[1. CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:04] GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. IF I CAN GET YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE. IF I COULD GET YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE. CAPTAIN BAKER, CAN YOU HELP ME ASSIST WITH GETTING EVERYONE'S ATTENTION, PLEASE? WE'RE GOING TO GET OUR MEETING STARTED. IT'S NOW 6 P.M.. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE AGAIN. OUR MAYOR, RACHEL PROCTOR, AND I WANT TO CALL THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER AT 6 P.M.. I'M GOING TO ASK OUR CITY SECRETARY, MISS THOMAS, IF SHE WOULD START US OFF WITH A ROLL CALL, PLEASE. MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR HERE. MAYOR PRO TEM LETICIA HUGHES HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. PARKER HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER NICOLE RAPHAEL HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDRE BYRD HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DIANA MARKS HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CRYSTAL CHISM HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS THOMAS. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, PLEASE. YES, MA'AM. FIRST, WE [a. Presentation of the Best Southwest/Richard S. Pittmon Memorial Scholarship to student recipient ] HAVE PRESENTATION OF THE BEST SOUTHWEST RICHARD S PITTMAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP TO THE STUDENT RECIPIENT. MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS POLICE CAPTAIN TERRY BAKER. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR, COUNCIL. CITY MANAGER. I'M CAPTAIN BAKER WITH THE DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND IT IS AN HONOR TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU TONIGHT. MISS TERRILL, CAN YOU COME UP WITH ME, PLEASE? SO AS SHE'S COMING UP, I'LL GIVE HER A LITTLE STORY. SO ON JUNE 16TH, 2004, EXACTLY 21 YEARS AGO FROM TODAY, ONE OF THE DESOTO POLICE OFFICERS, RICHARD PITTMAN, ASSIGNED AS A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER, PASSED AWAY. AND AT THAT DAY, THE RICHARD PITTMAN SCHOLARSHIP WAS CREATED THAT DAY BY HIS SPOUSE, WHO'S JOINED US TONIGHT. TONIGHT VIA LIVE STREAM. SO THE 2025 AWARDEE IS MISS TERRILL. MISS TERRILL IS A RECENT DESOTO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE. AND WE'LL BRAG ON YOU A LITTLE BIT. SHE WAS PART OF THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, DESOTO LEADERSHIP TEAM, SWORD HONOR ROLL, AND THE JEWELL STATE MEDAL RECIPIENT AND FINISHED. GET THIS WITH A 4.043 GRADE POINT AVERAGE. SHE DEGREE I COULD BARELY SPELL FOR IT. SO, MR. TERRELL, YOU'RE RECEIVING THIS SCHOLARSHIP BASED. BASED ON YOUR DEDICATION TO YOUR SCHOOLWORK, YOUR COMMUNITY SERVICE, YOUR WONDERFUL PRAISES, AND YOUR LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION. ONE WAS FROM A PHYSICIST TEACHER AND YOUR ONGOING INTO SERVICE ORIENTED CAREER NURSING. AND I'LL SAY IT AT GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY. SO WITH THAT, THERE'S A PANEL OF SEVEN OF US THAT WORKED WITH RICHARD, KNEW RICHARD VERY WELL, AND EACH YEAR WE RECEIVED NOMINATIONS FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP. AND THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR IN THE 21 YEARS THAT WE'VE OR 20 YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS, THAT WE ACTUALLY ALL AGREED ON, ONE RECIPIENT RECEIVING THAT. SO MR. TERRELL GOT THE ENTIRE AWARD. SO ON BEHALF OF THE RICHARD S PITTMAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP SELECTION BOARD AND THE BEST SOUTHWEST PARTNERSHIP, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON BEING UNANIMOUSLY AWARDED THE OFFICER, RICHARD S PITTMAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FOR $3,000. MANY CONGRATULATIONS. SO VERY MANY CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS THUS FAR. AND BEST WISHES FOR THE FUTURE GROWTH AND SUCCESS. CONGRATULATIONS. SO. THIS IS A BIG CHECK HERE. IF WE CAN GET A COUPLE PICTURES OF THIS SOUTHWEST PARTNERSHIP. IF SOME OF Y'ALL WOULD STEP UP JUST FOR US TO KNOW. AMEN. [00:05:05] CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS. ABSOLUTELY. ON BEHALF OF THE DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ALL ITS PROUD MEMBERS, WE GOT YOU A LITTLE SWAG BAG. SO YOU NEVER FORGET ABOUT DESOTO. SO WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF LITTLE GOODIES IN THERE FOR YOU TO TAKE WITH YOU. ALL RIGHT. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. WELL DESERVED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS, MISS CARROLL, ON THAT SCHOLARSHIP. AND THANK YOU TOO. YES. IF THE FAMILY WANTS TO COME UP, WE CAN GET A PICTURE REALLY QUICKLY WITH YOU ALL. WE WANT TO COME UP. THANK YOU ALL FOR PROVIDING THIS SCHOLARSHIP. YEAR AFTER YEAR, I KNOW THAT AS THINGS CHANGE, STUDENTS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO HELP CLOSE THE GAP ON GETTING TO SCHOOL, SO WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU ALL DO FOR THESE STUDENTS. CALEB. FRASER. I THINK SHE HAS A CASE OF THAT. CAN'T HELP IT AT THIS TIME AS THOMAS WILL TAKE THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, [b. Recognition of Lakeita Sutton on NEFD certification completion] PLEASE. YES, MA'AM. NEXT WE HAVE RECOGNITION OF LAKISHA SUTTON ON NFD CERTIFICATION COMPLETION, MAKING THAT PRESENTATION AS THE MAYOR. RACHEL PROCTOR. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. OH, WAIT. AM I IN THE RIGHT CITY? GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. THIS IS SUCH AN EXCITING NIGHT FOR MANY REASONS, BUT I HAVE THE DISTINCT PLEASURE OF PRESENTING THIS MAYORAL ACCOMMODATION TO MISS LAKISHA SUTTON. LET'S GIVE HER A HAND CLAP IN ADVANCE. AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THIS IS SO SPECIAL. SHE IS RECEIVING SHE JUST RECEIVED AND COMPLETED THE NEW AND EMERGING FINANCE DIRECTOR'S PROGRAM. AND SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. SHE IS OUR ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO. AND AGAIN, THIS NEW AND EMERGING FINANCE DIRECTORS PROGRAM IS HOSTED BY THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS. AND SO OVER THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS, LAKITU PROUDLY PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROGRAM, WHICH IS AN ELITE ROUNDTABLE SERIES OFFERED BY COG. THIS RIGOROUS PROGRAM SPANS EIGHT FULL DAY SESSIONS WHERE RISING LEADERS LIKE LAKITU ENGAGE DIRECTLY WITH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, DEEP DIVE INTO CRITICAL AREAS SUCH AS BUDGETING, DEBT MANAGEMENT, TREASURY, FISCAL POLICIES, UTILITY RATE SETTING, AND INTERNAL CONTROLS. PARTICIPANTS MUST AT LEAST MUST ATTEND AT LEAST SIX OF THESE SESSIONS, ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO DISCUSSIONS AND COMPLETE HOMEWORK, AND EARN CPE CREDITS FROM THE STATE BOARD OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTANCY. SUCCESSFUL GRADUATES RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE OF FORMAL LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION AND EVEN A PRESS RELEASE TO ANNOUNCE THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENT. AND SO, SINCE JOINING OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, LAKITU HAS DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP, INTEGRITY AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. AND SO THIS IS MORE THAN A MILESTONE. IT IS A LAUNCHPAD FOR EVEN GREATER CONTRIBUTIONS, AND WE WANT TO APPLAUD YOU. WE CAN PUT OUR HANDS TOGETHER RIGHT THERE FOR YOUR PASSION, FOR YOUR EXCELLENCE AND YOUR EMBODIMENT OF PROFESSIONALISM. SO AGAIN, PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING HER. AND I WANT TO PRESENT YOU AGAIN WITH THIS COMMENDATION. AND I'M GOING TO READ IT FOR YOUR HEARING. AND YOU CAN COME ON OVER I DON'T BITE. ON BEHALF OF THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY OF DE SOTO, WE CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION AND CERTIFICATION OF THE NEW AND EMERGING FINANCE DIRECTOR'S AWARD. THIS RIGOROUS EIGHT MONTH PROGRAM IS AN ELITE, INTENSIVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SERIES HOSTED BY THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS. THIS RECOGNITION FOCUSES ON CORE AREAS OF MUNICIPAL BUDGETING, AND IS AWARDED TO INDIVIDUALS WHO MUST NOT ONLY ATTEND A MINIMUM OF SIX SESSIONS, BUT ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO PEER ROUNDTABLES, COMPLETE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS, AND EARN CPA CREDITS BY THE TEXAS STATE BOARD OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTANCY, THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL COMMISSION FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND COMMITMENT TO CONTINUING EDUCATION AND ENHANCING YOUR PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE AND COMMITMENT TO FISCAL STEWARDSHIP. YOUR SUCCESS IS NOT ONLY A PERSONAL TRIUMPH, BUT A REFLECTION OF THE CALIBER OF TALENT WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN ON THIS WELL-DESERVED ACCOMPLISHMENT, [00:10:03] AND WE WISH YOU WELL ON YOUR CONTINUED SUCCESS IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS. ON BEHALF OF THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL. SIGNED JUNE 16TH, 2025. MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR. CONGRATULATIONS. SHE ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO SAY REMARKS. NO, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. IT WAS A VERY INTENSE PROGRAM, BUT I REALLY JUST APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THE MAYOR OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE OF FOR CITY EMPLOYEES TO GO AND DO THESE TYPE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. I LOVE WORKING IN FINANCE AND IT WAS GREAT SITTING IN A ROOM WITH AT LEAST 20 SOMETHING OTHER INDIVIDUALS, SHARING IDEAS AND TALKING ABOUT ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND MILESTONES AND HOW WE COULD HELP EACH OTHER. SO WE REALLY DEVELOPED A STRONG COHORT, AND I'M JUST HAPPY THAT I'M WORKING WITH THE CITY WHO PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS THOMAS. [c. Presentation and discussion on the City's current grant applications and funding efforts] WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE. YES, MA'AM. THE NEXT ITEM REGARDING THE PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION ON THE CITY'S CURRENT GRANT APPLICATIONS HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL RETURN ON A FUTURE AGENDA. NEXT, WE MOVE INTO THE PRESENTATION OF THE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR APRIL AND MAY OF 2025. [d. Presentation of Financial Report April 2025] MAKING BOTH OF THOSE PRESENTATIONS IS LAKOTA SUTTON, INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR. WELCOME BACK, MISS SUTTON. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. OKAY. WE'RE STARTING WITH THE APRIL FINANCIAL REPORT. AS OF THE END OF APRIL, WE WERE 58% INTO THE BUDGET YEAR. SO WE'RE BEGINNING BY LOOKING AT THE GENERAL FUND. ON THE LEFT SIDE, WE HAVE OUR REVENUE SOURCES LISTED. OUR BUDGETED NUMBER, OUR AMOUNT RECEIVED YEAR TO DATE AND OUR PERCENTAGE YEAR TO DATE. OUR PERCENTAGE YEAR TO DATE AT THE END OF APRIL WAS 78.7%, COMPARED TO 82.5% THIS TIME LAST YEAR. WE ARE AHEAD ON SEVERAL REVENUE SOURCES, AS YOU CAN SEE PROPERTY TAX ALSO OUR FINES AND FORFEITURES, INTEREST REVENUE. SEVERAL CATEGORIES ARE AHEAD. SO WE'RE LOOKING GOOD AT 78.7% INTO THE BUDGET YEAR. AS OF THE END OF APRIL, THE EXPENDITURES ON THE GENERAL FUND SITE. WE'RE RIGHT AT 55.8%. YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT PERCENTAGES THAT ARE DISTRIBUTED AMONG THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND KIND OF WHERE THEY STAND THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. WE DON'T SEE ANYTHING THAT LOOKS PARTICULARLY OUT OF ORDER, 55.8% COMPARED TO 53.0% THIS TIME LAST YEAR. SO WE'RE PLEASED WITH THAT. THE PUBLIC UTILITY FUND ON THE LEFT SIDE, AGAIN, YOU HAVE YOUR REVENUE SOURCES, YOUR MAJOR REVENUE SOURCES IN THAT PROPRIETARY FUND IS, OF COURSE WATER SALES METER AND OF COURSE, SEWER SALES AS WELL. $13 MILLION IS WAS BUDGETED FOR WATER SALES. YEAR TO DATE WE RECEIVED 7.1 MILLION FOR SEWER. 16.1 MILLION IS WHAT WE BUDGETED AND YEAR TO DATE WE RECEIVED 9.2 MILLION. SO WE'RE AT 52% AND 57% ON OUR MAJOR REVENUE SOURCES THERE. YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE VARIOUS OTHER SOURCES LISTED HERE, WHICH LANDS US AT 60.4%, WHICH IS PRETTY FAR AHEAD FROM THIS TIME LAST YEAR, WE WERE AT 53.6%. SO WE'RE PLEASED WITH THAT BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY ARE NOT REALLY OVER INTO THE THE REALLY HOT MONTHS YET WHERE A LOT OF THE WATERING TAKES PLACE. SO IT'S A REALLY GOOD THING TO BE AT 60.4% AT THIS TIME IN THE YEAR. ON THE EXPENSE SIDE. 58.4% YEAR TO DATE. WITH THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES LISTED HERE, WHAT WAS BUDGETED VERSUS OUR YEAR TO DATE ACTUALS. THE EXPENSE TOTAL IS 17.8 MILLION, PUTTING US AT 58.4% VERSUS 59% THIS TIME LAST YEAR. AND FINALLY, OUR SANITATION FUND. OF COURSE, THIS FUND ITSELF SUSTAINS ITSELF, AND IT HAS THE SOURCES LISTED HERE OF OUR REVENUES. OUR SANITATION FEES THAT ARE BILLED TO OUR CUSTOMERS, [00:15:02] 6.3 MILLION IS WHAT WAS BUDGETED. 3.6 MILLION IS WHAT WE HAVE RECEIVED YEAR TO DATE, PUTTING US AT 58.2%. AND OF COURSE, OUR VARIOUS OTHER REVENUE SOURCES ARE LISTED HERE AS WELL. WE'RE AT 58.8% AT 58% UNTIL THE FISCAL YEAR, AND THE EXPENSES ARE AT 41.5%, COMPARED TO 45% THIS TIME LAST YEAR. WITH THE APRIL REPORT, YOU HAVE ALSO RECEIVED DETAIL ON THE VARIOUS CAPITAL PROJECTS FUNDS, THE INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS, AS WELL AS THE OTHER FUNDS THAT THE CITY HAS. AS WELL AS YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE PROPERTY TAX COLLECTION REPORT THROUGH THE END OF APRIL, AS WELL AS A HUB REPORT. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION FOR THE APRIL FINANCIALS. THANK YOU, MISS SUTTON COUNCIL. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE APRIL FINANCIAL REPORT? SEEING NO LIGHTS. THANK YOU. MISS SAID WE WILL TAKE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, [e. Presentation of Financial Report May 2025] PLEASE. NEXT WE'LL MOVE INTO THE MAY REPORT. COMING BACK TO SUTTON, INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR. OKAY. FOR OUR MAY REPORT AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE. AND AS OF THE END OF MAY, WE ARE 67% INTO THE FISCAL YEAR. SO WE'RE GETTING UP THERE FOR OUR GENERAL FUND. AGAIN, OUR BUDGET AMOUNT IS 64.3 MILLION IN REVENUE WITH THE VARIOUS SOURCES LISTED HERE. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE STILL WAY UP THERE AHEAD WITH PROPERTY TAX AND SOME OF THE OTHER MAJOR SOURCES. LICENSING PERMITS HAS BEEN PERFORMING WELL THIS YEAR, AS WELL AS FINES AND FORFEITURES. OUR TOTAL IS 84.5%, COMPARED TO 86% THIS TIME LAST YEAR AND OUR EXPENDITURES IN THE GENERAL FUND. YOU CAN ALSO SEE THOSE AGAIN LISTED BY DEPARTMENT. IN THE MIDDLE COLUMN. YOU'LL HAVE WHAT THEIR FINAL BUDGET IS AND THEIR YEAR TO DAY ACTUALS. BY DEPARTMENT TOTAL IS AT 61.5%, COMPARED TO 59% THIS TIME LAST YEAR. IN OUR WATER SEWER FUND AGAIN, WATER METER SALES AND SEWER SALES BUDGETED AT 13,000,016 MILLION, RESPECTIVELY. YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE AT 52.4% ON OUR WATER SALES AND 57.2% ON OUR METER SALES. SEWER SALES. I'M SORRY. AND THAT PUTS US AT 60.4% TOTAL FOR OUR REVENUE IN THE PUBLIC UTILITY FUND. WE'RE ABOUT RIGHT WHERE WE WERE THIS TIME LAST YEAR WITH OUR PUBLIC UTILITY REVENUE. AND AGAIN, STATED, AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, WE WILL HAVE MORE REVENUE COMING IN. YOU KNOW, AS THE WARMER MONTHS BEGIN TO APPROACH US. AND THE ON THE EXPENSE SIDE. 17.8 MILLION IS WHAT WE HAVE BROUGHT IN SO FAR, SO FAR. AND THAT PUTS US AT 58.4%. IN OUR SANITATION FUND, OUR SANITATION FEES. AGAIN, OUR BUDGET IS 6.3 MILLION AS OF THE END OF MAY. WE HAVE RECEIVED 3.6 MILLION. AND THAT PUTS US AT 58%. OUR OTHER REVENUE SOURCES ARE LISTED AS WELL. INTEREST REVENUE. WE KNOW THAT THAT'S BEEN UP ACROSS VARIOUS FUNDS BECAUSE INTEREST RATES ARE HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED, EVEN THOUGH THEY DROPPED DOWN SOME IN THE PAST YEAR. WE STILL HAVE COLLECTED MORE THAN WHAT WE BUDGETED. YOU CAN SEE THAT TO 273% SO FAR. OUR REVENUE TOTAL IS 58.8% AT 67% INTO THE FISCAL YEAR. AND THEN OUR EXPENSES ON THE SANITATION FUND, WE'RE LOOKING AT 41.5% COMPARED TO 53.8% THIS TIME LAST YEAR. FOR MAY, YOU HAVE ALSO RECEIVED A LIST OF OTHER FUNDS, CAPITAL PROJECTS, THE HUB REPORT, AS WELL AS A PROPERTY TAX COLLECTION REPORT THROUGH THE MONTH OF MAY. THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. THANK YOU, MISS SUTTON. I SEE A LIGHT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU, MISS SUTTON. I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION. I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. THE FIRST ONE IS REGARDING THE OVERTIME REPORT. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE PROVIDED AT A DIFFERENT TIME OR. YES. SO IT IS QUARTERLY. SO WE DO THAT ONCE QUARTERLY. SO ACTUALLY THAT WILL BE ON THE NEXT. FOR THE JUNE FINANCIALS WE'LL INCLUDE A QUARTERLY OVERTIME REPORT. OKAY. APRIL. MAY JUNE. OKAY. YES. AND THEN AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL OVERAGES ARE CONCERNED, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE OTHER FUNDS, I THINK THAT MAY NOT BE A PAGE FOR THAT. [00:20:01] THERE ARE A FEW ITEMS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT OVER THE 67%. YEAH, A LOT OVER THE 67%. AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IF MAYBE YOU CAN GO, YOU KNOW, JUST LOOK AT THOSE AND LIKE THERE'S ONE WITH THE DEBT SERVICE. IT SAYS 88%. CAN YOU GIVE A JUST A EXPOUND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT. WHAT THAT'S ALL ABOUT. WHY THAT'S 88% AT THIS TIME. OH LET'S SEE WHICH ONE ARE YOU LOOKING AT. DEBT SERVICE. YES. IT SAYS DEBT SERVICE IS ON EXPENSES. OKAY. I DON'T KNOW THE PAGE. I'M SORRY. IT DOESN'T HAVE PAGE NUMBERS HERE. OH, I'M SORRY, I SEE. OKAY. YES, I SEE WHERE WE OUR BUDGET NUMBER IS 15 MILLION. AND THEN YEAR TO DATE, OUR EXPENSES 13.2 MILLION. THAT IS DUE TO THE SCHEDULE OF OUR BOND PAYMENTS, BECAUSE WHAT COMES OUT OF THAT FUND IS GOING TO BE OUR INTEREST IN OUR PRINCIPAL FOR OUR BOND PAYMENTS. AND SO THEY'RE JUST KIND OF BASED ON A SCHEDULE. AND SO WE'VE ALREADY PAID 88.2% OF THAT THIS FISCAL YEAR. OKAY. OKAY. OKAY, GOOD. OKAY. I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR NOW. I YIELD BACK. DOCTOR MARX, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, MISS SUTTON, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I KNOW THAT WE PULLED THE PRESENTATION ON GRANTS, BUT I WANT TO KNOW THAT I WANT TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE MONIES THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED. WHERE CAN WE FIND THAT IN THE BUDGET? THOSE FUNDS? WHERE ARE THOSE? HOW DO I IDENTIFY THOSE IN THE BUDGET? THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN AWARDED? YES, I KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE A PRESENTATION COMING, BUT IF THERE WERE EVER GRANT FUND THAT THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE IS A CDBG FUND, THAT'S THE MAJORITY OF OUR GRANTS THERE THAT THAT GRANT IS ACTUALLY LISTED HERE. SO ON YOUR LIST YOU'LL SEE FUND 263. THAT'S THE BIGGEST GRANT THAT THE CITY HAS CDBG GRANT FUND FOR OUR EXPENSES. WE BUDGETED $273,000 YEAR TO DATE. ACTUALS IS 177,000. SO YOU'LL FIND THAT ON THE EXPENSE PAGE AS WELL AS THE REVENUE PAGE. OKAY. IT ALSO SAYS THAT WE RECEIVED 1.6 MILLION IN FEDERAL GRANT. WHERE WHERE IS THAT? LET ME TRY TO ANSWER THAT, IF YOU DON'T MIND. HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. GOOD EVENING. MARIA DELGADO, CITY MANAGER. USUALLY THOSE SOME SOME OF THOSE GRANTS ARE REIMBURSEMENT TYPE OF GRANTS. WE DON'T RECEIVE THEM AHEAD OF TIME. WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO EXPEND THE FUNDS FIRST IN ORDER FOR US TO RECEIVE THEM. THEY WOULD BE IN A SPECIFIC ACCOUNT EARMARKED FOR THAT SPECIFIC TYPE OF GRANT. OKAY. HAS ANY OF THOSE BEEN EXPENDED? I'M SORRY SAID THAT ANY OF THOSE FUNDS HAVE BEEN EXPENDED. NOT NOT FOR THE $1.6 MILLION GRANT YET WE'RE DOING THE ENVIRONMENTAL PHASING NOW. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. ARE YOU UP THERE? THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS SUTTON. I DON'T SEE ANY ADDITIONAL LIGHTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, SO WE WILL CALL FOR THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. [f. Recognition of the Police Department promotions for Lieutenant Joshua Parker and Sergeant Jeremy Kirchner] THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE RECOGNITION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT PROMOTIONS FOR LIEUTENANT JOSHUA PARKER AND SERGEANT JEREMY KIRCHNER MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS POLICE CHIEF JOE COSTA. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, MR. CITY MANAGER AND ALL OF YOU THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT. I'M JOE COSTA AND CHIEF OF POLICE IN DE SOTO. AND ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT I GET TO DO IS GET PROMOTIONS AND PROMOTE PEOPLE ON TO THE NEXT RANK AND IN THEIR CAREER. AND SO TONIGHT WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE. AND WHAT WE USUALLY DO IS JUST A LITTLE BADGE PINNING. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO START WITH SERGEANT JEREMY KIRSHNER. CAN YOU COME UP WITH YOUR WIFE SARA KIRSHNER. AND SERGEANT KIRSHNER IS BEING PROMOTED FROM CORPORAL. AND HE WORKS IN PATROL. AND HE LOVES HIS JOB VERY MUCH, AS YOU CAN SEE. HIS WIFE SARAH IS GOING TO PIN ON HIS BADGE. I'M VERY HAPPY. VERY GOOD. CONGRATULATIONS. [00:25:04] I'M SURE YOUR DAUGHTER. DAUGHTER NAMED BRANDI. COME ON UP. COME ON. PHOTOGRAPHY 11. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SIR. I WAS GOING TO INTRODUCE CAPTAIN BAKER, BUT HE INTRODUCED HIMSELF BEFORE. HE DID A GOOD JOB WITH THAT SCHOLARSHIP. SO, CAPTAIN BAKER, HIS HAND ON THE PLAQUE AND THE OTHER PROMOTION WE HAVE TONIGHT IS JOSHUA PARKER GOING FROM SERGEANT TO LIEUTENANT. COME ON UP. HIS DAUGHTER JULIET IS GOING TO PIN ON HIS BADGE. SHE PRACTICED IT EARLY AND STABBED HIM ABOUT FOUR TIMES. I SAID, THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. YOU DO THAT. THERE YOU GO. GOOD JOB. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT'S ALL WE HAVE FOR TONIGHT. SO TURN IT BACK OVER TO ALICIA THOMAS. THANK YOU. CHIEF. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THOSE RECEIVING PROMOTIONS THIS EVENING. AT THIS TIME, MISS THOMAS WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, PLEASE. YES, [c. Consider a Resolution of the City Council of the City of DeSoto, Texas, canvassing the returns and declaring the results of the Special Runoff Election held on Saturday, June 7, 2025, in the City of DeSoto, for the purpose of electing a Councilmember for Place 3 and a Councilmember for Place 5 per the Texas Election Code] MA'AM. NEXT, WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR ELECTION PROTOCOL. WE WILL HAVE A SLIGHT CHANGE. WE WILL MOVE INTO ITEM C, WHICH IS. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, CANVASING THE RETURNS AND DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE SPECIAL RUNOFF ELECTION HELD ON SATURDAY, JUNE 7TH, 2025, IN THE CITY OF DESOTO, FOR THE PURPOSE OF ELECTING A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR PLACE THREE AND A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR PLACE FIVE. PER THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE. IT STATES ARTICLE THREE, SECTION FIVE OF THE CITY CHARTER STATES THE RETURNS OF EVERY MUNICIPAL ELECTION SHALL BE DELIVERED FORTHWITH BY THE ELECTION JUDGES TO THE MAYOR AND THE CITY SECRETARY, AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW. THE COUNCIL SHALL CANVASS THE RETURNS, INVESTIGATE THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE CANDIDATES, AND DECLARE THE OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE ELECTION IN THE MANNER AND WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW, AND DELIVER THE VOTES TO THE CITY SECRETARY. RETURNS OF EVERY MUNICIPAL ELECTION SHALL BE RECORDED IN THE MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL. THE CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION TO THE PLACES OF COUNCIL. MEMBER FOR PLACE THREE AND PLACE FIVE, WHO RECEIVED THE MAJORITY OF VALID VOTES FOR EACH PLACE CAST BY QUALIFIED VOTERS VOTING AT THE ELECTION SHALL BE DECLARED ELECTED. THE RESULTS OF SAID ELECTION SHALL BE POSTED IN CITY HALL AS SOON AS THEY ARE DECLARED OFFICIAL. THE OFFICIAL RESULTS FOR COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE THREE AND PLACE FIVE WERE NOT KNOWN UNTIL AFTER ELECTION DAY, AND THE MEETING OF THE EARLY VOTING BALLOT BOARD DECLARATION OF THOSE RESULTS ARE THE CANVAS. PLEASE NOTE THAT AT THE TIME OF THIS THIS AGENDA POSTING, THERE WERE NO PROVISIONAL BALLOTS ANTICIPATED AND REMAINING MAIL-IN BALLOTS WERE NOT YET RECEIVED. DALLAS COUNTY ELECTIONS PROVIDED THOSE ON TODAY BEFORE 5 P.M., PRIOR TO THE START OF THIS MEETING TO CANVASS THOSE RETURNS. AND THOSE NUMBERS WILL BE UPDATED IN THE CHART AND THE RESOLUTION FOR RECORD PURPOSES. THOSE BALLOTS WILL DID NOT AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF THIS ELECTION. THE CANVASS IS THE OFFICIAL TABULATION OF THE ELECTION RESULTS AND IS MADE BY THE CITY COUNCIL, AS REFERENCED IN THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE. THE CANVASS IS MADE NO EARLIER THAN THE THIRD DAY, NOR THAN THE 11TH DAY AFTER ELECTION DAY. THIS ENSURES THE TABULATION OF ALL PROVISIONAL AND ABSENTEE BALLOTS. THE RESULTS ARE CONSIDERED UNOFFICIAL UNTIL THE CANVAS. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION FOR COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE THREE EVERETT JACKSON 858 VOTES, 39.50% KEN WATERS, 1314 VOTES, 60.50% FOR PLACE FIVE. WILLIE ADAMS, JUNIOR 1046 VOTES, 48.25%. DEBORAH NORTH 1122 VOTES, 51.75%. THERE IS NO FINANCIAL IMPACT TO THE CITY TO CANVASS. STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TO CANVASS THESE RESULTS AND DECLARE THE OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE SPECIAL RUNOFF ELECTION CONDUCTED ON SATURDAY, JUNE 7TH, FOR THE POSITION OF COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE THREE AND COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE FIVE, DECLARING KEN WATERS ELECTED AS COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE THREE AND DEBORAH NORTH ELECTED AS COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE FIVE. THAT IS ALL, MAYOR. THANK YOU, MISS THOMAS, AT THIS TIME. COUNCIL. IS THERE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR? MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE AS PRESENTED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCILMEMBER CHISHOLM. [00:30:03] SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES. WE WILL DO A HAND VOTE AT THIS TIME, MISS THOMAS, PLEASE. COUNCIL MEMBER. PARKER. COUNCIL MEMBER. NICOLE. RAPHAEL. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDRE BYRD. YES. MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DIANA MARKS. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CRYSTAL CHISHOLM. YES. MAYOR PRO TEM LETICIA HUGHES. THANK YOU. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. AT THIS TIME, MISS THOMAS, WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE [a. Presentation to outgoing Councilmember Nicole Raphiel] AGENDA, PLEASE. YES, MA'AM. NEXT, WE WILL GO BACK INTO ITEM. A PRESENTATION TO OUTGOING COUNCIL MEMBER NICOLE RAPHAEL. MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR. BUT FIRST WE'LL HAVE A SHORT VIDEO PRESENTATION. YOU GET IN YOUR TISSUE JUST IN CASE YOUR EYES START SWEATING. GOTCHA. I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND. I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND I HAD MY MOMENT A FEW WEEKS AGO, BUT WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL FOR YOUR NEARLY DECADE OF SERVICE TO THE. WELL, I WILL SAY IT'S OVER A DECADE BECAUSE YOU STARTED SERVING LONG BEFORE YOU GOT IN THIS SEAT, AND I. THERE'S SOMETHING THAT TELLS ME, I SUSPECT, THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE SERVING THE CITY OF DESOTO. AND WE KNOW THAT YOUR VOICE HAS BEEN A VERY CONSISTENT PART OF OUR DISCUSSIONS. YOUR QUESTIONS? VERY POIGNANT. AND WE EVEN PICKED UP A FEW NEW WORDS WITH COUNCILMEMBER RAPHAEL. I THINK TREPIDATION IS THE WORD THAT WE ALL GOT. SHE KEEPS US ON OUR VOCABULARY. BUT AGAIN, PUBLIC SERVICE INVITES A VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES. AND SO YOUR ENGAGEMENT, YOUR ENERGY, YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS, JUST YOUR DEDICATION TO THE COMMUNITY. AS YOU ALL SAW IN THE PICTURES, THE PICTURES DON'T NEARLY ENCAPSULATE ALL THAT SHE HAS DONE FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND THE LIVES THAT SHE HAS TOUCHED THROUGH HER SERVICE. AND SO WE WANT TO PRESENT YOU, AS CUSTOMARY WITH THIS EAGLE. I'M GOING TO READ WHAT IS ON IT, AND IT SAYS COUNCIL MEMBER NICOLE RAPHAEL, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, PLACE THREE, 2018 THROUGH 2025. IN APPRECIATION FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THE CITIZENS AND DEMONSTRATION OF OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY, PRESENTED THIS DAY, JUNE 16TH, 2025. CONGRATULATIONS. BACK TO YOU. [00:35:10] WOW. OKAY. OKAY. MY EYE STARTED TO SWEAT. WOW. SO MY TIME IN DESOTO STARTED IN 1979, AND IT WAS MYSELF AND MY YOUNG FAMILY AT THE TIME. MY HUSBAND AT THE TIME BROUGHT US TO THIS COMMUNITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT. WE STOPPED IN THE AVONDALE COMMUNITY AND IT WAS NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AND PEOPLE WERE ALL OUT. THEY WERE JUST ENJOYING EACH OTHER. AND MY SPOUSE AT THE TIME, HE HAD THE NERVE TO KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND SAID, HEY, CAN WE LOOK AT YOUR HOUSE? BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT A HOUSE HERE IN DESOTO. AND THE PEOPLE OPEN THE DOOR AND LET US IN THE HOUSE. AND LET US WALK THROUGH THE HOUSE AND, YOU KNOW, JUST TO LET US KNOW, HEY, THIS IS WHAT OUR CITY IS ABOUT. THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NICE HOMES, WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL FAMILIES. AND I WAS LIKE, WOW, THIS CITY OF DESOTO IS LIKE I WAS LIKE, GLUED INTO DALLAS, YOU KNOW, DALLAS COUNTY ALL THE WAY. AND SO IN 2013, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT MY NAME IN THE HAT TO RUN FOR THE SEAT FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO. AND PART OF THE IMPETUS FOR THAT WAS I SAW A BEAUTIFUL CITY, BUT AT THE TIME THERE WAS A NEWS ARTICLE. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE PAPER. I THINK IT WAS THE LOCAL PAPER AT THE TIME, AND IT WAS THE EDC. IT WAS SOMEONE WHO WORKED FOR OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AT THE TIME, AND THEY MENTIONED THAT DESOTO WOULD SOON LOOK LIKE OAK CLIFF. AND I SAID, WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE A COMPLIMENT OR WAS THAT A DICK? AND SO I RECEIVED IT AS A DICK. BUT THE ONE THING I CAN TELL YOU THAT I KNEW ABOUT DESOTO FROM THE DAY ONE, DRIVING INTO DESOTO DISORDER AND STEPPING IN HERE IS THAT IT WAS ABOUT THE PEOPLE. YEAH. IT WAS SO AMAZING. THE BEST PART OF MY SERVICE HAS BEEN MEETING EVERY ONE OF YOU ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WHETHER IT'S BY EMAIL, WHETHER IT'S BY, YOU KNOW BUMPING INTO EACH OTHER AT TOMTOM WALMART, COMING TO A COUNCIL MEETING WHEN WE WERE PROTESTING AGAINST WALMART UNTIL 3:00 IN THE MORNING. AND SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY COUNCIL AT THAT TIME, WHO WAS BOLD ENOUGH TO GIVE US A WALMART. THANK YOU, MAYOR, FORMER MAYOR SHERMAN, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND AS I WALK THROUGH EACH OF THE YEARS OF, I TOOK A LOOK AT MY EMAILS TO SEE, LIKE, WHAT ALL DID I DO? WELL, IT WAS A LOT. IT WAS A LOT THAT NOT I, BUT WE I HAD A CHANCE TO DO. THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL IS A BODY OF ONE, AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL THAT SITTING RIGHT BEHIND ME HAS A PARTICULAR PASSION FOR THIS CITY ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. AND SO I REALLY WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE. WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO. WE'RE DIFFERENT. WE'RE NOT PERFECT. WE WERE. WE'RE CREATIVE CREATURES. BUT EVERY SINGLE BODY WHO'S BEHIND ME HAS A PASSION FOR THIS CITY. AND IT HAS BEEN MY PLEASURE TO SERVE FROM DAY ONE. WHEN IT WAS KINZIE MOORE. DIG NORTH. CANDICE QUARLES. MAYOR MCCOWAN. OH, MY GOODNESS. RACHEL PROCTOR AND I'M COMING DOWN THE LINE. IS YOUR PREDECESSOR IS YOUR PREDECESSOR, COUNCILWOMAN PARKER. VIRGIL. HIM. AND WHEN HE SAID PUSH THE BUTTON, I WAS LIKE VIRGIL HAMM. I CAN'T PUSH A BUTTON FOR YOU. PUSH THE BUTTON. SO SO IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO SERVE WITH THEM, TO SERVE WITH THIS CURRENT COUNCIL. AND I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT I HAD YOUR BEST INTEREST AT HEART FROM THE BEGINNING WHEN IT WAS TAKING A LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE HUNDREDS OF PAGES THAT WE RECEIVE AT CITY COUNCIL. AND IT USED TO BE WE USED TO RECEIVE IT ON A FRIDAY. WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ON A TUESDAY. SO I SAID, CAN WE PUSH THAT BACK? SOME. SO, YOU KNOW, I GOT US ONE DAY, WHICH IS WE GET OUR AGENDA PACKETS ON A THURSDAY. AND NOW WE DID GET TO HAVE THAT WEEKEND, PLUS ALL THE THINGS THAT WE GET TO DO AND THEN THE DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE ON A TUESDAY. FROM THAT TO WORKING WITH, LEARNING ABOUT MY STATE REPRESENTATIVES, I HAD NO CLUE ABOUT HOW THESE SYSTEMS WORK. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO ENSURE THAT I HAD A CHANCE TO DO WAS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU, THE RESIDENTS, WERE INFORMED ON HOW TO CONNECT WITH YOUR COMMUNITY, HOW TO GO TO THE AGENDAS. KNOW THAT THERE ARE PACKETS, KNOW THAT YOU CAN NAVIGATE TO BE YOUR VOICE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, EMPOWER YOU AS RESIDENTS TO BE YOUR OWN VOICES TO GALVANIZING YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS. THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE FOR ME, GROWING UP, I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SEE THAT. I GOT A CHANCE TO SEE AMAZING PEOPLE DO THE WORK, AND I'M APPRECIATIVE TO THOSE AMAZING PEOPLE WHO DID THE WORK. [00:40:02] WHEN I WAS IN NINTH GRADE, JOHN WILEY PRICE CAME TO MY SCHOOL. WHEN I WAS IN NINTH GRADE. ROYCE WEST CAME TO MY SCHOOL WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, MY MOTHER HAD A CHANCE TO WORK WITH EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON. I GOT A CHANCE TO SEE AND WORK WITH THE GREAT DIANE RAGSDALE. SO I GOT A CHANCE TO SEE HOW THOSE PEOPLE MOVED. BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE MINUTIAE LOOKED LIKE. AND SO PART OF WHAT I WANTED TO ENSURE HAPPENED WAS THAT YOU GOT A CHANCE TO UNDERSTAND HOW SOME OF THE SAUSAGE WAS MADE, OR RATHER, HOW IMPORTANT YOU ARE TO THE SAUSAGE MAKING PROCESS AND MAKING CERTAIN THAT YOUR VOICES WERE ON THE TABLE AND THAT THIS WAS A COMMUNITY CENTRIC MOVEMENT AS IT RELATES TO AT LEAST HOW I MOVED. AND SO FOR ME, WORKING IN THE CITY, WORKING ON BEHALF OF YOU AND YOU ENTRUSTING ME WITH THIS, I TRULY DO APPRECIATE IT. BUT I DO NEED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WHEN I DID TAKE THE SEAT, MOST OF YOU, IF NOT ALL OF YOU, DID NOT KNOW ME BECAUSE I WON BY FIVE VOTES. 12345. ABOUT 1200 PEOPLE VOTED, AND I WON BY FIVE BY FIVE. SO THAT LET ME KNOW THAT I HAD A LOT OF WORK THAT I HAD TO DO. AND SO I HOPE YOU FELT IT IN SOME ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I'M REALLY PROUD OF. HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH MAYOR MCCOWAN, WHICH I ADORE, WORKED THROUGH A PANDEMIC, WORKED THROUGH SEVERAL CITY MANAGERS, AND HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF CONCEIVING OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. AND AS A CITY, THAT'S SOMETHING WE WE HAD A PROCESS, BUT THE PROCESS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN GAVE US A LONGER VISION. AND SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE STEPPING INTO LOOKING AT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH AN EVEN LONGER VISION TO DO THAT THING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, TO GET A DIFFERENT RESULT THAT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TODAY. AND SO I'M PROUD OF THAT FACT. I'M PROUD OF WHEN IT WAS SANDY RESPONSE WHO CAME TO ME, GIVE THOSE SENIORS A DISC A SENIOR A DISCOUNT? AN EXEMPTION. OKAY, SO WE PUT THE EXEMPTION ON THE TABLE FOR THE RESIDENTS. WHEN IT WAS ONE PERSON I'LL NEVER FORGET WHO CAME DOWN TO THE DAIS. THE POWER. THIS IS THE POWER OF ONE. HE CAME DOWN TO THIS DAIS, TO THIS COUNCIL MEETING, AND HE CAME WITH A PACKET OF INFORMATION TO LET US KNOW WHY WE NEEDED TO HAVE AT LEAST FIVE COLD COMPLIANCE OFFICERS. NOW, THAT'S PRETTY HUGE, BECAUSE AT THE TIME WE DIDN'T HAVE FIVE. WE DID NOT HAVE FIVE. BUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND THAT ONE PERSON MADE A DIFFERENCE WHEN IT WAS THE MOVEMENT OF THE TREES. OKAY, SO WE DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD TREE HUGGERS IN THE CITY, BUT WHEN THAT 100 YEAR TREE WAS CUT, THE COMMUNITY CAME AND SAID, HEY, WE WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT. AND SO BEING A PART OF MAKING CERTAIN THAT WE DID HAVE A TREE ORDINANCE, EXTENSIVE, EXTENSIVE DELIBERATION AROUND THAT AS WELL AS SO WE HAVE OUR TREE ORDINANCE, WE HAVE OUR ROADS WHEN IT WAS THE MEADOWS PARKWAY AND IN PLACE THREE SPECIFICALLY RESIDENTS WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS ROAD IS LIKE A CRATER. IT'S LIKE THE MOON. SO, OKAY, WELL, THIS IS HOW YOU USE YOUR GO REQUEST. I NEED THE DATA. I NEED EVERY SINGLE ONE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU GO AND YOU REPORT THIS DATA BECAUSE WE'RE WE ARE DATA DRIVEN. SO HAVING THE RESIDENTS DO THAT, THAT'S THE POWER OF ONE. BUT THEN IT'S THE POWER OF ONE THAT'S MULTIPLIED AND THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL ARE. AND SO FOR ME SITTING IN THIS SEAT, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS WORK. BECAUSE WITHOUT YOU, OH MY GOSH, THIS CITY WOULDN'T BE WHERE IT IS. BUT THE CITY IS WHERE IT IS BECAUSE OF YOU, WHETHER IT'S INDIRECTLY, DIRECTLY. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. NOW, MOST OF YOU DON'T KNOW THE WORK THAT I GET TO DO ON MY DAY TO DAY. I GET TO DO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WORK IN SEVEN, FIVE, TWO, ONE, FIVE. AND AND WHEN I COMPARE AND CONTRAST 75115175215, I SEE I SEE A ZIP CODE THAT WAS UNDERSERVED, THAT WAS DISENFRANCHIZED, THAT WAS LEFT BEHIND, SO TO SPEAK. TODAY IT'S ON A WHOLE DIFFERENT TRAJECTORY, BUT IT'S ON THAT TRAJECTORY BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS WHO CARE WHO GET TO DO THAT WORK. BUT WHEN I TAKE A LOOK AT DE SOTO, FOR ME, THE IMPACTFUL WORK THAT I GET TO DO HERE AS IT RELATES TO POLICY MAKES ME SAY, WE DON'T WANT TO DO THE THINGS OF OLD. WHERE REDLINING WAS, WAS, WAS, WAS THE PART FOR THE COURT. WE DON'T GET TO DO I GET TO DO THE WORK WHERE ON THE POLICY SIDE, LET'S MAKE CERTAIN WE TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE. AND THEN ON THE IMPLEMENTATION SIDE, LET'S MAKE CERTAIN I GET TO TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE AND I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THAT. BUT THIS COMMUNITY IS ONE WORTH FIGHTING FOR. AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT AND FIGHT AND FIGHT. WHEN I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO A CONFERENCE AND I'M SORRY TO BE LONG WINDED, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO A CONFERENCE WHERE I HAD A I HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH VARIOUS TYPES OF ENTITIES AT THAT TIME. THIS WAS IN 2018. AS IT RELATES TO THEY CALLED IT THE RED RIVER CONFERENCE, THE INTERNATIONAL SHOPPING CENTERS CONFERENCE. AND HERE IN TEXAS, THE FOCUS WAS ON TEXAS. EVERYBODY WHO WANTED TO HAVE A RETAIL PRESENCE IN OUR CITY. [00:45:03] AND SO I'M THINKING, HEY, YEAH, I GET TO GO AND CHAMPION FOR OUR CITY. BUT I GOT TO HEAR THE ECHOES OF WHY THESE DIFFERENT ENTITIES AT THAT TIME DIDN'T WANT TO BE IN THIS CITY. AND SO THAT'S PRETTY HUGE TO HEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THE TIME, OUR CITY MANAGER REALLY, TRULY FELT BECAUSE HE HAD HAD THAT EXPERIENCE, THAT WE WERE ECONOMICALLY DEVELOPED FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT. THERE WAS SOME REDLINING GOING ON. IT JUST LOOKED A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN YESTERDAY. AND SO TO BE A PART OF A CITY WHERE I GET TO CHAMPION THE SYSTEMS, THE SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE WE STARTED WITH A TYPE A, BUT NOW WE'RE A TYPE B, MEANING WE GET TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE, A LITTLE BIT MORE INTENTIONAL IN WHAT THOSE INCENTIVES FOR OUR CITY LOOK LIKE. SO WE GET TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY. IT'S BEEN A PART OF OF BEING ABLE TO MEET SOME AMAZING PEOPLE WHO HAVE INCREDIBLE BACKGROUNDS, WHO'S NOW ON OUR BOARD AND COMMISSIONS AS IT RELATES TO OUR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO BE A PART OF APPOINTING THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON OUR WHAT'S NOW OUR ARTS FOUNDATION, CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION. WE STARTED OUT WITH A COMMITTEE, AND NOW IT IS ONE WHERE IT IS AN ACTUAL FOUNDATION AND SO THEY CAN ADVANCE THE WORK OF THE ARTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE KNOW THE AMAZING PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE HERE. WE DESERVE THE BEST. AND I'M PROUD TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF ENSURING THAT WE HAVE LOOKED OUT FOR OUR BEST INTERESTS AND THAT WE CAN RECEIVE THE BEST. SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU AS RESIDENTS, AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE MY COUNTERPART TO COME, MR. KEN WATERS. HE'S VERY EAGER AND HE IS READY TO GO. WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT I PASSED THE BATON TO HIM WITH INFORMATION, SO HE DOESN'T HAVE TO GO DIG AND FIND THAT INFORMATION, BUT PLEASE KNOW THAT I'M HERE FOR YOU. OUR SUCCESS, MY SUCCESS IS YOUR SUCCESS AND SO ON. AND SO I'M HAPPY TO HELP IN ANY KIND OF WAY. AND SO THANK YOU. DESOTO. I LOVE YOU, DESOTO. THANK YOU TO THE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE HERE AND IN OUR CITY. THE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME OUR WAY. WHOO HOO HOO! AND I'M SORRY. EVERYBODY JUST KEEPS COMING TO MIND. EVERYONE WHO HAS COME THROUGH OUR CITY TO TO WORK ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. AND SO IF YOU FELT LIKE I'VE BEEN A LITTLE TOO ZEALOUS IN MY MY QUESTIONS OR MY 2:00 IN THE MORNING EMAILS, IT'S ONLY BECAUSE I HAVE A WHOLE REAL JOB, AND I HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE COUNTING ON ME TO MAKE CERTAIN I ASK THE QUESTION, MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY KNOW, TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT THEY'RE GETTING FROM ME AS THEIR COUNCILWOMAN. SO THANK YOU. DESOTO. THANK YOU. DESOTO. THANK YOU. DESOTO. FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU AGAIN, COUNCILMAN RAPHAEL. AT THIS TIME, MISS THOMAS WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE. [b. Presentation to outgoing Councilmember Dinah Marks] YES, MA'AM. NEXT, WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION TO OUTGOING COUNCIL MEMBER DOCTOR DIANA MARKS. MAKING THE PRESENTATION IS MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR. BUT FIRST WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER SHORT VIDEO PRESENTATION. [00:50:12] WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR MANY YEARS OF SERVICE, AND THANK YOU FOR USING YOUR VOICE AND YOUR TIME AND YOUR TALENTS TO BE ABLE TO HELP SHAPE THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE HERE ON THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL. AS WITH COUNCILWOMAN RAPHAEL, I SUSPECT THAT YOUR SERVICE WON'T END HERE TONIGHT. BUT AS CUSTOMARY, HERE IS A EAGLE THAT WE WANT TO PRESENT TO YOU. AND IT READS DOCTOR DIANA MARQUES, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE FIVE FROM 2019 TO 2025, IN APPRECIATION FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THE CITIZENS AND DEMONSTRATION OF OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY TODAY, JUNE 16TH, 2025. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU YOUR NAME PLAQUE AS A KEEPSAKE FOR YOU AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, DE SOTO. THIS IS GOING TO TAKE ME A LITTLE WHILE. I WENT AHEAD AND WROTE DOWN WHAT I WANTED TO SAY. I'M NOT AS ELOQUENTLY AS AS I DON'T SPEAK AS ELOQUENTLY AS COUNCILWOMAN RAPHAEL. HOWEVER, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I GET ALL OF WHAT I WANT TO SAY OUT. IT IS SO MUCH. BUT FIRST OF ALL, I JUST KIND OF WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT'S HERE TONIGHT. WE'RE JUST SO EXCITED TO PASS THE BATON TO THOSE WHO WILL COME AFTER US. AGAIN. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. TONIGHT IS BITTERSWEET. AS I PREPARE TO STEP AWAY FROM THIS SEAT ON THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL, THE SEAT I HAVE BEEN HONORED TO HOLD AS YOUR PLACE FIVE REPRESENTATIVE. I AM FILLED WITH A DEEP SENSE OF GRATITUDE, HUMILITY, AND HOPE. AFTER SERVING TWO FULL TERMS. I NOW TURN OUT WITH A HEART FULL OF PRIDE AND MY EYES STILL FIXED ON THE FUTURE OF OUR BELOVED CITY. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE RESIDENTS OF DESOTO. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR TRUSTING ME WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY TO REPRESENT YOUR VOICES AND YOUR VALUES. USE. THANK YOU FOR EVERY PHONE CALL. EVERY EMAIL, EVERY HANDSHAKE AND EVERY HEARTFELT CONVERSATION. YOUR VOICES HAVE BEEN MY GUIDEPOST. EVERY VOTE I CAST AND EVERY DECISION I MADE WAS GROUNDED IN THE BELIEF THAT OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES PROGRESS, EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITY. SO THANK YOU. WHEN I FIRST RAN FOR THIS OFFICE, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I DIDN'T RUN FOR THIS OFFICE FOR THE TITLE, NOR DID I RUN IT TO BE SEEN. I DID IT BECAUSE I BELIEVED IN SERVANT LEADERSHIP. I DID IT BECAUSE I LOVE DE SOTO, AND I DID IT BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE A VOICE FOR THE PEOPLE. AND THAT'S ALL OF THE PEOPLE HERE IN DE SOTO. THAT DESIRE HAS NEVER WAVERED. AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT HAS ONLY GROWN STRONGER WITH TIME. I'VE BEEN CONSISTENT WITH MY VOICE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP OF PUBLIC FUNDS. WHETHER IT WAS ADVOCATING FOR BETTER COMMUNICATION WITH RESIDENTS OR ENSURING THAT CITY POLICY AND PROCEDURES REMAINED ALIGNED WITH COMMUNITY PRIORITIES, I NEVER LOST SIGHT OF THE PEOPLE WE SERVE. I SUPPORTED STRATEGIC PLANS TO STIMULATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES, AND LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR MORE INCLUSIVE AND THRIVING LOCAL ECONOMY. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I ACTUALLY ADVOCATED FOR WAS SERVING ON THE AD HOC COMMITTEE FOR THE AMERICAN RESCUE. I CHAMPIONED PREMIUM PAY FOR FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS. I WAS ON THE AD HOC COMMITTEE FOR THE CARES ACT. I CHAMPIONED $300,000 TO NARROW THE TECHNOLOGY DIVIDE FOR DESOTO ISD STUDENTS IN 2020. I CHAMPIONED PROPOSITION C ON THE BALLOT, AND IT WAS TO A MAN COUNCIL SELECTION OF THE MAYOR PRO TEM. I CHAMPIONED GREEN SPACES FOR ALL OF OUR PLANNED DEVELOPMENTS, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD GREEN SPACES, CREATED A CUSTOMER SERVICE INITIATIVE FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, CHAMPIONING RIGHT NOW FOR STRONGER RENTAL ORDINANCES RELATED TO [00:55:01] ABSENTEE LANDLORDS. AND IF YOU'VE BEEN IN DESOTO ANY LENGTH OF TIME, YOU KNOW THAT EVERY YEAR I HOST THE ANNUAL TOY DRIVE FOR DESOTO STUDENTS THAT ARE IN NEED, SPECIFICALLY IN PLACE FIVE. I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT PARKVILLE ROAD, THE RECONSTRUCTION, AND OF COURSE ON THE BOOKS. NOW WE HAVE WESTMORELAND ROAD AND IS SLATED TO BE WIDENED AND GET REPAIRS. BUT I KNOW THAT LEADERSHIP IS NOT DEFINED SOLELY BY WHAT'S ACCOMPLISHED ON PAPER IS MEASURED IN TRUST AND IN STRENGTH OF THE COMMUNITY WE LEAVE BEHIND. AND NOW TO MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COUNCIL, BOTH PAST AND PRESENT. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ALONGSIDE YOU. OUR TIME TOGETHER WASN'T ALWAYS EASY, BUT I LEARNED A LOT. I LEARNED EXACTLY WHO EACH OF US ARE. I'VE HEARD THE OLD CLICHÉ THAT SAYS, IF YOU WANT TO LEARN AND KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE, TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH THEM. AND AS YOU KNOW, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIMES IN RETREATS, EXECUTIVE SESSIONS, CONFERENCES, CELEBRATIONS, AND SOMETIMES IN THE QUIET, IN-BETWEEN MOMENTS THAT DIDN'T EVEN MAKE THE AGENDA. WE DEBATED. WE DEBATED. WE DEBATED. WE DEBATED. AND BOY, DID WE DEBATE. AND SOMETIMES THOSE DEBATES GO OUT VALLEY. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITTED, YOUR COMMITMENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PASSION AND FOR YOUR VOICES. THIS PRESENT COUNCIL HAS DONE SOME GREAT THINGS. FROM THE AQUATIC CENTER TO OPEN IN 2026, TO THE NANS FARMS, WHERE WE ARE RESTORING AND PRESERVING DE SOTO'S RICH HISTORY. BUT STILL, IT'S ONLY FAIR TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOME OF THE ONGOING CONCERNS ABOUT THE WAY WE GOVERN. AND I WANT TO SAY THESE NOT AS CRITICISMS, BUT A WAY AND A TIME THAT WE CAN GET BETTER AT WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE GOVERN. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN PUBLIC COMMENTS WERE NOT ADDRESSED AS FULLY OR PROMPTLY AS THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN. AND STILL I MADE IT A POINT TO BE ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE TO BE HEARD. THERE ARE CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS SOMETIMES WERE DISRESPECTED, AND EVEN SO, I CHOSE TO LEAVE WITH GRACE AND PROFESSIONALISM. HOWEVER, THE SILENCE STILL WEIGHS ON ME. WHY? BECAUSE NO ONE SAID ANYTHING. UNDERSTANDING THAT STAYING QUIET, EVEN OUT OF RESTRAINT OR HOPE FOR PEACE, CAN UNINTENTIONALLY ALLOW FOR HARM. I CARRIED THAT LESSON WITH ME. NOT WITH REGRET, BUT WITH RESOLVE THROUGH EVERY ISSUE. I REMAIN COMMITTED TO SERVANT LEADERSHIP, LISTENING FIRST AND ACTING JUSTLY TO OUR CITY STAFF. YOUR WORK OFTEN IS FROM BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT IT IS YOU WHO KEEP DE SOTO MOVING. SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SUPPORT THE COUNCIL'S VISION THROUGH THE REAL DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS THAT POWER THIS CITY. TO MY FAMILY AND MY SUPPORTERS WHO HAVE STOOD BY ME THROUGHOUT MY SIX YEAR JOURNEY AS A COUNCIL MEMBER. YOUR UNWAVERING LOVE, YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT AND BELIEF IN MY PURPOSE HAVE BEEN THE STEADY FOUNDATION THAT KEPT ME GROUNDED AND FOCUSED. TO MY FAMILY, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICES AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR STRENGTH. AND TO EVERY SUPPORTER WHO SHOWED UP, WHO SPOKE UP, WHO BELIEVED IN THE VISION WE WORKED ON TOWARD TOGETHER, I THANK YOU. AND TO THE NEXT LEADERS WHO WILL TAKE UP THE MANTLE. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE EVERY VOTE SERIOUSLY. VOTE NOT TO GET ALONG. AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT I LEARNED ALONG THE WAY THAT I'D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH YOU. VOTE NOT TO GET ALONG. NOT FOR RELATIONSHIPS. NOT BECAUSE OF PRESSURE FROM OUTSIDE FORCES, NOT FOR POPULARITY, BUT VOTE FOR WHAT'S BEST FOR THE NOW 55,525 RESIDENTS WE HAVE IN DE SOTO, WHICH IS A DECREASE OF 50 FROM THE 56,062 RESIDENTS THAT WE HAD DURING THE 2020 CENSUS. AND CERTAINLY I KNOW I HAVE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT LIKE THE FACT CHECK. SO YOU CAN DO THAT AT WORLD POPULATION REVIEW. I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU RESPECT EACH OTHER'S OPINION, AS IT DOESN'T MATTER WHOSE IDEA IT IS, AS LONG AS IT WORKS FOR THE BENEFIT OF EVERYBODY HERE IN DE SOTO. ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT YOU RESOLVE CONFLICT AT THE LOWEST IMPACT, AND THAT'S ONE ON ONE. DON'T APPLY RULES AND PROCEDURES SELECTIVELY. [01:00:02] LET THE RULE BE THE RULE. REMEMBER THAT LEADERSHIP SHOULD NEVER BE PERSONAL. IT MUST BE PRINCIPLED. LET US NOT ALLOW OUR PREFERENCES TO OUTWEIGH OUR POLICIES. LET US NOT MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON WHO WE LIKE, BUT BASED ON WHAT IS RIGHT. IF WE ARE TO TRULY MOVE FORWARD. EARNING THE ALL-AMERICA CITY DESIGNATION AWARD AGAIN, AS WE DID IN OH SIX. WE MUST ENSURE THAT EVERY VOICE AT THE TABLE IS VALUED, AND THE INTEGRITY OF PROCESS IS NEVER SACRIFICED FOR CONVENIENCE OR POLITICS IN THESE POSITIONS. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU REALIZE THAT IT IS NOT A LICENSE TO GOVERN WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY. I ASK THAT YOU HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE AS A RESIDENT. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HOLD OUR COUNCIL ACCOUNTABLE. MY JOURNEY AS A PUBLIC SERVANT DOESN'T STOP HERE. I REMAIN COMMITTED TO SERVING THIS COMMUNITY IN EVERY WAY I CAN. I WILL ALWAYS BE A CHAMPION FOR DE SOTO, NOT JUST BECAUSE I SERVED ON THE DAIS, BUT BECAUSE IT'S HOME. SO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SERVE. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO GROW. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO LEAD. AND MOST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BELONG. MAY WE ALL CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH VISION, WITH UNITY AND PURPOSE, AND TO OUR DE SOTO RESIDENTS. AS I STEP AWAY FROM THIS SEAT, I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH A CHARGE, NOT JUST AS CITIZENS, BUT AS CARETAKERS OF DE SOTO'S FUTURE DOCTOR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR ONCE SAID, WE ARE NOW FACED WITH THE FACT THAT TOMORROW IS NOW. TODAY WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH THE FIERCE URGENCY OF NOW. THE URGENCY BELONGS TO US. LET US NOT WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO SPEAK UP, TO TAKE A STAND, OR TO ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS. LET US, THE RESIDENTS OF DE SOTO COMMIT TO STAND, INFORM, STAND ENGAGED AND HOLDING THIS COUNCIL IN EVERY SUBSEQUENT COUNCIL ACCOUNTABLE. BECAUSE SILENCE DELAYS PROGRESS. BUT YOUR VOICE CAN DRIVE IT. GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND GOD BLESS THE ALL. AMERICAS. CITY OF DE SOTO, TEXAS. THAT'S MY SON IN LAW. THANK YOU, MISS THOMAS. [d. Presentation of Certificate of Election to elect Councilmember, Place 3 per the Texas Election Code ] WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE. YES, MA'AM. NEXT, WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION OF THE CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION TO ELECT COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE THREE PER THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE. MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR. RECEIVING IS COUNCIL ELECT KEN WATERS. CONGRATULATIONS. COUNCILMAN SOON TO BE COUNCILMAN COUNCILMAN ELECT RIGHT NOW, UNTIL WE SAY THIS OATH. KEN WATERS IS MY DISTINCT PLEASURE AGAIN TO WELCOME YOU TO THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL. AS MANY HAVE ECHOED BEFORE ME. THIS IS A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY, AND WE KNOW THAT YOU WILL DO A GREAT JOB. WE HAVE SEEN YOUR WORK IN THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE DONE EVEN PRIOR TO THESE SEATS. AND THAT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT WHEN SOMEBODY HAS PUT IN PRIOR WORK BEFORE THEY TAKE A SEAT ON THIS COUNCIL, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE INVESTED IN WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS COMMUNITY WITH OR WITHOUT A TITLE. AND YOU'VE PROVEN THAT. AND SO WE'RE EXCITED TO GIVE THIS CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION TO YOU. AND I'M GOING TO READ IT. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO SIGN A FEW THINGS, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE YOUR OATH ADMINISTERED BY JUDGE KURTH. IT SAYS CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION IN THE NAME AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF DESOTO. THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT AT THE RUNOFF ELECTION HELD ON SATURDAY, JUNE 7TH, 2025, KEN WATERS, HAVING RECEIVED 60.5% OF THE VOTE FOR A TOTAL OF 1314 VOTES. YOU CAN CLAP RIGHT THERE. AS I LIKE TO SAY, A VERY DECISIVE WIN. THAT BEING THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES CAST AT SAID ELECTION FOR ANY CANDIDATE FOR THE OFFICE HEREIN NAMED, WAS DULY ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF DE SOTO FOR THE OFFICE OF COUNCIL [01:05:05] MEMBER, PLACE THREE, AND WITNESS AND TESTIMONY WHEREOF I. RACHEL PROCTOR, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, STATE OF TEXAS, HAVE HEREUNTO SUBSCRIBED MY NAME AND CAUSED THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS. TO BE AFFIXED TO THIS CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION ON THE 16TH DAY OF JUNE, 2025. AND I'M GOING TO SIGN THAT FOR YOU, MR. WATERS, AND I'M GOING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. THAT IS FOR YOU. THANK YOU. WE'LL TAKE THAT WITH YOU. [e. Conduct Oath of Office for elected Councilmember, Place 3 per the Texas Constitution ] I HAD TRAINING FOR THIS THE OTHER DAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. LET ME GET MY PAPERWORK OUT HERE. I DON'T WANT TO MISS NOBODY, BUT THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR COMING OUT TO THIS THIS CELEBRATION TONIGHT. INAUGURATION MEANS A LOT TO ME. AND AS YOU ALL KNOW THIS ALSO MEANS A LOT TO ME. SO I WANT TO THANK THE OUTGOING COUNCILWOMAN. SO MATTER OF FACT, COUNCILWOMAN RIGHT HERE. SO, DOCTOR DONNA MARCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ALSO. WHERE'S NICOLE? THERE YOU GO. NICOLE. NICOLE. RAPHAEL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU ALL FOR SERVING DESOTO. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND ESPECIALLY SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO YOU, OF COURSE, NICOLE, FOR REPRESENTING PAGE THREE. YOU DID AN EXCELLENT JOB REPRESENTING PLACE THREE. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. OKAY. ALSO, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE CANDIDATES IN THIS ELECTION CYCLE THAT STEPPED UP AND TOOK ACTION TO RUN. OKAY. SO IF ANYBODY IS IN HERE, RAISE YOUR HAND. THERE YOU GO. ANYBODY ELSE IN HERE? GARY. SENECA. OKAY. WELL, I'M SURE IT TOOK WAY MORE TIME, MONEY AND RESOURCES THAN ANY OF US EXPECTED, OBVIOUSLY. AND I RESPECT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR STEPPING UP AND TAKING ACTION. OKAY. SO OUT OF THE 55,000 PLUS PEOPLE, WHAT, ONLY 16 PEOPLE RAN TOTAL. SO THINK ABOUT IT. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR STEPPING UP. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT BEING SAID, IT'S BEEN A LONG, HARD, CONTENTIOUS RACE, BUT I STAYED FOCUSED ON MOVING DE SOTO FORWARD IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION. ON A FIRST, THANK MY WIFE TANYA, BUT SUPPORTED ME. THANK YOU. TANYA. YES. COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT HER. NOW, A STORY ABOUT TONY. REAL QUICK. SOME OF Y'ALL KNOW IT, BUT I'M NORMALLY A RESERVED PERSON, YOU KNOW, AND SHE'S ACTUALLY MORE RESERVED THAN ME. AND WHEN I FOUND Y'ALL DON'T KNOW THE STORY. BUT WHEN I FILED, I FOUND THAT 4:00 THE VERY LAST DAY. OKAY. FEBRUARY 14TH. ON THAT FRIDAY. 04:00. AND WHEN I INITIALLY WHEN I GOT HOME, SHE WAS PISSED. SHE JUST LOOKED AT HER FACE. GOT TO BE EVERYWHERE. SHE GOT TO DO ALL THE STUFF I SAID. WELL, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE, BUT ANYWAY. BUT IT TOOK ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO TO GET OVER IT. AND BUT NOW SHE'S MY MY MOST KNOW BIGGEST SUPPORTER BASICALLY. [01:10:02] SO I THANK YOU, TONY, FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME. IT'S BEEN A LOT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW. THINK ABOUT IT. IT'S BEEN A LOT, ESPECIALLY FOR AN INTROVERT LIKE TANYA. SO. SO THANK YOU AGAIN, TANYA. OKAY. ALSO, I WANT TO THANK MY CAMPAIGN MANAGER, CASEY THOMAS. STAND UP. CASEY. COME ON, STAND UP MAN. HE'S THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS RIGHT HERE. THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS. OKAY. CAN I HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU? OF COURSE. OKAY. I DIDN'T KNOW. I NEVER RAN FOR ANYTHING. SO HE WAS EXPERT AT IT. YOU KNOW, IF Y'ALL DON'T KNOW, HE'S A FORMER CITY COUNCIL PERSON IN DALLAS. OKAY. YEAH. SO HE KNOWS EVERYBODY, RIGHT? SO IF YOU WANT TO WIN CAMPAIGNS. HOWARD CASE, IS THOMAS OKAY? HE'LL GET IT DONE FOR YOU. THANK YOU. SIR. OKAY. I SEE YOU BOUGHT A VIP TODAY. WHO DID YOU BRING? AISHA DAVIS. STAND UP. AISHA. COME ON. STAY RIGHT HERE. THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT, I SUPPORT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY. I WANT TO THANK MY VOLUNTEERS. WHO AM I? IN FACT, ALL MY VOLUNTEERS. PLEASE STAND UP. PLEASE. VOLUNTEERS? IF YOU VOLUNTEER ON MY CAMPAIGN, GO AND STAND UP. RAISE YOUR HAND BACK THERE. YES. THESE ARE MY VOLUNTEERS. RIGHT HERE. RIGHT HERE. OKAY. THEY WERE EXCELLENT. EXCELLENT. Y'ALL MY VOLUNTEERS. THEY ACTUALLY SHOWED UP. YOU ALREADY KNOW THE HARDEST THING WHEN YOU HAVE VOLUNTEERS IS GETTING THEM TO SHOW UP, RIGHT? WELL, THEY SHOWED UP AND SHOWED OUT, Y'ALL. SO YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAY VOLUNTEERS. THANK YOU ALL FOR SHOWING UP. Y'ALL WERE THE BEST AND ARE THE BEST, SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I WANT TO THANK MY SUPPORTERS, FRIENDS, FAMILY MEMBERS, ALSO PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T KNOW ME, THAT DID SUPPORT ME. I THANK YOU ALL. OKAY. IT TOOK A COLLECTIVE EFFORT TO GET ME OVER THE EDGE HERE. AND SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL. ALL RIGHT. AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO VOTED FOR ME. OF COURSE. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT THAT YOU HAVE ENTRUSTED ME TO REPRESENT YOU IN THIS CITY, AND I TAKE YOUR MANDATE VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR VOTING ME IN. OKAY. AND REAL QUICK, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME. FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW, I'M FROM DALLAS, AND ME AND MY WIFE MOVED TO DESOTO ALMOST 25 YEARS AGO. WE CHOSE DESOTO FOR TWO REASONS. OKAY. ONE AT THE TIME, YOU GET MORE A HOUSE FOR YOUR MONEY, AND TWO, YOU'RE STARTING TO BE KNOWN AS A GOOD PLACE TO MOVE TO FOR SUCCESSFUL AND ALSO UP AND COMING AFRICAN AMERICANS WHO ARE DOING THINGS AND GOING PLACES. OKAY. IT WAS PORTRAYED AS A PLACE OF MORE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL THE CITY'S CITIZENS, WHICH IS ALSO IMPORTANT. AND SINCE WINNERS TEND TO HANG OUT WITH OTHER WINNERS, THEN THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO BE. SO, TANYA, WE MOVE INTO DESOTO. YEAH. SO ANYWAY, SHORTLY AFTER GETTING HERE, WE GOT INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY TO DO OUR PART. HELP DESOTO TO BE THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE. OKAY, SO FOR OVER 20 YEARS NOW. PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW DON'T KNOW ME. OVER 20 YEARS NOW, I'VE BEEN SERVING YOU. SERVING WITH YOU IN DESOTO. PUTTING IN WORK WITH YOU IN THE COMMUNITY. OKAY. FOR OVER 20 YEARS, I'VE BEEN FAITHFUL AND DEDICATED TO THIS CITY. OKAY? NOT EVEN REALIZING AT THE TIME THEY WAS PREPARING ME FOR THIS MOMENT HERE TODAY TO LEAD DESOTO INTO THE FUTURE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. DESOTO, YOU NOW HAVE SOMEONE ON THE COUNCIL WHO'S NOT TIED TO ANY SPECIAL INTERESTS, POLITICAL PARTY OR ANY OUTSIDE FORCES. I'M TRULY FOR YOU, THE PEOPLE OF DESOTO, AND I WILL MAKE MY DECISIONS ACCORDINGLY. WHAT I CARE ABOUT IS MAKING DESOTO THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE. WHEN THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY ARE DOING GOOD. THAT IS WHAT I WANT. OKAY, SO WHEN THE PEOPLE SPOKE AND VOTED ME IN, THAT MEANT THE MOST TO ME. I'LL DO MY BEST TO REPRESENT YOU WELL, DE SOTO, AND DO ALL THAT I CAN TO HELP MAKE THE SUBTLE. THE BEST CITY IN THE SOUTHERN DALLAS COUNTY. OKAY. DALLAS, TEXAS. DALLAS COUNTY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. TO ALL THE CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS OF DESOTO, IT'S EASY TO COMPLAIN. ANYBODY CAN DO THAT, RIGHT? BUT WHEN YOU GET SERIOUS ABOUT SOMETHING, THEN YOU TAKE ACTIONS, RIGHT? SO I ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU HERE AND ALL THE RESIDENTS OF THE SUBTLE DO YOUR PART, NO MATTER HOW BIG OR HOW SMALL, TO HELP DESOTO BE THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE. OKAY. IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME, THEN FIND A LOCAL ORGANIZATION THAT YOU'RE THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN AND JUST PAY THE ANNUAL DUES. OKAY. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY, THEN FIND A LOCAL ORGANIZATION JUST TO KNOW TO VOLUNTEER WITH IT. OKAY. SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US IN A IN A COLLECTIVE EFFORT TO DO OUR PART TO HELP MAKE [01:15:04] THIS AUTO THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE. SO THERE ARE ONLY SEVEN PEOPLE HERE ON THE COUNCIL, BUT THERE'S A HALF 56,000, BUT THERE'S 55,500 PEOPLE. FIVE, 25 PEOPLE. THANK YOU. DONALD MARKS, DOCTOR DONALD MARKS IN DESOTO. BUT YOU, THE PEOPLE HAVE THE BEST IDEAS, OKAY? EVERY CITIZEN AT SOME POINT CAN THINK OF A GOOD IDEA OR SOLUTION THAT WILL BENEFIT DESOTO. WE WANT YOUR IDEAS. I SET UP AN EMAIL ACCOUNT SPECIFICALLY FOR IDEAS FROM THE CITIZENS. IS WHEN WE CAN AT OUTLOOK.COM. WHEN WE CAN OUTLOOK.COM, EVERYONE CAN SEND AN EMAIL. SO OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, SEND ME AN EMAIL WITH YOUR IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS TO MAKE DESOTO BETTER. I WILL PICK OUT THE BEST ONE EVERY MONTH TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COUNCIL. AND WHO KNOWS, MAYBE ONE DAY WE'LL IMPLEMENT YOUR IDEA FOR THE CITY. OKAY, EVERYTHING STARTS WITH AN IDEA AND EVERYONE CAN SEND AN EMAIL. SO EACH OF YOU HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO YOUR PART IN MAKING THE SOUL THE BEST CITY THAT IT CAN BE. ARTHUR SANCHEZ, WHERE ARE YOU? ARTHUR SANCHEZ. ARTHUR HAD THE BEST IDEA IN APRIL IN REGARDS TO SPECIAL NEEDS. AND, ARTHUR, I WILL BRING YOUR IDEA TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COUNCIL. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR IDEA. DAWN. PAIGE, WERE YOU AT DAWN? PAIGE. DAWN HAD THE BEST IDEA IN MAY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. IT'S THE DAWN. IT'S THE BEST IDEA THAT I'VE HEARD IN ALL THE YEARS THAT I'VE LIVED HERE IN DESOTO. THAT'S HOW GREAT IT WAS, MAN. DONE. I WILL BRING YOUR IDEA TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COUNCIL. OKAY. I'M GOING TO BE YOUR BIGGEST ADVOCATE ON THAT. OKAY? YOU HAVE MY WORD ON THAT. GREAT IDEA. OKAY. TO ALL THE DEVELOPERS, CORPORATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESSES. MY CAMPAIGN PLATFORM WAS THE SUBTLE ECONOMICS FIRST, AND IF IMPLEMENTED CORRECTLY, IT WILL SOLVE THE MAJORITY OF THE CITY'S PROBLEMS. OKAY, WE HAVE LAGGED IN COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT HERE AND OUR CITIZENS WANT BETTER SHOPPING, DINING, ENTERTAINMENT AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES HERE IN DESOTO. I WILL WORK WITH THE COUNCIL TO STREAMLINE OUR PROCESSES, TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR COMPANIES TO DO BUSINESS IN DESOTO. I WILL WORK EXPEDITIOUSLY TO GET OUR CITY MANAGER, MAGIC CITY MARKETING DEPARTMENT NOTES ON TO YOU, DESOTO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, PLANNING AND ZONING, AND OUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ALL ON THE SAME PAGE TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES HERE AND TO SUPPORT OUR EXISTING BUSINESSES. OKAY. ALL YOU NEED TO WORK TOGETHER. YOU GOT THAT MAGIC. OKAY, COOL. ALL RIGHT. DE SOTO, WE MUST ALSO CELEBRATE WHAT MAKES OUR CITY UNIQUE. WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO SHY AWAY FROM OUR UNIQUENESS, AND WE MUST LEAN INTO IT AND CELEBRATE IT WITH DIGNITY. WE'RE 20 MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN DALLAS. WE TOUCH ON 35. WE HAVE A HIGH QUALITY GOLF COURSE. WE HAVE GREAT PARKS AND TRAILS. WE'RE A MULTICULTURAL CITY. WE HAVE GREAT FESTIVALS. OUR CITY IS 70% AFRICAN AMERICAN, AND WE HAVE THE HIGHEST INCOME AND EDUCATION LEVEL OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AFRICAN AMERICANS, CONCENTRATED IN ANY CITY IN NORTH TEXAS HERE. OKAY. SO I WANT TO IMPLORE EACH OF YOU TO SPEAK POSITIVELY OF DE SOTO AND PROMOTE THE CITY IN THE BEST POSSIBLE LIGHT. WE ARE DE SOTO, AND WE WILL LEAD THE BEST SOUTHWEST INTO THE FUTURE. TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. THEY ARE MAYOR TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. OKAY. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EACH OF YOU TO MOVE DESOTO FORWARD IN A POSITIVE WAY, WITH ACTIONABLE AND VERIFIABLE RESULTS THAT OUR CITIZENS CAN BE PROUD OF. AND ANDRE, HELP IS FINALLY ON THE WAY. WE NEED TO TALK QUICK. ANDRE. OKAY. I'LL BE YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. UNLESS THAT'S A JOKE. YEAH, UNLESS I KNOW PEOPLE LOOK AT THIS ONLINE. ANYONE THAT SEES THIS ONLINE THAT IS NOT FROM DE SOTO. IF YOU WANT TO JOIN US IN MAKING DESOTO THE BEST CITY IN SOUTHERN DALLAS COUNTY, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO MOVE TO DESOTO. THERE IS SO MUCH TO LOVE. I WANT TO END WITH THIS MOTTO, EVERYBODY. THESE ARE WORDS THAT WE ALL CAN LIVE BY. IF SOMETHING IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, DON'T JUST TALK ABOUT IT. BE ABOUT IT. THANK YOU. SOTO. NOW. NOW, LISTEN. [01:20:01] HEY. HOLD ON. NOW LET THE GAMES BEGIN. YEAH. HERE WE GO. YES! THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AMEN. YES, YES. THEY SAID YOU DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR MOTHER. YOU WANT TO CLEAN THAT UP? MOM, CAN YOU STAND UP? MOM? SHE'S A DIGNITARY TODAY ON THE FRONT SEAT. THIS IS MY MOTHER HERE. COME ON. MOM. I COULDN'T HAVE DID THIS WITHOUT YOU. EVERYTHING. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID MANY YEARS AGO. OKAY. YES. BUT YES, MY MOM, SHE'S BEEN SUPPORTING ME, OF COURSE, THROUGH THIS WHOLE THING. SO THANK YOU, MOM. WE'LL HAVE TIME FOR US TO WRAP IT UP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. HE'S GOING TO HAVE HIS FIRST ASSIGNMENT FOR TONIGHT AND IS PLACING HIS NAMEPLATE AT HIS STATION. RIGHT. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, COUNCILMAN WATERS. AT THIS TIME, MISS THOMAS WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, [f. Presentation of Certificate of Election to elect Councilmember, Place 5 per the Texas Election Code ] PLEASE. YES, MA'AM. NEXT, WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION OF THE CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION TO ELECT COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE FIVE. PER THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE, MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR. RECEIVING IS COUNCIL ELECT DEBORAH NORTH. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, COUNCILWOMAN ELECT. THANK YOU. IT'S MY DISTINCT PLEASURE TO PRESENT THIS CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION TO YOU AS WELL. AND IT READS IN THE NAME AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF DE SOTO. THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT AT THE RUNOFF ELECTION HELD ON SATURDAY, JUNE 7TH, 2025, DEBORA NORTH, HAVING RECEIVED 51.75% OF THE VOTES FOR A TOTAL OF 1122 VOTES. THAT BEING THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES CAST AS SAID ELECTION FOR ANY CANDIDATE FOR THE OFFICE HEREIN NAMED, WAS DULY ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF DE SOTO FOR THE OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER, PLACE FIVE, A WITNESS WHEREOF I. RACHEL PROCTOR, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DE SOTO, STATE OF TEXAS, HAVE HEREUNTO SUBSCRIBED MY NAME AND CAUSED THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF DE SOTO, TEXAS, TO BE AFFIXED THIS TO THIS CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION. ON THE 16TH DAY OF JUNE, 2025, SIGNED MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR, ATTESTED TO BY ALICIA THOMAS, CITY SECRETARY. CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCILWOMAN. NEXT WILL HAVE AN OATH OF OFFICE FOR ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBER FOR PLACE FIVE FOR THE TEXAS [g. Conduct Oath of Office for elected Councilmember, Place 5 per the Texas Constitution] CONSTITUTION. MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS THE HONORABLE MARIA ISABEL, DALLAS COUNTY PRESIDING JUDGE FOR THE 192ND JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT. [01:25:17] JUST GIVE ME A MOMENT TO TAKE THIS IN. THE RACE IS NOT GIVEN TO THE SWIFT, NOR TO THE STRONG, BUT TO THE ONE WHO ENDURES TO THE END. FIRST, I GIVE ALL HONOR AND GLORY TO GOD IN CHRIST. MY STRENGTH. THERE YOU GO, MY GUIDE AND MY TRUE SOURCE. IT IS BY HIS GRACE THAT I STAND HERE TODAY. AND I DON'T TAKE THIS MOMENT LIGHTLY. I AM HUMBLED AS I WEAR THIS MANTLE OF RESPONSIBILITY. WITH A COMMITMENT TO SERVE WELL. AND I DO SO AS THE FIRST WOMAN IN MY FAMILY TO RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE. ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FAMILY TREE. THIS IS A LEGACY MOMENT, AND I TAKE WITH ME THE PRAYERS, RESILIENCE AND DREAMS OF THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE ME. AND I WALK FORWARD SO THAT OTHERS MAY FOLLOW. I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ASK MY FAMILY TO STAND. MY FRIENDS. MY MOTHER. SHE IS NO LONGER WITH ME. SHE PASSED AWAY FROM STAGE FOUR METASTASIZED BREAST CANCER IN 2023. BUT I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY MOTHER'S BEST FRIEND SINCE I WAS AN ELEMENTARY HIGH SCHOOL, HELEN HIGH SCHOOL, WHO'S BEEN THERE TO SHOW LOYALTY, FAITHFULNESS, COMMITMENT, AND WHAT FRIENDSHIP AND FAMILY MEANS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. TO MY FAMILY, FRIENDS, SUPPORTERS, AND EVERY VOTER, EVERY RESIDENT WHO MY MESSAGE RESONATED WITH. I SAY THANK YOU. AND FOR THE ONE WHO SUPPORTED ME QUIETLY, WHO OFFERED ENCOURAGEMENT, RESPECT AND BELIEF IN ME AND MY PURPOSE. I SEE YOU. YOUR BELIEF IN ME MEANS SO MUCH MORE THAN WORDS CAN EXPRESS. AND I AM TRULY GRATEFUL. I ALSO WANT TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE COMMISSIONER JOHN WILEY PRICE, WHO COULDN'T BE HERE THIS EVENING. HIS DECADES OF SERVICE LAID A FOUNDATION THAT HAS OPENED DOORS FOR LEADERS LIKE MYSELF. WHATEVER I PAST MAY LOOK LIKE TODAY. HIS LEGACY OF ADVOCACY AND COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY IS UNDENIABLE. AND I HONOR THAT. AS I STEP INTO THIS ROLE. I DO SO WITH A PUBLIC SERVANT HEART AND A BOLD VISION FOR PROGRESS MADE. THIS MOMENT TONIGHT NOT ONLY MARKED A NEW CHAPTER FOR DESOTO, SOTO, BUT A RENEWED COMMITMENT FOR ALL OF US. TOGETHER WE MOVE DE SOTO FORWARD. NOW THE WORKS BEGIN AND I AM READY TO SERVE YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES. BEFORE WE CALL FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN, BEFORE WE CALL FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN, WE HAVE A FEW HOUSEKEEPING RULES. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS HERE THAT ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE THOSE THAT ARE OUTGOING AND THOSE THAT ARE COMING IN. WE DO HAVE A RECEPTION IN THE ATRIUM FOR YOU ALL TO ENJOY AND TO FELLOWSHIP. SO WHEN YOU WHEN WE ADJOURN, YOU ALL CAN EXIT HERE AND GO TO YOUR LEFT. AND THERE WILL BE LOTS OF NICE REFRESHMENTS FOR YOU ALL TO ENJOY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME WE HAVE THE SPACE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OUR TIME AND ENJOY EACH OTHER. [01:30:02] SINCE WE HAVE FOUR INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'RE CELEBRATING THAT WE ARE CELEBRATING THIS EVENING. AT THIS TIME, I WILL CALL FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCILMEMBER PARKER, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES TO ADJOURN OUR MEETING TONIGHT. COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME. ALL OPPOSED. SAME SIGN. IT IS NOW 730 ON THE DOT AND WE ARE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU ALL. ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR EVENING. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.