Jun 19, 2023 Special Called City Council

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GOOD MORNING. WE HAVE A QUORUM.

[Call to Order]

JUNETEENTH IN AMERICA AND THE TIME IS 8:42 A.M.

I NOW CALL THIS MEETING OF THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER.

TODAY'S INVOCATION SPEAKER IS RABBI ANDREW PALEY, I'M TOLD.

IS RABBI PALEY HERE? DO WE HAVE THAT? DO WE HAVE AN INVOCATION, SPEAKER? WE DON'T. OKAY.

OKAY.

WE'LL HAVE AN INVOCATION.

WE WON'T DO THE PLEDGES, BUT WE'LL DO AN INVOCATION.

OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. OUR FATHER, GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY OF CELEBRATION.

LORD OF RECOGNITION OF REMEMORY OF FREEDOM.

LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN AROUND THIS BODY AND AT THIS CITY AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WHO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.

SERVE OUR NEIGHBORS.

LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE LESSONS YOU'VE TAUGHT US OVER THIS PAST AND THEN INTO THE FUTURE.

LORD, I ASK FOR BLESSINGS OVER EACH ONE OF THESE LEADERS, LORD, THAT YOU TAKE US TO THE NEXT STEP IN THIS CITY, THAT YOU PROTECT OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS AND OUR FAMILIES, THAT YOU GIVE WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT, THAT YOU HELP US REMEMBER WHY WE'RE HERE AND WHO WE SERVE.

AND LORD, WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING THAT HONORS YOU BRINGS GLORY TO GOD LORD, I PRAY THIS IN THE NAME OF JESUS, MY PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR. AND WE THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE IN JESUS NAME.

AMEN. OKAY.

NOT HAVE PLEDGES THIS MORNING.

I THINK I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER NOW TO THE CITY SECRETARY AND LET YOU GET US ON OUR WAY.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

GOOD MORNING, DALLAS CITY COUNCIL.

THERE'S ONLY ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA.

ONE VOTING ITEM.

IT'S ITEM ONE. RECEIVE THE REPORT OF THE AD HOC CITY COUNCIL CANVASING COMMITTEE AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION AND ORDER ACCEPTING THE CANVASING COMMITTEE'S REPORT DECLARING THE

[1. Receive the report of the Ad Hoc City Council Canvassing Committee and adopt a resolution and order accepting the canvassing committee's report declaring the results of the June 10, 2023 runoff election for members of the city council Financing: No cost consideration to the City]

THIS IS YOUR ITEM, MR. MAYOR.

CHAIRMAN MAGOO, YOU HAVE A MOTION? DO HAVE A MOTION.

ALL RIGHT. MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION.

IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ONLY THAT WE MET THIS MORNING AND EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTHLY.

NO QUESTIONS. AND WE PASSED IT UNANIMOUSLY.

ANYONE ELSE WISH TO SPEAK ON FOR OR AGAINST THE MOTION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE AYES HAVE IT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MADAM SECRETARY.

THERE ARE NO FURTHER BUSINESS FOR THIS MEETING, MR. MAYOR. OKAY, THEN.

WITH THAT, THE TIME IS EIGHT.

OH. THANK YOU.

OH, TECHNICALLY, THAT'S RIGHT.

YOU WON'T HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.

SO AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE OUR OUTGOING CHAIRMAN AND CHAIRMAN, CASEY THOMAS.

YOU WANT TO GO FIRST AND WE'LL PUT YOU ON THE CLOCK FOR.

WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M NOT GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE CLOCK, BROTHERS, AND YOU EITHER CHAIRMAN MCGOUGH, WE GOT TIME FOR THIS, SO GO AHEAD.

WELL, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I'M SO GLAD YOU THOUGHT TO REMEMBER TO ALLOW US TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY.

YOU'RE WEARING A T SHIRT, BROTHER.

I MISSED YOU.

I ALMOST DIDN'T EVEN SEE YOU BLENDED INTO THE WALLS.

WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M ONLY HERE TEMPORARILY, SO.

BUT TO MY COLLEAGUES, TO THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING AND LISTENING, IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR AND PLEASURE TO REPRESENT THE CITY OF DALLAS FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS.

I'M A LITTLE BIASED, BUT I THINK DISTRICT THREE IS THE GREATEST DISTRICT IN THE CITY, AND THOSE CONSTITUENTS HAVE TREATED ME WITH NOTHING BUT KINDNESS, LOVE, AND RESPECT. I WANT TO SAY, LET'S SEE.

WE'LL START WITH JESSE, MY VICE CHAIR.

YOU HAVE BEEN MY RIGHT HAND FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.

YOU CAME IN AS A FRESHMAN AND IMMEDIATELY WENT TO WORK.

WE SAT DOWN AND MET EARLY ON BECAUSE I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES WERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT THOSE DONE.

OUR HOUSING COMMITTEE, OUR HOUSING HOMELESS SOLUTIONS COMMITTEE HAS DONE SOME HISTORICAL THINGS.

IT WAS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU.

AND OCCASIONALLY I JUST DIDN'T SHOW UP BECAUSE I WANTED YOU TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND YOU HAVE SERVED WELL.

AND I THINK YOU'RE PREPARED FOR WHATEVER LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES MAY COME.

THANK YOU.

ADAM BAZALDUA, ALSO KNOWN AS BAZZ.

YOU CAME IN LIKE A BALL OF FIRE.

YOU'RE THE I THINK YOU'RE THE BABY OF THE COUNCIL, YOUNGEST ONE HERE.

AND YOUR YOUTHFUL ENTHUSIASM SHOWED IMMEDIATELY, YOU KNOW.

BUT YOU WEREN'T TOO PROUD TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT YOU DID NOT KNOW.

WE HAD A CONVERSATION AS RELATED TO THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION AND KIND OF TALKED ABOUT WHY

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AND THEN ALSO YOU GAVE ME YOUR PERSPECTIVE, AND THEN WE ALL CAME.

WE CAME TOGETHER ON AN AGREEMENT, BUT NOT ONLY YOUR WORK HERE, BUT YOUR WORK WITH THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES.

YOU WERE RIGHT THERE WHEN WE HAD REAL COUNCIL MEETINGS AND I WAS THE CHAIR, AND YOU WERE RIGHT THERE TO SHOW SUPPORT.

AND I GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT.

YOU REPRESENT AN AREA IN WHICH I WORKED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

MY CHURCH IS THERE AND YOU WILL DEFINITELY BE SEEING ME.

AND OUR HOPE IS THAT TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK AREA IS WHAT MANY PEOPLE FOR DECADES HAVE INTENDED FOR IT TO BE.

PAULA BLACK, WHERE DO I START? YOU CALL ME WHEN YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE GOING TO RUN FOR THIS SEAT.

I WAS IN SHOCK. SO THAT'S PROBABLY WHY I WAS SILENCE ON THE OTHER END OF THE PHONE.

BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN A STAFFER FOR SO LONG AND TRANSITIONING FROM WORKING AS A STAFFER TO A POLICY MAKER, I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY, BUT YOU ROLLED YOUR SLEEVES UP, GOT BUSY AND BEGAN TO IMMEDIATELY MAKE AN IMPACT.

YOU KNOW, THE THING I WILL NEVER FORGET IS HOW YOU DRESSED UP AS WHITE ROCK LAKE WITH ALL OF THE DISGUSTING THINGS THAT MAY BE IN THAT LAKE WITH THE DREDGE BABY DREDGE HAT ON.

AND THAT JUST SHOWED YOU EXEMPLIFIED IN YOUR ATTIRE HOW IMPORTANT THAT WAS.

AND SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO JUST KEEP ON BEING PAULA, BEING MAMA ANNIE, OR WHICHEVER ROLE YOU CHOOSE TO SERVE AROUND THE HORSESHOE.

CHAD WEST, I SEE YOU ON THE SCREEN.

YOU'RE NEXT IN THE SEATING ORDER.

[LAUGHTER] CHAD WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER A NUMBER OF WAYS.

YOU WERE CHAIR OF HOUSING COMMITTEE BEFORE HOUSING HOME SOLUTION BEFORE I BECAME CHAIR.

WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER.

ONE THING THAT I NOTICED AND LEARNED ABOUT AND WE KNEW EACH OTHER BEFORE, BEFORE YOU WERE ON THE COUNCIL.

BUT ONE THING THAT I LEARNED FROM YOU IS THERE ARE NO RED LIGHTS YOU ARE RUNNING PHYSICALLY AND FIGURATIVELY, NONSTOP AND 100MPH.

AND SO WE NEIGHBOR AT HAMPTON IN ILLINOIS, YOU HAVE WORKED VERY HARD ON THE NORTH OAK CLIFF TASK GROUP THAT REALLY YOU LED THIS COUNCIL TO FIND SUPPORT FOR IT.

AND I EXPECT YOU TO DO NOTHING LESS TO CONTINUE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

MY BUDDY TO MY RIGHT, ADAM, WE HAVE FOUGHT MANY FIGHTS TOGETHER.

WE HAVE FOUGHT ON OPPOSITE SIDES OCCASIONALLY, BUT WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AND RESOLVE WHATEVER DIFFERENCES THAT WE'VE HAD.

WE STARTED WITH SIX AND WE'RE LEAVING THE DYNAMIC DUO.

IF I HAD TO LEAVE THIS COUNCIL, THERE'S, NO ONE THAT I WOULD WANT TO LEAVE WITH OTHER THAN YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN A PARTNER, YOU'VE SHOWN YOUR HEART AND SO MUCH OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.

AND I'M GOING TO MOVE ON BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO START CRYING.

BILLY RAY? YEAH.

YOU. YEAH, YOU.

YOU HAVE BEEN SUPERB.

YOU TOOK THE REINS AS CITY SECRETARY.

AND YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A FEW OF US AROUND HERE WHEN YOU WERE HIRED.

AND WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW IS WE ALL KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE UNANIMOUS BECAUSE OF HOW CARING YOU ARE, HOW THOROUGH YOU ARE. WHATEVER'S GOING ON TILL RECENTLY, I DON'T THINK I TEXT YOU ON THE WEEKEND, BUT I KNOW YOU ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE AND I TRY TO RESPECT, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S WEEKENDS.

WELL, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL. IF I NEED A VOTE OR SOMETHING, I'M GOING TO CALL Y'ALL ON THE WEEKEND.

NAH, IT DON'T EVEN MATTER.

BUT YOU HAVE BEEN A CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL.

WE WERE HONORED TO BE ABLE TO UPGRADE YOU.

AND YOU DESERVED EVERY BIT OF THAT SALARY INCREASE THAT YOU RECEIVED.

JUST KEEP BEING BILLY RAY.

THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY. JUST KEEP BEING YOU.

SO YOU WANT TO SIT IN THE CITY MANAGER'S CHAIR TODAY? YOU WANT THIS? YOU WANT THIS HEAT, HUH? [LAUGHTER] KIM TOLBERT YOU KNOW, BEFORE YOU BECAME DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, YOU WERE TC'S CHIEF OF STAFF.

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I MEAN, YOU PROBABLY GOT EMOTIONAL BRUISES ALL OVER YOUR BACK.

I KNOW YOU GET BEAT UP A LOT, BUT YOU DO IT WITH A SMILE.

YOU'RE ALWAYS RESPONSIVE.

WELL, NOW I'M GOING TO SAY THAT I'M NOT GOING TO SAY A LOT OF DAY.

YOU AIN'T ALWAYS RESPONSIVE.

SOMETIMES YOU'RE TAKING 2 OR 3 DAYS TO CALL ME BACK, BUT YOU DO CALL ME BACK.

AND YOU HAVE BEEN AN EXCELLENT BUFFER, AN EXCELLENT BUFFER FOR THE CITY MANAGER.

AND THANK YOU.

WE'VE WORKED ON NUMEROUS BIG PROJECTS, THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED THIS CITY.

AND I JUST THANK YOU FOR THE ROLE THAT YOU'VE PLAYED.

BROTHER MAYOR.

BROTHER MAYOR.

WHEN YOU CAME IN, I WAS MAYOR PRO TEM.

AND I TOLD YOU, I SAID, MAN, WHATEVER YOU NEED, LET ME KNOW.

I HAD OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE JOB FOR OVER A YEAR.

AND THOSE WHO WERE HERE REMEMBER, FORMER MAYOR ROLLINS LEFT THE COUNTRY, AND FOR TWO WEEKS I WAS IN CHARGE OF THE CITY.

AND WE HAD ONE OF THE WORST STORMS THAT WE HAD IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY.

AND SO THAT GAVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO TO SHOW CITY LEADERSHIP.

AND SO I WANTED YOU TO KNOW, EVEN OPERATING A MACHINE AS I SAT RIGHT BY YOU, IF YOU REMEMBER BEFORE WE DID THE VOTE, I WAS MAYOR PRO TEM RIGHT THERE.

I SAID, YOU GOT TO HIT THIS BUTTON AND THIS TO SHOW THIS BECAUSE I WANTED YOUR FIRST MEETING YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

THIS IS A DIFFICULT JOB.

IT'S A DIFFICULT JOB BEING MAYOR OF THE NINTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY.

AND IT REQUIRES A CERTAIN SKILL SET.

AND YOU HAVE SHOWN THAT SKILL SET.

WE DIDN'T ALWAYS AGREE, BUT WHO DOES? EVEN HUSBAND AND WIFE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE.

WE KNEW EACH OTHER BEFORE EITHER OF US WERE ELECTED.

BEFORE I WAS ON COUNCIL, BEFORE YOU WERE STATE REP AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND PLEASURE TO SPEND THE PAST FOUR YEARS.

YOU APPOINTED ME TO SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMITTEE CHAIRS OR CHAIRMANSHIPS HERE AT THE CITY.

AND I SAID THIS IN THE, I THINK THE WORKFORCE EDUCATION EQUITY COMMITTEE MEETING.

I WAS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED NOT TO BE CHAIR OF WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND EQUITY.

BUT YOU TOLD ME YOU SAID, I NEED YOU TO CHAIR THIS HOUSING AND HOMELESS SOLUTIONS COMMITTEE BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON POINT FOR THE DALLAS REAL TIME HOUSING INITIATIVE.

AND I UNDERSTOOD IT, BUT YOU APPOINTED ME VICE CHAIR TO MY MENTEE, JAYNIE SCHULTZ.

AND SO WE WORKED TOGETHER AS A TEAM.

I'M GOING TO GET TO HER, BUT THANK YOU FOR THOSE APPOINTMENTS DURING COVID, BECAUSE YOU APPOINTED ME AS CHAIR OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC RECOVERY I DEVELOPED A FRIENDSHIP WITH THE CHAIRS OF THE DALLAS CITIZENS COUNCIL AND THE DALLAS REGIONAL CHAMBER, AND WE WORKED TIRELESSLY, ALONG WITH DR.

ERIC JOHNSON, TO FIND MONEY FOR OUR LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES.

AND WE ALLOCATED HALF OF THE MONEY FOR THOSE BUSINESSES OF COLOR.

AND IF YOU WOULDN'T HAVE APPOINTED ME TO THOSE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THIS CITY WHAT I CAN DO.

SO THANK YOU.

YEAH YOU. YEAH YOU.

YEAH, YOU.[LAUGHTER] YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE FIRST MEETINGS THAT WE HAD AND IT WAS ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY WAS YOU SAID WE NEED TO MEET WITH YOU BECAUSE WE NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT HENSLEY FIELD.

DO YOU REMEMBER THAT? THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE SAT DOWN.

AND SO AS THESE THINGS BEGAN TO DEVELOP AND OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS LEARNED ABOUT HENSLEY FIELD ALREADY KNEW EVERYTHING THE GOOD, BAD AND THE UGLY BECAUSE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR TEAM, THE TEAM THAT YOU SAW FIT.

SO MANY TIMES, COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE OUR FIRST CITY, FIRST ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY IS AWARE OR WE GO TO HER AND GET HER INPUT ON THIS OR THAT.

AND THAT'S JUST THE AMOUNT OF RESPECT THAT THIS COUNCIL AND PRIOR COUNCILS HAVE HAD FOR YOU.

I ENJOYED WORKING WITH YOU.

I DIDN'T CALL ON YOU A LOT, BUT WHEN I DID CALL ON YOU, YOU RETURNED THE CALL.

I LOOKED AT MY PHONE AND IT WOULD BE YOU.

AND I WOULD SAY, WOW, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T CALL ME OFTEN.

SO I KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING IMPORTANT.

I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A MEETING ON ANOTHER PHONE CALL, I'D SAY, HOLD ON.

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AND SO THANK YOU FOR JUST BEING AVAILABLE.

THANK YOU FOR BEING SERVING IN A COMPETENT ROLE AND BEING TRUSTED.

I HAVEN'T TALKED TO ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO DON'T FEEL THAT WE CAN'T COME TO YOU AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHATEVER WE NEED TO.

SO THANK YOU.

MAYOR PRO TEM CAROLYN ARNOLD.

CAROLYN KING ARNOLD.

WELL, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE CALL YOU CAROLYN ARNOLD KING.

DID YOU KNOW THAT? ALL RIGHT. ABSOLUTELY.

YOU HAVE BEEN A DIVA SINCE DAY ONE.

[LAUGHTER] YOU BROUGHT SOMETHING TO THIS COUNCIL THAT WAS DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY NEEDED.

I THINK ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT HAPPENED WAS YOU HAVING TIME AWAY BECAUSE WHAT IT DID WAS IT MADE YOU BETTER.

IT GAVE YOU AN EVEN GREATER APPRECIATION.

SEE, I RAN BACK IN 2009 AND LOST.

I RAN AGAINST DAVE NEWMAN, SO I KNEW WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO LOSE.

AND SO WHEN I RAN, WHEN THE SEAT WAS OPEN, IT WAS NOTHING THAT WAS GOING TO STOP ME FROM GETTING HERE.

AND SO SOMETIMES A LOSS JUST HAPPENS TO MAKE US BETTER.

AND YOU HAVE BEEN BETTER WHEN YOU BECAME MAYOR PRO TEM.

AND I THINK ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES WOULD AGREE YOU TOOK IT UP A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL, A WHOLE OTHER NOTCH.

AND AND WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO TO COME BACK TOGETHER AND WORK TOGETHER AND REALLY, REALLY HELP DISTRICT THREE AND DISTRICT FOUR.

AND I TOLD YOU THIS WHEN I CALLED FROM AN EQUITABLE STANDPOINT, WHEN WE PASSED THE RESOLUTION ON RACIAL EQUITY AND THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN, WHAT THAT DID WAS OPEN THE DOOR FOR MORE SUPPORT TO COME INTO DISTRICT FOUR, BECAUSE FROM AN EQUITABLE STANDPOINT, DISTRICT FOUR IS THE DISTRICT THAT WILL BENEFIT THE MOST.

AND SO DISTRICT THREE IS GOOD.

WE GOT POCKETS, BUT WE'RE GOOD.

BUT DISTRICT FOUR NEEDED HELP, AND SO THAT WAS A GIFT TO YOU WITHOUT YOU EVEN KNOWING IT.

BUT THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS DRESSING YOUR BEST.

YOU MAKE DELTA SIGMA THETA LOOK GOOD AND IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE.

AND I WON'T BE FAR.

I WON'T BE FAR.

I'M ONLY A TEXT AWAY.

THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER OMAR.

COUNCIL MEMBER OMAR. WELL, BUDDY, WE'VE BEEN ON A LONG RIDE.

WE STARTED, AS YOU SAY, WITH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.

YOU GOT HERE? I WAS HERE.

WE WEREN'T ALWAYS INITIALLY ON THE SAME PAGE, BUT AFTER I BECAME MAYOR PRO TEM, I CAME RIGHT TO YOU AND SAT DOWN AND WE TALKED.

AND HOPEFULLY FOR YOU, IT MADE THE DIFFERENCE THAT IT MADE FOR ME.

AND YOU HAVE BEEN PROBABLY ONE OF MY BIGGEST CHEERLEADERS AND SUPPORTERS, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE DID THIS WORK ON RACIAL EQUITY.

YOU HAVE REPRESENTED WEST DALLAS WELL.

YOU HAVE BEEN REWARDED WITH BEING TERM LIMITED.

THIS WILL START THE BEGINNING OF YOUR LAST TWO YEARS.

IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH YOU.

YOU HAVE EARNED THE RESPECT OF SO MANY PEOPLE IN WEST DALLAS WHO HAVE FOR YEARS WANTED THE TYPE OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN.

THE OTHER ACTORS. WHAT DO I SAY? 16 YEARS? IF THE LORD SAY THE SAME.

YOU CAME BACK AND WHEN YOU CAME BACK YOU HAD UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

YOU IMMEDIATELY WENT IN AND FOUND THE MONEY NECESSARY IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE IN THE BOND REDBIRD REDEVELOPMENT HAD WHAT IT HAD COMING TO IT.

YOU ARE ONE OF THE MOST STUDIOUS, HARDWORKING, DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

YOU WERE NOT ONLY CHAIR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT ONE POINT IN TIME, YOU WERE CHAIR OF HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

YOU HAVE BEEN RIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF CAMP WISDOM, AND WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT REDBIRD HAD THE FUNDING THAT IT NEEDED OTHER AREAS, HAD THE FUNDING THAT IT NEEDED.

WHEN SINGING HILLS RECREATION CENTER WAS BUILT, I ASKED FOR MY MONEY BACK BECAUSE IT CAME IN UNDER BUDGET AND I GOT MY MONEY BACK.

[LAUGHTER] SO I THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS WE'VE BEEN THE ONLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALES ON THE COUNCIL.

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SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR PARTNERSHIP.

I'M LEARNING ABOUT A LOT OF THESE 4:00 OR 5:00 PHONE CALLS BECAUSE I DIDN'T GET VERY MANY AND I'M A MORNING PERSON.

I'M UP AT 5:00 IN THE MORNING.

SO WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE GOT A LOT MORE DONE WITH EARLY MORNING PHONE CALLS.

BUT THANK YOU.

JAIME RESENDEZ MY PLEASANT GROVE PARTNER.

YOU WERE MY FIRST VICE CHAIR WHEN I WAS CHAIR OF THE WORKFORCE EDUCATION EQUITY COMMITTEE.

YOU CAME IN FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD WITH A FOCUS ON EQUITY.

AND WE DID SO MUCH WORK DURING THE PANDEMIC AROUND EQUITY.

I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THE CHAIR THAT I WAS IF I DIDN'T HAVE YOU AS A VICE CHAIR.

YOU CAME IN, YOU SHOWED LEADERSHIP, YOU WERE HUNGRY.

AND THAT'S SO IMPORTANT.

PLEASANT GROVE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS WAS SPLIT AMONGST THREE DIFFERENT COUNCIL DISTRICTS.

AND YOUR PREDECESSOR WAS THE FIRST COUNCIL MEMBER THAT REPRESENTED PLEASANT GROVE AS A WHOLE.

BUT YOU'RE FROM THERE AND YOU KNOW, THE HEARTBEAT OF THE RESIDENTS OF PLEASANT GROVE AND YOU LET IT SHOW.

I'M HONORED TO SAY THAT YOU REPRESENT THE AREA THAT I GREW UP.

YOU HAVE BEEN STEADFAST.

YOU HAVE PUT THINGS IN PLACE TO SHOW, TO WALK THE TALK.

THIS IS NOT AN EASY JOB.

AND I'M SURE ALL OF US WOULD AGREE.

AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE COMING, ROLL YOUR SLEEVES UP.

BE WILLING TO LISTEN.

BE WILLING TO COMPROMISE.

BUT YOU YOU HAVE BEEN A CONSUMMATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR MY HOMETOWN, SO I APPRECIATE IT.

PAUL RIDLEY. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU FIRST CAME TO THE COUNCIL, I THINK Y'ALL'S FIRST MEETING WAS AGENDA MEETING.

I MEAN, I'M LIKE, OH, MAN, I WANT TO AT LEAST HAVE A BRIEFING FIRST.

IT WAS OBVIOUS HOW WELL YOU HAD BEEN PREPARED WITH YOUR TIME ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE WHEN WE GOT TO THOSE ZONING CASES, YOU WERE MORE OF AN EXPERT THAN MANY OF US AROUND THE HORSESHOE.

SO I SAW THAT YOU WERE EXTREMELY STUDIOUS.

I SAW THAT YOU WERE GOING TO BE DELIBERATE WHEN IT CAME TO THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.

AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF INTERACTION.

BUT I TELL YOU, WHEN THINGS FOR ME CHANGED.

YOU CAME TO MY BIRTHDAY PARTY.

YOU WERE THE FIRST COUNCIL MEMBER THAT CAME.

AND WHEN WE GOT TO PEOPLE SAYING, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS, I SAID, I WONDER WHAT HE'S GOING TO SAY BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF INTERACTION.

BUT YOU SAID SOME OF THE NICEST THINGS ABOUT ME, AND I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED.

I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE, BUT SOME OF THE.

[LAUGHTER] AND SO MANY OF THE THINGS THAT YOU DID SAY, I WAS REALLY, REALLY HONORED TO HEAR YOU SAY BECAUSE, LIKE I SAID, WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF INTERACTION WITH SERVED ON SOME COMMITTEES TOGETHER, BUT WE REPRESENT DISTRICTS FAR APART.

SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT.

COME ON. YEAH, YOU.

YOU'RE LOOKING THE OTHER WAY, HUH? YEAH, IT'S MY TURN.

COUNCIL MEMBER CARA MENDELSOHN.

I REMEMBER THE FIRST MEETING.

IT WAS A COUPLE OF HOMELESS SOLUTION ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.

I SAID SHE'S GOING TO TAKE UP FOR HERSELF TODAY BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE WE HAD SPENT SO MUCH TIME WORKING ON THAT.

AND YOU CAME IN.

I WAS LIKE, WELL, SHE DOESN'T KNOW IS I ALREADY GOT THE VOTE SO SHE CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON AND ON AND ON.

BUT WHAT I LEARNED WAS THAT YOU WERE GOING TO DO WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS RIGHT, REGARDLESS OF ANYBODY ELSE.

AND THAT IS SO IMPORTANT.

THAT IS SO IMPORTANT.

I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS, BUT YOU CALLED ME ONE DAY AND IT WAS EARLY ON AND WE HAD ABOUT A TWO HOUR CONVERSATION.

I WAS AT MY DISTRICT OFFICE AND I APPRECIATED THAT CALL AND I APPRECIATE THE OTHER CALLS.

WHEN WE HAVE A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION, YOU HAVE NO PROBLEM LETTING ME KNOW YOUR PERSPECTIVE.

AND ONE THING THAT I'VE COME TO REALIZE IS WE ALL LOVE DALLAS WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING WHAT WE DO.

SOMETIMES WE SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T LOVE DALLAS.

AND IT'S OBVIOUS.

AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT YOU.

I NEVER KNEW THAT THERE WERE SO MANY AREAS OF DALLAS THAT WERE IN OTHER COUNTIES.

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AND YOU HAVE TO REPRESENT YOUR ENTIRE DISTRICT.

SO BRINGING THAT PERSPECTIVE TO US WAS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT HELPED US TO UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN THOUGH IT MAY NOT BE IN DALLAS COUNTY, IT'S IN THE CITY OF DALLAS. YOU HAVE REPRESENTED YOUR DISTRICT WELL, AND I COMMEND YOU FOR THAT.

OKAY. GAY WILLIS.

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING YOUR EXPERTISE TO THE COUNCIL WITH NONPROFITS.

IT'S SO IMPORTANT.

IT'S SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT BACKGROUND HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR US TO PARTNER AND THE ROLE THAT NONPROFITS PLAY.

YOU CAME IN, YOU IMMEDIATELY GOT TO WORK.

WE DIDN'T SERVE A LOT OF COMMITTEES TOGETHER, BUT WHENEVER WE NEEDED TO TALK, YOU'RE OPEN TO TALK.

I APPRECIATE YOU ALSO COMING TO MY BIRTHDAY PARTY.

I MEAN, THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.

IT MEANT A LOT. WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU IS CONTINUE TO WORK THE WAY IN WHICH YOU WORK.

CONTINUE TO BE OPEN TO UNDERSTAND OR HEAR OTHER PEOPLE'S PERSPECTIVES, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO MAKE YOU AN EVEN BETTER COUNCIL MEMBER FOR YOUR DISTRICT.

YOU HAD BIG SHOES TO FILL.

YOUR PREDECESSOR WAS A CLOSE FRIEND OF MINE AND WE WORKED REALLY CLOSE TOGETHER.

WE DID A LOT OF NORTH DALLAS, SOUTHERN DALLAS THINGS TOGETHER.

YOU CAME IN, YOU DID THINGS YOUR WAY, THE WAY YOU FELT THEY NEEDED TO BE DONE.

AND YOU HAVE PLAYED A KEY ROLE COMING IN AS A FRESHMAN.

LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, I GOT TO HAVE THE TISSUE FOR THIS JAYNIE SCHULTZ.

I HAD TO TRUST MY BABY, WHICH WAS A WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND EQUITY COMMITTEE WITH YOU.

I CAME TO YOUR OFFICE. WE MET FOR TWO HOURS.

I HAD MY NOTES. BUT YOU HAD YOUR NOTES, TOO.

YOU HAD DONE YOUR HOMEWORK.

AND I WAS SO IMPRESSED.

AND I WAS CONCERNED.

I'M NOT GOING TO [INAUDIBLE] JUST BECAUSE I STEREOTYPICALLY LOOKED AT YOU AS A TRADITIONAL PERSON FROM NORTH DALLAS.

I DID. I SAID, SHE'S NOT GOING TO UNDERSTAND THIS EQUITY THING FOR RACIAL EQUITY.

WELL, THE FIRST THING I FOUND OUT WAS WE BOTH WENT TO SKYLINE.

I SAID, OKAY, LET ME GIVE HER THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT AND MADE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE.

AND THEN WE BEGAN TO TALK ABOUT OUR SHARED WITH YOU, MY VISION.

I SHARED WITH YOU MY PLAN BECAUSE WE HAD STARTED DEVELOPING A RACIAL EQUITY PLAN BEFORE YOU WERE EVEN ON THE COUNCIL.

BUT YOU HAD DONE YOUR HOMEWORK.

YOU HAD BROUGHT IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS TO THE TABLE.

AND WHEN WE LEFT THAT MEETING, I WAS CONFIDENT THAT YOU WERE THE RIGHT AND MAYOR PICKED THE RIGHT PERSON TO CHAIR THAT COMMITTEE.

AND I'M GLAD I WAS ABLE TO RIDE ALONGSIDE YOU.

WE HAVE DONE SOME THINGS THAT WILL CHANGE DALLAS.

AND IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE IF YOU WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN WILLING TO BE A LEADER AND THEN ALSO WILLING TO BE A FOLLOWER AND WILLING TO LISTEN.

YOU HAVE BEEN THE BEST MENTEE THAT I HAVE EVER HAD.

WHEN I WAS A TEACHER TO RIGHT NOW.

SO, COLLEAGUES, IN CONCLUSION, I HAVE AND I REMEMBER THIS IS PROBABLY THE LONGEST I'VE TALKED IN EIGHT YEARS.

I'M AWARE. [LAUGHTER] IT HAS BEEN.

OH, TC HERE? TC WHERE ARE YOU AT? THE WHOLE STAFF RAN OUT. I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT HIM IN HIS ABSENCE.

BULLHEADED. BUT IF YOU GET TO KNOW HIM LIKE I DID, YOU'LL SEE HIS HEART IS REALLY FOR THIS CITY.

AND HE WANTS TO SEE THIS CITY GROW AND PROSPER.

AND I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, THERE'S NO WAY WE COULD HAVE GOT TO WORK ON RACIAL EQUITY DONE FOR THIS CITY WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY MANAGER.

HE'S A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE.

AND THEN I TURN THE HEAT UP EVEN MORE WHEN I FOUND THAT OUT.

BUT THANK YOU, TC IN YOUR ABSENCE.

I'LL FIND YOU.

BUT AS I GET READY TO DEPART AND TURN THIS SEAT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER ELECT GRACEY BECAUSE I DON'T THINK HE'S TAKEN HIS OATH YET.

WELL, I THOUGHT HE WAS STANDING BETWEEN US.

[LAUGHTER] IT HAS BEEN ONCE AGAIN A PLEASURE TO SERVE AND TO SERVE WITH ALL OF YOU.

THIS IS THE COUNCIL OF COURAGE.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL REMEMBER I SAID WE CAN EITHER BE THE COUNCIL OF COURAGE OR WE CAN KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.

THIS HAS BEEN THE COUNCIL OF COURAGE THAT WAS WILLING TO DO THE THINGS NECESSARY FROM A POLICY STANDPOINT TO ADDRESS HISTORIC INTENTIONAL DISPARITIES THAT WILL

[00:30:04]

I COMMEND EACH ONE OF YOU.

IT'S BEEN MY PLEASURE TO SERVE WITH YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. [APPLAUSE] JUST GIVING YOU A HARD TIME THERE.

NO, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR THOSE REMARKS.

AND I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE SAME OPPORTUNITY.

CHAIRMAN MCGOUGH SO YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR AN UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME.

ALL RIGHT. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT CYPRESS CREEK.

[LAUGHTER] THAT WAS A GOOD ONE . WELL, I FIRST OF ALL, CASEY, THANK YOU.

HECK OF A JOURNEY, BROTHER.

I'M NOT GOING TO DO A ROLL CALL.

I KNOW YOU'RE ALL DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THAT.

BUT I WILL SAY THIS HAS BEEN A HECK OF A JOURNEY.

TOLD SOME OF THE GROUP LAST WEEK.

BUT WHEN I IN 2005, WHEN I CAME DOWN TO CITY HALL AND DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I WAS INTERVIEWING BUT INTERVIEWED FOR A POSITION CALLED COMMUNITY PROSECUTION, I WOULD HAVE NEVER, EVER BELIEVED THIS JOURNEY.

I KNEW TWO THINGS GROWING UP.

I KNEW I DIDN'T WANT TO LIVE IN A BIG CITY, AND I WANTED ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH GOVERNMENT.

[LAUGHTER] AND AS GOD OFTEN GUIDES OUR PATHS, SAW DIFFERENTLY.

AND SO ANYWAY, IT'S BEEN ABOUT THE PEOPLE I CAME IN WORKING WITH ERNESTO VELA, JOHNNY RAMOS, DIANE GIBSON, ROSS JEFFERS, CITY ATTORNEY, TOM PERKINS, AND HAD AN AMAZING I STARTED THINKING BACK TO I THINK IT'S BEEN FOUR CITY MANAGERS, FIVE POLICE CHIEFS, FIVE CITY ATTORNEYS, OVER 40 SOMETHING DIFFERENT COUNCIL MEMBERS.

IT'S BEEN A HECK OF A JOURNEY.

AND I HAVE WORKED IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF Y'ALL'S DISTRICTS, NOT JUST A LITTLE BIT, BUT IN NOOKS AND CRANNIES AND PROPERTIES WITH PLUMBING GOING EVERYWHERE AND ELECTRICITY SHOOTING IN PEOPLE'S CLOSETS, TRYING TO HELP THEM AND WOULD HAVE NEVER SEEN THE JOURNEY TO GO TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE UNDER MIKE RAWLINGS AND AT LEAST FOR A FEW DAYS WITH PAULA BLACKMON, WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY CHIEF OF STAFF.

BUT SHE ABANDONED US PRETTY QUICKLY.

BUT IT HAS BEEN I CAN'T EVEN I THINK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND EDNA PEMBERTON AND ANNA HILL AND KEN SMITH AND THOMAS JEFFERSON AND PEOPLE THAT I JUST RESPECT SO VERY MUCH THAT TAUGHT ME HOW TO LOVE PEOPLE WELL IN THIS CITY.

AND AS MY TEXT POPS UP, I SEE ADAM MEDRANO, MY BOY RIGHT THERE.

ANYWAY, I WAS DOING PRETTY GOOD EMOTIONALLY UNTIL I SAW THAT YOUNG LADY WALK IN.

BECAUSE YOU ALL KNOW THIS ISN'T JUST A JOURNEY FOR US.

IT'S OUR FAMILY. AND I LOOK BACK TO THE PICTURES.

I MEAN, OUR KIDS WERE BABIES.

IN FACT, OUR KIDS WEREN'T HERE WHEN WE STARTED THIS JOURNEY.

I REMEMBER BIRTH OF TWO OF OUR KIDS THAT WE WERE.

I WAS LITERALLY ON THE PHONE FIGHTING BATTLES WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WHILE SHE WAS GOING IN AND OUT OF LABOR AND DEALING WITH ALL THAT STUFF.

THANKS. IT'S JUST PART OF OUR LIVES.

SO A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THE SACRIFICE, BUT EACH ONE OF Y'ALL GIVE THAT SAME SACRIFICE.

I'M NOT UNIQUE IN THAT.

AND SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S PAIN AND THERE'S LOSS.

LOSING MY DAD RECENTLY.

AND ONE OF MY MEMORIES OF THAT PROCESS WAS EVERY SINGLE DAY BEING ON COUNCIL MEETINGS, DRIVING TO AND FROM TYLER AND THEN TO HIM FROM GARRISON.

AND I REMEMBER ONE OF THE I MEAN, LOTS OF PROUD MOMENTS THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS.

BUT MY INITIAL CAMPAIGN WAS REALLY TOUGH.

A LOT OF I HEARD STUFF ABOUT MYSELF I NEVER KNEW COULD BE TRUE.

AND BUT THEN I ALSO REMEMBER THE NEXT CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCING MY CANDIDACY THAT WAS RUNNING AGAIN, WHICH WAS CRAZY EVERY TIME.

BUT THE THE FIRST $2,000 CHECKS THAT CAME IN WERE FROM THE TWO GUYS THAT RAN AGAINST ME THE FIRST TIME.

AND I THINK THAT IS PART OF WHAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO.

[00:35:04]

I REMEMBER THE VERY FIRST TIME SITTING OVER WHERE JAYNIE IS SITTING NOW THAT I HAD TO PRESS A BUTTON ON THE VERY FIRST ITEM ON THE FIRST AGENDA SITTING AS COUNCIL MEMBER, WHICH I NEVER, EVER THOUGHT I'D BE AT.

AND OF COURSE, SOME LOVING COUNCIL MEMBERS WANTED TO BRING THE TRINITY ISSUE UP AS THE DIVIDING LITMUS TEST FOR THAT ITEM.

AND I'M THINKING ABOUT TIFFANY YOUNG, WHO WAS SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO ME, WHO'S GOING THROUGH HER OWN TRIAL RIGHT NOW, JUST HAD A CAR ACCIDENT.

SO PLEASE PRAY FOR HER.

AND I DIDN'T KNOW I COULD GET A SECOND, BUT I KNEW SOMETHING HAD TO BE.

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I NEEDED A SECOND, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.

I THOUGHT EVERYBODY JUST DID THAT.

BUT SHE SECONDED MY FIRST MOTION, AND IT WAS I LISTENED TO COUNCIL MEMBER START TRASHING ME, AND I'M LIKE, WHAT ARE THEY DOING? I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SOMETHING WORK HERE, LIKE, NAIVE AS ANYTHING.

BUT BY THE END OF THAT DAY, WE HAD THE FIRST UNANIMOUS VOTE IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY ON THE TRINITY, AND IT OPENED THE AVENUE THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER ON STUFF THAT WE DISAGREE WITH WHOLEHEARTEDLY. I MEAN, PEOPLE RAN TO OPPOSE THE TRINITY OR FOR IT OR WHATEVER.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT CASEY AND I WORKED ON CITIZEN POLICE OVERSIGHT.

YOU KNOW, ALL WE DID WAS BRING EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM AND SAY WHAT YOU GOT TO SAY.

AND PEOPLE WANTED TO WALK OUT AND PEOPLE HATED EACH OTHER.

PEOPLE BELIEVED OTHERS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR KILLING THEIR LOVED ONES AND VICE VERSA.

AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE SIT UP HERE WITH A UNANIMOUS VOTE.

YOU GO BACK TO HOUSING, I GO BACK TO GROUP HOMES.

I GO BACK LIKE IT'S POSSIBLE IN THE CITY WHEN YOU DON'T MAKE IT ABOUT PERSONALITIES AND POLITICS, THE MORE PARTIZAN Y'ALL GET, THE WORSE IT IS.

IT'S KILLING US.

THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN THE MOST PETTY, THE MOST PERSONAL, AND THE MOST POLITICAL YEARS THIS CITY HAS SEEN.

Y'ALL ARE IN CONTROL OF THAT.

STOP IT. JUST STOP IT.

IF YOU'VE GOT TO PRESS YOUR BUTTON TO SAY SOMETHING JUST SO YOU CAN MAKE SOMEONE ELSE LOOK BAD.

DON'T PRESS YOUR BUTTON.

STOP IT.

WE CAN DO BETTER.

WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO BETTER.

THAT'S WHAT THIS CITY IS BUILT ON.

YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT THE GREATEST PARTS OF THE CITY AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THAT HAVE COME HERE, THAT LIVE HERE, AND THE WAY THAT WE HAVE DONE A DAMN GOOD JOB WITH EQUITY, LIFTING PEOPLE UP, GOING INTO COMMUNITIES AND SERVING PEOPLE REALLY, REALLY WELL WHERE THEY ARE, IT'S NOT ABOUT ANY ONE OF US.

AND STOP MAKING IT ABOUT INDIVIDUALS.

LIKE I'VE BEEN REALLY, REALLY DISHEARTENED THE LAST TWO YEARS BECAUSE IT HAS NOT BEEN THE TYPE OF SERVICE THAT I THINK WE'RE ALL WORTHY OF AND THAT WE ALL CAME HERE TO DO.

AND I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO THINK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.

THE MORE WE REMEMBER WHO IT IS WE'RE SERVING AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND LESS ABOUT WHAT WHO GETS CREDIT OR WHO DOES WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING, THE BETTER THE CITY WILL PERFORM.

AND THAT'S MY HOPE.

I THINK CASEY AND I HAVE DONE ALL WE CAN.

I THINK WE LEFT IT OUT ALL ON THE TABLE.

I TALK IN MY COMMUNITY ABOUT TWO MAIN THINGS, ALL IN D TEN.

I THINK THAT FIRST ALL, AS I SAY IT ALL THE TIME, IS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US, NO MATTER WHAT OUR BACKGROUND, WHO WE LOVE, WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE'RE HERE TO SERVE EVERY SINGLE PERSON.

I THINK ALL IN IS THAT WE PUT IT ALL IN.

WE DON'T LEAVE ANYTHING.

WE DON'T HOLD BACK.

YOU KNOW, I HAVE SEEN DEDICATION ON THIS COUNCIL FROM SO MANY PEOPLE FOR SO MANY YEARS.

AND I'M IT HELPED ME TO BE BETTER.

AND I THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE SACRIFICE YOU MAKE TO BE HERE AND DO WHAT YOU DO AND ALL IN FOR D TEN BECAUSE WE ARE ELECTED BY DISTRICT AND I WISH OUR MENTALITY. I WISH IN THE CHARTER WE FIGURED OUT WAYS TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE THAT REPRESENT THE WHOLE CITY.

MAYOR, YOU KNOW HOW DIFFICULT THAT PART IS.

YOU'VE DONE AN AMAZING JOB STANDING UP FOR PUBLIC SAFETY WHEN IT WAS NOT POPULAR.

I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WE'RE SEEING SOME OF THE TRAJECTORY WE'VE SEEN HERE IN THE CITY IN A POSITIVE WAY.

AND BUT SO MANY OF US JUST LOCK INTO JUST OUR DISTRICTS AND WE HAVE TO LOOK OTHERWISE.

NOW, I ALSO SHARE PEOPLE WHEN I STARTED, COULDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE RICHARDSON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ALL THAT.

EVERYTHING THAT CAME TO THIS CITY WAS LIKE, OKAY, LET'S WORK WITH DISD.

WELL, WE GOT AN ENTIRE 60,000 KIDS THAT ARE NOT TOUCHED WHEN THAT HAPPENS.

I JUST GOT TO CELEBRATE.

LAST WEEK, A GROUNDBREAKING AT FOREST AND AUDELIA, AN AREA THAT IS ABSOLUTELY UNDERSERVED IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND I SAW PEOPLE THIS PAST WEEK.

OH, I SAW YOU ON THE NEWS.

IT'S SO NICE THAT YOU'RE DOING SOME WORK IN SOUTH SOUTHERN DALLAS.

I WAS LIKE, NO, BROTHER, THAT'S DISTRICT TEN.

IT'S AS NORTH AS IT GETS.

IT'S OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT.

[00:40:01]

LET'S GO TO WHERE THE NEED IS, REGARDLESS OF GEOGRAPHY AND LET'S SERVE PEOPLE WHERE THEY NEED TO BE SERVED.

IT'S NOT GEOGRAPHICAL.

IT HAS BEEN AND WE HAVE TO ADDRESS IT.

I'M NOT DOWNPLAYING THAT AT ALL.

BUT THERE'S A NEED ALL OVER OUR CITY AND LET'S NOT FORGET IT.

AND SO, AGAIN, IT'S BEEN A HECK OF A JOURNEY IN SOME WAYS AT EVERY SINGLE TIME I HAVE EACH ONE OF YOU, JUST AS CASEY DID, HAS SOMETHING TO THANK YOU FOR AND PROBABLY HAVE SOMETHING TO PRIDE YOU FOR TOO.

I APPRECIATE SOME OF Y'ALL HAVE REACHED OUT AND SAID, HEY, LET'S GO GET LUNCH OR BREAKFAST OR WHATEVER AND LET'S LAY IT ALL OUT.

I'M 100% WILLING TO DO THAT.

AND I WANT TO.

I DO THINK WE CAN ALL DO BETTER, MYSELF INCLUDED.

I AM A FLAWED VESSEL.

NO ONE KNOWS THAT MORE THAN MY WIFE.

BUT SHE'S STILL HERE.

AND I THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THE DAYS AND NIGHTS.

SHE JUST DOESN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.

WHEN I HAVE TO MISS FOR SOMETHING.

I MEAN, SHE'S BEEN SO GRACE FILLED.

AND WE'VE GOT WONDERFUL BOYS TO SHOW FOR IT.

THEY GO INTO A MEETING AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, OKAY, I NEED YOU TO BE ON YOUR BEST BEHAVIOR.

AND MY KIDS JUST LOOK AT ME AND SAID, AND YOU'VE BEEN A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OUR WHOLE LIVES? WE KNOW HOW TO ACT AND I'M PROUD OF THEM.

I'M THANKFUL, THANKFUL FOR THOSE BOYS RECENTLY LEARNING.

I'M THANKFUL FOR WHAT GOD'S DOING THROUGH THOSE BOYS, NOT JUST THROUGH THEIR OWN PERFORMANCE, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A HECK OF A JOURNEY TO WATCH THEM.

SO WITH THAT, I THANK YOU ALL.

THANK YOU FOR THE TRIALS AND THE STRUGGLES.

THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT WHEN YOU DO IT.

AND I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

I WANT TO HELP YOU ALL PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY IN THE BACKYARD DISCUSSIONS, GETTING DRINKS, WHATEVER IT IS.

I CARE DEEPLY FOR THE CITY AND THE PEOPLE IN IT, AND I WISH I DIDN'T GET EMOTIONAL, BUT IT'S PART OF IT.

SO I LOVE YOU ALL.

THANK YOU FOR THIS HONOR.

IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE OF MY LIFE.

AND PASS IT TO YOU, MAYOR.

WELL, THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN MCGOUGH, FOR YOUR REMARKS AS WELL.

AND JUST WANT TO SAY TO BOTH OF YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'VE GIVEN TO DALLAS OVER YOUR RESPECTIVE EIGHT YEAR CAREERS, NOT JUST THIS LAST TERM, BUT OVER YOUR ENTIRE CAREERS AND LONGER IN SOME CASES, IN TERMS OF SERVING BEFORE YOU WERE EVEN ELECTED.

A LOT MORE CONVERSATIONS WE'LL HAVE ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, OFF THE RECORD AND THIS IS NOT REALLY GOODBYE.

OBVIOUSLY YOU GUYS BOTH HAVE SERVANT HEARTS.

WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO SEE YOU DOING GREAT THINGS IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES.

SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.

AND IT'S NOT THE LAST THING I'LL HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS PUBLICLY.

BUT FOR TODAY, I THINK IT'S TIME TO ADJOURN THE LAST MEETING OF THIS CURRENT COUNCIL TERM WITH THIS CITY COUNCIL.

SO EVERYBODY SORT OF TAKE A LOOK AROUND AND LOOK AROUND THE ROOM.

JOB WELL DONE, COUNCIL.

BUT THIS IS IT.

THIS IS THE LAST MEETING.

SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.

AND MADAM SECRETARY, IF THERE'S NO MORE BUSINESS BEFORE THIS CITY COUNCIL.

THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS.

MR. MAYOR, THEN THE TIME IS 9:26 A.M.

AND I NOW CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED.

THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.