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GOOD MORNING.[Dallas Park and Recreation Board on February 23, 2023.]
FEBRUARY 23.WE'VE BEEN DALLAS PARK MEETING.
GOOD TO BEAUTIFUL DAY OUTSIDE.
UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, DAY TODAY WITH THAT, UH, FIRST POINT OF BUSINESS, OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
WE DO HAVE ONE PUBLIC SPEAKER WHO WILL BE SPEAKING IN PERSON.
I WILL READ THE SPEAKER GUIDELINES.
EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
PLEASE DIRECT YOUR COMMENTS TO THE CHAIR.
ONLY ANY SPEAKER WHO MAKES PERSONAL IMPER, PROFANE OR SLANDEROUS REMARKS, OR BECOMES BOISTEROUS WHILE ADDRESSING THE PARK BOARD OR RESORTS TO THROWING OBJECTS WILL BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY AND BARRED FROM THE MEETING.
OUR SPEAKER IS MS. GLADYS LEE.
MS. LEE, DO YOU WANT TO COME UP TO THE TABLE? MS. GOOD MORNING.
YOUR THREE MINUTES PM MY NAME IS GLADYS LEE.
I'M AN L P G A CLASS TAPE PROFESSIONAL.
FOR THE LAST 37 YEARS, I'VE WORKED IN A GOLF WITH DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
THE SAME TIME I WILL JUST SUBMIT, UH, THIS, UH, INFORMATION, UH, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW ALL MY QUALIFI AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
BUT I'M HERE TODAY CAUSE OF THE, UM, I WAS APPROACHED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, UH, BY CAROLYN ARNOLD, AND, UM, WE APPROACHED HIM OUT AT ONE OF THE GOLF COURSES AT CRE.
UH, SHE WAS THERE FOR, UH, A RADIO ONE, I THINK IT WAS A, A GOLF TOURNAMENT.
AND, UM, ALSO I'M VERY GOOD FRIENDS WITH ANNE WILLIAMS WITH, UH, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS WITH THE DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATER.
UM, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, UH, WHEN CEDAR CRE STREET OPEN, UM, CAROLYN, AND OF COURSE ANNE WILLIAMS HAD A NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING THERE AND APPROACHED ME ABOUT GOING OVER TO SUBMIT MY RESUME AND APPLICATION BECAUSE THEY FELT LIKE THEY NEEDED WOMEN, UH, TO COME IN TO, UH, TO GENERATE, YOU KNOW, WOMEN AND, UH, TRAFFIC THEORY, UH, AT CEDAR CCR.
SO I SAID, OKAY, I'LL, I'LL GO OVER.
I HAD A COUPLE OF MEETINGS, UH, WITH, UH, IRIS AND, UM, WE TALKED STARTING ABOUT SIX MONTHS.
SO MY, WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO WAS START WHAT YOU CALL, UH, WOMEN'S, UH, LEAGUES, UH, WOMEN'S, UM, MARGARITA MONDAYS, TEQUILA TUESDAYS,
I'VE, I'VE HAD, UH, JUNIORS FOR YEARS.
MATTER OF FACT, YOUNG MELANA DOK WAS THERE BEFORE, WAS IN OUR JUNIOR PROGRAM, WHICH IS NOW, SHE'S IN HOUSTON, AND SO IOWA.
SO I WATCHED THESE YOUNG PEOPLE COME UP, BUT I WAS INTRODUCED TO GOLF IN LOS ANGELES.
UH, DICK CLARK AND HIS WIFE, UH, I WORKED FOR THEM OUT THE AMERICAN BAND FAN, AND THEY WERE, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT GOT ME INTO GOLF TO SEE GOLF IS MORE THAN A GAME.
BUT LONG STORY SHORT, UH, I DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH TIME.
I, FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS, I HAVE BEEN, UH, IN DISCUSSION WITH, UH, IRA ABOUT WHAT I NEEDED TO DO AS FAR AS GENERATING AND BRINGING WOMEN IN.
UH, I HAVE, UH, ALL OF THESE, UH, WE DISCUSSED INSTRUCTIONS, AND MY JOB, OF COURSE, WAS TO WORK WITH WOMEN ON THIS PAST WEEK.
AND I'M HERE NOW, TRY TO FIND OUT I GOT THIS CONTRACT AND THE CONTRACT SAYS THAT I'M TO WORK WITH HIS FOUNDATION.
THAT IS NOT WHAT WE DISCUSSED.
THAT IS NOT WHAT I HAVE TO DO IF I WANTED TO.
I'D LIKE TO EXTEND IT TO, WE ONLY HAVE ONE SPEAKER, AND I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO EXTEND HER TIME.
YOU HAVE TWO MORE MINUTES, MA'AM.
WELL, LEMME BE VERY, VERY QUICK.
UH, I RECEIVED THIS CONTRACT AND, UH, THE CONTRACT STATES THAT I'M TO WORK WITH THE, IM AS AN INDEPENDENT, UH, WHICH MEANS I TOLD HIM, I SAID, I DON'T WANNA VOLUNTEER.
I DO WANNA BE ON STAFF, BUT THIS SAYS, NO, YOU CAN'T BE ON STAFF, BUT YOU CAN WORK AND ALL FUNDS THAT YOU GENERATE WILL COME THROUGH ME.
UM, I, I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS BECAUSE I GAVE HIM MY DATABASE.
I GAVE HIM THE WOMEN, AND WHEN THEY STARTED TO TRY TO SIGN UP ONLINE,
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PAID WHAT THEY CALL BACK SOLICITED AND WANTED THE YOUNG WOMEN TO COME TO THEM FOR INSTRUCTION.THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE AGREED UPON.
AND ALSO, THE 5% OF WHAT HE TAKES, WE GO TO THE CITY, HOW DO I PAY YOU 5%? IT'S 25%.
THEN HE GIVES ME, I GENERATE FUNDS, GIVE HIM 100%, HE GIVES 5% TO THE CITY, AND THEN PAYS ME IN A CHECK OR SOMETHING LATER ON.
I, I'VE NEVER DONE BUSINESS LIKE THAT.
SO I WILL NO LONGER, UH, WORK OR TRY TO BRING WOMEN TO, UH, CEDAR CREP.
UH, I TOOK A HUNDRED, UH, 75 WOMEN TO THE PGA HEADQUARTERS BECAUSE WE WERE NOT INVITED.
SO, PGA HEADQUARTERS, UH, WE GONNA HAVE AN EVENT OUT THERE IN SEPTEMBER.
LONG STORY SHORT, AND I WANNA MAKE IT VERY, VERY BRIEF.
THIS CONTRACT ABOUT I AM A GOLF FOUNDATION IS NOT SOMETHING, AND I WANNA KNOW, HOW DO I HANDLE THAT? HOW DO I GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, TAKING CARE OF THAT? AND IF I OWE, UM, THERE'S, UM, JIM HENDERSON OVER AT THE STEVENS PARK HAS ALLOWED ME TO BRING WOMEN OVER THERE.
THEY ONLY CHARGE US LIKE $6 IRA FROM WHAT WE WOULD BE, WOULD BE $50 FOR THE WOMEN.
AND THEY'RE NOT ON THE GOLF COURSE.
SO OUR WOMEN HAVE BEEN DISCRIMINATED AGAINST FOR YEARS.
IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, YOU HARDLY HAVE ANY.
THERE'S ONLY TWO AFRICAN AMERICAN LPGA CLASSIFIED PROS.
MELANA CAME THROUGH OUR JUNIOR PROGRAM.
SHE CAME HERE, I HELPED TO RAISE THEM.
SO NOW I'M JUST KIND OF QUESTIONING, HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO HAPPEN IF I'M THERE TO BRING WOMEN IN, WOMEN OF ALL COLORS, I, FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, UM, WE'VE GOTTA DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN THAT.
SO, AT ANY RATE, I THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S MY TIME.
UH, THANK YOU FOR PROMOTING ALL IN THE WOMEN COMMUNITY, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
WE KNOW THAT WE, WE HAVE ONE OF OUR STAFF MEMBER REACH OUT TO YOU, UH, TO SEE IF THEY CAN HELP YOU WITH ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS, MA'AM, APPRECIATE YOU.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING HERE.
WITH THAT, WE MOVE TO OUR NEXT, UH, POINT OF BUSINESS APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 9TH.
DO I HAVE A MOTION, UH, MR. SLAUGHTER? DO I HAVE SECOND, UH, MR. WARD? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
WILL YOU MOVE TO OUR CONSENT AGENT, UH, FOR, UH, 1, 2, 3? DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT? I SEE, UH, MR. STEWART, DO I HAVE A SECOND? UH, MR. CONNOR, ANY DISCUSSION WITH THAT? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSE? I ALWAYS HAVE IT TO OUR ITEMS FROM INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
NUMBER ONE, DALLAS, DO I HAVE A MOTION? MRK SECOND BY MS. COLLINS.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
THE SECOND ITEM FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATION, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE CONTRACT.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? UH, MR. WARD SECONDING.
MR. CONNOR, ANY DISCUSSION? UH, MR. A LITTLE MORE BACKGROUND ON THIS? YOU'RE GOOD, MR. MR. CONNOR? YEAH, I THINK YOUR COMMITTEE HAD IT AND YOU COULD KIND OF BRING US UP TO DATE.
AND I DUNNO IF I'M ON, BUT, UH, YEAH, SO CHRIS CAN BRING UP SPEED.
WE HAD, WE HAD, WE ACTUALLY DID PULL THIS, UH, IN OUR COMMITTEE.
UM, THIS IS AN EXTENSION OF THE CURRENT CONTRACT WITH, UM, UH, ARADONDO, ZDA AND BRUNS.
UH, THESE ARE PEOPLE ACTUALLY, CHRIS, I'M JUST GONNA REPEAT WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SAY.
AND, UH, ESSENTIALLY, UM, WHEN THE BOND PROGRAM STARTED, UM, THERE WAS A PROGRAM MANAGER CONTRACT PUT OUT TO HIRE PROGRAM MANAGERS TO HELP, UM, EXECUTE BOND PROGRAM WAS BACK IN TWO 17.
AND THOSE PROGRAM MANAGER CONTRACTS ACTUALLY EXPIRED, BUT WHAT WE PRIMARILY USE THOSE PROGRAM MANAGER CONTRACTS FOR WAS FOR STAFF AUGMENTATION.
SO FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE HAVE HAD A STAFF MEMBER FROM, UM, A C B ARADONDO, SEPATA, AND BRUNS SITTING
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BACK AT OUR, UM, OFFICES WORKING, UM, AS BASICALLY AN EXTENSION OF OUR STAFF.SO WE HAVE TRAINED THEM AND THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY AN EXTENSION, AS I SAID, OF OUR STAFF.
SO WITH THE EXPLORATION OF THE PROGRAM MANAGER CONTRACTS, WE STILL NEED TO CONTINUE FORWARD WITH OUR STAFF AUGMENTATION TO COMPLETE THE BOND PROGRAM.
SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE, UM, SINCE A ZB WAS THE PRIMARY, UM, FIRM THAT PROVIDED STAFF AUGMENTATION, WE UTILIZED A DIRECT SELECT MEMO TO CONT TO BRING A ZB ON AS THE CONTRACTING FIRM TO CONTINUE FORWARD FOR THE NEXT YEAR, THE STAFF AUGMENTATION TO CONTINUE HELPING OUR TEAM WITH THE 2017 BOND PROGRAM FOR PROPOSITIONS B AND C FOR OUR PROPOSITION IN OUR FAIR, PRO FAIR PARK PROPOSITION, WE DID THIS PRIMARILY BECAUSE WE WILL NOT HAVE A LEARNING CURVE BECAUSE WE WILL KEEP THE SAME STAFF THAT WE'VE ALREADY TRAINED.
UM, SITTING BACK WITH OUR TEAM IS, IS THIS THE ITEM THAT WAS ON OUR AGENDA LAST TIME THAT MR. CONNOR WAS GONNA BRIEF US ON? IS THIS THE SAME THING? NO.
THIS AND, AND MR. STEWART JUST, UM, THE, THE DISCUSSION ABOUT RFPS, RFPS THAT YOU AND I HAD HAD ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD THE MOST ROBUST GROUPS YES.
THERE WERE SOME I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL THIS MEETING THAT, AND MAYBE I'VE JUST MISSED THIS IN MY YEARS IN THE PARK WAR, BUT YOU HAVE TO MAYBE REGISTERED IN THE CITY SYSTEM TO ACTUALLY APPLY FOR THE RFP RFQ, RIGHT? SURE.
UM, AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, TALKED ABOUT THAT AND TALKED ABOUT WHAT YOU AND I HAD TALKED ABOUT OKAY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTION AS, UH, THANK YOU PRESIDENT AAL.
WHERE CAN YOU, SO I APPRECIATE THE CONTINUITY OF VENDOR IS IMPORTANT.
UM, BUT, AND I THINK IT IS, I THINK A LOT OF THE PUBLIC AND EVEN A LOT OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONERS, BOARD MEMBERS AND COMMISSIONERS DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS THAT IT TAKES TO IMPLEMENT THESE VERY, UM, GENEROUS BOND DOLLARS.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST, HOW MUCH WAS THE FIRST CONTRACT FOR WITH A ZB? THIS, THIS IS AN EXTENSION.
IT ACTUALLY, AND, AND I WANNA CLARIFY, IT IS NOT AN EXTENSION.
THIS IS A BRAND NEW CONTRACT WITH A Z B CAUSE THE FORMER, UM, PROGRAM MANAGER CONTRACT WAS A JOINT VENTURE WITH MCKISSICK AND MCKISSICK AND A ZB.
SO WHEN THAT PROGRAM MANAGER CONTRACT WAS OKAY, I MEAN WE HAD PROPOSITIONS B AND C WERE 311 MILLION COMBINED.
SO THAT WOULD, THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY TO MANAGE AND PROJECTS AND OVERSIGHT AND COORDINATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SO DO YOU KNOW, AND IT, BECAUSE IT DIDN'T SAY THIS IN THE AIS WITH, WITH A CB, WHAT PROJECTS NOW IN THIS NEW CONTRACT THEY'RE GOING TO BE OVERSEEING? UM, THEY'RE, THE STAFF PERSON THAT WE HAVE ON BOARD OVERSEES APPROXIMATELY 10 DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
UM, IT VARIES FROM THE EMERALD LAKE DAM TO KINGS CREEK TRAIL PROJECT.
HE'S BASICALLY OVERSEEING PROJECTS IN, IN NEARLY EVERY DISTRICT AND EVEN SOME OF THE, UH, PROPOSITION C, WHICH WAS THE FAIR PARK.
UM, HE'S PRIMARILY WORKING ON PROPOSITION B PROJECTS.
UM, WE'VE KEPT OUR INTERNAL STAFF, UM, WORKING ON, ON FAIR PARK PROJECTS.
JUST EVEN A LITTLE BIT MORE KIND OF UNDERSTANDING.
I THINK WE'VE LEARNED, WE KIND OF LEARNED THAT ON THE BACKSIDE, HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS TO MANAGE THAT KIND OF, UM, ALL THOSE MONIES.
AND OF COURSE THEY'RE NOT COMING IN AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT, UM, JUST HELPING US KIND OF UNDERSTAND THE ADMINISTRATION OF THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT AND THAT THERE'S COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT $311 MILLION.
RACHEL, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THAT CONTRACT WAS? THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT, IT WAS UP TO A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT WE COULD USE ON THE PROGRAM MANAGER.
I THINK IT WAS UP TO 7 MILLION.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST TOO EXPENSIVE AND WE DIDN'T UTILIZE THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT.
THE CONTRACT WAS ORIGINALLY, I BELIEVE UP TO 6 MILLION, BUT IT INCLUDED, UM, OVERHEAD COST AND THEN OTHER PROJECTS WERE INCLUDED IN THAT BESIDES THE ENVIRONMENTAL SECTION THAT WE WERE LEGALIZING.
SO THAT WAS PART OF THE 6 MILLION.
SO SIX'S A LOT OF MONEY TO MANAGE PROJECTS.
I MEAN, WE HAD A LOT OF PROJECTS.
DO YOU FEEL LA LAST FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
UM, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT'S A GOOD USE OF RESOURCES THAT UM, JUST OBJECTIVELY, IS THIS SOMETHING LIKE YOUR STAFF CAN'T HANDLE IT SHOULD.
THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH AND SO HAVING A THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR IS A GOOD USE OF RESOURCES AND ALL THESE PROJECTS TO,
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SORRY, I PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.NO,
UH, SO WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT BOND PROGRAM, WE'LL BE MORE INVOLVED.
WE DECIDE TO, ONCE, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT IN THE NEXT BOND PROGRAM WHEN THEY'RE SELLING BONDS, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THEY GROUP CERTAIN.
WHEN YOU SELLING BONDS, YOU NEED TO ALSO CONSIDER, DON'T JUST SAY OH PARTS, YOU GET THIS IN YEAR FIVE OR YEAR FOUR.
WE NEED TO SAY, LOOK, IF IT'S GONNA BE REC CENTERS, LET'S TRY TO GROUP THEM TOGETHER.
CUZ IT MAY MAKE SENSE TO HIRE A PROGRAM MANAGER CUZ WE COULD PROBABLY GET BETTER PRICING BECAUSE NOW THEY CAN HELP.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD PUT ONE PROGRAM MANAGER BUILDING FOUR REC CENTERS AND THEY COULD HELP CONTROL THE PRICING, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO SUPPLIERS.
BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THE BONDS SELLING IN THE SAME YEAR, YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITY.
WE CAN GROUP PLAYGROUNDS TOGETHER SO WE COULD GET SOME ECONOMY TO SCALE.
WE JUST NEED TO BE VERY STRATEGIC NEXT TIME WHEN, AND BE IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE CFO AND, AND MAKE SURE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE CERTAIN PROJECTS ARE PUT IN CERTAIN YEARS TOGETHER.
AND SO, AND THEN THAT WAY IT MAY MAKE SENSE TO HAVE A PROGRAM MANAGER.
CAUSE YOU TRULY ARE GETTING SOME TRUE COST SAVINGS.
I JUST FELT LIKE PROGRAM MANAGERS WERE TOO EXPENSIVE.
BUT WE, I
UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UH, YES, MR. DICKEY? THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT.
UH, JUST FOR SOME PERSPECTIVE, FIVE YEARS AGO, UH, MR. SLAUGHTER, MR. KITNER, MR. STEWART, MS. CALVERT, COLLINS, BRATTON.
REMEMBER WHEN THIS CAME UP? UH, WE WERE IN A COLD ROOM, I THINK IN THE BRISCOE CENTER AND THERE WAS GREAT RESISTANCE ON THE BOARD.
AND MR. JENKINS WAS VERY NOT FEELING WELL.
AND PRESIDENT TAHI, UH, WE DIDN'T LIKE IT.
AND MAGIC AFFREY CAME AND SAID, CAUSE THE, THE COST, CAUSE THE PARK DEPARTMENT HAD INTERNALLY MANAGED SUCCESSFULLY, UH, AND ECONOMICALLY BOND PROJECTS PREVIOUSLY.
AND THE ONLY EXPERIENCE WE HAD BEFORE, I THINK WAS MAYBE 2006, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT BOND, BUT PROJECT MANAGEMENT WAS SORT OF THRUST UPON US OR WHATEVER.
AND THAT BECAME LIKE A 10% COST.
I I SEE MS. HINKLEMAN NODDING SHE WOULD'VE BEEN FOR THAT.
UH, AND SO, UM, THIS IN THE END, UM, I GUESS WE DID NOT HAVE TO ACCEPT IT.
IT SEEMS I I HADN'T SINCE THEN I HEARD.
BUT I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE COST IT ENDED UP BEING.
CAUSE THE PREVIOUS TIME IT HAD COME TO ABOUT 10 TO 12%.
AND THIS ONE, UM, I GUESS THERE ARE LESSONS LEARNED OR CAN YOU JUST GIVE A BIT OF AN UPDATE ON THE PERCENT IN TERMS OF PERCENTAGE AND ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IT OUR WAY NOW OR, UH, RACHEL, I KNOW SHE DON'T HAVE THE FIGURES BEFORE HER, BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS GIVE YOU ALL EXACTLY OUT OF THAT $6 MILLION, HOW MUCH OF THAT WE DID USE IT MAKES MADE SENSE.
WE CAN GET THOSE NUMBERS TO YOU.
CAUSE I KNOW SHE DOESN'T HAVE THEM BEFORE HER BECAUSE WE JUST THOUGHT THEY WERE JUST TOO COSTLY TO USE THE ENTIRE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT ENTIRE PROGRAM.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FINISH A LOCK PROJECTS IF WE SO TOO EXPENSIVE FOR 2024.
WILL WE KIND BE IN CONTROL OF HOW DO OUR HUNDRED PERCENT YES.
JUST FOR A QUICK CLARIFICATION.
THIS MONEY IS COMING FROM THE BOND PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION FUND.
SO THAT'S COMING OUT OF THE AVAILABLE BOND MONEY THAT WE HAVE.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT ORIGINALLY THE NUMBER 6 MILLION WAS FLOATING AROUND AND WE'RE LIKE, THAT'S TOO MUCH.
WE FIGURED OUT A DIFFERENT WAY TO DO IT.
THE CONTRACT WAS STRUCTURED UP TO, AND SO WE JUST, UH, WE JUST KEPT UTILIZING OUR INTERNAL STAFF TO MANAGE THOSE PROJECTS VERSUS USING THE PROGRAM MANAGER.
BUT THESE WE'RE FUNDING INTERNAL STAFF THAT AREN'T TECHNICALLY EMPLOYEES OF PARK AND RECREATION.
IS THAT CORRECT? BASICALLY WE ARE FUNDING STAFF THAT IS AUGMENTING OUR INTERNAL STAFF.
SO YES, THAT IS ESSENTIALLY CORRECT.
SO YOU KNOW HOW I LOVE TO TALK ABOUT HAVING ENOUGH MONEY TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
SO THIS GOES RIGHT BACK INTO GETTING READY FOR OUR NEXT SPOT PROGRAM.
WE KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO STAFF JUST TO HAVE THE FOLKS THAT WE NEED TO RUN OUR BASIC GENERAL OPERATION
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HERE.WE'VE STRUGGLED TO BACKFILL SOME OF THOSE IMPORTANT PEOPLE THAT WE'VE LOST RECENTLY.
SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE THINK ABOUT THIS AS WE GO INTO PLANNING FOR OUR NEXT BOND PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO HIRE THESE PROFESSIONALS TO COMPLETE THESE FABULOUS PROJECTS THAT WE'RE SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY DOING.
SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE DOING THIS, THAT I REALLY WANT US TO BE THOUGHTFUL GOING FORWARD TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PUTTING THAT MONEY IN HOWEVER WE WANNA DO IT.
WHETHER WE WANT PEOPLE IN OUR OFFICES THAT ARE SUPPLEMENTED WITH THAT FUNDING OR IF WE WANNA OUTSOURCE IT.
BECAUSE CLEARLY WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE IN A BOND DOLLAR PROJECT, UH, LEVEL THAT WE CANNOT DO IT INTERNALLY WITH THE, WITH PARK AND REC STAFF UNLESS THE CITY WANTS TO GIVE US A WHOLE LOT MORE MONEY TO, TO PHONE APP.
AND I DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING SOON.
SO LET'S BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THIS GOING FORWARD.
UM, FIRST THANK YOU FOR BEING PROACTIVE FOR THE NEXT BOND.
UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE GROUPING OF, UM, I MEAN THAT JUST SEEMS LIKE A NO-BRAINER.
UM, BUT, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE FOR US AND FOREVER AFTER FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, CAUSE I KNOW THAT PEOPLE WANT THINGS NOW.
UM, AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED TO THE $6 MILLION? I MEAN IF WE, IF IF IT WAS PART OF THE, THAT, THAT WAS THE WHOLE PRIMER'S, LIKE THEY WOULDN'T, I SAID UP TO 6 MILLION.
IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO UTIL UTILIZE THEM, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CLEAR WHEN IT CAME TO THE PARK DEPARTMENT THAT BECAUSE THE BOARD MADE IT VERY CLEAR BACK THEN, UH, WE ARE NOT GOING TO GUARANTEE WE'RE GONNA SPEND $6 MILLION.
THE BOARD MADE THAT VERY CLEAR.
IF $6 MILLION IT 6 MILLION GETS BUDGETED, IT WASN'T BUDGETED, 6 MILLION WOULD'VE CAME OUTTA OTHER PROJECTS.
I WASN'T HERE, SO ILL JUST THANK YOU.
CLEAR EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE DECIDE TODAY, HOW IT'S GOING TO IMPACT THE FUTURE IN VIETNAM.
SO IT STARTED, UH, WHEN WITH, UH, STARTED I BEING PRESIDENT AND TODAY WE ARE DISCUSSING IT.
WITH THAT WE GET TO, UH, OUR BRIEFINGS, SIR, MR. LION OCONNOR, WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN ZOO AND BEING DONE.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, INTRODUCE SEAN GREEN.
WE'D LIKE TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM.
SEAN IS THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE DALLAS ZOO, AND HE IS HERE TO GIVE A VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE ON SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE ALL AWARE OF.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE DON MOORE, WHO IS THE NEW ZOO BOARD CHAIR, AND ALSO LOIS INCLEMENT, WHO REALLY NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION TO US HERE.
SHE'S PART OF THE FAMILY, BUT, UH, SHE'S THE OUTGOING ZOO BOARD CHAIR.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO SEAN.
WE'LL GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
UM, MY NAME IS DAWN MOORE AND I AM CHAIR OF THE ZOO BOARD.
IT IS NICE TO BE WALKING IN ON THE TAILS OF LOIS PINKELMAN, AS SHE IS WELL LIKED HERE.
UM, SHE HAS BIG SHOES TO FOLLOW.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THE, THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY AND THE JEWEL THAT THE ZOO HAS BECOME FOR THE CITY.
UM, I TOOK THE GAVEL OVER FROM LO'S RIGHT BEFORE WE HAD OUR FIRST SECURITY INCIDENT.
UM, BELIEVE ME, WE WERE JUST AS UPSET ABOUT THAT.
BUT I ALSO WANNA TELL YOU ONE OF OUR THEMES AND OUR OUR VALUES IS, UM, WE WANT THE ZOO TO BE A PLACE FOR EVERYONE.
SO THEN WE HAD A BREACH AND WE WERE JUST AS UPSET ABOUT IT.
AND SHOP WILL PRESENT TO YOU WHAT WE'VE DONE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES, TO PROTECT OUR ANIMALS, TO PROTECT OUR STAFF, AND TO PROTECT OUR GUESTS AND STILL KEEP THIS JEWEL.
BUT WE WILL BE BALANCING THE SECURITY, KEEPING PEOPLE OUT TO OUR POINT OF BEING A PLACE FOR EVERYONE AND KEEP IT A, A, UH, JEWEL OF THE CITY AND A MAJOR ASSET.
SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND.
WE HAD OUR FIRST FULL BOARD MEETING IN PERSON YESTERDAY, IN THE FIRST TIME IN THREE YEARS.
AND, UM, YOU HAVE A VERY STRONG BOARD THAT IS, IS ANXIOUS TO PUT THIS PART BEHIND US AND PROTECT US, BUT TO CONTINUE TO GROW AS WE HAVE.
SO I'LL LET SEAN PRESENT TO YOU WHAT WE HAVE DONE SINCE THESE SECURITY BREACHES, AND I HOPE YOU'LL BE PLEASED WITH WHAT YOU SEE.
HI, MY NAME'S SEAN DRE ADAM THE ZOO FOR 15 YEARS.
UH, CLO I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 31 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN AT FOUR DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS
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AROUND THE COUNTRY.UM, AND I'M NOT HYPERBOLE HERE.
THIS IS THE GREATEST 15 YEARS I'VE HAD IN MY CAREER BECAUSE OF WHAT WE'VE DONE TOGETHER.
THIS ZOO HERE IS A MODEL OF PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP DRUG PLACES.
I CAN'T TELL YOU THE NUMBER OF ZOO ZOO CALLED US UP AND SAID, WOW, WHAT ARE Y'ALL DOING THERE? WHEN I STARTED WITH 628,000 PEOPLE AT THE ZOO, BY 2017, WE HAD 1.2 MILLION.
SO THE GROWTH OUTSTANDING, AND IT REALLY IS, THE PARTNERSHIP HAS MADE IT WORK.
HAVING SAID THAT, WE'RE 105 ACRES.
UH, WE'RE THE LARGEST ZOO IN TEXAS, IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT ALREADY.
UH, WE'RE THREE MILES, UH, SOUTH OF DALLAS.
IT'S A VERY UNIQUE PIECE OF PROPERTY.
WE HAVE CEDAR CREEK THAT CUTS THROUGH IT.
WE HAVE CLATON AVENUE, THE DART RAIL.
WE HAVE TWO NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND US.
UM, AS OUR SECURITY CONSULTANTS WHO ARE OUT THERE TODAY SAID, THIS IS A COMPLEX PIECE OF PROPERTY, BUT OBVIOUSLY A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT SERVED ITS PURPOSE FOR 110 YEARS SINCE 1912 ON THE SITE.
BUT WE'VE HAD SOME UNPRECEDENTED THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED, UH, LAST MONTH IN THOSE TWO AND A HALF WEEKS.
AND IT FELT LIKE TWO AND A HALF YEARS, I'M SURE TO MANY OF US.
THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF, UH, ATTENTION WE WANT DALLAS TO HAVE, OR THE DALLAS ZOO IS CERTAINLY THE PARK BOARD.
THE FACT THAT THESE WERE CRIMINAL ACTS THAT TOOK PLACE AT THE ZOO.
UH, THESE WERE NOT DOORS THAT WERE LEFT OPEN.
THESE WERE MULTIPLE BARRIERS THAT WERE CROSSED THROUGH THESE CRIMINAL ACTS.
WE HAVE LAYERS OF SECURITY AT THE ZOO, OUR TECHNOLOGY LAYER WITH CAMERAS.
WE HAVE A PHYSICAL PRESENCE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
SINCE WE, UH, WENT INTO OUR PARTNERSHIP IN 2009, WE'VE HAD SECURITY OUT HERE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND THEN WE, OBVIOUSLY WE HAD HAD THE PHYSICAL CAMPUS WITH THE GATES, UH, FENCES AND THE ACCESS CONTROLS, BUT SOMEWHERE THAT BROKE DOWN AND THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE AS WELL.
AND SO WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW AND WHAT WE'RE DOING GOING FORWARD.
UM, I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE GREG HUDSON IS OUT, UH, FOR SEVERAL WEEKS ON MEDICAL LEAD.
BUT YOU KNOW HOW MUCH GREG IS BROUGHT VISION TO THE ZOO AND HOW MUCH, UH, HE APPRECIATES EVERYBODY'S SUPPORT.
UM, SO I'M REPRESENTING HIM AND THE REST OF THE ZOO STAFF.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS HAS BEEN TRAUMATIC.
YOU CAN IMAGINE IF YOU'RE AN ANIMAL STAFF MEMBER WHO CARES FOR ANIMALS 40 HOURS A WEEK OR MORE.
ACTUALLY, IT'S MORE BECAUSE THEY'RE COMING IN AT TIMES TO TAKE YOUR ANIMALS TO EAT ADDITIONAL ATTENTION.
DURING THOSE TWO AND A HALF WEEKS, YOU'RE COMING IN HERE AND WONDERING IF YOUR ANIMAL BELOVED ANIMAL IS GONNA BE THERE THE NEXT DAY.
IT'S A, UH, A VERY UNEASY, UNSETTLED, UNSETTLING AND VIOLATED FEELING.
AND WE WENT THROUGH THAT WHERE REALLY WAS A, A, UH, A DIFFICULT TIME.
AND THE STAFF IS STILL HEALING.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT EVEN THOUGH WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT SOME RESOLUTION HERE OVER THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS THANKS TO D'S EFFORTS AND THE DETECTIVES, UM, IT'S STILL SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME FOR EVERYBODY TO, TO, TO GET BACK TO WALKING IN AND FEELING AGAIN THAT, UH, EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE RIGHT.
UM, SO I'M GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH THIS A LITTLE BIT AND SHOW YOU SOME OF THE SLIDES.
WE'VE, UM, JANUARY 13TH, OUR STAFF COMES IN.
UH, THEY DO A ROUTINE CHECK TO MAKE SURE ALL THE ANIMALS ARE PRESENT, OBVIOUSLY, AND TO MAKE SURE THE HABITATS ARE SECURED.
THEY FIND OUT THAT OUR CLOUDED LEOPARD NOVA IS NOT IN HER HABITAT.
NOW, A CLOUDED LEOPARD, WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD LEOPARD, YOU THINK 110 POUNDS GIANT, UH, CAT.
UH, THIS IS A CLOUDED LEOPARD.
IT'S A VERY UNIQUE SPECIES FOUND IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD 'EM AT THE ZOO, UM, UH, IN A LONG, LONG TIME.
THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF.
UM, NOVA'S DISCOVERED, UH, OUT OF HER HABITAT NOT ACCOUNTED FOR.
UM, DURING THE PROCESS OF SEARCHING FOR THIS ANIMAL, UH, THE HABITAT IS NOTICED TO HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED, TO HAVE BEEN CUT, SOMETHING THAT IS UNUSUAL.
THIS IS NOT A, A FAILURE OF THE ACTUAL HABITAT STRUCTURE.
UM, D P D IS IMMEDIATELY CALLED TO COME OUT AND LOOK AT THAT.
AS SOON AS THEY SEE THAT, THEY, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT, UH, IT SOMETHING IS AMISS DURING THAT PROCESS.
THEY ALSO FIND OUT THAT OUR LANGER MONKEY HABITAT, WHICH IS TWO, TWO DOORS DOWN, BASICALLY ON A PLACE THAT WE HAVE HAD OUT HERE FOR MANY YEARS, IS ALSO, UH, UH, COMPROMISED THE SAME TYPE OF CUT THAT'S THROUGH THERE, ALL THE WHILE OUR STAFF IS TRYING TO PROCESS.
WHEREAS THIS CATEGORY, OBVIOUSLY FOR IN SAFETY, UH, FORTUNATELY THROUGHOUT THAT DAY, WE DID CLOSE THE ZOO FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
WE ENDED UP FINDING THAT ANIMAL TOWARDS THE END OF THE DAY.
OUR VET TEAM WAS ABLE TO IMMOBILIZE THAT ANIMAL AND SHE'S SAFELY BACK IN HER HABITAT WITH HER COMPANION.
IMMEDIATELY, WE ADJUSTED OUR OVERNIGHT SECURITY, WE ADDED MORE OFFICERS IN THERE.
AND WE ALSO LOOKED AT OUR CAMERA FOOTAGE AS WELL.
SHARED THAT WITH D P D, UH, AND MADE SOME PLANS AS WELL TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL CAMERAS IN THAT LOCATION.
AND WHEN I TALK ABOUT TECHNOLOGY IN THOSE THREE LAYERS, WE HAVE ABOUT A HUNDRED CAMERAS AT THE ZOO, BUT IT'S CLIMBING.
UM, IT WAS BASED ORIGINALLY TO COVER, UH, EXTERNAL GATES AND ACCESS.
[00:30:01]
THIS DAY AND AGE, IT'S, IT'S SAD THAT WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT WE HAD SET 'EM UP IN PUBLIC AREAS IN CASE WE EVER, GOD FORBID, HAD A, AN ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION OR HAD TO MONITOR THINGS IN THE PARK.THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT WE HAD SET UP IN PHASE ONE.
OBVIOUSLY THAT HAS BEEN ACCELERATED NOW INTO, UH, WE'RE PUTTING CAMERAS THROUGHOUT THE PARK IN TANDEM WITH OUR SECURITY CONSULTANT.
UM, BUT THOSE CAMERAS THERE COVER EVERYTHING FROM THE GUEST AREAS, THE EXTERNAL GATES, AND A LOT OF THEM COVER FOR THE ACTUALLY ANIMALS IN THE HABITAT.
SO STAFF CAN SEE WHAT ANIMALS ARE DOING WITHIN THEIR ENVIRONMENTS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE SAFE.
SO EIGHT DAYS LATER, WE HAVE ON, UH, I THINK IT'S A SATURDAY MORNING, OUR STAFF COMES IN AND FINDS A LAPID FACE.
VULTURE NAMED PIN WHO HAS PASSED AWAY IS DECEASED.
PIN WAS A 35 YEAR OLD VULTURE.
LAPID FACE VULTURES ARE THE LARGEST SPECIES OF VULTURE.
UH, THESE ARE, UH, ENDANGERED SPECIES.
UM, UPON INITIAL EXAM WITH OUR VETS, UH, IT WAS FOUND AT THAT ANIMAL, HAD A PUNCTURE ON THE FATAL PUNCTURE WOUND.
NO OBJECT, NO WEAPON, ANYTHING WAS FOUND.
BUT YOU CAN, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND AT THIS POINT, WE ARE HIGHLY TRANSPARENT.
UM, WE'VE BEEN THAT WAY WITH THE MEDIA.
WE'RE ALSO GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRANSPARENT WITH D P D.
WE CALL THEM OUT TO LOOK AT THIS.
UM, THEY ALSO AGREE THAT IT'S SUSPICIOUS AND THEY BRING THEIR ANIMAL CRUELTY TEAM OUT KIND OF ON THE HEELS OF WHAT WE HAD WITH, UH, THE, THE LEOPARD AND THE LANGER MONKEYS.
AND BECAUSE THIS IS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES, FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICES CALLED AS WELL.
UM, AGAIN, WE DOUBLE OUR SECURITY.
WE'RE ACTUALLY MORE THAN DOUBLE OUR SECURITY STAFF ON FOUR.
UM, WE HAVE D P D GRACIOUSLY ADDING TWO D P D SOLAR POWERED, UH, CAMERA TOWERS, SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE IN PARKING LOTS, BUT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT INFRARED TECH TECHNOLOGY, HIGHTECH STUFF.
BUT WE DON'T KNOW IN A CAMPUS OF 105 ACRES WHERE THIS IS HAPPENING.
SO WE'RE STILL TRYING TO PROCESS, THIS IS TWO SEPARATE AREAS OF THE PARK NOW.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHY.
UM, SO WE HAVE THAT LAYER IN THERE AND THEN WE START ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL TRAIL CAMERAS THROUGHOUT THE PARK.
THINGS THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT.
AND JUST, UH, ONE PERSON BASICALLY KNOWS WHERE THEY'RE AT.
BECAUSE AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S EXTERNAL OR, OR INTERNAL TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
AND THE, AND THE DETECTIVE ARE TELLING US THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING TO A T WHAT THEY NEED.
CAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO COMPROMISE THE CASE, UM, THAT EVERYBODY IS SORT OF GONNA NEED TO BE INTERVIEWED, WHETHER IT'S MYSELF OR ANYBODY ELSE.
AND SO IT'S A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE ESTABLISH A REWARD FOR $10,000, BUT WE WANT TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO GET INFORMATION THAT CAN LEAD TO SOME TYPE OF ANSWERS ON WHY THE ZOO IS BEING VANDALIZED, BURGLARIZED, AND JUST IN GENERAL, UH, THE CRIMINAL TRESPASSING THAT'S HAPPENING.
FLASH FORWARD NINE DAYS LATER.
UH, THIS IS THE MOST EGREGIOUS EVENT, UH, THAT I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY CAREER.
UM, WE HAVE SOME STAFF COME INTO OUR CHILDREN'S ZOO.
TWO EMPEROR TAMARINS ARE FOUND MISSING.
THEY'RE NOT ONLY MISSING, THEY ARE, THERE'S A COMPLICATED WAY OF, I'VE MENTIONED MULTIPLE BARRIERS THAT ARE BREACHED TO GET HERE.
THIS IS DELIBERATE, PREMEDITATED, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT.
IT'S, IT'S, UH, YEAH, I'VE JUST NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE.
AND DVD'S CONTACTED IMMEDIATELY.
THEY SEE THAT WE HAVE OUR STAFF THAT'S OUT SEARCHING FOR THE ANIMAL, BUT WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, WE KNOW THESE ANIMALS ARE LIKELY HAVE BEEN TAKEN.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED THE DAY BEFORE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE ZOO STAFF IS WHEN YOU ARE IN A CRISIS, YOU WANT ANIMAL STAFF MEMBERS ON YOUR TEAM.
WHEN YOU DEAL WITH WILD ANIMALS, WHEN YOU DEAL WITH ANIMALS, UH, ON A DAILY BASIS, YOU BECOME VERY IN TUNE, VERY PERCEPTIVE.
THESE, THESE STAFF WORK 365 DAYS A YEAR AT ALL ELEMENTS.
THE HOTTEST, THE SUMMERS, THE ICE STORMS IN THE WINTERTIME, VERY RESILIENT.
AND WHEN YOU MESS WITH THEIR ANIMALS, THEY'RE, UM, PRETTY PASSIONATE.
THE DAY BEFORE WE HAD SOMEBODY THAT WAS ASKING QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE A MILLION PEOPLE THAT COME TO THE PARK, UH, IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR US TO GET UNUSUAL QUESTIONS, BUT DURING THE SECOND AWARENESS, OUR STAFF HAD HEARD AND, AND HEARD SOME THINGS FROM AN INDIVIDUALS IN THE PARK SAYING, HEY, HOW'D YOU GET THESE ANIMALS? WHERE DO YOU KEEP 'EM MIDNIGHT? JUST THINGS THAT WERE ODD.
UM, THE NEXT DAY WHEN THOSE CAMERAS WERE OUT, WE STARTED TO PIECE THAT TOGETHER.
WE WERE ABLE TO GO BACK TO THE EXISTING CAMERAS.
WE'D ALREADY HAD FULL VIDEO FOOTAGE THAT MATCHED UP OF THE DESCRIPTION.
AND THOSE TRAIL CAMERAS THAT I TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT WE HAD PUT IN IN PLACE CAPTURED THE STILL FOOTAGE THAT YOU SAW, UH, HERE ON, ON THE, UH, SLIDE.
AFTER THE, THE VULTURE, WE AGAIN UPPED SECURITY.
AFTER THE TAMIN, WE UPPED SECURITY AGAIN.
WE ADDED ADDITIONAL PATROLS EXTERNALLY WITH VEHICLES.
D P D CAME IN AND GAVE US EXTRA EXTERNAL PATROLS AROUND THE PERIMETER AS WELL.
[00:35:01]
I'VE EVER SEEN AT ANY ZOO, TO BE HONEST, OTHER THAN MAYBE DISNEY.I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY HAS THE SECURITY RIGHT NOW THAT THE DALLAS ZOO DOES OUT IN THE PARK, UH, BETWEEN 6:00 PM AND 6:00 AM PICTURES ARE RELEASED AND THE REWARD, AND THEN OUR BOARD WITH FULL SUPPORT GOES TO $25,000.
AS SOON AS THOSE PHOTOS ARE RELEASED BY D P D, ALL TYPES OF INFORMATION STARTS COMING IN.
TIPS COME IN WITHIN LESS THAN 36 HOURS, AROUND 30 HOURS AFTER THOSE ANIMALS WERE TAKEN OFF THE PROPERTY, THEY'RE FOUND IN A HOUSE ABOUT 20 MINUTES AWAY.
LANCASTER, OUR STAFF, OUR ANIMAL STAFF, OUR SECURITY DIRECTOR, UH, DRIVES OUT IN THAT AWFUL ICE STORM.
GO PICK THOSE TWO TAMARINS UP.
THEY'RE FOUND IN SQUA CONDITIONS, OR I'M SORRY, FILTH CONDITIONS.
UH, THEY WERE, THEY, THEY WERE CALLED, THEY WERE WITH OTHER ANIMALS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT A TA, BUT I KNOW THEY WERE PROBABLY EXCITED TO SEE STAFF.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ANIMALS HAVE LOST SOME, SOME WEIGHT.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT THEY'RE, UH, THEY'RE DOING BETTER.
UH, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT WAS A TRAUMATIC EVENT FOR THEM AS WELL.
UH, AT THAT POINT WE HAVE D P D, UH, INVESTIGATING THIS.
UH, AND THEN AS YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE, A COUPLE DAYS LATER, THIS PERSON IS BACK AT DALLAS WORLD AQUARIUM ASKING QUESTIONS, UH, DALLAS WORLD AQUARIUM CONTACTS, UH, D P D, UH, AND THIS PERSON IS PICKED UP.
UM, THE PERSON OF INTEREST IS A SUSPECT.
THEY STILL REMAINED IN THE DALLAS COUNTY JAIL.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE INCIDENTS THAT HAPPENED IN THAT TWO AND A HALF WEEKS SPAN OF WHAT THE ZOO'S BEEN GOING THROUGH.
ON THE FLIP SIDE, WE HAVE THE MEDIA PIECE OF THIS, AND IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT WE'VE HAD NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION ABOUT THIS.
UM, FOR ALL THE REASONS WHY I MENTIONED BEFORE, THIS IS NOT EXACTLY WHAT WE WANNA BE IN THE NEWS.
UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS THAT HAPPENED AND FROM THIS MEDIA THAT WERE IMPORTANT FOR US.
UM, ONE, UH, CARRIE STREIBER, WHO'S BEHIND IT, ME HERE, WHO IS, UM, RUNS ALL OF OUR MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS, HAS REALLY BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF MAKING SURE WE CAN GET OUR MESSAGE OUT GOOD OR BAD.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS, WE DIDN'T WANT TO BE AS QUIET, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A BAD, UH, A DIFFICULT SITUATION.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE COULD DISCUSS WHAT WE COULD DISCUSS DURING AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION.
WE WORKED WITH THE SPOKESPEOPLE FOR D D AS WELL.
THE OTHER THING THAT I, I WANT TO THANK THE MEDIA FOR IS, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE RECOVER THESE ANIMALS IN 30 HOURS.
I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE A SUSPECT IN CUSTODY IN 72 HOURS IF IT'S NOT FOR THEM.
ALSO PUSHING US OUT IN THE MEDIA.
SO I THANK THEM FOR THAT, THE REWARD AND ALSO FOR THE INFORMATION.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE, WE'RE STILL, UH, THIS IS GONNA BE A CONTINUING STORY AS WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OUR SECURITY PIECE.
UM, BUT, UH, IT, IT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE WISH WERE UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING GOING FORWARD? UH, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED MAKING ADJUSTMENTS.
UH, WE WERE ALREADY DOING THAT.
AND I MENTIONED BEFORE WE HAD CAMERAS THAT WERE IN PLACE THAT WERE BEING SCALED UP.
WE HAD PERIMETER VENTS THAT WHEN IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, WE PUT THAT IN PLACE.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, A SECURITY GROUP THAT WE HAD SCALED UP AND STILL HAVE SCALED UP, UH, AS WELL.
THE PERIMETER FENCE HANSEN WE PUT IN ARE ONGOING.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN SOME PHOTOS OF THAT.
UM, LIKE I SAID TO COUNSEL, THIS IS AN AT THE QUALITY OF LIFE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE.
UH, THIS IS A FUN FAMILY CONSERVATION MISSION BASED VERY, YOU KNOW, HISTORIC 1888 STARTED PARK.
AND WE DON'T WANT TO TURN THIS INTO SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A MAXIMUM SECURITY AND CORRECTION FACILITY.
THERE'S A BALANCE WHERE A NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS LOOKS APPEALING.
BUT WE ALSO ARE NOW DEALING WITH, IF PEOPLE WANT TO REALLY GET IN HERE, THEN WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO KEEP THEM OUT THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
SO THERE'S A BALANCE THERE AND, AND WE'RE GONNA NEED PROBABLY SOME ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FROM YOU ALL AS WELL AS, UH, WITH THE SECURITY ASSESSMENT THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR ON GROUNDS CAMERA SYSTEM.
WE'VE INCREASED THE SECURITY LIGHTING.
UH, THE OUTSIDE SECURITY EXPERT IS HERE, HERE, UM, UH, IN THE NEXT WEEK TO DO A THOROUGH ASSESSMENT OVER THE NEXT 30 TO 45 DAYS.
IT'S LARE AND ASSOCIATES CONSULTING GROUP THAT ARE WITH US.
UH, THEY HAVE A INCREDIBLE RESUME, UH, HERE IN DALLAS AS WELL AS NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL.
UM, WE THINK THEY'RE GONNA HELP US A LOT, UH, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THEIR, UM, ADDITIONAL SET OF, OF EXPERT EYES ON THE ZOO AND THEIR SECURITY GOING FORWARD.
THE EXPANDED USE OF STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY.
OUR CAMERA SYSTEMS NOW HAVE MOTION AND ALARM SYSTEMS. WE HAVEN'T HAD THOSE BEFORE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA EXPAND THAT WITH OUR SECURITY CONSULTANT TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN UTILIZE THAT.
UH, OUR EVALUATION OF OUR CURRENT ON GROUND SECURITY PROVIDER IS
[00:40:01]
PROBABLY GONNA BE SOME, UH, ENHANCEMENTS AND CHANGES, UH, THERE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE GOING THROUGH.AND THEN WE ALSO CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE EXPANDED OUTSIDE PERIMETER, UM, PATROLS WITH NOT ONLY OUR SECURITY GROUP, BUT WITH D P T, WHICH AGAIN, WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THEIR, THEIR EFFORTS.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A QUICK LOOK AT THE EXPANDED TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE, UH, THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT, UH, I'M LOOKING AT ON MY PHONE AT NIGHT.
UH, JUST CUZ I'M HABITUATED NOW TO LOOK AT CAMERA SYSTEMS. UM, WE HAVE THIS SET UP AS WELL TO MAKE SURE WE MONITOR THE PARK AND SEE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME.
WE ALSO HAVE, UH, THE SURVEILLANCE TOWERS I MENTIONED FROM D P D, THE SOLAR MOTION LIGHTING.
AND THIS IS THE BALANCE WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH HOW WE MAKE SURE WE, WE TREAT AESTHETICS, UH, WITH SECURITY AND TRYING TO BALANCE THIS OUT.
UH, WE WANT TO TRY TO SOLVE IT WHERE WE CAN, BUT WE KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING TO, TO CHANGE THE LOOK AND FEEL OF THE ZOO AS IT, IT NORMALLY EXISTED.
UM, AND IT DOESN'T TAKE TWO AND A HALF WEEKS TO KIND OF GET YOUR ATTENTION.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE'VE BEEN A SAFE PARK HERE.
AND, UM, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA STOP JUST BECAUSE WE THINK WE MIGHT HAVE A POTENTIAL PERSON OF INTEREST WHO, UH, IS IN CUSTODY.
THIS IS ABOUT BUILDING OUT THE BEST SECURITY PROGRAM, USING THIS AS A SPRINGBOARD TO GET BETTER.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW IN OUR, UH, SECURITY PROGRAM.
WE ARE INSPECTED BY U S D A, ALL ANIMALS THAT ARE LICENSED, LICENSED, ALL FACILITIES THAT ARE LICENSED TO HAVE ANIMALS ARE INSPECTED BY U S D A.
WE HAVE THAT HAPPEN ONCE A YEAR.
UH, WE JUST HAD OURS, UH, THAT TOOK PLACE WITH NO NON-COMPLIANT ISSUES.
WE'RE ALSO, UH, EVERY FIVE YEARS INSPECTED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS. THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS IS REALLY THE LEADER FOR ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS IN TERMS OF, UH, ANIMAL CARE, WELFARE CONSERVATION PROGRAMS, UH, AND BASICALLY HOW ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS, UH, ARE RUN AND OPERATED.
UH, WE WILL HAVE OUR INSPECTION, UH, FINAL INSPECTION WITH THE COMMISSION OR HEARING, UH, LATER NEXT, UH, MONTH.
AND SO THOSE TWO ACCREDITATION INSPECTIONS HAVE HAPPENED OVER THE LAST, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO OBVIOUSLY, UH, WORK AND TAKING AS MUCH FEEDBACK AND INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE TO BE THE BEST SUIT THAT WE CAN BE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE VULTURE IS STILL GOING THROUGH SOME ADDITIONAL TESTING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT TOOK PLACE, UH, WITH THAT PARTICULAR ANIMAL.
UM, NOVA, THE CLOUD LEOPARD IS BACK IN HER HABITAT.
SHE ENJOYED A WONDERFUL, QUIET, RELAXING, SLEEPING DURING THE DAY WEEKEND.
UH, WE HAD 25,000 PEOPLE OUT OF THE ZOO OVER PRESIDENT STAY WEEKEND.
UH, AND WE ALSO HAD OUR TWO TAMARINS BACK INTO, UM, THEIR HABITAT DOING WELL.
I'M TOLD THEY GAINED WEIGHT WHILE THEY WERE DURING THEIR QUARANTINE PERIOD AT THE, UH, ZOO DURING THEIR TWO AND A HALF WEEKS.
UM, THEY GOT SOME GREAT FOOD AND SOME GREAT CARE, AND THEY'RE BACK IN THEIR FAMILIAR, UM, HABITAT.
SO WE JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN DO TO KEEP THE ZOO SAFE.
BECAUSE WITHOUT A SAFE AND SECURE ZOO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IS THE HALLMARK FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO COME OUT AND VISIT AND FAMILIES TO VISIT.
AND THAT'S A, A BIG INITIATIVE AND A GOAL, AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE WE GET THE SECURITY PROGRAM TO WHERE WE NEED IT TO BE.
I HAVE BEEN EN ZONE COUPLE OF TIMES SINCE THIS HAPPENED, AND I THINK GARY, YOU DID FANTASTIC JOB WITH THE COMMUNICATION AND, YOU KNOW, JUST LEADING FROM THE FRONT AND MAKING SURE EVERYONE KNOWS AND THAT SHOWS OFF YOUR RECORD, UH, TRAFFIC ON PRESIDENT STATE.
SO THANKS FOR COMING HERE AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THAT.
I SEE MS. COLLINS HAS A COMMENT OR A QUESTION.
THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU SEAN AND DON AND LOIS AND THE WHOLE BOARD.
AND PLEASE GIVE OUR BEST TO GREG AS WELL.
I KNOW THIS IS NOT BEEN EASY FOR HIM AND OF COURSE IN HARRISON AND THE WHOLE ANIMAL CARE TEAM.
SO I THINK THE, THE BIGGEST, BIGGEST QUESTION IS MOTIVATION.
WHAT, TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, WHAT WAS THIS SUSPECT? WHAT WERE HIS PLANS IN TAKING THE TAMARINS? WAS IT TO, TO SELL, TO KEEP AND ALSO WHY INJURE? WHY KILL A VULTURE? DO YOU KNOW? SO IT'S AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION TOO, AND I DON'T WANT TO COMPROMISE ANYTHING ON THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MOTIVATION WAS.
I CAN TELL YOU MOTIVATIONS CAN BE ALL DIFFERENT TYPES.
UM, YOU CAN IMAGINE, UM, I DON'T THINK I'M GONNA SAY THAT BECAUSE IT IS AN ACT INVESTIGATION AND, UM, THE D D CAME OUT AND SAID THIS, THIS PERSON IS NOT CURRENTLY LINKED TO THE VULTURE.
SO, UM, THEY'RE LINKED, YOU KNOW, TO THIS IS PUBLIC INFORMATION'S
[00:45:01]
COME OUT LINKED TO THE HABITATS AND THE TAMARA MONKEYS, BUT THE VULTURE IS, UH, NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TIME.SO, UM, I'M GONNA GONNA NOT COMMENT ANYMORE ON THAT SINCE IT'S AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION.
BUT THERE, THEY'RE, AT THIS POINT, D D DOESN'T, DOESN'T THINK THERE'S, UH, THERE ARE FUTURE PERPETRATORS OUT THERE.
THIS IS NOT A RING OF SOME KIND.
WE'RE GONNA GO WITH WE HOPE NOT
I MEAN, LET, LEMME HIDE THIS WAY.
WE'VE HAD A VERY, UH, QUIET THREE WEEKS OKAY.
AND I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
AND THIS, UM, FROM THE NEWS REPORTS THAT THIS SUSPECT WAS ABLE TO GET ON A DART TRAIN WITH THE MONKEYS AS WELL AND WASN'T INJURED.
IT'S, IT'S A, UH, IT'S WHEN THIS STORY COMES OUT AND IT GOES THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS, IT'S GONNA BE INTERESTING TO FIND OUT, UH, HOW THIS HAPPENED.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS FROM THE INFORMATION THAT'S PUBLIC, WE KNOW WHERE THIS INDIVIDUAL SAID THAT THEY CROSSED OVER AND IT'S BEEN A FOCUS FOR US TO MAKE SURE WE SOLIDIFY THAT AREA.
UM, AND AS FAR AS HOW THEY MOVED IN AND OUTTA HERE, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IT'S UNACCEPTABLE.
WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE LAYERS OF SECURITY WITH INCREASED SECURITY.
UM, I WOULD'VE HOPED WE WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE AT LEAST, UH, CAPTURE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S GONNA BE A BUILDING BLOCK FOR US WITH OUR SECURITY PROGRAM GOING FORWARD.
WELL, AND EVEN AFTER YOUR ENHANCED SECURITY, THIS PERSON WAS STILL ABLE TO GET TO THE MONKEYS AND, AND RESPOND WITH THEM.
SO CLEARLY HE WAS THERE OVERNIGHT OR SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW TO GET ACCESS TO THEM.
YEAH, WE, WE, UH, WE, WE, WE DON'T BELIEVE, OH NO, WE DON'T.
WE DON'T, WELL REALLY, UM, YOU GUYS HAVE DONE AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB AND VERY UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND IT WASN'T A SINGLE ISOLATED INCIDENT.
SO IT, IT CERTAINLY APPEARS LIKE YOU DID THE RIGHT THINGS, THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY.
AND HOPEFULLY THIS WAS, UH, UH, WE NEVER HAVE TO SEE THIS AGAIN.
BUT WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU HAVE DONE, ALL YOU CONTINUE TO DO IN THE DALLAS IS
HAS THE, UH, SUSPECT ARE CHARGED WITH ANY YET? THERE ARE, UH, I BELIEVE CHARGED WITH SIX COUNTS RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND, UH, THEY'RE STILL MOVING THROUGH THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S UM, THERE'S, UH, BAIL HAS BEEN SET AND SO THERE'S, UH, AND CURRENTLY THERE BEING HELD IN DALLAS COUNTY JAIL.
DO WE KNOW WHAT THEY'VE BEEN CHARGED? HE'S BEEN CHARGED WITH YOU.
IT'S, UM, IN SIX COUNTS OF, UH, ANIMAL CRUELTY AND, AND TWO COUNTS.
THE BURGLARY, BURGLARY, THOSE, THOSE COUNTS.
WE HAVE THE, UM, ARE THEY, IS THERE A LEVEL, LIKE THE KILLING OF AN ANIMAL? I MEAN, LIKE IS THERE, ARE THERE DIFFERENT LEVELS? LIKE THERE'S MISDEMEANORS AND FELONIES AND I THINK THEY'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, ARE WE SUPPLEMENTING THE VULTURE LOSS AT ALL? ARE WE, I KNOW THEY'RE THE DANGER.
ARE WE, ARE WE LOOKING TO BRING IN ANOTHER VULTURE? ACTUALLY, ACTUALLY, UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE SEVERAL VULTURES THERE.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING WITH A CAP ZOO'S WORK WITH A CAPTIVE MANAGED, UM, PROPAGATION PROGRAM, UH, FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES.
SO WE KIND OF WORK WITH WHAT'S CALLED A SPECIES SURVIVAL PROGRAM THROUGH THE AZA.
UH, AND SO IF THAT WARRANTS IT TO BRING IN ANOTHER ONE AT SOME POINT WE WILL, BUT, UM, STILL BE DETERMINED.
UM, AND THEN YOU MENTIONED THAT THE INDIVIDUAL, UM, ADMITTED, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ADMITTED TO WHERE HE HAD CROSSED OVER.
YEAH, THAT WAS PUBLIC INFORMATION.
ALL I CAN DO IS JUST GIVE YOU BACK WHAT WAS REPORTED IN, IN THE MEDIA WAS THAT THEY SAID THEY CROSSED IN A CERTAIN LOCATION, UH, ALONG WITH SOME OTHER DETAILS.
AND I'M, IF YOU CAN'T, IF YOU CAN'T DIVULGE OR YOU DON'T KNOW, UM, SO HAVE THEY ADMITTED TO THIS? I MEAN, LIKE, I MEAN, IS THIS YEAH, I MEAN, ACCORDING TO THE AFFIDAVIT THAT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE INFORMATION THAT THEY, THEY ADMITTED TO CERTAIN, UH, ASPECTS OF THESE CRIMINAL ACTS, I, I, I WANT TO, UM, ECHO BRATTON AND JUST SAY THANK YOU.
I KNOW THAT, UM, I MEAN, I HAVE SECURITY SYSTEMS ON YOUR HOUSE, YOU HAVE LOCKS ON YOUR HOUSE, YOU'VE GOT CAMERAS.
I MEAN, SOMEBODY WANTS TO COME IN, THEY'RE COMING IN.
UM, AND SO, UM, YOU CAN, YOU CAN DO AS MUCH AS YOU WANT, YOU KNOW, SAVE PUTTING A BUBBLE.
AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST WANNA APPLAUD YOU GUYS.
I KNOW WHEN THE LEOPARDS GOT OUT, THERE WAS KIND OF A FEELING THAT I HAD HEARD OF PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS INCOMPETENCE.
IT WAS SOMEBODY LEFT A GATE OPEN AND THEN IT WAS, YOU KNOW, SO I JUST WANNA, YEAH, I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT.
I, I WANNA MAKE SURE IT WASN'T, THERE WAS NO KEY ERROR.
THERE WAS NO FAULTY OF THE HABITAT.
THIS WAS A DELIBERATE, DELIBERATE ACT OF VANDALISM.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT BECAUSE UM,
[00:50:01]
YOU KNOW, YOUR MIND GOES A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES WHEN YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT.BUT, UM, ABSOLUTELY THE ZOO WAS ACTUALLY THE VICTORY RIGHT.
OR THAT IT WAS AN INSIDE TYPE OF TALK TO SOMEBODY TO DO THIS.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I THINK, I DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS PARK IS AS BIG AS IT IS.
UM, SO IT'S, YEAH, WE HAVE THE LARGEST ZOO IN TEXAS AND ACREAGE, WE'RE TWICE AS BIG AN ACREAGE IS HOUSTON, WE'RE 40 ACRES BIGGER THAN FORT WORTH.
WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, AMAZING SPACE.
AND I THINK THAT BODES WELL FOR THE ZOO IN THE FUTURE AS WELL AS WE START MOVING, MOVING FORWARD INTO, UH, WHAT THE FUTURE COULD LOOK LIKE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE, THAT'S, UM, RECAP.
I, I CHOSE TO NOT TURN ON MY NEWS DURING THIS TIME.
I HAVE A 10 YEAR OLD WHO'S ATTENDED YOUR WONDERFUL CAMPS, WHO IS, YOU KNOW, GOT HIS LITTLE BADGE OF BEING A JUNIOR, YOU KNOW, ZOO RANGER.
AND, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE THAT, YOU KNOW, MAGIC AWAY FROM HIM FROM THIS PLACE.
UM, SO THANK YOU SEAN AND LOIS AND DAWN.
UM, I THINK THE IDEA OF FEELING VIOLATED IS A REALLY UGLY, HORRIBLE FEELING.
UM, AND SO, UM, AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS AS A COMMUNITY, AS YOU GUYS HAVE GONE THROUGH ALL THIS, HAS INSURANCE BEEN ABLE TO STEP UP BECAUSE THIS HAS REALLY GOTTA BE COSTLY TO THEN COME UP WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS TO, TO MAKE THE ZOO A SAFER, BETTER PLACE FOR THE ANIMALS THAN FOR, FOR THE ENVIRONMENT? IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I THINK WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO DO SOME ANALYSIS.
WE HAVE DEDICATED THE FUNDS TO FIX OUR FENCES, PARTICULARLY THIS PLACE.
AND A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, THAT SEAN DIDN'T SHOW YOU.
WE'VE HAD TO PUT NOW BARB WIRE ON TOP OF OUR FENCE, BUT THROUGH TRYING TO MAKE IT SO THAT IT DOESN'T JUST TOTALLY STAND OUT.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME AREAS THAT WE, WE REALIZE PEOPLE COULD GET BETWEEN THE OUTSIDE FENCE, OUR PERIMETER FENCE, WE'VE CLOSED THAT OPPORTUNITY OFF.
SO WE'VE DONE SOME OF THOSE THINGS AND IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.
I HOPE THAT WHEN WE GET A FULL ANALYSIS OF THIS, WE CAN LOOK INTO ANY INSURANCE POSSIBILITIES.
THERE'S GONNA BE A CAPITAL, A SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND THERE'S GONNA BE A SIGNIFICANT OPERATIONAL INCREASE, BUT IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
WE'RE GONNA FIND A WAY TO DO IT.
AND BEFORE IT'S BEEN INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE, UH, OF THAT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S OUR, WE'RE DEVELOPING OUR STRATEGY AS WE MOVE FORWARD HERE AS WELL.
BUT, UM, YEAH, THERE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS TO MAKE SURE WE GET THIS READY AS WE GO THROUGH THE SENSITIVE TIME.
UM, HOW CAN WE BEST HELP YOU AS A BOARD HERE
I MEAN, WE KNOW THE BOND PROGRAM IS COMING UP AND WE HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT THINGS WE'D LIKE TO DO AT THE ZOO.
I, I'M JUST GONNA CONFESS, I GOT INVITED TO JOIN THE BOARD AND I SAID, SURE.
WHO DOESN'T WANNA BE ON A WINNING TEAM? THIS IS A REAL JEWEL FOR THIS CITY, AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE WE CAN DO WITH THE HELP.
AND AS I SAID TO THE BOARD YESTERDAY, THIS WAS A, A HORRIBLE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED TO US.
OTHER ZOOS IN THE NATION HAVE HAD THINGS HAPPEN AND THEY HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND.
WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND.
AND YOU SAID EARLIER YOU APPRECIATE OUR TRANSPARENCY.
THAT'S THE GOOD THING ABOUT OUR STAFF AND OUR BOARD.
WE'RE TRANSPARENT, WE ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS, AND WE DIDN'T STOP WHEN PEOPLE WERE CRITICIZING US.
UH, MR. KITMAN, THANK, UH, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THIS TRANSPARENT AND THOROUGH PRESENTATION.
I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A VERY, VERY CHALLENGING TIME FOR THE ZOO.
I ALSO HAVE A 10 YEAR OLD THAT LOVES THE ZOO AND APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING AND THIS REPORT AND JUST THE EFFORTS BEING MADE TO MAKE THE ZOO OR CONTINUE TO MAKE THE ZOO THE GREAT PLACE THAT IT IS.
UM, WHAT, ONE QUESTION ABOUT COSTS, AND I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT, BUT DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH THIS IS, THESE INCIDENTS ARE GOING TO COST THE ZOO BETWEEN ENHANCED SECURITY OR LOST REVENUE FOR THE DAYS THAT WE HAD TO CLOSE OR ADDITIONAL DEBT COSTS? OR HAVE WE PAID THE REWARD MONEY AS AN EXAMPLE? LIKE WHAT? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
THE REWARD MONEY IS, UH, WE'RE STILL GONNA BE WORKING WITH THE D P D ON THAT EXACTLY WHAT THE QUALIFIERS FOR WHAT IT IS.
BUT WE KNOW WE HAVE SOME GREAT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HELPED OUT WITH THAT, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE TAKE CARE OF THAT.
UM, SO IN PROCESS, UM, THE NUMBERS AREN'T ADDED UP YET.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, PART OF IT IS, UM, I CAN TELL YOU WHAT WE SPENT RIGHT NOW.
[00:55:01]
HONESTLY IT'S, IT'S A FRACTION OF WHAT WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA GET ONCE THE SECURITY CONSULTANT'S DONE AND, AND AT THE, AND I THINK WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT ONCE WE GET THROUGH THAT 45 DAY PROCESS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE AT MULTIPLE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO DO THIS.
HOW MANY, HOW MANY TOTAL DAYS DID THE ZOO HAVE TO CLOSE BECAUSE OF THESE INCIDENTS? EXCUSE ONE.
I THINK IT WAS, SO IT WAS, IT WAS ONE FOR THE LEOPARD AND THEN WHEN THE ICE HAPPENED WAS RIGHT ON THAT DAY WITH THE TA AND WE WERE CLOSE FOR I THINK FOUR DAYS WE'RE CLOSE ANYWAY.
AS SOON AS THE CLOUD LEOPARD GOT BACK, WE HAD THE CROWD MM-HMM.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE PEOPLE ARE COMING BACK AND THEY FEEL SAFE AND THEY WANT TO SEE THESE ANIMALS.
I HAVE A 10 YEAR OLD AND A 12 YEAR OLD WHO REPRESE ZOO TOO.
AND, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, TISSUES IN OUR HOUSE ABOUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE ANIMALS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THE GREATEST THING I THINK WE, WE HAVE GOING HERE AS WELL IS PARTNERSHIP.
I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, YES, THE FUNDING'S IMPORTANT.
THE BOND PROGRAM IS SOMETHING WE, WE, WE, WE, WE, UH, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US FOR MANY REASONS.
IT CAN BE IMPORTANT FOR SECURITY AS WELL AS WE EMBED THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER ITEMS INTO IT.
UM, SO WE DEFINITELY WANT TO WANNA BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
THE OTHER PIECE IS, UM, I'M REALLY PROUD THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET TWO MONTHS OUTTA THE YEAR WHERE YOU CAN COME IN FOR $8 TO THE ZOO IN THE TODAY'S AGE, WHERE WHILE THESE PRICES ARE GOING UP FOR FAMILIES, WE HAVE TWO MONTHS OF $8 PRICING.
THE FIRST TUESDAY EVERY MONTH, WE CALL IT TIGER TUESDAY'S HALF PRICE.
WE DO $2 DAYS WHERE EVERYBODY COMES IN FOR A DOLLAR.
AND YOU'D BE SURPRISED IN TODAY'S DAY AND AGE WITH ALL THE TECHNOLOGY AND THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT NEVER CAN COME TO THE ZOO UNLESS THEY HAVE THOSE, THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO COME OUT FOR OUR FAMILY FOR $12.
AND, AND THIS PARTNERSHIP HELPS US KEEP THOSE, THOSE OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT PEOPLE CAN VISIT THE ZOO.
I'M A PRODUCT HERE BECAUSE I VISITED THE COLUMBUS ZOO WHEN I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD.
THEY CAN'T GO TO AFRICA, THAT'S FINE.
THEY CAN LEARN ABOUT ANIMALS AND WILDLIFE RIGHT HERE IN DALLAS, THE BIGGEST ZOO IN TEXAS, UH, THAT'S ONLY GETTING BIGGER AS WE GO AND BETTER.
UM, AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR, FOR THIS SPEAKING AND FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND FOR YOUR TRANSPARENCY.
MY HEART GOES OUT TO YOU WELL, BECAUSE AS, AS YOU WERE, AS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TRAUMA THAT THE ANIMALS EXPERIENCE AND THE STAFF MEMBERS THAT CARE FOR THE ANIMALS DAY IN AND DAY OUT THROUGH ALL THE ELEMENTS, THAT JUST REALLY HIT ME HARD.
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SPEAK ON THIS, BUT IS, UM, IS THERE ANYTHING BEING DONE TO WORK WITH EMPLOYEES THAT WAS, THAT I'M SURE THAT WAS SO TRAUMATIC FOR THEM, WORK WITH THEM AND AS WELL WITH THE ANIMALS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS TRAUMA? YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY, UH, YES.
WE HAVE SOME HR PROGRAMS THAT HAVE COME IN THERE TO REALLY, UH, HELP STAFF WORK THROUGH SOME OF THAT TRAUMA.
WE HAVE, UM, THOSE PROGRAMS ALREADY ALIGNED WITH OUR HR DEPARTMENT AT THE ZOO.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW IS, IS THE ZOOS ARE A BIG FAMILY AND THE NUMBER OF CARDS AND COOKIES AND THINGS THAT CAME IN FROM ZOOS AS FAR AWAY AS AM MYSTIC AQUARIUM UP, UH, IN, IN THE NORTHEAST CONNECTICUT TO, UM, DIFFERENT MILITARY SETTING UP.
IF THEY'RE SAYING, HEY, HANG IN THERE, WE'RE WITH YOU.
YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S TERRIBLE.
THIS IS HAPPENING, BUT YOU'LL GET THROUGH IT.
AND SO THAT, THAT KIND OF SUPPORT, NOT ONLY FROM OUR ZOO COMMUNITY, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THIS, THIS COMMUNITY HERE IN DALLAS THAT REACHED OUT THAT WE, WE PROBABLY NEVER BE ABLE TO TELL YOU, BUT NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT CALL US AND SAID, WHAT CAN WE DO? IT'S PHENOMENAL.
AND, AND THANK YOU ALSO, AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, UH, MAKING THE ZOO ACCESSIBLE TO MAKE PERHAPS PEOPLE THAT WOULDN'T OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE IN DISTRICT FIVE AND PLEASANT GROWTH, AND YOU'VE HAD LIKE THE DISTRICT DAYS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BENEFITED FOR THAT.
SO THANK YOU FOR HELPING AND MAKE THE DALLAS ZOO EQUITABLE SPACE.
UM, WHEN I FIRST MOVED TO DALLAS 25, 26 YEARS AGO, UH, THE DALLAS ZOO WAS NOT THE ZOO TO GO TO.
AND THE REPUTATION HAS CHANGED, AND OUR ZOO IS ONE OF THE BEST ZOOS.
UM, YOU GUYS HAVE WORKED REALLY, REALLY HARD.
UM, AND I MEAN, COLLECTIVELY THE TEAM OVER THE YEARS HAS WORKED REALLY HARD TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, SOME THINGS THAT I'M PROUD OF, LIKE PRISCILLA, UM, LAST YEAR I WAS, WE WERE AFFORDED, WHAT, 500 TICKETS TO GET TO THE COMMUNITY.
I CHOSE TO GIVE THOSE TO, UM, SOME ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
[01:00:01]
AND THEY DID, UM, FIELD TRIPS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWO OR THREE YEARS BECAUSE OF COVID.THEY HADN'T BEEN OUT ANYWHERE.
AND I THINK ONE ENTIRE SCHOOL, OR THEY SENT TWO OR THREE GRADES FROM THREE DIFFERENT, FOUR DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, FIVE, AND THEN A FEW SMALLER GROUPS.
UM, SO 500 KIDS AND MY DISTRICT SEVEN ALONE GOT TO COME EXPERIENCE THE ZOO.
AND I WAS LIKE, I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST LUCKY THAT I GET THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE BACK TO, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I THINK THAT, UH, WHAT YOU DO FOR THE COMMUNITY, UM, IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE DOLLARS COMING IN FOR ADMISSIONS.
UM, SOMETIMES IT'S BRINGING THE COMMUNITY IN AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, EDUCATING, THERE'S OPPONENTS OF ZOOS, BUT THAT MIGHT BE THE ONLY CHANCE SOMEBODY GETS TO SEE A GIRAFFE OR FEED A GIRAFFE OR TOUCH A GIRAFFE OR, YOU KNOW, DO ANY OF THESE THINGS.
I GOT TO TOUCH A, A FLAMINGO, UM, DURING THE CHRISTMAS EVENT, AND I WAS EXCITED AS I COULD BE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, KIDS OF ALL AGES, YOU KNOW, APPRECIATE THOSE KIND OF THINGS AND, YOU KNOW, THE ZOO COMING OUT TO SCHOOLS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, IT, IT, IT'S AMAZING WHAT YOU GUYS DO.
UM, ANYTIME WE REACH OUT, UM, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, TAKEN CARE OF.
UM, SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
UM, AND SEEING THE, THE TRAUMATIC PARTS GO THROUGH, UM, IT, IT, IT'S NOT FUN FOR ANYBODY, BUT YOU ALL CAME THROUGH IT WELL.
UM, AND YOU'LL, YOU RESPONDED WELL.
YOU KEPT YOUR MISSION, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE ANIMALS.
UM, AND THAT'S THE IMPORTANT THING.
UM, AND ONE THING I'D LIKE TO SEE IS A, LIKE A TIKTOK, SEEING THE BABIES, LIKE EVERY TIME YOU SEE BABIES, LIKE GET THEM OUT ON, CUZ BABY ANIMALS GET TRACTION.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, GO ON THAT, UM, TRACTION FROM ALL THE MEDIA THAT WE HAD AND GO BACK WITH THOSE, SOME REALLY POSITIVE THINGS.
AND YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO ADD IS THAT WE NEVER LOSE SIGHT EITHER AS A ZOO BOARD OR ZOO STAFF.
AND WE'RE A DALLAS ZOO, WE'RE YOUR ZOO.
SO OUR SUCCESS IS DUE TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY, THE COMMUNITY, AND THE ZOO ITSELF.
IT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE OF THAT PARTNERSHIP.
MR. UH, MR. JENKINS JUST REMINDED ME, UH, YOU OH, SIR, THERE.
OH, UH, MR. BLAIR, UH, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
UH, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO, UH, WE REPRESENTATIVES, UH, UH, MS. FINKELMAN, ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE RECENT, UH, ISSUES WITH ZOO AND, AND PEOPLE TAMPERING WITH THINGS HAS NOT BEEN THE EASIEST TO DEAL WITH.
BUT I THINK WHAT COULD BE LOST IN SOME OF THAT, UH, IS EXACTLY WHAT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID.
AND THAT IS HOW HARD Y'ALL WORK TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THIS JEWEL OF THE CITY, WHICH SITS IN DISTRICT FOUR SHAMELESS PLUG, UM, IS, IS SOMETHING THAT ALL OF THE CITY CAN REACH, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT ALL OF THE CITY CAN FEEL.
AND WITH ALL OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S HAPPENING AROUND IT, UM, THE ZOO IS THE CATALYST FOR A LOT OF WHAT MAKES, UM, DISTRICT FOUR AND, AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT'S AROUND IT REALLY GREAT.
SO THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR CARING FOR THIS PUBLIC JEWEL IN SUCH, UH, SUCH, UH, AN INTENSIVE WAY.
UM, AND ANY MORE SUPPORT THAT WE CAN OFFER, WE WILL, UH, AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, SHARING MORE UPDATES ABOUT THE NEW SECURITY PLAN THAT Y'ALL ARE UNDERGOING TO BETTER PROTECT AND SERVE, UH, THE ANIMALS THAT ARE THERE AND TO MAKE OUR ZOO A BETTER PLACE.
MR. JENKINS JUST REMINDED ME THAT OUR STAFF IS ALSO ACTIVELY WORKING ON THOSE SECURITY ENHANCEMENT WITH THEIR TEAM AND SUPPORTING WHATEVER WAY WE CAN.
AND THEY'LL BE ACTIVELY, UH, WORKING ON THE BOND AS IT COMES TO FOR PATIENT TO SEE WHERE, WHERE I THINK IT CAN BE PLACED TO PROVIDE YOU ANY.
NOW WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR LEADERSHIP AND, UH, UH, LEAST THAT DOESN'T TAKE YOU OFF THE HOOK.
SO, YEAH, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE MOST FAMOUS MONKEYS IN THE WORLD.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD START CHARGING FOR SELFIES WITH MONKEYS
WITH THAT, WE'LL COME TO OUR NEXT BRIEFING, UH, MS. JOHNSON.
[01:05:06]
MORNING, MR. CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR FAVORITE TREE GUY HERE TODAY.
UM, INTERIM, UH, AREA MANAGER, UH, MCMASTER.
AND, UH, HE HAS A VERY INTERESTING, UH, BRIEFING IN REGARD TO HISTORICAL TREES.
UH, CHRIS HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH, UH, THE URBAN FOREST TASK FORCE.
THEY'VE, UH, REALLY TAKING ON A LOT OF INITIATIVES AND THIS IS JUST ONE, UH, THEY'RE REALLY RECOGNIZES THE RICH HISTORY OF OUR DALLAS PARK SYSTEM.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN OVER TO CHRIS AND HE'S GONNA BUILD A MAJOR HIGHLIGHT ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN DALLAS.
YOU GUYS KNOW, I'M ALWAYS EXCITED TO COME AND TALK ABOUT TREES WITH, AND THIS IS JUST THE LATEST EXAMPLE.
UM, YEAH, WE'VE HAD THE ABILITY FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
WE'VE HAD THE ABILITY FOR SEVERAL YEARS TO, UM, PROTECT TREES AND, AND GIVE TREES A HISTORIC STATUS.
AND, UH, IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF BEEN ON THE BACK BURN.
SO FOR US TO BE TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT TREES FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE AND PROTECT TREES, AND ESPECIALLY SOME OF OUR OLDEST AND, AND, UH, LARGEST TREES, IT'S A PRETTY, PRETTY BIG DEAL.
SO I'M GONNA RUN THROUGH THIS REAL QUICK.
SO HERE'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR TODAY.
UH, JUST TO BRIEF, YOU GUYS LET YOU KNOW THE WORK THAT'S GOING IN THAT, THAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, LOOKING AT THESE TREES, UM, SEARCHING FOR, UH, AREAS WHERE WE CAN DESIGNATE TREES AS HISTORIC AND TO, TO PROVIDE THOSE HISTORIC TREES WITH ADDITIONAL RETURNS.
SO HERE'S KIND OF THE PROCESS.
UM, HISTORIC TREES HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY COUNCIL, SO WE'RE IN THAT PROCESS.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE ALL AWARE OF THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON AND, AND WE'RE PREPARING TO GO TO COUNCIL WITH THIS STUFF.
UM, ULTIMATELY THESE TREES WILL BE PROTECTED FROM DEVELOPMENT.
AND I GET THE QUESTION QUITE OFTEN.
WELL, THE TREES ARE ALREADY ON PARKS, RIGHT? THEY'RE ALREADY PROTECTED.
UM, AS EACH ONE OF, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT ON PARKS.
UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO, TO STEP UP AND PICK UP SOME SLACK AND PROTECTING TREES THROUGH OUR OWN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO THIS IS JUST ANOTHER AVENUE THAT WE CAN TAKE TO GET TO THAT POINT.
UM, SO FOR, FOR DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES, THE TREES CAN'T BE REMOVED WITHOUT, ONCE AGAIN, GOING TO THE COUNCIL AND GETTING APPROVAL.
UM, BUT WE CAN STILL REMOVE TREES IF THEY'RE DEEMED BE HAZARDOUS OR DANGEROUS.
SO OBVIOUSLY I'LL BE WORKING, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THESE TREES.
UM, IF THERE'S A CASE WHERE SOMEONE FEELS LIKE THE TREE'S COMPROMISED OR THE CONDITION DICTATES, I'LL BE REVIEWING ANY KIND OF ASSESSMENT FOR THAT TREE FOR REMOVAL.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, THIS IS GONNA GIVE SOME EXPOSURE TO OUR TREES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE, YOU KNOW, EACH ONE OF THESE TREES WILL BE ON OUR WEBSITES, OBVIOUSLY, BUT ALSO OUR PARTNER WEBSITES, AND IN THIS CASE THE TEXAS HISTORIC TREE COALITION.
SO A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND ABOUT OUR PARTNER, THE TEXAS HISTORIC TREE COALITION.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN DOING THIS STUFF FOR DECADES.
THEY'VE BEEN GOING OUT AND IDENTIFYING TREES TO DESIGNATE US HISTORIC OR HERITAGE TREES.
THEY WERE ESTABLISHED IN 1995 AND THEY WERE ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED RIGHT HERE.
UM, SO A LOT OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO IS IN DALLAS OR, YOU KNOW, THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
UM, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH THEM.
AND WE'VE RECENTLY BEEN ELECTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR TEXAS HISTORIC COALITION.
[01:10:01]
SO I KNOW WHERE THEIR HEART IS AND I KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.UM, AND IT'S DEFINITELY IN THE RIGHT PLACE, AND THEY'RE VERY EXCITED, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE FINALLY GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE TREES.
SO THIS IS THE, THE TREES OR GROVES THAT ARE UP FOR NOMINATION CURRENTLY.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, ALL FOUR OF THESE WERE SUBMITTED BY THE TEXAS HISTORIC TREE COALITION THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
UM, IN TOTAL, THEY HAVE APPLIED FOR SEVEN DIFFERENT PROPERTIES, LOCATIONS, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, FOUR OF THEM ARE ON PARK PROPERTY.
SO WE HAVE THE VAST MAJORITY, AND WE'LL GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE SITES A LITTLE BIT.
SO VERSUS THE DELEY PLAZA GROVE, I THINK EVERYONE HERE IS AWARE OF THE HISTORY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT SITE.
UM, AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU'LL FIND IS WHAT WE'VE GOT SOME VERY LARGE LIVE OAKS ON THE SITE.
IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT SIZE, RIGHT? UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME DISTINCTION BETWEEN SIZE AND SAY AGE AND THE HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A FEW COMING TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS WORK.
AND IN THIS CASE, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE TREES AS BEING WITNESSES TO THE HISTORIC EVENTS OF THAT DAY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF EYES ON THIS PROPERTY.
WE OBVIOUSLY WANT TO DO THE VERY BEST THAT WE CAN TO TAKE CARE OF THESE TREES AND PROTECT THEM MOVING FORWARD.
UM, THIS IS AT THE DALLAS HERITAGE VILLAGE AT OLD CITY PARK.
UM, IT'S A VERY LARGE BUR OAK.
UH, I CAN SAY THAT THERE ARE OTHER, WELL, ONE OTHER LARGE BUR OAK ON A SIDE THAT'S ALREADY IN DECLINE.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF LOSING THAT SECOND TREE.
BUT THIS TREE IS ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT.
I KNOW THIS PICTURE DOES NOT DO WITH JUSTICE CAUSE IT'S A LEARNING PICTURE, BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL TREE THAT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE PAVILION.
UM, IT'S WELL KNOWN THAT, UH, DIFFERENT NATIVE AMERICAN GROUPS USE THE SITE, UH, AS A WATER SOURCE AND A GATHERING AREA.
BASICALLY, THE CITY OF DALLAS HAS A LOT OF HISTORY AT THAT PROPERTY, UM, WITH IT BEING REALLY THE ONE OF THE FIRST WATER SOURCES IN THE CITY, AND ALSO THE VERY FIRST PARK IN THE CITY.
SO FOR US TO HAVE A TREE, AND YOU CAN IMAGINE BEING THAT TREE AND SEEING ALL THE HISTORY THAT'S TAKEN PLACE ON THAT SIDE, THIS TREE HAS BEEN THERE FOR THE ENTIRE TIME.
SO IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
WE'VE GOT THE POST OAK GROVE AT PIONEER PLAZA.
SO I KNOW I'VE, I'VE SPOKEN WITH MANY OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT POST OAKS ARE TO THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, HISTORICALLY WE HAD A, A, A STRIP OF POST OAKS THAT WENT STRAIGHT ACROSS THE CITY.
AND WE'RE KIND OF HERE IN CITY HALL.
WE'RE KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORY THAT SURROUNDS, UH, IRON PLAZA.
WE HAD OUR, A LOT OF FOUNDERS OF THE CITY BURIED THERE.
AND, UM, IT'S JUST AN ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL GROW.
IF YOU GO AND WALK THROUGH THAT AREA, YOU CAN REALLY TELL THE DIFFERENCE.
WALKING THROUGH A GROVE OF ESSENTIALLY OLD GROWTH TREES FEELS DIFFERENT WALKING THROUGH EVEN A NEW, YOU KNOW, OR A RELATIVELY RECENTLY GROWTH OF TREES THAT WE'RE PLANTED.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, THIS SITE.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT THIS SITE.
UH, IT'S JUST A, IT'S A GREAT LOCATION TO SHOWCASE POST OAKS IN DALLAS.
UM, IT'S A RELATIVELY RARE TREE, AND AS MANY AS YOU KNOW, IT'S THE MOST HIGHLY PROTECTED TREE.
THEN WE COME TO THE CALIFORNIA CROSSING COMMAND MARKER TREE.
UM, THE COALITION DID AGE THIS TREE.
THEY LOOKED AT, UM, ONE OF THE LIMBS AND WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE TREE IS APPROXIMATELY 170 YEARS OLD, EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN'T LOOK VERY LARGE.
YOU, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE FROM THE PICTURE THAT THE ACTUAL TRUNK OF THE TREE IS WHAT'S LAYING ALONG ALONG THE GROUND.
SO THE ORPHAN THAT'S GROWING UP RIGHT IS, UH, SCAFFOLDED LIMBS, WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY GONNA BE SMALLER THAN THE TRUNK.
UM, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE CO CONVENTION NATION CAME OUT.
THEY DID A CEREMONY, DEDICATED THIS TREE AND RECOGNIZED IT AS A INDIAN MARKER TREE.
SO I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES,
[01:15:01]
ESPECIALLY IN THE COURSE OF WHAT I DO, I'VE BEEN CALLED ABOUT THIS TREE.ALL THIS TREE'S FALLING OVER, WE NEED TO GO AND REMOVE THIS TREE,
UM, SO FOR US TO BE ABLE TO FORMALLY PROTECT THIS TREE IS, IS A REALLY BIG DEAL.
NOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THE FOUR THAT HAVE BEEN APPLIED FOR WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS.
UH, THEY CAME TO ME AND ASKED ME, WELL, DO YOU KNOW OF ANYTHING ELSE RIGHT OFF THE C THAT, THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE RECOGNIZED? AND FOR ME IT WAS A PRETTY EASY RESPONSE.
SO THIS IS ONE OF, ONE OF THE PARKS THAT I AM WORKING ON.
THERE IS A GROVE OF BEAUTIFUL POND, I MEAN, VERY LARGE.
THERE'S MAYBE THE LARGEST BOROUGH IN THE CITY ON THIS PROPERTY.
AND WHEN YOU START DIGGING INTO THE HISTORY OF THE SITE, YOU START LOOKING AT WHAT'S TAKEN PLACE THERE OVER THE LAST HUNDRED PLUS YEARS.
YOU FIND OUT THAT THIS WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNATED AS A SEGREGATED PARK.
MAYBE THE ONLY PARK THAT IF WE WENT AND LOOKED AT RIGHT NOW, WE WOULD SAY THAT IS LEGITIMATELY A COMMUNITY PARK.
MANY OF THESE OTHER SEGREGATED PARKS WERE RELATIVELY SMALL IN SIZE, BUT THIS PARK ACTUALLY HAS STILL DOES HAVE A, A BASEBALL FIELD.
UM, IT DID AT THE TIME HAVE A GOLF COURSE ON THIS PART, AND BOTH OF THESE WERE REALLY THE FIRST SITES OF THEIR KIND FOR THIS UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY.
UM, I, I ASKED THE COALITION, THE BOARD TO GO OUT AND LOOK AT THESE DUTIES, AND I GOT OVERWHELMING RESPONSE.
UM, AS WE DOWN THE HISTORY OF THE SIDE AND WE LOOKED AT THE TREES, THEY WERE JUST AMAZED THAT THESE TREES STOOD IN DALLAS AND THE GROVE IS SO INTACT.
OKAY? SO THEY'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
I MEAN, I CHALLENGE YOU TO, TO LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF MOPAR.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT IS A REALLY SPECIAL PLACE AND THESE TREES HAVE SEEN SO MUCH OVER THE PAST HUNDRED PLUS YEARS, AND I'M WORKING ON THE NOMINATION FOR, FOR THIS SITE.
SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? UH, OBVIOUSLY I'M BRIEFING YOU GUYS TODAY.
UH, I DO HAVE A MEMO FOR OUR DIRECTOR.
UM, SO WE NEED TO GET HIS APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD ONCE WE GET THAT APPROVAL, THESE APPLICATIONS AND THAT MEMO WILL BE SENT TO DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S THE DEPARTMENT THAT HOUSES THE CHIEF AR WHO WILL PROCESS THESE APPLICATIONS.
UH, ONCE WE GET APPROVAL THERE, THEY'LL BE BRINGING THOSE TO COUNCIL.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THE APRIL AND APRIL COUNCIL SESSION.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I CAN THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THIS PROCESS EXISTS AT ALL.
HOW IS THE TEXAS COALITION, HOW ARE THEY FUNDED? ARE THEY JUST A VOLUNTEER GROUP OR NON-PROFIT VOLUNTEER, SAID NON-PROFIT.
AND IS THERE ANY TYPE OF MARKER OR ANYTHING THAT GOES BY THESE GROWS OR TREES ONCE THEY'VE REACHED THE STATUS OF HAVING THIS DESIGNATION? YEAH, IT'S A BIT OF A CASE BY CASE.
UM, AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THERE ARE SITES WHERE, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE WANTS TO CELEBRATE AND AND APPRECIATE THOSE TREES, BUT THERE'S ALSO AREAS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THOSE TREES MAY GET VANDALIZED.
I THINK IT'S FITTING, CONSIDERING THE PREVIOUS BRIEFING.
I MEAN, SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST WANT TO DESTROY THINGS.
UM, SO REALLY WE'RE PROTECTING THEM FROM OURSELVES BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THE PARKS IN A WAY.
UM, DEPENDING ON DIFFERENT AREAS, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THIS IS FOUR OF SEVEN THAT ARE ON PUBLIC LAND.
THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE ON PRIVATE LAND.
UH, I THINK EVERY TIME WE, WE LOOK AT ONE OF THESE PROPERTIES, UH, WE NEED TO TAILOR IT TO WHAT, WHO, YOU KNOW, WHO WE NEED TO PROTECT IT FROM.
AND I THINK IN THE CASE OF PARKLAND,
[01:20:03]
PART OF THAT PROTECTION IS, IS FROM OURSELVES BEING ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE TREES DON'T GET IMPACTED BY SOME CONSTRUCTION PRIVATE.SO, UM, ARE YOU SAYING THAT IN THIS CASE, THE ONE THAT THE MEMO THAT YOU'RE BRINGING IS SPECIFICALLY FOR TREES ON, ON PARKLAND, BUT THIS, UH, THIS COALITION CAN ACTUALLY DESIGNATE TREES THAT ARE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
THEY GO AND DESIGNATE TREES ALL THE TIME, USUALLY, UM, AT THE REQUEST OF THE PROPERTY OWNER.
UM, BUT WHAT WE'VE FOUND IS THERE'S NOT A, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF TEETH IF WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE SOME KIND OF FORMAL PROTECTION, THESE TREES, THEY CAN GO AND DESIGNATE TREES AND PUT A BLACKOUT OR SOMETHING ANYWHERE.
BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT, THEN WHAT, WHAT KIND OF PROTECTION IS THAT REALLY? NOT VERY MUCH.
SO, AND THEN IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IN AND OF ITSELF IS, IS HISTORIC BECAUSE THE CITY OF DALLAS HAS NEVER DESIGNATED A TREE FOR PROTECTION BASED ON ITS HISTORIC VALUE.
UH, I'VE GOT A QUESTION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT.
UH, AND IT RELATES TO A TREE THAT I THINK IS IMMINENTLY WORTHY OF THIS DESIGNATION.
IT'S A HISTORIC TREE IN NORTHWEST DALLAS.
UM, IT'S ON A CHURCH PROPERTY, A CHURCH THAT'S HAS I'VE SEEN OVER THE YEARS IS DECLINE DECLINING, UH, ATTENDANCE.
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IF, IF WE, AND THIS THIS IS TRULY HISTORIC TREE, UH, THAT THE SETTLERS USED TO, UH, GATHER UNDER WHEN THEY WOULD GO UP TO THE WEBB FAMILY'S CHAPEL, WHICH IS NOW IN CARROLLTON, AND THEY NAMED THE CREEK WEBBS CHAPEL ROAD.
CAUSE THAT WAS THE ROAD TO THAT CHAPEL.
AND ALL THE PIONEER FAMILIES WOULD FARMING FAMILIES WOULD GATHER THERE ON SUNDAY, UH, AT THAT TREE CUZ IT WAS EVEN NED WAS SIGNIFICANT.
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN OR IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE FOR THE CITY TO PROTECT THAT TREE IN CASE THAT CHURCH SELLS TO A DEVELOPER? THERE'S A PARCEL OF LAND RIGHT NEXT DOOR THAT A DEVELOPER HAS BOUGHT, UH, THAT THEY INTEND TO PUT A BUNCH OF HOMES IN.
UH, SO IT'S ADJACENT TO AN EXISTING PLANNED HOME DEVELOPMENT.
SO IT'S A HIGHLY AT RISK OF SOMEONE COMING IN AND TAKING IT OUT SOMEDAY.
WHAT CAN BE DONE? MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO GET WITH THE COALITION AND START WORKING OUT THE HISTORY OF THE SITE IN THAT TREE.
UM, SPECIFICALLY MYSELF, I HAVEN'T EVER NOMINATED A TREE FOR HISTORIC PROTECTION.
UM, OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY, SO THIS IS KIND OF REFERRED FOR ME.
UM, I'M LEARNING THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS JUST LIKE ALL OF US ARE.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THE, THE, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRIVATE PROPERTY AND PUBLIC PROPERTY.
UM, THE ORDINANCE IS, UH, A LITTLE MORE RESTRICTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, UM, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? IF WE WANTED TO PROTECT THAT TREE.
UH, SO I WOULD REACH OUT TO THE COALITION.
I WOULD ALSO REACH OUT TO THE PROPERTY OWNER AND SEE IF THEY ARE INTERESTED IN PURSUING A HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
CUZ WHEN IT COMES TO PROPER PROPERTY, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE OWNER ON THE PROPERTY ON BOARD, IT'S GONNA BE A VERY DIFFICULT PROCESS.
SO I'LL JUST, JUST ASK OR JUST THROW OUT THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE LANDMARK COMMISSION IS ABLE TO ENFORCE THINGS ON, UH, DE ON PROPERTIES IN PRIVATE PROPERTIES AND DESIGNATED HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
SO IT SEEMS THERE MAY BE SOME OF MENTAL MECHANISM THAT COULD DO IT FOR TREES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATE LAW IS, BUT I'LL JUST THROW THAT OUT THERE CUZ I, I JUST THINK THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE SO, SUCH IMPORTANT TREES THAT HAPPEN TO BE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY THAT IF THERE'S A POSSIBLE WAY TO GET IT DONE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT CERTAIN TREES, IT'D BE WORTH LOOKING INTO.
SO YOU'D RECOMMEND JUST TALKING TO YOU OFF OFFLINE AND YEAH, I I THINK THAT IF WE CAN GET THE COALITION TO LOOK AT THAT SITE, BECAUSE
[01:25:01]
THAT'S REALLY WHAT THEY DO.I MEAN, THE WORK THAT THEY PUT IN IS GENERALLY IN RESEARCHING THE HISTORY OF THESE SITES.
WE NEED TO MAKE A CASE FOR WHY THE TREE IS HISTORIC, BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU'RE KIND OF STARTING FROM GROUND ZERO.
UM, I TRULY, TRULY BELIEVE IN, IN ALL THESE INITIATIVES AND YOUR DAILY WORK AND THIS PERSPECTIVE OF THIS AS WELL.
UM, AND CONSIDERING THAT THREE OF THESE SPOTS ARE IN D TWO, I GET, I SHOULD GET LIKE TRIPLE THE SUPPORT AND, AND VOTE FOR THIS.
I, I I THINK THIS IS AMAZING AND, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE COALITION AND THEIR PASSION TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, PROTECT THESE TREES.
I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ARE OUR WORST ENEMY AND IN A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE, WE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING DON'T LOOK AT IS THEIR TREES.
AND SO, HEY, LET'S DO THIS GREAT PROJECT, BUT WE NEED TO CUT THIS TREE DOWN AND THIS TREE DOWN TO GET THERE, YOU KNOW? AND SO, BUT YOU, I'VE SEEN MANY, MANY THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED WHERE WE CAN BUILD AROUND, YOU KNOW, THE TREES AND, AND INCORPORATE IT, INCORPORATE INTO HOMES THAT THEY DO THAT IN MEXICO ALL THE TIME.
A A STERILE CASE WILL BE WRAPPED AROUND A TREE THAT'S A TWO-STORY HOUSE IN, IN, YOU KNOW, IN PUEBLO, MEXICO.
AND, AND SO TO HAVE THIS AT THE FOREFRONT RIGHT NOW IS PHENOMENAL.
AND CHRIS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE YOU AND A VERY FEW, YOU KNOW, ONE MAN SHOW OF, OF SORTS AND, AND A SMALL TEAM OF PEOPLE AND THE LEADERSHIP, RENEE, IT IS JUST OUTSTANDING.
THANK, WE APPRECIATE THIS COMMENT.
THANK YOU, MR. MR. GLENN, YOU'RE STILL THERE.
COME TO YOU NEXT, UH, MR. CONNOR.
UM, SO INTERESTED, UH, HEAR ABOUT THE CONVERSATION THAT YOU HAD, UH, SECOND WITH MS. HANEY ABOUT THE DESIGNATION AND THE SIGNAGE AND POTENTIAL.
YOU KNOW, ALL I THINK ABOUT IS LIKE TUMOR TREES, AUBURN, THE PEOPLE ARE JUST GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA DAMAGE TREES JUST BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING THERE TO DAMAGE.
UM, AND SO HOW DO WE PROTECT THOSE TREES IF WE DESIGNATED AND PUT A SIGN YOU'RE NOT GONNA ANSWER NOW, THAT'S FINE.
JUST THOSE WERE HISTORIC TREES AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THEY WERE, THEY WERE POISONED AND HAD A TOTAL LOSS.
UH, UH, I MEAN, I THINK WE'VE SEEN SEVERAL INSTANCES WHERE THAT HAPPENED AND IT, IT KIND OF TAKES ME BACK TO THE COMMENT THAT YOU MADE ON THE PREVIOUS BRIEFING, WHICH IS IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO DESTROY SOME, THEY'RE GOING TO.
SO WE'RE VERY EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
UH, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW, UM, HOW WE'RE GONNA GO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FILLING OUT, PROTECTING ALL THESE TREES.
AND THEN ONCE AGAIN, THE IDEA OF THE, OF THE PROGRAM IS REALLY TO PROTECT THE TREES FROM DEVELOPMENT, NOT NECESSARILY PROTECTING THE TREES FROM PRIVATE CITIZEN.
AND THEN, UH, LAST THING IS, AGAIN, I I SAY, I SAY THE WHOLE TIME YOU AND YOUR TEAM'S WORK IS PHENOMENAL, I'S HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH A GENTLEMAN THAT WORKS FOR A NEIGHBORING CITY AND THEY WERE COMPLIMENTING YOUR TEAM.
UM, THAT WAS ABOUT A WEEK AGO.
SO, AND THEN, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHO HAS SEEN THIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT, UM, YOU GUYS WON SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT HARDWARE AT, UH, THE LAST, UM, UH, CONFERENCE THAT YOU GUYS WERE AT.
SO CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING RECOGNIZED FOR ALL YOUR WORK.
AND OUR, ME AND OUR TEAM IS RELATIVELY SMALL, BUT THEY ARE MIGHTY.
SO IT'S, IT IS REALLY A PLEASURE TO, TO DO THIS JOB AND, AND TO WORK FOR YOU GUYS AND CITIZENS TO PROTECT THESE TREES.
UM, SO YES, UH, MR. MCMASTER IS A TRUE GEM OF A RESOURCE TEST, AND, AND WE SHOULD ALL BE SO GRACIOUS TO HAVE HIS EXPERTISE.
UH, MR. CONNOR LITERALLY JUST STOLE SOME THUNDER THAT I WANTED.
I WANTED TO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, THAT, UH, THAT, UH, HIS TEAM, UH, RECENTLY WON THE INNOVATIVE AWARD, INNOVATIVE PROGRAM AWARD IN FRONT OF THE SOUTHWEST PARK AND RECREATION INSTITUTE.
SO MAYBE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE AND A DAY OFF, UH, IS, UH, IS WARRANTED THERE.
SO, SO, UM, ON SLIDE 11, MY QUESTION IS THIS, UH, MAY I READ THIS AS A CALL TO ACTION FOR US PARK BOARD MEMBERS AND FRIENDS AND, AND FOLKS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, JUST IN LOVE WITH OUR PARKS? UH, CAN I READ THIS AS A CALL TO ACTION FOR US TO LOOK ACROSS OUR OWN NETWORK OF PARKS? UH, MANY OF THESE PARKS ARE NOW THEMSELVES, OLDER THAN A HUNDRED YEARS
[01:30:01]
THEMSELVES, UH, CATALOG ANY TREES THAT WE BELIEVE MIGHT HAVE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE, SUBMIT THEM TO PERHAPS YOU OR YOUR TEAM, UH, AS, AS AN APPLICATION TO CARRY FORWARD TO THAT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.UH, AND I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS, UH, ONCE AGAIN.
UM, AND WE DEFINITELY WANT THE PARK BOARD TO BE INVESTED IN THE, THE PROGRAM AND THE PROCESS.
AND, UH, YOU GUYS SPEND SO MUCH TIME IN YOUR PROSPECTIVE DISTRICTS AND THEN ACROSS THE CITY AS A WHOLE.
SO, UH, I THINK THERE'S VERY FEW PLACES THAT WE COULD GO TO, UH, THAT TO GET, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE SITES, SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE TREES RECOGNIZE THAT I'M COMING RIGHT HERE AND TALKING TO YOU AND HOW PLUGGED IN YOU GUYS ARE TO YOUR COMMUNITIES.
SO, UH, MY DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN AND YOU GUYS ARE ALWAYS FREE TO CALL ME AND DISCUSS ANY POTENTIAL TREES OR SITES THAT YOU FEEL LIKE SHOULD BE OR ARE WORTHY OF HISTORIC DESTINATION.
SORRY, RUDY, WERE YOU, DID YOU HAVE THAT WAS JUST ALSO SAYING GREAT ANSWER AND, AND THANK YOU CHRIS.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
I'M SO EXCITED TO HEAR THIS, CHRIS.
UM, SO I WAS THINKING, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR, IN MANY CULTURES, OUR, A LOT OF THE HISTORY IS NOT WRITTEN DOWN.
IT'S VERY ORAL AND IT'S BEEN PASSED ON FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.
SO I THINK THIS WORK IS EVEN MORE, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE HOPEFULLY IT'LL GET PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY THAT IS NOT WRITTEN, THE HISTORY OF DALLAS THAT IS NOT WRITTEN, YOU KNOW? SO I SEE IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, AND I ALSO SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY, PERHAPS THIS MIGHT BE A CONVERSATION LATER ON DOWN THE ROUND OR DOWN THE ROAD.
AND I'M SURE YOU'VE ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT LIKE, WHENEVER, WHENEVER, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, CHEROKEE AND COMANCHE, UM, WAS IT LIKE A STORYTELLING TYPE OF PLACE OR A MARKER? UM, WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT MAYBE LIKE PARK AND REC WOULD DO, LIKE MAYBE SOME TYPE OF LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BECAUSE, UM, I HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN THAT IN THE CITY SO MUCH.
I KNOW LIKE, YOU KNOW, NATIVE AMERICAN GROUPS HAVE DONE LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER DOING MAYBE IN PARK AND RECREATION ONCE THEY HAVE THAT HISTORICAL DESIGNATION? I MEAN, I THINK THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
AND I MEAN, I WON'T SPEAK EXACTLY TO THAT, BUT I WOULD SAY THE MORE BITS AND PIECES OF THE HISTORY THAT WE CAN BRING TOGETHER AND RECAPTURE WHAT WE CHOOSE TO DO WITH THOSE THINGS, IT'S DEFINITELY A POSITIVE LIGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S POSSIBLE BECAUSE I THINK IT WILL GIVE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY, ESPECIALLY OUR, OUR NATIVE CULTURES, THE OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL SEEN AND TO REALLY FEEL IN INCLUDED, BECAUSE THIS IS THEIR LAND, RIGHT? UM, IT'S A STOLEN LAND.
AND I FEEL LIKE BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE'RE, UM, IT WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT STEP FOR EQUITY IN THE CITY.
UH, MR. KUMI MADE THE GOOD POINT THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE LOOKING WITHIN OUR DISTRICTS FOR TREES.
AND I, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
I, I RECALL, UH, PAGEWOOD PARK HAD A VERY LARGE TREE, A HISTORIC TREE THAT WAS DESTROYED IN THE TORNADO.
AND I DON'T KNOW THE AGE ON THAT ONE, BUT IT WAS, IT'D BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, BUT HAVE Y'ALL BEEN LOOKING AT OTHER TREES BESIDES THESE THAT YOU'D WANT TO CONSIDER MAYBE IN THE SECOND ROUND? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, IN FACT, WE JUST SUBMITTED, UH, A TREE IN ON OPPORTUNITY PARK.
WE JUST HAPPENED TO BE OUT THERE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, SOME SCHEDULING FOR SOME OPERATIONAL WORK, AND THE TREE JUST KIND OF STOOD OUT TO ME, UM, HAPPENS TO BE NEXT TO, UH, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT CEMETERIES.
SO, UM, WE CALLED THE, THE A M FOUR SERVICE, WE BROUGHT THEM OUT, WE DID ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS, OFFICIAL MEASUREMENTS, AND WE FOUND OUT THAT WE HAVE THE SECOND LARGEST BLACKJACK O IN THE STATE OF TEXAS ON ONE OF OUR PARKS, UH, VERY CLOSE TO BEING THE STATE CHAMPION.
UM, SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING, UM, BUT ONCE AGAIN, I WANNA MAKE THE, THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN A TREE THAT MAY BE JUST BIG OR OLD, AND THEN THE AMOUNT OF HISTORY THAT WE CAN TIE TO THAT SITE AND MAKE IT A TREE.
BUT YEAH, ABSOLUTELY, REALLY, AND, AND FOR THOSE OF US THAT MAY NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO LOOK FOR, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SIZE, BUT SOMETHING THAT'S ON A HISTORICAL GROUND OR THAT'S BEEN THERE A LONG TIME, ARE THERE CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR WHEN WE'RE OUT IN OUR PARK? I THINK THAT, UM, FIRST AND
[01:35:01]
FOREMOST, UH, SIZE IS PROBABLY THE EASIEST THING.THE BLACK JACK OAK THAT I JUST MENTIONED ISN'T ANY BIGGER THAN THE OTHER TREES AROUND IT.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE A DIFFICULT THING TO, TO REALLY STAND OUT UNLESS YOU ARE AWARE THAT THAT SPECIES IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED A MEDIUM SIZE TREE.
BUT WHEN THE MEDIUM SIZE TREE IS JUST AS BIG OR BIGGER THAN THE LARGE TREES, THEN IT WOULD STAND OUT.
BUT THERE ARE MANY CASES WHERE YOU MAY SEE A TREE OR YOU JUST GET A DIFFERENT FEELING BY BEING IN THAT AREA.
IF YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN IDENTIFY THAT AND TIE THAT TO SOME BIT OF HISTORY, UM, IT'S DEFINITELY WORTH CONSIDERATION.
THANK YOU MR. STEWART, YOUR HONOR.
IT, IT LOOKED LIKE IN THE PRESENTATION YOU WERE LOOKING IN SOME INSTANCES IT GROVES OF TREES, NOT JUST INDIVIDUAL TREES.
SO I, I ASSUME WHEN WE'RE LOOKING, IF WE SEE GROVES LIKE THE PECAN GROVE AT FLAG BULL HILL AND OLIVE SHAPIRO FARM, FOR EXAMPLE, IN MY, WE SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THOSE AND SURE.
THAT THE SECOND QUESTION I HAVE IS, I, I KNOW WE HAD A PRESENTATION ON THE, ON THE EMERALD DASHBOARD AND MR. WINE WAS GONNA BE DESIGNATED TO GO INTO THE SNAKE VESTED AREAS AND LOOK FOR, LOOK FOR TREES.
AND UH, SO IS HE LOOKING FOR TREES AS HE'S GOING BACK INTO THOSE, UH, THOSE ARE PARTS OF OUR PARKS THAT MANY OF US NEVER, NEVER VENTURE INTO BECAUSE OF THE WHAT MIGHT BE THERE THAT WE DON'T WANT TO RUN INTO THE NATURE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND SO AS PART OF WHAT HE'S DOING, HE'S DOING, Y'ALL ARE LOOKING FOR TREES THAT'S PART OF THAT? YEAH, HE'S, I MEAN, HE'S OUT DEFINITELY LOOKING AT ASH AND HE'S CATEGORIZING, UH, YOU KNOW, SIZE SPECIES CONDITION.
BUT IF HE FINDS SOMETHING THAT JUST REALLY STANDS OUT, THEN GENERALLY I GET THE CALL AND WE GO OUT AND LOOK AT IT TOGETHER.
AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DETERMINE IF THAT SPECIFIC TREE.
UM, UH, MR. BLAIR, I KNOW YOU WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT.
UH, MR. CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, ADDRESS THIS HISTORIC PRESENTATION ON TREES.
UH, AND REALLY THANK YOU, UM, FOR ADDRESSING, UH, MOORE PARK, WHICH IS HISTORIC IN NATURE, UM, AND THAT SOME OF THE, UH, OLDEST AND LARGEST LIVING TREES IN THE CITY ARE THERE RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND JUST SOME OF THE HISTORY ABOUT THE, THE COURSE THAT WAS THERE AND HOW IT HAS TRULY SERVED COMMUNITY AS A COMMUNITY PARK.
UM, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT SOME OF THE BEST RESOURCES IN THE CITY SIT IN HISTORICALLY BLACK COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO THAT'S JUST A GREAT, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT BLACK HISTORY, ESPECIALLY, UH, AS BLACK HISTORY IS REALLY UNDER ATTACK ACROSS THE STATE.
IT'S ILLEGAL FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN ABOUT IT.
AND SOMETHING IS, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, AS IMPACTFUL AS A HISTORIC TREE, UH, TAKING US TO A HISTORIC PARK IN A HISTORIC COMMUNITY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THAT, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS MONTH.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, UH, ON BEHALF OF OUR CITY TO MAKE SURE WE PRESERVE WHAT MAKES DALLAS GREAT.
UM, I APPRECIATE TREES GROWING UP ON A FARM THAT IS MAJORITY MAPLE TREES.
UM, I PLANTED TREES WHEN I WAS LITTLE AND THEY'RE BIGGER THAN THE HOUSE AND THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY HUGE AT THIS POINT.
UM, SO I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, SAVING THEM.
UM, PROGRESS WITH CONSTRUCTION IS NOT ALWAYS NICE TO THE HISTORY OF OUR TREES IN THE CITY.
UM, THERE WAS A AREA IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IT LOOKED PARK-LIKE, AND IN ONE AFTERNOON THE DEVELOPER CAME IN AND JUST KNOCKED EVERY ONE OF THOSE TREES DOWN REAL QUICK.
NOBODY HAD ANYTHING THAT THEY COULD SAY ABOUT IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY PAID FOR THAT, BUT IT WAS JUST DONE.
UM, I WORRY IF WE NAMED THESE TREES AND POINT OUT THESE TREES, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE TARGETS OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, HOW ARE WE GONNA PROTECT THEM FROM PEOPLE CLIMBING ON 'EM, YOU KNOW, CARVING THEIR NAME IN 'EM? UM, YOU KNOW, JUST ANYTHING THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE EVIL AND NOT ALL, LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE WANNA DO BAD THINGS TO, UM, THINGS.
[01:40:01]
DO WE KEEP THAT FROM HAPPENING? WE DON'T WANNA PUT AN EIGHT FOOT RAZOR BLADE, UM, FENCE AROUND EVERY ONE OF THESE TREES THAT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, GONNA BE SAVED HISTORICALLY.SO I, I THINK THAT'S A DELICATE BALANCE.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WANT TO GO OUT FOR EVERY TREE WORRY ABOUT THAT, BUT TREES IN GENERAL, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY TO WATCH THEM GROW AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME OF THESE HISTORIC TREES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THE LARGEST THIS, THAT IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S OVER, MAYBE WE CAN START SOME SEEDLINGS FROM THAT OR SOME, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO THEY DO WHEN THEY SPLICE A LITTLE BIT AND, YOU KNOW, TRY TO, YOU KNOW, GROW SOMETHING OFF FROM THE ORIGINAL TREE SO THAT WE HAVE THAT HISTORIC TREE, UM, REGROWING.
I THINK IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A FUN THING THAT WE COULD DO AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR TREES.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE TREE PLANTINGS.
CAUSE I KNOW YOU DO HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF TREES EVERY YEAR.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THOSE TREES TO OUR PARKS FOR OUR PEOPLE.
CHRIS, THANK YOU FOR INCREDIBLE WORK.
APPRECIATE IF I COULD JUST ONE MORE COMMENT.
UH, WE HAVE SUBMITTED, UH, A SESSION FOR N IPA THIS YEAR, SPECIFICALLY TO TALK ABOUT MOORE PARK AND THE HISTORIC TREES ON THE SITE.
SIR, THERE, PLEASE CHECK IT OUT.
PRESIDENT AL AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT OUR 2024 BOND PROGRAM SCORING CRITERIA PLEASURE USED TO HAVING TECHNOLOGY HERE.
UM, OUR MAIN PURPOSE TODAY IS PREVIEW REVIEW AND APPROVE THE SCORING CRITERIA FOR THE 2024 BOND PROGRAM.
I WILL NOTE THAT WE DID TAKE THIS SCORING CRITERIA TO THE PLANNING AND DESIGN COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 26TH.
THEY HAVE REQUESTED SOME CHANGES, SO WE DID TAKE IT BACK TO THEM ON FEBRUARY 9TH AND DID GAIN A CONSENSUS FROM THEM.
SO WE'RE BRINGING IT HERE TO YOU TO BASICALLY GET YOUR CONSENSUS THAT WE CAN FORWARD.
SO LOOKING AT OUR 2024 SCORE CRITERIA GUIDELINES, WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF BOND AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE WORKING ON THEIR INDIVIDUAL SCORING CRITERIA.
AND THE GUIDELINES THAT WE WERE PROVIDED WAS THAT EACH DEPARTMENT'S SCORING CRITERIA MUST EQUAL A HUNDRED POINTS.
THE EQUITY GUIDELINES WERE TO BE DETERMINED BY EACH DEPARTMENT, AND THAT OVERLAPPING DEPARTMENT PROJECTS ARE ACCOUNTED FOR USING A CALCULATED PERCENTAGE FACTOR AND AN INTERACTIVE PROJECT MAP.
AND BASICALLY WHAT THAT MEANS IS ONCE WE GET OUR PROJECTS DETERMINED, IF THERE ARE TWO OR THREE PROJECTS IN THE SAME AREA, LIKE LET'S SAY WE HAVE A PARK PROJECT IN THE AREA, DWU HAS A STORMWATER PROJECT, AND, UM, PUBLIC WORKS HAS A ROAD PROJECT ALL IN THE SAME AREA, THAT WILL GET SOME ADDITIONAL POINTS ADDED TO IT JUST BECAUSE OF PROXIMITY, UM, TO THE PROJECTS.
WE MAY NOT HAVE AS MANY OF THIS HAPPEN IN THE PARK DEPARTMENT JUST BECAUSE OUR PROJECTS ARE NOT WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY, WHEREAS MOST OF THE OTHER, UM, DEPARTMENT'S PROJECTS ARE WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL CONSIDER IT AND LOOK AT AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
SO OUR 2024 PROPOSED SCORING CRITERIA, WE HAVE OUR DEPARTMENT TECHNICAL SCORING CRITERIA, WHICH ARE LISTED HERE.
WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THESE IN, IN GREAT DETAIL WHEN WE GET TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
OUR SECOND SET OF CRITERIA IS OUR CITY COUNCIL AND PARK BOARD PRIORITY, WHICH INCLUDES THE PARK BOARD AND CITY COUNCIL PRIORITY AND COMMUNITY INPUT.
AND OUR LAST SET OF CRITERIA IS EQUITY CRITERIA, WHICH INCLUDES SOCIAL VULNERABILITY, PARK ACCESS, AND PARK INVESTMENT.
SO LOOKING AT OUR 2024 PROPOSED TECHNICAL SCORING CRITERIA, WE HAVE A WEIGHTED PERCENTAGE UP TO 50%.
SO OUR PROPOSED TECHNICAL SCORING CRITERIA ACCOUNTS FOR 50 OUT OF THE A HUNDRED POINTS THAT WE TOTALLY HAVE IN OUR LEVERAGE AND FUNDING MATCH IS FIVE POINTS.
[01:45:01]
IS THREE POINTS, ECONOMIC STIMULANT IS THREE POINTS.SAFETY CODE AND HUMAN HEALTH IS 10 POINTS.
OUR IMPACT ON O AND M COSTS AND ENERGY USE IS EIGHT POINTS.
IF SOMETHING IS IN AN EXISTING MASTER PLAN, IT CAN GET AWARDED UP TO FOUR POINTS.
IF IT'S A PROJECT THAT IS CONTINUING, UM, ON A PRIOR PHASE THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, IT CAN BE AWARDED UP TO FOUR POINTS.
IF IT'S A PROJECT THAT IS AT THE END OF ITS SERVICE LIFE SUCH AS A PLAYGROUND OR SOMETHING OF THAT EFFECT, IT CAN BE AWARDED UP TO EIGHT POINTS.
AND IF IT MEETS A LEVEL OF A SERVICE GAP, IT COULD BE AWARDED UP TO FIVE POINTS.
SO IF YOU ADD ALL OF THOSE TOGETHER, THAT'S HOW WE GET TO OUR 50 POINTS FOR OUR TECHNICAL SCORING CRITERIA.
AND GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS OUR PROPOSED CITY COUNCIL AND PARK FOURTH CRITERIA.
SO WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 25 POINTS AWARDED IN THIS AREA.
AND BASICALLY THE FIRST 15 POINTS IS FOR PARK BORDER CITY COUNCIL PRIORITY.
AND THIS BASICALLY IS IF THE PROJECT IS DETERMINED BY THE PARK BORDER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER TO BE A PRIORITY IN THIS DISTRICT, IT CAN BE BOARDED UP TO 15 POINTS.
AND THEN THE SECOND IS COMMUNITY INPUT.
AND IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE PLANNING AND DESIGN COMMITTEE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WROTE THIS DEFINITION, SUCH THAT IF THE COMMUNITY HAS EXPRESSED SUPPORT DURING COMMUNITY INPUT OR BOND MEETINGS, OR THROUGH A REQUESTED THE PARK BOARD MEMBER OR PARKS DEPARTMENT, THAT THAT'S INCLUDED IN COMMUNITY INPUT.
BECAUSE NOT ALL PARKS HAVE FRIENDS GROUPS OR THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE ABLE TO ADVOCATE.
SO WE MADE SURE THAT WE INCLUDED IN THE DEFINITION HERE THAT IF THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE, UM, AT COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND EXPRESS SUPPORT, THAT THAT CAN BE INCLUDED WITHIN THESE 10 POINTS.
SO AGAIN, THIS SET OF CRITERIA HAS UP TO 25 POINTS AVAILABLE.
AND THEN LOOKING AT OUR PROPOSED EQUITY CRITERIA, AGAIN, WE HAVE 25 POINTS POTENTIALLY ASSIGNED TO THIS.
AND THE FIRST IS SOCIAL VULNERABILITY.
AND IT UTILIZES THE SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX, WHICH IS BASED ON THE CDC D UTILIZING US CENSUS DATA TO DETERMINE THE SOCIAL VULNERABILITY OF EVERY CENSUS TRACT.
SO BASICALLY WE'RE GETTING THIS INFORMATION FROM ELSEWHERE AND UTILIZING IT, UM, TO LOOK AT OUR PARKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE SECOND CRITERIA IS THE PARK ACCESS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE PROJECT FALLS WITHIN A PARK ACCESS GAP, WHICH BASICALLY IS THAT 10 MINUTE WALK OR HALF MILE.
AND I WANNA NOTE THAT THIS DOES TAKE INTO ACCOUNT PHYSICAL BARRIERS WITHIN THE 10 MINUTE WALK.
YOU MAY RECALL THAT WHEN WE PROVIDED YOU MAPPING OF THE 10 MINUTE WALK IN YOUR AREA, SOME OF THOSE, UM, AREAS WERE ODD SHAPES.
AND THAT'S BASICALLY BECAUSE WE WERE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THOSE BARRIERS.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS PARK INVESTMENT.
UM, WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF PARKS THAT HAVEN'T HAD ANY INVESTMENT IN THE LAST, YOU KNOW, 15, 20, 30 YEARS.
SO THIS INCLUDES UNPROGRAMMED PARKS, BASICALLY IT COULD BE AWARDED UP TO FIVE POINTS.
AND THIS BASICALLY INCLUDES INVESTMENT FOR EVALUATION CATEGORY.
SO IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN THAT, ESSENTIALLY IF PARK HAD A PLAYGROUND INSTALLED, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, BUT IT HASN'T HAD ANYTHING DONE WITH TRAILS OR PATH LIGHTING OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE, JUST BECAUSE IT'S HAD A PLAYGROUND INSTALLED, THAT WILL NOT EXCLUDE IT FROM BEING ABLE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR TRAILS OR LIGHTING OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE WITHIN THE PROGRAM.
SO THAT COMPRISES OUR FINAL 25 POINTS OUT OF OUR HUNDRED.
AND THEN I KNOW I'VE SHOWN THIS TO YOU BEFORE, BUT JUST TO GO ONE MORE TIME, UM, THE PROPOSED 2024 BOND PROGRAM PROCESS, ALL THE TEAMS WITHIN THE CITY RIGHT NOW ARE WORKING ON ESTABLISHING THEIR TECHNICAL CRITERIA AND POLICY AND GOING TO SUBCOMMITTEES.
AND THEN THIS SHOULD BE GOING TO CITY COUNCIL BY MAY OF 2023.
AND THEN WE'RE ALL WORKING ON OUR NEEDS INVENTORY AGAIN.
AND THAT SHOULD BE GOING TO CITY COUNCIL IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023.
WE SHOULD BE RECEIVING THE FIRST ROUND OF PUBLIC INPUT IN OCTOBER OF 2023.
AND THIS SNAKES AROUND TO THE BOTTOM.
SO BOX NUMBER FOUR IS ON THE BOTTOM IN THE MIDDLE.
THEN PRESENT THAT PROPOSED BOND PROGRAM, THEMES OF FINANCIAL CAPABILITY TO COUNSEL IN NOVEMBER, 2023.
DRAFT OUR PROPOSED BOND PROGRAM TO PRESENT IT TO CITY COUNCIL IN DECEMBER, 2023.
IF THERE'S A NEED FOR A SECOND ROUND OF PUBLIC INPUT, UM, THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN DECEMBER, 2023.
IN JANUARY 24, PRESENT THAT FINAL PROPOSED BOND PROGRAM AND FUNDING AMOUNTS IN JANUARY, 2024, A CALL FOR THE BOND ELECTION IN JANUARY, 2024 AS WELL.
AND THEN HAVE THAT BOND ELECTION IN MAY OF 2024.
AND AS I'VE MENTIONED TO YOU BEFORE, ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE TO CITY COUNCIL WILL COME THROUGH PARK BOARD FIRST SO THAT WE GET YOUR APPROVAL BEFORE WE TAKE IT FORWARD ANYWHERE ELSE.
[01:50:03]
SO OUR NEXT STEPS, WE'RE LOOKING TODAY FOR YOUR PARK AND RECREATION BOARD RECOMMENDATION, AND THEN WE WILL BE TAKING THIS TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE.UM, WE'RE TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 17TH, 2023, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO GET THAT MOVED UP TO MARCH 20TH.
SO EITHER WAY, WE ARE PLANNING TO PRESENT THIS TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE EITHER THIS MONTH OR NEXT MONTH, AND THEN IT WILL MOVE FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL FROM THERE.
AND WITH THAT, WE ARE HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
SEE, MR. HAD A QUESTION? YEAH, NO, I JUST WANTED TO SUPPLEMENT.
UM, BECAUSE WE, UH, THIS CAME TO, UH, PLANNING AND DESIGN A COUPLE TIMES.
UM, WE SPENT SIGNIFICANT, UM, TIME AT MULTIPLE MEETINGS ON THIS.
UM, WE RAN LONG, UM, A COUPLE MEETINGS.
UM, TONY WAS TELLING US WE NEEDED TO GET PREPARED FOR THE, FOR THE BOARD MEETING.
UM, BUT UH, IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR, FOR OUR COMMITTEE, AND I THINK EVERYBODY IT IS ON THE COMMITTEE, WOULD AGREE IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMITTEE TO GET THIS RIGHT.
SO WE LITERALLY WENT THROUGH EVERY CATEGORY IN DETAIL.
UM, THE THREE THAT WE FOCUSED MOST ON, AND AS, AS CHRIS HAS SAID, UM, WAS THE COMMUNITY INPUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE GOT THAT LANGUAGE RIGHT.
UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE AREAS IN THE CITY THAT DON'T HAVE ROBUST FRIENDS GROUPS, UM, THE WALKABILITY, I KNOW THAT WE'VE BROUGHT THAT UP MULTIPLE TIMES IN HERE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS, AS A BIRD FLIES 10 MINUTE WALK, IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN CROSS 15 LANES OF TRAFFIC.
UM, AND IT DOESN'T REALLY COUNT AS A 10 MINUTE WALK.
AND THE LAST WAS THE, UH, PARK INVESTMENT.
SO, UM, FOR INSTANCE, I HAD A PARK THAT HAD, UH, WE FELL VICTIM TO, TO, UH, VANDALISM THROUGH ARSON.
AND, AND SO WE JUST, UH, REPLACED PART OF THE, THE, UH, PLAYGROUND.
UM, BUT THAT WOULD NOT PRECLUDE IT FOR BEING, UM, IN THIS, IN TERMS OF HAVING, NEEDING THE, UH, THE PARK INVESTMENT, UM, AND THE TIMELINE.
SO, UM, REALLY WANNA THANK YOUR TEAM FOR, UM, AND BY THE WAY, WE JUST, THIS, WE WERE BACK AND FORTH OVER EMAILS AS WELL.
SO, UM, REALLY WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE ON THIS.
UM, AND, UH, WENT THROUGH A LOT OF VETTING ON OUR COMMITTEE, UM, AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU SIR, MR. K FOR MENTIONING.
MR. STEWART, UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS AND MR. CONNOR AND YOUR COMMITTEE, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON IT.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
MY FIRST ONE IS ON SLIDE NUMBER FIVE, UH, THERE'S A EIGHT POINT, UH, SCORING FOR A MEET, UH, END OF SERVICE LIFE AND A FIVE POINT SCORING FOR A MEAT LEVEL OF SERVICE.
IT SEEMS TO ME, IF YOU HAVE A PARK THAT HAS NEVER HAD A PLAYGROUND AND YOU HAVE A PARK WITH A PLAYGROUND THAT'S AGING OUT, WHY WOULD YOU LOWER, GIVE A LOWER OPPORTUNITY SCORE TO THE PARK THAT IT NEVER HAD THE PLAYGROUND? IF IT WERE ME, I WOULD FLIP THOSE.
I WOULD DO THE, UH, 5%, UH, TO THE END OF SERVICE LIFE AND 8% TO THE MEAT LEVEL OF SERVICE GAP.
MY NEXT QUESTION, COMMENT IS ON SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN.
AND, UH, I THINK THE ARC INVESTMENT, UH, ITEM SHOULD BE FURTHER EXPANDED.
AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOUR COMMITTEE DID MR. CONNOR, BUT I THINK, UH, IN SOME AREAS WHERE WE'VE DISCOVERED WE HAVE GAPS WHERE WE HAVE NO PARKS AT ALL, WE HAVE, UH, THAT'S NOT A, UH, THAT'S NOT A LACK OF INVESTMENT IN A PARK.
UH, AND SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT LACK OF A PARK AT ALL, UH, SHOULD BE ABLE TO QUALIFY FOR THAT PARK INVESTMENT TYPE THING.
UH, IF YOU'RE ACQUIRING LAND, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE GONNA ACQUIRE LAND, YOU BE ABLE TO SCORE IT WELL THERE BECAUSE YOU ACQUIRE THE LAND AND THEN IMPROVE THE WHAT YOU'RE ACQUIRING, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
WHAT, WHAT DO WE CALL THE, THE GAPS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, PARKS, AND I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT IN YOUR DISTRICT, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, PEOPLE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT PARKS WHEN THEY BUILT OUT, UH, FROM PARK DESERTS, PARK DESERTS, THAT'S IT.
UH, THE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO KNOW IS ON SLIDE NUMBER, UH, SEVEN ON THE SOCIAL VULNERABILITY, DO WE HAVE THAT DATA? WHERE CAN WE FIND THAT DATA ON THE, ON OUR, THE PARKS IN OUR BUSINESS? HOW ARE, I'M ASSUMING THOSE ARE BEING SCORED SOMEHOW.
SOMEONE'S LOOKING AT THAT NOT RIGHT, OR IS
[01:55:01]
IT JUST IF SOMEONE HAS A PROJECT, IT'LL, THEY'LL RUN THROUGH THE ANALYSIS AS OPPOSED TO MAYBE WE'RE MISSING SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT AWARE OF.IF WE HAD THAT DATA, WE COULD, WE COULD LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHERE THE GAPS MIGHT BE IN OUR DISTRICT ON THE SOCIAL VULNERABILITY.
I'M GONNA ASK MEGAN O'NEILL ONE OF OUR PLANNERS TO COME UP AND ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION ON THAT SOCIAL VULNERABILITY.
SO THERE IS A LINK, UM, IN THIS PRESENTATION, WHICH I BELIEVE EVERYBODY USES DIGITALLY.
UM, AND IT'S IN BLUE, THE SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX.
SO WE WILL APPLY THAT TO OUR FIRST.
SO ANYTIME, UH, WE, ONCE WE GO THROUGH OUR SCORING, UM, WE WILL LOOK AT THAT INDEX ON A PART BY PERSON BASIS AND YOU CAN DO THAT YOURSELF AS WELL.
COULD YOU SHARE THAT WITH US? BECAUSE WHILE WE HAVE THAT LINK HERE AND WHILE WE HAVE A PDF OF THIS PRESENTATION, WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A CLICKABLE LINK OF THIS AS WE'RE NOT SITTING IN THIS ROOM TODAY.
SO YES, WE CAN GET THAT TO YOU.
FURTHER QUESTIONS AND HAS NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
UM, THIS IS, SO WHAT I JUST HEARD YOU EXPLAIN THIS, WHEN WE SEE OUR NEEDS INVENTORY THAT, UM, SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX WILL BE APPLIED TO EVERYTHING ON THAT LIST.
IS THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
AS WE GO THROUGH AND APPLY ALL OF THIS CRITERIA IN THE RANKING, YES.
I ONLY HAD ONE QUESTION AND I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY IT GOES TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
WHY DOES IT GO TO THAT COMMITTEE? JUST CURIOUS.
BASICALLY, BECAUSE THAT IS THE COMMITTEE.
WE ARE UNDER DUKE THESIS CITY MANAGER THAT WE REPORT TO.
SO WE COME UP WITH CRITERIA FOR OUR NEEDS INVENTORY AND THEN IT GOES TO THEM FOR THEIR APPROVAL OR JUST REVIEW OR BASICALLY REVIEW TO GET THIS.
DO THEY TYPICALLY COME BACK AND ASK FOR CHANGES? HAS THAT HAPPENED BEFORE OR IS IT JUST SORT OF A HERE'S WHAT WE'RE USING FROM THE LAST.
UM, I THINK THAT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS, UM, ON THIS.
UM, AND I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR SOME OF THESE MASTER PLANS TO BE SHARED WITH US AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN THEM FOR, UM, PROBABLY OVER A YEAR NOW.
UM, WE NEED TO SEE THE SKATE PARK MASTER PLAN, THE DOG PARK MASTER PLAN, THE PLAYGROUND MASTER PLAN, REC CENTER, MASTER PLAN, AND LAND ACQUISITION MASTER PLAN OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THESE CITYWIDE ASKS, UM, WHICH WOULD PUT THE PLAYGROUNDS, UM, OFF OF OUR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS INVENTORY LIST AND COVERED UNDER A MASTER PLAN SO THAT WE AS THE CITY AND THE ART BOARD, WE CAN APPROVE THIS MASTER PLAN THAT IT WOULD COVER OUR CITY.
AND IT WOULD GIVE US A PLAN LIKE WE SHOULD KNOW WHEN THESE PLAYGROUNDS HAVE TO BE, UM, REPLACED BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S NEVER BEEN ONE THAT SHOULD BE THE FIRST PRIORITY, IF IT WAS BURNED DOWN THAT, I MEAN, THAT SHOULDN'T EVEN BE ON THAT LIST.
THAT SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN HANDLED.
END OF LIFE, ALL OF THESE THINGS, YOU HAVE THE DATA ON THIS STUFF, WE NEED TO LIKE PUT THAT DATA IN EFFECT.
LOOK AT, WE NEED TO DO OUT OF 400 PARTS, WE NEED TO DO, YOU KNOW, 200 PLAYGROUNDS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OR 300 PLAYGROUNDS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
WHAT'S OUR PLAN TO GET THERE SO THAT WE CAN SPREAD EQUITY ACROSS OUR CITY WITH A UNIQUE PLAN THAT, HEY, THIS IS IN OUR MASTER PLAN FOR PLAYGROUNDS AND IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AND REALLY THE ONLY VARIATIONS FOR THE PLAYGROUNDS MIGHT BE THE LOOK OF THE PLAYGROUND, THE STYLE OF THE PLAYGROUND, BUT THAT PARK IS GONNA GET A PLAYGROUND.
SO WE KNOW THAT PARK IS GONNA GET A PLAYGROUND AND NOBODY CAN SAY, OH, I DON'T WANT THAT IN THAT PARK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T SUPPORT PARKS.
YOU KNOW, CAUSE WE'VE HAD MY DISTRICT AND PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEMBERS DIDN'T SUPPORT PARKS PUT, YOU KNOW, $1 MILLION WHEN DISTRICT TWO PROBABLY HAD $10 MILLION FOR PUTTING
THAT'S A COMPLIMENT TO DISTRICT TWO BECAUSE PARKS ARE FOR PEOPLE AND WE'RE HERE TO SERVE OUR PEOPLE.
UM, SO LET'S TAKE THAT OUT OF THE MIX FOR PERSONAL PREFERENCE OF I DON'T SUPPORT PARKS, WE SUPPORT PARKS WHOLLY BECAUSE WE'RE ALL TOGETHER HERE AND LET'S TAKE THAT OUT OF THE HANDS OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT PARKS.
CUZ WE DO SUPPORT PARKS AND LET'S PUT THAT IN AN UMBRELLA.
UM, AND I THINK SOME OF THOSE CATEGORIES, WE CAN DO THAT,
[02:00:01]
YOU KNOW, HOLISTICALLY.AND I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO DO A LOT FOR THE, UM, RACIAL EQUITY AND, YOU KNOW, JUST AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED FOR YEARS.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THOSE PLANS COME FORWARD, UM, IN OUR PROCESS SO THAT WHILE WE'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMUNITY, THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY SAY THAT'S ON OUR MASTER PLAN.
HEY, THIS PARK HAS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SCORED THIS, THAT PARK PLAYGROUND WAS REPLACED EIGHT YEARS AGO.
UM, THERE'S SOME ELEMENTS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO UPDATE ON IT, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AT THE END OF THE LIFE YET.
THIS ONE WAS DONE 25 YEARS AGO.
IT'S SCHEDULED FOR REPLACEMENT.
SO WE NEED THAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, ANALYSIS OF OUR PARKS.
OUR PLAYGROUNDS, AND MAYBE EVEN LAND ACQUISITION, LIKE WHERE WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA GET LAND.
CHRIS AND JERRY CAN ADD TO IT, BUT WE DEFINITELY GET YOU.
CAUSE I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING ASKING FOR, AND WE TOUCHED ON IT BEFORE IN HERE, ABOUT CONDITION ASSESSMENTS.
SO WE HAVE THE CONDITION, WE'RE WORKING ON THE CONDITION ASSESSMENT FOR ALL THE PLAYGROUNDS.
SO CUZ ONE OF THE CRITERIA IS END OF SERVICE LIFE.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO USE THAT TYPE OF CRITERIA WHEN WE SAY, LOOK, WE GOT 200 PLAYGROUNDS, 25 OF THEM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS THE END OF THEIR LIFE.
AND THEN SAME THING WITH REC CENTERS.
AND YOU ALL HEARD, HAVE HEARD ME PUBLICLY SAY, UH, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF JUST KEEP PATCHING AND ADDING ON TO REC CENTERS ANYMORE.
SOME OF THEM HAVE LIVED THEIR LIFE AND WE NEED TO REPLACE THEM.
AND SO YOU'RE GOING TO GET A CONDITIONAL ASSESSMENT OVER PLAYGROUNDS.
SO WE WILL, UH, WE WILL GET THE INFORMATION YOU ARE REQUESTING MR. WOOD TO THE ENTIRE BOARD, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE PRESENTING MORE BRIEFINGS TO HAVE THOSE TYPE OF DISCUSSIONS.
AS, AS DIRECTOR JENKINS INDICATED, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UM, BASED ON THE CURRENT INVENTORY WE HAVE OF OUR PLAYGROUNDS, WE'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY 20 TO 30 THAT ARE AT THE END OF THEIR SERVICE LIFE.
BUT THAT'S JUST WHAT WE'VE DE DISCOVERED SO FAR.
SO WE ARE WORKING ON THAT INVENTORY AND DO PLAN TO BRING THAT BACK TO YOU TO SHOW YOU WHAT WE HAVE.
UM, THE SAME WITH THE REC CENTER INVENTORIES.
WE'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY EIGHT TO 10 REC CENTERS THAT POTENTIALLY MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED.
UM, AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT THAT AS WE'VE BEEN HAVING OUR MEETINGS WITH, UH, YOU AND, AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, ABOUT THOSE REC CENTERS AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS.
UM, AND THEN I KNOW YOU MENTIONED DOG PARKS AND THE SKATE PARK MASTER PLANS, UM, YOU KNOW, DOG PARK GUIDELINES, WE BROUGHT THAT TO YOU, TO YOU ONCE, AND WE'RE PLANNING TO BRING THAT BACK TO YOU AGAIN.
AND THE SKATE PARK MASTER PLAN IS UNDERWAY.
SO WE ARE WORKING ON GETTING ALL THOSE MASTER PLANS WRAPPED UP AND PULLED TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN BRING THOSE TO YOU, UM, ONE BY ONE AND HAVE THAT INFORMATION INCORPORATED INTO THE BOND PROGRAM.
UH, JUST QUICKLY ON SOMETHING MR. WOOD SAID DISTRICT SIX DID DO 10 MILLION, DISTRICT SIX, 10,000,002 2017.
SO I JUST WANT TO GET THAT IN THERE.
UM, DEPUTY MEER PRO, TIM NARVA DID THAT.
UM, BUT TO MR. STEWART'S POINT, UM, ON THE MARK MEET LEVEL OF SERVICE GAP CAN, WHAT IS, WHAT DOES IT SAY ON PAGE 83 OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE IT MAKES, IT'S REFERRED TO THERE.
SO BASICALLY THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ON THAT PAGE AS PART OF THAT COMP PLAN FOR A CITY OF DALLAS AS ITS SIZE, SHOULD HAVE CERTAIN NUMBERS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OF FACILITY TYPES.
SO IT'S LOOKING AT THE COMP PLAN AND WHERE, WHERE ARE WE SITTING NOW BASED ON THAT REVIEW? THAT WAS DONE BACK IN 20 15, 20 16.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A SHORT VERSION OF WHAT'S ON THE, THOSE PAGES.
SO I'M INTRIGUED BY MR. STEWART'S POINT ABOUT THE PRO PUTTING A PRIORITY OF AN, FROM AN EQUITY POINT OF VIEW ACROSS THE CITY OF HAVING MONEY OR A PRIORITY, GO TO PLACES THAT DON'T HAVE ANY AS OPPOSED TO SOME THAT HAVE SOME THAT ARE AGING OUT OR WHATEVER.
UH, WHAT'S YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT HE SAID? ANYBODY? STAFF? I, IF I HEARD THE COMMENT CORRECTLY, I, I THINK WE'RE COVERING THAT IN VARIOUS WAYS.
SO SINCE WE'RE LOOKING AT VARIOUS SCREENS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH, KIND OF STEP ONE TECHNICAL, THAT'S WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT WHERE LEVEL OF SERVICE GAP.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GETTING AT THERE.
UH, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND THIS IS SERVICE GAP FOR NOT JUST ACCESS TO A PARK PER SE, BUT ACCESS TO A FACILITY TYPE, REC CENTER, TRAIL BACKGROUND.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE COMP PLAN THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE ACCESS TO.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE CAN START CAPTURING IT THE FIRST TIME AROUND.
THEN THROUGH THE SECOND SCREEN, WHICH IS WE HEAR FROM PARK BOARD COUNCILS IN THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S IN A WAY, ANOTHER WAY TO CAPTURE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE HAVE AN AREA THAT DOES NOT HAVE PARK ACCESS AT ALL, OR THERE'S SOME OTHER DEFICIENCY THAT WILL START TO COME THROUGH, THROUGH THAT PROCESS AS WELL.
[02:05:01]
YOU DO THE EQUITY, YOU'LL GET OVERLAP WITH, YOU KNOW, AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY UNDER, UH, DEVELOPED OR, YOU KNOW, UNDERSERVED THAT WILL, THEY'LL, THEY, THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAPPING WITH HOW THESE SCREENS WORK WITH EACH OTHER.SO THEY'LL START GETTING CAPTURED THROUGH THE DEMOGRAPHIC SIDE OF THE EQUITY LENS.
THEN ALSO WITH PARK ACCESS AND THROUGH, UH, LOOKING AT WHERE PARKS HAVE NOT HAD ANY INVESTMENTS.
SO, UH, MR. PRESIDENT, COULD I ASK DEAN STEWART A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT HE SAID? ABSOLUTELY.
SO WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN, OR YOU'RE PROPOSING TO PERHAPS TO DO AN AMENDMENT TO THE ITEM TO SAY THAT TO HAVE A VOTE ON CHANGING, HAVING 5% FOR END OF SERVICE LIGHT LIFE, 8%, YES.
YOU WOULD BE MAKE INTERESTED IN MAKING THAT MOTION? I WOULD BE IN NOT A VOTING NO, IT'S DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION ITEMS. BUT AS THEY COME BACK TO US, THEY CAN A CONSENSUS FROM YOU TODAY, WE CAN MAKE, YEAH, THEY CAN MAKE CHANGE THAT DISCUSS, I'D BE JUST INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT THIS CONSTITU.
I THINK IT AFFECTS EQUITY, UM, AND UNDERSERVED AREAS AND PRIORITIES IN RELATION TO WEAPON REPLACING AND WHEN AND WHAT WE INSTALLED AND WENT.
SO, SO WE, WE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT THAT.
SORRY, WE WE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN OUR, IN OUR COMMITTEE MEETING BECAUSE MR. KAMI BROUGHT THIS UP, UM, REGARDING END OF LIFE VERSUS PARKS THAT DON'T HAVE PLAYGROUNDS.
UM, AND I THINK THIS GOES, I KNOW A SAFETY AND SECURITY COMPONENT TO THIS, UM, BUT WE, WE, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT AT, AT LENGTH AS WELL.
UM, THERE ARE PARKS THAT DON'T WANT PLAYGROUNDS.
UM, AND SO PUTTING THIS AS A HIGHER SCORE, UM, FOR PARKS THAT DON'T, LIKE I HAVE A PARK THAT THEY, THEY DON'T WANT A PLAYGROUND.
UM, AND SO, BUT THERE ARE OTHER NEEDS IN THAT PARK OTHER THAN A PLAYGROUND.
UM, SO SCORING THAT HIGHER VERSUS SOMETHING THAT'S IN OF LIFE, THE COMMITTEE FELT THAT THAT, AND FOR MR. CREAMY WAS THE ONE THAT WAS SPEAKING HEAVILY ABOUT THIS IN OUR COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, THAT WE, WE, WE LANDED HERE BECAUSE OF, OF THAT, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL OF NOT NEEDING A, A PLAYGROUND VERSUS AN END OF LIFE THAT NEEDED, UM, NEEDED TO BE REHABBED OR HER TO BE REPLACED.
UM, AND RUDY, PLEASE JUMP IN HERE.
OH, YES, I'D LOVE TO THANK YOU.
I, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT NOT, NOT EVERY PARK NEED NEEDS A PLAYGROUND.
AND I DON'T SAY THAT BECAUSE I HATE KIDS.
UH, WHAT I'M SAYING IS WE NEED TO LOOK AT OUR PARKS THROUGH DIFFERENT LIKE LENSES.
LIKE SOME PARKS DON'T NEED A PLAYGROUND BECAUSE THERE, THERE'S NO ONE THAT PLAYS THERE.
UH, THEY MIGHT NEED LIKE EROSION CONTROL OR JUST THINGS TO JUST ENHANCE THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF THAT URBAN FOREST BECAUSE THAT'S ALL IT IS.
AND IT'S OKAY THAT IT'S NOT UTILIZED AS A PLAYGROUND PARK BECAUSE IT WAS PROBABLY NEVER DESIGNED TO BE A PLAYGROUND PARK.
SO THAT'S WHY I KIND OF MADE THOSE STATEMENTS IN THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
BUT, BUT THANK YOU MR. CONNOR FOR BRINGING THOSE UP.
UH, IT, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T SOUND LIKE AN EMBEDDED RIGHT MEETING, MR. PRESIDENT, MAY I ASK SOMETHING? ONE, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT END OF SERVICE LIFE IS RANKED SO HIGH IS BASICALLY BECAUSE IF SOMETHING IS AT THE END OF ITS SERVICE LIFE, IT BECOMES A RISK FACTOR FOR US AND A SAFETY FACTOR FOR US.
IF FOR SOME REASONS, YOU KNOW, A CHILD WILL GET HURT ON ONE OF OUR PLAYGROUNDS, THAT THAT IS AT THE END OF SERVICE LIFE AND WE KNOW IT'S AT THE END OF ITS SERVICE LIFE, IT CREATES LIABILITY FOR US.
SO THAT IS ONE REASON WHY WE HAD ADDITIONAL POINTS ON THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INCORPORATING THAT ASPECT INTO OUR RATING, UM, AS BEING VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
SO WE'VE GOT A PINPOINT SCORE ALREADY FOR SAFETY AND, AND BOTH OF THOSE THINGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE BOTH RANKED THE WAY THEY ARE.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING, UH, MR. DICKEY, MR. STEWART, AND IT'S NOT, UH, ONE OR OTHER, ACTUALLY BOTH ARE MEETING IT'S END OF LIFE.
SO THE INVESTMENT HAS TO BE MADE SOMEHOW BECAUSE OF THE RISKS INVOLVED, BUT AT THE SAME, SO THERE'S A SEPARATE LINE ITEM FOR 10 POINTS FOR SAFETY.
SO YOU, SO YOU WOULD, THAT WOULD GET 18 POINTS VERSUS SOMETHING THAT DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING.
SO I'M SORT OF WHAT, IT'S NOT ONLY PLAYGROUNDS.
I MEAN IT COULD BE TRAILS, IT COULD BE TRASH CANS, IT COULD BE PICNIC TABLE, COULD BE ALL KIND.
SO, SO WHAT WE ARE DISCUSSING IS, UH, MR. DICKEY'S, UH, DISCUSSION ABOUT THE POINT.
AND I THINK YES, MS. ASPEN, IF YOU HAVE A VIEWPOINT, SHE'S NOT IN THE QUEUE.
SORRY, I NEED TO COME TO RUDY AFTER RUDY, I'LL COME TO YOU AFTER THIS.
[02:10:01]
TALK.UM, HERE'S MY THOUGHTS ON THAT.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHEN WE SAY WE'RE, WE'RE AT RISK, WHAT IS OUR TRUE LIABILITY? BECAUSE I SEE A LOT OF THESE END OF LIFE PLAYGROUNDS AND THEY LOOK JUST FINE.
LIKE THEY'RE NOT FALLING APART.
THERE'S NO RUSTY NAILS HANGING OFF OF 'EM.
SO I WOULD BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT SAYING, OH, THAT'S AT THE END OF ITS 25 YEAR LIFE.
A NEW PLAYGROUND'S VERY EXPENSIVE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT IS THE TRUE LIABILITY WHEN IT HITS ITS END OF LIFE.
BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM, THEY JUST HIT THEIR END OF LIFE.
SO I THINK IT'S GOT, WE'VE GOTTA WEIGH THAT.
DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE, WE'RE PUTTING OURSELVES AT A 7 MILLION LIABILITY IF SOMEBODY FALLS OFF OR BREAKS THEIR ARM? BUT IF THERE'S, I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE TO ME, END OF LIFE SOMETIMES DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE NOT FUNCTIONING.
UM, SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING.
AND SO I WOULD BE MORE INCLINED TO GIVE MORE WEIGHT TO HAVING WHATEVER AMENITIES ARE IN THOSE PARKS THAT LACK AMENITIES.
NOT NECESSARILY A BETTER WAY PLAYGROUND PER SE, BUT PARKS THAT PERHAPS HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED FOR ANY KIND OF AMENITIES.
EVEN SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A DRINKING FOUNTAIN OR PETWAY STATIONS.
I, SO I WOULD RATHER SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE COME BACK IN THE DIRECTION OF JUST IN FILMING SOME OF OUR SERVICE GAPS VERSUS PUTTING SO MUCH WEIGHT ON END OF LIFE.
AGAIN, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE DATA ABOUT WHAT OUR TRUE RISK IS BEFORE I MADE 100% MADE THAT, AND TO YOUR POINT, IF WE'VE ALREADY RANKED SAFETY UP THERE, OF COURSE IF WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT SAFE, IF SOMETHING'S BROKEN OR OF COURSE THAT'S ALWAYS GONNA RANK HIGHER, BUT I, I WOULD BE INCLINED TO MAYBE GIVE A FEW MORE POINTS, UH, BACK TOWARDS THE, UM, UH, GAP VERSUS ALL FOR END OF LIFE AS SOON AS I HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUE LIABILITY CONNECTED TO THAT.
SO YES, WHAT I'M HEARING IS MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THAT END OF LIFE CYCLE CAN BE DIVIDED BETWEEN GAP OR AMENITIES, UH, AND UH, END OF LIFE CYCLE.
HE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE AT ALL.
SO YEAH, TWO PARTS NOW BECAUSE I WANNA ADDRESS THIS, UH, UH, REAL QUICK.
SO IN MY OPINION, END OF SERVICE LIFE IS NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE TO SAFETY CONCERNS.
SO, SO I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT THESE ARE SEPARATE AND THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA AND BOTH WEIGHTED PRETTY HIGHLY IS BOTH ARE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
I'M GONNA TRY TO GIVE IT A SCENARIO IF POSSIBLE.
SO WITH PLAYGROUNDS, CAUSE WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT PLAYGROUNDS, YES, IT'S TRUE THAT SOME SAFETY CONCERNS PRESENT THEMSELVES AT THE END OF ITS SERVICE LIFE, BUT IT, BUT WITH THAT SAME PLAYGROUND, IT CAN ALSO STILL NEED REPLACEMENT SIMPLY BECAUSE THE WAY WE PLAY OR OUR KIDS PLAY HAS EVOLVED IN 15 YEARS AND IT'S JUST A TIME TO INNOVATE.
AND HENCE THIS ALLOWS US TO BRING AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THAT MUCH NEEDED INNOVATION THAT OUR PARK USERS ARE ASKING FOR AND DEMANDING THESE DAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHY, HOW ON EARTH COULD A BRAND NEW PLAYGROUND WE INSTALLED NEXT YEAR LOOK LIKE A ONE THAT WE INSTALLED 15 YEARS AGO? I KEEP JOKING THAT THAT'S BORDERLINE CRIMINAL, BUT IT IS IN A WAY WE EVOLVE AND AS A RESULT WE NEED MORE INNOVATION.
SO, SO, SO THAT'S WHY I BELIEVE THAT THESE ITEMS AREN'T, UH, MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THAT THEY'RE BOTH WEIGHTED PRETTY HIGHLY.
UH, BUT THAT WASN'T THE POINT I WANTED TO MAKE.
THE POINT I WANTED TO MAKE WAS JUST A SIMPLE THANKS AND I WANTED TO BE AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE.
I WANTED TO GIVE EXTRA, UH, THANKS TO MS. TURNER NOTE WHERE JARED, MEGAN AND THAT TEAM, BECAUSE IN THE SPIRIT OF PARKS ARE FOR THE PEOPLE, THESE ARE WORDS THAT I'LL DIE BY PROBABLY BE ETCHED ON MY TOMBSTONE ONE DAY.
I JUST WANNA APPLAUD THAT DEPARTMENT'S, UM, CONSIDERATION TO, TO INCREASE THAT COMMUNITY INPUT PORTION OF THE CRITERIA.
UM, I SHARE A LOT ON, ON ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND WHEN I SHARED THIS COMPONENT, THE REACTION WAS JUST PHENOMENAL.
I MEAN, THERE WAS JUST LIKE STANDING OVATIONS, LIKE ALL AROUND OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR PARK LOVERS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO TO SHARE THAT WITH THE TEAM AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THAT WAS TRULY APPRECIATED AND, AND UH, WONDERFUL WORK.
YEAH, MR. JENKINS AND, AND, AND CHRIS AND HER TEAM CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT END OF LIFE AND VERSUS SAFETY
AND, AND SO, AND IT'S THE SAME THING WHEN WE LOOK AT A BRIDGE OR EROSION.
THOSE ARE DEFINITELY GONNA BE INTO SAFETY ISSUES, BUT IT, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT A BRIDGE, WE ARE GONNA SAY NOPE, WE HAVE A SERVICE LIFE ON THAT STRUCTURE.
AND SO WE DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE POINT OF A SAFETY ISSUE.
SO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I MEAN THOSE ARE KIND OF THE DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS VERSUS ONCE IT'S GONNA BE PHYSICAL, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? WE DO, YOU CAN GO OUT THERE AND WE CAN SEE IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE.
WE KNOW WE CAN SEE THE EROSION ISSUE THAT'S
[02:15:01]
GOING TO COMPROMISE THIS AREA PRETTY SOON FOR THAT TRAIL OR BRIDGE OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.WE CAN LOOK AT THAT SAFETY ISSUE PERIOD.
BUT THEN THERE'S SOME THINGS TRULY AS THE STRUCTURAL, WE DON'T WANT IT TO GET TO THE END OF LIFE BECAUSE THEN IT WILL BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE.
AND MS. HUSBAND, JUST TO ADD CORRECT NAMES, JENKINS, THE END OF LIFE IS BY THE PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT.
IT'S NOT JUST A DATE THAT IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS AND JUST I THINK THEY'RE SAYING THAT IT IS.
IN SOME CASES IT IS, IT IS A THE LIFE OF WE KNOW, GO AHEAD.
WELL, UH, OKAY, WE KEEP COMING BACK TO PLAYGROUNDS CAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE EASIEST ONE TO POINT AT.
CAUSE WE, WE JUST DID THIS ASSESSMENT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A MANUFACTURER'S TIMELINE, THEY'RE NOT THEIR WARRANTY, BUT NO, BY 15, 20 YEARS OR SO, COMPONENTS ARE GONNA START WEARING OUT.
SO WE'RE KEEPING TRACK OF WHAT THAT LIFE IS.
NOW WE'VE HAD INSTANCES WHERE TECHNICALLY A PLAYGROUND'S BEEN PASSED, ITS SERVICE LIFE, BUT WE'RE NOT HAVING A SAFETY PROBLEM.
IT'S SHOWING SOMEWHERE AND TEAR.
BUT IT'S LIKE, WELL HOW LONG DO WE WANNA WAIT? BECAUSE IF IT DOESN'T MAKE THIS ROUND OF THE BOND PROGRAM NOW WE'RE 5, 7, 10 YEARS OUT AGAIN, THEN IT COULD BECOME A PROBLEM.
SO IT'S TRYING TO STAY ON TOP OF ISSUES WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST WHERE WE COULDN'T REPLACE THINGS AND THINGS SAT FOR 20 YEARS BECAUSE WE JUST GET REPLACED SOME MORE.
SO IT'S OUR EFFORT OF GETTING AHEAD OF THAT SO THINGS DON'T GET TO A CERTAIN POINT WHERE IT BECOMES A PROBLEM WHERE WE HAD TO START REMOVING IT CUZ IT IS NOW A SAFETY ISSUE.
SO THERE, SO THE QUESTION, THE THE ANSWER IS IT'S A MIX OF THERE'S A MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED LIFE, BUT IF YOU'RE SAYING TO ME IF SOME KID GOES OUT THERE AT YEAR, ONE YEAR PAST THE MANUFACTURER'S SUGGESTED LIFE AND WE COULD POTENTIALLY BE LOOKING AT SOME KIND OF CRAZY LAWSUIT FOR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
WELL THAT HAS A DIFFERENT WEIGHT TO ME THAN YOU SAYING WE'RE AT THE END OF THE SUGGESTION MANUFACTURER'S LIFE.
IF THERE'S NO, IF THERE'S NEW ROLE SAFETY ISSUE, IF THERE ISN'T BROKEN PIECES OR FAILING PIECES OF EQUIPMENT, THEN THAT'S THEN WE'RE NOT GONNA GET SUED.
AM I MAKING SENSE FOR YOU? WE ONLY GET SUED IF WE KNOW THE MANUFACTURER THAT WAS THE EXPECTED TIMELINE OF LIFE OF THE EQUIPMENT AND THEN A CHILD WENT OUT THERE AND THE EQUIPMENT FAILED AT THAT TIME AND THEY GOT HURT, THEN WE ARE GONNA BE IN TRUCK.
MR. YES, YOU'RE GREEN, THANK YOU.
LIKING YOU MORE AND MORE
SO THAT ALSO, LIKE, I'D LIKE TO PUT THIS OUT THERE CAUSE WE ARE GETTING TO THIS BOND ISSUE.
UH, I'D LIKE TO GET SOME ADVOCACY PLEASE.
AND, AND I THINK I SPEAK FOR MY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS AND FOR, UH, WE ING THE SOUTHERN SECTOR.
UH, WE DON'T NEED ANY DOG PARK, SO I LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOME AQUATICS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO DON'T BRING US SAY THAT YOU'RE GONNA SKATE PARK.
WE'RE TAKING, DON'T SAY WE'RE PUTTING DOG PARTS IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR AND THAT'S NOT GONNA MAKE US HAPPY.
OKAY, THAT'S NOT QUALITY OF LIFE, BUT LOOK AT AQUATICS OR
BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS HARD WORK THAT YOU GUYS AND PUT TOGETHER AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY INFORMATIVE.
SO TWO, WELL, SO TWO THINGS FOLLOWING UP ON, ON WHAT, UH, MS. TURNER OVER SAID, UM, AND, AND WHAT JARED SAID, I, YOU KNOW, I I HAVE MARK THAT'S IN MY DISTRICT THAT I KNOW THAT I PLAYED ON WHEN I, UM, PLAYED ON PLAYGROUNDS.
NOT THAT I'M SAYING I DON'T STILL PLAY ON PLAYGROUNDS.
UM, BUT IT, IT LITERALLY, SO LIKE TO TO JARED'S POINT, YOU KNOW, AND TO YOUR POINT, MS. HASSMAN, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE PLAYGROUNDS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT, AND THIS ONE IS ONE THAT WE'VE, WE'VE IDENTIFIED OF COURSE NEED TO BE REPLACED AND IT'S 30 PLUS YEARS OLD.
UM, AND THEN MR. STEWART, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT COMPROMISING HERE A LOT.
UM, I AGREE WITH MS. HASSMAN THAT, THAT, AND IF WE COULD BRING THAT SLIDE BACK UP, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE CHANGE THE LANGUAGE TO, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK YOU SAID AMENITIES INSTEAD OF PLAYGROUNDS, RIGHT? WE CHANGE THE LANGUAGE TO AMENITIES AND EQUALED THE SCORES.
UM, I THINK ONE WAS A FIVE AND ONE WAS AN AN EIGHT, YOU KNOW, WE MADE A, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE TO SIX AND ONE TO SEVEN.
UM, DOES THAT SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND CHANGE THE LANGUAGE TO AMENITIES, A SET OF PLAYGROUND? UM, SUGGESTION, SIR.
MR. KITNER, I LEFT YOU SINCE OH, NOT THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT.
UH, FIRST QUESTION I'M LOOKING AT, TO MR. STEWART'S POINT ON THE PROPOSED EQUITY CRITERIA, YOU TALKED ABOUT PARKS LACK AND RECENT INVESTMENT.
[02:20:01]
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF AREAS, ESPECIALLY IN NORTH DALLAS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE PARKS AND WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ACCESS TO NEW PARKS CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE LAND TO BUILD THEM ON.SO I'M WONDERING IF WE CHANGE THAT INSTEAD OF SAYING PARKS, BUT JUST SAYING AREAS LACKING, UH, INVESTMENTS OR SOMETHING BACK JUST SO THAT YOU'RE INCLUDING, UH, POTENTIAL PARK, FUTURE PARK SITES THAT MAY OUR WHAT'S THAT? YEAH.
IT'S UNDER THIS LAND ACQUISITION WOULDN'T COUNT.
SO LAND ACQUISITION SHOULD BE A PRIORITY, ESPECIALLY FOR PARK DESERT ESPECIALLY.
I STILL, I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS.
ESPECIALLY FOR PARK DESERT AREAS.
AND THEN, UM, ON THE WEIGHTED SCORES, I MAY HAVE MISSED THIS, BUT WHO IS ACTUALLY DOING BREAKING ON THESE SCORES? THAT WILL PRIMARILY BE JARED AND MEGAN.
MY, MY PLANNING TEAM BASICALLY.
BUT ITS WHAT, I GUESS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, IT'S BEING DONE BY PARK STAFF, GONE BY THE BOND OFFICE.
SOMEBODY EXTERNAL OR IT'S DONE INTERNALLY.
IT'S BEING DONE INTERNALLY? YES.
AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL RATE THE PROJECTS AND THEN ONCE THOSE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN WEIGHTED, WE'LL DETERMINE WHICH ONES RISE IMMUNITY BASED ON THESE CRITERIA.
AND THEN THAT WILL BE PUT ON THE BALANCE THAT, THAT WILL THEN GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
BOND COMMITTEES AND ET CETERA AND BE MASSAGED.
AND THEN THE MASSAGE LOOK AT ME WHEN GOES ONTO THE BOND VALLEY.
RIGHT? SHE HAS GIVEN THAT TOOL SCHEDULE.
BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD WHO WAS DOING.
AND I REALLY LIKE MR. KITTER'S IDEA ON, UH, LAND ACQUISITION AND, UH, PARK DESERTS.
WE JUST, THERE THERE'S NOT ANYTHING IN ALL THESE CRITERIA THAT GIVES BONUS POINTS FOR PARK DESERTS.
AND WE JUST HAVE BIG AREAS OF THE CITY WHERE WE GOT PARK DESERTS.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU GET A LITTLE BIT HERE, A LITTLE BIT THERE A LITTLE.
AND UH, THE LONGER WE WAIT, WE ACQUIRE LAND IN MR. CONNOR AND MR. KITNER'S DISTRICT.
THE MORE IMPOSSIBLE IT'S GONNA BE TO GET THE LAND.
UH, AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING, I DON'T WANT TO CALL 'EM HODGEPODGE THINGS.
WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING TO BE VERY CREATIVE, YOU KNOW, HILLCREST IN ARAPAHOE AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHEN YOU DO THAT.
IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE ACQUISITION.
AND UH, SO, UH, WE NEED TO GIVE, I'M AN ADVOCATE OF THAT.
SO MR. CARTER KEEPS ON GETTING LAND FROM CITY OF PLANO AND GIVING IT TO US.
UM, SO JUST FOR, FOR UNDERSTANDING, THIS RATING SYSTEM IS REALLY RELATED TO THE INVENTORY THAT IS ITEM BY ITEM BY ITEM.
SO I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING FROM ROB AND FROM DANIEL'S, IS THERE ANOTHER PAGE THAT'S LAND ACQUISITION, MASTER PLANS FOR SKATE PARKS, AND WILL THIS SAME RATING SYSTEM BE APPLIED TO THOSE, THOSE SEPARATE SORT OF UMBRELLA ISSUES FOR THE WHOLE PARK SYSTEM? LIKE HOW DO WE WAIT THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE WITHIN EACH ONE? SO IF YOU'VE GOT DOG PARKS, HOW DO WE RATE THE DOG PARKS WITHIN? IF THERE'S, IF THE MASTER PLAN SAYS WE NEED 25 DOG PARKS, HOW DO WE RATE THOSE? IF WE NEED, IF WE HAVE A PARK DESERT, HOW DO WE RATE IN THE PARK DESERT WHERE WE WOULD DO THE LAND ACQUISITION FIRST IN ORDER FOR THAT SOME KIND OF WAITING SYSTEM BE APPLIED TO THOSE OVERARCHING THINGS THAT AFFECT ALL OF US? IS THERE A SEPARATE RANKING SYSTEM? SO ESSENTIALLY THE RANKING SYSTEM IS RANKING PROJECTS WITHIN THE SAME CATEGORY.
SO CATEGORIES SUCH AS PARKS, TRAILS, SITE DEVELOPMENT, PLAYGROUNDS, AQUATICS, SERVICE CENTERS, RECREATION CENTERS, AMENITIES, LAND ACQUISITION, ET CETERA.
SO WE'RE NOT COMPARING AN AQUATIC CENTER TO A SERVICE CENTER.
WE'RE NOT COMPARING A PLAYGROUND TO A RECREATION CENTER.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE RANKED BASED ON THE CATEGORY ITSELF.
SO THESE CATEGORIES THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT WILL BE IN THE INVENTORY WITH THE SAME TYPE OF RANKING SYSTEM APPLIED? YES.
SO IN LOOKING AT THE SPECIFIC ONE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, WHICH IS THE END OF SERVICE, LIFE
[02:25:01]
AND MEET LEVEL OF SERVICE GAP, THE END OF SERVICE LIFE CURRENTLY BEING AN EIGHT, UH, MEET LEVEL OF SERVICE GAP CURRENTLY BEING A FIVE, I THINK IF WE MODIFIED THAT LANGUAGE AND END OF SERVICE LIFE TO READ PROJECT WILL REPLACE AN AMENITY THAT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF SERVICE TICKETS REQUEST AND OR PER MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED END OF SERVICE LIFE PER FACILITY INSTEAD OF FACILITY.BECAUSE TO ME, FACILITY ONLY REALLY RELATES TO A REC CENTER.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND ONE, MEAT LEVEL OF SERVICE GAP.
I THINK THAT LANGUAGE IS FINE BECAUSE THAT JUST TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT THE SERVICE STANDARDS ARE PER OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THEN PERHAPS WE GIVE EACH OF THEM A SEVEN AND A HALF SO THAT THEY'RE EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT.
THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION, MS. ASPEN.
MR. D THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT.
UH, I JUST WANNA STRONGLY BACK WHAT MR. STEWART SAID ABOUT LAND ACQUISITION.
I KNOW IT'S SORT OF A NO-BRAINER, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND IT TIES IN, IN, IN MY DISTRICT TO THIS ACCESS.
IS IT REALLY ACCESS AT KEVA STATE SIX LANE STATE HIGHWAY BETWEEN A MAJOR PARK IN THE BACHMAN AREA, FOR EXAMPLE, IT'S NOT CONSIDERED BY THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND.
THE AREA NORTH OF THE NORTHWEST HIGHWAY AT BACHMAN IS, UH, NOT A PARK DESERT, BUT IT IS.
AND THERE HAVE THOUSANDS OF KIDS THERE LIVING IN THOSE APARTMENTS.
THEY'VE GOT NO PARKS, NOWHERE TO GO.
AND AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE ACRES AND ACRES OF EMPTY LAND THAT'S BEEN SITTING THERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME PARKING LOT OF EUROPEAN CROSSROADS AND IT'S BEING GOBBLED UP FOR PARKING LOTS.
SO THE PLANNING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, I JUST HOPE YOU CAN FOCUS ON THAT.
AND I TALKED TO MR. NAY THIS MORNING ABOUT THIS IS, IT KILLS ME TO SEE THESE KIDS THAT HAVE NOWHERE TO GO CAUSE THEY'RE LIVING IN APARTMENTS THAT WERE BUILT FOR ADULTS ONLY AND THERE'S ALL THIS EMPTY LAND SITTING THERE AND WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT BUYING ANY OF IT.
UH, WE JUST DID THE PARKING LOT ON BACHMAN DRIVE, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT THAT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF NORTHWEST HIGHWAY.
SO I JUST WANT TO THROW THAT IN AND JUST IN GENERAL, THAT'S SPECIFICALLY TO MY DISTRICT, BUT IT IS NOT GETTING ANY CHEAPER AND, AND LONG.
WE GOTTA THINK 20, 30 YEAR TERMS WHEN IT COMES TO OUR OPPORTUNITIES IN THESE BONDS TO GET LAND.
EVEN IF WE HAVE TO SIT ON IT FOR SEVEN YEARS, WAITING FOR THE AMENITY OR THE REC CENTER, CULTURAL CENTER OR WHATEVER TO, TO GO IN THERE.
SO THAT, JUST WANTED TO AGREE ON THAT.
BUT PLACE, WHAT I'M HEARING IS, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF CHANGES.
ONE IS THE ACTIVITIES, UH, WHATEVER WE CALL IT, WHAT IS LAND ACQUISITION? SO KIND OF ADD THAT INTO THE BASE SCORE.
SO WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP? I THINK BASED ON THAT YOU'LL JUST CIRCULATE IT TO THE BOARD.
CAN I, CAN I MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON SLIDE NUMBER FIVE? WOULD ANYBODY BE OPPOSED? SINCE WE HAVE 13 POINTS WITH END OF SERVICE LIFE AND MEET LEVEL OF SERVICE GAP TO MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER ON THE SCORING, WOULD ANYBODY BE OPPOSED IF WE DID END OF SERVICE LIFE AT SEVEN POINTS, THEN MEET LEVEL SERVICE GAP AT SIX POINTS? YEAH, THAT SEEMS LIKE A SOUNDS GOOD.
NO, THAT'S WHAT MR. CONNOR SAID, RIGHT? JUST A CONSENT.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN DO A HALF.
AND THEN ONE OTHER, ONE OTHER RECOMMENDATION ON SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN ON THE PARK INVESTMENT, THE EQUITY CRITERIA DEFINITION.
UM, HOW ABOUT AREAS LACKING RECENT INVESTMENT? 10 TO 15 PLUS YEARS INCLUDES UNPROGRAMMED PARKS SLASH AREAS.
DOES THAT TAKE CARE OF IT? YEP.
THANK YOU FOR THE RECOMMENDATION.
THANK YOU AGAIN, CHRIS, FOR YOUR AND YOUR STAFF'S WORK.
AND THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THAT PART, MR. CONNER.
FINE, YOUR HONOR, JUST REAL QUICK, WHEN YOU GUYS GO PRESENT TO QUALITY OF LIFE, YOU WANT SOME OF US TO COME WITH YOU? ABSOLUTELY.
IF I'M NOT WORKING, I'M HAPPY TO COME.
SPEAKER AND JUST SAY, THIS HAS BEEN EMBEDDED.
WITH THAT COMFORTABLE, CHRIS, THANK YOU.
UH, YESENIA HAS ONE AND THEN CRYSTAL ROSS HAS ONE.
I'M, YOU DON'T HAVE ONE? OKAY.
I THOUGHT YOU HAD A PRESENT RESIGN.
THIS IS A VERY VAGUE ANNOUNCEMENT.
[02:30:01]
HOWEVER IT WILL FOLLOW WITH, UH, SAVE THE DATE TO YOUR CALENDAR.SO ON SATURDAY, APRIL 8TH, WE ARE WORKING TO HAVE 15 KITE FEST THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE ONE IN EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
SO WE'LL WORK WITH DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT, COMMUNITY NEIGHBOR, UH, ORGANIZATIONS AND MAKING SURE ALL OUR KIDS HAVE KITES TO FLY.
BUT WE'RE GONNA MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF IT.
YOU'LL SEE IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU'LL SEE OUR CAMPAIGN BEING PUSHED, BUT WE WILL GET WITH YOU ALL PRETTY QUICKLY ABOUT THE PARKS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN YOUR PARTICULAR AREA.
WE'VE DONE THIS FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND IT'S BEEN ABSOLUTELY A HIT WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO SEE THE POLICE, UM, OFFICIALS OUT THERE, OR THE POLICE OFFICERS FLYING KITES WITH THESE KIDS.
UM, IT WAS FUNNY, LAST YEAR A LITTLE KID GOT THEIR KITES STUCK IN A TREE.
AND THEY WALKED OVER AND THEY TAPPED ON, UM, THIS POLICE OFFICER.
IT WAS LIKE THE ASSISTANT CHIEF, OH, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T CARE WHO THEY WERE MM-HMM.
I KNOW THAT WAS A BIG REQUEST AND A BIG ASK, SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT.
UM, THE OTHER PART TO THAT IS WE'RE REALLY ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE POLICE IN A NON-LAW ENFORCEMENT CAPACITY.
SO WE THINK THAT THIS IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO BRIDGE THE GAP TO BUILD SOME HEALTH RELATIONSHIPS IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EVENT.
I'LL KEEP YOU GUYS POSTED AS THE DETAILS.
MR. CONNOR, OH, IS THERE THERE ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMENT? I WILL JUST HAVE ANNOUNCEMENT.
SO NOW WE HAVE MANY REPORTS IN MR. GARDNER.
YEAH, SO, UH, I, WE, WE CHANGED THE NAME.
WE VOTED FOR THIS, THE MAR KINGER TRAIL.
WE ARE DOING THE OFFICIAL UNVEILING ON MARCH 5TH.
UM, EVERYBODY SAW THE COMMUNITY, UM, THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WROTE IN THIS.
WE HAVE HAD ALREADY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS.
PEOPLE, PEOPLE, UM, COMMIT TO BEING THERE.
UM, SO HOPE THAT ANYBODY WANTS TO SHOW UP.
IT'S MARCH 5TH, UM, AT THREE O'CLOCK SATURDAY, MARCH 5TH.
WE EXPECT A COUPLE HUNDRED PEOPLE TO BE THERE.
I WANT TO KNOW IF YOU'LL HAVE VALET PARKING FOR IT.
UM, THERE WILL BE PARKING AVAILABLE.
THERE'S, AT CAMPBELL GREEN, IT'S GONNA BE RIGHT OFF OF CAMPBELL GREEN, SO THERE'LL BE MULTIPLE PARKING LOTS AVAILABLE.
BO CAN COME AND, AND IN FAVOR VALE FOR PEOPLE.
UM, BUT YEAH, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
THE OTHER KUDOS I WANTED TO GIVE WAS TO, UM, CRYSTAL, UM, SPEAKING OF CAMPBELL GREEN, THE CAMPBELL GREEN STAFF HAS, AND I'M SURE YOU GUYS HAVE THIS AS WELL, BUT HAS REALLY BEEN, UH, DOING SOME REALLY COOL THINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA RECENTLY.
THEY STARTED THEIR OWN GROUP AND DID A, UH, A MOCK, UM, UH, THAT SEVENTIES SHOW BEGINNING WHERE THEY WERE ALL IN THE CAR TOGETHER.
THEY DID
AND SO I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU KUDOS TO LETTING YOUR STAFF THANK YOU, UM, THE, UM, CREATIVE AND, UH, PROMOTING, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR AMENITIES.
SO SATURDAY BEFORE THAT SUNDAY COME OUT TO RIVERON MARCH 4TH, UM, TO RIVERON ROUNDUP.
UM, WE HAVE PROJECTS INCLUDING PLANTING FLOWER BEDS AND CLEANING UP THE TRASH.
AND WE'RE REMOVING FALL AND TREE LIMBS.
AND SINCE A LOT OF YOU GUYS JUST VOTED ON THIS WONDERFUL MASTER PLAN, WE HAVE THE FALL FIELD THAT WE'RE GONNA DO AT, UH, RIVER SEAN, COME OUT AND CHECK IT OUT AND SUPPORT US IN SCOTTISH WRIGHT HOSPITAL AND OTHER, UH, FRIENDS GROUPS ARE OUT THERE.
SO COME MEET THE NEIGHBORS, COME HELP CLEAN AND HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY OUT ON A SATURDAY, MARCH 4TH BEGINNING AT 9:30 AM UH, 11:30 AM THERE'S COMPLIMENTARY PICNIC LUNCH.
OURS IS AT THREE YEARS IS AT NOON.
UM, SO GO TO GO TO DISTRICT TWO FIRST AND THEN COME SEE US.
UH, EVERY SATURDAY MORNING, INCLUDING MARCH 4TH, YOU CAN GO REAL EARLY.
THE FRIENDS OF THE WHITE ROCK CREEK TRAIL ARE DOING CLEANUP EVENTS.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THAT, YOU CAN GO TO THEIR WEBSITE.
BUT THAT'S HAPPENING EVERY SATURDAY MORNING.
YOU'LL NEED TO RIDE YOUR BIKE OR WALK THEIR MONEY.
[02:35:01]
YEAH, GO AHEAD MS. RICE.A I JUST WANTED TO GIVE, UH, A THANK YOU AND A SHOUT OUT TO RENEE AND HER TEAM, UH, TO TONY, TO JEREMY TO SHANIQUA BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN SO, UM, WORKING WITH A COMMUNITY, MCGREGOR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS BY HOK PARK ABOUT SOME PARK SAFETY ISSUES, NOT JUST AT, UH, HOLCOMB, BUT AROUND THE AREA.
AND SHIE AND TONY AND SQUA AND SERGEANT CS REALLY LISTENED TO THE CONSTITUENTS CONCERNS AND WE'RE WORKING ON A PLAN WITH THEM.
RENEE HAS BEEN AMAZING AND WE'RE WORKING ON STARTING A FRIENDS GROUP AND JUST, YOU KNOW, UM, SOME POSITIVE THINGS HAVE COME, THE WORK CONTINUES, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT AND RECOGNIZE THEIR EFFORTS.
UM, THIS FRIDAY KICKS OFF DALLAS BLOOMS AT THE ARBORETUM.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THEY'VE ALREADY HAD ALL OF THEIR BULBS ON THE GROUND AND IT'S, I IMAGINE WE BE SPECTACULAR WITH ALL THE RAIN WE HAD.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO GOING TO THE ARRE SEVEN.
UH, MR. WOOD, SO THE ARBORETUM DID SEND AN EMAIL, AND I THINK I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF, UM, THEY ASKED FOR OUR SUPPORT ON THEIR EVENTS, THEIR SPECIAL EVENTS OF BLACK HISTORY THAT ARE HISPANIC HERITAGE AND THE DALLAS BALLOONS, UM, FOR THE THREE DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT THEY DO.
UM, SO IF YOU HAVEN'T REPLIED TO THAT, OR IF YOU DIDN'T GET THAT EMAIL, UM, EMAIL SEAN JACKSON, UM, AT THE ARNO, UM, YOUR SUPPORT, UM, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY SUPPORT THAT, UM, AND BE INCLUSIVE, UM, OF ALL OF OUR CONSENTS.
UM, JUST REAL QUICK, HERE IN COUNCIL DISTRICT 14, WE ARE SOME TREE PLANTING FREAKAZOIDS.
UH, LAST WEEKEND WE PLANTED 50 TREES ALONG THE SANTA FE TRAIL NEAR WILLIS WINTERS PARK.
AND JUST TODAY OUR FORESTRY, FORESTRY TEAM PLANTED, UH, WAIT FOR IT, THE 185TH OUT OF 185 TREES IN A REFORESTATION PROJECT AT GRAHAM PARK.
SO, SO BIG UPS TO EVERYONE INVOLVED FOR CONTINUING TO INVEST IN OUR PARKS AND IN OUR ENVIRONMENT.
THOSE PICTURES LOOK FANTASTIC OF THE THREE BLANK THINGS.
UH, WITH NO OTHER SR REPORT OR NEXT PARK BOARD MEETING.
LEGAL THURSDAY, MARCH 9TH, 2023 AT THE ARRE.
SO YEAH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT TONIGHT, ARBORETUM MARCH 9TH, OUR NEXT MEETING.
YEAH, I WELL OUR MEETING, I HOPE YOU'RE COMING.
UH, 10:00 AM THURSDAY, MARCH 9TH.
BOARD MEETING AT DALLAS ARRE COMMITTEE MEETING.
SAY AT THE REGULAR SAME, BUT AT THE ARRE.
IT'S GONNA BE A VERY FULL SCHEDULE.
WE'LL HAVE ONE MEETING IN MARCH.
WHO? AND SO WE, WE PROBABLY SENDING A MEMO, ASKING SOME ITEMS, GET APPROVED THE SAME DAY, BUT WE ONLY HAVE ONE MEETING IN MARCH.
YEAH, JUST LOOK, MIC THIS LADY.
I GOTTA GET IT ON MY SCHEDULE WITH THAT.
WE AJOUR THIS DALLAS BOX AND RECREATION BOARD MEETING.