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[Workforce-Education and Equity on September 11, 2023.]
IT IS 10 32.I'M CALLING TO ORDER THE SEPTEMBER 11TH MEETING OF THE WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND EQUITY COMMITTEE.
AND I JUST WANNA TAKE A MOMENT IN COMMEMORATION OF, UM, SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2001.
I WANNA JUST TAKE A MINUTE AND CALL, UM, JUST A MOMENT OF PRAYER FOR THOSE THAT WE LOST.
AND THANK, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CONTINUES TO SERVE AND HAS SERVED TO PROTECT OUR COUNTRY.
SO THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF JUNE 5TH.
DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR THAT? SO MOVED.
ANY CORRECTIONS, ANY COMMENTS? IF NOT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
ALRIGHT, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IN THIS, OH, IN THIS MEETING, WE'RE GONNA DO, UH, THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY THAN WE, THAN WE OFTEN DO THIS.
THE POINT OF TODAY IS TO REALLY HAVE A WORKING SESSION WITH YOU ALL MY FELLOW COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND HELP US GUIDE THE DIRECTION THAT WE WANNA GO MOVING FORWARD.
SO WHAT I WANNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA START WITH WHAT WAS, UH, EMAILED, AND THEN I'VE ASKED FOR SOME HARD COPIES FOR EVERYBODY OF THE, UM, OF THE, UM, ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND GOALS FROM 21 TO 23 OF THE LAST TWO YEARS.
SO I'M GONNA PULL OUT THIS SHEET THAT'S COLORFUL HERE, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, I'VE GOT EXTRAS.
DO YOU WANNA LOOK AT IT HERE? YOU GOT IT PULLED UP.
IF YOU COULD PULL IT UP OR IT'S ON PAPER FOR THOSE OF US WHO LIKE PAPER.
UM, AND WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS HAVE, UM, LIZ, DO YOU, WILL YOU BE WILLING TO LIKE, KIND OF WALK US THROUGH THIS? UM, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TALK TOGETHER ABOUT OUR GOALS.
SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO YOU, LIZ, JUST TO WALK US THROUGH THIS REPORT.
GOOD MORNING, CHAIR SCHULTZ AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, LIZ
AND WHAT THIS REPORT DOES IS' PROVIDE YOU AT A GLANCE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND GOALS FOR THE WORKFORCE EDUCATION EQUITY COMMITTEE.
DURING THE LAST TERM, THE CHAIR THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT AS WE HAVE SEVERAL NEW MEMBERS ON THE WE COMMITTEE, THAT WE HIGHLIGHT THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE THUS FAR AND PERHAPS GIVE A PROMPT FOR THE WORK THAT YOU WANT TO SEE GET ACCOMPLISHED IN THIS NEXT TERM.
SO AS YOU SEE IN BLUE, UM, THE BRIGHT BLUE ACCENTUATES THE COMMITTEE TITLE, WHICH IS SET OUT BY THE, BY THE MAYOR, OF COURSE.
UM, AND IT'S WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND EQUITY.
AND THEN UNDERNEATH THOSE SPECIFIC TITLES ARE THE GOALS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, MAINTAINED IN SOME OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE, SOME OF WHAT WE STILL NEED TO GET DONE.
AND SO THE GOALS ARE, ARE ACCENTUATED THERE, GOALS ONE AND TWO UNDER WORKFORCE AND EDUCATION, OF COURSE, GOALS AND THEN EQUITY GOALS.
AND SO WE HAVE BROKEN IT DOWN BY RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS.
SO UNDER WORKFORCE, YOU'LL SEE SMALL BUSINESS CENTER HOLDS A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, OF COURSE, AS IT RELATES TO ADVANCING WORKFORCE IN OUR CITY.
AND IT HAS THEIR GOALS, UH, THEIR MISSION STATEMENT RATHER.
AND THEN HR, HUMAN RESOURCES, OF COURSE, AS YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE BEEN ON THE COMMITTEE, THAT IT'S SET UP TO LOOK BOTH EXTERNALLY AT THE WORK WE NEED TO DO, UH, WITH OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS TO MOVING THESE GOALS FORWARD AS WELL AS INTERNALLY TO SEE HOW DO WE LOOK INSIDE OURSELVES TO BECOME, UH, A PREMIER PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYER AT THE CITY.
SO, I DON'T KNOW, CHAIR, IF YOU'D LIKE TO STOP THERE, IF YOU WANNA GO THROUGH EACH ONE.
DO YOU WANNA DO ONE AT A TIME? UM, THAT, THAT'S IN A NUTSHELL HOW THIS REPORT, THE SUMMARY REPORT READS, UH, TO THE RIGHT COLUMN, YOU'LL SEE PROGRAMS AND PARTNERS, SOME OF THE KEY PARTNERS THAT WE HAD DEVELOPED, UH, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND, UH, AND SO YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, A GREAT NEED FOR US TO, TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS.
SOME OF THEM ARE, ARE PARTNERS AND IN MISSION AND OTHERS ARE PARTNERS IN, UH, RELATED CONTRACTS THAT THEY HAVE WITH THE CITY.
UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE PLANS THAT'S CALLED OUT TO THE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE IS THE MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON WORKFORCE DALLAS.
UH, AND THAT WAS A, A PLAN THAT WAS DEVELOPED.
CHAIR SCHULTZ SAT ON THAT COMMITTEE AS WELL AS VICE CHAIR CASEY THOMAS, ALONG WITH NUMEROUS OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.
AND SO IT, IT'S RIPE WITH THINGS THAT THEY HAVE CALLED OUT FOR THE CITY TO DO IN CONCERT
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WITH PARTNERS.SO, UM, WE HAVE CALLED IT OUT AS, AS ONE OF THE, UH, ITEMS THAT, THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO CENTER AS WE ADVANCE, UH, WORKFORCE EFFORTS.
UM, THEN THE EDUCATION GOAL, OF COURSE, REALIZING THAT, UM, WE DO NOT AS A CITY HAVE JURISDICTION OVER, OVER, UH, THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY COLLEGE, ET CETERA.
BUT WE DO PLAY A KEY PARTNERSHIP ROLE.
AND SO WE HAVE LOOKED AT HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE SUPPORT THOSE EFFORTS, UM, BY THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS AS WELL AS PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, UM, IN THE WAYS THAT WE CAN AS A CITY.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT ONE OF THE GOALS WAS WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP, PREPARE A DIVERSE WORKFORCE FOR CREDENTIALING OR TRAINING AND, AND, AND NEEDING TO FILL THESE MIDDLE SKILL JOBS.
IT HAS A LOT OF INTERSECTIONALITY WITH, OF COURSE, WORKFORCE GOALS.
UM, BUT WE HAVE ALSO IN PREVIOUS ITERATIONS, AND IT'S NOTED IN ONE OF THE, THE CHAIR'S MEMOS, THAT HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE WORK INTENTIONALLY WITH SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND EDUCATIONAL, UH, PARTNERS TO ADVANCE SOME OF, UM, SOME OF OUR EDUCATIONAL DISPARITIES THAT WE KNOW EXIST WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.
SO WE HAVE LISTED THERE SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE THROUGH OUR WIC PROGRAM, THROUGH OUR NEW COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS PROGRAM, THROUGH FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTERS, OUR YOUTH COMMISSION, COLLEGE ADVISORY COMMISSION, OUR ENHANCED LIBRARY CARDS.
THESE ARE JUST SEVERAL CALL OUTS OF SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE LAST SESSION, UM, UNDER THE EDUCATIONAL GOAL.
AND THEN I'LL TURN YOU TO THE NEXT PAGE, WHICH IS EQUITY.
AND THE GOAL THERE WAS TO INTEGRATE EQUITY INTO THE CITY'S POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND INITIATIVES THROUGH THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN.
AND, UH, IN YEAR ONE, THE COMMITTEE WILL SEE THAT WE PASSED THE RESOLUTION THAT CALLED FOR THE R E P.
UM, THE, THE R E P WAS DEVELOPED.
WE WERE UPDATING EQUITY INDICATORS, WHICH IS REALLY THE SPACE, THE BASIS OR THE FOUNDATIONAL SUPPORT FOR DATA, UM, TO SHOW US WHERE OUR PERSISTENT INEQUITIES AND DISPARITIES ARE OCCURRING IN OUR CITY ACROSS MULTIPLE WORK STREAMS. AND THEN IN YEAR TWO, PAST THE R E P, UM, WE ARE NOW WORKING THROUGH WITH DEPARTMENTS TO, TO KEEP A DASHBOARD UPDATED SO THAT NOT ONLY OUR COUNCIL, BUT ALSO OUR COMMUNITIES CAN, CAN SEE THE WORK THAT'S GOING FORWARD, SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE THREE TO FIVE YEAR MEASURES, THE DEPARTMENT PROGRESS MEASURES, AS WELL AS OUR BIG AUDACIOUS GOALS, WHICH ARE DESIGNED FOR DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION.
UM, WE HAVE ALSO DEVELOPED UNDER THIS WORK STREAM, UH, AN EQUITY INVESTMENT FRAMEWORK, WHICH IS NOW ALSO BEING INTEGRATED INTO OTHER WORK THAT WE'RE DOING THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, SPECIFICALLY I'M THINKING ABOUT OUR BOND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
SO ON THE RIGHT HAND YOU'LL SEE AGAIN, PROGRAMS AND PARTNERS, UM, THAT PARTNERS THAT HAVE BEEN REALLY ALIGNED TO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TO SUPPORT IT AND LISTED THERE IS ALSO OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO HELP US, UH, DETERMINE OR ASSESS WHAT OTHER PARTNERS NEED TO BE BROUGHT TO OUR TABLE TO DISCUSS THESE ISSUES.
UH, UNDER GOAL TWO WAS COLLABORATE WITH ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS AND PARTNERS TO CLOSE DISPARITIES IN EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
AND, UM, SOME OF THE WORK WE HAVE DONE IS, UM, THINGS THAT ARE CALLED OUT, LIKE WHAT OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE HAS DONE IN WORKING WITH 10 NONPROFITS TO ADDRESS DRIVERS OF POVERTY, AS WELL AS THE, THE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE FUND THAT WAS SET UP DURING, DURING C OVID 19, USING EVICTIONS DATA ANALYSIS TO CREATE INTERVENTIONS SUCH AS THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, SUCH AS THE, UM, THE ORDINANCE TO, UH, AND THEN ALSO AN EVICTIONS ASSISTANCE INITIATIVE, WHICH IS A LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAM.
WE'VE FURTHERED OTHER, OTHER, UH, EFFORTS LIKE LANGUAGE ACCESS AND FINES AND FEES, AND RECEIVED RECERTIFICATION FROM THE CERTIFYING ENTITY WELCOMING AMERICA TO, TO, TO MAINTAIN OUR STATUS AS A WELCOMING CITY AND CONTINUE TO DO THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY LIKE OUR EQUITY INDICATORS SYMPOSIUM.
SO, UH, AGAIN, WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ON THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO ADDRESS DISPARITIES THROUGH DATA DRIVEN SOLUTIONS.
AND ONE OF THE MEMOS YOU HAVE IN TODAY'S, IN TODAY'S, UM, AGENDA IS OUR EQUITY ATLAS, WHICH IS, IS HIGHLIGHTED THERE, WHICH HAS A NUMBER OF DATA POINTS THAT WE THINK WILL BE HELPFUL FOR THIS COMMITTEE AS WELL AS THE, THE COUNCIL WRIT LARGE TO ADDRESS INTERVENTIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE THROUGHOUT, UH, THIS COMING SESSION.
UM, WE HAVE LISTED A FEW CONSIDERATIONS FOR WE, AND AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST INTENDED TO TO BE FOOD FOR THOUGHT, IF YOU WILL.
UH, OF COURSE YOU'LL HAVE YOUR OWN PRIORITIES THAT, THAT WE WANT TO ADDRESS.
BUT THINGS LIKE ADVANCING PRIORITIES IN WORKFORCE DALLAS, IT IS SOMETHING AS WE SEE AS AN OPPORTUNITY INCREASING PROGRAM ACCESS AND ADDRESSING DISPARITIES IN EQUITY PRIORITY AREAS THROUGHOUT OF OUR, ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS OF THE CITY IS OPPORTUNITY
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AS WELL, INVESTING IN S E L BASED TRAINING FOR THE CITY AND A CITY'S PROGRAM.THIS WAS LISTED AS A, A MAYOR'S PRIORITY AS WELL AS SOMETHING THAT WAS CALLED OUT BY CHAIR SCHULTZ AND COUNCIL MEMBER RESENDEZ AS BEING A PRIORITY IN THE PREVIOUS SESSION THAT WE THINK IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CONTINUED EFFORTS, UM, ADVANCING IN OUR YOUTH AND SENIOR SERVICES.
FIVE IS INTEGRATING A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH.
UH, AS YOU, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UM, ENGAGEMENT IS A VALUE, ONE OF THE FIVE VALUES AT THE CITY.
UH, CHIEF GINO HAS BEEN PRESENTING UPDATES TO THIS COMMITTEE ABOUT OUR APPROACH TO STRATEGIC, UH, ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH.
AND WE SEE THAT AS A, AS A, AS A CONTINUED OPPORTUNITY AND THEN REVISITING OUR GOALS TO ALIGN WITH OUR BIG AUDACIOUS GOALS IN THE R E P CHAIR.
SCHULTZ HAS CHALLENGED US TO CONTINUE TO FIGURE OUT HOW ARE WE ALIGNING WITH, UH, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, OTHER PARTNERS, ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS TO NOT ONLY, YOU KNOW, FORWARD WHAT WE CAN AT THE CITY, BUT ALSO ADVANCING, UH, THESE BIG AUDACIOUS GOALS THAT, THAT ARE IN THE R E P BY WORKING WITH OTHERS TO LEVERAGE FUNDS AND LEVERAGE RESOURCES AND LE LEVERAGE EFFORTS.
SO IN ALL THE WE COMMITTEE BRIEFINGS CONSIST OF ABOUT 33 PRESENTATIONS ON WORKFORCE 18, PRESENTATIONS ON RELATED TO EDUCATION AND 61 PRESENTATIONS ON EQUITY IN THE LAST SESSION.
AND ATTACHED TO THIS REPORT, OR FOLLOWED BY THIS REPORT, RATHER, IS JUST A LISTING OF ALL OF THE BRIEFINGS THAT OCCURRED, UH, TO THE WE COMMITTEE.
AND, UM, WANTED JUST GIVE YOU THAT OPPORTUNITY TO GLANCE THROUGH IT AT YOUR LEISURE TO SEE WHAT WE HAVE DONE AND WHAT WE STILL NEED TO DO.
AND ONE LAST THING IS, UM, THE COMMISSIONS, THE SEVERAL COMMISSIONS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED AS A RESULT OF THE WORK OF THIS COMMITTEE.
ONE BEING THE DISABILITIES COMMISSION, ANOTHER BEING VETERANS AFFAIRS.
OUR YOUTH COMMISSION WAS PRE-EXISTING, BUT IT REPORTS UP TO THIS COMMITTEE.
SENIOR AFFAIRS, UH, WORKS IN CONCERT WITH O C C AND ALSO QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND THEN COLLEGE ADVISORY IS OUR, IS OUR NEWEST ONE AND HAS YET TO REPORT THROUGH THE COMMITTEE OTHER THAN THE FORMATION.
UM, BUT THESE ARE THE COMMISSIONS THAT WHOSE WORK FLOWS THROUGH THE WE.
AND, UM, THAT'S IT IN A NUTSHELL.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS SPEND A FEW MINUTES, UH, ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR PAST WORK AND THEN USE THE REST OF OUR TIME TO, TO CHECK IN AND MAKE SURE THAT THE GOALS ARE STILL THE GOALS THAT WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN, UM, IDEAS, UH, THAT YOU MAY HAVE AND THOUGHTS I'VE, I'VE TRIED TO MEET WITH EACH OF YOU BEFOREHAND, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THOSE OF YOU I WAS UNABLE TO, TO MEET WITH.
AND I'LL BE, I'LL STILL BE TRYING TO DO THAT TO HEAR INDIVIDUALLY FROM YOU ON WHAT YOU WANNA ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS COMMITTEE.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO NOW IS TAKE THE TIME AND SEE IF THERE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DID DO AND SEE, UH, IF, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S COMMENTS ABOUT THAT, WHETHER IT'S ON BRIEFINGS THAT WE HAD OR, OR, UH, THE PAST WORK.
AND THEN WE'LL JUMP INTO WHETHER WE, HOW, WHETHER THESE GOALS ARE STILL THE GOALS THAT WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD.
SO, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, VICE CHAIR PLEASE.
UH, I'M LOOKING AT THE PACKET, UH, AND I THINK WHAT I AM, WHAT I SEE ON A COUPLE OF THESE PAGES AS IT RELATES TO EQUITY, I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, MY STAFF RECEIVES, UH, THE DOCUMENTATION THAT WE'RE GONNA BE REQUESTING RELEVANT TO THE EQUITY.
UH, I BELIEVE I LOOK AT THE PACKET AND THE TIMELINE WENT BACK TO 2019 WHEN A COUNCIL, UH, SUPPORTED THE INCLUSION OF THE STRAND THAT WE REFER TO AS EQUITY.
UH, AND I THINK THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, ARE WE REALLY, DO WE HAVE ANY MEASUREMENTS OR ANY, UM, I GUESS ANY MEASUREMENTS, BENCHMARKS THAT WHERE YOU CAN DETERMINE IF THIS COUNCIL THROUGH ITS CONVERSATIONS AND ACTIONS REALLY SUPPORT WHAT WAS VOTED ON IN 2019? IF THAT MAKES SENSE, MS. PERERA, BECAUSE I, WHAT I, WHAT I'M SEEING, WHAT MY FEELING IS THAT PERHAPS SOME OF US WAS, WE WERE PROBABLY NOT PAYING REALLY CLOSE ATTENTION, OR WE REALLY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT EQUITY MEANT.
I KNOW THAT I'VE HEARD A COUPLE OF COMMENTS, UH, FROM SOME WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED MEANS, SO I NEED TO KNOW IF WE REALLY GOT IT.
SO I THINK, UH, MS. PERRY, WHAT I NEED TO SEE ARE THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE, UH, RATIFIED AS A COUNCIL, THAT WE SIGNED AS A COUNCIL.
AND THEN I CAN MAKE FURTHER, UM, DECISIONS AS TO ABOUT, UH, AS TO THE PATH THAT I WISH FOR US TO TAKE, UH, AS A, UH, COMMITTEE AND EVEN AS A COUNCIL AS IT RELATES TO EQUITY.
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AND THAT'S ONE OF THE OVERARCHING CONCERNS THAT I HAVE AS WITH, WITH REVIEWING SOME OF THESE ACTIONS, IT SEEMS IN MANY CASES, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE ACTIONS AND IT'S NOT FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH THE WALK WE'RE TALKING WHEN WE ARE NOT TALKING AND WALKING.SO IF YOU WOULD HELP US WITH THAT, UH, UH, DR.
LIZ, WE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT SO VERY MUCH, UH, IF YOU WOULD DO THAT.
UH, I'LL, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU THE RESOLUTIONS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH THE COMMITTEE PREDATES THE COMMITTEE ACTUALLY, RIGHT.
SO BEFORE THE, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WORKFORCE EDUCATION EQUITY COMMITTEE, AN EQUITY RELU RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL, FOLLOWED BY A, A SECOND ONE, SPECIFICALLY CALLING OUT THE NEED FOR ADDRESSING RACIAL EQUITY WITHIN THE CITY AND CALLING FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO WORK IN CONCERT WITH THIS COMMITTEE TO, TO DEVELOP THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN.
SO THE BASIS NOW FOR THE WORK IS, IS REALLY, UH, CENTERED IN THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN.
UM, THAT WAS ADOPTED OF COURSE, AS YOU KNOW, IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR.
AND, UH, OUT OF THAT WAS OVER 200 DEPARTMENT PROGRESS MEASURES AS WELL AS FIVE OVERARCHING GOALS, WHICH WE CALL THE BIG AUDACIOUS GOALS.
AND SO THOSE ARE LISTED UP ON OUR WEBSITE.
THE OFFICE OF EQUITY INCLUSION IS NOW WORKING WITH D B I TO CREATE A DASHBOARD SO THAT YOU AND OUR COMMUNITY CAN SEE WHERE WE ARE AS SPECIFICALLY WITH EACH ONE OF THOSE OVER 200 DEPARTMENT PROGRESS MEASURES AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE THOSE UPDATES ACTUALLY ON THE WEBSITE, UH, CURRENTLY.
UM, BUT WE WANT TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON A MORE TIMELY BASIS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARD.
THE BIG AUDACIOUS GOALS IS, IS WHAT WE SEE, UM, INVESTED IN, I THINK IN THE FIRST YEAR'S INVESTMENT RELATED TO, UM, THE PASSAGE OF THE R E P, WHICH IS IN TOTAL $40 MILLION ACCOUNTED FOR IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND WE CONTINUE TO, TO MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS USING OUR, OUR EQUITY LENS, OUR DEPARTMENT PROGRESS MEASURES AND OUR BIG AUDACIOUS GOALS.
SO, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO PUT THAT INFORMATION, UM, INTO A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT SO THAT IT'S, IT'S THERE FOR YOUR REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION.
I JUST WANNA PIGGYBACK ON THE EQUITY PIECE TO, UH, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEMS POINTS.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, UM, ON THE, UM, ON, ON OUR WORKSHEET HERE, ON OUR REPORT, IT SAYS THAT THE BIG AUDACIOUS GOALS ARE DESIGNED FOR DEPARTMENT COLLABORATION.
SO COULD YOU PLEASE ADDRESS, I KNOW THAT WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THIS COMMITTEE HAVING INTERNAL, IN OTHER WORDS, CITY OF DALLAS IMPACTS, AND THEN EXTERNAL MEANING THE REST OF THE CITY.
AND SO ARE, ARE THE BIG AUDACIOUS GOALS THAT YOU, IS, IS THE REASON THAT YOU HAVE DESIGNED FOR DEPARTMENT COLLABORATION BECAUSE WE LAUNCHED IT INTERNALLY AND THEN NOW WE'RE MOVING TOWARD THE EXTERNAL? OR IS, ARE THE BIG AUDACIOUS GOALS CONTINUALLY INTENDED FOR ONLY INTERNAL USE? WELL, I THINK MY ANSWER WOULD BE BOTH.
WILSON, I SEE HER IN THE WING TO COME UP AND ELABORATE THERE IF I CAN.
UM, JUST TO BUILD OFF OF WHAT LIZ SAID, UH, IT IS BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL.
AND SO A PIECE OF WHAT WE FOUND WHEN WE WERE DEVELOPING THE, UH, RACIAL EQUITY PLAN IS SOME OF THE WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE ADVANCED AND A DEPARTMENT WAS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE WORK OF ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THE BIG AUDACIOUS GOALS ALLOWED US TO HAVE THIS INTERNAL, UM, INTERDEPARTMENTAL CONNECTION.
BUT REALLY WHAT, UH, THE SECOND COMPONENT TO THE BIG AUDACIOUS GOALS IS, IS RECOGNIZING THAT WE CAN'T BECOME THE MOST EQUITABLE CITY WITHOUT, UH, THE COLLABORATION OF EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS.
AND SO WHAT THE BIG AUDACIOUS GOALS ALLOWS US TO DO IS TO COLLABORATE WITH EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS AS IT, UH, DIRECTLY RELATES TO THE WORK THAT THEY MAY ALREADY BE ENGAGED IN.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE FIVE DIFFERENT BIG AUDACIOUS GOALS.
SO OVERALL, YES, IT'S BOTH INTERNAL AND THE EXTERNAL CONNECTION FOR TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE, BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY.
SO WE JUST MIGHT WANNA CLARIFY THAT A LITTLE BIT ON THE REPORT 'CAUSE IT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE IT'S ONLY INTERNAL WORK ON THE BIG AUDACIOUS GOALS ON GOAL ONE OF EQUITY.
I'M GONNA, UH, TURN IT NOW TO, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIS.
WELL, I'M NEW TO THE COMMITTEE, BUT, UM, MY OBSERVATION, UH, JUST A COUPLE THAT I CAN SHARE, UH, ON THE WORKFORCE GOALS UNDER THE CITY.
UH, THE GOAL ABOUT MAKING THE CITY OF DALLAS, THE PREMIER PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYER, UM, WE'VE GOT TALENT ATTRACTION, RETENTION STRATEGIES, EMPLOYEE CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE, UM, AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE EXPECTING SOME AUDITS, UH, ANY DAY NOW, I WOULD THINK REGARDING CIVIL SERVICE, HR, UH, EVERYTHING FROM INCEPTION OF WHEN WE IDENTIFY THAT WE NEED A POSITION AND HOW THAT'S MARKETED AND FILLED ALL THE WAY THROUGH
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TO, UH, CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING.AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE REPRESENTED AND IN FACT, ACTUALLY THAT MAY LIVE UNDER RETENTION STRATEGIES.
BUT I THINK THAT IS PART OF, UH, TALENT ATTRACTION AS WELL.
IF YOU ARE SHARING THAT, UH, THE CITY OF DALLAS ISN'T JUST HIRING YOU FOR THIS JOB, WE'RE HIRING YOU FOR THE, THE ROLE YOU MAY TAKE AFTER THAT AND AFTER THAT AND AFTER THAT UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE CITY.
AND THEN, UH, JUST IN REVIEWING THE, THE LIST OF ALL THE PRESENTATIONS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THERE ARE JUST SOME THAT I, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE STATUS OF A REPORT OUT ON.
UM, AND I, I DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO GO THROUGH THE LIST, BUT, UM, UH, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW THIS UP IN AN EMAIL, BUT IT JUST LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WERE EITHER INITIATED OR COVERED, AND I'M NOT SURE WHETHER, UH, AN UPDATE HAS BEEN GIVEN FOR 2023 ON SOME OF THESE ITEMS. SO JUST, YOU KNOW, IN THE SPIRIT OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, DOING GOOD WORK AND HAVING, GETTING A STATUS ON WHETHER WE NEED TO COURSE CORRECT OR KEEP GOING.
AND, UH, AND THEN FINALLY, I THINK GENERALLY, WHICH IS WHAT WE SPOKE OF, IS MORE A PHILOSOPHICAL NATURE ABOUT WHERE DOES THE CITY OF DALLAS NEED TO BE A CONVENER OF STAKEHOLDERS INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY, AND WHERE SHOULD WE JUST BE THE RECIPIENT OF A REPORT ON WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN THE MARKETPLACE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE STATUS OF ANY ONE CATEGORY, WHETHER IT'S CHILDCARE OR GENDER EQUITY OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
BECAUSE I'M A VERY BIG FAN OF IDENTIFYING THE NEED GAPS AND JUST EITHER HAVING THE CITY STEP IN THERE TO LAUNCH SOMETHING WHERE THERE'S A GAP IN THE MARKETPLACE AND ONLY HAVE THE DUPLICATION IF IT'S BECAUSE, UH, NEEDS AREN'T BEING MET IN THE MARKETPLACE.
AND THERE ARE JUST SO MANY PEOPLE, UM, FALLING INTO A PARTICULAR AREA OF NEED THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO STEP IN THERE.
OTHERWISE, I, I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF PARTNERS OUT THERE THAT ARE DOING GOOD WORK AND THAT, UM, I'D, I'D RATHER SEE CONTINUE THAT WORK AND LET US HELP MAYBE IN SECONDARY OR TERTIARY WAYS VERSUS TAKING THE LEAD ON EVERYTHING.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE JUST MY INITIAL OBSERVATIONS.
THIS, THAT'S EXACTLY THE DISCUSSION THAT I WANTED US TO HAVE.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, I WANNA CHECK IN ON THESE GOALS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, DO WE WANNA CONTINUE THESE GOALS, UM, OR DO WE WANT TO, UM, CHANGE ANY OF THEM OR MOVE IN ANY OTHER DIRECTIONS? OF COURSE WE'LL INCORPORATE THE MAYOR'S GOALS, WHICH IS INCORPORATED IN OUR WORKFORCE AND TO A CERTAIN EXTENT OUR EDUCATION.
BUT I, I DO WANT TO CHECK IN ON THESE FROM THE PAST AND SEE IF WE'RE STILL ON THE RIGHT PAGE, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD.
'CAUSE THAT WILL BE OUR NORTH STAR IN EACH ONE OF THESE WORK AREAS.
LET, LET, LET ME, LET ME JUST SAY, I'LL SAY THIS.
I, I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF THIS WORK CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED AS IT AS IT'S JUST WRITTEN ON PAPER, WHETHER WE'RE GOING OUT WITH PARTNERS OR WE ARE TAKING THE LEAD, OR WE ARE FIRST OR SECOND UNTIL WE GET A REAL, EXCUSE ME, UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE WE ARE PHILOSOPHICALLY AND REALISTICALLY ON HOLDING ALL OF OUR PARTNERS AND ALL OF OUR SECTORS ACCOUNTABLE TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ACCEPTANCE, THE RECOGNITION OF INCLUSION, OF RACIAL EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
IF WE DON'T GET THAT RIGHT, EVERYTHING ELSE IS JUST COMPARABLE TO WHAT I CALL PUTTING LIPSTICK ON A PIG BECAUSE WE ARE JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS WHEN WE HAVE PARTNERS.
AND ONE OF THE EXAMPLES WOULD BE WHEN WE HAD THE ISSUE OF BEYOND I 20, UH, WITH THE, UH, RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE A NON, A SEMI RELATIONSHIP WITH BANKS AND WE ARE DOING BUSINESS WITH BANKS THAT ARE NOT DOING BUSINESS WITH OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
AND SO I THINK WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WE'RE CONTINUING TO PERPETUATE THAT WHOLE CYCLE OF, UH, EGM REDLINING AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO REALLY BE A CITY THAT TAKES THE LEAD, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO, TO TO, TO MAKE SURE AND ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS, OUR INVESTMENTS ARE WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE A TRACK RECORD THEY CAN PROVE IS THAT THEY, AND AS WE GET AROUND WITH THIS GOOD FAITH, BUT THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY LOOK AT DATA THAT PROVES THAT YOU HAVE RACIALLY EQUITY INCLUSIVE PROGRAMS. AND THE HEAT IS ON US EVEN MORE NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE THE LEAD FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, STATE GOVERNMENT THAT'S NOW TRYING TO DISMANTLE EVERY ACT OF EQUITY, INCLUSION AND
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DIVERSITY THAT HAS BEEN INCLUDED.AND NOW IT'S GONNA COST US MORE AS A CITY, I THINK, AS CITIES AND EVEN AS THIS NATION AND STATE AS WELL, TO TRY TO DEVELOP POLICIES NOW THAT STILL REFLECT THE SAME COMMITMENT, BUT WE'VE GOTTA CALL IT SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
YOU CAN CALL IT WHAT YOU WANNA CALL IT, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS IT COMES BACK TO EQUITY, INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, AND WE NEED TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT THAT.
OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, AS I STATED, WE JUST KINDA GOING THROUGH THE MOTION, SO I DID WANNA PUT THAT ON THE RECORD SO THAT EVERYTHING FILTERS DOWN FROM THAT.
SO I'M, I'M HAPPY TO WINNOW THIS DOWN PER YOUR DIRECTION ON THE GOALS AND ON GOAL NUMBER ONE, IT'S GOT THESE THREE BLUE BLOCKS HERE, AND THERE ARE TWO THAT I'M WONDERING IF WE SHOULDN'T, UH, FURTHER NARROW, UH, TO MAKE THEM EASIER OR, UM, MAYBE MORE SIGNIFICANT TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND THE FIRST ONE SAYS, CREATE WORKFORCE PROGRAMS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYERS IN DALLAS.
SO AGAIN, IF WE'RE CREATING A PROGRAM THAT SIGNIFIES TO ME THAT IT SHOULD BE RELATED TO A NEED GAP.
AND SO I LIKE THE IDEA OF SAYING CREATE WORKFORCE PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS A GAP IN THE NEED OF RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYERS BECAUSE THERE ARE THOSE, THERE ARE A LOT OF WORKFORCE PROGRAMS OUT THERE, A LOT OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES.
AND SO I JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT, UH, DUPLICATING OR IF WE ARE, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S TO PICK UP A SPILLOVER OF THOSE WHO AREN'T HAVING NEEDS MET.
AND THEN ON THE LAST ONE, SUPPORT NEW ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL BUSINESSES.
AGAIN, THERE IS, I MEAN, THROUGH DIFFERENT CHAMBERS, UM, THERE THERE IS SUPPORT FOR ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND SO WE MAY NEED TO GET MORE SPECIFIC AND WHO WE'RE TARGETING WITH THAT SO THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, UM, ADDRESSING, WE'RE FILLING A NEED THAT'S NOT ALREADY IN THE MARKETPLACE AND THAT ONLY WE CAN FILL AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING.
AND SO MAYBE WHAT WE'LL DO IS LET'S JUST FOCUS ON WORKFORCE AND THEN WE'LL GO TO EDUCATION AND THEN EQUITY.
UH, MR. RIDLEY, UM, THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.
I AM CURIOUS HOW MIDDLE SKILLED JOBS ARE DEFINED.
JUST WHAT KINDS OF OCCUPATIONS ARE THOSE? THANK YOU.
I THINK WE HAVE JOYCE WILLIAMS HERE.
IS SHE NOT HERE? OH, CAN, CAN WE HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS CENTER COME AND GIVE US THAT DEFINITION OF MIDDLE SKILLED WORKFORCE? THANK YOU.
AND WHILE SHE'S COMING DOWN, LET ME JUST ADD THAT A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION CAME FROM THE CICERO REPORT THAT WAS COMMISSIONED BY OUR MAYOR THROUGH THE WORKFORCE ARE, AND SO, AND I THINK SOME OF THAT INFORMATION AND THOSE DEFINITIONS MAY BE THERE.
SO LET'S MAKE SURE TO SEND THAT REPORT ALSO TO EVERYBODY, UH, IN OUR NOTES FOR OUR NEXT, UH, MEETING.
DINA OWENS, MANAGER OF WORKFORCE, UM, MIDDLE SCHOOL JOBS WILL BE THOSE DEFINED AS, UM, WHAT WE DEFINE AS THOSE THAT PAY A SUSTAINABLE WAGE.
SO IT'S, UM, NOT JUST, IT'S MORE THAN AN ENTRY-LEVEL POSITION.
IT MAY REQUIRE SOME, UM, SOME TYPE OF SKILLS TRAINING, UM, BUT DOES NOT REQUIRE A DEGREE.
SO DO YOU WANT TO GIVE ANY, IS THERE LIKE A SALARY RANGE? HOW DO WE KNOW? HOW DOES SOMEBODY KNOW WHAT A MIDDLE SKILLED JOB IS? IT, IT COULD, IT'S POSSIBLY, UH, THE RANGE MAY BE ANYWHERE FROM 18 TO $21.
SO IT KIND OF DEPENDS ON THE, THE, THE AREA.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS THE, UM, BEHAVIOR TECHNICIAN, REGISTERED BEHAVIOR TECHNICIAN, THAT'S IN, GONNA BE CONSIDERED IN THE MEDICAL FIELD.
SO IT'S, IT'S A, IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A MIDDLE SCHOOL JOB BECAUSE IT DOES REQUIRE SOME TRAINING, BUT, UM, IT WOULD REQUIRE A DEGREE TO MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL SO THAT, THAT, UH, WAGE IS BETWEEN 16 TO $21 AN HOUR.
SO BASICALLY, THESE ARE JOBS THAT DON'T REQUIRE A COLLEGE EDUCATION OR DEGREE.
AND THEY MAY REQUIRE SOME TYPE OF CERTIFICATE.
THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING NEXT.
THEY MAY HAVE CERTAIN CREDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS.
UH, WOULD THIS INCLUDE BUILDING TRADES? YES.
ALRIGHT, SO IF THERE'S NO OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS, WHAT ONE OF THE, I I HAVE, OH, I'M SORRY.
I JUST WANT TO QUICKLY POINT OUT, UM, I THINK THE BIGGEST OMISSION THAT I SEE SO FAR RELATED TO WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND EQUITY THROUGHOUT THIS DISCUSSION HAS, UH, IS, IS RELATED TO THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND, AND MY BELIEF THAT THIS COMMITTEE SHOULD TAKE A LEAD IN, IN TERMS OF DETERMINING WHAT THE CITY'S STRATEGIES ARE GOING TO BE AS IT RELATES TO THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
SO JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
I'M GONNA PUT THAT IN WITH EQUITY, IF I MAY.
THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING THAT.
AND IF YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT HAND CORNER OF, OF THAT SUMMARY REPORT, WE LISTED THE PLAN, WHICH
[00:30:01]
WE WORKED ON TOGETHER WITH THE RESILIENCE, THE CHIEF OF STAFF, AND ACROSS MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS TO COME UP WITH A DIGITAL EQUITY, UH, PLAN.NOW, UH, WE, WE STILL CONTINUE TO HEAR COMPONENTS OF THAT BECAUSE SOME OF THAT IS IN THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, UH, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY, UM, PLEASED TO PROVIDE UPDATES ON THE DIGITAL EQUITY COMPONENT OF THAT PLAN.
AND WE HAVE, UH, CHIEF COVINO HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS REGARDS TO THAT EFFORT.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I SAID I HAD 20, I MEANT I HAD 30 AND I WANTED TO ALSO, UH, WHAT I'M DOING, AND MAYBE I'M JUST MOVING A LITTLE BIT AHEAD.
I'M WORKING THROUGH THIS PROJECT AND SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT ALSO WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RESENDEZ.
UM, IT'S ONE OF THE REPORTS HERE THAT, THAT, UH, WE DEFINITELY, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
WANNA MAKE SURE WE HIGHLIGHT THAT? 'CAUSE IT'S HERE.
BUT I THINK WHAT'S GONNA BE BENEFICIAL IF WE PULL OUT SOME OF THE, UM, REPORTS OR PRESENTATIONS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE CONTINUE.
AND CHAIR, WE PROB, I KNOW I'M GONNA PROBABLY GIVE YOU MINE A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT, UH, I DID WANNA LET HIM KNOW IT'S ON THIS REPORT.
AND FOR THE OTHERS ON THE COMMITTEE, UM, ON THIS COMMITTEE SUMMARY REPORT, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF ACTION ITEMS THAT COULD TIE BACK IN.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING WITH EQUITY EQUITY, UH, AS I PREPARE FOR THE COMMENTS AND THEN INTERACTION WITH THE COMMITTEE.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, CHAIR, I'M SORRY.
I, UM, WOULD JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I HAVE, UM, JUST ONE, I GUESS REQUEST.
I DON'T KNOW IN WHAT CONTEXT, UM, TO ADD IT TO, BUT I WOULD, UH, PERSONALLY LIKE TO SEE, UM, I SEE THE, THE, THE PROGRAMS ARE LISTED AND, UM, RE-ENTRY IS LISTED ON THERE.
I I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, SEE IF WE COULD ADD, UM, SPECIFIC GOALS TO HELPING OUR FORMERLY INCARCERATED, UM, AND, AND BE BRIEFED ON THAT GOING FORWARD.
I'M REALLY GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
'CAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS ABOUT TO TALK ABOUT.
UM, 'CAUSE I THINK DOUBLING DOWN ON REENTRY, AS WE HEARD DURING THE, OUR BUDGET CONVERSATIONS IS A PASSIONATE SUBJECT FOR OUR ENTIRE CITY.
AND SO MAYBE ADDING A GOAL AROUND THAT, UM, WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT TO, TO WORK TOWARD.
THE OTHER THING I WAS GOING TO SAY IS, IN, IN MEETING WITH A FEW OF YOU, OR WANNA CHECK IN ON AN IDEA MOVING FORWARD NOW ON WORKFORCE, AND THAT IS THE IDEA OF THIS CITY HOSTING A CONVENING ON WORKFORCE SO THAT WE CAN GET A FULL MAPPING OF SOME OF THE WORK WAS DONE WITH CICERO, BUT A FULL MAPPING OF WHAT, WHAT IS BEING PROVIDED.
SO TO TO, TO, TO A COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIS'S POINT, WE BEGIN TO REALLY MOVE AWAY FROM DUPLICATION AND THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHO'S DOING WHAT SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHERE THE GAPS ARE AND WHO'S THE APPROPRIATE PROVIDER WITHIN THOSE GAPS.
UM, SO I WANTED TO JUST CHECK IN ON THAT IDEA OF HAVING, AND THE I SAME IDEA IS GONNA COME UP FOR EDUCATION OF WHETHER OR NOT THIS COMMITTEE IS INTERESTED IN SEEING THE CITY HOST A CONVENING OF THE PROVIDERS IN THAT AREA, UH, TO MAP OUT WHAT'S BEING DONE, IDENTIFY THE GAPS, LOOK AT THE DUPLICATION, AND SEE WHERE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD IN, IN THOSE GAPS OR STRENGTHEN THOSE THAT WE'RE DOING WELL.
SO I WANNA GET SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT FOR BOTH, UH, UH, WORKFORCE AND EDUCATION.
SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA TO ME.
MAYBE I DON'T UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THE ROLE IS HERE, BUT WHEN I LOOK AT WORKFORCE DALLAS, ONE OF THE BULLETS IS ABOUT FORMAL COLLABORATION.
AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE ALREADY HAVE, UH, A PERSON, A BODY IN PLACE WHO COULD GO ABOUT THIS MAPPING.
UM, I MEAN, AND MAYBE THAT WOULD HAPPEN THROUGH A CONVENING, MAYBE IT HAPPENS THROUGH, UH, SCOURING ANNUAL REPORTS AND THEN A FOLLOW FOLLOW-UP CONVERSATION, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT WHAT I MEAN, IDENTIFYING ALL OF THE BOXES THAT WE NEED TO HAVE CHECKED IN WORKFORCE AND THEN UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE MARKETPLACE ALREADY HAS AND THEN WHERE THERE ARE GAPS IN THE MARKETPLACE.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE WOULD STRUCTURE THIS CONVENING, BUT I'M WONDERING IF WE ALREADY HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE THAT REALLY I WOULD EXPECT MIGHT HAVE ALREADY TAKEN A LOOK AT THIS.
WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, RESPOND TO THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
KIMBERLY ADVISOR, TOPER, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIS, WE DEFINITELY CAN DO THAT WORK THROUGH, UH, DR.
OWEN'S, UH, TEAM IN SMALL BUSINESS CENTER.
WE'VE ACTUALLY, IN THE LAST SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS, WE'VE GONE THROUGH A MAPPING WITH THE, UM, THE ACTUAL FIRM THAT, UH, HELPED THE CITY WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
[00:35:01]
POLICY, H R AND A ADVISORS.AND SO THEY HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING WITH US TO EVEN MAP NOT ONLY WORKFORCE, BUT HOW WE'RE ACTUALLY HANDLING ALL OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES WHEN IT COMES TO GROWTH CAPACITY, BUILDING, ADDITIONAL TYPES OF TRAINING THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE THOSE BUSINESSES.
WE'VE DONE SOME MAPPING AROUND OUR REENTRY PROGRAM, THE PRE-ENTRY PROGRAM, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY BRING THAT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE AND GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE, AND THEN WE CAN UPDATE IT BASED ON SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO ADD.
AND IT'LL ALSO FULLY INCORPORATE THE WORKFORCE DALLAS.
UM, SO BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER INITIATIVE OF THE CITY, SO WELL THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB WITH A PARTICULAR MARKET.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA GET THE HOLISTIC PICTURE, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF THAT WORK ALREADY DONE.
LET'S MOVE ON TO, UH, EDUCATION, THOUGHTS, FEEDBACK ON THE GOAL THAT WE HAVE.
I THINK THAT THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT ARE, THAT MAY BE MISSING IN HERE IN THE GOALS.
ONE OF THEM IS THE, UH, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND REALLY CALLING THAT OUT AS WELL AS, UM, SOME OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD AND AFTERSCHOOL, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUPPORT, WHETHER OR NOT WE PROVIDE IT OR NOT, BUT WHERE DOES THAT FIT INTO THE OVERALL ECOSYSTEM OF EDUCATION IN THE CITY AND THE CITY'S RELATION TO THAT.
AND AGAIN, REMEMBER WE HAVE THIS DIVIDED INTO THE CITY OF DALLAS, EMPLOYEE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND SUPPORT AND THE REST OF THE CITY, EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO THINK OF IT, YOU KNOW, IN WITH BOTH, BOTH ASPECTS, BOTH TRACKS IF YOU WILL, THOUGHTS FEEDBACK.
ONE OF THE PIECES OF FEEDBACK I GOT FROM CHAIR FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BLACKMAN, IS REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE INTERSECTION OF HOUSING AND EDUCATION.
YOU KNOW, THE PAST, UH, RACIAL NOTIONS THAT IMPACTED THROUGH OUR, OUR REDLINING AND THE, AND THE RACES ZONING THAT WAS PART OF OUR HISTORY.
AND WHAT DID THAT DO TO IMPACT, UM, EDUCATION AND HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT MOVING FORWARD WITH FORWARD DALLAS AND OTHER INITIATIVES THAT WE, THAT WE DO OUR PART AS THE CITY, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE SCHOOL ROOTS IN COMMUNITIES? HOW DO, HOW CAN WE AS A CITY HELP DEEPEN THOSE ROOTS? UM, BASICALLY EVERYTHING OTHER THAN SCHOOL HOURS.
AND SO THE IDEA OF HAVING A JOINT MEETING WITH OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ARE IN THE SCHOOL REALM AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY COUNCILS LOOKING AT WITH THE OUTCOME.
THIS WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER BLACKMAN'S CONCEPT WITH THE OUTCOME BEING, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE CITY OF DALLAS IN OVERALL EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY WANNA UNDERSTAND SO THAT WE CAN BE CLEAR ABOUT IT IN OUR INVESTMENTS.
SO I JUST WANNA GET FEEDBACK ON THAT COMMENT PLEASE.
UM, WELL, I'M PROUD THAT DISTRICT 13 IS THE HOME TO THE WALNUT HILL CAREER INSTITUTE THAT D I S D HAS JUST OPENED AND IT WILL ABSOLUTELY MAKE YOUR JAW DROP.
UM, SO, AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT, UM, OR THE CITY, D I S D HAS TWO OTHER CAREER INSTITUTES AND IS, IS LOOKING TO DO THE LAST QUADRANT AS WELL.
AND SO I THINK THAT GETS US A LONG WAY ON THIS GOAL TO SET UP OUR REALLY THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY.
IT'S INCREDIBLE, ALONG WITH PTECH AND ALL THE OTHER WONDERFUL THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING.
I'M, AND I'M SURE IT'S BECAUSE I'M NEW ON THIS COMMITTEE, UM, BETWEEN THE GOAL AND WHAT THE BULLETS ARE BENEATH, I'M JUST, I'M HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF A DISCONNECT ON HOW THEY COME TOGETHER, HOW WIC, UH, GETS AT THIS GOAL.
UNLESS WE'RE SAYING THAT WHILE WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING TO OUR CLINICS, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO MAKE THAT EXPERIENCE RICHER AND CONNECT THEM WITH GREATER RESOURCES.
SO I, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND EXACTLY, UH, ON THAT PARTICULAR ONE, UM, HOW THAT'S SUPPORTING THE GOAL AND, AND COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS, ALL OF THESE OTHER THINGS.
I MEAN, I GUESS WE'RE SAYING WE'RE EDUCATING ON THESE DIFFERENT SUBJECTS.
I'M, I'M JUST, I'M NOT COMPLETELY SURE AND IF, IF I NEED TO GET THIS EDUCATION OFFLINE, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT
SO NO, I APPRECIATE, WE APPRECIATE THAT THOUGHT.
UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, PROBABLY THE EDUCATION GOAL HAS BEEN, UM, THE, THE MOST CHALLENGING ONE FOR US TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS OUR ROLE AS A CITY, UM, WHERE DO WE ALIGN WITH PARTNERS TO YOUR EARLIER POINTS AND, AND, AND ALIGNING WIC THERE IS REALLY LOOKING AT OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTIONS AND, AND EDUCATION.
YOU KNOW, WE SEE OVER 70,000 NOW CLIENTS THROUGH OUR, OUR WIC OFFICES ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
AND I, I'D ASK DIRECTOR GALLISHAW TO JOIN ME AT THE PODIUM IF SHE, IF SHE'D LIKE TO FURTHER ELABORATE, BUT SEEING IT AS AN EARLY OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, TO INTERVENE AND PROVIDE SUPPORTS AT
[00:40:01]
AN EARLY STAGE TO, TO SET PEOPLE OFF FOR A, A HEALTHY AND UM, EXCELLENT LIFE.AND THEN MOVING THROUGH IT THROUGH OTHER INTERVENTIONS.
BUT, BUT WE DID NOT WANT TO MISS THAT, UH, THE IDEA OR THE NOTION THAT THAT WIC PLAYS SUCH AN, AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN, IN THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF, OF OUR YOUTH DIRECTOR GALLISHAW.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE.
UM, AND AS, UH, A C M UM, LIZ HAS NOTED, OUR, UH, WIC PROGRAM IS REALLY, UM, KIND OF A PREMIER OPPORTUNITY TO GET AND ENGAGE WITH KIDS, UM, FROM WHEN THEY'RE BORN.
AND HONESTLY, UH, ONE OF OUR KEY GOALS IS ACTUALLY TO REACH THE MOTHERS, UM, IN THE PRENATAL CAPACITY AND TRY TO REACH THOSE CHILDREN EVEN BEFORE THEY ARE BORN.
UM, WIC IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST RESEARCHED PROGRAMS IN TERMS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD HEALTH AND WELLNESS, UM, THAT REALLY IS IN EXISTENCE.
AND IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR ABOUT 50 YEARS NOW.
UM, IT'S BEEN ADMINISTERED HERE IN DALLAS.
UM, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY, UM, I THINK WE'RE IN EXCESS OF 77,000 CLIENTS A MONTH NOW.
WE'VE SEEN A PRETTY RAPID RATE OF GROWTH, UM, WHICH IS, WE BELIEVE ATTRIBUTABLE, UH, LARGELY TO A LOT OF MACRO ECONOMIC FACTORS.
UM, FOOD GOES UP, UM, MORE CLIENTS COME THROUGH, MORE CLIENTS ARE IN NEED, BUT ALSO OUR GROWTH RATE HAS OUTPACED THAT OF THE STATE AND A LOT OF OTHER AGENCIES ON AVERAGE.
AND SO WE THINK THAT A LOT OF THE EFFORTS WE'VE MADE TO RESTRUCTURE AND REORGANIZE OUR AGENCY TO BE MORE CLINIC AND STAFF FOCUSED HAVE HAD A BIG IMPACT.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO SERVE PEOPLE RAPIDLY AND MORE QUICKLY.
UM, WORKING THROUGH WIC, WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE THOSE SAME POPULATIONS, UM, TO BECOME MORE FLEXIBLE AND FLUID IN OUR SERVICE DELIVERY.
SO WE'RE EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES WITH, UM, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE BACHMAN LAKE TOGETHER, UM, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE CHILDCARE GROUP TO TRY TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE COULD POTENTIALLY, UH, PARTNER ON SERVICE DELIVERY, UM, MAYBE USING THEIR SITES IN SOME OPPORTUNITIES OR, UM, AT LEAST IN OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AND SO THAT'S REALLY A KEY ACCESS FOR US.
SINCE WIC IS A FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAM, IT ACTUALLY DOESN'T HAVE A COST DIRECTLY TO THE CITY.
AND IN FACT, THE WIC PROGRAM DELIVERS ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO THE CITY, UM, TO OUR FUNDS OVERALL TO COVER ANY OF THE OPERATIONAL EXPENSES THAT MIGHT BE INCURRED BY NON WIC STAFF PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO THAT PROGRAM.
SO IT REALLY HAS A POSITIVE BENEFIT TO BOTH THE CITY FINANCIALLY AND PROGRAMMATICALLY AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
SO THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT POINT OF ENTRY FOR A VERY CRITICAL POPULATION AND FOR, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN AT
UM, I KNOW THAT METHODIST HOSPITAL, I BELIEVE HAS AN EVERY BABY READS OR PARKLAND GIVES EVERY MOTHER A BOOK, UH, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE WITH HER, HER CHILD.
SO, UM, AND I KNOW WHAT D I S D IS DOING, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A GOOD AUDIENCE TO BE CONNECTED TO WHAT OUR ISDS OFFER.
AND FRANKLY, I KNOW WE HAVE OTHER ISDS THAT ARE PART OF THE CITY OF DALLAS, BUT, UM, AND WE TEND TO FOCUS ON D I SS D BECAUSE THEY'RE SO BIG, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER ISDS OFFER.
AND SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THESE, UM, MOMS ARE CONNECTED WITH, UM, THE PRE-K OFFERINGS OR THE EARLY CHILDHOOD OFFERINGS? YEAH.
UM, SO WE DEFINITELY WORK REALLY CLOSELY ON MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE CONNECTING MOMS THROUGH WIC WITH APPROPRIATE OFFERINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
UM, A COUPLE YEARS AGO WE LAUNCHED LITTLE KIND OF READING NOOKS IN SOME OF OUR CLINICS THAT INCLUDED INFORMATION ABOUT PRE-K.
WE ACTUALLY PARTNERED WITH, UH, DALLAS I S D AT THE TIME.
BUT I WILL SAY, UM, ONE OF OUR LONGER TERM STRATEGIES, AND I THINK, I DON'T WANNA OVERSTEP MY BOUNDS, BUT I THINK WE'RE PLANNING TO COME BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS WITH A BRIEFING ON THE PROGRAM.
UM, AT LEAST WE TYPICALLY DO AROUND THIS TIME ANNUALLY.
UM, ONE OF OUR BIG STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING TOWARDS, UM, IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO IS TO BUILD STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS, NOT JUST WITH, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICTS OUTSIDE OF DALLAS I S D, BUT WITH OTHER NONPROFIT AND GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES SO THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY MORE WAYS TO REACH KIDS, UM, WITHOUT, UM, HAVING TO HAVE SO MANY.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A LOT OF RETAIL BASED LEASES FOR OUR CLINICS, AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO SERVE THE KIDS WITHOUT NECESS CHILDREN, MOMS AND BABIES SHOULD I SAY, WITHOUT HAVING TO, UM, DO THAT EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH, UH, LEASED SPACES.
SO, UH, STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIP AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL PARTNERSHIPS IS HIGH ON OUR LIST OF PRIORITIES SPECIFICALLY, UM, WITHIN WIC.
AND, UM, WE ACTUALLY ARE ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, SO WE HAVE A, A RELATIVELY NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH DALLAS COUNTY UNDER THE ARPA FUNDS FOR SOME, UH, TO LAUNCH SOME UNIVERSAL VISITING PROGRAMS THROUGH PARKLAND THERE.
AND I AM AWARE THAT THE COUNTY IS ALSO PARTNERING TO DO SOME OTHER,
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UH, WORK SIMILAR TO THAT IN OTHER HOSPITALS.UM, AND WE ARE ALSO WORKING, UM, TO TRY, UH, THROUGH ANOTHER SET OF ARPA FUNDS ON A CHILDCARE PROVIDER SUPPORT PROGRAM.
WE'RE WORKING WITH DALLAS AFTERSCHOOL ON THAT INITIATIVE AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE A FEW KIND OF EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE THIS BROAD UNDERGIRDING, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED AND, UM, AND IT'S STILL VERY EARLY THAT OUR BENEFITS NAVIGATION WORK, UM, THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO KIND OF BECOME AN UNDERGIRDING OPPORTUNITY FOR BRINGING ALL OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER.
AND SO WE HAVE SOME GREAT PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES CREATED.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR WIC CORE.
AND SO NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE, UH, DO A REALLY GREAT JOB OF STRATEGICALLY ALIGNING AS MANY OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN HAVE, UM, KIND OF A BACK AND FORTH FEEDBACK AND REFERRAL LOOP FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR CLIENTS.
DO, DO OUR DIGITAL NAVIGATORS.
IS THAT BEING WORKED INTO THIS TOO? THIS POINT OF ENTRY? YEAH, SO WE HAVE, UM, YES, SO WE HAVE THE DIGITAL NAVIGATORS AND I KNOW THAT GENESIS IS HERE AND CAN PROBABLY SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH.
SO WE HAVE THE DIGITAL NAVIGATORS, WE HAD OUR FINANCIAL NAVIGATORS PROGRAM, WHICH WE'VE TRANSITIONED OR ARE KIND OF FINALIZING THE TRANSITIONING FROM FINANCIAL NAVIGATING INTO EXCLUSIVELY FINANCIAL COACHING.
UM, AND, UM, THE BENEFITS NAVIGATION PROGRAM WE'RE PARTNERED WITH BENEFITS DATA TRUST, AND THAT IS IN, UM, AN EARLY DESIGN AND, UM, ASSESSMENT PHASE RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT OVER THE LONG RUN THAT WILL BECOME AN AVENUE AS WELL.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE, YOU ALL ARE MAXIMIZING, I MEAN, DO YOU KNOW TEXT PROTECTS? I WOULD ALSO, UH, CONNECT WITH TEXT PROTECTS, WHICH DOES IN-HOME VISITS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
NURSE VISITS TO JUST HELP THE DYNAMIC IN THE HOUSEHOLD.
ON THE OTHERS, I'M JUST NOT SURE ON SOME OF THE OTHER CONNECTIONS UNDER EDUCATION, BUT, UM, I CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT IF YOU ALL WANT TO DIRECT ME.
I, I THINK JUST BROADLY, THAT THAT MAY BE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY CHAIR SCHULTZ AND I HAD THIS CONVERSATION.
AND SO SHE SHARED IT WITH ME ABOUT NEEDING TO, TO GET WITHIN THE ECOSYSTEM OF EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS TO SEE WHERE WE CAN, LIKE YOU SAID, FILL GAPS AND WHERE WE CAN SERVE DIRECT NEEDS, WIC BEING ONE OF THOSE DIRECT NEEDS BEING SERVED.
SO, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO, TO KEEP THIS CONVERSATION GOING AROUND WHAT REALLY IS OUR ROLE WITHIN THIS EDUCATIONAL GOAL.
AND I'LL JUST RESPOND A LITTLE BIT LIKE YOUTH COMMISSION, COLLEGE COMMISSION, THINGS LIKE THOSE TWO, WHICH ARE SEEMINGLY OUTSIDE OF THE ACTUAL PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE THEY'RE INTERNAL.
UM, THOSE ARE ABOUT THE ENGAGEMENT PIECE, WHICH WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE ENGAGEMENT FITS IN WITH WE, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT JUST AN EQUITY ISSUE, IT'S, IT'S AN OVERALL ISSUE.
SO I THINK THAT'S PART OF OUR ALIGNMENT CHALLENGES, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE HAVING WITH A LOT OF THESE THINGS.
AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE STRATEGIC WORK THAT WE NEED ALL OF YOU TO HELP US WORK ON.
SO DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, PLEASE.
I'M TRYING TO INTERNALIZE, UH, THE QUESTION THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BLACKMAN, UH, LEFT WITH YOU.
UH, I STILL, UM, DURING THE QUICK HISTORY, STILL TAKING A POSITION ABOUT EQUITY, WHICH I THINK WE, ONCE WE GET THAT IN A BRIEFING, WE'LL UNDERSTAND HOW IT FILTERS DOWN.
I LOOKED AT, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT HOUSING PATTERNS AND, UH, THE, THE, UM, THE IMPACT OF SEGREGATION HERE IN DALLAS, YOU GO BACK AND DO YOUR HISTORY, YOU START, YOU CAN START WITH BROWN AND YOU PICK UP PROBABLY AROUND 70 WITH W T WHITE, WHO WAS A SUPERINTENDENT WHO REFUSED AT THAT TIME TO REALLY FULLY EMBRACE BRACE IT.
SO YOU STILL HAD CHILDREN WHO WERE BEING, UM, DISCONNECTED IN TERMS FROM THE SYSTEM BECAUSE OF THEIR HOUSING, HOUSING PATTERNS.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK NOW, UH, WE'VE NOT REALLY COME, COME ACROSS THE MARK MUCH, BUT WHAT I WANNA TRY TO SEE IF, AND THEN WE'LL TALK WITH, UH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER BLACKMAN TO SEE IF I'M GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WHAT WE CAN DO IS TO GO TO THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN ABANDONED.
'CAUSE OUR MANY OF, MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES WERE IMPACTED AFTER, AFTER THE COURTS KIND OF STEPPED IN AND STARTED FINE TUNING IT, WHAT WE CALL WHITE FLIGHT.
AND SO WHITE FLIGHT LEFT, UH, LEFT THE COMMUNITIES AND IT LEFT MANY OF THEM, UH, DISABLED.
AND SO WHEN I LOOK AT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, NOW, WHAT WE CAN DO AS A CITY FROM A RACIAL EQUITY PARTNERSHIP, UH, STANDPOINT, AND I WANNA ALSO MENTION THAT BEFORE I GOT BACK ON THE COUNCIL, I WAS ON THE D I SS D EQUITY COMMITTEE.
AND SO I LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY, FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE ONE DOWN ON WILL HURT LINFIELD, I HAVE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATION 38 THAT REACHED OUT TO ME BECAUSE THEY WANT TO HELP BEAUTIFY THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
HERE I GO, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE GONNA HELP THEM.
BUT HERE THEY'RE TRYING TO DO THE HEAVY LIFTING ON WHAT I THINK THE CITY SHOULD HAVE DONE JUST IN TERMS OF PROTECTING THE KIDS FROM THE BROKEN
[00:50:01]
SIDEWALKS, UH, THE PLANNING OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD ALSO, WHERE EVERY, ALL THE CARS ARE ON THE STREETS.SO THAT, THAT, THAT ALSO IMPACTS WHEN THE BUSES ARE COMING DOWN THERE, THERE IS REALLY A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE STUDENTS THAT WERE WALKING, UH, ARE TRYING TO GET TO SCHOOL.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT HOUSING, THE LACK OF INVESTMENT OF THE CITY IN SOME OF THESE CRIPPLED NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE THE LACK OF INVESTMENT INTO STREETS, SIDEWALKS, WHAT WE REALLY CALL BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT'S WHAT'S STILL KILLING SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IN PARTICULAR, IT'S NOT TOO FAR AWAY FROM WHERE THE BULLET TRAIN IS BUYING OUT, UH, PROPERTIES.
AND SO NOW YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A GHOST ZONE UNTIL THE INVESTORS COME IN AND START SWOOPING THAT UP.
AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE ONCE AGAIN, UH, THE GENTRIFICATION, THE FOOTPRINTS OF GENTRIFICATION.
SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT EDUCATION AND WHAT WE CAN DO, WE CAN SUPPORT THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS BY CREATING NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WILL ATTRACT THESE WORKERS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BRINGING INTO THE CITY, BRINGING THEM INTO THEIR, UH, TO THESE COMMUNITIES.
SOME FOLKS WANT TO BE IN A COMMUNITY THAT REFLECTS THEIR CULTURE, BUT THEY DON'T WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GUNFIRE, EXCESSIVE GUNFIRE AT NIGHT, GETTING RUN OVER BY A BUS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO I THINK WE CAN LOOK AT HOLISTICALLY, WHAT ARE WE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING AS A CITY TO CREATE AND ESTABLISH A STRONG NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THE TAX DOLLARS THAT FOLKS ARE PAYING.
EVEN IF MY HOUSE IS ONLY WORTH $50,000, I'M STILL PAYING SOME TAXES AND WANT TO GET SOME REFUND ON MY, UH, CONTRIBUTION.
AND SO I THINK THAT KIND OF, IF, IF WE GO BACK AND DO THE HISTORY, SO YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND DO YOUR HISTORY IN DALLAS, BECAUSE ONCE YOU START FACING IT, THE FACT THAT, AND I THINK I MENTIONED THIS THE OTHER DAY ABOUT THE ACCOMMODATION.
WHEN YOU READ THAT BOOK, WHEN YOU DO YOUR HISTORY AND YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT SOME OF THESE FOLKS LIKE W T WHITE, UH, UH, AND SOME OF THESE OTHERS WHO WERE SUPERINTENDENTS AND JUDGES AND ALL THAT, YOU BEGIN TO SEE HOW THE BALL REALLY STARTED SLOWLY, IT WAS ROLLING TOWARD THE, TO THE LANE OF BEING ABLE TO KNOCK DOWN ALL, I'M TAKING A CUE FROM THE BOWLING, BUT WE COULD KNOCK DOWN ALL THE BOAT, ALL THE, ALL THE PENS, BUT THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STARTS GOING OVER TO THE RIGHT INTO THAT, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT, THE GUT, WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT TO THE SIDE WHEN YOU'RE BOWLING? IT GOES OFF TO THE SIDE GUTTER.
AND I THINK WE ARE STILL MISSING THE POINT HERE, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO? WHAT ARE WE OBLIGATED TO DO AS A CITY TO PROVIDE FOR, FOR THE COMMON WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY? WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AS IT RELATES TO SUPPORTING EDUCATION? IF INDEED, I'M ON THE CONVERSATION WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BLACKMAN.
SO I DID WANNA JUST MENTION THAT IT'S, IT DALLAS HAS A LOT OF HISTORY AND YOU CAN'T JUST UNRAVEL IT JUST BY HITTING HERE, HERE, AND HERE.
YOU GOTTA GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE ROOTS.
SO WE ARE GONNA GO BACK TO ROOTS, R O O T S.
AND, AND, UM, THIS IS, I THINK BASING WE BASED OUR WORK FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND WE ON THAT VERY NOTION OF, OF UNDERSTANDING OUR HISTORY.
AND, UM, WHEN IT WAS SHARED BY CHAIRMAN CASEY THOMAS, HE ASKED US TO BRING FORWARD A UNDESIGNED, THE RED LINE EXHIBIT, WORKING IN CONCERT WITH, WITH NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, LIKE REMEMBERING BLACK DALLAS AND MANY OTHERS, UH, TO TALK ABOUT THAT VERY HISTORY, I THINK THAT YOU'RE ADDRESSING DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM.
AND SO WE HAVE IN OUR OFFICE OF EQUITY INCLUSION HAVE HAVE DISCUSSED, YOU KNOW, DO, IS IT TIME FOR US TO BRING BACK AND UNSIGN THE RED LINE, IF YOU WILL, SORT OF INITIATIVES SO THAT WE CAN RECENTER THOSE, THOSE NOTIONS OF WHERE WE'RE BASING OUR, OUR WORK IN ADDRESSING HISTORY AND ADDRESSING DISPARITIES.
AND, UH, THROUGH THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN, A, UH, FUNDING WAS MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE TO WORK WITH, UH, COMMUNITY CONSULTANTS AND COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP A, A CIVIL RIGHTS RACIAL EQUITY HISTORY.
UH, BECAUSE WE COULDN'T CAPTURE IT ALL IN THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN.
WE'VE, WE'VE DONE VERY, WE, WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED OUR BEST TO IT, BUT THERE'S STILL SO MUCH THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD.
AND, AND SO AS THEY'RE DEVELOPING THAT, I WOULDN'T, WE WILL BE UPDATING THE WE COMMITTEE AND WE'LL BE GETTING INPUT FROM YOU ON WHOSE VOICES NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN THAT PROJECT.
YEAH, I THINK THAT THAT'S A HUGE PIECE.
BUT THE OTHER PIECE THAT DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM IS BRINGING FORWARD THAT WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IS THE ACTUAL, UM, UM, PHYSICAL SPACE, THE LAND USE AROUND THE SCHOOLS AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING ARE THE SIDEWALKS JUST BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THERE AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IS 'CAUSE THAT IS 100% THE JOB OF THE CITY.
AND SO WITHIN THAT, AND WITH OUR PARTNERS, IT MAY BE THE OPPORTUNITY SIMILAR.
[00:55:01]
WITH THE WIC, WHERE WE TAKE A HYPER-LOCAL APPROACH AND A VERY GEOGRAPHICALLY BASED LOOK AT THE SERVICES THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO PROVIDE.AND SO MAYBE PART OF THE STRATEGY IS REALLY WORKING WITH EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT TO DO A DEEP DIVE INTO THE, WE WORK IN EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT, BUT PARTICULARLY WITH EDUCATION AND EQUITY, AND UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT IT IS THAT THEY NEED, YOU KNOW, AT THE BA AT THE, EVEN THE MOST BASIC LEVEL.
AND THEN FOR THE WIC, BECAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH DIFFERENT POPULATIONS WHO ARE USING THOSE DIFFERENT OFFICES, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN SOME WAYS THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OFFICE, THE COUNCIL OFFICES COUNCIL COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN BE FANTASTIC RESOURCES IN PARTNERING AND BRINGING MORE PARTNERS TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EACH WIC OFFICE FOR THAT POPULATION THAT IS TRYING, THAT'S THE TARGET.
AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE, IN THE LAST, AS THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN WAS DEVELOPED AND OPERATE AND BEING OPERATIONALIZED, IS ALIGNING OUR R E P GOALS WITH THE WORK OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
AND, UM, YES, JESSICA CAN SPEAK TO HOW WIC NOW IS ALIGNING WITH RACIAL EQUITY PLAN GOALS AND, AND WHERE THEY ARE SETTING UP PLACE-BASED SERVICES.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S HELPFUL, UM, TO UNDERSTANDING THAT.
BUT ALSO ONE OTHER THING WITH, UM, IS THAT WE, UM, IN THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED BUDGET FOR, FOR THIS YEAR, WE WILL BE, UH, INITIATING A FAIR HOUSING, COMPREHENSIVE FAIR HOUSING PLAN, WHICH WE PLAN TO, TO BRIEF THE EQUITY COMPONENTS THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE, UH, TO THAT POINT.
SO, UM, YEAH, I AM, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.
AND THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY HELP TO KIND OF, UH, SERVE AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW, UM, MAYBE I THINK DEPARTMENTS EVEN OTHER THAN MINE, UH, THINK OF HOW TO OPERATIONALIZE A RACIAL EQUITY PLAN INTO SPECIFIC AND ACTIONABLE GOALS.
SO WE'LL USE WIC AS THE EXAMPLE.
UM, WHEN WE WERE TASKED WITH, UH, GOING THROUGH THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN TO DEVELOP DEPARTMENTAL GOALS, WE REALIZED THAT WIC WAS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR US.
WE LOOKED AT WIC AND WHAT IS AN IMPACT AND THE MATERNAL HEALTH INDICATOR THAT'S AVAILABLE IN OUR EQUITY INDICATORS, WHICH HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 2019, I THINK, UM, THAT INDICATOR IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WIC IMPACTS, IT IMPACTS OTHERS, BUT WE REALLY CHOSE, OKAY, THIS IS THE CORE.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE REALLY IMPACTING WHEN IT COMES TO WIC AND WHAT WE'RE MEASURING IN EQUITY INDICATORS.
SO WE LOOKED AT THE DEFINITION OF THAT INDICATOR, HOW WAS IT DEFINED AND HOW WAS IT RESEARCHED? AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, THE MATERNAL HEALTH INDICATOR, THE DISPARITY THAT IS HIGHLIGHTED IS THE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN MOTHERS POSTPARTUM AND OF WHITE MOTHERS POSTPARTUM.
THAT'S THE DISPARITY THAT'S HIGHLIGHTED, AND THERE'S A BIG GAP THERE.
AND WE REALIZED THAT IF WE WANTED TO MAKE A BIG IMPACT ON MATERNAL HEALTH THROUGH WIC, THAT WE NEEDED TO TARGET COMMUNITIES THAT HAD LARGE NUMBERS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND BLACK MOTHERS.
AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE THEN WENT TO THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR CITY.
WE IDENTIFIED SOME ZIP CODES THAT HAVE HIGH PROPORTIONS, HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND BLACK MOTHERS THAT DO NOT HAVE ADEQUATE WIC SERVICES.
WE DEVELOPED A TARGET TO, UM, TO DO TWO AND A HALF TIMES OUR PROJECTED OR TARGETED GROWTH GOAL, SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THOSE ZIP CODES SO THAT WE KNEW THAT WHEN IT COMES TO WIC GROWTH AND SERVICE DELIVERY, THAT WE WERE GOING TO OVERPERFORM EVEN OUR OWN AUDACIOUS GOAL, WHICH WAS, YOU KNOW, 10% FOR US, WE WANTED TO GROW BY 10% AND THOSE ZIP CODES WE SAID WE WANNA GROW BY AT LEAST 25%.
AND SO THEN THAT IS WHAT WE SET FORTH IS OUR DEPARTMENTAL PROGRESS MEASURE.
AND THAT'S HOW THE ACTUAL ACTIONS THAT WE TAKE AND, UM, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WAS OF COURSE IN ATTENDANCE WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, ACTIVATE THE FRUIT DALE FACILITY, UM, WHICH HAS HAD A, A FEW DIFFERENT LIFES IN ITS CYCLE, UM, AND ACTIVATE IT AS OUR NEWEST WIC CLINIC AND START SERVING PEOPLE THERE IN THAT FRUIT DALE COMMUNITY.
I, I BELIEVE IT'S THE FIRST WIC CLINIC WE'VE HAD IN THAT ZIP CODE.
UM, AND SO NOW WE ARE PRACTICALLY RESPONDING BY ACTUALLY OPENING A PHYSICAL LOCATION IN AN EXISTING CITY BUILDING TO SERVE RESIDENTS OF THE POPULATION THAT WE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE EQUITY INDICATORS AND THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN SO THAT WE COULD ENSURE THAT WE WERE MEETING OUR OWN GOALS.
AND THAT'S REALLY HOW THE R E P WORKS.
SO I KNOW THIS IS A VERY MUSHY CONVERSATION WITH A LOT OF MOVING PARTS AND SO IT MAKES IT HARD AND COMPLICATED TO FEEL, YOU KNOW, YES.
THIS IS WHERE WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS FIRST IS LOOK AT THE UPCOMING WE CONSIDERATIONS.
AND I WANT US TO REALLY LOOK HARD AND SAY, 'CAUSE THIS WILL BE THE WORK THAT WE DO FOR THIS YEAR.
SO LET'S TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND SEE IF ANY OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES SHOULD NOT BE PRIORITIZED.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY WON'T GET DONE, BUT THEY WILL NOT BE A, A MAJOR PRIORITY.
[01:00:01]
IF THERE'S ONES THAT WE HAVE MISSED, SO FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT'S NOT HERE THAT I THINK SHOULD BE ADDED IS THE, UM, IS THE MAPPING AND GAP ANALYSIS, UM, OF BOTH WORKFORCE AS WELL AS THE EDUCATIONAL, UH, WORK THAT'S BEING DONE IN THE CITY THAT, LIKE I SAID, AND AS, UM, KIM SAID, IT MAY BE GONE, BUT WE, BUT THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE PULL FORWARD SO THAT WE KNOW STRATEGICALLY WHY WE'RE GOING WHERE WE ARE.LIKE THE FRUIT DALE EXAMPLE, RIGHT.
SO LOOKING AT THESE OTHER, UH, PRIORITIES, ARE THERE ONES THAT SHOULD NOT BE, OR ARE THERE THINGS THAT ARE MISSING? MADAM CHAIR? YES, SIR.
UM, I WOULD LIKE, UM, UH, KIND OF JUST TO EXPAND ON A LITTLE, UM, OF THE DATA ANALYSIS THAT WE HAVE FROM, UH, I, I GUESS MANY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S, UM, A WAY THAT WE CAN BE BRIEFED ON THE CORRELATION TO WHERE SOME OF THE POCKETS ARE, UM, WITH SOME OF THE INEQUITIES AND, AND DISPARITIES.
UM, IT ALSO INCLUSIVE OF, UM, THE EDUCATION COMPONENT, BUT CORRELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, AND WHERE INVESTMENTS CAN BE MADE TO MAKE AN, UM, A, A, A CLEAR, UM, EFFORT TO ADDRESS, UH, SOME OF THOSE DISPARITIES AND HIGHLIGHT HOW THERE IS AN OBVIOUS CORRELATION OF A LACK OF, UH, INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE ULTIMATE RESULTS OF WHERE, UM, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, FOR INSTANCE, IT HAS, UM, CREATED THEIR, UM, HOTSPOTS, UH, AROUND OUR CITY.
AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE WHERE THAT IS JUST FOR, FOR FUTURE, UM, PROGRAMS THAT WE SUPPORT AS A COUNCIL OR CONSIDER TO INVEST MORE IN SAY, NEXT BUDGET SEASON, FOR INSTANCE, UM, ON, UH, ARE WE, ARE WE OPENING THE RIGHT REC CENTERS LATE AT NIGHT, RIGHT? ARE WE DOING, UM, UH, AS MUCH AS WE CAN IN OUR LIBRARY SYSTEMS IN, IN THE CERTAIN AREAS THAT NEED IT THE MOST? AND IS IT, IS IT BEING DONE WITH INTENT OR IS IT, UH, BEING DONE BLANKETED ACROSS THE CITY? AND SO I, I LIKE ALL OF WHAT THIS, UH, COMMITTEE DOES, AND I THINK THAT THE GOALS ARE SET OUT VERY WELL.
I I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT AND CORRELATE WHERE A LOT OF THESE INEQUITIES AND DISPARITIES, UM, UH, CROSS PATHS WITH PUBLIC SAFETY SPECIFICALLY.
AND I KNOW THAT'S A LOT OF THE WORK OF THE OFFICE OF INTEGRATED PUBLIC SAFETY SOLUTIONS, SO THEY'D BE A GOOD PARTNER IN THIS.
I ALSO DID NOT SEE ON THIS THE REENTRY, UH, PIECE AS AN OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
ARE THERE, ARE THERE, SO I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THAT OPPORTUNITY TOO.
UM, AND BUT EXPAND IT TO BEYOND JUST PROGRAM ACCESS, BUT TO ACTUALLY REALLY LOOKING AT THE EQUITY, UH, AREAS.
UM, ARE THERE OTHERS THAT WE MAY NOT NEED TO SPEND AS MUCH TIME WITH? JUST TO RECAP, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RESEND HAS HIGHLIGHTED, UH, DIGITAL EQUITY AND WE'RE PROUD TO PUT THAT BACK IN TO CENTER IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY IF THAT'S WHAT THE COMMITTEE DESIRES.
SO WHAT I'VE GOT NOW IS, LET'S SEE, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4.
SO WE'RE AT 10, WE'RE AT 10 GOALS.
IF WE INCLUDE ALL OF THESE, ANY COMMENTS? THAT SEEMS LIKE A LOT.
UM, SO I, I'M, YOU KNOW, NOT UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THE DEPTH BEHIND THIS.
I, I MEAN, I DID SOME READING, BUT, UH, ON OPPORTUNITY ONE, THE ADVANCED PRIORITIES IN WORKFORCE DALLAS, IS THIS THE FOUR BULLETS WE HAVE, UM, ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE? I MEAN, IF THAT JUST MEANS WE'RE SUPPORTING WORKFORCE STATUS.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFICS OF, UM, REALLY WHERE SOME THINGS ARE.
I THINK THAT'S T B D LIKE TB TO BE DISCUSSED BY THE COMMITTEE AFTER YOU'VE LOOKED AT THE REPORT AND I, I'VE SENT IT TO YOU ALL SO THAT WE CAN SAW THAT BRIEF YOU AND, AND THEN COME BACK AND SAY, WHAT DO WE WANNA PULL OUT OF THIS REPORT? WHERE DO WE WANNA GO, UH, IN ADVANCING THESE GOALS IN THE NEXT YEAR? THE THOSE FOUR WERE THE BIG HIGHLIGHTS OF, OF THAT REPORT.
UM, BUT THERE'S ALSO OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN IT THAT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE YOUR COMMENTS ON.
SO DO YOU THINK IT'S PREMATURE TO, UM, LOCK IN ON THESE GOALS UNTIL WE UNDERSTAND, I THINK WE'VE DRIFT BROADLY ENOUGH SO THAT WE CAN LOCK INTO THEM PERHAPS AS YOU SAY, AND THEN COME BACK AND SAY, WHAT SPECIFICALLY WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADVANCE ON IN THE WORKFORCE DALLAS
[01:05:01]
IN THIS YEAR AND MAYBE THE NEXT YEAR FOLLOWING IT? SO, SO WE'RE GONNA BE GETTING INTO MAYBE THE POINTS UNDER THEM.THE, THAT'S WHAT I'M IMAGINING, CHAIR, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING? YEAH.
WHAT I'M THINKING IS MAYBE WHAT WE'LL DO IS ON THE BIG PICTURE ITEMS OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING WORKFORCE DALLAS, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WE'LL DO A, A BRIEFING ON IT SOONER THAN LATER ON THE BIG ONES.
'CAUSE THAT WILL DRIVE SOME OF THESE SMALLER ONES, I SHOULDN'T SAY SMALLER, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, LESS BIG PICTURE ONES.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE, UM, WELL I GUESS THEY ALL ARE BIG ON ALL OF THESE.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO START HAVING BRIEFINGS ON THESE AND THEN THESE WILL BE WHAT WE, WHAT GUIDES US IN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE BUDGET YEARS.
WELL, I, I DO WANNA SAY ON OPPORTUNITY FOUR ON, I LOVE SEEING SENIOR SERVICES CALLED OUT.
AND I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE THE YEAR FOR SENIORS TO GET THE ATTENTION THAT THEY DESERVE.
AND SO I HOPE WE ARE ALL STAUNCH DEFENDERS IN OUR BUDGET OF THE ASSESSMENT AROUND SENIORS AND THE AGE FRIENDLY OFFICER, UM, THAT IS PROPOSED TO BE ADDED.
UM, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT CALLED OUT SPECIFICALLY IN THIS LIST AND LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE ABOUT SOME OF THESE OTHERS SO WE CAN DEFINE THEM MORE.
AND I KNOW THAT'S A QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, TOPIC AS WELL.
SO THE CHAIR, AND I'LL DISCUSS WHETHER WE, IF WE DO A JOINT OR HOW, HOW HE WANTS TO DO THAT.
OTHER, SO WHAT, LET ME JUST REPEAT WHAT I HAVE.
I HAVE THE, THE MAPPING CONCEPT FOR WORKFORCE AND FOR EDUCATION.
I HAVE REENTRY, I HAVE DIGITAL EQUITY, I HAVE THE CORE ON THE, ON ALL OF THE, UM, EQUITY ASPECTS THAT WE CORRELATE PUBLIC SAFETY TO THAT AND OVERLAY THAT AS WELL AS, IF I MAY, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEMP THE INFRASTRUCTURE ANALYSIS FOR THOSE EQUITY AREAS.
SO LET ME, LET ME, LET ME GET CLEAR.
'CAUSE THIS IS A MONDAY MORNING IN A NEW COMMITTEE, AND I THINK I STILL NEED TIME TO COME BACK.
I NEED TO, I NEED TO HEAR, UM, AND SIMILAR TO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, DU IS ALLUDING TO IN TERMS OF THESE SPECIFIC CONNECTORS, I'M STILL AT A LOSS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE ACCEPTANCE, THE RECOGNITION, THE ACCEPTANCE, THE INCLUSION, THE ACTION COMPREHENSION AROUND RACIAL EQUITY, INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, WHAT WE SIGNED OFF ON.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT YOU, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE, WE'RE GONNA KEEP SUGARCOATING THINGS UNTIL WE AS A COUNCIL PUT ALL THOSE PARTS TOGETHER AND HONE IN ON 'EM SO THEY MAKE AN IMPACT.
UH, AND SO MAYBE MY THOUGHTS, AND MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE OF THE, SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES THAT I'VE HAD, I'M JUST, I, I'M STILL FEELING THAT WE ARE JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTION.
WE ALSO HAVE TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT, AND I THINK I'VE KIND OF HEARD A LITTLE BIT FROM COUNCILWOMAN WILLIS IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT OUR RELATIONSHIPS AND ROLES ARE.
'CAUSE WE, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE GIVE OUR, OUR INVOLVEMENT IN GETS TO THE POINT WHERE FOLKS THINK THAT THE CITY HAS REALLY JURISDICTION THERE.
AND THAT'S WHY FOLKS COME DOWN SOMETIMES, UH, ACCUSING US OF DOING CERTAIN THINGS OR WANTING US TO DO SOME THINGS THAT WE HAVE NO JURISDICTION FOR.
AND SO WHEN WE, WHEN WE KEEP TIED DOWN TO WHAT ARE OUR BASICS AND WHAT IS THE CHARTER IDENTIFY AS OUR RESPONSIBILITIES, I STILL NEED TO UNDERSTAND IF INDEED RACIAL EQUITY IS GONNA DRIVE THOSE DECISIONS.
BECAUSE IF YOU, IF WE EMBRACE, COMPREHEND, AND TAKE THE ACTION AROUND RACIAL EQUITY AND INCLUSION, YOU'RE GONNA CO YOU SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON THE HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE MOST DATA THAT DEMONSTRATES THE MOST NEED.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE YOUR SEED SHOULD GO, IS THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THOSE AREAS WHERE YOU HAVE THE MOST NEEDS.
ALL THESE JOBS AND ALL THE, THE LACK OF DI UH, EQUITY, DIGITAL EQUITY, THAT AFFECTS SOME OF THE VERY BASICS BACK TO WHAT MY DESCRIPTION WAS A FEW MINUTES AGO BASED ON COUNCILWOMAN BLACKMAN'S COMMENT ABOUT NEIGHBORHOODS AND EDUCATION.
THEY CAN'T GET EDUCATED BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PRESSURE GOING TO SOME OF OUR COUNTERPARTS ON THE STATE LEVEL, FOR EXAMPLE, AND EVEN SOME OF OUR PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE NOT REDLINED WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, DIGITAL ACCESS.
AND SO I STILL FEEL LIKE UNTIL WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO HAVE THAT REAL COMFORTABLE BUT
[01:10:01]
UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AROUND THE HORSESHOE, ALL 15 OF US ABOUT RACIAL INCLUSION AND ADDRESSING THE DATA THAT WE KEEP COLLECTING, THEN WE ARE JUST STILL SITTING HERE GOING THROUGH THE MOTION.SO HOW DO YOU, CAN YOU HELP ME AND PERHAPS, PERHAPS WE CAN DO IT OFFLINE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT RACIAL EQUITY TO NOT BE INCLUDED AS, UH, UH, ONE OF THE TOP ON THE HIERARCHY.
AND WHAT WE SHOULD, WHAT IT'S TIME TO DO IS TO DO A BRIEFING ON THE DATA BEHIND THIS.
AND WHEN WE DO THAT, THAT'S WHEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO INCLUDE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT DATA THAT I KNOW WE'RE WORKING ON NOW SO PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE TO DO THIS WORK BESIDES THE SOCIAL JUSTICE ASPECT OF IT, HOW IT IS OUR CITY'S FUTURE, WHY EQUITY IS OUR CITY'S FUTURE.
AND SO, UH, WHEN WE COMPLETE, WHEN DO WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT STUDY BEING COMPLETED, WHAT WE'RE DOING, JUST WHILE SHE'S ANSWERING, UH, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE DALLAS FOUNDATION.
THEY'VE BEEN VERY GRACIOUS IN HELPING US CONVENE THE PHILANTHROPIC WORLD TO HELP US, UH, UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF RACIAL EQUITY AND WHY WE NEED TO MOVE THIS FORWARD, UH, FROM EVEN IF FOR NO OTHER REASON, BUT JUST FROM AN ECONOMIC, WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE FOR OUR CITY.
SO WHEN WILL THAT WORK BE DONE? 'CAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE TIME TO DO A BRIEFING.
SO AS YOU, AS YOU MENTIONED, WE'RE CONVENING WITH PHILANTHROPY, UH, CONVENED BY, UM, THE DALLAS FOUNDATION'S CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER, AS WELL AS OUR CONSULTANT.
IT WAS BRIEFED, UM, AN OVERVIEW WAS BRIEFED LAST SESSION.
AND, UH, WE ARE WORKING IN EARNEST WITH OUR PARTNERS, WHICH IS, UM, THE EVERY TEXAN ORGANIZATION TO, TO BRING THAT BUSINESS CASE FOR RACIAL EQUITY TO FRUITION.
AND IT SHOULD BE DECEMBER OR EARLY, EARLY JANUARY, FEBRUARY.
WE'RE HOPING THAT WE HAVE IT BY THEN, BUT, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE ARE THINKING RIGHT NOW.
SO I WISH I HAD A MORE SPECIFIC DATE, BUT THAT, THAT EFFORT IS UNDERWAY AS WELL AS THE CONTINUING AND ONGOING CONVERSATIONS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE MEMORANDUM WE'VE PROVIDED THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION HAS PROVIDED ITS OWN EQUITY ATLAS AND THAT AT EQUITY ATLAS, WHEN IT IS RELEASED, HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED YET.
UM, WILL BE CHOCKFULL OF DATA AND INFORMATION FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO, TO BE BRIEFED ON AND, AND TO UTILIZE IN OUR OWN EFFORTS ABOUT EQUITY.
WELL, LET'S DO THAT THEN AS A SEPARATE ONE, AND THEN I'LL WORK WITH THE VICE CHAIR AND WE'LL FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE BEGIN TO MAKE THIS VERY, UH, METICULOUS AND VERY, AND ALIGNED TO EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING.
OTHER COMMENTS? CHAIR, BEZEL, DO ANYTHING? ALRIGHT, ANYBODY ELSE HERE? I BELIEVE THAT'S ALL WE HAVE ON OUR AGENDA.
UM, WE DO HAVE THE UPCOMING AGENDA ITEMS. SO I WOULD LIKE PEOPLE JUST TO TAKE A QUICK LOOK THROUGH THOSE AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR.
ALL OF THESE, I BELIEVE, ARE ON WEDNESDAY'S AGENDA, IS THAT CORRECT? THERE ARE SOME, THERE ARE SOME MEMOS FOR ACTION, MADAM CHAIR, AND THERE'S OTHERS JUST F Y I FOR INSTANCE, LET ME JUST CALL THEM OUT.
THE ONE RELATED TO HOPWA IS AN AGENDA ITEM THAT'S UPCOMING, UH, FOR HOUSING INTER IN I L A WITH DALLAS COUNTY.
UH, RELATED TO SAME IS ALSO FOR ACTION.
THERE ARE, THERE'S SOME, THERE'S A MEMO RELATED TO, UM, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EFFORTS WITH DALLAS COLLEGE UPCOMING ITEM, UM, AS WELL AS ONE FOR COM, CROSSROADS COMMUNITY SERVICES.
AND, AND THEN THERE'S ONE RELATED TO RECEIVING A GRANT FROM NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES.
AND, AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOP, EXCUSE ME, WORK DALLAS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE, CELEBRATING SEPTEMBER AS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MONTH, WHICH IS, IS REALLY F Y I WILL BE A PROCLAMATION BEING BROUGHT FORWARD.
AND, AND THEN THE, THE LAST ONE, ITEM J IS THE EQUITY ATLAS, WHICH I MENTIONED, WHICH IS REALLY FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS.
SO ON ITEM F, THIS IS ABOUT THE, UH, MATCHING FUNDS WITH DALLAS COLLEGE ON MAINTENANCE, INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE TRAINING FOR EEB CHARGING STATIONS.
ARE THESE, IS THE VISION THAT THESE EV CHARGING STATIONS ARE GOING TO BE INSTALLED AT MULTIFAMILY OR RETAIL COMMERCIAL ENDEAVORS? OR ARE IS THIS TO GET A GREATER BASE OF PEOPLE TO INSTALL THEM AT CITY FACILITIES? DR.
DINA OWENS WITH SMALL BUSINESS CENTER, IT'S REALLY, UM, TO FILL THE NEED FOR ANY LOCATION.
SO RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE TO, UM, BE A CERTIFIED ELECTRICIAN IN ORDER TO DO THE INSTALLATION.
[01:15:01]
TO BE, UM, KIND OF LIKE AN ENDORSEMENT THAT WILL ADD TO, UH, WHAT A, THE TRAINING THAT AN ELECTRICIAN ALREADY HAS.SO, AND THEY CAN INSTALL IT AT ANY LOCATION, WHETHER IT'S RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL.
SO MY QUESTION GOES BACK TO DALLAS DOING THIS VERSUS MAYBE THE REAL ESTATE COUNCIL OR, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE, I MEAN, COMMERCIAL INDUSTRY THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM THIS.
I REALIZE IT ADVANCES DALLAS'S CCAP GOALS.
I KNOW THAT WE CAN EASILY SAY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED THIS IN THE MARKETPLACE, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT NEEDS TO LIVE WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS VERSUS, UH, HAVING IT FINANCED BY INDUSTRY.
SO THE, THE I L A WILL BE TWO PART, IT'S FOUR EV UM, TECHNICIANS, THOSE WHO ACTUALLY WORK ON THE VEHICLES AS WELL AS EV CHARGING STATIONS.
SO THE, THE BULK OF THE TRAINING THAT THEY WILL DO OR THE, THE GREATER NUMBER OF RECIPIENTS WILL GO THROUGH THE EV TECH TRAINING, UM, FOR THOSE WHO WORK ON THOSE VEHICLES.
AND THEN THERE'S A SMALLER NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL DO THE EV CHARGING STATION INSTALLATION.
WELL, AND AGAIN, I WOULD SAY THE, THOSE WHO BENEFIT FROM THAT ARE THOSE DEALERSHIPS WHO, YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD EMPLOY THOSE PEOPLE.
I'M ASSUMING, UNLESS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WE NEED MORE TECHNICIANS TO ADMINISTER OUR OWN FLEET, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL JUST TRYING TO GET OFF THE LAUNCH PAD ON.
SO, SO MY QUESTION IS ABOUT THAT.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE COMING UP TO VOTE ON THIS, BUT WAS IT EXPLORED WITH INDUSTRY TO FINANCE THIS, THE MATCHING FUNDS? OR IS THAT SOMETHING DALLAS COLLEGE CAME TO US AND ASKED US FOR MATCHING FUNDS IN THIS OR IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE LOOKED AT THE, THE THE NEEDS.
SO THERE IS A, HAS BEEN A DECLINE IN, UH, AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIANS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND IT'S, IT'S, UM, DUE TO DEALER CONSOLIDATIONS, IT'S ALSO DUE TO, UH, THE BABY BOOMERS WHO ARE EXITING THAT FIELD.
SO WE SAW IT AS A NEED FOR, UM, JUST A NEED FOR THE, IN THE INDUSTRY THAT THE CITY COULD ASSIST WITH.
AND DALLAS COLLEGE HAPPENS TO BE THE SECOND LARGEST, UM, COMPLETER OF PARTICIPANTS WHO, UM, PURSUE AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIANS.
SO WE SAW IT AS A GOOD PARTNERSHIP.
NOT ONLY IS IT IT A NEED FOR THE, FOR THE CITY, UH, A NEED IN THE INDUSTRY, AND THEN DALLAS COLLEGE HAS BEEN ABLE TO FULFILL THAT NEED.
SO WE WANTED TO PARTNER WITH THEM ON THIS.
I'M JUST WONDERING, INSTEAD OF HAVING DALLAS HAVE THE CHECKBOOK, COULD INDUSTRY, UM, AUTO DEALERSHIPS, REAL ESTATE COUNCIL, REAL ESTATE, I MEAN HOME BUILDERS, I MEAN THOSE WHERE THESE THINGS WOULD BE INSTALLED OR, YOU KNOW, ON THE EV WORKING ON THE VEHICLES, IT'S JUST IT COMES HOME TO LIVE HERE VERSUS THOSE WHO COULD SEE AN IMMEDIATE BENEFIT FROM HAVING MORE EMPLOYEES WHO MM-HMM.
WELL, I KNOW THAT GM HAS TAKEN THE LEAD AS FAR AS, UH, ENSURING THAT THEY ARE INSTALLING CHARGING STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE US.
SO THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO, UM, INSTALLING 3,200 CHARGING STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE US AND ADDITIONAL 40,000, UM, IN THEIR DEALERSHIPS.
SO, UM, THAT IS ONE INDUSTRY THAT IS TAKING THE LEAD ON THAT.
WE JUST FELT THAT EVENTUALLY THOSE ARE GONNA NEED TO BE REPAIRED EVENTUALLY AS THEY PARTNER WITH LIKE EV GOES AND CHARGEPOINT, SOMEONE'S GOING TO HAVE TO DO THAT INSTALLATION.
AND SO THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, OUR RESIDENTS TO LEARN THAT SKILL.
IF, IF, IF I MAY, JUST FOR A SECOND, COUNCILMAN WILLIS.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, AND THIS HAS BEEN WITHIN THE LAST TWO YEARS, WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL ASKED US TO START THINKING ABOUT HOW THE CITY COULD PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE WHOLE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SPACE.
UM, AND IF YOU GO BACK TO THE REPORT THAT WAS COMMISSIONED, IT TALKED ABOUT THE CITY ACTUALLY, NOT ONLY BEING THE CONVENER, BUT ALSO HOW DO WE CREATE WHAT THOSE POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS MIGHT BE LONG TERM.
SO I WOULD CONSIDER THIS AS A PILOT.
I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO START WITH NUMBER ONE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A NEED, BEING ABLE TO SEE HOW WE CAN, UH, IF WE RAMP UP, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT IS IT 200 AND WHAT'S THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, 250,000, $250,000 THAT WE WOULD KIND OF DO AS A SEED PROJECT.
AND THEN WE COULD SEE HOW WE EXPLORE BUILDING THIS TO SOMETHING LARGER AND SOMETHING BIGGER, WHETHER IT'S INDUSTRY SUPPORTED.
UM, BUT IT KIND OF GOES BACK TO HOW WE TAKE THE DOLLARS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL'S GIVEN TO US AND FIND WAYS TO NOT ONLY LEVERAGE THAT FUNDING, BUT BE ABLE TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT WE KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A JOB BUILDING PROGRAM.
UM, AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE, THE NEED FOR ELECTRICIANS AT THE CITY OF DALLAS, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NEED JUST OUT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, THIS PIPELINE IS A PIPELINE THAT HAS CONTINUED TO DWINDLE.
AND WE BELIEVE THAT COMING TO THE TABLE WITH A PARTNERSHIP LIKE DALLAS COLLEGE, WE CAN BUILD THE PIPELINE AND THEN EXPLORE THOSE ADDITIONAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR FUNDING.
AND I UNDERSTAND, I JUST THINK, UM, GM SHAREHOLDERS MIGHT APPRECIATE THE INVESTMENT MORE THAN OUR SHAREHOLDERS WOULDN'T APPRECIATE THIS INVESTMENT.
SO MY QUESTION IS JUST SOMETIMES YOU CONVENE, SOMETIMES YOU GO SHOP THE OPPORTUNITY TO THOSE WHO CAN WRITE THE CHECK INSTEAD OF THE TAXPAYER.
[01:20:01]
ALL I'M GETTING OUT OF THAT.I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING MEMO BY MEMO.
NO, WE'RE GOING WITH WHATEVER.
JUST A COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS ON, UM, I, I THINK ON H WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS DRIVERS OF POVERTY, AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT ABOUT APPROVING, UH, MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMMING, UM, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW, UH, IN THE FUTURE ABOUT WHY THAT DOESN'T LIVE WITH THE COUNTY.
AND I ALSO REALIZE THAT THESE ARE MULTI-YEAR CONTRACTS, SO THEY MAY ALREADY BE IN PLACE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN GET OUT OF THEM, BUT WHEN I HEAR MENTAL HEALTH, I THINK OF, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE PURVIEW OF THE COUNTY.
AND THEN FINALLY ON WIC, SINCE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT THIS MORNING, I SAW THE GOALS LIKE FOR FRUIT.
UM, WELL FRUIT DALE DIDN'T HAVE A NUMBER UTILIZING, BUT ON HIGHLAND HILLS IT HAS 144 INDIVIDUALS UTILIZING THIS WIC PROGRAM OUT OF 4,400 ELIGIBLE.
AND WHEN I SEE A GOAL OF 10%, THAT'S ONLY 14 MORE PEOPLE.
AND SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE GOAL NEEDS TO NOT BE BROAD, BUT BY LOCATION BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THE UNIVERSE OF ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS IS SO MUCH GREATER THAN THE UTILIZATION.
AND I THINK ABOUT THE MOM TO MOM NETWORK OR THE FRIEND TO FRIEND THAT COULD SPREAD THE GOOD WORD ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS TO, SORRY.
THAT'S, UM, VALUABLE INSIGHT AND UH, WE AGREE.
I THINK THAT THERE WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO REFINE OUR GOALS MORE SPECIFIC TO THE LOCATIONS FRUIT.
DALE, HIGHLAND HILLS AND M L K TO A LESSER EXTENT ARE THREE SMALLEST SITES AS WELL.
AND FRUIT, DALE AND HIGHLAND HILLS IN PARTICULAR WERE HEAVILY IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC.
THEY WERE THE SITES THAT WE COULD NOT MANAGE AND CONTINUE TO ADMINISTER DURING THE PANDEMIC.
BOTH OF THOSE SITES ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING TWO DAYS A WEEK.
AND AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AND GROW THE PARTICIPATION, WE'RE GONNA EXPAND THOSE DAYS AND SCHEDULES AS IT CAN SUPPORT HAVING THE ADDITIONAL STAFF AS IT'S A REIMBURSEMENT BASED, UH, PROGRAM.
SO, UM, WE, WE IDENTIFIED THOSE COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THE CONCENTRATION OF CLIENT SERVED IS SO LOW COMPARED TO THE POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE, UM, HUGELY, HUGELY DISPARATE THERE.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK BROADLY ACROSS THE CITY, IT'S KIND OF HARD HONESTLY TO SAY EXACTLY HOW MANY POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY THEY NO LONGER PUBLISH SOME OF THAT DATA IN THE WAY THAT IS HELPFUL FOR THAT.
BUT OUR BEST ESTIMATES PUT US CLOSE TO MAYBE BETWEEN A THIRD AND HALF, AND I THINK IT'S CLOSER TO MAYBE AROUND 40% OVERALL.
SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE VERY LOW IN THOSE ZIP CODES.
UH, I'D LIKE TO GO BACK TO BRIEFING ITEM F UM, I, I HAVE A QUESTION WITH REGARD TO WHO INITIATED THIS IDEA.
WAS THIS SOMETHING THAT, UM, DALLAS COLLEGE CAME TO THE CITY AND SAID THEY'D LIKE OUR SUPPORT ON? OR DID WE APPROACH THEM ABOUT IT? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
UM, WE ARE TRYING TO, UM, LET THE LABOR MARKET DRIVE WHAT TRAINING PROGRAMS WE GET INVOLVED IN.
SO IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE LOOKED AT AND WE, UH, SPOKE WITH DALLAS COLLEGE ABOUT, SO THE CITY INITIATED THE IDEA, HAD DALLAS COLLEGE, NO PLANS TO CREATE CLASSES TO TRAIN EV MECHANICS OR CHARGING INS INSTALLATION.
THEY DO TRAINING ON EV TECHNICIANS ALREADY.
UM, SO THIS WOULD BE 96 HOURS IN ADDITION TO THEIR REGULAR EV TRAINING, THEY HAVE AGREEMENTS OR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE FORD AND TOYOTA AND, AND GMS AND THEY, UH, HAVE DONATED VEHICLES TO DALLAS COLLEGE.
SO THEY DO DO SOME TRAINING AS A, IF YOU THINK ABOUT A HYBRID VEHICLE OR IF YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, LIKE THE KEEP LANE ASSIST, SOME OF THOSE TYPE PROGRAMS. SO THEY HAVE BEEN MIGRATING TOWARD THAT, BUT IT'S NOT A SEPARATE PROGRAM BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE THE AUTOMOTIVE, THE BASIC AUTOMOTIVE TRAINING.
WELL THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME THAT INDUSTRY, PRIVATE INDUSTRY WOULD GET INVOLVED WITH, UM, A, A COMMUNITY COLLEGE LIKE, UH, DALLAS COLLEGE.
AND I THINK THERE'S HISTORICAL PRECEDENT FOR THAT, IDENTIFYING A NEED IN THE WORKFORCE FOR PARTICULAR SKILLS AND THEN WORKING WITH AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING THAT CAN TRAIN PEOPLE TO FULFILL THAT NEED.
AND SO I, I COME BACK TO THE POINT OF WONDERING WHY THE CITY WOULD BE PAYING MONEY FOR THIS PROGRAM WHEN WE'VE GOT PRIVATE INDUSTRY LINED UP TO DO THAT.
IT WAS, IT'S JUST THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED IT AS A NEED WITH THE, THROUGH THE LABOR MARKET.
AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT THE TRENDS OF WHERE THE PROFESSIONS ARE GROWING, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE, THE PROFESSIONS THAT WE SAW GROWING.
NOT ONLY IS IT, UH, THE, THE NEED IS GROWING, SO AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THERE HAS BEEN A DECLINE IN
[01:25:01]
AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIANS OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS BASED ON WHAT THE B L S HAS PUBLISHED.AND SO WITH THE ADDITION TO, UH, OF AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES OR ELECTRIC VEHICLES BEING INTRODUCED INTO THAT LABOR MARKET, UM, WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON THAT SPECIFIC SKILL OR TRADE HAD, UH, IN THAT PROCESS.
DID YOU LOOK AT ANY OTHER PARTICULAR TRADES LIKE THE CONSTRUCTION TRADES GAPS THERE PERHAPS THAT, UH, RELATE TO SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATION OR REPAIR? UM, ANY OTHER, UM, CUTTING EDGE AREAS WHERE YOU'VE IDENTIFIED GAPS IN CURRENT TRAINING PROGRAMS? WE DID, WHEN WE DID THE, DID THE UPSKILLING DALLAS, R F P, WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON AUTOMOTIVE.
WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON, UM, THE MEDICAL FIELD, EDUCATION AND TEACHING.
AND SO WE HAD THOSE PROPOSALS COME THROUGH ON THAT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, DALLAS COLLEGE'S WORKING WAS AWARDED, UM, ONE OF THOSE WAS THE SUB-RECIPIENTS OF ONE OF THOSE GRANTS.
AND THEY'RE WORK, THEY'RE FOCUSING ON IT.
WE ALSO, UM, HAVE THE, UM, METROCARE WHO'S WORKING ON THE R B C OR THE BEHAVIOR TECH.
UM, SO SOME OF THAT CAME OUT THROUGH THE UPSKILLING PROJECT.
AND, AND IF I MAY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RIDLEY, WE WE'RE ALSO, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE ONES THAT DINA MENTIONED, WE'RE CURRENTLY, UH, BRINGING FUNDING TO THE TABLE THAT WE DO C D L TRAINING.
WE'RE DOING HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS.
AND SO WHAT I THINK WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR US TO BRING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ONES THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING IN, THAT WE HAVE PARTNERS, SO YOU CAN TRULY SEE, UH, THE FULL PICTURE OF THE ONES THAT WE'RE INVESTED IN.
AND AGAIN, IT'S BASED ON THE NEED, BUT WE'VE ALSO LOOKED AT THE MAJOR INDUSTRIES THAT WE WANT TO RECRUIT TO THE CITY, WORKING THROUGH THE NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY TO SEE WHERE THOSE GAPS ARE AND WHERE WE NEED TO BE SPENDING OUR FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE TYPES OF BUSINESSES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IN THE CITY.
SO I THINK IT'S PART OF THAT BIGGER PIECE, BUT HAVING IT WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE COMPLETE MAPPING AND BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU ALL THE DIFFERENT ONES THAT WE'RE INVOLVED IN.
SO IT'S NOT JUST WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH DALLAS COLLEGE, BUT WE HAVE OTHER PARTNERS DELIVERING THOSE OTHER PROGRAMS. THOSE ARE THE TRAINING PROGRAMS. YES, I'D BE VERY INTERESTED IN THAT OVERALL, UM, INITIATIVE.
SO I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING IS FOR MAYBE FOR EACH OF OUR WORKFORCE EDUCATION EQUITY, WE START WITH A BIG PICTURE, UH, BRIEFING SO WE CAN, AND THEN WE CAN DIVE DOWN INTO THE AREAS THAT WE THINK THE CITY SHOULD BE MORE HEAVILY INVESTED IN.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
IF NOT, IT IS NOON AND THIS MEETING IS OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED.