[1. CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:08]
          P.M. I'M MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR, AND I WANT TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO OUR SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING. TODAY IT IS MONDAY, OCTOBER 19TH, 2026. I'M GOING TO ASK OUR CITY SECRETARY IF SHE WOULD GIVE US A ROLL CALL. MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR HERE. MAYOR PRO TEM LETICIA HUGHES, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM KEN WATERS HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, COUNCIL MEMBER BRIAN WESLEY, COUNCIL MEMBER. DEBORAH NORTH HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CRYSTAL CHISHOLM HERE. THANK YOU. WE'LL 
          [2. SAFETY PROTOCOL STATEMENT BY: INTERIM FIRE CHIEF BRYAN WHITACRE]
HAVE THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE. FIRST, WE WILL HAVE THE SAFETY PROTOCOL STATEMENT BY INTERIM FIRE CHIEF BRIAN WHITAKER. HELLO, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. HELLO, EVERYONE. 
          IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, THAT'S OUTSIDE. WE'RE GOING TO REMAIN IN HERE. YOU'RE GOING TO FOLLOW STAFF TO A DESIGNATED AREA. I KNOW EVERYBODY HERE IS FAST, BUT WE'RE GOING TO WALK THERE. 
          ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER EMERGENCIES? YOU'RE GOING TO EXIT THROUGH THE DOOR WHICH YOU CAME OR THE DOOR TO YOUR LEFT RIGHT HERE. YOU'RE GOING TO GO THERE. FIND A SAFE SPOT. STAY THERE UNTIL THE MARSHAL, THE POLICE CHIEF OR MYSELF COME AND GET YOU. WITH THAT, LET'S HAVE 
          [a.  Recognition of the Police Department promotion for Corporal Shaun Mobley]
A GOOD MEETING. THANK YOU. CHIEF. AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. WE WILL NOW HAVE PRESENTATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS. RECOGNITION OF POLICE DEPARTMENT PROMOTION FOR CORPORAL SHAWN MOBLEY. MAKING A PRESENTATION AS POLICE CHIEF JOE COSTA. HELLO, EVERYBODY. 
          THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT FOR THIS EVENT. I KNOW THAT'S WHY YOU'RE ALL HERE. WE APPRECIATE IT. WE'RE GOING TO BE REAL QUICK. SHAWN, WHERE IS YOUR PARTNER? WHERE IS HE? COME ON UP, MR. BENITO. SO TONIGHT WE. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS ALWAYS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT CHIEF OF POLICE CAN DO IS TO PROMOTE NEW PEOPLE COMING UP THROUGH THE RANKS IN THE DEPARTMENT. THEY'RE THE LEADERS OF THE FUTURE. AND SO IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO PUT THEM IN PLACE, IN A NEW POSITION AND, AND WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE THEM BETTER SO THAT THEY CAN GO UP THE LADDER OF SUCCESS. TONIGHT WE ARE PROMOTING ONE, ONE OFFICER FROM OFFICER TO CORPORAL, AND THAT IS OFFICER SHAWN MOBLEY. AND HE'S HERE, OBVIOUSLY, HERE WITH ME IS CHIEF ASSISTANT CHIEF RESNICK. AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SHAWN MOBLEY'S PIN BADGE ON TO HIM BY HIS PARTNER, ANDRE BENITO. AND THERE'S NO THERE'S NO OATH OF OFFICE. HE'S ALREADY TAKEN THAT. 
          SO ALL IT IS, IS HE'S GOING TO GET HIS BADGE PINNED ON TO HIM, AND HE'LL BE OFFICIALLY A CORPORAL. HE'S BEEN WORKING IN THAT FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT OFFICIAL TONIGHT. SO ASSISTANT CHIEF RESNICK WILL PROVIDE THAT BADGE TO ANDRE, AND HE WILL PIN IT ON. 
          THIS IS HIS CHANCE TO STAB HIM A LITTLE AND, YOU KNOW, GET BACK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU CHIEF, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, CORPORAL. AT THIS TIME WE HAVE 
          [b.  Presentation of a proclamation honoring DeSoto Nitro Track Club Day]
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. PLEASE. WE WILL NOW HAVE PRESENTATION OF A PROCLAMATION HONORING DESOTO NITRO TRACK CLUB DAY. MAKING A PRESENTATION IS MAYOR RACHEL L PROCTOR. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. HOW'S EVERYBODY DOING? GOOD. WAIT A MINUTE. AM I IN THE RIGHT CITY? I SAID, HOW'S EVERYBODY DOING? Y'ALL CAN TELL WE DON'T GET MUCH COMPANY IN OUR MEETINGS. 
          SO THIS IS EXCITING FOR US TO HAVE ALL THIS ENERGY IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS TONIGHT. AND I WENT AND FOUND MY GLASSES, BY THE WAY. ALL RIGHT. SO WE WANT TO DO SOME SPECIAL SPOTLIGHTS FOR A VERY SPECIAL GROUP OF OUTSTANDING ATHLETES HERE IN OUR CITY. AND WE ARE PROUD TO RECOGNIZE THE OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE DESOTO NITRO TRACK CLUB ATHLETES WHO COMPETED IN THE 2026 AAU JUNIOR OLYMPICS. I THINK WE CAN PUT OUR HANDS TOGETHER RIGHT THERE. 
          ALL 41 ATHLETES EARNED ALL AMERICAN HONORS BY FINISHING AMONGST THE TOP EIGHT NATIONALLY IN THEIR RESPECTIVE EVENTS. I'M GOING TO SAY THAT AGAIN. THEY FINISHED AMONG THE TOP EIGHT NATIONALLY IN THEIR RESPECTIVE EVENT EVENTS. AND AMONG THESE REMARKABLE ATHLETES, 
          [00:05:04]
SEVERAL ACHIEVED ADDITIONAL DISTINCTIONS THAT DESERVE SOME SPECIAL RECOGNITION. SO I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THESE ATHLETES. AND WE HAD A RECEPTION PRIOR TO OUR MEETING BEGINNING TONIGHT WHERE WE RECOGNIZED EVERYONE. BUT WE WANT TO CALL OUT JUST A FEW BEFORE WE MAKE ANOTHER SPECIAL PRESENTATION TO THIS GROUP HONORING THE DESOTO NITRO TRACK CLUB AND HIS COACHING STAFF. AND THE FIRST ONE THAT I WANT TO CALL OUT IS THOSE INDIVIDUALS OR THOSE ATHLETES WHO HAVE MULTIPLE ALL-AMERICAN HONORS. FIRST, WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE THOSE ATHLETES WHO EARN AT LEAST THREE ALL-AMERICA HONORS DURING THE 2026 SEASON. PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING AND WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME. IF YOU ARE HERE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME UP TO THE FRONT. NATHAN WALKER. SARAH WILLIAMS. SARA EXCUSE ME, SARAH WILLIAMS, LET ME PUT SOME RESPECT ON YOUR NAME. TIMBERLAND SHORE. AND NAOMI JONES. LET'S GIVE THEM A ROUND OF ACCOMPLISHMENT. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A QUICK PICTURE. 
          STEP OVER HERE TO THIS SIDE. READY TO. VERY GOOD. NEXT WE WANT TO DO OUR SENIOR SPOTLIGHT. 
          CHIEF. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT YOUR AGE GROUP. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE. LISTEN. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. WE LOVE OUR CHIEF. WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT THOSE ATHLETES WHO ARE AGING OUT OF DESOTO NITRO. NEXT, WE RECOGNIZE OUR SENIOR ATHLETES WHO ARE COMPLETING THEIR ELIGIBILITY WITH DESOTO NITRO TRACK CLUB AND LEAVING A LEGACY OF DEDICATION AND ACHIEVEMENT. 
          JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING ASHANI COFIELD. LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE ALREADY ON THEIR WAY UP. 
          AUBREY KENNEDY. WE ALSO. CHARLES ANDERSON. MARLEY ROGERS, AND NAOMI JONES. WE WANT TO COMMEND YOU ALL FOR YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND FOR THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU HAVE SET FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF ATHLETES. LET'S GIVE THEM ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE WHILE WE TAKE A PHOTO. THANK YOU. AND OUR LAST CATEGORY IS A JUNIOR OLYMPIC NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. FINALLY, WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE TWO ATHLETES WHO EARNED THE TITLE OF A JUNIOR OLYMPIC NATIONAL CHAMPION IN THEIR RESPECTIVE 400 METER DIVISION IN THE BOYS 15 TO 16 DIVISION. PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING DYLAN HALL. 
          AND IN THE BOYS 7 TO 18 DIVISION. PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING CHARLES ANDERSON. 
          I DON'T BELIEVE HE'S HERE WITH US, BUT WE CAN. CAN WE GIVE BOTH OF THESE EXTRAORDINARY ATHLETES ANOTHER HAND CLAP? AND SO AT THIS TIME, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE AND WE DID A LOT OF THAT IN OUR RECEPTION. BUT I THINK THAT SOMETHING THIS GREAT DESERVES A VERY SPECIAL DISTINCTION. SO I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE DESOTO NITRO TRACK CLUB AND HIS COACHING STAFF FOR THEIR DEDICATION TO THESE YOUNG ATHLETES AND DEVELOPING THEM TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE A LEVEL OF SUCCESS AT THIS LEVEL. I DON'T THINK SOMETIMES IT GETS LOST ON US WHAT IT TAKES TO REACH THIS LEVEL OF GREATNESS. AND SO WE WANT TO COMMEND NOT ONLY, I'M GOING TO SAY, THE COACHING STAFF AND ALL OF THEM, BUT CAN WE GIVE THE PARENTS A GREAT BIG HAND CLAP? BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF SACRIFICE. I KNOW AS A PARENT, I KNOW THIS IS NOT FREE. 
          [00:10:10]
AND IN THE TIME THAT IT TAKES AND THE COMMITMENT THAT IT TAKES AND WHAT YOU PUT INTO THIS TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD IN THEIR ENDEAVORS, WE WE WANT TO THANK YOU AS WELL FOR THAT. I DO WANT TO PRESENT A PROCLAMATION TO THE DESOTO NITRO BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A BIG GROUP. I'M GOING TO ASK YOU ALL TO REMAIN IN YOUR SEATS. NORMALLY, I WOULD HAVE YOU ALL TO COME UP HERE, BUT I WILL ASK I'M GOING TO ASK THOSE THOSE ATHLETES WHO WE JUST CALLED, IF YOUR NAME WAS CALLED IN THIS MEETING, COME UP TO THE FRONT FOR ME, PLEASE. AND I'M GOING TO READ THIS AND YOU ALL CAN RECEIVE IT. IS THAT ALL RIGHT? ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. WHEREAS THE CITY OF DESOTO RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUTH ATHLETICS IN FOSTERING DISCIPLINE, PERSEVERANCE, TEAMWORK, LEADERSHIP, AND PERSONAL GROWTH. AND WHEREAS DESOTO NITRO TRACK CLUB HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS A VALUED YOUTH ATHLETIC ORGANIZATION IN THE DESOTO COMMUNITY, PROVIDING YOUNG ATHLETES WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP THEIR ABILITIES, PURSUE COMPETITIVE EXCELLENCE, AND BUILD CHARACTER BOTH ON AND OFF THE TRACK. AND WHEREAS, DURING THE 2026 SEASON, DESOTO NITRO TRACK CLUB REGISTERED MORE THAN 300 ATHLETES, REFLECTING THE PROGRAM'S CONTINUED GROWTH AND COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING MEANINGFUL ATHLETIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. AND WHEREAS, DESOTO NITRO TRACK CLUB DEMONSTRATED OUTSTANDING COMPETITIVE ACHIEVEMENT AT THE 2026 AAU JUNIOR OLYMPICS GAMES HELD AUGUST 1ST THROUGH THE EIGHTH 2026 IN DES MOINES, IOWA. WITH APPROXIMATELY 119 ATHLETES QUALIFYING TO COMPETE AND REPRESENT THE CLUB AND THE CITY OF DESOTO ON THE NATIONAL STAGE. 
          AND WHEREAS THE CLUB'S 2026 SEASON RESULTED IN 47 ALL AMERICAN HONORS, RECOGNIZING ATHLETES WHO FINISHED AMONG THE TOP EIGHT NATIONALLY IN THEIR RESPECTIVE EVENTS AT THE AAU JUNIOR OLYMPIC GAMES, AND ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT REFLECTS THEIR DEDICATION, PREPARATION AND COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE. AND WHEREAS, THE CLUB'S SUCCESS IS SUPPORTED BY A DEDICATED LEADERSHIP TEAM OF 17 COACHES, INCLUDING 12 MALE COACHES AND FIVE FEMALE COACHES, AS WELL AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF WHOSE COMMITMENT TO TRAINING, MENTORSHIP, SPORTSMANSHIP AND ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT HELPS YOUNG PEOPLE REACH THEIR POTENTIAL. AND WHEREAS, GUIDED BY ITS MOTTO HARD WORK PAYS OFF, DON'T JUST SAY WHAT YOU DO, DO WHAT YOU SAY. THERE YOU GO. SOMEBODY KNOWS THE MOTTO. DESOTO NITRO TRACK CLUB INSTILLS VALUES OF ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPONSIBILITY, PERSEVERANCE, AND INTEGRITY, REINFORCING LESSONS THAT EXTEND BEYOND ATHLETIC COMPETITION AND INTO THE LIVES OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE IT SERVES. AND WHEREAS THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF DESOTO, NITRO, DESOTO, NITRO ATHLETES REFLECT THE DEDICATION OF THE ATHLETES, COACHES, FAMILIES, VOLUNTEERS, AND SUPPORTERS WHO CONTRIBUTE THEIR TIME AND EFFORT TO THE CLUB'S CONTINUED SUCCESS. AND WHEREAS, THE CITY OF DESOTO IS PROUD TO RECOGNIZE DESOTO NITRO TRACK CLUB FOR ITS ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS, ITS INVESTMENT IN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND ITS CONTINUED REPRESENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY WITH DISTINCTION. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RACHAEL L PROCTOR. 
          BY THE POWER VESTED IN ME AS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, DALLAS COUNTY, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 19TH, 2026 AS DESOTO NITRO 2026 JUNIOR OLYMPIC CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM DAY IN THE CITY OF DESOTO AND ENCOURAGE OUR RESIDENTS TO JOIN IN CELEBRATING THE OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THIS. Y'ALL CAN CLAP RIGHT THERE. I KNOW Y'ALL WERE TRYING NOT TO INTERRUPT ME IN THE CITY OF DESOTO AND ENCOURAGE OUR RESIDENTS TO JOIN IN CELEBRATING THE OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF DESOTO NITRO TRACK CLUB, HONORING ITS ATHLETES AND COACHING STAFF, AND RECOGNIZING THE FAMILIES AND SUPPORTERS WHOSE DEDICATION HELPS CULTIVATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS, CHAMPIONS, AND COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTORS. IN WITNESS WHEREOF I HAVE SET MY HAND AND CAUSED THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS TO BE AFFIXED THIS 19TH DAY OF OCTOBER 2026. SIGNED. MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR ATTESTED TO SOPHIE AND LOUIS AUBRY, CITY SECRETARY. Y'ALL GOT Y'ALL'S OWN DAY? YEAH. ALL RIGHT. 
          [00:15:08]
ON THAT NOTE. ON THAT NOTE, WE KNOW WE HAVE FOOD FOR Y'ALL OUTSIDE FOR THE RECEPTION. 
          SO WE'RE GOING TO GIVE JUST A QUICK SHH. EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME, HOLD UP, HOLD UP, HOLD UP. WE'RE GOING TO RELEASE DESOTO NITRO ONLY BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME OTHER PRESENTATIONS. 
          SO I'M GOING TO ASK Y'ALL TO DO ME A BIG FAVOR. Y'ALL MAKE ME A BIG PROMISE. I KNOW Y'ALL ARE EXCITED, BUT CAN Y'ALL KEEP KEEP IT DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT AS YOU EAT AND MAKE SURE WHENEVER YOU FINISH EATING, MAKE SURE ALL YOUR STUFF MAKES IT INTO THE TRASH CAN. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. HAVE FUN. THANK YOU. 
          YEAH, YEAH, I CAN HEAR. THIS IS SO EXCITING. I MOVED HERE FROM LOUISIANA TO. 
          COMING OUT OF NITRO. SO WE AIN'T AIN'T GOT NO Y'ALL. Y'ALL FOR REAL? COME ON, I THINK THEY CAN IF THEY WANT TO GET PAST. THIS. GET IT? ON. YEAH. LET ME GET. 
          Y'ALL. I HAD ONE OF THE COACHES LAST YEAR IN TEXAS AND THEN I MOVED IT UP. IT HAS TO BE SO. 
          THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. AT THIS TIME WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. 
          [c.  Presentation of the DeSoto Community Champions Award to the DeSoto Steppers of the Senior Center ]
NEXT WE HAVE A PRESENTATION OF THE DESOTO COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS AWARD TO THE DESOTO STEPPERS OF THE SENIOR CENTER. MAKING A PRESENTATION IS MAYOR RACHEL L PROCTOR. 
          ALL RIGHT, I'M BACK. AT THIS TIME, WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE A VERY SPECIAL GROUP FOR OUR COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS. AND THIS AWARD IS GIVEN TO A GROUP OR A PERSON OR A, AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS DONE SOME OUTSTANDING THINGS AND JUST REALLY ADDS VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY OF DESOTO. AND I WANT TO READ JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DESOTO STEPPERS OF THE SENIOR CENTER. THE DESOTO STEPPERS OF THE SENIOR CENTER ARE AN ACTIVE AND VALUED PART OF THE DESOTO COMMUNITY, BRINGING OUR SEASONED ADULTS TOGETHER THROUGH STEPPING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, FRIENDSHIP, AND FELLOWSHIP. THEIR INVOLVEMENT EXTENDS BEYOND THE SENIOR CENTER AS THEY HAVE PARTICIPATED IN COMMUNITY EVENTS SUCH AS THE CITY'S 4TH OF JULY FAMILY REUNION, PROVIDED INSTRUCTION AT THE RUN IT UP EVENT AND SHARED THEIR TALENTS WITH RESIDENTS OF HICKORY MANOR SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY. THROUGH THEIR ENTHUSIASM AND WILLINGNESS TO SERVE THE DESOTO STEPPERS, PROMOTE WELLNESS, STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT STAYING ACTIVE AND GIVING BACK HAVE NO AGE LIMIT. THEIR CONTINUED INVOLVEMENT EMBODIES THE SPIRIT OF THE DESOTO COMMUNITY CHAMPION AWARD. LET'S GIVE IT UP ONE TIME FOR THE DESOTO STEPPERS OF THE DESOTO SENIOR CENTER. COME ON UP, LADIES. MAYOR. PROCTOR. MAYOR. YES! NO. WERE THEY NOT GOING? YEAH, THEY SAID THEY WANTED A LITTLE STEP, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA. IT'S NOT ON THE 
          [00:20:02]
AGENDA TONIGHT. NEXT TIME. NEXT TIME YOU WANT TO HAVE A FEW WORDS ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP. 
          AND WE HAVE COMMUNITY CHAMPION COINS FOR EACH OF YOU ALL SO YOU CAN DISTRIBUTE THOSE TO THE GROUP. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. WE ARE JUST SO HONORED AND SURPRISED, AND WE ARE JUST THANKFUL TO THE LORD THAT AS SENIORS, WE ARE ABLE TO COME AND DANCE AND MOVE, AND WE OWE IT ALL TO THE LORD, AND WE ALSO OWE IT TO OUR STAFF LIKE SHANNON, WHO SUPPORT US. AND WE'RE JUST SO THANKFUL. SO THANK YOU FOR THIS GREAT HONOR, MAYOR AND COUNCIL PEOPLE. WE THANK YOU. AGAIN. OKAY. THERE WE GO. YEAH, THAT WAS HEAVY, RIGHT? A GOOD PICTURE. 123. WE'LL DO IT. ONE. ONE TWO. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. LADIES. OKAY. AT THIS TIME WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. WE WILL NOW HAVE 
          [d.  Presentation of the DeSoto Community Champions Award to Shani Ajayi, President of the Canine Comrades for Veterans]
THE PRESENTATION OF THE DESOTO COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS AWARD TO SHANAI AJAYI, PRESIDENT OF THE CANINE COMRADES FOR VETERANS. MAKING A PRESENTATION IS MAYOR RACHEL L PROCTOR. THANK YOU. I AM VERY PROUD TO PRESENT THIS AWARD TO MISS SHANI AJAYI. DID I GET THE LAST. THAT'S CORRECT. 
          SHANI AJAYI AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET HER. WAS THAT THIS YEAR. THAT WAS EARLIER THIS YEAR. SHE INVITED ME TO A CEREMONY FOR THE CANINE COMRADES HERE WITH SOME WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING WITH DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND SO I WANT TO READ JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT MISS AJAYI IS DOING HERE. SHE IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE CANINE COMRADES FOR VETERANS, A DEDICATED GROUP TO SUPPORTING VETERANS, FIRST RESPONDERS AND OTHERS AFFECTED BY TRAUMA THROUGH THE TRAINING AND PROVISION OF SERVICE AND MENTAL WELLNESS CANINES, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT, SHANI HAS PROVIDED THE DEPARTMENT WITH A MENTAL WELLNESS CANINE TO SUPPORT OFFICER WELL-BEING, WITH A SECOND CANINE CURRENTLY IN TRAINING. HER VISION ALSO INCLUDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE SPECIALLY TRAINED DOGS TO PROVIDE COMFORT AND REASSURANCE IN APPROPRIATE COMMUNITY SETTINGS, INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTS THAT SERVE CHILDREN AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA THROUGH HER COMPASSION, GENEROSITY AND COMMITMENT TO SERVICE, SHANI IS HELPING EXPAND ACCESS TO EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR THOSE WHO DEDICATE THEIR LIVES TO HELPING OTHERS. 
          THAT'S AMAZING. OTHER. HER PARTNERSHIP WITH DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND HER COMPASSION, GENEROSITY AND COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING OTHERS EMBODY THE SPIRIT OF THE DESOTO COMMUNITY CHAMPION AWARD AND REFLECT THE MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE ONE PERSON CAN MAKE IN THE WELL-BEING OF AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY. CAN WE GIVE IT UP FOR OUR COMMUNITY CHAMPION, MISS SHANI AJAYI? IT'S DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT, THOSE THAT NOMINATED HER. DO YOU ALL WANT TO COME UP AS WELL? AND I BELIEVE THE DOG IS HERE TONIGHT. YES. LET'S GIVE THEM A HAND CLAP. ON BEHALF OF THE MEMBERS OF CANINE COMRADES AND THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT HAVE WORKED SO HARD OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS TO MAKE OUR ORGANIZATION FUNCTION AS IT HAS. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THIS AWARD, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING DESOTO FURTHER. THANK YOU. AND THIS IS YOUR COMMUNITY CHAMPION. 
          AT THIS TIME. WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE. WE 
          [e.  Presentation of Veterans Affairs Committee updates, upcoming events, and veteran initiatives]
WILL NOW HAVE THE PRESENTATION OF VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE UPDATES, UPCOMING EVENTS AND 
          [00:25:01]
VETERAN INITIATIVES. MAKING AN INTRODUCTION IS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER KRYSTAL CHISHOLM PLAY SIX. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. WHY DON'T Y'ALL COME ON DOWN? CAN WE GET THE PODIUM SET UP FOR THEM TO PRESENT? AS WELL AS THEY'RE COMING DOWN, THE VETERAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE WANTED TO PROVIDE THE CITY COUNCIL AN UPDATE OF WHERE THEY'VE BEEN AND WHERE THEY'RE GOING, AND LEADING THAT CONVERSATION IS OUR CHAIR, RETIRED LIEUTENANT COLONEL ARTHUR HOBBS. HE'S HE'S THE ONE TALKING TO OUR CITY SECRETARY RIGHT NOW. AND THERE HE IS. 
          HE'S READY. WE HAVE OTHER MEMBERS FROM OUR VETERAN AFFAIRS. IF Y'ALL WOULD PLEASE STAND SO WE COULD, SO THAT THEY KNOW WHO ALL IS HERE AS WELL. ALL RIGHT, SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL HOBBS FOR PRESENTATION. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TEM AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I STAND HERE REPRESENTING THE DESOTO FAIRS PUBLIC CORRECTION DESOTO VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE THAT THINGS ARE CREEPING ME OUT SO I CAN HEAR THE FEEDBACK. SO WHO WE ARE? WE ARE A GROUP OF COMMUNITY LEADERS, VETERANS AND CITIZENS THAT WORK. WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN HAVE WHO HAVE SERVED THIS COUNTRY ARE RECOGNIZED, SUPPORTED AND CELEBRATED RIGHT HERE IN DESOTO. HERE ON SLIDE NUMBER TWO, YOU'LL SEE THE THING THAT'S AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO, WHICH IS OUR MISSION. WE ARE COMMITTED, THAT IS COMMITTED TO ADVOCATE, EDUCATE, AND HONOR THE SERVICE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE VERY PROUD ABOUT IS BEING A PURPLE HEART CITY, AND BEING RECOGNIZED FOR THOSE COMBAT WOUNDED INDIVIDUALS AS WE HONOR THOSE HERE IN THIS CITY. AND I THANK THE COMMITTEE. I THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DID IN BRINGING THIS RECOMMENDATION TO US, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IN 2025 THROUGH 2026 ARE WE HAD OUR VETERANS BREAKFAST, WHICH WE HONORED AND CELEBRATED OUR VETERANS. WE HAD OUR DESOTO VETERANS GALA, WHICH WAS OUTSTANDING. THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THAT CAME OUT, PARTICIPATED AND DANCED, AND WE KEPT THAT MOMENTUM GOING. AND, AND MARCH OF 2026, WE CELEBRATED THE VIETNAM VETERANS WITH THE VIETNAM LUNCHEON. AND THEN IN MAY, WE HAD A MEMORIAL DAY CELEBRATION WHERE WE CELEBRATED WITH A FIVE K RUN, FIVE K WALK. AND THEN WITH THE CEREMONY RIGHT HERE IN, IN CHAMBERS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. AND THEN LOOKING AHEAD AS WE GO INTO AS WE FINISH OUT 2026 AND 2027 GOING AHEAD AND 2026 ON THE 7TH OF NOVEMBER, REMEMBER THAT DATE, THE 7TH OF NOVEMBER, WE'RE HOSTING AGAIN OUR SIGNATURE VETERANS AFFAIRS BREAKFAST ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO HONOR AGAIN AND RECOGNIZE THOSE VETERANS AND THE RESOURCES THAT THEY BRING, THAT THEY HAVE FOR OUR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THIS YEAR. WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOME OTHER RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE THAT'S THERE FOR THEM AT THIS RESOURCE FAIRS, FOR VALUABLE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS THAT WILL BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM IN ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY NEED. WHAT DO WE NEED FROM YOU ALL AND FROM THE COMMUNITY? WE NEED YOU ALL TO COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE IN THIS. WE NEED YOU ALL TO RECOMMEND THIS TO SOME RESOURCES THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE THAT WE DON'T KNOW, TO REACH OUT TO THEM THAT WILL SUPPORT OUR VETERANS AND OUR, OUR, OUR FAMILIES. THE OTHER THING IS, WE JUST ASK THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW YOUR LOVE AND YOUR, YOUR RESPECT AND YOUR HONOR FOR OUR HEROES AND THEIR SACRIFICE BY COMING OUT AND ATTENDING. AND DECEMBER. ON DECEMBER THE 19TH, 19TH DECEMBER, AS WE WILL PARTICIPATE IN WHAT IS CALLED WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE ARE PARTICIPATING IN WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA. AND WHAT THAT DOES IS IT RECOGNIZES ALL OF THE FALLEN VETERANS THAT WE HAVE BY PLACING A WREATH UPON THEIR HEADSTONES OUT AT DALLAS VETERANS VETERANS CEMETERY. SO CORRECTION, DFW MEMORIAL CEMETERY AND DOING SO IN REMEMBRANCE HOW YOU ALL CAN HELP US WITH THIS IS. ONE IS REMEMBERING THAT THEY COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE AS WE CELEBRATE THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THE WINTER 
          [00:30:06]
AND THEIR FAMILIES, AS WE CELEBRATE THEM BY PLACING THESE WREATHS UPON THEIR HEADSTONES. 
          AND THEN THE OTHER WAY THAT YOU CAN DO SO IS BY SPONSORING A WREATH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COVER EVERY ONE OF THE VETERANS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN TURN OUT THERE AT THE CEMETERY. SO SAVE THAT DATE AND COME ON OUT. AND THEN AS WE GO INTO 2027, A NEW INITIATIVE THAT WE HAVE IS OUR HOMETOWN HEROES BANNER PROGRAM, WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RECOGNIZE THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY CONTINUING TO SERVE HERE IN OUR CITY OF DESOTO. IT IS A NEW INITIATIVE FOR THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE TO UNDERTAKE. AS WE CONTINUE TO DO THIS AND LOOK FORWARD FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO TO DO SO. SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR FROM YOU ALL TO HELP IS, IS RECOGNIZING THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE DESERVING OF THIS NOMINATION BY NOMINATING THOSE INDIVIDUALS, BY TAKING THAT INFORMATION AND SHARING IT WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS SO THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS AND THEN COME OUT AND CELEBRATE WITH US YET AGAIN AS WE RECOGNIZE THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING, THAT CONTRIBUTED TO OUR COUNTRY AND OUR CONTRIBUTING HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY CONTINUOUSLY. NEXT SLIDE. AND THEN MY FINAL SLIDE. I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOUR YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO LET ME COME UP HERE AND BORE YOU. BUT THIS LAST THING THAT I WANT TO GIVE TO YOU IS WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU ALL WOULD UNDERTAKE. WE ASK THE COMMITTEE TO STAFF THE POSSIBILITY OF, OF GETTING THE VETERANS LOOKING AT THE VETERANS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE AAC. THIS ACCESS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS NOT AN ACCESS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET FOR FOR ANY EVERY LAST VETERAN THAT'S OUT THERE, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THOSE AND THEIR CAREGIVERS TO COME OUT THAT COME OUT THERE SO THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS, THEY CAN MAINTAIN THEIR LEVEL OF FITNESS, THEY CAN MAINTAIN THEIR LIFESTYLES, AND THEY CAN COMMUNICATE AND PARTICIPATE IN THIS COMMUNITY ACTIVITY. ALL RIGHT. SO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO DO IS LOOK AT THE FEASIBILITY OF IT, THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, AND THEN THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS AND HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM FOR THESE FOR THIS COMMEMORATIVE AAC ADMISSIONS PROGRAM FOR OUR VETERANS AND THEIR IMMEDIATE CAREGIVERS. SO SUBJECT TO YOUR QUESTIONS, THAT CONCLUDES MY PORTION OF THIS PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND FOR WHAT YOU HAVE SHARED. AND MOST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. I'M GOING TO SEE IF THERE'S COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? I KNOW THIS IS YOUR THIS IS YOUR YOUR LANE. SO I WANT TO SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY INITIAL COMMENTS. I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, LIEUTENANT COLONEL HOOPER. I MEAN, THAT WAS A TOTAL ACCIDENT. 
          THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT. SORRY. WE LOOK THE SAME. OH, NO, Y'ALL DON'T. DOCTOR. IT COULD NOT BE. 
          ESTHER WILLIAMS COULD NOT BE HERE THIS EVENING. WHICH IS WHY I'M DOING THE PART AS THE COUNCIL'S LIAISON. I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF YOU ALL. SITTING BACK AND WATCHING THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT YOU ALL TAKE ON YEAR OVER YEAR, AND IT SEEMS TO BE INCREASING AS TIME GOES BY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS NEW CHAIR, BUT I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK THAT YOU DO IN THIS COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
          I MISSED A FEW THINGS, BUT I PRETTY MUCH HAVE A GRASP ON WHAT WAS PRESENTED HERE IN THE COPY OF THE PRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE. I DO HAVE A COMMENT, AND THIS IS MORE OF PROBABLY FOR A STAFF QUESTION, AND IT'S REGARDING THIS SLIDE. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S BEFORE US RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF PROPOSED AAC ADMISSION BENEFIT. NOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS POSSIBLY EVEN BEFORE THE AAC CAME ONLINE ABOUT A VETERAN DISCOUNT OR SOME SORT OF A SPECIAL RATE FOR ADMISSION INTO OUR FACILITIES FOR FOR VETERANS. I'M NOT SURE IF JUST FULLY WHAT THE REASONS WERE FOR IT OR FOR OR FOR NOT HAVING IT IN THE PAST. BUT I INQUIRED ABOUT IT RECENTLY AND I WAS TOLD THAT THERE MAY BE SOMETHING. IT MAY BE SIMPLY A FUNCTIONALITY OF THE THE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE NOW MORE THAN IT IS. IT'S NOT AN UNWILLINGNESS TO HAVE IT. IT'S MORE OF A FUNCTIONALITY OF THE SYSTEM THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT TO SEE HOW TO ADMINISTER IT. 
          AND I DO. I SEE OUR DIRECTOR, WHO MAY WANT TO HAVE SOME COMMENTS ON THAT PARTICULAR ITEM. WE'VE GOT $20, $20. YOU KNOW WHAT? GOOD EVENING, MR. AGEE. EVENING. EVENING, 
          [00:35:01]
EVERYONE. YEAH. SO REGARDING THE THE VETERANS DISCOUNT OR AAC PROPOSED ADMISSION BENEFIT, WE ARE CURRENTLY EVALUATING OUR CURRENT FEE STRUCTURE AS A WHOLE FOR THE DEPARTMENT. SO TRYING TO ALIGN OUR FEES MORE WITH THE COMMUNITY NEED AND BENEFIT AT THE AAC AS WELL AS THE CIVIC CENTER OVER HERE AT THE TOWN CENTER RECREATION. SO WE'LL BE COMING BACK PROBABLY SOMETIME IN JANUARY WITH SOME PROPOSED FEES, FEE CHANGES TO ADMINISTER THOSE BENEFITS TO THE TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, NOT JUST ONE DIVISION OR ONE GROUP. AND SO AND SO REGARDING MY COMMENT, AND I DO SEE YOUR LIKE COUNCILMAN PARKER, REGARDING MY COMMENT ABOUT THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONALITY TO DO THAT. IS THERE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THAT? YES, MA'AM. WE ARE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF EVALUATING A NEW RECREATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. SO THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS INHIBITED US FROM BEING ABLE TO APPLY THOSE DISCOUNTS WHERE NEEDED. BUT WE ARE WORKING ON THAT. WE DO SEE THAT AS A CHALLENGE AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH. SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP EVERYBODY ABREAST AND UPDATED ON THOSE. OKAY. SO TO THEIR REQUEST, IT IS ALREADY BEING UNDERTAKEN AS FAR AS EVALUATING WHAT THAT FEE STRUCTURE AND ALL THAT STUFF. AND THAT WILL BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL. YES, MA'AM. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. 
          ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU, MR. AGEE. COUNCIL MEMBER. PARKER. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, AND THANK YOU TO YOU. MR. IS IT IS IT? LIEUTENANT HOBBS, I DO APPRECIATE YOUR ALL OF ALL OF HIS GOOD COUNSEL. HOBBS. RIGHT. ABSOLUTELY. I SAID IT RIGHT. I SAID IT RIGHT. I DIDN'T CALL YOU. OKAY. AND AS THE DAUGHTER OF A VIETNAM VET, I WANT TO JUST SAY THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE VIETNAM I'M SORRY, VETERANS BOARD FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THE THINGS YOU HAVE MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. MAYOR PRO TEM, THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO SAY I'M SO PROUD OF YOU ALL. I'M VERY HUMBLED. I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR VETERANS MINISTRY AT CHURCH. YOU THINK I HAD SERVED, BUT IT'S JUST I DON'T EVEN FEEL LIKE WE DO ENOUGH FOR VETERANS. SO I'M SO THANKFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. WE HONOR YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. YES, WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE, WE APPRECIATE HAVING THIS INFORMATION. AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE A PART OF ANY AND ALL OF IT, AS MUCH AS WE CAN BE TO TO SUPPORT WHAT YOU 
          [f.  Presentation of Financial Report September 2026]
ALL ARE DOING FOR OUR VETERANS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AGAIN, AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. WE WILL NOW HAVE THE PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 2026. MAKING A PRESENTATION IS FINANCE DIRECTOR LAKITA SUTTON. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. 
          ALL RIGHT. TAKING A LOOK AT OUR SEPTEMBER FINANCIALS. 
          ALL RIGHT. OUR GENERAL FUND. SO TAKING A LOOK AT OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE. WE BUDGETED 69.8 MILLION IN REVENUE YEAR TO DATE. AS OF THE TIME OF THE REPORT WAS 76 67.3 MILLION, WHICH PUT US AT 96.4% COMPARED TO 98.90 6.8% THIS TIME LAST YEAR. SO JUST ABOUT WHERE WE WERE THIS TIME LAST YEAR. SOME OF THE CATEGORIES THAT VARY A LITTLE BIT WAS PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS. THIS YEAR IS AT 94.1%. LAST YEAR WAS ALREADY AT 97%, BUT WE HAVE COLLECTED THE MAJORITY OF IT, PROBABLY LOOKING TO STILL COLLECT ABOUT 2 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE FOR FISCAL YEAR 26. LICENSE AND PERMITS AS WELL, WAS DOWN A BIT FROM LAST YEAR, WAS AT 82%. THIS YEAR IS AT 74%. I DO KNOW THAT WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW ERP, SOME OF THE POSTING OF THE REVENUE HAS IS DELAYED. AND SO EPL IS THE NAME OF THE SYSTEM THAT WE'RE USING. IT REPLACED THE PRIOR SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE. 
          SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF DELAY THERE. BUT BEFORE OUR AUDIT IS COMPLETE, OF COURSE WE WILL HAVE ALL OF THAT REVENUE POSTED AS WELL. AND OUR MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY AS WELL IS AT 70.3%. THOSE ARE JUST THOSE UNPLANNED REVENUES THAT KIND OF DON'T HAVE A HOME OR REIMBURSEMENT REIMBURSEMENTS THAT WE MAY HAVE BEEN EXPECTING FROM A PRIOR YEAR, BUT WE HAVE COLLECTED 259,100 IN THAT REVENUE. SO WE'RE LOOKING GOOD OVERALL IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR OUR EXPENDITURES IN THE GENERAL FUND, WE ARE AT 92% COMPARED TO 95.3% THIS TIME LAST YEAR. AND YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES LISTED AND THE PERCENTAGES. THOSE ARE BROKEN 
          [00:40:03]
OUT MAINLY BY DEPARTMENT. OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT LOOKS TO BE OVER AT 104.6%. THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAD TO BUDGET AND PAY FOR DEPLOYMENTS UP FRONT. WE ARE GOING TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THOSE COSTS, SO WE DON'T EXPECT FOR THEM TO END THE YEAR AT MORE THAN 100% OF THEIR ALLOCATION. ALSO NON-DEPARTMENTAL, WE BUDGETED 1.8 MILLION. AS YOU CAN SEE, YEAR TO DATE EXPENDITURES WAS 2.3 MILLION. I DO KNOW THAT A LARGE PORTION OF THAT WAS FOR RECRUITING SERVICES ATTORNEY'S FEES AS WELL, AS WE HAD ABOUT THREE SEPARATIONS FROM VERY LONG TENURED EMPLOYEES. AND SO THAT HIT US MORE THAN WE EXPECTED IN FISCAL YEAR 26, BUT OVERALL, STILL LOOKING GOOD AT 92%. I DID WANT TO INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR FUND BALANCE BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR REVENUE 67.3 MILLION IN OUR EXPENSES, 65.6 MILLION. WE ARE LOOKING AT A TARGETED FUND BALANCE OF 32.2 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND ITSELF. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WHEN WE ENDED FISCAL YEAR 25, WE HAD 33.7 MILLION IN OUR GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE. 
          IT WAS ABOVE OUR POLICY LIMIT OF 25 MILLION, OUR ORIGINAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          REMEMBER, WE BUDGETED TO HAVE A SURPLUS OF ABOUT 300,000. THAT WOULD HAVE PUT US AT 34 34.1 MILLION AT THE END OF THE YEAR. FROM THERE, WE HAD A FEW BUDGET AMENDMENTS, AND SO WE ENDED WITH A BUDGETED FUND BALANCE OF 32.2 MILLION, WHICH STILL PUTS US SLIGHTLY ABOVE OUR POLICY REQUIREMENT. SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED WITH THAT. NOW, THESE FINANCIALS FOR SEPTEMBER, OF COURSE, WE STILL HAVE TWO MONTHS OF COLLECTIONS AND EXPENSES THAT ARE GOING TO HIT THE GENERAL LEDGER. WE WILL BE PROVIDING UPDATES AS WELL AS THE AUDIT ITSELF HAS TO OCCUR. 
          AND THOSE ACCRUALS WILL BE HITTING THOSE ACCOUNTS STILL BASICALLY THROUGH NOVEMBER. SO BUT THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW AS OF THE TIME OF THIS REPORT. IN OUR PUBLIC UTILITY FUND, WE'RE STILL LOOKING GOOD AS WELL WITH 85.5 MILLION IN REVENUE. NOW, THIS IS IN COMPARISON TO 98.6% IN REVENUE THIS TIME LAST YEAR. I CAN TELL YOU THAT OUR BIGGEST REVENUE SOURCES, THE METERED WATER SALES AND OUR SEWER SERVICE REVENUE ARE MISSING TWO BILLING CYCLES. SO AS YOU KNOW, WITH THE IMPLEMENT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW ERP, THE WATER DEPARTMENT HAS EXPERIENCED SOME DELAYS IN GETTING THOSE BILLINGS POSTED. THOSE BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN PROCESSED. THEY STILL NEED TO BE POSTED. SO WITH TWO BILLING CYCLES THAT STILL NEED TO POST FOR SEPTEMBER, THAT WILL GET US CLOSER TO OUR GOAL RIGHT NOW FOR WATER SALES, 84.3% AND METER SALES 85.1%. THAT'S WITH THOSE TWO BILLING CYCLES NOT INCLUDED. THE EXPENDITURES ARE LISTED ON THE RIGHT SIDE AS WELL, AT 94.2%, COMPARED TO 96.4% LAST YEAR. IN THE SANITATION FUND, 97.8% OF OUR 7.9% MILLION EXPECTED REVENUE HAS BEEN COLLECTED. SO WE'VE COLLECTED 7.76 MILLION, AND OUR EXPENDITURES ARE AT 88.9%, COMPARED TO 87.3% LAST YEAR. WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED A GOLF CLUB FINANCIAL SUMMARY. THESE FINANCIALS ARE FROM JANUARY OF 2026 THROUGH AUGUST OF 2026. OUR BUDGETED REVENUE WAS 29 POINT WHAT'S I'M SORRY, 2.93 MILLION. YEAR TO DATE, WE'VE COLLECTED 1.7 MILLION. AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE PAST MONTH COMPARISONS THAT ARE LISTED THERE AS WELL. NOW WE BUDGETED IN. WE BUDGETED TO HAVE A SURPLUS OF $54,911 AT THE END OF THEIR CALENDAR YEAR, WHICH WILL BE DECEMBER 31ST. AS OF NOW, WE ARE DOWN BY $64,965, COMPARED TO BEING DOWN BY $40,000 THIS TIME LAST YEAR. SO WE'RE ABOUT 20,000 LESS THAN WHERE WE WERE THIS TIME LAST YEAR. I DID TAKE A LOOK AT THE REPORTS, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE BIGGEST SOURCE OF REVENUE THERE ARE ARE OF COURSE, GOING TO BE THE GREEN FEES, THE FEES THAT ARE ACTUALLY PAID TO COME AND 
          [00:45:06]
PLAY GOLF WHEN THOSE FEES ARE DOWN. ALSO MEANING THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE SALES HAVE BEEN DOWN THIS SUMMER AS WELL MORE THAN LAST SUMMER. SO THAT IN ACCOUNT WITH A FEW OF THE MAINTENANCE FEES BEING UP IN, THAT KIND OF PUTS US A LITTLE BIT BELOW TARGET AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. 
          THE GOLF COURSE DOES HAVE ANOTHER FOUR MONTHS OF COLLECTIONS TO GO FOR CALENDAR YEAR 26. NOW, YOU HAVE ALSO RECEIVED VARIOUS OTHER REPORTS. YOU HAVE THE THE DETAIL, THE BREAKDOWN ON THE GOLF CLUB, DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. WITHIN THE GOLF CLUB, YOU HAVE A REVENUE EXPENSE REPORT ON ALL OTHER CITY FUNDS AS WELL AS PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS REPORT, A REPORT WHICH SHOWS THAT WE ARE AT 25% OF OUR GOAL AS OF THE END OF SEPTEMBER. I. WE HAVE INCLUDED AN OVERTIME REPORT AS WELL FOR THE QUARTER. AND THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT SEVERAL OF SEVERAL OF THE REVENUE CATEGORIES ARE STILL IN COLLECTIONS. SO WE WILL BE COLLECTING REVENUE THAT WILL GO INTO THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND THROUGH NOVEMBER. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, YOU FIRST. YES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND, YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY HIT YOU UP VIA EMAIL ABOUT THE OVERTIME REPORT THAT WE'RE NOT DISPLAYING, BUT I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR COMMUNITY SO WE UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE OVERTIME IS AT ABOUT 40% OVER AT THIS STAGE AS OF SEPTEMBER. SO WE'RE DONE FOR THIS YEAR, FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, RIGHT. WE HAVE ACTUALLY, AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT, WE HAVE ONE MORE PAYROLL CYCLE THAT HAS TO HIT IN SEPTEMBER AS OF THE TIME OF THIS REPORT, ACTUALLY. 
          SO IS THERE ANY I MEAN, BECAUSE I SAW THAT FIRE WAS THE ONE WHO HAD THE MOST. AND I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND, IS THERE A. BECAUSE I ASKED FOR A BREAKDOWN BY MONTH SO THAT I COULD SEE WHERE THE ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, FOR THE YEAR. BUT OVER 2025, WE WERE WE'RE OVER 400,000, MORE THAN 2025. AND NOW AT 600,000 FOR THE YEAR OVER WHAT WE BUDGETED. IT REALLY DOES CALL TO QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, OUR REASONING FOR BEING 40% OVER NOT JUST IN FIRE, BUT THERE'S SOME ITEMS IN PARKS AS WELL. AND I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT MAYOR AND COUNCIL KIND OF ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. IT GOES BACK TO THE DEPLOYMENTS, RIGHT? SO WE WERE BUDGETED FOR $620,000 IN OUR OVERTIME. WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN REIMBURSED 600. WE'VE ACTUALLY SPENT $1,210,000. 
          WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN REIMBURSED $696,705, WHICH ACTUALLY BRINGS OUR OVERTIME BUDGET. AS FAR AS FOR MANNING AND ALL THAT TO 82.8%. SO THIS IS ALL REIMBURSEMENT STUFF. THAT'S WHAT'S MAKING THAT NUMBER LOOK SO SKEWED LIKE THAT. SO THE REIMBURSEMENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE FOR THE YEAR FOR THE FISCAL YEAR. YES. YEAH. I MEAN, THERE'S STILL SOME THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS OF WAITING FOR THE CHECKS TO GET HERE, BUT MOST. YES. OKAY. I WOULD JUST BE INTERESTED IN MAYBE THE FOLLOW UP TO THAT QUESTION. IF WE'RE SAYING THAT THAT MONIES HAVE BEEN REIMBURSED, SOME OTHER REPORT THAT SHOWS. SURE, WE WILL PROVIDE THAT. I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE RECEIVED THEM ALL, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THEY'VE BEEN BUILT. AND SO WE WILL PROVIDE THAT RECONCILIATION. OKAY. OUTSTANDING. AND THEN THE PARKS. 
          YES, MA'AM. SO MOSTLY MOST OF OUR OVERTIME COSTS ARE GOING TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH OUR OPERATIONS. WE HAD SOME UNFORESEEABLE ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS THAT WE COULDN'T PLAN FOR IN FY 20. DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS. THE WORLD CUP SPECIAL EVENT, 4TH OF JULY, THE OPERATIONS WITH THE ARC AND STAFF CALLING OFF THE AQUATICS. WE HAD TO SUBSIDIZE SOME OF OUR COORDINATORS AND FULL TIME STAFF TO COVER THOSE OPERATIONS, TO RUN THE FACILITIES. THINGS THAT WE'RE AWARE OF NOW WILL DEFINITELY ADJUST AND ACCOMMODATE FOR NEXT YEAR, THOUGH. SO OKAY, SO THE ONES THAT I'M SPEAKING IN TERMS OF IS THE ACTUAL STAFF THAT RESIDES HERE AT CITY HALL, SINCE THE CITY HALL IS SHUT DOWN SO OFTEN OR SO LONG, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY CATEGORIZED IN THEIR BUCKET AS OPPOSED TO INTO THE BUCKET. AND SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS MAYBE A JUST. YES, MA'AM. SO THE STAFF FOR BOTH THE ARC AND HERE ARE KIND OF USED INTERCHANGEABLY. WHEN STAFF CALLS OUT AT THE ARC, WE HAVE TO PULL STAFF FROM OVER HERE TO GO COVER THOSE SHIFTS AND VICE VERSA. SO THEY'RE KIND OF INTERCHANGEABLE. BUT WE'RE CURRENTLY REEVALUATING THE STAFF REQUIREMENTS AT EACH FACILITY. OKAY. AND AS FAR AS THE AMOUNTS THAT WE'RE GOING 
          [00:50:03]
OVER, IS THERE ANY CONTROLS IN PLACE THAT DON'T ALLOW US TO GO A CERTAIN TOO FAR OUT OF, YOU KNOW, OUT OF THAT BOUNDS? TO MY KNOWLEDGE, AS LONG AS WE ARE WITHIN OUR OUR REVENUE, LIKE FOR THE CIVIC CENTER, AS LONG AS WE'RE MAKING THAT MONEY BACK, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. OKAY. SO THE. SHE HAD TO RELY HEAVILY ON THE MANAGEMENT WITH THE PROGRAMING, BECAUSE A LOT OF IT IS GOING TO COME AROUND WITH THE PROGRAMING, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT THIS YEAR JUST KIND OF BEING AN ANOMALY YEAR. THIS IS OUR KICKOFF YEAR WITH EVERYTHING. 
          SO ONCE THE PROGRAMING IS IN PLACE AND THE STAFF IS SOLIDIFIED, THEN WE WILL SEE THESE NUMBERS LEVEL OUT. NOW THE REVENUE IS OF COURSE SEPARATE FROM THE EXPENDITURES. 
          BUT WHAT WHAT YOU WILL NOTICE IN THE FINANCIAL REPORTS IS OUR REVENUE AND OUR EXPENDITURES ARE BOTH DOWN OVERALL, YOU KNOW, AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE ELEMENTARY STAGES THAT WE'RE IN WITH WITH PROGRAMING. SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT. OKAY, I YIELD BACK. 
          COUNCILMEMBER CHISHOLM. I'M NOT GOING TO DO THE OVERTIME BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE DID IT FOR ME. RIGHT. BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU ABOUT THE FUND BALANCE. SO. $32,000, $32 MILLION OF OF TAX DOLLARS IS A LOT OF MONEY JUST TO LEAVE IN THE BANK. RIGHT. AND I'VE TOLD YOU ABOUT MY HOMEWORK ON ALL THE CITIES AROUND US, AND NOBODY HOLDS ON TO THIS MUCH MONEY. AND I GET THAT WE DO IT FOR A RAINY DAY. BUT MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT WE ARE NOT TAKING. 
          THE APPROPRIATE. STEPS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING THE MONEY AS WE SHOULD, AND NOT JUST HAVE IT SITTING THERE. AND I GET THAT IT'S INVESTING IN THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT WE LOSE MONEY TOO, LIKE IN A SENSE, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT USING IT IN THE CAPACITY THAT IT SHOULD BE. I THINK THERE IS A REASON WHY MOST CITIES DON'T HAVE NINE MONTHS OF SAVINGS JUST STACKED UP. ARE YOU LOOKING AT ALL ON REVAMPING THE CURRENT POLICY AND BRINGING THAT BEFORE THE COUNCIL FOR SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE? BECAUSE EVERY YEAR WE PLAY THE SAME GAME WHERE WE GO OVER EVEN THE POLICY, AND THEN WE MOVE MONEY AROUND. WHEREAS I'M OF THE OPINION THAT IF WE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT WHAT WE WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING WITH OUR, OUR FUND BALANCE, ACTUALLY BUDGETING THE REST OF THAT MONEY FOR THINGS THAT ACTUALLY OUR COMMUNITY IS ASKING FOR, WHETHER THAT'S STREETS OR WHATEVER THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE THIS DOESN'T REALLY FEEL RIGHT. SO JUST I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND LIKE, WHY IS THERE A LONG TERM STRATEGY WITH THE FUND BALANCE? ARE WE JUST GOING TO KEEP WITH THIS POLICY? WELL, OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT IS A POLICY DECISION. YOU KNOW, SO IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO EXPLORE, THEN THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE CAN DO SOME RESEARCH, BRING IT BACK. IT'S DEFINITELY IN OUR WORLD OF GOVERNMENTAL FINANCE, NOT A BAD THING. SO AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT A BAD THING, RIGHT? BUT IT'S ALSO NOT A NORMAL THING EITHER, RIGHT. IN THE SENSE OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. AND BUT DON'T BELIEVE ME? Y'ALL GO CHECK AND SEE IT. GO SEE WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING. BUT I GUESS BECAUSE YOU ARE OUR EXPERT, RIGHT? YOU'RE OUR FINANCIAL EXPERT. SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE MAY NOT QUITE UNDERSTAND FISCALLY, RIGHT. BUT I MY ANTICIPATION IS THAT YOU'RE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY CHANGES BASED ON WHAT YOU SEE AND WHAT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ARE SEEING. I JUST THINK THAT FOR THE SAKE OF LIKE WHEN YOU NINE MONTHS IS A LOT OF MONEY TO HAVE JUST STORED AWAY WHEN MOST CITIES HAVE HALF OF THAT. SURE, SURE. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN DEFINITELY BE REEVALUATED. YOU KNOW, AS I STATED, IF THE COUNCIL IS DOES HAVE AN INTEREST IN THAT, WE CAN BRING THAT BACK. WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT OTHER CITIES DO, WHAT THEIR POLICIES ARE. WE CAN ALSO COORDINATE BECAUSE OUR STAFF IS NOT THE ONLY EXPERT. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE WE HIRE FINANCIAL ADVISORS AS WELL AS WE HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN ANNUAL BOND INTERVIEWS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THESE TYPE OF THINGS GO INTO PLAY WITH WHAT OUR, OUR DEBT RATING IS, YOU KNOW, AND SO THAT'S EVALUATED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS EVERY YEAR. WE HAVE TWO VERY INTENSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH THOSE RATING AGENCIES, FITCH AND S&P. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT DOES COME UP. WE HAVE NOT RAISED THE CONCERN OR THE IDEA THAT WE NEED TO DO 
          [00:55:06]
ANYTHING DIFFERENT. BUT AS WE MOVE ON AND HAVE FUTURE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, IT IS SOMETHING THAT I CAN BRING UP AND SEE IF THERE ARE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN BRING FORWARD TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH OUR POLICY, BUT I ASKED THEM THIS QUESTION EVERY YEAR, AND EVERY YEAR THEY MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT IT BEING MORE THAN WHAT THEY NORMALLY SEE IN CITIES. AND I APPRECIATE THE FRUGAL, BUT I ALSO, AS A BUSINESS, YOU ALSO WANT TO. AND WHILE THIS IS NOT A BUSINESS, IT'S STILL A BUSINESS, RIGHT? YOU STILL WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE MAXIMIZING THE DOLLAR, RIGHT TO THE, TO THE BEST OF ITS ABILITY. SO, I MEAN, I DON'T I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A CONSENSUS FROM THE COUNCIL. I JUST THINK THAT FOR THE SAKE OF WHAT WE'RE WE'RE ALWAYS NOT ALWAYS, BUT WE'RE IN CITIES THAT ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO MAXIMIZE THEIR DOLLAR. I JUST SEE THAT THOSE FUNDS ARE SITTING THERE FOR NINE MONTHS OF WORTH OF MONEY. AND IT JUST GIVES OPPORTUNITY, LIKE, DOES IS THIS POLICY TOO CONSERVATIVE? IS IT TOO RIGID, OR IS THERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE FLEXIBILITY TO PUT MORE MONEY IN OUR GENERAL FUND? THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS. 
          THANK YOU. AND AS SHE MENTIONED, SHOULD THE COUNCIL GET A CONSENSUS TO DO THAT? AND NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO GET THAT CONSENSUS, NOT OUR ITEM ON OUR AGENDA. HOWEVER, I WANTED TO JUST CLARIFY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE FUND BALANCE, THAT THE 32 MILLION. THAT MONEY IS INVESTED, CORRECT? IT'S NOT JUST SITTING IN ITS SAVINGS. IT'S INVESTED. INVESTED. AND SO WHERE WHERE WOULD WE SEE THE INVESTMENT, THE INTEREST INCOME RATHER ON THAT 32 MILLION. IS THAT BROKEN OUT IN SEPARATE OR IS IT COMBINED WITH ALL OF OUR INTEREST INCOME. INTEREST INCOME. SO INTEREST INCOME IS AN INDIVIDUAL REVENUE LINE ITEM THAT IS CONTAINED IN EVERY FUND THAT IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE INCOME. AND SO WHEN YOU SEE THE UTILITY FUND, PART OF THEIR REVENUE IS THEIR INTEREST. THE GENERAL FUND, PART OF THEIR REVENUE IS THEIR INTEREST. THE INTEREST IS FLUID, THOUGH, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT'S BASED ON MARKET CONDITIONS AND IT CHANGES YEAR BY YEAR. SO THAT'S WHERE IS IT REFLECTED IN THIS. IS IT OR IS IT REFLECTED IN WHAT WE SEE IN FRONT OF US TONIGHT? SURE. ALL OF OUR MAJOR FUNDS HAVE AN INTEREST REVENUE LINE ITEM. IS THAT THE EIGHT WELL, THE BUDGETED 800,000 ACTUAL 1.6. CORRECT. AND THAT'S OFF OF THE 32 MILLION, CORRECT. YES. IT IS INTEREST REVENUE UNDER THE REVENUE HERE WHERE THIS RED DOT IS. THERE'S ALSO INTEREST REVENUE CONTAINED IN THE PUBLIC UTILITY FUND AS WELL. 
          IT'S THE 219 ACTUAL. YES, MA'AM. AND THAT IS A GOOD AMOUNT OF MONEY IN INTEREST ALONE TO GET CREATIVE WITH. SURE. AND ALSO, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COUNCIL, FOR THE CITIZENS AS WELL TO GET A MORE IN DEPTH LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THAT MONEY THAT'S SITTING AROUND. IT'S INVESTED. AND WE HAVE A QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT THAT COMES OUT EVERY QUARTER. AND SO YOU CAN ALWAYS GO ON THE WEBSITE AND KIND OF SEE EXACTLY WHERE THOSE FUNDS ARE INVESTED AND HOW MUCH FUNDS WE HAVE INVESTED YEAR OVER YEAR. AND WE USED TO HAVE WE USED TO HAVE OUR INVESTMENT ADVISORS TO COME IN, IN THAT QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT. AND WE, I THINK WE WERE MAKING SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR ROUTINES WITH OUR PRESENTATIONS. AND SO THAT ACTUAL PRESENTATION GOT TAKEN OFF OF A REGULAR CADENCE. HOWEVER, IT MAY BE GOOD WITH THOSE TYPES OF QUESTIONS COMING UP THAT WE HAVE IT PRESENTED HERE IN THE MEETING. AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT THEY ARE COMING TO THE MEETING IN NOVEMBER? THEY ARE. THEY'RE COMING TO THE MONDAY MEETING IN NOVEMBER. YEAH, THEY USED TO I THINK WE DID TAKE IT DOWN TO ONCE A YEAR, BUT THEY USED TO COME ONCE EVERY QUARTER WHEN THAT REPORT WOULD COME OUT AND PRESENT AT THE MEETINGS. POINT OF INFORMATION. YES. SO THE QUARTERLY REPORT IS ON THE WEBSITE. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. WE DID RECEIVE THAT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. I 
          [a.  Discussion on the proposed Business Registration Program]
SEE NO ADDITIONAL LIGHTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE IT. WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE. NEXT WE MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION TOPICS. DISCUSSION ON THE PROPOSED BUSINESS REGISTRATION PROGRAM. MAKING A PRESENTATION IS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, MISS JACKIE COLTON. GOOD EVENING, MISS COLTON. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR PROCTOR, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE DE SOTO CITY COUNCIL. JACKIE COLTON HERE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES HERE TO LEAD YOU IN A DISCUSSION OF A PROPOSED BUSINESS REGISTRATION PROGRAM. OKAY. WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? WHY ARE WE BRINGING THIS 
          [01:00:01]
FORWARD? WELL, IT IS ACTUALLY TO IMPLEMENT THE CITY COUNCIL INITIATIVE ON NUISANCE BUSINESSES. TRACK TWO BUSINESS LICENSING. SO THIS IS TO ADDRESS THE NUISANCE BUSINESSES WITHIN DESOTO. THOSE YOU KNOW LOCATIONS THAT WE GET FREQUENT PUBLIC SAFETY CALLS, YOU KNOW TO GO AND, YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH AND THEN CODE VIOLATIONS. THAT'S ONE PART OF IT. AND THEN ANOTHER PART IS IT WILL ALLOW US TO MAINTAIN ACCURATE BUSINESS INFORMATION, LOCATION OWNER INFORMATION ON BUSINESSES. THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. WHAT WE CURRENTLY USE TO TRACK BUSINESSES IS OUR CO, WHICH IS A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY. AND BASICALLY THAT IS A LICENSE THAT BUSINESSES HOLD. THAT IS ONLY RENEWED IF THERE IS A CHANGE IN OWNERSHIP OR DIFFERENT BUSINESS. SO IT'S NOT UPDATED ON A REGULAR BASIS. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THIS WOULD HELP US TO, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT COMPLIANCE WITH ZONING OCCUPANCY, HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. AND ALSO IT WOULD IMPROVE COMMUNICATION WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AS WELL, BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE CURRENT UPDATE INFORMATION ON THE BUSINESSES. OKAY. SO THESE ARE THE BUSINESSES THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT WE WOULD LIKELY WANT TO REGISTER. SO IT'S YOUR YOUR TYPICAL, YOU KNOW, RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS. PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BUSINESSES. YOU'VE GOT YOUR CONTRACTORS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, CERTAIN HOME BASED BUSINESSES. 
          BUT IN TEXAS, THERE IS A LAW THAT WAS PASSED IN 2025 THAT PROHIBITS, YOU KNOW, REGULATION OF HOME BASED BUSINESSES THAT DO NOT THEY CALL THEM, YOU KNOW, LOW IMPACT BUSINESSES. SO THEY'RE NOT AFFECTING, YOU KNOW, PARKING ON THE STREET. THEY'RE NOT GENERATING NOISE. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT EVEN VISIBLE THAT THERE IS A BUSINESS OPERATING. SO THOSE WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE. AND THEN ALSO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL WOULD BE EXEMPT AS WELL. AND SO WE'RE PROPOSING THAT THERE'S A SEPARATE REGISTRATION FOR EACH BUSINESS LOCATION. OKAY. SO WHAT WOULD REGISTRATION REQUIRE. AND THIS IS BASICALLY INFORMATION THAT WE WOULD OBTAIN ON THE REGISTRATION APPLICATION AND IS PRETTY GENERIC. YOU KNOW, WE'VE YOU KNOW, THE OWNERSHIP INFORMATION, THE MAILING ADDRESSES, CONTACT INFORMATION, EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION, WHICH WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT. 
          AND THEN ALSO WE WANT TO VERIFY ZONING COMPLIANCE THAT THE BUSINESSES, THE BUSINESS THAT IS OPERATING AT A PARTICULAR LOCATION IS ACTUALLY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE ZONING LAWS. 
          AND THEN WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT FOR THOSE THAT REQUIRE A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, THAT THEY HAVE ONE. AND THEN ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS BUSINESS INFORMATION COULD SUPPORT A BUSINESS DIRECTORY WHICH OUR RESIDENTS COULD USE. YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, IF, IF THEY'RE WANTING TO, YOU KNOW, GO TO A SUSHI RESTAURANT AND THEY WANT TO SHOP LOCAL OR, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF THING, OR IF THEY WANT TO GO TO AN EVENT CENTER, YOU KNOW, IF, IF COUNCIL SHOULD CHOOSE, THEN THAT INFORMATION THAT WE COLLECT IN THIS PROCESS COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE RESIDENTS. SO SINCE THIS IS A NEW PROGRAM, WE LOOKED AT OUR NEIGHBORS. NONE HAVE A BUSINESS REGISTRATION PROGRAM. WE WOULD LIKE TO PILOT IT. YOU KNOW, IF IF YOU ALL, YOU KNOW, CHOOSE TO, TO DO THAT. SO WE ARE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, TWO POTENTIAL GROUPS, MAYBE SHOPPING CENTERS OR THOSE NUISANCE BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE RECEIVING CALLS, YOU 
          [01:05:06]
KNOW, A LOT OF PUBLIC SAFETY CALLS OR WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, NEED FOR HELP. SO MAYBE YOUR BARS OR OTHER HIGH PUBLIC SAFETY ACTIVITY BUSINESSES. AND SO QUITE NATURALLY, THE PURPOSE OF THE PILOT WOULD JUST BE TO TEST THE, THE PROGRAM. ALSO DURING THIS PROCESS, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP COST INFORMATION, TRACK CODE ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY ACTIVITY AND OBTAIN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY'S FEEDBACK. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THIS INFORMATION WOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL. WE BRING IT BACK TO YOU. AND OF COURSE, THERE WOULD BE NO REGISTRATION FEE OR ANYTHING DURING THE PILOT. SO THIS IS OUR PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE. I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE EXHAUSTIVE LIST. BUT BASICALLY WE PLAN TO BRING A DRAFT ORDINANCE BACK TO YOU IN JANUARY, CONDUCT BUSINESS OUTREACH IN JANUARY FEBRUARY, AND BRING AN ORDINANCE TO YOU FOR ADOPTION IN FEBRUARY, AND THEN LAUNCH THE PILOT IN MAY. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAS TO BE FUNDED AND WE HAVE TO COINCIDE WITH A BUDGET CYCLE. SO WE'RE PLANNING A SIX MONTH PILOT WITH UPDATES IN, IN, IN AUGUST ACTUALLY. AND WE WILL BRING A PROPOSAL BACK FOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW IN, IN MARCH OF 2028. AND SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, RUSH SOMETHING AS SIGNIFICANT AS THIS AND SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE NOT DONE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, CORRECT IN WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING. AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL LOOK AT FULLY IMPLEMENTING IN OCTOBER OF 2028. SO BASICALLY, IT WILL BE LIKE A TWO YEAR PROCESS. AND THIS IS OF COURSE ALL PROPOSALS. AND IT JUST ALL DEPENDS UPON, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOUR DESIRE IS RELATED TO THIS PROGRAM. SO THE INPUT THAT WE NEED FROM CITY COUNCIL TONIGHT IS NUMBER ONE. 
          IS THIS PROGRAM STILL SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A PRIORITY AT THIS TIME? AND. WHETHER, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL WOULD WANT TO REQUIRE BUSINESS REGISTRATION CITYWIDE AND WHICH BUSINESSES, IF ANY, SHOULD BE EXEMPT AND WHETHER TO PROCEED WITH THE SIX MONTH PILOT. SO BASICALLY, THIS CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION FOR TONIGHT, AND I AM READY FOR YOUR INPUT ON THESE QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU, MISS COLTON, FOR THE PRESENTATION. BEFORE WE TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL, I WANT TO ADDRESS YOUR INITIAL QUESTION IN TERMS OF COUNCIL'S DESIRE TO STILL SEE THIS. THIS WAS A COUNCIL INITIATIVE, CORRECT? WHOSE INITIATIVE WAS WHOSE INITIATIVE WAS THIS? IT WAS MINE. IT WAS COUNCILWOMAN CHISHOLM'S. SO I THINK THE QUESTION IS LESS ABOUT DOES THE COUNCIL STILL DESIRE IT? BECAUSE THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY STATED WE WANT IT BY SUPPORTING THE INITIATIVE THAT SHE BROUGHT FORTH. I THINK IT'S JUST IN THE DETAILS OF HOW IT'S ROLLED OUT AND WHO WE AND WHAT AND WHY, BUT I, I, I WOULD NOT SUPPORT ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT NOT DOING IT. I THINK THE QUESTION IS MORE SO ABOUT THE DETAILS SURROUNDING HOW WE MOVE IT FORWARD. ABSOLUTELY. I'M NOT SURE THE QUESTION. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. WERE YOU ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING? I'LL GO AFTER YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I, I ACTUALLY WAS READY FOR THIS WHEN IT REALLY ORIGINALLY HIT THE AGENDA LAST MONTH. I HAVE HAD A EXTENSIVE CONVERSATION WITH LANCASTER, AND THEY ACTUALLY DO HAVE A BUSINESS LICENSING PROGRAM NOW. AND THEY JUST CHANGED SOME OF THEIR FEES RECENTLY, BUT THEY DO IT FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE. SO I'M GOING TO ASK THAT AS A PART OF MY QUESTIONING. WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE THAT WE. BECAUSE IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I BELIEVE THIS WAS ABOUT NUISANCE BUSINESSES. 
          IT WAS NOT ALL ACROSS THE BOARD. AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THIS, I IMMEDIATELY I'M JUST GOING TO 
          [01:10:06]
I'M TALKING FROM WHERE I WAS. JUST GIVE ME A MINUTE TO GET IT OUT. OKAY. AS A BUSINESS OWNER THAT SITS IN THE CITY OF DE SOTO, THIS WOULDN'T ACTUALLY AFFECT ME BECAUSE I AM A HOME BASED TYPE BUSINESS. SO I WOULDN'T ACTUALLY HIT THIS. BUT IT STILL AFFECTS ME BECAUSE I TALK ABOUT BUSINESSES ALL THE TIME. I TALK TO BUSINESSES ALL THE TIME. AND SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE, WHY WOULD WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, PENALIZE SOMEONE FOR BEING A BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF DE SOTO IF THEY ARE NOT A NUISANCE BUSINESS? THAT'S WHERE MY MY INITIAL THOUGHT WAS COMING FROM. AND SO I REACHED OUT TO LANCASTER JUST TO GET, YOU KNOW, WHY DO YOU GUYS DO IT? AND THEIR WHOLE MANTRA WAS, WE WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE HERE ARE ACTUALLY DOING RIGHT BY OUR CITIZENS. THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT MINDSET OVER THERE. I WOULD HOPE THAT WE'RE NOT PENALIZING BUSINESSES BY HAVING THIS DONE EVERY YEAR. AND THEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE FEES AND THE FEE STRUCTURE AND JUST THE, THE, THE WHOLE HEARTEDNESS OF WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO SOLVE? THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHERE I WAS. AND SO AS A PERSON WHO IS NOT ONLY THE AT THIS TIME, THE LIAISON FOR THE CHAMBER, I TALK ABOUT BUSINESSES AND, YOU KNOW, MAKING CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE REGISTERED, YOU KNOW, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I WOULD HOPE THAT THERE'S A CONVERSATION WITH THEM TO PARTNER AND MAKE CERTAIN THAT BECAUSE IT WAS ALWAYS A SAID THAT THE ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT WAS ACTUALLY BUILDING A DIRECTORY, THAT WAS WHAT WAS SAID WAY LONG AGO. DID IT COME TO FRUITION. BUT THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT I HAVE ON MY MIND TONIGHT AND HAD ON MY MIND BEFORE. AND AS I SAID BEFORE, LANCASTER DOES HAVE A PROGRAM. HAVE WE ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO THEM? I DID ON MY OWN WITH SOMETHING ELSE, JUST LOOKING AT IT. BUT FROM A CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, PERSPECTIVE, CITY TO CITY, DID WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT THEIR WHY, THEIR WHAT AND THEIR WHO? IF YOU DON'T MIND, I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO THE MAYOR'S COMMENT. YES, MA'AM. WE CONCUR. YOU KNOW, THIS IS APPROVED. WE WANT TO IMPLEMENT THE THE INITIATIVE. I GUESS THE QUESTION MORE OF DO WE WANT TO DO THIS CITYWIDE FROM THE VERY FIRST BEGINNING, OR WE DO A PILOT AND THEN AFTER THE PILOT, WE GO CITYWIDE. AND THEN JUST GOING BACK, I'LL LET MISS JACKIE TO ANSWER A QUESTION, BUT REALLY QUICK, THE WAY THAT WE REGULATE BUSINESSES IN THE CITY, WE ISSUE A CO WRITE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY WITH THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY. WE LOOK AT THE PLANNING AND ZONING PIECE AND THEN THE BUILDING SAFETY, BUT NOT THE TYPE OF BUSINESS. SO ONE OF THE REGULATIONS LIKE, OKAY, HOW WOULD HOW DO WE KNOW THIS BUSINESS IS NOT DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO? ANOTHER, ANOTHER LAYER OF REGULATION IS TO GO BACK TO THE BUSINESS LICENSE PROGRAM. AND THEN YOU'RE LAYING OUT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BUSINESS, AND THEN YOU CAN SUSPEND THE CO OR, YOU KNOW, OR GO AND ISSUE A CODE VIOLATION BASED ON THAT. 
          BUT MAINLY NOW IF WE WANT TO SUSPEND A CO FOR BUILDING, CO IS BUILT FOR PLANNING AND ZONING AND BUILDING SAFETY, WHICH IS WHICH GOES BACK TO THE BUILDING CODE AND FIRE CODE. 
          BUT THAT'S THERE'S THAT MISSING PIECE WITH THE TYPE OF BUSINESS AND THE WAY THE BUSINESS OPERATES. SORRY. OKAY. PARDON. I KNOW I HAD A LOT. GO AHEAD. OKAY. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS IS NOT JUST A DEVELOPMENT SERVICES EFFORT THAT WE HAVE WORKED WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE'VE WORKED WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO COME UP WITH THIS PROPOSAL. AND SO IN OUR RESEARCH NOW, THERE ARE CERTAIN, LIKE THE CITY LICENSES, CERTAIN TYPES OF BUSINESSES, BUT THERE IS NOT LIKE A GENERAL BUSINESS REGISTRATION. AND SO WHEN WE WERE DOING THE RESEARCH AND WE LOOKED AT LANCASTER, I DIDN'T SEE THAT THEY HAD A CITYWIDE BUSINESS LICENSE OR REGISTRATION PROGRAM. SO NOW THAT YOU HAVE INDICATED THAT, WE'LL REACH OUT TO LANCASTER. BUT SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT THEIR PROGRAM ADDRESSES EVERY BUSINESS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF LANCASTER? YES. AND THEIR BUSINESS PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN PLACE NOW. I MEAN, AGAIN, EVERYBODY'S GOING TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY, BUT THEIR THEIR ACTUAL PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 2007. THEY JUST INITIALLY CHANGED THEIR FEES AS OF THIS PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO TO GO EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST. 
          THEY JUST CHANGED THEIR FEES TO SOMETHING ELSE. SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN THERE THAT I'M 
          [01:15:03]
ASKING, HAVE WE LOOKED OVER THERE? BECAUSE AS OF RIGHT NOW, THIS WOULD LOOK LIKE A DEVELOPMENT SERVICES PROGRAM. RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LOOKS LIKE A DEVELOPMENT SERVICES PROGRAM. SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE I WAS GOING. OKAY, WE WILL REACH OUT TO LANCASTER, BUT YES, MA'AM. THERE ARE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE THAT HAVE BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN IN THIS PROPOSAL. YES. SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS, ALL I COULD THINK IN MY MIND WAS WE CANNOT PENALIZE BUSINESSES FOR BEING BUSINESSES IF THEY ARE A NUISANCE. I AGREE THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE SOME PENALTY PUT ON THEM TO MAKE THEM ADHERE TO MAKING IT SAFER, BETTER AND DO BUSINESS WELL IN DESOTO. I GET THAT I'M I'M ALL DAY LONG FOR THAT. BUT IT CANNOT BE JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE A BUSINESS. THEY HAVE TO PAY A FEE TO BE A PART OF A THING. WHEN THEY SIT IN THE CITY OF DESOTO ANYWAY. AND WE WANT THEM HERE. WE WANT BUSINESSES TO BE HERE. SO THAT'S FROM MY PERSPECTIVE. I KNOW MY COUNCIL HAS MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE PLENTY OF THOUGHTS, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT I SAID THAT UP FRONT. THAT'S WHERE I SIT. SO I WOULD HOPE THAT THAT FEE STRUCTURE WOULD BE CONDUCIVE TO NOT DETERRENCE OF BUSINESSES, BUT DETERRENCE OF THOSE WHO ARE NUISANCES, NOT BUSINESSES. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES, MA'AM. OKAY, I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. I YIELD BACK, I THINK I'M NEXT. THIS WAS NEVER ABOUT TURNING AWAY BUSINESS. THIS WAS NEVER ABOUT PUNISHING BUSINESSES. THIS WAS ABOUT A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO DOESN'T TOUT ABOUT VISITING BUSINESSES. I JUST DO IT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT FOR EVERY DOLLAR I PULL BACK, I POUR BACK INTO DESOTO. I RECEIVE IT BACK ON MY PROPERTY TAX BECAUSE IT'S A DISCOUNT. RIGHT? BUT EVEN BEYOND THAT, I, I VISIT WITH NOT JUST BUSINESS OWNERS, CONSTITUENTS. AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT I HAVE IN PLACE SINCE I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ANY OTHER DISTRICT, BUT AT THE TIME THAT I PLACED THIS ON THE AGENDA, I HAD A BAR, A SPORTS BAR THAT WAS IN THE NEWS OR GOING VIRAL EVERY OTHER MONTH FOR PEOPLE BEING OUTSIDE, FIGHTING VIDEOS, GUNS BEING SHOT, SHOT BULLETS IN OTHER BUSINESSES. I HAD A JAMAICAN RESTAURANT THAT HAD TO VACATE THEIR BUSINESS BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT DEAL WITH THE AMOUNT OF NEGATIVE TRAFFIC THAT THEY WERE EXPERIENCING NEXT DOOR, AND WE ASKED FOR SIT DOWN RESTAURANTS. WHEN I GO TO THE CITY AND I TALK TO THE POLICE AND CODE ENFORCEMENT, THEY HAVE A HARD TIME TRACKING PEOPLE DOWN ON WHO'S THE OWNER OR IT'S NOT CONSISTENT YEAR OVER YEAR, LIKE YOU'RE STILL HOLDING ON TO THESE OTHER INSTANCES. WE'RE STARTING OVER EVERY SIX MONTHS, EVERY YEAR, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. SO SOMEONE COULD A BUSINESS OWNER COULD VERY WELL GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER FOR A LIMITED TIME AND THEN GO BACK TO THEIR SHENANIGANS. IT IS EMBARRASSING TO SEE DE SOTO ON THE INTERNET OR IN THE NEWS. FOR A BUSINESS THAT DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO CONTROL ITS BUSINESS. SO THIS WAS NEVER ABOUT PENALIZING THE MASSES. THIS WAS ABOUT THE CITY COUNCIL TAKING A STAND FOR BAD BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN OUR CITY, THAT DON'T CARE ABOUT OUR RESIDENTS, THAT DON'T CARE ABOUT OUR IMAGE, THAT DON'T CARE ABOUT OUR BRAND, THAT DO WHATEVER THEY WANT, THAT SPEND OUR TAX DOLLARS WITH POLICE EVERY DAY, EVERY NIGHT. POLICE STAKE OUT UP THERE AT THAT WALMART ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT, CONSTANTLY BECAUSE OF THE DISRUPTION THAT SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES CALL. AND AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT IS FRUSTRATING TO PROMISE SOMEONE YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING AND YOU CAN'T DO IT. WHAT I AM EQUALLY FRUSTRATED WITH TONIGHT IS THAT THIS WAS PUT IN ON OCTOBER 2026, AND THE PRIOR CITY MANAGER, BECAUSE WE HAD ALREADY BEEN TALKING ABOUT REGISTRATION, LUMPED THIS IN BUSINESS NUISANCE WITH THE REGISTRATION. THE PURPOSE OF IT WOULD HELP YOU ALL BETTER IDENTIFY WHO'S THE OWNER OF THE BUSINESS, RIGHT? THAT WOULD THEN ALLOW YOU TO BETTER CONTROL THE NUISANCE OF THE BUSINESS. I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS GUY SO CONVOLUTED, CONVOLUTED, BUT IT IS A LITTLE BIT, AND I'LL BE HONEST, A WHOLE YEAR LATER AND THIS IS ALL WE GOT. 
          THAT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING. IT IS EQUALLY DISAPPOINTING TO HEAR THAT IT WON'T GO OFFICIAL TO 28, BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WITH SOMETHING THAT CAME DOWN IN OCTOBER 26TH, WE WOULD HAVE BUDGETED FOR IT IN THIS UPCOMING YEAR, AND SHAME ON ME FOR NOT COVERING MY TAIL TO MAKE SURE. BUT NONETHELESS, I'M DISAPPOINTED IN THE TIME FRAME. IT'S WAY TOO LONG RIGHT NOW. IN THAT TIME FRAME, WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE BUSINESSES BE A NUISANCE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT IT. AND THAT'S THAT IS NOT THE CITY I WANT TO LIVE IN, 
          [01:20:01]
AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ELSE DO EITHER. I'M NOT SAYING THAT THE POLICE AREN'T DOING THEIR JOB BECAUSE THEY DO ONE HECK OF A JOB, RIGHT? BUT THEY NEED PARTNERSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN ORDER TO EXECUTE THIS SEAMLESSLY. AND I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO LOOK MY CONSTITUENTS IN THE FACE AND TELL THEM I DID EVERYTHING I CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ONLY THAT WE HAVE GOOD BUSINESSES HERE AND THE ONES THAT ARE NOT, WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO CONTROL THEM. THAT'S IT. COUNCILMEMBER CHISM, YOU REFERENCED OCTOBER OF 2026. THAT'S THE MONTH WE'RE IN CURRENTLY. DID YOU MEAN 2025 OF OCTOBER? YES. OKAY. MAYOR PRO TEM, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I JUST HAD A FEW QUESTIONS AND I YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT WE WOULD GET RESIDENT INPUT SOMETIME LATER, RIGHT? I KIND OF WANTED TO KNOW THE PURPOSE. I THINK IT'S MORE SO FOR BUSINESS. RIGHT. MAYBE WE SHOULD TIGHTEN UP ON THOSE RULES AND REGULATIONS. I ALSO SERVED, YOU KNOW, AS LIAISON TO THE CHAMBER FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. AND I KNOW THAT THE PRESIDENT, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS WANTED TO PARTNER WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES IN ORDER TO REGISTER BUSINESSES. MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK AT BECAUSE THERE I MEAN, OF COURSE THEY NEED THE MEMBERSHIP. SO MAYBE WE NEED TO CREATE SOME KIND OF PARTNERSHIP THAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, REGISTERING OWNERS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO DO THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH THEM. YEAH. I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF REGISTERING ALL BUSINESSES BECAUSE WHEN I SAW THAT YOU HAD GOVERNMENT AND FEDERAL AND SOMETHING ELSE EXEMPT, I'M LIKE, WELL, I THINK BUSINESS COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES ARE DOING WELL. THEY DON'T HAVE THE NUANCES. THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO REGISTER. I'M JUST SAYING I MIGHT BE A LITTLE PREJUDICED. BUT YEAH, I DON'T THINK ALL BUSINESSES SHOULD HAVE TO REGISTER. I THINK IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT, I DON'T THINK OUR RESIDENTS WOULD BE HAPPY ABOUT THAT. I MEAN, IT'S A BUSINESS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I THINK IF IT'S GOING TO BE REGISTRATION, IT NEEDS TO BE FOR A PURPOSE. NOT ALL BUSINESSES. AND THEN HOW I WANTED TO KNOW HOW YOU ALL WILL MANAGE IT. BUT THE OTHER PART WAS I DON'T REMEMBER YOU SAYING, BUT WHAT WOULD THE FUNDING BE FOR NECESSARILY? THE FUNDING STRUCTURE ACTUALLY WOULD NEED TO BE DETERMINED. WE HAD PRELIMINARY PRELIMINARILY LOOKED AT FUNDING STRUCTURE, BUT ACTUALLY THROUGH THIS PILOT, WE WOULD BETTER DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF FEE STRUCTURE. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT WOULD BE A MINIMUM FEE, YOU KNOW, BASED UPON THE PRELIMINARY FIGURES THAT WE HAVE GENERATED SO FAR. 
          NO, I KNOW YOU'RE MENTIONING THE FEES, RIGHT. YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT FUNDING. SO YOU ALL NEED FUNDING, I GUESS, TO SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM. SO DOES THAT MEAN EXTRA PERSONNEL OR DOES THAT MEAN WHAT WOULD THE FUNDING BE FOR? OKAY. SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A PILOT FIRST. 
          SO THE GOAL WOULD BE TO ABSORB IT WITH THE EXISTING RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, THE EXISTING STAFFING AND FUNDING. AND THEN AFTER WE HAVE EVALUATED, WE'LL COME BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH FUNDING WE WOULD NEED TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM. OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM. OKAY. THANK YOU. MADAM MAYOR, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE FIRST SLIDE HERE REAL QUICK? I MEAN, I'M SORRY. THE SECOND ONE. YEAH. RIGHT HERE. I HAVE A QUESTION THAT'S RELEVANT TO THIS AND I'LL GET INTO MY NOTES HERE. WE HAD THE SUMMER RETREAT LAST YEAR AT THE ARTIST EVENT CENTER OVER HERE. WERE YOU AT THAT RETREAT? I DON'T THINK YOU WERE, BUT WERE YOU AT THAT RETREAT THIS SUMMER? RETREAT? YES. NO. RIGHT. THERE'S A REASON I'M ASKING THAT. YES, SIR. IN THE IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, VOTED IT WAS LAST YEAR, SEPTEMBER 12TH, TO IMPLEMENT A CHRONIC NUISANCE BUSINESS POLICY. SO WHAT WE SHOULD BE SEEING HERE IS THE INTRODUCTION AND UPDATE ON A CHRONIC NUISANCE BUSINESS ORDINANCE. BUT YOU HAVE. GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE HERE SOMEWHERE. IS IT YOU NAMED IT SOMETHING ELSE HERE. OKAY. REGISTRATION. 
          BUSINESS REGISTRATION. OKAY. SO WHAT I SEE HERE IS OUTSIDE OF WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY AGREED UPON, IT'S MY POINT NOW. MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER CONVOLUTED SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW. BUT WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS NOT WHAT I AGREED ON. OKAY. AND THAT WAS NOT ACTUALLY WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO US AS WHAT TO AGREE ON. OKAY. ANYWAY, THIS IS A BUSINESS REGISTRATION AND AN ADDITIONAL TAX ON ALL THESE BUSINESSES HERE IN DESOTO THAT YOU'RE REFERENCING. IT FEELS LIKE A BAIT SWITCH TO ME. OKAY. AS FAR AS WHAT WE'RE AGREEING ON HERE, OKAY. FROM THE 
          [01:25:02]
ORIGINAL AGREED ON THING. SO I'LL BRING THAT UP TO TELL YOU THERE'S NO WAY IN GOOD CONSCIENCE I CAN AGREE TO TAX VIRTUALLY EVERY BUSINESS HERE JUST BECAUSE A FEW BUSINESSES ARE THE INTENDED TARGETS HERE, OKAY? BECAUSE THEY'RE TOO LOUD OR HAVE TOO MANY INCIDENT CALLS OR REPORTS. SO, YOU KNOW, LIKE MY INAUGURATION SPEECH, I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT EASIER TO DO BUSINESS IN HERE. I MEAN, FOR BUSINESSES TO DO BUSINESS IN DESOTO, RIGHT? NOT HARDER. 
          OKAY. SO I THINK A BETTER WAY TO DO THIS BASED ON ORIGINAL INTENT, OKAY. BEFORE IT'S WHATEVER IT WAS GOT CONVOLUTED HERE IS TO MODIFY OUR EXISTING NUISANCE ORDINANCES, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GOING TO DO ANYWAY HERE FOR BUSINESSES OR CREATE NEW ONES. 
          AND THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE WHOLE IDEA IS SOLVING THE NUISANCE PROBLEM, OKAY? WITHOUT PUNISHING THE WHOLE CITY'S BUSINESS BASE BECAUSE A FEW BUSINESSES ARE ACTING UP. OKAY. SO, SO STAFF IS LOOKING FOR IDEAS ON WHAT TO PUT IN A NUISANCE ORDINANCE. WE DEFINITELY NEED TO SEPARATE NOISE ORDINANCES FROM OTHER NUISANCE ORDINANCES. OKAY. THE NOISE ORDINANCES NEED TO HAVE THREE LEVELS OF REQUIRED ENFORCEMENT. Y'ALL MAY WANT TO WRITE THIS DOWN OR RUN IT BACK. OKAY, SEPARATE THE NOISE. HERE'S WHY. THE STRICTEST REQUIRED NOISE LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT CAN BE. I'M JUST USING SIMPLE LEVEL ONE, WHICH IS ANY BUSINESS THAT IS NOT LOCATED IN A DESIGNATED COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT. NOW, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THESE, THE HOME BASED THING, BUT YOU KNOW. YEAH, EXACTLY. BUT I'M SAYING LIKE A STANDALONE BUSINESS, WHATEVER. IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT NOISE OR SOMETHING. OKAY, THE STRICTEST REQUIREMENT, NOISE LAWS, ENFORCEMENT CAN BE LEVEL ONE. ANY BUSINESS THAT IS NOT LOCATED IN A DESIGNATED COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT. NOW, LEVEL TWO WOULD BE AVERAGE REQUIRED NOISE LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT CAN BE LEVEL TWO, WHICH IS A BUSINESS. EXCUSE MY INTERRUPTION, BUT THIS IS NOT ABOUT A NOISE ORDINANCE. I BELIEVE THE CITY HAS THAT IN PLACE ALREADY, CORRECT? NO, THAT WAS WHAT HER HER WHOLE THING WE VOTED ON BACK ON THE SUMMER RETREAT WAS ABOUT. IT WAS NOT ABOUT NOISE, CHRONIC NUISANCE. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID. WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN NOISE. CAN I FINISH THESE LAST TWO ABOUT PLEASE FINISH. BUT BUT THIS IS NOT ABOUT A NOISE ORDINANCE. 
          THE CITY HAS A NOISE ORDINANCE. SO WE'RE WE'RE TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT EITHER NUISANCE BUSINESSES OR BUSINESS REGISTRATION. SO IF WE COULD KEEP THE FOCUS ON THAT. THANK YOU. WELL, LEVEL TWO WOULD BE LIKE A BUSINESS BASED DESIGNATED LOCATED IN A DESIGNATED COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT RIGHT NOW OR FUTURE DESIGNATED DISTRICT. 
          BUT THE MINIMUM REQUIRED NOISE LAWS SHOULD BE LIKE LEVEL THREE, WHICH WOULD BE BUSINESS LOCATED ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, I-35 CORRIDOR. WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME ENTERTAINMENT OVER THERE IN THE ART DISTRICT. OKAY. BUT ANYWAY, THE WHOLE POINT OF I'M BRINGING THIS UP IS BECAUSE I CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE AGREE TO TELLING THESE BUSINESSES, COME ON TO DESOTO. AND BY THE WAY, YOU KNOW, DO BUSINESSES COME ON TO OPEN THE BUSINESS? BUT BY THE WAY, SOON AS YOU GET HERE, WE'RE GONNA HIT YOU WITH A TAX OR EXISTING BUSINESS REGISTRATION, A INITIAL REGISTRATION. YOU HAD 100 BUCKS LAST TIME IN THE 50 BUCKS ANNUALLY. OKAY. I KNOW YOU TOOK THAT SLIDE OUT THIS TIME, BUT IT'S A TAX. AND IN EXISTING BUSINESSES, I CAN'T SAY, HEY, LOOK, I TRY TO FIGHT FOR YOU, BUT BY THE WAY, YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET TAXED. I CANNOT AGREE TO THAT. OKAY. NOW I DO WANT TO DO NOISE. I MEAN, LIKE, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO LIKE A REASONABLE THING JUST TO, YOU KNOW, PREVENT LIKE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTING UP, YOU KNOW, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO PENALIZE, I AGREE TO PENALIZE EVERYBODY WITH A TAX. BUT THAT'S MY $0.02. OKAY, I YIELD BACK. COUNCIL. I WANT TO GET US BACK ON TRACK WITH WHAT, WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED AND, AND KIND OF GET OUR GET OUR FEEDBACK ON THIS. AND SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A, THERE, THERE ARE SOME THOUGHTS THAT IT'S A LITTLE BIT FURTHER AWAY FROM WHAT WE INITIALLY INITIALLY AGREED UPON OR THE FOCUS OR THE PROBLEM THAT WAS TRYING TO BE SOLVED WAS REGARDING NUISANCE BUSINESSES. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT IT IS NOT COMPLETELY, COMPLETELY FALSE THAT WE HAVE ALSO DISCUSSED A BUSINESS REGISTRATION PROGRAM. I CAN RECALL EVEN FURTHER BACK. 
          SOME YEARS BACK, WE TALKED ABOUT A BUSINESS REGISTRATION PROGRAM. FOR THE PURPOSES OF MAKING SURE WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY OWNERSHIP, ETCETERA, BEYOND WHAT THE CO PROVIDES. 
          AND SO TO ME AND, AND I HAVE A BUSINESS IN A NEIGHBORING CITY, RIGHT? AND I KNOW THAT, AND I'M ASSUMING THAT THE CITY OF DESOTO, BECAUSE I SEE THE CERTIFICATES WHENEVER I GO INTO BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS, THERE IS A REGISTRATION THAT A BUSINESS HAS TO HAVE IN TERMS OF IF YOU'RE SERVING FOOD FOR THE PURPOSES OF HEALTH INSPECTIONS, ETCETERA. AND I KNOW THAT WE GET HIT WITH THAT FEE, WHICH IS NOT A TAX, IT IS A FEE. WE GET 
          [01:30:02]
HIT WITH THAT, AND IT'S SEVERAL HUNDRED BUCKS, RIGHT, THAT WE HAVE TO PAY, OR ELSE YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO OPERATE YOUR BUSINESS IN THE CITY WITHOUT IT. YES. I LOOK AT THAT AS A BUSINESS OWNER WHO IS A LONG STANDINGIS CALLED THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS. AND SO I PERSONALLY, FOR ONE, I, I WANT US TO KEEP IT FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE NUISANCE BUSINESS, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE. I DON'T THINK WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BURDEN DOWN BUSINESSES WITH MORE ADMINISTRATIVE WORK. FOR THE SAKE OF THAT. I THINK, AGAIN, THE ORIGINAL INTENT WAS REGARDING NUISANCE BUSINESSES, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE A REGISTRATION PROCESS IN ORDER TO CAPTURE THE BUSINESSES IN GENERAL, BECAUSE WE CAN SAY WE HAVE A NUISANCE BUSINESS. BUT HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THAT AS NOT TARGETING? RIGHT. SO THERE NEEDS TO I FEEL LIKE TO BE FAIR TO ALL BUSINESSES, BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE A BUSINESS IS NOT A NUISANCE BUSINESS TODAY DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT COULD NOT RISE TO THE LEVEL OF A NUISANCE BUSINESS. AND SO WHAT I WOULD I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE. SO SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PILOT PROGRAM, I DO AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE. I THINK THE TIMELINE IS VERY LONG. I THINK IT'S UNNECESSARILY LONG. AND I KNOW THAT STAFF HAS OTHER THINGS TO DO AND PREPARE IN THE MEANTIME, BUT I JUST HONESTLY FEEL LIKE IT'S A BIT LONG BECAUSE I THINK IT MAY IT MAY BE IT MAY BE SHOOTING FOR SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF WHAT COUNCIL WANTS TO SEE. I THINK THE THE THING WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE FOR IS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND HANDLE NUISANCE BUSINESSES IN TERMS OF HOW WE PROCESS AND HANDLE THOSE BUSINESSES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER NUISANCE BUSINESSES IN THE CITY. I WOULD I WOULD SUPPORT A REGISTRATION PROCESS AGAIN, FOR THE PURPOSES OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE STATED. AND, AND I THINK IT COULD BE OF BENEFIT TO A BUSINESS TO BE REGISTERED BECAUSE THAT INFORMATION COULD BE PROVIDED ONLINE. LIKE YOU SAID, IF YOU WERE LOOKING FOR CERTAIN THINGS, ALMOST LIKE A DIRECTORY, SO TO SPEAK, WITH BUSINESSES THAT ARE REGISTERED WITH THE CITY OF DESOTO, I THINK IF WE HAVE THEIR INFORMATION, BUSINESSES COME TO THE CITY ALL THE TIME SAYING, WE WISH THE CITY WOULD PROMOTE OUR BUSINESSES MORE, RIGHT? WELL, IF WE DON'T KNOW YOU'RE THERE, THEN THE CITY IS GOING TO STRUGGLE TO PROMOTE BUSINESSES. IF WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHO'S COMING IN AND WHO'S COMING OUT, I WOULD SUPPORT A A REGISTRATION PROCESS WITH A MINIMAL FEE, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RENTAL REGISTRATION, RIGHT? WE NEED TO ACTUALLY KNOW AND HAVE A WAY TO IDENTIFY THOSE, THOSE PARTICULAR BUSINESSES. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US, AND I, AND I AGREE WITH STARTING WITH THE PILOT PROGRAM, I WOULD SUPPORT A PILOT BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SEVERAL ROLLOUTS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS OF VARYING THINGS. AND WE KNOW HOW, HOW CUMBERSOME AND HOW CHALLENGING IT CAN GET WHEN WE TRY TO DO IT VERY BROADLY VERSUS TAKING A SEGMENT. RIGHT. AND I FEEL LIKE WE'VE HAD MORE SUCCESS WHEN WE TAKE A SAMPLE SIZE FIRST, WORK OUT ALL THE KINKS IN THAT SAMPLE SIZE, THEN ROLL IT OUT WITH A GOOD PLAN AND A GOOD PROCESS TO THE ENTIRE BODY. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT START AS A PILOT, MORE SO, BUT AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE FOCUS AGAIN WITH THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF IT BEING TO HELP US IDENTIFY AND TO HELP US HANDLE NUISANCE BUSINESSES, AND TO KEEP THE ORIGINAL INTENT THAT MY COLLEAGUES SAID THAT WE WOULD SUPPORT. BUT I THINK IN ORDER TO EVEN DO THAT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A REGISTRATION PROCESS FOR THE BUSINESSES TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND I THINK THAT WE CAN MAKE IT A WIN WIN FOR THE BUSINESSES. IF THE CITY IS AWARE OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO AND HOW YOU DO IT, WE CAN BETTER HAVE A HANDLE ON HOW TO BETTER SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY. I RUN ACROSS NEW BUSINESSES IN DESOTO EVERY DAY, AND YOU WOULD THINK IN 22MI■S AND BEING RESIDENTS, AS LONG AS WE'VE BEEN RESIDENTS, THAT YOU WOULD KNOW ALL THE BUSINESSES. BUT WE RUN ACROSS NEW BUSINESSES EVERY DAY. SOMETIMES THAT'S ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR WHAT HAVE YOU. HOWEVER, IF THERE WAS A PROCESS THAT STARTED AT THE CEO LEVEL, POSSIBLY THAT WOULD HELP US TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT IS IN OUR COMMUNITY, EVEN WITH ESPECIALLY WITH FOOD BUSINESSES, BECAUSE WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR BUSINESSES WITHIN OUR CITY. 
          WE ALWAYS TOUT PICK SOMEONE IN DESOTO FIRST. WELL, IF WE KNOW WHO'S IN DESOTO BY WAY OF A REGISTRATION PROGRAM, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A WIN WIN FOR THE BUSINESSES TO BE ABLE TO PUT YOU ON THE CITY'S RADAR THAT YOUR BUSINESS IS HERE. SO I GOT A LITTLE LONG WINDED, BUT I WOULD SUPPORT DEFINITELY A PILOT. AND SO COUNCIL WILL KIND OF GO DOWN THE DAIS AND KIND OF PICK THIS THING APART PIECE BY PIECE, WITH FIRST BEING. IN TERMS OF PILOT PROGRAM OR ROLLING IT OUT CITYWIDE. AND THEN WE HAVE THE QUESTION, THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE TIMELINE. 
          AND SO WE'LL WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT FIRST. BUT COUNCIL, I WOULD WANT TO UNDERSTAND YOUR YOUR THOUGHTS. I'M GOING TO START AT MAYOR PRO TEM WITH A PILOT OR CITYWIDE. I DO NOT BELIEVE WE SHOULD REGISTER BUSINESSES. I APPRECIATE YOUR HELP. I THINK THAT SHOULD BE THE CHAMBER THAT DOES THAT. I DON'T THINK BUSINESSES SHOULD HAVE TO REGISTER. WE'RE TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM THE STIGMA THAT DESOTO IS HARD TO DEAL WITH ANYWAY AS IT RELATES TO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND DEVELOPERS COMING IN, SO I WOULDN'T SUPPORT IT. BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM. YES. WHAT? YES. WHAT? YES. PILOT OR YES. CITYWIDE. 
          [01:35:09]
WHATEVER. WHAT'S FASTER. PILOT. WELL, YES, A PILOT AND I'LL SAY THAT WE CAN SHORTEN THE TIMELINE AND WE WILL SHORTEN THE TIMELINE. BUT IF IF YOU ALL WILL ALLOW US TO DO A PILOT, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE BETTER THAN TO JUST ROLL OUT SOMETHING. YES, MA'AM. AND SO I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT ANOTHER RUNG OF WHAT WE'RE DOING RELATES TO A GOOD BUSINESS, GOOD STEWARDS BUSINESS RECOGNITION PROGRAM, WHICH IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER PHASE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESSES THAT COMPLY, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR RULES THAT ARE LIKE GOOD NEIGHBORS, THEY WILL BE RECOGNIZED. AND WE'VE HAD, AND I'M GOING TO GET BACK TO GETTING CONSENSUS FOR PILOT OR CITYWIDE, BUT EVEN TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, PARKER, YOUR BUSINESS BUZZ, RIGHT? IF WE DON'T HAVE A REGISTRATION PROGRAM TO KNOW WHO THE BUSINESSES ARE TO BUZZ. I MEAN, I THINK THIS COULD HELP US SUPPORT A LOT OF THE INITIATIVES THAT COUNCIL HAS AROUND SUPPORTING OUR SMALL, ESPECIALLY OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          I JUST THINK WE NEED TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF REALLY DIALING IN ON WHO THIS IS REALLY FOR, WITH BASED ON WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO SOLVE. MR. POINT OF INFORMATION. YES, MA'AM. I'M JUST CURIOUS, COULD WE HAVE NOT GRANDFATHERED THE EXISTING BUSINESSES SO THEY'RE NOT CHARGED THE REGISTRATION FEE AND THEN NEW BUSINESSES COMING IN, WE COULD GET A REGISTRATION FEE BECAUSE I THINK IF YOU'RE NEW COMING IN THEN AS THE MAYOR WAS TALKING ABOUT, I MOVED INTO THIS NEIGHBORING CITY AS A BUSINESS OWNER, AND I PAID THE COST BECAUSE I JUST KNEW THAT THAT WAS THE COST FOR DOING BUSINESS. AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT AS A CORPORATE GIRL. RIGHT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF I'VE ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED HERE AND THEN YOU COME TO ME TO PARTICIPATE, I'M NOT GOING TO PARTICIPATE. BECAUSE WHY I ALREADY GOT THE CEO, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IF YOU ALL THOUGHT OF THAT FOR THE REGISTRATION. I SEE THE POINT OF THE REGISTRATION. AND I THINK WHERE THE HICCUP IS FOR FROM WHAT I'M HEARING IS THE COST. SO IF THE COST IS THE ISSUE, WHY DO WE NEED A COST FOR THE CURRENT FOLKS? WHY COULD NOT THAT NOT BE SOMETHING THAT'S IMPLEMENTED OR EXECUTED FOR ALL NEW BUSINESSES COMING IN? AND IT JUST ROLLS IN WITH THE CEO AND THE PERMIT. AND I THINK SHE DID SAY IN THE PRESENTATION THAT DURING THE PILOT, FOR SURE, THERE WILL BE NO COST TO ANY BUSINESS. RIGHT. 
          BUT YOU'RE SAYING BEYOND THAT, NO COST. OKAY. YEAH. SO IF I MAY TAKE A STEP BACK FOR US TO BE ABLE TO REGULATE NUISANCE BUSINESS, WE WOULD HAVE TO REGISTER THEM, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU BROUGHT IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE BACK THEN. REMEMBER AROUND AUGUST 2025, I KNOW WE HAD NUISANCE ISSUES AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE CEO IN FRONT OF MY EYES, AND I HAD TO APPROVE IT BECAUSE THEY MET THE BIDDING REQUIREMENTS, FIRE REQUIREMENTS, AND THE ZONING. 
          WE CAN SAY YOU CAN BE IN THIS LAND, LET'S SAY MAYBE A CIGARETTE PLACE, YOU KNOW, WITH PLANNING AND ZONING, WE CAN KNOW WHERE THIS BUSINESS NEEDS TO BE. AND THEN IF THEY MEET THE BUILDING REQUIREMENTS, THAT'S ANOTHER ASPECT. WE KNOW THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT LOCATION FOR YOU AWAY FROM SCHOOLS FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THEN YOU'RE MEETING ALL THE BUILDING REQUIREMENTS. SO WE KNOW THE BUILDING IS SAFE. BUT IF YOU'RE SELLING CIGARETTES TO MINORS, I CANNOT SUSPEND THIS FOR YOU. BUT THE WHOLE PURPOSE WAS TO GIVE THE CITY THE POWER TO BE ABLE TO TURN THEM OFF UNTIL THEY GET THEIR ACT STRAIGHT. THAT'S CORRECT. SO WITH THE WITH THE REGISTRATION, NOW WE CAN SAY YOU ARE ACTUALLY NOT MEETING THE REQUIREMENT OF THE CEO. THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO SUSPEND THE CEO FOR YOU. AND INSTEAD OF JUST HAVING OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT GOING THERE AND ISSUING VIOLATIONS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW. 
          EVERY TIME WE GET AN ISSUE LIKE THIS, WE HAVE OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS GO IN THERE AND ISSUE VIOLATIONS, BUT THEN IT DOESN'T REALLY TAKE YOU ANYWHERE UNLESS UNLESS IT'S A BUILDING ISSUE WHERE I CAN BUILD MY CASE. AND THEN I GO TO THE BUILDING COMMISSION AND CONDEMN THE BUILDING. SO SO THERE'S THAT PIECE NOW. LIKE YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE COMPLICATED THIS ON OURSELVES WHEN WE ADDED THIS STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE TRIED TO PUT THAT WITH THE ZONING REGULATIONS, BUT IF WE KEEP IT AS SIMPLE AS YOU MEANT IT TO BE, WE CAN CERTAINLY FAST TRACK THE PROJECT A LOT. WHAT WOULD HELP US TO KNOW IS IF YOU ALL WANT TO PROCEED WITH THE PILOT PROGRAM FIRST OR LIKE IMMEDIATELY GO IN STATE STATEWIDE. THAT'S THE FIRST DIRECTION, MADAM MAYOR. GO AHEAD. YES, I STILL HAVE SEVERAL COLLEAGUES THAT I WANT TO HEAR FROM REGARDING ONLY REGARDING THE PILOT PROGRAM OR 
          [01:40:05]
CITYWIDE. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER NORTH. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. MISS COLTON, I WOULD LIKE ONE QUESTION BEFORE I VOTE ON WHETHER TO GO WITH THE PILOT OR OTHERWISE. THIS MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN COVERED, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES THAT EMPLOY 50 AND BELOW EMPLOYEES, IS THERE DURING THE BUSINESS REGISTRATION OR PERMITTING PIECE WHERE WE THE CITY CAPTURES WHEN THEY CLOSE BECAUSE USUALLY, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, BEFORE NOBODY KNEW THAT THEY CLOSED, BUT IT WAS ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA. SO I WAS CURIOUS IF THAT INFORMATION IS CAPTURED BY THE CITY, BECAUSE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THAT THAT NOTIFICATION ISN'T REQUIRED UNLESS IT'S 100 EMPLOYEES. AND SO CAN YOU GIVE CLARIFICATION? YEAH, NO. GREAT QUESTION. THIS IS THE BUSINESS OPERATION THAT WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER. OUR CONTROL IS OVER THE LAND USE, WHICH IS PLANNING AND ZONING PIECE AND THE BUILDING REQUIREMENT. BUT WE DON'T HAVE A WAY TO REGULATE THE OPERATIONS OF THE BUSINESS, LIKE THE WAY THAT YOU OPERATE, THE HOURS AND ALL OF THAT. THAT COULD BE PART OF THE BUSINESS REGISTRATION. IT COULD BE PART OF THE CEO. LIKE BASICALLY THINK OF IT AS ADDING A THIRD ELEMENT TO THE CEO. CEO IS MAINLY PLANNING AND ZONING ELEMENT BUILDING, PERMITTING AND INSPECTION ELEMENT. THEN WE'RE ADDING A THIRD ELEMENT TO THE TO THE BUSINESSES, ANDREW SAID. IT COULD BE, IT COULD BE NOT. IT COULD BE SEEN NOT VERY BUSINESS FRIENDLY. BUT THEN AT THE SAME TIME, IT GIVES THE CITY THE POWER TO REGULATE AND HOLD THOSE NUISANCE BUSINESSES ACCOUNTABLE. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS PART OF THE RECORD THAT WE GET THE CLOSING NOTIFICATION, AND THAT CAN BE ON ANOTHER DISCUSSION. BUT AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE THE PILOT PROGRAM. 
          COUNCILMAN WESLEY. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THE ONLY THING WOULD BE MAINTENANCE, JUST KIND OF LIKE WHAT COUNCILWOMAN NORTH SAID. I MEAN, YOU HAVE SO MANY BUSINESSES OPENING AND CLOSING, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY OPEN WITH THE CEO, BUT AFTER THE CEO, IT'S NOT ANYTHING THEY HAVE TO RENEW YEARLY WITH WITH US. SO I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE THE PILOT, AND I DO BELIEVE IN A REGISTER REGISTRY SO WE CAN KNOW WHAT BUSINESSES ARE HERE. AND I HOPE YOU ALL ARE PARTNERING WITH OUR. COM WITH THE COMMERCE. AND SO YEAH, I'M FOR. THANK YOU. AND THEN I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO COUNCILWOMAN COUNCILWOMAN CHISHOLM'S SUGGESTION FOR BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, GRANDFATHERED EXISTING BUSINESSES. WE LOOKED AT THAT THIS IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, AND THEN IT WILL ACTUALLY MAKE THE PROGRAM A LOT EASIER, BECAUSE NOW WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE NEW BUSINESSES ONLY BECAUSE ONE OF THE MAIN CHALLENGES FOR THIS PROGRAM IS TO GO BACK TO THE CURRENT BUSINESSES, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE INFORMATION FOR, AND THEN TRY TO REGULATE THEM, COMPARES TO A NEW BUSINESS THAT COMES TO THE CITY OR CAPTURING THAT. AND WE'RE ADDING THIS ELEMENT TO IT. SO I WOULD LOVE TO GET YOUR DIRECTION, THE COUNCIL DIRECTION ON THIS AS WELL. WHETHER COUNCIL WANTS TO SEE THIS MAINLY FOR NEW BUSINESSES WITH GRANDFATHERING THE EXISTING BUSINESSES OR REGULATING ALL BUSINESSES WITHIN THE CITY. AND I'M GOING TO GET THE LAST TWO COLLEAGUES ON PILOT. I'M GOING TO GET YOU THAT PILOT OR ELSE IT'S GOING TO BE THE LAST THING WE DO TONIGHT. MR. CASEY. WE STILL HAVE TWO MORE TO HEAR FROM ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY SUPPORT THE PILOT OR ROLLING IT OUT CITYWIDE. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. I'M ACTUALLY AT THE SAME SENTIMENT AS THE MAYOR PRO TEM. I MEAN, HONESTLY, WITH THE WAY THIS HERE, I DON'T LIKE EITHER OPTION, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. BUT BUT HERE'S I HAVE A SLANT TO IT. AS FAR AS LIKE THE DIRECTORY THING I JUST GOT LIKE WE WERE SAYING AND YOU WERE SAYING ACTUALLY TO, AND I HAVE MY NOTES HERE ABOUT YOU CONFLICTING WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. THEY KIND OF NEED TO BE THE ONES LIKE DOING THE DIRECTORY. BECAUSE IF WE DO A DIRECTORY, THEN WHAT'S THE POINT OF DOING THE COMMERCE? I MEAN, SO I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD DO THAT. BUT ANYWAY, AS FAR AS IN MY OPINION, YOU YOU REALLY NEED TO COME BACK WITH AN UPDATED PLAN. OKAY. WITHOUT ALL THIS CONVOLUTED STUFF. I MEAN, THAT WAS A GOOD SUGGESTION THAT THAT COUNCILWOMAN CHISHOLM SAID, GRANDFATHER, GRANDFATHER, SOMEBODY IN. I JUST CAN'T AGREE WITH WHAT THE WAY YOU HAVE IT HERE. OKAY. WITH EITHER OPTION. 
          OKAY. BUT IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU CAN COME BACK WITH A BETTER OPTION, YOU KNOW, THEN I'LL 
          [01:45:05]
AGREE TO IT. SO UNFORTUNATELY, I CAN'T GO WITH EITHER ONE. SO I'M ON THE SAME SENTIMENT AS THE MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCIL. LET ME, LET ME BE LET ME BE VERY FRANK. THE PURPOSE OF THEM COMING TONIGHT WAS TO GIVE FEEDBACK ON THE PLAN. SO THAT'S THE POINT, IS FOR THEM TO COME BACK WITH SOMETHING ONCE THEY'VE GOTTEN COUNCIL'S THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE INITIALLY PROPOSING, THEN THEY WILL TAKE THE FEEDBACK FROM TONIGHT AND THEY WILL COME BACK WITH A PLAN. THAT IS THE WAY THAT WE ALWAYS MOVE THINGS FORWARD, RIGHT? SO THAT'S THE POINT IS FOR US, FOR THEM TO GET THE FEEDBACK, HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE PRESENTED, WHETHER WE WANT IT, LIKE IT OR NOT? THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE HEARING FROM US TONIGHT. AND THEY'RE TAKING THAT FEEDBACK AND THEY'RE GOING TO COME BACK WITH SOMETHING. 
          AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE LOOKING AT, AGAIN, WHETHER WE WANT A PILOT OR NOT, BECAUSE A PILOT, RIGHT, WOULD ALLOW THEM TO WORK OUT THE KINKS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING TO GET US THE DATA THAT WE ARE SAYING AS A COUNCIL, WE WANT TO SEE, RIGHT, WHETHER THAT IS ANY INFORMATION ON THE BUSINESSES, WHETHER THEY CAN, WHETHER THEY'RE OPENING OR CLOSING, HOW DO WE COLLECT THAT DATA? THAT'S THE POINT IN CREATING THE PILOT, IS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO CAPTURE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION FOR US BEFORE ROLLING IT OUT CITYWIDE AND GETTING THE SYSTEMS AND THE PROCESSES AND THE MECHANISMS THAT ARE GOING TO ALLOW THEM TO CAPTURE THAT DATA. AGAIN, WE DON'T WANT A LONG TIMELINE, BUT I DO BELIEVE WE NEED TO GIVE THEM SOME TIME, RIGHT, IN THE PILOT PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SYSTEMS WORK BEST FOR DESOTO TO CAPTURE THE DATA THAT COUNCIL IS SAYING THAT IT WANTS TO SEE. RIGHT? THEY CAN'T JUST PULL THAT INFORMATION OUT OF THIN AIR. YOU'VE GOT TO CREATE A SYSTEM AND A MECHANISM BY WHICH TO DO SO. AS FAR AS MY THOUGHTS ON INVOLVING THE CHAMBER, I BELIEVE THE CITY NEEDS TO HAVE AUTONOMY OF ITS OWN DATA. FOR THOSE THAT MAY NOT BE AWARE, THE CHAMBER IS NOT A CITY ENTITY. THE CHAMBER IS A NONPROFIT ENTITY THAT IS A PART OF DESOTO, BUT IT IS NOT A PART OF THE CITY. RIGHT. AND SO TO GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO ANOTHER ORGANIZATION TO ME WOULD NOT BE PRUDENT. I THINK THE CITY NEEDS TO HAVE ITS OWN DATABASE AND ITS OWN AUTONOMY OVER THAT INFORMATION REGARDING THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN AND OUT NOW, WHETHER THE CHAMBER PARTNERS WITH US TO TO CAPTURE THAT DATA AND TO HOST SOMETHING, WHETHER BUSINESSES COME OR SERVICE SOME CONDUIT LIKE THEY DO FOR DIFFERENT EVENTS AS AS THEY DO FOR THINGS LIKE STATE OF THE DISTRICT, STATE OF THE CITY, THEY SERVE AS OUR REGISTRATION PARTNERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT I WOULD NOT WANT TO HAVE OUR BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN OUR CITY WITH THAT SET OF DATA. IN SOME OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. POSSESSION, THE CITY NEEDS TO HAVE AUTONOMY OVER ITS OWN DATA. BUT THAT'S MY THAT'S MY THOUGHT IN TERMS OF WHETHER OR NOT TO INVOLVE THE CHAMBER. I THINK THEY CAN BE INVOLVED BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE A HANDLE ON SOME BUSINESSES. HOWEVER, DESOTO HAS HUNDREDS OF BUSINESSES, AND I WOULD I WOULD IMAGINE NOT ALL OF THEM ARE MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER OR DESIRE TO BE. SO THE CITY NEEDS TO HAVE AUTONOMY OVER THAT DATA. BUT THAT'S MY THOUGHT. WE HAVE ONE MORE PERSON THAT WE NEED TO. I WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT. NOT YET. OKAY. BECAUSE I WAS NEVER GOING TO GET MY PART OUT. OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER PARKER, ONCE AGAIN, I'M GOING TO SAY THIS AGAIN. I AM A BUSINESS OWNER. I KNOW WHAT THE COST OF BUSINESS IS, BUT I WOULD ACTUALLY HOPE THAT OUR CITY WOULD NOT PENALIZE ANYBODY FOR BEING A BUSINESS. IT'S OKAY TO ASK THE NEW PEOPLE, I GET THAT, BUT THE PEOPLE YOU REALLY TARGETING ARE THE ONES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE. 
          THEY'RE ALREADY HERE. TO ME, THAT MAKES NO SENSE TO SAY, LET'S PILOT THE ONES THAT ARE COMING IN, PILOT, THE ONES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE. IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THEM, YOU KNOW, REGISTER. BUT I STILL BELIEVE EVEN IF YOU MAKE THEM REGISTER, IT SHOULD NOT BE A REQUIRED FEE. 
          IF THEY CONTINUE TO DO BUSINESS WRONG, THEN YOU PUT THE FEE ON. IT'S A PENALTY BECAUSE I STILL DIDN'T SEE A PENALTY ANYWHERE IN HERE. AS FAR AS WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY DON'T, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MAYBE YOU CAN'T GIVE THEM A C. OH, AND I'M GOING TO USE THAT AS MY AS MY MANTRA BECAUSE WE GOT A BUSINESS THAT JUST CAME IN THAT IS ON ITS WAY IN THE DOORS INTO DESOTO. AND WHEN SHE TALKED TO ME, SHE SAID I HAD TO PAY A FEE OR A LICENSE TO GET MY GAS ON. 
          I HAD TO PAY A FEE TO GET MY WATER ON, BUT THEY DIDN'T TELL ME I NEEDED BOTH OF THEM. WHY? ALL OF THAT SHOULD BE PART OF BRINGING THE BUSINESS IN BUSINESS REGISTRATION. I'M SURE THEY WANT TO PUT THEIR INFORMATION IN THERE. I'M OKAY WITH REGISTERING BUSINESSES, BUT I JUST DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD BE CHARGED, PERIOD, UNTIL THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG BECAUSE YOU'RE ALREADY CHARGING THEM FOR EVERYTHING ELSE THEY ALREADY HAVE THE CO CHARGES. LET'S, LET'S MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO DO BUSINESS HERE. AND I STILL THINK THERE'S A THERE'S A THREE LEGGED STOOL, THERE IS THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ECONOMIC 
          [01:50:02]
DEVELOPMENT AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIGHT NOW, BASED ON WHAT I'M HEARING, I HAVEN'T HEARD WHAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO DO. OR THEY THE ONES THAT'S GOING TO HOUSE THIS DATA, ARE THEY GOING TO KEEP IT UP? WHO'S GOING TO CONSTANTLY BE OUT THERE MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE DOING IT? I STILL HAVEN'T HEARD ALL THAT PART, SO I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THAT PIECE. 
          BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, I WOULDN'T. I'LL GO WITH THE PILOT, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GO WITH A FEE. SO DON'T PILOT FEES, PERIOD. I WOULD RATHER YOU NOT CHARGE PEOPLE FOR THIS. I YIELD BACK IT'S CODE ENFORCEMENT TO WELL, I MEAN, BUT CODE ENFORCEMENT. WELL, OKAY, I JUST WANT TO SAY RESPECTFULLY, I UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE HERE AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE EACH HAVE OUR OWN OPINION ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO SEE. AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THE CHAMBER SHOULD HANDLE. AND I WANTED TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR, BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN IDEAS ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO SEE. RESPECTFULLY THANK YOU. SO THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO DO A PILOT. THE CONSENSUS IS TO DO A PILOT. NOW, YOU HAD ANOTHER PIECE, MR. AL CASEY, THAT YOU ALL WERE WANTING TO SEE, WANTING TO HEAR FROM THE COUNCIL. YES, MA'AM. I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY COUNCIL HAS A PREFERENCE ON THE PILOT LENGTH. I GUESS THE KEY ITEM HERE IS IF WE'RE GOING TO GRANDFATHERED THE EXISTING BUSINESSES, BECAUSE IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN THE PILOT COULD BE LIKE A VERY SHORT PERIOD COMPARED TO CHASING DOWN EXISTING BUSINESSES AND REGULATE THEM. SO IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR US TO KNOW IF, IF THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD WANT TO SEE OR WOULD WANT THE EXISTING BUSINESSES TO BE GRANDFATHERED, COMPARES TO REGULATING ALL BUSINESSES. YEAH, I'LL GET TO THAT. MR. OUT. CASEY, CAN YOU RESTATE? YOU SAID IF THE CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO TO REGULATE ALL EXISTING BUSINESSES OR GRANDFATHERED EXISTING BUSINESS AND REGULATE NEW BUSINESSES INSTEAD? WELL, IF WE TALK IF LET'S LET'S JUST PRACTICALLY STATE THAT, RIGHT. ONE OF THE BUSINESSES. AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A TARGET. 
          HOWEVER, IF IF THE IF JUST PHILOSOPHICALLY SPEAKING, IF WE GRANDFATHERED IN EXISTING BUSINESSES, THEN THE NUISANCE BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE SPEAKING OF THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING A NUISANCE WOULD BE GRANDFATHERED IN AND NOT REGULATED. AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO. IT WAS SERVED NO PURPOSE. SO I HAVE A QUESTION. SO ARE WE TALKING ABOUT GRANDFATHER AS FAR AS FEES ARE CONCERNED? I WOULD THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS GOING TO BE. MY QUESTION WHAT IS GRANDFATHERED MEAN? BECAUSE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GRANDFATHERED AND NOT REGULATING THOSE BUSINESSES, IT WOULD SERVE NO PURPOSE FOR US TO DO IT WAS THE FEES. OKAY, SO THE GRANDFATHERING MEANS THE FEES, BUT NOT THE REGULATION. OKAY. AND THEN IS THERE ANY PREFERENCE FROM THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE TYPE OF BUSINESSES TO BE REGULATED? NO. 
          WE CAN GIVE YOU A LIST OF I MEAN, I'M SORRY IF THERE'S LIKE A COMMERCIAL. I'M SORRY. POINT OF INFORMATION. ARE WE GOING TO DO A ROUND ROBIN ON THAT LAST QUESTION? MADAM MAYOR? YES, MA'AM. SO COUNCIL, ARE YOU ALL IN? SO THE QUESTION NOW IS WE UNDERSTAND WHAT GRANDFATHERED MEANS IN TERMS OF THE FEES. SO COUNCIL I'M GOING TO ASK IF WE COULD QUICKLY SO THAT WE DON'T BELABOR EACH POINT BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE OTHER ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT. ARE WE OKAY WITH THE WITH THE WAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GRANDFATHERING, MEANING GRANDFATHERING ANY NEW BUSINESS, REGARDLESS OF FEES? POSSIBLY. MY ANSWER IS NO. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY SHOULD BE CHARGED. NO COUNCIL FOR GRANDFATHERING IN FEES. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER NORTH. NO. NO. 
          I'M A I'M A I'M A YES. IN TERMS OF GRANDFATHERING IN FEES. COUNCILMAN WESLEY. YES. OKAY. 
          SO THAT ONE THERE WON'T BE ANY I GUESS. I GUESS THE THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT IS THAT YOU'RE STATING THAT YOU DON'T WANT ANY FEES IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AS FAR AS THE FEES. CORRECT? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM THAT IS CORRECT. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? COUNCIL MEMBER NORTH. AND THEN I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, MAYOR PRO TEM SO THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY FEES AS FAR AS THAT'S CONCERNED. NOW WHAT WAS THE NEXT ITEM THAT YOU ALL NEEDED? ARE THERE LIKE ANY TYPE OF BUSINESSES LIKE COMMERCIAL OR LIKE, OR JUST, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES? IS IT THEN WE COULD DO LIKE A, A CERTAIN TYPE OF COMMERCIAL BUSINESS. COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, WHEN YOU DID IT AGAIN, I BELIEVE IN ORIGINAL INTENT. 
          WHAT, WHAT WAS THE THOUGHT PROCESS WITH THE TYPES OF BUSINESSES? WELL, I CAN TALK TO THE BUSINESSES. THAT CAUSED ME TREPIDATION. BUT I THINK INITIALLY WHEN I THOUGHT THIS, I THOUGHT CODE ENFORCEMENT AND POLICE WILL BE GREAT ASSETS TO KIND OF IDENTIFY THAT. BECAUSE 
          [01:55:02]
WHEN I SAID NUISANCE, IT WASN'T AROUND NECESSARILY NOISE BECAUSE WE HAVE A NOISE ORDINANCE, IT WAS THE MULTIPLE TOUCHES THAT POLICE AND CODE HAD TO INTERACT WITH THEM IN ORDER TO GET THEM TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO. IT'S THE, THE THE CAR WASH MEADOW PARKWAY THAT REFUSES TO EVEN MOW THEIR LAWN AND LOOKS DESTITUTE AND JUST DECREPIT. IT'S IT'S THE BUSINESSES THAT WON'T, YOU KNOW, WANT THAT. WE CONSTANTLY HAVE TO GO OUT AND DO WHAT WE GOT TO DO TO BRING THEM UP TO CODE. AND THEN NOTHING ELSE HAPPENS. AND THEY STILL ARE COLLECTING MONEY EVERY DAY. SO FOR ME, I THINK THAT THAT'S A VARIETY OF BUSINESSES, BUT LEANING IN IN TO THE POLICE ON WHAT THEY'RE SEEING WOULD PROBABLY BE IDEAL BECAUSE THEY GET MORE BRUNT OF THAT THAN WE WOULD. SO COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, WOULD IT BE SAFE TO SAY THAT THIS DATA THAT THEY WOULD UNCOVER IN THE PILOT PROGRAM, IN TERMS OF WHAT BUSINESSES ARE RISING TO THE TOP IN TERMS OF MORE TOUCHES? AGAIN, AGAIN, WHEN WE DEFINE AND I'M ASSUMING ALSO IN THAT PROCESS, YOU ALL WILL BE DEFINING EXPLICITLY WHAT NUISANCE BUSINESS MEANS IN TERMS OF HOW THEY RISE TO THAT LEVEL AND TIERS AND WHAT GETS THEM THERE. BUT I WOULD SAY IN THOSE MONTHS OR, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER MANY MONTHS, ONE WEEK, TWO WEEKS, WE GIVE YOU ALL FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM, JOKING THAT YOU ALL WOULD DISCOVER THROUGH YOUR TALKS WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT, PD FIRE, EVEN BUILDING INSPECTIONS, WHAT BUSINESSES ARE RISING TO THIS PARTICULAR LEVEL OR ALMOST AT THAT THRESHOLD? IS THAT WOULD THAT BE SAFE TO SAY? YES, WE WILL. WE WILL TALK ABOUT OUR FREQUENT FLIERS. YOU KNOW, THOSE THAT HABITUALLY, YOU KNOW, OR DRAW ON THE CITY SERVICES, PUBLIC SAFETY WISE, CODE WISE, THAT INFORMATION SHOULD BE READILY AVAILABLE. BECAUSE TO ME, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PILOT, IT'S DATA COLLECTION, A LOT OF IT IS GOING TO BE SPENT COLLECTING DATA ON WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING. AND WE MAY HAVE OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. BUT AGAIN, UNTIL WE ACTUALLY DIG IN THERE WITH WHAT ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS ARE FINDING OUT, THEN WE'LL HAVE A BETTER PICTURE OF WHAT'S REALLY NEEDED AND HOW THE PROGRAM SHOULD BE FOCUSED, IN MY OPINION. AGAIN, MAYOR PRO TEM, DID YOU HAVE YOUR LIGHT ON COUNCILMEMBER? COUNCILMEMBER PARKER? I'M I'M REALLY I'M STRUGGLING HERE BECAUSE AS I HEAR YOU, I HEAR US CONFLATING. IT FEELS LIKE WE'VE CONFLATED TWO THINGS TOGETHER. AND I KNOW THAT THIS WAS SAID EARLIER, AND I SAID IT AGAIN, THAT I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE PURPOSE WAS. WHENEVER THERE IS AN ISSUE IN SCHOOL, AND I'M JUST USING THAT AS AN EXAMPLE, YOU DON'T TARGET ONE CHILD. YOU YOU LET ALL OF THEM FEEL IT. OKAY? IF YOU'RE GETTING INFORMATION, YOU'RE GETTING INFORMATION FROM ALL. YOU'RE NOT GETTING INFORMATION FROM JUST THOSE THAT ARE NUISANCES. OTHERWISE, THEY NOW KNOW THAT THEY ARE NUISANCES AND THAT I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALLY WHERE, WHERE WE WERE GOING. I MEAN, I KNOW THERE WAS A PURPOSE OF TRYING TO GET NUISANCE BUSINESSES AND MAKING CERTAIN THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THERE IS A WAY TO DO BUSINESS IN DESOTO. BUT WHEN YOU START TARGETING THEM DURING THE PILOT, THAT FEELS VERY TO ME, I JUST DON'T I DON'T LIKE THAT I IT'S GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY. OKAY. 
          I'M SORRY I'M STRUGGLING HERE. THE ONLY REASON I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE BUSINESSES. YES, THEY ARE DOING THINGS IN DESOTO THAT NEED TO STOP. BUT IF THE ONLY ONES YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS THE ONES THAT THE POLICE HAVE ALREADY BEEN AT, THAT IS NOT STARTING OFF A GOOD PROCESS. 
          DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I MEAN, I MEAN, MAYBE I'M LOOKING AT IT WRONG. IT DOES NOT TO ME FEEL LIKE WE'RE FOCUSED ON, YOU KNOW, ANY REAL GOODWILL HERE. WE'RE WE'RE TARGETING SOMETHING. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I MEAN, IT'S JUST IT'S JUST MY OPINION. MAYBE I'M LOOKING AT IT WRONG. 
          NO. IT DOES. WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE GET THE LIST FROM CODE ENFORCEMENT. AND THEN AND THEN LET'S SAY LIKE, INSTEAD OF TARGETING LIKE SPECIFIC BUSINESSES, IT WOULD BE LIKE, LET'S SAY ALL BARS, ALL, ALL RETAILERS FOR, FOR INSTANCE, SOMETHING LIKE THIS. SO IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE THAT WE'RE GOING AFTER LIKE FEW BUSINESSES AS PART OF THE PILOT PROGRAM, BUT WE GO FOR AFTER A TYPE OF BUSINESS INSTEAD OF BUSINESS NAMES, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. OKAY. IT'S STARTING TO MAKE SENSE TO ME NOW BECAUSE I WAS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED. SO. BECAUSE I JUST ASKED YOU, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A NUISANCE BUSINESS, THEN WHY DON'T YOU JUST CHANGE THE ORDINANCE AND JUST SAY, NOW WE CAN PULL YOUR, YOUR OCCUPANCY, YOUR OH, SEE, I MEAN, SEE, I MEAN, JUST SAY WE CAN PULL THAT, BUT YOU NEED DATA. AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD WAY. HEY, WE'RE JUST GOING TO GO AFTER, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT OUR 
          [02:00:02]
BARS OR RESTAURANTS SO THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE BEING TARGETED. BUT. WE WANT BUSINESSES TO DO BETTER. WE WANT BUSINESSES TO TAKE CARE OF. THEY JUST KEEP GETTING TICKETED AND TICKETED AND NOTHING'S HAPPENING. THEN WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT US TO DO? I MEAN, IF THIS IS TO STOP THIS, THEN I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS AS SIMPLE AS JUST REWRITE THE ORDINANCE TO, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T GET TO SEE, OH, IF YOU CONTINUE BECAUSE THE TICKETING IS NOT WORKING. SO. YOU KNOW, JUST WHATEVER WAY YOU SEE FIT TO MAKE OUR BUSINESSES COMPLY BECAUSE JUST LIKE THEY'RE NOT NOT COMPLYING IN THE HOMES IN OUR, IN OUR, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO IT'S JUST HOW, HOW, HOW STRONG DO YOU WANT TO BE ON THEM? SO. I MEAN, I SEE IT BOTH WAYS. IT'S JUST DEPENDING ON IF WE WANT TO DO IT OR NOT. I MEAN, I SEE THE PURPOSE. I AND COUNCILMAN WESLEY, I HEAR I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. AND AGAIN, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET THEM THE INFORMATION SO THAT THEY CAN GET GOING. RIGHT. AND THE WHOLE POINT OF IT IS, IS IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS JUST REWRITING AN ORDINANCE OR TWO AND THEN TAKING AWAY THEIR CEO. SHOULD THEY ACT UP, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LEGALLY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PROCESS. AND THAT NEEDS TO BE OUTLINED IN THE ORDINANCE ON WHAT IS DEFINED AS A NUISANCE BUSINESS. RIGHT. BECAUSE A BUSINESS OWNER COULD AGAIN ARGUE, OH, I'M JUST BEING TARGETED BECAUSE I'M A SMOKE SHOP OR I'M A THIS OR I'M A THAT, RIGHT? BUT LEGALLY THAT HAS TO BE DEFINED. AND UNTIL WE HAVE THE DATA AND THE UNDERSTANDING AND THE PROCESS BY WHICH, BECAUSE THERE NEEDS TO EVEN POSSIBLY BE AN APPEAL PROCESS, RIGHT? IN TERMS OF IF A BUSINESS FEELS LIKE, WELL, THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO ME BECAUSE THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER, THOSE THINGS HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT BY WAY OF AN OFFICIAL PROCESS. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GETTING TO TONIGHT. INSTEAD OF JUST SIMPLY REWRITING SOMETHING TO SAY, OKAY, NOW WE CAN SLAP YOU ON THE WRIST. LIKE LEGALLY, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE COVERAGE AS WELL WHENEVER WE'RE APPROACHING, BECAUSE THERE DOES NEED TO BE A FAIR PROCESS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT PERFECT IN THE WAY THAT WE MAY ASSESS THINGS, YOU KNOW, SO NEEDING TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION, NEEDING TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION AS FAR AS WHAT, WHAT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE, HOW WE ASSESS IT AND HOW WE BRING DOWN THOSE WHATEVER, WHATEVER THE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE CONSEQUENCES ARE FOR THOSE. AND AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, NONE OF OUR ORDINANCES ARE WHAT WE HAVE IN PLACE. ALLOW US TO DO THAT. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THIS TONIGHT. POINT OF INFORMATION YOU JUST SAID ABOUT AN APPEAL PROCESS THAT WASN'T ACTUALLY IT IS NOT COUNCIL. NO, IT IS NOT. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. AS THEY GO THROUGH THE PILOT PROGRAM. 
          THESE ARE THINGS THAT THEY WILL BE WORKING OUT. YOU ALL I'M NOT SAYING ANYTHING IS IN HERE TONIGHT. I'M SAYING BY BY PROCESS THERE WILL BE MORE THAN LIKELY, I'M ASSUMING. AND I'M HOPING THAT THERE WILL BE AN APPEAL PROCESS. SO ALL OF THIS WILL GET WORKED OUT IN THE PILOT. WE'RE NOT EXPECTING FOR THIS TO BE A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE PROGRAM WILL BE. 
          THAT'S WHY THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE THOSE MONTHS TO WORK ALL OF IT OUT, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE STEPS WE NEED, RUN IT THROUGH LEGAL, RUN IT THROUGH CODE, RUN IT THROUGH LAW ENFORCEMENT, RUN IT THROUGH ALL THE, THE, THE THINGS WE NEED TO HAVE TO MAKE SURE BEFORE WE ROLL THIS OUT OFFICIALLY, THAT ALL OF THOSE STEPS ARE IN PLACE TO WHAT THEY PRESENTED TO US TONIGHT IS CONCEPTUAL IN NATURE. NOTHING IS OFFICIAL THAT THEY'RE PRESENTING US TONIGHT. SO YES, I DID SAY THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS AN APPEAL PROCESS. ANYTIME YOU'RE GIVING SOMEONE A TICKET OR, OR SOME SORT OF A CONSEQUENCE TO SOMETHING YOU'RE SAYING THAT THEY'RE DOING, THERE NEEDS TO BE BY WAY OF WHICH THEY CAN APPEAL IT OR, OR THAT THAT'S A FAIR AND JUST PROCESS FOR BUSINESSES, RIGHT? SO YES, I DID SAY THAT, BUT I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT WAS ANYTHING TONIGHT. TONIGHT IS JUST THE CONCEPT. AND THEY'RE GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THE COUNCIL ON WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE. 
          UNDERSTOOD, MAYOR. I ASKED THAT QUESTION FOR THAT PURPOSE BECAUSE AS I SEE IT, WHEN I WAS TALKING, I ACTUALLY SAID THAT IT'S NOT IN HERE. IS ALL OF THAT COMING BACK BEFORE THE COUNCIL, BEFORE IT GOES OUT? OF COURSE, OF COURSE, OF COURSE, YES. SO IT'S REALLY NOT A BUSINESS REGISTRY. IT'S REALLY A REGISTRY ON WHO, WHO, WHO'S BEEN GETTING WRITTEN UP THE MOST AND, AND NOT FOLLOWING CODE AND NOT ADHERING TO. THE LAWS OF KEEPING UP THEIR BUSINESS. IT'S, I'M JUST SAYING IT'S NOT A, I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE A, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS REGISTRY IS REALLY ABOUT WHO, WHO HAS GOTTEN SO MANY CODE VIOLATIONS. THEY'RE NOT FOLLOWING UP. AND IS THAT WHAT I HEARD THAT LANCASTER HAS THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM WHERE THEY'LL PULL YOUR CEO IS THERE? IS THAT THE ONLY ONE Y'ALL LOOKED AT? THEY DID LOOK AT IT. THEY DID LOOK AT IT. OH NO. WE LOOKED AT DUNCANVILLE, CEDAR HILL, GLENN HEIGHTS, THEY HAVE ONE. NO THEY 
          [02:05:04]
DON'T. SO WE WOULD BE THE FIRST TO SAY IF YOU DON'T. BUT THEY DIDN'T LOOK IT LIKE YOU SAID. 
          SO MY THING IS, WE WOULD BE THE FIRST TO SAY THAT WOULD BE VERY STRICT. IF YOU GET SO MANY VIOLATIONS, YOU'RE NOT DOING IT. WE CAN PULL YOUR OCCUPANCY. WOW. OKAY. THAT'S THAT'S PRETTY TOUGH. OKAY, OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. CASEY. MISS. MISS COLTON, WHAT ELSE DO YOU ALL NEED FROM COUNCIL IN TERMS OF FEEDBACK? WE HAVE THE DIRECTION. AND THEN BASED ON TONIGHT'S DIRECTION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, WE WILL DRAFT THE ORDINANCE. IT WILL BE DRAFT AND THEN COME BACK TO YOU ALL BEFORE WE LAUNCH THE PILOT. AND THEN IF IF YOU ALL ARE COMFORTABLE WITH IT, THEN WE LAUNCH THE PILOT. AND THEN AND THEN WE COME BACK AGAIN TO THE CITY COUNCIL AFTER THE PILOT. 
          THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. MAYOR, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM OR THE CITY WIDE OR NO SUPPORT AT ALL. WE DID NOT HEAR WHAT YOU WANTED. THE COUNCIL SUPPORTS A PILOT PROGRAM. THANK YOU. AND THE OTHER PART TO THAT WAS THE COUNCIL. THERE WAS A CONSENSUS FOR NO FEE. NO, WE GOT THAT. WE DIDN'T GET WHAT YOUR VOTE WAS. FOR THE RECORD, IT WAS A PILOT 
          [b.  Discuss the creation of a Critical Facilities Safety Compliance and Notification Policy]
PROGRAM. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. THE NEXT ITEM IS DISCUSS THE CREATION OF A CRITICAL FACILITY, SAFETY COMPLIANCE AND NOTIFICATION POLICY. MAKING A PRESENTATION IS COUNCIL MEMBER DEBORAH NORTH, PLACE FIVE AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CITY SECRETARY. AT THIS TIME, I MIGHT ASK TO PULL THIS ITEM FROM THE AGENDA. AND HERE'S WHY. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING. AS TO THIS MATTER HAPPENED WHEN WE HAD THE TRANSITION OF OUR FORMER CITY MANAGER LEAVING, AND IT WAS AGAIN, JUST ANOTHER HICCUP THAT WE ALL HAVE HAD TO ENDURE DURING THEIR TENURE IN ADDRESSING THIS PARTICULAR MATTER. BUT WHAT I AM THANKFUL FOR, BECAUSE. BASED ON WE AS COUNCIL ARE NOT TO INTERFERE IN CITY MANAGER, MANAGEMENT, OFFICE, ADMINISTRATIVE, DAILY OPERATIONS. SO THIS IS A. THIS JUST POINTS OUT ANOTHER MATTER. THIS ITEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN PULLED OFF THE AGENDA FROM THE VERY ONSET. SO THERE'S NO NEED TO DISCUSS THIS. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS THAT I AM THANKFUL FOR OUR INTERIM CITY MANAGER. I AM WHO'S NOT HERE TONIGHT, AS WELL AS DEPUTY CITY MANAGER SOUTHARD THAT THEY HAVE TO ME GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE TAKEN CARE OF. THIS ITEM ON THE DAILY OPERATIONS. SO I WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. THANK YOU FOR KEEPING OUR CITY MOVING SMOOTHLY, THAT WE'RE ON, THAT WE'RE PROGRESSING AS WE ARE DEFINITELY MAKING SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS, OUR CITY, OUR STAFF ARE SAFE. SO THAT'S THE REASON I'M PULLING THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. NORTH POINT OF INFORMATION. SO I MEAN, YOU THANKED HIM OR THEM, BUT WAS THERE A REPORT THAT WAS PROVIDED? SHE'S PULLING THE ITEM. OH, OKAY. THANK YOU. SO WE WILL NOT DISCUSS IT TONIGHT. THANK YOU, MADAM CITY SECRETARY. 
          [c.  Discuss potential regulatory approaches for data centers in DeSoto]
WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE NEXT WE WILL DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL REGULATORY APPROACHES FOR DATA CENTERS AND DESOTO MAKING A PRESENTATION IS COUNCIL MEMBER CRYSTAL CHISHOLM, PLEASE. SIX. NO. EVERYBODY'S BUSY. SO ARE YOU MY CLICKER TONIGHT, OR DO I HAVE A CLICKER BECAUSE I'M READY TO GO. DO Y'ALL WANT ME DOWN THERE OR UP HERE? I'M READY TO GO. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING DESOTO. GOOD EVENING. I AM CRYSTAL CHISHOLM AND I WILL BE TALKING TO YOU ABOUT DATA CENTERS IN DESOTO. THIS IS COSPONSORED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BRIAN WESLEY. 
          THANK YOU. AND SO HERE WE GO. AND I WANT TO START BY SAYING THIS. YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD WE'VE SEEN ALL SEEN IN THE NEWS DATA CENTERS HAVE BECOME A HOT TOPIC. CORRECT. AND WHEN I SAW OUR NEIGHBORING SISTER CITY, GLENN HEIGHTS, GO THROUGH QUITE, QUITE AN INTERESTING TIME AND ENDED UP INQUIRING A DATA CENTER, I SAID, SELF, PERHAPS IT'S TIME FOR US TO DISCUSS AS A COUNCIL, OFTENTIMES THINGS COME TO US THROUGH PLANNING AND ZONING, AND THEN IT'S IN OUR 
          [02:10:03]
LAP, AND THEN WE'RE FACED TO DEAL WITH THE PUBLIC. AND WE'RE WE OPERATE IN A MORE REACTIVE STATE. PART OF MY PROFESSION IS FINDING THE GAPS IN THINGS SO THAT WE CAN BE PROACTIVE. AND SO FOR ME, I THOUGHT, OKAY, PERHAPS WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS AS A COUNCIL BEFORE A DATA CENTER BECOMES BEFORE US SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW THEY CAN BE A GREAT NEIGHBOR TO US. 
          BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS, IS THAT AS LONG AS TEXAS IS TEXAS, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO BAN THEM ENTIRELY FROM OUR CITY, WHICH I'M SURE OUR CONSTITUENTS WOULD PROBABLY VOTE IN FAVOR OF. 
          RIGHT? HOWEVER, WHAT WE CAN DO IS GET AHEAD OF IT AND CREATE A POLICY THAT WORKS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND THAT WAY WE ARE STILL PROMOTING BUSINESS IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT RESPONSIBLY IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I'LL GO THROUGH THESE SLIDES AGAIN. MY REQUEST IS THREE THREE PRONGED, RIGHT. IN ORDER TO DO THIS, THE WE WOULD NEED TO BEGIN WITH A TEXAS MORATORIUM PROCESS WITH A GOAL UP TO THEN SAY YOU HAD TO GO THIS FAR, BUT UP TO 180 DAYS TO ALLOW STAFF TO DO THOUGHTFUL, THOUGHTFUL RESEARCH ON ONE, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A CORRECT DEFINITION AND DEFINING WHAT THAT DATA CENTERS ARE. WHERE ARE OUR BLIND SPOTS WITH OUR CURRENT ZONING AS IT EXISTS TODAY? ONE THING THAT CONCERNS ME IS THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE A ZONING OF A LAND OUT THERE THAT WOULD ALLOW IT TO BE IN A HAPHAZARD SPACE THAT COULD BE CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SINGLE FAMILY HOMES OR CAUSE A DISRUPTION BASED ON WHERE IT'S LOCATED IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          EVALUATE OUR INDUSTRIAL SITES AND OUR RESIDENTIAL SEPARATION. BECAUSE I THINK TO SOME EXTENT, RESIDENTS ARE ASKING, I DON'T WANT THAT NEAR MY HOME. AND I REALIZE THERE'S A LOT OF POLITICAL THINGS HAPPENING AROUND DATA CENTERS. BUT THE TRUTH IS, IS THAT IT'S NOT THIS IS NOT TO BE POLITICAL, BUT TO JUST BE RESPONSIBLE. RIGHT? IN THINKING ABOUT THIS FROM A PROACTIVE STANCE. SO KEEP THAT AT YOUR FOREFRONT AND REQUIRE PUBLIC REVIEW. NEXT IS ACCOUNTABILITY. BECAUSE WHAT I LEARNED IN MY RESEARCH AS I ATTENDED SOME WEBINARS FROM OTHER CITIES LIKE AURORA, ILLINOIS, WHERE I GOT TO LISTEN TO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS TALK ABOUT HOW THEY WERE ABLE ABLE TO DEVELOP REPORTING FOR THEIR CITY TO MONITOR THE WATER AND ENERGY. ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CAPACITY THAT A CITY HAS TO MONITOR THE WATER HAVE FOR WATER. WE PURCHASE OUR WATER, RIGHT? AND WE PURCHASE JUST ENOUGH FOR THE THE COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTS THAT WE HAVE HERE, GIVEN THERE ARE DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF DATA CENTERS THAT WILL CHANGE THE AMOUNT OF WATER CONSUMPTION REQUIRED. BUT UNDERSTANDING OUR CITY'S CAPACITY ON WHAT WE COULD ACTUALLY TAKE ON AS A CITY IS IMPORTANT. BEFORE ONE CAME TO US AND JUST PLOPPED RIGHT DOWN ON A PIECE OF LAND, AND THEN WE'RE FORCED TO DEAL WITH IT, RIGHT? KNOWING WHAT OUR CONSTRAINTS ARE. ALSO, DATA CENTERS CAN SOMETIMES DEPENDING ON THE TYPE, AGAIN, BECAUSE THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES, CAN WE HAVE NOISE? I TALKED TO RESIDENTS IN RED OAK WHO TALKED TO ME ABOUT HOW THEY LIVE SO CLOSE IN PROXIMITY THAT THEY CAN HEAR THE NOISE EVERY SINGLE DAY, ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. AND SO VERIFYING NOISE LIMITS AND ENSURING THAT THEY'RE ENFORCEABLE CONDITIONS WHERE THE CITY CAN CONTROL THAT. SO IT'S NOT A NUISANCE TO RESIDENTS. SO REGIONALLY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS ACTUALLY DID A SURVEY. 78% OF THE RESPONDENTS SAID EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE COULD NOT SUPPORT DATA CENTERS DEVELOPMENTS WITHOUT MAJOR UPGRADES. THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS GOVERNS THIS REGION AS WELL. SO THAT INCLUDES THIS AREA. AND OF THAT, 31 JURISDICTIONS IN NORTH TEXAS CITIES RESPONDED TO THAT SURVEY. AND SO JUST TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, SO AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ASSESSING OUR WATER CAPACITY, OUR UTILITY NEEDS AND INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS BEFORE MAKING ANY COMMITMENTS. AND IT'S NOT MORE IT'S MORE THAN JUST MAKING COMMITMENTS, RIGHT? BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME INSTANCES WHERE SOME WOULD BE ALLOWED AT AT RIGHT BY RIGHT, RIGHT. SO WITH CONSIDERING THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT NECESSARILY MAKING A COMMITMENT, BUT KNOWING AHEAD OF TIME WHERE WE WOULD WANT THESE TO GO AND WHAT IS OUR CAPACITY SHOULD ONE COME AND, AND SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES THIS YEAR. THERE'S BEEN QUITE A FEW CITIES, BUT I WILL POINT OUT JUST A FEW THAT I CAUGHT, YOU KNOW, TO ACKNOWLEDGE FORT WORTH INITIATED EARLIER THIS YEAR, A 90 DAY MORATORIUM PROCESS TO 
          [02:15:05]
ESTABLISH AN EXPERT COMMISSION. NOW, FORT WORTH IS ALSO HAS MILLIONS OF RESIDENTS. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT TO THAT EXTENT THAT WE NEED TO GO TO. SO I DIDN'T RECOMMEND THAT. HOWEVER, THEY DID THAT IN ORDER TO DO THE SAME RESEARCH THAT I'M. I'M I'M ASKING STAFF TO GO BACK AND DO SO THAT THEY COULD ADOPT A POLICY FOR DATA CENTERS. DENTON RECENTLY ADOPTED A RESOLUTION SCHEDULING HEARINGS ON THE SEPTEMBER 22ND, OCTOBER 27TH, WITH THEIR MORATORIUM PROCESS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY FOR THIS PURPOSE OF CREATING A POLICY FOR DATA CENTERS. AND THEN OF COURSE, DALLAS, OF COURSE, TRIED TO DO A REQUEST FOR MORATORIUM. BUT I THINK THERE'S A LOT ELSE THAT GOES WITH DALLAS, BECAUSE THE PUSHBACK WITH THEM IS THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE QUITE A FEW HUNDREDS. THEY'RE ALREADY IN THE CITY. SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THEY THAT IN LIES THEIR PROBLEM TODAY, LOCAL CITIES THAT HAVE ZONING AND PUBLIC REVIEW. SO LEWISVILLE ADOPTED A DATA CENTER DEFINITION AND A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, WHICH IS ALSO SOMETHING I'D LIKE STAFF TO CONSIDER ON JUNE 15TH AND 20TH JUNE 15TH OF THIS YEAR. IRVING NOW REQUIRES, AS OF THIS YEAR, A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT IN THE CERTAIN INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT DISTRICTS WITH UTILITY AND COMPATIBILITY REVIEW. FOR OUR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, I WANT TO EXPRESS TO YOU THE REASON WHY THIS SPECIAL USE PERMIT IN CASE BECAUSE I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ZONING CASES LIKE WE USED TO. RIGHT. AND SO WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT AND REQUIRING THIS IS THAT IT REQUIRES THE BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL, EVEN IF IT CAN GO AT. RIGHT. ONE EXAMPLE OF THAT IN OUR CITY TODAY IS ACTUALLY DRIVE THRUS UNDER MAYOR CARL SHERMAN. THEY PASSED THE SUP TO REQUIRE TO REQUIRE SUPS FOR ANYTHING THAT HAD A DRIVE THROUGH. AND THAT WAS THEIR WAY OF TRYING TO CUT DOWN ON THE, THE, THE, THE FAST, FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS DOMINATING IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO THAT JUST GIVES YOU AN EXAMPLE. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, MY PROPOSAL IS THAT WE EVALUATE OUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE FAIR PLACE FOR IT TO GO, RIGHT? JUST BECAUSE THAT DISTRICT ALREADY EXISTS IN OUR INLAND PORT. BUT MAKING SURE THAT THAT ANY DATA CENTER IS CONTAINED. AND THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL REMEMBER A COUPLE YEARS AGO, NOT EVEN A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I'M NOT SURE, BUT IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO. THERE WAS A LITHIUM BATTERY COMPANY THAT WAS LURING IN RESIDENTS, AND THE COUNCIL WAS BEING BLAMED ON IT. BUT THE OTHER HALF OF THAT STORY WAS THEY ACTUALLY CAME INTO OUR TO OUR COMMUNITY AND JOINED OUR NOT THEY DIDN'T JOIN THE CONCERNED CITIZENS. THEY JUST REACHED OUT TO THEM AND GAVE THEM $10,000 FOR SCHOLARSHIPS. THEY DID THE SAME THING WITH THE PTA. BUT THE MESSAGING THAT. 
          BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR INVESTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT. THEY SLICK. SO. BUT THE THE MESSAGE WAS THAT THE COUNCIL WAS PUSHING THAT. AND MANY OF US HAD NO IDEA WHO WAS BEHIND IT UNTIL THEY STARTED SHOWING THEIR FACES. RIGHT. BUT THAT WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO GO BEHIND OUR HIGH SCHOOL. AND SO I SAY THAT TO SAY THERE'S REALLY NO LIMIT TO WHAT, WHERE A BUSINESS LIKE THAT CAN GO. IN SOME CASES. I DON'T, YOU KNOW, AS, AS, AS AS MUCH RESEARCH AS I LIKE TO DO, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ZONING THAT WOULD ACTUALLY IMPACT US IN THAT CAPACITY, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DATA CENTERS IS WHY I PUT IT THERE. AND SO ALSO WITH THIS WOULD BE COUNCIL CONSIDERING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, IF ELIGIBLE, IN CERTAIN OTHER AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT SO THAT IT'S PROMISED TO COME BACK TO US. RIGHT. BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT, THAT WE SEE IT AND NOT GET CAUGHT OFF GUARD WITH WATER AND ENERGY ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE A LOT OF WHEN DATA CENTERS THAT COME, MOST CITIES DON'T KNOW TO ASK FOR THIS TYPE OF REPORTING OR THEY DON'T INCLUDE IT IN THEIR POLICY. AND SO WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THEY COULD END UP LIKE, WHAT'S THE CITY I WAS IN THIS SUMMER, CORPUS CHRISTI, THAT IS ON CORPUS CHRISTI, THAT IS ON WATER RESTRICTIONS. AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY HAVE BEEN THREATENING FOR THE LAST YEAR OR SO THAT THEY WOULD LOSE WATER BECAUSE OF THE CAPACITY THAT SOME OF THE BUSINESSES ARE USING TODAY WITH THEIR WATER. 
          THIS IS A REAL THING IN TEXAS ELECTRICITY, BECAUSE AGAIN, THE DEMAND PEAKED FOR A DATA CENTER GOES UP AND YOUR PROXIMITY TO THAT COULD POSSIBLY IMPACT RESIDENTS. THAT IS THAT IS UNBIASED REPORT WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS YOUR ANNUAL CONSUMPTION DOES THAT. I THINK THAT THAT'S THAT'S TO BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER. HOWEVER, HAVING REPORTING AROUND IT AND UNDERSTANDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS ON WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DO THAT AND THEN MAKING THAT TRANSPARENT TO THE PUBLIC SO THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT'S UNDERWAY. AND THEN, OF COURSE, NOISE AS WELL, BECAUSE WITH DATA CENTERS COME NOISE. AND WITH THAT, MAKING 
          [02:20:04]
SURE THAT THERE'S LOW FREQUENCY SOUND VIBRATION OR GENERATING GENERATOR TESTING HOURS, THERE ARE SOME DATA CENTERS THAT ARE NOT BAD FOR THE COMMUNITY. I THINK MY COLLEAGUE FOR DOWN THE CORNER, COUNCIL MEMBER WATERS, FOR POINTING ME TO GARLAND, WHO HAS A DATA CENTER THERE, AND THAT IS FUNCTIONING, BUT IT'S ONE BASED IN ICLOUD AND DOESN'T HAVE THE NOISE. BUT AGAIN, MOST TIMES CITIES DON'T GET TO CHOOSE WHAT COMES. YOU GET TO ACCEPT WHAT COMES AND DEAL WITH THE AFTERMATH AFTERWARDS. AND SO WITH THAT, THE EVIDENCE THAT WE NEEDED, OF COURSE, WE HAVE GAPS WITHIN OUR CURRENT POLICY THAT DON'T ADDRESS THIS TODAY BECAUSE THIS WHILE DATA CENTERS HAVE BEEN HERE, WE'VE NEVER SEEN IT AT THIS CAPACITY. IT'S LIKE WE SLEPT AND THEN WE WOKE UP. AND THEN THERE WERE THOUSANDS IN TEXAS. AND SO AS WE CONTINUE ON DOWN THIS PATH AND THEY CONTINUE TO MAKE HOMES, AND AI BECOMES A THING OF OUR LIFE THAT WE LIVE, EAT AND BREATHE AND SLEEP. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SAFE, SAFETY PROOF OUR CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THE EVENT THAT SOME THAT A DATA CENTER KNOCKS ON DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DOOR FOR A PERMIT, THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE POLICY IN PLACE FOR OUR CITY AS IT RELATES TO DOING BUSINESS IN OUR CITY AND BEING A GREAT NEIGHBOR IN OUR CITY. I'VE ALSO PROVIDED IN THIS THIS SLIDE THAT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE ONLINE NOW. IF NOT, I KNOW THE CITY SECRETARY IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THAT. AN APPENDIX THAT PROVIDES POINTS THAT YOU CAN GO AND VIEW, LIKE WHERE I GOT A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION FROM, BUT THIS IS HOW I SEE THIS POLICY WINDOW WORKING. YOU KNOW, THE CITY DOING ITS AUDIT AND REPORTING, DEVELOPING, YOU KNOW, THE FRAMEWORK AND THEN COMING BACK TO COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, TO ALLOW US CONVERSATION AND TO PASS THE ORDINANCE. NOW, I DON'T AGAIN, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE DATA CENTERS AND AND BUSINESSES LOOKING AT DESOTO COMING TO DESOTO. I'M NOT ASKING FOR A MORATORIUM TO STOP ANY BUSINESS, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A FINANCIAL ASPECT TO THAT, THAT CITIES LOVE, WHICH IS PROBABLY WHY MANY CAN SIT ON A DAIS AND SAY YES WHILE THEY HAVE A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE THAT SAY NO. AND I'M ASSUMING THAT'S AROUND THE SALES TAX THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH IT. I PRAY TO GOD I'M NEVER IN THAT SITUATION. 
          KNOCK ON WOOD. HOWEVER, SHOULD WE? I WOULD BE ABLE WE ALL WOULD BE ABLE AS A CITY TO STICK OUR CHEST OUT AND SAY, OH NO WORRY, WE ALREADY HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE. IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS COMES BEFORE OUR COMMUNITY. I THINK THIS IS HOW WE SHOW OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT WE'RE FORWARD THINKING AND THAT WHILE THEY'RE THIS IS CAUSING DISASTER OR, YOU KNOW, UPROAR AROUND US, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN IN OUR CITY. AND I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER FOR SHARING HER EMAILS, ONE I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT. BUT THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT WITH THE OTHER COLLEAGUES. I THINK MANY OF US SAT IN THE MEETING WITH MISTER MATT WHEN THEY TALKED ABOUT AMAZON COMING TO DESOTO. HOWEVER, THAT PERMIT HAS SINCE EXPIRED, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ACTIVELY TRYING AT THE STATE TO GET A PERMIT FOR A DATA CENTER, THE GOVERNOR HAS PUT A HALT ON ANY NEW PERMITS WHILE AN AUDIT IS DONE. AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL TELL OF THAT, BUT I KNOW THAT THAT HALT WON'T LAST FOREVER, AND THEN WE'LL BE BACK TO DOING BUSINESS AS NORMAL AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT DESOTO IS READY WHEN THAT HAPPENS IS ALL THAT I HAD WHEN I, I, I ADDED THIS TO THE AGENDA. SO HERE'S THE DIRECTION, HERE'S THE DIRECTION FOR COUNCIL AND MY CO-SPONSOR. SOMEONE CUT THEIR MIC OFF SO THAT WE CAN HEAR IT. YOU CAN CAPTURE THAT ON YOUR MICROPHONE. HERE'S MY REQUEST TO COUNCIL. 
          I'LL LEAVE IT HERE. AND THEN I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MY CO-SPONSOR FOR COMMENT. IT'S A GREAT JOB, COUNCILWOMAN, BUT NO, SHE'S RIGHT. I JUST WANT TO JUST KIND OF REITERATE WHAT COUNCILWOMAN CHISHOLM SAID. WISE COUNCIL. I MEAN, THIS IS ALL THIS IS WE'RE SEEKING WISE COUNSEL AND ESPECIALLY FROM THE OTHER CITIES THAT SHE WENT TO TO GET THIS INFORMATION. AND THEN THE TIMING OF GETTING GUS'S EMAIL TODAY SENT OUT ABOUT AMAZON AND THAT EXPIRATION ON THAT. BUT WE NEED TO LEARN FROM OTHER CITIES. WE NEED TO LEARN BECAUSE IT'S COMING. SO WE KNOW WHAT TO ASK. WE KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO. WE NEED WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE SET IN PLACE SO WE CAN GET IN FRONT OF THIS TO LEARN FROM OTHER CITIES, AND THAT'S A GOOD THING TO GET AHEAD OF IT, BECAUSE I THINK OUR PUBLIC, OUR RESIDENTS, THEY WANT TO KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SAY? AND LIKE 
          [02:25:03]
COUNCILWOMAN CHISHOLM SAID, THEY WANT TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THEM ARE NOT FOR IT. SO THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE. AND I THINK WHILE WE DO HAVE THE GOVERNOR'S HALT, WE SHOULD DO IT NOW BEFORE THEY TRUMP US. AND, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T AND WE DON'T HAVE A SAY. SO HATS OFF TO COUNCILWOMAN CHISHOLM. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER NORTH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION, BECAUSE IT IS A TOPIC THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT. AND IN ADDITION TO DOING THE RESEARCH HERE, INDUSTRIES ARE LOOKING AT WHEN THEY ARE CITING CITIES WHERE THEY DO WANT TO BRING DATA IN. WE DO NEED TO DEFINE THAT. NOW IS THE TIME TO BE PROACTIVE IN DEFINING WHAT IS A DATA CENTER. ARE WE LOOKING AT WHAT'S CALLED THE HYPERSCALE, WHERE WE HEAR ABOUT THE LARGE ONES LIKE THE GOOGLE? OR ARE WE LOOKING AT THE SMALLER DATA CENTERS, WHICH IS ALSO CALLED EDGE DATA CENTERS, WHICH LOOK LIKE CONTAINERS, SHIPPING CONTAINERS. 
          SO DEFINITELY I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE DEFINED WHAT THE CITY IS LOOKING FOR. 
          AND ALSO THEY ARE LOOKING FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE PLUG AND PLAY, MAKING SURE THAT OUR FIBER BROADBAND IS IN PLACE AND READY FOR THAT. BUT I ALSO WANT TO KNOW IF WE WOULD ALSO CONSIDER, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PERMITS. COUNCILWOMAN CHISHOLM, WILL WE BE TAKING A LOOK AT, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THE AMAZON DID COME UP AND EXPIRED PERMITS, WOULD WE ALSO. DOES THAT ALSO INCLUDE LOOKING AT WHEN THOSE PERMITS EXPIRED, WHERE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE CHARGING A POTENTIAL FEE THAT COULD GENERATE REVENUE FOR THE CITY, WHICH COULD BE A BENEFIT IN REDUCING TAXES FOR OUR RESIDENTS? SO I THINK THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING FOR CONSIDERATION DURING THIS TIME. SO AGAIN, WE WOULD BE IN PLACE AND READY TO GO IN THE EVENT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD TO HAVE THIS LOCAL POLICY FRAMEWORK IN PLACE. COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I'M GLAD THAT WE WERE ALL KIND OF GOING DOWN THE SAME LINE, BECAUSE THE EMAIL STARTED BACK IN IN SEPTEMBER. I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS WAS COMING, WHICH IS GREAT. THAT MEANS WE'RE ALL IN ALIGNMENT HERE. I DO WANT TO ASK THE QUESTION, AS FAR AS WHAT I HEARD TONIGHT, SINCE WE DID NOT SEE THIS PRESENTATION, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE PROVIDED. AND I'M GLAD THAT WE ARE GOING DOWN THE LINE OF THINKING AS FAR AS MORATORIUMS, BUT WITH THE EXPECTATION OF THAT, MY QUESTION WOULD BE AROUND THE LIKE I SAID IN THE EMAIL, THEY ARE BY RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE. SO IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE THE ZONING AND NOT THE PERMIT ITSELF. AND SO I, I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND IF THIS PARTICULAR ASK WOULD THEN BE LOOKING AT THE ZONING PIECE AND BEING ABLE TO GO BACK, OR ARE THEY ALREADY GRANDFATHERED IN? YEAH. SO CURRENTLY IF WE HAVE A DATA CENTER, IT WOULD BE INDUSTRIAL. SO IF THEY'RE TRYING TO BUILD THAT INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICT, THEN THEY CAN DO THAT BY RIGHT WITHOUT HAVING TO GO BEFORE PNC COMMISSION ON THE CITY COUNCIL. BUT THEN CITY COUNCIL HAS THE ABILITY TO ADD ANOTHER LAYER AND THEN LOOK AT THE DATA CENTERS DIFFERENTLY FROM THE OTHER BUILDINGS IN THE INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICTS, INCLUDING IN A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT. SO ONE THING THAT WE COULD DO IS WE CLASSIFY THE DATA CENTERS. AND THEN AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THEM WITH THE INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICTS. BUT THEN FOR THE BIG ONES, WE CAN ADD A REQUIREMENT FOR AN SCP. SO THEN YOU GET TO LOOK AT IT, YOU GET TO APPROVE IT BEFORE THEY BUILD THE DATA CENTER IN THE CITY. BUT AS OF AS OF NOW, SOMEONE COMES IN AND WANTS TO BUILD A DATA CENTER IN INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT. THEY CAN DO THAT BY. RIGHT, RIGHT. SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS, BECAUSE WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THAT OTHER SITUATION BASED ON THE EMAIL, IT EXISTS. MY QUESTION IS BASED ON WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TONIGHT, BECAUSE I SEE THAT TIMELINES, I SEE 180 DAYS, WHICH IN MY CALCULATION IS SIX MONTHS, SIX MONTHS FROM TODAY. 
          RIGHT? IF WE WERE TO START MOVING ON THIS THING NOW, WHICH MEANS WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, I'M ASKING IF SOMETHING WERE TO OCCUR WITHIN THOSE SIX MONTHS, ARE WE OUT OF WOULD WE BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND GET THAT? OR ARE THEY ALREADY OUT OF THE GATE? YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 
          [02:30:02]
AMAZON RIGHT NOW. THEIR APPLICATION IS EXPIRED, SO THEY'RE ALREADY OUT OF THE GAME. 
          THEY PUT AN APPLICATION, THE APPLICATION AND THEY, YOU KNOW, WITH TWO YEARS WITHOUT ANY ACTIVITIES, WE REACHED OUT TO THEM AND THEN THE APPLICATION GOT EXPIRED AFTER TWO YEARS. SO FOR THEM OR ANYONE ELSE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO RESUBMIT, PUT A NEW APPLICATION, PAY THE NEW FEES AGAIN FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS TO THE CITY, FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS. BUT THE APPLICATION THEY PUT IN, IT'S EXPIRED AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO REACTIVATE THE APPLICATION. THEY WILL HAVE TO RESUBMIT IF THEY WANT TO IF THEY STILL WANT TO DO THAT. ALL RIGHT, I YIELD BACK. THANK YOU. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND ALSO THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN CHISHOLM. AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE DID NOT SEE ANY OF THIS ON THE IN THE PAPERWORK. SO I'M JUST HEARING IT NOW. SO ANYWAY, BUT IT WAS A GOOD PRESENTATION. AND BUT WHAT WE ALL MY LITTLE NOTES HERE FROM JUST BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT PER SE. BUT WHAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND HERE, DON'T GET ALL HYPED UP WITH DATA CENTERS AND ALL THIS STUFF WITH THE NEWS AND, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA PROPAGANDA, WHATEVER. OKAY. BUT ANYWAY, BUT FIRST OF ALL, WHAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT WE'RE LATE TO THE PARTY HERE IN DESOTO. OKAY? NOWADAYS, DATA CENTERS ARE LOOKING FOR BIG ACREAGE. OKAY. LIKE THIS WAY. 
          OKAY. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO NOT HAVE IN DESOTO. SO ACTUALLY RIGHT NOW, DESOTO IS NOT EVEN ON THEIR RADAR. THAT'S WHY THEY PULLED IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT BIG ENOUGH. OKAY, SO WE'VE ALREADY BEEN LEFT BEHIND. OKAY. SO REALLY TECHNICALLY, BUT ANYWAY, SECOND, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DATA CENTERS, THEY'RE NOT NEW. OKAY? THEY'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE THE 80S. OKAY. 
          THE ONLY REASON WHY THERE'S EVEN IN THE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT IT, BECAUSE NEWS START TALKING ABOUT IT A COUPLE YEARS AGO BECAUSE AI THEN ALSO EVERYBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IT. THERE WAS NEVER A PEEP. NO ONE TWO YEARS AGO ABOUT DATA CENTERS. THEY'VE BEEN GOING, BUT WHATEVER. ANYWAY, BUT AS FAR AS THIS HERE, THIS PRESENTATION HERE, OKAY, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT REGULATIONS. THAT IS PRUDENT. EVERY CITY NEEDS TO DO SOME KIND OF REGULATIONS ON DATA CENTERS. HERE'S WHY YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE BIG BOYS. OKAY. WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THESE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES, THEY HAVE THE LAWYERS AND ALL THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT TO GET CAUGHT LIKE A CITY THAT I LEARNED ABOUT THAT THEY THEY WASN'T SAVVY ABOUT THE DATA CENTERS. AND THEY GOT CAUGHT AND THEY GOT A DATA CENTER, ALL RIGHT, THINKING THEY'RE GOING TO TAX REVENUE, BUT THEY DIDN'T READ THE FINE PRINT AND THEY DID NOT GET NONE OF THE TAX REVENUE. OKAY. SO IT IS PRUDENT FOR US TO HAVE REGULATIONS. I AGREE WITH THAT 100%. AS FAR AS A 180 DAY MORATORIUM, I THOUGHT TEXAS ALREADY, YOU KNOW, HAVE A MORATORIUM. BUT I, I DON'T AGREE WITH SIX MONTHS. I MEAN, MAYBE I'LL COMPROMISE IT THREE MONTHS. I MEAN, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE NEED REGULATIONS. YES, I'M OKAY WITH THAT. IT'S NO BIG, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO DO THAT. I THINK THREE MONTHS IS A GOOD COMPROMISE. BUT I WANT Y'ALL TO BE CLEAR THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH LAND. SO IN MY OPINION, IF YOU WANT MY OPINION DATA CENTERS ARE HERE FOR YOU, GET DATA CENTERS FOR THEIR TAX REVENUE, THEIR CASH, COWS ON TAX REVENUE. THEY'RE NOT FOR EMPLOYMENT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I DID A LITTLE HOMEWORK ON THIS. OKAY. I'VE TALKED I'VE BEEN INSIDE DATA CENTER, OKAY. ASKED THEM EVERY SINGLE QUESTION. OKAY. I KNOW ABOUT THE WATER STUFF, ALL THIS STUFF THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COMPLAIN ABOUT. IT'S NOT EVEN AN ISSUE. 
          OKAY, BUT WHATEVER. BUT MY POINT IS, THE POINT OF ALL THIS IS YES, WE NEED REGULATIONS. 
          YES. YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO DO A MORATORIUM, I DON'T I DON'T AGREE WITH MORATORIUM THING, BUT THREE MONTHS FINE. WE'LL DO THREE MONTHS AS A COMPROMISE IF THAT'S OKAY WITH THEM. MY COLLEAGUE DOWN HERE IN MY COLLEAGUES. BUT THE POINT I'M GOING TO SAY IS SINCE THEY'RE CASH COWS, OKAY. AND IF YOU DO IT RIGHT, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE LAND, OKAY, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE COMING ANYWAY. SO THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE GOING TO EVEN ATTRACT THEM IS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SAY, LOOK, IF YOU WANT TO COME HERE. YEAH. ONE OF THE REGULATIONS IS, YEAH, MINIMUM THREE STORIES. NO. OKAY. BECAUSE THEN YOU GET THREE TIMES OF REVENUE TAX REVENUE OF PER ACRE. OKAY. IT'S THE ONLY WAY THEY'RE GOING TO PLAY BALL WITH US ANYWAY, MOST LIKELY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE LAND. PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THE BIG, BIG ACREAGE. I MEAN, THAT'S WHY RED OAK GOT IT. SO BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S MY $0.02. YOU KNOW, MY COMPROMISE IS NO THREE MONTHS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. BACK TO YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THE TIME FRAME IS FOR STAFF. THE TIME FRAME WAS FOR STAFF. JUST REAL QUICK. IT'S JUST DUE DILIGENCE. PROPER PLANNING. WE WE CAN'T JUST ASSUME NO ONE IS GOING TO COME JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE 
          [02:35:07]
LAND. BUT HERE'S THE DEAL. WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT? WHERE DO YOU STAND ON OUR CITY? BEING PREPARED FOR SOMEONE WHO MIGHT TRY TO COME IN AND THEY CATCH US WITH OUR THE SAME PANTS DOWN AND WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AND WE GET. AND WE GET SCREWED. SO. AND THEN OUR RESIDENTS WILL NOT BE HAPPY. SO WHAT IS YOUR STANCE ON WHAT YOU SAW TODAY, COUNCILWOMAN CHISHOLM'S PRESENTATION, YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE BUSINESS? YOU KNOW, EVEN IF DDC WAS HERE, GUS WAS HERE, I WOULDN'T I WOULDN'T WANT TO SEE WHAT THEY SAY ON THE BUSINESS SIDE. BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK? SO MY MY THOUGHTS ARE NOW IS THE PERFECT TIMING BECAUSE WE ARE DOING THE ZONING REGULATIONS AND THEN WE ARE NEGOTIATING THE CONTRACT. SO IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO PURSUE, THAT'S PERFECT TIMING. WE PUT THAT AS PART OF THE CONTRACT AND WE INCLUDE THIS ITEM. SO THEN, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR CONSULTANT, WE CLASSIFY THE TYPE OF DATA CENTERS AND WE COME BACK TO YOU THE, LET'S SAY, LET'S SAY EASY, MEDIUM AND HIGH, THE EASY ONES, THE MEDIUM ONES, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT COULD BE DONE BY RIGHT WITHOUT THE SNP. BECAUSE WHEN YOU WHEN YOU ADD THE SNP TO THOSE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE COMPLICATING THE PROCESS IN A WAY BECAUSE NOW THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY $3,000 FOR THE APPLICATION. THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PUBLIC. TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS WITH PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL. BUT THEN THERE WILL BE THE BIG ONES THAT YOU THE ONES THAT YOU WANT TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT. THAT'S THE ONE THAT WE CAN PUT AN SOP FOR. AND THEN YOU GET TO CONTROL THE MEDIUM, THE SMALL TO MEDIUM. SO YOU WOULD DEEM THEM OKAY. BECAUSE SEE, A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS, THEY DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SMALL AND A LARGE, A SMALL AND LARGE. 
          RIGHT? SO JUST AS LONG AS WE, YOU WOULD WRITE IT IN THERE TO WHERE WE WOULD BE IN AN ADVANTAGE AS A CITY, RIGHT. AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. BUT IF YOU THINK THE MEDIUMS WON'T HURT US, I THINK WE SHOULD COME BACK WITH WITH CLASSIFICATIONS OF DATA CENTERS. AND THEN BASED ON THE CLASSIFICATIONS, WE CAN SEE WHICH ONES CAN BE APPROVED OR WHICH ONES Y'ALL WILL BE COMFORTABLE TO APPROVE WITHOUT AN SUP. SO DO YOU THINK OTHER CITIES WISH THEY WOULD HAVE HAD THOSE CLASSIFICATIONS FIRST? I HAVE LOOKED WITH OTHER CITIES. 
          YEAH, I WOULD SAY SO, YES. BUT IS THAT BASICALLY COMMON SENSE IS DO NOW. BECAUSE IF YOU PUT S P FOR ALL TYPE OF DATA CENTERS, EVEN THE SMALL ONES THAT YOU WOULD HAVE APPROVED IMMEDIATELY, THEN YOU KNOW, YOU'RE JUST ADDING 6 OR 7 MONTHS TO THE PROCESS FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU WILL ULTIMATELY APPROVE. GOTCHA. THANK YOU. MR. CASEY, I HAVE A QUESTION. EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME. YEAH. IF YOU MAYOR PRO TEM, DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? BECAUSE WE ARE DOING WE'VE NOT DOING TIME ROUNDS, BUT WE ARE DOING ROUNDS WITH COMMENTS. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE TO SPEAK. OKAY. ARE YOU CAN YOU YIELD YOUR TIME TO COUNCIL MEMBER? I'LL JUST SAY THANK YOU TO THE COLLEAGUES FOR BRINGING THIS. YES. I'M ASKING, WOULD YOU YIELD YOUR TIME TO COUNCIL MEMBER NORTH? OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANKS FOR THE HAND OFF, MR. CASEY. I JUST WANT CLARIFICATION. WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT WHEN STAFF IS LOOKING AT THE TYPE OF DATA CENTERS. AS FOR THE COMMISSION WITH THAT, ALSO, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT THAT. ALSO LOOK AT REPURPOSING EXISTING CITY FACILITIES THAT AS AN OFFERING TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT. IS THAT GOING TO BE CONSIDERED AS WELL? IT'S POSSIBLE. IF THAT'S WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL WANTS, WE CAN COME BACK WITH A SIMILAR POLICY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WHEN WE MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE CITY ORDINANCES, WE'LL HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU ALL. YOU PUT YOUR YOU WE'LL HAVE YOUR INPUTS ON IT BEFORE WE PROCEED. 
          SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO SEE. WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT. OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE CONSIDER CONSIDERING A FEE AROUND EXPIRED PERMITS BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT COULD BE POTENTIAL REVENUE FOR THE CITY AND HELPING OUR RESIDENTS REDUCE TAXES. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL. THE QUESTION BEFORE US TONIGHT IS WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD SUPPORT MOVING THIS FORWARD. I'M GOING TO ASK FOR, FOR SIMPLICITY'S SAKE, TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU APPROVE IT, AS IT WAS REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, WITH WHAT'S BEFORE US, WITH THE THREE STEPS, BEGINNING THE PROCESS, PREPARING THE POLICY AND SETTING THE DEADLINE. COUNCIL, I'M GOING TO START TO WITH YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. YES. 
          [02:40:04]
COUNCIL MEMBER. CHISHOLM. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. NORTH. YES. I'M A YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESLEY. 
          YES. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WATERS IT WAS A YES FOR THE THREE MONTHS. BUT YOU KNOW ANYWAY, COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER YES. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU AGAIN. COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM AND I BELIEVE COUNCILMAN WESLEY WAS YOUR SECOND FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AT THIS TIME. 
          COUNCIL, THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF THE ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN. 
          SO MOVED. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM. SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER TO ADJOURN COUNCIL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE AYE. ALL OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. IT'S 8:40 P.M. COUNCIL.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.