[A. REGULAR SESSION]
[00:00:10]
OH, NO. BEGIN TO BE HEREBY CALLED TO ORDER ON THIS THURSDAY, MARCH 27TH AT 6:04 P.M. MARCH 27TH, 2025, 6:04 P.M. SO LET BE SWALLOWED BY ASKING FOR INVOCATION FROM. A PASTOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER. PLEASE, SIR. YES, SIR. CAN YOU HEAR? SHOW GOD OUR FATHER. WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THIS DAY THAT YOU'VE ALLOWED US TO COME TOGETHER ONCE AGAIN TO DO THE WORK OF THE CITY. WE ASK GOD FOR CLARITY OF THOUGHT IN MIND THAT WE MIGHT RIGHTFULLY DECIPHER THROUGH THE INFORMATION AND MAKE THE BEST CHOICE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE ALLOWED US TO INFLUENCE. WE ASK NOW FOR CLARITY FOR THIS BOARD PRESIDENT. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT INVOCATION. AND LET ME START OFF BEFORE WE GO INTO REGULAR AGENDA HERE. I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE VIRTUALLY WE HAVE ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, DOCTOR GP, THAT'S ONLINE WITH US HERE VIRTUALLY. AND WE HAVE TONIGHT WITH US, OUR CITY MANAGER. AND WE'RE JUST HAPPY TO HAVE YOU JOIN US THIS EVENING AS WELL AS EVERYONE. BUT I WANT TO BEGIN BY JUST COMMENDING. WE GOT A SHORT MEETING, BUT I'LL BE LONG. I WANT TO COMMEND AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT OUR SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE RELATIVE TO THE SUBJECT MATTER AGENDA ITEM THAT SPENT TIME, ASIDE FROM THE REGULAR BOARD MEETINGS, THEY SPENT THEIR TIME, EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY LEND. THEY LEND IT COLLABORATIVELY TO BE ABLE TO DISCUSS EFFECTIVELY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS TONIGHT. SO REALLY, REALLY HATS OFF TO EVERYONE ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE. SHEILA AND DOCTOR GP AND DOCTOR HERNDON. WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU MORE THAN YOU POSSIBLY CAN EVEN IMAGINE BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT ABLE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITHOUT YOUR EFFORTS THAT YOU'VE SET FORTH FOR US. SO THAT SAID, FROM A REGULAR AGENDA, NEW BUSINESS
[B.1. Discuss and take action on the Campus Innovations Group Professional Services Proposal.]
STANDPOINT, WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS. WE HAVE DISCUSSION AND OR POSSIBLE ACTION. I'LL SAY THAT TO DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION ON THE CAMPUS INNOVATIONS GROUP PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PROPOSAL.AS YOU WILL RECALL THIS WAS SHARED WITH US IN OUR LAST MEETING. SO THIS MEETING TONIGHT IS A SPECIAL CALL BOARD MEETING. THAT'S RELATIVE TO THIS SUBJECT MATTER AND AGENDA. THAT SAID, I'M GOING TO ASK THAT OUR SUBCOMMITTEE REALLY TAKE THE LEAD AND SHARE WITH US, IF YOU WILL, WHAT YOUR INSIGHTS HAVE BECOME. AND AS YOU WILL RECALL, WHEN WE TALKED IN OUR LAST MEETING IN FORMING THE SUBCOMMITTEE, WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE RAISED OR QUESTIONS THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WE NEEDED TO RAISE. AND AGAIN, WE WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR SPEARHEADING GETTING THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO US. SO IF YOU WOULD START, I DON'T KNOW WHO'S THE LEAD HERE. DOCTOR HERNDON I WON'T SAY THAT I'M TAKING THE LEAD, BUT I DO THINK SO. OVER THE TIME THE SUBCOMMITTEE, THERE WERE A LOT OF DIFFERENT QUESTIONS THAT WE ASKED SPECIFICALLY AROUND WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN THIS WAY WITH DIFFERENT POTENTIAL PARTNERS? WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, UT SOUTHWESTERN OR IF IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE? AND I THINK THE THING THAT I REALLY TOOK FROM IT WAS THEY STARTED TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE DISCOVERY PHASE REALLY LOOKED LIKE FOR US, THAT IT WASN'T ABOUT US GOING AFTER JUST UT SOUTHWESTERN, BUT US FINDING THE FIT OF WHAT WORKS BEST FOR DESOTO. SO I THINK THAT THAT CLEARLY WAS KIND OF AGREED UPON, OR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY ALSO UNDERSTOOD FROM THE MEETING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT US TO TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO RESEARCH WHO WOULD ACTUALLY BE THE BEST PARTNER TO TAKE, WHETHER IT WAS, YOU KNOW, GOING WITH WHO WE THOUGHT OR POTENTIALLY RESEARCHING SOMEONE ELSE TO BE A GOOD FIT TO ENGAGE.
I THINK ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DOCTOR GP TALKED ABOUT IS REALLY THE IDEA OF MOVING AWAY FROM LIKE A BIG BOX STAPLE AND REALLY SAYING LIKE, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR US? I ALSO THINK THAT THEY REALLY GOT THE GOAL OF LIKE UNDERSTANDING. WE'RE TRYING TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE IN DESOTO. YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE LIKE ANY OTHER CITY THAT MAY BE TRYING TO DO
[00:05:04]
THIS. THIS IS VERY INNOVATIVE. IT'S VERY NEW. BUT I THINK ALSO, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY GOT A REALLY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF HOW, YOU KNOW, THIS BOARD TRULY CARES ABOUT WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY AND NOT JUST LIKE, HEY, LET'S PUT UP A PARK SOMEWHERE BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE AN INNOVATIVE THING AND LET'S FIGURE IT OUT. SO I FEEL LIKE A LOT CAME FROM THAT. THEY DID ASK. THEY DID GET TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AROUND THE JOBS OF LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE GOING TO BE THE PARTNERS AS WE RELATE TO BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT THAT FROM DALLAS COLLEGE PERSPECTIVE. YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY DONE SOME OF THE MAPPING. WE HAVE THE DATA. BUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHO IS THIS GOING TO ATTRACT? WILL THESE JOBS BE AVAILABLE FOR THE CITIZENS HERE? NOT SO MUCH OF HEY, IF WE PUT THIS UP NOW PEOPLE ARE DRIVING FROM FRISCO OR PLANO OR WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WILL THE CITIZENS BE ABLE TO ALIGN WITH THAT? BUT I THINK ALSO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I TOOK FROM IT WAS THAT THEY REALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT IN THIS DISCOVERY PHASE, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE THIS PROPOSAL AND THIS WILL BE WHAT WE AGREE UPON, THAT WE MAY COME, COME BACK AND HAVE MORE QUESTIONS. RIGHT? WE MAY COME BACK AND SAY, WE DIDN'T REALLY THINK ABOUT THAT TWO WEEKS AGO. AND IT'S NOT LIKE YOU CAN'T ASK QUESTIONS. IT WAS REALLY MORE SO IF WE GET INTO THIS DISCOVERY PHASE AND THERE'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT MAY HAPPEN, WE CAN COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, IS THIS POSSIBLE FOR US TO NOW CONSIDER THIS? OR IS IT POSSIBLE, LIKE AKEELAH BROUGHT UP BEAUTY, CAN WE KEEP, YOU KNOW, THE BEAUTY SPACE ON THE TABLE? CAN WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE? SO I FELT REALLY COMFORTABLE AFTER WE MET WITH THEM. I FEEL LIKE I GOT TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THEM AS WELL. AS FAR AS THEIR SUCCESS IN OTHER AREAS, IT WASN'T MORE SO LIKE, HEY, THIS IS A PROJECT SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO COPY AND PASTE FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE AND WHAT IS HAPPENING IN ANOTHER CITY. I FEEL LIKE THEY REALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS BOARD WANTS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROPOSAL ISN'T JUST, LIKE STUCK IN PLACE IN THE SENSE OF LIKE WHAT YOU DO RIGHT NOW. WE'RE GOING TO GET UT SOUTHWESTERN AND THAT'S IT. BUT IT WAS REALLY MORE SO LIKE, TELL US WHAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU REALLY THINK WOULD WORK BEST FOR THE CITY. AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR DESOTO? SO, I MEAN, THE OTHER SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS MAY HAVE MORE INSIGHT, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS IS I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT WE ASK WERE ANSWERED. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME WAS IN THE SECOND COMMITTEE CALL, WHEN, YOU KNOW, THEY ACTUALLY ASKED THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS LIKE, HEY, YOU'RE ACTUALLY EXPERTS IN THIS AREA. IT WASN'T LIKE WE'RE GIVING YOU THE ANSWERS, BUT IT WAS LIKE, HEY, CAN YOU GIVE US? BECAUSE I THINK THE LAST QUESTION AND DOCTOR GP, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT LIKE THE LAST QUESTION THEY ASKED WAS LIKE, WHO DO WE HAVE POTENTIAL CONTACTS WITH THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY BRING TO THE TABLE FOR THEM TO APPROACH THAT WE ALREADY HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH. SO THEN THAT WAY THEY'LL KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT DIRECTION WE MAY WANT TO GO IN, IF WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THERE'S SOMEBODY ON THE TABLE, OR WE ALREADY KNOW SOMEONE WHO MAY BE A GOOD FIT. SO THAT'S HOW I TOOK SOME THINGS AWAY FROM IT. WAS, HOW ARE YOU DOING? I'M GOOD. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. JUST KIND OF SHARING OUR PERSPECTIVES FROM PARTICIPATING ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE. SO MUCH OF. DOCTOR SAID I FULL AGREEMENT WITH. I WAS RELIEVED BY OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH WITH THE GROUP FOR ME AND, YOU KNOW, MY LIMITED EXPERTISE AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO THIS PARTICULAR INDUSTRY. WHAT I DID APPRECIATE, THOUGH, I WAS LISTENING FOR LANGUAGE. YOU KNOW, HOW THEY SPOKE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, THE TYPE OF LANGUAGE THAT THEY USE TO SPEAK ABOUT THEIR PERSPECTIVES AND DIVERSITY OF UNDERSTANDING. SO I'M LISTENING FOR, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU JUST TALK, HOW YOU TALK ABOUT COMMUNITIES, HOW YOU TALK ABOUT PEOPLE. AND FOR ME, I WAS ACTUALLY WELL, NOT ACTUALLY I MEAN, I WAS IMPRESSED AND I APPRECIATED THAT. IT WAS CLEAR THAT THESE GENTLEMEN HAD A BROAD UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCE WITH A VARIETY OF, OF POPULATIONS, AND I DIDN'T FEEL AS THOUGH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ANY RED FLAGS OR YELLOW OR RED FLAGS WHERE I WAS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL ARE CULTURALLY, CULTURALLY RELEVANT OR, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT CULTURAL RELEVANCE AND CONNECTION TO NOT ONLY THE CITY OF DESOTO, BUT ULTIMATELY OUR SURROUNDING COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.SO THAT'S WHAT I'LL SAY, THAT I LEANED TO, YOU KNOW, BEING IN THAT SPACE AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M ALWAYS ADVOCATING FOR HOW WE'RE ENGAGING WITH WITH BUSINESSES AND POTENTIAL PARTNERS WHO WHO GET, GET US. AND IF THEY DON'T FULLY GET US, HOW AN INTEREST IN DIGGING DEEPER AND MAKING THOSE CONNECTION POINTS IN A VERY RESPECTFUL AND INCLUSIVE MANNER.
SO I DID GET THAT FROM THEM. I, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I SAID AT THE END OF OUR LAST SUBCOMMITTEE
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CALL THAT ULTIMATELY I HAVE ULTIMATE TRUST IN THE BDC STAFF AND, YOU KNOW, THEIR DUE DILIGENCE AND THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE, YOU KNOW, SURE. YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO EVEN PRESENTING THIS COMPANY TO US, AND ULTIMATELY, I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL SAYING WE NEED ANOTHER LEVEL OF EXPERTISE AND HELP AND SUPPORT TO HELP MOVE THIS FORWARD IN A TIMELY MANNER.SO I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT Y'ALL, TRUST YOUR DECISION MAKING AND APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LISTEN A LITTLE BIT MORE. AND I'LL JUST ALSO SAY THAT I APPRECIATED THIS PROCESS AND PROBABLY SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS, IT PROBABLY MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO HAVE THIS LEVEL OF IN EXTERIOR OR EXTENSION OF THIS BOARD. YOU KNOW, THAT LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT ON BIG PROJECTS LIKE THIS GOING FORWARD. SO EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT DOCTOR GP. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. ANTOINE, THANKS FOR SENDING OUT THE ZOOM LINK. AND DOCTOR HARRINGTON AND AKILAH, THANK YOU GUYS. BEING ON THE CALL AND YOUR SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. AND I'LL DRAW ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS. AND SO I THINK THE OVERALL FOR ME, YOU KNOW I HAVE THOUGHTS AND I HAVE EXTREME YOU KNOW START WITH MY THOUGHTS. AND SO MY THOUGHTS ARE IS THAT I LIKE HOW THE PROPOSAL, I GUESS WAS A BIT BROAD IN NATURE. AND THEN REALLY UNDERSTANDING OUR SCOPE IS REALLY TO HAVE A, A HEALTH FORWARD AND HEALTHIER COMMUNITY AND REALLY LEAN INTO SOME OF THESE ETHOS THAT WE FIRST STARTED OFF WITH, OF LIFE EXPECTANCY AND MAKING SURE EVERYONE IS SEEN AND CARED FOR IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I DO THINK, YOU KNOW THAT THE SECONDARY SCOPE FROM THE SECOND PROPOSAL INSTEAD OF ZERO. AND THEN ON ONE ORGANIZATION AND HAVING A VOTE IS AN ADVANTAGE TO US. AND, YOU KNOW, CURE WHAT COULD COME BACK FROM THAT. SO THAT WAS GOOD. AND SO AND I LIKE THE FACT THAT THEY TOOK TIME TO LISTEN TO US AND TAKE INTO OUR CONCERNS WHAT WE SEE AND WALK FOR OURSELVES. SO THAT WAS A GOOD THING. AND I LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING, I GUESS, THE DISCOVERY SESSION, AND I'M CURIOUS TO SEE WHO THEY WOULD BRING TO THE TABLE. AND, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT OF A LISTENING TO HER AND THEN GOING OUT AND KIND OF ASSEMBLING RESOURCES TO BRING BACK TO US.
SO, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THAT'S A PROPER WAY TO DO THINGS. NOW, WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF THE SHAPING OF THE PROJECT HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT INTERNAL AND US DICTATING THAT WHICH IS GOOD, AND WE SHOULD CERTAINLY BE DICTATING OUR NEEDS TO THEM. BUT I'M ALSO WANTING TO SEE WHAT THEIR LEVEL IS OR NOT NECESSARILY LEVEL OF EXPERTISE, BUT SEE WHAT THEY CAN BRING, WHAT VALUE THEY CAN BRING FOR US. AND SO THAT'S ONE THING. AND THEN SECOND, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE ENGAGING WITH OUTSIDE GROUPS TO MOVE CERTAIN PROJECTS FORWARD. BUT I WOULD ALSO, I GUESS AS A BOARD LIKE TO SOME OF THESE THINGS BEFORE THEY'RE SITTING IN THE ROOM WITH US. SO WE CAN PROBABLY PROPERLY TEASE THIS OUT. I THINK WE DID SOME SUBCOMMITTEE WORK WITH THIS IN THE NAME OF KIND OF TIME AND EFFICIENCY, YOU KNOW, JUST KNOW WHO THEY ARE BEFORE THEY COME TO THE ROOM WITH US SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO DO. I FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THIS IS JUST IT IS HAPPENING AND THERE'S A SENSE OF URGENCY. BUT I ALSO THINK THE BOARD, IF THERE'S A SENSE OF URGENCY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SENSE OF URGENCY IS AND WHERE IT'S COMING FROM, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE ASKING AND WANT TO KNOW, I WANT TO KNOW RIGHT ABOUT WHERE THE PROJECT IS. LAND PROCUREMENT. I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT. WE WERE AT A POINT TO START ASSEMBLING, YOU KNOW, THESE KIND OF RESOURCES. AT THIS POINT, ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND CERTAIN CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING, I'M NOT ASKING TO BE A PART OF ALL OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT I GUESS AS A BOARD, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE IN A ROOM WITH ME SO I CAN START TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS AND OPINION, AND WE CAN ALREADY HAVE STARTED BEFORE WE GET THERE. I JUST ONE THING. AND AGAIN, THIS IS PART OF THE STREAM OF CONSCIOUS. SO AGAIN, WHAT THEY WHAT THEY'RE ASKING TO KNOW. I THINK THAT WE NEED TO KNOW AND HAVE KIND OF EQUIVALENT KNOWLEDGE BASE OF THAT SO WE CAN PROPERLY ENGAGE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE HEARING AND WHERE KIND OF THE PRESSURE POINTS ARE. THEREFORE, WE KNOW HOW TO GET SOLUTIONS OUT. SO THAT'S ONE
[00:15:07]
THING TO MAKING SURE OUR COMMUNICATION INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY IS WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AS WE ASSEMBLE THESE RESOURCES, HOW DO WE SET THERE'S A SENSE OF URGENCY TO DO SOMETHING HERE. I KIND OF WANT TO KNOW WE GET THESE RESOURCES ALREADY. WHAT DO WE DO WITH THESE RESOURCES. AND MAYBE THAT'S NOT A QUESTION TO ASK OR A QUESTION TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO, BUT, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THIS 3 TO 4 MONTH ENGAGEMENT, WHERE WHERE IS THIS GOING? RIGHT? I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GET A ROADMAP, BUT ARE WE ACTUALLY GOING TO ACT ON THESE THINGS? DO WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE BACKING OF OUR CIVIC STRUCTURE TO ACT ON THESE THINGS, OR ARE WE JUST KIND OF ACCUMULATING KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES, WHICH WE'RE DOING? BUT TO ME, WHAT ARE THE SECONDARY ACTIONS ARE THREE, SIX, NINE, 12 MONTH ROADMAP, IF YOU WILL, TO ACT ON THESE RESOURCES AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS. SECOND. MOVING ALONG THOSE LINES, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT APPEARS TO ME WHAT WOULD BE OUR NEXT STEPS INTERNALLY. AND WILL THESE PRESSURE POINTS IN A SENSE OF URGENCY. AND THIS IS JUST A DIRECT QUESTION. I THINK WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT WILL DERAIL OUR PROJECT, OR WILL OUR PROJECT BE ABLE TO KIND OF CONTINUE FORWARD AS WE HAVE ENVISIONED THIS TO BE SOMETHING LIKE SUPER BENEFICIAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY? AND THEN LASTLY, AND MAYBE NOT LASTLY, BUT JUST KIND OF AS WE ASSEMBLE THESE RESOURCES, I REALLY WANT TO APPLAUD CHELA WALLACE ON THI, BECAUSE WHAT WE SHOULDN'T FORGET WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AND BRINGING PEOPLE FROM THE OUTSIDE TO HELP US DESIGN THINGS FOR OURSELVES IS THAT THIS IS FOR US, RIGHT? SO IS A MAJORITY MINORITY COMMUNITY. WE HAVE 54% BLACK WOMEN, 47% BLACK. SO ALL SOLUTIONS NEED TO REFLECT THE COMMUNITY. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HEALTH AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS WITH HEALTH IS THAT SOLUTIONS DO NOT REFLECT THE NEEDS OF THOSE COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? THEY'RE DESIGNED BY OTHERS AND PLACED IN PLACES, AND ULTIMATELY THEY FAIL. RIGHT. AND YOU CAN LOOK NO FURTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, NOT TALKING BAD ABOUT UT SOUTHWESTERN, WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN REDBIRD AS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. RIGHT. SO WE NEED TO BE VERY, VERY DELIBERATE ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WHATEVER COMES FROM THIS IS THAT THESE SOLUTIONS BENEFIT, REFLECT THAT OF THE COMMUNITY AND NOT OTHERS INTERESTS. NOW THAT THEY SEE VALUE IN OUR COMMUNITY AS THE AGE OLD STORY. AND SO I TOLD MATT, I TOLD ANTOINE THIS. YOU KNOW, WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, TO A CERTAIN POINT WHEN UNDERSTANDING HOW WE GOT HERE AND ALSO INTERNALLY QUESTIONED, YEAH, THERE'S A CERTAIN LEVEL OF EXPERTISE IN THIS GROUP. BUT ALSO, I GUESS FOR ME, I DO WANT TO HEAR SOME CONTRASTING CONCEPTS FROM THOSE WHO ARE DOING SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO HERE, OR JUST LAUNCHING SOME OF THESE CONCEPTS INTO THE MARKET. FROM A HEALTH FRONT. BUT, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS AT THE MOMENT. AND LIKE I SAID, I REALLY APPRECIATE AKILAH AND DOCTOR HERNAN FOR LENDING IN LEANING INTO THIS. AND LIKE I SAID, JUST WHATEVER HAPPENS NEXT, THINGS NEED TO BE FOR THE BENEFIT OF AKILAH WALLACE, FELICIA PEARSON, ANTOINE LAW, MARK JONES, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY IN THE COMMUNITY. AND THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T COMPROMISE ON. THANK YOU.THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DOCTOR GP SO AT THIS TIME, LET'S BASED ON WHAT HAS BEEN SHARED, LET'S PLEASE OPEN IT UP AND HAVE SOME MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION. BUT THEN FAST FORWARD TO PROGRESS.
FORWARD WOULD LIKE TO LAY A FOUNDATION TO. I SEE THE SUMMARY OF INFORMATION THAT HAS RECEIVED THAT STAFF RECEIVED. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT ON THE BACK END, BUT I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD THUS FAR, THE OBSERVATIONS, IF YOU WILL. AGAIN, LET ME JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR THE INSIGHTS YOU ALL HAVE PROVIDED. EXCUSE ME. BOTH LEVELS OF COMFORT, AS WELL AS OBSERVATIONS THAT. RAISE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WE SHOULD DISCUSS. I DON'T THINK WE CAN
[00:20:10]
PLACE IT ALL IN ONE PLACE TODAY. GETTING IT ALL IN, IN MAKING A DECISION ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING IN LIGHT OF WHAT HAS BEEN SHARED. BUT I'D LIKE FOR US TO DISCUSS IT VERY THOROUGH, SO THAT WE REALLY HAVE A CLEAN AND KEEN SENSE OF DIRECTION WE'RE GOING IN WITH THIS. THERE'S BEEN SOME THERE HAVE BEEN SOME, SOME VERY NOTED OBSERVATIONS HERE. AND SO WE CANNOT BE REMISS IN ADDRESSING THOSE. THE BIGGEST THING HE JUST SAID WAS ONCE WE GET ALL THE INFORMATION WHAT WE'RE GOING TO PLACE IT. YEAH. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S A LARGER CONVERSATION THAT IN HAVING OUR CITY MANAGER HERE AND HAVING OUR OUR REPRESENTATIVE FROM OUR COUNCIL. PASTOR HEARD, I THINK THAT'S A QUESTION THAT THEY CAN HELP US WITH BEFORE WE ARE LAYING IT, BEFORE WE PASS IT TO YOU, I WANT TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW DO YOU THINK IT COLLABORATES WITH THE VISION FOR THE CITY. I THINK, COUNCILWOMAN, PLEASE, I THINK I THINK TO. GP. WE NEED WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S WHAT'S IN IT FOR DESOTO. SURE. YOU KNOW, HAVING A GREAT HAVING A GREAT DEVELOPMENT IS ONE THING TO HAVE A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THING. UT SOUTHWEST IS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE DFW AREA. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE DONE A GOOD JOB BEING IN THE RED BIRD MALL OR NOT THEM, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT WHOLE SETUP IN THERE. SO I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE FOR US TO UNDERSTAND TO SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS, WHAT ARE WE WHAT DO WE WANT OUT OF THAT AREA? DO WE WANT RESEARCH? DO WE WANT R&D? DO WE WANT DO WE WANT RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICES? WHAT WHAT DO WE WANT? AND IF THERE IS A MEDICAL DESERT THEN WE NEED TO DEFINE THAT. WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE. AND I THINK THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DEFINE AND TO, TO YOUR POINT ON IS IT IS IT DRIVEN BY STAFF OR IS IT DRIVEN BY THE NOT THAT WE'RE NOT EXPERTS, RIGHT. BUT IS IT DRIVEN BY THE EXPERTS WHO ARE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, PLACEMAKING TYPE OF EXPERTS FOR THESE TYPES OF FACILITIES? I THINK THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU YOU WANT TO YOU WANT TO ANSWER. I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE ALIGNED WITH YOU BECAUSE WE'RE ONE WE'RE ONE UNIT. YOU KNOW, CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER. AND THE EDC IS ONE UNIT. WE DON'T FUNCTION SEPARATELY. BUT I WOULD TELL YOU, I THINK THE ONLY THING I WOULD MAKE SURE IS THAT WE HAVE A, A, AN OPPORTUNITY THAT IS GOING TO BE THERE FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS TO 100 YEARS, NOT FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND CHECKING THE BOX. SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT. COUNCILWOMAN. I'M SORRY. NO, NO, I AGREE WITH THAT. NO, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT THE CITY MANAGER JUST SAID. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU GUYS WILL PUSH FORWARD, AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD NATURALLY REACT TO. THE VISION WOULD ORIGINATE HERE. THIS MIGHT BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT FITS WITHIN THE PILLARS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT. AND THEN THERE'S SOME THAT ORIGINATE FROM COUNCIL THAT YOU GUYS WOULD NEED TO TAKE ON AND MAKE COME TO FRUITION. AND I BELIEVE THAT WHAT DOCTOR GP AND WHAT DOCTOR HARRINGTON HAS SAID AND WHAT THE BOARD, WHAT THIS BOARD HAS ALREADY ARTICULATED, I THINK IF WE DIVE MORE INTO IT AND MAKE SURE THAT IT FITS WHERE WE ARE GOING AS, AS CITIZENS AND AS DESOTO, I THINK THAT THERE WILL BE SUPPORT FOR IT. LET'S OPEN IT UP. YES, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.SO THANK YOU. SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THE HEAVY LIFT. I JUST HAD A FEW QUESTIONS. SO WE MET THE PRINCIPLES HERE EARLIER THIS MONTH. THEY TALK ABOUT THEIR TEAM. THEY TALK ABOUT THEIR TEAM. YEAH. DID YOU LEARN ANY MORE ABOUT THE TEAM WHO WILL BE DOING THIS THIS WORK UNDER THIS CONTRACT? I DON'T KNOW IF THEY TALK. I MEAN, THEY DID GO A LITTLE BIT DEEPER AND PROBABLY LIKE THEIR EXPERIENCE AND WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LET'S SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU WANT A JOB INTERVIEW, YOU KIND OF LIKE START IT OUT LIKE SOME OF THE OBJECTIVES AND THINGS LIKE
[00:25:03]
THAT. BUT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE, I THINK THE ONLY PERSON THAT WAS MISSING FROM THE FIRST CALL WAS THE GENTLEMAN HE COULDN'T JOIN. FOR SOME REASON, I CAN'T REMEMBER. I CAN'T REMEMBER HIS NAME SPECIFICALLY, BUT HE WAS ON THE SECOND CALL. SO EVERYONE THAT WAS HERE WAS ON THE CALLS AGAIN. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WENT ANY DEEPER. THEY WERE JUST KIND OF GIVING A LITTLE BIT MORE INSIGHT. BUT IT WAS A LOT OF IT WAS A LOT MORE QUESTIONS TOWARDS US AND GETTING OUR INSIGHT AND DIRECTION. AND THEN THEY WERE KIND OF RESPONDING TO, BASED OFF WHAT WE SAID, OR, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD, LIKE. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT WAS, YOU KNOW, CREATING COMMUNITY CONTACTS OR, YOU KNOW, THE JOB. AND THEN ONE OF THEM JUMPED IN AND WAS LIKE, OH, THAT'S VERY INTERESTING, BECAUSE BASED OFF THAT, DALLAS COLLEGE HAD AN INITIATIVE SIMILAR. SO THEY WOULD GIVE KIND OF SOME OF THEIR EXPERTISE BASED OFF EITHER WHAT THEY ASKED US AND HOW WE RESPONDED, BUT IT WAS MORE OF THEM LISTENING AND RESPONDING TO THE QUESTIONS WE HAD MORE THAN US, THEM JUST ASKING US QUESTIONS. OKAY, THAT'S WHAT I FELT LIKE NOW.MAYBE LET ME I HEARD A QUESTION THERE, WHICH IS DID THEY TALK MORE ABOUT THEIR TEAM? THAT IS THE TEAM THAT THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE DOING THE WORK. THAT'S THE FOLKS WE'LL BE WORKING WITH.
THERE AREN'T OTHERS THAT THAT JUNIOR ASSOCIATES THAT. IT ISN'T JUST THE PRINCIPALS, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO WILL BE DELIVERING THAT WORK. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I THINK THAT WAS YOUR QUESTION. YES, YES. SO BEAR WITH ME AS I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT TRYING TO PULL IT ALL TOGETHER.
SO THEY TALK ABOUT CHARRETTES HERE. I'M ALSO THINKING ABOUT, OKAY, WE GOT ELECTIONS COMING UP. SO AND THEN I'M THINKING ABOUT HOW OFTEN WE ASK CITIZENS TO COME OUT AND BE ENGAGED. AND SO WAS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT I'M JUST WONDERING HOW DOES THIS WORK. GREAT. BUT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT CITIZENS CROSS-SECTION OF CITIZENS WILL BE A PART OF THIS PROCESS? BECAUSE WHAT I DON'T WANT TO HAPPEN IS THAT, I MEAN, I'M SEEING LIKE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH LIKE DIFFERENT THINGS. IT'S LIKE YOU GET DOWN THE ROAD AND YOU THINK EVERYBODY'S ENGAGED AND IT'S TIME FOR COUNCIL TO VOTE. IT'S LIKE, WHOA, STOP. SO I'M CURIOUS, DID THEY TALK ABOUT HOW THEY WOULD GO ABOUT OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE WOULD WE COULD ASK, LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO I THINK THE ANSWER TO THAT AND YOU KNOW, Y'ALL KIND OF HEARD THEM FLESH OUT THAT THE IDEA OF A CHARRETTE IS I DON'T THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO DEFINE WHO THOSE SHOULD BE. THEY'RE ASKING WHO SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN THAT. RIGHT. I THINK I THINK THEY'RE THEIR PREFERENCE IS THAT IT'S A RELATIVELY TIGHT GROUP. BUT. RIGHT. THEY THEY REALIZE WHO KNOWS BETTER WHO SHOULD BE ENGAGED IN THAT THAN Y'ALL. YOU ARE THE COMMUNITY. YOU REPRESENT THAT COMMUNITY. SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR US TO IDENTIFY WHO BELONGS IN THAT CHARRETTE. THE IDEA OF THE CHARRETTE IS TO.
LEVERAGE, RIGHT? NOT ONLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ASK FOR.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN WE CAN SAY WE'RE IN A MEDICAL DESERT. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO US? BUT HOW DO WE DEFINE THAT? AND HOW DO WE KNOW IT? RIGHT? WE CAN DO EMPIRICAL STUDIES THAT TELL US SOMETHING. BUT BUT THEY'RE ASKING FOR. RAW FEELINGS, I THINK IS AND THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE REPRESENTED IN THAT ROOM, BECAUSE THAT THE IDEA OF THAT CHARRETTE, THEY ARE NOT TRYING TO AND I HATE THAT I'M SPEAKING ON THEIR BEHALF. THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO BRING FORWARD AN ANSWER. THEY'RE TRYING TO BRING FORWARD A FRAMEWORK IN WHICH TO ASK QUESTIONS, TO DEVELOP THE IDEAS THAT WE WANT TO EXPLORE, TO START TO, TO DETERMINE WHAT SUCCESS MIGHT LOOK LIKE, WHAT ANSWERS MIGHT LOOK LIKE, WHAT ARE THOSE COMPONENTS THAT WE NEED TO EXPLORE? BECAUSE THIS ISN'T ABOUT A PIECE OF DIRT AND A DEVELOPMENT THAT'S A COMPONENT, RIGHT? THERE'S VERY MUCH A COMPONENT THAT'S THAT. BUT THIS IS ABOUT DELIVERING, DELIVERING A HEALTHIER OUTCOME IN DESOTO. AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO US AS A COMMUNITY? DOES THAT MEAN WE LIVE LONGER? DOES THAT MEAN WE HAVE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND WE'RE NOT EQUIPPED TO ANSWER THAT. I MEAN, I AM AS A CITIZEN, I CAN ANSWER THOSE THOSE QUESTIONS. BUT BUT THAT'S I THINK WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO GET TO AND FRANKLY, I'LL CREDIT GP WITH THIS BECAUSE. IT WAS VERY EASY FOR ANTOINE AND MYSELF AND GP TO TALK AND SAY, LOOK, THIS IS WAY BIGGER THAN ANY PARTICULAR BUILDING, A BUILDING AND A PROJECT AND WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OF THAT? WE CAN FOCUS IN ON THAT, BUT WE'D BE PREMATURE TO FOCUS ONLY ON THAT, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OUTCOMES ARE, THEN HOW DO WE
[00:30:06]
KNOW WE'RE GOING TO DELIVER A SUCCESS? WE HAVE TO DO THAT WORK FIRST. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS CHARRETTES ABOUT. AND I WOULD THINK THAT BASED ON WHO'S HERE, WHO WANTS TO BE HERE, WHO'S STAYING, ALL OF THE CROSS SECTIONS FROM GRANDMA TO MOM AND DAD TO YOUNG ADULTS TO COLLEGE STUDENTS, ALL OF THEM ARE HAVING A DIFFERENT EXPECTATION OR WANTING A DIFFERENT OUTCOME BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL AT A DIFFERENT PLACE. BUT PEOPLE IN THEIR 30S HAVE I MEAN, THEY'RE NEEDING THEY GOT LITTLE KIDS, SO THEY WANT ONE THING. AND FOLK WHO ARE IN THEIR 70S ARE NEEDING AND WANTING A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE. AND SO IF WE'RE A CROSS SECTION OF A HEALTHY COMMUNITY, HOW DO WE DELIVER WHAT A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT EVERYBODY NEEDS? I'M WITH YOU.I'M JUST SAYING THE ENGAGEMENT PIECE I HAVE, I DON'T WANT TO USE THE WORD CONCERN BECAUSE THAT SOUNDS VERY NEGATIVE, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN'T IF WE'RE GOING TO GO FORWARD. WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE, THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE, PEOPLE THAT ARE BOUGHT IN TO THIS COMMUNITY. AND THERE ARE THAT THAT ARE WILLING TO BE A PART OF THIS PROCESS, AND IT DOESN'T SLOW US UP. AND I'M ALSO IT'S LIKE ELECTIONS ARE COMING UP. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TO MEAN THAT'S JUST THAT'S HOW I FEEL. I THINK IT'S I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. SO THAT'S AND I APPRECIATE YOU FOR SAYING THAT. THAT'S ONE THAT'S GOING TO BE A VERY SENSITIVE TOPIC TO DISCUSS. SO AND BUT THE OTHER THING IS THAT WHO'S GOING TO BE INVOLVED IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
NOW DO YOU DO A TIGHT KNIT GROUP OR DO YOU OPEN IT UP FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY? REMEMBER HAMPTON ROAD, HAMPTON ROAD IS AN INCREDIBLE IT'S AN INCREDIBLE INITIATIVE, RIGHT? IT'S AN INCREDIBLE INITIATIVE. IT'S GOT ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT A, A, A GREAT INITIATIVE DOES HAVE.
UNFORTUNATELY, YOU SAW YOU'VE SEEN FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE HAD PEOPLE WHO ARE EITHER MISINFORMED OR DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WHAT THAT CHARACTER CODE MEANS OR FELT THREATENED BY SOME OF THAT. AND SO YOU DON'T WANT TO REPEAT THAT, AND NOT THAT WE'VE DONE ANYTHING WRONG WITH HAMPTON ROAD. BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO FIRST AND FOREMOST RELATE THE RIGHT MESSAGE FROM THE GET GO. WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE A GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR DESOTO RESIDENTS AND VISITORS FOR THAT MATTER. RIGHT. AND WHAT ARE WE? HOW DO WE SEND THAT MESSAGE? WHAT'S OUR VISION? WHAT'S OUR YOU KNOW, WHAT'S OUR MISSION? HOW DO WE SET THAT STAGE IS REALLY IMPERATIVE.
LAYING OUT THE GROUNDWORK IS GOING TO BE ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE AND MAYBE INVOLVING EVERYONE AND MAYBE SENDING MAYBE SENDING A SURVEY TO, YOU KNOW, TO THE FOLKS AND SAY, HEY, IF YOU HAD A MAGIC WAND, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO DO? SO IT'S NOT LIKE, OKAY, WE KNOW WHAT WE WANT, LET'S MOVE FORWARD. OKAY? THEN WE GET BACK TO SQUARE ONE AGAIN. AND I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. SO WE'RE IN A POSITION TO LITERALLY CRAFT THE EXPECTATION AND CRAFT WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE EXPECTATION. WE SHOULDN'T. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO HERE. WE'RE ABLE TO LEVEL SET THAT. AND AS WE POLL AND AS WE WORK THROUGH IT, RIGHT. WE TALK ABOUT A SEGMENT OF SOMEBODY WITH 13 YEAR OLDS AND WHAT 25 YEAR OLDS, WHAT 42 YEAR OLDS? BOTH.
WHAT A 42 YEAR OLD WOMAN VERSUS WHAT A 40 YEAR OLD MAN WANTS IN TERMS OF HEALTH. AND SO WE CREATE THE CORRECT THE CRITERIA. THEN WE WILL HAVE A BETTER SAMPLE OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, AS OPPOSED TO JUST LEAVING IT TO THE, TO THE PUBLIC TO, TO DECIPHER. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO CRAFT. THAT'S NOT I THINK THAT THAT MAKES MORE SENSE IS BEING ABLE TO CREATE MORE TOUCHPOINTS, BECAUSE MOST FOLK IN THEIR 60S ONLY THINK ABOUT 60 YEAR OLDS, RIGHT. AND PEOPLE IN THEIR 70S ONLY THINK ABOUT 70 YEAR OLDS. AND PEOPLE WHO ARE 19 DON'T THINK ABOUT NOTHING. ABOUT SOMETHING, BUT NOT. ONE THE OTHER. AND THE OTHER THING IS WHAT THE MARKET SUPPORTS. WE ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE MARKET FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS. WE CAN DREAM ALL WE WANT IF THE MARKET DOESN'T SUPPORT. RIGHT. OKAY. AND ONE LAST THING. SO DOCTOR GP SO THANK YOU FOR SAYING OR I'M NOT SURE WHO SAID IT. SO THIS CONTRACT IS ALL UT SOUTHWEST. AND SO MAYBE IT'S
[00:35:02]
JUST A PLACEHOLDER RIGHT NOW. BUT IF WE'RE SAYING THAT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY WHO WHO. THEY'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THAT, WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF OPEN IT UP. I WOULD JUST SAY I WANT TO SEE SOME LANGUAGE THAT KIND OF ALLOWS THAT. SO YOU SAY YOU HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO INCORPORATE, THIS. I DON'T THINK THIS IS FULLY FOCUSED ON THE SOUTHWEST. I THINK ORIGINALLY THE FIRST PROPOSAL MENTIONED UT SOUTHWESTERN, BUT THIS ONE MADE IT BROAD TO WHERE LIKE WE'RE NOW GOING TO GO DISCOVER WHO WOULD BE THE BEST FIT. I KNOW, BUT BUT AS I'M READING THIS, I SEE UT SOUTHWEST, UT. I'M JUST SAYING, JUST AS LONG AS IT'S. THAT'S ALL. YES, MA'AM. THAT'S HOW AND I THINK FELICIA'S RIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THIS PROPOSAL OR ANOTHER PROPOSAL. AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU HEAR ME, YOU KNOW, I HEAR YOU, AND I SEE YOUR CONCERNS. FELICIA. I SEE WHERE YOU'RE. YOU'RE GOING THERE. SO TO GET IT TO BE BROADER WAS AGAIN, THAT'S THAT'S INTERNAL THINK TANK THAT WAS BROUGHT TO THEM. I APPRECIATE THEIR RESPONSE TO IT. I WASN'T AN ORIGINAL FROM THAT GROUP. RIGHT. SO I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S THEIR CAPABILITY AND AREA OF EXPERTISE, THEY CAN LOOK INTO THAT. BUT THAT'S WHERE YOU HEAR ME SAY, RIGHT. MY QUESTIONS ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GOING TO DO HALF $1 MILLION WITH THIS GROUP. RIGHT. DO YOU SEE THE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS LIKE, ARE WE GOING TO OR DO WE HAVE OTHER MINDS WHO HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO REACH INTO SOME OF THESE SPHERES THAT WE WANT TO REACH INTO? SO, I MEAN, THOSE ARE ALL QUESTIONS THAT ARE FORTHCOMING THAT I'M ALREADY KIND OF LOOKING TOWARDS. SO WE ARE RIGHT. AND A NATIVE KIND OF LANDSCAPE, IF YOU WILL, TO WORK WITH. AND SO WE DO NEED TO, YOU KNOW, WE WILL EXPLORE OPTIONS TO KIND OF GET TO THE SOLUTIONS AGAIN THAT ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE, THE NEEDS OF, OF WHAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO HERE AND REALLY THE NEEDS OF THE CONSTITUENTS. AND THAT'S WHY I KEPT APPLAUDING TEQUILA, BECAUSE TEQUILA WOULD MENTION BEAUTY. SHE WOULD MENTION THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY LIVE THERE. RIGHT. BECAUSE THAT'S ACTUALLY ACHIEVE HEALTH. AND SO MICHAELA WAS SAYING, OH, I DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE ON HEALTH. BUT THAT'S THE THING ABOUT HEALTH. YOU'RE THE EXPERT. AND THAT'S WHAT I TELL MY PATIENTS, YOU THE YOU'RE THE BEST DOCTOR IN THE ROOM. I'M JUST GOING TO PUT FANCY WORDS ON THESE TERMS WHEN YOU ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG. RIGHT. AND SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OURSELVES AS EXPERTS IN WHAT IT IS THAT WE WANT FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS. AND THAT'S WHY HAVING THEIR WELL-BEING AND MAKING THEM A PART OF THIS PROBLEM NEEDS A PART OF THIS PROCESS IS BIG. SO, SO SURE, TALK TO YOU TO SOUTHWESTERN. BUT WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I EXPRESSED THAT TO MATT AND ANTOINE AND SOME OTHER MEETINGS THAT YEAH, I'M YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S SOME OTHER THOUGHTS IN MINDS THAT WE COULD LATER IMPLORE. I JUST THINK THE LANGUAGE NEEDS TO INCORPORATE THAT, THAT'S ALL. AND IF I'M WRONG, I MEAN, IT'S SAYING HERE UT UTC. SO, MATT, FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE, HAS THERE BEEN A MODEL IN IN OTHER STATES OR OTHER CITIES THAT THAT THEY'VE KIND OF THEY'VE KIND OF WORKED ON THAT BECAUSE I KNOW, I KNOW IN THE CAROLINAS THERE'S SEVERAL AREAS, NEW AREAS THAT THEY'VE, THEY'VE HAD THEY'VE HAD MAJOR, MAJOR TRANSFORMATION OF, OF PROJECTS THAT THAT INCLUDE THE RDA AND AGAIN, AND THE SERVICES AND ALL OF THAT. IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE PROBABLY COULD LEARN FROM ON THE PROCESS THAT THEY'VE DONE? YOU KNOW, I KNOW IN SAN ANTONIO THEY DID THE UNIVERSITY, YOU KNOW, THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM, AND THEY DID SOME TRANSFORMATIONAL THINGS IN THERE. BUT, YOU KNOW, HAS THERE BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, THE FRANKLY, THE CITY OF DALLAS RIGHT NOW WHERE THE MEDICAL CITY UP NORTH ARE DOING THE SAME KIND OF THING? SO IS THERE IS THERE A KIND OF A FORMULA THAT YOU COULD SAY, LOOK, BASED ON X, Y, AND Z? HERE'S SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE COULD DO. SO THE ANSWER TO THAT IS I THINK THERE ARE LOTS OF PLACES TO LEARN FROM. YOU MENTIONED YOU MENTIONED A FEW, AND I'LL BE THE FIRST TO SAY I AM. I AM NO EXPERT WHEN IT COMES TO THAT REALM, BUT THAT GENTLEMAN IS. AND I THINK THAT'S[00:40:05]
THAT'S WHERE GP HAS BEEN EXCEPTIONALLY HELPFUL. AND ACTUALLY THE FOLKS WE'RE TALKING TO WITH SIG HAVE BACKGROUNDS THAT ARE MUCH BROADER THAN ANY PARTICULAR HEALTH SYSTEM.THEY'VE BEEN ENGAGED IN HEALTH CARE, IN THE SHAPING OF HEALTH CARE SINCE THE 70S AND THE 80S, AND THEY'VE WATCHED THE CHANGES IN THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY. BUT BUT I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS TO THIS IS, REMEMBER, WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT ASKING WE'RE NOT BUYING THE ANSWERS FROM THEM. WHAT WE'RE DOING IS EXPANDING THE EXPERIENCE ON THIS TEAM TO EXTEND INTO DIFFERENT REALMS OF THINKING THROUGH THEM, THROUGH OUR BOARD MEMBERS, THROUGH GP, THAT WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND OUR THINKING TO FIND OUT WHAT'S BEST HERE, BECAUSE THERE IS NO MODEL.
AND I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'M USING YOUR WORDS NOW, GP, THAT THIS HASN'T BEEN DONE SOMEPLACE ELSE IN A COMMUNITY THAT LOOKS LIKE OURS, BECAUSE THERE ARE VERY FEW COMMUNITIES THAT LOOK LIKE OURS, AND THAT LIKELY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SIT UP AND LOOK AT AND SAY, WE WANT TO. WE WANT TO FOLLOW YOUR STEPS OR YOUR PROCESS TO IDENTIFY OUTCOMES IN OUR COMMUNITY, JUST LIKE YOU DID. SO, I MEAN, THIS IS ALL ABOUT EXPLORING EVERYBODY'S, EVERYBODY'S OPPORTUNITIES TO INTRODUCE US TO PEOPLE BACK EAST IN NORTH CAROLINA, PEOPLE IN BOSTON OR YALE. YOU KNOW, WHERE WHERE GP WAS RECENTLY SPEAKING. HE'S HAD I THINK YOU ALL HAVE VARIOUS CONTACTS. AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF THIS IS TO BRING THAT EXPERTISE FORWARD SO THAT WE LOOK AND SAY, AND IT'S FRANKLY, ONE OF THE OUTCOMES WE TALK ABOUT IN THIS, HOW DO WE DEFINE A HEALTHIER DESOTO? WHAT ARE THE HOW DO WE DEFINE HEALTH OUTCOMES? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? IS IT IS IT LIVING LONGER? IS IT OUTSIDE ENGAGEMENT? HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS IN THIS PROCESS BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN DONE. I MEAN, BLUE ZONES ARE PROBABLY ONE OF THE CLOSEST THINGS THAT YOU LOOK AT. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF UPS OR DOWNS AROUND BLUE ZONES AND CRITICISMS AND IDEAS THAT, YOU KNOW, NEVER MIND. MOST OF THOSE DATE BACK A DECADE. BUT THE THINKING ABOUT THE HEALTH IS HOLISTIC. IT'S NOT IT'S NOT ABOUT A HOSPITAL. IT'S NOT ABOUT A DOCTOR. IT'S NOT ABOUT A CLINIC. IT'S HOLISTIC. IT'S HOW DO WE ENGAGE THE, THE, THE ENTIRETY OF THE PERSON IN THE BODY AND THE COMMUNITY? AND THAT'S REALLY, I THINK, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SHAPING HERE. AND I NOTED HERE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S THE CONVERSATION WE HAD A YEAR AND A HALF AGO WHEN WE BEGAN, HOW DO WE GET TO A HEALTHIER DESOTO? AND THIS IS A PLACE WHERE WE'RE NOW TRANSLATING THEORY INTO ACTIONS AND OUTCOMES. AND, AND TO, TO DOCTOR GP'S POINT. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE NEXT? RIGHT. SO WE GO INTO THIS DISCOVERY PHASE. YOU ALL ASKED, YOU KNOW, THIS LAST MEETING, ASK QUESTIONS.
LET'S LEARN WHAT DISCOVERY LOOKS LIKE. I THINK WE DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB. AND TO YOUR POINT, DOCTOR HERNDON, IT WASN'T THEM TELLING US, IT WAS THEM ASKING US, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DISCOVER? WHAT DO WE NEED? WHERE DO WE NEED TO ASK? AND THAT'S REALLY, I THINK WE'D MAKE A MISTAKE TO THINK WE'RE FOCUSING ON UT SOUTHWESTERN. WE'RE NOT. THEY JUST HAPPEN TO BE SOMEBODY WHO'S COME TO THE TABLE AND SAID, WE'D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT ENTRY POINTS TO OUR SYSTEM. THAT COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF OTHER PEOPLE. AND IT MAY NOT EVEN BE ANYBODY WHO'S IN TEXAS. THIS MIGHT BE PEOPLE FROM SOME OTHER PLACE OR REVOLUTIONARY THINGS LIKE MARK CUBAN'S DOING WITH PHARMACY AND AMAZON'S DOING WITH PHARMACY. I'M FINE WITH ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS HAVE TO BE EXPLORED. YOU COULD ACTUALLY END UP BEING SOUTHWEST. BUT MY POINT IS, WHO KNOWS, JUST BROADEN THE LANGUAGE SO THAT. YEAH, POINT WELL TAKEN. OKAY. YEAH. SO I THINK THOSE ARE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER WHAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO HELP US WITH. AND IT ISN'T IT ISN'T AS IF IT'S A TEST TO GO, WELL, TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW. WHAT THEY'RE REALLY WANTING TO KNOW IS WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW? AND IF WE ALL PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER, CAN WE DISCOVER THAT TOGETHER AS A TEAM? I CALL IT A FORCE MULTIPLIER. THIS ISN'T SOMETHING ANTOINE AND I CAN DO.
WE ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO DO THAT. WE DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE. WE DON'T HAVE THE HORSEPOWER.
RIGHT. WE'VE GOT ENOUGH TO SAY GRACE OVER JUST THE WAY WE ARE WITHOUT ENGAGING IN A MAJOR PROCESS LIKE THIS. WE'VE GOT TO ADD TO THAT IN ORDER TO START TO DISCOVER THOSE THINGS AND MOVE OUR PROGRAM OF WORK FORWARD. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS I'D LIKE TO ASK. WHERE WILL WE, I GUESS, WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS KIND OF TAPPING OUT OR TAPPING OUT WITH THIS GROUP, IF YOU WILL? YEAH.
[00:45:05]
SO I THINK I THINK THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH THE SAME QUESTION. GP THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE QUESTIONS TO ME AND TO ANTOINE QUITE FRANKLY WAS. I THINK THEY SHARE THAT SAME CONCERN. WE WORK TOGETHER AND WE FIGURE THIS OUT. THEN WHAT'S NEXT. BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY EVEN KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DISCOVER. THAT'S THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT WE HAVE AN ANSWER IN MIND AND WE DON'T. SO HOW DO WE DECIDE WHAT THAT IS OTHER THAN LOOK, THEY PROPOSED SOME SOME FAIRLY DISTINCT OR SOME FAIRLY SPECIFIC IDEAS IN TERMS OF THEIR SCOPE OF SERVICE. THE TIME FRAME INVOLVED, THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT, THE THINGS THAT THEY'LL DO AND DELIVERABLES AND WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE. AND I THINK IT'S FAIRLY SPECIFIC IN HERE. AND, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE THIS PIECE TAPS OUT. DOES THAT MEAN THERE'S SOMETHING THAT FOLLOWS ON MAYBE IT'LL DEPEND ON WHERE WE GET TO. AND THEN COLLECTIVELY HOW WE FEEL ABOUT IS THIS DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT PLAYERS AT THE TABLE STILL, AND IF SO, WHAT ARE WE ASKING US TO DO? AND DO WE HAVE, I GUESS, A SPENDING CAP FOR THIS? NO, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOULD WE HAVE A WE HAVE A SPENDING CAP FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS THAT WE'RE LAYING OUT.BUT IN TERMS OF THIS, THIS PROCESS, THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO KNOW SPECIFICALLY THIS AGREEMENT. YEAH. BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO ONE OF THE CONCERNS IS LIKE, OKAY, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S WHY I'M LIKE, YEAH, IS THERE A CAP IN THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS WITH THIS GROUP? YES. THERE'S A PRICE TAG TO THAT PROPOSAL, BUT I WOULD CAUTION US TO THINK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S OUT OF THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY THAT THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE FIND PEOPLE WHO WE'D LIKE TO HAVE INFORMING US AS WELL, ADDITIONAL PARTIES TO THIS THAT ARE, THAT ARE GOING TO LEND MORE INFORMATION. AND THOSE MAY COME WITH A COST. I, I'M SUGGESTING THEY MIGHT EXIST. I CAN'T POSSIBLY SUGGEST WHAT THAT MIGHT COST, BUT I WOULD SAY I THINK THERE'S A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY THAT WE FIND SOMEBODY WHO'S DOING SOMETHING VERY UNIQUE THAT WE THINK WOULD BE REALLY GREAT TO INCLUDE IN OUR OVERALL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, AND WE'D WANT TO LEARN ABOUT THAT. THERE MAY BE A FEE TO EITHER GO ON, ATTEND A SEMINAR, OR TO BRING THEM TO US TO HELP UNDERSTAND THAT OR TO ADD THEM TO OUR TEAM, IN WHICH CASE WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO YOU AND SAY, HEY, HERE'S HERE AGAIN, COLLECTIVELY, BECAUSE I DON'T SEE THIS SUBCOMMITTEE GOING AWAY EITHER. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO STAY ENGAGED, EITHER AS THE BOARD OR AS THE SUBCOMMITTEE, SO THAT THERE'S A WAY TO AFFIRM FOR YOURSELVES, OTHER THAN ANTOINE AND I, THAT WE'RE WE'RE DERIVING VALUE AND WE'RE MAKING FORWARD PROGRESS. SO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS, PLEASE. I THINK EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED IS EXTREMELY HEALTHY, UNINTENDED. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I LIKE TO ASK THE SUBCOMMITTEE A QUESTION HOLISTICALLY. WHAT CHANGED FROM WHEN WE MET INITIALLY WITH THEM? AND AFTER HAVING YOUR MEETING, WHAT HAS THIS MORPHED INTO? ANY CHANGES THAT YOU WOULD SEE THAT BECAME MORE BENEFICIAL? REMEMBER WHEN WE MET INITIALLY WE SAID, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE ASKING IN SOME CASES OR WHICH QUESTIONS TO ASK. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT MODIFIED AS AN END RESULT THAT YOU CAN IDENTIFY? YEAH, I THINK THE BIGGEST CHANGE IS THAT WHICH FELICIA AND MICHAELA PICKED UP ON. IT WAS VERY INSTITUTION SPECIFIC OR GEARED ONE THING. AND THEN AGAIN, WE WERE ABLE TO SHAPE RIGHT FROM OUR OWN INTERNAL KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS NOW THIS IS WE WANT SOMETHING MORE THAN SOMETHING THAT'S INSTITUTION SPECIFIC. AND SO BASICALLY YOU WENT FROM NARROW TO GO WHAT IT WAS AND THEN NOW YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE LISTENING TOUR IS GOING TO INCLUDE AND WHO THEY'RE GOING TO SPEAK WITH OR WHO WE WOULD DIRECT THEM TO SPEAK WITH. BUT NOW IT INCLUDES, HOW SHOULD I SAY, EXTERNAL STIMULI FEEDING BACK IN TO THE POTENTIAL RESULT HERE, WHICH IS PROBABLY HOW IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FROM THE BEGINNING. BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT THAT'S US. AND TO MATT'S POINT, SHAPING IT THAT WAY. SO YEAH, THAT THE DIFFERENCE AND SO I'M ASSUMING
[00:50:01]
IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WILL BE A LITTLE BROADER IN SCOPE. SO THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE? YES. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I TOOK AWAY FROM THIS IS I FEEL LIKE IN THE FIRST MEETING, IT ALMOST FELT LIKE AT THE END OF THIS THERE'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING. BUT ACTUALLY WHAT CHANGED IN THE SECOND MEETING MEETINGS WAS WE MAY COME TO THE END OF THIS AND THEY MAY SAY, THIS IS NOT GOING TO FIT FOR DE SOTO. YES, THAT'S RIGHT. SO I FELT LIKE THAT WAS ONE OF THE DIFFERENCES, LIKE THE GOAL WASN'T JUST TO TAKE THE MONEY AND JUST GIVE US SOMETHING. IT WAS REALLY TO GO IN AND SAY, LIKE, HOW CAN WE FIND A WAY TO MAKE THIS FIT BEST FIT FOR DE SOTO? AND WE MAY GET THE ANSWER THAT WE'RE HOPING FOR, THAT WE CAN CREATE THIS BECAUSE I SEE IT EVERY DAY AT WORK. LIKE THESE INNOVATION HUBS ARE POPPING UP ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND HOW THEY'RE BRINGING RESIDENTS AND THEY BRING INCOME AND THEY BRING, YOU KNOW, ATTRACTION AND ALL THOSE THINGS, WHICH IS TYPICALLY GREAT FOR MOST COMMUNITIES. BUT THEN IT'S POSSIBLE THAT AT THE END OF THIS THEY SAY, I DON'T KNOW IF THE INNOVATION LAB IS A GREAT THING, BUT BASED ON THE FEEDBACK, THIS MAY BE THE DIRECTION OF WHERE YOU ALL WANT TO GO WITH THIS. IT'S NOT PARTNERING WITH UT SOUTHWESTERN AND IT MAY NOT BE PARTNERING WITH MEDICAL CITY. LIKE MATT SAID, IT MAY BE PARTNERING WITH A COMPANY OUT OF BOSTON WHO'S BEEN TRYING TO MOVE TO DALLAS FOR THE LONGEST TIME, AND THEY WERE THE PERFECT FIT.BUT THEY DIDN'T EVEN THEY WEREN'T EVEN AWARE THAT DE SOTO WAS AN OPTION. SO I FELT LIKE THAT WAS PROBABLY THE CHANGE FOR ME. IS THE FIRST MEETING IT WAS, WE'RE GOING TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE THIS WORK WITH ONE OF THESE MAJOR SYSTEMS. BUT THE SECOND MEETING, IT WAS MORE LIKE, WE'RE GOING TO FIND THE BEST PLAYER THAT FITS FOR DE SOTO, BUT BE AWARE AT THE END OF THAT, THERE MAY BE NO PLAYER THAT FITS INTO THIS, AND IT MAY BE ANOTHER DIRECTION THAT YOU ALL TAKE FROM INNOVATION STANDPOINT. BUT I ALSO THINK THAT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I ALSO, YOU KNOW, FROM AKEELAH'S STANDPOINT AS WELL AS I WALKED AWAY WITH A LOT MORE CONFIDENT AND MATT AND ANTOINE'S ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO GUIDE THIS WITH THEIR GUIDANCE AND THE BOARD SUPPORT, I FELT LIKE IT WAS MORE COLLABORATIVE. YOU COULD SEE MORE OF THE INTERACTIONS. YOU COULD SEE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DIDN'T KNOW SOMETHING, THEY COULD PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE AND WE COULD SAY, NO, THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE DE SOTO, OR I CAN SEE THAT. RIGHT. SO IT FELT MORE CUSTOMIZABLE. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MAKES SENSE, BUT BUT IT WAS A LITTLE BIT IT FELT MORE CUSTOM TO WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO FIT IT. AND I FEEL LIKE THE DISCOVERY PHASE WAS A LOT MORE OPEN NOW, WHEREAS BEFORE IT FELT VERY NICHED. NOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW WHO WE DECIDE TO BE A PART OF THIS DISCOVERY PHASE AND THE QUESTIONS AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE CITIZENS SAYING AND WHAT ARE WE SAYING AROUND, AROUND THE CITY? IT FELT A LOT MORE CUSTOMIZABLE. IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A RECIPE VERSUS LIKE SOMEBODY JUST GIVING YOU SOMETHING LIKE AT LEAST TWO INGREDIENTS. NOW, LIKE WE HAD A WHOLE RECIPE LIKE, NO, YOU GOT TO PUT THESE SEASONINGS IN HERE. YOU HAVE TO PUT THIS. IT FELT A LOT BETTER FOR I THINK, THE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AS A CITIZEN, I'M ALSO A CITIZEN. LIKE WHEN I THINK ABOUT MY NEIGHBORS AND I THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE I SEE AT THE STORE, YOU COULD FEEL THAT MORE IN THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS THAN PROBABLY IN THE BOARD MEETING WE HAD, WHICH MAKES IT EXPLORATORY, RIGHT? WHICH IS OKAY. YES IT IS. YES. AND WE UNDERSTANDING WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS PHASE OF EXPLORATORY. AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT'S HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW WE GET TO WHERE WE'RE GOING. AND WE'VE BEEN DOING IT KIND OF BACKWARDS.
AND A LOT OF THINGS WE'VE BEEN REACTING TO THIS STUFF WITHOUT EXPLORING IF THIS IS A GOOD FIT, IF IT WORKS. AND SO WE GOT FOLKS AT THE TABLE WHO CAN HELP US EXPLORE, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. SO, SO, AND HENCE THE REASON WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION. BECAUSE WE NEED TO GRAVITATE TO WHAT THE REAL ANSWER IS AND THE REAL OBJECTIVE. BUT BEFORE I GO THERE, MISS AKEELAH, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU FELT CHANGED FROM OUR INITIAL MEETING AND WITH REGARD TO YOU GUYS INPUT AS A SUBCOMMITTEE? YEAH, I WAS JUST LOOKING TO COMPARE THE TWO DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS, AND THIS ONE IS THE NEW VERSION THAT WE HAVE FOR CONSIDERATION. I MEAN, IT STARTS OFF WITH CLEAR GOALS IN MIND, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS INFORMED BY INPUT FROM THIS BOARD AND FROM THE LAST MEETING AS WELL AS FROM THE SUBCOMMITTEE. SO THAT, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS SAY THAT THE MIND, AT LEAST FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS, THEY HAVE OUTLINED THE GOALS OF UTILIZING SOME OF THE LANGUAGE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. AND BEFORE I SAW IT WAS KIND OF LIKE A DEFINITIVE LIKE, THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND THEN WE'LL KNOW THIS AND WE'LL MAKE A DECISION ABOUT THAT VERSUS HERE. IT SOUNDS A LOT MORE LIKE IMPOSSIBLE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, YEAH. YOU KNOW, LIKE IT TRULY IS EXPLORATORY VERSUS, YOU KNOW, FEELING. AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THE HESITATION WAS BEFORE WAS KIND OF SOUNDING REAL CONFIDENT ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK MIGHT POTENTIALLY HAPPEN VERSUS NOW IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT LIKE, NO, THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP. AND OUTLINED JUST DIFFERENTLY AS WELL. AND I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, THE EXTENSIVENESS OF THIS VERSION VERSUS THE ORIGINAL ONE. AND I DID WANT TO CONNECT BACK TO THE MONEY QUESTION. WHEN I
[00:55:01]
LOOK AT OUR BUDGET. SO IS THIS TIED TO THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LINE ITEM. SO THE ANSWER TO THAT IS WE SET MONEY ASIDE IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, KNOWING FULL WELL THAT THERE WOULD BE ITEMS FOR EACH ONE OF THE FOUR MAJOR PROJECTS THAT WE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO ENGAGE OUTSIDE PEOPLE. WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN MIND BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW IT EXISTED. SO IN THAT CASE, I'D SAY THAT THAT WE CERTAINLY WANT TO THINK THROUGH HOW WE'D AMEND OUR BUDGET AROUND THIS AND NEVER MIND THE FACT IT EXCEEDS WHAT WE IDENTIFIED AS PROGRAM ACTIVITIES. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SET OUR BUDGET AND YOU ALL LOOK AT THAT AND WE GO THROUGH THAT LITERALLY LINE BY LINE, AND WE TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WE ANTICIPATE DOING SOME DESIGN SERVICES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. THIS LOOKS WAY DIFFERENT. AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A PLACE WHERE YOU ALL ARE GIVING IT DIFFERENT CONSIDERATION. WE'RE MAKING A BUDGET AMENDMENT, AND THAT MEANS WE TAKE IT BACK TO COUNCIL, AND WE LET COUNCIL UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE WE'RE ABOUT TO SPEND $100,000 OR MAYBE EVEN MORE IN, YOU KNOW, IN THIS PROCESS TO GET TO MOVING A HEALTHIER DESOTO GOAL FORWARD. AND HERE'S THE OUTCOMES, HERE'S THE ANTICIPATED, HERE'S THE ACTIVITIES, HERE'S THE ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES. BUT I DO THINK IT'S THIS BOARD TO THE COUNCIL TO APPROVE THAT EXPENDITURE. AND THEN WE MOVE FORWARD, AS OPPOSED TO I, I CAN'T IN GOOD FAITH SAY THAT WE EVEN GAVE ANY IDEA TO THIS IN OUR BUDGETING PROCESS. GOT IT RIGHT. BECAUSE FOR ME, I'M JUST THINKING OF YOU SAID THERE'S FOUR MAJOR PROJECTS AND ULTIMATELY HOW ALL OF THOSE THESE POTENTIAL CONSULTING FEES AND VARIOUS SUPPORTS SHOWS UP FINANCIALLY FOR US AND HOW WE'RE THINKING FURTHER OUT. I GUESS WE'RE MORE THAN HALFWAY IN THIS FISCAL YEAR. WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH OUR FISCAL YEAR, UP THROUGH THIS FISCAL YEAR. BUT I'M JUST MINDFUL OF, YOU KNOW, MAKING THIS DECISION OF THE POTENTIAL FOR UP TO THE SO THE NUMBER DID CHANGE. THE OTHER ONE WAS 40 SOMETHING NUMBER IS THAT DISCUSSION ANNOUNCES UP TO 100,000. RIGHT. 25 PER MONTH FOR FOUR MONTHS. I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS INITIALLY FOUR MONTHS TIME PERIOD. IT WAS THREE, BUT I DON'T. I'D HAVE TO COMPARE THEM SIDE BY SIDE. SO WE TRY TO EXTEND IT BASED ON THIS. THE EXTENSIVENESS OF WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING FROM THEM. SO I JUST WANT TO RAISE THAT. AND YOU'RE NOW SHARING IN TERMS OF NEED TO BE LOOKING AT INCREASING THE BUDGET TO ACCOMMODATE NOT ONLY THIS BUT OTHER, OTHER OPPORTUNITIES SIMILAR TO THIS REALLOCATING DOLLARS. YEAH. WELL, AND LIKELY JUST INCREASING YOUR BUDGET. IT ISN'T AS IF WE ARE BUDGETING. WE ARE NOT BUDGET CONSTRAINT. YEAH. RIGHT. AND YEAH REMEMBER THAT OUR BUDGET IS VERY DIFFERENT IN THAT THERE IS A LARGE PORTION. WE PUT TOGETHER A BALANCED BUDGET EVERY YEAR.BUT THERE'S A LINE ITEM IN THAT THAT IS NOTHING MORE THAN THE EXPENSES THAT WE KNOW, THE EXPENSES THAT WE ANTICIPATE. AND THEN AGAINST THE OVERALL REVENUE THAT WE ANTICIPATE. AND THE BALANCE OF THAT IS NOTHING BUT THE REVENUE, LESS THE KNOWN EXPENSES, LEAVES A VERY LARGE, UNKNOWN EXPENSES ITEM THAT TYPICALLY AT THE END OF THE YEAR, IF WE HAVEN'T EXPENDED IT, IT GOES TO ADDING TO OUR FUND BALANCE. IN THIS CASE, WE'D LIKELY REDUCE WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS. AND I DON'T REMEMBER IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD BY $100,000 PLUS OR MINUS, AND IT WOULD JUST MEAN LESS WOULD GO TO THE FUND BALANCE BECAUSE WE WOULD EXPEND IT THIS YEAR IN THIS ACTIVITY. IT ISN'T AS IF WE HAVE TO TAKE IT FROM THE FUND BALANCE. WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO CONTRIBUTE AS MUCH AS WE MIGHT OTHERWISE. OKAY. THANK YOU. SURE. OKAY. SO DOCTOR GP, SAME QUESTION TO YOU. WHAT DO YOU FEEL CHANGED FROM THE FIRST TO NOW WHAT WE'RE REVIEWING. AGAIN, I THINK THIS BROADER SCOPE AND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, JUST QUITE HONESTLY US CONTRIBUTING AND YOU KNOW ALL THESE THINGS ABOUT HEALTHIER DESOTO, LIVING LONGER, ETC. I MEAN, THOSE ARE ORIGINAL IDEAS KIND OF DEDUCED FROM US AND DIFFUSE TO THEM. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT ACTUALLY CHANGED. WHEREAS LIKE I SAID, IT WAS TO ME, VERY SPECIFIC TOWARDS AND SLANTED TOWARDS INSTITUTION, WHICH ARE LEADING THE ACADEMIC MEDICAL INSTITUTION IN OUR BACKYARD. YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUSLY WORTH HAVING A CONVERSATION FOR, YOU KNOW, WITH AND, YOU KNOW, SEEING HOW THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO OR WHAT ASPECTS THAT THEY DO WELL CAN CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT WE WANT TO DO HERE. BUT, BUT BUT YEAH, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT CHANGE IS ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, US HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND DIFFUSING KNOWLEDGE TO THEM ABOUT WHAT WE ACTUALLY WANTED
[01:00:05]
HERE. SO YEAH, OKAY. BUT AGAIN, THOSE, THOSE THAT'S US LEADING THAT THOUGHT PROCESS. THANK YOU.SO TO THAT POINT IN THESE OBSERVATIONS, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY COGNIZANT OF, AS IN PREPARATION FOR PACKAGING THIS, TO TAKE IT TO CITY COUNCIL, ANSWERING SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE THINK THAT WOULD COME BACK TO US. ONE IS, AND I THINK MAGIC POSED THE QUESTION, WHAT IS IN IT FOR DESOTO? AND AS SUCH, I THINK WE HAVE TO REALLY CLARIFY WITHIN OURSELVES OUR CLEAR OBJECTIVES. IT'S ONE THING TO SAY WE WANT A HEALTHIER, HEALTHIER AND WELL NOURISHED, WELL ROUNDED DESOTO. BUT WHAT IS OUR TRUE OBJECTIVE WITH THAT? IT'S ONE THING TO SAY IT, BUT WHAT BECOMES THE METRICS BASED OUTCOME OF IT? SO IF WE TALK $100,000 OKAY, ULTIMATELY AT THIS STAGE WE SAY $100,000 AFTER FOUR MONTHS, WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN HONESTLY FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE WANT TO TAKE FORWARD FROM A METRIC STANDPOINT? BECAUSE NOW IF WE HAVE TO GO TO $125,000, WE CAN SAY WE MET THIS OBJECTIVE CLEARLY. AND AS AN END RESULT, WE'VE GOT SOME NEXT STEPS, SOME MARCHING ORDERS THAT GIVES US MORE WHEREWITHAL AND THE CREDIBILITY TO ASK FOR MORE AND TO TAKE IT FURTHER. SO. THAT'S ONE THE CLEAR OBJECTIVES ARE CLEARLY DEFINED IN. COUNCILMAN BYRD, YOU SAID THE LONG TERM BENEFITS, AND CERTAINLY WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT, WHAT THE LONG TERM BENEFITS ARE, BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING TO SPEND THE MONEY AND GET INFORMATION. BUT DOES THAT MEET THE CRITERIA OF LONG TERM BENEFITS FOR US? AND PROBABLY SO I WOULD LIKE TO THINK, BUT JUST KIND OF FOCUSED ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT. THE OTHER IS. ARE THERE ANY GAPS THAT WE FEEL WE HAVE RIGHT NOW AND ALL THAT WE'VE DISCOVERED? ANY GAPS? I'M GOING TO TAKE ONE IN PARTICULAR. DOCTOR GP, YOU TALKED ABOUT CONTRASTING CONCEPTS. I'M NOT SAYING IT'S A GAP, BUT IF THAT'S AN UNKNOWN, DO WE ALLOW FOR THAT AS WE GO FORWARD, FRANKLY SPEAKING, AND SAY THAT'S JUST A PART OF THE PROCESS, WE GOT AN UNKNOWN. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT. AND IT'S A CONTRASTING. GAP THAT WE HAVE THAT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AND MAKE A DECISION TOWARD. THE OTHER IS DON'T WANT US TO BE FOCUSED ON ANALYSIS PARALYSIS. WE CAN'T DO THAT. DO WE HAVE TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE SENSITIVITIES? ABSOLUTELY. BUT IF WE GET INTO ANALYSIS PARALYSIS, WE'LL BE BACK HERE ANOTHER YEAR FROM NOW. FRANKLY SPEAKING, ONE BIG QUESTION THAT I HAVE AND I HAD IS WHAT DOES SUCCESS REALLY LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT METRICS, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT GAPS, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CONTRASTING CONCEPTS, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT BUDGETING AND WHATEVER, WHAT IS SUCCESS? BECAUSE WE'RE PUTTING SOMETHING FORWARD THAT $100,000 COULD BE USED FOR SOMETHING ELSE. LONG STORY SHORT, OKAY, THAT MAY BE EVEN GREATER, HAVE GREATER BENEFITS TO US. I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S THE CASE, BUT LET'S UNDERSTAND WHAT SUCCESS REALLY LOOKS LIKE. AGAIN, CLEARLY DEFINING OUR OBJECTIVES. BECAUSE IF WE DON'T KNOW THAT, WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO MEASURE SUCCESS, OKAY. AND AS AN END RESULT, WHAT RESOURCES DOES THIS REALLY GIVE US? DOES IT GIVE US THE RESOURCES TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TAKE THIS AND WE CAN RUN WITH THIS, OR WE CAN GO AND SPEND ANOTHER $100,000 BECAUSE THIS IS THIS IS THE PLATFORM FOUNDATIONALLY FOR US TO BUILD ON. AND THAT'S THE MINDSET. IT'S ALMOST LIKE THERE'S A COST TO DOING BUSINESS. THERE'S A COST TO BEING SUCCESSFUL IN BUSINESS. OKAY. AND THIS IS OUR CAPITAL COST. IN AN EFFORT TO LAY FOUNDATIONALLY SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO BUILD ON. LONG STORY SHORT. SO THAT'S AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT HAS CHANGED. BUT OUR OUR TIMING TO ACTIVATE I'VE WRITTEN THAT BUT I THINK WE WHAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT WITH TIMING TO ACTIVATE. IF WE'RE NOT VOTING TONIGHT ON THIS, IF WE'RE NOT CRYSTAL CLEAR, IF WE HAVE TWO MORE WEEKS, OUR NEXT MEETING, BOARD MEETING, WE NEED TIME TO CHEW ON THIS, RESPECTIVELY. NOW THAT YOU'VE GOT A SUMMARIZED
[01:05:06]
VERSION, NOW THAT WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSION, BUT WE NEED TO ACTIVATE AT SOME POINT. SO WHAT'S OUR TIMING? WELL, I THINK THE FACT THAT OUR SUBCOMMITTEE DID SUCH A GREAT JOB, THEY'VE HAD TWO MEETINGS. YES. AND OUT OF THOSE EXPANDED TWO MEETINGS, THEY CAME BACK AND THEY GOT A CHANGE DOCUMENT. BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT TWO MEETINGS. WHAT'S GOING TO CHANGE? WELL, HENCE THE REASON I ASK BASED ON THE INITIAL. AND NOW TO HAVE CLARITY ON DO WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS MORE MEANINGFUL, MORE THAT'S HAS QUENCH OUR THIRST AS A, AS A BOARD NOW THAT WE CAN MAKE A DECISION? BECAUSE REMEMBER WE SAID TONIGHT IS TO EITHER DISCUSS OR TO MAKE A DECISION ON THIS. OKAY. THERE'S AN ADDED LAYER TO IT AS MY AS MATT JUST SAID, WE HAVE TO TAKE THIS AS IT IS AND NOW WE HAVE TO ELEVATE IT TO THE COUNCIL. SO THAT'S A WHOLE LAYER WITHIN ITSELF. SO WE DELAY IT TONIGHT. THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE DELAYING IT GOING TO COUNCIL BECAUSE WE NEED THE APPROVAL TO SEE THE SPENDING AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. SO WE HAVE TO DECIDE, OH, CAN WE GET THERE BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT OUR OUTCOME IS, IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT. SO I THINK THAT I PERSONALLY THINK THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION. RIGHT. OKAY. YES, SIR. I'M SORRY. WE TRY TO STAY QUIET IN THESE BOARD MEETINGS, BUT YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT. WHEN YOU ELEVATE THIS TO THE COUNCIL. YES. IS ARTICULATING YOUR GOAL. I KEEP HEARING THE WORD EXPLORATORY, YOU KNOW, SO IF THE IF THE EXERCISE IS TO EXPLORE, THEN THE GOAL IS JUST TO GATHER INFORMATION MORE OR LESS. IF I, IF I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMMITTEE HAS REPORTED. BUT BUT WHEN YOU IF YOU DO ADVANCE THIS TO COUNCIL, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU HAVE CLEAR DEFINED GOAL. YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO DO THIS TO AS AN EXPLORATORY DEVICE TO GATHER INFORMATION THAT IN HOUSE WE ARE INCAPABLE OF GATHERING, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, TO JUST TO BE MORE POIGNANT, I KEEP I LISTENING INTENTLY PRETTY MUCH AGREED. BECAUSE THERE IS NO CLEAR BECAUSE TO WHAT DOCTOR HARRINGTON SAID, THE OUTCOME COULD BE THAT IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY, WHICH WOULD STOP US FROM GOING DOWN A RABBIT HOLE. BUT WE JUST SPENT $100,000, SO IT COST OF WORK AND COST OF BUSINESS. SO I THINK THAT YOUR COMMITTEE MIGHT WANT TO REALLY DECIDE IS THE GOAL, WHAT IS THE CLEAR, DEFINED GOAL, IF IT IS JUST MERELY EXPLORATORY, IS THAT REALLY WHAT THE GOAL YOU'RE TRYING TO SHOOT FOR? SO THOSE ARE MY COUPLE OKAY. GREAT QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER BURKE. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I THINK THAT PROVIDES CLARITY HONESTLY TO THE WHOLE ENGAGEMENT. SO. AND YEAH, I GUESS I'M SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DEFINE THAT IN THIS MOMENT. I DO THINK THE GOALS THAT THEY PROVIDED TO US ARE PRETTY STRONG. THE LIKE THE FIVE THAT THEY HAVE FOR US. I DO THINK THAT EVEN IN THAT EXPLORATORY PHASE, IT KIND OF SPEAKS TO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AT AN UNDERSTANDING OF AT THE END OF WHATEVER THE EXPLORATION BRINGS.RIGHT? SO IMPROVING HEALTHCARE IN DESOTO, AND I THINK THE ONE THAT I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN SEEING IS THE PART TO PROMOTE, PLAN, FINANCE AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ATTRACTION, GROWTH AND RETENTION OF ENTERPRISES THAT ENHANCE THE TAX BASE, QUALITY OF LIFE AND LEVEL OF EMPLOYMENT FOR THE CITIZENS. I THINK THAT ONE ENCOMPASSES THE THREE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A FEW TIMES IS WHAT DOES EMPLOYMENT LOOK LIKE? YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BRINGING CERTAIN ATTRACTIONS HERE, LET'S BE HONEST, CERTAIN BUSINESSES AREN'T GOING TO COME TO DESOTO UNLESS SOMETHING ELSE COMES TO DESOTO. RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT THOSE THOSE FIVE GOALS, EVEN THOUGH, LIKE THIS IS EXPLORATORY, EVEN IF I DO THINK THAT MAYBE WE DECIDE EITHER WAY AND MAYBE THEY GO BACK AND LIKE FELICIA SAID, CHANGE SOME OF THE WORDING TO BE MORE BROAD, LIKE, HEY, WE EITHER KNOW OR IF WE DO GO FORWARD LIKE THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD GO FORWARD BUT HAVE THEM CHANGE A PROPOSAL TO ADJUST THE LANGUAGE TO WHATEVER WE DECIDE.
BUT I DO THINK THOSE FIVE GOALS DO A REALLY GOOD JOB OF SPEAKING TO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT THE END OF THIS, WITHOUT GETTING TOO FAR INTO THE WEEDS OF LIKE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER, BECAUSE THERE'S NO DEFINITIVE RIGHT NOW. AND MY THOUGHT IS, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HEALTHCARE IN A BROAD WAY. MATT, AND YOU'VE DONE ALL THESE TRIPS. AND IN THE BACK OF MY MIND I'M THINKING, OKAY, YOU'VE DONE ALL THOSE TRIPS. OKAY. WHAT'S COME OF THAT NOW? I'M
[01:10:02]
FEELING LIKE YOU'VE YOU'VE DONE ALL THOSE DIFFERENT TRIPS. YOU SEE WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT? HOW COULD DESOTO PLAY IN THAT? THEN YOU'VE CONNECTED WITH PEGASUS. AND SO TO ME, IT FEELS LIKE YOU WERE BROAD AND LITTLE BY LITTLE BECAUSE OF THOSE RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU'VE BUILT. RIGHT. AND THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE NEED IS HERE, THAT TO ME, THIS IS THE NEXT, THIS IS IT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE AS WE TRY TO COME TO THAT, TO SOME SOME OPTIONS. I THINK THIS IS THE NEXT STEP BECAUSE OTHERWISE I'M FEELING LIKE, WHY'D YOU GO AND DO ALL THAT? IT WAS A WASTE OF TIME. I'M NO, I'VE NEVER SAID IT. BUT I WAS SITTING THINKING ABOUT WHY DID YOU DO THAT IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING WITH IT? I'M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW, I'M NOT SAYING WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD, EVERYBODY. YOU KNOW, IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN DESOTO, I GUARANTEE YOU IN SURROUNDING CITIES, LAND WILL BE FOUND TO DO THE EXACT SAME LIFE. SCIENCE INNOVATION LAB. THERE'S NOT A QUESTION ABOUT IT. WHEN I GO TO THE MEETINGS WITH DRC AND ALL OF THAT, I'M LITERALLY ON CALLS EVERY TIME. IT'S LIKE, I CAN'T TELL YOU WHO THE BUSINESS IS, BUT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SPACE AND THEY'RE LANDLOCKED IN THE NORTH. LIKE, I HEAR IT AT LEAST MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK, AND THEN THEY'RE LOOKING FOR PLACES TO GO. SO TO ME, THAT'S THE NARRATIVE, THOUGH. WHEN WE GO TO COUNCIL, LIKE WE STARTED HERE AND YOU'VE BEEN THAT'S WHERE I WAS TRYING TO GET YOU TO. YOU HAVE TO BE THAT POINTED. WE, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A MASS OF LAND THAT WE THINK IS IDEAL FOR THIS. HOWEVER, WE DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE AROUND THE TABLE TO QUANTIFY IT AND TO BRING IT THIS EXTRA SIZE. BRING THOSE PEOPLE TO THE TABLE THAT WILL THAT WILL DO THE THINK TANK AND THE WORD I'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE. I LOVE IT. CHARRETTE. YEAH, I LOVE IT.I HAD TO LOOK IT UP. I WAS, I WAS, I WAS I NEVER HEARD THAT WORD. DID YOU. YEAH. I MEAN OF COURSE YOU'RE SMART EVERYBODY. BUT I HAD TO GO GOOGLE THE WORD I SPELLED. IT'S U R. AND I SAID, I KNOW IT'S C H A R, BUT BUT BUT AGAIN THAT IS THE NARRATIVE. AND I'M THINKING AS A COLLECTIVE, WE COMMITTED WE COMMITTED TO DOING SOME THINGS TO MAKE OUR CITY BETTER. I'M NOT INTERESTED IN JUST LIKE COMING HERE ONCE A MONTH TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE TRYING TO BE INTENTIONAL HERE SO THAT THAT'S HOW I'VE TAKEN I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND I THINK WE CAN GO FOR IT. ONE IS I'VE HEARD LAND. TWICE NOW. SO BASED ON WHAT WE DISCOVER, WHAT WE EXPLORED IN OUR LEARNINGS.
SHOULD OUR OUR NEXT GENERATION OF LEARNINGS FROM THIS SAY WE CAN, WE CAN ADVANCE WHAT'S OUR BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND AS FAR AS THAT IS CONCERNED WITH LAND? AND WHAT WAS IT YOU HAD, THE PROCUREMENT OF LAND OR WHATEVER WE'RE DOING, AND WHAT'S OUR NEXT STEPS ON THAT? BEGIN WITH IN MY. WELL, SO. LET ME, LET ME BE VERY, VERY CLEAR. THIS IS NOT AN EXERCISE ABOUT A PIECE OF LAND. IT'S JUST NOT. SO I HEAR IT MENTIONED AND YOU PROBABLY SEE ME CRINGE A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THIS IS NOT GOING TO ANSWER A QUESTION ABOUT LAND. THIS IS GOING TO LAY A FRAMEWORK OF WHICH LAND WILL WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE A COMPONENT. IT IT COULD BE THE PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT ONE COMPONENT OF THAT COULD BE THE BIOLIFE SCIENCE INNOVATION CENTER. ONE COMPONENT OF THAT COULD BE MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDINGS. ONE COMPONENT OF THAT COULD BE OUR SPORTS MEDICINE FACILITY. ONE COMPONENT OF THAT COULD BE A HOSPITAL. IF SOMEBODY JUMPED UP AND SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT HERE NOW THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT YOUR PATIENT POPULATIONS, YOU NEED THIS AND THIS AND THIS. WE SIMPLY DON'T KNOW. IT'S A PROCESS. YEAH, THIS IS A PROCESS CREATION. AND TO YOUR POINT, COUNCILMAN, THE EXPLORATION. RIGHT? WE THINK WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING. AND THAT'S AND SO WE'RE GOING THAT DIRECTION, NOT THIS. BUT HOW WILL WE KNOW WHEN WE GET THERE? THAT'S A DARN GOOD QUESTION. AND I'M NOT SURE THAT WE CAN ANSWER IT TODAY. BUT THROUGH EXTERNALITIES, RIGHT THROUGH YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOOGLE AND SOME OF THE ONES YOU'VE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, DOCTOR, DOCTOR, GP AND THE FOLKS THAT WE'RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE AND THEIR BROAD RELATIONSHIPS OF 50 YEARS OF HEALTHCARE EXPERTISE WITH MULTIPLE SYSTEMS ACROSS THE NATION AND INTERACTION AND SEEING WHAT'S DONE ACROSS THE NATION AND BRINGING IDEAS TO, TO, TO THE CITY MANAGER'S POINT FROM OTHER REGIONS WHERE THINGS HAVE BEEN TRIED AND IN SOME OF THOSE REGIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE. WE HAVE
[01:15:01]
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WHO HAVE WHO HAVE EXPLORED SOME OF THESE PIECES. WHAT ARE OUR LEARNINGS FROM THOSE? HOW DO WE TAP INTO SOME OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES? I THINK WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO THE TABLE WHEN THIS IS DONE WITH A MUCH BETTER REFINED IDEA OF WHAT IS A HEALTHIER DESOTO MEAN, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO MEASURE? BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LONG TERM BENEFITS, BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW THAT'S PROBLEMATIC TO SEE THE LONG TERM PIECE MEANS IT'S LONG TERM. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO OUR BEST AT IDENTIFYING WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS THAT WE'LL MEASURE OVER TIME THAT WILL TELL US WE'RE MAKING GOALS, WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS. BUT WHAT ARE THE SHORT TERM PIECES THAT WE NEED TO HAVE SOME IDEA OF? WE HAVE TO STAND UP THIS AND THIS AND THIS. AND YOU MADE A COMMENT EARLIER THAT'S PROBABLY MUCH MORE INSIGHTFUL THAN ANYBODY RECOGNIZES, MAYBE THAN OTHER THAN THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INTIMATELY INVOLVED. WE KNOW THAT IT'S NOT I THINK WE KNOW IT'S NOT A ANSWER. IT'S NOT A GROUP. WE KNOW THAT IT CAN'T BE NONE. THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE, BECAUSE THAT GETS US RIGHT WHERE WE ARE, AND THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE. SO SOMEWHERE IN THIS, IT'S BREAKING DOWN WHO CAN DO WHAT BEST AND BRINGING MULTIPLE COMPONENTS. AND LOOK, IF THAT OFFENDS THIS, WHATEVER THIS IS AND THEY SAY, LOOK, YOU TAKE ALL OR TAKE NOTHING, THE ANSWER IS WE'LL TAKE NOTHING, THANKS. WE'LL WE'LL TAKE OUR CHANCES WITH IDENTIFYING WHAT'S GOING TO BE BEST IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH ALL THE MULTIPLES OF PLAYERS WHO CAN ADD VALUE. I THINK THAT'S REALLY GOING TO BE THE ANSWER TO THIS. AND I THINK WHAT WILL COME OUT OF THIS AND GP, I, I FEEL LIKE I'M THE WRONG GUY TALKING ABOUT THIS, BUT I THINK WHAT WILL COME OUT WITH IS A MUCH CLEARER NOTION OF WHAT AN WHAT AN ANSWER MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND WHO CAN HELP US GET THERE, AND WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. AND TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE IS A PROJECT AND A PIECE OF LAND, WE'LL KNOW BETTER WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. AND WE DON'T HAVE TO. WHATEVER DECISION WE MAKE TONIGHT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CRAFTING WHAT GOES TO THE COUNCIL. WE'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION. IN FACT, I WOULD SUGGEST IT'S NOT RIGHT. RIGHT. SO WE'LL GET THERE. BUT TONIGHT WE NEED TO I WOULD THINK THAT WE CAN'T NOT DECIDE ON WHAT DIRECTION WE'RE GOING ON THIS.WELL AND I IF I MIGHT ASK FOR JUST A LITTLE GRACE, I'M GOING TO OVERLAY THE REALITY OF TIME TO THIS. AND THAT IS, IF WE PUT THIS OFF TO OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING, THAT'S THE 14TH OF APRIL, THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO COUNCIL WOULD BE THE FIRST WEEKEND IN MAY, THE FIRST MEETING IN MAY. AND THAT'S WHEN THE ELECTION IS. NO, NO. SO WE'RE SEEDING NEW NEW BOARD MEMBERS. AND IF HISTORY PLAYS ITSELF OUT, THAT BOARD, THAT NEW COUNCIL IS NOT GOING TO BE READY TO START HEARING FROM US THE VERY NEXT MEETING, THINGS THAT ARE AS IMPACTFUL. SO WE'RE REALLY NOT TALKING ABOUT DOING ANYTHING WITH THIS UNTIL JUNE OR MAYBE JULY IF WE IF WE AND I'M NOT SURE WE CAN IF WE DECIDE TONIGHT, CAN WE GET IT BEFORE COUNCIL BEFORE THE ELECTION.
PROBABLY I DON'T RIGHT. THAT'S THAT'S ONE OF THE TWO MEETINGS IN APRIL. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE A LITTLE INTENTIONAL AND ASK FOR SOME GRACE FROM THE CITY MANAGER IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT IT GETS INTO THE AGENDA. DO YOU SEE ANY OBJECTIONS TO TAKING THAT TO COUNCIL? I DON'T, COUNCILMAN, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE ANY PROBLEMS AS LONG AS YOU GUYS AGREED TO DO TO DO SO, TO DO SUCH, WE'VE BEEN CRAFT A CAREFUL MESSAGE. EXACTLY. YEAH. AND I WOULD SAY KIND OF TO MARK'S POINT, THAT IF WE DON'T MAKE A DECISION EITHER, EITHER MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT AS A NO OR MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT TO GO FORWARD. BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE EVEN FROM THE KNOWLEDGE, THE KNOWLEDGE CURVE, WE WOULD HAVE TO CATCH THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS UP ON, WE MAY END UP LIKE GETTING THE PROCESS ALL TOGETHER. SO ALL OF THIS WORK WAS EITHER WE'RE GOING TO DID IT BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA OR, YOU KNOW, GIVE IT A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO GET A VOTE. EITHER WAY AT THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A LOT AROUND THIS ELECTION. AND TO ME, HONESTLY, IF I WAS A CITIZEN THINKING OF THIS, I WOULD JUST AUTOMATICALLY SAY, OH, THIS IS MORE DEBT, YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT'S THE CONVERSATION WE KEEP HEARING ALL OVER THE CITY. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT WHAT THIS IS. THERE'S NO DEBT INVOLVED. SO THIS IS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. SO I FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE KNOWLEDGE CURVE AROUND THIS. LIKE EVEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS TWO YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS IN THE INTERVIEW WITH THE COUNCIL TALKING ABOUT WHAT I WAS DOING, IT WAS INNOVATIVE AND NEW THEN. RIGHT? AND THAT WAS TWO YEARS AGO. SO I DON'T WANT US TO TAKE ANOTHER TWO YEARS TO GET BACK TO. SO TO YOUR POINT, I MADE A REFERENCE EARLIER, ANALYSIS PARALYSIS. AND WE DON'T NEED TO BE ANOTHER YEAR TRYING TO GET THERE. I THINK THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEE HAS DONE A STELLAR JOB. I THINK PROCEEDING THAT STAFF HAS DONE A STELLAR JOB IN PROVIDING THIS UP IN, IN PACKAGING IT, TO BE HONEST WITH
[01:20:09]
YOU, MY TAKEAWAY IS THAT AS A BOARD, I WOULD COMMEND THE BOARD FOR THE LAST MEETING. I WAS LOOKING AT THIS AND SAYING, LET'S TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER AND BE CERTAIN TO DOT OUR I'S AND CROSS OUR T'S. AND I THINK WE'VE DONE THAT. AS EVERYONE HAS SHARED, WE WON'T HAVE EVERYTHING, EVEN ON THE BACK END. WE WON'T HAVE EVERYTHING, BUT IT WILL GIVE US THAT FRAMEWORK THAT WE TALKED ABOUT. SO TO THAT POINT, IF THERE ARE NOT ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, OBSERVATIONS, IF YOU WILL, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, CAN I? I, I WOULD LIKE THE MOTION TO INCLUDE AUTHORIZING ME TO PREPARE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BECAUSE THIS IS NOT ONE. THANK YOU. THIS IS JUST A PROPOSAL. CORRECT? CORRECT. IT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP. RIGHT. HERE'S SOME SOME MOTION I MEAN THANK YOU. AND IT WON'T CHANGE THE SUBSTANCE OF THE PROPOSAL. IT'LL JUST PROVIDE FOR TERMINATION. NO ASSIGNMENT. SO WE KNOW WE'RE WORKING WITH THE SAME PEOPLE THAT WE'RE CONTRACTING, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THING. SO IT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT. OKAY. OH, HELL. I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE OFFER THE BOARD, AUTHORIZE THE BOARD GENERAL COUNSEL TO PREPARE AND EXECUTE DIRECT A DIRECTOR OF EXECUTION PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH CAMPUS INNOVATION GROUP, LLC, INCORPORATING THE COMPANY'S PROPOSAL AS A SCOPE OF WORK AND FOR THE MAXIMUM PRICE NOT TO EXCEED $100,000. IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH. AUTHORIZING ME TO PREPARE. AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. TO EXECUTE YOUR SECOND. RIGHT.YEAH. CAN I ASK THE QUESTION? YOU NEED TO MAKE THAT 105. SO WITH THOSE CAVEATS, I WAS SAYING ABOUT NOT BEING SPECIFIC TO UT, BUT BROADENING THE LANGUAGE, WE CAN DO ALL THAT OR WITH WHAT NOW? SO THIS LANGUAGE IS VERY SPECIFIC TO UT SOUTHWEST. I WANT TO BROADEN IT. OKAY. CAN YOU LIKE ME? I DON'T LIKE HEALTH SYSTEM. I MEAN A PLACEHOLDER SOMETHING. OKAY. CAN I TAKE YOUR NOTES WHEN I DO THAT? THAT'S FINE. YEAH. OKAY. IS THAT A THAT'S A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
WOULD YOU. THAT'S A FRIENDLY. WE WILL AMEND THAT. AND THE 100,000 IS FINE BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO BE PROVISION FOR EXPENSES. SO 100,000 IS JUST THE FEES. SHE SAID. AS LONG AS IT'S FEES OF 100,000, THEN WE SHOULD BE FINE. OKAY. SO IS THERE A MOTION? IS THERE A SECOND? OKAY. IT HAS BEEN MOTION AND MOTION BY DIRECTOR JONES AND SECOND BY DIRECTOR DOCTOR HERNANDEZ HERNANDEZ. OH, DOCTOR HERNDON MY BAD. WITH A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. YEAH. WITH WITH THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. TO APPROVE THE CAMPUS INNOVATIONS GROUP PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PROPOSAL. I DON'T THINK I NEED TO READ. WE HAVEN'T WE HAVEN'T IN THE MINUTES. SO ALL IN FAVOR? SAY I, I NAYS THE AYES HAVE IT AND WE'VE JUST APPROVED TO GO FORWARD WITH THE CAMPUS INNOVATIONS GROUP PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. OKAY. AND LET ME SAY AGAIN THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING YOURSELF AVAILABLE TONIGHT. EVEN TO HAVE THIS SPECIAL CALLED MEETING UNDOUBTEDLY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
DOCTOR GP. TEQUILA. DOCTOR HERNDON I JUST CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH WE'RE INDEBTED TO OUR DECISION THROUGH YOU ALL TONIGHT. THE EFFORT THAT YOU PUT FORTH IS SO GREATLY APPRECIATED.
PLEASE KNOW THAT. AND AGAIN, STAFF, AS WE'LL SAY FOR THE RECORD, THIS IS HOW WE DO THIS.
WE BRING THINGS FORWARD. I THINK DOCTOR GP MADE REFERENCE THAT WE NEED TO VET IT PROPERLY. IT'S NOT A LAST MINUTE. IT'S NOT A SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE, BUT THAT WE DO OUR HOMEWORK BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SANCTIONED TO DO. AND I WANT TO COMMEND EVERYONE ON THIS. IT'S ONE OF OUR BETTER ONES, FRANKLY SPEAKING, THAT WE'VE GOT INSIDE THAT SAID, IS THERE A NEED TO REMOVE THAT FROM THE AGENDA? OH YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. THAT SAID, GOING FORWARD WE'RE GOING TO
[C. EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE]
[01:25:07]
REMOVE FROM THE AGENDA. VICTORIA, THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.087, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DELIBERATION, DISCUSSION OF THE POTENTIAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FOR PROJECT RED ELEPHANT WILL BE REMOVED. SO WE ARE WITHDRAWING OR WITHDRAWING IT. OKAY, OKAY. THAT SAID, ANY ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS OR QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS ANYTHING? YEAH, I THINK THAT THIS THE WAY THAT WE DID THIS SUBCOMMITTEE IS A TREND. THAT MAY BE THE WAY WE MOVE FORWARD ON THE THINGS MAYBE NOT THAT SAME GROUP, BUT ASSEMBLING SUBCOMMITTEES MAY BE THE WAY IT MAY BE THE FOOTPRINT THAT THAT OUR COMMITTEE AND OUR BOARD NEEDS, SO THAT EVERYBODY IS NOT BURDENED WITH THE SAME THING IN SPECIAL CASES. YEAH, I AGREE, I THINK IT ALSO PROVIDES AN EXTRA LAYER, LIKE IF CITIZENS HAD QUESTIONS, THEY WOULD KNOW THAT IT WENT, YOU KNOW, TO EXTRA, YOU KNOW, IT WAS MORE DUE DILIGENCE DONE TO THINK THROUGH THOSE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEST FOR THE CITY. SO AND I THINK THOSE ENTITIES THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH, IT GIVES A GREATER LEVEL OF APPRECIATION AND RESPECT FOR OUR DUE DILIGENCE THAT WE ENGAG, AND THAT WE'RE JUST NOT CHECKING A BOX, THAT WE'RE VERY SINCERE AND BEING VERY METHODICAL IN OUR APPROACH. SO THIS IS REALLY GREAT. ANYTHING ELSE? VIRGINIA.
ANY QUESTIONS? I WAS GOING TO SAY I'LL TRY TO GET THE AGREEMENT DRAFT TO YOU TOMORROW, BUT IT MAY BE MONDAY. SO I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU AND MICHAEL. YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT WHAT ROLE AS WE ARE BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ELECTION. CAN WE HAVE SIGNS IN OUR YARDS TO CITIZENS AND CAN WE DONATE TO CAMPAIGNS AS A CITIZEN. AS A CITIZEN. OKAY.
OKAY. ON YOUR SIGN AS A CITIZEN. OKAY. WAS THE HOMEOWNER HERE BEHALF OF THE HOMEOWNERS? THE CITIZEN. IN THIS FIRST CANDIDATE SIGN? CAN'T SAY THAT THE CENTER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
[D. RETURN TO OPEN SESSION]
ENDORSEMENT THAT. THAT'S RIGHT. BUT BUT YOU CAN OKAY. THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS FOR THE BOARD THIS THIS EVENING. THIS MEETING IS HEREBY ADJOURNED AT 7:32 P.M.* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.