[Council Government Performance & Financial Management Committee on February 27, 2023 ]
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IT'S ONE OH THREE, AND I'M GONNA CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS APPROVAL OF THE JANUARY 23RD, 2023 MINUTES.
IS THERE A MOTION APPROVAL? EXACTLY.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS OR EDITS TO THE MINUTES? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
OUR FIRST BRIEFING ITEM IS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
THANK, IF I CAN TAKE A MINUTE TO GIVE A LITTLE CONTACT.
UM, THERE WAS A MEMO RELEASED LAST WEEK FROM CHAIR ATKINSON ATKINS, ASKING FOR THAT BRIEFING TO BE MOVED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTACT OUR CITY MANAGER WITH ANY QUESTIONS.
SO I CALLED THE CITY MANAGER TWICE.
I TEXTED THE CITY MANAGER, AND AT WEDNESDAY'S COUNCIL MEETING ALSO ASKED TO SPEAK WITH HIM.
WEDNESDAY EVENING, HE TEXTED ME BACK SAYING HE WAS SORRY WE HADN'T MET.
AND BY THE WAY, HAD SENT AN OUT OF OFFICE MEMO FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.
IMAGINE I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM YOU OVER THIS TIME PERIOD.
I SENT A MEMO BACK, AN EMAIL BACK, ASKING TO HAVE THE FULL PRESENTATION THAT WE USUALLY HAVE SINCE THIS ITEM WAS SENT BY THE MAYOR TO THIS COMMITTEE.
AND UNLESS THE MAYOR HAS CHANGED HIS OPINION ON WHERE THIS ITEM SHOULD BE, UM, I'M EXPECTING TO KEEP IT HERE.
UM, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE CHAIR AND, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION AND THE COMMENT.
I BELIEVE THERE WAS, UH, AN EXCHANGE OF EMAILS BETWEEN, UH, THE CITY MANAGER AND I BELIEVE YOU AND, AND, UH, CHAIR ATKINS, SAYING THAT, UH, EITHER THE CITY MANAGER OR I WILL BE COMING TO BRIEF YOU ON THIS AND, AND THAT THAT WILL, WILL VERBALLY BRIEF YOU ON THOSE, UH, UH, ON THOSE ITEMS SPECIFICALLY RELATING TO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
SO FROM, AT LEAST FROM THE LAST COMMUNICATION, UH, I THOUGHT IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT I'M COMING TO BRIEF YOU ON, ON THAT.
AND, UH, DID YOU RECEIVE THE EMAIL FROM ME SAYING I EXPECTED THE REGULAR POWERPOINT PRESENTATION WITH THE DATA? I, I, I DID, MA'AM.
AND, AND I ALSO SAW A RESPONSE FROM THE CITY MANAGER.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE, UM, UH, PRESENTING AS, AS, UH, UH, INDICATED TO YOU IN, IN THE PREVIOUS, UH, UH, IN THE PREVIOUS CORRESPONDENCE.
SO, UM, I, I'M, I'M HERE, I'M READY TO BRIEF YOU AND, UH, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
UM, IT WASN'T MY INTENTION ACTUALLY TO HAVE A BRIEFING AS MUCH AS TO HAVE QUESTIONS ASKED.
IF ANYBODY HAD ANY, WHICH IS WHAT WE DO PROBABLY HALF THE TIME.
SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S ANYONE ON THE COMMITTEE WHO HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
UH, MOD I NOTICED THAT THE RESIDENTIAL PERMIT, AVERAGE TURNAROUND TIME IS REFLECTED IN THE GRAPH ON, UH, PAGE FIVE HAS ACTUALLY INCREASED, UH, IN DECEMBER FROM 43 TO 49.
UH, CAN YOU ACCOUNT FOR THAT INCREASE WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH THAT NUMBER DOWN? SURE.
SO, SO ACTUALLY I'M, I'M VERY PLEASED TO REPORT TO YOU THAT IN JANUARY, WE WENT DOWN TO 32 DAYS FROM 49 DAYS.
UH, THERE, THERE HAS BEEN A, AN INFLUX OF, OF PERMITTING COMING IN AND SOME PERMITS.
IT, IT'S REALLY NOT A, A, A COOKIE CUTTER TYPE OF PERMITTING.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE PERMITS THAT MAY TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO PROCESS.
AND SO, UM, UM, WE'VE SEEN, WE'VE SEEN 41 DAYS IN NOVEMBER, 49 DAYS IN DECEMBER.
NOW WE'RE BACK TO 32 DAYS, AND WE'RE ALL CAUGHT UP WITH, UH, ANY LEGACY PERMITTING.
UM, THERE'S BEEN, THERE'S BEEN A MONTH WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE ADJUSTING AGAIN, UH, TO, UH, TO THE NUMBER OF PERMITS AND THE NUMBER OF SUBMITTALS.
UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING A HOLD OF ALL OF THOSE PERMITS AND, AND, AND, AND DOING A MUCH BETTER JOB RIGHT NOW IN JANUARY.
SO WHY ARE, ARE POWERPOINT GRAPHS NOT UPDATED WITH THE JANUARY DATA? WHY ARE WE TWO MONTHS BEHIND? UM, I, I THINK WE'VE, I THINK STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING ON UPDATING THOSE POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS.
UM, AND, UH, THEY WILL BE, THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE CITY COUNCIL SOON.
SO YOU'LL BE SENDING THOSE TO US BEFORE OUR MEETING
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IN MARCH.UM, A A AGAIN, I WILL, UH, I WILL DEFER TO THE CITY MANAGER, UH, AS, AS CHAIR MENDELSON MENTIONED, WHETHER THAT THE ITEM WILL, WILL BE GOING TO, UH, G P F M OR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEMBER, THERE WILL BE AN UPDATE IF I CAN JUST EXPLAIN TO YOU THAT I REQUESTED THIS AS WE HAVE EVERY MONTH YEAH.
AS DIRECTED BY THE MAYOR AND THE CITY MANAGER HAS REFUSED TO PRESENT THIS ITEM TO US, AND INSTEAD JUST SENT MAG HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
WELL, NOT HAVING THOSE UPDATED NUMBERS, BUT GOING BY WHAT YOU SAID TO US THAT WE'VE GONE FROM 45 DAYS TO 32 DAYS, I KNOW THAT PART OF THE ISSUE WAS JUST WHAT YOU REFERENCED WITH LEGACY PROJECTS, AND WE'VE BEEN ASKING EACH MONTH, YOU KNOW, HEY, CAN WE, CAN WE DO AN, AN ASSESSMENT TO KICK THOSE OUT, THE ONES THAT ARE THE LAGGARDS, SO THAT WE GET A BETTER HANDLE ON WHERE WE ARE? SO WHAT IS THE, THE TARGET GOAL WE'RE TRYING TO GET BACK TO? UM, I, I REALLY WANT US TO BE UNDER THE THREE WEEKS THRESHOLD.
UH, REALISTICALLY SPEAKING, UM, SOME OF THE MINOR PERMITS SHOULD BE APPROVED IN ONE DAY AND SOME OF THE MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, MAJOR PERMITS, IF YOU WILL.
UM, WE, WE WOULD DO 'EM IN IN IN LESS THAN THREE WEEKS.
NOW, I, I WOULD TELL YOU, UM, MY GOAL ALSO IS TO, UH, REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CYCLES THAT THEY GO THROUGH, THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, MEANING THAT I KNOW WE HAVE ONE PERMIT THAT WENT THROUGH SEVEN CYCLES, AND IT HAS TAKEN 374 DAYS, OR 376 DAYS SOMEWHERE IN THERE.
THAT THAT'S ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE.
YOU KNOW, THE NEXT CYCLE USUALLY TAKES A LOT LONGER THAN THE FIRST CYCLE AND SO ON.
AND SO I DON'T WANT TO BUILD ON THAT PRACTICE.
UH, WE'RE TRYING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO LIMIT IT TO MAYBE TWO CYCLES AND, AND, UM, NO LONGER THAN, THAN THE 21 DAYS.
WELL, AND I HAD IN MY HEAD SOMEWHERE 15 DAYS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO GET, BUT MAYBE THAT WAS IN THE DAYS OF OLD, YOU KNOW, THE GOOD OLD BAD DAYS.
SO, SO, SO WHEN I HEAR THAT WHERE WE ARE WITH ALL THE LAGGARDS OUT IS AT 32 DAYS, UM, THAT GIVES ME REASON TO SAY, UM, A REAL ECHO FOR WHAT CHAIR MENDELSON HAS SAID ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION ABSOLUTELY BELONGS AT GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT.
AND SO I'M SENSING THERE'S THIS STANDOFF GOING ON, AND I JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT WHERE WE ARE AS FAR AS THE GOAL IS CONCERNED.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD, UM, BARRIERS IN TECHNOLOGY THAT FRANKLY, UM, THAT WAS LAGGING TOO AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED YEARS AGO.
AND SO, UM, IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE AT 32 DAYS.
AND, UM, ALL THOSE BUILDING HOMES AND D 13 WILL BE VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'RE NOT TO WHERE OUR GOAL IS YET, SO THAT WE'VE STILL GOT SOMETHING TO WORK ON AND THAT IT, IT BELONGS HERE.
ANYWAY, THAT'S FOR CLARIFICATION.
IF I MAY, UM, MADAM CHAIR, UM, WHAT I MEANT BY THREE WEEKS, IT'S, UH, THE THREE FULL WEEKS, WHICH TRANSLATES INTO 15 BUSINESS DAYS.
UM, SO WE'RE AT 32, AND SO WE'VE STILL GOT WORK TO DO.
GREAT PROGRESS, BUT, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP OUR EYE ON IT EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
AND THEN IMAGINE TO CLARIFY, UH, THE 32 DAYS, THOSE ARE BUSINESS DAYS OR CALENDAR DAYS.
UM, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF SAM, UM, MS. KEN IS HERE.
CAN YOU CLARIFY THOSE? MY UNDERSTANDING IS, UH, THEY, THEY WERE 32 BUSINESS DAYS BUSINESS.
CAN YOU, UM, SHARE WITH US THE, UM, NUMBER OF SINGLE FAMILY PERMITS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED THIS MONTH? UH, A HUNDRED AND 112.
SO ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER AS LAST MONTH, WHICH IS 111.
THERE, THERE'S A, THERE'S ACTUALLY A REDUCTION OF THE NUMBER OF PERMITS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
I BELIEVE IT WAS EITHER 112 OR 115.
SO IN DECEMBER, YOU REPORTED 111, UH, IN, UH, DECEMBER 111, AND IN NOVEMBER, OR 114.
SO IT, IT HAS FOR JANUARY, YOU'RE REPORTING 112 THEN, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, UH, UH, THIS MONTH IS 115.
SO BY THIS MONTH, YOU MEAN FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY.
OKAY, MA'AM, I JUST, WHAT ABOUT IF YOU CAN SEPARATE OUT, CREATED AND ISSUED AS FAR AS
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RESIDENTIAL PERMITS? CAN YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN, MA'AM? HOW MANY WERE CREATED VERSUS HOW MANY WERE ISSUED? UH, UH, WE HAVE ISSUED 213 PERMITS.UH, THIS, THIS SPECIFIC MONTH, OH, NOT THE SPECIFIC MONTH, BUT THE MONTH OF JANUARY.
AND, AND FOR CLARIFICATION, I STAND CORRECTED.
IT'S ACTUALLY 32, UH, CALENDAR DAYS, NOT WORKING DAYS THAT I REPORTED EARLIER MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF YOU HAD HAD A VISUAL ME MEANING, MEANING THAT IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY ROUGHLY SIX WEEKS.
CAN YOU TELL US HOW MANY NEW HIRES YOU HAD IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY AND HOW MANY YOU HAD LOST DUE TO ATTRITION? SO WE, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 115 POSITIONS THAT WERE HIRED.
UH, WE, WE HAVE TECHNICALLY WE HAVE HAD, I'M SORRY, YOU HIRED 115 PEOPLE LAST MONTH.
A HUNDRED, 115 POSITIONS THAT WE'VE HIRED, CORRECT.
UM, IN LAST MONTH, IN, IN, NO, IN JANUARY, ONLY 25 POSITIONS, BUT 25 HIRED THE EFFORT, THE TOTAL EFFORT IS ABOUT 115.
WE HAVE LOST SOME TO ATTRITION.
UM, SO WE'VE, UM, WE'RE STILL ABOUT 20%, UH, VACANCY RATE.
UM, WE'VE, UH, WE'VE LOST, UH, ROUGHLY ABOUT 47 POSITIONS SINCE THAT WHOLE EFFORT, UH, STARTED, UH, IN JANUARY ALONE, WE LOST FIVE POSITIONS.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT COUNCIL MEMBER WEST HAS SOME QUESTIONS.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO AHEAD? YES.
AND I WANT TO SECOND EVERYTHING YOU SAID, UH, ALONG WITH, UH, CH UM, CHAIRWOMAN, UM, WILLIS AS WELL, ABOUT KEEPING THIS IN THIS COMMITTEE.
ARE YOU GUYS HEARING THAT? UM, IF YOU CAN TURN YOUR MIC.
COULD YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID? YES, WE CAN.
UH, I GOT A, JUST A GENERAL QUESTION ABOUT THE CITY MANAGER'S PRIORITIES FOR 2023.
I ASSUME, UH, THAT HE DEVELOPS THESE PRIORITIES WORKING WITH HIS, UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS.
IS THAT RIGHT, MAJE? THAT THAT'S CORRECT, SIR.
SO, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO PRIORITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM, OF YOUR DEPART, YOU AND I WOULD ASSUME YOUR DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS ARE HELPING DEVELOP THOSE PRIORITIES.
CAN, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT SIR? AGAIN, I DIDN'T HEAR WELL.
UM, SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES PRIORITIES, UH, PRIORITIES ARE RELATED TO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FOR 2023, IT WOULD BE YOURSELF, I WOULD ASSUME, UM, MR. ESPINOZA WHO ARE WORKING ON THOSE PRIORITIES AND, AND ADVISING THE CITY MANAGER? UM, THAT'S CORRECT, SIR.
NOT JUST MR. ESPINOZA, BUT HIS ENTIRE, UM, EXECUTIVE TEAM.
I HAVE A FEW SUGGESTIONS THAT I'D LIKE TO BRING UP NOW.
I'LL ALSO PUT THEM IN A MEMORANDUM FORMAT.
UM, A COUPLE ADDITIONS TO THE PRIORITIES FOR 2023 THAT I WOULD PERSONALLY LIKE TO SEE WOULD BE A WAY TO INCENTIVIZE EMPLOYEES, UH, RETENTION BY INCENTIVIZING THEIR PERFORMANCE.
I KNOW THAT'S DIFFICULT TO DO IN A PUBLIC ENTITY, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE STAFF, UM, EXPLORE WAYS OF HOW WE CAN RETAIN EMPLOYEES BY INCENTIVIZING THEM.
COUNCIL MEMBER, WE, YOUR VIDEOS TURNED OFF.
CAN YOU PAUSE AND TURN THAT BACK ON? UM, YEAH, IT SAYS IT'S ON HERE.
UM, SO WE'D LOVE TO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, I THINK I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE AT A PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETING, THAT WE WANNA MAKE GOING TO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES LIKE THE BIG LEAGUES OF THE CITY.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO WANNA WORK THERE AND IF, AND, AND, AND FOR THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST IN THE CITY TO BE THERE, BECAUSE IT'S THE GATEWAY TO SO MANY COUNCIL MEMBER WEST.
YEAH, YOUR VIDEO'S TURNING OFF AGAIN.
YEAH, IT MUST BE MY CONNECTION.
IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN, I'LL JUST SUBMIT ALL THIS IN A MEMO.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, IS, UM, ENHANCED COORDINATION BETWEEN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS DWU.
THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING I'VE BEEN HARPING ON.
YOUR VIDEO HAS TURNED OFF AGAIN.
I'LL RE I'LL RESERVE MY COMMENTS FOR MEMO.
MAY I ADDRESS THOSE REALLY QUICKLY? UM, SURE.
UH, JUST QUICKLY ON THE INCENTIVIZATION, WE ARE WORKING ALREADY WITH HR ON THAT, ON THAT PIECE.
UH, WHETHER IT'S OFFERING, UH, BONUSES
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OR, OR, OR OTHER FORMS OF, OF, UH, STAFF RETENTION.AND ON THE IN-HOUSE SERVICES COORDINATION, UH, WE'VE, WE'RE ALREADY WORKING WITH CODE COMPLIANCE, UH, DALLAS WATER UTILITY AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS ON THAT.
SO YOU, YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS COMING UP.
THAT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL ITEM TO TALK ABOUT NEXT MONTH, BECAUSE AGAIN, OUR COMMITTEE NAME IS GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT.
THE ONLY COMMITTEE ACTUALLY REQUIRED BY THE CHARTER AND ANY TOPIC COULD BE MOVED UNDER HERE AS PART OF GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE.
BELIEVE THIS ITEM WAS MOVED HERE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT PERFORMING.
OUR NEXT ITEM BRIEFING ITEM IS FROM THE OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR.
YEAH, I, I JUST IN FOLLOWING UP WITH THAT, I JUST WANNA OFFER AND MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THAT, THAT, THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE WAS, THIS IS JUST, YOU ASKED FOR A BRIEFING OF SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN ON THE AGENDA FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS AND THE CITY MANAGER JUST SAID NO, CITY MANAGER DID NOT SAY NO.
THE CITY MANAGER HAS SENT AN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, BUT DID NOT PROVIDE THE POWERPOINT AS, AS, AS REQUESTED, AND AS HAS BEEN PROVIDED MONTHLY FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
WELL, I JUST WOULD JUST SUPPORT THAT THAT STAYS IN THIS COMMITTEE AND WE CONTINUE TO GET THE UPDATES THAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING UP INTO THIS POINT.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE CITY, AND IT'S A PLACE THAT WAS HAVING SERIOUS ISSUES.
AND SO, UM, FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, THAT'S MY POSITION.
I THINK WE'RE READY TO MOVE TO OUR NEXT BRIEFING, WHICH IS THE OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDIT BRIEFING ON THE INTERNAL AUDIT REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN RELEASED BETWEEN JANUARY 14TH AND FEBRUARY 17TH.
I, I THINK WE HAD A SIT OF THE MINISTRY HERE.
YOU, YOU WAS ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS WHY HE DID NOT TAKE IT AWAY.
BEFORE WE GET TO THE NEXT ITEM, MS. SIN MANAGER, YOU WANNA SEND, I'M SORRY, I BELIEVE YOU'RE OUT OF ORDER, BUT ACTUALLY HE DIDN'T REQUEST TO SPEAK.
HE'S WELCOME TO SIT IN ANY MEETING, BUT SINCE HE HASN'T SPOKEN TO ME YET, I'M NOT SURE THAT THIS IS WHERE THE RIGHT FORUM IS.
UH, I I BELIEVE THAT, UH, WE HAVE NOT STARTED THE NEXT ITEM.
YES, ACTUALLY I HAVE CALLED FOR THAT ITEM.
THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN, CITY MANAGER, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO SAY? I DO.
THERE'S BEEN QUITE A BIT SAID ABOUT THE LAST ITEM.
I WANTED TO AT LEAST HAVE EITHER QUESTIONS DIRECTED TO ME AND OR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT, OUR TIME WOULD'VE BEEN BETTER SERVED HAVING JUST HAD THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS ASKED FOR.
SO LET ME THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK COUNCILWOMAN.
WELL, I ACTUALLY DIDN'T DO THAT YET, BUT COUNCIL MEMBER, YES, I WILL RECOGNIZE YOU.
THANK YOU, MAGU, FOR YOUR LAST STATEMENT.
LET ME JUST BE VERY CLEAR AS IT RELATES TO AT LEAST THE INTENTION AND THE DISCUSSION AS, AS WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ATKINS REQUEST FOR THE ITEM RELATED TO PERMITTING TO MOVE BACK TO HIS COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS THE COMMITTEE, UH, THAT I THINK HAS OVERSIGHT AND PURVIEW OVER, UH, THAT PARTICULAR ITEM, UH, AS IT RELATES TO IT BEING ON GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO THE, UM, CHARTER ISSUES.
AGAIN, I KNOW THE COUNCIL COMMITTEES, UH, AND OR, UH, THE NAMING OF THOSE ACTUALLY ARE REALLY AROUND OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.
THE ACTUAL, UH, CHARTER NAME FOR THE COMMITTEE, I BELIEVE IS BUDGET AND FINANCE.
HOWEVER, HAVING SAID THAT, AS IT RELATES TO WHAT WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD, GOING FORWARD IN THE FUTURE, UH, THE DISCUSSION AROUND WHO PRESENTS AND WHAT IS PRESENTED, UH, PARTICULARLY AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER, UH, RESIDES WITH ME AS THE CITY MANAGER AND THE STAFF THAT I DESIGNATE TO COME AND SPEAK AND OR PRESENT TO THE COMMITTEE.
AND AT THIS POINT, UH, FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, UH, THEN I WILL BE SENDING EITHER MAG ALGAE, THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER OR MYSELF, UH, AND, UH, PROVIDING THE UPDATE.
UH, I THINK IN BROADER FORM, I THINK TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.
I BELIEVE, AND I WOULD HOPE AT SOME POINT COUNCIL WOULD BEGIN TO ADDRESS THE DUPLICATIVE NATURE OF ITEMS GOING TO VARIOUS COMMITTEES.
UH, AND THEN COMING TO THE FULL COUNCIL AS IT RELATES TO, AS I INDICATED IN MY MEMO TO YOU IN RESPONSE TO WHY THE DEPARTMENT WOULDN'T MAKE THOSE SAME PRESENTATIONS, WAS BECAUSE THE DIRECTOR AND HIS TEAM ARE WORKING AGAIN, TO TRY TO IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCE AND CONTINUING THE WORK THROUGHOUT THE DAYS TO GET INTO THEIR NEW BUILDING, AS WELL AS IMPROVE ALL THE PROCESSES THAT ARE BEING UNDERTAKEN AT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
AND I'VE FOUND IT MORE EFFICIENT, UH, FOR STAFF THAT THEY REPORT TO, TO COME OUT AND SHARE AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
SO AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, AND FOR THE RECORD, UH, MAG AND OR MYSELF WILL BE HERE NEXT MONTH, UH, TO PROVIDE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
UH, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE FULL REPORTS AND BRIEFINGS TO, UH, THE ECONOMIC
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DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE CHANCE TO SPEAK.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE STATEMENT.
UM, I WILL CORRECT YOU THAT IT IS ACTUALLY THE MAYOR THAT DETERMINES THE COMMITTEES AND DETERMINES WHAT ITEMS ARE HEARD IN WHICH AREA.
AND AGAIN, THERE'S A MEMO FROM THE MAYOR PUTTING THIS BRIEFING IN THIS COMMITTEE, AND SHOULD HE CHOOSE TO CHANGE IT, I WOULD GLADLY JUST ATTEND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING TO HAVE THAT BRIEFING.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE PURVIEW OF THE CITY COUNCIL, NOT THE CITY MANAGER TO HOLD THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
I'LL JUST SHARE WITH YOU AGAIN, AS I SAID BEFORE.
WELL, IF YOU'VE ALREADY, IF THE ITEM WILL BE AT THE MEETING, THE STAFF MAKING THE PRESENTATION AND OR THE DISCUSSION WILL BE MANAGED OF MYSELF GOING FORWARD.
SHOULD WE DO YOUR INTRODUCTION AGAIN, OR YOU'RE READY TO GO? I, UM, MARK SWAN CITY AUDITORY.
AND WITH ME TODAY IS, UM, AN ATO KOWSKI, WHO'S OUR AUDIT MANAGER, AND HE'LL BE PRESENTING THE AUDIT OF FLEET AVAILABILITY IN DOWNTIME ACCURACY.
AND I WILL PRESENT THE EXTERNAL QUALITY CONTROL REVIEW OF THE CITY OF DALLAS OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR AND OUR PRESENTATION.
AND SO I'LL LET ANTO, BILL, GOOD AFTERNOON.
UH, MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
MY NAME IS, UH, ANNA TOSKI, AND I WILL BE PRESENTING AUDIT OF, UH, FLEET AVAILABILITY AND DOWNTIME ACCURACY.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS AUDIT WERE TO DETERMINE WHETHER DOWNTIME, PERFORMANCE, AND RENTAL DATA IS COMPLETE, ACCURATE, MONITORED, AND SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE.
AND ALSO TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF RENTAL EXPENDITURES CAUSED BY DOWNTIME.
WE LOOKED AT, UM, EQUIPMENT AND FLEET MANAGEMENT, RENTAL REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS IN FISCAL YEARS 2019.
WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT THE, UH, DEPARTMENT'S DOWNTIME AND AVAILABILITY DATA WAS GENERALLY COMPLETE, ACCURATE, AND SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE DURING THE AUDIT PERIOD.
HOWEVER, WE RECOMMEND CLOSER MONITORING OF THE ACCURACY OF ENTRIES, UH, ABOUT THE WORKER, THE COMPLETION IN RENTAL VEHICLES, AND ALSO WE RECOMMEND THAT THE DEPARTMENT ENSURE THAT THE DATA ACCURACY AND, UM, TO ENSURE THE DATA ACCURACY IN THE FUTURE, AND ALSO TO IMPROVE THE DATA TO BE ABLE TO CALCULATE THE EXTENT OF RENTAL EXPENDITURES RELATED TO DOWNTIME.
ALSO, WILL WE RECOMMENDED THAT SOME REPORTS NEED IMPROVEMENT TO, IN, UM, TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF REPORTING THE DATA.
UH, THIS TRANSLATED INTO SEVEN RECOMMENDATIONS OF WHICH, UH, SIX WERE ACCEPTED BY, UM, AGREED TO BY THE MANAGEMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT AND FOR ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THEY ACCEPTED THE RISK.
AND THAT COMPLETES MY PRESENTATION COMMITTEE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS AUDIT COUNCIL MEMBER? WESTER BAA.
I KNOW YOU'RE ONLINE IF YOU WANNA WAVE AT ME IF YOU DO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR, UM, PRESENTATION ON THAT ITEM.
THEN THE OTHER ITEM IS WHAT EVERYBODY ALWAYS WANTS TO KNOW, WHO AUDITS THE AUDITORS.
AND WE WERE AUDITED BY A GROUP OF PEER, UM, CITIES, UM, LAST MONTH.
AND IT'S WAS THE, THE PERIOD THAT WAS COVERED FROM OUR AUDITS THAT WERE CONDUCTED BETWEEN MAY, 2019 AND APRIL OF 2022.
AND THIS IS REQUIRED EVERY THREE YEARS UNDER GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS.
AND THE PEER REVIEW TEAM CONCLUDED THAT WE WERE COMPLYING WITH GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS AND HAD NO EXCEPTIONS TO THAT.
WE HAD A GOOD DESIGN OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT FOR THE AUDIT PROCESS.
UH, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY HAD SOME MANAGEMENT COMMENTS COMPLIMENTING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE OFFICE.
BUT ALSO WE ALSO, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, FAILED ON, UM, FILING OUR OWN POLICY OF CONSIDERING FOR NON-AUDIT SERVICES, WHICH IS NOT HALF, WE DO NOT DO TOO MANY NON-AUDIT SERVICES, JUST ONE OR TWO A YEAR.
UH, ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS IS THAT WE CONSIDER BEFORE WE ACCEPT AN NON-AUDIT SERVICE, HOW, WHAT IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE ON
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OUR, UH, INDEPENDENCE GOING FORWARD TO CONDUCT AN AUDIT.AND WE SHOULD DOCUMENT THAT PROCESS.
WE DO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, UM, INTERNALLY.
UM, BUT WE DID NOT DOCUMENT THAT PROCESS.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARDS BEFORE WE START A NEW AUDIT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO OBJECTIVELY CONDUCT THAT AUDIT GOING FORWARD.
BUT WE WILL COMPLY WITH OUR INTERNAL PROCEDURES GOING FORWARD.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OUTSIDE AUDIT OF THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE? YES.
UH, MR. SWAN, UM, I AM CURIOUS WHAT THESE NON-AUDIT RELATED PROJECTS WERE THAT YOUR OFFICE UNDERTAKES.
WELL, ONE MOST RECENTLY WAS, UH, DURING THE COVID WE SENT, UH, AUDITORS TO ASSIST WITH THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IN PROCESSING APPLICATIONS.
UM, ANOTHER NON-AUDIT SERVICE WOULD BE CONSIDERED WAS, UH, OUR OFFICE ASSIST AS THE MAYOR AND REVIEWING PAYROLL RECORDS FOR THE CITY ON DURING THE COVID PERIOD.
AND THOSE ARE THE TWO THAT I CAN THINK OF MOST RECENTLY.
UM, WE WERE GOING TO DO SOME NON-AUDIT SERVICES WITH ASSISTING.
ITS WITH PCI COMPLIANCE REVIEWS, HOWEVER, THAT NEVER MATERIALIZED.
SO ARE YOU UNDER ANY, UH, REQUIREMENT TO PERFORM NON-AUDIT SERVICES ON A REGULAR BASIS OR JUST IN, UM, EMERGENCY SITUATIONS? UM, THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT TO DO NON AUDIT SERVICES.
IT'S JUST SOMETIMES, UM, REQUESTS COME IN TO USE OUR EXPERTISE IN ASSISTANCE IF WE HAVE EXPERTISE IN AN AREA TO DO THAT.
AND SO THEN WE CONSIDER IT, IT, UM, AGAIN, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT OUR ABILITIES, REMAIN OBJECTIVE TO BE ABLE TO AUDIT THAT FUNCTION IN THE FUTURE.
AND THE AUDIT OF YOUR OFFICE INDICATED THAT THAT COULD GIVE RISE TO POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST? WELL, WE DIDN'T DETERMINE IN OUR PROCESS, IN IN THOSE CASES, WE BELIEVED THAT WE COULD USE OTHER STAFF, NOT USE THE SAME STAFF THAT WAS HELPING AND ASSISTING AND STILL REMAIN OBJECTIVE.
SO THE ONLY SHORTCOMING WAS THAT YOU DIDN'T DOCUMENT THAT? YES.
BUT YOU'VE CHANGED YOUR PRACTICE NOW AND YOU WILL DO SO IN FUTURE.
WE HAD AN INTERNAL PROCEDURE SAYING THAT WE WOULD DOCUMENT AND WE WERE NOT FOLLOWING IT.
WE DIDN'T PULL IT OFF THE SHELF AND FOLLOW IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? I'LL JUST SAY THAT I ENJOYED MEETING WITH THEM AND TALKING THROUGH, UM, UH, SOME OF THE PROCESS THAT YOU WORK FOR AND THEN ALSO HEARING SOME OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY DO IN THEIR ROLE SINCE, UM, IT WAS PEER REVIEWED.
AND, UM, THERE WERE A LOT OF NICE COMPLIMENTS ABOUT HOW DALLAS IS OPERATING IN OUR AUDIT.
SO I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE PEER REVIEW TEAM CAUSE THEY WERE HERE DURING THE WEEK OF THE FREEZE AND, UH, WE'RE GETTING LOCKED OUT OF THE OFFICES AND OTHER THINGS, WALKING OVER FROM THE OMNI HOTEL IN THE ICE, TRYING TO GET TO THE OFFICE.
SO THEY DIDN'T, ANY OTHER WEEK WOULD'VE BEEN GREAT, BUT THEY PICKED ONE WEEK.
THEY WERE PRETTY GOOD SPORTS ABOUT IT, BUT I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS OUR MOST HOSPITABLE EVENT.
OKAY, I THINK WE'RE READY FOR OUR NEXT ITEM, WHICH, UH, WE HAVE OUR VISITORS HERE FROM DALLAS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
THEY ARE GOING TO PRESENT TO US THEIR PROPOSED BUDGET AND REAPPRAISAL PLAN FOR 20 23, 20 24.
AND THEN KEN NOLAN, UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOUR, YOUR GUESTS, AND I SEE JEANETTE HAS JOINED YOU AS WELL.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR COMMITTEE MEMBERS THERE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY.
TO MY RIGHT, I HAVE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE D C A D BOARD, MR. JOHN THREAD, WHO'S A RESIDENT OF LAKE HIGHLANDS AND HAS BEEN FOR EIGHT YEARS.
AND, UH, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN MCGOO FOR APPOINTING HIM.
WE ENJOYED HAVING HIM WITH US, AND, UH, HE'S DONE A LOT TO, TO REPRESENT YOU AS WELL AS US AS WELL.
AND TO MY LEFT IS CHERYL JORDAN.
SHE'S OUR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS, UH, AGAIN, OH, AND I'LL LET JANETTE INTRODUCE HERSELF.
UH, THANK YOU FOR, AGAIN, FOR HAVING US.
WE'RE HERE TO PRESENT OUR, UH, PROPOSED 2324 APPROVED BUDGET.
AND YOU SHOULD HAVE ON THE SLIDE, YOU'LL HAVE A COPY OF THE, UH, SUMMARY OF THE BUDGET, AND YOU'LL ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER, UH, HANDOUTS THAT ARE ON THE SLIDE AS WELL.
OUR, OUR, UH, UH, MERIT SALARY SURVEY AND OUR, UH, REAPPRAISED PLAN.
LET ME START OUT WITH, UM, OUR BUDGET.
I'M GONNA HAVE, I'M GONNA PAGE ONE, I'M GONNA HAVE TO WING THIS
I'LL, I'LL TELL HER WHICH PAGE.
OUR BUDGET CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW IS 31 MILLION 2 0 5, 0 55.
WE'RE GOING TO 34 MILLION 203 83.
[00:30:02]
THAT'S A 9.6% INCREASE.UM, IF WE CAN GO BACK TO THE LAST 10 YEARS, PAGE FOUR, PAGE FOUR, YOU CAN SEE STARTING IN 14, 14 50, AND WHAT OUR HISTORY HAS BEEN BUDGET WISE, OUR BUDGET INCREASE IN DECREASE, AND THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL AND OUR ENTITY SALARY SURVEY OVER THOSE YEARS.
STARTING AT 1415, WE HAD AN INCREASE OF 5.2, THEN IT WAS 2.9, 3.36, 4.39, 7.63, AND 18, WHERE WE ADDED SEVEN PERSONNEL.
AND THEN ON THE NEXT PAGE, PAGE FIVE.
UH, OUR INCREASE WAS 2.36, 4.35.
AND THEN COVID, WE ACTUALLY CUT THE BUDGET SLIGHTLY BY 0.15%.
WE THOUGHT THAT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO DURING COVID BECAUSE THE, THE, THE PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELVES WHO PAY THE BILLS WERE HAVING FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY.
SO IT DIDN'T SEEM, IT, IT SEEMED RIGHT FOR US TO TIGHTEN OUR BELT AND DO WHAT WE COULD.
UH, LAST YEAR, THE BUDGET, OR THIS YEAR, THE BUDGET WE'RE IN 6.41%, AND NEXT YEAR, 9.6.
AND LET ME EXPLAIN WHERE THE, WHERE THE 9.6 IS COMING FROM.
FIRST THING WE'RE DOING IS ADDING TWO, TWO, UH, POSITIONS.
OUR BUDGET, WE HAVE 2 42, CURRENTLY WE'RE GOING INTO 2 44.
FIRST ONE IS IN OUR LITIGATION SERVICES DIVISION.
WE'RE CURRENTLY GETTING ABOUT 25 TO 2,600 LAWSUITS A YEAR.
10 YEARS AGO, WE PROBABLY GOT 17 OR 1800.
UM, AND WHAT THERE'S ALSO BEEN AN ISSUE WITH, UH, JUDGES, THE DALLAS COUNTY JUDGES NOT GRANTING CONTINUANCES, UH, YET.
THE WAY IT WORKS IS YOU GO TO THE ARB, YOU GET YOUR CERTIFIED LETTER IN THE MAIL, YOU HAVE 60 DAYS TO FILE A LAWSUIT IN DISTRICT COURT, MOST OF THOSE LAWSUITS COME IN IN AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, AND OCTOBER.
WE'LL HAVE CASES THAT ARE FILED AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, AND OCTOBER THAT HAVE A DECEMBER TRIAL DATE.
AND THAT'S BARELY ENOUGH TIME TO DO ANY KIND OF DISCOVERY, ANY KIND OF NEGOTIATIONS.
AND EVEN WHEN WE HAVE A JOINT MOTION FOR CONTINUANCE, THE JUDGES ARE SAYING, SORRY, SETTLE IT OR BE DOWN HERE, YOU KNOW, DECEMBER 15TH OR WHATEVER.
AND I KNOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE FROM COMMISSIONER'S COURT, AS YOU'VE HEARD, TO TRY TO REDUCE THEIR DOCKETS.
SO THAT'S WHY WE NEED ANOTHER PERSON IN THAT DIVISION.
THAT DIVISION ONLY HAS THREE PEOPLE IN IT.
WE HAVE A DIRECTOR OF LITIGATION SERVICES, AND I HAVE TWO LITIGATION SPECIALISTS.
THIS IS A THIRD LITIGATION SPECIALIST.
THE OTHER POSITION IS IN OUR IT DEPARTMENT.
AND I, I KNOW YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO US
UM, AND I, AND I WILL SAY THIS, I WANT TO THANK YOU AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR TAX AND JURISDICTIONS FOR THE SUPPORT WE GOT, UH, FROM, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNING BODIES, THE STAFF.
AND I WAS ALSO, I'M ALSO PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AT THE PATIENTS WE RECEIVED FROM THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS COUNTY.
UH, EVEN THE PRESS KIND OF SPUN THE STORY THAT, YOU KNOW, IF IT CAN HAPPEN TO DEC A, IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU.
SO WE'RE ADDING A POSITION IN OUR IT DIS IT STAFF TO HELP MONITOR OUR SYSTEM.
WE'VE JUST RECENTLY LED A CONTRACT WITH A, A CONSULTING GROUP CALLED B I S.
THEY DO WORK FOR PROBABLY OVER 150 APPRAISAL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THEY'RE GONNA MONITOR OUR SYSTEM 24 HOURS A DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.
WE'RE ALSO ABOUT TO SEND OUT AN RFP FOR NEW CLOUD STORAGE AND NEW PHYSICAL OFFSITE STORAGE AS WELL.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO US IS WHEN THEY GOT INTO OUR SYSTEM, THEY GOT THE PASSWORDS FOR OUR BACKUP IN THE CLOUD AND PRETTY, PRETTY WELL ENCRYPTED THOSE AS WELL.
YEAH, WE, WE'VE ALWAYS DONE EVERYTHING OURSELVES.
UH, 20 YEARS AGO, WE MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO WRITE OUR OWN SOFTWARE, CREATE OUR OWN WEBSITE, AND IT SAVED US, IT HAS SAVED US MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OVER THE YEARS.
SO WE DON'T PAY MAINTENANCE FEES, WE DON'T PAY LICENSE FEES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
HOWEVER, I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE THE EXPERTISE OR THE MONEY TO HIRE THE PEOPLE, NECESS, UH, EMPLOYEE-WISE TO HIRE THOSE TYPE OF PEOPLE TO MONITOR THE SYSTEM 24 HOURS A DAY.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING OUT TO AN OUTSIDE VENDOR.
SO I, I WILL TELL YOU, I NEVER WANNA LIVE THROUGH THIS AGAIN.
UH, I WOULD TAKE COVID EVERY DAY OVER THIS
AND YOU'RE VERY HELPLESS WHEN YOU CAN'T COMMUNICATE WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
I AM HAPPY TO REPORT WE ARE UP AND RUNNING VIRTUALLY AT A HUNDRED PERCENT NOW.
UH, OUR COMMUNITY, OUR APPRAISAL SYSTEM IS WORKING.
OUR, WE'RE ABLE TO UPDATE AGAIN.
EVERYTHING'S PRETTY MUCH BACK TO NORMAL RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT POSITION IN IT WILL BE WORKING WITH THE VENDORS TO HELP MONITOR THE SYSTEM, COORDINATE THEIR MONITORING OF THE SYSTEM.
AND ALSO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE BEGIN OVER THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS TO REROUTE OUR WEBSITE.
OUR WEBSITE'S GOOD, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT'S CURRENT.
OUR, OUR GOAL WITH OUR WEBSITE, WHICH WE LEARNED DURING COVID CAN BE DONE, IS TO PROVIDE SERVICE
[00:35:01]
FOR AS MANY THINGS AS POSSIBLE IN OUR OFFICE WHERE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO COME TO OUR OFFICE.UM, COVID TAUGHT THE PUBLIC, WHAT WE TRIED TO DO, BUT NEVER COULD GET, GET THEM TO DO, WAS YOU CAN COMMUNICATE WITH US ELECTRONICALLY.
YOU COULD COMMUNICATE WITH US BY TELEPHONE.
YOU CAN HAVE AN ARB HEARING BY TELEPHONE.
AND NOW, WHERE WE USED TO GET MAYBE A COUPLE HUNDRED REQUESTS A YEAR FOR HEARINGS, VIRTUALLY 70 TO 80% OF ALL OUR HEARINGS LAST YEAR WERE DONE BY TELEPHONE.
I MEAN, IF YOU'RE LIVING IN FAR NORTH DALLAS, IN COLLIN COUNTY, OR EXCUSE ME, IN FAR NORTH DALLAS, UM, YOU DON'T WANNA ATTEMPT TO DRIVE, DRIVE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO OUR OFFICE.
AND IF YOU CAN DO BUSINESS WITHOUT COMING TO SEE US, THAT'S GREAT FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND OUR GOAL WITH OUR WEBSITE IS TO MAKE SURE IT'S CONSTANTLY UPDATED TO MAKE SURE WE CAN DO MORE AND MORE THINGS ONLINE.
IF YOU GO BACK TO PAGE SIX, EXCUSE ME, FORWARD, FORWARD, FORWARD TO PAGE SIX.
THERE'S THE SUMMARY OF THE CHANGES IN OUR BUDGET.
AS I SAID, SALARY AND WAGES, TWO THINGS ARE IN THERE.
UH, ONE IS TO TWO NEW POSITIONS.
SECONDLY, WE'VE CONDUCTED OUR, UH, MERIT PAY SURVEY THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR.
WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN ON A MERIT PAY SYSTEM.
THAT'S, WE DON'T DO COST OF LIVING, WE DON'T DO THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE STRICTLY REWARD ON PAY, PAYER PAY.
IF YOU PAY, EXCUSE ME, IF YOU PLAY, YOU GET PAID.
SO, UH, YOU CAN SEE IN THE, IN THE FIRST PAGE UP THERE, THE AVERAGE OF THE CITIES WAS 5.38%.
NEXT PAGE, THE AVERAGE OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WAS 4.15%.
AND THE COLLEGE WAS 4.25%, AND THE AVERAGE FOR EVERYBODY WAS 4.59% FOR SALARIES.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE BRINGING THAT DOWN TO 4%.
AND THE REASON WE'RE DOING THAT IS WE'RE ALSO IN THIS BUDGET PROPOSING A 5% STEP INCREASE FOR, FOR GRADES 23 AND BELOW, WHICH IS THE RANK AND FILE, THE APPRAISERS, UH, THE CLERICAL STAFF, CUSTOMER SERVICE, THOSE TYPES OF POSITIONS.
LET ME EMPHASIZE, THIS IS NOT FOR MANAGEMENT, IT'S NOT FOR SUPERVISORS.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT FOR THE HIGHER UPS.
THIS IS FOR THE RANK AND FILE.
SINCE COVID HAPPENED, OUR TURNOVER RATES JUMPED UP DRAMATICALLY.
WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE LEAVE AND THEY'RE NOT COMING BACK.
THE OTHER THING WAS, WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME ATTRACTING THE TYPE OF PEOPLE.
WE WERE USED TO GETTING HUNDREDS OF APPLICATIONS A YEAR.
WE GO TO, WE GO TO COLLEGES, WE TAKE COLLEGE EDUCATED PEOPLE WITH A FOUR YEAR DEGREE, NO EXPERIENCE, REAL ESTATE, FINANCE, ACCOUNTING, STARTING THEM AT ABOUT $50,000 A YEAR.
MY PEERS TO THE NORTH IN DENTON, WHO WERE LOOKING FOR ABOUT 17 APPRAISERS RIGHT NOW ARE STARTING PEOPLE AT 70,000 A YEAR.
SO CONSEQUENTLY, WE'RE GETTING A WHOLE LOT OF TURNDOWNS, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET OUR SALARIES BACK UP TO WHERE THEY BELONG.
WE'VE GOT A LONG TIME WITHOUT CHANGING OUR STARTING SALARY.
AND, YOU KNOW, ADMITTEDLY, THAT WAS PROBABLY MY CHOICE TO, AS I SAY, TRY TO POOR BOY IT, BUT IT'S NOT MY MONEY, IT'S YOUR MONEY.
SO WE TRY TO SPEND, WE TRY TO SPEND IT VERY WISELY, BUT I THINK IT'S TIME TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE QUALITY OF PEOPLE WE NEED TO GET SURE TO GET YOU THE PRODUCT THAT YOU NEED ON TIME AND ACCURATELY AS POSSIBLE.
SECOND CATEGORY, CATEGORY, AUTO EXPENSE.
WE'RE RAISING AUTO EXPENSE FROM SEVEN TO 800.
AND THE LAST TIME WE, THAT'S FOR THE APPRAISERS, UH, THAT'S THE LAST TIME WE, WE ADJUSTED.
THAT WAS PROBABLY MORE THAN 10 YEARS AGO.
IF YOU'RE AN APPRAISER IN OUR OFFICE, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE A VEHICLE IN YOUR AT, AT WORK EVERY DAY TO DO YOUR FIELD WORK.
UH, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, 13% UP, THAT'S POSTAGE PAPER.
UH, WE MAIL USUALLY FIVE OR 600,000 NOTICES A YEAR.
WE HAVE TO MAIL THAT TRANSPARENCY POSTCARD.
IT'S JUST THE DAY-TO-DAY PAPER AND POSTAGE TO, FOR US TO DO BUSINESS.
UM, MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT IS GOING UP 76%.
THAT'S WHERE THE CONTRACTS ARE FOR IT THAT WE PLACED IN THAT CATEGORY.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, UH, CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, IT'S NOT PERSONNEL.
IT'S THE CONTRACTS WITH OUR VENDORS TO MONITOR OUR SYSTEM.
UM, LET'S SEE, INSURANCE AND BENEFITS.
WE'RE BUDGETING FOR A 14% INCREASE IN HEALTH INSURANCE.
OUR RETIREMENT RATE, THANK GOD, HAS STAYED THE SAME.
UH, OUR CONTRIBUTION RATE IS NOT GOING UP, AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S FINALLY GONNA START GOING DOWN AGAIN FOR TEXAS COUNTY INDUSTRY RETIREMENT SYSTEM.
AND THE LAST, UH, CAPITAL EXPENDERS IS GOING DOWN 10%.
THAT'S, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO CUT THAT.
THAT'S BACKUP PCS REPLACEMENTS.
WE USE IPADS IN THE FIELD, AND WE'VE, WE'VE GOT ENOUGH IN STOCK THAT PRETTY MUCH IS THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 9.6%.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO THE CITY OF DALLAS? 14 OF, YEAH.
YOUR, UM, ALLOCATION IS GOING UP 12.53%, OR 557, 8 15.
NOW, LET ME REFRESH YOUR MEMORY.
WHEN WE STARTED BACK IN 1980, DALLAS COUNTY OFFERED TO PAY ONE THIRD OF OUR BUDGET OFF THE TOP.
AND THE REASON THEY WANTED TO DO THAT WAS THEY, THIS APPRAISAL DISTRICT THING WAS NEW TO THEM.
NO ONE KNEW IF IT WAS GONNA WORK, AND THEY WANTED TO SAY ON OUR BOARD, AND THEY DID NOT HAVE, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD MORE PARCELS THAN ANYBODY ELSE, THEY DID NOT HAVE
[00:40:01]
THE TAX LEVY TO ELECT A BOARD MEMBER.SO THEY SAID, HEY, LOOK, WE'LL PAY MORE AND CHANGE THE SELECTION OF OUR BOARD.
SO CONSEQUENTLY, DALLAS COUNTY ALWAYS HAS A MEMBER.
CITY OF DALLAS, ALWAYS HAS A MEMBER.
THE SUBURBAN CITIES EACH GETTING ONE VOTE, REGARDLESS OF SIZE, GET A MEMBER IN THE SUBURBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
SO AFTER YOU TAKE THE ONE THIRD, WHICH IS THE COUNTY OF THE HOSPITAL, THE COLLEGE, AND THE NON COUNTYWIDE SPECIAL DISTRICTS, WHICH ARE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICTS.
AND LIKE THAT, THE CITY'S, THE ALLOCATION IS BASED ON YOUR LEVY IN COMPARISON, BUT A TOTAL TAX LEVY IN DALLAS COUNTY.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE CALCULATED ON THEIR PERCENTAGE OF LEVY VERSUS ONLY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT LEVY IN DALLAS COUNTY.
NOW, WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS IS EVERY TIME THE LEGISLATURE TRIES TO COMPRESS THE SCHOOL TAX RATE, AND THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THAT, THE FUNDING OF ALL APPRAISAL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE IS SHIFTING MORE TOWARDS SCHOOL DISTRICTS, EXCUSE ME, MORE TOWARDS CITIES AND AWAY FROM SCHOOL DISTRICT.
FOR INSTANCE, THE BUDGET WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, MUNICIPALITIES ARE PICKING UP 26.5% NEXT YEAR.
THAT GOES TO ALMOST 27%, WHERE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WAS AT SLIGHTLY OVER 40.
AND IT'S GOING DOWN TO 39.7, AND THEN THE ONE THIRD WILL NEVER CHANGE.
SO, AND, AND ALSO, AGAIN, YOUR LEVY, I WILL, I WILL, WE, UH, KEEP TRACK OF EVERYBODY'S LEVY, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THIS IS JUST THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UH, YOUR TAXABLE VALUE IN DALLAS COUNTY WENT A 14081%.
YOU ACTUALLY LOWERED YOUR TAX RATE 3.56%.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOUR LEVY WENT UP 10.72%.
AND THEN YOU, IN YOUR, IN YOUR PACKET, YOU CAN COMPARE THAT.
THERE'S A BLUE COLUMN IN THIS CHART THAT SHOWS YOU WHAT YOUR LEVY INCREASE WAS IN COMPARISON TO YOUR OTHER CITIES AND SCHOOLS.
AND BASED ON WHAT YOU DO, IF YOU'RE LOWER THAN THE AVERAGE AND EVERYBODY, YOUR ALLOCATION WON'T GO UP AS MUCH IF YOU'RE HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE HAD, WE HAD A SCHOOL DISTRICT, CEDAR HILL, WHOSE LEVY WENT UP ALMOST 23%.
SO OBVIOUSLY THEIR ALLOCATIONS GOING UP PERCENTAGE WISE A LOT.
AND AGAIN, YOU PROBABLY FELL IN THE MIDDLE, MIDDLE OF THE PACK AT 10.72.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET? OKAY, WELL, I'M GONNA START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RIDLEY, AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
UH, WITH REGARD TO THE SALARIES THAT, UH, YOU SAID WERE UNDER MARKET, IS THIS BUDGET INCLUDING AN INCREASE TO MAKE THEM COMPETITIVE? YES.
I SAID WE'RE, WE'RE DOING A 5% UPGRADE TO EVERYBODY.
WE DO A SALARY SURVEY OF, IN THE MARKETPLACE.
WE DO TWO SALARY SURVEYS EVERY YEAR.
THE ONE THAT'S IN YOUR PACKET IS THE SALARY SURVEY OF THE ALL OF THE JURISDICTIONS WE SERVE AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING FOR MERIT INCREASE.
WE ALSO DO A MARKET SURVEY BY POSITIONS.
OUR TYPICAL COMPETITION FOR EMPLOYEES IS REALLY NOT OTHER APPRAISAL DISTRICTS UNTIL RECENTLY WITH DENTON AND COLIN OFFERING SO MUCH MORE THAN WE DO.
IT'S TYPICALLY TASK CONSULTANTS, WHICH WE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO PAY WHAT TASK CONSULTANTS MAKE, UH, REAL ESTATE COMPANIES, APPRAISAL, APPRAISAL SHOPS, AND YOU KNOW, UH, FEE APPRAISAL SHOPS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE TRY TO STAY COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKET AND YES, THAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA SAY THE SAME THING.
SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND LET YOU SAY THAT
WELL, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE AND THANK OUR REPRESENTATIVE, JOHN THREAD, GILL.
UM, HE'S BEEN A, A WARRIOR THROUGH THIS, A LOT OF EXPERIENCE COMING INTO THIS, BUT YOU'VE BEEN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL FOR THE CITY.
I'M HONORED TO HAVE APPOINTED YOU AND THANKFUL FOR YOUR SERVICE THIS ENTIRE TIME.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE BACKING OF YOU AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL OVER THE YEARS.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THE LAST TWO, THREE YEARS CONSIDERING COVID AND OUR HACK HAVE BEEN CHALLENGING FOR ALL OF US.
MUCH MORE SO THAN I EVER ANTICIPATED, OR I MIGHT NOT HAVE RE-UPPED TO BE QUITE HONEST WITH YOU,
BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SERVING OUT THIS YEAR AND IT'S BEEN HAPPY TO SERVE THE BOARD AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY, JOHN, UM, OBVIOUSLY YOU ARE TERMED OUT, BUT WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANNA SAY ABOUT THE BUDGET? I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN IN THE WEEDS ON A LOT OF THINGS,
WELL, QUITE HONESTLY, UM, THIS WAS AN EYE OPENER WHEN I GOT IT IN MY PACKET FROM THE CHIEF APPRAISER BECAUSE HAVING WORKED THERE FOR 25 YEARS, WE RARELY SEE A BUDGET INCREASE LIKE THIS.
BUT CONSIDERING WHAT'S GONE ON THE PAST THREE YEARS BETWEEN COVID AND THE HACK AND INFLATION, JUST GETTING OUTRAGEOUS.
AND WE'VE ALWAYS HAD TROUBLE MAINTAINING, UH, APPRAISERS BECAUSE AS HE SAID, THEY GO TO OTHER DISTRICTS, BUT MOSTLY WE'RE ROBBED BY THE TAX CONSULTANTS.
UH, AT ONE TIME I SAT DOWN WITH ONE OF MY FELLOW EMPLOYEES AND WE COUNTED WELL OVER 85 EMPLOYEES WHO HAD LEFT OUR, OUR, UH, EMPLOYEE TO GO TO CONSULTING.
[00:45:01]
THEM TO BE GOOD APP APPRAISERS AND THEY, SOMEBODY HIRED 'EM AWAY.WE'RE NOT EVER GONNA COMPETE WITH THOSE GUYS.
SO THERE IS A REAL NEED, ESPECIALLY AT THE, AT THE WORKER BEING LEVEL, AS KIM WAS SAYING, THE GUYS OUT IN THE FIELD, THE GUY DOING THE CRUNCHING, THE NUMBERS EVERY DAY TO GET THESE SALARIES UP WHERE WE COMPETE WITH THESE OTHER APPRAISAL DISTRICT AS WELL AS THE INDUSTRY.
AND THEN ONCE AGAIN, THE, THE 4% IS, IS NO MORE THAN WHAT OTHER ENTITIES ARE DOING.
SO IT IS A REQUIREMENT TO KEEP THESE PEOPLE.
AND IF WE EXPECT TO MAINTAIN OUR LEVEL OF APPRAISAL, AND WE, WE ALWAYS MEET OUR GOALS EVERY, EVERY OTHER YEAR WHEN WE HAVE OUR RATIO STUDY.
AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BOTH US AND TO Y'ALL.
AND, UH, BY DOING THAT, WE GOTTA KEEP THOSE TRAINED APPRAISERS.
IT'S, UH, APPRAISAL IS MUCH MORE OF AN ART THAT, IT IS A SCIENCE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO HEAR THAT, BUT IT IS A FACT.
AND SO WE NEED TO GET GOOD APPRAISERS, GET 'EM TRAINED, AND KEEP 'EM ON BOARD IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF APPRAISALS THAT WE DO FOR Y'ALL.
UM, SO I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK THROUGH THIS LIST OF, I MEAN COUNTIES, CITIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THERE'S NOBODY PAYING MORE THAN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND, UM, THIS INCREASE IS, THAT'S WHY WHEN YOU CALL, WE ANSWER THE PHONE.
UM, SO I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
I MEAN, I, I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
AND SO I DO APPRECIATE YOU GIVING THIS VERY THOROUGH PRESENTATION, UM, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN TALK TO US AT ALL ABOUT SOME OF THE EFFICIENCIES YOU'VE PUT IN PLACE AND HOW, UM, RESPONSIVE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN BE TO PEOPLE.
I, I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKING FOR, UM, TO PROTEST THEIR MM-HMM.
AND THE VALUATIONS HAVE GONE UP SUBSTANTIALLY.
UM, ARE YOU ABLE TO RESPOND TO EVERYBODY IN THE WAY THAT YOU THINK YOU SHOULD? DO YOU THINK THAT THERE'S PLACES THAT YOU COULD BECOME MORE EFFICIENT? MM-HMM.
THAT WAS AN ALL TIME RECORD, YET WE STILL CERTIFIED THE ROLE ON TIME WITH LESS THAN 2.6% IN DISPUTE.
THE BIGGEST THING WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST, SINCE, SINCE COVID BEGAN, WAS TO BE MORE, UM, BE ABLE FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH US FROM A DISTANCE NOT IN PERSON.
IF YOU CAME DOWN TO OUR OFFICE THE LAST WEEK OF MAY, FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, THERE WAS NO PARKING.
PEOPLE WERE PARKING ON THE GRASS.
THERE WAS A LOBBY FULL OF PEOPLE.
YOU, YOU TOOK A NUMBER LIKE YOU WERE AT THE CLEANERS, YOU KNOW, NEXT.
AND WHAT WE FOUND OUT WAS, IS THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD COME IN ONE, ONE, THEY ALWAYS WAIT TILL THE LAST WEEK.
AND THERE'S, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT.
THEY WOULD COME IN WITH THEIR NOTICE AND SAY, I WANT TO TALK TO AN APPRAISER.
AND WE'D, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR WAITING TIMES AND OUR WORST DAY WAS PROBABLY NEVER LONGER THAN 45 MINUTES OR AN HOUR, WHICH YOU JUST WALKED IN OFF THE STREET.
THE TROUBLE WAS THEY WERE COMING IN AND THEY'D SIT DOWN AND TALK TO AN APPRAISER AND THEY'D TELL THE APPRAISER, WELL, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE GOT THIS PROBLEM, I'VE GOT THIS PROBLEM AND THIS PROBLEM.
BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY DOCUMENTATION WITH THEM.
SO WE ENDED UP DEALING WITH PEOPLE SOMETIMES TWO AND THREE TIMES, SEND THE DOCUMENTATION BACK TO US, WELL, I DON'T HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS, CAN I BRING IT BACK? YES, SHE CAN BRING IT BACK.
WHAT WE'VE DONE LAST YEAR AND THE YEAR BEFORE DURING COVID WAS WE TELL PEOPLE, WHEN YOU SHOW UP WITH A PROTEST, GIVE IT TO US, PLEASE.
WE, WE TRY TO, WE TELL THEM IN OUR OUTREACH, ATTACH THE DOCUMENTATION UP FRONT WITH YOUR PROTEST.
I BOUGHT IT FOR $50,000 LESS THAN YOU SAID.
GREAT, THAT'S EASY TO SOLVE, BUT I NEED A COPY OF THE EVIDENCE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
ATTACH IT UP FRONT OR NOW EMAIL IT TO US, PROTEST ELECTRONICALLY.
AND WE'RE, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO EMAIL US.
YOU CAN EMAIL US PICTURES OF DAMAGE IN YOUR HOUSE, YOU CAN EMAIL US ESTIMATES OR REPAIRS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK IS PERTINENT, AS I TELL PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, YOUR HOUSE BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE, ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK REDUCES THE VALUE OF YOUR HOUSE OR ANY PROBLEMS THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT WE DON'T BECAUSE WE DON'T, ADMITTEDLY WE DON'T GO INSIDE PEOPLE'S PROPERTY.
SO I'LL TAKE EAST DALLAS FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE YOU CAN DIVE, DRIVE DOWN THE STREET AND SEE TWO OR THREE HOMES THAT VIRTUALLY LOOK THE SAME.
ONE WAS REMODELED A MONTH AGO, ONE WAS REMODELED 10 YEARS AGO.
ONE CELL HAS SHAG CARPETING AND AVOCADO APPLIANCES FROM THE SIXTIES.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE.
AND IT'S, IT'S GONE A WHOLE LOT SMOOTH.
EVEN THOUGH WE HAD A RECORD NUMBER OF PROTESTS LAST YEAR, LAST SUMMER, PROBABLY WENT SMOOTHER THAN ANY YEAR WE'VE HAD.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE, THE BIG THING WE LEARNED AND WE LEARNED IT FROM COVID THAT WE, WE CAN DO THIS A DIFFERENT WAY.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE, UH, EFFICIENCIES DOWN THERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, EVERY OTHER YEAR WE GET STUDIED BY THE, UH, COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE, NOT JUST FOR VALUE, BUT THEY HAVE A METHOD AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WHICH TALKS ABOUT DO WE COMPLY WITH POLICIES AND PROCEDURES? WE COMPLY WITH THE PROPERTY TAX CODE ABOUT OUR GOVERNANCE.
THEY STUDY OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE.
WE'VE HAD THIS STARTED IN 2013, SO WE'VE HAD 13, 15, 17, 19, 20.
[00:50:01]
REPORTS.YOU'VE GOTTEN A PERFECT SCORE ON EVERYONE FROM THE STATE.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S, WE'RE NOT SATISFIED WITH THAT.
WE KEEP LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT WAYS.
WE'VE VIRTUALLY IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, GONE ALMOST PAPERLESS, WHICH IS WHAT, WHICH IS WHAT OUR GOAL WAS.
THE LESS PAPER AROUND OUR OFFICE, THE MORE EFFICIENT WE CAN BE.
AND IF YOU CALL IN AND SAID, OH, YOU KNOW, HELL YEAH, I SEE HERE YOU SENT ME YOUR CLOSING STATEMENT AND IT'S RIGHT, IT'S RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF THE APPRAISER.
SO THAT'S THE KIND OF THINGS WE'VE DONE, BUT WE WILL NEVER STOP LOOKING FOR BETTER WAYS TO DO WHAT WE DO.
NOW, I WILL SAY, WHICH WILL KIND OF SEGUE INTO WHAT I'M GONNA SAY NEXT.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE'RE TWO THINGS.
ONE, SINCE WE JUST GOT OUR SYSTEM BACK UP AND WE'VE ONLY BEEN UPDATING FOR ABOUT TWO OR THREE WEEKS, UH, I, I REALLY CAN'T GIVE YOU AN IDEA, A SPECIFIC IDEA OF HOW MUCH VALUE YOU'RE GONNA GET.
YOU'RE GONNA GET IT, GET, BUT I WILL SAY THIS VALUES HAVE NOT GONE DOWN ANYWHERE.
VALUES HAVE SLOWED DOWN, BUT THEY'VE NOT GONE DOWN.
I SAW ABOUT A WEEK AGO, A NEWS REPORT WENT FROM ABOUT 22 DAYS A YEAR AGO TO ABOUT 56 DAYS.
THE NUMBER OF SALES HAS GONE DOWN DRASTICALLY.
INTEREST RATES, IF YOU REMEMBER LAST SUMMER, WE'RE STILL 3%, THREE AND A HALF NOW THEY'RE SIX AND A HALF TO 7%.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S GONNA SLOW THE MARKET.
NOW THAT BEING SAID, COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, WHICH IS A LARGE PART OF YOUR ROLE, WE STILL SEE THINGS THAT ARE INEXPLICABLE OFFICE BUILDING SALES IN UPTOWN FOR $600 A SQUARE FOOT.
WE USED TO THINK THAT WAS MANHATTAN OR SAN FRANCISCO OR LA AND NOW WE'RE SEEING IT HERE AND IT'S FOREIGN MONEY.
WHO'S BETTING THAT THEY CAN JUST HOLD ONTO THE BUILDING FOR FIVE OR 10 YEARS AND, AND FLIP IT AND MAKE A LOT OF MONEY, WHICH HAS BEEN THE CASE IN THE PAST.
UM, BUT WE'LL KNOW BETTER IN, UH, IN APRIL WE'RE HAVING A, WHICH YOUR STAFF ALWAYS ATTENDS.
WE HAVE A VIRTUAL ENTITY MEETING IN THE FALL AND THE SPRING.
AND BY THE SPRING, WHICH THE MEETING'S APRIL 13TH, WE'LL HAVE A BETTER VI BETTER IDEA OF WHERE VALUES ARE.
CUZ WE'RE MAILING NOTICES THIS YEAR ON, UH, APRIL 21ST, ABOUT A WEEK LATER THAN LAST YEAR, UH, TO MAKE UP, TO CATCH UP.
UM, WE WILL, THAT MEANS THE PROTEST DEADLINE.
THE FIRST MAILING IS ALL REAL ESTATE.
THE PROTEST DEADLINE WILL BE ON MAY 22ND.
SINCE MAY 21ST FALLS ON A SUNDAY.
THE THE SECOND ONE, WHICH WILL BE ON THE DATE WE HAD PLANNED AS BUSINESS, PERSONAL PROPERTY, AND THEN THE THIRD BAILING OF ALL THE, I WON'T SAY LEFTOVERS, BUT THE ODDS AND ENDS SUCH AS AIRCRAFT, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, PIPELINES, AGRICULTURAL LAND.
WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE MORE REAL ESTATE ON A THIRD BAILING THIS TIME CUZ WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET AS MANY DEEDS WORKED AS POSSIBLE SO THE NOTICES GO TO, TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
BUT WE WILL CERTIFY ON JULY 25TH AS USUAL, IT WILL BE ON TIME AND YOU WILL HAVE AS LITTLE IN DISPUTE AS WE CAN POSSIBLY HAVE.
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT BEING ALL THAT BEING SAID, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE PROTEST.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL GET THE VOLUME THAT WE DID LAST YEAR CUZ WELL, THIS YEAR, LAST YEAR WE DID ABOUT 80% OF DALLAS COUNTY TOTAL.
THAT'S THE LARGEST REAPPRAISAL WE'D EVER UNDERTAKEN SINCE WE STARTED IN 1982.
THIS YEAR WE'RE DOING ABOUT 48%, I BELIEVE.
SO, I MEAN, HONESTLY, IF YOU DON'T SEND SOMEONE A NOTICE, LOTS OF TIMES YOU'RE NOT GONNA PROTEST.
CAUSE WHEN I SEND YOU A NOTICE, GUESS WHAT'S ATTACHED? A PROTEST FORM.
THIS IS A VERY TAXPAYER FRIENDLY STATE AND THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.
I TALK TO, WE, WE TALK TO PEOPLE IN OTHER STATES THAT ARE IN OUR BUSINESS AND THEY TALK ABOUT WHY PROTEST IS SOMETHING IN 2020.
AND I'M STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE.
YOU BASICALLY KNOW, KNOW WHEN YOU, IF YOU FILE, IF YOU HAVE A HEARING, WHEN YOU WALK OUT THE DOOR, YOU KNOW WHAT THE RESULT OF IT IS.
SO, BUT YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, VALUES WILL GO UP.
I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH RIGHT NOW, BUT I DON'T, I'M, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'LL BE AS MUCH AS LAST YEAR CUZ WE'RE NOT DOING THE BREADTH OF OUR REAR PRE PLUS.
THE PLUS THE MARKET HAS SLOWED DOWN AS WELL.
SO THERE'S NOT A REASON TO DO AS MANY AS WE DID LAST YEAR.
SO MY LAST QUESTION IS ABOUT THE VALUATION FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
UM, I'M GONNA USE AN EXAMPLE FROM COLLIN COUNTY.
OKAY? SO THAT'S NOT SPECIFIC TO YOU,
UM, WE PURCHASED THE HOTEL, THE CITY DID, UM, FOR A HOMELESS SHELTER.
AND THE VALUATION WAS ABOUT 20% OF WHAT WE ENDED UP PAYING.
UM MM-HMM
AND SO WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT FOR YEARS IT WAS, UM, NOT PAYING THE TAXES THAT IT SHOULD.
AND SO I'M WONDERING WHAT METHOD YOU MIGHT USE TO SORT OF SCRUB YOUR PROPERTIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE WITHIN AT LEAST SOME SORT OF BAND OF REASONABLENESS.
LET, LET ME, LET ME SPEAK, LET ME ANSWER THAT TWO DIFFERENT WAYS.
FIRST OF ALL, THERE'S ACTUALLY A BILL IN FRONT OF THE LEGISLATURE THAT SAYS WE COULD NOT USE SALES.
THAT THE GOVERNMENT, A GOVERNMENT ENTITY IS A PARTY.
AND THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT.
WHETHER, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, SOMEONE KNOWS THAT THE CITY OF DALLAS WANTS TO BUY THAT HOTEL FOR WHATEVER REASON.
UH, YOU'RE A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE, THEREFORE WHAT YOU PAID IS PROBABLY NOT MARKET VALUE ON THE, ON THE OPEN MARKET.
THE SECOND THING IS MARKET VALUE DOESN'T HAPPEN UNTIL A SALE OCCURS.
UH, WE SEE THESE ARTICLES ALL THE TIME,
[00:55:01]
BUILDING SALES FOR 400 MILLION.THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS ONLY GOT AT VALUE AT 300 MILLION.
WHAT ARE THEY DOING DOWN THERE? WELL, UNTIL THAT $400 MILLION SALE TOOK PLACE, 300 MILLION WAS THE MARKET UNTIL IT HAPPENS.
AND TYPICALLY IT'S GONNA BE THE NEXT YEAR.
CUZ THERE'S ALWAYS THAT LAG TIME BETWEEN WHAT HAPPENS IN THE MARKET AND ALL THE LEGAL DEADLINES WE HAVE TO SEND OUT NOTICES.
REMEMBER WE'RE JANUARY, WE'RE A JANUARY 1ST ASSESSMENT STATE IN TEXAS.
NOW OBVIOUSLY WE CAN LOOK AT SALES THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY AND, AND USE, USE THAT CUZ WE CUT OFF OUR REAPPRAISAL TYPICALLY LIKE THE END OF MARCH, EARLY APRIL TO MAIL NOTICES.
BUT WE'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
I REMEMBER YEARS AGO, PARKLAND HOSPITAL WAS LOOKING AT BUYING A PARKING LOT, I WANNA SAY WE HAD $4 A FOOT ON IT.
AND THE OWNER SAID, OH, I WANT $20 A FOOT.
AND COMMISSIONER JIM JACKSON, IF YOU REMEMBER HIM CALLED OUR OFFICE AND SAID, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING DOWN THERE? WE'RE LIKE, THEY KNEW YOU WANTED THAT PARKING LOT BECAUSE OF WHERE IT WAS, AND THEY'RE ACTING ACCORDINGLY.
SO, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY THE LEGISLATURES RECOGNIZED THAT IN SAYING THAT THOSE AREN'T REALLY ARMS LANE TRANSACTIONS AND YOU SHOULDN'T USE THOSE TO VALUE COMPARABLE HOTELS, PARKING LOTS, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
BUT THAT WAS IN COLLIN COUNTY,
IT WAS IN COLLIN COUNTY, AND IT WAS SEVERELY UNDERVALUED.
WE LOOK AT THE INCOME APPROACH ON COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
AND THAT, AND WHICH IS WHAT, WHICH IS APPROPRIATE FOR, UH, COM UH, INCOME PRODUCING PROPERTY.
AND YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED THAT $600 FOOT SALE IN, IN, UH, UPTOWN.
I BET IF YOU LOOKED AT THEIR INCOME AND LOOKED AT IT EVERY WHICH WAY, THERE'S NO WAY YOU COULD JUSTIFY THAT PURCHASE PRICE.
AND IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, WE'RE, WE'RE A, WE'RE A FEE SIMPLE STATE, A LEASE FEE SALE, WHICH CAPTURES THE ACTUAL, IS BASED ON ACTUAL INCOME, ACTUAL OCCUPANCY, ACTUAL EXPENSES.
IF THAT'S NOT THE MARKET, I CAN'T CAPTURE THAT INCREMENT BETWEEN FEE SIMPLE AND LEASE FEE.
AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT IN TEXAS.
MAYBE, MAYBE WE OUGHT TO BE A LEASE FEE.
STATE PURCHASE PRICE IS PURCHASE PRICE, BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE HERE.
WELL, CHERYL, WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM YOU.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD BEFORE WE WRAP UP THIS PRESENTATION? NO, I, KEN DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB.
I, I LIKE BEING BEHIND THE SCENES.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I DIDN'T SEE ANYBODY ELSE WHO HAD QUESTIONS.
I'D LIKE TO SAY ONE MORE THING.
I WANT, I WANT TO, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 42 YEARS.
THE CITY OF DALLAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN, ALWAYS BEEN OUR BIGGEST SUPPORTER.
I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE YEARS AND THIS CAT, THIS CAST HAS CHANGED MANY TIMES OVER THOSE 40 YEARS.
BUT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD YOUR COMPLETE SUPPORT AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT.
WELL, WE'RE IMPORTANT PARTNERS TO EACH OTHER.
WELL LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT, UH, AND FINAL BRIEFING ITEM, WHICH IS THE DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLANS.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE FIDELITY HERE TO PRESENT.
AND SHERRY, UH, KOWALSKI, OUR, UH, CONTROLLER IS GONNA INTRODUCE THEM.
SHERRY KOLOWSKI, CITY CONTROLLER.
AND ACTUALLY I'M GONNA BE WALKING THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND FIDELITY'S HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, BUT I DO WANT TO INTRODUCE THEM.
UM, TO MY IMMEDIATE RIGHT IS KATIE HICKIE.
SHE IS THE VICE PRESIDENT ON OUR ACCOUNT.
TO HER RIGHT IS RICHARD, UM, GOLDMAN.
AND HE IS AN EXPERT IN, UM, THE FIDELITY, UH, REGISTERED INDEPENDENT ADVISOR ACCOUNTS.
AND TO MY LEFT IS, UM, WALTER JOHNS AND HE IS FAMILIAR AND THE EXPERT ON THE FIDELITY PLANNING AND ADVICE.
AND WE ALSO HAVE ON THE PHONE WITH US TIM BURRELL.
HE IS AN ATTORNEY AT OGLE TREE.
HE'S ON WEBEX, OGLE TREE DEACONS IN HOUSTON.
HE PROVIDES, UM, SUPPORT FOR US FOR THESE IMPLANTS.
SO, UM, GOING FORWARD, SO THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENTATION TODAY, YOU CAN READ THAT PURPOSE BACKGROUND GOVERNANCE.
WE'RE HERE REALLY TO TALK ABOUT TWO RECENT BOARD ACTIONS, THINGS THAT THE BOARDS WANTED TO DO, UM, AND THEN ALSO TO EXPLAIN THE BACKGROUND OF THE DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLANS AND, UM, TALK ABOUT THESE BOARD ACTIONS.
SO I BELIEVE MOST PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE VARIOUS TYPES OF PLAN, CUZ THE CITY OF DALLAS HAS, UM, FOUR OPTIONS OF FOUR
THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER PLAN CALLED THE 4 57
[01:00:02]
PST AND THAT IS FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, AND, UH, CITY TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES.AND THAT IS MANDATORY 7.5% DEDUCTION.
SO GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE BACKGROUND, SOME OF THIS, I PUT THIS IN CUZ I WASN'T SURE HOW MUCH ANYONE, UM, YOU KNOW, WOULD KNOW ABOUT ALL OF THIS.
BUT FIDELITY IS THE, UM, PLAN ADMINISTRATOR OF ALL THE COMPENSA DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLANS.
THEY'VE BEEN THE ADMINISTRATOR SINCE 1999.
AND YOU CAN READ THE OTHER STATISTICS THERE.
85% OF CURRENT EMPLOYEES HAVE A BALANCE OVER 50% CONTRIBUTE.
AND THE LAST TIME I LOOKED, I HAVEN'T LOOKED TODAY, BUT WE HAD 800 MILLION IN MARKET VALUE ACROSS ALL THE EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE MONEY IN THERE.
AND THERE WILL ALSO BE NOT JUST CURRENT EMPLOYEES, RETIRED EMPLOYEES KEEP THEIR MONEY THERE AS WELL.
SO THE CITY CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS ACTUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OVERSIGHT OF THE PLAN.
SO SINCE I BECAME THE CITY CONTROLLER IN 2018, I HAVE WORKED WITH FIDELITY, BOTH OF THE FOUR OHK AND THE 4 57.
AND THE 4 57 PST ARE GOVERNED BY, UH, SEVEN MEMBER BOARDS IN GENERAL.
WE HOLD, HOLD THE BOARD MEETINGS QUARTERLY.
WE MAY HAVE THEM MORE OFTEN IF NECESSARY.
AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEE, UH, THE VARIOUS ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS ON THE FOUR
SO HERE ARE THE RECENT BOARD ACTIONS THAT I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY.
UM, EACH BOARD APPROVED A MOTION TO ALLOW PLANNED PARTICIPANTS THE OPTION.
SO THIS IS ABOUT TWO INVESTMENT OPTIONS.
A TO SELECT A REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISOR, ALSO KNOWN AS AN RIA, AND ALSO TO, UM, ALLOW FIDELITY TO OFFER PARTICIPANTS AN OPTIONAL INVESTMENT IN FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICE CALLED FIDELITY, PERSONAL PERSONAL PLANNING AND ADVICE ACCOUNTS.
SO WE'LL GO INTO THE DIFFERENCES ON THESE.
UM, REGISTERED INDEPENDENT ADVISORS, YOU CAN READ, THERE HAVE TO BE, UM, UH, REGISTERED WITH EITHER THE S E C OR THE STATE.
UM, FIDELITY WOULD CONFIRM THAT ANYONE WANTING TO SELECT ONE OF THESE FIRMS OF A WEALTH MANAGER OR AN RIA WAS LICENSED APPROPRIATELY TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.
AND THE FEES CHARGED BY THEIR REGISTERED ADVISOR ARE AGREED TO WITH THE, UM, PARTICIPANT.
AND ONCE THEY, UM, SELECT THEIR REGISTERED, INDEPENDENT REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISOR, UM, THEY DEAL WITH THEM DIRECTLY AND THE FEES ARE DEDUCTED FROM THE ACCOUNT.
SO THE CITY WOULD NOT HAVE THE CITY NORTH FIDELITY WOULD HAVE FIDUCIARY OVERSIGHT OVER THE PARTICIPANT AND THE REGISTERED INDEPENDENT ADVISOR'S RELATIONSHIP.
AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, MANY, MANY PARTICIPANTS ALREADY USE AN INVESTMENT ADVISOR.
SO THE BENEFIT OF THIS IS THE ADVISOR WOULD HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO THE ACCOUNT WITH THEIR OWN PASSWORD AND CREDENTIALS AND CAN TAKE THE FEES OUT OF THE ACCOUNT.
AND HOW THIS CAME ABOUT IS THERE'S SEVERAL UNIFORMED EMPLOYEES AND BOARD MEMBERS THAT WANT THIS OPTION BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE SOMEONE THEY WORK WITH THAT IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THEIR PENSION PLAN AND THEY REALLY WANT THIS.
UM, SO ONCE THEY, UM, YOU CAN READ THE LAST BULLET, ONCE THIS IS SELECTED, THEY CAN TOTALLY MANAGE THEIR ACCOUNT AND DEDUCT THE FEES.
AND HERE ARE SOME OTHER INFORMATION ON FIDELITY.
UM, PERSONAL PLANNING AND ACCOUNTS.
AND I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT MY, UM, READING GLASSES.
SO, UM, BUT THIS, THIS OFFERS EMPLOYEES AT A LOWER COST, THE ABILITY TO HAVE A, AN ADVISOR THAT WILL LOOK AT CERTAIN ELEMENTS LIKE THEIR AGE, THEIR RISK TOLERANCE, THEIR OTHER FINANCIAL PLANS, AND HELP THEM MANAGE THEIR ACCOUNTS THROUGH, UM, THE FIDELITY FUNDS.
SO AGAIN, WE CAN GO FORWARD AND, UM, OKAY, KEEP ON GOING.
AND, AND THERE'S ALSO AN EXHIBIT AT THE BACK RELATED TO THIS, BUT THERE IS A VERY HIGH RETENTION RATE WITH THIS.
[01:05:01]
OF THE FORTUNE 500 USE FIDELITY FOR THESE TYPES OF ACCOUNTS.THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM AS WELL AS TEXAS A AND M USES FIDELITY TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES AS WELL.
AND THE FEES GENERALLY ARE, I'M GONNA SAY LOWER BECAUSE IF A NORMAL INVESTMENT ADVISOR WOULD PROBABLY CHARGE AT LEAST 1%, THESE FIDELITY FEES ARE LOWER AND THERE'S ALSO A REDUCTION.
THE, UM, FIRST SIX MONTHS IT'S 50% OFF.
AND THEN, SO THE NEXT STEPS IS TO, YOU CAN READ THERE TO SEEK APPROVAL FOR THESE TWO PROPOSED AMENDMENTS THAT THE BOARD HAS AUTHORIZED.
AND IF THAT IS APPROVED, THEN WE WOULD IMPLEMENT THE AMENDMENTS AND BEGIN THAT IN THE SUMMER OF 2023.
SO I HAVE, AS I SAID, I HAVE FIDELITY HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND I WOULD BE HA HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AS WELL.
UM, WHO WOULD LIKE TO START WITH THE QUESTIONS? I SEE YOU HAVE YOUR LIGHT ON MR. ATKINS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, UM, WITH FIDELITY, UM, WITH, UH, YOU UNIFORM, THE UNIFORM, UH, EMPLOYEES, UH, ONE THE RETIREMENT, UH, THERE ARE AS ADVISOR, HOW MANY, UM, ADVISORS DO WE HAVE JUST TO TAKE CARE OF THE CITY OF DALLAS EMPLOYEES THERE? IS THERE ONE ADVISOR, TWO ADVISOR? HOW IS THAT WORKING? I CAN ANSWER THAT AND I CAN ALSO ALLOW KATIE, UM, THERE'S ONE ADVISOR ASSIGNED FULL-TIME TO OUR ACCOUNT THAT WILL MEET VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON WITH ANYONE THAT ASKS.
AND HE WILL ACTUALLY BE GIVING A PRESENTATION FOR THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE INTERESTED TOMORROW.
THE ALSO FIDELITY HAS A 24 HOUR SEVEN DAY A WEEK, UM, HOTLINE THAT YOU CAN CALL AND GET A, GET ASSISTANCE AS WELL AS THE FOLKS HERE.
BUT KATIE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THAT.
UM, LET'S MAKE A DISTINCTION, IF WE MIGHT, BETWEEN ADVISOR AND JOSH GEORGE, WHO I THINK YOU ALL WILL MEET TOMORROW.
JOSH IS A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE OF FIDELITY AND HIS ROLE IS TO HELP YOUR PARTICIPANTS, UM, MAKE ANY KIND OF RETIREMENT DECISION THEY NEED.
SO HE'S FAMILIAR WITH YOUR PENSION PLAN, HE UNDERSTANDS THE PLAN DESIGN, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT HE IS A FULL-TIME FIDELITY EMPLOYEE.
AND IF, IF AN EMPLOYEE'S, DO THE EMPLOYEE HELP TO INVEST ALL THEIR ASSET WITH FIDELITY OR CAN THEY INVEST SOME OF THEIR ASSET WITH ANOTHER ADVISOR? IF SO, TELL ME HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT, WHAT THEY CAN DO, WHAT THEY CANNOT DO.
SO THERE ARE A COUPLE ASPECTS TO THIS.
YOU ALL HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A CORE INVESTMENT LINEUP.
AND THOSE ARE FOR ALL THE PLANS, THEY'RE IDENTICAL.
SOME OF THOSE INVESTMENTS ARE FIDELITY, SOME ARE NOT.
AND THE BOARDS OVERSEE THAT EACH QUARTER.
YOU ALL ALSO HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A SELF-DIRECTED BROKERAGE ACCOUNT.
AND THAT CAN HOLD A NUMBER OF SECURITIES INCLUDING STOCKS, BONDS, ANYTHING THAT WOULD NOT BE WITHIN YOUR CORE INVESTMENT LINEUP.
AN OUTSIDE ADVISOR, SO NOT JOSH, BUT SOMEBODY WITH WHOM A PARTICIPANT WOULD WORK DIRECTLY CAN MANAGE BOTH THE CORE AS WELL AS THE SELF-DIRECTED WITHIN THE CONSTRUCT OF THE RETIREMENT PLAN.
WHAT THAT EMPLOYEE CHOOSES TO DO WITH ASSETS OUTSIDE OF THE RETIREMENT PLAN IS ENTIRELY UP TO THEM.
DID THAT HELP? LET'S PUT IN LAYMAN TURN.
IF, IF I OWN A UNIFORM OFFICER AND EVERYTHING IS INVESTED WITH FIDELITY, IF I HAVE MY ADVISOR, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE AND THAT ONE INVESTS OVER THERE TO TAKE SOME OF MY MONEY TO PUT INTO THAT ADVISOR, CAN I DO THAT? BUT IT DO IT HAVE STATE, STATE INTO THE CORE OF FIDEL AND FIDEL MAKE THE DECISION.
SO THINK OF IT A DIFFERENT WAY WITHIN THE RETIREMENT PLAN.
FORGET CORY BROKERAGE, JUST WITHIN THE RETIREMENT PLAN, THE ADVISOR, THE OUTSIDE ADVISOR WOULD WORK ON OUR PLATFORM.
AND THAT'S REALLY WALTER'S EXPERTISE IF AN ADVISOR WISHES TO WORK WELL AND ONE OTHER COMMENT, RIGHT? THOSE ARE NOT ALL FIDELITY OPTIONS.
[01:10:01]
THAT'S CORRECT.RIGHT? THEY'RE, I MEAN, IT CAN BE ANYBODY IN THE INVESTMENT ARENA.
A PARTICIPANT CAN ALSO WORK WITH AN ADVISOR ON THEIR OWN PERSONAL ASSETS AWAY FROM THE RETIREMENT PLAN.
DID THAT HELP? I GOT THAT RIGHT.
NOW, IS THERE A DECISION TO BE MADE FROM THE INDIVIDUAL OR DO THAT DECISION DEPENDS ON THE CORE OF THE INVESTOR IN THAT ROOM? NO, THE DECISION THE PERSON NEEDS TO MAKE IS, FIRST OF ALL, DO THEY WANT TO MANAGE THEIR ASSETS THEMSELVES? RIGHT? OKAY.
DO THEY WANNA GO INTO WHAT'S CALLED A TARGET DATE FUND, WHICH IS A FUNCTION OF YOUR AGE, OR DO THEY WANT SOMEBODY ELSE TO HELP THEM MANAGE IT IF THEY WANNA HELP HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE HELP THEM MANAGE IT? DO THEY KNOW A REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISOR THAT CAN HELP? AND AS SHERRY SAID, A NUMBER OF YOUR PEOPLE DO TODAY, THE DISTINCTION IS THEY'RE NOT TRADING ON OUR PLATFORM NECESSARILY OR BEING PAID OUT OF THE PLAN FOR THE EQUITABLE OPTION FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW, A REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISOR IS WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE PERSONALIZED PLANNING AND ADVICE.
AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE PROVIDE IS A FIDELITY SOLUTION WHEREBY WE ASSUME FIDUCIARY LIABILITY AND PROVIDE ALL THAT INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR THEM.
SO JUST LIKE YOUR RIA OVER HERE, WE HAVE A WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY, AGAIN, FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT ADVISOR WHERE WE CAN PERFORM THAT SERVICE FOR THEM.
SO IT'S NOT AN EITHER OR, IT'S A COMPLIMENTARY OFFERING.
I THINK I LIKE THAT WORD, FIDUCIARY LIABILITY.
I DIDN'T REALLY GET, I THINK YOU DID.
I I I WAS JUST ANSWER FOR THE LABOR TERM FOR, FOR A WHOLE LOT OF UNIFORM WHO WANTED TO VEST IN THAT CORE, WHO DO NOT WANT TO VEST, HAVE AN OPTION, THEY CAN DO THAT.
I, I DON'T THINK IT'S, IT IS NOT EXPLAINED TO SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES HOW THIS WORK.
I THINK SOMEONE BELIEVE THAT THEY GOTTA STAY WITH FIDELITY IF THEY GO WITH WITHOUT, IF THEY DO NOT WANNA STAY FIDELITY, THEY CAN HAVE THE INDEPENDENT GOTTA BE REGISTERED, YOU KNOW, ONLY Y'ALL, Y'ALL, Y'ALL OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, SO YES.
BUT KNOW THAT THE CREDENTIALS OF THE FIDELITY TEAM ARE FULLY ROBUST AS WELL.
SO THEY GOTTA BE REGISTERED, THEY'VE GOTTA BE BETTER, THEY'VE GOTTA GO THROUGH THE WHOLE RIGHT PROCESS.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE SAME SOLUTION WITH JUST KIND OF A DIFFERENT FACE ON IF THAT HELPS.
AND, AND, AND, BUT THEY DO HAVE AN OPTION, RIGHT? OH, ABSOLUTELY.
AND, AND, AND, AND DO WE EXPLAIN TO THEM THE OPTION? I MEAN, WHO, TELL THEM HERE'S YOUR OPTION.
I MEAN, IS THAT FROM THE CITY SIDE OR THAT FROM FIDELITY SIDE? WHO'S WHO SAID, HERE'S YOUR OPTION, THIS WHAT YOU CAN DO, DO WHAT YOU CAN'T DO AND THIS IS THE BEST WAY.
WELL, UM, I CAN ANSWER THAT FOR THE, ONCE THESE, IF THESE ARE ACCEPTED, THEN WE WILL HAVE A COMMUNICATION PLAN TO ROLL THEM OUT.
OTHERWISE, IF UM, PARTICIPANTS HAVE QUESTIONS, THEY CAN CALL FIDELITY, THEY CAN HAVE A MEETING WITH JOSH.
JOSH DOES GO TO ALL OF THE NEW POLICE AND FIRE ACADEMIES.
HE'S, WE'VE ALSO SET HIM UP SINCE IN THE LAST YEAR HE'S DONE PRESENTATIONS FROM DWU AND EXPLAINED IT IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE LAST EXHIBIT IN HERE, EXHIBIT THREE, UM, THAT TELLS THE SIDE BY SIDE PLANS.
I'VE STARTED TAKING THAT ALONG WITH JOSH'S INFORMATION FOR EVERY NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION.
HE GOES TO NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION PRESENTED THERE AND PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT.
SO I SEND THAT OUT ON THE, I GET THE NEW HIRE LIST EVERY WEEK AND I SEND THAT OUT AS WELL.
NOW, ONE OTHER QUESTION I DO WANT TO ANSWER IS, ANYTHING THAT WE DEDUCT OUT OF THE PAYCHECK FOR THESE DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLANS THAT GOES TO FIDELITY, THEN THERE'S OPTIONS OF HOW TO INVEST THAT EMPLOYEES THAT JOIN THE CITY COULD ALSO ROLL OVER FUNDS INTO THE BROKERAGE ACCOUNT WITH FIDELITY OR HAVE A SEPARATE IRA THAT'S NOT CON NOT IN THE CITY'S, UM, SELF-DIRECTED BROKERAGE.
I KNOW THAT CUZ I DID IT MYSELF.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER, UM, ITEM THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO BE AWARE OF.
UH, MY QUESTION WAS JUST MAKE SURE THAT, UH, COMMUNICATION, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WORLD, THEIR OPTION AND I BELIEVE THAT IT'S KIND OF COMPLICATED, YOU KNOW, BUT THEY NEED A WORLD OF WHAT THEY CAN DO.
I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE FIDELITY HAS ENOUGH ADVISOR TO ADVISE IN THE CITY OF DOLLARS.
THEY GET EVERYONE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SIX OR 10,000 EMPLOYEES.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S A WHOLE LOT OF QUESTION, YOU KNOW, WHO THEY TALKED TO.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MAYOR RIDLEY.
I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THIS IDEA
[01:15:01]
OF ALLOWING INDEPENDENT RIAS TO DEDUCT THEIR FEES DIRECTLY FROM THE PARTICIPANTS' ACCOUNT.WHAT KIND OF SAFEGUARDS DO WE HAVE THAT THEY WON'T OVER WITHDRAW, OVERCHARGE OR ABSCOND WITH THEIR ENTIRE ACCOUNT? UH, THANK YOU.
UH, SO THE PROGRAM ITSELF, UH, THE PARTICIPANT AGREES WITH THE ADVISOR ON WHAT THE FEE SCHEDULE'S GOING TO BE.
THE, THE BEAUTY, IF YOU WILL, OF THE ADVISORY PROGRAM IS THAT IN CURRENT STATE, A PARTICIPANT REALLY ONLY HAS ONE OPTION.
IF THEY WANT SOMEONE TO MANAGE THEIR ACCOUNT, THEY JUST GIVE THEM THEIR PASSWORD, WHICH IS, WE DON'T ADVOCATE AT ALL.
UH, THAT OPENS UP ALL MANNER OF ISSUES WITH, YOU KNOW, ACCESS TO BENEFICIARY INFORMATION AND LOANS WITHDRAWALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT, UH, THROUGH THE ADVISOR PROGRAM, THEY'RE LIMITED TO STRICTLY MANAGING THE ACCOUNT AND PULLING THEIR FEE AT THE STATED RATE.
SPEAK TO THE VETTING, UH, AND I'M DOING THIS RIGHT.
AND FIDELITY ALSO VETS ALL OF THE ADVISORS THAT ARE ALLOWED ONTO THE PLATFORM.
SO WE GO THROUGH OUR DUE DILIGENCE, MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S REGISTERED AND THEIR RECORDS ARE CLEAN AND ALL OF THAT.
SO, UH, YEAH, IT, IT IS NOT A FREE FOR ALL.
SO THAT WOULD PREVENT A ONE TIME WITHDRAWAL OF A SUBSTANTIAL SUM FROM THE ACCOUNT OR ALL OF IT.
UH, HOW DOES THAT PREVENT THAT? UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE MONITORING ACCOUNTS AND FOR ANY DISTRIBUTE ANY REQUEST THAT'S OVER 2%, THAT RAISES A FLAG AND WE GO AFTER, YOU KNOW, WE NEED, UH, SOME SORT OF ANSWER AS TO, SO YOU CAN PREVENT THAT TRANSFER IF IT, UH, IS ABOVE THAT THRESHOLD AND ALLOW YOU TIME TO INVESTIGATE IT.
NOW WHAT ABOUT, UH, THE FEDERAL RULES GOVERNING WITHDRAWALS FROM 401KS? UM, HOW ARE THEY PERMITTED TO WITHDRAW FUNDS TO PAY AN R I A? IS THAT, UH, CLASSIFIED AS A LOAN FROM THE IRA OR FROM THE 401K? CONSIDERED AN EXPENSE? I THINK LIKE AN OPERATING EXPENSE, BASICALLY.
AND SO BECAUSE THAT'S THROUGH FIDELITY THAT'S PERMITTED.
UH, SO I'M, I'M, COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? WELL, UM, YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT 401KS ARE A RETIREMENT SAVINGS, UH, DEVICE THAT DOESN'T ALLOW WITHDRAWALS PRIOR TO RETIREMENT AGE, EXCEPT UNDER VERY LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES, ONE OF WHICH, OF COURSE IS A LOAN, UM, AGAINST THE ACCOUNT.
AND SO I WAS SIMPLY ASKING, UH, ARE THESE CLASSIFIED AS LOANS OR, UM, IS IT ROLLED INTO ESSENTIALLY THE FEES THAT FIDELITY CHARGES THE PARTICIPANT FOR MANAGING THEIR FUNDS? IT'S NOT A 10 99 DISTRIBUTION, SO IT'S NOT CONSIDERED A DISTRIBUTION TO THE PARTICIPANT.
IT WOULD BE BETWEEN, AGAIN, THE PARTICIPANT AND THE ADVISOR, UH, WHATEVER THEIR AGREED UPON RATE WOULD BE.
UH, BUT NO, THE, THE FUNDS COME OUT OF THE PLAN, I BELIEVE, AS AN EXPENSE.
UM, AND IT'S, AND IT'S YOUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT'S WITHIN FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS? YEAH.
OTHER QUESTIONS? CAN YOU TELL US HOW MANY CALLS YOU GET FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS? I MEAN, I'M PRETTY SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE.
I I DON'T KNOW IF THE ACTUAL TITLE IS, I'M GONNA SAY CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT'S PROBABLY A, A MUCH NICER TITLE THAN THAT.
BUT THERE'S ONLY ONE EMPLOYEE THAT'S SERVICING ALL OF OUR ACTIVE AND RETIRED.
AND I APOLOGIZE IF I MISCONSTRUED THAT.
JOSH'S ROLE IS, AND IF YOU COULD JUST MOVE A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE MICROPHONE PLEASE.
JOSH'S ROLE IS REALLY TO MEET ONE-ON-ONE WITH YOUR PEOPLE.
HE DOES NOT HANDLE ROUTINE CUSTOMER SERVICE, ALTHOUGH WE CAN, WITH RESPECT TO THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WE HAVE SUPPORTING YOU ALL, IT'S OVER 350 AND AS SHERRY MENTIONED, THEY'RE AVAILABLE 24 7.
SO IN ADDITION TO JOSH WHO DOES REALLY RETIREMENT COUNSELING, THANK YOU, THERE'S THE BANK OF, UM, PHONE REPS WHO HELP PARTICIPANTS MAKE TRANSACTIONS AND THERE'S A WEBSITE AND YOUR WEBSITE TRAFFIC HAS BEEN REALLY HEAVY TO THE POINT WHERE SOMEBODY WAS DISCUSSING THE, YOU KNOW, IMPACT OF COVID AND PEOPLE ARE NOW COMMUNICATING ELECTRONICALLY.
WE HAVE ALSO SEEN A DRAMATIC INCREASE.
SO THERE'S REALLY THREE STRONG CHANNELS THAT YOUR PEOPLE CAN GET ANSWERS TO.
AND THEN, UH, TO JUST SORT OF TOUCH ON A LITTLE BIT, UH, COUNCILMAN RIDLEY'S QUESTIONS AND, AND CHAIRMAN ATKINS QUESTION.
[01:20:01]
THAT WE WANNA KNOW IS NOT A REGISTERED ADVISOR YOU HAVE, BUT IF SOMEBODY HAS THEIR, THEIR OWN BROKER ADVISOR, CAN THEY WORK ON THEIR BEHALF TO MAKE TRADES? I MEAN, CURRENTLY, YES, BUT AS WALTER POINTED OUT, THE ONLY WAY THEY'RE GONNA HAVE ACCESS IS IF THE PERSON GIVES THEM THE PASSWORD.WHAT THIS DOES IS REALLY INSTITUTIONALIZED THE PROCESS AND THE BENEFIT TO THE ADVISOR IS THEY THEN GET TO TRADE THROUGH OUR PLATFORM AND THEY CAN BE PAID OUT OF THE PLAN.
DID THAT MAKE SENSE? WELL, WHAT ABOUT THE YES AND NO.
I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK IT'S, IT'S UM, UNCOMFORTABLE TO ME TO THINK THAT SOMEBODY WOULDN'T HAVE THEIR OWN USERNAME PASSWORD.
THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GIVE THEM MINE IN THE ABSENCE OF A PERSON ON OUR PLATFORM.
BUT IF YOU ALL MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS MOTION, THEN THEY WOULD TRADE IT THROUGH OUR PLATFORM.
YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO GIVE THEM YOUR PASSWORD OR USERNAME.
CHAIRMAN MCGOO, IT'S, UM, AT THE SAME PLACE, AND I'M TRYING TO COORDINATE A COUPLE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS, BUT SO THEY, IF THEY, IF IF I'M A POLICE OFFICER AND I HAVE MY OWN FINANCIAL ADVISOR WITH THE PLAN THAT'S WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THEY COULD HAVE THEIR OWN LOGIN AND BE ABLE TO MANAGE THE FUNDS THAT WAY.
CORRECT? THEY WOULD HAVE ACCESS AND THEN AND, BUT THEY HAVE TO, THEY HAVE TO BE PAID PRIVATELY? OR HOW DO THEY GET PAID? I CAN, WELL CURRENTLY, AND THIS IS PART OF WHY THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED, IS CURRENTLY, LET'S SAY THEY DIDN'T GIVE YOU THE PASSWORD, BUT THEY TOLD YOU WHAT TO DO AND YOU WENT AND TRADED AND DID WHAT? THAT WELL, THE, CURRENTLY YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY THEM THEIR FEE OUT OF YOUR OTHER AFTER TAX MONEY, SO YOU COULD NOT PAY IT OUT OF THE ACCOUNT.
SO THEN YOU WOULD ALSO HAVE TO BE INVOLVED.
IF THEY WOULD TELL YOU TO MAKE A TRADE, YOU WOULD NEED TO DO IT.
AND THAT KIND OF THING IS, KATIE SAYS, THIS KIND OF PUTS THE FRAMEWORK AROUND IT TO VET THESE FOLKS, LET THEM HAVE THE CORRECT ACCESS TO THE ACCOUNT AND BE ABLE TO TAKE THE EXPENSE, WHICH IS USUALLY AROUND 1% OF ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT OUT OF THE ACCOUNT, WHATEVER, HOWEVER THEY'VE ARRANGED TO DO IT QUARTERLY.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT, UM, WE'RE ASKING FOR.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE UNIFORM EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ON THE BOARDS THAT WANT THIS, THAT IS THE REASONING IS THEY WANT THEM TO HAVE ACCESS WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE PASS THEIR PASSWORDS AS WELL AS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THE, UH, THE, UH, FEES OUT OF THEIR ACCOUNT DIRECTLY.
SO CAN'T DO THAT NOW, BUT THE, WHAT ACTION DOES IT NEED TO HAPPEN SO THAT THEY CAN, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU, TO GO FORWARD WITH THESE BOARD MOTIONS TO AMEND THE PLANS.
THEN WE WOULD ALSO NEED THE COUNCIL TO AMEND TO AGREE TO THAT.
AND THEN WE WOULD AMEND THE PLANS, WE WOULD RESTATE THE PLANS, AND THEN WE COULD IMPLEMENT, GET A CONTRACT WITH FIDELITY TO DO THAT.
AND THEN WE CAN, UM, GO FORWARD IN THE SUMMER TO ROLL THIS OUT.
AND WE COULD ROLL OUT BOTH OF THEM.
WILL YOU BE ADVISING PLANNED PARTICIPANTS THAT IF THEY WITHDRAW THE FEES TO PAY THEIR RAAS, THAT MAY ADVERSELY AFFECT THEIR INVESTMENT RESULTS? BECAUSE IT WILL.
SO THERE'S A DOCUMENT EACH PARTICIPANT HAS.
OKAY, YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO MOVE CLOSER, PLEASE.
I'M GETTING LEANING A LITTLE FINE.
THERE IS A DOCUMENT EACH PARTICIPANT HAS TO SIGN, WHICH DOESN'T EXPLICITLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, BUT GIVES THE ADVISOR PERMISSION TO WITHDRAW THEIR FEES.
THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT THAT MONEY WON'T BE SITTING IN THEIR ACCOUNT TO ACCRUE INVESTMENT, UH, OVER YEARS.
AND IT'S GONNA GO RIGHT OUT OF THE ACCOUNT AND IT WON'T, UM, BE THERE TO ADVANCE THEIR RETIREMENT PLANS.
SO I THINK YOU NEED TO DISCLOSE THAT.
DO YOU HAVE A RESPONSE TO THAT? AND I, I, RIGHT.
AND I CAN GIVE A RESPONSE TO THAT.
JUST FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM THE FOLKS THAT WANT THIS ON THE UNIFORM, UH, SIDE OF THE HOUSE, THEY REALIZE THAT, AND THEY WANT IT THIS WAY.
THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY IT OUT OF THEIR OTHER FUNDS.
THEY WANT IT TO BE DEDUCTED FROM THE ACCOUNT.
WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT.
BUT IN THE INTEREST OF FULL DISCLOSURE TO THEM IN PRESENTING THE CON INSTEAD OF JUST THE PRO, I THINK WE NEED TO ADVISE THEM, IF YOU DO THIS, IT'S GOING TO ADVERSELY AFFECT YOUR INVESTMENT RESULTS.
[01:25:01]
WITH OUR BRIEFING ITEMS. WE'LL MOVE TO OUR BRIEFINGS BY MEMORANDUM.WE HAVE THE BUDGET ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT.
MAD CHAIR, WE DON'T NEED TO TAKE ACTION TO SEND THIS TO COUNCIL.
UM, I THINK IT'S GOING TO COUNCIL NO MATTER WHAT.
I MEAN, I SUPPOSE WE COULD TAKE A VOTE IF WE WISH TO, UM, RECOMMEND IT TO COUNCIL IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE THAT MOTION.
I, I MOVED TO, UH, SEND THE COUNSEL WITH RECOMMENDATION.
IS THERE A SECOND MOVING FORWARD TO MOVE THE DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN TO FULL COUNSEL WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION.
SO CHAIRMAN MCGOO HAS SECOND IT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
SO OUR NEXT ITEM IS A BUDGET ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT.
ON, ON THE DE AD ITEM, NO ACTION WAS TAKEN, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY TO APPROVE.
BUT LAST YEAR WITH, UH, DENTON COUNTY, Y'ALL WANTED TO DISAPPROVE.
SO IF YOU WOULD NEED TO TAKE ACTION, IF YOU WANT TO DISAPPROVE THE DE AD ITEM.
SO, UH, WE WILL ASSUME THAT IT'S APPROVED OTHERWISE.
SO, UM, I THINK IT WAS HARD TO HEAR YOU.
I'M JUST GONNA SAY JUST FOR REPETITION THAT, UM, THE, THE ITEM ABOUT, UM, THE BUDGET FOR THE DALLAS COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT DIDN'T HAVE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND WORD DENIED TO COUNSEL.
AND, UM, MR. ISLAND WAS POINT OUT THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY DENIED THE BUDGET FOR THE DENTON COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT, WHICH WAS A GOOD THING.
AND UM, AND THEN THEY CAME BACK AND REDID IT AND WE DID APPROVE IT.
SO, UM, THERE WAS NO MOTION WITH THAT.
SO IT'S JUST GONNA MOVE TO COUNSEL.
IF SOMEBODY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND THAT BUDGET, THEN CERTAINLY WE CAN DO THAT AS WELL.
HEARING NONE, IT'LL JUST MOVE TO COUNCIL.
SO, UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BUDGET ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT? OKAY, YOU'RE GETTING OFF EASY.
NEXT ITEMS, THE TECHNOLOGY ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTER.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? CHAIRMAN WILLIS? YES, THANK YOU.
I DON'T KNOW IF MR. ZELENSKY IS HERE OR IF THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE WHO WAS GOING TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
ARRB COUNCIL MEMBERS OR COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND MADAME CHAIR, DR.
BRIAN GARDNER FROM, UH, CHIEF INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICER.
MY QUESTIONS WERE AROUND ITEMS ON PAGE 20, UM, 21 AND 22.
THIS IS ABOUT THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH APP FOR DFR MEMBERS.
IT JUST SAYS PROJECT REQUIREMENTS ARE BEING REEVALUATED ON THE, ON THE GRID.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S STILL MOVING AHEAD, BUT THEN THIS IS SUGGESTING MAYBE SOME KIND OF DELAY.
SO WHAT'S BEING REEVALUATED THERE? SO, UH, MA'AM, I'M GONNA TURN THAT QUESTION OVER TO, UH, TANISHA DORSEY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE.
TANISHA DORSEY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH ITS, THIS APPLICATION IS UNDER REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS AND WE ARE STILL GOING THROUGH THOSE REQUIREMENTS, REVIEWING THOSE AND GETTING THE APPROVAL WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO, UM, IT HAS NOT BEEN DELAYED, IT'S JUST IN REFINEMENT.
I MEAN, IS IT IN THE TIMING YOU WOULD EXPECT? I, MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH APP.
I MEAN, LITERALLY PUTTING THIS INTO THE HANDS OF OUR DFR MEMBERS.
AND SO, UM, I JUST, I MEAN, ARE WE MOVING AS EXPEDIENTLY AS WE CAN ON THIS? YES, WE ARE.
AND THEN ON, UM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, IT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THESE NEW FIRE STATIONS, UM, WHAT IS THE, THE PHASE THAT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETE IN APRIL? AND THEN WHAT IS THE PHASE AFTER THAT? NUMBER 22.
UH, IT SAYS PROJECT IS BEING IMPLEMENTED IN AN AGILE FASHION.
NEXT PHASE IS EXPECTED TO COMPLETE IN APRIL.
SO I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT SEVERAL LISTED HERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT 41 ON MY MIND, BUT I'M SURE OTHERS ARE CONCERNED
[01:30:01]
AS WELL.SO I WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, ARE THESE ALL MOVING AHEAD AT THE SAME TIME OR ARE WHAT'S BEING COMPLETED? AND THEN WHAT'S THE NEXT PHASE TO GET US CLOSER TO STANDING THESE UP? YES, MA'AM.
UM, I DO NOT HAVE THE SPECIFICS FOR EACH OF THESE FIRE STATIONS, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY ARE MOVING QUITE QUICKLY THROUGH THE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE IT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE FIRE STATIONS.
UM, THE, WE ARE RUNNING INTO A COUPLE LITTLE DIFFICULTIES, UM, WITH SOME LEGACY, UH, UH, SYSTEMS OR INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THOSE.
BUT I'LL HAVE, UH, MR. LINSKY FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON A MORE DEFINITIVE ANSWER.
I MEAN, CAUSE I'VE GOT TOTALLY NEW CONSTRUCTION ON 41, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT SOME OTHER FOLKS MAY HAVE.
BUT YES, I WOULD LIKE TO TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT THAT.
GARDNER, THE JUXTAPOSITION OF DEC AD'S REPORT TODAY, WHICH INCLUDED, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR DATA BREACH, UM, AND THE CITY'S TECHNOLOGY, UM, ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT.
UM, MAKES ME WANT TO ASK THE QUESTION, COULD WHAT HAPPEN TO DECA HAPPEN TO THE CITY OF DALLAS? DO WE HAVE BETTER SECURITY THAN THEY DO THAT WOULD PREVENT A SHUTDOWN OF THEIR ENTIRE OPERATION? UM, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, SIR.
UM, THE CITY HAS, UH, MA FAIRLY MATURE IT SECURITY PROGRAM, WHICH I WON'T GO INTO THE, ALL THE SPECIFICS HERE.
UM, CAN IT HAPPEN? UH, THINGS CAN HAPPEN.
UH, THERE ARE INCIDENTS THAT DO HAPPEN.
UH, THE IDEA IS TO PREVENT THAT OR REDUCE THE BLAST RADIUS SO THAT IT DOES NOT TAKE DOWN ALL SYSTEMS. THE CITY WORKS VERY HARD IN, UH, DEPARTMENT TO PUTTING THOSE PREVENTIVE AND, UH, REACTIVE CONTROL MEASURES IN PLACE AS WELL AS ADDING RESILIENCY.
SO WHEN THINGS DO HAPPEN, WE ARE ABLE TO RECOVER FROM THOSE.
WELL, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR GENERAL REASSURANCES, BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IF A RANSOMWARE ATTACK IS LAUNCHED AGAINST THE CITY THAT ENCRYPTS OUR PASSWORDS, THAT WE STILL HAVE OFFSITE ACCESS TO A DATABASE CONTAINING ESSENTIAL INFORMATION THAT ISN'T DEPENDENT UPON ENCRYPTED EMAILS, UH, ENCRYPT, UH, ENCRYPTED PASSWORDS TO, UH, KEEP IT AS GENERAL AS I CAN.
THE CITY DOES DO, UM, BACKUPS ON A DAILY BASIS.
IT IS IN THE REPORT AS TO THE AMOUNT OF BACKUPS THAT THE CITY DOES PERFORM.
UH, AS FAR AS BEING RESILIENCY.
UH, WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THE EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE RESILIENCY WITHIN OUR IT SYSTEMS. UH, THIS ALSO GOES TO PART OF THE REPORT AT THE END THAT WE HAVE JUST BEGUN TO ADD, UH, AROUND TECHNICAL DEBT AND HOW WE CAN START TO REMOVE SOME OF THAT TECHNICAL DEBT FROM OUR SYSTEMS. UM, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AROUND RANSOMWARE ITSELF, IT'S A VERY COMPLEX, UH, QUESTION.
I CAN TELL YOU MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE, THE DECA, UH, EVENT.
UM, IT WAS A USER AND THAT IS ALWAYS THE BIGGEST STRUGGLE WITHIN THE IT SYSTEMS IS GETTING OUR USERS BETTER EDUCATED AND BEING ABLE TO REACT QUICKER WITHIN THE IT, UH, SECURITY OPERATIONS CENTER.
SO HAVE YOU STUDIED WHAT HAPPENED TO DECA IN ORDER TO LEARN LESSONS THAT WE CAN USE HERE IN DALLAS? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, SIR.
YES, WE DO, UH, LEARN FROM OTHERS' MISTAKES.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU THE OPERATIONS TEAM TAKES IT VERY SERIOUSLY.
WE CONDUCT EXERCISES ON A WEEKLY BASIS ON HOW TO REACT TO THOSE AS WELL AS IN CONJUNCTION WITH PUTTING IN THE SYSTEMS THAT WE NEED TO TRY TO PREVENT AS WELL AS, LIKE I SAID, REDUCE THE BLAST RADIUS WHEN SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS.
OKAY, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU, BUT FIRST I WANNA ASK YOU THIS, YOU WERE RECENTLY PUT UP FOR AN AWARD.
HAVE WE HEARD ANYTHING BACK ON THAT
I DID NOT WIN THE AWARD, BUT I WAS A FINALIST.
WELL, IT WAS A HUGE HONOR TO BE NOMINATED AND I DID WANNA CONGRATULATE YOU FOR THAT.
UM, SO MY QUESTIONS ON PAGE 27, AND AS WE LOOK AT THE COUNT NUMBER FOR, UM, FOR INCIDENCES, UM,
[01:35:02]
I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THAT AND ALSO, UM, THE, THE FIRST CHART WHERE IT'S SHOWING H R I S, UM, I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THE TOTAL MINUTES THERE AND LIKE THAT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS A VERY BIG EVENT, UM, AND JUST SORT OF THE INCREASE THAT YOU'VE SEEN.UM, WE DID SEE AN INCREASE IN INCIDENTS OVER THE MONTH, BUT WE ALSO DID NOTICE, OR WE DO HAVE A REDUCTION IN TOTAL TIME TO RECOVERY, UM, ON THOSE, I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC ANSWER FOR THE ONE AROUND THE H R I S, BUT I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
UM, IT LOOKS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME TO YOUR POINT ON WHY THAT INCIDENT TOOK A WHILE.
AND I'M ASSUMING THAT'S THE HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEM, IS THAT RIGHT? CORRECT, MA'AM.
AND THEN, UM, ON 62, I JUST, EVERY TIME I SEE THIS NUMBER, IT JUST FREAKS ME OUT, BUT ONLY 60% OF THE MESSAGES THAT ARE COMING INTO THE CITY ARE CLEAN EMAILS.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S SHOCKING, I THINK SO I DON'T KNOW WHEN CONSTITUENTS SAY THAT THEY DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T RESPOND.
I THINK SOMETIMES WE DIDN'T GET IT, UM,
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IT REPORT OR THE TAR AS WE'RE CALLING IT NOW? OKAY.
WELL THEN WE CAN MOVE TO OUR NEXT ONE, WHICH IS THE QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT.
WE'LL SEE WHO HAS QUESTIONS FOR THAT ONE.
YOU MIGHT GET OFF REALLY EASY HERE.
YOU WANNA JUST SAY HELLO? YOU GOTTA SWITCH YOUR MICROPHONE ON.
UH, I'M JENNY KURTZMAN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF TREASURY IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
WELL I THINK YOU GOT THE THE ITEM ON, BUT I THINK THERE'S NO QUESTIONS FOR YOU TODAY, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
OKAY, SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER ITEMS THAT WERE MEMOS YOU WANNA GO THROUGH AND JUST SAY H THROUGH M.
WHO HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THOSE? I'M GONNA LOOK AT CHAIRMAN WILLIS.
YEAH, I WAS, UH, THIS IS ON MEMO H THIS IS THE UPDATE ON ILLEGAL SOLICITATION INITIATIVE.
SO, UH, HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE.
IS IT? GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO CHRISTINE CROSLEY, OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS.
UM, SO I'M TRYING TO RECONCILE THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN OCTOBER 25TH, 2021 WHEN WE WERE PRESENTED A DECK, UM, A DEFLECTION DECK ON ILLEGAL SOLICITATION AND WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITH THIS, THIS GIFT RESPONSIBLY CAMPAIGN BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE EVEN CITE THAT ON, ON THE CITY'S WEBPAGE AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO G F M.
BUT THE MESSAGING IS, I, I THINK NOT ALIGNED.
AND THE REASON I'M GETTING AT THIS IS BECAUSE WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, I MEAN YOU ABOVE ALL, UM, BUT OUR RESIDENTS SEE ILLEGAL SOLICITATION AT INTERSECTIONS.
I KNOW YOU'VE ATTACHED A DOCUMENT THAT SHOWS HOW SOME NUMBERS HAVE GONE DOWN.
I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT'S A REFLECTION OF SUCCESS AS MUCH AS I THINK IT'S A REFLECTION OF RESIDENT FATIGUE.
I KNOW MINE TELL ME THERE'S NO POINT IN, IN CALLING OR REPORTING THIS.
AND I, I REALLY IMPLORE THEM TO, BECAUSE I TELL THEM THIS IS THE DATA POINTS THAT WE DEPLOY RESOURCES AGAINST.
UM, I, I SEE, YOU KNOW, AREAS I KNOW ARE HOTSPOTS AND THAT RESIDENTS ARE CALLING ABOUT THAT AREN'T ON THIS, THIS THREE 11 REPORT.
BUT THE DISCONNECT I'M GETTING AT IS THAT I KNOW CHAIR MENDELSON AND SCHULTZ AND I DID, UM, A ROLLOUT THIS PROGRAM, UM, AMONGST OUR RESIDENTS.
AND I FEEL LIKE WE CUT THROUGH WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE OUTLINED IN THAT PROGRAM FROM OCTOBER, 2021 ABOUT WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE WHEN YOU GIVE STREET CHARITY.
AND THEY WERE PRETTY COMPELLING.
AND MY CONCERN IS, WHILE THIS IS NICE, IT'S REALLY NOT THAT COMPELLING.
AND SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE LOOKING FOR A CREATIVE AGENCY.
JUST TELL ME KIND OF WHERE WE ARE ON THAT BECAUSE I REAL, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT A CHANCE TO
[01:40:01]
INTERVENE AND, AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE HERE BECAUSE WHAT WE GOTTA ACCOMPLISH IS DISRUPTING GIVING AT THE STREET LEVEL SO THAT WE CAN GET PEOPLE TO THE RESOURCES THAT WE'RE, ARE GONNA HELP THEM THE MOST.SO WITH THAT SAID, GO AHEAD AND TELL ME WHERE THIS IS.
YEAH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, WE DO HAVE TO KIND OF CUT THROUGH THE NOISE AND UH, WE ACTUALLY MET WITH A CLERGY GROUP LAST MONTH ON THOSE TALKING POINTS, UM, AROUND, I THINK ONE OF THEM HAD A GREAT WAY OF PUTTING IT THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO LOVE PEOPLE AND TO HELP THEM IS NOT TO BE GIVING TO SOMEONE DIRECTLY ON THE STREET BECAUSE THAT CAN ACTUALLY BE HURTING SOMEONE IN TURN.
UM, AND WE DID TALK ABOUT THE, UM, THE MESSAGING AND THE UNINTENTIONAL WAYS THAT IT HARMS PEOPLE.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WHILE WE HAVE THIS SIGNAGE THAT GETS YOU TO THE WEBSITE TO ENGAGE ON THAT, THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY GETTING A MARKETING PLAN FROM THE VOICE SOCIETY, WHICH IS OUR THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR FOR THAT, I WANTED TO MAKE A DISTINCTION, MEDIUM GIANT HELPED BUILD AND MAINTAIN OUR WEBSITE, BUT THE VOICE SOCIETY IS DOING THE MARKETING PLAN WITH US.
AND SO THAT'S GOING TO BE THE ROLLOUT, THE RAMP UP OF EVERYTHING WE'VE ALREADY DONE AMPLIFICATION OF MESSAGING.
AND PART OF THAT WILL BE KIND OF A HARDENING OF SOME OF THOSE MESSAGES BECAUSE REALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE EDUCATION IS EFFECTIVE WHEN YOU TELL PEOPLE HOW IT CAN UNINTENTIONALLY HURT THOSE YOU'RE TRYING TO HELP.
AND SO THAT IS WHAT WE'RE GETTING PEOPLE TO AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL HAVE, UH, VERY, VERY SOON.
I KNOW THERE WAS AN INTERNAL ROLLOUT, I THINK JUST A LITTLE BIT AGO BY OUR COMMS DEPARTMENT OF SOME OF THE KEY MESSAGING AND TOOLS, BUT THAT ISN'T WHERE IT ENDS BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, WE DO HAVE TO GET TO THAT POINT.
SO THE WAY THIS AGENCY IS GONNA START IS WITH A CREATIVE BRIEF, AND THAT'S WHERE THESE ITEMS, I'M POINTING TO THIS POWERPOINT
UM, IT REWARDS THEM TO STAY ON THE STREET.
WE'RE SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ACROSS NONPROFIT AGENCIES, THE CITY, THE COUNTY TO UH, DEVELOP SERVICES.
AND WE'RE CREATING A CLIMATE WHERE WE TRAIN PEOPLE TO RESIST THOSE SERVICES BECAUSE THEY GET WHAT THEY NEED ON THE STREET.
AND EVEN IN LOOKING AT THIS MEMO, IT TALKS ABOUT OUR GOAL IS ULTIMATELY TO REDUCE THE FREQUENCY OF A ILLEGAL SOLICITATION.
AND THE WAY WE DO THAT IS BY DISRUPTING IN THAT MOMENT TO NOT GIVE.
AND SO, UM, I JUST, I I KNOW THAT YOU'RE DRIVING THIS, BUT YOU KNOW, YOUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE IS IN HOMELESSNESS, NOT IN COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING.
SO, SO THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, I I THINK THERE'S SOME NICE PHRASES IN HERE.
THEY'RE A LITTLE TOO HALLMARK CARD FOR ME, GIVEN WHAT WE SEE OUT ON THE STREETS ALL THE TIME AND THE DISRUPTION THAT'S GOING ON UNDER OVER, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I HAD A FIRE UNDER ONE, IT LOOKED LIKE MAD MAX.
SO, UM, I JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT WE ARE HARD HITTING ON THIS, THAT WE'RE SHARP ON THIS, THAT WE HAVE A CREATIVE BRIEF THAT MEETS WHAT WAS OUTLINED IN OCTOBER, 2021, SO THAT THAT'S WHAT'S BEING COMMUNICATED, UH, AND THAT THIS DOES MORE HARM THAN GOOD.
UH, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT RESONATES.
I KNOW AT OUR LIVE MEETING PEOPLE TOOK THAT AWAY.
THEY, THEY KIND OF CLICKED ON THAT AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE.
SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M SEEING THIS WELL-INTENTIONED, I JUST DON'T THINK THIS IS HOW PEOPLE TALK.
YOU'VE GOTTA PUT IT IN CONSUMER SPEAK, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE ON THE BRINK OF OUR NEXT PHASE OF THIS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO DRIVE THAT HOME.
AND I KNOW THAT, I BELIEVE WE SENT, UM, THE DOCUMENTATION A LITTLE BIT MORE GRANULAR DETAIL TO YOU LATE LAST WEEK ON THAT.
SO I'M HAPPY TO SEND THAT BACK TO THE TOP OF YOUR INBOX.
I WOULD LIKE FEEDBACK ON THAT.
UM, A AGREE TOTALLY WITH THE PREVIOUS COMMENTS, AND I'M REF REFERENCING THE, THE CHART IN THERE THAT LISTS SOME OF THE HIGHEST SOLICITATION AREAS.
AND I'M JUST CURIOUS, WHERE DID, WHERE DID WE PICK THOSE LOCATIONS FROM? SO IT'S A MIXTURE OF, UH, SERVICE REQUEST DATA, AND OF COURSE WE HAVE SOME AREAS OF THE CITY THAT DON'T REACT TO, UH, THREE 11 THE SAME WAY THAT DON'T UTILIZE IT.
SO SOME OF THAT IS ON THE GROUND, BUT, UM, JUST ON THE GROUND EXPERIENCE.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU SEE IS ALSO THAT WHILE WE DO HAVE PANHANDLING ALL OVER THE CITY, AS YOU GO NORTH, IT CHANGES IN NATURE.
AND I, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID BY THIS BODY BEFORE, WE'RE AWARE OF THAT.
UM, AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS WHAT I, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE AREAS I'VE SEEN GO DOWN, UM, FOREST IN 75 IS BETTER.
NOW THAT, DOES THAT MEAN IT WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER? WELL, WE HAVE TO KEEP ENFORCING THAT.
AND SO WE'RE OUT THERE LOOKING AT NEW FENCING AND NEW WAYS TO KEEP THAT GOING, BUT NOW WE HAVE AN EVOLVING ISSUE, EVEN FARTHER NORTH AT FRANKFURT AND THE TOLLWAY.
AND SO NOW WE'RE OUT THERE LOOKING AT THAT.
AND SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY KEEPING, UM, NOT ONLY THREE 11 DATA IN FRONT OF US, BUT ALSO CHECKING ON THESE SPOTS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE REAL TIME EXPERIENCE AND WE'RE NOT TAKING
[01:45:01]
THAT FOR GRANTED.SO MY CONCERN THERE IS, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ONLY HAVE ONE LISTED IN DISTRICT 10, AND I JUST TEXTED, THERE'S FIVE PEOPLE AT SKILLMAN AND 6 35 RIGHT NOW, PANHANDLING, AND ALL ALONG SIX 30, IT'S EVERY INTERSECTION AND THERE'S LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THERE AND IT'S NOT BEING REFLECTED IN THIS AT ALL.
AND THEN EVEN THE ONE, THE ONE THAT IS 6 35 IN GREENVILLE, YOU KNOW, IT BASICALLY SAYS IN FEBRUARY THERE'S ONLY ONE, I GUESS 1 3 11 CALL, IS THAT WHAT IT'S CITING? MM-HMM.
AND, UM, THAT, THAT WOULD BE SHOCKING TO ME.
BUT, UM, I, I MEAN I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THERE'S A FEW PEOPLE LIVING THERE, UM, AS WE SPEAK.
SO I GUESS I'M JUST, THE VERACITY OF THE DATA IS A LITTLE TROUBLING TO ME.
BUT BACK WHEN THIS CAMPAIGN STARTED, I DID GO TO EVERY INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBER AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE AWARE OF IN YOUR DISTRICT.
AND THEN GOT SOME REFLECTION ON THAT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING I'M ACTUALLY BRINGING BACK BECAUSE WE ARE IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT NOW.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I INTEND TO DO AS WE'RE RE UH, REORIENTING OUR STRATEGY IS MEET WITH EVERYONE INDIVIDUALLY WHO WOULD LIKE TO.
I'M HAPPY TO FILL IN SOME OF THOSE GAPS.
WELL, I FEEL LIKE I HAVE THE SAME COMMENTS ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN NOT BEING QUITE WHAT WE WERE HOPING FOR AND THE DATA, UM, YES, FRANKFURT AND THE TOLLWAY IS A BIG PROBLEM, BUT I WILL TELL YOU TODAY, I MUST HAVE GOTTEN SIX MESSAGES MYSELF ABOUT THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT BEHIND THE SPROUTS THAT JUST OPENED ON SATURDAY, I'M SORRY, ON FRIDAY LAST WEEK.
AND THE HEART TEAM WAS THERE FRIDAY, AND WE ARE TAKING STEPS WORKING WITH CODE AND THE OWNER OF SPROUTS NOW, WELL, THEY'RE ALL BACK.
UM, SO THERE ARE MULTIPLE OTHER LOCATIONS, PROBABLY A DOZEN IN MY DISTRICT THAT HAVE ENCAMPMENTS THAT I KNOW PEOPLE ARE CALLING ABOUT.
I DON'T SEE IT REFLECTED IN THIS.
AND, UM, THAT INCLUDES, I MEAN, YOU'VE BEEN VERY INVOLVED WITH ROSEMEAD PARK, A NUMBER OF PLACES OFF OF, UM, ROSEMEAD AND THE, AND GEORGE BUSH, UM, MARSH FRANKFORD, UM, CLAYTON, GEORGE BUSH.
SO LOTS OF OTHERS, UM, THAT I DON'T SEE THAT ARE ON HERE.
AND I'M NOT SURE, I'M NOT SURE THAT THIS PROGRAM IS GOING TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE'RE HOPING IT WILL, GIVEN THE WAY IT'S PRESENTED.
SO I HOPE THAT WE'LL BE FURTHER WORK ON THAT.
I GUESS THAT'S THE NICEST WAY I CAN SAY IT.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA SAY ABOUT THIS? I, I WILL.
COUNCIL MEMBER BEDU, I'LL JUST SAY THAT, UH, I GIVE YOU KIND OF AN OPPOSITE PERSPECTIVE AND SAY THANK YOU FOR BRINGING US, UM, A DIFFERENT SOLUTION.
UM, SO FAR, NONE OF THE SOLUTIONS HAVE WORKED.
IN FACT, IT'S JUST FOUND US IN LITIGATION, UM, AND SOME MORE HUMANE SOLUTION.
IT'S HELPING EDUCATE OUR PUBLIC AND SHOWING WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP, UH, A PROBLEM THAT UNFORTUNATELY IS INEVITABLE.
UM, AND, UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, NOTHING ELSE IS WORKING AND NO ONE ELSE IS PROPOSING ANYTHING TO WORK.
SO, UH, ALTHOUGH I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING AND WE HAVE A LOT MORE THAT CAN GO INTO THIS CAMPAIGN, I THINK IT'S, UH, THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING THAT COULD HOPEFULLY MAKE A DENT IF WE CAN HELP EDUCATE OUR PUBLIC, UH, THAT MAYBE NOT, NOT BE EXCHANGED DIRECTLY TO OUR UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS THEMSELVES, BUT, UM, REALLY TOWARDS THE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PARTNER WITH, UH, FOR OUR CONTINUUM OF CARE AND OUR HOUSING EFFORTS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THE, UH, THE GOOD WORK THAT ACTUALLY HAS, UM, OCCURRED IN OUR, ON OUR STREETS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
UM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I REALLY WANT TO MAKE FOCUS, UH, ON.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A, A, A REALLY LONG WAY TO GO.
UM, AND, AND THAT LONG WAY TO GO ISN'T, UM, FOR OUR NEIGHBORS WHO, UM, SEE, UH, UNSHELTERED PEOPLE, UH, ON A DAILY BASIS AND GET UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT, BUT IT'S SO THAT WE CAN GET THOSE THAT ARE UNSHELTERED IN A BETTER SITUATION AND A BETTER TRAJECTORY.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE EMPHASIZE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE INVESTING IN, IN THESE EFFORTS.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING US SOMETHING, UH, TO CONSIDER AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING US SOMETHING, UM, UH, TO LOOK AT, TO ADDRESS, UM, THIS ONGOING AND INEVITABLE ISSUE IN OUR CITY CHAIRMAN MULIS.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF COME IN BEHIND THAT AND THANK CHAIR BASIL DOA FOR CALLING OUT THE NONPROFITS, UH, THOSE THAT ARE WORKING AROUND WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND HOUSING.
AND TO ME THAT REALLY AMPLIFIES THE FACT THAT WE DON'T NEED TO MAKE PEOPLE MORE RESISTANT TO THOSE SERVICES BECAUSE OF THE, THE MONEY AND THE TIME AND THE SWEAT AND THE HEART THAT ALL OF THOSE PROFESSIONALS
[01:50:01]
ARE PUTTING INTO GETTING PEOPLE HOUSED AND ONTO, UM, BETTER HEALTH AND BETTER CIRCUMSTANCES.UM, AND SO I AM ABSOLUTELY PROPOSING SOMETHING, AND THAT IS TO GO HAND IN HAND WITH THE FACT THAT YOU'RE SAYING WE'VE GOT OUR NEXT PHASE COMING, WE'RE WORKING ON THE NEXT PART OF THIS, THE OUTWARD MARKETING PLAN FOR THIS TO THE PUBLIC.
AND SO I AM PROPOSING THAT WE TAKE WHAT WAS PRESENTED IN OCTOBER OF 2021 TO THIS COMMITTEE WITH SOME WONDERFUL BULLETS THAT ARE HIGHLY COMPELLING.
AND I'M SURE WITH OUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE OF A MARKETING FIRM, THEY CAN TAKE THOSE, TURN THEM INTO SOMETHING THAT WILL BE COMPELLING AND RELEVANT TO, UH, OUR POPULATION AND, UM, AND HELP US ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
SO I, I WANTED TO BE SURE THAT THAT WASN'T LOST.
I'M PROPOSING THAT WE GO BACK TO THAT PRESENTATION AND TAKE THOSE COMPELLING BULLETS AND SHARE THOSE WITH THAT FIRM.
WHICH YOU DID PUT THAT PRESENTATION TOGETHER, SO THAT'S A WAY I DID.
AND THOSE BULLETS HAVE NOT BEEN LOST, SO WE CAN BRING THEM BACK THERE.
UM, SO I JUST WOULD LIKE TO CALL UP ITEM I, WHICH IS THE CITY INTERNET SITE UPDATE.
AND, UM, I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING SOME IMPROVEMENT.
I LOVE WHEN I GET ON THERE AND I'M LIKE, OOH, THIS IS NEW AND DIFFERENT.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO WORK ON THAT.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO GIVE SOME INPUT, WHICH IS TO SAY THAT THE SEARCH FUNCTION FROM, UM, THE HOMEPAGE, ALL THOSE PLACES, I MEAN IT THAT REALLY, I WISH THAT COULD BE YOUR TOP PRIORITY BEFORE YOU'RE WORKING ON LANDING PAGES FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN'T FIND EVEN THE DEPARTMENTS THAT THEY NEED.
SO, UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO GIVE THAT INPUT.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT? NO, J IS THE STATUS OF THE AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS, AND I JUST WANNA FIRST SAY, UM, THANK YOU TO JACK IRELAND, OUR CFO, AND TO MARK SWAN, OUR CITY AUDITOR.
UM, ORIGINALLY THERE WERE 85 AUDIT FINDINGS THAT HAD NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED OR AT LEAST DOCUMENTED THAT THEY WERE IMPLEMENTED, I SHOULD SAY.
AND AT THIS POINT, UM, 80% OF THOSE HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED.
AND SO I APPRECIATE, UM, Y'ALL FOLLOWING UP WITH DEPARTMENTS AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO EITHER GET IT DONE OR DOCUMENT THAT IT WAS DONE AND, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, THE REST OF THOSE.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REMAINING ITEMS? OKAY, WELL WITH THAT THEN I'M GONNA SAY THIS MEETING'S ADJOURNED.
IT'S 2 56 AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.