[A. REGULAR SESSION]
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THE CORPORATION HEARS MY CALL TO ORDER ON THIS THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, 18TH OF JUNE AT 6:09 P.M. WE NOW HAVE THE APPLICATION FROM ONE OF OUR DISTINGUISHED MINISTERS IN THE HOUSE TODAY.
DISTINGUISHED JOKE. MR. JONES, PRAY FOR US TODAY, PLEASE. LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE YOUR PEOPLE. GOD DIRECT. GIVE US STRENGTH, WISDOM. IMPOSE ON US WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE US TO DO AND BE AS A CITY. WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE ALREADY DOING. BLESS THIS MEETING. BLESS EVERY FAMILY REPRESENTED. BLESS OUR GUESTS. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY. AMEN.
AMEN, AMEN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DIRECTOR JONES. AND WELCOME, EVERYONE THIS EVENING. AND, HAPPY TO EVERYONE TO GET OUT. AND THIS WARM EVENING AND NO MORE RAIN. SO EVERYONE IS FEELING GOOD AND GOT YOUR TREES ALL PICKED UP AND ALL THAT STUFF, RIGHT? YEAH SO LET'S TALK
[B.1. Esports Lab program update - DeSoto ISD ]
ABOUT OUR REGULAR AGENDA TONIGHT. AND THE NEW BUSINESS ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION AND A POSSIBLE ACTION. WE HAVE, ESPORTS LAB PROGRAM UPDATE FROM DESOTO ISD. WELCOME WE HAVE BEEN HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE. THANK YOU. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR INTERN INTRODUCTIONS EXCITED ABOUT THAT. OUR FINANCE STATUS REPORT, AS OF APRIL 2024, WE HAVE, CITY COUNCIL LIAISON UP THAT UPDATE. PRESIDENT AND DISCUSS, PRESENT AND DISCUSS THE PROPOSED, BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2425. DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION ON FACADE GRANT FOR HEALTH AND ALLIED HEALTH, DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION ON INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT FOR SUNSHINE. PEDIATRIC DAYCARE DAY CENTER AND DISCUSS DISCUSSION OF THE UPCOMING HAMPTON ROAD MINI TREE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND ON THAT NOTE, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO THE ESPORTS LAB PROGRAM UPDATE WITH DESOTO ISD.OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. GOOD EVENING, I AM MISSUS MCLEOD, THE CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER FOR DESOTO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. I AM SUPER EXCITED AND SO THANKFUL TO BE BACK HERE. LET ME JUST SAY I DON'T HAVE THE WORDS TO REALLY CAPTURE HOW APPRECIATIVE WE ARE FOR YOUR SUPPORT, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SMALL GLIMPSE OF THE IMPACT THAT YOU ALL HAVE MADE TODAY, WE ARE. OR RIGHT NOW, DURING OUR SUMMER SCHOOL, WE ARE HOSTING OUR SUMMER ENRICHMENT.
SO IN TOTAL WE HAVE A VARIETY OF , OPPORTUNITIES THAT OUR STUDENTS CAN ENGAGE IN. BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT EXCITEMENT, YOU THINK ABOUT ENGAGEMENT. OUR ESPORTS CLUB OR COMPETITIVE LAB IS THE ONE THAT WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF STUDENTS TRYING TO SIGN UP. AND IT'S JUST LIKE, I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE SPACE, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE YOU WERE ABLE TO INVEST IN US IN THIS VISION THAT WE HAD COLLECTIVELY. AND SO AGAIN, WE JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN OUR LEADERS IN MAKING THIS A DREAM A REALITY. AGAIN LIKE I MENTIONED, I AM MRS. MCLEOD. I OVERSEE OUR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, EMERGING BILINGUAL, RESEARCH EVALUATION AND DESIGN, SPECIAL POPULATIONS. AND I ALSO OVERSEE CMR COUNSELING AND ALSO OVERSEES 7 OR 27 MILLION GRANTS. SO THAT'S JUST A SMALL GLIMPSE OF THE WORK THAT I DO ALONGSIDE SOME AMAZING LEADERS. AND SO I'M GOING TO ASK, THEY INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AS WELL.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MELINDA PUGH AND I SERVE AS THE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION DIRECTOR IN DESOTO ISD. GOOD EVENING. I AM ANITA PERRY. I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE CAREER AND MILITARY READINESS AND COUNSELING SERVICES. SO TONIGHT, HOPEFULLY WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU SOME INSIGHTS IN REGARDS TO OUR PROGRESS, AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO GO FORWARD. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH OUR JOURNEY. WE'RE GOING TO LEVEL SET IN REGARDS TO OUR GOALS AND TALK ABOUT HOW WE ARE ABLE TO REALLY LEVERAGE OUR GOALS AND COMMUNICATE OUR EFFORTS, AND HOW IT WILL TRANSLATE TO RESULTS. ULTIMATELY SO ON YOUR OR IN YOUR FOLDERS, YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION. AGAIN YOU SEE FOUR GOALS THERE. ALSO, YOU WILL SEE OUR OBJECTIVE. ULTIMATELY, WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO BE COLLEGE, CAREER AND MILITARY READY, AND WE WANT THEM TO HAVE LIFE BEYOND GRADUATION. IF YOU KNOW, LIKE I KNOW I HAVE A 20 YEAR OLD SON
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AND ULTIMATELY I WANT HIM TO BE SELF INDEPENDENT. HE NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO THRIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, BE SELF-SUFFICIENT. AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ENSURING THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO. SO THE OBJECTIVE OF THE ESPORTS COMPETITIVE TEAM AT DESOTO HIGH SCHOOL IS TO ENCOURAGE STEM, WHICH STANDS FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS, FOR STUDENTS WHILE FOSTERING COLLABORATION, CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING, TEAMWORK AND COMMUNICATION. MISS PUGH, WHO IS OUR CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION DIRECTOR, WILL GO THROUGH THOSE GOALS AND THEN ALSO CONNECT THE DOTS TO THE INTEREST AND ALSO OUR UPCOMING PLANS FOR THE YEARS TO COME. THANK YOU. SO IF YOU LOOK AT GOAL NUMBER ONE, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TO BUILD PARTNERSHIPS TO HELP EXPAND THAT STEM EXPOSURE FOR OUR STUDENTS. OFTENTIMES THEY HEAR STEM, BUT THEY REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, AND THEN THEY DON'T KNOW HOW BROAD IT CAN BE. SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR GOALS, IS TO JUST EXPOSE STUDENTS TO DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES. IN GOAL TWO, WE WANT TO INCREASE INTERNSHIPS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN THE AREA OF ESPORTS AND STEM AND BEFORE WE ACTUALLY STARTED ON THIS PROJECT, I HAD NO IDEA THAT THERE WAS AS MUCH MONEY IN ESPORTS AS THERE IS. SO THERE ARE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF SCHOLARSHIPS EVERY YEAR, I THINK 16 MILLION. YEAH. GIVEN JUST FOR ESPORTS. SO WE DEFINITELY WANT TO TAP IN AND GET SOME OF THAT MONEY. WE ALSO WANT TO OFFER INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS. AND THEN FOR GOAL THREE, WE WANT TO CREATE MORE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN EMERGING STEM FIELDS. SO THE COMPETITION TEAM IS KIND OF LIKE THE HOOK FOR STUDENTS, BUT THERE'S SO MANY OTHER AREAS THAT WE CAN GO INTO THAT ALL CENTER AROUND ESPORTS AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT JUST A LITTLE BIT. AND THEN GO FOR OF COURSE, WE WANT TO BUILD OUT A FULL ESPORTS, PATHWAY FOR THE STUDENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. SO IF YOU FLIP OVER, WE DO HAVE SOME MINI GOALS, IF YOU WILL, OR SOME STEPS THAT WE WANT TO TAKE TO GET TO THOSE ULTIMATE GOALS. SO THE FIRST ONE, STARTING WITH ACADEMICS, WE WANT TO BUILD OUT THOSE FIVE CAREER PATHS THAT YOU SEE. THEY'RE ALL PRETTY MUCH CENTERED AROUND THE ESPORTS COMPETITION TEAM. SO WITH THE DESIGN AND MULTIMEDIA ARTS, THEY CAN MANAGE THE WEBSITE FOR THE TEAM, WHICH THEY ACTUALLY HAVE, RECENTLY THEY STARTED A INSTAGRAM PAGE. SO WE'RE GETTING THAT UP AND GOING AND THEN WE'LL JUST OF COURSE, GO FURTHER FROM THERE. BUT THE DESIGN AND MULTIMEDIA ARTS, THEY CAN DO GRAPHICS AND ALL OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS, CENTERED AROUND THE ESPORTS TEAM. THEN WE ALSO HAVE AUDIO VIDEO TECHNOLOGY. WE WANT TO GET TO A POINT EVENTUALLY WHERE WE CAN LIVE STREAM, WE CAN HAVE DIFFERENT COMPETITIONS. SO AGAIN, WE CAN USE OUR STUDENTS IN AUDIO VIDEO TECHNOLOGY TO DO JUST THAT. THE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, AS WITH ANY TEAM, YOU NEED SOME TYPE OF MANAGEMENT . THEY CAN WORK WITH THE LOGISTICS OF THE TEAM. THEN WE HAVE THE MARKETING OF COURSE, MARKETING. IT'S ALWAYS BEING IN ANY AREA. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE JOURNALISM SO WE CAN GET TO THE POINT WHERE WHEN THEY'RE DOING THE COMPETITIONS, WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE SOMEONE DOING A PLAY BY PLAY OF WHAT'S GOING ON. SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME GENERAL AREAS BASED ON THOSE PATHWAYS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN THE DISTRICT THAT CAN BE CENTERED AROUND THE ESPORTS TEAM AND THEN PARTNERSHIPS. OF COURSE, WE WANT TO BUILD PARTNERSHIPS. WE ALREADY WORK WITH DANNY MARTIN.I KNOW MANY OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW HIM, BUT HE'S KIND OF HELPED US GET EVERYTHING OFF THE GROUND.
BUT WE DO WANT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THOSE PARTNERSHIPS AND NOT JUST IN THE AREA SPECIFICALLY OF ESPORTS, BUT AGAIN, SOMEONE THAT MAY BE ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR DESIGN AND MULTIMEDIA STUDENTS OR AUDIO VIDEO TECH STUDENTS. SO JUST AGAIN, USING CENTER, ESPORTS AS THAT CENTERPIECE AND THEN WORKING AROUND IT. SO I WANT TO ADD TO THAT, IT WAS REALLY CRITICAL AND VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE ADDED THE ACADEMIC SLIDE IN HERE, BECAUSE WHEN YOU THINK OF ESPORTS, YOU MIGHT JUST THINK OF ONLY GAMIFICATION, BUT IT'S VERY CRITICAL THAT WE ALIGN GAMIFICATION AND ALSO SKILLS AND SO AS WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN STRENGTHEN OUR PIPELINE FOR SUPPORT, WE THOUGHT IT WAS EQUALLY AS CRITICAL TO ALIGN THE PURPOSE AND THE VALUE OF ESPORTS AND ACADEMICS. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMPETITION TEAM, WE WANT TO PARTICIPATE. ACTUALLY, WE DID PARTICIPATE IN TWO. WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO START WITH ONE LEAGUE, BUT WE ENDED UP WITH TWO
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LEAGUES AND DID VERY WELL. IF YOU CAN SEE, FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE ONE PAGER THAT YOU'VE ALREADY RECEIVED, OUR STUDENTS RECEIVED FIRST PLACE IN THE LEAGUE IN FORTNITE, AND THEY ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE TEXAS LEAGUE, AND THEY RECEIVED FIRST PLACE IN THERE AS WELL. AND THAT ALLOWED THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY GO TO A STATE LEVEL COMPETITION. AND THEY MADE IT TO THE SEMIFINALIST THERE. SO THAT WAS, OH, GO AHEAD. I WANT TO REALLY RELISH IN THIS MOMENT. SO LET'S GIVE YOURSELVES A HAND FOR YOU GUYS. SO AGAIN WE ARE COMPETITORS. I THINK THEY ARE LIKE THEIR SPONSOR THIS PEW MYSELF AND DOCTOR PERRY, WHEN WE'RE GOING IN WITH THE KIDS, LIKE WE'RE GIVING THEM A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY. AND SO WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT WE ARE SUPER EXCITED FOR THEM. AND I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND JUST SHARE. IF I COULD DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE ACTUAL LOGO HERE, OUR ESPORTS STUDENTS ACTUALLY CREATED THAT. AND SO THAT JUST SHOWS THE INTERNALIZATION AND OWNERSHIP THAT THEY'RE ALREADY HAVE FOR THE EA SPORTS COMPETITIVE TEAM. SO THEY'RE REALLY EXCITED AND EXTREMELY ENTHUSED ABOUT IT. AND WE'RE GROWING. SO NEXT YEAR THEY WANT TO ADD AN NBA TWO K TEAM. SO WE ARE GROWING, AND THEN IF YOU MOVE OVER TO THE LEFT SIDE THE PIPELINE, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO BUILD THE PIPELINE JUST LIKE THEY DO IN ANY OTHER SPORTS. YOU DON'T. WELL, MOST DON'T JUST START PLAYING IN HIGH SCHOOL.THEY PLAYED FROM A YOUNG AGES ON UP. SO WE'RE BUILDING THAT PIPELINE WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS. WE'VE ACTUALLY STARTED WITH THE SUMMER ENRICHMENT CAMP. SO WE HAVE, SESSIONS FOR SIX AND SEVENTH GRADERS WHERE THEY'RE JUST KIND OF LEARNING ABOUT IT. AND THEN WE HAVE A SEPARATE SESSION FOR THE EIGHTH GRADERS AND THOSE THAT ARE REALLY THOSE, WELL, THEY'RE MOVING INTO THE NINTH GRADE, BUT THOSE ARE THE STUDENTS THAT WANT TO JOIN THE TEAM. SO THEY'RE KIND OF GETTING A LEG UP FOR NEXT YEAR. AND I WANT TO ADD, AS WE ARE PROVIDING EQUITY AND ACCESS, WE ARE NOT JUST TAILORED TO MALES. WE DO HAVE FEMALE STUDENTS THAT ARE PART OF OUR EA SPORT COMPETITIVE TEAM. THAT'S GREAT. AND WE ACTUALLY HAD ONE WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, BUT THEN SHE FELL OFF.
BUT WE HAVE MORE THAT ARE NOW INTERESTED. NOW THAT WE'RE WE'RE GROWING, THEY'RE GETTING INTERESTED. SO IT'S GREAT. SO IF YOU'LL TURN OVER TO THE NEXT PAGE, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY EA SPORTS OF COURSE, IS AN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY FOR THE STUDENTS. BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS THEM TO GAIN JUST SOME VALUABLE SKILLS THAT WILL TRANSCEND OVER ALL, ALL, SPORTS IN THE CLASSROOM OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM, EVERYWHERE. SO THEY HAVE TO, OF COURSE. NO TIME MANAGEMENT, THEY'RE BUILDING THOSE CAMARADERIE SKILLS, COLLABORATION SKILLS, WORKING WITH TEAMS. THEY'RE LEARNING HOW TO MANAGE SUCCESS AND FAILURE. STRATEGIC THINKING. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALLY REALIZE EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE PLAYING GAMES. BUT THERE IS A LOT OF STRATEGY INVOLVED IN PLAYING THOSE GAMES. SO THOSE ARE ALL SKILLS THAT TRANSCEND FROM ONE POINT TO ANOTHER. SO I GOT A QUESTION. YES. Y'ALL DIDN'T COME TO US. WE'RE ALL IN. Y'ALL COME TO BRAG A LITTLE BIT. YEAH. THAT'S RIGHT. WE'LL MAKE SURE WE GOT TO. SO I'M WRITING ABOUT YOU ANOTHER CHECK. YOU AIN'T GOT TO. YOU AIN'T. IF YOU CAME TO ASK FOR SOME MONEY. SAY WE NEED SOME MORE MONEY. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. WITH THAT. LEAVE IT THERE. YOU AIN'T GOTTA SAY. ALL RIGHT, THIS GROUP, WE WITH YOU, AND WE'RE EXCITED FOR YOU. WE DID WANT TO ALSO POINT OUT THE GOALS THAT WE'RE MAKING THAT WE HAVE SET. AND WE'RE REACHING THOSE GOALS SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT MORE MONEY THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. BUT I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE ALIGNMENT TO GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. SO ONE OF THE THINGS WITH GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS IS FOR STUDENTS TO HAVE AN ENDORSEMENT. AND ONE OF THOSE ENDORSEMENTS THAT THEY CAN HAVE IS A STEAM ENDORSEMENT. SO THIS WILL ALIGN TO GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS. AS WE CONTINUE TO BUILD OUT THIS PATHWAY FOR ESPORTS WITHIN DESOTO ISD. I'VE NEVER HEARD A GROUP TALK ABOUT MILITARY BEING A PART OF THE CURRICULUM. I THINK THAT IS THE MOST EXCITING PART OF EVERYTHING YOU'VE SAID THIS EVENING FOR ME, THAT YOU GUYS ARE ALIGNING OUR MILITARY TO YOUNG STUDENTS AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS, INTRODUCING THEM TO THAT, THAT'S THAT'S A BIG DEAL. AND WE HAD 31 STUDENTS TO ANNOUNCE THAT THEY WERE A PART OF A MILITARY BRANCH AS THEIR POST-SECONDARY OPTIONS FOR THE CLASS OF 2024. THAT'S A BIG DEAL. HOW MANY? 31. THAT'S A BIG NUMBER. AND WE NEED TO I MEAN, THAT HAS TO BE HIGHLIGHTED. THAT'S A BIG DEAL. AND SO IF WE'RE GOING TO HONOR OUR TIME, SO WHAT WE'LL DO, WE'LL JUST GO THROUGH OUR BUILDING PATHWAYS. SO IT IS THE SECOND TO LAST PAGE SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE PATH FORWARD AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO, OF COURSE, CONTINUE OUR ROBUST PROGRAMING. BUT WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR OUR SPORTING COMPETITIVE TEAM? AS YOU TALK ABOUT FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITIES? AGAIN, WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU ALL TO NUMBER ONE,
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TO KNOW THE RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE DONE, BUT THEN CREATING AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WOULD THE FUTURE HOLD IN REGARDS TO THESE OPPORTUNITIES. AND SO, MISS, YOU COULD JUST VERY BRIEFLY GO OVER OUR BUILDING PATHWAYS AND THEN WE'LL LAND ON OUR ACADEMIC INTEGRATION, AND THEN WE'LL OPEN UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR US.OKAY. SO IF YOU FLIP OVER TO THE BUILDING A PATHWAY BEGINNING, THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO INTEGRATE THE ESPORTS CURRICULUM INTO OUR BUSINESS MANAGEMENT COURSE. SO THAT'S STEP ONE. SO WE'RE, ALREADY PREPARED. THERE'S CURRICULUM THAT ACTUALLY CAME OUT THROUGH OUR EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER, WHICH IS REGION TEN. SO WE HAVE THAT. WE'RE JUST GOING TO INFUSE IT AND THEN HIT THE GROUND RUNNING FOR, THIS UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. AND THEN THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL YEAR TO HAS, DEVELOPED SOME COURSES. SO AS THEY RELEASE COURSES, WE'RE GOING TO ADD THEM INTO OUR COURSE CATALOG. SO FOR THE 2526 SCHOOL YEAR, WE'LL HAVE TWO COURSES. WE'LL HAVE THE INTRO TO ESPORTS AND THE ESPORTS MANAGEMENT. AND THEN DEPENDING ON WHAT THE STATE RELEASES WILL ADD ADDITIONAL COURSES AS THEY RELEASE. SO THEN IF YOU FLIP OVER TO 2627, THAT'S WHERE WE WANT TO HAVE FULL IMMERSION INTO ESPORTS AND THE ESPORTS AGAIN IS JUST THAT CENTER POINT. AND WE'RE GOING TO BUILD ALL OF THE OTHER PATHWAYS AROUND THAT ESPORTS COMPETITION TEAM. SO AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE THE DESIGN AND MULTIMEDIA ARTS. WE'LL HAVE THE AUDIO VIDEO AND SO ON. SO ALL OF THESE WILL SUPPORT THAT COMPETITION. TEAM THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR US. YES, WHEN YOU WHEN YOU MENTIONED THAT 80 HAS DEVELOPED COURSES WHERE THE COURSES DEVELOPED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ESPORTS OR I MEAN, SO HAVE TO EMBRACE THIS AS WELL. YES OKAY. THEY ARE SPECIFIC ACTUALLY, DANNY MARTIN IS HELPING TO WRITE SOME OF THOSE COURSES CURRICULUM. BUT YES, THERE'S SPECIFICALLY FOR ESPORTS. SO LET ME IF I MAY, LET ME APPLAUD YOU BECAUSE OF THE SYSTEMIC VIEW THAT YOU'VE GIVEN AS WELL AS THE CONTINUITY OF YOUR PROGRAM AND THE FUTURISTIC PATHWAY IS OUTSTANDING. FRANKLY, WE WERE PREPARED TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS. I'M GOING TO CITE SOME OF THAT. I HAVE THE SAME.
BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND. YOU SHUT ME DOWN, OKAY? BECAUSE WE WERE GOING TO ASK WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK MORE DETAILS ON NEXT STEPS, SPECIFIC TIME FRAMES, AND ANTICIPATED NEEDS. I THINK THE NEEDS IS MORE MONEY. I THINK, THE NEXT STEPS YOU'VE TOLD US ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS INTO 2027 AND BEYOND, RIGHT? BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU TALKED ABOUT MANAGEMENT. IT'S ONE THING TO HAVE A PROGRAM, BUT IT'S ANOTHER THING TO TAKE A PROGRAM TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND TO INFUSE THE FUTURISTIC MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES AND TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S SUCCESSION PLANNING. SO I JUST WANT TO APPLAUD YOU ALL. LET'S GIVE THEM A LET'S OCTOBER. I WAS I WANT TO SAY HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT SUPERINTENDENT ROGERS SEE SEES THE FUTURE AND IS NOT. YOU CAN'T BE WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU'RE GOING AT THE SAME PLACE AT THE SAME TIME. AND SHE'S BEING VERY AHEAD OF THE CURVE IN THE WAY SHE'S APPROACHING THAT. AND WE WANT TO SAY TO HER, YES, THANK YOU ABSOLUTELY FOR HER LEADERSHIP. YES, I WILL DELIVER THE MESSAGE PROUDLY. I LOVE IT.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I HAVE A QUESTION. DO YOU HAVE THE QUESTIONS? THEY COULD HAVE SENT AN EMAIL THOUGH. DO YOU WANT TO GET A CHANCE TO SEE WHO WANTED TO COME SEE YOU? WE WANTED TO COME. YOU'RE WELCOME. WE WEREN'T SO HAPPY ABOUT WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING. NO, JUST STEPHANIE, I WILL ASK, HAVE YOU GUYS STARTED THINKING THROUGH TO OUR DIRECTOR'S POINT? WHAT IS THE NEED? WHAT ARE THE NEEDS GOING FORWARD? WHAT ARE THEY SUPPORT WISE? WHAT ARE THEY COMMUNITY WISE? WHAT ARE THEY MONETARILY? WHAT'S WHAT'S THE NEED? WHAT'S THE ASK? SO WHENEVER I THINK ABOUT WHAT IS THE ASK, I ALWAYS USE DATA TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT IS. RIGHT. TO LET DATA INFORM MY DECISIONS AND SO THE DATA THAT COMES TO MY MIND IS THE INTEREST AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ARE REACHING OUT THE EMAILS THAT WE'RE RESPONDING TO. AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL DEVICES. AND SO THE ASK WOULD BE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DEVICES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR LAB, BECAUSE CURRENTLY TODAY, I THINK WE HAD ABOUT 20 KIDS JUST TRYING TO COME IN AND JUST WATCH. THEY HAD TO WATCH. SO YOU'RE SITTING THERE AND
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YOU'RE SEEING STUDENTS JUST STANDING WATCHING SOMEONE. OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE 100% PARTICIPATION RATE BASED ON OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT ONLY INTERESTED, BUT ARE ALSO A PART OF THE PROGRAMING. AND SO THE ASK WOULD BE TO HELP US FUND ADDITIONAL DEVICES. AND DO Y'ALL HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SUPPORT, THE ADDITIONAL STUDENTS, THE. YES, THE SPACE, THE SPACE THAT WE HAVE NOW, IT'S LITERALLY HALF OF THE SPACE BEING UTILIZED. AND SO WE DO HAVE ADDITIONAL SPACE AVAILABLE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT NEED. AND INSTRUCTORS TOO, WITH ADDITIONAL. YES, YES. AND I WILL ADD, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A HOPE ROOM, IF YOU WILL, FOR IF WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND, BECAUSE WHEN WE ADD THE NBA TWO K THEY PLAY WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SYSTEM.SO WE HAVE IDENTIFIED ANOTHER AREA IN THE BUILDING THAT'S NOT FAR FROM THE CURRENT ONE, WHERE WE CAN ADD THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SYSTEMS IN THAT AREA. AND SO WHAT WE DID, WE STRATEGICALLY PLACED THE ESPORTS AND COMPETITIVE TEAM RIGHT IN THE HUB OF THE CAMPUS. AND SO WE WANTED IT TO BE AN ATTRACTION. WE WANTED IT TO BE VERY OUT IN YOUR FACE. ESPORTS AND SO THAT WAS STRATEGIC. AND SO NOW THAT WE HAVE THE INTEREST, NOW THAT WE HAVE THE BUY IN AGAIN, WE ALREADY HAVE IDENTIFIED THE SPACE AND WE'RE JUST WAITING TO, YOU KNOW, SEE WHERE THE GROWTH CONTINUES. SO HOW MANY SYSTEMS DO YOU NEED. ARE YOU THINKING WHAT WILL WE HAVE. WE'LL JUST ADD ON TO THE OTHER JUST DOUBLE IT. AND SO WE HAVE CURRENTLY HAVE HOW MANY WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
WE HAVE SIX SIX. SO 12 WOULD BE THE. SO CAN IS IT POSSIBLE TO TAKE THIS INFORMATION DO A PRESS RELEASE, RUN IT IN OUR DESOTO NEWSLETTER AND LET US USE NOT JUST OUR POWER BUT OUR COMMUNITY POWER. WITH ALL OF THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE RELOCATING HERE TO SAY THIS IS A GREAT YOU GOT POTENTIAL STAFFERS RIGHT HERE LEARNING ESPORTS THAT I SEE ALL THE JOBS THAT POTENTIALLY SPUR OFF OF THAT. MANY OF THESE BUSINESSES COULD REALLY BENEFIT THAT NEWSLETTER. WE NOT ONLY USE OUR ECONOMIC POWER HERE, BUT WE USE OUR PROGRESS. YES, I THINK THAT WOULD BE AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY. SEE THE BEAUTY OF THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD AND BOND WITH.
YOU'VE ALREADY HAVE A CLOSE COMMUNICATION WITH OUR CHIEF OF COMMUNICATION. AND SO WE'RE JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY. BUT WE DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF PRESS RELEASE TO.
AND OUTREACH FOR OTHERS TO BE ABLE TO INVEST IN THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR US AS A DISTRICT AND ISD, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR INTENTION IS TO DOUBLE THAT SIZE THERE AT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AS OPPOSED TO. SO ONE OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS. YES, THE HIGH SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY. BUT THE LONG RANGE PLAN OR THE TWO YEAR PLAN, WE WOULD LIKE TO CREATE A PIPELINE FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING A LITTLE JEALOUS. THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, I MEAN, Y'ALL ARE HAVING ALL THAT FUN, IN HIGH SCHOO BUT NO WEDNESDAY KIND OF TRICKLE DOWN. AND SO AS WE THINK ABOUT SYSTEMS AND NOT JUST A POCKET OF SUCCESS AND WE WANT TO STREAMLINE SUPPORT, THAT WILL BE AGAIN, OUR TWO YEAR PLAN TO EXPAND IT TO OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS. SO I HAVE A QUESTION. SO YOUR DECK HERE, THE PURPOSE OF THE DECK IS TO DO WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU. YES, FOR ONE, FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN THE FIRST MEETING TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN REFERENCE AND THEN SECONDLY, ALSO TO SEE THE LONG RANGE PLAN FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS. SO WHY DON'T YOU PUT YOUR ASK AS PART OF YOUR DECK? I WOULD SUGGEST THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT FEEDBACK. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU COMING. AND BEING A PART OF OUR EVENING AND. AND GETTING US UP TO SPEED BECAUSE IT'S CLEAR YOU'VE HAD A BIG LIFT THIS YEAR. HOLD ON, HOLD ON. THANK YOU. AWESOME STUFF IS AT THE VERY BOTTOM. IT USED TO BE AT THE VERY TOP. WE NEED TO KNOW THAT AFTER THE FIRST YEAR, SIX MONTHS, FIRST SEMESTER. YEAH. AND THIS IS ACTUALLY A PICTURE OF THEM AT THE COMPETITION. AND THIS IS JUST A SMALL PORTION OF IT. THAT'S A BIG THING. YEAH. IS THAT, IS THAT, IS THAT, IN A PRINTED FORM SO THAT WE CAN DISSEMINATE IT THROUGH COUNCIL OR IS IT ONLY ELECTRONIC? CAN WE GET A COPY? SURE THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO, MR. JONES POINT SOMETHING THAT NEED TO BE CELEBRATED. SO I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION. WHAT'S THE WHAT'S THE LIKABLE OR DESIRED TIMELINE? I KNOW DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY, YOU LIKE TO ACHIEVE THAT OBJECTIVE, BUT WHAT'S REALISTIC IN YOUR VIEW? FOR THE ADDITIONAL SYSTEMS, I WANT YOU LEADING THE WORK. I MAY BE TOO SOON, BUT OCTOBER AND REMIND ME WHAT IT COST PER SYSTEM LIKE PER. I WOULD NEED TO GET WITH DANNY MARTIN BECAUSE HE WAS KIND OF OUR GO BETWEEN THERE. SO I WOULD NEED TO CHECK WITH HIM TO SEE.
BUT IF WE CAN GET SOMETHING UP AND GOING BY OCTOBER, THAT GIVES US TIME FOR THE NEW STUDENTS THAT WANT TO COME IN TO REALLY, YOU GOTTA ADD IT ALL IN OCTOBER, AUGUST, WE HOWEVER MANY YOU USE,
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YOU NEED IT WHEREVER THAT COST IS. THAT'S THAT'S A PART OF THE OKAY PART OF THE PRESENTATION.AUGUST YOU KNOW, OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. ONCE AGAIN WE APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU. OUTSTANDING US. THERE WAS ONE PROBLEM WITH THAT PRESENTATION. NONE OF US WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE. THEY MAY NOT WANT US THERE. I THINK THEY HAVE JOYSTICKS ANYMORE. WELL, WE CAN DEFINITELY SET UP SOME TOURNAMENTS. FOR THE BOYS, THEY LAUGHING. THAT SHE WAS. THAT SHE WAS. I'M SORRY. SHE WAS COLD. THANK YOU. BYE BYE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. APPRECIATE
[B.2. Intern Introductions ]
YOU. WELL, WHAT A GOOD SEGUE INTO, EDUCATION AND, COLLABORATION AND ALL OF THAT, I KNOW. NO, NO, WE GOT THE INTERNET PRODUCTION, SO THAT'S CRAZY. GOT A GOOD OLD BUFFER IN THIS, SO, PLEASE, GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD EVENING. HOW ARE Y'ALL DOING TODAY? EVENING? MY NAME IS AARON HALL, AND I AM A MARKETING MAJOR AT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. AND I WANTED TO JOIN THIS INTERNSHIP TODAY. I FEEL BLESSED BY GOD THAT HE WAS ALLOWED ME TO GET THE OPPORTUNITY. AND SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE HOW THE CITY OPERATES. I'VE BEEN LIVING HERE MY ENTIRE LIFE, AND SO I'M JUST I REALLY WANTED TO JOIN THE SEATTLE CITY OPERATES AND HOW MARKETING PLAYS INTO THE CITY GOVERNMENT. WELL, WHAT YEAR ARE YOU IN AT TSU? I'M HEADING INTO MY JUNIOR YEAR. OKAY. KAREN, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT. YEAH, ABOUT YOUR SORT OF AREAS OF INTEREST? I KNOW SPECIFICALLY WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS AROUND THOSE. I WANT TO GET INTO FILM PRODUCTION . I WANT TO HAVE MY OWN FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY. I WOULD LOVE TO SPECIALIZE IN BLACK ENTERTAINMENT, CATERING TO BLACK, ACTORS, BECAUSE THERE'S A NEED FOR JUST BLACK IN THE FILM INDUSTRY. THE NUMBERS ARE VERY LOW, AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO HELP ADD TO THOSE NUMBERS. IN MY CAREER. THAT'S AWESOME. THAT IS AWESOME. THANK YOU. WELCOME ABOARD. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME.GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JOEL ROWLETT. I'M A RISING JUNIOR AT UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS. I INTERNED HERE LAST SUMMER, SO I KNOW A LOT OF YOU ALL. I CAME BACK AND I REALLY DEVELOPED A LOVE FOR MY TEAM, FOR MATT, ANTOINE AND RONDA. I REALLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH THEM. AND YOU GUYS, OF COURSE, AS WELL. AND I REALLY TOOK AN INTEREST IN LEARNING ABOUT COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AND ESPECIALLY FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND REAL ESTATE FINANCING AND ALL OF THAT. SO THAT'S WHAT BROUGHT ME BACK THIS YEAR. SO EXCITED TO BE HERE AND HAPPY TO BE HERE. AND THANKFUL FOR THE INTERNSHIP, THE OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU. YEAH WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU. BUT WHAT IS THE NAME? SPRING WINTER. WINTER. WINTER. WINTER. WINTER HOW'D I GET THIS? SPRING. SO WINTER LEFT US BEHIND OUR CONGRESSMAN CROCKETT'S OFFICE THIS SUMMER IN, DC, SHE IS. SHE IS INTERNING FOR THE CONGRESSWOMAN. OH. SO, YEAH, VERY, VERY EXCITING FOR HER, AS MUCH AS WE MISS HER, IT'S GREAT A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HER, BUT SHE'S. AND BUT SHE'S REPRESENTING. WELL. SO WE WERE UP THERE FOR. THAT'S RIGHT. HTML SHE WAS RIGHT THERE. I'M SO PLEASED TO HEAR THAT. SO SHE IS REPRESENTING VERY WELL. WHAT AN EXCELLENT JOB. INTERESTING TIME TO BE AT CONGRESSWOMAN CROCKETT'S OFFICE. SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ASKED JOEL TO WORK ON, GIVEN HIS INTEREST IN COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE, AND I SAY THIS BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE FAR DEEPER TIES AND RESOURCES THAN I DO, IS TO ENVISION A PIECE OF PROPERTY ON HAMPTON ROAD AND HOW THAT MIGHT REDEVELOP. TAKE THAT FROM, JUST A BLANK SLATE AND CONCEPTUALIZE THAT, TO WORK WITH SOME DESIGN AND ARCHITECTS TO HELP TO BRING THAT KIND OF THINK THROUGH. WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS THAT MIGHT BE THERE TO START TO DEVELOP THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE THAT SUPPORTS THAT, TO DO SOME UNDERWRITING AGAINST THAT, AND THEN TO BRING IT FORWARD AND PRESENT IT AS KIND OF HIS CAPSTONE FOR THE YEAR, OF BEING ABLE TO SHOW US HERE'S HERE'S HOW HE MIGHT ENVISION A COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE PROJECT OR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT ON THE CORRIDOR, ANY, ANY HELP THAT YOU CAN GET ALONG THOSE OR YOU CAN OFFER. NO, I WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS BECAUSE WE JUST FINISHED BOOT CAMP, AND TWO PEOPLE THROUGH THE ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, AND THEY HAD TO PRESENT THEIR PROJECT BASED ON A PIECE OF LAND. BUT YOU NEED TO COME TALK TO ME AFTER THIS. YES, MA'AM. WE GOT SOMETHING COMING UP NEXT WEEK. I THINK IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE, I THINK IT COULD BE GOOD FOR YOU AS WELL. OR MAYBE EVEN JUST GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE FOLKS WHO WERE IN THE BOOT CAMP. YEAH, BECAUSE THEY THEY HAVE A PATH TO FOLLOW. YEAH, THEY JUST DID IT. SO THAT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL. ANY HELP THAT YOU ALL
[00:30:03]
CAN OPEN UP DOORS AND JUST A PHONE CALL WOULD, WOULD BE TREMENDOUS, AS HE STARTS TO EXPLORE THAT, THAT WOULD BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL. YOU KNOW, I'D GO FURTHER TO SAY THAT, AARON, EXCUSE ME, THIS BEING YOUR FIRST YEAR, BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND SINCE YOU'RE SO FOCUSED ON VIDEO PRODUCTION AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BEING ABLE TO OVERLAY YOUR TALENTS, YOUR EXPERTISE TO WHAT JOEL IS, IS DOING AND TO BE ABLE TO HONE IN ON WHAT THAT PRESENTATION LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, FROM A MULTIMEDIA STANDPOINT TO TECHNOLOGIES. AND HOW DOES THAT SHOW FLYTHROUGHS OR WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING THERE? SO THERE'S A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT COULD MANIFEST THERE. YEAH. AND THE LAST THING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON THIS YEAR IS, THE SECOND ANNUAL YOUNG PROFESSIONALS FORUM. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HEAR FROM COUNCIL, WE HEAR FROM OUR FROM OUR CITIZENS, ON A ROUTINE BASIS, IS THE FUTURE OF DESOTO IS THESE GUYS. IT'S THE SKY. IT'S NOT US. WE'RE AGING. BUT HOW DO HOW DO YOU YOU THAT WOULD BE YOU, SIR. YOU GO TOO FAR. YOU GO TOO FAR. THERE WE GO. WE'RE AGING. YEAH, BUT, MAN, I DON'T LIKE TO, LIKE, GET THROUGH. LIKE LIKE LIKE YOU SAID, THESE GUYS, BUT, BUT BRINGING, BRINGING THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE TO THE FOREFRONT AND ASKING THE QUESTION, WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES A CITY ATTRACTIVE TO YOU AS YOU THINK TOWARDS YOUR FUTURE? IF THAT'S WHERE WE WANT TO BE, THEN WE HAVE TO BE LISTENING TO THAT SO THAT IT'S NOT THE SAME VOICES TELLING US, TELLING YOUNG PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEED TO LIKE. IT'S THEM TELLING US, HERE'S WHAT OPENS DOORS FOR ME, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WILL HELP TO US, HELP INFORM US AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL, AT THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AND THE BOARD, AT THE DEVELOPMENT BOARD, I THINK WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE. SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON A WAY TO BRING YOUNG PEOPLE TOGETHER FOR SOME INTERACTION, BUT ALSO A LISTENING SESSION FOR US.EXCELLENT DATES TO COME. WELL, I WAS GOING TO ALSO SAY IN DEVELOPING THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR STORYTELLING, I THINK AS A FILMMAKER THAT'S A FILMMAKER'S BEST ASSET IS THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO TELL A STORY. AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT HERE IS HOW DOES DESOTO TELL THE STORY OF THE FUTURE OF THIS CITY? AND IS THIS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT WITH THESE YOUNG VOICES, THAT ARE GOING TO BE THE FUTURE LEADERS OF SETUP? GREAT IDEA.
YEAH, GREAT, SO WE KNOW THAT YOU GUYS THOUGHT YOU WERE OUT OF SCHOOL, BUT WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IT CARRIES OVER. OKAY WE ALL PEOPLE HAVE. WELL, WELCOME AGAIN. WELCOME BACK. AND THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING FOR YOU. ALL RIGHT. NOW TRACY, HARD ACTS TO FOLLOW, RIGHT? YEAH. ALL RIGHT. FINANCE STATUS AS OF APRIL 20TH 2403. IN YOUR BOOK, WE'LL GET
[B.3. Finance Status Reports April and May 2024. Tracy Cormier, Interim Deputy City Manager. ]
YOU TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR APRIL, WHICH YOU REMEMBER. OUR MEETING WAS SO EARLY IN APRIL THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO GET THESE DONE, THIS IS THE REASON YOU HAVE TO. ALL RIGHT. FOR THE APRIL REPORT, REVENUES ARE, OF COURSE, IN LINE WITH OUR BUDGET EXPECTATIONS, WE'RE AT 54. 54% OF OUR OVERALL REVENUE HAS BEEN COLLECTED, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, OF COURSE, SALES TAX AND, INTEREST REVENUE IS LEADING THE WAY, WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 113,000 IN SALES TAX REVENUE COMPARED TO THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR. AND WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 179,000 IN INTEREST REVENUE COMPARED TO THE SAME PERIOD OF LAST YEAR, AS FAR AS EXPENDITURES, OF COURSE, WE ALWAYS TREND LOWER THAN OUR EXPECTATIONS, YOU KNOW, DUE TO HOW THE GRANTS ARE PAID OUT, RIGHT NOW WE ARE AT 33.4% OF OUR, EXPENDITURES THROUGH THE MONTH OF APRIL. AND LIKE I SAY, THERE ARE NORMAL EXPENDITURES. WE DID HAVE ONE GRANT, A LARGE GRANT THAT COMES THROUGH. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO EXPAND ON THAT. I'M NOT SURE WHICH GRANT WAS. I'M NOT SURE. I KNOW WHICH ONE WAS. WHAT WAS THAT, WE SPENT A TOTAL OF 483 IN THE MONTH OF APRIL. THE BUSINESS GRANT. BUSINESS GRANT? I FORGOT, I DON'T I DON'T KNOW TO TELL YOU THAT, BUT WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION. CAN WE GET THAT FOR YOU? WHAT? THAT CONSISTS. I DON'T REMEMBER IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. SO, TRACY, REAL QUICK ON THE SALES TAX REVENUE AND THE INTEREST REVENUE, IT'S ABOUT $292,000. IT'S, DO YOU HAVE ANY. EXCUSE ME, INSIGHT AS TO WHAT WHAT'S DRIVING THOSE? I'M IN THE[00:35:06]
PROCESS OF GETTING THAT INFORMATION BY INDUSTRY AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE THAT FOR THE NEXT MEETING. YES. GREAT YEAH. THANK YOU. YEAH. HAVE YOU HAD ASKED FOR THAT THIS LAST TIME? YEAH. BUT I SAW IT. IT'S LIKE THEY HAVE FOR JULY. YEAH. THANK YOU, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AS FAR AS THE, APRIL. THANK YOU FOR THAT. OKAY ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO THE MAY REPORT ON MAY. ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE MEETING OUR BUDGETS AND BUDGET EXPECTATIONS. WE ARE AT 65% OF OUR REVENUE THROUGH MAY. AND ONCE AGAIN, SALES TAX AND INTEREST REVENUE IS DRIVING THAT. WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 129,000 AND, $567 IN SALES TAX REVENUE COMPARED TO THIS TIME LAST YEAR, AND ALSO 167,656, IN ADDITIONAL INTEREST REVENUE, COMPARED TO THIS TIME LAST YEAR, EXPENDITURES ARE STILL PRETTY LOW. WE'RE AT 37.1% OF OUR BUDGETED AMOUNT, FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR THROUGH MAY. ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT I'LL MENTION THERE IS IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KIND OF LOOK AT ON AN ONGOING BASIS. WE'RE WE'RE REMEMBER OUR SALES TAX ARE COLLECTED TWO MONTHS IN ARREARS. SO WE ARE NOW AT THE SIX MONTH MARK. MARCH SALES TAXES ARE INCLUDED IN THIS. AND WE FIND OURSELVES AT THAT POINT OF THE YEAR AT ABOUT AN 8.7% GROWTH RATE OF SALES TAX SO FAR EXCEEDS WHAT WE HAD ANTICIPATED AND WHAT WE PLANNED FOR, WHICH WAS 5. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT WE'RE GROWING. WE CONTINUE TO GROW DESPITE SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WERE INCURRED WITH WITH OUR DISTRIBUTION CENTER, AS A AS A POINT OF SALE WITH KOHL'S, IT REALLY HAS NOT STYMIED OUR GROWTH, I DON'T THINK AT ALL.AND IN FACT, IT VERY MUCH CONTINUES TO GROW. AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE ADDITIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE IN THIS COMING YEAR WITH MANY OF THE NEW OPERATORS ALONG BELT LINE. IT'S STARBUCKS. IT'S CHICK-FIL-A, CHICK FIL A, IT'S DUTCH BROTHERS, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF THAT ARE COMING ONLINE. THOSE ARE THOSE ARE SUBSTANTIAL ADDS TO OUR, TO OUR SALES TAX. SO WE'RE EXCITED. WE THINK THE FUTURE IS VERY BRIGHT. IN FACT, WHEN WE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, TRACY AND I HAD A CONVERSATION TODAY, AND, AND WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO GROW THAT, THAT SALES TAX LINE ITEM IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, AGAIN AT 5, BECAUSE WE THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY ACHIEVABLE. SO TRACY, LET ME ASK YOU, WHEN WE LOOK AT INTEREST REVENUES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, IF I RECALL CORRECT, WE HAD LOOKED AT CERTAIN, CDS THAT WE HAD TAKEN OUT OR WHAT HAVE YOU AND CAN WE SPEAK TO THE GROWTH, THE MATURITY OF ALL OF THAT AND THE TIMELINES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE? YES, PREPARE FOR THAT.
OH, OKAY. THANK YOU, CURRENTLY, WE HAVE 3 MILLION INVESTED IN CDS, WE HAVE 1 MILLION IN A SIX MONTH CD THAT COMES DUE AUGUST 23RD. IT'S CURRENTLY EARNING 5.55 INTEREST RATE. WE HAVE A NINE MONTH CD THAT COMES DUE NOVEMBER 23RD OF THIS YEAR FOR 1 MILLION. IT'S CURRENTLY EARNING 5.38. AND THEN WE HAVE 1 MILLION CDS THAT COME DUE FEBRUARY OF 23 OF 25, AND IT'S EARNING 5.2. AND THAT'S A 12 MONTH. SO AS A AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, ARE ARE YOU LIMITED TO WHERE YOU CAN INVEST THE MONEY. YES. OKAY, WE HAVE WE HAVE TO FOLLOW OUR, INVESTMENT POLICY AND IT'S THE SAME AS THE CITY'S REPORTED MATURITY. YES SO IT'S A CD ON CD IS WE DO HAVE SOME SECURITIES THAT WE INVEST IN, BUT THEY'RE LIMITED. OKAY. YEAH, WE DEFINITELY CANNOT LOSE ANY PRINCIPAL. SO IT HAS TO BE A CONSERVATIVE INVESTMENT. SO ONE OF THE THINGS JUST TO QUALIFY THAT THOUGH, THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BY STATUTE IS ALLOWED TO MAKE INVESTMENTS TO, TO PURCHASE, TO DEVELOP, TO LEASE, TO SELL, LAND, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS THAT THERE ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE ON OUR HORIZON WHERE WE MAY VERY WELL FIND OURSELVES EITHER NEEDING TO OR WANTING TO MAKE THOSE. SO THE FUND BALANCE THAT WE HAVE, WHEN HE SAYS THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE CITY'S POLICY, THERE IS NO SUCH POLICY WITHIN THE CITY. SO JUST KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE OUR FUND BALANCE AND INVEST IT. WE REALLY DID WHAT WE WERE DOING WITH CDS, WHICH DOES FOLLOW EXACTLY WHAT THE CITY'S INVESTMENT PROGRAM LOOKS LIKE, AND THAT WAS JUST TO DO SOME BETTER CASH MANAGEMENT, BECAUSE WE HAD CASH SITTING THAT WAS EARNING A QUARTER OF A PERCENT, AND YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE. I MEAN, THIS COMING YEAR, WE'RE
[00:40:05]
GOING TO BE FORECASTING $250,000 FROM THOSE CDS. REMEMBER TWO YEARS AGO WE WERE FORECASTING $12,000 IN REVENUE AND INTEREST REVENUES. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE, SAME MONEY, TWO SAME MONEY. EXACTLY RIGHT. SO I KNOW YOU GOT DIFFERENT TIMES, TIMELINES FOR THE MATURITY, BUT ON GOING, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO JUST KIND OF APPRIZE US OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THOSE, WHAT I CAN DO WHEN THEY COME DUE. I CAN, YOU KNOW, LET YOU KNOW OR I JUST GAVE YOU THE DATES, BUT WHEN THEY COME DUE, I CAN GIVE YOU THE INTEREST AMOUNT JUST FOR THAT PARTICULAR CD AND LET YOU KNOW HOW DO WE REINVEST THAT 1 MILLION? WE HAVE TO. YEAH, WE HAVE TO STAGGER IT, YOU KNOW. SO WE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE STAGGER IT. SO IT'S NOT SIX, NINE AND 12 MONTHS LATER AS THEY CALL IT LATER. YEAH. OKAY. AND THE OTHER THING, TRACY AND I JUST HAD THIS CONVERSATION TODAY BECAUSE WE'RE OBVIOUSLY PREPARING FOR THE BUDGET, FOR BOTH THIS BOARD AS WELL AS THE CITY COUNCIL UPCOMING IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, WAS LOOKING AT WHAT THE PREDICTIONS LOOK LIKE, FOR THE INTEREST RATES THAT THIS, THIS, THIS GAINED US A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY. AND YOU CAN SEE EVEN AS THE FURTHER WHAT WE WENT OUT, THE FURTHER DROP, BECAUSE THERE'S LESS UNCERTAINTY, THAT'S ANTICIPATED, AND AS WE LOOK AT FALLING INTEREST RATES, WE MAY WANT TO PUSH THAT, THAT LAST OF THOSE AS THE SIX MONTH, EXPIRES, WE MAY GO OUT AS FAR AS 18 MONTHS JUST TO CAPTURE THAT RATE. SO IF RATES FALL AS THE FED IS SUGGESTING, THEN THEN WE'LL STILL BE ABLE TO GET A GOOD BLENDED RATE OF RETURN THAT'S SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN WHERE WE WERE BEFORE. I'M TALKING ABOUT STABILIZATION OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON FOR CHANGE. AND PROBABLY SOMETIME NEXT YEAR THEY'RE GOING TO START GOING DOWN. YEAH, I SURE HOPE SO. RIGHT. I'M NOT INVESTMENT. NO. YOU WANT THOSE TO STAY. OH YEAH. YEAH. SORRY COME ON. OKAY. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR TRACY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE APPRECIATE THAT INSIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. PLEASE LET HIM KNOW WHEN THAT MONEY DOES SO HE CAN BRAG. ALL RIGHT ABRAHAM. OH OKAY. THANK YOU SIR. ALL RIGHT. SO[B.4. City Council Liaison update regarding City events, meetings, etc., by Councilmember Andre' Byrd. ]
MOVING FORWARD NEXT WE HAVE OUR CITY COUNCIL LIAISON UPDATE, REGARDING CITY EVENTS, FROM OUR DISTINGUISHED COUNCIL MEMBER AND PASTOR, A DOCTOR, ANDRE BERG. NEW HIRES. YEAH, YEAH, I'M DOING PRETTY GOOD. BUT IN THIS ROOM, AT LEAST I LIKE IT, I'M GLAD TO HAVE ALL OF THE LADIES FROM THE ISD. THEY DID A WONDERFUL JOB. SO FOLLOWING TRACY'S A LITTLE EASIER. ALL RIGHT. WELL LET'S START FROM. LET'S START FROM, FROM FROM TOP DOWN OR BOTTOM UP, WHICHEVER WAY, WE KNOW THAT MR. GODFREY WILL START ON JULY 1ST. WE'LL BE HIS OFFICIAL DATE, THAT IS THE NEW CITY MANAGER. HE HAS ALREADY, HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, AND WE'VE. YEAH, OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE HAD THEIR THEIR OWN OPINION OVER WHO SHOULD HAVE, BEEN CHOSEN, BUT HE IS EXCITED TO BE HERE. WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE HIM, THERE'S ALREADY, SOME POSSIBILITIES OF SOME RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT BY HIM JUST BEING HERE, I GOT A CALL ON THE STATE REP FOR THE FIRST TIME ASKING, SO, WHAT ARE Y'ALL DOING WITH THIS NATATORIUM? AND HOW CAN WE PARTICIPATE THAT IS NEVER. I MEAN, OF ALL OF THE TIMES THAT WE'VE HEARD, WE'VE NEVER GOTTEN THAT CALL. SO BECAUSE OF RELATIONSHIPS, I THINK THAT THOSE TYPE OF THINGS WILL HOPEFULLY CONTINUE. SO HE HIS OFFICIAL DATE IS JULY 1ST AND, HE'LL HIT THE GROUND RUNNING ALSO, AT THE LAST, DDC MEETING, YOU GUYS INQUIRED AGAIN WHEN WE WOULD HAVE A JOINT MEETING. AND I THINK ALL OF YOU HAVE GOTTEN INVITED TO THE JULY 12TH MEETING. AND SO WHILE WE WERE SITTING HERE, WE SENT THAT OUT. HEY, THEY WANT. AND SO IT WAS, IT WAS A GOOD THAT HAMPTON ROAD IS A GOOD CATALYST FOR ALL OF US TO GET TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT IT. SO I THINK THAT YOU HAVE IT ON YOUR CALENDAR ALREADY FOR JULY 12TH OVER LUNCH. SO AND I SEE IT ON YOUR, ON YOUR DEAL. SO THAT'S A GOOD DEAL. AND THEN, I TALKED WITH I WAS ON THE DAIS AND WE WERE TALKING I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE TALKING. I THINK WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CHARACTER CODE. AND I MADE A STATEMENT THAT IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH QUALITY OF LIFE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, JUST EMAIL ME. AND A LOT OF CITIZENS TOOK ME UP ON THAT. AND SO AND BUT IT'S A IT IS A GOOD DEAL BECAUSE I AM NOT KNOWN FOR HAVING A LOT OF TOWN HALL MEETINGS. BUT ONE[00:45:01]
OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK TO, TO THIS BOARD'S, TO YOUR, TO YOUR CREDIT, YOU TALK ABOUT TELLING THE STORY AND MAKING SURE THAT THE CITIZENS UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES AND AS, AS, AS THE LIAISON, WE CAN DO THAT. SO I GOT WHAT MATT AND ANTOINE AND WE ESTABLISHED A TOWN HALL MEETING. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A TOWN HALL MEETING, JULY THE 18TH, JULY THE 18TH, WE KIND OF CHOSE THAT DAY BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT MICHAEL WOULD BE OUT OF TOWN. JULY THE 18TH IS WHEN THAT. AND IT'S GOING TO BE HERE AT THE BLUEBONNET ROOM. I THINK THAT'S THE NAME. AND, WE'RE STILL WE'RE STILL PLAYING WITH THE, THE TITLE, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE GOALS IS UNDERSTANDING DESOTO'S OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES AS IT RELATES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO WE WANT TO KIND OF KIND OF, YOU KNOW, IN MY HEAD, I WANT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, WHAT'S WRONG WITH DESOTO? YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMIC SEEMS RIGHT. THE AVERAGE HOUSING RIGHT. THE AVERAGE INCOME SEEM RIGHT. SO WHY NOT? DESOTO AND REALLY JUST BUT BUT TAKE IT FROM A POSITIVE PERSPECTIVE AND SAYING THIS IS THESE ARE THE CHALLENGES OLD INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR INSTANCE, IS A CHALLENGE. THIS IS WHAT THE EDC OR THE DDC HAS DONE TO KIND OF, HELP OUT WITH THAT. THIS IS WHAT THE CITIZENS CAN DO. THIS IS WHAT WE COULD POSSIBLY DO WITH LEGISLATION OR ORDINANCES. SO JUST KIND OF HAVE START THE BALL, AND START TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON ON WHAT DESOTO REALLY NEEDS. BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR MAJOR PICKS AND STATS, THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE SHOULDN'T BE JUMPING. YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND SO I MIGHT BE REACHING TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE A REGIONAL REACH. TO COME AND HELP PLAN IT BECAUSE WE REALLY, THE GOAL IS, IS TO REALLY FOR, FOR THE AVERAGE JOE, THE AVERAGE ANDRE, TO LEAVE THIS MEETING KNOWING, OKAY, I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE. AND I NOT ONLY DO I UNDERSTAND IT, BUT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE STEPS NEED TO BE THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGE. SO UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM IS ONE THING, BUT KNOWING WHAT TO DO TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGE IS SOMETHING ELSE. SO I WOULD WELCOME YOUR INPUT ON IT, WE'RE HOPING TO GET 5060 PEOPLE IN THAT ROOM, JUST TO HEAR ABOUT, AND AGAIN TO OUR PRESIDENT, SPORT BRAG ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE WERE UP AT ICC AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, DESOTO IS ON THE MAP, AND I HOPE I'M NOT TAKING YOUR THUNDER, BUT, DESOTO JUST TEEING IT UP. DESOTO. FOR THE FIRST TIME. AND I'VE BEEN I'VE BEEN IN DESOTO FOR 24 YEARS. FOR THE FIRST TIME. DESOTO IS ON THE MAP.WE'VE NEVER EVEN ATTENDED THOSE MEETINGS. AND SO THERE WAS NEVER WE WERE NEVER IN PIPELINES IN THE LAST YEAR WHEN WE WENT, WE THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE THAT WOULDN'T MEET WITH US THIS YEAR.
THERE WAS PEOPLE THAT WAS HUNTING US DOWN, STOPPING US TRYING TO MEET WITH US. AND SO JUST KNOWING FOR, FOR THE, JUST LIKE THE ESPORTS, THE CITIZENS HAVE NO CLUE THE POSITIVE STUFF THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE. SO WE HAVE TO TELL THEM ABOUT IT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THEY HAVE THE BECAUSE WE DON'T WE'VE NOT BEEN TELLING OUR STORY. TELL OUR STORY OF. OF WHAT? WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO TEE US UP AND IT TAKES 4 OR 5 YEARS. THE THEATER THAT EVERYONE'S EXCITED ABOUT OVER 35. THAT WAS TEN YEARS IN THE MAKING. TEN B AND B, YEAH, YEAH THE BNP. YEAH, YEAH. THAT WAS TEN YEARS IN THE MAKING. THAT DEAL WAS WAS TEN YEARS IN THE MAKING. AND IF WE DON'T IF, IF WE, IF WE NEVER STARTED WE WOULD BE TEED UP. BUT NOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE STARTED MAD AND, AND, THE ECONOMIC TEAM, MISTER LONG HAVE STARTED IT, THERE IS TRACTION AND THERE'S REAL TRACTION IN, IN REGARDS. SO WE WANT TO DO THESE AND I, WE MIGHT DO IT MORE. I'D LIKE TO PROBABLY DO ONE FOR QUARTER, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF THIS IS THE FIRST ONE. AND AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION, HAVE ANOTHER ONE. AND JUST KIND OF GROW THEM AS, AS AS WHAT YOU DO GROWTH. SO IF THERE'S ANY INPUT OR IF YOU HAVE, MAYBE SOMEONE THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO INVITE IF THERE'S ANOTHER ANGLE, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THAT. YOU HAVE YOU HAVE THE DATA, YOU HAVE THE FACTS. IF YOU TAKE THE FACTS AND LAY THEM ON TOP OF THE TRUTH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME UP WITH ANYTHING. THAT'S RIGHT. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TELL FACTS, TELL STORIES, SELL US A STORY AND THAT'S THAT'S
[00:50:04]
REALLY WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO, YOU KNOW, IS JUST KIND OF. AND THEN THEY CAN WRESTLE WITH WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER. NOW WE DON'T WANT THAT OR. NO, WE NEVER WANT THAT. WE'RE OKAY WITH STAYING WHAT WE ARE. THEN IT HAS TO BE A COGNIZANT DECISION. IT CAN'T JUST BE AN EMOTIONAL DECISION. YOU'VE LOOKED AT THE DATA. YOU'VE DECIDED I DON'T WANT DENSITY, YOU KNOW, OR I DO WANT, YOU KNOW. SO WHEREVER, WHEREVER THE CONVERSATION LEADS. SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT'S WHAT I HAVE, THE OBVIOUSLY THE CITY MANAGER IS THE BIG DEAL, THE HAMPTON ROAD, MANY RETREAT IS ANOTHER BIG DEAL. AND I THINK THE ECONOMIC, ROAD TOUR IS, IS ANOTHER ONE. SO GREAT, QUESTION IF I MAY. THANK YOU FIRST AND FOREMOST, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT MANIFESTS POSITIVELY WHEN YOU SEE THE PROGRESS AND GETTING TO HAVE THE, THE, THE JULY 12TH, RETREAT IS GOING TO BE VERY POSITIVE FOR EVERYBODY. AND IT JUST KIND OF PLAYS IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALL ALONG. SO SO, SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT THERE. EXCUSE ME, I THINK THE TOWN HALL IS SO PARAMOUNT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT. AND A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE ARE TALKING TO US INDIVIDUALLY. THAT'S GOING TO GIVE THEM THE WHEREWITHAL TO HELP BUILD A PART OF THE SOLUTION. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH.VERSUS THE PROBLEM. SO THAT'S A GOOD THING. AND OUR TEAM WILL BE RUNNING IT. I'M JUST GOING TO FACILITATE IT. WE FOUND WE HAVE THE PLACE WE'LL PROVIDE AND YOU KNOW THE REFRESHMENTS OR THE FOOD OR WHATEVER. AND THEY WILL PROVIDE. WE'LL KIND OF GIVE AGREE ON THE PLATFORM. AND AGAIN , IF EITHER OF YOU WANT TO COME OR WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT, WE WILL WELCOME IT. BUT MATT AND ANTOINE WOULD, WOULD KIND OF LEAD THAT FOR US. BUT WE SAID THEY'LL SET THE EXPECTATION. WE DON'T. THE CITIZENS DON'T HAVE AN EXPECTATION. THEY GETTING ALL THAT INFORMATION FROM THE BEAUTY SHOP AND BARBERSHOP. IT'S ALL INCORRECT IN FACEBOOK. THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT. AND THAT'S ALL. NONE OF IT MAKES ANY SENSE. IT'S CRAZY. IT'S NOT TRUE. SO WHEN YOU SET THE AGENDA WITH THE TRUTH AND YOU GIVE THE NARRATIVE, YOU SET THE EXPECTATION. I WOULD WELCOME, I WOULD WELCOME YOUR, YOUR HELP IN HELPING SET THAT AGENDA. I MEAN, BECAUSE THERE'S A MIND. I MEAN, THESE GUYS ARE GOING TO BE GREAT, BUT JUST THAT COMMUNITY ASPECT, IT WOULD BE VERY. AND WE WANT IT VERY SUCCINCT. BAM BAM, BAM. WE WANT IT VERY, YOU KNOW, AND WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE BUT REALLY TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION WE WANT TO PUSH OUT. AND IT'S GOING TO BE HELD IN THE EVENING. IT'S GOING TO BE IN THE EVENING. OKAY. IT'LL BE. AND HEARING FROM Y'ALL. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE VALUE OF OUR BOARD IS IT'S A CROSS SECTION IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE INDIVIDUALLY HEARING NEED TO BE PART OF THAT AGENDA. ABSOLUTELY IT IT ISN'T NECESSARILY US JUST TELLING THE STORY, WHICH OF COURSE, WE'LL DO. BUT BUT BEING ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT ARE ON THEIR MINDS, I MEAN, I KNOW COUNCILMAN AND I WERE HAVING THAT VERY CONVERSATION, AS A RESULT, AS IT RELATED AROUND A DEVELOPMENT, PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT. AND HE WAS ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT, WELL, WHY IS THIS? WHY IS THAT? WELL, I THINK THAT THOSE ARE THE EXACT SAME QUESTIONS THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE ASKING. SO IF YOU'RE HEARING THEM, THEN WE'D LOVE TO KNOW SO WE CAN MAKE THEM PART OF OUR EITHER OUR Q&A THAT EVENING OR, OR EVEN JUST ADDRESS THEM PROACTIVELY. I THINK ADDRESSING THOSE THINGS HEAD ON AND GETTING THE COMMUNITY SORT OF IN OUR SIGHTS, I THINK WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL. YEAH, I THINK WE NEED TO BRAG, BRAG, BRAG. THAT'S WHAT I THINK YOU KNOW, YOU TELL THE STORY AND YOU BRAG ABOUT IT. NOT IN A POMPOUS MANNER, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS WHEN WE GET OUR LETTERS, OUR EMAILS THAT TALK ABOUT WHAT THE STAFF OR TEAM IS DOING, THE RECOGNITION, THE GROWTH OF PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL GROWTH THAT WE'RE SEEING. I MEAN, I GET EXCITED, I DON'T KNOW, I GET FIRED UP. I JUST DON'T RESPOND SOMETIMES BECAUSE I GET OVERWHELMED, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO THIS IS A GOOD THIS IS A THIS IS A GREAT TIME FOR US. AND I REALLY WELL IN A POSITIVE I REALLY BELIEVE WITH THE RIGHT MARKETING AND PROMOTING OF IT, YOU CAN WELL THE SEIZURE 50 PEOPLE. IT SHOULD BE 100, 150 PEOPLE. YEAH, YEAH, IT REALLY SHOULD BE. YEAH WELL, I HOPE SO. THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING IT'S THE WAY, THE WAY IN WHICH IT'S PRESENTED AND WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE GETTING IF YOU SELL IT THE RIGHT WAY TO GET THE KIND OF TURNOUT YOU WANT. YEAH WELL, AND YOU ALL ARE PART OF THAT TOO.
OH, YEAH. YEAH. YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE RESOURCES TO, TO ENLIVEN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE DON'T. SO PLEASE USE THOSE YOU TALK ABOUT BACK TO THE JUNE 12TH, JULY 12TH EVENT, THE MINI RETREAT. IS THERE AN EXPECTATION FOR US TO BE PART OF THAT AGENDA OR COME WITH AN EXPECTATION FOR US TO BE
[00:55:06]
PREPARED FOR ANYTHING? WELL? OR DO WE KNOW IF I CAN, I'LL LEAVE THAT TO BE NUMBER EIGHT DOWN HERE ON THE LIST. THAT'S ALREADY THERE. SO WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, IF THAT'S OKAY.YEAH, YEAH. OKAY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. I HAVE ONE QUESTION, IF I MAY, ALSO, THOUGH WE'RE GOING TO BE AT ABOUT 745. WE GOT A LOT TO GO. OKAY, COUNCILMAN, IF I MAY, OUT OF PLACE HERE. HAMPTON AND HAMPTON. HAMPTON ROAD PROJECT ON MY MIND AND WINTERGREEN AND COCKRELL HILL. THERE'S DEVELOPING HAPPENING. THERE ARE YOU AWARE OF WHAT THAT IS? THAT WE. I DON'T REALLY I THINK THAT IS A CONTINUATION OF THE OF THE SHOPPING CENTER THAT IS, THAT IS, THAT IS, I'VE GOT HIS NAME.
MICHAEL. WHAT IS THIS? WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, KELVIN WONG. YEAH. KELVIN. KELVIN. THAT'S THAT'S A CONTINUATION OF A OF THE SHOPPING CENTER. RIGHT. OKAY. AND I WILL SAY I'M GETTING A LOT OF LIFE, LIFE CHARTER HAVE HAVE PURCHASED THE. ARE I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE PURCHASED, BUT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN THE COCKRELL HILL, COCKRELL HILL AND DANIEL DALE. YES. WHICH IS ACTUALLY IN.
YES. AND DUNCANVILLE. YES, AND SO WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CALLING ME ON THAT, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY KAREN. SHERRY'S DISTRICT, AND DUNCANVILLE, THAT'S OUR DISTRICT . IT USED TO BE MARK COOK'S DISTRICT. AND MARK AND I BOTH SHARE PLACE FOR. SO THAT'S A PLACE FOR IN DUNCANVILLE AND SO THAT'S A PLACE FOR VOLUNTARY KIND OF SPLITS, A PLACE FOR.
BUT, BUT WE ARE SHARING ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THEIR CONCERNS, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING A STADIUM THERE AND THEY'RE TALKING PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE NOISE AS WELL AS EVERYTHING ELSE BUT TRAFFIC, RIGHT. SO CONCERNS. SO THE AS YOU AS, AS YOU KNOW THAT A DEVELOPMENT OF A SCHOOL AND A CHURCH IS KIND OF A PROTECTED DEAL. SO. YEAH. SO, OKAY. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR COUNCILMAN . ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT MUCH APPRECIATE IT, AS WE MOVE ON, WE
[B.5. Present and discuss the proposed FY24/25 budget]
NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET. THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR, FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 AND 25. INDEED BEHIND TAB FIVE IN YOUR BOOK, IS THE. THERE YOU GO, IS THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE COMING YEAR, THIS IS THAT FUND PART OF THE YEAR WHERE WE TAKE A LOOK AND, AND START PLANNING FOR, FOR THE YEAR TO COME. I TAKE A, I TAKE A PRETTY PRAGMATIC APPROACH TO THE BUDGETING, JUST AS I ALWAYS HAVE. AND THIS IS THIS YEAR IS NO DIFFERENT. BUT TAKING A HARD LOOK, AT THE TOP OF THAT PAGE, YOU SEE WHAT OUR REVENUES ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE, WE ENTER INTO THE WE ENTER INTO THE BUDGET YEAR WITH ABOUT AN $8.8 MILLION FUND BALANCE. REMEMBER THAT THAT ENTI FUND BALANCE IS NOT OURS. PART OF THAT IS THE SOTO PARKS. JUST AS FOR WHATEVER REASON, THOSE WERE COMBINED WHEN WE BECAME A B CORPORATION, WE MAY HAVE SOME DISCUSSION DOWN THE ROAD AROUND SEPARATING THOSE INTO TWO SEPARATE FUNDS, JUST FOR CLARITY'S SAKE, BUT THAT SPLITS IT ABOUT $3 MILLION.THAT'S THAT'S THAT SORT OF PARKS AND ABOUT FIVE, A LITTLE MORE THAN 5.5 MILLION. THAT IS THE SORT OF DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IN, IN THAT FUND BALANCE. WE KNOW THAT NEXT YEAR, IF OUR SALES TAX CONTINUE TO DO WHAT THEY WHAT THEY DID THIS YEAR AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT THEY WOULD, YOU CAN SEE THE REVENUES THAT WE WOULD ANTICIPATE, WITH THAT IS ABOUT 3.6 MILLION COMBINED BETWEEN OURSELVES AND THE AND THE SOTO PARKS BOARD, AND THEN ABOUT $120,000 IS WHAT I HAD PUT IN HERE, AS RECENTLY AS THIS AFTERNOON, TRACY AND I WERE LOOKING AT THAT LADDER OF INVESTMENTS. AND REALLY, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD BEFORE WE FINALIZE THIS BUDGET WITH COUNCIL AND INCREASE THAT, INCREASE THAT SIGNIFICANTLY, TO ABOUT $250,000 THAT WE ANTICIPATE. WE'LL SEE, IN REVENUES. SO IN WHAT AREAS THE INTEREST REVENUE, WHERE IT SAYS 120,000 THERE AT THE TOP, IN THAT LIGHT YELLOW, WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE THAT BY ABOUT 100.
YEP. WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE THAT BY ABOUT 100 AND $130,000. SO THAT WILL LEAVE US WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY THAN THIS. SO THIS WON'T BE A PERFECT, BUT IT WILL JUST WORK THROUGH IT THE WAY THAT WE HAVE IT FOR TONIGHT, AND THAT GIVES US A TOTAL AVAILABLE RESOURCES THEN, OF ABOUT $12.5 MILLION, THE PROGRAM OF WORK FOR THE FOR THE SOTO PARKS, IS THAT $360 NUMBER? AND REMEMBER, WE JUST WASHED THAT OUT. WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHAT THE PARKS CORPORATION DOES
[01:00:02]
WITH THAT. WE ARE JUST A CONDUIT. SO YOU'LL SEE $360,000 THERE. AND AT THE BOTTOM OF OUR BUDGET, YOU'LL SEE A CORRESPONDING NUMBER THAT'S 558 750. IT TALKS ABOUT A TRANSFER TO DEBT SERVICES THAT IS ALL ASSOCIATED WITH PARKS AND REC, AND THAT WASHES OUT THAT $918,000. THOSE COMBINED NUMBER THOSE ARE THOSE TWO ADDED UP EQUAL 918. 750. AND THAT JUST WASHES IT THROUGH OUR THROUGH OUR ACCOUNTS. SO EVERYTHING THAT'S LEFT BELOW THAT, THAT LAST YELLOW BLOCK, AT 360,000 ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'LL SPEND MONEY ON COMING UP, THE, THE BUDGETING PROCESS FOR THE CITY, IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T REQUIRE US TO DIG AS DEEP AS WE DO. BUT IN AN INTEREST OF LETTING YOU ALL KNOW, WE BREAK THESE OUT, WE BREAK THESE ITEMS OUT, THESE THESE ITEMS YOU SEE BELOW EACH DEEP OR EACH BLUE LINE. THERE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ANTICIPATE SPENDING MONEY ON THERE, THE PROGRAM OF WORK, THAT WE SHARE WITH THE CITY MANAGER THAT'S APPROVED BY THE CITY MANAGER, BUT THE ITEMS THAT YOU'LL SEE WHEN WE'RE AT OUR BUDGET MEETINGS WITH COUNCIL ARE THESE BLUE LINE ITEMS. AND REALLY, NO, NO GREATER DETAIL THAN THAT. BUT WE WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE WANT YOU TO HAVE SOME INSIGHT INTO WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW THAT MONEY IS BEING SPENT. YOU DO HAVE A FIDUCIARY DUTY, AS A BOARD MEMBER, AND THE ONLY WAY THAT WE FEEL COMFORTABLE, WITH IMPOSING THAT IS THAT YOU HAVE SOME IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. SO. GOOD. GO AHEAD. SO ON THOSE LINE ITEMS, THE BLUE LINE ITEMS, COULD WE NOT NOT DRILLING DOWN LINE BY LINE, BUT THE OVERALL, COULD WE HAVE A PLUS OR MINUS, COMPARISON. SURE. THAT THAT WAY THAT GIVES US. YOU MEAN THIS YEAR TO LAST YEAR? YES OR YES.ABSOLUTELY. SO WE KNOW A TREND. WHAT WE'RE DOING TREND WISE, YOU KNOW, SO WE NEED TO SO I CAN CERTAINLY SEND THAT TO YOU OR I ACTUALLY HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE I HAD A CHANCE TO PUT IT TOGETHER BETWEEN THE TIME THAT YOU GOT THIS AND I DID THAT. OKAY. BECAUSE I WANTED TO KNOW THE SAME THING. YEAH. AND THE ANSWER IS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF INCREASED PERSONNEL COSTS, WHICH WE INCREASE OUR PERSONNEL COSTS TO INCREASE ABOUT ABOUT 4.5% EVERY YEAR, THE, THE COMPENSATION PROGRAM FOR THE CITY IS, IS BUILT AROUND A SERIES OF STEPS IN GRADE EACH ONE OF THOSE IS A 3.5% INCREASE, IT IS NOT A MERIT BASED SYSTEM, BUT BUT THAT'S THE PATH THAT OUR FORMER CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF, ASKED TO CREATE AND WORK GRANTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SO STEP FUNCTION EVERY YEAR IS TIME AND GRADE 3.5, 3.5. IN ADDITION TO THAT IS A COLA INCREASE. THE COST OF LIVING INCREASE THIS YEAR. WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT TO BE EITHER 1 OR 2, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE OVERALL BUDGET LOOKS LIKE, SO IT'S PRETTY EASY FOR US TO PROJECT OUT WHAT OUR SALARIES AND ASSOCIATED BENEFITS ARE GOING TO BE, AND WE'LL ANTICIPATE THOSE TO BE ABOUT 707,000 THIS COMING YEAR, THIS YEAR THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN 600. THEY WILL BE ABOUT 658, ALMOST $659,000. YOU CAN DO THE MATH. THAT'S ABOUT A FIVE AND A HALF. IT'S ABOUT A 4.5% INCREASE, OVER YEAR OVER YEAR. THE REST OF THOSE ARE ALMOST DEAD FLAT. THEY TRADE KIND OF SPACES HERE AND THERE. A LITTLE MORE MONEY FOR OFFICE SUPPLY OR A LITTLE LESS MONEY FOR OFFICE SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT THIS YEAR THAN LAST YEAR BY $5,000, FOOD PROGRAM AND REFRESHMENTS IS DEAD FLAT. IT'S FEEDING YOU ALL. IT'S PROVIDING THIS SUPPORT FOR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. YOU GUYS ARE HUNGRY, HUNGRY CRITTERS. COMPUTER SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE. THOSE COSTS HAVE GONE UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT'S ALL OF $5,000, OUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ACCOUNT DROPS BY ABOUT, BY ABOUT $70,000 FROM 347 TO 274. OUR ADVERTISING AND ACCOUNT CODE. REMEMBER THIS IS THE ONE THAT IT REAL. IT REALLY ISN'T AS MUCH ABOUT WHAT THE BOTTOM THE LINE ITEMS ARE BELOW IT BECAUSE THERE ARE ESTIMATES OF WHAT WE THINK WE MIGHT DO, THIS IS THAT NUMBER THAT BY STATUTE WE'RE ALLOWED TO SPEND 10% OF OUR OVERALL REVENUES IN ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION. SO WE DON'T WE DON'T SWEAT IT TOO MUCH. WE JUST TAKE 10% OF WHAT THAT NUMBER IS AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE AT 2.756 AND PUT 10% ON THAT LINE. AND THEN WE WORK FROM THERE. THE PIECE OF THAT THAT THAT IS WORTH MENTIONING IS IF WE DON'T SPEND IT, WE KEEP TRACK OF THAT BECAUSE IT IS A CUMULATIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND ON ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS.
SO IF SOMETHING CAME ALONG AND WE SPENT ALL $275,000 AND WE SAID, GOSH, WE REALLY NEED ANOTHER $100,000, WE DON'T VIOLATE THE STATUTE BY DIGGING INTO OUR OUR REVENUES AND SPENDING THE ADDITIONAL 100,000, BECAUSE WE'RE ALLOWED TO BECAUSE WE'VE ACCUMULATED IT OVER TIME,
[01:05:02]
WE TYPICALLY DON'T SPEND THAT MUCH MONEY ON THAT, AND WE PROBABLY WON'T AGAIN NEXT YEAR.BUT IT'S THERE, IT'S KIND OF A PLUG NUMBER. SO I JUST MENTIONED IT TO YOU. MEMBERSHIPS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS AGAIN ARE UP ABOUT $4,000. OUR TRAINING TRAVELING EXPENSES ARE DEAD FLAT AT 80,000. OUR CONTRACTUAL SERVICES ARE UP $4,000, OUR TELEPHONE IS DEAD FLAT. OUR GRANTS AND SPONSORSHIPS ARE UP A LITTLE BIT, 27.5 BECAME 43.5 THIS YEAR WITH THE ANTICIPATION THAT WE MAY HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO, SAY, INCREASE NUMBERS OF SYSTEMS IN OUR ESPORTS LAB OR SOMETHING OF AKIN TO THAT THAT DRIVES AROUND, OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THOSE NUMBERS. THAT GETS US DOWN TO THAT BOTTOM LINE OF THE TRANSFER TO DEBT, WHICH IS PARKS AND RECREATION. OUR TOTAL EXPENDITURES THEN, FOR THE YEAR WOULD BE $3,795,000. INCLUDES PARKS AND REC SEEMED TO BACK OUT ALMOST ALMOST $1 MILLION. WE'LL SPEND ABOUT 2.7 MILLION, $2.8 MILLION IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. THANK YOU. BUSINESS GRANTS PROGRAM VERSUS ON PROGRAM. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SO THAT'S THE OTHER PLUG NUMBER IN. THIS OKAY, IS THAT WE TAKE WHAT OUR WE KNOW OUR EXPENSES TO BE. WE SUBTRACT ALL THOSE FROM THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S COMING IN. AND THAT BECOMES OUR BUSINESS GRANTS. WE KNOW THAT THOSE ARE PROGRAMED WE HAVE PROGRAMED COMMITMENTS ALREADY TO SOLAR TURBINES OR TO ALLIED STONE OR WHOEVER IT HAPPENS TO BE. AND WE HAVE ABOUT 525,000 OF THAT THAT'S PROGRAMED ALREADY TO BE SPENT NEXT YEAR IN LONG TERM AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE INCENTIVE AGREEMENTS. THE BALANCE OF THAT IS JUST ONE SUBTRACTED FROM THE OTHER. THAT'S UNPROGRAMED. AND IF WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE WITH OUR OUR INCENTIVES FOR THE YEAR THAT WOULD GET ADDED TO OUR FUND BALANCE NEXT YEAR, OKAY. WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT THERE WILL BE SOME SOME USES FOR THAT. WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.
THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES MUCH AS SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT DO. SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT HAPPENING. BUT WE JUST DON'T KNOW. AND I SEE YOU HAVE A SUBSCRIPTION TO COSTAR. HAVE YOU ALWAYS HAD A SUBSCRIPTION? THAT'S GREAT. YOU USE IT A LOT. YES. TODAY, ALL THE TIME. EVERY MONTH WE DO OUR DATA SETS OUT OF IT, IT'S A IT'S A CONSTANT SOURCE OF, OF INFORMATION FOR US. THE OTHER PIECE OF VERY SIMILAR TO COSTAR, IS THAT WE USE A GROUP, INPUT TO HELP ME SIMPLIFY, WHO DOES OUR, PROPERTY LISTING WORK? IF YOU DRIVE AROUND DESOTO, YOU DON'T SEE A WHOLE LOT OF JLL OR CBRE SIGNS. YOU SEE ALL KIND OF THESE ONE OFF BROKERS WHO ARE MORE TYPICAL FOR OUR PART OF TOWN. YOU DON'T NECESSARILY SEE THESE LARGE BROKERAGE HOUSES. WELL THOSE AREN'T ALWAYS IN THE MLS COMMERCIAL MLS. SO WE ASK AND WE SIMPLIFY DOES A FANTASTIC JOB OF GOING THROUGH AND IDENTIFYING THOSE PIECES OF PROPERTY FROM OTHER SOURCES AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE ON OUR WEBSITE, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD NEVER BE THERE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE PROPERTIES THAT WE KNOW OF AND IF WE SEE ONE AND IF WE DON'T AND WE KIND OF DO A NEW PROPERTY COMES ON AND WE SEE THAT IT'S FROM A ONE OFF TO A BROKER. WE CALL THEM UP AND MAKE SURE AND LOTS OF TIMES WE HEAR, GOT IT, BUT IF NOT THEN IT GETS ADDED. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING AS DILIGENT AS WE POSSIBLY CAN IN MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE AVAILABLE PROPERTIES WE HAVEERE AND REALLY IN SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE WE LIST IN A GIANT AREA WITH THEM, REALLY THE SOUTHERN CRESCENT, AS I REFER TO IT, THAT THOSE ARE ON THE THAT THOSE ARE ON OUR WEBSITE AS AVAILABLE PROPERTIES. OKAY OTHER QUESTIONS, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. DO YOU HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR SPEND HERE IN MAKING SURE THAT THESE FOLKS ARE DIVERSE? YOU KNOW, IT? MY TAKE IS ALWAYS I WANT THE BEST SERVICE THAT THERE IS REGARDLESS OF DIVERSITY. I WANT THE BEST SPENT. I WANT TO BE AS RESPONSIBLE AS I POSSIBLY CAN WITH TAXPAYERS MONEY. IF THAT IS A OR NEEDS TO BE A CONSIDERATION, THAT'S THAT'S CERTAINLY UP TO Y'ALL TO TALK TO US ABOUT THAT. BUT WE DO VERY LITTLE IN TERMS OF IT IS IN MAKING THE DECISION. IS THAT IS IT A DIVERSE FIRM OR A NOT A DIVERSE FIRM? ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, WE MAKE THAT CHOICE. OFTENTIMES THEY AREN'T EQUAL. WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SKILL SETS THAT ARE THAT ARE COMING TO US IN THE THINGS THAT WE NEED, BUT WE TRY VERY HARD WHEN WE'RE INVITING PEOPLE TO COME AND MAKE PROPOSALS TO US TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS, IS DIVERSITY IN THOSE, BECAUSE WE THINK THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF REALLY TALENTED, DIVERSE FIRMS, AND I THINK WE'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF IDENTIFYING THOSE, IN OUR, IN OUR TRAVAILS, WHETHER IT'S DEVELOPERS, WHETHER IT'S DESIGNERS, WHETHER IT'S PROFESSIONALS. I THINK WE DO A
[01:10:02]
PRETTY GOOD JOB OF THAT. BUT IT'S, IT IS REALLY NOT PART OF OUR SET ASIDE IN OUR, IN OUR DECISION MAKING MAKING MATRIX. DOES THAT ANSWER THAT QUESTION? IT DOES. OKAY. SO ARE YOU THINKING THERE SHOULD BE A PERCENTAGE ON IT? WELL HERE'S WHAT I'M THINKING. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE MONEY THAT WE SPEND HERE IN DESOTO, I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT IT. SHOULD THERE SHOULD BE SOME CONSIDERATION FOR IT BEING A REFLECTION OF THE LANDSCAPE OF OUR CITY. YEAH. AND SO I CERTAINLY GET WE'RE NOT ASKING TO CONSIDER SOMEONE WHO IS NOT OF HIGH QUALITY OR, OR DOES NOT HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO DO ANYTHING. WHAT I AM SUGGESTING IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF CONSIDERATION GIVEN. I THINK NOW THIS IS UP FOR US TO DISCUSS OR MAYBE THIS IS NOT THE TIME, BUT I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT SHOULD BE A POINT OF CONSIDERATION. I DO KNOW THAT, LEGALLY, WHEN IT WHEN IT COMES TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, THERE ARE QUESTIONS THAT YOU CANNOT ASK. YOU HAVE TO GET THE HIGHEST QUALITY, THE HIGHEST QUALITY BY DOT, DOT, DOT. YOU CAN'T EVEN, AND I ONLY KNOW THIS BECAUSE I DEALT WITH COMPLAIN ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO WHERE SOMEONE THEY ASKED HIM THE BIDDING PROCESS THEY GOT INTO TALKING ABOUT A DOLLAR DOLLAR AMOUNT AND WHEN YOU WERE, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN YOU'RE WHEN YOU'RE WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH THOSE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, IT HAS TO BE AND I DON'T KNOW IF, IF, IF WB IF THAT CAN BE A PART OF IT I DON'T KNOW THAT. BUT I DO KNOW THERE ARE SOME RESTRICTIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO WHEN YOU DO THE BID, YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR THE YOU HAVE TO GET THE HIGHEST QUALIFIED PERSON.AND THEN YOU KIND OF WORK DOWN FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, TO THAT POINT. AND SO IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING. IT MIGHT BE AN INTERESTING CONCEPT FOR US TO FIND OUT. BUT I DO KNOW THAT THAT WAS A PROBLEM WHEN WE WERE DEALING WITH AN ARCHITECT FIRM IN PARTICULAR. WELL, IN OUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ARE NOT NECESSARILY OPEN TO BIDDING. WE AREN'T WE AREN'T BOUND BY BY BIDDING PROCESSES ON A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT. SO IT TYPICALLY DOESN'T APPLY TO US THAT WAY. BUT NOR ARE WE BLIND TO THAT WHO WE HAVE USUALLY A FAIRLY SHORT LIST OF INVITED VENDORS THAT WE THAT WE KNOW ARE GOING TO DELIVER QUALITY PRODUCTS, BUT WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN TO LEARNING AND MEETING WITH NEW PEOPLE. I'D BE WILLING TO BET IF I SAT DOWN WITH MY CALENDAR. AND ANTOINE, THERE'S NOT A WEEK THAT GOES BY THAT WE AREN'T INTRODUCED TO TEN NEW PROFESSIONAL FIRMS IN THE CITY, WHO WOULD LIKE TO WORK IN DESOTO. AND WE GET TO KNOW THEM.
AND I THINK THAT'S AND THAT'S AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND THE NET OF WHO'S BEING LOOKED AT NOT DECIDING OR PROMISING OR ENCOURAGING THAT YOU HAVE TO USE, BUT AT LEAST GIVING THE OPPORTUNITY, EXPANDING THE NET OF OPPORTUNITY. I THINK THAT IS THE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE OUTREACH. YEAH. OKAY WE ABSOLUTELY DO WITHOUT IT. WITHOUT A DOUBT. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY FOCUSED ON THE BUDGET, I'M GETTING A AG FROM I'M OUT OF BOUNDS AND THEIR PENALTY. IT'S OKAY. SO I TRY TO LET IT GO A LITTLE BIT. THAT'S OKAY. WELL, I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO DO. YEAH.
OTHER QUESTIONS. SO ALONG THE LINES OF BUDGET. SO I HAD WRITTEN A NOTE. SO WE TALKED ABOUT THE COMPARISON. SO THANK YOU FOR BUT AND I'M HAPPY TO SEND THAT TO YOU. PLEASE ABSOLUTELY. THE OTHER ONE IS YOU LOOK AT OUR BALANCE. HAVE WE ALLOCATED HAVE WE ALLOWED FOR THIS IS FOR STAFF NEW TECHNOLOGIES I.E. ALL OF A SUDDEN NOW WE GOT THE FLIP CHART. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? A YEAR AND A HALF AGO WE DIDN'T HAVE IS ARE THERE SOME NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT WE NEED TO BE INCLUSIVE WITH, FROM A BUDGETING STANDPOINT SO THAT WE ARE ALWAYS ADVANCING? YEAH. THE ANSWER IS WE HAVE WE HAVE PLENTY BUDGETED FOR THOSE KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES . AND THE TEAM WILL TELL YOU, MY, MY DIRECTION IS I DON'T WANT TO BE THE LEADING EDGE. I WANT TO BE THE BLEEDING EDGE. I WANT US TO BE SETTING THE TONE FOR OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE WAY THAT WE USE TECHNOLOGY, THE WAY THAT WE MAKE OUR PRESENTATIONS AND THE WAY THAT WE DO OUR ANALYSIS, YOU SEE A NUMBER OF THESE THINGS YOU ASKED ABOUT COSTAR, AND, AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF OUR SUBSCRIPTIONS THAT INFORM OUR DECISIONS IN WAYS THAT LOTS OF FIRMS DON'T. LOTS OF DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS SIMPLY DON'T DO. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. I CERTAINLY WANT TO BE AN EXAMPLE TO OTHERS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE ONLY WE'RE THE ONLY DEPARTMENT WHO WORKS ENTIRELY FROM LAPTOPS, RIGHT? WELL, BECAUSE OUR JOB IS NOT IN THE OFFICE. YEAH. OUR JOB IS OUT THERE, AND I CAN'T. I CAN'T BE CRIPPLED. WELL, WELL, THAT'S ALONG THE LINES. I'M
[01:15:02]
SPEAKING OF. WHAT ELSE IS THE NEXT GENERATION OF OPPORTUNITIES? AND WE MAY HAVE IT. I LOVE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE LAPTOPS. I LOVE THE FACT THAT NOW WE GET TO DO THE FLIP CHARTS AND, SO WHAT ELSE? AND HAVE WE ALLOCATED? I'M SORRY. DESPITE THE FACT THAT YOU WANT NOTEBOOKS. OKAY. WELL I LIKE IT, I LIKE IT. HEY, MICHAEL, I GOT YOU. I REVIEWED IT ELECTRONICALLY. JUST JUST BEING MINDFUL OF TIME. WE'RE ON TOP OF A LOT OF THOSE THINGS. YOU KNOW, WHEN I GO TO THESE CONFERENCES AND TRADE SHOWS, WE SEE WE'RE A FIRM THAT WE ARE AHEAD OF, AHEAD OF THE CURVE. SO IF THERE ARE ANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO INTRODUCE TO THE STAFF OR INTRODUCE TO THE BOARD, WE'LL BRING THAT TO THE TEAM, SEE IF WE CAN FINANCE IT AND GET IT TO NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN. THERE IS NO NO LIMITS IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SPEND TO BE AT THAT BLEEDING EDGE, OKAY. IF IT IF IT GETS OUTSIDE OF WHAT OUR PROGRAM OF WORK IS, WELL, WE'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT. BUT BUT I THINK WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF THAT. WHAT HE'S ASKING IS HAS THERE BEEN ANY ALLOCATION FOR THAT KIND OF PREPARATION FUTURE WISE? NO, WE THERE'S ENOUGH THERE'S ENOUGH ROOM WITHIN OUR BUDGET WHERE THOSE COULD BE, WHERE THOSE COULD BE HOUSED, WITHOUT IDENTIFYING IT AS A PARTICULAR LINE ITEM. I DON'T I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD CHANGE FOR THIS COMING YEAR IN THAT REGARD. YEAH BUT BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING THERE, WE HAVE PLENTY OF ROOM TO BE ABLE TO FIND THAT AND MAKE THAT PART OF OUR WORK. MY LAST QUESTION, ODDITY'S. FOR OUR AUDIT, WE HAVE TO DO AN AUDIT. IT'S PART OF THE CITY'S AUDIT, AND WE DO NOT WE ARE NOT PART OF THE CITY'S AUDIT. IT'S DONE INDIVIDUALLY BECAUSE WE ARE A SEPARATE CORPORATION, THAT IS PERFORMED AS PART OF THE CITY'S BUDGET. BUT I DON'T YOU KNOW, I SAY THAT I'M NOT EVEN SURE IT'S THE SAME FIRM THAT DOES IT, WE'VE HAD THE SAME FIRM DO IT FOR YEARS, BUT THE BUT I DO THINK IT'S. YEAH OKAY. THE DVC HAS FINANCIALS. I MEAN, LIKE, AUDITED FINANCIALS. YES. YEP.YOU GUYS GOT AN UNMODIFIED RATING, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST RATING THAT YOU CAN GET FROM YOUR LAST AUDIT. YEAH. WHERE ARE THOSE. WHERE IS THE AUDIT. YEAH WE CAN GET YOU A COPY OF IT. I HAVE TO SEE SOME REAL FINANCIAL. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO DO? THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID. TRUE I LIKE FINANCIALS, LIKE EVERY NIGHT. NOT TONIGHT. EVERY NIGHT. NO, I THINK YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE FINANCIALS FOR MUNICIPALITY LOOK VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE FINANCIALS FOR A PRIVATE SECTOR BUSINESS. YEAH. WHAT YOU SEE YES. TRULY IS OUR FINANCIALS JUST LIKE TO SEE I WILL BE HAPPY TO SHARE. THANK YOU. THE AUDIT REPORT WITH YOU.
THANK YOU. YEAH. IT'S NOT A SECRET DOCUMENT BY ANY STRETCH. PUT A SMILEY FACE ON IT. THE OPERATIONAL CHARGES YOU SEE THERE. THOSE ARE ALL FEES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED. WELL, I SHOULDN'T SAY THAT. WE PAY OUR ATTORNEY SEPARATELY FROM THE CITY, BUT OUR RENT, OUR ACCOUNTING FEES AND OUR AUDIT FEES ARE FEES THAT WE PAID TO THE CITY FOR THE SERVICES RENDERED. OKAY. ANY OTHER ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS ON THAT? I THINK IN CONSIDERATION OF TIME, WE NEED TO MOVE ON. I THINK THIS IS GREAT. AS LONG AS YOU FEEL AS THOUGH WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING THAT THE COUNCIL WILL ACCEPT AND APPROVE. SO, OKAY, WELL, I, I DON'T SECOND GUESS COUNCIL'S IT'S A BAD IDEA, SO, SO I WON'T EVEN TRY TO IMPLY THAT I KNOW WHAT THEY WILL OR WON'T APPROVE, WE HAVE A BUDGET PRENTATION IN TWO WEEKS TO THE COUNCIL, WHERE EVERY ONE OF OUR DEPARTMENTS STANDS UP AND TALKS TO THE COUNCIL AND ASKS, ANSWERS , QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE, AND THAT'S PART OF THIS PROCESS, IS THAT I GET TO TELL THEM THAT, THAT THAT OUR BOARD HAS SEEN THIS AND HAS GONE THROUGH IT AND IS OKAY WITH THAT, SO THAT'S THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE DO THIS AHEAD OF THAT MEETING. OKAY. LET'S, LET'S PROGRESS FORWARD, IF WE MAY, PLEASE.
PERFECT, IN IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'M GOING TO SUGGEST, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT THAT THAT YOU HAVE TWO ITEMS ON YOUR AGENDA TONIGHT TO DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION ON THE FACADE GRANTS AND AN INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS. WE CANNOT TAKE ACTION ON EITHER ONE OF THOSE BECAUSE YOURS TRULY DIDN'T NOTICE IT PROPERLY. THIS IS THE REASON THAT MELVILLE WILL NEVER LEAVE TOWN AGAIN. THE WEEK BEFORE A BOARD MEETING, SO I MANAGED TO MESS THAT UP SO WE CAN DISCUSS THEM, BUT WE CAN'T TAKE ACTION ON THEM, WHICH MEANS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT THEM ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ANYWAY.
YEAH, IF, WITH YOUR PERMISSION, WE'LL WITHDRAW THOSE FROM THIS AGENDA AND WE'LL DISCUSS THEM IN JULY. WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, WE SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE OUT BY 745. WE NEED TO PUT THOSE BACK. OKAY. WE WILL DO. WE WILL DO THAT. AND WE'LL JUST LET THE MINUTES SHOW THAT WE'VE DRAWN
[01:20:01]
THOSE FOR TONIGHT TO BE CONSIDERED IN JULY. THAT'S THAT'S VICTORIA IS THAT THAT'S OKAY. YEAH. YOU CAN POSTPONE ITEMS. YEAH. OKAY GREAT. AND THAT TAKES US TO THE DISCUSSION[B.8. Discussion of the upcoming Hampton Road mini-retreat]
OF THE UPCOMING HAMPTON ROAD MINI RETREAT. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. HERE WE GO. SO HERE YOU GO, I REALLY DON'T KNOW. OH, WOW. OKAY. THE ANSWER IS THE NEW CITY MANAGER AND THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL, HAVE ASKED THE COUNCIL, THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, AND THE, AND THE DEVELOPMENT BOARD TO MEET JOINTLY TO GET OURSELVES ON THE SAME PAGE AROUND THE HAMPTON ROAD REDEVELOPMENT CORRIDOR. YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK ON THAT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. I, I WILL BE HERE THREE YEARS ON THE 30TH OR 29TH OF THIS MONTH, AND THE VERY FIRST MEETING THAT I WENT TO THREE YEARS AGO TOOK OUR ROAD DOWN FROM FIVE LANES TO THREE AND THEN TO TWO IN THE PARTICULAR SECTION, THAT WAS A DECISION THAT WAS MADE BY COUNCIL AND MOVED FORWARD. WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK SINCE THEN TO CONTINUE AND GET A CHARACTER CODE THAT IS NOW IN PLACE. THE COUNCIL HAS PASSED THE CHARACTER CODE. WHAT WE HAVEN'T DONE IS REZONE THE PROPERTIES ASSOCIATED WITH IT. THAT'S WHERE WE TAPPED THE BRAKES AND SAID, MAYBE IT'S BEST THAT WE THAT WE SORT OF STEP BACK FOR A SECOND AND RECONSIDER , MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S ALIGNED BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE'RE AT. I THINK THAT'S THE REASON FOR THIS, IS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ISN'T THROWING IT BACK TO THE PNC, AND THE PNC DOESN'T IS THEN TRYING TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT THEY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH OR THAT WE'RE NOT IMPACTING THE OVERALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE, I MEAN, I'LL BE THE FIRST TO SAY AS LOUD AS ANYBODY WANTS TO HEAR IT. STOPPING THAT TRAIN IS A HUGE IMPEDIMENT TO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. ANTOINE AND I HAVE SPENT TWO YEARS SELLING THAT PROJECT, BRINGING THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY WHO DIDN'T WANT TO COME BACK TO DESOTO FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, AND TELL THEM IT'S A NEW DAY. AND THEN IF WE TAKE THE NEW DAY AWAY, BOY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A HECK OF A TIME. SO I THINK AND OUR COUNCIL, OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE HEARD THAT I THINK WHAT THEY REALLY WANT US TO DO IS ALL GET IN THE ROOM AND SORT OF AGREE WHERE WE'RE GOING, AGREE TO AGREE AND IS THAT A FAIR ASSESSMENT? I BELIEVE SO, OKAY. I'M JUST TRYING TO ANTICIPATE WHAT THE TEMPERATURE MAY BE AROUND THIS. I THINK THAT THE PUSHBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, THE PART OF THE PLAN THAT ENCOMPASSED THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FORWARD COLLECTIVELY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO AND I THINK THAT MATT WAS SPOT ON. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A NEW, CITY MANAGER. SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HE HAS SOME DIFFERENT IDEAS. I DON'T THINK THAT THEY WOULD LOOK FOR ANYTHING PER SAY FROM THIS GROUP TO, TO, TO REPORT UP, I THINK IS JUST A COLLABORATION OF HERE'S, HERE'S, HERE'S BEEN THE PROBLEM, HERE'S BEEN YOU KNOW, THE OUR CHALLENGES IF YOU WOULD IF WE STOP IT, HERE'S THE CHALLENGE.IF WE GO FORWARD WITH IT AS IT IS, HERE'S THE CHALLENGE. AND SO WHAT IS WHAT IS THE BEST PATH FORWARD THAT WILL KEEP MOVING DESOTO FORWARD AND, SO I THINK IT IS JUST A COLLABORATION, RIGHT? OF IT. AND WHO'S DEVELOPING THAT CONTINUITY? I BELIEVE IT'S COMING FROM THE CITY MANAGER OFFICE TO DEVELOPMENT. OH, WHAT DO YOU MEAN TO PRESENT TO IN THAT IN THE CONVERSATION. RIGHT. AS THE MAYOR. YEAH. THE MAYOR IS DRIVING THE CONVERSATION. NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT. WELL, WHO'S PUTTING EVERYTHING TOGETHER WHEN YOU SAY IT'S THE MAYOR, BUT WHEN YOU SAY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE SOME THAT HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT, WELL, THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED CONCERNS. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE CITIZENS. YEAH. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. THIS IS NOT A THIS IS THIS IS US FROM HEARING FROM THE CITIZENS. RIGHT AND PRESENTING. OKAY I'M NOT I GUESS I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION. SO YOU SAID THAT, THIS IS LIKE, EVERY, LIKE, A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, RIGHT? THAT'S GOING TO BE PRESENTED. THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO LOOK AT THE CHALLENGES THAT THAT HAVE THAT WE HAVE FACED. RIGHT. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS ANYBODY THAT'S GOING TO BE I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE DRIVEN THE FROM THE CITY MANAGERS AND THE MAYOR'S PERSPECTIVE AND THEN ALL OF US JUST CHIME IN. THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING. WHO'S WHO'S DOING THE CONTINUITY? WE'RE JUST CHIMING IN. I THOUGHT MAYBE MATT WAS GOING TO BE SITTING WITH SOMEONE PRIOR TO GIVING SOME INSIGHT TO THIS OR ANYTHING. NO NO, I DON'T KNOW. NO, NO NOTHING ASKED TO DO THIS. IS THIS IS THIS IS LITERALLY A DOWNLOAD OKAY. YOU KNOW GUYS. OKAY. HAMPTON ROAD WE ALL KNOW WHAT IT IS. HERE'S BEEN THE CHALLENGES RIGHT HERE ARE SOME WAYS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS IT. HOW DO YOU GUYS FEEL I MEAN IS I DON'T KNOW IF
[01:25:06]
IT'S GOING TO BE PUTTING YEAH I DON'T THINK IT'S I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY, ANY COMMITTEE OR BOARD'S INPUT ADDRESSING UP THERE WILL BE SOME INPUT, BUT IT IS NOT DRIVEN FROM THE BOARD UP. IT'S DRIVEN FROM THE TOP DOWN. I THINK IT'S AN I THINK IT'S AS MUCH AS ANYTHING AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MISTER ALJOFREE HERE IS WHERE WE'VE COME FROM AND, AND THE CHALLENGES THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS OR ANY OF US FEEL. YEAH, I THINK THAT THERE IS VERY MUCH A DESIRE ON HIS PART TO DIG IN AND KNOW WHAT, KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON EVERY TIME HE'S AROUND. BECAUSE YEAH, OKAY, THIS SOUNDS YEAH. Y'ALL SO FAR. LET'S PROGRESS FORWARD PLEASE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR TRYING TO ON BOARD US. YEAH EFFECTIVELY WITH THAT OKAY. OKAY OKAY. SO WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE[C. CONSENT AGENDA]
CONSENT AGENDA. NOW, I'VE TAKEN TRUSTED HIM. YEAH JOSE, EVERYONE HAS HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE CONSENT AGENDA, TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE MAY 9TH, 2024 REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES, CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE APRIL FINANCIAL STATEMENT, AND AS SUCH, AT THIS POINT, SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION I MOTION. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND I SECOND IT'S BEEN MOTION AND SECOND DULY NOTED THAT, THE CONSENT AGENDA HAS BEEN MOTION. AND SECOND AND ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. NAYS SAY,[D. EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE]
IT HAS BEEN APPROVED BEFORE. OKAY NOW WE'RE GOING INTO, AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO GO AND WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT A VERY.[E. RETURN TO OPEN SESSION]
THE OPEN SESSION. THANK YOU. GREAT OKAY. HAVING CONCLUDED THE , EXECUTIVE SESSION, I CALL THE MEETING BACK IN ORDER IN OPEN SESSION, AND I MOVE THAT. WE AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO NEGOTIATE THE PURCHASE OF FOUR PARCELS OF REAL PROPERTY ALONG NORTH HAMPTON. HAS IDENTIFIED AND ON TERMS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. CAN I GET A MOTION, A MOTION THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH LETTING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NEGOTIATE? IF I COULD INTERJECT JUST AS A POINT OF INFORMATION, I WOULD I WOULD CONSIDER, AMENDING THAT THAT MOTION TO INDICATE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO WE WOULD LIKE TO INCORPORATE RATHER THAN FOUR PARCELS, THE ADJOINING PARCELS ON THAT PROPERTY. IT MAY INCLUDE, IT MAY INCLUDE THE FIFTH AND SIXTH PARCELS AS WELL. OKAY AND SO I HAVE TO PUT SOME DETAILS HERE. YEAH. SO WOULD IT BE NO INCREASE IN PURCHASE PRICE OR THAT'S THAT IS THE IDEA. SO WE WOULD NEGOTIATE THE SAME PURCHASE PRICE JUST TO INCLUDE THOSE ADDITIONAL PARCELS. SO UNDER THE SAME OWNERSHIP PARCELS, IS IT 5 OR 6 AND 15555. SO YEAH SOMEBODY MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO CHANGE FOR PARCELS TO FIVE PARCELS. SO I HAVE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT WE CHANGED FROM 4 TO 5. OKAY. PARCELS MR. BALDWIN, DO YOU ACCEPT THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT AND I ACCEPT THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. AND I MOVE THAT WE AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO NEGOTIATE THE PURCHASE OF FIVE PARCELS OF REAL PROPERTY ALONG NORTHAMPTON, AS IDENTIFIED AND ON TERM'S DISCUSSED IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION. SECOND. OKAY. I MOVE THE MOTION. OKAY. SHE'S A SECOND. SECOND. IT HAS BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, THAT WE APPROVE THE, THE FIVE PARCELS OF REAL PROPERTY ALONG NORTHAMPTON[01:30:03]
HAS IDENTIFIED AND ON THE TERMS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, SESSION. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.AYE. ANY NAYS? EYES HAVE IT. AND THAT, HAS BEEN APPROVED. GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OKAY, LET'S PROGRESS FORWARD. WE HAVE. THANK YOU. SO BEHIND F IS, MY MONTHLY REPORT TO YOU ALL
[F. BRIEFING BY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER - Matt Carlson]
LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE, THE REPORT YOU SEE ON AN ONGOING BASIS WITH A FEW UPDATES, YOU SEE OUR LITTLE TRAFFIC SIGNALS OVER THERE, GREENS AND YELLOWS AND REDS, TWO ITEMS, ARE I SHOW IS YELLOW, ONE IS BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE'VE WE'VE WHILE WE ARE ONLY SIX MONTHS INTO OUR YEAR OR SEVEN MONTHS INTO THE YEAR, WE'VE STILL GOT SOME ADDITIONAL WORK TO BE DONE WITH REACHING OUT TO OTHER CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, THE OTHER ONE THAT I'VE CHANGED TO YELLOW, BASED ON THE, THE, THE. THE DECISION TO NOT, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, MOVE FORWARD WITH THE HAMPTON ROAD REZONING, IS THE TO OBTAIN A $100 MILLION OF COMMITMENTS FOR $100 MILLION OF, OF DEVELOPMENT WITHIN TERM'S ZONE TWO. THOSE PROPERTIES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THE HAMPTON ROAD CORRIDOR ARE THE MAJORITY OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN ZONE TWO THAT ISN'T ALREADY DEVELOPED. SO I'M CONCERNED THAT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THAT BY OCTOBER , GIVEN THE TIMING AND IT'S TAKEN TO GET, GET IT APPROVED AND, AND THEN B TO GET IT REZONED. THE LAST ONE THAT I SHOW IS RED. AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT THAT BEGINS TO CHANGE, BUT IT REQUIRES MORE THAN JUST, THE EFFORT OF THIS STAFF AND THIS BOARD IS TO IMPROVE A FRICTIONLESS DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENT, WITH OUR OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY SO THAT OUR, OUR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, THINK OF THIS PLACE AS THE PLACE TO DEVELOP. YOU'RE GOING TO CHANGE THAT TO YELLOW AS SOON AS YOU GET YOUR NEW CITY MANAGER. OKAY, WELL, WE'LL SEE, WE'LL SEE. I NEVER HOPEFUL, FROM THE ACTIVITY UPDATES, I'M GOING TO ASK AND YOU CAN READ THIS, ONE OF THOSE IS JUST TO REMIND YOU THAT THE FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN IS NOW MOVING FORWARD. YOU'LL BEGIN TO HEAR FROM FROM THOSE FOLKS AT NEXT AT, AT NEXT MOVE, IN TERMS OF GETTING SOME INPUT, THE OTHER TWO ARE A QUICK DATE ON PLACES WE'VE BEEN AND PEOPLE WE'VE SEEN, AND THAT IS ICSC. AND I WANT TO COME OUT IN PUBLIC, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN, FOR JOINING US ON THAT TRIP. YOU KNOW, WE WORK HARD AND WE LOVE DOING THAT. AND WE'RE PLEASED AT THE OUTCOMES. BUT YOU SEE IT FIRST HAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE SOMEBODY FROM THE COUNCIL AS PART OF THAT TEAM WHO'S TELLING THE STORY ABOUT I SIT ON THAT DAIS. I KNOW WHAT THIS COMMUNITY IS ASKING ME TO DO. LET ME TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON IN DESOTO. IT'S A VALUABLE PIECE OF THAT TRIP. AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENCE IN THE TIME YOU DEVOTE TO IT. THANK YOU , ANTOINE, IF YOU'LL RECAP ICSC FOR US, AND THEN IF YOU'LL RECAP OUR BIO. THE INTERNATIONAL BIO CONVENTION. YES, SIR. GOOD EVENING. I'LL WRAP UP MY REPORT.RIGHT. GOTCHA, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I JUST WANT A QUICK RECAP ON ICSC. I WILL NOT GIVE EVERY SPECIFIC BRAND AND MEETING THAT WE MET WITH, BUT I WILL SAY FOR THE 48 HOURS THAT WE WERE THERE AGAIN, QUITE BUSY, I THINK LAST YEAR WE HAD 36 MEETINGS IN THOSE 48 HOURS THIS YEAR, AT 41, IN THOSE 48 HOURS, A LOT OF NEW CONTACTS, A LOT OF, FOOD OPPORTUNITIES, NEW BEVERAGE OPPORTUNITIES, COFFEE SMOOTHIE T OPPORTUNITIES, BREAKFAST OPPORTUNITIES, HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS THAT WE LOVE AND NEED, TALK TO SOME OF THOSE FOLKS A GREAT AMOUNT OF CONVERSATION WITH DEVELOPERS THERE AT THE SHOW THAT ARE LOOKING TO DO PROJECTS HERE IN TEXAS. DALLAS SPECIFIC SOUTHERN DALLAS SPECIFIC HERE FOR DESOTO, SOME MISCELLANEOUS CONCEPTS, SOME SOME HOTEL CONCEPTS, SOME EDUCATIONAL CONCEPTS. A PICKLEBALL CONCEPT, WE DID WE ALSO DO WITH THESE SHOWS WE'D LIKE TO MEET WITH THOSE BRANDS THAT ARE ALREADY HERE JUST TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY'RE DOING, WHAT THEIR SUCCESS IS, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY. ONE OF THOSE BRANDS THAT WE MET WITH WAS EOS FITNESS. SO WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU AS A DATA VISUALIZATION OF A MAP OF EVERYBODY WHO'S VISITED OUR NEW EOS FITNESS HERE IN DESOTO. WE JUST JOINED. HEY, THERE WE GO. THAT'S IT. I DON'T THINK IT GOT POPPED UP YET, BUT REAL DEAL. SO THIS IS EVERYTHING SINCE, SINCE THEY'VE BEEN OPEN POWER. BOB BUXTON, ONE OF MY FORMER COMPANIES. SO LITERALLY SHOWING EVERYONE WHO'S WALKED IN THAT DOOR WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM, HOW FAR THEY'RE COMING FROM. SO I JUST WANT TO HAVE YOU GUYS HAVE THAT TAKEAWAY THAT DESOTO IS QUITE ATTRACTIVE. YOU KNOW, BRINGING THE RIGHT THE RIGHT PRODUCT, THE RIGHT SIDE OF TONIGHT, WHO WILL STAND BY AND LET ME LET ME ENHANCE THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT. IT'S NOT JUST PEOPLE WHO HAVE VISITED. THOSE ARE MEMBERS OF THAT CLUB. YEAH.
[01:35:04]
LOOK AT THE SPREAD OF PEOPLE WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THAT CLUB, AND WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM, IT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. AND THAT CLUB WILL ALLOW YOU TO BE GO TO PHOENIX, CALIFORNIA, OTHER FLORIDA, AND SHOW YOUR BAND AND GO AND WORK OUT NOT COST IN THE LONG RUN. STATE OF THE ART FACILITY. YES, SIR. AND THEY OPENED THE POOL. YES, YES. EVERYTHING I'M THERE, MAN. WE HAVE IT UP THERE. ARE YOU? I GOT A ZUMBA CLASS FOR YOU. REALLY? WHY? ZUMBA IT'S AMAZING. WHERE ARE YOU GOING WITH ME, COUNCILMAN? YES, SIR. ON THE. ON THE SAME. AIN'T NO BODY SHAMING, I'M TELLING YOU. RIGHT YES. ALMOST TOO QUICK. I WAS GOING TO SAY, BOARD ON THE SAME VEIN, AS FAR AS HEALTH AND WELLNESS, RIGHT, ONE OF THE WINS THAT WE DID HEAR ABOUT AT THE SHOW WAS THAT TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFE WILL BE COMING TO DESOTO, WE'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH THEM FOR ALMOST A YEAR. THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A FRANCHISEE. THEY FINALLY FOUND A FRANCHISEE.THEY'RE NOW IN THE SITE SELECTION PROCESS TO DEVELOP A NEW UNIT HERE IN DESOTO, TEXAS.
SO, A LOT, A LOT MORE TO COME, YEAH. CLAP CLAP CLAP FOR SURE, WE'LL HAVE SOME MORE CONVERSATIONS AROUND OUR FRANCHISE INTEREST MEETING. WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ONE HERE UPCOMING IN THE FALL. MIGHT EVEN HAVE SOME INTERACTION WITH DALLAS STARTUP WEEK. AND OUR FORMER BOARD MEMBER, CARLOS WHITE, AND SOME OF HIS EFFORTS. SO MORE TO COME ON THAT AND MORE BRANDS COMING TO DESOTO. WE'LL LEAVE IT THERE. ANY QUESTIONS ON ICSC? COOL. MORE TO COME, MORE TO COME, MORE DIRT TO MOVE, SO BIO AGAIN, BIO TECH. LIFE SCIENCES IS A BIG NEW INDUSTRY THAT WE'RE TACKLING, WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH IT PRETTY HEAVILY IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, LAST WEEK WE HAD THE CHANCE TO ATTEND AT THE BIO INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION IN SAN DIEGO WITH THE DALLAS REGIONAL CHAMBER IN ABOUT SIX OTHER CITIES HERE IN THE REGION, FRISCO, FORT WORTH, IRVING, MIDLOTHIAN, PLANO, DALLAS, AND GOOD OLD DESOTO RIGHT THERE IN THE MIX TALKING ABOUT BIOTECH AND LIFE SCIENCES, OPPORTUNITY IS TALKING WITH FOLKS AT DOMESTICALLY. BUT ALSO THIS IS A BIG INTERNATIONAL SHOW, SO BEING ABLE TO TALK TO FOLKS FROM AUSTRALIA, QUEBEC, SINGAPORE, GERMANY, BRAZIL AND UK, THAT NOT ONLY HAD INTEREST IN TEXAS, NOT ONLY IN DALLAS, BUT WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO SHARE WITH THEM, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN DESOTO. SO KIND OF GAVE YOU ALL A PREVIEW OF THAT LAST TIME. I EXPECT MAYBE OUR NEXT MEETING OR MEETING IN AUGUST, TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE REFINED SITE PLAN TO REVIEW WITH YOU ALL. IT'S EXTREMELY EXCITING. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, LOOKING AT ALL THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE TEXAS DELEGATION IS PROBABLY 40 OF US OUT THERE. AND AGAIN, ME AND MATT THERE, YOU KNOW, HITTING THE PAVEMENT, MEETING WITH TONS OF FOLKS, PROBABLY HAD ABOUT 20 DIFFERENT MEETINGS OVER THOSE FOUR DAYS, WITH FOLKS THAT ARE, AGAIN, NOT ONLY INTERESTED IN TEXAS, NOT ONLY DALLAS, BUT YOU GUYS ARE DOING IN DESOTO IS GAME CHANGING. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED. MORE TO COME ON THAT. EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. WE ARE LOOKING TO SCHEDULE SOME TYPE OF DESOTO DAY OVER THERE AT PEGASUS PARK, OVER AT BIO LAB. SO YOU GUYS CAN REALLY EXPOSE YOURSELF, TO THIS PARTICULAR INDUSTRY AND WHERE WE'RE HEADED, SIMILAR TO THE JOINT MEETING, WE'RE LOOKING TO MAYBE BRING IN COUNCIL AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD BE MINDFUL OF THE QUORUM AND EVERYTHING.
THEY MIGHT EVEN HAVE TO POST JUST IN CASE. BUT WE THINK AND KNOW THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT, THAT YOU GUYS CAN ACTUALLY SEE THIS AND FEEL IT, HEAR IT, BE A PART OF IT. BECAUSE THAT SAME ENERGY IS COMING TO DESOTO IN VERY SHORT TIME. SO MORE TO COME ON THAT AND I'LL LEAVE IT THERE.
THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OH, ONE MORE THING, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE OUR ACCOLADES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN DESOTO, I THINK LAST MONTH, I DON'T THINK I WAS, WE HAVEN'T MET SINCE WE GOT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, BUT ANTOINE LONG WAS ANNOUNCED AS THE TOP 50 ECONOMIC DEVELOPER. OH, WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT, I KNOW I WILL. I WILL NOT, NOT JUST FOR UNITED STATES, BUT FOR NORTH AMERICA. SO I KNOW DESOTO LIKES OUR ACCOLADES. I DO AS WELL. SO TOP 50 IN NORTH AMERICA, THEY DON'T TELL. YOU. WELL, BUT THE MOST EXCITING PART. BUT EVERYTHING HE JUST SAID THESE TWO YOUNG MEN ARE FROM DESOTO AND SORRENTO, AN ALUMNUS FROM DESOTO. THAT'S RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO WALK AWAY FROM JUST JUST BEATING ON THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AND TELL THEIR PEERS IT'S JUMPING OFF INTO. SO THAT'S THANK YOU, ANTOINE. STATE THAT ONE MORE TIME, PLEASE. ANTOINE LONG ANNOUNCED AS A TOP 50 ECONOMIC DEVELOPER IN NORTH AMERICA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL BE SURE TO EVERYONE DID HEAR THAT.
AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH HIM. THAT'S. YEAH. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. AND IN THE SPIRIT OF RECOGNITION AND WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A SUPERSTAR IN OUR MIDST. OH MY GOD. THAT WAS ON TELEVISION. SHE DID SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB YOU KNOW. SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME BE IN THE SAME ROOM. WE HAVE BALLOON FOLK. OKAY. HIS TOP 50 IS TRULY DESERVED, AND, I'M SUPER PROUD. I'M SUPER PROUD OF HIM, THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF, CERTIFIED ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS, SITE SELECTORS, THE
[01:40:04]
PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING THE DECISIONS AROUND THESE THINGS EVERY DAY AND WANT TO RECOGNIZE THOSE WHO ARE WHO ARE OUR RISING STARS, AND ANTOINE IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THOSE. I ALSO WANT TO, LET YOU KNOW THAT HE WILL FINISH UP A THREE YEAR PROGRAM OF WORK IN ABOUT TWO, AND A HALF YEARS, AND WHEN HE ATTENDS, OKLAHOMA UNIVERSITY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE, IT IS IT IS THE GOLD STANDARD FROM AN EDUCATION STANDPOINT, MISSISSIPPI STATE THINKS THEY'RE OKAY, BUT OKLAHOMA'S GOT IT, JUST JUST SAYING, AND HE WILL COMPLETE THAT IN OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR, IT'S BEEN A HECK OF A YEAR FOR THIS YOUNG MAN. SO I'M SUPER PROUD AND I'M PLEASED TO HAVE HIM AS PART OF OUR TEAM. THANK YOU SIR. YOU FROM THE STATE OF FIVE. WE'RE GOING TO GET ALONG.[G. BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS]
ABSOLUTELY. SO THOSE IN THE ROOM, THEY KNOW THAT. THEY KNOW THAT THAT TAKES US, MR. PRESIDENT, TO THE BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS. IF ANY OF Y'ALL HAVE HAVE ANNOUNCEMENTS, OTHERWISE WE'LL WE'LL ADJOURN. OKAY, ANY BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS? NOT OFFICIALLY A BOARD ANNOUNCEMENT, BUT A JUNETEENTH IS WEDNESDAY, AND, THE CITY PARTICIPATES IN A JOINT CELEBRATION. IT WILL BE HELD IN CEDAR HILL, IT WILL HAPPEN THIS WEDNESDAY. I MEAN, I'M SORRY.THIS SATURDAY, SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO, YOU WANT TO COME OUT AND LISTEN TO SOME OLD SCHOOL MUSIC AND, SO JUST SHARING IN THE WONDERFUL AMPHITHEATER OF CEDAR HILL, MIDNIGHT STAR. YES, YES. THESE YOUNG BUCKS DON'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THEM. WE GO BACK AND NO IDEA. GO GOOGLE MIDNIGHT. THAT'S WHAT REAL MUSIC WAS ABOUT. YEAH AND YOU KNOW WHAT'S CRAZY ABOUT THAT? I JUST SAW A LATINX STAR IN OKLAHOMA. DID YOU, LENNOX, ARE 48 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS. I THINK WE HAD SOME NAMING PROBLEMS BACK IN THERE. WE KIND OF COPIED OFF. EVERYBODY'S NAME WAS HOT DALLAS STARS. THE STARS. BUT BUT THAT'S IT, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU. NOW, DO YOU THINK IS THAT YOU GET ANY TICKETS OR ANYTHING FOR THAT, NO. IT'S FREE. IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. DESOTO AND CEDARVILLE. AND IT MIGHT BE ANOTHER CITY THAT. BUT, I KNOW THE DESOTO AND CEDAR HILL, AND I THINK LANCASTER IS PART OF IT, BUT IT IS A FREE CONCERT. YOU CAN COME OUT. THEY HAVE FOOD VENDORS, IT'S GREAT. AND CAN I SAY THIS? I WAS I WAS, MATT IN ANTOINE IS KNOWN IN THE ICC, THEY WERE CALLING, ANTOINE, MISTER DESOTO AND IT IS FOR REAL, BUT EVERY GRADE STUDENT HAVE A GREAT TEACHER. SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR MAKING SURE THAT DESOTO AND IS ON THE MAP. THANK YOU. IN THE WORK THAT YOU DO AS WELL. YEAH. THANK YOU. SO, I CAN LITERALLY SIGN YOU UP TONIGHT FOR THE WONDERFUL JIM. IT'S A WONDERFUL THING I CAN SAY. JUST GIVE ME YOUR NAME AND INFORMATION. I'LL GET YOU SIGNED UP. SO LET ME TAKE THE LIBERTY OF JUST SAYING THANK YOU TO EVERYONE, OUR INTERNS. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. WE'RE AGAIN EXCITED ABOUT YOUR OPPORTUNITY AND WHAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO SHARE WITH US. AND HELP TO ELEVATE OUR UNDERSTANDING IN WHAT YOU DO. AND SO WE APPRECIATE THAT TREMENDOUSLY. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THIS TEAM, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT THIS IS A PHENOMENAL JEAN. THE INPUT THAT WE PUT AROUND HERE, OKAY, AROUND THIS TABLE STEMS FROM THE EFFORT THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, BOTH THE, THE, THE YOUNG AND THE OLD, OLD AND YOUNG AND ALL THAT. HERE WE GO. YOU KNOW. YEAH. BUT TO THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING. AND THE TEAM COLLABORATION AND THE SPIRIT AND THE CAN'T DO ATTITUDE THAT WE HAVE AS STAFF AND BOARD COLLABORATIVELY WORKING WITH OUR COUNCILMAN TO AND OUR OUR DIRECT LEADER, MISS VICTORIA LEADER, LONG, LONG MORE LIKE REFEREE REFEREES. SO I REALLY WANT THEM TO UNDERSTAND THIS CREATES THE HEARTBEAT OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE'RE GOING TO GET TO SEE AND LOOK BEHIND THE VEIL OF WHAT A COMMUNITY GETS IS CREATED AND HOW IT'S IMPACTED THE FUTURISTIC PART OF IT. THAT'S WHAT ALL OF THIS IS ABOUT, RIGHT. AND SO YOU GET A SNAPSHOT OF THAT. YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT I WAS A PART OF WHEN THEY MADE LEGISLATION AND MOVED THE DIAL. THAT'S REALLY RICH. THANK YOU. GOOD, GOOD. WELL, THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS FOR THIS BOARD THIS EVENING, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.