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EVERYONE.TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14TH, AND THE TIME IS NOW 5:37 PM UH, I AM CHAIRWOMAN CATHERINE BAZAN, AND I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE DALLAS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
WE WELCOME YOUR PARTICIPATION IN OUR MEETINGS, IN THE LANGUAGE OF YOUR PREFERENCE.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST TRANSLATION OR OTHER ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES, PLEASE CALL 2 1 4 6 7 1 8 5 2 2 2 DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING WILL BE AUGUST 9TH AT 5:30 PM WE'RE GONNA START WITH ANNOUNCEMENTS THIS EVENING.
I WANNA START, UH, THIS MONTH'S MEETING BY WELCOMING OUR NEW TECHNICAL ADVISORY PANEL MEMBERS, UH, DR.
KATHY JACK WILL SERVE AS OUR GREEN SPACES, UH, TECHNICAL ADVISOR.
WELCOME, AND MS. MAGNA TERREY WILL SERVE AS OUR ZERO WASTE TECHNICAL ADVISOR.
WELCOME TO BOTH OF THESE TREMENDOUS ASSETS.
UH, TO OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY PANEL, WE'RE GONNA BE SHARING CONTACT INFORMATION SO THAT YOU CAN BEGIN TO REACH OUT, UM, IF YOU NEED TO CONNECT WITH EITHER OF THESE WONDERFUL NEW ADDITIONS TO OUR COMMISSION.
NEXT, YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US THIS COMING MONDAY AS WE CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH IN PY.
UH, JOIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FROM 11:00 AM TO 4:00 PM AT SOUTH CENTRAL PARK.
THIS EVENT IS GONNA BE HOSTED BY DALLAS IN OUR CITY GROWERS AND PY MAMA'S FARM.
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE CITY'S NATURE EXPO ON JUNE 15TH.
WE'RE GONNA SHARE MORE DETAILS ON THIS EVENT IN THE COMING WEEKS.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S CALL ROLL AND SEE WHO'S HERE.
MEMBERS, JUST A REMINDER THAT IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY, YOU'LL NEED TO HAVE YOUR CAMERA ON FOR THE DURATION OF THE MEETING.
UH, DISTRICT ONE, YOU'RE JUST IN TIME.
CANDACE THOMPSON, DISTRICT FIVE.
MS. BEVIN WILL NOT JOIN US THIS EVENING.
BORO PRESENT? MR. CAMACHO PRESENT? MR. HOFFMAN? MR. MARQUIS PRESENT? MR. MARTIN'S GONNA BE A LITTLE LATE THIS EVENING.
JACK PRESENT AND I DON'T SEE MR. RAY WITH US YET.
OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE MEMBERS, DR.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY REGISTERED SPEAKERS FOR THIS EVENING, SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES FROM OUR MAY 10TH COMMISSION MEETING.
IF THERE ARE NO CHANGES, I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
ANY OPPOSED? OUR MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
LET'S JUMP RIGHT INTO OUR AGENDA.
WE'RE GONNA GO INTO OUR BRIEFING ITEM.
ITEM A IS SOLAR SWITCH, DALLAS SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS PARTNERSHIP.
AND WE ARE GONNA HEAR FROM THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, CHAIR AND COMMISSION MEMBERS.
I'M FAR ANDREWS, I'M THE SENIOR CLIMATE COORDINATOR IN THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY, AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU OUR NEW SOLAR SWITCH PROGRAM, UM, WHICH IS A NEW ADDITION TO OUR WHOLE HOME RESOURCE HUB.
SO, DURING THIS PRESENTATION, I WILL BE DISCUSSING THE PURPOSE AND THE BENEFIT OF THE NEW SOLAR SWITCH DALLAS PROGRAM.
AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR PARTNERS FROM THE NONPROFIT SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS ONLINE THIS AFTERNOON.
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UM, AND THEY'LL BE PROVIDING INFORMATION ON HOW HOMEOWNERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES CAN PARTICIPATE.UM, AND THEN I'LL COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR KPIS AND SUCCESS METRICS, UH, AND HOW WE PLAN TO MONITOR THE PROGRAM, UM, AND WHAT THE NEXT STEPS LOOK LIKE.
UM, SO SOLAR SWITCH DALLAS INTERSECTS WITH THE CCAP PLAN.
IN GOAL NUMBER TWO, DALLAS GENERATES AND USES RENEWABLE, RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE ENERGY.
SO WE'VE ACTIVATED TWO OF OUR ACTIONS AND IMPLEMENTED TWO MILESTONES FROM THE C A P WORK PLAN WITH THIS PROGRAM.
UH, ONE MILESTONE WAS, UM, TO KEEP POPULATING OUR WHOLE HOME RESOURCE HUB, AND THE OTHER ONE WAS TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING, UM, AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR SOLAR.
YOU KNOW, DALLAS HAS OVER 200 DAYS OF SUNSHINE PER YEAR ON AVERAGE, WHICH MEANS THERE'S A HUGE POTENTIAL TO TAKE MORE ADVANTAGE OF THE SOLAR TECHNOLOGY AND GENERATING CLEANER ENERGY.
UM, AN INCREASE IN SOLAR ENERGY CAN ADVANCE THE CITY'S EMISSION REDUCTION EFFORTS, HELP IMPROVE AIR QUALITY, UM, OFFSET SOME OF THE RISING COST OF ELECTRICITY, UM, AND CAN LEAD TO LESS RELIANCE ON OUR POWER GRID.
UM, ALSO, RENEWABLE ENERGY MARKET IS GROWING.
IT'S BECOMING MORE AFFORDABLE.
UM, AND WITH MANY INSTALLER OPTIONS ON THE MARKET, THE SOLAR SWITCH PROGRAM IS REALLY GONNA HELP RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES NAVIGATE THIS PROCESS.
UM, SO THE CITY OF DALLAS WHOLE HOME PROGRAM PARTNER WITH SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS TO OFFER THE SOLAR SWITCH DALLAS PROGRAM.
AND THIS PROGRAM REALLY IS A HASSLE FREE OPTION.
UM, HELP WITH INSTALLING ROOFTOP SOLAR PANELS, BATTERY STORAGE AT A REDUCED PRICE.
SO THE GOAL OF THE WHOLE HOME PROGRAM WAS TO EDUCATE AND CONNECT DALLAS RESIDENTS WITH EXISTING PROGRAMS THAT CAN HELP IMPLEMENT UPGRADES AND WEATHERIZATION, ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY AREAS.
UM, SO RECENTLY WE'VE JUST ADDED THE SOLAR SWITCH DALLAS PROGRAM TO OUR RENEWABLE ENERGY LIST.
THIS NEWLY ADDED SERVICE GONNA HELP HOMEOWNERS SMALL BUSINESSES NAVIGATE THIS PROCESS, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, GET SOLAR ACTUALLY INSTALLED AT A DISCOUNTED RATE.
THIS RESOURCE HELPS FAMILY STABLE UTILITY BILL AND BUILD RESILIENCY INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, SO I AM NOW GONNA PASS IT OVER TO AMERICA GARCIA AND HANNAH MITCHELL WITH OUR SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS PARTNERS, AND THEY CAN, UM, EXPLAIN HOW DALLAS RESIDENTS CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM.
I AM CURRENTLY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
THIS IS WHERE I AM BASED OUT OF.
I AM THE TEXAS PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS, AND I AM VERY EXCITED TO BE WITH YOU ALL TODAY AND EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT OUR PROGRAM ENTAILS.
SOLAR SWITCH IS RUN BY SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS AND I, CHOOSER AND SUN FOR SOLAR.
UNITED NEIGHBORS IS A NATIONAL 5 0 1 C THREE NONPROFIT, FULLER ADVOCACY AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ORGANIZATION.
WE'VE BEEN RUNNING GROUP BUYING PROGRAMS THAT WE CALL SOLAR CO-OPS IN TEXAS.
SINCE 2018, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH A CHOOSER, INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS IN SOLAR GROUP BUYING TO INCREASE THE SCALE OF OUR SOLAR GROUP BUYING PROGRAMS. TOGETHER WE BRING UP A LOT OF COMPLIMENTARY CAPABILITIES TO SOLAR SWITCH, AND A COMMON GOAL OF SCALING UP SOLAR ADOPTION BY MAKING SOLAR EASIER AND MORE AFFORDABLE.
SOLAR SWITCH IS RUN, EXCUSE ME, APOLOGIES.
THIS IS HOW IT'LL WORK FOR RESIDENTS.
WE AIM TO MAKE THIS PROGRAM AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE, AND HERE'S AN OVERVIEW OF HOW THAT WORKS.
PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE WHO REGISTERS.
QUOTES WILL THEN HAVE UNTIL AUGUST NINE TO MAKE A DECISION WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANNA MOVE FORWARD BY ACCEPTING THEIR OFFER.
STEP TWO IS THE REVERSE AUCTION WHERE
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PRICE AND COMPANIES ARE CHOSEN FOR THEIR GROUP.STEP THREE IS THE PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION, EXCUSE ME.
THE PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE AVAILABLE STARTING ON JULY 5TH.
RESIDENTS CAN SIGN UP AS OF RIGHT NOW, AND WE'LL HAVE UNTIL AUGUST 9TH TO MAKE A DECISION.
INSTALLATIONS WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY.
REGISTERING IS EASY AND IT CAN BE DONE ONLINE.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO SHARE THIS LINK WITH YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND NEIGHBORS.
THE MARKETING IS COMPLETELY FREE TO THE CITY OF DALLAS AND WHOLE HOME DALLAS.
MARKETING WILL BE DONE VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, DIRECT MAILERS, FLYERS, AND ON THE WEBSITE.
IN THE AUCTION PROCESS, I CHOOSER MAKES SURE EVERY COMPANY IN THE RUNNING IS LICENSED, INSURED AND EXPERIENCED IN A GROUP PURCHASE.
RESIDENTS TYPICALLY SEE ABOUT 15 TO 25% DISCOUNT.
THIS IS A BENEFIT OF GOING THROUGH SOLAR SWITCH.
MOVING FORWARD, RESIDENTS CAN EXPECT TO SEE TWO OPTIONS, ONE IN THE SPRING AND ANOTHER IN THE FALL.
STARTING JULY 5TH, EVERYONE WHO SIGNS UP FOR THE PROGRAM WILL RECEIVE AN INITIAL PROPOSAL ABOUT HOW MUCH SOLAR WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR HOMEBASED ON REGISTRATION DETAILS.
IT'LL INCLUDE SYSTEM SIZE, ANNUAL PRODUCTION, AND COST.
THIS PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION WILL HAVE FINANCING OPTIONS, AND THE NEXT STEPS WOULD BE TO MAKE A DECISION.
SOLAR SWITCH OFFERS VIRTUAL INFORMATION SESSIONS AND A CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER.
THERE'S NO OBLIGATION TO PROCEED IF RESIDENTS CHOOSE TO WITH THE PROPO, CHOOSE TO PROCEED WITH THE PROPOSAL, EXCUSE ME, THEY'LL BE CONNECTED WITH THE INSTALLER THAT'S CHOSEN.
ONCE YOU DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD AND PAY A FULLY REFUNDABLE $150 DEPOSIT, YOU'LL BE CONNECTED WITH THE INSTALLER WHERE YOU CAN TWEAK THE INITIAL PROPOSAL, AND THE INSTALLER WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE NEXT STEPS.
ALL INSTALLATIONS ARE TO BE COMPLETED BY EARLY JANUARY.
UM, SO I'LL JUMP IN ON THIS SLIDE.
THIS IS, UH, A SLIDE WHERE WE WANTED TO REALLY DESCRIBE WHAT OUR SUCCESS METRICS WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR THIS PROGRAM, AND THEY'RE VERY SIMILAR TO OUR WHOLE HOME PROGRAM.
UM, WITH SOLAR SWITCH DALLAS, WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WEBSITE CLICKTHROUGHS.
WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT HOW MANY PEOPLE REGISTER.
WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT HOW MUCH ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'VE CONDUCTED AND HOW MANY TIMES IT'S BEEN SHARED AND RESHARED BY, BY RESIDENTS.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S JUST LOADS OF INFORMATION THAT WE CAN GET FROM THIS PROGRAM.
WE'RE ALSO GONNA LOOK AT HOW MUCH SOLAR IS ACTUALLY INSTALLED AS A RESULT OF THIS PROGRAM, UM, IN THE DALLAS AREA, NOT JUST IN THE DALLAS AREA, BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SISTER CITIES IN NORTH TEXAS THAT ALSO PARTICIPATE.
SO WE'LL GET NOT ONLY LOCAL INFORMATION, BUT REGIONAL INFORMATION.
UM, AND A PART OF THIS PROGRAM, ALTHOUGH WE'RE OFF A GREAT BENEFIT, IS THE REDUCED INSTALLATION COST.
BUT THERE'S AN EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT TO THIS.
SO THERE'S, UM, YOU KNOW, SHARING THIS INFORMATION LETS RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, KNOW THAT THERE'S HELP OUT THERE TO NAVIGATE THIS SYSTEM.
AND IT'S BECOME KIND OF, UM, COMPLICATED.
WE'VE GOTTEN LOTS OF CALLS PERSONALLY IN OUR OFFICE FROM RESIDENTS WANTING TO KNOW, UM, INFORMATION ON INSTALLERS.
SO I, I REALLY LIKE THE FACT THAT THIS PROGRAM'S GONNA DO THAT VETTING PIECE FOR THE RESIDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE WITH THEIR INSTALLATION.
UM, SO THIS SLIDE ILLUSTRATES SOME OF OUR NEXT STEPS.
UH, PROGRAM OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED IN JUNE LAST WEEK.
WE DID BRIEF OUR E M B S COMMITTEE, UM, AND WE SENT OUT, UM, THE PERSONAL EMAILS, UM, AND OFFER LETTERS ARE GONNA BE GOING OUT BY JULY 5TH.
UM, AND THE DECISION DEADLINE IS ON AUGUST 9TH, SO THERE'S STILL TIME TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CURRENT AUCTION PERIOD.
UM, SO, AND GO ONLINE TO SOLAR SWITCH DALLAS.COM AND, AND, AND CHECK OUT THAT INFORMATION.
AND WE'LL BE COMING BACK AFTER THE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE YOU
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WITH RESULTS AND INFORMATION ON HOW THAT PROGRAM'S GOING.HEY, THERE, ANY QUESTIONS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER THAT COMMISSIONER DUR TO, UH, SLIDE HOW? RIGHT, SO MY QUESTION IS, I WAS LOOKING AT THE CHART.
IT WAS SAYING YOU PAID 13,000 FOR SOLAR WITH THE DEDUCTIBLE, WITH THE, UH, DEDUCTIBLE POSSIBLE REFUND DEDUCTIBLE, YOU END UP PAYING 9,600.
IS THAT LIKE YOU HAVE TO PAY THAT UPFRONT OR IS IT LIKE A LINE OF CREDIT THAT HOMEOWNER WILL HAVE TO APPLY FOR TO GET SOLAR OR IT'S A LINE OF CREDIT? NO.
SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OPTIONS.
I'LL, I'LL LET OUR SON REPRESENTATIVE EXPLAIN, SETTLE THOSE TO YOU.
I'M WITH SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS.
SO THIS, UH, THE IMAGE ON THIS SLIDE IS A SAMPLE PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION.
SO THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT, UM, I'M TRYING TO SEE THE, THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT EVERYONE WILL BE PROPOSED 5.5 KILOWATTS, BUT, UM, ACCORDING TO THIS PERSON'S ENERGY USAGE AND SOLAR GOALS, 5.5 KILOWATTS WAS THE PROPOSED PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION, UM, PATTERNS.
AND, UM, THE, SO THE, THE COST AT THE BOTTOM, SO THERE'S THE 13,092, AND THEN, UM, A POSSIBLE TAX CREDIT, WHICH OF COURSE IS DEPENDENT UPON YOUR, UH, TAX LIABILITY.
UM, BUT IT'S A 30% TAX CREDIT THAT CAN BE SPREAD OUT OVER, UM, OVER MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE YEARS IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE TAX LIABILITY TO TAKE IT ALL IN ONE YEAR.
UM, AND THEN THAT FINAL COST, IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE CASH AVAILABLE, YOU CAN PAY THAT ALL.
UM, IF NOT, THERE'S A VARIETY OF FINANCING OPTIONS.
UM, SO THE INSTALLER WILL HAVE INSTALLER BASED FINANCING, UM, AND SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS HAS A, A PRETTY ROBUST RESOURCE ON DIFFERENT FINANCING OPTIONS.
UM, WE ARE FINANCING NEUTRAL, SO SOME FOLKS CHOOSE TO DO A HOME EQUITY LINE OF CREDIT OR, UM, GO TO A LOCAL BANK OR CREDIT UNION, UM, OR JUST GET, YOU KNOW, A STANDARD BANK LOAN.
SO THERE'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT FINANCING OPTIONS.
UM, WE DON'T DICTATE THE FINANCING.
IT'S, IT'S UP TO EACH INDIVIDUAL PERSON TO MAKE THAT DECISION FOR THEMSELVES.
WELL, I WAS JUST ASKING BECAUSE IN THE COMMUNITY I LIVE, I, I LIVE IN JO, AND SO SOLAR IS POPPING UP IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I WOULD WOULDN'T MIND HAVING THAT ON MY HOUSE.
BUT THE FINANCIAL COST IS WHAT'S KIND OF CONCERNING ME FOR SWITCHING OVER TO SOLAR.
AND SO THAT WHEN I SEEN THE DIAGRAM THAT JUST KIND OF LIKE, OH, NO, I DON'T WANT SOLAR.
NO, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE MY HOUSE PAID FOR, I'M TRYING NOT TO HAVE NO BILLS, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO, UH, IF IT WAS A DIFFERENT, THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION.
AND $150, YOU PAY THAT UPFRONT TOO, RIGHT? THAT'S A LOT.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION, IT'S DEFINITELY NOT A, IT'S NOT FREE SOLAR.
UM, AND WE RECOMMEND THAT IF ANYONE HEARS THEY'RE GETTING FREE SOLAR, IF THERE AREN'T, YOU KNOW, EXPLICIT DETAILS ABOUT IT BEING GRANT FUNDED, UM, BE WARY OF THAT
OKAY? AND THE $150 DEPOSIT IS FULLY REFUNDABLE.
SO IF YOU LIKE YOUR PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION, BUT THEN YOU DECIDE A LITTLE WHILE DOWN THE ROAD THAT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO DO A ROOF REPLACEMENT AND IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, UM, THEN THAT IS, THAT IS FULLY REFUNDABLE.
IT JUST INDICATES THAT YOU'RE REALLY SERIOUSLY INTERESTED IN MOVING FORWARD.
AND IT, AND IT IS DEDUCTED FROM THE TOTAL COST OF YOUR SYSTEM.
BUT IF YOU DON'T END UP, UM, GETTING SOLAR, YOU CAN GET THAT REFUND UP TO THE POINT OF SIGNING THE CONTRACT, UM, SIGNING AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRACT WITH THE SOLAR INSTALLER, WHICH COMES MUCH FURTHER DOWN THE LINE.
MY LAST QUESTION, WHAT IS A TAX LIABILITY? A TAX LIABILITY? SO I'M NOT, I'M NOT A A C P A
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BUT IF YOU, THAT MEANS IF YOU CARRY A LIABILITY, IF YOU, IF YOU OWE MONEY FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THEN YOU CAN RECEIVE THAT REBATE OFF OF WHAT YOU OWE AND YOU CAN SPREAD IT OVER MULTIPLE YEARS.AND SO IF ONE YEAR MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE THE LIABILITY OR YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY, THEN YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SPREAD THAT OUT.
BUT I DEFINITELY CHAT WITH YOUR C P A ON, ON HOW YOU CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT OPPORTUNITY.
OH, I DON'T OWE RAS, SO THANK YOU.
BUT THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING IT TO ME IN MY TAKE.
JACK, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER ANNE.
SO THIS, THESE QUESTIONS, I HAVE THREE QUESTIONS AND THEY COULD BE FOR MS. OR MS. GARCIA.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS JUST ABOUT THAT IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT THAT I WOULD ASSUME IS TAKING PLACE UP TO THE REGISTRATION.
AND ALL OF THE QUESTIONS LIKE COMMISSIONER DARROW JUST ASKED, WHO IS SUPPORTING THOSE SORT OF COUNSELING? IS THAT PART OF THE AGREEMENT WITH SOLAR UNITED OR IS THAT CITY STAFF? I'M GONNA ASK ALL THREE QUESTIONS FIRST AND THEN IF THAT'S OKAY.
AND THEN AS A PART OF THAT, IS THERE COUNSELING ON THE IMPORTANCE AND THE COST PICTURE FOR THE HOMEOWNER OF TAX LIABILITY AND OF THE EVENTUAL, UH, UTILITY THAT THEY WOULD BE? THERE'S SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE IMPACT ON THE TIME OF REPAYMENT FOR YOUR INVESTMENT, DEPENDING ON WHAT UTILITY YOU ARE WITH YOUR INVESTOR IN UTILITY FOR YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOU ALREADY AWARE OF THAT MM-HMM.
SO I WANNA HEAR ABOUT THAT AND WHERE THAT COMES IN AND WHO'S PROVIDING COUNCIL.
AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION, UM, IS ABOUT, UM, IF A CITY IS SEEKING POTENTIALLY ADDITIONAL GRANTS TO SORT OF COVER THE, THE TAX BURDEN OR NOT THE TAX BURDEN, THE COST BURDEN ACROSS THE RESIDENTS, LIKE $13,000 WILL BE DIFFERENT.
SO, UM, SO THIS, THAT WAS ALL THREE OF THE QUESTIONS.
UM, SO SUN IS A GREAT PARTNER AND THEY'VE HAD LOTS OF EXPERIENCE IN MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES WITH THIS EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT.
SO I'LL LET HANNAH AND AMERICA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THEIR, UM, OFFERINGS IN THAT AREA.
SO IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, SOLAR TECHNICAL QUEST QUESTIONS OR CUSTOMER SUPPORT, UM, BOTH SUN AND EYE CHOOSER HAVE HELP DESKS.
AND, UM, SO FOR TEXAS SOLAR SWITCH SPECIFICALLY, THERE IS A, UH, THERE'S A TEXT, THERE'S A HOUSTON BASED CALL CENTER THAT IS STAFFED, I WANNA SAY MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
UM, AND THEN SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS ALSO HAS A HELP DESK.
SO WE HANDLE, UH, WE HANDLE ALL OF THE QUESTIONS THAT COME IN FROM PARTICIPANTS.
UM, SO THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR.
UH, AND THEN IN TERMS OF CHOOSING A RETAIL ELECTRICITY PROVIDER, UH, SO TO, TO COMPLIMENT YOUR SOLAR, SOLAR, UNITED NEIGHBORS WORKS WITH, UH, TEXAS POWER GUIDE, AND, UM, AS PART OF THE PROGRAM, WE RECOMMEND THAT ANYONE WHO IS CONSIDERING SOLAR GET A CUSTOM REPORT FROM TEXAS POWER GUIDE.
SUN COVERS ALL THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH GENERATING THESE INDIVIDUAL REPORTS.
UM, AND ANYONE WHO REQUESTS AN INDIVIDUAL REPORT WILL, UM, GET A BREAKDOWN OF WHICH RETAIL ELECTRICITY PROVIDER WOULD BEST COMPLIMENT THEIR INDIVIDUAL ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION PATTERNS AT THE TIME THAT THE REPORT IS RUN.
SO, AS YOU'RE AWARE, THE RETAIL ELECTRICITY PLANS ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE PROVIDE THIS RESOURCE TO, UH, HELP PEOPLE MAKE A DECISION ABOUT, UM, WHICH RETAIL ELECTRICITY PROVIDER TO, UH, TO CHOOSE NOW THAT THEY HAVE SOLAR.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A THIRD QUESTION MAY, I THINK THERE WAS A THIRD QUESTION THAT REFERENCED GRANTS.
IT MIGHT BE FOUR OH GRANTS FOR THE CITY.
SO, SO IF I, I CAN, I CAN ANSWER THE, THE CITY INCENTIVE PROGRAM QUESTION.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, A LITTLE BIT ON THE, LOOKING AT THE PAYBACK.
UM, Y'ALL KNOW, I'M A LITTLE ON THE NERDY SIDE.
SO I LOOKED AT MY BILLS FOR A YEAR, UM, AND I CALCULATED HOW QUICKLY I WOULD PAY OFF THAT INITIAL FUND.
I WOULD NOTE THAT THE 13,000 THEY'RE SHOWING HERE
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IS MUCH LESS THAN THE TYPICAL 15 TO 20 THAT IF YOU OR I DID THIS WITHOUT THIS PROGRAM, WOULD BE LOOKING AT.SO THERE IS SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS TO THIS.
TYPICALLY, THE PAYBACK IS WITHIN FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS, WHICH ON MOST CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS IS CONSIDERED GOOD.
BUT THAT IS A CALCULATION THAT I THINK YOU WANNA LOOK AT.
UM, AND YOU WANNA LOOK AT THE SIZE VERSUS THE OVERALL, UM, GENERATION THAT YOU USE IN A YEAR SO THAT YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO GET THOSE BILLS.
UM, I HAVE USED THE TEXAS POWER GUIDE.
UM, AND I HAVE SOLAR, SO I, I, I USED IT TO, TO SEE HOW I COULD DO BETTER.
UM, ON THE QUESTION OF THE CITY PROVIDING INCENTIVES, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN ASKED ABOUT.
WE DO NOT YET HAVE THAT PROGRAM LINED OUT AS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD AND SHOULD CONSIDER.
UH, WE DO NOT YET HAVE THAT AS, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD PUT IN A BUDGET REQUEST OR, UM, WE CERTAINLY WOULD LOOK AT IT IF WE COULD GET FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS.
AND THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE IN THE QUEUE, THEY JUST HAVEN'T COME OUT YET.
UM, I, WE, WE HAVE CONSIDERED IT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT IT, WE'RE JUST NOT THERE YET.
UM, BECAUSE WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, ONE OF THE UPFRONT BARRIERS IS THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAVE 15 OR $20,000 SITTING AROUND, UH, THAT THEY CAN PLOP ON SOME SOLAR PANELS.
AND SO FIGURING OUT HOW TO GET, UM, WHAT REALLY IS, UM, A GOOD AMENITY PAID FOR UPFRONT, IT'S THAT UPFRONT BARRIER THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT.
I I WILL TELL YOU MY ELECTRIC BILL LAST MONTH WAS 96 CENTS.
AND SO IF YOU ARE IN A HOUSEHOLD WHERE A BIG CHUNK OF YOUR MONTHLY BUDGET IS GOING TOWARDS ENERGY COSTS, IT IS A CONSIDERABLE SAVINGS, UM, AND WILL MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
WE JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN OVERCOME THAT INITIAL COST, UM, TO BENEFIT THE FOLKS THAT PROBABLY COULD USE IT THE MOST.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO COMMISSIONER WALLACE AND THEN TO, UH, COMMISSIONER LATON.
AND I'VE GOT, UM, AT LEAST FOUR QUESTIONS HERE OR STATEMENTS.
UM, ONE IS, I, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME JUST SAY I LOVE SOLO UNITED NEIGHBORS.
I'M SO HAPPY Y'ALL ARE ON, UM, ON THE BLOCK AND, UM, THAT THE CITY HAS SET THIS UP.
UM, I, I DO, HOWEVER, UH, DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO SACRIFICE A COUPLE OF THINGS FOR PRICE, AND THAT IS WORKER SAFETY AND QUALITY INSTALLATION.
UM, AND I RECENTLY DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH I CHOOSER.
SO, UM, SUN DOES A GREAT JOB OF CONSUMER EDUCATION AND CONSUMER, UM, ADVOCACY.
THE THING THAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT, UH, WHEN AN INSPECTOR COMES OUT TO INSPECT A SOLAR INSTALLATION, THEY NEVER HAVE TO GET ON THE ROOF.
SO A BIG CONCERN I HAVE IS QUALITY WIRE MANAGEMENT, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS BODY REQUIRE, UM, A PHOTO OF THE WIRE MANAGEMENT THAT'S DONE IN THESE CASES, UM, SO THAT IT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT HAVING A, UM, AND THIS IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY ON AN ASPHALT SHINGLE ROOF, UH, WITH OUR WEATHER, UH, TEMPERATURE EXTREMES IN, UM, IN OUR STATE.
UM, EVEN AN INSULATED PIECE OF WIRE WILL SLIGHTLY RUB ACROSS THE ASPHALT SHINGLE, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST TWICE A DAY, UM, WHEN WE HIT OUR HIGH AND OUR LOW.
SO, UM, HAVING ANY WIRES HANGING DOWN, TOUCHING THE ROOF FROM AN, UM, A SOLAR PANEL IS UNACCEPTABLE IN MY OPINION.
AND, UM, AND IT'S JUST NOT THAT HARD TO DO, UH, QUALITY WIRE MANAGEMENT.
SO I BRING THAT UP AS SOMETHING I'D LIKE FOR THIS BODY TO CONSIDER AS, UM, A REQUIREMENT.
UM, STILL IN THE INDUSTRY, UH, WORKERS ARE GETTING PAID PRETTY MUCH WHAT SOMEBODY COULD GO MAKE AT AN AMAZON WAREHOUSE.
UM, THE DIFFERENCE IS THERE IS A PATHWAY OF ADVANCEMENT IN THIS INDUSTRY, BUT, UM, THERE IS NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR SAFETY HARNESSES.
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WHAT CAN BE DONE, UH, FOR WORKER SAFETY.I JUST WANNA PUT IT OUT THERE BECAUSE, AND THAT'S ANOTHER POINT FOR CONSUMER PROTECTION.
UH, AND THEN WE OFTEN HEAR IN THE INDUSTRY, PEOPLE SAY, OH, WELL, I WAS ADVISED BY THE INSTALLER JUST TO TRIM THESE TREES BACK, AND NOTHING MAKES ME MORE ANGRY THAN DRIVING BY AN INSTALLATION THAT'S IN SHADE.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT THAT IS AN ETHICS, UH, STANDARD THAT WE'RE GOING TO SET, THAT, UM, TREE WORK IS EXPENSIVE, FIRST OF ALL.
AND, UM, SECONDLY, IF, UH, THAT SHOULD NOT BE, UM, THAT SHOULDN'T BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION WITH SOMEBODY WHO'S NOT AS INFORMED ABOUT SOLAR AS SOME OF THE REST OF US.
UM, SO I MEAN, I DRIVE BY TWO HOMES EVERY SINGLE DAY ON MY WAY TO WORK IN SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK THAT ARE, UM, INSTALLED IN A HUNDRED PERCENT SHADE MAKES ME MAD EVERY TIME I DRIVE BY.
SO THOSE TO ME, ARE ALL ABOUT CONSUMER PROTECTION.
UH, THE WORKER SAFETY MIGHT NOT SOUND LIKE IT, BUT IN THE END IT'S ABOUT PROTECTING THAT HOMEOWNER AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY IS AN ACTUAL QUESTION, AND THAT IS ON BACK ON THE TAX FORM.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONER DERE ASKED ABOUT, UM, TAX LIABILITY.
THIS IS A 30% TAX CREDIT OFF OF YOUR FEDERAL INCOME TAX LIABILITY, NOT ANY OTHER, I MEAN, SO IT'S NOT RELATED TO SALES TAX, NOT RELATED TO ANYTHING LOCAL OR STATE.
IT IS FEDERAL INCOME TAX LIABILITY.
UM, DO, DO YOU ALL, DOES SOME PROVIDE SUPPORT ON HELPING THE HOMEOWNER KNOW WHICH FORM TO FILE? AND IF SOMEBODY DOES NOT HAVE TAX BURDEN, HAS US TREASURY DEPARTMENT FIGURED OUT HOW A REBATE CAN BE OFFERED? OKAY, SO ON THE FIRST QUESTION, SO I THINK YOUR OTHER, SO I'LL TAKE, I'LL TAKE, UH, THE LAST QUESTION FOR SUN FIRST.
SO, UM, WHENEVER I WOULD SAY ON A YEARLY OR BIANNUAL BASIS, WE SEND OUT, UM, WE SEND OUT COMMUNICATION TO EVERYONE WHO HAS GONE SOLAR RECENTLY PROVIDING THE, UH, CORRECT TAX FORM TO FILL OUT SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE THE TAX CREDIT.
UM, AND, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE TAX CREDIT AS PART OF OUR INFORMATION SESSIONS, BUT WE DON'T SPELL OUT THE EXACT TAX FORM NUMBER, BUT WE SEND IT OUT VIA EMAIL WITH A LINK TO IT.
UM, AND THAT'S FOR, WE DO IT FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS GONE SOLAR RECENTLY.
SO WE DO IT ON A REGULAR BASIS SO THAT PEOPLE AREN'T, UM, YOU KNOW, FORGETTING IT WHEN THEY GO TO DO THEIR TAXES.
UH, AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE DIRECT PAY, SO AS PART OF THE, SO CONTEXT HERE IS PART OF THE, UM, INFLATION REDUCTION ACT THAT WAS PASSED, UH, ALMOST A YEAR AGO NOW AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, AT THE FEDERAL CONGRESSIONAL LEVEL.
UM, THERE SHOULD BE
UM, I DON'T THINK THERE IS A PROVISION FOR INDIVIDUALS TO GET THAT AS DIRECT PAY.
UM, BUT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE DIRECT PAY PROVISIONS HAVE NOT BEEN, UH, WRITTEN OUT BY THE I R S.
SO SUN IS FOLLOWING THAT VERY CLOSELY, AND WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE, UM, AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD LIKE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT, AND WE WANNA HELP THEM TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
UM, SO AS SOON AS WE SEE GUIDANCE ON HOW TO DO THAT, UM, WE'LL BE LETTING FOLKS KNOW.
BUT, UH, IT HASN'T BEEN WRITTEN AGAIN, TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
AND, AND THEN TRACY, THE WIRE MANAGEMENT AND THE WORKER SAFETY AND THE SHADING, THOSE WERE, THOSE WERE STATEMENTS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO DIVE INTO, OR WERE THOSE, UH, I GUESS THOSE WEREN'T QUESTION WERE THOSE QUESTIONS FOR SUN? UM, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT HELPS US, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY CLARITY ON THOSE THINGS THAT, UM, I'M JUST SAYING, I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT IN THAT INSPECTORS IN THE DALLAS AREA DO NOT HAVE TO INSPECT THE ROOFTOP INSTALLATION.
UM, SO HOW CAN CONSUMERS, OTHER THAN A REQUIREMENT OF A PHOTO OF WIRE MANAGEMENT, UH, HOW CAN THEY BE ASSURED, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S A SAFETY ISSUE? YEAH.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T
[00:35:01]
WANT TO SUGGEST A POLICY THAT ONLY APPLIES TO ONE PROGRAM AND DOESN'T APPLY TO ALL SOLAR INSTALLATIONS IN DALLAS, PERIOD.UM, AND SO I GUESS I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO Y'ALL TO DECIDE HOW, HOW YOU'RE MANAGING WIRES ON A JURISDICTION BASIS.
UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFIC GUIDANCE.
THE, YOU KNOW, THE PERMITTING AND REVIEW IS REALLY CITY BY CITY BASED, UM, IN TERMS OF THE CONCERN ABOUT SHADING.
UM, THERE, THERE, WE ALSO DON'T WANNA SEE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA SEE INSTALLATIONS GOING UP THAT AREN'T, UH, GOING TO BENEFIT THE HOMEOWNER.
SO, UM, AN INITIAL ROOF REVIEW IS ALWAYS PART OF THE PROCESS.
UM, AND WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HOPE THAT, UH, NO INSTALLATIONS ARE GOING UP IN AN AREA THAT HAS UNDUE SHADING.
IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT A SMART THING, IT'S NOT A SMART INVESTMENT.
UM, I ALSO MENTIONED WORKER SAFETY, AND SO THIS GOES BACK TO ME, TO, UM, THE SELECTION OF THE INSTALLERS AND, UM, AND I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT ON, ON NOT REQUIRING IT OF SOME CITYWIDE, UH, PROGRAM.
BUT THIS IS, UM, THIS IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE SUN AND I CHOOSER ARE BENEFITING FROM THIS.
UM, SO I, IT'S, AND, AND THERE'S SUCH GOOD CONSUMER EDUCATION AND USHERING UP UNTIL THAT POINT, HOW WOULD IT BE DIFFERENT TO HAVE SOME ASSURANCE AFTER THE INSTALLATION ON THE QUALITY OF WIRE MANAGEMENT? I JUST, QUITE FRANKLY, CAN'T SPEAK TO WIRE MANAGEMENT SO I CAN GET SOMEONE ELSE WITHIN SUN, BUT IT'S REALLY NOT
UM, I DO KNOW THAT HAVING, YOU KNOW, PERMITTING, WE, WE DON'T WANT UNDO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO MAKE THAT BALANCE BETWEEN PERMITTING THAT IS ENSURING SAFETY ON SOMETHING THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, GENERATING A LOT OF, UM, ADDITIONAL WORK FOR CITY STAFF AND FOR THE INSTALLERS TO SUBMIT.
UM, BECAUSE IN THOSE INSTANCES, YOU WOULD HAVE JUST VERY, VERY, VERY LONG LINES OF PERMITS WAITING TO BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED, AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE, YOU KNOW, MADE INITIAL INVESTMENT ON THEIR SOLAR SYSTEM, BUT DON'T HAVE THEIR SYSTEM TURNED ON.
UM, SO I CAN TAKE THAT BACK, UH, TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THE FOLKS ON STAFF WHO ARE NAB CERTIFIED, BUT I'M NOT, UNFORTUNATELY.
THANKS, MS. STEEL, WILL YOU MAKE A NOTE TO, UM, FOLLOW UP AND GET THAT INFORMATION TO COMMISSIONER WALLACE? THANK YOU.
LACKMAN, THANK YOU FOR WAITING.
UM, YEAH, I, UM, I, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, THAT CAME UP.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK A SIMPLE, FAIRLY SIMPLE QUESTION, AT LEAST I HOPE TO ANSWER.
UH, I DON'T SEE ANY CONFLICT IN WHAT YOU PRESENTED WITH SOME OF THE LEGISLATION THAT PASSED THE STATE IN TERMS OF HOUSE, I THINK IT'S 2175, THAT RESTRICTS WHAT CITIES CAN DO.
HAVE WE LOOKED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROGRAM DOESN'T, CONFLICT DOESN'T SOUND TO ME LIKE IT DOES, BUT, UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS STILL REVIEWING, UH, THE RECENT LEGISLATION AS FAR AS LOCAL IMPACTS.
UM, I THINK THE, THE GREATER IMPACT LIKELY WOULD BE IF WE REQUIRED ALL NEW HOMES TO PUT SOLAR.
AND, AND WE DO NOT HAVE THAT REQUIREMENT ANYWHERE IN OUR CODES AT PRESENT.
AND THIS IS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM WHICH OFFERS A SERVICE TO PEOPLE, CORRECT.
IT, IT'S NOT A, UM, REQUIREMENT CORRECT.
SO I DON'T THINK IT IS AN HASSLE.
UM, A SECOND, UM, AREA THAT I HAVE SOME CONCERN ABOUT, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THROUGH LOOKING AT A BUNCH OF SOLAR CONTRACTORS IN TERMS OF, UH, MY, MY OWN, UH, MY OWN HOME.
AND, UH, I, UH, LIVE IN A, A HOUSE THAT HAS A LOT OF OLD TREES AND, UM, I'VE HAD CONTRACTORS WHO WOULDN'T OFFER A BID BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE ON DOING ANYTHING TO THE TREES.
AND THEN I'VE HAD OTHERS ON THE OTHER END OF IT THAT TOLD ME THEY WERE GONNA CUT 'EM DOWN, WHICH I WASN'T APPROVAL OF EITHER.
UH, ALSO IN MY AREA, WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH ENCORE, UH, WHEN THEY WENT TO DO SOME OF THEIR POWER LINE TRIPPING, UM, DOING DAMAGE TO, UH, OLDER TREES TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY HAD TO BE REMOVED BECAUSE OF MALFEASANCE BY ENCORE AND
[00:40:01]
THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION INVOLVEMENT.SO I AM, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT HOW WE ASSURE THAT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IF I'M GOING TO HAVE SOLAR IN MY HOUSE, I HAVE TO TRIM THE TREES BACK SO THAT THE PANELS CAN BE PLACED.
AND, AND WHAT I'VE LEARNED, YOU KNOW, FROM TALKING TO VARIOUS CONTRACTORS IS IT'S A BALANCE.
AND I'M CONCERNED IF AT IN A PROGRAM THAT IF WE ARE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO PEOPLE, THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS CONSIDER NOT ONLY THE SOLAR, BUT ALSO THE TREES.
SO DO WE HAVE ANY, ANY WAY OF LOOKING AT THAT AND MAKING SURE? I, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT I THINK MOST INSTALLERS, UM, THERE'S, THERE ARE ONLINE TOOLS, UH, WHERE THEY CAN CHECK RELATIVE SHADE AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY ON ROOFTOPS.
UM, I KNOW I HAVE VERY LARGE TREES IN MY BACKYARD.
UM, I HAD TRIMMED THEM BACK AWAY FROM THE HOUSE JUST BECAUSE OF ROOF DAMAGE.
UM, BUT WE DID NOT TAKE OUT ANY TREES.
AND, UM, THAT IS A CONSIDERATION.
AND THERE ARE SOME HOMES, UM, THAT HAVE THE BLESSING OF TREES AND, AND TREES GIVE YOU A GOOD 20 TO 30 DEGREES IN THE SUMMER.
SO I, YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE ENERGY SAVINGS, BUT, UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER PROGRAMS LIKE COMMUNITY SOLAR, SO THAT YOU CAN GET SOLAR WITHOUT TAKING YOUR TREES OUT, IF THAT'S THE CASE.
OR YOU COULD HAVE ACCESS TO SOLAR, UM, PERHAPS IF YOU'RE IN A RENTAL SITUATION OR MULTIFAMILY.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS OF BRINGING FORWARD ACCESS TO SOLAR POWER.
UM, IT'S JUST NOT IN THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FAR.
SO LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR, UH, NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
WE'RE GONNA GO INTO OUR BRIEFING MEMORANDUMS. ITEM A IS A 2023 EQUITY INDICATORS REPORT UPDATE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE INDICATORS.
UM, AS YOU MAY RECALL, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION TO ADD ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY INDICATORS TO THE CITY'S, UH, RACIAL EQUITY PLAN WAS, UH, APPROVED IN JANUARY OF 20 21, 22.
UM, AND THEN WE VOTED, UM, SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE APPROVED THE PROPOSED INDICATORS RECOMMENDED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SUBCOMMITTEE IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.
UH, THE UPDATE HERE IS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE ALL 60 INDICATORS FINALIZED BY JULY 1ST.
UH, PHASE TWO WOULD GO INTO A NARRATIVE UPDATE IN THE WRITING PHASE.
AND SO THE DELIVERABLE THERE WOULD BE PRELIMINARY DRAFT COMPLETE FILE, LOOKS LIKE END OF JULY.
AND THEN PHASE THREE WOULD BE THE REVIEW MODIFICATION AND FINALIZATION OF THAT REPORT WITH A DELIVERABLE, UH, LOOKS LIKE LATE AUGUST.
UM, SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? WE'RE MOVING RIGHT ALONG ON THESE.
MAKE SURE NOBODY VIRTUAL HAS ANY QUESTIONS.
YOU MAY GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER HERMO, JUST WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE, UH, FOR WRITING THAT MEMO AND THEN HAVING, UH, IT REALIZED IN THIS NEXT STEP, THE FORMALIZATION.
I DON'T SEE ANYBODY VIRTUAL WITH ANY QUESTIONS.
BRIEFING ITEM MEMORANDUM B IS AN UPDATE ON OUR LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND WITH US TONIGHT WE HAVE MS. MALDEN, DO YOU WANNA PROVIDE A QUICK UPDATE? YEAH.
UM, SO AS YOU KNOW, THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IS OVER.
UM, IN OUR UPDATE, WE HAVE STATUS OF BILLS, WHETHER THEY PASSED OR WERE SENT TO THE GOVERNOR FOR SIGNATURE OR, UM, WHETHER THE GOVERNOR, UH, HAS SIGNED THEM AND THEY'VE, THEY'VE PASSED AND WILL BE EFFECTIVE, MOST OF THEM STARTING IN SEPTEMBER.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF ANYONE HAS, UM, SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR ME ON, ON BILLS, BUT, UM, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S KIND OF AS FAR AS OUR UPDATE GOES THIS TIME, UM, SINCE WE DID, UM, IN SESSION.
UM, I WILL ALSO NOTE THAT THE CITY JUST SUBMITTED COMMENTS TO T C E Q REGARDING, UH, REGARDING CONCRETE BATCH PLANT PERMITTING,
[00:45:02]
UM, WHICH IS, UH, TANGENTIAL TO, TO A BILL THAT WAS PASSED ON THAT.UM, BUT IF, IF FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS ON SPECIFIC ITEMS OR ANYTHING, HAPPY TO, UM, DO MY BEST TO ANSWER.
UM, WE'LL ALSO MENTION THAT, UM, FOR THE SPECIAL SESSION THAT IS HAPPENING, UM, IT'S KIND OF A, A HURRY UP AND WAIT GAME RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE GOVERNOR IS, UM, REALLY JUST FOCUSING ON, ON PROPERTY TAX RELIEF IN THIS SESSION CURRENTLY.
SO WE'RE KIND OF, UM, SITTING AND WAITING, UM, FOR PERHAPS ANOTHER SPECIAL SESSION TO BE CALLED.
WE DON'T THINK THAT ANYTHING, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL RELATED WILL BE HAPPENING IN THIS SPECIAL SESSION.
BUT, UM, THOSE ARE MY, THOSE ARE MY ITEMS, BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IF FOLKS HAVE THEM.
I JUST WANNA BRIEFLY TOUCH ON HOUSE BILL 2127.
UH, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF WHAT THAT MEANS FOR CITIES AND THEIR ABILITY TO, UH, HAVE LOCAL CONTROL.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO PROVIDE? YES, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION TOO.
UM, OUR, OUR ATTORNEYS ARE WORKING TO FIGURE OUT HOW SPECIFICALLY THAT'S IMPACTING THE CITY, UM, ALONG WITH, YOU KNOW, MANY OTHER CITIES, UM, ATTORNEY'S OFFICES.
SO, UH, STILL IN THE PROCESS OF KIND OF FIGURING OUT SPECIFICS OF HOW THAT'LL IMPACT CODE, UM, YEAH, DEFINITELY, UH, NOT IN, NOT IN VERY MANY GOOD WAYS AS Y'ALL ALL KNOW.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. MALDEN? OKAY.
VIRTUAL, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US THIS EVENING.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON TO BRIEFING MEMORANDUMS C WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR UPDATE ON HENSLEY FIELD REDEVELOPMENT AND REMEDIATION ON THIS ITEM.
WE'VE BEEN BRIEFED ON HENSLEY FIELD BEFORE.
AS YOU MAY RECALL, THIS WAS A FORMER, UH, NAVAL AIR STATION THAT CLOSED IN 1999.
UH, THE NAVY HAD A DEADLINE TO COMPLETE REMEDIATION, UH, IN 2017 IN THAT PAST, AND THE REMEDIATION IS STILL NOT COMPLETE.
IF YOU'LL JUST MUTE THAT, PLEASE.
THE NAVY HAS INFORMED THE CITY THAT WE HAVE PER AND POLYFLOR ALCOHOL SUBSTANCES, P F A S ON THE PROPERTY.
UM, THE P F A S IS IN THE SOIL AND IN THE GROUNDWATER.
SO THE CITY IS CURRENTLY EXPLORING A PATH FORWARD TO SAFELY REDEVELOP THAT SITE AND HAS CREATED A MASTER REDEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED IN DECEMBER OF THIS PAST YEAR.
AND SO THE CITY IS CURRENTLY NEGOTIATING AN AMENDMENT TO THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE NAVY, UH, TO REACH A LONG-TERM RESOLUTION THAT'S GONNA GOVERN THAT REMAINING REMEDIATION IN THE FUTURE.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? NO.
COMMISSIONER RE THEY GONNA BE, THEY GONNA BE A RESIDENTIAL HOUSES AT THIS SITE? YEAH.
AND I CAN'T RECALL WHEN THE BRIEFING WAS THAT WE HAD LAST, BUT THERE WAS A, UH, THERE'S A REDEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT'S ON THE INTERNET AND, UH, THAT WE CAN SHARE THE LINK TO AGAIN, JUST TO REFRESH EVERYBODY'S MEMORY.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S BEEN A WHILE, BUT IT'S A, IT'S AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT YES.
AFTER THE REMEDIATION IS COMPLETED.
SO, AND A SCHOOL, UH, SO WITH THE P F A S AND THE SOIL AND, AND GROUNDWATER, THEY'RE GONNA, THEY GONNA MAKE SURE THEY GET IT ALL OUT TO BE A SCHOOL AND A RESIDENTIAL AREA ON THE, THAT'S THE PLAN.
THAT'S KIND OF CONCERNING TO ME, BUT, OKAY.
MR. MARQUIS, THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.
I KNOW COMMISSIONER DANKER WAS TAKING A LOOK AT THIS AND, AND YOU ARE SEARCHING THE PFA ISSUE.
MY QUESTION IS THIS, HAVE WE EVER KNOWN OF A DOLLAR FIGURE NEEDED TO FULLY CLEAN UP INFIELD AND GENERALLY EVER PUT A FULL DOLLAR FIGURE ON THAT? AND IF NOT, WHY NOT? AND IF SO, HOW MUCH IS IT? AND WHERE WOULD WE FIND THAT MONEY? IS THAT A NAVAL RESPONSIBILITY? IS THAT SOMETHING OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION NEEDS TO TAKE ON? DO WE TAKE THAT TO THE PENTAGON OR THE WHITE HOUSE IF WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THIS IN HINSLEY FIELD AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF DEVELOPMENTS OF TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS, 740 ACRES OF LAND IN SOUTHWEST DALLAS, WE KNOW, KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S GONNA COST,
[00:50:01]
WHERE THE MONEY'S GONNA COME FROM, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO DO THE WORK? I CAN TELL YOU WHAT I KNOW, WHICH IS NOT MUCHUM, SO THAT IS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
UM, I SUSPECT IT IS AT THE CORE OF THE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE NAVY.
I'M CERTAINLY WILLING TO SEE WHAT I CAN FIND OUT AND WHAT WE CAN SHARE BECAUSE IT, IT IS, UM, THOSE NEGOTIATIONS ARE BEING HELD, UM, BUT NOT NECESSARILY PUBLICLY.
SO CAN WE GET A TIMELINE ON THAT? HAVE ANY IDEA? I I'M HAPPY TO GET IT TO YOU AS SOON AS I CAN GET IT IF THERE IS THAT ANSWER.
YEAH, BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON THAT BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA MOVE THIS FORWARD IS TO KNOW SPECIFICALLY HOW MUCH IT'S GONNA COST TO REMEDIATE WHERE THE MONEY'S GONNA COME FROM AND WHEN THAT'S GONNA GET DONE.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE I'M JUST LOOKING@HENSLEYFIELD.COM.
THERE'S PROJECT REPORTS AND, AND THERE ARE SOME PHASING COST BACKUP AND FEASIBILITY CALCULATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT MAY BE WORTH TAKING A LOOK AT SOME ENVIRONMENTAL EPIC FAQS, UM, AND JUST THE GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN, UM, THERE.
SO WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AND SEE WHAT STAFF CAN FIND AS WELL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? ANYONE VIRTUAL? OKAY, LET US MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO OUR DISCUSSION ITEM.
ITEM A IS A DISCUSSION ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION ON ABOUT BATCH PLANT BUFFER DISTANCES.
CHAIRWOMAN THOMPSON, YOU'LL RECOGNIZE FOR AN UPDATE ON THAT RECOMMENDATION.
UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO OUR, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, WHO HAVE WORKED ON THIS.
AND I AM GOING TO YIELD, UH, MY TIME TO, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR VICE CHAIR NEAR MS. RENEE ROBERTSON, UH, 58.
AND SO SHE CAN SPEAK ON THE, UH, THE BATCH PLANT RECOMMENDATION.
I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT HELPED WORK ON THIS.
UH, WE DID, UH, BACKGROUND ARTICLES AND FROM THE LITERATURE WE PUT THIS, UM, DOCUMENT TOGETHER.
UM, WHAT NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTOOD IS THAT A, UH, PARTICULATE MATTER OR, UH, IS THE SIZE OF A STRAND OF HAIR.
AND IF THAT GETS IN YOUR LUNG, THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN COUGH THAT OUT.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE LOOKED AT IN THE DOCUMENTATION, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE A FIGHTING CHANCE AND 400 FEET IS NOT A FIGHTING CHANCE.
SO WE NEEDED FURTHER AWAY BECAUSE WE HAVE EVIDENCE, AND THESE ARE NOT, THIS IS NOT WIKIPEDIA.
THESE ARE PEER REVIEWED ARTICLES SHOWING WHERE THE PARTICULATE MATTER MATTER TRAVELS FOR MILES.
SO YOU DON'T KNOW HOW FAR IT WILL GO.
AND YOU, THEY DO KNOW FOR SURE THAT THE DISTANCE IS SHORT.
SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A WINDY DAY, WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, PARTICULATE MATTER IN THE AIR.
AND YOU, WITH THAT IN MIND, WE ALSO LOOKED UP SOME OF THE DISEASES THAT IT CAUSES.
AND IT WENT TO IN THE GAMBIT OF, IT'S NOT JUST CHILDHOOD AND ADULT ASTHMA, IT'S LUNG CANCER, IT'S, UH, BIRTH DEFECTS, MOMS HAVING, UM, HEMORRHAGIC THINGS GONE.
IT, IT REALLY IS SCARY WHEN YOU START READING WHAT PEOPLE ARE EXPOSED TO WHEN THEY ARE THAT CLOSE TO, UH, BATCH PLANTS WITH THE MATERIALS AND THE TOXINS THAT COME OUT.
SO IN VIEW OF THAT, WE WANTED TO INCREASE THE DISTANCE.
UM, AND BASICALLY THAT WAS THE, THAT WAS THE GIST OF IT, BUT WE'RE NOT FINISHED YET.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WORKING BECAUSE, UH, DR.
WAGMAN AND SUE, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT GETTING P S I TO RUN SOME OF THEIR DATA.
WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS HOSPITALIZATIONS, UH, IN THAT ZIP CODE RELATED TO THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
BUT AS FAR AS THE BATCH PLAN BUFFER, THAT IS OUR RECOMMENDATION IS SIMPLY THAT THE DISTANCE BE CONSIDERED AND HOW MANY, UH, CONCENTRATED IN ONE AREA.
THEY ALL SEEM TO BE CONCENTRATED IN ONE AREA.
SO WE, WE, UH, ARE REQUESTING THAT THAT BE ADDRESSED.
ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? COMMISSIONER BIERA? UM, JUST TO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'VE DONE TO SPEAK UP FOR DISTRICT SIX RESIDENTS
[00:55:01]
IN WHICH WE FIND A CONCENTRATION OF BATCH PLANTS.I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS MOVING ON THROUGH AND, UH, LEGISLATION.
YEAH, I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH WE COMPLETED THE DOCUMENT, THAT'S JUST THE DOCUMENT, THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE FINISHED THE WORK, THE WORK, THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OR THE HEADER FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
UH, LET ME SORT OF FOLLOW UP ON, UH, THE WORK, THE WORK TO BE DONE.
UM, WITH THE LOCATION OF THE BATCH PLANTS, WE HAVE SOME EXCELLENT WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE IN TERMS OF, UH, VULNERABILITY IN TERMS OF CHILDHOOD ASTHMA AND OTHER THINGS DONE BY THE PARKLAND CENTER FOR CLINICAL INNOVATION.
AND THEY HAVE BROKEN, THEY CAN GET DOWN TO THE BLOCK AND ADDRESS LEVEL, BUT THEY'RE REALLY LOOKING AT VULNERABILITY TO A HOST OF DIFFERENT PROBLEMS AND COOLING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES BY, UH, BY, BY CENSUS TRACT.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAD REQUESTED IS THE, UM, LOCATIONS OF ALL THE BATCH PLANTS THAT WE KNOW ABOUT WITH ADDRESSES, BECAUSE THEN WE CAN LOOK AT THE VULNERABILITY JUST IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, UH, UH, MS. ROBERSON TALKED ABOUT AS TO IS THIS REALLY HAVING A PRACTICAL EFFECT ON THE HOSPITALIZATIONS THAT ARE, IS THE VULNERABILITY HIGHER? AND I, I'M WILLING TO BET IT WILL BE HIGHER BECAUSE OF THE PM 2.5 AND ITS EFFECT ON, ON CHILDHOOD ASTHMA.
BUT THAT REALLY WILL GIVE US AN IDEA AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE UTILITY OF THAT IN A DIFFERENT AREA.
UM, THERE'S WORK GOING ON, UM, UH, AT A LARGE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN, UH, WEST, UH, IN, UH, WEST DALLAS, UH, WHICH IS MAKING THE CASE FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH BASED ON THE VULNERABILITY INDEX.
THE DATA IS THAT REFINED AND THAT WELL DONE.
IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE THAT WE SHOULD BE USING ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND HERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LINK THE HEALTH DATA WITH THE, UM, UH, THE, THE, WITH AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE.
UM, FIRST IT COULD BE EITHER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE OR THE O Q S STAFF.
UM, WHAT IS THE AUTHORITY THAT THE CITY HAS, AGAIN, TO INCREASE THAT BUFFER ZONE TO, UH, LONGER DISTANCE AND, AND HOW, HOW WOULD THE CITY TRY TO GO ABOUT DOING THAT? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, THAT IS THE PHASE TWO OF THE BATCH PLANT REGULATIONS THAT MY COLLEAGUES IN THE PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON AND ARE PLANNING TO BRING FORWARD.
HOWEVER, UH, THAT PARTICULAR ITEM IS COVERED IN SOME OF THE AREAS OF THE STATE CODE THAT ARE IN SENATE BILL 2127, AND WE ARE WAITING TO SEE, UM, FROM THE ATTORNEYS WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE'VE BEEN ANY UPDATES ON THAT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL.
AND THEN THIS IS FOR, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SUBCOMMITTEE IN THE LAST LINE, IT TALKS ABOUT INCREASING THAT DISTANCE JUST FOR RESIDENTIAL AREAS, AND I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THAT WAS INTENTIONAL TO LEAVE OUT OTHER SENSITIVE POPULATIONS LIKE CHURCHES OR SCHOOLS, AND IF SO, WHY OR IF YOU'D BE OPEN TO ADDING OTHER SENSITIVE POPULATIONS TO THAT BUFFER ZONE.
IT'S JUST THAT AS WE WERE DOING THAT DOCUMENT, THE FOCUS WAS RESIDENTIAL BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON.
BATCH PLANTS ARE SET UP IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS, BUT IT, IT CAN BE EXPANDED.
AGAIN, THE DOCUMENT'S JUST THE STARTER, BUT IF THERE'S LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT YOU ALL PICK UP, SOMETIMES YOU NEED 20 PAIR EYES TO SEE SOMETHING.
SO IF YOU SEE SOMETHING IN THERE THAT WOULD HELP OR THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED THAT WE MISSED, BY ALL MEANS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEND THAT TO US, WE CAN ADD IT AND WE CAN ALWAYS MAKE AMENDMENTS TO THE DOCUMENT.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? THANK YOU TO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
UM, ALRIGHT, LET US MOVE ON TO, UH, DISCUSSION ITEM B.
ITEM B IS A DISCUSSION ON THE ONGOING ISSUES IN THE FLORAL FARMS COMMUNITY.
[01:00:01]
DO YOU WANNA BRING US UP TO SPEED? UH, RIGHT NOW, I'M, I BRIEFLY WENT OVER THE EMAIL, BUT THE OTHER THING IS RIGHT NOW, UM, QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE, WE GO THROUGH COUNCILMAN ATKINS FOR THOSE AND, UM, WE LOOKED AT ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.LOOKED AT THE COMPLAINTS MS. JACK, ESPECIALLY MS. JACKSON HAD FOR THAT PROPERTY.
UH, WAS IT 9 5 0 95 0 5? IT IS ALMIRA.
AND UH, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT SHE'S GOING THROUGH ARE A YEAR OLD HAD BEEN FOUND IN VIOLATION.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH NOW IS TRYING TO SEE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, LIKE DECKER WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, WHO'S IN CHARGE OF MAKING SURE THAT THESE PEOPLE, THEY'RE STILL, EVEN THOUGH YOU FIND A VIOLATION, ARE THEY FREE TO CONTINUE OPERATING TILL YOU MAKE A DECISION? I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT WORKS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
AND THAT IS HER REAL CONCERN IS THAT VIOLATIONS ARE FOUND, UH, AND ONCE YOU FIND THE VIOLATIONS AND ADDRESS IT, UH, GIVE THE OWNERS THE CITATIONS.
BUT DO THEY STOP WORKING OR DO THEY CONTINUE TO WORK? YOU KNOW, SO MAYBE WE NEED TO STREAMLINE SOME THINGS SO THAT FOR THE COMMUNITY, UM, THEY FEEL PROTECTED.
AND FOR THE OWNERS, THEY KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UM, RULES AND NOT, I DON'T WANNA USE THE WORD RESTRICTIONS, BUT WE HAVE RULES AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES TO WHAT YOU DO.
BUT RIGHT NOW THEY'RE NOT FEELING THAT.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.
AND JUST TO, YOU KNOW, REITERATE, THE NEIGHBORS IN FLORAL FARMS, UH, REPORTED A CODE VIOLATION LAST SUMMER.
AND, UH, THAT VIOLATION WAS CONFIRMED, BUT THE ACTIVITY AT THAT FACILITY NEVER STOPPED.
AND SO THERE ARE NUISANCE CONDITIONS THAT ARE CREATED WHEN INDUSTRIAL OPERATORS ARE DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORS.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS INSTANCE.
AND, YOU KNOW, OVER A YEAR LATER, THEY, UH, REPORTED THE SAME ACTIVITY.
UH, A CODE VIOLATION WAS AGAIN CONFIRMED AND ISSUED.
UH, WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH CODE COMPLIANCE.
UM, THERE WAS POTENTIALLY DISCUSSION OF REMOVING THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY THAT ARE CREATING THE VIOLATION, WHICH I WOULD BE STRONGLY OPPOSED TO WITHOUT FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF HOW THOSE ARE GOING TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT THE NEIGHBORS ARE HAVING AND THE NUISANCE CONDITIONS THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING.
UM, BUT COMMISSIONER ROBERSON AND COUNCILMAN ADKINS ARE VERY INVOLVED.
THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO STAY ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS NOT THE ONLY INSTANCE OF, OF, UH, SORT OF A CONCERN THAT THESE NEIGHBORS HAVE.
THERE'S ANOTHER ISSUE, UH, WHERE A PROPERTY, THE LAND WAS CLEARED AND LEVELED AND GRADED WITHOUT ANY PERMITS AND WITHOUT ANY AUTHORIZATION.
SO TREES WERE REMOVED, UH, AND A BUSINESS WAS SET UP, UM, WITHOUT ANY, AGAIN, WITHOUT ANY PERMITS AND A VIOLATION WAS CONFIRMED.
AND THIS IS ONE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE IF THE NEIGHBORS ARE NOT ESSENTIALLY VERY, UH, JUST HYPERVIGILANT, UH, A BATCH PLANT WILL SET UP NEXT TO THEM OVERNIGHT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR NEIGHBORS TO SEE THIS HAPPENING AGAIN AND AGAIN WITHOUT AN ADEQUATE RESPONSE TO ENFORCE AND THEN FOLLOW UP ON THE ENFORCEMENT AND TAKE SOME ACTION THAT, UH, STOPS THE NUISANCE CONDITION OR THE VIOLATION OF OUR CITY'S CODES.
AND SO THANK YOU COMMISSIONER ROBERSON FOR CONTINUING TO ENGAGE AND FOR BEING SO PROMPT TO RESPOND TO THOSE CONCERNS EVERY TIME AND FOR WORKING WITH, UH, THE COUNCILMAN THERE TO TRY TO GET SOME OF THESE THINGS RESOLVED.
AND, AND I HOPE THAT THE NEXT TIME THAT WE MEET, WE CAN REPORT THAT ALL OF THESE ISSUES AT THE VARIOUS PROPERTIES, WHETHER THEY'RE LIKE FOUR OR FIVE, THERE'S ABOUT FIVE.
ONE THING BEEN RESOLVED I DID WAS I PULLED, I ASKED THAT, UM, ALL CODE VIOLATIONS IN DISTRICT EIGHT I, WE PULL ANYTHING THAT'S A YEAR.
ANYTHING THAT'S SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR, I ASK THAT THAT'D BE PULLED SO I CAN LOOK AT IT BECAUSE I'M SURE THAT'S NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A YEAR OLD.
BUT, UH, THOSE OF YOU, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A BATCH PLANT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, WATCH WHAT GOES ON AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE VERY VIGILANT ANYTIME YOU SEE LANDING BEING CLEARED OFF.
'CAUSE LIKE SHE SAID, THESE PEOPLE WILL WAKE UP IN THE MORNING, LAND'S CLEARED OFF, THE FENCE IS THERE AND NO ONE IS, NO NOTHING IS SAID TO THE RESIDENTS THE DAY THAT THEY CALL ME.
THERE WERE 12 TRUCKS THERE CUTTING DOWN TREES AND, UH, LEVELING OFF THE LAND AND ONE OF THE PASTORS OF THE CHURCH'S CALL, BUT YOU KNOW, AS THEY CALL, IT'S TOO LATE AS THEY CALL, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO REVERSE THAT AND GET THAT CORRECTED.
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SO WE JUST ALL NEED TO BE VIGILANT, BUT I'M GONNA CONTINUE WORKING WITH THEM.MADAM CHAIR, MR. MARQUESS, UH, MR DO WE KNOW IF THE CITY YARBOROUGH HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THESE DISCUSSIONS, REMOVAL OF TREES? BECAUSE WE CAN, WE CAN RED TAG CONSTRUCTION SITE AND FIND THEM.
I CALLED HIM THAT DAY AND HE SAID HE WOULD SEND SOMEBODY BECAUSE WHAT HE WAS TRYING TO DO WAS CATCH THAT IN THE ACT AND USUALLY WHEN HE GETS CALLED, IT'S AFTER THE FACT.
AND I THINK HE DIDN'T GO, UH, COUNCILMAN ATKIN SAID HE DIDN'T THINK HE WENT THAT DAY.
HE MAY HAVE GONE THE NEXT DAY, BUT I DID CONTACT HIM AND HE TALKED, UH, AND HE SAID HE WOULD SEND SOMEBODY OUT THERE.
BUT THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN THEY CALLED ME, THEY WERE SAYING IT WAS LIKE 12 TRUCKS, TRACTOR TRAILERS OUT THERE CLEARING OFF LAND, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND THIS IS GOING ON.
I, YOU KNOW, THEY DESERVE MORE THAN THAT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO OTHER AREA WHERE THAT'S DONE WHERE YOU JUST WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND SOMETHING IS LEVEL AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ALVAREZ MM-HMM.
YEAH, I'D LOVE TO GET THAT ASSESSMENT OF HOW MANY TREES HAVE BEEN REMOVED IN THAT AREA.
THE BEST PLANT, YOU KNOW, A TREE CODE, IF THEY'RE REMOVING VALUABLE OLD HERITAGE TREES, WE WE COULD IMPOSE SIGNIFICANT FIRES ON THEM.
IF WE HAVE INFORMATION THAT DEMONSTRATES HOW MANY TREES THEY'VE REMOVED, THEN WE NOT BE ABLE TO USE THAT.
SO I'M GONNA ENCOURAGE THIS TO LOOK AT THAT ALSO.
THERE SHOULD BE A WAY TO DO THAT AND DOCUMENT THEY REMOVED AND CHARGE THEM.
UH, COMMISSIONER DANKER, UM, BLACKMAN, UM, YES, I, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE APPARENT, UM, CHRONICITY OF THE VIOLATIONS AGAINST THIS COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN IN, IN CO UH, IN TERMS OF CODE VIOLATIONS.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS HOW LONG OFFICIALLY WE HAVE A RECORD OF THOSE VIOLATIONS, BECAUSE IT'S VERY HARD TO PROVE CHRONICITY UNLESS YOU'VE GOT RECORDS THAT GO BACK FAR ENOUGH.
I KNOW IN THE HOUSING AREA THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT ONLY KEEPS THE RECORDS FOR A TOTALLY INADEQUATE PERIOD OF THREE YEARS.
AND IF THAT'S TRUE IN THIS AREA AS WELL, WE'RE PUTTING OURSELVES IN A HOLE THAT OF DEMONSTRATING A PUBLIC NUISANCE.
IN MY VIEW, WHAT, WHAT I'M HEARING IS VIOLATIONS OF PUBLIC NUISANCE STATUTE, UH, ON THE PART OF, AND, BUT WE NEED THE EVIDENCE TO FIND OUT IF THAT'S TRUE OR NOT.
WELL, THAT'S WHY I PULLED EVERYTHING FROM THAT'S BEEN OPEN OR, OR VIOLATIONS SIX MONTHS TO, UM, THAT'S AT LEAST SIX MONTHS AND ANYTHING A YEAR OLD.
AND STARTING FROM THERE, BECAUSE MY GUESS IS THAT IT'S SO MASSIVE IT WOULDN'T HAVE A LOT OF, UH, NOT THAT WE WON'T HAVE CREDIBILITY, BUT GOING THREE YEARS BACK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SPENT, I WANT TO DO WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
SO IF I DID SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR AT LEAST, THAT WOULD HANDLE WHILE WE'VE BEEN COMMISSIONERS
IF I'M NOT, I BELIEVE IT'S ARTICLE 54 IN DEVELOPMENT CODE, THAT'S PUBLIC NUISANCE LAW.
THE CITY RARELY USES, BUT IT IS AVAILABLE TO US AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN APPLY IT ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
SO IF WE DETERMINE THAT, THAT A BAD ACTORS CONTINUE TO BE A PUBLIC NUISANCE, AND IF YOU'RE MOVING LARGE NUMBERS OF PRES CREATING PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARDS, THAT VIDEO QUALIFIES A NUISANCE AND PUBLIC HEALTH NUISANCE.