[00:00:04]
GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR.
[A. CALL TO ORDER AND CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ]
IT'S APRIL 21ST AND IT IS 4:30 P.M. AND I WANT TO CALL THE EXECUTIVE SESSION OF THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER.I'M GOING TO ASK OUR CITY SECRETARY TO PLEASE PROVIDE US WITH A ROLL CALL, PLEASE. MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR HERE, MAYOR PRO TEM CRYSTAL CHISM HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, COUNCIL MEMBER KEN WATERS, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDRE BYRD, SENIOR COUNCIL MEMBER. DEBORAH NORTH. HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA HUGHES HERE.
THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO ASK FOR THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE.
FIRST, WE WILL HAVE THE SAFETY PROTOCOL BY FIRE CHIEF WHITTAKER.
WE'RE GOING TO EXIT THE BUILDING OR FIND A SAFE SPOT. YOU'RE GOING TO STAY THERE UNTIL SOMEBODY COMES AND GETS YOU. WITH THAT, LET'S HAVE A GOOD MEETING. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO ASK FOR THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE.
THE NEXT ITEM IS THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION FIVE FIVE, 1.07 FOR PERSONNEL MATTERS REGARDING THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT AND EVALUATION OF THE CITY MANAGER.
THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANY CARDS ON THIS ITEM? WE DO. OKAY, DOCTOR. DIANA MARKS.
GOOD EVENING, DOCTOR MARKS. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE. FOR THE RECORD, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. THANK YOU DOCTOR DIANA MARKS DE SOTO. I RISE TONIGHT TO EXPRESS MY DEEP DISDAIN.
NOT IN THE OPENING OF THE ART, BUT RATHER THE FACT THAT CERTAIN KEY PLAYERS WERE NOT INCLUDED ON THE INVITATION LIST TO THE VIP RECEPTION HELD FRIDAY PRIOR TO THE OPENING. NAMELY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, RAPHAEL, BROWN, PATRICK AND MYSELF.
NOW, LET ME BE CLEAR THIS IS NOT ABOUT EGO. IT'S NOT ABOUT RECOGNITION.
AND IT'S NOT FOR RECOGNITION SAKE. THIS IS ABOUT RESPECT, PROCESS, AND INTEGRITY.
THAT RAISES A CONCERN. THE QUESTION IS, WHO MADE THESE DECISIONS? WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO FIND OUT ON FACEBOOK. THE NEXT MORNING.
ORIGINALLY, THE NAMES THAT I JUST CALLED WERE TO BE ERECTED ON THAT PARTICULAR PLAQUE.
I WAS TOLD THAT THE CITY MANAGER DIRECTED THE PERSON TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY REMOVED THOSE NAMES.
IT IS ABOUT WHO MAKES THE DECISIONS THAT BROUGHT THIS PROJECT FORWARD.
QUITE FRANKLY, IT FEELS PETTY ACTIONS LIKE THIS CREATE PERSONAL VENDETTAS.
AND OF COURSE, IT MAKES SURE THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE FOLLOWING THE CORRECT PROCEDURE.
SO TONIGHT I'M ASKING AND I'M CALLING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY BY THE CITY MANAGER.
WE CANNOT BUILD A GREAT CITY WHILE OPERATING FROM SMALL PLACES.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, IT'S 4:35 P.M..
THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY.
[B. REGULAR SESSION AGENDA - CALL TO ORDER]
MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE.[00:05:02]
I'M GOING TO ASK OUR CITY SECRETARY FOR A ROLL CALL, PLEASE. MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR HERE, MAYOR PRO TEM CRYSTAL CHISM HERE.COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER. KEN WATERS, COUNCIL MEMBER.
ANDRE BYRD, SENIOR HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DEBORAH NORTH HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA HUGHES HERE. THANK YOU, MADAM CITY SECRETARY.
HELLO, EVERYONE. IF WE HAVE A WEATHER EMERGENCY.
I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO STAY IN THIS BUILDING. ANY OTHER KIND OF EMERGENCY? WE'RE GOING TO EXIT THE BUILDING, EITHER THROUGH THE DOORS WHICH YOU CAME IN OR THE DOORS TO MY RIGHT AND YOUR LEFT. YOU'LL REMAIN THERE UNTIL A POLICE OFFICER, A MARSHAL OR MYSELF COME AND GET YOU.
WITH THAT, LET'S HAVE A GOOD MEETING. THANK YOU, CHIEF.
WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE. WE WILL NOW HAVE THE INVOCATION BY JEANETTE WHEELER OF COMMUNITY, OUR COMMUNITY CHAPLAIN, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, LED BY STUDENT AMBASSADOR OLIVIA PEREZ OF DESOTO WEST MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE STAND? THANK YOU, HEAVENLY FATHER.
GRANT THEM THE INSIGHT TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT BENEFIT AND BUILD A STRONGER COMMUNITY.
LORD, WE PRAY THAT YOU BLESS EACH COUNCIL MEMBER, THEIR FAMILY, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, THE CITIZENS OF DE SOTO, AND THE GREAT CITY OF DE SOTO. IN JESUS NAME.
AMEN. AMEN. I PLEDGE 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.
HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE.
TEXAS. ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
THANK YOU, MISS WHEELER, FOR RENDERING THAT BEAUTIFUL PRAYER FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING.
AS WELL AS I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE THAT WERE CONDUCTED BY OUR STUDENT AMBASSADOR FOR THE EVENING, MISS OLIVIA PEREZ, FROM DESOTO WEST MIDDLE SCHOOL.
CAN WE GIVE BOTH OF THEM A GREAT BIG HAND CLAP? I WANT TO READ JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MISS PEREZ.
TONIGHT AT DESOTO WEST MIDDLE SCHOOL. EXCELLENCE IS NOT JUST EXPECTED.
OLIVIA IS A HIGHLY ACCOMPLISHED EIGHTH GRADE SCHOLAR WHO CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATES ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, LEADERSHIP, AND SERVICE. MAINTAINING AN OUTSTANDING 3.8 GPA WITH ALL A'S, OLIVIA SETS THE STANDARD IN THE CLASSROOM.
THROUGH HER DEDICATION, FOCUS, AND COMMITMENT TO SUCCESS BEYOND ACADEMICS, OLIVIA IS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN CAMPUS LIFE AND SERVES AS A PILLAR OF LEADERSHIP AT THE WEST. SHE HOLDS THE DISTINGUISHED ROLE OF EIGHTH GRADE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT COUNCIL, WHERE SHE LEADS WITH CONFIDENCE, INTEGRITY AND A STRONG VOICE FOR HER PEERS. HER COMMITMENT TO SERVICE IS FURTHER REFLECTED THROUGH HER ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP IN BOTH THE NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY AND BETA CLUB, WHERE SHE CONTRIBUTES TO INITIATIVES THAT UPLIFT BOTH THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY.
OLIVIA ALSO GIVES BACK ACADEMICALLY AS A MEMBER OF THE WEST ELITE TUTORS, SUPPORTING HER PEERS AND REINFORCING A CULTURE OF COLLABORATION AND ACHIEVEMENT ACROSS CAMPUS. IN ADDITION TO HER ACADEMIC AND LEADERSHIP COMMITMENTS, SHE SHINES IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AS A CHEERLEADER AND ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN ATHLETICS, DEMONSTRATING DISCIPLINE, TEAMWORK, AND SCHOOL SPIRIT.
OLIVIA PEREZ EMBODIES WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A WELL-ROUNDED SCHOLAR, EXCELLING ACADEMICALLY, LEADING BOLDLY, AND SERVING OTHERS WITH PURPOSE.
SHE IS TRULY TRAILBLAZING WITH PRIDE, PURPOSE, RESULTS, INTEGRITY, DETERMINATION, AND EXCELLENCE.
LET'S GIVE IT UP ONE MORE TIME FOR OUR STUDENT AMBASSADOR, MISS OLIVIA PEREZ.
MISS PEREZ IS OUR STUDENT AMBASSADOR TONIGHT, AND RESIDENTS AND MEETING ATTENDEES DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO SPEAK ON ANY ITEM ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT. BUT WE DO ASK THAT YOU FILL OUT A CARD IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
THEY CAN ASSIST YOU WITH GETTING A CAR FILLED OUT FOR THAT PURPOSE.
STAY RIGHT THERE. WE'RE GOING TO COME TAKE A PICTURE. OKAY.
[00:10:26]
THANK YOU.THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.
[C. PRESENTATIONS]
WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO PRESENTATIONS, DISCUSSION ON DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE CITIZENS POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.CPAC. APPROACHING THE DAIS IS POLICE CHIEF JOE COSTA.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DUTIES AND EXPECTATIONS THAT THE COUNCIL HAS FOR OUR CPAC CITIZEN POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND MOVING FORWARD, HOW IT SHOULD BE EITHER CHANGED OR ADDED TO ON OUR RESOLUTION IN OUR ORDINANCE FOR THE CPAC, CPAC.
IF YOU RECALL, SOME OF YOU WERE ON THE COUNCIL BACK THEN.
AND SO THAT THAT WOULD GIVE US OUR NINE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE ON THE CPAC.
AND THEIR, THE DUTIES AT THE TIME AND EXPECTATIONS WAS, AND I'LL REFER TO THE ORDINANCE, I'M SORRY, THE RESOLUTION NUMBER 20, THAT'S 23. THEY WOULD HAVE WORKED TOGETHER WITH CHIEF OF POLICE POINT OF INFORMATION.
SHOULD WE BE SHARING SHARING THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE.
PARDON ME. SHOULD WE BE SHARING IT? THERE WAS NO PRESENTATION WITH JUST DISCUSSING.
OH, THERE'S NO YOU SHOULD HAVE THIS RESOLUTION IN YOUR PACKAGE.
NO, I WAS REALLY ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC'S PERSPECTIVE.
OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEY WOULD WORK TOGETHER WITH THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND INTERNAL AFFAIRS SERGEANT TO DEVELOP A MORE TRANSPARENT POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEY WERE ALSO TO IMPROVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND CONTINUE TO FOSTER COMMUNITY TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN DPD.
THEY WERE ALSO EXPECTED TO PERFORM SUCH OTHER ADVISORY TASKS AS THE CITY COUNCIL MAY, FROM TIME TO TIME, DIRECT. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY TO FIND OUT WHAT YOUR DIRECTION IS MOVING FORWARD.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE WE'RE A LITTLE STUCK ON WHAT OUR AGENDA ITEMS SHOULD BE.
BACK IN SECTION FIVE OF THAT RESOLUTION IT SAYS THAT THEY WERE TO REVIEW DPD POLICIES AS REQUESTED BY THE CHIEF OF POLICE OR CITY ADMINISTRATION. AND THERE WERE SEVEN POLICIES THAT WE WERE TO REVIEW, WHICH WE'VE DONE AT LEAST ONCE ON ALL OF THEM, SOME TWICE. AND THEY WERE WAS USE OF FORCE, INCIDENT RESPONSE, USE OF FORCE BY DETENTION OFFICERS, DEPLOYMENT OF LESS LETHAL AND NON-LETHAL FORCE, USE OF DEPARTMENT ISSUED DIGITAL AUDIO VIDEO RECORDER, BIAS BASED PROFILING, RAPID DEPLOYMENT AND PURSUIT DRIVING.
THE COMMITTEE MEETS ON A MONTHLY BASIS AND A QUORUM IS WITH SIX MEMBERS.
AS I SAID BEFORE, WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THE POLICIES THAT ARE LISTED IN THE RESOLUTION.
AND SO WE NOW ARE LOOKING FOR SOME NEW DIRECTION AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE COUNCIL ON CPAC RELATIVE TO WHAT THEIR INTENTION IS AND ALSO TO WHAT TYPE OF MEETINGS WE SHOULD HAVE, WHETHER THEY STAY MONTHLY OR THEY STAY QUARTERLY OR THEY GO QUARTERLY OR ANY OTHER TYPE DATE. AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO ASK IF COUNCIL MEMBER NORTH WOULD LIKE TO CHIME IN TO ADD ANY ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. YES. THANK YOU CHIEF. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU LIEUTENANT WARDEN, CHAIR, HOPE STEVENS, AND ALL THE CPSC MEMBERS.
IF YOU'RE HERE THIS EVENING, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND? I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR STEADY COLLABORATION AND COMMITMENT TO THIS WORK.
[00:15:03]
CPSC HAS STAYED FOCUSED ON ITS POLICY REVIEW WORK THIS YEAR, OFFERING RECOMMENDATIONS TO HELP KEEP COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES IN FRONT OF US AS WE LOOK AT PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES. THE COMMITTEE IS ALSO CONTINUING ITS REVIEW OF CURRENT POLICIES AND TRACKING THEIR PROGRESS OF EARLIER RECOMMENDATIONS.SO COUNCIL HAS A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT'S MOVING FORWARD.
I'M JUST CURIOUS IF CHAIR HOPE STEVENS IS HERE THIS TONIGHT? YES. WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP AND SHARE BRIEFLY WITH THE COUNCIL? HEY, HEY. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. HOPE STEVENS, DESOTO, TEXAS. I HAVE BEEN VERY BLESSED TO SERVE WITH CPAC AT LEAST THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
IT'S BEEN LONG. I JUST DON'T REMEMBER. BUT AS AS SAID, WE HAVE.
GOD BLESS YOU. WE HAVE REVIEWED ALL OF THE POLICIES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE RESOLUTION.
AND I THINK THAT CPAC IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY NOW THAT WE'VE MET THE GOALS THAT YOU SET FORTH, SET FORTH FOR US. WHAT IS THE VISION NOW? WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP? VISION. NOW THAT WE'VE COMPLETED THAT, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A GREAT ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE COMMUNITY.
I HAVE PERSONALLY HAD GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE WITH CHIEF COSTA, FROM BEING A B ON A BOARD TO WHERE WE HAVE TO ENGAGE WITH THE POLICE FORCE AND WITH WITH CAPTAIN BAKER, WITH MULTIPLE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH OUR CHILDREN AS MORE.
SO I SEE SOME GREAT BENEFITS. IT'S JUST WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT NOW.
AND SO I DO CELEBRATE CPAC. AND THIS IS ME SPEAKING ON MY BEHALF.
I AM NOT SPEAKING ON EVERY COMMITTEE MEMBERS BEHALF.
THIS IS HOPE. SPEAKING FOR HOPE, I CELEBRATE.
JUST WHAT'S THE NEXT? SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY ANY CONFUSION, SO THAT WE'RE NOT BEING REDUNDANT IN ACTIONS AND PUTTING, YOU KNOW, MORE WORK ON OUR POLICE OFFICERS TO FIND SOMETHING NEXT FOR US TO DO.
AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MISS STEVENS, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR.
YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR LEADERSHIP. WE DO HAVE A CITIZEN COMMENT CARD FOR THIS ITEM.
BEFORE WE HEAR FROM COUNCIL. I WANT TO RECEIVE THAT COMMENT.
THAT COMMENT CARD WAS FROM MISS STEVENS. IT WAS FROM MISS STEVENS.
OKAY, GREAT. OKAY. AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU. CHIEF.
AT THIS TIME I DO SEE SOME LIGHTS. I'M NOT SURE WHOSE LIGHT WAS ON FIRST COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER.
THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, CHIEF, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION OF OF THE IDEA.
LET ME GO AHEAD AND READ A COUPLE OF LINES THAT I.
I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT. SECTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF CPAC IS AS FOLLOWS.
TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THE CHIEF OF POLICE OR THE DESIGNEE AND INTERNAL AFFAIRS SERGEANT TO DEVELOP A MORE TRANSPARENT POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE GO DOWN TO SECTION FIVE E, IT GIVES YOU THOSE SEVEN ITEMS. BUT IT ALSO SAYS REVIEWING DPD POLICIES AS REQUESTED BY THE CHIEF OF POLICE OR CITY ADMINISTRATION, WHICH MAY INCLUDE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO. MY QUESTION TO YOU IS FIRST YOU SAID IT HAS MET ITS OBJECTIVES FROM A TRANSPARENCY PERSPECTIVE. ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS TRANSPARENT AND YOU'VE MET THAT OBLIGATION? I'M SAYING THAT WE REVIEWED THESE POLICIES LISTED.
WE HAVE REVIEWED POLICIES THAT I'VE PRESENTED.
WE'RE REVIEWING ANOTHER ONE THIS COMING MEETING.
AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE ARE THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COUNCIL BECAUSE WE CAN REVIEW POLICIES, WE GET SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THEM.
AND WE'VE, WE'VE CHANGED SOME OF OUR POLICIES WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE, DO WE NEED TO GO OVER ALL OF OUR 100 OR SO POLICIES? IF WE DO, IF THAT'S YOUR, THEN WE'LL START WITH ONE AND WE'LL JUST GO ALL THE WAY DOWN THROUGH THEM.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TO GIVE US TRANSPARENCY THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. SO ARE THERE OTHER POLICIES OR ARE THERE OTHER PROCEDURES THAT YOU WANT THEM TO REVIEW? THAT'S THE ONLY QUESTION. WE KIND OF STALLED AT WHAT WHERE WE GO FROM HERE.
OKAY. AND SO FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE TRANSPARENCY PIECE, WHEN I ASKED THAT QUESTION, I'M REALLY, I'M REALLY WANTING TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK, THINK ABOUT KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, KPIS, HOW DID WE COME TO THE REALIZATION THAT WE'VE MET OUR OBLIGATION BASED ON THE ACTUAL MANAGEMENT REPORT? IT SAYS THEY HAVE MET THEIR OBLIGATION. AND I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING THE ACTUAL READOUT OF THE POLICY CHANGES.
HAS THAT BEEN DONE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE CPC TEAM OR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT?
[00:20:05]
SO THE CPC TEAM WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE WOULD MAKE THE CHANGES.AND WE'VE DONE THAT IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL SEVERAL TIMES NOW.
SO ALL SEVEN POLICIES HAVE COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL.
NO, I DIDN'T SAY THAT. I SAID THE ONES THAT WE.
THEY RECOMMENDED CHANGES ON. OKAY. OKAY. SO AND SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WHAT IS THE WHAT DOES TRANSPARENCY LOOK LIKE TO THE COUNCIL THAT YOU'RE ASKING US TO BE TRANSPARENT? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? IS IT ALL OF OUR POLICIES? THEN IF IT IS, THEN WE'LL START RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING AND WE'LL GO THROUGH AND THEN I'LL LET GO.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW FROM A PERSPECTIVE, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, THE CPAC TEAM, HAVE THEY BEEN ASKED, ARE THERE ANY POLICIES THAT YOU GUYS SEE? HAVE THEY BEEN ENGAGED? AND IF SO, WHAT IS THAT? WHAT WHAT IS THAT RESPONSE? WE HAVE ASKED THEM. AND SO WE'VE KIND OF SPUN OUR WHEELS ON WHAT WHAT THE POLICIES ARE.
I'M DOING ONE NEXT TIME ON DETENTION AND THE POLICY WITH WITH DETENTION OR JAIL.
OKAY, I'LL LOOK YOU SAY. SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME.
WITHOUT JAIL. WITH THE JAIL. OKAY, I'D LIKE TO.
BECAUSE AS A COUNCIL, I'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL FOR THREE YEARS, AND I DON'T THINK I, I DON'T THINK I CAN ACTUALLY PINPOINT ANY OF THE ACTUAL POLICY CHANGES THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.
SO I'M NOT SAYING THEY HAVEN'T. I'M JUST SAYING I DON'T REMEMBER.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT I UNDERSTAND FIRST WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THAT TEAM IS.
AND HAVE THEY YOU SAID I'M SORRY. IN THE MANAGEMENT REPORT IT SAID THEY HAVE MET THEIR OBLIGATION.
SO I'M JUST REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND ARE WE SURE THEY'VE MET THEIR OBLIGATION? I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU MAYOR.
NOT ONLY BEING ONE OF THE CITIZENS THAT ADVOCATED FOR IT, BUT TO ALSO BE ONE OF THE FIRST COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND THEN THE COUNCIL'S LIAISON FOR IT. I'VE SEEN IT EVOLVE IN SEVERAL SPACES.
AND FOR THOSE THAT DID NOT KNOW, THIS COMMITTEE CAME AT THE CUSP OF THE GEORGE FLOYD DEATH AND ALL OF THE CIVIL UNREST THAT WAS IN OUR COUNTRY.
CONSIDERING THE MAKEUP OF DE SOTO THAT WE, WE, WE KNOW, AND I'M CONSTANTLY REMINDED OF AS WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY, AS WE TALK ABOUT JUSTICE AND INJUSTICE. IT ONLY SEEMED RIGHT THAT THERE WOULD BE MORE OF A RELATIONSHIP BUILT WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THERE WERE ARTICLES AND THINGS THAT WERE COMING OUT THAT SHOWED THAT THERE WAS OPPORTUNITY.
I THE INITIAL START OF IT WAS VERY MICROMANAGED BY NOT JUST STAFF BY, BY, BUT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND THE POLICE, AND I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW BAD IT WAS UNTIL MY BEST FRIEND, WHO IS A RETIRED OFFICER OF NEW YORK POLICE OF 21 YEARS, CAME AND CAME DOWN TO TEXAS AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M CONFUSED.
AND SHE ATTENDED THE MEETING WITH ME. SHE SAID, I'M CONFUSED.
SHE SAID, THIS IS A CITIZENS POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
RIGHT? AND I SAID, YES. SHE SAYS, BUT IT'S RAN BY THE POLICE.
WELL, I WAS A COMMITTEE MEMBER AT THAT TIME. I DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER.
BUT ONCE WE TOOK ONCE I TOOK OFFICE AND OUR CHAIR CHANGED THAT SHORTAGE THAT SHIFTED.
WE DON'T HAVE THEM. SCHOOL TAKES ABOUT AT LEAST A MONTH TO ADD THEM.
I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF ONUS ON THE COUNCIL OF IDENTIFYING THE IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR THIS, THIS COMMITTEE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY.
YOU YOU DO HAVE TO BE POLICY DRIVEN. YOU DO HAVE TO BE UNBIASED.
YOU CAN'T BE ON THE SIDE OF ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT OR TO THE LEFT.
YOU GOT TO LOOK AT THINGS ON HOW CAN WE MAKE IT BETTER FOR ALL? I WILL SAY THIS, THAT I THINK THERE'S STILL NEED BECAUSE TO MY COLLEAGUE'S POINT ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, AND I THINK THERE'S STILL SOME OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
[00:25:07]
AND I DON'T I'M TRYING TO REEVALUATE WHAT I WAS TOLD EARLY ON BECAUSE.AND, MADAM MAYOR, YOU YOU WERE ON THE DAIS, SO YOU MAY REMEMBER.
BUT I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER THE LATE MAYOR MCCOWAN.
AND AND YOU AND CHIEF COSTA SAYING THAT WE COULD NOT HAVE CPAC AS AN OVERSIGHT.
AND AND BECAUSE AND AND THAT WAS BECAUSE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION TOOK THAT PLACE.
YES. THE PROBLEM WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION, WITH CITIZENS AND MYSELF FOR THAT PROBLEM IS THAT THOSE RESIDENTS THAT SERVE ON THERE ARE ARE APPOINTED BY THE CITY MANAGER. YES. WHICH LEAVES US OUT OF THE LOOP OF ENSURING THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S UNBIASED.
AND I DON'T NOT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE ANYTHING WRONG WITH ANY OF THE MEMBERS ON THERE, BUT AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I WHEN I TALK, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OVERSIGHT, YOU, IT IS STILL TO ME GRADE, RIGHT. BUT WE HAD SOME GREAT DIALOG BEFORE I LEFT ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAD TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT BECAUSE IT'S NOT SPELLED OUT IN THE POLICY.
RIGHT? WHETHER IT'S FROM THE DATA THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO REQUEST OPEN RECORDS FOR BEING READILY AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE OR HOW DO YOU HANDLE POLICE SHOOTINGS? THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE TODAY HANDLE IN A VERY SUBJECTIVE WAY.
AND IT'S DETERMINED ON THE DAY OF THE WEEK. WHAT OTHER CURRENT EVENTS HAD, WHO'S IN CHARGE FOR THE DAY? AND I JUST OR WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER IS, IS PUSHING IT.
AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF US SHOULD HAVE TO PUSH FOR PHOTOS TO BE RELEASED, FOR VIDEOS TO BE RELEASED, OR FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY ON ANY ISSUE. THOSE SHOULD JUST BE THINGS THAT HAPPEN JUST BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS IN DE SOTO.
AND THAT IS WHAT THIS THIS WORLD, THIS COUNTRY HAS MOVED TO AS IT RELATES TO POLICING.
SO I DO SEE OPPORTUNITY. I THINK THAT THE COUNCIL HAS WORK TO DO ON REWRITING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS, WE'RE NOT IN THE GEORGE FLOYD AREA, BUT WE'RE NOT IN AN AREA WHERE I THINK THAT WE CAN SAY THAT POLICE RELATIONSHIPS ARE JUST A ONE, Y'ALL. Y'ALL DO A GREAT JOB WITH COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICERS.
I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY IS ASKING FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE SKIN, A LITTLE MORE SUBSTANCE THAN JUST THE CHECK THE BOX WE MET THIS MONTH. WE WENT OVER THE POLICIES. THERE ARE SOME REAL THINGS THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT, BUT WE NEED TO LIFT IT FROM UNDER THIS CIVIL SERVICE.
WE CAN'T DO THIS AND, AND, AND, AND ALLOW THOSE BECAUSE THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BECAUSE I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE BEING IN SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD BECAUSE WE HAD POLICE IN THE ROOM SAYING, WELL, NO, WE CAN'T DO THAT.
IT'S NOT NO, I'M JUST USING THIS AS AN EXAMPLE.
BUT IF WE SAY WE WANT YOU TO HAVE THE VIDEO OUT IN A WEEK TIME, RIGHT? AND YOU GOT A POLICE OFFICER SAYING, THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
YOU CAN'T DO THAT. THAT'S NOT A PLACE WHERE IDEAS CAN BE BIRTHED.
RIGHT? SO I THINK THE STRUCTURE PROBABLY OFFERS SOME CHALLENGE, YOU KNOW, AND WE DIDN'T, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THERE WAS NO RIGHT SEAT WITH LIKE CITIES THAT HAVE IT ESTABLISHED, LIKE CITY OF DALLAS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEY HAVE THEIR CHALLENGES TOO. I LITERALLY WATCHED THEIR OVERSIGHT MEETING EVERY MONTH, SO I KNOW THEIR CHALLENGES AS WELL. WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT I THINK CPAC HAS VALUES, BUT VALUE TO OUR LIKE, WE NEED A RELATIONSHIP WHERE CITIZENS OUT HERE HAVE A, SOME SORT OF INTERFACE WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT THEY NEED EMPOWERMENT AND THEY NEED CLEAR DIRECTION OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE TODAY, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT IN THE GEORGE FLOYD ERA, BUT WE ARE IN AN ERA WHERE WE STILL NEED TO BE PRIORITIZING TRANSPARENCY AND EQUITY IN, IN, IN ALL THINGS, WHETHER IT'S SHOTSPOTTER OR HOW MANY BLACK PEOPLE YOU PULLED OVER LAST WEEK.
I THINK IT JUST HAS TO BE A CONVERSATION THAT WE SPEND TIME MASSAGING.
THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. I'M GOING TO ASK FOR I THIS CONVERSATION DESERVES MORE TIME THAN WE HAVE TONIGHT. AND I THINK THIS APPLIES TO MORE THAN JUST OUR CITIZENS POLICE ADVISORY COMMISSION.
I THINK IT CAN APPLY TO SEVERAL BOARDS. WHAT I WOULD ASK THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER AS STAFF AS WELL IS TO LOOK AT CREATING SOME TIME FOR US TO DO A WORKSHOP DIRECTLY WITH THE BOARD TO EXCHANGE IDEAS ABOUT WHAT THEY SEE AS RESIDENTS AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH WHAT THEY SEE TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING ALL THINGS IN TERMS OF RE-ENVISIONING WHAT THIS BOARD DOES.
[00:30:04]
THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING AS WELL IS BASED ON WHAT WAS EXPLICITLY WRITTEN.THOSE WERE VERY CONCRETE THINGS. AND THERE'S ONLY SO MANY TIMES A BOARD CAN DO THAT.
AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS IT TRANSLATES INTO MEANINGFUL WORK.
SO I THINK THAT WE STILL HAVE SOME WORK TO DO.
SO I'M GOING TO ASK IF WE COULD LOOK AT HAVING SOME TIME WITH THIS PARTICULAR BOARD FOR SURE, BECAUSE THIS IS TOP OF MIND FOR US RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
SOMETIME POSSIBLY THIS SUMMER, IF, IF COUNCIL WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS THE CONSENSUS ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO SO THAT WE CAN BRING THIS BACK? AND AGAIN, SPEND SOME TIME WITH THAT BOARD TO BE ABLE TO EXCHANGE.
I KNOW THAT COUNCIL HAS, YOU KNOW, AS OF LATE, WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH PLANNING AND ZONING AND THOSE IN DC BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF WHAT THOSE BOARDS DO, INTERFACING WITH COUNCIL AND THE WORK THAT WE DO.
COUNCIL. I'M GOING TO START TO MY LEFT. COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM COME BACK. I'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN. YES, THAT'S WHY I SAID I MENTIONED OTHER BOARDS. I DIDN'T WANT TO START CALLING NAMES, BUT THAT WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WAS THAT WAS ON MY MIND.
YES, MA'AM, I CONCUR. COUNCIL MEMBER NORTH I AGREE.
YES I DEFINITELY. MADAM MAYOR, THIS SUMMER WOULD BE PERFECT.
BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE CONVERSATION TONIGHT.
HE'S EXPLAINING THAT THERE IS A NEED TO GIVE THEM GUIDANCE.
AND SO THAT MEANS THEY'LL SIT ANOTHER TWO MEETINGS OR SO WITH NO REAL GUIDANCE.
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, AND I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, TIME IS OF ESSENCE THAT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE'S TIME, THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE GOVERN OURSELVES ACCORDINGLY AND ALLOW THAT, THAT COMMISSION OR THAT COMMITTEE OR THAT BOARD TO HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, CONCRETE DIRECTION. AND RIGHT NOW, BASED ON WHAT WE'RE SAYING, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM ANOTHER TWO MONTHS TO SIT IDLY.
AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT COME BACK SOONER, BUT IF THE CONSENSUS OF THE BOARD IS SUMMER IS SUMMER, I JUST HOPE THAT WE CAN MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SERVING, THAT WE LET THEM KNOW THEY'RE NOT SERVING IN VAIN.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE SET A REALISTIC EXPECTATION WITH TIME, CONSIDERING WE'RE IN ELECTION SEASON AND WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF TRANSITION POSSIBLY IN THE MONTH OF MAY. AND SO SUMMERTIME IS JUNE TO ME.
SO THAT'S ONE MONTH ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE APRIL IS KIND OF MOVING PAST US.
SO I WANT TO SET A REALISTIC EXPECTATION ON WHEN WE COULD POSSIBLY GET GET IN FRONT OF EACH OTHER.
HOWEVER, IF WE CAN GET IT SOONER, I ABSOLUTELY WOULD WOULD AGREE.
COUNCIL WOULD YOU ALL AGREE? IF SOONER, THE SOONER THE BETTER.
HOWEVER, REALISTICALLY SPEAKING, LET'S LET'S SHOOT FOR SHOOT FOR THE SUMMERTIME.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU CHIEF, WE APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
[D. ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]
NEXT WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551.0415, 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, AS WELL AS ANY LIAISON UPDATES. THANK YOU. YES, COUNCIL MEMBER.
PARKER, I SEE YOUR LIGHT. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR.
AND I WANT TO DO A COUPLE OF SHOUT OUTS HERE.
THIS WEEK, APRIL 19TH THROUGH THE 25TH IS ACTUALLY, I'M SORRY.
AND AS A MATTER OF NOTE, ADDITIONALLY, TODAY IS ACTUALLY NATIONAL LIBRARY WORKERS DAY.
SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE A COMPLETE HONOR TO THOSE FOLKS IN THE LIBRARY AND ALL THAT THEY DO.
AND SO I HOPE THAT YOU ALL KNOW WHAT A GEM WE HAVE IN THE LIBRARY.
WE HAVE RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF DE SOTO, AND THE OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO GET THERE AND LEARN, EXPLORE, YOU KNOW, DISCOVER, RECONNECT WITH YOUR CHILDHOOD IF YOU NEED TO BE.
BUT THAT'S A PLACE FOR YOU, ME, AND ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO EXPLORE.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN, LIBERIA. AND THEN ALSO THIS IS NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK.
[00:35:06]
AND SO I ALSO WANT TO THROW A SHOUT OUT TO EVERY VOLUNTEER, ESPECIALLY OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, BECAUSE THEY DO SIT IN THESE POSITIONS TRYING TO HELP THIS CITY, GIVING BACK TO THE CITY OF DE SOTO AND THIS COUNCIL AND THIS CITY ADMINISTRATION.AND SO THIS WEEK IS DEDICATED TO THANKING THEM.
AND I HOPE THAT WE ALL DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY SOMETIME DURING THIS WEEK.
BUT IF YOU DON'T, ON APRIL 25TH, WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL THE BATTLE BATTLE OF THE BOARDS.
THAT IS THE BATTLE OF THE BOARDS ROYALE. IT'S AN EVENT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET A TREAT.
YOU SEE ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP, AND I HOPE THAT WE HAVE MANY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, VOLUNTEERS THAT WILL COME OUT AND ENJOY SOME TIME IN FRIENDLY COMPETITION, GETTING TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER, GETTING TO KNOW WHATEVER. WHAT ELSE? WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON IN THE CITY OF DE SOTO? BECAUSE AS YOU SEE, WE HAVE A DAIS OF PEOPLE WHO WE VOLUNTEER OUR TIME AS WELL.
SO IF YOU HAVE A LITTLE TIME ON SATURDAY AND YOU WANT TO CHECK OUT THE ARK, COME ON OVER.
APRIL 25TH, 9 A.M. TO 2 P.M. SOMEWHERE IN THERE, SOMEBODY'S GOING TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CHALLENGE, AND WE NEED YOU TO COME OUT AND GIVE THEM A GREAT ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO EVERY VOLUNTEER THAT IS SERVING IN THE CITY OF DE SOTO.
AND I YIELD BACK AGAIN. IT'S AT THE ARK 1400 ACADEMY WAY.
COME ON OUT. ENJOY A LITTLE TIME WITH US. I YIELD BACK.
THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. PARKER. COUNCIL MEMBER.
OF. I'VE BEEN BLESSED TO BE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WHEN YOU LEAVE AN ORGANIZATION, YOU OUGHT TO LEAVE IT BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT.
SO WE WANT TO INVITE YOU TO OUR ANNUAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM DAY.
ONE OF MY THINGS THAT WE WITH MATT AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM, WE TRY TO DO IS ONCE A YEAR HAVE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOWN HALL, BUT THIS IS A FULL SYMPOSIUM. IT'S APRIL THE 30TH.
IT WILL BE FROM 9:00 IN THE MORNING TILL ONE FROM 9:00 UNTIL ONE.
WE WILL FEED YOU BREAKFAST AND LUNCH. AND WE HAVE INVITED SOME NOTABLE FRIENDS FROM OUT THE REGION.
SO CITY MANAGERS FROM OTHER CITIES, DEVELOPERS FROM OTHER PLACES WILL COME AND WE WILL TALK ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN DE SOTO IN OUR OPPORTUNITIES. LET ME JUST READ IT SO I WON'T MESS IT UP.
THE CITY OF DE SOTO INVITE YOU TO ATTEND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM.
DE FOCUS FOCUSED ON STRATEGIES, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES DRIVING GROWTH IN OUR REGION.
WE HAVE CITY MANAGERS COMING FROM MCKINNEY. WE HAVE DEVELOPERS COMING FROM FAR NORTH DALLAS.
SO IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW HOW WE CAN POSITION DE SOTO FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, WHAT IS NECESSARY, AND HOW WE CAN REALLY ATTRACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE AMENITIES THAT EACH OF US HAVE ASKED FOR.
AND IS STILL ASKING FOR. THIS IS THE PLACE THAT YOU WANT TO BE.
APRIL THE 30TH WE WILL BE AT THE ARK AND ALL IS WELCOME.
THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM.
THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AND HELLO EVERYONE. HERE WITH US TODAY.
I DO WANT TO ECHO MY COLLEAGUE AND SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO SERVE ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY COULD NOT DO WHAT WE DO WITHOUT THE SUPPORT FROM, FROM THE COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE THE VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN FOR THE SOTO HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY ALSO, IF YOU NOTICE, TODAY THEY WERE RECOGNIZED FOR GETTING FULL RIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY THAT'S IN THE TUNE OF A $100,000. YEAH. REALLY COOL AND SO I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE TIME TO RECOGNIZE THEM AS WELL AS
[00:40:06]
RECOGNIZE ALSO PRINCIPAL HOMER WEBB WHO WAS SELECTED AS LIFE CHANGER OF THE YEAR FOR DESOTO ISD.DESOTO ISD IS OUR PARTNER. WE LOVE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I YIELD BACK. MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER.
HUGHES. COUNCIL MEMBER. NORTH. DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME.
OKAY. I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS. TOMORROW MORNING, IF YOU HAVE NOT SIGNED UP, IF YOU ARE A DESOTO FAITH LEADER, WE WILL BE HAVING OUR QUARTERLY FAITH LEADERS.
BREAKFAST THAT'S HAPPENING TOMORROW, APRIL 22ND, AND THAT WILL BEGIN AT 8:30 A.M.
IT IS A FREE BREAKFAST. HOWEVER, YOU MUST REGISTER IF YOU WANT TO ATTEND.
WE WILL BE HAVING WE WILL BE HEARING RATHER FROM OUR INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT, MR. BRANT MITCHELL, AS WELL AS WE WILL BE HEARING FROM OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, MISS LAKITA SUTTON. AND SHE WILL BE SHARING WITH OUR FAITH COMMUNITY ON WAYS THAT THEY CAN. WELL, TO GIVE THEM INFORMATION ON OUR UPCOMING BUDGET SEASON AND OUR UPCOMING BUDGET CYCLE.
SO AGAIN, PLEASE GO TO EVENTBRITE.COM, SEARCH FOR FAITH QUARTERLY FAITH LEADERS BREAKFAST IN DESOTO, AND IT SHOULD COME UP AND YOU CAN REGISTER FOR THAT FOR THAT BREAKFAST.
MAYOR PRO TEM, DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMENT OR IS THAT JUST THE RESIDUAL LIGHT? WELL, SPEAKING OF THE MAYOR PRO TEM, SHE HAS A BIRTHDAY NEXT WEEK AND WE WANT TO CELEBRATE HER.
CAN WE PUT OUR HANDS TOGETHER AND TELL HER HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY? NOW, MAYOR PRO TEM, YOU KNOW HOW THIS GOES. YOU GET TO PICK WHAT YOU LIKE, WHETHER THAT IS THE STEVIE WONDER VERSION OR THE THE REGULAR VERSION.
YOU LET US KNOW IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER CHOIR WILL SING THAT TO YOU WITH.
NOT UNCLE LUKE BIRTHDAY VERSION. HE IS RUNNING FOR CONGRESS.
BUT WE GOING WE GOING TO WE GOING TO DO THE TRADITIONAL VERSION ON THE COUNT OF THREE.
ONE. TWO. THREE. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAYOR PRO TEM. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.
WE HOPE YOU HAVE A VERY WONDERFUL, VERY WONDERFUL CELEBRATION.
YOU DESERVE IT. I LOST MY EYESIGHT. OH, THAT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY GIFT.
GREAT. WELL, NOT GREAT, BUT ME AND YOU ARE IN THE SAME.
WE'RE NOW IN THE SAME BOAT, Y'ALL, BECAUSE MINE IS NOT DOING TOO GOOD EITHER.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, MADAM SECRETARY, WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
[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. ]
NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR 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 CITY MANAGER. FIRST, WE WILL HAVE CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH ROBERT
[F. Consent - Other Items]
KISTNER CONSULTANTS, INCORPORATED IN THE AMOUNT OF $134,729.31 FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS TESTING SERVICES FOR THE WESTMORELAND ROAD IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT, CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT IN THE AMOUNT OF $73,935 WITH CASTRO ROOFING FOR THE FULL REPLACEMENT OF SENIOR CENTER FACILITY ROOF UTILIZING TIPS.CONTRACT NUMBER 25010402. CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT PURCHASE OF ONE NEW CASE TV370B SKID STEER TO REPLACE A 2009 CASE 445 SKID STEER ASSIGNED TO THE STREETS DIVISION. THE EQUIPMENT WILL BE PURCHASED FROM ASSOCIATED SUPPLY COMPANY A, SCO THROUGH BY BOARD NATIONAL PURCHASING COOPERATIVE CONTRACT NUMBER 78825 AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS.
CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH RUSH TRUCK CENTER, DALLAS FOR THE PURCHASE OF TWO NEW FORD F-150 TRUCKS, AND THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $93,457.96.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMPETITIVE BID PROCESS FOR VEHICLES APPROVED IN FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET, CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE WITH THE PARADIGM TRAFFIC SYSTEMS IN THE AMOUNT OF $72,080 FOR THE PROCUREMENT AND INSTALLMENT OF TRAFFIC SIGNAL EQUIPMENT. THIS INCLUDES 15 LIGHT TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS, 11 U2
[00:45:04]
MALFUNCTION MANAGEMENT UNITS, 20EDIBIU, 700 BUS INTERFACE UNITS, AND TEN LOAD SWITCHES.THE PURCHASE WILL BE MADE THROUGH THE BY BOARD CONTRACT NUMBER 695-23.
FOR A PRORATED AMOUNT OF $12,745.33, PLUS HOSTING AND MAINTENANCE SUPPORT, RESULTING IN A TOTAL YEAR ONE IMPLEMENTATION PRICE OF $62,622.98 THROUGH THE TIPS CONTRACT NUMBER 220105.
YEAR TWO ONGOING HOSTING SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE COSTS ARE ESTIMATED AT $34,991.24.
I WANT TO HEAR FROM THEM BEFORE WE VOTE OR PULL ANY ITEMS. WE DO HAVE A COMMENT CARD FOR MISS ANNA WILLIAMS. GOOD EVENING, MISS WILLIAMS. I BELIEVE YOU WANTED TO SPEAK ON ITEM FF4.
YES. OKAY. YOU HAVE. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE.
FOR THE RECORD, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. ANNA WILLIAMS, 37 YEARS IN DESOTO.
I AM REALLY UPSET ABOUT THE TRUCKS THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR IN DESOTO WHEN WE HAVE THE TWO DEALERSHIPS.
THIS IS HORRIBLE. WE ARE ALWAYS SO MUCH TO LOVE.
YOU DON'T LOVE THOSE CAR DEALERSHIPS? WE GO EVERY OTHER PLACE BUT DESOTO.
AND THAT IS THE. SO MUCH TO LOVE. NOT WITH. NOT WITH THE TWO.
I'M SORRY. NOT WITH THE TWO DEALERSHIPS HERE IN DESOTO.
AND, YES, THOSE TWO TRUCKS, THEY COULD HAVE BEEN BOUGHT AT MY HEIGHT.
I WAS THERE OTHER DAY WHEN MY GRANDDAUGHTER WAS GETTING HER CAR REPAIRED, AND I WENT AROUND THESE SAME TRUCKS AND SOME OF THEM THAT ARE LOWER PRICED.
YOU COULD HAVE HAD TWO F-150 TRUCKS, BUT YOU DECIDE NOT TO DO IT.
THIS IS DE SOTO. THIS IS RETAIL. THOSE TWO TRUCKS, THOSE TWO CAR DEALERSHIPS HAVE PAID TAXES HERE IN DESOTO, TEXAS. NOT OUT AT RUSK, NOT OUT AT SAM PECK, ALL OF THOSE PLACES.
AND WE DO NOTHING FOR THEM, BUT THEY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING FOR US.
WELL, ONE DAY THEY MIGHT WAKE UP AND WE MIGHT NOT HAVE ANY CAR DEALERSHIPS HERE IN DESOTO.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS WILLIAMS. AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY ITEMS FOR TO BE PULLED? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER. I BELIEVE I BELIEVE MY COLLEAGUE WAS ACTUALLY FIRST.
YES, MA'AM. MAYOR PRO TEM, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A STATEMENT IN REFERENCE TO F ONE AND F TWO, F ONE AND F TWO. OH, YOU WANT ME TO DO IT BEFORE IT HURTS? ARE YOU PULLING THEM OR ARE YOU JUST MAKING COMMENTS? JUST MAKING COMMENTS. OKAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER ARE YOU PULLING ITEMS OR JUST MAKING COMMENTS? I WAS JUST MAKING COMMENTS FOR F SIX F SIX. YES, MA'AM.
MAYOR PRO TEM PROCEED. THANK YOU. IN OUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING I BROUGHT TO THE STAFF'S ATTENTION THAT I HAD USED A SOFTWARE THAT'S COMMONLY USED IN GOVERNMENT TO RESEARCH VENDORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU CAN USE IT TO REVIEW GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.
AND IN MY RESEARCH, OF WHICH I DO EVERY COUNCIL MEETING FOR OUR VENDORS AND OUR CONTRACTS I SAW OPPORTUNITY IN THE SOFTWARE THAT SHOWED THAT OUR VENDORS, THE VENDORS THAT I CALLED OUT WERE NOT IN GOOD STANDING.
HOWEVER, THE CITY DID PULL THOSE ITEMS AND WENT BACK TO REVIEW THAT AND THEY WERE ABLE NOT THROUGH THE PROCUREMENT SOURCE, BUT I BELIEVE THROUGH OTHER PROGRAMING THAT THEY USE THESE VENDORS IN IN WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THEY WERE IN GOOD STANDING.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN LEADERS DON'T GET IT RIGHT, YOU APOLOGIZE.
AND SO IF I OFFENDED ANY OF THE VENDORS THAT WERE ON THE AGENDA, IT DEFINITELY WAS NOT TO ATTACK YOUR BUSINESS. BUT AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS AND ASK FOR THE ADDITIONAL RESEARCH.
WHAT I HOPE WILL ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE TO US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS IS NOT JUST TO ASK THE QUESTIONS, BUT GET SUPPORT WHEN WE WANT ADDITIONAL RESEARCH DONE ON ITEMS.
[00:50:04]
AND SO THAT REQUIRES US TO HAVE A PROCUREMENT PROCESS THAT DOESN'T GIVE US ITEMS AT A TIME WHERE WE'RE ON A CRUNCH, WHERE WE HAVE TO SAY YES WITHOUT THE DUE DILIGENCE THAT WE'RE ASKING.I THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT AND I WILL ALWAYS DO, BE, BE, BE AN ADVOCATE FOR THAT.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH CITY, FOR YOUR FAST RESPONSE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCILMEMBER PARKER.
YES, MADAM MAYOR. I ACTUALLY WANTED TO ASK ABOUT F6 BECAUSE THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND ARE WE APPROVING A TOTAL BUDGET OR. I MEAN, A TOTAL BUDGET ITEM OF 6266, 62298? OR ARE WE WHICH ONE ARE WE APPROVING? BECAUSE IF YOU NEED YEAR ONE, I'M SURE YOU'RE GOING TO NEED YEAR TWO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ADA COMPLIANCE.
CORRECT. SO THE THE ORIGINAL IMPLEMENTATION CONTRACT WITH CIVIC PLUS WAS UNDER $50,000.
SO IT DID NOT COME BEFORE YOU. SO WHEN WE ADDED THESE TWO TOOLS TO IT BEFORE WE GO LIVE IN A FEW WEEKS, IT BROUGHT IT UP TO THIS $62,000 NUMBER. SO IT HAD TO COME BEFORE YOU FOR THE ADDITIONAL PURCHASE, THE ADDITIONAL 12,000. YES, MA'AM. AND THEN THIS YEAR TWO IS JUST ON THERE TO KIND OF CLEAR OUT THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE THE ONGOING COST GOING FORWARD.
2020. YES, MA'AM. IT'S ALREADY THERE. YES, MA'AM.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE THAT. I WAS JUST WONDERING. I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND.
I KEPT SAYING, WHAT ARE WE WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY, IT WAS KIND OF COMPLICATED BECAUSE THE CONTRACT WAS ALREADY IN PLACE AND WE'RE JUST ADDING TO IT. AND THAT MADE IT COME BEFORE YOU. SO AND I DO THANK YOU FOR THE ADA.
AND IS THAT I KNOW THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DID ACTUALLY EXTEND THE DATE.
YES, MA'AM. FOR ADA COMPLIANCE, WHICH IS GOOD.
AND I DO WANT TO UNDERSTAND IF WE'RE GOING TO INCORPORATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEONE IN OUR PUBLIC WHO IS DIFFERENTLY ABLED, OR ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW IT FOR COMPLIANCE FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE AS WELL? I KNOW WE HAVE A FEDERAL COMPLIANCE, BUT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE IT, IS THERE SOME WAY OF OUTREACHING TO THOSE FOLKS TO LET THEM KNOW THIS IS HAPPENING? MAYBE THEY CAN BE THE PEOPLE TO HELP HELP US, YOU KNOW, GET THAT RIGHT? YEAH. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ACTUALLY WITH OUR RISK MANAGER, WHO IS GOING TO BE THE STAFF LIAISON TO THE UPCOMING DISABILITY BOARD THAT YOU GUYS ARE SETTING UP. AND SO WE WERE WORKING THROUGH HER, AND WE CAN PROBABLY WORK THROUGH HER TO FIND SOME PEOPLE TO WORK WITH ON THAT.
THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASSIST WITH SOME OF THESE ITEMS AS WELL.
SO I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE READY FOR THAT.
THANK YOU. YES, I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU. COUNCIL, IS THERE A MOTION? MADAM MAYOR. I ACTUALLY SAY THAT I SET A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS AS WRITTEN.
SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER IMPROPERLY.
SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAY NAY. I. JUST WANTED TO. IT'S ALWAYS ONE. ALL RIGHT.
COUNCIL, I'M GOING TO DO THAT AGAIN. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE AYE AYE AYE.
ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
THANK YOU. COUNSEL. MADAM CITY SECRETARY, WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
[1. Case No. SP-699-26 - Conduct a public hearing and consider a request to approve a site plan for PD Development No. 58 relating to the development and use of Lot 1, Block A, South Meadows Office Park No. 3 Addition, containing approximately 0.8609 acres. The property is located at the East intersection of E. Pleasant Run Road and N. Chattey Road and addressed as 400 E. Pleasant Run Rd., DeSoto, Texas. The applicant is Ike Nwosu and the owner is Zika Enterprises, LLC]
NOW, WE WILL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC HEARINGS. CASE NUMBER SP-699-26.CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER A REQUEST TO APPROVE A SITE PLAN FOR PD DEVELOPMENT NUMBER FIVE EIGHT RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF LOT ONE, BLOCK A SOUTH MEADOWS OFFICE PARK. NUMBER THREE ADDITION CONTAINING APPROXIMATELY 0.8609 ACRES.
THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT THE EAST INTERSECTION OF EAST PLEASANT RUN ROAD AND NORTH CHUTNEY ROAD, CHETTY ROAD AND ADDRESSED AS 400 EAST PLEASANT RUN ROAD, DESOTO, TEXAS.
THE APPLICANT IS IKE NWOSU AND THE OWNER IS ZIKA ENTERPRISES, LLC.
MAKING A PRESENTATION IS PLANNING AND ZONING MANAGER CAMBRIA JORDAN.
GOOD EVENING, MISS JORDAN. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
CITY MANAGER. CITY MANAGER AND ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
MISS CASTANEDA AND OUR MAYOR, PROCTOR. SO THIS EVENING, I BRING FORWARD FOR YOU ALL TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER APPROVING A SITE PLAN FOR A PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WITHIN PLANNED DEVELOPMENT 58. SPECIFICALLY, THE APPLICANT, MR. NWOSU, AND THE PROPERTY OWNER, XIKAR ENTERPRISES LLC, ARE REQUESTING THAT THE DE SOTO CITY COUNCIL APPROVE A SITE PLAN WITHIN PLAN DEVELOPMENT 58 FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF AN OFFICE CENTER, WHICH IS A USE ALLOWED BY RIGHT IN THE BASE ZONING DISTRICT OF THE PLAN PLAN DEVELOPMENT 58, WHICH IS OFFICE ONE. SO THIS IS A SITE PLAN.
[00:55:04]
AND TYPICALLY SPEAKING SITE PLANS ARE ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVED.BUT THIS SITE PLAN IS FOR A PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT THAT IS AGAIN LOCATED WITHIN THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
SO THAT'S WHY THE SITE PLAN IS COMING BEFORE YOU ALL THIS EVENING. CURRENTLY, THE SITE IS ADDRESSED AS 400 EAST PLEASANT RUN ROAD AND JUST UNDER ONE ACRE COMING IN AT 0.8609 ACRES. AND YOU CAN SEE THE SUBJECT SITE AT THE CORNER IN THE TOP RIGHT SCREEN.
SO PROPERTIES IMMEDIATELY NORTH AND EAST OF THE SUBJECT SITE ARE ALSO ZONED PLANNED DEVELOPMENT 58, WHICH AGAIN HAS A BASE ZONING DISTRICT OF OFFICE ONE AND PROPERTIES IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE SOUTH AND WEST OF THE SUBJECT SITE ARE THEY HAVE THE SAME BASE ZONING DISTRICT OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL 9000 OR SF NINE. HERE YOU SEE OUR PROPOSED SITE PLAN AGAIN, NOT AGAIN.
PER THE SITE PLAN, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE SUBJECT SITE IS ONLY TAKING ACCESS OFF OF EAST PLEASANT RUN ROAD, AND THAT'S THROUGH A MUTUAL ACCESS AGREEMENT EASEMENT WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER IMMEDIATELY TO THE EAST.
SO IN THE FAR RIGHT OF THE SCREEN, YOU'LL SEE OUR FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND YOU'LL SEE A BLACK STAR.
THIS BLACK STAR IS SYMBOLIZING THE LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED SUBJECT SITE.
PER THE FUTURE LAND USE PLAN, THE SUBJECT SITE IS DESIGNATED AS NEIGHBORHOOD MIXED USE, WHICH DOES SUPPORT OFFICE USES, MEANING THAT THE REQUEST IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE 2024 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THAT STAFF CAN SUPPORT THE REQUEST.
IN CONCLUSION, STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL FROM THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MADE AT THE MARCH 24TH REGULAR MEETING AND APPROVE THE SITE PLAN AS PRESENTED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, MISS JORDAN. AT THIS TIME. COUNCIL. I ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO MOVED.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENT CARDS FOR THIS ITEM? THERE ARE NO COMMENT CARDS FOR THIS ITEM.
THANK YOU, MADAM CITY SECRETARY. AT THIS TIME I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. OUR PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I MOVE THAT WE. I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE AS PRESENTED.
SECOND. THANK YOU. COUNSEL. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. I JUST WANT TO SAY TO THE BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ARE PROPOSING THIS ESTABLISHMENT, I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR BEING IN THE CITY OF DE SOTO AND ALSO FOR THEM CONTINUING TO DO BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF DE SOTO AND BRINGING MORE BUSINESS TO THE CITY OF DE SOTO. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
COUNCIL. PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PADS.
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE.
[2. Case No. Z-1542-25 - Conduct a public hearing and consider making a recommendation to the DeSoto City Council regarding an ordinance amending and restating Planned Development 20 (PD-20), relating to the development and use of 4.153± acres of land located on the west side of the North Interstate 35 East frontage road, approximately 535 feet north of Meadows Parkway. The subject property is legally described as HOLIDAY INN I35 BLK A LT 1 ACS 4.153, containing approximately 4.153 acres, and is addressed as 1307 N. I-35E, DeSoto, Texas. The applicant is Andrew Yeoh of Triangle Engineering LLC and the owner is Mid-Continent Hospitality]
WE WILL NOW HAVE CASE NUMBER Z-1542-25. CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE DE SOTO CITY COUNCIL REGARDING AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AND RESTATE RESTATING PLANNED DEVELOPMENT.INTERSTATE 35 EAST FRONTAGE ROAD APPROXIMATELY 535FT NORTH OF MEADOWS PARKWAY.
THE SUBJECT PROPERTY PROPERTY IS LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS HOLIDAY INN 135BLKALT1 ACRE.
4.153 CONTAINING APPROXIMATELY 4.153 ACRES AND IS ADDRESSED AS 1307 NORTH I 35 EAST DESOTO, TEXAS. THE APPLICANT IS ANDREW YAU OF TRIANGLE ENGINEERING LLC AND THE OWNER IS MID CONTINENT HOSPITALITY MAKING A PRESENTATION IS PLANNING AND ZONING MANAGER, CAMBRIA JORDAN.
GOOD EVENING AGAIN. COUNCIL MEMBERS MAYOR PROCTOR AND DEPUTY CITY MANAGER CASTANEDA.
[01:00:03]
THIS EVENING I'M BRINGING FORWARD A SEPARATE REQUEST FOR YOU ALL TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER APPROVING A REQUEST TO AMEND AND RESTATE PLAN DEVELOPMENT 20.AND SPECIFICALLY OUR APPLICANT, MR. ANDREW YAO, AND THE PROPERTY OWNER MID-CONTINENT HOSPITALITY, ARE REQUESTING THAT THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL GRANT A OR APPROVE AN ORDINANCE RESTATING AND AMENDING PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
20. AND I WILL. OKAY. EXCUSE ME.
OKAY. AND YOU CAN SEE THE SUBJECT SITE. IT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN.
STAFF RECEIVED FOUR LETTERS OF OPPOSITION FROM PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE 200 FOOT RADIUS OF THE SUBJECT SITE, AND ZERO LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE SUBJECT SITE OR 200 FOOT RADIUS OF THE SUBJECT SITE.
AND WE RECEIVED ONE LETTER OF OPPOSITION FROM A PROPERTY OWNER WITHIN THE FOUR FOOT RADIUS, AND ZERO LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THAT 400 FOOT RADIUS.
SO I THINK THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. THIS SLIDE HAS BEEN UPDATED.
SO IN TOTAL THERE IS FOUR PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ARE CONSIDERED FOR THE 20% THRESHOLD IN THE, IN TOTAL, THE LAND AREA OF THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS MAKES UP JUST 14.87%.
SO SUPERMAJORITY IS NOT GOING TO BE REQUIRED TONIGHT.
CITY LIMITS AND PROPERTY OWNERS TO THE SOUTH ARE CURRENTLY ZONED AS PLANNED DEVELOPMENT 20 AS WELL, AND PROPERTIES TO THE WEST ARE ZONED AS SF 12 OR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.
12,000. HERE YOU CAN SEE THIS IS THE PROPOSED SITE PLAN.
THE SUBJECT SITE IS TAKING SINGLE ACCESS OFF OF THE I-35 FRONTAGE ROAD.
HERE THE PROPOSED ELEVATIONS. AND HERE IS OUR PROPOSED LANDSCAPE PLAN.
SO ON THIS SLIDE WE'LL GO THROUGH THE SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
SO IN TOTAL THE APPLICANT IS ACTUALLY JUST REQUESTING TO.
THE THIRD AMENDMENT THAT YOU SEE IS A RECOMMENDATION BY STAFF.
BUT WE'LL START WITH THE FIRST ONE. PER THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT 20 ORDINANCE FOR THIS SUBJECT SITE, WHICH IS UNDER RECOGNIZED UNDER SECTION 14 OF PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
20 ORDINANCE. THE. THIS SECTION, WHICH IS CURRENTLY EXISTING AT 4.153 ACRES, IS REQUIRED TO HAVE 128 ROOMS AND THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING TO ONLY DEVELOP 120. THE SECOND AMENDMENT IS THE REQUIREMENT TO HAVE AN ON SITE RESTAURANT IN PLACE OF THE ON SITE RESTAURANT REQUIREMENT.
THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO HAVE KITCHENS IN EACH OF THE 120 ROOMS, AND THE THIRD AMENDMENT IS REQUESTED BY STAFF, AND IT HAS TO DO WITH THE BUILDING MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS AS THEY ARE NO LONGER CONSISTENT WITH THE HB OR HOUSE BILL 2439.
IN THE ITEMS TO RESTATE, IF APPROVED, WOULD BE THE SITE PLAN, LANDSCAPE PLAN AND ELEVATION PLAN.
AND I WANTED TO NOTE THAT THE APPLICANT IS NOT PROPOSING ANY DEVIATIONS FROM THE SITE, FROM THE ELEVATION OR THE LANDSCAPE PLAN, JUST THE TWO DEVIATIONS FROM THE SITE PLAN. HERE IS OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMPATIBILITY.
SO TO THE FAR RIGHT YOU'LL SEE THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
AND IT HAS A BLACK STAR, THAT BLACK STAR SYMBOLIZING THE LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED SUBJECT SITE.
UNDERNEATH THAT BLACK STAR, YOU'LL SEE RED, WHICH IS SYMBOLIZING THE DESTINATION MIXED USE, WHICH DOES SUPPORT COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT SUCH AS A HOTEL, MEANING THAT THE REQUEST IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THAT STAFF CAN SUPPORT THE REQUEST. IN CONCLUSION, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE DESOTO CITY COUNCIL ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MADE AT THE MARCH 24TH REGULAR MEETING AND APPROVED THE CASE AS PRESENTED.
COUNCIL ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN.
MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE ANY CARDS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK?
[01:05:03]
YES, MA'AM. WE HAVE TWO CARDS. THE FIRST PERSON IS LEO CARTER.CAN YOU CALL THEIR NAME AGAIN TO SEE IF THEY MAY NOT BE? TO SPEAK, BUT I DO OPPOSE THAT. THANK YOU. SIR.
CAN WE GET THE NAME AGAIN? YES. CAN YOU GIVE US THE NAME AGAIN? LEO CARTER? LEO CARTER. YES, SIR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND HE IS IN OPPOSITION COUNCIL. YES. WE HAVE ANOTHER CARD.
MADDIE C CARTER. MRS. CARTER, DO YOU WISH TO SPEAK TONIGHT? I LET MY HUSBAND SPEAK FOR ME. YES, MA'AM. SO WE CAN.
ARE WE OKAY? ARE WE, ARE WE ARE WE UNDER THE CORRECT ASSUMPTION THAT YOU ARE IN OPPOSITION TO THIS AS WELL, MRS. CARTER? YES, I IS IN OPPOSITION. YES, MA'AM.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU.
WE HAVE TWO THAT ARE IN OPPOSITION. ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL CARDS? THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL CARDS. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
COUNSEL, I'M GOING TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION BEFORE ENTERTAINING COMMENTS.
MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE DENY THE REQUEST OF APPLICANT.
SECOND. THANK YOU. THAT MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY COUNCILMAN BYRD.
SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM TO DENY. COUNCIL. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS? MAYOR PRO TEM YEAH, I, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I WOULD NOT VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE CONCERNS THAT THE CITIZENS IN NOT ONLY IN THIS AREA BUT JUST ACROSS THE CITY, HAVE RAISED IN REGARDS TO US WANTING DEVELOPMENT, WANTING INTENTIONAL DEVELOPMENT DOWN I-35 AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST.
AND I THINK THAT THE CITY OWES THE COMMUNITY A ROAD MAP FOR I-35.
I MEAN, I'M NOT HIS BOSS, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE BECAUSE I THROWING ANOTHER HOTEL AT I-35 AND NAMING IT AROUND SALES TAX. I THINK THAT WE JUST CAN'T DO THAT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE ISSUES WE'VE HAD WITH SOME OF THE HOTELS OF JUST NOT EVEN PAYING THEIR TAXES. AND SO FOR ME, I JUST, I COULD NOT VOTE FOR IN FAVOR OF ANOTHER HOTEL.
OFF I 35. THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCIL MEMBER.
WE KNOW BY RIGHT THAT ZONING SUPPORT A HOTEL, BUT IT IS SUPPORT A FULL SERVICE HOTEL, WHICH MEANS THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR RESTAURANTS. WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE FULL MONTY AND NOT SOME WATERED DOWN KITCHENETTE.
THAT IS NOT THERE'S ALWAYS A CONCERN THAT THOSE TYPE OF PLACES BECOME LONG TERM SLUMLORDS AND NOT THAT THIS APPLICANT WOULD BE. HOWEVER, WHENEVER THERE'S NOT A RESTAURANT AND OR A BAR THERE, IT REALLY YIELDS ITSELF TO THAT.
SO WE DO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BY RIGHT, THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO BE THERE AS WELL AS THE VARIANCES ON ON THE HOTEL ROOMS. ROOMS FROM 128 TO 120. SO IF THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD THEIR BY RIGHT, THEY NEED TO FOLLOW ALL OF THE ORDINANCES THAT THE CITIZENS AND THE CITY HAVE PUT IN PLACE BY. RIGHT. SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER HUGHES. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO ECHO THOSE SENTIMENTS. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING FULL SERVICE, NOT TRYING TO BE HARD CORE. WE DO BELIEVE IN PROPERTY RIGHTS, BUT AGAIN, WE WANT TO ADHERE TO OUR ORDINANCES.
THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU TO PNC AS WELL. THANK YOU.
I SEE NO ADDITIONAL LIGHTS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK.
WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO DENY COUNSEL.
PLEASE BE MINDFUL. VOTING YES. IS VOTING TO DENY VOTING? YES IS VOTING TO DENY. THIS. YES, MISS JORDAN? GOOD EVENING, MAYOR PROCTOR. SO OUR APPLICANT IS REQUESTING TO COME UP AND SPEAK.
TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. THANK YOU.
[01:10:03]
AND WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. YES. IT'S UP TO YOU ALL.GOOD EVENING MAYOR. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS KEVIN PATEL. I'M WITH THE TRIANGLE ENGINEERING.
I'M THE ENGINEER OF RECORD FOR THIS PROJECT. 1782 WEST MCDERMOTT DRIVE, ALLEN, TEXAS 75013.
I WANT TO POINT OUT THE HOTEL USE IS ALLOWED BY RIGHT FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
YES, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR EXCEPTION FOR 120.
ROOM 128. ROOMS 220 ROOMS. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE ONE THING HERE.
BASICALLY, THE USE ALLOWED. IT SAYS THAT UNDER THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
214818 A RESTAURANT WITH THE MINIMUM SIZE OF 15FT² PER GUEST ROOM, THAT COMPLIES THAT.
AND IT FURTHER, FURTHER TALKS ABOUT IF COMPLETE COOKING FACILITIES ARE PROVIDED IN EACH CASE ROOM, NO RESTAURANTS REQUIRED. SO IT'S STILL IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
IT'S NOT JUST A TYPICAL EXTENDED STAY. THIS IS A TOP TIER EXTENDED STAY.
AND IT'S BY MARRIOTT. AND NUMBER OF HOTELS WE HAVE HERE IN DESOTO.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S NUMBER ONE. AND NUMBER TWO, THAT LAST LAST TIME WHEN WE WERE AT THE P AND Z, THERE WERE SEVERAL CITIZENS CAME UP TO OPPOSE THE PROJECT.
WE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION WITH THE CITIZENS. AND WE ARE PRESERVING ENTIRE GREENBELT ALONG THE WESTERN EASTERN PROPERTY LINE BETWEEN THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY AND HOTEL PROJECT. I MEAN, WE CAN GO BACK AND ADD THE EIGHT ROOMS AND WE CAN ADD A LITTLE BIT LARGER KITCHEN AND WE CAN GO THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET THE APPROVAL BY. RIGHT. BUT WE, WE ARE REQUESTING HERE THAT YOU ALL CONSIDER ALLOWING US TO HAVE 120 ROOMS. WE HAVE A KITCHEN IN EACH GUEST ROOM BECAUSE IT'S AN EXTENDED STAY.
AND AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE A BAR AND LOUNGE FOR THE IN A, YOU KNOW ENTRY AREA FOR THE.
CUSTOMERS STAYING AT THE HOTEL AND IT'S OPEN FOR PUBLIC AS WELL.
SO JUST WANTED TO BRING THESE TWO ITEMS TO YOUR ATTENTION.
THANK YOU, MR. PATEL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. YES, JOE, DO YOU HAVE ANY ANYTHING YOU CAN ADD TO THAT? THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER HUGHES. AT THIS TIME AGAIN, WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
A MOTION TO DENY AT THIS TIME. COUNCIL, PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PADS.
OH, THERE WE GO. THAT MOTION PASSES FIVE ONE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. AT THIS TIME, MADAM CITY SECRETARY, WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
[1. Consider approval of the City of DeSoto 10-Year Strategic Plan - "Mapping DeSoto's Future 2035"]
PLEASE. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE REGULAR AGENDA.CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE CITY OF DE SOTO. TEN YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN MAPPING DE SOTO'S FUTURE 2035.
DO YOU WANT ME TO INTRODUCE IT? GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THIS ITEM IS RELATED TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN. THE UPDATE THAT WE HAVE GONE THROUGH FOR THE PAST SIX, SEVEN MONTHS. AND WE DO HAVE OUR CONSULTANT, BAKER TILLY.
HE'S GOING TO BE PROVIDING YOU THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR.
PRO TEM. ARE YOU ABLE TO HEAR ME? OKAY. YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
OKAY, GREAT. AGAIN, A PLEASURE TO BE SPEAKING IN FRONT OF YOU ALL THIS EVENING.
ARE YOU SEEING EVERYTHING OKAY? YES WE CAN. THANK YOU.
OKAY. FANTASTIC. LIKE I MENTIONED, WHAT A PLEASURE TO BE SPEAKING IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND AGAIN, SEEING YOU ALL ON THE DAIS AT COUNCIL MEMBERS CITY MANAGER AND THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY FELLOW REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CITY RESIDENTS. THIS IS AN EXCITING PROJECT AND EXCITING ENGAGEMENT FOR ANY CITY TEN YEAR PLAN.
[01:15:08]
WHAT THE CITY SHOULD BE AIMING FOR FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS AS ITS GUIDING KIND OF FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENT, WHICH EVERY STRATEGIC PLAN ACTS AS THAT. IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES, I WANT TO WALK THROUGH THE TEAM.FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS, MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH MYSELF THE BAKER TILLY TEAM HERE, WE'VE ALL BEEN VERY FOND OF WORKING WITH YOU ALL AND VERY GRACIOUS FOR YOUR CLOSE SUPPORT, GATHERING DOCUMENTS MEETING WITH US IN PERSON, IN GROUPS, SPENDING TIME TO FACILITATE SESSIONS AND BUILD IN REAL TIME THE COMPONENTS OF THIS PLAN, YOUR PLAN, AND THOSE SHOWN ON THIS SCREEN ARE THAT TEAM THAT I'M SPEAKING OF AND REMISS.
THEY CAN'T BE HERE TODAY. AND LIKEWISE JUST REALLY EXCITED TO BE SHARING WHAT WE'VE ALL BEEN WORKING ON AND WHAT WE THE PROJECT HAS LANDED ON STRATEGIC PLANNING OBJECTIVES. TO REITERATE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS STRATEGIC PLAN IS TO IDENTIFY WHAT SHOULD THE CITY BE TARGETING BY WAY OF INCLUSIVE PROCESS STAKEHOLDERS AND ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY THAT INCLUDED SURVEYS, INTERVIEWS.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. A DEDICATED WORKSHOP WHICH EVERY STRATEGIC PLAN HAS.
THAT'S THE FOUNDATION OF A REALLY CONSENSUS BUILT PATHWAY.
AND THEN MOST IMPORTANT, THE ACTUAL PLAN ITSELF THAT COMES OUT OF ALL OF THOSE COMPONENTS.
THIS PLAN SPECIFICALLY WAS FOCUSED ON A TEN YEAR TIME HORIZON.
SO BETWEEN NOW AND 2035, YOU CAN ANTICIPATE THE ITEMS OF THIS PLAN, THE GOALS, THE OBJECTIVES TO BE THE PRIMARY FOCUS FOR GUIDING THE SUCCESS OF THE CITY AND THE IMPLEMENTATION.
WE LIKE TO SAY THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING TO ACHIEVE THE PLAN.
JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS AGAIN. WE MET WITH INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE SPOKE IN CONVERSATIONS. THIS WAS A GREAT CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD IN TWO OCCASIONS.
WE ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AROUND THE TABLE, IT'S THE QUALITY OF THE CONVERSATION. BY FAR, ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL CONVERSATIONS I'VE HEARD IN THE PROCESS WAS THOSE AROUND THIS TABLE, AND A LOT OF THEIR SENTIMENTS WERE ECHOED IN INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE ROOM TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBERS CAME TO GET TOGETHER AND DEDICATED A FULL DAY TO DEVELOPING GOALS, INITIATIVES, A VISION, MISSION AND VALUES AND THIS DAY WAS FROM 8 A.M.
UNTIL 4 P.M. AROUND THAT TIME. IF WE DIDN'T END A FEW MINUTES EARLY, THERE.
BUT THE GOALS WERE ROBUST FROM CONVERSATION DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS PARTICIPATED AS WELL, AND ULTIMATELY THE PRESENTATION WE BROUGHT OF RECOMMENDED GOALS WAS MORE REFINED TO CAPTURE THE NUANCES OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A RESIDENT OF DESOTO.
AND WHAT ARE THE NEXT TEN YEARS SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON SPECIFICALLY.
THAT SAID, THIS CULMINATED IN THE MAPPING DESOTO'S FUTURE 2035 SEVEN KEY GOALS, A VISION STATEMENT, MISSION STATEMENT, AND A SET OF CORE VALUES TO GUIDE THE CITY FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS.
AND IF YOU ALL ARE ABLE TO SEE HERE THE VISION STATEMENT AS READS, CITY OF DESOTO WILL BE THE MODEL COMMUNITY FOR THE REGION DYNAMIC, THRIVING, AND COMMITTED TO OPPORTUNITY AND BELONGING FOR ALL AGES.
THE MISSION STATEMENT. THE CITY OF DESOTO PROVIDES IT'S RESPONSIVE, COLLABORATIVE GOVERNMENT SERVICES THAT PROTECT HEALTH AND SAFETY AND ENRICH OUR CULTURE AND QUALITY OF LIFE. WE ADVANCE SUSTAINABILITY, INCLUSION AND INNOVATION TO CREATE BELONGING AND ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR ALL AGES.
LASTLY, THESE SEVEN CORE VALUES CAME UP FROM CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE FINED, DOWN FROM ABOUT A FEW DOZEN VALUES WE LIKE AND SIMILAR VALUES TOGETHER LANDED ON THESE AS THE SEVEN MOST IMPORTANT FOR THIS NEXT TEN YEARS, AND THOSE THAT CAPTURE THE SENTIMENTS OF THOSE ON THE ROOM TODAY, AND A LOT OF THE WORK IN THE WORKSHOP SESSIONS FOR THE STRATEGY ITSELF.
[01:20:10]
I'LL ALSO SAY TO THE VISION AND MISSION, WE ASKED COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE ASKED DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, WHAT ARE THE SENTIMENTS THAT EMBODY THE VISION AND THESE STATEMENTS WE REFINED DOWN, COMPILED TOGETHER AND IN OUR OPINION, THESE CAPTURE WHAT THE CITY OF DE SOTO WOULD CONSIDER ITS VISION AND THE MISSION AND COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE INTERESTED IN YOUR THOUGHTS AS.THIS IS A DIRECT OUTPUT FROM OUR SESSIONS IN FEBRUARY.
I'LL TALK BRIEFLY HERE IN THE INTEREST OF TIME ABOUT WHAT ARE YOUR SEVEN CORE GOALS? AGAIN, THESE ARE WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS.
AS AN ONLOOKER, AS SOMEBODY WHO IS INTERESTED IN WHERE YOU'RE HEADED.
THESE ARE SEVEN ITEMS I CAN POINT TO THAT ALL CITY FUNCTIONS AND INITIATIVES CAN BE TIED TO GOING FORWARD AND IDEALLY WILL BE IN CLOSE CONVERSATION WITH CITY MANAGEMENT. THAT'S THE INITIATIVE. THAT'S THE FOCUS HERE.
STRENGTHEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND MOBILITY. ENHANCE COMMUNITY QUALITY OF LIFE AND RECREATION.
DRIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND DIVERSIFICATION.
ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY, IMPROVE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELL-BEING ADVANCE GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY AND DATA DRIVEN DECISION MAKING. AND LASTLY, CULTIVATE A STRONG COMMUNITY IDENTITY AND ENGAGEMENT.
ALL OF THESE GOALS WERE THE RESULT OF CONVERSATIONS, DATA POINTS BENCHMARKING, PEER ANALYSIS THAT WE TOOK A LOOK AT FOR OTHER PLANS, WHAT THE REGION IS FOCUSED ON, WHAT'S UNIQUE TO THE CITY.
AND LASTLY, WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, INTERVIEWEES AND THE RESIDENTS SPECIFICALLY FROM HUNDREDS OF DATA POINTS. THE PRESENTATION WILL BE AVAILABLE TO YOU ALL AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT WE MEAN BY EACH OF THESE GOALS, A DESCRIPTION OF THE GOAL ITSELF, AS WELL AS A FEW KEY OBJECTIVES THAT WHEN ACHIEVED, WE CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY IN TEN YEARS THIS GOAL WAS ACHIEVED. AND WHICH SHOULD WE BE FOCUSED ON? KIND OF IN THE SHORT TERM. LONG TERM, WE BUCKET THOSE GENERALLY BASED OFF OF THE NEXT 3 TO 5 YEARS AND BEYOND.
WE HOLD THAT TO BE TRUE IN OUR TEAM AS WELL. WE'VE SEEN MANY STRATEGIC PLANS FOCUS ON THE PLAN, CONTENT AND IMPLEMENTATION EQUALLY, AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE YOU ARE IN THE PROCESS.
MANAGEMENT IS FOCUSED ON THAT. COUNCIL'S INTERESTED IN THAT.
THE PUBLIC IS CURIOUS OF HOW THE IMPLEMENTATION WILL GO AND WHAT THE NEXT STEPS LOOK LIKE, AND THAT'S THE KEY FOCUS FOR THIS PLAN. NEXT STEPS.
WE, AS THE STRATEGY PLANNING TEAM, WILL PROVIDE A FEW ACTION ITEMS FOR IMPLEMENTING.
THE PLAN. MANAGEMENT WILL TAKE THOSE ACTION ITEMS AND BEGIN TO WORK OUT WHO THE PROCESS OWNERS FOR EACH OF THE GOALS ARE WITHIN THE CITY ITSELF, AND THEN IDENTIFY BASED OFF THE EXPERTISE OF EACH DEPARTMENT.
WHAT IS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION FOR ACHIEVING THIS GOAL THAT COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY HAS TASKED US WITH? THE CITY IS ALSO LOOKING TO UTILIZE A SOFTWARE AS WELL, WHICH WOULD BE A PRETTY COMMON PRACTICE 2025, 2026 OF STRATEGIC PLANNING, JUST ACROSS THE INDUSTRY AND THAT, THAT WILL BE AN INTERNAL FACING AND A PUBLIC FACING, IDEALLY DASHBOARD FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUING TO KEEP TRACK OF PROCESS.
SO AGAIN, JUST KEEPING TRUE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPLEMENTATION.
WE HEARD THAT AS CITY MANAGEMENT HEARD THAT AND THE DEPARTMENTS.
ALREADY FANTASTIC WORK INTO WHAT ELEMENT OF THE PLANETS ASSOCIATED WITH.
AND IN A VERY SUCCINCT AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND FASHION.
WE THINK THIS STRATEGY IS IS ONE THAT WILL HELP YOU ALL STAY GROUNDED AND MOVE FORWARD.
I'LL PASS IT BACK OVER. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MR.
[01:25:06]
BATTLE. AT THIS TIME, I DO SEE SOME LIGHTS. I'M NOT SURE WHOSE LIGHT WAS ON FIRST.COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND MR. BATTLE, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND I'M GOING TO START WITH THE, THE OUTREACH, I KNOW THAT YOU SHOWED A SLIDE THAT SHOWED SOME, SOME OUTREACH.
I DO WANT TO UNDERSTAND OUTSIDE OF THAT MEETING, WAS THERE ANY OTHER OUTREACH BEFORE WE GOT TO THE FINAL PRODUCT? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. THE, OUR PROCESS FOLLOWS THE STRATEGIC PLAN WORKSHOP BEING THE CULMINATING EVENT OR DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN ITEMS. AND THEN WE WORK CLOSELY WITH CITY MANAGEMENT TO TAKE EVERYTHING WE'VE HEARD FROM COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR SURVEYING, REPORTING THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE ALL THE INTERVIEWS WE HAD WITH YOU ALL, AND THEN THAT COUNCIL WORKSHOP.
IT'S REALLY THE THE CLOSEST TOUCHPOINT WE HAVE WITH YOU ALL.
AND KIND OF THE CULMINATING, ENGAGEMENT OR COMMUNITY INPUT SESSION THAT WE PUT INTO THE PLAN.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE LAST MAIN TOUCH POINT AND THE CULMINATING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT POINT IN THE PROCESS, IF YOU WILL. OKAY. THE REASON THAT I'M ASKING THAT QUESTION IS BECAUSE I DID SEE, LIKE I SAID, I SAW THAT ONE SLIDE, BUT I DID WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY RESIDENTS ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED.
DO WE HAVE THOSE TYPES OF PIECES OF INFORMATION? AND THEN ALSO, WHERE IS THE RESULTS OF THOSE ACTUAL SURVEYS AND OR COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS? WHERE'S THE RESULTS OF THOSE? AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS BEING SHARED WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL? YES. THIS IS ACTUALLY BEEN PROVIDED IN OUR DISCOVERY DOCUMENT, WHICH IS CAME OUT OF THE KIND OF DATA GATHERING PHASE OF THE ENGAGEMENT, ALL OF THE INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW THEMES, FOCUS GROUP THEMES, THE SURVEY THAT WE CONDUCTED, WHICH WAS AN ENHANCEMENT ON TOP OF THE EXISTING COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT WAS DONE FROM ANOTHER THIRD PARTY.
THAT'S ALL WITHIN OUR DISCOVERY REPORT. WE CAN SHARE THAT WITH YOU ALL AGAIN.
AND THEN WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS AND ADDITIONAL BETWEEN 50 TO 60 INDIVIDUALS SHARED THOUGHTS ATTENDED THE SESSIONS VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON.
AND THEN THE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY WHICH HAD OVER 400 PARTICIPANTS AS WELL.
OKAY, JUST TWO MORE QUESTIONS. PLEASE. WHILE THE PLAN HAS NO FINANCIAL OBLIGATION TODAY WHAT IS THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE PLAN IF IMPLEMENTED OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS? YES, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT OUR TEAM LOOKED AT FOR THIS PLAN WE KEPT IN CONSIDERATION THE OVERARCHING VISION FOR A TEN YEAR TIME HORIZON. THE ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION KIND OF ACTION ITEMS THAT WILL BE TIED TO INDIVIDUAL BUDGET LINE ITEMS OR INDIVIDUAL FISCAL YEARS. THAT'S FOR THE MANAGEMENT TEAM AND FOR THE CITY TO IDENTIFY AND TO ALIGN WITH THE VISION THAT WE JUST CREATED. SO THAT IS IN THIS NEXT UPCOMING STEP, THIS IMPLEMENTATION.
EVERYTHING WE HEARD DISCUSSED AND THAT WE SYNTHESIZED INTO THE FINAL PLAN FELT WELL WITHIN THE KIND OF STRATEGIC AND THE LONG TERM VISION AND THE CAPABILITIES OF THE CITY OF DESOTO ON ITS CURRENT TRAJECTORY.
AND A LOT OF THE ITEMS ARE ALREADY BEING ACTED ON AND IMPLEMENTED.
[01:30:03]
SO SOME OF THOSE INITIATIVES ARE ALREADY BEING FUNDED AND CAN COMFORTABLY BE ALIGNED WITH THE CURRENT VISION.SO I KNOW THAT'S JUST ADJACENT TO YOUR QUESTION.
COUNCILWOMAN. BUT THAT'S NOT EXACTLY PART OF OUR SCOPE.
WE DIDN'T ALIGN SPECIFICALLY WITH THE FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS FOR EACH ITEM.
THERE'S MORE DETAIL THAT THE CITY WILL HAVE TO IDENTIFY, AND THE EXPERTS WITHIN EACH DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE TO SUBMIT AS PART OF HOW TO ACHIEVE THAT VISION. OKAY. IF I MAY, COUNCIL MEMBER OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE SHORT TERM GOALS AND LONG TERM GOALS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH STRATEGY. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE GOALS ARE ALSO IN LINE WITH THE FORECASTING THAT WE CAN DO, AND ALSO THE BUDGETING THAT WE CAN DO. WE CAN JUST PUT IN GOALS THAT MAY NOT BE THAT MAY NOT BE REACHED EVER, OR WOULD BE FAR REACHED, THAT THEY WOULD NOT BECOME REALISTIC GOALS.
SO PART OF PART OF THAT IS AFTER THOSE GOALS ARE IDENTIFIED, WE'RE GOING TO PUT A NUMBER RIGHT NEXT TO THEM AND BE ABLE TO SAY, CAN WE AFFORD THAT? IF WE CAN AFFORD THAT, THEN THEY WOULD BE WITHIN THAT SHORT TERM GOAL.
THE, THE 2 TO 5 YEARS IF, IF WE CANNOT AFFORD THEM, THOSE ARE GOING TO BE WISH LISTS.
AND I DON'T WANT TO, TO, I DON'T WANT TO PUT A WISH LIST IN A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE CITY COUNCIL, BECAUSE THEN THAT WOULD BE AN UNMET OBLIGATION.
OKAY. SO AFTER THIS PARTICULAR IMPLEMENTATION, THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A PRIORITIZATION THAT TAKES PLACE TO KNOW WHERE THINGS LIE. IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? ABSOLUTELY.
OKAY. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS FROM A TIMELINE PERSPECTIVE, BASED ON OUR MEETING BACK IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR, THIS WAS ACTUALLY APPROVED IN SEPTEMBER AND WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO THIS STAGE IN MARCH.
JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE IN APRIL, ALMOST INTO MAY.
WITH THIS PART OF IT. IS THERE A REASON THAT I CAN I CAN ADD THE PRIMARY REASON FOR THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER. I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION. IF WE RECALL, OUR INITIAL AIM WAS FOR A COUNCIL WORKSHOP IN MID JANUARY, WHICH WOULD HAVE KEPT US EXACTLY ONE MONTH AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
WE PUSHED THAT SESSION ONE MONTH FORWARD BECAUSE THERE WAS A SEVERE INCLEMENT WEATHER EVENT ACROSS THE EAST COAST AND THE TEXAS REGION, WHICH REALLY PUSHED OUR WORKSHOP FARTHER BACK.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, THAT PUSHED OUR TIMELINE SLIGHTLY AHEAD.
WE'VE WORKED EXTREMELY QUICKLY TO, IN LIGHT OF THAT, STILL STAY AS CLOSE TO THAT ORIGINAL TIMELINE AS POSSIBLE, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE SPEAKING. LIKE I SAID, JUST KIND OF A HOP AND A SKIP ONE MONTH AHEAD BECAUSE OF THAT ONE MONTH PUSHBACK FROM THAT STRATEGY SESSION.
OKAY. SO THAT MEANS THAT NOTHING WILL GO PAST THE.
THIS BUDGET SEASON FOR IMPLEMENTATION IS WHAT I'M REALLY ASKING.
THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY FLOW OVER INTO THE NEXT BUDGET WITH IMPLEMENTATION.
NONE OF THAT WILL GO INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
BEYOND, BEYOND WHAT WE'VE ASKED BAKER TILLY TO DO, KNOW IF WE'VE ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR ADDITIONAL SERVICES, THEN IT WILL BE PART OF THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
IT WOULD BE IT WOULD BE EARMARKED FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET IF THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVES IT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU. MAYOR. I JUST HAVE COMMENTS ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
PRIOR YEARS. THEY HAD DONE PLANNING, BUT IT WAS NOT IT WAS NOT A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR A LONGER LENGTH OF TIME OTHER THAN LIKE A YEAR, TWO YEARS, THAT SORT OF THING. SO IT WAS TO PUT THINGS, AND I'M SAYING THIS BECAUSE I'M A REAL, I'M A PERSON. THAT'S ABOUT HOW DID WE GET HERE? AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THE FIRST FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN WAS JUST DONE AND NOW WE'RE DOING THE FIRST TEN YEAR IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES IN A CITY LIKE THIS THAT'S, YOU KNOW, BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR 75 YEARS, WE EXPECT, WELL, WHY IS IT NOT THIS, WHY IS IT NOT THIS? AND THE TRUTH IS, IS WHILE OUR FOREFATHERS HAD DID A GREAT JOB GETTING US HERE WE, I'M THANKFUL FOR THE LEADERSHIP THAT CAME BEFORE ME THAT REALIZED WE NEEDED TO PIVOT AND LOOK MORE LONG TERM ON HOW WE DO THINGS.
[01:35:07]
YOU KNOW MANY OF THE GOALS WERE DONE MUCH SOONER IN THE FIVE YEARS.AND OF COURSE, THAT WASN'T WITH THIS, THIS ADMINISTRATION, IT WAS WITH PRIOR ADMINISTRATION.
SO I, I, AS YOU ALL TALK ABOUT A COMMUNICATION PLAN AND AN IMPLEMENTATION, IMPLEMENTATION, IMPLEMENTATION AND ACTION PLAN FOR THE CITY, I HOPE THAT THOSE THINGS ARE CONSIDERED.
AND HOW BECAUSE WE WILL TURN OUT RIGHT. I HAVE ONE YEAR LEFT.
AND THERE ARE OTHERS THAT WILL COME, YOU KNOW, STAGGERED.
RIGHT. HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THOSE THE PLAN SET AND.
WE KEEP THE MAIN THING, THE MAIN THING, AND IT DOESN'T SHIFT.
YOU GET WHAT I'M SAYING. LIKE IT. IT REMAINS CONSISTENT NO MATTER HOW THIS COUNCIL CHANGES.
AND I CAN ANSWER THAT. THERE IS A SLIDE THAT SHOWS CLEAR POINT, WHICH IS A DASHBOARD THAT SHOWS.
SO THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT IS BEING FIRST IMPLEMENTED FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO.
THAT HAS TO BE PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND HOW WE PLAN THAT WE NEED POLICE SUBSTATIONS.
HOW DO WE DO THAT, YOU KNOW, INCREMENTALLY AND DO SOME OF THE SOME OF THE LEGWORK AHEAD OF TIME.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ARC DISTRICT AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE ARC DISTRICT.
THAT'S NOT A SMALL PROJECT. THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE A TWO YEAR PROJECT.
IT'S GOING TO BE A 7 TO 10 YEAR PROJECT. HOW DO WE PHASE THAT AND WHAT DO WE DO IN THOSE PHASES? THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'M JUST HIGHLIGHTING.
THERE'S MANY MORE IN THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS AS WELL.
SO I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU.
COUNCIL. AND JUST TO ADD TO THAT IN TERMS OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE PREVIOUSLY, THIS IS AGAIN, THIS IS NOT OUR FIRST ATTEMPT AT DOING A STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE, WE DID DO THE FIVE YEAR. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M, I'M HOPING WILL CONTINUE IS TO MAKE THAT STRATEGIC PLAN DIGESTIBLE IN TERMS OF LETTING, ALLOWING THE COUNCIL TO SET THOSE PRIORITIES BECAUSE WE CAN'T WORK ON EVERYTHING AT ONE TIME.
SO THE WAY THAT IT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY DONE, AND THIS IS JUST FOR TO ENLIGHTEN THE COMMUNITY ON HOW I'M HOPING THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK IS THAT WE WILL TAKE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES FROM EACH OF THE SECTIONS AND THEN PLACE THEM IN ORDER BY, YOU KNOW, WHAT, OF COURSE IS, IS MORE PRESSING VERSUS ALSO TEMPERING THAT WITH WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO IMMEDIATELY OR HOWEVER LONG, OR IF IT'S A LONG RANGE OR IF IT HAS TO BE DONE IN PHASES.
AND SO THAT THAT WILL ACTUALLY HELP TO THAT, THAT HELPS TO TO MAKE SURE THAT STAFF'S WORKLOAD IS MANAGEABLE AND THE EXPECTATION IS SET ON WHEN THOSE THINGS WILL BE DONE. AS MAYOR PRO TEM MENTIONED, THERE WERE SOME THAT WOULD GET PUSHED OUT OR, YOU KNOW, OR POSSIBLY. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, AGAIN, COUNCIL HAS THE ABILITY TO SET THOSE PRIORITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT AS, AS REASONABLY CAN BE DONE, WE'RE STAYING ON TARGET WITH THE DUE DATES.
SO I DO APPRECIATE THE ADDITION OF THAT DASHBOARD TO HELP US TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN VISIBILITY WITH ALL THE THINGS THAT, THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS SAID THEY WANT TO SEE HAPPEN, AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL AND THE WORK THAT WE DO IN COMBINATION WITH STAFF.
SO AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL, I WILL YES, I HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION.
SO WE HAVE THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THE PREVIOUS STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE FIVE YEAR ANYTHING THAT WASN'T DONE FROM THAT, WILL THAT ACTUALLY BE ALSO INCORPORATED SOMEWHERE IN HERE TO BE VISIBLE TO SAY WE'RE THIS IS HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE WORKED ON TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S GETTING DONE.
YES. MR. CITY MANAGER, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
[01:40:03]
COUNCILMEMBER PARKER, I BELIEVE THERE'S ONLY THREE ITEMS PENDING FOR THE LAST STRATEGIC PLAN, AND ONE OF THEM IS IN PROGRESS, WHICH IS THE NANCE FARM.SO ON THE ACTUAL DASHBOARD, THERE WILL BE A SECTION THAT TALKS ABOUT THE PREVIOUS AS WELL AS THE CURRENT OR THE MOVING FORWARD ONE, WE CAN DEFINITELY CONSIDER ADDING THOSE INTO IT.
OKAY, I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU. YES, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE TO WHERE THEY'RE STILL VISIBLE SO THAT WE DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF, OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THOSE PROJECTS. OKAY. AT THIS TIME I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION MAYOR.
JUST A POINT OF INFORMATION. OUR MASTER PLAN FOR LIKE PARKS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
HOW DOES THAT INTEGRATE INTO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN? AND I APOLOGIZE IF THAT'S INAPPROPRIATE. CITY ATTORNEY, BUT I JUST WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PLANNING.
SO ANYTHING THE PARKS MASTER PLAN OR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN OR THE COMP PLAN OR YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT GOES ON IN, IN, OR THE FLEET UTILIZATION STUDY IN THE FUTURE, ANYTHING THAT WE DO AS FAR AS PLANS SHOULD BE PART OF THE STRATEGIC MASTER PLAN, THE STRATEGIC, THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS THE MASTER GUIDING DOCUMENT FOR THE CITY TO IMPLEMENT.
SO MOVED. SECOND. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. THAT MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER PARKER TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED COUNCIL.
PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PAD. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
THANK YOU. COUNCIL. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
[2. Consider authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute an amendment to the Agreement with Paladin Drones, Inc. to extend the term for the subscription of a Drone and Add-on docking station with 1-year contract renewal terms for up to 3 years, in the amount not to exceed $84,000]
NEXT WE'LL HAVE CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT WITH THE PALADIN DRONES INCORPORATED TO EXTEND THE TERM FOR THE SUBSCRIPTION OF A DRONE AND ADD ON DOCKING STATION WITH ONE YEAR CONTRACT RENEWAL TERMS FOR UP TO THREE YEARS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $84,000.MAKING A PRESENTATION IS POLICE CHIEF JOE COSTA.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL, MR. CITY MANAGER.
I'M HERE TO PRESENT TO YOU ABOUT THE PALADIN DRONES THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO EXTEND THE CONTRACT.
AND AS THE CITY SECRETARY SAID, WE'RE LOOKING TO DO A ONE YEAR RENEWAL CONTRACT.
GOOD FOR THREE YEARS AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $84,000.
WE STARTED OUR DRONE PROGRAM BACK IN 2018, AND IN 2024 WE LOOKED AT DRONES AS FIRST RESPONDERS.
AND WE WENT WITH THAT DRONE PROGRAM. BACK THEN IN SEPTEMBER OF 2024 IN MARCH OF 2025, WE ADDED ANOTHER DOCKING STATION AND ANOTHER DRONE, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE HIGH SCHOOL.
NOW THE FIRST ONE IS LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF THE CITY.
AND THAT GAVE US TWO DRONES THAT WE CAN ACTIVATE AS FIRST RESPONDERS TO ASSIST OUR PATROL AND OUR INVESTIGATIVE UNIT AS NEEDED. AND WE DO THAT FROM ANOTHER SPOT, NOT FROM THE SPOT WHERE THE DRONES ARE LOCATED.
SO SO TO MAINTAIN THAT CONSISTENCY, WE DECIDED TO WORK WITH PALADIN TO GET THAT CONTRACT TO BE IN ONE ONE TIME AND NOT HAVE TWO SEPARATE CONTRACTS. SO WE DECIDED IN MARCH OF 2025 TO PURCHASE THAT OTHER, THAT OTHER SYSTEM.
AND WE PUT THEM BOTH TOGETHER. SO THAT MARCH OF 2026, WE WERE GOING TO HAVE BOTH CONTRACTS COME DUE ONE FOR 49,001 FOR 35,000, ADDING TO 84,000. SO CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE CONTRACT WITH PALADIN IN THE AMOUNT OF 49, AS I SAID, IN OCTOBER OF 24. AND THE ADD ON DOCKING STATION IN MARCH OF 2025.
AND THE ADD ON SECOND ONE THAT WE THAT WE HAD THAT WE CONTRACTED WITH A SECOND TIME.
AND WE WANT TO ASK THAT YOU ALLOW THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE THAT AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT WITH PALADIN JONES TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE SUBSCRIPTION AND ADD ON DOCKING STATION, ONE YEAR CONTRACT RENEWAL UP TO FOR UP TO THREE YEARS.
AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED THAT $84,000. THANK YOU CHIEF.
[01:45:03]
I DO SEE A LIGHT FROM MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU.MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU HAD YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EXTENSION OF SERVICES IT'S ALMOST AN INSINUATION THAT IT'S WORKING, SO BUT THERE'S NO DATA IN YOUR REPORT TO SUPPORT THAT.
IT'S WORKING. SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAS BEEN THE SUCCESS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WHY SHOULD I LIKE WITH THE DRONES? WHY SHOULD WE ALLOCATE THE FUNDING FOR THIS? THIS INITIATIVE.
AND MY SECOND THING IS THAT I DON'T EVER RECALL THAT I'VE EVER SEEN A POLICY ON THE DRONES FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY OF LIKE WHEN THEY ARE LIKE, WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR THEM TO BE DISPATCHED? WHAT ARE THE WHAT ARE THE I GUESS RULES OF ENGAGEMENT AS IT RELATES TO LIKE LOOKING INTO SOMEONE'S PROPERTY LIKE, LIKE IN MY BACKYARD AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF YOU, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU DON'T CAN'T RECITE THAT TODAY.
HOWEVER, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO GIVE THE COUNCIL THAT AT A LATER, LIKE, COULD YOU EMAIL IT TO US WHEN YOU GET BACK TO YOUR DESK, THAT POLICY SO WE CAN LOOK OVER THAT? SO AS YOU KNOW, ALL OUR POLICIES ARE ONLINE, BUT I WILL SEND THAT OUT TO THE CITY COUNCIL, TO THE CITY MANAGER FOR YOU TO HAVE THAT ONE FOR DRONES.
BUT I ALSO HAVE LIEUTENANT PENN WARDEN HERE WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THAT PROGRAM, DRONE PROGRAM, AND HE CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU, GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE DATA.
YEAH. I WASN'T PREPARED TO BRING DATA TO THIS COUNCIL, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT IN THE LAST I THINK IT WAS TWO MONTHS AGO, WE HAD A CRITICAL MISSING CHILD GO MISSING. AND THE DRONE PROGRAM FOUND HIM IN THE CREEK WITHIN WITHIN AN HOUR OF HIM MISSING.
AND WE USE IT FOR, FOR THOSE SPECIFIC REASONS.
OFFICER SAFETY. WHEN THE SHOT SPOTTER GOES OFF, WE SEND A DRONE AHEAD OF TIME.
THAT WAY WE CAN GET EYES IN THE SKY A LOT QUICKER FOR OFFICER SAFETY.
AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE VALUE OF A DRONE VERSUS A HELICOPTER OR GIVING ACCESS TO THE HELICOPTER FROM DALLAS, SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE, DPS NOT AVAILABLE.
SO THIS GIVES US A LOT MORE ABILITY TO TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS OF DESOTO.
THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME RESIDENTS THAT IN FIND VALUE IN IT, ESPECIALLY FOR THE 4TH OF JULY AND THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW YEAR. THE WEST SIDE LOVES FIREWORKS.
AND AS A COMBAT VETERAN AND WHO SPENT TIME IN THE SANDBOX AND EXPERIENCED MORTARS ON YOUR CAMP, I CAN TELL YOU THAT FIREWORKS FOR US CAN BE KIND OF A CHALLENGING THING.
JUST WITH THE, THAT EXPERIENCE. SO I HOPE, MY HOPE IS THAT THIS, THE DRONES WILL, IF ANYTHING, WE WILL SEE AND WE WILL SEE AN EMPHASIS ON THOSE TYPE OF EVENTS TOO.
AND I KNOW Y'ALL CAN ONLY BE SO MANY PLACES AT ONE TIME.
THAT TO ME, SEEMS LIKE THAT TOOL WOULD BE A GREAT ADVANTAGE TO THE COMMUNITY AT THAT POINT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER.
NORTH. NO. I'M SORRY. I WAS ON BEFORE PARKER.
OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I, TOO, AM A PERSON WHO LOOKS AT THIS DRONE SITUATION IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, BECAUSE I'VE HAD RESIDENTS ACTUALLY CALL ME IN THE BECAUSE OF OTHER ISSUES AND SAYING THAT THEY SEE DRONES OUT THERE AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT POLICY IN THAT WHEN WE'RE THINKING IN TERMS OF THE RELEASE OF THE DRONES THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS SOME KNOWING THAT THAT'S WHAT THAT IS. BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WALMART ALSO HAS DRONES AND THEY ARE, THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF ISSUE GOING ON AROUND THAT AREA WHERE THE DRONES ARE AND PEOPLE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, OKAY, IF THERE'S A NEED FOR IT FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, THAT MAKES SENSE. BUT THERE'S SOME OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW MUCH HOW MUCH ACTIVITY IS HAPPENING IN A SPECIFIC AREA.
AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT POLICY. AND IF THAT NEEDS TO BE STRENGTHENED TO ALLOW FOR THE PUBLIC OUTREACH, ONCE ACTUALLY A DRONE IS RELEASED. AND THEN THE OTHER THING I KNOW THAT I HAD ASKED THE CITY MANAGER EARLIER ON THIS YEAR WHEN WE HAD OUR EVENT WITH THE THE WEATHER, INCLEMENT WEATHER, AND THE SAFETY OF THE COMMUNITY, NOT KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY.
[01:50:01]
BUT THE RESPONSE WAS THAT THOSE DRONES ARE NOT USED FOR THAT TYPE OF, OF, OF INFORMATION GATHERING TO BE ABLE TO TELL THE COMMUNITY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE OUT THERE FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, NOT NECESSARILY A PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, POLICE SAFETY, BUT FROM A TRAFFIC ICE ON THE ROAD TYPE THING.WHETHER WE ACTUALLY HAD TO DOWN THE TFR PROGRAM DURING THAT WEATHER INCIDENT.
OTHERWISE THE, THE, THE, THE DRONES THEMSELVES ARE PRETTY CAPABLE, BUT UP TO A CERTAIN DEGREE.
BUT THEY ARE GOOD FOR LIKE IF WE HAVE A TORNADO, HOPEFULLY WE WON'T.
THAT ASSESSMENT IS GREAT FOR HAVING THAT BIRD'S EYE VIEW TO HELP WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITIZENS TO FIND OUT WHERE THESE INCIDENTS HAPPEN AND GET PUBLIC SAFETY TO THEM OR FIRST RESPONDERS TO THEM QUICKLY.
WE ARE A SMALL TOWN, AND IT SEEMS ODD THAT WE CAN'T ACTUALLY TELL OUR RESIDENTS IT'S OKAY TO GO DOWN HAMPTON, BUT NOT NECESSARILY DOWN PARKERVILLE. SO I WOULD LOVE IT IF WE GOT TO THAT POINT WHERE WE WERE A LITTLE BIT MORE INNOVATIVE TO COME UP WITH WAYS TO DO THAT.
AND THE LAST THING I WANT TO ASK YOU FROM A PERSPECTIVE, FROM AN IT PERSPECTIVE, I KNOW THAT NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN WILL YOU DO AN IT CONTRACT? IT CONTRACT THAT GOES OVER FIVE YEARS. IT'S GOING TO BE LESS EXPENSIVE THAN ONE OVER THREE YEARS.
SO I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S A RENEWABLE CONTRACT OVER A YEAR INSTEAD OF A THREE YEAR CONTRACT, I. RIGHT. SO IT'S NOT REALLY AN IT CONTRACT. IT IS EQUIPMENT.
AND THE DATABASE THAT WE'RE THAT WE'RE BUYING FOR THAT.
AND SO USUALLY THOSE ARE THREE YEARS WHEN YOU BUY EQUIPMENT, IT'S USUALLY A THREE YEAR.
AND THEN WE RENEW THEM EVERY YEAR AS WE'RE DOING TODAY.
I'M SAYING, I, I, I DID THE ANALOGY OF A CONTRACT FROM AN IT PERSPECTIVE BASED ON A IT CONTRACT.
THEY HAVE A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT AND IT'S USUALLY LESS EXPENSIVE.
WHY NOT GO THE THREE YEARS STRAIGHT OUT AND GET IT FOR IS IT NOT GOING TO BE LESS EXPENSIVE? IS WHAT I'M ASKING? NO, IT'S THE SAME. IT'S THE SAME PRICE.
WHEN WE NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT, IT WAS THE SAME PRICE OVER THREE YEARS.
SO IF WE'RE HAPPY WITH THE PRODUCT THEN WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE IT ON.
AS WE'RE DOING TONIGHT. THAT PRICE HASN'T CHANGED AND IT SHOULDN'T CHANGE AGAIN IN ANOTHER YEAR.
OKAY. HOWEVER, IF IT DOES, THEN WE HAVE TO JUSTIFY WHY IT WENT UP AND SO ON.
THANK YOU. I YIELD BACK. COUNCIL MEMBER. NORTH.
SO THANK YOU. CHIEF COSTA. I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT HERE AS WELL AS WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT POLICY WITH REGARDS TO DRONE TECHNOLOGY AND HOW IT IS BEING IMPLEMENTED, NOT JUST IN OUR CITY.
I APPLAUD OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR BEING INNOVATIVE, BEING FORWARD THINKING AND UTILIZING THIS TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE I KNOW AS RESIDENTS SOMETIMES WE CAN THINK THAT THIS CAN FROM A EITHER AI PERSPECTIVE OR AS WE'RE ADVANCING IN TECHNOLOGY, THAT IT COULD BE REPLACING JOBS, BUT YET THIS PARTICULAR TECHNOLOGY IS ENHANCING THE RESOURCES THAT WE DO HAVE.
SO I WANT TO APPLAUD YOU ON THAT AS WELL AS, COULD YOU ALSO SHARE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS? WITH REGARDS TO, I'M SO THANKFUL IT WAS USED TO FIND THE CHILD THAT WAS MISSING.
CAN YOU ALSO SHARE OTHER BENEFITS AND WAYS THIS TECHNOLOGY HELPS IN REDUCING CRIME? AND IN TERMS OF IF WE'RE LOOKING AT EVEN EXPANDING THIS TECHNOLOGY AS FAR AS ADDITIONAL DRONES AS OUR CITY GROWS. SO CAN YOU SHARE ON THAT PERSPECTIVE? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. THE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE I-35 CORRIDOR AND THE APARTMENT OR THE HOTELS ALONG THAT CORRIDOR WE TYPICALLY GET A LOT OF BURGLARIES IN THAT AREA AND WE'LL GET A CALL FOR SERVICE.
AND BY THE TIME WE GET THERE, USUALLY THOSE PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY GONE BY HAVING THE DRONE CAPABILITIES OF LAUNCHING IT AND GETTING OVER THERE BEFORE THE OFFICERS DO OR NOT GETTING SEEN, YOU KNOW, SQUAD CAR GOING DOWN THE STREET.
AND WE'VE DONE SO MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THAT. THE THE, THE CONTINUATION OF THE DRONE
[01:55:04]
PROGRAM. IT'S REALLY ADVANCING QUITE, QUITE DRASTICALLY RIGHT NOW.OBVIOUSLY THE WALMART'S NOW DELIVERING STUFF.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE WENT WITH PALADIN, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY WAY THEIR PROGRAM WORKS.
WE CAN DO DECONFLICTION AIRSPACE. WE CAN SEE PLANES IN THE SKY BASED ON OUR PROGRAM.
THAT WAY THAT WE'RE NOT LIMITING OURSELVES TO JUST ONE DISTRICT.
WE DON'T HAVE THE WHOLE CITY COVERED. HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE SOME DRONES THAT WE CALL MOBILE DRONES THAT THE OFFICERS TAKE WITH THEM THAT WE CAN, WE CAN PUT UP IN THE SKIES. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT.
AND CHIEF, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS AS WELL AS PERHAPS PERHAPS AS BEING REAL TIME THAT WE CAN DO AN IN-PERSON DEMONSTRATION IF POSSIBLE TO SHARE WITH OUR RESIDENTS HOW THIS PROGRAM IS REALLY.
BENEFICIAL TO OUR CITY. GOOD IDEA. I CAN DO THAT.
ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. I'LL SEND YOU OUT THE DRONE POLICY.
THANK YOU. COUNCIL. THANK YOU CHIEF. THANK YOU.
LIEUTENANT. AT THIS TIME, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
WELL. THANK YOU. I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT.
AS PRESENTED. APPROVE AS PRESENTED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER NORTH.
SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES TO APPROVE THIS ITEM AS PRESENTED.
COUNCIL, PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PAD. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
THANK YOU. COUNCIL. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
[3. Consider the approval of an Ordinance amending Article 8.300 of the City of DeSoto Code of Ordinances regulating amusement redemption machines (commonly known as “8-liners”) in establishments within the City of DeSoto to ensure compliance with state law and protect public welfare AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, AMENDING CHAPTER 8 TITLED “OFFENSES AND NUISANCES” BY AMENDING ARTICLE 8.100 TITLED “MISCELLANEOUS NUISANCES” BY ADDING A NEW SECTION 8.1200 TITLED “CERTAIN AMUSEMENT REDEMPTION MACHINES PROHIBITED”; PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUSE; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING A SAVINGS CAUSE; PROVIDING A PENALTY CLAUSE OF FINE NOT TO EXCEED THE SUM OF TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS ($2,000.00); AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.]
CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ARTICLE 8.300 OF THE CITY OF DE SOTO.CODE OF ORDINANCES REGULATE AN AMUSEMENT REDEMPTION MACHINES, COMMONLY KNOWN AS EIGHT LINERS AND ESTABLISHMENTS WITHIN THE CITY OF DE SOTO TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW AND PROTECT PUBLIC WELFARE.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DE SOTO, TEXAS, AMENDING CHAPTER EIGHT, TITLED OFFENSES AND NUISANCES BY AMENDING ARTICLE 8.08.100 TITLE MISCELLANEOUS NUISANCES BY ADDING A NEW SECTION 8.1200 TITLED AMUSEMENT REDEMPTION MACHINES PROHIBITED.
PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUSE, PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE, PROVIDING A PENALTY CLAUSE OR FINE NOT TO EXCEED THE SUM OF $2,000 AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
PRESENTING THIS ITEM IS CHIEF COSTA. HELLO AGAIN, MADAM MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, AND JOE GARCIA, WHO'S GOING TO HELP ME WITH THIS ONE.
BUT I'LL START IT OUT BY SAYING WE KNOW THAT THESE GAMING MACHINES ARE HAVE BECOME A BIG NUISANCE IN THE CITY AND WE WE ARE TAXED WITH TRYING TO ENFORCE OUR CITY ORDINANCE STATE LAW PROHIBITS ANY GAMING ROOM TO, TO HAVE ANYTHING OVER FIVE MACHINES. SO ANY, ANY VENDOR IN THE CITY, ANY RETAIL CAN HAVE FIVE MACHINES IN THE CITY.
SO WITH THAT, WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE AS AS IT IS PRESENTED.
AND WE WANT TO JUST TELL YOU THAT THESE MACHINES, THEY OFTEN OPERATE ON A CHANCE OF COMBINATION OF SKILL AND CHANCE OFFERING NON CASH PRIZES OR REPRESENTATIONS OF VALUE. AND THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE CLARIFIES DEFINITIONS, PROHIBITS CERTAIN MACHINES AND ESTABLISHES ENFORCEMENT MEASURES, ENFORCEMENT MEASURES TO MAINTAIN PUBLIC SAFETY AND UPHOLD LEGAL STANDARDS.
I'M GOING TO PASS IT OFF TO CITY ATTORNEY. REALLY, THE PURPOSE OF THIS ORDINANCE IS TO MAKE ENFORCEMENT EASIER ON OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT TODAY. IF THEY'RE TRYING TO ENFORCE ILLEGAL GAMBLING, THEY HAVE TO GO IN.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO WORK THE MACHINES AND MAKE A DETERMINATION ON WHETHER OR NOT THE MACHINES ARE TRULY IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW. TO HAVE EIGHT LINERS AND HAVE EIGHT LINERS THAT PAY OUT. PAY OUT IS A VIOLATION OF STATE LAW.
AND THEN IT CARVES OUT SEVERAL EXCEPTIONS. ONE OF THE EXCEPTIONS ARE OBVIOUSLY THE CLAUSE THAT GO DOWN AND PICK UP THE, THE ANIMALS. AND THAT IS A GAME OF CHANCE. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES YOU'VE GOTTEN AN ANIMAL OUT OF THAT MACHINE, BUT IT IS THOSE THOSE TYPES ARE EXEMPTED OUT.
SWEEPSTAKES ARE EXEMPTED OUT. GIFT CARDS ARE EXEMPT, ARE EXEMPTED OUT.
[02:00:09]
THESE GAMING FACILITIES OR, YOU KNOW, JUST BASICALLY SOME OF THE CONVENIENCE STORES. THANK YOU.MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. I WANT TO THANK YOU, CHIEF COSTA, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I BELIEVE THIS IS AN ITEM THAT MY COLLEAGUE AND I, COUNCIL MEMBER BYRD REQUESTED FROM YOU.
BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN INUNDATED. IS THAT A GOOD WORD? COLLEAGUE WITH COMPLAINTS FROM OUR OUR OUR CITIZENS.
AND SO I'M ECSTATIC TO SEE THAT THIS IS GOING INTO POLICY. I REMEMBER AS A CITIZEN WRITING TO MAYOR, THE LATE MAYOR MCGOWAN ASKING HER, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE COCKRELL AND ON BELTLINE. THERE'S A A A WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT.
ONE OF THOSE STORES, CONVENIENCE STORES THAT HAS THE GAME ROOMS IN THE BACK AND ASKING WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WAS THE CITY DOING ABOUT THAT? AND I WANT TO SAY THAT WAS PROBABLY MAYBE 7 OR 8 YEARS AGO.
I THINK THERE'S DEFINITELY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND FURTHERMORE, HEAR WHAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT WHAT THE IMAGE THAT THIS LEAVES ON OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW WE CAN SHIFT THAT.
SO I THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER BYRD FOR AGREEING AND GETTING THIS ON, ON THE AGENDA.
IT'S MUCH NEEDED. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING YOUR DUE DILIGENCE, BECAUSE WHAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IS THAT YOU'VE ACTUALLY DONE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE A LOT IN TRYING TO CRACK DOWN ON THE ILLEGAL USE OF GAMBLING IN THE CITY OF DE SOTO.
AND I THINK THIS WILL HELP. AND TO THE RESIDENT WHO STOPS ME, IN THE GROCERY STORE AND TOLD ME THAT IF WE DID NOT DO SOMETHING, SHE WAS GOING TO END UP IN DIVORCE COURT. I HOPE AND PRAY THAT THIS HELPS HER KEEP HER, KEEP HER HUSBAND.
I HOPE, I HOPE IT DOES. THANK YOU AND COUNCIL, ONE THING THAT WE WILL DO BEFORE ENFORCEMENT OF THIS ORDINANCE IS OBVIOUSLY, ONCE IT'S PASSED TONIGHT, IF IT IS PASSED TONIGHT IS WE HAVE LOCATION OF MANY OF THE PLACES THAT DO HAVE THESE MACHINES.
WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THEM IN THE PAST. WE WILL MAKE THEM. WE'LL PUT THEM ON NOTICE OF THE ORDINANCE, GIVE THEM SOME TIME TO COMPLY BEFORE ENFORCEMENT OF THE ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, FOR PUSHING THIS FORWARD.
AS WE KNOW IT IS MUCH NEEDED. I WANT TO GET CLARITY ON EXACTLY WHAT THE ORDINANCE DOES BECAUSE, AGAIN, TO OUR RESIDENTS AND TO THE COMMUNITY, BUSINESSES CAN HAVE THESE LEGALLY IN THEIR ESTABLISHMENTS.
IS THAT WHAT. IS THAT WHAT WE'RE GOING FOR? TO REDUCE THE ABUSE OF THOSE MACHINES OR WHAT.
HOW WILL THE ORDINANCE CHANGE? SPECIFICALLY, WE'LL TALK ABOUT EIGHT LINERS.
THEY WILL NOT. YEAH. THOSE MACHINES WILL NOT BE PERMITTED UNDER THIS ORDINANCE.
NO FUZZY DICE. NO. NO ANIMALS THAT YOU CAN GRAB.
NO, NO REIMBURSEMENT OF PROPERTY FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM A STORE.
SURE. SO SO WITH THAT SAID, AND I MAYBE IT'S GOING OVER MY HEAD.
WILL THIS MEAN THAT THEY HAVE TO REMOVE ANY MACHINES THAT THEY.
ONCE THIS ORDINANCE GOES INTO EFFECT, ANY MACHINES THAT THEY HAVE NOW THAT ARE.
GAME OF CHANCE, WHERE THEY WIN SOMETHING OTHER THAN MONEY WILL HAVE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE STORES.
IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? YES, MA'AM. NO, NO ONE WILL BE GRANDFATHERED.
THEY CAN HAVE LIKE PAC-MAN AND PINBALL MACHINES THAT DON'T THAT DON'T PAY OUT.
AND YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING FOR ANY TICKETS THAT ARE GIVEN.
NONE OF THAT. SO THEY CAN'T EVEN GET TICKETS.
THEY CAN HAVE THE CLAW THAT GOES DOWN AND PICKS UP, PICKS UP.
WE CARVED AN EXCEPTION. SO YOU. YEAH. YOU MENTIONED THAT I'M DOING THIS.
SO. SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE WILL WE WILL BRING THIS OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
WE'LL LET THEM KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO EFFECT. WE'LL SEND OUT LETTERS TO BUSINESSES IN THE CITY THAT THAT HAVE THEM JUST ABOUT EVERY EVERY SMALL 711 TYPE STORE HAS, HAS THESE, THESE GAMBLING MACHINES. AND SO IT'S, IT'S BECOME INUNDATED WITH THEM AND WE'VE TRIED TO ENFORCE IT.
AND IT TAKES A LOT, LOT OF WORK TO DO THAT AND THEN TO SEIZE THE MACHINES AND SEIZE THE MOTHERBOARD.
IT'S JUST TOO TAXING ON, ON THE DEPARTMENT. SO I THINK.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU GO INTO AN ESTABLISHMENT AND THEY HAVE THEY HAVE ONE OF THESE VIDEO POKER MACHINES, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE VIDEO POKER MACHINE PAYS OUT.
THAT WILL NOT BE PERMITTED UNDER THIS ORDINANCE IN ORDER TO ENFORCE IT AS A GAMBLING DEVICE,
[02:05:03]
WHICH IS A VIOLATION UNDER STATE LAW. THE CITY HAS TO SHOW OR GO AND ACTUALLY PLAY AND SHOW THAT IT PAID OUT, WHICH MAKES IT AN ILLEGAL GAMBLING DEVICE. SO THESE DEVICES WILL NOT BE AN ILLEGAL GAMBLING DEVICE UNDER THE UNDER THE STATE STATUTE, THEY WILL BE JUST AN ILLEGAL GAMING DEVICE UNDER THE CITY ORDINANCE.AND SO HOW MUCH TIME WILL BE ALLOTTED? ONCE, BECAUSE I KNOW GENERALLY WHEN WE PUT THINGS LIKE THIS IN INTO EFFECT, THERE'S THERE'S A, THERE'S A PERIOD, A CURE PERIOD.
WHAT WOULD THAT BE? SO WE HAVEN'T SAT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, A MONTH, 30 DAYS, 60 DAYS, MAYBE WHATEVER IT TAKES THAT WE CAN GET THE WORD OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND THE COUNCIL TO ESTABLISH ONE IF YOU WANT.
I WAS GOING TO SAY I WOULD LIKE TO, I WOULD LIKE TO DECIDE THAT TONIGHT SHOULD WE PASS THIS ORDINANCE, I WOULD LIKE FOR THAT TO BE UNDERSTOOD SO THAT THAT'S CLEAR AND ON RECORD IN THE MEETING SO THAT WHEN IT'S WHEN YOU ALL START MAKING CONTACT AND IT'S TO THAT POINT WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THAT NUMBER LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED THAT HAVE THESE THE NUMBER? THERE'S A LOT OF THEM. I CAN'T, I CAN'T GIVE YOU A NUMBER, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I'M SORRY, MORE THAN 20. MORE THAN 50. I, I'D SAY MORE THAN 25 ANYWAY.
OKAY. POINT OF INFORMATION. A LOT OF WHAT THOUGH? WHAT ARE WE SEEING? A LOT OF MACHINES. GAMBLING MACHINES, A LOT OF MACHINES. BUSINESSES, A LOT OF BUSINESSES THAT HAVE THE GAMBLING MACHINES, BUSINESSES THAT HAVE THE GAMBLING MACHINES. IN TERMS OF AND MY POINT FOR ASKING THAT WAS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS MAKING CONTACT LOOK LIKE, BECAUSE IF WE GIVE THEM ONE MONTH AND WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF THESE BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE HAVING TO CONTACT, IS THAT REASONABLY ENOUGH TIME FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY GET THE INFORMATION, NUMBER ONE, AND THEN TO CURE IT TO MEANING TO REMOVE THE MACHINES? SO I'M WANTING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT NUMBER LOOKS LIKE BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT THAT CURE PERIOD.
THAT'S WHAT I'LL CALL IT ESTABLISHED UPON APPROVING THIS ORDINANCE TONIGHT.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO TO TO HAVE. SO COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR.
I WANT TO ALSO THANK MAYOR PRO TEM. BUT THE SECOND SET, JUST SO THAT THE PUBLIC, THEY ARE AWARE, IS TO ESTABLISH A BUSINESS LICENSING THAT WILL GIVE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO INTO THESE PLACES.
WE WILL NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY BUSINESSES ARE ACTUALLY OPERATED.
AND THAT CAME FROM MAYOR PRO TEM. SO IT'S KIND OF A PARTNERSHIP.
WE. IF EVERYONE. SO WHEN THAT COMES, WHEN THAT COMES AROUND, WE NEED PUBLIC SUPPORT BECAUSE THAT GIVES US ACCESS INTO THESE PLACES THAT WILL HELP US MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE CONFORMING WITH THE LAW.
SO THANK YOU. CHIEF COSTA, THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM AGAIN, ONE WILL DO ONE THING.
A THE BUSINESS LICENSE PUSH, WHICH HOPEFULLY IS COMING SOON WILL DO ANOTHER THING.
SO CAN TOGETHER WE ATTACK THIS THROUGH THE ORDINANCES? SURE. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. I HAVE A QUESTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER. THANK YOU. SO TONIGHT IS NOT THE FINAL NIGHT FOR THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE IN ITS ENFORCEMENT. IF I'M HEARING CORRECTLY, BECAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER PART THAT HE JUST MENTIONED THAT THAT PART HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS COMPLETELY STANDALONE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE HE MENTIONED SOMETHING ELSE. WE WANT TO BE CLEAR BECAUSE AFTER TONIGHT, IF THIS PASSES THE EXPECTATION, I'D LOVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE EXPECTATION IS MOVING FORWARD DAY AFTER TOMORROW, AFTER TONIGHT. I MEAN, COUNCIL IS GOING TO DECIDE ON WHAT THAT WHAT THAT TIME PERIOD IS.
ONCE YOU TELL ME THAT THE TIME PERIOD IS 60 DAYS FROM MAY 1ST, THEN IT'LL BE 60 DAYS FROM MAY 1ST.
IN THE MEANTIME, WE'RE GOING TO IDENTIFY THOSE BUSINESSES.
WE'RE GOING TO SEND THEM A LETTER, WHICH WE'VE DONE BEFORE.
AND WE WILL BE CITING PEOPLE AND AND DOING WHAT WE HAVE TO DO AS ENFORCEMENT.
OKAY. SO THE LETTER WILL INCLUDE WHATEVER THE PERIOD OF TIME IS.
WILL THAT LETTER BE A CERTIFIED LETTER TO BE HAND DELIVERED BY OUR OFFICERS AND HAND DELIVERED? OKAY. SO THAT'S JUST IT'S EVEN BETTER. AND IS THIS AN ENFORCEMENT FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT OR IS THIS A FOR THE POLICE? BOTH. WE WE BOTH ENFORCE THE ORDINANCES. CODE ENFORCEMENT AND OUR POLICE OFFICERS ENFORCE THE ORDINANCES OF THE CITY.
OKAY. THANK YOU, I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHIEF.
THANK YOU. COUNCIL. I WOULD BE I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF RECOMMENDING A 60 DAY CARE PERIOD.
CHIEF, YOU YOU YOU DID THE WORK FOR ME BEGINNING ON MAY 1ST, STARTING THERE.
HOWEVER, I WOULD. SINCE YOU MENTIONED THAT THESE ARE GOING TO BE HAND DELIVERED, I HONESTLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY BUSINESSES WE'RE TALKING BECAUSE TO HAND DELIVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF LETTERS AGAIN WILL TAKE STAFF TIME, ENERGY AS YOU KNOW, TO GET ALL OF THOSE DELIVERED.
[02:10:02]
SO AGAIN, JUST SETTING A REASONABLE EXPECTATION ON WHEN BUSINESSES WILL ACTUALLY BE NOTIFIED WILL BE HELPFUL JUST FOR OUR UNDERSTANDING.BUT COUNCIL, I WANT TO RECOMMEND AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL CALL FOR A MOTION.
I WANT TO RECOMMEND 60 DAYS FROM MAY 1ST TO HAVE THIS TO GO INTO EFFECT AND FOR THE BUSINESSES TO BE ALLOWED TO CURE, CURE, CURE IT. ARE YOU MAKING A MOTION? NO I'M NOT.
I'M MAKING A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CURE, PERIOD.
THEN I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. IF COUNCIL AGREES ON THE CURE PERIOD, DOES THAT ALLOW US TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATION? CERTAINLY. OKAY. I'M IN FAVOR OF A 30 DAY ONLY BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY.
AND IF THIS IS SUCH A NUISANCE. 60 DAYS IS A LONG TIME FOR THAT TO CONTINUE FORWARD WITHOUT THEM.
JUST GO AHEAD AND, YOU KNOW, BITE THE BULLET, GET RID OF THE MACHINES AND MOVE FORWARD.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND 30 DAYS. BUT YOU KNOW, I WILL GO WITH THE CONSENSUS OF THE COUNCIL.
COUNCILWOMAN. COUNCILWOMAN. I, I APPLAUD YOUR YOUR VIGOR.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE TO GIVE THE POLICE OFFICERS TIME TO, TO SERVE TO GO INTO THOSE SETTINGS.
SO I, I CONCUR WITH THE 60 DAYS. I THINK IT GIVES THE POLICE CHIEF TIME TO GET IT DONE.
IT. AND THESE ARE. WHETHER WE LIKE THEM OR NOT, THEY ARE BUSINESSES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE NEED TO BE FAIR. SO WE DON'T END UP IN COURT.
SO I, I, I'M I'M IN FAVOR OF THE 60 DAYS. AND, AND NOT THE 30.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PARKER. I'M ACTUALLY HEARING TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. AND THE WAY THAT MY THE WAY THAT I'M RATIONALIZING IT IS, IS 60 DAYS FROM THE TIME THEY ARE SERVED, NOT MEANING 60 DAYS GIVING YOUR OFFICERS TIME TO GET AROUND TO EVERYBODY.
I'M THINKING ONCE MY BUSINESS RECEIVES A LETTER AND IT'S BEEN NOTED THAT IT WAS HAND DELIVERED SO-AND-SO SIGNS OFF THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED THIS COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY. THE CLOCK STARTS THERE AT 60 DAYS.
I HEARD YOU SAY SOMETHING THAT I FELT LIKE WAS DIFFERENT THAN THAT.
NO, I'M SAYING FROM RECEIPT OF THE LETTER. I THINK WE'RE SAYING THE SAME THING.
OKAY. I WASN'T CLEAR. OKAY. YES. YOU MAY MAKE A SUGGESTION.
THAT'S THE EASIEST WAY TO DO IT. THEREFORE. I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT 30 DAYS WOULD BE JUNE AROUND ROUGHLY JUNE 1ST, 60 DAYS. YOU MAKE IT JULY 1ST. SO JULY 1ST YOU WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY 60 DAYS FROM TODAY.
DO YOU WANT JULY 1ST IS FINE. YES, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
JULY 1ST. SO I STILL I NOT I DON'T I'M NOT TRYING TO COMPLICATE WHAT WE'RE DOING TONIGHT.
I HEAR AN EFFECTIVE DATE FOR THE ORDINANCE. HOWEVER, I, I MAYBE I'M MAYBE I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW WE PUT THIS INTO PLAY. YOU CAN'T START ENFORCING IT UNTIL SUCH TIME.
SO BETWEEN NOW AND NOW AND THAT TIME NOTICES WILL GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO CURE TO COMPLY, AND THERE WILL BE NO ENFORCEMENT OF THE ORDINANCE UNTIL THAT UNTIL JULY 1ST.
SO THE SO THE GOAL IS TO HAVE EVERYBODY IN COMPLIANCE BEFORE IT GOES INTO EFFECT ON JULY 1ST.
AND THAT WILL BE JULY 1ST FOR ENFORCEMENT. OKAY.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT IN COMPLIANCE BY JULY 1ST, THEN THEY WILL BE THEN WE WILL DO ENFORCEMENT.
CORRECT? YES. UNDERSTOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER. PARKER.
IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? WELL, WE'RE NOT GOING TO WALK INTO EVERY ESTABLISHMENT IN JULY 2ND. BUT AS WE HEAR COMPLAINTS OR AS WE GO INTO ESTABLISHMENTS, IF WE FIND THEM, WE KNOW OF THEM, THEN WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ACTION.
SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAND DELIVER LETTERS AND THEN GO BACK OUT AND SEE IF THEY COMPLIED.
AS WE GET COMPLAINTS, AS WE PUT THIS OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND THEY SEE THAT THERE ARE THERE ARE GAMES IN IN SOME OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS, THEN WE'RE GOING TO TAKE EFFECT AND ENFORCE IT AS WE WILL.
SO IT WILL BE ON AFTER JULY. ON JULY 2ND, IT WILL BE ON A COMPLAINT BASIS.
[02:15:04]
THEY CAN FILE A COMPLAINT, CALL US AND LET US KNOW THE WHO, WHO, WHO SHOULD THEY NOTIFY IS THE QUESTION TO NOTIFY THE POLICE, THEY CAN NOTIFY CODE ENFORCEMENT. THEY CAN NOTIFY DISPATCH.THEY CAN GIVE US A A TIP FOR ONE, ONE TIP ANY WAY THAT THEY WANT.
AND WE'LL GO IN AND WE'LL LOOK AT THAT ESTABLISHMENT AND SEE IF THEY STILL HAVE GAMING MACHINES.
IF THEY DO, WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO SUBMIT SOMETHING THROUGH THE APP AS WELL, LIKE THEY DO WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT? ABSOLUTELY. THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DO IT THAT WAY AS WELL. OKAY. AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
THE ONLY REASON THAT I'M GUNG HO ABOUT THIS IS BECAUSE WHEN AN ORDINANCE GOES INTO EFFECT AND WE HAVE ALL THESE LOOPHOLES, THAT'S WHY WE END UP WITH A SITUATION WHERE THINGS ARE NOT COMPLIED WITH.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT ONCE WE PUT THIS IN PLACE, THAT THE NOTICES GO OUT, THE OUTREACH HAPPENS, AND THAT WE ACTUALLY MAKE PEOPLE COMPLY WITH WHAT THE ORDINANCE SAYS AND NOT JUST WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO SAY, OH, THERE'S A BUSINESS THAT HAS ALL THIS STUFF, BECAUSE NOW YOU HAVE THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY PUTTING THEMSELVES IN DANGER.
IF IT'S DANGEROUS FOR POLICE, IT'S DEFINITELY DANGEROUS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
BUT AGAIN, I'LL GO WITH THE CONSENSUS OF THE COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, THE THE COUNCIL, WELL, THAT'S WHY I SUGGESTED THEY DO IT AS THEY WOULD ANY OTHER CODE VIOLATION, WHICH IS TO SUBMIT IT. THEY DON'T HAVE TO LET ANYONE KNOW THAT THEY'RE SUBMITTING IT THROUGH THE MY DESOTO APP TO LET THEM KNOW, YOU KNOW, THROUGH, THROUGH AS YOU WOULD ANY OTHER CODE FOUR, ONE, ONE, TWO.
AND THAT WILL GO TO DISPATCH AND THEN WE'LL KNOW ALL ABOUT IT.
OUTREACH IS KEY OF COURSE. YEAH. SO WE'LL NEED TO NOT ONLY EDUCATE THE BUSINESSES BUT ALSO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC THAT THEY ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, AS OF A CERTAIN DATE, THEY SHOULDN'T BE EXPECTING TO WALK INTO AN ESTABLISHMENT AND SEE THOSE.
CERTAINLY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. SO WE ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF JULY 1ST, 2026.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. SO MOVED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
EXCUSE ME, MAYOR PRO TEM CHISM. AND SECOND BY WAS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES.
COUNCIL MEMBER NORTH. OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE IT TO COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES AT THE REQUEST OF COUNCIL MEMBER NORTH TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED, ADDING THE ADDITION OF THE THE EFFECTIVE DATE.
ALL RIGHT. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL HAVE. THE FINAL ITEM ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT.
[4. Consider authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute an amendment to the Agreement with SoundThinking, Inc. (ShotSpotter) to extend the term of the agreement for subscription services to a prorated term from April 20, 2026 through September 30, 2026, in the amount of $44,482]
CHIEF, IS THAT ON YOU? CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT WITH SOUTH THINKING INCORPORATED SHOTSPOTTER TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE AGREEMENT FOR SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES TO A PRORATED TERM FOR APRIL 20TH, 26TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026 IN THE AMOUNT OF $44,482.AND AGAIN, MAKING THAT PRESENT. PRESENTING THIS ITEM IS POLICE CHIEF COSTA.
SO, MADAM MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, MY THROAT'S GETTING HOARSE.
AND I KNOW YOU'RE TIRED OF SEEING ME, SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO ASSISTANT CHIEF JASMINE. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR. GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER AL GODFREY.
GOOD EVENING. THERE IS NO PRESENTATION FOR THIS AGENDA ITEM, YOU SHOULD HAVE IN YOUR PACKETS A TWO PAGE AGREEMENT ADDENDUM AS WELL AS A ONE PAGE QUOTE FOR SERVICES.
LET ME TAKE YOU BACK TO JULY 2022, WHEN THIS COUNCIL APPROVED A THREE YEAR AGREEMENT WITH SHOTSPOTTER, WHICH, AS MOST OF YOU ARE AWARE, IS AN OUTDOOR GUNFIRE DETECTION SYSTEM THAT WE'VE EMPLOYED HERE IN THE CITY OF DESOTO FOR APPROXIMATELY THE LAST THREE YEARS.
THAT AGREEMENT ACTUALLY BEGAN ON APRIL THE 20TH OF 2023.
AND SO THAT THREE YEAR TERM WAS UP ACTUALLY YESTERDAY, APRIL 20TH, 2026.
WHAT WE ARE ASKING OF COUNCIL IS TO BE ABLE TO AMEND THAT AGREEMENT TO EXTEND IT TO THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR USING FEDERAL FORFEITURE FUNDS. AND THE.
ADDITIONALLY IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, YOU MAY RECALL, WE CAME TO COUNCIL FOR A RESOLUTION IN REGARDS TO A GRANT THROUGH THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR FOR FUNDS TO APPLY TO SHOTSPOTTER.
[02:20:04]
AND THAT WOULD TAKE EFFECT AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT FISCAL YEAR.SO WE ARE, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BRIDGE THE GAP WITH FEDERAL SEIZED FORFEITURE FUNDS.
I ACTUALLY DO HAVE SOME STATISTICS HOT OFF THE PRESSES.
ABSOLUTELY FOR YOU, MAYOR. MAYOR PRO TEM. SO OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS SHOTSPOTTER HAS NOTIFIED US OF 353 SEPARATE INCIDENTS. 82 OF THOSE INCIDENTS YIELDED ACTIVITY.
AND WHAT THAT ENTAILS IS, IS WE EITHER COLLECTED FIRED CARTRIDGE CASINGS.
WE LOCATED VICTIMS, WE ISSUED CITATIONS, WE SEIZED FIREARMS OR WE MADE ARRESTS.
AND SO THAT IS 23.2% OF THOSE INCIDENTS THAT WE WERE NOTIFIED OF BY SHOTSPOTTER OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS YIELDED ACTIVITY. SO APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER OF THE TIME THAT, THAT WE ARE NOTIFIED, WE GET OUT THERE ON SCENE AND WE FIND SOMETHING WE COLLECTED OVER THAT THREE PERIOD OR THAT THREE YEAR PERIOD 423 FIRED CARTRIDGE CASINGS. WE LOCATED FOUR VICTIMS AND FORTUNATELY, NO.
NO MORE THAN THAT SEES 22 FIREARMS, ISSUED, 15 CITATIONS, MADE 22 ARRESTS, AND ONLY 53 OF THOSE, 353 INCIDENTS ACTUALLY HAD CORRESPONDING 911 CALLS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BROUGHT UP IN THE PAST THAT'S ONLY 15%, RIGHT? SO 85% OF THOSE INCIDENTS WE WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THROUGH ANY OTHER MEANS.
AND I'LL MAKE SURE WE ROLL THESE STATISTICS OUT FOR THE PUBLIC IN A, IN A PRESENTATION AT THAT TIME.
BEYOND THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT, THAT YOU AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO, TO AMEND THAT CONTRACT.
THANK YOU. CHIEF. I SEE A LIGHT MAYOR PRO TEM.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I ACTUALLY HAD ONE OF MY QUESTIONS ASKED THE DATA, SO I APPRECIATE YOU FOR THAT.
SURE. MY SECOND QUESTION TO YOU IS RELATED TO GOSH, ALL THE SIGNS OF AGING.
IT'S HITTING ME ALL AT ONCE. JEEZ. OH MY GOSH.
OKAY, I KNOW THIS QUESTION. OKAY, SO WE TALKED ABOUT THE DATA AND HOW WELL IT'S DOING.
MY SECOND QUESTION TO YOU IS RELATED. THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM THE FEDERAL FUNDS.
SO WE'RE NOT PAYING OUR, OUR FUNDING FOR IT, OUR PROPERTY TAX, WHICH IS GREAT, RIGHT? I REMEMBER WHEN THIS ITEM INITIALLY CAME THAT WE, THERE WAS A, THE CONVERSATION ABOUT ABOUT SHOTSPOTTER AND IF YOU GUYS WOULD EXTEND IT BEYOND THE CITY.
HAVE YOU ALL DECIDED IF YOU ARE GOING TO EXTEND IT IN OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY AND HAS IT DONE ANYTHING OR CHANGED ANYTHING OF YOUR OPERATIONS SINCE YOU HAVE IMPLEMENTED THIS SYSTEM, SUCH AS YOU SEE AN UPTICK IN CRIME IN A SPECIFIC AREA? SO YOU ALL HAVE SHIFTED, OR IS THERE A NEED FOR SOMETHING IN THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU DID NOT? I'M JUST UNDERSTANDING. HAS IT WHILE IT'S HELPED YOU SOLVE CRIMES, THAT'S GREAT.
HAS IT IMPROVED HOW YOU ALL DO WHAT YOU DO DAY TO DAY? OH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND I'M SORRY. ARE YOU FINISHED? MAYOR PRO TEM OKAY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU.
AND, AND YOU GUYS HAVE PROBABLY HEARD ME SAY THIS AS AD NAUSEAM RIGHT OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, RIGHT. BUT IT GIVES OUR OFFICERS TACTICAL INFORMATION.
IT GIVES THEM ACTUAL GOOD INFORMATION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR ALL THE CITIZENS CALLS THAT WE DO GET, IT IS VERY HARD TO PINPOINT THE LOCATION OF GUNFIRE WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE JUST HEARING IT, PERHAPS EVEN FROM INSIDE YOUR RESIDENCE.
AND ADDITIONALLY, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH WHAT'S GUNFIRE AND WHAT IS A, ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, TYPE OF BACKFIRE, AN INDUSTRIAL NOISE CONSTRUCTION A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS,
[02:25:07]
A TRANSFORMER POPPING OFF. AND SO YOU KNOW, WE FEEL WITH, WITH THIS SYSTEM, WE GET THAT GOOD INFORMATION GOING IN.SO THOSE OFFICERS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO.
AND I CAN TELL YOU FROM EXPERIENCE OF, OF BEING OUT THERE AND WORKING AS A LINE OFFICER ON THE STREET YOU, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THIS, THIS SOLUTION YOU REALLY HAD, YOU HAD NO IDEA WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO, YOU, YOU YOU'RE ALWAYS TRAINED TO 100% OF THE TIME TAKE EVERYTHING SERIOUSLY.
BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET INTO SITUATIONS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S NO OUTCOME, YOU DON'T FIND ANYTHING, THEN YOU CAN LET YOUR GUARD DOWN.
WHAT THIS DOES THAT I LOVE IS IT IT KEEPS OUR OFFICERS FOCUSED HIGH.
THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO AND THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHERE IT IS WHEN THEY RESPOND.
ANOTHER OPERATIONAL PART OF THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THE DFR PROGRAM.
WE'RE WE'RE USING ABOUT 20% OF THE TIME WE'RE ABLE TO GET A DRONE UP AND GET THAT OUT THERE TO HELP OUR OFFICERS LOCATE THIS, THIS SOURCE OF GUNFIRE. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, IT CAN SEE IF THE DFR CAN SEE IF PEOPLE ARE PRESENT, IF IF VEHICLES ARE LEAVING THE AREA PRIOR TO OUR OFFICERS ARRIVING ON SCENE.
SO THEY, THEY HAVE SOME EXPECTATION AND THEY CAN PUT TOGETHER A HASTY RESPONSE TO THAT AS WELL.
SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION. THANK YOU.
CHIEF. I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE FUNDING MOVING FORWARD.
SO IS THE PLAN FOR SHOTSPOTTER TO REMAIN GRANT FUNDED.
OR IS THERE EVER A PLAN TO TRY TO ROLL THIS INTO OUR BUDGET BECAUSE IT'S IN AND I COULD BE RECALLING AND CORRECTLY, BUT IT FEELS LIKE WE KIND OF EVERY SO OFTEN WE'RE TRYING TO CATCH THIS TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP IT FUNDED MOVING FORWARD.
AND WHILE WE. WELL, LET ME SPEAK FOR ME PERSONALLY.
I DO SEE THE VALUE OF IT. IT FEELS LIKE IT'S.
WE'RE KIND OF HAVING TO FIND WAYS TO KEEP IT MOVING FORWARD.
SO WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR THAT MOVING. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
ABSOLUTELY. WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT IT IN THE BUDGET.
WE, WE ACTUALLY WE HAD IN EARLY PHASES OF BUDGET PLANNING FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026.
CERTAINLY EVEN WITH A GRANT FUNDED PROGRAM, THE OBJECTIVE IS, IS NOT TO FUND THAT PROGRAM USING A GRANT FOR, FOR THE FULL LIFE OF THAT PROGRAM. I KNOW THAT'S BEEN COMMUNICATED TO US EVEN EVEN FROM, YOU KNOW, THE THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR. THE IDEA WILL BE ULTIMATELY TO, TO BE ABLE TO, TO MOVE TO SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SUPPORT IN THE BUDGET.
OKAY. THANK YOU. CHIEF. I SEE NO ADDITIONAL LIGHTS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION AT THIS TIME.
COUNCIL. MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE AS PRESENTED.
SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCILMAN BYRD. SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUGHES TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED.
COUNCIL, PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PAD. OKAY. THANK YOU.
COUNCIL. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE THE THE FINAL ITEM ON OUR AGENDA,
[I. CITIZEN APPEARANCES]
WHICH IS CITIZENS APPEARANCES. WE ARE AT 8:45 P.M..AS MAYOR HAS STATED, WE'RE NOW MOVING ON TO THE FINAL ITEM, WHICH IS CITIZENS APPEARANCES.
CITIZENS WISHING TO SPEAK SHOULD COMPLETE A CITIZEN COMMENT CARD AND PRESENT IT TO THE CITY SECRETARY, OR RETURN TO THE AMBASSADOR'S TABLE PRIOR TO THE START OF THE MEETING.
[02:30:03]
SECRETARY PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THAT AGENDA ITEM.CITIZENS SHALL REFRAIN FROM MAKING PERSONAL, IMPERTINENT, 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.
THANK YOU. WE'LL HAVE THE FIRST CARD. JEFFREY T MILLER.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? OKAY. GEOFFREY MILLER, LIVE IN DESOTO.
I HAVE THREE CONCERNS. I'M GONNA TALK FAST. NUMBER ONE I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES THAT WORK FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO. AND THE CONCERN IN OUR CONVERSATION IS THEY'RE NOT TREATED WITH RESPECT THAT THEY ARE AFRAID OF RETALIATION FROM THE LEADERSHIP AT GETTING FIRED.
THE SECOND CONCERN IS CHRIS REMOVING HIM, FIND HIM.
WE FEEL THAT HE WAS GREAT FOR THE PEOPLE HERE IN DE SOTO AND FOR THE EMPLOYEES TO LET SOMEBODY THAT MANY YEARS OF SERVICE JUST. WE DON'T NEED YOU NO MORE. THAT AIN'T RIGHT.
AND THE THIRD THING IS, I PUT IN REQUESTS THREE WEEKS AGO, GOING ON A MONTH FOR A COPY OF A CCR.
I HAVEN'T GOT IT YET. I THOUGHT THE TWO EMPLOYEES ALREADY OF ME COMING DOWN TO THE.
THE PLACE HERE REQUESTED A COPY. I HAVEN'T GOT IT YET.
AND THEN WHEN THE PUBLIC COME UP HERE TO WANT TO SPEAK, YOU WANT TO CUT THEIR TIME SHORT.
AND AGAIN, YOU NEVER SHOULD HAVE FIRED CHRIS.
HE WAS A GOOD EMPLOYEE. HE WAS A GOOD FRIEND.
AND HE GET ALONG WITH EVERYBODY. AND WHAT? I'M HERE EVER SINCE THE NEW CITY MANAGER GOT HERE, IT'S BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE AND PROBLEMS IN THIS CITY.
WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT SPEAKER, FRANCIS TROTTER.
FRANCIS TROTTER. WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT SPEAKER, CEDRIC GREEN OR RODERICK GREEN.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS. I JUST WANT TO TELL COUNCIL I'M COACH Z IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH KIDS IN THIS COMMUNITY OVER 20 YEARS.
AND NOW THAT MR. CHRIS GLOVER IS GONE THINGS HAVE CHANGED AT THE REC.
EXTREMELY BAD. NOW THAT WHOEVER'S IN CHARGE BEING TREATED MUCH DIFFERENTLY THEY TREAT ME LIKE A STRANGER NOW. AND I HAVE PUT OVER 200 KIDS IN THIS COMMUNITY IN COLLEGE.
I WORK WITH KIDS FROM VARIOUS AGES FROM 5 TO 18.
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN DESOTO FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
I'M JUST MISS RENEE JOHNSON WAS THE DIRECTOR WHEN I CAME TO THIS COMMUNITY.
SHE GAVE ME A RATE OF $25 AN HOUR FOR HALF COURT IN THE GYM AND $50 AN HOUR FOR FULL COURT IN THE
[02:35:02]
GYM AND. AND WHEN RENEE LEFT AND TOOK ANOTHER JOB SHE I GUESS CHRIS TOOK OVER, BUT HE NEVER CHANGED THE RATES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT NOW I'M GETTING EMAILS.NOBODY'S CALLING ME, NOBODY'S TALKING TO ME. AND I AM HUGE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I'M JUST, I'M, I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY NOBODY'S COMMUNICATING WITH ME ANYMORE.
AND AND I'M WONDERING WHY THEY'RE TRYING TO GO UP ON THE RATES ON ME ALL OF A SUDDEN.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT MY CONCERN WAS TONIGHT. AND JUST EVERYTHING IS IN DISARRAY.
AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT IT DOESN'T FEEL GOOD WHEN YOU'RE A GOOD PERSON.
I HAVEN'T BOTHERED NOBODY. I, I PAY MY BILL. I, I DO EVERYTHING LIKE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DONE AND NOW I'M BEING TREATED LIKE AN OUTCAST AND I JUST DON'T APPRECIATE IT. AND I WANTED TO VOICE MY OPINION TONIGHT.
NEXT SPEAKER, DOCTOR. JACQUELINE. BONNIE. TAYLOR.
JACQUELINE BONNIE TAYLOR, DESOTO, TEXAS. 28 YEARS.
I STAND BEFORE YOU. I WANT TO BE MAD AT THE MAYOR, BUT I CAN'T DIRECTLY TAKE IT TO THE MAYOR.
BUT I SENT THE MAYOR A LETTER, EMAILED THE LETTER, AND I SENT THE SAME LETTER TO THE CITY OF DUNCANVILLE ON MARCH THE 31ST, 2025. MY HUSBAND TOOK A FALL.
HE FRACTURED TWO VERTEBRAE IN HIS NECK, BROKE HIS NECK, SPINAL CORD INJURY.
HE'S NOW QUADRIPLEGIC. WHEN HE FELL, THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN THAT CAME TO HIS AID, WHICH I FOUND OUT LATER WAS MY PASTOR. NOT ONLY DID THAT GENTLEMAN JUST GET OUT OF HIS CAR AND HELP, BUT THE PEOPLE IN FROST BANK AS WELL AS EMT CAME TO HIS RESCUE. HE COULD HAVE DIED ON THAT SIDEWALK, BUT THEY CAME TO HIS AID.
I ASKED FOR THEM INDIVIDUAL FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE CITY OF DE SOTO.
SO BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT RECOGNIZED, THAT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I'M NOT A REAL CITIZEN.
I'M JUST A VOTE. AND SO THE LETTER I SENT TO DUNCANVILLE, THAT MAYOR CALLED ME AND HE RECOGNIZED THE INDIVIDUALS AT FROST BANK. I WROTE FROST BANK, THE CORPORATION, AND THEY RECOGNIZED THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
I WAS TOLD BY YOUR OFFICE THAT IT WAS JUST AN FYI, BUT IN THE LETTER IT INDICATED THAT I WANTED THOSE INDIVIDUALS RECOGNIZED. IF IT WAS FYI, I WOULD ASSUME YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BECAUSE I'M IN YOUR DISTRICT, BUT I'M LOOKING AT YOU NOW, AND I CAN TELL YOU DIDN'T KNOW, BUT REGINALD TAYLOR FAILED.
MARCH THE 31ST, 2025. IT'S BEEN A JOURNEY. I'VE GOTTEN MORE SUPPORT, EVEN WITH THE CITATIONS I'VE GOT, BECAUSE MY YARD NEEDED TO BE CUT. BECAUSE NOW I'M A FULL TIME CAREGIVER.
BUT I FELT LIKE I'M NOT AN IMPORTANT CITIZEN.
I'M JUST A VOTE. NEXT SPEAKER. LEONORA NORI WYATT. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE. FOR THE RECORD, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK. LEONORA WYATT, DALLAS.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TEM, AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M THE CEO OF FITNESS BY NORI, AND I'M A FITNESS PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF DE SOTO, SPECIFICALLY SERVING AS A FITNESS INSTRUCTOR AT THE RECREATION CENTER, I WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETING APRIL 7TH.
BUT I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO SPEAK TODAY, NOT JUST FOR MYSELF, BUT AS SOMEONE WHO GENUINELY VALUES PARTNERSHIP, COMMUNITY, WELLNESS, AND PROFESSIONALISM. WHEN I JOINED THE DESOTO RECREATION CENTER THREE YEARS AGO, I WAS REFERRED BY SOMEONE INFLUENTIAL IN THIS COMMUNITY.
MY NAME WAS BEING SPOKEN IN ROOMS THAT I WAS NOT EVEN IN.
AND FOR THAT, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO TEM CHISHOLM I HAVE PROUDLY PARTICIPATED IN CITY INITIATIVES SUCH AS DESOTO UNPLUGGED AND MOVED WITH THE MAYOR AND I HAVE ALWAYS APPROACHED MY ROLE AS MORE THAN JUST A TRAINER.
HOWEVER, WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING DOES NOT FEEL LIKE PARTNERSHIP.
AS A DEGREED AND CERTIFIED HUMAN RESOURCE PROFESSIONAL WITH OVER 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND TWICE MILITARY VETERAN, I THOROUGHLY UNDERSTAND THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND CLARITY, PARTICULARLY REGARDING MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS, PROGRAM TRANSITION AND EXPECTATION FOR FITNESS PARTNERS.
[02:40:05]
ADDITIONALLY, AFTER RECEIVING THE APRIL 7TH. AFTER REVIEWING THE APRIL 7TH MEETING, THE CITY MANAGER STATED THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE HOLDING CLASSES WITHOUT MEMBERSHIP FEES. HOWEVER, I HAVE SINCE RECEIVED COMMUNICATION INDICATING THAT BEGINNING OCTOBER 2026, ALL PARTICIPANTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO MOVE TO THE AAC AND PAY MEMBERSHIP AND CLASS FEES.THAT INCONSISTENCY CREATES CONFUSION AND ERODES TRUST.
I ALSO HAD A PROBLEM BECAUSE I WAS NOT PAID FOR SERVICES THAT WERE ALREADY RENDERED, AND IT WAS INSTRUCTED THAT I NOT BE PAID FOR WORK COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY UNTIL I SIGNED A NEW CONTRACT. THANK YOU, MISS WYATT.
THANK YOU. WE HAVE THE NEXT SPEAKER, BREEZY CULBERSON.
I GO BY BREEZY. I STAY IN CEDAR HILL, TEXAS. I TEACH YOGA AND OFFER SOUND BATHS FOR THE CEDAR HILL REC, AND I HAVE BEEN THERE FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS NOW.
AND DE SOTO IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.
I OFFER 12 CLASSES A MONTH FOR $50 TOTAL, WHICH MAKES THE CLASSES $4.17 APIECE.
WHEREAS YOUR AVERAGE YOGA CLASS IN THE CITY DALLAS, DESOTO, DUNCANVILLE, IT DOES NOT MATTER.
IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT $25. JUST LIKE NORI, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CLASSES WILL NOW HAVE TO BE PAID FOR MY RATE, WHICH IS THAT $50, AS WELL AS WHATEVER THE RATE IS FOR THE ARC.
THAT TAKES AWAY THE ACCESSIBILITY OF IT, THE FINANCIAL ACCESSIBILITY OF IT, AND IT REALLY IMPACTS A LOT OF MY STUDENTS BECAUSE THEY ARE EITHER ON A FIXED INCOME OR THEY ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, NOT ABLE TO AFFORD A LOT OF EXTRA THINGS.
TONIGHT I AM ASKING FOR CLARITY THE SAME WAY NORI DID.
AND I AM ALSO ASKING THAT THAT BE CHANGED. I REALLY DO NOT WANT TO MOVE CITIES.
I FEEL VERY PASSIONATELY ABOUT DE SOTO. I FEEL VERY PASSIONATELY ABOUT MY STUDENTS AND WE DO NOT HAVE A BIG CLASS, BUT I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM, AND I WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO COME AND FIND MOVEMENT AND FIND STILLNESS AND PEACE WITHIN THEMSELVES THROUGH YOGA.
ALSO, I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID FOR THIS MONTH. AND BETWEEN THE NOT BEING PAID AND THE INCONSISTENCY INCONSISTENCIES ON COMMUNICATION, IT'S GETTING VERY FRUSTRATING. IN ORDER TO FIND WAYS TO CONTACT THE STAFF AT THE REC, I TYPICALLY HAVE TO GO FROM PERSON TO PERSON TO PERSON, AND THEY ALL POINT FINGERS AT EACH OTHER WHEN THEY POINT THE FINGERS AT EACH OTHER, NO ONE REALLY GIVES ME AN ANSWER.
SO THEN I END UP HAVING TO PUT THINGS IN WRITING OR DO OTHER THINGS TO GET SIMPLE ANSWERS.
THANK YOU, MISS CULBERTSON. WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT SPEAKER, ANNA WILLIAMS. GOOD EVENING, MISS WILLIAMS. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME. YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE. FOR THE RECORD, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK. YES, MA'AM. ANNA WILLIAMS DESOTO, TEXAS, 37 YEARS. THE FOCUS IN THE CITY OF DESOTO HAS DESTROYED A RETAIL AND A HAMPTON ROAD I HAVE SEEN IT ALL. WE HAVE MORE SLOT MACHINES AND SMOKE SHOPS THAN CARTER HAS LIVER PILLS.
INFRASTRUCTURE HAS HAS VERY LITTLE CONSTRUCTION.
INFRASTRUCTURE HAS VERY LITTLE CONSTRUCTION. ON THE EAST SIDE OF DE SOTO, BRIDGES CREAK.
SIDEWALKS ARE DEPLORABLE. OUR TAXES ARE HIGH IN THE EAST SIDE OF DE SOTO WITH HIGH TAXES.
AND BECAUSE WE HAVE VERY LITTLE RETAIL. I LOVE DE SOTO, BUT IT MAKES YOU WANT TO CRY, MLK SAID.
SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT IS THE WAY THAT A CITY WITH MINORITIES SHOULD GO.
66% OF MINORITIES IN DE SOTO. ARE AT LARGE AND DON'T KNOW THEIR AT LARGE.
READ A BOOK AT JIM CROW AT LARGE. THE OTHER ONE IS THAT I HAVE IS THORN TREE COUNTRY CLUB.
MY HUSBAND 15 YEARS AT $250 A MONTH. THAT WAS $45,000.
NEVER THOUGHT THAT THE CITY OF DE SOTO WOULD EVER BUY A COUNTRY CLUB.
MAYOR HERTZ WITH NEIMAN MARCUS AND I PARTNERED UP WITH SHOWS THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
MY DAUGHTER WEDDINGS RECEPTION WAS AT THORN TREE COUNTRY CLUB.
I NEVER THOUGHT THE SAM MOON RETAIL WOULD LEASE THE COUNTRY CLUB.
THANK YOU. CITY MAYOR? YEAH, WE JUST NEED TO DO A CORRECTION.
[02:45:07]
THERE WAS SOME INFORMATION THAT WAS PUT OUT. IT IS NOT SAM MOON THAT IS PARTNERED WITH THE CITY.IT IS NOT SAM MOON THAT IS PARTNERING FOR THE COUNTRY CLUB.
THANK YOU. IS SAM YOUNG NOT SAM MOON? SOME YANG.
THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, THERE WAS A CARD. IF I COULD GET YOU ALL TO.
IS THAT CORRECT, MISS? YES, MADAM. CITY SECRETARY, IS DENISE VALENTINE HERE? I DON'T SEE HER IN THE AUDIENCE. DID SHE LEAVE? OKAY, SO SHE. DID SHE STATE ANY OPPOSITION TO THAT? WE WANT TO JUST RECOGNIZE THAT FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD, SHE DID NOT.
SHE DID NOT. BUT IT WAS FOR THAT FIRST THAT FIRST PUBLIC HEARING.
OKAY. THANK YOU. WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT SPEAKER, HOPE STEVENS.
GOOD EVENING, MISS STEVENS. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME. YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE. FOR THE RECORD, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK. HOPE STEVENS, CITY OF DE SOTO. I COME UP HERE BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO SHARE. I'VE SHARED CONCERN ONCE BEFORE.
I'VE SENT YOU SEVERAL EMAILS. I HAVE ALSO SUBMITTED OVER 20 OPEN RECORD REQUESTS TO OBTAIN FACTS.
BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE HEARSAY, I LIKE FACTS, I LIKE THE DATA THAT I CAN READ.
HAVING FIVE DIRECTORS HAVING SEPARATED FOR VARIOUS REASONS, FROM THE CITY OF DE SOTO, HAVING MULTIPLE MANAGERS HAVING CONCERNS THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM PARKS AND REC, PARKS AND REC. AND THEN THIS EVENING HEARING THAT WE HAVE A CITY EMPLOYEE WHO IS A FINALIST IN ANOTHER CITY FOR A POSITION, I HAVE VERY STRONG CONCERN. HOW ARE WE GOING TO MANAGE OUR CITY IF WE ARE LEFT IN SO MANY SHAMBLES? AND SO I WANT TO GIVE THAT PAUSE. I WANT TO GIVE THAT CONCERN.
AGAIN, I'M NOT HERE TO COMPLAIN. I'D RATHER BE PART OF THE SOLUTION THAN KEEP CREATING MORE AND MORE AND MORE PROBLEMS. WE HAVE THOSE WHO LIKE TO CREATE PROBLEMS, AND WE HAVE THOSE WHO WANT TO ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND HELP FIX THE PROBLEMS. I WANT TO BE ONE OF THOSE FIXER FOLK, BUT WE HAVE TO BE HONEST.
WE HAVE TO BE TRANSPARENT. WE HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY REAL ABOUT THE FACTS.
I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE HERE THAT IS SITTING BEHIND ME.
GO DO YOUR RESEARCH, STUDY, SHOW YOURSELF APPROVED, SUBMIT THE OPEN RECORDS REPORTS.
READ FOR YOURSELF. DO NOT GO BY THE HEARSAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
READ FOR YOURSELF TO GET THE DATA. BUT I STILL CHALLENGE MY CITY COUNCIL, I NEED YOU.
YOU ARE THE LEADERS. YOU ARE WHO WE PUT IN PLACE TO TAKE CARE OF MANY OF THESE DECISIONS AND MANY OF THESE DECISIONS WE DO NOT GET TO GIVE INPUT FOR, BUT WE ARE LEFT IN A VERY BAD PLACE RIGHT NOW WHERE THE MORALE OF OUR CITY IS VERY, VERY LOW.
THE WORST THAT I'VE EVER SEEN. AND I HATE TO SAY THAT I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT'S NOW LOOKING FOR NEW RESIDENTS SOMEWHERE ELSE, BECAUSE I'M JUST SO TIRED OF THE MINUTIA HERE IN THE CITY, FROM THE DAIS TO THOSE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL.
THANK YOU. PLEASE, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM OUTBURSTS.
PLEASE. WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT SPEAKER, K PATRICK.
I DON'T SEE MISS BROWN PATRICK IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL.
WE WILL NOW HAVE THE FINAL COMMENT CARD BY M BONAPARTE.
MISS BONAPARTE, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME. YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE. FOR THE RECORD, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK. MARY BONAPARTE, DESOTO, TEXAS. DESOTO SLOGAN PROUDLY SAYS DESOTO.
SO MUCH TO LOVE. BUT RIGHT NOW, THE CLIMATE READS.
DESOTO. SO MUCH TO LEARN, SO MUCH TO LEARN ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE.
I SAY THIS BASED ON REAL EXPERIENCE OVER A MONTH AGO.
THAT SILENCE IS UNACCEPTABLE AND REFLECTS A BROADER ISSUE OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND AGAIN, ANOTHER INSTANCE. I HAVE LONG SUPPORTED OUR DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT, BUT I RECENTLY HAD A DEEPLY DISAPPOINTING PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
WHILE I WILL NOT GO INTO FULL DETAILS DUE TO A PENDING COMPLAINT.
[02:50:02]
EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, THERE IS AN EXPECTATION THAT OFFICERS SERVE THE COMMUNITY WITH EMPATHY AND RESPECT BECAUSE EVERY CITIZEN IS NOT ANTI-POLICE.THAT IS TRUE. BUT WHEN TRUST HAS BEEN BREACHED AMONG LEADERS, THERE IS AN APPEARANCE OF DISORDER AND A LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY AMONG THOSE LEADING THE CITY. THIS DISTRUST INEVITABLY SHAPES THE CULTURE OF COMMUNITY BECAUSE EMPLOYEES FOLLOW WHAT LEADERSHIP DEMONSTRATES.
THERE'S AN OLD AFRICAN PROVERB THAT GOES, IF YOU WANT TO GO FAST, YOU GO ALONE.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO GO FAR, YOU HAVE TO DO IT TOGETHER.
DESOTO WILL NOT GO ANYWHERE UNTIL THE PRIDE DIMINISHES.
DOES THAT CONCLUDE COMMON CARDS FOR THIS EVENING? THAT DOES. MAYOR. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL. THANK YOU TO STAFF.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE RESIDENTS THAT CAME OUT TO SPEAK TONIGHT AT THIS TIME.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF THE ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED.
SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MAYOR PRO TEM CHISM.
SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER HEWES TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. 9:06 P.M.
WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU ALL. HAVE A GREAT NIGHT.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.