Jul 14, 2025 City Council Special Meeting

[00:00:03]

GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. IT IS MONDAY, JULY 14TH.

IT IS 6 P.M. ON MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR. AND I WANT TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL.

AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO ASK OUR CITY SECRETARY IF SHE WOULD GET US KICKED OFF WITH A ROLL CALL, PLEASE. YES, MA'AM. MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR HERE, MAYOR PRO TEM KRYSTAL CHISHOLM HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. PARKER HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER KEN WATERS HERE.

COUNCIL MEMBER ANDRE BYRD, COUNCIL MEMBER. DEBORA NORTH, COUNCIL MEMBER.

LETICIA HUGHES HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS THOMAS.

WE'LL HAVE THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA. YES, MA'AM.

[a. Presentation of Financial Report June 2025]

MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS NIKITA SUTTON, INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING.

OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO OUR JUNE 2025 FINANCIAL REPORT.

OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT, WE ARE THREE QUARTERS INTO THE FISCAL YEAR 75% INTO THE FISCAL YEAR.

FIRST SLIDE PLEASE. OH, SORRY. THANK YOU. KAREN.

SO WE START WITH THE GENERAL FUND, OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE.

OUR BUDGET IS 64.3 MILLION. AND YEAR TO DATE, WE HAVE RECEIVED 55.7 MILLION.

AS WE KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS GOING TO BE MORE THAN 45% OF IT IS FROM OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, WHICH WE RECEIVED 39.5 MILLION. YEAR TO DATE, WE'RE AT 98.6%.

SO WE'VE JUST ABOUT RECEIVED IT ALL FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.

SALES TAX IS THE SECOND HIGHEST REVENUE SOURCE WE HAVE AND WE HAVE RECEIVED 6.6 MILLION.

WE'RE AT 57.2% RIGHT NOW. AND THEN THE OTHER VARIOUS REVENUE SOURCES ARE LISTED HERE FOR A TOTAL OF 55.7 MILLION.

WE ARE AT 86.7% ON OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE, AT 75% INTO THE FISCAL YEAR.

CORRESPONDINGLY, OUR EXPENDITURES FOR THE GENERAL FUND.

AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE THOSE LISTED BY DEPARTMENT.

EXPENDITURE. TOTAL BUDGET IS 63.9 MILLION. AND YEAR TO DATE, WE HAVE RECEIVED.

WE HAVE SPENT, I'M SORRY, 44.8 MILLION, WHICH PUTS US AT 70.2% FOR OUR EXPENDITURES, COMPARED TO 68% THIS TIME LAST YEAR. IN OUR PUBLIC UTILITY FUND, WE HAVE BUDGETED 30.4 MILLION FOR OUR REVENUE, AND YEAR TO DATE WE HAVE RECEIVED 23.3 MILLION.

THAT PUTS US ABOUT 76.5%, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN WE WERE THIS TIME LAST YEAR.

WE WERE AT 72.7%. SO WE'RE TRACKING REALLY GOOD IN THE PUBLIC UTILITY FUND REVENUE.

CORRESPONDINGLY, THOSE EXPENDITURES ARE AT 73.9% VERSUS 74.8% THIS TIME LAST YEAR.

IN OUR SANITATION FUND, WE BUDGETED 7.3 MILLION.

YEAR TO DATE, WE HAVE RECEIVED 5.6 MILLION. OF COURSE, OUR VARIOUS REVENUE SOURCES ARE LISTED HERE.

THAT REVENUE IS THE MAJORITY OF IT IS, OF COURSE, FROM OUR SANITATION FEES THAT ARE CHARGED TO OUR CUSTOMERS FOR OUR PUBLIC SERVICE.

UP YEAR TO DATE 4.7 MILLION. AGAIN, THE TOTAL REVENUE 76.7 MILLION.

THOSE CORRESPONDING EXPENDITURES ARE LISTED BY CATEGORY.

WE HAVE SPENT 4.4 MILLION OUT OF THE 7.1 MILLION THAT WE EXPECTED TO SPEND THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR, SO THAT PUTS US AT 61.3% COMPARED TO 54.7% THIS TIME LAST YEAR.

WE ALSO HAVE INCLUDED WITH YOUR PACKETS THE YEAR TO DATE EXPENDITURES AND REVENUE FOR THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUNDS, ALL OTHER FUNDS, SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, AS WELL AS A PROPERTY TAX REPORT AND A OVERTIME REPORT BY DEPARTMENT.

THAT INCLUDES MY FINANCIAL REPORT, AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.

THANK YOU, MISS SUTTON. COUNSEL, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? YES, MAYOR PRO TEM CHISHOLM. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

I DID HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. ONE IN REFERENCE TO OH, LORD, DON'T KILL ME NOW.

PARKS AND TO ALSO SALES TAX. NOTABLY, ON THE BUDGET WISE, WE ARE BELOW WHERE WE SHOULD BE FOR BOTH OF THOSE CATEGORIES.

DO WE HAVE ANYTHING IN PLAY OR ANY CONVERSATION OF WHY WHAT'S DRIVING THOSE REVENUE SOURCES FOR US TO BE LOWER THAN BUDGETED? I'LL LET CHRIS SPEAK TO PARKS FOR SALES TAX. I THINK THIS IS A TREND.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT, AND I'VE BEEN WATCHING OTHER CITIES AS WELL WITH THEIR FINANCIAL REPORTING. THIS IS A TREND AMONG MOST CITIES RIGHT NOW. SO YES, YES, I BELIEVE THAT DUE TO SOME OF THE ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT ARE GOING ON

[00:05:09]

AS YOU CAN SEE THIS TIME LAST YEAR WE WERE AT 66.2%.

ONE THING THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET IS WE'RE NOT GOING TO PROPOSE AN INCREASE IN SALES TAX, AND I'VE ALSO SAW A TREND WITH THAT AMONG OTHER CITIES AS WELL, UNTIL THINGS KIND OF BETTER EVEN OUT IN THE ECONOMY, AND WE CAN BETTER SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING. WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BUDGET THE EXACT SAME REVENUE THAT WE BUDGETED THIS YEAR.

SO THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE'LL HAVE TO JUST KIND OF WAIT IT OUT.

IT'S SEASONAL AS WELL, SO SOMETIMES IT PICKS UP FOR BACK TO SCHOOL.

SO WE'LL SEE HOW THAT WASHES OUT FOR US. BUT THE TREND IS TYPICALLY LOW RIGHT NOW JUST AMONG OTHER CITIES, WHICH IS THE IRONY OF THAT IS SUMMERTIME AND MORE PEOPLE ARE OUT.

AND WHEN YOU SAY TARIFFS, I ALWAYS LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE YOU SAID THIS AT THE LAST MEETING, I THINK I SEE THAT AS A MORE NATIONAL ISSUE, AND NOT ONE THAT HAS TO DO WITH ME DOING BUSINESS WITHIN THE CITY.

SO I GUESS FROM THAT STANDPOINT, I GUESS THAT'S WHY IT'S GOING OVER MY HEAD.

ANY IS IT PARKS THERE. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. AND THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.

I'M NOT SURPRISED YOU ASKED AND I'M ACTUALLY PREPARED FOR IT.

I FIGURED SOMEONE WOULD ASK THAT QUESTION. SO I'M I'M PREPARING FOR THIS ONE.

WE HAD WE HAD TWO OF OUR LINE ITEMS THAT WE WERE WAY OFF ON OUR PROJECTIONS.

ONE OF THEM WAS OUR YOUTH TOURNAMENT SECURITY LINE ITEM.

AFTER WE MADE OUR PROJECTIONS WITH YOUTH TOURNAMENT SECURITIES PD END UP GOING TO ROLL CALL.

SO WE SWITCHED THE PROCESS. SO WE BROUGHT IN LIKE 16,000 I THINK.

AND WE HAD LIKE 60,000 BUDGETED FOR THAT. SO THAT PROCESS REALLY KIND OF MESSED WITH US THERE.

AND THE SECOND THING IS THE ICE SKATING RINK WHERE WE PROJECTED, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE LET'S SEE, 45 AND WE END UP BRINGING IN ABOUT 14. SO THOSE TWO THINGS REALLY HAVE SET US SET US BACK FROM WHAT WE ACTUALLY PROJECTED.

OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. OKAY. AND THEN IF IT'S OKAY, I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION.

AND IT'S IN REFERENCE TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

SHOUT OUT TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THEY'VE ONLY USED 70% OF THEIR OVERTIME ALLOCATION.

HOWEVER, I DID NOTICE THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS AT 651 K VERSUS THIS 578 K OF LAST YEAR.

I KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO HEAR. THERE'S A BALANCE, RIGHT, WITH WHAT THE SROS DO IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THE ONLY THING THAT I'M, I AM ASKING FROM THAT IS WHAT'S DRIVING OUR OUR OVERTIME BEYOND THAT? IF WE LOOK AT CRIME, IT'S IT'S DOWN.

SO, LIKE, IS IT WE WE WERE IN LANCASTER FOR THE 4TH OF JULY, SO THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT WE HAD JUNETEENTH HERE.

RIGHT. SO MAYBE WE CAN SAY THAT. BUT JUST LOOKING AT WHAT ELSE IS DRIVING THAT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.

BECAUSE I THINK AT SOME POINT WE NEED TO SAY, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH HEADCOUNT OR IS THERE A NEED NOW TO GO OUT FOR MORE, MORE BASED ON BECAUSE YOU HAVE BURNOUT FACTOR WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT ALL THIS OVERTIME TOO.

SO. SURE, SURE. THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO TEM I DO.

AND I'LL COMMENT ON THAT BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS A CLOSER LOOK IN THE BUDGET, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR BUDGETED AMOUNT VERSUS THE 651,000 THAT HAS SPENT YEAR TO DATE IT, YOU KNOW, OUR REVENUE FROM SRO SO FAR HAS BEEN AROUND 195,000.

SO THAT'S IF WE OFFSET THAT. THAT STILL PUTS US ABOVE THE 75%.

SO WE DO WANT TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THAT DURING THIS BUDGETING CYCLE TO SEE WHAT OTHER FACTORS MAY BE CONTRIBUTING TO THE OVERTIME.

AND IF WE JUST NEED TO TAKE AN HONEST LOOK AT IT AND SAY WE NEED TO BUDGET FOR MORE OVERTIME.

SO THANK YOU. AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT. AND CITY MANAGER, JUST FOR REFERENCE.

AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN THE MEETING WAS, BUT I KNOW THAT WE BROUGHT THIS UP WHERE HOW LIKE WHAT IS THE MANAGEMENT OF THE OVERTIME ON THE BACK END? AND THE ALLOCATION OF IT BECAUSE OF WE'VE GONE OVER LIKE I THINK LAST YEAR WE WERE CLOSE TO A MILLION OVER.

AND NOW AS WE APPROACH THIS LAST QUARTER, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HEAD IN THAT DIRECTION AGAIN.

AND JUST I DON'T I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A FEASIBILITY THAT I'M ASKING FOR, BUT JUST FROM LIKE THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR, YOU KNOW, MONITORING IT. AND FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, WITH CONSIDERATION WHAT MISS SUTTON JUST PROVIDED.

WELL, GOOD. GOOD AFTERNOON. HONORABLE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

[00:10:05]

THE FIRST, THE FIRST CATEGORY IS CITY SPONSORED EVENTS.

THE SECOND CATEGORY IS WHAT CHRIS GLOVER TOUCHED ON, WHICH IS WHICH IS ACTUALLY EVENTS THAT HAPPEN IN THE CITY.

BUT THEY YOU KNOW, THEY THEY'RE PRIVATE EVENTS.

AND THE THIRD CATEGORY IS JUST OVERTIME DUE TO ATTRITION, DUE TO CHALLENGES WITH, YOU KNOW, LIGHT DUTY OFFICER GETS HURT. SOMEONE ELSE HAS GOT TO HAVE TO COVER.

THEY'RE OUT ON VACATION. YOU KNOW ALL OF THAT STUFF.

IT IS MANAGED AS AS BEST AS. AS IT CAN BE. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT, IF YOU RECALL, IS I CAPPED THEIR OVERTIME LAST YEAR TO A PERCENTAGE OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS.

AND AND I WILL TELL YOU, I WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE VIGILANT WITH POLICE THAN FIRE.

SO I KIND OF TIGHTENED THE GRIP A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.

BUT THERE'S THERE'S CERTAIN UNCERTAINTY WHEN YOU TRY TO RECONCILE, FOR EXAMPLE, REVENUES THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES GO STRAIGHT INTO THE GENERAL FUND. THE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T GET CREDIT FOR IT.

SO THERE'S $150,000 OR MAYBE $160,000 OF MONEY THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD GET BACK AS A AS A REFUND, THAT IT GOES DIRECTLY TO THE GENERAL FUND. AND SO THAT'S SOME OF THE DYNAMICS THAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THESE TYPES OF EVENTS HAVE TO BE HAVE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.

DO WE ACCOUNT FOR THEM AS PART OF THE OVERTIME OR DO WE ACCOUNT FOR THEM SPECIAL EVENTS FOR THE CITY AND JUST LOCK THEM OUT THAT WAY? SO I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE CHALLENGE WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOING THAT RESPONSE TO, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS THIS PAST WEEK, YOU KNOW, WE CHASED ONE BAD GUY, WE CHASED A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS.

YOU KNOW, WE WE WE HELPED OTHER AGENCIES TO DO SO.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO CALL ON ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS TO DO SO.

SO THAT CREATES ALSO OVER TIME. SO THERE'S ON SOME UNSEEN YOU KNOW, UNEXPECTED IF YOU, IF YOU CALL IT EVENTS THAT, THAT TRIGGER THIS FOR US. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE NEED TO KIND OF TIGHTEN AND LOOK FOR IT.

AND I, I WOULD TELL YOU, YES, I ACTUALLY HARASS OUR CHIEF ON, ON, ON THE USE OF, OF OVERTIME.

BUT THE REALITY ALSO SOME OF IT IS REALLY VERY UNPREDICTABLE AND WE HAVE TO KIND OF DYNAMICALLY WORK WITH THAT.

THANK YOU. CITY MANAGER GODFREY COUNCILWOMAN PARKER.

THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

I DO I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MISS RYAN RECENTLY ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH AND ALL THOSE SORT OF THINGS.

AND SHE HAD MENTIONED THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ACTUALLY SHORT OFFICERS NOW DUE TO THE ACTUAL RETIREMENT OF SEVERAL OFFICERS.

SO DOES THAT ACCOUNT FOR MAYBE WHY THE THE OVERTIME HAS INCREASED? BECAUSE YOU'RE NOW USING MORE OF THE SAME OFFICERS.

AND DO WE GET A REPORT ON THAT WHEN, WHENEVER THE THE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE RETIRE TO THAT DEGREE WHERE WE ARE ON THE ACTUAL OFFICERS BRINGING THEM BACK IN END OR PUTTING IN MORE OFFICES THAN THAT SORT OF THING.

DO WE GET A REPORT ON THAT? WELL, TO ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION, WE WE I CAN SAY THAT, YES, IT'S LIKELY THAT THE ATTRITION OF THE OFFICERS, THE ONES WHO HAVE RETIRED OR LEFT.

THAT SOMEONE HAS TO FILL IN FOR THEM. AND SO THAT COULD ACCOUNT FOR SOME OF THE OVERTIME ATTRITION REPORTS ARE NOT ANYTHING THAT THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT COLLECTS, BUT I'M MORE THAN SURE CHIEF COSTA AND THE CITY MANAGER HAVE THEIR CONVERSATIONS REGARDING THAT.

SO. OKAY, IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF JUST SAYING THAT OUT LOUD BECAUSE WHEN THIS HAPPENED BEFORE, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT OVERTIME, IT WAS ALWAYS THE QUESTION OF HAVE WE ACCOUNTED FOR RETIREMENTS AS FAR AS THE OFFICERS ARE CONCERNED THAT ARE ON DUTY AND WHEN RETIREMENTS HAPPEN, WE DON'T HAVE THIS KIND OF INCREASE IN THESE DIFFERENT AREAS BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR IT.

SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE QUESTION WAS FOR. THANK YOU. I YIELD BACK.

THANK YOU. I, I DO AND AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PROVIDE ON THE QUARTERLY UPDATE FOR OUR POLICE AND FIRE. WE CAN CERTAINLY CERTAINLY TALK ABOUT STAFFING AND VACANCIES AND HOW THAT CAUSED YOU KNOW, HOW THAT CAUSES OVERTIME USAGE. I THINK OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB OF HIRING WHEN THEY HAVE ATTRITION.

BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A POLICE OFFICER THAT CAN BE SICK OR POLICE OFFICER THAT HAS TO TAKE CARE OF YOU KNOW,

[00:15:06]

THAT'S THAT'S JUST THAT'S JUST GIVEN. SIMILAR TO OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SEND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. SAME THING.

AND THIS IS A DILEMMA FOR US WHEN WE SEND OUR FIRE PERSONNEL TO TO TRAINING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR THEM.

PLUS, WE HAVE TO COVER THEIR SHIFTS BECAUSE THAT'S JUST PART OF THE DYNAMIC.

AND THIS YEAR WE TRIED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

IT WAS JUST A BIT LATE FOR US. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO LOOK AT THAT WHOLE MODEL NEXT YEAR AS WELL, NOT ONLY FOR POLICE BUT FOR FIRE. YOUR QUESTION.

YEAH, FOR A DIFFERENT QUESTION. OKAY. THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS ABOUT THE ACTUAL HUB REPORT YOU HAD ON THERE 16%.

AND SO WE'RE LIKE 4% OFF OF A WAS IT 16.1. WE'RE ABOUT 3.9% OFF THE 20%.

AND I'M GOING TO HARP ON THAT BECAUSE I ALWAYS ASK THE QUESTION, IT'S 20% DOABLE.

SO WE ONLY HAVE TWO MORE MONTHS BEFORE WE CAN ACTUALLY HIT THAT. IS THAT WHAT THAT IS? WE HAVE TWO MORE MONTHS TO GO, SO WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES.

AND CAN WE ATTRIBUTE THAT TO THE PARKS AND REC AND THEIR AND THEIR ACTIVITY OVER THAT.

ABSOLUTELY. ALL OF THE I'LL KEEP IT OVER THERE. PARKS AND REC BRING US SOME MORE HUB VENDORS.

THANK YOU. I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN PARKER, I DID HAVE A QUESTION THAT'S GOING BACK TO, WELL, KEEP IT IN THE SAME VEIN OF THE OVERTIME.

I KNOW WE'VE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS QUITE A BIT IN TERMS OF THE OVERTIME AND JUST MAKING SURE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ACTUAL NUMBER IS.

AND SO IS THERE A WAY I KNOW WE, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT POSSIBLY PUTTING WHATEVER NUMBER IS SAID AGAINST THAT TO GIVE US THE REALISTIC NUMBER OF THE OVERTIME.

SO LIKE IF THAT'S REIMBURSEMENTS THAT WE'RE WAITING TO COME IN, I KNOW THAT OUR CITY MANAGER MAY MENTION THAT THE FUNDS ARE JUST GOING STRAIGHT INTO THE GENERAL FUND, SO WE DON'T REALLY SEE THEM ANYWHERE ELSE.

BUT IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN GET THAT? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL.

KIND OF LIKE GOING INTO IT TO REALLY KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO KIND OF DIG FOR IT IN THE GENERAL FUND TO SEE WHERE THE THE OFFSETS ARE GOING. RIGHT? YES, ABSOLUTELY. AND IF YOU LOOK ON THE WHAT WE DID WAS WE STARTED PUTTING IT BACK ON THE MEMO.

SO ON THE MEMO, THERE IS A IF YOU GO TO THE FINANCIAL REPORT ON PAGE TWO, THE PAGE DIRECTLY AFTER THE COVER PAGE, GO TO THE BOTTOM THERE AND YOU'LL SEE SRO REVENUE.

AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT THERE EVERY MONTH.

AND THAT'S GOING TO LET US KNOW WHAT THAT OFFSET NUMBER IS, WHICH IS ON THE FINANCIAL REPORT.

THE VERY FIRST PAGE IS YOUR COVER PAGE IS THIS ONE.

AND THEN IT'S THE SECOND PAGE OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION. SURE. THANKS.

I THINK DIRECTOR GLOVER BROUGHT IN A REALLY GOOD POINT WHEN WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE TWO EVENTS THAT AFFECTED AFFECTED REVENUES.

ONE EVENT IS, IS SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES FOR THE TOURNAMENT AND THE ONLY GENERATED $16,000, $16,000. I DON'T WANT TO MISQUOTE YOU, DIRECTOR.

$14,000 INSTEAD OF 60. AND WE WENT TO ROLL CALL, MEANING THAT WE DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH POLICE OVERTIME.

THEY WERE SCHEDULED THROUGH A PRIVATE COMPANY.

THE PRIVATE COMPANY PAYS THEM DIRECTLY. THEY DON'T HIT THE BUDGET AND ANYTHING ELSE.

THAT'S KIND OF THE REVERSE EFFECT OF OF HAVING IF WE GENERATED $60,000, WE PROBABLY WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL $45,000 IN POLICE OVERTIME BUDGET. SO IT'S IT'S A GAME OF NUMBERS AND WE NEED TO BE REALLY CAREFUL WITH THAT.

SO THAT'S PART OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE $60,000 VERSUS $14,000 THAT COULD HAVE BEEN TRANSLATED INTO POLICE OVERTIME FOR US. AND BUT THE MONEY WOULD HAVE GONE STRAIGHT TO EITHER THE PARKS BUDGET OR THE GENERAL FUND.

THANK YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER. AT THIS TIME, I SEE NO ADDITIONAL LIGHTS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK, SO WE WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA. THANK YOU. MR..

YES, MA'AM. NEXT WE HAVE PRESENTATION OF THE DEPARTMENT UPDATES ON FISCAL YEAR 25 BUSINESS PLAN GOALS.

[b. Presentation of department updates on FY2025 Business Plan Goals ]

I'M MATT CASEY, DIRECTOR OF THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT. OKAY.

TODAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ONE STOP SHOP PERMITTING MODEL.

I'LL WALK YOU THROUGH THE AGENDA. WE HAVE THE PURPOSE.

I HAVE SOME BACKGROUND, A PROJECT GOAL APPROACH AND TIMELINE.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES, AND THEN THE NEXT STEPS ARE.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION IS TO PROVIDE YOU A STATUS UPDATE ABOUT THE BUSINESS GOAL.

NUMBER FIVE. IT IS PART OF OUR CITY BUSINESS PLAN FOR 2025.

AND THAT IS THE ONE STOP SHOP. AND THEN THIS PRESENTATION IS INFORMATIONAL ITEM ONLY.

[00:20:06]

AND THEN THIS INITIATIVE WOULD HAPPEN THAT WOULD POSITION THE CITY OF DESOTO AS A BUSINESS FRIENDLY CITY THAT SUPPORTS GROWTH AND INVESTMENT.

OF SOME BACKGROUND OF THIS CITY AT THIS TIME, HAS THIS TYPE OF ONE STOP SHOP WHEN IT COMES TO THE PRE-DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS.

HOWEVER, WE LIKE THIS OPPORTUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO THE PLAN REVIEW.

THE INITIAL INTENT FOR THIS INITIATIVE WAS TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO CREATE THIS MODEL.

BUT NOW STAFF IS LATE IN THIS EFFORT AND HAS THE EXPERTISE AND WILL BE DONE IN-HOUSE.

LEAN SIX SIGMA WILL BE APPLIED MORE SPECIFICALLY THE DEMAND WHICH WE WILL GET INTO IN A SECOND.

ALL RIGHT. SO WHAT IS ONE STOP SHOP? ONE STOP SHOP IS BASICALLY A SINGLE SESSION WHERE PLAN REVIEWERS FROM ALL DISCIPLINES GET TOGETHER AND DO THE PLAN, REVIEW AND APPROVE PERMITS COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE APPLICANTS.

SO THE ONE STOP SHOP IS INTERDISCIPLINARY AS IN PERSON MEETINGS, AND THEY ARE TIME SAVING.

THEY WOULD REDUCE THE BACK AND FORTH SUBMITTALS AND EMAILS BETWEEN STAFF AND APPLICANTS.

THE FIRST STEP THAT WE HAVE ON THE ON THE APPROACH THAT WOULD BE STEP ONE, THE DEFINE PHASE.

BASICALLY DEFINING THE SCOPE OF VISION AND OBJECTIVE.

ALSO IDENTIFYING KEY STAKEHOLDERS THAT WOULD BE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS.

WE'VE ALREADY COMPLETED THIS STEP. STEP TWO WOULD BE MEASURE.

AND THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, INTERVIEWING AND SURVEYING STAKEHOLDERS.

TONIGHT IS PART OF THE MEASURE PHASE. WE'RE ALMOST DONE WITH THIS MEASURE.

AND ALSO IDENTIFYING RESOURCES NEEDED SUCH AS STAFF CONFERENCE ROOM EQUIPMENT.

STEP NUMBER THREE ANALYZE. AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE MAPPING OUT THE CURRENT PROCESS TO REVEAL INEFFICIENCIES CHALLENGES AND BOTTLENECK IN THE PROCESS. STEP FOUR. THAT WOULD BE THE DESIGN WHERE WE WILL BE ABLE TO USE THE INPUT FROM ALL STAKEHOLDERS AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO DEVELOP OUR CODE, DEVELOP SESSIONS, FORMAT, PROCESS, FLOW AND TIMELINE AND DEFINE WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE ONE-STOP SESSIONS. FINAL STEP WE HAVE VERIFIED ONCE WE DESIGN THE PROCESS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO TEST IT AND DO SOME PILOT PROJECTS AND DRY RUNS.

AND THEN WE WILL VERIFY THE RESULTS. AND, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY COLLECTING SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE APPLICANTS.

WE'LL REFINE THE DESIGN. AFTER WE COLLECT THE FEEDBACK WE WILL BE ABLE TO DEVELOP SOME MATERIALS SUCH AS FLIERS, HANDOUTS AND FLOWCHARTS. AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO PREPARE THE FINAL DRAFT REPORT AND RETURN BACK TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL BEFORE THE FULL LAUNCH. PROJECT REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES. STEP ONE IS $0.

BASICALLY IS BEING DONE BY INTERNAL FORCES, BY STAFF.

STEP TWO. SAME THING THOUGH WE ARE REQUESTING WE'RE ACTUALLY ADDING 10,000 K FOR RECLASSIFICATION, RECLASSIFICATION OF ONE OF THE POSITIONS TO A PROJECT COORDINATOR.

AND THEN STEP THREE AND FOUR. THAT WOULD BE THE ANALYZE AND DESIGN.

THAT WOULD BE $0 ONLY AS IT WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED BY CITY STAFF.

STEP NUMBER FIVE TESTING VERIFICATION PROCESS REFINEMENT.

THAT WOULD BE ZERO ALONG WITH THE FINAL PROJECT REPORT.

ALTHOUGH WE'RE ADDING 25 K FOR GRAPHIC DESIGN FLIERS, HANDOUTS AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME SMALL RENOVATIONS TO THE CONFERENCES THAT WE HAVE.

SO IN TOTAL, THE ESTIMATED REQUESTED BUDGET IS 25 K INITIAL AND TEN K ANNUAL.

AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT SAVING OF 150 K COMPARED TO A HIRING A CONSULTANT.

LIKE, IF WE WERE TO HIRE A CONSULTANT, THAT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 150 K THAT WE'RE SAVING.

YOU KNOW, AFTER WE'RE DOING RECRUITMENT TO THE PROCESS.

SO WE'RE EXPECTING 5 TO 10% OF REVENUES DUE TO ENHANCEMENTS TO THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.

AND THAT WOULD BE 48 K TO 96 K. OUR NEXT STEPS WORKING ON COMPLETING THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.

THE TIME THAT WE DID THIS PRESENTATION, IT WASN'T DONE IS COMPLETED NOW.

WE'RE DESIGNING THE PROCESS AND THEN WE'LL BE LAUNCHING THE PILOT PROJECT IN Q4 2025.

WE WILL BE RETURNING TO CITY COUNCIL IN Q1 FOR WITH THE FINAL DRAFT FOR ADOPTION.

WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN THAT UP FOR RECOMMENDATIONS, SUGGESTIONS OR QUESTIONS.

[00:25:10]

I'M NOT SURE WHOSE LIGHT WAS ON FIRST. COUNCILMEMBER PARKER, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

IS IT MR. OKC? IT'S OKC OKC AS A LEAN SIX SIGMA A GREEN BELT MYSELF.

I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME OF THE ITEMS OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE DOING THE ACTUAL APPROACH, IF YOU WILL. EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE GREEN OR LEAN SIX SIGMA CERTIFIED.

SO. AND THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I'M ACTUALLY TAKING THE LEAD ON THIS.

I'M DOING IT. I'M MYSELF A PMP CERTIFIED, BUT WE'RE ALSO PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF LANCASTER.

AND WE HAVE A COACH FROM A CONSULTANT THAT WE'RE HELPING US WITH APPLYING THE TECHNIQUES FROM SIX SIGMA.

OH, OUTSTANDING. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO LEAN SIX SIGMA, YOU'RE TALKING IN TERMS OF REDUCING WASTE.

IT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF IT. BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU, THE ONE STOP SHOP SAYS Q4 2024.

THAT IS ACTUALLY WHERE WE SIT NOW. SO SO IN 2025, I'M SORRY YOU SAID Q4 2025.

EXCUSE ME. SO THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN JULY AND THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

AND SEPTEMBER. SO THAT'S THE TIME THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THE DESIGN OF THE PROCESS, AND WE'RE TRYING TO PILOT THE PROJECT OR DRY RUN IT, BUT THEN WE WILL COME BACK IN Q1 2026, WHICH IS ANYTIME BETWEEN OCTOBER TO, YOU KNOW, JANUARY FOR FOR THE FINAL REPORT AND FOR CITY COUNCIL FOR, FOR ADOPTION. SO THE Q4 2025 IS WHERE WE SIT NOW.

YES. SO IT'LL HAPPEN BETWEEN NOW AND. EXACTLY.

YES. AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU IS, IS, IS THAT OPEN TO EITHER COUNCIL MEMBERS OR TO, TO TO SIT IN AND WATCH. OH YEAH. YOU MEAN THE SESSIONS? YES. SO THE SESSIONS WILL BE OPEN. YOU KNOW, WE CAN INVITE COUNCIL MEMBERS DEFINITELY FOR TO SIT ON THE SESSIONS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA FOR FOR THE DRY RUNS OR THE PILOT PROJECTS IF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WANT TO JOIN.

AND YOU KNOW, THIS WAY WE ALSO COLLECT SOME, YOU KNOW, REAL TIME FEEDBACK AND WE CAN IMPLEMENT THOSE FEEDBACKS WHEN WE REFINE THE DESIGN AFTER THE DRY RUNS. THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK ON YOUR SIX SIGMA.

IT IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE TO MAKING SURE THAT WE REDUCE WASTE.

I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE CLARIFICATION. QUARTER FOUR MEANS THE LAST QUARTER OF FISCAL.

IT'S NOT FISCAL YEAR. IT'S CALENDAR YEAR 2025.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT. I ALSO WANT TO GIVE PROPS TO DAN GREENLEE WHO'S LEADING THE EFFORT OR HR DIRECTORS LEADING THE EFFORT OF THE LEAN SIX SIGMA. WE ACTUALLY SENT THREE INDIVIDUALS TO WORK ON MAJOR PROJECTS FOR THE CITY.

AND SO ACTUALLY THEY WILL GRADUATE IN IN AUGUST, AND THEY WILL WILL MAKE A PRESENTATION EITHER IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER ABOUT THAT EFFORT. IN THAT AND THE LAST THING THAT I WANT TO MENTION IS THAT FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ATTEND, I JUST WANT TO CAUTION US TO NOT HAVE ANY WALKING QUORUM ISSUES.

SO DEFINITELY ARE INVITED AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK.

BUT THE WALKING QUORUM ISSUE CAN COME CAN BE A MAJOR ISSUE FOR US.

SO IF WE HAVE TO CREATE 2 OR 3 MEETINGS, I HAVE NO ISSUES WITH THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S PARTICIPATION BY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU. LIKE, I'M ALL FOR EFFICIENCY, AND I TRY NOT TO DIG IN THE WEEDS OF THE OPERATION, BUT I CAN APPRECIATE BECAUSE THAT'S NOT MY MAIN RIGHT, BUT I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFULNESS IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND TO CREATE A ONE STOP SHOP.

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I THINK THE FEEDBACK THAT I'VE GOTTEN FROM CITIZENS IS THAT AND FROM PEOPLE OF THE BUSINESS WORLD IS THAT WE SOMETIMES MAKE IT HARD TO DO BUSINESS.

BUT FROM A CITIZEN PERSPECTIVE, THE LACK OF FOLLOW UP AS IT RELATES TO THE PERMIT, LIKE I THINK WHEN COUNCIL MEMBERS GET INVOLVED IS TOO LATE, RIGHT? BECAUSE SOMETHING'S WENT AWRY. LIKE, I LOOK AT US LIKE A BOARD OF DIRECTOR, LEVEL FOUR CORPORATION.

IF A CONSUMER REACHES OUT TO US AND THEY BYPASS ALL THE OTHER LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP INTERNAL IN THE INTERNAL ORGANIZATION, SOMETHING'S WRONG. RIGHT. THAT OFTEN HAPPENS SOMETIMES WITH PERMITS, ESPECIALLY FOR RESIDENTS.

AND SO AS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO DISCOVER AND ANALYZE, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER? I WOULD HOPE, IF YOU WOULD ALSO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION FROM A RESIDENT PERSPECTIVE THE FOLLOW THROUGH.

[00:30:05]

AND THEN OTHER THAN THAT, ARE THERE ANY MEASURABLE OUTCOMES THAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO ACHIEVE FROM THIS? BECAUSE I WAS JUST AS YOU WERE WALKING THROUGH IT, I KNOW THAT THE IDEA IS TO REDUCE WASTE.

RIGHT? BUT ARE THERE ANY MEASURABLE OUTCOMES OR DO YOU HAVE ANY SUCCESS? IS IT SUCCESS ON THE END SHORTER TIME FRAME FOR THE APPLICANT? OR IS THIS SUCCESS INTERNALLY BECAUSE THE HOURS YOU ALL SAVE INTERNALLY? I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WHAT WHAT DROVE YOU HERE? THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT, FOR YOUR FEEDBACK. YES.

SO THE SUCCESSES WE HAVE. SO IF BY THE END OF THE 2026, THE FISCAL YEAR 2026, IF WE CREATE THE REVENUES AND ELIMINATE SOME OF THE ACCEPTANCE LETTERS THEN THAT WOULD BE A SUCCESS, THOUGH WE HAVE LEADING INDICATORS, SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

WE WILL GAUGE THE PROCESS AS YOU KNOW, IT TRENDS.

ONE OF THE LEAD INDICATORS, YOU KNOW, BY Q2 2026, IF WE ELIMINATE ALL THE ACCEPTANCE LETTER, THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE LEADING INDICATORS. SO AT THIS TIME, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO SUBMIT FOR A BUILDING PERMIT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR PLANNING AND ZONING.

YOU GET AN ACCEPTANCE LETTER. AND THEN AND THEN THE NEXT STEP ENGINEERING.

AND THEN YOU GET AN ACCEPTANCE LETTER. AND THEN YOU SUBMIT YOUR BUILDING PERMIT.

SO WE'RE HOPING BY Q2 2026 WE WOULD BE ELIMINATING ALL THOSE ACCEPTANCE LETTERS.

THAT'S AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU MA'AM. AND IF I MAKE CLEAR THIS UP MAYOR PRO TEM A COUPLE OF THINGS.

ONE, WE HAVE WE HAVE OBLIGATIONS THROUGH THE STATE OF APPROVING DOCUMENTS WITHIN A REQUIRED TIME.

SO THAT'S WHEN WE WANT TO EXCEED THAT. SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A PROJECT FLOW AS IT EXISTS TODAY, AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE THE NUMBER OF DAYS AND THE NUMBER OF, YOU KNOW, PROCESSES AND THE NUMBER OF CYCLES, AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A DIFFERENT PROCESS THAT SHOWS THE NUMBER OF DAYS AND ELIMINATING THOSE CYCLES.

SO YOU'LL SEE A COMPARISON EXPECTATION SIDE BY SIDE OF WHAT WE DO NOW AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE ONE STOP SHOP IS ESTABLISHED.

SO THAT'S THAT'S THE DYNAMIC. SO YOU'LL HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE FIRST AND FOREMOST.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF A PROCESS TAKES THREE MONTHS, FOUR MONTHS TO DO IT WITH THE NEW PROCESS, IT COULD TAKE LESS THAN 20 DAYS.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE PERFORMANCE METRICS TO MEET THAT 100% OF THE TIME WITHIN THE FIRST 20 DAYS, UNLESS THERE'S SO IT WILL EXCEED WHAT THE WHAT THE STATE EXPECTATION IS.

SO IT WILL WILL HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE JUST BY THAT MEASURE ALONE.

AND NOW OUR GOAL IS TO YOU KNOW, IT IS TO ENHANCE THAT GRADUALLY BUT SURELY AS WELL, WHILE ENHANCING CUSTOMER SERVICE.

SO WE MAY NOT WE MAY NOT SEE INCREASES, MAJOR INCREASES IN REVENUE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO SEE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.

AND THE STORY IS GOING TO BE ABOUT WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO BUSINESS IN DESOTO.

AND THAT'S REALLY KEY FOR US NOW. NOW WE'RE GOING TO SEE DEVELOPMENTS COME IN, COMING FORWARD TO US BECAUSE THAT'S THAT'S PART OF THE CHALLENGE.

YOU KNOW, ONE IS WHAT INCENTIVES YOU'RE GIVEN TO WHAT FEES YOU'RE CHARGING.

AND THREE, HOW LONG IT TAKES TO PROCESS A PERMIT OR AN ACTIVITY.

THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN WATERS. JUST HAVE A COMMENT, ACTUALLY.

SO, MISTER O'CASEY MY FIRST QUESTION. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE? I'VE BEEN HERE FOR A MONTH AND A HALF NOW. OKAY, WELL, THIS ONE STOP SHOP.

EXCELLENT IDEA. OKAY, I KNOW IT'S PRECEDED YOU, BUT THE FACT THAT YOU ARE TAKING THE INITIATIVE AND SAVING US 150,000 BY DOING IT YOURSELF. KUDOS TO YOU. I LIKE THIS IDEA. THIS IS ALL ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

SO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, SIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ROGERS, I APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN HUGHES. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR.

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I'M NOT GOING TO BE LONG.

EVERYBODY'S ALL READY TO SAY WHAT I WANTED TO SAY. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, BEING IN PLACE SEVEN.

BUT ANYWAY, GREAT JOB. KUDOS. I'M GLAD TO SEE THIS COMING.

LET'S TURN THE TRAJECTORY AROUND AND, YOU KNOW, BRING SOME POSITIVE.

I'M EXCITED. THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE YOU ANSWERED ABOUT A PARTNERSHIP.

SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'VE PARTNERED WITH OUR SISTER CITY LANCASTER.

AND SO WE'RE EXCITED. LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.

COUNCILWOMAN NORTH. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

THIS IS LONG OVERDUE. I'M SO GLAD THAT WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT BECOMING BUSINESS FRIENDLY.

THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE OF YOU IS THE NUMBER OF STAFF DEDICATED TO SUPPORT THIS PILOT.

[00:35:02]

WE'RE JUST RESHUFFLING RESOURCES. WE'RE THE ONLY THING THAT WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO DO IS RECLASSIFICATION OF ONE POSITION.

BUT YOU KNOW, BASICALLY, RATHER THAN HAVING THE PROCESS SILOED, WE'RE BRINGING EVERYBODY ON THE TABLE IN ONE CONFERENCE OR IN A SINGLE SESSION.

SO THERE WILL BE NO ADDITIONAL TO STAFF. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MR. CASEY. I SEE NO LIGHTS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT PRESENTATION.

THERE WE GO. THAT'S BETTER. GOOD EVENING. LET'S SEE.

THERE WE GO. PURPOSE TONIGHT IS TO JUST GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON ONE OF THE BUSINESS PLAN ITEMS. THE KEY INITIATIVE BEING TO DEVELOP INCENTIVE PROGRAMS AND OPTIONS TO ATTRACT ANCHOR DEVELOPMENTS ON THE HAMPTON ROAD CORRIDOR.

THE OBJECTIVE THAT THIS SUPPORTS IS THIS IDEA OF CREATING THIS UNIQUE AND GATHERING POINT, THE CENTRAL HUB OF COMMUNITY LIFE, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY WORK PLAN HAD FOUR BASIC PARTS TO THAT.

THE FIRST OF THOSE, IF YOU GO BACK TO 2022, WE ESTABLISHED THE TOURS FOR THE CORRIDOR TO ENSURE THAT INCREMENTAL AND INCREMENTAL TAX FUNDS WOULD BE CAPTURED EARLIER THAN THEY WERE GOING TO BE NEEDED. WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT.

IN 2023, WE ADDED $550,000 TO THAT FIRST. AND THEN THIS LAST YEAR WE'VE ADDED JUST SHY OF $1 MILLION.

SO WE HAVE ABOUT A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS IN THAT TERS THAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE ABLE TO BE DEPLOYED WITHIN THE CORRIDOR ITSELF.

FOR THOSE PUBLIC OR QUASI PUBLIC KINDS OF ACTIVITIES, THAT CAN INCLUDE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS FROM INFRASTRUCTURE TO ACQUISITION.

IT ALSO INCLUDES THE ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES.

THERE'S LOTS THAT WE CAN DO WITH THAT AS THEY AS THE NEED ARISES.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE A LITTLE DELAYED, IF YOU WILL, IN TERMS OF OUR ACTIVITIES ON THE CORRIDOR ITSELF, FROM WHERE WE HOPE TO HAVE BEEN. BUT THE TOURS HAS BEEN GO AHEAD AND DOING ITS JOB.

EVEN WHILE WE'VE BEEN SORT OF GATHERING OUR SPEED AND GETTING READY TO GO FORWARD THE SECOND TO TALK ABOUT DEVELOPING OPPORTUNITIES AND PUTTING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, PACKAGING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, TAKING THEM TO THE PUBLIC, TAKING THEM TO THE INVESTMENT COMMUNITY AND THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND LOOKING FOR POTENTIAL PARTNERS.

WE ARE WORKING ON BOTH OF THOSE SIMULTANEOUSLY NOW.

WE HAVE ENGAGED OR WILL ENGAGE HERE VERY SHORTLY, A ORGANIZATION WHO'S VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROJECT.

HE HELPED US SET UP THE TOURS. THAT'S JASON KLEIN AT CATALYST URBAN.

WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO PACKAGING THESE, CREATING SOME CONCEPTUAL IDEAS OF WHAT'S IN AND WHAT'S OUT.

I MEAN, THE WORST THING WE COULD DO WOULD BE TO NOT POSITION THIS APPROPRIATELY.

WE GOT TO LET THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, WHAT'S ACCEPTABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO WE'LL INTERVIEW AND DO SOME WORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS.

YOU ALL YOURSELVES INCLUDED OUR COLLEAGUES IN IN PLANNING AND ZONING.

WE WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THIS RIGHT.

SO WHEN WE PUT IT OUT TO THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, WE GET MEANINGFUL RESPONSES FOR US TO WORK THROUGH AND SORT OUT WHAT IDEAS ARE NEXT.

THE LAST STEP OF THIS, THEN, IS EXACTLY THAT IS TO EVALUATE THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECT SUBMISSIONS, TO ASSESS THEIR FIT AND THEIR VALUE PROPOSITION, AND THEN IDEALLY, TO IDENTIFY SOME PROJECTS TO AWARD TO EACH ONE OF THOSE.

THESE WILL CENTER ON THE SOUTHERN END OF THE CORRIDOR.

THE BELTLINE IN HAMPTON ROAD IS THE PLACE WHERE WE OWN TWO PIECES OF PROPERTY THE SOUTHWEST CORNER, ABOUT 24 ACRES. THE NORTHWEST CORNER ABOUT EIGHT AND A HALF ACRES.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TURNING THOSE, AND THEY'RE VERY HIGH PROFILE.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE VERY VISIBLE. THEY ALSO INCLUDE A LARGE REWORK OF THAT INTERSECTION.

SO WORKING WITH TEX DOT. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO SORT OF RESHAPE AND CREATE A REALLY GREAT PROJECT OR SORT OF A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT OF WHAT THE REST OF THE CORRIDOR CAN DO.

WELL, WE'LL WRAP THAT UP THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2026.

WE INTEND TO HAVE THE RFP OUT ON THE STREETS BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR, IDEALLY MID SEPTEMBER.

THAT'LL GIVE US A COUPLE OF MONTHS TO TAKE FEEDBACK FROM THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.

I'D LOVE TO TELL YOU THAT BY CHRISTMAS TIME WE'LL BE DOING THAT, BUT I SUSPECT THERE WILL BE A WHOLE LOT MORE GOING ON AROUND CHRISTMAS THAN THAT.

BUT RIGHT AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, WE'LL BE ABLE TO START TO HAVE THOSE THOSE PROJECTS COMING FORWARD AND TAKING A LOOK AT THOSE.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE CONTRACT THAT WILL INCLUDE THAT WORK THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT OF SHAPING THAT RFP, GETTING THE CONCEPTUAL PUT TOGETHER, PUTTING THAT ALL TOGETHER AND READY FOR DISTRIBUTION IS ABOUT $30,000.

AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE IN TERMS OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT.

[00:40:05]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, MR. CARLSON.

I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT INCENTIVE PROGRAMING BEFORE, BUT SPECIFICALLY FOR HAMPTON ROAD, AND I'M SO HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT THE TOURS. GLAD IT'S PAYING OFF.

WHAT SPECIFIC TYPES OF INCENTIVES ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THIS? IS IT GOING TO BE LIKE A TAX ABATEMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT FEE WAIVERS? AND ALSO, WILL ANY OF THE CRITERIA FOR INCENTIVES TIE IN A COMMUNITY IMPACT? YES, YES, YES AND YES. ABSOLUTELY. THE OUR TOOLBOX IS A FULL TOOLBOX.

WE HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TOOLS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DEPLOY DEPENDING ON THE NEED, AND THAT WILL DEPEND ON THE PROJECT THAT'S PRESENTED.

SOME OF THOSE MAY HAVE A DEVELOPMENT GAP WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO ASSIST.

OWNING THE PROPERTY IS A HUGE ADVANTAGE IN TERMS OF HOW WE POSITION THAT AND LEVERAGE THAT.

WE MAY NOT HAVE TO DO TAX ABATEMENTS FOR SOME OF THOSE TO THE EXTENT THEIR SALES TAX GENERATORS, WE MAY BE ABLE TO UTILIZE SALES TAX REBATES. ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES AROUND RESTAURANTS AND TO RETAIL.

WE CAN DO T THE TENANT IMPROVEMENT DOLLARS THAT IT SOMETIMES TAKES TO SECURE A GREAT TENANT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

WE MAY BE WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPER TO PROVIDE THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE.

UNDOUBTEDLY, WE'LL BE WORKING ON AS PART OF THE INCENTIVE PACKAGE.

THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WILL BE PUBLIC IN ITS NATURE WILL GET.

WILL GET ASSISTANCE THERE. WE CAN EVEN STRUCTURE THESE AS AS TRUE P3 PROJECTS WHERE WE ENVISION WHAT THE STRUCTURE IS GOING TO BE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED AT THE INTERSECTION OR THE PUBLIC WORKS, THE STREETS, THE CURBS, THE GUTTER, THE SEWER, THE WATER. BUT WE MAY HAVE THE PRIVATE SECTOR INSTALLING THOSE BECAUSE THEY'RE FASTER AT IT AND THEY'RE CHEAPER AT IT.

SO P3 IS OFTENTIMES THAT'S ONE OF THE REAL BENEFITS OF WORKING TOGETHER LIKE THAT IS EVEN THOUGH IT'S PUBLIC DOLLARS, WE'RE CHANNELING IT THROUGH OUR DEVELOPMENT PARTNER.

AND THAT SAVES US MONEY AND IT SAVES US TIME.

ALL OF THOSE WILL BE WILL BE ON THE TABLE JUST DEPENDING ON THE PROJECT ITSELF.

GOTCHA, GOTCHA. AND I GUESS THIS COMMENT IS MORE SO AND NOT NECESSARILY I'M NOT AN EXPERT AT THIS.

YOU ARE RIGHT. BUT HERE'S WHAT I DO KNOW FROM A COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT I HEAR IS THAT I DON'T THINK WE'RE DOING ENOUGH TO MARKET THE INTENT OF HAMPTON ROADS.

AND AS YOU GO OUT FOR TO FIND THESE DEVELOPERS AND BUSINESS PARTNERS, I, I GUESS JUST FROM MY LITTLE $0.02, IF THERE COULD BE SOME CONSIDERATION ON HOW WE'RE BRANDING THIS PROJECT IN ITS ENTIRETY.

THE COMMUNICATION ON IT IS VERY SILENT AND NOT REALLY TRANSPARENT.

AND I THINK THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY NOT JUST TO BRING THE COMMUNITY ALONG WITH US AND LEVEL SET AND RESET, BUT ALSO TO MARKET IT OUT THAT WAY. AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

I, I FOLLOW A LOT OF OTHER CITIES. AND JUST TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING, IF YOU CHECK OUT FRISCO, THEY'RE NOW MOVING TO AND THEY'RE NOW MOVING TO BECOMING AN ARTS CITY.

THEY WERE A SPORTS CITY. THEY EMBRACED IT, AND NOW THEY'RE MOVING INTO THE ARTS.

BUT THE WAY THAT THE LEADERSHIP TOOK THE APPROACH OF COMMUNICATING THAT OUT IN VIDEO AND AND IN IN THE DIRT.

IN THE AREA THAT IT WILL TAKE PLACE. AND DESCRIBING WHAT THAT IMPACT WILL BE TO THE COMMUNITY.

BOTH ECONOMIC WISE AND ALSO RECREATIONAL WISE.

IT IT WAS VERY INSPIRING FOR ME NOT TO MOVE THERE, BUT TO DEFINITELY JUST LOOK AT THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO MARKET NEW PROJECTS.

SO I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS HAMPTON ROAD FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

AND I THINK EVERYBODY'S EXCITED WITH THE PURCHASE OF COMMUNITY AS WELL AS TO SEE THINGS MOVING FORWARD.

HOWEVER, AS WE DO THIS IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS, JUST A CONSIDERATION AND THOUGHT JUST FROM THE THE OUTSIDER LOOKING IN.

VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS AND THOUGHTS.

REST ASSURED WE'LL BE MAKING SURE THAT THAT EXACTLY IS WHAT HAPPENED.

WE NEED TO SORT OF RESTART IT. WE NEED TO SORT OF REFRESH IT, AND WE NEED TO TELL EVERYBODY WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THEM, BOTH INTERNALLY AS WELL AS EXTERNALLY, NOT JUST MARKETING IT TO OUR COMMUNITY, BUT TO OUR DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AS WELL.

THIS NEEDS TO BE A PROJECT THAT THEY WANT TO WORK ON AND ENGAGE BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY IMPACT IT'S GOING TO HAVE.

VERY MUCH SO. APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU.

MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCILMEMBER PARKER. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

THE FIRST THING I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT IS THE $30,000 IS ALREADY BUDGETED TO DO THIS RFP, RIGHT? OKAY. YES IT IS. SO THE RFP ITSELF, IS IT IS IT FOCUSED ON BECAUSE YOU HAD MENTIONED FOCUSED ON DEVELOPERS AND BRINGING

[00:45:08]

I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE AROUND THE ROADS BECAUSE THE ROADS WOULD HAVE TO GO FIRST.

OR AM I WRONG ON THAT? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THE TIMELINE. I'D LOVE TO LOOK TO KIND OF SEE HOW THE TIMELINE WOULD BE IF IT WERE TO MOVE FORWARD WHAT THAT TIMELINE LOOKS LIKE, BECAUSE IF YOU START IN ONE PART OF THE PLACE, BUT THE REST OF IT IS NOT DONE.

DOES THAT MESS UP BECAUSE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE ITSELF? GREAT QUESTION AND THANK YOU. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS IT PROBABLY ACTUALLY EASES IT.

SO BY CONCENTRATING ON THE SOUTH END, WE WE ACCOMPLISHED A COUPLE OF THINGS.

ONE OF THOSE IS TO GET SOME CONCRETE EVIDENCE OF WHAT THE HAMPTON ROAD CAN DO AND WHAT YOU COULDN'T PICK TWO MORE VISIBLE PIECES OF PROPERTY THAN THAT, NORTH WEST AND THE SOUTHWEST CORNER. WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW MANY CARS TRANSIT ON BOTH ON BOTH HAMPTON AND BELTLINE EVERY DAY.

SO CERTAINLY THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF VISIBILITY THERE.

THE, THE ABILITY TO DO THE ROAD WORK AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK, YOU KNOW, YOU ROLL BACK TO WHERE WE SELECTED A CROSS-SECTION OF WHAT THE ROAD LOOKS LIKE. AND AND THAT WAS A CONSIDERABLE PIECE OF WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO SOLVE FOR THAT SORT OF HELD THIS PROJECT UP FROM AN ENGINEERING STANDPOINT, BECAUSE WE PROBABLY WEREN'T BEING AS CREATIVE, IF YOU WOULD.

WE WERE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO DRAW A LINE BETWEEN TWO STRAIGHT TO TWO POINTS, AND THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE IT A STRAIGHT LINE.

THAT'S NOT GOING TO LEND ITSELF VERY WELL. AND YOU START TO LOOK AT THE CONDITIONS IN TERMS OF HOW THAT THAT ROAD MOVES.

IT CAN'T BE A STRAIGHT AND LEVEL LINE. IT'S A GREAT ENGINEERING ANSWER, BUT THAT'S JUST NOT THE WAY IT'LL WORK.

THE OTHER PIECE IS, IF YOU LOOK AT REDEVELOPMENT IN COMMUNITIES WHO'VE TAKEN ON PROJECTS LIKE THIS, A MILE IS A LONG PIECE OF REDEVELOPMENT, A VERY LONG PIECE, BEST DONE IN 2 TO 3 AND FOUR BLOCK PIECES.

AND THAT'S HOW WE ANTICIPATE THE SOUTH END IS PROBABLY REACHING UP TO ABOUT LYONS.

BUT ACTUALLY THAT ACTUALLY ANSWERED THE QUESTION. SO YOU'RE SAYING IT'S GOING TO BE DONE IN BLOCKS? THAT'S REALLY WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET TO BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER SAID THAT OUT LOUD.

IT'LL BE MUCH EASIER TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T DISRUPT AS MUCH OF THE TRAFFIC.

ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING ON THAT ROAD SIMULTANEOUS TO THE WORK THAT WILL BE HAPPENING.

WE JUST CAN'T CLOSE DOWN HAMPTON ROAD. THANK YOU.

I YIELD BACK. INDEED. THANK YOU. THOUGH I APPRECIATE THAT, I'M GLAD TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT.

THANK YOU, MR. CARLSON. I SEE NO LIGHTS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK.

SO I BELIEVE AT THIS TIME. THAT CONCLUDES THIS ITEM.

[c. Presentation and discussion of STAR Transit Updates]

NEXT WE HAVE PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF THE STAR TRANSIT UPDATES.

MAKING THAT INTRODUCTION IS DOCTOR ESTHER WILLIAMS, COMMUNITY SERVICE AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR.

GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING. DOCTOR WILLIAMSON, WE ARE ACTUALLY HERE TONIGHT WITH TOMMY HENDRIX FROM STAR, AND HE WILL BE GIVING YOU ALL THE UPDATE TO THIS PAST YEAR'S RIDERSHIP REPORTS, AS WELL AS DISCUSS THE THIS COMING YEARS COST OF SERVICES.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. GOOD TO SEE YOU, MR. HENDRIX. YEAH. GOOD TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU. MAYOR.

THANK YOU, CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER, FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT.

I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE MAYOR PROCTOR AS A STAR TRANSIT BOARD MEMBER.

SHE SERVED ON OUR BOARD FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, SO I APPRECIATE HER SERVICE.

AND AS WELL AS DOCTOR ESTHER WILLIAMS, SHE SERVES AS THE MAYOR'S ALTERNATE.

THEY PROVIDE GREAT REPRESENTATION FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO ON THE STAR TRANSIT BOARD.

SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I HIGHLIGHT THAT AS WELL AS THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY.

SEVEN YEARS GOING ON, EIGHT YEARS NOW. SO YEAH, IT SEEMS LIKE JUST YESTERDAY THAT WE LAUNCHED AND IT'S YOU KNOW, THAT WAS SEVEN YEARS AGO NOW. AND SO, SO REALLY, REALLY ESTABLISHING SOME GOOD TRANSIT SERVICE HERE IN THE CITY OF DESOTO.

LOOKING AT THE AGENDA. REAL QUICK, WE'LL REVIEW CURRENT SERVICES, REVIEW RIDERSHIP DATA, AND THEN DISCUSS SERVICE PLANS FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

A LITTLE BIT OF BASICS ABOUT STAR TRANSIT. WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING PUBLIC TRANSIT SERVICE FOR OVER 45 YEARS.

WE'RE A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.

WE DO A LITTLE OVER 215,000 RIDES A YEAR, STAFF OF ABOUT 100 EMPLOYEES.

WE'VE GOT AN ACTIVE FLEET ON THE ROAD EVERY DAY OF ABOUT 60 VEHICLES BASED IN KAUFMAN COUNTY.

WE OPERATE AS A RURAL TRANSIT DISTRICT, A FOURTH LARGEST TRANSIT AGENCY IN NORTH TEXAS, AND WE OPERATE THAT ON NO DEDICATED SALES TAX, AS THE OTHER THREE MAJOR METROS ARE RECEIVING DEDICATED SALES TAX.

AND I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ONE THING REAL QUICK ON OUR MISSION STATEMENT.

[00:50:01]

AND I FEEL LIKE SOMETIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRANSIT SERVICE, WE LOOK AT RIDERSHIP AND WE LOOK AT NUMBERS.

AND I'M REALLY GOING BACK TO MOBILITY OPTIONS AND ENRICHING QUALITY OF LIFE, PROVIDING COMMUNITY VALUE IN THE CITIES THAT WE SERVE.

AND I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF THAT THAT WE'VE DONE DIFFERENTLY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

MOBILITY OPTIONS. WE'VE STARTED TO PROVIDE WHEELCHAIRS TO SOME OF OUR RIDERS THAT ARE IN NEED THAT MIGHT BE STRUGGLING, AND THEY'VE GOT A BROKEN WHEELCHAIR AND WE'LL REPLACE THAT. WE'VE GOT GRANT FUNDING THAT WE'LL COVER THAT.

WE'VE ADDED SOME WHEELCHAIR RAMPS AT SOME RESIDENCES THAT THEY STRUGGLE GETTING IN AND OUT OF THE OUT OF THE HOUSE OR APARTMENT, AND SO WORK TO PROVIDE THAT MOBILITY OPTION JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO, TO ACCESS SERVICES.

HERE'S A QUICK LOOK AT OUR SERVICE AREA WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR TRANSIT SERVICE AREA.

KAUFMAN COUNTY, ROCKWALL COUNTY. AND THEN YOU SEE THE CITIES LISTED THERE IN DALLAS COUNTY THAT WE OPERATE IN CEDAR HILL, DUNCANVILLE. NEIGHBORING CITIES OVER HERE THAT WE LAUNCHED.

IT'S BEEN ABOUT TWO YEARS. WE'RE ON YEAR TWO MOVING INTO YEAR THREE THERE.

SO THAT'S PROVIDED GREATER CONNECTIVITY FOR CITY OF DESOTO RESIDENTS.

AND THERE'S THREE CITIES NOT LISTED THERE THAT WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING SOME SERVICE IN THE CITY OF LANCASTER, WILMER AND HUTCHINS. WE DO THAT THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH DART.

WE'RE A SUBCONTRACTOR WITH DART, AND THAT'S ONE ITEM THAT WE'LL DISCUSS LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, SOME CHANGE THAT'S COMING UP IN FY 26. WE'RE WORKING WITH THOSE THREE CITIES RIGHT NOW TO TRANSFER THEIR SERVICES TO START TRANSIT SERVICE. SO THAT WILL AGAIN PROVIDE GREATER CONNECTIVITY FOR RESIDENTS OF DESOTO, BE ABLE TO TRAVEL IN AND OUT OF CITY OF LANCASTER AND THEN WILMER AND HUTCHINS GIVING THEM CONNECTIVITY AS WELL. CURRENT SERVICES.

SO THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT OPTIONS HERE IN THE CITY OF DESOTO.

FIRST ONE IS DEMAND RESPONSE. SO THIS IS OUR PRE-BOOKED SERVICE.

YOU CALL THE CALL CENTER, SCHEDULE YOUR RIDE IN ADVANCE.

THOSE ARE BOOKED 24 HOURS UP TO TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE.

SCHEDULING AGENTS MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE BUSSES OPERATE CURRENTLY 6 A.M.

TO 6 P.M. HERE IN THE CITY OF DESOTO. WE DO HAVE SOME AREAS THAT WE OPERATE UNTIL 8 P.M.

WE'VE GOT SOME CITIES THAT WE OPERATE ON SATURDAY.

OUR SERVICES ARE TAILORED TO WHAT THE CITY WANTS TO PROVIDE AND CONTRACT FOR.

DEMAND RESPONSE AGAIN. THAT WAS LAUNCHED MARCH 28TH, 2018.

THIS IS FOR ANYONE NEEDING TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, RIGHT? SO IT'S OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. 13 AND ABOVE CAN RIDE UNACCOMPANIED DESTINATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE CITY AND THEN THE SURROUNDING SERVICE AREA THAT I TALKED ABOUT WHEN WE THE REASON THAT WE WOULD GO OUTSIDE OF THAT SERVICE AREA IS FOR MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS.

AND SO IF SOMEBODY HAS A MEDICAL APPOINTMENT IN DALLAS.

THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD KIND OF GO OUTSIDE THAT SERVICE AREA.

POINT TO POINT DESTINATIONS. THERE'S FARES INVOLVED WITH MOST OF OUR RIDES.

WE DO HAVE SOME FREE FARE PROGRAMS, BUT FOR THE MOST PART FARES RANGE BETWEEN $1 AND $12 FOR GENERAL PUBLIC.

THAT'S BASED ON DISTANCE. AND THEN THERE'S DISCOUNTED FARES, HALF FARES FOR AGE 60 PLUS VETERAN AND DISABLED RIDERS.

ALL RIGHT. AT AT HALF FARES AND THEN PCAS CARE ATTENDANTS CAN RIDE FOR FREE WITH A PAID RIDER.

SO IF SOMEBODY NEEDS ASSISTANCE AND THEY'VE GOT A FAMILY MEMBER THAT'S RIDING WITH THEM, OR A HOME HEALTH PERSON THAT'S RIDING WITH THEM, THEY WOULD RIDE AT NO COST. AND THEN CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER RIDE FREE.

PART OF THIS SERVICE ALSO INCLUDES OUR CLIENT ADVOCATE PROGRAM.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE OFFER HERE IN CITY OF DESOTO.

WE'VE GOT A COUPLE DESIGNATED STAFF MEMBERS THAT LIVE HERE IN THE CITY, AND THEY RIDE WITH SOME RIDERS THAT NEED EXTRA ASSISTANCE.

SO WE PROVIDE THAT THROUGH SOME GRANT FUNDING THAT WE HAVE THAT DOESN'T COST THE RIDER ANYTHING ADDITIONAL, THAT DOESN'T COST THE CITY ANYTHING ADDITIONAL.

THAT'S 100% PAID GRANT THAT WE'VE GOT THROUGH TEXT AND COG.

AND THOSE ARE FOR THERE'S ONLY TWO REASONS WE WOULD PROVIDE THAT ASSISTANCE.

IS SOMEBODY GOING TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT? OUR STAFF DOESN'T GO INTO THE DOCTOR, BUT THEY WILL MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET TO THE WAITING ROOM, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE GOING TO VA OR BIG BAYLOR.

SOMETIMES IT'S VERY CONFUSING. IF YOU'RE USING PUBLIC TRANSIT, IT CAN ADD ANOTHER CHALLENGE THERE.

AND THEN GROCERY SHOPPING TRIPS. WE HAVE SOME RIDERS THAT ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED, SOME THAT NEED ASSISTANCE REACH AND GROCERIES.

[00:55:08]

LOOKING AT RIDERSHIP ON OUR DEMAND RESPONSE SERVICE.

SO THE LAST TWO YEARS, TWO AND A HALF YEARS, WE'VE BEEN HOVERING RIGHT AROUND THAT 900 TRIPS PER MONTH.

AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THIS DOESN'T EVEN GO BACK TO THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS OF SERVICE THAT WE KIND OF HAD THIS TREND GOING UP IN THESE LAST FEW YEARS.

WE'VE STARTED TO PLATEAU, RIGHT? WE STARTED TO KIND OF LEVEL OUT ON THIS SERVICE, KIND OF CAP OUT ON THIS SERVICE.

THE NEXT SERVICE THAT WE OFFER IS OUR SAME DAY SERVICE.

THIS IS OUR NOW THIS IS OUR ON DEMAND SERVICE.

IT KIND OF OPERATES LIKE UBER, AND WE ACTUALLY PARTNER WITH UBER TO PROVIDE SOME OF THE SOME OF THE TRIPS AS OVERFLOW.

SO THIS WAS LAUNCHED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. AGAIN, SAME SERVICE HOURS, 6 A.M.

TO 6 P.M. MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. OUR GOAL IS, SOMEBODY BOOKS A RIDE WILL BE THERE 15 TO 20 MINUTES TO GO PICK THEM UP.

RIGHT. SO THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO SCHEDULE IN ADVANCE. BOOK ON THE APP OR CALL OUR CALL CENTER.

THERE IS A TRAVEL ZONE SO YOU CAN'T GO. ALL THE AREAS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT JUST GO WITHIN THE CITY.

$2, ONE DOLLARS FOR THAT DISCOUNTED CATEGORY.

AND THEN I MENTIONED THE INTEGRATION WITH UBER X SHARE.

SO THERE'S SOME SHARED RIDE UBER PROGRAMS THAT ARE INCORPORATED IN THIS.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE PILOTED IN THE CITY OF DESOTO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.

BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. AND WE'VE NOW LAUNCHED THAT IN OTHER CITIES.

JUST WITH THE SUCCESS THAT WE HAD THAT WE HAD HERE THAT INCREASES AVAILABILITY AND BRINGS DOWN THAT WAIT TIME SO WE CAN TRY TO KEEP IT IN THAT 15 MINUTE WINDOW. SAME DAY TRAVEL ZONE WHEN WE LAUNCH INTO CEDAR HILL IN DUNCANVILLE.

SOME OF THE RIDER FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED WAS, HEY, CAN WE TRAVEL BETWEEN CITIES? AND SO AFTER SIX MONTHS OF LAUNCHING THERE, WE DID OPEN IT UP TO YOU CAN BOOK A SAME DAY TRIP.

GO FROM DESOTO TO CEDAR HILL. WE GET A LOT OF THAT ACTIVITY.

AND THEN I'LL ALSO POINT OUT THIS CONNECTS TO THE DART LIGHT RAIL STATION AND THEN THE DART REDBIRD TRANSIT CENTER.

A LOT OF ACTIVITY GOING THERE TOO. SIMILAR TO THE DEMAND RESPONSE SERVICE.

YOU CAN SEE RIDERSHIP REALLY RAMPED UP. AND THEN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, WE'VE REALLY KIND OF PLATEAUED, KIND OF CAPPED OUT 150 RIDES PER MONTH. YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE WE ADDED THAT UBER X SHARE IN 2324 RIDERSHIP CAME UP. AND THEN THE WAIT TIME WE WERE AT ABOUT 25 MINUTES.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING THAT BACK DOWN TO UNDER 20 AROUND THAT, THAT 16, 15 MINUTE WINDOW.

SOME OTHER KEY STATS ON TIME PERFORMANCE. SITTING AT ABOUT 86% FOR FOR THIS PAST YEAR.

POSITIVE REVIEWS. 95% OF THE REVIEWS THAT WE RECEIVE ON OUR APP.

SO POST TRIP A RIDER CAN RATE THEIR RIDE. YOU KNOW, ONE STAR OR ZERO STARS TO FIVE STARS.

95% OF THE REVIEWS THAT WE GET ARE FIVE STAR REVIEWS, 712 UNIQUE RIDERS THIS PAST YEAR.

ABOUT HALF OF THE TRIPS GET BOOKED ON THE APP, WHICH IS GOOD.

WE'D LIKE TO SEE THAT TREND UP A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT ABOUT HALF OF THE RIDERS STILL CALL OUR CALL CENTER AND THEN DENIAL RATE IS TRENDING AROUND 7%. WE THE TARGET THEIR GOAL THERE IS TO KEEP THAT UNDER 10%.

AND WE'VE BEEN TRACKING THAT THE LAST THREE MONTHS FOR THE CITY.

SOME ADDITIONAL STATS. JUST KIND OF LOOKING AT THIS AREA IN GENERAL, NOW THAT WE'RE SERVING CEDAR HILL AND DUNCANVILLE.

SOME OF THE RIDERSHIP BY CITY. LAST 12 MONTHS, WE'VE DONE ABOUT 21,000 RIDES HERE IN THE CITY OF DESOTO.

CEDAR HILL HAS REALLY TAKEN OFF IN TWO YEARS.

THEY'VE DONE ABOUT 12,000. AND THEN DUNCANVILLE, ABOUT 4000.

TRIP PURPOSE. I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT. AND THIS IS REALLY WHEN I UPDATED THIS SLIDE.

VERY SIMILAR TRIP PURPOSE BREAKDOWN COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.

WHEN WE GAVE THE CITY COUNCIL AN UPDATE. SENIOR CENTER ACCOUNTS FOR ALMOST A THIRD OF OUR TRIPS.

CITY OF DESOTO HAS THE BUSIEST SENIOR CENTER OUT OF ALL THE AREAS THAT WE SERVE THAT WE MENTIONED.

Y'ALL SHOULD BE REALLY PROUD OF YOU ALL. SENIOR CENTER.

JUST FANTASTIC ATTENDANCE EVERY DAY. OBVIOUSLY, IT REFLECTS ON OUR RIDERSHIP, HOW BUSY THAT SENIOR CENTER IS.

WE'RE IN AND OUT OF THERE ALL DAY LONG. AND SO KUDOS TO THE CITY FOR THAT.

[01:00:06]

THAT MAKES UP ANOTHER 25%. SO JUST THOSE TWO PURPOSES RIGHT THERE.

60% OF OUR RIDERSHIP. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS.

GROCERY SHOPPING, PHARMACY, TWO BIG THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT.

AND THEN WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF WORK AND THEN THAT DAY, HAVE THAT ADULT DAY HAVE.

AND SO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES GOING TO THESE DAY HAVE LOCATIONS.

FOR, FOR WORK RELATED TRIPS. AND THEN ALSO WANTED TO PROVIDE CONNECTIONS TO PARTS OF THE LAST 12 MONTHS WE'VE DONE ABOUT 5000 TRIPS CONNECTING PEOPLE TO DART.

A LOT OF THOSE ARE WORK RELATED TRIPS AS WELL.

UBER USAGE. ABOUT 5000 UBER RIDES PROVIDE THEM IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS.

OKAY. SO FY 26 SERVICE PLAN. AND SO SOME CHANGES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE TO CITY COUNCIL FOR NEXT YEAR.

DEMAND RESPONSE SERVICE. KEEP THAT THE SAME. MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 6 A.M.

TO 6 P.M.. START NOW. SERVICE. WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT 8:00 7:07 P.M.

8 P.M. WINDOW. I MENTIONED THAT WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OTHER CITIES THAT RUN TILL 8 P.M., AND ONE OF THE NEEDS FOR THIS.

I MENTIONED THAT DART SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE WITH LANCASTER, WILMER HUTCHINS DESOTO IS PART OF THAT.

THEIR BUSINESS PARK IS A PART OF THAT. AND SO WHEN THAT GOES AWAY, THERE WILL BE SOME LOSS IN SERVICE FOR A SEGMENT OF THE CITY. WE WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE JUST CHANGING THE SERVICE TIME TO 8 P.M.

THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY. AND THEN INCREASING THE BUDGET ON THE UBER X SHARE JUST TO PROVIDE MORE AVAILABILITY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN KEEP WAIT TIMES DOWN.

THE CONTRACTED HOURS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR NEXT YEAR IS 51 HOURS.

THIS CURRENT YEAR, WE OPERATE ABOUT 38 HOURS PER DAY.

SO I KNOW THAT THIS IS A BUSY SLIDE. I APOLOGIZE.

BUT WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY HAS THE INFORMATION.

AND SO I'LL TRY TO WALK THROUGH SOME OF THIS THE FOOTNOTE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, FY 25, OUR CONTRACTS ARE BASED ON A PER HOUR RATE THAT OUR BOARD SETS.

THAT'S THAT IS CONSISTENT ON EXCUSE ME, AMONG ALL OF OUR PARTNER CITIES USE THAT SAME RATE.

SO 5675 WAS FY 25. IT'S BEING MOVED TO 5850. SO ABOUT A 3% INCREASE JUST ON INFLATION AND SALARIES AND THAT SORT OF THING.

RIGHT NOW, THE ANNUAL CONTRACT IS ABOUT 215,000.

WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR NEXT YEAR, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT FAR RIGHT COLUMN 234,000.

THE WAY THIS BREAKS DOWN IS OUR STAR NOW SERVICE.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS ADD 20 OR NOT ADD, BUT HAVE 20 HOURS OF SERVICE ON IT.

THE REIMBURSEMENT. THERE'S GRANT PROGRAMS THAT FUND THESE DIFFERENT PROJECTS.

THE REIMBURSEMENT ON THAT IS IS 60% IS WHAT WE GET.

SO FOR THE LOCAL MATCH, 40% FROM THE CITY, 60% IS BEING RECOVERED THROUGH THROUGH A FEDERAL GRANT.

WE HAVE A NEW GRANT. THE SECOND LINE ITEM THERE, THEY'RE NCT 5310.

THIS WAS A GRANT PROGRAM THAT WE WERE ABLE TO UTILIZE IN THE CITY OF DESOTO FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS WHEN WE LAUNCHED THE SERVICE.

THEY THEY GAVE US THIS THREE YEAR PILOT GRANT, AND IT REIMBURSED THAT 80%.

SO A MUCH HIGHER REIMBURSEMENT RATE FOR GRANT FUNDING FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS.

THAT HASN'T BEEN AN OPTION, BUT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH COG TO ALLOW FOR THAT GRANT MONEY TO BE USED IN THE CITY. AND WE'VE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED THE GRANT FUNDING FOR ANOTHER TWO YEAR PERIOD.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD OURS TO.

AND IN DOING THAT, WE'RE INCREASING THE REIMBURSEMENT RATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE FROM GRANTS.

SO THE DOLLARS GO A LOT FARTHER. AND SO WHEN WE ADD WHAT WOULD BE 13 HOURS OF SERVICE.

WE'RE REALLY ONLY LOOKING AT A $30,000 ASK FROM THE CITY.

SO, TOMMY, IT TAKES ME A LITTLE BIT OF A TIME TO PICK UP WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING DOWN.

[01:05:03]

OKAY. WHAT? YOU JUST. YEP. SO CURRENTLY, WHAT WE'RE.

WHAT WE'RE REIMBURSING IS US. IT'S A 6040 SPLIT, RIGHT? WHAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO DO NEXT YEAR IS FOR OUR DEMAND RESPONSE SERVICE.

WE'LL BE ABLE TO GO AND CAPTURE AN 80% REIMBURSEMENT GRANT THROUGH COG.

WE'VE ALREADY REQUESTED RECEIVED THIS THAT 5310 CATEGORY.

IT'S FOR SENIORS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES SO WE CAN QUALIFY OUR DEMAND RESPONSE SERVICE FOR THAT GRANT FUNDING CATEGORY.

OUR STAR NOW SERVICE IS NOT NECESSARILY GEARED TOWARDS THAT.

SENIORS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES CATEGORY.

AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO REIMBURSE THAT UNDER OUR CURRENT GRANT FUNDING.

THAT'S A LOWER AMOUNT. SO 60%. SO THE GOOD NEWS WHEN WHEN WE SAY WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD MORE SERVICE TO OUR CONTRACT, IT'S AT A MUCH HIGHER REIMBURSEMENT RATE. GRANT OKAY.

SO THAT'S ONE REASON WHY I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR LIKE TWO YEARS, BUT WORKING WITH THE COG AND FTA GRANTS TAKE SOME TIME. WE WOULD HAVE PROPOSED THIS LAST YEAR HAD THAT GRANT FUNDING BEEN AVAILABLE.

I'M HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO PROPOSE THIS NOW. THIS GOES BACK TO LOOKING AT THE RIDERSHIP THAT.

YEAH, WE'VE KIND OF PLATEAUED, RIGHT? WE NEED WE NEED TO INCREASE SOME SERVICE IN THE CITY.

AND SO THANKFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH THE 20% LOCAL MATCH COMING FROM THE CITY.

WE'LL GO GET $4 FOR EVERY $1 THAT THE CITY CONTRIBUTES.

SO JUST BEING ABLE TO TO TO STRETCH THAT PROGRAM.

OKAY. THE THIRD COLUMN IS THIS INLAND PORT TMA PROGRAM THAT I'VE MENTIONED A COUPLE TIMES.

THAT'S THAT DART SERVICE THAT WE SUBCONTRACT NOW.

THAT PROGRAM IS GOING AWAY. THAT'S A BIG DEAL FOR THE CITY OF LANCASTER.

WILMER HUTCHINS, WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO TRANSITION THAT SERVICE TO START TRANSIT.

HOWEVER, FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO, I MENTIONED THAT THAT BUSINESS PARK ACCESS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE RIGHT NOW.

THAT SERVICE GOES TO 8 P.M.. WE WOULD LIKE TO JUST ADD THAT SERVICE TILL 8 P.M.

FOR THE WHOLE CITY. SO THAT ADDS AN ADDITIONAL THREE HOURS OF SERVICE THERE.

AND THEN THERE'S UBER. ADDITIONAL UBER COSTS THAT WE'RE ADDING THERE FOR FOR $50,000.

BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THROUGH DART THEY USE A LOT OF UBER.

RIGHT. THERE'S A LOT OF UBER ACTIVITY THAT'S EXISTING RIDERSHIP THAT WE KNOW IS OUT THERE AND IS HAPPENING THAT IS GOING TO TRANSFER OVER TO STAR TRANSIT, RIGHT. THAT'S THAT'S SERVICE IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW THROUGH DART'S AND LAMPORT TMA.

THE FUNDING CATEGORY THAT I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THERE IS YOU CAN SEE IT'S AT 75% REIMBURSEMENT RATE. RIGHT. SO TO CONFUSE AND COMPLICATE MATTERS, THE RTC, THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL, BECAUSE OF THIS TRANSITION FOR THESE OTHER THREE CITIES AND FOR DE SOTO, THEY HAVE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO SMOOTH THIS TRANSITION FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS. SO A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THAT THREE YEAR GRANT TRANSITION PERIOD THAT THEY'LL GIVE.

AND SO AFTER THREE YEARS THAT REIMBURSEMENT WOULD GO UP OR EXCUSE ME, THE REIMBURSEMENT WOULD GO DOWN TO THE 60%.

AND SO IT'S A LITTLE INCREMENTAL INCREASE RIGHT NOW.

THREE YEARS FROM NOW, THAT'LL BE ANOTHER ITEM THAT WE'LL DISCUSS WHEN WE'RE WORKING ON COST OF SERVICE FOR, YOU KNOW, FY 29. RIGHT. BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S, THAT'S CLEAR AND THAT YOU GUYS KNOW SOME OF THIS SERVICE IS HAPPENING NOW THROUGH DART THAT WILL TRANSITION OVER TO STAR.

AND LET'S CHANGE THE THE SERVICE TO GO TO 8 P.M.

TO MAKE SURE WE COVER THAT. OKAY, SO THAT BRINGS THE.

TOTAL COST OF SERVICE FOR NEXT YEAR TO 200 AND A LITTLE UNDER 235,000.

OKAY. I BELIEVE THAT'S ALSO ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE BUDGET.

[01:10:08]

AND YES, I DO HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. SO I'M GOING TO ASK ALL MY QUESTIONS AND THEN YOU CAN ANSWER THEM AT YOUR, YOU KNOW, IN THE ORDER. OKAY. SO THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION.

I HAD ASKED ABOUT THIS EARLIER THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE HAD A, A PERSON WHO WAS LIVING IN THE CITY OF DESOTO WHO HAS A SPEECH IMPEDIMENT, AND IT CAUSED AN ISSUE WITH THEM BEING ABLE TO GET A RIDE BECAUSE WHEN THEY CALL FROM THE SPEECH IMPEDIMENT, THEY COULD NOT ARTICULATE WHAT IT IS THAT THEY NEEDED.

AND SO IT CAUSED A BIG ISSUE WITH THIS PERSON'S MEDICAL NEEDS AND THAT SORT OF THING.

SO I GUESS MY QUESTION AND I'M GOING TO ASK SEVERAL QUESTIONS.

SO HANG TIGHT FOR A MOMENT AND GIVE ME SOME LIBERTY HERE.

YEAH. OKAY. SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DENIALS AS FAR AS SPEECH IMPEDIMENTS OR THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, IS THERE LIKE A PLACE ON YOUR WEBSITE THAT ALLOWS THEM TO BE ABLE TO GO IN AND ARTICULATE WHAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET THE SAME SERVICE THAT SOMEONE WHO IS WITHOUT A SPEECH IMPEDIMENT WOULD HAVE. AND THEN, OKAY, GO AHEAD.

I'M SORRY YOU WANTED TO ANSWER THAT. YEAH. SO IF THEY WANTED TO SUBMIT A COMMENT THROUGH THE WEBSITE AND I APOLOGIZE, I KNOW YOU WANTED TO GO THROUGH ALL YOUR QUESTIONS, SO. BUT BUT YES, THERE IS ACCESS THROUGH THE WEBSITE TO CHAT AND COMMUNICATE.

SUBMIT COMMENTS. COUNCILWOMAN PARK, ARE YOU REFERRING TO THEM TO BE ABLE TO TO BOOK A RIDE SOME OTHER WAY.

OTHER THAN HAVING TO CALL IN. IS THAT YOUR QUESTION? OR IS IT JUST TO SUBMIT COMMENTARY ON THEIR FEEDBACK? BOTH. BOTH. BECAUSE IF IF A PERSON HAS A SPEECH IMPEDIMENT, THEY MAY CALL IN JUST TO GET SOME INFORMATION.

THEY MAY JUST BE WANTING SOME INFORMATION. THEY MAY NOT BE READY FOR A RIDE YET.

THEY JUST MAY BE WANTING SOME INFORMATION THAT THEY CAN POSSIBLY BOOK PROPERLY WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.

BUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IS THIS PERSON IS HAVING A PROBLEM EVEN BOOKING.

AND SO WHEN THEY FINALLY BOOKED, SOMETHING HAPPENED.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. I DON'T. YEAH. SO I'M JUST ASKING IN TERMS OF THE DENIALS OF CONCERN, THEY, THEY GOT DENIED LITERALLY, BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW THEY GOT DENIED BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE REALLY ASKING.

RIGHT. SO BUT YOU SAID THERE'S A PLACE FOR THAT.

AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTIONS I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THESE QUESTIONS. THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS HOW FULL ARE THE BUSSES ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS.

AND WHEN YOU SAY FULL. YOU KNOW I KNOW IT'S NOT GOING TO BE 100%, BUT HOW FULL ARE THE BUSSES? HOW IS THIS SERVICE MARKETED TO THE COMMUNITY? AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, THOSE WHO MIGHT BE AT HOME NEEDING THE SERVICE, NOT KNOWING ABOUT THE SERVICE, HOW ARE THEY MARKETED TO THEM? YOU KNOW, NOT JUST THROUGH THE CITY FROM THE WATER BILL, BUT ALSO FROM STAR TRANSIT.

DISCOUNTS. DISCOUNTS. YOU MENTIONED THOSE DISCOUNTS.

GREAT DISCOUNTS. THANK YOU FOR THAT. WHAT ABOUT OUR STUDENTS? THOSE WHO ARE MAYBE AT THE AGE OF WORKING, BEING ABLE TO TRANSPORT TO THESE DIFFERENT PLACES TO DO WORK IN THE CITY AND THROUGHOUT.

DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING FOR THEM? DO THEY HAVE ANYTHING AS A PART OF THIS? AND THEN ARE YOU GUYS AT SCHOOL EVENTS ALLOWING PEOPLE TO SEE YOU ALL AS FAR AS STAR TRANSIT? AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS OKAY, THAT WAS IT.

SO YOU WANT ME TO GO THROUGH IT ONE MORE TIME? HOW FULL ARE THE BUSSES? HOW IS THIS MARKETED? ARE THERE DISCOUNTS FOR STUDENTS? AND ARE YOU GUYS AT SCHOOL EVENTS ESPECIALLY LIKE NOW WE'RE GETTING READY TO DO THE BACK TO SCHOOL TYPE THINGS.

SO ARE YOU THERE? YEAH. LET ME TRY TO ANSWER THOSE IN ORDER OF EASE.

MAYBE. SO STUDENT PASSES? UNFORTUNATELY, NO, THAT IS NOT IN ONE OF OUR DISCOUNTED CATEGORIES.

WE DO HAVE SEVERAL WAYS TO BUY A MONTHLY PASS THAT'S AT A DISCOUNTED RATE VERSUS BUYING DAY PASSES OR LOAD MONEY ON E WALLET AT A CERTAIN RATE THAT WOULD BE DISCOUNTED, BUT NOTHING SPECIFICALLY FOR STUDENT CATEGORY.

CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER. DO RIDE FREE WITH THE FARE PAYING ADULT.

BUT NOTHING FOR THAT. THAT SCHOOL AGE CATEGORY.

IF WE'RE TALKING TO HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE AGE.

SCHOOL FUNCTIONS? YES. THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE SERVICE AREA WE WORK WITH MANY DIFFERENT SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS. A LOT OF THEM MAY RELATE TO A WORKFORCE TRANSITION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.

SO WE'LL TAKE A VEHICLE OUT, SHOW THEM HOW TO RIDE.

WE'VE DONE THAT WITH MULTIPLE HIGH SCHOOLS IN OUR SERVICE AREA.

AND THEN EVEN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, WE'VE GOT SOME STUFF GOING ON WITH DUNCANVILLE FIELDHOUSE.

[01:15:01]

IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE GET ASKED ABOUT QUITE A BIT SOME CITIZENS AROUND TOWN MIGHT SEE THAT THERE'S ONLY 1 OR 2 PEOPLE ON THE BUS AT THE TIME.

WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR A 12 OR 16 PASSENGER BUS? WELL, BECAUSE FOR THAT ONE TRIP THAT WE DO TO THE SENIOR CENTER WHERE WE'RE DROPPING 12 PEOPLE OFF AT AT A TIME.

YEAH, THAT THAT'S NEEDED. THAT BUS IS FULL. WE'VE GOT SOME SERVICE GOING ON RIGHT NOW WITH EMPLOYERS WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVING TO TRAIL TWO VEHICLES BECAUSE OUR SIZE ISN'T ISN'T NECESSARY FOR THE AMOUNT OF EMPLOYEES THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE TAKING TO WORK.

BUT A LOT OF IT IS ONE ON, TWO OFF. AND I WILL SAY ABOUT THE VEHICLES THAT WE DRIVE, THEY'RE ALL ADA COMPLIANT.

THEY'RE ALL ADA ACCESSIBLE. AND A LOT OF THEM HAVE TWO WHEELCHAIR POSITIONS, WHICH IS IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE PICKING UP OR TAKING TO DIALYSIS.

A LOT OF THE TIMES WE'RE TAKING MULTIPLE WHEELCHAIR PATIENTS TO A DIALYSIS APPOINTMENT.

AND SO USING THOSE TWO WHEELCHAIR SPOTS, THAT TAKES UP LIKE HALF THE SEATING IN THE BUS BECAUSE THEY'RE HAVING TO, TO, TO FLIP UP SEATS. AND SO AT THAT POINT YOU ONLY HAVE SIX OTHER PASSENGERS.

AND SO WHILE THE BUS MIGHT SEEM EMPTY THROUGHOUT THE DAY BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF ONE ON, ONE OFF, THERE'S A LOT OF GROUP TRIPS THAT OCCUR ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS ALL THROUGHOUT THE SERVICE AREA THAT NECESSITATE THAT SIZE VEHICLE AND THE BUS WOULD BE FULL AT AT THAT POINT. AND THEN THE I THINK HE HAD A FOURTH ONE.

THE FINAL ONE. WAS IT. HOW WAS IT MARKETED TO THE COMMUNITY? MARKETED. SO I APOLOGIZE. KIM BURTON, SHE WOULD NORMALLY DO THESE PRESENTATIONS.

SHE HANDLES OUR MARKETING, AND SHE'LL PROVIDE A LOT OF THE MARKETING MATERIAL ON WHAT'S BEEN DONE IN THE LAST YEAR AS FAR AS MARKETING CAMPAIGN.

SO I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T HAVE THE DETAILS ON ON ALL THE MARKETING, BUT A LOT OF DIGITAL ADS WE WILL DO DIRECT MAIL FLIERS. I DON'T THINK THAT WE'VE DONE ONE IN THE CITY OF DESOTO AND IN PROBABLY THE LAST YEAR OR TWO.

SOME ARE WATER, BILL. AND IT IS TARGETED. RIGHT.

WE'LL LOOK AT INDIVIDUAL 60 PLUS VETERAN OR DISABLED OR SINGLE CAR HOUSEHOLDS.

RIGHT. AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO TARGET OUR TRANSIT DEPENDENT RIDER.

WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CHOICE RIDERS. A LOT OF IT IS TRANSIT DEPENDENT.

THEY THEY YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT THEY CHOOSE TO USE OUR SERVICE.

THEY NEED THEY NEED TO USE OUR SERVICE. AND SO MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF IT.

WE'VE DONE SOME BILLBOARDS IN THE AREA JUST BECAUSE YOU KNOW, Y'ALL ARE BORDERING CEDAR HILL AND DUNCANVILLE.

THOSE ARE NEW AREAS. AND SO THERE'S BEEN SOME GAINS WHEN WE DO A, A BILLBOARD ON I-20 OR ON HIGHWAY 67, I'M SURE THAT THERE'S SOME DESOTO RESIDENTS THAT ARE HOPEFULLY SEEING THAT AS WELL.

SO THAT'S SOME OF THE MARKETING THAT I'M AWARE OF IN THE CITY.

OKAY. I'D JUST BE INTERESTED TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE MARKETING, WHETHER THERE'S ANY VIDEOS OUT THERE THAT KIND OF GIVE PEOPLE AN IDEA OF WHAT, WHAT ALL THEY CAN DO WITH STAR TRANSIT, BECAUSE MAYBE THE RIDERSHIP, NOW THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR THE ADDITIONAL, I KNOW THAT'S AT A DIFFERENT TIME. BUT ONCE THAT ADDITIONAL COME ON COMES ON.

THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE ADDITIONAL WOULD BE TO HELP US MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE KEEP THE BUSSES FULL.

PEOPLE ARE STILL GETTING THAT BENEFIT. AND THEN BUT IF THEY DON'T KNOW THEY CAN, THEY MAY NOT EVER.

YEAH. YES, MA'AM, A GREAT POINT. THAT WAS IT'S LIKE AS YOU WERE SAYING, THAT THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING IS THAT OCTOBER WHEN WE'RE HOPEFULLY LAUNCHING AND SEE CITY OF LANCASTER, THAT THERE'S OUTREACH BEING DONE IN THE CITY OF DESOTO AS WELL. RIGHT. THERE WILL BE COMMUNICATION GETTING PUSHED OUT ON SOME OF THESE SERVICE CHANGES THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN IF WE GO TO 8 P.M., RIGHT, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN YOU KNOW, WE DO A LOT OF COMMUNICATION ON OUR APP.

YOU KNOW, NOTIFICATIONS AND THAT SORT OF THING.

FACEBOOK AND ALL THAT. SO THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INCREASED MARKETING AROUND THE OCTOBER TIMEFRAME.

OKAY. THANK YOU. ARE YOU OKAY? THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN PARKER.

MAYOR PRO TEM, THANK YOU. I JUST HAD A QUESTION AROUND THE CONTRACT TERMS. OR DO WE RENEW WITH YOU ALL ANNUALLY, OR IS IT EVERY TWO YEARS? SO ALL OF OUR INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS WITH OUR CITY PARTNERS ARE SET TO AUTO RENEW ANNUALLY.

[01:20:04]

WE WE SET TO EARN OUR PARTNERSHIP EVERY YEAR.

RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT A FIVE YEAR OR TEN YEAR AGREEMENT.

IT DOES AUTO RENEW, BUT THAT'S WHY WE COME TO THE CITIES ON A ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AS A TO GIVE AN UPDATE.

BUT ALSO IF THERE'S GOING TO BE A SERVICE CHANGE THAT IT COINCIDES WITH THE ILA RENEWAL, WHICH IS OCTOBER 1ST. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND MY LAST THING IS THAT IN PRIOR YEARS I ASKED ABOUT STAR TRANSIT PROVIDING FREE RIDES DURING ON ELECTION DAY, AND I WAS IT LAST YEAR? I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR. THE CITY WAS DENIED THAT OPPORTUNITY.

YEAH. YEAH. OH, WE'VE WE'VE DONE FREE RIDES TO VOTE IN EVERY ONE OF OUR SERVICE AREAS FOR FOR EVERY ELECTION CYCLE, REGARDLESS OF WELL, MAYBE THAT'S ONE WE CAN TAKE OFFLINE, BECAUSE I'M VERY CERTAIN THAT I REACHED OUT TO CONFIRM WITH OUR CITY SECRETARY OFFICE.

AND WHEN THEY REACHED OUT, THEY WERE TOLD NO.

OH I DEFINITELY APOLOGIZE FOR ANY MISCOMMUNICATION ON THAT, BUT 100% WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT AT LEAST SINCE COVID, I THINK WAS WHEN SOME OF THAT STARTED TO HAPPEN.

FREE RIDES TO VOTE. AND SO I'D SAY THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

AND I APOLOGIZE IF THAT WAS MISCOMMUNICATION TO YOURSELF OR CITY STAFF ON THAT.

I BELIEVE THAT PR IS IS SENT OUT TO OUR CITY PARTNERS AS WELL WITH THE PRESS RELEASE ON WE'RE DOING IT ON THIS DAYS. I THINK IT'S EVEN EARLY VOTING, NOT JUST ELECTION DAY.

SO 100% WOULD DO THAT. IT'S BEEN DONE. AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THE MISCOMMUNICATION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER NORTH. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE A QUICK COMMENT OF THIS PAST ELECTION.

MAY 3RD, I DID SEE A STAR TRANSIT BUS ON THE DC THREE.

OKAY. PARKING LOT. I'M NOT CERTAIN IF THAT WAS RELATED TO THE FREE RIDES, BUT I DO RECALL SEEING A BUS THERE.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT SERVICE. ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS IN REGARDS TO THE EXTENDED TIME FROM 6 P.M.

TO 8 P.M.. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT'S CONTRIBUTING TO THAT, BECAUSE I'VE ALSO SEEN AN INCREASE OF UBER X TRANSMITTED TRANSPORTATION AROUND DESOTO. SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE MORE VISIBILITY AROUND THE SERVICE THAT UBER X IS OFFERING? SO SO THOSE THOSE TRIPS ARE HAPPENING NOW. THROUGH THAT DART AGREEMENT. AND SO IF YOU WERE TO SEE A STAR TRANSIT VEHICLE IN THE CITY OF DESOTO AFTER 6 P.M.. THAT'S THE ACTIVITY THAT'S TAKING PLACE.

ANY OF THE UBER X SHARE THAT IS HAPPENING AFTER 6 P.M.

RIGHT NOW IS UNDER THAT DART PROGRAM THAT WILL BE GOING AWAY.

MOVING TO STAR TRANSIT PROVIDING THAT. AND SO YES, THE GOAL IS THAT YOU WOULD SEE MORE OF THAT ACTIVITY BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S EXCLUSIVE TO THE BUSINESS PARK ON THE NORTH SIDE OF TOWN.

AND SO IN THE FUTURE, COME OCTOBER 1ST, IF COUNCIL DECIDES, LET'S PROVIDE SERVICE TILL 8 P.M., THAT WOULD BE OFFERED THROUGHOUT THE CITY LIMIT WITH REGARDS TO RIDESHARE.

SO THAT PARTICULAR COMPONENT, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR ON THIS THAT IT WILL BE, A SERVICE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO MEDICAL AS WELL AS SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER. IS IT SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT? NO, THAT THAT SERVICE WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO ANYBODY THAT'D BE AVAILABLE TO GENERAL PUBLIC.

OKAY. WHAT WHAT WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THROUGH THE DART PROGRAM THAT'S ON DEMAND SERVICE THROUGH THERE, IT'S CALLED GO LINK. THAT'S ON DEMAND SERVICE.

SO THEY CAN ONLY BOOK THAT RIDE LIKE AN HOUR IN ADVANCE.

SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS KEEPING THAT SAME SERVICE THROUGH OUR STAR NOW SERVICE.

THAT'S OUR ON DEMAND SERVICE. AND SO RIDERS WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO BOOK SAME DAY 8:00 IF, IF SOMEBODY WERE TO CALL.

[01:25:04]

I DON'T YELL. MIGHT BE THE ONE EXCEPTION THAT WOULD HAVE THE SENIOR CENTER OPEN LATE BECAUSE IT IS BUSY.

BUT MOST OF THOSE SENIOR ACTIVITIES ARE NOT HAPPENING THEN, RIGHT? MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS, DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS AREN'T REALLY HAPPENING.

THEN. A LOT OF THE GOLANG SERVICES HAPPENING IS REALLY GEARED TOWARD WORKFORCE AND EMPLOYEE TRANSPORTATION. AND SO WE'RE WE'RE PROPOSING TO JUST TRANSITION THAT, HOWEVER, MAKE IT AVAILABLE FOR THE WHOLE CITY LIMIT, NOT JUST THE BUSINESS PART. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFICATION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. HENDRICKS, I WILL CAP OUR CONVERSATION OFF.

I DO HAVE A KIND OF A KIND OF A QUESTION. HOPEFULLY TIE IT TOGETHER.

LOOKING AT THIS SLIDE, WE HAVE THE AVERAGE HOURS PER WEEKDAY.

IT WILL GIVE US 13 ADDITIONAL HOURS EVERY WEEK.

13 ADDITIONAL HOURS EVERY DAY. EVERY DAY. YES.

SO SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER TWO DRIVERS THAT WILL PUT ON THE ROAD.

SO THAT'S MY QUESTION. SO WE GO BACK TO THE OTHER SLIDE.

IT'S A SLIDE THAT SHOWS THAT WE'RE PLATEAUING OFF WITH THE RIDERS.

AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT THE THE DENIAL RATE BEING AT ABOUT SIX SIX PLUS PERCENT.

SO LIKE WITH THESE ADDITIONAL 13 HOURS A DAY, WOULD THAT HELP UPTICK THAT NUMBER? BECAUSE BECAUSE I'M ASSUMING THAT THERE'S A THERE'S RHYME AND REASON TO THE TYPES OF DENIALS WE'RE HAVING AND THE 13 HOURS ADDITIONAL EVERY DAY CAN CORRELATE TO HELP GET THAT NUMBER DOWN. IS THAT THE ONUS BEHIND THE 13 ADDITIONAL HOURS? EXACTLY. OKAY. SO THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOME DENIED TRIP.

WHETHER THEY'RE WANTING TO GO AT OURS THAT WE DON'T OPERATE OR LOCATIONS THAT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SERVE.

SO IT'S NOT THAT WE COULD PROMISE IT. WE COULD EVER GET IT DOWN TO 1 OR 2%.

OUR GOAL WOULD BE LIKE TO CUT THAT IN HALF, RIGHT? IF THE TARGET IS TO KEEP THAT BELOW 10% AND WE'RE DOING 2000 RIDES A MONTH, THAT'S LESS THAN 200.

I THINK RIGHT NOW DENIALS ARE ABOUT A HUNDRED A MONTH.

MAYBE 120 ON A ON A HIGH MONTH. WHEN WE ADD THAT ADDITIONAL SERVICE, I THINK THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT ABOUT 400 MORE TRIPS PER MONTH. DEMAND RESPONSE. DEMAND RESPONSE. RIGHT.

OKAY. SO FOR 400 ADDITIONAL TRIPS WHEN WE'RE DENYING, YOU KNOW, EVEN ON A HIGH NUMBER, MAYBE 150.

AND SO, YEAH, THE HOPE IS THAT WE REALLY ARE ABLE TO TO CUT THAT IN HALF.

CAN'T SAY THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO DENY EVERYTHING, BUT AND THE OTHER THING THAT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WE COVER EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING TO TO HELP WITH THE NINE TRIPS. ONE THING THAT I DID WANT TO SHARE IS A PROGRAM THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE WE'RE WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH A THIRD PARTY PROVIDER THAT DOES ADA ACCESSIBLE MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION.

AND SO JUST LIKE WE USE UBER FOR OUR OVERFLOW OR ADD AVAILABILITY ON STAFF.

NOW WE WANT TO USE THIS VENDOR. AND WE'VE GOT AN AGREEMENT TO DO A LITTLE PILOT RUN AS OVERFLOW FOR OUR DEMAND RESPONSE.

AND SO WHEN WE YOU KNOW, NOT THAT WE EVER WANT TO DENY A TRIP, BUT IF THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WITH USING A VETTED VENDOR OF OURS THAT WE WOULD SUPPLY THAT AS A WAY TO INCREASE AVAILABILITY.

CUT DOWN ON THOSE DENIALS. SO, TOMMY, HOW DOES THAT WORK, THOUGH, FROM A BUDGETARY STANDPOINT, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ADDING ANOTHER VENDOR ON AND PROVIDING THAT SERVICE? RIGHT. SO WE WOULD DO THAT WITHIN THAT 13 HOURS.

OKAY. YEAH. AND I JUST IT'S GOING TO BE PRETTY LIMITED.

SURE. JUST BECAUSE THE DENIAL NUMBERS AREN'T THAT HIGH RIGHT NOW.

AND SO WHAT WHAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE WHEN SOMEBODY CALLS 14 DAYS OUT AND SAYS, I NEED TO GO TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT IN DALLAS, THAT THAT IS 100 ACCEPTED EVERY TIME, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S OUR GOAL WITH WITH WITH THAT SERVICE.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I TOUCHED ON THAT I'M INTO EARLIER.

BUT WE DIDN'T GET THAT SPECIFIC. SO. NO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH. WE DON'T USUALLY HAVE A CHANCE FOR US TO DEEP DIVE INTO THE NUMBERS IN THE MEETING, SO I APPRECIATE YOU YOU'RE SHARING THIS INFORMATION.

[01:30:03]

COUNSEL, WE ARE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH OUR AGENDA AND ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE TIME THAT I WANT TO KEEP US UNDER TONIGHT.

SO I'M GOING TO INSTITUTE TWO MINUTE ROUNDS FOR QUESTIONS TONIGHT.

AND SO MISS KIRBY IS GOING TO HELP US OUT WITH THAT AT THIS TIME, AS THOMAS WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA,

[d. Presentation and discussion on the City's current grant applications and funding efforts]

MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS DOCTOR ESTHER WILLIAMS, COMMUNITY SERVICE AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR. WELCOME BACK.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING AGAIN. SO I'LL GO THROUGH THESE SLIDES FAIRLY QUICKLY.

THE PURPOSE IS TO JUST GIVE YOU ALL AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE REGARDING ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT GRANT APPLICATIONS.

GIVE YOU THOSE NUMBERS. WE ARE TRYING TO LET YOU KNOW ALSO THE GRANTS THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN FUNDED.

JUST SO YOU ARE AWARE THAT WHILE WE MAY NOT SEE THE NUMBERS WE ARE, THERE ARE ACTIONS BEHIND ACTUALLY APPLYING FOR THESE GRANTS.

SO I KNOW THIS IS A REALLY SMALL CLIP, BUT I'LL GO.

EACH DEPARTMENT SECTION WILL BE TALKED ABOUT IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, BUT THESE ARE WHAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY ON RECORD.

SO FOR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES YOU'LL SEE THE LIST THERE.

YOU'LL JUST BE ABLE TO SEE WHO APPLIED FOR THE DEPARTMENT.

POINT OF CONTACT. WHEN WE WHEN THE GRANT WAS REQUESTED THE PURPOSE FOR THE GRANT NAME AND THEN APPROXIMATE AMOUNT REQUESTED WHEN IT WAS DUE, AS WELL AS HOW MUCH WAS ACTUALLY AWARDED. OKAY.

SO WE HAVE SOME HERE. TWO OF THE GRANTS THAT WERE AWARDED WERE THROUGH THE GRANT, AND I'LL ANSWER QUESTIONS AT THE END TO JUST SO YOU KNOW HERE'S FROM OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT REGARDING OUR HAMPTON ROAD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.

AND POLICE DEPARTMENT. OKAY. FIRE DEPARTMENT WE ACTUALLY JUST RECEIVED OR WE JUST APPLIED FOR A GRANT ALL THE WAY AT THE BOTTOM WHERE WE ARE REQUESTING FOR STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE EMERGENCY RESPONSE.

AND THAT WAS TURNED IN LAST WEEK FOR ABOUT $3 MILLION.

LIBRARY GRANT DID WANT TO BRING THIS UP. WE WERE APPLYING FOR ABOUT A $7 MILLION GRANT.

WE WEREN'T AWARDED IT, BUT IT WAS BECAUSE THE PROGRAM WAS TERMINATED.

IT WAS JUST COMPLETELY TERMINATED. NO, NO, NO, NO OTHER EXPLANATION.

SOMETIMES IT DOES THAT. SO A LOT OF PARKS AND RECREATION GRANTS HERE.

MOST OF THEM STILL ARE STILL IN PROGRESS. AND THEN PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT.

ARE ASKED THAT WE ASK. OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS.

AND. OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT IS GOING TO BE TALKED ABOUT MORE IN DETAIL IN JUST ANOTHER PRESENTATION.

AND THEN MUNICIPAL COURT. OKAY. SO WE HAVE SUBMITTED 25 GRANTS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S CAPTURED HERE. A TOTAL OF 6.5 MILLION HAS BEEN AWARDED THROUGH VARIOUS FUNDING PROGRAMS. AND THESE GRANTS TO HELP SUPPORT AND FUND CRITICAL CITY SERVICES, INITIATIVES AND PROJECTS.

IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC PROGRAM QUESTIONS, THEN WE ARE GOING TO ASK OUR DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS TO COME AND SHARE JUST MORE DETAILS.

BUT IN THE OVERALL APPLICATION PROCESS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I CAN ANSWER THOSE FOR YOU.

THANK YOU, DOCTOR WILLIAMS. I DO SEE SOME LIGHTS ON.

YES. COUNCILMEMBER PARK. YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.

YES. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU. MR.. DOCTOR WILLIAMS, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE GRANTS. NOW, I ACTUALLY ASKED AT SOME POINT TO HAVE A COLUMN THAT GAVE YOU WHAT THE CITY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR.

I'M NOT CERTAIN IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AT ANOTHER TIME, BUT I'VE ASKED ABOUT THAT SEVERAL TIMES.

THE ONLY REASON I'M ASKING FOR IT IS BECAUSE I WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH IS THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY.

HOW MUCH WOULD THE CITY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IF THEY WERE TO GET THOSE GRANTS OF THE 25 FOR IS THAT FOR JUST 2025 IS WHICH YOU SAID 25 GRANTS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED? IS THAT JUST SO FAR THAT EVERYTHING THAT WAS CAPTURED THERE.

SO I DID SEE TWO THAT WERE FROM 2021. OKAY. OKAY.

AND SO IS THERE A COLUMN THAT ACTUALLY WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT YEAR OR FISCAL YEAR THAT THAT GRANT WOULD BE IN? YES. THE COLUMN THAT SAYS WHEN IT WAS DUE IS THE PRETTY MUCH THE YEAR THAT IT WAS PROVIDED.

USUALLY GRANTS HAVE UP TO FOUR, THREE, FIVE YEARS TO ACTUALLY SPEND IT.

OKAY. AND IS THERE A COLUMN THAT ACTUALLY GIVES THAT INFORMATION TO.

SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT AS WELL, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE TO HAVE THE FIRST.

[01:35:04]

THE SECOND WOULD BE WHAT YEAR OR I GUESS YOU WOULD CALL IT AS DEADLINE.

THAT'S ON THE I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE BUT IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT YOU WOULD CALL IT IS A DEADLINE. YES. SO THAT'S THE SECOND TO THE LAST COLUMN IS WHEN THE GRANT APPLICATION WAS DUE. NO. THE, WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY DUE I MEAN WHEN I SAY DO I MEAN WHEN IT HAS TO BE EXPENDED.

GOT IT. OKAY. OKAY. YEAH. AND THEN THE 25 YOU'RE SAYING IS IS REALLY 23 FOR 20, 25, 23 GRANTS WERE DONE THIS YEAR.

YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND AS FAR AS THE CITY MATCH WE WE DID LOOK FOR IT.

WE WERE GOING TO ADD THE COLUMN, BUT NONE OF THE GRANTS LISTED REQUIRED A CITY MATCH.

SO THAT'S WHY WE JUST DIDN'T. WITH THE EXCEPTION.

WHAT? THE EXCEPTION OF ONE GRANT, WHICH IS THE PARKS GRANT FOR THE REGIONAL TRADE.

THAT REQUIRES A 20% MATCH, BUT THAT. OKAY, WE'LL ADD THAT.

SO YOU SIT ON THERE. I'M SORRY. JUST JUST SO I'M CLEAR AND I KNOW MY TIME IS UP FOR THE 23 GRANTS.

YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY ANY OF THAT MONEY? IS THAT WHAT I HEARD? THERE'S NOTHING THAT THE CITY HAS TO DO.

WE WILL VERIFY THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU.

I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PARKER.

ALL GREAT QUESTIONS. I SEE NO ADDITIONAL LIGHTS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR WILLIAMS. AT THIS TIME, MISS THOMAS WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA,

[e. Presentation on CDBG Consolidated Plan Update]

MAKING THE PRESENTATION IS DOCTOR ESTHER WILLIAMS. WELL, I'M. I'M ACTUALLY MAKING THE INTRODUCTION. YES, I'LL BE MAKING AN INTRODUCTION. SO TONIGHT WE HAVE MISS PATTY PATRICIA SANTA CRUZ FROM RURAL AMERICA WHO WILL BE PROVIDING US WITH OUR CONSOLIDATED PLAN.

UPDATE WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY INPUT, AND SHE'S GOING TO BE BREAKING THAT DOWN FOR YOU TONIGHT.

GOOD EVENING, MISS SANTA CRUZ. GOOD TO SEE YOU. HELLO, MADAM MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. AGAIN, MY NAME IS PATRICIA SANTA CRUZ.

I'M A FIELD DIRECTOR WITH GRO AMERICA. GREAT AMERICA HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS NOW, ASSISTING THE CITY WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF THEIR CDBG GRANT TONIGHT, HERE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND THE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN THAT WILL BE DUE HERE PRETTY SOON. VERY BRIEFLY, THE CITY HAS BEEN RECEIVING CDBG FUNDS, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS FROM HUD FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS, STARTED RECEIVING THEM IN 2015.

OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE CITY'S ANNUAL FUNDING HAS BEEN AROUND $273,000.

CDBG FUNDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT.

ACTIVITIES. THESE ACTIVITIES MUST PRIMARILY BENEFIT LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS EARNING LESS THAN 80% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME, SO EVERY FIVE YEARS AS A RECIPIENT OF HUD FUNDS, RECIPIENTS ARE REQUIRED TO CONDUCT A COMMUNITY NEEDS ANALYSIS CALLED THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN. THIS IS A FIVE YEAR NEEDS PLAN THAT WILL GUIDE THE CITY'S USE OF THEIR CDBG FUNDS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

SO TONIGHT'S UPDATE IS ABOUT THE PLAN THAT'S BEING DEVELOPED FOR FY 2025 THROUGH 2029.

THE PLAN ASSESSES THE COMMUNITY NEEDS REGARDING HOUSING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NEEDS.

THE ASSESSMENT IS DONE THROUGH STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND A REVIEW OF DATA AND THE ACTION PLAN.

PRIORITIZE IDENTIFIES WHAT THE NEEDS ARE, PRIORITIZES THOSE NEEDS, AND THEN THE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN WILL IMPLEMENT THE ACTIVITIES THAT WILL ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS. SO THIS IS JUST A BRIEF SNAPSHOT OF OF WHAT THESE STEPS LOOK LIKE IN THE CONSOLIDATED PLANNING PROCESS.

SO TWO MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN ARE A REVIEW OF DATA, INCLUDING HUD DATA, US CENSUS DATA, LOCAL DATA LIKE YOUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

AND A BIG PART OF THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN PROCESS IS THE STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY INPUT, GETTING INPUT FROM RESIDENTS ON WHAT THEY BELIEVE THE MOST IMPORTANT NEEDS ARE FOR THE USE OF THESE FUNDS, AS WELL AS STAKEHOLDERS WHO ASSIST IN ADDRESSING THESE NEEDS.

WELL, BRIEFLY, THERE ARE SOME RULES SURROUNDING THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS.

SO ON AVERAGE, YOU RECEIVE ABOUT $273,000 OF FUNDING.

A MAXIMUM OF 15% OF THOSE FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR PUBLIC SERVICES OR SOCIAL SERVICE ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS SENIOR SERVICES, CHILD CARE SERVICES HERE.

OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN A PRIORITY FOR THESE FUNDS.

UP TO 20% CAN BE USED FOR PLANNING AND ADMIN, AND REMAINING FUNDING FOR CDBG CAN BE USED ON ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY, HOUSING, REHAB, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SMALL LOAN, SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS, FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS, AND OF COURSE, INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS.

[01:40:02]

IT'S CONSOLIDATED PLAN SLASH ACTION PLAN BECAUSE THERE IS A BUDGET ATTACHED TO THIS.

WE INITIATED THE COMMON PLAN ACTIVITIES STARTING ON MARCH 6TH WITH THE A RESIDENT SURVEY THAT WAS PUBLICIZED IN THE NEWSPAPER AS WELL AS ON SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS AND ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.

THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARINGS TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK ON COMMUNITY NEEDS WAS ON MARCH 18TH.

THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD TOMORROW.

THESE ARE TWO REQUIRED PUBLIC HEARINGS EACH YEAR REQUIRED BY HUD.

SO TOMORROW I'LL BE BACK UP HERE TO DO THE FORMAL PUBLIC HEARING.

WE ISSUED A DRAFT BUDGET AND DRAFT NEEDS ASSESSMENT ON JULY THE 9TH.

AND I'M SORRY. ON JULY THE 6TH. AND THE CITY COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND ANNUAL ACTION PLAN ON AUGUST 5TH.

HUD MUST RECEIVE THE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN AND THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN NO LATER THAN AUGUST 15TH.

SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PROCESS.

INCLUDED A COMMUNITY NEEDS SURVEY THAT WAS AVAILABLE FROM MARCH 6TH TO JULY 7TH.

ACTUALLY THE SURVEY WAS AVAILABLE ONLINE AND PAPER SERVICES WERE ALSO AVAILABLE HERE AT THE CITY ACTION CENTER, THE LIBRARY, AND THE SENIOR CENTER. THE QUESTIONS AND THE NEED SURVEY SURROUNDED HOUSING, PUBLIC SERVICES, INFRASTRUCTURE, THOSE ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED WITH CDBG FUNDS, AND THE CITY RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 191 RESPONSES FROM SEVERAL STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS WERE HELD EITHER IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY AROUND TEN OF THEM.

SO THE RESULTS OF THE COMMUNITY SURVEY IS VERY SIMILAR TO SURVEYS WE PUT OUT IN THE PAST THREE YEARS AROUND THIS ANNUAL ACTION PLAN TIME.

THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY THAT RESIDENTS IDENTIFIED WAS INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITIES IMPROVEMENTS, NAMELY STREETS, SIDEWALKS. HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT STREET LAMPS AS WELL.

FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS. FALLS INTO THAT CATEGORY HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PARTICULARLY THE HOUSING REHAB PROGRAM.

AND WE ALSO SAW HOUSING FOR SENIORS AND DISABLED PERSON MENTIONED QUITE A BIT UNDER THE HOUSING CATEGORY.

AND THEN OF COURSE, PUBLIC SERVICES IS ALWAYS IN MOST COMMUNITIES COMES UP AS A PRIORITY.

TYPES OF ACTIVITIES CAN BE IDENTIFIED WITH SERVICES FOR SENIORS, SUCH AS THE TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND SHORT TERM EMERGENCY MORTGAGE RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE. SO, BASED ON THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT, PRIMARILY DRIVEN FROM THE NEEDS IDENTIFIED IN THE SURVEY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, THE CITY STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THE FOLLOWING THREE OVERARCHING PRIORITIES TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE ACTION PLANS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

AND THAT IS TO FIRST ONE IS TO CREATE SUITABLE LIVING ENVIRONMENTS.

SO ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THIS CATEGORY WOULD BE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, STREETS, SIDEWALKS, ALLEYS, STREETLIGHTS AND FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS THAT COULD INCLUDE PARKS IN COMMUNITY CENTERS SUCH AS THE SENIOR CENTER.

SECOND PRIORITY WOULD BE TO PROVIDE DECENT, SAFE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THIS CATEGORY COULD BE CONTINUATION OF A HOME REPAIR PROGRAM. ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OR REHAB OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, PARTICULARLY FOR SENIORS. SO THAT COULD BE FUNDS FOR ACQUISITION OF LAND TO PURCHASE PURCHASE LAND TO. TO BUILD A FACILITY OR REHAB AN EXISTING FACILITY.

AND OF COURSE, ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE FAIR HOUSING.

AND THEN THE THIRD PRIORITY IS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC SERVICES FOR LOW TO MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.

SO THESE COULD BE CONTINUATION OF PUBLIC SERVICE ACTIVITIES SUCH AS THE TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, PROGRAMS THAT TARGET YOUTH, SENIORS AND OTHER SPECIAL NEEDS CATEGORIES.

HUD ANNOUNCED THE THE ANNUAL ALLOCATIONS FOR ALL GRANTEES IN MAY OF THIS YEAR.

AND THE CITY OF DESOTO ALLOCATED AMOUNT FOR FY 25 IS $271,460, AND THAT'S FOR THE PROGRAM.

PERIOD BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2025 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026, AND BASED ON THE NEEDS BASED ON THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN PRIORITIES STAFF'S RECOMMENDING THE FOLLOWING BUDGET FOR 2025 A CONTINUATION OF THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.

THIS IS HOME REPAIRS FOR HOMEOWNERS FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES UP TO $10,000.

THIS BUDGET DOES ALSO INCLUDE ASSESSMENT, INSPECTIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO EVEN THOUGH $10,000, IT WOULD BE 11 HOUSES.

[01:45:06]

WE'RE ALSO RECOMMENDING $90,000 FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE DESOTO SENIOR CENTER FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT.

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO TWO TIMES. THE CITY HAS PROVIDED FUNDING UNDER CDBG FOR THIS.

WE ARE FINALLY AT THE PHASE OF WHERE DESIGN IS COMPLETE.

THE TOTAL ESTIMATED PROJECT COST FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS AT THE SENIOR CENTER IS $345,000.

ADDING THIS $90,000 WILL NOW FULLY FUND. THE RENOVATIONS BASED ON THE DESIGN AND ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION BIDS. PUBLIC SERVICES WERE RECOMMENDED TO FUND $21,460 FOR THE TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.

THIS PAST YEAR THE CITY TRANSITIONED FROM ANOTHER VENDOR FROM IRVING HOLDINGS TO STAR TRANSIT BY MOVING TO STAR TRANSIT, WHICH ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO RECEIVE A LOT MORE RIDES THAN THEY WERE ABLE TO UNDER THE PRIOR CONTRACT.

SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT UNDER 15% OF THE BUDGET, BUT BASED ON THOSE THAT ARE ENROLLED, WE STILL HAVE CAPACITY TO ENROLL MORE FOLKS INTO THE PROGRAM.

SO WE'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND TO KEEP IT AT $21,000 AND ADMINISTRATION AT $50,000.

ADMINISTRATION CAN BE FUNDED UP TO 20%. THIS RECOMMENDS ABOUT 50 ABOUT 18% OF YOUR OVERALL BUDGET.

IT'S FOR PLANNING PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION. DEVELOPMENT OF THIS CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND MEETING HUD REGULATIONS AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MISS SANTA CRUZ. WE DO HAVE SOME LIGHTS.

I'M NOT SURE WHOSE LIGHT WAS FIRST. MAYOR PRO TEM, THANK YOU.

I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. WHAT I DO WANT TO SAY IS THAT THE 191 SURVEYORS OUT OF A POPULATION OF 58,000 GIVES US ABOUT A 0.33% RESPONSE RATE. I THINK THAT'S RELATIVELY LOW.

AND I FEEL A LITTLE BIT LIKE A REDUNDANCY IN HAVING A CONVERSATION, BECAUSE I THINK THE LAST COUPLE OF TIMES YOU COME BEFORE US, THAT'S BEEN THE TREND, AND I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO SEE SOME MORE CREATIVE WAYS TO ENGAGE WITH OUR COMMUNITY, SUCH AS REACHING OUT TO OUR CHURCHES. I THINK I BROUGHT UP NINE LAST TIME.

THERE ARE SEVERAL AVENUES. WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT THING.

IS THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE THREE PILLARS THAT YOU PROVIDED DOESN'T ACTUALLY ALIGN WITH THE PROPOSED PLAN THAT IS PROVIDED.

IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE STAYING ON THE SAME TRACK OF JUST FOCUSING ON TRANSPORTATION, THE SENIOR CENTER AND THE THE HOME REPAIR, REPAIR, HOME REPAIRS. NOT THAT I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF THOSE ARE VERY VIABLE OPTIONS.

I JUST THOUGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS AT SOME POINT, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE DOING A PUBLIC HEARING TO GET MORE BUY IN, THAT WE DEVIATE JUST MAYBE A LITTLE BIT FROM THAT BY THE VOICE OF THE RESIDENT.

AND PARTICULARLY ONE THING THAT WE HAVEN'T TAPPED IN IS MENTAL HEALTH.

I THINK WE HAVE A HUGE OPPORTUNITY, ESPECIALLY JUST LOOKING AT OTHER DEPARTMENTS WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND WHERE THERE COULD BE EVEN A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. CHILD CARE.

I'VE PERSONALLY, PERSONALLY WATCHED WITH PARKS THIS PAST SUMMER JUST THE, THE NEED FOR CHILD CARE.

AND I THINK IT EXTENDS BEYOND JUST DURING THE SUMMERTIME.

BUT IF WE'RE NOT TAPPING INTO THE GREATER POPULATION OF RESIDENTS TO FIND THAT OUT, THEN WE'RE STICKING WITH THE SAME PLAN.

SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE'RE DOING A CHECK BOX HERE, LIKE, OKAY, WE HAD THE MEETING TOMORROW, WE'RE GOING TO DO A PUBLIC HEARING, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE WE DIDN'T REALLY TALK TO A LOT OF PEOPLE ANYWAY. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GO ON WITH THE SAME PLAN.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY PERHAPS, JUST MAYBE, THAT NEXT YEAR THAT WE COULD JUST DO THINGS DIFFERENT.

I DO WANT TO MENTION, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR FEEDBACK, AND I DO APPRECIATE IT. AND WE DEFINITELY DID TAKE NOTES.

MASTER, TELL ME IF I'M WRONG. IF THERE WERE OTHER OUTREACH METHODS THAT WE DID THAT WEREN'T REPRESENTED ON THAT SLIDE.

BUT AS TO YOUR THE OVERARCHING PRIORITIES. SO I, I MENTIONED IN THERE THAT THESE ARE ACTIVITIES THAT COULD BE ADDRESSED.

BUT THAT REALLY GIVES YOU YOU HAVE A LOT OF LATITUDE UNDER PUBLIC SERVICES.

TRANSPORTATION IS WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING FOR FUNDING.

WE'VE SEEN SOME BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO THE PERSONS THAT ARE ENROLLED ARE ABLE TO GET MORE RIDES NOW BY MOVING TO STAR TRANSIT,

[01:50:02]

SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, WITH THIS 15%. YES, TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE IS RECOMMENDED TO BE CONTINUED, BUT YOU ALSO COULD PUT SOME MONEY OUT TO LOOK FOR OTHER SERVICES THAT WERE ALSO A PRIORITY.

SO DEFINITELY WANTED TO RECOMMEND TO MENTION THAT.

ANYTHING ELSE? NOW? JUST A COUPLE OF WE ACTUALLY DID GET TO SIT IN FRONT OF OUR LIBRARY, AND WE DID GET A LOT OF RESPONSES FROM THAT AS WELL, JUST HANDING OUT THE SURVEY AND WE YEAH, I MEAN, WE, WE WERE ABLE TO CAPTURE THOSE AS WELL.

NOT MUCH AS FAR AS CHILD CARE. I CAN'T REMEMBER SEEING THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE RESULTS AS FAR AS THAT GOES.

BUT REGARDING THE THE SIDEWALKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I DID HEAR THAT A LOT.

SO IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT'S WHAT THIS CONVERSATION IS ABOUT. SO THAT WE CAN ADD THAT TO OUR PLAN.

TO OUR PROPOSAL. AND THANK YOU. OKAY. JUST ONE MORE RESPONSE ABOUT THESE CATEGORIES. SO YES FOR FY 25 WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO CONTINUE LIKE REPAIR AND THE SENIOR CENTER.

BUT THE SENIOR CENTER, THIS SHOULD BE THE FINAL FUNDING ALLOCATION FOR THE SENIOR CENTER, SO THAT THAT WILL FREE UP A GOOD PORTION OF THE BUDGET FOR OTHER THINGS NEXT YEAR, LIKE SIDEWALKS OR OTHER CDBG ACTIVITIES. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PARKER.

THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND I I ECHO SOME OF THE THINGS OF MY COLLEAGUE ON THE ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE LIST.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE OUTREACH AS IT PERTAINS TO MAKING CERTAIN THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT CDBG IS AND THAT SORT OF THING.

I KNOW THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF MEETINGS. DO WE HAVE ANY I MEAN, WE HAVE THE 191 FOR THE SURVEY, BUT DO WE HAVE THE NUMBERS FOR THE ACTUAL PARTICIPATION IN THE MEETINGS? IS THAT AVAILABLE ANYWHERE? I, I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER FOR YOU, BUT I CAN GET THAT NUMBER ON WHO YOU KNOW.

THE ATTENDANCE SHEETS FOR EACH ONE OF THE MEETINGS.

OKAY. YEAH. I MEAN, I ATTENDED TWO VIRTUALLY, AND I THINK THERE WAS A TOTAL OF SEVEN PEOPLE ON BOTH OF THOSE MEETINGS, BUT THOSE WERE VIRTUAL MEETINGS. I KNOW THERE WAS OTHER IN-PERSON MEETINGS.

OKAY. AND THEN AS FAR AS THE COSTING IS CONCERNED, I MEAN, WELL, THE AMOUNT WE RECEIVED 273 LAST YEAR.

YES, 273,000 LAST YEAR, 271 THIS YEAR. CAN YOU CAN YOU REFRESH MY MEMORY? HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS ADMIN COST? IT'S UP TO 20%.

I WE HAVE NOT CLOSED OUT 2024 YET. FUNDS. SO IT'S BUDGETED.

LAST YEAR WAS BUDGETED AT ABOUT 20% OR 2024 IS BUDGETED FOR ABOUT 20%.

BUT THAT HASN'T BEEN CLOSED OUT YET. SO FOR OUR SERVICES, IT CONCLUDES OUR SERVICES AND SUBCONTRACTOR SERVICES.

WE'VE SEEN A REDUCTION IN SUBCONTRACTOR SERVICES THIS YEAR WE HAVEN'T HAD TO USE THEM.

ESTHER HAS DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB. SO AND EVERYTHING THAT I, WE BUDGET FOR UP TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT, BUT IT'S DONE. HOURLY AND MONTHLY. SO IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT'S NEEDED TO DO.

REPORTING DRAWDOWNS. FOR HUD PLANNING ESPECIALLY ONE OF THEM IS MEETING THE TIMELINESS TEST, WHICH I'M HAPPY TO SAY TODAY. AGAIN, FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, THIS THE CITY WILL BE MEETING ITS TIMELINESS TEST, WHICH IS A BIG HUD REQUIREMENT THAT EVERY YEAR THEY TEST YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE YOU'RE SPENDING AT LEAST ONE AND A HALF TIMES YOUR CDBG AMOUNT BY A CERTAIN DATE. AND WHEN I GOT HERE THREE YEARS AGO, THE CITY HAD BEEN UNTIMELY FOR TWO YEARS IN A ROW, AND NOW WE'RE GOING ON THE SECOND YEAR OF MEETING THAT TEST.

YEAH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND SO THE OTHER THE QUESTION, I KNOW THAT YOU WERE TRYING TO RESPOND BACK TO ME, BUT A LOT OF MY TIME WAS LEAVING THERE.

SO THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU IS, AS FAR AS CDBG IS CONCERNED IT'S A PART OF THE PRESENTATION.

WE WILL HAVE A COLUMN THAT SAYS HOW MUCH HAS BEEN EXPENDED OF THE CDBG.

AND THEN THIS PROPOSED NEW FOR, YOU MEAN, FOR THE, FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, LIKE FOR ADMIN SPECIFICALLY? WELL, FOR ALL OF THEM, FOR ALL COLUMNS, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE DOING THE EXACT SAME PLAN WE DID LAST YEAR.

IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I THINK SIDEWALKS WAS SOMETHING WE WERE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT, BUT IT WAS NEVER ON THE, YOU KNOW. WELL, IT WASN'T ON THE LIST, NOT FOR OTHER PLACES OTHER THAN THE SENIOR CENTER.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE USING THOSE FUNDS IN THOSE DIFFERENT WAYS.

YES. AND I WILL SAY THAT IT WE DID PRIORITIZE THE SENIOR CENTER THIS YEAR.

[01:55:04]

YOU SHOULD NOT BE SEEING THE SENIOR CENTER ON THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR AND IT COULD BE USED REPLACED WITH SOMETHING LIKE SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS.

OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I DO HAVE SOME FINAL COMMENTS OF QUESTIONS.

I DO KNOW THAT THE THE CDBG HAS MADE ATTEMPTS AT THE FAITH LEADERS BREAKFAST TO PROVIDE OUTREACH AND TO GET CHURCHES ENGAGED WITH THE CDBG PROCESS. SO THOSE ATTEMPTS ARE BEING MADE.

SO I DON'T WANT THE COUNCIL TO FEEL LIKE THE ATTEMPTS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEY'VE COME MULTIPLE TIMES TO PRESENT TO OUR FAITH LEADERS TO PUT THE BALL BACK IN THEIR COURT, TO HAVE THEM AND TO ENGAGE WITH THEIR PARISHIONERS.

AND THEN WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT VERY QUICKLY.

AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE FOR CLARIFICATION, I UNDERSTAND IT, BUT JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR THAT THE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM IS NOT THE TAXIS THAT WE USED TO USE. THIS IS GOING STRICTLY TO START TRANSIT.

SO IT ACTUALLY THE MONEY THAT THEY GET THE $80 ACTUALLY GOES A LOT FURTHER.

THAT'S RIGHT. WITH THE INDIVIDUALS. THAT WAS THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO. SO THAT'S A GREAT THING.

SO I APPRECIATE US MAKING THOSE PIVOTS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THE MONEY GOES FURTHER FOR THE INDIVIDUALS THAT REALLY NEED IT.

IN REGARDS TO THE TIMELINESS TEST, I DO WANT TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT.

FOR THOSE YEARS THAT WE WERE NOT MEETING THAT TEST.

PARTLY BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO INSTITUTE THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

AND SO FOR WHAT HOMES WERE COSTING. THE NOBODY QUALIFIED.

RIGHT. THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. SO WE THAT'S WHY WE MOVED TO THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, SOMETHING THAT COULD ACTUALLY BE UTILIZED BECAUSE NOBODY COULD QUALIFY FOR THE FUNDS BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT THAT A DOWN PAYMENT WOULD COST AND THE AMOUNT OF HOMES, THERE WERE NO HOMES THAT FIT THE ACTUAL QUALIFICATIONS AND THE NUMBERS THAT WOULD DO IT.

SO OBVIOUSLY IT CAUSES US TO NOT TO BE ABLE TO SPEND THE MONEY.

SO THEREFORE YOU'RE NOT SPENDING IT. TIMELY. SO THAT WAS SOME OF THE REASON WHY COUNCIL AND STAFF PIVOTED TO PARTICULARLY TO THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT WAS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT RESIDENTS NEEDED AND RESIDENTS COULD USE.

SO I JUST WANT TO PROVIDE THAT CONTEXT TO THE COUNCIL AND TO THE PUBLIC IN TERMS OF BECAUSE IT SOUNDS VERY SCARY TO HEAR THAT WE'RE NOT MEETING OUR TIMELINE, THIS TEST. IT'S A IT'S NOT A GOOD THING, BUT THAT'S SOME OF THE CONTEXT BEHIND WHY WE WERE NOT MEETING IT IS BECAUSE THE PROGRAMING THAT WE WERE TRYING TO INSTITUTE, WE COULDN'T, YOU KNOW, GET THE QUALIFICATIONS MET BY THE PEOPLE THAT NEEDED IT.

ALL RIGHT. I DON'T SEE ANY ADDITIONAL LIGHTS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK.

THANK YOU, MISS SANTA CRUZ. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. ALL RIGHT.

AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. OUR COUNCIL. WOULD YOU ALL LIKE A BRIEF RECESS? A BRIEF, FIVE MINUTE RECESS? PUSH THROUGH. OKAY.

NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE. YES, MA'AM. NEXT, WE HAVE PRESENTATION OF THE 2025 CITY OF DESOTO COMMUNITY SURVEY FINDINGS.

[f. Presentation of the 2025 City of DeSoto Community Survey Findings]

GOOD EVENING, MR. ORTIZ. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.

TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE 2025 COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS.

WE'RE EXCITED THAT WE HAVE MTC INSTITUTE. THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THE COMMUNITY SURVEYS FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO SINCE 2020.

SO THIS IS THE THIRD COMMUNITY SURVEY. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING, UNDERSTANDING MORE SO ABOUT OUR RESIDENT SATISFACTION AND HOW WE CAN IMPROVE AS WELL.

SO I WILL BE INTRODUCING RYAN MURRAY WITH MTC INSTITUTE AND HE'LL BE WALKING US THROUGH THOSE SURVEY RESULTS.

THANKS. ALL RIGHTY. THANK YOU, MISS ORTIZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.

IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE AGAIN. I KNOW THERE'S SOME FAMILIAR FACES, BUT TONIGHT I ALSO WANT TO WALK THROUGH OUR METHODOLOGY JUST REALLY SLOWLY AND JUST KIND OF GIVE EVERYBODY THE FACTS OF HOW WE DID THINGS.

AND I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT OR REALLY MAYBE THE MOST IMPACTFUL WAY TO HAVE ME PRESENT IS TO KIND OF FRAME THINGS UP FOR YOU REAL QUICK.

ETSY INSTITUTE'S PROBABLY THE NATION'S LEADER IN MARKET RESEARCH FOR GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS. WE DO THIS TYPE OF WORK FOR HUNDREDS OF MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE STATE AND THE COUNTRY EVERY SINGLE YEAR. JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, OR MAYBE EVEN LAST WEEK, I WAS IN SAN ANTONIO PRESENTING BUDGET SURVEY RESULTS.

WE WERE IN DALLAS EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING IN THE COUNTY STILL. SO WE'RE VERY WELL FAMILIAR WITH TEXAS.

AND BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE WORK WE DO HERE IN TEXAS, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A TEXAS AVERAGE THAT I'LL SHOW YOU AS WELL AND IS IN THE REPORTING.

BUT ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS TO REALLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO HERE TONIGHT IS TO AGAIN FRAME UP THE PURPOSE OF THE METHODOLOGY, AND FIRST OF ALL, DO THAT WITH THE PURPOSE. AND THE PURPOSE THROUGH THE CONSULTANTS. LENS IS REALLY AN OBJECTIVE FEEDBACK TOOL. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE OBJECTIVE FEEDBACK ABOUT THE DELIVERY OF CORE SERVICES.

WE TYPICALLY CONSULT STAFF ON UNDERSTANDING, HEY, THESE ARE SERVICES THAT ARE OFTENTIMES GOING TO LEAD TO PERCEPTION BASED VALUES OR

[02:00:01]

EXCUSE ME. USUALLY I USED US IN REGIONAL, BUT BECAUSE WE DO SO MUCH WORK HERE AS WELL AS IN FLORIDA, WE DEVELOP TEXAS AND FLORIDA SPECIFIC REGIONAL AVERAGES.

SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE HOW OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS OR HOW OTHER FOLKS ACROSS THE STATE ARE RATING THOSE SAME AREAS.

THE THIRD, AND IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION, THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON WE'RE DOING THIS IS TO SET PRIORITIES.

SO IT'S REALLY NICE TO KNOW WHAT PEOPLE THINK, HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS, BASED ON KIND OF A SNAPSHOT IN TIME WHEN THEY COMPLETE THE SURVEY. BUT IF I DON'T DIRECT SOME KIND OF PRIORITIZATION OF THE RESULTS, THEN WE'RE JUST TOUCHING BASE WITH RESIDENTS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, KIND OF UNDERSTANDING, HEY, GENERALLY THEY'RE SATISFIED, BUT WHAT SHOULD WE EMPHASIZE? AND SO WE DEVELOPED THIS FORMAT OF THE SURVEY TO ASSESS BOTH SATISFACTION AND EMPHASIS OR AN IMPORTANCE LEVEL ON THE SERVICE LEVEL ITEMS. THE IDEA BEHIND THAT ANALYSIS, AND WE'LL GET INTO THIS FURTHER, IS TO REALLY EMPHASIZE IMPROVEMENTS OR ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS POTENTIALLY IN SERVICE AREA LEVELS THAT ARE BELOW AVERAGE SATISFACTION AND ABOVE AVERAGE IN THAT FOLLOW UP EMPHASIS QUESTION.

AND WE'LL SEE SOME OF THAT AS WELL. THE OTHER BIG THING HERE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THE METHODOLOGY.

MY SURVEYS ARE STATISTICALLY VALID BECAUSE WE USE RANDOM SAMPLING METHODOLOGY.

IT WOULD BE PERFECTLY FINE TO SUGGEST THAT, HEY, YOU RANDOMLY SAMPLED OUR COMMUNITY.

YOU RECEIVED 304 COMPLETED SURVEYS BACK. THAT IS THE SURVEY SAMPLE.

BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE INVOLVED THAN THAT.

WE'LL SAMPLE YOUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY BY FIRST PULLING A LIST OF ALL RESIDENTIAL ADDRESSES FROM THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

THERE'S ABOUT 21,000, JUST SHY OF 21,000 RESIDENTIAL HOUSEHOLDS, INCLUDING MULTIFAMILY AS WELL AS SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL HOMES.

FROM THAT LIST, I'LL SELECT AT RANDOM, BASICALLY ABOUT 10%.

AND SO I SELECTED ABOUT 2000 HOUSEHOLDS TO RECEIVE THE PAPER COPY OF THE SURVEY AND TO CONTINUALLY FOLLOW UP WITH THAT SAME 2000 PEOPLE OR 2000 HOUSEHOLDS.

UNTIL WE RECEIVE A MINIMUM OF 300. COMPLETED SURVEYS FROM THAT SAMPLE.

THE OTHER ADDED LAYER IS THAT I NEED TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S GEOGRAPHIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION THAT MATCHES THE CENSUS BUREAU STATISTICS IN THAT SAMPLE.

SO IF THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME 500 SURVEYS, WE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO FOLLOW UP WITH FOLKS UNTIL WE REACHED THE DEMOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION.

LUCKILY, IT DIDN'T TAKE US THAT WE'RE REALLY WE'RE EXTREMELY WELL VERSED IN THIS TYPE OF RESEARCH.

WE KNOW HOW TO SAMPLE COMMUNITIES, AND WE'VE WORKED WITH DESOTO MULTIPLE TIMES. SO THERE'S THIS OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE. AND SO WHAT WE DID THIS TIME IS WE SAMPLED YOUR COMMUNITY, COLLECTED 304 COMPLETED SURVEYS.

AND WHAT I LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL UNDERSTAND IS I KNOW THERE'S A MARGIN OF ERROR TO THE RESULTS. SO WE FEEL REALLY CONFIDENT IN THEM.

WE KNOW THAT CITY LEADERS CAN USE THEM TO PRIORITIZE SERVICE OR DECISION MAKING, BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WITHIN THE MARGIN OF ERROR, THERE'S SOME FLUCTUATION THAT COULD OCCUR. GIVEN THE 304 COMPLETED SURVEYS AND DEPENDING ON WHICH HOUSES COMPLETED THAT.

SO 95 OUT OF 100 TIMES. I AGREE WITH THESE RESULTS.

PLUS OR MINUS MY MARGIN OF ERROR OF ABOUT 6%.

WHAT THAT MEANS IS IF WE ASKED A YES OR NO QUESTION AND IT WAS 5050.

IN THIS SURVEY, 95 OUT OF 100 TIMES I DO 304 COMPLETED SURVEYS TO A RANDOM SAMPLE OF RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY.

I SHOULD EXPECT THOSE RESULTS TO BE ABOUT 56%.

YES, OR 46% YES. OR EXCUSE ME, 44%. NOW I APOLOGIZE, MY MENTAL MATH IS INCORRECT, BUT THE MARGIN OF ERROR JUST FLUCTUATES ON THOSE RESULTS.

95 OUT OF 100 TIMES. WE KNOW THE RESULTS ARE GOING TO BE MAINTAINED WITHIN THAT MARGIN OF ERROR, BUT THERE IS THAT POTENTIAL THAT THEY ESCAPE THAT OCCASIONALLY.

SO AS RESEARCHERS, WE JUST LIKE TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS.

WE RANDOMLY SELECTED THE POPULATION, BUT THEN WE ALSO ENSURE THE DEMOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION WAS MET.

SO FOR HOUSEHOLD INCOME, WE CAN'T REALLY COMPARE DIRECTLY.

WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO IS BRACKET RESPONSES AND TRY TO GET A GOOD DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSES.

RACE ETHNICITY IS THAT SECOND MIDDLE TABLE. THAT'S THE ONE WE FOCUS ON PROBABLY MOST HEAVILY, HEAVILY ALONG WITH HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION. THE PRIMARY REASON FOR THAT IS THAT WE KNOW CERTAIN HOUSEHOLD TYPES ARE MORE LIKELY TO RESPOND.

MORE AFFLUENT, OLDER HOMES ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO RESPOND.

SO WE WANT TO CHECK THE HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT GETTING TOO OLD. AND WE ALSO WANT TO TRACK THE RACE ETHNICITY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE BALANCING THAT. ACCORDING TO CENSUS BUREAU STATISTICS. WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SURVEYS ARE COMING GEOGRAPHICALLY FROM A GOOD SPREAD ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.

IT WOULD MAKE SENSE IF AN AFFLUENT COMMUNITY IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD RECEIVED 50 SURVEYS. ALL 50 SURVEYS WERE RETURNED.

ETCD STUDENT NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MANAGING THAT COLLECTION ACROSS THE CITY.

WHEN WE RECEIVE A GOOD SAMPLE OF RESPONSES WITHIN ONE OF YOUR CENSUS BLOCK GROUPS.

WE'LL MOVE TO ANOTHER ONE TO CONTINUE FOLLOW UPS IN THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE GOT A PRETTY GOOD DISTRIBUTION ACROSS ALL OF YOUR CITY CENSUS BLOCK GROUPS, WHICH ARE SOME OF THE SMALLEST UNITS OF MEASUREMENT THAT WE CAN REALLY SHADE OR DESCRIBE IN A COMMUNITY HERE. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE'LL TOUCH IS I MENTIONED IS PERCEPTIONS.

WE REALLY WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW FOLKS ARE RATING QUALITY OF LIFE MEASURES.

BUT AGAIN, REALLY UNDERSTANDING A SNAPSHOT IN TIME.

THESE ARE PERCEPTIONS OF RESPONDENTS BASED ON THE DAY THAT THE SURVEY WAS EITHER RECEIVED IN THE MAIL OR THE FOLLOW UP CONTACT WAS MADE EITHER ONLINE TEXT MESSAGE VIA EMAIL OR POTENTIALLY VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. SATISFACTION WITH ITEMS THAT INFLUENCE PERCEPTIONS OF THE CITY CAN VARY GREATLY.

[02:05:07]

IT'S BEEN KIND OF A COMMON THEME OF THE DISCOURSE NATIONALLY.

WE ALSO, TOWARDS THE END OF LAST YEAR, HAD A REALLY INTENSE IF NOT WELL, WE'LL JUST KEEP INTENSE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

ONE OF THE MAJOR TOPICS OF CONTENTION WAS INFLATION.

AND SO WE'VE HAD THIS KIND OF MESSAGE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

IT CAN REALLY IMPACT RATINGS. WHEN I'M INTERPRETING THESE, I'M REALLY LOOKING AT THESE AS A SNAPSHOT IN TIME, A PERCEPTION BASED REALITY. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AS WELL AS POSITIVE RATINGS OUT TO THE LEFT, VERY SATISFIED, SATISFIED. AND WE'LL SORT THOSE SO WE CAN KIND OF GET A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT'S TOWARDS THE TOP'S DISSATISFACTION.

AND VERY DISSATISFIED ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE IN THOSE RED TONES. NEUTRAL RATINGS ARE CONSIDERED PASSING GRADES, SO WHILE WE DON'T SUM THEM IN THE OVERALL SATISFACTION RATINGS, WHILE OUR BENCHMARKS ARE PREDICATED ONLY ON THE POSITIVE RANKINGS, WE AT ETSY INSTITUTE ASSESS THOSE NEUTRALS AS A PASSING GRADE.

RESPONDENTS WEREN'T NEGATIVELY IMPACTED OR POSITIVELY IMPACTED BY WHATEVER PERFORMANCE OR WHATEVER ISSUES MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED THAT YEAR.

THE QUALITY OF NEIGHBORHOODS, QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE CITY, QUALITY OF SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE CITY ALL RECEIVED REALLY HIGH MARKS.

IT'S WHEN WE START TO GET INTO THE LESS SUBJECTIVE AND MORE SUBJECTIVE ITEMS AS WE GET INTO APPEARANCE, IMAGE, VISION AND THEN THAT VALUE RECEIVED. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, AND ONE OF THE PURPOSES OF THIS SURVEY, IS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ASSESSING WE WANT TO SAY PERFORMANCE REALLY JUST RESULTS YEAR OVER YEAR.

AND SPECIFICALLY WHEN TALKING ABOUT PERCEPTIONS, WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS PERCEPTIONS THAT EXCEED THAT MARGIN OF ERROR.

WHAT THAT TELLS ME IS THE RESEARCHER IS THAT WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE. THAT'S A 99% PROBABILITY.

THERE'S AN ACTUAL DIFFERENCE AMONG THE RESPONSES IN THE COMMUNITY YEAR OVER YEAR.

WHAT I'M NOT SEEING IS SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE SLIGHT DECREASES IN THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE, OVERALL APPEARANCE OF THE CITY. BUT WHEN WE GET TO OVERALL IMAGE OF THE CITY, WE EXCEED THAT 5.6% MARGIN OF ERROR, WHICH TELLS US THERE'S AN ACTUAL DIFFERENCE IN THE OPINIONS FROM 2022 TO 2025.

NOW, IN 2020, WE HAD OVERALL, NATIONALLY HIGHER LEVELS OF SATISFACTION.

THE CITY OF DESOTO KIND OF YOUR HIGH WATERMARK? MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE THE SAME. I DO A LOT OF OTHER SURVEY WORK AROUND HERE.

BURLESON MESQUITE BOTH SAW DEEP DECLINES IN OVERALL SATISFACTION FOLLOWING THEIR 2020 SURVEYS.

IT'S REALLY THIS IDEA, WE BELIEVE AT ETSY. AND STUDENT GOVERNMENTS WERE REALLY COMING TO THE AID OF RESIDENTS.

AND THAT AID TAPPED OUT, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE PANDEMIC WAS OVER.

GOVERNMENTS RETRACTED SOME OF THAT ADDITIONAL THAT THEY WERE DOING.

AND WE SAW KIND OF A SHRINKING OF SOME OF OUR PERCEPTION RELATED ITEMS. NOW, THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES AT HAND AS WELL, BUT THOSE ARE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED INTERNALLY. WHAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT YOUR RESULTS THIS YEAR IS THAT THEY SHOW CONSISTENCY OF YEAR OVER YEAR TRENDS, BUT YOU'RE ALSO PERFORMING EXTREMELY WELL AGAIN AGAINST TEXAS AND U.S.

NATIONAL AVERAGES. OVERALL, THE IMAGE OF THE CITY NATIONALLY IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.

BUT OVERALL, YOU'RE RIGHT THERE WITH YOUR TEXAS REMARKS.

AND BECAUSE COMMUNITIES IN TEXAS ARE UNIQUE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS DALLAS-FORT WORTH METROPLEX, WE DO SUGGEST LOOKING CLOSER SOMETIMES AT THOSE TEXAS AVERAGES THAN WE DO OUR NATIONAL AVERAGES.

IT'S JUST A UNIQUE COMMUNITY. IT'S A UNIQUE STATE.

WE ALSO TALK ABOUT OVERALL RATINGS OF THE CITY. MORE PERCEPTION RELATED ITEMS. HERE WE SEE QUALITY OF SHOPPING CHOICES, QUALITY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WHICH COINCIDE WITH SOME OF OUR HIGH DISSATISFACTION RATINGS IN THE OTHER ITEM, QUALITY OF DEVELOPMENT OR HOW WELL THE CITY IS MANAGING DEVELOPMENT.

VERY MUCH IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, IF YOU PREFER CVS IN THE CITY BRINGS IN A WALGREENS.

YOU'RE DISSATISFIED BASED ON THE BRAND CHOICE, NOT JUST ON THE DEVELOPMENT ITSELF.

DESIGN STANDARDS AND OTHER ISSUES CAN REALLY IMPACT SOME OF THESE ITEMS AS WELL.

WHEN WE LOOK AT TRENDS, WE'RE LOOKING AGAIN FOR CONSISTENCY. BUT THIS TIME WE ACTUALLY SEE THE CITY AS A PLACE TO RAISE CHILDREN, AS A PLACE TO WORK IS ACTUALLY INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AS A PLACE TO LIVE.

IT'S LEVELED OFF, WHICH GIVES MORE CREDENCE TO THE FACT THAT THESE ARE REALLY PERCEPTION BASED RESPONSES, AND THEY MIGHT NOT BE ROOTED IN PERFORMANCE OF THE CITY OR ACTUALLY ANY SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE CITY, BUT RATHER THE PERCEPTIONS THAT EXIST ON THAT GIVEN DAY.

WE CAN SEE THAT YOU'RE ABOVE THE US AND NATIONAL AVERAGE IS A PLACE TO LIVE, SLIGHTLY BELOW THE US AVERAGE AS A PLACE TO WORK AND RAISE CHILDREN, BUT STILL VERY STEADY WITH TEXAS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PERCEPTIONS OF SAFETY, WE TALK ABOUT DURING THE DAY AND AT NIGHT, WE CAN SEE DURING THE DAY OUR PERCEPTIONS ARE MUCH HIGHER AND MUCH MORE POSITIVE IN TERMS OF VERY SAFE AND SAFE COMPARED TO WALKING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AT NIGHT.

BUT SAFETY WAS ALSO, ALONG WITH INFLATION, ONE OF THOSE MAJOR TOPIC AREAS THAT WAS DISCUSSED QUITE HEAVILY OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO.

WHEN WE LOOK AT WALKING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD DURING THE DAY, FOLKS ARE STAGNANT OR THERE'S NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WALKING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AT NIGHT FOR SOME REASON. A MASSIVE CHANGE. I HEARD ONE OF THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, OR MAYBE IT WAS MAYOR PRO TEM, MENTIONED THAT CRIME STATISTICS ARE SHOWING LESS CRIME IN THE CITY, BUT OUR PERCEPTIONS ARE THAT THERE POTENTIALLY IS MORE UNSAFE SITUATIONS AT NIGHT OR WALKING IN NEIGHBORHOODS AT NIGHT. SO AGAIN, THE PERCEPTIONS DON'T ALWAYS MATCH THE EDUCATION OR MATCH THE REALITY THAT GIVES CITY

[02:10:02]

WE ALSO SEE NATIONAL RANKINGS THERE BELOW THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AT NIGHT, BUT WELL ABOVE WALKING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD DURING THE DAY.

AGAIN, PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES. I WANTED TO KIND OF CURTAIL OFF OF THAT PARTICULAR ITEM.

I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT SATISFACTION ITEMS OVER THE NEXT FEW SLIDES.

AS I MENTIONED, WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF IMPORTANT SATISFACTION ANALYSIS IS FOCUSING ON ITEMS BELOW AVERAGE SATISFACTION.

BUT AS YOU CAN SEE WITH THE HIGHLIGHTED ITEM AT THE TOP, EFFORTS BY YOUR POLICE AND YOUR COMMUNITY TO PREVENT CRIME SOMETIMES MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF EMPHASIS LEVELS CAN TELL US, HEY, WE SHOULD BEGIN TO EMPHASIZE IN AREAS THAT SATISFACTION IS RELATIVELY HIGH.

AND ALREADY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS SLIDE TELLS ME IS THAT FOLKS THINK THAT SEEING POLICE IN THEIR COMMUNITY MORE OFTEN IS GOING TO MAKE THEM FEEL MORE SAFE.

I'VE TALKED TO MANY POLICE CHIEFS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT SUGGEST IF MY PATROL OFFICERS OR MY PATROL CARS ARE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WERE NOT IN THE CRIME AREAS, WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY KEEPING YOU MORE SAFE THAN WHAT YOU WOULD PERCEIVE TO HAVE BEEN, AS REPORTS AND SATISFACTION ANALYSIS MIGHT SUGGEST, ITEMS TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THIS LIST SHOULD MAYBE BE OUR BIGGEST AREAS OF CONCERN, BUT RESIDENTS ARE TELLING US THAT WE JUST NEED TO CONTINUE OUR POSITIVE EMPHASIS AND THE EFFORTS BY OUR COMMUNITY TO PREVENT CRIME BY A VAST MAJORITY OF FOLKS, 51%. AND WHEN WE TALK TO VAST MAJORITY LARGE NUMBERS, LIKE 51% IN THE FIRST RANKING QUESTION IS A VERY STRONG MAJORITY FOR OVERALL EMPHASIS RATINGS PROVIDED FOR THIS PARTICULAR QUESTION.

THE OTHER ITEM IS VISIBILITY OF POLICE AND NEIGHBORHOODS. SWITCHING BACK REAL QUICKLY TO 70% OF FOLKS ARE ABOUT 70% ARE SATISFIED WITH EFFORTS BY THE COMMUNITY TO PREVENT CRIME, SO IT'S OVERALL A VERY POSITIVE ITEM. VISIBILITY OF POLICE AND NEIGHBORHOODS IS ABOUT 48% WITH GROWING DISSATISFACTION.

SO IF WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE CHANGES IN THE VISIBILITY OF POLICE AND NEIGHBORHOODS OR THE PERCEPTIONS OF THAT ITEM, WE SHOULD SEE KIND OF AN OVERALL INCREASE IN SATISFACTION RELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES.

THEY WANT US TO CONTINUE TO DOUBLE DOWN ON EFFORTS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO PREVENT CRIME, WHICH IS MORE, AGAIN OF AN EDUCATIONAL ITEM, MAYBE EVEN COMMUNICATION BASED.

I ALSO LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ITEMS THAT, BASED ON PLAYING WITH THE EITHER SATISFACTION OR EMPHASIS RANKINGS, COULD POTENTIALLY HIT OUR 0.10 IMPORTANT SATISFACTION RATING, WHICH IS CONSIDERED AT ETSY TO BE A HIGH LEVEL OF EMPHASIS SHOULD BE APPLIED.

HOW QUICKLY POLICE RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES IS SOMETHING THAT MOST OF OUR RESIDENTS, THANKFULLY, DON'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH AT ALL. IT'S ANOTHER PERCEPTION RELATED ITEM FOR WHICH THE OVERALL SATISFACTION RANKS ABOUT IN THE MIDDLE, BUT IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT ITEM FOR RESPONDENTS. SO AGAIN, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES, BUT THE OVERALL RATINGS IN THAT PARTICULAR CATEGORY ARE EXTREMELY HIGH, AND WE'RE LIKELY DEALING WITH PERCEPTION RELATED OUTSIDE ISSUES THAT ARE IMPACTING SOME OF OUR FEELINGS OF SAFETY. GIVEN SOME OF THESE SATISFACTION RATINGS THAT WE RECEIVED, WE TALK ABOUT MAINTENANCE AND CODES AS ONE OF OUR OTHER BIG SECTIONS WHERE WE RUN THE IMPORTANT SATISFACTION ANALYSIS. WE HAVE A TON OF ITEMS IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA.

WE'VE GOT FOUR OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT OR FOR HIGHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT HERE.

CONDITION OF STREETS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. RESPONDENTS HAVE NOTICED A CHANGE IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA.

IT'S SOMETHING, AGAIN, THEY WANT YOU TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN BECAUSE IT'S SO HIGH IN TERMS OF SATISFACTION.

BUT SOME OF OUR OTHER ITEMS ARE MAKING THEIR WAY UP THE LIST, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF RELATIVE LEVELS OF DISSATISFACTION.

WE HAVE ABOUT FOUR ITEMS. TWO ITEMS ARE KIND OF THE HIGHER, HIGHER PRIORITY END CONDITION OF MAJOR CITY STREETS, OVERALL REPAIR OF POTHOLES IN THE CITY. AND AS WE THINK ABOUT CONDITION OF STREETS, WE SHOULD BE THINKING POTHOLES AS IT RELATES TO THAT.

AND THEN NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS AND ADEQUACY OF STREET LIGHTING, WHICH CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON OVERALL FEELINGS OF SAFETY.

I'VE STUDIED THAT SPECIFICALLY IN COMMUNITIES BEFORE.

USUALLY, ADEQUACY OF STREET LIGHTING IS RELATED TO EITHER A CHANGE IN SOME STRUCTURES.

EITHER YOU'VE CHANGED THOSE LIGHT BULBS TO LEDS THAT AREN'T FUNCTIONING, OR THERE ARE ACTUAL LIGHTS OUT.

AND SO SOMETIMES WE WILL MAKE THAT CONNECTION AS WELL.

MAYBE THIS THIS DISSATISFACTION WITH STREET LIGHTING IS CAUSING OUR FEELING OF SAFETY AT NIGHT.

AND SOMETIMES THAT'S THE CASE. BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU TALK WITH PUBLIC WORKS.

FIRST. YOU HAVE THEM EXAMINE THOSE STREETLIGHTS IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE CITY, AND YOU ALSO BRING IN THE POLICE TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME OVERLAY THERE.

NOW, I SHOWED YOU THE GIS MAP OF WHERE THE RESPONDENTS COME FROM.

WE ALSO SHADE THOSE MAPS BASED ON THESE SATISFACTION CHARTS.

SO THERE WILL BE SOME INFORMATION FOR STAFF. BUT IF YOU REMEMBER BACK TO THAT CHART, THERE'S 304 RESPONSES DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE CITY.

WE WANT TO TAKE THAT INFORMATION OF THE MAPPING WITH KIND OF A GRAIN OF SALT. WE WANT TO ALLOW OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND THOSE FOLKS IN THE FIELD TO REALLY MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. BUT I'VE STUDIED THAT REALLY HEAVILY BEFORE.

IN THE PAST, SOMETIMES IT CORRELATES AND SOMETIMES IT JUST DOES NOT.

BUT ALONG WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER CODE ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS OR, EXCUSE ME, CITY MAINTENANCE EFFORTS, I GROUPED IN SOME OF OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT. ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES IN THE SURVEY IN 2025 FOR RESPONDENTS WAS THE ENFORCING THE MAINTENANCE OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY THROUGHOUT DESOTO.

WE ALSO HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE'LL SEE SOME OF THAT PREFERENCE RELATED QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT.

BUT THE CONSIDERATION OF THE CITY TO REALLY GO AFTER THIS MAINTENANCE OR ALLOWING FOLKS TO KIND OF APPLY FOR FUNDS FOR ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE GOES A LONG WAY TO SAY,

[02:15:02]

WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THAT TODAY. OVERALL QUALITY OF LIBRARY PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS.

AVAILABILITY OF MATERIALS. QUALITY OF LIBRARY ITEMS FOR ADULTS TOP OUR LIST.

KEEP IN MIND LIBRARIES UNFORTUNATELY TOUCH FEWER AND FEWER LIVES NOWADAYS.

IT'S IT'S A REAL UNFORTUNATE FACT OF LIBRARIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

I WOULD NEVER DEMEAN THEM, BUT PLEASE DON'T THINK THAT SERVICES THAT THE LIBRARY ARE DIMINISHING.

THESE ARE FOLKS THAT ARE TELLING US, HEY, WE'RE PRETTY GENERALLY SATISFIED THE RESPONSE RATES SHRINK JUST A LITTLE BIT ON THESE QUESTIONS. THEY'RE JUST TELLING US THERE'S A LOT OF IMPORTANT STUFF FOR US TO DO HERE. CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE LIBRARY SERVICES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.

SAME WITH PARKS AND RECREATION. WE HAVE FOUR PRIORITY ITEMS. IT'S REALLY A DOUBLING DOWN OF HEY, WE'RE GENERALLY SATISFIED.

AS YOU CAN SEE, SATISFACTION WITH TWO OF OUR ITEMS ARE WITHIN THE TOP FOUR, THREE WITHIN THE TOP FIVE.

SO REALLY, THAT SENIOR CENTER IS KIND OF THE ONE THAT'S POKING OUT THERE FOR ME WITH RELATIVE LOW LEVELS OF SATISFACTION.

IT'S INTERESTING WE HEAR THAT IN A REALLY SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND SOME OTHER SURVEY RESULTS.

KEEPING IN MIND, SOMETIMES WE DRAW UP THOSE CROWDS THAT ARE MOST INTERESTED IN THEIR OWN CAUSES.

WE FREQUENTLY FIND PARKS AND RECREATION AND LIBRARIES HAVE THOSE PROPONENTS IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT I THINK IT JUST GOES TO SHOW RESIDENTS IN DESOTO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE IN THESE CORE CITY SERVICES, AND THEY REALLY DO APPRECIATE THEM, IT SEEMS. WE TALK ABOUT ADDITIONAL PARK AND TRAIL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CITY.

YOU'D BE HARD PRESSED AROUND THE STATE TODAY TO ASK RESPONDENTS, WOULD YOU WOULD YOU BE OKAY WITH US BASICALLY SPENDING MORE IN YOUR COMMUNITY? A LOT OF FOLKS WOULD SAY NO, BUT THIS IS THE VALUE THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.

79% OF FOLKS ARE EITHER VERY SUPPORTIVE OR SOMEWHAT SUPPORTIVE OF ADDITIONAL PARK AND TRAIL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CITY.

IF WE GO BACK REAL QUICKLY, WE'RE TALKING WALKING AND BIKING TRAILS AND MAINTENANCE OF CITY PARKS.

THAT'S WHERE WE KIND OF SEE THE EQUIVALENT OF THIS.

QUESTION 22. WHAT I'M REALLY LOOKING AT HERE IS THE CONSULTANT, THOSE THAT PROPORTION OF RED TO BLUE.

SO JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THAT 8%. YOU'VE GOT 9% 8% OF DETRACTORS COMPARED TO EVERYBODY ELSE THAT'S EITHER NEUTRAL OR SUPPORTIVE.

WE TALK ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE. I'D ALWAYS BE REMISS NOT TO HIGHLIGHT HIGH QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE RATINGS.

JUST OVER HALF OF ABOUT 55% OF OUR RESPONDENTS INDICATED THAT THEY CONTACTED THE CITY IN THE PAST YEAR.

EIGHT OUT OF TEN OF THOSE FOLKS SAID IT WAS EASY TO FIND SOMEBODY THAT THEY NEEDED TO CONTACT. THAT IS RARE FOR COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY IN TEXAS, GIVEN THE FACT YOU HAVE SO MANY COUNTY AND STATE ROADS AND SO FREQUENTLY FOLKS ARE CALLING ON THOSE TYPE OF DOT ISSUES.

WHEN WE ASKED FOLKS WHO YOU WERE CONTACTING MUNICIPAL SERVICES, POLICE, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, PARKS AND REC AND ATOP THE LIST. BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, I'M LOOKING AT THE PROPORTION OF OUR USUAL RESPONSES TO THE NEARLY NEGLIGIBLE, SELDOM OR NEVER RESPONSES. AND WHILE THIS IS BASED ON ONLY HALF OF OUR RESPONDENT GROUP ARE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE.

MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, WHEN YOU'RE A RESIDENT AND YOU'RE CALLING THE CITY, YOU'RE GOING TO BE LEFT WITH A PRETTY GOOD ATTITUDE AFTERWARDS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ADDITIONAL FINDINGS, THESE ARE JUST QUESTIONS THAT KIND OF DON'T FIT MY NARRATIVE IN OTHER AREAS OF THE SURVEY PRESENTATION, BUT I THINK THAT THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT YOU HAVE A REALLY CIVICALLY ENGAGED COMMUNITY.

THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW COMMUNITIES THAT I GO TO, AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT IN REGULAR COUNCIL SESSION, BUT I'VE BEEN HERE. THIS IS, I THINK, MY THIRD TIME.

AND THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS ARE USUALLY PRETTY PACKED ON COUNCIL EVENING. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ALWAYS THE CASE OR IF THAT'S JUST BEEN MAYOR. SAY NO, I'M A COUNCIL MEMBER NOW, MY OWN CITY. I CAN COMPLETELY ATTEST TO THAT.

OR IN OUR OWN ISSUES WHERE FOLKS WILL SHOW UP FOR CERTAIN ISSUES, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM.

BUT WE SEE, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE ARE TELLING US THEY'VE ATTENDED A MEETING. IT'S A PRETTY GOOD CLIP, BUT WE KNOW MOST FOLKS POTENTIALLY JUST AS MAYBE THEY'VE NOT VOTED.

WE KNOW FOLKS AREN'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS DOING THESE THINGS, BUT IT'S GOOD TO KNOW. MAYBE CUTTING A FEW PERCENTAGE POINTS OFF OF EACH ONE OF THESE. WE KNOW THAT FOLKS ARE GENERALLY ENGAGED. WE ASKED IF FOLKS WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY MORE ON THEIR MONTHLY BILL TO MAINTAIN THEIR CURRENT LEVEL OF WATER QUALITY. IT WAS A RESOUNDING NO. I WANT TO, AGAIN, KIND OF JUXTAPOSE THAT AGAINST THE IDEA THAT FOLKS WERE WILLING TO SUPPORT MORE IMPROVEMENTS TO PARKS, JUST MAYBE NOT THEIR WATER SERVICES. I THINK ONE YEAR I WAS HERE, THERE WAS A FLUORIDE GROUP HERE MANY YEARS AGO.

WE ASKED RESPONDENTS ALSO. AND THIS IS KIND OF BACK ALONG THOSE LINES OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE'VE ASKED, DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING? ARE YOU STRUGGLING TO PAY YOUR RENT? IT SEEMS LIKE FOLKS ARE SAYING GENERALLY, NOT REALLY.

THERE IS THAT HOME IMPROVEMENT ISSUE. BUT WHAT I WANT FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT WE WASH OUT THE FOLKS THAT KIND OF HAVE THOSE SPECIALIZED NEEDS.

IN THESE LARGER SURVEY SAMPLES, IT'S 304 HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS YOUR ENTIRE CITY.

IF WE WERE TO ASK FOLKS WHO HAVE A NEED, THEY WOULD DEFINITELY BE COMING OUT.

SO THERE ARE FOLKS THAT HAVE NEEDS FOR THOSE PROGRAMS AND A LARGER SURVEY SAMPLE LIKE THIS.

WE SEE THE AGGREGATE THAT AVERAGE DESOTO RESIDENT AND ON AVERAGE MOST PEOPLE SAY GROCERY STORE, PHARMACY, RESTAURANTS, COFFEE SHOPS, ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENTS ARE KIND OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE COULD USE MORE OF FEWER BARS, APARTMENTS, SPECIALTY AND CONVENIENCE RETAIL SCATTERED WITHIN THE MIDDLE, WITH SOME OF THOSE WAVERING LEVELS OF EITHER.

MORE ABOUT THE SAME INCLUDE SENIOR HOUSING, SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED HOUSES.

AND THERE WAS ONE MORE I APOLOGIZE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS WAS DOWN THERE TOWARDS THE BOTTOM.

SO THERE'S LESS OF A GENERALIZED OVERALL NEED FOR THOSE ITEMS. BUT YOU ALL KNOW BEST YOU HAVE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS WORKING IN YOUR STAFF OR THROUGHOUT YOUR FACULTY.

[02:20:02]

THEY'RE NOT IMPORTANT CITY WORK OR CITY FUNCTIONS, BUT THEY CAN KIND OF GET WASHED OUT SOMETIMES.

AND THESE MORE ABOUT THE SAME OR LESS SURVEYS.

WE ALSO ASKED ABOUT MORE ABOUT THE SAME OR FEWER OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF BUSINESSES.

WE SEE DISTRIBUTION OF WAREHOUSES REALLY TAKING THE WIN ON THE FEWER CATEGORY, AND WE SEE MORE FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT, WHICH REALLY MATCHES WITH THE PREVIOUS SLIDE FOR THE MOST PART. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO DO AGAIN WAS JUST SUMMARIZE SOME OF OUR OVERALL FINDINGS.

OVERALL, I THINK CONSISTENCY IS KEY. I THINK YOUR STAFF ARE CONTINUING TO DO A POSITIVE AND A GOOD JOB ACROSS THE BOARD.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT WITH THE BENCHMARKS AND THE CONSISTENCY IN FINDINGS YEAR OVER YEAR, OVERALL TRENDS WILL FLUCTUATE AND THINGS WILL CHANGE.

PERCEPTIONS HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SERVICES ON THE SURVEY THAT AREN'T UTILIZED BY 100% OR EVEN 50% OF OUR RESIDENTS. WE SHOULD ALWAYS TAKE SOME OF THAT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT.

IN 2025, THERE ARE MANY IMPROVEMENT AREAS THAT COULD BE FOCUSED ON THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

MOST OF THOSE ARE KIND OF FOCUSED ON THE CONDITION OF MAJOR STREETS, REPAIR OF POTHOLES.

BUT THAT AND I WILL I WILL PROBABLY DIE ON THIS STAND AND TELL THIS CHANGES IN MY SURVEY WORK.

SURVEY WORK WILL SHOW THE MAINTENANCE OF HIGH DOLLAR VALUE INFRASTRUCTURE, ALWAYS AT THE TOP OF A HEALTHY COMMUNITY PRIORITY LIST.

ITEMS OF AN UNHEALTHY COMMUNITY WILL BE POLICE SERVICES.

IT WILL BE JUST SPECIFICALLY PARKS AND RECREATION SERVICES.

CORE SERVICES TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF RESIDENTS WILL TOP THIS LIST IN AN UNHEALTHY COMMUNITY, BUT A COMMUNITY THAT'S THRIVING. WE WILL ALWAYS SEE LARGER INVESTMENT AREAS, LARGER AREAS THAT JUST TAKE CONTINUED YEAR OVER YEAR INVESTMENT, WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE CONDITION OF YOUR STREETS, THE ENFORCEMENT OF MAINTENANCE OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, LONG TERM ISSUES TO DEAL WITH WHAT WE SEE. ALSO SENIOR PROGRAMS. AND I DON'T WANT FOLKS TO THINK, OH, WELL, PARKS WAS JUST NUMBER FOUR.

IT WAS A REALLY SPECIFIC KIND OF ITEM ON THAT PARKS AREA.

FOLKS JUST SAID, HEY, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE THAT, BUT WE'RE SEEING REALLY GOOD OVERALL RESULTS.

AND WHAT DID WE LEARN? WE LEARNED THAT DESOTO STILL SETS THE STANDARDS IN MANY KEY AREAS.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NATIONAL AND STATE AVERAGES, YOU'RE PERFORMING WELL ABOVE IN MANY KEY AREAS, OR YOU'RE PERFORMING RIGHT ALONG THE LINES OF, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

PUBLIC SAFETY RATINGS REMAIN STRONG. DO NOT GET CONFLATED WITH THE FEELING OF SAFETY RATINGS THAT ARE PERCEPTION BASED MORE THAN THE ACTUAL SERVICE LEVEL BASED RATINGS THAT WE FIND IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY SECTION. CITY PARKS USAGE IS HIGH.

SO IS SATISFACTION. JUST MAKING SURE WE UNDERSTAND FOLKS ARE USING AND ALSO RATING AT HIGH LEVELS HERE.

PARKS AND RECREATION LIBRARY OFFERINGS IN YOUR CITY.

COMMUNICATION CHANNELS ARE VERY EFFECTIVE. CONTINUE TO HARP ON THOSE. CONTINUE TO USE THOSE CHANNELS TO EDUCATE, PROMOTE AND ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, CURTAIL SOME OF THE HIGHER PRIORITY ITEMS THAT YOU HAVE ON YOUR LIST HERE, WHICH WE CAN GO BACK. AND A LOT OF THIS IS GENERALLY GOING TO BE EDUCATIONAL BASED OR POTENTIALLY EVEN JUST INFORMATIONAL BASED ON A LOT OF THIS HERE.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. I'VE GOT A COPY OF THE FULL REPORT. ANYTHING I CAN'T ANSWER QUICKLY OR HONESTLY OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD TONIGHT.

I'LL WRITE IT DOWN. I'LL GET YOU A WRITTEN RESPONSE. BACK TO STAFF. SURE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. WE DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.

COUNCILMEMBER PARKER, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. OKAY.

THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU OR TWO QUESTIONS.

SURE. IN THE ACTUAL SURVEY, YOU SAID YOU SENT OUT 2000 PAPER SURVEYS.

THE 304 CONSTITUTES ALL PAPER. NO, NO, IT WOULD BE A MIX OF PAPER AND WEB.

AND I DON'T HAVE THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HAND, BUT I CAN GET THAT TO STAFF.

USUALLY IT'S BEEN KIND OF ANYWHERE BETWEEN 60 AND 70% WEB OR PAPER.

IT'S REALLY FLUCTUATED IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. OKAY.

AND THEN AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL OUTREACH IS CONCERNED, I KNOW THAT THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO RECEIVED THE PAPER AND THEN SOME PEOPLE WHO WENT ONLINE TO EITHER FACEBOOK OR BECAUSE I SAW IT SPONSORED ON FACEBOOK.

WAS IT EVER TEXTED OUT, TEST IT OUT. TEXT, TEXT.

OH, TEXT. LET ME CONFIRM. USUALLY WE WILL SEND SOME TEXT AS NEEDED TOWARDS THE END OF A PROJECT, BUT I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE IF WE DID THAT. SO LET ME JUST CONFIRM.

OKAY. AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION IS INSIDE OF THE ACTUAL SURVEY THERE WAS A THREE COLUMNS.

I THINK IT SAID. AND IF YOU CAN. I MEAN, WELL, YOU CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING THE MINUTE.

BUT INSIDE OF THE SURVEY IT SHOWED A SATISFACTION ANOTHER, ANOTHER SATISFACTION COLUMN.

AND THEN THE IS SATISFACTION. CAN YOU JUST BRIEFLY, QUICKLY SAY BECAUSE THEY WERE SOME SOME CASES IT WAS ONE FOR ONE AND IN SOME CASES THE ONE. THE FIRST COLUMN WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE LAST COLUMN.

YEP, YEP. AND I TRIED TO TRUNCATE SOME OF THAT IN YOUR FULL REPORT.

COUNCIL MEMBER YOU'LL FIND THAT NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THE ITEM OR SERVICE LEVEL ITEM LISTED, WE HAVE THE TOTAL SUM OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OR THAT EMPHASIS RANKING AS WELL AS THE RANK OF THAT IMPORTANCE, WHICH I ONLY KEPT THE RANKING OF BOTH IMPORTANCE AND SATISFACTION TO TRY TO CLUTTER THE CART A LITTLE BIT.

WHAT RANKING IS WHO? SO THE MOST IMPORTANT. SO IF SO, IN THIS INSTANCE PARKS AND RECREATION SENIOR PROGRAMS WAS OUR VERY HIGHEST PRIORITY.

[02:25:04]

OH, OKAY. AND THAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE RANK. AND THEN IN SATISFACTION 43% RATED AT POSITIVE SATISFACTION.

SO THAT WAS THE FIFTH RANK AND SATISFACTION. AND THEN ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE LEFT IS OUR IMPORTANT SATISFACTION RATING, AS WELL AS AN IMPORTANT SATISFACTION RANK. SO THERE'S LIKE 12 COLUMNS HERE, AND I TRIED TO SIMPLIFY IT, BUT IN YOUR FULL REPORT AND PLEASE LET STAFF KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO OVER THIS AGAIN. I'D MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE, BUT IT SHOULD BE KIND OF MORE SPELLED OUT HERE THAN IT WAS KIND OF IN MY TRIMMED DOWN PRESENTATION.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU.

COUNCILWOMAN NORTH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. ON THE REPORT, I REMEMBER STANDING.

SINCE THAT STOOD OUT IS VISIBILITY OF POLICE AND NEIGHBORHOOD.

DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON THE SURVEY RESPONSES IN REGARDS TO AGE AS FAR AS THE AGE GROUP? AND SECONDLY, IS THERE A SPECIFIC AREA OF DESOTO THAT WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE VISIBILITY? I WILL MAKE SURE THAT STAFF HAVE THE MAPS. FOR SOME REASON THEY DON'T.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND WE'LL GET THE MAPS TO COUNCIL.

THE OTHER THING THAT I'LL NEED TO DO WHEN I GET BACK TO THE OFFICE IS RUN ACROSS TABULATION, AND I'LL CHOOSE AGE AS WELL AS SOME OTHER FACTORS TO SEE IF WE FIND A CERTAIN GROUP IS MORE OR LESS SIGNIFICANTLY LIKELY TO PROVIDE A SAFE OR UNSAFE RATING, AND WE'LL GET THAT BACK TO STAFF.

AND THE THIRD QUESTION IS, DID THEY INCLUDING IF THERE'S A COMMENT SECTION, WHAT THEY WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO SEE? IS IT LIKE A NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME WATCH PROGRAM, OR DID THEY GIVE SUGGESTIONS OR IDEAS WHAT THEIR VISIBILITY LOOKS LIKE? OKAY, LET US GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH THAT AS WELL.

AND I'LL TRY TO DETERMINE IF THERE'S ANYTHING SPECIFIC. THERE WAS A COMMENT SECTION AT THE END AND WE'LL SEE IF FOLKS INDICATED ON THAT.

YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I DON'T SEE ANY ADDITIONAL LIGHTS, BUT TO JUST TO KIND OF USE UP THESE LAST 45 SECONDS OF HER TIME WITH THE COMMENT SECTION, ARE YOU ALL ABLE TO DO, LIKE A WORD CLOUD? WHERE IT SHOWS LIKE THE MAIN WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUT IN THE COMMENTS, JUST TO KIND OF GET A SENSE OF WHAT THE OVERALL SENTIMENTS ARE WHEN PEOPLE ARE LEAVING THEIR FREE COMMENTS.

I WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE GET KIND OF WHAT I LIKE MY STAFF TO DO IS, IF YOU'D LIKE A WORD CLOUD MAYOR, WE CAN EASILY DO THAT. WHAT I LIKE THEM TO DO IS, IS FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY READ VERBATIM EACH ONE.

THEY PROVIDE ME THEMES, I SCAN THEM, AND THEN I'LL PROVIDE YOU KIND OF A RUNDOWN OF WHAT WE FOUND FROM THOSE COMMENTS, BUT I'LL TAKE A SPECIFIC LOOK FOR THAT FEELING OF SAFETY AS WELL.

I'VE GOT THEM DIGITALLY SO I COULD DO SOME FINAL REPLACE OR NOT REPLACE, BUT SOME FINES AND SEE IF I CAN EASILY LOCATE STUFF LIKE THAT AS WELL.

BUT WE'LL GET CROSS TABS AS WELL AS THE COMMENTS RESPONSE. BACK TO YOU ALL HOPEFUL BY FRIDAY.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

AND DID I HEAR YOU SAY YOU'RE A COUNCIL MEMBER AS WELL? YES.

ELECTED THE YEAR AFTER I PRESENTED HERE THE SECOND TIME.

OKAY. SO MUCH SMALLER COMMUNITY 6500. SO YOU ALL ARE DOING MY BUDGET THIS YEAR? MAYBE A FIFTH OF OR 5% OF YOURS. SO, YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR.

IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN. SO.

YES. OUR CITY MANAGER HAS JUST JUST TO ADD, IN ADDITION TO THE RANDOM SURVEYS, WE ALSO POSTED THE SURVEYS ONLINE AS WELL.

AND WE KEPT THAT FOR A COUPLE MORE WEEKS. SO DO YOU MIND IF YOU CAN INDULGE US A LITTLE BIT MORE? YES. THE RANDOM SAMPLE SURVEY WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD VALID DATA, BUT WE ALSO OPENED IT UP TO THE PUBLIC.

SO WE HAD IT ONLINE, ON OUR WEBSITE AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

WE ALSO SENT IT OUT THROUGH OUR NEWSLETTERS FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS.

WE LEFT IT OPEN AND THAT WAS RECOMMENDED BY OUR BY OUR CONSULTANT, NO MORE THAN THREE WEEKS JUST TO KIND OF ROUND THINGS UP.

APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. JUST FOR COUNCIL'S KNOWLEDGE.

SURE. YES. OH A TOTAL OF 72 RESULTED FROM THAT.

SO VERY SIMILAR TO THE TO THE FEEDBACK RECEIVED.

CDBG SO OKAY. AND I HATE TO KIND OF YOU CAN COME BACK I HATE TO MERGE THE TWO ITEMS TOGETHER, THE TWO PRESENTATIONS. BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN I DON'T GET PAID TO DO THESE SURVEYS AND WE'RE JUST ASKING FOLKS FOR, IT'S REALLY HARD TO EKE OUT THAT INFORMATION FROM FOLKS. SO 72 SURVEYS WAS GREAT BECAUSE TO THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS POINT, I WAS MAYBE TEXTING YOU OR EMAILING YOU, OR I WAS ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA FEED, ALL THESE DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET YOUR RESPONSE.

SO YOU'D HAVE 72 ADDITIONAL PEOPLE KIND OF OUT THERE COMPLETING THE SURVEY JUST TO HAVE THEIR VOICES BE HEARD IS GREAT.

YOU HAVE THAT DATA, CORRECT? CORRECT. OKAY, GREAT.

SO STAFF HAS THAT DATA AS WELL. SO ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU MISS ORTIZ. AT THIS TIME, MISS THOMAS, WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE.

[g. Presentation and discussion of the 2023 Fire Station Feasibility Study]

JUST THOUGHT I'D THROW THAT OUT THERE. OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE PRESENTATION.

I TOLD THE CHIEF, DON'T TAKE MORE THAN A MINUTE.

PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF THE 2023 FIRE STATION FEASIBILITY STUDY.

MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS BRIAN SOUTHER, FIRE CHIEF.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MAYOR. COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING. CHIEF. CHIEF, TAKE ALL THE TIME. I'LL BE REAL FAST, DON'T YOU WORRY. ALREADY. LET'S TALK FIRE STATIONS.

[02:30:04]

AND THEN JUST KIND OF A REFRESH FOR THE REST OF YOU.

I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT THIS BEFORE. NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING, JUST JUST GIVING YOU ALL AN UPDATE.

SO IN 2023, LITTLE HISTORY. AND ACTUALLY IN 2022, WE STARTED A FIRE STATION FEASIBILITY STUDY.

IT WAS COMPLETED IN THE SUMMER OF 2023. IT LOOKED AT 2020, 2021 AND 2022 DATA AS IT RELATES TO OUR CALL VOLUME AND OUR CALL TIMES.

WHAT THAT STUDY TOLD US WAS WE NEED TO LOOK AT ESTABLISHING A BASELINE PERFORMANCE TRAVEL TIME OF FIVE MINUTES AND 32ND AT THE 90TH PERCENTILE.

AND I'LL EXPLAIN THE 90TH PERCENTILE HERE IN JUST A MINUTE. TRY TO CLEAR IT UP. IT ALSO SAID WE NEEDED TO BEGIN DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTING A FOURTH FIRE STATION UP IN THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT. REMEMBER, THIS WAS COMPLETED IN 23.

SO IT WAS LOOKING AT THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS THE CURRENT ONE WE'RE IN. SO THAT WAS THE ONE THAT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT WE NEEDED TO START LOOKING AT. AND THEN IT ALSO SAID WE NEEDED TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE SOUTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE CITY AND LOOK AT ANOTHER FIRE STATION WHEN OUR POPULATION EXCEEDED 2000 PEOPLE PER SQUARE MILE.

NOW, AS A CITY WHERE 2400 PEOPLE PER SQUARE MILE AS A WHOLE, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME SECTIONS THAT ARE A LITTLE LIGHTER.

AT THE TIME OF THIS STUDY, THE PERSON DOING THE STUDY HAD TOLD ME HE WAS PREDICTING BY 2028, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT AROUND 2000 PEOPLE PER SQUARE MILE IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF DESOTO.

SO HERE'S WHAT WE LOOK AT. WHAT DO WE MEASURE TO? WHAT STANDARD? THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION AND THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC SAFETY EXCELLENCE SETS A BENCHMARK OF A RESPONSE, A TRAVEL TIME FOR FOUR MINUTES. AT THE 90TH PERCENTILE, WE LOOK AT THREE THINGS WHEN WE'RE TALKING OUR RESPONSE TIME.

RIGHT. WE HAVE OUR DISPATCH TIME. SOMEBODY'S GOT A CALL.

WE'VE GOT TO ANSWER THE PHONE. THEY GOT TO SEND US OUT. WE LOOK AT OUR TURNOUT TIME, HOW LONG IT TAKES TO FIRE THE FIREFIGHTERS TO GET OUT OF THE FIRE STATION AND THEN OUR TRAVEL TIME. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE US TO GET THERE? THE TRAVEL TIME IS WHAT DETERMINES WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE ADEQUATE STAFFING, ADEQUATE FIRE STATIONS AND ENOUGH RESOURCES TO HANDLE THE CALL VOLUME.

THE SECOND TIME YOU HEAR ME SAY IT, YOU'LL HEAR ME SAY IT ONE MORE TIME. WE WANT TO LOOK AT ESTABLISHING A FIVE MINUTE AND 32ND TRAVEL TIME.

AT THE 90TH PERCENTILE, YOU CAN SEE HOURS 2020 FOUR HOUR EMS 90TH PERCENTILE.

TRAVEL TIME WAS SEVEN MINUTE ONE SECONDS AND OUR FIRE WAS SEVEN MINUTES AND 11 SECOND.

WE'RE THREE MINUTES OVER THE NATIONAL STANDARD, AND WE'RE A MINUTE AND A HALF OVER WHERE WE WANT TO GET TO WHAT BENCHMARK WE'RE LOOKING FOR. NOW, WHAT IS THE 90TH PERCENTILE REALLY FAST? THAT MEANS 90% OF THE TIME WE ARE TRYING TO GET TO THE CALL.

THE STANDARD SAYS FOUR MINUTES. WE'RE GOING TO START SETTING A GO FOR FIVE MINUTES.

AND 30S RIGHT NOW WE'RE OVER SEVEN MINUTES AND 90% OF THE TIME, WHICH MEANS 10% OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE RUN WERE EVEN LONGER TO GET TO.

WHY HAS IT TAKEN US SO LONG TO GET THERE. HERE'S WHY 2024.

WE RAN 11,802 CALLS OUT OF THREE FIRE STATIONS.

WE HAD 17,163 APPARATUS RESPONSES. NOW UNDERSTAND THE 11,802 CALLS.

IT'S EVERY TIME A TONE GOES OFF FOR AN EMERGENCY.

SOMETIMES WE SEND MULTIPLE APPARATUSES TO ONE CALL.

THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE TOTAL UNIT RESPONSES IS A LOT HIGHER THAN OUR ACTUAL EMERGENCY.

SO THE REAL NUMBER WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THE 11,802 CALLS.

THIS STUDY WE DID SET IN 2025. WE WOULD BE AT AROUND 10,000 CALLS.

WE'VE BLOWN THAT OUT OF THE WATER. WE WILL EXCEED 12,000 THIS THIS YEAR WHEN WE COMPLETE COMPLETE THIS YEAR.

SO WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? WE NEED TO RECOMMEND FORMALLY RECOMMEND A FIVE MINUTE AND 32ND RESPONSE TIME AT THE 90TH PERCENTILE.

FOUR MINUTES IS HARD FOR ANY FIRE DEPARTMENT TO HIT, SO THE GOVERNING BODY CAN SET ANY STANDARD WE WANT TO SET.

AND SO THIS WOULD BE THE STANDARD OR THE GO THAT WE NEED TO SET AND START STRIVING TO GET TO, TO BRING OUR TRAVEL TIME DOWN, TO GET TO THESE EMERGENCIES, WE NEED TO BEGIN.

AND WE HAVE BEGUN THE PROCESS OF COST ESTIMATE, COST ESTIMATING FIRE STATION NUMBER FOUR AND A PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX.

Y'ALL REMEMBER WE WE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN ONE OF THE RETREATS. SO THAT IS UNDERWAY.

WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. WE'RE PURSUING AND LOOKING AT GRANTS TO HELP FUND THIS BUILDING.

IT'S EXPENSIVE. IT'S EXPENSIVE TO BUILD A FIRE STATION. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT AVENUES TO TRY TO HELP FUND THAT.

AND ONE LAST THING I'M GOING TO ADD BEFORE I OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS, PLEASE DON'T THINK THAT THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS SITTING BACK GOING, YOU KNOW, UNTIL WE GET A FOURTH FIRE STATION, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO WITH THESE TIMES. IT'S JUST GOING TO TAKE US A LONG TIME TO GET THERE. I DON'T THINK THE CITY MANAGER WOULD ALLOW ME TO BE THE FIRE CHIEF, NOR WOULD Y'ALL KNOW WHERE THE COMMUNITY, NOR SHOULD YOU. SO WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PILOT PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE THEM IN PLAY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IMPLEMENTING IN OCTOBER AND JANUARY, AND IT'S A STOPGAP.

WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME DOUBLE COMPANY HOUSES HAVING MULTIPLE SAME APPARATUSES COMING OUT OF THE SAME FIRE STATION TO TRY TO HELP REDUCE OUR TRAVEL TIME.

I THINK THIS IS GOING TO GREATLY REDUCE US. IT'LL GIVE US MORE APPARATUSES AND MORE PEOPLE OUT THERE TO RUN THE RISING NUMBER OF CALLS.

[02:35:04]

AND WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU KINDLY, CHIEF. I DO. I WAS HOPING TO HAVE.

AND YOU TOUCHED ON IT. YOU JUMPED IN AND YOU JUMPED RIGHT BACK OUT AND KIND OF JUST ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE STOPGAP SOLUTION THAT YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CLOSING IT.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE AGENDA ITEM OR NOT, BUT AND I DO SEE A LIGHT FROM COUNCIL AND OH, MY TIMER'S GOING. OKAY. SO YOU ALL ARE RECOMMENDING ADOPTING THE FIVE MINUTES BECAUSE YOU'RE SAYING FOUR MINUTES IS REALLY JUST RIGHT.

SO THE STUDY. SO ALL DEPARTMENTS DRIVE FOR FOUR MINUTES, BUT THAT'S REALLY TOUGH TO GET.

SO EVEN THE STUDY SAID THAT FORMALLY, WE SHOULD ADOPT A FIVE MINUTE AND 30S THAT'S A MORE OBTAINABLE GO RIGHT NOW.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN STRIVE FOR AND WE CAN ACTUALLY REACH. OKAY. NOW WE OBVIOUSLY CAN'T REACH IT WITH WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE BECAUSE WE'RE MISSING THE MARK. SO I SAID THE STOPGAP SOLUTION WILL HELP US HIT THE FIVE MINUTES.

THAT'S CORRECT. THERE WAS SOME GRANTS MENTIONED IN DOCTOR WILLIAM'S PRESENTATION EARLIER, AND I SAW THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD SUBMITTED MAYBE ONE, MAYBE TWO WERE THOSE. I DON'T REMEMBER BECAUSE I'VE SLEPT SINCE THEN.

THERE WAS NOT A PRESENTATION. I MEAN, THERE WAS NOT A GRANT IN THERE FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. NO MATTER THE GRANTS, I BELIEVE THERE'S ONE FOR A LADDER TRUCK THAT WE'RE ORDERING IN IN 27, 28.

IT'S LIKE THREE YEARS OUT FOR IT. YEAH. BUT BUT LET ME TELL YOU THAT THE CHIEF THE CHIEF AND THE TEAM IS WORKING ON A GRANT POSSIBLY WITH THE HONORABLE CONGRESSWOMAN CROCKETT.

AND SO WE'VE WE'VE ASKED WE'VE ASKED FOR ABOUT $22 MILLION.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET. AND THE $22 MILLION IS REALLY FOR THE DESIGN AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FULL PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX INCLUDING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND POSSIBLY A RELOCATION OF A911.

WE'RE ACTUALLY ALSO WORKING WITH A WITH A DEVELOPER RIGHT NOW TO POSSIBLY SECURE A SITE THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO PUT THIS FACILITY ON.

SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A THREE YEAR IN THE WORKS, AND WE NEED TO WORK RIGHT NOW.

SO THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF THE ENERGY THAT WE'RE WE'RE WORKING ON.

WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE ALL KINDS OF GRANTS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.

AND THE CHIEF THE CHIEF IS DEFINITELY COMMENDED ON ALSO LOOKING AT STOP GAPS IN THE MEANTIME.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S MULTITUDES OF, OF DIRECTION WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE SIMULTANEOUSLY TO BE ABLE TO TO GET TO TO THAT FACILITY. MR. GODFREY TOOK UP THE REMAINDER OF MY TIME WITH YOUR COMMENTS, SO I'M GOING TO GET MY LAST QUESTION OUT.

THE STOP GAPS ARE ONE OF THEM. IF YOU COULD JUST TOUCH ON JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE.

SO FOR THE PUBLIC THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, YOU DISCUSSED IT AT LENGTH WITH US AT OUR RETREAT IN TERMS OF THINGS.

BUT I ALSO HAD A QUESTION, IF YOU COULD REMIND US OF THE NAMES OF THE I THINK THERE WAS A SPECIAL TYPE OF TRUCK THAT YOU ALL SAID Y'ALL WOULD BE RUNNING CONCURRENTLY AT THE STATIONS. I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE NAME OF IT WAS AND LIKE KIND OF THE WHY.

IT'S A SPECIAL TRUCK THAT CAN HELP REDUCE THAT TIME.

BUT IF YOU COULD JUST THOSE TWO THINGS AND I'LL BE OUT OF YOUR HAIR. ABSOLUTELY.

SO TO THE STOP GAPS WE'RE LOOKING AT IS PUTTING A FOURTH AMBULANCE IN SERVICE FULL TIME, WHICH WOULD RUN WE WOULD HAVE TWO AMBULANCES AT ONE FIRE STATION.

SO WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY WE'RE PRETTY EVEN AMONGST THE CALLS RUN OUT OF EACH FIRE STATION, BUT WE WOULD LOOK AT WHERE THAT WOULD BE BEST UTILIZED, WHICH IS GOING TO BE UP TOWARD THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT. THAT'S OUR BUSIEST AREA. AND THEN THE OTHER PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE'VE BEEN RUNNING, AND WHAT YOU WERE JUST REFERRING TO IS CALLED A SQUAD. IT'S NOT NEW IN THE FIRE SERVICE. IN FACT, ARE THE EAST DOES IT? LANCASTER SEEKS OUT THROUGH THAT IN THEIR MAYOR. THEY RUN A SQUAD RIGHT NOW.

AND WHAT THE SQUAD DOES IS IT IS STATIONED WITH A LADDER TRUCK AND AN AMBULANCE.

AND WHEN THE AMBULANCE GOES OUT AND IT NEEDS HELP, THAT SQUAD GOES.

IT'S ALSO KNOWN AS LIKE A QUICK RESPONSE VEHICLE. SO IT'S IN A SMALLER VEHICLE.

IT'S TWO PEOPLE. THEY HAVE ALL THE EQUIPMENT OF AN AMBULANCE. THEY JUST CAN'T TRANSPORT.

SO THEY CAN GET TO CALLS A LOT FASTER. AND THAT'S TWOFOLD.

NUMBER ONE, IT HELPS HAVE THEM THERE QUICKER WITH THE AMBULANCE.

IT ALLOWS THEM TO GO RESPOND TO CALLS WHEN AN AMBULANCE IS FURTHER AWAY.

AND IT TAKES OUR LADDER TRUCK, WHICH IS OUR BIGGEST PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, AND IT REDUCES THE WEAR AND TEAR ON IT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT DESIGNED TO RUN LIKE A FIRE ENGINE AND AMBULANCE RUN ALL OVER THE CITY. OUR LADDER TRUCK DOES CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF MECHANICAL AND BREAKDOWN ISSUES WITH IT.

SO THIS WILL HELP ALLEVIATE THAT AS WELL. SO THAT'S KIND OF A TWOFOLD.

IF WE GO TO THE SQUAD CONCEPT. SO WE'RE WORKING BOTH OF THEM RIGHT NOW.

AND WE'RE LOOKING AT DATA ON WHICH ONE WE THINK IS GOING TO WORK BETTER.

AND SOMEWHERE BETWEEN OCTOBER AND JANUARY, WE WILL IMPLEMENT THAT FULL TIME.

AND THAT WILL GO IN TO HELP START WORKING ON REDUCING THESE CALL TRAVEL TIMES.

SORRY, MAYOR, I'M ON NO ROLL. THE OTHER THING THAT THE CHIEF TOOK UPON HIMSELF TO, TO REALLY WORK WITH THE OTHER FIRE CHIEFS,

[02:40:01]

YOU KNOW, THE ACTUALLY THE TOWING COMPANY, TOWING COMPANY WOULD PROVIDE THAT SERVICE AND THEY WOULD BILL THE, THE PERSON, THE INSURED PERSON DIRECTLY. THE BLOCKER TRUCK SAVES US FROM SENDING ONE OF OUR VERY EXPENSIVE TRUCKS.

ACTUALLY, WE GOT HIT ONE TIME. AND THAT WAS AN EXPENSIVE FIX.

SO THE BLOCKER TRUCK WILL TAKE CARE OF IT. WE DON'T HAVE TO INVEST IN IT.

THE THE THE TOWING COMPANY CAN TAKE CARE OF THAT.

AND THAT SAVES US A LOT OF VALUABLE TIME AND ENERGY.

AND THAT WAS WITH DUNCANVILLE. CORRECT? SO RIGHT NOW WITH THE TOWING COMPANY.

THEY WORK WITH US, DUNCANVILLE AND CEDAR HILL.

AND SO THEY NOW RESPOND TO EVERY ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY WITH US, SO WE CAN REDUCE OUR SENDING OUR ENGINES OUT THERE AND KEEP OUR, OUR, OUR FOLKS SAFE AND OUR OBVIOUSLY OUR I MEAN, WITH THE I'M SAYING IN REFERENCE TO THE PURCHASE OF THE BLOCK OF TRUCK, DID WE KNOW DUNCANVILLE AND CEDAR HILL PURCHASED ONE TOGETHER AND THEN.

OKAY, YEAH, THEY PURCHASED ONE IN CONJUNCTION TOGETHER.

THEY OFFERED IT TO US AND WE SAID NO BECAUSE IT REQUIRES PERSONNEL, PERSONNEL AND MAINTENANCE.

SO THAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO ACTUALLY HIRE A, A TOWING COMPANY AND SAVES US A TON OF MONEY.

SO NOW WE HAVE IT FOR FOR NO COST. YEAH. POINT OF INFORMATION.

FOR THE QUESTION YOU ASKED ABOUT THE GRANT, ARE YOU SAYING BECAUSE YOUR QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE GRANT, THERE IS A GRANT IN HERE FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR 3.1.

THAT'S WHY I SAID, WELL, IS IT STILL IN REVIEW? IS IT SHOWING STILL IN REVIEW. IT IS.

BUT WAS THAT YOUR QUESTION? AS I WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, THERE WAS ONE AND WE SAID IT WASN'T.

THE 3.1 IS CALLED A SAFER GRANT. IT'S FOR MORE PERSONNEL.

IT'S A IT'S A FEMA GRANT WHERE IF THEY IF WE'RE AWARDED AND Y'ALL ACCEPT IT, THEN THEY GIVE US MORE PERSONNEL AND THEY PAY FOR THAT PERSONNEL FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS. AND THEN WE PHASE IN TAKING OVER PAYMENTS.

AND THEN THE FOURTH YEAR THEY BECOME COMPLETELY OURS ON OUR PAYROLL.

SO THAT'S JUST FOR ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL THAT THE 3.1 MILLION.

SO BUT THERE IS ONE THAT I, THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY TWO OF THEM WE'VE GOT.

YEAH I'VE GOT MULTIPLE IN THERE. YEAH. CIPHERS THE THE PERSONNEL GRANT OKAY.

GOOD DEAL. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM.

AND THAT'LL BE OUR LAST. LOOKS LIKE OUR LAST.

I WENT OVER MY MINUTE. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EXPANSION OF A NEW FIRE STATION.

AND SO I KNOW THAT WE'RE WAITING FOR GRANTS TO TAKE PLACE.

BUT IF WE CAN BE HONEST ABOUT THE CLIMATE THAT OUR COUNTRY IS IN, THERE'S ALWAYS THAT 5050 CHANCE.

I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS FROM A PERSPECTIVE, FROM A LONG TERM PERSPECTIVE ON HOW WE CAN INCLUDE THIS IN OUR CIP ON JUST GETTING IT DONE. WHETHER THAT IS WE GO OUT TO VOTE AND ASK RESIDENTS FOR IT, AS WE DID WITH OUR OTHER FACILITY.

IN ADDITION TO THAT I ALSO BECAUSE THE TIMING OF RESPONSE WAS BROUGHT UP MOST RECENTLY DURING OUR LAST ELECTIONS.

AND IT WAS IT CAUSED A LITTLE BIT OF A SCARE FACTOR.

AND IMAGINE SO. RIGHT. BECAUSE THIS IS LIFE. LIFE TIMING.

RIGHT? HOW I WAS CURIOUS BECAUSE I REMEMBER YOU SAID PREVIOUSLY THAT DESOTO TAKES DRASTICALLY, A LOT MORE CALLS THAN ON NORMAL FIRE STATIONS.

SO I WAS CURIOUS, HOW DOES THAT MEASURE AGAINST THE REGION FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE TO GET THINGS KIND OF CALIBRATED? AND THEN BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN WE HAVEN'T SEEN THIS UPDATE IN SOME TIME.

COULD AS WE GET CRIME STATS STATUS UPDATES, AND YOU'RE IMPLEMENTING THESE NEW PROJECTS TO HELP DRIVE DOWN TIME.

COULD WE GET MORE PERIODIC UPDATES ON THE RESPONSE TIME AND JUST HOW THAT'S WORKING? AND YOUR NEW IMPLEMENTATIONS ARE ARE COMING INTO OPERATIONS TO ACTUALLY REDUCE THE, THE THE CALL TIME? ABSOLUTELY. I'D LOVE TO BRING THAT TO YOU. AND TO ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION.

SO IN 2024, DUNCANVILLE, WE'RE IN 7370 CALLS.

CEDAR HILL RAN 8308 AND WE RAN 11,802. SO WE'RE JUST A LITTLE UNDER 4000.

YEAH, WE'RE ABOUT 4000 HIGHER THAN. AND NOW WE WHAT WE THE OTHER TREND WE'VE STARTED SEEING AND ME AND THE CEDAR HILL FIRE CHIEF, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS WHERE WE USED TO GIVE MORE AID THAN WE GOT.

NOW IT'S EVENED OUT. NOW WE'RE GETTING AS MUCH AS WE'RE GIVING BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTEN SO BUSY.

SO WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GO TO THE OTHER CITIES BECAUSE WE'RE TOO BUSY WITHIN OUR OWN CITY. SO NOW THEY'RE STARTING TO COME OVER HERE MUCH. AND NOW WE'VE SEEN THAT COMPLETELY, EVEN OUT WHERE WE'RE GIVING AND GETTING THE SAME IDEA.

THAT'S A GREAT POINT, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP, BECAUSE I REMEMBER THAT'S THE DISCUSSION I WOULD GIVE THIS TIP TO OUR NEWER COUNCIL MEMBERS. DOING IT RIGHT ALONG WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS VERY EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIVE.

I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU REACH OUT AND DO SO. YOU'LL LEARN A LOT ABOUT THE EMT PERSPECTIVE.

AND BECAUSE YOU THINK, WHY ARE WE DRIVING SO HIGH? LIKE EMT AND FIRE IS INCLUDED, SO ALL THE HOUSES ARE NOT BURNING.

BUT WE DEFINITELY ARE DOING A LOT OF MEDICAL OUTREACH.

75% OF WHAT WE DO IS THE MEDICAL SIDE MEDICAL.

[02:45:03]

JUST REAL QUICK. OUR CALL VOLUME IS HIGHER. IS IT BECAUSE OUR SENIOR POPULATION IS HIGHER? YEAH, WE DO HAVE A HIGH SENIOR. YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT, RIGHT? EVERYTHING UP EXCEPT FOR CHARLTON IS DESOTO. THAT'S DALLAS, BUT EVERYTHING AROUND THAT IS US.

AND WE DRIVE A LOT OF CALLS UP THERE. WE HAVE TWO MENTAL FACILITIES IN THE CITY.

WE HAVE MULTIPLE NURSING HOMES IN THE FACILITY. WE HAVE MULTIPLE SENIOR LIVING CENTERS IN THE CITY. AND THAT DRIVES A LOT OF OUR CALL VOLUME ON THE OLDER POPULATION AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, NORMAL. THE OLDER YOU GET, TYPICALLY YOU NEED MEDICAL SERVICES A LITTLE MORE THAN WHEN YOU'RE YOUNGER.

SO THAT'S WHAT REALLY I THINK DRIVES A LOT OF OUR CALL VOLUME.

THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN WATERS. IN CHIEF, I JUST MENTIONED TO OUR CITY MANAGER WE HAD STARTED INSTITUTING A FIRE SERVICE TOWN HALL MEETING, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.

I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE US POSSIBLY REVISIT THAT.

OKAY. I THINK IT WAS REALLY GOOD INFORMATION, AND IT ANSWERS A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL IS ASKING NOW IN TERMS OF THE RESPONSE TIMES AND COUNCIL, IF YOU HAD NOT PARTICIPATED OR SEEN OR, YOU KNOW, ATTENDED ONE OF THOSE, IT WAS SOMETHING WE INSTITUTED. AND ALSO THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TEAM, LAUREN SANCHEZ AND HER TEAM WERE ALWAYS A PART OF IT.

AND I BELIEVE 911 MAYBE THEY EVEN HAD SOME STATS.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET STATS AND KIND OF UNDERSTAND FROM A POINT IN TIME OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND ON THAT SIDE.

SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE US REINSTITUTE THAT.

TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC ON A, ON AN AT LEAST ON A, AT LEAST ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

RIGHT. THANK YOU COUNCIL. THANK YOU CHIEF. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME IS THOMAS WILL HAVE OUR FINAL ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.

[h. Presentation of Quarterly Crime Stats]

MADAM MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS. ALL RIGHT. SO WHAT YOU HAVE ON THE SCREEN, THERE IS GOING TO BE YOUR SECOND QUARTER 2025 CRIME STATS FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO.

SO YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THE CRIMES THAT WERE COMMITTED IN DESOTO LISTED ON THE SCREEN.

WHAT YOU'RE SEEING ARE CALLED GROUP A CRIMES, THAT IS, FOR THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORTING SYSTEM THAT IS RUN BY THE FBI.

AND THEY THEY BASICALLY TAKE CRIMES AND THEY DIVIDE THEM INTO TWO CATEGORIES CATEGORY A AND CATEGORY B.

SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS CATEGORY A, AND THESE ARE FOCUSED ON CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS AND CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THEM THAT IS WHY YOU DON'T SEE THINGS LIKE LIQUOR LAW CRIMES LIKE DWI OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

GUYS, GO AHEAD AND HAVE A LOOK. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, LET ME KNOW. OKAY.

SO YOU SEE DISTRICT ONE, DISTRICT TWO, DISTRICT THREE AND DISTRICT FOUR.

SO IN ALL FOUR DISTRICTS CRIME WENT DOWN. SAVE DISTRICT TWO.

AND THERE WILL BE A REASON FOR THAT HERE ON THE NEXT SLIDE. ALL RIGHT.

WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE TO GIVE YOU A BETTER IDEA IN REFERENCE TO COMPARISON.

SO IN THE TOP PORTION YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE 2024 SECOND QUARTER STATS COMPARED TO THE BOTTOM HALF WHICH WILL BE THE 2025 SECOND QUARTER STATS. SO IN 2024 OVERALL, YOU HAVE 465 CRIMES REPORTED IN 2025.

SAME TIME PERIOD, YOU HAD 447 CRIMES REPORTED.

THAT'S AN OVERALL DECREASE OF JUST UNDER 4%. I BELIEVE THE NUMBER IS 3.87%.

SO THERE'S A REASON FOR THE UPTICK HERE IN DISTRICT TWO.

YOU SEE, IT WENT FROM 130 REPORTED CRIMES ALL THE WAY UP TO 173.

ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THAT IS THE CATEGORY THAT IS CALLED LARCENY.

ALL OTHER. LASTLY, BASICALLY MEANING THEFT AND THEN CATEGORIZES ALL OTHER MEANING THAT IT'S CATEGORIZED SO THAT ANY OTHER THEFT OFFENSE THAT DOES NOT FALL INTO THOSE OTHER CATEGORIES BASICALLY THROWN INTO LARCENY.

ALL OTHER LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, STOLEN BIKE, STOLEN PHONE.

OKAY. BOTTOM PORTION AGAIN, WE'RE ON DISTRICT TWO.

IF YOU GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE BOTTOM WHERE IT SAYS MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS, YOU'LL SEE AN UPTICK OF 40.

SO IT WENT FROM 13 TO 40 FROM 2024 TO 2025. ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS FOR THAT IS WE HAD A GROUP THAT CAME OUT OF DALLAS THAT THEY COORDINATED STOLEN VEHICLES HERE IN THE CITY OF DESOTO.

OKAY, SO I KNOW YOU GUYS SAW RECENTLY THAT WE WERE RECENTLY IN A VEHICLE CHASE IN WHICH WE CAUGHT A YOUNG MAN.

WE OFTEN GET IN VEHICLE CHASES. YOU GUYS WILL BE SEEING MORE OF THAT ON SOCIAL MEDIA MOVING FORWARD.

AND THOSE ARE GOING TO BE YOUR TWO BIGGEST REASONS FOR THE JUMP IN DISTRICT TWO.

[02:50:02]

ONCE WE GET OUR MANPOWER ISSUES HANDLED, I BELIEVE WE CAN DEFINITELY PUT A DENT IN SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? YES, CAPTAIN.

I DO SEE SOME LIGHTS. I'M NOT SURE WHO WAS FIRST UP, COUNCILMEMBER PARKER WILL START ON YOUR.

OH, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU, CAPTAIN KIRKLAND.

THIS IS GOOD INFORMATION. I APPRECIATE THAT INFORMATION.

I KNOW THAT JUST RECENTLY THERE WAS SOME NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETINGS AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WERE BEING PUT IN PLACE FOR SOME COMMUNITIES IN THE CITY OF DESOTO.

AND SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT SHE WAS MENTIONING WAS ABOUT SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

AND SO WITH THESE CRIME STATS, ARE WE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ONCE THOSE THINGS ARE PUT IN PLACE? LOOKING AT THE TREND AS TO WHETHER THAT'S EVEN HELPING SOME OF THESE THINGS GO DOWN, LIKE THE GRAND LARCENY.

I MEAN, I'M SORRY, NOT THE LARCENY, BUT THE THEFT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ANY AND I, YOU KNOW, I HESITATE TO CALL IT GANG ACTIVITY.

HOWEVER, TAGGING PEOPLE'S OFFENSES CAN BE, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERED THAT ESPECIALLY IF THE WHAT'S BEING PUT ON IT IS ACTUAL GAIN, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION. MY, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS DO WE HAVE ANY STATS ON MAYBE THAT INFORMATION? NOT TONIGHT. YOU KNOW, AT ANOTHER TIME, MAYBE TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION WHEN THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THAT CRIME MAY BE DOWN. BUT WHEN YOU AS A HOMEOWNER HAS A FENCE THAT HAS TO BE REPLACED OR WHATEVER, THEN YOU'RE LOOKING LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT'S GOING ON? AND THEN IF I'M TAGGED, YOU KNOW, HOW HOW DO I HOW IS THAT BEING CATEGORIZED, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. SO SO YOUR QUESTION IS HOW DO WE TRACK WEATHER? YEAH. ONCE ONCE THEY HAD THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH, THEY HAD ABOUT EIGHT, EIGHT, EIGHT SHOWS THAT ACTUALLY WENT TO A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH SET UP MEETING. AND THEY GOT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD IN A PACKAGE.

NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE BOX. OKAY. THAT PART. AND SO HOPEFULLY ONCE THAT'S IN PLACE, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT SHE WAS EXPLAINING WAS SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IS A CLASS THAT THEY'RE ABOUT TO START HAVING FOR NOT JUST THESE HOES IN THE A BOX.

I MEAN, I'M NOT IN A BAD NEIGHBORHOOD WATCHING A BOX, BUT ALSO JUST EAT PEOPLE IN THE IN THE COMMUNITY.

HAVING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, BEING ABLE TO HELP REDUCE SOME OF THIS CRIME.

AND SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT'S FROM A CRIME'S PERSPECTIVE.

ARE THEY LOOKING AT OKAY, WE'RE PUTTING IN THESE NEW ITEMS. ARE WE TRENDING OR ARE WE LOOKING AT IT AND TRACKING.

IS ANY OF IT MAKING ANY SENSE. YOU KNOW, ARE WE ABLE TO SAY THAT SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IS HELPING THE CRIME TO BE REDUCED, OR IS IT ALL POLICE ACTIVITY? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. ARE WE MAKING SOME CHANGES TO THE THINGS THAT WE DO AND ARE WE TRACKING IT RIGHT? SO YOU'RE SAYING IF WE'RE HAVING THESE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETINGS, ARE THEY HELPING AT ALL? AND HOW DO WE KNOW THEY'RE HELPING? AND SOME OF THE INITIATIVES, THE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS CLASS IS SOMETHING NEW THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH THING. YES, MA'AM. OKAY, SO I'D IMAGINE THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO TRACK SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS WHEN YOU DO YOUR FOLLOW UP WITH THE INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN. NOW, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING THAT JUST ON ITS FACE.

IF YOU ARE HAVING NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH AND DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT, ONE WAY THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE DIFFERENCE IS FROM MONTH TO MONTH. ARE THE STATS ACTUALLY GOING DOWN FOR THAT PARTICULAR CATEGORY.

AND THEN IF WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHAT WE WANT TO DO A SURVEY WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY FOLLOWING UP WITH THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE HAVING THESE MEETINGS WITH. I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

I MEAN, GET THEIR FEEDBACK. OBVIOUSLY, IF THEY REPORT A CRIME, IT'S NOT HELPING.

BUT I MEAN, HOW OFTEN DO WE EVEN SEE A PERSON WHO WHO IS INVOLVED IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT COME BACK AND ASK US, OKAY, IS THIS WORKING IN TERMS OF I HAVEN'T BEEN A VICTIM OF A CRIME, BUT MY NEIGHBOR HAS.

SO EVEN IF THE PERSON THAT HAS ATTENDED THE CLASS HASN'T BEEN A VICTIM, HOW DO WE KNOW HOW IT'S AFFECTING THEIR NEIGHBORS DOWN THE LINE? SO I GUESS THE ANSWER WOULD BE WE COULD COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE IT EASILY TRACKABLE.

THAT WOULD DEFINITELY. THAT WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO DO WITH HAVING SOME FOLLOW UP WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY ATTENDED THE COURSE.

OKAY. LET ME, LET ME LET ME ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE.

JUST I APOLOGIZE, COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT LET ME ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE.

GREAT QUESTION ACTUALLY. AND YOU'LL SEE ON THE 25TH, ON JULY 25TH, A PROPOSAL WE HAVE THREE COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICERS. AND PART OF THE PROPOSAL IS, IS CHANGING THE DYNAMIC OF THOSE COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICERS TO BE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATORS. AND THEIR JOB WOULD BE SPECIFICALLY TO GO TO THE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS,

[02:55:01]

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THAT I AM ACTUALLY PROPOSING AT THE NEXT BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING BUDGET.

YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT IT ON THE ON THE 25TH, I BELIEVE, AS ONE OF THE ITEMS AND THE TEAM IS GOING TO PRESENT TO YOU WHAT THEY CAN DO WITH THAT. AND THAT'S GOING TO ALLEVIATE A LOT OF A LOT OF THE ISSUES, BUT ALSO IT WILL ENGAGE DIRECTLY WITH THE COMMUNITY AND BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH METRICS FOR US TO GAUGE THEIR PRICE. THAT WOULD BE ME NEXT.

THANK YOU. HEY, CAPTAIN. I WAS SITTING HERE. THANK YOU.

CONGRATULATIONS. JUST TO SEE YOUR CAREER PROGRESSION, I BELIEVE WHEN I WAS A CITIZEN ON THE BACK, YOU WERE CORPORAL THEN, RIGHT? SO WE'RE MOVING ON UP.

I LOVE IT. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION YOU'VE BEEN DOING.

MY QUESTION TO YOU IS IN REFERENCE TO DISTRICT TWO.

I BELIEVE THAT IS PLACE THREE AND PLACE FOUR.

YOU KNOW, YOU STATED THAT YOU ALL HAD YOU ALL WERE TRACKING A GANG, A CAR GANG THEFT IN THAT AREA.

AND YOU ALL HAVE MADE TREMENDOUS STEPS IN ENGAGING WITH OUR HOA.

ALSO SAW MOST RECENTLY THE AS I SEE IT, THE COMMUNITY OFFICERS WERE AT A LOCAL BARBERSHOP CREATING DIALOG.

I WAS CURIOUS, WAS THERE ADDITIONAL EFFORTS TO ENGAGE THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN THAT AREA OFF OF I-35, THE HOTELS, THE KROGER? BECAUSE EVEN IN MY RIDE ALONGS THAT I'VE DONE, I KNOW THAT THE POLICE ARE WELL AWARE OF WHERE THE ACTIVITY IS.

RIGHT? HOWEVER, ARE WE DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENT, AS IN REGARDS TO OUR ENGAGEMENT IN THOSE AREAS AND IN RESPECT TO DRIVING DOWN THE CRIME THAT IS HAPPENING IN THAT VICINITY.

OKAY. SO EACH OFFICER HAS AN ASSIGNMENT AND IS CALLED A BUSINESS CONTACT.

SO EVERY OFFICER IS REQUIRED TO DO AT LEAST AT MINIMUM TWO PER SHIFT.

AND WHEN THEY DO THOSE THEY WE LIKE FOR THEM TO GO IN AND TALK TO THE BUSINESS OWNER AND CONFIRM ONE, THAT THE BUSINESS HAS WORKING CAMERAS, THAT THE BUSINESS IS AWARE OF, CRIME THAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR AREA, AND ALSO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE FOR THE OFFICER.

THIS IS THE TIME FOR THE OFFICER TO ENGAGE WITH THE OWNER OF THAT BUSINESS AND WORK AS A TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AT THEIR BUSINESS OR AROUND THE BUSINESS, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A VEHICLE, BREAK-INS, VEHICLE THEFTS, AND JUST RANDOM ACTS OF CRIMINAL MISCHIEF. OKAY.

THANK YOU. I WAS CURIOUS IF ANYTHING ADDITIONAL WAS HAPPENING.

OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. EMPTY. COUNCILMAN WATERS.

YEAH. AND THIS KIND OF GOES ON THE SAME THING.

SIR, ON THAT THAT RING OF CAR THEFT RING. WHATEVER.

I'M ASSUMING Y'ALL CALL EVERYBODY. IS THAT RIGHT? WELL, WE DIDN'T CATCH EM ALL. NO, WE DIDN'T CATCH EM ALL.

IF I'M. IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THEY WERE DRIVING CHARGERS.

OKAY. THEY WERE DRIVING CHARGERS, AND THEY'D BREAK IN.

STEAL A CAR. WE GET IN TAKES WITH THEM, AND THEY RUN UP INTO DALLAS.

THERE MAY HAVE BEEN TWO SITUATIONS WHERE WE CAUGHT TWO GENTLEMEN, BUT I'M TELLING YOU THAT THEY THEY TORE DALLAS UP.

THEY TORE US UP. I BELIEVE THEY WENT OVER TO CEDAR HILL AS WELL.

NO. I'M ASSUMING THAT. ARE THEY DOING IT BECAUSE OF THE NEW HOTELS OR.

THIS HAS DONE TO DO WITH THE HOTELS OR WHAT? NO.

NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HOTEL. SO THE LAST THE LAST CHANGE THAT WE GOT INVOLVED IN THAT RING, ACTUALLY, THAT HAPPENED OFF OF BELTLINE IN WESTMORELAND.

OKAY. SO THEY'RE JUST A RANDOM RING, AND THEY JUST COME THROUGH AND THEY JUST PICK A CITY AND THEN THEY JUST THEY JUST GET AFTER IT.

OKAY, THAT'S MY NEXT QUESTION IS IF WE TAKE THAT OUT OF THE CRIME STATISTICS, THE CAR RING, HAS IT BEEN AN INCREASE IN CRIME SINCE THE HOTELS ARE NOT REALLY IS ON 35 HERE.

SO ON 35 IN REFERENCE. SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST THE HOTELS IN GENERAL.

YEAH, I WOULD SAY I WOULDN'T SAY A DECREASE IN CRIME.

I WOULD SAY IT'S IT'S TRENDING EITHER IN-LINE OR JUST JUST A TAD UP BECAUSE WE'VE ADDED MORE HOTELS SINCE THEN.

UNFORTUNATELY WHAT OUR STAFFING WE DON'T. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ONE OFFICER ASSIGNED TO EACH DISTRICT AND ON ON ANY GIVEN DAY, WE WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE THAT. SO THE LESS EYES WE HAVE OUT THERE, IT MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT FOR US TO POLICE ALL THOSE ALTO SECTION.

[03:00:02]

BUT UNTIL WE GET OUR STAFFING WHERE WE WANT, IT'S GOING TO BE, IT'S GOING TO MAKE IT MUCH MORE CHALLENGING FOR US TO BASICALLY HAVE THE DETERRENT OR THE VISIBILITY THAT WE WANT. AND THAT BRINGS UP MY LAST QUESTION.

HOW MANY. POLICE OFFICERS ARE YOU DOWN RIGHT NOW? IN MY IN MY OPINION. IN YOUR OPINION, IN MY OPINION, YOUR PROFESSIONAL OPINION.

OKAY. AM I A PROFESSIONAL OPINION? I WOULD LIKE TO RUN 52 IN PATROL.

THAT WOULD GIVE ME THREE SUPERVISORS. THAT WOULD GIVE ME EIGHT OFFICERS. THAT MEANS I CAN PUT TWO OFFICERS IN EACH DISTRICT THAT ALSO GIVE ME ROVERS, THAT I CAN HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE OFFICERS IN EACH DISTRICT WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE A DISTRICT TO GO COVER ANOTHER OFFICER IN A DIFFERENT DISTRICT.

FOR EXAMPLE, YOU HAVE DISTRICT TWO, YOU HAVE DISTRICT FOUR.

IF DISTRICT FOUR HAS AN INCIDENT, A LARGE INCIDENT WHERE IT REQUIRES A MULTI OFFICER RESPONSE.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PULL FROM TWO, ONE OR POSSIBLY THREE, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF IT.

IF WE HAD THE 52 AND I'M SAYING 52, THIS IS JUST WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT OFFICERS BOOTS ON THE GROUND, THE OFFICERS THAT ARE GOING FROM CALL TO CALL. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE EXECUTIVE STAFF. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT DETECTIVES. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE TRAFFIC UNIT. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE K-9 UNIT, WHICH WE HAVE.

WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE. HOWEVER, IF WE IF WE HAD THE THE STAFFING THAT WE THAT WE WOULD LIKE, YOU KNOW, ANY AGENCY WOULD LIKE, IT WOULD MAKE THINGS A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR US.

AND ALSO YOU ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER WHEN AN OFFICER IS STUCK ON A CALL FOR SERVICE THAT REQUIRES MORE THAN JUST TAKING A CITIZEN'S INFORMATION AND THEN GOING THROUGH AND DOING LIKE AN OFFENSE REPORT OR DOING AN INCIDENT REPORT THAT TAKES HOURS.

I GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE DRIVE WHILE INTOXICATED.

THAT TAKES FOUR HOURS IN MINIMUM, FOUR HOURS MINIMUM.

AND I'M TALKING ABOUT FOR A SEASON OFF. SO I'M TALKING ABOUT A GUY LIKE ME WHO IS WELL DECORATED WITH DWI ENFORCEMENT.

THAT WOULD TAKE ME FOR HOURS, AND THAT'S FAST.

YOU TALK ABOUT A NEW OFFICER. YOU'RE LOOKING AT SIX HOURS.

THAT'S HALF A SHIFT. THAT'S HALF A SHIFT. OKAY.

SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE GENERALLY HAVE TO COMBAT.

MOST AGENCIES DO THE SAME. BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE SPREAD THIN, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT WORK.

OKAY. THANK YOU. SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEED MORE OFFICERS.

WELL, EVERYBODY I DO. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU.

COUNCILWOMAN NORTH. YES. THANK YOU. CAPTAIN KIRTLAND, IF WE CAN REFER TO A SLIDE.

CRIMES BY DISTRICT. CAN I HAVE THAT COME UP? LOOKING AT. THANK YOU. LOOKING AT DISTRICT TWO AND FOUR UNDER DRUG NARCOTIC OFFENSES.

OKAY. FOR 2020. FOR DISTRICT TWO, WE'RE LOOKING AT.

14 FOR TWO, DISTRICT TWO AND FOR DISTRICT FOUR FOUR WHEN WE COME TO JUNE 2025 FOR DRUG NARCOTIC OFFENSES DISTRICT TWO, WE'RE LOOKING AT 20. AND FOR DISTRICT FOUR WE'RE LOOKING AT NINE.

SO A COUPLE OF INCREASES THERE. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON WHAT IS CONTRIBUTING TO THOSE NUMBERS? ABSOLUTELY. TRAFFIC STOPS AND FINDING DRUGS TRAFFIC STOPS AND FINDING DRUGS.

SO DISTRICT TWO IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE 35 CORRIDOR.

WE HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVITY OVER THERE. OFFICERS SPEND THEY SPEND AN INSURMOUNTABLE TIME OVER THERE.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOUR STOPS. YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOUR SPEEDING STOPS.

YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOUR DWI. AND OFTENTIMES WHEN YOU STOP INDIVIDUALS FOR OFFENSES LIKE THAT, THEY TURN INTO SOMETHING ELSE. SO IF IT HAPPENS IN DISTRICT TWO, THOSE THINGS ARE BEING REPORTED IN DISTRICT TWO AND FOR DISTRICT FOUR.

AND SO DISTRICT FOUR. DISTRICT FOUR IS IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO CEDAR HILL, AND IT'S ALSO RIGHT NEXT TO GLENN HEIGHTS.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THOSE CITIES FILTERING IN INDIVIDUALS FROM THE OUTSIDE.

AND YOU HAVE YOUR YOUR MAIN INTERSECTION THERE, COCKRELL HILL AT BELTLINE.

WE RUN A LOT OF TRAFFIC THROUGH THAT INTERSECTION.

AND ALSO AS THEY TRAVEL NORTHBOUND TOWARD DUNCANVILLE.

SO THE MORE PLACES THAT WE RUN TRAFFIC, WE'RE GOING TO RUN INTO THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

SO AND AGAIN, DISTRICT FOUR IS THE BIGGEST DISTRICT IN DESOTO.

SO OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE, MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE TRAFFIC STOPS WHEN OFFICERS ARE AVAILABLE TO DO SO.

BUT A LOT OF THOSE CRIMES, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE DRUG OFFENSES, THOSE ARE COMING OFF OF TRAFFIC STOPS.

THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. COUNCILWOMAN HUGHES, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR.

THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME PRESENTING FOR US? YEAH. YES, MA'AM. VERY NERVOUS. GREAT JOB.

THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY. THANK YOU. OH, OKAY.

[03:05:08]

SHOULD I ASK THE QUESTION? IT'S UP TO YOU. I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER.

NO, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I ECHO MY COLLEAGUE'S SENTIMENTS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND THANK YOU FOR INDULGING OUR QUESTIONS. COUNSEL, I SEE NO ADDITIONAL LISTS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK.

SO WITH THAT SAID, I WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES.

SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER NORTH TO ADJOURN, COUNSELOR.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE, AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. IT IS 9:05 P.M.

AND WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU ALL. HAVE A GREAT EVENING. SEE YOU TOMORROW.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.