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EVENING.[Special Citizen Homelessness Commission on September 8, 2023.]
RENITA GRIGGS, THE BOARD LIAISON TO THE CITIZENS' HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION.TODAY WE HAVE A SPECIAL CALL MEETING AT 1:00 PM TODAY IS SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH, 2023.
I WILL NOW TURN THIS MEETING OVER TO THE CHAIR.
PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THIS MEETING IS NOW BEING RECORDED.
THE MEETING IS CALLED THE ORDER.
WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU'RE PRESENT, WHETHER YOU'RE ON SITE OR ON, UH, OR VIRTUAL.
DISTRICT FOUR, COMMISSIONER HALL, IN-HOUSE AND PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER SMITH, DISTRICT 14.
UH, LET'S MOVE ON TO, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS.
DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS FOR TODAY AT THIS TIME? CHAIR.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY REGISTERED SPEAKERS.
UM, WE'LL, UH, MOVE PAST MINUTES.
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT, UH, MINUTES IN OUR MEETING NEXT WEEK, AND I'LL SCHEDULE MEETING.
UM, AND SO LET'S GET ON TO THE, UH, THE POINT OF THE, OF THIS MEETING.
UM, WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE, UH, COM, THE, UH, COMMITTEE REPORTS, UH, FOR EACH COMMITTEE, UM, STARTING WITH HOUSE.
UH, WE MET LAST, LAST MONDAY FOR A SPECIAL MEETING.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A QUORUM, UH, FOR OUR MEETING, SO WE, UH, WE OPENED IT AND THEN SHUT IT RIGHT BACK DOWN.
SO I HOPE THAT IT'LL BE INDIVIDUAL COMMENT AS WE GET INTO THE FULL DISCUSSION ON THAT, UM, FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE AS WELL, THOUGH.
SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, RACIAL EQUITY.
UH, THE RACIAL EQUITY COMMITTEE.
WE DID MEET, UH, OVER THE FORUM IN REGARDS TO, UM, UH, IN OUR LAST MEETING, OUR FOCUS WAS, UH, REVIEWING THE HOPE REPORT AND THE, UH, RACIAL EQUITY REPORT THAT I HAVE TODAY WILL ADDRESS THAT.
UM, AND SO I SEE, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER KEYS HERE ALSO, UH, WHO WAS PRESENT IN THAT MEETING.
UH, SO AS I GIVE THIS REPORT, COMMISSIONER KEYS, IF YOU, UH, DON'T HEAR SOMETHING THAT, THAT SHOULD BE SAID OR HEAR SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON, UH, I'LL, I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR TO YOU FOR THAT.
UM, SO WE DID REVIEW, UH, THE HOPE REPORT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE RACIAL EQUITY COMMITTEE.
UM, THE SIMPLE DETERMINATION, UH, IN A NUTSHELL WAS THAT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE REFERENCE TO THAT ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE REPORT.
UH, IT DOES CONTAIN A PARAGRAPH IDENTIFYING SOME OF THE PROBLEMS REGARDING, UH, RACIAL EQUITY AND HISTORIC DISCRIMINATION IN ITS IMPACT ON HOMELESSNESS.
HOWEVER, WE DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT FURTHERED THAT INTO A, INTO A POSITION OF SOLUTION MIX.
UH, AND SO THAT FOR, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, UH, UH, IN OUR, IN THE
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RACIAL EQUITY COMMITTEE, WAS A BIG PROBLEM.UH, AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS IDENTIFY, UH, CERTAIN OBJECTIVES THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, CLEARLY DELINEATED THROUGH PAST REPORTING, UM, ON THIS ISSUE, UH, FROM THE SPARK REPORT, UH, TO THE, UH, RACIAL EQUITY REPORT GIVEN BY REGINA CANNON, UH, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, AND TO OUR OWN ANALYSIS.
AND WE IDENTIFIED SPECIFIC, UM, ISSUES OR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE FEEL NEED TO BE A PART OF, ANY FOCUS ON THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM AND THE RESOLUTION OF HOMELESSNESS.
UH, AND I'LL PROVIDE THAT TO YOU AT THIS TIME.
UH, NUMBER ONE IS TO INCORPORATE RACIAL EQUITY INTO GRANT MAKING AND CONTRACTING FOR HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING PROGRAMS. MY APOLOGIES.
UM, AGAIN, INCORPORATING RACIAL EQUITY INTO GRANT MAKING AND CONTRACTING FOR HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING PROGRAMS. WE FEEL THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE, AND YOU PROBABLY HEARD ME SAY BEFORE, THAT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, AFRICAN AMERICANS AS A SUBPOPULATION OF THE TOTAL POPULATION OF HOMELESSNESS, WE SEE THEM AS A MAJORITY.
WHEREAS, UH, OUR REPRESENTATION IN THE TOTAL POPULATION OF THE CITY, UH, CERTAINLY IS A MINORITY.
UH, THIS DISPROPORTIONATE REPRESENTATION, UH, IS DRIVEN BY CERTAIN FACTORS THAT WE KNOW, THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED.
UH, BUT WHAT WE ALSO KNOW IS THAT WHILE WE FIND FUNDING AND GRANT MAKING AND FOCUS ON OTHER SUBPOPULATIONS WITHIN THE WHOLE, WE FIND NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING THAT SPECIFICALLY FOCUSES ON AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW NATIONWIDE, THERE IS A MAJOR DISPROPORTIONATE REPRESENTATION OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
AND HERE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE PAST, UH, I WOULD SAY AT LEAST FIVE, REALLY 10 YEARS, UH, WE KNOW THAT THAT PERCENTAGE IS, HAS BEEN EVEN HIGHER HERE.
UH, AND SO WE, WE THINK THAT IT IS A FAILING TO, UH, CONTINUE TO, UM, I WILL SAY EXCLUDE THAT FOCUS IN THE OVERALL SOLUTION MIX, UH, AND SPECIFICALLY FROM THE FUNDING PERSPECTIVE.
THE NEXT ISSUE IS THE INCLUSION OF RACIAL EQUITY DATA ANALYSIS AND BENCHMARKS AND STRATEGIC PLANNING TO END HOMELESSNESS.
UH, THIS IS SOMETHING AS WELL THAT WE, UH, EXPECTED TO SEE SOME REFERENCE TO IN THE SPARK, I'M SORRY, IN THE HOPE REPORT.
I WILL SAY THAT, UM, THROUGH OUR WORK IN ENGAGEMENT, UH, WITH THE C O C IN THE RECENT PROJECT, UM, I'M STILL CALLING IT THE D R R T R
UH, BUT AT LEAST WITH THAT, UH, UH, PROGRAM, WE STARTED TO SEE SOME IDENTIFICATION OF DATA ANALYSIS AND BENCHMARKING.
BUT WE FEEL THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE LARGELY EXPANDED.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, I WILL REFERENCE, UH, THE, UH, THE CITY'S RACIAL EQUITY PLAN THAT'S BEEN ADOPTED, UH, WHERE A LOT OF DATA ANALYSIS HAS GONE ON IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BENCHMARKS.
AND WE WANT TO SEE, UH, MORE OVERLAPPING INTERSECTIONALITY WITHIN THOSE CONSIDERATIONS AND ANALYSIS OF THE SPECIFIC, UM, UH, BENCHMARKS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN, IN THE CITY'S RACIAL EQUITY PLAN.
THERE ARE CERTAIN, UH, KEY ELEMENTS THAT ARE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO HOMELESSNESS, BUT WE FEEL THERE ARE MANY OTHERS THAT HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON HOMELESSNESS, UH, ESPECIALLY AT THE FRONT END OF, OF, OF, OF THE, UM, I WILL SAY THE DRIVERS INTO, INTO HOMELESSNESS, UH, THAT NEED TO BE CONNECTED TO THAT ISSUE.
ONE BEING FAIR HOUSING, AND, YOU KNOW, TO THE, THE EXTENT TO WHICH THERE IS STILL, UM, DISCRIMINATORY, UH, BEHAVIOR, OR AT LEAST, UM, EVEN IF YOU CONSIDER IT AS A DISPARATE IMPACT, THE FACT THAT THERE IS STILL, UH, AN IN EQUITABLE CIRCUMSTANCE IN TERMS OF THE OPPORTUNITIES TO PURCHASE HOUSING THAT ARE PROVIDED TO AFRICAN-AMERICANS VERSUS OTHER GROUPS AS WELL AS HISPANIC AMERICANS.
UM, AND SO THAT NEEDS TO BE ATTENDED TO FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS AND
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ADDRESSING POVERTY.AS WE KNOW THAT HOME OWNERSHIP IS THE MAJOR EQUALIZER IN TERMS OF BRINGING, UH, WHAT WE CALL LOWER CLASS OR JUST LOWER INCOME, UH, INTO HIGHER INCOME REALMS, AND, AND PROVIDING THEM WITH, WITH WEALTH BUILDING CAPACITY, UH, IN ADDITION POLICING ACTIVITIES.
UH, WE KNOW THAT THE HISTORIC DISCRIMINATION OR DISADVANTAGE IN THAT REGARD IN TERMS OF OVER POLICING IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES AND THE RESULT OF THAT.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FACT THAT, UH, PEOPLE EXITING, UH, INCARCERATION INTO HOMELESSNESS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND A MAJOR, UH, UH, INPUT INTO THE INCREASE OF THAT POPULATION, WE NEED TO BE ADDRESSING THAT ON THE FRONT END, NOT JUST THE BACK END.
NOT JUST TO LOOK AT WHAT DO WE DO ONCE WE LET THEM OUT AND THEY HAVE NOWHERE TO GO, BUT HOW DO WE PREVENT THEM FROM GOING IN IN THE FIRST PLACE? UM, SO THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE.
I'LL MOVE ON TO NUMBER THREE, UH, WHICH IS SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO ENSURE RACIAL EQUITY AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL.
THIS IS A KEY ELEMENT THAT I THINK CANNOT BE UNDERSTATED.
UH, THERE ARE, AND I KNOW VICE CHAIR CAN ATTEST TO THIS AS WELL, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE, UH, THAT ARE, UH, OWNED BY, I WILL JUST SAY MINORITY OWNED AT THIS POINT, UH, THAT HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY INCLUDED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLANNING STRATEGY AND EXECUTION OR IMPLEMENTATION OF SOLUTIONS THAT BRING, UH, THAT CAN BRING IT INTO HOMELESSNESS.
AND, UH, WHILE I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN GROWTH IN THAT REGARD, WE SEE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A LOT MORE GROWTH, UH, RELATIVE TO THE HOPE REPORT.
YOU KNOW, I, I WILL JUST SAY THAT I DID NOT SEE A SUFFICIENT ADDRESS OF THIS ISSUE.
AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT, UH, JUST THAT, JUST AS I SAY, WE NEED FUNDING SPECIFIC TO THE POPULATION.
WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON EQUITY IN TERMS OF HOW THAT FUNDING IS DISTRIBUTED.
UH, AND SO WE WANT TO SEE THAT TYPE OF INCLUSION IN ANY REPORTING ON SOLUTIONS, UM, TO IMPROVE THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, UM, OR ENCOURAGE ANTI-RACIST PROGRAM DELIVERY.
UM, THIS IS, OR RELATIVE TO, UH, CULTURAL COMPETENCY, MAKING SURE CULTURAL COMPETENCY, UH, IS IMPLEMENTED IN TRAINING OF ANY SUPPORT TEAMS, ANY ORGANIZATIONS, UH, STAFFING, UH, THAT INTERACT WITH OR DEAL WITH THE HOMELESS POPULATION, WHETHER IT BE AT SHELTER OR SOME OTHER LEVEL.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, AS I'VE, AS I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, UH, WE SEE THIS, SOME, SOME ENTITIES AND SOME INDIVIDUALS HAVE DEVELOPED, UH, APPROACH TO THIS.
I, YOU KNOW, I'LL GIVE THE BRIDGE AS AN EXAMPLE WHERE THAT'S THE ONLY INSTITUTION I KNOW OF, AND I COULD, YOU KNOW, THERE CERTAINLY COULD BE OTHERS, BUT THAT I KNOW OF THAT HAS SPECIFIC THINKING AND PLANNING AROUND THE TRAINING OF THE STAFF, UH, TO ENSURE, UH, CULTURAL COMPETENCY WHEN ADDRESSING AND DEALING WITH THE CLIENTS THAT ENTER THEIR DOORS.
UH, WE NEED TO, WE, WE, UH, FROM THE RACIAL EQUITY COMMITTEE'S PERSPECTIVE, WE WANT TO SEE THIS EXPANDED AND, UH, MADE, UH, A REQUIRED ISSUE WITH REGARDS TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE RECEIVING FUNDING.
UH, WHICH, LET ME SAY, FUNDING MEANS TAXPAYER DOLLARS, WHICH MEANS THE PEOPLE'S MONEY.
UM, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER, UH, ISSUE.
UH, FIVE WOULD BE UTILIZED INNOVATIVE UPSTREAM INTERVENTIONS TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR.
I KIND OF SPOKE TO THIS EARLIER WHEN I TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE SEE ISSUES OF OVER-POLICING, AND WE SEE ISSUES OF IMBALANCE IN ENFORCEMENT OF CERTAIN LAWS IN CERTAIN AREAS, WHETHER NOT ENFORCE IN OTHER AREAS.
WHEN WE SEE THAT TYPE OF THING, WE DON'T NEED TO BE JUST THINKING ABOUT, OKAY, WHAT DO WE DO FOR PEOPLE WHEN THEY GET OUT? BECAUSE THE LIVES HAS ALREADY, UH, BEEN MAJORLY DISRUPTED, IF NOT DESTROYED AT THAT POINT.
WHAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT IS HOW DO WE PREVENT IT IN THE FIRST PLACE? AND OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH THE POUND OF CURE.
AND THE BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITIES, UH, THAT OFTEN ARE DEVASTATED BY THESE BEHAVIORS, UH, I THINK WILL BE BROADER THAN SIMPLY RESOLVE OF HOMELESSNESS.
BUT I THINK THIS, CERTAINLY WE'LL SEE THAT IMPACT SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THAT SPACE.
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INNOVATIVE HEALTHCARE STRATEGIES TO MEET THE HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.I WILL SAY TO THIS POINT, IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT, UM, AN OLD REDLINING MAP, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'VE KNOW MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN THIS.
UH, YOU LOOK AT A REDLINING MAP OF DALLAS, AND THEN YOU OVERLAP THAT, SAY, WITH A MAP THAT SHOWS, UH, UH, AREAS WITH CONCENTRATED HEALTH CONCERNS OF CERTAIN ASPECTS, ASTHMA, HEART DISEASE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, YOU WILL SEE THAT THEIR BORDERS MATCH ALMOST.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT IS, THAT IS NOT BY COINCIDENCE.
AND WE KNOW ALSO THAT, THAT THAT HEALTH CONDITIONS ARE MAJOR DRIVER INTO HOMELESSNESS AS WE SEE, UH, CONSISTENTLY.
UH, AND SO DEALING WITH, AGAIN, GETTING ON THE FRONT END OF THESE THINGS TO, TO LOOK AT PLANS TO RESOLVE THEM, UH, I THINK ULTIMATELY IS MORE COST EFFECTIVE, MORE HUMANE, AND, UH, CERTAINLY MORE EFFECTIVE.
UH, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALSO WANT TO SEE THAT THINKING, UH, IN THE PLANNING AND SOLUTION MAKING, UH, PROVIDED BY ANY, YOU KNOW, EXPERT GROUP, UH, OR ORGANIZATION IN REGARDS TO ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
THOSE ARE THE SIX ITEMS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED.
UH, OF COURSE, WE, YOU KNOW, GIVEN MORE TIME, I THINK WE COULD DO MORE DUE DILIGENCE ON THIS REGARD.
UH, BUT CERTAINLY I THINK THAT THESE ARE CRITICAL ITEMS, UH, THAT WOULD BE A MISTAKE NOT TO CONSIDER AND IMP, YOU KNOW, UH, SOME AT SOME LEVEL IMPLEMENT OR COM OR, OR INCLUDE IN AN OVERALL PLAN.
UH, BUT WE DID NOT FIND THESE THINGS IN THE HOPE REPORT.
UH, SO THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION IS, UH, THAT CITY COUNCIL WOULD CONSIDER THESE, UH, SIX ISSUES, UH, IN ANY KIND OF DECISION MAKING THAT WOULD BE DONE, UH, REGARDING, UH, ANY, ANY NEW IMPLEMENTATION OF SOLUTIONS GENERATED FROM THE HOPE REPORT OR ANY OTHER REPORT FOR THAT MATTER.
THESE ARE SIX ITEMS THAT WE FEEL MUST ALWAYS BE CONSIDERED UNTIL WE SEE ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION AND THE RESULTS OF THAT.
UH, SO I WILL, UH, LEAVE IT THERE, UH, EXCEPT TO SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO ASK THE FULL COMMISSION TO ADOPT THESE, UH, WHEN WE GET TO THE APPROPRIATE POINT IN THE AGENDA.
AND, UM, AT THIS POINT, I'LL JUST SAY, COMMISSIONER KEESEY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE ELSE TO ADD TO THAT? UM, THE FLOOR WOULD BE YOUR, YOUR FLOOR IS YOURS.
THE ONLY THING I, YOU'VE COVERED EVERYTHING WE TALKED ABOUT PERFECTLY CHAIR.
UH, THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS I'VE SEEN SOME OTHER ORGANIZATIONS BESIDES THE BRIDGE, UM, DO THINGS IN A, A CULTURALLY SENSITIVE, RACIALLY SENSITIVE, UH, WAY.
AND ONE OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS I LIKE TO CALL OUT IS, UM, OUR CALLING.
I'VE WATCHED THEM DO THINGS IN A, A VERY, UH, IMPORTANT WAY.
UM, AND, UH, THE HIRING OF MINORITIES IS A PRIORITY TO THEM AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY'VE SEEN, UH, AS I WENT AND TOURED OUR CALLING, I NOTICED, UM, THE STATISTICS THAT WE FOUND OUT IN, IN THE POINT IN TIME COUNT, AND WE'VE HEARD 80% OR, OR, OR AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN SAW THAT AT THE DAY DROP-IN CENTER AT OUR CALLING.
AND THEY ARE ADDRESSING THAT AND THINKING THROUGH THESE PROBLEMS AS ARE SO MANY OTHERS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT, UM, POINT THAT OUT AS WELL.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO IDENTIFY, UH, BECAUSE CERTAINLY WE WANNA LOOK AT BEST PRACTICES WHEREVER THEY LIE WITH REGARDS TO THIS, UH, AND SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN IDENTIFY AS AS BENEFICIAL FOR EXPANSION ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND SO THAT IS THE RACIAL EQUITY REPORT.
UM, AGAIN, WE'LL RETURN TO THAT AFTER OUR, UH, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND ASK FOR THE COMMISSION SUPPORT ON THAT, UH, ONCE WE GET PAST THE, UH, FULL DISCUSSION.
UH, SO AT THIS POINT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, STREET OUTREACH CHAIR KING.
COULD YOU SET A TIME ON THE REPORT SO THAT ANGELA CAN KEEP TRACK OF THE TIMING FOR EVERYONE PLEASE? HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU WANT TO ALLOW FOR THE REPORTING FOR THE REPORT? THE COMMITTEE REPORTING REPORT COMMITTEE REPORTS? YES.
IT'S TWO, IT'S TWO MINUTES SUFFICIENT.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T LOOK AT THE, AT THE CLOCK WHEN I'M TALKING
WELL, LET ME GO AHEAD AND SET THE TIMING FOR YOU.
10 MINUTES, UH, FOR THE REPORT FOR THE FIRST ROUND, PLEASE.
I'M ASKING COMMITTEE CHAIRS IF THAT'S GOOD.
YEAH, I THINK THE COMMITTEE CHAIR BOTHER PROBLEM.
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MAY I, MAY I GET A CLARIFICATION ON, IS THIS FOR THE DISCUSSION PART OR THE PRESENTATION THE SUBCOMMITTEE PRESENT? LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WAS A FIVE, SIX MINUTE PRESENTATION.ARE WE ON THE DISCUSSION PART OF THIS NOW? ARE WE GOING BACK AND FORTH, OR THAT ALL AT THE END? NO, NO.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'LL BRING THAT BACK AT THE END.
SO WE JUST WANT PRESENTATION, THEN PRESENTATION.
SO I THINK A 10 MINUTE SO WE CAN GET ON DISCUSSION.
WELL, I, I'M NOT GONNA GO 10 MINUTES, BUT YEAH.
IF WE GET TO FIVE AND THEN FEELS MORE TO SAY WE'LL THAN THAT.
ANGELA, CAN YOU GO AHEAD AND, AND SET THE TIMER PLEASE? WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN FIVE MINUTES IS UP OR, THANK YOU.
AND SO NOW WE HAVE STREET OUTREACH, UH, VICE CHAIR OWENS, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
WE WILL MEET, UH, BEFORE OUR ACTUAL SCHEDULE MEETING PRIOR TO YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALL MEETING OUTSIDE OF THIS ONE.
I KNOW TRYING TO, TRYING TO ARRANGE SCHEDULES WAS A DIFFICULT THING.
UH, AND SO WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL ACCOMMODATE THAT BEFORE DISCUSSION.
SUPPORT SERVICES COMMITTEE CHAIR, GARNER.
UM, SO, UM, THE SOCIAL SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE, UM, MET ON MONDAY, AUGUST 28TH, UM, AT 3:00 PM UM, I, WE HAVE THREE PEOPLE IN OUR SUBCOMMITTEE.
UM, I CHAIRED THE MEETING, UM, COMMISSIONER JIM HAWK WAS PRESENT.
UM, MATT JACOB WAS ABSENT DUE TO AN EMERGENCY.
SO WE TOOK MORE OF AN ITEM BY ITEM APPROACH, UM, WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS RATHER THAN A HOLISTIC APPROACH.
SO, UM, IF YOU'D LIKE TO TURN TO PAGE SIX OF YOUR FULL REPORT, UM, UNDER ACTIONS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO TEMPORARY SHELTER AND ACCELERATE PERMANENT HOUSING EFFORTS, INTER SHELTER, THERE'S A, A BRIEF, UM, EXPLANATION, AND THEN THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOLLOW.
SO OVERALL, WE AGREED WITH THE SEVEN.
I'M SORRY, THERE, WE CONSIDERED FIVE OF THEM BECAUSE ONE AND THREE WERE DISCUSSED IN MORE DETAIL, FURTHER IN THE REPORT LATER IN THE REPORT.
SO ITEMS ONE THROUGH SEVEN MINUS ONE AND THREE AGREED WITH 2, 4, 5, 6, AND SEVEN WITH SOME SPECIAL AMENDMENTS THAT WE VOTED ON.
SO, UM, RECOMMENDATION NUMBER THREE, I'M SORRY, PARDON ME.
RECOMMENDATION NUMBER TWO, CREATE ALTERNATIVE SHELTER OPTIONS TO HELP FACILITATE THE TRANSITION OF INDIVIDUALS FROM ENCAMPMENTS TO SAFER ENVIRONMENTS.
SO OUR, UM, SOCIAL SERVICES RECOMMENDATION, UM, TWO.
UM, AND BY THE WAY, THEY HAD SUGGESTED THE USE OF EMERGENCY NON CONGREGATE SHELTERS, INEXPENSIVE HOTELS AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, EACH OF WHICH COULD BE PROGRAMMED TO BE A NAVIGATION CENTER.
WE ADDED, UM, A TEMPORARY CITY SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENT OPTION MODELED AFTER BEST PRACTICE FROM OTHER CITIES WITH AN END DATE.
UM, BECAUSE THAT HAD COME, UM, TEMPORARY SOLUTIONS IN THE REPORT PRIOR TO THIS SECTION HAD SAID THEY SHOULD BE, UM, THEY SHOULD HAVE A STARTED END DATE.
UM, AND THEN RECOMMENDATION NUMBER FOUR ON PAGE SEVEN, REMOVE THE DEEDED OR ZONING RESTRICTIONS THAT LIMIT THE MAXIMUM UTILIZATION OF EXISTING SHELTER SPACES, INCLUDING FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER SHELTERS AND ALLOCATE FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE NECESSARY EXPANSION REQUIREMENTS.
UM, OUR RECOMMENDATION, UM, WITH THE CITY'S ADOPTION OF DECENTRALIZATION OF SERVICES VIA THE FOUR TRACK PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED IN AUGUST, 2018.
THE SOCIAL SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION IS TO KEEP THE DALLAS DEVELOPMENT CODE CHAPTER 51 A LIMITATIONS ON EMERGENCY SHELTER BEDS WITHIN THE C B D IN ONE THIRD MILE OUTSIDE TWO 1100, UM, AND ESTABLISH ENHANCED CODE AND POLICE ENFORCEMENT AND GOOD NEIGHBOR REQUIREMENTS WITHIN EMERGENCY SHELTER AREAS OUTSIDE OF THOSE REGIONS.
UM, AND THEN ADD, UM, PERHAPS, AND THIS IS MY ADDITION, PERHAPS ADD C H C AS AN APPROVAL MECHANISM MECHANISM FOR THESE, UM, DEEDED AND ZONING, UM, RESTRICTIONS.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE ARE, WE'RE AN ADVISORY BODY TO COUNCIL AND THE CITY MANAGER.
SO ADD US AS A APPROVAL MECHANISM.
AND THEN NUMBER FIVE, UM, ADVOCATE THAT THE COCS ARE MOVING ON.
ADVOCATE THAT THE COCS ENCAMPMENT DECOMMISSIONING STRATEGIES CONTINUE TO INCLUDE COORDINATION WITH COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT SERVICES SUCH AS MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE USE, TREATMENT BENEFITS, AND EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE, AND ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE.
MAKING THESE SERVICES AVAILABLE CAN HELP INDIVIDUALS INCREASE THEIR CHANCES OF LONG-TERM HOUSING STABILITY.
UM, THE SOCIAL SERVICES RECOMMENDATION IN ADDITION TO THAT, WAS THE CITY SHOULD EXPLORE A NEW DEPARTMENT FOCUSED ON MENTAL HEALTH AND
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SUBSTANCE ABUSE THAT COULD BE COORDINATED WITH O H S.UH, NUMBER SIX, ADVOCATE THAT C O C PROTOCOLS FOR DECOMMISSIONING ASSESS THE PREVALENCE OF VIOLENCE AND CRIME IS ONE OF THE PREEMINENT REASONS FOR DECOMMISSIONING ENCAMPMENTS.
I THINK WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT TO THAT.
UM, NO ONE SHOULD HAVE BE IN FEAR WHERE THEY LIVE.
UM, AND OUR SOCIAL SERVICES RECOMMENDATION WAS THE CITY SHOULD ADD PROTOCOL FOR DECOMMISSIONING AFTER ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE COMMUNITY SURROUNDING THE ENCAMPMENT AS WELL.
SO THERE ARE INTRINSIC ISSUES WITH, UM, VIOLENCE AND PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES IN AN ENCAMPMENT AND OUTSIDE IT.
SO THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED WITHIN THAT.
UM, PROTOCOL FOR DECOMMISSIONING NUMBER SEVEN, ADVOCATE FOR THE C O C TO CONTINUOUSLY APPROVE DATA COLLECTION MONITORING.
UM, OUR RECOMMENDATION, UM, THE CITY SHOULD FOCUS ON THE DATA THAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, ANALYZE AND CONSIDER THE BAD DATA AS IT BEST IDENTIFIES WHERE RESOURCES SHOULD BE ALLOCATED TO FUND SOLUTIONS WITHIN PROBLEM AREAS OR SUBSETS OF HOMELESSNESS, UM, THE ONES THAT HOLD US BACK.
SO, UM, THAT WAS OUR ADDITION TO THAT RECOMMENDATION.
UM, WE, WE ONLY HAD ABOUT 30 MINUTES FOR OUR MEETING, UH, DUE TO OTHER COMMITMENTS, TIME COMMITMENTS.
SO, UM, THE NEXT SECTION, WHICH IS UNDER CITY OWNED PROPERTIES.
UM, STARTING ON PAGE SEVEN, MOVING ON TO PAGE EIGHT.
UM, NUMBER, UH, WE HAD A RECOMMENDATION ON NUMBER TWO.
UM, NUMBER TWO WAS TO SIMPLIFY AND EXPEDITE, EXPEDITE PROCUREMENT, LEGAL ZONING, PERMITTING, CONTRACTING, AND REIMBURSEMENT PROCESSES.
AND THEN IT SAYS THIS INCLUDES REMOVING THE NEED FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
I'M NOT GONNA READ THE REST OF THAT.
THAT WAS PART OF THAT REIMBURSEMENT PROCESSES, UM, WHICH IS SOMETHING MORE INTRICATE THAT I, I DON'T HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE BASE TO GO INTO, BUT OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR THAT WAS TO DEVELOP METRICS TO MONITOR THESE PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS, UM, UH, FOR PERHAPS A MAYOR POINT OF TASK FORCE AND AUDIT OF THESE SYSTEM PROCESSES.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW THAT IN ZONING, UM, WHICH I HAVE SOMEWHAT OF ABOVE AVERAGE KNOWLEDGE BASE IN, UM, THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED A Q TEAM.
IF YOU GO, UH, TO JACKSON, I'M SORRY, UM, JEFFERSON RATHER STREET, UH, IF YOU, YOU CAN PAY A FEE, ONE CAN PAY A FEE, AND YOU CAN SIT DOWN WITH ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENTS AND GET YOUR APPLICATION IN AND OUT IN ONE DAY RATHER THAN GO BACK AND FORTH WITH MEETINGS AND STUFF.
AND THAT'S NOT JUST, THAT'S NOT JUST WOULD BE GOOD FOR HOMELESS INSTITUTIONS OR DEVELOPERS.
THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESSES ALL ACROSS THE CITY.
I KNOW OF SOME DEVELOPERS WHO HAVE WAITED TWO YEARS TO BUILD AN APARTMENT, AND THAT RIGHT THERE, WE CAN'T BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WAY IF IT'S COSTING THEM THAT MONEY AND THEY HAVE INTENTIONS TO BUILD MORE HOUSING.
SO A TASK FORCE AUDIT OF THAT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, THE PERMITTING WOULD BENEFIT THE ENTIRE CITY AND NOT JUST THIS FAST HOMELESSNESS.
AND THEN THAT'S WHERE OUR RECOMMENDATION STOPPED.
WE, UM, UM, CALLED THE MEETING AFTER THAT DUE TO TIME, UM, COMMITMENTS TO OTHER PARTS OF OUR SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY.
DO, BEFORE WE GET TO ANY QUESTIONS, UM, DID YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING, COMMISSIONER HAWK, TO THAT REPORT? THANKS, COMMISSIONER GARDNER.
I THINK IF YOU CAPTURED EVERYTHING FOR THE QUICK PHONE CALL WE HAD THAT DAY AND THE SOUNDS, AND THE NOISE WE WERE GOING THROUGH.
I THINK THE POINT OF THE AUDIT ON THE LAST TIME, TOO, WAS TO LOOK AT THINGS LIKE WHERE WE'VE SEEN SITES THAT HAVE TRIED TO GET OPEN AND THEY'RE NOT YET.
AND WE'VE SPENT A LONG TIME WAITING FOR RESULTS.
AND THERE HAS TO BE A WAYS TO SORT OF SAY, MIRAMAR DIDN'T HAPPEN.
YOU'VE GOTTA GET THESE THINGS VISIBLE SO THAT THEY DON'T JUST SIT THERE AND FALL APART AND GET WORSE AND BECOME THE EYESORE AND THE, THE BLIGHT ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH DRIVES THAT GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY, THE WRONG VOTE.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
UM, OBVIOUSLY, WHICH DIDN'T GET DISCUSSED, BUT PARTIALLY DISCUSSED, BUT WE DIDN'T GET, WE DIDN'T VOTE ON WAS THE UNDERUTILIZED CITY OWNED PROPERTIES THAT ARE SITTING AND WAITING RIGHT NOW.
AND WE ARE VOTING ON OUR BUDGET SEPTEMBER 20TH.
UM, THERE'S DISCUSSION ABOUT ADDING MONEY TO BUILD NEW BUILDINGS FOR HOMELESS HOUSING WHEN WE HAVE THEM SITTING VACANT.
AND WE COULD JUST PUT THAT MONEY TOWARDS OPERATIONS AND NOT REINVENT THE WHEEL AND, UM, CAUSE MORE AND MORE DELAY.
SO, UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'LL COMPLETE MY, UM, PRESENTATION IF YOU WANT.
FORWARD DISCUSSION OR, UM, WHAT, WHAT, WHERE ARE WE WITH TODD? OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, COMMISSIONER SHAN, IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT.
I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID.
[00:30:01]
THE REPORT ON PAGE SEVEN, SWIFTLY ACTIVATE CITY OWNED FACILITIES.AND, AND THE OTHER ONE IS ON PAGE EIGHT.
AND THAT IS, UH, SIMPLIFY THAT PROCUREMENT, LEGAL ZONING,
SO, UM, THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE ARE ISSUES.
ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT PLACES THAT WE KNOW WE, LIKE, WE HAD A WHOLE MEETING ONE TIME ON, ON THREE PROPERTIES THAT WE HAD JUST PROCURE IT.
RIGHT? AND ONE WAS GREAT BIG, AND IT HAD, LIKE, IT WAS BIG ENOUGH TO BE A CAMPUS.
SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, AND I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY FROM THE OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS TO TELL ME IF, UM, PART OF THE REASON THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IS THE COMMUNITY AROUND IT, BECAUSE THAT IS SQUASHING SOME OF THEM.
THE, I MEAN, THE ONE ON FOREST AND CENTRAL, THE ONE RIGHT THERE, THAT WAS THAT ONE.
AND THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OF THAT AREA SIDED WITH THE COMMUNITY, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT WITHIN ANY DISTANCE OF CHURCHES, HOMES, OR SCHOOLS.
SO WE GAVE, IN MY OPINION, A LITTLE BIT MORE WEIGHT TO THE COMMUNITY AND, AND INPUT THAN POSSIBLY WE SHOULD HAVE.
WE'D HAVE THE BUILDING RIGHT NOW, IT WOULD BE IN BUILDING.
UM, AND THE OTHER ONE IS, UM, LIKE FAMILY GATEWAY HAS A PROPERTY AND THEY GOT IT.
UH, IT'S A HO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE HOTELS THAT THEY REFITTED AND THEY GOT, YOU KNOW, IT SAID ON THE, ON OUR BUDGET, IT SAYS THEY GOT THIS MUCH MONEY, BUT SHE HAD TO, SHE HAD TO MATCH THAT MONEY.
SHE HAD TO GO OUT AND, AND GET THE FUNDS VIA GRANTS AND OTHER THINGS, AND ASKS TO MATCH THE MONEY.
SO EACH INDIVIDUAL PLACE, EACH INDIVIDUAL OP OPPORTUNITY HAS SEVERAL DIFFERENT LAYERS THAT ARE NOT EXPLICITLY EXPLAINED, BUT THAT IF YOU LOOK AT IT, IT'S NOT DUE TO ANY SHORTFALLS ON, ON, ON THE CASE OF THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA GET TO USE IT.
IT'S, IT'S THE WAY THAT WE'VE LIKE DONE THE, THE, UH, THE WAY WE'VE WRITTEN THE GRANT OR, OR THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S LIKE ONE OF LIKE THREE DIFFERENT REASONS.
UM, I KNOW WE'RE ALLOWED TO RESPOND TO THAT
SO, UH, SO I WOULD JUST SAY I DO, UM, I'M, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A MIC.
SO YOU, UM, CHAIR, IF YOU WANNA RESPOND, JUST THANK YOU CHAIR KING.
UM, AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER SHAN.
UM, A REFERENCE TO THAT SOMEWHERE IN MY NOTES SPECIFICALLY.
UM, AND, AND I'LL HAVE TO JUST GO BY MEMORY.
I HOPE I'M CAN SPEAK CLEARLY ON THIS.
UM, SO IF I'M HEARING YOU, UM, IN SPITE OF PROPER ZONING AND, AND VETTING THE PARCEL FOR ITS INTENDED USE OF BEING SHELTERED FOR HOMELESS SERVICES, THE COMMUNITY PUSHBACK IS WHAT PREVENTS THE BUILDING MORE BUILDING NOT, NO, IT'S ONE OF THREE, BUT, BUT IS IT, IS TRUMPING THE OTHER THING? YES, BECAUSE WE DON'T, I DON'T THINK OUR PROCESS OF GETTING COMMUNITY BUY-IN HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
WELL, I THINK A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH, UM, PEOPLE, UM, SEEING WHAT WE HAVE IN OPERATIONAL READY.
THIS IS NOT, I'M NOT KNOCKING EMERGENCY SHELTERS, BUT IF YOU DRIVE BY THEM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S A REASON WHY THERE'S A GOOD NEIGHBOR REQUIREMENT THAT'S IN A LOT OF THESE, UM, CONTRACTS.
AND, UM, THAT GOES BACK TO THE CITY REALLY NEEDS TO ENFORCE THE AREAS AROUND THE SHELTER, UM, THAT REALLY KINDA LIES ON THE CITY.
UH, THAT, UM, AS LONG AS THOSE AREAS, AND, AND, AND WHEN I SAY THAT A GOOD NEIGHBOR AGREEMENT, THERE'S A PREDATORY ELEMENT THAT FOLLOWS A VULNERABLE POPULATION, PERIOD.
AND I THINK IT'S NOT THE HOMELESS PER SE, IT IS THAT PREDATORY ELEMENT, AND THEY'RE GONNA STOP THAT PERSON FROM GOING IN TO GET SHELTER.
UM, THEY'RE GONNA PREY UPON PEOPLE, THEY'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, CAUSE ISSUES WITHIN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.
THAT'S WHAT THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T WANT.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE CITY, I THINK, NEEDS TO JUMP IN WITH ENFORCEMENT AND MAKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, UM, QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVE, IMPROVE THAT.
SO YES, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO GET HOUSING, HOMELESS HOUSING IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
I THINK BECAUSE OF THAT REASON, WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THESE HARD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT PART.
BUT TO THAT POINT, LET'S HAVE THAT CONVERSATION IN THE NEXT TIME.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE MORE JUST A COMMENT.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE'LL BE RETURNING
[00:35:01]
TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPORT IN THE NEXT ITEM.SO I DON'T WANNA GET TOO FAR AHEAD OF THAT.
SO THOSE ARE OUR FOUR REPORTS.
UH, WE HAVE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RACIAL EQUITY COMMITTEE, UH, FROM SUPPORT SERVICES.
UH, SO WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE THAT UP, UH, WHEN WE GET THROUGH THE DISCUSSION OF THE FULL REPORT.
UH, AND I'LL JUST ASK THE OTHER TWO COMMITTEE CHAIRS AS WE GET INTO THIS CONVERSATION AND WE GET TO SECTIONS THAT RELATE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE LEANING ON YOU GUYS, UH, FOR, FOR YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
UH, SO LET'S MOVE ON TO, UH, ITEM FIVE, WHICH IS THE DISCUSSION OF THE, UH, CITY OF DALLAS' HOMELESSNESS ORGANIZATION POLICIES AND ENCAMPMENT REPORT, THE HOPE REPORT.
UM, AGAIN, WHAT I WANNA DO HERE IS GO THROUGH, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AND DISCUSS THEM, UH, AS IN DEPTH AS POSSIBLE WITH THE TIME ALLOTTED.
UH, BUT I WILL, UH, I WILL ALLOW FOR ANY COMMISSIONERS WHO MAY HAVE, WHO HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, WHO MAY, UH, HAVE A PERSPECTIVE, UH, ON THIS REPORT OR THE DIRECTION OF OUR REVIEW TO, TO, UH, COMMENT IF YOU HAVE ONE.
UH, SO I'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO, UH, COMMISSIONERS AT THIS POINT.
JUST LET ME KNOW IF THERE'S ANY PRELIMINARY STATEMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE ABOUT, ABOUT THE REPORT, AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
WOULD YOU LIKE FOR ME TO DISPLAY THE HOPE REPORT, VOTING DOCUMENT HERE? AND YOU WANNA SET THE TIMEFRAME OF THE SPEAKING? SO WE, UH, WELL, LEMME ASK, DO WE HAVE ANY, I DO.
LET ME GO AHEAD AND JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COMMISSIONER RAY SMITH IS ONLINE ALSO, UH, COMMISSIONER TRAMON BROWN HAS JOINED US AS WELL.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK, YOU CAN RAISE YOUR HAND OR JUST GO AHEAD AND, AND SPEAK FOR CHAIR KING FOR ACKNOWLEDGING.
UH, SO YEAH, LET'S, LET'S DO, UH, TWO MINUTES.
UH, SO WE HAVE THREE, FOUR, COMMISSIONER HAWK, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK AGAIN? OKAY.
UH, DO WE HAVE, AND DID WE HAVE ANY HANDS UP VIRTUALLY? YES, YOU DO.
YOU HAVE COMMISSIONER CLATON HAWK THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
SO LEMME START WITH COMMISSIONER CLATON HAWK.
SHE HADN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, UH, TWO MINUTES.
COMMISSIONER KOFF, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
AND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON TO ALL THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
AND I WANTED TO GIVE MY, UH, SORT OF THOUGHTS ON, AFTER I READ THE HOPE REPORT A COUPLE OF TIMES AS IT RELATES TO THE C H C, IT SEEMED TO ME, AFTER READING THE REPORT THAT FIRSTLY, THE C H C HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THE CITY OF DALLAS TO REALLY PUT TOGETHER A PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM ONCE HOMELESSNESS HAS HAPPENED.
UM, SO THE UNSHELTERED, THE SHELTERED, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT TO BE COMMENDED THAT THE CITY HAS DONE, AND THAT C H C HAS, YOU KNOW, UH, PUSHED THAT ALONG.
THE ONE THING THAT I FOUND POTENTIALLY, THAT WE COULD REALLY FOCUS ON OR THE CITY COULD REALLY FOCUS ON, HAS BEEN MENTIONED ALREADY, AND IT'S THE DIVERSION MM-HMM.
AND BEFORE IT'S SO HARD AND SO EXPENSIVE AFTER THE FACT, YOU KNOW, ARE WE REACHING OUT? HOW ARE WE REACHING OUT FROM A, AN OUTREACH PERSPECTIVE, FROM OUR SUBCOMMITTEE TO SCHOOL, UM, TO BORDERING CITIES TO DART? UM, ARE WE REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE THAT ARE RIDING ON DART TRAINS, UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH H H S AND FOSTER HOMES? UM, COULD WE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A LOT OF THE OUTREACH POST HOMELESSNESS, UM, IS, IS IT'S BEING RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY.
THEY'RE SAYING, YES, THIS IS GREAT.
COULD REALLY USE A LOT OF ATTENTION FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, UM, FROM THE OUTREACH PERSPECTIVE.
UM, YOUR NEXT, UH, THANK YOU, UH,
[00:40:01]
COMMISSIONER JACOB, PLEASE.COMMISSIONER JACOB, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
UH, AND I JUST WANNA FOCUS MY TIME TODAY AND JUST ON THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE HOPE REPORT REGARDING THE SUN SETTING OF THE C H C.
I THINK IT'S VERY SHORTSIGHTED.
UH, I FEEL LIKE IF THE C H C IS SUNSETTED, IT TAKES AWAY A GREAT DEAL OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, FROM THE DISTRICTS AND LEAVES IT IN THE HAND OF, UH, JUST THE COUNCIL AND, UH, SPECIFIC OFFICES OF THE CITY.
UH, THERE HAS BEEN, IT'S BEEN NOTED, AND I AGREE WITH IT, THAT, UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF DIVERGENT INTERESTS, UH, INVOLVED, UH, ON THE TOPIC OF HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND I FEEL IF THE C OR LET'S HOPE, I'LL BE OPTIMISTIC WHEN THE C H C IS NOT SUNSETTED, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD HAVE VERY, UM, FOCUSED ENERGY ON HOW, UH, THE DISTINCT REPRESENTATION, UH, OF COMMISSIONERS ACROSS ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS CAN HELP TO IMPROVE THE PROBLEM, UH, THAT EXISTS WITH RESPECT TO HOMELESSNESS IN DALLAS.
UH, WE JUST NEED TO BE VERY FOCUSED.
WE HAVE HAD FOR SO LONG, UM, OR AT LEAST A RELIANCE ON, UH, LIP SERVICE FROM SPECIFIC, UH, AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE AS A BODY PUT FORTH, UH, IN MY ESTIMATION AT LEAST, UH, AREN'T, UH, GIVEN THEIR, UH, GRAVITAS.
AND THIS IS NOT, UH, TO SAY THAT WE ARE DOING A BAD JOB WITH NOT THE C H C, JUST THE CITY OF DALLAS, UH, IN, UH, FAILING TO FIND AND IMPLEMENT, UH, PROGRAMS TO HELP ERADICATE HOMELESSNESS.
BUT I FEEL WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO, AS A BODY, CONTINUE TO HOLD THOSE CITY AGENCIES AND OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.
WE ARE REPRESENTING EACH OF THE, UH, EACH, OUR, OUR, WE ARE REPRESENTING OUR INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL DISTRICTS, UH, FROM THE CITY.
AND I FEEL LIKE WE ALL BRING INDIVIDUAL VOICE TO THIS PROBLEM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR COMMENT WE RECEIVED AS WELL.
UM, AND I WILL, I WILL SIMPLY SAY I'M, I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH YOU ON, UH, I BELIEVE THE, AT LEAST THE MAJORITY, UH, OF THE POINTS THAT YOU MAKE, IF NOT ALL.
UM, I THINK THAT THE TRANSPARENCY YOU MENTIONED IS KEY, UH, AND ACCOUNTABILITY, I WILL ADD TO THAT, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY.
UM, WHO, WHO'S THERE? YOU HAVE NO OTHER REQUESTS ONLINE, ONLINE CHAIR.
SO LET, LET'S GO TO, UH, COMMISSIONER GARNER, AND WE'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER SILHAN, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO, UH, VICE CHAIR OLAND.
MINE IS MORE OF JUST A, AND, AND JUST TO, SINCE WE HAVE A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO GO OVER, IS IT POSSIBLE WE COULD, I KNOW WE'RE HAVING THE DISCUSSION AND THEN A VOTE, UM, IS IT POSSIBLE WE COULD JUST LIKE, LOOK AT THIS FIRST SECTION OF ACTIONS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO TEMPORARY SHELTER, LOOK AT THE SEVEN RECOMMENDATIONS, THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN, ADD A LITTLE AMENDMENT, AND THEN VOTE, LIKE, LIKE, UM, ONE MOTION TO AMEND THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN A VOTE THAT WAY, JUST SO WE CAN KEEP EVERYTHING IN ORDER AND STRUCTURE.
WOULD THAT WORK? THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE OBJECTIVE.
UH, THIS, AS YOU SAID, BUT ARE WE JUST DOING GENERAL DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW ABOUT, WELL, I'M ALLOWING FOR, FOR COMMISSIONS TO GIVE THEIR, THEIR COMMENTS, THE PERSONAL OPINION.
ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO, WHO, WHO HAVE NOT YET.
UH, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO INTO THE RECOMMENDATION.
PRETTY MUCH AS YOU SUGGESTED, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
WELL, I AGREE WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER JACOB.
I DO NOT THINK THAT THIS, UH, ASSISTANCE HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION SHOULD BE DISSOLVED.
I DO NOT SUPPORT THAT AT ALL, WHICH WAS A RECOMMENDATION, UM, IN, I THINK THE SECOND SECTION, UM, UH, WE ARE ADVISORY BODY.
I AM IN CONTACT WITH MY COUNCILMAN SOMETIMES DAILY, AND WE GO OVER AGENDA ITEMS BEFORE COUNCIL VOTES PRIOR TO.
SO, UM, THAT'S PART OF OUR ROLE.
WE PUT IN THREE OH ONES, WE ADDRESS ENCAMPMENTS.
WE, WE KEEP OUR FINGER ON THE PULSE IN OUR DISTRICT AND TRY TO ENHANCE OUR DISTRICT WITH, UM, HOMELESS SERVICES.
AND I THINK THAT'S, I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO STICK AROUND FOR THAT.
UM, SO MY PERSONAL TAKE, I REALLY THINK WE NEED AN AUDIT OR TASK
[00:45:01]
FORCE ON THE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE POLICY THAT'S GOING ON IN THIS AT THE MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY LEVEL, BECAUSE THOSE ARE INTERTWINED.UM, I THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS ON, UM, IMMEDIATE SOLUTIONS IN THE UNDERUTILIZED CITY OWNED PROPERTIES THAT ARE ALREADY GEARED UP FOR IT.
WE HAVE ENTITIES ASKING FOR MONEY NOW TO BUILD NEW BUILDINGS FOR CONGREGATE SHELTERING.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO STEER AWAY FROM THAT AND USE WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
UM, AND, UM, AND THEN AS FAR AS LIKE THE ZONING, PERMITTING, LEGAL PROCUREMENT, UM, THAT Q TEAM THAT I HAD SUGGESTED AT THE BEGINNING, WE NEED LIKE AN H TEAM.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE DEVELOPERS WHO ARE AT THE TABLE THAT HAVE A REAL SOLUTION, UM, PUT IN A PROCESS, LET'S MAKE A ONE DAY, UM, PROCESS FOR THEM WHERE THEY MEET WITH THE DEVELOPMENTS.
THIS IS WHAT WE WANNA DO, THESE ARE OUR BOUNDARIES, THIS IS OUR MONEY.
WHAT CAN WE DO HERE IN ONE DAY? THAT WAY IT'S NOT THIS BACK AND FORTH, THE ZONING.
AND IF YOU'VE EVER DEALT WITH GETTING SOMETHING BUILT IN THE CITY, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UM, SO THAT IS MY PERSONAL, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, YEAH, THE TASK FORCE AND AUDIT OF THE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE, UH, POLICY ASSESSMENT AT THE MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY LEVEL TO DETERMINE IF A SEPARATE DEPARTMENT OR DIVISION IS NEEDED FOR COORDINATION WITH O H S.
UM, MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT MENTALLY ILL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE, UM, PEOPLE LIVING OUTSIDE THEIR PROBLEM IS NOT HOMELESSNESS.
AND I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT O H S SHOULD, SHOULD, UM, UM, BE THE SINGLE DRIVING ENTITY TO ASSESS THAT.
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT DIFFERENTLY, BECAUSE THAT IS DEFINITELY AN AREA THAT, UM, WE NEED TO IMPROVE UPON.
AND THAT THIS HOPE REPORT, I THINK, FOCUSED ON WAS THAT SUBPOPULATION OF THE VISIBLE HOMELESS THAT WE JUST, YOU CAN'T GET SOMEBODY TO, TO GO INDOORS WHO'S SERVICE RES THEIR SERVICE RESISTANT.
IF THAT INTERNAL VOICE IS LOUDER THAN THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT AND IT'S 108 DEGREES AND THEY HAVE THREE LAYERS OF CLOTHES ON, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA SAY NO, 'CAUSE THEY'RE IN THEIR NICHE AREA.
SO WE NEED TO TAKE THAT OUT OF O H S AND MAYBE CREATE A SEPARATE DIVISION.
SO FOR, TO ASSESS THAT, THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION.
BUT THAT'S MY PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION, SEPARATE FROM THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
COMMISSIONER GARNER, UH, COMMISSIONER.
I HAVE A REAL BASIC QUESTION ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF TODAY, BECAUSE I THOUGHT AT OUR LAST MEETING, THE PURPOSE OF TODAY WAS TO COME UP WITH WHY THE C H C NEEDS TO EXIST.
BUT THAT WAS THE QUESTION THAT THIS, WE WANTED TO, TO ADDRESS THAT ONE PARAGRAPH AND THIS WHOLE THING THAT SAYS WE'RE REDUNDANT AND THAT, UH, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE OTHER, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE D A P IS THE DALLAS AREA PARTNERSHIP.
SO LET, LET, LEMME JUST CLARIFY.
AND YES, THAT'S THE DALLAS AREA PARTNERSHIP.
THAT IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT YEAR, BUT IT'S OKAY.
IT IS, IT'S, IT IS FOR THE FOCUS OF A CONTINUOUS, UH, BODY THAT DEALS SPECIFICALLY WITH HOMELESSNESS.
AND TO PARTNER THE EFFORTS OF THE COUNTY AND THE CITY AS BOTH ENTITIES, UH, FAIR, FAIR FINANCIAL BURDEN AND, AND ET CETERA.
IN REGARD TO RESPONSE TO THE REPORT, UH, MY PERSPECTIVE IS THAT WE, WE WILL, AS, YOU KNOW, SHOW OUR, UH, VALUE OR PURPOSE BY RESPONDING TO THE REPORT, BUT MY, NOT JUST ONE ITEM IN THE REPORT.
UH, SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE DEALING WITH ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY OUR JOB AS AN ADVISORY BODY.
BUT I DON'T LIKE, AS SOMEBODY, HOW MANY OF THE 14, UH, PEOPLE ON THIS PARTICULAR COMMISSION I'VE BEEN HERE FOR, FOR AS LONG AS YOU, AND, UM, YOU AND I MEAN, YEAH, WE HAVE A, I THINK WE HAVE A MINORITY OF SENIOR PARTNERS, SO TO SPEAK, DO WE NOT? AND IS THERE, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
WELL, BECAUSE YOU, Y'ALL KNOW THE HISTORY.
AND WHEN WE STARTED TALKING, JUST, JUST TALKING ONE DAY, AND LETICIA TOLD ME ALL THE THINGS THAT THE C H C HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR, I NEVER GOT THAT.
LET LET HER FINISH HER COMMENT AND WE'LL MOVE FORWARD.
SO, UM, SO THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THEM TO KNOW.
I MEAN, THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT GOT TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS REPORT, THEY DON'T KNOW THAT.
I MEAN, IT'S REALLY SAD, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THIS.
AND IT'S ACCOMPLISHED AN AMAZING AMOUNT OF THINGS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SO I THINK WE, I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE START.
[00:50:01]
YOU KNOW, WE, YOU NEED SOME TRANSPARENCY.YOU NEED VOLUNTEERS WHO SHOW UP WITH A VESTED INTEREST IN, IN THE HOMELESS SITUATION OF THIS MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREA THAT YOU DON'T PAY, BUT THAT WHO MEET AND, AND CREATE THINGS THAT HAVE MADE THE CITY BETTER.
AND, AND THEN TALK ABOUT, AND THEN AFTER THAT, TALK ABOUT, OR MAYBE THAT'S YOUR FINAL PARAGRAPH, BUT THEN AT SOME POINT, TALK ABOUT THE THINGS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT I'LL SAY IS THAT I AGREE WITH YOU THAT WE'LL RESPOND TO THAT ISSUE.
UM, MY SIMPLE POSITION IS THAT WE'RE NOT JUST GONNA RESPOND TO THAT, BUT WE'RE GONNA RESPOND TO THE, THIS FULL LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, I TAKE YOUR POINT, AND THAT'S CERTAINLY INCLUSIVE INCLUDED IN WHAT WE INTEND.
AND I'M QUITE SURE THAT WE'LL GET INTO A FULL DISCUSSION IN REGARDS TO THE, THAT REC, THAT SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION, AS WELL AS THE RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THE V A P.
UH, VICE CHAIR OS YOU HAVE IT BOARD.
I'M SO GLAD YOU MENTIONED THAT.
AND, UH, I TOTALLY HAVE READ THE REPORT, BUT AGAIN, I'M LIKE YOU, MY FOCUS STARTING OUT WAS ABOUT THE DISSOLVE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT, UH, APPARENTLY THE MAYOR COMMUNICATED ABOUT DISSOLVING THIS GROUP.
AND AGAIN, I HAVE BEEN HERE FROM DAY ONE, AND MY UNDERSTANDING WAS WE WERE ESTABLISHED BECAUSE THE OUTSIDE INDIVIDUALS, UH, WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HOMELESS NOT BEING ADDRESSED ON A CONSISTENT BASIS.
I WAS ONE THAT USED TO SIT OUT IN THE AUDIENCE AND LISTEN TO THE COMMISSION, TO THE COUNCILMAN, UH, COMMUNICATE.
AND I REMEMBER MAYOR ROLLINS COMMUNICATING HOW NECESSARY THIS GROUP WAS BECAUSE HE WANTED OUTSIDE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE, UH, WORKING WITH THE HOMELESS DIRECTLY OR HAD AN ACTUAL CONNECTION TO THEM, OR ANY TYPE OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE HOMELESS DIRECTLY, TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND SHARE WITH COUNSEL EXACTLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING OUT HERE, AND HOW WE COULD ASSIST AND ADVISE, GUIDE AND DIRECT WITH SOME, UM, ANSWERS AND SOLUTIONS TO ASSISTING THE HOMELESS.
AND AGAIN, UM, BEFORE O H S AND SOME OTHER GROUPS WERE ESTABLISHED, WE WERE DEFINITELY, UM, VERY VOCAL ABOUT THE ISSUES AND THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAD.
AND I BELIEVE THOSE OTHER GROUPS WERE BROUGHT TO THE FOREFRONT.
I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THEM WHEN I FIRST STARTED WORKING WITH, UM, THE HOMELESS COMMISSION.
BUT, UH, I'VE LEARNED MORE ABOUT ALL OF THE, 'CAUSE IT WAS BEFORE HOUSING FORWARD, IT WAS, UM, METRO, M D H A.
SO WE WERE A PART OF THAT WHOLE PROCESS.
AND WE WERE VERY VOCAL ABOUT GETTING OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS CONNECTED WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS, BECAUSE I REMEMBER SHARING WITH THEM THAT I WAS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, AND WE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS AND EVEN THE OFFICE, THE, UH, PARTICULAR SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDED.
SO, UM, TO SEE NOW, AND THEN ALSO, I REMEMBER BEING VERY FRUSTRATED ABOUT HOW THEY, UH, SERVED THE ENCAMPMENTS, BECAUSE AGAIN, I WAS OUT ON THE STREET WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS, AND THEIR CONCERN WAS THE PROCESS.
SO TO HEAR NOW THE PROCESS THAT IS HAPPENING, I BELIEVE THAT WAS ALSO A PART OF THE HOMELESS COMMISSION, THE CITIZENS' HOMELESS COMMISSION, IN THAT WE WERE FIGHTING FOR THE HOMELESS AND COMMUNICATING THAT THEY WERE NEEDING TO BE SERVICED IN A WAY WHERE THEY FELT DIGNIFIED AND APPRECIATED AND WANTED THE SERVICES BECAUSE THEY WERE RUNNING FROM THEM IN THE INITIAL PROCESS.
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND, UH, LIKE COMMISSIONER GARDNER HAS A FORMAL DRAFT OF ONE OF THE INITIAL MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE WHEN WE FIRST STARTED.
BUT THIS GROUP HAS DONE LEAPS AND BOUNDS THAT I CAN SEE OVER THE YEARS, JUST WITH THE HOMELESS, IF YOU WERE TO GO TO THE STREET AND TALK TO THE HOMELESS ABOUT THE HOMELESS COMMISSION, BECAUSE I COMMUNICATE ABOUT THIS GROUP WHENEVER I DO ANYTHING, JUST TO LET THEM KNOW THAT IT IS A TEAM EFFORT THAT COMES TOGETHER TO MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
UH, ANY OTHER, UH, MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOT SPOKEN ON THIS ISSUE? OKAY.
UM, SO WE EXIST BECAUSE OF MAYOR ROLLINS TASK FORCE FROM 2016.
THERE WAS THE FIVE BLOCK ENCAMPMENT UNDER I 45 THAT WAS IMPACTING THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO MAYOR ROLLINS GRANTED A CHARGE FOR A 40 PERSON BODY, UM, WITH PEOPLE FROM ALL AREAS OF, OF THE HOMELESS, UM, ENVIRONMENT ECOSYSTEM.
AND IT WAS, WHAT, FOUR MONTHS.
AND, UM, FROM THAT, UH, THERE WERE SUGGESTIONS TO
[00:55:01]
CREATE A CITIZEN'S OVERSIGHT BOARD THAT IS A COUNTY OVERSIGHT BOARD.AND A CITY DEPARTMENT COUNCIL VOTED ON THAT IN APRIL OF 2017, AFTER THE, AFTER THAT REPORT CAME OUT.
AND THAT IS WHY WE EXIST SINCE THEN.
LEAPS AND BOUNDS OF PROGRESS WE HAVE MADE, UM, IN ALL, ALL, AND WE'VE STRUGGLED, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT REPORT IS INCLUDED IN YOUR C H C APPOINTING MANUAL, IF YOU'D LIKE IT.
UM, THE COMPLETE REPORT IS THERE, AT LEAST IT'S IN MINE.
IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO REVIEW IT EVEN IF YOU WERE PART OF THE PROCESS, BECAUSE WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH BECAUSE OF THAT REPORT.
AND YOU CAN LOOK, CHECK THOSE BOXES OFF.
SO WE CAN USE THAT TO DIRECT WHAT THE C H C DOES.
IN ADDITION TO THE HOPE REPORT, WHICH I THINK IS WAY MORE NARROW FOCUSED ON, UH, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS, UH, MENTAL ILLNESS SUBPOPULATION, UM, WHICH IS THE VISIBLE HOMELESS, WHICH IS WHAT THE LAY PERSON ASSOCIATES ALL HOMELESSNESS WITH, EVEN THOUGH WE ALL KNOW THERE ARE VARIOUS SUBPOPULATIONS.
SO I FEEL LIKE THE, THE NARROWNESS OF THE HOPE REPORT IS JUST A FACET OF THE, UM, 2016 REPORT, UM, THAT MAYOR AND PUT TOGETHER.
SO THAT IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY AND WHY WE EXIST AND WHY WE SHOULD NOT DISSOLVE THIS BODY.
UM, AND SO, OKAY, UH, I'LL SAY QUICKLY, UH, WHAT I WANNA LOOK AT, I THINK I'M ON THE, UH, WHERE I'M IN THE REPORT, PAGE THREE, WELL, THE MORE EXTENT THAT'S A SUMMARY TO ADDRESS ON THIS.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SUMMARY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, WHAT YOU SEE IS AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY LIST, THE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN IT FURTHER DELINEATES AND EXPLAINS THAT THROUGHOUT THE REPORT THAT ESSENTIALLY, UH, AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT PAGE THREE OF THE REPORT, UM, WHAT WHAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED IN THE LAST FEW COMMENTS IS NUMBER THREE.
UH, AND SO, UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT IS A, A CRITICAL COMPONENT TO DISCUSS.
SO WE'LL STICK WITH THAT AND ALLOW FOR, UH, OTHER COMMENTS FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
I'M REFERRING TO THE ACTUAL REPORT, NOT THE, NOT THE ABBREVIATED VERSION THREE.
UH, AND SO I, I'M GONNA JUST TAKE A MINUTE OR SO TO, TO COMMENT ON THAT ITEM, UH, OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AND ALLOW FOR OTHER COMMISSIONERS TO, TO MAKE THEIR COMMENT.
UM, WE CAN, UH, BEGIN UP OR DOWN VOTES ON THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
IF WE NEED TO GET INTO THE, THE MORE EXPEDITED, UH, PARTS OF IT, WE CAN GO TO THOSE SECTIONS.
SO HELP, YOU KNOW, HELP WITH THAT, PLEASE.
SO, AND IN REGARDS TO NUMBER THREE, DISSOLVE THE CITIZENS HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION AND THE DALLAS AREA PARTNERSHIP TO REDUCE REDUNDANCY.
UH, COMMISSIONER GARNER IS EXACTLY RIGHT.
THE, THESE TWO ENTITIES WERE GENERATED THROUGH THE REPORT, UM, THAT WAS ESTABLISHED.
UH, THE RAWLESS COMMISSION, UH, WAS AN EXTENSIVE BODY, UH, MULTIPLE SUBCOMMITTEES.
UH, I WAS LUCKY TO BE A PART OF THAT AND SAW THE EXPERTISE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE, UH, WITH THAT REGARD.
AND, UH, WHAT I'LL SAY ABOUT THAT IS IT, IT WAS VERY, VERY, VERY CLEAR THAT WE HAD A SYSTEM THAT WAS OPERATING IN SILOS, WERE NOT, THERE WAS NOT INTERSECTIONALITY, THERE WAS NOT, UH, A COMMONALITY IN DATA COLLECTION, UH, IN, IN TRANSFERENCE OF, OF INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS AND, AND FOCUSING ON LEVERAGING AND STREAMLINING EFFORTS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UH, AND SO THE, THE IDENTIFICATION OF A NEED OF A BODY THAT COULD GOVERN THE WHOLE SPACE OF HOMELESS RESPONSE, UH, WAS, WAS CLEAR.
IT BECAME VERY EVIDENT THAT THAT WAS NEEDED.
AND THAT'S WHY THIS, THE, THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE DALLAS AREA PARTNERSHIP EMERGED, UH, TO CREATE A BODY THAT IT'S ONE MAIN FOCUS IS THAT, UH, AND IT'S, IT'S A CONTINUOUS BODY.
IT'S NOT JUST BROUGHT TOGETHER AT A TIME WHERE, YOU KNOW, THINGS GET OUT OF HAND.
UM, AS WELL, THE CITIZENS HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION, UM, UH, WAS PART OF THAT PROCESS, IDENTIFYING THE NEED FOR A BODY THAT DIRECTLY RELATES TO COMMUNICATES WITH, REPRESENTS THE INTERESTS OF CITIZENS IN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF OUR CITY.
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UH, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THERE'S A LITANY OF REASONS WE CAN GIVE AS TO WHY THE C H C AND, AND THE D A P NEED TO CONTINUE.UH, I THINK THAT COMMISSIONER GARDNER DID AN EXCELLENT JOB IN LISTING OUT A LOT OF THAT.
I'M NOT GONNA REITERATE, UH, BUT I, I THINK YOU CAN JUDGE FROM THE EFFECTS.
UM, WHEN WE BEGAN THAT EFFORT, UM, YOU KNOW, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF THE C H C AND THE, AND THE D A P, THE ENCAMPMENT DECOMMISSIONING PROCESS, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WAS A MUCH DIFFERENT THING THAN WHAT WE SEE TODAY, UH, UNDER THE, UH, REALTIME RESPONSE, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS ADVOCATED FOR, UH, PROVIDING A DIRECT PATHWAY TO HOMELESSNESS.
AND IF YOU CHECK THE RECORD, YOU WILL SEE THIS, THIS HAS BEEN ADVOCATED FOR BY C H C MEMBERS SINCE, SINCE THE CREATION, UH, AND CERTAINLY IN THE LAST, UH, COUPLE YEARS.
UH, AND SO TO SEE IT BEING IMPLEMENTED AND TO SEE THE IMPACT AND THE BENEFIT OF IT, I THINK IS BRINGING TO FRUITION.
ONE OF THE MAJOR FOCUSES OF THIS BODY, UH, AND TO DISCOUNT THE ROLE IS A MISTAKE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE, UH, UH, IMPLEMENT WEATHER, UH, EMERGENCY HOUSING SYSTEM, UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW MANY COMMISSIONERS AROUND THIS TABLE CAN ATTEST TO THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WENT INTO, UH, UPDATING THOSE CHAPTERS AND MAKE ENSURING THAT WE HAD A, A PLACE FOR THAT.
AND I SEE THE REFERENCE TO THIS IN THE REPORT WITHOUT A REFERENCE TO ITS ORIGIN YET, UH, IN TERMS OF WHERE THE IMPLEMENT WEATHER SHELTER PROCESS CAME FROM.
UH, SO I COULD GO ON TO MENTION MANY DIFFERENT THINGS.
UH, BUT I GUESS I WILL, I WILL END WITH THE FACT THAT WHEN I READ THE, THE HOPE REPORT, AND IT'S, AND IT'S, UM, I GUESS IT'S EXPLANATION OF REASONING AROUND THAT IN TERMS OF REDUNDANCY, IT WAS THE ISSUE OF, OKAY, WELL WE DON'T NEED IT ANYMORE BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE THE ALL IN INITIATIVE.
AND SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, FEDERAL PLACEMENT HERE AND NOW WE, AND WE HAVE, UH, UH, UH, CITY COUNCIL HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS, UH, COMMITTEE.
AND SO THERE'S NO NEED FOR, FOR THESE ENTITIES.
UH, I DID NOT THINK THAT THAT REASONING WAS SUFFICIENT, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE CITIZENRY.
AND I'LL SAY THAT AGAIN, ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE CITIZENRY.
BECAUSE WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HORSESHOE, WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, DALLAS COUNTY, UH, WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE C O C, WHICH IS ESTABLISHED RELATIVE TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND, AND HUD, OKAY? UM, SO THERE, THERE, THERE, THERE THE NEED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, TRANSPARENCY, UH, TO THE CITIZENRY WHOSE TAX DOLLARS SUPPORT ALL OF THIS, UH, NO POLITICIAN HAS A DIME TO SPEND ON THE PROGRAM.
OKAY? THAT'S THE TAXPAYER'S DOLLAR, THEIR ACCESS TO WHAT IS GOING ON AND ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE AND INPUT AND RECEIVE, UH, UH, INFORMATION AND, AND DIRECTION IN TERMS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE THINGS RELATIVE TO THE SOCIAL ORDER IS CRITICAL.
UH, AND I DON'T SEE WITHIN THE REASONING AND, AND THE, THE PLANNING OF THE, THE HOPE REPORT A REAL REPLACEMENT FOR THAT.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD DISAGREE HEAVILY WITH THE IDEA OF A REDUNDANCY IN THAT ISSUE.
UH, SO I WILL, I WILL LEAVE IT THERE AND OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO SPEAK ON THAT.
I, WELL, I WOULD, LET ME, LEMME SAY ONE MORE THING JUST ABOUT DALLAS AREA PARTNERSHIP, WHETHER I AGREE OR DISAGREE OR WHATEVER MY PERSONAL PERS PERSPECTIVE IS IN TERMS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BODY, UH, ESPECIALLY GOING BACK TO ITS ORIGIN, IT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE NEED FOR THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE TO EXIST.
YOU CAN ARGUE THAT IT, A BODY NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED.
I WOULD MAKE THAT ARGUMENT WITH EVERYBODY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS IMPROVEMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE.
UH, BUT THE NEED FOR THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE IS WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT.
AND I DON'T SEE ANY, ANY REASON WHY NOT.
UH, YOU KNOW, I'LL ADD TO THAT THIS POINT, THAT WHEN WE SAW THE REAL TIME PROJECT EMERGE, THE FIRST EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE, THE RAWLINGS COMMISSION CALL FOR 2016, WHERE WE SAW A REAL MERGING AND PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITIES AND THE COUNTY REGARDING A SPECIFIC RESPONSE PROGRAM.
UH, AND, AND THAT WORKING TOGETHER, THAT
[01:05:01]
WAS THE WHOLE POINT.AND SO, RIGHT AT THE POINT WHERE WE'RE FINALLY STARTING TO SEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WHAT WE, WHAT WE HAD, UH, UH, ESTABLISHED THOSE FEW YEARS AGO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STOPPING THAT PROCESS.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.
UH, SO I, I WANNA SEPARATE THE PERS THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE VISION AND PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT.
TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NEED FOR THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE RELATIVE TO THAT, THE SERVICES THAT IT PROVIDES, I DON'T SEE THE REDUNDANCY THAT THEY'RE REFERRING TO.
OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
COMMISSIONER HAW, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR CHAIR KING.
I I CAN HEAR IT, I CAN FEEL IT
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT I THINK SOMETIMES IS NOT COMING ACROSS FROM THIS COMMITTEE.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADVOCATE THAT MINIMALLY, I DON'T WANNA SEE THIS GROUP DISSOLVED, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE US REFOCUS AND RECHARTER TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND MOVE FORWARD.
'CAUSE I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, BUT IT'S TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT'S NEXT AND HOW DO WE DO IT BETTER.
AND THAT'S WHERE MY ADVOCACY COMES.
DON'T, DON'T DISSOLVE THE GROUP, BUT MAKE SURE WE DEFINE WHAT WE DO, AND WE GET THE PUBLIC VISION OF WHAT THAT IS, SO THAT WHEN SOMETHING'S REPORTED OR REPORTED, IT DOESN'T SAY ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE C H C THAT THAT'S CALLED AS A B******T CARD.
I, I APPRECIATE THE, WELL, MOST OF THE COMMENT, COMMISSIONER HAWK, BUT, UH, LET'S KEEP IT PG.
UH, BUT I WILL SIMPLY SAY THAT I THINK THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, TO THAT POINT, I THINK THAT ALWAYS NEEDS TO BE AN ONGOING PROCESS.
THERE'S ALWAYS NEEDS TO BE AN ONGOING PROCESS OF IMPROVEMENT.
AND SO TO THAT EXTENT, I, I, I COMPLETELY AGREE.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVING A, A COMMENT? LET ME MAKE SURE.
ANY COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVEN'T SPOKE, SPOKEN AND WISH TO SPEAK ON THE ISSUE OF ITEM OF, UH, RECOMMENDATION THREE, DISSOLVING THE C H C AND THE D A P? SURE.
I MAY HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS AND I, COMMISSIONER, I, I KNOW I'M GONNA BE IN THE MINORITY HERE.
UM, BUT WHEN I CAME ONTO THE, UH, ONTO THE COMMISSION THAT FOUR YEARS AGO, THAT'S WHEN THE HOMELESSNESS COMMITTEE WAS FIRST STARTED.
AND I FELT LIKE THERE WAS, UH, THERE WAS SOME COMPONENTS OF THE CITIZENS HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION THAT WERE STRIPPED AWAY BY THAT COMMITTEE, THAT RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE CITY THAT IT TOOK OVER, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS COMMISSION.
UM, AND BECAUSE OF IT, THIS COMMISSION AND, AND THIS COMMISSION DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE TEETH, UH, ALL OF ITS TEETH, BUT IT SHOULD.
UM, I DO THINK, UH, I, I DO THINK THERE'S AN IMPERATIVE NEED FOR THE VOICE THAT'S HEARD FROM THIS COMMISSION TO THE CITY TO STILL BE INTACT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT NECESSARILY REQUIRES A WHOLE SEPARATE PERMISSION TO THAT VOICE, UH, TO BE, TO BE THERE WITH, WITH THE CITY'S COMMITTEE, UM, HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION, HOMELESS COMMITTEE.
THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND IT, UH, INSTEAD OF JUST DISSOLVING AND, AND LEAVING ANOTHER INTACT.
BUT TO EXPAND THAT COMMITTEE SO THAT IT HAS SUBCOMMITTEES THAT, UH, REPRESENT THE CITIZEN'S VOICE AS, AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THAT LOOKS AT THE PARTNERSHIPS WITHIN THE CITY THAT HELPS ADVOCATE FOR THE THINGS.
AND, BUT BY IT BEING A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THAT COMMITTEE THAT'S EXPANDED, UH, IT GIVES THAT PARTICULAR VOICE A MORE STREAMLINED OPPORTUNITY TO IMPACT POLICY, IMPACT BUDGETS, IMPACT THE THINGS HAPPENING AT, AT THE CITY LEVEL UPSTREAM.
UM, SO I, I MAY BE IN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT CAMP, BUT I THINK THERE'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT ANGLE TO LOOK AT THIS THING, UM, TO, TO GET THE THINGS DONE THAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT A HIGHER LEVEL, UM, THAT ARE ALSO, BECAUSE LIKE WITH THE HOMELESSNESS COMMITTEE, I DON'T FEEL CONNECTED TO IT AT ALL, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE SAME THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S SOME REDUNDANCY THERE THAT IT, IT'D BE NICE TO REMOVE THAT REDUNDANCY, BUT THEN BRING THIS VOICE CLOSER TO THAT COMMITTEE AND THEN BE ABLE TO USE THAT COMMITTEE AS, AS A BETTER MOUTHPIECE SUBSTRATE.
UH, CAN I GET A QUICK CLARIFICATION ON WHAT, WHEN YOU SAY THE HOMELESSNESS COMMITTEE, OR YOU MEAN THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE? THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE.
SO THE HOUSING AND HOMELESS COUNCIL COMMITTEE.
AND IT'S, I, I'VE HEARD IT CALLED SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT IT WAS FORMED BACK, I THINK IN
[01:10:01]
TWO, LIKE IN THE FALL OF 2019, IF I REMEMBER, OR MAYBE 18, IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE COVID HIT.AND, AND IT TOOK AWAY SOME OF THE, I WOULD SAY, POWERS THAT THIS COMMISSION HAD AND ELEVATED IT TO THE COUNCIL LEVEL.
I JUST THINK THAT THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES THERE FOR THIS, FOR THE VOICE AND THE PURPOSE THAT WE HAVE WITH THIS COMMISSION TO BE ELEVATED AND TO HAVE A STRONGER VOICE BY EXPANDING THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE INSTEAD OF, UM, US, YOU KNOW, DOING SEPARATE.
DO YOU HAVE A RESPONSE TO THAT? I DO.
I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH HIS COMMENT.
AND THE REASON BEING IS BECAUSE I'M NOT CLEAR ON WHAT HIS GROUP DID AT ALL.
AND MAYBE YOU CAN SHARE THAT WITH US.
LIKE YOU SAID, YOU FELT DISCONNECTED TO IT.
SO I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO EXPLAIN YOUR DISCONNECTION AND THEN ALSO SHARE WITH US, US IN THE HOW MANY EVERY YEARS YOU WERE SERVING WITH THEM.
WHAT WOULD, WHAT IS IT THAT THEY HAVE DONE THAT WILL CAUSE YOU TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE MORE POWER IF YOU FEEL DISCONNECTED TO IT? 'CAUSE YOU SAID THAT I, I'M SORRY, BY SHARON OWENS, WHICH, WHICH GROUP ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? SAID THE, THE GROUP THAT YOU'VE BEEN IN FOR THE PAST.
I, I THINK THAT MAYBE WE CLARIFY TALKING ABOUT THE CITIZENS, THE NAME, THE SPECIFIC NAMES WERE YOU'RE SAYING DIFFERENT NAMES.
SO I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WELL, HE, I THINK, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, COMMISSIONER CELINE, BUT HE, HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE, THE, THE CITY COUNCIL HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS COMMITTEE.
THOSE ARE THE TWO BODIES THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND SO FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT YOUR PARTICIPATION ON THE C H C RIGHT.
AND NOT, NOT REALLY FEELING CONNECTED TO THE CITY, THE, THE COUNCIL'S HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS COMMITTEE PROCESS.
SO THAT, JUST TO CLARIFY, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING MIGHT SHARE, YOU WANNA RESPOND TO THAT STILL SAY
I STILL, I'M STILL NOT CLEAR ON YOUR CONNECTION WITH, TELL US THE DIFFERENCE WITH YOUR CONNECTION WITH US AND THEM.
YOU WERE SAYING, IS THERE A CONNECTION? WELL, I, I THINK, LEMME JUST LEAVE IT THERE BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA GIVE IT TO, UH, COMMISSIONER JAKE, BUT I'D SAY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT HE'S SAYING IS HE FELT DISCONNECTED TO THE, TO THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE BECAUSE OF, FOR WHATEVER REASON YOU CAN GIVE YOUR REASON.
THAT'S WHAT I'M, THAT, THAT YOU AS A C H C MEMBER DID NOT FEEL CONNECTED TO THE ACTIONS OF THE WORK OF THE, THE, THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS COMMITTEE.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
AND, AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE PROBABLY YOU PUTTING THAT MUCH BETTER THAN I DID, AND I, I'VE SERVED, SERVED ON OTHER COMMISSIONS MM-HMM.
THE, UM, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH OVERSEES JEFFERSON.
I MEAN, I, I'VE EXPERIENCED ZONING.
I SEE THE TEETH THAT THOSE COMMISSIONS HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO IMPACTING POLICY, IMPACTING BUDGETS, HA HAVING A LARGE IMPACT ON THE SPECIFIC AREA THAT WE ARE BEING ASKED TO PROVIDE INFLUENCE AND OVERSIGHT FOR.
AND, AND I, I, I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS BODY HAVE THOSE THINGS, BUT THE WAY THAT IT'S SET UP WITH THE CITY CURRENTLY, AND US, I MEAN, ME AND YOU, UHHUH
I JUST, I, I, THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD WORK THAT HAPPENS HERE.
UM, BUT IT, IT DOES FEEL LIKE THERE'S A DISCONNECT WITH, YOU KNOW, OTHER POWERS THAT DO.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION.
COMMISSIONER CARTER, GO AHEAD.
COMMISSIONER JACOB HAS HAD HIS HAND FOR SOME TIME.
I DON'T WANNA, IT, IT'S SUCH A SMALL PICTURE.
IT'S HARD TO SEE, BUT NO, COMMISSIONER JACOB, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
THEN WE GO TO COMMISSIONER GARDNER.
AND I MEAN, I, I AGREE WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER SHALENE.
I MEAN, AMPLIFYING THE WORK OF THIS, OF THIS BODY, UH, AND BRINGING ITS PROMINENCE TO, UH, THE COUNCIL LEVEL IS IMPORTANT.
BUT GIVEN THE STRUCTURE, I MEAN, IF WE WERE TO, UH, HYPOTHETICALLY MOVE, UH, SOME
[01:15:01]
OF THE WORK OF, OR AT LEAST WHAT WE ARE CHARGED WITH AS A COMMISSION, UH, UNDER A SUBCOMMITTEE OF HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS COMMITTEE OF THE FULL COUNCIL, GIVEN THAT STRUCTURE, UH, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG HERE, THAT PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED ONLY TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH IT BEING A COUNCIL COMMITTEE.UM, MY THOUGHTS, AND, UM, AND MAYBE I'M ALONE HERE BY WAY OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE OFFER UP TO, UH, THE COUNCIL BASED UPON THE HOPE REPORT, UH, OR AT LEAST, UH, LOOKING AT IT FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE, UH, IS, IS IS A REEXAMINATION OF THE CHARGE OF THE C H C AS A WHOLE, WHAT IS IT THAT WE ARE CHARGED WITH? YES, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT, UH, THAT WE ARE AN ADVISORY BODY THAT OFFERS RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT, UH, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT, I MEAN, IF THEY'RE LOOKING AT, UH, AT LEAST AT, UH, POTENTIALLY ADOPTING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM, UH, THE HOPE REPORT, TASK FORCE, AND SUN SETTING THE COMMITTEE, UH, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THEN TO RE UH, TO, UH, RESHAPE THE FOCUS OF WHAT THE C H C DOES AND, UH, THE PURVIEW OVER WHICH, UH, WE HAVE, BECAUSE I FEEL, I MEAN, I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, AND MANY, IF NOT MANY AGREE, UH, THAT WE NEED THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE TRANSPARENCY AND THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, UH, LOOKING AT EVERYTHING FROM A COOPERATIVE, UH, STANCE TO HELP SOLVE HOMELESSNESS IN DALLAS.
IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT, UH, CITY COUNCIL CAN DO.
IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT, UH, OFFICE, UH, OFFICES, AGENCIES, AND DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY OR OTHER, UH, NONPROFIT AGENCIES CAN DO.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THE VOICE OF OUR INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES TO HELP SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
AND IF OUR VOICE IS TAKEN AWAY BY SUNSETTING THE C H C, WE'RE NEVER GOING TO, UH, GET THE COMMUNITY BUY-IN THAT I BELIEVE IS NECESSARY TO HELP SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER JACOB.
UM, I'M GONNA MAKE, I'LL COMMENT ON THAT, BUT I'LL GIVE THE FLOOR TO COMMISSIONER GARNER AND THEN COME BACK TO THE, OKAY.
CHEROKEE AND COMMISSIONER SHALEEN, I, I AGREE THAT, UM, IF ANYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH THE C P C, THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION, THEY MEET ALL DAY.
THEY, IT IS A HUGE COMMITMENT.
I WILL NOT DROP AN EXPLETIVE ON THAT.
UM, THEY HELP, THEY LOOK AT THE CITY CHARTER WITH ZONING AND LOOK AT WHAT CAN GO INTO, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE COUNCIL'S APPOINTMENT BEFORE SOMETHING MAKES IT TO THE AGENDA FOR A VOTE.
RIGHT? AND, UM, THEY ARE A FABULOUS GROUP.
JUST SOME WICKED SMART PEOPLE HERE, THERE, AND HERE.
UM, AND I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THAT WE NEED MORE TEETH IN THAT WAY.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN PRETTY PASSIVE JUST KIND OF GETTING A PRESENTATION AND MAYBE ADDING A LITTLE BIT OF INPUT.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT PLAN COMMISSION GETS, THEY'RE GETTING 12 25, 200 PAGES ON JUST THE, THE MICROSCOPIC VIEW OF, OF WHAT IS GONNA GO INTO THAT PARCEL FOR, FOR THAT COUNCIL, THIS DISTRICT, AS FAR AS CHANGING THE STRUCTURE OR CHARGE, I, I MEAN, WE'D HAVE TO OPEN UP THE APPOINTEE MANUAL AND MAKE A VOTE, RIGHT? UM, OPEN IT UP, SCRUTINIZE IT, UM, REASSESS, WHICH IS PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA.
UM, WHEN THIS COMMISSION WAS VOTED INTO EXISTENCE, UM, THERE WAS NOTHING OUT THERE.
WELL, WE'VE MADE PROGRESS SINCE THEN.
PERHAPS IT IS WORTH, NOT DISSOLUTION, BUT LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND, UM, STRUCTURING IT IN A WAY THAT IS NOT, UM, UH, WHAT WAS THE WORD? REDUNDANT.
UM, SO IF WE TAKE A VOTE ON ITEM THREE, UM, PERHAPS WE SHOULD AMEND IT WITH A PROPOSAL OF HOW WE MAINTAIN OUR STATUS.
SO I THINK MAYBE WE COULD OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION FOR THAT.
LIKE WHAT SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS? I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE'D HAVE TO OPEN UP THAT CHARTER AND TAKE A LOOK, OR, AND IT'S ALL IN OUR APPOINTEE MANUAL.
I, I DO NOT HAVE THAT WITH ME RIGHT NOW.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION.
I MEAN, DO A VOTE AND THEN A RECOMMENDATION, UM, ON HOW WE PIVOT AND WHERE WE GO NEXT.
UH, COMMISSIONER GARNER, UM, I'M GONNA OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO COMMISSIONER BROWN.
APOLOGIES TO COMMISSIONER BROWN.
I DON'T SEE YOU ON MY SCREEN, SO I DIDN'T SEE YOUR HAND RAISED YOU, BUT YOU DO HAVE THE FLOOR.
MY PHONE'S BEEN GOING IN AND OUT THIS WHOLE TIME.
UM, I FIRST WANTED TO JUST SAY
[01:20:01]
THANK YOU TO THE OGS OF THE HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION BECAUSE YOU GUYS DID DO A LOT OF THINGS TO HELP US GET TO THE POINT TO WHERE WE ARE, EVEN THOUGH A LOT OF CREDIT IS NOT GIVEN.NOW, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'VE LISTENED TO EVERYBODY TODAY, AND I WAS ABOUT TO ASK, YOU KNOW, MY FAVORITE PART, WHAT IS GONNA BE OUR NEXT STEP? LIKE, ARE WE GOING IN FRONT OF COUNCIL? BUT NOW I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO DIAL IT BACK TO SAY, I THINK WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE C H C HAS HELPED BUILD A LOT OF DIFFERENT ENTITIES TO THEN GET POWERS STRIPPED AWAY, OR POWERS THAT SHOULD, WE SHOULD GARNER BE GIVEN TO OTHER RESOURCES.
AND I THINK THAT'S HURT IN, IN THE RETROSPECT THAT ALL WE REALLY DO IS LOOK AT PRESENTATIONS SOMETIMES.
AND I KNOW I'VE TALKED TO A COUPLE OF YOU GUYS OFF CAMERA, AND WE WANT, WE WANNA DO MORE.
AND WE HAVE STARTED TO DO MORE.
I DON'T THINK GETTING RID OF THE HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION IS THE ANSWER.
I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHERE MY ONLY AND SOLE FOCUS IS TO BE A BRIDGE FOR MY COMMUNITY AND SPEAK FOR MY COMMUNITY BY TAKING US AWAY, SUNSETTING US AS A FANCY TERM THAT'S BEING USED TODAY.
UM, OUR COMMUNITY WON'T HAVE A VOICE.
WE HAVE OTHER PEOPLE, LIKE ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS JUST SAID JUST A SECOND AGO, IT'S OTHER PEOPLE WHO DO A LOT OF GOOD WORK ON THESE OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
THEY ALSO HAVE A LOT MORE RESOURCES AND ACCESS TO THINGS TO GET THINGS DONE.
I THINK THE ADVOCATING NEEDS TO COME IN ON OUR HALVE, UH, ON OUR BEHALF IS, HEY, WE NEED THESE SAME RESOURCES.
WE ARE ONE OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND WE ARE ON THE GROUND, BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
I KNOW A LOT OF US ARE TO GET THINGS DONE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT SUCCESSFULLY UNLESS WE HAVE THESE THINGS.
AND THAT'S TAKING ANOTHER CHARGE, ANOTHER INITIATIVE, AND ADDING THESE THINGS ON.
BECAUSE IF WE SAID THAT WE'RE GONNA BE A PART OF THE COMMISSION, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE GIVEN OUR TIME AND RESPECT AND LOVE AND PASSION TOWARDS DOING SO.
I DEFINITELY, I'M 100% AGAINST GETTING RID OF IT.
I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WERE GONNA DO ABOUT IT.
BUT I SEE THAT POSITIONS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
AND I THINK AS A WHOLE, WE, BEFORE WE PRESENT ANYTHING, I THINK WE NEED TO GET ON ONE ACCORD AS TO WHAT WE FEEL AS A WHOLE SHOULD HAPPEN.
'CAUSE I'M FEELING LIKE I'M HEARING MIXED REVIEWS AS TO MAYBE WE SHOULD LET IT GO AND JOIN ANOTHER FORCE.
AND I WANNA BE A PART OF SOMETHING THAT WE ALL FEEL LIKE NEEDS TO STAY GROUNDED AND STAY TRUE TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, AND FIGHT TO GET THE POWERS THAT WE NEED TO ADD THE CHARGES THAT WE NEED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT, UH, COMMENT, MS. MC BROWN.
UM, AND I THINK A VERY IMPORTANT, VERY MADE, VERY IMPORTANT POINTS.
ALL, ALL, UM, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PERSPECTIVES PROVIDED.
ONE THING I DO WANNA SAY IS, UM, A LOT OF WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE TOUCHED ON, UM, IS INTENDED FOR, YOU KNOW, VERY EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION WITHIN THE RETREAT.
UH, AND THERE'S THE REASON FOR, UH, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THAT RETREAT TO GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO IN DEPTH IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIRECTION OF THE COMMISSION IN RELATION TO THE OVERALL SYSTEM.
UH, AND SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO, AND GET, MATTER OF FACT, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT YOU'LL SEE AN ITEM, UH, PROBABLY ON THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, ON OUR REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING, TO ALLOW FOR THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO INCLUDE IN OUR RETREAT, HOW WE'RE GOING TO ORGANIZE A STRUCTURAL.
AND I CAN SAY THAT ALREADY, I'M INTENDING FOR THAT RETREAT TO, UM, I'M INTENDING FOR IT TO BE A LONGER TIMEFRAME, UH, BECAUSE WE MAY HAVE SOME PANEL DISCUSSION, BUT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO BREAK OUT INTO OUR OWN PLENARY SESSIONS AND DISCUSS THESE THINGS IN DEPTH.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NEED TO ALSO THINK ABOUT, UM, NOT JUST DOING, YOU KNOW, SAVING IT FOR THAT SPACE, BUT INCREASING THAT CONVERSATION, UH, SO THAT WE HAVE MORE AND MORE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THAT, THAT KIND OF THINKING TO THE TABLE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, TO THE POINTS THAT, THAT SOME ARE MAKING, I AGREE WITH, THAT'S THE MAIN REASON FOR BRINGING AGENDA FORECAST.
UH, AS, AS STANDING ITEMS, SOMETHING THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE GET BACK TO IN FULL.
I THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ALSO ADD TO THAT, UM, SOME KIND OF REVIEW TO ENSURE WHENEVER WE RECEIVE A FORECAST THAT IT INCLUDES ALL THE ITEMS THAT IT SHOULD INCLUDE.
BUT THE PURPOSE IS ALIGNMENT OF OUR FOCUS, UH, IN TERMS OF THINGS WE'RE REVIEWING WITH THINGS THAT WILL COME BEFORE COUNCIL FOR BOTH, SO THAT WE'RE IN A POSITION TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATION AND ADVISEMENT BEFORE THAT DECISION IS MADE BY COUNCIL.
IN ADDITION, IS THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMITTEE CREATIONS SO THAT WE CAN, WITHIN OUR COMMITTEES, DRIVE OUR OWN, UH, PROACTIVE ITEMS TO
[01:25:01]
THE FULL COMMISSION ON A CONSISTENT BASIS THAT CONSISTENTLY PROVIDES ADVISEMENT IN THE FORM OF RECOMMENDATIONS, NOT NECESSARILY TO CONNECTED TO AN UPCOMING VOTE, BUT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN UP IN OUR OPINION AS A COMMISSION.UH, AS CERTAINLY I FEEL THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND THE CONNECTEDNESS OF THE COMMISSION.
AND SO THAT IS A LITTLE SEPARATE FROM, FROM THE POINT OF THIS DISCUSSION, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY A MAJOR OVERLAP, UH, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M ALLOWING TO DELVE INTO IT A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF THE, UH, UH, I MEAN, WHAT I, SO I, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO IN DEPTH IN TERMS OF RECOMMENDATION OF WHAT THIS BODY SHOULD BECOME, YOU KNOW, THAT TYPE OF THING.
AND I, I WOULD SAY TO, TO COMMISSIONER BROWN'S POINT, I THINK THAT THAT'S A VERY VALID POINT, THAT WE NEED TO, UH, ENSURE THAT WE'RE ON THE SAME ACCORD AMONGST OURSELVES AND GIVE OURSELVES TIME TO FULLY VET OUT ANY RECOMMENDATION WE WOULD BRING FORWARD THAT WOULD CHANGE THE STRUCTURE.
UH, WE CAN DO THAT IN COMMITTEE, AND WE CAN DO THAT IN COMMISSION.
UH, UH, SO JUST TO SAY THAT, THAT ALL OF THESE POINTS ARE VERY WELL NOTED AND AGREED WITH.
AND I THINK THE ONLY ISSUE IS ABOUT THE STRUCTURE AND PROCESS OF HOW WE FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
SO, FOR TODAY, I WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE RESPONDING TO THE REPORT AS OUR ITEM IDENTIFIES, UH, WHICH MEANS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND JUST DETERMINE OUR POSITION, AND THEN WE CAN, UH, LOOK TO, UH, YOU KNOW, ESTABLISH, I, I SAID AS SOON AS NEXT WEEK.
UM, UH, UH, BUT GOING FORWARD TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THE SPECIFIC NATURE OF HOW WE SAY WE NEED TO IMPROVE, UH, OUR POSITION AND THE OVERALL POSITION OF RESPONSE, UH, IN TERMS OF EFFECTIVENESS AND CONNECTING, UH, CONNECTEDNESS, I WILL SAY, UM, LICENSE THERE, BUT, UH, TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT, TO COMMISSIONER JACOB'S POINT, UH, WHICH IS VERY VALID, UM, AND SOMETHING THAT THAT IS, IS REALLY, UH, ON THE FOREFRONT OF THINKING AROUND, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR FUTURE PLANNING IS OUR, YOU KNOW, INCREASING OUR CONNECTION AS A CONDUIT FOR OUR PROSPECTIVE COMMUNITIES, ALLOWING THAT TO BE A VEHICLE FOR THEIR VOICE, UH, AS, AND TO RECEIVE THAT INPUT AND TO GENERATE INFORMATION, DATA, UNDERSTANDING TO THOSE, TO OUR COMMUNITIES, UH, SO THAT WE ALL AS A CITY GET TO A GREATER POINT OF UNDERSTANDING, UH, AND, AND, AND GET ON THE SAME PAGE IN TERMS OF RESOLVING THE SOCIAL ILLS THAT FACE US ALL.
UH, UH, SO I'LL, I'LL, I'LL LEAVE THAT THERE AS AT, AT THIS POINT WHERE AT TWO, UH, 29, UH, WE HAVE A END POINT AT THREE.
YOU KNOW, I, WE MAY GO OVER AT THIS POINT, UH, JUST TO GET THIS, BUT I DON'T WANNA, I WANNA TRY TO KEEP THE TIME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UH, SO I'LL GIVE THE, UM, THE FLOOR BACK TO COMMISSIONER BROWN.
I SEE YOUR HAND RAISED, YOU PROBABLY HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK.
UH, BUT THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE BACK TO THE RECOMMENDATION LIST.
COMMISSIONER BROWN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, WHEN IS COUNCIL GOING TO VOTE ON THE HOPE REPORT OR WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS? IS IT ANY SET DAY THAT THEY'RE GONNA ACTUALLY PUT THOSE INTO IMPLEMENTATION OR TAKE A VOTE ON THOSE? I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
THAT'S SOMETHING I LOOK FOR IN THE AGENDA FORECAST.
UH, SO WE COULD BE INFORMED OF THAT.
WE SIMPLY WANTED TO, UH, FELT THE NEED TO RESPOND, OBVIOUSLY, AS IT DIRECTLY IMPACTED THIS BODY AND, AND THE D A P.
UH, BUT AT, AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK THAT ANY TIME, ANY KIND OF, UH, REPORT THAT IT AFFECTS OUR SPACE IS PROVIDED THAT, YOU KNOW, PROVIDED TO THE MAYOR'S, PROVIDED TO CITY COUNCILS, PROVIDED TO CITY MANAGER, WE WANT TO TAKE THAT ACCOUNT AS AN ADVISORY BODY TO GIVE OUR POSITION.
UH, SO WE, WE WILL, UH, I'LL FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
UH, BUT I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD EXPECT TO BE IN OUR AGENDA FORECAST IF IT IS AN ITEM ON THE CITY COUNCIL'S AGENDA.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT THE URGENCY WAS WITH IT.
'CAUSE I KNOW WE KIND OF TOOK A TURN REAL QUICK, SO I WAS LIKE, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHEN, WHAT TIMEFRAME, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY IMMEDIATE TIME, SO, OKAY.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
YEAH, IT'S REALLY JUST THAT THE REPORT, AS FAR AS I KNOW, WAS RELEASED TO US, UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO.
UH, SO THE NEED TO JUST PREPARE A RESPONSE IS, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO PREPARE AN INTELLIGENT RESPONSE, WE HAVE TO PUT SOME INTELLIGENCE TOWARD IT.
WE GOTTA PUT SOME TIME TOWARD IT.
WE GOTTA GET ON THE SAME PAGE WITH ONE ANOTHER, UH, AT LEAST TO A POSITION OF MAJORITY WITHIN THE COMMISSION.
SO WE JUST WANNA GO AHEAD AND DO THAT WORK.
IT DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T HAVE, I WOULDN'T SEE TIME TO REALLY FLESH THIS OUT WITHIN A NORMAL MEETING WHERE WE HAVE OTHER ITEMS WE NEED TO ATTEND
[01:30:01]
TO.SO THAT, THAT'S JUST A REASON, UH, TO BE PREPARED FOR SOMETHING THAT, OBVIOUSLY, I DON'T KNOW THE SCHEDULE IN TERMS OF THEIR CONSIDERATION, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE PREPARED FOR THAT.
UH, SO THANK, THANK YOU FOR THAT, THAT QUESTION.
UH, BUT THIS TIME, UH, LOOKING AT THE TIME, LIKE I SAID, I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR A UP OR DOWN VOTE ON THE I ON ON RECOMMENDATION THREE, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, SO DO I HAVE A MOTION? I, UM, COMMISSIONER GARNER, UM, MOTION TO KEEP THE CITIZENS HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION AND THE DALLAS AREA PARTNERSHIP YET, UM, IN A FUTURE MEETING, OPEN UP OUR CHARTER AND LOOK FOR WAYS TO, UM, CHANGE THE DIRECTION IN A MORE, UM, PRODUCTIVE WAY.
LEMME ASK YOU THIS
UM, HOW MOTION TO KEEP THE CITIZENS HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION AND THE DALLAS AREA PARTNERSHIP, UH, WITH THE INTENT TO ADDRESS OUR CHARGE IN A FUTURE MEETING, UM, TO, FOR RESTRUCTURING, I'M OPEN TO SOME ADJECTIVES.
YEAH, LET'S, LET'S DO, OH, SO IT'S JUST AN UP OR DOWN.
SO MOTION TO KEEP THE CITIZENS HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION AND THE DALLAS AREA PARTNERSHIP.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? MOTION SECONDED.
SO I THINK THE, THE FIRST SECOND CAME FROM COMMISSIONER HAWK, HAS BEEN PROPERLY MO MOVED AND SECONDED, UH, TO TAKE A VOTE ON RECOMMENDATION THREE OF THE HOPE REPORT, WHICH IS THE DISSOLUTION OF THE CITIZENS HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION AND THE DALLAS, THE DALLAS AREA PARTNERSHIP.
UM, THE, THE MOTION IS TO KEEP THE CITIZENS HOMELESSNESS COM, THE HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION, AND THE DALLAS AREA PARTNERSHIP.
UH, SO I'LL ASK FOR A VOTE ON THAT.
ANY OPPOSED? I THINK THAT'S A UNANIMOUS VOTE.
UH, SO THE, UH, REC, THE C H C RECOMMENDATION TO KEEP THE C H C AND DALLAS AREA PARTNERSHIP IS APPROVED.
UM, LET'S MOVE ON TO OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS LET'S LOOK AT, UH, SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE WANT TO ADDRESS BY VOTE, UM, WITHIN THIS MEETING.
AND WHAT I'LL ASK COMMISSIONERS TO DO, UM, IF ANY COMMISSIONER HAS A MOTION ON ANY OF THE OTHER, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS LIST, NOW WOULD BE THE TIME TO OFFER THE MOTION.
YEAH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE RECOMMENDATIONS LIST ON PAGE THREE.
UH, I THINK IT CONTINUES ON THE BOARD
AND LIKE I SAID, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MOVE TO OTHER, WE'LL DO THAT.
SO COMMISSIONER GARNER, YOU HAVE A MOTION? YEAH.
UM, I KNOW YOU SAID STICK TO PAGE THREE.
UM, THOSE ARE MORE GENERIC, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE HOPE REPORT.
SO I'M GONNA GO TO THE MORE SPECIFIC ITEM, UM, FOR MY MOTION.
AND THAT IS GONNA BE ON PAGE SEVEN.
UH, RECOMMENDATION NUMBER FOUR.
THIS WAS, UM, DISCUSSED AND VOTED ON IN MY SUBCOMMITTEE AND OUR SUBCOMMITTEE, UM, THE SOCIAL SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE, UH, WHICH INCLUDES MYSELF AS CHAIR COMMISSIONER MATT JACOB, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER JIM HAW.
AND THE RECOMMENDATION WAS TO REMOVE THE DEED OR ZONING RESTRICTIONS THAT LIMIT THE MAXIMUM UTILIZATION OF EXISTING SHELTER SPACES, INCLUDING THE FOUR INCLEMENT WEATHER SHELTERS, AND ALLOCATE FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE NECESSARY EXPANSION REQUIREMENTS.
OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS, UM, AND THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE CITY'S ADOPTION OF DECENTRALIZATION OF SERVICES VIA THE FOUR TRACK PLAN, WHICH WAS A VOTED IN AS CITY POLICY IN 2018.
UH, SOCIAL SERVICES RECOMMENDATION, I'M SORRY, MOTION TO KEEP DALLAS DEVELOPMENT CODE CHAPTER 51, A LIMITATIONS ON EMERGENCY SHELTER BEDS WITHIN C B D AND ONE THIRD MILE OUTSIDE TO 1100, AND ESTABLISH ENHANCED CODE AND POLICE ENFOR ENFORCEMENT AND GOOD NEIGHBOR NEIGHBOR REQUIREMENTS WITHIN EMERGENCY SHELTER, SHELTER AREAS WHEREIN
[01:35:02]
DEED AND ZONING RESTRICTIONS ARE, UH, LIFTED.SO BASICALLY WHAT THIS SAYS IS THERE ARE LIMITS TO EMERGENCY SHELTER BEDS IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, WHICH IS THE DOWNTOWN CORE, AND ONE THIRD MILE OUTSIDE, UM, TO 1100.
WE HAVE ALREADY PASSED THAT WITH THE EXPANSION OF AUSTIN STREET SHELTER.
UM, BUT THE LIMITS ARE TO, TO BASICALLY EXPAND SERVICES OUTSIDE THE CITY, THE CITY CORE ADD BY, BY ADDITION, BY SUBTRACTION.
SO ALL THE SERVICES ARE RIGHT NOW DOWNTOWN.
THERE ARE NO OTHER EMERGENCY SHELTERS, UM, WITHIN ANY OTHER REGION OTHER THAN THE MEDICAL DISTRICT, WHICH WOULD BE U G M AND SALVATION ARMY.
UM, SO THIS IS BASICALLY A WAY TO ADVOCATE FOR MORE EMERGENCY SERVICES BY LIFTING THOSE ZONING RESTRICTIONS OUTSIDE THE CITY CORPS, UM, WHICH IS A CHARGE THAT THE CITY HAS ADOPTED SINCE 2018.
SO, UM, THAT WAS A LONG MOTION.
BUT THAT WAS THE DISCUSSION BEHIND IT.
SO, UM, AND I HOPE EVERYONE IS ADVOCATING FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER IN YOUR DISTRICT.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW, IF YOU HAVE IT, I CAN LET YOU KNOW YOU DON'T
SO, UM, UNLESS YOU'RE IN SIX OR SEVEN, ADJACENT TO TWO.
UM, SO THE MOTION IS, UM, IN RECOMMENDATION NUMBER FOUR UNDER ACTIONS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO TEMPORARY SHELTER AND ACCELERATE PERMANENT HOUSING EFFORTS.
KEEP DALLAS DEVELOPMENT CODE CHAPTER 51, A LIMITATIONS ON EMERGENCY SHELTER BEDS WITHIN C B D AND ONE THIRD MILE OUTSIDE TO 1100 AND ESTABLISHED ENHANCED CODE AND POLICE ENFORCEMENT AND GOOD NEIGHBOR REQUIREMENT REQUIREMENTS WITHIN EMERGENCY SHELTER AREAS.
AYE, COMMISSIONER, HOW COULD SECOND THAT MOTION
UM, ANY DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONER SILHAN AND THEN COMMISSIONER BROWN.
I TOTALLY UNDERST, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR MOTION.
THE BRIDGE HAD THE BRIDGE DEALS WITH LIKE 2000 PEOPLE A DAY.
WE WOULD HAVE TO OPEN THE CITY CHARTER AND ACTUALLY CHANGE THE LAW IN THE CITY TO CHANGE THAT 1100 BED.
YOU MADE A MOTION TO CHANGE, I MEAN, YOU MADE A MOTION TO LIMIT IT.
SO WHY ARE WE MOTIONING TO LIMIT SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY PART OF THE CHARTER? SO THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE HOPE REPORT, RIGHT.
TO REMOVE ZONING RESTRICTIONS.
SO I'M AMENDING IT TO MAKE THE SUGGESTION THAT YES, I SUPPORT IT, BUT LET'S KEEP THE RESTRICTIONS IN THE DOWNTOWN C B D ONE THIRD MILE OUTSIDE THAT AREA IN AN AS AN EFFORT TO ENCOURAGE MORE EMERGENCY SHELTER OUTSIDE THE CENTRAL CORE, THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
THIS IS SUPPORTS THE CITY CHARGE, RIGHT? OF DECENTRALIZATION THAT WAS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL IN 2018 OF, UM, TO BASICALLY HAVE MORE SERVICES SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE CITY WHEREIN HOMELESSNESS EXISTS.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHY I WAS JUST AMENDING THE LANGUAGE IN THE HOPE REPORT OF THE RECOMME, THE RECOMMENDATION.
I DON'T THINK I CAN, I DON'T THINK I CAN DO THAT.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR THE, FOR THE QUESTION.
UH, COMMISSIONER SILHAN, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE ITEM ON THE MOTION? I'M SORRY.
COMMISSIONER BROWN, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP OR WAS THAT FROM HER? I DO, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.
I NEED, UH, COMMISSIONER BROWN TO SHOW HER FACE WHILE SPEAKING.
YES, PLEASE PUT YOUR CAMERA ON COMMISSIONER BROWN.
Y'ALL CAN'T SEE ME AGAIN? MM-HMM.
CAN YOU SEE ME NOW? YES, WE CAN SEE YOU NOW.
UM, WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY WAS, I JUST, I NEED SOME CLARIFICATION ON WHETHER, SO YOU WANNA AMEND IT WITH THE LIMITATIONS.
ARE YOU STILL ADDING LIMITATIONS TO IT? BECAUSE I THINK MY ISSUE IS THE LIMITATIONS.
I'M, I'M ASSUMING THAT QUESTION DIRECTED ME, UM, MAY I ADDRESS IT? THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, THE LIMITATIONS ALREADY EXIST.
THE LIMITATIONS FOR ESTABLISHING AN EMERGENCY SHELTER ARE OUTLINED IN THE, OUTLINED IN THE DALLAS DEVELOPMENT CODE, CHAPTER 51 A, UH, LODGING USES OVERNIGHT GENERAL PURPOSE SHELTER.
I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC SECTION FOR THAT.
[01:40:01]
UM, BUT IT BASICALLY EXPLAINS WHERE AN EMERGENCY SHELTER CAN BE IN THE CITY.IT'S LIKE A THOUSAND FEET FROM AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, A CAMPGROUND, A CHURCH.
UM, THEY'VE ESTABLISHED THAT THIS IS, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THIS WAS WRITTEN, PROBABLY IN THE EIGHTIES, THAT EMERGENCY SHELTER IS DEFINED AS MORE THAN FOUR PEOPLE NEGOTIATING WHERE THEY SLEEP ON A NIGHTLY BASIS.
AND, UM, SO IN ORDER TO HAVE AN EMERGENCY SHELTER, THERE ARE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES.
AND THOSE GUIDELINES ARE, THEY CAN EXIST IN CERTAIN CAPACITIES WITH PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND WHATNOT.
AND IN CERTAIN RE UH, PDS, SOME PD PLAN DEVELOPMENTS HAVE SPECIFICS FOR IT.
UM, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED, ALLOWED IN CERTAIN AREAS IN THE CITY.
AND THAT WOULD BE RESTRICTED TO A THOUSAND FEET OF A CHURCH CAMPGROUND, UM, ET CETERA.
THINGS WHERE THERE ARE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AROUND IT.
AND THEN IT GOES INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE LIMIT ON EMERGENCY SHELTER BEDS WITHIN C B D AND ONE THIRD BOUNDARY OUTSIDE OF THAT.
AND THAT EXISTS BECAUSE OF QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES THAT ARE INHERENT TO EMERGENCY SHELTER.
AND, UM, BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THAT THERE ARE ONLY EMERGENCY SHELTER BEDS DOWNTOWN ONLY.
AND SO THERE IS A BIT OF AN IMBALANCE THERE.
AND, UM, WE WANNA SEE SHELTER ALL THROUGH THE CITY AS APPOINTED COMMISSIONERS.
I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD ADVOCATE FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER WITHIN YOUR DISTRICT.
UM, THEN IF NOT, I MEAN, WE GOTTA SORT OF TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND WHY PEOPLE ONLY WANNA PUT IT IN ONE AREA.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT.
I MEAN, YOU TALK ABOUT THE RED LINING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A RED LINING OF, OF SORTS.
UM, SO MY MOTION, MY AMENDMENT IS TO SUPPORT LIFTING THOSE DEEDED RESTRICTIONS AND ZONING REQUIREMENTS, BUT KEEP WHAT'S DOWNTOWN IN AN EFFORT TO ADD BY SUBTRACTION.
LIKE, WE'RE GONNA KEEP IT OUT OF THIS ONE AREA BECAUSE THERE'S ALREADY BEDS.
NO ONE WILL ARGUE THAT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH BEDS DOWNTOWN.
UM, SO, BUT HOMELESSNESS IS EVERYWHERE, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT SERVICES ARE EVERYWHERE AND THAT'S WHAT THIS AMENDMENT WOULD HOPEFULLY PROVIDE.
DOES THAT HELP A LITTLE BIT? YES, IT HELPED.
BECAUSE I, THE, I MEAN, DISTRICT SEVEN HAS ONE EMERGENCY SHELTER, AND THAT IS AUSTIN STREET.
SO WE KNOW HOMELESSNESS EXISTS EVERYWHERE.
SO IF WE LIFT DEEDED RESTRICTIONS ON WHERE A SHELTER CAN GO, THEN THAT OPENS IT UP FOR MORE EMERGENCY SHELTER THROUGHOUT DISTRICT SEVEN RATHER THAN JUST THAT ONE.
SO CAN THAT HELP YOU SIMPLIFY THE MO? YEAH.
CAN YOU SIMPLIFY THE MOTION? I THINK 'CAUSE IT'S SO LONG.
WELL, IT WAS BEING SPECIFIC BECAUSE DALLAS DEVELOPMENT CODE IS SPECIFIC.
WELL, IF YOU NEED TO KEEP IT THAT WAY, THEN THAT'S FINE.
HOPEFULLY THE DISCUSSION HAS HELPED SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFYING.
DOES THAT HELP? OH, YEAH, I UNDERSTAND NOW.
I KNOW IT'S, IT'S SUPER COMPLICATED, BUT IT'S A LOT TO GRAPH, SO I GET IT.
DOES THAT HELP YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WITH NO, I THINK, I THINK SO.
SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT.
SO, AND SO, UM, OKAY, SO LEMME ASK, I I WANNA BE, MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE MOTION.
UM, IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU WANT TO RETAIN THE CURRENT E AND ZONING RESTRICTIONS WITHIN THE C B D, RIGHT? UM, IN ORDER TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT OF SHELTER OUTSIDE OF THE PEOPLE IN A BOSTON CITY.
UM, SO JUST LOOKING AT THE PRACTICALITY OF THAT IN THE FACE OF, YOU KNOW, IMMINENT NEED FOR, YOU KNOW, MORE BEDS AND WHATEVER EMERGENCY SICK SITUATION, IF THE DEEDED OR ZONING RESTRICTIONS ARE KEPT IN PLACE WHILE THERE IS NO OTHER EXISTING SHELTER, WHAT IS THE RESULT OF THAT? SO IF I'M HEARING YOU CORRECTLY, YOU'RE SAYING IF IF NOTHING CHANGES OR IF YEAH.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS IF, IF YOUR POSITION IS TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT REGION ZONING RESTRICTIONS, WHICH WILL NOT ALLOW THEM TO, UH, INCR MAKE THE MAXIMUM UTILIZATION, SAY USE ALL THE SPACE THAT THEY HAVE RIGHT.
AM I CORRECT WITH THAT? UM, IT'S A SHELTER.
IT'S, IT, THE, THEY, IT'S QUANTIFIED BY SHELTER BEDS.
SO THERE MAY BE EXISTING SHELTER SPACE, BUT IT'S QUANTIFIED, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T ADD MORE BEDS EVEN IF THE SPACE EXISTS.
[01:45:01]
WHAT I THINK THE POINT OF REMOVING THE RESTRICTIONS.SO, SO THAT THEY CAN ADD MORE BEDS.
BUT, HOLD ON, LET ME THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A SECOND.
I KNOW THAT THE EMERGENCY SHELTERS DOWNTOWN, THE BRIDGE IS AT MAX CAPACITY WITH NO SPACE.
THEY'RE HAVING PEOPLE SLEEP IN THE HALLWAYS.
UM, THE EMERGENCY SHELTER DALLAS LIFE USUALLY HAS ABOUT A HUNDRED BEDS EXTRA THAT NO ONE'S SLEEPING IN.
SO THE AD BEDS, THERE'S A HUNDRED THAT ARE UNDERUTILIZED RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, YOU'D HAVE TO BREAK THAT PARTICULAR DISCUSSION AND LOOK INDIVIDUALLY AT EACH SHELTER.
LIKE IF THEY HAVE THE CAPACITY, CAN WE ADD THE BEDS? NO, WE CAN'T BECAUSE OF THE EMERGENCY SHELTER BED NUMBER IS CAPPED AT 1100.
ARE THOSE BEDS BEING UTILIZED? THE ANSWER IS NO.
DALLAS LIFE USUALLY HAS 5,200 THAT ARE NOT UTILIZED.
SO DO WE NEED TO ADD THE BEDS? NOT REALLY.
UM, THIS IS MORE ABOUT THE DEFINITION OF THE OVERNIGHT GENERAL PURPOSE SHELTER, WHICH HAS LIMITATIONS ON WHERE THEY CAN GO.
THEY CANNOT GO NEAR A CAMPGROUND.
THEY CANNOT GO NEAR AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO THIS IS ABOUT LIFTING THAT.
AND IF YOU READ THE DE I MEAN, IT'S A LONG DEFINITION, LOTS OF LEGALESE.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T PUT ONE IN LIKE CERTAIN DISTRICTS LIKE ZONED RESIDENTIAL.
YOU CAN'T PUT ONE THAT ARE LIKE ZONED.
I'D HAVE TO HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.
BUT THERE'S SPECIFIC PLACES YOU CANNOT PUT BECAUSE THEY ARE ZONED A CERTAIN WAY THAT THIS PARCEL HAS THIS PURPOSE.
WELL, IF YOU LIFT THAT, THEN YOU CAN PUT AN EMERGENCY SHELTER THERE, THERE.
SO THIS IS MORE ABOUT THAT PART OF THE DEFINITION, NOT THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE 1100 BEDS BECAUSE WE HAVE 1100 BEDS, NOT ALL OF THEM ARE USED.
SO DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO ADD MORE AT ONE PLACE? NOT REALLY.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO ADD IT WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED.
AND THAT WOULD BE DONE BY LIFTING THAT ZONING RESTRICTION IN THE DEFINITION THAT IS NOT, THAT DOES NOT, IT'S CALLED, IT'S SECTION, IT'S SUBSECTION TWO AND THREE
I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS.
I ALMOST HAVE IT COMPLETELY MEMORIZED.
YOU COULD PROBABLY, I HAVE IT SCREENSHOT IN MY PHONE RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, SO IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT THE, THE LIMITATIONS ON THE 1100 BEDS.
THIS RECOMMENDATION FOR TO REMOVE THE DEED AND ZONING RESTRICTIONS IS MORE ON OUTSIDE THAT DEFINITION.
SO I WANT TO KEEP THAT RESTRICTION ON THE C B D ONE-THIRD MILE AND LIFT IN THE OUTSIDE AREA.
AND I, I COULD, I MEAN, I COULD PULL IT UP, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE WHOLE THING SCREENSHOT WHERE IT'S, WHAT THE EXACT LIMITATIONS ARE.
AND THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE HELPFUL TO HAVE IN FRONT OF US SINCE WE ARE DISCUSSING THIS.
SO LET, LET ME ASK THEN, JUST IN FURTHERS OF THAT, SO WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIFTING THE RESTRICTIONS, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT AREAS THAT HAVE EXISTING SHELTERS? UM, WELL, THE EXISTING SHELTERS ARE DOWNTOWN.
SO EXCEPT FOR U G M AND, AND RIGHT.
AND THAT'S THE AREA SAYING DON'T LIFT THE RESTRICTIONS.
SO THE AREAS WHERE THAT'S, THAT'S CORRECT.
THAT'S THE, SO THE AREAS WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIFTING THE RESTRICTIONS IS OUTSIDE OF THAT? YEAH.
OUTSIDE OF, ARE THERE EXISTING SHELTERS THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OUTSIDE OF THE CCB D AREA? IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIFTING THE RESTRICTIONS, THE RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT THE RESTRICTIONS ARE, 1000 FEET OF A CHURCH, 1000, NO OUTSIDE RESTRICTIONS THAT WOULD IMPACT WHAT FACILITIES, IF YOU LIFT THOSE RESTRICTIONS OUTSIDE OF THE C B D, WHAT FACILITIES ARE THE IMPACTED? UM, EVERY PARCEL IN THE, IN DALLAS, BUT NOT, NOT EXISTING SHELTER? UM, IT WOULDN'T IMP YEAH.
SO I, I WOULD SIMPLY SAY MY PROBLEM IS THAT I THINK THAT IT CREATES AN INTERIM PROBLEM WHERE SHELTER MAY HAVE A NEED FOR EXPANSION BECAUSE OF EXTREME HEAT, EXTREME COLD, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
UM, YOU MAINTAIN THE RESTRICTION IN ORDER TO PROMOTE SHELTER DEVELOPMENT OUTSIDE THE AREA.
BUT THAT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT TIMEFRAME ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WITH THAT RELATIVE TO THE IMMINENT NEED? AND SO I THINK THAT THAT WOULD CREATE A FURTHER, YOU KNOW, UH, I WON'T SAY DAMAGE OR HARM, BUT, YOU KNOW, A LACK OF ABILITY TO ACCOMMODATE AND PREVENT DAMAGE AND HARM IN THE IMMEDIATE REALITY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WELL, I THINK AS THE CITY HAS BEEN CONDUCTING ITSELF AS IT RELATES TO IMMEDIATE, UM, CONCERNS, WE'RE DOING GREAT.
WE'RE DOING GREAT WITH THE INTERIM, UM, THE INCLEMENT WEATHER SHELTER, IT'S DOWNTOWN, THERE'S, WITH THE EXISTING LAW NOW WHAT'S CODIFIED THE DALLAS DEVELOPMENT CODE, WE ARE ABLE TO MEET THE NEED OF THOSE IN IMMINENT
[01:50:01]
DANGER.NOW, MY AMENDMENT WOULD NOT CHANGE THAT BECAUSE NOTHING WOULD CHANGE IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE WITH IT.
BUT WHAT, WHAT IT, WHAT? LIFTING, DEEDED AND ZONING RESTRICTIONS OUTSIDE THE CITY INCREASES OFFERING SERVICES TO PEOPLE IN IT, IT, IT'S ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION.
WE'RE SUBTRACTING THIS OUT OF THE, THE EQUATION BECAUSE WE'VE GOT IT, WE'VE GOT IT HANDLED DOWNTOWN.
WE'VE GOT IT HANDLED ONE THIRD MILE OUT.
WE DON'T HAVE IT IN THE REST OF THE CITY.
AND THE REASON WHY WE DON'T HAVE IT IN THE REST OF THE CITY IS BECAUSE OF THE ZONING DEED RESTRICTIONS OUTSIDE THAT DEFINITION OF SUBSECTION TWO AND THREE, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT I'M OUTLINING IN THAT MOTION SET.
UH, COMMISSIONER SHAN, GO AHEAD.
EVERYBODY SAID, I THINK, BUT THERE ARE HOMELESS SHELTERS OUTSIDE DOWNTOWN.
THAT FAMILY GATEWAY HAS A FEW MM-HMM.
SO THERE'S, I MEAN, SO THAT'S NUMBER ONE.
THE OTHER THING IS WE DON'T HAVE THE, THE NECESSARY BEDS BECAUSE THE, THE BRIDGE IS CONSTANTLY, CONSTANTLY, UH, PUTTING ANYWHERE FROM 60 TO A HUNDRED EXTRA PEOPLE IN A LOBBY WITH TEMPORARY BEDS BECAUSE THEY ARE HERE AND THAT'S WHAT THEY NEED.
THIRDLY, WE WOULDN'T HAVE ENCAMPMENTS IF THERE WERE ENOUGH PLACES FOR PEOPLE, BECAUSE ONLY 10% OF THE PEOPLE, MAX 10 TO 15% OF THE PEOPLE DIDN'T GO.
EVERYBODY ELSE WANTED A PLACE TO LIVE.
THEY, IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T, THAT THEY CAN'T, IT'S THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE.
AND THE ENCAMPMENTS ARE IN THE EXACT AREA.
WELL, THERE'S ENCAMPMENTS ALL OVER TOWN.
BUT THE, THE MAJOR ONES THAT WE'VE DEALT WITH HAVE BEEN FAIRLY CLOSE TO WHERE THE SHELTERS ARE.
SO, I MEAN, THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT, I MEAN, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE NECESSITY OF THIS BEING NOT ADOPTED.
WE, BECAUSE, AND ALSO WHAT DAVID SAID IS WE DON'T HAVE ANY, ANY ALTERNATIVE FOR PEOPLE.
IF, IF WE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THERE WAS A PLETHORA OF PEOPLE IN ANY ONE OF OUR DISTRICTS, AND I'M, YOU KNOW, UM, I HAVE A, A DISTRICT THAT DOESN'T HAVE A TON OF HOMEWORK PEOPLE, BUT, UM, THEY, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO NEAR WHERE I LIVE EXCEPT THE SHELTERS, WHICH IS YOUR ISSUE.
SO WE VOTE, WE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE, BUT WITH A DIFFERENT ANSWER.
IF WE CAN GET THE TIMING OF THESE SHELTERS TO OPEN EVEN IN A TEMPORARY CAPACITY AND THEN BECOME A FUTURE PERMANENT CAPACITY, THEN I WOULD BE ALL ON BOARD.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN RESTRICT THE GROWTH OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, LIKE AT THE BRIDGE OR LIKE AT AUSTIN STREET PREEMPTIVELY, I THINK, I THINK WE'LL DO HARM TO PEOPLE.
UH, GO AHEAD AND RESPOND, COMMISSIONER GARNER AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE UP THE MOTION.
SO DOWNTOWN DALLAS IS EXISTS AND COORDINATES ALMOST ALL OF THE SHELTERING IN DALLAS.
MY MOTION DOES NOT CHANGE THAT.
MY MOTION IT WILL, THAT WILL ALWAYS BE THERE.
AND WE'LL, ALL THE REASON WHY YOU SEE MORE ENCAMPMENTS DOWNTOWN IS BECAUSE THERE ARE CONCENTRATED HOMELESS SERVICES.
PART OF DECENTRALIZATION IS PROMOTING GROWTH OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
MY AMENDMENT DOES NOT CHANGE THAT, THAT WILL STILL BE MAINTAINED, BUT THERE IS AN IMBALANCE WITH QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES THAT OCCUR WITH CONCENTRATED SERVICES.
SO IF YOU KEEP ADDING TO THAT IN ONE AREA, WHICH IS WHAT LIFTING THE DEEDED AND ZONING RESTRICTIONS WOULD DO, THEN THERE IS AN IMBALANCE BETWEEN THE HOMELESS PERSON, THE PROVIDER, AND THE COMMUNITY WHEREIN IT EXISTS.
UM, I'VE BEEN LIVING IN THE CEDARS FOR 20 YEARS, AND I CAN PERSONALLY ATTEST THAT THERE IS, UM, SOMEWHAT OF A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE THAT CAN IMPACT MY DAY AND THE HOMELESS PERSON'S DAY AND THE HOMELESS PROVIDER'S DAY, AND THE STAKEHOLDERS AROUND IT.
SO A LOT OF THE PUSHBACK FOR NOT WANTING TO SHELTER IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY IS BECAUSE OF WHAT PEOPLE SEE THERE.
SO, AND THAT'S THAT PREDATORY ELEMENT THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
SO WE HAVE TO ENHANCE SERVICES AROUND THE REST OF THE CITY, LIFTING THE DEEDED AND ZONING RESTRICTIONS.
DOES THAT DOWNTOWN STILL DOES WHAT THEY'RE DOING, WHICH IS, THE CENTRALIZED SERVICES WILL STILL BE MAINTAINED WITH THIS AMENDMENT.
THE ONLY THING THAT CHANGES IS THAT THIS WILL ENCOURAGE MORE SHELTER THROUGHOUT THE CITY WHERE IT'S NEEDED, WHERE IT IS NEEDED, BECAUSE HOMELESSNESS IS EVERYWHERE AND SO SHOULD THE SOLUTION.
COMMISSIONER GARNER, I'M GONNA STOP YOU THERE BECAUSE WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
AND THIS, THIS ROOM HAS BEEN, UH, RESERVED.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA END THIS MEETING AT THREE O'CLOCK.
[01:55:01]
UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT MORE TO DISCUSS.UH, AND SO WE'RE GOING TO TABLE FURTHER VOTES ON RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, WE WILL, WE WILL BRING THIS BACK, UH, IN THE NEXT AGENDA.
AND SO WHAT I WILL, I WILL ASK IS, AND I WILL JUST SAY THIS IN TERMS OF OUR MEETING NEXT THURSDAY, AND WE WANNA LOOK AT THE BUDGET AS AN ITEM.
UH, THE O H S BUDGET IS, THAT'S COMING BEFORE THE COUNCIL.
WE WANT TO, UH, DISCUSS THE RETREAT.
WE'RE GOING TO BRING THIS ISSUE BACK.
UH, WE'LL HAVE A LOT TO DISCUSS.
AND SO WHAT I'LL ASK ALL COMMISSIONERS TO DO IS REVIEW THE FULL LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
I THINK THERE'S A VERY GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS HERE.
UH, I, YOU KNOW, I CALL GOOD, GOOD, BAD, BAD, SIMPLE AS THAT.
AND SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA LOOK AT ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, COMMISSIONERS WITH, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU HAVE ISSUE WITH, PREPARE YOUR MOTIONS, UH, SO THAT THEY'RE READY TO GO.
AND WHEN WE COME BACK TO THIS, WE'RE GONNA GO DOWN THAT LIST AND WE'LL, WE'LL RUN THOSE MOTIONS AND WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, ESTABLISH A MISSION POSITION ON THE ENTIRE LIST FOR THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'M ALSO GOING TO LOOK AT, UM, YOU KNOW, WELL, WHAT I'LL SAY IS WHEN WE GET BACK TO THAT, WE'LL, WE'LL TRY TO LOOK AT THE, THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN CONSENT TO.
SO WE CAN CREATE A CONSENT LIST AND SAY, OKAY, WE CAN JUST VOTE ON THAT AND THEN WE'LL DEAL WITH THE OTHER STUFF, OKAY.
UH, TO TRY TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS.
UH, SO ON THE MOTION AS IT HAS BEEN OFFERED, UH, AND IT HAS BEEN SECONDED, UH, SO WE'VE HAD DISCUSSION.
I'M GONNA CALL FOR A VOTE ON IT.
AYE, YOU OPPOSED? UH, I'M GONNA HAVE TO SAY NAY ON THAT.
UM, WE DO HAVE ONE OPPOSED? COMMISSIONER BROWN.
SO WE HAVE COMMISSIONER BROWN, WE HAVE SILHAN, WE HAVE VICE CHAIR OWENS, UH, WE HAVE MYSELF, UM, WE HAVE THE YAYS.
SO IF YOU, IF YOU'RE VOTING IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, SAY AYE AND RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND SO WE HAVE COMMISSIONER GARNER.
ANY OTHER VOTING IN FAVOR? AYE.
AND, UH, IS THAT, IS THAT ALL OF THE AYES? JACOB? YEAH, I CAN'T SEE 'EM.
COMMISSIONER JACOB, WHAT'S YOUR VOTE? DO WE HAVE COMMITTEE? YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T SEE HIM HERE.
UH, ALL OPPOSED TO THE MOTION? SAY NAY.
SO WE HAVE COMMISSIONER BROWN OPPOSED? COMMISSIONER SILHAN OPPOSED? VICE CHAIR OWEN.
UM, YOU KNOW WHAT I WILL SAY WITH THAT? WE'LL, SO LET'S, LET'S RECORD THAT MOTION.
SHOULD WE GET THE EXACT LANGUAGE? I WOULD'VE PROPOSE AN A MOTION.
MOTION ON THE ONE WE JUST APPROVED THAT WE READ YOU THIS WEEKEND.
DON'T YOU MAKE THE MOTION? ALRIGHT.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONER HOWELL MOTIONS THAT WE HOLD ON APPROVING THE RECOMMENDATION FROM COMMISSIONER GARNER.
THE MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER GARNER UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING SO THAT WE DON'T RUSH THIS DUE TO THE TIME COMMITMENTS TODAY, AND WE ADD IT TO OUR NEXT AGENDA.
ANY SECOND HAS BEEN MOVED IN, SECONDED.
ANY DISCUSSION TO SIMPLY TABLE THIS MOTION UNTIL WE BRING THIS, THIS, THIS, UH, BRING THE, THE REVIEW OF THE WHOLE REPORT BACK IN OUR NEXT MEETING? UH, VICE CHAIR OWENS.
ANY, ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? UM, MY, MAY I HAVE BEFORE? YES.
COMMISSIONER? UM, A SECOND MOTION? UM, ANOTHER MOTION IS OPEN.
THE FLOOR IS NOW OPEN FOR DISCUSSION, BUT WE ARE NOW DONE.
[02:00:01]
WE SHOULD TAKE A VOTE ON THAT GIVEN THAT, UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO DISCUSS IT.SO IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION ON HAWK'S? MOTION ON, YES.
ON COMMISSIONER HAWK'S MOTION? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON CAN WE VOTE ON IT? I'D LIKE TO VOTE.
I, IN, IN RESPECT TO THE FACT THAT IT IS A, IT IS A COMPLICATED MOTION THAT WE DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THE LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF ME AND I SEE THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS.
I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S PARTS OF THE MOTION THAT THE DEFINITION OF TERMS IS NEEDED TO BE PROVIDED SO THAT WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UH, I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE ON, ON COMMISSIONER HAWK'S MOTION.
LET'S GET THE AYES ALL IN FAVOR.
OKAY, SO WE HAVE COMMISSIONER SHALEEN, COMMISSIONER HAWK, VICE CHAIR OWENS, MYSELF, COMMISSIONER SUSHAN, WHO WAS VIRTUAL SAID THAT SAID, UM, COMMISSIONER BROWN AND COMMISSIONER THAW.
ARE YOU RAISING YOUR HAND ON THAT? YES.
KEYS IS, I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER KEYS.
COMMISSIONER KEYS IS, IS A IS IN FAVOR.
ANY OPPOSED? SORRY BRO, WE WON THAT LAST ONE BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANNA, OKAY, SO COMMISSIONER GARNER IS OPPOSED, ANY OTHER, OPPOSED TO THE, TO THE MOTION? OKAY.
UH, SO THAT MOTION IS APPROVED.
I THINK THAT'S, UH, THAT'S THE BEST SITUATION.
THAT'S CONTINUED THAT DISCUSSION, BUT WE VOTED ON THAT OTHER MOTION.
SO, I MEAN, THE VOTES WERE IN AND THE VOTES WERE TALLIED.
SO DO WE HAVE LEGAL HERE? UH, SO, UM, SO WE, A MOTION WAS MADE AND VOTED ON AND COUNTED, AND THEN ANOTHER MOTION WAS MADE TO BASICALLY MITIGATE THAT VOTE.
AND SO WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS REAL DISCUSSION TO RECONSIDER IT.
SO DOESN'T THE INITIAL MOTION STAND WITH THAT VOTE SINCE WE COUNTED IT AFTER WE VOTED? THAT WAS AFTER WE VOTED THOUGH.
SO WE'RE GONNA RETAIN THE POSITION OF TABLING THIS TO THE NEXT MEETING.
CERTAINLY WE WILL TAKE IT UP AGAIN.
UM, AND I THINK THAT FURTHER EXPLANATION IS WARRANTED.
SO THE BEST DECISION CAN BE MADE, UM, AT THIS TIME IT IS 3 0 4, UH, PM THAT IS THE LAST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.
UH, WE WILL BE MEETING NEXT THURSDAY AT OUR REGULAR SCHEDULED TIME.
UH, YOU'LL SEE THIS, THE AGENDA FOR THAT FORTHCOMING.
UH, AND YOU'LL CERTAINLY SEE THAT WE'LL CONTINUE THIS, THIS, THIS DISCUSSION.
UH, SO THANK EVERYBODY FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS.
JUST FOR THE RECORD, THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER AT 1:02 PM AND ADJOURNED AT 3:05 PM THANK YOU.