[A. CALL TO ORDER AND CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION]
[00:00:12]
FEBRUARY THE 3RD, 2026. I AM MAYOR PRO TEM CRYSTAL CHISHOLM AND I AM STARTING OUR DESOTO CITY COUNCIL MEETING. CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE DO CALL TO THE ROLL CALL? MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR, MAYOR PRO TEM CRYSTAL CHISHOLM HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. PARKER, COUNCIL MEMBER KEN WATERS HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDRE BYRD, SENIOR HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DEBORAH NORTH HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA HUGHES HERE. THANK YOU. CITY SECRETARY, COULD YOU PLEASE PROVIDE US WITH THE FIRST AGENDA ITEM? FIRST, WE WILL HAVE THE SAFETY PROTOCOL BY FIRE CHIEF BRIAN SOUTHARD. GOOD EVENING. MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER. SINCE THERE'S NO COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN HERE, I'M GOING TO KEEP THIS ONE VERY BRIEF AND WE'LL GET A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH WHEN WE START. BUT YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY. YOU KNOW, YOUR EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. WE HAVE NO INCLEMENT WEATHER SCHEDULED TONIGHT, SO WE WON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT. AND WE'LL GO MORE IN DEPTH WHEN EVERYBODY GETS HERE LATER IN THE MEETING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CITY SECRETARY. NEXT ITEM. NEXT WE HAVE. THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL CONVENE TO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.07 FOR PERSONNEL MATTERS REGARDING THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT AND EVALUATION OF THE CITY ATTORNEY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO AT THIS TIME, WE WILL CONVENE INTO THE BACK ROOM FOR OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION COUNCIL. EXCUSE ME, CITY SECRETARY, WERE THERE ANY ITEMS TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM?
[B. REGULAR SESSION AGENDA - CALL TO ORDER]
GOG EVERYONE. I'M MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR. IT IS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD. I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR MEETING TONIGHT AND SAY, HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH. THE COUNCIL DID CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND ADJOURNED. AND THERE WAS NO ACTION AS A RESULT. SO WE WILL TAKE THE ROLL CALL TO OPEN US UP FOR OUR REGULAR MEETING.MAYOR RACHEL L PROCTOR HERE, MAYOR PRO TEM CRYSTAL CHISHOLM HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. PARKER HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER KEN WATERS HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDRE BIRD, SENIOR HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DEBORAH NORTH HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA HUGHES HERE. THANK YOU. WE'LL HAVE THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA. AT THIS TIME. WE WILL HAVE THE SAFETY PROTOCOL STATEMENT BY FIRE CHIEF BROWN. THANK YOU. MAYOR. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. IN THE EVENT OF INCLEMENT WEATHER, THIS BUILDING WILL BECOME WHERE WE WILL STAY. HOWEVER, WE HAVE NO INCLEMENT WEATHER ON TAP TONIGHT. IN THE EVENT OF ANY OTHER TYPE OF EMERGENCY, WE WILL ASK YOU TO EXIT THROUGH ONE OF THE EMERGENCY EXITS. WE HAVE AN EXIT TO MY RIGHT OR YOUR LEFT, OR BACK OUT THE DOORS THAT YOU CAME IN AND TO YOUR RIGHT. WE ASK YOU TO GO TO A SAFE AREA AWAY FROM THE BUILDING AND REMAIN THERE UNTIL YOU'RE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN, EITHER BY MYSELF, THE POLICE CHIEF, OR THE CITY MARSHAL. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU.
CHIEF, AT THIS TIME WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA. WE WILL NOW HAVE THE INVOCATION BY BISHOP ROBERT NICHOLS, JUNIOR OF RIVER LIFE OF CHURCH, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY STUDENT AMBASSADOR ARIA DAVIS OF THE MEADOWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE STAND? AND BEFORE FOR ANYTHING, WE THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE. FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR WATCHING OVER OUR CITY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IF THE WATCHMEN WATCH WITHOUT YOU, THEY WATCH IN VAIN. SO WE ASK YOUR BLESSING UPON THESE LEADERS OF OUR CITY AND EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE ENDEAVORING TO DO. WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD BLESS IT, CAUSE IT TO PROSPER, LET PEACE ABIDE, LET YOUR STRENGTH ABIDE, AND EVEN LET YOUR JOY ABIDE. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN. LOOK OVER HERE. I PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THE TEXAS STATE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, O HONOR THE TEXAS PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE. OKAY. THANK YOU, BISHOP NICHOLS, FOR LEADING US
[00:05:04]
IN OUR OUR PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING, AS WELL AS WE WANT TO GIVE OUR STUDENT AMBASSADOR, MISS ARIA DAVIS, A GREAT BIG HAND CLAP FOR LEADING US IN OUR PLEDGES THIS EVENING. MISS DAVIS IS REPRESENTING THE MEADOWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND I'M A PROUD MEADOWS ELEMENTARY STUDENT AS WELL. MISS DAVIS, SHE IS A TEN YEAR OLD FIFTH GRADE STUDENT AT THE MEADOWS ELEMENTARY AND IS THE OLDEST OF FIVE CHILDREN. ARIA NATURALLY EMBRACES LEADERSHIP, RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPASSION THAT QUALIFIES HER TO SHINE THROUGH EVERYTHING SHE DOES.ARIA IS AN ENTHUSIASTIC MEMBER OF THE GIRLS STEM CLUB, WHERE HER LOVE FOR BUILDING, CREATING AND EXPLORING NEW IDEAS TRULY COMES TO LIFE. WHETHER SHE'S DESIGNING A PROJECT OR EXPERIMENTING WITH A NEW CONCEPT, ARIA BRINGS CURIOSITY, CREATIVITY, AND A BRIGHT SMILE TO EVERY CHALLENGE. KNOWN FOR HER WARM PERSONALITY, ARIA ENJOYS MAKING OTHERS LAUGH AND HELPING CREATE A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT AMONG HER PEERS. HER FAVORITE SUBJECTS ARE READING AND SCIENCE. OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM, HER FAVORITE SPORT IS VOLLEYBALL, A GAME SHE LOVES FOR ITS TEAMWORK, ENERGY, AND FAST PACE. LOOKING AHEAD, ARIA HAS BIG DREAMS. WHEN SHE GRADUATES FROM HIGH SCHOOL, SHE PLANS TO MAJOR IN MARINE BIOLOGY WITH THE GOAL OF BECOMING A MARINE BIOLOGIST. HER PASSION FOR THE OCEAN AND DESIRE TO UNDERSTAND AND PROTECT MARINE LIFE INSPIRE HER TO WORK TOWARDS A FUTURE FILLED WITH DISCOVERY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. SHE IS AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF DEDICATION, IMAGINATION AND KINDNESS, AND THE MEADOWS COMMUNITY IS PROUD TO CELEBRATE HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ASPIRATIONS. LET'S GIVE IT UP ONE MORE TIME FOR OUR STUDENT AMBASSADOR, MISS ARIA DAVIS.
MISS DAVIS, YOU CAN CUT YOUR MICROPHONE BACK ON. WE WANT TO KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ANY WORDS ON BEHALF OF THE STUDENT BODY AT THE MEADOWS ELEMENTARY. YES, MA'AM. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY SCHOOL AND MY COUNSELOR, MISS G, AND MY WONDERFUL MOTHER, ELANTRA GRIFFIN. AND THAT'S IT. GREAT, GREAT. GOOD DEAL. I'M GOING TO COME DOWN AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE SOME PHOTOS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. DID A GREAT JOB. SO IS THAT YOUR MOM? IT'S ME. HI, MOM. HOW ARE YOU? THIS IS ME. TWO. ALL RIGHT. WELL, LET ME GET TOGETHER. JUST. TO.
SIT DOWN. AND THAT SAID, ANYONE CAN SPEAK ON ANY ITEM ON THE AGENDA. HOWEVER, WE ASK THAT YOU DO FILL OUT A CARD. AND SO OUR STUDENT AMBASSADOR AS WELL AS OUR STAFF WILL HELP YOU FILL OUT THAT CARD OVER TO MY LEFT, YOUR RIGHT, AND THEY CAN HELP YOU GET THAT SITUATED. AT THIS
[C. PRESENTATIONS]
TIME, WE WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA. WE WILL NOW HAVE THE RECOGNITION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR MATT CARLSON FOR OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE TO THE CITY OF DESOTO. MAKING THE PRESENTATION IS COUNCIL MEMBER BIRD. I DON'T SEE MR. COLTON CARLSON YET SUPPOSED TO BE ACCEPTED ON HIS BEHALF. WHO? OKAY, THANK. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND DESOTO, YOU KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH BRILLIANT MINDS, MINDS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT HAVE TAUGHT CLASSES AT THE STATE LEVEL PRIOR TO MATT COMING HERE. AND SINCE MATT TENURE, WE'VE SEEN YOUNG TALENT GROW UP UNDER HIS TUTELAGE.WE'VE SEEN MATT POUR INTO THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT LONG AFTER HE HAS RETIRED, THAT COME ON, MELBA, THAT THE YOUNGER GENERATION IS IS IS WELL REPRESENTED FROM FROM MR. FROM ANTOINE TO SOLI AND EVEN TO MELBA, HIS TRUSTED ASSISTANT. AND SO, MATT, WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT FEELING WELL, BUT WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF OF COMMITMENT TO THIS GREAT CITY. AND, AND I'M HONORED TO PRESENT THIS AS THE LIAISON FOR THE LAST SEVEN
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YEARS TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I SEE OUR PRESIDENT HERE. MR. BALDWIN, WOULD YOU COME STAND WITH US? DO YOU MIND COMING TO STAND WITH US? THE MURAL ACCOMMODATIONS PRESENTED TO MATT COLSON ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY OF DESOTO, I AM HONORED TO RECOGNIZE YOU FOR YOUR EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP, YOUR DEDICATED SERVICE, AND YOUR LASTING CONTRIBUTION TO OUR COMMUNITY. DURING YOUR TENURE, YOU HAVE DISTINGUISHED YOURSELF AS A VISIONARY LEADER WHOSE PASSION AND EXPERTISE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HELPED POSITION DESOTO FOR CONTINUED GROWTH. THE PROGRESS ACHIEVED UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, UNDER YOUR GUIDANCE, HAS STRENGTHENED OUR COMMUNITY AND LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE SUCCESS. YOUR LEADERSHIP, ROOTED IN ENCOURAGEMENT, TRUST, AND ACCOUNTABILITY, BROUGHT OUT THE BEST OF IN THOSE AROUND YOU. YOU WERE NOT ONLY AN ACCOMPLISHED PROFESSIONAL, BUT ALSO A MENTOR WHO INSPIRED YOUR TEAM TO GROW, DEVELOP YOUR TALENTS TO TO TO DEVELOP THEIR TALENTS AND TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. THE CITY OF DESOTO EXPRESSED ITS SINCERE GRATITUDE FOR YOUR SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP. WE CELEBRATE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT, HONOR YOUR IMPACT, AND WISH YOU CONTINUED SUCCESS IN FUTURE ENDEAVORS. ON BEHALF OF THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR GREAT MAYOR, RACHEL L PROCTOR, WE SALUTE YOU. GOOD EVENING. I JUST WANT TO SHARE A FEW WORDS FROM MATT ON HIS BEHALF. HE ACTUALLY WAS NOT FEELING GOOD AND I WAS LIKE, NO, WE DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO TRY TO DO THIS. SO. THE WORDS FROM MATT, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THE KIND WORDS TONIGHT.FIVE YEARS AGO, I JOINED BRANDAN WRIGHT AND THE TEAM HERE TO CAST A NEW VISION THAT RESPONDED TO THREE THINGS COUNCIL HAD ASKED OF THE DDC EXPAND THE TAX BASE, SPECIFICALLY IN COMMERCIAL ASSET CLASSES, ENGAGE INDUSTRIES WHO RECRUIT FOR HIGH PAYING JOBS, FINALLY, ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR DESOTO CITIZENS. IN A WORD, WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN THOSE TASKS. BUT THIS IS NO TIME TO REST ON OUR LAURELS. THERE IS MUCH LEFT TO DO. INCREASING OPPORTUNITY COSTS CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE OUR BUDGETS. ASSETS ARE NEEDING RETIREMENT SOONER THAN ANTICIPATED. GROWING DEMANDS FROM CITIZENS FOR NEW AND EXPANDED ACTIVITIES, AND NO APPETITE FOR INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES. THE TIME IS RIGHT AND THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT. OUR TEAM HAS CAST THE VISION, LAID THE FOUNDATION AND CREATED A PATH FORWARD. IT IS WITH GREAT PLEASURE THAT I HAND THESE REINS TO YOU TONIGHT. LET ME CLOSE WITH SOME WORDS FROM ECCLESIASTES ONE AND NINE. ENJOY, BROTHER. THERE IS MUCH GOOD WORK TO BE DONE, BUT TODAY MATTERS MOST. GOD BLESS AND GODSPEED, MATT. WE HAVE TO TAKE A PICTURE. YES. YES. OH. OH, COME ON, COME ON. I TALKED ABOUT ALL THIS YOUNG TALENT AND ALL THE PERSON THAT CAME UP WITH MELBA. OH, COME ON, YOU GUYS, HOLD IT STEADY. ONE, TWO.
THREE. YES. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN BYRD. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. MAYOR, I WANT TO NOTE THAT WE ARE PULLING ITEM NUMBER TWO AND MOVING FORWARD WITH NUMBER THREE. MAKING A PRESENTATION IS MAYOR RACHEL L PROCTOR. AND RECEIVING THE PRESENTATION IS COACH CLAUDE MATHIS FOR A PROCLAMATION HONORING BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
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I'M GOING TO ASK COACH TO COME UP AND JOIN ME AT THE PODIUM. CAN WE GIVE IT UP AS HE'S COMING UP? CAN WE PUT OUR HANDS TOGETHER? OH, WAIT, AM I AM I ON THE RIGHT CITY? I SAID, WE HAVE OUR AWARD WINNING COACH, CLAUDE MATHIS IS COMING UP. YOU KNOW, I HAD TO MAKE SURE I'M IN THE RIGHT CITY COACH BECAUSE I NEVER CAN TELL SOMETIMES. BUT I WANT TO INTRODUCE SOMEONE WHO PROBABLY NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION IN OUR CITY FOR SURE. BUT IS IS QUICKLY MAKING HIS WAY TO BE TO NATIONAL AND EVEN INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION. AND THAT IS COACH CLAUDE MATHIS. AND I WANT TO PRESENT HIM WITH OUR BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROCLAMATION.BECAUSE, COACH, YOU ARE DEFINITELY BLACK HISTORY. YOU ARE HISTORY. AND SO WE APPRECIATE YOU. BUT I WANT TO JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT, JUST IN CASE YOU IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH COACH, HE IS THE HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AT DESOTO HIGH SCHOOL AND WIDELY RECOGNIZED FOR BEING ONE OF THE STATE'S ELITE PROGRAMS. HE BEGAN HIS HEAD COACHING CAREER IN 2004, AND FIRST LED DESOTO FROM 2008 TO 2014, BEFORE RETURNING IN 2019. UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, THE EAGLES HAVE WON MULTIPLE UIL CLASS SIX A DIVISION TWO STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS, INCLUDING RECENT TITLES IN 2022, 23 AND 25. ESTABLISHING DESOTO AS A MODERN DYNASTY IN TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL. KNOWN FOR HIS STRONG PLAYER DEVELOPMENT AND EMPHASIS ON ACADEMICS AND COMMUNITY, COACH MATHIS STEPPED DOWN AS DESOTO ISD ATHLETIC DIRECTOR IN 2025 TO FOCUS SOLELY ON COACHING. A FORMER FOUR TIME ALL-AMERICAN RUNNING BACK AT TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY, HIS IMPACT EXTENDS BEYOND THE FIELD, MENTORING YOUNG ATHLETES AND CONTRIBUTING TO DESOTO COMMUNITY GROWTH AND SUCCESS. COACH MATHIS, YOU ARE HISTORY, AND WE WANT TO PRESENT YOU WITH THIS PROCLAMATION TONIGHT, AND I'M GOING TO ASK IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND HAVING SOME COMMENTS WHEN I CONCLUDE THE PROCLAMATION. IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS BLACK HISTORY MONTH IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR THE RICH LEGACY, RESILIENCE AND INNUMERABLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS TO THE HISTORY, CULTURE, AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUALITY, JUSTICE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL. AND WHEREAS BLACK HISTORY IS AMERICAN HISTORY ROOTED IN COURAGE, CREATIVITY, AND PERSEVERANCE, AND REFLECTS THE ONGOING STRUGGLES AND TRIUMPHS OF A PEOPLE WHOSE ACHIEVEMENTS HAVE SHAPED EVERY FACET OF OUR NATION'S LIFE. AND WHEREAS THE 2026 BLACK HISTORY MONTH THEME, A CENTURY OF BLACK HISTORY COMMEMORATIONS MARKS 100 YEARS SINCE THE FIRST NATIONAL CELEBRATIONS OF BLACK HISTORY BEGAN WITH HISTORY WEEK IN 1926, AND RECOGNIZES THE ENDURING SIGNIFICANCE OF ANNUAL OBSERVATIONS THAT EDUCATE, INSPIRE AND UNITE COMMUNITIES THROUGH REMEMBRANCE AND REFLECTION. AND WHEREAS, DURING THIS CENTENNIAL YEAR, WE REFLECT ON THE PROGRESSION OF BLACK HISTORY COMMEMORATIONS FROM THEIR ORIGINS THROUGH THE PRESENT DAY. REMEMBERING THE LEADERS, SCHOLARS AND EVERYDAY CITIZENS WHOSE CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE ENRICHED THE FABRIC OF OUR SOCIETY AND HELPED SHAPE A MORE INCLUSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR COLLECTIVE PAST AND FUTURE. AND WHEREAS, THE CITY OF DESOTO RECOGNIZES THAT CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY DEEPENS OUR APPRECIATION FOR THE STRENGTH, THE SPIRIT AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS, REINFORCES THE VALUES OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, AND ENCOURAGES ALL CITIZENS TO LEARN FROM THE LESSONS OF HISTORY WHILE WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD A MORE JUST AND EQUITABLE COMMUNITY. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RACHEL PROCTOR, BY THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME AS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM FEBRUARY 2026 AS BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN THE CITY OF DESOTO, AND I ENCOURAGE ALL RESIDENTS TO OBSERVE THIS MONTH WITH PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES THAT HONOR THE EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT OF AFRICAN AMERICANS ON OUR CITY, STATE, AND NATION, SUCH AS OUR HONORABLE COACH. IN OFFICIAL RECOGNITION WHEREOF, I HAVE SET MY HAND AND CAUSED THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS TO BE AFFIXED. THIS THIRD DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026, SIGNED MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR, ATTESTED TO BY SOPHIE LEWIS, AUBREY CITY SECRETARY. WE CAN PUT OUR HANDS TOGETHER RIGHT THERE. MAYOR PROCTOR, CITY COUNCIL, THIS IS AN HONOR TO RECEIVE THIS, ESPECIALLY DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH, CAME THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN COACH TO WIN THE STATE TITLE, THE SIX A LEVEL, AND BECAME THE SECOND TO HOLD THREE TROPHIES. THE ONE BEAT ME WAS A COUPLE OF HOURS BEFORE, AND THAT'S COACH TODD AT SOUTH OAK CLIFF. BUT AT THE TIME I DIDN'T I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. AND THAT JUST TELLS ME THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK IN OUR PROFESSION THAT WE HAVE TO DO. BUT JUST TO SIT THERE AND AND BE UP THERE WITH THE COACHES. BUT ONLY TWO COACHES, AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAVE EVER HAD THAT AWARD. BUT TO RECEIVE THIS THIS MONTH, IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME,
[00:20:02]
ESPECIALLY BLACK HISTORY MONTH, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO CHERISH. BUT I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU GUYS HAVE DONE, BUT I APPRECIATE THIS TROPHY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. YEAH. COUNCIL, DO Y'ALL WANT TO COME TAKE I THINK THEY WANT TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH YOU, COACH. COUNCIL. YOU ALL PLEASE COME DOWN FOR COACH MISS. YOU SURE? THANK YOU. GENTLEMEN. JOE.YEAH. YOU. HERE. LET'S MOVE BACK A LITTLE BIT SO WE CAN GET EVERYBODY AT THAT PODIUM. IT'S OKAY, IT'S FINE. COME ON MAN. THAT LIKES ONE AND TWO. GOT IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YEAH.
THANK YOU. WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. AND THANK YOU, COACH. AT THIS TIME WE WILL HAVE A PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION ON THE COST SHARE PROGRAM FOR THE STREAM BANK, EROSION MITIGATION PROJECTS FOR THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES MAKING A PRESENTATION IS DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AHMED OKC. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR. COUNCIL. OKAY. THE AGENDA TONIGHT. SO SOME OF THE INFORMATION WERE PRESENTED LAST TIME. SO I'LL BE SKIMMING THROUGH SOME OF THE SLIDES. WE'LL GO FROM PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND ALL THE WAY TO THE NEXT STEP IN PROGRAM TIMELINE, PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND. THIS PRESENTATION IS JUST TO PROVIDE A STATUS UPDATE ON THE OTHER PRESENTATION WE PROVIDED IN 2025 FOR THE CITY COUNCIL INITIATIVE FOR THE STREAM BANK EROSION COST SHARE OF PROGRAM. YOU COUNCIL. YOU'VE SEEN THIS SLIDE BEFORE. THIS IS A STUDY WITH THE OTHER CITIES. YOU SEE, DESOTO IS TRYING TO JOIN THE VERY FEW CITIES IN THE METROPLEX TO IMPLEMENT SUCH A PROGRAM. YOU SEE GARLAND WITH THE 5050 COST SHARE PROGRAM FOR THREE STREAM BANK EROSION MITIGATION, AND ALSO PLANO WITH A DIFFERENT SETUP. THE TEAM CONDUCTED OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RESIDENTS. WE HELD A PUBLIC MEETING ON JANUARY 12TH AND COLLECTED SOME COMMUNITY FEEDBACK. WE ALSO HAD A COUPLE OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS BACK IN 2025, ALONG WITH MULTIPLE SITE VISITS. PROJECT VISION IS FOCUSED ON THE HOMEOWNERS RESIDENTIAL ONLY AND THEN PART OF THE PROJECT VISION IS THE CITY WILL TAKE OVER PROCUREMENT, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND INSPECTION OF THE ANNUAL ALLOCATION IS 500 K FROM THE DRAINAGE FUND WITH A CAP OF 100 K, AND THIS IS A DATA DRIVEN APPROACH. PROJECTS WILL BE SELECTED BASED ON THE TECHNICAL SCORING. OKAY, THEN COVER THIS SLIDE. WE ASK THAT WE GET THE FUND FUNDING AGREEMENT WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE PROJECT SELECTION ON THIS SLIDE IS FOR THE FUNDING AND PARTICIPATION OPTIONS. WE'RE SEEKING THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECTION TONIGHT FOR A COUPLE OF OPTIONS. ON THE LEFT SIDE YOU SEE THE COST SHARE OPTIONS.
WE CAN GO WITH THE 5,050% OR 2575, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WILL MEAN, YOU KNOW, LESS PROJECTS. ON THE RIGHT SIDE, YOU HAVE THE FLAT RATE. AND INSTEAD OF DOING THE PERCENTAGE, RESIDENTS CAN JUST PAY THE FLAT RATE OF TEN K OR 20 K, AND THE CITY WILL TAKE CARE OF THE REST OF THE FUNDING.
PROCESS. STEPS. WE WILL BE RECEIVING APPLICATIONS AFTER THIS PROGRAM ROLL OUT, AND THEN WE CONDUCT FIELD VISITS, FIELD INSPECTIONS, AND THEN WE REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS, WE DO THE ASSESSMENT AND THEN WE SELECT PROJECTS. SOME OF THE EXAMPLE PROJECTS THAT YOU'VE SEEN IN THE PAST. THIS IS FROM PLANO. YOU SEE THE GAMBIAN BASKET ON TOP. THIS IS A BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES. THIS IS ANOTHER PROJECT IN DESOTO. IT'S A ALMOST $1 MILLION PROJECT INVOLVES MULTIPLE PROPERTY OWNERS. AND THEN ANOTHER PROJECT FROM THE CITY OF
[00:25:04]
SEATTLE. OKAY. CITY RESPONSIBILITY CULTURE COLLECTION WITH THE CITY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE TO COLLECT THE AMOUNT FROM RESIDENTS WILL DO THE PROCUREMENT. WE SELECT THE CONSULTANT, ISSUE THE RFQ, AND THEN WHERE WE WILL OVERSEE THE DESIGN, WE'LL COMPLETE THE DESIGN, WE'LL DO THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND THEN THE PROJECT DELIVERY, THE CONSTRUCTION.ANOTHER ITEM THAT WE'RE SEEKING, THIS CITY COUNCIL DIRECTION ON. YOU KNOW, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT SIDE, THE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, THIS IS A ONE TIME WE ACTUALLY WERE THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE'RE DEVELOPING THE PROGRAM IN-HOUSE. SO THERE WILL BE A SAVING OF A 150 K COMPARING, YOU KNOW COMPARING THIS. BUT IF IT'S DEVELOPED BY A CONSULTANT. BUT THERE WILL ALSO BE PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT. THAT WOULD BE KIND OF LIKE AN ANNUAL COST. SO IN THE MIDDLE YOU SEE IF IF WE IMPLEMENT THAT IN-HOUSE, WE BELIEVE IT WILL COST AROUND 120 K COMPARED TO A CONSULTANT WITH 150 K. SO WE'RE SEEKING CITY COUNCIL DIRECTION TONIGHT ON WHETHER THIS PROGRAM BEING IMPLEMENTED IN-HOUSE, WHICH WOULD BE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION OR, YOU KNOW, COMPARED TO A CONSULTANT. AND YOU ALSO SEE THE PROJECTION OF THREE YEAR COST 360 K FOR IN-HOUSE DELIVERY TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. THE SAVING ON FOR THE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT. AND ALSO THESE 600 K FOR CONSULTANT. AFTER WE DEVELOP THE ORDINANCE AND PROGRAM WE'LL BE CONDUCTING WORKSHOPS. WE LET LIVE SESSIONS, Q&A, SOCIAL MEDIA, ONGOING SUPPORT TO EDUCATE OUR RESIDENTS ON THIS PROGRAM AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. AND THEN WE WILL ALSO OPEN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR RETROACTIVE ELIGIBILITY WITH CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL, MEANING ANY PROJECT THAT IS COMPLETED IN 2025 CAN APPLY FOR REIMBURSEMENT. NEXT STEPS. WE LOOKED INTO THE TIMELINE AND WE TRY TO EXPEDITE THE PROCESS. SO TONIGHT WE'RE DOING THE PRESENTATION WITH THE WITH THE COUNCIL DIRECTION. WE WILL GO AHEAD AND DEVELOP THE ORDINANCE AND POLICY FRAMEWORK. WILL COME BACK IN APRIL FOR A STATUS UPDATE. AND THEN IN MAY WITH THE FULL ORDINANCE DRAFT. AND THEN WE'RE HOPING THAT WE LAUNCH THE PROGRAM IN JUNE. WE START DOING THE WORKSHOPS, AND THEN IN JULY, WE WILL BE ABLE TO START EVALUATING THE APPLICATIONS AND SELECT SOME OF THE APPLICANTS. WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN THAT UP TO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. THANK YOU, MR. CASEY. I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY MANAGER FOR COMMENTS.
THANK YOU. HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. FOR CONTEXT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF SHARE WITH YOU THAT WE DO HAVE A CITY OF 21MIā S, BUT WE HAVE 44 MILES OF CREEKS AND TRIBUTARIES, AND THERE'S A LOT OF LOCAL AREAS THAT ARE IN NEED OF ADDRESSING IN TERMS OF NOT ONLY FLOODING, BUT SCOURING AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO START FOCUSING ON ABATEMENT. SO THIS PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO NOT ONLY TACKLE THOSE ISSUES THAT THAT MAY BE PERCEIVED AS AS PUBLIC, BUT THEY ARE IN FACT PRIVATE MATTERS. AND SO IT'S YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY AT YOUR DIRECTION TO, TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO PARTNER WITH THE COMMUNITY ON, ON, ON PROJECTS LIKE THAT, ON CIVIC PROJECTS THAT THAT REALLY ARE, AGAIN, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PRIVATE OWNER. BUT YOU KNOW THAT THE CITY WILL WILL TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE AND STEPPING IN AND HELPING THE PRIVATE CITIZEN IN ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES. SO I JUST WANT TO PROVIDE THAT CONTEXT. AND THAT'S THE REASON THAT I'VE ASKED THAT. I'VE ASKED OUR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT PROGRAM, KNOWING SOME OF THE SPOTS OR SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE HAVE ISSUES WITH AND THAT WE REALLY NEED TO ADDRESS MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER. I DO SEE A LIGHT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I WENT THROUGH AND LOOKED AT THIS BASED ON THE PREVIOUS CONVERSATION, AND THERE WAS A ON THE PREVIOUS CONVERSATION.
I'D ASKED ABOUT THE SIX MONTH TIME FRAME, AND YOU SAID THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE SOME THOUGHT AROUND HOW TO DO THAT, BECAUSE SIX MONTHS IS NOT A LOT OF TIME FOR $20,000. I MEAN,
[00:30:03]
FOR SOME PEOPLE IT MIGHT BE, BUT SOME PEOPLE IT ISN'T. AND SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A PROGRAM GOING TO BE PUT IN PLACE IN ORDER TO HELP PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO EVEN BE A PART OF THIS, IF THEY ARE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT THIS IS SELECTED. AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS ON YOUR PAGE 15, WHERE IT HAS THE ALLOCATIONS FOR PROGRAM DELIVERY, IT SAYS THAT IT'S PAGE 15. IT SAYS THAT THERE IS $150, $150,000 CONSULTANT FEE. BUT THE TOTAL SHOWS FOR THREE YEARS, 600,000, AS OPPOSED TO 450 WAS THERE. DID I DID I CALCULATE THAT INCORRECTLY? HOW WOULD IT THE TOTAL THREE YEAR COST BE 600. BUT THE ONE LINE SAYS OR IS IT ADDING BOTH OF THOSE TOGETHER? I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. OKAY. SO FOR QUESTION NUMBER ONE, WE LOOKED AT THE SIX MONTHS WE WERE NOT GOING TO REQUIRE THE PAYMENT UPFRONT. WE HAVE LIKE MULTIPLE OPTIONS THAT WE WANT TO GO WITH. THE SIX MONTHS IS JUST TO SECURE THE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE RESIDENTS AND THE CITY AND TO KIND OF GO OVER FINANCIAL SUPPORT. AND WE'RE STILL FIGURING THAT OUT WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE WILL NOT BE ASKING FOR THE MONEY UPFRONT. IN REGARD TO QUESTION NUMBER TWO, THE THE 150 IS FOR THREE YEARS, RIGHT, FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT. MULTIPLY THAT BY THREE YEARS. IT WOULD BE 450. BUT WE'RE ALSO ADDING THE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT. THE 150 ON THE ON THE FIRST ROW. SO THE TOTAL IS 600 K. YES MA'AM. SO THE SO THE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT IS MULTIPLIED THREE TIMES. YES, MA'AM. FOR THREE YEARS IT WOULD BE 450 K. SO YOU'RE RIGHT. SO BUT YOU'RE ADDING THE TOP TWO.SO YES. SO THAT'S THIS IS THE LAST ROW. IT'S THE TOTAL FOR THE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND THE ANNUAL FEES THAT WE PAY TO MAINTAIN THE PROGRAM. OKAY. AND THEN LET'S GO BACK TO THE SIX MONTHS THOUGH, THE, THE ACTUAL YOU SAID THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A TALK OF THE FINANCIAL PIECE ONCE THE PROGRAM ONCE THEY ARE SELECTED. YES, MA'AM. AND SO THEY WILL HAVE HOW MUCH TIME IS THAT PROGRAM BEING DEVISED BEFORE YOU GET THIS IN PLACE, OR IS IT ON A CASE BY CASE? WILL THAT BE STIPULATED SOMEWHERE? SO THE IDEA IS WHEN WE RECEIVE THE APPLICATIONS AND WE EVALUATE THEM AND WE CONDUCT THE FIELD VISITS AND DO THE SCORING, THE HIGHEST PROJECT WITH THE HIGHEST SCORING, THAT'S THE PROJECT THAT WILL BE SELECTED. THEN WE'LL START HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE WITH THE RESIDENTS TO SECURE THE AGREEMENT WITHIN SIX MONTHS. IF THE CITY CANNOT REACH TO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE RESIDENT WITHIN SIX MONTHS, THEN WE WILL HAVE TO TERMINATE AND THEN WE GO TO THE SECOND APPLICATION AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. OKAY. AND SO THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL CORROSION IS CONCERNED, CORROSION USUALLY HAPPENS IN AN AREA. SO IF I LIVE NEXT TO SOMEONE WHO HAS CORROSION, NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN, I'M GOING TO HAVE IT TOO. IS THERE ANY COST SHARING BETWEEN RESIDENTS OR A BULK OF RESIDENTS THAT CAN MAKE THAT COST COME DOWN AND BE ABLE TO ASSIST ALL OF THEM AT ONE TIME, AS OPPOSED TO A GROUP PROJECT, IF YOU WILL, AS OPPOSED TO AN INDIVIDUAL PROJECT. I YIELD BACK. NO. GREAT QUESTION. AND WE BUILD THAT IN IN THE PROGRAM, WE WILL ENCOURAGE HAVING MULTIPLE PROPERTY OWNERS PARTICIPATING AT THE SAME TIME.
SO THEN WE CAN BUILD BIGGER PROJECTS AND THAT WILL BE A PART OF THE ACTUAL INSPECTION.
TO SAY, I GOT A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. WILL YOU THEN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THEM AT THE SAME TIME BEFORE YOU START ONE? BECAUSE IF I'M IF I'M SPENDING MONEY, I'M SAYING I'M SPENDING THE 20,000, BUT SOMEBODY ELSE IS ALSO GOT THE SAME PROBLEM IF WE CAN GROUP IT TOGETHER, DOES THAT BRING THE COST DOWN A LITTLE BIT. SO IT WOULDN'T BECAUSE THE COST WILL BE DEPENDING ON THE PROJECT ITSELF. BUT WHAT WE BUILT IN IN THE PROGRAM, THE SCORING WILL BE UP. SO THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS PROJECT TO BE SELECTED WILL BE HIGHER. SO THEN WE CAN ADDRESS MULTIPLE PROPERTIES AT THE SAME TIME.
WELL I HOPE WE CAN BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THAT THERE IS SOME CORROSION HAPPENING. WE DO KNOW THERE ARE MULTIPLE RESIDENTS WITH IN THAT AREA, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN WITH THIS PROGRAM. I YIELD BACK. YES, MA'AM. COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GIVE STAFF DIRECTION? YES, MAYOR PRO TEM, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION AS WELL AS BRINGING THIS BACK BEFORE THE COUNCIL. I'VE HAD TO PERSONALLY DEAL WITH THIS WITH THE FEW RESIDENTS IN OUR CITY. SO REGARDING THE EROSION OF THE CREEK AND BACKING UP TO THEIR HOME, I. I THINK I'M MORE
[00:35:04]
FAVORABLE. OF THE 7525 SPLIT VERSUS DOING A FLAT RATE JUST BASED ON THE COST THAT WE'VE SEEN SO FAR, THAT THIS HAS HAD TO HAPPEN. WHAT I WOULD, I WOULD ASK IS THAT THERE IS A SENSE OF TRANSPARENCY AROUND THE RATING, AS WELL AS THE THE HOMES THAT ARE SELECTED SO THAT SOMEONE CAN VISUALLY GO SEE THE WHAT WAS TAKEN IN CONSIDERATION IN HOW THEIR HOME WAS RANKED OR THEIR PROPERTY. I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU COULD DO THAT IN A WAY WITHOUT GIVING OUT THEIR ADDRESS, BUT IN A WAY THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO KNOW THAT THIS WASN'T. I PICKED MY FRIEND THAT I KNOW, OR THE NICER PERSON IN THE COMMUNITY VERSUS SOMEONE ELSE THAT MAY NEED IT.AND I GUESS WITH THAT, HOW MUCH OF COST WILL BE A PART OF THE HOUSE, THAT OR THE PROPERTIES THAT WILL BE SELECTED, LIKE IF A HOUSE, IF IT'S MORE THAN 2 MILLION OR, YOU KNOW, AN ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNT OF MONEY, IS IT BASED ON THEIR ABILITY TO PAY AT THAT POINT, OR IS IT SIMPLY THE RATING? SO WE HAVE A CAP FOR THE PROJECTS, WHICH IS 100 K. THAT'S THE CITY THAT WOULD BE WILLING TO I THOUGHT IT WAS 200 K. SO THE STAFF NOTES IT SAID 200. NO. SO NO, IT'S A IT'S A GREAT NOTE. SO BUT YOU KNOW MAYBE I'LL DEFER TO CITY MANAGER. BUT WE HAD A DISCUSSION TODAY MR. GO AHEAD. YEAH. IT'S IT'S YEAH, IT'S IT'S FAIR. I THINK, FOR ME TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION INSTEAD OF MR. CASEY. MR. CASEY STARTED WITH $200,000, BUT IF WE ALLOCATE ONLY HALF $1 MILLION, WE'RE ONLY GOING TO GET TWO PROJECTS. SO THE GOAL FOR US IS TO TO ACTUALLY DO MORE THAN TWO PROJECTS. SO IN MY DISCUSSIONS WITH MR. CASEY, I SAID I WANT TO ACTUALLY LOWER THAT AMOUNT. SO THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION WOULD BE LIMITED TO $100,000 PLUS THE DESIGN COST. SO THIS WAY WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO FOR THE RESIDENTS TO CONTRIBUTE UP TO $100,000. SO THE TOTAL PROJECT COULD BE $200,000, BUT OUR CONTRIBUTION WOULD BE THE 50% PLUS THE DESIGN. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL, DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? YES, COUNCILMEMBER. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, SIR, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. WE HAVE I HAVE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN A DIFFERENT DISTRICT. AND COUNCILWOMAN HUGHES AND I VISITED THEIR HOME AND STAFF. ISOM CAME OUT TO VISIT THE HOME. WHAT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CONSIDER THE CAPABILITIES OF OUR CITIZENS TO TO PAY A LARGER AMOUNT IN. IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO STILL DO IT AND MAYBE LEAN THE PROPERTY IF THEY SO CHOOSE? OR CAN WE COME UP WITH A MECHANISM? BECAUSE I WOULD AGREE THAT $25,000, $50,000, $100,000 IS A LOT OF MONEY. THE WORK MIGHT NEED TO BE DONE, AND IF THE CITY COULD DO IT, AND THEN AN AGREEMENT CAN BE MADE TO JUST LEAN THE PROPERTY ALMOST, AND MAYBE WE CAN USE SOME OTHER KIND OF FUNDS LATER TO HELP OFFSET THAT. BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE US COME UP WITH A PROGRAM TO WHERE THE ABILITY TO PAY BY THE HOMEOWNER IS DEFINITELY TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY. I TO AGREE WITH THE WITH THE 7525 SPLIT, THE LESS WE CAN PUT ON THE HOMEOWNER, THE BETTER. BUT EVEN IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LET ME ASK THE QUESTION BEFORE I GO, HOW MUCH IS THE HAVE WE DONE ONE OF THESE BEFORE AND WHAT IS THE AVERAGE COST. SO THAT WOULD BE THAT WOULD BE LIKE IT DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION. BUT IT COULD BE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 100 K TO TO 200 K. SO TO COUNCILMAN BYRD'S QUESTION AND I ATTENDED THE MEETING. WELL, ONE OF THE MEETINGS THAT YOU ALL HAD. AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF DEEP DIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE. SO WE APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU SPENT WITH THE RESIDENTS THAT DAY AS WELL. I BELIEVE THERE WAS SOME EXAMPLES EMBEDDED IN THIS, IN THIS, BUT THESE WERE NOT RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS. CORRECT. SO WITH THAT, WITH IT BEING A COMMERCIAL OR BECAUSE MOST OF THESE PROJECTS WERE DONE, THE ONES THAT WERE DONE IN THE CITY OF DESOTO, THESE WERE DONE TO PROTECT CITY INFRASTRUCTURE. CORRECT? IT WAS NOT A SPECIFICALLY JUST FOR THE RESIDENTIAL, AM I RIGHT? NO, YOU'RE RIGHT. BUT THEN YOU KNOW THAT COULD THAT PICTURE COULD GIVE US A GOOD EXAMPLE AS WELL, WHERE YOU SEE THE PROPERTY OWNERS AROUND THE EROSION ISSUE. SO IN A CASE LIKE THIS, ALTHOUGH THE PROJECT COST $1 MILLION, BUT WE WILL HAVE LIKE MULTIPLE PEOPLE PARTICIPATING.
AND THEN LET'S SAY IF WE HAVE FIVE, FIVE HOMEOWNERS PARTICIPATING, THAT'S HALF OF THE HALF OF THE PRICE. AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER 500 K, THE OTHER 50% OR 75% THE CITY PUT IN, THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO A PROJECT LIKE THIS. AND THEN THESE QUALIFY FOR GRANT FUNDING, BECAUSE I SEE ARPA FUNDS HERE, AND I THINK THE OTHER ONE HAS SOME GRANT FUNDING. YES, MA'AM
[00:40:02]
TO IT AS WELL. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. GOT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARITY. MADAM MAYOR.AGAIN, I'D LIKE FOR US TO LOOK AT THE OPTION VERY MUCH LIKE WE DO WITH THE SIDEWALK. YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE CAN'T PAY FOR THE SIDEWALK, WE HAVE ABILITIES TO TO ACCESS OR TO PUT A LIEN ON THE PROPERTY WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WILL FOLLOW THROUGH. BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO LOSE AN INVESTMENT SIMPLY BECAUSE I'M INCAPABLE OF PAYING FOR IT. AT THAT TIME, I'M THINKING ABOUT OUR SENIORS, WHICH I AM PROUDLY ONE OF THEM NOW. AND AND YOU KNOW, $100,000 MIGHT SET US BACK. YOU KNOW, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO TAKE THE KIDS TO CHUCK E CHEESE. AND SO THAT'S IMPORTANT. SO THANK YOU. YES, SIR. AND THOSE WILL BE BUILT IN THE ORDINANCE AS WELL.
I'M GOING TO DEFER FROM MAKING A COMMENT ABOUT MY COLLEAGUE'S COMMENT ABOUT JOINING THE SENIOR CLUB FOR. BUT I DO HAVE COUNCIL. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. BECAUSE I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CLARIFY WITH STAFF AND OUR CITY MANAGER AS FAR AS THE WHAT DIRECTION YOU ALL NEED TONIGHT, BUT I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS OF MY OWN ABOUT THAT. ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? COUNCIL? OKAY, I DO HAVE A QUESTION. CAN YOU PUT IT ON THE SLIDE THAT HAS THE PAYMENT OPTIONS. SO THE 7525 SPLIT THE FLAT RATE THOSE THAT SLIDE. I THINK WE JUST THERE WE GO. SO THE FUNDING AND PARTICIPATE PARTICIPATION OPTION. SO WE HAVE THE COST SHARE IS ONE OPTION. AND THEN THE FLAT RATE IS ONE OPTION. IS THAT IS THAT CORRECT. OKAY. SO I TO HAVE VERY SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE FIND AS MANY WAYS OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY STAYS SOLVENT. HOWEVER, WE ALSO KNOW THAT THIS IS WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS BURDEN ON OUR RESIDENTS TO TRY TO PAY. AND I, I EVEN STRUGGLE WITH THE 5050 OR THE 7525. I ACTUALLY LEAN MORE TOWARDS THE FLAT RATE, BUT I DO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE THE. I THINK THERE WAS A COMMENT THAT YOU SAID, MR. CASEY, THAT THE CITY WOULD OR OUR CITY MANAGER, YOU SAID THAT THE CITY WITH THE $500,000 TO GET MORE PROJECTS IN, THAT WOULD BE $100,000 PER PROJECT PLUS THE DESIGN FEE. SO IT'S THE DESIGN FEE A PART OF THAT 100 K, OR IS IT THE 100 K? AND THEN THE DESIGN FEES ARE ON TOP OF THAT. THE DESIGN FEES IS ON TOP OF IT. WHAT DO THE DESIGN FEES TYPICALLY RUN? IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE PROJECT. BUT WE'RE THINKING LIKE MAYBE 150 K FOR THE ENTIRE PROGRAM OR 100 K THAT COMES FROM PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IN THE DRAINAGE FUND. OKAY, YOU SAID AND MISTER, I HEARD YOU SAY MAKE A STATEMENT AS WELL, MR. GODFREY, ABOUT THE DESIGN FEE. YES. SO, MAYOR TYPICALLY. SORRY, MAYOR.
TYPICALLY THE DESIGN FEE IS SOMEWHERE AROUND 15 TO 20%. SO LET'S SAY A PROJECT IS $100,000.
YOU GOT 20, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT 20,000 IN THERE. AND THEN YOU HAVE THE COMPLIANCE FEES AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT PIECE. THAT'S ANOTHER PROBABLY 10%. SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, TECHNICALLY A PROJECT OF $100,000 COST IS SOMEWHERE AROUND 131 35,000 WITH WITH WITH A COUPLE OF THE OPTIONS AND MR. CASEY, DO YOU MIND GOING TO THE SLIDE WHERE YOU SHOWED THE DIFFERENT COSTS WHETHER IT'S A CONSULTANT? YES, SIR. SO THE GOAL THE GOAL FOR US IS, IS IF WE WOULD IF WE WOULD HIRE A, A AN ENTRY LEVEL ENGINEER, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ABSORB ALL OF THAT COST WITH THE SALARY THAT THE ENTRY LEVEL ENGINEER WOULD BE DOING THAT.
BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT MR. CASEY, YOU'VE GOT YOU GOT MR. MD AS WELL, WHO ARE BOTH REGISTERED ENGINEERS, SO THEY CAN SUPERVISE OR OVERSEE THE WORK OF, OF, OF AN ENGINEER TO DO THAT TYPE OF WORK. SO WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SAVE THAT AND THE COST OF THE DESIGN AND, AND CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION, AS WELL AS THE OVERSIGHT WOULD BE A LOT LESS. WE WANT TO PRESENT BOTH BOTH OPPORTUNITIES SO YOU COULD SEE WHAT IT WOULD COST. ALSO FOR THE CONSULTANT. THE CONSULTANT IS NOT GOING TO BE CHEAP. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT $150,000 TO MANAGE A $500,000. YEAH. I MEAN, IT IS IT IS UNFORTUNATELY. BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE REALITY OF OF WHAT WE FACE. AND THAT'S WHY I MY PREFERENCE IS ALWAYS TO HAVE A REALLY QUALITY ENGINEER WHO WORKS EXCLUSIVELY ON THESE PROJECTS FOR US AND FOCUS THEIR EFFORTS NOT ONLY ON THE DESIGN, BUT CONSTRUCTION, AS WELL AS THE COMPLIANCE PIECE. SO I STILL HAVE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS I WANT TO UNDERSTAND FROM MY OWN, BECAUSE I'M, I'M SURE A PART OF THE DIRECTION. AND I DO
[00:45:05]
SEE YOUR LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES AND I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND FOR THE SAKE OF HOW I WILL LEAN IN TERMS OF WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND OR VOTE IF YOU ARE GIVE CONSENSUS ON AS FAR AS THE FEE STRUCTURE, LIKE AS FAR AS WHAT THE CITY CONTRIBUTES, WHAT I, WHAT I THINK, I, WHAT I THINK THAT I'M HEARING IS THAT REGARDLESS OF THE FEE STRUCTURE, WHETHER THAT'S A SPLIT OR WHETHER THAT'S A FLAT RATE, THE CITY'S MAX CONTRIBUTION WOULD BE $100,000, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM. THAT WOULD BE THE CAP. OKAY. AND SO HOWEVER, THE RESIDENTS AND I DON'T WANT TO ASSUME THAT NOBODY HAS THE ABILITY TO PAY IF IF THEY NEEDED TO MATCH THAT THE RESIDENT, LET'S JUST SAY IF IT WAS $200,000 AND WE WERE DOING A FLAT RATE, RIGHT, THE CITY WOULD ABSORB THAT TEN K OR 20 K, AND THEN IF THE RESIDENT COULD MAKE UP, MAKE IT WHOLE WITH ANOTHER 80 K, THEY ARE WELCOME TO CONTRIBUTE TO WHATEVER AMOUNT THAT THEY CAN TO GET THEIR PROJECT DONE WITH THE CITY'S 100 K. DOES MY QUESTION MAKE? I FEEL LIKE I'VE CONVOLUTED MY QUESTION, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING. YEAH. SO SO BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE PERCENTAGE, WE WILL PUT THE 225%, 75% AND THEN WE HAVE A CAP. BUT THEN WHEN WE GO WITH THE OTHER OPTION, THE FLAT RATE, THEN WE'RE SAYING THE RESIDENT WILL PAY, LET'S SAY TEN K OR 15 K OR 20 K. BUT THEN THE REST OF THE THE MONEY THE CITY WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. SO IF THE COUNCIL DECIDES TO GO WITH THE OTHER OPTION WITH THE FLAT RATE, SO THEN WE'LL GO AND SEE LIKE WHAT PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE AND THEN HOW MUCH IT WILL COST, BECAUSE BASICALLY THE CITY WILL HAVE TO PAY ALL OF IT IF IT'S EVEN IF IT'S ABOVE 100 K. SO IN THAT CASE, WE'LL LOOK AND SEE WHETHER, WHETHER WE NEED TO ACTUALLY REMOVE THE CAP OR WE PUT IT IN, BUT THEN WE BUMP IT UP TO 150 OR 200, WHICH MEANS, YOU KNOW, LESS PROJECTS, IT WILL BE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE BUT LESS PROJECTS. WELL, AND THAT WAS MY QUESTION, RIGHT.IN TERMS OF IS THIS THE 100 K IS REGARDLESS OF WHICH PARTICIPATION OPTION. AND SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT I HEARD YOU JUST SAY SOUNDS DIFFERENT. IT SOUNDS LIKE IF THEY DO THE FLAT RATE, THEN YOU GUYS WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ALL OF IT, NO MATTER IF IT EXCEEDED THE 100 K, WHICH I DON'T NECESSARILY FAVOR THAT. I FAVOR HAVING A CAP. NO MATTER WHICH PARTICIPATION OPTION THE CITY CHOOSES AGAIN, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAXIMIZE THOSE DOLLARS FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER OF PROJECTS. HOWEVER, THE OTHER THING, AND I'M JUST THIS IS MY LINEAR THINKING, RIGHT? IS THAT HOW MANY PROJECTS CAN WE REALISTICALLY GET DONE CONSIDERING SOME OF THE EROSION ISSUES THAT $100,000 WOULD EVEN FIX? IS $100,000 EVEN GOING TO FIX THE ISSUES THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE HAVING AND LOOKING AT TRYING TO MAXIMIZE THE DOLLARS VERSUS ACTUALLY GIVING THEM ENOUGH MONEY TO FIX THE ISSUE, THEN BECOMES THE CHOICE FOR ME, RIGHT? LIKE, IS $100,000 EVEN GOING TO FIX IT? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE ASSESSED MANY OF THE THE AREAS AND THE POCKETS, AND BASED ON WHAT I'VE SEEN AND WHAT I'VE HEARD, $100,000 WON'T GET VERY FAR FOR MANY OF THE PROJECTS, WHICH IS CHALLENGING FOR ME TO THEN SAY, HEY, LET'S PUT THIS CAP ON HERE, BECAUSE IT THEN BECOMES ALMOST A MOOT POINT BECAUSE THE PROBLEMS ARE NOT ACTUALLY GETTING RESOLVED. AND SO THAT'S WHERE I'M WITH IT NOW. SO IF THERE IS A WAY TO UNDERSTAND THAT, I WOULD RATHER KNOW VERSUS A CAP AT THIS POINT, WHAT IS IT REALISTICALLY ON AVERAGE GOING TO TAKE TO ACTUALLY RESOLVE THESE ISSUES? AND THAT WOULD BE MY QUESTION.
AND NOT THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT ANSWER TONIGHT, BUT THAT'S A PART OF MY THINKING AS FAR AS HOW WE MOVE FORWARD, MAYOR. AND YOU'RE RIGHT. AND LET ME TELL YOU, A CHALLENGE OR A DILEMMA THAT WE HAVE. WE HAVE, LET'S SAY, A AN AREA WHERE YOU'RE BEGINNING TO HAVE SCOURING OR YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, EMBANKMENT CHALLENGES. RIGHT? WE WANT TO ADDRESS THAT. THAT COULD BE A $20,000 DEAL THIS YEAR. NEXT YEAR COULD BE $50,000 A YEAR AFTER WOULD BE SCOURING MORE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LOOKING AT $100,000. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE GOING TO THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ON THERE ARE THERE ARE BIGGER THINGS THAT I, THAT I REALLY I MEAN, IN MY, MY EXPERIENCE IS THAT THE GABION PROJECT THAT THAT MR. CASEY SHOWED THE $1.15 MILLION, THAT'S A BIG PROJECT. THAT'S NOT A THAT'S NOT A RESIDENTIAL 5050 PROGRAM TO BE TO BE FRANK WITH YOU, THAT'S A PROJECT THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE ON AS A CITY AND PUT IT PART OF OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM, BECAUSE THE RESIDENTS ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO.
COUNCIL MEMBER BIRD'S POINT, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I WOULD EXPECT THE RESIDENTS TO SAY, WELL, IF YOU DON'T HAVE $100,000, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ISSUES. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE
[00:50:02]
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
SEEM LIKE YOU'D BE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER IF WE, YOU KNOW, LOWERED THOSE PERCENTAGES FOR THE RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. NO, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. AND YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DO A I DON'T WANT TO SAY A SLIDING SCALE, BUT TECHNICALLY YOU COULD DO A SLIDING SCALE. LET'S SAY A PROJECT COSTS $10,000. THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE PROPERTY OWNER COULD BE 30%, 40%. YOU KNOW, IT GETS BEYOND THAT. LET'S SAY $50,000. I'M JUST USING NUMBERS HERE. SO PLEASE DON'T HOLD ME TO THOSE NUMBERS. YOU KNOW, IT'S $50,000 NOW. YOU'RE ONLY PAYING 20% OF THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO PARTICIPATE IN A VERY REASONABLE AMOUNT. AND IF IT GETS OVER $100,000, MAYBE THE CONTRIBUTION IS ONLY 10 OR 15% AND SO ON. SO WE CAN BUILD THAT MODEL UP IN THAT AND TO TO THE POINT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS MADE IS, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE A LIEN ON THE PROPERTY. I DON'T PREFER A LIEN BECAUSE THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN IMPACT TO THE PROPERTY. BUT IF SOMEONE DOESN'T HAVE THE MONEY, BUT THEY REALLY WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THIS, THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION. THAT'S SOMETHING I DID MANY, MANY YEARS AGO IN SOMETHING CALLED THE 911 BLOCK ACT. AND SO CALIFORNIA IS VERY KNOWN FOR, FOR DOING THAT. SO IT'S NOT OUT OF THE REALM TO DO THIS. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO IMPLEMENT ALL THE TOOLS THAT WE CAN IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PARKER. WE ARE IN ROUNDS. WE HAVE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO MAY WANT TO YIELD THEIR TIME IF THEY SO DESIRE, IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE GOING INTO GETTING DIRECTION FROM STAFF TO GET A CONSENSUS. MAYOR, HAVE YOU DONE OKAY, SO THE OTHER QUESTION, I JUST WANTED TO GO BACK TO WHAT I SAID AT THE BEGINNING. WHEN WE HAD THIS MEETING BACK IN NOVEMBER, I DID BRING UP THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM. AND SO I'M STILL AT THE POINT WHERE I'M ASKING FOR AN ACTUAL IS THERE A SUCH THING AS A PAYMENT PLAN THAT'S GOING TO BE INTRODUCED WITH THIS AS WELL? I AM IN FAVOR OF THE LIEN PIECE BECAUSE I BROUGHT IT UP BACK IN NOVEMBER. I'M NOT SURE WHY THAT LANGUAGE IS NOT IN HERE, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS MORE WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. BUT AS FAR AS AN ACTUAL PAYMENT PLAN, BECAUSE THE WORK HAS TO GET DONE RIGHT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS NECESSARY. IF I'M SITTING IN A CORROSION AREA OR EROSION AREA, THE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE TO SAVE MY HOME, RIGHT? OR SAVE MY WHATEVER. SO SOME WAY TO GET IT WHERE PEOPLE CAN PAY FOR IT. BECAUSE I'M AGAIN BACK AT THE POINT WHERE I SAY AS MANY PEOPLE WE CAN HELP AS POSSIBLE IS THE GOAL, RIGHT? SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD LOOK INTO THE ACTUAL PAYMENT PLAN AND OR LEAN PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN FOR PEOPLE.
THANK YOU, I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU COUNCIL. SO MR. AL GODFREY AND MR. AL CASEY, WE NEED TO
[00:55:05]
UNDERSTAND WHAT DIRECTION YOU ALL NEED FROM US TONIGHT. I DON'T KNOW IF COUNCIL IS AT A PLACE TO WHERE WE CAN SAY, I'M JUST KIND OF LISTENING TO THE COMMENTS TO WHERE WE CAN SAY SPLIT FLAT RATE, ALL THOSE THINGS TONIGHT. I THINK THAT THERE MAY NEED TO BE SOME MORE AND AND MAYBE I KNOW THAT THE WORK HAS BEEN DONE. WE'VE ALL ASKED SIMILAR QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS, LIENS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. THIS MAY BE A WORKSHOP TOPIC FOR US BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THIS DESERVES MORE TIME THAN WE HAVE HERE TONIGHT TO REALLY HASH OUT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT COME WITH WHATEVER WE CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. AND I KNOW THAT I WAS ONE OF THE ONES WHO WANTED TO ACCELERATE THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH A NEED, AND THE LONGER WE WAIT, THE WORSE THE ISSUES BECOME, RIGHT? SOMETHING THAT'S A $10,000 ISSUE COULD BE WELL BEYOND THAT BY THE TIME WE GET TO THIS PART OF PROVIDING AID. SO I UNDERSTAND THE NEED AND I THINK TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. HOWEVER, I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY MEASURED WHEN WE MAKE THESE TYPES OF DECISIONS, ESPECIALLY WITH ONES THAT HAVE A FISCAL IMPACT LIKE THIS. SO I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DIRECTION THE COUNCIL CAN GIVE TO YOU, CAN GIVE TO YOU TONIGHT TO HELP KEEP THIS THING MOVING BECAUSE I LIKE I SAID, I HEAR JUST A FEW DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT ON HOW TO APPROACH IT, AND I'M NOT SURE COUNCIL IS AT THE POINT THAT COUNCIL, IF I'M WRONG, PLEASE CORRECT ME, IS AT THE POINT TO WHERE WE CAN ALL AGREE ON ONE WAY TO TO LOOK AT HOW TO STRUCTURE THE FEES. I THINK I THINK IT DESERVES A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, MR. CITY MANAGER. YEAH. I THINK THOSE ARE VERY VALID QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO ASK US. I THINK WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK TO DO TO COME BACK TO YOU AND I. I'D WANT TO ACTUALLY USE SOME REAL EXAMPLES FROM THE LAST YEAR, THE MAYBE THE CITIZENS REQUEST ON WHAT WE HAVE, AND AT LEAST BRING YOU SOME SAMPLES OF, OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, OF THOSE PROJECTS OR POTENTIAL PROJECTS AND GIVE YOU KIND OF A, AN ESTIMATE AND MAYBE DO THE LEAN AND THE SLIDING SCALE TO SAY, HERE'S SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND HERE'S HOW WE'RE BUILDING IT. GIVE US GIVE US ANOTHER TWO WEEKS TO A MONTH TO BRING IT BACK. A MORE COMPREHENSIVE. BUT I'D LOVE FOR US IF, IF WE CAN GET SOME CONSENSUS IN THE FUTURE WHEN WE DO THIS, THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, YOU KNOW, DO THAT SOONER THAN LATER. I, I MY PREFERENCE IS NOT TO WAIT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO WE DON'T WANT TO CATCH THE NEXT SEASON AND HAVE EVEN, YOU KNOW, WORSE SITUATIONS THAN WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. SO, YOU KNOW, MID-YEAR, MAYBE INITIATION OF THE PROGRAM. BUT AFTER WE HONE IN ON ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'VE ASKED FOR AND BRING IT BACK, AND IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH IT LATER, THEN THEN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LOVE TO WOULD LOVE TO GET YOUR DIRECTION ON. SURE. INFORMATION. I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE ACTUAL EXAMPLES. DO WE POSSIBLY HAVE ANY EXAMPLES FROM THE OTHER CITIES OF WHAT THE ONES THAT ARE DOING THE THE THE CONTRIBUTION? DO WE HAVE EXAMPLES OF THEM, OR SHOULD WE CALL THEM AND ASK HOW THEY'RE DOING THEIR PROJECTS? WE HAVE THAT. WE WILL GET YOU EXAMPLES OF THOSE CITIES AS WELL. SO MR. GAFFORD, WE DO HAVE AN EXAMPLE FROM PLANO. THEY'RE DOING THE FLAT RATES. IT'S ON THE PRESENTATION. THAT'S THE FIRST ONE. THERE WAS A SLIDE. THERE WAS A SLIDE I THINK SHE'S ASKING LIKE ABOUT THE JUST OTHER EXAMPLES OF THE PROJECT. LIKE THAT OF ALL I'M SORRY MADAM MAYOR. WHAT I'M ASKING IS HOW ARE THEY WORKING WITH THEIR HOMEOWNERS, NOT WHAT THE HOMEOWNER PAYS, BUT HOW IS THE HOMEOWNER PAYING IT? ARE THEY PAYING IT STRAIGHT OUT, OR ARE THEY ON A PAYMENT PLAN? OR ARE THEY, YOU KNOW, DOING A SLIDING SCALE? HOW DID THAT WORK? THAT PART OF IT? THERE IS A SLIDE FOR THAT. WE HAD A SLIDE PRESENTED IN THE MEETING. I DON'T I DIDN'T SEE THAT SLIDE HERE TONIGHT. BUT WE DO HAVE THE SLIDE WITH THAT INFORMATION.WE DO. BUT WE'LL GET YOU MORE DETAILS ON THAT. YOU GOT IT. YEAH. THAT THAT INFORMATION WAS SHARED I THINK THE CITY OF DALLAS AND CEDAR HILL AND SOME OF LANCASTER, I THINK SOME OF THE BEST SOUTHWEST CITIES. I REMEMBER THAT SLIDE VERY SPECIFICALLY WITH, WITH THOSE THAT WERE SHOWING FROM THE DIFFERENT CITIES WITH WHAT THEY WERE DOING. YES, MA'AM. SO, YES.
SO THIS IS THIS IS IT LOOKS DIFFERENT IN THE MEETING. BUT YEAH, THIS IS THE SLIDE ESSENTIALLY. SO SOME OF THOSE CITIES DON'T EVEN HAVE A PROGRAM AVAILABLE AS YOU CAN SEE. AND THE COST SHARE IS IS NOTED ON THIS SLIDE AS WELL. BUT I BUT I WILL SAY THIS AND THANK YOU MR. CITY MANAGER AND WE WILL WRAP THIS ITEM UP HERE. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE AVERAGE COST OF DESOTO'S PROJECTS. YOU KNOW, FINDING OUT WHAT THE OTHER CITIES ARE DOING
[01:00:02]
IS FINE, BUT WHAT ARE THE PROJECTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEFORE YOU NOW WITH THE RESIDENTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH UP TO THIS POINT? WHAT IS THE AVERAGE COST OF THAT TO MAKE AN AMOUNT MAKE SENSE? BECAUSE WE CAN THROW OUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT NUMBERS. AND THEN I THINK, MR. CASEY, WE TALKED ALSO ABOUT KIND OF A TRIAGE, IF YOU WILL, WITH THE MOST URGENT PROJECTS IN TERMS OF LIKE HOW HOW ARE YOU ALL GOING TO EVALUATE THOSE? WHAT IS THE APPLICATION PROCESS, HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW WILL ALL OF THAT BE DETERMINED IN TERMS OF WHICH PROJECTS ARE SELECTED? SO KIND OF UNDERSTANDING THAT AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW AND JUST KIND OF THROW THROWING THIS OUT THERE. AND I'M NOT NECESSARILY ALWAYS A PROPONENT OF DEBT, BUT IF IT'S GOING TO ASSIST A RESIDENT WITH GETTING THE WORK DONE, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CITY WILL CONTRIBUTE, SEE IF THERE ARE ANY FINANCING PARTNERS THAT CAN SPECIFICALLY WORK WITH THIS PROGRAM, MAYBE A NO INTEREST PROGRAM OR SOMETHING TO THAT DEGREE TO HELP PUT IT TOGETHER. SO IF THAT IS SOME MONEY FROM THE RESIDENT, SOME MONEY FROM THE CITY, SOME MONEY FROM THAT'S BEEN FINANCED, LIKE ALL THE THINGS JUST KIND OF GETTING AS MANY OPTIONS IN OUR ARSENAL AS WE CAN FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO, TO GET SOME OF THESE PROJECTS DONE. AND THEN THE LAST THING THAT WE WILL NEED TO UNDERSTAND OR TO NEED TO NEED INFORMATION, RATHER TO MAKE A DECISION. I THINK I DO HEAR A CONSENSUS THAT THESE ARE URGENT AND TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. SO UNDERSTANDING WHETHER OR NOT THAT THIS WILL BE A PROJECT THAT WE WILL INSTITUTE WITH FUNDING FOR NEXT YEAR, OR IF THE COUNCIL WILL BE AMENABLE TO DOING LIKE A MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT TO GET THIS PROJECT GOING RIGHT AWAY WITHIN THIS FISCAL YEAR. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'LL NEED KIND OF HELP MAKING THOSE DECISIONS FOR YOU ALL.AND I'M SURE I LEFT OUT SOMETHING. BUT I THINK OVERALL, IF YOU ALL COULD BRING US BACK THAT INFORMATION AND THEN LIKE I SAID, MR. GODFREY, WE MAY HAVE TO SEE WHERE WE CAN FIND SPACE IN THIS. OR IF IT'S A MONDAY NIGHT MEETING WHERE WE CAN HAVE A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME DEDICATED TO SPECIFICALLY TALKING THE COUNCIL THROUGH THIS TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. I JUST FEEL LIKE TONIGHT, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO REALLY GIVE IT THE TIME IT DESERVES. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. THANK YOU COUNCIL. THANK YOU, MR. CASEY. THANK YOU, MR.
[D. ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]
GODFREY. AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. NEXT, WE MOVE ON TO ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.0415, THE CITY COUNCIL MAY REPORT ON THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. EXPRESSION OF THANKS, CONGRATULATIONS, OR CONDOLENCES.INFORMATION ABOUT HOLIDAY SCHEDULES. RECOGNITION OF INDIVIDUALS. REMINDER ABOUT UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL EVENTS. INFORMATION ABOUT COMMUNITY EVENTS. ANNOUNCEMENTS INVOLVING IMMINENT THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY, AS WELL AS LIAISON UPDATES. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PARKER. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AND HELLO, DE SOTO. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE OUR LIBRARY ON AN ACHIEVEMENT AS ONE OF THE TOP LIBRARIES IN THE AREA IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND SO THAT IS SUCH AN ACHIEVEMENT. AND THEY WERE OF THE 101 OUT OF I BELIEVE IT'S 300, 545 LIBRARIES, THEY WERE RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE TOP IN THE TOP 20%. AND IT IS SUCH AN HONOR TO HAVE A LIBRARY SITTING RIGHT IN OUR AREA. SO I HOPE THAT YOU'RE OUT THERE GETTING YOUR LIBRARY CARDS AND GETTING READY TO EXPLORE. THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF EVENTS GOING ON FOR THE MONTH OF OUR BLACK HISTORY MONTH FOR THE LIBRARY. I HOPE THAT YOU ALSO, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LIBRARY CARD, THERE IS AN ACTUAL APPLICATION AND YOU DO HAVE TO GO TO THE LIBRARY TO GET THAT PHYSICAL CARD. BUT IF YOU HAVE KIDS, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF DANCE THINGS GOING ON.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A GENEALOGY LAB GOING ON TOMORROW, FEBRUARY 4TH, AND THAT IS RIGHT HERE AT THE LIBRARY. SO IF YOU WANT TO LOOK THROUGH YOUR ANCESTRY TREE, THIS IS THE TIME TO DO IT. COME ON OUT AND HAVE SOME FUN WITH THE LIBRARY. AND THAT'S ON TOMORROW. AND THEN THEY ALSO HAVE A, A FLIER OF ALL OF THEIR EVENTS FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH. THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON ALMOST EVERY DAY. TEEN TUESDAYS ARE GOING ON AND THAT'S HAPPENING NEXT WEEK. AND THEN THE FOLLOWING WEEKS. THERE'S ALL KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR KIDS TO GET INVOLVED AT THE LIBRARY AND ADULTS AS WELL. THERE'S AWESOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU AS WELL. SO PICK UP YOUR FLIER ON YOUR WAY OUT. THEY'RE OUT HERE, AND THEN YOU CAN GET CONNECTED TO SOME OF THOSE ITEMS. THERE'S ALSO A MONOPOLY. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT THERE'S AN EVENT HAPPENING HERE IN THE CITY OF DESOTO. AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT GRAND PRAIRIE DID IT FIRST. THEY WERE THE FIRST ONES TO DO IT. AND IT'S ACTUALLY A GAME THAT IS A BOARD GAME, AND IT'S A TIME FOR THE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT. THAT EVENT IS ACTUALLY FEBRUARY 22ND AT THE BISTRO I-35 ON BELTLINE 360 NORTH BELTLINE. THAT EVENT IS OPEN TO ANYONE. IT IS FOR
[01:05:06]
ANYONE. COME OUT. LET'S GET CONNECTED. AS A COMMUNITY, I GOT SPONSORSHIPS HAPPENING.THERE'S GOING TO BE A $400 PRIZE FOR THE FIRST PLACE PERSON. THE SECOND PLACE WILL GET 300, AND THE SECOND THE THIRD PLACE WILL GET 200. AND THERE'LL ALSO BE DOOR PRIZES AND THINGS LIKE THAT AS WELL AS FOOD. SO COME ON OUT, LET'S ENJOY SOME. AND ALSO PLEASE PUT ON YOUR BLACK HISTORY GARB. NOW REMEMBER IT'S NOT JUST DASHIKIS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. YOU CAN WEAR ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH OUR BLACK HISTORY. LET'S HONOR OUR BLACK HISTORY FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY. AND THAT IS THE CULMINATING EVENT THAT IS HAPPENING AGAIN FEBRUARY 22ND, 1 TO 4. THAT'S A SUNDAY. COME AFTER CHURCH. SHOW YOUR YOUR YOUR PRIDE AND COME ON OUT AND ENJOY A GAME ON US. AND I YIELD BACK. COUNCILMAN WATERS. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. I HAVE ACTUALLY FIVE DIFFERENT THINGS. SO FIRST THING IS JUST A REMINDER OF THE DADDY-DAUGHTER DANCE. THE CINDERELLA BALL IS GOING TO BE FEBRUARY 7TH FROM 630 TO 930. IT'S GOING TO HAVE DANCING, FOOD, ELEGANCE AND GIVEAWAYS. REGISTRATION IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW AND ACTUALLY IT'S THROUGH FEBRUARY 4TH. REGISTRATION, GENERAL SEATING IS GOING TO BE $80 PER COUPLE, $40 FOR EACH ADDITIONAL GUEST ARRIVAL TIME. 630 VIP SEATING IS $90 PER COUPLE, $45 FOR EACH ADDITIONAL GUEST. EARLY ARRIVAL TIME IS 530. PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE AT DESOTO, TEXAS.GOV FORWARD SLASH, REGISTER OR PURCHASE TICKETS AT THE DESOTO RECREATION CENTER. SPACE IS LIMITED. TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED IN ADVANCE. TICKETS WILL NOT BE SOLD AT THE DOOR, SO GO AHEAD AND GET YOUR TICKETS. ALL RIGHT. NEXT THING IS OUR BEAUTIFUL ARK AQUATIC RECREATION CENTER. AS YOU ALL KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE OPEN UP IN APRIL. SO THEY'RE GOING TO START TO DO THE PARK AND REC DEPARTMENT. THEY'RE GOING TO START DOING TOURS OF THE ARK.
OKAY. SO YOUR COMMUNITY REIMAGINED. SO GET A SNEAK PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR OF THE NEW DESOTO AQUATIC AND RECREATION CENTER BEFORE THE GRAND OPENING. SO SOME SCHEDULED DATES FOR THE TOURS ARE FEBRUARY 6TH SEVENTH. IT SAYS FRIDAYS, AND THEN ALSO FEBRUARY 20TH, 21ST, FEBRUARY 27TH, 28TH. ANYWAY, THE TIMES ARE 11 A.M. TO 12 P.M. AND 12 P.M. TO 1 P.M. ALSO, SOME MORE DATES ARE MARCH 6TH AND SEVENTH, MARCH 13TH, MARCH 20TH AND 21ST.
THOSE TIMES ARE GOING TO BE 9 A.M. TO 10 A.M. AND 10 A.M. TO 11 A.M. SO YOU CAN GO TO DESOTO, TEXAS.GOV/ARC TO SIGN UP FOR THOSE TOURS. SO GO AHEAD AND DO THAT. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY Y'ALL. WORLD CLASS. ALL RIGHT. NEXT EVENT IS GOING TO BE BRILLIANCE THAT BUILT THE WORLD A BLACK HISTORY MONTH JOURNEY THROUGH BLACK INNOVATION. IT'S GOING TO BE AT THE DESOTO CORNER THEATER RIGHT NEXT DOOR RIGHT HERE. AND IT'S GOING TO BE $25 PRESALE. AND IF YOU BUY TICKETS AT THE DOOR, IT'S $35 AT THE DOOR. SO IT'S GOING TO BE FEBRUARY 27TH FROM 7 P.M. TO 9 P.M. AND INVENTORS WHO CHANGE THE WORLD IS AN ENGAGING BLACK HISTORY MONTH SKIT THAT BLENDS EDUCATION, HUMOR, MUSIC, AND STORYTELLING TO CELEBRATE THE GROUNDBREAKING CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK INVENTORS FROM THE LATE 19TH CENTURY THROUGH THE MID TO 20TH CENTURY. RHYTHM, ROOTS AND EXCELLENCE. SO GO AND GET YOUR TICKETS. COME ON OUT TO THAT. IT'S HOSTED BY ASTON AND MCKENNA WARD. ALL RIGHT, NEXT THING ON THE LIST HERE IS THERE'S GOING TO BE A5K RUN FUN RUN, FIVE K FUN RUN AND WALK. IT'S GOING TO BE CALLED THE SHAMROCK SHAKE OKAY. THAT'S GOING TO BE SATURDAY, MARCH 14TH FROM 8 A.M. TO 11 A.M. ENTRY FOR THAT IS $20. IT'S GOING TO BE HELD AT TIGER PARK, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 405 EAGLE DRIVE IN DESOTO, TEXAS. A FAMILY FRIENDLY FIVE K EVENT WITH FUN MUSIC AND SURPRISES. FIRST 100 SIGN UP RECEIVE A FREE T SHIRT SO SIGN UP EARLY, GET YOUR T SHIRT AND YOU REGISTER AT DESOTO EVENTS. DOT EVENTBRITE.COM. AND BRIGHT IS JUST B R I T E SO DESOTO EVENTS DOT EVENTBRITE.COM CHECK IN IS AT 8 A.M. WARM UP AND STRETCH IS TO 845. START OF THE RACE IS 9 A.M. SO YOU GET COME ON OUT.
IF YOU'RE WALKERS, RUNNERS AND PET OWNERS. FREE T SHIRT LIVE DJ IN AWARDS. OKAY, LAST THING ON THE LIST IS WITH EASTER COMING UP, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE PARK AND REC DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO HAVE EASTER EGG STRAVAGANZA PRIZES, FACE PAINTING, FOOD, BOUNCE HOUSES
[01:10:05]
AND MORE. IT'S GOING TO BE HELD ON SATURDAY, MARCH 28TH. CHECK IN IS 8 A.M. ACTIVITIES BEGIN AT 815. EGG HUNT IS FROM 9 A.M. TO 11 A.M. FREE EVENT AGE GROUPS AGES FIVE AND UNDER.ALSO A SEPARATE GROUP WILL BE AGES 6 TO 8 AND SEPARATE GROUP B AGES 9 TO 12 FOR THOSE EASTER EGG HUNTS. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE LOCATED AT ZEIGLER PARK, WHICH IS 405 EAGLE DRIVE.
PRE-REGISTER ONLINE AT DESOTO, TEXAS.GOV/REGISTER. ALL RIGHT. THOSE ARE SOME EVENTS Y'ALL.
CHECK THEM OUT AND COME ON OUT. I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN WATERS FOR THOSE EVENTS. COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. GOOD EVENING AGAIN. DESOTO. DESOTO ISD IS LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN AND A FEW GOOD WOMEN. THEY HAVE THEIR ISD HALL OF HONOR COMING UP. AND THEY DEVELOPED THIS HALL OF HONOR IN 2012 TO RECOGNIZE ALUMNI AND THOSE WHO HAVE PROVIDED MERITORIOUS SERVICE TO THE DISTRICT. TO BE ELIGIBLE, THEY HAVE TO HAVE SERVED A MINIMUM OF TEN YEARS OF CONSISTENT CONTRIBUTION TO BE A NOMINEE FOR THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE RECOGNITION. THEY'VE HAD NUMEROUS EDUCATORS, PARENTS, COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS, BUSINESS PEOPLE, AND ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO HAVE MADE THESE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF DESOTO ISD. IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE, YOU HAVE UNTIL FEBRUARY 9TH AND YOU MAY REGISTER THEM AT DESOTO ISD FORWARD SLASH HALL OF HONOR, I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR.
AND THANK YOU, CITIZENS OF DESOTO. I WANT TO INVITE YOU TO GOSPEL FEST 2026, HOSTED BY THE CONCERNED DESOTO CITIZENS GROUP. THIS IS THEIR ANNUAL FUNDRAISER. THIS GROUP GIVES THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO OUR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AS SCHOLARSHIP. THIS YEAR, IT'S GOING TO BE FEATURING DOCTOR DEMETRIUS MCCLENDON, SENIOR. HE'S THE SENIOR PASTOR OF THE ONE WORLD, ONE WORLD CHURCH AND AN INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE SINGER THAT WILL TAKE PLACE FEBRUARY THE 15TH, 2026. DOORS WILL OPEN AT 4 P.M. CONCERT WILL START AT 430. IT WILL BE AT THE LIFE CENTER OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, LOCATED AT 220 SOUTH COCKRELL HILL, DESOTO, TEXAS, AND THE ENTRY. THE TICKETS ARE $15, SO PLEASE COME OUT. LET'S WORSHIP WITH WITH OUR CITIZENS, AND LET'S HAVE A GOOD TIME TO OFFER THE SENIORS OF OUR DESOTO HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN BYRD. MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND HELLO, EVERYONE. I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO HOSTED THEIR THIS OVER THIS WEEKEND AND GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO ALL OF THE FIREFIGHTERS WHO RECEIVED AWARDS OVER, OVER THIS WEEKEND. THE MAYOR AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THEIR CEREMONY, AND IT WAS REALLY GREAT TO SEE HOW OUR LOCAL HEROES WERE BEING CELEBRATED THIS WEEK AS WELL. AND I KNOW OUR CITY SECRETARY IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE ELECTION HAPPENING LOCALLY IN MAY.
HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO TELL EVERYONE THAT IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, ACTUALLY TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY, WE WILL START EARLY VOTING FOR OUR PRIMARY ELECTIONS AND THIS YEAR WILL BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT. SO I JUST WANT TO PREP YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE MUCH DIFFERENT VOTING LOCATIONS THAN WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST. DALLAS COUNTY HAS HAD TO CUT HUNDREDS OF VOTING LOCATIONS, SO I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU VOTE EARLY. ELECTION DAY IS ALSO CHANGING IN OUR COUNTY. WE WON'T BE ABLE TO VOTE ANYWHERE WE WANT. WE WILL HAVE TO GO TO THE PLACE THAT WE'RE DESIGNATED TO BE AT, AND SO WE WILL SEE THAT CHANGE THIS UPCOMING FEBRUARY 17TH AND GOING INTO ELECTION DAY, WHICH IS MARCH 3RD. AGAIN, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE EARLY AND PAY ATTENTION TO THE VOTING LOCATIONS, BECAUSE THEY WILL DEFINITELY CHANGE DRASTICALLY THIS YEAR. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS? COUNCILMEMBER NORTH, NO ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM YOU TONIGHT OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I DO HAVE A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE AWARE THAT WE WILL BE HOSTING THE STATE OF THE CITY NEXT WEEK FOR 2026, AND THAT EVENT WILL BE HAPPENING ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH AT 11 A.M. THERE ARE A FEW MORE TICKETS LEFT IF YOU WANT TO ATTEND THAT EVENT IN PERSON. HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THAT EVENT IN PERSON, FRET NOT BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE WATCH PARTIES, WE WILL BE STREAMING IT LIVE THAT DAY AS WELL AS THE REPLAY WILL BE AVAILABLE THIS ON THE CITY'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL. SO IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO CATCH IT AND JOIN US LIVE THERE IN THE VENUE, WE WILL BE HAVING THAT FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE FOR REPLAY. AGAIN,
[01:15:03]
THE STATE OF THE CITY WILL BE HAPPENING NEXT THURSDAY. THAT IS FEBRUARY 12TH AT 11 A.M. AND IT'S GOING TO BE HOSTED RIGHT HERE IN OUR BLUEBONNET ROOM, HERE AT OUR CIVIC CENTER COMPLEX. AND THE LAST THING THAT I WANT TO SHARE, IT'S A LITTLE LENGTHY, BUT I WANT TO I WANT TO GET THIS BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY I GUESS THIS HAS BEEN A VERY EMOTIONAL LAST COUPLE OF DAYS FOR ME, BECAUSE YESTERDAY MADE FIVE YEARS, LITERALLY TO THE DAY THAT I WAS ELECTED AS MAYOR HERE IN THE CITY. MANY OF YOU WHO KNOW ME, PRIOR TO THAT, I WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER. I CAME ON AND SERVED AS A COUNCIL MEMBER BEGINNING IN 2013, BUT I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS MAYOR FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AND IT IS ONE THAT I HAVE HAS BEEN HONESTLY, THE HONOR OF A LIFETIME. BUT I WANT TO SAY THIS I WASN'T EVEN SWORN IN ONE WEEK IN 2021 WHEN WINTER STORM YURI HIT OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO IT WAS ONE THAT HAS LEFT AN IMPRESSION UPON ME. SO EACH TIME, THIS TIME OF YEAR, I GET A LITTLE A LITTLE ANXIOUS. AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE KNOW, LAST WEEK WE WERE WE WERE I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS SNOW OR ICE, I DON'T KNOW, WHATEVER YOUR WHATEVER YOUR PLEASURE IS. BUT WE WERE IN THE HOUSE LAST WEEK AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR INCREDIBLE STAFF, OUR INCREDIBLE CITY, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE PEOPLE BEHIND IT THAT HELPED GET US THROUGH THOSE DAYS AGAIN. DESOTO HAS BEEN PROUDLY A NATIONAL WEATHER READY, STORM READY CITY SINCE 2010, AND LAST MONTH I BELIEVE WE RECEIVED OUR RECERTIFICATION SHORTLY AFTER A SIGNIFICANT WINTER IMPACT THAT IMPACTED MUCH OF NORTH TEXAS. AND WHILE THAT RECERTIFICATION WAS NOT ISSUED BECAUSE OF THAT STORM, IT STANDS AS A TESTAMENT TO EXACTLY WHAT WE WITNESSED FROM STAFF DURING THOSE CRITICAL DAYS. AND SO I WANT TO RECOGNIZE MORE THAN 100 CITY OF DESOTO EMPLOYEES AND OUR PARTNERS IN DUNCANVILLE, CEDAR HILL, WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY DURING LAST WEEK'S WINTER STORM FROM JANUARY 23RD THROUGH JANUARY 27TH. I THINK WE CAN PUT OUR HANDS TOGETHER RIGHT THERE FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT THEY DID FOR US FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE DAYS, OUR COMMUNITY ENDURED THE SUBFREEZING TEMPERATURES, THE DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS, THE SIGNIFICANT ICE AND SLEET ACCUMULATION THAT CREATED HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. ACTUALLY, ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION, WE EXPERIENCED A LOT OF OUTAGES, WATER MAIN BREAKS, ONE OF THOSE WATER MAIN BREAKS I WAS DRIVING AROUND THE NIGHT BEFORE THE ICE CAME IN AND RAN RIGHT INTO IT THERE ON HAMPTON ROAD, AND SO AND OUR TEAM IMMEDIATELY GOT ON TO IT AND GOT THAT STARTED WORKING TO GET THAT RESOLVED. TRASH AND RECYCLING INTERRUPTIONS, SCHOOL CLOSURES, RESCHEDULED EVENTS. AND THROUGH IT ALL, OUR CITY EMPLOYEES REALLY STEPPED UP. THEY PLAYED A ROLE IN THE PLANNING, THE PREPARATION, THE RESPONSE, EFFORTS TO ENSURE OUR RESIDENTS WERE SAFE AND THE CONTINUITY OF CITY SERVICES WERE DONE DURING A VERY CHALLENGING CONDITION. THEIR WORK HAPPENED IN THE FIELD, IN OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER AND BEHIND THE SCENES, OFTENTIMES AROUND THE CLOCK.AND SO I WANT TO SPECIFICALLY RECOGNIZE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. OUR CHIEF IS HERE FOR LEADING OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, ALONG WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. I SEE YOU HERE REPRESENTING TONIGHT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES IS HERE. PUBLIC UTILITIES, MR. LACEY, PARKS AND RECREATION, MR. BUFORD, COMMUNITY SERVICES AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS. AND OUR CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. AND I SAID DIRECTIVES THAT WEEK TO PRIORITIZE, PRIORITIZE RESIDENT SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS WITH OUR 24 HOUR WARMING CENTER. FOR THOSE NEEDING A SAFE AND WARM PLACE DURING THE STORM. AND STAFF DELIVERED THAT, I THINK WE CAN CLAP THERE AS WELL.
ACTIVATING A WARMING CENTER HERE AT OUR TOWN CENTER. AND NOT ONLY THAT, WE WERE WE CONSIDERED PEOPLE THAT HAVE PETS. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I'M A DOG LOVER AND I COULD NOT BE. I COULD NOT IMAGINE HAVING TO BE SEPARATED FROM MY DOG IF THE POWER WENT OUT OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO EVEN OUR PARTNERS AT TRI CITY ANIMAL SHELTER, I THINK WE CAN GIVE THEM A GREAT BIG HAND CLAP BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH A TRAILER FOR PETS BECAUSE THE PETS COULD NOT COME INSIDE OF THE BUILDING, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO BRING THEIR PETS WITH THEM AS WELL IF THEY NEEDED TO UTILIZE THE WARMING CENTER. AND SO OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT COORDINATED EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND ADDRESS WATER SHUT OFF EMERGENCIES AS FREEZING AND THAWING CONDITIONS STRESS THE INFRASTRUCTURE. OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY AND AND MAINTAINED A CONSISTENT PRESENCE AT THE WARMING CENTER.
SO WE THANK OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THAT. DEVELOPMENT SERVICES CREWS WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK TO DE-ICE MAJOR THOROUGHFARES AND CONTINUOUSLY MONITOR ALL CITY FACILITIES, MAINTAINING 24 OVER SEVEN OVERSIGHT TO ENSURE SAFE ACCESS AND UNINTERRUPTED OPERATIONS. PUBLIC UTILITY CREWS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO REPAIR WATER MAIN BREAKS AND RESTORE SERVICES, WHILE OUR PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF HELP OPERATE THE WARMING CENTER.
[01:20:03]
THAT, BY THE WAY, PROVIDED WARMTH TO CARE FROM INDIVIDUALS FROM BOX SPRINGS, DALLAS, CEDAR HILL AND OBVIOUSLY RIGHT HERE IN DESOTO. SO I WANT TO PUT OUR HANDS TOGETHER RIGHT THERE AGAIN, BECAUSE I CANNOT THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING. MANY OF YOU HAD TO BE AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILIES AND BEING STAYING IN HOTELS AND TRYING TO STAY IN THE AREA AND DOING THIS AGAIN 24 OVER SEVEN. SO I REALLY WANT TO STRESS HOW THANKFUL WE ARE FOR YOU, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, COORDINATED COMMUNICATION, KEEPING RESIDENTS INFORMED BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE STORM. SO THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANS FOR A CITY TO BE STORM READY. AND SO THE STORM READY PROGRAM HELPS COMMUNITIES PREPARE FOR ALL HAZARDS THROUGH ADVANCED PLANNING, STRONG COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, AND PUBLIC EDUCATION. AND NO COMMUNITY IS STORM PROOF.BUT PREPAREDNESS SAVES LIVES. AND DURING THIS WINTER WEATHER EVENT, DESOTO DEMONSTRATED THE POWER OF READINESS, TEAMWORK AND LEADERSHIP. AND SO TO OUR CITY EMPLOYEES, YOUR PROFESSIONALISM, YOUR TEAMWORK, AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO SERVICE TRULY REFLECTS THE VALUES OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, NOT ONLY TO OUR RESIDENTS, BUT TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED LOOK TO OUR CITY FOR HELP DURING THE STORM. SO, ON BEHALF OF THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL, OUR COMMUNITY, THE NEIGHBORS WHO FOUND SAFETY AND SUPPORT HERE IN OUR CITY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND OUTSTANDING SERVICE. AND BECAUSE OF YOU, I WANT TO SAY THIS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. DESOTO DID MORE THAN ENDURE THE STORM. WE ROSE TO MEET IT TOGETHER. SO THANK YOU SO, SO VERY MUCH. AND WE WILL BE HAVING A SPECIAL LUNCHEON. YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT ENOUGH, RIGHT? AND OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH AND DO ENOUGH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DID. BUT WE WILL BE HOSTING A LUNCHEON FOR OUR STAFF TO SHOW THEM EVEN MORE APPRECIATION FOR WHAT THEY DID DURING THIS TIME AND THIS SEASON. SO AGAIN, CAN WE PUT OUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR OUR STAFF AND OUR TEAM THAT MADE OUR CITY ALL THE BEST. SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. AND WITH THAT I WILL HAVE THE. WELL, ARE YOU GOING TO DO THE CAN YOU DO THE ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE ELECTIONS? YES, MA'AM. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. NEXT WE HAVE THE GENERAL ELECTION FOR THE DESOTO WILL BE HELD ON MAY 2ND, 2026. YOU DID HEAR ALL OF THE UPDATES THAT MAYOR PRO TEM CHISHOLM PROVIDED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATES AND YOUR CONNECTION IN THE DALLAS ELECTIONS OFFICE.
JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE IN THE SEASON OF FILING. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOUR NAME PLACED ON THE BALLOT, THE TIME IS FROM JANUARY THE 14TH UNTIL FRIDAY, FEBRUARY THE 13TH AT 5 P.M. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME WE WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE
[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.]
AGENDA. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE 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 MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR SEPARATE VOTE AT THE REQUEST OF A COUNCIL MEMBER, THE MAYOR, OR THE CITY MANAGER. FIRST, WE HAVE THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL[F. Consent - Other Items]
MEETING MINUTES FOR JANUARY THE 9TH, 2026, AS WELL AS CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT THE COMPLETION OF CONSTRUCTION WORKS FOR THE 2023 ALLEY PAVING PROJECT.CONFIRMATION OF APPOINTMENT OF LESTER RAY JOHNSON, JR TO THE CITIZEN POLICE ADVISORY COMMISSION. PLACE THREE CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A PURCHASE CONTRACT IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $67,842 FOR THE PURCHASE OF A 2024 F550 CHASSIS FROM ROCKDALE COUNTY COUNTRY FORWARD. CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH METRO FIRE, AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $105,000 FOR THE AMOUNT OF THE DAMAGED BRUSH TRUCK BED UTILIZING BY BOARD CONTRACT NUMBER 698-23. THANK YOU, MADAM CITY SECRETARY. AT THIS TIME, IS THERE QUESTIONS? YES, I DO SEE A LIGHT. COUNCILMEMBER PARKER. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. YES, I DO HAVE A QUESTION, AND I JUST WANTED TO ASK JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO, YOU WERE MENTIONING THIS IS SEPARATE FROM MY QUESTION. YOU WERE MENTIONING THE ITEM F THREE. WHAT WAS THE AMOUNT THAT YOU USED? BECAUSE I, I USED 67. I THINK I HEARD SOMETHING DIFFERENT. WHAT WAS THE AMOUNT THAT YOU USED? I HAVE $67,842. OKAY. I MUST HAVE MISHEARD THAT. BUT A QUESTION AND A COMMENT FOR ITEM FOR F3 AND F4. THOSE TWO GO TOGETHER. THEY CAN'T. ONE CAN'T GO WITHOUT THE OTHER.
THAT IS CORRECT. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. AND IT'S JUST FOR MY OWN EDIFICATION. OR MAYBE THE
[01:25:01]
PUBLIC WHO MAY HAVE THAT QUESTION, WHY ARE THEY SEPARATE? SO IT WAS WE BOUGHT THE CHASSIS OR WE'RE BUYING THE CHASSIS SEPARATE WITH Y'ALL'S APPROVAL. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE BED OR WHAT WE CALL THE UPFIT, WHERE THEY PUT THE BED AND ALL THE LIGHTS AND SIRENS ON, DONE. SEPARATE VERSUS BUYING IT THROUGH THE VENDOR. IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUY THROUGH THE VENDOR. REMEMBER, THIS IS REPLACING THE TOTALED BRUSH TRUCK THAT WAS IN A CRASH THAT GOT HIT. AND SO THIS WAS A MUCH CHEAPER OPTION. AND THE INSURANCE PROCEEDS COVERED IT.DOING IT THIS WAY VERSUS TRYING TO GO BUY A BRAND NEW ONE. TOTALLY ALREADY DONE. AND I MAY HAVE MISSED IT, BUT INSIDE OF THE ACTUAL MANAGEMENT REPORT, DID IT SHOW THAT THAT BUYING IT SEPARATE LIKE THIS KEEPS ITS WARRANTY STILL? SO YES, THIS IS A IT'S BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS.
THIS IS A BRAND NEW TRUCK. AND THEN OUR VENDOR IS GOING TO REMOVE THE BED OF THE EXISTING TRUCK. THEY'RE GOING TO SALVAGE ANY PARTS THEY CAN AND THEN PUT A NEW BED ON AND THEN PUT THOSE SALVAGED PARTS PLUS NEW PARTS ON THE BED. SO IT'LL BE A BRAND NEW TRUCK WITH COMPLETE WARRANTY LIKE YOU JUST BOUGHT IT OFF THE LOT. OKAY, OKAY. AND THEN THAT'S ALL I HAD. OKAY.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND THEN THE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY WAS, I ASKED SOME PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO. AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE THAT ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT THE CHANGES TO THE ALLEYWAYS, THEY APPLAUD YOU ALL AS A CITY, THAT THAT IS SOME GOOD WORK DONE. PEOPLE ARE BEING ABLE TO USE THEIR ALLEYWAYS AND THAT IS AWESOME THAT IT IS FINALLY COMPLETED.
THANK YOU, I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU. COUNCIL, IS THERE A MOTION? MAYOR? MAYOR I MOTION THAT WE APPROVE AS PRESENTED. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MAYOR PRO TEM CHISM SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. ALL OPPOSED. SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL, THE CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE MR. LESTER RAY GIBSON, JUNIOR, WHO WAS APPOINTED TO OUR CITIZENS POLICE ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR PLACE THREE. PLEASE STAND. MR. GIBSON, WE WANT TO APPRECIATE YOU AND APPLAUD YOU. WE ARE ALWAYS DELIGHTED WHEN RESIDENTS STEP UP TO HELP US TO GUIDE AND MAKE DECISIONS AND PUSH THE VISION FORWARD FOR OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND WE KNOW THAT YOU WILL LEAD WELL ON ON THAT BOARD. SO THANK YOU SO
[1. Consider approval of a Resolution for submission of a grant application on behalf of the DeSoto Police Department from the Office of the Governor to fund the City's use of the ShotSpotter gunfire detection system in the amount of $99,000]
MUCH. THANK YOU. GOD BLESS YOU. AT THIS TIME WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA PLEASE.WE ARE NOW MOVE ON TO REGULAR AGENDA ITEM. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION FOR SUBMISSION OF GRANT APPLICATION ON BEHALF OF THE DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR TO FUND THE CITY'S USE OF THE SHOTSPOTTER GUNFIRE DETECTION SYSTEM AND THE AMOUNT OF $99,000. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL, MR. CITY MANAGER, SOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS ADHERED TO TO HAVE YOU CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION THAT WE SUBMITTED FOR A GRANT THROUGH THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR TO FUND OUR SHOTSPOTTER PROGRAM FOR $99,000 FOR THE COMING YEAR OF 27 FISCAL YEAR 27. WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO SECURE GRANT FUNDING THROUGH THAT STATE OF TEXAS CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM SO THAT IT CAN SUPPORT OUR SHOTSPOTTER PROGRAM. THAT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. IT'S CRITICAL. PUBLIC SAFETY TOOL ENHANCES OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND QUICKLY AND ACCURATELY TO INCIDENTS OF GUNFIRE, AND TO IMPROVING COMMUNITY SAFETY AND REDUCING VIOLENT CRIME. THE PROGRAM GRANT REQUIRES THAT THE CITY ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING SUBMISSION OF THE GRANT APPLICATION, AND IF AWARD AWARDED, THIS GRANT WILL FUND THE SHOTSPOTTER SYSTEM FOR AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 YEARS AT THE ANNUAL COST OF $99,000. SHOTSPOTTER SYSTEM HAS PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE, AS I SAID, IN IMPROVING RESPONSE TIMES AND SITUATIONAL AWARENESS FOR US AND THE TECHNOLOGY THAT ALIGNS WITH THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIME REDUCTION, THE ITEM HAS NO FINANCIAL IMPACT TO THE CITY, AND WE RECOMMEND THAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE RESOLUTION FOR SUBMISSION OF A GRANT APPLICATION ON BEHALF OF THE DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR TO FUND THE CITY'S USE OF THE SHOTSPOTTER GUNFIRE DETECTIVE DETECTION SYSTEM AND THE AMOUNT OF $99,000. AND I HAVE LUPE VALDEZ HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THE SUBMISSION OF THE GRANT. IF YOU NEED THAT. THANK YOU. CHIEF, I SEE NO LIGHTS ON, I THINK, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I DIDN'T MISS IT. WHEN WOULD YOU ALL KNOW SOMETHING BACK? I KNOW THIS IS JUST THE. LET ME MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE THE CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S BEING DONE. WE'RE JUST APPROVING THE RESOLUTION TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN AWARDED YET. CORRECT. SO WHEN WOULD YOU ALL KNOW SOMETHING BACK? POSSIBLY IF YOU'VE BEEN AWARDED. THAT'S RIGHT. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE BY AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER. BUT LAST YEAR WHEN WE PUT IN A GRANT, THEY DIDN'T LET US KNOW UNTIL NOVEMBER. SO AND THEY ASKED US TO START IN SEPTEMBER. SO WE JUST WE'RE AT THE MERCY OF THE
[01:30:09]
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE. SO HOW DOES THAT IMPACT OR HOW WILL OR COULD THAT IMPACT YOU ALL BUDGETARY WISE? BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THAT OVERLAPS WITH THE START OF THE FISCAL YEAR. SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO WE WE PLAN TO FUND THE BEGINNING OF THAT WITH FUNDS FROM OUR FEDERAL FORFEITURE ACCOUNT. OKAY. UNDERSTOOD. OKAY. I SEE NO LIGHTS. COUNCIL. IS THERE A MOTION? MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE AS PRESENTED.SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES. SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED. SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. THANK YOU Y'ALL. Y'ALL KNOW I'M SHOWING OUT. THEY GOT ME A GAVEL. THEY I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DID THAT BECAUSE I'M GOING TO SHOW OUT EVERY MEETING. GET USED TO IT. GOTTA GET I'M SPOOKING THEM UP HERE. WHEN EVERY TIME I HIT HIM I'LL ONLY DO IT FOR AGENDA ITEMS WHERE WE TAKE ACTION. IT'S FAIR. FAIR
[I. CITIZEN APPEARANCES]
ENOUGH. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL TAKE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. WE WILL NOW 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 AMBASSADORS TABLE PRIOR TO THE START OF THE MEETING. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETING 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 COMMENT CARDS RELATED TO THE SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS ARE TO BE PRESENTED TO CITY SECRETARY. PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THAT AGENDA ITEM. THE STANDARD TIME LIMIT IS THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER, 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 INDIVIDUAL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS 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 CORRECTLY 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. CITIZENS SHALL OBSERVE THE SAME RULES OF PROPRIETY, DECORUM, AND GOOD CONDUCT APPLICABLE TO THE CITY COUNCIL. MADAM CITY SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENT CARDS? WE DO ONE FOR MR. ROBERT E DAVID. GOOD EVENING, MR. DAVID. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE ONLY FOR THE RECORD, AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. MY NAME IS ROBERT DAVIS. I LIVE IN DESOTO. I LIVE ON THORNTREE. FOR MOST PEOPLE WHO KNOW ME, THEY DON'T KNOW ME AS ROBERT DAVIS. THEY JUST KNOW ME AS COLONEL, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE RANK THAT I RETIRED FROM, FROM THE MILITARY. SO THAT'S HOW THEY KNOW ME. I ONLY RISE TO COMMEND THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE PURCHASE OF THORN TREE. I THINK THAT WAS AN EXCELLENT ACQUISITION. I'VE LIVED THERE FOR 16 YEARS. THE COURSE HAS NEVER BEEN MAINTAINED BETTER THAN IT IS NOW, AND THE TRAFFIC HAS DOUBLED AND I GOT THE BROKEN WINDOWS TO PROVE IT. AND ON TOP OF THAT, I ONLY HAVE ONE CONCERN, AND THAT IS I WAS ON A ZOOM CALL ABOUT A WEEK AGO, AND I WITNESSED PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THE PURCHASE, AND IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT CERTAINLY WHEN YOU MAKE A DECISION, THE DECISION IS MADE AND IT'S IN, IT'S UP TO THE REST OF THE PEOPLE TO RALLY AROUND THAT DECISION AND MAKE THAT DECISION WORK. AND THE ONLY THING I SAW LAST WEEK WAS THAT WASN'T HAPPENING. SO AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR THAT PURCHASE.I THINK YOU GUYS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB AND I APPRECIATE THE TIME TO ADDRESS YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, COLONEL. WE APPRECIATE IT. ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL CARDS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK? THERE ARE NOT. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME. IF THERE ARE NO OTHER ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA, WE WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MAYOR PRO TEM CHISHOLM, SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES TO ADJOURN OUR MEETING. COUNCIL.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
IS THAT 7:32 P.M. COUNCIL. WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED. THANK
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.