[00:00:01]
[Environmental Commission on September 13, 2023.]
EVERYONE.TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH, AND THE TIME IS NOW 5:37 PM I'M CHAIRWOMAN KATHERINE BAAN, AND I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE DALLAS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO ORDER.
WE WELCOME YOUR PARTICIPATION IN OUR MEETINGS, IN THE LANGUAGE OF YOUR PREFERENCE.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST TRANSLATION OR OTHER ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE, PLEASE CALL 2 1 4 6 7 1 8 5 2 2 2 DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE OCTOBER 11TH.
WE WILL BEGIN WITH OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS THIS EVENING, THIS FRIDAY, UH, MARKS THE BEGINNING OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.
UM, AND I WOULD INVITE YOU TO LOOK AROUND THE ROOM AND AT YOUR COLLEAGUES ONLINE, AND YOU WILL PROBABLY NOTICE SOMETHING MISSING FROM OUR MEMBERSHIP.
AND THAT IS THE EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION OF OUR NOW PREDOMINANTLY LATINO POPULATION IN THE CITY OF DALLAS IN THIS ROOM.
UM, WHILE WE HAVE SEVERAL VACANCIES ON OUR VOTING MEMBERSHIP, I WOULD PERSONALLY LOVE TO SEE THOSE POSITIONS FILLED WITH THAT EXPERTISE AND THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE LIVED EXPERIENCE THAT OUR LATINO NEIGHBORS, UH, BRING TO THE TABLE.
SO IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN COMMISSION SERVICE, PLEASE DIRECT THEM TO ERIN OR TO ME SO THAT WE CAN HELP THEM GET INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO JOIN CITY FORD SERVICE.
OUR COLLEAGUES WITH PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN WILL CONTINUE HOSTING OPEN HOUSES, BEGINNING WITH THE FORD, UM, FOR THE FORD DALLAS COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN.
AND THERE ARE SEVEN MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO HEAR ABOUT THE DRAFT PLAN AND TO GIVE FEEDBACK.
UH, YOU CAN FIND THOSE LOCATIONS AND DATES BY VISITING THE FORWARD DALLAS WEBSITE.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THERE'S ONE, UH, TOMORROW EVENING AT CORNERSTONE BAPTIST.
THERE'S ONE ON SEPTEMBER THE 18TH, WHICH IS MONDAY AT THE WEST ALICE MULTIPURPOSE CENTER AND ONE DOWNTOWN HERE AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY ON SEPTEMBER THE 20TH.
YOU GUYS RECEIVED AN EMAIL THIS AFTERNOON.
PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR INPUT ON THE MILESTONES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR'S IMPLEMENTATION WORK PLAN FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
THAT IS ONE, I BELIEVE, OF THE CORE FUNCTIONS OF THIS COMMISSION.
SO THE PURPOSE OF THAT WORK PLAN IS TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE EFFORTS THAT ARE GONNA BE PLANNED FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.
YOU KNOW THAT THE CCAP CONTAINS A, UH, TOTAL OF 97 ACTIONS WITH THE EIGHT OVERARCHING GOALS.
SO, UM, EACH YEAR'S WORK PLAN OUTLINES MORE SPECIFIC MILESTONES THAT THE CITY'S GONNA TAKE TO GET US THERE.
UM, SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND PROVIDE YOUR FEEDBACK, UH, TO AARON BY CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON SEPTEMBER 18TH.
SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THAT THE FORMER, UH, ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE IS NOW THE PARKS, TRAILS AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE.
IT IS CHAIRED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KATHY STEWART AND VICE-CHAIR BY COUNCIL MEMBER JESSE MORENO.
THERE ARE NEW PRIORITIES FOR THAT COMMITTEES AS, AS THE MAYOR SETS HIS NEW PRIORITIES EVERY YEAR FOR THE VARIOUS COMMITTEES, AND I WANTED TO SHARE THOSE WITH YOU, UH, SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO DETERMINE HOW BEST TO INCORPORATE THOSE INTO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS WORK.
SO THE FIRST IS TO LEAD DALLAS FURTHER DOWN THE PATH TOWARD BECOMING THE MAJOR CITY WITH THE BEST PARK SYSTEM IN TEXAS BY SUPPORTING THE EFFORTS OF THE MAYOR'S GREENING CZAR TO TRANSFORM VACANT, UNUSED, AND UNDERUSED CITY OWNED LAND INTO GREEN SPACE.
IDENTIFY WAYS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DALLAS RESIDENTS WHO LIVE WITHIN 10 MINUTES.
UH, WALK OF A PARK, RECOMMEND WAYS TO INCREASE DALLAS'S RANKING ON THE PARK SCORE INDEX, EXPORT POLICIES TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF KEEP DALLAS BEAUTIFUL, AND ASSESS THE EFFORTS BEING MADE TOWARD BREAKING GROUND ON THE HAROLD SIMMONS PARK AND SUPPORT SAID EFFORTS.
SO WE WILL BE TAKING A LOOK AT THOSE THROUGH OUR VARIOUS COMMITTEES ON HOW TO ADD THOSE PRIORITIES TO THE COMMISSION'S EXISTING PROS.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET INTO OUR ROLL CALL AND SEE WHO'S HERE.
STARTING WITH DISTRICT TWO, DISTRICT FOUR, CANDACE THOMPSON.
[00:05:01]
DISTRICT 12.MARY LACKMAN, DISTRICT 14, ALL DAY DISTRICT 15.
MOVING ON TO OUR SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS.
MR. WILKINS, DO YOU WANNA COME SIT? WE HAVE A EMPTY SEAT RIGHT THERE IF YOU WANNA, UH, MS. REAGAN.
OKAY, WE SEE YOU MS. GILL, PRESENT.
DID I MISS ANYONE? OH, MR. VE LET'S SEE.
MR. VE LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET HIM UNMUTED.
OKAY, GO ON WHEN HE TURNS HIS CAMERA.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS THIS EVENING, SO WE ARE GONNA JUMP DOWN TO THE APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES FROM OUR AUGUST 9TH COMMISSION MEETING.
IF THERE ARE NO CHANGES, I WILL TAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
ANY OPPOSED? THOSE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
WE HAVE A VERY SHORT AGENDA THIS EVENING.
OUR FIRST ITEM IS A BRIEFING MEMO, UM, FROM THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY SUSTAINABILITY ON THE CITY'S WATER CONSERVATION FIVE YEAR COMMUNITY WORK PLAN.
ERIN'S GONNA PULL THAT UP AND LET'S SEE IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM.
SO THE CITY IS ESSENTIALLY UPDATING THE 2016 WATER CONSERVATION FIVE YEAR WORK PLAN, AND, UM, THINK PART OF OUR ROLE IS TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND ENGAGEMENT ON THIS.
SO IF WE CAN SHARE THIS OUT SO THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE INPUT VIA THE SURVEY THAT STAFF HAS, UH, CREATED, STAFF IS ALSO AVAILABLE TO MEET WITH THE COMMUNITY REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
AND YOU CAN FIND THE SURVEY@SAVEDALLASWATER.COM.
IT'S ALSO BEEN SENT OUT IN THE WATER BILL INSERT, AND THEY'VE BEEN DISTRIBUTING THE SURVEY AT THE BUDGET TOWN HALL MEETINGS TO, FOR DALLAS OPEN HOUSES AND OTHER EVENTS.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ON THIS ITEM? ACTUALLY, I DUNNO THAT WE HAVE ANY STAFF HERE TONIGHT, MR. MARTIN? I DO.
I THOUGHT MAYBE MY FRIEND MR. MARCOS
[00:10:01]
OVER THERE BEING THE WATER GUY COULD HELP WITH THIS QUESTION, WHICH IS JUST REAL QUICK, WHAT, WHAT IS THE BIGGEST SINGLE AND IF THERE'S A STANDOUT WATER CONSERVATION ISSUE OR PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE, IS THERE ONE THAT REALLY IS THE ISSUE? AND IF THAT'S A GIANT CONVERSATION, WE CAN HAVE IT ANOTHER TIME, BUT I'D APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTS.THANK YOU FOR THE, THE BIGGEST SINGLE ISSUE WE FACE IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND DO THAT IN SUCH A WAY THAT, UM, UH, WE'RE ADDING DENSITY, WHICH IS GOOD, SO THAT, UH, WE CAN THEN FOCUS ON THE LONG-TERM PROBLEM.
THE LONG-TERM PROBLEM IS WE SPEND BETWEEN 35 AND 40% OF OUR WATER ON WATERING LAWNS.
WHEN DALLAS WAS BUILDING OUT IN WORLD WAR, JUST AFTER WORLD WAR II, DURING THE BABY BOOM, THE POSTWAR ECONOMIC BOOM, NORTH DALLAS, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS BUILT OUT IN 20 YEARS FROM 1950 AND 1970.
WE HAD AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF POPULATION IN THE CITY.
AND THE WAY THAT WAS DONE IS IT WAS EASY FOR BUILDERS TO TAKE ST.
AUGUSTINE GRASS IN ROLLS, ROLL IT OUT LAWNS AND UP THE FOR SALE SIGN, AND YOU HAVE A LAWN, AND THEN PEOPLE BEGIN TO WATER THAT LAWN.
AUGUSTINE IS A WEST AFRICAN SWAMP GRASS, TAKE SEVEN INCHES OF RAIN RAINING YEAR.
IN A GOOD YEAR, WE GET 35, WHICH MEANS NOW WE HAVE LAWNS ALL OVER TOWN THAT REQUIRE TWICE AS MUCH WATER AS WE GET IN RAINFALL.
SO WHEN WE WERE A CITY OF 400,000 PEOPLE, AN AVERAGE YEAR OF RAIN, WELL, WE COULD HANDLE THAT.
NOW WE'RE NOT THE CITY AND WE KNOW WE'RE HAVING MORE, UH, EXTREME WEATHER MEANS MORE DROUGHT, MORE PERSISTENT HEAT, UH, NIGHTS THAT STAY HOT.
SO AS A RESULT, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SUFFER ON THE WATER CONSERVATION BECAUSE OF THE FACT WE'RE SPENDING SO MUCH TIME WATERING, UM, TYPE OF GRASS THAT DIDN'T BELONGING.
SO I DON'T WANNA OPEN SIMPLIFY THE PROBLEM.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS WE NEED TO DO, UM, WHICH INCLUDES CONSERVATION AMONG BUSINESSES.
NOW, A LOT OF OUR BUILDINGS ARE MUCH MORE WATER SS AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.
SO WE REALLY NEED TO MOVE, UM, NOT JUST CITY OF DALLAS, BUT REGIONALLY, WE NEED TO MOVE TO MORE NATIVE PLANTS AND MORE NATIVE GRASSES.
THERE ACTUALLY WAS AN EFFORT MADE SEVERAL YEARS AGO, REGIONALLY, TO GET PEOPLE TO RESTRICT WATER TO TWICE A WEEK.
IN FACT, WE HAVE SUCH AN ORDINANCE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS NOW.
WE PASSED THAT IN 2012, JUST ABOUT A YEAR AFTER THE 2011 DROUGHT, THE DRIVE OF RECORD.
SO, UM, THEN WE TRIED TO DO THAT IN FORT WORTH AND GOT SOME PUSHBACK FROM CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY THERE.
BUT WE DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE MAYORS IN PLACE THROUGHOUT THE REGION NOW WHO SEEN THIS IS REGIONAL ISSUE.
WE KNOW THE MAJOR, OUR WATER UTILITY EFFORTS, UH, UH, AND SUPPLIERS SEE THIS AS A REGIONAL ISSUE.
UH, WE KNOW THAT, UM, THIS ENTIRE WATERSHED IS TIED TOGETHER AND THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO FACE THIS ISSUE AT SOME POINT IN TIME WHEN WE TAKE ON, UH, THE ISSUE OF REGIONAL WATER CONSERVATION.
AND THAT SHOULD INCLUDE GETTING SOME PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN NO LONGER SUPPORT THE LEVEL OF WATER THAT WE CURRENTLY PUT ONTO OUR LAWNS AS SOMETHING WE CAN DO LONG TERM, SOMETHING NOT SUSTAINABLE.
THIS IS AN INITIATIVE WE NEED TO TAKE.
AND THIS INFORMATION THAT CAN BE GATHERED THROUGH THIS COMMUNITY SURVEY IS ONE WAY TO BEGIN THAT.
NOW, THE DW OUR WATER SUPPLIER, IS MAKING AN EFFORT AND HAS FOR A LONG TIME HAVE WATER CONSERVATION PLANS.
AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT, NEED TO UP OUR GAME IN DOING THAT AND FULL STAFF SUPPORT FROM DW U O AND Q F TO DO THAT.
BUT THAT'S WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE.
WE HAVE A GOOD WATER SUPPLIER.
WE HAVE A GOOD LONG RANGE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
WE PUT ONE INTO PLACE IN 2012.
LENOVO HAS COME, UH, ONLINE THIS YEAR, BUT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
WE SIMPLY CANNOT SUSTAIN THAT MUCH OF A PERCENTAGE OF OUR WATER GOING TO WATER OUR ALARM.
AND I'LL ADD TO THAT, I THINK THE UPCOMING BOND DISCUSSIONS ARE VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE CITY NEEDS TO MAINTAIN ITS INFRASTRUCTURE AND MAINTAINING THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IS VITAL TO NOT HAVING INCIDENTS LIKE THE BROKEN WATER PIPE THAT LEAKED THREE, 4 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER INTO THE TRINITY FOREST.
UM, AND ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES THROUGH REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND, AND UPKEEP OF OUR CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AS WELL.
I'D LIKE TO SUPPORT WHAT, UH, MR. MR. MARCUS WAS SAYING.
UM, THERE ARE SOME SIMPLE, SIMPLE THINGS THAT WE IN OUR, IN THE BUILDING COMMUNITY CAN TAKE A LOOK AT.
UM, THERE ARE OTHER GRASS TYPES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO REALLY EMBRACE, UH, PLANTING NATIVE PLANTS AND
[00:15:01]
DROUGHT TOLERANT PLANTS.AND I ALSO MIGHT ADD, WE DO NEED TO DO RAINWATER CAPTURE, UH, QUITE HONESTLY, WHEN WE HAVE MOST OF OUR STORMS OCCUR AND WE'RE HAVING LARGE VOLUME RAIN AT ONE TIME, AND IT CREATES A TREMENDOUS STORMWATER RUNOFF PROBLEM FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CITY.
AND AS A RESULT, THE WATER THAT COMES DOWN, THOSE STORMS IS NOT CAPTURED OR USED, AND IN A MATTER OF DAYS OR A WEEK, IT'S GONNA BE IN DEVELOPED MEXICO.
SO THE REALITY IS, IS THAT WATER IS A RESOURCE THAT WE'RE NOT USING.
AND SO, UH, ULTIMATELY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE, SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED ON SOME LEVEL.
AND THEN, UH, AND IT, AND IT HAS TO DO NOT JUST WITH TREE MITIGATION, IT HAS TO DO WITH WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY PUTTING ON THE GROUND ON A NEW CONSTRUCTION.
UM, AND THAT IS EXACTLY CORRECT.
UM, IN EFFECT, WE'RE GIVING WATER TO HOUSTON EVERY TIME WE RAIN, WE'RE BASICALLY SENDING OUT WATER TO, AND, UM, AS A RESULT, WE'RE BEGINNING TO GET MORE AND MORE PEOPLE NOW FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY, HOMEOWNERS AND OTHERS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR WATER.
AND LET'S REMEMBER ALSO OUR ABILITY TO DEAL WITH STORMS IS GOING TO HAVE TO, UM, REQUIRE MORE KNOWLEDGE AND MORE FORETHOUGHT.
THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS BUILDS WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE TO DEAL WITH PROTOCOL 50 YEAR RANGE IN HUNDRED YEAR RANGE, 500.
IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, WE'VE HAD 20 EVENTS THAT WERE 50 OR 100 YEAR RATINGS.
SO OUR RANGE ARE BECOMING LESS FREQUENT, BUT MORE OF ILLUMINOUS WHEN THEY DO FALL.
SO AS A RESULT, WE HAVE LESS ABILITY TO DEAL WITH THOSE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF WATER THAT FALL.
WE EVEN HAVE, WE CALLED FLASH DROUGHTS.
GROUND IS SO HARD AND SO CRACKED OPEN, IT CAN'T ABSORB THE WATER THAT FALLS ON.
SO MORE AND MORE WATER RUNS ON.
SO AS A RESULT, THESE ARE A NUMBER OF ISSUES THAT
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THEM FROM ALL THESE DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW, BUT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER ALL THE CLIMATE MODELS SHOW WEATHER'S GONNA BECOME MORE EXTREME AND MORE UNPREDICTABLE.
SO WE HAVE MORE AND MORE STORMS THAT FAR EXCEED OUR 15 A HUNDRED YEAR RAIN LEVELS.
AND OUR ABILITY TO FIND SOME WAY TO ABSORB THAT AND USE IT WELL IS GONNA MEAN WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE WAY WE DEAL WITH WATER PRODUCTION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? DR.
M MINE IS IN THE FORM, UH, UH, UH, OBSERVATION IN THE QUESTION.
SO I LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD IN FAR FAR NORTH DALLAS WHERE I HAVE A LOT OF NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE BACKYARD POOLS, WHICH STRIKES ME IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE WATER CRISIS AS NOT THE MOST DESIRABLE USE OF OUR WATER RESOURCES, ESPECIALLY IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHICH HAS A REALLY NICE COMMUNITY POOL.
UM, UH, AND, UM, I HAVE A, MY NEIGHBOR IN THE BACK OF ME PUT IN A PRETTY EXTENSIVE UNIT WHICH POOL, WHICH REMINDS ME AND SPAWN ALL THAT, WHICH REMINDS ME ABOUT WHAT'S THAT WATER USAGE.
AND THEN FINALLY THEY PUT A FOUNTAIN IN THEIR FRONT YARD.
AND EVERY TIME I GO BY THAT, I WONDER HOW MUCH WATER IS BEING WASTED GOING DOWN THAT.
AND SO WHERE, WHAT, MY QUESTION THEN IS HOW IS THAT REGULATED IN TERMS OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS? AND, UM, DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF WHERE OUR SAVEABLE WATER IS THAT THE PUBLIC COULD DO BY FILLING THE POOL LESS OFTEN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD BE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, THERE IS NO REGULATION PROHIBITING BUILDING A
UM, THE CITY WILL HAVE TO GO INTO DROW STAGE TO REQUIRE, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN KICKING INTO CERTAIN REGULATIONS WHERE YOU CANNOT NAVIGATE OR YOU CANNOT BUILD A POOL OR STOP, YOU KNOW.
BUT WE ARE NOT IN DROUGHT STAGE NOW REGARDING THE REGULATIONS ON THE BUILDING CODE.
[00:20:01]
I, I WONDER BETWEEN YOU AND DAVID, PERHAPS, UM, DO WE KNOW WHAT THE AWARENESS LEVEL IS OF THE AVERAGE DALLAS CITIZEN THAT HAS A LAWN ABOUT TWO DAYS A WEEK? 'CAUSE MY SUPER INFORMAL SENSE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE CLAIM IGNORANCE AND THEY DON'T KNOW THERE'S ONLY A TWO DAY A WEEK RESTRICTION.AND I'VE, I'VE NEVER SEEN IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I SEE VIOLATIONS ALL THE TIME AND I'VE NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF A FINE.
I KNOW THEY PUT A A SHAME SIGN IN USUALLY RIGHT? AND SAYS, HEY, YOU CAN'T WATER AND ALL YOUR NEIGHBORS SEE IT.
MAYBE THAT'LL CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOR, WHICH IS COOL.
BUT I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE SHORT ON CODE STAFF.
SO IF THE, IF THE, IF THE STAFF IS SHORT, THEN I JUST WONDER WHAT WE CAN DO TO INCREASE AWARENESS SO THAT NEIGHBORS JUST KNOW.
'CAUSE I'M GONNA HOPE THAT NEIGHBORS THAT KNOW MIGHT DO BETTER ABOUT ABUSING, UH, THEIR WATERING OF THEIR LAWNS.
WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CO COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT AND WE PAY FOR TWO ACTIVITIES, THE VALUE OF TWO ACTIVITIES.
AND WHAT THEY DO IS THAT, PARTICULARLY DURING THE SUMMERTIME FOR MORE OF THE, UH, MISSING THE REGULATIONS COME ABOUT, RIGHT? HMM.
UM, WHAT THEY DO IS THEY, UM, SEND THEIR OFFICERS THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, TARGETED RIGHT.
UM, DURING NIGHTTIME, DURING VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING TIME SO THAT THEY CAN CATCH THE ONES THAT ARE NOT DOING IT AT THE RIGHT TIME.
UM, AND OF COURSE, ALSO DURING THE DAY, AND THEY GET CALLS, YOU KNOW, FROM PEOPLE THAT SEE THE VIOLATIONS AND THEY GO TO THOSE PARTICULAR, TO THOSE PARTICULAR, UH, ADDRESSES.
AND THEY HAVE THIS CAMPAIGN GOING ON DURING THE SUMMER.
AND WE KNOW FOR A FACT BECAUSE WE HAVE RECEIVED TWO, TWO INVOICES ALREADY FROM COMPLIANCE, SO THAT WE REIMBURSE AND, AND THEY GIVE US THE DETAILS OF ALL THE CODE OFFICERS THAT PARTICIPATED THE TIME IN THE DAYS.
AND, UH, THEY TELL US THE, UM, HOW MANY VIOLATIONS THEY, UM, THEY ADDRESSED, HOW MANY OF THE RESIDENTS, UH, CORRECTED THE VIOLATION AND IF NOT, HOW MANY TICKETS WERE ISSUED.
SO YES, IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO PUSH ON THE KNOWLEDGE TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT.
AND, UM, SO WE DO, YOU KNOW, WE DO THE SOCIAL MEDIA, WE DO THE WATER BILL INSERTS, UM, THE CODE OFFICERS, IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S THE FIRST TIME AND YOU CORRECT THE VIOLATION BECAUSE THEY COME BACK TO CHECK.
AND SO IF YOU DON'T DO IT AGAIN, THEN YOU DON'T GET THE TICKET.
BUT IF THEY CATCH YOU DOING IT AGAIN, YES, YOU'RE GONNA GET A TICKET.
MR. MARKSON AND VICE CHAIR, UM, THANK YOU.
ONE OF OUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS, MICHAEL, IS THAT WE HAVE, UM, SO MANY COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES THAT HAVE LANDSCAPE CREWS THAT HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF, OF OUR WATER SITUATION.
AND THEIR ORDERS ARE TO GO OUT AND BLOW IT AND BLOW IT AND, AND WATER IT.
AND THERE CAN BE AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON IN AUGUST DAY, AND MOST OF THAT WATER'S GONNA EVAPORATE.
IT'S NEVER GONNA TOUCH THE GROUND.
SO WE HAVE CONTINUING EFFORTS TO, UM, BRING CREWS, UM, AND OTHERS UP TO KNOWLEDGE SO THEY'LL KNOW.
NOW WE'VE HAD GOOD POLITICAL SUPPORT.
THE COUNCIL HAS ALWAYS VOTED FOR OUR CONSERVATION MEASURES.
THIS, SO THEY DID BACK IN 2012.
AND THIS CAN CONTINUE TO BE AN EVEN BIGGER PROBLEM BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, GENERAL DROUGHT 2011 PLAYING ON FRIS HILL IN SOME OF THE DIFFERENT SUBURBS THAT DEPENDING UPON THE LAKE
YOU'LL FOLLOW THAT BACK TO THE RESIDENTS ISSUED TICKET.
SO I HOPE WE DON'T GET TO THAT POINT, BUT ORIGINALLY WE ARE AT THAT POINT ALREADY, ESPECIALLY AS WE CONTINUE TO PAVE OVER THE PRAIRIE GOING MORE.
SO WHAT WE CAN ANTICIPATE IS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO THIS WITH A PARTNERSHIP WITH DW AND O Q S AND COMPLIANCE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A 6% POPULATION LAST YEAR IN DALLAS CITY OF DALLAS.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE TO BE VIGILANT AND BE VERY PROACTIVE IN MAKING THESE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT, UH, WATERING RESTRICTIONS.
'CAUSE DURING 2011 AND 2012, PEOPLE DID GET ON BOARD, 'CAUSE 2011 WAS THE DROUGHT OF RECORD PEOPLE GOT THAT THEY CUT BACK ON THEIR WATER USAGE.
WE'VE KIND OF GOTTEN AWAY THAT, 'CAUSE WE HAD SOME RAINY YEARS BETWEEN NOW AND MAYBE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET BACK TO THAT.
[00:25:01]
THIS YEAR WAS HOT BUT WOULD, DIDN'T NEARLY COMPARE TO DROUGHT OF 21.SO WE'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO THAT.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR EYE ON THAT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING THAT BE PART OF IT.
WELL, VICE
I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANYBODY HERE FROM THE WATER DEPARTMENT TONIGHT, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY BRING THE, THE NOTE TO THE DIRECTOR, THE IN INTERIM DIRECTOR.
AND SO A MEMO WOULD BE OKAY, OR YOU WANT A BRIEFING? I, I REQUESTED BOTH A BRIEFING AND OR A BRIEFING MEMO.
AND SO I, I THINK IF THERE'S SIGNIFICANT INTEREST FROM OTHER COMMISSION MEMBERS, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD, SIGNIFICANT INTEREST, INTEREST IN HEARING
WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THERE.
SORRY, I, I, I THINK UNDERSTANDING, UM, HOW THAT HAPPENED, HOW LONG IT HAPPENED, I THINK THAT INFORMATION HAS BEEN MADE PUBLIC.
UM, BUT ALSO UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT AND WHAT MIGHT BE DONE TO MITIGATE THAT IMPACT.
BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW THAT DRINKING WATER, UM, IS TREATED AND SO CAN INJURE AQUATIC LIFE, UM, IN THAT NATURE AREA.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE, DR.
LACKMAN, UH, TO MR. MARCUS'S POINT ABOUT AND SEVERAL OTHERS ABOUT HOW PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO? HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT, OR DO WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE A TOOLKIT THAT WE COULD USE? YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE COULD, I KNOW IN THE FIELD THAT I'M IN, IN HEALTHCARE AND PEDIATRICS, WE'VE DEVELOPED A LOT OF THOSE FOR PEOPLE TO USE.
AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED USE THEM AND THEY HAVE AN EFFECT.
I THINK DWS DID A GOOD JOB OF GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT ZERO ESCAPEES, DOING WORKSHOPS, UM, PROVIDING INFORMATION.
SO THEY'VE BEEN PROACTIVE IN THAT REGARD.
BUT, BUT WE ALWAYS KNOW THEY'RE, WE CAN ALWAYS DO MORE.
BUT YES, DW HAS BEEN DOING THAT SOMETIME.
UM, AND, AND I WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY, THE SAVE DALLAS WATER.COM WEBSITE IS RICH ON, ON INFORMATION AND EDUCATION, UH, VIDEOS.
VERY NICE PRODUCED VIDEOS ON HOW TO SAVE WATER IN DIFFERENT AREAS.
UM, NATIVE PLANS, HOW TO DO WATER WISE LANDSCAPES.
UM, YEAH, SHORT VIDEOS ON, ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT TOPICS TO HELP RESIDENTS.
UM, THE SURVEY RIGHT NOW, IF, IF YOU CAN PASS THAT ALONG WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS, UH, BECAUSE THE SURVEY IS, IS HOPEFULLY GONNA TELL US HOW MUCH PEOPLE KNOW OR DON'T KNOW WHAT PROGRAMS THEY HAVE, UH, UTILIZED OR NOT AND WHY.
SO IT'S A VERY SHORT SURVEY, UH, BUT VERY INSIGHTFUL.
IT'S GONNA BE VERY INSIGHTFUL FOR US AND FOR THE CUSTOMERS TO KNOW THAT, OH, WELL I, YOU KNOW, I CAN GO TO ST DALLAS WATER.COM AND I CAN GET A LOT OF INFORMATION IN THERE.
I THINK ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS ALSO CAN KNOW WE CAN INVITE SOMEONE COME BACK, BE DISTRICT A COMMUNITY EVENT.
I THINK BE HAPPY TO COOPERATE WITH THAT.
IF YOU WANNA SPONSOR ABSOLUTELY.
SPONSOR WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK I YOU WANT US, YEAH, WE CAN BE THERE.
UH, LATELY WE'VE BEEN ATTENDING ALL THE, UM, FOR DALLAS MEETINGS, SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE THAT COME.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY Y UM, YESTERDAY EVENING I AM, UM, ONE OF THE CHAIRPERSONS FOR SIERRA CLUB.
AND IN PLAIN ENGLISH I JUST FIND SPEAKERS, BUT I CALL IT THE CHAIR PROGRAM CHAIR.
BUT I HAD, UM, ONE OF OUR OWN MEMBERS WHO IS, UH, WITH THE WATER SENTENCE.
AND THAT'S A GREAT PLACE TO LOOK AT IT.
HE TALKED ABOUT T W BEING VERY INTERESTED IN IT AND AS FAR AS THE TOOLKIT FOR IT, THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS OFF THAT WEBSITE YOU CAN PULL OFF.
AND HE LEFT HIS CONTACT INFORMATION.
SO IT MAY BE THAT YOU COULD CONTACT HIM TOO AND SEE, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I'LL GIVE HIM, I'LL TELL HIM, CALL HIM BY PHONE TOO AND TELL HIM.
BUT THEY HAD A LOT OF INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT RESERVOIRS AND THINGS THAT THE, AGAIN, THE AVERAGE CITIZEN DOESN'T KNOW.
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH A CULTURE CHANGE.
AND WE GREW UP HAVING THE BIGGEST GREENEST LAWN LIKE DALLAS, THE SERIES DALLAS
[00:30:01]
SO WE'RE HAVING TO GET OUT OF THAT.PE THAT'S THE BIG PROBLEM, IS PEOPLE ARE STILL NOT WANTING TO, THAT'S UGLY TO SOME PEOPLE TO PUT NATIVE PLANTS AND NOT HAVE THIS NICE BIG GREEN LAWN.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS THE CULTURE CHANGE.
BUT CHECK OUT THE WATER SENTINELS AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A CHAIRPERSON RIGHT NOW.
I I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE COMMISSIONER ROBERSON'S POINT.
THAT WAS REALLY, I REALLY THINK THAT'S THE HEART OF A LOT OF WHAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WITH THIS ISSUE IS THE CULTURE CHANGE.
MY HAND WAS RAISED NOT FOR THAT.
JUST TO HIGHLIGHT ANOTHER RESOURCE THAT I THINK IS REALLY HELPFUL, UM, FROM THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR PERSPECTIVE, WHICH IS WATER IS AWESOME.COM AND I KNOW D W AND TART REGIONAL SHARE AND PROBABLY SOME OF THE SAME RESOURCES ARE ON DALLAS WATER UTILITIES, UM, ON WEBSITE.
BUT I, I THINK IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE.
YES, WE PARTNER AND I DID HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, YES, BUT THANKS FOR MENTIONING THE WATER IS AWESOME.
WE PARTNER WITH
IS, UH, THE WEBSITE FOR THAT CAMPAIGN.
UH, YOU HAVE PROBABLY SEEN IT ON CABLE.
BILLBOARDS IS ALREADY OUT THIS SUMMER.
UM, AND SO THERE ARE VIDEOS IN THERE ON HOW TO DO LANDSCAPING THAT IS WATER WISE, THAT IS WATER SENSITIVE FOR WE DON'T HAVE TO USE AS MUCH WATER AND HOW IT CAN STILL LOOK VERY, PRETTY, VERY REGIONAL.
AND I GUESS THE ONE QUESTION, CAN I ASK MY ONE QUESTION PLEASE? OH, OKAY.
UM, I WAS ACTUALLY JUST WONDERING HOW LONG THE SURVEY WAS OPEN.
THE, THE LAST FRIDAY IN OCTOBER.
ALRIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS ITEM? I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE.
SO LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR BRIEFING ITEM B.
ITEM B IS A QUARTERLY FORESTRY MASTER PLAN UPDATE.
AND YOU WILL NOTE THAT THIS, UM, MEMO CONTAINS THE PERCENTAGE COMPLETE OF EACH OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN THE FORESTRY MASTER PLAN THAT WAS REQUESTED BY THE COMMISSION.
SO THAT IS GOING TO GO BACK TO, UM, THE IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE AND THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND COME BACK, UM, TO THE COMMISSION AFTER THEY HAVE SOME TIME TO DISCUSS.
SO LET'S JUMP IN AND SEE, UM, WHO HAS QUESTIONS ON THIS ISSUE? COMMISSIONER HERETO.
UH, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT OUR IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE IS GONNA HAVE ANOTHER LOOK AT THIS BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GREAT TO SEE THIS STATUS UPDATE, BUT I PERSONALLY WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE LINKS TO SOME OF THE PLANS THAT ARE NOTED AS A HUNDRED PERCENT COMPLETE.
UH, MOST NOTABLY, RECOMMENDATIONS EIGHT, NINE, AND 11 STRATEGICALLY PLANT AND CARE FOR TREES AND ENSURE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO TREE CANOPY ACROSS DALLAS.
THE DESCRIPTION THERE DOESN'T, UM, PROVIDE ANY DETAILS ON HOW EQUITY IS BEING ACHIEVED THERE, AND I'D LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, RECOMMENDATION NUMBER NINE, MONITOR AND ADDRESS, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS TO DALLAS' URBAN FOREST.
AND THE NOTE HERE IS ABOUT THE EMERALD ASH BORE.
I'M CURIOUS IF E A B IS THE ONLY RISK OR THREAT TO DALLAS TREES.
UH, AND THEN RECOMMENDATION 11, WHICH LOOKED LIKE, LOOKS LIKE IT'S ONLY 25% COMPLETE.
WE MIGHT HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, GIVE FEEDBACK HERE.
FORMULATE A STRATEGY TO MANAGE WOOD WASTE AND IDENTIFY THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE OF WOOD FROM TREES REMOVED BY THE CITY.
UH, WOULD LOVE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND DETAILS OF THAT PLAN TOO.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY FROM FORESTRY ED? ALL RIGHT.
UM, WE'LL GET THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, AARON, WE'LL GET THOSE QUESTIONS TO OUR FOREST RESET.
UM, WE BEGAN TO WORK ON THE PRE CODE ARTICLE 10 YEARS AGO AND CONTINUES TO BE A MATTER OF DISCUSSION.
URBAN FORESTRY MASTER PLAN, UM, IN MANY WAYS WAS DEVELOPED BY THE TEXAS TREE FOUNDATION.
IT'S A SOLID PLAN, BUT WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE A FEW THINGS.
ONE IS THAT, UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE FORESTERS IN THREE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY, IN THE PARK DEPARTMENT.
THE PARK DEPARTMENT HAS 20,000 ACRES OF LAND.
SO THEY HAVE THEIR OWN FREE GROUPS.
WE HAVE A, A DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY, UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE AN URBAN FORESTER THAT WORKS FOR SUSTAINABLE
[00:35:01]
DEVELOPMENT.SO WE'VE GOT URBAN, UH, CHIEF AIST, THE FOREST SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THAT WORKS IN THE BUILDING COMMUNITY ON WHEN THEY WANT TO TAKE TREES DOWN ON THE BUILDING PROJECT.
WE'VE GOT A FORESTER THAT TAKES CARE OF TREES ON CITY LAND.
WE ALSO BIG FORESTERS IN THE FOREST PARK.
SO THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS HAS TO BE ADDRESSED.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE WHEELS TRY TO BRING ALL THOSE INTO ONE FOUR STREET APARTMENT TO OVERSEE ALL THAT.
AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN WE REALLY DON'T SLAVE IT.
'CAUSE AFTER ALL, PARKS HAS THE MOST LAND.
SAME TIME WE HAVE THE GREAT TRENDY FOREST.
THE TRENDY FOREST IS MOSTLY OWNED BY DALLAS WATER UTILITIES.
ALMOST ALL OF US OWNED BY DALLAS UTILITY.
SO IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT FOREST ISSUES AND TREES OF THE CITY, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS IN A VERY BROAD SCALE.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS PLAN THAT'S BEEN PUT TOGETHER BY THE TEXAS TREE FOUNDATION AND DETERMINE THE WAYS TO MAKE IT WORK WITHIN THE STRUCTURE OF OUR CITY.
VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS HAVE THEIR OWN ENFORCEMENT WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND HOW THEY INTERACT WITH, UM, THE ARBORIST ON WHAT TREES CAN AND CAN'T BE CUT DOWN AND WHAT YOU HAVE TO PAY IN FINES, UM, IF YOU CUT DOWN TREES ON A BUILDING SITE.
SO I'M GLAD YOU RAISED THIS, UH, COMMISSIONER HERETO, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN THROUGH SO MANY TREE PLANS OVER THE YEARS, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO DESCRIBE TO YOU HOW MANY HOURS I'VE SPENT IN THIS BUILDING WORKING ON NOTHING TO TREE.
WE HAVE STUDY OF THE GREAT TRINITY FOREST THAT WAS MASSIVE THOUSAND PAGES, I THINK THAT WAS NEVER FULLY IMPLEMENTED.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE MIGHT DO AS A COMMISSION IS REALLY RECOMMEND AS A STRONG RESOLUTION THAT THE CITY MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE PLANS, MAKE SURE THEY'RE FULLY CARRIED OUT BECAUSE AGAIN AND AGAIN, WE STUDY THE TREAT, WE STUDY THE FOREST, WE STUDY URBAN CANOPY.
WE KNOW IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NOW BECAUSE OF CLIMATE, BECAUSE WE'RE
AND YET AGAIN AND AGAIN WE HAVE MULTIPLE EFFORTS WITHIN CITY HALL AND HAVE MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.
UH, WE HAVE NEW PLANS THAT COME OUT ON IMPLEMENTING.
SO IF WE WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AND ACT ON THIS AND COMMISSION, WE MIGHT WANNA RECOMMEND, UM, TO THE COUNCIL, TO THE CITY THAT WE HAVE A GOAL IN MIND FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE URBAN FORESTRY MASTER PLAN.
OTHERWISE, THERE'S, THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER PLAN SITS ON ANOTHER SHELF AND THAT WILL NOT GIVE US WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
THERE'S ALSO A VERY INTERESTING IRONY IN TRAGIC.
AND SO WHAT YOU ISLAND EFFECT IS MOSTLY IN NORTH AND NORTHWEST DALLAS.
THE SOUTHERN DALLAS IS MOSTLY PRE-AMP.
YOU KNOW, WHERE'S MUCH OF DEVELOPMENT GOING ON NOW IN SOUTHERN DALLAS, WE CAN LOSE A THIRD OF THE TREE CANOPY, THE CITY AS WE DEVELOP SOUTHERN DALLAS, A THIRD, A THIRD OF THE TREE.
CANOP IN THE CITY COULD BE WELL IN THE MAIN OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND I'M ALL FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVE TO GO IN EYES WIDE OPEN.
IF WE DESTROY THAT THIRD OF THE PRE CANOPY AND ANOTHER PERCENTAGE OF THAT TREE CANOPY IS DESTROYED BY ANIMAL ANIMAL DASHBOARD, THEN WE'RE LOSING WELL OVER 30% OF THE TREE CANOPY, THE CITY IN A TOWN THAT WE CAN'T AFFORD THAT 'CAUSE WE'RE NOW THE THIRD FASTEST HEATING CITY IN AMERICA IN TERMS OF CLIMATE, UH, AND HEAT EFFECT NUMBER THREE IN THE COUNTRY, WE'RE WARMING THIRD FASTEST.
AND TREES ARE A HUGE ANSWER TO THAT PROBLEM.
SO IF WE, THE COMMISSION WOULD HAVE AN EFFECT ON THIS, WE, WE DO NEED TO REALLY GET THE CITY TO TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT, PAY ATTENTION TO IT, FIND WAYS TO ADDRESS THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE SERIOUS TREAT ISSUES THAT ARE COMING UP AND CAN CONTINUE, UH, TO PLAGUE US OVER A PERIOD OF TIME IF WE DON'T TAKE ACTION ON THIS PLANE.
WE'LL LOOK AT OUR SCREENS RIGHT NOW.
I'LL JUST NOTE, UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE DISTRIBUTION OF STAFF ACROSS SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS WHO'LL NOTICE SOME RECOMMENDATION.
TWO, IT SAYS 100% COMPLETE, CENTRALIZED THE CITY'S URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES.
SO LIKE YOU, I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT HOW THAT'S NOW CENTRALIZED.
AND COMMISSIONER HARIMOTO, TO YOUR POINT AS WELL, HOW HAVE THE OTHER ITEMS, UM, BEEN COMPLETED? AND THEN, UM, I DID WANNA MENTION THAT WE HAD ALSO REQUESTED SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT ARTICLE 10.
WHERE ARE WE, WE'RE GONNA BE FOLLOWING UP ON THAT.
THIS, THIS BRIEFING, THIS, THIS MEMO THIS EVENING CAME FROM, IF YOU'LL REMEMBER THE REQUEST THAT THE COMMISSION MADE IN MARCH, THAT FORESTRY STAFF PROVIDE US THE PERCENTAGES OF COMPLETION FOR THIS SPECIFIC ITEM WITH THE INTENT THAT IT WOULD GO TO THE IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE SO THAT THEY CAN FURTHER TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND BRING BACK SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AND THOUGHTFUL, UM, CONSIDERATIONS THAT THE COMMISSION COULD POTENTIALLY PUT TOGETHER.
UM, AND I KNOW HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR TREES IN OUR CITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR YOUR EXPERTISE AND WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
[00:40:01]
ARE, WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.ONE OTHER VERY QUICK, UH, NOTE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WHO NOW INTERESTED IN, IN REOPENING ARTICLE 10.
AND WE, WHEN I SAY OPEN IT, IT'S CALLED OPENING THE CODE.
THE DEVELOPMENT CODE OF THE CITY OF DALLAS CONTAINS THE FREE CODE AND ARTICLE 10.
SO WHEN YOU OPEN THE CODE, IT GOES THROUGH THE ZONING ORDINANCE, ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE PLAN, COMMISSION AND COUNCIL.
I MEAN, IT TOOK US YEARS DURING WRITE ARTICLE 10.
AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE AT THE TABLE.
THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE INTERESTED IN.
SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UM, WE KNOW WE HAVE SOME FOLKS JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS WALL.
AND IF THE HORSE HERE, THE CITY COUNCIL WHO ARE VERY INTERESTED IN THIS ISSUE, WHO WANT TO BE ADDRESS IT MEMBERS, THERE'S THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY BUILDING CAN, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THESE ISSUES 'CAUSE IT CONTINUES TO CHANGE.
SO THERE'S THE POLITICAL WILL TO DO IT.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN DO IS CONTINUE TO MOVE THAT FORWARD AND KEEP THE DISCUSSION VIBRANT AND ALIVE UNTIL WE'VE GONE THROUGH ARTICLE 10, UM, REWRITE, UM, TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL THESE DIFFERENT FACTORS, UM, AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT'S WORKABLE FOR OR INVOLVED IT NEEDS, IT'S A LONG PROCESS.
AND WE ALSO REMEMBER WE HAVE AN URBAN FORESTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY LAURA MILLER, AND SHE WAS MAYOR 20 YEARS AGO.
AND THIS IS LONG ONGOING DISCUSSION, BUT A CRITICAL ONE BECAUSE WE ARE, I WANT EVERYBODY TO HEAR THIS ONE MORE TIME.
WE ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF OUR TREE CANOP IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, BUT WE CANNOT AFFORD THAT INEQUALITY.
WATER QUALITY, QUALITY OF LIFE, ENVIRONMENTAL, MEDICAL JUSTICE, ALL THESE THINGS, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, ALL THOSE THINGS DEPENDING ON A TREE CAN BE.
AND WE CAN LOSE LARGE PROCEDURE IF WE DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE.
UM, TAKE UP, UH, WE'RE, UH, DAVID'S DISCUSSING, UH, MR. MARCUS WAS DISCUSSING THE ARTICLE 10 AND ALSO THE CONSOLIDATION OF YOUR MENTIONED CONSOLIDATION OF THE RESOURCES OF ALL URBAN FORESTRY ISSUE.
UM, WE HAVE A HUGE ALLY WITH THE TEXAS TREE FOUNDATION AND THIS ISSUE MAY HAVE COMMISSIONED AND PAID FOR THE HEAT ISLAND STUDIES.
THEY, THEY'VE MEASURED HEAT ISLAND EFFECTS AT AROUND PARKLAND AND THE SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER AND HAVE TAKEN TEMPERATURES ON PARKING LOTS IN THE HEAT ISLAND AREA OF THAT AS HIGH AS 150 DEGREES, UH, TEMPERATURE IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THAT AREA BECAUSE IT'S JUST A GIANT ACRES UPON AC OF ASPHALT AND CONCRETE.
MY POINT HERE IS, IS THAT WE IN THE, AND I'M PART OF THE BUILDING COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE HELPED FUND DECREE FUND, ONE OF THE ISSUES WE'VE ENCOUNTERED OVER THE YEARS IS THE NOT SPENDING OF TREES FUND BECAUSE, BECAUSE THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE WATERING TRUCKS AND WE HAVE NOT ENGAGED THE TEXAS TREE FOUNDATION, WHO OWNS WATERING TRUCKS, WHO WOULD PLANT THE TREES THAT WE NEED AND USE THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE IN THE, IN, IN THIS TREE FUND.
SO ULTIMATELY, I MEAN, WE NEED, FIRST OF ALL, AND AND I, YOU KNOW, WE CAN THINK ABOUT PLANTING TREES FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS, BUT YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE 10 YEARS.
I PLANTED A TREE, SEVERAL TREES, A MILE LOT.
WHEN I BUILT MY HOME, IT WAS A TWO INCH, THREE INCH DIAMETER BOROUGH.
IT WAS 12 FEET TALL, TWO INCHES IN DIAMETER.
TODAY THAT TREE'S 45 FEET TALL AND IT'S ALMOST 14 INCHES IN BAY.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE DO WITH TREES.
AND IF WE MOBILIZE THE ABILITY, THEY USE THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE IN THE, IN, IN THE TREE FUND.
AND IF WE DON'T WANNA BUY WATERING CUPS, LET'S DO A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TEXAS TREE FOUNDATION AND THEY WILL MOBILIZE THE, THE, THE SUPPORTERS OF THE TREE FOUNDATION AND MAKE SURE THESE TREES ARE PLANTED WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED.
AND GUESS WHAT? THEY KNOW WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED.
THEY KNOW WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED.
IF, IF I'M NOT, WE KNOW WHERE THERE'S A PLACE PLANTED EVERY TREE IN DALLAS, WE LITERALLY WENT THROUGH THE TEXAS TREE FOUNDATION IN COAST
WE HAVE ALL THIS INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE, IT'S IN PLACE RIGHT NOW.
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO NOW IS MOBILIZING
AND THAT'S SOME OF THIS COMMISSION DO, BUT WE HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND WE HAVE THE MONEY.
WELL, AND THERE'S ANOTHER THING YOU CAN DO WITH THIS MONEY.
SOMEBODY WILL HAVE THE SPACE FOR INFORMATION.
THE TREE FUND ALLOWS YOU TO PLANT TREES, ALSO ALLOWS YOU TO BUY WOODED PROPERTY.
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DALLAS, WE USED TREE FUND TO BUY, TO BUY LAND AT THE INTERSECTION OF LOOP 12 AND I 35.
THERE'S AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WOODED PROPERTY THERE.
AND SURE ENOUGH WE ONLY TAKE TAP THE TREE FUND AND GO BUY LAND THERE SO IT CAN BE SPENT TO PLANT TREES OF THINGS BE SPENT TO BUY WOODED PROPERTY.
[00:45:01]
POINT IN TIME AND THERE WAS SEVEN OVER $7 MILLION SITTING THERE.SO TEN ONE, YEAH, IT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT COST TO PLANT AN QUAKE, BUT IT'S NOT A TON.
I MEAN, WE COULD PLANT A MILLION TREES VERY QUICKLY AND, AND THE CITY IN BRAZIL, UH, OR NOT BRAZIL, IT WAS CHILLING.
IT WAS BACKING UP THE, IN THESE MOUNTAINS AND IT WAS OVERCOME WITH POLLUTION.
AND THE CITY DID A CONCERTED EFFORT AND DECIDED LET'S PLANT A MILLION TREES.
THEY SOLVE THEIR SMALLER PROBLEM DOING.
WE'VE GOT THE MONEY, LET'S MAKE THE DECISION TO PARTNER WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
YES, THE, IT'S IT'S DEVELOPMENT SERVICES THAT NOT HAVE WATERING TRUCK.
THEY'LL GLADLY WORK WITH THAT FUND AND, AND GET THOSE TREES PLANTED.
UM, I GUESS I'LL, I'LL SAY ONE THING.
UM, I JUST GAVE A TALK JUST ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK.
YOU KNOW, PLANTING TREES IS A GREAT IDEA.
I'VE BEEN WATERING THEM ALL SUMMER LONG.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT'S 20 YEARS TO GET IT TO WHERE IT PROVIDES ANY KIND OF VALUE.
THE ONES THAT ARE IN THE GROUND ARE THE ONES THAT NEED TO BE KEPT IN THE GROUND.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE CARED FOR.
SO YOU CUT 'EM DOWN AND THEN YOU REPLACE 'EM.
SOMETHING THAT YOU TO TAKE CARE OF FOR THE NEXT, WHAT, AT LEAST THREE YEARS IN DALLAS OR THEY'RE GONNA DIE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO I'M GONNA JUST PUT IT OUT THERE THAT THE EXISTING CANOPY HAS TO BE SAVED.
YEAH, YOU CAN MAKE THINGS BETTER IN 20 YEARS, BUT WHAT ABOUT TODAY? STOP CUTTING DOWN WHAT WE HAVE.
OR AT LEAST NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE SAVED, BUT WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF SAVING MUCH ALL YOU DESERVE.
IN ADDITION TO PROTECTING THE HEALTHY TREE CANOPY THAT WE HAVE, AND THIS IS OF COURSE SUPPORTED BY TEXAS TREES FOUNDATION IS PLANTING TREES IS ESSENTIAL AND IMPORTANT, BUT WE'VE GOT TO INVEST IN MAINTENANCE AND, AND COORDINATED MAINTENANCE FOR THE LONG TERM TO HAVE A HEALTHY TREE CANOPY.
UM, ANOTHER SORT OF QUESTION ABOUT THE INTERSECTION OF, UH, SEVERAL OF OUR AREAS OF INTEREST.
UM, RECENTLY, UM, I ADDED SOLAR TO MY HOUSE AND I WENT THROUGH AN INTERESTING PROCESS OF LOOKING AT DIFFERENT VENDORS, SOME OF WHOM CAME IN AND SAID, AND I HAVE A LOT OF TREES ON MY PROPERTY, REALLY NICE OLDER TREES.
WELL, WE'LL CUT DOWN YOUR TREES.
AND OF COURSE I SAID, NO THANK YOU.
UH, AND I, I FINALLY THE PER THE COMPANY, I SETTLED ON THE, THE GUY WHEN HE CAME TO LOOK AT THE PROPERTY HAD LOOKED AT THE GOOGLE MAPS AND HE BROUGHT HIS TREE PERSON WITH HIM TO ADVISE HOW TO PRESERVE THE TREES AT THE SAME TIME PROVIDING ME COVER.
AND PART OF THE REASON I PICKED THEM IS, IF YOU'RE THAT RESPONSIBLE ABOUT LOOKING AT MY TREES AND MY ENVIRONMENT, YOU'RE THE KIND OF COMPANY I WANNA DO BUSINESS WITH.
BUT THE NEXT, ONE OF THE NEXT PHASES WAS OF COURSE, THAT WE HAD TO GET A PERMIT FROM THE CITY TO DO THE CONSTRUCTION.
DOES THAT INCLUDE LOOKING AT TREE PRESERVATION? AND IF NOT, IT SHOULD.
I MEAN, THESE ARE LITTLE HOLES WE CAN PLUG REALLY EASILY IN WHAT WE DO.
THAT MEAN THAT WE WALK THE WALK AS WELL AS TALKING THE TALK.
I THINK COMMISSIONER, HI MOTO, YOU HAD A SIMILAR QUESTION, UH, REGARDING PRESERVATION OF TREE CANOPY WITH THE SOLAR INSTALLATION AND, AND I THINK THAT THAT WAS SPECIFIC TO THE CITY'S PROGRAM, BUT THAT THE ANSWER WAS NO.
SO THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH ENCOURAGING HOMEOWNERSHIP, UH, HOMEOWNERS, UH, TO BE SOLAR OWNERS AS WELL.
UM, WHAT'S OUR CURRENT PERSPECTIVE FROM ANYBODY WHO MIGHT KNOW ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IS TAKING OUT TREES AND THEN SAYING, SORRY, AND IT'S TOO LATE.
WE TALK ABOUT WE LOVE THE CITY OF CARROTS AND NOT STICKS, BUT I'M VERY WORRIED THAT IF OUR STICKS DON'T GET REALLY BIG AND SCARY, THAT THEY'LL SAY, I'M SORRY, I MAYBE PAY A FINE.
AND, AND THEN OUR NET STRATEGY WITH THE TREE PLANNING IS GONNA ALWAYS BE PLAYING CATCH UP.
SO IT ARE, IS DEVELOPMENT GETTING ANY BETTER? WHETHER IT'S RESIDENTIAL, ALAN, WHERE YOU WORK OR THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, I'M CONCERNED THAT IT'S NOT AND THAT THEY'RE COMING DOWN AND WHAT'S THE COST OF THEM DOING THAT? UM, UNLESS THEY'RE GOOD HEARTED PEOPLE THAT GO, WE SHOULDN'T DO THAT.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION FOR MR. IRWIN.
[00:50:01]
UM, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS TO HIM AND, AND FOLLOW UP WITH A RESPONSE.MR. ROBERSON, I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD, WHEN YOU, UH, APPROACH PHILLIP WITH THIS, UH, THERE'S A HISTORICAL TREE, UM, UHHUH THAT THE CITY HAS, BUT THERE'S NOBODY TO ENFORCE IT WHEN I TALK TO HIM, IS REALLY NOT SOMETHING ENFORCEABLE.
SO WHAT HAPPENS, ESPECIALLY IN OLDER PARTS OF OAK CLIFF, MY CHURCH IS AN EXAMPLE OF, WE, I HAD TO WALK THE PROPERTY WITH THESE PEOPLE.
I HAPPENED TO BE THERE 'CAUSE WE WERE HAVING TREES TRIMMED.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS, THEY GO INTO THESE OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS AND IT'S NOTHING TO CUT DOWN A 75 YEAR OLD TREE IF IT'S IN THE WAY OF WHERE THEY WANNA BE.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME ATTENTION GOING.
THERE'S NO POINT IN HAVING A HISTORICAL TREE PROTOCOL POLICY OR WHATEVER, AND IT'S NOT BEING, YOU KNOW, ENFORCED.
I'LL, I'LL, UM, SEND IT BACK OVER TO YOU MR. MARQUIS IN JUST A, A MOMENT.
BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S THE INTENT OF REOPENING ARTICLE 10 IS TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW EFFECTIVE, UM, IS THAT PROGRAM AND, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE ADMINISTERING AND OR ENFORCING, GO AHEAD.
THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE THE CITY'S COME DOWN PRETTY HARD ON PEOPLE TO COME DOWN THROUGH, BUT NOT AS MANY INSTANCES AS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
UM, WE HAVE SUCH A BROAD VARIETY OF EXAMPLES.
IN SOME CASES, PEOPLE AND DEVELOPERS, HOME BUILDERS HAVE DONE THE RIGHT THING.
AND THERE WERE OUR PARTNERS WHO WORKED ON THE, AND IN OTHER CASES YOU'D SEE PEOPLE WHO GRAB IN THE DARK AT NIGHT AND LITERALLY KEPT THINGS DOWN.
THERE WAS AN EXAMPLE NOT FAR FROM WHERE I LIVE IN, IN KEYSTONE WESTMORE, WHERE A CHURCH HAD BOUGHT A LOT AND HAD NO IDEA THERE WAS A TREE CODE AND THEY JUST DIDN'T EVENLY BUY A LOT ON THE HILLSIDE.
SO THE FIRST TIME RAIN, THE MUD SL DOWN IN THE STREET.
SO THERE REALLY BAD EXAMPLES LIKE THAT.
UM, AND WAY TOO MANY OF THEM, I BEGIN TO WONDER IF PART OF THE, OF OUR LOOKING AT ARTICLE 10 NEEDS TO INCLUDE, UM, A GREATER PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AMONG THE BUILDING COMMUNITY, UM, IN A GREATER PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AMONG OUR CITIZENS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING MORE AND MORE PUBLIC SERVICE AND SURVEYS WITH WATER ISSUES.
MAYBE WE NEED TO TAKE A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO TREES AND PRESERVATION TREES.
THOSE OF US SITTING THERE AT THE TABLE GET THIS.
WE KNOW THAT, BUT NOT EVERYBODY DOES.
SO MAYBE THERE'S SOMEONE NEED TAKE A LOOK AT HOW DO WE INCREASE THE LEVEL AND OF KNOWLEDGE AND CONSCIOUSNESS ABOUT TRUTH AND NOT, NOT EVERYBODY GETS THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE TEND TO FORGET THAT KNOW WE'RE THE CHOIR, WE TEND TO PREACH THE CHOIR, BUT MAYBE WE NEED TO GO OUT AND AND PREACH TO SOME OTHER FOLKS TOO AS WELL AND GET THEM ON BOARD AS WELL BECAUSE YEAH.
'CAUSE THIS IS, I MEAN THIS IS, UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS AND YOU THANK ME A FEW MINUTES AGO, MISS BAAN.
BUT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FOR DECADES IN DALLAS, TEXAS.
AND SO I'VE SEE MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO IT THAT COVERS EVERYTHING FROM BIGGER STICKS TO BIGGER CARROTS.
UM, 'CAUSE WE, WE HAVE REDEFINED WHICH TREES NEED TO BE SAFE MORE WITH THIS CURRENTLY AROUND PRECO CODE.
SO IT CONTINUES TO BE PROGRESS, BUT YOU ALWAYS, ALWAYS FIND SOMEBODY EITHER DOESN'T KNOW OR DOESN'T CARE AND GO OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND CUT DOWN TREES.
AND BY THE TIME FILLER ONE GETS THERE, TREES ARE GONE.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN THIS REGARD.
AND PART OF THAT IS TO RERUN THE PRE CODE.
PART OF THAT'S PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AND PART OF THAT'S ENFORCEMENT.
I I WANT TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT.
I AGREE COMPLETELY BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND IT'S REALLY NOT JUST A DEVELOPMENT TO ME THAT FALL
THE REALITY IS, IS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK ANYTHING BIG NORTH OF NORTHWEST HIGHWAY PRIOR TO 1930, THAT WAS COTTON FIELD.
NOW IT'S AN URBAN FOREST AROUND THOSE HOMES.
THOSE ARE PLANTED BY DEVELOPERS.
DON THOSE NOT, THEY DIDN'T SPONTANEOUSLY FIGURE IT.
SO THE REALITY IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, A DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY OUTDOORS THAT HAVE DONE DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF TREES THAT ARE PLANTED BY BIRDS.
UH, A LOT OF THE HACKBERRY, MOSTLY ALL OVER THE CITY ARE PLANTED BY BIRDS ALONG
AND, AND SO, AND WE ALSO NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT TREES, SPECIES WE USING THE HACKBERRYS ARE NOT VERY LONG.
THE TREES AND, UH, UH, AND, AND OFFER TREES, UH, OTHER THAN
AND SO PLANTING TREES IS ESSENTIAL.
WE MOBILIZE, DO A MILLION PREPLANNING.
WE'RE GONNA MATERIALLY IMPACT UPON 1 MILLION.
[00:55:01]
THAT IS NOT PART OF THE COMMISSIONER MURRAY.I AM GONNA COME TO THE DEFENSE OF THE ACT AREA.
IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE TREES.
BIODIVERSITY, BIODIVERSITY, AND THEY'LL GROW ANYWHERE.
AND AS LONG IT'S NOT NEXT TO YOUR HOUSE, WE CAN FORGIVE IT.
AND IT'S NOT SUPER LONG LIVED.
AND I HAVE THE TALK, IF YOU HAVE A GROUP THAT WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT TREES, LET ME KNOW.
I'M READY BECAUSE IT'S GONNA TAKE, IT'S GONNA TAKE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM TO CHANGE THE TREE CODE.
THAT IS WHERE IT'S GONNA HAVE TO COME FROM IN DALLAS.
MR. MARTIN'S GONNA WRAP US, OR MR. MARCUS IS GONNA WRAP US UP.
THEY COME IN AND THAT THEY GET INTO THIS.
BUT I'M RATHER DO, UM, FIRST ABOUT
THEY'RE AN IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT'S CALLED FORCED SUCCESSION.
'CAUSE THEY SELF POLLANT THE, UH, THE BERRIES POP OUT THOSE SEEDS AND FALL THEIR GROUND.
AND SO BIRDS DO SKELET THOSE SEEDS, BUT THEY ALSO, UH, PROPAGATE THEMSELVES.
UH, BUT AGAIN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SOFT WOOD.
THEY DON'T, UH, WHAT YOU WANT IS OAKS AND ELS ANOTHER PECANS AND SO ON TO COME UP AND THEN BASICALLY CROWD THAT VERY WELL.
WE DON'T HAVE DO TOO LARGE A ROLE.
I WANT TO NOTE REAL QUICK SOMETHING THAT JULIE SAYS FROM
THERE'S A LOT OF
WE NEED A GREATER VARIETY OF TREES.
AND SO THE SPECIES OF TREES THAT WE PLANT, UH, IS CRITICAL TO WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH WITH, WITH TREES IN THE CITY.
AND, UH, I THINK AGAIN, WHAT WE CAN DO AS A COMMISSION IS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT OF THE FORESTRY MASTER PLAN AND THE COURSE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TAKES THE TREE FOUNDATION, THE MATERIALS WE HAVE, WE CAN NOW GO FORWARD WITH.
AND SO WE WILL GO FORWARD AS A CONDITION TO DO THIS.
WE CAN LEAD TO THE PLAN OF MANY TREASON ANALYSIS, AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ROLE CONDITION TO PLAY IN.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA GET THAT ON THE MICROPHONE HERE IN A MINUTE.
UM, I, UM, UH, AT THE PROMPTING OF CHAIRMAN BAZAN, UH, CHAIRPERSON BAZAN, I, UH, MET WITH THE TEXAS TREE FOUNDATION.
I WAS GONNA DO THIS IN MY DISTRICT REPORT, BUT WITH THIS TOPIC, I DECIDED TO DO IT NOW.
AND WE LOOKED AT AREAS IN DISTRICT 12, EVEN THOUGH DISTRICT 12 IS RELATIVELY WOOD UH, WOODED.
UH, THERE ARE AREAS WHERE WE STILL HAVE SOME ISSUES AND WE ADDRESSED HOW TO, UM, APPROACH THOSE.
UM, AND, UM, THAT HAS ME NOW ACTIVELY WORKING.
I ALSO WENT TO THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND THERE WERE PEOPLE THERE WHO WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR TREES AS WELL, OR PLANTING TREES.
AND SO THERE'S ANOTHER RESOURCE.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, UH, I'M INVOLVED WITH TEMPLE SHALOM AND WE'RE DOING A MASSIVE INCREASE OF OUR URBAN GARDEN FROM 12 BEDS TO 60.
AND AS A PART OF THAT, WE HAVE A TREE PLANTING PROGRAM.
AND SO I'M GOING TO BE DISCUSSING THAT TREE PLANTING PROGRAM AND LINKING IT UP TO, UM, WITH, UM, WITH THE, UH, TEXAS TREE PROJECT TO SEE IF IT, IF IT LINKS UP.
SO, YOU KNOW, I I, I'M PROBABLY COMPARED TO SOME OF YOU RATHER LATE TO THIS GAME, BUT IT'S AN INTERESTING PLACE TO BE IN TERMS OF THINGS WE CAN DO THAT ARE PRACTICAL.
WE'VE SPENT SOME TIME ON THIS TOPIC.
HOPEFULLY WE WILL, UM, HEAR BACK FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE ON THIS WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS WITH SOME, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY CAN BRING FORWARD, UH, THAT WE CAN THEN MOVE FORWARD TO THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. UM, AND THE FIRST ITEM IS THE APPOINTMENT OF TECHNICAL PANEL MEMBERS TO OUR SUBCOMMITTEE.
SO YOU MAY KNOW THAT WE HAVE TWO NEW TECHNICAL PANEL MEMBERS.
ONE OF THEM, THEM IS WITH US THIS EVENING.
JACK HAS REQUESTED TO BE APPOINTED TO THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND INNOVATION COMMITTEE, UM, AND WITH THE BLESSING OF CHAIR HIRO MOTO, I'M GOING TO, UH, POINT HER TO THAT COMMITTEE.
UH, NEXT ITEM, ITEM B IS OUR MONTHLY SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATES.
WE'RE GONNA START WITH OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE, CHAIRWOMAN THOMPSON, DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE? UH, YES.
UM, HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING ON LAST THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH, UM, WHERE WE DISCUSSED THE T C E Q, THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY PUBLIC MEETING
[01:00:01]
THAT WAS HELD ON THE 17TH OF AUGUST.UM, OUR WORK, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD IS, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE RESEARCHING, UM, MORE ABOUT THE LOCATIONS OF THE BATCH PLANTS 'CAUSE WE ARE AWARE THAT THEY'RE PRIMARILY, UM, LOCATED IN, UM, WEST AND AND SOUTHERN DALLAS.
BUT, UM, OUR GOAL IS TO BE MORE PROACTIVE, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO THE PERMITING, UM, AND BEING ABLE, UH, TO GET A, A, A HANDLE ON IT BEFORE WE EVEN GETS A PROBLEM.
UM, WE REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THE CURRENT ONE THAT'S, UH, OPERATING ON THE EDGE OF, UH, DISTRICT SEVEN AND EIGHT, UM, HAS BEEN OPERATING ILLEGALLY.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO PERMIT THINGS IN THE BUD BEFORE, UH, THEY EVEN HAPPEN, OR TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF, UH, CONSEQUENTIAL, UH, CONSEQUENTIAL ACTION THAT TAKES PLACE.
UM, SO RECOMMENDATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, ARE FORTHCOMING, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING SOON, TO PUT FORWARD THESE PRIORITIES FROM THE MAYOR REGARDING THE P T E AND WHERE EQUITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE WOULD INTERSECT WITH THOSE.
UM, SO SINCE I'M NEW TO THIS ROLE, UH, I HAVE TO ADMIT WE HAVE NOT MET, UM, AND I'VE TAKEN COPIOUS NOTES TONIGHT, UH, AND WOULD LIKE TO, I, I'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU TO SEE IF YOU WANNA JOIN US, AND WE WILL DEFINITELY BE MEETING ON, UH, THE ISSUES BROUGHT UP TONIGHT.
WE APPRECIATE YOU JUMPING INTO THAT LEADERSHIP POSITION, AND GLAD TO, UM, JOIN YOUR MEETING AND JOIN THAT DISCUSSION.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.
UH, WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT LAST YEAR'S STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION AND THE GOALS THAT WE SET FORWARD, UH, INCLUDING, INCLUDING THE CREATION OF OUR OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT SUBCOMMITTEE.
UM, AND IN THAT DISCUSSION, IF YOU RECALL, WE, UH, AGREED THAT EACH OF US WITHIN OUR DISTRICTS WERE GOING TO HOLD AT LEAST ONE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETING.
UH, AND SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF AUDITING WHICH DISTRICTS HAVE HAD EVENTS.
UM, WE ALSO DISCUSSED, UM, THE FORM THAT THE COMMISSION HAS AVAILABLE TO IT THAT WE HOPE EVERYBODY IS USING TO REPORT THOSE EVENTS BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCING AN ANNUAL REPORT.
UM, AND IN THAT WE, UH, REPORT ALL OF OUR OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.
AND IT MAKES IT SO MUCH EASIER FOR BOTH MYSELF AND FOR AARON, OUR BOARD COORDINATOR, UM, TO PULL THOSE EVENTS TOGETHER WHEN WE HAVE THAT REPORT.
AND IT INCLUDES THE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, AND WHICH COMMUNITIES WE'RE, UM, WE'RE MEETING WITH AND, AND IDENTIFIES ESSENTIALLY WHICH COMMUNITIES ARE NOT BEING REACHED BY THE COMMISSION IN IT, IN ITS, UM, OUTREACH EFFORTS.
AND THEN WANTED TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION OUR, UM, EVENTS CALENDAR.
OUR EVENTS CALENDAR IS A GREAT WAY FOR COMMISSIONERS TO PLUG INTO UPCOMING OUTREACH EVENTS THAT MAY BE GOING ON IN ANOTHER DISTRICT OR MAY BE HAPPENING CITYWIDE, SPONSORED BY ONE OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING O E Q S.
IT IS IN ONE OF THE LINKS AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF OUR NEWSLETTER.
SO YOU SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE NEWSLETTER, YOU'LL SEE OUR OUTREACH, UM, OR OUR, UH, EVENTS CALENDAR.
AARON MAINTAINS THAT IF YOU HAVE AN EVENTS IN YOUR DISTRICT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THAT CALENDAR, PLEASE JUST SEND HER AN EMAIL AND SHE WOULD BE GLAD TO ADD THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT IT WOULD ALSO BE TREMENDOUSLY BENEFICIAL BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT OUR, OUR COMMISSIONERS IN CERTAIN DISTRICTS, 6, 7, 8, 4, THERE'S ALWAYS, ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING ON.
AND IF YOU'RE IN A DISTRICT WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE VERY MUCH GOING ON, OR YOU'RE JUST LOOKING TO PLUG INTO A NEW CITY TOPIC OR UNDERSTAND WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES ARE IN OTHER DISTRICTS, THAT CALENDAR IS A GREAT WAY FOR YOU TO SUPPORT YOUR FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.
AND THEN LAST WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, CREATING A, A TEMPLATE OR A CHECKLIST FOR HOSTING AN EVENT, UH, CREATED BY SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE HOSTED SEVERAL.
UH, WE HAVE SO MANY RESOURCES AVAILABLE THAT THE CITY WILL BRING OUT.
THERE'S, UH, A REALLY GREAT PRESENTATION THAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER THAT YOU CAN EDIT AND MAKE IT CUSTOMIZABLE FOR YOUR DISTRICT.
THAT TELLS THE STORY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND, AND WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE DO IT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL HERE.
UH, THERE ARE FLYERS AND, UH, OTHER OUTREACH, UM, THAT, UH, STAFF CAN BRING TO YOUR MEETINGS.
AND IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD A COMMUNITY EVENT IN YOUR DISTRICT, WE ARE GOING TO BE APPROACHING YOU VERY SHORTLY ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN, BOTH FOR YOU AND FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, UM, SO THAT YOUR COMMUNITY CAN KNOW MORE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND WHAT YOU DO AS THE COMMISSIONER.
[01:05:01]
UM, AND THEN, UM, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF OUR UPCOMING EVENTS, UH, WHICH I WILL SHARE, UH, IN MY NEXT DISCUSSION ITEM.ALRIGHT, NOW WE'RE GONNA GO TO STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND INNOVATION.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE HAVE ANY UPDATES OTHER THAN, UH, WE CANCELED THE LAST MEETING, UH, PENDING THE STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING FOR THE LARGER COMMISSION, WHICH, UH, I UNDERSTAND WILL BE HAPPENING SHORTLY.
ITEM C IS OUR MONTHLY DISTRICT UPDATES FROM COMMISSIONERS.
COMMISSIONER WOOTEN, CAN YOU HEAR US? I THINK HE'S UNMUTED.
WILL YOU MESSAGE ME AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO REPORT.
I'LL COME BACK TO YOU IF YOU DO.
WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT.
I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT CONVERSATION HAS REVOLVED AROUND TREES, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE, UH, UH, THE TEXAS TREES FOUNDATION REACHED OUT TO ME AND LET ME KNOW THAT, UM, THE FUNDING HAS BEEN SECURED FOR THE FIRST REPLANTING.
UH, AND IT'LL BE TAKING PLACE IN NOVEMBER AT, UH, CUMMINGS, UH, PARK
AND SO NO DATE HAS BEEN SECURED JUST YET, BUT HOLD, AND YOU WILL BE INFORMED AND HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE THERE ON THAT DAY.
UM, BUT IN ADVANCE OF THAT, WE WILL BE HOSTING A COMMUNITY MEETING, UM, JUST TO GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND SOME ENGAGEMENT, UNDERSTAND, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT KINDS OF TREES DO WE WANNA PLANT, UM, AND WHERE THESE TREES WILL BE, UH, EXACTLY PLANTED IN THE PARK.
SO, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT EVENT AND I JUST THINK THIS PERFECTLY ALIGNED WITH OUR CONVERSATION TEAM.
UM, WE DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING CURRENTLY PLANNED, THOUGH.
WE, TOO, WERE APPROACHED BY TEXAS TREES AND I BELIEVE IT'S OCTOBER, NOVEMBER.
THEY HAVE TREE PLANTING COMING UP IN DISTRICT FIVE.
I'LL GET WITH ERIN AND TRY TO COORDINATE SOMETHING, UM, POSSIBLY PRIOR TO THAT DATE.
AND AS WE GET THOSE DATES FROM TEXAS TREES FOUNDATION, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND ADD THEM TO OUR, UH, OUR CALENDAR SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN HAVE THOSE.
I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO AN EVENT, D I S D SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE FOR, UH, DISTRICT NUMBER EIGHT.
JOE CARONE AND I ARE PLANNING AND COORDINATING A COMMUNITY CLEANUP IN NORTHWEST DALLAS.
DISTRICT SIX IS ALONG IN SKINNY DISTRICT.
I LIVE IN THE SOUTH AND WEST DALLAS.
WE, I GOT NEIGHBORS UP IN NORTHWEST DALLAS, DISTRICT SIX.
WE WILL BE AT AN OFTEN OVERLOOKED PARK CALLED OVER LAKE PARK.
UM, WE'LL BE CLEANING UP THE CREEK.
WE WILL BE WORKING THE PARKS AND REC TO CLEAN UP THE PARK THERE AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
COME ON OUT, 10 TO 12:00 PM 10:00 AM TO NOON.
UM, SATURDAY, NINE 30, SEPTEMBER 30TH.
AND I HOPE IT'S ON THE CALENDAR, NOT I'LL GET IT THERE.
UM, I JUST WANNA, UH, LET EVERYONE KNOW, UH, COUNCILMAN BAAL APPOINTED REAPPOINTED ME TO THE COMMISSION.
UM, UH, NOVEMBER WAS A LITTLE ROUGH FOR ME.
I LOST MY GRANDMOTHER, UH, AU AUGUST THE 12TH, SO I HAD TO BURY MY GRANDMOTHER'S.
BUT I DID DO A LITTLE WORK IN AUGUST JUST A LITTLE BIT.
SO I VISIT THE DOLPHIN HEIGHTS, UH, COMMUNITY THAT'S IN MY DISTRICT WITH THE TEXAS TREE FOUNDATION.
WE HAD A PRESENTATION IN THERE THE THIRD SATURDAY OF AUGUST.
THEN I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE E P A ON A CURRICULUM IMPACT, UH, ASSESSMENT.
AND WHAT THE E P A IS GONNA DO, THEY'RE GONNA, THEY WORKING IN WEST DALLAS AND JO, WE HAD A MEETING LAST NIGHT.
THEY'RE GONNA DO MODELING AIR QUALITY, THEY'RE GONNA TEST WATER, AND THEY'RE GONNA TEST THE RIVER.
UH, SOME OF THE CREEKS OVER THERE IN THE SOUTHERN DALLAS LEMON LAKE.
AND LAST NIGHT I INCLUDED WHERE THE OLD GOLF COURSE USED TO BE OFF OF TRINITY FOREST BECAUSE THEY WANNA TEST WATER WHERE PEOPLE ARE FISHING.
AND SO RIGHT THERE OFF OF WHERE THE OLD GOLF COURSE OFF OF TRINITY FOREST, WHERE IT USED TO FLOOD, UH, THE RESIDENTS OF THAT AREA DO FISH DOWN THERE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA ADD THAT LOCATION IN JJ LEMON CREEK.
THAT'S WHERE THEY GONNA TEST AT RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, UH, I'M WORKING WITH DROPPING MAMA FORM.
WE'RE HAVING A, UH, STRIDE TO DIABETES EVENT ON NOVEMBER THE THIRD.
[01:10:02]
AND, BUT I WANNA PLAN A CLEANUP, UH, OCTOBER THE 28TH.IT'S A SATURDAY I'M GONNA GIVE WITH AARON.
AND I'VE SENT OUT THE INFORMATION.
I WOULD LIKE, WE WANNA CLEAN UP THE COMMUNITY BEFORE THE BIG EVENT.
AND SO THIS EVENT THAT WE'RE HAVING ON NOVEMBER 3RD IS TO COMBAT DIABETES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE, UH, NATIONAL DIABETES PEOPLE OUT THERE, US FOODS.
UH, WE GOT THE CITY INVOLVED ON SOME OF THE INITIATIVES.
AND SO WE WANNA CLEAN UP THE JO IT BEFORE WE BRING GUESTS IN.
SO I'M PUTTING IN, I'M PUTTING TOGETHER A CLEANUP FOR, UH, OCTOBER THE 28TH.
AND I WILL LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHO WANTS TO COME OUT AND VOLUNTEER A CLEANUP, UH, BEFORE OUR EVENT.
OUTSIDE OF THAT, I'M STILL WORKING ON THE, UM, TEXAS READY STAR.
EVERYBODY KNOW WE HAD THE MEETING ON THE 17TH.
WE HAD SENATOR ROSS WEST GOT STOOD UP AND WENT IN ON T C E Q, TOLD HIM THEY VIOLATED OUR RIGHTS, HAVING A MEETING DOWNTOWN.
HE TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS TIRED OF US BEING IMPACTED BY THESE COMPANIES AND OUR HEALTH.
AND IF ANYONE DIDN'T SEE IT GO, YOU CAN GO BACK AND, UH, LOOK AT IT OR WHATEVER AND GET THE, UH, INPUT.
BUT HAVE WE, UH, I NOTICED, 'CAUSE I LIVE IN JAPE, WHERE THE COMPANY, SO THE NIGHT OF AUGUST 17TH, ONE OF THE CRITERIA FOR THIS PERMIT IS THEY HAVE TO HAVE A SIGN OUT, RIGHT.
TO LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT THEY UNDER VER THEY REQUESTING A PERMIT.
THE NIGHT OF THE MEETING, NO SIGNS WAS OUT.
Y'ALL THAT NO SIGNS WAS OUT A WEEK AFTER THE MEETING, NO SIGNS WAS OUT.
A FEW DAYS AFTER THEIR FIRST WEEK, THE COMPANY HAS PUT THE SIGNS, THEY USE THE A BUCKET, I GUESS THEY PUT SOME OF THEY CONCRETE IN THE BUCKET AND THEY GOT TWO LITTLE BUCKETS SITTING IN FRONT OF THE, UH, THE BUSINESS.
YOU KNOW, THE LITTLE BUCKETS THEY USE, THEY CONCRETE AND THEY PUT A STICK IN THERE AND THEY GOT THE SIGN POSTED.
IT'S SO LITTLE WHEN YOU PASS BY, YOU REALLY WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT THE, YOU WOULD THINK THE BUCKETS IS TRASH.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S HOW I'M LOOKING AT IT.
IT LOOKED LIKE SOMEBODY PUT SOME STUFF IN THE BUCKET AND PUT IT ON THE CURB AND THEY WAITING ON BUCK TO PICK IT UP.
SO THEY DID PUT THE SIGNS OUT.
I FORGOT TO TELL YOU CHAIR, BUT THEY DID PUT THE SIGNS OUT.
BUT NOBODY NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE LITTLE SIGN IN THE BUCKETING, I'M TELLING YOU.
SO, UM, THAT'S A LITTLE UPDATE I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM NORTH TEXAS LEGAL AID THAT I'M WORKING WITH TO FIGHT THIS.
UH, WE ARE STILL WAITING ON THE T C E Q TO GIVE US A DECISION, BUT IF THEY DO APPROVE IT, UH, MY ORGANIZATION WITH THE HELP OF TEXAS, UH, NORTH TEXAS LEE, WE'RE GONNA APPEAL IT.
WE'RE GONNA FIGHT IT ALL THE WAY OUT.
BUT SO FAR, UH, WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING.
BUT COMMISSIONER RENEE CAN TELL YOU THAT NIGHT, WE HAVE SOME POWERFUL PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
AND I THINK THE T C E Q, UH, ONE OF THE GUYS THAT WAS UP THERE, I THINK HE REALLY, UH, UNDERSTOOD WHERE THE COMMUNITY WAS COMING FROM.
UH, HE WAS SURPRISED THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS LIKE, OH, WE KNOW SOMETHING.
Y'ALL KNOW, WE KNOW THEY DON'T SUPPOSED TO BE OPERATING WITHOUT A PERMIT.
SO HE WAS LIKE, OH, THEY KNOW THAT.
RIGHT? SO, UH, WE HAD A GOOD TURNOUT.
SO Y'ALL JUST KEEP, UH, KEEP DROPPING UP IN WORD.
AND IF WE'LL LET ANYBODY KNOW, DO WE NEED TO SUBMIT ANYMORE? THEY CLOSED THE, UH, PUBLIC INPUT, SO YOU CAN'T INPUT NO MORE.
BUT AFTER THEY DECISION, I THINK THEY OPENED IT BACK UP.
I'M NOT FOR SURE WITH THE APPEAL AND EVERYTHING, BUT I WILL KEEP THE COMMISSIONER, UH, UPDATED ON THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DROPPER COMMUNITY AND DISTRICT SEVEN
I THINK THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER DERE FORGOT ONE THING.
WOULD YOU ALL PLEASE JOIN ME IN WISHING COMMISSIONER DARRO HAPPY BIRTHDAY
MY BIRTHDAY WAS ON LABOR DAY WHEN I WAS BORN IN 1978.
SO MY LABOR DAY, UH, MY BIRTHDAY FALLS ON LABOR DAY, EVERY EVEN NUMBER ON MY BIRTHDAY.
AND I CAN, I'M PROUD TO SAY WE HOPE IT WAS A GOOD ONE.
ALL RIGHT, MR. MAYOR ROBERTSON, GO AHEAD.
OKAY, I'M GONNA TRY TO GO IN ORDER SO I DON'T FORGET ANYTHING.
WE, UH, LIKE SHE SAID, IT WAS, THERE WERE A LOT OF POWERFUL PEOPLE IN THE ROOM AND I COULD TELL BY THEIR EXPRESSIONS THEY DID NOT EXPECT THE RECEPTION THEY GOT.
THEY DIDN'T EXPECT THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAD.
ACKMAN WHO ENGAGED P C I AND THEY WERE NOT EXPECTING THAT.
WE ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD PLEASE COME BACK.
[01:15:01]
BUT WE WANNA SEE, I WANNA SEE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE DECISIONS.THOSE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM THAT GOT PLASTERED, I FELT SORRY FOR 'EM BECAUSE THEY'RE EQUIVALENT TO ALL OF US HERE IN THE ROOM.
THEY DON'T MAKE THE DECISIONS THEY WERE SENT TO COME TO THE HEARING.
SO WE ASKED FOR THE LEADERSHIP.
AND THEN, UH, THE COMPANY KEPT SAYING THAT THE LEADERSHIP, I GUESS THEY THOUGHT IT WAS OKAY TO POLLUTE.
'CAUSE THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY IS A MINORITY AND FEMALE.
WELL, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY BETTER.
THEY KEPT SAYING THAT, WELL, WHERE WAS SHE? SO WE HAD A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A LOT OF, WE HAD SOME ANGER, BUT WE WERE MADE, WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP IT PROFESSIONAL.
I HAVE TO SAY, WE KIND OF, WE KEPT IT PROFESSIONAL.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALMOST EMBARRASSING THE BUCKETS THAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, WHY CAN'T YOU, IF YOU THINK ANYTHING OF THE COMMUNITY, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING MAKESHIFT LIKE THAT OUT THERE, YOU KNOW? SO, UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I'M WORKING ON IS WE HAVE A SUPER SITE, UH, LANE PLATTING AND THEN SHINGLE MOUNTAIN EXPOSURES.
I'M TRYING TO GET THE E P A TO INCLUDE WHAT I'D LIKE TO APPROACH THEM, BUT IS TO INCLUDE AS PART OF THE MONEY FOR RE REMEDIATION THAT INCLUDE FOLLOW UP FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED.
AND WE HAVE A PLAN ON ANY SIDE OF TOWN.
IF E P A PAYS FOR IT AND IT'S FUND AND THE SITE IS FUNDED, THAT INCLUDES REMEDIATION OF, UH, THAT INCLUDES THE, UH, RESIDENTS HEALTH.
AND I HAVE TALKED TO, I HAVE THREE ENTITIES THAT I'VE TALKED TO AS FAR AS LEAD.
I'M NOT HAVING A LOT OF GOOD LUCK.
I TALKED TO ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND HE ANSWERED ME VERY PROMPTLY.
BUT HE SAID WITH THE FUNDING ISSUES, THEY AREN'T ABLE TO DO ANY TESTING AT THIS POINT.
THEY SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY, THEY'RE INTERESTED IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT THEY CANNOT PROVIDE ANY FREE LEAD TESTING.
AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT USED TO DO THAT.
SO, KIND OF PUT ME BACK AT SQUARE ONE.
UH, CHILDREN'S I DISCOVERED HAS A LEAD CLINIC EVERY WEDNESDAY, AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
I FOUND OUT FROM A, A ONE OF A COUNCILMAN ATKINS MEETINGS.
AND THEN, UH, THE OTHER PEOPLE I'M TALKING TO IS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
THEY HAVE A HOME HEALTH PROGRAM FOR ASTHMA.
AND LIKE I SAID, I'M LEAVING EARLY TODAY 'CAUSE I HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER IN THE ER FROM ASTHMA, BUT THEY MAKE HOME VISITS AND EVALUATING 'EM.
SO THAT WAS GOOD TO FIND THAT OUT.
UH, YOU ALL ARE ALL INVITED TO OUR FAMILY FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY AT HOLY CROSS.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, GREEN JOBS AND OUR WHOLE HOME WE'LL HAVE MEET THE COMMISSIONER.
'CAUSE I HADN'T DONE IT REAL WELL.
YOU KNOW, THEY STILL HAVE NO IDEA.
SO I WANT THEM TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, AND LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE DID I WORK ON? I THINK THAT'S, MOST OF THE TIME HAS SP SPENT, HAS BEEN, UH, WORKING WITH THE BATCH PLANTS.
WE'RE WORKING WITH WAYS TO, UM, JUST GET OUR, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WE'VE GIVEN, BUT THEY'RE NOT FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND WE WOULD LIKE, LIKE THE VAPING THAT WE PUSH THROUGH.
WE'D LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THE SAME THINGS ON, YOU KNOW, THE BATCH PLANTS.
AND THEN I ATTENDED AN AIR QUALITY SUMMIT LAST FRIDAY, AND THEY BOUGHT UP THE ISSUE OF TREES.
IN FACT, ONE OF THE SPEAKERS WAS THE TREE FOUNDATION.
THE TREE FOUND TEXAS TREE FOUNDATION.
TARA MCCAIN MET WITH COUNCILMAN ATKINS OFFICE, UH, LAST NIGHT.
WELL, THE LEADER, THEIR COALITION MEETING, I WASN'T THERE.
SO I DON'T KNOW THE RESULTS, BUT I'M SURE IT CAME OUT PRETTY GOOD.
BUT THEY TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THE PROGRAM THEY HAVE, AND THERE ARE.
SO THE BEST KEPT SECRET IS THAT THERE ARE SO MANY, UH, ORGANIZATIONS WILLING TO GIVE A FREE TREE AND THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T KNOW THAT.
AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ABOUT IT.
ALRIGHT, UH, FOR DISTRICT NINE, UM, YES, I TOO ATTENDED THE TEXAS STAR READY MIX, AND I WANT TO COMMEND COMMISSIONER ROBERSON, UH, AND COMMISSIONER AU FOR THEIR EFFORTS ON THAT.
WE HAD 150 COMMENTS ON THAT PERMIT, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF COMMENTS, UH, FOR A CONCRETE BATCH PLANT PERMIT.
AND THE NEXT STEPS ARE THAT THE T C Q IS GOING TO PRODUCE A DOCUMENT CALLED RESPONSE TO COMMENTS, UM, AND EVALUATE, UH, THE MERIT OF THOSE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN, UH, ISSUE THAT, UM, PERMIT.
AND THEN, UH, AS, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBERSON MENTIONED, THE REMEDIATION ON THE BLUE STAR SITE BEGAN LAST MONDAY, AND THE CITY BEGAN THAT REMEDIATION EFFORT TO RESIDENTIAL STANDARDS, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD BEEN ADVOCATING FOR, AND THAT THE COMMISSION BACKED THAT ADVOCACY, UM, TO RESIDENTIAL STANDARDS.
AND SO THAT HAS BEGUN, AND WE'LL GET UPDATES ON THAT NEXT MONTH AS TO HOW,
[01:20:01]
UH, THEY'RE, UH, PROCEEDING ON THAT.THERE WAS A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE, UM, MITIGATION EFFORTS THAT THEY'RE USING TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS PROTECTED DURING THE REMOVAL OF THAT CONTAMINATED SOIL, UH, WHICH WILL GO TO MACOMBS BLUFF LANDFILL.
AND THEN, UH, WE DID A CLEANUP IN, UH, DISTRICT NINE AT ONE OF THE CREEKS THAT FEEDS RIGHT INTO, UH, WHITE ROCK LAKE.
UH, THERE WERE ABOUT 20 VOLUNTEERS, UM, ON A SATURDAY MORNING.
AND WITHIN A 400 FOOT STRETCH OF THE CREEK, WE PULLED OUT 1000 POUNDS OF TRASH.
UM, AND, AND I WOULD SAY IF WE HAD GONE ANOTHER 400 FEET, THERE WOULD PROBABLY BEEN ANOTHER THOUSAND POUNDS OF TRASH.
AND THAT IS DUE TO STORM WATER.
AND IT, IT'S DUE TO PEOPLE NOT SECURING THEIR, IT'S NOT PEOPLE JUST GOING AND DUMPING THINGS IN THE CREEK, ALTHOUGH THAT HAPPENS, IT IS DUE TO PEOPLE AND HOMEOWNERS WHO LIVE ALONG THOSE CREEKS, UM, OR FREQUENT THE PARKS OR ANY OF THOSE SPACES THAT HAVE THOSE WATERWAYS.
AND THEY LEAVE THOSE THINGS THERE.
AND THEN THE STORM WATER TAKES THEM INTO OUR WATER BODIES, AND THAT IS HOW THEY END UP IN THE LAKE.
AND SO THERE IS ANOTHER CLEANUP.
THE SATURDAY IS WORLD CLEANUP DAY.
ONE OF THEM IS HAPPENING AT WHITE ROCK LAKE AT PELICAN POINT, UM, WHICH IS RIGHT NEAR SUNSET BAY.
UH, AND THAT'S GONNA BE HOSTED BY, UH, TWO ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES, UH, VAN WIN, UH, WHO HOSTS AN ANNUAL WORK WORLD CLEANUP EVENT.
UM, AND THE ORGANIZATION DALLAS FOR CHANGE, THAT'S BEEN HOSTING REGULAR MONDAY CLEANUP EVENTS AT WHITE ROCK LAKE.
AND I THINK THEY'VE PULLED NOW LIKE THREE OR 4,000 POUNDS OF TRASH OUT OF THE LAKE.
UM, SO THAT IS GONNA HAPPEN ON SATURDAY MORNING FROM NINE TO 12.
AND THEN, UH, NOT MY SON IS ALSO HOSTING ANOTHER, UH, CLEANUP EVENT, UM, IN SOUTH DALLAS, IF YOU'D LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AND WE'LL HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION SHARED, UH, FROM AARON ABOUT THOSE TWO, UH, UPCOMING EVENTS.
NUMBER ONE, ON, UH, 30TH, UH, AUGUST 30TH, WE, UM, I WAS INVITED TO AN EVENT AND INVITED A NUMBER, OR I TRIED TO REACH OUT TO EVERY COMMISSIONER TO INVITE YOU ALL TO ATTEND, UH, THIS EVENT.
AND A NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS WERE ABLE TO JOIN US.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS A VERY GOOD EVENT.
THE ROTARY CLUB OF WHICH I'M NOT A MEMBER, BUT I'M PARTNERING WITH FOR SOME ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS, UH, IS ABOUT TO LAUNCH A BIG PUSH.
AND HOPEFULLY I'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION AS THEY PUT IT TO ME.
SOME OF THEIR CHAPTERS HAVE A LOT OF MANPOWER, BUT NO MONEY.
A LOT HAVE NO, A LOT OF MONEY, BUT NO MANPOWER.
SO THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND PROGRAMS THAT WORK FOR ALL OF THEIR CHAPTERS.
AND I JUST SEE THIS AS A GREAT WAY FOR US COMMISSIONERS TO GET A HOLD OF A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO, UH, IT'S A WIN-WIN FOR BOTH GROUPS, UH, AND I REALLY DID APPRECIATE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP.
UM, THERE WILL ALSO BE A FOLLOW-UP MEETING.
UH, TRAMMELL CROW IS HOSTING A GARDEN PARTY, AND I WILL TRY TO GET, UH, SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
UM, UM, OCTOBER 11TH, UH, THERE, I HAD MENTIONED THIS AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT, UH, NORTH DALLAS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS HOSTING THEIR, UM, I CAN'T, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT TITLE OF IT, BUT IT'S AN EVENT, UH, INCLUDING A BUS TOUR OF SOUTHERN DALLAS.
UH, THE IDEA IS TO SHOWCASE, UM, ALL OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN SOUTHERN DALLAS TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN INTO THAT PART OF THE CITY.
UM, I'VE BEEN ON IT TWO YEARS IN A ROW.
THE BUSES ARE ALMOST SOLD OUT, BUT IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL SEE WHAT I CAN DO.
UM, IT'S AN ALL DAY EVENT FROM 9:00 AM TO 4:30 PM ON OCTOBER 11TH.
UH, OTHER THAN THAT, I'M STILL TRYING TO GET AHOLD OF MY NEW COMMISSIONER, UH, OR, UM, SORRY, DISTRICT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, KATHY STEWART TO TALK TO HER ABOUT OUR PLANS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
BUT, UM, OTHER THAN THAT, NOTHING ELSE TO REPORT.
DISTRICT 12, OH, I'M SO SORRY.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY, GO AHEAD.
UM, I, UH, GAVE A PRESENTATION TO A VERY WELL ATTENDED GROUP IN DISTRICT 12 THIS PAST WEEK ON THE MAGNIFICENCE OF OUR MATURE TREES.
AND WE CANOPY TALKING ABOUT, UH, HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO OUR HEALTH, UH, OUR HEALTH AND OUR WELLBEING, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO PROTECT IT.
AND, UH, I FELT LIKE I GOT A GREAT RESPONSE.
I PROVIDED ALL THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR EVERYONE ON THE COUNCIL.
I ASKED FOR THEM TO CONTACT THEM INDIVIDUALLY, AND I WROTE THE
[01:25:01]
NOTE THAT THEY NEEDED SEND TO THEM.SO I'M HOPING THAT THINGS WILL PREVENT APOLOGIES.
AT ANY RATE, UM, I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT TEXAS, UH, TREE FOUNDATION.
UM, I DID TESTIFY AT THE T C E Q.
AND WHAT I DID, SPECIFICALLY, WHICH I COULD MAKE AVAILABLE, WAS I WENT TO THE DALLAS COUNTY SITE AND I PULLED INFORMATION ON THE ZIP CODE 7 5 3 4 1, AND THE CENSUS TRACK THAT THE PROPOSED BATCH PLANT, UH, AN JOLIE IS LOCATED IN.
AND WHAT I FOUND WAS, IS THAT WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE ASTHMA VULNERABILITY, THERE ARE 84 ZIP CODES IN DALLAS COUNTY.
THE, UM, 7 5 2 4 1 IS THE, UH, NEXT TO THE WORST.
IT'S THE SECOND WORST OF ALL 84 IN ASTHMA VULNERABILITY ACCORDING TO P C C I.
AND IT'S 17TH OF, UH, 539 ON, UH, IN THE CENSUS TRACK.
SO THAT'S IN THE BOTTOM 2%, IN THE BOTTOM 3% BASICALLY.
UH, WHICH MEANS THAT THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIFIC GOING ON IN CHOPPY THAT'S RELATED TO ASTHMA.
AND I THINK WITH THE PREPONDERANCE OF POLLUTING INDUSTRIES AND BATCH PLANTS THERE, UH, WE HAVE A CLEAR CONNECTION.
UH, WHAT, UM, I HAVE REQUESTED, UH, IS THAT WE GO, UH, AND, AND LOOK AT WHERE ALL OF THE BATCH PLANS ARE AND LOOK AT THOSE ZIP CODES.
BY THE WAY, I HAD MY, I WAS CONCERNED IF MY WORK WAS ACCURATE, SO I CAN CONSULTED P C C I AND ASKED DR.
PENCE GOSNEY IF SHE COULD COME, SHE WAS TRAVELING, BUT SHE SAID, YOU ARE SPOT ON.
SO, UM, AND WE WERE, THAT DATA WAS QUOTED ON, UM, UH, UH, ON K E R A NEWS IN YOUR ARTICLE.
SO, UH, I THINK, I HOPE WE MADE ENOUGH IMPACT THAT WE'VE MADE A DIFFERENCE.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT IMPRESSED ME ABOUT THAT MEETING AND THE PEOPLE WHO CAME FROM THE COMMUNITY, UH, WHO WERE VERY, VERY IMPACTFUL, AT LEAST TO ME, UM, WAS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, UM, WHO TALKED ABOUT EARLY CANCER IN THEIR FAMILIES.
AND, UM, THERE IS A RE THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN PM 2.5 AND CANCERS, PARTICULARLY LUNG CANCER.
SO THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE E P A NEEDS TO GET INVOLVED IN.
UH, THEY WENT AFTER THE, UH, PLANTS DOWN IN WAX NATIONALLY BECAUSE OF THAT.
UH, IF WE HAVE THIS SIMILAR PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE A SIMILAR PROBLEM FOR CANCER.
IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE EXPLORED, UH, ON THE, UM, UH, I TOO HAVE BEEN REAPPOINTED BY MY COUNCIL PERSON.
AND I AM NOW OFFICIALLY THE, UH, CHAIRPERSON, UH, THE SENIOR CO-CHAIR PERSON.
THEY CALLED ME OF THE TEXAS PEDIATRIC SOCIETY'S NEW, UH, COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND CHILD HEALTH
AND, UH, WE'LL BE HAVING OUR FIRST MEETING, UH, WHILE I'M OUT OF TOWN.
THEY'RE GONNA TIE ME IN, UH, BY, UM, UH, BY ZOOM, UH, ON THE 1ST OF OCTOBER.
UM, THE, UM, UH, UH, WITH, UH, I COMMENTED BEFORE ABOUT TEMPLE SHALOM AND WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH, UH, THE GARDEN WHERE WE ARE IS, IS THAT WE'RE HAVING A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM FINDING THE RIGHT WATER CONTRACTOR, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S PROGRESSING VERY WELL.
UM, WE WERE OUT THERE ON, UH, UH, UH, SATURDAY ASSEMBLING THE BEDS.
UH, IT'S IN, I THINK WE'RE IN DISTRICT 11, AREN'T WE? NOW? LESS SO.
UH, IT MIGHT BE WORTH, UH, COMMISSIONER, LOVE TO HAVE YOU COME.
UH, WE'VE ALSO, BY THE WAY, DECIDED ON WHERE WE'RE GONNA DISTRIBUTE THE 13,000 POUNDS OF PRODUCE.
WE'RE GOING TO PRODUCE A YEAR.
WE ARE GOING TO BE, UH, DISTRIBUTING THREE, FOUR DOWN.
UH, DISTRICT 13, IF I CAN COUNT NOW, WHERE AM I? 14.
SO I ATTENDED, UM, A MEETING ORGANIZED BY SUNRISE.
UH, I WAS REP REPRESENTING CLIMATE REALITY.
SO THEY WERE PULLING TOGETHER KIND OF
[01:30:01]
PROGRESSIVE ORGANIZATIONS LOOKING FOR, UM, SOME LEVEL OF AWARENESS AMONG THE GROUPS.AND SO THERE, THIS WAS AN INITIAL MEETING IN AUGUST.
SO THERE'S SOME PLAN TO, UH, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZE, UH, WAYS OF SHARING INFORMATION.
SO IT COULD BE A WAY FOR ME TO LEARN ABOUT MORE THINGS THAT I COULD SHARE WITH ERIN FOR THE CALENDAR, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, ALSO SHARE SOME OF OUR EVENTS AS WELL.
SO IT WAS JUST KIND OF AN INITIAL GATHERING.
AND SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING MORE THAT COMES OF IT IN THE FUTURE, I'LL BE SURE TO REPORT BACK.
DISTRICT 15, AUGUST WAS A BUSY MONTH FOR LOCAL EVENTS.
I WENT TO A THREE DISTRICT BUDGET MEETING AND HAD THE PLEASURE OF WATCHING COMMISSIONER MURRAY IN ACTION.
SHE WAS FORMIDABLE, UH, NOT ONLY IN OUTLINING THE DISCREPANCIES AND THE SUMMARY OF THE BUDGET OF HOW TO CLEAR THAT O E P S AND SEEK OUT FOR RAISING FUNDS, BUT ALSO HER ADVOCACY FOR ED INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND OF COURSE, UH, SO THAT WAS REALLY IMPRESSIVE TO WATCH.
ON THE 29TH OF AUGUST, THERE WAS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER RE RECEPTION THAT WAS ORGANIZED BY A BUNCH OF THE REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
SO U L I, THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE CREW, THE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE EXECUTIVE WOMEN OP, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INDUSTRIAL AND OFFICE PARKS, N T C A R, THE NATIONAL, UH, COUNCIL OF REALTORS AND TREK, THE TEXAS REAL ESTATE, UH, COMMISSION OR COUNCIL, SORRY.
UH, SO ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE THERE.
IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO INTERACT WITH THE REAL ESTATE CONSTRUCTION AND BOTH ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNITY.
AND I MET, UH, OUR NEW CHAIR OF THE PARKS, TRAILS AND ENVIRONMENT, UH, COMMITTEE, KATHY STEWART.
AND, UH, ON THE 30TH, I ALSO ATTENDED, UH, ANDREW SIEGEL'S, UH, COMMISSIONER SIEGEL'S ROTARY EVENT AT EARTHX, AND WAS PROUD TO SEE THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RIDLEY WAS THERE AS WELL.
UH, ON AN INTERNATIONAL STAGE, UH, ARCHITECTURE, 2030, WHICH IS ONE OF THE GROUPS THAT WE INVITED TO ADVISE US ON THE BOND PERFORMANCE CRITERIA, HAS INVITED ME TO BE A VIRTUAL DELEGATE AT COP 28.
SO THAT'S THE ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE SUMMIT.
UH, THIS YEAR AT 28 IS HELD IN DUBAI, UH, LATE NOVEMBER AND EARLY DECEMBER.
IT'S A TWO WEEK PLUS THING, BUT AS I MENTIONED, I'LL BE A VIRTUAL DELEGATES.
SO I'LL BE SUPPLEMENTING SIX, UH, UH, FIVE OF THE ONSITE, UH, DELEGATES WITH THAT ARE SENIOR FELLOWS WITH ARCHITECTURE 2030.
DO ANY OF OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORS HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD THIS EVENING, MR. HOFFMAN? UM, I'VE BEEN SERVING ON THE CRITICAL FACILITIES BOND COMMITTEE, AND, UM, THE BOND, UH, THAT COMMITTEE WORK ENDED, UH, AT THE END OF AUGUST.
AND, UH, WE ARE ADMINISTERING ABOUT, WELL, WE WOULD PRESS ABOUT $250 MILLION TO PREPARE BUILDING ROUTE, UH, AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM, UH, BUILT FIRE STATIONS LIBRARY.
UM, IT WAS VERY INVOLVED AND WE TOURED A LOT OF, A LOT OF BUILDINGS AND, AND BUILDINGS IN VERY, UH, POOR CONDITION.
AND THEN ALSO SOME NEWER BUILDINGS, WHICH WERE SURPRISINGLY NOT IN GREAT SHAPE.
THE MOODY, WHICH WAS, UH, CERTAIN THEY NEED A NEW ROOF, THEY NEED SOME AIR CONDITION FROM, BUT IT'S REALLY PRETTY SHOCKING.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT WAS VERY, VERY INFORMATIVE AND HOPEFULLY, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THE WELLBEING, UH, MY, MY CRITERIA, LOOKING AT EVERYTHING, MAKING SURE WE'RE BEING EFFICIENT IN TERMS OF SYSTEM, AND ALSO LOOK AT, UM, MAINTAINING QUALITY AND STRUCTURAL IMPACT OF THE BUILDING.
SO I WAS LOOKING AT ROOF AND P O C
AND ULTIMATELY, UH, SUPPORT THE BOND ELECTION.
IT'S GONNA COME OUT THIS NEXT YEAR.
UH, THE ONE POINT IT'S BEEN EXTENDED TO $1.1 MILLION BOND.
THERE'S SEVERAL OTHER, UH, COMMITTEES, UM, HOUSING COMMITTEE THAT, UH, PROBABLY BE, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO GET 200 MILLION FOR HOUSING AND EQUITY.
AND ALSO, UH, THE PARKS, UH, DEPARTMENT HAS GOT A HUGE ASK.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE NEED'S ABOUT 4 BILLION.
IT WAS GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT OF PAIN, BUT
BUT, UM, IT, IT'S, UH, I WAS REALLY PLEASED TO SEE THAT THE, OUR PRIORITIZATION GOT VERY, VERY CLOSE TO WHAT THEY NEEDED.
UH, THEY WERE PASSED OVER, LEFT ON ELECTIONS.
[01:35:01]
SEE SOMESO, UM, THERE WAS LIBRARY THAT HAD RAISED A LOT OF MONEY ALREADY, YOU KNOW, BOUGHT MONEY.
IT WAS PROMISED THE FUNDS IN LAST THAT WAS GIVEN.
AND IT, AND IT, BUT, UM, IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
SO WE PUT A LOT OF BUILDING DOLLARS,
COMMISSIONER ROBERSON, GO AHEAD.
UM, JUST TWO TALKING POINTS I WOULD APPRECIATE SUPPORT WITH.
UH, I KNOW YOU SUPPORT US WITH THE BATCH PLANS AND EVERYTHING, BUT, UM, WHAT I REALLY LIKE NEED IS US TO MAKE POLICY FOR, UM, PART OF THE REMEDIATION TO INCLUDE FOLLOW UP OF THE PEOPLE EXPOSED.
ONE OF THE LADIES FROM FOUR FORMS, UH, THEY HAD AN INTERPRETER FOR US.
AND SHE SAID, WHEN I FOUND OUT WHAT SHE WAS TRYING TO TELL ME, I WAS, I WAS BLOWN AWAY.
SHE SAID, EVERY TIME THEY WORK, MY SON GOES TO THE ER EVERY WEEK.
EVERY WEEK THEY WORK IN SHINGLE MOUNTAIN.
SHE WAS IN THE ER AND SHE CAN BACK IT UP WITH, YOU KNOW, AND I WAS LIKE, I SAID, THE NEXT TIME THAT HAPPENS, LET ME KNOW.
NOT THAT I CAN STOP IT 'CAUSE SOMEBODY'S GOING TO HEAR ABOUT IT.
AND THEN AS WE LOOK AT PLANTING TREES, THE OTHER THING WE NEED TO CONSIDER IS ALREADY WE HAVE ASTHMA AND RESPIRATORY STUFF SOUTH.
SO CONSIDER THE TYPES OF TREES THAT WE PLANT, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA MAKE AN ALLERGY BOWL, BECAUSE I, I'VE BEEN TESTED, MY ALLERGIES ARE REALLY BAD AND I'VE BEEN TESTED.
AND, UH, AT THE TIME, IT WAS YEARS AGO, PARKLAND, THE DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT THERE ARE 10 TREES THAT ARE ALLERGIC, CONSIDERED ALLERGIC, AND SEVEN OF 'EM ARE NATIVE TO TEXAS.
SO WE NEED TO JUST MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT MAKING A HUGE ALLERGY BOWL TOO, EVEN THOUGH WE NEED THAT CANOPY.
MR. MARQUIS, I BELIEVE ALL OF YOU ARE SEEING INVITATION THANKS TO THE DOUBTABLE
THEY DO CHORAL MUSIC IN SMALL CHOIR, AND THEY SING LIKE ANGELS.
AND THEY DECIDED TO DEVOTE THEIR ENTIRE NEXT SEASON TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
SO THEY WORK WITH COMPOSERS, NATIONALLY KNOWN COMPOSERS TO TAKE, UM, DIFFERENT TEXTS AND, UH, UH, DIFFERENT PIECES OF POETRY, FOR EXAMPLE, AND COMPOSE MUSIC.
AND THEN THEY SING THESE CONCERTS, UM, ABOUT DIFFERENT TOPICS AND THE ENTIRE NEXT YEAR'S VOTE WITH EJ.
SO FOR AN ARTS GROUP IN DALLAS TO DEVOTE THEIR ENTIRE SEASON, THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, THAT'S SOMETHING WE ALWAYS SUPPORT.
SO TOMORROW NIGHT, IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR INVITATIONS FROM SIX 30 TO 30 DALLAS CONTEMPORARY GALLERY OVER IN THE DESIGN DISTRICT, THAT'S A KICKOFF EVENT.
AND THEN THE CHOIR EVENTS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL COME BACK TOMORROW NIGHT.
THIS IS A GREAT GROUP OF SINGERS.
UM, SAM BOOKMAN IS THEIR DIRECTOR, BRILLIANT MUSICIAN.
THEY, UH, HIRE THE BEST COMPOSERS IN AMERICA, UM, TO COMPOSE MUSIC FOR THEM AND HAVE DONE REMARKABLE WORK, DEEPLY MOVING, AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL IN THEIR SEASON THIS YEAR, THE VOTING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
SO PLEASE COME OUT TOMORROW NIGHT TO HELP KICK OFF THEIR SEASON 6 38 30 DALLAS TEMPORARY GUIDE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT REMINDER.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO MR. MARTIN AND THEN DR.
YEAH, JUST TO SHOW THAT I WENT TO A COUPLE OF THE BUDGET TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND, UM, SPEAKING OF, YOU KNOW, THE, WHAT IS OUR CITY REALLY INVESTING AND SPENDING ON THINGS THAT THIS GROUP CARESS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE BIG TENSION GETTER, OF COURSE WAS THE O E Q SS BUDGET BEING REDUCED.
SO, UM, AS SOME OF Y'ALL MAY HAVE HEARD, AND YOU KNOW, RITA, AS WE KNOW, HAS BEEN GREAT AT, YOU KNOW, HEARD ALL OF WE CATS TO WORK ON THIS AND ASK QUESTIONS, BE INVOLVED, GET ANSWERS.
UM, AND SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT Y'ALL MAY HAVE HEARD WAS THIS BIG $300,000 CAPITAL SPEND LAST YEAR IN THE WATER BUDGET FOR THE WATER DEPARTMENT, WHICH ISN'T IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR.
THAT'S THE EXPLANATION FOR THE DROP IN THE BUDGET THAT I WAS TOLD.
NOW ADDITIONALLY, AND, UH, C F O JACK ISLAND WAS AT THE MEETING AS WELL.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT AFTERWARDS IS, UM, BECAUSE IT WAS CONVEYED THAT REALLY, AND I THINK THIS IS TRUE, THAT ACROSS MANY CITY DEPARTMENTS, THEY'RE SPENDING MONEY AND THEY HAVE BUDGETS THAT DEFINITELY ARE, UH, IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
[01:40:01]
DOMAIN.BUT THE PROBLEM IS YOU CAN'T SEE THAT WHAT IS OUR CITY REALLY SPENDING TO FURTHER C A P AND FURTHER THE IMPROVEMENT OF HEALTH IN OUR CITY VIA ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION.
SO I'VE GOT A NOTE TO WRITE HIM AN EMAIL AS FOLLOW-UP BECAUSE I HAVEN'T YET THAT SAYS, 'CAUSE HE COMMITTED JUST TO ME THAT, OKAY, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
LET'S GET SOMEBODY ON THE STAFF TO GO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, X DOLLARS HERE, X DOLLARS THERE, PULL IT TOGETHER, IT'S NOT GONNA BE COMPLICATED.
HERE'S WHAT WE'RE REALLY SPENDING IN THE CITY ON ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS TO SUPPORT C C A P AND THE HEALTH OF OUR CITY.
UM, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IN HERE CAN ACCURATELY NAME THAT NUMBER, CAN WE? DO WE KNOW THAT? BECAUSE THAT'S MY WHOLE POINT.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE HE'S WILLING TO DO THAT.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WHAT I'M DESCRIBING? I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS AT THE TOWN HALL, BUT I'M GONNA SEND THAT NOTE TOMORROW.
UM, FOLLOW UP AND I CAN REPORT BACK TO YOU GUYS IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO PINGING OUR C F O AND SAY, HEY, UM, WHAT ARE WE TRULY SPINNING ACROSS THE CITY AND ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS THAT IS OUR TOTAL SPEND TO SUPPORT C C A AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IN OUR CITY.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A GOOD ANSWER.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE THE CITY AND HE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO COME UP WITH THAT SO THAT WE CAN ALL KNOW THAT.
UM, BUT TODAY WE DON'T KNOW THAT.
SO, UM, THAT I WAS HAPPY WITH AND WAS LUCKY.
I WAS AT THE TOWN HALL WHERE HE HAPPENED TO BE THERE.
THAT WAS ALSO WHERE, UM, CMMS, VES AND, UH, MORENO WERE THERE AND THEY WERE LIKE, OH, YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
UM, I GUESS JUST A MATTER OF SOMEBODY DOING THE WORK, PROBABLY SOMEBODY PICKING A HALF DAY IN HIS DEPARTMENT AND LOOKING AT STUFF AND ADDING IT UP.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO TO DR.
UH, I JUST HAD ASKED TO ALSO SHARE A COMMUNITY EVENT.
I WANTED TO INVITE EVERYONE, AND I THINK ERIN HAS THE QR CODE.
UM, THE EVENT IS LISTED ON EVENTBRITE AS WELL.
THERE'S AN EXPLORE AND RESTORE COMMUNITY EVENT HOSTED BY THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND IN THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, UM, WITH THE COMMUNITY OF HIGHLAND HILLS AND JUDGE CHARLES R. ROSE COMMUNITY PARK.
AND THIS IS GONNA BE ON SEPTEMBER.
THAT QR CODE, IF YOU SCAN IT, IT TAKES YOU TO THE EVENTBRITE.
IT'S GONNA BE ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD FROM EIGHT IN THE MORNING THROUGH 12.
AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BUNCH OF FUN ACTIVITIES, SEEDING, PLANTING OF NATIVE PLANTS, A PRAIRIE SCAVENGER HUNT WITH MASTER NATURALISTS, A SITE CLEANUP, AND SOME FOOD.
SO WE ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO COME OUT, SHARE THE EVENT WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AND, UM, FOLLOW UP WITH ME IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH THE QR CODE.
WE'LL GET THAT ADDED TO THE CALENDAR AS WELL.
I WANTED TO INVITE YOU ALL TO NOVEMBER 1ST.
WE'RE HAVING THE SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT AT DALLAS COLLEGE ON OUR, UH, NORTHLAKE CAMPUS THAT'S IN IRVING.
IT IS A FREE EVENT, IT'S, UH, SUSTAINABILITY AWARENESS EVENT.
I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO INVITE ALL YOUR, ALL OF YOUR CITIZENS.
UH, THERE'S ALWAYS SOME REALLY GOOD SPEAKERS.
UH, DALLAS, UH, THE CITY OF DALLAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN, UH, PART OF IT.
AND A, THERE'S ALSO SPONSORSHIP, UH, OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR NONPROFITS FOR THE CITY.
SO IF ANYBODY, UM, NEEDS THAT INFORMATION, I WILL SEND IT TO ERIN, UH, THE WEBPAGE AND YOU CAN CONTACT ME DIRECTLY, BUT YOU'RE ALL INVITED NOVEMBER 1ST FROM 9:00 AM TO 4:00 PM AT NORTHLAKE IN IRVING.
ANY MEMBERS OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? DR.
ABI REALLY QUICKLY, I JUST WENT TO THE, A FOCUS GROUP FOR TEXAS TREES, THE SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL DISTRICT, IRVING STREETSCAPE.
UM, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE REALLY STILL IN THE FOCUS GROUP, UM, KIND OF REALM, AND I THINK THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN GETTING A LOT OF INPUT FROM OTHER PEOPLE.
I DON'T, I, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF I HAD A TON OF GREAT INPUT, BUT IT'S IN MY DISTRICT, UM, AND IT'S RIGHT DOWN THE STREET.
BUT, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING I'M HAPPY TO SEND OUT AN EMAIL FOR OTHER PEOPLE IF THEY'RE IN, IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN, UM, BEING A PART OF THAT.
ANY OF OUR OTHER SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE THIS EVENING? GO AHEAD.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT LAST THURSDAY, UH, THE DALLAS FOR AWARD CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS HELD A CLIMATE ACTION FORUM
[01:45:01]
AT UT ARLINGTON.UH, IT'S AN INTERESTING EVENT BECAUSE IT'S THE FIRST IN A SERIES WHERE WE AS A DESIGN COMMUNITY, DESIGN PROFESSIONALS ARE REALLY MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR STAFF AT OUR COMPANIES UNDERSTAND CCAP, UNDERSTAND OTHER CLIMATE ACTION PLANS AROUND TEXAS AND UNDERSTAND THAT A S L A HAS A CLIMATE ACTION PLAN VERY SIMILAR TO A I A, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE STEPPING UP.
UH, WE'RE GONNA BE FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, PLANNERS, ENGINEERS, THAT WE ALL WORK TOGETHER WITH UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT WE DO HAS A VERY DIRECT IMPACT ON MAKING CCAP SUCCESSFUL.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO TRANSLATE THAT TO, TO DESIGN PROFESSIONALS.
SO YOU OFTEN JUST DON'T THINK ABOUT IT.
UM, SO THAT'S VERY EXCITING AND SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO BUILD ON.
I WILL FORWARD TO AARON, UH, A COPY OF, UH, SOME OF THE OUTCOMES FROM THAT FIRST SUMMIT, WHICH ENDED UP WITH PEOPLE MAKING COMMITMENTS TO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THEIR, THEIR PROFESSION, UH, COMMITMENTS TO CREATE CLIMATE ACTION PLANS FOR OUR DESIGN FIRMS, UH, AND TO, UH, UH, ALSO CONTINUE OUR, OUR COLLABORATION ACROSS THE DISCIPLINARIES.
IT CAN'T JUST BE ENGINEERS, CAN'T JUST BE ARCHITECTS AND BE JUST PLANNERS.
WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE C A SUCCESSFUL, UH, SAW FORWARD INFORMATION ON THAT.
THERE WAS A GREAT PANEL DISCUSSION AGAIN, UH, WITH SEVERAL OF US, INCLUDING MYSELF, WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FORWARD FOR OUR PROFESSION.
SO I'LL FORWARD THAT RECORDING AND ALL THE
WONDERFUL, MR. WILKINS, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.
I'M NOT SEEING ANY, OH, UH, COMMISSIONER WALLACE, CHAIR WALLACE, GO AHEAD.
JUST REAL QUICKLY, SINCE IT'LL BE THE DAY AFTER OUR NEXT MEETING, UM, OUR NONPROFIT GREEN CREW, TEXAS WILL BE HAVING ITS RIBBON CUTTING OF OUR MICROGRID, UM, AT OUR TRAINING SPACE IN SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK AREA.
AND, UM, I'VE ALREADY EMAILED ERIN ABOUT THAT AND WE'LL GET A LINK FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO JOIN US THAT NIGHT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT.
OUR UPCOMING MEETINGS WITH PARKS, TRAILS AND ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL COMMITTEE, UH, WILL MEET ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 2ND AT 9:00 AM OUR NEXT MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11TH AT 5:30 PM UH, THAT CONCLUDES OUR BUSINESS.
SO I WILL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.