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WELL, ROBIN, THANK YOU.[District 4 Telephone Town Hall Meeting on August 15, 2023.]
EXCELLENT.IF WE ARE, UH, NOT ABLE TO GET, UM, OUR CITY MANAGER'S REP ON THE LINE, UH, HOW DO WE WANT TO HANDLE THAT? IS THERE SOMEBODY ELSE FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE THAT CAN DELIVER THOSE, UM, SCRIPTED COMMENTS? I THINK WE HAVE A SCRIPT.
YEAH, IT SHOULD BE, IT SHOULD BE A PRETTY SPECIFIC SCRIPT FOR YOU, RIGHT? LEMME SEE HERE WHAT IT IS.
IT'S A, IT'S A ONE ONE PAGE LONG.
WELL, IF HE'S NOT THERE, WE JUST HAVE TO GO WITH IT.
I MEAN, I CAN JUST READ IT IF, IF I NEED TO.
I'VE, I'VE GOT IN FRONT OF ME.
YOU'RE GOING TO, CITY MANAGER'S SUPPOSED TO EXPAND TO CITYWIDE VIEW OF THE BUDGET AND QUESTION AND ANSWERS.
I THINK Y'ALL SENT THAT TO ME, MR. FOSTER? YES, MA'AM.
WELL, IT'S SOMETHING ABOUT, IT'S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT THINGS THAT DISAPPEARS ON YOUR TELEPHONE.
DO YOU, CAN YOU PUT YOUR HANDS ON THAT TO SEND THAT BACK? UM, LET ME SEE.
THAT'S NOTHING FROM CINDY, UH, MR. FOSTER, ENGLISH, SPANISH.
THE SCRIPT WILL BE TELEPHONE TOWN HALL, TALKING POINT C M O AND IT'LL BE A P D F.
MR. SIMPSON'S HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE WEBEX LINK, BUT HE'S GOING TO JOIN WITH THE SPEAKER LINE, SO HE'S CALLING IN NOW.
I THINK I'M SEEING HIM ON THERE NOW.
CAN FOLKS HEAR ME OUT THERE? YEAH.
AND YOU'RE DIALED IN ON OUR SPEAKER LINE? YES.
AND YEAH, WE'RE, UM, WE ARE HEARING YOU, UM, ON THE WEBEX SIDE TOO, SO ALL OUR STAFF ON THAT SIDE CAN HEAR YOU AS WELL.
IF YOU'RE ABLE TO GET ON THE WEBEX, THAT'D BE GREAT.
UH, IF YOU CAN'T, UM, MAYBE TRY TO GET LOGGED INTO THE TELE-TOWN HALL OBSERVER PLATFORM, WE'LL BE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE QUESTIONS IN THERE AS WELL.
UM, BUT JUST IN CASE WE HAVE A QUESTION TO TAKE, TAKE TO YOU, WE'LL BE PREVIEWING THEM BOTH ON THE WEBEX CHAT AND ON THE TELE-TOWN HALL CHAT CHAT.
SO I'LL KEEP THESE, UH, NOTES IN FRONT OF ME.
AND I THINK WE HAVE SOMEONE ON EVERY CATEGORY FROM PUBLIC SAFETY, TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY, HOUSING AND HOMELESS SOLUTIONS, QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, WORKFORCE AND GOVERNMENT AND PERFORMANCE.
DO WE HAVE SOMEONE FROM ALL THOSE DEPARTMENTS? I BELIEVE SO.
WELL THEN, UH, IF HE, IF SOME, FOR SOME REASON WE HAVE A DISCONNECT, WE WILL JUST GO TO THE PIE CHART AND LET, AND LET THE APPROPRIATE STAFF TALK.
WE, WE, WE GOT IT WORKED OUT IF WE HAVE TO.
ALRIGHT, WELL I'LL GET OUR DIAL OUT STARTED AGAIN.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, AND, UH, THEN WHEN YOU'RE, AND YOU CAN JUST KIND OF FRAME THE BUDGET, UM, SPECIFIC TO YOUR DISTRICT.
AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH IT, TURN IT OVER TO ME.
UM, UNLESS YOU'D PREFER TO INTRODUCE CARL YOURSELF.
SIR, YOU KNOW WHAT, I WOULD LOVE TO INTRODUCE THE, UH, UH, MR. CARL SIMPSON.
SO, YEAH, I'LL JUST TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
YOU, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND FRAME THE BUDGET FOR DISTRICT FOUR, TURN IT OVER TO HIM TO FRAME THE BUDGET FROM THE CITY POSITION.
AND THEN CARL, WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH YOUR, UM, WITH YOUR INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS, JUST TURN IT OVER TO ME TO START Q AND A.
AND THEN EVERYBODY WHO'S ON WEBEX, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU'RE MUTING YOURSELF UNLESS, UH, YOU ARE ASKED A QUESTION AND YOU NEED TO SPEAK.
NOW, LET ME UNDERSTAND WITH MR. CARL SIMPSON WILL, WILL, HE WILL GIVE THE HIGHLIGHTS OVER THE, THE VISION, I MEAN THE BUDGET AND WHAT OUR FOCAL POINTS WILL BE.
IS THAT MY UNDERSTANDING? AND THEN WE CAN HAVE THE QUICK Q AND A AND THEN THAT'S WHEN STAFF MAY HAVE TO, UH, STEP IN EXACTLY THE CASE.
HELLO AND WELCOME TO THIS LIVE VIRTUAL FORM WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS.
WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO UPDATE YOU ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FROM FISCAL YEAR 20 23, 20 24, AND ALSO TO ANSWER ANY
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QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET.OUR FORM TODAY WILL START WITH SOME HIGH BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS FROM COUNCIL NUMBER 18.
SHE'LL BE HERE IN A, NOW WE'VE GOT A, GOT A STAFF NUMBER THAT'S DIALED IN.
YOU COULD, UH, MUTE YOUR LINE, PLEASE.
WE CAN ALL HEAR YOU, WHOEVER, JUST CALL IN TO THE WEBEX.
WE NEED YOU TO MUTE YOUR LINE.
EVERYBODY ON THE LINE CAN HEAR YOU.
THANK YOU AGAIN, WELCOME TO THIS LIVE VIRTUAL FORUM OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.
WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO UPDATE YOU ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR, AND ALSO TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT THE BUDGET.
AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA START IN A MOMENT HERE BY HEARING FROM YOUR COUNSELOR REPRESENTING YOU IN DISTRICT FOUR, CAROLYN KING ARNOLD.
WE'LL ALSO HEAR FROM ASSISTANT MANAGER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER CARL SIMPSON, AND HE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET FROM THE CITYWIDE PERSPECTIVE.
AS YOU LISTEN TO THAT OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET, THINK ABOUT QUESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT FOR Q AND A.
AND ONCE WE GET EVERYBODY UP TO SPEED ON THE BUDGET, WE'LL BE TAKING QUESTIONS FROM THOSE OF YOU FOLKS WHO ARE LISTENING IN OUR LIVE AUDIENCE.
IF YOU DO HAVE A QUESTION TO SUBMIT FOR Q AND A NOW, OR AT ANY TIME DURING THIS FORUM, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PRESS ZERO TO GET THAT QUESTION TO AN OPERATOR.
YOU'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS LIVE OVER THE AIR, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE GOING LIVE, YOU SHOULD STILL SUBMIT QUESTIONS BY PRESSING ZERO, THEN YOU CAN LET YOUR OPERATOR KNOW.
IF YOU PREFER TO HAVE THE MODERATOR READ YOUR QUESTION INSTEAD OF RING YOU LIVE, WHATEVER'S MORE COMFORTABLE FOR YOU IS FINE FOR US.
AGAIN, ON ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET OR COMMENTS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE, PRESS ZERO ON YOUR PHONE TO GET THAT TO AN OPERATOR.
YOU CAN GO LIVE WITH YOUR QUESTION OR I CAN READ IT FOR YOU.
THE CITY OF DALLAS WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KEEP YOU UPDATED ELECTRONICALLY MOVING FORWARD, IF YOU WANT TO GET OCCASIONAL EMAIL UPDATES FROM THE CITY, YOU CAN PRESS SEVEN ON YOUR PHONE TO GIVE ONE OF OUR OPERATORS YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.
SO AGAIN, YOU CAN PRESS ZERO TO SUBMIT A QUESTION FOR Q AND A, PRESS SEVEN TO GIVE US YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO GET UPDATES FROM THE CITY.
NOW, WE HAVE DALLAS STAFF ON THE LINE WITH US TODAY FROM MORE THAN 20 DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS ALONG WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT ANY ASPECT OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET, PRESS ZERO AND GET THAT QUESTION TO AN OPERATOR AND WE'LL SPEND MOST OF OUR ONE HOUR FORUM ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM THE LIVE AUDIENCE.
UH, YOU MAY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES, WATER SANITATION, STORM WATER, PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, CITY INFRASTRUCTURE, OR ABOUT THE BUDGETING PROCESS ITSELF.
AGAIN, YOU CAN PRESS ZERO TO GET THAT QUESTION INTO THE QUEUE FOR Q AND A.
AND IN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES HERE, WE'LL BE JUMPING INTO Q AND A AND BE SPENDING MOST OF OUR FORUM GETTING ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS REPRESENTED HERE FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS TODAY.
BUT FIRST, LET'S MAKE SURE YOU'RE INFORMED ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO TO GET US STARTED, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FROM DISTRICT FOUR.
THAT'S COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, UH, UH, KING ARNOLD.
COUNCIL MEMBER, IF YOU COULD GO AHEAD AND START US OUT WITH, UH, YOUR, UH, VIEW OF THE BUDGET FROM DISTRICT FOUR PERSPECTIVE.
WELL, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, AND I DO HAVE A FEW POINTS I WANT TO MAKE.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE STAFF MEMBERS WHO HAVE JOINED US TONIGHT TO PROVIDE THEIR EXPERTISE AND INSIGHT.
ALSO, WANT TO THANK ALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE, ARE NOT A PART OF THE STAFF, BUT THEY ARE YOUR TAXPAYERS, YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHO'VE JOINED ON TO LISTEN IN AND TO EITHER ASK QUESTIONS OR SHARE YOUR INPUT ABOUT THE BUDGET.
AND WE WANT TO BE, UH, MINDFUL THAT WE ARE SPEAKING ABOUT OUR $4 BILLION BUDGET.
I MAY BE UNDER A FEW DOLLARS, BUT THAT'S THE LARGER NUMBER.
AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS BUDGET SPEAKS TO GENERAL DELIVERY OF SERVICES THAT WE, UH, EXPECT AS CONSTITUENTS.
AND SO THAT IS A POT OF MONEY WHERE WE PAY INTO THAT POOL OF MONEY, PRIMARILY THROUGH OUR PROPERTY TAXES AND ALSO THROUGH OUR SALES TAXES.
SO IT IS DESIGNED TO, TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, A QUALITY OF LIFE AND ALSO ENHANCEMENT OF LIFE.
I WANNA JUST PIGGYBACK ONTO, UH, ONE OF THE POINTS MADE IF YOU'RE ABLE TO CALL IN TO GET YOUR EMAIL.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T USE EMAIL, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO FOR US IN DISTRICT FOUR AS WELL.
PLEASE CALL 2 1 4 6 7 0 0 7 8 0 FOR QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY WANT TO ASK AS A FOLLOW UP, OR ANYTIME YOU HAVE QUESTIONS RELEVANT TO THE CITY OR TO DISTRICT FOUR, I WANT TO MAKE SURE, UH, EVERYONE HEARS US.
WE HEAR YOU, AND WE ARE HERE FOR YOU.
AND AS A RESULT OF DISTRICT FOUR STAFF, YOU HAVE PHIL FOSTER WHO'S THERE TO TAKE YOUR CALL, CINDY HALL, AS WELL AS DR.
NOW THE CITY OF DALLAS IS ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU, BUT DALLAS DISTRICT FOUR HAS BEEN GIVEN THE SPECIFIC DUTY AND HONOR TO SERVE YOU.
SO PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CALL 2 1 4 6 7 0 0 7 8 0 IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS, OR IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR CONCERNS WITH DISTRICT FOUR, OR IF YOU SIMPLY WANT US TO CALL TO HELP, UH, FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, WE ARE HERE FOR
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YOU.SO I DID WANNA MAKE SURE I PUT THOSE POINTS OUT.
UH, ONCE AGAIN, I'M CAROLYN KING ARNOLD.
I, I'M PROUD TO SERVE AS YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT ALSO PARTICULARLY YOUR DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM.
AND SO IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO HOST, UH, YOU TONIGHT AND AS I'VE HOSTED A COUPLE, UH, ANOTHER EVENT, BUT IT'S ALWAYS AN HONOR TO BE WITH YOU EVEN THOUGH IT'S VIRTUAL.
UH, IN THIS PARTICULAR, ON THIS PARTICULAR TIME.
NOW, OUR NEXT PRESENTER WILL BE, UH, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS GIVEN OF HIMSELF.
UH, HE CAME IN, UH, FROM THE, UM, WEST COAST AND WE ARE GONNA FORGIVE HIM FOR THAT.
BUT HE ARRIVED HERE AS FAST AS HE COULD TO SERVE US.
MR. CARL SIMPSON HAS COME IN AND HE'S WORKED HIS WAY UP, UH, TO A POSITION AS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER BECAUSE OF THE HARD WORK AND THE SKILLS THAT HE HAS EXHIBITED OVER THE LAST, I THINK PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
AND HE CAN PROBABLY CORRECT THAT.
SO HIS GOAL TONIGHT IS TO STEP INTO THE SHOES, IF YOU WILL, OF OUR CITY MANAGER WHO HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CRAFTING THIS PROPOSED BUDGET.
UH, SOMETIMES PEOPLE ASK CAN THE BUDGET CHANGE? UH, SOMETIMES WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS WANT TO ALTER, UH, OFFER ALTERNATIVE NUMBERS, BUT UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S A WORK IN PROCESS.
ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS WILL BE TRYING TO PUSH TO GET THOSE NUMBERS TO WORK BEST FOR OUR DISTRICT.
BUT MR. CARL SIMPSON IS HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT WHAT HE HAS, UH, BEEN GIVEN, UH, TO HIM AS A RESULT OF THE CITY MANAGER WHOSE JOB BY WAY OF CHARTER IS TO PROPOSE A, UH, A BUDGET ALONG WITH HIS STAFF OF WHOM WE THANK.
SO I DID WANNA PUT THAT IN BECAUSE OFTENTIMES INDIVIDUALS GET CONFUSED ABOUT THE PROCESS AND THE PROCESS SPEAKS TO THE CHARTER THAT GIVES THE CITY MANAGER THE SOLE DUTY TO CRAFT A PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TRY TO WORK WITHIN THAT, SO IT ALWAYS BEST FITS THEIR DISTRICT.
BUT OVERALL, WE ARE HERE FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND SO I'M GONNA BE HERE, UH, TO PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL, UM, INSIGHTS AS NECESSARY.
BUT I BELIEVE, UH, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE JOINED US ARE READY TO GET ONTO THE BUSINESS OF LISTENING TO, UH, AN INDIVIDUAL THAT I ALSO TRUST SO DEARLY AND APPRECIATE HIS HARD WORK.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, SIR.
UM, AS Y'ALL KNOW, THE PURPOSES OF THIS MEETING IS TO FIRST TALK ABOUT THE F Y 2324 CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED BUDGET THAT WAS PRESENTED ON AUGUST 8TH TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND PROVIDE RESIDENCE WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO YOUR CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE AND GIVE YOUR INPUT ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AGAIN, MY NAME IS CARL SIMPSON AND I SERVE AS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
TONIGHT, I'M HERE OBVIOUSLY WITH, UM, I'M REPRESENTING THE CITY MANAGER, TC BROAD.
NEXT, I'M ALSO HONORED TO BE HERE WITH MAYOR PRO TEM, UM, ARNOLD TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET RESIDENT FEEDBACK, JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW.
AND ENGAGEMENT IS CRITICAL, UM, IN IN DETERMINING BUDGET PRIORITIES FOR OUR CITY MANAGER.
AND SO HE, AND WE INVITE YOU TO PROVIDE YOUR FEEDBACK DURING THIS MEETING.
I ALSO ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO VISIT THE UPCOMING BUDGET WEBPAGE@DALLAS.GOV WHERE YOU CAN VIEW THE BUDGET IN ITS ENTIRETY AND WATCH OUR BUDGET VIDEO.
ADDITIONALLY, UH, WE ALL HAVE, UM, DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES HERE, UH, ATTENDING THIS CALL TONIGHT WHO CAN HOPEFULLY, UH, ENGAGE WITH YOU AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE, UH, REGARDING SPECIFIC DETAILS ON SPENDING BY THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, JUST REAL QUICKLY, I WANT GO OVER SOME REAL HIGH LEVEL, YOU KNOW, SALIENT FEATURES OF THE BUDGET.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IT'S, IT'S A HUGE DOCUMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION AND AS WAS MENTIONED, I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS ON THE CALL, BUT THERE'S 42 DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS ALONE.
SO THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR, UH, 2324, BEGINNING IN OCTOBER 1ST, AND IT'LL RUN THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024 TOTALS $4.63 BILLION.
THIS INCLUDES THE GENERAL FUND ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND CAPITAL FUNDS.
THE GENERAL FUND PORTION OF THE BUDGET IS 1.8 BILLION, AND THE CITY MANAGER IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE PROPERTY TAX RATE BE REDUCED, UM, BY 65 CENTS, LOWERING THE TAX RATE FROM $74 AND 58 CENTS TO $73 AND 93 CENTS PER A HUNDRED DOLLARS VALUATION.
THE CITY COUNCIL WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM YOU THROUGH TOWN HALL MEETINGS SUCH AS THIS AND WILL WORK ALONG WITH OTHER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL AMENDMENT PROCESS FOR RESIDENTS PRIORITIES BEFORE BUDGET ADOPTION ON SEPTEMBER 20TH.
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I, I WANT TO OPEN IT UP TO, TO QUESTIONS AND I, AND I'LL HAND IT OFF TO, UM, UM, OUR FACILITATORS TO HELP US WITH THOSE QUESTIONS.APPRECIATE YOU BEING WITH US HERE AS WELL.
UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER SIMPSON, THANKS TO, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM KING ARNOLD FOR BEING HERE WITH US.
AND THANKS TO ALL OF OUR CITY STAFF WHO HAVE JOINED US TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS.
WE ARE GONNA START Q AND A RIGHT NOW.
I'LL REMIND FOLKS THAT YOU CAN PRESS SEVEN IF YOU'D LIKE TO GET EMAIL UPDATES FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS MOVING FORWARD ON ISSUES LIKE THE BUDGET.
YOU CAN ALSO PRESS ZERO TO SUBMIT A QUESTION FOR Q AND A AND WE'RE GONNA GO TO OUR FIRST QUESTION FROM, UH, CARLA IN NORTH DALLAS.
CARLA, THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR FIRST CALLER.
WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION FOR, UH, DALLAS CITY STAFF? WELL, I HAVE, MY FIRST QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS GONNA DO ABOUT THIS? THE RENT, IT, IT'S REAL HIGH, NO APARTMENT COMPLEX IS GOING DOWN ON THE RENT.
THEY'RE NOT PUTTING ANY NEW APPLIANCE, THEY'RE NOT FIXING ANYTHING.
AND ALSO, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS GONNA DO ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS WITH THESE YOUNG PEOPLE? HMM.
WELL, LET'S GO TO, UH, JOHN SMALLS WITH HOUSING FIRST AND THEN WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN GET SOMEBODY TO SPEAK TO MENTAL HEALTH AFTER THAT.
JOHN, CAN YOU TAKE ON, UH, CARLA'S QUESTION AND CONCERN ABOUT HIGH RENT PRICES, PLEASE? YES, SURE.
UM, YES, CARLA, UM, CURRENTLY WE DON'T OFFER A RENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, HOWEVER, WE DO OFFER, UM, MINOR REPAIRS THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO QUALIFY FOR.
UM, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU CALL OUR PERSONAL LINE AT (214) 670-3644, AND ANY TEAM MEMBER THAT ANSWERS THAT CALL, UH, SHOULD BE ABLE TO ASSIST YOU.
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO, UH, LET THEM KNOW, UM, YOUR INDIVIDUALIZED, UH, SITUATION AND WE WOULD BE ABLE TO OFFER, UM, SERVICES TO YOU IF YOU DO QUALIFY AND IF WE DO HAVE A PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
AND CAN YOU REPEAT THAT PHONE NUMBER ONE MORE TIME FOR US WHERE IT'S SUN CASTING IN SPANISH TONIGHT, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THEY GET IT OVER THERE.
UH, AND SO CARLA, IF YOU NEED THAT PHONE NUMBER AGAIN FOR HOUSING, IT'S 2 1 4 6 7 0 3 6 4 4 FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
AND THEN I'M WONDERING IF, UH, KATE, DONNA MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEAK FROM THE OFFICE COMMUNITY CARE ON WHAT THE CITY IS DOING TO, UH, ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
ARE YOU ABLE TO TAKE THAT ON KATERINA? NO, SIR, I'M NOT ABLE TO TAKE THAT ON.
I'M WITH THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE.
UH, I'M WITH SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAM AND WE DO OFFER RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
AND SO, UH, THE CITY OF DALLAS, UM, WE HAVE A CALL CALL CENTER WHERE OUR RESIDENTS CAN CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT, I MEAN TO, TO TALK WITH A CASEWORKER.
UH, AND THE CALL CENTER, UH, LINE IS OPEN FROM 9:00 AM TO 2:00 PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
AND THE TELEPHONE NUMBER IS (214) 670-8416.
APPRECIATE YOU GOING OVER THAT FOR US.
UM, LET'S GO TO, WE'RE GONNA GO TO ANOTHER QUESTION IN JUST A MOMENT AND, UH, IT'S GONNA COME FROM, UH, IT'S GONNA COME FROM CARL AND CASA VIEW.
JUST, UH, ONE LAST REMINDER TO PRESS SEVEN IF YOU'D LIKE TO GET EMAIL UPDATES.
WE JUST CLEARED THAT QUEUE SO YOU CAN PRESS SEVEN NOW TO GET EMAIL UPDATES FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS.
LET'S GO TO CARL AND CASA VIEW.
UM, WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION FOR, UH, DALLAS STAFF? YEAH, THANKS FOR, UH, THANKS FOR, UH, TAKING MY CALL, PUTTING ME IN LINE HERE.
I'VE PARTICIPATED IN A FEW OF THESE TOWN HALLS AND I DON'T EVER SEEN THE ONE TIME I GOT THROUGH, I GOT HUNG UP ON.
UH, BUT REALLY THE MAIN REASON I WENT AHEAD AND PUNCHED THIS IN IS 'CAUSE THIS IS MORE RECENT ISSUE.
WELL, I HAD TO GO TO THE, THE EXTREME OF REPORTING MY NEIGHBOR FOR THE TRASH BUILD UP IN THEIR BACKYARD.
THEY'RE NEW NEIGHBORS, THEY'VE ONLY MOVED IN THE PAST YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF.
I'VE KILLED SEVEN RATS THIS MONTH ALONE IN MY BACKYARD.
AND, UH, OKAY, SO I REPORTED IT TO CODE COMPLIANCE.
WELL, THEY, YOU KNOW, I LEFT MY NAME AND NUMBER, THEY CALLED ME BACK AND THEY SAID, YOUR HOUSE HAS AS MANY VIOLATIONS AS THEIRS DOES.
AND I'M LIKE, NUMBER ONE, HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW? IT'S, IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ME THAT'S REPORTING ON WHICH HOUSE IT IS BECAUSE I DIDN'T PUT MY ADDRESS.
I SIMPLY PUT MY NAME AND MY PHONE NUMBER AND ALSO NOW MY NEIGHBORS WON'T SPEAK TO ME BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT I'M THE ONE THAT REPORTED THEM, OR I FEEL LIKE THEY DO BECAUSE I WAVE AT 'EM, THEY TURN AND WALK AWAY.
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AS OPPOSED TO BEFORE WHEN I HELPED THEM FIX THEIR KIDS' MOTORCYCLE OR OTHER THINGS, YOU KNOW, NOW THEY DON'T EVEN SPEAK TO ME.I WANNA KNOW HOW CODE COMPLIANCE LET THEM KNOW THAT IT WAS POSSIBLY ME OR IT SURE SEEMS THAT WAY.
AND I REPORTED 'EM BECAUSE, AND THE LADY QUESTIONED ME OF WHY I EVEN REPORTED THEM.
I SAID, HAVE YOU EVEN BEEN IN THAT BACKYARD? WELL, THEY WORKED WITH ME, SHE SAYS, AND I GO, WELL, THEY DON'T WORK WITH ME.
THANK YOU CARL, APPRECIATE YOU REPORTING THIS TO US.
UH, WE'RE GONNA GO TO, UH, LARRY ATTA STEWART FROM CODE COMPLIANCE ON THIS.
CAN YOU TAKE ON THIS CONCERN FROM CARL, PLEASE? HI, THIS IS LORITA STEWART FROM CO COMPLIANCE.
UM, CARL, IF YOU COULD PLEASE PROVIDE ME WITH YOUR ADDRESS.
WE WILL LOOK INTO YOUR COMPLAINT.
IT IS NOT OUR PRACTICE TO PROVIDE, UM, INFORMATION ABOUT WHO CALLED AND REPORTED A VIOLATION.
SO THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE, THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED, BUT I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO LOOK INTO, UM, THIS CASE FOR YOU AND CALL YOU BACK WITH A RESPONSE.
I'LL TELL IT TO YOU RIGHT NOW.
AND, UH, CARL, CARL, WE NEED TO PUT IT OUT OVER THE AIR.
WE'VE, WE'VE GOT YOUR CONTACT INFO AND WHAT I'LL ASK, ACTUALLY ASK YOU TO DO CARL, IS UM, IS, UH, I'LL GET YOUR PHONE NUMBER AND I'LL GET IT OFF TO LORETTA SO THAT SHE CAN FOLLOW BACK UP WITH YOU.
IS THAT OKAY? WE'VE ALREADY GOT YOUR PHONE NUMBER.
PLEASE, PLEASE INTRODUCE ONE QUESTION TWO, AND I'M ABOUT TO HAVE, UH, TALK, TALK TO UH, UH, THE PEOPLE OVER AT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT BECAUSE I DO HAVE A RENT HOUSE.
THEY WENT UP A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM 140 TO A HUNDRED TO $240,000 TAX.
UH, THE ABILITY, AND THEN THIS LADY, THIS ONE LADY BEFORE ME IS ASKING WHY HER RENT'S GONE UP.
DO YOU, YOU FOLLOW WHERE I'M GOING? YOU GUYS HAVE PRACTICALLY 45% INCREASE ON THE VALUE OF, OF, OF A RENT HOUSE.
AND THEN SHE WANTS TO KNOW WHY THE RENT'S GOING UP.
I HAVEN'T GONE TO PEOPLE IN 10 YEARS.
WHO CAN TAKE THIS, UH, THIS QUESTION OVER, CARL? THANK YOU.
UH, LET ME JUST, LEMME JUST TAP IN HERE, UH, ON THIS ISSUE OF THE PROPERTY TAXES, WHICH WE ALL ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE, NOBODY REALLY WANTS PROPERTY TAX TAXES TO GO UP, BUT THAT, THAT'S THE SYSTEM THAT WE'RE IN.
BUT I DO WANNA REMIND EVERYONE ON THE CALL THAT THE, THE, THE COUNTY IS, MAKES THEIR THIS FINAL DECISION ON THE APPRAISAL.
AND YOU HAVE ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS WHO WEIGH IN ON PROPERTY TAX.
AND ONE OF THOSE HIGHEST JURISDICTIONS IS THE D I S D.
AND SO I THINK THE GOVERNOR IS GONNA BE, HAS SIGNED OFF, UH, ON THE, UH, THE BILL AND I KNOW THAT THE LEGISLATIVE HAS SUPPORTED THAT IN TERMS OF, UH, FREEZING OR REDUCING THOSE, THAT, THAT LEVEL OF TAXES.
BUT I THINK WHAT I WANT TO DO IS ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO LOOK AT THAT, THEIR TAX BILLS.
SO YOU CAN SEE ALL THE JURISDICTIONS AND YOU, AND YOU WILL FIND OUT THAT DALLAS, THE CITY OF DALLAS IS LOWER THAN D I S D, BUT IT WILL BE GOOD IF WE WEIGHED IN ON ALL OF THOSE JURISDICTIONS BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE MAY GO DOWN WITH OUR TAX RATE, UH, IT DOESN'T, IT'S NOT GONNA ALLEVIATE THE OVERALL VALUE IF IT MAKES SENSE.
BUT WHAT WE ALSO NEED TO UNDERSTAND, AND I HOPE IF THERE'S SOMEONE ON HERE TO EXPLAIN THAT WHEN WE GO DOWN, WHEN WE REDUCE OUR TAX RATE, IT ALSO REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE IN OUR BUDGET, SO TO SPEAK.
AND SO THEN WE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS, AND THAT'S PRIMARILY THE PURPOSE OF THIS CALL.
WE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THE PRIORITIES BECAUSE REDUCTION IN, IN THE FUNDS ARE GOING TO REDUCE AND REDUCTION IN TERMS OF HAVING MONEY TO DELIVER SERVICES.
AND SO IF, IF INDEED WE GET AN OPPORTUNITY, I WOULD LIKE FOR, UH, MR. IRELAND OR SOMEONE FROM THE STAFF WHO'S ON HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL IMPACT WITH THAT TAX RATE, WHEN WE REDUCE IT, THE RATE, WHAT IT MEANS FOR OUR BUDGET AND IN TERMS OF DOLLARS AND CENTS AND THE DECISIONS WE HAVE TO MAKE, TONIGHT'S CONVERSATION IS AROUND WING, IN ON SERVICES THAT YOU BELIEVE NEED TO BE ENHANCED, REMAIN WHAT THE CITY MANAGERS RECOMMENDED OR REDUCED.
AND I THINK THAT'S NECESSARY FOR US TONIGHT TO SOMEBODY TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PERCENTAGES OF EACH CATEGORY THAT ARE IN THAT PIE CHART.
SO THE, THE COMMUNITY WILL UNDERSTAND THE PUR REAL PURPOSE OF THE CALL BECAUSE YOU ALL NEED TO FILL THAT IN TERMS OF THEIR SUPPORT FOR, UH, A CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OR A CERTAIN SERVICE.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT I WANT US TO DO IS TO SPEAK TO THAT BUDGET.
IS ANYONE ONLINE WHO CAN TALK ABOUT THE PERCENTAGES OF THE ALLOCATIONS FOR THIS BUDGET ON THE PIE CHART? SO I'M HERE TO
UM, SO THE PIE CHART I BELIEVE YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS THE BREAKDOWN THAT SHOWS THE PROPERTY TAX THAT GOES INTO MAJORITY OF IT IS WITHIN PUBLIC SAFETY.
[00:25:01]
UM, AND THEN WITH THE TAX REDUCTION FOR THE AC IN A ROW, THE CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED BUDGET INCLUDES A TAX REDUCTION OF 65 CENTS, UM, AND THEN ALSO INCREASING THE OVER 65 AND DISABLED EXEMPTION, UM, BY 8% FROM THE, FROM 115,500 TO A HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE FOUR HUNDRED.UM, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL OR SPECIFICS THAT, UM, I CAN HELP YOU WITH ON THE BREAKDOWN OF THE PIE CHART? WELL, CAN WE VIEW THE PIE CHART? DO Y'ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO SHARE YOUR SCREEN? BECAUSE I THINK THE CONSTITUENTS NEED TO SEE IT.
IF THEY, WELL, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ONLY GONNA BE ON THE PHONE UNFORTUNATELY, SO WE CAN'T SHARE
SO JUST KIND OF GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR FUNDING.
AND THEN I MIGHT ALSO ADD THAT THERE WILL BE OTHER TOWN HALL MEETINGS, BUT FOR DISTRICT FOUR, WE WILL HAVE ONE MORE TOWN HALL MEETING.
IT WILL BE IN PERSON ON THURSDAY AT 11:00 AM AT THE HIGH WATER WILLIAMS RECREATION CENTER, SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE PIE CHART AND THAT YOU CAN GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING ON WHICH DEPARTMENTS, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, UH, WE'LL BE AFFECTED BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE NEED TO HEAR CONVERSATIONS AROUND THOSE CATEGORIES THAT ARE BEING FUNDED.
SO IF YOU COULD MISS SHOO GIVE US THOSE CATEGORIES THAT ARE BEING FUNDED, UH, AND OVERALL, UH, DOLLARS AND CENTS, THEN WE CAN GET BETTER QUESTIONS GEARED TOWARD WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TONIGHT IN TERMS OF TAKING A REPORT BACK TO THE COUNCIL
AND I WILL SAY THAT, UH, THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE, UH, PARTICIPATING WITH US TONIGHT, IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT PARTI THAT PROPOSED BUDGET, YOU CAN VIEW THIS MATERIAL@DALLAS.GOV.
UH, THAT'LL TAKE YOU TO THE CITY WEBPAGE.
AND THERE'S, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE, YOU'LL SEE FY 20 23, 24 PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF DETAIL IN THERE.
SO IF YOU WANNA GO CHECK THAT OUT, UH, AS WE CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH OUR FORUM, AND THEN YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO ASK ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS BY PRESSING ZERO.
AGAIN, YOU CAN GO TO DALLAS.GOV AND THAT'LL TAKE YOU TO THE DALLAS CITY HALL WEBPAGE.
AND RIGHT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE IN OFFICIAL POSTINGS, YOU'LL SEE SOME INFORMATION ON THAT.
'CAUSE IF YOU, WE HAVE TO COME BACK, I NEED YOU ALL TO MAKE SURE YOU FLIP THAT ON THEIR MIND.
SO 61% OF YOUR PROPERTY TAX GOES, ALL 100% OF THAT GOES INTO, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY.
AS WE DISCUSSED, THE BREAKDOWN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY IS ABOUT 61% OF THE OVERALL BUDGET.
UM, HOUSING AND HOMELESS SOLUTIONS IS ABOUT 1% OF THE BUDGET AT ABOUT 19.7 MILLION.
UM, GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IS ABOUT 128.7 MILLION AT 7%.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IS 131 MILLION AT 1%.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS 109.5 MILLION AT 6%.
UM, WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND EQUITY IS 22.1 MILLION AT 1%.
UH, TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE IS 107.3 MILLION AT 9%.
UH, QUALITY OF LIFE, ARTS AND CULTURE IS 248.3 MILLION AT 14%.
AND AGAIN, UH, 61% OF THE PROPERTY TAX WILL GO TO ALL OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
UH, SALES TAX MAKES UP FOR THE, FOR THE REVENUE IS ABOUT 26%.
AND THEN OTHER REVENUE, WHICH INCLUDES ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, GRANTS, UM, OTHER FUNDING SOURCES IS ABOUT 13%.
APPRECIATE YOU, UH, COMING WITH IN WITH THAT.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO TO OUR NEXT QUESTION, UH, LOTS MORE QUESTIONS, UH, GETTING INTO OUR QUEUE HERE.
SO THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYBODY WHO'S SUBMITTING THEM.
WE'VE GOT THIS ONE, UH, COMING FROM, UH, DIANE SMITH WHO'S IN, UH, I GOT A QUESTION ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AND DRINKING WATER.
HEY, DIANE, YOU'RE LIVE ON THE LINE WITH US.
WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION ABOUT DRINKING WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS? OKAY, UM, I'M WITH THE CITIZENS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE AND YOU ALL HAD A RACIAL EQUITY PLAN, WHICH INVOLVED ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT LANE PLATING THAT OPERATED OVER 90 YEARS, ONE OF THEIR, UM, CONTAMINANTS OF CONCERN WAS P F OSS, P F O S, UM, WHICH IS IN THE FAMILY OF THE FOREVER CHEMICALS.
AND WHAT WOULD IT BE THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO NOTIFY THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT, UH, THEY WERE EXPOSED TO PFIS AND THAT IT WAS FOUND IN THE, IN THE GROUNDWATER, THE SOIL,
[00:30:01]
AND POSSIBLY IN THE DRINKING WATER.AND HOW DO YOU PROPOSE IN YOUR BUDGET TO OUT, TO, UH, ENSURE THAT THE HEALTH ISSUES OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THIS COMMUNITY ARE NOT AFFECTED? AND IF, IF SO, THEN HOW DO YOU PROPOSE A RESOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE, WHICH HAS PRETTY WELL INFILTRATED THE COMMUNITY AND HAS CAUSED IMMENSE HEALTH DAMAGES? THANK YOU DIANE.
UH, I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA GO TO LUCY WANG HERE.
LUCY, CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TAKE THIS QUESTION ON FROM DIANE? SURE.
MY NAME IS LUCY WANG AND I WORK FOR DALLAS WATER UTILITIES.
UH, I'M GLAD THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE TALKING ABOUT PFAS.
THIS IS A VERY NEW, UH, REGULATION.
IT'S ABOUT TO BE ROLLED OUT BY E P A.
SO E P A CURRENTLY IS DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH AND, UM, BY, I BELIEVE BY END OF 2026, UH, ALL THE, UH, WATER UTILITIES ARE REQUIRED TO TREAT TFAS IN THE DRINKING WATER.
SO IT HASN'T SPREAD IT TO GROUND WATER AND OTHER WATER, BUT IT'S, UH, STRICTLY IN THE DRINKING WATER.
SO CURRENTLY D W E SAMPLING ALL THE WATERS AT OUR THREE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS, WHICH IS ELM FORK EAST SIDE.
AND, UM, I'M SORRY, I JUST HAVE A MENTAL FREEZE.
UM, AT AND ALSO BUCKMAN, SO THREE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND, AND MOST OF THE SAMPLES CAME OUT PRETTY LOW ON THE P F A S CONTAMINATION.
UM, THE ONLY, UH, EXCEPTION IS AT BACHMAN, THE READING IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF INDUSTRIAL, UH, WATER THAT GOING INTO THE, UH, AFTER THEY TREAT IT, THAT GOES INTO THE TRINITY AND BUCKMAN SITS ON THE BUCKMAN LAKE AND IS VERY CLOSE TO THE DISCHARGE PLACE.
UM, SO THAT IS WHAT THE UTILITIES WORKING, UH, ACCORDING TO THE E P A REQUIREMENTS.
AND, UH, WE'LL HAVE TO ROLL OUT ALL THE, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS TO START TO BE ABLE TO GET READY TO TREAT PFA.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
I WANNA MAKE SURE I ASK BEFORE YOU GO ON.
I WANT THE, THOSE WHO ARE, LISTEN, LANE PLATTING IS IN DISTRICT EIGHT THAT'S NEAR THE, UH, LEDBETTER, UH, I THINK, UH, IN BONVIEW, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I BELIEVE, UH, MS. WANG WOULD BE GOOD TO PROVIDE HER WITH SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THOSE FINDINGS FROM E P A 'CAUSE I THINK THAT MATTER HAS BEEN ADDRESSED, BUT I DID WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT THAT OUT THERE, THAT THAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED THROUGH E P A AND I THINK WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO.
BUT I BELIEVE WE'VE GOT SOME CLEARANCE ON THAT.
BUT IF YOU COULD SEND HER SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THAT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, YES, THIS IS PAUL WHITE WITH THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY.
I'VE BEEN LEAD, UH, LIAISON WITH THE CITY WITH THAT LANE PLATTING SITE.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE E P A, UM, MS. SMITH.
FEEL FREE TO, UH, TO GIVE ME A CALL.
MY NUMBER'S 2 1 4, UM, 6 7 1 8 9 7 9, AND I CAN GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT PROJECT.
AND CAN YOU READ THAT PHONE NUMBER JUST ONE MORE TIME FOR US PLEASE? 2 1 4 6 7 1 8 9 7 9.
AND, UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, TAG THAT QUESTION FROM DIANE FOR FOLLOW UP AS WELL.
SO, UH, DIANE WILL HAVE SOMEBODY REACH OUT TO YOU.
UM, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO OUR NEXT QUESTION.
LET ME MAKE SURE I'VE GOT IT HERE.
IT'S COMING TO US, UM, REGARDING, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES FROM ANGELA BRACKENS.
AND SHE'S ASKING, UH, HOW MUCH MONEY IS THE CITY ALLOCATING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND STARTUPS? AND I THINK FOR THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, WE'RE GONNA GO TO, UM, WE'RE GONNA GO TO ANGELA HARDMAN HERE WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS.
THIS IS ANGELA HARDIMAN WITH OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU, UM, UPFRONT THAT THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TYPICALLY REFERS, UH, ANY PROJECTS AT $2 MILLION WITH A FUNDING REQUEST OF $2 MILLION OR LESS TO OUR SMALL BUSINESS CENTER.
THAT WAS DONE INTENTIONALLY TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT SMALL BUSINESSES GET TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, BE IT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND BUSINESS SUPPORT, UH, QUICKLY
[00:35:01]
AND EFFICIENTLY.I CAN'T GIVE YOU A NUMBER ON, UM, WHAT THAT FUNDING ALLOCATION IS, BUT I KNOW WE ARE VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT WITH JOB CREATION OPPORTUNITIES, UM, AND WITH A NEED FOR CAPITAL, UH, WORKING CAPITAL.
AND OTHERWISE WE HAD, THERE ARE SEVERAL FUNDS TO DO SO, INCLUDING THE SOUTH, UH, DALLAS FAIR PARK OPPORTUNITY FUND.
AND THEN, UM, TARGETED AREAS, UH, INCLUDING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT ZONES.
IF YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR PROJECT THAT YOU WANT TO DISCUSS, PLEASE, UH, GIVE US YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION AND WE WILL BE SURE TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND TO GO ABOUT FACILITATING, UH, SOME ASSISTANCE FOR YOU.
AND LET ME, UH, LEMME BRING ANGELA AND TOLD ME TO BRING YOU UP RIGHT AWAY.
UH, WHEN WE WERE GETTING YOUR QUESTION, DID YOU FOLLOW UP ON YOUR QUESTION? WELL, I WANTED TO KNOW, UH, WERE Y'ALL GOING TO GET THE LIBRARIES OR THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION IN, UM, TO BRING IN MORE WORKSHOPS OR CLASSES TO, UH, SORT OF EITHER TEACH OR, I DON'T KNOW, UM MM-HMM.
UM, AND IT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN VET AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON THAT AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT RESOURCES CURRENTLY EXIST.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING SCHEDULED RIGHT NOW.
UM, I, YOU'RE IN THE REDBIRD AREA, I BELIEVE.
UM, I KNOW THE SMALL BUSINESS CENTER DID A WORKSHOP THAT I ATTENDED PROBABLY A MONTH AGO WITH SMALL DEVELOPERS IN THE, UH, TYLER STATION AREA IN OAK CLIFF.
BUT WE CAN, UM, DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE IS PLANNED.
AND, UH, I'LL ALSO TO YOU, ANGELA, THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE END OF THIS FORUM, YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL MESSAGE.
SO IF YOU WANT TO SHARE MORE OF YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT AND LEAVE A VOICEMAIL MESSAGE AT THE END OF THE CALL ALONG WITH SOME CONTACT INFORMATION TO REACH BACK OUT TO YOU, WE'LL REACH BACK OUT.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, UH, UH, YOUR, YOUR THOUGHT THERE.
AND THANKS FOR YOUR QUESTION AS WELL.
UH, WE'RE GONNA GO TO ANOTHER QUESTION, JUST A MOMENT HERE FROM LAURICE.
BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, I WANT TO RUN OUR FIRST POLLING QUESTION.
WE'RE IN THE LATTER HALF OF OUR FORUM TODAY, AND WE WANT TO KNOW, UH, WHICH OF THESE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU? I'M GONNA READ A LIST OF FOUR AND YOU'LL VOTE FOR THE ONE THAT YOU THINK IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU.
SO, WHICH OF THESE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU? PRESS ONE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, SUPPORTING THE CITY'S BUSINESS CLIMATE AND BROADENING THE TAX BASE.
PRESS TWO FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, PROGRAMS TO ENSURE CLEAN AIR AND DRINKING WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
PRESS THREE FOR GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, MANAGING THE BUDGET AND CITY CONTRACTS TO BE A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE CITY.
PRESS, UH, AND THEN PRESS THREE FOR, UM, SORRY, PRESS FOUR.
FOR HOUSING AND HOMELESS SOLUTIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND SERVICES FOR THE HOMELESS.
SO AGAIN, ONE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TWO FOR ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY.
THREE FOR PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT.
AND FOUR, IF YOU THINK HOUSING AND HOMELESS SOLUTIONS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STRATEGIC PRIORITY, GO AHEAD AND VOTE NOW.
WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT FEEDBACK AND LET'S GET TO OUR NEXT, UH, QUESTION AS PROMISED FROM LAURICE.
HI, HOW ARE YOU JOINING US? GO AHEAD AND TELL US WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD YOU'RE IN AND GO AHEAD WITH YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, I AM IN, UM, DALLAS, UM, OFF OF VILLE ROAD, SOUTHEAST DALLAS, PRETTY MUCH.
AND WHAT I'M TRYING WONDERING IS WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO? WE HAVE NO SIDEWALKS, UH, DOWN VILLE ROAD.
AND THE KIDS, WHEN THEY WALK BACK AND FORTH TO SCHOOL, THEY HAVE TO WALK IN A MEDIUM AND IT'S GETTING WILD OUT HERE.
THEY DRIVE FAST UP AND DOWN SEVILLE ROAD, AND IT'S DANGEROUS ALSO AT BELTLINE IN SEVILLE ROAD.
I MEAN, I'M SORRY THEY RUN THE STOP SIGNS DAILY.
OKAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
LET'S GO TO LISA JONES FOR, UH, THIS QUESTION FROM, UH, LAURICE.
UH, MY NAME IS LISA JONES WITH PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR QUESTIONS, UH, OR YOUR CONCERN.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UH, IN THIS BUDGET WE HAVE $5.3 MILLION,
[00:40:02]
UM, SET ASIDE IN THIS BUDGET FOR SIDEWALKS.AND, UM, AS FAR AS A STOPLIGHT BEING IN YOUR AREA, IF YOU CAN, AGAIN, LEAVE YOUR NAME AND NUMBER SO WE CAN GET THE EXACT LOCATION OF WHERE THIS PROBLEM IS OCCURRING.
I CAN GET SOMEONE TO CONTACT YOU.
WE CAN COME OUT AND LOOK AND SEE, UM, WHAT YOUR ISSUE IS.
AND IT'LL PROBABLY BE THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S REALLY NOT PUBLIC WORKS, BUT IT'S OKAY.
WE CAN MAKE SURE, UH, WE GET YOUR CONCERN HANDLED.
AND I DID, UH, GO AHEAD AND TAG LAURICE FOR FOLLOW UP FROM, UH, FOR YOU.
SO WE'LL GRAB HER PHONE NUMBER AND MAKE SURE WE GET IT OFF TO YOU SO YOU CAN FOLLOW UP.
AND THANK YOU LAURICE FOR COMING IN, UH, WITH YOUR QUESTION.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO OUR SECOND SURVEY QUESTION BEFORE WE GO TO OUR NEXT QUESTION IN Q AND A QUESTION IS, WHICH OF THESE FOUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU? AND LIST ANOTHER FOUR.
AND AGAIN, YOU CAN VOTE ON WHICH ONE IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU.
FOR EXAMPLE, POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES.
PRESS TWO FOR QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, ARTS AND CULTURE.
FOR EXAMPLE, PARKS, LIBRARIES, CODE ENFORCEMENT, ANIMAL SERVICES, AND, UH, CULTURAL PROGRAMS. PRESS THREE FOR TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE, UH, STREET REPAIRS, DRINKING WATER, SIDEWALKS AND BIKE LANES.
AND PRESS FOUR FOR WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND EQUITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, PROGRAMS TO ADVANCE EQUITY THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
UH, SO GO AHEAD AND VOTE NOW AGAIN, WHICH OF THESE STRATEGIC AND PRIORITIES IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU? UH, PRESS ONE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
TWO FOR QUALITY OF LIFE, THREE FOR PUBLIC TRANSFER, UH, FOR TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, FOUR FOR WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND EQUITY.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU VOTING IN OUR POLLS HERE.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO OUR NEXT QUESTION.
WE'VE GOT RUTHIE COMING LIVE NEXT.
RUTHIE, WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION? GO AHEAD.
YES, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, SIR.
UM, I'VE ADDRESSED THIS ON DIFFERENT, UM, TIMES IN THE, IN THE MEETING, UM, IN THIS AREA, RED BURG AREA LIKE POLK AREA CAMP WISDOM, UM, FROM HIGH CREST TO, TO, UH, BROWNFIELD, ALL THESE LITTLE, YOU KNOW, LITTLE INTERSECTIONS.
AND YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, YES, I CAN REPORT A POTHOLE, YOU KNOW, ONLINE OR THROUGH CODE AND THEY'LL THROW SOME ASPHALT IN IT, BUT IT'S SEVERAL, IT'S SEVERAL ALL AROUND.
THIS IS THE STREETS THAT WE HAVE TO, TO, TO RIDE ON.
YOU GOTTA JUMP OUTTA THIS LANE TO BE IN THAT LANE.
'CAUSE I, I, I PRETTY MUCH KNOW 'EM 'CAUSE I'M LIVE IN THIS AREA.
AND UH, THEN THE OTHER THING WAS, UM, THE ALLEY FROM HIGH CREST TO BROWNFIELD.
IT'S A SHAME BEFORE GOD, NOBODY, WE'VE BEEN TOLD BACK OVER 20 YEARS AGO THAT WE HAD TO GET OUT THERE AND MY HUSBAND AND I WAS OUT THERE BEATING THAT DIRT AND 'CAUSE THE CITY USED TO COME THROUGH WITH THE TRUCKS, BUT AFTER THEY STOPPED DOING THAT, THEN IT WAS OUR PART TO KEEP THE BACK PART.
WHETHER YOU GOT A FENCE OR NOT, YOU GOTTA GET BACK THERE AND KEEP THE ALLEY CLEAN, BUT IT'S HORRIBLE.
NOW ACROSS THE STREET, THEY GOT THAT DONE.
THERE'S A LADY OVER THERE TO MAKE SURE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE DOES, BUT THIS OVER HERE IS, IS A SHAME.
BEFORE GOD, SOMEBODY I KNOW CODE HAS BEEN OUT HERE AND I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT TO BE CLEANED, BUT MAYOR, UH, JOHNSON TOLD US, SAID THAT DALLAS, THEY WANNA MAKE IT CLEANER AND BETTER LIVING FOR EVERYONE.
AND THAT, THAT, THAT BACKPACK THERE IS RIDICULOUS, THE ALLEY.
AND I'M JUST KIND OF FED UP WITH THE STREETS.
I DON'T EVEN REPORT THINGS ANYMORE.
'CAUSE I JUST KNOW TO JUMP OUT OF ONE LANE INTO ANOTHER LANE.
UH, LET'S GO TO AMY WOOD ON THIS ONE FROM TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
HI, THIS IS AMY WOOD WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
I'M HOPING LISA IS STILL WITH US, WHO COULD, UH, JUMP IN FROM PUBLIC WORKS AS WELL.
LISA, ARE YOU THERE? YES, I'M HERE.
YOU GONNA, YOU WANT ME TO TALK NOW FOR THE, UH, STREET AND POTHOLE QUESTION? OH, YEAH.
UM, UH, YEAH, I CAN TAKE THAT ONE.
THIS IS LISA JOHNSON PUBLIC WORKS AND, UM, I, I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO CALL, UM, 3 1 1, BUT WE REALLY NEED YOU TO DO THAT CALL 3 1 1 SO THAT WE CAN GET A RECORD OF THE LOCATION AND COME OUT AND, UM, UH, REVIEW THE STREET SO
[00:45:01]
THAT WE CAN FILL THE POTHOLE.UM, AGAIN, UM, I, I DON'T WANNA SAY THAT WE, YOU KNOW, OUR STREETS ARE HORRIBLE, BUT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.
WE DO HAVE A BUDGET, UH, FOR, UH, STREETS.
UH, WE HAVE A BUDGET TO, UM, REPAIR OUR POTHOLES.
SO IN ORDER FOR US TO DO THAT, WE REALLY NEED YOU TO CALL 3 1 1.
AND EVEN IF IT IS, YOU'RE CALLING AND, AND, AND YOU KEEP CALLING, YOU KEEP CALLING, UH, AND YOU DON'T FEEL THAT IT'S DOING ANYTHING, IT, IT DOES HELP.
UM, SO WE REALLY NEED YOU TO CALL 3 1 1.
SO WE APPRECIATE IF YOU JUST KEEP DOING THAT SO THAT WE CAN GET OUT THERE AND FIX THE POTHOLE.
SO IT WON'T BE A CONTINUED PROBLEM.
AND LET ME JUMP IN JUST REAL FAST.
WE DO HAVE MONIES BUDGETED FOR STREETS AND SIDEWALKS AND ALLEYS AND SOME OF THAT IF YOU ARE GET IN TOUCH.
ALSO, I KNOW THERE'S ONLINE AND FOLKS HATE TO HEAR THAT, BUT YOU HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER, AND I'M NOT SURE IF YOU ARE IN, UH, I BELIEVE YOU'RE IN DISTRICT THREE, UH, OVER AT BRI BRIAR FIELD.
I BELIEVE THERE'S THREE, BUT IT'S ALSO GOOD ONCE YOU CALL 3 1 1 AND GET A SERVICE REQUEST NUMBER, WHAT RE RELAY THAT BACK TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE, BECAUSE WHAT I WANT EVERYONE WHO'S ON THIS, AND EVEN THE STAFF MEMBERS, YOU, MOST OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS IN THE CITY AS WELL, IT IS A, IT'S ALMOST LIKE WAR GAMES BECAUSE WE ALL ARE FIGHTING FOR OUR DISTRICTS.
AND SO IF I SEE 400 CALLS ON STREETS AND ALLEYS IN DISTRICT FOUR, I'M GOING TO PUSH FOR THAT AND I'M GONNA PUSH FOR THAT PART OF THE BUDGET TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING THAT EQUITY FORMULA, WHICH, UH, THE EQUITY LENSES, WHICH RIGHT NOW THE EQUITY LENSES IS UTILIZED TO APPLY TO ADDRESS THAT GAP FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
DISTRICT FOUR IS ONE OF THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AND SO I CAN ASSURE YOU, I'M TELLING YOU THE SAME THING I'M TELLING MY CONSTITUENTS IN DISTRICT FOUR, DON'T GIVE UP BECAUSE THAT'S THE TRICK.
IF WE DON'T HAVE DATA, THIS IS A DATA-DRIVEN, UH, REGIME AT THIS TIME.
AND SO WHEN WE PULL OUT THE DATA AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY CALLS, THEN GUESS WHAT? I DON'T, I DON'T GET TO GET WHAT YOU ARE ASKING FOR.
SO ALL I'M ASKING YOU, AND I'M, I'M SURE SAME THING IN DISTRICT THREE AND DISTRICT FOUR, IF YOU HERE, GIVE US A CALL AND DON'T GIVE UP BECAUSE I'M NOT GONNA GIVE UP, BUT I CAN'T FIGHT WITHOUT DATA.
SO MS. LISA IS TELLING YOU THE TRUTH.
THERE'S A BUDGET, AND WHEN WE GET AROUND THAT HORSESHOE FIGHTING FOR STREETS AND ALLEYS AS WE'VE HAD TO DO AT, UH, UH, LAST YEAR, YOU'D BE SURPRISED HOW HARD WE HAVE TO FIGHT IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEY KNOW, I, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, WITH SAYING THIS.
SO WE DON'T GET AS MANY AS MUCH FUNDING FOR STREET PENALITY.
SO WHEN WE PUSH BACK WITH THE DATA, THEN WHAT ARE THEY GONNA SAY? THE SAME THING WITH CODE.
IF WE NEED MORE OFFICERS, WE, WE'RE NOT GONNA SEND MORE OFFICERS IF THERE'S NO NUMBERS TO TRIGGER THE NEED.
SO DON'T, ALL I'M SAYING IS DON'T GIVE UP.
THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, INFORMATION MS. LISA.
AND THERE ARE PLENTY OPPORTUNITIES, SO DON'T GIVE UP, JUST GIVE US A CALL.
THERE'S SOME SITUATIONS WHERE SENIORS CAN GET SUPPORT, UH, FOR SIDEWALK.
UH, THERE'S SOME ALLEYS, STREETS AND ALLEYS THAT'S ALREADY ON THE LIST THAT UNDER UNDER CONSTRUCTION ARE ABOUT TO BE, UH, ALLOCATED, UH, GO UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
BUT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER HAS THAT DATA, SO JUST GIVE THEM A CALL.
AND OF COURSE, MY OFFICE, YOU KNOW, THE CALL 2 1 4 6 7 0 0 7 8 0.
SO MY STAFF CAN HELP WITH THOSE QUESTIONS, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THE BUDGET, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE WE UNDERSTAND WE CAN HELP YOU BETTER WITH 3 1 1 AND A SERVICE REQUEST.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALLOWING ME TO KINDA WEIGH IN.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN, AND I'M SEEING ANOTHER QUESTION ON, UH, STREET CONDITIONS FROM SHIRLEY AND OAK CLIFF WHO SAYS SHE'S IN YOUR DISTRICT AND SHE IS GONNA REACH OUT AND MAKE SURE SHE REPORTS IT.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN WE'RE GONNA GO TO OUR NEXT QUESTION FROM CRYSTAL.
CRYSTAL, THANKS FOR JOINING US.
WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION? SO MY QUESTION IS, WE'RE TALKING BUDGET AND WE'RE TALKING A LOT OF MONEY HERE, SO I WANT TO KNOW LIKE WHAT CHECKS AND BALANCES DO WE HAVE IN PLACE TO KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT THESE FUNDS ARE NOT BEING MISAPPROPRIATED, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THESE BUDGETS ARE BEING USED FULLY AND THAT THERE'S NOT MONIES JUST LINGERING AROUND.
UM, ALSO, UM, KIND OF GOES INTO SOME OF THESE VALUES TOO FOR THE CITY, MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OPERATING IN THE SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE WHEN WE'RE UTILIZING THIS BUDGET, AND THEN OF COURSE, BEING ETHICAL WITH THIS.
SO, UM, WHAT KIND OF CHECKS AND BALANCES DO YOU KNOW WE HAVE IN PLACE ON THE, ON THE BUDGET?
[00:50:02]
THANK YOU CRYSTAL.I BELIEVE WE'LL BE GOING TO, UM, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE GOING TO, UH, KRISTEN CALVERT FOR THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION.
KRISTEN, CAN YOU TAKE THIS FROM CRYSTAL? UM, I AM WORK FOR DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY SO I CAN SPEAK TO LIBRARY SERVICES.
UM, NOT REALLY ABOUT CHECKS AND BALANCES IN THE BUDGET THOUGH.
LET, LET, LET, LET HANDLE THAT.
LET ME HANDLE THAT RIGHT QUICK SO WE CAN MOVE ON.
WHAT IT, UM, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I, IT IS A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT PROCEDURES AND PROCESS.
THE CITY COUNCIL, WHEN WE VOTE ON THIS BUDGET, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A, A COURT, UH, A MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO VOTE ON IT EVERY TIME WE APPROPRIATE AND ALLOCATE.
IT TAKES EIGHT VOTES, SO THERE'S NO COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WALKS AROUND WITH A CHECKBOOK OF WHERE THEY WANNA SPEND MONEY IN A CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S A PROCESS, IT IS LOCKED DOWN AND SO IT'S EIGHT VOTES TO GET THE MONEY ALLOCATED DISTRIBUTED.
THE CITY MANAGER HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MANAGING THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO I WOULD SIMPLY LEAVE IT AT THAT AND JUST MAKE SURE, AND THAT'S, I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED, ASKED THAT QUESTION.
WE DON'T HAVE THE CHECKBOOK OR A PRIVATE ACCOUNTANT THAT WE GET TO DIRECT BECAUSE SURELY IF THAT WAS THE CASE, I'D TAKE ALL $4 BILLION FOR DISTRICT FOUR, SO WE CAN'T DO THAT.
SO, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION, BUT IT COMES DOWN TO THE COUNCIL AND THE CITY MANAGER TO HANDLE ALL HIS, HIS, UH, EMPLOYEES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO MAKE SURE WE ARE SERVING YOU.
AND, UM, YEAH, THAT, SO, SO THE QUESTION THAT, UM, THAT OUR LAST CALLER ASKED WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE QUESTION SHE SUBMITTED.
SO LET'S, AND I IT WAS A GREAT QUESTION, SO I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THAT ON COUNCIL.
AND SO LET'S, UH, LET'S GO TO HER FIRST QUESTION, WHICH WAS, ARE THERE PLANS TO EXTEND HOURS FOR LIBRARIES AROUND THE CITY? AND THAT WAS HER FIRST QUESTION.
KRISTEN, DO YOU MIND TAKING THAT ONE ON AS WELL? OF COURSE I CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.
UM, WE ARE PLANNING TO, WITH NEW BUDGET, UH, EXPAND LIBRARY HOURS AT 14 OF OUR LOCATIONS TO, THAT WILL MAKE THEM SIX DAY LOCATIONS AND THEY WILL GO FROM 40 HOURS A WEEK TO 54 HOURS.
SO, UM, 29 OF OUR LOCATIONS WILL BE OPEN SIX DAYS A WEEK STARTING NEXT YEAR, WHICH IS GREAT NEWS AND HOPEFULLY ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION CRYSTAL ABOUT OR COMMENT ABOUT THEM NOT BEING OPEN AS OFTEN OR AS MUCH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THAT ONE ON.
UH, LET'S GO TO OUR LAST SURVEY QUESTION.
OUR QUESTION FOR YOU IS, THINKING ABOUT ALL CITY SERVICES, WHAT SENTENCE DO YOU AGREE WITH MOST? PRESS ONE.
IF YOU PREFER LOWER TAXES, EVEN IF IT MEANS CUTTING CITY SERVICES, PRESS TWO IF YOU PREFER TO KEEP TAXES AND CITY SERVICES ABOUT THE SAME, AND PRESS THREE IF YOU PREFER TO RAISE TAXES TO ALLOW THE CITY TO OFFER MORE SERVICES.
SO AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT ALL CITY SERVICES, WHAT SENTENCE DO YOU AGREE WITH MOST? PRESS ONE.
IF YOU PREFER TO LOWER TAXES, EVEN IF IT MEANS CUTTING CITY SERVICES, PRESS TWO.
IF YOU PREFER TO KEEP TAXES AND CITY SERVICES ABOUT THE SAME, THEN PRESS THREE.
IF YOU PREFER TO RAISE TAXES TO ALLOW THE CITY TO OFFER MORE SERVICES, GO AHEAD AND VOTE.
NOW WE'RE GONNA GET A QUESTION FROM AN ANONYMOUS CALLER HERE NEXT, BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND BRING 'EM WHY IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, YOU DIDN'T WANT ME TO READ YOUR QUESTION, YOU JUST WANNA BE ANONYMOUS, FINE WITH US.
GO AHEAD WITH YOUR QUESTION PLEASE.
I I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS I I WANTED TO, UH, ASK QUESTIONS ON.
NUMBER ONE IS WE KEEP INCREASING THE, THE TAX BUDGET FOR THE CITY, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BASICALLY ONE POINT BILLION, NOT EVEN 10% GOES FOR HOUSING REPAIRS, UH, AS SOON AS THE HOUSING REPAIR, UH, UH, OFFICE SAY WE ARE, WE'RE DOING REPAIRS WITHIN TWO, TWO DAYS OR EVEN MAYBE THAT SAME DAY.
UM, ALL OF THE RESOURCES ARE GONE.
UH, NUMBER TWO, AS FAR AS UH, PARKING, THE PARKING STAFF, THEIR DEPARTMENT NEEDS AN INCREASE BECAUSE PARKING IS NOT REGULATED WITHIN THE COMMUNITIES LIKE IT SHOULD BE.
UM, NUMBER, NUMBER FOUR, WELL NUMBER, I'M SORRY, NUMBER THREE I ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THAT, UM, WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE POLICE.
IT'S NOT EVEN ABOUT THE MONEY, IT'S, I THINK IT'S MORE ABOUT THE BODIES, BUT WE'RE NOT UTILIZING THE OFFICERS AS I FEEL WE SHOULD.
I UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE THE HIGH PRIORITY CALLS THAT THEY NEED TO TAKE, BUT FOR THE LOW PRIORITY CALLS, I THINK THEY CAN GET A NON, UH, PEACE OFFICER IN TO GO OUT AND GATHER INFORMATION FROM THE COMMUNITY SO THAT SOMETHING COULD BE
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DONE ABOUT THAT.AND THE LAST THING I ALSO WANNA MENTION IS THE FACT THAT EVEN THOUGH D I S D IS GETTING, UM, THE LION'S SHARE OF THE TAXES, UH, ROBINHOOD HAS NOT GONE AWAY.
IT'S NOW CALLED RECAPTURE AND WE'RE STILL HAVING TO SEND MONEY TO THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHICH GOES INTO THE GENERAL REVENUE FUND.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I JUST WANTED TO MENTION AND YEAH.
UM, I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THIS ONE.
UH, WHO DO WE HAVE WITH UH, D P D WHO CAN TAKE THIS ON? UH, THIS IS MAJOR SMALLEY.
CAN YOU HEAR ME HEARING YOU WELL? OKAY.
UM, I THINK THE PART OF THE QUESTION THAT I HEARD, UH, WAS USING CIVILIANS FOR SOME OF THE LOWER PRIORITY CALLS AND, AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DEFINITELY AGREES WITH THAT.
UH, WE, WE'VE GOT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE MOVING INTO DALLAS, A LOT MORE 9 1 1 CALLS COMING IN AND, AND WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE OUR CALLS AS THEY COME IN.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE DO WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION.
AND WE HAVE STARTED JUST RECENTLY USING THE, UH, DALLAS ONLINE REPORTING SYSTEM AND THAT, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S, IT'S, UH, LETTING CITIZENS GO ONLINE AND, AND FILL OUT THE OFFENSE REPORTS ONLINE, AND THAT WAY IT CAN GO TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IT STILL GETS ASSIGNED TO A DETECTIVE, BUT WE'RE NOT USING PATROL OFFICERS TO COME TO YOUR HOUSE AND WRITE DOWN THE INFORMATION.
AND, AND IT'S, IT'S WORKING PRETTY GOOD.
IT'S A LOT MORE EFFICIENT AND IT, IT ALLOWS US TO USE OUR PATROL OFFICERS, UH, TO RESPOND TO HIGHER PRIORITY CALLS INSTEAD OF THE LOWER PRIORITY CALLS.
AND, UH, MAJOR, PLEASE STAY ON THE LINE HERE.
WE'VE GOT OUR NEXT QUESTION COMING ON THIS SAME TOPIC FROM, UH, JIMMY HERE.
JIMMY, YOU'VE GOT A QUESTION ON POLICE ENFORCEMENT AS WELL.
I, I KNOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANSWERS FOR IT.
UH, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE IS GOING TO BRING FOR, BUT I WANT TO SAY THAT I DO BELIEVE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I BELIEVE IN PREVENTION CRIME, AND I'M SUPPORTER OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT LIKE, UH, I KINDA IDENTIFY THEM NOW AS BEING THE NEW CRIMINAL.
I THINK THEY ARE HIJACKED OUR BUDGET AND I THINK THEY ARE VERY MISSIONARY IN, IN THEIR ACTIVITY WHEN THEY COME DOWN TO, UH, THEIR CONTRACT.
THERE'S NO WAY POSSIBLE THAT ANY CITY IN TEXAS CAN KEEP UP WITH THE GROWTH THAT THEIR PENSION IN THEIR, UH, UH, UH, REQUIRES.
IT, IT IS NOT, IT'S JUST TOO, TOO MUCH HIGHER THAN, UH, UH, THE GROWTH OF THE ECONOMY.
I THINK THAT AT ONE TIME THEY MENTIONED THAT, UH, TRY TO, UH, KEEP THEM WITHIN THE CITY, UH, CITIZENS OF DALLAS, UH, UH, UH, HAVING SOME TYPE OF, UH, STRUCTURE WHEREAS THEY HAD TO BE CITIZENS OF DALLAS CITY, OF DALLAS OR WHATEVER INSTEAD OF JUST STAYING HERE AND GETTING THAT TRAINING.
WELL, UH, FOR, UH, THEY'D BE, THEY'RE YOUR DALLAS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS YOUR FIRST GOOD JOB.
AND THE LAST GOOD JOB YOU HAVE, BECAUSE IN THE MIDDLE YOU STAY HERE, TWO, THREE, I MEAN FOUR YEARS.
AND THEN YOU GO TO ARLINGTON AND SPEND OUT YOUR CAREER AND YOU COME BACK AND FINISH UP AND YOU'RE BREAKING OUR BUDGET.
UH, I'LL OPEN THIS UP TO D P D AND ALSO TO COUNCILWOMAN KING ARNOLD TO, UH, TAKE IT ON.
WHO'D LIKE TO START OUT ON JIMMY'S QUESTION? WELL, THIS, THIS IS MAJOR SMALLY AGAIN, AND, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE QUESTION IS.
UH, THERE WAS SEVERAL COMMENTS THROWN IN THERE.
IS THERE A, A SPECIFIC QUESTION? YES.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO, UH, COMBAT THE ISSUE OF OUR RUNAWAY POLICE AND FIREMEN, UH, UH, PENSION FUNDS THAT WE CAN'T MATCH? WE CAN'T KEEP IT UP, IS BUDGET EVERY YEAR AND IT'S BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAT I'VE NOTICED.
SO, UH, I GUESS THE CONCERN IS THE, THE, UH, MOVING OF, UH, POLICE OFFICERS AND FIRE OFFICIALS TO OTHER CITIES ONCE THEY'VE GOTTEN TRAINING HERE.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO ON THAT? WELL, I DO KNOW THAT THAT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE, UH, FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND THEN PROBABLY GOING BACK A COUPLE OF DECADES, UH, WITH OFFICERS COMING IN AND THEN THEY WILL QUIT, YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, LIKE THE CALLER MENTIONED.
UM, I THINK THEY'VE LOOKED AT DIFFERENT, UM, ALTERNATIVES TO TRY TO KEEP, UH, THEY'VE OFFERED BONUSES.
THEY'VE OFFERED, UH, DIFFERENT PLANS TO TRY TO KEEP OFFICERS HERE IN DALLAS.
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AND WE'VE OFFERED HIGHER PAY AT CERTAIN TIMES IN THE PAST.UM, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THE PENSION, HE MENTIONED THE PENSION.
WE HAD A BIG TURNOVER ON THE PENSION, UH, SEVERAL YEARS BACK.
THE ENTIRE PENSION BOARD WAS, WAS FLIPPED AND WE'VE TRIED TO GO DOWN A BETTER PATH WITH THE PENSION.
UH, IT DOES TAKE, UM, A FULLY STAFFED DEPARTMENT TO CON TO CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PENSION.
SO WE'VE BEEN RECRUITING, UM, AND TRYING NOT TO LOSE AS MANY OFFICERS.
UM, I I'M NOT SURE IF THAT ANSWER HELPS ANYBODY.
UH, THE CITY COUNCILWOMAN MAY, MAY BE ABLE TO ADD TO THAT.
UM, BUT WE ARE TRYING ON, ON EVERYTHING THAT HE TALKED ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE BETTER, UH, CONSTANTLY.
WELL, UH, YOU, I THINK YOU'VE HIT IT ON THE HEAD ON, UM, THE NAIL ON THE HEAD AND, AND ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVE ABOUT 30 SECONDS LEFT, BUT WE ARE, UM, ONE OF THE LARGEST CITIES, I THINK WITH THE NINTH LARGEST IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND WE DO HAVE POPULATION OF OVER A MILLION.
AND WE DO HAVE FOLKS COMING IN, UH, DAILY AND, AND, AND SOMETIMES THE FOLKS COME IN AND THEY WAKE UP EVERY MORNING AND THEIR JOB IS TO COMMIT CRIME.
AND SO OUR JOB IS TO KEEP PROVIDING THE RESOURCES THAT WE MUST HAVE IN TERMS OF PROVIDING THE SAFETY INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO WE SUPPORT A COMMUNITY THAT IS BASED ON A PUBLIC SAFETY QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND I THINK WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER AND WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER.
IN CLOSING, WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY FIRE DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
IF WE SEE SOMETHING, WE HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING.
AND WHEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ASKS QUESTIONS THROUGH THEIR INVESTIGATIONS, WE CAN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM IF FOLKS SAY, I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT.
SO THE NIGHT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE BUDGET, I APPRECIATE THOSE CONCERNS, UH, THAT WAS ADDRESSED.
ONCE AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, 2 1 4 6 7 0 0 7, 8 0 FOR THE DISTRICT FOUR STAFF IN PARTICULAR CAN ASK THE QUESTIONS.
AND WE WILL HAVE AN IN-PERSON TOWN HALL MEETING ON THURSDAY, UH, THIS THURSDAY AT HIGH WA WILLIAMS RECREATION CENTER, 11:00 AM PLEASE JOIN US AT A PARTICULARLY OF YOU THERE FROM DISTRICT FOUR.
YOU'VE BEEN A FANTASTIC GROUP STAFF, THANK YOU.
AND I KNOW IT'S SEVEN 30 AND IT'S TIME FOR US TO, UH, HEAR FROM MY HOST ON THE WRAP UP IN TERMS OF WHERE THE QUESTIONS NEED TO GO AND WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANT CITY, UH, UH, ASSISTANT MANAGER SIMPSON AND UH, FOR
UM, ANGELA, WE'VE GOT YOU ALL TAGGED FOR FOLLOW UP FROM, UH, VARIOUS UH, DEPARTMENTS HERE.
IF YOU HAD A QUESTION THAT WENT UNANSWERED HERE AND YOU STILL NEED HELP, FEEL FREE TO STAY ON THE LINE, LEAVE A VOICEMAIL MESSAGE WITH YOUR, UH, NAME, YOUR PHONE NUMBER, AND WHATEVER ISSUE IT IS YOU'RE DEALING WITH, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT JUST BY STAYING ON THE LINE.
AS WE WRAP UP THIS CALL IN ABOUT 30 SECONDS HERE.
WE REALLY WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR TIME TONIGHT.
UH, WE DID REACH OUR HOUR OF JUST A MOMENT AGO.
WE'RE GONNA GO JUST A FEW SECONDS OVER TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE GET TO EVERYBODY TAKEN CARE OF.
UM, SO AGAIN, IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE, STAND THE LINE.
IF YOU WANNA LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BUDGET, YOU CAN GO TO DALLAS.GOV AS THE COUNCILMAN WAS SAYING.
UH, IF YOU NEED DIRECT ASSISTANCE AND YOU'RE IN DISTRICT FOUR, THAT PHONE NUMBER IS (214) 670-0780.
AND AS SHE SAID, IF YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT, DON'T HESITATE.
I'M SEEING TONY AND OAKCLIFF WHO IS, UH, RELUCTANT TO, UH, REPORT SOMETHING TO CODE COMPLIANCE.
THE, THE MORE DATA WE HAVE, THE, THE BETTER THAT THE CITY WILL BE ABLE TO SERVE YOU.
SO THANKS SO MUCH TO EVERYBODY SUBMITTED QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS, THANKS TO OUR DALLAS STAFF.
THANKS TO COUNCILWOMAN KING ARNOLD AND TO, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER CARL SIMPSON FOR PROVIDING UPDATES AND INFORMATION FOR US TONIGHT.
STAY ON THE LINE TO LEAVE THOSE VOICEMAIL MESSAGES, LEAVE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, YOUR NAME AND PHONE NUMBER IF YOU NEED SOMEBODY TO GET BACK TO YOU.
OTHERWISE, BE WELL, AND THANKS AGAIN, APPRECIATE.