PLENTY OF SPACE.
WE COULD AS MUCH AS TRIPLE OUR VENDORS AND STILL VERY MUCH SO FIT IN THE SPACE THAT WE WERE IN, HAS GREAT ACCESS.
UM, WE THINK THERE'D BE SOME GREAT WAYS TO, TO DO SOME BETTER PROMOTION IN TERMS OF GETTING TRAFFIC FROM 35 THERE AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW BEFORE THE DRIVEWAY THAT THERE WAS TIME TO TURN.
UM, SO WE DON'T CREATE ANY PROBLEMS OUT ON, ON BELTLINE.
UM, AND, AND IT'S A GREAT PLACE FOR GETTING TRAFFIC IN AND OUT OF.
UM, WE MANAGED TO DO THAT THAT DAY WITHOUT ANY SORT OF ASSISTANCE FROM, FROM LARGE LAW ENFORCEMENT FOLKS, BUT IF WE HAD TO, WE COULD EVEN DO THAT THERE AS WELL.
FINALLY, SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS, UM, THINGS THAT WE LEARNED, UH, IN TERMS OF, OF WHAT WE NEED AND, AND WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN GOING FORWARD.
SIGNAGE, ROADWAY, UH, SIGNS FOR THE EVENT, HIGHWAY SIGNS THAT WOULD HELP PEOPLE GET FROM 35 IN THE SCHOOL SIGN.
THEIR ELECTRONIC MESSAGING BOARD COULD BE REPROGRAMMED TO IDENTIFY THIS.
THE CITIES, UH, ELECTRONIC MESSAGING BOARD COULD DO A, COULD BE USED FOR THAT.
UM, WE KNOW THAT IT'LL TAKE PEOPLE FROM PARKS AND VOLUNTEERS, UH, MORE, MORE THAN LIKELY FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, JUST MAKING SURE THAT SORT OF THINGS HAPPEN THE WAY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO AND THERE ARE NO ISSUES.
UM, THE VENDORS, UM, WE HAD A, A GOOD ARRAY, BUT NOT AS GREAT AS WE'D LIKED.
WE'D LIKE TO SEE MORE PEOPLE FROM THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE.
UM, BUT THAT'S PARTLY THE TIME OF YEAR.
UM, THERE'S NOT MUCH GROWING IN THE GARDEN IN NOVEMBER.
UM, SO WE HAD TWO, TWO, UH, VENDORS WHO HAD COMMITTED TO BEING THERE THAT DAY ON THE FRUITS AND VEGETABLE SIDE THAT NEITHER ONE OF THEM WERE ABLE TO ATTEND THAT DAY.
UM, AND THEN SOME OF THE MISCELLANEOUS COSTS AROUND PORTA-POTTIES AND ELECTRICITY AND TRASH AND CLEANUP.
UM, WE PUT THE ONUS ON THE VENDORS FOR IF THEY WANTED ELECTRICITY, THEY HAD TO BRING A GENERATOR.
UM, THERE WERE NO PLUGINS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IF THEY WANTED A TENT, THEY HAD TO BRING A TENT IF THEY NEEDED A TABLE AND CHAIRS, THEY BROUGHT TABLE AND CHAIRS.
SO THERE'S REALLY VERY LITTLE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THIS OTHER THAN, UM, IF, IF THERE'S THE FACILITIES THAT WE'D NEED OR ANY SORT OF, UH, SIGNAGE THAT WE'D HAVE TO INCUR COSTS FOR, AND THEN WE'D HAVE THOSE AND THEN ANY PERSONNEL COSTS.
SO THAT REALLY BRINGS ME TO THE END OF, OF OUR, UH, OUR PRESENTATION FOR THE EVENING.
UM, WE ANTICIPATED THAT IF WE DID THIS, THE DATES THAT WE HAD SHOWED THERE WOULD BE 12 EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND THAT OUR COSTS WOULD PROBABLY BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN TWO AND $2,500 FOR EACH OF THOSE EVENTS FOR EACH OF THOSE DAYS.
SO A TOTAL OF ABOUT 25 TO $30,000.
HAPPY TO, ANY QUESTIONS? UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UM, MR. CARLSON, UM, COUNSEL WILL ASK OUR QUESTIONS FIRST, AND THEN WE WILL GIVE, UM, GIVE DIRECTION IN TERMS OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS CONTINUED SUPPORT.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER BUR, UH, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR.
THANK YOU MR. CARLTON FOR YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION.
I, I WANT TO, UM, I KNOW HOW WE GOT HERE, UH, AND I KNOW WHY WE'RE HERE AND I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE OUR CITIZENS A HEALTHY CHOICE OF FOOD, BUT THEY'RE JUST SOUTH OF HERE.
THERE IS A PLACE CALLED FARMER'S DELIGHT.
UH, AND MY QUESTION WOULD BE, WHY WOULD WE RECREATE RATHER THAN EMBRACE, UH, IS THE CAUSE OF RECREATING IT, DOES IT BRING SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO US THAN EMBRACING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE AND MAYBE BRINGING MORE LIGHT TO THAT LOCATION? BECAUSE, UH, IF WE DON'T WANT TO GO TO TOM THUMB, IF WE DON'T WANT, AND AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU CREATED IT.
WE, WE ASKED FOR IT, RIGHT? I WE ASKED FOR IT, BUT MY QUESTION IS, IS, IS, UM, I'M NOT SURE WE, WE, WELL, I'M NOT SURE I THOUGHT IT ALL THROUGH BECAUSE THERE IS A HEALTHY OPTION.
THERE IS A, YOU KNOW, SO THE VENDORS THAT DID NOT SHOW UP, WE HAVE THAT VENDOR THERE AT FARMERS DELIGHT AND THEY HAVE GROUNDS AROUND IT.
SO IT MIGHT BE A NATURAL, UM, A NATURAL, UM, ALTERNATIVE TO MAYBE TO EMBRACE WHAT WE HAVE.
AND, UH, MY LINE OF THINKING PROBABLY WASN'T, NOT HERE UNTIL I, I JUST CAME FROM A TML CONFERENCE THAT TALKED ABOUT CELEBRATING THE UNIQUENESS.
THAT IS YOU, UH, UNLIKE CEDAR HILL, WHO DOES NOT HAVE A UNIQUE FOOD MARKET.
[00:55:01]
SPROUTS, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A FORM DELIGHT.I, I CAME BACK AND DID RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE A BUTCHER HERE WITHIN THE CITY THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET FRESH MEAT.
SO, AND, AND SO MY MY MY, MY QUESTION WOULD BE IS THERE ANY REASON, UH, IS THERE ANY BENEFIT OF RECREATING RATHER THAN EMBRACING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE? IF THAT'S THE QUESTION, I'M NOT SURE I'VE GOT THE RIGHT ANSWER.
WE DID THIS BECAUSE YOU HAD ASKED US TO, UM, AND, BUT WE LEARNED A LOT.
UM, IN FACT, FARMERS DELIGHT WAS ONE OF THOSE WHO HAD COMMITTED TO BEING THERE THAT DAY AND HAVING A BOOTH, UM, AT THE, AND ACTUALLY THEY WANTED TWO BOOTHS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO LAY OUT, UH, GOODS AND SERVICES BECAUSE WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED ISN'T SORT OF, YOU KNOW, IN THE, IN THE MAIN DRAG OF THINGS.
UM, THEY CERTAINLY LIKE THE IDEA THAT WE WERE PRESENTING, UH, THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, TO YOUR POINT AROUND THE LAND AROUND IT, IT'S PRIVATELY OWNED, SO WE CAN'T JUST GO USE THE LAND IF WE WANT TO HAVE OTHER EVENTS AROUND IT.
UM, THE GREAT THING ABOUT DESOTO, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOL IS WE HAVE A GREAT PARTNER IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, BUT YOUR POINT'S WELL TAKEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY ASKED OUR, THOSE WHO WE FOUND IN THE COMMUNITY ALREADY.
UM, ABOUT 60% OF THE VENDORS THAT DAY WERE FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
SOME CAME FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES, SOME CAME FROM CEDAR HILLS, SOME CAME FROM WAXAHATCHEE.
OUR BUTCHER CAME DOWN FROM, UH, WAXAHATCHEE.
UH, SO I THINK IT, IT JUST INCREASES THE BREADTH OF OFFERINGS, UM, AND GIVES THOSE WHO MAY NOT HAVE A STOREFRONT, AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN FRONT OF FOLKS.
I THINK THERE IS BENEFIT TO THAT CHANCE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO TRY OUT THEIR WARES, IF YOU WILL.
UM, BUT REALLY THIS, IT, IT'S NOT OUR DECISION, UH, WHERE I STAND ANYWAY, TO MAKE THAT DECISION ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOU GUYS GET TO DO.
UM, AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN BYRD.
UM, WHEN THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, NOT ISSUE, UM, CIRCUMSTANCE CAME UP, UM, I BROUGHT IT UP SEVERAL, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND MY VISION AT THAT TIME WAS TO UTILIZE THAT ENTIRE CORNER SIMPLY BECAUSE FARMER'S DELIGHT WAS ALREADY THERE.
WHY NOT JUST INCLUDE THEM, BRING THE THINGS, UH, THE MARKET CLOSER TO THEM SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO MOVE? THAT WAS THE VISION.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY I, UH, ENJOYED WHAT YOU DID ON LAST YEAR.
UM, I WOULD HAVE RATHER HAVE SEEN A LOT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES THERE.
UH, I LOVE ARTS AND CRAFT, BUT THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE HEALTHY.
SO MOVING FORWARD, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD SUGGEST.
AND OF COURSE, I'M ALL FOR MOVING FORWARD WITH, YOU KNOW, HAVING THIS AGAIN NEXT YEAR OR THIS YEAR.
COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, YES, I, I, I BELIEVE THIS IS AN AWESOME IDEA.
UM,
IT WAS A LOT OF ACTIVITY, AND THERE'S A LOT OF VENDORS DOWN THERE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS NOW, THAT IF THIS WERE TO GO FORWARD, UH, WITH THE SPECIFIC DATES, IS THERE SOME TYPE OF CONTRACTUAL WAY TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT IT'S NOT GONNA BE AN EMPTY PARKING LOT ON SOME DAYS? UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IF YOU SAY, OKAY, VENDORS, WE WANT YOU TO COME, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD EVEN DO TO SAY, OKAY, WELL IF YOU, YOU NEED TO COMMIT AT LEAST TO THREE OR FOUR OF THESE EVENTS SO THAT YOU KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE IT, YOU'RE NOT JUST SITTING IN THAT PARKING LOT WITH FIVE VENDORS ONE DAY, THE NEXT DAY YOU ONLY HAVE TWO VENDORS.
YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S IN THE WORKS.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WAS, UM, I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF CEDAR HILL BEING THE TWO, UH, SECOND AND FOURTH.
IS THERE ANY, UH, COLLABORATION WITH ANY OF THE BEST SOUTHWEST CITIES TO MAYBE KIND OF ALTERNATE THESE SORT OF THINGS AND TALK TO THE SAME TYPES OF VENDORS TO GIVE THEM A YEAR ROUND, UH, TYPE OF, UM, UH, SHOWING OF THEIR WARES? AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION QUESTION I HAD WAS, YOU SAID THE BREAKDOWN WAS 2,500 POSSIBLY.
UH, HOW MUCH OF THAT IS STAFF? I'M JUST, I JUST WANNA KNOW, I WROTE OF, I WROTE ALL THOSE BACK
THE COSTS WERE, WERE STRICTLY AN ESTIMATE, AND IT'S VIRTUALLY ALL STAFF.
I THINK THE, THE FACILITIES, THE PORTA-POTTIES, I THINK WERE ABOUT $250.
UM, SO EACH OF THE, EACH, EACH OF THOSE WEEKENDS, WE'D HAVE THOSE COSTS.
UM, AND THERE'S NO COST TO USE THE, THE FACILITY ITSELF.
UM, WE'RE NOT PAYING FOR ANYTHING ADDITIONAL THERE.
[01:00:01]
ONLY OTHER COST THAT MAY COME INTO THAT, OTHER THAN PERSONNEL WOULD BE IF WE HAD TO BE RENTING SOME SORT OF SIGNS AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF.UM, WE HAVE SOME FREEWAY SIGNS, UM, BUT WE MIGHT, IF WE WERE GONNA DO THAT ON AN ONGOING BASIS, THEY'RE EXPENSIVE.
IT MIGHT BE MORE, IT MIGHT BE MORE COST EFFECTIVE TO GO TO A, A, A SIGNAGE COMPANY WHO DOES THAT, AND THEY HAUL 'EM AND PUT 'EM OUT AND PUT PICK 'EM BACK UP.
THEY PROGRAM 'EM, THEY'RE THERE FOR THOSE FEW DAYS AND OFF AGAIN.
UM, THAT'S REALLY, I MEAN, AND IT, AND IT'S STRICTLY AN ESTIMATE.
I MEAN, WE REALLY HAVE, WE WORKED ON THIS ON A REALLY, A SHOESTRING BUDGET.
WE HAD NO BUDGET TO WORK WITH.
UM, AND, AND SO THAT WAS THE WAY WE HAD DONE THAT.
IN TERMS OF COLLABORATION, IT WAS REALLY OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH WAXAHATCHEE.
IT WAS OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH MIDLOTHIAN.
IT WAS OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH MANSFIELD.
IT WAS OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH CEDAR HILL THAT IDENTIFIED THE CEDAR HILL, UM, UH, FARMER'S MARKET, WHICH IS DONE THROUGH THEIR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
UM, THEY HAVE WORKED VERY HARD, UH, OVER THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS TO GET THEIR, THEIR FARMER'S MARKET TO WHERE IT IS.
AND THEY HAVE ABOUT 15 VENDORS ON, ON ANY GIVEN WEEKEND.
THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS THE SAME VENDORS.
UM, IT WAS OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR VENDORS THAT IDENTIFIED FOR US THAT A WILLINGNESS, IF YOU WOULD, TO SORT OF ALTERNATE WEEKENDS BACK AND FORTH ON EITHER SIDE OF 67, UM, THAT WE THOUGHT MADE SOME SENSE IF, IF THE COUNCIL WANTED TO KEEP DOING THAT, THAT IT SORT OF BECOMES A SOUTH A BEST SOUTHWEST EVENT.
UM, IT WASN'T AN INTENTIONAL BEST SOUTHWEST KIND OF AN APPROACH.
IT WAS WHAT WE LEARNED FROM OUR NEIGHBORS IN OAK CLIFF.
AND, UM, DUN DUNCANVILLE DOESN'T HAVE ONE, LANCASTER DOESN'T HAVE ONE.
UM, SOME OF THOSE AROUND US DID.
AND SO WE WERE TRYING TO LEARN SOME LESSONS THERE.
UM, IN TERMS OF CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS, IT'S THAT, THAT WAS A, WE ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT UPFRONT AND SAID, DO WE TAKE A DEPOSIT SO THAT WE KNOW THEY'RE GONNA SHOW UP EVEN IF IT'S SMALL? UM, YOU KNOW, THESE FOLKS I DON'T THINK ARE MAKING A LOT OF MONEY BY BEING THERE.
UM, OUR FEAR WAS AS A PILOT, UH, WE REALLY WANTED TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE THERE, AND WE'D RATHER HAVE SOME FALLOUT OF PEOPLE NOT BEING THERE THOSE DAYS THAN, THAN SQUASH THAT UP FRONT ARTIFICIALLY.
SO I REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOULD DO THAT GOING FORWARD.
UM, THAT CERTAINLY IS AN OPTION.
I MEAN, THERE'S LOTS OF OPTIONS HOW TO DO THIS.
BY THE WAY, WE ARE NOT STAFFED TO DO THIS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO IF YOU CHOOSE TO GO FORWARD, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIND IT A HOME.
UH, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF ONE OF THE ISSUES.
UM, THERE ARE THIRD PARTIES WHO DO THIS.
UM, THEY, THEY TAKE IT ON AND THEY MAKE SOME MONEY THAT WAY.
WE COULD GO LOOKING FOR THOSE.
UM, THE CHAMBER COULD TAKE IT ON AS AN EVENT.
IT'D BE A GREAT BUILDING OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM.
I'M NOT TRYING TO SADDLE OUR FRIENDS AT THE CHAMBER WITH AN EVENT THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO DO, BUT THAT MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY AS WELL, AND A CHANCE TO MAKE SOME MONEY.
LOTS OF WAYS TO THINK THROUGH IT.
THE REAL QUESTION WAS, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE TO COUNCILMAN BURT'S QUESTIONS, UM, AROUND, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE IN OUR COMMUNITY? BECAUSE I THINK IT WILL BE A LONG-TERM BUILDING OPPORTUNITY.
I DON'T THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT'LL BE SUCCESSFUL OVERNIGHT.
I DON'T SEE ANY ADDITIONAL LIGHTS FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, WE KNOW THAT MR. CARLSON WOULD LIKE DIRECTION IN TERMS OF CONTINUED.
UM, AND I WOULDN'T, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS JUST DIRECTION SIMPLY FOR CONTINUING TO REFINE IT OR CONTINUING TO DO IT AS IT WAS STATED IN OUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I MEAN, AS IT WAS STATED IN YOUR PRESENTATION IN, IN ALL HONESTY, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
I WAS GONNA SAY SINCE IT DOESN'T HAVE A HOME, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE UNDER YOUR UMBRELLA.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
I I'D SAY THAT'S MORE DIRECTED TO THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER OF, IS THIS SOMETHING THE CITY WANTS TO TAKE ON? AND THEN WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN, IN TERMS OF HOW WE STAFF IT AND WHERE ALL THIS STARTS TO HAPPEN.
SO I GUESS I'M THROWING IT OVER THE FENCE TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
WELL, I THINK THE FIRST, THE FIRST POINT THAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR IS DIRECTION.
IF THE COUNCIL WANTS TO CONTINUE IT, THEN WE HAVE TO FIND A HOME FOR IT AND CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION, I GUESS FROM THERE.
I PROBABLY WANT TO ASK SOME POINTS FIRST BEFORE YOU, SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD A COUPLE POINTS.
SO LIKE, MR. CARSON INDICATED RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, THERE IS NO, HIS DEPARTMENT IS NOT STAFFED TO DO IT TO, TO, UH, CARRY THIS OUT.
AND SO WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT WHERE THIS WOULD RESIDE.
UH, SO WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THE IMPACT ON THE DEPARTMENTS, WHOEVER IT WOULD RESIDE IMPACT ON THE BUDGET.
UH, IT'S NOT CURRENTLY ON THE BUSINESS PLAN.
SO ALL THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO CONSIDER.
AND EVEN IF WE LOOK AT A THIRD PARTY, UH, ORGANIZATION, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALSO COST ASSOCIATED ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE FERRIED OUT.
SO I GUESS THERE, I GUESS THE BETTER TIME TO VOTE AND TO DECIDE IF WE WANNA CONTINUE IT WILL BE WHEN WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
I WOULD NEED, I MEAN, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE SAYING THAT THOSE THINGS ARE STILL, STILL HAVE QUESTION MARKS ON THEM, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SAY WHETHER OR
[01:05:01]
NOT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING I WOULD WANT, LET ME SPEAK FOR ME PERSONALLY, THAT I WOULD WANNA DO, NOT KNOWING HOW IT IMPACTS THE BUDGET, NOT KNOWING WHO, WHERE IT WILL RESIDE, NOT KNOWING ANY OF THAT TONIGHT.UM, AND I DON'T IMAGINE WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION TONIGHT.
I WOULD SAY THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION WAS REALLY JUST TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE, THE ONE WE'VE ALREADY HAD.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO MAYBE AT ANOTHER MEETING OR EVEN AT OUR RETREAT, UM, A SUMMER RETREAT COULD POSSIBLY BE A BETTER TIME TO HAVE DISCUSSION AT LENGTH ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE FARMER'S MARKET, BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S QUITE A BIT OF INFORMATION WE WOULD NEED TO DIGEST AND WRAP OUR HEADS AROUND TO SAY WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD BE FEASIBLE TO, TO CONTINUE IT OR NOT.
COUNSEL, UM, CAN I GET A CONSENSUS IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU ALL ARE COMFORTABLE WITH, UH, MOVING FORWARD IN THAT WAY? AGREED.
COUNCIL, UH, MAYOR PRO TIM, AGREED.
COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM? YES, MA'AM.
DR. MARKS, I'LL GO WITH THE MAJORITY COUNCIL MEMBER BY YES.
UM, YES, I THINK THAT, I MEAN, AND IT IS JUST MY OPINION.
I, I THINK, UH, WAITING TO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING THE RETREAT, THE SUMMER RETREAT MEANING, UM, AUGUST ABOUT SOMETHING THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE DISCUSSED BEFORE AUGUST? WELL, I MEAN, IT WOULD, THERE, I MEAN, YOU, YOU ALWAYS HAVE COMPETING PRIORITIES ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DISCUSS AND AT WHAT TIME WE COULD DISCUSS IT.
HOWEVER, I'M SAYING FOR THE NATURE OF A DISCUSSION LIKE THIS, CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT STAFF WOULD HAVE TO COMPILE TO HAVE A THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION AROUND IT AND, AND THAT TO WHERE A COUNCIL COULD HAVE TIME TO ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT IT.
UM, THESE MEETINGS ON MONDAY NIGHTS ARE GENERALLY NOT, YOU KNOW, RESERVED FOR THAT, THAT DEPTH OF DISCUSSION.
SO I WOULD, I PERSONALLY WOULD PREFER TO PUT IT ON SOMETHING IN, UM, IN TERMS LIKE A RETREAT SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE SOME SUBSTANTIAL TIME TO ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT IT, GET THE INFORMATION AND SEE HOW IT IMPACTS US MOVING FORWARD TO ACTUALLY MAKE A DECISION.
'CAUSE I MEAN, YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE A MYRIAD OF TOPICS THAT COULD BE DISCUSSED BEFORE THE RETREAT AND YOU JUST KIND OF, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PRIORITIZING, GETTING, SEEING WHAT WORKS BEST IN THOSE, IN WHAT SETTING.
I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT THAT IT NEEDS TO GO FORWARD.
[a. Discussion of the proposed Best Southwest Cities collaboration to share resources to host the Annual Hispanic Heritage Festival]
AT THIS TIME WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.NEXT WE HAVE DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED BEST SOUTHWEST CITIES COLLABORATION TO SHARE RESOURCES TO HOST THE ANNUAL HISPANIC HERITAGE FESTIVAL.
MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS SYDNEY ELLIOT YOUTH AND BUSINESS COORDINATOR.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I'M BEFORE YOU TODAY TO TALK ABOUT OR RATHER DISCUSS THE INTERLOCAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT THAT WILL COME BEFORE A VOTE ON TOMORROW.
UM, AS YOU ALL MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW THE BEST SOUTHWEST PARKS AND RECREATION LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETS QUARTERLY TO DISCUSS ONGOING EFFORTS AMONGST THE CITIES.
AND ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT HAVE COME UP OF TOPIC AND WE ARE DECIDING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IS TO COMBINE EFFORTS AMONG THE FOUR CITIES IN REGARDS TO THE HISPANIC HERITAGE FESTIVAL.
UM, AS IT STATES IN THE AGREEMENT, DESOTO WOULD BE THE FIRST TO HOST THIS YEAR.
WE'RE ALL ABOUT COLLABORATION.
IT'LL BE SEPTEMBER 21ST, SO SAVE THE DATE.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE CURRENTLY BUDGET AROUND $10,000 TO $15,000 PER YEAR IN THE AGREEMENT.
THE NONE HOST CITIES WOULD ALLOCATE $10,000 TO THE HOST CITY.
UM, AND SO WE JUST WANTED TO BRING IT BEFORE COUNCIL, OBVIOUSLY BEFORE IT GOES, UM, TO VOTE TOMORROW, JUST TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT COUNSEL MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU, UH, MS. ELLIOT FOR, UH, FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, CAN YOU REPEAT THE, UH, THE FUNDING? SO HOW THE FUNDING WILL WORK AT THIS POINT? YES.
SO THE NUN HOST CITIES WILL ALLOCATE $10,000.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE A TOTAL OF $30,000 THAT ARE RECEIVED FROM THE THREE CITIES.
AND THEN THE CITY THAT IS HOSTING IS RESPONSIBLE, SUCH AS STAFFING, THE ENTERTAINMENT, UH, PROVIDING VIP FOOD, THOSE TYPE OF OPTIONS.
SO NORMAL EVENT PLANNING, BUT WE WOULD BE RECEIVING 30,000 FROM THE OTHER, UH, THREE ADDITIONAL CITIES.
SO WE WOULD BE, THIS IS AS WE DO JUNETEENTH OR 4TH OF JULY CURRENTLY.
SO IT'S NOT ANY DIFFERENT THAN HOW WE DO THOSE EVENTS.
AND SEEING IS HOW WE'VE HAD SUCH SUCCESS WITH THE BEST SOUTHWEST JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH LANCASTER.
IT JUST MAKES SENSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE HISPANIC HERITAGE.
AND THEN WE ALREADY HAVE IT BUDGETED IN THE GENERAL FUND EACH YEAR ALREADY FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE FESTIVAL IN DESOTO.
SO WE ALREADY HAVE THE FUNDS ALLOCATE IT.
ONE POINT OF INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO SEEING SOMETHING ON A WORK SESSION AND WHEN WE ACTUALLY VOTE ON IT.
AND SO I THOUGHT THE AGREEMENT WAS THAT WE WOULD SEE SOMETHING ON A WORK SESSION ONE MONTH AND THEN THE NEXT MONTH IS WHAT WE WILL VOTE ON.
AND I GUESS THAT QUESTION IS TO THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER.
UH, I'M TRYING TO THINK, THINK BACK.
I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT IF I NECESSARILY
[01:10:01]
RECALL THAT.UH, BUT THERE WE HAVE INSTANCES WHERE WE'VE HAD, UH, INITIALLY THE PLAN WAS TO BRING THIS ITEM FORTH FOR A VOTE, UH, ON TOMORROW, TOMORROW NIGHT.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT IT, WE THOUGHT ABOUT LET'S GO AHEAD AND BRING IT ON, ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT SO THE COUNCIL CAN CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE MORE TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS AND GET MORE INFORMATION.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT IF AFTER THE NIGHT YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE DON'T HAVE TO APPROVE IT TOMORROW NIGHT.
BUT, UH, WE, IT, WE THOUGHT IT WAS KIND OF VERY MUCH INNOCUOUS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CURRENTLY DO ALREADY WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, EVENTS.
AND SO IT WAS JUST FOLLOWING ALONG THAT SAME LINE, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S WHY WE DID IT THIS WAY.
UM, SO, BUT, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT I'M CLEAR ABOUT OUR PROCESSES AND SO AS IT RELATES TO PROCESS, WHEN SOMETHING COMES BEFORE US IN A WORKSPACE POINT OF ORDER.
SO I HAD, THAT WAS MY POINT INFORMATION.
SO I, UM, CAN I CLARIFY MY QUESTION? WELL, THAT OUR PROCESS IS NOT THIS AGENDA ITEM.
THIS AGENDA ITEM IS SPECIFICALLY DISCUSSING, NO, THIS IS THE POINT INFORMATION, A POINT OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE ACTUAL PROCESS FOR THE EVENT POINT OF INFORMATION RELATED TO SEEING THE ITEM DURING THE, UH, WORK SESSION ONE DAY AND THEN VOTING THE NEXT DAY.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING POINT OF INFORMATION DISCUSSION OF THE PROCESS OF WORK SESSION ITEMS IS NOT THE AGENDA ITEM WE'RE DISCUSSING RIGHT NOW.
NO, I UNDER OKAY, I UNDERSTAND, BUT THE, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND OUR PROCESS 'CAUSE IT'S NOT WHAT WE AGREED TO.
BUT AS IT RELATES TO THE HISPANIC HERITAGE FESTIVAL, HOW MUCH DO WE ANNUALLY SPEND ON THIS PARTICULAR EVENT? ANYWHERE FROM 15 TO $20,000 AS IT RELATES TO ENTERTAINMENT, STAFFING, UM, FOOD COSTS, AS WELL AS AUDIO VISUAL, THOSE TYPES.
AND WE BUDGETED AROUND 15,000 AND SO THAT'S NORMALLY OUR LAST EVENT OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE'RE NORMALLY RIGHT AT AROUND 15,000 TO 20,000 SPENT.
BUT THE ASK IS 10,000 FOR EACH CITY? YES.
SO I GUESS, I GUESS WHAT I WANT TO UNDERSTAND AS FAR AS THE AMOUNT, THEN WE WILL BUILD THE EVENT UP TO THAT AMOUNT, OR IF IT'S LIKE WHEN WE HOST IT, IF IT'S ABOUT 15,000, DO WE REBATE THE OTHER CITIES, THOSE AMOUNTS? HOW DOES THAT PART WORK? SO WITH THE ADDITIONAL 30,000 COMING IN, WE WOULD ADJUST WHAT WE'RE PLANNING FOR.
UM, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, ENTERTAINMENT, THOSE TYPE OF COST, AUDIO VISUAL.
ONE OF THE THINGS TO NOTICE THAT WE'VE NORMALLY HOSTED IT IN THE AMPHITHEATER IN WHICH WE AVERAGE ABOUT 3000 TO 4,000 ATTENDEES BECAUSE IT WOULD NOW BECOME A BEST SOUTHWEST EVENT, WE WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO MOVE THIS EVENT TO GRIMES PARK, ESPECIALLY FOR PARKING AND TO ALLOCATE A, UM, 4TH OF JULY RINGS OUT 20,000 PLUS JUNETEENTH BRINGS OUT THOSE NUMBERS.
SO THAT'S WHY WITH THE ADDITIONAL COST, UM, WE WOULD PROBABLY BE LOOKING AROUND 40,000 AND 50,000, BUT THERE WOULDN'T BE A REBATE BACK TO THE CITIES.
AND SO YOU SAID FOR THOSE OTHER EVENTS THAT ARE HOSTED THERE, UM, THEY ARE AROUND HOW MUCH? I DIDN'T SAY HOW MUCH, BUT I, I CAN GO BACK AND RESEARCH THAT AND PROVIDE OKAY.
THOUGHT YOU SAID 40 OR 50,000, I'M JUST REFERRING TO THE EVENTS THAT WE HOST OH.
AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A GENERAL OF COST.
SO WITH THE INCOMING, SO WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO COME BACK BEFORE COUNCIL FOR THE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THOSE ADDITIONAL 30,000 EXPENDITURES.
SO NOW THE COST OF THE EVENT WOULD PROBABLY BE AROUND 40,000.
SO INSTEAD OF US AT OUR NORMAL 15 TO 20,000, THAT AMOUNT WOULD DOUBLE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY SOUND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE USED TO BEING IN SUCH A SMALLER SPACE, WE'D BE MOVING TO GRIMES.
AND SO NORMALLY THOSE EVENTS, JUNE, UH, JULY 4TH JUNETEENTH, UM, THEY'RE RIGHT AT AROUND 50 TO $60,000 IF NOT MORE.
BUT THAT'S INCLUDING FIREWORKS COST ENTERTAINMENT.
WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT LARGER ARTISTS SUCH AS SHANTE MOORE, THE ARTISTS WE BROUGHT IN, IN PASTIMES, THOSE COST TEND TO BE AROUND 20 TO 30,000 FOR THOSE ARTISTS.
UM, SO I CAN'T GIVE YOU EXACT AMOUNTS RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN GO BACK, UH, TO UNI AND REVIEW AND THEN PROVIDE THAT TO OUR INTERIM CITY MANAGER.
UM, AS FAR AS THE HERITAGE, UH, I KNOW THAT WE'VE DONE A LOT FOR THIS EVENT EVERY YEAR.
MY ONLY QUESTION WOULD BE I SAW FOUR ACTUAL CITIES ON IT.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT IT IS GONNA BE A FOUR YEAR COMMITMENT THAT WE DO, THEN NEXT, THEN NEXT, THEN NEXT, AND THEN A RETHOUGHT PROCESS OF THIS? OR IS IT YOU DO IT THIS ONE YEAR AND THEN NEXT YEAR YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK AND DO THIS AGAIN? EXCUSE ME.
SO THE CURRENT AGREEMENT WOULD BE ONE YEAR WITH THREE OR REALLY FOUR YEARS TOTAL, AND THEN IT AUTOMATICALLY RENEWS.
BUT IF WE NEEDED TO COME BACK TO DISCUSSION BOARD, OBVIOUSLY WE DID LAST YEAR WITH JUNETEENTH TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT FROM 3000 TO 10,000 OF THOSE, WE WOULD DEFINITELY BE VISITING IT.
UM, WE HAVE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE DEPARTMENT, SO WE TALK MORE
[01:15:01]
THAN WHAT MOST PEOPLE THINK.SO I I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE AN ISSUE FOR US TO COME BACK BEFORE TO MAKE AMENDMENTS.
AND SO THE 10,000, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE SPENT MORE THAN THAT, USUALLY WHEN WE DO OURS BY OURSELVES, THAT MEANS WE DO IT THIS YEAR, WE GET THE 10,000 FROM THE MM-HMM.
BUT WHEN WE DO IT IN OTHERS, WE ARE ONLY GIVEN 10,000.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. SYDNEY FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I JUST WANNA SAY I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
I LOVE THE INCLUSIVENESS AND I LOVE THE PARTNERSHIP OF BRINGING THE BEST SOUTHWEST TOGETHER FOR SOMETHING AS THIS SORT.
WE KNOW THAT DESOTO IS HOME TO 20% HISPANIC POPULATION, SO JUST BEING ABLE TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE AS A COMMUNITY, I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GREAT START AND A REALLY GREAT DIRECTION.
AND THEN BRINGING IN OTHER CITIES WITH THIS AS WELL IS GOING TO BE AMAZING.
UM, IF I THINK BACK CORRECTLY, WE HAVE SPENT, UM, ON AVERAGE 50,000, WE BUDGETED 50,000 FOR OUR PAST JUNETEENTH EVENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, SO WITH THE PARTNERSHIP, I THINK THIS IS ONLINE AND IF I'M ALSO CORRECT, OUR VENDORS, WE'RE NOT GIVING AWAY ANY FREE FOOD.
I THINK THE MOST IS THE ENTERTAINMENT AND THEN THE BOUNCE HOUSES, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE IS PRETTY MUCH OUT OF POCKET, UH, WITH THE, UM, WITH THE VENDORS THAT SHOW UP, RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO, UM, I, I THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT, GREAT, GREAT GREAT PARTNERSHIP.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
UM, I DON'T SEE ANY ADDITIONAL LIGHTS REGARDING THIS ITEM FOR QUESTIONS.
[b. Discussion of the Initial Guaranteed Maximum Price deliverables for the McCowan Park Aquatic and Recreation Center Budget Update]
UM, WE WILL HAVE THE NEXT AND FINAL ITEM ON OUR REGULAR AGENDA.NEXT WE HAVE DISCUSSION OF THE INITIAL GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE DELIVERABLES FOR THE MACALLAN PARK AQUATIC AND RECREATION CENTER BUDGET UPDATE.
MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS CHRIS GLOVER, PARKS DIRECTOR.
UH, GUARANTEED MAX, FIRST OF ALL, OUR UH, GUARANTEED MAX IS THE CAP THAT WE PUT ON THE CONSTRUCTION FOR THE AQUATICS AND RECREATION CENTER.
SO IT'S THE MOST THAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND.
SO WE COORDINATE THAT WITH, UM, IPS MANHATTAN AND THE SMITH GROUP.
AND IF WE GO TO OUR FIRST SLIDE, PLEASE, SIR, CLICK OH, DUH.
UH, THE REALLY GOOD NEWS IS OUR FIRST BULLET, UH, THE ANTICIPATED INITIAL, UH, GMP IS WHAT YOU'LL HEAR IT CALLED, IS, UH, BASED UPON 50% CONSTRUCTION DOC CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS IS $43,138,668.
AND I, AND I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL ARE THINKING, OKAY, WELL WHAT WAS BUDGETED FOR THAT? AND, AND IT WAS $43,200,000.
SO WE ARE WITHIN BUDGET AND WE'RE THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
OUR FUNDS ARE BUDGETED AND OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, UH, FUND, UH OH, OKAY.
NOW YOU, Y'ALL ARE GONNA HEAR A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS.
OKAY? YOU'RE GONNA HEAR 52 9, ABOUT 53 MILLION.
SO THE ENTIRE PROJECT IS A 53 52.
THAT IS THE TOTAL COST OF THE PROJECT.
THE CONSTRUCTION COST FOR THE PROJECT, UH, AS YOU SEE AT THE TOP IS 43,138,669 AS OF RIGHT NOW.
NOW, UH, IF YOU START ON YOUR LEFT AND, UH, UH, GO, GO, RIGHT? AND YOU SEE BACK IN APRIL WE WERE AT 43 1 AND OUR DOING OUR DESIGN DEVELOPMENT, UH, IN JUNE, WE WERE AT 46.5.
NOW, IF YOU RECALL, OUR FACILITY, UH, HAS BEEN, WE, WE'VE CHANGED THE WAY IT LOOKS.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN MASSAGING THIS THING ALL ALONG AND, UH, THAT, THAT MASSAGING OF IT HAS ACTUALLY CAUSED US TO GET HERE.
WE AGREED TO BRING TO YOU ALL, UH, OUR 50% WHEN WE WERE AT 50% OF CONSTRUCTION DESIGN WHILE WE WERE, AND, UH, WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO, TO REALLY GETTING CLOSE TO TO, TO THE GROUNDBREAKING.
SO THAT'S KIND OF SORT OF WHERE WE ARE.
BUT THE 43 MILLION THAT YOU SEE THAT IS STRICTLY FOR YOUR CONSTRUCTION COST, OKAY? THEN THERE'S ANOTHER ALMOST $10 MILLION FOR OUR, UH, SOFT COSTS.
AND IN OUR SOFT COSTS, THOSE THINGS INCLUDE LIKE LEAD CERTIFICATION, WHICH WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THAT TOMORROW.
UH, AND OUR DESIGN COSTS ARE OWNER OWNERS' ADMINISTRATION, AND OUR FF AND E FURNITURE FIXTURES AND EQUIPMENT WILL ALL BE PART OF OUR SOFT COST.
SO THAT'LL BE PART OF THE ALMOST $10 MILLION THAT WE DISCUSSED TOMORROW.
OUR, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE ARE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
WE'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT OF TALK ABOUT M
[01:20:01]
WBE.AS MAYOR WOULD SAY, Y'ALL CAN CLAP RIGHT HERE.
UH, UH, OH, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
BEFORE I GO HERE, I WANNA GO BACK.
UM, UH, MY BACKUP TO DATE, I HAVE HAL SHELTON, DANIELLE AND JASMINE WITH MANHATTAN.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE SYLVIA AND QUENTIN WITH, WITH IPS AND SOMETHING.
AS I WAS SITTING BACK THERE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, DIVERSITY AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, EVEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR TEAM, LOOK AT HOW IT LOOKS AND THAT, AND THAT'S HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO LOOK.
AND SO WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MWBES AND, AND, AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF M MWBES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, UH, OUR PARTICIPATION WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, THEY GET IT.
AND SO WE HAVE, WE, WE HAVE PREACHED IT FROM THE BEGINNING.
AND, UH, TO SEE IT ACTUALLY COME TO FRUIT FRUITION IS HUGE AS YOU ALL CAN SEE.
UH, AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE ABOUT $21.8 MILLION OF THE OVERALL CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
AND WHAT I, WHAT WHAT WE, UH, WHAT I FAILED TO PUT THERE IS CERTIFIED MWBES.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW.
SO $21.8 MILLION OF THE OVERALL CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
AND WHAT WE, UM, WHAT WE DETERMINED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT IS THAT WE WOULD BE ABOUT 30%, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ARE FAR EXCEEDING THAT 30%, UH, ON THIS PARTICULAR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT SO FAR.
SO WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? ALL RIGHT, GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION.
UH, AGAIN, WE'RE REALLY CLOSE.
IF YOU START ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, IN APRIL, WE'LL HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR CONSTRUCTION DESIGN SET PAGE TURN ON APRIL THE FIFTH, UH, APRIL THE, THE NINTH, WE HAVE SOME THINGS WITH ZONING, UH, APRIL THE 24TH, WHICH IS AT THE BOTTOM SOMEWHERE, OUR FINAL GUARANTEED MAX PRICE.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO SUBMIT IT TO THE CITY ON THE 29TH AND CITY.
WE'RE GONNA BRING IT BACK TO YOU ALL FOR APPROVAL, UH, IN MAY.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA START GROUNDBREAKING ON THIS THING.
NOW, SOMETHING ELSE THAT SETS REALLY BIG, WE, UH, WE HAVE BEEN GOING ALL AROUND THE METROPLEX WITH FACILITIES THAT ARE SIMILAR IN PRICE TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND, UM, IT, OURS IS GONNA HAVE SO MUCH MORE CHARACTER TO IT.
UH, WE, WE, WE'VE SEEN THE ONE AT IN, IN ALLEN.
IT LOOKED KIND OF INSTITUTIONALIZED, BUT IT WAS NICE.
THERE ARE SOME THAT WE VISITED AND, UH, THEY ARE NICE, BUT THIS ONE WILL BE UNIQUE.
UH, AND I THINK IT WILL REALLY SET THE TONES, THE TONE FOR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, UH, ONCE IT IS ACTUALLY DONE.
AND I, AND, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT JUST BECAUSE, UH, BECAUSE WE ARE, WE ARE, UH, ACTIVE AND, AND AGAIN, WE KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE.
SO WE'RE REALLY PLEASED WITH HOW IT'S TURNED OUT SO FAR.
AND FINALLY, FOR, UH, THOSE THAT MAY BE LISTENING AT HOME AND FOR YOU ALL AS WELL, UH, WE KEEP OUR UPDATES ON THIS WEBSITE.
AND SO ANYONE THAT WANTS TO FOLLOW ALONG AND SAY, OKAY, WHERE ARE WE? WHAT WE DOING? UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, WHEN ARE THEY MEETING, WHEN ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS? WE UPDATE THIS WEBSITE.
SO IF YOU WANNA FOLLOW THIS WEBSITE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FOLLOW THE PROJECT.
AND, UH, THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, MR. GLOVER.
AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, FOR THE UPDATES AND THE INTRODUCTION OF THE TEAM.
WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU WITH US, UH, HERE THIS EVENING.
I SEE ONE LIGHT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UH, IT IS, IT IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY OF DESOTO NEEDS IN ORDER TO TAKE US INTO A NEW ERA OF DESOTO.
AND SO I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THAT IS BEING PUT INTO THIS.
AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT.
COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUOUS EFFORT TO INCREASE OUR MWBE GOAL.
UM, PARKS ALWAYS DOES, DOES AMAZING JOB.
AND SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU YOUR FLOWERS 'CAUSE OF THEY'RE DUE.
AND THEN SAY THAT, UH, I WOULD ECHO THAT OUR EAST SIDE OF DESOTO IS VERY MUCH IN NEED OF A REC, AND WHAT I MOST RECENTLY FOUND OUT IS THAT WE STAY BUSY AND BOOKED AND BUSY, UM, DUE TO THESE TOURNAMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING, UM, TO THE POINT THAT SOME RESIDENTS, UM,
SO WHAT I'M EXCITED TO SEE IS A BALANCE NOW, BECAUSE NOW THERE WOULD BE MORE SPACE FOR TOURNAMENTS IS WHAT I'M GATHERING TOO, FROM THIS.
[01:25:01]
THE DIRT FLYING WOMAN.IT'S GONNA, THE DIRT IS GONNA START FLYING IN MAY
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO COUNT THAT
SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS THAT YOU PUT FORTH.
I DON'T SEE ANY ADDITIONAL LIGHTS, UH, FROM INDIVIDUALS WISHING TO SPEAK.
SO THAT WILL CONCLUDE THAT ITEM, UM, AT THIS TIME.
[4. EXECUTIVE SESSION AND RESULTING POTENTIAL ACTION ]
UM, WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, SO I'LL GIVE THAT BACK TO OUR CITY SECRETARY FOR THAT ANNOUNCEMENT.THE CITY COUNCIL WILL CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5, 1 0.074 PERSONNEL MATTERS OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE TO DELIBERATE THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT, AND DUTIES OF THE CITY MANAGER, AND ANY ACTION AS A RESULT.
AT THIS TIME, COUNSEL, IT IS 7:25 PM AND WE WILL CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.