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[Charter Review Commission]
THIS, UH, MEETING TO ORDER.UH, THIS IS THE MEETING OF THE CITY OF DALLAS CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
IT IS 6:00 PM ON SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2023.
WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT, AND THIS MEETING IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER.
AND AS YOU ALL KNOW FROM VISITING EARLIER, MY NAME IS ALAN VAUGHT, CHAIRMAN OF THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO SERVE AS THE CHAIRMAN, AND I WANT TO PERSONALLY WELCOME EACH OF YOU AND, AND TELL YOU.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU, AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA DO SOME GOOD THINGS OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION IS A ONCE IN A DECADE OPPORTUNITY, AND IT'S COMPELLED BY CITY CHARTER TO CONSIDER ANY AMENDMENTS TO THE GOVERNING CHARTER OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UH, I MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, I DON'T REALLY HAVE AN AGENDA COMING INTO THIS.
I, I'M KIND OF AN OPEN SLATE WHEN IT COMES TO THIS.
I, I REALLY KINDA ONLY HAVE ONE REALLY KEY THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME, AND THAT'S FOR US TO ALWAYS TRY TO START ON TIME AND END ON TIME, BECAUSE I THINK THAT REALLY HELPS THE PROCESS AND RESPECTFUL OF PEOPLE'S TIME, NOT JUST THE COMMISSION MEMBERS, BUT THE CITY EMPLOYEES WHO ARE GONNA BE PUTTING IN A LOT OF EXTRA TIME OVER THESE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED IN YOUR PACKET, UH, UH, IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND ALSO A FEW WEEKS BACK, A DRAFT CALENDAR FROM CARRIE ROGERS OFFICE.
SHE'S THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
UH, WE'LL DISCUSS THAT LATER IN TODAY'S MEETING, UNLESS THERE ARE ANY OBJECTIONS.
OUR FIRST OFFICIAL BUSINESS MEETING WILL BE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12TH AT 6:30 PM BACK HERE AT CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
UH, I'M TOLD DINNER WILL BE PROVIDED AT 6:00 PM UH, FOR THE COMMISSION MEMBERS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN OUR OCTOBER MEETING IS, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU ALL THINK THE CALENDAR SHOULD LOOK, HOW FREQUENTLY WE SHOULD MEET, WHERE WE SHOULD MEET, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, TO, TO MAKE THIS PROCESS AS GOOD AS WE CAN.
UH, BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THAT FIRST MEETING SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 12TH, UNLESS THERE'S ANY PROBLEMS WITH THAT.
UH, AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO MEET, UM, I, I THINK IT'LL BE A GOOD IDEA, BUT AGAIN, I WANNA HEAR FROM Y'ALL TO MEET, UH, A COUPLE OF TIMES EACH MONTH UP THROUGH DECEMBER, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HAVE AN IDEA ON WHICH WAY WE'RE GOING, WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING, WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT, AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, GET TO IT IN JANUARY, LARRY.
SO, TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME ORIENTATION, UH, UH, PRESENTATIONS, UH, TO HELP US GET GOING.
AND SO WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UH, CARRIE ROGERS, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN KERRY ROGERS, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
WELCOME TO THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU.
UM, THIS FIRST BRIEFING TONIGHT IS GOING TO BE AN ADMINISTRATIVE OVERVIEW ABOUT HOW CITY STAFF IS GONNA BE SUPPORTING THE COMMISSION'S WORK OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.
UM, WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST OR ASK OF YOU IS, AS WE GET THROUGH THIS BRIEFING, YOU MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE ANSWERED IN SUBSEQUENT PRESENTATIONS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UM, BUT THIS WILL BE FOCUSED MOSTLY ON HOUSEKEEPING AND HOW WE'RE GONNA BE SUPPORTING YOU ALL, UM, IN YOUR WORK ON THE CHARTER REVIEW.
UM, SAM, CAN YOU DO THE NEXT SLIDE? UM, SO THESE ARE THE ITEMS WE'RE GONNA COVER, UM, OUR TEAM, OF COURSE, ADMINISTRATIVE WORK, PROPOSED PLANNING, COMMUNICATIONS, AND OUTREACH TIMELINE, AND NEXT STEPS.
UM, I FIRST WANNA INTRODUCE THE CHARTER REVIEW SUPPORT TEAM.
SO, AS THE CHAIRMAN MENTIONED, THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS WILL SERVE AS THE PRIMARY ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
SO I'M THE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
I HAVE, SOMEWHERE AROUND HERE IS JAKE ANDERSON, WHO'S OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER.
UM, SO YOU'LL BE SEEING HEARING A LOT FROM HIM.
UH, LAURA MORRISON AND ANNA HOLMES ARE THE CITY ATTORNEYS WHO WILL BE, UM, REPRESENTING THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ON THIS PARTICULAR WORK.
AND I DO WANNA NOTE THAT ANNA ACTUALLY WORKED ON THE 2014 CHARTER REVIEW.
AND SO IT'S, UM, GREAT TO HAVE THAT RESOURCE WITH ANNA, UH, BILLY RAY JOHNSON, WHO IS THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
ULTIMATELY, WHATEVER THE COMMISSION ADOPTS AND WHAT COMES THROUGH, THE COUNCIL WILL END UP ON THE BALLOT AND ELECTIONS FALL WITHIN THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
SO SHE'S A MEMBER OF THE TEAM.
AND THEN LASTLY, OF COURSE, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE TO ENSURE WE HAVE A ROBUST OUTREACH TO PUBLIC AND STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, SO HERE'S JUST A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF, UM, HOW OUR WORK IS GONNA BE BROKEN UP IN TERMS OF THE SUPPORT THAT THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS WILL BE PROVIDING.
YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE DOING THE MEETING LOGISTICS.
WE RESERVE THE ROOM THAT YOU'RE SITTING IN RIGHT NOW, THE STAFF PUT TOGETHER THE BINDERS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF YOU.
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ID BADGES, THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES, MORE SPECIFIC TO THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.WE WILL ALSO BE THE THROUGH POINT WHERE WE'LL BE RECEIVING AMENDMENTS, SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS THAT COME IN THROUGH THE EMAIL THAT WE HAD CREATED.
YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THE CHARTER REVIEW@DALLAS.GOV.
UM, SO OUR STAFF AND WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WILL BE REVIEWING THOSE AMENDMENTS AS THEY COME IN.
AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE CHAIRMAN WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT PROCESS OF RECEIVING AND VETTING AMENDMENTS.
UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WILL PROVIDE, UM, CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION SUPPORT IN THE FORM OF PAR PARLIAMENTARY SUPPORT IN TERMS OF RUNNING THE MEETING, LEGAL REVIEW OF THE AMENDMENTS, DO THEY PASS LEGAL MUSTER, UM, AND THEN ALSO LEGAL COUNSEL RELATING TO THE CHARTER REVIEW ITSELF.
WE MET WITH, UH, CHAIRMAN VAUGHT A FEW WEEKS BACK TO BEGIN PREPARING FOR YOUR, UM, APPOINTMENT AND ARRIVAL TODAY AT THIS FIRST ORIENTATION.
AND I'VE HAD SOME PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT THE PLANNING PROCESS MAY LOOK LIKE.
HOW ARE THE AGENDAS SET? UM, HOW WILL THE COMMISSION MEMBERS AND OTHERS BE ENGAGED TO SUBMIT AMENDMENTS? AND SO, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO WITH ANY OTHER COUNCIL STANDING COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION HERE, WE'LL WORK WITH THE CHAIRMAN ON SETTING THE AGENDA.
THE CHAIRMAN I KNOW HAS, UM, EXPRESSED GREAT INCLUSION AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE FEELS THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR THE AGENDA, FOR DISCUSSION, OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, STAFF AND STAKEHOLDERS WILL EACH RECEIVE A CALL, UM, TO SUBMIT SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS.
THIS HAS PROBABLY BEEN THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION THAT I'VE BEEN ASKED, WHETHER IT'S FROM, UM, PEOPLE INSIDE CITY HALL OR OUTSIDE CITY HALL.
WHAT IS GONNA BE MY OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT AMENDMENTS? AND I COMPARE IT SIMILAR TO OUR LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, THAT WE'LL DO A CALL FOR SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, FROM OUR SENIOR STAFF AND OTHERS WITHIN THE BUILDING.
AND THEN ALSO TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
ANYONE AT ANY TIME CAN SUBMIT AN AMENDMENT, UM, IF THEY SO CHOOSE.
I THINK THERE'S BEEN A DISCUSSION AGAIN ABOUT HOW THE COMMISSION MEMBERS THEMSELVES WILL SUBMIT AMENDMENTS AND HAVE THOSE VETTED THROUGH THE PROCESS, BUT THERE'S NOTHING TO SAY NOW THAT A PUBLIC MEMBER COULDN'T SUBMIT SOMETHING TO CHARTER REVIEW@DALLAS.GOV, UM, AND HAVE THAT, UM, VETTED AND REVIEWED.
UM, THERE WILL BE, UM, A PROCESS THAT WILL BE DEVELOPED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CHAIR AND THE COMMISSION ABOUT HOW THOSE AMENDMENTS WILL BE REVIEWED AND AFFIRMED.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, WE'LL BE PARTNERING WITH OUR, UM, I T S OFFICE AND THE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE ON, UM, COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH, WHICH LEADS ME TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, WE ARE PLANNING AT A FUTURE AGENDA DATE, UM, HAVING A PRESENTATION FROM OUR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE ON THE BILINGUAL, UH, COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH STRATEGY, AND REFLECTING ON WHAT, UM, WAS DONE DURING THE 2014 PROCESS.
AND THEN, UM, AS THE WORLD HAS EVOLVED SINCE 2014, IN TERMS OF VIRTUAL CONNECTIVITY AND ACCESS AND SO ON, WE WILL BE PUTTING TOGETHER A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN THAT IS BILINGUAL, UM, THAT INCLUDES ACCESS AND MATERIALS THAT ARE A D A COMPLIANT.
UM, THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY AT THESE MEETINGS.
WE WILL HAVE TRANSLATION SERVICES OFFERED AT ALL OF OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS.
THE WEBEX LINK THAT IS, UM, THAT PEOPLE ARE WATCHING ONLINE THROUGH NOW, HAS A MULTI-LANGUAGE ACCESS CAPABILITY AS WELL.
AND JUST WITH ANY OF OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS, PERSONS PLANNING TO ATTEND IN PERSON CAN LET US KNOW IF THERE'S A SPECIAL ACCESSIBILITY OR ACCOMMODATION THAT THEY NEED, AND WE'LL, UH, MAKE PLANS FOR THEM TO ACCOMMODATE THEM.
UM, ALL MEETINGS, INCLUDING OUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS, WILL BE BROADCAST LIVE AS THIS ONE IS RIGHT NOW AND WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR RESIDENT VIEWING LATER.
THESE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES, UM, COVER HIGH LEVEL LEGAL DEADLINES, AND AS ALWAYS, I WILL WELCOME THE CITY ATTORNEYS TO GRADE MY PAPER.
UM, BUT JUST SO YOU HAVE A SCHEDULE IN FRONT OF YOU OF WHAT ARE THOSE DEADLINES THAT YOU AS A COMMISSION HAVE TO HIT IN ORDER TO GET YOUR FINAL REPORT IN TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE CITY COUNCIL COUNCIL TO THEN TAKE ACTION AND IF SO, NECESSARY TO CALL AN ELECTION FOR THESE CHARTER REVIEW AMENDMENTS TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE PUBLIC IN NOVEMBER OF 2024.
NEXT SLIDE, WHICH I THINK SHOULD BE THE BUDGET.
UM, HERE'S OUR BUDGET, PLAIN AND SIMPLE, JUST, UH, FOR TRANSPARENCY'S SAKE, WE HAVE ALLOCATED IN THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS BUDGET $25,000, AND THAT WILL BE FOR PRINT MATERIAL SUPPORTING YOUR BEING HERE.
AS THE CHAIRMAN MENTIONED, THE MEETINGS RIGHT NOW ARE SCHEDULED TO BE AT SIX 30, BUT WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THERE
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ARE, UM, UH, FOOD AND NUTRITION FOR YOU AT SIX O'CLOCK SINCE YOU'LL BE GIVING UP YOUR EVENING HOURS A COUPLE OF TIMES, TIMES A MONTH, AND YOUR SERVICE TO THE COMMISSION.UM, AND SO THAT IS, UH, WHAT WILL BE COVERED IN OUR BUDGET.
THE NEXT STEPS ARE TO RECEIVE COMMISSION FEEDBACK, AND AS THE CHAIRMAN NOTED RIGHT NOW, THE NEXT OFFICIAL BUSINESS SCHEDULED MEETING IS PLANNED FOR OCTOBER 12TH AT SIX 30.
AGAIN, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO EAT, PLEASE ARRIVE AT SIX.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL CONTINUE WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH TO STAKEHOLDERS AS WE RECEIVE FEEDBACK AND, UM, ACTION FROM THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
SO WITH THAT, I'M PLEASED TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, CHAIRMAN OR MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
UH, CLARIFICATION ON ONE THING, ON PROPOSED PLANNING, SLIDE FIVE, C R C MEMBERS MAY REQUEST ITEMS BE ADDED, THE AGENDA BY THE CHAIR.
UM, FROM AN AMENDMENT STANDPOINT, WE HOLD OFF ON ANYTHING THAT WE WOULD WANNA PROPOSE AMENDMENT WISE UNTIL SIGNIFICANTLY LATER IN THE, IN THE CALENDAR, CORRECT.
OR IF WE WANT TO PROPOSE AMENDMENTS TO BE DISCUSSED ON AN AGENDA NEXT MONTH, CAN WE SUBMIT THAT? I MIGHT DEFER TO THE CHAIR.
I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING OF HOW THOSE AMENDMENTS WILL BE SUBMITTED AND REVIEWED FROM THE MEMBERS TO THE CHAIR.
DO YOU WANNA WEIGH IN OR INVITE THE ATTORNEYS? UH, SURE.
I, WITH THE, I GUESS THE FIRST PART OF IT, I'M OPEN TO, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANNA START TALKING ABOUT SUBSTANTIVE THINGS NEXT MEETING ON OCTOBER 12TH.
AS FAR AS SUBMITTING PROPOSED, UH, AMENDMENTS, WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING LIKE, LIKE AN EMAIL OR WEBSITE WHERE PEOPLE COULD SUBMIT 'EM.
I, I'M JUST AFRAID IF I GET THEM, I, MAYBE I DON'T, YOU KNOW, GET THEM WHERE THEY NEED TO BE WHEN THEY NEED TO BE.
I DON'T WANNA MISS ANYTHING, SO I'D LIKE TO HAVE A CENTRAL LOCATION WE GO THROUGH, UH, THROUGH THE CITY FOR THOSE TO BE SUBMITTED SO I DON'T DROP THE BALL ON SOMETHING.
THE ONLY CLARIFICATION I'D ASK ON THAT IS WHERE THAT TO BE THE CASE THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY SUBMIT AMENDMENTS EVEN AT THE NEXT MEETING, THOUGH I WILL SAY I HAVE NO INTENTION ON DOING THAT.
UM, MY QUESTION THEN IS, IS THERE A TIMELINE FOR THOSE TO BE SUBMITTED? BECAUSE I WOULD ASSUME FROM A PUBLIC, UH, AGENDA STANDPOINT, THAT'S GOTTA BE POSTED, I WOULD IMAGINE 72 HOURS PRIOR TO THE, TO THE AGENDA BEING DEBATED.
IF YOU LOOK AT SLIDE SEVEN, AND THIS IS A PROPOSED TIMELINE, UM, FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE COMMISSION, WHAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT INTERNALLY AND, AND LOOKING AT WHAT WORKED AND DIDN'T WORK DURING THE 2014 PROCESS WAS HAVING, YOU KNOW, DOING THE CALL FOR SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS FROM THE UNIVERSE THAT'S OUT THERE, INCLUSIVE OF THE COMMISSION MEMBERS, AND HAVING THOSE AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED BY DECEMBER.
UM, SO HAVING THOSE AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED THROUGH THE CHARTER REVIEW PROCESS, YOU COULD CALL ME AND WE CAN, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY TAKE IT DOWN HOWEVER YOU CHOOSE, UM, TO SUBMIT AMENDMENTS.
BUT THOSE WOULD COME TO US BY DECEMBER 15TH.
AND THEN LOOKING AT WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY DID IN 2014, AND, AND ANNA AND LAURA CAN PULL ME BACK IF THEY WANT.
THIS MIGHT BE IN THEIR BRIEFING.
UM, BUT WHAT THEY DID IN 2014 WAS THEY SET A DEADLINE TO RECEIVE AMENDMENTS, AND THEN THOSE WERE PARSED OUT BY POLICY, TECHNICAL AND OPERATIONAL.
AND SO THEN IN THE MEETINGS THAT THEY BEGAN IN JANUARY, THEY SAID, JANUARY, WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP POLICY AMENDMENTS.
FEBRUARY, WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.
AND SO THAT WAY THE COMMISSION MEMBERS, THE PUBLIC COULD PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T CARE ABOUT TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS, SO I'M NOT GONNA ATTEND THE FEBRUARY MEETINGS OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, AND SO THE SHORT VERSION IS WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS WHOEVER SUBMITS AMENDMENTS THAT THOSE COME IN BY DECEMBER 15TH, AND THEN THEY BEGIN TO BE REVIEWED IN EARNEST, IF YOU WILL, AND, AND PARSED OUT BY COMMITTEE, UH, COMMISSION AGENDA BEGINNING IN THE JANUARY MEETINGS.
BUT CERTAINLY THE CHAIR AND THE COMMISSION CAN CHOOSE TO BRING THAT FORWARD SOONER IF YOU START RECEIVING THEM NOW, YOU COULD CERTAINLY BEGIN TAKING UP AMENDMENTS AS YOU CHOOSE.
I JUST HAVE ONE FINAL QUESTION, AND THAT QUESTION IS AROUND, I, I REVIEWED THE WEBSITE, THE PUBLIC FACING WEBSITE AT THE MOMENT.
I ALSO THEN REVIEWED THE CHARTER ITSELF AND TOOK A LOOK AT AMENDMENTS FROM THE 2014 MM-HMM.
BUT WHAT I CAN'T TELL IS WHAT DID THE CHARTER LOOK LIKE PRIOR TO THE AMENDMENTS BY THE 2014 COMMISSION? AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE MAY BE A WAY TO GET THAT AT SOME POINT, JUST TO REVIEW WHAT WOULD'VE CHANGED 10 YEARS AGO.
I JUST COULDN'T FIND IT ON THE WEBSITE.
SO AT SOME POINT IT MAY BE I, I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT, BUT UM, I MAY BE THE ONLY ONE.
UM, THE ATTORNEYS ARE NODDING YES.
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QUESTIONS, MR. CHAIR.UH, MEMBERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, UH, FROM MR. ROGERS, MR. CHAIR? YES.
SO IS THERE A PARTICULAR FORMAT OR FORMS FOR SUBMITTING THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE WANT PEOPLE TO USE? YES, WE ARE GONNA PREPARE, UM, A TEMPLATE SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID WITH REDISTRICTING LAST YEAR, SO YOU KNOW, WHAT INFORMATION WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UM, BUT YES, WE WILL HAVE THAT PREPARED AND HAD DISCUSSED THAT RECENTLY.
WE'LL PROVIDE THAT TO THE COMMISSION.
AND IS THERE SOMEBODY TO HELP AID PEOPLE THAT HAVE A PARTICULAR AMENDMENT THAT THEY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO WORD IT? UM, SO THAT, I MEAN, IS HOW, WHERE DO WE POINT PEOPLE TO FOR THAT? OR, OR IS THAT OUR JOB TO HELP NAVIGATE SOME OF THOSE TRANSLATIONS? I'M LOOKING AT THE ATTORNEYS AND I
SO I THINK THE ATTORNEYS, BUT THEY CAN NOD THEIR HEAD AT ME IF, IF THAT'S INCORRECT.
AND SO, BUT WOULD THAT MEAN THEN THAT IF SOMEONE COMES TO US AND SAYS, HEY, I WANT TO CHANGE X, THEN WE SAY, OKAY, NOW TALK TO LAURA OR WHOEVER TO PUT THAT IN THE RIGHT FORMAT.
I WHAT I WOULD ANTICIPATE IF SOMEONE CAME TO YOU THAT YOU WOULD SAY, GET WITH CARRIE OR HER OFFICE AND SHE'LL SET SOMETHING UP AND WE WILL GET WITH THE C UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND COORDINATE THAT JUST SO WE HAVE THAT THROUGHPUT, WHICH IS WHY WE CREATED THE CHARTER REVIEW EMAIL THAT WE ALL HAVE ACCESS TO SO WE CAN ALL SEE IT, UM, AND RESPOND ACCORDINGLY.
MR. MADANO, DID YOU, DID YOU HAVE A NO, I WAS JUST, I WAS JUST ASKING IF THERE WAS GONNA BE, 'CAUSE I KNOW ALL OF US ARE VOLUNTEERS AND WE HAVE BUSY LIVES.
IF THERE'S GONNA BE A, UM, VIRTUAL OPTION IF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING ALL THE MEETINGS.
IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE WEBEX PLATFORM, UM, THAT WE USE FOR OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS, THAT'S ALSO AVAILABLE FOR THESE MEETINGS AS WELL.
UH, HOW WILL THE EMAIL THAT COMES INTO CHARTER REVIEW@DALLAS.GOV BE DISSEMINATED TO THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS? WILL IT BE FORWARDED TO ALL 15 MEMBERS? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, WHAT I WOULD ENVISION IS THAT WE WOULD BEGIN TO AGGREGATE THOSE AMENDMENTS AND HAVE THEM VETTED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE BEFORE, UM, BEFORE WE WOULD FORWARD THEM IN SOME CAPACITY TO THE COMMISSION MEMBERS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF SOMEONE SUBMITTED AN AMENDMENT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, BANISHED THE CITY OF DALLAS, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T WANNA SPEND TOO MUCH ENERGY ON THAT.
UM, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE IT WOULD GO THROUGH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S, PRO CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THEN WE WOULD PROVIDE THAT, UM, IN BULK, DEPENDING UPON HOW VOLUMINOUS IT IS, THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE RECEIVE PROVIDE THAT TO THE COMMISSION MEMBERS.
BUT I THINK TOO, AND THE CHAIRMAN CAN CORRECT ME, THAT, THAT IT SPEAKS TO ALSO HOW YOU'RE GONNA BE TAKING UP THE AMENDMENTS AS A COMMISSION.
ARE YOU GOING TO START TAKING THEM UP IN JANUARY OR ARE YOU GONNA BEGIN TAKING THEM UP AT NEXT MONTH'S MEETING? UM, I THINK THOSE ARE THE STILL OUTSTANDING ITEMS THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH PROCESS WISE, UM, MEMBERS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, MS. ROGERS? UM, HEARING NONE.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT BRIEFING ITEM, UH, I BELIEVE IS WE'RE GONNA HAVE BARON ALLIES, UH, CHIEF INTEGRITY OFFICER WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
I'M THE CHIEF IN, UH, INTEGRITY OFFICER.
I REPORT TO BART BEAVERS, WHO IS OUR INSPECTOR GENERAL.
BART IS SITTING RIGHT THERE, AND WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU WITH ALL THINGS ETHICS.
SO I HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR YOU ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA APPLY TO YOU AS YOU EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY WITH THE CHARTER.
UH, FIRST THING IS THE RESOLUTION THAT ESTABLISHED YOU HAS SAID THAT YOU'RE NOT, UH, UH, IF YOU LOOK OFF ON THE SLIDE HERE, YOU'RE NOT A BOARD AS DEFINED BY CHAPTER EIGHT OF THE DALLAS CITY CODE, BUT YOU ARE CONSIDERED CITY OFFICIALS FOR CERTAIN PARTS OF THE CODE.
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OF ETHICS RIGHT HERE.IT'S GOT 11 ARTICLES IN IT, AND THERE'S ALL KINDS OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST PROVISIONS.
BUT THESE THAT ARE LISTED IN THIS POWERPOINT ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT APPLY TO YOU FOR THE PURPOSES OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE.
WE'RE GONNA WALK THROUGH THOSE, UH, ONE BY ONE.
SO, DEFINITIONS ARE IMPORTANT IN THE LEGAL WORLD, UH, THE BRICK AND MORTAR FOR LAWYERS OF WORDS.
SO IN 12 A, THERE ARE A LOT OF DEFINITIONS.
AND WHAT I'VE DONE FOR YOU HERE FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE IS I'VE PROVIDED THOSE DEFINITIONS.
SO WHEN YOU NEED THEM, THEY'LL BE THERE FOR YOU.
BUT YOU CAN ALSO FIND THEM IN 12 A I'M NOT GONNA READ 'EM TO YOU TONIGHT, BUT LET'S JUST SEE.
CONFIDENTIAL GOVERNMENT INFORMATION, PERSONAL BENEFIT, NEXT SLIDE.
THOSE ARE SOME DEFINITIONS THAT YOU WANT TO BE FAMILIAR WITH WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE CODE OF ETHICS.
STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR 12 A FOUR.
I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD BE HERE IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO TO DO THIS.
THIS IS ABOUT TREATING PEOPLE WITH RESPECT, WHETHER IT'S ONE ANOTHER.
IT'S ABOUT FOLLOWING, UH, ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, OBSERVING DECORUM FOR MEETINGS, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
YOU TAKE NO ACTION THAT COULD PERSONALLY BENEFIT YOU, UH, AS AN OFFICIAL CITY OFFICIAL OR EMPLOYEE.
AVOID THE APPEARANCE OF A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, OPERATE WITH INTEGRITY, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND THESE ARE THE PARTS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH WHAT I WAS INITIALLY TALKING ABOUT, JUST BEING COURTEOUS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
UH, AND I JUST CAN'T EMPHASIZE THAT ENOUGH AS A CITIZEN OF, UH, DALLAS AS WELL.
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT AND SO MANY PEOPLE ARE WATCHING, UH, YOU AND ALL OF US THAT SERVE IN THE GOVERNMENT AND JUST LOOKING FOR SOME CIVILITY.
THAT'S WHY 12 A FOUR IS THERE.
OTHER PERSONS, THIS IS IN SECTION 12 A SEVEN.
SO WHAT THIS MEANS IS YOU CAN'T USE SOMEBODY ELSE TO VIOLATE THE CODE.
SO YOU CAN USE YOUR IMAGINATION AND ANY WAY THAT ANYBODY COULD FIGURE OUT TO TALK THEM INTO IT OR TO DO IT FOR THEM IN SOME WAY, IT'S JUST ALL OFF THE TABLE.
YOU CAN'T USE SOMEBODY ELSE TO VIOLATE THE CODE FOR YOU.
AND THIS IS WHERE THOSE DEFINITIONS COME INTO PLAY.
'CAUSE THERE'S A SPECIAL DEFINITION FOR PERSONAL BENEFIT IN THERE.
AND LET ME READ THIS TO YOU STRAIGHT OFF THE SLIDE.
YOU MUST NOT TAKE OR REFRAIN FROM TAKING OFFICIAL ACTION THAT YOU KNOW IS GONNA RESULT IN A PERSONAL BENEFIT TO A RELATIVE OR A PERSON WHOM YOU HAVE A FINANCIAL BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH.
AND WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS IS, UH, THEY CAN'T RECEIVE A BENEFIT OF ANY KIND, UH, KNOWING THAT BECAUSE THAT PERSON RECEIVED IT, YOU ARE GOING TO ACT IN YOUR OFFICIAL POSITION IN A CERTAIN WAY.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? OKAY, NEXT SLIDE.
PERSONAL BENEFIT TO OTHERS HAS SOME EXCEPTIONS, AND THEY'RE LISTED THERE FOR YOU.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT DO NOT APPLY WHEN YOU'RE CONSIDERING 12 A 13, AND I LEAVE THEM THERE FOR YOU TO READ, BUT IT'S THINGS LIKE SALARIES, CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS, ET CETERA.
THIS IS NEWLY ADDED TO THE CODE, SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST IN BUSINESS ENTITY.
AND WHAT THIS MEANS IS IF YOU HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST IN AN ENTITY, A BUSINESS ENTITY, OR IN PROPERTY, AND I'LL SHOW YOU THE DEFINITIONS FOR THAT IN A MINUTE.
UH, YOU HAVE TO ABSTAIN OR RECUSE YOURSELF FROM PARTICIPATION IN THAT MATTER, AND YOU HAVE TO DO IT IF IT'S A BUSINESS ENTITY.
AND YOU LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE THERE, IF THE ACTION WILL HAVE A SPECIAL ECONOMIC BENEFIT ON THE BUSINESS ENTITY, THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS GONNA GET.
SO IF YOU'RE MAKING A DECISION ABOUT SOMETHING AND YOU OWN THE BUSINESS, AND IT'S GONNA HAVE A SPECIAL BENEFIT TO WHAT YOU OWN, YOU HAVE TO WATCH OUT IF IT'S A SUBSTANTIAL ENTITY, WHICH WE'LL GET TO IN A MINUTE.
SAME THING WITH REAL PROPERTY.
THE LANGUAGE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S IF IT'S REASONABLY FORESEEABLE.
SO IF YOU OWN SOME PROPERTY AND IT'S REASONABLY FORESEEABLE, THEN AN ACTION YOU'RE TAKING ON THE MATTER IS GONNA HAVE A SPECIFIC ECONOMIC EFFECT ON THE VALUE OF THAT PROPERTY THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE EFFECT ON THE PUBLIC THAN YOU NEED TO BACK OUT OF THAT.
AND THE WORD FOR THAT WILL BE RECUSAL.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT THOSE, UM, SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS ENTITIES LOOK LIKE WHEN IT'S A BUSINESS VERSUS WHEN IT'S PROPERTY.
AND YOU'LL SEE THERE, THERE'S SOME, UH, BRIGHT LINE RULES OF IF YOU OWN 10% OR MORE OF THE VOTING STOCK OR SHARES, OR EITHER YOU OWN 10% OR MORE, OR 15,000 OF FAIR MARKET VALUE, OR THE REVENUE THAT YOU GET EXCEEDS 10% OF YOUR, UH, GROSS INCOME FOR THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
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IF YOU HAVE ANY BUSINESS ENTITIES IN A PORTFOLIO AND THEY MEET THOSE CRITERIA, THEN YOU HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS ENTITY.UH, THE BRIGHT LINE THERE IS A FAIR MARKET VALUE OF $2,500 OR MORE.
SO IF YOU HAVE THAT, YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL.
SO WHAT IS RECUSAL? RECUSAL IS SIMPLY RAISING YOUR HAND AND SAYING, I'VE GOT A CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND I NEED TO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THIS BECAUSE IT'S A CONFLICT AND IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD FOR BOTH OF THOSE REASONS.
FROM THE TIME THAT YOU RECOGNIZE THAT YOU'VE GOT A CONFLICT, YOU RAISE YOUR HAND, YOU RAISE YOUR HAND BY GETTING A FORM FROM THE CITY SECRETARY, AND YOU FILL IT OUT AND YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THE CONFLICT IS AND YOU FILE IT.
AND THEN YOU DON'T PARTICIPATE, DISCUSS, OR VOTE ON THAT MATTER ANYMORE.
WE'RE GETTING TO THE END CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.
YOU FIND EVERYTHING ABOUT THAT IN 12 A 17.
YOU HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION, UH, AND A LOT OF IT, IF NOT ALL OF IT WILL BE PUBLIC, BUT WHEN YOU GET ACCESS TO INFORMATION THAT IS NOT PUBLIC, YOU CAN'T DISCLOSE IT, IT'S CONFIDENTIAL.
UH, SO FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU GO INTO A CLOSED MEETING, YOU CAN'T COME OUT AND TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CLOSED MEETING, THAT KIND OF THING.
YOU CAN'T USE THE ACCESS THAT YOU HAVE TO INFORMATION FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE OFFICIAL DUTIES THAT YOU HAVE.
SO YOU, YOU MAY HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET SOME INFORMATION THAT MIGHT BENEFIT YOU IN SOME PERSONAL WAY, BUT YOU CAN'T, CAN'T USE THAT ACCESS FOR THAT.
UH, SO THAT'S BASICALLY ON CONFIDENTIALITY.
WHAT IF YOU'RE NOT SURE WHAT TO DO? OKAY, SO HERE ARE YOUR NEXT STEPS.
YOU THINK THERE MIGHT BE A CONFLICT, UM, BUT YOU'RE NOT SURE.
HOW ARE YOU GONNA HANDLE THAT? WELL REFER TO THIS RESOURCE FIRST.
GIVE YOU AN ORIENTATION TO THE CODE OF ETHICS.
WE ALSO HAVE A, A PLAIN LANGUAGE GUIDE, BUT REALLY WHAT YOU NEED IS THIS POWERPOINT BECAUSE IT'S SHOWING YOU THE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT DO APPLY.
SO YOU READ OVER THOSE AND THEN ASK FOR AN ADVISORY OPINION.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I GET TO DO FOR THE CITY.
AND HERE'S, HERE'S HOW IT WORKS.
IF THERE'S SOME FUTURE ISSUE, SOME FUTURE CONFLICT THAT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT, UH, THERE'S, UH, AN EMAIL ADDRESS.
YOU WRITE ME AN EMAIL, YOU TELL ME ALL THE FACTS THAT I NEED TO KNOW, AND I'LL WRITE YOU A LEGAL OPINION.
THEN YOU CAN TAKE THAT, UH, LEGAL OPINION TO THE BANK.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF IT DOES TURN OUT TO BE A VIOLATION, THAT'S ON ME.
SO AN ADVISORY OPINION IS A GREAT RESOURCE FOR YOU.
THE, UH, EMAIL ADDRESS YOU'LL NEED IS RIGHT THERE.
SO LONG AS YOU FOLLOW THE ADVICE AND YOU TOLD US EVERYTHING WE NEED TO KNOW, YOU'LL BE GOOD.
OKAY, THAT'S IT FOR MY PRESENTATION.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MEMBERS? ANY QUESTIONS? YES.
WHEN DEALING WITH THESE ISSUES, ARE WE, UM, SUPPOSED TO USE THE.GOV EMAIL THAT WE'RE GONNA GET? OR CAN WE USE OUR PERSONAL EMAIL? OR DOES IT MATTER IN ORDER? SAY, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT SAY, UH, AN ADVISORY OPINION? YOU WANT ONE OF THOSE OR NO? ANY, ANYTHING REGARDING THIS COMMISSION? I'M PRETTY SURE FOR PURPOSES OF PUBLIC INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO USE THE.GOV.
I WILL, I CAN TELL YOU THIS WHILE SHE'S GETTING HER MICROPHONE ON.
IF YOU MIX UP WHAT YOU'RE DOING, UH, HERE BETWEEN DALLAS.GOV AND YOUR OWN PERSONAL EMAIL AND THERE IS A PUBLIC INFORMATION ACCESS REQUEST, SOMEBODY'S GONNA GET TO BE DIGGING THROUGH YOUR PERSONAL STUFF.
AND SO THIS IS MY WORK COMPUTER.
SO MY PERSONAL ADVICE IS DON'T DO THAT.
YEAH, IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
THAT'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE ADDRESSED IN OUR VERY NEXT PRESENTATION ON PUBLIC INFORMATION.
SO BRADY, UM, HE'LL BE, HE'LL BE TALKING A LOT ABOUT THAT.
ALL RIGHT, I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS.
UH, IT WAS A GUY WORKED FOR DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
HE SAID, YOU JUST GOTTA KEEP IT FROM THE MUS BETWEEN THE MUSTARD AND THE MAYONNAISE.
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THAT? YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? THE YELLOW LINE AND THE WHITE LINE ON THE ROAD.
JUST KEEP IT BETWEEN THE MUSTARD AND THE MAYONNAISE AND YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE FINE.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AND, AND MEMBERS ON THAT, THAT QUESTION, THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD QUESTION ON THE EMAIL, I, YOU KNOW, FORTUNATELY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE CITY PROVIDED EMAIL ADDRESSES, AND I ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO USE 'EM FOR EVERYTHING RELATED TO, UH, THIS COMMISSION INTERACTION WITH PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU, YOU DON'T WANT YOUR, UH, PERSONAL EMAIL OR YOUR GMAIL OR YOUR WORK EMAIL ALL OF A SUDDEN BECOME AN OPEN, YOU KNOW, SUBJECT TO OPEN RECORDS AND OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS.
[00:30:01]
SO PLEASE DO THAT.SAVE YOURSELF SOME, SOME PAIN.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO NEXT UP ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE, UH, BRADY FLANNERY, A ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY, UH, WHO'S GONNA TALK TO US ABOUT THE TEXAS PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT.
UM, OKAY, CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? EVERYTHING'S GOOD.
SO JUST AS BARON ALLUDED TO, I'M GONNA BE DISCUSSING THE TEXAS PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT.
SO, UM, TO BEGIN, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THIS.
THIS IS CURRENTLY BEING BROADCAST.
YOU CAN WATCH IT AT A LATER TIME, LATER DATE.
YOU'RE ALL GETTING GOVERNMENT EMAILS.
SO IN THE SPIRIT OF THAT, EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO IS PUBLIC.
EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO IS TO BE SEEN BY THE PUBLIC.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
SO, UM, THIS IS WHAT IS PUBLIC INFORMATION.
SO THE WAY I LIKE TO DESCRIBE IT IS IT'S ANYTHING THAT YOU TOUCH.
UM, AND SO IF YOU'RE TAKING NOTES, YOU'RE CREATING INFORMATION.
IF YOU SEND AN EMAIL ON ABOUT CITY BUSINESS, ABOUT ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR THE, UM, COMMISSION, YOU'RE CREATING PUBLIC INFORMATION.
NOW, ALLUDING TO A QUESTION WE HAD EARLIER, WHAT IF YOU SEND IT FROM YOUR GMAIL? WELL, IF YOU'RE DISCUSSING CITY BUSINESS, YOU'RE STILL CREATING PUBLIC INFORMATION.
SO, UM, I'LL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT OF THAT AS WE GO ON.
SO THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I JUST SAID.
IT'S ANY MATTER OVER WHICH A GOVERNMENTAL BODY HAS AUTHORITY, ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES, OR ADVISORY DUTIES.
SO THAT'S WHAT I HANDLE WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS.
SO WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ALL EMAILS SENT BY THIS INDIVIDUAL FOR THESE DATES, THEY SUBMIT THAT TO US AND WE RELEASE THAT INFORMATION.
AND IF THERE'S A REASON TO WITHHOLD, WE MAY ARGUE THAT, BUT IN THIS CASE, IN THIS SCENARIO, EVERYTHING YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING IS GONNA BE PUBLIC.
IT'S GOING TO BE, UM, AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
SO KEEP THAT IN MIND AS YOU'RE USING YOUR GOVERNMENT EMAIL, AS YOU'RE USING THE EMAIL THAT'S PROVIDED TO YOU.
ONLY DISCUSS THINGS THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO COME OUT, UM, IN A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST.
UM, THIS, UM, IS THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS AND HOW WE, WHAT WE EXPECT WHEN WE RECEIVE THEM.
AND I HAVE BEEN INFORMED, I BELIEVE YOU DO HAVE A COPY OF THIS PRESENTATION IN YOUR, UM, BINDER.
SO YOU CAN REFER TO THIS LATER, UM, IF YOU WANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
AND YOU WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED TO DO A TRAINING WITH THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, AND IT WILL GIVE YOU A MUCH MORE IN DEPTH, UM, EXPLANATION OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION NEXT.
SO I'M JUST HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND HOW IT APPLIES TO YOU.
UM, ALREADY TOUCHED ON THIS, PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESSES ARE SUBJECT TO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT IF YOU'RE DISCUSSING OFFICIAL BUSINESS.
SO, UM, THERE'S A, AN EXAMPLE OF AN ELECTED OFFICER OR APPOINTED OFFICER FORWARDING THEIR EMAIL, SO THEIR PERSONAL EMAIL, SO THEY CAN READ THEM LATER WHEN THEY GET HOME, OR THEY WANT TO HAVE THEM ALL IN ONE EMAIL, UM, INBOX.
WELL, THAT'S STILL PUBLIC INFORMATION ON YOUR PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS.
SO KEEP THINGS ON, LIKE BARHAM SAID EARLIER.
KEEP THINGS ON YOUR GOVERNMENT EMAIL.
UH, HOW DOES THAT APPLY TO CELL PHONES? WELL, IF SAME AS PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESSES, IF YOU'RE DISCUSSING PER, UH, CITY BUSINESS ON YOUR CELL PHONES, IF YOU'RE TEXTING ANOTHER, UH, MEMBER, THAT IS A PUBLIC INFO, THAT IS A DOCUMENT THAT IS, UM, CONSIDERED TO BE PUBLIC INFORMATION.
SO SPIRIT, IF YOU HAVEN'T GOT THE SPIRIT OF THIS, IS TO KEEP THINGS IN YOUR EMAIL AND REALIZE THAT THEY ARE SUBJECT TO PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS.
UM, AND LATER WE'LL BE DISCUSSING, UM, QUORUM AND QUORUM ISSUES AND HOW THAT CAN CREATE ISSUES WITH YOUR EMAIL AS WELL.
SO, UM, WE'LL TOUCH ON THAT IN A BIT.
BUT, UM, FORWARDING EMAILS, THAT SORT OF THING, KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WELL.
CALENDARS, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS APPLIES, UM, BUT IF YOU DO HAVE, LIKE WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, A CALENDAR WHERE YOU BLOCK SCHEDULE, YOU SAY, I WILL BE AT THIS MEETING AT THIS TIME.
DON'T PUT THAT YOU HAVE YOUR MOM'S DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT OR SOMETHING IN THERE BECAUSE THAT'S SUBJECT TO PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST.
UM, SO IF THAT APPLIES IN THIS SITUATION, KEEP THAT IN MIND.
UM, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, YOU HAVE A COPY OF THIS AND YOU'LL BE DOING A PRESENT, UH, WATCHING THE PRESENTATION ONLINE SO YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT EXCEPTIONS TO RELEASE, BUT THAT MOST LIKELY WON'T APPLY IN THIS SITUATION BECAUSE WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
[00:35:01]
ARE SOME EXEMPTIONS, UH, EXCEPTIONS TO RELEASE.UM, SAME AS WHAT I PREVIOUSLY SAID APPLIES THESE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, SOME INFORMATION IS SUPER PUBLIC AND THAT WOULD BE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE CREATING, THE WHAT YOU'RE EMAILING, THAT SORT OF THING WOULD BE SUPER PUBLIC.
UM, AGENDAS THE RECORDING OF THIS SUPER PUBLIC INFORMATION.
UH, THIS IS THE OVERVIEW OF THE OPEN RECORDS PROCESS.
YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW THIS, THIS IS JUST AN EXPLANATION OF HOW IT WORKS.
UM, AND THIS IS ALSO IN YOUR TRAINING THAT YOU'LL BE DOING, AND YOU HAVE THIS SLIDE IN YOUR BINDER.
UH, THIS IS IMPORTANT, PROVIDING, DISTRIBUTING OR MISUSING CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION UP TO A SIX MONTHS IN JAIL AND OR A THOUSAND DOLLARS FINE.
UM, IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING'S CONFIDENTIAL THAT YOU'RE RECEIVING, DON'T, UM, PROVIDE THAT TO SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT OR SHOULDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT.
UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE LAST ONE, DESTROYING, REMOVING OR ALTERING GOVERNMENTAL INFORMATION.
SO YOU CREATING GOVERNMENTAL INFORMATION, YOU'RE CREATING PUBLIC INFORMATION.
SO IF YOU DELETE IT COULD BE SOME REPERCUSSIONS WITH THAT.
AND THIS IS OUR FINAL SLIDE FROM MY PRESENTATION.
AND, UM, THIS IS ABOUT YOUR INFORMATION, SO YOUR HOME ADDRESS, YOUR HOME TELEPHONE, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
BECAUSE YOU ARE APPOINTED OFFICIALS, THAT INFORMATION IS PRESUMED TO BE PUBLIC.
HOWEVER, YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO ELECT TO KEEP THAT, THAT, THAT INFORMATION CONFIDENTIAL.
AND I BELIEVE, UM, YOU WILL BE, UH, ABLE TO ELECT THAT, UM, SOON, IF NOT ALREADY, PROBABLY TONIGHT.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? MEMBERS ANY QUESTIONS? I DON'T HEAR ANY.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
OKAY, NEXT UP WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, LAURA MORRISON, ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY, TALK TO US ABOUT THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
UM, AS THE CHAIR SAID, I'M LAURA MORRISON AND I'VE GOT ANNA HOLMES WITH ME HERE.
AND WE'RE BOTH GONNA GO OVER THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
I KNOW THAT A NUMBER OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW THIS ACT IN AND OUT, SO WE'RE NOT GONNA SPEND A WHOLE LOT OF TIME.
BUT I JUST ALSO WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE SINCE ANNA AND I ARE GONNA BE YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE LONG RUN FOR THIS WHOLE JOURNEY.
UM, JUST A MINUTE TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES.
UM, I'VE, I WORK IN THE GENERAL COUNSEL DIVISION OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
I'M THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE MUNICIPAL REGULATORY SECTION, AND I'VE BEEN WITH THE OFFICE FOR ALMOST 15 YEARS.
IT'LL BE 15 YEARS, UM, AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.
UM, SO I'VE DONE, UM, A LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROJECTS, BIG AND SMALL, UM, A LOT OF ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS.
I'VE WORKED WITH MANY OF OUR CITY'S BOARD AND COMMISSIONS, UM, THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION, THE ETHICS ADVISORY COMMISSION, THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD, THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, LANDMARK COMMISSION, SO MANY OF THEM.
UM, SO I'M, OH, AND LAST YEAR I DID REDISTRICTING, SO I WAS LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.
SO THAT WAS ALSO QUITE THE JOURNEY.
UM, AND I'LL HAVE ANNA, JUST BEFORE WE GET STARTED ON OUR PRESENTATION, INTRODUCE HERSELF.
MY NAME IS ANNA LAMBERTY HOLMES, AND I'M WITH THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AS WELL.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY SINCE 2006.
I'M SERVING MOST OF THAT TIME ACTUALLY IN THE GOVERNMENT, UM, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS OFFICE THAT CARRIES IN NOW.
AND I JOINED THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN 2017, TOOK A BRIEF STINT IN MUNICIPAL REGULATORY WHERE LAURA WORKS AND ALSO, UM, WAS GENERAL COUNSEL TO SEVERAL OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
AND NOW I'M WORKING IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICES AREA, WHICH IS CONTRACTS.
SO IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU.
SO WE WILL GO AHEAD AND DIVE INTO TOMA, WHICH IS THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
UM, SO THE STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT OUR BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS DO A COUPLE OF TRAININGS, UM, AS BRADY JUST DISCUSSED.
UH, FIRST IS THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT TRAINING, AND THERE'S A LINK FOR YOU HERE IN THE SLIDESHOW.
AND THEN YOU'LL ALSO WANNA DO THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT TRAINING, AND WE HAVE A LINK THERE AS WELL.
SO YOU'LL PROBABLY WANNA GET THAT DONE, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT, UM, PROBABLY 30 TO 60 DAYS JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE.
AND THEN I THINK AT THE END OF THE TRAINING, YOU GET A CERTIFICATE THAT THEN GOES TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
IF ANYONE HAS ANY TROUBLE, UH, COMPLETING THOSE TRAININGS, PLEASE REACH OUT.
I'M GONNA BE PASSING OUT MY BUSINESS CARD.
[00:40:01]
UM, MY BUSINESS CARD DOESN'T HAVE MY CELL PHONE NUMBER ON THE FRONT, BUT I'VE WRITTEN IT ON THE BACK, UH, FOR EVERYONE.IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE WITH THOSE TRAININGS, JUST, UH, GIMME A CALL.
UH, SO THE GENERAL RULE IS THAT EVERY REGULAR SPECIAL, UM, REGULAR OR SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OR SESSION OF A GOVERNMENTAL BODY, UH, MUST BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, THIS IS A MANDATORY REQUIREMENT, UM, FOR ANYTHING THAT DOES NOT MEET A VERY SPECIFIC EXCEPTION TO THAT RULE.
UM, UM, THE DEFINITION OF MEETING IN THE ACT IS EXTREMELY BROAD.
UM, SO IT'S JUST WHEN A QUORUM OF A BODY GETS TOGETHER, WHERE PUBLIC BUSINESS OF THAT GOVERNMENTAL BODY, UM, IS DELIBERATING OR DISCUSSING.
UM, AND SO DELIBERATE AND DISCUSS, UM, IS ALSO VERY BROAD.
AND THAT'S JUST A VERBAL EXCHANGE.
THAT INCLUDES RECEIVING INFORMATION, GIVING INFORMATION, ASKING QUESTIONS, RECEIVING QUESTIONS FROM A THIRD PARTY.
AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE STAFF OR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UM, OR DEBATE AMONG THE BODY ON GOVERNMENT, UH, ON GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
UM, SO LIKE I SAID, A MEETING IS A DELIBERATION OR DISCUSSION.
UM, IT'S A VERBAL EXCHANGE, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES WRITTEN MATERIALS INCLUDING EMAIL, UM, AND ALSO A QUORUM NEED NOT BE ESTABLISHED IN REAL TIME.
AND I'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, BE VERY CAREFUL WITH EMAIL, UM, AND REPLYING TO ALL BECAUSE IF YOU REPLY TO ALL, AND THERE'S A QUORUM OF THE BODY IN THAT EMAIL, YOU COULD START A DELIBERATION OF THE QUORUM, WHICH AS DEFINED IN THE ACT.
THEN NOW YOU HAVE A MEETING THAT HASN'T BEEN POSTED AS REQUIRED, UH, BY THE ACT.
UM, SO WHEN I SAID, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A QUORUM IN REAL TIME, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND, UM, IT'S A WALKING QUORUM AND A WALKING QUORUM.
UM, TO, I GUESS KEEP IT SIMPLE IS IF MAYBE A COUPLE OF YOU ARE DISCUSSING A TOPIC THAT WOULD COME BEFORE THIS BODY, AND THEN ONE OF YOU GOES AND TALKS TO SOMEONE ELSE, AND ONE OF YOU GOES AND TALKS TO SOMEONE ELSE AND THEN SOMEONE ELSE, AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, UM, MORE THAN HALF OF YOU HAVE TAKEN PART IN THAT DISCUSSION.
UH, YOU DON'T ALL HAVE TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM.
YOU DON'T ALL HAVE TO BE DISCUSSING IT AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS BY WALKING WHERE A FEW OF YOU AT A TIME KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE SAME TOPIC.
AND NOW YOU'VE BASICALLY HAD A DISCUSSION IN A NONPOSTED MEETING.
SO JUST BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WALKING QUORUMS AGAIN.
GIVE ME A CALL IF YOU HAVE, UM, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
A WALKING QUORUM COULD INCLUDE, UM, SECRET DELIBERATIONS.
A WALKING QUORUM COULD ALSO BE CONDUCTED VIA EMAIL, UM, VOTING OVER THE TELEPHONE AND DELIBERATING THROUGH A SERIES OF CLOSED MEETINGS OF MEMBERS OF LESS THAN A QUORUM, BUT THEN EQUAL A QUORUM.
SHE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT TOMAS, UH, NOTICE REQUIREMENTS.
THE NOTICE REQUIREMENTS OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
I'M ARE PROBABLY GONNA BE FAMILIAR TO MANY OF YOU.
THE MOST IMPORTANT REQUIREMENT, AND THE ONE THAT WE ADHERE TO IS THE FACT THAT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE POSTED 72 HOURS PRIOR TO THE START OF THE MEETING.
SO AS CARRIE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER, THE MATERIALS WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE, UM, ON OUR WEBSITE.
THAT WILL ALWAYS BE, IF THEY'RE PREPARED IN ADVANCE OF A MEETING, THAT WILL ALWAYS BE POSTED 72 HOURS IN ADVANCE TO GIVE YOU NOTICE, BUT ALSO TO GIVE THE PUBLIC NOTICE.
AND, UM, IMPORTANTLY, THE LAST LINE IS THE STANDARD THAT THE NOTICE MUST BE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO GIVE, TO INFORM THE PUBLIC OF THE SUBJECT MATTER TO BE ADDRESSED DURING THE MEETING.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR, OUR AGENDA CAN'T JUST SAY MEETING TO DISCUSS THE CHARTER, IT NEEDS TO BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING, PARTICULARLY AS YOU ALL DELVE INTO SORT OF ISSUE SPECIFIC AMENDMENTS, WE'LL BE GROUPING THEM IN A WAY THAT A PERSON THAT MIGHT HAVE AN INTEREST IN A PARTICULAR TOPIC WOULD KNOW THAT THAT'S THE MEETING THAT THEY WANNA TUNE INTO OR PERHAPS EVEN REGISTER TO SPEAK ON THOSE ITEMS. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BOTH IMPORTANT TO THE CITY FOR TRANSPARENCY AND FOR INCLUSION, BUT ALSO REQUIRED BY STATE LAW.
DURING COVID, I THINK WE ALL GOT PRETTY GOOD AT VIDEO CONFERENCING OR NOT SO GOOD, AS THE CASE MAY BE.
I JUST LEARNED TO SHARE MY SCREEN.
AT ANY RATE, UM, VIDEO CONFERENCE IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR US AS, UM, DURING ALL OF OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS.
AND SO AS CARRIE MENTIONED, AGAIN, WE HAVE A WEBEX.
[00:45:01]
LANGUAGE CAPACITY.IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE WITHOUT ACTUALLY HAVING TO COME TO CITY HALL.
AND, UM, THE, BUT THE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS IF YOU'RE GOING TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY, YOU NEED TO HAVE BOTH AN AUDIO AND A VISUAL FEED.
IT'S REQUIRED THAT YOU BE VISUALLY SEEN BY THE MEMBERS OF THE BODY AND BY THE PUBLIC WHO'S WATCHING ONLINE.
AND IF YOU LOSE EITHER THAT AUDIO OR THAT VISUAL FEED, THEN YOU ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ABSENT FROM THE MEETING.
AND THAT MAY NOT HAPPEN WITH THIS GROUP, BUT WITH SOME OF OUR SMALLER PANELS AND BOARDS, IF YOU LOSE THAT ONE GUY WHO'S IN HIS CAR AND HE LOSES THE VIDEO FEED, YOU MAY HAVE LOST YOUR QUORUM AND YOU HAVE TO STOP AND GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO GET BACK ON IN ORDER TO HAVE A QUORUM TO CONTINUE THE DELIBERATIONS.
SO IT'S THE SAME FOR THE PUBLIC.
SO IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE GONNA WANNA PARTICIPATE THROUGH A VIDEO CONFERENCE, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND TOO, THAT IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE, ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE AND SPEAK AT THE MEETING, THAT THEY ALSO NEED TO BE ABLE TO BE SEEN AS WELL AS HEARD.
UM, I WILL ADD, JUST TO JUMP IN, SORRY ANNA.
UM, YOU KNOW, ANNA MENTIONED IF YOU LOSE YOUR VIDEO OR YOUR AUDIO FEED, THEN YOU'RE COUNTED AS ABSENT DURING THAT TIME.
UH, THAT'S NOT TO SAY YOU CAN'T MUTE YOURSELF.
UH, PLEASE DO THAT IF YOU'RE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
UM, YEAH, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT MUTE BUTTON.
UM, AND THEN JUST UNMUTE YOURSELF WHEN YOU, WHEN, WHEN IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO TALK.
UM, ADDITIONALLY THERE TOMA GOES THROUGH SOME MORE SPECIFIC RULES THAT, UM, THAT REALLY WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR AS YOUR PARLIAMENTARIANS TO HELP ENSURE THAT OUR, OUR COMMISSION FOLLOWS THEM.
SO YOU CAN'T ADJOURN AND CONVENE AGAIN IN THE SAME DAY.
YOU CAN TAKE A RECESS OF YOUR MEETING, BUT YOU CAN'T ADJOURN A SECOND MEETING IN THE SAME DAY.
THE GOVERNMENTAL BODY ALWAYS VOTES IN PUBLIC.
AND WE'LL GET INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT WHEN WE GO INTO THE CLOSED SESSION DISCUSSION, BUT ALL OF YOUR VOTE VOTES WILL BE MADE IN PUBLIC.
IT WILL BE MADE ON THE RECORD.
IF THERE'S AN ITEM THAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS AND IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA FOR THAT MEETING, YOU CAN REQUEST THAT IT BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT MEETING'S AGENDA, BUT IT WON'T BE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCUSSION IF IT'S NOT PROPERLY POSTED.
SO IT WOULD JUST, THE REQUEST COULD BE MADE, NO DELIBERATION WOULD BE TAKEN AT THAT TIME.
WE'D PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR A FUTURE MEETING.
AND THEN LASTLY, THE LAST BULLET ABOUT RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS OR ENGAGING WITH OPEN MIC SPEAKERS REALLY GETS TO A BROADER ISSUE, WHICH IS THAT OPEN, UM, SPEAKERS ARE ALLOWED TO SPEAK.
PUB, PUBLIC SPEAKERS, UM, ARE ALLOWED TO SPEAK.
AND IT IS BEFORE OR DURING THE CONSIDERATION OF THE ITEM.
UM, RECENTLY, I THINK IT WAS 2019, THE LEGISLATURE MADE THAT CHANGE BECAUSE THEY FOUND THAT IN SOME INSTANCES, BODY GOVERNING BODIES WERE TAKING VOTES, AND THEN THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS CAME AFTERWARDS.
AND SO THE VOTE HAD ALREADY BEEN TAKEN ON THE ITEM THAT THEY REALLY WANTED TO WEIGH IN ON.
SO YOU'LL NOTE THAT ONCE YOU ALL START TO DISCUSS AMENDMENTS, AND WE HAVE SPECIFIC SUBJECTS ON OUR AGENDA, THAT THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
SOME, MANY TIMES THEY'LL BE SPEAKING ABOUT A SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM.
SOMETIMES, LIKE AT CITY COUNCIL, WE JUST HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEONE TO COME AND SPEAK ABOUT ANYTHING THAT'S ON THEIR MIND.
THAT'S NOT TIME FOR THE COMMISSION TO ENGAGE WITH THAT SPEAKER.
IT'S TIME FOR THAT SPEAKER TO PRESENT THEIR ITEM.
AND IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL WANNA TAKE OUT FOR A DELIBERATION AT A FUTURE MEETING, THEN YOU WOULD REQUEST THAT TO BE PUT IN ON THE AGENDA, BUT NOT DELIBERATE OR ENGAGE WITH THAT SPEAKER.
AND I THINK THAT'S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IF YOU ALL DECIDE THAT YOU WANNA HAVE A TOWN HALL KIND OF FORUM WHERE YOU'RE JUST RECEIVING INFORMATION FROM FOLKS TO REMEMBER, AGAIN, THAT THAT'S THEIR THREE MINUTES OR WHATEVER LIMITATION YOU WANNA PUT ON THAT YOU CAN ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION, BUT YOU WOULD NOT BE ENGAGING WITH THEM.
YOU WOULD SIMPLY BE RECEIVING THAT INFORMATION FROM THOSE SPEAKERS.
UM, CLOSED SESSION, I'M SORRY, NEXT SLIDE, SAMANTHA.
CLOSED SESSION OR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I DON'T SEE THAT AS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE USING WITH THIS COMMISSION AS WE REALLY WANT ALL OF THIS DELIBERATION AND DISCUSSION TO BE IN THE PUBLIC FORUM.
BUT SHOULD WE NEED A CLOSED SESSION ON SOMETHING, IT WOULD HAVE TO FIT INTO ONE OF THE EXCEPTIONS TO THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
SO YOU NEED TO DELIBERATE WITH YOUR ATTORNEY, OR IF YOU WERE CONSIDERING SOME KIND OF REAL ESTATE DEAL, WHICH THIS BODY OBVIOUSLY ISN'T GONNA DO, THERE ARE LIMITED EXCEPTIONS TO, TO THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND ACTUALLY THEY'RE PRINTED ON THE BACK OF THE AGENDA.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO LOOK AT ALL OF THEM, THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO YOU.
AND OF COURSE, THE MEETING IS CONVENED IN OPEN SEC SESSION.
YOU GO INTO CLOSED SESSION AND ANNOUNCE IT, YOU COME BACK OUT AND ANY VOTE THAT YOU TAKE ON THAT MATTER IS TAKEN IN THE OPEN FORUM.
SO THERE'S NO VOTING DURING A CLOSED SESSION.
AGAIN, WITH THE CLOSED SESSION, THE PARTICIPANTS ARE VERY LIMITED.
IT'S THE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BODY, YOUR ATTORNEY, IF YOU NEED TO CON UH, TO DELIBERATE WITH THE ATTORNEY OR RECEIVE INFORMATION.
AND THEN THERE MAY BE A SUBJECT MATTER
[00:50:01]
EXPERT THAT WOULD JOIN THE GROUP IN A CLOSED SESSION, BUT IT, BUT WE ARE VERY SPECIFICALLY LIMITED TO JUST THE PEOPLE THAT NEED TO BE THERE BECAUSE THE WHOLE POINT IS TO KEEP THAT INFORMATION WITH JUST THE GOVERNING BODY.UM, LASTLY, THERE'S RECORD KEEPING.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS THAT, UM, THAT THIS WILL ALL BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE MINUTES WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE.
THERE'S A VIDEOTAPE THAT PEOPLE CAN WATCH AT THEIR LEISURE.
WE'RE OB WE'RE BEING RECORDED RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT IS PART OF OUR REQUIREMENTS THROUGH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THOSE DOCUMENTS IN A WAY THAT, THAT, UM, MAKES SENSE TO SOMEONE IF THEY WANNA LOOK AT THEM AFTER THE FACT.
SO THEY WILL ALWAYS RECORD WHO'S AT THE MEETING, THEY WILL RECORD WHAT THINGS WERE DISCUSSED, AND, UM, AND DEFINITELY RECORD ANY KIND OF VOTE OR DETERMINATION OR DECISION THAT YOU ALL MAKE AS PART OF THAT MEETING.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
UH, THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE, THE PRESENTATION.
UH, JUST A A QUICK POINT, UM, AS WE GO TO TOWN HALLS OR AS WE SPEAK WITH THE PUBLIC, I THINK IT'S, IT CAN ALWAYS BE FRUSTRATING TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHEN THEY MAKE A STATEMENT AND WHEN THEY MAKE A PLEA OR WHEN THEY GIVE A COMMENT, UM, TO NOT GET A RESPONSE FROM THE BODY.
SO I, I WOULD ASK YOU OR, OR THE CHAIR, WHEN WE DO TOWN HALLS, WHEN WE DO GET QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, LET'S MAKE THE POINT THAT BECAUSE OF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO RESPOND AT THIS TIME.
BUT WE CAN DO, DO THAT IN A, A FUTURE MEETING AND RESPOND IN SOME WAY JUST TO ENSURE THAT, THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS WE'RE LISTENING, BUT WE CAN'T RESPOND BECAUSE OF CERTAIN RULES.
THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE WOULD PROBABLY ADD TO THE CHAIR'S SCRIPT AS HE OPENS THE MEETING TO PUT THE PUBLIC ON NOTICE THAT IT'S A LISTENING SESSION FOR, UH, FOR THE MEMBERS TO HEAR FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
UM, BUT DUE TO THE LIMITATIONS OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THE BODY CAN'T DELIBERATE OR DISCUSS ANYTHING THAT THE PUBLIC IS BRINGING TO YOU THAT DAY.
BUT BASED ON WHAT THEY HEAR, UM, AT THAT LISTENING SESSION, YOU CAN TAKE THEIR IDEAS AND PUT IT ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, UH, AND GOOD PRESENTATION, BUT I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.
WHO CAN WE TALK TO? CAN WE TALK TO EACH OTHER? UH, CAN WE TALK TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBER? THAT'S WHAT I WANT.
UH, HOW, HOW DOES, HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO THERE'S NO, UM, RESTRICTION IN THE CHARTER, UM, THAT PROHIBITS YOU FROM SPEAKING WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER THE WAY THAT THERE WAS FOR THE REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.
UM, CHAPTER 12 A DOES, UM, HAVE A PROVISION IN THERE THAT SAYS YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER SHOULDN'T, UM, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, STRONG ARM YOU AND DEV VOTING A CERTAIN WAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANT YOU TO BE FAIR AND IMPARTIAL AND, AND, AND, AND FULFILL YOUR ROLE HERE.
UM, AS COMMISSIONERS, UM, YOU CAN TALK TO EACH OTHER.
JUST BE VERY CAREFUL THAT IF YOU DO, IT'S MAYBE ONLY 2, 1, 2 OR THREE PEOPLE.
DON'T TALK TO MAYBE THREE PEOPLE OVER HERE AND THEN FOUR PEOPLE OVER HERE.
YOU'RE GETTING CL CLOSE TO A QUORUM ISSUE.
UM, BUT YES, YOU CAN CERTAINLY TALK TO EACH OTHER, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE THAT MOST DISCUSSION, UM, DOES HAPPEN DURING, UM, THE PUBLIC MEETING SO THAT THE, THE PUBLIC CAN LISTEN IN.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE CORRECT TIME TO, TO POSE THIS QUESTION, BUT I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON SOMETHING MIGUEL ASKED EARLIER, AND IT'S MORE ABOUT, UM, THE PROCESS FOR THE MEETINGS AND DURING THE MEETINGS.
UM, I I, I WANNA BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR MEETINGS WILL ENTAIL.
OUR FIR ESPECIALLY OUR FIRST FEW MEETINGS WHEN WE'RE JUST KIND OF GETTING OUR LEGS UNDER US.
WILL WE BE GOING THROUGH THE CHARTER AND ACTIVELY DISCUSSING DIFFERENT PROVISIONS, OR WILL THERE ALREADY BE PROPOSALS BEFORE US, UM, SUGGESTIONS BEFORE US, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE SPECIFIC CHARTER? OR SHOULD WE BRING OUR OWN, UH, NEXT WEEK? SHOULD WE PLAN TO BRING OUR, OUR OWN SUGGESTIONS DONE? YEAH, THAT, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT, I GUESS AFTER WE'RE DONE WITH ROBERT RULES COMING UP.
AND, AND, UH, MS. ROGERS IS GONNA VISIT WITH US, BUT IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I WANNA VISIT WITH, UH, WITH ALL OF YOU ABOUT HOW, 'CAUSE THE QUESTION WAS GREAT EARLIER ON, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE SUBMIT, YOU KNOW, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT HOW COLLECTIVELY WE THINK THAT SHOULD BE DONE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A FEW IDEAS ON, ON THINGS THAT MIGHT WORK, MIGHT NOT WORK, UH, BUT WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT, UH, HERE IN A FEW MINUTES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, WHEN IT COME DOWN TO THE
[00:55:01]
OPEN RECORDS, UH, THE INFORMATION I'M ASKING, LIKE THAT LADY OVER THERE ASKED, UH, WHEN YOU TALK TO YOUR CITY COUNCIL THAT APPOINTED YOU, ARE YOU JUST LIMITED TO TALKING TO THEM OR CAN YOU TALK TO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT MIGHT ENGAGE IN THE CONVERSATION WITH YOU ABOUT SOMETHING ON THE COMMISSION? UM, THE CHARTER DOES NOT HAVE A PROHIBITION AGAINST YOU SPEAKING WITH ANY COUNCIL MEMBER.IT DOESN'T HAVE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIMIT, UM, COMMENTS TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO NOMINATED YOU.
THIS IS JUST LOGISTICS, BUT WHEN WE DO THE, THE TRAININGS FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, WHO IN THE CITY, UH, SECRETARY'S OFFICE DO WE SEND THAT TO? UM, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION FOR, I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED AND WHEN YOU LOG IN, IT'LL SEND IT TO BILLY WRIGHT IN THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
WE JUST GOT CONFIRMATION, UH, FROM SOME EXPERTS BACK HERE THAT THAT'LL HAPPEN.
ONCE YOU DO IT, IT'LL AUTOMATICALLY GET SENT WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY, DID, WERE Y'ALL GONNA DO ROBERT'S RULES? BUR VANDENBERG IS GONNA DO ROBERT'S RULES.
SO AM I SHARING? YEAH, I'M TRYING TO GET IN AND SHARE RIGHT NOW.
THAT WOULD BE AWESOME BECAUSE I WANNA RUN MY OWN POWERPOINT.
REALLY? I AM, I'M BERT VANDENBERG.
I'M IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UM, I AM THE INTERIM CHIEF OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL DIVISION.
UM, I'M JUST AS HAPPY JUST BEING AN ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY, AND I AM ACTUALLY STALLING FOR TIME WHILE THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE HANDS OUT YOUR, UM, YOUR PUBLIC ACCESS INFORMATION AND SOME OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR OPEN GOVERNMENT TRAINING.
AND HOPEFULLY I CAN SHARE MY POWERPOINT ANY SECOND NOW IT'S NOT LETTING ME
I THINK I'M GONNA HAVE TO HAVE YOU DO IT.
NOT UNLESS, 'CAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO WAIT FOR THIS.
THAT BEING SAID, I'M GONNA BE JUST AS SURPRISED BY AS Y'ALL WILL BE BY THE SCREEN SINCE I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.
SO, PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS NO WAY I'M GONNA TEACH YOU GUYS PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE IN 20 SLIDES IN FIVE MINUTES, UM, AT SEVEN O'CLOCK ON A ON A WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
I DO WANT TO TELL YOU THAT PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE, I DO IT A LOT.
I'VE WORKED WITH ALMOST ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IN THE CITY.
UM, I HAVE BOOKS LIKE ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, NEWLY REVISED IN BRIEF.
I HAVE ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER SIMPLIFIED AND APPLIED, UH, AT A GLANCE IDIOTS GUIDE AND FOR DUMMIES.
THERE IS NO SHAME IN MY GAME WHEN I HAVE THESE, IT'S HOW I UNDERSTAND IT.
BUT IF YOU WANNA KNOW ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, THE ONE YOU ACTUALLY NEED IS ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER.
UM, I WILL TACK ONE THING ON TO WHAT LAURA AND ANNA SAID EARLIER.
THEY DID A GREAT PRESENTATION, OPEN MEETINGS.
YOU CAN GO TO THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL WEBSITE AND THEY HAVE HANDY, UH, HAND UH, HANDBOOKS ON HOW TO DO OPEN MEETINGS AND HOW TO DO PUBLIC INFORMATION.
WELL WORTH YOUR TIME TO DOWNLOAD.
AGAIN, I GO EVERYWHERE WITH LOTS OF STUFF.
OH, THIS, YEAH, THE, SO THE PURPOSE OF PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE, UH, MY GOAL HERE IS NOT TO READ EVERY SLIDE.
UM, BUT THIS, THIS ONE, THERE'S
[01:00:01]
THIS ONE AND ONE AT THE END ARE THE IMPORTANT ONES.SO EVERYONE KNOWS THAT ROBERT'S RULES IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE MEETINGS EFFICIENT, RIGHT? SO THAT EVERYTHING RUNS QUICKLY AND EVERYBODY GETS THROUGH THE BUSINESS.
BUT IF YOU HIT THE BUTTON ONE MORE TIME, REALLY WHAT IT IS, IS COMMON SENSE IS THE ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENTARY RULES.
FAIR PLAY IS THEIR GUIDING PRINCIPLE.
REASONABLE DISCUSSION, FOLLOWED BY PROMPT ACTION IS WHAT THEY'RE DEVISED TO ACHIEVE.
THAT'S A QUOTE FROM O GARFIELD JONES, WHO WROTE THIS GREAT LITTLE, THIS GREAT LITTLE NUMBER RIGHT HERE.
UM, I READ IT BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA MIS MISQUOTE, UM, MR. JONES.
AND IT IS DEAD ON WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
THE FIRST TIME I WENT TO A CON CONVENT, A CONFERENCE ABOUT ROBERT'S RULES, WHICH WAS AS FASCINATING AS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I HEARD THE FIRST ONE, WHICH IS YOU ALLOW THE MAJORITY TO DECIDE.
BUT ROBERT'S RULES IS REALLY ALLOW ABOUT ALLOWING MINORITY OPINIONS TO BE HEARD.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
THERE'S EFFICIENCY IN ALL THAT OTHER STUFF, BUT YOU WANT IT TO BE FAIR AND YOU WANT THE MINORITY TO BE HEARD, RIGHT? AND THEN THE MAJORITY DECIDES.
AND YOU CAN JUST HIT ALL THE BUTTONS TO THE END OF THE SLIDES.
I TOLD YOU IT'D BE A SURPRISE FOR ME AS WELL.
SO THE MAIN MOTION IS THE, WHEN, WHEN THE DISCUSSION STARTS, THE MAIN MOTION IS I MOVE TO MAKE AMENDMENT X TO THE CHARTER.
AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR SUBSIDIARY MOTION THAT MODIFIES DELAYS OR DISPOSE OF THE MAIN MOTION.
UM, THERE'S A FEW OTHERS, BUT LET'S STICK WITH, HOLD IT AND AMEND IT.
SO, PRIVILEGED MOTIONS, THEY'RE NOT RELATED TO THE MAIN MOTION, BUT THEY'RE URGENT FOR THE BODY TO CONSIDER.
A LOT OF THEM HAVE TO DO WITH THE RIGHTS OF YOU AS THE INDIVIDUAL.
COULD WE OPEN A WINDOW? HEY, I HAVE TO LEAVE FOR A WHILE.
HEY, CAN WE TAKE A RECESS? NEXT? INCIDENTAL MOTIONS.
UM, THERE ARE MOTIONS RELATED TO THE MANNER IN WHICH THE BODY CONDUCTS BUSINESS.
THIS IS, HEY, CAN WE TAKE ITEM NUMBER SIX BEFORE ITEM NUMBER THREE? BECAUSE I'M GONNA HAVE TO LEAVE, AND THIS MEANS A LOT TO ME.
THIS IS, CAN WE SUSPEND THE RULES RELATED TO THIS ONE ITEM? UM, SO THOSE ARE THE INCIDENTAL MOTIONS.
UM, THE CLASS IS CALLED, UH, MOTIONS.
BRINGS A MOTION BACK FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION BEFORE THE BODY.
UM, THIS ONE IS, IS SUPER IMPORTANT TO A BODY SUCH AS YOURS BECAUSE OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
YOU GUYS CAN'T RECONSIDER SOMETHING AT THE NEXT MEETING THE WAY SAY THE KIWANIS CLUB CAN, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE RECONSIDERING SOMETHING THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.
IF YOU GUYS ARE GONNA WANNA RECONSIDER SOMETHING, PLEASE TALK TO YOUR ATTORNEYS.
MAKE SURE YOU GET NOTICE OUT THERE.
UM, EVEN IF YOU'RE GONNA RECONSIDER SOMETHING AT THE SAME MEETING, TALK TO THE ATTORNEYS.
YOU, YOU HAVE EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT ATTORNEYS WITH ANNA AND LAURA, UM, TO MAKE SURE YOU CAN DO IT THERE.
THERE'S LITTLE RULES ABOUT IT.
I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE CHARACTERISTIC OF EVERY MOTION THAT I GO THROUGH HERE BECAUSE IT'S AFTER SEVEN PROBABLY.
AND, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE MORE BUSINESS TO DO, BUT, BUT I REALLY THINK THAT THE RECONSIDERATION IS ONE.
WE, I WANTED TO POINT SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE YOU ARE, YOUR DECISIONS ARE INFORMED BY THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
UM, NORMALLY IT'S CALLED CALL THE QUESTION.
ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT IT, AS WE SAID EARLIER, IT'S THE RIGHTS OF THE MINORITY, RIGHT? SO IF YOU'RE GONNA CLOSE THE DEBATE AND CALL THE QUESTION, THAT MEANS SOMEONE WILL NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
AND BECAUSE YOU'RE INFRINGING ON SOMEONE'S RIGHTS, IT REQUIRES A TWO THIRDS VOTE.
IT'S NOT JUST A NORMAL MAJORITY, IT IS TWO THIRDS OF THE MEMBERS PRESENT.
WHENEVER YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ANY OF THE MOTIONS THAT WILL INFRINGE ON SOMEONE'S RIGHTS, INCLUDING SUSPEND THE RULES, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A, A SUPER MAJORITY, USUALLY TWO THIRDS, UM, POSTPONED TO A TIMES CERTAIN.
YOU GOTTA HAVE A EITHER A DATE, A TIME, OR AN EVENT.
SO AN EVENT CAN BE A DEMARCATION OF TIME.
WHEN WE GET THE REPORT BACK FROM THE COMMITTEE, WE SHOULD CONSIDER THIS ITEM THAT COUNTS.
UM, AMEND, UH, AND WELL REFER TO A COMMITTEE AND, AND AMEND.
THERE'S JUST SORT OF BASIC KIND OF THINGS WE THINK THE COMMITTEE SHOULD, SHOULD STUDY THIS AND AMEND.
THE IMPORTANT PART TO KNOW ABOUT AMEND IS YOU CAN ONLY HAVE TWO AMENDMENTS ON THE FLOOR AT ANY GIVEN TIME, BECAUSE OTHERWISE EVERYBODY GETS UTTERLY CONFUSED, UTTERLY CONFUSED.
OKAY? AND POSTPONE IT DEFINITELY IS HOW YOU KILL SOMETHING SOFTLY.
IT SAYS, I DON'T WANNA VOTE ON THIS AND JUST DENY IT.
SO LET'S POSTPONE IT INDEFINITELY.
AND IT JUST KIND OF GOES AWAY AND NO ONE EVER SEES
[01:05:01]
IT AGAIN, BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO MAKE THE STATEMENT THAT WE WANNA DENY THIS ITEMSO WE'LL GO THROUGH THE SUBSIDIARY, UH, THE PRIVILEGE MOTIONS.
UH, AGAIN, THESE ARE THINGS THAT REALLY AFFECT YOU.
BUT ADJOURN, ADJOURN IS A PRIVILEGE.
YOU CAN, I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T SAY THIS, BUT YOU GUYS CAN CALL, MOVE TO ADJOURN AT ANY TIME.
UM, REGARDLESS IF BUSINESS IS DONE OR NOT, BUT IT REQUIRES A, A MAJORITY VOTE.
IT'S NOT LIKE SOMETHING YOU CAN JUST DO.
NOW, IF YOU GUYS HAVE YOUR BUSINESS DONE, UH, THE CHAIR CAN JUST SAY, I'M, WE'RE GONNA ADJOURN.
AND IF NO ONE OBJECTS, YOU GUYS ARE ADJOURNED.
UH, RECESS, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO TAKE A BREAK.
THE EASIEST WAY TO DO IT IS IF THE CHAIR JUST CALLS FOR A RECESS, SAYS THEY'RE GONNA RECESS.
THE QUESTIONS OF PRIVILEGE, UM, THE RULES AREN'T BEING FOLLOWED.
THE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO, AND YOU NEED TO DO 'EM RIGHT.
THEN I'LL GET INTO IT A LITTLE BIT IN A SECOND.
PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRER INQUIRY.
WHAT IS HAPPENING? RIGHT? YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE ALLOWED TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON APPEAL.
THAT'S APPEAL, A DECISION OF THE CHAIR.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF, OF ACTIONS THAT THE CHAIR MAKES THAT DON'T GO BEFORE THE BODY.
UM, RULING ON A PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY, RULING ON, UH, PRIVILEGED MOTIONS.
UM, THE CHAIR MAKES THE DECISION AND IF SOMEONE WANTS TO APPEAL IT, THEY CAN, AND THEY HAVE TO GET A SECOND.
YOU DON'T DEBATE IT AND THE BODY VOTES ON IT.
AND IF THE BODY DECIDES THAT THE CHAIR WAS MISTAKEN, THEN THE BODY, THEY FOLLOW THE PROCEDURE THAT THE BODY HAS CHOSEN.
IT'S REALLY A MORE, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A FORMAL PROCESS.
ONCE YOUR MOTION IS MADE AND SECONDED AND THE CHAIR STATES IT, THEN IT BELONGS TO THE BODY.
EVERYONE JUST SAYS, HEY, I, I WANNA WITHDRAW THAT MOTION TO MOVE THINGS ALONG.
AND IF NO ONE OBJECTS, YOU CAN JUST HAVE THE MOTION WITHDRAWN AND YOU GO TO THE NEXT MOTION.
THE KEY PART OF DIVIDING THE QUESTION IS THE QUESTION HAS TO BE DIVISIBLE.
IT HAS TO, EACH PART MUST STAND ON ITS OWN.
THAT THAT'S REALLY THE BIG TRICK WITH DIVIDING THE QUESTION.
EACH PART MUST, MUST BE ABLE TO STAND ON ITS OWN.
SO, UM, CALLING THE QUESTION, PREVIOUS QUESTION, NOT DEBATABLE, NOT AMENABLE.
AGAIN, AT THE BOTTOM TWO THIRDS VOTE, 'CAUSE YOU'RE INFRINGING ON SOMEONE'S RIGHTS.
NEXT, UH, POSTPONE TO A TIME CERTAIN, THERE'S NOTHING TRICKY ABOUT THIS ONE.
IT'S, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST HOLD IT AND THINK ABOUT IT AND COME BACK TO IT.
UM, ONLY THING WORTH NOTING IS THE DEBATABLE PART IS, IS WHETHER THE ISSUE OF WHETHER IT SHOULD BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE OR NOT, NOT THE MERITS OF WHAT YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT NEXT.
OKAY? SO AMEND IS THE SIMPLEST OF THE, OF THE MOTIONS, RIGHT? IT'S RIGHT ABOVE MAIN MOTION.
IF YOU DON'T, GUYS DON'T KNOW IT.
SOME MOTIONS ARE, UM, RANKED HIGHER.
THEREFORE YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER THEM FIRST.
A PRIVILEGED MOTION OF, HEY, WE NEED TO TAKE A RECESS, IS RANKED HIGHER THAN A MOTION TO AMEND.
SO IF SOMEONE MAKES IT, YOU MAKE THAT, THAT YOU'D GO TO THE RECESS FIRST.
WELL AMENDING AGAIN, YOU CAN ONLY HAVE TWO ON THE FLOOR BECAUSE IT WOULD JUST BE TOO CONFUSING.
AND ALSO, YOU CANNOT MAKE A CONTRARY MOTION.
YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T AMEND A MOTION TO APPROVE BY.
I WANNA AMEND IT BY DENYING IT, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THAT'S JUST CONTRARY.
AND IT HAS THE EFFECT OF KILLING IT.
UM, IF YOU WANT TO SAY, LET'S PAINT THE HOUSE BLUE, AND THE NEXT PERSON SAYS, WELL, I WANNA AMEND IT AND SAY, LET'S PAINT THE HOUSE RED.
ALL YOU'VE DONE IS CHANGE THE COLOR.
YOU'RE STILL PAINTING THE HOUSE, THAT'S FINE.
AGAIN, JUST NO CONTRARY MOTIONS.
UM, THAT, THAT'S REALLY ALL IT IS.
I THINK WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT IS NEXT.
AND RECESS IS AN INTERMISSION.
I'M REALLY NOT TRYING TO DRAG THIS OUT FOR YOU GUYS.
NEXT, UM, QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ITS RULING ON THE RIGHTS OF THE BODY OR ANY OF ITS MEMBERS TO MOVE TO ANOTHER ROOM.
UH, DOES NOT REQUIRE A SECOND.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE, IT'S DECIDED BY THE CHAIR.
AND THEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE CHAIR'S DECISION, IT CAN BE APPEALED.
THESE ARE THE SUSPENSION OF THE RULES, ET CETERA.
IF, IF YOU THINK SOMETHING HAS BEEN DONE WRONG WITH PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE, YOU HAVE SPEAK UP RIGHT THEN.
THAT'S WHY IT DOES NOT REQUIRE A SECOND.
AND IT MAY BE MADE WHEN ANOTHER HAS THE FLOOR.
IT'S ONE OF THE ONLY TIMES YOU CAN SPEAK WHEN SOMEONE ELSE HAS THE FLOOR.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIR.
[01:10:01]
THIS, THIS WAS 16 HUNDREDS.YOU WOULD STAND UP AND MAKE A SCENE, BUT NOW YOU JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, POINT OF, POINT OF ORDER, POINT OF INQUIRY.
UM, THE CHAIR RULES ON THE DECISION.
USUALLY THE CHAIR GETS IT RIGHT NEXT, OH, I'M SORRY, GO BACK.
UM, USUALLY THE PERSON ASKING IS ALLOWED TO MAKE LIKE ONE SENTENCE SAYING WHY THEY'RE DOING IT.
AND IT MATTERS MORE ON THE NEXT ONE, WHICH IS THE APPEAL, WHICH IS ALSO NOT DEBATABLE OR AMENDABLE.
BUT YOU'RE ALLOWED TO SAY, HEY, I REALLY THINK IT'S X.
THE PERSON APPEALING IS ALLOWED TO MAKE THAT ONE SIMPLE STATEMENT.
THERE'S NO BACK AND FORTH, THERE'S NO WHATEVER.
THERE'S JUST, AND I THINK THE CHAIR CAN SAY, I MADE THE RULE BECAUSE OF THIS, AND THEN YOU GUYS VOTE AND THAT'S IT.
NEXT, SUSPENDING THE RULES AGAIN.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW HERE IS YOU DON'T DEBATE IT.
'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA BE INFRINGED.
YOU COULD VERY WELL BE INFRINGING ON SOMEONE'S, UH, RIGHTS.
AND THIS RULES YOU GUYS HAVE ALL ESTABLISHED.
UM, YOU DO HAVE TO SAY EXACTLY WHAT RULE YOU'RE SUSPENDING AND YOU DON'T GET TO SUSPEND ALL RULES AT ONE TIME.
THIS IS QUESTIONS I'VE HAD, SO I'M ANSWERING THEM.
LOOK, THERE'S A FORMAL PROCEDURE, BUT IF EVERYONE'S OBVIOUSLY WANTS TO GO ONTO THE NEXT THING, YOU CAN JUST SAY, I'D LIKE TO WITHDRAW THE MOTION.
IF NO ONE OBJECTS JUST MOVE ON.
I CANNOT BEAT THIS HORSE ANYMORE.
RECONSIDERATION AGAIN, TALK TO YOUR LAWYERS.
SO THERE ARE PARLIAMENT, YOU GUYS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO CHAPTER EIGHT SPECIFICALLY.
UM, YOUR RESOLUTION POINTED OUT PARTS OF 12 A, ET CETERA.
12 A DOES SAY YOU GUYS HAVE TO FOLLOW THE DECORUM RULES OF ROBERT'S RULES AND SOME OTHER THINGS.
ONE THING WORTH NOTING IS THAT, UM, WE DON'T ALWAYS REINVENT THE WHEEL WHEN WE WORK ON THE CODES.
SO SOME OF THE RULES IN CHAPTER EIGHT ACTUALLY COME FROM ROBERT'S RULES AND SOME OF THEM ARE WORTH KNOWING ABOUT.
AND, AND SOME OF THEM ALSO REFLECT THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
YOU CAN ONLY TALK ABOUT WHAT THE SUBJECT OF THE MOTION IS ABOUT.
YOU CAN'T JUST START TALKING ABOUT OTHER THINGS THAT COME TO YOUR MIND.
IT ALLOWS THEM TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, YOU CAN ONLY DISCU, YOU MUST BE ADDRESS YOUR DISCUSSION TO THE CHAIR UNLESS YOU ASK PERMISSION FROM THE CHAIR TO SPEAK TO OTHER MEMBERS.
UM, SO THAT BULLET NUMBER THREE ACTUALLY IS NOT YOU GUYS.
SO YOU CAN JUST IGNORE THAT TIME LIMIT RIGHT THERE.
UM, YOU CAN ONLY BE RECOGNIZED IF YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
YOU ONLY SPEAK IF YOU'RE RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIR UNLESS YOU'RE DOING A POINT OF ORDER, WHICH YOU HAVE TO DO RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT.
UM, YOU CANNOT SPEAK WHILE A VOTE IS BEING TAKEN.
BUT ONCE THE CHAIR CALLS THE VOTE AND IT STARTS, THAT'S IT.
AND YOU SHALL NOT MAKE MO STATEMENTS AS TO MOTIVES OR PERSONALITY THAT KIND OF REFLECTS 12 A.
BUT IT'S ALSO IN ROBERT'S RULES THAT YOU HAVE TO TREAT EACH OTHER CIVILLY.
AND REALLY THIS IS ABOUT THE MERITS OF WHAT YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT.
UH, CITY, STAFF, MEDIA AND PUBLIC ALL HAVE TO ACT CIVILLY AND DECENT TO YOU ALL TOO.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO INTERVIEWS IN THE ROOM.
HOWEVER, UNDER THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO, UH, HAVE CAMERAS.
PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO FILM IT, JUST NOT TO GET IN THE WAY OF, OF THE BUSINESS AT HAND END.
OKAY, SO DO YOU LOSE QUORUM IF I'M, OH, LOOK AT THAT.
YOU GUYS ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER.
DO YOU GUYS LOSE QUORUM IF A MEMBER HAS A CONFLICT? NO.
THE PER THE CONFLICT DOES NOT MAKE THE PERSON ABSENT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT CONFLICTS YOU'LL HAVE IT, IT'S AMAZING.
I'M SURE SOMEONE WILL HAVE SOMETHING, BUT HIT THE BUTTON ONCE THE RECUSED MUST STAY IN THE BUILDING OR ELSE YOU WILL LOSE QUORUM.
THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, THEY ALWAYS USED TO DO THIS AT THE END.
PUT ITEM NUMBER FIVE AT THE END BECAUSE I HAVE A CONFLICT AND I'M GONNA LEAVE RIGHT THEN.
AND I HAVE LITERALLY CHASED PEOPLE DOWN THE HALLS OF, OF THIS BUILDING TO BRING THEM BACK TO THE MEETING.
NEXT, CAN YOU HAVE A DISCUSSION BEFORE A MOTION IS MADE? GENERALLY THE ANSWER IS NO.
THE MOTION IS WHAT STARTS THE DISCUSSION.
THAT BEING SAID, UM, SOMETIMES THE CHAIR CAN ALLOW A LITTLE BIT OF DISCUSSION JUST TO GET THE CONVERSATION STARTED.
AND SOMETIMES THIS IS KIND OF IMPORTANT.
SOMETIMES DISCUSSION IS DISGUISED AS QUESTIONS OF AN APPLICANT AND OPPOSITION.
OBVIOUSLY I WROTE THIS FOR SAY, CITY PLAN COMMISSION, UM, OR STAFF.
AND IT'S, IT'S FAR CLEANER AND FAR MORE EFFICIENT AND BENEFITS EVERYBODY MORE IF YOU GUYS JUST HAVE THE DISCUSSION WITH EACH OTHER AND NOT TRY TO ASK SOMEONE DOWN HERE QUESTIONS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
NEXT, WHAT IS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
[01:15:01]
BUT IN PRACTICE, IF YOU GUYS WOULD WANT TO JUST TWEAK A MOTION AND NO ONE OBJECTS, JUST SAY, I'D LIKE TO JUST TAKE THAT LITTLE FRIENDLY, UM, EMOTION AMENDMENT.AND DOES THE CHAIR GET TO VOTE? IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, THE CHAIR DOES GET TO VOTE.
WE KIND OF TREAT IT LIKE YOU'RE A SMALL BOARD, UH, IN ROBERT'S RULES.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IF NO ONE MAKES A MOTION? THE STATUS QUO, THE MOTION IS DEEMED DENIED.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU HAVE A TIE VOTE, STATUS QUO MOTION IS DENIED.
YOU DO NOT GET A MAJORITY TO WIN.
AND WHAT DO YOU, THIS IS THE LAST THING YOU REALLY GOTTA KNOW IS WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO? THE CHAIR SHOULD MAKE A RULE, AND I'M GONNA READ THIS ONE 'CAUSE IT'S A QUOTE.
THE CHAIR SHOULD MAKE A RULING THAT PRESERVES ORDER ALLOWS EVERYONE TO SPEAK AND THAT ALLOWS THE BODY TO EFFICIENTLY REACH A DECISION.
IF NO ONE APPEALS THE RULING OF THE CHAIR.
THE PROCEDURE IS ADOPTED BY CONSENT.
IF SOMEONE APPEALS THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR, THE VOTE OF THE BODY WILL DETERMINE THE PROCEDURE.
THE MAJORITY SHOULD MAKE THE DECISION, BUT THE VOICE OF THE MINORITY SHOULD BE HEARD.
AND WITH THAT, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU GUYS GOT MORE BUSINESS, MR. SIZ? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
MAY I HAVE YOUR NAME ONE MORE TIME? BERT VANDENBERG.
I WANT TO SAY IT THAT 'CAUSE IT'S LONGER.
BERT, UH, YOU'LL HAVE TO FORGIVE ME FOR SOME OF THE ESOTERIC NATURES OF THESE QUESTIONS, BUT I WANNA ASK THESE QUESTIONS BECAUSE SERVING ALL BODIES BEFORE, IF WE DON'T GET THIS RIGHT, THIS PROCESS CAN GET UNWIELDY VERY QUICKLY.
CORRECT? SO I'LL ASK FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS, FOR MY COLLEAGUES FORGIVENESS, BUT I DO WANNA ASK A FEW OF THESE QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST QUESTION I'VE GOT IS RELATED TO PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY AND POINT OF ORDER.
'CAUSE I HEAR THOSE THINGS THROWN AROUND ALL THE TIME.
AND THEN I HEAR PEOPLE SHOUTING OVER EACH OTHER SAYING BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.
IF I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU OR WHOEVER THE PARLIAMENTARY, THE PARLIAMENTARIAN WILL BE, THAT WILL BE ASSISTING US, BUT I DON'T HAVE IT FOR THE CHAIR.
IS THAT A PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY TO YOU? THE PARLIAMENTARIAN? NOT REALLY.
IF YOU HAVE JUST A SMALL PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION, THE EFFICIENT THING FOR YOU TO DO IS WALK OVER TO LAURA OR ANNA AND JUST SAY, HEY, WHAT IS THE PARLIAMENTARY RULE ON THIS? AND THEY CAN EXPLAIN TO YOU THE PARLIAMENTARY RULE.
A PARLIAMENTARY IN INQUIRY IS WHEN YOU WANT TO ASK THE CHAIR, WHERE ARE WE CHAIR, HE'S THE CHAIR RUNS THE MEETING, YOU'RE ASKING THE CHAIR AND EVERYBODY'S HEARING.
IF YOU'RE ASKING SORT OF A NUTS AND BOLTS PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION, YOU WALK OVER TO YOUR PARLIAMENTARIANS AND JUST ASK HOW IT'S DONE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE HERE TO HELP ASSIST YOU GUYS DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
OKAY? SO THAT'S A PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY.
BUT IF I SEE SOMETHING HAPPENING AMONG THE BODY THAT I FEEL LIKE VIOLATES THE RULES, ROBERT'S RULES, I WOULD RAISE A POINT OF ORDER.
YOU WILL, IM, AND I DIRECT IT TO THE CHAIR, YOU WILL IMMEDIATELY RAISE A POINT OF ORDER TO THE CHAIR.
IMMEDIATELY, RIGHT? IMMEDIATELY I'VE BEEN IN, I'VE BEEN IN THIS ROOM
IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER, THE BUSINESS MOVED ON.
IT WAS LIKE THEY WENT TO THE NEXT THING SUPER FAST AND IT WAS TOO LATE.
AND I HAD TO TELL THE PERSON WHO I THINK MAY HAVE BEEN CORRECT THAT, I'M SORRY, IT'S TOO LATE.
AND IF YOU MOVE ON, YOU BASICALLY ALL HAVE ACCEPTED IT BY ACQUIESCENCE, RIGHT? YOU'VE ALL SAID WE'RE FINE WITH THIS AND WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON.
UM, SO POINTS OF ORDER MUST BE HEARD IMMEDIATELY.
SO MY SECOND QUESTION, FROM A DECORUM STANDPOINT, I HAVE A HUNCH THAT SOME OF US WILL HAVE, UH, QUESTIONS FOR OUR COLLEAGUES THAT WE'RE SERVING WITH.
BUT WHAT I THINK I UNDERSTAND IS THAT ANY QUESTION THAT I'VE GOT OF ANY OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES SHOULD BE PASSED THROUGH THE CHAIR.
SO I SHOULD BE ASKING THE CHAIR THAT QUESTION AND THAT CHAIR, THE CHAIR WILL DIRECT THE CONVERSATION.
YOU THERE IS THE OPTION THOUGH OF SAYING, MR. CHAIR, MAY I, MAY I DIRECT, MAY I ADDRESS, UM, SORRY, COMMISSIONER MAGOO
HOWEVER, IDEALLY YOU WOULD SAY, MR. CHAIR, UM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL MEMBER SAID X, DOES THAT MEAN, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
I MEAN, IT'S A LITTLE CONVOLUTED, BUT IT DOES KEEP THINGS ORDERLY.
THE NEXT THING IS, AND THIS IS PERHAPS A QUESTION FOR THE CHAIR, DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE TODAY, GIVEN THE THOUGHT THAT I KNOW YOU'VE PUT INTO SETTING EVERYTHING UP AS CHAIR, THE REFERRING ANYTHING TO A COMMITTEE, DO YOU PERHAPS FORESEE US ESTABLISHING COMMITTEES AS A PART OF THIS PROCESS? OR DO YOU THINK THAT MOST OF THE WORK THAT WE'LL DO IS AS THE FULL BODY? YOU MEAN LIKE SUBCOMMITTEE? YEAH.
AGAIN, I'M OPEN TO WHAT ALL YOU THINK IS BEST, BUT AT THIS TIME, MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE NOT TO DO THAT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WITH WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE ADDRESSING, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY HANDLE IT ALL, YOU KNOW, AS
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AN ENTIRE COMMITTEE.BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO DIG IN ON THAT REQUIRES MORE ATTENTION, MORE FOCUS, WHERE THAT MIGHT MAKE SENSE ON A SPECIFIC ITEM.
UM, SECOND TO LAST QUESTION, THE CITY CODE VERSUS ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER.
YOU REFERENCED A LITTLE EARLIER SOMETHING AROUND THE FIVE MINUTE RULE, BUT THAT REALLY DOESN'T APPLY TO US ON THE TWO ROUNDS OF DISCUSSION.
CAN YOU CLARIFY THAT FOR ME? RIGHT.
SO IN THE CITY CODE, THERE'S THIS WONDERFUL LITTLE PART.
WELL, SO CITY COUNCIL, SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, HAS A 3, 2, 1 RULE OR A 5 3 1 RULE WHERE IT'S THE FIRST ROUND IS FIVE MINUTES.
SECOND ROUND IS THREE MINUTES.
THE FINAL ROUND IS ONE MINUTE.
THE CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS HAVE A RULE ON DEBATE WHERE THEY'RE GIVEN, I THINK IT'S FIVE MINUTES EVERY, IT'S TWO ROUNDS WITH A MAXIMUM OF FIVE MINUTES UNLESS IT'S EXTENDED BY A TWO THIRDS VOTE OF THE BODY BASICALLY SUSPENDING THE RULES, THE ROBERTS RULES, AND I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
I THINK IT'S 10 MINUTES RATHER.
YOU GOT LIKE FIVE BOOKS I'M NOT GONNA DO RIGHT NOW, BUT, UH, I'M NOT GONNA ENTERTAIN YOU GUYS BY THUMBING THROUGH.
BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S 10 MINUTES.
AND, AND YOUR PARLIAMENTARIANS WILL HAVE IT FOR, FOR YOU GUYS.
UM, THERE ARE WAYS, THERE ARE, THERE ARE MEANS, AND IT'S, AND IT'S PERHAPS SOMETHING Y'ALL WANT, WILL WANT TO ADDRESS OR THINK ABOUT TO LIMIT OR EXTEND THE TIMES OF DEBATE.
YOU CAN SET YOUR OWN LIMITS OF YOUR DEBATE.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD, YOU COULD MODEL IT AFTER COUNCIL OF 5, 3 1 OR THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UH, THERE'S VOTES TO BE TAKEN AND YOU'RE, YOU JUST NEED TO PUT IT IN PLACE.
UM, AND YOUR, YOUR PARLIAMENTARIANS CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT.
CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE.
WHEN I REVIEWED THE RESOLUTION THAT COUNSEL ISSUED TO CREATE US, UH, IT STATES THAT WE'LL HAVE A VICE CHAIR.
MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT PERHAPS IN A FUTURE MEETING WE'LL HAVE AN AGENDA WHERE WE'LL HAVE A VOTE FOR A VICE CHAIR.
BUT I ALSO LOOK THAT AFTER THAT, LATER ON SECTION SIX, IT THEN SAYS THAT ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER WILL DICTATE THE WORK OF, WELL, WE'LL DICTATE HOW WE DO OUR WORK MOVING FORWARD.
AND THERE'S ACTUALLY REQUIREMENTS WITHIN THE VICE, WITHIN ROBERT RULES OF ORDER ABOUT THE VICE CHAIR.
SO, WHICH IS I THINK A VERY SIMPLE THING, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES IF FOR WHATEVER REASON WE LOST OUR CHAIR, THAT THE VICE CHAIR WOULD THEN SUCCEED THE CHAIR.
WHAT I'M CONFUSED ABOUT IS I DON'T THINK THAT WILL HAPPEN, BUT WHAT I'M CONFUSED ABOUT IS IN THE CASE THAT ANYTHING LIKE THAT HAPPENED, ARE THERE RULES WITHIN THE CHARTER THAT DICTATE THE MEMBERSHIP OF THIS BODY? OR DOES ROBERT'S RULES TRULY SUPERSEDE THAT? SO
DALLAS, THE CITY IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, THE MAYOR APPOINTS THE CHAIR GENERAL, RIGHT? THAT, THAT'S JUST HOW IT'S DONE.
UM, HOWEVER, UH, ROBERT'S RULES, I I, I'M AFRAID, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK WRONG HERE BECAUSE I HAVEN'T GONE OVER THE RESOLUTION.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE VICE CHAIR, HOW IT'S, HOW IT'S DONE HERE, HOW YOU GUYS ARE PLANNING ON DOING IT.
ROBERT SCHOOLS DOES HAVE A MEANS TO DO IT.
UM, GENERALLY THE COUNCIL APPOINTS IT.
THAT I, I, IT, I'M A LITTLE, I'M ALMOST A LITTLE OUT OF MY DEPTH ON THIS ONE, ONLY BECAUSE I'M SO USED TO DOING IT THE WAY COUNSEL DOES IT.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, I'LL GET WITH LAURA AND ANN AND WE'LL GIVE YOU THE CORRECT ANSWER.
UM, IT, IT VERY WELL COULD BE YOU JUST FOLLOW ROBERT'S RULES IN THE BODY ELECT WITHIN.
BURT, THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS, MR. CHAIR, THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS.
UM, MEMBERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, THANK YOU.
UM, ON, ON THE SUBJECT OF THE VICE CHAIR, UM, GO AHEAD AND JUMP INTO THIS.
IT'S, INSTEAD OF ME PICKING THE VICE CHAIR, IT'S REALLY SOMETHING I'D LIKE THIS COMMISSIONED TO DECIDE.
UH, SO IN OCTOBER IN OUR NEXT MEETING, WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER THAT.
SO IF, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL WANT, UH, A MOTION, UH, TO, UH, NOMINATE SOMEONE FOR THE VICE-CHAIR.
SO, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT THAT, WHO YOU WANT THE VICE-CHAIR TO BE.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THE OBLIGATIONS ARE APPARENT, BUT I KNOW, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THEM WILL BE, RIGHT NOW I'M SCHEDULED TO BE IN A TRIAL IN NEW ORLEANS FOR ABOUT TWO OR THREE WEEKS IN DECEMBER.
AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO HAVE MEETINGS THEN.
AND SO I, I KNOW A LOT OF THE MEMBERS MAY WANT TO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS.
THE SCHEDULES ARE PACKED AND THAT MAKES SENSE.
BUT EVERYONE I BELIEVE CAN ATTEND VIRTUALLY EXCEPT FOR THE CHAIR.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF I'M GONE IN, IN DECEMBER, LIKE I THINK I WILL BE FOR THAT TRIAL.
WHOEVER THE VICE CHAIR IS IS GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE HERE IN PERSON, UH, AND CAN'T ATTEND REMOTELY.
UM, SO ON THAT, LET'S, UH, AND MS. ROGERS IS GONNA HELP US HERE.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND TALK ABOUT, UH, THE, UH, PROCESS FOR, FOR SUBMITTING AMENDMENTS.
I CAME UP A COUPLE OF TIMES AND, YOU KNOW, IDEALLY I THINK, YOU KNOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT NOW.
I'M SURE IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE NEED TO THINK ABOUT MORE, CHEW IT ON A LITTLE BIT MORE.
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YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY MAYBE EMAIL, UH, THE STAFF ABOUT WHAT IDEAS YOU HAVE ON FORMALLY SUBMITTING PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.UH, AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT IN DETAIL IN THE OCTOBER MEETING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, MY ORIGINAL THOUGHT ON IT WAS TO, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR MEMBERS TO, YOU KNOW, EMAIL IT TO STAFF, UH, COPY EVERYONE ELSE, OR, OR YOU DON'T HAVE TO, I DON'T GUESS, BUT JUST MAKE SURE IT GETS TO STAFF WHO CAN THEN DISSEMINATE IT TO ALL OF US.
'CAUSE ULTIMATELY IF WE HAVE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP, WE NEED TO GIVE, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC NOTICE OF IT.
AND, AND THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT MAY REALLY NEED EXPERT WITNESSES TO COME TALK TO US ABOUT IT, RIGHT? SO WE WANNA PLAN AHEAD.
SO WE WANT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FORMAL PROCESS IS ON, ON SUBMITTING AMENDMENTS FOR THE COMMISSION MEMBERS.
WE NEED TO FIGURE THAT OUT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PUBLIC.
THERE'LL BE A PORTAL, I BELIEVE IT IS, WHERE THEY CAN GO AND SUBMIT THINGS.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, CAN, CAN SUBMIT THINGS AS WELL.
WELL, I BELIEVE, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
UM, AND AS ALWAYS, I INVITE THE ATTORNEYS TO CLEAN THIS UP.
UM, WHAT I'M THINKING IS THAT, UM, THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMISSION MEMBERS THIS EVENING OR TOMORROW OR WHATEVER.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS AS PART OF THE PROCESS.
AND SO WE WOULD RECEIVE THAT FEEDBACK FROM THE MEMBERS AND THEN PROPOSE A PROCESS, UM, EITHER VIA MEMO FOR YOU ALL TO TAKE UP AT THE NEXT MEETING, UM, OR, UM, AT A DATE BEYOND OCTOBER 12TH.
I THINK WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT DOING WITH STAFF IS DICTATING TO YOU HOW YOU DO IT.
SO WE'RE HERE TO RECEIVE YOUR THOUGHTS, SUGGESTIONS, AND FEEDBACK ABOUT HOW YOU WANT THE PROCESS TO GO.
AND WE CAN HELP GUIDE OR MAKE SUGGESTIONS BASED ON WHAT OUR EXPERIENCE IS.
BUT IT'S VERY MUCH STAFF'S POSITION.
WE DO NOT WANNA COME AND SAY, THIS IS HOW YOU'RE GONNA DO IT.
YOU'RE GONNA TURN IT IN BY THIS WAY AND YOU'RE GONNA DO IT THIS WAY.
WE THINK THAT FOR THE COMMISSION MEMBERS, AS WE'VE TALKED INTERNALLY, UM, AND WITH THE CHAIRMAN LEADING UP TO TODAY THAT YOU AS COMMISSION MEMBERS OR THE PUBLIC OR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD SUBMIT AMENDMENTS THROUGH OUR CHARTER REVIEW@DALLAS.GOV.
OR YOU COULD SUBMIT, UM, VERBALLY THROUGH A LINE THAT WE HAVE SET UP WITH A, UM, A BILINGUAL STAFF MEMBER THAT YOU COULD SUBMIT THAT.
AND THEN WE WOULD VET THOSE, UM, AND THEN BRING THOSE FORWARD IN WHATEVER MANNER THEY, THEIR, YOU KNOW, DESIRE TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD TO THE COMMISSION.
UM, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, DO WE WANNA RECEIVE ALL THE AMENDMENTS BY DECEMBER 15TH AND THEN START TAKING THOSE UP BY POLICY TECHNICAL AND OPERATIONAL IN JANUARY? OR DO YOU JUST WANNA START RECEIVING 'EM NOW AND TAKING THEM UP AS WE GO ALONG THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS? IT IS REALLY UP TO THE DISCRETION OF THE PRESIDING OFFICER AND WHATEVER DIFFERENCE HE GIVES TO THE COMMISSION AND THEIR PROCESS.
SO WHATEVER WE HEAR FROM YOU ALL, LONG STORY SHORT, WHATEVER WE HEAR FROM YOU ALL, WE'LL TAKE THAT FEEDBACK AND THEN PROPOSE A PROCESS BASED ON WHAT WE THINK WE HEARD YOU TELL US THIS EVENING.
AND I WILL ALSO SAY TOO, DO NOT COPY ALL THE COMMISSION MEMBERS, UM, TO AVOID OPEN MEETINGS ACTS.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE TOO THAT WHEN WE SEND COMMUNICATIONS TO YOU ALL THAT YOU ALL ARE BLIND COPIED.
SO SOMEONE DOESN'T INADVERTENTLY REPLY ALL AND SAY, HEY, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS HAPPEN.
UM, SO FEEL FREE TO JUST SEND THOSE DIRECTLY TO CHARTER REVIEW AND NO NEED TO COPY YOUR COLLEAGUES.
IS IT POSSIBLE, MR. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO ASK FOR A BRIEFING ON A TOPIC? UH, OR DO WE JUST GO STRAIGHT TO VOTING? WHAT I MEAN, WHAT IF WE WANT A BRIEFING ON THE POSSIBILITY OF AN AMENDMENT? UM, YES MA'AM.
YOU CAN REQUEST A BRIEFING ON A PARTICULAR ITEM OR TOPIC.
AND I KNOW, UM, AND ANNA, WHO I NOTED EARLIER WAS HERE DURING THE 2014 PROCESS THAT THAT PARTICULAR COMMISSION HAD OUTSIDE SPEAKERS COME IN AND SPEAK ON ANY PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, MATTER.
I THINK THEY HAD RE AN REDISTRICTING EXPERT COME IN AND SPEAK.
AND, UM, SO YEAH, THAT'S CERTAINLY UP TO THE PRESIDING OFFICER AND THE COMMISSION IF YOU DESIRE TO HAVE SOMEONE COME IN AND SPEAK ON A SPECIFIC TOPIC.
YEAH, THE NOTION OF EXPERT TESTIMONY CAME UP.
CAN WE RECEIVE GUIDELINES ON, UH, THE PROCESS TO BOTH REQUEST AND SUBMIT, UH, AN INDIVIDUAL OR INDIVIDUALS FOR EXPERT TEXT TESTIMONY, UM, AS WELL AS ANY, UH, GUIDELINES THAT WE MIGHT HAVE IN TERMS OF TIMING OF THAT? THANK YOU.
RECEIVED, WE'LL PUT THAT TOGETHER.
COMMISSIONER, UH, MAYBE THIS WAS ANSWERED EARLIER.
I THINK ANGELA HUNT ASKED PRETTY MUCH.
I'M KIND OF THINKING IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOOK AT AMENDMENTS TILL DECEMBER, DO WE HAVE A KIND OF A PROCESS LAID OUT OF WHAT WE ANTICIPATE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS?
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YES, WE, IF YOU LOOK IN THE, UM, UH, TOWARDS THE, IN, IN YOUR BINDER TOWARDS THE FRONT IN THE PRESENTATIONS, WE HAVE, UM, A FEW PAGES IN, THERE'S A CALENDAR.UM, AND SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, WE DO, WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE MEETING SET FOR OCTOBER 12TH, UM, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT HAVING ANOTHER MEETING ON OCTOBER 24TH.
AND AGAIN, WE'LL DECIDE THIS AT THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, WE'LL HAVE TWO IN NOVEMBER PROPOSED NOVEMBER 7TH AND 14TH.
AND AGAIN, IF ANYONE HAS ANY PROBLEMS WITH, YOU KNOW, THESE DATES, LET US KNOW.
AND THEN WE'RE AIMING FOR TWO IN DECEMBER ON THE FIFTH AND THE 12TH.
UM, SO, WELL, I, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, COMMISSIONER, IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF MEETINGS.
AND SO WHAT, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE ITEMS FOR THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA, KNOWING IT WAS GONNA BE LOADED, WE'VE SORT OF STARTED DRAFTING WHAT THE NEXT COUPLE OF AGENDAS MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
SO ONE OF THOSE WOULD BE ON THE OCTOBER 12TH AGENDA ACTION BY THE COMMISSION ON THE CALENDAR TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S AGREEABLE WITH THE CALENDAR SO WE CAN COMMUNICATE IT TO THE PUBLIC AND THEY KNOW WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE.
UM, THE OFFICER ELECTION, I BELIEVE, WAS, UM, PLANNED FOR, UM, THE OCTOBER 12TH AGENDA.
AND, AND THEN I BELIEVE ALSO IN THE OCTOBER 12TH AGENDA, UM, WAS GOING TO BE THE BEGINNING OF THE LINE BY, OR THE SECTION BY SECTION REVIEW OF THE CHARTER.
SO WHERE YOU WOULD START GETTING INTO THE MEAT AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BODY OF THE DOCUMENT THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE STUDYING OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.
SO THAT'S LOOSELY WHAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT WITH THE CHAIRMAN FOR OCTOBER 12TH.
I THINK OCTOBER 24TH, WE HAD, UM, DISCUSSED HAVING THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM COME AND KIND OF BRIEF AND GIVE A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF HOW WE'RE GONNA BE DOING OUTREACH WITH THE PUBLIC AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
AND THEN BEYOND THAT, I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THAT FAR WITH THE CHAIRMAN, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE THEN TURN IT OVER TO THE PRESIDING OFFICER AND THE COMMISSION MEMBERS TO GIVE SOME INPUT ON WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON THOSE AGENDAS.
AND SO IN, IN THE OCTOBER MEETING, WE ARE GONNA DETERMINE WHAT OUR CALENDAR'S GONNA BE AND WE'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT, WHAT WE WANNA ADDRESS IN THOSE UPCOMING MEETINGS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY WANT TO HAMMER OUT, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEAR TERM, IN THE NEXT MEETING, VICE CHAIR, UH, HOW TO SUBMIT PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
UM, OF COURSE WE'VE GOT THE, THE LINE REVIEW OF THE CHARTER THAT, THAT WE'LL BE DOING NEXT MEETING AS WELL.
UM, SO I KNOW THAT PROBABLY DOESN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION COMPLETELY, BUT THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW.
UH, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON TERRY'S POINT AND, UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROCESS.
DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR US AS WE HAVE 20, 25 CHAPTERS IN OUR CHARTER TO BREAK THEM UP INTO BITE-SIZED PIECES, YOU KNOW, FIVE CHAPTERS, AND THIS MAY BE WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE IN MIND, AND, AND IF WE DON'T NEED TO DRILL DOWN INTO THE DETAILS AT THIS POINT, I, I'LL, I'LL SHUT OFF MY MICROPHONE, BUT I'M, I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT, IF IT MAKES SENSE, YOU KNOW, TO, AND IT MAY NOT BE CHAPTERS 1, 2, 3, 4, SOME OF THE CHAPTERS MAY WORK BETTER, UM, WITH OTHERS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT.
SO, UM, FOR NEXT, THE NEXT MEETING, WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WOULD DO IS KIND OF GO OVER JUST THE BIG, BIG PICTURE OF THE CHARTER, THAT IT'S THE GOVERNING DOCUMENTS, KIND OF WHAT ROLE IT PLAYS IN THE CITY, AND THEN WALK THROUGH THE CHAPTER SO EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S IN EACH CHAPTER.
AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT THAT A LIST COULD BE COMPILED FROM EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC AND FROM YOU ALL, IS TO ORGANIZE IT BY CHAPTER AND HAVE YOU ALL BE VETTING THAT AND SAYING LIKE, OH GOSH, THERE'S REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF IN CHAPTER ONE.
I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A, A MEETING THAT'S DEDICATED TO POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS IN CHAPTER ONE, RIGHT? AND YOU ALL COULD START SETTING THAT FRAMEWORK FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE SEEING OR THE AMENDMENTS THAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT YOU MAY WANNA BRING IN PERSON, AS WELL AS SUBMITTING ON THE WEBSITE AND, UM, AND KIND OF BEGIN TO CREATE THAT LIST AND SEE WHAT'S KIND OF BUBBLING UP WITH YOU ALL AS THE IMPORTANT ITEMS THAT YOU REALLY WANNA SPEND TIME ON.
AND THEN WHEN YOU START MEETING IN JANUARY, REALLY MAKE THOSE FOCUSED ON THOSE KIND OF BIG ISSUES THAT YOU THINK YOU WANT TO, UM, HAVE EXPERTS COME IN ON OR THAT YOU REALLY WANNA DELIBERATE OR INVITE PEOPLE TO SPEAK ON.
SO WILL THE FIRST PART OF, OF OUR CONVERSATION THROUGH DECEMBER BE MORE ABOUT LEARNING ABOUT THE CHARTER, PROVIDING THE PUBLIC WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE INPUT, UM, MORE INVESTIGATORY AND THEN WE'LL BE MORE DELIBERATIVE JANUARY AND AFTER? I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL NEED TO DECIDE.
AND I, AND I THINK THE DECEMBER DEADLINE WAS NOT TO SAY WAIT UNTIL DECEMBER 15TH, IT WAS MORE OF, HEY, GET 'EM IN SO
[01:35:01]
THAT, SO THAT WE CAN KEEP A ROLLING LIST AND YOU ALL CAN BE SEEING WHAT'S KIND OF COMING IN AND TAKING THOSE UP.AND YOU ALL MAY DECIDE TO HAVE A DIFFERENT, A DIFFERENT SCHEDULE THAN THE ONE THAT WE'RE, THAN WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
AND THAT, AND THAT'S UP TO YOU AND I, AND I'M FOLLOW UP TO THAT.
WE WERE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, IN REDISTRICTING HOW THERE WERE EXPERTS WHO WERE BROUGHT IN.
AND I DON'T, I I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE BRIEFINGS ON THIS OR IF IT CAN BE PART OF OUR, OUR FUTURE DISCUSSIONS, BUT TO UNDERSTAND HOW OTHER TEXAS CITIES MAYBE THAT HAVE SIMILAR CITY MANAGER FORMS OF GOVERNMENT, IF THERE ARE PIECES OF THEIR CHARTERS THAT AREN'T IN OURS THAT WE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER ADDING.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THE NEXT, WELL, UP THROUGH DECEMBER, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY GONNA BE FOCUSING ON, YOU KNOW, FIGURING OUT WHAT WE WANNA BE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, GETTING THOSE AMENDMENTS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, COME JANUARY REALLY START HAVING, YOU KNOW, THE SUBSTANTIVE DECISIONS, YOU KNOW, AND WE WILL CALENDAR THINGS, UH, AS WE GET THE, THE ITEMS IN.
'CAUSE THERE MAY BE SOMETHING THAT'S SO BIG IT NEEDS AN ENTIRE MEETING TO ITSELF, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL REALLY BE, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL IS COME JANUARY TO REALLY BE TAKING UP, YOU KNOW, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS SUBSTANTIVELY.
UM, NOT TO SAY THAT WE COULDN'T, YOU KNOW, DO IT BEFORE THEN, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TAKING THIS ON FOR THE FIRST TIME.
WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT DOING IT THAT WAY TO REALLY GET ROLLING IN JANUARY AND KIND OF DO OUR HOMEWORK IN THESE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS TO GET READY FOR THAT.
I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON SOMETHING MS. UH, HOLMES TOUCHED ON.
UH, ON THE ONE HAND, I APPRECIATE NOT HAVING IMMEDIATE, UH, ACCESS TO ALL OF THE MANY SUGGESTIONS THAT COME IN FROM THE PUBLIC.
UH, ON THE OTHER HAND, I WOULD HATE TO WAIT TILL DECEMBER 15 TO START TO LEARN WHAT IT IS THAT'S GOING TO BE ON THE TABLE.
AND SO THE QUESTION IS HOW TO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF A ROLLING LIST OF PROPOSALS, UH, PERHAPS, UH, WITH SOME VETTING, IF SOMEONE SAYS, I, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE AN AMENDMENT TO, UH, CODIFY IN THE CHARTER WHEN THE TRASH PICKUP DAYS WILL BE, I DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO SEE THAT ON A LIST SOMEWHERE, BUT ANYTHING THAT PASSES THE THRESHOLD TEST OF PLAUSIBILITY, UM, IF WE COULD KNOW FROM TIME TO TIME WHAT IS GOING TO POTENTIALLY BE ON THE TABLE DOWN THE LINE, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
WE CAN CERTAINLY SEND WEEKLY OR BIWEEKLY UPDATES TO THE COMMISSION OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
YEAH, THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM AT ALL.
CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME, UH, MR. CHAIR? UH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
THIS IS PROBABLY MORE SO FOR ONE OF THE CITY ATTORNEYS.
SO WHAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS AS WE GET FEEDBACK IN AMENDMENTS FROM, FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, TO ENSURE THE, THE SPIRIT OF WHAT THE AMENDMENT IS ACTUALLY PASSES NO LEGAL MUSTER? IS IT THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT WILL MASSAGE IT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT FALLS WITHIN THE GUIDELINES? OR IS THAT ON THIS COMMISSION TO ENSURE THAT THE LANGUAGE, UH, IS CONSISTENT WITH, WITH ANY, UH, NO LEGAL GUIDELINES THAT WE MUST FOLLOW? RIGHT.
AND I THINK WE, WE'D LIKE SOME DIRECTION FROM YOU ALL, BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE THINKING IS WE WANT EVERYBODY TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE SUBMITTING.
WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THEIR AMENDMENT IS GOING TO MAKE IT TO YOU, BUT WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL THINK AS THE COMMISSION YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDITIONAL WORK DONE ON.
SO THAT'S WHY AN IDEA OF A ROLLING LIST, SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL GET TO SEE AS IT'S, AS IT'S BEING, YOU KNOW, PUT TOGETHER THROUGH THIS ITERATIVE PROCESS SO THAT YOU CAN GIVE US DIRECTION ON WHAT YOU WANT US TO SPEND OUR TIME ON.
SO YES, WE'LL LOOK AT THEM AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS A CHARTER, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THE CHARTER OR THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CHARTER ADDRESSES.
BECAUSE IF IT'S AN AMENDMENT ABOUT A, A PART OF OUR CODE, THEN WE'D LIKE TO KEEP IT ON THE LIST TO SAY THIS WAS SUBMITTED, BUT, BUT IT'S NOT A CHARTER AMENDMENT.
THIS IS REALLY A CODE AMENDMENT KIND OF THING SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT IT ACTUALLY WAS HEARD.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF WHERE WE'RE GONNA SPEND OUR TIME AND HOW MUCH WORDSMITHING WE'RE GONNA DO AND RESEARCH AND THAT KIND OF THING, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE DIRECTED FROM YOU BECAUSE EVERY AMENDMENT, EVERY SUGGESTION THAT NEEDS WORDSMITHING MIGHT NOT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL WANNA SPEND TIME ON.
TWO FINAL QUESTIONS, MR. CHAIR.
THE FIRST, THIS MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED.
I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING HOW THE 2014 COMMISSION
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TOOK AMENDMENTS IN THE PROCESS THAT WAS USED.I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THE TIMELINES THAT'S PROPOSED CURRENTLY TOOK SOME GUIDANCE FROM WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST, BUT IT WOULD JUST BE HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND.
I'M SURE THEY PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO HOW THEY PUT DID THAT PROCESS.
THE SECOND ONE IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE BUDGET.
ACTUALLY IT WAS REFERENCED THERE IS A $25,000 BUDGET.
AND MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT TO SOME EXTENT THOSE MONIES ARE GONNA BE PAID FOR BASIC LOGISTICAL THINGS, BUT ALSO PERHAPS IF ANY OF US WANTED TO HAVE A COMMUNITY MEETING TO TRY TO GATHER INPUT.
IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, I JUST WOULD LIKE SOME MORE CLARITY.
MAYBE NOT TONIGHT, BUT WHAT DO WE DO WITH THAT BUDGET? THE ANSWER TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION, UM, IS YES, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU ON THE 2014, UM, THE 2014 PROCESS.
AND I THINK THOSE ARE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE.
BUT YES, WE DID LOOK AT WHAT, HOW THE 2014 PROCESS PLAYED OUT AND THAT DID INFORM SOME OF OUR DISCUSSIONS SO FAR, UM, ON WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED, UM, REGARDING THE BUDGET, YES, IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THOSE FUNDS WOULD GO TOWARDS, UM, MEETINGS AND SUCH.
AND AGAIN, LOOKING AT WHAT THEY DID IN THE 2014 PROCESS, MOST OF THE MEETINGS THAT THE COMMISSION HELD WERE HERE AT CHAMBERS, BUT THEY DID HAVE FOUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT WERE BY ANNA BY QUADRANT.
THEY DID ONE MEETING, YOU KNOW, DIVIDING THE CITY IN FOUR HALVES.
UM, AND SO IT WOULD SUPPORT THOSE, THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, OUTREACH MEETINGS.
AND I SUPPOSE IF THERE WAS A DESIRE FROM THE COMMISSION MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO DO ADDITIONAL MEETINGS BEYOND THAT, WE COULD DO THAT.
UM, I KNOW THE BUDGET ALSO TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION OVER TIME FOR OUR SECURITY OFFICERS SITTING HERE, THE COMMUNICATIONS STAFF, UM, WHO ARE HERE LATE WORKING THESE MEETINGS.
AND SO THAT'S, UM, INCLUSIVE OF THE BUDGET AS WELL.
WELL, IT'S ALSO NOT LOST ON ME TWO THINGS.
THE FIRST IS THAT IN 2014, THINGS LIKE ZOOM DIDN'T EXIST, RIGHT? AND SO, YOU KNOW, WERE I TO WANT TO PERHAPS HAVE A MEETING FROM MY COMMUNITY VIA ZOOM? I WOULD ASSUME I WOULD JUST COME TO CITY STAFF AND YOU MAY HELP ME COORDINATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WHICH COULD ALSO HELP US FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT.
AND THEN THE SECOND THING IS, IT'S CERTAINLY NOT LOST ON ME.
PROBABLY NOT LOST ON ANY OF THE FORMER COUNCIL MEMBERS OR MAYBE ANYBODY ON THE BODY THAT YOU ALL ARE SUPPORTING US.
AND AT THE EXACT SAME TIME, YOU'RE SUPPORTING THE CITY COUNCIL AND YOU'RE SUPPORTING THE CITY MANAGER AND YOU HAVE JOBS THAT YOU'RE DOING ASIDE FROM THIS.
UH, BUT, BUT I JUST, AT LEAST ON MY, FOR MYSELF, I WANNA REMAIN COGNIZANT OF THAT.
AND I HOPE NOT TO ASK TOO MUCH OF YOU.
I KNOW I ASKED QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS THIS EVENING JUST FOR MY OWN CLARITY, UH, BUT I APPRECIATE THE SERVICE AND THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT.
YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THOSE QUESTIONS.
UH, MEMBERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, UH, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO, UH, TOWN HALL MEETINGS, I THINK Y'ALL WERE DISCUSSING THAT.
UH, WHAT WOULD BE THE MECHANISM TO LETTING THE COMMUNITY KNOW? BECAUSE I, I LIVE IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR AND SO MANY TIMES, UH, PEOPLE DON'T HAVE WIFI, WE DON'T HAVE FIVE G.
HOW WE GOING TO LET THOSE PEOPLE KNOW THAT, UH, WE'RE HAVING THESE TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND GET THEM A WAY TO PUT, THEY GET THEIR INPUT IN? SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I BELIEVE THE LAST CHARTER COMMISSION DID, AND SOMETHING THAT I WANT US TO CONSIDER DOING WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, TALK NEXT, NEXT MONTH, IS TO MAYBE HAVE SOME MEETINGS OUT IN, UH, DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET ONLINE AND ATTEND VIRTUALLY OR DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET OFF WORK AND BE HERE IN TIME OR BE AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILY TIME TO BE AT ONE OF THESE MEETINGS THAT WE CAN BE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, SO THEY CAN ATTEND.
SO, RIGHT, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE, EXCUSE MY INTERRUPTION, SOME OF, UH, THE PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY, UH, IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, THEY COM COMPUTERS ARE AT THE LIBRARY.
AND HOW THEY GOING TO FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T GO TO THE LIBRARY RIGHT NOW.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT GOT US LOCKED IN REPORTING MISDEMEANOR CRIMES.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO WIFI.
SO I'M SAYING IS TO GET EVERYBODY ENGAGED, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU GOT A PERSON IN THE, IN THE NORTHERN PART OF TOWN THAT MAY MAKE 500,000 A YEAR, BUT YOU GOT A PERSON IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR THAT MAY ONLY MAKE, YOU KNOW, 20,000 A YEAR.
SO I'M TRYING TO GET THEM ACCESS TO THE MEETINGS WHERE THEY CAN HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING ON HOW THIS CITY IS GOVERNED AND HAVE A VOICE IN IT.
BECAUSE THE SOUTHERN SECTOR SEEMS TO NOT HAVE A STRONG VOICE AND A LOT OF TIMES THE VOICE IS NOT THERE.
IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF MISCOMMUNICATION, IT'S BECAUSE OF FUNDING.
SO I'M TRYING TO SEE HOW WE GOING TO GET THIS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, UH, MY COUNCILWOMAN, CAROLYN ARNOLD, SHE GOES OVER IN BOARD TO GET SENIORS TO
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TOWN HALL MEETINGS.SO I'M GONNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN GET TO THE MEETING TO VOICE THEIR OPINIONS.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT POINTS AND I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT 'EM UP, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF THE ORDINARY, YOU KNOW, NOTICE PROCESS, WHICH DOESN'T WORK FOR EVERYONE AS YOU, YOU KNOW, CORRECTLY NOTE SOMETHING WE CAN DO, AND THIS WOULD COME IN WITH OUR BUDGET, IS WE COULD DO MAILERS, WE COULD DO DOOR HANGERS, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT MAYBE TALK WITH, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT HOW THIS MIGHT WORK BEST FOR YOUR DISTRICT.
TALK WITH, UH, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT IDEAS ON, ON HOW THEY COMMUNICATE WITH THE CONSTITUENTS.
'CAUSE, YOU KNOW, MAY NOT HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL.
THEY MAY OUGHT TO BE A PROCESS THEY'VE, THEY'VE ADOPTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH, WITH CONSTITUENTS THAT WE CAN TAP INTO TO DO THAT.
BUT WE, WE HAVE WAYS, YOU KNOW, WE GET CREATIVE WITH IT, BUT AT A MINIMUM, MAILERS AND DOOR HANGERS.
UH, MEMBERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY, HEARING NONE.
I BELIEVE WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH OUR AGENDA FOR THE EVENING.
AND IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE I'D ASK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
UH, THIS, UH, MEETING IS ADJOURNED, UM, AT 7:46 PM SEPTEMBER 23RD.