[00:00:03]
I THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO COME BEFORE YOU ONCE MORE TIME.
[А. REGULAR SESSION]
WE ASK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO GIVE THE GREAT CITY OF DESOTO DIRECTION.WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD GIVE US GUIDANCE. WE ASK YOU TO CONTINUE TO GIVE US STRENGTH.
WELL, WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD EVEN PROTECT OUR STATE, CONTINUE TO GUIDE OUR STATE LEADERS, CONTINUE TO BLESS THEM.
AND, LORD, WE ASK TONIGHT WE LEAN ON YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING THAT WE TRUST YOU EVEN WHEN WE CAN'T TRACE YOU.
DIRECTOR JONES, FOR THAT FINE PRAYER NEEDED CONTINUOUSLY AND CONSISTENTLY.
SO AS WE PROGRESS FORWARD FINANCE STATUS REPORT FOR JUNE AND JULY.
[B.1. Finance Status Report for May and June 2025 Lakeita Sutton — Interim Finance Director]
NIKITA, SUTTON'S GOING TO BRING US UP TO DATE OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.GOOD EVENING. HOW ARE YOU DOING? GOOD. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD.
DO YOU WANT. DO YOU WANT TO BRING IT UP OR JUST WALK THROUGH IT OR WALK THROUGH IT? OKAY, SURE. SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
WE WILL START WITH THE JUNE FINANCIALS.
WE WERE ABOUT 75% INTO THE BUDGET YEAR.
OF COURSE, OUR REVENUE IS GOING TO BE MAINLY FROM SALES TAX.
SO OUR BUDGET WAS THE 2.7 MILLION.
AND AS OF THE END OF JUNE, WE HAVE RECEIVED 1.6 MILLION OF THAT.
SO THAT PUTS US AT 60% ON OUR SALES TAX, WHICH IS TRACKING SOMEWHAT BEHIND LAST YEAR, WHICH WE WERE AT 67% THIS TIME LAST YEAR.
BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, SALES TAX FOR THE CITY OR CITIES AS A WHOLE ARE GENERALLY DOWN RIGHT NOW.
IN GENERAL. YEAH. EVEN OUR SISTER CITIES, IF YOU LOOK AT SALES TAX, THEY'RE THE SAME THING.
OF COURSE THEY HAVE MORE MONEY, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS AND THEIR SITUATION, THEIR ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT EVEN LIKE A CITY OF ARLINGTON, THEIR SALES TAX IS STILL THE SAME PERCENTAGE AS EVERYONE ELSE.
AND I THINK IT'S JUST ATTRIBUTED TO CONSUMER SPENDING HABITS RIGHT NOW.
SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT OUR PERCENTAGE DOWN EMULATES THEIRS FROM.
YEAH. SO AND I WAS SPEAKING WITH MATT ABOUT THAT TOO, AND YOU KNOW, THE CITY AS A WHOLE.
RIGHT NOW, WE ARE NOT PROJECTING MUCH OF A WE'RE NOT PROPOSING MUCH OF AN INCREASE EVEN FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 AT THIS TIME.
SO WE EXPECT IT TO STAY KIND OF FLAT FOR RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S WHAT THE TRENDS ARE SHOWING US RIGHT NOW.
SO, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REQUESTED AND IF IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET IT, THEN JUST TELL THEM WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET IT BECAUSE I'M TIRED OF ASKING AT THIS POINT.
A BREAKDOWN OF WHERE THOSE SALES TAXES ARE COMING FROM.
OKAY. AND WE WERE SAYING, COULD WE AT LEAST GET THEM ON A QUARTERLY BASIS? OKAY. AND WE HAVE THE SOFTWARE TO DO THAT.
BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD AS FINANCE DIRECTOR TO BE DOING THE WORK.
SO WITH TRACY GONE, WE'LL WE'LL GET BACK TO IT AND DO THAT ANALYSIS AND PUT THOSE BACK.
I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WE CAN'T GIVE THEM TO YOU ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. BUT REMEMBER THE SAYING, WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION AND AS WE WHEN WE STARTED PLAYING WITH THAT AND TRYING TO GET SOME SENSE OF WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? THE WAY THEY'RE AGGREGATED DOESN'T HELP US MUCH BECAUSE IT REALLY DOESN'T TELL US MUCH.
BUT WE CAN STILL WE CAN STILL PRODUCE THEM, YOU KNOW.
AND IF YOU GUYS, IF YOU GUYS LIKE SEEING THEM GREAT.
AND YOU DECIDE THAT THIS ISN'T TELLING ME ANYTHING, WE CAN STOP DOING, WELL, LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
AND I THINK IT'S WORTHY IS OF THE ESSENCE.
BUT WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, I KNOW GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT.
BUT IS THERE DATA THERE THAT COULD BE USEFUL? NO, NOT AT THE LEVEL THAT WE CAN REPORT IT.
NOW, THAT BEING SAID, I CAN LOOK AND I DO.
OKAY, SO WHEN THIS LITTLE RESTAURANT CALLED CHICK FIL A DECIDED TO COME ONLINE I WANT I LOOK, I LOOK AFTER THAT PRETTY MUCH ABOUT EVERY, EVERY OTHER MONTH, EVERY MONTH JUST TO SEE IS IT TRENDING THE WAY WE EXPECT IT.
A IS ARE THE SALES TAX SHOWING UP? RIGHT. SO WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE BEING REPORTED AND THEN IS IT IN LINE WITH WHAT WE ANTICIPATED IN TERMS OF STABILIZATION AND THAT KIND OF THING? WE DO THAT. WE DO THAT WITH DUTCH BROTHERS. WE DID THAT WITH STARBUCKS. WE DID THAT WITH
[00:05:01]
CHICK FIL A. SO WE, WE WE CAN'T REPORT THAT.BUT I BUT I DO KEEP AN EYE ON IT BECAUSE TO THE EXTENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THAT GAP, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DIFFERENT SALES TAX STORY THAN SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS WHO DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE NEAR THE RETAIL THAT WE DO, EVEN. THAT'S WHERE IT'LL START TO HAPPEN, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS AGO, THREE YEARS AGO, WE TOOK A BIG SETBACK WITH KOHL'S. BUT BUT YOU REALLY NEVER NOTICED IT MUCH BECAUSE OUR RETAIL RETAIL SALES TAX WAS CONTINUING TO GROW AT A PRETTY GOOD CLIP. IT'S ONLY THIS LAST YEAR WHERE IT'S KIND OF FLATTENED OUT. AND LIKE YOU MENTIONED IT, WE DIDN'T PROJECT ANY ANY INCREASE FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE BUDGETED AMOUNT FOR THIS YEAR WAS GOING TO BE. AND WE'RE STILL NOT EVEN SURE WE'RE GOING TO HIT THE BUDGETED AMOUNT FROM THIS YEAR.
BUT WE THINK WE'LL BE WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE RIGHT AT.
YEAH. AND MY LAST QUESTION, I PROMISE.
PLEASE, IN TERMS OF THE DATA, COULD IT BE BROKEN OUT BY FOOD SERVICES? YOU KNOW, THESE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES BECAUSE I'M NOT ASKING FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION OR SPECIFIC COMPANY INFORMATION, BUT IF WE HAVE A DECLINE, IT'S LIKE WHAT'S DRIVING IT? IT COULD BE ONE PARTICULAR INDUSTRY VERSUS SECTOR.
EXCUSE ME, INDUSTRY SECTOR VERSUS ANOTHER THAT'S DRIVING.
YEAH. SO YOU'LL REMEMBER WHEN WE REPORTED THIS THE LAST TIME RIGHT.
YES. THAT YOU HAD ABOUT 12 LINES.
RIGHT. IT DOES BREAK OUT THAT WAY.
IT BREAKS OUT INTO INDUSTRY SECTORS.
AND YOU HAVE 12 LINES THAT WERE DEAD FLAT.
AND IT'S BECAUSE THE WHOLE THE THE CONSUMER GOODS PORTION OF THAT WHICH IS SQUISHED TOGETHER AND WE CAN'T BREAK APART IS 90 SOME ODD PERCENT OF OUR, OF OUR TOTAL REVENUES.
SO AS IT GOES AND IT'S SEASONAL AS IT GOES.
SO SO DOES ALL OF THE SALES TAX.
THE THE OTHER COMPONENTS ARE SO SMALL AND THE VARIATION IS SO LITTLE.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAD IF YOU REMEMBER WE DID THIS ANALYSIS.
WE TOOK OUT ALL THE OTHER INDUSTRIES TO JUST TAKE A CLOSER LOOK BECAUSE THE, THE CONSUMER GOODS, THE THE GENERAL GENERAL MERCHANDISE.
SO OVERWEIGHS THE, THE, THE PICTURE IS TO SKEW IT.
AND SO WE TOOK EVERYTHING OUT, IF YOU REMEMBER, AND YOU COULD SEE THE SEASONALITY OF IT, THEN IT ACCENTUATED THE SEASONALITY.
THAT WAS REALLY ALL IT TOLD US WAS THAT SEASONAL.
AND THAT'S NOT TOO SURPRISING FOR FOR CONSUMER GOODS.
THEY'RE BIG DRIVERS. THEY ARE THE BIGGEST DRIVERS IN OUR ECONOMY.
IT'S THE WALMARTS, IT'S THE KROGER.
IT'S THE THOSE THOSE THOSE DRIVE THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO EVEN WHEN YOU SEE A DOWNTURN, IT'S NOT REALLY TELLING YOU IS IT.
GROCERY BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S IT'S IT'S LUMPED IN TOGETHER.
YOU DON'T SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM WHEN YOU WANT TO KNOW.
IT'S NOT THAT I WOULDN'T WANT TO KNOW. I'D LOVE TO, BUT WE'RE LIMITED IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN DO IN TERMS OF REPORTING THAT DATA.
THAT TELLS US AT WHAT LEVEL WE HAVE TO REPORT IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT THEY DON'T WANT TO BE ABLE TO BACK INTO COMPETITIVE DATA.
RIGHT. SO THEY LIMIT WHAT WE CAN DO.
LIKE I SAID, DO I WANT TO KNOW? YEAH. AND IN FACT, WITH OUR NEW SOFTWARE, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, I DO HAVE ACCESS TO BE ABLE TO GO AND LOOK AT THOSE.
AND I DO ABOUT EVERY OTHER MONTH.
AGAIN, JUST JUST KIND OF KEEPING TRACK OF IT, THAT IF SOMETHING'S SEEMS WAY OFF, YOU KNOW, IF I, IF I LOOK AT, I'M JUST GOING TO PULL A NUMBER OUT OF THE AIR, YOU KNOW, WALMART OR A FORMER AND I'M, AND I'M WATCHING THAT AND I'M WATCHING IT OVER THE YEAR. IS IT PERFORMING WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT DATA FOR LAST YEAR. WE'VE ONLY HAD THIS SINCE MARCH, SO WE ARE IN FACT LOOKING AT THAT.
AND IF THERE BECOMES SOME VARIATION, THEN THAT MIGHT BE A IT MIGHT CHANGE WHAT WE DO WITH BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION.
WE MIGHT GO HAVE A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING. SO WE WON'T SEE THAT HERE.
BUT WE CERTAINLY LOOK AT IT INTERNALLY AND IT AFFECTS WHAT WE'RE DOING IN TERMS OF HOW WE LOOK AT THAT. THE OTHER PIECE THAT HAPPENS A LOT, AND IT'S A BIG PIECE OF HAVING AN INDUSTRIAL PARK LIKE WE DO IS WHEN SOLAR TURBINES GOES OUT AND MAKES A LARGE INVESTMENT AND PAYS SALES TAX ON IT, IT'S THE ELEPHANT HICCUPING YOU.
YOU'RE GOING ALONG WITH THOSE SALES TAXES, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU SEE A SPIKE.
WELL, IT'S BECAUSE IT WAS A $20 MILLION INVESTMENT.
AND SO THAT HAPPENS WITH ALLY.
THAT HAPPENS WITH SOLAR TURBINES.
AND AGAIN WHEN WE FIRST STARTED LOOKING AT THE DATA.
IS THAT THAT THAT CAN'T BE RIGHT.
WELL IT IS. IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE INDUSTRIAL PURCHASES THAT ARE PAYING SALES TAX.
WE'RE NOT GETTING IT. I'M SORRY TO THE DIRECTOR'S POINT.
WHAT WHAT WHAT IS CURIOUS TO ME IS THAT DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN KOHL'S CHANGED THEIR MODEL, BUT DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE WE WE PROGRESS BETTER THAN OUR SURROUNDING
[00:10:06]
CITIES. AND IT WAS THE SALES TAX THAT ACTUALLY WAS TRENDING UP.SO I DO UNDERSTAND THE THE DOWNTURN OF THE ECONOMY, BUT THERE PROBABLY IS NOT A BIGGER DOWNTURN THAN.
AND SO IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW WHY THE TURN NOW AND WHY IS IT, WHY IS IT SHOWING UP ACROSS THE BOARD.
WELL, SOME OF IT IS THAT WE'RE LOSING $12 BILLION FROM VISITATION FOR TOURISM RIGHT NOW. OUR COUNTRY IS. SO WE'RE DOWN 12.3.
$12.3 BILLION OF TOURISM IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO IT COULD BE IN THAT SECTOR THAT HAS TO AFFECT OR IN THAT.
THIS MORNING WALL STREET JOURNAL. TEN.
$10 BILLION OF LIQUOR OUT OF CANADA.
YEAH. THIS IS YOU KNOW, THIS IS GENERAL ECONOMICS.
IT'S NOT DESOTO. IT'S NOT EVEN TEXAS.
IT IS TRENDING THE ECONOMY, WATCHING THE ECONOMY AND SEEING WHAT THE ECONOMY IS DOING. AND TO THE POINT IF IT'S AFFECTING EVERYBODY, THEN IT HAS TO BE GREATER THAN JUST DESOTO.
SURE. BUT OTHERWISE, BECAUSE IN THE PANDEMIC, DESOTO FARED WELL. AND EVERYBODY ELSE TOOK A DIVE.
THE OTHER PIECE THAT WE GET FROM THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE IS CITY BY CITY.
SO I GET A MONTHLY REPORT THAT REPORTS THE SALES TAX CITY BY CITY.
AND SO I'M ALWAYS LOOKING AT THAT JUST TO UNDERSTAND AGAIN WHAT WHAT? WHAT DO WE LOOK LIKE? THIS WOULD BE NOT NECESSARILY OUR SISTER CITIES HERE IN THE BEST SOUTHWEST PARTNERSHIP.
BUT IS IT? IS IT? IT'S RELEVANT TO ME TO SEE WHAT BRISTOW'S DOING.
WHAT DENTON'S DOING WHAT? WHAT? BIKINI AND PLANO, BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL GROWING AT A MUCH MORE RAPID PACE THAN WE ARE.
AND ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO RETAIL AND RESIDENTIAL THEIR GROWTH RATE IS JUST MONUMENTALLY BIGGER THAN OURS.
SO IT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME, BUT I DO KIND OF USE IT AS THE BELLWETHER THAT IF IF ALL THOSE ARE FALLING, WE'RE WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO REMAIN RELATIVELY FLAT BECAUSE OURS ISN'T RESPONSIVE LIKE THEIRS IS TO VERY LARGE NEW RETAIL PROJECTS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
WELL, OKAY, LET ME JUST SAY AND FIRST LET ME JUST SAY DON'T FEEL AS THOUGH THERE NEEDS TO BE AN APOLOGY FOR THE TIMING OF THIS BECAUSE THIS IS SO CRITICAL.
AND LET ME COMMEND YOU FOR DIGGING INSIDE OF IT TO UNDERSTAND FROM A KIND OF CATEGORY STANDPOINT, THE IMPACTS.
BECAUSE WHILE WE HAVE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE, IF YOU WILL, IT'S IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE UNDERSTAND OUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS THAT ALIGNS WITH THIS FOR THE FUTURE.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE FRISCO'S OF THE WORLD, THEY'VE GOT MAJOR CONSTRUCTION THAT IMPACTS YOU GOT LOCATIONS CLOSING UP THERE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T STAY.
THEY CAN'T GROW THE BUSINESS IN THE BUSINESS.
BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHEN YOU TAKE OUT ALL OF OUR OUR COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS, THEN WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH US? YOU EXTRAPOLATE THINGS TO MAKE IT MORE REAL AS A FROM A VIEWER STANDPOINT.
AND WE HAVE TO REALLY LOOK AT HOW WE BENCHMARK OUR PROGRAMS, BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO DO THIS.
OURS MAY BE JUST A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT SAYS IF IN FACT, WE NEED TO DO CERTAIN SEGMENTS, LET'S FOCUS ON THAT FOR THIS TIME BEING, IF YOU WILL. SO DON'T PLEASE KEEP DIGGING INSIDE OF IT, PLEASE. IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE DO IT.
SERIOUSLY, THERE'S A REASON WHY A CHICK FIL A WOULD WANT TO COME HERE OR NOT.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TELL THAT STORY AS WE GO OUT AND WE'RE DOING MARKETING SOLICITATIONS, WHAT HAVE YOU.
WELL, OTHERS ARE DOING THIS, BUT HERE'S WHAT WE HAVE THAT'S AVAILABLE FROM A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT. I KNOW THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING. THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING THAT'S GOOD. WELL, AND IT GETS BIGGER TOO, BECAUSE AS WE START TO TALK ABOUT THE CHANGE IN DEVELOPMENT PATTERN IN DE SOTO AWAY FROM SINGLE FAMILY, LARGE LOT RESIDENTIAL THEN THAT CHANGES.
WHEN WE START TO DENSIFY THOSE DEVELOPMENTS, WE START TO ADD MORE RETAIL INTO THOSE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS.
AND THAT'S AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT SUPPORTING CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT WE DO WITH HOUSING.
RIGHT. HOUSING IS A IS A THERE'S THERE IS A MISSING MIDDLE IN DESOTO.
YOU'VE GOT OLD APARTMENTS THAT THAT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE RATTY APARTMENTS THEN.
RIGHT. THOSE THOSE AREN'T THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF THE LOW END.
[00:15:01]
BUT THERE'S VERY LITTLE IN TERMS OF ENTRY LEVEL IF ANY, YOU KNOW, THOSE THOSE APARTMENTS THAT LOOK LIKE ENTRY LEVEL THAT YOU WANT TO LIVE IN ARE FULL ALL THE TIME. YOU KNOW, THEIR THEIR OCCUPANCY IS FAR IN EXCESS OF 90%. THAT'S NOT TRUE OF I WON'T CALL THEM OUT BY NAME, BUT THAT'S NOT TRUE OF ALL THE APARTMENTS. AND SO BUT THOSE WHERE YOU'D WANT AS A YOUNG A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL TO LIVE, THEY ARE FULL ALL THE TIME.AND SO THEY END UP GOING SOMEPLACE ELSE WHICH IMPACTS KIND OF MONEY THAT COMES, THAT COMES INTO US FROM SALES BECAUSE IT'S GETTING SPENT SOMEPLACE ELSE.
YEAH. IT CHANGES. IT REALLY DOES.
IT REALLY DOES MAKE US THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT OUR SOURCES OF INCOME AND INTENSIFYING THE YIELD FOR EVERY ACRE THAT WE DEVELOP.
WE REALLY HAVE TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT THE TAX YIELD ON THAT ACRE IS GOING TO BE, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT MANY LEFT. SO WE'RE 145% DOWN COMPARED TO BUDGET PRIOR YEAR. WELL, BUDGET PRIOR YEAR FOR SALES TAX.
THIS TIME LAST YEAR, WE WERE AT 67% OF OUR BUDGET.
THIS YEAR WE'RE AT 60% OF OUR BUDGET.
I WAS READING WHAT WE HAVE. INTEREST REVENUE IS AT 101% OF BUDGET, COMPARED TO 246% IN PRIOR YEAR.
YEAH. SO THAT JUST BASICALLY SAYING WE'RE STILL DOING REALLY GREAT WITH WE'RE COLLECTING INTEREST, BUT NOT AS GREAT AS THE ANOMALY YEAR OF LAST YEAR.
RIGHT. WHEN INTEREST RATES WERE OVER 5%.
RIGHT. YOU KNOW. AND SO THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING A DIFFERENCE.
WE'RE STILL DOING GREAT BECAUSE WE DO GREAT WITH OUR INVESTMENTS AND OUR STUDENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE'LL EVER SEE THE TYPE OF YEAR THAT WE HAD, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WITH INTEREST RATES AND STUFF. BECAUSE LIKE NOW WE EXPECT FOR THE RATES TO GO DOWN TWO MORE TIMES THIS YEAR BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
THEY'RE GOING TO THEY'RE GOING TO DEFINITELY DECREASE RATES BEFORE OCTOBER.
SO WE'LL SEE LIKE AT LEAST A 0.25%, YOU KNOW A 0.25 BASIS POINTS.
IT'S GOING TO GO DOWN. I WAS GOING TO GET A CUT.
OKAY. WE'LL SEE. SO YOU GOT AN INSIGHT WITH THE FED.
I'M TELLING YOU TRUST ME ON THIS.
TRUST ME I'M TELLING YOU I MEAN IT'S I, I WANT TO TRUST YOU, I WANT TO, I WANT. SOMEBODY'S GOING TO BE.
HEADS ARE GONNA ROLL. TELL ME WHAT I NEED TO BORROW.
LIKE, IF YOU HAVE, LIKE, EVEN, LIKE, OUR INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO.
NOT EVEN WHAT YOU GUYS SEE AT THE CITY AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO LOCK IN, LIKE WITH SOME 18 MONTH, YOU KNOW, NOW THEY'RE LIKE, GO LONGER. NOW YOU CAN BECAUSE YOU CAN KIND OF LOCK IT IN.
SO YEAH, THAT'S SO WE'VE ALL HEARD OF E.F.
HUTTON RIGHT. LISTEN TO LAQUITA SUTTON.
ON THE PODCAST IN JANUARY I'LL BE LOOKING FOR.
I'M JUST SAYING YOU IF YOU ARE, IF YOU HAVE EVEN HIGH YIELD INTEREST ACCOUNTS, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'RE SAVING WITH NOW, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU NOTICED EVERY FEW MONTHS THEY'RE SAYING, OKAY, WE'RE BUMPING YOU DOWN TO FIVE OR WHATEVER IT IS.
SO YEAH. OKAY. SO NEXT MONTH'S BOARD MEETING.
WE WANT YOU TO UPDATE FOR US TOO.
OKAY. PERSONALLY, OKAY, LET'S GO FOR IT.
OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR JUNE 10TH? WELL, WE TALK ABOUT THE REVENUES. NOT NOT JUST YEAR TO DATE.
YEAH. AND IT'LL SHOW YOU CURRENT MONTH ACTIVITY.
LAST YEAR? WELL, NO. AND TO YOUR POINT, I WAS LOOKING AT WE DON'T HAVE TREND.
WE DON'T SHOW TREND. AND I THINK THAT'S AN UNFORTUNATE PART THAT WE DON'T.
IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT KIND OF SOFTWARE WE'RE AT.
YEAH. GOOD. WHAT? SHE'S ONLY READING WHAT'S BEING PUT IN.
OH, NO. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SPIT OUT. SO WE HAVE THE KIND OF TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWS US TO DO IT BY THOSE VARIABLES.
THAT'S ONE THING I'M SURE WE HAVE.
LAST JUNE'S NUMBERS. RIGHT. THAT'S. YEAH. I MEAN, DEFINITELY LIKE TO SEE THE MONTH OVER EVEN THIS IS NOT WHAT EXACTLY SPITS OUT OF THE SYSTEM. WE STILL HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, PUT OUR THING ON IT.
BUT YEAH, I MEAN, IF YOU WOULD, IF YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE A COLUMN THAT SAYS, YOU SEE WHERE IT SAYS CURRENT MONTH TOTALS, IF YOU WANT ANOTHER COLUMN THAT SAYS CURRENT MONTH LAST YEAR. YEAH.
OR JUST JUST DIFFERENT FROM LAST YEAR.
YEAH. THAT'S GREAT. IT GIVES A LITTLE MORE THAN THE I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THE BUDGET NUMBER, THE VARIANCE VERSUS BUDGET, JUST WHAT WE THOUGHT VERSUS WHAT WE DID BETTER THAN LIKE WHAT WE DID LAST MONTH VERSUS LAST YEAR TO SEE HOW WE'RE WE START THAT AND WE'RE MOVING THE RIGHT DIRECTION OR WE START BAD.
AND THE OPPOSITE OF THAT, WE GET SOME MORE INFORMATION.
SURE. YEAH. THAT WAS THAT WAS THE PAT OF APPROVAL.
[00:20:05]
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS. YEAH.OKAY, MARK. THERE'S NOTHING THAT STOPS US AND IT MAY NOT COINCIDE.
YEAH. ESPECIALLY WITH WITH THESE, BECAUSE WE WE LITERALLY DIDN'T HAVE THESE UNTIL YESTERDAY. AFTER.
AFTER 5:00? YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF THEN GETTING THAT INTO INTO SOMETHING WHERE WE COULD ACTUALLY GRAPH THAT AND BE ABLE TO LOOK AT TREND LINES, BUT THERE'S NO REASON WE CAN'T DO THAT EXPOSED AND PUT THAT IN.
AND WE MAY BE 30 DAYS BEHIND, BUT WE COULD CERTAINLY TREND THOSE IF THAT'S OF INTEREST TO YOU. I THINK WE SHOULD TREND.
LET'S MOVE FORWARD, PLEASE. HOLD ON.
WHICH. WHERE ARE WE GOING? JULY. SO I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
OKAY. AND I DON'T NEED AN ANSWER RIGHT NOW, BUT AS WE GO IN SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE AGENDA.
BUT I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE LINE ITEM FOR TRAINING AND TRAVEL AND COMPARING THAT LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR. SO WE'RE UP SIGNIFICANTLY.
MY QUESTION IS WITH THAT INCREASED SPENDING.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT'S THE KIND OF RETURN THAT WE'RE GETTING ON THAT? I MEAN, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS, ON THIS, ON THIS BOARD, YOU KNOW.
TRAVEL AND PROSELYTIZING AND TALKING ABOUT DESOTO'S ASSETS AND ENCOURAGING BUSINESSES TO COME HERE. BUT WE'RE A FEW YEARS IN NOW.
SO I'M WONDERING WHAT'S BEEN THE RETURN ON ON SOME OF THAT? SO. IT IS IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CORRELATE.
IN A STRAIGHT LINE LIKE THAT, THAT DO WE DO WE TRACK THOSE PROJECTS AND WHERE, WHERE THEY CAME FROM.
AND ARE THEY ARE THEY RETURNING FOR US? ABSOLUTELY. BUT OFTENTIMES AND COUNCILMAN IS A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE.
SOME OF THE FOLKS WE'RE VISITING WITH THREE YEARS AGO IN LAS VEGAS.
OUR FINALLY HAVE A FOOTPRINT HERE, RIGHT? SO WE TRACK IN TERMS OF OUR CONTACTS FROM FROM THOSE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES AND, AND CONTINUE TO DO THAT FOLLOW UP.
BUT MANY TIMES IT'S NOT EVEN NECESSARILY THE SAME COMPANY.
IT'S A CONTACT YOU MADE THAT TWO YEARS AGO, WHO NOW IS WHO WAS A CATERPILLAR AND IS NOW OVER AT WHEREVER, WHO IS AWARE OF DE SOTO THAT GENERATES THAT THAT LEAD.
SO WAS IT THE CONTACT? WAS IT THE CONFERENCE OR HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING. THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING. SO I'M NOT AND AGAIN, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE DOLLARS.
I'M SAYING THE INVESTMENTS THAT YOU'VE MADE OVER THE YEARS.
ARE WE GETTING A RETURN ON THAT AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WELL, AGAIN, HOW WOULD YOU MEASURE THAT RETURN? I WOULD SAY FOR ME, IF BEFORE YOU WERE HERE, WASN'T MUCH GOING ON IN TERMS OF GETTING OUT.
RIGHT. AND, YOU KNOW, TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT DE SOTO.
YOU MADE THE DECISION TO SAY NO, WE'RE GOING TO GET OUT AND TELL PEOPLE ABOUT DE SOTO. IT'S A FEW YEARS IN NOW.
SO I WOULD THINK BY NOW I'D WANT TO.
IS THERE INCREASED INTEREST OR ARE THERE CONVERSATIONS BEING HAD IN TERMS OF PEOPLE INDUSTRIES, COMPANIES THAT WANT TO LOCATE HERE BECAUSE YOU PLANTED THE SEED ALREADY? YES. AND THE ANSWER IS IS THERE INCREASED IN I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY IS, IS THERE INCREASED INTEREST IN DE SOTO? AND THE ANSWER IS DEFINITIVELY YES.
CAN I TRACE THAT BACK TO A PARTICULAR CONFERENCE? SOMETIMES YES, SOMETIMES NO.
OKAY, I'M NOT SPEAKING OF SPECIFIC EVENTS, BUT AGAIN, THE ACTIVITIES THAT YOU AND ANTOINE HAVE DONE OVER THE YEARS, ARE YOU STARTING TO SEE OR ARE YOU RECOUPING LIKE, OKAY, AS A RESULT OF US GETTING OUT? THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE STARTING TO HAPPEN. SO I'M NOT SAYING A SPECIFIC CONFERENCE OR EVENT THAT YOU WENT TO, BUT ARE WE STARTING TO SEE, OKAY AS A RESULT OF US GETTING OKAY? SO AND SO, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT A DOUBT, WITHOUT A DOUBT.
AND I'LL USE A SLOWLY I'M NOT STEALING YOUR THUNDER THIS YEAR.
I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE WE'VE RESPONDED TO 60 SOME ODD REQUESTS FOR RFP.
FIRST TWO YEARS I WAS HERE THERE WERE THREE.
[00:25:03]
THAT'S THAT'S NOT AN ACCIDENT.IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE MARKET.
IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE IN THOSE PLACES THAT THAT WE ARE BEING INCLUDED IN SITE SELECTORS IN REACHING OUT THE STATE REACHING OUT.
THEY KNOW WHAT OUR ASSETS ARE.
THEY KNOW THAT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE, THEY KNOW WHAT WE DON'T HAVE AS WELL.
I MEAN, WE'RE PRETTY CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE WE CAN'T BE LANCASTER.
WE CAN'T PUT 1,000,000FT² UNDER ROOF SIX TIMES IN A YEAR.
WE DON'T HAVE A MILLION. WE DON'T HAVE THE LAND TO BUILD IT ON. SO IT'S MUCH MORE FOCUSED. AND YOU'LL SEE IN ONE OF THE PRESENTATIONS THAT THAT IS GOING TO PULL UP HERE, IS THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF THOSE INQUIRIES, WE HAVE TO END UP TURNING AWAY BECAUSE WE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE ASSET.
I HATE THAT, RIGHT. BUT BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S I THINK THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY THAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT THAT SIMPLY WOULDN'T BE THERE.
WERE WE NOT IN THOSE VARIOUS PLACES.
BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE AS A RESULT OF THAT, THAT SOMETHING ACTUALLY HAPPENS.
NOW YOU'RE SAYING YOU HAD TO TURN DOWN A LOT BECAUSE IT IS WHAT IT IS.
BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE THIS OVER HERE, LIKE AS A RESULT, THIS IS HAPPENING. WE GOT SOMEBODY HAS TO FIX THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBERS. BUT THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT A11 PERSON FIX.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CREATING AN EXPECTATION THAT PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE OR WE SHOULD HAVE.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING MARK. OKAY.
SO TELL ME. SO I'M SAYING THE INVESTMENTS ARE BEING MADE, RIGHT? THEY'VE GONE OUT AND TOLD.
AND PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT DESOTO, RIGHT? HE'S MENTIONED ALL THE RFPS.
I'M ASKING, WHAT DOES THAT TURN INTO? SO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S THE RETURN OF HOW HIS TRAVEL AND THOSE MEETINGS HAVE REALIZED IN DESOTO? YES, BUT I'M NOT SPEAKING OF A SPECIFIC EVENT.
SO LET ME CONFERENCE. SIMON, PLEASE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE'S CAUSE AND EFFECT.
FACT, YES, THERE'S A RETURN ON ANY EFFORT THAT YOU PUT OUT.
THERE SHOULD BE. I'M GOING TO CUT TO THE CHASE AND SAY, OKAY, WE HAD OUR RETREAT LAST OCTOBER.
THE QUESTION THAT I ASKED WHEN WE WENT AROUND THE ROOM WAS, WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED? I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE OKAY, IF I MAY APPROPRIATELY, WE ARE COLLECTIVE. I'M GOING TO TAKE YOUR YOUR YOUR STATEMENT THAT IT'S NOT ONE ENTITY.
ONE INDIVIDUAL. NO. COLLECTIVELY.
OKAY. THERE'S A DEFAULT, AND THAT DEFAULT IS WHAT? IT'S NOT JUST IN THIS ROOM.
RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT TO YOUR POINT, WE CAN GO ALL DAY LONG, ALL YEAR LONG TO CONFERENCES AND HAVE SEMINARS AND PRESENT.
BUT IF IN FACT, WE'VE NOT FIXED THE BARRIER THAT WE HAVE COLLABORATIVELY, OKAY, THEN WE WON'T SEE THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT, SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT HOLISTICALLY.
WHAT ALLOWS US TO MARCH FORWARD, TO REMOVE THE BARRIERS AND TO BEGIN TO BUILD? OKAY, I'M GOING TO GO ON RECORD AS SAYING I'M VERY, VERY CONCERNED, AS WE ALL ARE.
WE DON'T HAVE WE DON'T HAVE NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE COMING UP AS AN END RESULT.
I'M QUITE SURE THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE HEADING. WE DON'T HAVE NEW AMENITIES FOR OUR CITIZENS TO GO, OUR RESIDENTS TO GO AND ENJOY WITH THEIR FAMILY MORE AND MORE TODAY IN THIS ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE IN.
FAMILIES WANT TO LIVE, WORK AND PLAY, AND WE NEED TO CREATE THAT.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS A WHILE NOW, AND IT'S IRONIC THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE IN MY RECAP FOR TODAY, I HAVE SOMETHING THAT SPEAKS TO THIS.
THE OTHER COMPONENT IS THAT I'VE LOOKED AT YOU TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET, THE SPENDING. I LOOKED AT OUR PROPOSED BUDGET THAT WE HAVE AND WE'LL TALK TO THIS LATER.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO LOOK AT AND SPEAK TO. WHAT IS OUR RETURN? SO YOU'RE VERY SPOT ON.
I THINK THIS RISES UP TO HELP US UNDERSTAND.
WE CANNOT SHOVE IT UNDER THE TABLE.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT HOLISTICALLY.
WHERE IS THE DEFAULT? AND IT'S NOT JUST IN THIS ROOM.
OKAY. SO TO YOUR POINT, SPOT ON.
AND THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING UP.
ONE OF THE STATEMENTS THAT I HAVE TODAY FOR US IS TO BE SELFISH ASPIRATIONALLY AS A BOARD. THIS IS SELFISH.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IT ON AND WE'RE GOING TO BE WE'RE GOING TO BE SELFISH ABOUT ASPIRING TO GET TO THE BOTTOM LINE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
BUT LET'S UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO GRAB THIS HERE AND RALLY AROUND IT BECAUSE
[00:30:05]
YOU'RE SPOT ON. SO ALL OF THE IMPEDIMENTS THAT ARE STOPPING.YES. WHAT FELICIA IS ASKING, RIGHT.
WHAT MATT IS SUGGESTING, RIGHT, HAS TO BE ADDRESSED AS WELL.
EVERY IMPEDIMENT THAT'S STOPPING US FROM PROGRESSING TO GET TO WHERE WE HAVE BEEN SAYING FOR TWO YEARS, YES, BUT NOT JUST A LINE ITEM ABOUT TRAVEL, BUT ALL THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND ALL OF THOSE DEVELOPERS WHO WANT TO COME WHO CAN'T COME.
WE GOT TO TALK ABOUT THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, AND THAT'S PLANNING AND ZONING. WELL YOU'RE IN MY YOU'RE IN MY PRESENTATION.
I WAS GOING TO ASK BUT BUT I CAN CUT TO THE CHASE.
GO BACK AND WATCH THE PLANNING AND ZONING MEETING.
I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF WATCHING. BUT WHAT I WANT TO SAY THOUGH, IT WAS AN HONOR TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
THAT'S ALL. NO, NO. AND AND SO IT WASN'T A BUDGET? NO. IT'S A VERY MUCH A WORTHY CONVERSATION TO BE HAVING BECAUSE THE OTHER PIECE AND WE DISCONNECT FROM IT OFTEN IS THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR ATTRACTION WORK.
IT'S NOT ALL OF IT BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION.
WE SPEND TIME AT ICSC IN LAS VEGAS.
WE SPEND ICSC HERE IN RED RIVER.
WE'RE DOWN AT RETAIL LIVE IN AUSTIN, SO WE FOCUS ON RETAIL AS WELL.
WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE VERY ACTIVE IN TERMS OF BRINGING RETAIL USERS, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR ATTRACTION WORK CENTERS ON THE INDUSTRIAL PARK AND CHANGING THOSE TENANTS AND CHANGING THE MAKEUP OF WHAT THOSE JOBS LOOK LIKE AND WHAT THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT IS. AND IT'S AN AREA WHERE WE'VE BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL IN TERMS OF BOTH NEW NEW BUSINESS AS WELL AS GROWING THOSE THAT ARE ALREADY HERE.
IT'S THOSE INDUSTRIES, THOSE INDUSTRY CLUSTERS THAT WE FOCUS ON.
REMEMBER, THERE'S SEVEN OF THEM AND ONE OF THEM'S RETAIL. THE OTHER SIX LOOK LIKE OFFICE AND INDUSTRIAL AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE IN THOSE MARKETS AND THAT WE'RE UNDER CONSIDERATION AS WE START TO BUILD A VERY DIFFERENT ECONOMY IN DESOTO THAN IN THE IN THE PAST, HAS BEEN ENTIRELY ROOFTOP AND RETAIL.
BUT, MATT, TO TO TO YOUR STATEMENT, I AGREE WITH YOU, BUT TO HER COMMENT IS THAT OUR TRAVEL HAVEN'T BEEN RELATED TO THOSE INDUSTRIES.
OUR TRAVEL HAVE BEEN RELATED TO OTHER INDUSTRIES.
SO I BELIEVE IT IS A VERY FAIR QUESTION OF WHAT IS THE RETURN OR WHAT HAVE WE TEED UP IN THOSE INDUSTRIES. AND I KNOW THE ANSWER.
AND PART OF THE TEE UP IS, IS I WOULD SUGGEST I'M LEARNING TO USE MY WORDS TODAY. I'VE HAD A LOT OF PRACTICE.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT MAYBE SOME OF THOSE TIPS IS THAT THEY GET TEED UP AND THEN IN OTHER SUPPORT INDUSTRIES OR SUPPORT DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT FOLLOWED THROUGH, OR THERE IS AN OBSTACLE, THERE IS A BARRIER THAT WE MUST.
AS MUCH AS WE WORK ON THE BARRIERS HERE FROM THIS DDC BOARD, THEN WE MUST WORK ON THE BARRIERS, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ONE OF THIS BOARD'S PET PEEVES, AND YOU'VE REQUIRED SPECIAL MEETINGS ON THE CHARACTER CODE ZONING. AGAIN, IF YOU WATCH THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE APPLICANT TO GET THAT DONE.
AND IT WAS VOTED DOWN IT WAS VOTED DOWN.
AND PNC, WE ARE THE APPLICANTS.
WE HAD THAT AT OUR LAST JOINT MEETING.
Y'ALL REMEMBER THE CONVERSATIONS? WE WERE THE WE'RE AGAIN.
THAT WAS TEED UP. WE WERE THE APPLICANT AND IT WAS VOTED DOWN.
AND AND WHAT I KNOW FOR A FACT THERE HAVE BEEN INTERESTING, INTERESTING INTERESTED PARTIES THAT WAS INTERESTED.
NOW THAT ZONING DON'T STOP IT, BUT MOST DEVELOPERS DON'T WANT TO GET INTO SOMETHING AND HAVE A ZONING FIGHT. YOU GUYS ALL KNOW THAT.
THAT'S RIGHT. YOU ALL KNOW THAT.
AND THE WAY YOU REMOVE SOME OF THE OBSTACLES OBSTACLES IS TO HAVE THE ZONING FOR WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT.
AND WHEN WE CAN'T GET THE ZONING FOR WHAT WE ALL AGREED THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT IS STIFLES SOME OF THE TRAVELS.
I'VE GONE TO I'VE FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
I'VE BEEN IN SOME OF THE MEETINGS WHERE THEY'VE TALKED TO THE PEOPLE WE'VE TEED UP.
BUT WHEN WHEN WE COME DOWN TO, OKAY, HERE'S OUR PROJECT, HERE'S WHAT IT IS, THEY ASK ONE QUESTION, IS IT ALREADY ZONED FOR ME? AND THE ANSWER IS NO. SO I'M SO COUNCILMAN I'M SORRY, ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT THE CITY OF DESOTO IS THE APPLICANT? AND THE PLANNING AND ZONING OF THE CITY OF DESOTO TURNED TURN DOWN THE APPLICATION.
YES, SIR. AND WE HAVE OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER HERE.
THAT IS CORRECT. THAT IS CORRECT.
OKAY. A SPECIAL MEETING ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 12TH.
[00:35:01]
YES. TUESDAY WAS VOTED YESTERDAY.OKAY, SO LET ME STEAL A LITTLE THUNDER.
WE HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE IS A HUGE OBSTACLE IN IN.
I ALWAYS LEARNED THAT YOU POINT ONE.
THERE ARE THREE POINTING BACK. SO TONIGHT LET'S POINT BACK AT OURSELVES AND SAY WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER? IN OTHER WORDS, IF THERE'S A BARRIER, WE NEED TO ONE OF THOSE FINGERS POINTING BACK, WE NEED TO ATTACK OUR LACK.
OUR LACK IS THAT IF THAT'S A BARRIER, WE NEED TO ATTACK IT.
AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A LEVEL OF FRUSTRATION.
I DON'T USE THAT WORD LIGHTLY AND VERY OFTEN, BUT I'M GOING TO USE IT TONIGHT BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OTHER SURROUNDING AREAS, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT TO YOUR POINT, AND THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING THE RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT.
SO ANY IN COUNCILMAN, YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT I WAS GOING TO SAY ALSO WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE BUDGET EARLIER TODAY WE HAVE TO START HONING IN, TEEING UP WHERE WE'RE GOING, WHAT WE'RE GOING TOWARD.
OKAY. IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN WE TRAVEL TO YOUR POINT, YOU, WE DON'T NEED TO GO TO EVERY CONFERENCE.
LET'S BE HONEST. WE NEED TO GO WITH TO THOSE CONFERENCES.
NOT TO SAY THAT WE HAVEN'T, BUT WE NEED TO REDUCE NARROW TO WHAT'S GOING TO GIVE US THE PROPER RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT.
DO MORE OF US NEED TO GO THERE? DO WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A GAME PLAN THAT SATURATES THAT? OR WHAT'S OUR STRATEGY? LET'S CHANGE OUR STRATEGY WHEN WE GO TO CONFERENCES.
SO DO WE. IF WE'RE GOING TO FIVE NOW, DO WE NEED TO GO TO THREE.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT AS WE PROGRESS FORWARD.
OKAY. HOW DO WE BE AS EFFECTIVE NOT TO SAY THAT THE TEAM IS NOT GOING TO BE EFFECTIVE, BUT WE REALIZE WE'VE GOT SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
OKAY. NOW I'M GOING TO SAY THIS GOING FORWARD.
ALSO WE HAD THIS TARGETED FOR 15 MINUTES.
UNDOUBTEDLY, THIS IS A HUGE SUBJECT MATTER BECAUSE EVERY BOARD MEETING IT TENDS TO AUGMENT. OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO ASK IF WE CAN CHANGE THAT GOING FORWARD TO INCREASE A LITTLE MORE TIME FOR 20 MINUTES MAYBE.
MADAM TREASURER, YOU HAD ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS YOU WANT TO ASK? NO. I'LL WAIT. NO, PLEASE DON'T GO.
I HEARD YOU SAY WHAT YOU FOCUS ON, AND I'M GOING TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS.
AND MAYBE THIS IS DURING OUR OUR RETREAT IN OCTOBER THAT WE FOCUS ON SMALL BUSINESS.
THAT THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE YOUR BUDGET. AND MAYBE YOU NEED TO BRING SOME DO SOME THINGS.
BUT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON WE NEED TO ADD SMALL BUSINESS AS A FOCUS OKAY.
SO. YEAH. TOPICS OF FINANCIAL STATUS.
YEAH. THANK YOU. YEAH I WAS GOING TO SAY LATER BUT THAT'S OUT THERE NOW SO OKAY.
THAT'S JUNE THAT'S JUNE TO JULY.
SO AT THE END OF JULY WE WERE AT 83% OF THE BUDGET YEAR.
OUR SALES TAX WAS AT 70% COMPARED TO 75% A YEAR PRIOR.
WE HAVE BROUGHT IN 1.9 MILLION BY THE END OF JULY.
AND OVERALL, OUR REVENUES WERE AT 75%.
SO. AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR CORRESPONDING OPERATIONS, THE OPERATIONS WERE AT 50% SPENDING VERSUS 40.1% AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR.
SO KEEP IN MIND THAT SALES TAX, EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S TRENDING BEHIND, THERE'S ALWAYS TWO MONTHS MORE TO GO, RIGHT. SO EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A JULY REPORT, THESE COLLECTIONS ARE ONLY THROUGH MAY.
SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WELL.
LOOKS LIKE WE HAD A DECENT A DECENT JULY.
WE CUT THE DEFICIT BETWEEN LAST YEAR AND HALF.
WE WERE 100 K BEHIND LAST YEAR'S TREND.
AND NOW WE'RE ONLY ABOUT 50 OR ABOUT 40 BEHIND.
IT SEEMS LIKE THIS WAS A DECENT MONTH.
YEAH FOR SURE. SUMMER PEOPLE ARE SPENDING KIDS AT HOME.
YEAH. YOU KNOW IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO YOUR POINT TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ALL OF THE MUNICIPALITIES.
WITH BACK TO SCHOOL NOW AND THE INFLATION AND WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN THE NEXT
[00:40:03]
QUARTER. THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO BE A TELLTALE FOR US, I THINK CORRECTLY. WE'LL SEE.WE'LL SEE. IT'LL BE INTERESTING.
YEAH. ANY QUESTIONS FOR JULY ADDITIONAL.
DIRECTOR JAMES, THANK YOU FOR THAT OBSERVATION. THAT MONTH OVER MONTH.
YEAR OVER YEAR. OKAY. MISS SUTTON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND I'M GETTING THE HELL OUT OF HERE.
Y'ALL, I LOVE Y'ALL, BUT I'M GOING TO GO HOME.
OH, I'VE HAD ENOUGH. ALL RIGHT, TAKE CARE, Y'ALL.
BE SURE TO BE PREPARED NEXT MONTH TO TELL US WHAT WE NEED TO INVESTIGATE.
WE'LL DO. THANK YOU. BYE, Y'ALL.
OKAY. PROGRESSING FORWARD HERE.
SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW WE'RE 45 MINUTES INTO OUR MEETING.
OKAY. SO I WANT EVERYONE TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT AS WE GO FORWARD.
BUT WE'VE GOT SOME IMPORTANT AGENDA ITEMS TO COVER.
AND I THINK OUR COUNCILMAN IS GOING TO GIVE US SOME NUGGETS, TOO. SO NEXT WE GO TO PROJECT SUBTRACTION EFFORTS AND SITE VISITS AND GENERAL
[B.2. Projects, attraction efforts, site visits, and general operations report Matt Carlson — Chief Executive Officer (Part 1 of 2)]
OPERATIONS FROM MATT CARLSON.AND HE'LL BRING US UP TO DATE.
SO YEAH. FORMATS THE SAME FROM MONTH TO MONTH.
YOU KNOW, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF TUESDAY NIGHT.
BUT EVEN AT THAT, AT THIS POINT IN THE YEAR THAT THAT THAT WHAT WE'VE DONE ON HAMPTON ROAD HASN'T PROGRESSED THAT THAT LOOKING TO FIND THOSE NEW COMMITMENTS FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS ON IN THAT AREA IS JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND THAT'S THE REASON YOU SEE A RED NEXT TO IT.
WE TALKED WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT SALES TAX TONIGHT.
YOU KNOW WE TRY TO WE TRY TO THINK ABOUT AT LEAST 5% ON AN ANNUAL YEAR OVER YEAR BASIS.
THIS YEAR'S HAD SOME SOME INTERESTING CHALLENGES TO THAT.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF OUR LARGE PERFORMERS, AT LEAST IN MY OPINION.
ANYWAY, OUR LARGEST PERFORMERS AREN'T PERFORMING.
REALLY? ALL ALL THAT MUCH WORSE.
YOU DON'T LOOK AT ANY ONE OF THOSE AND SAID, I KIND OF TRY TO KEEP SORT OF THE TOP TEN, IF YOU WILL, AND THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE REALLY PERFORMING ALL THAT, ALL THAT MUCH DIFFERENT. THE WALMARTS OF THE WORLD ARE STILL PERFORMING AT ABOUT THE SAME.
YOU DON'T SEE THEM FALLING OFF A WHOLE LOT IN TERMS OF THE OVERALL SALES TAX THAT'S BEING PAID, AND THAT'S OUR PROXY FOR HOW THEY'RE DOING FOR THE FINANCIAL HEALTH. IS THERE SOME IS THERE SOME LIKE A HISTORY I CAN GET ON OUR TAX REVENUE FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS JUST TO KIND OF GET A FEEL. OBVIOUSLY, I WASN'T HERE. TOTAL TAX REVENUE TRENDED OVER THE PAST 4 OR 5 YEARS.
LIKE ABSOLUTELY. YEAH, WE CAN CERTAINLY PUT THAT TOGETHER.
AND IT REALLY GETS BACK TO YOUR TRENDS, YOU KNOW, THAT OF KNOWING NOT ONLY YEAR OVER YEAR, BUT WHERE WE'VE COME FROM, OUR SALES TAX IS GENERALLY GROWN EVERY YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, IT'S GROWN. FIRST YEAR IT GREW SIGNIFICANTLY.
WE'RE BACK TO, YOU KNOW, THE CONVERSATION AROUND COVID THAT COUNCILMAN STARTED. AND THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT IS THAT ONE OF THE LARGEST.
AND YOU'LL SEE IT IN THAT TREND.
ONE OF THE LARGEST PAYERS OF SALES TAX WAS THE DISTRIBUTION, THE COLES DISTRIBUTION CENTER.
SO ONLINE SALES FROM THE COLES DISTRIBUTION CENTER WAS WAS THIS WAS THE POINT OF SALE.
IT CHANGED THE IT CHANGED THE SALES TAX FAX NUMBER BY ABOUT $1 MILLION A YEAR, WHICH OUR REVENUES CHANGED AS A RESULT OF THAT BECAUSE WE'RE DIRECT FEED FROM THAT.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, IT YOU KIND OF HAVE TO ALMOST YOU ALMOST HAVE TO THINK ABOUT SORT OF PRE PRE COLES AND AFTER IN POST COLES AND ADJUST FOR ADJUST FOR THAT CHANGE. BUT BUT YEAH ABSOLUTELY.
WE CAN WE CAN PUT THAT TOGETHER. DO WE ALSO HAVE LIKE IS THERE STATEWIDE NUMBERS LIKE AVERAGES TO LOOK AT WHEN IT COMES TO THAT.
LIKE JUST A COMPARISON OF THE BIGGEST QUESTION I ALWAYS TRY TO FIGURE OUT LOOKING AT FINANCIALS IS LIKE WHAT IS GOOD. LIKE FIRST YOU GOT TO DEFINE WHAT THAT IS.
SURE. SO LIKE IS THERE YOU KNOW STATE AVERAGES WE LOOK AT TO SEE HOW WE'RE TRENDING WITH THEM. IS THERE INFORMATION AVAILABLE.
I'VE NEVER LOOKED FOR THE STATE SALES TAX, BUT I'M SURE I'M SURE IT IS.
I'M SURE WE CAN ACCUMULATE IT LIKE WITH THE AVERAGE CITY IS DOING WELL.
THE PROBLEM BECOMES WHAT'S THE AVERAGE CITY? ARE YOU IS IT THE AVERAGE CITY OF A PARTICULAR SIZE IS AN AVERAGE CITY IN A METROPLEX. REMEMBER, THIS METROPLEX IS SKEWED TREMENDOUSLY.
WE HAVE SEVEN CITIES THAT ARE OVER 250,000 PEOPLE IN THOSE CITIES ALONE.
THEY'RE BIGGER THAN OTHER METROPLEX IN OTHER STATES.
SO IT TENDS TO BE YOU REALLY HAVE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR SIMILARLY SITUATED CITIES BECAUSE RETAIL SALES TAX IS THE DRIVER RIGHT.
[00:45:03]
NOT EVERYBODY HAS. RETAIL ISN'T THE SAME IN EVERY IN EVERY COMMUNITY BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION. JUST EVEN THE AMOUNT OF THE AMOUNT OF BUILT OUT PERCENTAGE OF RETAIL WOULD BE HARD TO ESTABLISH FOR ANY.IF WE WANTED TO PICK OUT A GROUP OF FOLKS AS SORT OF MAYBE A BENCH LINE COMPETITOR, A GOOD BENCHMARK, RIGHT? THEN WE COULD CERTAINLY TRACK THAT BACK.
LIKE I SAID, WE GET WE GET TOTAL SALES TAXES FOR THOSE CITIES.
I CAN LOOK WE CAN WE CAN GET TO THOSE.
I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU TRY TO TREND THAT AGAINST THE STATE OR EVEN AGAINST OTHER METROPLEXES. THERE JUST THERE'S TOO MUCH VARIATION.
BUT I THINK IF WE WANTED TO TRY TO NARROW THAT DOWN, I THINK WE COULD EASILY CREATE THAT DATA.
OKAY. YOU KNOW, WHILE THERE ARE VARIATIONS, MATT, TO YOUR POINT, AND THAT'S TRUE, I THINK THERE IS THE WHEREWITHAL TO HONE IN ON A CERTAIN SEGMENTATION OF WITHIN A CERTAIN GEOGRAPHICAL AREA AND SAYING, THIS KIND OF RESONATES WITH US, AND MAYBE THIS IS OUR OUR BENCHMARK.
SO I'M SAYING IF YOU WANT TO PICK OUT WHAT THAT TARGET LOOKS LIKE, I THINK WE ABSOLUTELY COULD GET TO THOSE.
BUT THAT THAT ENTAILS US DECIDING WHAT THE BENCHMARKS ARE, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, IS THAT CITIES OVER 50,000.
RIGHT. WELL, LET'S FACE IT, NOT ALL CITIES OVER 50,000 LOOK THE SAME.
RIGHT? RIGHT. THEY LOOK VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.
YOU KNOW, WE WE TALK ABOUT OURSELVES AS BEING AN UNDERSERVED CITY.
SITTING. SO DO WE WANT TO COMPARE AGAINST OTHER CITIES THAT WE SAY THAT THAT'S WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE? YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ASK ME ALL THE TIME WHO YOU KNOW, WHO DO YOU WHO DO YOU THINK OF AS YOUR COMPETITOR? AND MY COMPETITOR IS NOT CEDAR HILL AND LANCASTER.
MY COMPETITOR IS RICHARDSON, MCKINNEY AND PLANO.
AND I THINK IF WE LOOK AT THAT, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE FIVE TIMES OUR SIZE, I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE TRENDS IN TERMS OF THE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS, THE WAY THAT PEOPLE ARE, WHERE ARE PEOPLE GOING THAT DRIVES THOSE THOSE RESULTS? I THINK THOSE ARE MUCH BETTER, NOT THE NUMBERS. BUT I THINK THE DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU'RE TARGETING THAT WE WANT FOR THIS COMMUNITY WOULD BE A MUCH BETTER, A MUCH BETTER TARGET.
RIGHT? I'M GOING TO RAISE MY NOSE OVER THE HORIZON.
I DON'T I DON'T THINK I DON'T THINK THAT CEDAR HILL IS A GOOD COMPETITOR IN COMPETITIVE IS A A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE WANT TO BE.
I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY BETTER EXAMPLES THAT I THINK IF YOU WANT TO, IF WE WANT TO START SETTING TARGETS AGAINST THOSE, I THINK WE OUGHT TO THINK THROUGH THAT. WELL, I MEAN, I'M SURE YOU'RE WAY MORE EXPERT ON THAT THAN WE ARE.
SO YOU CAN COME UP WITH WHATEVER BENCHMARK IT IS.
BUT I JUST I THINK IT'D BE GOOD TO HAVE SOMETHING TO BE CHASING OR COMPARING.
YEAH. SOUNDS GOOD. YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S LIKE I SAID, I THINK WE NEED TO AGREE ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND I THINK AS A BOARD, YOU OUGHT TO AGREE BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S GOING TO SOMEBODY'S GOING TO RESIST AND SAY, WHY IS THAT THE COMPETITOR? WHY DID YOU PICK THAT? WHY IS IT THAT SELECT DATA SET.
BUT I THINK WE COULD PROPOSE THAT AND THEN REFINE THAT BASED ON YOUR INPUT.
SO I THINK THAT KIND OF MAKES ME THINK ABOUT SIMILAR SITUATIONS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LIKE CHARACTER CODE FOR EXAMPLE.
EVERYONE HAS A CHARACTER CODE.
OKAY. I'M SORRY. EVERYONE HAS A CHARACTER CODE.
NO THEY DON'T. WELL, WELL, WHEN I SAY THEY HAVE ONE, THEY HAVE ONE OR THEY DON'T.
THEY DON'T HAVE ONE, THEY HAVE ONE.
BY DEFAULT THEY DON'T HAVE ONE.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? OR BY DEFAULT THEY HAVE ONE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ONE.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU DO. INACTION IS ACTION.
THAT'S RIGHT. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT AS AN END RESULT, BASED ON THEIR CHARACTER CODE OR NOT, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A CERTAIN LOOK AND FEEL. AND TO YOUR POINT, WHATEVER WE WANT.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT'S COMPETITIVE AND NOT, WE HAVE TO ESTABLISH WHAT WE WANT AND WE WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL, OR WE CAN BE STATUS QUO WITH EVERYONE ELSE.
BUT I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO YOU DIRECTOR FELICIA, THAT. BUT WE GOT TO DO SOMETHING AND WE'RE NOT DOING IT.
SO AND, JAMES, TO YOUR POINT, I'M GOING TO ASK BECAUSE OF THE FACT YOU BRING UP A VERY VALID OBSERVATION THAT WE LOOK AT A TIMELINE TO GET THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE THROES OF DEVELOPMENT.
LET'S LOOK AT A TIMELINE OF GETTING THAT.
AND MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR UPCOMING RETREAT THAT WE GET TO TALK ABOUT MORE EXTENSIVELY. AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO REQUEST, IT'S A BIT MORE REDUCED TO TO TO ITS LOWEST DENOMINATION, IF YOU WILL, SO THAT WE CAN GO UP FROM THERE.
THEN PLEASE SHARE THAT IF YOU WILL.
YEAH. PLEASE. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
OKAY. LET'S GO FORWARD. PLEASE.
INDEED. SO AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE YOU SEE HERE THAT THAT I FLAGGED IS, IS IMPROVING FRICTIONLESS DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT.
[00:50:02]
I THINK THAT WE ARE WE'RE MAKING SOME STRIDES TOWARDS THAT.CERTAINLY WITHIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES STAFFING CHANGES AND, AND ATTITUDINAL CHANGES QUITE FRANKLY ARE REALLY WORKING TOWARDS MOVING PROJECTS FORWARD IN A MUCH MORE NOT JUST EXPEDITIOUS MANNER, BUT IN A MUCH MORE DECISIVE MANNER.
THE CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD WITH THE NEW DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AROUND THE IDEA OF OF DECIDING YES OR NO EARLY IN THAT PROCESS.
LOOK, IF IF SOMEBODY BRINGS FORWARD A PROJECT AND IT'S NOT TO YOUR POINT, WHAT WE WANT TO SEE HERE, THEN WE OWE IT TO THAT DEVELOPER TO SAY THAT'S NOT A PROJECT, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO WORK.
THE ANSWER ISN'T THE DEVELOPMENT CODE SAYS X, Y, AND Z. WE CAN GET THERE THAT WAY, BUT ALL YOU'RE DOING IS LOOKING FOR A WAY TO JUSTIFY WHAT YOU ALREADY KNEW, WHICH WAS WE'RE NOT GOING TO APPROVE THAT PROJECT. DO DO. THE DEVELOPER DOESN'T CARE WHETHER HE BUILDS HERE OR HE BUILDS IN LOXAHATCHEE. WHAT HE CARES ABOUT IS THAT HE'S ABLE TO REDUCE RISK, MAKE A REASONABLE RETURN, AND GET HIS PRODUCT TO MARKET FASTER AT FRICTIONLESS DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT ALLOWS HIM TO DO THAT. AND IF THE ANSWER IS GOING TO BE NO, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE SIX MONTHS TO TELL HIM, NO, HE ISN'T COMING BACK BECAUSE BECAUSE HE'S JUST GOING TO LEAVE IT ALONE.
I THINK WE'RE WORKING VERY MUCH MORE TOWARDS THAT THAN THAN WE HAVE IN YEARS PAST.
IT'S REALLY GREAT. WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH, WITH CLIENTS THAT THAT HAVE NOTICED THE DIFFERENCE ALREADY.
SO BUT I WANT TO GO ON RECORD ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT WE HAD OUR COLLABORATIVE MEETING SCHEDULED FOR THE 20TH.
OKAY. AND I JUST RECEIVED WORD THAT THAT MEETING THAT'S IMPERATIVE OF US BEING RIGHT HAND, LEFT HAND ALIGNED HAS JUST BEEN POSTPONED.
I STRUGGLE WITH THAT. SO I WANT TO GO ON RECORD OF SAYING IT BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE TALK ABOUT IT.
TALK ABOUT IT. IT WAS PUSHED BACK BEFORE.
HERE WE ARE NOW. A WEEK BEFORE.
EVERYONE HAS BEEN ASPIRATIONAL ABOUT IT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
IN FACT ONE OF THE BOARD CHAIRS HAD ME OUT WALKING.
TOLD ME I NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT.
DEAD MAN WALKING. SO. AND AND MADE REFERENCES.
A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. THEN I GOT THE WORD THE VERY NEXT DAY THAT IT WAS CANCELED.
OKAY. SO AS WE TALK ABOUT THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, I WANT TO CHALLENGE WHEN WE KEEP CANCELING.
AND I USE THAT WORD NOT VERY LIGHTLY BECAUSE IT'S WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER THE BARRIERS.
IT'S NOT ONE ENTITY, IT'S THE BARRIERS.
WHEN WE CAN'T SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT MARCHING FORTH AND BEING EFFECTIVE.
OKAY. AND SO YOU TALK ABOUT FRICTIONLESS.
THAT'S A CHALLENGE. THAT'S A BARRIER.
SO OKAY I'M GOING TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
BUT THAT NEEDS TO BE DENOTED STRONGLY.
IT JUST. USE THIS CODE FOR THE MEETING.
THE MEETING MINUTES WILL REFLECT YOUR COMMENT.
BECAUSE AS I LOOK AT THE BUSINESS PLAN GOALS AND DEPARTMENT GOALS AND THEN EVEN HOW YOU'RE INDICATING HOW WELL WE'RE DOING WITH THEM, FOR ME, I'M LIKE, I'M MISSING HOW THIS THEN CORRELATES BACK TO EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS.
LIKE HOW DO THEY SEE THOSE FOR THESE GOALS? SO IF WE'RE SAYING WE'RE AGREEING THAT ATTRACTING A MINIMUM OF $100 MILLION AND, YOU KNOW, SO FOR ME, WHAT WHAT ADDS UP TO THAT 100 MILLION FOR YOU TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WE'RE IN GREEN AND THAT WE'RE ON TRACK FOR THAT? AND I MEAN, THE SAME FOR ALL OF THEM. I'M NOT QUITE SURE, LIKE HOW YOU'RE DETERMINING THAT YOU ACTUALLY MET THAT GOAL, OR WHAT INFORMATION OR INFORMATION INFORMS THE STATUS OF SAID GOAL.
AND THEN EVEN WITH THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE TYPICAL PROCESS IS FOR HOW YOU DETERMINE WHAT YOUR DEPARTMENT GOALS AND BUSINESS GOALS ARE, BUT IS THAT A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH THE CHAIR AND THE U.S. CDC? OR YOU COME UP WITH IT AND WE JUST CONTINUE TO MONITOR IT AS WE GO FORWARD, BECAUSE I'M INTERESTED IN HOW LIKE, WE CAN EXPAND ON THIS AND MAKE IT BETTER.
AS WELL AS THE BUSINESS PLAN GOALS, IF I RECALL, ARE THOSE THEN CONNECTED TO THE CITY'S BUSINESS BUSINESS PLAN DIRECTLY FROM.
OKAY. SO THAT'S TIED TO THEIR BUSINESS PLAN GOALS.
THAT'S RIGHT. AND HOW WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH MEETING THEIR GOALS.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THEN THERE'S THE DEPARTMENT ITSELF. AND THEN ALSO AGAIN, ULTIMATELY, HOW DOES ALL THIS FEED INTO THE STRATEGIC PLAN?
[00:55:04]
BECAUSE FOR ME, THERE'S ALWAYS THE BIG PICTURE THAT THEN, YOU KNOW, GOES DOWN TO ALL THESE OTHER ELEMENTS.I'M STILL NOT CLEAR WHAT IS THE BIG PICTURE GOAL FOR US AND ULTIMATELY WHAT OUR MAIN HIGH LEVEL THINGS ARE, BECAUSE EVEN THE BUSINESS PLAN GOALS, THE YEAH, I FEEL HOWEVER I FEEL ABOUT THOSE, I NEED VERY CLEAR LIKE ARE WE SAYING WE WANT THIS PART OF THE SODA OR THESE INDUSTRIES TO BE REPRESENTED BY THIS $100 MILLION? IT ALSO EVEN IN THAT NUMBER, I'M LIKE, HOW MUCH OF THAT IS NEW? HOW MUCH IS RECURRING? LIKE, I'M NOT I JUST I NEED BETTER GOALS FOR ME TO HELP GUIDE ME AND WHAT I SHOULD BE, ENSURING THAT WHAT I'M LISTENING FOR, THE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE THINGS THAT FOLLOW AND WHETHER OR NOT IT'S BENEFICIAL TO HELPING US REACHING THOSE GOALS OR THEIR GOALS.
THAT'S NOT THERE. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? BECAUSE IT'S TIED TO SOMETHING ELSE, RIGHT? AND AND ALSO I'M A BELIEVER LIKE THESE ARE THE GOALS.
EVERYTHING SHOULD BE TIED TO WHATEVER THESE THINGS ARE, AND IF IT'S NOT, THEN WE NEED TO ADD NEW GOALS.
SO SORRY, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET CLEAR ON ALL THE THINGS, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE WRAPPING UP THIS LIKE WE'RE ALREADY IN THE NEW YEAR, ARE WE? NO, NO. SO AS WE'RE WRAPPING UP THIS YEAR, I REALLY AM INTERESTED IN THE WAY THAT WE CAN DO BETTER IN THE UPCOMING YEARS.
EVEN AS WE TALK ABOUT BUDGETS AND ALL THESE THINGS. I'M LIKE, HOW DO I MAKE DECISIONS AROUND WHAT THE THE FUTURE IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE THIS, THIS FUTURE FISCAL YEAR WHEN I'M INTERESTED IN KIND OF BLOWING THIS UP AND LIKE DOING I KNOW I ASKED ABOUT THE DASHBOARDS AND I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A PRESENTATION KIND OF HELPING US TO SEE HOW WE'RE DOING.
WE'RE TRACKING LIKE WE'RE AT 80% OF SET GOAL OR I DON'T KNOW, HOWEVER, Y'ALL WANT TO REPORT OUT ON IT BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE ELEMENT OF ACCOUNTABILITY. AND I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW I CAN HOLD MYSELF ACCOUNTABLE TO WHAT THE RESIDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY IS EXPECTING FROM ME AS A BOARD MEMBER AND SEEING ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT WHY THIS AIN'T HAPPENING. AND HONESTLY, I'M OVER HERE LIKE, I CAN'T REALLY SAY AS FAR AS, LIKE, HOW I COULD AM OR AM NOT CONTRIBUTING TO SUCCESS AND OR THE FAILURE OF EXPECTATIONS.
SO THERE'S A LOT, BUT I'M JUST LOOKING HERE AND I'M JUST LIKE, WHAT? HOW DO WE KNOW? OKAY, WHAT CONTRIBUTED IS 100 MILLION SINCE IT'S A GREEN. THAT'S IT. THAT'S EXCITING NEWS. I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IS TIED TO THAT.
AND THEN EVEN AS I LOOK AT THE FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, IT'S LIKE CONTINUED EXPANSION.
I'M LIKE, WHAT IS EXPANSION OF THAT PROGRAM MEAN EXACTLY? BECAUSE FOR ME, I KNOW WE'RE HAVING MORE OF THE INFORMATION SESSIONS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT FOR ME, A REAL GOAL WOULD BE HOW MANY ACTUAL FRANCHISES ARE WE SECURING? PERIOD. ANY ONE OF THOSE.
SO REMEMBER WHERE THESE COME FROM.
BUSINESS PLAN GOALS DIRECTLY FROM THE STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE CITY.
YEAH, THE COUNCIL HAS THEIR RETREAT AND THEY BRING THOSE TO US.
THEY DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF TWO WAY CONVERSATION IN THAT THEY COME FROM THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WAS CREATED FIVE YEARS AGO, AND THERE WILL BE A NEW STRATEGIC PLAN COMING IN THE NEXT IN THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, SIX, EIGHT MONTHS. AND THEY'LL AND I'M ASSUMING THAT IT WILL WORK VERY SIMILAR.
THE DEPARTMENT GOALS ARE THE PIECES THAT WE SET LAST YEAR AT OUR, AT OUR RETREAT. THESE GOALS WERE ALL TALKED ABOUT AND YOU ALL SAID, THOSE ARE FINE. THOSE ARE GOOD. THAT'S WHERE THEY COME FROM. I PROPOSE THEM BECAUSE I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD, I THINK, A PRETTY GOOD HANDLE IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT REALISTICALLY WE CAN DO.
SO THAT'S WHERE THOSE COME FROM.
YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THOSE ARE AND WE CAN CHANGE THOSE ANY TIME.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN WE CAN REVISE OUR DEPARTMENTAL GOALS.
I'M SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PLAN IS TO HAVE A RETREAT HERE RIGHT AFTER THE COUNCIL'S RETREAT, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE IN AUGUST THIS YEAR, WAS PUSHED OFF UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
SO WE'LL LIKELY DO OURS LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR IN OCTOBER.
OVER. AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT PLACE FOR US TO START IN TERMS OF, LOOK, IF YOU WANT TO BLOW THEM UP, THAT'S FINE.
I THINK THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S REASONING BEHIND THESE BECAUSE IT'S THESE DEPARTMENTAL GOALS, FRANKLY, MORE SO THAN THE BUSINESS PLAN GOALS, BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY 10 OR 12 THAT THEY APPROVE EACH YEAR, AND THAT'S ACROSS 9 TO 9 DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE HAPPEN TO HAVE SOME OF THESE THAT HAVE BEEN LINGERING BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE, THE, THE ACTIVITIES. BUT BY ALL MEANS, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO READDRESS THOSE. WHEN YOU ASK ABOUT WHAT MAKES UP 100 MILLION, THAT WAS OUR THAT WAS OUR ESTIMATE OF WHAT WE THOUGHT WOULD HAPPEN THIS YEAR OR COULD HAPPEN THIS YEAR. WHEN I TALK ABOUT WHAT THOSE, I CAN SHOW YOU WHAT THOSE INVESTMENTS LOOK LIKE, THEIR NET NEW INVESTMENT, THEY'RE NOT RECURRING. THEY'RE NET NEW.
OKAY. AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THOSE AND THE EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS THAT COME WITH THOSE. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THOSE.
ALL OF THOSE I THINK ARE ARE VERY MUCH SO.
[01:00:04]
REASONABLY AGGRESSIVE GOALS, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT WE OWE IT TO OURSELVES IS TO PUSH THE OTHER THE OTHER PIECE.AND MAYBE IT'S JUST WORTH A REMINDER.
LET'S GO BACK UP TO THE TOP OF THAT PAGE AND REMEMBER WHAT WE DO AS THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD, RIGHT? WE SPEND AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT RETAIL.
THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RECRUITING RETAIL.
NOT ONLY WE'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, WE'RE PROHIBITED FROM DOING IT.
WE CANNOT USE THE MONEY THAT'S ALLOCATED FROM SALES TAX TO PROMOTE RETAIL.
IF WE WERE A SMALLER COMMUNITY, WE COULD, EXCEPT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT'S RIGHT. AND EXCEPT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT IT.
THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S IT. AND THIS IS PROBABLY NOT INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARILY SUPPORTING IT. IT'S INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORTING THE CITY SO WE CAN MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS.
WE WE WE ALSO DO FACADE GRANTS, RIGHT, TO ASSIST SMALL BUSINESSES BECAUSE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN WE CAN ASSIST, WE WANT TO, BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK WITH VERY SQUINTED EYES TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND THOSE ARE DONE ACTUALLY NOT AS INCENTIVE DOLLARS.
THEY'RE DONE THROUGH PROMOTIONS.
THEY'RE DONE AS PROMOTIONAL DOLLARS.
RIGHT. AND THAT, BY ITS VERY NATURE, CANNOT EXCEED MORE THAN 10% OF OUR OVERALL BUDGET. IT IS LIMITED BY STATE STATUTE.
FACADE GRANTS ARE UNDER THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE BUDGETED THEM.
WELL, THAT'S THAT'S WHERE THEY BELONG.
OKAY. WELL WE CAN CHANGE THAT.
RIGHT. WITHOUT GETTING WAY OFF TRACK.
BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO GET THROUGH IN MY 15 MINUTES HERE.
I ABSOLUTELY HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND I THINK IT'S VERY MUCH WORTHY.
REMEMBER, WE WENT THROUGH OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS TO IDENTIFY THOSE INDUSTRIES THAT FIT WITHIN THE CONFINES OF WHAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO UNDER THE STATUTES THAT PICK THOSE INDUSTRIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE DRIVEN BY AND THAT WE CAN SUPPORT BECAUSE WE HAVE A VERY LARGE INDUSTRIAL INDUSTRIAL PARK, AND WE HAVE LOTS OF COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES.
WE DON'T HAVE VERY MUCH COMMERCIAL OFFICE SPACE, BUT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THINGS LIKE BACK OFFICE CYBERSECURITY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BUILD MORE OFFICE SPACE TO GET THERE. SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN PARTICIPATE IN.
BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN AND EVEN OUR SMALL BUSINESS STANDPOINT, IF THAT SMALL BUSINESS LOOKS LIKE AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS EARLIER IN THE YEAR, A TECH INCUBATOR OR A TECH FUND THAT SUPPORTS THOSE KINDS OF JOBS, THOSE ARE WITHIN THOSE INDUSTRIES THAT WE CAN SUPPORT AND WE CAN DO THAT WORK.
BUT WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT, I WANT TO HAVE THE THE NEW CHINESE RESTAURANT, THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT A PROJECT WE CAN TAKE ON.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOUR VOICES SHOULDN'T BE HEARD ABOUT IT, BUT UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT WORK THAT WE DO IN THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
SO THAT MEANS THAT OUR CHARTER IS NOT WRITTEN THAT WAY.
THE CHARTER IS IS WRITTEN WITHIN THE STATUTES OF THE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
REMEMBER THAT WHEN, WHEN, WHEN VICTORIA CHARTER MAY HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BEFORE THE CITY EXCEEDED 20,000 IN POPULATION? I DON'T THINK SO, THOUGH. IF IT WAS, THEN THAT'S PROBABLY WHY.
BECAUSE UNDER 20,000 YOU CAN DO THOSE KIND OF PROJECTS.
IT DOES NOT ANTICIPATE THOSE PROJECTS OR CHARTER AS IT READS TODAY DOES NOT ANTICIPATE THOSE. BUT EVEN IF IT DID, IT WOULD BE THE STATE RESTRICTIONS THAT WOULD LIMIT. THAT'S CORRECT.
RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT. IT WOULD BE. IT WOULD BE THE STATE REGULATORY AGENCY THAT HAVE PUT LIMITATIONS PRESENTATION NOT TOO LONG AGO.
YOU KNOW, ABOUT ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.
YEAH THEY ARE. WELL WE DID IT AT LAST YEAR'S AT LAST YEAR'S RETREAT.
AND WE'LL DO IT AGAIN AT THIS YEAR'S RETREAT. SO BUT THAT THAT COMPLETELY.
YEAH. IF FELICIA IS SAYING WE NEED TO WORK ON SMALL BUSINESS RECRUITING SMALL BUSINESS, THAT MEANS IT'S ONLY A CERTAIN SECTOR THAT WE COULD WORK ON AND BEING PRESENTED TO RECRUIT TO COME. IF WE CAN'T PRESENT RETAIL TO COME, IT MEANS THAT THE THE GRANT DOLLARS THAT THE DDC COULD PROVIDE HAVE TO FIT WITHIN AN ELIGIBLE PROJECT UNDER THE STATUTE.
AND THAT'S WHY I WAS SAYING USUALLY THE ONLY WAY WE CAN SUPPORT SMALL RETAIL IS IF WE ARE GIVING THEM A GRANT THAT WILL BE USED FOR NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE.
OR OTHERWISE. THERE'S REALLY NOT A WAY TO PROVIDE DOLLARS TO THEM, NOT DIRECTLY FROM THIS BOARD, FROM THIS.
YEAH, BUT THE OFFSET IS THE GOVERNING AGENCY.
[01:05:03]
SO THE COUNCIL CAN CREATE A 380 AGREEMENT.THAT'S CORRECT. WHICH IS WIDE OPEN IS WIDE OPEN.
SO THAT'S WHY NORMALLY THE COUNCIL IN THE DDC WOULD WORK HAND IN HAND.
BECAUSE WHAT YOU GUYS CANNOT DO, THE COUNCIL CAN DO WITH A 380 IN THE FORM OF A 380. EXACTLY. SO AND THAT'S A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS WHAT WE'VE DONE FOR HARBOR FREIGHT FOR, FOR HARBOR HARBOR FREIGHT OUT ON 35 CORRIDOR.
WE'VE CREATED A 380 AGREEMENT.
THEY CAME AND SAID, WE WANT WE WANT YOU TO DO AN AGREEMENT WITH US TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND WE HAVE A VERY KEEN INTEREST IN MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO DRIVE RETAIL FORWARD. SO WE STRADDLE THAT LINE, AND WE WORK VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT.
AND THAT'S THE REASON YOU SEE SOME OF THESE COME FORWARD AS WE'RE ASKING THE CITY MANAGER TO, OR THE CITY COUNCIL TO ENABLE THE CITY MANAGER TO CREATE A CHAPTER THREE AGREEMENT COMES RIGHT OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
THE COUNCIL HAS A WIDE SWATH IN THE STATUTES THAT SAYS THEY CAN BASICALLY SPEND MONEY ANY WAY THEY WANT TO, OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
THE ONLY REAL CHECK AND BALANCE TO THAT IS CALLED THE VOTERS BOX.
EVERY TWO YEARS OR THREE YEARS OR WHATEVER IT HAPPENS TO BE IN THAT PARTICULAR MUNICIPALITY. BUT THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS THAT THEY THINK MAKE SENSE WHERE WE CAN INFRASTRUCTURE, SOD GRANTS.
WE TRY TO DO OUR PART AT THE, AT THE FRINGE.
BUT BUT THE VAST MAJORITY ALLIED ALLIED STONE, ALLIED ALLIED INTERIORS SOLAR TURBINES, INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS.
WHEN WE WERE RECRUITING THE FOLKS OUT OF CALIFORNIA FOR PRECISION WIRE YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THOSE ARE ALL DOLLARS THAT WE THAT WE'VE DONE BECAUSE THEY ALIGN WITH WHAT OUR, OUR MISSION ALLOWS US TO TO DO AND CREATE THAT PROJECT.
SO AGAIN, A LOT OF TIMES WE TALK ABOUT ABOUT THESE THESE IDEAS, YOU KNOW, IN SALES TAX AND ALL OF THOSE.
AND IT'S FINE BECAUSE REALLY WE WEAR TWO HATS.
YOU KNOW, ME IN PARTICULAR WEARS TWO HATS.
AS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THIS CORPORATION THAT WORKS FOR THIS BOARD AND AS THE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CITY.
I GET I GET TO HELP WITH THAT AND SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO DO A 380 FOR THIS AND GO AND GO TO CITY COUNCIL.
WE GET TO WE GET TO WORK ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT.
NOT EVERY COMMUNITY DOES THAT.
THERE'S LOTS OF COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T. ARLINGTON DOESN'T. ARLINGTON HAS A DEVELOPMENT, AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT INSIDE THE CITY, AND IT HAS ITS EDC OUTSIDE OF THAT. SO THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
I MEAN, AND AGAIN, OFF THE AGENDA.
YEAH. I'M SORRY. I KNOW THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS YOU WANT TO HAVE, BUT. AND I TRY TO GIVE YOU GUYS A LOT OF LEEWAY, BUT WE ARE BADLY OFF OUR AGENDA.
THAT'S MY WHOLE POINT IS JUST ABOUT REPORTING REALLY, AND HOW WE CAN FEED ALL THE THINGS INTO HOW THEY FOLD BACK UP UNDER THE DEPARTMENT GOALS AND HAVE A CLEAR DASHBOARDS AND METRICS TO TRACK. AND IT'S POINT WELL TAKEN.
IT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IN THIS YEAR.
AND AND I'M EXCITED FOR SOLELY TO BE ABLE TO START TO SHOW YOU WHAT SOME OF THOSE LOOK LIKE. BECAUSE IT'S BEEN CUMBERSOME IN THE PAST.
OKAY. THANK YOU. AND, VICTORIA, THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US ON TRACK.
HOWEVER, I WANT TO CAVEAT TO SAY THAT CERTAINLY THIS NEEDS TO BE A SUBJECT MATTER THAT WE TAKE UP EXTENSIVELY TO UNDERSTAND.
DO WE NEED TO MODIFY CERTAIN THINGS? AND TO YOUR POINT OF. A DIRECTOR.
DO WE NEED TO MODIFY CERTAIN THINGS AS WELL AS YOUR DASHBOARD? AND WHAT WHAT DETERMINES AS A SUCCESS PROFILE OF A GOAL THAT WE HAVE? WHAT WHAT DETERMINES SUCCESS? OKAY, SO WE NEED TO TAKE THAT UP.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, REGARDING OUR RETREAT.
I WANT TO LAY FOUNDATION THAT WE BRING IN, AND WE'RE GOING TO SPEND DOLLARS THAT WE LOOK AT A PROFESSIONAL TO COME IN WITH US, WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING TO GET ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
OKAY. SO LET'S TABLE THAT AND MOVE FORWARD.
BUT THAT IS GOING TO BE OUR OBJECTIVE GOING FORWARD.
SO TO MAKE SURE THAT ENDS UP ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
WILL YOU SUBMIT IT TO MATT AND MELBA IN AN EMAIL.
OKAY. THANK YOU. TERRIFIC BOARD ACTIVITY ON THE NEXT PAGE.
JUST DATES THAT I WANT YOU TO BE AWARE OF.
THE JOINT MEETING THAT MICHAEL HAD MENTIONED HAS BEEN MOVED TO OCTOBER 15TH.
THE THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, OUR SEPTEMBER BOARD MEETING IS NOT AUGUST 14TH. IT'S SEPTEMBER 11TH.
[01:10:03]
THE THE HEALTHY DESOTO STUDY SESSION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT PRESENTATION TONIGHT THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO HERE IN AUGUST. IN CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND OUR LIAISON AND WITH OUR CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY MANAGER'S TEAM DECIDED TO TAKE THIS OUT TO THE COUNCIL RETREAT BECAUSE IT GIVES US A LESS A MORE INFORMAL PLACE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED.
YOU KNOW, WE WENT BACK AND REVIEWED THE, THE THE MEETING THAT WE HAD BACK IN APRIL.
THERE'S SOME 15 OF THEM, SO MAKE SURE WE'RE ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ALREADY ASKED, BUT ALSO TO INCREASE THE OVERALL DEPTH OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THERE SO THAT THEY CAN DECIDE TO EITHER MOVE FORWARD OR NOT. YOU KNOW, I'M FOND OF SAYING AND I THINK I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO IT WAS I WAS HAVING THIS CHAT WITH.
I SAID, LOOK, IT'S REALLY HARD TO TIE THIS TO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE OR AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT REAL ESTATE.
IT'S IT'S ABOUT A CONCEPT AND, AND, BUT BUT THEN THE QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED IN RETURN WAS, WELL, YEAH, BUT IF IT'S NOT YOU, THEN WHO? AND THE ANSWER IS I CAN'T POINT YOU TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT THAT'S BETTER EQUIPPED TO DO IT EITHER. BUT BUT AT THE CITY COUNCIL LEVEL, ONE OF OUR STRATEGIC PILLARS IS A HEALTHY DESOTO.
YEAH. AND THIS IS THE WAY THIS IS THE BEST WAY I CAN SEE TO START MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
BECAUSE WHEN IT DOES TRANSLATE TO US, THAT LOOKS LIKE BUILDING A COMMUNITY HOSPITAL. THAT LOOKS LIKE SUPPORTING A SPORTS COMPLEX WITH AN ORTHO CENTER AND A AND A.
SURGICAL CENTER THERE FOR AN ORTHO CENTER.
IT LOOKS LIKE A RESEARCH CAMPUS UP AT THE BIOLIFE CAMPUS THAT ONE OF THE MAJOR UNIVERSITIES OPENS HERE.
IT TRANSLATES INTO REAL ESTATE PROJECTS, WHICH DRIVE US.
BUT IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT, THEN WE START PUTTING THINGS ON THE GROUND THAT MAY OR MAY NOT SUPPORT THAT BIGGER GOAL, BECAUSE THAT BIGGER GOAL HAS NEVER BEEN DEFINED BEYOND WE WANT TO HAVE A HEALTHIER CENTER. SO WE'VE MOVED THAT TO THE COUNCIL OR TO THE RETREAT, SO WE CAN HAVE A MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION.
THE JOINT MEETING ON THE 15TH OF OCTOBER.
THAT'S AT WHAT TIME? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
IS IT USUALLY IN THE EVENING OR SO? I THINK THE LAST TWO, THE LAST TWO OF THEM HAVE BEEN IN THE EVENING. IN THE EVENING. THIS ONE WAS SCHEDULED FOR THE EVENING. AND IS THIS THE ONE JUST FOR THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OR.
THEN I DON'T NEED YOU, SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME.
BECAUSE A LIAISON COUNCILMAN HAS GOT TO LEAVE FOR A MEETING, AND WE GOT A LONG WAY TO APOLOGIZE.
[D. BOARD AND LIAISON ANNOUNCEMENTS / UPDATES (Part 1 of 2)]
BUT PLEASE GIVE US AN UPDATE.THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. AND I APOLOGIZE IF I COULD MAKE AN AGENDA REQUEST.
IF I COULD GET ON EARLIER, THAT'D BE GREAT.
BUT HE JUST SAID NO. AND I'VE ALREADY.
MR. PRESIDENT AND BOARD, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR DILIGENT WORK.
WE ARE I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP THAT YOU GUYS HAVE ALWAYS EXHIBITED TO WORK WITH THE COUNCIL. BUT AGAIN, WE WANT.
I KNOW THAT THE CHARACTER CODE WAS HIGH ON YOUR PRIORITY LIST.
EVERY TIME WE TALK, WE TALK ABOUT THE CHARACTER CODE.
AND SO THAT WENT BEFORE PNC AND IT WAS VOTED DOWN.
I BELIEVE IT MISSED IT BY ONE VOTE, 4 TO 3, 4 TO 3 VOTES.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THAT WILL BE.
IT CAN COME TO COUNCIL WITHOUT BEING APPROVED BY PNC, BUT IT WILL TRIGGER A SUPERMAJORITY, WHICH WHICH MEANS THAT SIX, SIX OUT OF SEVEN OF US WOULD HAVE TO VOTE FOR IT.
SO SIX VOTES, WHENEVER SOMETHING IS TRIGGERED, ANYTHING THAT TRIGGERS A SUPERMAJORITY WHETHER IT'S BY PEOPLE OPPOSING IT, 20% OF THE RESIDENTS WITHIN 200FT OPPOSING IT IF IT COME TO COUNCIL.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE DEALS THAT'S BEEN BEFORE COUNCIL, BEFORE IT WAS APPROVED BY PNC BEFORE.
AND SO NOT REALLY SURE WHAT HAS HAPPENED THIS TIME, WHY THEY WOULD NOT APPROVE IT.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO EDUCATE YOURSELF, GO LOOK AT THE PNC MEETING FROM THIS PAST TUESDAY NIGHT. THE OTHER DEAL ITEM WAS IT? IT WAS ITEM NUMBER ONE.
YEAH. YES. THEY DON'T KNOW IT WAS NUMBER ONE.
THEY THE CHAIR FLIPPED THE FIRST AND SECOND ITEMS. SO IT IS ITEM TWO. OKAY.
WHEN YOU'RE WATCHING IT. OKAY.
[01:15:01]
YEAH. BUT ARE WE GOING FOR THE HAMPTON ROAD OR NOT? YEAH. YES. OKAY. ONLINE IT SAYS NUMBER ONE, THOUGH.YES. ONLINE ON THE AGENDA, IT SAYS NUMBER ONE.
BUT HE CHANGED THE AGENDA. OKAY.
CORRECT. OKAY. AND IT'S THE REZONING OF THE PARCELS ON THE ON THE HAMPTON ROAD CORRIDOR.
OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THAT WILL THAT WILL SHED SOME LIGHT TO MANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS AS AS A BOARD. WHAT IS WHAT IS STOPPING US? WHAT'S HESITATING? WHAT'S BEEN SOME OBSTACLES? SO THAT'S ONE. AND THEN THE OTHER DEAL THAT I'D LIKE TO JUST KIND OF REMIND YOU OF.
WE ARE IN, IN BUDGET SEASON THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND THE STAFF IS IN BUDGET SEASON. AND I DON'T KNOW IF MANY OF YOU KNOW, BUT WE LOST MRS. OH, GOD.
LAKITA IS DOING A WONDERFUL JOB BECAUSE MR. CORMIER RETIRED, SO THAT'S WHY SHE'S TAKING THE LEAD ON THAT.
AND IT'S BEEN SOMEWHAT CHALLENGING, BUT I BELIEVE OUR CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF IS WORKING THROUGH THE CHALLENGES TO PRESENT A BALANCED BUDGET.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO HAVE OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER HERE MISS ADRIANA, BUT BUT THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS I WANTED YOU TO KNOW.
THAT WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF OF OF OF BUDGETING.
THE BUDGET HAVE TO BE ADOPTED BY SEPTEMBER, BY THE 29TH OF SEPTEMBER, WHICH MEANS THAT AT THE BUDGET THAT'S ONLINE IS, LET'S CALL IT A STARTER BUDGET.
YEAH, THAT'S OUR PRACTICE BUDGET.
I THINK THAT THERE WILL BE SOME SOME CHANGES COMING TO THAT BUDGET.
THOSE ARE THE TWO MAJOR EVENTS I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF SHARE THE THE I WILL SAY THIS WE HAVE A NEW DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE MET HIM, MR..
AHMED. AHMED. HE HE IS A VERY CHARISMATIC PERSON.
VERY. AND I'VE BEEN IMPRESSED BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN TWO DEVELOPERS THAT HAVE BROUGHT PROJECTS THAT HE HAS CREATED A REAL FAST TRACK APPROACH TO KIND OF CHANGE THE NARRATIVE THAT DE SOTO IS NOT A DEVELOPER FRIENDLY CITY.
AND SO HE HAS BEEN IN MEETINGS I KNOW WITH.
WITH THE DDC HE HAS MET WITH OWNERS OF INDUSTRIES.
HE AND HE HAS DEVELOPED THIS FAST TRACK PROCESS, WHICH IS I BELIEVE IS GOING TO HELP DEVELOPERS FEEL ALL WARM AND FUZZY ABOUT OUR CITY. SO THOSE ARE THE THOSE ARE THE THE THREE ITEMS. MR.. MR. PRESIDENT, I'M OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS, BUT PLEASE. SO IN, IN EVEN IN PREPARATION FOR OUR JOINT MEETING THAT IS COMING UP, PLEASE GO BACK AND WATCH AT LEAST ITEM TWO ON ON THE PNC AND I IF I WERE YOU, I WOULD LOOK AT THE PNC MEETING BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME OTHER DEVELOPERS THAT'S THERE.
AND, AND JUST YOU WILL LEARN A LOT BY HOW OUR PLANNING AND ZONING UP OR DOWN, GOOD OR BAD, HOW THEY APPROACH, THE INFORMATION.
ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE QUESTION, BUT PLEASE ANY QUESTIONS.
COUNCILMAN. SO OUR JOINT MEETING OKAY.
CAN YOU ADVISE WHY POTENTIALLY THE REASONING FOR THAT CHANGING COURSE.
I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS WHEN WHEN IT WAS WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED. WE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY ACCOUNTED FOR THE LOSS OF OF OF A MAJOR PLAYER, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR.
AND FOR THAT REASON, OUR CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF HAVE HAD TO GO IN AND AND AND TAKE MORE TIME ON THE BUDGET. AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS BUDGET HAVE PROVEN TO BE AND AGAIN MORE CHALLENGING THAN THAN NOT.
BUT I THINK THAT YOU'RE CORRECT.
I BELIEVE THAT THOSE ARE THOSE ARE THE REASONS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WHEN YOU LOSE A KEY PLAYER AND LET ME JUST GO ON RECORD AND MR. KOBE WAS SOMEBODY SPECIAL.
WE HAVE ALWAYS UNMODIFIED AUDITS FOR THE LAST 15 PLUS PLUS YEARS.
AN AWARD WINNING FINANCE DIRECTOR.
HE WAS MORE THAN JUST HE WAS MORE THAN JUST GOOD AT HIS JOB AND IN THE IN THE INDUSTRY.
HE WAS SOMEBODY TO BE TO BE TO TAKE NOTICE OF.
AND FOR US TO LOSE SOMEONE OF HIS CALIBER IS OBVIOUSLY A GREAT LOSS FOR THE CITY OF DE SOTO. BUT THAT'S THE REASON, I BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE INQUIRED WHY THE
[01:20:02]
RESCHEDULE. IT DID NOT I BELIEVE IT WAS THE, THE BACKLOG OF OF OF OF THE BUDGET.WE WERE WAITING ON AND WITH SENATE BILL TWO AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. WE HAVE TO MAKE WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE CERTIFIED PROPERTY TAX DO DIE ROLLS.
DOO DAH, DOO DAH. AND ROLLS ARE THE SAME.
WHICH MEANS THAT OUR CALCULATION.
AND IF THOSE CALCULATIONS THE NO NEW REVENUE CALCULATION.
AND IF THAT GOES A CERTAIN WAY, THEN WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND SEE IF WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE TAX RATES OR IF WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE TAX RATES.
AND SO THERE ARE A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS THAT HINGES ON THAT.
I BELIEVE THAT THAT MIGHT HAVE COME A LITTLE LATER IN THE PROCESS THAN THEY HAD ORIGINALLY ACCOUNTED FOR. AND SO THOSE ARE THOSE ARE THE REASONS.
GOTCHA. SO IT WAS NOT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE MAYOR WAS NOT SHE WAS NOT JUST FOR THE RECORD, SHE WAS NOT PLEASED WITH WITH HAVING TO, TO CALL IT OFF. HOWEVER, SHE DID UNDERSTAND IT.
SO IT'S SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 15TH NOW, RIGHT.
RIGHT. IS IT GOING TO BE DELAYED BECAUSE THE NEW PERSON NEEDS TO COME UP TO SPEED ON CERTAIN THINGS BEFORE.
OKAY. OH. I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD.
NO. GO AHEAD. I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
OKAY. I BELIEVE THE REASON FOR THIS DELAY IS BECAUSE THE CITY MANAGER, WHO WE WOULD EXPECT TO BE IN THIS MEETING, HAVE HAD TO COME DOWN TO, TO TO BE MORE HANDS ON THAN MAYBE THAN PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED.
ALL THAT I'D ASK IS THAT THERE'S EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION INSTEAD OF THINGS JUST HAPPENING. THAT WE COMMUNICATE RESPECTFULLY.
WE'RE ALL PROFESSIONALS AND ARE DULY DESERVING OF THAT.
YEAH. HOLISTICALLY, ALL OF US.
WE SHOULD. DULY NOTED TO COUNCIL MEETING A DAY OR TWO BEFORE THE COMMENCEMENT DATE.
DOESN'T GIVE ANY OF US AN OPPORTUNITY TO PIVOT.
SO. DULY NOTED. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YOU LIKE THAT? DULY NOTED, I LIKE THAT.
WHAT WAS IT? DID YOU SEE A DOODAD EARLIER? NO, I DIDN'T SAY THAT. WHAT WAS MY DUTY? THE TWO EXTREMES. I'VE GOT THEM BOTH.
OH, GOD. I AM FROM. I'M FROM THE NORTH SIDE OF OAK CLIFF.
OH, OKAY. WELL, DO YOU KNOW THAT THIS EXACTLY WHERE THAT IS? YEAH. THE SAME. THE SAME SIDE YOU'RE FROM.
YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO TELL THEM THAT.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. SO MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. SO. NO. THAT'S FINE.
[B.2. Projects, attraction efforts, site visits, and general operations report Matt Carlson — Chief Executive Officer (Part 2 of 2)]
THE OTHER THE OTHER PIECE, JUST AGAIN, JUST PUT ON YOUR ON YOUR CALENDAR. YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR THE, THE CITY HAS A A BOARD AND COMMISSIONS BANQUET TO CELEBRATE YOUR SERVICE.AND THAT IS ON SEPTEMBER 18TH, I THINK, AT 6:00 AT NIGHT.
IT'S ON. I'M SORRY, MR. PRESIDENT. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS MY FAILURE OR ARE MR. COULSON FAILURE. BUT YOU KNOW THAT THERE WAS A RECRUITMENT BANQUET.
THERE WAS A RECRUITMENT BOARD AND COMMISSION RECRUITMENT.
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, YOU GUYS DID NOT HAVE A TABLE.
A RECRUITMENT. WHAT IS IT CALLED? SO IT'S THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
HAS A I THINK THEY CALL IT A RECRUITING EVENT EACH YEAR.
THE IT WAS PRESENTED THAT TO US AS BEING AN OPTIONAL EVENT AND WE SAID, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OPENINGS ON THE BOARD.
SO THERE WASN'T MUCH POINT IN BEING THERE.
BECAUSE THERE'S NO OPENINGS ON THE BOARD.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR ANY NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
YOU'RE RIGHT. WE DID NOT HAVE A TABLE.
COUNCILMAN BYRD, WHO'S OUR REPRESENTATIVES HERE.
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE JUST SHINING AND AND WAGGING OUR TAILS AND LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE ONLY FULL BOARD.
BUT THE MAYOR DID ASK, AND I AND IT HAPPENED ON A, IT HAPPENED ON A THURSDAY. SO I RAN ACROSS IT GOING, MAN, I FORGOT THE BOARD MEETING.
I RAN AROUND HERE. NO MELBA, NO, NO BOARD MEETING.
BUT SO I WILL, I WILL APOLOGIZE.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAD MADE THAT DECISION NOT TO TO HAVE REPRESENTATION THERE, BUT WHEN THE MAYOR ASKED ME, I HAD NO ANSWER.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE IN JUST MAKING UP ANSWERS.
SO YOU DIDN'T DO. NO DO THAT? I NEVER DO THAT OR DO LITTLE, I HAD NOTHING.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. YES, SIR.
THANK YOU. THAT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
WE MAY NOT BE INVITED TO THE BOARD BANQUET ANYMORE.
SO IT'S BEEN GOOD IN THE RECRUITMENT.
THANKS, MATT. YOU GUYS DON'T GO TO IT ANYWAY.
[01:25:06]
IT'S US WHO GOES. WITH ME.SIR? YES. CLEARLY WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BECAUSE THE BOARD BANQUET YOU ARE INVITED TO, WE WE WE NEED TO KNOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO ATTEND, BECAUSE WE NEED TO HAVE SEATING FOR YOU AND ALL THAT KIND OF THING.
IS IT A US OR JUST US? YES. YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN BRING YOUR SPOUSE WITH YOU.
ABSOLUTELY. AND IT'S REALLY FUN.
I MEAN, THEY RECOGNIZE RECOGNIZE YOU GUYS FOR YOUR SERVICE AND WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT.
YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE GREAT, BUT WE SERVE APPRECIATED ANYONE SMALL BUSINESS EDUCATION, JUST DOWN TO OUR DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES AND UPDATES.
YOU KNOW, THIS REALLY IF YOU START TO LOOK AT THESE, THEY THEY THOSE ACTIVITIES ALIGN PRETTY CLOSE WITH THOSE DEPARTMENTAL GOALS.
LANAKILA YOU ASK WHAT WHAT TRANSPIRES AND WHAT ROLLS UP TO THEM? IT'S THESE ACTIVITIES THAT WE TRACK THAT WE KNOW ARE GOING TO EITHER MAKE OR NOT MAKE THOSE GOALS IN THE MOST PART.
SMALL BUSINESS EDUCATION THE BIG IDEA PROGRAM WAS, WAS THIS LAST MONTH AND THE PITCH COMPETITION ASSOCIATED WITH THAT I MADE I MADE SOME REQUESTS FROM OUR FRIENDS AT THE DEC WHO ARE THE PARTICULAR PERSON WAS OUT OF TOWN WHO COULDN'T GIVE ME SOME ANSWERS THERE. BUT I'LL BRING BACK A PRESENTATION AND A SUMMARY FOR THE NEXT MONTH TO TALK ABOUT THE DEC AND THE IMPACT IT'S HAVING.
IT'S KIND OF FUN BECAUSE SOLELY DOING BUSINESS VISITS ON A REGULAR BASIS NOW AND BEING IN FRONT OF A LOT MORE, A LOT MORE OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES IS HEARING FROM THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES.
YEAH, I WENT UP AND I WAS PART OF THE BUSINESS PLANNING. THAT'S WHERE I DID MY MY BUSINESS PLAN. AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE REALLY SUCCESSFUL IN CONNECTING ME WITH WITH THE CAPITAL COLLABORATION.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY PLEASED TO HEAR THAT KIND OF FEEDBACK, BUT ALSO TO HEAR BACK BECAUSE REMEMBER, THIS IS A TRIAD WITH THE THE SODO AREA CHAMBER WHERE WE WE ARE.
THE DECK IS PROVIDES TO SMALL BUSINESSES, BUSINESS COUNSELING AND COACHING THERE AT THE CHAMBER ON TUESDAYS. THEY'RE AVAILABLE IN EVERY TUESDAY TO DO THAT AT THE CHAMBER.
AND IT'S TAKEN A LONG TIME TO GET TO GET THAT TRACTION, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY STARTING NOW TO GET REGULAR ROUTINE REQUESTS FOR THOSE CONSULTING SERVICES. WHICH LEADS THEN TO GREATER IN DEPTH SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED FOR THE PROVIDED FOR BY THE DECK AS WELL.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING YOU POSTED.
SOME SMALL BUSINESSES THAT I REALLY LIKE THAT I LIKE THAT SOLAR IS DOING THE, THE THE, THE BUSINESS FEEDBACK.
YOU KNOW, SOME WE PUT OUT AN ANNUAL SURVEY WE DON'T HAVE A GREAT TRACTION WITH SURVEY.
WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO INCREASE THAT MORE AND MORE. PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD A SOLID LIST OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN DESOTO.
THERE IS THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A LIST OF ALL THE BUSINESSES IN DE SOTO.
THERE'S NO REPOSITORY FOR THAT.
I KNOW THAT IT IS COMMITTED TO CREATING A BUSINESS LICENSING PROGRAM, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME OTHER KIND OF PRESSING ISSUES TO GET THROUGH IN IN THE LAST 14 MONTHS FOR THEM. SO A LITTLE GRACE THERE I THINK HELPS.
BUT BUT WE HAVE DONE AND WE'VE USED OUR INTERNS THIS SUMMER, LAST SUMMER TO START WORKING THROUGH LISTS THAT WE DO ARE ABLE TO CREATE AND DRIVE TO START TO GET A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF SORT OF THE LARGER BUSINESSES ANYWAY.
AND SOLELY IN IS IS MAKING THOSE BUSINESSES, THOSE BUSINESS VISITS HAPPEN.
WE'VE RECENTLY BEGUN WORKING WITH CAPTAIN KIRKLAND OVER IN THE, IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO START USING ONE OF THEIR COMMUNITY POLICING OFFICERS IN CONJUNCTION WITH SOME OF THOSE TO START INTRODUCING THE WHOLE IDEA OF COMMUNITY POLICING TO OUR BUSINESSES AS WELL, SO THAT THEY KNOW THEY HAVE A BETTER CONNECTIVITY TYPICALLY WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND JUST SHOWING UP WHEN THERE'S A PROBLEM, THEY KNOW THAT THEY'VE GOT A FRIEND THERE.
AND SO EACH ONE OF THE PATROL OFFICERS IS REQUIRED TO STOP AT TWO BUSINESSES WHEN THEY'RE ON, WHEN THEY'RE IN THEIR SHIFT LEAVE A CARD, THEY'RE DEVELOPING A CARD THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO, TO RESPOND TO US AND, AND BE JUST A LITTLE CLOSER TOUCH WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AS WELL.
SO DO WE HIRE OFFICER FRIENDLY? OFFICER FRIENDLY I DON'T KNOW.
THE THE ONES I'VE ENCOUNTERED ARE FRIENDLY, I DON'T KNOW.
AND THEN THE LAST PIECE WAS, WAS DALLAS STARTUP WEEK WAS LAST WEEK.
WE HAD A PRETTY A PRETTY GOOD PRESENCE THERE OVER A COUPLE THREE DAYS.
AND IT IT WAS VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL.
I SAW A NUMBER OF, OF EVEN DESOTO BUSINESSES TALKING ABOUT THAT.
THEY WENT UP AND WERE PART OF SOME OF THE EVENTS THERE AND LEARNED FROM SOME OF THE EVENTS THERE AS WELL. IT WAS THERE.
WERE YOU? YEAH. AND YOUR REPORT? I WAS INVITED TO BE THERE TO TALK ABOUT.
[01:30:01]
THEY'RE TRYING TO CREATE I THINK IT'S A SOUTHERN DALLAS GUARANTY LOAN FUND.OUTSTANDING. YEAH. OUTSTANDING.
IT WAS. YOU HAD TO ASK THE PERSON WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THAT, BUT THE STAKEHOLDERS WERE IN THE ROOM.
GOOD. GOOD TO HEAR. FRANCHISE.
WE CONTINUE TO TO WORK, YOU KNOW, BOTH HERE IN DESOTO, BUT BUT REALLY ACROSS SOUTHERN DALLAS ALONG WITH OUR FORMER BOARD MEMBER, CARLOS WHITE AND FOLKS AT UNT FOLKS AT DALLAS COLLEGE TO MAKE SURE THAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE. INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
ACCESS TO CAPITAL IS AVAILABLE FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO SEE FRANCHISING AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO OWN A BUSINESS AND A WAY TO TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
STARTING A BUSINESS IS HARD ENOUGH BEING ABLE TO EMBRACE AN EXISTING MECHANISM IS CERTAINLY A GREAT WAY TO BE MORE.
INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF SUCCESS.
AND SO WE WORK VERY. SO THAT'S NOT DESIGNED TO BRING FRANCHISES TO DESOTO.
WELL, AGAIN. SO YEAH, IT IS I MEAN, WE WE HAVE AND IT'S THE REASON WE DO OUR FRANCHISE INTEREST MEETING HERE IN DESOTO.
BUT WE'VE ALSO FOUND OURSELVES BLEEDING OUT INTO OUR SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
THE FOLKS FROM LANCASTER AND CEDAR HILL HAVE COME AND SAID, WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS GENERATING A LOT OF A LOT OF INTEREST.
WE'D REALLY LIKE TO PARTNER TOGETHER AND DO THAT.
YET, YES, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MORE FRANCHISES IN DESOTO, THE SINGLE LARGEST PIECE THAT PREVENTS US FROM PUTTING MORE FRANCHISES IN DESOTO, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO PUT THEM.
IF THEY DON'T BUILD THEIR OWN BUILDINGS VERY OFTEN, THEY'RE GOING TO GO INTO A PLACE THAT'S ALREADY BUILT. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GO INTO AN OLD INLINE CENTER.
THAT'S RATTY. RIGHT. SO WE HAVE TO FIND PLACES AND CREATE PLACES.
WE HAVE I THINK, I THINK THERE ARE SOME 50 OR MORE.
I WISH ANTOINE WAS HERE TONIGHT BUT HE HAPPENS TO BE AT A FRANCHISING EVENT UP IN PLANO. TO TALK ABOUT A NUMBER OF, OF FRANCHISORS HAVE A KEEN INTEREST IN DESOTO. AND THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT STOPS THEM.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS A FRANCHISEE, THE FRANCHISEE WHO'S WHO'S BANKABLE FRANCHISEE, WHO'S GOT THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO STEP INTO THAT.
BUT WHEN THEY IDENTIFY A MASTER FRANCHISE, A MASTER FRANCHISEE, THEY HAVE A HARD TIME FINDING A PLACE IN DESOTO.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE EMPTY BUILDINGS SITTING AROUND.
AND AS A GENERAL RULE, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BUILD THEIR OWN BUILDING. OKAY. SO THAT WE DON'T DERAIL.
BUT IT IT DOES LEAN BACK TO THE QUESTION EARLIER.
WHY WE CAN'T AND THE BARRIERS THAT WE HAVE.
IF THAT'S A BARRIER, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS BARRIER FOR A LONG TIME.
WE DON'T HAVE THE PLACE TO PUT THEM. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE ATTACK YOUR LACKS.
THAT'S A LACK. WE NEED TO REALLY ATTACK THAT TO SAY, HOW DO WE START CREATING? YOU LOOK AT WINTERGREEN AND COCKRELL HILL, THE NEW DEVELOPMENT THERE.
NOW YOU GOT SPACE AND PEOPLE CAN GO IN THERE WITH FRANCHISES, IF YOU WILL. I DID SIT IN ON THE PRESENTATION.
I GUESS IT WAS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
IT'S A VIRTUAL AND I THINK I COMMENTED ON IT.
YOU HAD THE SURROUNDING ENTITIES FROM DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES.
YEAH. YES. I THOUGHT THAT WAS.
IT WAS. WELL, I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT.
GOOD INFORMATION. WE HAD DONE IT. THAT WAS GOOD.
THAT WAS GOOD. THAT'S GOOD. BUT YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN.
WINTERGREEN AND COCKRELL HILL, GREAT EXAMPLE.
WE ARE IN VERY CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE DEVELOPER THERE.
WE MET WITH THEM OUT IN ICC, TOOK THEM AROUND TO PEOPLE THAT WE WERE ALREADY HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR 60% TENTATIVE, AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN CLOSE TO DONE YET. RIGHT. SO THERE'S A DESIRE.
THERE'S A NEED. WE NEED MORE BUILDINGS.
AND AGAIN, DON'T DON'T WANT TO SIDETRACK US HERE, BUT CAUSE AND EFFECT. THE CAUSE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO CREATE THE CAUSE OF HAVING THE SPACE, HAVING THE WHEREWITHAL, INFRASTRUCTURE WISE, TO BRING THEM IN SO THAT WE DO AFFECT THAT.
AND SO IN OUR RETREAT, THAT'S THAT NEEDS TO BE A VERY BIG, BIG INITIATIVE FOR US.
HOW DO WE ATTACK THAT ONE? SO BUT LET'S I DON'T WANT TO DERAIL THIS, BUT VERY IMPORTANT FOR US.
THE NEXT, NEXT ACTIVITY TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUTBOUND ATTRACTION AND THOSE THAT WE HAVE COMING UP. AN INTERESTING MIX THERE, IF YOU WILL.
FABTECH, WHICH IS ADVANCED MANUFACTURING RETAIL LIVE DOWN IN AUSTIN.
RETAIL IC THREE LIFE SCIENCES.
IT'S BY IT'S BIO LIFE SCIENCES.
WE SHOW UP IN THOSE PLACES, WE MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHO DE SOTO IS.
WE MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THE PRODUCTS THAT WE THAT WE ARE WORKING ON AND A PLACE FOR THEM TO BE. AND THEN THOSE ARE HAVING TRACTION AS WELL.
[01:35:01]
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MORE ABOUT BIO AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE CHANGING THERE AS WE GET DOWN. AND THEN WE JUST OUR ENGAGEMENT BOTH HERE AND AT THE STATE LEVEL AND IN FACT, IN NATIONALLY AS WELL IN AUGUST, AS A MATTER OF FACT, TOMORROW, I'M SPEAKING AT THE SOUTHERN DALLAS PLANNING COMMISSION OVER AT DALLAS COLLEGE, TALKING ABOUT OUR PROJECTS AND WHAT, WHAT'S UNIQUE AND HOW WE'RE HOW WE'RE DIFFERENTIATING OURSELVES IN SOUTHERN DALLAS FROM OUR NEIGHBORS AND BE AN INTERESTING OPPORTUNITY TO CHAT TOMORROW WITH THE FOLKS FROM FORNEY AND LANCASTER ON THE PANEL AS WELL.IDC, THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE, OR MY ANNUAL RETREAT IN DETROIT, FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS AND I'LL BE THERE IN SEPTEMBER.
AND THEN THE DCS, THE STATE'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE.
WILL BE IN OCTOBER DOWN IN SAN ANTONIO.
I THINK ANTOINE AND SOLI WILL BE AT THAT.
I WILL NOT AND THEN JUST SOME OTHER ACTIVITIES.
AND THIS IS WHERE I WANTED TO KIND OF LET SOLI START TO SHOW YOU SOME OF THE IDEAS OF HOW WE'RE TRACKING DATA AND HOW WE'RE TURNING THAT INTO THE DASHBOARD THAT YOU REQUESTED.
BUT WE HAD A SUCCESSFUL INTERN SEND OFF JUST THIS LAST WEEK.
WE HAD TWO INTERNS WITH US, ONE WHO WAS A PRAIRIE VIEW GRAD WHO'S SORT OF BUILDING A RESUME BEFORE SHE GOES TO LAW SCHOOL, AND ONE WHO WAS A HIGH SCHOOL GRAD HAPPENS TO BE THE THE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR.
SUN MAN, I TELL YOU, IT'S JUST I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS POSSIBLE TO GET BETTER AND BETTER EVERY YEAR, BUT THEY ARE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY DID THEIR CAPSTONE PROJECT, WHICH WAS THE THE THE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS FORUM. FABULOUS JOB.
REALLY PUT FORTH A PRODUCT THAT I THINK IS THE BEST ONE WE'VE HAD.
WE'VE HAD THREE OF THOSE NOW, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEST ONE WE'VE HAD.
LAST THING AND THEN I'LL LET SOPHIE TAKE TAKE OVER.
OH, LOOK AT YOU. ALL READY TO DRIVE? FIRST TIME. THERE YOU GO.
AS WE BEGAN THIS LAST MONTH, THERE'S A NEW.
THERE'S A NEW HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL. DOCTOR DARDEN IS THE NEW PRINCIPAL AT THE DESOTO HIGH SCHOOL. HE FORMERLY WAS THE HEAD OF THE CTE PROGRAM, THE COLLEGE AND MILITARY READINESS PROGRAM.
I'M SORRY. EARLY COLLEGE? YEAH. EARLY. I'M SORRY.
EARLY COLLEGE. YEAH. AND NOW HE IS.
AND NOW HE IS IN THE THE DRIVER'S SEAT THERE.
SO WE HAD A REALLY GREAT MEETING WITH HIM AND SHALONDA WEAVER TO TALK ABOUT THE VARIOUS, THE VARIOUS PLACES WHERE WE CAN HAVE THAT IMPACT THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE WITH ESPORTS, WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR WITH THE BIO TRAINING PROGRAM CONTINUING NOT ONLY OUR SUPPORT FOR THOSE, BUT HOW DO WE LOOK AT OTHER PLACES THERE.
I'M WORKING WITH CHIEF SOUTHARD TO, TO BE ABLE TO CREATE A TRAINING PROGRAM AT THE SCHOOLS FOR EMTS UTILIZING OUR TRAINING FACILITIES AND OUR TRAINING OFFICERS ALREADY.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ON THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SIDE IN PARTICULAR, I THINK HAVING THAT IMPACT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE SCHOLARS. THEY'RE GOING TO GO DO WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO, AND THEY'LL BE OFF TO A&M AND UT AND WHEREVER IT IS THAT THEY'RE HEADED.
IT'S IT'S THAT PIECE THAT'S NOT GOT THAT PATH THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO COME OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL WITH A GOOD PAYING JOB A CAREER, IF YOU WILL. THAT'LL PUT THEM.
THEY'LL PUT THEM ON GOOD STANDING SOLELY TAKE OFF AND SHOW US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PROJECTS AND HOW WE'RE HOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THOSE, HOW WE'RE STARTING TO RECORD OUR, OUR ACTIVITIES AND EFFORTS.
I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY. SO DID YOU MENTION THE INCENTIVE POLICY? CONSOLIDATION. DID YOU MENTION THAT? NO, I DIDN'T. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAJID HAD ASKED US TO DO MOST OF THOSE INCENTIVES, VIRTUALLY ALL OF THEM, WITH TWO EXCEPTIONS, EXISTED ALREADY.
THEY JUST WEREN'T CONSOLIDATED INTO SORT OF A.
POLICY THAT THAT THAT COMBINES INFORMATION ABOUT THREE AID AGREEMENTS, COMBINES INFORMATION AROUND THE DEVELOPMENT, THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE PARTICIPATE IN TO THE EXTENT WHERE WE HAVE THOSE PROGRAMS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A STOREFRONT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FOR SEVERAL YEARS THAT HAS NOT BEEN UTILIZED, NOT BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN OUT TALKING TO STORE OWNERS, BUT BECAUSE THE DISCONNECT IS AT THE AT THE USER LEVEL, AT THE TENANT LEVEL. SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOME NEW WAYS TO REVITALIZE THAT.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT MAJID HAD ASKED IS THAT WE CREATE A RESTAURANT, A RESTAURANT INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
THERE ARE 380 FUNDS. THEY THEY ARE.
THE IDEA IS TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AT MULTIPLE LEVELS, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE ACTUAL OPPORTUNITY LOOKS LIKE.
WE'LL BE BRINGING THAT TO YOU FOR YOUR REVIEW.
THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER HAS HAS PROVIDED HER COMMENTS AND HAS ASKED YOU TO DO THE SAME THING, AND WE'LL CONSOLIDATE THAT.
WE'LL BRING IT TO YOU AT OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE IT TO COUNCIL FOR ADOPTION IN OUR AT THE OCTOBER MEETING.
THANK YOU. YEAH, IT'S IT'S NOT SUPER EXCITING READING, BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS IT'S ONLY, YOU KNOW, 7 OR 8 PAGES LONG.
[01:40:03]
SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS GET A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.TAKE OFF. ALRIGHT. IS THIS SOFTWARE IS WHEN WE ADOPTED ABOUT THE SAME TIME WHEN I CAME ON. THIS IS CALLED NOTION.
IT IS IT'S A SPACE WHERE YOU CAN CREATE DATABASES AND CUSTOMIZE THEM TO WHAT EXACTLY YOU WANT TO DISPLAY. AND THEN WE'VE BEEN USING IT INTERNALLY TO TRACK OUR ACTIVITY, THE PROGRESSION OF PROJECTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THIS DASHBOARD THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT NOW IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN WORKING ON SO THAT WE CAN DISPLAY OUR ACTIVITY EXTERNALLY AND SHOW YOU SO IT IS STILL IN PROGRESS.
IT IS IT'S MEANT TO BE DYNAMIC.
WE CAN ADJUST IT AND CUSTOMIZE IT TO WHAT EXACTLY YOU WANT TO SEE.
THIS IS OUR MAIN ACTIVITY NODES.
THE BIG FOUR ARE DEVELOPMENT NODES CORRIDORS INTERSECTIONS THAT ARE DEVELOPABLE.
AND THEN YOU'RE ABLE TO BREAK INTO THESE AND SEE MORE DETAIL.
SO THIS IS ONE THAT'S BUILT OUT AS AN EXAMPLE.
IT'S GOT THE LISTED PROJECTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE I-35 CORRIDOR.
WE'VE GOT THEM DISPLAYED HERE.
YOU CAN OPEN THIS UP TO SEE IT IN MORE DETAIL.
IT'LL SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHERE THAT PROJECT IS IN ITS PROGRESSION.
SO RIGHT NOW THIS WEST WINTERGREEN PROJECT IS IN THE PROJECT PLANNING PHASE.
SO THE I-35 PROJECT OR I-35 CORRIDOR AND IT'S, I THINK, A GOOD EXAMPLE.
WE'VE COMPILED ALL OF ALL OF THE MEANINGFUL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FROM THE NORTH EDGE OF TOWN TO THE SOUTH EDGE OF TOWN, FACING ON THE 35 CORRIDOR ON THE 35 FRONTAGE.
IT IS NOT, BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION, EVERY SINGLE PARCEL THAT MIGHT POSSIBLY SOMEDAY BE DEVELOPED, BUT WHERE WE HAVE THOSE ASSEMBLAGES OR POTENTIAL ASSEMBLAGES OF MAYBE, PERHAPS ONE OR A FEW OWNERS THAT WE CAN ASSEMBLE 4 OR 5, EIGHT, TEN ACRES WE'VE MADE, WE'VE MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO IDENTIFY THOSE, TO IDENTIFY THE OWNERS, TO ENVISION A PROJECT PLAN FOR THEM, WHAT WE THINK IS THE KIND OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WOULD LIKELY WANT TO BE THERE AND GROW THERE.
BASED ON SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH THE CURRENT LANDOWNERS, BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH BROKERS REPS BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH THE END USERS WHO HAVE SAID, IF YOU FOUND ME THIS KIND OF PLACE, THIS IS WHERE I'D WANT TO BE.
I CAN'T FIND THAT KIND OF PLACE.
AND SO WE'VE TAKEN THE 35 CORE.
I THINK THEY'RE SLOWLY HELPED ME.
11, 11, 11 DIFFERENT PROJECT AREAS.
YOU SEE THEM ALL NAMED DOWN THE SIDE THERE, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM HAS A PAGE IN A PROJECT DOCUMENT THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE AS A, AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISTRIBUTE TO DEVELOPERS TO SAY, COME AND TALK TO US ABOUT THESE WHEN ONE OF THESE RINGS THE BELL YOU'VE SAID, YOU SAID YOU NEEDED THIS.
HERE YOU GO. THIS PIECE HERE WOULD DO THAT FOR YOU.
AND EACH ONE OF THOSE, THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT FROM A CONCEPTUAL PHASE TO A PROJECT PLANNING PHASE TO AN ENTITLEMENT PHASE TO START TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THINGS GET STUCK.
YOU KNOW, IF WE GET THAT FAR AND IT GETS TO ENTITLEMENT AND NOW IT TAKES NINE MONTHS TO GET ENTITLED, IT MIGHT AS WELL HAVE GONE TO DALLAS, FOR GOODNESS SAKES. YOU KNOW.
I MEAN, NOT TO SAY THAT NOT TO TAKE ANY SWINGS AT THE WAY THEY DEVELOP IN DALLAS, BUT THAT'S TRUE. BUT IT IS TRUE.
SO ALL ALL THE SAME. EACH ONE OF THOSE KIND OF COMPONENTS OF ANY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, YOU KNOW, IN REALITY, EVENTUALLY IT GETS TO CONSTRUCTION AND WE DON'T WANT TO GET DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, SITE WORK AND HORIZONTAL WORK.
AND WE'RE NOT TRYING TO TRACK IT AT THAT LEVEL.
IF YOU TELL ME IT'S GOING TO BE AN 18 MONTH CYCLE, THEN WE'RE GOING TO PLUG IN 18 MONTHS.
AND WHEN IT STARTS TO GET TO 22 OR 20 4 OR 26, THAT GIVES US SOME SOME FLAGS THAT GO OFF.
ALL OF IT MEANT TO BE THAT YOU CAN GET DOWN AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL AND KNOW THERE'S PROJECTS. BUT IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT A SPECIFIC PROJECT AND THE EXTENT THAT WE HAVE CONCEPTUALLY THAT WERE GIVEN TO US BY THE DEVELOPER, THEY'LL BE IN HERE TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE'S WE HAVE A MAP ALREADY THAT SHOWS THESE PLACES.
SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON EACH ONE OF THESE, EVERY, EVERY ONE OF THESE PROJECTS.
AND THAT WILL BE TRUE FOR ALL OF OUR DEVELOPMENT NOTES, WHETHER IT'S THE BIG FOUR PROJECTS, RIGHT? THOSE ARE PRETTY SIZABLE.
BUT REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE 6 OR 8 OF THOSE NODES AT MAJOR INTERSECTIONS BELTLINE AND COCKRELL HILL, BELTLINE AND WESTMORELAND, POLK AND AND AND PLEASANT RUN.
EACH ONE OF THOSE WILL HAVE ITS OWN AREA AS WELL, SO THAT WE CAN MORE, MORE EASILY DEPICT THE OPPORTUNITY THAT A DEVELOPER MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN. SORRY, I JUMPED IN BEFORE YOU GO, THOUGH. SO WHEN YOU HAD THIS AND YOU WE TALK ABOUT BARRIERS TO ENTRY,
[01:45:04]
IF YOU WILL. SO MAYBE THERE NEEDS TO BE A BARRIERS TO ENTRY LINE ITEM THAT GIVES A BREAKOUT THAT SAYS IS IT FLOODPLAIN OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.I SEE YOU GOT CONSTRUCTION HERE, BUT YOU MAY HAVE ALL OF THIS, BUT THERE MAY BE ONE BARRIER TO ENTRY.
I THINK WE NEED TO EXPAND IT TO THAT CAPABILITY OF UNDERSTANDING THAT.
SURE. WELL, AND SO THE PROJECT DOCUMENT THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT AREA BY AREA ACTUALLY HAS EXACTLY THAT. IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE IMPEDIMENTS THAT WHAT, WHERE AND IT AND IT EVEN TAKES IT DOWN TO THE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT LEVEL OR AT THE PUBLIC LEVEL, YOU KNOW, IS IT AN IS THERE A LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE? WELL, WE CAN SOLVE THAT, RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, AND THE PROJECTS THAT SHE'S USING AS AN EXAMPLE HERE, THERE HAPPENS TO BE A CREEK BED THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE EVERY OTHER CREEK IN DESOTO IS OVERGROWN AND A BUNCH OF TRASH TREES, IT'S A MESS.
AND WE SAID, WHAT IF WE WERE TO CUT THAT DOWN, WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH YOU? WE WE'RE NOT GOING TO INCENT THE PROJECT, BUT WE'LL TAKE THE DOLLARS THAT WE WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED TO DO THAT, TO BUILD A POND THAT NOT ONLY SERVICES THIS PROPERTY, BUT IT SERVICES HALF A DOZEN OTHERS THAT ARE ON THE FRONTAGE ROAD.
WE CAN INVEST THAT IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND CREATE A MORE A NICER ENVIRONMENT.
THAT SOLVES FOR ONE OF THE PROBLEMS, WHICH IS DRAINAGE.
RIGHT NOW, EVERY PARCEL HAS TO HAVE ITS OWN DRAINAGE.
THIS CREATES A REGIONAL DRAINAGE PLANE.
THEY GET HIGHER CAPACITY ON THEIR INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES BY WORKING TOGETHER WITH US.
AND WE CREATE THAT THAT REGIONAL KIND OF AN ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S IDENTIFYING THE PROPERTY AND IDENTIFYING THE HURDLES.
SO WHEN THERE'S THERE'S SUFFICIENT INTEREST, WE CAN START SOLVING THEM.
AND IF WE WANT IT BAD ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, BACK TO MY MANTRA.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS KNOWING WHAT YOU WANT, WHERE YOU WANT IT, AND YOU'RE WILLING TO PAY FOR IT. THEN MAYBE WE NEED TO GO AND MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS AHEAD OF TIME AS A CITY TO SAY, OKAY, NOW IT'S THERE.
DON'T YOU WANT TO WE MAY WE MAY BUILD IT OUT TO PADS.
WHO KNOWS. THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY YOU CAN'T ADDRESS.
WHAT IS IT YOU CALL IT? ATTACK.
THEN THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
RIGHT. IT'S A IT'S A IT'S A BIG PROJECT.
AND YOU START TALKING ABOUT ALL THE DEVELOPABLE AREAS. BY THE WAY.
RIGHT. THIS IS ALL PRIVATE LAND.
SO ASSEMBLING THESE AND KNOWING WHO'S WHO'S IN CONTROL AND GETTING THAT INFORMATION PUT TOGETHER WE'RE STARTING WITH THE BIG WITH THE BIG PROJECTS, AND WE'LL JUST KEEP DRIVING IT DOWN UNTIL WE HAVE ALL OF THOSE NODES DONE, AS WELL AS THE ZONING IN PLACE FOR THESE OR.
NO, MA'AM. OKAY. IT'S THE BIGGEST HURDLE.
YOU GUYS REMEMBER JOEL, RIGHT? IT WAS OUR INTERN THIS LAST.
THIS LAST SUMMER. HE WORKED FOR CBRE IN THEIR CAPITAL MARKETS GROUP.
AND BY THE WAY, HAS A JOB OFFER FOR NEXT YEAR WHEN HE GRADUATES.
SO WE'RE WE'RE PRETTY PROUD OF HIM.
YEAH. BUT HE CAME BACK AND WE WERE HAVING LUNCH, AND HE SAID, MAN, DO YOU KNOW THAT ONE OF THE CHECK BOXES FOR ANY OF THE PROJECTS THAT THAT TRAMMELL CROW WORKS ON IS THE DOES IT HAVE ZONING? AND IF THE ANSWER IS NO, IT DOESN'T EVER BECOME A PROJECT.
IT GETS DROPPED. I KEEP SAYING HOW IMPORTANT ZONING IS, AND WE FACE THE ISSUES THAT WE HEARD ABOUT EARLIER.
IF WE DON'T ZONE THESE PROPERTIES.
THEY'RE GOING TO GO FIND ONE THAT'S ALREADY DONE. LOOK, IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE AREN'T A GOOD PLACE. IT'S BECAUSE OTHER PLACES ARE EASIER.
THEY CAN GET IT TO MARKET FASTER, WHICH MEANS THEY CAN MAKE MORE MONEY. THEY'RE SIMPLY GOING TO GO ELSEWHERE BECAUSE IT'S EASIER TO DO.
IT DOESN'T SAY THAT OUT THERE. IT THIS ISN'T THE PLACE FOR IT TO SAY IT.
THEY'RE AVAILABLE. THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE TO US AS A AS A OPPORTUNITY THERE.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE THEM. MAKE THEM KNOWN, MICHAEL. DON'T.
THIS THIS ISN'T THE PLACE FOR THAT.
THIS IS SIMPLY A PLACE TO TRACK ACTIVITY.
AND THAT AS WE DIVE INTO THOSE, YOU KNOW, THAT IF IF THAT'S THE BARRIER, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AND WE GO, WHY IS THAT PROJECT NEVER MOVING FORWARD? AND SOMETIMES YOU REDUNDANCY HAS ITS VALUE.
AND MAYBE THERE'S A CHECKBOX LIKE IT SAYS TABLE TIMELINE.
MAYBE IT'S A CHECKBOX THAT IMMEDIATELY CALLS ATTENTION THAT SAYS ZONED OR NOT.
IF IT'S CHECKED IT'S OWNED, OR IF IT'S NOT.
THAT DRIVES YOU TO LOOK AT SOMETHING ELSE.
AND SO AS MUCH AS WE CAN BE REDUNDANT IN ADDRESSING THE FACT THAT WE GOT AN ISSUE, WE SHOULD DO IT. AND IF YOU'RE DOING THIS, PUT IT THERE.
YEAH, BUT. WE'RE EXPECTING INDEPENDENT DEVELOPERS TO COME.
RIGHT. YEP. HELL, IF OUR ZONING DEPARTMENT IS TURNING DOWN PROJECTS THAT THE CITY IS PRESENTING. OKAY, OKAY.
COME ON, LET'S STAY ON. LET'S STAY ON TARGET.
THIS IS A DASHBOARD FOR Y'ALL.
YEAH. Y'ALL KNOW THAT? THAT'S RIGHT. WELL, BUT THERE WILL BE THE IDEA OF THIS IS JUST SILLY BECAUSE.
[01:50:07]
SO TELL ME WHAT THIS DASHBOARD THING IS ALL ABOUT. AND I SAID IT'S IN YOUR CAR.YOU KNOW, THE CENTER. THE CENTER OF.
IT'S THE SPEEDOMETER. WHAT'S THE SPEEDOMETER FOR US? AND THAT'S PROJECTS. YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE OTHER PIECES OUT THERE? THERE'S A FUEL GAUGE IN A IN A HOT WATER GAUGE AND AN OIL PRESSURE GAUGE.
WELL, THOSE START TO LOOK LIKE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE TRACKING AS WELL. OUR B.R.A.
EFFORTS ARE WE ARE WE GETTING IN FRONT OF THE PEOPLE WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT WORKFORCE.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO WE WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE 4 OR 5 AREAS THAT WE FOCUS ON IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT ITS HIGHEST LEVEL AND SAY, JUST LIKE YOU DO IN YOUR CAR IS EVERYTHING IN THE GREEN. SO JUST IN TURN.
WELL, THAT'S HOW IT'S GOING TO START OUT THAT WAY.
OUR GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO PUT THIS IN THE PUBLIC FACE ON OUR, ON OUR WEBSITE, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN LOOK AT IT AND SAY, LOOK AT ALL THE PROJECTS GOING ON. YOU KNOW, WHAT'S BEING BUILT DOWN THERE AT ELLISON AND BELTLINE? WELL, THEY CAN COME HERE AND LOOK AT IT AND SEE THERE'S THERE'S THE CONCEPTUAL, HERE'S WHO'S BUILDING IT, HERE'S THE DEVELOPER. THERE'LL BE MORE INFORMATION THERE EVENTUALLY.
BUT WE'RE STARTING INTERNALLY FACING SO AS NOT TO GET, YOU KNOW, TOO FAR TOO FAR INTO IT.
AND USING THIS GROUP AS KIND OF THE TEST TO SEE WHERE WE GO NEXT.
BUT I'M GOING TO LET LET ME FINISH SO WE CAN KEEP MOVING, BUT I. THE PROJECTS. THE PROJECTS ARE THE ARE ONE OF THOSE AREAS.
IT'S LIKE IT'S OUR IT'S OUR BREAD AND BUTTER.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE THE SPEEDOMETER IN THE CENTER.
BUT IF YOU'VE IDENTIFIED A PROJECT RIGHT YOU CAN SAY ON THAT IT'S PROBABLY GONE.
AND YOU CAN SAY IT'S ENTITLED.
YEAH OKAY. EACH OF THOSE WILL HAVE A A PROGRESS BAR.
IT'S A NEW WORD I LEARNED I CALLED IT A GANTT CHART BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I LEARNED AT IT WHEN I WAS CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT. THAT BUT THAT'S PROGRESS BAR IN THIS SO THAT IT IT AND IT FOLLOWS A NATURAL PROGRESSION.
IT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED. IT'S BEEN CONCEPTUALIZED NOW IT'S NOW IT'S NEEDED TO GET SOME WORK DONE BEFORE IT GOES TO A PRE-CON MEETING.
AND THEN IT GETS TO THE ENTITLEMENT PHASE.
AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE. WE'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK A PROJECT THAT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED ALL ALONG THERE. AND THE IDEA IS AT SOME POINT IT'S IT GOT IT'S STUCK THERE.
DID THAT THE PROJECT FALL APART? THAT IT'S A SIGNAL TO US THAT WE NEED TO GO DOWN THE HALL AND GO.
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH GETTING THIS THING ZONED PROPERLY? WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE DEVELOPER? IS THERE. IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG? YOU KNOW, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DIG IN? BECAUSE NOW WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS IS IT GETS HANDED OFF AND AND WE DON'T SPEND A WHOLE LOT OF TIME FOLLOWING IT THROUGH IN ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
AND IT ELDERSON PROJECT IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE.
IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE THEY GOT THE PD IN PLACE AND IT'S NOT DONE ANYTHING.
SO NOW WE'RE FIGURING OUT WHY AND TRYING TO GET THAT BACK ON TRACK.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT. ONCE WE KNOW WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE A PLACE THAT IS MORE THAN JUST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT OUR CITIZENS WANT AT SOME POINT WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK AND GO, OH, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO KNOW SOMEBODY'S OUT THERE MOVING DIRT.
THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. A SMALL ADDITION TO THEIR SHOW.
HOW LONG IS IN EACH STAGE? JUST TO GIVE YOU A BETTER INSIGHT TO THE QUESTIONS OF GETTING STUCK, PLACES TO KNOW HOW LONG IT'S IN THAT PARTICULAR STAGE, OR WHAT'S IDEAL FOR IT TO BE IN THAT STAGE.
SO THAT GANTT CHART, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S IT'S MEANT TO BE THERE FOR A MONTH OR, YOU KNOW, IF IF THE FOLKS AT PLANNING AND ZONING SAY THAT WE CAN GET YOU ENTITLED IN SIX WEEKS, WELL, THEN THAT'S THAT'S THE BLOCK WHEN IT STARTS HITTING EIGHT TURNS TO YELLOW, AND WHEN IT HITS TEN, IT'S TURNED TO RED. AND WE'RE GOING, OKAY, LET'S GO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED.
THAT'S HOW WE'RE BUILDING THIS UP.
THIS IS HOW WE'RE TRACKING BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION VISITS.
SO HERE WE HAVE TEN OF OUR MAJOR EMPLOYERS IN THE CITY.
I'VE BUILT IN A FORMULA TO SAY DEPENDING ON WHEN OUR LAST VISIT WAS, IF ONE IS DUE. HAVE WE COMPLETED THEM? THIS IS SOME OF THE ONE, THE BIGGER ONES THAT WE'VE DONE THIS FISCAL YEAR. AND THEN I'LL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE IN THOSE STAGES.
THAT WILL LINK IT TO THE TO THE NOTES THAT WE'RE TAKING FROM THE VISIT, AS WELL AS PROMPTS AND FOLLOW UP.
AND WHEN THOSE NEED TO OCCUR BUILDS OUT, IT BUILDS OUT A WORKFLOW.
SO WHEN SOLI OR ONE OF THE INTERNS OR MYSELF OR ANTOINE OR WHOEVER HAPPENS TO HAVE THAT BUSINESS VISIT, WE BRING BACK OUR NOTES AND WE GIVE THOSE OVER.
THOSE ARE RECORDED. WE KNOW WHAT THE ISSUES ARE, THOSE ARE RECORDED. IT ALSO TRIGGERS A LETTER THAT SAYS THAT GETS MAILED OUT, AN EMAIL TO THAT PERSON THAT DAY THAT SAYS, THANKS FOR VISITING WITH US.
[01:55:03]
THIS IS WHAT WE HEARD.THESE ARE THE ISSUES. HERE'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO RESPOND TO THOSE. AND YOU'LL BE HEARING BACK FROM US IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO WEEKS OR WHATEVER IT IS.
WE KIND OF HAVE A RED, GREEN AND YELLOW FLAG THAT RED FLAGS HAVE TO BE DEALT WITH NOW. AND THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES IS A SECURITY ISSUE OR A SAFETY ISSUE THAT WE NEED FIRE OR POLICE OR WHATEVER TO WEIGH IN ON.
AND SO THAT ALLOWS US TO THEN SEND THAT ISSUE OVER TO POLICE OR FIRE OR WHOEVER IT HAPPENS TO BE, HEALTH SERVICES, WHATEVER IT IS.
AND NOW WE CAN TRACK THAT AS WELL.
BUT IT SETS UP THIS RECURRING VISIT AND ADDS IT TO SOLI'S CALENDAR FOR NEXT YEAR IN MARCH.
IT SAYS PROBABLY ACTUALLY IN FEBRUARY.
DON'T FORGET TO SET UP A REVISIT WITH SOLAR TURBINES.
OR IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY IDENTIFIED THAT THEY WANTED TO VISIT WITH US IN SIX MONTHS, THAT'S IN THE WORKFLOW.
AND SO THIS THIS IS MEANT TO BE SORT OF A WORK MULTIPLIER OR A FORCE MULTIPLIER, IF YOU WILL, THAT ALLOWS US TO AUTOMATE SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE OTHERWISE TRYING TO DO. SORRY. DOES THAT REPRESENT WHEN IT'S EXPECTED OR SHOULD TAKE PLACE? OKAY. YEAH. SO LIKE I'M COORDINATING LIKE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF SCHEDULING THE SITE VISIT. SO WE WILL THESE ARE ALL COMING SOON.
THIS IS WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH OUR STATE PROJECTS, HOW MANY INQUIRIES WE'VE HAD FROM THE STATE. A TOTAL OF 40 THIS FISCAL YEAR THAT WE'VE RESPONDED TO.
IT GIVES YOU THE REASON WE'VE HAD TO DENY THOSE THOSE BEING EITHER WE DON'T HAVE THE LAND IS MOST OF THE LAND, OR THAT IT'S NOT A TARGETED INDUSTRY AS WELL AS JUST NOT HAVING THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THAT PROJECT.
AND THEN IT WILL TELL YOU THE INDUSTRIES AS WELL THAT WE'RE GETTING INTEREST FROM.
SO. THIS GOES BACK TO YOUR TARGETING QUESTION.
SO OUT OF 40 INQUIRIES, 35 WERE DECLINED.
CORRECT. THOSE ARE THE REASONS.
THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. WE WE WANT ADVANCED MANUFACTURING.
WE WANT TO FIND ADVANCED MANUFACTURING.
SPECIFICALLY, WE WANT TO FIND BIO MANUFACTURING BECAUSE THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT IS MASSIVE. MOST IT'S ALSO RELATIVELY SMALL IN SCALE BECAUSE ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS WE GOT 21.5MI² AND THAT'S IT.
LANCASTER'S NOT GIVING US ANY LAND.
DALLAS ISN'T GIVING US ANY LAND.
WE'RE STUCK WITH WHAT WE GOT, AND IT'S ALMOST ENTIRELY BUILT OUT IN OUR INDUSTRIAL PARK. SO WE'RE HAVING TO LOOK FOR END USERS WHO CAN FIT IN RELATIVELY SMALL, SMALL SPACES BY TODAY'S STANDARDS THAT ARE NOT DISTRIBUTION AND LOGISTICS, THAT PAY 17 BUCKS AN HOUR.
IT'S BIO MANUFACTURING THAT PAYS $25 AN HOUR, $20 AN HOUR, $18 AN HOUR, WHATEVER IT HAPPENS TO BE.
INCREASING THE SKILL LEVEL, INCREASING THE PAY LEVEL, AND INCREASING THE OVERALL CAPITAL INVESTMENT INSIDE THAT BUILDING FROM 50 MILLION, MAYBE FOR A LARGE LOGISTICS COMPONENT TO THE LAST.
THE LAST ONE, ONE OF THOSE FIVE THAT'S STILL IN PLAY ON THE SAME SIZE SITE, 35 ACRES IS $1.5 BILLION CAPITAL INVESTMENT.
WHAT DO WE CONSIDER A NON-TARGETED CHANGE? WELL, YOU'RE GOING TO LAUGH WHEN I SAY THIS.
ONE OF THEM WAS THE PROCESSING OF PIGS FEET.
I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHAT THAT'S GOING TO SMELL LIKE, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S NOT. NOT SOMETHING I WANT IN MY BACKYARD.
IT I MEAN, THERE ARE SILICON WAFERS.
PROBABLY, PROBABLY NOT SOMETHING THAT THAT WE'RE ALIGNED WITH FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
WATER. RIGHT. THEY TYPICALLY THEY TYPICALLY ARE VERY, VERY LARGE MANUFACTURING SITES.
SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND THIS IS THIS IS REMEMBER, THE WORK WE DID WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING LAST YEAR WAS TO LOOK AT THOSE VARIOUS INDUSTRIES. SO I'M GOING TO I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE THEM ALL.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THEM UP THERE OR NOT, BUT LET ME GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES.
THAT'S THAT'S WHERE WE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TRYING TO CREATE AN INCUBATOR FOR IF I CAN WORK WITH AEROSPACE, SMALL BUSINESSES. GUESS WHAT? WE CAN USE OUR MONEY FOR THAT. RIGHT.
IT'S IT'S ADVANCED MANUFACTURING.
IT'S LIFE SCIENCES. BACK OFFICE CYBERSECURITY.
I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT ELSE WAS IN THERE.
OH, THERE YOU GO. SO THESE ARE THE, THE VARIOUS, THE VARIOUS AREAS THAT WE, THAT WE FOCUS ON.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE STILL HAVE TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS AND WE GET A LOT OF INQUIRIES AROUND THAT.
SURE YOU DO. AND AS LONG AS THEY'RE NOT ASKING FOR INCENTIVES, I REALLY CAN'T TELL
[02:00:04]
THEM NO. YEAH, THAT'S THE PROBLEM IS THAT THAT'S A USE THAT'S ALLOWED BY.RIGHT. YEAH. BUT BUT THE BACKSTOP TO THAT IS ALMOST EVERY ONE OF THEM, BECAUSE EVERY OTHER COMMUNITY IN TEXAS WANTS TO GIVE INCENTIVES TO GET THOSE INDUSTRIES IN PLACE, ESPECIALLY MORE RURAL AREAS.
LANCASTER IS STILL GIVING AWAY A LOT OF MONEY FOR LOGISTICS.
YEAH, YOU GUYS CHEW UP ALL YOUR LAND AND YOUR MONEY THAT WAY.
LOOK, IT GOES BACK TO THE MISSION.
WE'RE REFOCUSING THE ECONOMY OF DESOTO.
AWAY FROM TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS, AWAY FROM TRUCK TRAINING, TRUCK PARKING, AWAY. I MEAN, OUR OUR INDUSTRIAL AREA HAS BEEN USED AS A DUMPING GROUND FOR ANYTHING THAT WASN'T RETAIL OR OR RESIDENTIAL.
THERE'S LOTS OF LAND UP THERE THAT'S JUST NOT WELL UTILIZED.
WE HAVE 3 OR 4 EVENT CENTERS IN OUR INDUSTRIAL PARK.
WHAT'S THE WHAT'S THE TAXES THOSE GENERATE? YEAH, WE EVEN HAVE SOME CHURCHES.
OKAY. AND I MEAN, AND I DON'T MEAN IN OUR RETAIL CENTERS, WHICH WE HAVE A BUNCH I MEAN IN OUR INDUSTRIAL PARK.
THIS IS WHAT I LIKE. THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IS WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE A REALLY GREAT WAY TO DO IT. I MEAN I UNDERSTAND TIME TECHNOLOGY A LOT.
THIS IS A LOT OF EFFORT TO PUT ALL THIS INFORMATION IN THERE AND MAKE SURE THAT'S OFF. YEAH. SHE SHE HAS SHE'S GRASPED THIS.
SHE'S BUILT IT. SHE'S WORKED WITH PEOPLE ACROSS THE STATE WHO ARE DOING SIMILAR KINDS OF WORK. TO LOOK AT WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND, IT WAS A HUGE JUMPING OFF PLACE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF BE A GUINEA PIG TO START PUTTING THIS STUFF TOGETHER BECAUSE WHERE IT'S BEEN DONE OTHER PLACES, IT'S BEEN RELATIVELY SMALL.
WE'RE NOT RELATIVELY SMALL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD SIZED ORGANIZATION.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THIS.
THAT'S GREAT. I SPECIFICALLY WANTED TO DISPLAY OUR ATTRACTION EFFORTS.
SO HOW THESE ARE COUNTED IS WE WILL MARK OUR ACTIVITY, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. SO THIS IS EVERYTHING WE'VE LABELED AS ATTRACTIVE ATTRACTION.
IT'LL BREAK IT DOWN BY WHO WHAT SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT NOTES THE MEETING OR IT WAS CORRELATED WITH PEOPLE ASK ALL THE TIME.
ARE THERE DEVELOPERS INTERESTED IN DESOTO? THERE'S 205 OF THEM THAT WE'VE DONE THIS YEAR, 205 MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD AROUND THOSE NOTES, AROUND THE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
NOW THIS. SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHAT? IT'LL BE A MORE POLISHED VERSION, BUT BUILDING OUT A DASHBOARD THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS. SO YOU'LL OPEN IT AND YOU CAN SEE EXACTLY.
THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT HERE. THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT HERE. I KIND OF WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHAT THOSE CHARTS LOOK LIKE, SO IT'LL OPEN UP SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS. NOW, THIS IS NOT COMPLETED AT ALL. THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE, SOMETHING LIKE RIGHT AWAY YOU SEE IT.
SO. SO LET ME BACK UP FOR A MINUTE.
YOU SAID TWO 205. THAT EXPRESSED A LEVEL OF INTEREST.
HOW MANY OUT OF THE 205 HAVE WE REALLY ATTRACTED? I'M NOT SAYING YOU NEED TO ANSWER THAT. I'M.
I'M GOING SOMEWHERE WITH THAT.
OKAY. IF THIS IS THE INFORMATION WE HAVE, WHY IS IT THAT WE CAN'T BRING THEM TO THE BOTTOM LINE. THAT'S THE BOTTOM.
THAT'S THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO MICHAEL. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO.
YEAH, BECAUSE WHEN YOU SAY HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE ZONED.
YEAH. I MEAN, I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS DIE RIGHT THERE.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT. WE HAVE IN PLACE AN INCENTIVE AGREEMENT THAT WE CAN'T UTILIZE BECAUSE WE CAN'T ZONE THE PROPERTY TO MOVE IT FORWARD.
SO LET'S TAKE THAT. NO, DON'T GO ANYWHERE WITH IT.
NO, LET'S JUST TAKE THAT A STEP FURTHER IN THIS RESPECT AND WE CAN MOVE ON. OKAY.
IF THAT'S OUR STALEMATE, IF THAT'S OUR BARRIER TO ENTRY, THAT SHOULD BE OUR A NUMBER ONE ATTACK AT A NUMBER ONE.
IF IT'S DERAILING SO MUCH, WE'VE GOT TO GET OUR ARMS AROUND THAT.
I KNOW I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO BE GOING TO.
HOW DO YOU PROPOSE WE ATTACK IT.
YEAH. GOSH, WE GOT TOO MUCH OTHER STUFF ON HERE.
WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPEDING US FROM PROGRESS.
[02:05:01]
YEAH. WELL, YEAH. WE'RE STILL IN MATT'S REPORT ON PROJECTS, ATTRACTIONS AND GENERAL OPERATIONS.NO, WE'RE ACTUALLY AT THE END OF THAT. OKAY.
EACH ONE OF THOSE VARIOUS AREAS, AND YOU SEE THE PIECES AND PARTS OF WHAT? SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE THERE.
YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE AT WITH SOME OF THOSE AND THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
AND I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
I THINK THIS IS I THINK THIS IS A HUGE STEP FORWARD IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO RELATE TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND TO OUR, OUR OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT THAT WE HAVE TO WORK BETTER TOGETHER. WE'VE GOT TO WE'VE GOT TO FIND WAYS TO MOVE, MOVE THESE PROJECTS OUT OF THINKING ABOUT IT, TO BUILDING IT. AND AGAIN, I'M NOT TRYING TO RAIN ON YOUR PARADE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
SO IF YOU WANT TO DISCUSS THESE THINGS, I'LL SEE YOU LATER.
YEAH. NO, DON'T SEND IT TO ME.
SEND IT TO MAKE THE AGENDA AND AND GET IT ON THE AGENDA.
WELL DONE. I'M SUPER PROUD OF WHAT SHE'S DONE.
EXCELLENT. YEAH, I KNOW OF I KNOW OF FOUR OTHER COMMUNITIES WHO ARE DOING THINGS AS AS ADVANCED AS THIS. I TOLD SALLY, I SAID IN A YEAR, SHE'S GOING TO BE TEACHING CLASSES AT THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ABOUT HOW TO UTILIZE CRM DATA TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.
SO, ALL RIGHT. FOR OUR RETREAT, LIKE THIS TYPE OF DATA FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DISCUSS AS WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT GOALS ARE THAT'S INFORMED BY LIKE PERCENTAGE OF INCREASE FROM YEAR TO YEAR OR YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, LIKE OR DECREASE OR YOU KNOW, WHAT THE CHANGE LOOKS LIKE BASED ON ACTUAL DATA. THAT'S INFORMING THE TYPE OF DEPARTMENT GOALS THAT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR.
IF IT'S ON AN AGENDA, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT.
I'M ASKING IF WE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA, ON THE AGENDA, HE'LL SEND ME A LETTER AND THEN WE'LL PUT YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO SAY THIS TO YOUR POINT. THAT'S A GOOD SEGUE, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE IN THE PAST IS THERE ARE ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE ON THE AGENDA THAT AS BOARD MEMBERS, YOU GUYS NEED TO SUBMIT.
I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO SUBMIT IT TO EITHER MYSELF OR SUBMIT IT TO MATT AND AND TO MISS MELBA, THEN WE CAN GET IT.
AND WE CAN REDUCE SOME OF WHAT WE HAVE AND FOCUS ON SOME OF THE THE IMPERATIVES, IF YOU WILL. SO. BUT THIS IS GREAT STUFF.
SO FORGIVE ME, BUT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO ASK IF WE CAN GIVE YOU A.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT INFORMATION.
NEXT WE HAVE WE TALKED ABOUT THE HEALTHY DESOTO.
[B.3. Nominations and Election of Corporate Officer — (Vice President)]
YOU NEED TO PULL ON. YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO PULL NUMBER THREE.THAT'S RIGHT. THE NOMINATIONS AND ELECTION OF CORPORATE OFFICER.
WE'RE GOING TO PULL THAT RIGHT NOW.
THAT WILL COME FORTH IN SEPTEMBER.
WE PRAY REVIEW THE MOTION TO TABLE IT.
YES. CAN WE GET A MOTION? I SAY WE DON'T HAVE. WE'VE GOT.
WE WE'RE MISSING TWO. AND WE THOUGHT ABOUT THE LAST TIME WE WENT DOWN THAT PATH.
WE THOUGHT WE NEED TO HAVE THE THE REAL CONSENSUS HERE.
THAT'S THAT'S THE REAL REASON.
YEAH. WELL. WELL, IT'S ON ME TO HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATIONS TO ENSURE.
YEAH, I'VE GOT THAT IN MY HIP POCKET TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT. SO TO THAT, TO THIS SUBJECT MATTER, CAN WE CAN A MOTION TO RULE THAT FOR RIGHT NOW, TO MOVE THAT TO THE TABLE, IT TO MOVE TO SEPTEMBER MEETING.
SECOND. MOTION. AND SECOND TO TABLE.
THE NOMINATIONS AND ELECTION OF CORPORATE OFFICERS FOR VICE PRESIDENT TO MOVE IT TO SEPTEMBER BOARD MEETING.
HEALTHY. DE SOTO. I'M GOING TO ASK THAT WE EXPEDITE HERE.
WE'VE HAD SOME HEALTHY DISCUSSION TODAY, BUT I WANT TO BE SENSITIVE TO OUR TIME THAT WE HAVE EXCEEDED ALREADY.
PLEASE. SO REVIEW AND DISCUSSION.
[B.4. Review & discussion of Healthy DeSoto presentation]
HEALTHY DESOTO PRESENTATION.[02:10:02]
DO YOU WANT TO HAVE IT UP? THIS IS GOING TO I'M NOT SURE.WHAT DO YOU WANT TO EXPEDITE MEANS.
WELL I DON'T WANT US TO GET LONG WINDED ABOUT IT.
I MEAN, CAN WE GET A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF IT? SURE. THIS IS IN PREPARATION FOR NEXT FOR THE.
THIS IS IN PREPARATION FOR THE FOR THE BOARD RETREAT.
RIGHT. SO WE PREPARED THIS PRESENTATION FOR NEXT TUESDAY.
WE'VE WORKED THROUGH THIS WITH SIG.
WE WORKED THROUGH IT WITH WITH STAFF TO PUT TOGETHER WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A PRETTY COMPELLING STORY THAT TOLD KIND OF WHERE WE'VE COME FROM.
THE YOU IF YOU FLIP THROUGH IT, IT TALKS ABOUT THE PURPOSE.
YOU KNOW, THE BACKGROUND THAT WE'VE HAD SO FAR. IT LISTS OUT THE INITIATIVES AROUND THE HEALTHY DE SOTO IN THE SOTO 20 AND DE SOTO 21 TO 25 STRATEGIC PLAN.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, NONE OF WHICH HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. AND THAT WAS THE IMPETUS FOR THAT CONVERSATION.
REMEMBER THAT IT WAS DRIVEN BY THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WITH THE BIO LIFE SCIENCE CAMPUS, WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WITH THE SPORTS MEDICINE CAMPUS, WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WITH THE ENTERTAINMENT CORRIDOR, AND THEN THE THE HAMPTON ROAD AND BELTLINE CORRIDOR.
BASED ON A CONVERSATION I HAD WITH A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM WHO HAD EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN DE SOTO AND, AND, AND A CONVERSATION WITH THIS BOARD THAT SAID, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE. WE'RE NOT JUST WILLING TO HAVE THEM BUILD HEALTHCARE FACILITIES IF WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING, IS IT GOING TO SERVE THE PURPOSE OF OUR COMMUNITY? SO THAT'S THE GOAL.
THAT'S THE THAT'S THE REASON FOR THIS PROJECT.
YOU TALK ABOUT THE BATHROOM THE FOR THE FOR LONG TERM GOALS.
I'LL LET YOU GUYS READ THIS AT YOUR OWN LEISURE. IT'S NOT A LONG READ.
IT TALKS ABOUT THE VARIOUS ENTERPRISE DISTRICTS, EVERY ONE OF THEM THAT WOULD BE SUPPORTED BY THAT EFFORT.
REAL ESTATE IN THAT EFFORT TALKS ABOUT THE DESIRED OUTCOMES.
WHAT WE WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN OVER THE LONG HAUL.
IT ISN'T THAT THIS EFFORT IS GOING TO CREATE THOSE DESIRED OUTCOMES.
THIS EFFORT IS MEANT TO IDENTIFY WHAT IT MIGHT TAKE THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT TO BE INVOLVED. THE REAL ESTATE THAT NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED, THE THE THINKING THAT HAS TO HAPPEN IN ORDER TO START TO MAKE, TO MOVE THE NEEDLE AROUND.
HEALTH DISPARITY AROUND CREATING LONGER, MORE MORE PRODUCTIVE LIVES.
IT TALKS ABOUT THE PARTNERS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH FOR TWO YEARS IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING, YOU KNOW, THEM AND THEIR AND THEIR EXPERTISE.
IF YOU START TO ADD UP THE EXPERTISE THAT LAYS AROUND THIS KIND OF AN OPPORTUNITY IN THAT IT'S IT'S SOMEWHERE AROUND 150 YEARS BETWEEN THE FOUR OF THEM.
I, I, I HAD AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION AROUND THIS THAT SOMEBODY SAID IT WOULD BE NICE IF THAT WAS IF THAT TEAM WAS MORE DIVERSE, MAYBE YOU COULD DIVERSIFY THEIR TEAM.
I SAID, YOU CAN'T PULL ONE OF THOSE GUYS OUT.
ONE OF THESE GUYS HAS BEEN WITH PRESBYTERIAN SINCE 79.
HE BUILT THE PRESBYTERIAN SYSTEM THAT TURNED INTO THE OTHER.
THIS IS FOUR GUYS WHO COME TOGETHER TO WORK WITH US, BECAUSE THEY SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN A COMMUNITY.
AND AGAIN, THIS WILL BE PART OF THE RETREAT.
THIS IS ALL GOING TO BE AT THE RETREAT WHERE BOARD MEMBERS, Y'ALL. YOU ALL HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
YOU ALL FORMED YOUR AD HOC COMMITTEE.
YOU ALL SEEN THIS AND SAID, GO, GO AND GET IT APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
REMEMBER WHAT THE STUTTER STEP THERE WAS? I DON'T THINK THEY KNEW ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO.
AND WHAT THEY KEPT THINKING WAS, THIS NEEDS TO BE A BUILDING.
HOW DOES THAT RELATE TO A BUILDING? IT DOESN'T. IT JUST DOESN'T.
SO THIS WILL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A ROBUST DISCUSSION WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND HOPEFULLY MOVE IT FORWARD.
TALKS ABOUT THE SCOPE OF SERVICES FOR THAT PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT, TALKS ABOUT THE TIME FRAME AND THE DELIVERABLES AND THE COST, AND THEN THE NEXT STEP, WHICH IS INITIATING A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE CONTRACT AND BEGIN THE WORK.
SO LET ME ASK YOU, THE BOARD TAKES A LOOK AT THIS INDIVIDUALLY ON YOUR OWN TIME, AND FORMALIZE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
YEAH. SO THAT WE CAN BE A BIT MORE COMPREHENSIVE IN OUR REVIEW OF IT AS WELL.
YEAH, A SECOND REVIEW, BECAUSE WE REVIEWED IT BEFORE AND THIS IS A REVISED APPROACH TO IT.
YEAH. I MEAN, AND TEQUILA WAS PART OF THAT AD HOC COMMITTEE.
THE OTHER TWO MEMBERS DON'T HAPPEN TO BE HERE TONIGHT, BUT I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT ON ALL OF US TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, IF THIS IS THE BASIS FOR THE DISCUSSION WITH WITH THE COUNCIL, IS THERE MORE THAT WE WANT TO ADD TO THAT? THE ONLY THING THAT I, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD STILL TO THIS AND, AND SOLELY SPENT TIME WITH IT AND I SPENT TIME WITH IT TODAY IS WE WENT BACK TO THAT INITIAL MEETING AND WE LISTENED TO THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE BEING ASKED, THE ANSWER TO WHICH WAS, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE
[02:15:02]
THINGS WE'RE GOING TO STUDY. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE ASKING ABOUT. BUT I BUILT THAT LIST OF QUESTIONS BECAUSE I WANT TO TAKE IT BACK TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS SAID, THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU ASKED. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE ADDRESS THEM BEFORE WE LEAVE HERE AT THE RETREAT. OKAY.THANK YOU. THAT'S PROGRESS FORWARD.
PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SERVE UP YOUR QUESTIONS.
COULD YOU PLEASE SEND A CALENDAR INVITE FOR THAT SEPTEMBER 12TH MEETING? YEAH, WE DON'T EITHER.
NEITHER DO WE. SO WE KNOW IT'S ON THE 12TH AND IT WILL LIKELY BE AN ALL DAY AFFAIR FOR THEM. BUT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO, FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR OUR PARTNERS TIME TO BE ABLE TO NAIL THAT DOWN. THAT'S THE REQUEST I'VE MADE FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
THEY JUST DON'T HAVE AN AGENDA FOR THAT YET.
BUT YES, WE WILL DO THAT JUST AS QUICK AS WE HAVE IT.
OKAY. AS WE PROGRESS FORWARD, IT SAYS WE'RE NOW, UPON DISCUSSING CONSIDER APPROVAL OF PROPOSALS FOR 2526 BUDGET.
[B.5. Discuss and consider approval of proposed FY25/26 Budget]
WE CAN'T DO THAT. LET ME JUST.WE'RE NOT. I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REALLY GO THROUGH THIS.
SO WHEN'S THE COUNCIL? YEAH. SO THE COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL IS GOING TO LOOK AT IS GOING TO IS GOING TO FINALIZE THAT BUDGET BEFORE.
BEFORE THE END OF THE, BEFORE THE END OF SEPTEMBER, BUT THEY WILL ACTUALLY HAVE IT DONE BY 16TH SEPTEMBER.
SO THE MY, MY SUGGESTION IS LOOK AT IT.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS HOLLER AT ME.
I'M HAPPY TO WALK THROUGH IT WITH YOU.
DOESN'T THE BOARD NEED TO MEET BEFORE WE NEED TO APPROVE THIS BUDGET.
SO THAT WE, OUR BYLAWS READ THAT WE PROVIDE IT TO THE COUNCIL 30 DAYS BEFORE THEY HAVE TO. THEY HAVE TO DO THEIR WORK, WHICH IS BEGUN IN IN AUGUST ALREADY? YEAH. THEY'VE ALREADY PRESENTED A DRAFT BUDGET, WHICH, BY THE WAY, THIS IS PART OF THE DRAFT BUDGET.
SO IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES THAT WE WANT TO MAKE, WE STILL CAN.
BUT THEN WE'LL ALSO HAVE TO APPROVE THIS BUDGET.
WE MEET ON THE 11TH. THAT'S CORRECT.
THEY THEY SAID THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE IT BY.
NO, THEY'RE GOING TO APPROVE THE FINAL BUDGET BY THE 29TH, 2020. NOBODY EVER APPROVES IT ON THE 29TH.
EVERYBODY APPROVES IT EARLIER.
THAT'S RIGHT. USUALLY 2 OR 3 WEEKS IN ADVANCE OF THAT.
CORRECT. WHEN THEY WILL PROBABLY APPROVE IT.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW. I'VE GOT CITIES THAT ARE ABOUT TO APPROVE THEIR BUDGETS NEXT WEEK.
RIGHT. YEAH. YOU KNOW, SO WELL, I DON'T WANT TO DELAY ANYTHING, BUT I DO WANT TO BE AS COMFORTABLE APPROVE THAT BUDGET ON THE 16TH.
THAT COUNCIL MEETING ON THE 16TH.
YEAH. WELL, WE NEED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT IT, ASSESS ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
AND TO MATT'S POINT, PLEASE FORWARD THOSE QUESTIONS TO MATT.
PLEASE COPY ME ON THOSE QUESTIONS, BY THE WAY.
AND SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE RIGHT AND LEFT HAND ALIGNED.
YEAH. I MEAN, IF THERE'S SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE, IF I SUSPECT THE ANSWER IS LOOKING AT THIS, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THIS MIRRORS LAST YEAR.
YEAH. WITH WITH SOME AREAS OF REDUCTION, I THINK WE REDUCED OUR OVERALL EXPENSES BY ABOUT $80,000. AND IF YOU FIND OUT THAT THIS COUNCIL IS APPROVING EARLIER THAN THAT.
YEAH. WE NEED TO CALL A SPECIAL MEETING.
THOSE ARE MY SENTIMENTS TOWARD THAT.
THE BOARD. HAVE YOU GUYS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT IT? NO. OKAY. SO I WANTED TO BE THRILLED ABOUT THAT.
YEAH. OKAY. SO. OKAY. SO SAFE TO SAY, VICTORIA.
WE'RE NOT CONSIDERING APPROVING, SO WE'RE DISCUSSING.
SO. OKAY, LET'S PROGRESS FORWARD.
NEXT. I'M SORRY. SO WHEN ARE WE GOING TO DISCUSS OR WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE PRESENTED? YOU'RE GOING TO. WELL, WE'RE THINKING IT'S GOING TO BE PRESENTED.
16TH SEPTEMBER. I'M SURE THAT THE BUDGET WILL BE FINALIZED BY 16TH SEPTEMBER AND APPROVED BY COUNCIL, SO IT CAN BE SUBMITTED TO THE STATE.
I'M RELATIVELY CERTAIN THAT THAT'S ONE.
I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TWO WEEKS EARLIER THAN THAT. I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT SEPTEMBER 2ND.
THEY COULD WELL, WE DON'T KNOW.
SPECIAL MEETINGS FOR THE BUDGET.
BUT YOU KNOW, THIS WILL BE BACK BEFORE YOU.
THE CITY I MEAN THE DDC BUDGET WILL BE BACK BEFORE YOU ON THE 11TH.
UNLESS THE COUNCIL'S GOING TO APPROVE EARLIER.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO CALL A SPECIAL.
OKAY. OKAY. BUT AGAIN, IF THERE'S SUBSTANTIVE BUT SUBSTANTIVE
[02:20:03]
CHANGES OR QUESTIONS, I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW IT WAS PUT TOGETHER. IT WE KIND OF WE KIND OF DO IT ZERO BASED EVERY YEAR.I MEAN WE WORK THROUGH AND SAY IN THIS CASE WE WORK THROUGH.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT ABOUT CONFERENCES AND THOSE WE WORK THROUGH AND SAY WHAT WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T. WHAT DID WE FEEL WAS WORTH OUR TIME AND MONEY? MONEY'S NOTHING COMPARED TO THE TIME THAT WE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE TIME THAT I END UP SPENDING 3 OR 4 DAYS WITH THIS OR ANTOINE DOES, OR IN SOME CASES, BOTH OF US GO BECAUSE THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH TO COVER.
IT'S A HUGE INVESTMENT OF TIME AND ENERGY.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S VERY LITTLE THAT THAT OR PERSONNEL IS WHAT IT IS.
WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF CHOICE IN WHAT WE DO WITH THAT, UNLESS WE'RE PROPOSING THAT WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE STAFFING.
AND THAT WOULD CREATE A, YOU KNOW, A SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE.
BUT AS YOU GO THROUGH THESE MAJOR CATEGORIES, MOST OF THEM WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS ESPECIALLY AROUND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND WE'VE MADE SOME CHANGES THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE IDEAS THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK ON IN TERMS OF RFPS FOR, FOR PROPERTIES AND BEING ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER CONCEPTUAL DRAWINGS AROUND SPECIFIC THAT MOST OF IT THE BIO LIFE SCIENCE AND OR THE HAMPTON ROAD CORRIDOR. BUT MOST OF THIS IS THE BIO LIFE SCIENCE OPERATIONAL CHARGES.
AGAIN, WE PAY RENT FOR OUR SPACE AND ACCOUNTING FEES THAT WE PAY.
WE REIMBURSE THE CITY FOR THOSE EXPENSES.
BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO I'M TRYING TO READ THIS LIKE, HEY, WHAT AM I LOOKING AT? SO IT'S LIKE, IS THIS THE 24 BUDGET OR 25 BUDGET? LIKE YOU SEE THEM BOTH.
SO THE FIRST COLUMN IS THE 2526.
THE SECOND COLUMN ON THE RIGHT IS THE 2425 BUDGET.
RIGHT. SO YOU HAVE LAST YOU HAVE THE BUDGET WE'RE LIVING UNDER NOW IN THE SECOND COLUMN ON THE RIGHT. YES. BUT I'M SPEAKING THE TOP PART.
THAT'S OUR THAT'S OUR REVENUES.
REVENUES FROM LAST YEAR WILL BE FLAT.
SO THIS I'M LOOKING AT 2750 27 562 1977.
BUT IT SAYS. IS THAT THE 25? IS THAT THE 24 TO 25 BUDGET? IT WAS THE 24 BUDGET AND IT IS THE 25 BUDGET.
WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING ANY INCREASE IN SALES TAX.
SO MATT, YOU SAY IN THIS ENTIRE COLUMN IS 2425.
SO 25, 26, 25. SHE WAS SAYING, I'M ASKING ABOUT YOU.
SHE'S ASKING ABOUT THE REVENUES FOR NEXT YEAR, FUND BALANCE THAT WE BEGAN WITH THIS TIME.
NO, NO. SO WHAT I'M SAYING I THINK AT THE TOP IT'S 25.
IT'S NOT 24. RIGHT. YOU ARE CORRECT THAT.
YEAH. THAT THAT SHOULD BE THAT SHOULD READ 25 BUDGET.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY. WHAT AM I LOOKING AT. SO 25.
NO I'M SORRY. YES. THAT IS EXACTLY THE SAME.
OKAY. AND THE 88, 51 AND 84 IS THAT'S OUR THAT'S OUR FUND BALANCE.
SO LAST YEAR'S ENDING FUND BALANCE IS THIS YEAR'S BEGINNING FUND BALANCE.
AND WE'LL ADD TO THAT THE REVENUES FOR THE YEAR SUBTRACT FROM THAT THE EXPENSES.
IT'S 975. YOU MUST HAVE TWO LINES.
OF SALES TAX. NO. OH THAT'S THE THAT'S THAT'S THE THAT'S OKAY.
YEAH. AND IT IS ACCOUNTED FOR IN A DIFFERENT FUND NOW.
OKAY. THEY DON'T LIKE THE WAY OUR FINANCIALS GET REPRESENTED VERY WELL BECAUSE THAT'S CONFUSING AS ALL GET OUT.
BUT THE NUMBER THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH IS THAT TWO 756 56.
TWO. 50. OKAY. PLUS OUR INTEREST REVENUE.
AND. WE'LL SEE IF THAT DROPS OR IT DOESN'T, I DON'T KNOW.
OKAY. DIFFERENT KIND OF HANDLE.
YEAH. BECAUSE THE FORMAT IS KILLING ME. I AGREE.
OKAY. OKAY. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND PLEASE SHARE ANY OBSERVATIONS.
YEAH. THE OTHER ONE I'LL POINT OUT TO YOU, JUST SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO ASK ME, IS OUR PROMOTIONAL ADVERTISING IS BY STATUTE.
NO. NO GREATER THAN 10% OF THE, OF THE REVENUE THAT WE RECEIVE.
SO WE BUDGET FOR 10%. IT'S A PLUG NUMBER.
WE DON'T WE DON'T TRY TO BACK UP INTO IT TO WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT WE'LL PROBABLY SPEND.
AND IT USUALLY ENDS UP BEING A LITTLE LESS THAN,
[02:25:04]
THAN THAN WE MIGHT OTHERWISE.ROLL THAT OVER. AND WHAT WE DO.
AND THAT'S THE REASON THAT WE BUDGET 10% EVERY YEAR, IS BECAUSE WE DO ROLL IT OVER AND WE KEEP TRACK OF IT SO WE KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
BECAUSE THAT ALLOWS US SOME FLEXIBILITY IN OUR BUDGET.
IT'S THE ONE PLACE WHERE WE DO WHERE WE KIND OF DO HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY AWAY FROM THE STATUTE ITSELF THAT SAYS IT HAS TO BE JOB CREATING WITHIN SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. WHICH LINE IS THAT AGAIN? THAT'S THE ADVERTISING, PROMOTIONAL AND ADVERTISING ACCOUNT.
5055 120. OKAY. SO ANY KIND OF FACADE GRANTS. THAT'S WHERE FACADE GRANTS ARE.
JUST THEY COME OUT OF YOUR REGULAR.
OKAY. THEY THEY SHOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE QUESTION.
OKAY. YEAH. THOSE BECAUSE WE CAN'T FORESEE FACADE GRANTS.
THEY'LL COME OUT OF UNPROGRAMED DOLLARS.
SO IF YOU GET TO THE VERY BOTTOM OF THIS, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE WHAT WHAT WHAT AMOUNTS TO UNPROGRAMED REVENUES, WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT $1 MILLION.
THAT'S WHERE FACADE GRANTS ARE COMING OUT OF.
WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY NEXT YEAR AND COMMITMENTS WE HAVE ALREADY. THOSE ARE THE PROGRAM GRANT DOLLARS.
THE UNPROGRAMED GRANT DOLLARS IS THERE'S TWO ITEMS THAT ARE PLUGGED ON THIS THAT ARE PLUGS ON THIS, 10% THAT'S ALLOTTED TOWARDS THE PROMOTIONAL FEES, AND THEN THE UNPROGRAMED, THE UNPROGRAMED DOLLARS.
SO WE TAKE THE REVENUES, WE SUBTRACT EVERYTHING ELSE FROM IT, INCLUDING THE PROMOTIONAL FEES.
AND THAT LEAVES US A NUMBER AT THE BOTTOM.
AND THAT'S IN THIS CASE, THAT'S ABOUT $1 MILLION, A LITTLE OVER $1 MILLION.
THAT'S THE UNPROGRAMED DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE.
IF WE DON'T SPEND THEM, THEY GO INTO THE FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, IF WE END UP HAVING A BIG PROJECT THAT COMES IN THAT WE HAVE TO FIND FUNDING FOR, THAT'S WHERE IT'S GOING TO COME FROM BECAUSE WE HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THOSE THINGS, BUT INFRASTRUCTURE WE CAN DO.
FACADE GRANTS. WE WE. ANYTHING THAT'S ALLOWED BY THE TENSION.
SO WE WOULDN'T DO TENANT IMPROVEMENT OUT OF THIS? NO, THAT'D BE DONE OUT OF A 380 AGREEMENT.
A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE MIGHT DO THERE IS ON THE BIOLIFE SCIENCE CAMPUS.
IF WE PROGRAMED A BUILDING AND FOUND A DEVELOPER TO DO THAT.
BUT THEY CAN'T THEY CAN'T AFFORD.
RIGHT. THAT'S A PRETTY RISKY PROJECT.
WHAT THEY NEED TO HAVE IS TENANTS, BUT WE CAN'T GIVE THEM TENANTS BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHO THOSE BUSINESSES ARE. YET. THE VERY NATURE OF THAT, WE MIGHT ENTER INTO A LONG TERM LEASE AGREEMENT, MASTER LEASE AGREEMENT, TO RENT TWO FLOORS OF THAT BUILDING SO THEY CAN GO TO THE BANK AND SAY, I'VE GOT IT 30% LEASED, I'M GOING TO BUILD THIS BUILDING.
WE CAN BUY LAND, WE CAN DEVELOP LAND, WE CAN RENT AND SELL IT OR RENT AND LEASE IT AND WE CAN SELL IT. IT IS WHAT WE ARE CREATED TO DO AS AN EDC.
WHY IS IT THAT WE CAN FUND FACADE BUT NOT.
IS IT BECAUSE ONCE EXTERIOR WAS INTERIOR? I MEAN, I DON'T. FACADE IS REALLY SHOEHORNED INTO 501 103, WHICH IS INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE INFRASTRUCTURE ALLOWS YOU TO COVER.
YES. ALLOWS YOU TO COVER SITE IMPROVEMENT.
AND THE CONCEPT IS THAT THOSE FACADE IMPROVEMENTS WILL IMPROVE THE SITE AS A WHOLE. AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE RISING TIDE.
RAISES ALL SHIPS. SO THAT'S THAT'S WHERE WE GET FACADE GRANTS.
MAYBE. YEAH, IT'S VERY CREATIVE, BUT JUST ABOUT EVERY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION DOES OKAY.
LET ME ASK A QUESTION ON THE GRANTS AND SPONSORSHIPS.
SO LET ME TALK ABOUT WE HAVE SOUTHWEST ROTARY CHAMBER MISCELLANEOUS, IF YOU WILL. AND WHAT DETERMINES OUR NUMBER? THERE ARE AN INVESTMENT US WHETHER WE WANT TO SUPPORT THOSE EFFORTS OR NOT.
RIGHT. WE WE ARE WE ARE ASKED TO SPONSOR A NUMBER OF A NUMBER OF THINGS.
AND WE TRY TO LOOK AND SAY, WHERE, WHERE DOES THIS NEED TO BE? WHERE WOULD WE BE CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT.
YEAH. IT COULD. BUT IN ANY CASE THAT'S HOW THAT'S HOW WE DRIVE THOSE NUMBERS.
GOTCHA. YOU. I'M THINKING ABOUT THE CHAMBER OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CHAMBER HERE.
[02:30:07]
OKAY. WELL, YEAH. PLEASE DON'T GO THERE.THE CHAMBER. THAT'S. THAT'S HOW WE SUPPORT THIS CHAMBER, IS THAT WE'LL HAVE A TABLE AT ONE OF THEIR EVENTS.
WE'LL HAVE THE GOLF TOURNAMENT TO BE A PROMOTIONAL EXPENSE.
YEAH, IT'S THE ONLY CATEGORY IT FITS UNDER.
YEAH. GOT IT. OKAY, SO THAT'S TYPICALLY THE WAY THAT WE HAVE SUPPORTED THE CHAMBER IS THROUGH THOSE KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES.
OKAY. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND LET'S MOVE FORWARD HERE SO WE CAN CLOSE OUT.
FRANKLY THE NEXT WE HAVE DISCUSSED AND CONSIDER APPROVAL OF HAMPTON BELTLINE RFP
[B.6. Discuss and consider approval of Hampton / Beltline RFP Proposal]
PROPOSAL. YEAH. AND THERE'S THERE'S IT REALLY IS JUST A DISCUSSION THAT THE INTENT AT THIS POINT IN TIME IS TO ENGAGE A THIRD PARTY TO TO CREATE A LIMITED DISTRIBUTION RFP TO A SPECIFIC SET OF DEVELOPERS WHO WOULD TYPICALLY RESPOND TO THESE KINDS OF PROJECTS.RIGHT NOW, WE OWN TWO PIECES OF PROPERTY IN HAMPTON AND BELTLINE IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER AND THE NORTHWEST CORNER.
AND AND THE IDEA IS TO GET A CONCEPTUAL ENOUGH OF A OF A SITE PLAN, IF YOU WILL, OF THE KINDS OF THINGS.
IT'S REALLY MORE DEFINING WHAT'S IN AND WHAT'S OUT.
RIGHT. WHAT KINDS OF THINGS DO WE NOT WANT TO SEE THERE? AND WHAT KINDS OF THINGS ARE WE LOOKING FOR AS A COMMUNITY? HOW DO WE WANT THOSE TO DEVELOP? AND THEN TO CREATE THE CONCEPTUAL THAT WOULD DRIVE THAT DRAFT AN RFP, THAT THAT CONVEYS THAT INFORMATION, SETS FORTH THE KINDS OF INCENTIVES THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER IN THE CATEGORIES OF INCENTIVES THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER AND THEN DISTRIBUTE THAT OUT TO AS AN ART AND REALLY PROBABLY AN RFP OR PERHAPS AN RFQ TO DEVELOPERS TO SAY, NOW TELL US THE KIND OF PROJECTS YOU WOULD DO SO AND PUT THAT OUT SO THAT WE GET THOSE RESPONSES, HOPEFULLY 3 OR 4.
AND THEN BEGIN TO SORT OF FILTER THROUGH.
DOES IT, DO ANY OF THEM MEET THAT NEED OR IS IT A COMBINATION OF WE'VE KICKED AROUND SOME OTHER IDEAS ABOUT DOING IT SORT OF AS A COMPETITION.
AND BECAUSE THOSE RESPONSES ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE FOR THE DEVELOPERS TO ENGAGE IN.
YEAH. AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET GOOD RESPONSES THAT ARE THOUGHTFUL.
YOU KNOW, THESE GUYS ARE ALL PRETTY GOOD, PRETTY, PRETTY COMPETITIVE FOLKS. THAT'S THE REASON THEY DO WHAT THEY DO.
SO WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT EVEN SETTING IT UP AS A COMPETITION THAT WE'LL REIMBURSE TO THE WINNING COMPANY, TO THE WINNING PROJECT, $15,000 OR $20,000.
AND THE SECOND PLACE WILL BE SO MUCH.
BUT THE CATCH TO THAT IS YOUR DESIGNS BECOME OUR PROPERTY.
YOUR IDEAS BECOME OUR PROPERTY WITH THAT.
SO THAT NOW IF WE DECIDE THAT WE WANT TO PUSH THOSE TOGETHER, WE AREN'T VIOLATING ANYBODY ELSE'S IDEAS.
SO WE'VE DONE ENOUGH HOMEWORK OVER THE YEARS TO IDENTIFY PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE. YOU MODIFY AS YOU GO FORWARD.
BUT MY POINT ULTIMATELY BECOMES WHAT'S OUR TIMELINE, OUR GAME PLAN, OUR STRATEGY FOR RELEASING AN RFP TO ENSURE THAT WE START MOVING THE NEEDLE ON IT BECAUSE WE CAN TALK RFP.
RFP IS IN DEVELOPMENT, CAN TAKE A YEAR OR TWO, TAKE A LONG TIME. IT CAN TAKE SIX MONTHS.
I THINK WE'RE FURTHER ALONG DOWN THE PATHWAY NOW THAT WHAT'S OUR TIMELINE TO COLLAPSE IT? SO OUR INTENT IS TO PUT THIS ON THE MARKET AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WITH EXPECTED RESPONSES BY THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER IN MARCH.
SO YEAH. NO, IT WON'T TAKE A YEAR.
YEAH. AND THAT'S AND AGAIN THAT'S PART OF THE SORT OF COMPETITIVE SPIRIT IS OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT. WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE ONE OF THE BETTER ONES ANYWAY.
SO WE AT LEAST WILL RECOUP SOME OF OUR COSTS.
BUT YEAH WE INTEND TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS FAIRLY QUICKLY.
GOT IT. WE DO WANT TO HAVE ONCE WE KIND OF THINK THROUGH AND CREATE BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW, WHAT WE THINK IS IN AND OUT TO GET A BLESSING ON THAT FROM THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND WE WANT THEM TO THEY WE WANT THEM TO BE BE VERY COGNIZANT THAT WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR IS WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET. AND SO IT MATTERS WHAT YOU ASK FOR.
I THINK A PARALLEL PATH NEEDS TO BE WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL IS HAVING THEIR RETREAT OR WHAT HAVE YOU, THAT SOME OF THIS INFORMATION WE'RE SERVING UP SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND START HAVING WE START WHETTING THE APPETITE, SO TO SPEAK.
YEAH. YEAH. I THINK WE SHOULD DO THAT.
LIKELY NOT. JUST NOT ENOUGH TIME FRAME.
WELL, IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE 12TH OF SEPTEMBER.
YOU WON'T HAVE THE HOLISTIC RFP.
[02:35:02]
NO, I KNOW. I KNOW THAT I'M SAYING.BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE THE COMMUNICATION, THE PARALLEL PATH COMMUNICATION THAT NEEDS TO BE HAPPENING SO THAT THEY BEGIN TO KNOW, BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN QUESTIONS RAISED ABOUT, WELL, WHAT'S HAPPENING UP HERE? WHAT'S HAPPENING? NO ONE KNOWS. WE DON'T HAVE IT'S WORK IN PROGRESS, CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROGRESS.
HOWEVER, WE DO NEED TO GO IN AND START GREASING THE SKIDS, SO TO SPEAK. I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE IDEA.
I'M JUST NOT SURE THERE'S ENOUGH TIME TO DO THAT BEFORE THIS.
AND NEVER MIND THE FACT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO TELL EVERYTHING.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO. BUT THERE'S TIME TO SPEAK TO HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ENDEAVORING.
OKAY. THIS IS A HUGE EFFORT TO CONVEY THE IDEA THAT.
RIGHT. THAT'S. YEAH, WE WE WE HAVE FRANKLY, WE'VE ALREADY DONE THAT.
YEAH, BUT BUT BUT IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING THAT, THAT IDEA OF WHAT IS IN AND WHAT IS OUT AND CREATING THAT INTO SOME SORT OF A FRAMEWORK.
YEAH. WE JUST AREN'T GOING TO GET THERE THAT QUICK.
THAT'S THAT'S THE BIG EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IS SO CRITICAL RIGHT NOW ACROSS THE BOARD, NOT JUST HERE ACROSS THE BOARD.
IT'S GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. YEP.
OKAY. FOR THOSE LOTS. DULY NOTED.
DULY NOTED. WE KNOW THE ZONING FOR THAT.
FOR THIS PARCEL OR THIS? THIS. NO, MA'AM. THAT GOT TURNED DOWN TUESDAY NIGHT.
OKAY. SO THIS WAS ALSO A PART.
PARALLEL PATH. YOU CONTINUOUSLY COMMUNICATE TO BE EFFECTIVE.
IT'S A PART OF IT. SO AT BEST, BARRING BARRING SOME CHANGE AT BEST, WHAT WE CAN SAY IS WE INTEND TO ZONE IT LIKE THIS.
OKAY. AND THAT, MAKE NO MISTAKE, THAT WILL BE AN IMPEDIMENT.
OKAY. YEAH. OKAY, SO THAT'S IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT SUBJECT MATTER? NO. OKAY. AS WE PROGRESS FORWARD, WE JUST WANTED YOU GUYS TO BE AWARE.
YEAH. OKAY. WE ARE AT THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[C. CONSENT AGENDA]
HOPEFULLY EVERYONE HAS HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE CONSENT AGENDA.THE THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
CONSIDER APPROVING THE MINUTES OF JULY 10TH, 2025 REGULAR BOARD MEETING AND TO CONSIDER APPROVING THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR JUNE AND JULY 2025.
CONSIDERING ALL THAT HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO REVIEW IT, CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND.
TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THE CONSENT AGENDA HAS BEEN APPROVED.
AT THIS POINT WE ADVANCE TO CITY COUNCIL LIAISON.
[D. BOARD AND LIAISON ANNOUNCEMENTS / UPDATES (Part 2 of 2)]
THAT'S ALREADY PROVIDED AN UPDATE.SO THAT WON'T BE. THAT'S TAKEN CARE OF.
ANY BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS? REGULAR LOCAL CIVIL CHARITABLE EVENTS.
WE'VE READ SOME OF THAT ALREADY.
ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY. I WOULD JUST ASK TO GET A COPY OF THE.
THE ROLE DESCRIPTIONS IN PREPARATION FOR THE VOTE NEXT MONTH.
I'M SORRY. THAT'S IN THE CHARTER.
I'M VERY JUST KIND OF REVIEWING THAT.
YES. KIND OF BRINGING UP SOME STUFF THAT'S RELEVANT TO THE CHARTER AND ALL THAT. I'M LIKE, OKAY, I NEED TO GO BACK AND REVIEW SO THAT INFORMATION.
WE'LL BE HAPPY TO RESEND THOSE TO YOU.
YOU'LL ALSO WHEN YOU JOINED US, WE GAVE YOU THE BOARD PACKET AND THE BYLAWS ARE IN THERE OR SOMETHING. YEAH.
I'M ELECTRONIC. WE WILL JUST SEND THEM AGAIN.
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. HAPPY TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU. IT'S IN THE BYLAWS.
THANK YOU. IN CLOSING, FROM MY STANDPOINT, I HEARD SOME WORDS THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT EARLIER. I HAD WRITTEN THESE PREVIOUS PREMATURE TO THE MEETING.
JUST A COUPLE OF FIVE KEY POINTS I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD.
OKAY. THE WORDS LIKE. AND THIS IS JUST CLOSURE FOR ME.
ILLUMINATION. I THINK WE NEED TO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ILLUMINATION OF OUR CONVERSATION REGARDING WHAT ARE OUR WHAT ARE WE YIELDING AS AN END RESULT? LET'S LET'S ILLUMINATE WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
I MEAN, THAT'S A, THAT'S A, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE.
AND I'M GOING TO ASK THAT THIS BECOMES I'M GOING TO I'LL SEND THIS TO ASK THAT IT BECOMES A PART OF GOING FORWARD AS A BOARD.
OPEN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAVE TOTAL TRANSPARENCY COLLABORATION THAT WE'RE
[02:40:01]
ALL IN ONE THAT WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.VERY IMPORTANT. AND THE BIG WORD IS ACCOUNTABILITY.
THAT WORD CAME UP TWICE TONIGHT AND I HAD DONE THIS IS NOT IT'S OUR PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. IT'S ACCOUNTABILITY.
LOOKING AT YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR AND SAYING, WHY ARE WE ON THIS BOARD? WHY ARE WE DOING THINGS OR WHY ARE WE NOT? SO LET'S HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE AND COLLECTIVELY, LET'S HOLD OURSELVES COLLECTIVELY ACCOUNTABLE.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST WAS SELFISH ASPIRATIONS.
OKAY, AS A BOARD TO ACHIEVE OUR OBJECTIVES.
I ASK THAT WE HAVE SOMEWHAT OF A SELFISH ASPIRATION.
IN OTHER WORDS, A DRIVE THAT WE ARE ADAMANT ABOUT ACHIEVING THE OBJECTIVES THAT WE WE SAY WE WANT TO CREATE A LEGACY AS A BOARD.
WE NEED TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE SELFISH ABOUT HOW DO WE ACHIEVE THAT AND HOW DO WE GO AFTER IT. OTHER THAN THAT, WE'LL KEEP ON.
WE'LL BE ON A TREADMILL, SO TO SPEAK.
SO I'M GOING TO PUT THIS IN WRITING JUST SO WE HAVE IT TO, AT THE TOP OF OUR MIND THAT WE KIND OF ABIDE BY PERSONALLY, INDIVIDUALLY, HOW DO WE ATTACK OUR LAB, SO TO SPEAK? SO THAT SAID THAT'S ALL I WANT TO SHARE.
I WANT TO COMMEND WE DON'T DOCTOR MICHAELA IS NOT HERE.
WE'LL GET TO COMMEND HER WHEN SHE'S BACK IN FOR HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITH THE LEADERSHIP, DALLAS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE BOARD PERIOD FOR TONIGHT STEPPING UP.
I THINK WE'RE GETTING THE SPIRIT OF WHY CAN'T WE, HOW DO WE AND WHY NOT? AND THAT'S THAT'S A GOOD THING.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT, FRANKLY.
SOLELY YOU'RE OUR BACKBONE FOR THE FUTURE.
OKAY. WHAT YOU'RE DEVELOPING HAS SO MUCH MEANING FOR US AS A BOARD, AS A CITY. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
AND FOR THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE NEED TO GRASP AS YOUNG FOLK.
ON THAT NOTE, IN JUST A MINUTE, I JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE FOR ALL OF YOUR THOUGHTS, ALL OF YOUR PRAYERS FOR COMING TO SEE ABOUT ME DURING THE PASSING OF MY MOM.
WE ARE ALL RIGHT. GET IT THROUGH IT DAILY.
BUT TO TO HAVE SEEN Y'ALL'S FACES THERE.
AND TO KNOW THAT EVERYONE ELSE SEND ALL THE LOVE THAT YOU DID.
I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW WE APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH.
THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR LETTING ME BE AT THAT TIME.
DO WE ENJOY BEING IN TEXARKANA? YEAH. AND I'VE SEEN YOU, SO LET ME GIVE YOU THAT.
THANK YOU. AND ALSO YESTERDAY, AS WE TALKED ABOUT FAMILY, YESTERDAY WAS THE ANNIVERSARY OF MY LOSING MY DAD AUGUST 13TH AND YES.
NO FURTHER AGENDA FOR THE BOARD THIS EVENING.
I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE.
AND AT THIS TIME, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 8:45 P.M.. THANK YOU. THANK YOU EVERYONE.
THANK.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.