[00:00:03]
GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.[A. REGULAR SESSION AGENDA - CALL TO ORDER]
NAME IS MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR, AND I WANNA WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THIS, UH, REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING.UM, IT IS 6:00 PM AND IT IS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER THE THIRD.
I'M GONNA ASK OUR CITY, UH, SECRETARY TO START US OFF WITH A ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
COUNCIL MEMBER NICOLE RAPHAEL.
COUNCIL MEMBER DYNA MARKS HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CRYSTAL CHISHOLM HERE.
AT THIS TIME WE'LL HAVE OUR, UH, FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
FIRST, WE HAVE INVOCATION BY ELDER SHIRLEY RUSSELL, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, LED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CRYSTAL CHISHOLM.
IF EVERYONE CAN PLEASE STAND, GIVE AN HONOR TO OUR FAITHFUL AND DEDICATED MAYOR TODAY, AND TO ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE HARDWORKING COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IT'S AN HONOR TO STAND BEFORE YOU.
LET US BY OUR HEADS IN PRAYER.
FATHER, I THANK YOU TODAY FOR THIS AWESOME OCCASION TO COME BEFORE YOU.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE IN OUR LIVES AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
FATHER, WE LIVE IN A TIME OF UNCERTAINTY, FATHER, BUT GOD, WE KNOW YOU'RE THE SOURCE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED.
FATHER, LET US KEEP OUR EYES ON YOU FOR ARTHUR AND FINISH OF ALL THINGS WE GATHER TO, WE GATHER TODAY AS LEADERS AND CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT CITY SEEKING GUIDANCE AND WISDOM AS WE WORK TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOOD.
HELP US TO LISTEN WITH OPEN HEARTS AND MINDS, TO RESPECT EACH OTHER'S PERSPECTIVES AND TO FIND COMMON GROUND.
GRANT US THE COURAGE TO MAKE DIFFICULT SITUATIONS, TO SERVE THE MOST VULNERABLE AND THE WISDOM.
WISDOM TO BUILD A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR ALL.
DEAR FATHER, BLESS OUR CITY, BLESS OUR PEOPLE.
AND MAY I WORK TODAY REFLECT YOUR LOVE AND GRACE.
DESOTO, PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY THE DIFFERENT TEXAS FLAG PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
FOR WHICH ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL I I ALLEGIANCE TO BE OF ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE INDIVISIBLE.
THANK YOU ELDER RUSSELL FOR LEADING US IN THAT PRAYER.
AND ALSO THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, UH, FOR, UH, LEADING US IN OUR PLEDGES.
[B. ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]
HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.NEXT WE MOVE INTO OUR ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.0415.
THE CITY COUNCIL MAY REPORT ON THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, EXPRESSION OF THANKS, CONGRATULATIONS, OR CONDOLENCES INFORMATION ABOUT HOLIDAY SCHEDULES, RECOGNITION OF INDIVIDUALS, REMINDERS ABOUT UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL EVENTS, INFORMATION ABOUT COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS INVOLVING IMMINENT THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, AS WELL AS ANY LIAISON UPDATES.
COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? YES.
AND I'D LOVE TO JUST SAY THANK YOU TO THE, UH, DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES, UH, TEAM FOR GETTING THOSE SIGNS AND THINGS OUT IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF DESOTO OFF OF PARKVILLE AND HAMPTON.
I ASK THAT THE CITIZENS WILL BE PLEASED AND BE MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT THE, UH, CONSTRUCTION IS ACTUALLY ONE WAY.
AND, UH, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN SOME, SOME MISHAPS IN THE LAST DAY, AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED.
WE JUST HAVE THE, WE ACTUALLY JUST HAVE THE, THE ACTUAL SIGNS AND STUFF OUT AND, UM, SOME THINGS HAVE HAPPENED ALREADY.
SO I'M ASKING IF WE CAN JUST BE MINDFUL THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO GOOD STUFF ON THE BACK END OF DE SOTO.
AND IF WE COULD JUST HAVE EVERYBODY BE, YOU KNOW, BE AWARE THAT IT'S ONE DIRECTION ON HAMPTON PAST PARKVILLE, IF WE COULD GO IN THE NORTHBOUND DIRECTION TO HELP EACH OTHER.
THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, I YIELD BACK.
COUNCIL MEMBER BY THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR.
I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO GO AHEAD AND PUT IT ON YOUR AGENDA ON YOUR CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER THE 20TH, UH, AT SIX O'CLOCK, AN ECONOMIC TOWN HALL MEETING TO, UH, TALK ABOUT WHERE DESOTO HAS BEEN AND WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GO.
IT WILL BE LED BY OUR OWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM, UH, AND IT WILL BE IN THE, UH, LIBRARY, UH, COMMUNITY ROOM, AND THAT'S ON SEPTEMBER THE 20TH.
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THAT ON YOUR CALENDAR.WE WILL TRY TO ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS OF PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE QUESTIONS.
AND THEN ON THE 21ST, YOU CAN JUST COME ON OVER TO GROW DESOTO MARKETPLACE BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO BE HAVING A GET OUT THE VOTE EVENT STARTING AT 10 O'CLOCK ONTO TWO O'CLOCK THAT PARTICULAR AFTERNOON.
PLEASE BE REMINDED THAT, UM, THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE IS OCTOBER 7TH.
SO IF YOU SHOULD HAVE, UH, ANYONE AS FAR AS NEIGHBORS, RELATIVES, ANYONE THAT'S GONNA BE TURNING 18, OCTOBER 7TH IS GOING TO BE THE ABSOLUTE LAST DAY.
ALSO, IF YOU WANT TO, AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS.
WHILE I'M THERE, I WANT TO PARK PARENTHETICALLY AND SAY TO YOU, I'VE UN I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY REGISTRATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PURGED, SO I, IT WOULD BEHOOVE YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION STATUS JUST BECAUSE YOU VOTED LAST YEAR.
DON'T THINK THAT IT'S OKAY, THAT IT'S EVERYTHING IS ALL RIGHT THIS YEAR.
PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS.
UH, I WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE STARBUCKS THAT RECENTLY OPENED, UH, NEAR THE CORNER OF WESTMORELAND AND BELTLINE.
THEY HAD A RIBBON CUTTING ON, UM, YESTERDAY AS A MATTER OF FACT.
AND THEN ON SEPTEMBER 21ST, WE HAVE OUR HISPANIC HERITAGE FEST, FOOD, FAMILY, FUN, AND VENDORS.
YOU CAN REGISTER@DESOTOEVENTS.EVENTBRITE.COM FREE, FREE EVENT, AND THE GATES WILL OPEN AT 5:00 PM AT THE GRIMES PARK, 5 0 1 EAST WINTERGREEN ROAD.
AND LASTLY, UH, MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR OUR KEEP DESOTO BEAUTIFUL TRASH PICKUP DAY, WHICH WILL BE OCTOBER 5TH, BETWEEN 9:00 AM AND 12:00 PM REGISTER ONLINE, DESOTO EVENTS DOT EVENT BRIGHT.COM.
THERE WILL BE FOUR LOCATIONS, 7 31 WEST BELTLINE 1510 NORTH HAMPTON, 9 0 1 NORTH POPE, AND 1 0 8 WESTVILLE.
UM, FIRST OFF, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK STAFF FOR THEIR SUP UH, SUPPORT OF THE VETERAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
UH, LAST MONTH WAS PURPLE HEART AWARENESS.
NOT ONLY DID WE RECEIVE OUR CITY DESIGNATION, YOU CAN ALSO FIND THOSE SIGNS ACROSS OUR CITY TODAY.
UM, AND ALSO A RESERVE PARKING FOR A DISABLED, UH, VETERAN WITH PURPLE HEART.
UM, A AWARDEE RIGHT OUTSIDE OF OUR LIBRARY, WHICH WILL CONNECT THEM TO MANY OF OUR MAJOR, UM, GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
SO THANK YOU STAFF, UM, FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN MAKING THAT A VERY MEMORABLE, UM, EVENT.
SECONDLY, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, STATE THAT CPA, UM, AS YOU KNOW, I AM THE LIAISON FOR THE CITIZENS POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, THIS COMMITTEE STARTED, UH, IN 2020, UM, AS ONE OF THE FOUNDER FOUNDING, UM, RESIDENTS WHO WENT BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL ASKING FOR OVERSIGHT BOARD.
WHAT I LEARNED THROUGH THE PROCESS IS THAT BECAUSE WE ARE A CIVIL SERVICE CITY, THAT WE CANNOT HAVE A OVERSIGHT BOARD.
IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAVE A, UH, A CIVIL SERVICE BOARD, RIGHT? BUT WHAT THE CITY DID DO WAS THEY CREATED THE CITIZENS POLICE ADVISORY.
AND THIS COMMITTEE HAS WORKED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO, UH, WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO REVIEW THE POLICIES, UM, THAT THE, THE CURRENT, UM, POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, BRING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL AND, AND ANY TYPE OF PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE.
WELL, MOST RECENTLY, AS OF LAST MONTH, THEY WENT A STEP FURTHER, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE VISIBLE AND PEOPLE KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
YOU CAN FIND THESE CONTACT CARDS IN, UM, COMMON AREAS SUCH AS CITY HALL.
UM, THEY'RE GOING IN OUR REC CENTER, I LIBRARY AND OTHER AREAS.
IT HAS NOT ONLY, UM, WAYS TO FILE A COMPLAINT OR A COMPLIMENT FOR AN OFFICER, BUT ALSO YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS REGARDING POLICE POLICY, PROCEDURES AND TRAINING.
UM, YOU CAN VISIT THE COMMITTEE'S WEBSITE AS WELL AS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE.
THERE'S, UH, QR CODES FOR ALL OF THOSE.
I LEFT THEM ALL AT EACH OF YOUR, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, SEAT TODAY AND, AND WITH A COUPLE OF EXTRAS SHOULD YOU WANT TO PASS THOSE OUT.
SO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, REALLY PROUD OF THAT COMMITTEE AND THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING TO BRING VISIBILITY TO THEIR, THEIR COMMITTEE.
AND LASTLY, UM, LAST MONTH I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF ATTENDING THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE 2024 MUNICIPAL POLICY SUMMIT.
I WAS JOINED WITH MAYBE A HUNDRED OTHER CITY, UM, ELECTEDS FROM MAYORS TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, AS A DELEGATION TO REVIEW THE UPCOMING LEGISLATION PRIORITIES FOR OUR HOUSE.
AND WE WENT OVER AND VOTED ON THINGS
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THAT WE WANTED TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE TO SUPPORT OR OPPOSE.AS WE KNOW, TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, WHILE THEY, THEIR ORGANIZATION HELPS MUNICIPALS ALL ACROSS OUR CITY WITH, YOU KNOW, TRAINING AND RESOURCES, THEY ALSO ARE ADVOCATE FOR US AT THE, UH, STATE HOUSE WHEN WE CANNOT BE.
AND SO I DID WANNA POINT OUT THAT THIS UPCOMING LEGISLATION, SOME THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE MINDFUL OF IS PROPERTY TAX SUPER.
IF WE DIDN'T THINK THAT THEY CAME FOR US FROM A SUPER PREEMPTIVE, UM, UH, MEASURE, THAT'S HOW THEY LIMIT CITIES FROM HAVING THEIR OWN CREATIVE ORDINANCES.
THAT WILL BE ANOTHER HOT TOPIC.
UM, AND THEN SCHOOLS, ONE THING THAT I DID WANNA POINT OUT IS THAT, UM, THERE WERE OTHER CITIES IN THE ROOM THAT HAD CONTENTION AROUND THE DES DESIGNATION.
THAT'S WHERE SALES TAX THAT HAS DEFINITELY, UM, IMPACTED DESOTO.
WE'VE SEEN IT FROM A FEW OF OUR, UM, UH, SALES TAX, UH, EMPLOYERS, HEAVY SALES TAX EMPLOYERS.
AND SIMPLY WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE COMPTROLLER IS, UH, DECIDED THAT THAT SALES TAX SHOULD GO TO THE CITY WHERE THE ORDER IS CREATED, NOT WHERE THE ORDER IS MANUFACTURED IN SHORT.
RIGHT? SO THAT IMPACTS DESOTO, UM, HEAVILY WHEN WE HAVE BUSINESSES LIKE KOHL'S AND THINGS LIKE RIGHT HERE IN THE BACKYARD.
UM, THERE'S A SMALL SUBCOMMITTEE OF US WHO WILL BE MEETING TO PROPOSE TO TML WHO IN THE PAST HAS NOT OPPOSED OR, UH, UH, UH, APPROVED, UH, BILLS AROUND THIS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.
HOW CAN THEY PROTECT CITIES LIKE OURS WHO ARE IMPACTED BY THAT? UM, AND SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO GO PROTECT US CITIES WHO WOULD BE IMPACTED BY A DESIGNATION SALES TAX.
UM, COUNSEL, I HAVE, UM, MY, MY BOOK IN HAND IF YOU WANT MORE.
I TOOK A LOT OF OF NOTES IF YOU WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT THE OTHER, UM, LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES COMING DOWN.
AND NEXT YEAR I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE.
ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL HAVE, ITS WHAT WE CALL A SUMMER RETREAT.
AND THAT'S A CODE WORD FOR A VERY LONG MEETING.
TWO DAYS, AND IT WILL BE HELD ON FRIDAY, STARTING AT 8:00 AM SATURDAY, STARTING AT EIGHT 30.
UM, AM BOTH INSIDE OF THE DESOTO PUBLIC LIBRARY MULTIPURPOSE ROOM.
AND SO WE WILL BE THERE ALONG WITH THE DEPART, THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, AND WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT LOTS OF THINGS.
ONE OF THOSE VERY IMPORTANT THINGS IS, UM, WHAT DOES NEXT YEAR LOOK LIKE WITH, UM, UM, PRESENTING, UM, UM, THE BUSINESS PLAN GOALS FOR THE NEXT YEAR, AS WELL AS TALKING ABOUT THAT, TALKING ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE ROUNDING OUT, UM, THE END OF THE FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO GET READY TO GET ENGAGED OVER THIS NEXT YEAR RELATED TO THAT.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, ON SATURDAY, JUST TO, UM, CO-SIGN ON WHAT, UH, OUR COUNCIL MEMBER JUST TALKED ABOUT IN LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AS A CITY, WE WILL LEARN ABOUT THE SENATE BILL TWO'S IMPACTS, ALONG WITH OTHER CONSIDERATIONS.
AND SO IF YOU, AS RESIDENTS HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO FEED TO US SO THAT WE CAN ALSO FEED IT UPSTAIRS, YOU KNOW, TO, UM, OUR ELECTED LEADERS AS WELL AS YOU CAN DO THAT AS WELL.
UM, PLEASE, UM, LET US KNOW WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU AS RESIDENTS FOR THE CITY AND, AND HOW WE CAN IMPACT OUR STATE AS WELL IMPACT OUR CITY.
COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, DO YOU HAVE AN ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT AT THIS TIME? I'M GONNA ASK, UH, MS. UH, DR. WILLIAMS, I BELIEVE SHE HAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING OUR TECHNOLOGY TONIGHT.
UM, COUNCIL, THE, UH, LIVE STREAM TO OUR WEBSITE IS NOT FUNCTIONING AT THE MOMENT DUE TO AN OUTAGE THAT'S LIKE NATIONWIDE, UM, THROUGH ALL OF THEIR, UH, MEETINGS THAT THEY, THAT THEY HANDLE.
AND, BUT IT IS BEING RECORDED, SO IT'LL BE UPLOADED TO OUR WEBSITE AS SOON AS THAT'S, UM, COMPLETED.
SO THE LIVE STREAM TO OUR WEBSITE OR TO FACEBOOK IS NOT WORKING DUE TO THEIR OUTAGE.
MADAM MAYOR, JUST AS A POINT OF ORDER OF, I MEAN A POINT OF INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY ARE ON ONLINE, ARE THEY PROVIDED ANY STATEMENT OF THAT SAME FACT? WE CAN PUT IT ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
UM, THAT IT'S BEING, THAT IT'S NOT BEING LIVE STREAMED AT THE MOMENT.
UH, THANK YOU COUNSEL AND THANK YOU DR. WILLIAMS FOR YOUR ANNOUNCEMENT.
UM, AT THIS TIME, WE KNOW THAT, UM, EACH MONTH THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE HAVE BIRTHDAYS.
AND THIS MONTH WE HAVE A BIRTHDAY THAT'S COMING UP ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH.
AND THAT WILL BE FOR COUNCILMAN ANDRE BIRD
NOW, COUNCILMAN BIRCH, YOU KNOW, YOU GET A CHOICE OF, OF WHICH SELECTION OR NONE AT ALL.
[00:15:01]
OF Y'ALL HAVE BEEN OPTING OUT OF THE SONG.THE OLDER YOU GET NOT IN YOUR LIFE,
ON THE COUNT OF THREE, WE'LL HAVE THE COUNCIL, UH, CHAMBER CHOIR TO SING.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO COUNCILMAN BY ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY COUNCIL MEMBER, BUR HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.
COUNCIL, WISH YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY COUNCIL MEMBER, BUR WE HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR, YOUR DAY.
[C. CITIZEN APPEARANCES]
WE WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.NEXT, AND MOVING TO OUR CITIZEN APPEARANCES, THE CITY COUNCIL INVITES CITIZENS TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL ON ANY TOPIC NOT ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING.
CITIZENS WISHING TO SPEAK SHOULD COMPLETE A CITIZEN COMMENT CARD AND PRESENT IT TO THE CITY SECRETARY OR RETURN TO THE AMBASSADOR'S TABLE PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THE CITY COUNCIL CANNOT TAKE ACTION ON ITEMS NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA.
HOWEVER, YOUR CONCERNS MAY BE ADDRESSED BY CITY STAFF PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA OR RESPONDED TO BY SOME OTHER COURSE.
ATTENDEES MAY SPEAK ON ANY ITEM LISTED ON THE AGENDA DURING THAT PORTION OF THE AGENDA.
HOWEVER, FOR TOPICS NOT SCHEDULED, ATTENDEES WILL SPEAK DURING CITIZEN APPEARANCES.
THE STANDARD TIME LIMIT IS THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER AND MAY BE MODIFIED AT THE MAYOR'S DISCRETION TO MAINTAIN AN EFFICIENT FLOW OF THE MEETING.
COMMENT CARDS RELATED TO SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS ARE DUE PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF AN AGENDA ITEM.
HOWEVER, COMMENT CARDS RELATED TO THE CITIZEN APPEARANCES PORTION OF THE AGENDA MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE AMBASSADOR'S TABLE PRIOR TO THE START OF THE MEETING.
AND FIRST, I HAVE MS. ANNA WILLIAMS. GOOD EVENING.
MS. WILLIAMS, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR CITY OF OF RESIDENCE FOR THE RECORD, AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
UH, ANNA WILLIAMS DESOTA, TEXAS, UM, 34 YEAR CI CITIZEN, SOON TO BE 35 IN DECEMBER.
UM, WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS A BIG THANK YOU TO THE DESOTA POLICE DEPARTMENT, NOT ONLY IN I AREA THAT WAS, UM, UH, HIT, UM, BOBCAT'S PLUS A MAN IN A TREE ON THE TRAIL.
BUT, UH, SUNDAY WAS, UM, TO ME, MY GRANDSON IS A POLICEMAN.
AND IT'S ONE THING ABOUT THE DESOTA POLICE, WHEN THEY NEED YOU, THEY COME.
THIS ONE IS FROM RENEE HALL WHEN SHE WAS, UH, UH, CHAIR, UH, SHERIFF OF DALLAS.
WHEN MY GRANDSON THEM GRADUATED, SHE SAID, I WANT TO TELL YOU ONE THING, THANK YOU FOR THE MOST THANKLESS JOB IN AMERICA.
AND QUITE OFTEN THAT HAPPENS IN DESOTA CHIEF COSTA AND HIS POLICEMEN POLICEWOMEN.
THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB IN HELPING US IN DESOTA TO CLEAN UP CRIME, TO CLEAN UP GAMBLING THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN HERE ANYTIME.
BUT THEY'VE DONE THAT AND THEY'VE DONE AN AMAZING JOB.
AND I HOPE THEY CONTINUE TO STAY WITH US AND WITH THE CITIZENS.
AND THANK YOU, MS. CHISHOLM FOR THE PURPLE HEART GOLD STAR.
ON MAY THE 19TH, 2005, DISMANTLED HIS TANK TO SAVE AT LEAST 30 PEOPLE.
HE TOOK A BULLET THROUGH THE THROAT FOR PEOPLE.
SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASON MY GRANDSON SAID, IF BERNARD GRANDMOTHER CAN FIGHT FOR THE COUNTRY, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIGHT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND WHAT I SAID TO HIM IS, THERE'S MORE CRIMINALS IN AMERICA THAN THERE IS IN IRAQ.
THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT EVENING.
MS. THOMAS, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT TIME.
SHE STATED CONFUSED AS TO HOW AGENDA ITEMS ARE PRESENTED.
SHE SAID, CONFUSED AS TO HOW AGENDA ITEMS ARE PRESENTED.
[D. CONSENT AGENDA Items are listed on the Consent Agenda by the City Manager and are recommended to the City Council for single vote approval. An item( s) may be removed from the Consent Agenda for separate vote at the request of a Councilmember, the Mayor, or the City Manager. ]
THIS TIME, MS. THOMAS, WE'LL[00:20:01]
HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.NEXT WE MOVE INTO OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEMS ARE LISTED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA BY THE CITY MANAGER AND ARE RECOMMENDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR SINGLE VOTE APPROVAL.
AN ITEM MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR SEPARATE VOTE AT THE REQUEST OF A COUNCIL MEMBER, THE MAYOR OR THE CITY MANAGER.
FIRST, WE HAVE APPROVAL OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING MEETING MINUTES FOR MAY 21ST, JUNE 17TH AND JUNE 18TH, 2024, AS WELL AS RECOGNITION
[E. Consent - Other Items]
OF PROCLAMATION HONORING NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION MONTH, CONFIRMATION OF APPOINTMENT OF GWENDOLYN SPENCER TO THE DESOTO AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.QUA DARDEN TO THE BUILDING AND STANDARDS COMMISSION, JAMILA SHERMAN AND PAMELA SPOONER TO THE CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION, AS WELL AS GILBERT GRAHAM TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
AND SANDRA CARTER TO THE TRI-CITY ANIMAL SHELTER BOARD.
CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE 2024 ANNUAL SERVICE PLAN, UPDATE AND ASSESSMENT ROLE FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE DANIEL DALE HOMESTEAD PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 3 72, TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE AS AMENDED, MAKING VARIOUS FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT AND PROVING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE CONSIDER RESOLUTION APPROVING ASSIGNMENT OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION PRIVATE ACTIVITY BOND AUTHORITY TO THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.
CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE AN INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT TO SUNSHINE PEDIATRIC DAY CENTER, DESOTO, LLC IN THE AMOUNT OF $20,000 TO REIMBURSE A PORTION OF ELIGIBLE SITE IMPROVEMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE EXPENSES RELATED TO A PRESCRIBED EXTENDED CARE CENTER LOCATED AT 10 59 EAST BELTLINE ROAD, DESOTO, TEXAS, AS APPROVED BY THE DESOTO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD ON AUGUST 22ND, 2024.
AND CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE A FACADE GRANT TO HEALTH AND ALLIED HEALTH INC.
AND A NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $10,489 AND 26 CENTS TO BE APPLIED AS REIMBURSEMENT FOR A PORTION OF COSTS INCURRED FOR A MONUMENT SIGN AND DOOR SIGNAGE FOR A BUSINESS LOCATED AT 1824 NORTH HAMPTON ROAD, DESOTO, TEXAS, AS APPROVED BY THE DESOTO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD ON AUGUST 22ND, 2024.
AND MAYOR, I DO HAVE ONE COMMENT CARD.
DOES IT SPECIFY WHICH ITEM IT'S IN REGARD TO? IT IS IN REGARD TO ITEM 10, E 10 SUNSHINE PEDIATRIC DAY CENTER.
AND I'M SORRY IF I BUTCHERED YOUR LAST NAME.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE FOR THE RECORD, AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK MATTER.
MY NAME IS DAVID MAYMAN AND I AM LIVING IN, UH, DALLAS, TEXAS.
I'M HERE ON ITEM NUMBER 10, WHICH IS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PPAC, WHICH STANDS FOR PRESCRIBED PEDIATRIC EXTENDED CARE CENTER.
TO WHICH THE NEXT THOUGHT IN YOUR MINDS IS WHAT EXACTLY IS THAT? IT'S A SKILLED NURSING FACILITY.
WHAT WOULD YOU WOULD TYPICALLY THINK OF AS A NURSING HOME FOR PEDIATRIC? SO WE TAKE CARE OF BABIES UP TO 21 YEARS OF AGE.
IT'S A BRAND NEW PROGRAM HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THE LEGISLATURE CREATED IT, UM, PROBABLY ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HAS BEEN WRITING THE RULES.
I BUILT MY FIRST ONE IN DALLAS AND HAD OVERWHELMING DEMAND FROM A LOT OF THE KIDS.
NOT SURPRISING COMING FROM DESOTO.
AND SO I PARTNERED WITH CHILDREN'S HEALTH, WHICH IS THE HOSPITAL UP IN DALLAS.
AND IT BECAME READILY APPARENT TO ME THAT DESOTO WAS IN FACT, AN AREA THAT NEEDED ONE OF THESE FACILITIES.
UH, OUR BABIES AND KIDS ARE, HAVE SKILLED NURSING NEEDS.
SO THESE ARE KIDS THAT ON THE ACUITY LEVEL RANGE FROM VENTILATORS AND TRACHS DOWN TO FEEDING TUBES, NASAL GASTRIC TUBES, PREMATURE BABIES, CEREBRAL PALSY, AND THE LIKE.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE FULL-TIME, PHYSICAL SPEECH, OCCUPATIONAL AND FEEDING THERAPISTS THERE.
THIS WILL DO TWO THINGS FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO.
NUMBER ONE, IT'LL PROVIDE A PLACE FOR THESE BABIES AND KIDS TO COME AND GROW.
AND ULTIMATELY OUR GOAL IS TO DISCHARGE ALL OF THIS EQUIPMENT AND GET THEM BACK INTO, UH, THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND THEN BACK INTO THEIR COMMUNITIES.
AND ALSO, UM, PROVIDE A LOT OF JOBS FOR NURSES, THERAPISTS, UH, AND OTHER FOLKS THAT WORK IN THE BUILDING.
SO THEY COME IN THE MORNING AND LEAVE IN THE AFTERNOON.
WE'RE BUILDING RIGHT ON BELTLINE ROAD JUST WEST OF, UH, I 35.
UH, IN OUR OTHER TOWNS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS, BUILDING THESE FACILITIES.
UH, WE HAVE GREAT IMPACT ON REALLY MEETING A NEED THAT THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T KNOW EXIST.
'CAUSE A LOT OF THESE KIDS, UNFORTUNATELY, WILL SORT OF LANGUISH IN THE HOME FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, SO I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, AND IF I WAS SITTING IN YOUR CHAIRS, I DEFINITELY WOULD WANT TO KNOW THIS.
YOUR ECONOMIC DEV DEVELOP, UH, DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL HAS BEEN LIGHTS OUT, UM, TEXTING MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT, UH, ESPECIALLY MR. ANTOINE LONG, WHO, UH, HAS JUST REALLY BEEN A CHAMPION.
[00:25:01]
ALREADY SOLD ON DE SOTO, BUT AFTER TALKING TO HIM FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS, I WAS LIKE, WOW, I HAD NO IDEA YOU GUYS WERE DOING HALF OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING.SO HE'S FLYING THE FLAG PROUD.
SO, UH, JUST SOMETHING FOR YOU ALL TO KNOW.
AND GIMME YOUR LAST NAME AGAIN? YES, MA'AM.
THANK YOU MR. MAYMAN FOR COMING OUT TO SPEAK.
AT THIS TIME, COUNSEL, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION? YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER? UH, YES, I DO.
I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, E EIGHT.
IS IT EH? LEMME MAKE SURE IT'S E EIGHT, NINE AND 10 AND 11.
UH, AND I DO HAVE A QUESTION WHEN WE JUST, THIS WHAT WE JUST DID.
UM, DO WE NEED TO, I I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
I JUST THINK WE NEED TO PULL 'EM FOR, DO YOU WANT 'EM SEPARATE VOTE OR WOULD YOU JUST WANT CLARIFYING QUESTIONS? UM, I HAVE SOME CLARIFYING QUESTIONS.
BUT I, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE TO PULL THEM FOR A SEPARATE VOTE IF, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO.
I MEAN, IF YOU WANNA JUST ASK THE QUESTIONS, WE CAN TAKE THEM ONE AT A TIME.
WHAT'S THE FIRST ONE YOU SAID? EIGHT.
UM, ABOUT THE, UH, SERVICE UPDATE PLAN, I WANTED TO ASK, UH, HAS THE COMMUNITY BEEN MADE AWARE OF ANY CHANGES TO THIS ASSESSMENT WITHIN YOUR DE FORMS? SO THERE, THERE ARE NO HOMESTEAD.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF THERE.
THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THIS, THIS ASSESSMENT.
SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN CAN METAL AND STEELWATER CANYON, PERIOD.
WE ISSUED DEBT, UH, ABOUT SIX AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO PAY TO, TO REIMBURSE THE DEVELOPER FOR THE COST OF, UH, UH, PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, STREETS, ROADS, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALKS, ALL OF THAT WATER AND SEWER THAT WAS PLACED INTO THE DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO IN ORDER TO REPAY THAT, UH, ISSU THAT ISSUANCE, THE PROPERTY OWNERS ARE ISSUED A PEER ASSESSMENT.
SO IT'S ALREADY BEEN, IT'S ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED AND IT'S BEEN ASSESSED OVER A 30 YEAR PERIOD.
AMORTIZED JUST LIKE A MORTGAGE.
UH, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ASSESSED TO THEM ANNUALLY.
SO THAT ASSESSMENT AMOUNT, THEY ALREADY KNOW THE ASSESSMENT AMOUNT.
BUT WHAT WE DO EACH YEAR IS UPSET IS, UH, WE DO, UH, THE, UH, WE RECALCULATE THE ASSESSMENT ROLE SO THAT YOU'LL KNOW HOW MUCH OUTSTANDING, UH, UH, PAYMENT EACH, EACH PROPERTY OWNER HAS REMAINING IN THAT 30 YEAR PERIOD.
SO WE WE'RE NOT REASSESSING ANY NEW VALUES.
AND THEY, AND THEY KNOW WHAT THEIR, THEY KNOW WHAT THEIR ASSESSMENTS ARE.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THAT ONE.
AND THEN THE, UH, SECOND ONE WAS, UM, ON THE ACTUAL NORTH TEXAS CENTRAL HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
I WANTED TO ASK, HOW IS THAT, UM, HOW DOES THAT BENEFIT THE CITY OF DESOTO? UM, WHAT WHAT IT DOES IS MOVE, IT ALLOCATES SOME OF THE FUNDS WITHIN THE, UM, SYSTEM TO RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF DESOTO AND ALSO RESIDENTS THAT ARE IN THE OTHER CITIES AND COUNTIES THAT MAKE UP THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
HAS IT BENEFITED ANY OF THE CITY OF DESOTO RESIDENTS? UM, I WOULD HAVE TO GET THE RECORDS.
I'M NOT FOR SURE THAT INFORMATION AT THIS TIME.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING.
YES, I I CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT.
WHAT IT DOES IS THAT IT TAKES OUR CUT, UH, AND COMPILE IT WITH THE OTHER CITIES THAT WE WERE IN THE HOUSING CORPORATION WITH, WHICH GIVES US A BIGGER POOL OF MONEY.
AND SO WHEN FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS BUY A HOME, THEY ARE, THEY ARE, WE, WE ARE ABLE TO, TO HELP THE SODIUM MORE THAN WE WOULD IF WE WERE JUST BY OURSELVES.
SO THAT IS HOW, UH, COMING TOGETHER MAKE US A BIGGER UNIT.
AND SO THEREFORE, WE'RE ABLE TO HELP MORE PEOPLE, NOT ONLY IN DESOTO, BUT IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS, BUT PARTICULARLY IN DESOTO, BECAUSE DESOTO BANK BY ITSELF, UH, THE ALLOCATION WOULD BE TOO SMALL TO HELP WITH FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS TO HELP WITH, UM, OUR RENOVATIONS AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
SO WHEN YOU SAY RENOVATIONS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE ACTUAL, LET ME, LET ME REPHRASE THAT.
LET'S TALK ABOUT FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS.
SO FROM A FIRST TIME HOME BUYER PERSPECTIVE, I'M ASKING HAS ANYTHING, HAS ANY DESOTO RESIDENTS, AND DO WE HAVE METRICS TO SHOW THAT YES.
UH, OF THE CITY OF DESOTO RESIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN HELPED? YES, MA'AM.
WE CAN SEND YOU THAT FROM THE HOUSING CORPORATION.
AND, UM, COUNCILMAN PARK, IF I, IF I MAY INTERJECT, UM, ONE OF THE MOST PROBABLY NOTABLE, UM, FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE'VE SEEN FROM THE HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION AND THOSE FUNDS WERE RECEIVED MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, AND THEY'RE JUST ALMOST ABOUT OUT.
THAT IS THE HOA GRANTS, RIGHT? SO THE GRANTS THAT, UM, WE APPROVE YEARLY OR MAYBE BI-ANNUALLY FOR HOAS TO BEAUTIFY THEIR ENTRYWAYS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT MONEY WAS, WAS ALLOTTED FROM THE HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
SO THAT MAY BE ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE KNOW THE BEST IN TERMS OF HOW IT BENEFITS THE SOTO S AND THANK YOU.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE I WAS GOING.
[00:30:01]
I WAS ACTUALLY ASKING DOES THIS, IS THIS GOING TO ADD ANYTHING ELSE TO THAT POT? TO THAT POT? I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT.I'LL GO ON RECORD SAYING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT RE-UP IF YOU CAN.
HOWEVER, I DON'T, UM, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THE HOA GRANTS WAS COMING FROM THE DESOTO HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
THIS IS THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS OH, HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S CORRECT.
AND SO, UH, WE HAVE, UM, UM, UM, MURAL PRO TEM CAN PROBABLY SPEAK TO THAT BECAUSE WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE BUY, WHEN FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS BUY A HOUSE, IT IS THOSE GRANTS THAT, THAT, SO NOT ONLY THE, OUR LOCAL HOUSING, WHICH THE MAYOR WAS SPEAKING TO THAT HELPS FUND THOSE, BUT THE ONES THAT HELP WITH DOWN PAYMENT IS THE, THE ONE THAT WE'RE IN COLLABORATION WITH.
I AM AWARE OF, OF, OF THE, THE FEES THAT GET STACKED ON TOP OF LOANS.
WHAT I'M ASKING, WHAT I'M ASKING IS, IS THERE METRICS TO SHOW THE SPECIFICS OF THE RESIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN SERVED WITH THIS PARTICULAR PARTNERSHIP? YES, WE HAVE THAT, THAT'S REALLY ALL I'M ASKING.
AND IF IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HOAS, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT PART TOO, BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING FOR THE RESIDENTS OF DESOTO.
AND I APOLOGIZE IF I MISSPOKE.
HOWEVER, I SERVED AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
AND I KNOW THAT WHEN, UM, WE WERE ASKED ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF THOSE FUNDS, UM, THAT WAS WHAT I WAS TOLD FROM THEIR, FROM THEIR LEGAL COUNSELORS, THAT IT CAME FROM THERE.
AND IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN FUNNELED THROUGH THE DESOTO HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THE ORIGIN MANY YEARS AGO CAME FROM THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
AND THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
'CAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY, THAT'S THE KIND OF THING WE NEED TO JUST MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR ON.
AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE, OH, THE OTHER TWO QUESTIONS I HAVE IS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE TWO, UM, UM, UH, FACADE, OR, I'M SORRY.
ONE IS A INFRASTRUCTURE AND ONE IS A, UH, FACADE GRANT, I BELIEVE.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, IS HOW DID WE COME TO THE CALCULATION OF HOW MUCH WE WERE GIVING THEM? BECAUSE THE, UH, ONE ON 11 IS ACTUALLY $2,000 LOWER, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS LIKE $20,000 LOWER.
UH, GOOD EVENING WITH THE FACADE GRANT, THAT'S UP TO 50% OF THE TOTAL PROJECT COSTS.
UH, SO I THINK WITH THE TOTAL PROJECT COSTS FOR, UH, ALLIED HEALTH WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 20,000.
SO HALF OF THAT, YOU'RE GETTING, WHAT IS THAT? UM, 10,489, THAT'S THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT THERE.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE AMOUNT FOR SUNSHINE PEDIATRIC, THAT'S JUST A NUMBER THAT WE CAME TO WITH THE APPLICANT, UH, FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE.
SO THERE WAS NO REAL, UH, METHOD TO THAT PARTICULAR CALCULATION.
IF THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THE CONSENT AGENDA, THERE IS A, A ORDINANCE TO BE READ.
MS. THOMAS, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, APPROVING THE 2024 ANNUAL SERVICE PLAN, UPDATE TO THE SERVICE AND ASSESSMENT PLAN, INCLUDING THE ASSESSMENT ROLE FOR THE DANIEL DALE HOMESTEAD PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 3 72, TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE AS AMENDED AND PROVIDING AN AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
MAYOR PROAM, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO.
UM, AT THIS TIME, COUNSEL, UM, IS THERE A MOTION, MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE AS PRESENTED.
SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MAYOR PROAM HUGS.
SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
COUNSEL ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
THE CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, DO A FEW ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, UH, BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.
WE HAVE SEVERAL OF OUR NEW APPOINTEES TO OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
IF YOU ARE, HAVE BEEN NEWLY APPOINTED AND, UM, AND CONFIRMED ON THIS CONSENT AGENDA, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND? I KNOW THAT WE HAVE MS. QUA DARDEN, WHO, UH, WAS APPOINTED TO THE BUILDING AND STANDARDS.
GWENDOLYN SPENCER APPOINTED TO THE DESOTO AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
JAMILA SHERMAN, APPOINTED TO CULTURAL ARTS.
PAMELA SPOONER, ALSO APPOINTED TO CULTURAL ARTS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE MR. GILBERT GRAHAM APPOINTED TO PLANNING AND ZONING.
AND WE HAVE SANDRA, UH, CARTER APPOINTED TO THE TRI-CITY, ME, TRI-CITY ANIMAL SHELTER BOARD.
CAN WE GIVE THEM A GREAT BIG HAND CLAP? THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO, UH, TO BE A PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AND A PART OF THE GREAT WORK.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO GREAT THINGS FROM EACH OF YOU.
AT THIS TIME, MS. THOMAS, WE HAVE, UH, NO ITEMS, UH, LEFT HERE.
WELL, YES, WE DO HAVE, SO TONIGHT WE'LL BE, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL MANEUVER OUR AGENDA A LITTLE BIT.
WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING, BUT IT WAS POSTED, UM, IN THE NEWSPAPER TO START AT 7:00 PM SO ADHERING TO THAT,
[1. Consider approval of a Resolution granting an exception to the Nuisance Noise Ordinance and the Park Regulations Ordinance to allow the World-A-Music Reggae Festival Organizers to operate until 11 pm and sell and serve alcoholic beverages during the proposed Dallas Reggae Festival]
WE'LL MOVE TO OUR REGULAR AGENDA ITEM.WE HAVE CONSIDERED APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION GRANTING AN EXCEPTION TO THE NUANCE NOISE ORDINANCE AND THE PARK REGULATIONS ORDINANCE TO ALLOW THE WORLD A MUSIC REGGAE FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS TO OPERATE UNTIL 11:00 PM AND SELL AND SERVE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES DURING THE PROPOSED DALLAS REGGAE FESTIVAL.
MAKING THE STAFF PRESENTATION IS IAM CAMERON, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
[00:35:01]
WE HAVE, UH, BEEN APPROACHED BY WORLD OF MUSIC, REGGAE FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS.UH, THEY WANNA HOST THE REGGAE FESTIVAL HERE IN DESOTO.
UH, AND THEY WANNA HOST IT, UH, FRIDAY, OCTOBER THE 18TH THROUGH SUNDAY, OCTOBER THE 20TH.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEM, THEY WANNA HOST IT AT THE, THE MOST LOGICAL PLACE FOR THAT IS GRIMES PARK.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE ALL OUR, BECAUSE CONCERTS AND THINGS HERE FOR CITY, CITY EVENTS.
AND SO, UH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THAT AND WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE FROM A PERMITTING STANDPOINT, FROM STAFF, STAFF RESOURCE, UH, REQUIREMENT AND COST AND ALL OF THAT.
AND SO, UH, AND JUST TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING ORGANIZED SO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN, THEY CAN HOST THAT EVENT.
UH, TWO THINGS THAT HAVE, THEY HAVE NOTICED THAT, UH, MAY, MAY BE AN ISSUE.
UH, ONE IS WE HAVE A, UH, NOR NUISANCE ORDINANCE, UH, AND BASICALLY THE NOR NUISANCE ORDINANCE.
WE, WE INITIALLY, WE THOUGHT THAT WE HAD AN ORDINANCE ON THE BOOKS THAT SAID THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU AFTER 10:00 PM YOU KNOW, YOU COULDN'T HAVE LOUD, YOU KNOW, LOUD NOISES, BUT WE COULDN'T FIND 10:00 PM ANYWHERE IN THE ORDINANCE.
WHAT THE ORDINANCE STATES IS, UH, IT, IT LIMITS THE USE OF LOUDSPEAKERS AMPLIFIER AND AMPLIFIERS WITHIN 150 FEET OF THE PROPERTY, LINE OF PREMISES, OF THE PREMISES OF A RESIDENCE, EXCEPT BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8:00 AM AND SUNSET.
SO WE KNOW SUNSET CHANGES, RIGHT? DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF THE YEAR.
SO WE'LL PROBABLY BE LOOKING AT THAT ORDINANCE TO REVISE THAT ORDINANCE, UH, HERE PRETTY SOON TO MAKE, MAKE IT TO SEE IF WE EVEN NEED IT, NUMBER ONE.
AND IF WE DO NEED IT TO MAKE IT MORE RELEVANT.
UH, SO WHAT, WHAT WE, WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR REALLY IS JUST TO BE ABLE TO, TO HOST THE EVENT AND, AND HAVE IT UNTIL 11:00 PM UH, ON THE FRIDAY, OCTOBER THE 18TH, AS WELL AS SATURDAY OCTOBER THE 19TH.
AND THEN ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER, I'M SORRY, FRIDAY, OCTOBER, YES, FRIDAY, OCTOBER THE 18TH.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER THE 19TH UNTIL 11:00 PM AND THEN ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER THE 20TH, THEY WILL STOP AT 10:00 PM UM, SO, BUT WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, AND YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS IS USUALLY, WE HAVE ONLY CITY EVENTS, CITY SPONSORED EVENTS IN TERMS OF FOURTH JULY EVENT AND ALL THE DIFFERENT, UH, MUSICAL EVENTS THAT WE HAVE OVER HERE.
SO WE, WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD A OUTSIDE, UH, ENTITY TO COME IN AND WANT TO HAVE AN EVENT AT ONE OF OUR FACILITIES AT ONE OF OUR PARKS.
AND SO WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL HAS, THEY HAVE THE, THE BLESSING OF COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE THAT EVENT UNTIL 11:00 PM ON THOSE NIGHTS.
THE OTHER THING IS THEY WANNA BE ABLE TO SERVE, UH, ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.
UH, AGAIN, WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE.
OUR PARK REGULATION ORDINANCE, UH, BASICALLY LIMITS THE SALE OF ALCOHOL TO ONLY, UH, TWO THINGS.
UH, IT CAN ONLY BE THE SERVING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON PREMISES FOR ON PREMISE.
POSSESSION AND CONSUMPTION SHALL ONLY BE PERMITTED AT CITY SPONSORED EVENTS AT THE TOWN CENTER PARK IN AMPHITHEATER.
AND THEN THE, THE PART B IS THE SERVING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES FOR ON-PREMISE POSSESSION AND CONSUMPTION SHALL ONLY BE PERMITTED AT THE CITY CIVIC CENTER AND CORNER THEATER, PROVIDED THAT SUCH SERVICES ARE AUTHORIZED THROUGH THE FACILITY USE AGREEMENT.
AND SO WHAT THEY'RE ASKING, AGAIN, IS TO BE ABLE TO SELL, SELL AND SERVE ALCOHOL AT THE EVENT.
AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ASKING COUNCIL TO GRANT AN EXCEPTION TO THE ORDINANCE.
SO OBVIOUSLY IT, IT, IT'S, IT'D BE IN THE HANDS OF COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO, TO GRANT THAT AND THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, WE DO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE HERE, MR. MIKE FRACAS, UH, WHO IS THE CEO AND THE FESTIVAL DIRECTOR TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT, UH, THE IMPACT OF THE EVENT.
UH, TALK ABOUT THE, UH, THEY'VE HELD THIS EVENT PREVIOUSLY IN DALLAS.
IT'S CALLED THE DALLAS, UH, REGGAE FESTIVAL, BUT IT'S MUCH, MUCH LARGER EVENT.
AND THEY WERE TRYING TO HOST, UH, INSTEAD OF HAVING IT ONCE A YEAR, THEY WERE TRYING TO HAVE A SECOND EVENT.
UH, AND THEY PICKED A SOTO TO HAVE IT, AND THEY LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE IT HERE.
UH, I THINK AT THE EVENTS THAT THEY'VE HAD IN DALLAS, THEY'VE HAD UPWARDS OF, YOU KNOW, UH, 20,000 PEOPLE OVER A WEEKEND.
I THINK THEY ANTICIPATE THREE TO 5,000 PEOPLE PER, UH, DAY HERE.
SO MAYBE NINE TO 15,000 IF, IF THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL.
UH, THEY DO ANTICIPATE HAVING SOME VENDORS ON SITE SELLING, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, T-SHIRTS AND OTHER, UH, WARES AND FOOD AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
YOU DO HAVE, IN YOUR PACKET, YOU DO HAVE SORT OF A, UH, UH, JUST THE OVERVIEW OF THE EVENT, THE TIMES THEY WILL PROVIDE SECURITY.
UH, OUR POLICE WILL AUGMENT THE SECURITY WITH ABOUT 12 OFFICERS FOR THE ENTRANCES AND EXIT EXITS AND PARKING.
UH, WE WILL HAVE ABOUT FOUR PARAMEDICS ON SITE WITH TWO MED CARTS.
[00:40:01]
UH, AND ALL OF THOSE COSTS WILL BE REIMBURSED TO THE CITY AT, AT COST.UH, WE KNOW THAT THE CITY IS MAKING SURE THAT THEY PAY FOR EVERYTHING.
UH, IF, IF, IF THE EVENT HAPPENS, UH, AS WELL AS THEY WILL HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT, UH, THEY UTILIZE REPUBLIC FOR THEIR, UH, WASTE RECEPTACLES.
UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE A EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT WITH REPUBLIC, THEY WILL HAVE EVENT SERVICES FOR CLEANUP, UH, UH, PORTABLE CLEANING SERVICES, UM, BARRICADES.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF BY THEM.
UH, BUT AGAIN, OUR, OUR STAFF PD AND FIREWALL AUGMENT, UH, AUGMENT THOSE SERVICES AS WELL AND, AND BE COMPENSATED FOR THAT.
SO AGAIN, THEY'RE ASKING FOR EXCEPTIONS TO THE NORS ORDINANCE AND EXCEPTIONS, UH, AND AN EXCEPTION TO BE ABLE TO, UH, SERVE ALCOHOL.
NOW, IF, IF COUNSEL DOES GRANT THE EXCEPTION TO SERVE ALCOHOL, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL DRAFT A LETTER AND PROVIDE TO THEM, UH, DETAILING THAT, THAT, UH, THAT EXCEPTION, AND THEN THAT ONCE THEY GET THAT LETTER, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT TO TABC.
BECAUSE IN ORDER TO, FOR THEM TO SELL ALCOHOL OR SERVICE ALCOHOL ON SITE, EVERY EVERY PERSON WHO IS, UH, INTENDED TO SERVICE A SELL SERVICE OR SELL AS A SERVICE AS A BARTENDER OR SERVE ALCOHOL WILL HAVE TO HAVE A-T-A-B-C LICENSE.
BUT THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO GET IT WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE CITY, UH, WITHOUT THAT RECOMMENDATION LETTER FROM THE CITY.
SO AGAIN, I DO HAVE MR. MIKE FRACKERS HERE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, REGARDING THE EVENT AND REGARDING THEIR OPERATIONS, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
MR. UH, THANK YOU, MR. CAMERON.
UM, IS MR. FRACKERS JUST PREPARED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OR DOES HE HAVE A AN ADDITIONAL PRESENTATION? NO ADDITIONAL PRESENTATION.
JUST QUESTIONS IF YOU NEED, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WHO WAS FIRST.
IT WAS, IT WAS COUNCIL MEMBER BIRD.
OH, I'M, SHE'S GONNA, OH, OKAY.
I HOPE CITY OF DALLAS ISN'T, YOU KNOW, GOING TO COME AFTER YOU FOR MOVING SOME OF THESE EVENTS OVER HERE TO DESOTO.
HOPE WE DON'T HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
UM, I, MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, TYPICALLY WE REQUIRE BUSINESSES THAT ARE SELLING ALCOHOL TO COME INTO THE CITY SECRETARY OFFICE, AND THEY GET, THEY FILL OUT AN APPLICATION AND PAY SOME SORT OF PERMIT FEE IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
UM, WILL THESE VENDORS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN SELLING ALCOHOL BE, UH, OUTSIDE OF A APPROVAL LETTER? WILL THE CITY RECEIVE ANY, UM, WILL THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH ANY TYPE OF PERMITTING PROCESS THROUGH THE CITY FOR THAT PERSPECTIVE? JUST AS SO THE CITY CAN MAKE SURE THAT THESE FOLKS ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, REGISTERED ALONG THE SAME LINES THAT WE REQUIRE BUSINESSES IN, IN THE CITY OF DESOTO.
AND THEN, UM, MY SECOND QUESTION IS OUTSIDE OF, AND I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT IT WILL BE FULLY REIMBURSED FOR THE LABOR.
I ASSUME THAT ALSO INCLUDES PARKS, IS PARKS HAVING TO, UM, MOUNT UP STAGES AND THINGS THAT THEY WOULD NORMALLY DO DURING OUR CITY EVENTS OR ALL, IS ALL THAT TAKEN CARE THROUGH THE VENDOR? AND THEN THIRDLY, WHAT REVENUE WOULD THE CITY RECEIVE OUTSIDE OF, 'CAUSE I SAW THAT THEY'LL ALSO BE TAKING REVENUE AT PARKING AND THEIR SPECIAL REVENUE FOR VIP PARKING AND ALL THIS.
UM, OUTSIDE OF PAYING, I GUESS, FOR THE VENUE, IS THERE ANY OTHER COMPENSATION THAT THE CITY WOULD BE RECEIVING? OKAY, SO, UH, LEMME GO BACK TO THE ALCOHOL.
SO, UH, SO THE WORLD OF MUSIC FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS, THEIR, THEIR BAR, THEIR BAR OPERATIONS WILL BE THE ONLY ONE SERVING IN SELLING ALCOHOL.
NO VENDORS WILL BE ALLOWED TO SERVE AND SELL ALCOHOL.
SO THEY WILL BE THE ONES WITH, WITH THE, IF THEY'RE GRANTED THE LICENSE BY TABC, AND ALL OF THIS IS CONTINGENT UPON THEN GETTING THE TABC LICENSE, THEY DON'T GET THE TABC LICENSE, THEN THEY CAN'T, THEY CAN'T SERVE, NO ALCOHOL WILL BE SERVED, SO NO VENDORS WILL BE ABLE TO SERVE ALCOHOL AND THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO SELL IT.
IF THEY DON'T GET THE TABC LICENSE, THE, THE THEN THAT LICENSE COME BACK TO THE SEAT, THEN YOU FEEL YOU ALL YEAH, YEAH.
WE, WE, WE NEED TO SEE THAT LICENSE.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO GIVE VERIFICATION THAT THEY'VE BEEN GRANTED THAT LICENSE BEFORE WE ALLOW THEM TO SELL ALCOHOL.
AND THEN IN TERMS OF REVENUE, UH, WHATEVER REVENUE THEY GENERATE AT THE EVENT, THEY GET TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST REIMBURSING THE CITY FOR THE COST THAT WE INCUR IN TERMS OF AUGMENTING THEIR OPERATIONS.
AND THEN THAT WAS THE THIRD QUESTION.
UH, ALL THE STAGING, SO ALL THE STAGES AND SET UP, THAT'S ALL THEY TAKE CARE OF ALL THAT.
WE, OUR STAFF WON'T BE TAKING CARE OF ANY, ANY OF THAT.
SO NO OVERTIME OUTSIDE OF LOOKING EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD BE
[00:45:01]
REIMBURSED.JUST HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
JUST WANTED TO ADD, UM, THE ORGANIZERS HAVE THEIR OWN INSURANCE.
SO THEY DO HAVE FULL INSURANCE FOR THEIR EVENT.
AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT FOR ANY SALES THAT HAPPEN IN, IN, IN THE EVENT ITSELF, THE SALES TAX GOES BACK TO THE STATE AND THE CITY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT, UM, UH, CITY MANAGER ASKED THE QUESTION THAT I WAS GOING TO ASK.
UH, SO WE WILL, WE WILL BE FULLY INDEMNIFIED OF ANY LEGAL ACTIONS.
SINCE I KNOW IT'S NOT NORMALLY OUR PRACTICE TO, UH, TO, TO RENT OR, OR DO FESTIVALS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY EVENTS.
WHAT ABOUT DAMAGES TO THE PROPERTY? UH, WILL WE, WILL WE BE NAMED AS AN ADDITIONAL INSURER? HOW DO WE HANDLE THAT JUST IN CASE SOME DAMAGES HAPPEN TO THE, UM, TO THE FILLS? THAT'S, THAT'S, OH, GO AHEAD.
THAT'S TYPICALLY HOW WE DO ALL OF OUR, YEAH.
ANY DAMAGE TO THE GROUNDS WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF, OF, UH, THE, THE EVENT ORGANIZERS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE COORDINATING ALREADY WITH OUR PARKS DIRECTOR.
AND WE DO HAVE A STANDARD AGREEMENT THAT WE USE THAT HAS THE INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS BEING NAMED AS JUDICIAL INSURED AND HAS THE INDEMNIFICATION LANGUAGE IN IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, UH, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR WANTING TO BRING THIS TO THE CITY OF DESOTO.
UM, AND I THINK, UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW IT WORKED IN DALLAS AS FAR AS THE ALCOHOL IS CONCERNED.
THEY MAY HAVE THEIR OWN RULES THAT, THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN DESOTO.
UH, AND THEN SECONDLY, BECAUSE WE ARE SAYING NOW, IF WE DECIDE TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS, THAT ALCOHOL WILL BE ON SITE, IS IT CONCENTRATED ON SITE, AND DOES IT HAVE A TIMEFRAME TO CUT OFF? OR ARE WE GOING UNTIL 11 O'CLOCK SELLING ALCOHOL AND BEVERAGES TO PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE LEAVING THE LOCATION, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT, WITH THOSE BEVERAGES.
AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S WHERE IT IS, PEOPLE COMING INTO THE PARK WITH BEVERAGES, WILL THEY BE THEN STOPPED FROM DOING SO? YES.
YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO BRING ALCOHOL.
YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO BRING ALCOHOL INTO THE SITE.
YOU, YOU CAN ONLY PURCHASE AND CONSUME ALCOHOL ON SITE AT THE EVENT.
SO, BUT, BUT MR. FRACKERS CAN TELL YOU IN TERMS OF HOW IT WORKED IN DALLAS.
I WON'T BE ABLE TO TELL YOU THAT.
MR. FRACKERS, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE FOR THE RECORD, AND YOU MAY SPEAK.
MY NAME IS MIKE FRAUS, UM, FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS.
UH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES.
UH, NOBODY IS ALLOWED TO BRING IN ALCOHOL.
NOBODY'S ALLOWED TO TAKE OUT ALCOHOL.
WE HAVE SECURITY AT THE ENTRANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THEY CHECK ALL THE BAGS AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY COMING IN TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THAT COMING IN, YOU KNOW, WE PHONES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE USUALLY CUT OFF 30 MINUTES BEFORE OR WE CUT OFF THE MUSIC.
SO JUST MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S, YOU KNOW, WINDING DOWN, MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANY TYPE OF DISTURBANCES WHEN PEOPLE ARE LEAVING.
SO USUALLY 30 MINUTES BEFORE, THAT'S WHAT WE DONE IN DALLAS.
WHAT TYPE OF ALCOHOL WILL BE SERVED? ALL TYPE ALCOHOL.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A TYPE OF FOOD WILL BE PROVIDED THEN OF COURSE.
BY OTHER VENDORS, CORRECT? CORRECT.
THE LAST QUESTION THAT I ASKED.
I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE CONCENTRATION OF IT.
ARE THEY ALL CONCENTRATED IN THE MIDDLE OR ON THE OUTSKIRTS? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE BAR? YES.
UH, WE, WE PLAN TO HAVE THREE BARS, ONE MAIN ONE IN THE, IN THE MIDDLE, SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.
AND THEN WE HAVE ONE, UH, THE VIP SECTION, AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE ONE, UM, WHERE THE FOOD TRUCKS ARE GONNA BE AT.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE HOURS ON SUNDAY.
IT'S 11:00 PM IS THAT KIND OF STANDARD? I CAN UNDERSTAND.
11:00 PM ON A SATURDAY, BUT SUNDAY, 10:00 PM IT'S 10.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, COUNSEL, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE WE CALL FOR A MOTION AT
[00:50:01]
THIS TIME? THANK YOU, MR. PRACTICE.UM, AT THIS TIME, COUNSEL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
THERE IS NO ORDINANCE TO BE READ.
UM, COUNSEL, AT THIS TIME I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE AS PRESENTED.
SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MAYOR PERAM HUGHES.
SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED COUNSEL.
UM, YES, PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PADS.
AND THIS IS FOR THE FOR CLARIFICATION POINT OF INFORMATION.
THIS IS FOR THE NOISE ORDINANCE AND PARKS REGULATIONS.
THIS IS, THEY ARE BOTH IN ONE, CORRECT? CORRECT.
THE PARKS REGULATIONS AND THE ALCOHOL LICENSE, ARE YOU ASKING FOR THEM TO BE SEPARATE VOTES? UM, NO, I JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION.
AND WE DON'T NEED TO READ THOSE.
THANK YOU, COUNSEL, AT THIS TIME, UH, IT IS, WE STILL HAVE ABOUT NINE MINUTES BEFORE OUR SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING COUNSEL, WE WILL TAKE A NINE MINUTE RECESS AND I'LL SEE YOU ALL BACK HERE AT 7:00 PM SHARP.
IT IS 7:00 PM AND I WANT TO CALL THE MEETING OF THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL.
[1. Conduct a Public Hearing on the Proposed Budget for FY 2024-2025 according to Article VII of the City of DeSoto Charter.]
MS. THOMAS, WE WILL HAVE OUR FINAL ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.WE HAVE CONDUCT, UH, PUBLIC HEARINGS.
ATTENDEES MAY SPEAK ON ANY ITEM LISTED ON THE AGENDA DURING THAT PORTION OF THE AGENDA.
HOWEVER, FOR TOPICS NOT SCHEDULED, ATTENDEES WILL SPEAK DURING CITIZEN APPEARANCES.
THE TIME LIMIT IS THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER AND MAY BE MODIFIED AT THE MAYOR'S DISCRETION TO MAINTAIN AN EFFICIENT FLOW OF THE MEETING.
COMMENT CARDS RELATED TO SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS ARE DUE PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF AN AGENDA ITEM.
HOWEVER, COMMENT CARDS RELATED TO THE CITIZEN APPEARANCES PORTION OF THE AGENDA MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE AMBASSADOR'S TABLE PRIOR TO THE START OF A MEETING.
CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 25, ACCORDING TO ARTICLE SEVEN OF THE CITY OF DESOTO CHARTER, PROVIDING A BRIEF OVERVIEW AT CITY MANAGER AL GODFREY, FOLLOWED BY STAFF PRESENTATION BY TRACY COMIER, FINANCE DIRECTOR, AND BRANDON LACEY, PUBLIC UTILITIES DIRECTOR, HONOR MAYOR, AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, UH, I'M PRIVILEGED TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOU THE, UH, UPCOMING BUDGET.
ACTUALLY A SUMMARY OF THE BUDGET.
UH, BUT BEFORE WE START, WE WANNA REALLY GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, UH, OUR DIRECTORS WHO HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB THIS YEAR IN, IN WORKING WITH OUR, UH, BUDGET OFFICE ON, ON THIS, UH, ON THIS SPECIFIC BUDGET.
BUT I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE THE BUDGET OFFICE OF, UH, OH FIVE OF, UH, THE, THE FOLKS WHO WORKED ON IT, INCLUDING TRACY CORMIER, LAKITA SUTTON, SHALONDA OLIVER, TIFFANY MCDANIEL, AND PAIGE CHRIS.
THEY'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB AND I REALLY THANK HIM FOR THAT.
I REALLY WANNA HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF ITEMS BEFORE, BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO, TO TRACY.
AND THAT IS THAT THE, WE'RE PROUD TO SAY THAT, UH, STAFF HAS BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE EXISTING TAX RATE.
UH, ALSO, UH, CREATING A BALANCED GENERAL FUND AS WELL AS FOCUSING TO ACHIEVE THE BUSINESS PLAN PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND FINALLY, INVESTING IN AREAS IDENTIFIED AS HIGH PRIORITIES, UH, UH, WITH CITIZEN SURVEY RESULTS.
SO, UH, WHILE FOCUSING ON IMPLEMENTING LARGE, UH, AND, AND, UH, PRIORITIZED CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO I, I REALLY APPRECIATE, AGAIN, STAFF FOR IT AND APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, UH, CITY, YOU KNOW, CITY COUNCIL, UH, ON THAT.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT TO TRACY TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW.
UH, GOOD EVENING MAYOR COUNCIL.
UM, TODAY I'M GONNA GIVE A GENERAL HIGHLIGHTED SUMMARY OF OUR PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET.
AND ALSO WHEN WE BRING THE BUDGET BACK TO CITY COUNCIL ON SEPTEMBER 17TH, COUNCIL MEETING, WE WILL HAVE A MORE DETAILED PRESENTATION ON THE BUDGET.
UM, I THINK, UM, THE CITY MANAGER WENT OVER, YOU KNOW, OUR THREE MAIN FOCUS HIGHLIGHTS.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO START BY SAYING WE ARE PROPOSING LOWERING OUR TAX RATE BY 0.00158.
WE HAVE LOWERED OR MAINTAINED OUR TAX RATE FOR THE PAST 14 YEARS.
OUR RATE CONSISTS OF TWO PARTS 0.5 0 3 9 3 4 FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS.
AND 0.18100 IS OUR INTEREST IN SINKING FUND, WHICH HANDLES OUR DEBT PAYMENTS FOR A TOTAL PROPOSED
[00:55:01]
TAX RATE OF 0.6 8 4 9 3 4.UM, JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK TO DO IN OUR, UM, FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET.
WE WILL CONTINUE CONSTRUCTION ON OUR AQUATICS AND RECREATION CENTER, ALONG WITH BRINGING BACK OUR HOLIDAY IN THE PARK.
UH, WE ALSO WILL FOCUS ON CREEK MAINTENANCE AND EROSION IMPROVEMENTS.
WE, UM, ALSO A COUPLE OTHER PROJECTS WE LIKE TO GET STARTED IN FISCAL YEAR 25 IS OUR WESTMORELAND PLEASANT RUN AND DANIEL DALE ROAD WIDENING PROJECTS AND ALSO OUR HAMPTON ROAD PROJECT.
UM, ON THE SCREEN HERE, IT JUST SHOWS OUR, OUR MAIN FUND, WHICH IS OUR GENERAL FUND.
OUR TOTAL REVENUES AT THIS TIME IS 64.3 MILLION.
OUR EXPENDITURES ARE 63.7 MILLION WITH OUR REVENUES EXCEEDING OUR EXPENDITURES AT THIS TIME BY $659,000.
UM, THE NEXT CHART JUST SHOWS OUR GENERAL FUND.
IT, OF COURSE, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY IS 48% OF OUR GENERAL FUND AND WITH OUR OTHER DEPARTMENTS AT 52%.
UM, OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS, SPECIFICALLY OUR SANITATION FUND, WE ARE PROPOSING A RATE INCREASE OF 29 FROM 29 97 TO 31 47, A 5% INCREASE.
UH, THE CHART ON THE RIGHT, UH, SHOWS IF WE DO NOTHING, WE WILL HAVE TO USE ABOUT 250,000 OF OUR FUND BALANCE AND THE CHART ON THE RIGHT SHOWS.
IF WE GET THE INCREASE IMPROVE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE OUR FUND BALANCE TO MEET OUR POLICY REQUIREMENTS.
UM, MR. LACEY FROM THE PUBLIC UTILITY DEPARTMENT WILL GO OVER THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER AL GEFREY.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT ON THE PROPOSED FY 25 UTILITY RATES.
ALRIGHT, SO THE PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT RECENTLY, UH, COMPLETED A COMPREHENSIVE RATE ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE RATE STRUCTURE THAT WOULD SUPPORT THE DEPARTMENT'S CAPITAL, AS WELL AS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE NEEDS THAT WOULD YIELD THE SUFFICIENT REVENUE TO MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT SERVICE LEVEL.
AS A REMINDER TO THE COUNCIL, THE MAJORITY OF THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BUDGET FOR, UH, THE O AND M EXPENSES IS COSTS THAT ARE PASSED DOWN TO US FROM OUR REGIONAL, UH, WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROVIDER, THE TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY, AS WELL AS THOSE COSTS THAT ARE PASSED DOWN FROM OUR, UH, TREATED WATER PURCHASE WHOLESALE PROVIDER DALLAS WATER UTILITIES.
SHIFTING GEARS TO THE CAPITAL SIDE, I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THERE'S ABOUT SIX PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GONNA UNDERTAKE IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, FOUR OF WHICH WE ACTUALLY INCLUDED IN OUR 2021 MASTER PLAN.
SO WE'RE MOVING ALONG WITH OUR MASTER PLAN, UH, VERY, UH, UH, VERY GREAT AT THIS MOMENT.
SO WE HAVE THE BOLTON BOON, UH, ELEVATED STORAGE TANK, PUMP STATION, AND 20 INCH TRANSMISSION MAIN, WHICH IS A THREE PART PROJECT.
OUR WEST MELON AND PUMP STATION REHAB, AS WELL AS OUR ANNUAL, WHAT WE CALL OUR R AND R, OUR RENOVATION AND REPLACEMENT IMPROVEMENTS PROJECTS.
THOSE ARE WHEN WE GO INTO, UM, OUR RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS AND REPLACE AGING SEWER AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, AS WELL AS, UH, COMPLETE STREET RECONSTRUCTION.
UH, TO FURTHER EXPOUND ON THE BOLTON BOONE IMPROVEMENTS, THIS WAS, AS I MENTIONED, THIS WAS CALLED OUT IN OUR 2021 MASTER PLAN AS A NECESSARY PROJECT TO, UH, SUPPORT THE GROWTH AND CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT AROUND THE BOLTON BALLOON SERVICE AREA.
AND AS MENTIONED, THAT'S THE AREA IN THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF OUR CITY, UH, GENERALLY BETWEEN DANIEL DELL AND WHEATLAND ROAD.
UH, THE NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE AND IMPROVEMENTS WILL, UH, BE SUFFICIENT WITH KEEPING US IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR REGULATORY AUTHORITIES AS FAR AS, UH, ELEVATED STORAGE CAPACITIES AND PUMPING CAPACITIES AS SET FORTH BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.
OUR WESTMORELAND PUMP STATION, AS MENTIONED BEFORE, THAT IS OUR LARGEST PUMP STATION.
UM, IT WAS, UH, INSTALLED IN 1986.
UH, OUR MASTER PLAN WERE CALLED, UH, CALLS FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PUMPS, VALVES AND ALSO, UH, REHAB OF BOTH 5 MILLION GALLON STORAGE TANKS.
UH, THAT PUMP STATION ACTUALLY DISTRIBUTES ABOUT 72% OF THE TREATED WATER FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO MOSTLY SERVES THE SOUTHWESTERN PORTION OF OUR CITY.
SHIFTING GEARS TO THE UTILITY, UH, RATE STRUCTURE PROPOSAL, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE RIGHT HERE, THIS SHOWS HOW DESOTO AGAINST OUR NEIGHBORING MUNICIPALITIES.
AS YOU CAN SEE, I WANNA POINT OUT RIGHT HERE, IF WE, OH, EXCUSE ME.
IF WE KEEP OUR, OUR DO THE PROPOSED 9%, WE WILL STILL BE LOWER THAN MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD MUNICIPALITIES, EVEN IF THEY STAY AT THEIR CURRENT RATES.
AND I JUST WANNA MENTION, EVEN, EVEN WITH THE CITY OF LANCASTER, THAT DOES NOT REFLECT ON THE INCREASES THAT THEY WOULD EXPECT FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS.
SO I PULLED, LIKE YOU SAID, MAYOR JAIL GAFFER.
I PULLED SEVERAL CITIES AROUND US AND I WILL, YOU KNOW, PROTECT THE INNOCENT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'VE COMMUNICATED TO THEIR RESIDENTS.
BUT, UH, THE CITIES THAT I DID POSE AROUND IN OUR, IN OUR, IN OUR AREAS, THEY ARE PROPO.
THEY ARE PROPOSING, THEY ARE PROPOSING TO, UH, EITHER PROPOSE A NEW INCREASE OR CONTINUE WITH WHAT IS CALLED A THREE YEAR PLAN ON PROPOSED INCREASES
[01:00:01]
THAT WERE ALSO, THAT WERE APPROVED IN YEAR NUMBER ONE.SO YES, THIS SLIDE SHOWS, UM, BASICALLY WHAT ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE IS STATUS QUO.
UM, IF WE WERE TO ESSENTIALLY DO NOTHING AND KEEP OUR RATES AS THEY ARE TODAY, OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WE WOULD DEPLETE OUR FUND BALANCE BY, UH, ROUGHLY ABOUT $30 MILLION.
THE CHART ON THE, THE BAR CHART ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THAT IF WE, UM, ACTUALLY MOVE ALONG WITH OUR PROPOSED RATE INCREASES AS PLANNED IN OUR, IN OUR RATE STUDY ANALYSIS, WE WOULD NOT ONLY MAINTAIN OUR FUND BALANCE, BUT ALSO INCREASE OUR FUND BALANCE BY $2.7 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
SO THE BIGGEST QUESTION THAT WE GET ASKED IS WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE ON AN AVERAGE BILL? SO ROUGHLY ABOUT 96% OF OUR RESIDENTIAL METERS EITHER FALL INTO THE THREE QUARTER INCH OR ONE INCH CATEGORIES AND USE ABOUT AN AVERAGE OF 7,500 GALLONS.
SO ON AVERAGE, WE WOULD SEE ABOUT AN $11 64 CENTS INCREASE ON YOUR WATER AND SEWER RATES.
AND THEN THIS NEXT CHART JUST BASICALLY, UH, GIVES A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
NOW, THE ONLY ONE THAT I DID NOT DISCUSS IS THE ONE ON THE BOTTOM LEFT, AND THAT IS THE GILBERT AVENUE REEDSPORT EXTENDED PLACE.
THOSE ARE PROJECTS THAT WERE ACTUALLY, UH, IN 60% DESIGNED FOR A COUPLE YEARS THAT WE'VE JUMP STARTED AGAIN.
UH, WE WILL BE, UH, RELOCATING, UH, SOME ERODED SEWER OR SOME EROSION AROUND OUR SEWER LINE ON, UH, ON GILBERT AVENUE, WHICH IS BEHIND ETERNAL RESCUE FUNERAL HOME, AS WELL AS DOING SOME, UH, SEWER IMPROVEMENTS FOR REESE PORT AND EXTENDED PLACE, WHICH IS ALONG HILL, UH, NORTH OF BELTLINE, SOUTH OF PLEASANT RUN.
AND I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO MR. COR TO CONTINUE A PRESENTATION.
IS THERE A WAY I CAN ASK A QUESTION? THANK YOU.
UH, MADAM MAYOR, EXCUSE MEAN, COUNCILMAN PARK.
IF YOU WANT TO, UM, HOLD YOUR COMMENTS UNTIL WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
INFRASTRUCTURES AND IMPROVEMENTS AND MAINTENANCE THAT ARE IN THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET.
UM, STREETS AND ALLEY RECONSTRUCTION AND OUR CONCRETE AND ASPHALT REPAIR, AND JUST A COUPLE FACILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS FOR 25 IS OUR FIRE STATION RENOVATION AND IMPROVEMENTS.
OUR FINANCE, UM, MUNICIPAL COURT, PUBLIC UTILITY ADMINISTRATION OFFICE RENOVATION, OUR PUBLIC FACILITY BUILDING, PUBLIC FACIL, UTILITY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, AND ALSO OUR MICROSOFT OFFICE 65 AND PHONE SYSTEM UPGRADES.
UM, IN CLOSING, AS I STATED BEFORE, WE WILL HAVE A DETAILED PRESENTATION, UM, WITH OUR SEPTEMBER 17TH MEETING WHERE WE'RE BRINGING BACK, UM, OUR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR ADOPTION AND ALSO OUR PROPOSED TAX RATE.
UM, AT THIS TIME, COUNSEL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER.
SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
COUNSEL, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
MS. THOMAS, DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZEN COMMENT CARDS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK? UM, HEARING NONE AT THIS TIME, COUNSEL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TIM HUGHES TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
COUNSEL, UM, I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, I THINK MR. LACEY, AS HE PROTECTS THE INNOCENT
UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED, UH, INCREASE AND I THINK YOU SAID 1160.
I THINK THAT WAS THAT, WAS THAT CORRECT? DID, DID, YOU SAID 1160.
AND THAT'S GOING ON AN AVERAGE OF OUR RESIDENTIAL.
IF YOU TAKE ALL OF OUR RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNTS, UHHUH, THAT'S THE AVERAGE USAGE, WHICH IS ABOUT 7,500 GALLONS.
SO IF YOU TAKE THAT AVERAGE, UH, WHERE MOST OF OUR RESIDENTS FALL IN, IN THAT THREE QUARTER OR ONE INCH CATEGORY MM-HMM.
SO IF I'M, WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS I WAS LOOKING AT THE SHEET AND I WAS WONDERING, ARE WE SAYING THERE'S AN INCREASE IN SANITATION OR AN INCREASE IN WATER RATES OR THE SAME, SO THERE, THERE'S A PROPOSED INCREASE IN WATER, SEWER, AND ALSO, UH, SANITATION RATES.
SANITATION RATES IS WHAT MR. CORMIER, UH, SPOKE ABOUT.
SPOKE ABOUT THE WATER AND SEWER PORTION.
SO THE 1160 WAS SANITATION, JUST WATER AND SEWER? JUST WATER AND SEWER? CORRECT.
'CAUSE WHEN I LOOKED AT THE, UH, THE, IT SAID 1160 WOULD BE THE CHANGE, NOT THE DELTA, IF YOU WILL.
SO IT WOULD GO FROM $10 AND SOMETHING TO 1160, WHICH IS NOT $11 AND 60 CENTS.
SO, SO I THINK YOU'RE ACTUALLY TA THINKING ABOUT THE BASE RATE.
SO, SO THE BASE RATE, WHICH IS, UH, FOR THE FIRST 1000 GALLONS THAT'S GOING OUT, I BELIEVE FROM 10 64 TO ABOUT 1160, I BELIEVE.
BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST THE BASE RATE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE OVERALL, WHAT THE AVERAGE CUSTOMER WOULD SEE BASED ON WHAT WE SEE FOR RESIDENTIAL USAGE.
SO THE NUMBERS ARE SIMILAR, BUT IT'S TWO DIFFERENT THINGS WE'RE, WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT.
SO THE BASE RATE DOESN'T CHANGE.
[01:05:01]
THE, THE BASE RATE WOULD CHANGE, IT WOULD BE CHANGING BY THE, BY THE 9% AS WELL.AND, UH, I ASKED THAT TRADITIONAL QUESTION ALWAYS.
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO KEEP FROM DOING THIS TO OUR, TO OUR CONSUMERS? I'M JUST ASKED THEM.
SO AS, AS I, AS I MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF THE PRESENTATION, UH, THE, THE MAJORITY OF OF OUR O AND M BUDGET FOR PUBLIC UTILITIES ARE COST THAT WE REALLY DON'T CONTROL.
UH, THEY'RE PASSED ALONG BY TRA AND THOSE ARE DICTATED BY WHAT THEY DEEM, UH, IS SUFFICIENT TO DO THEIR COST RECOVERY, WHETHER IT'S THEIR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AROUND THE PLANT OR THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE WITH THEIR WATER AND SEWER LINES.
SAME THING WITH DWU, WITH THE INCREASED COST WITH, UH, NOT ONLY PERSONNEL, BUT TREATMENT CHEMICALS AS WELL.
THOSE ARE UNFORTUNATELY THE COSTS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE PASSED TO US.
SO IT'S NOT NECESS WE'RE, WE'RE BASICALLY TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, MAINTAIN OUR SERVICE LEVEL.
AND ALSO, UH, NOT DEPLETE OUR FUND BALANCE.
COUNCIL, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? YES, MAYOR, I, I JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, WELCOME.
UM, AND THAT I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF ACTUALLY, UH, VIEWING YOUR FACILITY SO I KNOW WHAT THESE DOLLARS ARE GOING TO.
HOW HAS, WHEN'S THE LAST TIME WE, THE CITY HAS INCREASED, UM, TO THIS SIGNIFICANCE? UM, I GUESS IN YOUR, YOUR RESEARCH THAT YOU'VE DONE? SO THE CITY OF DESOTA.
SO WE DID, UH, EXPERIENCE AN INCREASE LAST YEAR OF 9%.
AND IF YOU RECALL, WE ACTUALLY CHANGED CONSULTANTS THIS YEAR.
WE WENT FROM, UH,
AND BEFORE THAT, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE HAD INCREASED.
I THINK IT HAD BEEN, ISO MIGHT HAVE TO HELP ME ON THIS ONE.
I THINK IT HAD BEEN A COUPLE YEARS SINCE WE DID WATER AS WELL.
BUT LIKE I SAID, A LOT OF WHAT'S IMPACTING IT NOW, AND I KNOW Y'ALL ARE PROBABLY GETTING TIRED OF ME SAYING THIS, BUT I'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A DIFFERENT WAY TO SAY IT.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE THREE PUMP STATIONS HERE.
RIGHT? SO THESE GENERATIONAL PROJECTS THAT ARE CREEPING UP ON US, THE, THE, THE IDEA IS ONCE WE ARE COMPLETED WITH THESE PROJECTS, WE WILL BE MORE MAINTAINING OUR, UH, BELOW GROUND WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE AS YOU, AS YOU SAW WITH THE HAMPTON ROAD THAT WAS A 50-YEAR-OLD PUMP STATION.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DOING PROJECTS OF THIS MAGNITUDE, YOU KNOW, EVERY FIVE YEARS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST AT THAT POINT OF HISTORY WHERE WE HAVE TO ADDRESS OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THE ONE IN DANIELDALE, IF I'M MISTAKEN, IS ALSO ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE, UM, OR IS, IS QUEUED UP FOR THAT TOO.
SO YES, THAT'S, THAT'S A PART OF THE BOLTON BOOM PUMP STATION.
SO THAT PUMP STATION WILL BE RELOCATED TO HAMPTON ROAD AS LONG, UH, AS WELL AS A NEW ELEVATED STORAGE TANK AND A, UH, NEW 20 INCH TRANSMISSION WATER LINE TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH IN THAT AREA.
AND THAT'S REGULATORY DRIVEN, SO THANK YOU.
AND, AND IF I MAY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, AS, AS, AS A RESPONSIBLE AND RESPONSIVE CITY, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE PROPER CUSTOMER SERVICE WHILE ALSO MAINTAINING OUR, UH, RESERVES, UM, WE REALLY SHOULD BE LOOKING AT, UH, THE RATE, UH, EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
SO THERE'S GOTTA BE, UH, A RATE STUDY EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
EVEN IF THE CITY DECIDES NOT TO INCREASE THE RATE, THERE HAS TO BE, UH, A RATE STUDY THAT CALCULATES ALL OF THAT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT IMPACTING OUR RESERVE AS, AS, UH, ONE OF THE SLIDES, UH, INDICATE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS JUST NORMAL PRACTICE IN, IN THE UTILITY BUSINESS.
CITY MANAGER FRI, UH, COUNCILMAN BY, UH, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR.
UH, JUST TO, TO THAT SAME POINT MY COLLEAGUE WAS, UH, RAISING, UM, FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS, THERE WAS A RATE, UH, THERE WAS A PLAN FOR THE INCREASES FROM PREVIOUS YEARS, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
AND, UM, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THE PREVIOUS CONSULTANT WAS THERE? INCREASE, UH, THIS 9% AS WELL? CORRECT.
SO WE, WE INCREASED BY 9% THIS, THIS PAST YEAR FOR THE FY 24 YEAR.
AND, AND, AND SO THAT PLAN WAS PROJECTED LAST YEAR, EVEN LAST YEAR, SO, CORRECT.
SO TO ANYONE AROUND THIS DAY, THIS SHOULD NOT BE A SURPRISE TO US BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF THE PROJECTED PLAN.
THE SECOND QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, UH, THE WATER SEWER UTILITY RATES COMPARED TO EVEN, UH, WILMER HUTCHINSON, WE ARE BELOW, ACCORDING TO YOUR SLIDE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT SLIDE IT IS, IT'S THE, UM, UH, I DON'T SEE THE NUMBER.
SO WE ARE, WE ARE BELOW, WE ARE THE LOWEST IN THE REGION.
IS THAT CORRECT? IF CORRECT, AS IT AS IT AS IT STANDS TODAY, WE ARE, WE ARE THE LOWEST IN THE REGION.
AND THEN IF YOU ACTUALLY LOOK UP ABOVE THE, UH, LANCASTER RATES, OUR RECOMMENDED 9%, EVEN IF EVERYONE ABOVE US STATE AT THE STATUS QUO, THERE'S THEIR EXACT, UH, RATE THAT THEY'RE CHARGING TODAY, WE WOULD STILL BE BELOW THAT.
HOWEVER, OUR POPULATION IS THE HIGHEST IN THE REGION.
IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW THAT, BUT LET ME REPHRASE THAT.
WE ARE LEADING IN POPULATION, WHEREAS WE ARE LAGERING LINGERING
[01:10:01]
AND, AND RECOUPING THE COSTS AND THEREFORE DEPLETING THE FUND BALANCE.UH, COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL? SURE THING.
UM, SO CAN YOU GIVE, UM, CITY MANAGER, COULD YOU GIVE, KINDA GIVE US A, GIVE THE COMMUNITY A SCOPE OF LIKE WHERE WE ARE TODAY? SO TODAY THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING, THIS IS FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? AND NEXT I'LL, I'LL ACTUALLY DEFER THAT TO TRACY TO, FOR THE NEXT STEPS.
UM, AT THE SEPTEMBER 17TH MEETING, WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET AND THEN ALSO A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE.
AND THEN WE'RE ON THE REGULAR AGENDA.
WE WILL ADOPT THE TAX RATE AND ADOPT THE, UM, BUDGET, UH, CIP PLAN AND A COUNCIL BUSINESS PLAN.
UH, THAT INFORMATION IS REALLY HELPFUL.
IF WE COULD, THIS IS MY REQUEST IS WE, IF WE CAN BE AS ROBUST AS WE ARE WITH, UM, SOME OF OUR OTHER OUTWARD FACING ACTIVITIES WITH THIS NEXT PUBLIC HEARING RELATED TO THE BUDGET, UM, I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
'CAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO HEAR ABOUT THE, THE REASONS AND THE WHYS, WHERE TO FORS OF THE INCREASES THAT CLEARLY HAVE TO HAPPEN BECAUSE OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
AND SO THAT'S MY BIGGEST REQUEST.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO ENSURE HAPPENED FOR THE COMMUNITY IS THAT EVERYONE WAS FULLY AWARE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND THE MORE WE CAN ADVERTISE THAT AND GET PEOPLE IN HERE TO GIVE THEIR INPUT, UM, THE BETTER.
AND I APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE CITIZEN WHO HAS COME OVER THE, THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, MONTHS, DAYS, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, TO GIVE THEIR INPUT.
YOU KNOW, THAT PART'S BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME.
AND I DIDN'T MEAN TO GO OFF ON THIS TANGENT, BUT I DO HAVE SOME, AND NOT RELATED TO THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS GIVEN.
I DO HAVE SOME VERY POINTED SPECIFIC, AND EVERYONE'S SEEN THE QUESTIONS ON THIS COUNCIL THAT I'VE SENT FORWARD TO, TO THE TEAM TO ANSWER.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO MY QUESTION TO YOU NOW IS, DO I BRING THESE UP FORWARD NOW? DO I WAIT TILL THE, TO THE NEXT MEETING OR DO I WAIT TILL THE LAST ONE WHERE WE ACTUALLY VOTE? I WE CAN ENTERTAIN SOME QUESTIONS AND I'LL HAVE YOU HAVE 'EM.
I DON'T THINK I HAD QUESTIONS.
I, I THINK I HAD, I HAD MORE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AND SO I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHERE DO WE WANNA PUT THOSE HERE? NEXT MEETING OR THE ACTUAL VOTE? I'M GOING TO ANSWER THE QUESTION FOR YOU HERE BECAUSE YOUR TAX RATE IS BASED ON YOUR BUDGET, SO, OKAY.
AND SO SOME OF MY, MY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS WAS RELATED TO, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE FOOD COSTS.
SO JUST LET ME GO BACK TO WHERE WE ARE.
SO OUR EXPENSES WERE IN ONE PLACE AND THE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE BROUGHT IN AND WHAT WE'RE SPENDING WAS HOW MUCH FOR THIS CURRENT BUDGET, FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET? $659,000.
UM, SO, UM, RELATED TO THE HOLIDAY IN THE PARK, I WANTED TO, I REMEMBER WE HAD TALKED ABOUT AT ONE POINT, UM, UM, COST RECOVERY PARKS AND REC DID A PRESENTATION RELATED TO THAT.
AND SO I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND FROM PARKS AND REC, UM, 'CAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE WE LANDED ON THAT.
COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THE, THE ICE SKATING RINK IN TERMS OF HOW YOU DO YOUR PROGRAMMING, THE RUBRIC THAT YOU HAD PRESENTED AT ONE TIME AND WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THIS PARTICULAR, UH, COST FALLS? UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL, TRACY TURNED AROUND AND LOOKED AT ME ON THAT ONE.
UM, ON, ON, ON THE, I THINK IT WAS MAYBE BACK IN APRIL, UH, WE DISCUSSED THE ICE SKATING RINK AND WE HAD, I THINK, UM, OVER 2000 PEOPLE.
AND, UH, WE GENERATED A LITTLE BIT OVER $42,000, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
AND, UM, OUR EXPENDITURES WERE A LITTLE LESS THAN 190.
WE WERE AT ABOUT 22% COST RECOVERY.
AND, UH, 28%, I THINK WITH OUR INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE ELECTRICITY.
NOW, UM, WITH OUR, UH, PROGRAMS, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A RECREATION, UH, PROGRAM PLAN.
AND IN THAT WE CLASSIFY OUR PROGRAMS. AND SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH PART OF HOW WE DO THAT, UH, AND I'M, AND I'M GOING SOMEWHERE WITH THIS AS WELL, AND HOPEFULLY I WON'T BE LONG, BUT WE HAVE WHAT'S, WHAT'S CALLED ESSENTIAL SERVICES, IMPORTANT SERVICES AND VALUE ADDED SERVICES.
THOSE ARE THINGS LIKE THE HISPANIC HERITAGE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE ON SEPTEMBER 21ST, JUNETEENTH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THAT'S WHERE, UM, UH, IT'S A BENEFIT TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UH, FOR THE MOST PART.
AND SO WE USE ALL OF OUR TAX DOLLARS TO SUBSIDIZE THOSE TYPES OF EVENTS.
OUR VALUE ADDED SERVICES ARE THINGS LIKE OUR SWIM LESSONS, 5K, UM, RECREATION CLASSES WHERE THE INDIVIDUAL BENEFITS FROM
[01:15:01]
THOSE CLASSES OR FROM THOSE, THOSE, SO THE, THE, THE, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS PAY FOR THE TOTAL COST.THE, UM, ICE SKATING RINK WAS KIND OF, IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE.
UH, WE RANKED THAT AS AN IMPORTANT SERVICE.
AND THE IMPORTANT SERVICE IS WHERE THERE'S A COMMUNITY BENEFIT AND THERE'S ALSO INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT.
AND, UH, ALL OF THESE THINGS HAVE PERCENTAGES TO THEM.
SO LIKE OUR, UH, WHEN I MENTIONED HISPANIC HERITAGE AND JUNETEENTH, THOSE THINGS ARE FUNDED BY TAXPAYERS.
THEY'RE SUPPORTED BY, UH, THE INDIVIDUALS.
WELL, THE ICE SKATING RINK IS A COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO.
SO WE LOOK FOR ABOUT 50% TO 70% COST RECOVERY WITH, UH, ANYTHING THAT'S CON THAT'S AN IN, THAT'S CONSIDERED AN IMPORTANT SERVICE.
AND SO THAT'S HOW WE LOOK AT THE LIFESPAN OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE IN THE RECREATION CENTER BY PUTTING 'EM IN THOSE CATEGORIES AND THEN SEE HOW THEY PERFORM.
AND THEN WE CAN ALWAYS GET TO THE LIFE CYCLE, LET'S SAY, OKAY, IT'S RUN ITS COURSE OR IT'S NOT MEETING EXPECTATIONS.
SO WE NEED TO TRY TO, UH, EITHER, UH, UH, INCREASE OUR MARKETING EFFORTS OR PROMOTIONS OR WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SO IN ESSENCE, YOU SAID 22% WAS OUR ACTUAL COST RECOVERY.
AND SO ARE WE BUDGETING AT THE SAME TIME? AND, AND SO SINCE THIS WAS BACK HERE AGAIN, UM, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF THE ADVERTISING, THAT PIECE? AND SO HAS THE COORDINATION HAPPENED WITH THAT? AND I KNOW YOU'RE WAITING FOR THE APPROVAL TO, TO DO DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT PART.
YEAH, THAT PART IS A LITTLE DIFFICULT.
AND, UH, SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE'VE REALLY BEEN LOOKING AT IS WITH, UM, THE APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET.
IT HAPPENS SO LATE, SO LIKE IT'S HAPPENING NOW IN SEPTEMBER, END OF SEPTEMBER.
AND SO WE REALLY CAN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR PROMOTIONS AND MARKETING UNTIL THE BUDGET IS ACTUALLY APPROVED AND WE KNOW WE HAVE THE FUNDING TO ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD.
AND SO UNTIL THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS, WE ARE, WE'RE TRYING TO PREPARE BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT WE REALLY CAN'T MOVE UNTIL WE KNOW THAT THE FUNDING IS THERE AND IT'S AVAILABLE FOR US TO MOVE ON.
DO YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS,
AND SO, YEAH, UM, RELATED TO THE FOOD BUDGET, UM, I KNOW OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, IN TERMS OF COUNCIL, LEMME JUST SAY THAT IN TERMS OF THE COUNCIL FOOD, UM, UM, IN 2018, YOU KNOW, THERE, WE HAD A SET NUMBER OF PLACES THAT WE WENT.
AND SO MY RECOMMENDATION, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE IN THIS SETTING, JUST IN, IN LOOKING AT, UM, WHAT THE TEAM PULLED TOGETHER, WHICH I REALLY DO APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, OF WHAT WE'VE SPENT IN FOOD, UM, FOR COUNSELOR AND DIRECTORS, YOU KNOW, FOR THESE MEETINGS AND SUCH.
IF WE COULD LOOK AT REDUCING THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF REINING IT IN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE GOING OUT FOR WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, HAVING SOME STANDARDIZATION, UM, TO BRING THE COST DOWN, UM, GOING OFF A BID FOR SOME OF THESE SMALL CATERERS, UM, WITH, WITH A CERTAIN CAP AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD BE DONE.
BUT, UM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST MY PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, THAT PART HAS BALLOONED.
UM, AND I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND, UH, COST, FOOD COSTS, THEY HAVE GONE UP SUBSTANTIALLY.
UM, AND I'M, I'M NOT, UM, I'M NOT, NOT CONSIDERING INFLATION, YOU KNOW, BUT IF THERE IS A WAY FOR THE TEAM TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THAT COULD, COULD POSSIBLY LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT WE'RE 100% SUPPORTING, YOU KNOW, DESOTO BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GONNA PAY INCREASE FOOD COST AND, YOU KNOW, LET'S INCREASE, YOU KNOW, OUR BOTTOM LINE HERE IN THE CITY, UM, 100% IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA.
UM, SO THAT WAS ONE THAT I WANTED TO BRING FORWARD, UM, RELATED TO THE COUNCIL BUDGET OR RELATED TO FURNITURE CARDS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I THINK THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, KIND OF REIGN IN JUST CONSIDERING, UM, UM, YEAH, JUST CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, TAXPAYER DOLLARS, UM, IN, IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
AND SO I WANTED TO SPEAK TO THOSE THINGS.
UM, AND THEN JUST IN GENERAL, JUST MAKING CERTAIN THAT WE'RE, WE'RE RECRUITING ON THE COUNCIL SIDE AND LOOKING AT OUR OWN BUDGETS BECAUSE IT HAS SINCE 2018 BALLOONED, YOU KNOW, AND SO, UH, JUST ENSURING THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BEING PRUDENT THERE SO WE CAN LOOK AT WAYS TO REDUCE SOME OF THOSE COSTS OR TAKE THEM OUT COMPLETELY.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO, TO BRING UP WAS WE DID APPROVE FOR RESIDENTS WHO ARE, UH, SENIOR CITIZENS FOR THEM TO GET AN ADDITIONAL EXEMPTION ON THE FLOOR.
AND WHAT I WANTED TO BRING FORWARD, AND THIS IS NOT FOR RIGHT NOW, BUT WHO WE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT WAS OUR DISABLED COMMUNITY, WHO ALSO, YOU KNOW, THO THOSE EXEMPTIONS PRETTY MUCH TRACKED TOGETHER, BUT WE DIDN'T BRING THAT UP.
AND SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING FOR COUNCIL TO THINK ABOUT IN THE FUTURE.
AND, UH, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
[01:20:02]
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER RAFAEL.THANK YOU MR. CORMIER FOR, UH, ENTERTAINING OUR QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
NO, OH, I DO SEE ANOTHER LIGHT.
I JUST HAD ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION 'CAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO BRING ANY OF THAT UP.
UM, I DO WANT TO ASK, IN TERMS OF THE ACTUAL BUDGET, IN THE, UH, DOCUMENTATION, IT SHOWS, UH, THE, UH, 5% INCREASE AT THE BEGINNING.
AND I WANTED, AND THAT'S ONE THING I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT, BUT I DO WANT TO ASK ABOUT THE NEW DEPARTMENT THAT IS ACTUALLY INSIDE THE BUDGET.
AND PREVIOUS MAY 15TH OF LAST YEAR, UH, THE PREVIOUS MANAGER, CITY MANAGER BROUGHT UP AN ACTUAL DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION OR CONSOLIDATION, IF YOU WILL, AND A NEW DEPARTMENT.
AND THIS BUDGET PIECE WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT THIS NEW DEPARTMENT KIND OF SOUNDS AND LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT.
IT HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT PIECES ALL KIND OF PUT TOGETHER.
AND I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND, 'CAUSE IN THE ONE THAT WAS IN MAY, THIS THE, THE COUNCIL WAS, YOU KNOW, WAS GIVEN THE PROPOSAL OF THAT DEPARTMENT AND WAS, IT WAS KINDA SHOT DOWN THEN.
SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND FIRST, HOW DID WE GET IT IN THE BUDGET WITHOUT ACTUALLY REVIEWING IT BEFORE WE GOT IT TO THE BUDGET.
AND THEN SECOND, WHEN WE'RE TALKING IN TERMS OF IMPACT TO THE ACTUAL BUDGET, UM, IT DOES NOT, IT'S NOT AS CLEAR AS IT WAS IN THE OTHER DISCUSSION, THE ONE THAT WAS IN MAY OF LAST YEAR.
IT HAS SPECIFIC FINANCIAL IMPACTS.
AND, UM, I THINK I ALSO BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS IT AT THE RETREAT, BUT, UM, I ALSO BROUGHT UP THE S SP TWO IMPACTS FOR THIS YEAR THAT WERE TO, TO MY, UM, I GUESS YOU SAY, MY THOUGHT PROCESS IS THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION AND SAY WE HAD NO IMPACT AND THIS IS WHAT SB TWO DID, DID TO US, OR DID NOT DO TO US.
I WAS HOPING THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD'VE BEEN PROVIDED BEFORE.
WE ACTUALLY ARE GOING TO SAY YES OR NO, FIRST ON A NEW DEPARTMENT, UH, NEW DEPARTMENT HEADS, AND THEN, UM, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE BUDGET THAT NECESSARILY BEFORE WERE DISCUSSED PRIOR TO THE BUDGET.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO BEFORE WE GET TO THE BUDGET IN SEPTEMBER? UM, WHAT NEW DEPARTMENT ARE YOU SPEAKING OF? UM, THERE'S A INSIDE OF HERE IT TALKS ABOUT A NEW DEPARTMENT HEAD.
IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT, IT'S A WHOLE SET OF, OF POSITIONS.
THERE'S ABOUT SEVEN POSITIONS THAT ARE BEING CREATED FOR THIS DEPARTMENT.
MAYBE THEY ARE THERE, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT FINANCIALLY TO THE CITY.
UM, SO LET ME, LET ME TAKE THE LAST QUESTIONS FIRST.
UH, WHICH IS ABOUT THE SB TWO.
UM, SB TWO WAS CONSIDERED IN PREPARING THIS BUDGET, UH, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WHATEVER IMPACT WAS ABSORBED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, NEXT YEAR WE'RE GONNA GO TO PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING OR ZERO BASED BUDGETING, WHICH IS GONNA, UM, UH, LOOK AT ALL OF THE FORECASTED REVENUES IN THE FUTURE.
OF COURSE, WITH THE SP TWO MONITORING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, WHAT THE LEGISLATION IS GONNA DO.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA DO A FIVE YEAR FORECAST, AND WE'RE GONNA DO A TWO YEAR BALANCE BUDGET WITH THE FIRST YEAR BEING, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND THE SECOND YEAR IS GONNA BE EARMARKED.
ALL OF THAT IS GONNA LOOK AT ALL OF THE RESOURCES, UH, IN, IN, IN THE CITY AND ALIGNING THAT WITH, UH, THE COUNCIL PRIORITIES.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE, THERE'S GONNA BE IMPACT IN THE FUTURE.
SO THAT'S THE REASON I'M GOING TO A ZERO BASED BUDGETING WITH THE STAFF TO ENSURE THAT WE ALIGN THE RESOURCES WITH THE REVENUES THAT WE REALLY, TRULY PROJECT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION.
THERE'S NO ADDED POSITION WITH THAT NEW DEPARTMENT.
THAT DEPARTMENT IS, IS GONNA BE A RECLASSIFICATION OF A POSITION.
THERE'S GONNA BE AN ELIMINATION OF COUPLE OF POSITIONS, AND THERE'S GONNA BE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES ACTUALLY TO START FOCUSING ON GRANTS, UH, FOCUSING ON NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, RESPONSE TEAM, FOCUSING ON COMMUNICATION, FOCUSING ON, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, ALL OF THAT.
UM, AS A CITY MANAGER, I HAVE THE ABILITY TO RECOMMEND THE BUDGET TO YOU, AND THAT COULD INCLUDE A NEW DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST IN TERMS OF, IN TERMS OF WHAT PRESENTATIONS YOU HAD, BUT, UH, OBVIOUSLY IN, IN MY MONTH, MONTH AND A HALF OF, OF LOOKING AT, UH, THE OPERATION, UH, I SAW A MAJOR NEED FOR FOCUSING ON THE GRANTS, WHICH ARE THINGS THAT WE'VE MISSED IN THE PAST ACCORDING TO STAFF.
AND I HAD THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT THE COMMUNICATION PIECE AND THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE, WHICH IS SOMETHING I DISCUSSED WITH EACH ONE OF YOU, UH, ON A NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT ONE.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, THERE'S AN ABILITY ACTUALLY FOR US TO FREEZE A POSITION FOR HALF A YEAR, WHICH IS THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
[01:25:01]
UH, BE, HAVE THE ABILITY TO ELIMINATE A COUPLE OF POSITIONS AND TRULY PUT THE CITY IN A POSITION WHERE WE CAN FOCUS THAT NEW DEPARTMENT ON BETTER RESPONSE TO NOT JUST THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT ALSO TO, UM, UH, THE RESIDENTS AND, AND THE STAKEHOLDERS.IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE IS A FOCUS ON HAVING A LIAISON TO THE MAYOR AND CITY MAN, UH, TO, TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL AS A FULL-TIME.
AND THAT LIAISON IS GONNA BE VERY FOCUSED ON RESPONDING TO ALL OF YOUR REQUESTS AND BE ABLE TO FOLLOW BACK WITH YOU ON THINGS THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'VE HAD, UH, SOME, SOME CHALLENGES WITH SOMETIMES STAFF NOT RESPONDING BACK TO YOU, THAT LIAISON POSITION IS GONNA BE ABLE TO FOCUS THAT ON IT.
BUT NO FINANCIAL RES, UH, IMPACT OF THOSE THINGS? UH, THERE'S ZERO IMPACT BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO NOT ONLY, UM, UH, DELAY A POSITION, BUT ALSO ELIMINATE A COUPLE OF POSITIONS.
AT LEAST THAT'S, THAT'S THE EVALUATION THAT WE'VE HAD.
SO WE DID IT WITHIN, WITHIN, UM, THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL WILL BE OUR LAST QUESTION TONIGHT.
I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I GOT CLARITY AS FAR AS SB TWO.
THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT THE, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IN THE FUTURE, BUT JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND IT IN RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS 20 24, 20 25 BUDGET.
THE OTHER THING WAS AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, LAST YEAR, WE APPROVED THE BUDGET.
WE APPROVED A, A BOND FOR, YOU KNOW, TO PAY FOR THE OVERAGE RELATED TO SB TWO, UM, FOR LAST YEAR.
BUT THEN AFTER THAT, UM, UM, STAFF CAME TO US WITH, UM, A REQUEST FOR, UM, FOR FUNDING FOR THE, I THINK IT WAS THE WATER DEPART OR THE NIGHTTIME CREW.
AND IT DIDN'T PASS BECAUSE IN, IN, IN PART, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE CONCERNED WITH ALL THAT WE HAD JUST BEEN HIT WITH.
AND THEN THAT WAS A REQUEST THAT CAME AFTER THE FACT.
AND I GUESS MY QUESTION RELATED TO HUMAN RESOURCES, DO YOU, DO YOU REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, OKAY.
IS THAT BUILT INTO THIS, THIS CURRENT BUDGET FOR, FOR THOSE WORKERS.
AND COULD YOU DO, DOES ANYONE, COULD YOU, COULD ANYONE SPEAK TO WHAT THAT WAS FOR THOSE PARTICULAR WORKERS? YES, MA'AM.
THAT WAS ON CALL PAY AND THAT DISCUSSION IS, IS DEAD FOR RIGHT NOW JUST BECAUSE OF THE COST.
AND THAT COST AT THAT TIME WAS ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR, FOR THOSE WORKERS.
HAS IT EXPANDED? IF, IF, YEAH, I KNOW.
I WOULD HAVE TO, I WOULD HAVE TO RUN THE NUMBERS BECAUSE WE HAVE INCREASED SALARIES.
UM, THE COST OF LIVING INCREASE IS ALSO IN THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW.
SO IT WOULD BE MORE THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND THAT WAS, WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE, THE, IT WAS ONCALL PAY ONCALL.
SO IT'S, IT'S PAYMENT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ON CALL THAT ARE REQUIRED TO BE ON STANDBY, JUST IN CASE THEY'RE CALLED IN.
SO THEY WANTED, WE WANTED THEM TO COMP BE COMPENSATED FOR BEING ON CALL.
AND SO I REMEMBERED THAT FROM LAST YEAR, AND SO JUST, I UNDERSTAND LIKE WHERE WE ARE TODAY, BUT IS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION FOR THAT IN THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET? UM, NO, THAT WAS NOT PUT IN THIS, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET.
NO, I KNOW IT WASN'T PUT IN THE BUDGET, BUT IS THERE ROOM OR SPACE FOR IT? THERE'S ABSOLUTELY ROOM BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT OPERATING AT A HUNDRED PERCENT WITH FTES.
SO, UH, YOU ALWAYS HAVE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE SALARY SAVINGS OR YOU HAVE, UH, REVENUES THAT OUT, YOU KNOW, OUTPACE THE, THE EXPENSES.
SO, AND WE PROJECT THIS YEAR TO HAVE EXPENSES OUTPACED, UH, REVENUES OUTPACING THE EXPENSES.
WELL ALSO REMEMBER TOO, IT'S JUST NOT A SALARY.
IT ALSO AFFECTS OUR WORKMAN'S COMP, OUR FICA SOCIAL SECURITY, AND ALSO OUR TMRS. YES.
UM, JUST RELATED TO SENATE BILL TOO, ALSO, BASICALLY HOW IT AFFECTED US IS THAT IT LOWERED OUR VOTER APPROVAL RATE BY THE AMOUNT I STATED EARLIER, 0.00158.
UM, BUT WE WERE STILL ABLE TO, UM, HAVE ENOUGH REVENUE TO NOT CUT ANY SERVICES AND CONTINUAL OPERATIONS AS IS.
THAT FIRST PART CAUGHT ME JUST A LITTLE BIT.
SO ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE OF OUR APPRAISED VALUES, WE YES.
BROUGHT IN ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT, WHAT WE NEED TO TAKE? THAT IS CORRECT.
[01:30:01]
REMEMBER WITH SENATE BILL TWO, SENATE BILL TWO CAPPED THE, UH, CAPPED THE REVENUE THAT WE COULD GENERATE TO A THREE POINT HALF PERCENT INCREASE.SO WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED WITH THIS BUDGET? SO THAT THREE POINT A HALF PERCENT INCREASE IS REFERRED TO AS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
SO WHATEVER THAT TAX RATE IS, IS THE, IS, IF WE ARE AT OR BELOW THREE POINT A HALF PERCENT, WE DON'T HAVE TO GET VOTER APPROVAL FOR THAT TAX RATE.
SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CRAFT THIS BUDGET TO STAY BELOW THAT THREE POINT A HALF PERCENT THAT, UH, WE ARE ALLOWED TO INCREASE OUR PROPERTY TAX BACK, UH, PROPERTY PROP, UH, REVENUES.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE, YOU DIDN'T HEAR A WHOLE LOT ABOUT SENATE BILL TWO, BECAUSE REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD THE, THE SUMMER RETREAT, WE TALKED, COUNCIL GAVE US A DIRECTIVE, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE CAME BACK WITH ANY OTHER INITIATIVES, WE WANTED TO SEE SOME CUTS.
SO WE WENT IN AND LOOKED AT AREAS WHERE WE COULD CUT, NOT NECESSARILY, UH, DEPLETING THE BUDGET, BUT WHAT WE DID WAS WE LOOKED AT AREAS WHERE WE HAD WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER MAYBE SOME FLUFF, RIGHT? SO SAY, SAY YOU WERE, YOU HAD A LINE ITEM WHERE YOU CONSTANTLY BUDGETED A HUNDRED THOUSAND, BUT EACH YEAR YOU ONLY SPEND 80,000.
SO YOU WERE, YOU WERE, YOU HAD 20,000 THAT YOU COULD CUT.
SO WE, WE LOOKED AT THOSE LINE ITEMS AND WE CUT IN THOSE AREAS, AND SO IT GOT US TO, TO, TO KEPT US AT OR BELOW THAT THREE POINT A HALF PERCENT, UH, CAP THAT SENATE BILL TWO PLACES ON IT.
SO IT REALLY WASN'T A BIG IMPACT.
THAT'S WHY YOU HAVEN'T HEARD US TALK ABOUT COMING IN AND, AND ISSUING, UH, YOU KNOW, A, A TAX NOTE LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR OR DOING A LOT OF OTHER STUFF.
WE, WE HAVEN'T HAD TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT, UH, THIS YEAR.
UM, MADAM MAYOR, I, UH, HAVE A, I WANNA GO BACK TO THE COUNCIL LIAISON POSITION.
MR. RY, UM, CAN YOU TELL ME ONCE AGAIN HOW THAT PARTICULAR POSITION WILL DIFFER FROM THE TWO CLERKS, THAT TWO ASSISTANT SECRETARIES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN ADDITION TO THE MAIN SECRETARY? I'M, I'M, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WILL THAT PERSON BE DOING DIFFERENTLY THAN THE PEOPLE ARE DOING NOW? UM, AND WHY AND WHY IS THAT NECESSARY? WELL, IT, IT IS NECESSARY BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE RECEIVING A LOT OF, UH, QUESTIONS, A LOT OF CONCERNS, A LOT OF, UH, EMAILS ABOUT THINGS TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE, UM, CONSTITUENTS.
AND SO THIS PERSON WILL WORK DIRECTLY WITH YOU AND ENSURE THAT ANY, ANY, UH, COMMUNICATION WITH THE RESIDENTS IS COMMUNICATED TO YOU AS THE CITY COUNCIL AND IS, UH, FUNCTIONING AS A LIAISON WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS WITH, UH, CITY STAFF TO ENSURE THAT RESPONSE IS, IS HAPPENING AND HAPPENING AT A, A, A MUCH FASTER RATE THAN, THAN WHAT YOU NORMALLY SEE.
THIS IS SOMETHING, THIS IS A MODEL THAT I DIDN'T CREATE.
THIS IS A MODEL THAT IS IN EVERY SINGLE CITY I WORK FOR, IN EVERY CITY THAT IS AROUND US.
SO THIS IS NOT A NEW MODEL, IT'S, IT'S JUST IMPROVED COMMUNICATION, IMPROVED, UH, COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND, AND IMPROVED, UH, UM, PROCESS.
COUNCILMAN BURCH SHALL BE OUR LAST COMMENT.
MR. I, MR. CAMRY, WILL YOU COME BACK? I JUST WANT, UM, I DON'T WANT THE WRONG TERMINOLOGY TO, TO BE OUT IN THE PUBLIC.
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A SHARP FALL IN BUDGET, HAS THERE? NO SIR.
WHEN WE MADE THE MANEUVER TO, UH, TAKE A LOAN OUT FOR 300,000 OR WHATEVER WE DID LAST YEAR, THAT WAS NOT BECAUSE OF A BUDGET SHORTFALL.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU EXPLAIN, UH, FOR THE CITIZENS, BECAUSE I KNOW I SPENT A LOT OF TIME EXPLAINING THAT THERE'S NEVER BEEN A SHORTFALL OF BUDGET, WE, WE DON'T NEED TO CUT BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A SHORTFALL OF BUDGET.
UH, SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY WE HAD TO DO THAT LAST YEAR AND WHY DON'T WE HAVE TO DO IT THIS YEAR? YEAH.
AND YOU, YOU'RE EXACTLY CORRECT.
WE DID NOT HAVE A SHORTFALL OF BUDGET, MEANING OUR REVENUES EXCEEDED OUR EXPENDITURES.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE DEFICIT BUDGET DEFICIT.
WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED STRICTLY WAS RELATED TO, UH, GENERAL, UH, TO GENERAL FUND REVENUE, THE ABILITY TO, FOR US TO CAPTURE GENERAL FUND REVENUE FROM OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE.
SO YOU HAVE THE DEBT SERVICE SIDE AND YOU HAVE THE, THE, UH, GENERAL FUND REVENUE SIDE, YOU WATER AND SEWER, ALL THAT IS ENTERPRISE FUND.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE TAX RATE, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THOSE OTHER THINGS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND.
AND SO BECAUSE OF SENATE BILL TWO, WE ARE CAPPED FROM, IN TERMS OF OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE, WE'RE CAPPED AT THAT THREE POINT A HALF PERCENT.
AND SO, UH, THAT, THAT THE, THE YEAR THAT WE HAD TO, WE HAD TO TAKE OUT THE, UH, DEBT INSTRUMENT.
UH, WE, WE DID THAT TO BE ABLE TO SHIFT FUNDING FROM THE, FROM THE, UH, GENERAL FUND SIDE TO THE DEBT SIDE SO THAT WE COULD PRESERVE THE DEBT RATE.
BECAUSE WHAT WE DON'T, WHAT WE DIDN'T WANNA
[01:35:01]
DO WAS HAVE THE DEBT RATE TO, TO, TO DROP ON US.WE WANTED TO PRESERVE THAT DEBT RATE.
SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE TOOK OUT A SHORT TERM LOAN, BUT WE IMMEDIATELY TURNED AROUND AND PAID IT BACK, UH, IN THE PRECEDING WHEN, WHEN THE NEW YEAR HIT, WE TOOK, WE PAID IT BACK.
BUT THE, BUT REALLY THE, THE WHOLE PURPOSE FOR THAT WAS TO PRESERVE A DEBT SERVICE RATE.
IT WASN'T BECAUSE WE HAD A SHORTFALL IN REVENUE.
IT WAS, IT WAS A STRATEGIC MANEUVER BASED ON WHAT THE STATE ALLOWS.
COUNSEL, UM, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
UM, THERE IS NO ACTION REQUIRED FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, SO AT THIS TIME I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BYRD TO ADJOURN.
COUNCIL ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
IT IS 7:44 PM COUNSEL, AND WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED.