[00:00:01]
I'M MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR.IT IS 5:00 PM I WANNA WELCOME EVERYBODY TO OUR SPECIAL MEETING.
UM, WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, SO I'M GONNA ASK IF OUR TEAM WOULD GIVE US THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA FOR OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
LET, UH, LET ME, LET ME BACKTRACK JUST A BIT.
I'M GONNA ASK IF WE COULD DO A ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
COUNCIL MEMBER LETICIA HUGHES.
AS A POINT OF, UH, INFORMATION EARLIER, YOU SAID, UH, THIS IS OUR SPECIAL MEETING.
YOU MEANT REGULAR MEETING, RIGHT? UH, BY SPECIAL MEETING I WAS REFERRING TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
OUR REGULAR SESSION STARTS AT SIX O'CLOCK.
WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE OUR AGENDA ITEM IN FRONT OF US, AND WE WILL CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION NOW AT 5 0 1 AND WE WILL RETURN, UH, WITH ANY ACTION AS A RESULT.
[B. REGULAR SESSION AGENDA - CALL TO ORDER]
EVERYONE.I'M MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR AND I WANNA WELCOME YOU ALL TO OUR REGULAR, UH, SESSION FOR THE DESOTA CITY COUNCIL.
WE DID CONVENE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AT FIVE 50, UH, 5:56 PM AND THERE WAS NO ACTION AS A RESULT OF OUR MEETING.
SO WE WILL GO INTO OUR REGULAR SESSION.
UM, AT THIS TIME I'M GONNA ASK FOR A ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
COUNCIL MEMBER KEN WATERS HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER DEBORAH NORTH HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER LETICIA HUGHES.
HERE AT THIS TIME WE'LL HAVE THE INVOCATION BY PASTOR OSCAR EPPS OF COMMUNITY MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, LED BY STUDENT AMBASSADOR SARIAH WHITFIELD OF WOODBRIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AT THIS TIME, WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE STAND? THERE WE GO.
[00:05:17]
KAREN, CAN YOU CHECK THE, UM, THE VOLUME ON THAT MICROPHONE AGAIN SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE HEAR OUR STUDENT? THANK YOU PASTOR EPPS FOR LEADING US IN OUR PRAYER THIS EVENING.AND WE WANNA THANK OUR STUDENT AMBASSADOR FOR LEADING US IN OUR PLEDGES.
CAN WE GIVE OUR STUDENT AMBASSADOR, MS. SARIAH JOY WHITFIELD? A GREAT BIG HAND CLAP.
AND I WANNA READ A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MS. WHITFIELD SARIAH.
JOY WHITFIELD WAS BORN ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2014, TO THE PROUD PARENTS OF TANISHA LOVE WHITFIELD AND DAMON WHITFIELD, THE YOUNGEST OF TWO CHILDREN.
SARIAH ENTERED THE WORLD PREMATURELY AT JUST 26 WEEKS.
GE STATION FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, HER RESILIENCE AND SPIRIT MADE IT CLEAR SHE WAS A SPECIAL GIFT DESTINED FOR GREATNESS.
NOW, A THRIVING FIFTH GRADE SCHOLAR AT WOODRIDGE FINE ARTS AND GIFTED ACADEMY, SORAY EXCELS BOTH ACADEMICALLY AND CREATIVELY.
HER ARTISTIC TALENTS HAVE ALREADY EARNED COMMUNITY RECOGNITION WITH ONE OF HER ORIGINAL ARTWORKS FEATURED ON A CITY VEHICLE IN DESOTO, TEXAS.
IN ADDITION TO HER CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS, SORAY HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY DESOTO ISD FOR HER ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, EARNING A MASTER'S SCORE ON THE STAR READING EXAM.
I THINK THAT DESERVES A GREAT
SORAY ENJOYS PLAYING ROBLOX, SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY, AND DOTTING ON HER 1-YEAR-OLD NIECE WHOM SHE LOVES TO, TO BOTH NURTURE AND PLAYFULLY BOSS AROUND BOSSES IN QUOTES,
SARIAH IS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF LEADERSHIP AND POTENTIAL MAKING HER A WONDERFUL REPRESENTATIVE FOR BOTH HER SCHOOL AND HER COMMUNITY.
LET'S GIVE IT UP ONE MORE TIME FOR OUR STUDENT AMBASSADOR FOR THIS EVENING.
MS. WHITFIELD, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE STUDENT BODY AT WOODRIDGE? YES, MA'AM.
ON BEHALF OF OUR STUDENTS, ON BEHALF OF OUR STUDENT BODY, UNDER THE AMAZING LEADERSHIP OF PRINCIPAL TATUM, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, MS. WASHINGTON AND DESOTO, ID SUPERINTENDENT DR. ROGERS, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WE TAKE PRIDE IN OUR SCHOOL'S CREATIVITY, ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, AND LEADERSHIP, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. WHITFIELD.
I'M GONNA COME DOWN AND WE'RE GONNA TAKE A PICTURE.
WE HAVE SOME GOODIES FOR YOU TO THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR STUDENT AMBASSADOR THIS EVENING.
SO STAY RIGHT THERE IS, I SEE, UH, PRINCIPAL TATUM IS HERE.
IS MOM AND DAD HERE AS WELL? YES.
UH, PLEASE STAND SO WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE YOU.
UM, AT THIS TIME, SHE'S OUR AMBASSADOR THIS EVENING, AND AGAIN, YOU MAY SPEAK ON ANY ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.
ALL WE ASK IS THAT YOU FILL OUT A CARD TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM ON THE AGENDA AND SHE WILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST YOU WITH THAT.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
[00:10:01]
CITY SECRETARY WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.MS. KIRBY, CAN WE DO, UM, COUNSEL AGAIN? CAN WE DO A FIVE MINUTE RECESS TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THE MICROPHONES WORKING? BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, ALTHOUGH WE IN HERE MAY BE ABLE TO HEAR, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR ONLINE AUDIENCE IS ABLE TO HEAR.
WE'LL TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS, SAYS
[00:15:40]
OKAY, IT LOOKS LIKE OUR MICROPHONES ARE BACK WORKING, HOPEFULLY FOR THE DURATION OF THE MEETING.
IT IS 6:15 PM AND WE WILL RECONVENE BACK INTO OUR REGULAR SESSION.
[C. PRESENTATIONS ]
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA UNDER PRESENTATIONS.A PRESENTATION BY LOBAR GOGAN, BLAIR AND SAMSON LLP ATTORNEYS AT LAW FOR DELINQUENT COLLECTIONS.
MAKING A PRESENTATION IS KAREN BISHOP, PAMELA LEE, AND SABRINA JOHNSON FROM LINEBARGER, GOGAN, BLAIR AND SAMSON LLP.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
WE, WE HAVE OUR ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES HERE TONIGHT FROM LINEBARGER GO AND BLAIR AND SAMPSON, LLP ATTORNEYS AT LAW TO GIVE US OUR ANNUAL UPDATE ON OUR, UH, DELINQUENT PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS.
OF COURSE, WE KNOW THEY HAVE SERVED OUR COMMUNITY FOR A VERY LONG TIME, SO, UM, I'M GONNA BRING MS. PAM FORWARD TO GO AHEAD AND START ON THE PRESENTATION.
I'M THE PARTNER WITH LOBAR GOGGIN, BLAIR AND SAMPSON ASSIGNED TO REPRESENT THE CITY OF DESOTO.
AND I HAVE WITH ME TODAY, UM, KAREN BISHOP, OUR CLIENT LIAISON FOR THE DELINQUENT TAX COLLECTION PROGRAM.
AND NIA JOHNSON, OUR SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE FINES AND FEES COLLECTION PROGRAM.
SO, UM, AS IT WAS STATED EARLIER, WE'VE REPRESENTED YOU FOR QUITE SOME TIME, BUT I ALWAYS LIKE TO INTRODUCE LINEBARGER IN CASE FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW US.
AND, UM, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T DO THAT.
UH, BUT WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION TO YOU MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UM, UH, CITY MANAGER OFFERING.
UH, WE ARE A NATIONAL LAW FIRM.
WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN IN THE BUSINESS FOR ABOUT 50 YEARS AND WE'VE PARTNERED WITH GOVERNMENTS.
WE DO NOTHING BUT COLLECT GOVERNMENTAL RECEIVABLES ON BEHALF OF OUR CLIENTS.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE COLLECTION SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE, UM, PRESENTATION YES, THANK YOU.
THE COLLECTION SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE, UM, HELP YOU PROVIDE THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES TO YOUR CITIZENS.
UH, SINCE 2006, WE'VE COLLECTED YOUR DELINQUENT TAXES AND WE'VE COLLECTED YOUR, UH, FINES AND FEES SINCE 2007.
UH, IN THE DALLAS AREA, WE HAVE ABOUT 80 COLLECTION PROFESSIONALS WHO WORK ON YOUR BEHALF EVERY DAY.
AND IT'S OUR MISSION TO COLLECT YOUR OVERDUE TAXES, UNPAID FINES AND FEES.
UM, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE VALUE.
WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AND REPRESENT YOU AND, AND ARE COMMITTED TO
[00:20:01]
BE A PART OF YOUR SUCCESS.WE HAVE EXPERIENCED TEAM MEMBERS AND PROMOTE AND FOSTER INNOVATION, RESOURCEFULNESS AND EMPATHY WHEN IT MATTERS MOST.
AND WE VALUE OUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR COMMUNITY.
WE TAKE PRIDE IN PROVIDING RESOURCES TO EDUCATE YOUR COMMUNITY WHERE OUR IMPACT IS VISIBLE AND INVALUABLE.
WE OFFERED A MYRIAD OF SERVICES.
UH, WE, UM, WE PROVIDE THE DELINQUENT TAX COLLECTION SERVICES, UH, FINES AND FEES SERVICES.
WE REPRESENT YOU IN STATE COURT, UH, ON, UM, LITIGATION AND APPELLATE MATTERS.
AND WE ADVISE YOU IN COM COMPLEX LITIGATION AS WELL.
AND WE REPRESENT YOU IN BANKRUPTCY COURT WHEN NECESSARY.
THIS GIVES YOU A, UM, TIMELINE OF THE DELINQUENT TAX COLLECTION PROCESS COURSE.
EVERY JANUARY ONE, THE TAX LIEN ATTACHES TO THE PROPERTY.
SO THIS JANUARY ONE, THE 2025, UH, TAX LIEN ATTACHED TO, UH, YOUR PROPERTY FOR 2025 APRIL 15TH IS THE DEADLINE FOR YOU TO RENDER YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY.
IF YOU ARE, YOU ARE CONDUCTING A BUSINESS IN THE JURISDICTION AND JULY IS WHEN DCA WILL CERTIFY YOUR TAX ROLL.
AFTER YOUR TAX ROLL IS CERTIFIED, IS WHEN YOU ARE SETTING YOUR TAX RATE.
UH, ONCE YOUR TAX RATE IS SET, OF COURSE THAT GOES TO THE TAX ACCESS COLLECTOR AND HE TRIES TO GET YOUR BILLS OUT AS EARLY IN OCTOBER AS POSSIBLE.
AND YOUR TAX, THE TAXES ARE DUE AND PAYABLE BY JANUARY 31ST OF EACH YEAR.
THEY COME DE THEY BECOME DELINQUENT ON FEBRUARY ONE, YOUR APRIL.
ON APRIL ONE, YOUR BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES ARE THEN TURNED OVER TO US TO COLLECT.
AND ON JULY ONE IS WHEN ALL OF THE OTHER TAXES ARE TURNED OVER US TO COLLECT.
IF THEY REMAIN UNPAID WHEN THEY'RE TURNED OVER TO US, WE TAKE THE TIME TO ANALYZE YOUR DELINQUENT TAX ROLE.
UH, WE WANT TO REMOVE ACCOUNTS THAT ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR COLLECTIONS AND THEN WE BEGIN YOUR COLLECTION PROGRAM.
THE FIRST STEP IS TO CONDUCT YOUR MAIL, CONDUCT MAILINGS ON YOUR BEHALF.
OF COURSE, IF YOU CANNOT CONTACT THE DEBTOR, YOU CANNOT COLLECT IT.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE A DEDICATED CALL CAMPAIGNS, UH, ON SITE WHERE WE ARE CALLING AND RECEIVING TELEPHONE CALLS FROM THE, FROM YOUR CITIZENS.
WE SPEND TIME NEGOTIATING PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS, FILE LAWSUITS WHEN NECESSARY, AND MOVE THOSE LAWSUITS THROUGH THE PROCESS AND, AND WE'LL GO TO TAX SALE IF NECESSARY.
WE ALSO REPRESENT YOU IN BANKRUPTCY COURT.
IF A DEBTOR DECIDES TO FILE BANKRUPTCY, WE ARE THERE TO REPRESENT YOUR INTEREST AS WELL.
THROUGHOUT OUR COLLECTION PROGRAM, WE'RE ALWAYS, UM, TALKING TO YOUR CITIZENS ABOUT THEIR PAYMENT OPTIONS SO THAT WE OFFER REGULAR PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO, WHO NEED ADDITIONAL TIME TO UH, RESOLVE THEIR TAX DEBT.
THERE'S ALSO A HOMESTEAD PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT.
IF YOU HAVE A HOMESTEAD ON YOUR ACCOUNT, UH, WE CAN OFFER YOU UP TO 36 MONTHS AS A HOMESTEAD PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT.
UH, WE ARE TALKING TO YOU, TALKING TO THE CITIZENS ABOUT PAYMENT.
IF WE ENTER A JUDGMENT AGAINST YOUR AGAINST THE PROPERTY, WE ARE STILL TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THEIR OPTIONS TO MAKE PAYMENTS AND WE CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THE OTHER OPTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE AVAILABLE TO THEM, WHICH INCLUDES THE EXEMPTIONS FOR YOUR HOMESTEAD OVER 65 OR OLDER.
UM, DISABILITY FOR DISABILITY FOR DISABLED PERSONS.
YOU CAN ALSO GET AN EXEMPTION ACTIVE DULY MILITARY MEMBERS, VETERANS, AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, HOMESTEADS.
I'M GOING TO TURN TURN IT OVER TO KAREN, WHO WILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR 2024 DELINQUENT TURNOVER.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I AM YOUR CLIENT LIAISON FOR YOUR DELINQUENT PROPERTY TAX ACCOUNTS HERE IN THE CITY OF DESOTO FOR TAX YEAR 2024.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF, LEMME FIND MY SPOT ON, ON APRIL THE FIRST.
PAM ALREADY TALKED ABOUT HOW WE GET THE BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES ON APRIL 1ST, AND THEN WE GET REAL PROPERTY AND MOBILE HOMES AND WHATEVER'S REMAINING OF BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY ON JULY ONE.
AND SO WE HAD A BASE TURNOVER THIS TAX YEAR, UH, FOR 2024 OF $1,027,385, WHICH WAS A 29.84% INCREASE FROM THE TURNOVER IN 2023.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 990 ACCOUNTS TURNED OVER FOR TAX YEAR 2024.
THIS NEXT SLIDE TALKS ABOUT THE TAX ROLL BY SIZE OF ACCOUNT.
HERE YOU WILL SEE THAT YOUR TOTAL DELINQUENT
[00:25:01]
TAX ROLL FOR TAX YEAR 2024 IN PRIOR YEARS IS 1,613 ACCOUNTS.YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE MAJORITY OF YOUR ACCOUNTS FALL WITHIN THE, UH, OVER $5,000 CA CATEGORY, WHICH IS ABOUT 9% OF YOUR TAX ROLL AND 59% OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS THAT ARE DELINQUENT.
SO AS I'M ANALYZING THE ACCOUNTS, I'M LOOKING AT ALL OF YOUR HIGH DOLLAR ACCOUNTS, THE ACCOUNTS THAT ARE OVER $5,000 FIRST, AND THEN I WORK MY WAY DOWN TO THE LOWER DOLLAR AMOUNTS USUALLY, UM, BY PHONE CALLS, NOT SO MUCH GOING IN PERSON AND KNOCKING ON DOORS AND, AND, AND GOING INTO BUSINESSES, BUT MAKING SOME PHONE CALLS MYSELF AS WELL AS, UH, OUR COLLECTORS WHO ARE ALSO WORKING THESE ACCOUNTS ALONGSIDE MS MYSELF.
THIS SLIDE TALKS ABOUT THE STATUS OF YOUR, UH, OF THESE ACCOUNTS.
SO YOU HAVE A TOTAL OF, LIKE I SAID, 1,600 OR SO ACCOUNTS.
YOU HAVE 54% OF THOSE ACCOUNTS, WHICH WE CONSIDER COLLECTIBLE.
AND BY THAT, THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE GONNA MAIL OUT LETTERS.
WE'RE GONNA DO RESEARCH TO TRY TO LOCATE TAXPAYERS AND ISSUE CITATIONS AND FILE LAWSUITS, OBTAIN JUDGEMENTS.
AND THEN ONCE WE OBTAIN THAT JUDGMENT, WE STILL WILL WORK WITH THAT TAXPAYER TO GET THEM ON A PAYMENT PLAN.
IF THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, SO INCLINED AND SOMETIMES WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
BUT THE OTHER ACCOUNTS THAT YOU WILL NOTICE HERE THAT WE HAVE ON HOLD ARE ACCOUNTS FOR, UH, WHAT PAM SPOKE ABOUT 65 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER.
THEY GET TO APPLY FOR AN EXEMPTION WITH THE DALLAS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
THEY HAVE TO GO THERE TO GET THAT EXEMPTION AND THEN THEY WILL TELL THEM ABOUT ANY OTHER QUALIFICATIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE FOR, UH, DISABILITY TAX DEFERRALS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
BUT THEY HAVE TO START ALL OF THAT WITH THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
SO WHEN I'M OUT TALKING TO TAXPAYERS AND THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION OR THEY QUALIFY FOR SOME OF THESE EXEMPTIONS, I DO TELL THEM ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE THAT'S PART OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS WHEN I'M OUT TALKING TO TAXPAYERS WHO MAY NOT HAVE THE INFORMATION BECAUSE NO ONE EVER TOLD THEM.
SO I DO DO THAT ALONG WITH TRYING TO COLLECT THE DOLLARS FOR YOU GUYS.
SO THE LAST, UH, SLIDE OR THE LAST COLUMN OVER THERE TALKS ABOUT UNCOLLECTIBLE ACCOUNTS.
AND SO IN THAT CATEGORY YOU HAVE A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THOSE ACCOUNTS THAT ARE UNCOLLECTIBLE.
AND WHAT WE CONSIDER AN UNCOLLECTIBLE ACCOUNT IS ACCOUNT THAT HAS LESS THAN $15 OWE ON IT.
WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA GO OUT AND KNOCK ON DOORS AND MAIL THEM.
WE'LL, THEY'LL GET A LETTER, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA GO TO THOSE EXTRA LINKS TO TRY TO COLLECT THAT.
BUT WHAT WE ALSO DO NOT DO IS COLLECT ON ACCOUNTS FOR REAL PROPERTY THAT ARE, THAT'S OVER 20 YEARS OLD BECAUSE BY STATUTE WE CANNOT COLLECT ON AN ACCOUNT.
ONCE IT HITS YEAR 21, WE'LL GET EVERYTHING THAT'S UNDER THAT.
AND FOR FIRST PERSONAL PROPERTY THAT THAT STATUTE OF LIMITATION TIME IS FOUR YEARS.
SO ON, ON THOSE ACCOUNTS, IF IT'S FIVE YEARS, YEAR FIVE, WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET THAT YEAR, BUT WE'LL GET EVERYTHING WITHIN THAT FOUR YEAR CATEGORY FOR BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY.
THIS NEXT SLIDE JUST GIVES YOU A LISTING OF THE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES AND THE RESULTS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE DURING THAT TAX PERIOD.
WE FILED 44 LAWSUITS, WE DISPOSED OF 36 LAWSUITS.
AND WHAT THAT PROBABLY CONSISTS OF IS CASES THAT ARE, ARE OLD THAT GOT RESOLVED DURING THAT TAX YEAR.
SO IT'S MAKES, I KNOW THOSE NUMBERS LOOKS LOOK A LITTLE WEIRD, BUT IT, IT IS INCLUSIVE OF ALL THE LAWSUITS THAT WE HAVE FILED FOR ALL THE DELINQUENT YEARS.
AND WE HAD 18 ACCOUNTS DURING THAT TIME PERIOD THAT WERE IN BANKRUPTCY.
SO OUR BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEYS FILE CLAIMS IN THE BANKRUPTCY COURT TO TRY TO GET OUR TAXES THROUGH THAT, UM, METHOD.
AND THEN I WENT OUT AND DID ABOUT 30 SITE VISITS HERE IN THE AREA.
I FOCUSED MAINLY ON BUSINESS, PERSONAL PROPERTY BECAUSE THOSE ARE A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO COLLECT, ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE CLOSE THEIR DOORS AND THEN WE CAN'T FIND THEM ANYMORE.
SO I SPEND MORE TIME ON THOSE THAN I DO RESIDENTIAL.
AND THEN WE HAD FIVE PROPERTIES THAT WE TOOK TO SELL DURING THAT TIME PERIOD AND WE MAILED OUT OVER 2000 LETTERS OF COLLECTION NOTICES AND ALL OF THOSE ACTIVITIES GOING AT ABOUT $889,905 IN COLLECTIONS FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO.
AND THAT DOES INCLUDE DESOTO, ISD AS WELL IN DALLAS COUNTY.
AND THIS IS A, A COST FREE PROGRAM TO THE CITY.
YOU GUYS DO NOT PAY US EXTRA MONEY IN YOUR BUDGET FOR DOING THIS JOB.
SO, AND THAT IS INCLUSIVE OF PENALTIES AND INTEREST.
AND THEN OUR ATTORNEY'S FEES ARE COLLECTED WHEN WE COLLECT THE DELINQUENT TAXES.
THAT'S WHY IT'S A COST FREE PROGRAM TO
[00:30:01]
THE CITY.AND NEXT I'M GONNA HAVE NIA COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THE FINES AND FEES COLLECTION.
I MISSPOKE THAT IT'S JUST INCLUSIVE OF THE CITY.
WE DO A SEPARATE REPORT FOR THE ISD.
GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
AS A COUPLE PEOPLE HAVE SAID, I'M SONIA JOHNSON AND I OVERSEE THE FINES AND FEES COLLECTIONS PROGRAM FOR, UH, DELINQUENT COURT COLLECTIONS FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO.
I HAVE DONE THAT SINCE THE CONTRACT BEGAN IN 2007.
SO I'M AN OLD HEAD IN THE AREA SIMILAR TO THE TAX PROGRAM.
WE, UH, MAIL LETTERS UP TO OUR DELINQUENT PAYER, UM, ACCOUNT HOLDERS.
WE HAVE AN ACTIVE COLLECTIONS PROGRAM THROUGH OUR CALL CENTER.
YEAH, I NEED TO CHANGE MY PAGE.
UH, FOR THOSE DEFENDANTS THAT WE RECEIVE, UH, RETURN MAIL ON ARE DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD ADDRESS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WE ARE SKIP TRACING THOSE ACCOUNTS.
WE ASSIST THE MARSHALS WITH, UM, UH, ANY OF THEIR SPECIAL WARRANT PROGRAMS THAT THEY WILL DO.
WE ALSO PROVIDE UPDATED ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS TO THE MARSHALS ROUTINELY, AS WELL AS A GEOMAPPING PROGRAM THAT WILL MAP OUT ROUTES FOR THE DELINQUENT ACCOUNT HOLDERS.
SO WHEN THE MARSHALS ARE, UH, CALLING AND LOOKING FOR THE DEFENDANTS, IT'LL GIVE THEM THE MOST EFFECTIVE ROUTE TO TAKE.
AND THEN THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM HERE IN THE LOCAL OFFICE FOR FINES AND FEES.
BUT UNLIKE TAX, PRIMARILY OUR CALL CENTER IS LOCATED THAT HANDLES THE SOTO IS LOCATED IN SAN ANTONIO WITH OVERFLOW IN, UH, GIG HARBOR WASHINGTON COLLECTION NOTICES ARE MAILED OUT ROUTINELY FOR THE CITY.
WE GET DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS EVERY DAY FROM THE CITY.
SO ONCE THEY BECOME MORE THAN 60 DAYS DELINQUENT, THEY ARE ELIGIBLE TO FOR REFERRAL TO OUR FIRM.
AND WHILE THE MAJORITY OF THOSE CASES ARE STILL WITHOUT A FINDING OF GUILT, YOUR UM, DEFENDANTS STILL HAVE ALL OF THEIR DUE PROCESS AVAILABLE TO THEM.
SO IT'S A COLLECTIONS PROGRAM, BUT IT'S ALSO AN INFORMATIONAL PROGRAM WHERE WE HAVE LOCATED DEFENDANTS THAT PROBABLY HAVE EITHER FORGOTTEN OR SOMEHOW FORGOTTEN TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.
LET'S JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT AND THOSE CAN STILL CONTACT THE CITY AND CONTACT THE COURT AND TALK ABOUT OPTIONS OTHER THAN MAKING PAYMENT TO CLEAR THE VIOLATION.
'CAUSE THEY STILL HAVE THE OPTION.
IF THE CITATION IS ELIGIBLE, THEY CAN STILL DO DRIVER SAFETY.
COMMUNITY SERVICE IS ALWAYS AN OPTION.
THEY CAN HAVE A TRIAL EITHER WITH, UH, BEFORE THE, WITH THE JURY OR WITH THE JUDGE.
SO AS UNTIL THERE IS A FINDING OF GUILT, ALL OF THAT REMAINS OPEN TO THEM.
AND THE CITATIONS ALWAYS REMAIN IN THE JURISDICTION OF THE COURT.
FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR OR TIMEFRAME.
SEPTEMBER OF 24 THROUGH AUGUST OF 2025, WE MAILED A LITTLE OVER 5,300 LETTERS.
WE HAD, UH, FIFTY THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY NINE CASES, NEW CASES PLACED WITH US FOR FIRST TIME COLLECTIONS.
WE DID SKIP TRACING, UH, ON AND FILE NEW ADDRESSES AND OR PHONE NUMBERS FOR ABOUT 8,100 ACCOUNTS AND MAILED OVER 35,000 COLLECTION LETTERS.
THIS IS A COST FREE PROGRAM TO THE CITY, MEANING THAT THOSE DEFENDANTS WHO DID NOT TIMELY TAKE CARE OF THEIR VIOLATIONS ARE THE ONES WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR THE COLLECTIONS.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A BURDEN ON THE GENERAL FUND 'CAUSE NONE OF THE MONEY IS, UH, TAKEN FROM WHAT IS RECEIVED.
THE CITY RECEIVES ITS ENTIRE PORTION OF THE CORPUS OF WHAT WAS DUE TO THE CITY FOR THE, FOR THOSE RECENT 12 MONTHS.
THE TOTAL COLLECTIONS WERE 562,000 $186.
AND THEN FROM THE TIME THAT WE HAVE STARTED THE PROGRAM, WHICH AS PAM SAID WAS IN 2007 THROUGH THE END OF AUGUST, THEN APPROXIMATELY NINE, OVER $9.44 MILLION COLLECTED.
UM, WE CONTINUE TO WORK IN THE COUNT UN UNLIKE TAX, THERE REALLY ISN'T A STATUTE OF LIMITATION AS LONG AS A COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH TIMELY, THEN THAT CASE BECOMES ELIGIBLE FOR COLLECTION IN PERPETUITY.
[00:35:02]
THERE IS A, UH, A CLAUSE AND LAW THAT WILL ALLOW CASES TO BE WRITTEN OFF AFTER A 15 YEAR TIME PERIOD.BUT THAT IS AGAIN, AT THE, UH, UH, DISCRETION OF THE COURT.
YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN ALL OF US, SOME MORE OF US AT PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING THAT THE CITY DOES.
WE ALWAYS INVOLVED WITH OUR CLIENTS AND WE TRY TO BECOME AND STAY A PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE FILLED THIS PAGE WITH US AT DIFFERENT THINGS ALL OVER DURING ALL OF THE YEARS.
OUR LAST SLIDE TALKS ABOUT, JUST SHOWS THE KEY TEAM MEMBERS.
BRIDGETTE IS OUR MANAGING PARTNER.
PAM IS THE ATTORNEY RESPONSIBLE FOR DESOTO.
UH, LILIANA IS OUR OPERATIONS MANAGER, PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE ON THE TAX SIDE.
I OVERSEE FINES AND FEES AND EVERYBODY KNOWS ANDY, WHO IS ALSO A PART OF THE FINES AND FEES TEAM.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER THEM.
I DO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO FOR THE CITY.
I DO SEE SOME LIGHTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES.
THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS BECAUSE, UM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, UH, ONE OF MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS ACTUALLY CALLED ME AND ASKED ME ABOUT THE FINES AND DELINQUENCIES AND THINGS.
AND I DIDN'T HAVE THIS ACTUAL SLIDE IN FRONT OF ME.
SO I THOUGHT IT WAS FOR A WHOLE DIFFERENT THING THAT YOU GUYS WERE COMING OUT TONIGHT.
BUT I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT YOU COMING TO, TO TELL US THIS INFORMATION.
I WOULD HOPE I WANNA DO ONE QUICK NOTE, UH, TO THE CITY MANAGER IF WE CAN MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE GET THIS ONLINE FOR PEOPLE BECAUSE IT WASN'T THERE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SEE THIS, THIS, UH, PRESENTATION THAT YOU PROVIDED.
UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE DATES.
UM, ON HERE IT SHOWS THAT, UH, AT THE BEGINNING PART IT IS UP UNTIL JUNE OR JULY.
AND THEN THIS END PART IS SEPTEMBER TO AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
UM, CAN YOU JUST SHARE WHY DOES IT, WHY IS IT THAT TIME AND ARE YOU SAYING YOU'RE JUST GIVING THE NOTE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR FOR THIS YEAR? IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT THAT'S ABOUT? OKAY.
TAX ALWAYS MAKES A PRESENTATION BASED ON THE TAX COLLECTIONS PERIOD FROM DELINQUENCY.
SO THAT'S THEIR PERIOD IS SET EACH YEAR.
I USUALLY TRY TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE MOST RECENT 12 MONTHS.
AND THEN THE, UH, DELINQUENT MUNICIPAL COURT FINES, DOES THAT ALSO INCLUDE ABATEMENTS FROM, UM, THINGS LIKE, UM, VIOLATIONS, CODE ENFORCEMENT, THAT SORT OF THING? IS THAT THE SAME THING? THAT, THAT COULD BE O ONLY IF THEY HAVE BEEN PLACED AS A VIOLATION IN THE MUNICIPAL COURT? SO IF, IF A VIOL, A CITATION HAS BEEN ISSUED AND THEN IT HAS BEEN REFERRED TO THE MUNICIPAL COURT, YES, IT WOULD BE IN HERE.
SO, BUT THAT'S LIKELY A QUESTION THAT YOU SHOULD PROBABLY ASK THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR.
I'LL, I'LL MAKE SURE I ASK THAT.
AND IF WE COULD JUST GET THIS PRESENTATION TO THE COMMUNITY, THAT WOULD BE PERFECT.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, THIS IS MORE SO DIRECTLY TO THE CITY ATTORNEY OR CITY MANAGER, HOWEVER, I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, IT'S, UH, THE TIMING OF THIS IS PRETTY AWESOME.
'CAUSE WE JUST CAME OUT OF, UM, OF, OF, OF, OF A CONVERSATION AROUND, UM, HOTEL FEE DELINQUENCIES.
YOUR PRESENTATION IS MORE GEARED TOWARDS RESIDENTIAL COLLECTIONS.
UM, BUT YOUR EFFORTS COULD BE BUSINESS BASED AS WELL, FROM WHAT, I MEAN, I KNOW YOU, YOU ALLUDED TO IT, MS. KAREN, THAT YOU, YOU TALKED TO BUSINESSES OR THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THIS WAS REALLY GEARED TOWARDS, UM, THE CITIZEN FRONT.
AND, AND I WAS JUST, UH, ASKING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED ABOUT DOING SOMETHING BEYOND WHAT THE CITY'S CURRENTLY DOING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES WITH THE HO THE TWO HOTELS THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY.
SO WE DO, UM, I'M SORRY, WE DO DO, UH, COLLECTIONS ON BUSINESSES, BUT NOT IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A HOTEL, HOTEL MOTEL TAX.
WE DO NOT, YOU DO NOT DO IT ON MOTEL HOTEL TAX.
AND SEE, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD BE GOING AFTER.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? OKAY.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AT THIS TIME I'M GONNA ASK FOR ANOTHER RECESS, UH, FOR, I'M GONNA SAVE FIVE MINUTES HOPEFULLY.
AND, UH, SO THAT WE CAN RESET THE SYSTEM.
[00:44:03]
OKAY, GREAT.UH, OUR TIME IS 6:43 PM AND WE WILL RESUME OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
UH, HOPEFULLY WE HAVE NO FURTHER ISSUES WITH THE SOUND SYSTEM AND WE CAN, UM, HAVE AT THIS TIME THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
THE NEXT PRESENTATION IS FOR THE COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS ON THE PROPOSED VETERANS MEMORIAL TRIBUTE SCULPTURE, MAKING A PRESENTATION, ITS ARTS,
[00:45:01]
CULTURE AND HERITAGE MANAGER, ROLANDA BRIGHAM AND CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION.I AM NOT ROLANDA BRIGHAM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO OUR ARTS CULTURE AND HERITAGE MANAGER ALONG WITH OUR, UM, CULTURAL, I'M SORRY, DESOTO, TEXAS CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION PRESIDENT, DR. JAMES MCBRIDE.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IT IS INDEED AN HONOR TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU ONCE AGAIN AND TO BRING TO YOU THE VETERANS MEMORIAL TRIBUTE SCULPTURE.
WE HAVE PURPOSE BACKGROUND SURVEY OVERVIEW.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION IS TO PROVIDE THE CITY COUNCIL WITH RESULTS OF THE COMMUNITY SURVEY CONDUCTED FOR THE VETERANS MEMORIAL TRIBUTE SCULPTURE, CONFIRMATION OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THE SELECTED DESIGN AND RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS TO ADVANCE THE PROJECT.
BACKGROUND PROJECT INITIATED BY THE DESOTO, TEXAS CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION AND THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, WE AND RFQ WAS DEVELOPED IN PUBLISHED OCTOBER, 2024 THROUGH APRIL, 2025.
IT WAS MANAGED THROUGH PURCHASING THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT AND INCLUDED MULTIPLE PUBLIC POSTINGS AND ROUNDS OF SUBMISSIONS, REVIEW PANEL OF RESIDENTS AND VETERANS CONVENED TO EVALUATE ARTISTS PROPOSALS.
AND A PUBLIC PRESENTATION WAS HELD ON AUGUST 25TH, 2025.
WE IMPLORED THE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND WE HAD AN AMAZING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PRESENTATION IN THE LIBRARY.
WE USED QUALTRICS SURVEY, AND THAT WAS LAUNCHED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PUBLIC PRESENTATION.
WE KEPT THE SURVEYS AVAILABLE IN PERSON AND ONLINE THROUGH AUGUST 30TH, 2025.
AND THESE QUALTRICS SURVEYS AIM TO MEASURE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE SCULPTURE, PREFERRED DESIGN ELEMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERPRETATION.
THE FINDINGS WERE THUS STRONG.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT, 72% FOUND THE SCULPTURAL APPROPRIATE FOR THE MEMORIAL.
84% PREFERRED THE EAGLE AS THE CENTRAL FIGURE, AND THE MAJORITY SUPPORTED ADDING A QR CODE FOR MORE VETERAN STORIES.
THE PUBLIC FEEDBACK DESCRIBED DESIGN AS RESPECTFUL, POWERFUL, AND TIMELESS.
THE COMMUNITY IMPACT WAS, IT REFLECTS COMMUNITY VALUES OF HONOR, UNITY, AND REMEMBRANCE.
IT STRENGTHENS THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO VETERANS AND PUBLIC ART, AND ESTABLISHES A CULTURAL LANDMARK IN STORYTELLING SPACE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
THE NEXT STEPS WITH COUNCIL CONCURRENCE, WE'D LIKE TO FORMALLY NOTIFY SELECTED ARTISTS TO PROCEED, AND WE WOULD GIVE THEM A NOTICE TO PROCEED AND THEN INITIATE CONTRACT DRAFTING PER CITY PROCEDURES.
THEN WE WOULD COORDINATE WITH THE DESOTO, TEXAS CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION AND THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE FOR FINAL IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS.
THE TIMELINE, ONCE THE CONTRACT IS EXECUTED AND THE PROJECT LAUNCH ANTICIPATED IS FISCAL YEAR 2026, FIRST QUARTER.
AND ONCE THE CONTRACT HAS BEEN EXECUTED, UH, THE ART WILL BE UP IN 90 DAYS.
AND WE WILL NOW OPEN THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS AND I'LL OPEN IT FOR DR. MCBRIDE, OUR BOARD PRESIDENT TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS AND LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR CONCURRENCE.
UH, THANK YOU MS. BRIGHAM FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU DR. MCBRIDE, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, UM, THROUGHOUT THIS PROJECT.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED WITH ANY COMMENTS, YOU ALL ARE NOT LOOKING FOR US FOR THAT CONCURRENCE TONIGHT.
CORRECT? THIS IS JUST A PRESENTATION.
THIS IS NOT LISTED AS AN ACTION ITEM.
SO I WANTED TO PREFACE THAT BEFORE WE STARTED WITH ANY COMMENTS.
COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER NORTH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND I THINK THIS IS VERY BEFITTING, UH, FOR THIS AREA.
I'M JUST CURIOUS WITH THE ARTISTS, AS I LOOK THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, I ONLY SEE, UM, ONE RENDERING OF WHAT IS PRESENTED.
I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THEY PRESENTED OTHER DRAWINGS BECAUSE I ALSO SEE A AI GENERATED IMAGE HERE.
SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF WE HAVE SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE DETAILED WITH REGARDS TO THAT.
[00:50:01]
FOR THE ARTISTS, WHAT THEY SUBMITTED TO US.WHEN THERE'S A RFQ, THE ARTISTS, WE GIVE THEM A THEME.
THEY PROVIDE US WITH A RENDERING FROM THERE.
IF THAT RENDERING, WHEN IT COMES BACK TO THE ACTUAL COMMITTEE ISN'T, QUOTE UNQUOTE, OF THE APPROVAL, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE QUALITY THAT WE WOULD LIKE HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE DON'T HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE OTHER INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY CAN ACTUALLY ALSO, YOU KNOW, BE INVOLVED.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
AND IF I MAY ADD, THERE IS AN ATTACHMENT WHERE YOU'LL SEE THE FULL PRESENTATION THAT THE ARTIST DELIVERED AT THE COMMUNITY MEETING.
SO I ONLY SAW THAT ONE RENDERING OF WHAT WAS PRESENTED.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THERE WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL FEE IF WE SAW OTHER RENDERINGS, OR HAVE YOU ALL ALREADY VETTED THAT IN ADDIT BEFORE PRESENTING IN THIS PRESENTATION? SO WHEN ARTIS IS, UH, SUBMIT THEIR RENDERINGS FOR US AS A COMMITTEE, THERE'S A FEE THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT.
COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COUNCILMAN WA I JUST WANNA SAY IT LOOKS GREAT AND, UH, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, BOTH OF YOU ALL.
ARE YOU BACK? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE QR CODE SITUATION, OR IS THAT A PART OF THIS AS WELL? IS IT GONNA BE ADDED? IS IN ADDITION TO YES, THAT WAS SOMETHING FOR US AS A, UH, CULTURAL ARTS, YOU KNOW, FOUNDATION.
WE WANTED TO MAKE IT INTERACTIVE MM-HMM
INSTEAD OF IT JUST BEING A MONUMENT THERE.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE ALSO WANTED IT TO BE A DESTINATION PLACE, BUT ONCE YOU GOT THERE, OKAY, HEY, IT'S JUST A MONUMENT, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE IT INTERACTIVE WITH THE QR CODE THAT ALLOWS FOR US AS A COMMUNITY TO EVEN PROVIDE UPDATES.
UH, PART OF THAT IS ALSO LISTING THE INDIVIDUALS FROM HERE IN OUR LOCAL AREA WHO WERE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE SERVICE.
AND SO THERE'LL BE THREE BENCHES.
SO THE, THE ENCOMPASSING, THE, THE, I SHOULD SAY THE, THE PROJECT IN DETAIL IS THE CHANGING OF THE MONUMENT, THE THREE BENCHES AND THE QR CODE.
IS THAT CORRECT? AT THIS STAGE RIGHT NOW, YES.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE SUBMITTED.
AND BASED ON THE TIMELINE, IF THIS ALL WENT FORWARD, UH, Q1, MEANING IT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE MEMORIAL DAY, UH, CELEBRATION THAT WILL BE COMING CLOSE.
IF COMING BACK ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS A PRESENTATION, SO THAT MEANS WE STILL WOULD'VE TO COME BACK EVEN FOR THE CONCURRENCE.
SO THEN FROM THERE, OBVIOUSLY WE'LL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE R FT PROCESS AND THEN THAT BEING ACTUALLY APPROVED AND THEN STAMPING IT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE 90 DAYS FROM THAT ARTIST TO ACTUALLY COMPLETE IT.
SO I CAN'T GIVE YOU THAT PROMISE, BUT YOU'D BE DEFINITELY CUTTING ME CLOSE.
YOU HAVE A QUESTION, MAYOR? I THINK THE INITIAL, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I THINK THE INTENTION WAS FOR STAFF TO, UH, GET COUNCIL'S APPROVAL ON MOVING FORWARD WITH THE ARTISTS.
UH, FOR THIS MEETING, JUST THE, THE AGENDA DID NOT SPELL OUT THAT THIS IS SEEKING APPROVAL FOR, UH, FOR THE ARTIST.
SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO ON THE 18TH, WE'RE GONNA COME BACK WITH, WITH THE SET RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE ASKING COUNSEL, UH, TO ALLOW US TO NOTIFY THE SELECTED ART ARTIST, INITIATE THE CONTRACT, UH, UH, DRAFTING AND ALSO COORDINATE.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW FOR, FOR MR GO FOR THAT POINT OF INFORMATION, POINT OF INFORMATION.
ON THE ACTUAL AGENDA, IT DOES SAY THAT IT IS AN AUTHORIZED, ARE WE SAYING THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT THE AGENDA SAYS? IT'S IT, WE'RE NOT GOING BY WHAT THE AGENDA SAYS.
WELL, THE, THE, THE RESOLUTION SAYS ONE THING, BUT THE AGENDA ITEMS SAYS ANOTHER THING.
SO YEAH, THIS IS, I WANNA MAKE SURE THIS YEAH.
ON, ON THE PUBLISHED AGENDA FOR THE PUBLIC, IT'S LISTED UNDER PRESENTATIONS AND IT'S LISTED AS A PRESENTATION ON, ON THE POSTED AGENDA.
SO, AND SO THE ONLY REASON I WAS ASKING THAT QUESTION WAS BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY, IT SAYS IN THERE TO AUTHORIZE, IT ACTUALLY HAS THAT AS THE RECOMMENDATION.
IT SAYS IN WHERE INSIDE MANAGEMENT REPORT.
IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, IT'S ONLY LISTED AS A PRESENTATION.
SO IT IS ABOUT WHERE IT'S SITTING ON THE ACTUAL AGENDA, NOT NECESSARILY THE AGENDA ITEM ITSELF.
I, I POSTED TO THE, I YIELD BACK SO THE PUBLIC WOULD KNOW THAT WE'RE ACTING ON THIS FRONT.
THAT, THAT'S THE REASON I'M ASKING FOR IT TO COME BACK ON THE 18TH BECAUSE IT'S NOT POSTED ACCORDING TO HOW THE AGENDA IS WRITTEN.
[00:55:01]
YOU.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COUNCILMAN WATER.
UM, I JUST THOUGHT OF ONE THING ON THE, THE RENDERING HERE.
THAT BENCH LOOKS PRETTY PLAIN, UH, ROLANDA, CAN YOU LET US KNOW, UM, IS IT GONNA BE JUST A PLAIN BENCH OR THE BENCHES? THE THREE BENCHES IS THERE.
I'LL LET YOU GO THEN I'LL ADD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION, SIR.
NO, THERE WILL BE VERBIAGE ON EACH BENCH.
SO THEY WON'T JUST BE PLAIN BENCHES.
AND I ALSO WAS GONNA ADD IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS IN THAT SPACE ITSELF, WHEN THERE ARE PROGRAMS AND CEREMONIES THERE, WE NORMALLY UTILIZE THAT AREA FOR THE FOLDABLE CHAIRS.
SO YES, WE SEE THE RENDERING, BUT THAT'S JUST NOT NECESSARILY WHERE THEY WOULD BE STATIONARY IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE PLACE THAT THEY'RE SHOWN IN THE PICTURE.
SO THANK YOU AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I WANNA CLARIFY THE STEPS, UM, AFTER TONIGHT, BECAUSE AS MY COLLEAGUE MENTIONED, IT'S LISTED AS FISCAL, UM, EXCUSE ME, Q1.
AND SO THAT WOULD MEAN THAT'S OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, CORRECT? IF WE'RE GOING BY FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE ARE PLANNING TO, UH, WHAT WOULD START THE PROCESS? SO ONCE THIS IS BROUGHT BACK, THEN, WHAT IS THE, WHAT STEPS ARE WE TAKING? THE NEXT STEPS WOULD BE TO GIVE THE ARTIST A NOTICE TO PROCEED AND GET A CONTRACT TO THEM.
AND AS SOON AS THE CONTRACT IS EXECUTED, THE TIMELINE STARTS.
AND SO WHAT ARE WE ANTICIPATING? I KNOW IT'S BEEN SAID, BUT CAN YOU REITERATE THE TIMELINE? ONCE THEY HAVE THE NOTICE TO PROCEED AND THEY START, THEY HAVE ALL THE THINGS.
HOW LONG ARE WE EXPECTING BEFORE WE SEE THE ACTUAL FINISHED PRODUCT? NO MORE THAN 90 DAYS.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM? OKAY.
AT THIS TIME WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE.
AT THIS TIME WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION ON CREEK MAINTENANCE AND EROSION MITIGATION COST SHARE PROGRAM MAKING.
THE PRESENTATION IS DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AHAD QUAI.
UH, GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, MR. CITY MANAGER, UM, FROM THE COLD STUFF ON ARTS AND CULTURES, WE'RE TAKING A SHARP TURN TO THE, SOME BORING STUFF, THE EROSION MITIGATION, BUT IT'S THE KIND OF THE BORING STUFF THAT COULD ACTUALLY KEEP, UH, HOME STANDING.
OUR AGENDA TODAY IS, UM, A STUDY FOR OTHER JURISDICTION FOR THE EROSION MITIGATION PROGRAM, PROJECT VISION, ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO THE PROGRAM TIMELINE AND BENEFITS.
UM, THE PURPOSE IS TO PRESENT, OR THIS IS THE PRESENTATION, IS TO INTEND TO INTRODUCE THE EROSION MITIGATION PROGRAM FOR DECREASED MAINTENANCE.
AND THIS IS JUST INFORMATIONAL ONLY.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED FROM THE CITY COUNCIL TONIGHT AT THE JURISDICTIONS PROCESSES, WE LOOKED AT THE OTHER SURROUNDING CITIES SUCH AS CEDAR HILL, LANCASTER, DUNCANVILLE, AND ARLINGTON.
IT DOESN'T SEEM THEY HAVE, UH, THIS PROGRAM.
SO IT'S BASICALLY A HUNDRED PERCENT ON THE RESIDENCE.
LIKE IF THERE IS A CREEK, UM, MAINTENANCE ISSUE ADJACENT TO A PROPERTY OR A RESIDENTIAL HOME, THEN IT WOULD BE, UH, IT'S ACTUALLY THE, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE RESIDENT.
AND, AND, AND THOSE CITY APPEAR TO LEAVE THAT RESPONSIBILITY A HUNDRED PERCENT ON THEM.
UM, OTHER CITIES LIKE THAT, ANOTHER BIG CITY LIKE DALLAS, THEY, THEY ACTUALLY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT THEN IT'S, IT IS A CIP BUDGET.
THAT MEANS THEY ONLY DO IT IF, IF THE BUDGET IS AVAILABLE.
UM, OTHER TWO CITIES THAT WE LOOKED INTO, CITY OF PLANO, UM, CITY OF PLANO TAKES CARE OF THE EROSION ISSUES AT THE RESIDENTIAL HOUSES, BUT THEY REQUIRE HOMEOWNERS TO PAY A FLAT RATE OF 10 K AND THEY HAVE A CAPITAL OF $3 MILLION PER YEAR.
UH, GARLAND IS A LITTLE BIT UNIQUE.
THEY DO 50, 50% COST SHARE PROGRAM.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DESOTO IS, UH, PROPOSING OR RECOMMENDING.
PROJECT VISION IS, UM, WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE HOMEOWNERS ONLY.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO DO THIS PROGRAM FOR THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES ONLY, NOT THE COMMERCIALS.
AND IT'S A 50 50, UH, PERCENT COST SHARE PROGRAM WITH A ONE 50 CAP, ONE 50 K DOLLARS CAP PER PROJECT.
AND WITH THE ANNUAL ALLOCATION OF 500 K FROM THE DRAINAGE FUND, WE'LL DIVE, UH, DEEP, DEEP IN DETAILS ON, ON OVER THE NEXT SLIDES.
[01:00:01]
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA OF PROPERTY MUST BE RESIDENTIAL ADJACENT TO THE CREEK.AND THEN, UH, THE HOMEOWNER WILL HAVE TO BE WILLING TO SUBMIT ALL THE REQUIRED EASEMENTS.
ALSO ON, UH, PARTICIPATION, WE, WE WANT THE HOMEOWNERS TO PARTICIPATE AND BE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE AND AGREE TO, FOR THE CITY TO DELIVER THIS PROJECT.
FROM PROCUREMENT, DESIGN CONSTRUCTION, WE'RE, WE'LL BE FOCUSING ON THE EROSION ONLY.
SO WE'LL, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO ANY ESO IMPROVEMENTS OR LANDSCAPING.
AND, UM, WE'LL HAVE A LIST OF PROJECTS THAT'LL BE PRIORITIZED BASED ON TOTAL SCARRING.
AND THEN WE WILL REQUEST THE FUND TO BE AVAILABLE WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF PROJECT ACCEPTANCE, SELECTION AND PRIORITIES.
UM, ELIGIBLE PROJECTS WOULD BE EVALUATED USING THE, UH, CITY RATING FORM.
WE'VE DEVELOPED A, A FORM THAT WE'RE GOING TO SHARE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AT THE NEXT MEETING.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH THE SCORES, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE THREAT LEVEL TO THE STRUCTURES, THE RATE OF EROSION AND, AND SEVERITY OF THE LOSS, AND ALL ALONG WITH THE NUMBER OF PROPERTIES OF THE, THE IMPACT OF PROPERTIES.
AND WE'LL COME UP WITH A TOTAL SCORING FOR EACH PROPERTY.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY THE HIGHEST SCORING THAT WOULD BE PROJECT NUMBER ONE AND SO FORTH.
WHEN IS THE PROJECT IS ACCEPTED, WE WANT THE RESIDENT TO HAVE THE, THEIR PORTION, THE 50% WITHIN SIX MONTHS THAT NOW HAPPENS.
THEN WE'LL HAVE TO DESELECT AND THAT RESIDENT WILL HAVE TO REAPPLY.
FUNDING AND PARTICIPATION, AGAIN, THIS IS A 50, UH, 50 PROGRAM AND UH, WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS THE CITY WILL CAP IT OUT AT ONE 50 K.
SO THEN IF THERE IS A PROJECT COST, LET'S SAY 400 K, WE'LL BE PAYING ONE 50 K AND THEN THE OTHER TWO 50 WILL BE PAID BY THE PRESIDENT.
SO IN THIS CASE, IT WOULDN'T BE 50 50, BUT IF, IF I ASSUME A PROJECT WITH A HUNDRED K, THEN 50% IS GOING TO BE ON THE CITY AND THE OTHER 50% IS GOING TO BE ON, ON THE RESIDENCE.
AND THEN THIS FUND IS GOING TO BE THROUGH THE DRAINAGE FUND.
SO IT HAS NO IMPACT ON THE GENERAL FUND IN CASE IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY PROJECTS, LET'S SAY FOR 2026 OR 2027, THE SAME AMOUNT WILL BE ROLLED OVER TO THE NEXT YEAR.
PROCESS STEPS, WE WILL, WE'LL HAVE AN APPLICATION, WE'LL PUT THAT ON THE WEBSITE.
WE RECEIVE APPLICATIONS, WE CONDUCT FIELD, UH, INSPECTIONS, WE DO REVIEWS AND ASSESSMENTS, AND THEN WE SELECT THE PROJECT BASED ON SCARRING.
UM, A PICTURE WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS.
SO THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE FROM THE CITY OF PLANO.
UH, THE PROJECT THEY'VE DONE UNDER, UNDER THEIR PROGRAM FOR CREEK MAINTENANCE.
SO EROSION MITIGATIONS, UM, 1.3, 1.3, 1.23 MILLION.
AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST A 10 K FLAT FOR THE HOMEOWNERS AND THE CITY PAID THE REST.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE, THIS IS ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE THAT DESOTO IMPLEMENTED FOR A COMMERCIAL, ACTUALLY FOR A HOMEOWNER.
UM, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, KIND OF LIKE 180 5K.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE THAT DESOTO IMPLEMENTED.
THIS IS A 2 73 K FOR OUR COMMERCIAL SHARE.
AND THE TIMELINE, AS YOU CAN SEE THE TIMELINE, YOU KNOW, LIKE ONE YEAR, EIGHT MONTHS AND EIGHT MONTHS.
THIS IS THE TYPE OF PROJECTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING INTO PROGRAM TIMELINE.
IN JANUARY, WE'LL COME BACK AND PRESENT, UM, PROGRAM DELIVERY AND NEEDS.
AND WE'LL, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK INTO, UH, STAFF NEWS COMPARES TO DELIVERY BY A CONSULTANT.
UM, IN MARCH WE'LL DEVELOP THE FRAMEWORK AND THE DRAFT ORDINANCE, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT WE OBTAIN THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL IN APRIL.
WE'RE GOING TO LAUNCH THE WORKSHOPS AND, UM, OUTREACH, UH, AND ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS.
WE REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS IN JULY AND AUGUST, AND HOPEFULLY WE ACCEPT PROJECTS IN SEPTEMBER ARE THE FIRST PROJECT TO BE ACCEPTED ON SEPTEMBER.
THE BENEFITS, OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF BENEFITS.
I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GONNA BE A VERY FAIR AND TRANSPARENT PROGRAM.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY TRANSPARENT BASED ON SCORING.
WE'LL PUT, WE'LL PUT A COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE FORMS AND, AND THE HIGHEST SCORES, AND THEY'RE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IF THEY'RE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE.
THIS IS GONNA BE THE FIRST PROJECT.
AND, AND THE OTHER BENEFIT IS IT HAS NO IMPACT ON THE GENERAL FUND.
IT'S FULLY FUNDED BY THE, BY THE DRAINAGE FUND.
[01:05:02]
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, NEXT STEPS, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS ALL GONNA BE OUR NEXT STEP IS TO COME BACK IN JANUARY AND PRESENTS YOU MORE DETAILS.AND WE'LL CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, PRO ROLLING OUT THE PROGRAM AND DO THE EVALUATION OF THE DELIVERY MODEL, WHETHER, WHETHER WE WANNA DO THAT IN-HOUSE OR, YOU KNOW, BY A CONSULTANT SUPPORT WITH THAT, THAT WOULD CONCLUDE MY, UH, PRESENTATION.
I'LL OPEN THAT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WHOSE LIGHT WAS ON FIRST.
THANK YOU, UH, MR. SEY, UM, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUNDS PART OF IT WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, UM, IN YOUR EXAMPLES IT SAYS ZERO, UM, BUT YOUR PROPOSAL IS 50 50%.
SO FOR $273,000 JOB, YOU WOULD EXPECT THAT THE HOMEOWNER WOULD COME OFF OF ROUGHLY ABOUT 120, 140, SOMEWHERE IN THERE IN SIX MONTHS.
IS THAT WHAT I'M, IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING? UH, YES.
SO, YOU KNOW, BUT UH, ALSO KEEP IN MIND THE ONES, THOSE ARE ALREADY IMPLEMENTED AND WE HAVE FEDERAL FUNDS FOR THEM.
BUT I'M SAYING MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAS A JOB THAT MIGHT BE JUST AS, YOU KNOW, NOT SAYING 270 FEET, I MEAN, AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IS STILL SAYING THAT THE HOMEOWNER WOULD NEED TO COME OFF, OR THE PROPERTY OWNER WOULD NEED TO COME OFF FOR $50,000 IN SIX MONTHS.
IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY? SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, I GUESS THIS IS ONE OF THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETINGS.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK.
IF, IF THE COUNCIL BELIEVES SIX MONTHS WOULDN'T BE ENOUGH AND WANT TO EXTEND IT TO ONE YEAR, WE'RE MORE THAN WILLING TO DO SO.
BUT WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS, I'M, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
NO, WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS A 50 50 COST SHARE PROGRAM.
SO THE CITY PAYS 50% WITH THE CAP, WITH THE MAXIMUM CAP, WHICH IS ONE 50 K, AND THEN WITH THE SIX MONTHS REQUIREMENT.
SO THE REASON THAT I'M ANSWERING THE QUESTION, AND I'M JUST, UH, LENDING BACK TO A THOUGHT PROCESS, UH, LONG AGO, I USED TO WORK FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS AND WE HAD A SITUATION WHERE THEY DID THE, UH, UH, SIDEWALKS.
AND THE SIDEWALKS HAD A COST SHARING, UH, COMPONENT TO IT AS WELL.
BUT THE HOMEOWNER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO A PAYMENT PLAN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY CAN ALWAYS PUT A LIEN WHERE, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN THE HOMEOWNER DECIDES NOT TO PAY THE THE THING.
BUT IF A PERSON IS REALLY TRYING TO HELP THEIR PROPERTY, I DON'T KNOW OF ANYBODY WHO HAS, I MEAN, THERE MAY BE SOME PEOPLE, I'M JUST SAYING THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW OF A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE SITTING AROUND WITH $50,000 TO THROW ON THE CREEK OR WHATEVER.
AND IF THEY HAD A PAYMENT PLAN, IT MIGHT MAKE IT SOUND A LITTLE BETTER.
SO MAYBE HAVING AN OPTION IN THERE FOR SOME TYPE OF PAYMENT PLAN SO THAT PEOPLE WON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE EXPECTING THEM TO COME SIX MONTHS, $50,000.
AND THEN YOU PICK, YOU PICK EVERYTHING, THE CITY'S PICKING EVERYTHING.
SO IT, YOU KNOW, DOES THE HOMEOWNER HAVE ANY, ANY SAY IN WHO THE ACTUAL CONTRACTOR IS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SOME OF THAT MIGHT BE SOME THINGS THAT THE CITY MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF THE CITY'S PICKING IT, YOU'RE GONNA PICK IT WITH SOMEONE WHO MAY HAVE THE PRICE, UH, A LOT BIGGER THAN SOMEONE ELSE.
SO MAYBE HAVING THREE BIDS ON EVERY SITUATION SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A SITUATION WHERE A HOMEOWNER'S FEELING LIKE YOU'RE GOUGING THEM.
AND I'M JUST SAYING THAT OUT LOUD.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THE CITY IS DOING THAT.
I'M SAYING A WAY TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR A HOMEOWNER TO, TO COST SHARE.
SO YES, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT.
WE HAVEN'T GOT TO THAT POINT YET.
WE'RE THINKING OF LIKE IF THE RESIDENT CAN BRING A LOAN, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THE PAYMENTS AND WE CAN TALK TO FINANCE.
IF THAT COULD BE, THAT COULD HAPPEN WITH THE, WITH THE CITY FUNDS.
THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, HAVING, UH, SAT IN, UH, AND TALKED TO RESIDENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS AND HEARING THE BIG LOUD NO FROM CITY HALL, I CAN DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING INTO.
UM, ON THE LINES OF FUNDING, WHAT I WAS THINKING THROUGH WAS, IS THERE A OPPORTUNITY TO DO A, UH, A SLIDING SCALE, UM, FUNDING JUST BECAUSE DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE CREEK IN DESOTO HAVE DIFFERENT HOME VALUES.
AND I, I, I, ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUE, AM CONCERNED WITH THE COST PERSPECTIVE, AND IF SOMEONE CAN PROVE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE INCOME TO PAY, UM, THIS ASTRONOMICAL FEE, COULD THERE BE SOME TYPE OF SLIDING SCALE USED IN A ME IN, IN THAT MEASURE TO ASSIST? BECAUSE I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, AT LEAST THE, THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE TALKED TO THAT HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY EROSION IN THE CREEK, THEY WANNA DO THE RIGHT THING, UM, BUT THEY DON'T FEEL THE PARTNERSHIP.
SO I THINK THIS IS, LIKE I SAID, A GREAT START, BUT IT, THE COST
[01:10:01]
I THINK IS WHERE, TO ME WAS ALARMING.AND THEN THE SECOND PIECE IS THAT BECAUSE I DO KNOW OF PEOPLE, UM, HOW DOES THAT CHANGE THE CONVERSATION TO THE PUBLIC NOW WITH THE LIABILITY? BECAUSE THE CITY HAS BEEN VERY FRONT FACING WITH THIS IS THE RESIDENCE IS NOT ANYTHING ON US.
AND CERTAINLY YOU CAN CHANGE THAT, BUT ONCE YOU START PARTICIPATING IN THE DESIGN AND FIXING, THEN THE LIABILITY I WOULD THINK CHANGES FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
AND SO, UM, WHAT I GUESS LEGAL, WHAT IS, IS THERE IN THE POLICY, BECAUSE I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING IN THE POLICY FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT ON RESPONSIBILITY WHEN WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UH, WITH HOMEOWNERS.
AND I'M SAYING THIS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY IN-DEPTH CONVERSATIONS ON THIS TOPIC, AND I DID NOT EXPECT THE LOOPHOLES THAT CAME OUT OF IT TO HAPPEN THE WAY THAT THEY DID.
BUT NONETHELESS, I THINK THERE ARE TOPICS THAT DEFINITELY NEED TO BE DISCUSSED.
THANK YOU FURTHER THE QUESTION.
SO THE FIRST QUESTION, UM, IF, YOU KNOW, LET ME, LET ME GO BACK TO THE PICTURES.
SO ONE, LET'S SAY THIS, THIS MIGHT MIGHT BE A GOOD EXAMPLE, 180 5K, IF, IF CITY COUNCIL DECIDES TO GO WITH 75% TO 25%, WE COULD DO THAT TOO.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE COULD GO WITH IT LIKE ANY DIRECTION THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WANTS.
IF, IF THE CITY COUNCIL DECIDES, OKAY, WE WANT TO DO 75, THE CITY PAYS 75% AND THE RESIDENTS PAY 25%.
BUT YOU KNOW, THE ONLY CAVEAT WITH THIS IS WE ALLOCATED 500 K ANNUALLY FOR THIS PROGRAM.
SO THE MORE THAT WE PAY ON, ON THE PERCE PERCENTAGE WISE, THE LESS PROPERTIES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TO, TO DO.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, IF CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO MOVE WITH 75% AND, AND REALLY THIS PROGRAM IS UNIQUE, WE LOOKED AT MANY CITIES, WE COULDN'T REALLY FIND A PROGRAM THAT, YOU KNOW, VERY COMPREHENSIVE AS THE ONE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO FOR THE EROSION MITIGATION.
SO THERE IS A LOT OF UNC UNCERTAINTY IN, IN, IN THIS PROCESS, AND WE WON'T BE ABLE TO KIND OF FIGURE EVERYTHING OUT UNTIL WE TRY IT.
SO ULTIMATELY OUR PLAN IS WE NEED TO COME BACK LIKE ANNUALLY AND SEE IF WE CAN REVISE THE, THE PROGRAM TO MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF FIT THE RESIDENTS NEED BETTER.
UM, ON THE, ON THE SECOND QUESTION, ON THE LIABILITY OF, SO THIS IS WHEN WE ACTUALLY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THE DESIGN.
WE'LL, WE WILL HIRE A CONSULTANT TO PERFORM, TO DO THE DESIGN.
SO WHICH WOULD THEN WE, WE FEEL WE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD FEEL, BE MORE COMFORTABLE WHEN WE, WHEN WE BRING A CONSULTANT TO DO THE DESIGN RATHER THAN GIVING THE MONEY TO THE RESIDENTS AND TELLING THEM LIKE, OKAY, GO AHEAD AND DO THE DESIGN OURSELVES.
WE DON'T EXPECT THEM TO BE ENGINEERS OR THE EXPERTS IN THAT, IN THAT FIELD.
SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE OVER THIS AND SAY, WE'RE GONNA DO THE PROCUREMENT, WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE, UM, REG AND, AND, AND CITY CODES AND REGULATIONS, AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ACTUALLY GET A GOOD DESIGNER AND WE REVIEW THE DESIGN AND WE DO THE CONSTRUCTION AND WE DO THE INSPECTIONS.
BUT WILL THE ONGOING MAINTENANCE BE ALSO SOMETHING THAT THE CITY PICKS UP AT THAT POINT SINCE WE'RE ASSUMING THE LIABILITY? NO, THIS IS A GOOD QUESTION.
SO IT'S, THIS IS A HUNDRED PERCENT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HOMEOWNERS CITY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE TO MAINTAIN THE CREEK NEXT TO ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTIES.
BUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE THE CITY KIND OF IS STEPPING IN AND SAYING, WE KNOW IT COULD BE A HARDSHIP.
WE DON'T WANT YOU TO PAY 200 K OR ONE 50 K.
CAN WE DO COST SHARE? CAN WE DO THE 50 50%, BUT THEN AFTER WE GET THE PRO PROJECT DONE, IT WOULD, IT WOULD GO BACK TO THE RESIDENT TO MAINTAIN.
LET, LET ME ADD A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS, WE'RE A CITY OF 21 SQUARE MILES, BUT WE HAVE 44 MILES OF TRI CREEKS AND TRIBUTARIES.
SO THE, THE NEED IS GREAT FOR THE RESIDENTS AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW AND WILL CONTINUE TO STAND STILL IS THE RESIDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN HALF OF THAT CREEK, WHATEVER THEIR PROPERTY LINE IS.
WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO DO IS SUPPORT, UM, SUPPORT THE PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, IN, IN TERMS OF HARDSHIP, FINANCIAL HARDSHIP.
IT STILL IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PROPERTY OWNER NOT ONLY TO CONSTRUCT THE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT ALSO TO DO, UH, THE MAINTENANCE ON THAT.
NOW THERE WILL BE CASES WHERE WE WOULD HAVE EXPOSED CITY FACILITIES THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO REPAIR.
THIS IS ON US, THIS WOULD BE ON THE CITY OF DESOTO.
HOWEVER, HOWEVER, IF IF THERE'S NO IMPACT TO THE UTILITIES OR IMPACT TO PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, STILL IS A HUNDRED PERCENT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PROPERTY OWNER.
SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, CREATE A PROGRAM THAT RELIEVES SOME OF THE HARDSHIP ON THE, ON THE PART OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
AND IN INSTANCES LIKE THIS, WE CAN SAY A CAP.
[01:15:01]
I MEAN, IT'S UP TO THE CITY COUNCIL.WE CAN SAY A CAP OF $50,000 ON EACH PROJECT.
SO WE CAN HAVE 10 PROJECTS, UP TO 10 PROJECTS.
UH, CITY COUNCIL CAN DESIRE TO SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL ALLOCATE THE MILLION DOLLARS.
THAT'S UP TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
WE'RE JUST INTRODUCING THE PROGRAM.
UH, THE PROGRAM THAT COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER WAS TALKING ABOUT IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, THAT WAS ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT I OVERSAW.
SO YES, THERE WAS OPPORTUNITY FOR PAYMENTS ON THE SIDEWALK, BUT YOU PLACE A LIEN ON THE PROPERTY.
SO IT, IT DOESN'T COME WITHOUT CONSTRAINTS TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
SO THE PROPERTY OWNERS CAN HAVE SOME, UM, SOME RELIEF IN A SENSE, BUT THEY KNOW THAT THERE IS A LIEN ON THAT PROPERTY AND THEY CANNOT SELL OR CANNOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL THEY PAY THAT LIEN.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT.
WE CAN LOOK AT VARIATIONS OF THINGS.
UM, BUT I JUST WANT TO TELL THE CITY COUNCIL THE INTENT OF THIS IS TO SUPPORT THE RESIDENTS WHEN THEY HAVE CHALLENGES WITH THE CREEKS.
STILL IS A HUNDRED PERCENT THE RESIDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY.
AND, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S GREAT AND I SO WILL YOU SAY THAT THE CITY IS STILL GOING TO TAKE CARE OF FACILITIES THAT ARE EXPOSED, UM, DUE TO EROSION? HAS THE CITY ALREADY IDENTIFIED THOSE? UM, AND HOW WILL THAT WORK IN TANDEM WITH THIS PROGRAM? LIKE, WILL THOSE BE PRIORITIZED FIRST OR SO? OKAY, SO THE PRIORITIZATION WILL BE BASED ON THIS SCORING SYSTEM, TECHNICAL SCORING SYSTEM, THIS SCORING SYSTEM THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING.
THIS IS HOW WE PRIORITIZE A PROJECT, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE SEVERITY, THE THREAT TO THIS STRUCTURE.
WE'LL PUT POINTS AND WE'LL COME UP WITH THE TOTAL SCORE, BUT WE ACTUALLY RECEIVE, YOU KNOW, CALLS FROM RESIDENTS.
WE, WE GO OUT TO, TO HOMEOWNERS AND INSPECT THEIR, UH, PROPERTIES AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LOG OF ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT WE RECEIVED, NAMES, EMAILS, AND PHONE CALLS.
WHEN WE GET TO THE POINT THAT WE WANT TO DO THE ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH, WE'RE GOING TO CALL EVERYBODY AND LET THEM KNOW WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO APPLY.
WHEN WE GET THE APPLICATIONS, WE WILL CONDUCT FIELD INSPECTIONS.
WE THEN WE REVIEW, WE ASSIGN SCORES, AND THEN WE SELECT BASED ON THE HIRING SCORING.
SO, SO LOOK AT IT FROM THREE PERSPECTIVES.
YOU HAVE THE CAPITAL PROGRAM, THE LARGE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS, THAT'S CITY RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE, AND THEN WE CAN CREATE A COST SHARING PROGRAM THAT WOULD BE A THIRD PROGRAM INTENDED FOR SPECIFICALLY FOR THE RESIDENTS.
I, I, AND I JUST SAY THAT WHEN I SAID SLIDING SCALE OF FUNDING, I DIDN'T, I WASN'T INSINUATING THAT YOU HAD TO DO THAT FOR EVERYONE, BUT FROM AN EQUITY STANDPOINT, IT WOULD BE NICE IF THERE WERE FOLKS WHO MAYBE FIT A CERTAIN CATEGORY THAT WE KNOW, THAT MEET THOSE CRITERIA THAT WE WOULD OFFER JUST A JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE SUPPORT JUST BASED ON THE COST, THE AVERAGE COST THAT YOU GUYS HAVE PROJECTED FOR EROSION, JUST IN GENERAL.
THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
CITY MANAGER, COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES.
THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I MET YOU OUT AT ONE OF THESE PROPERTIES, SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THIS COMING INTO FRUITION.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS COULD BENEFIT FROM IT DEPENDING ON THEIR SITUATION, AND I DID WANT TO CLARIFY SOMETHING.
EVEN IF WE GOT INTO SOME TYPE OF ARRANGEMENT WITH THEM, IT WOULDN'T PRECLUDE THEM FROM BEING ABLE TO SELL.
THEY WOULD JUST HAVE TO PAY IT OFF AT CLOSING.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES? I DO, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, AND THIS IS, THIS IS JUST, YOU KNOW, YOUR BEST GUESS WHEN WE TALK.
I, I DO, I KNOW OF A FEW AREAS THAT CAME TO MIND WHEN WE TALK, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SOME MAJOR EROSION ISSUES.
HOWEVER, THE HOUSES, OBVIOUSLY THE ISSUE SPANS ACROSS SEVERAL HOMES, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT JUST ONE HOUSE THAT'S BEING IMPACTED BY THE EROSION.
WHAT COULD THERE, I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE THINKING IN TERMS OF THOSE? 'CAUSE I'M THINKING WHAT, WHAT WOULD AN AVERAGE, UM, COST BE FOR THIS? BECAUSE I KNOW THIS ONE IS, UH, LAKE GROVE, I'M NOT NOT SURE EXACTLY WHERE THAT IS, BUT THAT'S $185,000.
AND SO WE TALKED ABOUT LIKE $50,000 WHERE, YOU KNOW, AROUND THAT RANGE.
WHAT WOULD YOU SEE AS FOR THOSE HOMES WHERE IT'S MULTIPLE HOMES ALONG THE CREEK THAT ARE ALL BEING IMPACTED, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE COST PER PROPERTY OWNER IN THOSE INSTANCES? AND THEN LIKE, LOOKING AT A WAY TO, UM, THAT THEM SHARING THAT COST, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF ONE HOMEOWNER CAN AFFORD TO DO IT AND THE NEXT THREE CAN'T, AND THEN THE ONE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THEM CAN, THEN YOU KIND OF GET INTO A PICKLE WITH LIKE, HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY FIX THE ISSUE IF EVERYBODY'S NOT ABLE TO ACTUALLY MATCH THE ACTUAL COST? NO, THIS IS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION, MADAM MAYOR.
I ACTUALLY DIDN'T COVER THIS, BUT, UM, ON SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT, THE SCORING, UM, THE TECHNICAL
[01:20:01]
SCORING SYSTEM, WE ARE ACTUALLY ASSIGNING A SCORE FOR THE NUMBER OF PROPERTIES IMPACTED.SO LET'S SAY IF THERE'S AN EROSION ISSUE NEXT TO THREE PROPERTY OWNERS, WE'LL GIVE, WE'LL GIVE THAT APPLICATION MORE SCORES SO THAT THEY'LL HAVE BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
AND IF THEY DO, THEN THE CAP WILL BE DIFFERENT.
IT WOULDN'T BE ONE 50 K, IT WOULD BE 4 4 50 K AND THEN, AND THEN THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, LIKE 50% EACH.
SO THEIR ACTUALLY, THEIR OPPORTUNITY WILL BE BETTER TO, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS PROGRAM.
AND THIS CITY WILL, WILL BE ABLE TO PUT MORE MONEY TO THIS.
'CAUSE YOU'RE BENEFITING MORE THAN ONE HOUSE.
AND MAYOR, I, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ANSWER YOUR, YOUR QUESTION.
UH, WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL, UNTIL WE ACTUALLY DO THE ENGINEERING PORTION OF IT.
UH, BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON THE SEVERITY, THE PROXIMITY TO STRUCTURE, UH, THE, THE TYPE OF, THE TYPE OF TREATMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT YOU SAW IN THE PICTURE WITH THE CITY OF PLANO, IT'S A GA BEYOND STRUCTURE.
UH, AND SO THAT'S GONNA COST THAT MUCH MONEY.
THERE'S OTHER WAYS THAT YOU COULD DO, UH, THE TREATMENT THAT THE CITY OF PLANO CHOSE.
AND I, I GUESS MONEY IS NOT AN OBJECT FOR US.
WE'RE GONNA BE VERY, FOR US, WE'RE GONNA BE VERY, UH, UH, WHAT'S THE RIGHT WORD? UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE VERY, UH, DELIBERATE IN LOOKING AT THOSE PROJECTS AND MAKING SURE NOT ONLY WE'RE GETTING THE BEST TREATMENT, BUT ALSO WE'RE GETTING THE, THE, THE MOST REASONABLE AND EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR THAT.
SO, UH, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE PROPERTY.
I'VE SEEN, I'VE SEEN REPAIRS AS LITTLE AS $10,000.
I'VE SEEN REPAIRS AS AS MUCH AS FIVE, $6 MILLION.
AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE WEIGH IN AND WHAT WE LOOK AT.
AND MR. CITY MANAGER, YOU MENTIONED LIKE 44 MILES OF, OF CREEKS AND ALL OF THOSE IS THE, AND YOU MAY HAVE, IT MAY HAVE BEEN EMBEDDED WITHIN THE PRESENTATION, AND IT MAY HAVE WENT OVER MY HEAD, BUT ARE WE PLANNING TO PRE GAUGE ALL 44 MILES OF THAT? OR IS IT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS? DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? KIND OF LIKE WE DO WITH OUR ALLEYWAYS, RIGHT? WHERE WE GO, WE GRADE ALL OF OUR ALLEYS AND RANK THEM FROM A THROUGH F WOULD WE BE DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR IN THIS CASE AS WELL? SO WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
WE'RE STARTING WITH A STREET, ACTUALLY, MR. AL CASEY WILL COME TO YOU NEXT, UH, NEXT MONTH WITH SOMETHING THAT IS CALLED THE INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH IS, WHICH IS WEIGHING EVERY SINGLE STREET.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED IN SEVERAL CITIES.
AND SO THE INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM GIVES PRIORITY LISTING.
IT'S SIMILAR TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, BUT THIS IS YOUR ANNUAL MAINTENANCE PROGRAM AND TELLS YOU HOW MUCH WE NEED AND WHAT STREETS ARE GONNA BE.
UM, UM, SUBJECT TO THAT, IN THE DRAINAGE MASTER PLAN, WE'RE IDENTIFYING AS WELL THE INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR DRAINAGE FACILITIES.
SO THAT'S GONNA COME BEFORE YOU WE'RE WORKING ON THE DRAINAGE MASTER PLAN.
ACTUALLY, THERE'S ALSO AN UPDATED PRESENTATION TO YOU SINCE, SINCE WE'VE STARTED THAT EFFORT ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO.
SO ALL OF THAT IS COMING, IT'S JUST THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DEFERRED IN THE PAST.
COUNCILMAN WATER, FIRST, I THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, GREAT PROGRAM, GREAT PROGRAM.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF HOMEOWNERS, UM, THAT WHEN THEY BUY THESE HOUSES BY THE CREEK, YOU KNOW, GREAT WHEN THEY BUY IT, BUT DON'T READ THE FINE PRINT.
SO MOST PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR HALF OF THE, YOU KNOW, CREEK WHEN STUFF HAPPENS, THEN THEY GET THIS BIG SHOCK.
SO, UH, ARE Y'ALL GONNA BE DOING SOME, UH, I GUESS AWARENESS, UH, THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE CREEKS THAT, HEY, UM, BY THE WAY, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR, YOU KNOW, HALF OF THAT CREEK, UH, IS YOUR BACKYARD, UM, WHEN Y'ALL ARE KIND OF PROMOTING THIS PROGRAM? 'CAUSE MOST OF 'EM MAY BE NO, BUT I MEAN, PROBABLY THEY DON'T KNOW UNTIL THEY HAVE A ISSUE, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY GONNA HAVE TO PAY THIS BIG BILL.
THE OTHER THING IS THIS, IF YOU, UM, LET'S SAY YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU OWE THE MONEY FOR THIS, OR LET'S SAY, UH, FIND OUT THAT YOU OWE OKAY, 185,000 TO FIX YOUR CREEK ISSUE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY, LIKE YOU WERE MENTIONING, UM, MOST PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THAT MONEY.
SO IF YOU TRY TO JUST PUT A LIEN ON SOMETHING, THEN THAT MEANS WE'RE PAYING OUTTA OUR POCKET AND HOPING WE'RE GONNA GET THIS MONEY.
WELL, IF SOMEONE HAS A $80,000 LIEN ON IT, THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA SELL THEIR HOUSE
SO YOU'RE NEVER GONNA GET THAT MONEY UNTIL THEY PASS AWAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO YOU WE'RE KIND OF IN A PICKLE ON THAT, YOU KNOW, TO GET PEOPLE TO
[01:25:01]
PAY UPFRONT.SO, I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU ARE WORKING, WORKING THESE NUMBERS.
THE LIEN IS TO ENSURE THAT THEY, THEY CONTINUE WITH THEIR MONTHLY PAYMENT OR THEIR ANNUAL PAYMENT, HOWEVER, THE CITY SETS IT UP.
THE LIEN IS NOT INTENDED FOR THEM TO SELL OR NOT SELL THE PROPERTY.
SO THE GOAL IS FOR THEM TO SAY, I'M OFFERING MY PROPERTY AS A COLLATERAL FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT I OWE AS PART OF, AS PART OF THAT PROJECT.
SO A PAYMENT PLAN, IT'S A PAYMENT PLAN, BUT THE LIEN UNTIL YOU PAY THE LIEN, IS THE LIEN WILL BE RELEASED.
IT GUARANTEES THE CITY'S, UH, RETURN ON THE, UH, ON THE MONEY, ON THE FUNDING.
I WAS JUST WONDERING ABOUT THAT.
SO, AND BECAUSE MEMBER WATER IS FOR, FOR, FOR YOUR FIRST QUESTION, WE, IN, IN THE PROGRAM TIMELINE IN MAY, WE PLAN TO LAUNCH THE OUTREACH AND WORKSHOPS AND ENGAGEMENTS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS WHEN WE DEVELOP, YOU KNOW, THE FULL VERSION OF THE PROGRAM.
WE'LL, WE'LL REACH OUT TO OUR COMMUNITIES AND UPDATE THEM AND MAKE THEM AWARE, AWARE OF THE PROGRAM.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AS I LISTENED TO MY COLLEAGUES, UH, EXPRESS THEIR, UM, FEEDBACK AND CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, COST BEING A, A POTENTIAL COST SHARE PROGRAM, IF WE PURSUE THAT ROUTE, ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE INCLUDED AS YOU ALL EVALUATE THIS PROGRAM FURTHER BEFORE IT COMES BACK TO COUNCIL, IS BEING MINDFUL OF, UH, COLLECTING DATA OF HOW MANY SENIORS MAY BE IMPACTED.
BECAUSE, UH, SOME MAY BE ON FIXED INCOMES AS WE'VE TAKEN A LOOK AT, UM, COST SHARE.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MINDFUL OF THAT.
AND WHAT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE EVALUATED IF, UH, YOU CAN PROVIDE ESTIMATES WHAT THE COST WOULD BE IF THIS PROGRAM DID NOT, UH, WAS NOT IMPLEMENTED AS FAR AS CONTINUED DAMAGE, IF YOU WILL, OR, OR EROSION WHAT THAT COST WOULD BE.
SO GIVE SOME, LIKE SOMETHING, LIKE A COMPARISON AS TO THE BENEFITS OF HAVING THIS PROGRAM TO SUPPORT IT.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
WE'LL, DEFINITELY WHEN WE DO THE INSPECTIONS, WE'LL DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, COME UP WITH A FORECAST FOR FUTURE COST IF THIS ISSUE IS NOT BEING TAKEN CARE OF TODAY, AND WE'LL SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH THE RESIDENT SO THEN THEY KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S BETTER TO TAKE CARE OF IT NOW BEFORE, YOU KNOW, IT MAY, IT BECOMES MORE PROBLEMATIC.
AND AS WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE SAYING THAT AFTER THIS PROGRAM IS COMPLETED OR THIS PROJECT IS COMPLETED, THEN IT WOULD BE THE RESIDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY AS FOR MAINTENANCE.
SO THEY, THEY CAN PREPARE FINANCIALLY AND AGAIN, BEING MINDFUL OF SENIORS, UH, OR INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY BE ON FIXED INCOME SO THEY CAN BUDGET ACCORDINGLY.
SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, ATTACH THE LANGUAGE THAT WE HAVE FOR, UH, THE HOMEOWNER'S RESPONSIBILITIES TO MAINTAIN THE CREEK.
AND, UH, WE'LL BE LOOKING TO THE SENIOR, YOU KNOW, IMPACTED SENIORS ALONG WITH THE, WITH THE EQUITY FACTOR.
UM, JUST LOOKING AT THE, UH, THE TIMELINE, UM, AGAIN, BY, FROM A PLANNING PERSPECTIVE, UM, I'M JUST LOOKING AT JUST THE FIRST ENTRANCE OF IT COMING BACK TO THE COUNCIL IS ACTUALLY FOUR MONTHS OUT, OR AT LEAST FIVE MONTHS OUT, CONSIDERING WE'RE IN NOVEMBER.
UM, AND I DON'T SEE ANYWHERE IN THERE.
WE'VE ACTUALLY DID A TOUCH POINT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT GETTING COMMUNITIES, GETTING SOME OF THE COMMUNITY INPUT WOULD HELP YOU IN DEVISING WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING WITHIN THAT JANUARY, MARCH TIMEFRAME, SO THAT MAYBE ONCE YOU COME BACK TO COUNCIL, YOU'VE ALREADY GOTTEN THAT COMMUNITY INPUT AS OPPOSED TO THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
AND THEN WE JUST TELLING THEM THIS IS THE POLICY, MAYBE GETTING THAT INPUT FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE AFFECTED.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, ARE, UH, ESSENTIALLY ALONG THAT LINE.
THEY ALREADY HAVE SOME INPUT THEY'D LIKE TO GIVE.
SO I, I JUST WANNA KNOW IF MAYBE THAT CAN BE ADD ADDED TO YOUR TIMELINE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE DON'T LOSE, UM, SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED IN THE ACTUAL MAKING OF THE, UH, THE, UH, POLICY.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY COMING BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL IN JANUARY.
OH, THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS, STAFF PRESENTS.
STAFF PRESENTS PROGRAM DELIVERY AND NEEDS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND, AND WE'RE COMING BACK AGAIN IN MARCH FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR ANOTHER PRESENTATION JUST TO SHOW YOU THE DRAFT, UH, OF THE, OF THE ORDINANCE AND THE PROGRAM.
[01:30:01]
BACK TO YOU ONE MORE TIME IN MAY TO OR APRIL ACTUALLY, TO ADOPT THE PROGRAM.BUT, UM, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE CAN, WE CAN CONDUCT ANOTHER OUTREACH BETWEEN THOSE, UH, SESSIONS.
SO THEN WHEN WE COME BACK AND WE'VE BEEN REACHING OUT, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A LOG, WE HAVE MANY RESIDENTS REACHED OUT TO US.
WE, WE WENT TO THEIR PROPERTIES, WE TALKED TO THEM, WE MADE INSPECTIONS, AND WE HAVE THEIR INFORMATION.
SO WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN INSERT ANOTHER, UM, OUTREACH OR WORKSHOP BETWEEN, BETWEEN THOSE SESSIONS.
I SEE NO ADDITIONAL LIGHTS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK.
SO I, UM, I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK THAT IS HELPFUL TO YOU AS WE CONTINUE TO, UH, LOOK AT MOVING THIS PROGRAM FORWARD.
COUNSEL, THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
[D. ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]
TIME, WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.NEXT WE ARE MOVING ON TO ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTERESTS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 5 5 1 0.0415.
THE CITY COUNCIL MAY REPORT ON THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, EXPRESSION OF THANKS, CONGRATULATIONS OR CONDOLENCES INFORMATION ABOUT HOLIDAY SCHEDULES, RECOGNITION OF INDIVIDUALS, REMINDERS ABOUT UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL EVENTS, INFORMATION ABOUT COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS INVOLVING IMMINENT THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, FOLLOWED BY LIAISON UPDATES.
I TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE A NEW DEVELOPER TRYING TO COME TO THE CITY OF DESOTO.
AND ON, UH, NOVEMBER 10TH, WHICH IS THIS COMING MONDAY, THEY WILL PRESENT THEIR, UM, THEIR PRODUCT.
THEY WILL PRESENT WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO BRING TO THE CITY OF DESOTO.
WE'RE ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT BECAUSE BEFORE THEY EVEN PUT IN AN APPLICATION WITH THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TEAM, THEY'D LIKE TO GET THE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'M GONNA ASK EVERYONE, ANYBODY WHO'S WANTING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DESOTO, PART OF THAT HAPPENS WHEN WE BRING NEW DEVELOPMENT.
AND THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT IS HAPPENING OFF OF WESTMORELAND RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE EYEING WESTMORELAND AND WESTMORELAND BETWEEN, UH, THE ROWS OF, UM, BELTLINE AND PLEASANT RUN.
THERE'S LAND IN BETWEEN THERE THAT THEY ARE EYEING.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY INPUT THAT YOU'D LIKE TO GIVE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO BRING TO THE CITY OF DESOTO, PLEASE COME OUT.
PLEASE COME OUT AND GIVE YOUR INPUT.
UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY OF DESOTO.
THAT, UH, COMMUNITY INTEREST MEETING STARTS AT SIX 30 IN THE LIBRARY, WHICH IS RIGHT IN THE SAME COMPLEX.
AND THEY WILL BE HERE WITH, THERE WILL BE LIGHT BISON IS, IS OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND FIRST MEET THIS NEW DEVELOPER AND HAVE ANY CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DESOTO AS IT PERTAINS TO THIS COMMUNITY.
UH, CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER ON BEHALF OF DESOTO ISD, AFTER A DOMINANT VICTORY AND A HISTORIC MILESTONE WITH A WIN OVER SKYLINE OF 56 TO ZERO, COACH CLAUDE MATHIS HAS, UH, GARNERED HIS 150TH CAREER WIN.
THIS IS LEADERSHIP LEGACY AND A STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE AT ITS BEST.
AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF WHAT HE HAS DONE WITH THIS PROGRAM HERE.
COULD WE GIVE HIM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE, PLEASE? AND THEN, ON BEHALF OF OUR PARKS, UH, AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE ARBOR DAY COMING UP.
THAT IS THE FREE TREE GIVEAWAY, WHICH IS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH.
THE FIRST 100 TREES WILL BE GIVEN AWAY, AND THAT WILL BE AT RIGHT HERE AT TWO 11 EAST PLEASANT RUN ROAD.
THEY DON'T HAVE A TIME ON HERE, MY APOLOGIES.
OH, IT STARTS AT 12 NINE TO 12 9:00 AM TO 12:00 PM THAT'S THIS FRIDAY FIRST, 100 TREES.
THEN GET READY FOR THE 5K FUN RUN OR WALK TURKEY TROT 2025, REGISTERED NOW THE FIRST 100 TO REGISTER.
CHECK-INS AT 9:00 AM WARM UP AND STRETCH.
THEY'LL GET STARTED ABOUT NINE.
UH, THEY WILL HAVE RAFFLES, DJ, SNACKS, ALL KINDS OF GIVEAWAYS.
AND THAT WILL BE AT ZEOR PARK 4 0 5 EAGLE DRIVE.
AND LASTLY, GET READY FOR THE HOMETOWN HOLIDAY PARADE.
IT IS BACK, THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING AND PARADE WILL BE ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7TH.
UH, THE PARADE WILL START AT 5:30 PM AND IT'LL GO DOWN HAMPTON ROAD COMING TO THE DESOTO CENTER.
THE TREE LIGHTING WILL BE AT 7:00 PM MARK YOUR
[01:35:01]
CALENDARS.UH, THE FIRST ONE IS BROUGHT TO YOU ALL BY THE, UH, TRI-CITY ANIMALS SHELTER.
UH, COME JOIN US FOR A NIGHT AT THE CARNIVAL.
IT'S GONNA BE NOVEMBER 15TH AT SIX O'CLOCK AT THE REENE HICKMAN LIBRARY.
THAT'S AT, UH, FOUR 50 PIONEER TRAIL IN CEDAR HILL.
AND, UH, JOIN US FOR CARNIVAL GAMES, AUCTIONS, RAFFLES, AND OF COURSE, GREAT FOOD, DRINK AND FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER ANIMAL LOVERS.
UH, MORE, MORE, UH, FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO PURCHASE TICKETS, YOU VISIT TRI-CITY FRIENDS.ORG/EVENTS WITH S EVENTS LIST ALTOGETHER FORGE SLASH CARNIVAL.
UM, AND THAT'LL GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
ALSO, AS FAR AS THAT GOES, UM, IF Y'ALL ARE INTERESTED IN ADOPTING DOGS OR CATS, THEY HAVE PLENTY FOR YOU.
MY NEXT, UM, ANNOUNCEMENT IS IN REGARDS TO THE CULTURAL ARTS, UH, FOUNDATION.
BUT THE CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION IS HAPPY TO WELCOME OUR NEW MEMBERS, DANIELLE HUNTER, KATHY JONES, PAULETTE HUNTER, AND RYAN BROOKS.
WE'RE PROUD TO FEATURE A MEMBER OF OUR OWN COMMUNITY WHOSE CREATIVE VOICE ENRICHES THE CULTURE FABRIC OF DESOTO LOCAL ARTISTS, SHERIDAN TI.
SHE WOULD, UH, SHERIDAN WILL SHOWCASE ARTWORK IN THE CITY HALL ATRIUM, RIGHT OUT HERE AS PART OF THE ART THAT INSPIRES SERIES.
BE SURE TO STOP BY AND TAKE A LOOK NEXT TIME YOU'RE AT CITY HALL.
ALSO, WE, WE WILL BE ACCEPTING ARTISTS APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2026 COHORT OF DESOTO ARTISTS LAB BEGINNING NOVEMBER 17TH.
JUST GO TO THE CITY WEBSITE, DESOTO TEXAS.GOV, AND CLICK ON THE COMMUNITY TAB AND LOOK FOR THE ARTS IN DESOTO FOR THE APPLICATION.
LAST THING IS SAVE TO DATE FOR OUR NEXT ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER FESTIVAL THAT WILL TAKE PLACE ON MAY 16TH, 2026.
SO COME ON OUT TO THOSE EVENTS.
DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS? HEARING NONE, I HAVE A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS MYSELF.
UH, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE LIVING IN A VERY TUMULTUOUS TIME, AND SO THE CITY OF DESOTO HAS LAUNCHED THE HELPING HANDS OF DESOTO.
IT'S A COMMUNITY RELIEF INITIATIVE TO CONNECT RESIDENTS WITH VITAL FOOD RESOURCES AND COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE IN RESPONSE TO RISING CONCERNS OVER FOOD INSECURITY AND RECENT CHANGES TO SNAP.
AND SO THIS IS A COORDINATED EFFORT THAT THE CITY IS WORKING ALONG SOME OF OUR LOCAL NONPROFITS, OUR CHURCHES, REGIONAL PARTNERS, TO ENSURE THE SOTO FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS TO MEALS, PANTRY PROGRAMS, AND HOLIDAY FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO RESIDENTS CAN VIEW A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF LOCAL FOOD RESOURCES, COMMUNITY PANTRIES AND SEASONAL FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS BY GOING TO DESOTO TEXAS.GOV/HELPING HANDS.
AND SO WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO SHARE THE PAGE WITH YOUR FRIENDS, WITH NEIGHBORS, AND ANYONE IN NEED OF SUPPORT.
AND THE WEBPAGE IS GOING TO BE UPDATED REGULARLY TO, UH, TO ADD ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.
I ALSO WANT TO SHARE ABOUT LIGHTUP DESOTO, WHICH IS COMING UP.
UH, WE KNOW WE ARE ENTERING INTO THE HOLIDAY SEASON, AND SO WE WANT TO GIVE OUR RESIDENTS A HEADS UP THOSE THAT LIKE TO DECORATE FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
UH, THE COUNCIL GOES THROUGH EVERY HOLIDAY SEASON AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME AND LOOKS FOR THOSE RESIDENTS, UH, WHO HAVE DECORATED THEIR HOME OR WHO HAVE LIT THEIR HOME UP.
AND WE, UH, GO THROUGH THE PLACES AND THEY JUDGE.
AND SO WE WANT TO, UH, LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT FROM NOVEMBER 28TH THROUGH NOVEMBER 30TH, TO KEEP YOUR LIGHTS ON, UH, FROM 6:00 PM TO 9:00 PM BECAUSE YOUR COUNSEL PERSON IS GONNA BE JUDGING.
UM, AND SO I WILL BE GOING TO JUDGING THE ENTRYWAYS, UM, THAT, UH, THAT, THAT WEEK, UM, TO BE A PART OF THE COMPETITION AS WELL.
SO IF YOU ARE AN HOA, UM, I'M GONNA BE JUDGING YOUR HOLIDAY ENTRYWAY DURING THAT TIME PERIOD.
UH, THE DIRECTIONS FOR THIS PROGRAM IS ALL RESIDENTS NEED TO DO IS DECORATE THEIR HOME AND HAVE THEIR LIGHTS ON DURING THE WEEKEND OF NOVEMBER 28TH THROUGH THE 30TH.
AND DURING THAT WEEKEND, EACH COUNCIL MEMBER IS GONNA DRIVE THROUGH THEIR DISTRICT LOOKING FOR THEIR FAVORITE LIGHTING DISPLAY.
AGAIN, I WILL BE PRESENTING THE MAYOR'S AWARD FOR THE BEST NEIGHBORHOOD ENTRYWAY DISPLAY.
AND THE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THE DECEMBER 2ND CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AND THEY WILL RECEIVE A YARD SIGN THAT DESIGNATES THEM AS THE LIGHTUP DESOTO 2025 WINNER.
AND THE SIGNS WILL REMAIN ON DISPLAY THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
AGAIN, IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IT, YOU CAN GIVE US A CALL AT (972) 230-7323.
[E. CONSENT AGENDA Items are listed on the Consent Agenda by the City Manager and are recommended to the City Council for single vote approval. An item( s) may be removed from the Consent Agenda for separate vote at the request of a Councilmember, the Mayor, or the City Manager. ]
[F. Consent - Other Items]
TIME, WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.[01:40:03]
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.ITEMS ARE LISTED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA BY THE CITY MANAGER AND ARE RECOMMENDED TO CITY COUNCIL FOR SINGLE VOTE APPROVAL.
AN ITEM MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR THE SEPARATE VOTE AT THE REQUEST OF A COUNCIL MEMBER, THE MAYOR OR THE CITY MANAGER.
APPROVAL OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES.
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FOR OCTOBER THE 15TH, 2025 SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING, MINUTES FOR OCTOBER 20TH, 2025, REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING, MINUTES FOR OCTOBER 21ST, 2025, SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FOR OCTOBER 27TH, 2025.
AS WELL AS OTHER CONSENT ITEMS APPOINT HENRY L. CAMPBELL AS THE JUDGE OF THE CITY OF DESOTO MUNICIPAL COURT, AND AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT RELATING TO THEIR APPOINTMENT FOR A TERM OF TWO YEARS.
CONFIRMATION OF APPOINTMENT FOR JASMINE NOBLES TO THE DESOTO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVISORY COMMISSION.
PLACE ONE, CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH GTS TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS TO PURCHASE REPLACEMENT SERVERS AND STORAGE FOR THE SOUTHWEST REGIONAL COMMUNICATION CENTERS, S-W-R-C-C, MAIN SITE AND BACKUP LOCATION, AND THE AMOUNT OF $257,861 AND 30 CENTS.
CONSIDER PROVIDING CONSENSUS ON THE PROPOSED UPDATES TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, HOA GRANT PROGRAM GUIDELINES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 THROUGH 2026.
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE FISCAL YEAR 2026.
ENTER A LOCAL AGREEMENT WITH DALLAS COUNTY FOR HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL SERVICES AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS.
AT THIS TIME, I WANT TO PULL ITEM F1 FOR SEPARATE VOTE IN ACTION.
YES, MADAM MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO PULL ITEMS, UM, E ONE C AND UH, F FOUR FOR SEPARATE, UH, CONSIDERATION IN VOTE.
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER, UM, ITEMS FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
COUNSEL IS, EXCUSE ME, E ONE C AND THEN ITEM F FOUR ONE AND FOUR, F1 AND FOUR.
MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE AS PRESENTED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE CE ONE C AND F1 AND FOUR.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER NORTH TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED WITH THE, UH, THE NOTED ITEMS PULLED COUNCIL ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
UH, BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE ITEMS THAT ARE BEING PULLED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE MS. JASMINE NOBLES.
UH, IS SHE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY? I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER.
I DON'T SEE HER, BUT I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER.
SHE WAS APPOINTED TO THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVISORY COMMISSION SERVING IN PLACE ONE.
AND SO, AGAIN, WE'RE ALWAYS EXCITED AND APPRECIATIVE OF OUR RESIDENTS WHO STEP UP TO SERVE IN THESE, UH, THESE ROLES TO HELP KEEP OUR CITY'S BUSINESS MOVING FORWARD.
[1. Appoint Henry L. Campbell as the judge of the City of DeSoto Municipal Court and authorize the Mayor to negotiate and execute an agreement relating to their appointment for a term of two years]
THIS TIME, I AM GOING TO, UM, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DO ITEM F1, WHICH IS THE, UH, WHICH IS THE APPOINTMENT OF JUDGE HENRY CAMPBELL.AT THIS TIME, WE ASK THAT JUDGE HENRY CAMPBELL WILL COME FORTH FOR THE OATH OF OFFICE.
[01:45:22]
THIS IS MY WIFE AND MY TWO DAUGHTERS.YOU GOING THROUGH PARKING
WOULD YOU PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND? YES.
I, HENRY L. CAMPBELL, I HENRY L. CAMPBELL DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR AND AFFIRM, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR AND AFFIRM THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES.
I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF JUDGE FOR THE CITY OF DO SOTO MUNICIPAL COURT OF RECORD.
FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO, FOR THE CITY, DESOTO MUNICIPAL COURT OF RECORD, MUNICIPAL COURT OF RECORD OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND WILL DO TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND WILL DO TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.
PRESERVE, PRESERVE, PROTECT, PROTECT AND DEFEND AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS, THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES, OF THE UNITED STATES, AND OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND THE CHARTER AND ORDINANCES, AND THE CHARTER OF THE ORDINANCES OF THE CITY, OF DESOTO OF THE CITY.
SO, OUR OFFICIAL RECORDS, AND THEN WE'LL, THEN I HAVE HIS OFFER.
YOU CAN TAKE PICTURE LOOKING AT FIRST YOUR DAUGHTER.
CONGRATULATIONS, JUDGE CAMPBELL.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, TO WORKING WITH YOU AT
[c. Regular City Council Meeting Minutes October 21, 2025 ]
THIS TIME.COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, THAT WAS YOUR ITEM? YES, MA'AM.
MAYOR, THE, UM, THE REST OF THE MINUTES LOOK GOOD.
THAT PARTICULAR SET OF MINUTES, I THINK, NEEDS TO BE REWORKED.
IT DOESN'T HAVE THE, THE SPIRIT OF THE MEETING, UH, IN THAT, UH, SET OF MINUTES.
AND SO I'D ASK FOR US TO PULL THOSE AND HAVE THOSE REDONE AND RESUBMITTED, UH, AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
IS IT SOMETHING SPECIFIC THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THAT THEY DON'T CONTAIN? I THINK THEY DESERVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DIRECTION IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR SO THEY CAN GO BACK IN.
WELL, THERE WERE SEVERAL ROUNDS, UH, THAT TOOK PLACE THAT NIGHT.
AND THE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MINUTES, IT REALLY CONDENSES IT DOWN TO A COUPLE OF SENTENCES.
AND THAT JUST IS NOT THE MEAT OF THAT MEETING.
AND SO THE MINUTES DO NOT REFLECT WHAT HAPPENED THAT EVENING.
AND SO THOSE WILL BE, UH, ONCE THEY'RE CORRECTED, THEY'LL BE BROUGHT, BROUGHT BACK FOR A VOTE FOR APPROVAL.
[4. Consider providing consensus on the proposed updates to the Neighborhood and Homeowners Association (HOA) Grant Program Guidelines for Fiscal Year 2025–2026]
F FOUR.SO FOR F FOUR, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, UM, HOA, UM,
[01:50:01]
THE GRANT PROGRAM.SO I DO HAVE, UH, SOME QUESTIONS.
SO I'M GONNA ASK THE QUESTIONS.
AND YOU KNOW, I, I'D REALLY LIKE TO JUST UNDERSTAND.
SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE, UM, THE STATEMENT INSIDE OF THE ACTUAL MANAGEMENT REPORT, IT SHOWED THAT, UH, WE WERE TRYING TO SAY THAT ONLY, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO SAY, WELL, WE'RE ACTUALLY SAYING FROM A CITY'S PERSPECTIVE THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION.
I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, UM, WHAT ACTUAL PROBLEM ARE WE SEEKING TO SOLVE.
SO WE'RE PRETTY MUCH JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT HOAS, UH, ARE BEING REPRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENTS AND THEIR ACTUAL BOARDS WHEN THEY SUBMIT THE APPLICATIONS.
SO, UM, FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO, THERE ARE 68 LISTED HOAS ON THE WEBSITE.
AND OF THAT, 34 OF THEM ARE MANDATORY HOAS.
AND OF THOSE 34, 28 OF THEM ARE MANAGED WITH A MANAGEMENT COMPANY.
ARE YOU THEN SAYING THAT THE, UH, MANAGEMENT COMPANIES DON'T ACTUALLY PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY AND ALLOW YOU GUYS TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT IT'S BEING MANAGED BY THE ACTUAL, UH, BOARD MEMBERS? SO WE'RE, WE'RE, IT'S PROBABLY EVEN MORE OF A, JUST HAVING IT CLEAR ACROSS THE BOARD THAT FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT BEING MANAGED, THEN AT LEAST THEY'RE ALL BEING APPLIED.
THE APPLICATIONS ARE BEING RECEIVED BY THE SAME OR BEING FINISHED BY THE SAME TYPE OF PEOPLE.
SO IT'S JUST, IT'S GONNA BE THE BOARD, UM, THE PRESIDENT.
SO EVEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE A MANAGEMENT COMPANY, UH, MANAGING THEIR, THEIR HOA OR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AT LEAST IT'S BY THEIR ACTUAL BOARD.
AND I'M NOT, WE'RE NOT SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT MANAGEMENT COMPANIES FOR ANY OF 'EM.
WE JUST WANT THE APPLICATIONS TO BE COMING FROM THE BOARD THEMSELVES.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING IN TERMS OF WHO ACTUALLY DOES THE APPLICATIONS, I JUST THOUGHT I'D LOOK OVER THE ACTUAL PRO THE PROGRAM ITSELF.
AND THERE ARE A COUPLE ITEMS THAT I BELIEVE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDED AS WELL.
UM, SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WANTING IT TO JUST BE DONE BY THE, UH, THE BOARD MEMBERS, UH, A LOT OF THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EVALUATIONS.
THERE IS NO RUBRIC THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED AS A PART OF THIS PROGRAM, UH, TO LET YOU KNOW WHY A SPECIFIC PROJECT IS OR IS NOT BEING SELECTED.
UM, THERE IS NO COMMITTEE SELECTION PROCESS TO LET YOU KNOW HOW THE MEMBERS OF THE SELECTION COMMITTEE, 'CAUSE THAT'S ACTUALLY WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING.
THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY MAKE THE SELECTIONS OF WHO GETS THE MONEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE BEING SELECTED.
AND OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, I'VE LOOKED AT THE ACTUAL NUMBERS AND IT SHOWS THAT IN 2025, THERE WERE SEVEN COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
IN 2024, THERE WERE SIX COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
IN 2023, THERE WERE FOUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
IN 2022, THERE WERE TWO, UH, THERE WERE ACTUALLY FIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
AND IN 2021 YOU HAD SEVEN COMMITTEE.
SO I WOULD EXPECT THAT A PROGRAM LIKE THIS WOULD ACTUALLY INCORPORATE SOME OF THOSE ITEMS. IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING TRANSPARENT AND FAIR, WE WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE PUT ALL OF THAT IN THERE AS WELL.
ALSO, AS FAR AS, UH, RESEARCHING, I LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS.
IT SAID THAT WE HAD, UM, 442,000, I BELIEVE IS THE NUMBER THAT I'M, I'M, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WAS IN THE MANAGEMENT REPORT.
BUT I LOOKED AT THE BUDGET AND I WAS, I WAS LOOKING FOR THIS ITEM IN THE BUDGET, AND THE HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION IS IN THE BUDGET, BUT IT DOES NOT MATCH UP TO THIS 42,000.
SO I'D LIKE FOR EITHER THE FINANCE C YOU KNOW, SOMEONE TO EXPLAIN WHERE THE 42,000 IS COMING FROM AND HOW OVER THE LAST, I MEAN, HOW THIS IS ALL WORKING BECAUSE IT'S LOOKING LIKE WE'RE SAYING THERE'S $42,000 LEFT WHEN IN FACT, WHEN OUR PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER WAS HERE, IT WAS WAY LESS THAN THAT.
SO IT WAS A LITTLE SURPRISING WHEN WE HEARD THE NUMBER 42.
SO I'D LIKE TO GET SOMETHING IN WRITING TO SHOW.
AND THEN AS FAR AS THE BUDGET IS CONCERNED, MAKE SURE THAT THE BUDGET IS UP UPDATED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT IT INCLUDES WHATEVER THAT AMOUNT IS, BECAUSE IT DOES NOT SHOW, UH, FUND 2 41, WHICH IS THE HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
IT SHOWS IT AS A SEPARATE ITEM, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE IT, THE NUMBERS MATCHING.
AND THEN MY LAST THING I'D LIKE TO MAKE CERTAIN OF IS THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING IN TERMS OF THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS, UH, BECAUSE IT IS THE PUBLIC AND IT IS THE PUBLIC'S MONEY, ARE WE THEN GOING TO MAKE THOSE COMMITTEE MEETINGS PUBLIC? YES.
WE ARE GONNA MAKE THOSE, UM, MEETINGS PUBLIC AS FAR AS THE RUBRIC AND THE COMMITTEE SELECTION PROCESS, THAT THOSE ARE DISCLOSED AT THE TIME THAT THEY APPLY.
SO THE RUBRIC IS ALWAYS INCLUDED INTO THE, THAT PHYSICAL APPLICATIONS ONCE THEY ACTUALLY RECEIVE THE APPLICATION SO THAT THEY CAN FILL IT OUT SO THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE BEING GRADED BY AND THEY'RE BEING JUDGED BY.
UM, AS FAR AS THE COMMITTEE SELECTIONS, UM, WE ALWAYS TRY TO HAVE THE SEVEN, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED IN THE YEARS WHEN THEY ONLY HAD FIVE OR FOUR MAYBE.
I KNOW LAST YEAR EVEN WE HAD A SITUATION WHERE
[01:55:01]
ONE HAD TO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, BE REMOVED FROM THE COMMITTEE AND THEN WE HAD TO FIND A SUBSTITUTE.SO I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED IN THOSE OTHER YEARS, BUT WE DO TRY TO HAVE THE SEVEN, UM, AS A CONSISTENT BASIS.
UM, SO THOSE TWO QUESTIONS, AND I THINK YOUR NEXT QUESTION WAS THE 42,000.
WE DID HAVE OUR FORMER, UM, UH, FINANCE DIRECTOR LOOK FOR THE INFORMATION AS FAR AS WHERE THE, IN THE FUNDING WAS COMING FROM.
AND THERE WAS ACTUALLY TWO DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS WHERE WE WERE, UM, WHERE THE FUNDS WERE, UM, SUBMITTED.
I'M NOT SURE I'M LOOKING FOR THOSE, UH, THE SPECIFIC NAMES FOR THOSE ACCOUNTS, BUT I CAN DEFINITELY GET THOSE TO YOU.
UM, AND THAT'S PROBABLY WHY THE NUMBER WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM BEFORE.
BUT, UM, WHEN YOU ADDED IT TOGETHER, THAT WAS THE NUMBER THAT HE PROVIDED.
UM, AS FAR AS LIKE FINDING WHERE THE FUNDS WERE ACTUALLY, UM, UH, DEPOSITED.
UM, DID I MISS SOMETHING? I THINK THAT WAS IT.
AND IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME WAY OF PUBLISHING THE RATIONALE? BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK IN TERMS OF A SCORE OR A RUBRIC, THAT RUBRIC SHOULD BE PUBLIC, UH, FACING AS WELL.
UH, THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE ABLE TO KNOW HOW YOU CAME TO THE DECISIONS AND THOSE SCORECARDS.
'CAUSE ACCORDING TO THE ACTUAL MEETINGS, UH, THE, UM, THE, UH, AGENDA ITEMS, IT SHOWS THAT THEY, THAT THERE WAS SCORING, BUT IT DOES NOT GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIND, I WENT LOOKING FOR CORRECT THE SCORECARDS, BUT THERE ARE NO SCORECARDS THAT CAN BE YES, UNLESS YOU HAVE THEM.
I JUST DIDN'T PUBLISH THE ACTUAL, THE NUMBERS BESIDE THE CRITERIA.
BUT THE CRITERIA ITEMS ARE CRITERIA CATEGORIES ARE, ARE THE ONES THAT WERE SUBMITTED WITH THE GUIDELINES.
UM, I JUST DIDN'T PUT THE SCORING ON THERE.
BUT ONCE THEY ACTUALLY REQUEST FOR THE APPLICATION, THEY WILL HAVE THAT ON THE, THE COMPLETE APPLICATION PACKET.
YOU SAID ONCE THEY REQUEST FOR THE APPLICATION.
FOR THE APPLICATION, YES, MA'AM.
SO THE APPLICATION WON'T BE MADE AVAILABLE PUBLICLY? YEAH, IT WILL.
SO WHEN, ONCE WE PUT IT ON THE WEBSITE AND THEN THEY ACTUALLY GET THE APPLICATION, IT'LL BE ON THAT APPLICATION PACKET.
N NO, WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS THE SCORING.
ONCE YOU ACTUALLY DO THE SCORING.
FROM A, FOR THEIR ACTUAL, FROM THE COMMITTEE'S PERSPECTIVE, THE COMMITTEE SCORES THEM.
SO THE, THE COMMITTEE IS THE ONE MAKING THE DECISION.
AND I THINK THE LAST TIME WE HAD IT, WE, UM, WE PUBLICIZED THE, THE SCORES, UH, THAT WELL WE HAVE THEM, SO WE CAN DEFINITELY DISCLOSE THOSE.
UM, I SEE NO ADDITIONAL LIGHTS.
IS THERE A MOTION FOR THIS ITEM? MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE AS PRESENTED.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MAYOR PRO TEM CHISHOLM.
SECOND, MY COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED.
COUNCIL, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN THAT MOTION PASSES.
[1. Consider a Resolution approving and adopting the recommended list of Professional Consulting Firms for Engineering, Architecture, Land Surveying, and other technical professional services]
NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.AT THIS TIME WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE REGULAR AGENDA.
NEW BUSINESS, CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE RECOMMENDED LIST OF PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING FIRMS FOR ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE, LAND SURVEYING, AND OTHER TECHNICAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
MAKING A PRESENTATION AS DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AHMED AL.
UH, AMED ALESE, DIRECTOR OF THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
OUR PRESENTATION TODAY IS THE EVALUATION OF THE AND EVALUATION SEMINAR, RESULTS OF THE ENGINEERING ARCHITECTURE AND LAND SURVEYING SERVICES.
IT'S GONNA BE OUR AGENDA FOR TONIGHT.
UH, PURPOSE BACKGROUND AND RFQ OVERVIEW, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO EVALUATION RANKING, SHORT LIST.
THE PURPOSE IS TO, FOR THIS PRESENTATION, IS TO INTRODUCE THE EVALUATION SUMMARY AND RESULTS OF THE RFQ THAT WE ADVERTISED BACK IN MARCH FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
THAT WOULD INCLUDE ENGINEERING ARCHITECTURE AND LAND SURVEY, OR, OR ACTUALLY SURVEYING, SURVEYING SERVICES.
IN OUR, UM, CITY COUNCIL REQUEST TONIGHT IS TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED LIST OF THE MOST QUALIFIED CONSULTANT FIRMS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BACKGROUND, AS MENTIONED, UM, WE DID ADVERTISE THIS RFQ BACK IN MARCH TO IDENTIFY THE MOST QUALIFIED FIRMS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
AND THE RFQ HAS BEEN ISSUED AS PART OF THE STATE REQUIREMENTS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PROCUREMENT.
ANYTIME WE WOULD NEED TO PROCURE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, WE WOULD HAVE TO ISSUE AN RFQ.
UM, WE ADVERTISE 10 DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OVER, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION, TRAFFIC, DRAINING, CITY UTILITIES, SO, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION GRANT FUNDS, GI GIS MAPPING.
AND, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS IS THESE ELECTED FIRMS WILL REMAIN VALID FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS PER THE ADVERTISED RFQ.
[02:00:01]
THIS ONE AGAIN.UM, UNTIL 2030, THIS IS A MASSIVE RFQ AND IT'S, UM, EIGHT MONTHS EFFORT.
WE RECEIVED 58 DIFFERENT SUBMITTALS FROM, UM, CONSULTANTS FOR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
UH, SOME CONSULTANTS APPLIED FOR MULTIPLE CATEGORIES.
OTHERS APPLIED TO FOR JUST A FEW.
ALL SUB SUBMITTALS HAVE BEEN REVIEWED BEFORE SCORING.
AND THEN THE EVALUATION PROCESS.
WE FOLLOWED THE STATE REGULATIONS AND CITY ORDINANCES, AND THEY ADVERTISE RFQ.
WE HAVE THE CRITERIA RIGHT THERE, THE PERCENTAGES FOR EACH, UM, CATEGORY.
AND THEN, UH, WE, WE, FOR, WE FORMED THE COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS CALLED, UM, THE SQS.
THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE LICENSED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
RANKING AND SELECTION OF THE COMMITTEE REVIEWED AND SCORED ALL THE OQS.
WE SELECTED THE TOP FIVE FIRMS, UH, FOR EACH CATEGORY.
AND THEN HERE YOU SEE THE CATEGORIES FOR, UM, THE TOP FIVE CONSULTANTS FOR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES FROM CATEGORY ONE ALL THE WAY TO CATEGORY 10.
UH, THIS IS CATEGORY FIVE THROUGH EIGHT.
AND, UM, NINE TO 10 YOU MAY NOTICE, UM, FEW CONSULTANTS CAME WITH THE EXACT SAME NUMBER.
SO WE'RE JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, AND IF YOU LOOK AT CATEGORY 10, NUMBER ONE, AND NU NU NUMBER TWO, KIMBERLY HOR AND HOW THEY'RE, BASICALLY, THEY'RE BOTH NUMBER ONE APPROVAL WORKFLOW.
UM, C COMMITTEE MEMBERS SUBMIT THEIR SCORES TO THE COMMITTEE CHAIR.
THEY GO THROUGH A DELIBERATION MEETING.
UH, THE CHAIR FOR THIS COMMITTEE, UH, IS, UH, THE CITY ENGINEER WHO'VE DONE A GREAT JOB ON THIS, ALONG WITH THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
AND THEN IT WAS APPROVED BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND THEN APPROVED BY THE PURCHASING MANAGER.
UH, YOU MAY SEE ALL THE, UH, MEMOS THAT WE HAVE IN THE, AT ATTACHMENTS, AND ALSO IT WAS APPROVED BY CITY MANAGER, MS. O GAFFEY.
WE'RE SEEKING TONIGHT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL AS THE FINAL STEP IN THE PROCESS.
NEXT STEPS, AFTER WE OBTAIN, UH, COUNCIL APPROVAL TONIGHT, UH, WE WILL NOTIFY ALL THE CONSULTANTS OF THEIR STATUS, WHETHER THEY'RE SELECTED OR NOT.
AND THEN WE WILL GIVE THIS, UH, LIST TO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY.
AND THEN WE, WE INITIATE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENTS.
THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, OVER, OVER THE NEXT FEW, UH, COUNCIL MEETINGS, YOU WILL SEE QUITE A FEW NUMBERS FOR PROFESSIONAL AGREEMENTS, UM, THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT ON THE AGENDA NOW THAT WE HAVE THE SHORT LISTS.
THE BENEFITS IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, IS COMPLI COMPLIES WITH THE LOCAL AND STATE REGULATIONS.
IT BUILD TRUST IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND PROVIDES A PRE-QUALIFIED SHORT LIST FOR A WIDE RANGE OF, UM, SERVICES.
IT COVERS EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT IN THE, IN THE CITY AND ALSO IMPROVES EFFICIENCY.
YOU KNOW, JUST IMAGINE WE DON'T HAVE TO GO OVER THIS COMPLICATED PROCUREMENT PROCESS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE VALID LISTS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS THAT WE CAN UTILIZE ANYTIME WE WANT RATHER THAN ISSUE AN RFQ.
AND, UH, THE LAST BENEFIT, THIS IS ACTUALLY GONNA BENEFIT ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AND THE CITY IS NOT GOING TO BE FOR, UM, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
AND, UH, CITY COUNCIL REQUESTS OUR RECOMMENDATION OF COURSE TONIGHT, THE APPROVAL OF THE LIST.
UH, I WAS INFORMED THAT WE HAVE A COMMENT CARD FOR THIS ITEM.
WE HAVE A COMMENT CARD FROM THE HONORABLE KATE BROWN.
PATRICK, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE FOR THE RECORD.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
PATRICK DESOTO, UH, I'M GONNA READ THIS FOR I, SO I'LL MISS MY POINTS.
UM, I WANNA SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THIS ITEM.
UM, I AM COMPLETELY AGAINST CREATING A STATIC PRE-APPROVED LIST FOR THESE SERVICES THAT WERE LISTED, UM, IS NOT THE RIGHT PATH IF WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT FAIR AND COMPETITIVE AND EQUITABLE PROCUREMENT.
IN PRACTICE, LISTS LIKE THIS OFTEN BECOME CLOSED LOOPS.
THEY CONCENTRATE OPPORTUNITIES AMONG THE SAME LARGE FIRMS AS YOU SEE, UM, HALF AND ASSOCIATES FREEZE, NICKELS, KIMLEY, HORN, UM, AND THEY ALSO, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE LIST, THE SAME, SAME INDIVIDUALS SHOW UP CONSTANTLY
[02:05:01]
AND THEY SYSTEMATICALLY SHUT DOWN, SHUT OUT.SMALLER BLACK OWNED FIRMS THAT HAVE THE CAPACITY, BUT NOT YET THE RESUME.
BUT THEY CAN'T GET THE RESUME BECAUSE YOU'RE WEIGHING THEIR PAST EXPERIENCE, THEIR PROJECT, THEIR PAST PROJECTS AND THEIR EXPERIENCE.
BUT THEY'RE NOT GETTING THE PROJECTS OR EXPERIENCE 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT CHOOSING THEM.
UM, THIS CITY HAS REPEATEDLY MISSED ITS MINORITY SPEND GOALS FOR EASILY THE LAST FIVE YEARS IN A CITY THAT'S ROUGHLY 70% BLACK AND GOVERNED BY A HUNDRED PERCENT BLACK COUNCIL.
THAT IS STRUCTURAL DISCONNECT.
WE ADOPT A PROCESS THAT STREAMLINED STAFF CONVENIENCE OVER FAIRNESS.
YOU'RE AIDING AND ABETTING THE VERY, THE VERY INEQUALITIES YOU SHOULD BE DISMANTLING.
BY THE WAY, I, BY THE WAY, I SPOKE TO THREE BLACK-OWNED FIRMS AND ONE OF THEM THAT'S DOING BUSINESS NOW IN THE CITY OF DESOTO.
AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN SEE THE RFQ AND THEY TOOK THE TIME TO VENT TO ME ABOUT THAT BEING THE NORM ABOUT WHERE THEY ARE, WHERE THE RFPS AND RQS ARE LISTED FOR DESOTO RIGHT NOW.
THE JUSTIFICATION IS THAT A LIST WILL MAKE THINGS EASIER AND STREAMLINE THINGS, BUT EASE FOR THE INSTITUTION CANNOT OUTWEIGH THE ACCESS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
EASIER HAS IN TOO MANY COMMUNITIES TRANSLATED TO THE SAME FIRMS BEING SELECTED EVERY TIME.
AND AS LONG AS EXPERIENCE POINTS DRIVE THE SCORES AND THE SAME FIRMS KEEP GETTING PROJECTS, THOSE FIRMS WILL ALWAYS RANK HIGHER.
HOW CAN YOU EXPECT SMALLER, CAPABLE, QUALIFIED BLACK FIRMS TO BE COMPETITIVE IN THE WEIGHTS OF POINTS? I DON'T CARE WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING.
UM, THIS, THERE ISN'T ANOTHER CITY IN THE REGION THAT LOOKS LIKE DESOTO OVERALL DEMOGRAPHICALLY.
SO WE SHOULD LEAD THE WAY, WE SHOULD BE LEADING THE WAY AND WALKING, WALKING AROUND.
AND YOU ARE ON ROOTING FOR EVERYBODY IN BLACK SHIRTS.
AND YOUR PRO-BLACK SHIRTS IS CUTE, BUT THIS IS WHERE THE ROAD MEETS THE RUBBER.
IF YOU APPROVE THIS, THIS WOULD LEGITIMIZE AND PERPETUATE A SYSTEM THAT ALREADY KEEPS SMALLER BLACK OWNED FIRMS ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN.
OR FOR SOME OF YOU, I SHOULD SAY, DON'T STOP BEING COMPLICIT.
I DO SEE SOME LIGHTS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK, UH, MAYOR PRO TE.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, UH, COMMENT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION.
UM, I DO WANT TO ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT, AND SHE ACTUALLY HIT ON MY POINT, UH, ABOUT, UM, HISTORICALLY IN THE CITY OF DESOTO, UH, UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES HAS ALWAYS BEEN A, A, A, AN UPHILL BATTLE.
UM, HOW DO YOU PLAN, HOW, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS PARTICULAR WAY OF DOING THINGS, HOW WOULD THIS ACTUALLY EVEN HELP WITH THAT? UM, AND THEN ALSO I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHERE'S THE PROCESS OF THE VETTING? WHO, WHO MADE THE DECISION? WHO WAS IN THIS VETTING? UH, WHERE'S THAT PART OF THIS PRESENTATION TO SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SAYING COUNSEL, OKAY, COME WITH THE SHORT LIST, AGREE TO THE SHORT LIST, BUT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW THEY GOT ON THE SHORT LIST.
SO CAN YOU GIVE SOME INFORMATION ON THAT? THANK YOU.
AND, AND I HEAR THE, I HEAR YOU AND THE RESIDENTS CONCERN LOUD AND CLEAR, BUT THIS IS A QUALITY BASED SYSTEM.
WHEN WE REVIEW, THE CONSULTANTS WERE REVIEW BASED ON QUALITIES ONLY.
THAT'S WHY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LIST, YOU SEE SOME OF, SOME OF THEM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE MINORITY COMPANIES WITHIN THE TOP FIVE.
AND SOME OF 'EM MAY BE AT, AT FIRST, NUMBER ONE OR TWO, AND SOME OTHERS MAY BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LIST OR THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST.
IT DEPENDS ON THE, YOU KNOW, THE CRITERIA THAT WE, WE REVIEW THE, THE FIRMS ON.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD, I DON'T THINK THE POINTER IS WORKING, TRYING TO, TRYING TO GO BACK.
SO REALLY IT DEPENDS ON, IT DEPENDS ON THE CRITERIA THAT WE ADVERTISED AND BASED ON THE QUALITIES ONLY, AGAIN, SOMETIMES YOU SEE MINORITY COMPANIES WITHIN THE TOP FIVE, MAYBE AT THE TOP, AND, AND WITH SOME OTHERS THEY COME IN THE MIDDLE OF, OF THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST.
NOW THE OTHER QUESTION IS THE COMMITTEE SCORES.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T SHOW THE COMMITTEE SCORES, YOU KNOW, WITH, WE DON'T SHARE IT WITH THE PUBLICS.
I CAN TALK TO THE ATTORNEY AND SEE IF MR. ATTORNEY AND SEE IF, IF WE CAN SHARE, YOU KNOW, THOSE SCORES WITH, WITH THE, I GUESS FROM THE REQUEST FROM THE CITY COUNCIL.
BUT WE HAVE ALL THE, THIS SCORES FOR ALL MEMBERS IN, IN OUR FILES.
AND, AND WE, WHEN WE, WHEN THE MEMBER SCORES, WE HAVE THREE ENGINEERS AT LEAST ON EACH ON FOR EACH CATEGORY.
THEY SCORE THEIR NUMBERS AND THEN WE GO WITH THE AVERAGE.
I LOOKED AT ALL THE SCORES, THE PRETTY CONSISTENT, AND IN THE, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS PERFORMED THIS SCORING.
[02:10:01]
PROTO.UM, THANK YOU, UH, MADAM MAYOR AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I, I WANTED TO SAY THAT I, I WOULD, I I WOULD BE LYING IF, I WOULDN'T SAY I WAS PRETTY DISAPPOINTED WHEN I SAW THIS, UM, ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
UM, I, I ALSO LIKE THE HONORABLE, UM, PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALLED A, UM, A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER OR BUSINESS OWNER THAT LIVES HERE IN DESOTO, UM, WHO HAS A CONSULTING CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS.
AND NOT ONLY HAD THEY NOT SEEN IT, THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
UM, WHEN I GOOGLED ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS, I COULD NOT FIND ONE THAT WAS LOCATED ANYWHERE NEAR BEST SOUTHWEST, UM, ACTUALLY KAI, KAI IS THE, AND, AND TO SPEAK OF TO ONE CORRECTION, WE ACTUALLY DID, UM, IF WE DID NOT HIT OUR MWB GOAL THIS YEAR, WE CAME I GUESS WITHIN A PERCENTAGE OF HITTING IT.
UM, I'VE SLEPT SINCE THE LAST FINANCIAL REPORT, WHICH HAPPENED LAST MONTH.
BUT I SAY THAT TO SAY IT WAS BECAUSE OF THAT COMPANY WHO IS A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE THAT ASSURED THAT WE GOT THERE, UM, BASED ON THEIR WORK IN THE AQUATIC CENTER.
SO WHILE I UNDERSTAND THAT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DOESN'T REQUIRE THE SAME RIGOR THAT OTHER PROCUREMENT PROCESSES REQUIRE, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE PROACTIVELY TALKED ABOUT, IT'LL BE DIFFERENT IF WE HADN'T HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS, BUT WE'VE HAD SO MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUR MWBE GOALS AND SETTING THIS UP NOT ONLY FOR FIVE YEARS, MEANING THAT ANYBODY THAT COMES INTO PLAY, THEY WON'T, THEY WON'T EVEN BE ABLE TO BE A PART TO PLAY WITH US UNTIL, UM, WHAT WAS IT, 2025, UH, 2030.
I, I THINK THAT IS EGREGIOUS FOR ANY CITY, BUT ESPECIALLY FOR ONE THAT I LIKE OURS WHO HAVE PRIORITIZED IT.
ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WITH HITTING OUR GOAL IS THAT WE DON'T, IT'S NOT DIVERSIFIED ENOUGH WHO, WHO WE'RE GOING AFTER TO HIT HIT IT.
WE STAY IN ONE VEIN AND, AND THAT IS THE CONSTRUCTION VEIN AND OUT.
BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT WHERE WE COULD EASILY HIT THAT GOAL AND IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
AND SO, AND, AND ACTUALLY I THOUGHT THAT WAS LIKE ONE OF OUR AGENDA ITEM REQUESTS.
SO IT'S KIND OF, IT'S JUST WEIRD TO GET THIS AND THEN STILL NOT HAVE A CONVERSATION OR SOLUTION FOR HOW DO WE HIT OUR PROCUREMENT GOALS THAT WE'VE SAID UNTIL, UM, OUR GOVERNOR TELLS US OTHERWISE THIS IS STILL A PRIORITY FOR THIS CITY.
AND TO HAVE IT JUST DISREGARDED BECAUSE IT'S PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
I THINK THAT WE, WE PROBABLY MISSED THE STEP THERE IN JUST LISTENING TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING ABOUT, UM, THAT GOAL AND FINDING ANOTHER WAY TO MAKE LIFE EASIER.
OTHER THAN THAT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, SO THIS R-Q-R-F-Q WAS ADVERTISED FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS FROM, I BELIEVE MARCH 25 TO I THINK MAY 24TH OR SOMETHING.
SO, AND THEN AT THE END OF THE DAY, AFTER TWO MONTHS, WE WOULD REVIEW THE SUBMITTALS THAT WE RECEIVE.
SO THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT WE FOLLOWED OR THE TEAM FOLLOWED IN THE PAST.
THEY ISSUED THE, THEY ADVER, THEY ADVERTISED THE RFQ, THEY GAVE TWO MONTHS FOR CONSULTANTS TO, TO SUBMIT THEIR RESPONSES AND THEY ADVERTISE IN ALL OF OUR, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIAS WEBSITE AND EVERYTHING.
AND, AND WE GOT THE SUBMITTALS AND WE REVIEWED ALL THE SUB SUBMITTALS.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WOULD HAVE TO REVIEW WHAT WE GOT AND, AND MR. ATTORNEY CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
AND THE ON THE MWB PARTICIPATION, DESOTO, I BELIEVE HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN ENCOURAGING THE MWB PARTICIPATION UP TO 20%, BUT NOT UNFOR IN IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS ON PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS, WE DON'T, IN
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, I, I WASN'T ON THE COUNCIL WHEN THAT POLICY PASSED, BUT I WAS CERTAINLY IN THE AUDIENCE WHEN IT HAPPENED.
AND WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT THAT WAS THE CONVERSATION FROM THE CITY WAS NOT THAT IT WOULD BE PASSIVE, I BELIEVE IT'S PASSIVE BECAUSE WE SEE IT IN THE NUMBERS, BUT IT WAS NEVER INTENT TO BE PASSIVE.
IT WAS TO INTENT WAS TO STAND ON BUSINESS REGARDING HOW WE WOULD REPRESENT FOR HISTORICALLY UNDER, UM, UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES.
WHAT, WHAT I, WHAT WHAT I, I WOULD ALSO LIKE, BECAUSE YOU, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU DID THE RFQ FOR TWO MONTHS AND I THINK THAT'S GREAT, RIGHT?
[02:15:01]
I I'M NOT SURE IT CAME SOCIAL MEDIA.'CAUSE I, I, I WATCHED THE CITY'S SOCIAL MEDIA PRETTY HEAVILY, BUT, UM, DID WE REACH OUT TO OUR MINORITY SUPPLIER, UH, ORGANIZATIONS OR THE, THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE, WE, WE, WE WORK WITH IN ORDER TO ATTRACT MORE BUSINESSES THAT FIT THE, THE, IN THOSE CATEGORIES? SO, UM, I WASN'T HERE AT THE TIME, UM, WHEN IT WAS ADVERTISED, SO I WON'T BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION, BUT I'M ASKING, UH, MR. MD HUSSEIN, OUR CITY ENGINEER TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION.
THEN I OUT, OUT TO MINORITY BUSINESS IS HANDLED BY THE PROCESSING MANAGER.
I KNOW HE HAS PUBLISHED IT ON, UH, PUBLIC PROCESS.COM AND OTHER WEBSITE.
WE HAD ALSO POSTED ON FACEBOOK AND LINKEDIN, UH, FOR ABOUT THIS SQ HOWEVER, UH, AND GENERALLY THE PROCESSING MANAGER ALWAYS COMMUNICATE FOR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES WITH, UH, HUB OR MINORITY BUSINESSES.
HOWEVER, I'M NOT LIKE, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION OR CONFIRMATION FROM HIM WHETHER HE PARTICULARLY DEFINITELY CONTACTED FOR THIS PARTICULAR
SO, OKAY, SO WE, WE POSTED IT ON THE WEBSITE REALLY, AND WE DID NOT REACH OUT TO OUR, OUR, OUR ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE PAID MEMBERSHIP INTO TO EXPAND THE SEARCH.
AND SEE, I THINK THAT IN LIES THE PROBLEM WITH WHY THE MWBE IS NOT A PRIORITY BECAUSE THAT PIECE IS OPTIMIST AND I JUST THINK THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE RECONSIDERED EVEN IF IT'S A PERSONAL SERVICE OR A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE RATHER.
AND I STAND CORRECT, WE ACTUALLY HIT 16.76 THIS PAST YEAR AND WE KNOW THAT WAS TOTALLY RELATED TO THE AQUATIC CENTER.
THANK YOU, UM, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, WHEN YOU ALL DO YOUR ASSESSMENT, I SEE ON HERE WHERE IT SAYS PAST PROJECT EXPERIENCE, DO YOU ALL EVER GET OUT AND DRIVE AND LOOK AT ANY OF THE WORK THAT ANY OF THEM HAVE DONE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE MINORITIES? OH, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
WITH THE PAST PROJECT EXPERIENCE.
SO, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY WE'VE DONE THAT PROJECT IN THE PAST, RIGHT? SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY ENGINEER DEALT WITH ON A DAILY BASIS, WHETHER WHEN IT COMES TO CUSTOMER SERVICE OR QUALITY OF WORK OR QUALITY OF DESIGN.
SO THIS IS HOW WE RATE THOSE CONSULTANTS BASED ON THEIR VAST EXPERIENCES WITH THE CITY OF DESOTO.
SO CAN WE EXPAND THAT? AND THEN ALSO FOR THOSE, YOU SAID THERE WAS SOME MINORITIES THAT HIT IN THE TOP FIVE.
YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IN OPPORTUNITIES.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT ABOUT NOT, I MEAN, WHAT ABOUT GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY WITH A SHORTER CONTRACT? THEY HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE.
THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE SOME KIND OF EXPERIENCE.
THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR NAME IN THE HAT, SO IT'S A, IT'S A MATTER OF TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN, BASICALLY.
I'D RATHER SEE US GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY VERSUS TYING UP FIVE YEARS WITH SOMEBODY ELSE.
AND, UH, I HEAR YOU LOUDER AND CLEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE I MENTIONED SOME OF THE MINORITIES CAME UP WITH THE TOP FIVE WITH SOME, WITH MANY CATEGORIES, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO, WE CAN ENCOURAGE ANYTIME THAT WE WOULD DO AN AGREEMENT WITH ONE OF THESE CONSULTANTS, WE HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM AND WE ENCOURAGE THE MINORITY PARTICIPATIONS.
I KNOW SHE'S TALKING ABOUT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
I'VE DEALT WITH THAT IN THE PAST.
AND, AND I, I THINK WE SHOULD DEFINITELY CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT AND, AND ENCOURAGE THOSE CONSULTANTS TO HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, SHARE FOR THE MINORITIES TO BE ON THE, ON THESE CONTRACTS.
AND IF THEY'RE IN THE TOP FIVE, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET A SHOT AT IT.
COULDN'T WE PUT IT ON THE NEWS AS FAR AS ADVERTISING? THAT WAS JUST A THOUGHT.
WE HAD SOMETHING ELSE ON THE NEWS.
I THOUGHT MAYBE WE COULD, YOU KNOW, ADVERTISE THERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES, UH, COUNCILMAN WATERS.
UH, UH, I HAVE A, UM, JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS ON THE LIST OF THE TOP FIVE THAT Y'ALL HAVE.
DOES ANY OF THOSE COMPANIES, ARE THEY ANY OF THOSE BASED IN DESOTO OR NO, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF BIG, BIG COMPANIES THERE I SAW, BUT IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE TOP FIVE OF ANY OF THOSE GROUPS, LIKE BASED IN DESOTO OR NO, I HONESTLY DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, I CAN LOOK IT UP AND, AND LET YOU KNOW THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, I, I THINK THE FIVE YEARS, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE LONG IN MY OPINION.
[02:20:01]
'CAUSE YOU, YOU'RE, UM, YOU, YOU'RE BLOCKING OUT EVERYBODY ELSE IS WHAT YOU WE'RE DOING, RIGHT? I MEAN, WITH THIS, YOU'RE PROPOSING TO BLOCK EVERYBODY ELSE OUT FOR THAT PARTICULAR GROUP FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND ONLY USE WHATEVER, FIVE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THAT THE LIST, RIGHT? SO, UM, YES, FOR THE MOST PART, BUT EVERY DEPARTMENT WILL STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADVERTISE AN RFQ.SO, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY WE'RE BUILDING A UNIQUE, OR WE WANT TO HAVE A UNIQUE BUILDING AND WE DON'T SEE, YOU KNOW, THOSE FIVE HAVE, LET'S SAY, LET'S SAY A FIRE STATION FOR INSTANCE OR SOMETHING, SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE FIVE CONSULTANTS AND THEY DON'T HAVE THAT TYPE OF EXPERIENCE, WE CAN, WE CAN STILL ADVERTISE IN OUR QUEUE.
THIS IS GONNA BE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE DEPARTMENT'S HEAD FOR, FOR EVERY DEPARTMENT.
YOU KNOW, IN MY CASE, IN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, IF, IF I HAVE A TRAFFIC SIGNAL OR ROADWAY, I KNOW THESE CON CONSULTANTS CAN DO THE JOB.
SO THEN I DON'T HAVE TO ADVERTISE AN RFQ AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS ONE MORE TIME FOR ANOTHER SIX MONTHS OR EIGHT MONTHS.
I JUST THINK THAT, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE REASON FOR DOING IT, YOU KNOW, STREAMLINING THINGS, BUT I DUNNO, I JUST THINK THAT, UM, KINDA LIKE, UH, MY COLLEAGUES WAS SAYING WE, WE, I THINK WE KIND OF NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, LOCAL OR AT LEAST CLOSEST TO SUBTLE WE CAN GET
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I'M THE SUBTLE ECONOMICS FIRST.
SO ANYWAY, I LIKE THE IDEA, BUT I THINK IT JUST NEEDS A LITTLE BIT MORE TWEAKING, IN MY OPINION, FROM WHAT IT CURRENTLY IS.
AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, I REALLY HEAR YOU, YOU KNOW, LOUD AND CLEAR.
BUT THE CHALLENGE IS WE CANNOT PUT SCORES FOR LOCALS, RIGHT.
OR, YOU KNOW, BASED ON COLOR OR RACE OR, YEAH, NO, I GET, I GET THAT UNFORTUNATELY.
I, I, THE MAIN THING IS THAT FIVE YEARS, I'M A LITTLE, I DON'T KNOW, FIVE YEARS SEEMS A LITTLE LONG.
THAT'S THE ONLY REASON I'M SAYING IT.
MAY, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO TWEAK A FEW THINGS ON THIS.
AND, AND, AND I COULD AGREE WITH YOU ON THIS OF I WOULD'VE PROBABLY DONE IT, YOU KNOW, FOR THREE YEARS IF I WAS HERE IN THE PAST.
BUT WITH FIVE YEARS IT STILL WORK.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE DON'T HAVE A BIG TEAM IN OUR, THIS IS JUST A FACT IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
AND, AND THIS EFFORT TAKES A LOT OF TIME.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT, THIS INITIATIVE, YOU KNOW, TAKES A LOT OF TIME, TAKES A LOT OF EFFORTS.
SO USUALLY CITIES IN OUR SIZE, THEY USUALLY DO THAT FOR FIVE MONTHS.
SO THEN THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO THE PROCESS AGAIN.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN ST WE HAVE TO STICK WITH IT FOR FIVE YEARS FOR ANY REASON AFTER THREE YEARS OR SO, OR EVEN ONE YEAR OR TWO.
IF WE SEE THIS LIST IS NOT GOING TO OUR BENEFIT, WE CAN ALWAYS ISSUE RFQ.
I, I WANNA GET OUR OTHER COLLEAGUES 'CAUSE WE, WE ARE TRYING TO STAY WITHIN OUR ROUNDS.
COUNCIL MEMBER NORTH, DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR DID YOU WANNA YIELD YOUR TIME TO YOUR COLLEAGUE? SHE HAS HER LIGHT ON.
I JUST HAD ONE QUICK QUESTION THAT YOU JUST SPARKED JUST NOW.
WHEN YOU SAID THAT, WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING THIS? WHAT OTHER CITIES IN THE BEST SOUTHWEST ARE DOING THIS? UM, LIKE WHAT OTHER CITIES? UH, DO THE RFQ? NO, THAT ARE DOING IT THE WAY THAT YOU GUYS ARE ASKING US TO DO IT TONIGHT.
THE SHORTLISTING AND ALL THIS, I'VE DONE THE SAME THING WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS.
I SAID BEST SOUTHWEST DALLAS IS DALLAS'S DALLAS.
WE WOULD HAVE TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND GET YOU THE ACCURATE INFORMATION.
AND THEN THE OTHER LAST QUESTION IS, UH, WHEN WE ARE TALKING IN TERMS OF A FEW MINUTES AGO, YOU SAID TO HIM THAT THEY STILL HAVE THE OPTION TO GO OUT FOR RFQ.
SO WHY PUT THE PAPERWORK IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GO WITH A LIST WHEN THEY CAN STILL GO OUT FOR RQ? JUST GO OUT FOR RQ RFQ.
SO WHEN EVERY TIME THAT YOU ADVERTISE FOR RFQ, THIS IS A DELAY OF SIX MONTHS TO THE PROJECT.
'CAUSE YOU ADVERTISE THE RFQ FOR TWO MONTHS, YOU PUT A COMMITTEE, YOU SCORE, YOU, YOU, YOU GO FOR, FOR DELIBERATION MEETINGS, YOU ADJUST THIS SCORING AND THEN, AND THEN YOU, YOU, YOU OBTAIN THE NECESSARY APPROVALS AND, AND, AND YOU GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL MINIMUM SIX MONTHS EVERY TIME THAT YOU ADVERTISE AN RFQ FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
NOW, IF I HAVE A $20 MILLION PROJECT, THE PER TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCESSES, THE CONSTRUCTION PRICES GO UP FROM FIVE TO 8% EVERY YEAR.
SO I'M GONNA ASSUME, LET'S SAY 7%.
AND IF YOU APPLY THE 7% TO THE 20 MILLION, THIS IS ALMOST A MILLION AND A HALF.
SO WHEN, WHEN WE DELAY THE PROJECTS FOR SIX MONTHS, WE ARE LOSING SEVEN 50 K
[02:25:01]
UPFRONT.SO WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WE HAVE A LIST OF THE MOST QUALIFIED CONSULTANTS THAT WE CAN USE.
NOW IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE UP TO THE DISCRETION OF THE DEPARTMENT'S HEADS.
DO YOU WANNA GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND ADVERTISE AN RFQ AND WAIT SIX MONTHS, OR YOU WANNA USE THIS LIST? IF YOU WANNA USE IT, GO AHEAD AND USE IT.
AND IF I HAVE A, A AGAIN TRAFFIC SIGNAL PROJECT AND MAYBE ONE IN THE NORTH OF DESOTO, ANOTHER PROJECT IN SOUTH OF DESOTO MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TIMES, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ADVERTISE AN RFQ FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE.
IT'S TIME EXHAUSTING, NOT EFFICIENT.
SO WHAT WE DO, WE HAVE A LIST.
WE HAVE VALID CON CONSULTANTS THAT WE CAN UTILIZE.
WE HAD, WE HAD ONE IN THE PAST, IT WAS EXPIRED.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE WE'VE DONE, WE REDID THE PROCESS.
SO THEN, SO THEN WE GET A NEW LIST.
WE HAVE THE SAME LIST FOR GEOTECHNICAL LABS.
IF I WANT TO HIRE GEO TECHNICAL LAB, I'M NOT GOING TO ADVERTISE ON R QUEUE.
I'VE ALREADY HAD AN, AN ADVERTISED LIST AND VETTED AND EVERYTHING COMPLETED THAT I CAN USE ANYTIME WE WANT.
SO THAT IS THE PRINCIP OF REALLY THE CONSEQUENCE OF, FOR OUR REQUIREMENT.
IF WE WON'T BE ABLE TO GET THIS ONE OUR APPROVED, THEN THEN WE HAVE THE BOND MONEY.
HOW AM I GOING TO, YOU KNOW, DESIGN THOSE PROJECTS? WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE DIRECTION? ARE WE GOING TO ADVERTISE AN RFQ FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE? THIS IS THE QUESTION.
IF WE, WE, WE HAVE 7 54 TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE 4.5 MILLIONS FOR ASPHALTS AND CONCRETES.
HOW ARE WE, WHEN WE DESIGN A PROJECT, ANYTIME PER OUR, PER OUR PURCHASING MANUAL, ANYTIME YOU EXCEED 20 5K, YOU WOULD HAVE TO ISSUE AN RFQ.
SO WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? THE SOLUTION IS, DO WE ADVERTISE AN RFQ FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE? OR WE HAVE A VETTED LIST THAT WE CAN GO BACK INTO EVERY TIME WE WANT.
CAN I, CAN I INTERJECT? FIRST OF ALL, THE CITY OF DUNCANVILLE IS DOING THE SAME THING.
SO IN THE BEST SOUTHWEST, THE CITY OF DUNCANVILLE WENT THROUGH AN IDIQ OR PROJECT ORDER SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, PAST PRACTICES IN THE CITY OF DESOTO WAS UTILIZING THE SAME CONSULTANT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
ON THE CONTRARY, WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO INTEGRATE MORE CONSULTANTS INTO THE WORK WHEN WE'RE SAYING THERE'S FIVE CONSULTANTS INSTEAD OF ONE WHO'S GETTING THE WORK OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SO IS THE PROCESS NOT FLAWED? SURE.
YOU CAN CHANGE THE CRITERIA AND THE MATRIX AND I'VE, I'VE DONE THOUSANDS OF THOSE.
NOW WE CAN CHANGE THE CRITERIA AND SAY, LET'S, YOU KNOW, IF THE CITY COUNCIL DESIRES TO APPROVE THIS LIST FOR A YEAR OR TWO, OKAY.
AND THEN COME BACK AND PUT LOCAL PREFERENCE AND PUT IN MINORITY PREFERENCE, WE COULD DO THAT.
WE JUST NEED TO KNOW THE PARAMETERS OF THIS.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PARAMETERS.
WE HAD THE SAME CONSULTANT DOING THE SAME WORK AND GETTING ALL THE WORK AND NOBODY ELSE IS TOUCHING THEM.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
OKAY, ARE WE, ARE WE, ARE WE PERFECT? NO, WE'RE NOT.
CAN WE IMPROVE ON THAT LIST? SURE, WE CAN IMPROVE ON THAT LIST.
BUT TO SAY THAT WE'RE BACK, THAT THAT'S NOT TRUE.
THAT THIS IS, WE HAVE MADE LEAPS AND BOUNDS AND IT'S AN EIGHT MONTHS PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH 58 PROPOSALS FOR THIS.
NOW WE ADVERTISED FOR TWO MONTHS AND WE'VE ADVERTISED IT EVERYWHERE FOR PEOPLE WHO DID NOT APPLY.
UH, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY WITH THAT, BUT CAN WE IMPROVE ON IT? ABSOLUTELY.
IS FIVE YEARS TOO LONG? ABSOLUTELY.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO OFFER MY PERSPECTIVE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT PERSPECTIVE AND, AND IT'S APPRECIATED TO UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY'S THOUGHT PROCESS.
BUT I'M STILL GONNA ASK THE QUESTION WHEN WE ARE TALKING IN TERMS OF THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, IF WE'RE SAYING THAT, UM, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THIS LIST, IF WE ARE LOOKING FOR LOCAL, UH, FOLKS, UH, IF THEY, IF THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED, MAYBE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT WAS INCLUDED BEFORE IT WAS BROUGHT BEFORE COUNCIL.
UM, PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE WNB UH, W UH, I CAN'T EVEN SAY IT.
WBE UH, UTILIZATION, UH, ASPECT.
IT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT ALL YEAR.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING SOMEONE WOULD BE LISTENING TO WHEN THEY'RE TALKING IN TERMS OF WHAT VENDORS COME IN AND OUT OF THE SOTO.
NOBODY'S SAYING YOU CAN'T HAVE A PREFERRED LIST, BUT A PREFERRED LIST DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A CONTRACTED PREFERRED LIST.
IT, IT COULD BE A PREFERRED LIST OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU USE.
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY
[02:30:01]
SAY WE'RE GONNA USE ONLY THESE.SO, AND, AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, ON THAT POINT, THIS IS, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, I HAVE AN ORDINANCE AND I HAVE A PURCHASING MANUAL AND I HAVE STATE REGULATION PER OUR ORDINANCES.
EVERY TIME WE PASS 20 5K FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WE WOULD HAVE TO ADVERTISE ON R QUEUE, MEANING WE SELECT BASED ON THE MOST QUALIFIED, IT'S A QBS SYSTEM.
MOST QUALIFIED CONSULTANTS, I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T, I CANNOT EVEN NEGOTIATE WITH THEM FOR FEES.
BUT, BUT IF I HAVE, FOR, FOR, IN THIS EXAMPLE, IF I HAVE FIVE, FIVE CONSULTANTS ON THE LIST, I CAN TELL THAT THEY, THEY KNOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL QUALIFIED.
AND IF, IF I WANNA ENTER IN, IN A CONTRACT WITH ONE OF THESE CONSULTANTS, WE NOW WE HAVE THE, THE, THE NEGOTIATION FEES.
IF IT FAILS, THEY KNOW I CAN GO TO ANOTHER ONE THAT I CAN NEGOTIATE FEES WITH AND DROP THE PRICE.
SO ALL WE'RE DOING HERE IS FOLLOWING THE STATE REGULATIONS AND CITY ORDINANCES.
BUT, AND, AND REALLY, AND I WANNA SAY HERE, I'M, I'M REALLY, YOU KNOW, WILLING AND OPEN TO MEET ALL OF OUR CONSULTANTS, LOCAL CONSULTANTS IN THIS.
SO, MATTER OF FACT, I MEET WITH A LOT OF CONTRACTORS.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR A SHORT TIME, BUT I NEVER GOT A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, RUN INTO OR MEET OR HEAR ABOUT A CONSULTANT, LIKE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE FIRM, DESOTO.
BUT IF THERE IS, AND I'M AWARE OF, OF THEM, THEN I WANNA REACH OUT TO THEM AND WE WANNA SEE LIKE, HOW DO WE ACTUALLY ENCOURAGE LOCALS, THIS IS WHAT WE DO WITH EVERYTHING ELSE, WITH CONTRACTORS AND EVERYTHING.
YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A JOB THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE COMPETITIVE BIDS, WE ALWAYS LOOK FOR LOCALS.
BUT, BUT THEN WHEN IT COMES TO RQ, THIS IS BASED ON QUALIFICATION ONLY.
HOW DO YOU, WHAT IS, HOW, HOW BIG YOUR STAFF IS.
HAVE YOU DONE PROJECTS LIKE THIS? WE CANNOT GIVE A A PROJECT TO SOMEONE.
YOU CAN'T GIVE A LOCAL PREFERENCE FOR A LOT OF THESE, A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS, YOU CAN'T DO LOCAL, BUT YOU CAN CAST THE NET IF THERE'S SOMEBODY LOCAL AND SEE IF THEY QUALIFY AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE ONES THAT QUALIFY, THEN THEY CAN MAKE THE LIST.
BUT YOU JUST CAN'T GO TO THEM AND SAY, WE WANT YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE LOCAL WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE, THE PROCESS.
UM, MAYOR PRO TEM, I'M GONNA STATE, I'M GOING TO APPLY THIS EQUALLY.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU COUNCILMAN BIRD'S TIME BECAUSE HE'S NOT HERE.
UM, I JUST WANNA STATE THIS, THAT, UM, 'CAUSE YOU'VE SAID THIS A FEW TIMES ABOUT, UH, SELECTING SOMEONE BASED ON THE QUALIFICATIONS AND THE STATE REQUIREMENT.
IT IS LITERALLY ABOUT ACCESS AND EQUITY.
MANY OF THESE FIRMS ARE JUST AS QUALIFIED, BUT THEY DON'T GET THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THIS IS WHY THIS, THIS, THIS IS SO, YOU KNOW, NAILS ON A CHALKBOARD FOR MANY OF US BECAUSE WE, WE JUST THOUGHT THAT IT WAS UNDERSTOOD.
AND I THINK ANOTHER THING THAT IS FRUSTRATING IS TO SPEND TAX DOLLARS ON OUR MEMBERSHIPS OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL HELP YOU FIND A DIVERSITY OF, OF COMPANIES.
AND WE NOT PROACTIVELY USE IT.
UM, I GET YOU JUST GOT HERE AND YOU'RE DOING AN AMAZING JOB.
I SEE YOU HERE, EVERY COUNCIL MEETING GIVING US SOMETHING NEW.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT REPRESENTATION FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A DIVERSE GROUP OF BUSINESSES, I THINK CAN HAPPEN IN EACH ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES WITH THOUGHTFULNESS, UM, AND CONSIDERATION WITH THAT.
BECAUSE, AND I, YOU KNOW, I, AS THE CITY ATTORNEY SAYS, WE CAN'T USE LOCAL, TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
HOWEVER, UM, IT MATTERS HOW OUR DOLLAR CIRCULATES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THAT REPRESENTATION MATTERS.
SO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE BUSINESSES THAT REPRESENT THAT.
I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING.
IT, IT, I, I, I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH, I DON'T WANNA MAKE THIS A, A RACE BAITING ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS NOT, IT'S ABOUT EQUITY AND ACCESS.
BECAUSE MWBE STANDS FOR MORE THAN JUST, UM, JUST, UM, BLACK AND BROWN.
IT, IT, IT STANDS FOR A WHOLE, WHOLE PLETHORA OF BUSINESSES THAT FIT IN THAT CATEGORY.
AND WHILE WE DON'T PROACTIVELY USE THAT TERM, I THINK THAT YOU CAN DEFINITELY DO A UTILIZATION REPORTING PERHAPS AS ONE OF YOUR TOOLS IF YOU'RE GOING TO, UH, IF WE'RE GOING TO EXPLORE THIS METHOD, I THINK WE SHOULD BE THOUGHTFUL IN IT AND PERHAPS HAVE ONE OF THOSE MWBE UTILIZATION REPORTING TO WHERE THEY TELL YOU HOW PROACTIVELY THEY USE, UH, MINORITY BUSINESSES.
I KNOW A LOT OF THEM PROBABLY SUBCONTRACT IN SOME OF THOSE CATEGORIES.
SO SOME CONTRACTORS, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT OUR PREVIOUS FINANCIAL RECORDINGS HAVE MADE A GREAT PORTION OF
[02:35:01]
THE, UH, OF THE, UH, OF THE GOAL THAT WE'VE HAD.UM, BUT I I, I DON'T WANT THAT THIS TO FEEL LIKE, LIKE WE'RE SAYING THAT STAFF IS DOING SOMETHING WRONG.
I JUST WANT US NOT TO MAKE, FORGET THE MAIN THING THAT WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
UM, UNDERSTANDING JUST OUR LEGAL LIMITATIONS AND UNDERSTANDING THE NEED FOR EFFICIENCY, AND I SUPPORT THAT.
UM, I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE, UM, THE ONUS TO STRUCTURE THIS IN A WAY TO WHERE IT DOES NOT DELAY PROJECTS WITH CONSTRUCTION COSTS ALREADY ASTRONOMICAL, THE LONGER YOU WAIT.
I THINK ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE IS REGARDING SOMETHING YOU SAID ABOUT PAST PROJECT EXPERIENCE.
AND, AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I'VE MISUNDERSTOOD EXACTLY WHAT THAT METRIC MEANS.
BECAUSE WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY, AND YOU CAN TELL ME IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, IS THAT THEIR PAST PROJECT EXPERIENCE IS PAST PROJECT EXPERIENCE HERE IN DESOTO.
UH, THIS IS A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
SO AMONG THE 35%, SOME OF THE PERCENTAGES FOR THE PAST EXPERIENCED PROJECTS IN DESOTO ONLY, BUT THE OTHER ONES AND LIKE ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS.
SO, AND, AND REALLY, AND, AND YOU KNOW, THE, THE INTENT BEHIND THIS IS IF, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A VERY QUALIFIED OF THE MOST QUALIFIED CONSULTANT BASED ON THE BARBECUE, IT WOULD GIVE YOU THE LIST OF THE MOST QUALIFIED IF YOU WANT, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE THE MOST QUALIFIED CONSULTANT TO DESIGN A ROADWAY.
AND, BUT THE CONSULTANT DIDN'T DO ANY ROADWAYS IN
SO THEN YOU WANT TO GIVE THEM PERCENTAGES OUT OF THE 35%.
NOW, IF THERE IS ANOTHER CONSULTANT WHO HAVE DONE A LOT OF PROJECTS IN OTHER CITIES AND PROJECTS IN SOTO, THEN THEY WOULD GET A BETTER SHARE OR A HIGHER PERCENTAGE.
AND I, AND AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO, TO TO BE QUALIFIED, RIGHT? I THINK, I THINK THE QUALIFICATIONS OUTWEIGHS MUCH OF WHAT WE'RE SPEAKING OF.
HOWEVER, WE DO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF, UM, WHAT COUNCIL HAS LAID OUT AND SOME OF OUR DESIRES IN TERMS OF SOME OF OUR MWBE GOALS.
AND I THINK THIS CONVERSATION AS FAR AS MY, MY VIEWPOINT EXTENDS BEYOND JUST THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM, RIGHT? I'VE TALKED WITH, UM, OUR PROCUREMENT, UM, IN THE PAST ABOUT HELPING OR TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAYS CAN WE HELP CONTRACTORS THAT MAY BE SMALLER.
UM, AND THEY HAVE A LEVEL OF CAPACITY, BUT MAYBE NOT THE LEVEL OF CAPACITY THAT MANY OF THESE FIRMS HAVE TO BE ABLE TO, AS MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES SAID, GET THEIR FOOT IN THE DOOR AND TO BE ABLE TO PROVE WHAT THEY CAN DO AND TO BE ABLE TO GROW AS A CONTRACTOR.
AND WE TALKED A LOT BECAUSE DE SOTO'S NOT TYPICALLY DOING MULTI MULTI MULTIMILLION DOLLAR PROJECTS EVERY TIME YOU TURN AROUND.
LIKE THOSE ARE FEW AND FAR AND IN BETWEEN.
UM, SO I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THOSE PROJECTS DON'T COME ALONG EVERY DAY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THOSE TYPES OF CONTRACTS.
AND DEFINITELY STILL UNDER UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO HAVE QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS WORKING ON THEM.
BUT EVEN WITH MANY OF OUR STREET, UH, PROJECTS, TALKING ABOUT UNBUNDLING THEM TO A DEGREE, RIGHT? TO WHERE THEY CAN BE, UM, THEY CAN BE PRESENTED TO, TO CONTRACTORS IN A WAY TO WHERE THEY CAN BID ON THEM TO THE LEVEL OF THEIR CAPACITY.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT, IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE.
AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
'CAUSE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO EXPLORE, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I NEED TO TALK TO THE ATTORNEY ABOUT, WE'RE TRYING TO, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS WE TRYING TO COLLECT THE INFORMATION FOR ALL MWV PARTICIPATION THAT WE ARE AWARE OF AND WE HAVE CONNECTION WITH.
AND WE, AND WE DEVELOP A LIST WITH THE CITY THAT WE, THAT WE SHARE WITH THE CONSULTANTS.
SO, SO IF WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE MAIN CONSULTANT, WE TELL THEM THIS IS A LIST OF THE MINORITIES SUB CONSULTANTS THAT WITH ALREADY VETTED, WE BELIEVE THEY COULD DO A GOOD JOB.
IT'S VERY ENCOURAGED FOR YOU TO SELECT ONE OF 'EM TO, TO PARTICIPATE ON THAT PROJECT.
I CANNOT ENFORCE IT, BUT I BELIEVE IF WE HAVE A LIST AND, AND A LIST OF, YOU KNOW, MANY CONSULTANTS THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH THE MAKE CONSULTANTS THAT MIGHT, MIGHT ENCOURAGE THEM AS WELL.
AND, AND I, AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS, AND I DON'T WANNA STEP TOO FAR OUR OUTSIDE OF WHAT WE ARE HERE TO VOTE ON TONIGHT, BUT AGAIN, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT CHALLENGE, WHICH IS MANY OF THE CONTRACTORS THAT WE'RE SPEAKING OF IN SUPPORT OF ARE NOT CERTIFIED, RIGHT? SO EVEN GETTING THEM CERTIFIED, AND I KNOW THE CITY HAS A PROGRAM WHERE THEY WERE REIMBURSED, BUT, OR GETTING BONDED, YOU KNOW, FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT.
SO THERE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE LIMITATIONS THAT I THINK WE, WE ALL SHOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MWBE AND MINORITY VENDORS AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT IT PRESENTS OTHER THAN JUST GETTING THE SHOT, RIGHT? LIKE, THERE, THERE
[02:40:01]
IT IS.IT'S THE PROB THE ISSUE IS BIGGER THAN JUST THAT.
UM, AND, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
AND SO I THINK, AGAIN, THAT CONVERSATION DESERVES MORE TIME THAN WE HAVE TONIGHT.
HOWEVER, JUST LETTING YOU KNOW SO THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE THINGS I, I THINK MY COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING AND THAT I'M SAYING IS HOW CAN WE, UH, WE KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE AND WHAT WE LIKE TO SEE NOW, HOW CAN WE GET THERE? WHAT TYPES OF THINGS CAN WE PUT INTO PUT IN PLACE HERE IN DESOTO THAT DOES ALLOW OTHER SMALLER CONTRACTORS AND OPPORTUNITY WITH THE CAPACITY THAT THEY CAN GET BONDED WITH THEIR CERTIFICATIONS, WITH ALL THE THINGS, UM, THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO BE ABLE TO GROW AS A CONTRACTOR.
UM, AND SO I, MY MY LAST QUESTION THAT I WANT, UM, COUNSEL TO, UM, POSSIBLY GET READY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION SO THAT WE CAN CLOSE THIS ITEM OUT IS YES.
YEAH, NO, IF I MADE, IF I MAY ADD ONE MORE COMMENT.
UM, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF LOCAL CODES WHEN IT COMES TO CONTRACTS CONTRACTORS, WE, AND WE REACH OUT TO LOCALS.
WE, WE, THIS IS WHAT WE DO, BUT THIS IS ONLY FOR THE DESIGN.
LIKE YOU MENTIONED SOMEONE WITH A, WITH A LICENSE.
LIKE IF YOU WANT TO DESIGN A ROADWAY, YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER, LICENSED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM CONTRACTORS.
THESE CONSULTANTS ARE NOT GOING TO BUILD THE ROADWAYS.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA BUILD FIX THE TRAINING, THEY'RE GONNA DESIGN IT.
BUT THEN WE, WE GO THROUGH, NOW WE GO THROUGH CONTRACTORS, IT'S SOMETHING BELOW THE COMPETITIVE BIDS, UH, THRESHOLD.
THEN WE, WE, WE TRY TO GIVE THAT TO LOCAL, TO LOCAL CONTRACTORS.
THIS IS PART OF OUR AUTHORITY.
AND THEN IF IT'S IT PASSES THE THRESHOLD, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, BID THAT OUT.
BUT THIS IS, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM, FROM CONTRACTORS.
AND CERTAINLY, AND THAT'S WHY I MADE THE COMMENT, YES.
I MADE, I MAY BE GETTING A LITTLE OFF TOPIC WITH, WITH MY, WITH THE POINT THAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE.
UM, BUT I DO, I DO WANNA STATE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS, THAT IS WHERE I'M AT WITH IT.
AND I, I THINK I, I LIKE MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES STRUGGLE WITH FIVE YEARS, UM, IF WE WERE TO APPROVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
BUT THAT'S MY QUESTION TO YOU IS IF WE DON'T APPROVE IT, WHERE WOULD IT PUT US? BECAUSE I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY TEED UP AND I'M ASSUMING THAT THOSE PROJECTS ARE TEED UP IN NEED OF WHAT THESE CONTRACTORS ARE, THESE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDE, WHICH YOU TALKED ABOUT MORE.
THIS IS LIKE THE, THE DESIGN WORK OF THESE PROJECTS.
SO, AND AND, AND TO THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, MY PREFERENCE IS THREE YEARS, FIVE, LIKE I MENTIONED, FIVE YEARS IS STILL PRETTY GOOD.
BUT IF I WOULD DO IT, I WOULD DO IT THREE YEARS NOW AND I WOULD HAVE MAY, I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER TO THE ATTORNEY.
BUT WHEN WE ADVERTISE THE R QUEUE IN THE PAST, WE SAID FIVE YEARS, SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO REDUCE IT DOWN TO THREE YEARS.
BUT THE CONSEQUENCE IF WE, IF IF I DON'T HAVE THIS WHEN APPROVED FOR FIVE YEARS AND A HAVE TO REDO IT AGAIN, THEN WE, I WON'T BE ABLE TO DESIGN ANY PROJECTS AND UTILIZE THE BOND MONEY FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS OR EIGHT MONTHS BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE TO RE ADVERTISE AGAIN.
WE TELL THE CONSULTANTS, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE GONNA DO THE SAME THING, BUT WE'RE GONNA DO IT OVER THREE YEARS.
SO, MR. CITY ATTORNEY, I GUESS THIS IS WHAT, WHAT QUESTION I HAVE, AND THIS IS JUST TO GIVE COUNSEL SOME OPTIONS ON WHAT WE CAN DO TONIGHT.
BECAUSE ONE THING THAT I, I, I DON'T WANNA ALSO DO IS HOLD UP PROGRESS IF, IF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS IS ACCURATE, I DON'T WANNA HOLD UP PROGRESS, BUT, BUT I ALSO DON'T THINK COUNCIL IS COMFORTABLE AND THAT'S JUST THE FEELING I GET READING THE ROOM.
I DON'T THINK COUNCIL IS COMFORTABLE WITH THE FIVE YEARS AND, AND I'M NOT COMFORTABLE GIVING AN OPINION ON THAT FROM THE DIOCESE TONIGHT.
'CAUSE I HAVEN'T SEEN THE, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE, THE REQUEST FOR, UH, QUALIFICATIONS PROPOSALS, UM, AND WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS LISTED IN THERE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE DID PUT IT AT TWO YEARS, THAT MAY TRIGGER US HAVING TO GO OUT AND RE ADVERTISE FOR IT AGAIN.
SO I DON'T WANT TO GUESS ON THAT ONE.
AND, AND, AND YOU KNOW, MADAM MAYOR, UH, LIKE MENTIONED WE CAN ALWAYS ADVERTISE MORE RF QS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO, WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR FIVE YEARS.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADVERTISE RF QS.
WE CAN KEEP, KEEP IN MIND TOO MANY OF THESE WILL STILL COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT.
AND THE COUNCIL MAY SAY, NO, GO BACK, TAKE THIS ONE OUT FOR RF Q WE DON'T WANT TO, WE DON'T WANNA GO ON THE LIST.
AND A GOOD EXAMPLE IS, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE THE GATEKEEPERS IN A WAY OF, OF WHAT YOU APPROVE.
AND REALLY A GOOD EXAMPLE IS ON DECEMBER 2ND, WE'RE TRYING TO BRING THREE, THREE DIFFERENT AGREEMENTS.
SO IF I DON'T HAVE THIS ONE APPROVED, WE WOULD HAVE TO RE ADVERTISE THEN OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD HAVE TO PUSH THE THREE AGREEMENTS.
'CAUSE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO ENTER A, A CONTRACT WITH, WITH ANY CONSULTANTS BEFORE WE VET THEM OUT IN THE PROCESS AND MEET THE STATE AND CITY REQUIREMENTS.
AND FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT, WHAT ARE THOSE THREE SERVICES SPECIFICALLY? UM, WE HAVE A TRAFFIC, UH, TRAFFIC SIGNAL UPGRADES ON PLEASANT RUN, UM, ALONG FROM, UH,
[02:45:01]
CON CROSSING MEADOWS, UM, TRAFFIC SIGNAL, WHAT'S THE OTHER ONE? AND PAUL, KEN? YES.THIS IS GONNA BE A, A FIRST PROJECT.
ANOTHER PROJECT IS WE HAVE TO MEET A DEADLINE.
WE GOT A GRANT FROM TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR $1.35 MILLION TO BUILD A TRAFFIC SIGNAL ON WINTER GREEN IN WESTMORELAND.
AND, AND WE, WE WERE LIKE ON A VERY TIGHT DEADLINE, WE WOULD HAVE TO ENTER INTO AGREEMENT TO DESIGN THE PROJECT.
TEXT IS NOT PAYING FOR THE DESIGNERS, PAYING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION ONLY.
SO, BUT THEN I NEED TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH A CONSULTANT TO DESIGN THE PROJECT AND MEET THE DEADLINE AND WITH, AND THEN GET THE, GET THE FEDERAL MONEY TO BUILD A TRAFFIC SIGNAL THERE.
MAYOR OF OF OF, I'VE DONE THIS BEFORE WHERE WE ACTUALLY SENT TO THE WINNING PROPOSERS, UH, A LETTERS TO SAY THAT THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE PARAMETERS HAVE CHANGED AND, AND WE ARE, UM, WE WE'RE LOOKING AT A TWO YEAR, UM, LIST.
IF, UH, IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE, UH, IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE CONTINUING TO BE WITH US, UH, THEN, UM, YOU'RE STILL PART OF THAT LIST AND IF YOU'RE NOT, UH, THEN WE'LL WITHDRAW YOU OUT OF THAT.
UM, I I DON'T THINK IT'S, IT'S, UH, EVERYTHING IS STILL UP TO THE DISCRETION OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO EVEN IF THEY ARE ON THE LIST, UH, I'M, I'M VERY COMFORTABLE SENDING THEM A LETTER.
SO, UH, UNLESS THE CITY ATTORNEY ADVISES ME AGAINST THAT, I'VE DONE IT SEVERAL TIMES.
AND, AND IF I'M THEN MAYOR, THEY, THEY CAN ALWAYS WITHDRAW.
I MEAN, LIKE THEY HAVE THEN I'M COMFORTABLE TO WITHDRAW.
THE ONLY QUESTION IS ARE THERE GONNA BE OTHER CONSULTANT FIRMS OUT THAT SAID, WELL IF I, I DIDN'T WANT TO COMMIT FOR FIVE YEARS, BUT IF I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE TWO YEARS, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
AND, AND IF THEY CHOOSE TO WITHDRAW, WE'LL, WE'LL, WHATEVER THAT LIST THE TOP FIVE, UH, WE'LL KEEP THAT LIST.
LET'S SAY ONE WITHDRAWS, THEN WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP FOUR.
AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE THAT LIST, YOU CAN ALWAYS GO BACK OUT IF WE WANTED TO.
AND, AND DO IT AGAIN TO, TO EXPAND THE LIST SO YOU CAN EXPAND IT FURTHER.
AND, AND MR. GAFFER, MY ONLY RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL IS THIS TWO YEARS IS GREAT, BUT IF WE CAN ADD A LANGUAGE TO SAY, AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CITY COUNCIL, THE LIST CAN BE EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS OF ONE YEAR.
WITH, WITH YOUR COUNCIL APPROVAL, COUNCIL CAN ALWAYS COME BACK AND SAY, NO MORE OF THE LIST.
LET'S, LET'S, LET'S DO IT AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, TO TO END, TO END THE PRACTICE OF USING THE LIST.
UM, YOU CAN, YOU CAN ALWAYS, YOU CAN ALWAYS, THAT'S YOUR DISCRETION, WHICH MEANS WE ISSUE AN RFP FOR EVERY SINGLE CONTRACT.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT OR WERE YOU, I JUST HAD A QUESTION ON THOSE DEADLINES.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO REQUEST AN EXTENSION? UM, EXTENSION, I'M SORRY, EXTENSION FOR WHAT? AN EXTENSION YOU HAD.
YOU SAID YOU HAD SOME IMPENDING DEADLINES COMING UP YOU THAT YOU NEEDED TO MEET.
SO WITH TDOT, THEY, THEY HAVE A VERY, YOU KNOW, TIGHT DEADLINE.
YOU DO, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD HAVE TO MEET TO BE ABLE TO GET THE GROUND, OTHERWISE THE MONEY WILL BE EXPIRED.
UH, DO YOU MIND ME ASKING WHAT THAT DEADLINE IS? UH, I, I BELIEVE 2027.
LET ME, LET ME MAKE SURE I'M, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THE CORRECT INFORMATION.
I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT, UH, I DON'T RECALL THE EXACT, UH, DATE.
SO WE OBTAINED A GRANT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF SIGNAL AND OTHER IMPROVEMENT AT WINTER GAIN AND WEST MULLAND INTERSECTION.
THE DESIGN MUST START IN JANUARY OF 26.
AND DESIGN MUST BE FINISHED AND ACCEPTED BY TEXT.BY DECEMBER 26.
THAT'S WHY WE ONLY HAVE ONE CITY COUNCIL MEETING IN DECEMBER.
SO ON DECEMBER 2ND, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT EXECUTED WITH ONE OF THE SELECTED CONSULTANT.
I'D BE HAPPY TO HAVE THAT, THAT SIGNAL LIGHT THERE.
UH, THANK YOU MR. DO CASEY, UM, COUNSEL AT THIS TIME WE NEED TO GET SOME CONSENSUS AND SOME IDEA OF THE DIRECTION THAT YOU WANNA TAKE.
UM, I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE, UM, AS HE MENTIONED, NOT DO THE FIVE YEARS.
UM, I HEAR TWO YEARS, I HEAR THREE YEARS.
UM, BUT THAT'S UP TO COUNCIL AGAIN, COUNCIL KNOWING THAT WE ARE NOT TREES.
UM, SO IF WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO GO BACK OUT AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT AS WELL.
BUT ALSO KEEPING IN MIND THAT THERE ARE SOME PENDING PROJECTS AND I KNOW, UH, WHEN WE GET GRANT FUNDS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HITTING DEADLINES.
SO, UH, WE DON'T WANNA TAKE A CHANCE WITH THAT.
[02:50:01]
A VERY, I'M, I'D LIKE YOU COUNCILWOMAN HUGHES WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT, UM, THAT SIGNAL LIGHT THERE.SO, UH, COUNCIL, WHAT, WHAT YE COUNCILMAN WATERS? WELL, I, I I DID HAVE A, I GUESS A QUESTION HERE.
UM, SO ON THE 2ND OF DECEMBER, Y'ALL WERE HOPING TO ENTER A CONTRACT WITH ONE OF THE VENDORS, IF YOU WILL.
SO THAT MEANS WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TABLE THIS FOR A MONTH OR WHATEVER, 'CAUSE THAT'LL BE TOO LATE.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T, IS THAT CORRECT? SO FOR WHAT YOU GOTTA DO WITH THESE VENDORS ON DECEMBER 2ND, YOU'RE SAYING WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING TONIGHT TO FIT THAT DEADLINE.
OTHERWISE YOU RUN INTO A PROBLEM OF JANUARY, 2026 NOT BEING ABLE TO FULFILL THOSE DUTIES TO GET THE GRANT MONEY.
SO THAT WOULD BE IDEAL IF WE GET THE APPROVAL TONIGHT.
SO THEN OUR FOCUS IS ON TO SECURE THE AGREEMENT WITH ONE OF THE TOP CONSULTANTS, RIGHT.
FOR THAT, FOR THAT GROUND AND, AND BRING THAT TO CITY COUNCIL ON DECEMBER 2ND QUESTION, IS IT TOO QUICK? THIS WOULD BE KIND OF FOR YOU, I GUESS YOU IMAGINE, WOULD IT BE TOO QUICK TO TABLE THIS TO NEXT MEETING OF THIS MONTH? LIKE IN TWO WEEKS? OR IS THAT TOO QUICK? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE? I MEAN, FOR US TO, IS IS THAT GONNA CHANGE THE CITY COUNCIL? WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING IN TWO WEEKS.
SO IF WAS, IF YOU WANT TABLE IT, FORGIVE ME FOR THE SAKE OF TABLE IN IT, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT GONNA GET US A DIFFERENT RESULT.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S MY QUESTION.
AND REALLY, EVEN IF WE RE ADVERTISE, WE'LL HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE SAME COMMITTEE AND THEY'LL HAVE TO SCORE AGAIN BASED ON WHAT THEY SEE ON THE SOQ AND BASED ON THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH THEIR, WITH THESE CONSULTANTS.
SINCE WE CAN'T TABLE IT BECAUSE OF THE TIME RESTRICTIONS AND ALL THAT WITH THE GRANT MONEY, ALL THAT, YOU ARE SAYING THAT WE CAN CHANGE FROM FIVE YEARS TO WHATEVER OTHER YEAR WE WANT, TWO OR THREE, BUT IT MAY CREATE HAVING TO GO BACK OUT AND TELL PEOPLE, HEY, IT IS TWO YEARS NOW, THREE YEARS NOW, AND THEN THAT MIGHT CREATE SOME SLIGHT ISSUES.
THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO TONIGHT AND DO IT, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL WORRY ABOUT, YEAH.
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, I I, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS, IS UM, IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE'RE UP AGAINST A WALL RIGHT NOW AND, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE THIS DECISION.
UM, I'M JUST NOT CLEAR ON WHY IT CAME DOWN TO ONE MEETING AND THIS INFORMATION BEING PUT BEFORE US AND LITERALLY SAYING, MAKE THIS DECISION TONIGHT OR ELSE WE MAY LOSE THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER.
I, I'M, I'M UNCLEAR ON THAT PART.
UM, AS FAR AS THIS LIST IS CONCERNED, I'M SORRY.
THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, CAN THAT PROJECT NOT GO FORWARD WITHOUT THIS LIST? IT CANNOT GO, WE CANNOT ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH ANYONE ABOVE 20 5K WITHOUT AN RFQ.
BUT YOU'VE ALREADY GONE OUT AND YOU'VE ALREADY DONE YOUR WORK TO GET THEIR QUALIFICATIONS AND GET THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LIST IF YOU WILL.
SO YOU ALREADY, IT'S NOT APPROVED.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS THE PEOPLE THAT OWN THE LIST, YOU'VE ALREADY MADE A DECISION WHO THOSE FOLKS MIGHT BE.
IS THAT NOT TRUE? I, I, UH, RESPECTFULLY, NO.
AND, AND THE REASON WHY, BECAUSE THIS IS A TENTATIVE LIST.
MR. ERY APPROVED IT, PURCHASING MANAGER APPROVED IT.
BUT WE NEED THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL.
SO WITH, WITH THE WAY THAT MR. OL GERY WANTED THIS TO WANTED FOLLOW, WE, HE WANTED TO FOLLOW A VERY TRANSPARENT PROCEDURES.
OTHER CITIES DON'T REALLY OBTAIN THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVALS.
IT'S UP TO THE DIRECTOR'S LEVELS.
IT'S GET, IT GETS APPROVED BY THE DIRECTOR'S LEVEL, AT THE DIRECTOR LEVEL, AND THAT'S IT.
BUT THE DIRECTION THAT I RECEIVED FROM MS. GAFFEY IS TO ACTUALLY GET THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL TO ACTUALLY SHOW, TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT.
NOW, BECAUSE WE'RE DOING IT THIS WAY, THIS LIST THAT YOU SEE TODAY IS NOT APPROVED.
AND IF IT'S NOT GOING TO BE APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL TONIGHT, I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ENTER ANY CONTRACT WITH THEM.
WE SAID, THIS IS A LIST THAT REQUIRES, AND I'M GONNA, UM, HOP OVER THE, THE APPROVAL WORKFLOW SLIDE.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE MONITOR, THERE IS A COMMITTEE CHAIR, APPROVAL, DIRECTOR APPROVAL, PURCHASING MANAGER APPROVAL, CITY MANAGER APPROVAL, CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL.
WE FULFILLED ALL THE APPROVALS.
BUT IF WE DON'T OBTAIN THE LAST APPROVAL, I CANNOT TURN TO ANY CONTRACT OR AGREEMENT WITH
[02:55:01]
ANY OF THESE CONSULTANTS THAT YOU SEE ON THE, UH, ON THIS PRESENTATION.I STILL, I'M, I'M, I'M, I WAS CONFUSED BY YOUR STATEMENT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME TO CITY COUNCIL FOR THIS APPROVAL WHEN YOU'RE HERE BEFORE US NOW THAT JUST, THAT THAT WAS A LITTLE CONFUSING AS TO WHAT YOU MEANT BY THAT.
UM, MY BOTTOM LINE IS THIS, YOU NEED A DECISION TONIGHT.
THAT SEEMS A LITTLE ODD IN THAT YOU CAN'T DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO FOR SOMETHING THAT WE'RE JUST SEEING.
SO, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, ALLOW, ALLOW ME TO, TO CLARIFY OTHER CITIES, AND I'VE DONE IT WITH OTHER CITY AS WELL.
DO NOT REQUIRE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL NOW.
BUT THE WAY THAT WE'RE DOING IT IN DESOTO, WE ARE SAYING THAT WE'RE, THIS LIST IS NOT APPROVED UNTIL WE GET THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL.
SO THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE I, I, I NEED THE CITY.
THIS IS WHAT WE COMMITTED OURSELF TO.
IF WE DON'T GET THE CITY APPROVAL, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO USE THE LIST.
PREQUALIFICATION DOESN'T NEED THE CITY COUNCIL'S APPROVAL.
I'VE MADE IT A MANDATE THAT EVERY SINGLE ITEM OVER $25,000 COMES TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR TRANSPARENCY AND, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS AWARE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING.
SO, UM, UH, I'LL CONTINUE DOING THAT.
I, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS, OKAY? BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS FULLY AWARE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AT, AT CITY HALL.
SO, NO, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND RESPECTFULLY, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I'M THINKING IN TERMS OF, UH, ANYTHING LOWER THAN $50,000 IS AN INFORMAL BID.
SO ALL I'M ASKING IS, IS IF WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THIS FOR ANYTHING LOWER THAN $50,000, I'M NOT SURE WHY WE'RE NOW TALKING ABOUT CREATING THIS LIST OR THIS PREFERRED LIST.
AND THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE ONE WHO SAYS, YES, WE'RE GONNA GO WITH JUST THOSE PARTICULAR FOLKS.
THIS IS, THIS IS NOT GONNA BE UNDER $50,000.
IT'S $1.3 MILLION AT 10% OF IT, YOU'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY ABOUT 135 TO $150,000.
SO IT WOULD'VE COME, IT WOULD'VE COME YOUR WAY WITH THE, WITH THE PRE-APPROVED LIST OF CONSULTANTS THAT WE WOULD'VE PICKED RESPECTFULLY.
I DIDN'T WANNA DO THAT RESPECTFULLY.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS AWARE OF EVERY SINGLE MOVE THAT WE'RE MAKING.
RESPECTFULLY, I'M JUST STILL SAYING WHAT I'M SAYING AND I WANT YOU TO HEAR ME WHEN I'M SAYING IT.
I'M NOT UNCLEAR ON WHAT THESE BIDS ARE.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT WE'RE SITTING HERE ACTING LIKE WE DON'T HAVE TO COME TO CITY COUNCIL WHEN IN FACT YOU WOULD'VE HAD TO COME TO US ANYWAY.
NOW YOU'RE TRYING TO CREATE A LIST THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO BE SANCTIONED BY THE ENTIRE COUNCIL.
WHY ARE WE EVEN GOING HERE? IF WE GOT SOMETHING THAT'S PENDING THAT NEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WITHOUT THIS, GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW IT AND THEN YOU GO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON THAT OTHER ISSUE SO THAT THAT CAN BE FINISHED AND FINALIZED.
AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE CITY COUNCIL IS HOLDING US UP.
IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
SO RESPECTFULLY, I'M NOT ASKING FOR A QUESTION.
I'M JUST EXPLAINING YOU WHERE I SIT AND, AND I HEAR WHAT HE SAID AND I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I SAID WHAT I SAID.
AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST ALLOW ME TO SAY THESE ARE NOT BITS, THIS IS NOT A CON.
SO IT'S A QUAL QUALIFICATION BASED SYSTEM.
WE, WE SELECT A CONSULTANT BASED ON A COMMITTEE.
WE PUT A COMMITTEE, THEY SCORE, THEY SELECT A CONSULTANT BASED ON THEIR QUALIFICATION.
AND THE OTHER THING IS, I WON'T BE ABLE TO SHARE THE INFORMATION OF THIS SCORING ON THE COMMITTEE UNTIL THEY FINISH.
AND MISS CITY ATTORNEY CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I CANNOT GIVE YOU A LIST AND SAY, THIS IS JUST A PRESENTATION TONIGHT OR A DISCUSSION.
AND THIS IS WHAT THE COMMITTEE HAVE DONE SO FAR.
HOW IS, HOW IS THE LIST LOOK GOOD OR SOMETHING? THIS IS, I WON'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND I DON'T EITHER INTERVENE WITH SCORES.
I LET THE SCORE, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO SCORE, THEY FINISH THEIR SCORE.
I LOOK AT THE, AT THEIR SCORING FOR CONSISTENCY, AND THEN I APPROVE.
SO THIS IS WHY WE, I'M NOT ABLE TO BRING YOU LIKE THIS SCORES OR ANYTHING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROCESS.
UH, THANK YOU MS. DO CASEY AND I, I'M NOT, SO, I'M NOT EVEN SURE I I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT EXCHANGE.
UM, I DO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SO MUCH WORRIED ABOUT THE TIMING OF IT ALL IN TERMS OF WHEN WE GET IT, WE GET ITEMS LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME AND HAVE TO STILL MAKE DECISIONS ON 'EM.
JUST THE OTHER WEEK, YOU KNOW, UH, WE DISCUSSED, YOU KNOW, OUR LEVEL OF PASSION
[03:00:01]
ON A, ON A PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT WE GOT MINUTES BEFORE THE MEETING ACTUALLY STARTED AND WE STILL VOTED IN FAVOR OF IT.SO, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE TIMING OF IT ALL, I'M NOT REALLY, I'M NOT REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER IS NEEDED FOR PROGRESS TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, WE UNDERSTAND THAT AS A COUNCIL AND MAKE THE BEST DECISION BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY I WANNA SEE IF I CAN GET, UM, CONVERSATION FROM THE COUNCIL SO THAT WE CAN GET A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
UM, AND THEN LIKE WE SAID, NOTHING IS SO PERMANENT TO WHERE IF WE STILL DIDN'T WANNA GO OUT FOR OTHER REQUESTS FOR QUALIFICATIONS, THAT WE CAN'T DO THAT.
SO TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE AND WHY WE DIDN'T GET IT SIX MONTHS AGO, ALL OF THAT IS, IS A MUTE POINT, UM, CONSIDERING WHAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF THE DECISIONS WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US TO MAKE TONIGHT.
SO I WOULD APPRECIATE, UM, IF THERE'LL BE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
UM, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LIST, BUT APPROVE IT FOR, UH, SIX MONTHS AND HAVE IT REVISITED AGAIN USING THE CRITERIA THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS DISCUSSED THAT ALLOWS YOU TO FINISH ANY IMMEDIATE PROJECTS TO GET THOSE OUT THE WAY.
AND THEN WE CAN START A FRESH, A SECOND.
DID YOU HAVE COMMENTS OR WERE YOU, I HAD A COMMENT.
WE WILL ALLOW YOUR COMMENT BASED ON EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, PRESENTATION HERE.
I THINK, UH, WHAT WE REALLY SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON IS THAT THIS IS A LIST THAT IS BEING PRESENTED BASED ON WHAT WE DIDN'T HAVE PREVIOUSLY.
SO WITH THAT SAID, I ALSO AM CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, ANY OUTSTANDING BONDS, OR EXCUSE ME, GRANTS AS FAR AS THE DATES, EXPIRATION DATES AROUND THAT.
AND WHAT I WILL BE COMFORTABLE WITH.
I HEAR TWO YEARS, I HEAR SIX MONTHS, BUT I THINK REALISTICALLY SPEAKING, PERHAPS AT THREE YEARS, UH, WE SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT AND THEN REEVALUATE IT ALONG THE WAY.
UM, BUT I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE WE MEET THE MWBE QUALIFICATION, BUT WE ALSO GOTTA KEEP IN MIND THAT WE BE CAREFUL ABOUT SEEING, BECAUSE WE ARE ALL BLACK COUNCIL OR WE ARE ALL BLACK, THIS, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT I THINK WE WANT THE BEST QUALIFIED SERVICES BECAUSE SOMETIMES THOSE, UH, BECAUSE THE MWBE UH, FIRMS MAY NOT HAVE THE THE MEANS OR INVESTMENT OR FINANCIAL INVESTMENT TO MEET THOSE, UH, CERTIFICATIONS THAT ARE REQUIRED.
BUT WE WANT A QUALITY PRODUCT BOTTOM LINE.
AS A COMMUNITY, WE WANT BETTER.
WE DON'T WANT SUBSTANDARD ANYMORE.
AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE EXPECTED EVEN FROM THE FIRMS THAT WE'RE CONTRACTED WITH, REGARDLESS IF THEY'RE MAJOR OR MWBE, WE WANT BETTER FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY FOCUS ON THAT.
I APPRECIATE A LIST HAS BEEN PRESENTED FOR US TO TAKE CONSIDERATION, UH, TONIGHT.
AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR CITY ATTORNEY AND MANAGER TO FIGURE OUT THESE DETAILS, UM, OUT.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I THINK TONIGHT, UH, LET'S REALLY FOCUS ON WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY.
AND I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY ELSE.
I'M NOT AN ARCHITECT, BUT I TRUST MY, I TRUST THE STAFF TO DO, TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION FOR US.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE COMMENT.
AND REALLY MY ONLY RECOMMENDATION IS WHETHER THE CITY COUNCIL DECIDES TO GO WITH ANY PERIOD OF TIME.
IF WE CAN ADD A LANGUAGE TO SAY THE CITY COUNCIL HAS AT THE, AT THE CITY COUNCIL DISCRETION, WITH THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL, THIS LIST CAN BE EXTENDED.
'CAUSE IF WE, LET'S SAY WE'RE DOING IT FOR ONE YEAR, FOR INSTANCE, IF WE WOULD HAVE TO REDO IT, I ONLY HAVE THREE ENGINEERS.
AND WITH THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WITH THE ENGINEERING DIVISION, THIS EFFORT TAKES A LOT OF TIME.
THIS LIST TAKES, IT'S EIGHT MONTHS.
SO DO WE WANT OUR ENGINEERS TO FOCUS ON AN EIGHT MONTHS LIST OR ACTUALLY DESIGN AGAIN, CONSTRUCTING THE PROJECTS? MAYOR, I'M GONNA WITHDRAW MY MOTION.
I I, I WAS GONNA ENTERTAIN THIS A LITTLE BIT, BUT I'M NOT GONNA DO IT TONIGHT.
'CAUSE I JUST FEEL LIKE AT THE END OF THE DAY,
[03:05:01]
YOU'RE NOT HEAR, YOU'RE NOT HEARING AND, AND THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN.UM, IT THE, IT'S NOT ABOUT A BLACK COUNCIL, IT'S NOT ABOUT RACE, AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, IT'S ABOUT EQUITY AND ACCESS AND YOUR LIST DOES NOT PROVIDE THAT.
AND UNTIL IT DOES, IT'S A NO FOR ME.
AND I CAN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
I DON'T WANNA BE DISRESPECTFUL, I DON'T WANNA DO ANY OF THAT.
I THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THE COUNCIL.
BUT I THINK THAT FOR THE TREND, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY PAY THE TAXES THAT ARE GOING TO PAY FOR THESE SERVICES, IT, I THINK IT'S IDEAL FOR US TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS AS WELL.
SO FOR ME, I I, I WANTED TO ENTERTAIN A SHORTER AMOUNT OF TIME JUST CONSIDERING THAT Y'ALL TAKE THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GAVE YOU AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE DIDN'T, WE WEREN'T THOUGHTFUL IN THIS PROCESS.
WE'LL GO THINK ABOUT SOME THINGS, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE SIX MONTHS HAVE TURNED INTO FIVE YEARS AND I'M JUST NOT SIGNING UP FOR THAT.
I CAN'T DO THAT AND SLEEP TONIGHT.
AND I'M JUST GONNA SAY NO TO THIS FOR ME.
IS THERE A MOTION? WE HAVE A MIS OUR MOTION WAS WITHDRAWING.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR? I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION, UH, IN THE SPIRIT OF NOT RISK LOSING THE MONEY FROM TXDOT, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN SIX MONTHS.
I STARTED TO SAY A YEAR, SIX MONTHS IS GOOD AND THEN WE CAN MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE.
YOU KNOW, GET OUR BEARINGS AND TRY TO EXPOUND ON WHAT YOU'VE HEARD TONIGHT.
SO I WOULD BE WILLING TO ENTERTAIN THIS LIST FOR SIX MONTHS SO WE CAN CONTINUE OUR BUSINESS AND GET OUR LIFE AT WESTMORELAND AND, UH, WINTERGREEN.
IS THERE A SECOND? AS LONG I WILL SECOND AS LONG AS THERE IS A WORDING THE EXTENDED WITH THE COUNCIL, LIKE THE WORDING THAT YOU WANT US TO HAVE WITH EXTENDED IT WITH THE COUNCIL APPROVAL AT THE COUNCIL WITH THAT, SHE WOULD HAVE TO ADD THAT.
SO MAYOR, I, I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T, UH, SUGGEST THAT I WOULD JUST KEEP IT SIX MONTHS.
WE'LL COME BACK FOR A REEVALUATION AGAIN.
UM, UH, I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT MAYOR PROM.
AND, UH, AND WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK AT THE SIX MONTH AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND, AND REEVALUATE AND BRING BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
IN THAT CASE, I'LL, I'LL SECOND THAT.
WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO APPROVE THIS, UM, TO APPROVE THIS LIST FOR A TOTAL OF SIX MONTHS.
AND THEN WE DO UNDERSTAND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WILL COME BACK AND REVISIT THIS, UM, TO ALLOW FOR TIME TO GET THOSE CURRENT PROJECTS FLOWING.
UH, WE DO HAVE OUR, LET'S GET OUR VOTING PAD UP.
WE DO HAVE A, IT'S, YEAH, IT IS.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S ON THE SCREEN.
UM, WE'LL TAKE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
[I. CITIZEN APPEARANCES]
YOU MAYOR.AT THIS TIME WE'LL HAVE CITIZEN APPEARANCES.
THE CITY COUNCIL INVITES CITIZENS TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL ON ANY TOPIC NOT ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING.
CITIZENS WISHING TO SPEAK SHOULD COMPLETE A CITIZEN COMMENT CARD AND PRESENT IT TO THE CITY SECRETARY OR RETURN IT TO THE AMBASSADOR'S TABLE PRIOR TO THE START OF THE MEETING.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THE CITY COUNCIL CANNOT TAKE ACTION ON ITEMS NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA.
HOWEVER, YOUR CONCERNS MAY BE ADDRESSED BY CITY STAFF PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA OR RESPONDED TO BY SOME OTHER COURSE.
FOR ATTENDEES WANTING TO SPEAK ON ANY ITEM LISTED ON THE AGENDA, THE COMMENTS CARDS RELATED TO THE SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS ARE BE, ARE TO BE PRESENTED TO THE CITY SECRETARY PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THAT AGENDA ITEM.
THE STANDARD TIME LIMIT IS THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER AND MAY NOT BE AND MAY BE MODIFIED AT THE MAYOR'S DISCRETION TO MAINTAIN AN EFFICIENT FLOW OF THE MEETING.
PLEASE NOTE COMMENTS ARE TO BE ADDRESSED TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL AND NOT TO AN INDIVIDUAL CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OR STAFF.
CITIZENS SHALL REFRAIN FROM MAKING PERSONAL AND PERTINENT PROFANE OR SLANDEROUS REMARKS OR BECOMING BOISTEROUS WHILE ADDRESSING THE CITY COUNCIL.
IF SUCH CONDUCT OCCURS AND IS NOT CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY, THE CITIZEN MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE ROOM FOR THE REMAINING SESSION OF THE MEETING AND THE CITIZEN SHALL BE BARRED FROM APPEARING BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THAT SESSION.
CITIZEN SHALL OBSERVE THE SAME RULES OF PROPRIETY DECORUM AND GOOD CONDUCT APPLICABLE TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL HAVE THE HONORABLE DR.
[03:10:09]
DR.PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE FOR THE RECORD.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
I DID, UH, RECOMMEND CREATE, SUBMIT A DRAFT TO THE COUNCIL, A TRAVEL FOR, TO CREATE A TRAVEL POLICY, ONE THAT PREVENTS PERSONAL GAIN FROM TAXPAYER DOLLARS, ONE THAT REDUCES CITY TRAVEL EXPENSES AND OF COURSE ONE THAT WILL PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
AS OF TODAY, WHICH IS NOVEMBER 4TH, 2025, I AM YET TO RECEIVE ANYTHING.
SO I HAVE COME TO THE RESOLVE THAT IT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ARE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS COUNCIL WILL RESPOND.
WE ARE TAXPAYERS AND WE DESERVE AN ANSWER.
THE NEXT THING THAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS VERY LIGHT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN HELP ME WITH.
IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS.
I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE FIFTH ANNUAL FILL HUNDRED TOY DRIVE IS OFFICIALLY UNDERWAY, MR. CITY MANAGER, WE NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE AGAIN THIS YEAR.
WE ARE PROUD TO PARTNER WITH THE LEGACY TOYOTA OF DALLAS TO HELP BRING JOY TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY DURING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.
COLLECTION DATES ARE NOW THROUGH DECEMBER 13TH AT 10:00 AM WE WERE GATHERED TOGETHER OVER AT LEGACY TOYOTA, LOCATED AT 39 6 60 LBJ FREEWAY TO FILL TRUCK TUNDRA TRUCK BEDS.
OUR GOAL THIS YEAR IS TO FILL 10 TUNDRA TRUCK BEDS.
AGAIN, THIS IS OUR FIFTH YEAR.
THE FIRST YEAR, YEAR WE DID THREE TRUCKS.
FOURTH YEAR WE DID 13 AND A HALF.
SO THE GOAL THIS YEAR IS ONLY 10.
WE WILL NOT HAVE A BOX HERE AT UH, CITY HALL.
HOWEVER, WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU PLEASE GO AHEAD AND TAKE YOUR DONATIONS OVER TO, UH, LEGACY TOYOTA OF DALLAS ON THE 19TH, UH, I'M SORRY, ON THE 13TH.
WE WILL FILL THOSE TRUCK BEDS AND OF COURSE WE WILL DO A CONVOY FROM LEGACY OR TOYOTA OVER TO, UH, DESOTO, ISD.
AND THOSE PARTICULAR TOYS WILL REMAIN THERE FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK.
ON THE 19TH, WE WERE ASKED FOR VOLUNTEERS TO COME IN AND ASSIST US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SORT AND SET UP FOR OUR FAMILIES TO COME IN ON THE 20TH, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH DESOTO, ISD, UH, COUNCIL OF PTA.
SO WE DO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO COME IN TO ASSIST US.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE ASKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO PLEASE BE ABLE, PLEASE BE SURE TO COME OUT AND ASSIST US.
SO THOSE OF YOU WHO WOULD LIKE TO DO SO, PLEASE FEEL FREE AND CONTACT ME.
HOW MANY MORE SECONDS DO HAVE? THAT CONCLUDES YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COOPERATION.
THIS KEEPS GOING ON, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
NEXT WE WILL HAVE KEISHA NIXON, FOLLOWED BY JERRY RAVINE.
MS. NIXON, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE.
FOR THE RECORD, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
CURRENT MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND RESIDENTS OF DESOTO, I'M KEISHA NIXON AND I STAND BEFORE YOU TONIGHT AS A PLACE ON PUBLIC RECORD THAT I AM IN FEAR OF MY LIFE.
THE FEAR IS NOT HYPOTHETICAL, NOR IS IT ROOTED IN IMAGINATION.
IT IS GROUNDED IN A LONG AND TROUBLING HISTORY OF HARASSMENT, RETALIATION, AND INTIMIDATION THAT I HAVE ENDURED AT THE HANDS OF CITY OFFICIALS, MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL, THE DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
OVER THE PAST YEARS, I HAVE BEEN PUBLICLY TARGETED, DEFAMED AND DISMISSED.
WHEN I RAISED LEGITIMATE CONCERNS ABOUT MISCONDUCT, CORRUPTION, AND NEGLIGENCE WITHIN THE CITY GOVERNMENT, I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED, VERBALLY,
[03:15:01]
ATTACKED, AND FALSELY LABELED FOR SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER.I HAVE EXPERIENCED RETALIATORY BEHAVIOR FROM THOSE IN POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY.
INDIVIDUALS WHO SWORE ON OATH TO PROTECT AND SERVE THE PUBLIC, NOT PERSECUTE, LIE AND HARASS THEM.
THE ACTIONS AND HOSTILITY DIRECTED TOWARDS ME BY CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE POLICE CHIEF, AND THE MAYOR, HAVE CREATED AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY.
THUS, THE BULLETPROOF VESTS, YOU KNOW, I WAS ATTACKED IN THESE CHAMBERS THIS SUMMER.
UM, I'M SORRY, VERY EMOTIONAL.
THEIR COORDINATED EFFORTS TO SILENCE, DISCREDIT AND INTIMIDATE ME HAVE LEFT ME FEELING CONSTANTLY ENDANGERED.
NOT ONLY FOR MY SAFETY, BUT FOR MY FAMILY AND MY PEACE OF MIND AND DIGNITY AS A RESIDENT OF THIS CITY.
LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT I'M STATING CLEARLY PUBLICLY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY.
IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME OR TO MY FAMILY, THIS CITY AND ITS LEADERSHIP BEAR DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY.
I ASK THAT THIS STATEMENT BE ENTERED INTO THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF TONIGHT'S MEETING.
I'M NOT HERE SEEKING YOUR SYMPATHY.
I'M HERE SEEKING ACCOUNTABILITY, PROTECTION, AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE DANGEROUS PATTERN OF ABUSE THAT HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO CONTINUE UNCHECKED IN DE SOTO'S GOVERNMENT.
THE PEOPLE DESERVE TRANSPARENCY.
I DESERVE SAFETY AND THE TRUTH DESERVE TO BE HEARD AND IT WILL.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE.
FOR THE RECORD, WE HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
GARY RNE, DESOTO BOY, I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN TONIGHT AFTER THIS MEETING, BUT I THOUGHT ABOUT SPIKE LEE AND HIS MOVIES AND HE ALWAYS HAS A MESSAGE AND ONE OF THEM WAS SCHOOL DAYS AND THE LAST LINE THAT WAS SAID WAS WAKE UP.
IT WAS A DIRECT CALL TO ACTION FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY TO BECOME MORE AWARE OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES.
HE URGED PEOPLE TO STOP BEING COMPLACENT AND TO BECOME MORE AWARE OF DIVISIONS AND PROBLEMS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU COUNCILMEN AND COUNCIL PERSONS, I SHOULD SAY THANK YOU.
I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE FROM THE LAST MEETING TO THIS MEETING WHAT I SEE TO BE PEOPLE WHO ARE INDEPENDENT THINKERS, WHO ARE CRITICAL THINKERS, AND WHO ARE REALLY BEGINNING TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT I BELIEVE ARE GOOD FOR THE CITY.
NOW, WHY I CAME TODAY, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ADMITTING THAT THE BALL WAS DROPPED ON THE ARC DURING THE COUNCIL MEETING.
REMARKS WERE CONSISTENTLY MADE TO THE DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND REC, BUT NONE TO THIS CITY MANAGER WHO SITS IN THE MOST IMPORTANT SEAT OF ACCOUNTABILITY WHEN HIRED.
HOPEFULLY YOU ALL MADE HIM AWARE OF THIS PROJECT'S IMPORTANCE AND THE NEED FOR SUCCESS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
HOWEVER, ON ONLY RECENTLY, IT APPEARS THAT THE BUDGET CONCERNS SURFACE AND OPERATIONAL DISCUSSIONS SUCH AS WERE HELD OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS OCCURRED.
NOW PARKS AND RECS FINDS THEM IN A REALLY TOUGH SITUATION, BUT I BELIEVE THEY CAN HANDLE IT.
BUT WHEN GROUND WAS BROKE ON THIS PROJECT, THESE TYPES OF DISCUSSIONS SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEGUN.
YOUR TOP OFFICIAL WHO MAKES OVER $300,000 SHOULD HAVE ENSURED THAT THE RIGHT OVERSIGHT FOR A PROJECT OF THIS MAGNITUDE WAS IN PLACE AND HE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR MISSTEPS ALONG THE WAY.
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT $300,000 SALARY, WHICH WAS OFFERED THAT I TOLD YOU I FELT IT WAS FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE.
AS LEADERS, YOU SHOULD NEVER LOSE CONTROL OF A NEGOTIATION PROCESS.
A POTENTIAL EMPLOYER EMPLOYEE DOES NOT BRING YOU A CONTRACT.
YOU WRITE THE CONTRACT AND YOU TELL THEM HOW IT'S GOING TO BE.
BUT ONCE YOU LOST CONTROL, YOU SET PRECEDENTS FOR EXTREME SALARIES.
SALARIES MOST LIKELY, THAT ARE BEING PAID TO INDIVIDUALS HERE TODAY WHO HAVE NEVER HELD CERTAIN POSITIONS BUT ARE PROBABLY BEING PAID HIGHER THAN YOUR TENURED EMPLOYEES, THIS IN ITSELF CAN BE DEMORALIZING AND CREATE EMPLOYEE DISENGAGEMENT.
WHEN YOU DECIDED TO PAY THIS SALARY, WHY DIDN'T YOU REPOST THE POSITION AND SEE IF OTHER QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WOULD
[03:20:01]
HAVE APPLIED FOR $300,000.YOU GOT SOMEONE WHO DISRESPECTED A COUNCILWOMAN AND HAS NEVER TO THIS DAY, UM, APOLOGIZED FOR THAT.
YOU CORRECTED A RESIDENT WHEN THEY SAID YOUR NAMES, BUT, AND BY SAYING POINT OF ORDER, BUT YOU HAVE NOT SAID POINT OF ORDER FOR THE DISRESPECT TO THE HONORABLE COUNCILWOMAN.
NEXT WE HAVE MS. MARY BONAPARTE, FOLLOWED BY THE HONORABLE KAY BROWN.
MS. BONAPARTE, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE FOR THE RECORD.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
I WANT TO FIRST, UM, COMMAND MR. ED
HE WAS ABLE TO COME IN, MEET WITH THE RESIDENTS.
HE HELD TRUE TO HIS COMMITMENT AND WE'RE SATISFIED.
NOW I WANT TO TALK ABOUT MY DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE CITY LEADERSHIP REGARDING THE SLAUGHTERING OF COYOTES.
UH, FIRST I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHOSE BRIGHT IDEAL IT WAS TO KILL COYOTES WITHOUT CONDUCTING THOROUGH RESEARCH.
BECAUSE HAD YOU DONE THAT, YOU WOULD HAVE NOT ALLOWED THIS, THIS, OF THIS SAVAGE APPROACH.
UM, THERE IS A BETTER NON-LETHAL METHOD IN SECURING, UM, AND IT, IT, WHICH STARTS WITH EDUCATION, SECURING YOUR TRASH AND EDUCATING RESIDENTS REGARDING PROTECTING THEIR PETS.
ARE YOU AWARE THAT KILLING COYOTES DOES NOT REDUCE THE POPULATION, BUT IT ACTUALLY INCREASES THE POPULATION? BECAUSE BY ANNIHILATING THEM, YOU OFFER AN INCREASED FOOD SUPPLY TO, UM, OTHER COYOTES FROM OTHER AREAS AND IT DISRUPT THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE, WHICH LEADS TO MORE BREEDING AND YOUNG FEMALES REPRODUCING.
DID YOU EVER CONSIDER THAT THE YOUNG PUPS THAT ARE OUT THERE, THEY'RE LEFT TO DIE AND STARVE MORE? SO UNLIKE HUMANS, COYOTES ARE EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT.
THEY CAN LIVE 10 TO 14 YEARS AND WHEN THEY MAKE COYOTES, THEY MAKE FOR LIFE UNLIKE HUMANS WITH BOTH PARENTS RAISING THEIR PUPS, COYOTES PLAY A KEY PART IN OUR ECOSYSTEM AND THEY ARE GREAT CONTROLLERS OF RODENTS, POSSUMS, SQUIRRELS, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
EDUCATION VERSUS SWALLOWING WOULD'VE TAUGHT US THAT COYOTES ARE SCARED OF LOUD NOISES, BRIGHT LIGHTS, AIR HORNS, MOTION SENSORS, AND ALSO SMELLS SUCH AS AMMONIA, VINEGAR AND WOLF URINE OR DETERRENT.
WHEN YOU REMOVE COYOTES, OTHER AREA, COYOTES COME IN QUICKLY, SO THAT DOESN'T WORK.
LASTLY, IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE, COYOTES HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO A MATE WITH DOGS AND THEY'RE CALLED COY DOGS.
SO I GUESS YOU'LL KILL ALL THE DOGS.
AND I'M JUST SAYING, SHAME ON YOU, DESOTA FOR ALLOWING THE SLAUGHTERING OF COYOTES IN SUCH AN INHUMANE MANNER.
NEXT TIME, THINK BEFORE YOU ACT.
I'M TRYING TO FIT ALL THIS INTO THREE MINUTES.
UM, FIRST I WANTED TO SAY CHM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TURNING YOUR LIGHT ON AND REALIZING THAT HE WAS NOT HEARING ANYTHING THAT WAS BEING SAID AROUND THAT LAST ITEM.
HUGHES, NORTH, PROCTOR AND WATERS.
Y'ALL JUST GOT MANIPULATED AND GASLIT, MS. BROWN, PATRICK, POINT OF ORDER PLEASE.
YOU CANNOT REFER TO US BY NAME.
OKAY, COUNCIL MEMBER IN PLACE, SEVEN, COUNCIL MEMBER IN PLACE.
FIVE COUNCIL, UH, MAN IN PLACE.
THREE, PLEASE JUST MAKE YOUR COMMENTS TO ADDRESS THIS.
I'M TALKING, I DIDN'T CALL ANYBODY'S NAME SO STOP, INTERRUPT ME.
STOP MY TIME IF YOU'RE GONNA INTERRUPT ME.
I SAID THE PLACE THEY WERE IN.
YOU JUST SAID I CAN'T CALL THE NAME.
SO, AND I, YEAH, SO RECLAIM MY TIME.
UM, DR. MARKS, UM, YOU ALL JUST GOT MANIPULATED IN MAKING A DECISION THAT THAT MADE YOU THINK THAT THAT SHORT LIST NEEDED TO BE APPROVED IN ORDER FOR HIM TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE PROCESS.
IF YOU KNOW HOW PROFESSIONAL SERVICE PROCESSES WORK, HE DIDN'T NEED THAT LIST IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER IN PLACE TWO, UM, MADE THAT CLEAR.
UM, BUT THE REASON WHY I CAME UP HERE FOR MY CITIZEN'S COMMENT WAS IN REGARDS TO MOVING YOU ALL, MOVING THE CITIZEN'S COMMENT DOWN
[03:25:01]
TO THE END OF THE AGENDA UNILATERALLY.I SENT YOU ALL AN EMAIL AND PER THE COURSE, NOBODY RESPONDED EXCEPT FOR ONE PERSON.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GOT IT.
NOT SURE WHY THE CITY ATTORNEY DIDN'T ADVISE YOU ALL, BUT YOU CANNOT JUST UNILATERALLY MOVE AND READDRESS MOVE THE AGENDA AROUND THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ITEM.
IT LISTS THE ORDER OF THE MEETINGS IN CITIZENS' COMMENTS AT THE TOP OF THE AGENDA.
AND IF YOU WANNA MOVE CITIZENS' COMMENTS, YOU HAVE TO ADVISE AND YOU HAVE TO THEN MODIFY POLICY AND PROCEDURES.
MY OTHER COMMENT WAS, AND I'M SO GLAD THAT THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED THAT $25,000 BRING IN FORWARD FOR REQUIREMENTS, UH, FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL FOR TRANSPARENCY.
'CAUSE I'VE ASKED YOU FOUR TIMES FOR THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND TERRANCE MADEON THAT ALLOWED YOU TO CUT HIM, UH, TWO CHECKS FOR A TOTAL OF $112,000 FOR THE THORN TREE DEAL.
AND I HAVE YET TO STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT AGREEMENT.
NOW NOTICE THAT THE SECRETARY CAN ONLY GIVE WAS GIVEN, BUT YOU STILL HAVEN'T GIVEN THAT AGREEMENT.
I'M LED TO BELIEVE THE AGREEMENT DOESN'T EXIST.
AND SO THEN AGAIN, UNILATERALLY YOU CUT CHECKS TO A PRIVATE CITIZEN WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS.
SO UNTIL I GET THAT AGREEMENT, THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA LEAN WITH.
I'M GONNA GET EVEN LOUDER IF I DON'T AGREE TO AGREEMENT TO HOW AND WHY A RESIDENT, A PUBLIC PERSON IN THE PUBLIC WITH NO AGREEMENT RECEIVED $112,000 OF MY TAX DOLLARS.
NEXT WE HAVE MS. JAN CHEATHAM.
IS MS. CHEATHAM HERE? SHE LEFT.
DID SHE INDICATE ON HER CARD ANYTHING? SHE HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME NEEDS AT THE LIBRARY.
DOES SHE HAVE ANY WAY TO FOLLOW UP WITH HER? YES, MA'AM.
UM, THAT CONCLUDES THE ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA, BUT I KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE FACTUAL INFORMATION.
AND SO JUST SO THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE SAME FACTS, UM, IN REGARDS TO REORDERING OUR AGENDA, UM, OUR AGENDA RULES AND PROCEDURES STATES THAT OUR AGENDA SHALL GENERALLY BE CONDUCTED IN THE POSTED ORDER UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED.
UM, SO THE PHRASE UN UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED WAS PRECISELY WHAT WAS UH, APPLIED HERE.
AND SO WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE HAVE OUR MEETINGS IN THE EVENING TO ALLOW RESIDENTS THAT WORK DURING THE DAY TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
AND SO TO RESPECT THAT TIME AND TO ACTUALLY GET OUR CITY BUSINESS DONE, WE HAVE TO BEGIN WITH THAT BUSINESS.
UM, CITIZEN COMMENTS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
THAT'S WHY THEY REMAIN ON THE AGENDA.
HOWEVER, FOR THOSE OF YOU, UM, THAT ARE DEEPLY FAMILIAR WITH OUR CIVIC HISTORY, AS MANY OF YOU HAVE STATED THAT YOU ARE, UM, YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT FOR DECADES, CITIZENS' COMMENTS WERE AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SIMPLY RETURNING TO PREVIOUS WAYS OF, UH, THE ORDER OF OUR AGENDA.
UM, WE RECENTLY JUST EVEN PUT THEM MOVE THEM IN OUR AGENDA UP ON OUR AGENDA A FEW YEARS AGO.
AND SO WE'RE SIMPLY RETURNING TO THAT.
AND THERE IS NOTHING IN OUR RULES AND PROCEDURES THAT LIMITS US FROM DOING SO.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL WORKING WITH THE SAME FACTS, BUT MADAM MAYOR, UH, A MATTER POINT OF ORDER, JUST A POINT OF ORDER.
I WANNA UNDERSTAND, ARE YOU SAYING THAT WE DID THAT WITHOUT ACTUALLY VOTING ON IT AS A COMMU, AS A, AS A COUNCIL? 'CAUSE I REMEMBER US VOTING THAT IT WOULDN'T BE MOVED TO THE END.
SO WE DID THAT WITHOUT VOTING ON IT.
COUNSEL, LET'S, THIS NEEDS TO COME BACK AS AN AGENDA ITEM.
WE'RE NOT GONNA DEBATE THIS TONIGHT.
OH, I MEAN, THIS IS NOT, THIS IS NOT TO BE DEBATED TONIGHT.
MY POINT FOR STATING THAT WAS TO STATE THAT THERE IS NOTHING IN OUR PROCEDURES THAT PROHIBITS AGENDA ITEMS FROM BEING MOVED AROUND AND THAT THIS IS NOT A NEW PROCEDURE AND THAT IT'S NOT A NEW ORDER.
UH, IN TERMS OF CITIZENS' COMMENTS BEING AT THE END OF THE MEETING, WHY ARE IT? PLEASE DO NOT OUTBURST.
AT THIS TIME I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
SECOND, AT THIS TIME, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM CHISHOLM TO ADJOURN.
COUNCIL ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
IT'S 9 28 AND WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED.