[00:00:02]
ALL RIGHT.[Environmental Health Committee on September 8, 2023. ]
I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE HERE, UH, ON THIS HERE.UM, I'M NOW CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT 6:21 PM UH, YOU KNOW, AND SO, UH, AARON IS TAKING NOTE OF EVERYONE'S ATTENDANCE.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND CALL IT OUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO I'M CANDACE THOMPSON, UH, UH, PRESENT CHAIR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, UH, COMMITTEE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, VICE CHAIR, UM, RENEE ROBERTSON HERE.
WE HAVE, UM, A QUORUM THIS EVENING, AND SO WE WILL GET STARTED.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS? WE DO NOT.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY REGISTERED PUBLIC SPEAKERS, SO IT IS, WE GET TO ENJOY OUR, OUR COMPANY THIS EVENING AND OUR CONVERSATION, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, AND WE'LL HOPE TO HAVE PUBLIC SPEAKERS AT A, AT A LATER TIME.
UM, PRESENTLY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE DOWN TOWARDS THE APPROVAL OF OUR JUNE, 2023 MINUTES.
UM, IF YOU HAVE, UH, HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO, PLEASE REVIEW THE MINUTES.
IF YOU HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
SO MOVED, UH, TO, OH, WELL, THANK YOU, DR.
LOCKMAN HAS MOVED TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES.
ALABI HAS SECOND, AND IT IS MOVED AND ACCEPTED.
UH, SO, UM, ALL IN FAVOR FOR A, UH, AN ACCEPTANCE OF THE APPROVAL OF THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE JUNE 1ST, 2023, UH, MINUTES.
ANY OPPOSED? UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
WE WILL MOVE FORWARD, AND THE, THE MINUTES, UH, FROM JUNE, 2023 HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED.
UH, AND, AND WE DO HAVE ONE DISCUSSION ITEM THIS EVENING ON OUR AGENDA.
AND, UM, I REGRET THAT I WAS NOT THERE.
UM, BUT I HAD ANOTHER WORK EVENT, HOWEVER, I HEARD IT WAS LIKE A TIME WAS HAD AND, AND GREAT SUPPORT.
AND, UM, AND TO TALK ABOUT THE FOLLOW-UP ON THE AUGUST 17TH, UH, TEXAS CONDITION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY PUBLIC MEETING FOR TEXAS STAR READY MIX, L L C.
AND I'M GONNA, UM, YIELD THE FLOOR TO, UM, OUR CO-CHAIR HERE, UM, MS. RENEE ROBERTSON, AND, AND SHE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT IT.
AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ENTERTAIN, UH, CONVERSATIONS FROM ANY OF YOU WHO WERE PRESENT, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, WE WERE IN, IN FULL FORCE.
UH, AND I, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE PEOPLE SPEAKING, WE HAD, UM, ROYCE WEST WAS THERE, TONY ROSE WAS THERE, THE CHAPTER OF DALLAS CHAPTER PRESIDENT.
UM, MS. SHARONDA WAS, UH, CHAIRMAN WAS THERE FOR NAACP.
UM, ALAN MCGILL WAS THERE, AND ALAN WAS REPRESENTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT HE WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF SIERRA, AND I'M A MEMBER OF SIERRA.
AND WHO ELSE DID WE HAVE? THEN? THERE WAS A JOINT LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR WRITTEN BY, UH, UH, BASIL DUA AND COUNCILMAN ATKINS.
UM, THERE WAS SOME REPORTERS THERE, SOME THAT, THERE WERE SOME REPORTERS THERE THAT DO NOTHING BUT ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT.
CHIEF JONES, CHIEF OF STAFF, FORTON JONES.
WE REALLY HAVE NOT HEARD ANYMORE FROM THEM.
AND ONCE AGAIN, THEY WENT AHEAD AND VALIDATED THE PARKING AND EVERYTHING.
BUT, UM, IT WAS KIND OF HEARTBREAKING TO HEAR SOME OF THE RESIDENTS STORIES.
A COUPLE RESIDENTS STOOD UP AND TALKED ABOUT HOW THEY HAD FAMILY MEMBER AFTER FAMILY MEMBER PASSED WITH CANCER AND NOT, AND THESE WERE NOT OLD PEOPLE THAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.
MOST OF 'EM WERE WELL UNDER 75.
AND, UH, JOBY IS KIND LIKE A CANCER CLUSTER WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOXINS THAT ARE PRODUCED.
WAGMAN, I'LL LET YOU LET HIM TALK ABOUT THE FINDINGS HE DID WITH P C C I.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THE VULNERABILITY FOR, UH, PEDIATRIC VULNERABILITY, AND WE TALKED ABOUT FREQUENT ER VISITS.
UM, THE ONLY THING I WOULD, THE, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE IS ANYTIME WE HAVE A BATCH PLAN, NO MATTER WHAT SIDE OF TOWN IT'S ON, IT AFFECTS ALL OF US.
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AND WE NEED TO STAY AS ORGANIZED AS WE CAN FOR HOW TO ATTEND THE, HOW TO ATTEND THE MEETINGS, HOW TO GIVE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT.UM, AND YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S ONE OF THE PRIORITIES WE NEED TO WORK ON BECAUSE, UH, WE HAD ANOTHER MEETING IN DISTRICT EIGHT AND ELLE'S LANGUAGE WAS BY, RIGHT? BECAUSE THESE AREAS THAT THEY'RE MOVING INTO BY, RIGHT, THEY CAN DO THAT.
THERE'S ZONE INDUSTRIAL AND RESIDENTIAL.
SO IF YOU'RE ZONE INDUSTRIAL AND RESIDENTIAL, THEY CAN DO THAT.
BUT BECAUSE YOU CAN MOVE NEAR MY HOUSE, THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN TRASH OUT THE LAND.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO, UM, ENDANGER MY HEALTH.
AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I SHOULDN'T LIVE COMPROMISE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO MOVE IN THERE, YOU KNOW? AND SO THESE WERE SOME OF THE TALKING POINTS OF ALL THAT.
BUT, UM, ONE OF THEIR ISSUES WAS, I GUESS THEY FELT WE WOULD'VE BEEN, WE WERE GONNA KIND OF EMBRACE THEM BECAUSE THEY CAME IN ALL CHEERY.
ONE OF 'EM AT LEAST DID, BECAUSE THE OWNER OF THE BATCH PLANT IS FEMALE.
AND HE SAID SHE WAS A MINORITY.
SHE WASN'T THERE, BUT EVERYBODY WANTED TO SEE HER AND TALK TO HER.
GREEN WAS THERE, COMMISSIONER DERE WAS THERE.
WE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, WERE OF DIFFERENT.
AND, AND WHAT I LIKED WAS THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE THERE NOT ALSO OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT STANDING IN SOLIDARITY.
SO WE HAD PEOPLE OF ALL, UH, BELIEFS, UH, BREEDS, COLORS, AND COMMUNITIES SAYING, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT RIGHT.
AND SO I'LL, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR.
LACKMAN, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU.
AND LET HIM TELL, UH, HIS PART ON IT.
LAMAN, WE CAN'T SEE YOU ON THE SCREEN AND WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON? OH, WAIT.
SO, UM, WHAT I DID WAS, UM, I WENT INTO THE P C C I VULNERABILITY INDEX THAT'S PUBLICLY POSTED, UH, ON THE, UH, PARKLAND SITE.
AND I TOOK THE, UM, LOOKED UP THE ZIP CODE AND THE CENSUS TRACT THAT, UH, THE PROPOSED BATCH PLANT SITS IN.
AND I LOOKED AT WHERE IT SAT ON THE VULNERABILITY INDEX AND, UH, ON ZIP CODES.
THAT ZIP CODE 7 5 2 4 1 IS THE SECOND HIGHEST IN VULNERABILITY OUT OF 84 ZIP CODES IN DALLAS, WHICH MAKES IT IN THE WORST 2%.
AND THEN THE CENSUS TRACK, WELL, IT'S 18, WHICH DOESN'T SOUND SO BAD, EXCEPT THEY'RE 539 CENSUS TRACKS IN DALLAS COUNTY.
SO IT IS IN THE WORST 3% OF CENSUS TRACKS.
AND, UM, I PRESENTED THAT DATA AS EVIDENCE THAT, UH, THERE'S A NEGATIVE HEALTH IMPACT.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT, UM, THAT, UH, THAT STRUCK ME ABOUT THE PRESENTATIONS HAVE FROM THE RESIDENTS IN RENE, UH, AMPLIFYING WHAT, UH, UH, UH, WHAT COMMISSIONER ROBERSON HAS SAID WAS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH YOUNG CAN, UH, YOUNGER CANCER DEATHS IN THE FAMILY.
AND, UM, I'VE BEEN, UH, WORKING WITH, UH, PETER JOHNSON AND, UH, THE C N N UH, UH, HOST V UH, VAN JONES ON, UM, A SERIES TO LOOK AT THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT 50 YEARS LATER.
AND ONE OF THE THEMES IS GOING TO BE CANCER ALLEY.
AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER CITIES, BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, UM, UH, DALLAS AND CANCER VULNERABILITY, UH, AND, AND SPECIFICALLY SPOTLIGHTING THE ROLE OF BATCH PLANTS, UH, AND OTHER SOURCES OF PM 2.5, UM, AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO, TO HAMMER ON.
UM, I ALSO, UH, DISCUSSED THAT DATA WITH WALKER JONES, THE LEAD ORGANIZER FROM DALLAS AREA INTERFAITH.
AND I POINTED OUT TO HIM THAT WHEN I MAPPED THE, UM, UM, WHEN I MAPPED WHERE THE BATCH PLANTS WERE, UH, USING THE DATA THAT'S ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WEBSITE, UM, THAT THERE ARE FOUR BATCH PLANTS.
ONE OF THEIR KEY CONGREGATIONS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES IS OUR LADY OF LORDS, WHICH IS BASICALLY SINGLETON IN LUKE 12 WITHIN,
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UH, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBERSON AND I DISCUSSED THIS, THAT WITHIN ABOUT A MILE OF, UM, OF, UH, ON SINGLETON WITHIN A MILE, THEIR FOUR BATCH OF, UH, OUR LADY OF LORDS, THEIR FOUR BATCH PLANTS.SO WE, THIS REALLY GIVES US, I THINK THAT THIS EVENT AND THE TURNOUT WE HAD, UM, AND THE COMMITMENT OF THE, OF THE COMMUNITY GIVES US SOME ENERGY FOR PRODUCING, UM, LASTING AND SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN DALLAS.
UM, OH, ONE OTHER THING IS I DID RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION YESTERDAY FROM, UM, THE T FROM T C E Q ACKNOWLEDGING MY PARTICIPATION AND GIVING ME A LINK TO FOLLOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE BATCH PLANT REQUEST.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE SHARED, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL OF US TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
I WILL, I WILL SEND IT, UH, TO YOU AND, UH, CHAIRPERSON ROBERSON, AND THE TWO OF YOU CAN DISSEMINATE IT, CERTAINLY.
AND OH, ACTUALLY, I'LL SEND IT TO ERIN AND THEN WE CAN DISSEMINATE IT WIDELY.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOOD INFORMATION.
I'M ALSO NOW PRESENTING ON A SIMILAR ISSUE, UH, AT HEALTH 2.0 IN, UM, LAS VEGAS IN NEXT MARCH.
OH, SO, I MEAN, SO WE'RE ALL GOING TO VEGAS TO SUPPORT DR.
LOCKMAN, RIGHT? YEAH, YOU CAN ALL COME TO VEGAS.
IT'LL BE AT CAESAR'S PALACE AND, UH,
UM, WELL, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, TO YOU, DR.
LOCKMAN, AND TO, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBERSON FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR REPRESENTING AND FOR BEING THERE AND FOR SPEAKING, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, IN, IN COMMUNION WITH, UH, OUR COMMUNITY, UM, ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
OH, I, I KNOW SHE WAS, I KNOW THAT SHE, I HAVE NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER.
UM, MY, MY QUESTION IS, DID THEY TALK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHY THEY CHOSE THE AREA, WHY THEY, YOU KNOW, WHY THEY, WHY THEY'RE NOT CHOOSING TO GO AND, AND EXPLORE OTHER DISTRICTS, POTENTIAL DISTRICTS THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, BENEFIT THE USE OF HAVING A BATCH PLANT SINCE THE, YOU KNOW, SINCE THEY'RE SO CONCENTRATED AND, YOU KNOW, UM, ON, ON THE SOUTH AND, AND THE WEST SIDE? DID THEY, DID THEY ANSWER THAT QUESTION? I'M, I'M, I CURIOUS MY ANSWER TO THAT.
I ASKED, THE PLAN HAS BEEN IN OPERATION SINCE 1955 AND WAS OPERATING IT, WHICH PREDATES WHEN PERMITS WERE REQUIRED.
SO BASICALLY THIS PLANT IS OPERATING OUTSIDE THE LAW.
IT DOES NOT HAVE A PERMIT, UM, AT PRESENT.
AND NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF A, THEY SEE THEMSELVES AS MAKING IT RIGHT BY ACTUALLY GETTING A PERMIT.
AND I HAVE ASKED THAT QUESTION, UH, BEFORE, AGAIN AND AGAIN AT ALL MEETINGS.
WHY CAN WE NOT SPREAD THE WEALTH MM-HMM.
AND THERE'S A HUGE FEEL, EVEN HAS A NICE PRISTINE CREEK BEHIND IT WHERE THEY CAN POLLUTE IT.
BUT TO, IT'S ALL, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT THEY LIKE TO DO, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, YOU GO DOWN PRESS IT IS RIGHT WHEN YOU TURN OFF BELT LINE BEFORE YOU GET UP TO SPRING VALLEY, IT'S A HUGE, YOU KNOW, HUGE LEVEL ONE.
AND
WE'RE GONNA USE IT FOR THE TEXAS PROJECT.
SO THEY'RE STILL OPERATING EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T HAVE A VALID PERMIT.
THAT QUESTION WAS RAISED NUMBER OF TIMES, HOW CAN THEY CONTINUE TO OPERATE WITHOUT A VALID PERMIT? AND SO WITHOUT A VALID PERMIT, ARE THERE ANY CONSEQUENCES FOR THEM? YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE THEY'RE CONTINUING TO OPERATE ILLEGALLY, SOUNDS LIKE.
WELL, NOT ONLY THEY ILLEGAL, UH, WHAT ALSO CAME OUT IS NOT ONLY ARE THEY OPERATING ILLEGALLY, BUT THEY DID HAVE AN INSPECTION AND THEY HAVE AN OPEN, THEY HAVE TWO VERY SIGNIFICANT VIOLATIONS.
ONE BEING AN OPEN CONVEYOR BELT.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE OTHER ONE.
DO YOU RENEE, ONE OF 'EM WAS JUST AIR WAS AIR QUALITY, AIR QUALITY.
AND THE OTHER ONE WAS THE OPEN CONVEYOR BELT.
BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY ARE DOING THINGS, THEY'RE NOT SECURING, UM, WHAT THEY NEED TO.
AND THOSE, UH, PARTICLES ARE, AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER ISSUE ABOUT THE BACKLASH, THE WATER, WATER WASTE.
AND THEY, LIKE, THERE WAS NO WATER WASTE, BUT YOU CAN'T RUN BATCH PLAN UNLESS YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHERE'S IT GOING? YOU HAVE TO HAVE WATER WASTE SOMEWHERE.
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AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THEY LIKE TO BACK UP TO, TO STREAMS AND FREAKS LIKE THAT.BUT, AND THOSE WERE THE THREE MAJOR ISSUES.
AND, AND SOME THINGS THEY JUST FUMBLED ON.
THEY COULDN'T ANSWER OR THEY WALKED OVER.
AT ONE POINT, TONY ROSE WAS SO IRRITATED WITH HIM, SHE JUST SAID, SIR, YOU DID NOT ANSWER HER QUESTION.
AND THEY JUST KEEP TALKING AND NOT ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED AND SPLITTING HAIRS, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
AND I SEE THAT THE ANOTHER ISSUE WAS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A REQUIRED 300 FOOT DISTANCE BUFFER AS WELL.
AND THE, THE FENCING WAS AN ISSUE.
THE, THE, UH, COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES THAT WERE THERE, UM, CLAIM THEY WORKED THERE EVERY DAY.
UH, LENKA EVEN ASKED THEM, WOULD YOU LIVE THERE? AND NOBODY, YOU KNOW, WOULD SAY ANYTHING.
AND HE SAID, I WORKED THERE EVERY DAY.
SHE SAID, WOULD YOU LIVE THERE? WHICH IS A, A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT THERE'S A FENCING, AND I THINK THE FENCE IS MORE LIKE DR.
I THINK THE FENCE IS LIKE 12 FEET WAS THE FENCE.
THE FENCE SHOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE EIGHT AND IT WAS 12.
AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THAT'S DONE.
NO, ACTUALLY IT WAS, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 12 AND IT WAS EIGHT.
THE FENCE IS SHORTER THAN IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.
IT'S A CHAIN LINK FENCE, NOT A SOLID FENCE.
UH, AND, UM, ALSO THE WAY THINGS ARE STRUCTURED, THE, UM, UM, THE SOURCES OF, UH, PARTICULATES THAT CAN SPREAD ARE TOO CLOSE TO THE BORDER OF THE FACILITY, UH, ADDING ALSO TO THE SPREAD.
SO, UM, I GUESS THEY'RE, THEY'RE OPENING THEMSELVES UP TO POSSIBLY CIVIL, LIKE ACTION, LIKE LAWSUIT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THAT'S, I'M ALREADY TALKING WITH LAWYERS ABOUT THAT.
USUALLY WHEN LAWYERS ARE INVOLVED, THEY TEND TO LISTEN, I WOULD SAY.
DO WE KNOW WHEN THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE HELD? I, WE HAVE, OTHER THAN THAT LINK HE'S TALKING ABOUT, WE'VE HEARD PETE, BRO.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE PROCESS THAT'S ON THE SITE, THERE IS NOT ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING, UH, ON THIS PARTICULAR SITE.
UH, BY THE WAY, THEY APPROVE 96% OF THE APPLICATIONS.
AND IT IS ONLY BECAUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE ROSE THAT WE EVEN HAD A PUBLIC MEETING ON THIS.
AND A BIG POINT WAS MADE ALSO OF PEOPLE ABOUT, YEAH, YOU SAY YOU WANT PUBLIC INPUT, IT AFFECTS THE PY COMMUNITY AND YOU'RE HAVING IT DOWNTOWN.
YOU KNOW, UH, THE, THE OBVIOUS OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, UH, EFFORT TO USE DISTANCE, NOT TO HAVE PEOPLE COME AND SPEAK CONVENIENCE.
IT'S SO, SO RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, TO BE CLEAR, OUR ROLE IS TO WAIT.
IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT I'M, YOU KNOW, UH, UNDERSTANDING.
I JUST WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT I, THAT I HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE IN, WE'RE IN A WAITING PHASE, AND THEN WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO, UM, ON A COUPLE OF FRONTS AS THE, UM, THE HEALTH COMMITTEE? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO IN THIS, IN THIS LIMINAL SPACE OF HELPING THEM TO MAKE THE DECISION OF SAYING, Y'ALL NEED TO GO, UM, YOU KNOW, OFFICIALLY VERSUS, YOU KNOW, WE GONNA SIT HERE AND WAIT, AND THEN LET Y'ALL CONTINUE TO OPERATE ILLEGALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, AND CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, DRAW ON THESE OTHER CONSEQUENCES.
WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT WE COULD CRAFT SOMETHING FOR THE COMMITTEE, GET THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO SUPPORT IT, THAT LAYS OUT ALL THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, WHICH ARE NOT, IF YOU WILL, KOSHER ABOUT THE WAY THIS HAS BEEN PURSUED SINCE 55, CONTINUING TO OPERATE ILLEGALLY, UH, OBVIOUS VIOLATIONS NOT ADDRESSED, AND THE PLANT STILL CONTINUES TO OPERATE.
AND, UM, TO, UM, UH, UH, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK, IN MY OWN VIEW, THE APPROVAL OF THIS PLANT, IF IT IS APPROVED, IS NOT THE END OF THIS EFFORT.
UM, IT'S REALLY THE BEGINNING OF AN EFFORT TO EXPOSE THAT THESE PROBLEMS ARE NOT BEING, IF IT IS REACH, IF IT IS ACCEPTED THAT THESE PROBLEMS ARE NOT BEING ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO, UH, PREPARE WITHIN THE LIMITS OF WHAT WE CAN DO AS A COMMITTEE.
WHAT WE CAN DO AS INDIVIDUALS MAY BE VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE CAN DO AS A COMMITTEE OR AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
UM, I, I, I DEFINITELY LIKE THAT IDEA, UH, DR.
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LOCKMAN.UM, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, I GUESS WE'RE, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE'D HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH, UM, CHAIRWOMAN, UH, CATHERINE BISON ON, UM, AS A, AS A, A REPRESENTATIVE BODY.
AND SHE WAS PRESENT AT THE, UH, AND, AND THEN, BUT ALSO IT, YOU KNOW, TO THIS EFFECT, UM, 'CAUSE IT ALMOST SEEMS, UM, IT ALMOST SEEMS AS THOUGH WE'RE COMING UP BEHIND, YOU KNOW, TO BE REACTIONARY.
UM, SO IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO THEM EVEN ARRIVING PRIOR TO THEM EVEN, YOU KNOW, COMING ON SITE.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT, WHAT IS IT THAT WE NEED TO DO AS, AS A BODY TO, YOU KNOW, TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, EITHER TAKE NOTE OR TO HAVE OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, CITY LEADERS INFORM US OF, HEY, LIKE THIS, THIS MAY BE HAPPENING IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE I, I, I'M, I AM CERTAIN THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY DON'T JUST ACQUIRE THAT THE SPACE, YOU KNOW, HAPHAZARDLY OR WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM, FROM SOMEWHERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THEN THAT, YOU KNOW, SO WHO IS IT THAT WE NEED TO BE IN CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH WITHIN THE CITY? UH, AND OH, NO, WHO, WHO IS, WHO KNOWS THAT THESE THINGS ARE COMING UP IN THESE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY WHERE WE, ONE, WE CAN ADVOCATE WITH THEM TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE IN THE SOUTH DON'T WANT THIS IN OUR OUR AREAS, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, AND IF THEY, IF THEY, YOU KNOW, AND IF THEY CAN'T SAY NO TO WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUE IS.
BUT IT GIVES US, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, UM, AND, AND AN ADVANCE NOTICE OF SORTS TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, TO RECRUIT AND GET OUR, OUR STORY AND, AND, AND OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS OFF THE ROAD.
UM, YOU KNOW, OFF THE BLOCKS BEFORE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO COME UP BEHIND.
I HAVE A, I I THINK YOU MADE A REALLY GOOD POINT ABOUT US BEING REACTIVE RATHER THAN PROACTIVE.
UM, WE'VE GOT A LISTING OF WHERE THOSE PLANTS ARE.
UH, DO WE KNOW WHICH ONES ARE OPERATING WITH PERMITS AND WHICH ONES ARE OPERATING WITHOUT PERMITS? THAT'S A STARTING POINT BECAUSE WE COULD MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT THOSE PLANTS, WHICH ARE OPERATING ABOUT IT WITHOUT A PERMIT, SHOULD BE CLOSED DOWN IMMEDIATELY UNTIL THEY APPLY TO, FOR, AND OBTAIN A PERMIT.
UM, THE SECOND, THE SECOND QUESTION TO ASK IS, UM, WHEN, IF THEY ARE PERMITTED, WHEN THOSE PLANTS ARE COMING UP FOR REPER, BECAUSE THEN WE CAN GO INTO, UH, I THINK REPRESENTATIVE ROSE HAS POINTED OUT TO US, UM, VERY FUNCTIONALLY A PROCESS WITHIN THE WAY THE PROCESS IS SUPPOSED TO WORK.
THAT, UM, THAT LEADS TO CITIZEN INPUT, WHICH IS VITAL.
AND, UH, AND REPLICATING WHAT WE DID RIGHT HERE, UM, I THINK IS AS IMPORTANT AS RECOGNIZING WHAT WE DIDN'T DO.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WAS DONE WITH GETTING THAT, UM, THAT, UH, T C Q EQ TO HAVE A HEARING RATHER THAN A RARITY? IT OUGHT TO BE AN EXPECTATION.
AND, AND THAT, UM, WE OUGHT TO BE RAISING SAND WITH D C E Q ABOUT IN THE FUTURE.
THOSE NEED TO BE IN OR NEAR THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS BEING AFFECTED NOT SEVEN OR EIGHT MILES AWAY.
SO, I, I, AND, AND I, I, I LIKE THAT, DR.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND I, AND I, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM EVERYONE.
IS THIS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US, AS, YOU KNOW, AS THE, THE HEALTH COMMITTEE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO I, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE, ERIN, SO, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL CAN SHOOT ME DOWN OR WHATEVER.
'CAUSE I'M, YOU KNOW, WE ALL LEARNING TOGETHER.
BUT IS THIS AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE ARE ABLE TO, UM, KIND OF MAKE A RECOMMENDATION
UM, YOU KNOW, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A, A POSSIBILITY OR IF THAT MAKES, IF THAT MAKES SENSE FOR THIS BODY TO, TO DO THAT.
UM, I THINK IT DOES, YOU KNOW, GIVEN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE NEGATIVE HEALTH IMPACTS.
BUT, UM, BUT I SEE THAT AS, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR VOICES AT THE TABLE, OUR VOICE HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE CENTERED AND IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE HAVE A POSITION ON THIS.
[00:25:01]
ONE OF THE THINGS, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS WE ARE NOT AIMED HIGH ENOUGH BECAUSE OF THE COUNCILMEN COUNCIL PEOPLE.A LOT OF TIMES THOSE PERMITS ARE BEING ISSUED OVER THEIR HEADS, AND THEY DON'T KNOW.
AND I THOUGHT THAT BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE WAS FORMED AS A SUBCOMMITTEE, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, UM, AN AMENDMENT.
I MEAN, GIVEN CITY COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS AND BATCH, AND WHENEVER SOMETHING NEGATIVE, LIKE A BATCH PLANT OR SOMETHING THAT PRODUCES HARMFUL EFFECTS WAS GOING TO SET UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, WE HAD SAID THAT THE COUNCIL PERSON, UH,
THEY DO NOT NOTIFY BY THE TIME THE PERMIT IS ISSUED.
THEY'RE POURING THE CEMENT, THEY'RE WORKING, AND THE COUNCIL PERSON DOESN'T EVEN KNOW.
SO FROM THE COUNCIL ON DOWN, WE, THERE SEEMS TO BE NO POWER.
SO WE'RE EITHER, WE MUST BE AIMING TOO LOW.
AND I ASKED, WHO APPOINTS T C E Q, WHO APPOINTS THEM? THE PEOPLE THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, AT THAT MEETING, THOSE WERE FLIP OVERS.
THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE JUST SITTING THERE TAKING THE BRANCH FOR, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER APPOINTED THEM.
SO WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHO APPOINTS ME.
UM, I WAS TOLD THAT, SIR, IT MAY NOT BE TRUE.
I'M NOT SURE, SO DON'T QUOTE ME, BUT I THINK THEY ARE APPOINTED BY OUR GOVERNOR.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE JUST AIN'T HIGHER BECAUSE, UM, BY THE TIME WE GET THE INFORMATION, DO ANYTHING, AND THEY WILL NOT, UM, NOTIFY THE COUNCIL, COUNCIL LIKE WE HAD SET UP THREE YEARS AGO.
THEY DON'T WANT THAT RESISTANCE.
CAN WE RE YOU THEM? WE COME, I'M SAY, BUT YOU'RE FIGHTING.
YOU JUST, WE HAD SIERRA HAD A MEETING LAST NIGHT, AND I HAVE TO NAME OF THIS SITUATION.
YOU HAVE TO ASK OUR CHAIRPERSON, BUT THEY DID ALL THE WORK THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, DONE THROUGH ALL THE HOOPS, AND STILL THIS THING IS GONNA BE PLACED IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THE OTHER THING YOU HAVE RUNNING IS THAT IF IT'S SOME INDUSTRIAL, LIKE I SAID, DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES FOR AIR QUALITY FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING? DOES THAT MEAN YOU OPERATE ON MONITORS? AND, AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, THE POWER THAT I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE POWER IS.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE TEETH ARE.
WELL, YOU'VE RAISED AN IMPORTANT ISSUE, WHICH IS THE QUESTION ABOUT THE HIERARCHY OF AUTHORITY.
BECAUSE EVEN ABOVE THE GOVERNOR AND T C E Q, UH, WE HAVE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE E P A, AND THERE MAY BE SOME RECOURSE UNDER THAT.
UM, UH, UM, I THINK THE QUESTION WAS RAISED ABOUT, UM, UH, CIVIL LIABILITY, UH, MAYBE NOT FOR THE, UH, COMMISSION BECAUSE THEY, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS AT THE STATE LEVEL WOULD BE EXEMPT, UH, UH, FROM ANY, FROM LI FROM CIVIL LIABILITY.
BUT THE OPERATORS OF THE PLANTS ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM CIVIL LIABILITY FOR THE DAMAGE THEY CAUSED.
AND I KEEP POINTING OUT TO PEOPLE THAT THE WAY WE GOT RID OF LEAD PAINT BACK IN THE, BACK IN THE NINETIES, AFTER FIGHTING OVER IT FOR, FOR 30 YEARS, WAS A CIVIL LIABILITY LAWSUIT THAT HELD A SLUMLORD, UH, UH, RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGE.
TWO OF THOSE SUITS WERE ENOUGH TO LINE UP EVERY SLUMLORD IN THE COUNTRY.
AND SO, CIVIL LIABILITY CAN BE A VERY POTENT WEAPON.
I ALSO QUESTION, SINCE WE'VE PRODUCED DATA AND CAN PRODUCE MORE DATA THAT CHILDREN ARE AFFECTED, UH, AND I MEAN TO DISCUSS WITH THE DALLAS COUNTY, UH, UH, UH, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, WHETHER THERE'S CRIMINAL LIABILITY FOR CHILDHOOD ENDANGERMENT, UH, THERE MAY VERY WELL BE, BUT I THINK FROM A, FROM A COM, FROM OUR COMMITTEE STANDPOINT, I FEEL LIKE I KNOW IT IS REACTIONARY, BUT AT LEAST WE CAN SAY, LIKE, MAKE A, CAN WE MAKE A STATEMENT? CAN WE MAKE A STATEMENT SAYING THAT THESE ARE REACTIONARY MEASURES WHEN WE KNOW THAT BATCH PLANTS HAVE CLEAR, UM, HEALTH EFFECTS ON CHILDREN AND IN COMMUNITIES? AND I MEAN, AND I WAS JUST GOOGLING LIKE, THESE ARE THE AREAS WITH HIGHEST, WITH THE HIGHEST MORTALITY, NOT NECESSARILY THE INCIDENTS, BUT THE HIGHEST MORTALITY, UM, OF, FOR CANCER.
UM, AND, AND WHILE, AND, AND MAYBE WE CAN MAKE, WE CAN COME TOGETHER, FIND SOME DATA TO MAKE SOME KIND OF STATEMENT THAT SAYS
[00:30:01]
THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT YOU, THAT THE COMMUNITY'S INVOLVED OR THE, THAT THE, UM, THAT THE POWERS THAT BE INFORMED, UM, PRIOR TO, AND MAYBE THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SYSTEMS CHANGE, LIKE IS, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN WRITE STATEMENTS, YOU KNOW, VERSUS MAYBE, MAYBE WE NEED TO START BY DOING OUR HOMEWORK A BIT.AND BY, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU, I'VE DONE A LITTLE WORK ON ASTHMA.
YOU, WE, YOU'VE LOOKED UP SOME DATA ON CANCER, UH, ON, ON CANCER RISK AND THE HIGHEST AREAS.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, MAPPING THOSE BA THE WHERE THOSE BATCH PLANTS ARE AND SHOWING THAT THERE IS CONNECTION, UH, IS A, IS A POWERFUL THING.
AND THE OTHER THING IS JUST TO THE POINT ABOUT US BEING REACTIONARY, UH, WE'RE SCRAMBLING.
AND RIGHT NOW WE SCRAMBLE AT THE LAST MINUTE BECAUSE NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'VE GOT, UM, WE KNOW WHERE THE BATCH PLANTS ARE PRESENTLY.
UM, WE CAN, UM, UH, REQUEST FROM T C E Q, WHAT ARE THE LICENSED BATCH PLANTS.
AND THEN BY THAT, WE CAN IDENTIFY THE ONES WHICH ARE OPERATING WITHOUT PERMITS.
UH, AND, UM, IF WE DO OUR HOMEWORK AND COME UP WITH A PLAN AROUND THAT, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT'S A SUITABLE ACTIVITY FOR THIS COMMITTEE.
AND IT PREPARES US TO BE AT LEAST MAYBE NOT QUITE AS REACTIONARY.
WE'RE WE'RE PROACTIVELY REACTIONARY.
UH, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, SO THEN THAT, THAT COULD BE OUR HOMEWORK.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND GETTING, YOU KNOW, AND GATHERING THAT INFORMATION, UM, AND, AND TALKING ABOUT IT AT OUR NEXT MEETING THAT WE HAVE.
UM, SO THEN WE'LL, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE FULLY, FULLY, YOU KNOW, READY, YOU KNOW, UM, AS AS IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN.
UM, ALSO, THE THINGS I WAS THINKING ABOUT IN THIS, UM, THIS IS NOT ONLY HAPPENING IN DALLAS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT OUR STATE.
AND, UM, I THINK, UH, I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, RAISE KANE.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, AND SO, BUT I, I DO APPRECIATE DR.
YOU KNOW, WE WANNA, YOU KNOW, BE STRATEGIC IN THIS EFFORT, AND WE WANNA HAVE OUR, OUR DUCKS IN A ROW.
WE WANNA HAVE OUR, OUR HOMEWORK DONE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND JUST TO REMOVE ANY DOUBT FROM, UM, FROM WHAT IT IS THAT WE WILL BE PRESENTING.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AND I, AND, AND DR.
AVI, I, I DO, UM, APPRECIATE AND LIKE THE IDEA, 'CAUSE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I'M WITH YOU.
LIKE, OKAY, WELL, LET'S MAKE A STATEMENT.
LET'S, YOU KNOW, LET, LET, WE NEED Y'ALL TO KNOW WHERE WE STAND.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS DOES IS IT'S ALMOST KINDA LIKE A, UM, STORY BOOKING OUR WAY TO THE END OF, OF THE, THE ULTIMATE RESULT OF WHAT WE WANT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE THESE, THESE STEPS MOVING FORWARD.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC MEETING THAT WAS ON THE 17TH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MEETING THIS EVENING, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, FROM HERE WE'LL GET OUR, YOU KNOW, GET OUR DUCKS IN A ROW OF UNDERSTANDING WHICH ONES HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, LICENSE PERMITS, WHICH ONES DO NOT.
UM, AND, AND, UH, UM, AND, AND DR.
LOCKMAN AT, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DID IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT I'M VERY CURIOUS, BUT I, I WOULD LOVE TO, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO, UM, KIND OF MAP THE DISEASE AREAS, UH, YOU KNOW, OF, OF, OF WHERE THIS IS PREVALENT.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE HAVE THE COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT GETS CLEARED OUT.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, WHICH ALSO, IT CREATES HEALTH DISPARITIES IN THESE COMMUNITIES AS WELL.
IT EXACERBATES EXISTING CURRENT HEALTH DISPARITIES ON TOP OF THAT.
AND SO HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, FULLY MAKE THE CASE TO WHERE THEY CAN'T REFUTE IT? YOU KNOW, BE IT, IF IT COMES FROM, BE IT, IF IT COMES FROM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF DALLAS, BE IT COME FROM T C E Q, COME FROM THE GOVERNOR, COME FROM, YOU KNOW, E P A, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW.
OKAY, WELL, ONE THING ABOUT THAT, UH, AS IF WE COME UP WITH A PLAN FOR WHAT WE NEED, UM, I HAVE, UM, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE THEN GO AND SIT DOWN WITH, UH, STEVE MIFF FROM P C C I AND ASK THEM TO MAP THE DATA FOR US.
CAN WE GET SOMEBODY HERE? I MEAN, I, I MEAN, BY THE WAY, WHAT HAPPENED THAT I WOUND UP PRESENTING THE MATERIAL BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IT WAS SOMEWHAT LAST MINUTE, WAS I WENT OUT AND DID A, WHAT I REGARDED AS ANALYSIS BY BASICALLY GOING TO THE VULNERABILITY INDEX AND PULLING THE DATA AFTER LOOKING UP THE ADDRESS AND THE ZIP CODE AND THE, THE, AND
[00:35:01]
THE CENSUS TRACK.AND I FELT UNSURE BECAUSE I'M NOT P C C I THAT.
AND SO WHAT I DID WAS I, I TRIED TO GET THEM TO SHOW UP TO PRESENT THE DATA AND WHAT I GOT, UNFORTUNATELY, DR.
PENGE WAS TRAVELING, AND, BUT SHE TEXTED ME BACK AND SAID, YOU WERE SPOT ON.
CAN WE GET SOMEBODY FROM P C C I TO TALK HERE AND TALK ABOUT HEALTH DISPARITIES IN THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT? WOULD THAT BE POSSIBLE? I, I, UH, YOU KNOW, DO ANOTHER, THAT'S A GOOD PROJECT.
WE, WE CAN DO THAT FOR OUR NEXT MEETING.
SO NEXT MEETING THAT WE HAVE, UM, OUR, OUR, OUR ASSIGNMENTS ARE, UM, WE'RE GONNA GET, YOU KNOW, UH, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM P C C I TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT HEALTH DISPARITIES AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AND I, I WOULD SAY SOUTHERN AND, UM, DALLAS, BUT ALSO, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE THE BATCH PLANTS.
SO OUR, OUR TWO MOST PREVALENT AREAS FOR THE BATCH PLANTS.
AND THEN, UM, FOR OUR OTHER HOMEWORK AND, AND, YOU KNOW, UM, AND, AND, AND DR.
LOCKMAN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN KIND OF GUIDE US ON, ON WHAT STEPS WE NEED TO TAKE AS FAR AS LIKE FINDING OUT THE, THE, UM, THE ONES THAT HAVE LICENSED, UH, PERMITS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THOSE THAT DO NOT HAVE PERMITS.
'CAUSE THEN IT MAY, YOU KNOW, THAT'LL, THAT'LL LEAD US TO BEING ABLE TO, TO ASK THAT THEY CLOSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, 'CAUSE IF, IF, IF THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO OPERATE LIKE THIS, THEN YOU KNOW, THAT MEANS A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE LICENSES.
YOU KNOW, SO WE HADN'T HAD PEOPLE ASKING QUESTIONS.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, ANY, ANYBODY ELSE WANNA ADD ANYTHING TO THAT OR, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE FUN AT THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, OH, Y'ALL GOT ME FIRED UP.
WELL, ANYONE WHO'S DONE ZOOM WITH ME INSTEAD OF WEBEX KNOWS THAT WHEN I DO ZOOM MY, UH, MY, MY, UH, THE WAY I HAVE MY THING SET UP, UM, UH, JOHN LEWIS STANDING ON THE PETTUS BRIDGE IS LOOKING OVER MY RIGHT SHOULDER.
AND WHEN ANYBODY ASKS ME ABOUT IT, I SAY THAT I NEED HIM LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER TO REMIND ME TO CAUSE GOOD TROUBLE.
THAT INFORMATION WE HAVE PRESENTING, UM, I'M DOING A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AT THE NURSING RESEARCH COUNCIL, THAT DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE, UM, SO MANY OF OUR PATIENTS COME FROM THAT CENSUS TRACT.
AND, UH, THEY NEED, YOU KNOW, THEIR OWN PARKING IS ALWAYS INTO SOCIAL INDICATORS OF HEALTH.
AND I DON'T THINK, I'M PRETTY SURE THE ENVIRONMENTAL PART OF IT IS NOT AN INDICATOR THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT IN THE MANNER THAT THEY SHOULD, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY KNOW.
SO I'M GOING TO DOING THAT, UM, TRY TO GET POWERPOINT TOGETHER.
I'M TAKING REFRESHERS AND POWERPOINT SO I CAN START DOING PRESENTATIONS MORE.
BUT, UM, THAT WE, I DISCOVERED WHEN I TOLD 'EM THAT AT THE LAST MEETING, RETURN ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE, THEY WEREN'T, I COULD TELL THEY WEREN'T, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE NOT, THEY, THEY WEREN'T SURE OF THE DEFINITION OF IT.
THEY NEED TO KNOW WHERE YOUR PATIENT IS COMING FROM.
WE HAVE TO FIND OUT WHERE THESE PEOPLE LIVE BECAUSE YOU'RE ONE OF, YOU'RE AIM THEM OUT.
'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T TAKE THEIR MEDICINE AND MAYBE THEY DID TAKE THEIR MEDICINE OR THEY GO HOME.
IF YOU'RE SMELLING SOBER, IF YOU GO HOME AND YOU CAN'T GET OUT TO DO THE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO, THAT AFFECTS YOUR HAIR.
UH, SO, UM, LOOKS LIKE WE, WE HAVE OUR, OUR, OUR MARCHING ORDERS.
AND THIS IS, I'M, I'M EXCITED TO GET THIS HOMEWORK.
UM, AND SO, UH, IF WE'RE GOOD WITH, WITH OUR, OUR CURRENT ASSIGNMENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO, UM, BEFORE, BEFORE WE ADJOURN, I HAVE, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND WE MAY NEED, UH, ERIN TO UNMUTE TO ANSWER THEM
FIRST OF ALL, UM, UM, FIRST OF ALL, UH, I WANT EVERYBODY TO BE AWARE THAT THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS HAD AN EDITORIAL SUPPORTING ADDING VAPING TO THE SMOKING ORDINANCE.
THAT WAS ONE OF THEIR, UH, UH, YEAH, I FELT THE SAME WAY.
[00:40:01]
SO KUDOS TO ALL OF US WHO DID OUR HOMEWORK, BECAUSE THIS REALLY WAS A TEAM EFFORT FROM THIS COMMITTEE THAT, THAT MADE IT AN EVIDENCE-BASED CASE.UM, UH, SO THAT'S, UH, UH, A, A PIECE OF GOOD NEWS.
I AM NOW ALSO WANNA ANNOUNCE THAT I AM ALSO OFFICIALLY THE, UH, CH UH, THE SENIOR CO-CHAIR IS THE TERM THEY'RE USING FOR THE TEXAS PEDIATRIC SOCIETY NEW ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE.
I CONVINCED THEM TO SEPARATE IT FROM THE CHILD SAFETY COMMITTEE AND HAVE A SEPARATE COMMITTEE.
AND, UH, WE WILL BE HAVING OUR FIRST MEETING OF THAT COMMITTEE, UH, AT THE END OF THE MONTH AT THE TEXAS PEDIATRIC SOCIETY MEETING.
I WILL BE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY BECAUSE IT'S MY GRANDDAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY, I'M GONNA BE IN LOS ANGELES FOR HER BIRTHDAY, BUT THEY HAVE ALREADY AGREED THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE IT, THAT THAT I WILL BE GIVEN VIRTUAL ACCESS.
UM, AND THEN THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO ASK AARON ABOUT, UM, OR ASK SOMEBODY ABOUT, UH, I READ THIS MORNING IN THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS, UM, AROUND THE BUDGETARY PRICE, UH, PROCESS.
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS CONSENSUS TO STRIP THE FUNDS FOR, UM, UH, TO STRIP TO ME TO STRIP THE FUNDS FOR, UM, THE, UM, INITIATIVE AROUND, UH, INCENTIVES, UM, AROUND, UM, UM, AROUND THE ELECTRIC LOOSE BLOWERS, UH, THE BUYBACK PROGRAM TO STRIP THAT OUT OF THE BUDGET.
I WANNA KNOW IF I'M INTERPRETING THAT CORRECTLY.
THAT'S NOT BEEN PASSED YET, BUT IT WAS PART OF THE, UM, AMENDMENTS WHICH WERE PROPOSED BY, UH, UM, I FORGET WHICH CITY COUNCIL PERSON.
AND THEY WERE SENT UA, IT WAS BASIL DUA WHO DID IT.
AND, UH, AND THEN THE SECOND THING WAS, IS IT LOOKED LIKE THEY ALSO TOOK AWAY THE MONEY FOR IMPROVING CODE ENFORCEMENT, WHICH DESPERATELY NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
THAT WILL GET D A I DOWN ON THEM MAJOR, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIG THINGS HE'S WORKING ON.
THE OTHER THING I INTERPRET THAT I, IS THAT IT'S KIND OF TRICKY.
THEY WERE, THEY WERE TRYING TO LOWER PROPERTY TAXES, BUT LOWERING PROPERTY TAXES MIGHT INVOLVE CUTTING SOME CITY SERVICES.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF A BEEF TOO, GOING ON.
HEY, I, I, I'M IN FAVOR OF CUTTING PROPERTY TAXES.
THINK THEY OUGHT TO GET THE MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE.
TAKE IT OUTTA THE CITY MANAGER'S SALARY.
NO, THEY, THEY NEED TO GET IT FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE, NOT THE HOMEOWNERS.
THOSE PROPERTY TAXES NEEDS TO GO DOWN.
AND I THINK YOU CAN DO THAT WITHOUT, UH, CUTTING THE 3 1 1 9 1 1, YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE WHEN I NEED THE POLICE TO COME, I NEED THEM TO COME.
THOSE OF US WHO ARE HOMEOWNERS, AND EVEN IF YOU AREN'T, THE THINGS ARE HIGH ENOUGH IN THE CITY TO WHERE WE DESERVE THAT SERVICE.
IF THEY DON'T GET 3 1, 1 PEOPLE, THREE ON BOARDS NOT AVAILABLE, NEED TO MAKE MONEY, YOU NEED TO PAY THEM MORE, THEN YOU HAVE TO GET, YOU KNOW, PAY MORE TO GET WHAT WE NEED.
IF 3 1 1 IS NOT AVAILABLE IN SPANISH, UM, WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, THERE WILL BE A LAWSUIT BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGAINST THE CITY OF DALLAS THAT WE WILL LOSE FOR VIOLATIONS.
SO, I'M SORRY, I, I KNOW WE WERE ABOUT TO ADJOURN, BUT YOU BROUGHT UP THE GAS POWERED MOW MOWERS.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE NEED TO ADDRESS AGAIN, OR JUST SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF? THIS? IS IT ON HOLD? I THINK, YEAH, I THINK, WE'LL, WE'LL NEED TO CHECK WITH CATHERINE.
SO MAYBE WE CAN PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING TO AT LEAST ADDRESS IT.
UM, THE OTHER GOOD THING, BY THE WAY, WHICH IS NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THIS COMMITTEE WAS THAT THE, UM, UH, COURT IN AUSTIN, UH, PUT A HOUSE BILL, I ALWAYS FORGET THE NUMBERS WRONG.
THE, THE DEATH STAR BILL, THE JUDGE THREW IT OUT, SAID THAT IT'S A VIOLATION.
HOUSTON WON THE LAW AT THIS POINT, HAS WON THE LAW, AND SAN ANTONIO HAVE WON THE LAWSUIT.
SO IF WE WANTED TO DO A BAN, WE COULD STILL DO IT.
[00:45:01]
UH, WE HAVE HAD A DELICIOUS MEETING, UH, THIS EVENING.
YOU KNOW WHAT, ONE THOUGHT WAS GONNA BE A, A A, A SHORT MEETING.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE HAD SOME UNPACKING TO DO.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR STICKING WITH US THIS EVENING FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR DEDICATION TO, UH, THIS COMMITTEE AND, UM, FOR YOUR SUSTAINED INTEREST AND JUST VIBRANCY.
SO IF WE CAN, UH, WHO WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A, A TO, TO ADJOURN MOTION TO MOVE? UH, OKAY.
OFF LOBBY HAS, YOU KNOW, UM, MAY THE MOTION, UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO ADJOURN OUR, OUR MEETING.
SO Y'ALL HAVE AN AMAZING EVENING, AND, UM, AND WE WILL BE, UM, CRAFTING OUR NEXT, I LOVE THAT WE HAVE OUR NEXT AGENDA ALREADY.
SO, UH, SO WE HAVE OUR NEXT AGENDA.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, AND, AND I KNOW WE MEET EVERY OTHER MONTH, UM, IS THAT CADENCE, YOU KNOW, STILL GOOD WITH YOU ALL? YEAH.
SO THAT MEANS OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE IN NOVEMBER.
UN UNLESS WE NEED TO MEET SOONER, YOU KNOW, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL LET YOU KNOW.
AND, AND, AND STAY COOL IF POSSIBLE.
YEAH, WE'LL TRY TALK THE DOG AT HUNDRED AND FIVE Y.