[00:00:03]
[2024 Capital Bond CBTF Meeting on August 15, 2023.]
GOOD EVENING.WE CONVENE OUR DALLAS TASK FORCE MEETING TO ORDER.
UH, I GUESS OUR, UH, APPROVAL OF MINUTES WILL WAIT FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
UH, MS. JEN JUST SAID, SO WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BRIEFING FROM FORWARD DALLAS.
SO FORWARD DALLAS HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK FOR YEARS TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW AS IT SAYS, FORWARD DALLAS.
SO WE ARE EXCITED TO HEAR THEIR PLAN THAT WAY.
I THINK, UH, WE SEE HOW WE INCORPORATE THAT INTO THIS BUDGET.
THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
UM, I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE, UM, AND EXCUSE MY PARKA BECAUSE AS ALL OF YOU'LL REALIZE VERY QUICKLY, IT'S FREEZING IN HERE.
I'M WITH PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN.
I'M ONE OF THE ASSISTANT DIRECTORS.
I'M ON SORT OF THE LONG RANGE PLANNING SIDE OF THINGS, URBAN DESIGN, UM, CITY INITIATED, REZONINGS.
UM, SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE AND I WILL BE BRIEF, UM, AND KEEP SOME TIME AT THE END IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, ABOUT HOW THIS SPECIFICALLY CAN FIT INTO ANY OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE EMBARKING ON.
UM, SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'M GOING TO GO OVER A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FORWARD DALLAS.
SOME OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH FORWARD DALLAS, SOME OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THE 2006 FORWARD DALLAS.
UM, AND SOME OF YOU MAY BE, UM, UP TO SPEED ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF.
UM, BUT I JUST WANNA GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THAT, WHY WE'RE UPDATING THIS PLAN AT THIS TIME.
UM, ALSO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'VE HEARD IN THE COMMUNITY.
THERE'S BEEN A TON OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, WE'VE REALLY FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A GROUND UP PLAN AND NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT AS PLANNERS WE'RE COMING UP WITH SORT OF IN A BUBBLE, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THERE'S A LOT MORE DISCUSSION CLOSER TO THE MIC.
UM, AND THEN WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE PROCESS AND WHERE WE'RE GOING IN THE PROCESS.
SO WHAT IS FORWARD DALLAS? UM, ONE I WANNA EMPHASIZE WE ALREADY HAVE A FORWARD DALLAS IN PLACE.
THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT WENT INTO THAT PLAN.
IT PROVIDED A VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF DALLAS.
COMPREHENSIVE PLANS ARE USUALLY 20 YEAR TRAJECTORIES.
UM, THIS FORWARD DALLAS UPDATE, WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT IT ABOUT A 10 YEAR TRAJECTORY.
UM, WHAT DO WE SEE FOR DALLAS IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS? IT COULD GO BEYOND THAT.
IT COULD BE THE NEXT COUPLE OF DECADES.
BUT WE WANNA GIVE AN UPDATED VISION FOR THE FUTURE LAND USES.
UM, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THERE'S A LOT THAT'S CHANGED SINCE 2006 AND WE'RE SEEING IT VERY RAPIDLY HAPPEN IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, UM, AS WELL AS THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE COUNTRY.
BUT I THINK SPECIFICALLY IN NORTH TEXAS, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF CHANGE.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING PACE WITH THAT CHANGE.
UM, REALLY WE THINK ABOUT HOW AND WHERE THE CITY GROWS.
AND I KNOW WE TALK ABOUT GROWING HERE, BUT IT IS ALSO ABOUT WHERE WE GROW AS WELL AS WHERE WE PRESERVE.
SO WE WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE MORE DELIBERATE, MORE PREDICTABLE GROWTH AND WHERE WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, THIS COMMITTEE THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BOND PROGRAMS AND INVESTMENT IN OUR CITY, THINKING ABOUT WHERE WE WANNA GROW SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF OUR LAND USES IN THE FUTURE, AND HOW THAT CORRESPONDS TO DIFFERENT BROAD PROJECTS, DIFFERENT INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS IN THE FUTURE TO BE MORE DELIBERATE AND STRATEGIC ABOUT THAT CONNECTION.
UM, WE ALSO THOUGHT AND REALLY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR REALLY DEEP CITYWIDE CONVERSATIONS AT ALL LEVELS AND ALL COMMUNITIES.
AND WE'VE REALLY BEEN FOCUSING ON GOING OUT TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE AT TO HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS.
ONE, REALLY EDUCATING ON WHAT LAND USE IS.
WE, WE ARE VERY WELL VERSED IN ZONING.
WE ARE VERY WELL VERSED IN WHAT'S GOING ON THE GROUND, ON ON THE GROUND TODAY.
WHAT OUR EXISTING LAND USES ARE.
WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF FUTURE LAND USE IN DALLAS AND HOW THAT CAN IMPACT DEVELOPMENT AND ZONING.
UM, AND COMP PLANS ALL THE TIME ARE USED FOR GUIDANCE FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
YOU KNOW, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT CHICKEN AND EGGS, UM, BUT REALLY WE BELIEVE THAT LAND USE IDEALLY WILL DRIVE CERTAIN INVESTMENTS.
WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE'RE STRATEGICALLY GOING TO GROW AND THEN TARGET OUR INVESTMENT FOR THOSE AREAS.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, THIS PLAN IS ALSO GOING TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF OTHER ADOPTED CITYWIDE POLICIES.
IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH COMPREHENSIVE PLANS, THEY OFTEN CONTAINS, CONTAIN MANY ELEMENTS, A HOUSING ELEMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENT.
THIS PLAN IS JUST FOCUSING ON LAND USE BECAUSE WE HAVE THOSE OTHER PLAN COMPONENTS, THOSE OTHER CITYWIDE ADOPTED PLANS, BUT THEY ALSO SPEAK TO FORWARD DALLAS AND WHAT THEY WANNA SEE IN A FUTURE LAND USE PLAN.
[00:05:01]
IS MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE CONSISTENT ACROSS THE BOARD WITH OUR PLANS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.SO I ALREADY COVERED SOME OF THIS.
I THINK SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT I REALLY WANNA FOCUS IN ON IS MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING OUR GROWTH.
WE KNOW WE ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE NUMBERS THROWN OUT ABOUT HOW MUCH MORE POPULATION WE'RE GONNA SEE OVER THE NEXT COMING DECADES.
ALL UH, YOU KNOW, ALL DATA SHOWS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GROW.
SO IT'S A MATTER OF HOW WE GROW AND HOW WE MANAGE THAT GROWTH.
AND WE NEED A CLEAR GUIDE FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS PREDICTABLE AND THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTABLE.
SO THAT'S A PART OF THIS PLAN AS WELL, IS THAT THERE WILL BE AN IMPLEMENTATION CHAPTER IN THIS PLAN BECAUSE SOME OF OUR OTHER PLANS IN THE PAST HAVE HAD THE VISION, THEY'VE LAID OUT CERTAIN STEPS, BUT HAVEN'T EXACTLY BEEN VERY SPECIFIC AND CLEAR ABOUT HOW YOU IMPLEMENT CERTAIN THINGS AND WHAT THE INTENT IS OF CERTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN THE PLANS.
SO THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES JUST GO OVER, UM, AND THESE ARE ACTUALLY EVEN OUTDATED.
WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, OPPORTUNITIES.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A HUNDRED AND PLUS EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED THIS IN 2001 WHEN WE WERE STILL IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT TALKING ABOUT FUTURE LAND USE ISN'T SUPER INTERESTING OVER, YOU KNOW, A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT.
UM, SO WE ADDED ON SOME EXTRA TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE COULD HAVE THOSE IN-PERSON MEETINGS, THAT WHEN WERE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND PEOPLE FELT ENGAGED AND INVOLVED.
SO WE'VE BEEN DOING, YOU KNOW, SMALL GROUP MEETINGS, LARGE GROUP MEETINGS, UM, INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS, WORKING WITH DIFFERENT, UM, AGENCIES, AND THEN DOING A, YOU KNOW, MEETING WITH A LOT OF ADVISORY GROUPS AS WELL TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED AND WANTS TO BE IN THE KNOW HAS ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION.
AND THIS AGAIN, JUST GOES OVER THAT ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE HAD SO MUCH COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AS WELL AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS A VERY GOOD CROSS SECTION OF THE CITY WAS OUR RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE LAND USE PLAN.
WE WANTED THEM TO BE DRIVEN BY COMMUNITY PRIORITIES.
AND SO WE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS INITIALLY ABOUT WHAT ARE, WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, WHAT MATTERS HERE, WHAT HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSED IN FUTURE PLANNING EFFORTS? AND SO WE SORT OF COMPILED ALL OF THAT INFORMATION TO COME UP WITH SOME GUIDING PRINCIPLES OR SOME GUIDING THEMES FOR THE PLAN THAT COULD DRIVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN THE PLAN AND RE AND, AND DRIVE THE FUTURE LAND USE.
SO SOME OF THE RESULTING AFTER DISSEMINATING A TON OF INFORMATION, A LOT OF COMMENTS, THOUSANDS OF COMMENTS, UM, THE TWO FIRST, THESE ARE THE LAND USE PLAN THEMES THAT WE'VE SORT OF LANDED ON TO GUIDE THE LAND USE RECOMMENDATIONS.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CAME UP TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
HOW ARE WE ADDRESSING OUR INCOMPATIBLE ISSUES? I THINK THIS IS REALLY GOING TO BE IMPACTFUL IN HOW WE THINK ABOUT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE.
YOU'LL SEE IN A LATER SLIDE THAT WE HAVE SOME, UM, SORT OF KEY AREAS WHERE THERE'S SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE, SOME FUTURE LAND USE CHANGES, AND SOME OF IT'S GOING FROM SOME, YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY HEAVY INDUSTRIAL OR EVEN SOME LIGHTER INDUSTRIAL AREAS TO MORE MIXED USE AREAS AND WHAT THAT SHIFT MEANS.
AND WE REALLY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT ALL THE COMPONENTS THAT GO INTO THAT.
IF WE REALISTICALLY WANT TO SHIFT THAT LAND, THAT FUTURE LAND USE FOR THOSE AREAS.
HOUSING CHOICE HAS BEEN A HUGE TOPIC.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW THIS, IT'S NOT JUST THE AFFORDABILITY PIECE, BUT IT'S PROVIDING OPTIONS, IT'S PROVIDING AT ALL AGES, YOU KNOW, INCOME LEVELS.
UM, I THINK PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING ACROSS THE BOARD TO FIND ADEQUATE HOUSING.
IF IT'S NOT JUST FOR YOU, IT'S FOR A FAMILY MEMBER.
THINKING ABOUT KIDS, ARE THEY GONNA BE ABLE TO LIVE IN DALLAS? SO THINKING AT ALL LEVELS AND WHERE, UM, WE CAN FIND HOUSING FOR INDIVIDUALS.
UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND REVITALIZATION, A LOT OF THAT WAS THINKING ABOUT HOW WE REIMAGINE OUR CORRIDORS IN DALLAS.
UM, AND SOME OF THEM JUST, IT, A LOT OF THEM MAY BE UNDERPERFORMING, A LOT OF THEM MAY NOT HAVE THE ZONING THAT IS ALLOWED TO REDEVELOP IN A CERTAIN WAY, IN A MORE MIXED USE, WALKABLE WAY.
SO HOW DO WE DO THAT? IN WHICH AREAS DO WE FOCUS ON? SO THAT, I MEAN WE HAVE A LOT OF CORRIDORS IN DALLAS.
WHERE DO YOU START? SO TO START HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS, INCORPORATING MORE URBAN DESIGN.
'CAUSE IT'S ONE THING TO SAY WE WANT THIS TYPE OF USE.
WE ALL KNOW THIS, YOU CAN GET, YOU KNOW, WE WANT A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THERE ARE VARIOUS VERSIONS OF A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT DO WE WANNA SEE, AND IT'S NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SUBURBAN COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND A VERY URBAN COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY WANTS ACCESS TO IT, WANTS IT WALKABLE AND SAFE.
AND SO HOW DO WE DO THAT THROUGH URBAN DESIGN? AND THEN REALLY FOCUSING ON OUR, OUR T O D R TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AREAS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE CONNECTED.
[00:10:01]
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.SO WHAT WE'RE UTILIZING FOR FORWARD DALLAS IS SOME OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH LAND USE, PROPERTY BY PROPERTY.
YOU CAN DO, YOU KNOW, LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL HERE.
YOU CAN DO APARTMENTS HERE AND IT'S ON EVERY SPECIFIC PROPERTY.
WE'RE KIND OF RECOMMENDING YOU CAN DO ONE LAND USE, WHICH EQUATES TO MAYBE ONE OR TWO ZONINGS.
WHAT WE DO WITH THE PLACE TYPE, BECAUSE IT IS, THIS IS A LAND USE PLAN FOR A CITYWIDE OR A VERY LARGE CITY, IS THAT WE'RE UTILIZING PLACE TYPES SO THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THE TYPE OF PLACE AND WHAT ARE ALL THE COMPONENTS, WHAT ARE ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LAND USES THAT YOU'D WANNA SEE IN THAT PLACE.
UM, AND THE VARYING LEVELS OF INTENSITIES AND MIXES WHILE MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE REALLY GOOD DESIGN, IT'S REALLY FUNCTIONING WELL.
UM, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF AN AREA, THEY'RE LIKE, YEAH, I GET THE SENSE OF WHAT THAT PLACE IS.
SO WE'VE ORGANIZED THE CITY OF DALLAS INTO VARIOUS DIFFERENT, WHAT WE'RE CALLING, AND ACTUALLY THIS IS A PRETTY STANDARD WAY OF GOING ABOUT FUTURE LAND USE FOR, FOR MAJOR CITIES RIGHT NOW IS TO UTILIZE THE PLACE TYPE AND, YOU KNOW, MANY, MANY PEOPLE ARE TALKING ACROSS THE BOARD ABOUT, YOU KNOW, COMPLETE COMMUNITIES.
IT'S SORT OF THAT CONCEPT OF A MORE COMPLETE COMMUNITY WHERE YOU HAVE OPTIONS WITHIN WHATEVER TYPE OF COMMUNITY YOU MAY DECIDE TO LIVE IN.
AND SO THIS IS JUST SORT OF THE SCALE OF LAND USES.
WE WANTED TO MAKE IT MANAGEABLE AND NOT HAVE, YOU KNOW, A TON OF DIFFERENT PLACE TYPES.
OUR STARTING POINT WAS THE 2006 PLAN.
SO WE TOOK THE 2006 PLAN AND ANY OTHER AREA PLAN THAT HAD BEEN ADOPTED SINCE THAT TIME AND UPDATED IT AND MADE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE, WE FOUND THAT BASELINE CONSISTENCY AND THEN OBVIOUSLY SINCE 2006, WHERE HAVE WE SEEN THE CHANGE? WHERE ARE WE PROJECTING THE CHANGE? WHERE DO WE WANT THE CHANGE? AND SO UPDATED THAT THROUGH OUR PLACE TYPES.
IT REALLY GOES FROM, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE WANT TO PRESERVE OPEN SPACE ALL THE WAY TO OUR C CITY CENTER.
UM, GOING THROUGH DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMERCIAL, DIFFERENT SCALES OF COMMERCIAL AREAS, BUT PRIMARILY MIXED USE COMMERCIAL AREAS AS WELL AS THE DIFFERENT SCALES OF RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND WHAT YOU GET IN ALL OF THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME INDU, UM, INDUSTRY PLACE TYPES AS WELL AND IN AN INDUSTRIAL, WHICH HAS BEEN A VERY LONG TOPIC OF CONVERSATION IN THIS PLAN.
SO THIS IS JUST A DRAFT, IT'S ACTUALLY ALREADY AN OUTDATED DRAFT OF THE MAP, BUT THIS IS ULTIMATELY WHAT'S GOING TO BE PRODUCED IN THE PLAN.
WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN COMMITTEE THAT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION, UM, WHO HAS BEEN REVIEWING THIS MAP AS WELL AS THE PLACE TYPE DESCRIPTIONS, YOU KNOW, THE DESCRIPTIONS OF WHAT DOES THIS PLACE TYPE MEAN, WHAT DOES TRADITIONAL RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD MEAN AND HOW DO WE DESCRIBE THAT? WHAT ARE THE USES INVOLVED IN THAT? HOW IS THE DESIGN OF THOSE AREAS? UM, WHAT ARE WE PRESERVING? WHAT MAY BE THE LOCATIONS FOR AREAS WHERE THERE COULD BE A LITTLE BIT OF CHANGE AND HOW WOULD THAT CHANGE LOOK? UM, SO WE HAVE PEOPLE COMBING THROUGH, WE HAVE A TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS WELL OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS, EXTERNAL AGENCIES AS WELL THAT WE PARTNER WITH THAT ARE ALSO REVIEWING THIS.
AN UPDATED VERSION OF THIS MAP IS ABOUT TO GO OUT ON THE STREET FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
EACH STEP OF THE WAY THAT WE'VE HAD PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OF THE PROCESS.
A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT.
IS THIS LOOKS LIKE SO NOTABLE AREAS OF CHANGE IS REALLY THE AREAS WHERE WE'RE POINTING OUT.
THE RED AREA INDICATES WHERE THERE'S BEEN SOME SHIFT, IT MAY LOOK A LITTLE SCARY, LIKE, OH MY GOD, YOU'VE CHANGED A LOT MORE THAN WE THINK IT IS.
BUT A LOT OF IT IS ACTUALLY JUST, IT'S NOT A CHANGE, IT'S JUST A SHIFT TO MORE APPROPRIATELY SHOW FROM ONE DRAFT TO THE NEXT WHAT THE ACTUAL ON THE GROUND LAND USE IS.
BUT THERE ARE SOME AREAS THAT WE'VE BEEN POINTING OUT, AND AGAIN, I INCLUDED THIS SLIDE SO THAT WE THINK OF, YOU KNOW, AS A CITY, IF WE ARE GOING TO RECOMMEND CERTAIN CHANGES TO THE LAND USE PLAN AND WHERE WE WANNA SHIFT OR TRANSITION CERTAIN GROWTH, WE REALLY DO NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS ON INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SERVICES AND HOW THAT ALL WORKS TOGETHER.
UM, SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE AREAS YOU WILL SEE THAT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW AREAS.
AND LIKE I SAID, THIS HAS BEEN A, AN ENORMOUS TOPIC OF CONVERSATION, NOT ONLY IN THE COMMUNITY BUT IN OUR COMMITTEES THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ON THIS AS WELL IS HOW ARE WE ADDRESSING SOME OF OUR OLDER INDUSTRIAL AREAS THAT ARE NOW SORT OF MIXED IN WITH GROWING MIXED USE AREAS OR GROWING RESIDENTIAL AREAS THAT HAVE SORT OF FALLEN INTO THIS AREA OF WE HAD THESE
[00:15:01]
INCOMPATIBLE LAND USES OR AREAS THAT WERE NEVER REZONED AND ARE STILL, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THE CUMULATIVE ZONING WHERE IF YOU HAD INDU, IF YOU WERE INDUSTRIAL ZONE, YOU COULD DO EVERYTHING FROM RESIDENTIAL ALL THE WAY UP TO INDUSTRIAL, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS HAPPENING UP UNTIL, YOU KNOW, THE, THE EIGHTIES.SO WE HAVE AREAS THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE SHIFT.
AND SO THIS FUTURE LAND USE PLAN IS GOING TO RECOMMEND WHAT THAT SHIFT LOOKS LIKE, AND THEN WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE SERVICES TO SUPPORT THEM, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE CAN MAKE IT REALISTIC AND THEN WE CAN IMPLEMENT THOSE SHIFTS.
AND NONE OF THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
AGAIN, I CAN'T EX, I CAN'T, UM, EXPRESS ENOUGH THAT THIS IS A LONG-TERM PLAN, ESPECIALLY WHEN AN AREA MAY NEED A REZONING OR THERE IS NOT A MARKET FOR SOMETHING QUITE YET.
UM, BUT IT IS GIVING A PROJECTED FUTURE LOOK AT SOME AREAS FOR CHANGE.
SO WHAT, AS I MENTIONED, WE ARE ABOUT TO STEP OUT INTO ANOTHER BIG ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
UM, THIS IS SORT OF OUR PHASE THREE OF SORT OF A BIG ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY.
UM, WHERE WE ARE GOING TO, WE HAVE AN UPDATED MAP.
THE SORT OF THE SECOND ROUND IN THE LEADING INTO SPRING INTO SUMMER WAS WE PUT OUT A FIRST BASELINE MAP AND WE HAD RESIDENTS, UM, INTERESTED STAKEHOLDERS, DIFFERENT AGENCIES TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND SAY, WHAT DID WE GET RIGHT ABOUT THIS, THIS MAP, THIS PLACE TYPE FOR YOUR AREA? DOES THIS PLACE TYPE DOES HOW THIS PLACE DESCRIBE MATCH WITH HOW YOU SEE YOUR AREA? THERE WAS BECAUSE IT WAS THE BASELINE MAP, BECAUSE IT WAS BASED OFF OF THE 2006 MAP.
THERE WERE A LOT OF AREAS THAT PEOPLE WERE LIKE, I DON'T, THAT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT NOW.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING BACK TO SAY, DID WE HEAR YOU RIGHT? AND WE WANT ANOTHER ROUND OF INPUT ON THAT MAP.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE, SO WE'RE HAVING A BUNCH OF OPEN HOUSES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THEN WE'RE ALSO, UM, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF ACTUALLY DOING THIS RIGHT NOW OF WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING CALLED FOR, YOU KNOW, FORWARD DALLAS ON THE MOVE WHERE WE'RE WRAPPING OUR VAN IN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE FORWARD DALLAS, UM, LOGO AND GONNA GO OUT TO COMMUNITIES, SOME THE AREAS THAT WE DIDN'T GET A BUNCH OF INPUT AND PARTICULAR AREAS WHERE THERE MIGHT BE SOME CHANGE SO THAT WE CAN GO OUT TO THEM, PARKER VAN, MAKE IT KIND OF A FUN ENVIRONMENT TO COME AND TALK TO US ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS MIGHT BE.
UM, YOU KNOW, DOES THIS RESONATE WITH YOU? UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT ANY OF THE INFORMATION? SO WE'LL BE ALSO BE GOING OUT TO COMMUNITIES AND THEN WE'RE ESTABLISHING A VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE AS WELL.
SO FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANNA ATTEND MEETINGS OR ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND MEETINGS, UM, OR WHO MAYBE JUST WANT A FIVE MINUTE RUNDOWN OF WHAT THIS IS AND DOES THIS IMPACT ME AT ALL? WE'RE ALSO DOING THE V VIRTUAL, UM, OPEN HOUSE WHERE IT'S ACTUALLY JUST ONLINE.
IT'S GONNA BE THE SAME INFORMATION THAT YOU WOULD GET IF YOU WERE PHYSICALLY, PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN ONE OF THE OPEN HOUSES.
SO THAT'S GONNA START, UM, WE HAVE OUR FIRST MEETING, I BELIEVE AUGUST 29TH, OUR FIRST OPEN HOUSE.
ALL OF OUR INFORMATION'S ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A BUNCH OF STAFF WORKING ON THIS WHO'S GETTING THE WORD OUT AND PASSING EVERYTHING, PASSING INFORMATION OUT.
UM, SO WE HOPE THAT THERE'LL BE A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT ON THIS SECOND ROUND AS WELL OR THIS THIRD ROUND AS WELL.
AND SO WHAT THAT WILL ALL LEAD INTO IS SOME OF OUR NEXT STEPS IS THERE'S THE MAP, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO A DOCUMENT THAT'S GOING WITH THE MAP.
SO WE'VE STARTED WORKING WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN COMMITTEE TO, TO REVIEW THAT DOCUMENT.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO, WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, EXTENDED PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING INPUT ON THE, THIS INITIAL DRAFT.
UM, AND THEN IT'S GONNA START GOING THROUGH COMMITTEE REVIEWS.
SO THE COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN COMMITTEE, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THEM TO C P C TO CITY PLAN COMMISSION, UM, BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
THIS IS ALL AN AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE, UM, BUT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A YEAR AND A HALF.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY NONE OF THIS IS A SURPRISE.
UM, BUT WE ALWAYS KNOW THAT PEOPLE COMING AT THE END AND THAT'S FINE TOO.
SO WE'RE GIVING ENOUGH TIME FOR THAT.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE JUST JOINING US, UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT C P C WILL BE REVIEWING THIS, UM, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY GET A FIRST BRIEFING TO CITY COUNCIL BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT THAT MIGHT BE EARLY JANUARY.
UM, SO THAT'S SOME OF THE TIMELINE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
THERE IS STILL PLENTY OF TIME FOR COMMENT AND INPUT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING IT RIGHT, UM, AND POINTING OUT THINGS THAT MAY NOT BE RIGHT.
SO WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF TIME FOR THAT.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OPEN TO ANY AND ALL INPUT.
AND, UM, WITH THAT, I APPRECIATE YOU GIVING ME THE TIME
[00:20:01]
TO ALLOW THIS AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.ANY OPEN UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
JUST A FEW QUESTIONS, UM, ON SLIDE 11, AND YOU KIND OF STARTED GOING INTO THIS, BUT IF YOU COULD JUST, UH, MAYBE GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL WHEN THE TERM BLENDED RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD KIND OF GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE INSIGHT OF WHAT THAT COULD BE DEFINED AS.
IT'S STILL A LOWER SCALED, LOWER DENSITY NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT IT'S SORT OF SOME OF THE MORE CLOSER TO THE CENTER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE BUILT PRE-WAR, UM, OR, OR YOU KNOW, PRE-WORLD WAR II THAT WERE BUILT WITH SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DUPLEXES, FOUR PLEXES.
THEY ALREADY HAVE THAT MIX BUILT IN.
IT'S A PREDOMINANTLY SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DETACHED NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT YET IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO FIND DUPLEXES, TRIPLEXES, QUADS, VERY SMALL LIKE COURTYARD HOUSING.
UM, SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THE VERY, YOU KNOW, MORE TRADITIONAL CURVY, LINEAR, UM, SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS BUILT AFTER THE SIXTIES.
AND MAYBE JUST BECAUSE THE COLORS ARE SO CLOSE, IT'S MAYBE A LITTLE HARD FOR US AT LEAST ON THIS WAS PRINTED OUT TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE TWO ON THIS.
IT'S, IT IS A LITTLE CHALLENGING AT THIS SCALE.
AND THEN, UM, UM, YOU, YOU MENTIONED INDUSTRIAL ZONING AND THE WIDE RANGE OF, UM, UM, DEVELOPMENTS THAT CAN HAPPEN ON, ON PROPERTIES THAT ARE ZONED.
DO YOU KNOW, UH, GEOGRAPHICALLY WHERE MORE INDUSTRIAL ZONING IS WITHIN OUR CITY OF DALLAS? IT'S ACTUALLY, SO WE'VE MAPPED THAT.
I DON'T HAVE THE PERCENTAGES OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT IT IS, THERE IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DISTRIBUTION THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UM, THROUGHOUT ALL AREAS OF THE CITY.
NOW, LOCATION-WISE IS WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT LOCATION-WISE WITHIN THOSE AREAS, RIGHT? I THINK THERE'S MORE MIXING CLOSER TO RESIDENTIAL IN SOME OF THE WEST SIDE AND THE SOUTHERN AREAS, AND THAT'S A BIG PART OF OUR FOCUS WHEN WE THINK ABOUT CHANGES TO THE FUTURE LAND USE AND THEN FOLLOWING UP WITH CHANGES TO ZONING, UM, THAT THOSE HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE'VE HEARD MOST ABOUT THERE BEING THE CLOSE PROXIMITY BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL AND INDUSTRIAL AS OPPOSED TO IT SORT OF BEING ISOLATED TO A SPECIFIC AREA.
SO THEN WOULD THAT KIND OF SPEAK TO ON SLIDE 12, I MEAN CLEARLY THERE IS JUST MORE NOTABLE AREAS OF LAND USE CHANGING IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR THEN IN THE NORTHERN SECTOR.
COULD THAT SPEAK TO THAT? IT COULD CERTAINLY SPEAK TO THAT.
ANOTHER ISSUE WITH THAT IS THAT WE HAVE SOME OF THE, BECAUSE IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR HAS HAD MORE OF THE RECENT ANNEXATIONS, AND THEN WITH THE ANNEX STATE, WHEN I SAY RECENT, I MEAN WE HAVE ANNEX SINCE 19 80, 80 SOMETHING WITH KLEBERG RALLY.
SO IT'S, IT, IT, SOME OF THOSE AREAS HAD NOT, HAVE NOT BEEN FOLLOWED UP WITH PLANNING EFFORTS AND THEN THE REZONINGS TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT, OKAY, NOW THAT YOU'RE PART OF THE CITY, NOW THAT THINGS ARE STARTING TO CHANGE, WHAT IS THE ZONING THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT? WHAT IS THE, THE LAND USE THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT FOR THOSE AREAS? THANK YOU CHAIR MS. RICE.
THANK YOU CHAIR AGARAL, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I NOTICED THAT IN SOUTH, UH, SOUTHEAST DALLAS AREA, THE OPEN HOUSE, IS IT SINGING HILLS? UM, AS, AS FAR AS LIKE COMMUNITIES YOU MENTIONED ALSO, UM, IF THERE'S, IF THERE, IF YOU NEED MORE ENGAGEMENT IN CERTAIN AREAS THAT YOU'RE GONNA GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? ARE YOU JUST GOING TO, UH, GO TO PLACES WHERE COMMUNITIES GATHER, COMMUNITY MEMBERS GATHER? OR IS THERE, WHAT, WHAT PLAN IS IN PLACE FOR THAT? SO WE'RE REALLY FORTUNATE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF STAFF AND SPECIFICALLY ENGAGEMENT STAFF THAT'S BEEN WORKING IN DIFFERENT SECTORS OF THE CITY FOR A LONG TIME AND MAKING PARTNERSHIPS WITH DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND DIFFERENT AGENCIES OR DIFFERENT ENTITIES THAT ARE OUT, UM, IN THE DIFFERENT AREAS.
UM, SO THEY'VE MADE CONNECTIONS WITH THOSE GROUPS TO FIND OUT WHERE IT MIGHT BE BEST FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, GO TO THOSE AREAS.
WE ACTUALLY, I THINK WE JUST FINALIZED THE, THE FORWARD DALLAS ON THE MOVE LIST, WHICH I CAN CERTAINLY GET TO YOU SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE SOME OF THOSE AREAS ARE.
UM, BUT WHAT IT, WHAT IT'LL LOOK LIKE IS WE'VE ACTUALLY, SO WE PACKED UP OUR VAN WITH A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT INFORMATION ABOUT FORWARD DALLAS.
UM, IT'S SORT OF GONNA BE A MINI POPUP ON WHEELS AND WE'RE GOING TO TAIL, WE'RE STILL GOING TO TAILOR THAT, THOSE POPUPS TO,
[00:25:01]
IF THERE IS SOME KIND OF CHANGE RECOMMENDED IN THAT AREA, HAVE THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE AND TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT THAT, UM, TALK TO THEM AND, YOU KNOW, EITHER DO COMMUNITY SURVEY SURVEYS JUST TO, OR JUST HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS, UM, DIFFERENT WAYS TO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED OR ACCESS THE INFORMATION IN MORE DETAIL.UM, SO IT'S REALLY GONNA BE A LOT OF CONVERSATION AND IT COULD, IT'S, IT'S UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WANTS TO COME AND JOIN US, HOW LONG YOU WANNA STAY AND TALK ABOUT IT OR, YOU KNOW, IF YOU JUST WANNA POP IN AND GET THE INFORMATION AND TAKE IT BACK LATER.
UM, WHAT EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE IN TERMS OF LANGUAGE ACCESS AND FOR PERSONS THAT SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE OTHER THAN THAN ENGLISH? 'CAUSE I KNOW AT LEAST 38 TO 40% OF OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE SPANISH SPEAKING, NOT INCLUDING, UM, OTHER LANGUAGES THAT ARE SPOKEN IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SO ALL OF OUR, THE, ALL OF OUR LAST WORKSHOPS, WE HAD AN INTERPRETER AT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR WORKSHOPS, OUR COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS THAT WE HAD.
WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL STAFF THAT SPEAK SPANISH.
SO WE'VE GENERALLY TRY TO BE STRATEGIC ABOUT WHAT STAFF IS BEING, YOU KNOW, IS GONNA BE AT WHICH MEETING.
SO, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUSLY EXTREMELY HELPFUL TO HAVE THE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETER THERE THAT CAN HELP OUT WITH THAT, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S ALSO NICE TO HAVE A STAFF PERSON WHO CAN JUST HAVE THAT ONE-ON-ONE DIALOGUE, UM, WITH THEM AS WELL.
UM, SO WE'VE, WE'VE MADE SURE TO DO THAT.
ALL OF OUR PRESENTATIONS ARE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
UM, AND THEN ALL OF OUR VIRTUAL AND WHEN WE'RE POSTING ONLINE THE DRAFT THAT'S GOING TO GO ONLINE, IT WILL BE TRANSLATABLE INTO ANY DIFFERENT LANGUAGE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT ACCESS TO.
UM, ON SLIDE SIX, THE, UM, IT'S THE, WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID, UH, YOUR FONT SIZE AT THE LARGER FONT SIZE MEAN, YOU HAD MORE COMMENTS ON THAT CATEGORY AT THAT POINT.
SO WHEN YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'D HAD A LOT OF INPUT ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, BUT I NOTICE IT, OF THE NINE THINGS THAT ARE LISTED HERE, IT'S THE SMALLEST FONT, UH, I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN IN YOUR GREAT, GREAT PUBLIC OUTREACH.
UM, AND SO, UM, HOW DOES THERE SEEMS TO BE A DISCONNECT? WELL, SO THIS WAS, SO THIS IS A WORD BUBBLE.
I, I SHOULD GET THE, I SHOULD HAVE THE DATE IN MY MIND.
IT'S PROBABLY AS OF JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.
UM, OR MAYBE EVEN HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY AT THE CLOSE OF, OF LAST YEAR, UM, THAT LED US TO THIS.
I WILL SAY THAT IT WAS A LOT OF THE REALLY THE IN-PERSON CONVERSATIONS WHERE, SO THIS IS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT, IN-PERSON CONVERSATIONS, THEN ALSO INPUT THAT WE RECEIVED ONLINE.
SO DROPPING IN AND SORT OF GIVING THAT INFORMATION ONLINE.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST HOW IT BALANCED OUT, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE CONTINUED REALLY CRITICAL CONVERSATIONAL PIECES, THE THREADS THAT HAVE SORT OF NEVER STOPPED BEING DISCUSSED, ONE OF THEM IS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE INDUSTRIAL ZONING, YOU'RE CHECKING ITS PROXIMITY TO RESIDENTIAL FOR MAYBE A DIFFERENT LAND USE RECOMMENDATION, BUT TIED INTO THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PIECE, UH, TO WHAT DEGREE DOES C C A P THE CON COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PLAN, CLIMATE AND ACTION PLAN INFORM YOUR DECISIONS? BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE, IN NORTHWEST DALLAS, IN THE, THE WA THE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE WATERSHED OF THE TRINITY, YEAH, WE HAVE SOME VERY HEAVY INDUSTRIAL USES.
THERE'S NO RESIDENTIAL PROXIMITY THERE, BUT I KNOW IN THE 2006 PLAN THEY TOOK, DID NOT TAKE ANY OF THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
AND THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE USED TO, UH, RECOMMEND AGAINST THINGS LIKE, UH, MULTIFAMILY LITECH, UH, UH, DEVELOPMENT MM-HMM.
SO IN THAT AREA, DO, DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO ABOUT YEAH, SO IT'S NOT, YEAH, SO IT'S NOT JUST RESIDENT, THAT WAS JUST AN EXAMPLE.
IT'S NOT JUST RESIDENTIAL PROXIMITY THAT WE'RE LOOKING INTO.
IT REALLY IS LOOKING INTO THE C A ISSUES AS WELL, UM, OR THE C A RECOMMENDATIONS AND MAKING SURE THAT BECAUSE THEY C A DOES CALL OUT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN FROM A LAND USE PERSPECTIVE IN ORDER TO MEET C A GOALS.
SO WE'VE BEEN VERY DILIGENT ABOUT THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MATCHING THAT.
SO WE HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION SECTION ABOUT IMPERVIOUS COVER, COMPACT DEVELOPMENT, UM, WATERSHED MANAGEMENT.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO BE, AND MANY TREE CANOPY AND ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL THAT WE DON'T BECOME A CATCHALL PLAN.
UM, IT STILL IS JUST A LAND USE PLAN, SO HOW DO WE, I DON'T SAY JUST AS,
[00:30:01]
BUT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COVERING THOSE BASES BUT NOT VEERING INTO, SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT C C A NEEDS TO BE DOING AS WELL.SO WE'VE TRIED TO BE VERY CONSCI CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER.
SO, SO ONE QUESTION, MA'AM, I SAW YOUR TIMELINE.
I THINK YOUR WORK IS GOING TO BE PRETTY MUCH SIMULTANEOUSLY WHEN THIS GROUP IS GOING TO WORK AND START DELIBERATING ON WHAT TO RECOMMEND TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
IF YOU HAVE TO GIVE FEW ADVICE, BECAUSE WE WON'T GET YOUR FINAL REPORT BEFORE THIS WORK IS DONE, IF YOU HAVE TO GIVE COUPLE OF PIECES OF SUGGESTIONS TO THIS GROUP WHILE THEY'RE DELIBERATING ON ALLOCATIONS FOR BOND.
ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? I WOULD SAY THAT WE ARE DEFINITELY LOOKING THROUGH THIS PLAN AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS EMPHASIS ON AREAS THAT HAVEN'T NECESSARILY BEEN EMPHASIZED IN THE PAST.
UM, IT COULD BE LOCATIONAL AREAS, IT COULD BE TOPIC AREAS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE REALLY ARE THINKING ABOUT THIS PLAN FOCUSES A LOT ON WHAT HAPPENS IN WEST DALLAS, WHAT HAPPENS IN SOUTH DALLAS.
SO I WOULD SAY WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT BOND RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, THINKING ABOUT THOSE AREAS AND THE NEEDS OF THOSE AREAS, AND IF WE DO THINK ABOUT TRANSITIONING CERTAIN AREAS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WILL THAT ENTAIL TO MAKE IT MORE OF A COMPLETE AREA.
UM, SO I, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY KEY PART OF THIS PLAN.
UM, I THINK WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SOME OF THE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AREAS.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF TRANSIT STATION, AND IT'S NOT JUST DART TRANSIT STATIONS, BUT IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, HIGH CAPACITY BUS CORRIDORS AND REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW WE MAKE THEM.
WE THINK ABOUT MORE THAN JUST HOW THE VEHICLE USES EITHER THE CORRIDORS, UM, AND OBVIOUSLY SPECIFICALLY WITH THE VEHICLE, IT'S THE CORRIDORS, BUT THEN IN OUR TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AREAS AND OUR DART STATIONS, REALLY WHAT KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND, UM, AMENITIES ARE NEEDED TO REALLY MAKE THOSE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IF WE MAKE THOSE SUCCESSFULLY USED AREAS, IT'S NOT ONLY GOOD FOR THOSE WHO USE THOSE DART STATIONS, IT'S ALSO GOOD FOR PEOPLE WHO WANNA BE DRIVING ON THE STREETS BECAUSE YOU'RE TAKING CERTAIN PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE OFF THE ROADS, UM, FROM DRIVING OFF THE ROADS AND HELPING WITH CONGESTION THERE.
UM, I THINK THAT THOSE ARE, AND ANOTHER ONE OF OUR BIG AREAS IS THINKING ABOUT HOW WE DO LOOK AT REDEVELOPMENT ON CORRIDORS.
UM, AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT MULTIMODAL ACCESS BIKE LANES, LANDSCAPING, STREET TREES, UM, YOU KNOW, OPEN SPACE AMENITIES, GREEN SPACE AMENITIES, UM, AND THEN REALLY HOW WE'RE INFUSING SOME HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THOSE AREAS.
UM, THE SMALL BUSINESS AND REALLY LOOKING AT OUR HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT AND CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT AREAS AND NODAL AREAS.
UM, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE UPLIFT THOSE AREAS, GIVE THEM A LITTLE EXTRA SUPPORT TO PUSH THEM INTO, YOU KNOW, MORE READ, UM, MORE OF A REVITALIZATION, UM, EFFORT.
THANK YOU, UH, WITH NO MORE QUESTIONS WHILE WE TRULY APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND IT, IT, IT WAS, YEAH, VERY WELL RECEIVED.
YEAH, WITH THAT WE MOVED TO, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HAS BEEN A KEY, UH, FOCUS, WHICH WE WANTED TO DO DURING THIS PROCESS.
SO VERY HAPPY TO SEE KIND OF, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TODAY.
UH, VERY EXCITED TO HEAR YOU KNOW ABOUT ALL YOU.
UH, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS, THIS WILL BE GIVING THEM THREE MINUTES EACH.
THERE WON'T BE ANY Q AND A IF ANY OF, UH, US HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
YOU CAN DIRECT TO THE STAFF AND THEY'LL REACH OUT TO THE SPEAKER AND GET BACK WITH THE ANSWERS.
BUT WE WON'T CONDUCT ANY Q AND A.
WE ARE JUST GOING TO LISTEN WHAT OUR VISITORS HAVE TO SAY.
THANK YOU MR. CHAIR AND GOOD EVENING.
UH, THE COMMUNITY DE THE COMMUNITY V TASK FORCE WILL NOW HEAR IT'S 40 REGISTERED SPEAKERS.
WE HAVE VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON SPEAKERS, INDIVIDUALS WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
FOR THOSE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS, YOU WILL NOTICE THE TIMER THAT I STARTED.
UM, THE TIMER ON THE MONITOR IN FRONT OF YOU, WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP, PLEASE STOP FOR THE VIRTUAL SPEAKERS.
I WILL ANNOUNCE WHEN YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
AND WE'LL BEGIN WITH OUR FIRST SPEAKER TONIGHT.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS CARRIE WEINBERG.
[00:35:01]
VIRTUAL.I AM VIRTUAL, SO I WAS, UM, I'M VERY, UH, I'M EXCITED THAT FLOOD CONTROL IS A PART OF THE SCHOOL.
YOU NEED TO GET YOUR CAMERA ON MS. WEINBERGER.
UM, YES, I'M VERY, VERY EXCITED THAT CONTROL IS PART OF THIS PLAN.
I LIVE ON A STREET CALLED SOUTH GLASGOW, AND WE HAVE HAD CONTINUED ISSUES OVER THE YEARS THAT I'VE LIVED IN THIS HOUSE WITH.
UM, WHEN WE HAVE INTENSE RAINS, THE STREETS FLOOD, I'VE HAD MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSES FLOOD.
UM, WE HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH, UH, GETTING VERY CLOSE TO FLOODING OURSELVES.
AND, UM, IT'S JUST OVER, OVER AND OVER.
WE'RE TOLD THAT THE DRAINAGE IS JUST OVERWHELMED.
UM, WE'VE HAD CARS THAT HAVE DAMAGED AND, UM, IT IS THE, IT'S STARTING TO IMPACT, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE CONSIDERING OUR FUTURE IN DALLAS.
WE LOVE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY, BUT AT THIS POINT, WE'VE UH, DECIDED, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT SOME CONSTRUCTION AND REMODELS WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING, AND WE'RE WONDERING, DO WE WANT TO DO THAT HERE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD? THAT IS, UM, WHERE THERE ARE SUCH FLOODING ISSUES.
AND, UM, AND WE REALLY HAVEN'T SEEN ANY SOLUTIONS SO FAR FROM THE CITY.
SO, AND I'M VERY HOPEFUL THAT, UM, THERE WILL BE SOME SOLUTIONS THAT WILL BE PART OF THE BOND.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GUSTAVO HINOJOSA.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
MY NAME IS, I THINK, CAN YOU GET YOUR MIC ON SIR? I THINK THE MIC, MIC HERE GREEN.
MY NAME'S GUSTAVO IN OSA AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF TEXAS.
UM, WE WERE FOUNDED IN JUNE OF 2022 BY EIGHT CIVIC AND PROFESSIONAL LEADERS, UH, FROM THE D F W AREA WHO ARE ACTIVE IN VARIOUS HISPANIC ORGANIZATIONS.
WE ARE A 5 0 1 C THREE ORGANIZATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THAT THE 2020 CENSUS CONFIRMED THAT HISPANICS ARE NOW THE MAJORITY IN TEXAS, THAT MAJORITY OF THAT MAJORITY, 83% HAVE MEXICAN ROOTS.
AND YET THERE IS NO SINGULAR MUSEUM IN TEXAS THAT FOCUSES ON THE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL MEXICAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE FROM ITS INDIGENOUS AND SPANISH ROOTS TO ITS AFRO-ASIAN AND ANGLO MEXICAN FAMILIES, THE HISTORY OF TEXAS IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT THE HISTORY OF ALL MEXICAN AMERICANS.
WE BELIEVE A PERMANENT FACILITY WHICH CAPTURES ALL THE CULTURAL REGIONS OF TEXAS UNDER ONE ROOF, WILL PROVIDE AN EDUCATIONAL DESTINATION.
A NATURAL LOCATION FOR THIS WOULD BE FAIR PARK AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO SHOWCASE THE DIVERSITY OF OUR VAST STATE.
OUR MUSEUM, ALONG WITH THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM, WILL BE THE CORNERSTONE OF THE PROPOSED MUSEUM DISTRICT.
THIS WILL SUPPORT THE SOUTHERN SECTOR REVITALIZATION AND HELP MAKE FAIR PARK THE VIBRANT AND PROFITABLE EXPERIENCE THAT IT STRIVES TO BE.
THE MUSEUM WILL HAVE A PERMANENT COLLECTION AS WELL AS VISITING EXHIBITS.
WE WILL EDUCATE VISITORS ABOUT THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF TERES FROM THE INDIGENOUS AND COLONIAL PERIODS TO THE MEXICAN, THE REPUBLIC, THE STATEHOOD PERIODS, AND ONTO OUR PRESENT DAY EXPERIENCES.
WE ARE SUBMITTING OVER A DOZEN LETTERS OF SUPPORT OF PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT OUR MISSION.
THEY INCLUDE STATE REPRESENTATIVE ANA MARIA RAMOS, AS WELL AS DR.
HALPERIN, DIRECTOR OF THE SS M U HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAM.
PROMINENT ATTORNEYS, AUTHORS, GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES, AND OTHER CITIZENS.
WE EVEN RECEIVED A LETTER FROM A PERSON WHO WAS BORN IN TEXAS BUT NO LONGER LIVES HERE.
BUT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR HIM TO SHARE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PARTICULAR MUSEUM.
MUCH OF DALLAS WAS BUILT BY MEXICAN AMERICANS AND THEIR ANCESTORS FROM COLONIAL TIMES TO THE PRESENT.
WE HAVE BUILT THE PHYSICAL AS WELL AS THE SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION OF OUR STATE.
[00:40:01]
FROM THE RANCHES WITH THEIR LONGHORNS AND THE CITIES WITH THEIR SKYSCRAPERS, WE HAVE BEEN THERE TO BUILD OUR STATE.IT IS TIME THAT OUR HISTORY FROM THE PAST AND TO THE PRESENT BE TOLD AND SHOWCASED UNDER ONE ROOF.
SOME HAVE ASKED WHY DALLAS? AND WE'VE RESPONDED, WHY NOT DALLAS? OTHER CITIES AROUND THE STATE HAVE TRIED TO CLIMB THIS HILL AND HAVE NOT SUCCEEDED.
WE HAVE NO OPTION BUT TO SUCCEED.
DALLAS IS A VISIONARY CITY AND MAKES THINGS HAPPEN.
WE DREAM BIG AND MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE.
DALLAS HAS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD THE STATE BY PROVIDING A HOME FOR THIS CULTURAL JEWEL.
THAT'S YOUR TIME, SO THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALBERT GONZALEZ.
TOOK ME TWO MINUTES TO WALK OVER HERE.
FIRST OF ALL, LEMME TELL YOU, GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
I LIVE AT 2108 CATHOLIC COURT DALLAS, 7 5 2 0 8.
I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER INCLUDING OUR REQUEST FOR BOND MONEY FOR THE CREATION OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF TEXAS.
AS YOU MIGHT, AS YOU MIGHT KNOW OR NOT, WE ARE GATHERED HERE TONIGHT IN A LOCATION WHERE THE YELLOW CAB COMPANY ONCE OCCUPIED.
BACK IN THE 1940S, THAT COMPANY THAT DID NOT HIRE MEXICAN AMERICAN TO DRIVE THEIR CABS.
IT WAS THIS TIMES WHEN OUR PRESENCE WAS OFTEN OVERDO.
TODAY, THE MEXICAN AMERICAN POPULATION IN DALLAS AND THE STATE OF TEXAS IS WELL OVER 40%.
WE ARE NOW A MAJORITY MINORITY AND ARE CONTINUOUSLY GROWING.
IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS CAN COME AND LEARN ABOUT OUR HISTORY LOCALLY AND STATEWIDE.
THE MEXICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM WILL BE THE FIRST OF A KIND IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, DEDICATED TO THE RICH HISTORY OF THE MEXICAN AMERICANS.
IT WILL BE A PERMANENT INSTITUTION, WHICH RECORDS COLLECTS, CONSERVES, INTERPRETS, AND EXHIBITS OUR HERITAGE.
IT WILL PROMOTE TOUR TOURISM AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS A COMMUNITY ATTRACTION.
IT WILL SHOWCASE ARTISTIC AND HISTORICAL OBJECTS OF INTEREST, TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY, RELATING TO MEXICAN AMERICANS THROUGHOUT TEXAS.
IT WOULD EDUCATE VISITORS ABOUT A RICH HISTORY, CIVILIZATION, GENEALOGY, RELIGION, AND ART OF THE MEXICAN AMERICANS.
SOME OF YOU MAY WONDER WHY MUSEUM, WHEN DALLAS ALREADY HAS THE LATINO CULTURE CENTER.
THE LATINO CULTURE CENTER IS ABOUT DALLAS, THE MEXICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF TEXAS IS ABOUT TEXAS.
OUR FOUNDING BOARD OF DIRECTORS BELIEVE THAT IF YOU KNOW OUR HISTORY, THREE THINGS ARE GONNA HAPPEN.
ONE, WE LEARN TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER.
THREE, WE LEARNED HOW TO TALK TO EACH OTHER.
AND IN CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT IN 1950, THE YELLOW CAB COMPANY FINALLY HIRED THE FIRST MEXICAN AMERICAN TO DRIVE A CAB.
HE WAS A PROUD VETERAN OF WORLD WAR II, WHO MOVED HIS FAMILY FROM LORETO, TEXAS TO DALLAS.
HIS NAME ALBERTO GONZALEZ, MY DAD.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALAN KING.
UM, I'M WITH THIS SHEET IF YOU WANNA FOLLOW ALONG.
UM, 7 9 3 9 BRIAR RIDGE ROAD, DALLAS, TEXAS, UH, DISTRICT 11.
UM, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME AND THE OTHERS.
MY FELLOW RESIDENTS AND I, THEY'RE STANDING OVER HERE OR SITTING OVER THERE.
UM, WE'RE SUPPORTING THE 7,900 BLOCK OF BRIAR RIDGE AND FALL MEADOW ALLEY TO BE INCLUDED IN THE BOND.
UH, SO WHY OUR ALLEY? UM, WHY SHOULD IT BE INCLUDED IN THIS BOND? UM, YOU COULD JUST SEE FROM THE PICTURES THAT IT, IT'S IN DISREPAIR AND REALLY NEEDS IT.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN 1966 AND IT HASN'T BEEN, UH, REPLACED SINCE THEN.
ONLY PATCHWORK REPAIRS THAT CLEARLY JUST HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THE JOB SINCE THAT ALLEYWAY WAS BUILT.
[00:45:01]
IT, UM, NEIL ARMSTRONG LANDED ON THE MOON.UM, THE BERLIN WALL FELL, THE DALLAS COWBOYS WON THEIR FIRST SUPER BOWL.
SINCE THEN, THAT'S HOW LONG IT'S BEEN.
AND MAYBE, MAYBE WE WIN ANOTHER ONE SOMETIME.
UM, BUT IT'S SO NARROW THAT THE, THE TR UH, TRASH, TRASH TRUCKS CAN'T FIT ON IT.
THERE'S RUTS EVERYWHERE ON IT.
UM, THERE'S STANDING WATER THAT'S COLLECTS MOSQUITOES.
UM, IT'S JUST, IT'S SUPER BUMPY.
IT'S LIKE YOU'RE ON THE TEXAS GIANT.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, THE RESIDENTS, MY NEIGHBORS AND I WE'RE JUST, WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE PAY PROPERTY TAXES AND WE WOULD, WE JUST REALLY LIKE IT TO BE INCLUDED ON THE NEXT BOND.
UM, WHY ALLEYS IN GENERAL? WELL, UM, THEY'RE CRITICAL TO RESIDENTIAL TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY, WELLBEING, PROPERTY VALUES.
UM, WE UNDERSTAND OURS IS GONNA BE EXPENSIVE.
IT'S 'CAUSE IT'S A TOTAL REPLACEMENT AND, UM, BUT IT'S JUST, IT'S LONG PAST TIME FOR IT TO BE DONE.
UM, AND, AND REALLY THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT SO THAT IT CAN BE CHEAPER IN THE LONG RUN GOING FORWARD.
'CAUSE IF WE JUST CONTINUE TO REPAIR IT, IT NEVER WILL GET FIXED.
UM, IT WAS PASSED OVER IN THE PREVIOUS BONDS.
UM, AND WE JUST, WE DO, WE JUST SINCERELY REQUEST THAT, UH, OUR ALLEYWAY, THE 79, UH, HUNDRED BLOCK OF FALL, MEADOW, AND BRIAR RIDGE BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT BOND.
IS THE TIMER WORKING FOR THE SPEAKERS? CAN YOU SEE THE TIMER? NO.
WE'VE ASKED AV TO COME AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
UM, WE'LL KEEP GOING AND I'LL TRY AND GIVE HAND SIGNALS FOR AS THE TIME, UH, TICKS DOWN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CATHERINE MCGOVERN.
UM, THE TASK FORCE BOND COMMITTEE, OR THE BOND COMMITTEE TASK FORCE HAS TO LISTEN TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AND ALSO THE FOLKS WHO WORK FOR OUR CITY WHO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO YOU'RE ALMOST LIKE SOLOMON TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU'RE GONNA SPLIT THE BABY.
I'M, I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT BABIES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT I AM HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT A LIBRARY THAT'S 59 YEARS OLD.
IT'S CALLED THE PRESTON ROYAL LIBRARY.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL OLD BUILDING.
IT WAS FIRST OPENED IN MARCH OF 1964, AND IT'S BEEN CHUGGING ALONG A LOT OF US, PEOPLE, FRIENDS, AND OTHER SUPPORTERS HAVE DONE AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND ALONG WITH THE CITY TO HELP MAKE IT REALLY SERVE OUR AREA, WHICH IS THE AREA, UH, IN, UH, DISTRICT 13, IN DISTRICT 11.
BUT YOU REALLY CAN'T GET BLOOD FROM A TURNIP.
THIS BUILDING HAS ABOUT MAYBE IF YOU WANNA BE CHARITABLE 11,000 SQUARE FEET INTERIOR USABLE S SPACE NOW IN 64, THAT'S PROBABLY ALL RIGHT BECAUSE WHEN I MOVED IN, MY FAMILY AND I MOVED INTO THE AREA IN 80 SE I MEAN 87 AT INWOOD AND, UM, ROYAL, UH, THERE WERE HORSES RUNNING ALONG ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF, OF, UH, THE PROPERTY, THE ROADS.
AND WE HAVE MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO COME AND USE OUR LIBRARY.
WHO WOULD LIKE TO STUDY AT THE LIBRARY.
I HAVE AN ADULT SON WHO'S STUDYING ON C L E COURSES NOW.
HE WAS GOING, HE WENT THERE TO STUDY, BUT HE HAD TO GO DOWN TO THE, UH, UNIVERSITY PARK LIBRARY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY QUIET SPACE.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY QUIET SPACE, YOU CAN'T STUDY
[00:50:01]
NOW.WELL, I GAVE YOU ALL A WRITTEN STATEMENT ABOUT THE POINTS AND I HAVE ALSO GIVEN YOU A POSTCARD.
AND OUR, UM, MATERIAL ALSO INCLUDES A LITTLE BIT OF UPDATE.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE'VE BEEN WAITING 59 YEARS TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF SPACE TO HAVE A LIBRARY THAT SERVES A MUCH LARGER COMMUNITY THAN IT WAS, UH, BUILT FOR.
WE ARE VERY DIVERSE AND WE THANK YOU.
AND WE ASK YOU WHEN YOU ALL ARE COMING FORWARD, BECAUSE THE CITY, UH, I'M SORRY, THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY DIDN'T RECOMMEND OUR GETTING EXPANDED.
AND IF WE HAVE, IF YOU JUST DECORATE A SPACE AND MAKE IT LOOK PRETTY, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE ANY MORE SPACE, YOU HAVEN'T SOLVED THE PROBLEM, IT'S NOT A GOOD INVESTMENT, IS THIS GOODBYE.
I, I, I APPRECIATE YOU LISTENING TO ME.
AND WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TO HEAR US.
THANK YOU FOR FINDING TIME TO POWER.
APPRECIATE, I, I'VE FORGOT I'M NOT MOBILE, AT LEAST NOT AS MOBILE AS I NEED TO BE.
AND WE'VE JUST GOTTEN WORD THAT OUR VIDEO'S GONE OUT FOR EVERYBODY WHO'S, UM, WHO'S WATCHING IN.
SO WE'VE ASKED OUR AV FOLKS TO LOOK INTO THAT AS WELL.
OUR NEXT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TRUDY NEWTON.
OKAY, OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE THOMAS TUCKER.
FIRST I'D LIKE TO SAY THANKS TO THE BOND COMMITTEE AND ALL OF YOU FOLKS WHO ARE HERE TO MAKE OUR CITY GREATER THAN IT ALREADY IS.
UH, UH, MY NAME'S TOMMY TUCKER.
I AM A REAL ESTATE, UH, BROKER AND INVESTOR, UH, FOR GOING ON CLOSE TO 20 YEARS, UH, HERE ON BEHALF OF SOME PARTNERSHIPS THAT OWN PROPERTIES.
AND, UH, IT'S THE 7 5 2 2 6 ZIP CODE, WHICH SPECIFICALLY ARE IN THE 3,800 BLOCK OF MAIN STREET TO THE 4,200 BLOCK OF MAIN STREET.
BASICALLY FROM DEEP ELEMENT EXPOSITION CIRCLE TO, UM, CAROL, UM, I'M REMINDED OF JANE JACOBS.
UH, JANE WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST REAL ESTATE STUDENTS OF ALL TIME WHO PUBLISHED A BOOK IN THE LATE FIFTIES CALLED THE DEATH AND LIFE OF GREAT AMERICAN CITIES.
AND TWO CONCEPTS THAT JANE CAME UP WITH THAT, UM, DEFIED, MY PREVIOUS CONCEPTIONS HAD TO DO WITH SAFETY AND PARKS.
AND THE TWO THINGS THAT JANE SAID ABOUT, UH, MAKING THE SAFEST.
IT'S THE, UH, WHAT MAKES THE SAFEST CITY IS ACTUALLY THE PEOPLE WE'RE SUPER GRATEFUL FOR OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HOW MUCH THEY DO.
AND OBVIOUSLY HOW MUCH OUR, OUR PEOPLE PUT FORTH, UH, TO BEING ACTIVE IN OUR CITY PARKS.
UM, UH, AND HOW MUCH THEY DO FOR, FOR OUR CITY.
UM, BASICALLY PUTTING PEOPLE OUT ON THE GROUND LEVEL.
SO I'M HERE ADVOCATING FOR, UH, BOND MONEY FOR THINGS THAT HELP PUT THE PEDESTRIAN OUT ON THE STREET, UH, PARTICULARLY ON THAT MAIN STREET STREET CAMPAIGN.
THERE IS A, A COMPLETE STREETS PROGRAM THAT'S COMING THROUGH NEXT SUMMER IN 2024, WHICH WILL BASICALLY MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A LOWER GREENVILLE AVENUE EXCEPT WITH FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC.
SO TAKEN OUT, UH, FRONT END PARKING WITH PARALLEL PARKING, UH, AND A 10 FOOT SIDEWALK AND EIGHT FOOT BUFFER.
HOWEVER, THERE ISN'T ANY MONEY PUT ASIDE FOR ANY LANDSCAPING, ANY WAY FINDING ANY STREET CROSSINGS, UH, ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC LIGHTS, PARTICULARLY AT WASHINGTON AND MAIN STREET.
SO I THINK THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR A NEW DISTRICT DOWN IN THIS PART OF THE CITY THAT HAS NEVER EXISTED BEFORE.
ADDITIONALLY, IN SUPPORT OF, UH, UH, UH, TRAILS, UH, THE SANTA FE TRAIL IS 4.4 MILES.
IT CONNECTS ESSENTIALLY DOWNTOWN, OR LET'S CALL IT DEEP ELLUM TO WHITE ROCK LAKE.
UH, THE FRIENDS OF THE SANTA FE TRAIL WENT THROUGH A MULTI-YEAR CAMPAIGN TO DO A, UM, A A A MASTER PLAN, WHICH JUST GOT FINISHED IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR.
HAVING BEEN ON THE FRIENDS OF THE KATY TRAIL BOARD AND SEEING THE IMPACT OF HAVING A MASTER PLAN FOR MANY YEARS OVER THERE AND ITS ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE CITY AS WELL AS, UH, DEVELOPMENT AND JUST OVERALL, UH, BENEFIT TO OUR CITY.
A BIG FAN OF, UM, AND HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE SANTA FE TRAIL, AS WELL AS, UH, ON MAIN STREET, JUST EAST OF JEEP EL.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GONNA BE BETH PERRY.
[00:55:01]
OUT THE NEXT THREE SPEAKERS IF YOU WANNA MAYBE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT.UM, IT'S GOING TO BE LINDSEY MCDANIEL, PATRICIA SHAUGHNESSY AND RUDY CARMANI CAR.
UH, MY NAME IS BETH PERRY AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE PARKS BOARD RECEIVING MAXIMUM FUNDING IN THE UPCOMING, UH, BOND PACKAGE, AND SPECIFICALLY ASKING FOR THE MAXIMUM FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT AT ORBITER PARK OFF OF ROYAL LANE FOR DISTRICT 10.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF THE NORTHWEST STATES NEIGHBORHOOD FOR ALMOST EIGHT YEARS.
I LOVE THAT IT IS A QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, COMPRISED OF DIVERSITY ACROSS THE BOARD FROM ETH ETHNICITY TO SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND AND AGE.
BUT IN THE EIGHT YEARS THAT I HAVE LIVED THERE, THERE IS ONE CONSISTENCY THAT UNIFIES THIS GROUP AND IS EX, IT'S AN EXTREMELY ACTIVE COMMUNITY, UM, ON ANY GIVEN EVENING, ESPECIALLY DURING THE SUMMER, NOT TODAY,
UM, OR IN THE MORNING BEFORE WORK, YOU WILL SEE NEIGHBORS ON A WALK WITH THEIR DOG, THEIR TODDLER OR THEIR ENTIRE FAMILY.
UM, PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, UH, I DIDN'T KNOW MANY OF MY NEIGHBORS AT ALL, BUT ONCE, UH, SHELTERING IN PLACE WAS PUT INTO EFFECT AND THE ONLY OUTLET WE HAD WAS TO GO ON A WALK.
MY HUSBAND, TWO YEAR OLD AT THE TIME, AND OUR DOG LOUIE, UM, GOTTEN THE, THE QUITE THE ROUTINE OF GOING ON A MORNING AND AN EVENING WALK AND WEEK AFTER WEEK WE STARTED TO SEE THE SAME PEOPLE OVER AND OVER AGAIN ON OUR WALKS.
UH, WE SLOWLY BECAME ACQUAINTANCES WITH OTHER FAMILIES THAT WE STARTED TO SEE, AND CASUAL CONVERSATIONS TURNED INTO REAL FRIENDSHIPS.
FAST FORWARD TO TODAY AND WE HAVE 31 FAMILIES ON A GROUP TEXT THREAD THAT ALL COMMUNICATE AND HAVE CREATED A REAL SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
I HAD NO IDEA THAT WE HAD THAT MANY YOUNG FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN GOING THROUGH THE SAME SEASON OF LIFE TOGETHER AS A NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE NOW HAVE AN ANNUAL LABOR DAY PARTY, UM, HALLOWEEN PARTY AND ARE ACTIVE IN EACH OTHER'S LIVES, UH, SUPPORTING CAUSES LIKE THIS ONE ASKING FOR DEVELOPMENT AT ORBITER PARK.
AS A NEW MOM OF THREE, I JUST HAD TWINS, THEY'RE SIX MONTHS OLD.
UM, I CAN ATTEST THAT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A PARK WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD OUTSIDE OF THE PARK, WITHIN OUR, WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AT THE, AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UM, WE HAVE AN EXTREMELY ACTIVE COMMUNITY MADE OF A LOT OF, MADE UP OF A LOT OF YOUNG FAMILIES AND CHILDREN AND BABIES ON THE WAY THAT WOULD GREATLY BENEFIT FROM THE PARK.
IT WOULD ALLOW OUR FAMILIES TO BE ACTIVE WITH OUR CHILDREN, FURTHER INSTILL A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND WOULD IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF MANY FAMILIES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEN JUST FOR A LITTLE PERSONAL TOUCH, I HAD MY DAUGHTER DRAW A PICTURE OF WHAT SHE THINKS THE PARK SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
SO IF ANYONE WANTS TO SEE THIS UP CLOSE, I'M HAPPY TO PASS IT AROUND.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, UH, IS LINDSEY MCDANIEL.
UM, I AM HERE TO ALSO TALK ABOUT ORBITER PARK AND TO REQUEST THE MAX AMOUNT FOR THE BOND PACKAGE.
UM, I LIKE BETH LIVE IN NORTHWOOD ESTATES, UM, WITH MY HUSBAND COLIN AND OUR THREE DAUGHTERS THAT ARE AGES NINE, SIX, AND FOUR.
UM, WE MOVED INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN 2015, NOT KNOWING HOW LONG WE WOULD STAY, BUT EIGHT YEARS LATER WE'RE STILL THERE AND WE'RE THANKFUL FOR OUR DECISION TO MOVE TO SUCH A GREAT PART OF DALLAS.
UM, WE'VE ENJOYED THE EASE OF ACCESS TO HIGHWAYS, TRAILS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE THAT SURROUND US.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS A WIDE RANGE OF CULTURES AS WELL AS PLENTY OF YOUNG FAMILIES THAT HAVE MOVED IN.
THERE ARE 20 YOUNG CHILDREN WITH THREE MORE ON THE WAY.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS SHOWING MORE GROWTH WITH THE ADDITIONAL HIGH-END HOUSING DEVELOPMENT OFF OF VANGUARD WAY, WHICH I CAN ONLY EXPECT WILL BRING MORE FAMILIES WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ORBITER PARK.
UM, ONE THING I FEEL OUR PART, OUR PART OF THE CITY IS MISSING IS A PLAYGROUND.
WITH AS MANY FAMILIES IN CHILDREN IN THIS PART OF DALLAS, A QUALITY PARK IS NEEDED TO NOT ONLY PROVIDE A PLACE FOR COMMUNITY, BUT LET CHILDREN PLAY AND DEVELOP FRIENDSHIPS WITH THOSE THAT LIVE AROUND THEM.
WITH THE ADDITION OF THE TRAIL EXTENSION BRIDGE OVER SEVEN HIGHWAY 75 ORBIT PARK MAKES A PERFECT CENTRAL PLACE FOR A PLAYGROUND WALKING TRAIL AND PAVILION.
UM, CURRENTLY THE CLOSEST PARK TO US IS AT MOSS PARK AT THE CORNER OF ROYAL LANE IN GREENVILLE.
THIS PARK IS, UM, VERY RUNDOWN AND IT HASN'T BEEN KEPT UP, SO WE DON'T FREQUENT IT VERY MUCH, AND WE WOULD PREFER A PARK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT CLOSER THAN FLAGPOLE HILL PARK, WHICH IS AWESOME.
UM, THE FIELD AT ORBITER PARK HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FAVORITE FOR MY GIRLS.
WHEN WE GO ON WALKS, UM, DURING OUR WALKS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WE OFTEN END UP THERE TO RUN AROUND AND, UM, THEY USUALLY CHASE BUTTERFLIES AND ENJOY THE BIG OPEN SPACE.
UM, DURING THE 4TH OF JULY, MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS MEET THERE TO WATCH THE FIREWORKS FROM THE ROYAL OAKS COUNTRY CLUB.
SO IT'S A PERFECT PLACE TO PUT A PLAYGROUND AS SO MANY PEOPLE ALREADY ENJOY THE GREEN SPACE, UM, THAT IT AND THE COMMUNITY THAT IT BRINGS.
UM, SO PLEASE HIGHLY CONSIDER DEVELOPING ORBITAL PARK INTO THE NEWEST AND BEST PARK ON THE EAST SIDE OF 75 AND PUTTING THE MAX AMOUNT OF FUNDING INTO THE UPCOMING BOND PACKAGE.
[01:00:01]
TOO HAVE SOME DRAWINGS OF WHAT MY DAUGHTERS WANT ORBIT PARK TO LOOK LIKE ONE DAY.THANK YOU SO MUCH, PATRICIA NESSY.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE ALLEY THAT YOU HEARD ABOUT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
I LIVE ON THE 7,900 BLOCK OF FALL MEADOW LANE.
THIS IS IN FAR NORTH DALLAS, UH, ZIP CODE 7 5 2 4 8.
I HAVE LIVED IN THIS HOUSE FOR JUST OVER 55 AND A HALF YEARS, AND THE ALLEY WAS IN PLACE A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE WE BOUGHT THIS HOUSE.
OVER THE LAST HALF CENTURY, WE HAVE HAD GARBAGE TRUCKS, RECYCLE TRUCKS, MOVING TRUCKS, PUBLIC SERVICE TRUCKS, AND EVEN HEAVY CEMENT TRUCKS COMING UP AND DOWN THE ALLEY IN ADDITION TO THE TRUCKS AND CARS THAT BELONG TO THE 26 FAMILIES THAT LIVE ALONG THIS ALLEY.
OVER THE PAST 50 PLUS YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS DETERIORATION.
THE GROUND SHIFTS, THE CEMENT CRACKS, THE WEEDS GROW UP, POTHOLES DEVELOP, AND EVERY FEW YEARS THE CITY REPAIRS THE POTHOLES WITH ASPHALT PATCHES AND THEN THE ASPHALT PATCHES CRACK AND CRUMBLE MORE WEEDS GROW UP AND EXPAND THE CRACKS.
THEN THE CITY COMES AGAIN AND AGAIN OVER THE YEARS AND PUTS IN MORE ASPHALT PATCHES.
WE HAVE COME TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE SO MANY ASPHALT PATCHES THAT I SAY WE HAVE A MULTI-TIERED ALLEY, WHICH MAKES FOR A VERY BUMPY RIDE WHEN YOU PULL INTO THE ALLEY OFF OF KOT ROAD, IT ALSO MEANS THAT WHEN IT RAINS, WATER GETS TRAPPED.
AND WE HAVE STANDING WATER FOR DAYS AND DAYS AND DAYS, GOOD BREEDING GROUND FOR MOSQUITOES.
MORE THAN ONE SERVICEMAN HAS COME TO MY BACK DOOR AND SAID, BOY, DO YOU HAVE SOME ALLEY? CAN'T THEY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? WELL, THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT.
WE HAVE A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD, WELL KEPT HOMES AND NICE LAWNS, AND WE HAVE A TERRIBLE ALLEY.
IN CLOSING, I WOULD SAY IF YOU HAD A 58 YEAR OLD ROOF, YOU WOULDN'T KEEP PATCHING IT, WOULD YOU? YOU WOULD REPLACE IT.
I THINK THE SAME HOLDS TRUE WITH AN ALLEY.
AND I DO HAVE HANDOUTS, SHOWS YOU ONE PATCH IN THE ALLEY AND THE ALLEY IS FILLED WITH THEM.
THANK YOU, RUDY KARIMI, AND THE NEXT FEW SPEAKERS ARE GONNA BE, UH, MIKE KAIF, ADAM LAMONT, AND KIRK THOMAS, IF YOU WANNA COME TO THE FRONT.
GOOD EVENING, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO MY PARK AND REC COLLEAGUES UP THERE.
UH, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, I CAN ALSO TELL YOU THAT I TOOK MY AFTERNOON NAP AND I'M HOPPED UP ON MOUNTAIN DEWS RIGHT NOW, AND I'M READY TO ADVOCATE FOR PARKS.
I AM, UH, ALSO, UH, MY COUNCIL DISTRICT'S PARK BOARD REPRESENTATIVE THAT GIVES ME THE, UH, PRIVILEGE, UH, THE OFFICIAL PRIVILEGE TO RECEIVE DOZENS, IF NOT HUNDREDS OF EMAILS EVERY WEEK AND EVERY MONTH ABOUT WHAT ARE GOOD CITIZENS OF DALLAS WANT TO SEE IN THEIR PARKS.
AND THEY WANT TO SEE MORE TRAILS.
THEY WANT TO SEE MORE RECREATION CENTERS, THEY WANNA SEE MORE PLAYGROUNDS.
WE HAVE PARTNERS WHO WANT TO INVEST IN OUR PARKS.
THEY'RE LARGE PARTNERS, THEY'RE SMALL PARTNERS.
AND AGAIN, I HAVE THAT OFFICIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO BRING THEIR VOICES TO YOU.
UH, MY ASK TONIGHT IS, UH, AS, AS WE CONSIDER ALL OF THE ALLOCATIONS, UH, NOT JUST FIGHTING FOR PARKS AND COUNCIL DISTRICT 14, BUT PARKS ACROSS OUR CITY, WE HAVE SO MANY PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN, IF YOU WILL, AND THAT'S NOT A GREAT PLACE TO BE.
UH, IF WE FUND, AS IF WE GIVE AS MUCH MONEY TO PARKS AND REC, WHICH IS MY OFFICIAL ASK TONIGHT, A LOT OF THOSE PROJECTS WILL FIND THEMSELVES ON THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT, WHICH IS WHERE WE WANT THEM TO BE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR SERVING AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.
[01:05:03]
THANK YOU, MR. CARMI.I'M A CONSTRUCTION ECONOMIST COST CONSULTANT, UM, FOR A LOCAL FIRM.
WE DO A LOT OF HIGHER ED INSTITUTIONS, K 12 PROJECTS, REC CENTERS, AND WE WORK WITH A LOT OF, UM, OTHER ORDINANCES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
UM, SO ONE MAIN THING, I'M SURE WE'RE, WE'VE ALL SEEN IN THE LAST, WHAT, 24 MONTHS IS A LEVEL OF VOLATILITY, UM, WITHIN COSTS, RIGHT? AND I THINK THE BIGGEST STRUGGLE IS WHEN WE'RE ASSESSING THESE BOND PACKAGES IS WHY ARE WE ALWAYS SCALING BACK FROM WHAT WAS ACTUALLY INITIALLY APPROVED TO REMEDY A LOT OF THE DEFICIENCIES THAT EVERYONE'S BRINGING TO THE TABLE.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF SHORT-CHANGING, UH, WITH, WITH, UH, INTENT, RIGHT? I MEAN, I THINK THE OBJECTIVE IS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PLANNING AND UNDERSTANDING THE D N A OF THE MARKET AS WE'RE PUTTING A BOND PACKAGE TOGETHER TO GET FINAL SIGN OFF.
BUT, BUT I COULD TELL YOU GUYS THAT, YOU KNOW, DOING THIS FOR, UH, SEVERAL YEARS IS THERE'S BEEN ONE COMMON VARIABLE IS EVERY TIME WHEN THESE BOND PACKAGES ARE PUT TOGETHER AND BY THE TIME THEY GO TO FRUITION AND, AND IT GETS KICKED OFF AND THERE'S A DESIGN TEAM THAT'S ASSIGNED TO IT, WE'RE CONSTANTLY VALUE ENGINEERING.
WHETHER THAT'S ADDING, UH, CERTAIN LESS QUALITY, UH, MATERIAL OR, UH, SHRINKING PROGRAM SPACE, WHICH IN ESSENCE IS ACTUALLY DECREASING THE SIZE OF WHAT WAS INITIALLY APPROVED TO ACCOMMODATE THE COMMUNITY, WE'RE ALWAYS OBLIGATED TO COME BACK, SIT AT THE TABLE EARLY IN DESIGN AND SAY, WELL, NO, YOU CAN'T HAVE THIS MUCH SQUARE FEET, ALTHOUGH THE BOND PACKAGE WAS APPROVED BASED OFF OF THAT.
SO A COUPLE OF OF KEY FACTORS THAT I THINK WE'VE IDENTIFIED TO HELP HOPEFULLY SOLVE THIS, UH, GOING FORWARD IS, AND THIS, UH, WE, WE HAD A GOOD CASE STUDY FROM SAN ANTONIO, I S D IS THE AMOUNT OF, UH, THE VOLUME OF PROJECTS YOU HAVE THAT ARE COMPARABLE IN PROGRAM SPACE.
SO IF I HAVE 16 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN THE SAME BOND PACKAGE THAT ARE SUBJECT TO MOST LIKELY BREAK GROUND WITHIN THE SAME TIMEFRAME, LET'S, LET'S TAKE A STEP BACK AND SEE HOW CAN WE ACTUALLY ADD MORE CURB APPEAL AND NOT SHOCK THE MARKET WITH AN INFLUX OF MATERIAL SUCH AS 16 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT THEY WOULD DEMAND.
FROM THERE, YOU GET A BETTER BUY LESS STICKER SHOCK AND YOU ALSO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER THAT IS ACTUALLY, UH, MORE STRATEGICALLY PROCURED VERSUS SOMETHING WHERE THERE'S A KNEE JERK REACTION OF HOW CAN WE ACTUALLY AFFORD THIS WITH THE SAME BUDGET, BUT A MUCH LESSER, UH, DELIVERABLE AT THE END OF THE DAY.
SO, UH, ANOTHER KEY FACTOR IS ALWAYS TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.
WE SAW LAST YEAR, THREE YEARS WORTH OF ESCALATION.
WE SEE ABOUT FIVE TO SIX YEAR PER FIVE TO 6% PER ANNUM.
UH, SORRY, WE SAW THREE TIMES THAT IN ONE YEAR.
SO THE OBJECTIVE IS ALWAYS ENSURE THAT WHATEVER WE'RE SIGNING OFF ON, LET'S MAKE SURE WE HAVE ADEQUATE DOLLARS EARMARKED FOR IT SO NO ONE IS GETTING SHORTCHANGED, UM, UPON DELIVERABLE OR DELIVERY OF THAT, UH, PROJECT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ADAM LAMONT.
HELLO, UH, I'M HERE SPEAKING AS, UH, A MEMBER OF DALLAS, UH, NEIGHBORS FOR HOUSING AND ALSO, UH, AS A, UH, PART OF THE LARGER DALLAS HOUSING, UH, COALITION, UM, IN SUPPORT OF MORE MONEY, UH, FOR HOUSING, UH, IN THE BOND.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS COLD IN HERE, UH, BUT IT'S HOT OUTSIDE OF COURSE.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, HAVING, UH, HOUSING FOR ALL, UM, IS OF COURSE A MORAL ISSUE IN THIS CITY.
UM, DALLAS IS GETTING MORE AND MORE AFFORDABLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, SINCE 2010, WE PLACED 21ST OUT OF 32 CITIES, UM, WITH CITIES WITH MORE THAN 500,000 PEOPLE, UM, IN NEW AFFORDABLE UNITS.
UM, YOU KNOW, HIGH INTEREST RATES, HIGH PRICES ARE MAKING NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IMPOSSIBLE.
UH, AND SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT AMOUNTS TO A POSSIBLE CLIFF YEAR, UH, IN THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS OF HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN THE CITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE WAYS THAT WE HISTORICALLY FUND HOUSING, UH, YOU KNOW, IS MOSTLY THROUGH FEDERAL FUNDS.
UH, AND THAT'S SIMPLY NOT GONNA BE ENOUGH, UM, FOR WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT.
UM, THE MONEY WON'T GO AS FAR AS WE GET LESS AFFORDABLE.
UM, AND BECAUSE OF THOSE HIGH INTEREST RATES, UM, IT MIGHT NOT EVEN HAPPEN.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, UH, THERE WAS A CASE LAST WEEK THAT WAS AT CITY COUNCIL ABOUT, UH, THE NEED FOR INCREASED FUNDING, UM, FOR, UH,
[01:10:01]
THE JAPER LOSS IN EAST DALLAS.AND THAT'S GONNA KEEP HAPPENING MORE AND MORE AND MORE.
UH, AND IF WE DON'T HAVE DEDICATED FUNDING TOWARDS HOUSING, THESE PROJECTS WILL FAIL.
UH, AND MORE PEOPLE, UH, WILL NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD HOUSING IN OUR CITY.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, JUST TO CONCLUDE, UM, I HOPE THAT YOU MAKE A BIG ASK FOR HOUSING, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS A MORAL AND IMPORTANT ISSUE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE KIRK THOMAS.
HE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY JOLIE ROBINSON, STEVEN LOWE, DAWN MOORE, AND DANNY OBERST.
I'M A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF DALLAS, UH, DISTRICT TWO.
I'M HERE TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT AFFECTS MANY PEOPLE IN OUR CITY.
UH, THE NEED FOR HOME REPAIRS TO MAINTAIN THE EXISTING STOCK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
ACCORDING TO THE CITY OF DALLAS HOUSING POLICY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS DEFINED, UH, AS HOUSING THAT COSTS NO MORE THAN 30% OF A HOUSEHOLD'S INCOME.
DALLAS HAS A SHORTAGE OF OVER 20,000 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.
ADDITIONALLY, MANY LOW-INCOME HOMEOWNERS IN DALLAS ARE STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH THE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR COSTS OF THEIR HOMES.
THEY FACE ISSUES SUCH AS LEAKY ROOFS, FAULTY PLUMBING, BROKEN WINDOWS, MOLD, PESTS, AND ACCESSIBILITY BARRIERS, PARTICULARLY WITH THE SKYROCKETING COSTS AND MATERIALS AND LABOR.
SOME RESIDENTS ARE NOW HAVING TO CHOOSE BETWEEN MAKING THESE REPAIRS OR PROVIDING GROCERIES, HEALTHCARE, AND UTILITIES FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
SAFE AND HEALTHY HOMES NOT ONLY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND HEALTH FOR HOMEOWNERS, BUT ALSO THE VALUE AND STABILITY OF THEIR HOMES AND NEIGHBORHOOD.
DEFERRED MAINTENANCE CAN REDUCE THE VALUE OF A HOME AND THAT LEAD TO CODE VIOLATIONS, FINES, LIENS, FORECLOSURE AND DISPLACEMENT.
THIS CAN RESULT IN THE LOSS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS AND THE DETERIORATION OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
THIS IS AN UNSEEN, IMPENDING CRISIS THAT WILL FURTHER WORSEN THE SHORTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.
UNLESS WE PROACTIVELY ADDRESS THIS, THERE IS HOPE WE CAN PRESERVE THE EXISTING STOCK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR CITY.
I'M PRIVILEGED TO BE WORKING TOWARDS A SOLUTION WHILE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR REBUILDING TOGETHER.
NORTH TEXAS, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES CRITICAL HOME REPAIRS AND ACCESSIBILITY MODIFICATIONS FOR LOW-INCOME HOMEOWNERS REBUILDING TOGETHER.
NORTH TEXAS HAS BEEN SERVING OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 2001.
IN THAT TIME, WE HAVE COMPLETED OVER 500 PROJECTS AND LEVERAGED DONATED MATERIALS AND SERVICES.
WE HAVE TRANSFORMED LIVES BY MAKING HOMES SAFER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE COMFORTABLE.
WE KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO REPAIR HOMES, REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES, AND REBUILD LIVES, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE.
THIS IS A MUCH BIGGER, UM, ASK THAN ONE ORGANIZATION.
DALLAS IS BIG ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE, AND FOR US TO BE A THRIVING CITY THAT LIVES UP TO ITS NAME, WE MUST COLLECTIVELY DECIDE TO INVEST IN FOR OUR PEOPLE.
AND FOR MOST PEOPLE THAT BE, THAT BEGINS IN THEIR HOME.
FOOD SECURITY IMPROVES WHEN A RESIDENT HAS A SAFE HOME.
MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH IMPROVES AND RESIDENTS SEEKING OUT HEALTHCARE INCREASES WITH HEALTHY HOMES, FALLS ARE REDUCED WHEN ACCESSIBILITY MODIFICATIONS ARE MADE.
QUALITY OF LIFE, PRIDE IN HOME OWNERSHIP AND GENERAL GENERATIONAL WEALTH IMPROVE WHEN OUR RESIDENTS HAVE SAFE AND HEALTHY HOMES.
BY CHOOSING TO INVEST IN DALLAS'S RESIDENTS, YOU ARE NOT ONLY HELPING INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS, YOU'RE ALSO HELPING THE WHOLE CITY OF DALLAS.
YOU ARE HELPING TO PRESERVE AND INCREASE THE SUPPLY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR CITY.
YOU ARE HELPING TO MAKE DALLAS A BETTER PLACE FOR EVERYONE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND YOUR COMPASSION.
TOGETHER WE CAN REBUILD DALLAS ONE HOME AT A TIME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JOLIE ROBINSON.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE.
MY NAME IS JOLIE ANGEL ROBINSON.
I NOT ONLY LIVE IN DALLAS, BUT I WORK IN DALLAS.
I'M THE PRESIDENT AND C E O OF HOUSING FORWARD.
I'M GONNA STICK TO MY SCRIPT 'CAUSE I REHEARSED.
I WANNA SEE A FUTURE WHERE ALL PEOPLE ARE WELCOME IN DALLAS AND ALL PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CALL DALLAS HOME SHOULD THEY CHOOSE TO.
DALLAS IS BIG ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE.
I'M HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THE DALLAS HOUSING COALITION AND I KNOW FIRSTHAND THAT OUR CITY MUST SOLVE THE GROWING HOUSING NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE MUST INVEST IN THE CREATION AND MAINTENANCE OF HOUSING THAT IS AFFORDABLE AND ATTAINABLE.
DALLAS HAS ALREADY BECOME AN UNAFFORDABLE CITY FOR SO MANY AND MANY NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN DISPLACED FROM THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE NEED FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS IN POLICIES IN PLACE THAT MAINTAIN AND ADD TO OUR CITY'S AFFORDABLE AND ATTAINABLE HOUSING STOCK.
OUR RESIDENTS, OFTEN AT THE LOWEST END OF OUR SOCIOECONOMIC SCALES ARE THE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES FILLING THE MOST INTENSE
[01:15:01]
PINCH OF BEING UNABLE TO AFFORD THEIR HOMES OR FINE, SUITABLE AND SAFE APARTMENTS OR HOUSES TO RENT TO OUR COMMUNITY.BOND TASK FORCE MEMBERS, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CITY EMPLOYEES AND ALL RESIDENTS.
I HOPE YOU INCLUDE THE NECESSARY INVESTMENTS IN THE UPCOMING BONDS SO THAT HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS CAN BE PRIORITIZED.
DALLAS IS BIG ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE AND THE EVER INCREASING DIFFICULTY OF FINDING AN AFFORDABLE PLACE TO LIVE IN DALLAS CAN ONLY BE REMEDIED THROUGH INVESTMENTS FROM THE CITY AND POLICIES THAT ENSURE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES.
WE WANT TO BE A CITY WHERE ALL RESIDENTS CAN CONTINUE TO CALL DALLAS HOME.
WE KNOW THAT WITHOUT THESE INVESTMENTS AND POLICIES, PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO BE PUSHED OUT OF THE VERY COMMUNITIES THEY'VE BEEN IN FOR GENERATIONS.
INVESTING IN HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO RIGHT NOW.
THE IMPACT OF HAVING SAFE, AFFORDABLE, AND ATTAINABLE HOUSING HAS RIPPLE EFFECTS IN ALL OTHER AREAS OF OUR CITY AND ECONOMY, INCLUDING ATTRACTING AND RETAINING WORKFORCE AND PROVIDING HOUSING FOR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN WHO CALL THIS AREA HOME AND ARE SENDING THEIR CHILDREN TO OUR AREA SCHOOLS IN HEALTHCARE AND IN TRANSPORTATION IN THE UPCOMING BOND, WE HAVE A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO SECURE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT FOR AFFORDABLE AND ATTAINABLE HOUSING, AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST DOLLARS IN OUR ONGOING NEED TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS.
I'M ADVOCATING FOR THIS INVESTMENT BECAUSE DALLAS IS BIG ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE.
DALLAS NEEDS 200 MILLION ALLOCATED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE UPCOMING BOND, AND WE MUST INVEST 35 MILLION IN ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
BOTH CAN BE DONE AND PRIORITIZED.
DALLAS IS BIG ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS STEVEN LOWE.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOU GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I AM DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
UH, MY WIFE AND I MOVED TO DALLAS FOUR YEARS AGO FOR FAMILY REASONS AND WE HAVE QUICKLY COME TO LOVE THE CITY THOUGH.
IF YOU ALL IN YOUR POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY COULD REDUCE THE A HUNDRED DEGREE DAYS BY A FEW, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE NICE.
THE GREEN SPACE IN THE PARKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND THE ACTIVITIES IN THE REC CENTERS ARE A LARGE PART OF WHY MY WIFE AND I HAVE FOUND DALLAS TO BE SUCH A HOSPITABLE PLACE TO LIVE.
I WALK THE DOG TWICE A DAY IN OUR LOCAL PARK AND DEPENDING ON THE DAY OF THE WEEK OR THE TIME OF THE DAY, I SEE DOZENS AND DOZENS OF DOGS WALKING THEIR OWNERS LIKE MY DOG DOES.
WE SEE PEOPLE PLAYING SOCCER, WE SEE PEOPLE PLAYING FRISBEE, WE SEE PEOPLE PLAYING SOFTBALL, WE SEE RUNNERS.
IT'S JUST, UH, IT'S A, THEY'RE GREAT.
SINCE I MOVED TO DALLAS, I'VE AL ALSO TAKEN UP PICKLEBALL AND I GO TO TWO DIFFERENT REC CENTERS TO PLAY PICKLEBALL AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THE CITY'S ADAPTED TO THAT CRAZINESS.
BUT IT'S ALSO GREAT WHEN I WALK OUT OF THE PICKLEBALL COURT AND I SEE ROOMS FULL OF SENIORS DOING ALL SORTS OF ACTIVITIES, PAINTING OR PLAYING GAMES OR WHATEVER.
OR THIS SUMMER WE HAD TO CUT BACK A LITTLE BIT ON THE PICKLEBALL IN ONE OF THE, UH, REC CENTERS BECAUSE THERE WERE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF KIDS IN SUMMER CAMP AND IT'S COOL, IT'S REALLY NEAT.
UM, I JUST SEE THESE PARKS AND REC CENTERS AS SOMETHING THAT ARE REALLY ESSENTIAL TO THE VITALITY OF WHAT I THINK IS DALLAS.
AND UH, THEREFORE I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE FUNDING AND THE UPCOMING ISSUE, UH, BOND ISSUE FOR, UH, THE PARKS AND THE RECREATION CENTERS.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR LISTEN AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DAWN MOORE.
I'M DAWN MOORE AND I SERVE AS CHAIR OF THE DALLAS ZOO BOARD.
AS I TOOK THE GAVEL IN JANUARY, MY THEME WAS A PLACE FOR EVERYONE.
I KNOW THAT YOU ARE AWARE WE HAD SOME CHALLENGES AS WE STARTED THIS YEAR, BUT WE'VE ALSO KICKED OFF A FABULOUS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN.
YOU ARE WELL AWARE OF OUR GIANTS
[01:20:01]
OF SAVANNAH THAT PUT CATAPULTED OUR ZOO TO ONE OF THE TOP 10 IN THE NATION.OUR VISION, WHAT WE HAVE GOING FORWARD AND OUR COMMITMENT FROM OUR PRIVATE, UH, PARTNERS IS TO RAISE ANOTHER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE ZOO AND OPEN UP AN AREA THAT'S 10 TO 15 ACRES THAT'S REALLY UNUSABLE RIGHT NOW.
INACCESSIBLE BECAUSE OF OUR MONORAIL, WE HAVEN'T REALLY ABLE BEEN ABLE TO GET THAT TO WORK, UH, CONSISTENTLY.
AND WE'RE REPURPOSING THAT WE WILL BRING ABOUT 24 NEW SPECIES OF ANIMALS IN THERE AND THEY WILL RUN TOGETHER.
LIKE IF YOU'VE SEEN THE GIANTS OF SAVANNA WITH THE ELEPHANTS AND THE ZEBRAS AND THE GIRAFFES, IT GIVES OUR, UM, CITIZENS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THINGS THEY WOULDN'T GET TO SEE.
THERE'S MANY PEOPLE THAT DON'T GET TO TRAVEL TO EXOTIC PLACES AND SEE THESE THINGS, AND WE PROVIDE THEM THE ABILITY TO SEE THIS.
WE ALSO PROVIDE AN EDUCATION AND WE ALSO DO CONSERVATION.
WE'RE VERY STRONG IN CONSERVATION.
SO THE NEXT PHASE OF WHAT THE ZOO HAS A COMPELLING AND EXCITING VISION, WE BELIEVE WILL BRING A SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC IMPACT TO DALLAS FOR YEARS TO COME.
AND PARTICULARLY WE WILL BE PARTNERING WITH THE SOUTHERN GATEWAY PARK BECAUSE WE WILL BE BUILDING A GARAGE THAT WILL BE ABLE TO USE PARKING FOR THAT.
IT'LL ALSO ACCESS THE DARK TRAIN.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO FULLY FUND THE PARK PROGRAM AND WE WOULD LIKE TO BE A BIG PART OF THAT THIS YEAR.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE DANNY OBERST.
HE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY DANIEL, UH, COSTAN, SORRY.
UH, TIFFANY DAVIS, TED PAEZ, AND UM, ELAINE SALVADOR.
I'M HERE THIS, HERE THIS EVENING TO ADVOCATE FOR MORE FUNDING FOR THE PARK DEPARTMENT.
MY WIFE AND I PURCH PURCHASED OUR CURRENT HOME IN LARGE PART BECAUSE IT WAS A HALF A BLOCK FROM A DALLAS CITY PARK.
THE PARK IS TRULY THE FOCAL POINT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND IS A HUGE CONTRIBUTOR TO OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
I THINK THE PARK DEPARTMENT, MORE SO THAN THE OTHER MUNICIPAL FUNCTIONS, SPEAKS TO THE HEART AND SOUL OF A CITY AND IS ALSO NECESSARY IN AN URBAN LIVING ENVIRONMENT.
OVER THE LAST 35 YEARS, I'VE BEEN A HOMEOWNER IN DALLAS AND I'VE WATCHED IN DISMAY AS THE PARK DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN THE FIRST DEPARTMENT TO TAKE A FINANCIAL HIT WHENEVER THE CITY BUDGET WAS A LITTLE BIT TIGHT.
WELL, THAT'S NOT THE CASE NOW, AND IT IS DEFINITELY TIME TO FUND OUR CITY PARKS.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN SUPPORTING OUR PARK DEPARTMENT AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
THANK YOU DANIEL CAST, I APOLOGIZE FOR, I'M SURE I GOT THAT WRONG.
GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
I COME TO YOU TODAY AS A DALLAS RESIDENT, AS A NEIGHBOR, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY AS A PARENT.
I STAND HERE ON BEHALF OF MANY PARENTS, CAREGIVERS, AND FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO SUPPORT ALLOCATING FUNDS OF MAXIMUM CONTRIBUTION FOR THE DALLAS PARKS AND GREEN SPACES TODAY.
MY DAUGHTER TURNS SIX MONTHS OLD, HER NAME IS DALLAS, AND I WANT MY DAUGHTER DALLAS TO GROW UP WITH THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES THAT I HAD.
THE BEAUTY OF OUR PARKS ISN'T JUST IN THE GR IN THE GRASS, THE TREES IN THE PLAYGROUNDS, IT'S IN THE MEMORIES CREATED, THE LAUGHTER SHARED AND THE BONDS FORMED.
OUR PARKS AND GREEN SPACES SERVES AS COMMUNITY CENTERS WHERE NEIGHBORS COME TOGETHER TO TALK.
KIDS LEARN TO PLAY AND FAMILIES ENJOY TIME WITH EACH OTHER.
THEY'RE SANCTUARY IN OUR INCREASINGLY URBANIZED WORLD WHERE WE CAN CONNECT WITH NA NATURE EXERCISE OR SIMPLY ENJOY SOME FRESH AIR.
GREEN SPACES ARE ALSO CRUCIAL FOR OUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLBEING.
OFFERING A PLACE TO EXERCISE CAN REDUCE STRESS AND IMPROVE THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT OUR FURRY FRIENDS.
THE HAPPIEST MOMENT OF MY DOG'S DAY IS HIS DAILY STROLL AROUND THE PARK IN HOPES OF SPOTTING A SQUIRREL.
INVESTING IN OUR PARKS IS AN INVESTMENT
[01:25:01]
IN OUR FUTURE, OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE, AND OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE.THESE SPACES CAN BECOME PLACES OF SOLACE FOR THOSE WHO NEED A BREAK AND AS WELL AS HUBS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ACTIVITIES.
BY FUNDING THE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF THE PARKS AND GREEN SPACES, WE'RE BUILDING A STRONGER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE CONNECTED DALLAS.
I LOOK AT MY DAUGHTER AND I SEE A FUTURE OF HOPE, A FUTURE WHERE WE CAN PRIORITIZE THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHERE WE CHERISH THE NATURAL WORLD AROUND US, AND WHERE WE CREATE A LEGACY OF BEAUTY AND CONNECTION FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
I ASK YOU AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CITY TO JOIN US IN SHAPING THIS FUTURE.
PLEASE SUPPORT MAXIMUM FUNDING FOR PARKS AND GREECE SPACES.
MY NAME IS TIFFANY DIVIS AND I'M THE PRESIDENT, C E O OF TURTLE CREEK CONSERVANCY.
AND WE'RE THE NONPROFIT THAT CARES FOR TURTLE CREEK PARK.
AND I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR PARKS AND RE FOR PARKS TO RECEIVE THE MAXIMUM ALLOTTED PAYMENT FOR THE BOND ELECTION.
AS A CHILD, I GREW UP ACROSS THE STREET FROM A PARK AND SO IT WAS ALWAYS, UM, VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND I THOUGHT EVERYONE HAD ACCESS TO A PARK LIKE I DID AS AN ADULT.
I REALIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF A PARK, ESPECIALLY IN AN URBAN AREA OR IN YOUR PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHAT WE CAN OFFER, ESPECIALLY NOW FOR, UM, MENTAL WELLNESS FOR EVERYONE AND ADVOCATE FOR THEIR HEALTH AND THEIR WELLBEING.
IT'S ALL CENTERED AROUND BEING IMMERSED IN NATURE AND ALSO IT CREATES COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND CONNECTION WITH PEOPLE.
I'VE HAD SO MANY RESIDENTS COME TO ME TO LET ME KNOW THAT THE PARK SAVED THEIR LIFE DURING COVID.
AND SO I THINK THAT WHAT WE LEARNED DURING C O V I D WAS THAT WE ALL NEEDED AN OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE AND I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU WILL PLEASE GIVE TO PARKS THE FULL BENEFIT AND FULL DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT YOU CAN OFFER THEM BECAUSE IT DOES SO MUCH, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR NEW TRAIL SYSTEMS, ALL THE RECREATION FACILITIES THAT WE OFFER IN PLAYGROUNDS.
JUST AMAZING WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO WITH A PARK NEAR THEM AND ACCESS TO OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
I REPRESENT DISTRICT THIRTEENS MIDTOWN IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF MIDTOWN DALLAS INC.
WE'VE JUST GOTTEN OUR 10 YEAR RENEWAL AND WE'VE KICKED IT OFF THIS SEASON WITH A HOST OF STUDIES THAT HAVE COLLABORATED WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS PLANNING DEPARTMENTS, CITY OF DALLAS TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENTS.
UH, WE'VE HIRED OUTSIDE THIRD PARTY CONTRACTORS TO DESIGN SOME OF OUR LANDSCAPING ALONG SOAK TRAIL.
AND UH, THIS PORTION THIS EVENING IS A BOND ASK AND IT'S A BOND.
ASK FOR A ROAD, A REAL ROAD THAT CONNECTS SHADY BROOK TO HOLLY HILL AND PASSES BY A SCHOOL.
UH, IF YOU WOULD TAKE THE FORWARD DALLAS STUDY THAT WAS PRESENTED THIS EVENING AND LOOK AT THE INTERSECTION DENSITY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEIR GRAPHIC, YOU WILL FIND THAT TO HAVE 30,000 PEOPLE LIVING IN THIS SMALL AREA, WE HAVE THE WORST WALKABILITY QUOTIENT OF ANY MAJOR AREA IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
ALRIGHT, WALKABILITY IS THE NAME OF OUR GAME.
WE HIRED KIMLEY HORN TO COME IN AND DO A MOBILITY STUDY.
WE HAD, UH, PROBABLY OVER 350 RESIDENTS OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PARTICIPATE IN OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE GOT THE PEOPLE THERE BECAUSE WE ARE THE PROPERTY OWNERS OF THE AREA.
THE PEOPLE LIVE IN OUR PROPERTIES, WE INTERACT WITH THEM ON A DAILY BASIS.
WE INTERACT WITH THE NEW LIBRARY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UH, EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS THAT WE BRING TO BEAR TODAY TO LOOK, I'VE TRIED TO GET AN ASSESSMENT OF THE COSTS.
I WILL PRES BE PRESENTING THE TOP TWO PRIORITIES TONIGHT.
IT'S THE SHADY BROOK TO HOLLY HILL.
CUT, CUT THROUGH EXTENSION, WHICH WAS IN THE TIF PROGRAM WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY DEVISED.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITY HAS NOT REALLY GOTTEN A HANDLE ON.
BUT IF YOU LISTEN TO FORWARD DALLAS AND YOU WANNA MOVE DALLAS FORWARD, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAVE ALL OF OUR PEOPLE LIVING ON THE EAST SIDE OF GREENVILLE AND THE ACTUAL TRAIN STATION IS ON THE WEST SIDE OF GREENVILLE.
THERE'S BEEN NO ACCOMMODATION TO GET FROM ONE SIDE OF THE STREET TO THE OTHER.
SO WE HAVE TRAPPED A T O D AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE THAT THE TRAIN WAS PUT THERE FOR.
ALL OF THE PROGRAMS THAT I'VE GOT HERE, SPECIFICALLY THE SHADY BROOK PROGRAM, BRING THE CONNECTIVITY TOGETHER.
I'VE GOT TWO OTHER BIG PROJECTS THAT WE INITIATED IN OUR IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
[01:30:01]
UH, ONE OF THEM IS CALLED THE RIDGECREST PETITION, WHERE WE ARE CONNECTING FIVE POINTS AND THREE SCHOOLS TO THE SOPAC TRAIL WITH WHAT WE CALL OUR COMPLETE STREET PROGRAM, WHICH IS IDENTIFIED IN THIS PACKAGE, WHICH PUTS A SHARED BIKE TRAIL BESIDE THE ROAD, NOT IN THE STREET.I MEET WITH D I S D, I MEET WITH MY OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS.
I MEET WITH THE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
I MEET WITH COUNCIL AND I MEET WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PUD PLUS BECAUSE WE WANT COLLABORATION, WE WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
IN THIS PACKET, YOU'LL SEE THE ACTUAL DOLLARS THAT I'M REQUESTING, $7.5 MILLION FOR SHADY BROOK CONNECTOR AND ABOUT $2.7 MILLION FOR REDOING HEMLOCK, WHICH YOU WOULD CONSIDER THESE TWO.
I HAVE OTHER PEOPLE COMING UP THROUGH THE REST OF THIS ENGAGEMENT PERIOD TO DISCUSS OUR TRAIL PROJECTS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HELENE SALVADOR.
THEY WILL BE FOLLOWED BY JOANNE, SAN ANGEL, SAINT ANGELO, SAMUEL MORTIMER, STEVEN LOBO, AND RONNIE MIS MISSED US.
UH, THE NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE, UH, JOANNE Z ANGELO.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SALMON CENTER FOR THE ARTS.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE 15 ARTS FACILITIES OWNED BY THE CITY OF DALLAS THAT ARE RECOMMENDED TO BE ON THE BOND PROGRAM THIS YEAR, AS WELL AS THE SALMON CENTER FOR THE ARTS.
THE LAST SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL FACILITIES PIECE IN THE BOND PROGRAM WAS $60 MILLION 17 YEARS AGO IN 2006, WHICH WAS ABOUT 4% OF THE TOTAL 1.3 BILLION PACKAGE PRIMARILY TO FUND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MOODY PERFORMANCE HALL.
THE ARTS COMMUNITY WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT A GOOD YEAR FOR THE CULTURAL FACILITIES AND TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT BOND PROGRAM, WHICH IS NOW THE ARTS FACILITY REQUEST FOR THE BOND PROGRAM FOCUSES ON TAKING CARE OF WHAT WE HAVE WITH NO NEW PROJECTS AND DEFERRED MAINTENANCE ONLY GETS EXPENSIVE THE LONGER IT'S PUT OFF.
IT HAS ALMOST DOUBLED SINCE 2017.
ARTS FACILITIES ATTRACT PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY TO LEVERAGE THE CITY'S INVESTMENT, BUT THEY WON'T CONTINUE TO INVEST IF THEY FEEL THE CITY WILL NOT TAKE CARE OF THE BUILDINGS AS THEY AGE.
THE R O I FOR CULTURAL FACILITIES AS EXCEPTIONAL GENERATES ECONOMIC IMPACT AND TAX REVENUES DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY, SUPPORTS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF JOBS AND ATTRACTS CULTURAL TOURISM.
JUST TO NAME A FEW, IT HAS BEEN MENTIONED THAT A FEW ARTS FACILITIES HAVE ENDOWMENTS, BUT BOTH DO NOT.
AND THOSE THAT DO HAVE RESTRICTED ENDOWMENTS THAT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR PURPOSE SUCH AS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, CONSERVATION OF COLLECTIONS AND OPERATIONS ON A DAILY BASIS.
I WANNA TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE SALMON CENTER FOR THE ARTS.
IT'S THE OLDEST BUILDING OWNED BY THE CITY OF DALLAS AND HAS THE LEAST AMOUNT OF BOND INVESTMENT OVER THE WHOLE PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR 35 YEARS.
IT'S THAT EMPTY FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS.
AND THEN WE RAISED THE MONEY TO TRANSFORM A CRUMBLING WATER PUMP STATION INTO A THRIVING PERFORMING ARTS INCUBATOR.
WE'VE INVESTED MORE THAN $5 MILLION IN THE BUILDING, BUT THERE IS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE EXTERIOR THAT PREDATES OUR RENOVATION.
WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING, MOST RECENTLY UPGRADING THE ENTIRE HVAC SYSTEM.
BUT THE EXTERIOR ISSUES NOW THREATEN OUR INTERIOR RENOVATION.
THE BUILDING IS 114 YEARS OLD, A PART OF THE HISTORY OF DALLAS AND SERVES MORE THAN 70,000 PEOPLE A YEAR, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK FROM EVERY PART OF THE CITY AND EVERY CONCEIVABLE DEMOGRAPHIC.
THE COST TO RESTORE THE EXTERIOR OF THIS LANDMARK BUILDING IS $2,663,735.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THIS BE INCLUDED IN THE UPCOMING BOND PROGRAM RECOMMENDATION ALONG WITH THE OTHER 14 CRITICAL ARTS FACILITIES THAT ARE NAMED IN THE O A C REQUEST.
UH, THAT REPRESENTS ABOUT 6% OF THE BOND PACKAGE THAT'S ESTIMATED AT THIS POINT.
THAT'S A SMALL INVESTMENT TO SAVE A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY DOWN THE ROAD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE CASE HERE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SAMUEL MORTIMER.
I CHANGED WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY ABOUT 10 TIMES TIMES WHILE I WAS WAITING, SO THIS IS PROBABLY GONNA GO TERRIBLY.
[01:35:01]
NAME'S SAMUEL MORTIMER.UH, I'VE BEEN A DOWNTOWN RESIDENT FOR 10 YEARS.
UH, WHILE I GREW UP IN TENNESSEE, I WAS BORN IN SOUTH TEXAS AND WAS PROUD TO RETURN TO STATE I COULD ONCE AGAIN CONSIDER MY HOME.
UH, WHEN I ACCEPTED MY JOB IN DALLAS, I JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE STANDING ON THE STAIRS OF THE HALL OF ESTATE.
UH, IT WAS AN UNINTENDED BUT POWERFUL MOMENT TO ME THAT, UH, IS A REMINDER OF THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING IN PUBLIC PLACES, BUT ALSO, UH, PEOPLE-CENTRIC ASSETS.
UM, I SERVE AS THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS OF THE SANTA FE TRAIL.
WE'RE A REGISTERED NON-PROFIT AND WE'VE BEEN ACTIVE FOR 15 YEARS.
UH, SANTA FE TRAIL IS A FOUR AND A HALF MILE PEDESTRIAN TRAIL MANAGED BY THE PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
IT'S A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THREAD THROUGH EAST DALLAS.
THE TRAIL DIRECTLY CONNECTS 11 CULTURALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND IS ADJACENT TO EIGHT MORE, UH, UNIQUELY.
OUR TRAIL AND TRAILHEADS LIE WITHIN FOUR DIFFERENT COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
UM, IN 2009, OUR ORGANIZATION BEGAN A MULTI-YEAR EFFORT TO DEVELOP A LONG RANGE MASTER PLAN TO GUIDE THE TRAILS FUTURE GROWTH.
WE FACILITATED AN EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORT, UH, HOSTED MANY EVENTS, RECEIVED OVER 1000 UNIQUE COMMENTS, AND IN 2022 SUCCESSFULLY SUBMITTED OUR MASTER PLAN FOR ADOPTION TO THE PARK AND RECREATION BOARD.
I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK THAT THE CEDAR OF DALLAS INVEST HEAVILY IN PARKS, TRAILS, GREEN SPACES, AND PEOPLE-CENTRIC PROJECTS.
IN THE 2024 BOND PROGRAM, THESE TYPES OF INVESTMENTS IN THE CITY'S PARKS AND RECREATION INFRASTRUCTURE CREATE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES THAT SUPPORT ECONOMIC GROWTH.
THEY'RE DEMONSTRABLY STRONG RETURNS ON INVESTMENT.
OUR TRAILS ARE NO LONGER RESERVED FOR RECREATION ALONE, BUT NEED TO BE AMENITIZED APPROPRIATELY AND PRIORITIZED AS TRANSPORTATION CONDUITS AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, WHILE WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO INVENTORY THE ENTIRETY OF OUR MASTER PLAN, WE HAVE THREE PRIMARY PRIORITIES, UH, THAT OUR FRIENDS GROUP IS FOCUSED ON.
NUMBER ONE, INVESTMENT IN OUR SOUTHERN CORRIDOR, CONNECTING FAIR PARK, DEEP EL, AND THE RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES ON THE SOUTHERN END OF THE TRAIL.
NUMBER TWO, INVESTMENT IN SAFETY.
WE'VE BEEN THE UNFORTUNATE BACKDROP FOR SEVERAL HIGH PROFILE ACCIDENTS AND OUTRIGHT DISPLAYS OF VIOLENCE.
PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES ARE SKYROCKETING NATIONWIDE.
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL CORE PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED ACROSS THE ENTIRETY OF THE TRAIL AND FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE TYPE OF IMPROVEMENT WILL ONLY FURTHER ACTIVATE THE CORRIDOR.
AND NUMBER THREE, INVESTMENT IN POCKET PARKS AND NEIGHBORHOOD TRAIL HEADS AT STRATEGIC LOCATIONS ALONG THE TRAIL.
OUR LONG RANGE GOAL IS TO CREATE A FOUR AND A HALF MILE LINEAR PARK FROM WHITE ROCK LAKE TO DEEP EL AND FAIR PARK.
THIS BEGINS WITH LOCALIZED ACCESS AND HELPING BOLSTER THE MAYOR'S GOAL TO PROVIDE PARKS WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF ALL CITY RESIDENTS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GOING TO BE STEVEN, UH, STEVEN LOBO.
THANK YOU FOR THE, TO THE TASK FORCE TONIGHT.
I ACCIDENTALLY STOOD UP FOR STEVEN LOWE, SO I SHOULD PROBABLY KNOW MY OWN NAME.
BUT, UH, MY NAME IS STEVEN LOBO.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 14 AND I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE PARKS.
I'M, UH, THE PRESIDENT OF COCHRANE HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR RESIDENTS CONSIDER OUR DALLAS PARKS IN PARTICULAR COCHRANE PARK, A VALUABLE PARK OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH, UH, RUDY KARIMI, UH, TO, UH, YOU KNOW, BEAUTIFY IT AND MAKE IT EVEN BETTER EVERY YEAR.
AND WHY IS THAT? SO WE HOST OUR NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AT CALKIN PARK EVERY YEAR WHERE WE GET A GOOD, UH, REPRESENTATION FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR NEIGHBORHOODS PLAY THERE ALL THE TIME AND IT KEEPS THEM AWAY FROM THE TV AND VIDEO GAMES, AT LEAST FOR AN HOUR OR SO EVERY DAY.
AND OUR PARKS, UH, BUT SOLAR PREP.
SO YOU SEE ALL THE KIDS COME OUTTA SOLAR PREP AND THEY SPEND TIME EVERY EVENING, UH, AT COCHRANE.
AND WE HAVE TENNIS COURTS THAT ARE ALWAYS BEING USED UNLESS IT'S 115 DEGREES OUT.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST INITIATIVES THAT COKEN HEIGHTS TOOK ON WERE A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UH, WE TURNED A OVERGROWN AND DILAPIDATED ALLEY INTO A LIVING ALLEY.
SO WE, UH, CREATED OUR WALKWAY.
UH, WE ADDED PLANT SOME FLOWERS.
WE DID, UH, CREATED A FUNDRAISING BRICK INSTALLATION.
AND WE KEEP IT UP, UH, EVERY SEASON IN EVERY YEAR.
AND I BRING THIS UP FOR TWO REASONS.
ONE, THE PARKS, UH, OUR PARK, UH, HELPS BRING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
[01:40:01]
PLACE THAT WE'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND WHERE WE CAN GET TO KNOW OUR NEIGHBORS.AND TWO, IT ADDS SAFETY TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
NOT ONLY IS A PLACE FOR FAMILIES TO, UH, PLAY SAFELY, BUT WHEN FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORS GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER, IT BECOMES A SAFER PLACE.
SO I'M GONNA CLOSE BY SAYING THAT WE LOVE MORE BOND FUNDS TO GO TOWARDS OUR DALLAS PARKS.
UH, WE WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY THAT MAKES OUR OUR PARK EVEN BETTER AND IT BUILDS COMMUNITY AND MAKES OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SAFER.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE RONNIE MISAS, I THINK.
UM, THEY'LL BE FILED BY AARON GLOVER, JEFF RAIN, WAYNE SMITH.
UM, AND THANK YOU TASK FORCE FOR BEING HERE SO LATE.
UH, MY NAME'S RONNIE MEES, LIFELONG RESIDENT OF WEST DALLAS, UH, 32 15 RUTT STREET.
UH, EXCEPT FOR THE 20 YEARS I WAS IN THE NAVY, MOST OF MY LIFE HAS SPENT IN WEST DALLAS.
UM, I'M HERE TO ASK, UH, FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN RECOMMENDING THAT THE, THE BATAN COMMUNITY CENTER BE ADDED TO THE BOND PACKAGE.
UH, I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING THAT HAS THAT LISTED.
UH, ANYTHING THAT'S, THAT EVEN RECOMMENDS, YOU KNOW, IT BEING GIVEN ANY KIND OF FUNDING WHATSOEVER.
WEST DALLAS AND IN MY COMMUNITY, AND MISS BERNICE HUTTON OVER HERE WITH HER HUSBAND, JIMMY, UH, WEST DALLAS IS AN INCLUSIVE, UH, COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, MS. HUTTON IS, IS RUNNING A, A NONPROFIT WHERE WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS, UH, THERE IN THAT AREA.
BUT, UH, SHE, SHE, SHE'S A VETERAN 'CAUSE UH, SHE'S BEEN IN A FIGHT FOR A, FOR AT LEAST SIX YEARS FOR THAT PROPERTY.
UH, AND WE'RE, UH, ASKING FOR BOND MONEY, UH, BECAUSE OF THE HISTORY AND THE LEGACY OF THE BATAN CENTER.
BATAN CENTER WAS BUILT IN 1932.
IT WAS FIRST, UH, A SOCIAL CENTER, CENTER SOCIAL COMMUNITY CENTER.
UM, AND THEN IT WAS RE-DESIGNATED IN 1942, UH, AS A, A VETERANS, UH, WELL, THE BATAN CENTER.
AND THAT WAS FOR VETERANS COMING BACK FROM WORLD WAR II.
MY UNCLE, UH, WAS KILLED RIGHT OFF THE COAST OF BATAN IN WORLD WAR II, AND HE WAS BURIED AT SEA AT 20 YEARS OF AGE.
SO HE NEVER GOT A CHANCE TO RETURN.
AND SO THAT TO ME IS THE MILITARY IMPORTANCE OF THAT HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE OF THOSE BATTLES IN THAT, THAT THAT TIME, IN THAT ERA, UH, THE BATAN CENTER I I IS IS LIKE OUR ALAMO.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, THE GENTRIFICATION, EVEN TODAY THERE WAS A, A LEGAL BATTLE THAT WE LOST AS A COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF, UH, THE GENTRIFICATION THAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY CANNOT GENTRIFY OUR HISTORY OR OUR CULTURE.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE ASKING YOU, YOU KNOW, FOR GOD'S SUPPORT TO ADD THIS TO THE BOND PACKAGE, IT HAS TO BE ON THERE.
UM, AND I'M NOT DEMANDING, BUT AGAIN, IT HAS TO BE ON THERE.
AND IT ALIGNS WITH THE VISION OF, FOR DALLAS, AND I'M GONNA BE TRUTHFUL WITH Y'ALL, I ALWAYS SKEPTICAL ABOUT WHAT THE CITY DOES.
UH, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S ALIGNING AND THINGS ARE CHANGING AND WE WANNA BE INCLUSIVE.
WE WANNA BE INCLUDED INTO WHAT'S GOING ON.
OUR BLACK NEIGHBORS, OUR BLACK, YOU KNOW, BROWN BROTHERS AND SISTERS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE INCLUSIVE.
UH, IT'S JUST, WE JUST NEED THAT SUPPORT.
WE, AND WE NEED THE, TO NOT JUST CONTINUE THE GENTRIFICATION OF OUR C COMMUNITY, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S THE CHANGE THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
BUT WE'RE ASKING THAT THE, THE LEGACY OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE PRESERVATION OF OUR COMMUNITY CONTINUE.
AND WITH YOUR VOICE AND YOUR SUPPORT, I KNOW THAT THAT COULD HAPPEN.
UH, THAT, THAT'S THE WHOLE THING THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH NOW, IS THE PRESERVATION OF OUR COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING ELSE IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S, IT'S NOT REALLY GOING OUR WAY, BUT HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET YOUR SUPPORT.
I GOT IT'S 4.5 ACRES, SO THESE GENTLEMEN THAT ARE TALKING ABOUT PARKS AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE GREAT THINGS AT THE PARKS, THE COMMUNITY CENTER IS, THANK YOU.
UM, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ERIN GLOVER.
GOOD EVENING BOND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WRITER'S GARRETT, THE LONGEST, CONTINUALLY OPERATING LITERARY NONPROFIT IN THE CITY.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME AND THOUGHT TO CONSIDER THIS BOND ISSUE AND WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED AMONG THE FUNDING PRIORITIES.
THERE ARE MANY GOOD AND WORTHY CAUSES THAT NEED RESOURCES AND TONIGHT I AM ASKING YOU TO FULLY ALLOCATE THE REQUESTED 6% OF THE BOND FUND TOWARDS ARTS AND CULTURE.
I RUN A LITERARY ORGANIZATION AND WHILE NUMBERS CERTAINLY TELL ONE KIND OF STORY, UH, VALUABLE AS THEY MAY BE, I'M INTERESTED IN WHERE NUMBERS BECOME NARRATIVE.
I'M INTERESTED IN AND COME BEFORE YOU TONIGHT
[01:45:01]
TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE STORY OF THIS BOND INITIATIVE.I AM ASKING THIS COMMITTEE TO WRITE INTO ITS STORY, A VISION OF BEAUTIFUL, VIBRANT, SAFE FACILITIES FOR THE CITY CITIZENS OF DALLAS TO CREATE AND ENJOY THOUGHT PROVOKING, ENTERTAINING, AND LIFE CHANGING ARTS AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCES.
THE LITERARY COMMUNITY IS HAVING A MOMENT RIGHT NOW ACROSS THE CITY.
LITERARY EVENTS OCCUR AT SEVERAL OF THE CITY OWNED FACILITIES IN NEED OF FUNDING.
FROM ZINE WORKSHOPS AT THE BATHHOUSE CULTURAL CENTER TO SPOKEN WORD PERFORMANCES AT THE AT AND T PERFORMING ARTS CENTER TO MATERIAL PRESENTED AT THE SOUTH DALLAS CULTURAL CENTER BY JUANITA CRAFT ARTISTS AND RESIDENCE.
THE LITERARY COMMUNITY IS NOT ALONE IN REGULARLY ACTIVATING THESE CITY OWNED FACILITIES.
YOU HEARD FROM MY COLLEAGUE, JOANNA SAN ANGELO, THAT THE LAST SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL FACILITIES PIECE IN A BOND PROGRAM WAS 17 YEARS AGO IN 2006.
TO GIVE THAT TIMEFRAME CONTEXT, CONSIDER MOST OF US HAD NEVER OR ONLY JUST RECENTLY HEARD THE NAME BARACK OBAMA.
AT THAT POINT, THE GREAT RECESSION WAS STILL TWO YEARS AHEAD OF US.
NEITHER OF THE TWO KAVA BRIDGES THAT ARE ICONIC IN OUR LANDSCAPE AT THIS POINT WERE EVEN IN EXISTENCE.
DALLAS WAS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PLACE.
THEN IN 2006, THE CITY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT INVESTMENT IN THE ARTS WAS CRUCIAL AND ALLOCATED $60 MILLION TOWARDS ARTS AND CULTURE.
NOW IN 2023, IT IS TIME FOR THE CITY TO AGAIN, SUPPORT AN INVESTMENT IN THE ARTS AND CULTURE OF DALLAS.
THERE ARE 15 VITAL VENUES IN SIGNIFICANT NEED OF CRITICAL REPAIRS, MAINTENANCE AND UPDATES.
THESE INCLUDE ALL OF THE CULTURAL CENTERS, UH, AND SEVERAL CHERISHED HISTORIC THEATERS, INCLUDING THE KALIDA HUMPHREYS, MOODY PERFORMANCE HALL, THE MAJESTIC THEATER, AND SEVERAL OTHERS.
FULL BOND ALLOTMENT FOR THE OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE IS AN EXCELLENT RETURN ON INVESTMENT, GENERATING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, SUPPORTING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF JOBS, AND ATTRACTING THOUGHTFUL CIVICALLY ENGAGED NEWCOMERS TO OUR CITY.
THESE FACILITIES AND THEIR MAINTENANCE SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED, AND IT IS MY HOPE THAT THIS COMMITTEE WILL HAVE THE WISDOM TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES NOW.
THERE IS NO BETTER MOMENT OR STRONGER WAY TO INVEST IN THE ARTS AND CULTURE OF THE CITY AND THE FUTURE OF ITS CULTURAL LIFE.
THEN ALLOTTING THE FULL 6% REQUESTED BY THE OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE.
SO OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JEFF RAIN.
HELLO, MY NAME IS JEFF RAIN AND I'M THE ARTISTIC PRODUCER OF UPTOWN PLAYERS.
WE'VE BEEN THE ANCHOR, TENANT AND PRIMARY RESIDENT FOR THE KALITA HUMPHREYS THEATER SINCE 2010, AND HAVE PRODUCED OVER 65 PLAYS AND MUSICALS IN THIS HISTORIC VENUE OVER THE PAST 13 YEARS.
I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE VENUE THAT HAS BEEN OUR HOME FOR MORE THAN HALF OF OUR 21 SEASONS, AND HAS ALLOWED US TO GROW INTO ONE OF THE LARGEST LGBTQ PLUS FOCUS THEATERS IN THE NATION.
AS WE ALL KNOW, THE KALITA HUMPHREYS THEATER IS THE ONLY WORKING THEATER DESIGNED BY FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT.
BECAUSE OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, THE THEATER IS NOT THE CROWN JEWEL THAT THIS HISTORIC LANDMARK SHOULD BE.
THERE WERE ALREADY NUMEROUS MAINTENANCE ISSUES DEFERRED WHEN WE BEGAN PRODUCING THERE, AND THAT SITUATION HAS ONLY GOTTEN WORSE.
WHILE THERE ARE MANY AREAS THAT NEED REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT, I'LL HIGHLIGHT THE MAIN POINTS IN THE THREE MINUTES I HAVE TONIGHT.
THE HVAC FOR THE BUILDING IS CURRENTLY BEING RUN FROM CHILLERS OUT IN THE GRASS ADJACENT TO THE BUILDING AFTER SEVERAL YEARS, ONE TEMPORARY UNIT THAT WAS OUT THERE COOLING.
THE MAIN THEATER BUILDING HAS BECOME A PERMANENT UNIT WITH FENCING PUT AROUND IT.
AND THE SECOND CHILLER WAS ADDED TO REPLACE THE LOBBY CHILLER WHEN IT FROZE DURING THE FEBRUARY 21 WHEN WINTER STORM AND IT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED.
THE TEMPORARY UNIT COOLING THE LOBBY HAS NO THERMOSTAT OR NO ABILITY TO CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE IN THE BUILDING.
MANY INTERIOR WALLS BEHIND THE SCENES HAVE PLASTER CRUMBLING OUT OF BIG HOLES IN THE WALLS BECAUSE OF ALL THE WATER THAT HAS LEAKED INTO THE BUILDING FROM ROOF LEAKS AND BROKEN PIPES.
OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, THE ORIGINAL AND ADDED FOUNTAIN WERE ALLOWED TO DECAY AND RUST BECAUSE VAGRANTS KEPT STEALING THE PUMPS OR UNPLUGGING THEM TO PLUG IN THEIR, UH, PHONES TO SO THEY COULD CHARGE THEIR PHONES.
THE THEATER IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF A D A UPGRADES TO ENSURE THE FACILITY IS ACCESSIBLE TO BOTH PATRONS AND ACTORS WHO MAY BE MOBILITY CHALLENGED.
THERE IS ONE SINGLE UNVENTILATED RESTROOM ON THE LOBBY LEVEL, AND THE LINE FOR THIS RESTROOM DURING MATINEE PERFORMANCES REQUIRES MUCH LONGER THAN A 15 MINUTE INTERMISSION SO THAT EVERYONE HAS THE ABILITY TO USE IT, WHO NEEDS IT.
OUR MOST RECENT PRODUCTION OF CHICKEN BIS AND BISCUITS WAS DIRECTED BY A GENTLEMAN WHO WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR RECOVERING FROM SURGERY, AND HE HAD TO DIRECT THE SHOW FROM THE BACK OF THE THEATER BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WAY FOR HIM TO
[01:50:01]
GET TO THE STAGE OR ANYWHERE NEAR IT.THE THEATER CARPETING IS OLD AND TORN AND COMING UP IN SO MANY PLACES THAT IT'S BECOMING A TRIP HAZARD.
THE SAFETY LIGHTING FOR THE STEPS AND WALKWAYS IS SO OLD THAT THE BULBS NO LONGER EXIST TO REPLACE THEM WHEN THEY BURN OUT.
THE THEATER SEATS ARE SO OLD THAT REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE NO LONGER MADE.
SO MANY OF THE SEATS IN THE THEATER ARE PARTIALLY BROKEN.
THE FREIGHT ELEVATOR THAT MOVES SET PIECES FROM THE BASEMENT WHERE THEY'RE BROUGHT INTO THE BUILDING TO THE STAGE LEVEL IS THE ORIGINAL ELEVATOR AND LEAKS.
DAILY CONCERNS HAVE BEEN RAISED THAT THE FLUID COULD BE LEAKING INTO THE ADJACENT CREEK.
MANY OF THE DRESSING ROOMS HAVE EXPOSED BULB SOCKETS BECAUSE IT'S THE ORIGINAL MIRROR LIGHTS AND THEY ARE OUTDATED AND BREAK EASILY.
THE SHOWERS FOR THE ACTORS ARE MOLD INFESTED DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING.
AND THE DRAWERS AT EACH DRESSING STATION ARE BROKEN AND CAN NO LONGER SECURE ACTORS' PERSONAL BELONGINGS DURING REHEARSALS AND SHOWS.
ALL OF THESE AREAS NEED ATTENTION AND THUS, WE STRONGLY SUPPORT THE $49 MILLION ALLOCATED IN THE BOND TO SUPPORT AND, UH, ADDRESS THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE IN OUR CULTURAL ARTS FACILITIES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS WAYNE SMITH.
I'VE BEEN DOWN HERE ADVOCATING FOR PARKS AND RECREATION SINCE I ALMOST HAD A FULL HEAD OF, UH, HAIR ON ME, UH, ON TOP OF MY HEAD A LONG, LONG TIME.
I'D LIKE TO SHARE SOME NUMBERS WITH YOU THIS EVENING, UH, FROM AN ECONOMIC VALUE STUDY FROM A COMPANY CALLED H R N A ADVISORS.
SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF THEM FROM A FEW YEARS AGO.
THIS STUDY CONDUCT THAT THEY CONDUCTED SHOWED THAT THE DALLAS PARK SYSTEM, UH, RETURNED $678 MILLION A YEAR TO THIS LOCAL ECONOMY.
NOW THAT'S A SEVEN TO ONE RETURN ON A DOLLAR, AND THAT'S PRETTY GOOD ODDS IN THE STOCK MARKET TODAY.
THAT STUDY WAS QUANTIFIED ON THREE DIFFERENT VALUE DRIVERS.
ONE WAS REAL ESTATE, ONE WAS TOURISM, AND ONE WAS IN ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE.
AND JUST ALONE IT SHOWED THAT THE PARK SYSTEM WAS ABLE TO ATTRACT, UH, NEW REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO, AS MOST OF US KNOW, IT INCREASES THE VALUE OF OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, THAT ARE LOCATED ADJACENT TO OUR PARKS.
THIS JUST, THOSE THREE DRIVERS RIGHT THERE ACCOUNTED FOR $345 MILLION RETURNED TO THIS ECONOMY OUT OF 678 MILLION.
THE STUDY ALSO SHOWED THAT THE DALLAS PARK SYSTEM EMPLOYS OVER 6,700 EMPLOYEES, UH, THAT WORK AND, AND LIVE IN THIS, IN THIS ECONOMY THAT WE HAVE, UH, WITH AN AVERAGE SALARY OF OVER $47,000.
THE STUDY ALSO FOUND THAT DALLAS PARKS NOT ONLY, UH, CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMPACT OF THE DALLAS AREA, BUT ALSO THE ENTIRE DALLAS-FORT WORTH, UH, METROPLEX TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $1.1 BILLION.
NOW, THE LAST I HEARD THAT'S, THAT'S MORE ECONOMIC VALUE THAN A TAYLOR SWIFT CONCERTS GENERATING RIGHT NOW.
SO I I'D SAY IT'S A PRETTY GOOD RETURN ON WHAT WE HAVE.
THE STUDY ALSO CONCLUDED THAT, UM, THAT THE PARK SYSTEM CREATES SUCH A VALUE FOR THE CITY.
I THINK WE ALL REALIZE THAT, AND THIS STUDY RECOMMENDS THAT OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OUR POLICY MAKERS WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT TOTALLY FUNDING OUR PARKS AND RECREATION SO THAT THEY CAN MAXIMIZE THE ECONOMIC RETURN THAT WE HAVE TONIGHT.
I KNOW IT'S GETTING LATE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, AND I KNOW MANY, MANY CITIZENS ACROSS THIS CITY THAT WOULD STRONGLY URGE ALL OF YOU TO CONSIDER THE VALUE OF MONEY GOING INTO THE BOND PACKAGES FOR FULLY FUNDING OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT OUR PARK SYSTEM IS A VERY, VERY CRITICAL PART THAT WHAT MAKES THIS CITY OF DALLAS VERY VIBRANT AND IT ALSO MAKES EVERY COMMUNITY ALL OVER THE CITY, NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, AND WEST, IT JUST ADDS VALUE AND FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AND IT MAKES IT VERY, VERY PROSPEROUS.
I WANNA THANK EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL FOR YOUR TIME.
UH, I KNOW THIS IS VERY LONG AND TIME CONSUMING, BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE VERY MUCH.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GONNA BE TABATHA BARBOSA CURIO.
SHE'LL BE FOLLOWED BY GARRETT PENAL.
AND THEN WE'LL BE GOING TO THE VIRTUAL SPEAKERS WITH STEPHANIE KELLER BERG AND KATE, UH, MATTIA.
[01:55:01]
HI, MY NAME'S TAM KERIO.I'M FROM DISTRICT FIVE PLEASANT GROVE.
I, UM, OFTEN SAY EVERYONE DESERVES BEAUTY AND I KNOW THAT, UM, THE, UM, SUGGESTION FOR WAS FOR ME TO COME HERE AND ADVOCATE FOR ONE THING I'M BEING TOLD ALWAYS JUST ONE THING.
I'M ON THE, UH, O A C FOR MY DISTRICT.
UM, BUT AS AN ARTIST I'VE SPENT MANY, UH, MUCH TIME IN PARKS.
AND AS A MOM OF A SPECIAL NEEDS SON, I, UM, NEED TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT AS WELL IN PARKS AND IN CULTURAL FACILITIES.
AS AN ARTIST, I NEED TO ADVOCATE FOR CULTURAL FACILITIES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH WE DO NOT DO NOT HAVE IN 2018.
WELL, LET ME JUST READ BEFORE I GET OFF
UM, WHERE THERE IS NO VISION, THE PEOPLE PERISH, BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE'S VISION AFTER VISION, AFTER VISION AFTER VISION WITHOUT CONSISTENT STEWARDSHIP, WE CONSISTENTLY SEE MONEY BEING POURED INTO OTHER DISTRICTS AND OTHER CULTURAL COMMUNITIES AND OTHER PARK AREAS, AND WE ARE RARELY ACKNOWLEDGED.
I KNOW THAT WE'RE GETTING AN ALL ABILITIES PARK THAT WAS THE 2017 BOND.
SO YOU CAN SEE HOW WE STILL FEEL LIKE, UM, MAYBE IS IT GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVED FOR SO LONG THAT WE KIND OF HAVE FORGOTTEN HOW TO DREAM.
UM, THERE WAS A COUNCIL PERSON WHO CAME TO THE PARK BOARD MEETING AND WAS TALKING ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT, AND I WAS LISTENING TO HER SPEAK ABOUT THAT AND I, IT WOULD, THERE'S A LOT OF INNOVATION GOING ON THERE AND I WOULD SAY, I ALWAYS SAY THAT WE LACK INNOVATION.
WE LACK INNOVATION WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING AND COMMUNITY BUILDING.
AND I WAS LIKE, THAT'S WHAT IT'S LIKE TO DREAM WITH CONFIDENCE.
THAT'S WHAT IT'S LIKE BECAUSE THE LONGER I ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY OR ARTISTS IN MY COMMUNITY, OUR PARENTS OF SPECIAL NEEDS FOLKS IN MY COMMUNITY, THE MORE BEAT DOWN I FEEL.
UM, AND, BUT I'M STILL HERE AND I'M NOT GIVING UP.
AND SO I DON'T WANNA, UH, END ON A NEGATIVE NOTE, BUT WHAT I WANNA SAY IS, UM, I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME SHARING A DREAM I HAVE OF A SIMILAR COMMUNITY ONLY.
IT'S FOR, IT'S AN INTERGENERATIONAL SLIDING SCALE COMMUNITY THAT INCLUDES THE ELDERLY FOLKS WITH COGNITIVE DISABILITIES, ARTISTS, STUDENTS DOING THEIR COLLEGE PRACTICUMS IN OT, PT, GERIATRIC STUDIES, UM, SINGLE PARENTS WHO CAN ACTUALLY SERVE EACH OTHER.
AND THESE THINGS ARE BEING DONE IN OTHER STATES.
AND EVEN WE HAVE A MODEL FOR THE INTERGENERATIONAL LIVING COMMUNITY, WHICH IS A, A A SOMEWHAT OF A MODEL, UH, AT THE FOWLER COMMUNITY.
AND I VISITED WITH THEM TODAY AND UM, I THINK SOMETIMES WE GET PITTED AGAINST EACH OTHER AND I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT UM, LIZ PEREIRA AND I HAVE DISCUSSED WAS DE-SILOING OUR DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE WAYS WE'RE SPENDING MONEY, I'M ASKING YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE WAYS YOU CAN SPEND THE MONEY THAT IS THE MOST IMPACTFUL IN A COMMUNITY THAT'S NOT JUST ONE, ONE DEPARTMENT AGAINST ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
BECAUSE I'VE SPENT MY CREATIVE TIME IN THE ARTS WITH MIA THEATER AND IT WAS MEANINGFUL AND POWERFUL AND, AND BOTH AREAS WERE BENEFICIAL TO ME AND MY COMMUNITY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS, UH, GARRETT PINNELL.
HEY, MY NAME IS GARRETT PINNELL AND I AM A LEADERSHIP TEAM VOLUNTEER FOR THE DALLAS BIKE COALITION.
I ALSO GLADLY BIKE AND TAKE TRANSIT TO WORK ON MOST DAYS EVEN THOUGH I OWN A CAR.
UM, I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE TO FULLY FUND THE 2023 DALLAS BIKE PLAN WITH THIS BOND PACKAGE.
RIGHT NOW, THE TOTAL ESTIMATED COST AND TIMELINE, UH, HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC, BUT FUNDING THE PLAN WITH BOND DOLLARS WOULD GIVE THE CITY THE FLEXIBILITY TO COMPLETE THIS LONG AWAITED PLAN.
WHAT I REALLY WANNA HIGHLIGHT IS THAT ALTERNATIVE MOBILITY AND SAFE STREETS ARE ALREADY CITY OF DALLAS GOALS IN THE CCAP CONNECT, DALLAS VISION ZERO, UM, AND COMPLETE STREETS PLANS.
AND NOW THE 2023 DALLAS BIKE PLAN.
THERE ARE STATED GOALS AROUND REDUCING CAR TRIPS AND INCREASING ACCESS TO MICRO MOBILITY.
WE'VE PUT SO MUCH TIME AND MONEY INTO CREATING THESE PLANS AND IT WOULD BE A WASTE TO NOT PUT MONEY TOWARDS THEM.
WE ALREADY WASTED MORE THAN 10 YEARS ON A 2011 BIKE PLAN THAT WAS NOT IMPLEMENTED AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RIGHT THAT WRONG
[02:00:01]
WITH THIS BOND.ADDITIONALLY, IF WE DON'T FULLY FUND THE BIKE PLAN AND SAFE STREETS, WE WILL BE FALLING BEHIND OTHER MAJOR CITIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2020, A CITY OF AUSTIN BOND PUT $40 MILLION TO BIKEWAYS, $65 MILLION PROVISION, ZERO $80 MILLION ON URBAN TRAILS, UM, AND OTHER TRANSPORTATION NEEDS.
LAST YEAR HOUSTON PASSED $50 MILLION FOR MULTIMODAL TRANSIT AND 50 MILLION FOR VISION ZERO.
LET'S MATCH OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE SOUTH AND FUND OUR BIKE PLAN WITH AT LEAST $50 MILLION.
NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO BIKE OR SCOOTER AROUND TOWN, BUT MANY PEOPLE DO AND MANY OF THEM ARE FORCED TO BE IN TRAFFIC DUE TO A LACK OF OTHER OPTIONS.
PROVIDING THOSE OTHER OPTIONS MAKES TRAFFIC CONGESTION THAT MUCH BETTER FOR EVERYBODY ELSE USING THE ROADS.
FINALLY, WHEN I RIDE MY BIKE TO WORK INSTEAD OF DRIVING YOUR COMMUTE BY CAR GETS BETTER, OUR AIR GETS CLEANER AND MY MUCH LIGHTER RIDE SAVES THE CITY MONEY THROUGH REDUCED WEAR ON THE ROADS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO EVEN USE THE BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE DIRECTLY TO BENEFIT FROM THIS INVESTMENT.
SO PLEASE FULLY FUND THE BIKE PLAN WITH THIS BOND.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TIANA ALMAS.
MY NAME IS TIANA AMOS AND TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF DISTRICT THREE IN REGARDS TO ADVOCATING FOR FUNDING TOWARDS THE GLENDALE PARK PROJECT AND TO CONTINUE TO BE A VOICE AND PILLAR ON ITS BEHALF.
I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT IN PURSUIT OF A PASSION, CONSISTENCY TOWARDS DRIVING ITS EFFORT DEMONSTRATES BELIEF THAT IT CAN BE DONE AND PURPOSE TO MAKE IT SO, WHICH IS WHAT BROUGHT ME HERE.
AGAIN, I SAT BEFORE YOU ALL AROUND FIVE YEARS AGO AND SPOKE ABOUT MY PERSONAL SITUATION WHEN I WAS HOMELESS AS A LITTLE GIRL AND SPENT SOME TIME AT A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK IN PLANO, TEXAS THAT I NOW RECALL AS BOB, WHICH OF PARK TO BRIEFLY TOUCH ON THAT STORY.
ALTHOUGH I LIVED IN PLANO, THAT DOES NOT MEAN MY LIFE WAS EASY.
AS I MENTIONED, WHEN I WAS IN FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE, MY FAMILY AND I WERE HOMELESS.
THE MEMORY I RECALL PERTAINING TO THE TIME WHEN MY PARENTS COULDN'T AFFORD A HOTEL ROOM THAT NIGHT.
I MENTIONED HOW THIS PARK, ESPECIALLY TO A LITTLE GIRL, WAS BEAUTIFUL.
AS LITTLE KIDS WE'RE SEEING A WORLD IN WHICH WE COULD PLAY AND HAVE FUN, NOT THE NOTION THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO LAY OUR HEAD.
AT NIGHT, THIS PARK HAD A TRAIL, A LAKE WITH A WATER FOUNTAIN IN THE MIDDLE, TWO PLAYGROUNDS, A BASKETBALL COURT, A GAZEBO WITH TABLES, RESTROOMS, A FISHING DOCK, DUCKS, AND EVEN A SAND VOLLEYBALL COURT.
HOWEVER, IF YOU TAKE A DRIVE DOWN EAST LED BETTER STREET IN OAK CLIFF AND DISTRICT THREE, YOU'LL COME TO GLENDALE PARK AND FIND LITTLE TO NOTHING.
IT WILL BE A COMPLETE 180 FROM THE PREVIOUS PARK I MENTIONED.
AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, WHY IS THAT WHEN PARKS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PLACES THAT THRIVE IN THE VIBRANCY OF LIFE, ECHO WITH NOISE OF LAUGHTER AND CULTIVATE AND AIR OF LEISURE.
IT WASN'T UNTIL THE END OF MY JUNIOR YEAR IN THE SUMMER THAT MY FAMILY AND I MOVED TO OAK CLIFF.
SO I'VE LIVED IN OAK CLIFF FOR TWO GOING ON THREE YEARS NOW.
HOWEVER, OAK CLIFF HAS BECOME MY HOME, MY COMMUNITY COMING FROM UP NORTH FROM PLACES LIKE PLANO, MCKINNEY, ALLEN, ET CETERA.
OAK CLIFF IS A COMPLETE 180 FROM THE WORLD I CAME FROM.
MY WORLD IN A COMMUNITY LIKE OAK CLIFF, I DON'T SEE THOSE SAME PARKS THAT OTHER KIDS HAVE ACCESS TO.
UP NORTH, A PARK IS A PILLAR THAT ACTS AS A BACKBONE OF A COMMUNITY.
IT GIVES BOTH KIDS AND ADULTS A PLACE TO ESCAPE, TO FEEL FREE AND TO RELEASE THE HEAVINESS THAT SOMETIMES COMES WITH LIVING IN A LOWER INCOME ENVIRONMENT.
EACH DISTRICT MEMBER ON THIS COUNCIL IS A HAND IN THAT VILLAGE TO UPLIFT THE OTHER.
I'M TIRED OF SEEING MY COMMUNITY, OAK CLIFF IN AN OBSOLETE DESERT OF PARK AND RECREATIONAL LIFE.
WILL YOU BECOME PRIVY TO THE LAST? WHY NOT PUSH THEM AHEAD TO THE FIRST? YOU MAY NOT SEE THE FRUITION OF THE SEEDS THAT YOU SOW NOW WITH THIS PARK, BUT YOU MUST SOW THEM SO THAT THE GENERATIONS TO FOLLOW CAN REAP THE SWEET, THE SWEET HARVEST OF AN UPLIFT IN THEIR HOME.
MY HOME THAT IS MORE THAN OFTEN OVERLOOKED.
I'M ONLY 19 YEARS OLD, BUT WHEN I COME BACK TO OAK CLIFF, I HOPE TO SEE THE GLENDALE PARK PROJECT IN PLACE SO THAT MY KIDS CAN ENJOY IT TOO.
WITH THAT, WE WILL START, UH, OUR VIRTUAL SPEAKERS.
UH, FIRST PERSON UP IS STEPHANIE KELLER.
MY NAME IS STEPHANIE KELLER BERG AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DEBELL AND FOUNDATION.
TONIGHT I WISH TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE DEBELL AND HISTORIC DISTRICT AND A GAME CHANGING A WIDE PROJECT.
DEEP ELM IS ONE OF THE MOST WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
[02:05:01]
FOR TOURISTS, OUR PREMIER ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, AND THE CLOSEST ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.DEEP ELM'S A CULTURAL POWERHOUSE WITH OVER 24 LIVE MUSIC VENUES, THEATERS, GALLERIES, COMEDY CLUBS, A HUNDRED BARS AND RESTAURANTS, AND OVER 150 MURALS.
WE CELEBRATE OUR HUNDRED 50TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR AND THIS BOND WE'RE REQUESTING A COMPLETE STREET REDESIGN OF PAUL STREET, OUR MAIN THOROUGHFARE CONNECTING BOUND TO SOUTH DALLAS AND THE BAYLOR CAMPUS.
PAUL WILL SERVE AS THE MAIN EXIT IN TXDOT VARIES HIGHWAY I 30, CONNECTING DEEP EL TO THE CB FAIR PARK LINK AND DOWNTOWN PAUL STREET IS BECOME INCREASINGLY HEAVILY UTILIZED AND NEEDS AN OVERHAUL TO ENSURE SAFETY OF ALL MODES, VEHICULAR, PEDESTRIAN CYCLISTS, AND BECOME PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY, KNITTING OUR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS AND COMMERCE TOGETHER.
IT ALSO REQUIRES CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, SUCH AS BEARING OUR POWER LINES, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY IN SIGNIFICANT LIABILITY WITH FREQUENT POWER OUTAGES, IMPACTING AREA SERVICES AND INDUSTRY, INCLUDING BAYLOR HOSPITAL.
I'M ALSO HERE IN SUPPORT OF PARKS AND PARTICULARLY TRAILS.
THE DEEP ELM FOUNDATION SUPPORTS OUR NEIGHBORING SANTA FE TRAIL BOND REQUESTS AND WE ARE EXCITED TO SHARE THAT DEEP ELM WILL BE PART OF THE FORTHCOMING DALLAS CULTURAL TRAIL.
HAVE YOU HEARD OF IT? A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT OF INCREDIBLE GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE ARTS DISTRICT OF FAIR PARK, AS WELL AS THE OFFICE PARTS AND CULTURE.
THE DALLAS CULTURAL TRAIL WILL CONNECT THE THREE STATE RECOGNIZED CULTURAL DISTRICTS AND THEIR ASSETS HIGHLIGHTING THE RICHNESS OF LOCAL HISTORY, ARTS, AND ARCHITECTURE TO THE PUBLIC.
THROUGH BOTH DIGITAL AND TRAIL PHYSICAL TRAIL EXPERIENCES.
THE DALLAS CULTURAL TRAIL WILL ATTRACT AND ENHANCE CULTURAL TOURISM AND SUBSEQUENTLY INCREASE ECONOMIC STIMULATION TO THESE THREE DESIGNATED CULTURAL DISTRICTS AND THE CITY OF DALLAS AT LARGE.
IT WILL SERVE AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR DALLASITE, INCLUDING STUDENTS AND ACTIVATE GATHERING GROUNDS FOR CULTURAL ACTIVITY IN OUR CITY.
IN THIS POST PANDEMIC MOMENT, WE CAN ALL APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF RICH EXPERIENCES IN-PERSON EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING CULTURAL ONES.
DALLAS DESERVES TO HAVE A CULTURAL TRAIL TO ENRICH, EDUCATE, AND BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER THROUGH THESE EXPERIENCES.
THIS PROJECT SPANS THREE COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND HAS LEVERAGED CITY FUNDING ALREADY FROM THE OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE.
IT IS LEVERAGING POTENTIAL TIF FUNDING FROM THE TIFF TO MATCH AS WELL AS PRIVATE FUNDING TO MATCH THE BOND INVESTMENT.
THE DALLAS CULTURAL TRAIL IS A GAME CHANGER FOR DALLAS, AND I HOPE YOU'LL SUPPORT THIS UNPARALLELED PROJECT IN THE 2024 BOND.
I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IN THIS IMPORTANT PROCESS AND PARTICULARLY YOUR ATTENTION THROUGH THIS LONG EVENING.
UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL TO ADVANCE THE BOND PACKAGE THAT ADVANCES DALLAS AND OUR INCREDIBLE COMMUNITIES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KATE MATTIA.
SHE'LL BE FOLLOWED BY LINDSAY HERSON.
EMILY, UM, GERONDA AND NICK SHAW IS IS OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
OH, UH, WE'LL BE MOVING ON TO LINDSEY HARMSON.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS STEVEN CALHOUN.
STEVEN, ARE YOU THERE? HELLO AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
MY NAME IS MARTY CALHOUN AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THE PARKS BOARD RECEIVING MAXIMUM FUNDING UPCOMING BOND PACKAGE.
SPECIFICALLY ASKING FOR MAX FUND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORBITAL PARK.
ME AND MY WIFE ARJAN, NOW PREGNANT SEVEN MONTHS, MOVED TO NORTHWEST EAST NEIGHBORHOOD THREE YEARS AGO, LOOKING TO START OUR FAMILY HERE.
WE UPDATED A HOME BUILT IN 1967 AND MADE IT OUR OWN.
NOW WITH OUR NEW BABY GIRL DUE IN OCTOBER, OUR DREAM IS COMING TRUE.
WE HAVE CONNECTED WITH MANY OF THE NEWER FAMILIES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ALONG WITH SOME OF THE FIRST RESIDENTS TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
JUST RECENTLY, MY WIFE WAS AT A GET TOGETHER WITH SOME OF THE OTHER LADIES AND OVER HALF OF THEM ARE CURRENTLY PREGNANT.
ALMOST EVERY DAY I SEE A NEW HOME BEING UPDATED AND SOLD TO NEW FAMILIES
[02:10:01]
WAITING TO START THEIR DREAM.NEEDLESS TO SAY, NORTHWEST ESTATES IS GROWING JUST AS FAST AS OUR BABY GIRL.
I THINK WE ALL REALIZE TODAY THAT CHILDREN ALONG WITH ADULTS ARE CONSTANTLY CONNECTED TO THEIR HIP WITH SOME KIND OF ELECTRICAL DEVICE.
THAT MAY NEVER CHANGE, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT HAVING ACCESS TO AN UPDATED PARK WHERE CHILDREN CAN RUN, JUMP, PLAY WITH NEW FRIENDS, WILL HELP ENCOURAGE A HEALTHY AND BALANCED LIFESTYLE.
WITH RECESS AT SCHOOLS AVERAGING 10 TO 35 MINUTES A DAY, KIDS MAY NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR THEIR SOCIAL INTERACTION ON THE SCHOOL PLAYGROUND.
HAVING A PARK IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD ALLOWS 'EM TO MEET KIDS OUTSIDE OF THEIR PEER GROUP AND LEARN HOW TO INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER.
IN DOING THIS, IT CAN HELP THEM DEVELOP INTO YOUNG, PRODUCTIVE ADULTS.
ORBITER PARK WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1975 AND ITS BEAUTIFUL.
10 ACRES DESERVES MORE THAN A TENNIS COURT.
LET'S COME TOGETHER AND GIVE OUR KIDS AND THEIR PARENTS SOMEWHERE TO HELP THEIR DREAMS COME TRUE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION REGARDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORBITAL PARK AND GOODNIGHT.
IS JOHN THERE? OOPS, THAT'S GREAT.
MY NAME IS JOHN TENNEY AND UH, TONIGHT I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, SPEAK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, USING THIS NEW BOND PACKAGE TO FOCUS ON HUMAN-CENTERED DEVELOPMENT IN DALLAS.
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS A NUMBER OF THINGS, BUT PREDOMINANTLY AROUND DESIGNING A CITY FOR PEOPLE.
THAT MEANS BETTER PARKS, BETTER PEDESTRIAN ACCESS, SAFE PROTECTED BIKE LANES, ACCESS TO TRANSPORT AND INVESTMENT IN A VARIETY OF, UH, MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT AND MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.
IN THE PAST WE HAVE HEAVILY ALMOST ENTIRELY PRIORITIZED CARS AS THE SINGLE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION, AND IN THE 21ST CENTURY, WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AS ANOTHER SPEAKER HAS MENTIONED TONIGHT, UH, TRAFFIC FATALITIES ESPECIALLY, UH, UH, WITH PEDESTRIANS HAS BEEN INCREASING STEADILY FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS AND IS NOW AT THE HIGHEST POINT SINCE THE 1960S, UM, WHICH IS SHOCKING, UM, IN, IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND, UM, I WOULD ASK THAT WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO INVEST, UH, IN OUR CITY TO OVERCOME THAT.
SO, AS I SAID, UM, ROAD DIETS FOR CARS, UM, IMPROVED SIDEWALKS, SIDEWALKS IN INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT PARKS, UM, BIKES OR BIKE LANES.
UM, AND YEAH, PRIORITIZING PEOPLE AND ON HUMAN SCALE, NOT CAR SCALE.
WELL, PRETTY INSIGHTFUL AS WE HAD ALL THESE PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
YOU KNOW, WHILE OUR SUBCOMMITTEES ARE DELIBERATING, THIS WILL BE A KEY PART OF, UH, OUR, UH, MEETINGS WHERE WE'LL BRING PUBLIC SPEAKERS SO THAT WE ALL GET INSIGHT ON WHAT THEIR VIEWPOINTS ARE.
AND HOPEFULLY IT HELPS US WHEN WE START DELIBERATING ON, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW WE RECOMMEND MAKE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WITH THAT.
I KNOW IT'S BEEN A, I ASK TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
MISS, UM, AND THIS WOULD BE TO EITHER YOU OR
[02:15:01]
JENNIFER.UM, AND I'M HOPING THE ANSWER TO THESE QUESTIONS IS THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED AT THE NEXT MEETING.
SO THE TWO QUESTIONS ARE THE SURVEY RESPONSES THAT WERE DUE BACK THIS WEEK OR THIS PAST FRIDAY, AND THEN, UM, IT APPEARS AS IF THE COUNCIL IS GONNA BE BRIEFED ON A INCREASE IN CAPACITY OF A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
SO I'M HOPING THAT THE ANSWER TO WHEN WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THAT WILL BE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
SO, AND I'LL SAY ON THE SURVEY, UM, I MIGHT ASK EVERYBODY TO, UH, GET IN TOUCH WITH, WITH, UM, WITH THEIR FOLKS ON THE OTHER COMMITTEES AS WELL.
'CAUSE I DIDN'T GET A GREAT RESPONSE BACK ON THAT.
WE'LL, IF WE COULD DO ANOTHER PUSH IN THE NEXT WEEK, THAT'D PROBABLY BE A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
SO, ABSOLUTELY, AND IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, 1.1 BILLION IS OFFICIAL, UH, BASED ON THE MAMMO WE SAW AND WE, SO, SO WE'LL JUST WAIT FOR THE CITY COUNCIL BRIEFING TO MAKE IT OFFICIAL SO WE HAVE A NUMBER TO DELIBERATE.
HOPEFULLY YOU FOUND IT USEFUL.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST LOT OF PERSPECTIVE AND PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN TIME TO SPEAK TO US, SO HOPEFULLY I THINK THAT THAT WILL BE, SO WITH THAT, UH, IT IS 8 48 AND WE ADJOURN OUR, UH, TASK FORCE MEETING.