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I'LL NOW CALL THIS MEETING OF THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR[South Dallas Fair Park Opportunity Fund Board Meeting on June 26, 2023.]
PARK OPPORTUNITY FUND BOARD TO ORDER.IT IS MONDAY, JUNE 26TH AND THE TIME IS 6:07 PM UH, CAN WE GET A ROLL CALL, MS. REGINA? DOES EVERYONE HAVE THEIR MICS ON? YES.
CARLA MCKENZIE, KIMBERLY SIMS. PRESENT.
PRESENT? I CAN'T SEE THE NAMES PRESENT.
CAN HE NOT HEAR US? YOU'RE ON MUTE.
I, I HEAR, I MEAN, I CAN LIP READ HIM SAYING WE'RE PRESENT.
I CAN BARELY HEAR YOU, SO IF YOU WANNA SAY OKAY.
I HAVE TO GET THAT FIGURED OUT.
CHRISTIAN, JUST LIKE HE DOESN'T HEAR US.
CHRISTIAN, CAN YOU UNMUTE HIM? TRY TO MESSAGE HIM.
HE LOOKS LIKE MAYBE HE'S LOOKING FOR HEADPHONES.
DESTINY PRESENT? CHRISTIAN MARQUEZ.
SO I THINK BROOKS, HE'S READING IT AND HE'S PUTTING IN HEADPHONES.
MS. BROOKS, YOU KNOW WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SEE YOU TO CALL YOU PRESENT.
CAN YOU SEE ME NOW? THERE YOU, THERE YOU GO.
YEAH, MY CAMERA'S DOING THINGS.
CHRISTIAN, CAN YOU HEAR? CAN YOU SPEAK NOW? WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. REGINA.
UH, NEXT AGENDA ITEM ITEM NUMBER THREE, APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
UH, LOOKS LIKE THE MINUTES WENT OUT, UH, A LITTLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
IS THAT RIGHT, MS. REGINA? THEY DID.
I THOUGHT THEY WERE ATTACHED TO WHAT I SENT YOU GUYS LAST WEEK, AND THEN WHEN I WAS JUST LOOKING BACK, I SAW NOBODY SAID ANYTHING TO ME.
SO IF EVERYBODY LOOKS IN YOUR ANSWER, DRIVING AROUND, UH, HAVING ALREADY TAKE A MOMENT, LOOK AT THOSE.
UH, AND IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS, UH, WE'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
AND I, I WANTED TO SAY TO EVERYONE, UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SPOTS THAT WERE MISSED.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE AT THE CULTURAL CENTER AND WE DIDN'T HAVE MICROPHONES AND SOME PEOPLE, WHEN THEY WERE NOT SPEAKING INTO THE MICS, IT WAS JUST CHUNKS OF SPACE IN CERTAIN PLACES WHERE WE DIDN'T AND WHERE I USUALLY AM, UM, JOTTING DOWN NOTES, THE THREE HOUR MEETING I WAS, WAS NOT, I WAS RELYING ON, I WAS ON THE RECORDING, SO I DIDN'T GET A SECOND, A FIRST ON OUR LAST TWO VOTES.
SO IF ANY OF YOU GUYS REMEMBER DOING THAT, UM, PLEASE LET ME KNOW SO I CAN UPDATE THE MINUTES.
I WAS WONDERING, I DID GO OVER THE MINUTES, BUT I WANTED TO ASK THE QUESTION HERE IN THE MEETING.
UM, I KNOW WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION AROUND ADDING SOME GUIDELINES FOR THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND THEN THAT WAY WHEN PEOPLE APPLY, UM, FOR FUNDING, WE ALMOST HAVE LIKE A ONE-TO-ONE MAPPING OF WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR BASED ON, AND ALSO THE EXPECTATION, UM, YOU KNOW, SOLICITED WITH POTENTIAL APPLICANTS.
IT CAN WE HAVE THAT ADDED TO THE MINUTES? CAUSE I DO REMEMBER THAT DISCUSSION DURING THE MEETING AND I THINK IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S SORT OF IMPORTANT AND WE PROBABLY SHOULD WORK IT AS A BOARD.
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ABSOLUTELY.UH, I THINK THE WAY WE'LL HAVE TO HANDLE THAT IS SOMEBODY WILL NEED TO MAKE A MOTION.
WE'LL NEED TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADD THAT.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL NEED TO VOTE ON THAT MOTION.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL GET THAT TO AMEND IT TO MR. LEVINE.
AND, I'M SORRY, TELL, SAY THAT TO ME ONE MORE TIME CUZ I REMEMBERED NOW THAT YOU SAID THIS.
AND I, AND MAYBE I CAN JUST MAKE THE MOTION.
UM, I, I WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO ADD IN ADDING SOME STANDARDIZED GUIDANCE TO THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
AND THAT WAY WHEN APPLICANTS APPLY FOR FUNDING, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT ONE-TO-ONE MAPPING OF WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR BASED ON WHAT THEY SUBMIT IN THEIR APPLICATION.
AND THAT'S, I UNDERSTAND, HOLLY, AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE REDOING AND WANTING TO PULL IT OUT.
AND SO IT, SO IT CAN BE SOMETHING SEPARATE.
ANY OPPOSED? CHAIR? I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
MS. UM, AND THEN MS. UH, MS. HANNAH, DO WE NEED TO APPROVE THAT AT THE NEXT MEETING AFTER THEY'VE BEEN AMENDED? OR CAN WE APPROVE, UH, WITH, WITH THE CAVEAT THAT WILL UPDATE THE SENT AND, UH, WITH THE AMENDMENT? YES.
CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? I CAN HEAR YOU JUST, YES.
I, I'M, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS MOTION BECAUSE AT THAT WE HAD BROUGHT THIS UP IN THE MEETING AT THE, OUR RETREAT MEETING.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS JUST SAYING.
DID, DID YOU NOT HEAR ME SAY THERE WERE LITERALLY, THERE WERE TWO AND THREE MINUTE CHUNKS OF THINGS THAT WERE NOT IN AND, AND INCLUDING THE TWO LAST MOTIONS? I DON'T KNOW WHO DID WHAT.
YEAH, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE RECORDING.
SO MY QUESTION IS, DO WE HAVE, SO THIS IS A MOTION, THIS IS A MOTION TO, TO ADD BACK IN, UH, THAT OMISSION, MR. MARQUEZ.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT ON THAT.
UH, SO THE MOTION PASSES AND SO NOW WE WILL APPROVE THE MI WITH THOSE AMENDMENTS.
UM, SO ALL IN FAVOR, UH, WE'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, UM, ADDING IN THE OMISSION THAT WE HAD FROM LAST TIME.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES WITH THE AMENDMENT? SO MOVED.
IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND, UH, SAW MR. NAFE.
ANY OPPOSED? OPPOSED? ANY OPPOSED? OKAY.
I WANTED TO ASK ANY OF YOU GUYS, WOULD YOU BY CHANCE, REMEMBER, REMEMBER ON THE LAST PAGE OF THE MINUTES THE I GOT WHO SECONDED? IT CAME BACK IN, IT WAS GOING TO INTERMITTENT.
I GOT WHO SECOND THE LAST TWO VOTES, BUT I COULDN'T HEAR WHO FIRST DID WRITE THAT DOWN? OR DID ANYBODY, ANYBODY REMEMBER THEMSELVES BEING THAT PERSON? I BELIEVE IT WAS ME.
I BELIEVE I MOTIONED, I BELIEVE IT WAS ME ON THE FIRST ONE.
YEAH, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE FIRST FOR ME.
REIMBURSING THE APPROVAL AND THEN THE GRANT, AND THEN ALSO, UH, CALLING THE MEETING TO END.
YOU DID BOTH OF THEM? YES, MA'AM.
OKAY, WELL, WE'LL ADD THOSE AMENDMENTS, UH, OR THOSE REVISIONS, UH, TO THE MINUTES AS WELL.
MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES WITH THOSE TWO, UH, OMISSIONS ADDED BACK IN.
MR. MARQUEZ, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
I THINK WE HAVE MR. MR. NAFE, SO WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, GO WITH MR. NAFE AGAIN.
MINUTES APPROVED WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, MODIFICATIONS, UH, ONTO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
MS. REGINA, HAVE ANY REGISTERED SPEAKERS? WE DO.
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BELT WITH THE DEL EXAMINER WAS NOT ABLE TO BE WITH USTHAT WAS THURSDAY WEEKEND, IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER.
SO WE WANTED TO, I WANT DO JUST UPDATE YOU GUYS ON WHAT TALK, TALKED ABOUT HER PROJECT, AND THEN SHE'S GONNA COME UP IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
THESE ARE THE THINGS WE USUALLY DO BEFORE
BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, MS. REGINA, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY, UH, UH, OTHER THAN MISS, UH, BELT CUZ MS. BELT'S ON THE AGENDA, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WE HAVE ON, ON THE LINE OR WE DO NOT, OR THE AUDIENCE? WE DO NOT.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS THEN, UH, THE PRESENTATION OF, UH, MS. MS. MOLLY BELT.
UH, AS REGINA MENTIONED, UH, MS. BELT WASN'T ABLE TO BE WITH US LAST TIME, UH, BUT SHE'S BEEN GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO COME IN.
UH, WE'VE ASKED HER TO, TO COME IN AND, AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER PROJECT.
UH, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, UH, SHE IS THE C E O OF THE DALLAS EXAMINER.
UH, THAT'S THE PROJECT, UH, THAT WE RECOMMENDED FOR GRANT FUNDING LAST TIME.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE EXAMINER HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE, YOU KNOW, 1986.
I KNOW MS. BE TOOK IT OVER FULL TIME IN 1999.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA, I DON'T WANNA STEAL HER THUNDER.
I'LL LET HER HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP AND SPEAK ABOUT IT.
FIRST, WE'LL HAVE A RECAP BY MS. REGINA TO, UH, REFRESH EVERYBODY'S MEMORY ON THE PROJECT.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE MS. BELT COME UP AND SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROJECT AND, AND WHAT SHE'S DOING AND, AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY AND THE BACKGROUND.
AND THEN WE'LL TAKE, UH, ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD THAT WE HAVE, UH, AFTER THAT.
SO JUST LIKE I SAY, THESE ARE GONNA LOOK VERY FAMILIAR CUZ THIS IS WHAT WE LOOKED AT LA IN MAY, BUT JUST WANTED TO JUST REITERATE, UM, DALLAS EXAMINERS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOREVER, A PILLAR IN THE COMMUNITY, VERY WELL RESPECTED ORGANIZATION, AND MS. MS, UM, FINCH BELT TOOK OVER THE DALLAS EXAMINER FROM YOUR DAD.
IS THAT, IS THAT OH, THAT'S RIGHT.
UM, THAT'S REALLY ALL THAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HER.
WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROJECT, RIGHT? SO WE'RE GOING TO, UM, JUST GET IN TO, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF THE, BEFORE SHE COMES UP TO TALK, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE MONEY, THE FUNDING? OR DO YOU WANT ME JUST TO GO OVER THE SLIDE? OKAY.
SO THIS PROJECT IS THE DALLAS EXAMINER IS SEEKING A PROJECT GRANT FUNDING ASSISTANCE OF 170,998 FROM THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK OPPORTUNITY FUND FOR HER FOR RENOVATIONS.
SHE HAS 4 34 IN OWNER EQUITY, AND THE TOTAL DEVELOPMENT COST OF THE PROJECT IS $184,448.
AND SO JUST LOOK AT A FEW OF THE PHOTOS.
JESSIE, WILL YOU JUST GO TO SOME OF THE PHOTOS TO JUST REFRESH YOU GUYS ON WHAT IT IS SHE'S DOING? AND YOU CAN COME UP AND TALK ABOUT ANYTHING IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PROJECT.
JUST TO SET THE STAGE A LITTLE BIT, UH, WHILE MS. MESS BELT COMES UP, THIS PROJECT, UH, IF YOU DON'T, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW WHERE THE, THE EXAMINER IS, UH, IT'S ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE AWAY FROM LINCOLN DALLAS.
LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL IS, IS WHERE HER BUILDING IS.
UM, THIS IS A BUILDING WHERE, YOU KNOW, HER HUSBAND USED TO TO TO PRACTICE LAW.
AND SO, UM, MISS BELT WENT TO LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL AND, YOU KNOW, SHE WENT ON TO, UM, ATTEND, UM, SOME SPELLMAN AND, AND UNIVERSITY OF DENVER.
AND, UH, I THINK SHE DID SOME, SOME WORK AT TULANE IF, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
UH, SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT BEING IN A COMMUNITY AND SOMEBODY THAT'S BEEN LONG STANDING IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, SHE, SHE'S BEEN THERE FOREVER.
SHE PUTS OUT A, A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER, UH, THAT'S IN PUBLICATION, 52 WEEKS A YEAR, UH, TO HIGHLIGHT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON HERE LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY.
AND SO, UH, THIS GRANT, UH, WAS FOR, UH, THE RENOVATION OF THE SORT OF DILAPIDATED BUILDING IN THE RESTORATION OF THIS BUILDING.
SO, WITH THAT, I'LL LET MS. UH, BELT COME UP AND, AND SPEAK ABOUT THE PROJECT AND OFFER UP ANY, UH, INSIGHT AND COMMENTS THAT SHE HAS.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I'M MOLLY FINCH BELT AND, UH, I AM THE PUBLISHER AND C E O OF THE DALLAS EXAMINER NEWSPAPER.
MY FATHER STARTED THE NEWSPAPER IN 1986.
UM, HE AND MY MOTHER WERE MURDERED IN THEIR HOME IN SOUTH DALLAS, AND THAT'S WHEN I STARTED PUBLISHING THE NEWSPAPER
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I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT NEWSPAPERS.I MAJORED IN SOCIOLOGY AND I MINORED IN PSYCHOLOGY, BUT I HAVE LEARNED, SO, UM, WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE.
THE DALLAS EXAMINER HAS, UH, PUBLISHED 52 ISH IS A YEAR SINCE WE FIRST STARTED PUBLISHING EVEN THROUGH THE PANDEMIC BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THE, UH, COUNTY, UH, COUNTY JUDGE, WHEN HE HAD A LOCKDOWN IN DALLAS, HE SAID THAT NEWSPAPERS WERE ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES.
SO WE CONTINUED TO, UH, OPERATE, WE CONTINUED TO PRINT THE PAPER.
WE HAD TO, UH, REDUCE OUR CIRCULATION BECAUSE WE HAD BEEN SENDING PAPERS TO LIKE, OVER 60 AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHURCHES.
OF COURSE, THEY HAD TO CLOSE DOWN.
UM, BUT WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THROUGH THIS WHOLE TIME, WE HAVE NOT HAD TO LAY OFF ANY STAFF AT ALL.
AND THAT INCLUDES OUR FOUR DISTRIBUTORS.
UH, THE DALLAS EXAMINER, AS WAS MENTIONED BEFORE, THE BUILDING THAT WE ARE LOCATED IN WAS A LAW OFFICE.
MY FATHER WAS A LAWYER AND HE ACTUALLY, THE EXAMINER WAS STARTED IN THAT PAPER.
THAT'S WHERE, I MEAN, IN THAT OFFICE, THAT'S WHERE HE PLANNED IT.
HE JOINED, HE WAS A CHARTER MEMBER OF NEWS FINDER, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WIRE FOR WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS.
AND, BUT THEY WERE, HE HOUSED IT IN OAK CLIFF.
UM, AFTER MY HUSBAND DIED IN 1915, I CONSIDERED LEASING THE BUILDING AND, UH, TO A LAWYER BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A LAW OFFICE.
IT HAS A LAW LIBRARY, AND IT'S A LAW OFFICE.
BUT ANYWAY, WE DECIDED TO MOVE THE NEWSPAPER THERE FOR FINANCIAL REASONS.
UM, WE OWN THE BUILDING, AND SO, UH, WE HAVE TO DO IS PAY TAXES.
UH, BUT IT'S, IT HAS A VERY SMALL SPACE FOR OUR EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT.
AND THE DALLAS EXAMINER IS A GROWING NEWSPAPER.
WE WERE SELECTED THIS YEAR BY, UM, LOCAL MEDIA ASSOCIATION, UH, TO BE A MEMBER OF THEIR BLOOM LAB COHORT.
TWO, THEY SELECTED EIGHT NEWSPAPERS IN THE WHOLE UNITED STATES, AFRICAN AMERICAN.
THE REASON WAS TO ENSURE THAT WE KNOW THAT LOCAL MEDIA IS VERY IMPORTANT AND TO ENSURE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF LOCAL MEDIA.
AND SO, UH, BASICALLY WE KNOW THINGS ARE GOING DIGITAL
AND SO, UH, WHAT THAT MEMBERSHIP ALLOWS US TO DO IS THEY ARE HELPING US TO EXPAND OUR DIGITAL PLATFORM.
AND SO WE ARE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
IN FACT, NOW WE HAVE A NEW WEBSITE, UM, BUT WE, WE, WE HAVE LIMITED EDITORIAL SPACE.
AND SO THIS PROJECT, IF IN FACT IT IS APPROVED, THIS GRANT WILL ALLOW US TO ADD ADDITIONAL, AN ADDITIONAL ROOM IN THE BACK THAT WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE AN ADEQUATE EDITORIAL ROOM AND TO EMPLOY MORE REPORTERS TO COVER DALLAS NEWS.
ALSO, IT WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE A, A STORAGE PART, UM, ACTUALLY IN TERMS OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE BUILDING, UH, THE ONLY REPAIRS AND THINGS WE HAVE PUT PRIORITY FOR OUR RESOURCES IN THE DALLAS EXAMINER IN PUBLISHED IN THE NEWSPAPER EVERY WEEK AND CONTINUING TO HAVE OUR STAFF.
AND SO, UH, WE HAVE NOT PUT MONEY INTO THE RESTORATION INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT KIND OF THING.
WE DID PURCHASE A, UH, SECURITY GATE.
WE HAD TO, FOR SECURITY PURPOSES.
UM, WE WERE EVEN DENIED A, UH, UH, A ROOF FOR THE BUILDING BECAUSE IT'S A COMMERCIAL BUILDING AND IT HAS A FLAT ROOF.
AND SO WE HAD ALL THOSE STORMS AND THINGS.
THE ROOF WAS DAMAGED, BUT OUR INSURANCE COMPANY, STATE FARM WOULD NOT, UH, PAY FOR THE ROOF TO BE FIXED BECAUSE THEY SAID IT WAS ALREADY AN OLD ROOF.
AND I EVEN WENT TO THE STATE BOARD OF INSURANCE, BUT WE HAD TO, YOU KNOW, IMPROVISE.
AND WE HAD A, A, A ROOFER WHO, WHO WAS A, A FRIEND OF OURS, AND HE PUT ANOTHER KIND OF ROOFER.
AND SO IF WE GET THIS GRANT, IT IS MUCH NEEDED.
UH, THE DALLAS EXAMINER IS, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T MAKE THE NEWS.
WE JUST REPORT THE NEWS, BUT WE FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT, UM, WE WANT DALLAS TO BE A HEALTHY CITY.
AND SO WE DO A LOT OF THINGS IN OUR PUBLICATION.
LIKE, UM, MY SON, WHO'S THE VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING, UH, HE HAS PUT OUT FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS A COLLEGE GUY THAT WE SEND 50 COPIES TO A HUNDRED HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS EVERY YEAR BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT, IT HAS ORIGINAL STORIES OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO HAVE OVERCOME CHALLENGES IN ORDER TO, UH, ACHIEVE SUCCESS.
AND SO WE FEEL LIKE WE SEND 'EM TO THE COUNSELOR'S OFFICES THAT THEY CAN LET THE STUDENTS READ THEM, AND THAT THEY CAN SEE HOW, IF THESE PEOPLE DID IT, WE CAN DO IT.
SO WE FEEL LIKE WE WANT A CITY THAT'S EDUCATIONALLY HEALTHY, THAT IS ALSO PHYSICALLY HEALTHY.
UH, WE'VE DONE A LOT IN THE, IN THE AREA OF HEALTH IN TERMS OF, UH, PUBLISHING INFORMATION FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW OF SERVICES, ET CETERA, THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.SO W WE DO WHAT WE CAN WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS.
NOT ONLY ABOUT JUST THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO THINGS THAT WILL MAKE OUR COMMUNITY HEALTHIER.
Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I COULD GO ON AND ON TALKING ABOUT DALLAS EXAMINER
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, MS. BELL.
AND, UH, THANK YOUR SON AS WELL FOR, FOR THE WORK THAT, THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.
UH, I'LL, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE BOARD.
JUST ONE QUICK POINT BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, MR. G I JUST WANNA NOTATE THAT MR. DAWKINS IS, IS PRESENT ALSO FOR THE RECORD.
UM, SO JESSE, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHO NEEDS TO MAKE A NOTATION OF THAT, BUT, UH, I JUST WANNA NOTATE THAT MR. DAWKINS, UH, IS PRESENT.
UH, AND WITH THAT I WILL TURN IT OVER TO ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UH, THAT THE BOARD HAS, UH, FROM MS. BELT, UH, ABOUT THE DALLAS EXAMINER DAMON.
HOW'S HIS HAND PLEASE? THANK YOU, MR. MR. MR. LEVINE, I SAW YOUR HAND FIRST.
HI, MS. BE, UM, UH, GREAT TO MEET YOU.
FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANNA COMMEND YOU FOR KEEPING, UM, A PUBLICATION LIKE THIS ALIVE AND IT ALMOST MAKES ME WANT TO KIND OF PEEL BACK THE ONION AND, AND ASK YOU TO DIVE DEEPER.
WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN YOUR TOP THREE CHALLENGES FOR, UM, KEEPING YOUR, YOUR NEWSPAPER GOING, KEEPING EVERYTHING ALIVE? WELL, THE FIRST THING, AND MY SON DID OF THIS IS ADVERTISING.
UNFORTUNATELY, UM, YOU KNOW, NEWSPAPERS, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT NEWSPAPERS MAKE THEIR MONEY OFF OF, UH, UM, SUBSCRIPTIONS, MONEY THAT PEOPLE PAY FOR 'EM.
BUT NEWSPAPERS MAKE THEIR MONEY OFF ADVERTISING.
AND THAT HAS PROBABLY BEEN OUR NUMBER ONE CHALLENGE IS, UH, GETTING ADVERTISING.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR 38 YEARS.
AND, UH, WE HAVE MET THAT CHALLENGE, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY THE HARDEST THING.
I HAVE A STAFF THAT HAS BEEN WITH ME FOR OVER 20 YEARS, EXCEPT FOR OUR OFFICE MANAGER.
SHE'S BEEN WITH US FOR WHAT, ABOUT SIX YEARS AND THEY ARE COMMITTED TO THE DALLAS EXAMINER.
AND, UM, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND WE CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE WE JUST DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY OR THE STAFF TO DO IT CUZ THE RESOURCES PROVIDE FOR THE STAFF.
AND, UM, AND SO THAT'S A CHALLENGE IS PRINTING THIS NEWSPAPER, HAVING RELEVANT NEWS.
THAT'S NUMBER TWO, RELEVANT NEWS WITH, UH, LIMITED RESOURCES.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, UM, I GUESS WHAT'S THE THIRD ONE THAT I'VE HAD?
HA HAVE, HAVE BEEN CHALLENGES FOR US.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, AS I SAID, OUR STAFF, TWO MAIN STAFF PEOPLE, MY SON AND, UH, MY EDITOR, UH, THEY'VE BEEN WITH ME A LONG TIME.
THEY'RE COMMITTED, THEY'VE MADE SACRIFICES AND THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY WHO HAVE MADE SACRIFICES TO KEEP THIS PAPER GOING.
UM, MY FATHER STARTED THE PAPER SO THAT DALLAS WOULD HAVE A QUALITY NEWSPAPER.
AND SO WE ALWAYS HAVE TRAINED JOURNALISTS PUTTING OUR PAPER TOGETHER.
UH, WE EMPLOY A COPY EDITOR TO READ IT, TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO ERRORS OR MISINFORMATION, MISTRUTHS, YOU KNOW, UH, WE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE JUST STRIVE.
WE STRIVE TO PUT A GOOD PAPER OUT EVERY WEEK WITH GOOD INFORMATION.
BUT THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS LIMITED IS MONEY.
AND THE MONEY COMES FROM ADVERTISING.
AND, UM, UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S LIKE, UH, I'VE TOLD SEVERAL PEOPLE, I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE REALLY SHOULD BE MILLIONAIRES.
I, IN FACT, I DON'T TAKE A SALARY FROM THE DALLAS EXAMINER, BUT, YOU KNOW, AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE CONSUMERS.
BUT, UH, BUSINESSES JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT.
THEY HAVE TO ADVERTISE TO GET OUR MONEY.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN, UH, WE'VE RECEIVED ADVERTISING FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS.
WE RECEIVE ADVERTISING FROM DALLAS, I S D FROM LANCASTER, I S D, CEDAR HILL, ANY MUNICIPALITIES, GOVERNMENT ENTITIES.
UH, BUT YOU LOOK IN THE PAPER, YOU DON'T SEE A GROCERY AD EVERY WEEK.
AND STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS SPEND MORE MONEY.
THEY, WE GO TO THE GROCERY STORE MORE THAN ANYBODY.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T EAT OUT AS MUCH AS OTHER PEOPLE DO, BUT WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AND BUY FOOD.
BUT ACTUALLY, IT'S NOT JUST THE DALLAS EXAMINE, IT'S ANY BLACK PAPER IN DALLAS.
WE DON'T GET THE WEEKLY ADVERTISE GROWTH GROCERY STORES HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO LET YOU KNOW, WHAT HAVE SPECIAL THAT CHICKENS THIS WEEK, EGGS THIS WEEK.
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BUT, UM, SO THE ADVERTISING IS A CHALLENGE.IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A CHALLENGE.
UH, WE THINK OF INNOVATIVE THINGS THAT WE COULD DO.
SOME THINGS WE THINK OF WORK AND SOME THINGS DON'T WORK.
UH, MY SON, THE COLLEGE GUY HAS WORKED FOR 15 YEARS.
UH, WE, UH, TRIED THE OTHER WEEK TO PUBLISH A HEALTH GUIDE.
CAUSE WE GOT ALL KIND OF HEALTH DISPARITIES IN DALLAS.
YOU KNOW, REALLY TALK ABOUT THE KEY DISPARITIES THAT EXIST IN DALLAS.
COULDN'T GET NO ADVERTISING FOR IT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY THE END OF THIS WEEK, WE ARE VERY ACTIVE IN NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISH ASSOCIATION.
THEY'LL HAVE PEOPLE THERE FROM PFIZER AND ALL THESE COMPANIES.
AND THAT'S HOW I GET MY NATIONAL ADS BECAUSE LIKE PFIZER'S RUNNING ADS NOW IN MAIN STREET PAPERS, BUT THEY'RE NOT RUNNING IN, IN AFRICAN AMERICAN PAPERS AND THEY CAN'T GO TO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE ANYMORE.
YOU KNOW, SO THAT, THAT, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
AND I FORGOT TO TELL YOU ALL THAT FROM THE THIRD YEAR, THE DALLAS EXAMINER WAS SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GENERAL MOTORS, UH, THEY CALL IT DISCOVER THE UNEXPECTED D T U PROGRAM.
IT'S A PROGRAM OF FELLOWSHIPS FOR STUDENTS WHO GO TO HBT.
AND SIX AF SIX AFRICAN-AMERICAN PAPERS WERE SELECTED BY GENERAL MOTORS THIS YEAR.
AND THE DALLAS EXAMINER WAS ONE OF THEM.
WE HAD THREE FELLOWS IN OUR OFFICE WEEK BEFORE LAST.
UH, GETTING A FEEL OF WHAT IS THE BLACK PRESS, YOU KNOW.
AND, UH, THEY'LL GO TO HOUSTON TO WHERE THERE'S A PAPER IN HOUSTON.
THEY'LL GO TO ATLANTA, TO NASHVILLE, WASHINGTON, DC AND PENNSYLVANIA.
SO, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, WE NEED EDITORIAL SPACE.
I PUT THEM IN THE LIBRARY TO WORK.
UH, MR. LEVINE, DID THAT, UH, ANSWER YOUR QUESTION THERE, AB ABSOLUTELY.
I, I WOULD THINK THE, THE JOURNEY FROM GOING TO, UH, DIGITAL IS PROBABLY A CHALLENGE AS WELL.
IN FACT, I HAD A TELEPHONE CALL BEFORE I CAME IN HERE, MAN, WHO'S OUR DIRECTOR OF THE BLOOM LAB PROGRAM.
AND I TOLD HIM, I SAID, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WHAT YOU HAD ANTICIPATED MOVING, MIGRATING FROM OUR OLD WEBSITE TO THIS NEW WEBSITE IS MORE TIME CONSUMING.
CUZ I HAD MISSED TWO MEETINGS.
AND I MEAN, IT HAS TAKEN TIME FROM, UH, MY STAFF GIVING THEM THE TECHNICAL INFORMATION THAT THEIR ENGINEERS NEEDED BEFORE THE MIGRATION.
AND NOW AFTER THE MIGRATION, MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE STUFF ON THE SITE.
NOW WE HAVE A CHALLENGE OF GETTING PEOPLE TO GO TO THE SITE.
WE HAVE AN APP TOO THAT'S ON THE PHONE, BUT, UH, IT, IT, IT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I ENJOY, UH, IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO.
UH, MY STAFF THINKS OUT OF THE BOX, YOU KNOW, UH, WELL, THIS DIDN'T WORK.
WELL, WE'LL DO SOMETHING ELSE.
THEY DON'T SAY, OH, YOU KNOW, SO BECAUSE THEY ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING INFORMATION TO THIS COMMUNITY.
MY FATHER STARTED THE SLOGAN, A CREDIBLE VOICE.
THE DALLAS EXAMINER IS A CREDIBLE VOICE.
MS. PEEVY, I REALLY JUST WANTED TO SAY YOU'RE AN ABSOLUTE INSPIRATION AND I FEEL VERY HONORED TO SHARE A VIRTUAL ROOM WITH YOU.
UM, AND JUST THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING AND ALL OF YOUR AMAZING STAFF.
AND I, I APPRECIATE THE SOUTH DALLAS
I'M GLAD TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR A GRANT
I, I COULDN'T APPLY FOR A LOAN, SEE, CUZ I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PAY A LOAN BACK BECAUSE I, RECEIVABLES COME IN VERY SLOW.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, THE DALLAS EXAMINER HAS EXISTED OFF OF WHEN WE RAN OUTTA MONEY.
MY HUSBAND WAS OUR BANK WHEN HE STARTED THE BUSINESS.
AND, UH, WE HAVE, UH, SACRIFICED PERSONAL THING FOR THIS NEWSPAPER.
UH, MS. PEEVEY, UH, MR. DAWKINS, YOUR NEXT, AND THEN MR. MARQUEZ.
AND THEN, UH, MS. SIMS. MS. BILL, I, UM, WANTED TO ECHO MS. PEAVY'S COMMENTS.
UM, I, I AM PERSONALLY GRATEFUL AND ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF DALLAS, TO THOSE WHO WOULD, IF THEY COULD, UH, SHARE OUR ENTHUSIASM FOR THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE PUT IN OVER THE YEARS.
UM, MY MY QUESTION IS, UH, YOUR, YOUR READERSHIP, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU MENTIONED ADVERTISING AND YOU MENTIONED, UM, UM, SUBSCRIPTIONS, BUT YOUR READERSHIP, IT DAWNS ON ME THAT IF YOUR READERSHIP EXPANDED, WHICH I'M SURE IT HAS OVER THE YEARS, BUT
[00:30:01]
IF IT GREW BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS, THAT THAT WOULD OR MAY ATTRACT THE ADVERTISERS.HOW, HOW DO YOU GROW? WHAT ARE THOSE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE OUT OF THE BOX IDEAS THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF THINK ABOUT OR COME UP WITH TO, UM, CHALLENGE THE NORM AND GROW YOUR READERSHIP? WHAT, WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE, IF YOU COULD LET US PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN AND YOUR STRATEGY FOR THE NEXT TWO, THREE YEARS, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU GROW THAT READERSHIP? UM, IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU ASKED THAT, BUT I MET WITH A, UH, PERSON JUST THE OTHER DAY.
UH, WOMAN WHO HAS A, SHE'S A WOMAN OF ONE PR FIRM, BUT SHE'S DONE PR WORK FROM SOME OF THE ESTABLISHED, UH, AFRICAN-AMERICAN GROUPS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SHE DID SOME STUFF FOR THE BLACK CHAMBER.
UH, SHE DOES THINGS FOR THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
AND, AND I TOLD HER JUST OUTSIDE, I GOTTA GROW OUR AUDIENCE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS WONDERFUL, UH, UH, WEBSITE WITH INFORMATION THAT IS MORE THAN WHAT'S IN THE PAPER.
WE HAVE THE PRINT EDITION THAT HAS THE GOOD INFORMATION.
WE HAVE A LOT OF, ALSO A LOT OF HISTORICAL INFORMATION.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT DALLAS THAT WE PRINTED THAT.
AND, UH, SHE'S GONNA SUBMIT TO ME A, UH, PROPOSAL WE, AFTER NEXT, UH, TO GROW OUR AUDIENCE.
UM, SHE MENTIONED PARTNERING, POSSIBLY WITH THE RADIO STATION.
AND PODCASTS ARE VERY, YOU KNOW, SEE, YOU HAVE TO GO WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE.
YOU KNOW, UH, WE DO TIKTOK, WE DO TWO TOSS EVERY WEEK.
ONE ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE PAPER, ANOTHER ONE ON FINANCE.
WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR TWO YEARS.
TIKTOK, OF COURSE, WE HAVE FACEBOOK, PEOPLE IN FACEBOOK, BUT YOU GOTTA GO WHERE PEOPLE ARE.
UH, WE HAVE MONDAY NIGHT POLITICS, YOU KNOW, THEY KNOW WE'LL HAVE POLITICAL INFORMATION.
WE, WE DON'T ENDORSE PEOPLE WE NEVER HAVE.
UM, BUT TO GROW THE AUDIENCE, WE'RE GONNA DO SOME INNOVATIVE THINGS, UH, TO GROW OUR AUDIENCE EVEN MORE.
WHEN WE CAME UP WITH THE APP, WE THOUGHT, GOLLY, THAT'S GONNA REALLY HELP.
YOU KNOW, CAUSE PEOPLE, EVERYBODY HAS A PHONE WITH THEM, BUT YOU GOTTA TRAIN PEOPLE TO DOWNLOAD THE APP.
TO LOOK FOR THE APP, YOU KNOW.
SO, LIKE I SAY, SOMETIMES SOME THINGS WORK, YOU KNOW, AND THEY DON'T WORK LIKE THEY WANT TO.
UH, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE INTER INTERACTIVE THINGS ALSO ON OUR WEBSITE TO, UH, BROUGHT IN OUR AUDIENCE.
WE'VE ALREADY PUT SOME THINGS UP THERE.
FOR EXAMPLE, ON OUR WEBSITE NOW, WE HAVE A VIDEO OF THE, UH, SWEARING IN INAUGURATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL, WHAT, LAST WEEK.
AND, UH, WE ALSO HAVE THE, UH, STATE ADDRESS OF THE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT WITH US ANYMORE.
CASEY THOMAS AND WHAT'S HIS NAME? GO UHHUH.
WE HAVE THEIR VIDEOS ON OUR, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE INTERACTIVE THINGS SENT TO BRING PEOPLE IN.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE HAVE TO GROW OUR AUDIENCE.
THANK YOU, MS. BE MR. DAWKINS.
DID THAT, UH, ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES.
UM, MR. MARQUEZ, I BELIEVE YOU'RE NEXT.
YES, MS. BELL, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR THE PHENOMENAL, UH, FAMILY MEMBER EFFORTS YOU HAVE UNDERTAKEN.
RIGHT? UM, I HAVE PERSONALLY PARTICIPATED, UM, INDIVIDUALLY AND ALSO IN OTHER NONPROFITS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN THE MONDAY NIGHT POLITICS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND DOING STUFF IN THE COMMUNITY EFFORTS.
I JUST WANNA, UM, GIVE YOU THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT THAT NO, YOU HAVE COMMITTED, BUT YOUR FAMILY AND THE DALLAS EXAMINE, UM, YOUR CON YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS HAVEN'T GONE UNNOTICED.
AND WE RECOGNIZE THE VALUE YOU BRING TO COMMUNITY.
UM, NOW IN I MARK OVER TWO MINUTES, I WOULD LIKE TO INQUIRE ABOUT POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIPS OR ASSISTANCE.
I, I DIDN'T, WHAT DOES HE WANT US? OH, MR. MARQUEZ, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT LAST QUESTION? YOU WERE A BIT, YOU WERE A BIT MUFFLED THERE.
I, IF YOU DON'T MIND ALLOWING ME TO INQUIRE ABOUT POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES OR PARTNERSHIPS OR ASSISTANCE THAT WE HERE AS A BOARD CAN DO TO HELP OR ASSIST OR PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO, YOU KNOW, HELP WITH THESE PROJECTS.
CAUSE WE KNOW THAT FUNDING IS ONLY ONE ISSUE AND THERE'S DEFINITELY MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO WORK AS A PARTNERSHIP OR COMMUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, BRING THAT AS FURTHER IN THE COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE.
I DON'T REALLY KNOW THE FUNCTION OF THE BOARD AND, UM, OTHER THAN GRANTS AND LOANS, AND I HOPE I GET A GRANT.
UM, IN TERMS OF PARTNERSHIP, I DON'T KNOW THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ON THE BOARD IN TERMS OF WHO THEY REPRESENT, WHAT THEY DO.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT I ENCOURAGE ALL PEOPLE TO REACH OUT TO ME BECAUSE WE DO PARTNER, UH, WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE.
MOST OF THEM, YOU KNOW, THEY COME TO US AND, UH, UH, WE PARTNER WITH THEM.
IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THEY HAVE THE EXPERTISE, WHAT THEY CAN OFFER, WHAT WE CAN OFFER.
SO ANYBODY WHO'S ON THE BOARD WHO
[00:35:01]
WOULD LIKE TO PARTNER INDIVIDUALLY, JUST, YOU KNOW, COME SEE ME.YOU NEED TO COME SEE THE BUILDING.
ANYWAY, IT'S KIND OF LIKE A HISTORICAL BUILDING.
I MEAN, IT HAS A LOT OF HISTORY.
UH, MR. MARQUEZ, UH, DID, DID YOU HAVE ANY, ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD TO THAT? NO, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. BELT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU, MR. MARQUEZ.
ALL RIGHT, MS. MS. SIMS, I BELIEVE YOU'RE UP NEXT.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM, MOLLY BELL AND THE DALLAS EXAMINER HAVE BEEN A FRIEND TO THIS COMMUNITY FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
I REMEMBER WORKING WITH HER WHEN THE BUILDING WAS ON CORINTH STREET, AND I WAS CHAIRING ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT EVENTS, AND SHE WAS SO GRACIOUS TO, TO DONATE ADVERTISING EVENT, UH, ADVERTISING SPACE FOR WORTHY EVENTS.
AND SO I'M GLAD THAT THE PAPER IS STILL AROUND, AND I'M SO EXCITED, UM, THAT OUR PROGRAM IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO HELP THE DALLAS EXAMINER KEEP GOING BECAUSE IT IS, UM, A BEACON IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND MOLLY HAS BEEN, MOLLY AND HER SON JAMES, HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD TO THE, TO THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS, MS. SIMS. UM, MR. HUGHES, I BELIEVE I SAW YOUR HAND.
SHE ANSWERED, UM, ALL THE OTHER QUESTIONS.
SO, NO, I JUST, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO AND ANYTHING THAT, UH, OBVIOUSLY THE BOARD COULD DO OUTSIDE OF APPROVING GRANTS, UM, THAT'S TALENTED, SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE ON THIS BOARD WHO WOULD LOVE TO, TO REACH OUT AND HELP ANY WAY WE CAN.
MS. SIMS, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO, TO ADD? I SEE YOUR HAND STILL UP THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS INTENTIONAL.
SO, IS IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT HAS ANY, UH, UH, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, UH, FOR MS. BELT OR, OR HER SON? JAMES? ALL RIGHT.
I'M HEARING NONE, UH, MS. MS. BELT AND, UH, TO, TO JAMES.
I, I DON'T HAVE A LOT TO ADD TO, TO WHAT THE BOARD SAID, YOU KNOW, EXCEPT THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, AND YOU'VE BEEN A PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO BE A, A VOICE, UH, FOR THE FOLKS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A VOICE, UM, WE APPRECIATE YOU CONTINUING TO PERSEVERE THROUGH ALL THE, THE DIFFICULTIES AND STRUGGLES THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, HAD THROUGH YOUR LIFE, UH, NOT ONLY FROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT, BUT, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT HAVE HAPPENED THAT YOU'VE HAD TO, HAD TO PUSH THROUGH AND, AND, UH, PERSEVERE.
AND SO, UH, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE ALL BETTER FOR IT.
SO, UH, JUST, JUST SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS BODY HAS RECOMMENDED, UH, YOUR PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD FOR APPROVAL ALREADY.
SO, UH, AND SO WE'LL, WE'LL JUST AWAIT NEXT STEPS AND, AND HAVE IT GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS BOARD, OUR COMMITMENT, UH, TO USE TO, TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO, TO, TO HELP, UH, THE DALLAS EXAMINER, UH, CONTINUE, CONTINUE ON.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE.
AND, UM, UH, PLEASE, PLEASE KEEP US UPDATED ON ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP.
THANK, THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING.
UH, WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, ITEM NUMBER SIX.
UH, AND WE'LL HAVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON, UH, SEPARATING THE NOFA APPLICATION FROM THE ACTUAL NOFA.
I KNOW THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION ON THE APPLICATION IN TERMS OF HOW IT'S SET UP JUST FOR EVERYBODY'S INFORMATION.
UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP, UH, AT THE LAST MEETING.
AND SO, UH, I'M GONNA HAVE REGINA, UH, UH, QUICKLY JUST KIND OF GO OVER WHAT THE DISCREPANCIES ARE.
AND I THINK MR. BARWICK IS, IS PROPOSING TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO, TO HOW IT'S SET UP.
AND, UH, I'LL LET HIM COME UP AND SPEAK ABOUT THAT IF, IF HE LIKES AS WELL.
BUT JUST TO KIND OF SET THE STAGE, UH, THAT, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
SO, OKAY, THIS IS, THIS IS THE, UM, RECOMMENDATION, BUT FOR WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, THERE'S NOT A SLIDE IN THERE.
SO THE NOFA PROCESS, JESSIE'S GONNA BRING IT UP ON THE SCREEN, THE NOFA PROCESS.
NOW THE ACTUAL APPLICATION IS, JESSIE, WILL YOU GO AHEAD AND BRING THAT UP? IT IS, THE APPLICATION IS ACTUALLY EXHIBITS, THEY'RE CALLED A, B, C, AND D.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE AN APPLICATION WHEN, WHEN SOMEONE GOES TO SAY, OH, I'M LOOKING TO GO FILL OUT THIS APPLICATION.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, DURING THE NOFA PROCESS, IT IS THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION THAT I GET.
WHERE'S THE APPLICATION? I SEE THE NOFA, BUT I DON'T SEE THE APPLICATION.
[00:40:01]
AND SO JUST WANTED TO PULL UP EXHIBITS A, B, C, AND D, JESSE, YOU SEE? SO THEY'RE SEPARATE A, B, C, AND D.INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING, FILL OUT THIS APPLICATION, YOU HAVE TO GO.
CAN EVERYBODY SEE, UH, THE, THE SCREEN SHARE ON YOUR END? OH, CHAD.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, OKAY, NOW WE, IT'S COMING UP.
SO LIKE BUDGET WILL BE EXHIBIT B, AND I MEAN, COVER PAGE IS EXHIBIT A.
INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING, THIS IS THE NOFA APPLICATION FILLED, PLEASE FILL OUT THESE FIVE PAGES.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS THE FIRST PART.
THAT'S PAGE ONE OF THE APPLICATION.
AND THEN THERE'S FOUR MORE PAGES, AND THEN EVERYONE, UM, SENDS IN ALL OF THEIR FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS.
ALL OF IT IS UPLOADED INTO BONFIRE.
BUT THAT GENERALLY DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THE PROBLEM.
I THINK I TOLD YOU GUYS, THE, THE PROBLEM WITH THEM AS FAR AS US GETTING FUNDING OUT IS, UH, THE GRANT WRITING NOT BEING STRONG, BUT THESE, THAT IS THE MAJOR QUESTION.
WHERE IS THE APPLICATION? THAT'S, THAT'S THE QUESTION WHEN THEY FILL UP THAT NOFA.
OKAY, SO, SO THE PROPOSAL IS TO, TO COMBINE THESE TWO A AND B EXHIBITS A, B, C, AND D.
SO THERE'S FOUR EXHIBITS, UH, THAT, THAT ARE SEPARATE LIKE THIS, THAT YOU HAVE TO CLICK ON INDIVIDUALLY, I GUESS BASICALLY PRINT 'EM OUT AND THEN FILL 'EM OUT AND SUBMIT 'EM INDIVIDUALLY.
IS THAT, IT'LL LOOK AND FEEL DIFFERENT.
THE BUDGET WILL LOOK KIND OF THE SAME, BUT IT'LL, THE, THE, THE LOOK OF THE APPLICATION WILL LOOK VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IT IS NOW.
AND, AND MR. BARWICK, ARE YOU, UH, KIND OF RUNNING POINT ON THAT? CAN YOU SPEAK ABOUT THE, THE, UH, PROPOSED CHANGES? UH, BRIEFLY JUST TO ECHO, UH, UH, REGINA'S COMMENTS, UH, WE JUST WANNA MAKE IT MORE USER FRIENDLY AND, AND, UH, AND WE'RE LISTENING AND WE'RE HEARING, UH, THE COMMENTS FROM APPLICANTS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO, IS JUST STREAMLINE THE PROCESS, MAKE IT, UH, AVAILABLE AND, AND EASIER TO ACCESS.
AND THEN FOR US TO GATHER THAT INFORMATION, THEN MAKE THE, DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE ON THE O OTHER SIDE.
SO, UM, WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE BOARD'S PERSPECTIVE.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE HEAR FROM OUR, FROM OUR, FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC, OUR CITIZENS.
AND THEN WE ALSO WANNA MAKE IT EASIER FOR OUR COMMITTEE TO REVIEW.
SO ALL OF THAT, UM, I'M, I'M MORE OF A STICKLER ON THAT KI ON THAT SIDE OF IT.
AND I'M SURE YOU ARE AS WELL, MR. CHAIR.
AND I'M FOLLOWING, UH, REGINA'S LEAD BECAUSE SHE HAS WORKED ON IT.
SO SHE KIND OF GIVES ME GUIDELINES, AND THEN I JUST KIND OF ARCHITECT IT.
THANK YOU, UH, VERY MUCH FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
SO, UM, I KNOW WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS ON THAT.
SO JUST REALLY QUICKLY, THIS WON'T BE AN ITEM TO, TO VOTE ON, UH, TONIGHT NECESSARILY.
UM, BUT IF, IF THE BOARD IS OKAY WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH, UM, PUTTING TOGETHER THE FRAMEWORK OF WHAT THE NEW APPLICATION WOULD LOOK LIKE, UH, I, I PROPOSE WHAT WE DO IS WE, UH, LET MR. BARWICK AND MS. REGINA WORK ON THAT, UH, BRING BACK WHAT THEY COME BACK WITH TO THE BOARD, AND THEN WE CAN MAKE COMMENTS, UH, AND OR ADJUSTMENTS FROM THERE.
UH, UNLESS, UH, THERE'S SOME OTHER SUGGESTIONS OUT THERE, UH, MS. PEEVY, I SEE YOUR HAND UP, SO GO AHEAD.
OH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, THANK GOD, PLEASE KEEP GOING.
I'VE TRIED TO SEND, I'VE TRIED TO BE LIKE, HERE, WE LIKE APPLY AND IT'S, I CAN NEVER FIGURE OUT WHAT TO SEND TO ANYONE.
AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK YOU GUYS ARE DOING.
I'VE HELPED CREATE WEBSITES FOR OTHER BOARDS I'VE BEEN ON, AND IF I CAN OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE, I'D BE GLAD TO DO SO.
MS. PEEVE, THANK YOU FOR THAT OFFER.
UM, MR. MARQUEZ, DID YOU GO OFF MUTE? DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YEAH, I SAID I, I TOOK AN ASSISTIVE MUTE.
UM, ME AND ANTHONY, ANTHONY ACTUALLY SPOKE ON A SIDE NOTE ABOUT THIS AND KIND OF THE
UM, HE AGREED AND DECIDED THAT, YOU KNOW, TALKED ABOUT THIS.
I WOULD LOVE TO HELP OUT AS WELL.
YES, HE, HE BASICALLY SAID THAT, THAT ANYTHING THAT HE CAN DO TO HELP, HE'S, HE'S IN SUPPORT OF, UH, THIS NEW REVAMP PROCESS AND STREAMLINING EVERYTHING.
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT, THAT HE CAN DO TO, TO ASSIST ON HIS END, HE, HE'D BE HAPPY TO DO
[00:45:01]
THAT.UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT, THAT HAS ANY FEEDBACK OR COMMENTS, UH, ON THIS ITEM? UH, MR. LEVINE? YEAH, NO, I, I THINK IT'S GREAT.
I, I, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY LET'S JUST KEEP GOING AND MAYBE WE HAVE SOME TIME TO PEER REVIEW IT.
SO LIKE WHEN THERE'S AN INITIAL FRAMEWORK THAT'S READY, THAT CAN JUST BE A, AN EMAIL TO THE BOARD THEN WITH THE TIMEFRAME ON, YOU KNOW, LIKE PEER REVIEW THIS AND COME UP WITH SOME COMMENTS, AND THEN WE CAN ALL COME TOGETHER IN A MEETING TO REVIEW IT.
SO THAT, THAT'S MY ONLY SUGGESTION IS MAYBE LIKE A LITTLE, UM, SIDE PEER REVIEW WITH THE BOARD HERE.
MR. LEVINE, DOES ANYBODY HAVE, UH, ANY OBJECTIONS, UH, TO THE SUGGESTION OF, UH, HAVING MR. BARWICK AND, UH, MS. REGINA COME UP WITH A FRAMEWORK FOR THE NEW APPLICATION, UM, AFTER THAT'S READY, SUBMITTED TO US, UH, FOR, UH, COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK, AND THEN WHEN WE CONVENE FOR THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, UH, WE'LL HAVE AN OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, ANY CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE.
AND IF THERE ARE NONE AT THAT POINT, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND RATIFY THAT AND VOTE IT, UH, VOTED INTO, VOTED INTO THE RECORD AND, AND GET THE CHANGES UPDATED.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THAT? OKAY, I'M SEEING NONE.
UH, MR. GINA, SO THAT, THAT'S THE, UH, THAT'S THE COURSE OF ACTION THAT WE'LL TAKE.
THANK YOU MR. BARWICK AS WELL.
UM, NEXT AGENDA ITEM, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.
UM, THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE BIANNUAL NOFA PROCESS, UH, VERSUS THE ANNUAL NOFA PROCESS.
UH, IF YOU ALL RECALL THE LAST MEETING, UH, THE SUGGESTION WAS MADE THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE EXCESS FUNDS, UH, THAT WE HAVE TO GET OUT THE DOOR, UH, THAT'S SORT OF OUR MANDATE.
IT MAY MAKE SENSE TO OPEN UP THE NOFA TWICE A YEAR VERSUS THE TRADITIONAL ANNUAL, UH, WINDOW, UH, THAT IS OPEN SO THAT WE CAN CAPTURE MORE APPLICANTS.
IT'S BEEN KIND OF A, A CHALLENGE FOR US IS MAKING SURE THAT WE GET ENOUGH QUALIFIED APPLICANTS TO SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATIONS IN ON TIME.
UM, AND SO IF WE OPENED THAT UP, THE IDEA IS IF WE OPEN THAT UP TWICE A YEAR, WE GIVE MORE FOLKS AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO GET THEIR APPLICATIONS IN, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THAT'S A PROBLEM IN TERMS OF GETTING FOLKS TO, TO KNOW HOW TO WRITE AN APPLICATION AND, AND TO, TO SUBMIT FOR A GRANT.
UH, SO THIS GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO MORE INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS.
UH, THIS GIVES, UH, US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE FOLKS MORE TIME.
IF YOU MISS THE FIRST WINDOW, YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO WAIT A YEAR LATER AND THEN YOU FORGET ABOUT IT, OR YOU PUT IT DOWN OR YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.
YOU'LL JUST HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY TO SORT TO GET YOURSELF IN THE PIPELINE.
UH, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF, IF IT'S SOMETHING COMES UP AND, YOU KNOW, YOU SUBMIT AN APPLICATION AND YOU KNOW, FOR WHATEVER REASON YOU DIDN'T SCORE HIGH ENOUGH, WELL, THERE'S MAYBE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU THAT YEAR TO RESUBMIT AND, UH, SEE, SEE IF YOU CAN GET BACK INTO THE, THE FUNDING CHANNEL.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, MS. REGINA, I'LL LET YOU ADD ANY COMMENTS OR ANY INSIGHTS TO WHAT YOU HAD ON THAT.
WELL, YOU JUST, YOU JUST SAID IT ALL, BASICALLY.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD NEED BE NEEDING IT FROM, FROM, AND ALSO JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, I HAVE MET A FEW OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE SAID THAT THEY WOULD LOVE TO BE A PART OF, UM, SOME OF THE TEACHINGS IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY FOR GRANT WRITING, PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY WRITE STRONG.
WE, WHEN WE HAVE OUR SESSIONS, WE DO HAVE STRONG, UM, TEACHERS EDUCATING ON HOW TO WRITE.
IT'S JUST PEOPLE DON'T SHOW UP LIKE THEY SHOULD.
AND USUALLY THE ONES THAT SHOW UP PRETTY GOOD, UM, ARE SOME IN THE TOP CONTENDERS, BUT, AND SO THAT'S THE CHALLENGE TOO, OF GETTING PEOPLE THERE, EVEN THOUGH WE DO WIDELY PUB PUBLICIZE.
SO YOU GUYS SEE THIS SLIDE, UM, IT'LL CHANGE, IT'LL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS TO BE SERVED AND TO INCREASE THE, THE QU TO QUALIFY THE NONPROFITS.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE KEY, GETTING THEM QUALIFIED.
AND YOU HAD SAID SOMETHING ABOUT SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO APPLY, WE HAD SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE VERY, VERY, UM, STRONG.
THEY JUST DIDN'T FIT INTO THE FIVE CRITERIA, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION, UH, HEALTH AND WELLNESS, SAFETY, THEIR PROGRAMS DIDN'T FIT, DIDN'T ALIGN WITH THE FIVE, AND THE, AND THE CRITERIA IS VERY STRICT ON, ON THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, MAYBE ADD CRITERIA, UM, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN, THAT MORE PEOPLE CAN QUALIFY.
BUT LORD KNOWS THERE'S ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SAFETY, SAFETY THINGS AND ALL THE OTHER ONES THAT, UM, ARE AVAILABLE IF THE RIGHT PEOPLE A APPLY WITH THE, WITH STRONG GRANT WRITING THAT WE COULD GIVE AWAY THIS $200,000.
[00:50:02]
THANK YOU FOR THAT, MS. REGINA.AND, AND ON THAT POINT, I THINK, NOW LET ME, THIS IS JUST A QUESTION.
DO THE FOLKS THAT DON'T FIT INSIDE OF, OF THAT FIVE CRITERIA BUCKET, DO THEY FIT INSIDE OF THE CRITERIA TO APPLY FOR SOUTH SOUTH DALLAS INVESTMENT FUND FOR FUNDING FROM THAT CHANNEL? THE S D I F, UH, IF THEY ARE, IF THEY FALL IN THE S D I F CENSUS TRACT, WHICH IS THE SOUTH DALLAS IN INVESTMENT FUND, THAT CENSUS TRACTED IS DIFFERENT FROM THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIRPORT CENSUS TRACT.
RIGHT? BUT IF THEY, IF THEY GET, IF, IF, IF THEY DON'T QUALIFY THROUGH THE OPPORTUNITY FUND CHANNEL, UH, COULD THEY STILL THEN GO TO THE INVESTMENT FUND AND, AND QUALIFY THERE? NOT THE NONPROFITS, BECAUSE THE, THE, UM, THE S D I F IS FOR, FOR-PROFIT BUSINESSES, NOT NONPROFIT AT ALL.
UH, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT? MAY, MAYBE, WHY DON'T WE, UH, MS. REGINA, WHY IF, IF WE'RE GETTING STRONG APPLICANTS THAT ARE COMING IN, WHY DON'T WE START TRACKING THAT INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE? AND THEN I THINK WE'LL BE BETTER POSITIONED TO HAVE AN INTELLIGENT DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT POSSIBLY COULD BE OR SHOULD BE DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF EXPANDING THE, THE, THE CRITERIA.
YOU KNOW, SO, UH, ONE OF 'EM, I BELIEVE SOMEONE THAT'S ON THE LINE, HEIDI, UM, WITH THE Y M C A HAD A VERY STRONG, UM, APPLICATION.
AND IT WAS FOR EDUCATION, IT WAS FOR CONSTRUCTION.
UM, BUT THE CONSTRUCTION WAS FOR EDUCATION FOR, FOR, FOR, FOR PRESCHOOLERS.
BUT CONSTRUCTION, WE COULDN'T DO IT BECAUSE IT'S CONSTRUCTION AND NOT ACTUAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMING, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO I DON'T KNOW, UM, HOW WE DEAL WITH THAT.
YEAH, LET, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE FIRST STEP IS FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, WELCOME FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD AS WELL.
UH, JUST START TRACKING THE INFORMATION SO WE CAN KIND OF GET A SENSE OF, OF, UH, WHAT BUCKET IT WOULD NEED TO FALL INTO, UH, TO QUALIFY.
AND, AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN EXPAND, UM, OUR MANDATE TO INCLUDE.
UH, AND IF NOT, THEN THAT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT TO DO AND, AND, AND WHERE TO, UH, CHANNEL THOSE APPLICANTS SO THAT THEY DON'T JUST FALL FLAT BECAUSE THEY, THEY STILL NEED HELP AS WELL.
SO, UM, IS THERE ANY COMMENTS OR, OR FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD? KIMBERLY AND I, UH, MS. MS. SIMS CAN, CAN YOU STOP SCREEN SHARING JUST FOR A MOMENT SO I CAN SEE EVERYBODY? OKAY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHO WAS FIRST.
YOU GUYS HAVE TO TELL ME, UH, AMONGST YOURSELVES.
MS. SIMS, WERE YOU FIRST, MS. SIMS, YOU SEEM TO BE ON MUTE OR WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE TALKING THOUGH.
MS. SIMS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE STILL ON MUTE THERE, MS. SIMS, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
WELL, WE'LL, WE'LL GO IF, IF YOU SPEAK OVER ME.
OH, SHE, IF YOU COME BACK ON, SHE MAY, SHE MAY BE ON A PHONE CALL.
MS. P, WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND, AND GO AND THEN WE'LL SWING BACK AROUND TO MS. SIMS. UH, I WAS GONNA SAY, I MADE A FEW NOTES, SO DEFINITELY I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT IN SUPPORT OF, UM, INCREASING THE FREQUENCY, UM, AND ALSO CREATING SOME EASY TO READ RESOURCES THAT, THAT HAVE MORE LIKE GRAPHICS THAT SAY LIKE, ARE YOU THIS OR THIS? LIKE, SORT OF LIKE A FLOW DIAGRAM OF FIGURING OUT LIKE, OH, OKAY, DO I GO THIS WAY OR THIS WAY? LIKE, SHOULD I GO FOR A LOAN OR A GRANT AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, ET CETERA.
UM, AND THEN I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE STRUGGLED WITH THE MOST, LIKE WHEN, CUZ I'VE TOLD LOTS OF PEOPLE ABOUT IT, UM, AND THEY HAVE BEEN LIKE, OH, WELL WHAT'S THE CENSUS TRACK? CAUSE I'M LIKE, YOU HAVE TO BE A PART OF THE CENSUS TRACK.
AND I CAN'T REALLY FIND, I'VE LIKE LOOKED AND MISS REGINA, I FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE SENT ME SOMEWHERE, BUT I STILL HAVE STRUGGLED.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST LIKE, KIND OF HAVING THOSE THINGS CLEAR AND THEN FOR ALL OF US ON THE PHONE, HAVING LIKE MATERIALS OF SOME SORT THAT WE CAN JUST LIKE, SHARE OUT AND LIKE, I WOULD LOVE TO GET MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY AND SORT OF GET THEM TO SHARE WITH THEIR PEOPLE.
AND I FEEL LIKE I'VE TEED UP SOME PEOPLE, BUT I DON'T HAVE A EASY THING TO LIKE SEND THEM.
SO, SO BASICALLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, LIKE BASICALLY LIKE A DELIVERABLE, LIKE A ONE PAGE DELIVERABLE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
OR, OR AN INTERACTIVE WEBSITE OR A, YOU KNOW, LIKE, AND BY INTERACTIVE I JUST MEAN LIKE, YOU CAN CLICK ON SOME, I DON'T MEAN LIKE COMPLICATED.
[00:55:01]
BUT YEAH.BUT IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY CLEAR WHETHER OR NOT YOU LIKE, WHERE KIND OF ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE RAISED ON THIS CALL ARE SORT OF ANSWERED IN, IN A SIMPLE WAY.
UM, YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO HELP IN ANY WAY I CAN.
WELL, WE WOULD DEFINITELY NEED YOUR HELP IN THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS LET YOU GUYS KNOW WE ARE SEVERELY UNDERSTAFFED AND TO BE CREATING SOMETHING OF THAT MAGNITUDE, IT WOULD BE, I DON'T KNOW, WHO WOULD THAT BE? NANCY JESSIE.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR, UH, THE OFFER OF ASSISTANCE ON THAT.
MS. PBE, MS. SIMS, OR ARE YOU, UH, ARE YOU, UH, READY TO GO? WE, WE STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU.
WE CAN SEE YOUR, YOUR LIPS MOVING THERE.
YEAH, WE STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU.
IS DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE THAT, UH, IF YOU WANNA WRITE IT, I'M HAPPY TO READ IT.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR, OR FEEDBACK, UM, ON THIS ITEM WHILE WE WAIT FOR MS. SIMS COM COMMENTS TO COME IN AFTER, AFTER HER COMMENTS COME IN, WE'LL VOTE ON, UH, WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO, UM, INCREASE OR ADD A SECOND ROUND OF APPLICATIONS TO THE NOFA PROCESS.
UH, AFTER WE GET, UH, COMMENTARY FROM MS. SIMS, SHE SAID, CAN WE MAKE THE GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP MANDATORY FOR FIRST TIME APPLICANTS? OOH.
THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU GUYS WOULD HAVE TO DECIDE.
SO CAN WE MAKE THE, UH, MAKE ATTENDING, UH, GOING TO A GRANT, UH, WORKSHOP, GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP MANDATORY, UH, FOR SOMEONE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION? IS, IS THAT, IS THAT RIGHT? MS. SIMS? YOU'LL, YOU'LL HAVE TO NOD CAUSE I CAN'T HEAR YOU.
MS. PEEVEY, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT? CAN I, YEAH.
CAN I SUGGEST THAT WE MAKE A MOTION ON THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED AND THAT WE PUT THAT TO BE DECIDED ON OUR NEXT MEETING? YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
WE, WE WON'T VOTE ON THAT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING FOR DISCUSS, UM, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THE FIRST STEP IS TO, TO GET THE, THE APPLICATION TIGHTENED UP, WHICH IS THE THING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT PRIOR TO THAT FIRST.
UM, AND THEN I THINK THE NA NATURAL COURSE OF ACTION FROM THERE WOULD BE TO KIND OF DISCUSS THESE FOLLOW UP THINGS TO, UM, ACT AS A SMOOTHING MECHANISM TO, TO KIND OF, UH, SMOOTH OUT THE PROCESS THERE.
MR. DAWKINS, POLITICIANS ACCEPT HIMSELF.
NO, THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT POINT, MR. DAWKINS.
UH, AND SO MS. REGINA, CAN YOU MAKE A NOTE, UH, UH, THAT, AND, UH, IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS A REQUIREMENT IN THE PAST, UH, IF THERE WERE A WAY FOR US TO GO RESEARCH THAT AND SEE WHEN IT WAS DONE, HOW IT WAS DONE, AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN EXTRACT SOME BEST PRACTICES TO, TO MAYBE RE-IMPLEMENT THAT AT SOME TIME, UH, DOWN THE ROAD.
UH, THANKS FOR PULLING UP THE CHAT THERE.
UM, UH, MR. NAP, HE LOOKS LIKE HE HAD, UH, CONNECTION ISSUES.
I THINK WE STILL HAVE ENOUGH ON THE CALL, UH, FOR A VOTE.
SO IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS OR, OR FEEDBACK, UM, MS. BROOKS IS GONNA HAVE, MS. BROOKS IS GONNA HAVE TO GET ON CAMERA.
MS. BROOKS, CAN YOU SWITCH YOUR CAMERA TO, ON PLEASE? IN ORDER TO BE COUNTED FOR A VOTE? MS. BROOKS? MS. BROOKS, CAN YOU, UH, CAN YOU HEAR US? CAN YOU SWITCH YOUR CAMERA DOWN? THERE YOU GO.
SO WE WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO VOTE ON ADDING A ROUND OF APPLICATION A, A SECONDARY AND MAKING THIS A, A BIANNUAL PROCESS FOR THE NOFA APPLICATIONS.
UH, WE'RE GONNA VOTE TO AMEND THAT TO HAVE IT BE TWICE A YEAR NOW,
[01:00:01]
UH, VERSUS, UH, JUST THE ONCE A YEAR THAT WE HAVE NOW.SO, IS THERE A MOTION TO, UH, NO OPPOSE THAT? I SAW MS. PEEVY.
IS THERE SECOND MR. LEVINE, I SAW YOUR HAND FIRST.
ANY, ANY, ANY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT.
WE WILL NOW HAVE A BIANNUAL NO FOR PROCESS, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
UH, MS. REGINA, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME INSIGHT AS TO WHEN THAT WOULD TRIGGER AND KICK IN? CUZ I KNOW WE'VE ALREADY HAD THE CYCLE FOR THIS YEAR.
UM, OR WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE FOR, FOR THE ANNUAL MM-HMM.
BUT, BUT NOW ARE WE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER ONE TOWARD THE END OF THIS YEAR, BACK HALF OF THIS YEAR? IT WOULD BE FANTASTIC IF WE CAN, UM, IT'LL TAKE A LOT OF WORK TO GET THAT CUZ WE HAVE TO GO DO THE CLASSES AGAIN FIRST, RIGHT.
AND THEN PUT THE NOFA OUT AND THEN WE NEED TO DECIDE IF IT'S GOING TO BE 45 DAYS OR 60 DAYS.
WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T WE, UH, TOSS OUT SOME DATES, UM, BASED ON WHAT YOU GUYS MAY THINK MAKES SENSE AS IT RELATES TO GETTING THE APPLICATION, UH, UM, AMENDED FIRST.
UH, AND THEN BEING ABLE TO SET UP CLASSES ON WHATEVER YOU GUYS THINK YOU WOULD NEED FROM A TIME STANDPOINT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO, TO, UH, BE AWARE OF IT AND, UH, GET A NEW