[00:00:01]
ALL RIGHT, THANKS EVERYBODY IN LINE FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
[South Dallas Fair Park Opportunity Fund Advisory Board Meeting on October 30, 2023.]
NOW GO AHEAD AND CALL THIS MEETING SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK OPPORTUNITY FUND AN ORDER.THE TIME IS 6.6 PM MS. VIRGINIA
CAN'T REALLY HEAR YOU DAMON, BUT I HEARD YOU LITTLE BIT PRESENT.
DESTINY, WHILE SHE'S NOT GONNA BE HERE.
MS. PEEVY, DID YOU NOT HEAR THAT PRESENT, SIR? WE HAVE THE FORM.
ON THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, ITEM NUMBER THREE.
EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THE MINUTES, UM, FROM OUR SEPTEMBER 25TH MEETING.
ARE ANY COMMENTS CHANGES ON THAT? IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVE, MOVE BY MR. DO SECOND? A SECOND.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, UH, MS. REGINA, DO YOU HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TO SEE? RIGHT.
NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WE'RE GONNA MOVE UP, UH, WE'RE GONNA MOVE UP.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, UH, WHICH IS AN UPDATE ON FORWARD FORWARD, UH, BY MR. DENNIS COLEMAN.
IF YOU'LL RECALL AT OUR RETREAT EARLIER THIS SUMMER, UH, MR. COLEMAN WAS TIME ENOUGH TO COME IN AND GIVE US AN UPDATE ON SOME OF THE WORK THAT THEY WERE DOING WITH FOR DALLAS, AND WE ASKED HIM TO COME BACK TO KIND OF ELABORATE ON THAT A LITTLE FURTHER.
SO, UH, WE WANT TO THANK HIM FOR COMING IN AND GIVING US A KIND OF A RECAP ON WHAT HE WAS ABLE TO TOUCH ON AT THE RETREAT AND ALSO KIND OF GIVE US AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON NOW.
SO, UH, WE'LL COME FORWARD TO MR. COLEMAN AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, WE'LL TAKE THOSE, UH, AT THE END.
UH, MR. COLEMAN'S FINISHED, UH, MR. ABSOLUTELY ON TO, UM, TELL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FOREST FOUR BEFORE WE BROUGHT THE SLIDES UP, JUST TO KIND OF UPDATE US ON WHERE WE'RE OKAY.
SO YOU, YOU WERE GONNA DO THAT? UH, MR. COLE WILL JUMP IN? YES.
IF YOU ALL RECALL FROM OUR MEETING ON IN MAY, OUR BOARD RETRIEVE RETRIEVED DENNIS WAS THERE FOR US, AND WE WERE ALL WAITING WITH B OF BREATH, AND WE DIDN'T GET TO HEAR EVERYTHING THAT HE HAD TO SAY ABOUT ALL THE EXCITING THINGS GOING ON IN THE AREA.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO UPDATE YOU ON WHO FORESTPORT IS.
UH, THE FORESTPORT NEIGHBORHOOD IS RICH IN BLACK CULTURE AND HISTORY, AND HAS BEEN NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY LACK OF INVESTMENT AND ADEQUATE RESOURCES FOR DECADES.
FOREST BOARD AIMS TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH.
THIS WILL
THEY ARE REHABILITATION OF THE FOREST THEATER AS AN ECONOMIC MOBILITY ENGINE PARTNERSHIP WITH DALLAS DISD, AND, UH, MLK JUNIOR ARTS ACADEMY TO BRING CONTINUED EDUCATION ACCESS FROM CRADLE TO COLLEGE AND MIXED INCOME HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN THE COMMUNITY, MR. COLEMAN.
I'M GONNA TRY NOT TO BE REPETITIVE ON, ON THIS BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF WE SHOWED THE SAME PRESENTATION WHEN I WAS THERE IN MAY.
UM, BUT I WILL GO QUICKLY THROUGH IN ORDER TO GET TO, UM, WHAT THE REIMAGINED HORSE THEATER WOULD LOOK LIKE.
SO IF YOU CAN BEAR WITH ME JUST A SECOND AS WE GO THROUGH HERE, UM, ONE, UM, PRESS IT.
DID I NOT PRESS IT? YEAH, YOU'RE OKAY.
UM, SO LET'S JUST KIND OF START WITH OUR LEADERSHIP.
SO, UM, THE FOREST BOARD IS LED BY ELIZABETH WATLEY, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF FOREST SPORTS.
SHE'S A DALLAS NATIVE, GREW UP OVER IN THE CITY OF CRESCENT NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT FOUND SOUTH DALLAS TO BE OUR HOME EXON PARK.
UM, HER CHURCH WAS IN SOUTH DALLAS, AND SO, UM, SHE HAS A, SHE HAS DEEP ROOTS IN SOUTH DALLAS AND IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT THE WORK IS GONNA TAKE PLACE.
SHE WAS THE LONE EMPLOYEE, UH, WHEN WE WERE INCUBATED AT CITY SQUARE BACK IN 2017.
UM, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY, UM, CATAPULTED,
[00:05:01]
UM, US INTO MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T SET A HEADLINE LIKE THIS.OF COURSE, UM, IT WAS IN THE DALLAS MARINE MUSEUM, SAYS, WILL THIS TIME BE DIFFERENT FOR SOUTH DALLAS AND FOR STEVEN, BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAD, UM, MADE ATTEMPTS INTO REVITALIZING THE THEATER.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE DON'T SAY HEADLINE.
IT'D BE LIKE, WE WANT THIS HEADLINE NEXT TO SAY, FOREST FORWARD DID IT, AND WE ARE GOING DO IT.
UM, THIS IS A $75,215,000 PROJECT, AND I THINK THE LAST TIME I EXPLAINED THE 7 5 2 0.5 IS ACTUALLY THE ZIP CODE OF SOUTH DALLAS, PARTICULARLY THE AREA THAT WE ARE REVITALIZING AND REDEVELOPING.
AND REALLY THAT ZIP CODE MEANS A LOT MORE THAN JUST A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING.
YOU KNOW, IT IS A DETER, A HEALTH DETERMINANT.
THOSE WHO LIVE IN 7 5 2, 1 5, UM, HAS AN EXPECTANCY TO LIVE TO 67.
IF WE GO JUST TWO MILES NORTH, YOU GET ANOTHER 16 YEARS ADDED TO YOUR LIFE.
SO WE, WE KNOW THE IMPACT OF WHAT REDEVELOPMENT AND WHAT THIS PROJECT WILL DO FOR THE SOUTH DALLAS COMMUNITY.
UM, AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW THAT THIS WAS A SEGREGATED, UM, THAT SOUTH DALLAS WAS A JEWISH COMMUNITY, AND THAT THE FOREST THEATER WAS A SEGREGATED THEATER.
UM, BLACK PEOPLE IN SOUTH DALLAS WERE RELEGATED TO THE BALCONY, UM, TO VIEW MOVIES, BUT WE KNOW THAT ALL CHANGED AROUND 19, A LITTLE, AROUND 1956.
UM, AND THAT IS WHEN, UM, WE'LL GO RIGHT HERE.
1956, WHEN STRUCTURE BEGAN AT SOUTH DALLAS, UM, 1 75 OR SM RIGHT AS WELL AS 45, UM, WE'RE BUILDING, UM, CUTTING UP NEIGHBORHOODS IN REDLINING SOUTH DALLAS.
UM, THIS IS A DEPICTION OF WHAT HAPPENED ALONG 1 75.
AND WHAT HAPPENED THEN WAS THAT THERE WAS WHITE FLIGHT HEADED NORTH.
SO WHEN THIS BEGAN, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY MOVED NORTH.
AND WITH THAT, THEY TOOK SCHOOL NAMES.
UM, THAT'S THE HIGH SCHOOL, USED TO BE THE FOREST AVENUE HIGH SCHOOL, THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR, UM, ARTS ACADEMY NOW USED TO BE CALLED THE COLONIAL SCHOOL.
WHAT IS CALLED MARTIN LUTHER KING USED TO BE FOREST LANE.
AND WE KNOW WHAT IT IS NORTH, IT IS FOREST AVENUE.
AND SO WITH THAT, THEY TOOK A LOT OF THE ECONOMIC, UM, ADVANTAGES THAT WERE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD NORTH WITH THEM LEAVING, UM, SOUTH DALLAS TO AFRICAN AMERICANS, AND REALLY TO, UM, BUILD A COMMUNITY THERE.
SO WHAT DID, UM, THE FOREST THEATER DO? IT PIVOTED.
IT STARTED CATERING TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, START BRINGING CULTURALLY RELEVANT, UM, PROGRAMMING THERE.
THE FOREST THEATER BECAME THE HUB, UM, FOR SOUTH DALLAS.
UM, YOU KNOW, GIRL SCOUT MEETINGS WERE HELD THERE.
UM, TOWN HALL MEETINGS WERE HELD THERE, MOVIES WERE HELD THERE.
UM, IT BROUGHT, UM, MUSICAL ACTS THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD TINA TURNER, YOU HAD GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS.
UM, YOU HAD DAVE CHAPPELLE THAT WAS THERE.
YOU HAD PRINCE PERFORMING THERE.
SO HERE'S A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AREA, AND MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW THIS ALREADY, UM, ABOUT SOUTH DALLAS, ONE 24%, UM, OF THEM, UM, IS HOME OWNERSHIP.
AND 26% OF THOSE, UM, BASICALLY IS NO HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE LIFE EXPECT IS 67 YEARS IN SOUTH DALLAS, 7 5 2 1 5.
SO, UM, THIS WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IS BUILT ON A MODEL THAT'S OVER 30 YEARS OLD THROUGH PURPOSE-BUILT COMMUNITIES AND PURPOSE-BUILT COMMUNITIES WAS FOUNDED IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA BY TOM COUSINS AND WARREN BUFFETT.
AND WHAT IT SAYS IS THAT IF YOU BRING THREE THINGS TO AN UNDER-RESOURCED, UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY, YOU COULD TURN THAT COMMUNITY AROUND.
THOSE THREE THINGS ARE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND HOUSING.
IN ATLANTA, IT WAS A GOLF COURSE IN DALLAS, IN 7 5 2 1 5.
THE FOREST THEATER WILL BE THE HUB OF THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS FOR SOUTH DALLAS.
FOREST FORWARD FOR THE EDUCATION IS PARTNERED WITH THE MLK ARTS ACADEMY, WHICH WAS THE MLK LEARNING CENTER, WHICH WAS BEFORE THAT THE COLONIAL SCHOOL.
UM, WITH THE MLK ARTS ACADEMY, IT WENT FROM K TO FIVE.
THERE'S 20 MILLION IN BOND MONEY TO EXPAND THE SCHOOL, AND IT IS GONNA BE THE ONLY DISD SCHOOL WITH THE ARTS RICH CURRICULUM.
[00:10:01]
ONE POINT, THIS WAS, UM, WHEN THIS WAS STARTING, IT WAS CALLED THE BABY BOOKER T THE HOPE WOULD BE THAT THE STUDENTS THAT WOULD BE ATTENDING THE MLK ARTS ACADEMY WOULD WANT, IF THEY WANTED TO, UM, PURSUE FURTHER EDUCATION AND T THAT THEY WILL BE WELL PREPARED FOR THAT.THIS IS NOT GUARANTEE ADMITTANCE, BUT WHAT THIS GUARANTEES IS THAT OUR KIDS WILL BE PREPARED TO DO THIS.
WHAT WE FOUND IN I THINK 2010, THAT OF THE 1100 STUDENTS, UM, AT, UM, BOOKER T, ONLY 10 K FROM 7 5 2 1 5.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT'S NOT FROM A LACK OF TALENT, IT'S A LACK OF ACCESS AND PREPARATION.
THE OTHER IS THE HOUSING FORCE FOR IS, UM, IS DOING LAND ACQUISITION IN ORDER TO CREATE HOUSING THAT IT'S AFFORDABLE.
AND THAT WILL, UM, BRING IN MIXED INCOME HOUSING BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT ONCE, UM, BECAUSE, WELL, LEMME BACK UP.
75% OF THE STUDENTS THAT GO TO MLK COME FROM THE 7 5 2 1 5 ZIP CODE.
SO WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE WILL START MOVING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEY WILL TO HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, THE ARTS ACADEMY.
AND SO WE ARE CREATING HOUSING THAT WOULD BE MAKES INCOME THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NEXT TO SOMEONE WHO'S MAKING 25,000.
THAT'D BE SOMEBODY THEY'RE MAKING A HUNDRED THOUSAND, UM, TO DO THAT.
AND WE KNOW THAT'S GONNA DRIVE ECONOMIC, UM, GROWTH IN THE AREA.
I'M GONNA KINDA SKIP PAST THIS.
THIS RIGHT HERE KIND OF GIVES YOU A VIEW OF WHAT THE FOREST THEATER.
UM, WE HAVE THE VISION FOR THE FOREST THEATER.
THE FRONT PART IS OUR EDUCATIONAL HUB.
SO MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW THE GREEN PARROT, UM, THAT WILL BE UTILIZED BY DISD FOR THE, FOR THEIR, UM, CURRICULUM.
UM, I DIDN'T, I MISSED BACK OVER HERE ON TOP IS A ROOFTOP.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE THE ONLY ROOFTOP IN SOUTH DALLAS.
LOOKING ONTO DOWNTOWN AND FAIR PARK, WE HAVE TWO NEW STRUCTURES THAT WILL BE BUILT, UM, ON THE FOREST THEATER.
YOU KIND OF SAW IT AND I, I MISSED IT.
IT IS GOING TO BE A SMALL STUDIO THEATER.
THEN ON THE BACK, THIS IS THE BACK OF THE THEATER.
SO IT'LL HAVE A REAL INTEREST HERE, UM, THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE A REAR INTEREST LOBBY.
UM, WE ARE PLANNING TO BREAK GROUND OR DO A CEREMONIAL, UM, UM, BREAKING GROUND ON APRIL 4TH, 2024.
FROM THAT POINT ON, IT IS 18 MONTHS FROM START TO FINISH.
SO WE HAVE AN EXPECTED OPENING DATE OF DECEMBER OF 2025.
SO YOU CAN KINDA SEE WHAT THE REIMAGINED IS ON, YOU KNOW, FOR THE THEATER HERE, I JUST KIND OF WANT YOU TO SEE ALL THE NEW ADDITIONS.
THIS WILL GO FROM 45,000 SQUARE FEET TO 66,000 SQUARE FEET.
THIS RIGHT HERE IS THE CURRENT SITE, SITE PLAN.
IF I'M LOOKING AT IT, IT IS TO MY LEFT.
THE UPDATED SITE PLAN IS TO MY RIGHT.
THIS IS THE THEATER, UM, FROM THE INSIDE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'D BE ALL MOVABLE CHAIRS IN THERE.
SO NOT ONLY COULD YOU DO, YOU KNOW, UM, LIVE THEATER AND MUSICALS, YOU COULD ALSO DO A BAR MITZVAH.
YOU COULD DO A DEBUTANTE, UM, YOU COULD DO A TED TALK.
SO YOU CAN RECONFIGURE, UM, THE THEATER, HOWEVER YOU NEED THAT.
THE STUDIO, SMALLER THEATER WILL BE, UM, THE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN DO CGI.
SO IT'LL HAVE WHITE BOX, BLACK BOX, GREEN BOX, UM, ON THAT.
UM, SO THIS IS ALL STUFF WE, WHEN WE TALK TO THE CITY ABOUT OUR NEEDS, PARKING AND INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, DEFINITELY WE NEED, WE DEFINITELY NEED IMPROVEMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
I, I THINK YOU, I MAY HAVE MENTIONED THAT WE ARE SITTING ON A HUNDRED YEAR OLD CLAY PIPES, UM, THAT WILL NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, DUG OUT AND REPLACED.
UM, BECAUSE CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW YOU CAN ONLY FLUSH ONE TOILET.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WITH THE EXPANSION, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AT LEAST 10 RESTROOMS THAT ARE GONNA BE THERE.
NOT TO MENTION AN INDUSTRIAL KITCHEN, NOT TO MENTION ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT WILL GO IN THERE.
UM, UM, ZONING UPDATES, YOU DON'T NEED ALL THAT EDUCATION WE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, TWO RENDERINGS.
[00:15:01]
OF WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE.THEN THIS IS, AND THEN IN THE COLOR IS THE TODAY.
UM, SO THIS IS KIND OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT FROM THE WORK THAT WE'RE, UM, WOULD DO ONCE IT'S DONE.
WE'RE TALKING 60 MIL, 69 MILLION IN EARNINGS.
UM, 6.3 MILLION IN ANNUAL SPENDING IN THE AREA.
THIS IS OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
UM, MATRICE ELLIS, KIRK IS OUR BOARD CHAIR.
FCO ALL BOOKER DREW IS ON OUR BOARD.
YOU HAVE GER WHO LIVES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT ALSO IS IN BANKING.
UM, LARRY JAMES, WHOSE VISION THIS WAS TO BRING A PURPOSE-BUILT COMMUNITY TO DALLAS.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR ADVOCATE IN SOUTH DALLAS.
DIANE RAGSDALE, UM, MATTHEW RUFFNER AT PRESTON HALL OF PRESBYTERIAN AND RABBI, UM, DAVID STERN.
UM, CHRIS, UM, MS. CHERYL WALKER, WHO YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE THE NEXT TIME.
SHE'S OUR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND THE REASON I'M HERE, BECAUSE I FILLED IN FOR HER AND THEN REGINA JUST LATCHED ONTO ME AND KEPT TAKING ME ALONG THE WAY.
BUT LASH WILL BE THE PERSON THAT YOU WILL BE, UM, TALKING TO.
AND THEN, UM, ASHLEY WILSON IS OUR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP.
AND THEN, UM, ONE THING WE DID CREATE, WE CREATED, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, THAT WE GOT FROM THE COMMUNITY WAS THIS NEED THAT EVERYONE WANTED TO PARTICIPATE, BUT THEY DIDN'T THINK THAT THEIR MONEY WOULD COUNT.
AND SO WE CREATED WHAT'S CALLED A FULL FUND.
AND THAT FUND IS FOR ANYONE WHO WISHES TO GIVE A DOLLAR, $5, $500, AND IT WOULD BE MATCHED FIVE TIMES.
SO YOUR $1 BECOMES $5 ON THAT.
AND SO WE CREATED THAT WHEN WE DID, UM, WHEN WE LAUNCHED OUR EXHIBITION AT NORTH PARK, UM, IN SEPTEMBER.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES.
WELL THIS BE AVAILABLE IF WE WANNA WATCH IT AGAIN.
THERE WAS SOME INTERESTING POINTS, BUT I WASN'T FULLY FOCUSED ON IT.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO BUILD QUESTIONS ON IT IF I'LL SEE IT AGAIN.
I CAN, I'M, I CAN GIVE MY CARD, I THINK YEAH, IF YOU WANT GRAB REGARDS, SHE CAN MAKE SURE YOU GET THAT AS WELL AS THERE IS A VIDEO.
JUST REAL QUICK, I I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT, UH, IF DIRECT ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE, UH, TO THE CHAIR AND NOT THE PRESENTER.
SO PLEASE, UH, AND THEN WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THERE VIDEOS POSTED AND YOU CAN GET THE RECORDING ALL THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO POINT POINT THAT OUT.
ANY OTHER, WELL, WELL, I, I, I'LL GIVE YOU SOME TIME AFTER WE'RE DONE.
WE'LL RECOGNIZE QUESTIONS THAT OKAY.
BUT, UH, FOR NOW, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD ABOUT MR. COLEMAN'S PRESENTATION OR REGARDING MR. COLEMAN'S PRESENTATION? YEAH, MR. CHAIR, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, I THINK I HEARD MR. LEVINE, WAS THAT YOU? YEAH.
UH, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ELABORATE, UH, PRESENTATION.
I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY GOOD INFORMATION.
UM, MR. COLEMAN HAD MENTIONED A METRIC ABOUT THE, THE LIFE EXP EXPECT EXPECTANCY THERE IN THE AREA.
I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT SERVICES WILL YOU ALL PROVIDE TO SORT OF TIP THAT, UM, THAT METRIC IN A RIGHT DIRECTION? I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD METRIC.
MR. 1, 1, 1 MOMENT WE CAN YOU, UH, I DUNNO IF IT'S A VOLUME THING ON YOUR END.
UH, CAN THE FOLKS ONLINE HERE, MS. COLBY, CLEARLY IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE LOW.
YEAH, WE, I CAN CLEARLY, IT'S PROBABLY MS. MARQUEZ, IT'S HARD TO HEAR YOU AS WELL.
I THINK EVERYBODY THAT'S, THAT'S LINE.
THE MICS ARE LOW FOR ALL OF US.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU HEAR ME? UH, YEAH, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UM, I, WELL, I, LET ME TRY TO SPEAK LOUDLY.
UM, FOR THE AGE EXPECTANCY, BEING 67 YEARS OLD, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A VERY GOOD METRIC.
WHAT SERVICES WILL THE FOREST FORWARD PROJECT, UM, PROVIDE TO TIP THAT METRIC IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? LEVINE, WE'RE WORKING OUT SAYING IT'S STILL VERY DIFFICULT TO, UH, TO HEAR FOR SOME REASON.
BEAR WITH US TO HEAR YOUR QUESTION ENTIRELY.
[00:20:01]
TRY NOW, MAN.CAN YOU HEAR ME? WELL JUST, YEAH, JUST DO IT FROM HERE.
SO THAT, I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE METRIC, THE AGE EXPECTANCY BEING 67 YEARS OLD IN THE AREA.
HOW WILL THE FOREST FORWARD PROJECT HELP TO TIP THAT METRIC IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? I THINK I HEARD THERE'S GONNA BE SOME HEALTH SERVICES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT PROVIDED BY THE PROJECT, SO I WANTED TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
WELL, I, ON THAT, I, WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS THAT THE THEATER WOULD BE THE WELLNESS PART OF THE PROJECT, PIECE OF THE THREE-PRONGED, UH, PURPOSE-BUILT PIECE ON THAT.
BUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AROUND THAT IS THAT THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE THEATER, THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, MLK, THROUGH ALL OF THAT, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WILL WILL HAPPEN IN THE AREA.
MEANING THERE'LL BE MORE GROWTH THAT WILL TAKE PLACE THERE.
SO THAT MEANS THERE'S MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UM, BETTER ACCESS TO FOOD, BETTER ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE THROUGH THIS WORK.
HI, MY NAME IS LAHAR WALKER AND I'M A DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND I'M ALSO A CERTIFIED, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER.
I WORK CLOSELY WITH BAYLOR SCOTT WHITE, UH, OVER ON SPRING AVENUE AS WELL AS I SERVE ON THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR, UH, PARKLAND.
AND SO WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THOSE, UH, COMMUNITY LIAISONS AT THOSE HOSPITALS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN THE KNOW AND WE'RE CONNECTING WITH ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT PEOPLE NEED SO THEY CAN HAVE BETTER ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE.
WHETHER IT'S MAKING THAT CONNECTION, NOT JUST GIVING THEM, UH, AND JUST SAYING, HEY, YOU NEED TO GO TO PARKLAND.
BUT ACTUALLY HOLDING THEIR HAND AND WORKING WITH THEM AND SAYING, HEY, CALL MS. ANDREA OVER AT BAYLOR SCOTT AND WHITE AND SHE'LL GET YOU CONNECTED IN A DIABETES WELLNESS PROGRAM.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO AS FAR AS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS.
MR.
ONE OF THE THINGS, THANK YOU AGAIN, MR. COMA FOR COMING BACK.
UH, WE VISITED ON MAY WHEN YOU WERE, UH, MEETING CENTER DOWNTOWN.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE HAD DISCUSSED THEN WAS, WITH REGARD TO THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ITSELF BEING ON NLK, UH, WAS THERE ANY INFILL DEVELOPMENT FOR STREETS TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH OF MLK? AND THAT QUESTION WAS AROUND, WHAT IS TO STOP THE INCREASE IN PROPERTY VALUES TAXING THOSE FOLKS, THOSE LONG-TERM RESIDENTS OUT OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, ON THAT, I CAN ONLY SPEAK TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN OUR VICINITY THERE, AS WELL AS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF 45, UM, RIGHT NOW THERE IS AN, UH, KIND OF AN MOU BETWEEN FOREST FORWARD, UM, ST.
PHILLIPS AND CORNERSTONE TO DEVELOP THE, DEVELOP THE FOREST DISTRICT.
AND WITH THAT, IT IS TO LANDLOCK THAT AND TO PROTECT THOSE RESIDENTS THERE.
OUR, THE WAY WE'RE DOING OUR PROJECT IS, UM, ONE LITTLE DISPLACEMENT.
SO WE'RE NOT REMOVING PEOPLE FROM HOMES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE ARE, WE ARE PURCHASING LAND THAT'S AVAILABLE IN ORDER TO DO OUR DEVELOPMENT ON THAT.
STOP, MS. SIMS, I THINK YOU'RE NEXT.
CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? THANK YOU MR. DENNIS, SO MUCH FOR DOING, UH, FOR GIVING US THE PRESENTATION.
I'M REALLY EXCITED, UM, ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
I'M JUST, UH, CURIOUS AS TO WHAT OTHER PRO, WHAT OTHER PARTNERS DO YOU HAVE LINED UP, UM, TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT YOU ALL WILL BE DOING AT FOREST THEATER? UM, BY PARTNERS, ARE YOU TALKING FUNDERS OR ARE YOU TALKING OTHER COMMUNITY? OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS? SO THE TWO THAT I, UM, JUST MENTIONED, UM, ST.
PHILIP'S AND, UM, CORNERSTONE ARE TWO OF THE MAIN ONES THAT WE ARE PARTNERED WITH IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THE AREA.
THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD ONE FOR LASH CHERYL, 'CAUSE SHE WORKS IN THE COMMUNITY, SO SHE COULD TALK ABOUT THE OTHER PARTNERS.
WE HAVE A HOST OF, WE HAVE A HOST OF PARTNERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE HAVE BEEN PRESENTING PRESENTATIONS AND CONNECTING WITH ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS IN SOUTH DALLAS AS, AS WELL AS OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS LIKE I MENTIONED, PARKLAND, BAYLOR, THE CHURCHES THERE WHERE, UH, THE BUSINESSES ALONG MLK AND AROUND, YOU KNOW, FAIR PARK AREA.
SO WE HAVE BEEN CONNECTING AND TRYING TO CONNECT WITH ALMOST EVERY CHURCH, EVERY BUSINESS, EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION,
[00:25:02]
UM, JUST GETTING ON THEIR AGENDA AND GOING TO PRESENT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, AND THEY, THEY'RE IN THE KNOW AND THEY KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.AND TO YOUR QUESTION, SIR, ABOUT, UM, WHAT WAS YOUR QUESTION AGAIN? IT'S ABOUT WHAT'S TO STOP US? WHAT'S FROM, UM, FROM
AND ONE LAST QUESTION BEFORE YOU SIT DOWN LASH CHERYL, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU WILL KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS PARTICULAR QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER, I KNOW AT LEAST ONE, UM, SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK OPPORTUNITY FUND.
UM, AWARDEE HAS A, UM, DEVELOPMENT JUST TO THE, UM, I GUESS JUST TO THE SOUTH OF WHERE YOU ALL ARE.
UM, ARE YOU PARTNERING WITH ANY OF THE OTHER, UH, UP AND COMING DEVELOPMENTS IN THAT AREA? AND I CAN'T THINK OF THE NAME OF IT, BUT IT'S THE, THE REAL ESTATE SCHOOL, THE APPRAISAL SCHOOL THAT'S NEAR WHERE ROBERT'S READY TO WHERE IS OR USED TO BE? YES.
OH, IS THAT, UH, SCOTT? SCOTTY SMITH.
WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH SCOTTY.
SCOTTY ACTUALLY, WE OFFICE IN THE SAME, UH, CO-WORKING SPACE.
WE WORK REALLY, REALLY CLOSELY WITH HIM.
HIS DAUGHTER IS A, A MEMBER OF ORGANIZATION CALLED TOP TEAMS OF AMERICA, WHERE WE TRY TO GET KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY TO GET BACK INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY SERVICES.
SO WORK REALLY, REALLY, I WORK REALLY, REALLY CLOSE WITH SCOTTY.
AND I DID WANNA SAY IT MAY BE SOME MORE QUESTIONS.
I DO HAVE ANOTHER EVENT TO LEAVE.
I MEAN, RIGHT, RIGHT AFTER WE LEAVE HERE, I HAVE ANOTHER EVENT TO GO TO, BUT I'M GONNA LEAVE MY BUSINESS CARDS.
AND SO IF ANYBODY WANNA CALL ME OR CONNECT WITH ME, THEY CAN REACH OUT TO ME AND WE CAN TALK EVEN MORE, DO A TOUR OR WHATEVER.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO GIVING YOU GUYS A TOUR.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MICHELLE.
DO WE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS BEFORE, UH, UH, THEY HAVE THE DEPARTMENT HEARING NONE, OR DO YOU HAVE TO LEAVE AS WELL, OR DO YOU I DO HAVE A COUPLE MORE MINUTES.
I CAN STILL A COUPLE MORE MINUTES NEED HER.
UH, JUST REAL QUICK, UH, I'VE GOT A QUICK QUESTION HERE.
WITH REGARDS TO THE LAND ACQUISITION PIECE THAT YOU MENTIONED.
UH, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE? IS THIS TO ADD ON, OR WAS THE LAND ACQUISITION INITIATIVE COMPLETE? UH, WHAT WAS THE KIND OF THE STRATEGY AROUND THAT PIECE OF IT? BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL PURCHASING, UM, LAND, SO, UM, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR, KIND OF WHERE WE ARE.
SO, UM, FOREST FORWARD OWNS THE LAND IN FRONT OF THE THEATER.
SO IF, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LIQUOR STORE THAT WHEN YOU EXITED 45 GOING TO MLK TO TAKE THAT LEFT TO GO TO, TO FAIR PARK, THERE WAS A LIQUOR STORE ON THE RIGHT, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
WE NOW OWN THAT ENTIRE PIECE OF PROPERTY, INCLUDING THAT LIQUOR STORE.
SO, UM, ON THAT, AND THEN WE GO ALL THE WAY BACK, UM, TO PENNSYLVANIA.
SO WE GO, UM, FROM M-K-M-L-K, PEABODY, AND PENNSYLVANIA, AND THEN WE GO, WHAT'S THAT TO THE WEST? AND COME UP.
AND THEN WE HAVE PROPERTY TO THE WEST RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET TO 45.
AND SO WE STILL ARE DOING MORE, UM, LAND AT ACQUISITION AS WE SEE, AS WE SEE IT COME AVAILABLE.
AND, AND MANY PEOPLE MIGHT NOT KNOW IF THEY HAVEN'T BEEN THERE IN A WHILE, IN A WHILE, THAT, YOU KNOW, 1 75 S IN RIGHT NOW HAS, IS IN THE PROCESS OF BECOMING GREAT.
SO IT IS BECOMING A BOULEVARD.
AND SO IT NOW RUNS STRAIGHT INTO MLK, UM, ON THAT.
AND THAT IS A FEDERAL PROGRAM CALLED HIGHWAYS, BOULEVARDS, WHERE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS COMING IN TO TRY TO SU YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE DIVIDED BY HIGHWAYS.
AND SO WE ARE, WELL, DALLAS IS A TEST FOR THAT.
SO, UM, S IN WRIGHT WILL BE A, WHAT THEY CALL A SMART BOULEVARD.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK, UM, WALKING, BIKING, ALL OF THAT TO GIVE THE STATS AS TO SEE IF THAT REALLY WORKS, IF IT REALLY DOES HELP YOU BRING THE COMMUNITIES BACK TOGETHER.
THANKS FOR THE EXPLANATION, MR. COLEMAN.
UH, I GOT A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS, BUT THE INTEREST OF TIME, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO RUN.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU, UH, VOLUNTEERING TO DO IT, BEEN PLANNING TO, TO TAKE A TOUR AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
UM, AND SO, UM, I THINK YOU'VE CIRCULATED SOME DATES, UH, WITH THE SBC STAFF.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE EXCITED TO GET THAT ON THE CALENDAR AND, UH, TAKE A TOUR OF, OF, UH, ON THE GREAT WORK THAT'S GOING ON IN PERSON.
[00:30:01]
UH, THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING TO DO THAT, AND ABSOLUTELY HELPING US, AND, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU GUYS AGAIN SOON.ALRIGHT, UM, NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
WE'LL, WE'LL CIRCLE BACK AROUND, UH, AND I BELIEVE WE SKIPPED ONE.
MR. REGINA, DO WE HAVE ANY NEW BOARD APPOINTEES? OKAY.
SO, ALTHOUGH, ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY SPEAKERS THAT WERE SIGNED UP, UH, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME FOLKS, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE.
SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND RECOGNIZE ANYBODY THAT'S IN THE AUDIENCE THAT, THAT WANTS TO SPEAK OR HAS ANY COMMENTS, UH, FOR, FOR FOR TWO MINUTES, IF, IF THERE ARE ANY.
AND IF SO, UH, PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN AND, AND COME TO THE PODIUM NOW.
IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
SEEING, HEARING NONE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
UH, OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UH, I BELIEVE, UH, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS T COMMENTS, UH, FOR US, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THE SBC AND SOME OF THE RESOURCE TOOLS, UH, FOR OPTIMIZATION.
SO THINK WE KIND OF GIVE EVERYBODY KIND OF A RECAP ON THE IDEA OF THIS ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAID THAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS TO HAVE, UH, RESOURCES AVAILABLE SO THAT WE COULD DIRECT EVEN FOLKS THAT WERE, UH, APPLYING FOR GRANTS OR, UH, INSTEAD WERE APPLYING FOR LOANS TO BE ABLE TO GO AND HAVE ACCESS TO RESOURCES IN TERMS OF ANYTHING THAT THEY NEED IN TERMS OF WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, SMALL BUSINESS HAS BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD ON, UM, WITH, WITH, WITH THE CITY, IS HAVING A DATABASE, UH, REPOSITORY OF INFORMATION, UH, SO THAT FOLKS CAN GO TO.
SO WHAT DIRECTOR WILLIAMS IS GONNA DO IS SHOW US THE, THE TOOLS AND THE WEBSITE THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
UH, SHOW US HOW IT WORKS, AND THEN, UH, FIGURE OUT THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO FEATHER THAT INTO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING NOW, UH, JUST TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR ALL OF OUR APPLICANTS HERE ON ANOVA SIDE ON THE LONG SIDE.
SO, UH, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
JOYCE WILLIAMS, THE DIRECTOR OF SMALL BUSINESS CENTER, CITY OF DALLAS.
UH, CURRENTLY WHAT YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN IS A WEBPAGE WHEN YOU FIRST CLICK ON SOURCE DALLAS.ORG, SOURCE DALLAS.ORG.
UH, THIS IS THE WEBSITE FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS CENTER.
SMALL BUSINESS CENTER IS LISTED ON THE CITY OF DALLAS WEBPAGE, BUT IT DIRECTS YOU TO, WHY DON'T YOU CLICK ON THAT TO THE SOURCE DALLAS.ORG.
AND THE REASON THE SOURCE DALLAS.ORG WAS ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED FROM SMALL BUSINESS CENTER WAS SO THAT WE COULD HAVE SOME THINGS THAT WERE SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, FOR WORKFORCE AND ALSO FOR N-B-W-B-E OF ALL THE AREAS THAT WE'RE SERVING THIS, UH, TOOL THROUGH SOURCE LINK IS A, A WEBSITE INFORMATIONAL SOURCE THAT WE, THAT COMES OUT OF THE SMALL BUSINESS AND THE BUDGET EVERY YEAR.
AND WHEN THE SMALL BUSINESS CENTER LAUNCHED IN DECEMBER, ON DECEMBER 15TH, 2021, THIS WEBSITE WAS THEN LAUNCHED AT THE SAME TIME.
WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS WE ARE REEVALUATING OUR WEBSITE TO LOOK AT THE RESOURCE TOOLS.
WE'RE WORKING WITH SOURCELINK TO SEE WHAT, HOW WE CAN USE THIS BETTER.
BUT WHEN YOU FIRST CLICK ON THAT WEBSITE OF SOURCE DALLAS.ORG, THIS IS THE FIRST PAGE YOU'LL SEE ON THAT FIRST PAGE, WHAT YOU SEE IS COMMIT TO RESOURCES.
UH, YOU SEE THAT THAT'S THERE, UH, I CAN'T, YEAH, IF YOU WERE KIND OF MOVE, CLICK OVER THAT KIND UP TO THE TOP WHERE YOU SEE CONNECT TO RESOURCES WHEN A, WHEN A SMALL BUSINESS ACTUALLY ENTERS ON THAT PAGE, UH, THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH PARTICULAR RESOURCE AND THEN ASK FOR THE ZIP CODE.
SO THE NEXT, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO HERE, JUST TO ILLUSTRATE THAT, I PUT IN THE ZIP CODE A 7 5 2 1 5.
I PUT IN THAT I WANNA DO, AS I WAS A SMALL BUSINESS, I WAS WANTING TO DO NETWORKING AND ASSOCIATIONS, UH, SPECIFICALLY THAT I WAS A HOME-BASED BUSINESS,
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AND WHAT STAGE OF, WHAT STAGE AM I IN, IN MY BUSINESS LIFE, WHICH IS A START BUSINESS, AND WHAT INDUSTRY I'M IN THIS RESTAURANT AND, AND BAR.SO AS A SMALL BUSINESS OR COMMUNITY RESOURCE, A COMMUNITY PERSON THAT LOGS ON THAT PAGE, YOU WANNA KNOW HOW TO NETWORK YOUR, WITH YOUR SMALL BUSINESS WITHIN THIS AREA.
SO PUT THAT IN INFORMATION THERE.
AND WHAT YOU HAVE THAT POPS UP IS RESOURCES THAT ARE THERE THAT SHOWS YOU, UM, THE WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER, THE LIFT FUND.
UM, IT ALSO SHOWS YOU A, A LOT OF THEM, A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT ARE LOCAL RESOURCES FOR YOU AS A SMALL BUSINESS.
SO THE DATABASE IS ALREADY BUILT IN THERE.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS VERY IMPORTANT SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IT GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY AS A SMALL BUSINESS, UH, ON THIS PARTICULAR PAGE TO ACTUALLY GO IN AND ENTER YOUR INFORMATION IN TO BECOME A RESOURCE.
SO HOW THE SMALL BUSINESS IN PARTNERSHIP.
SO IF YOU MOVE, THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT, BUT IF YOU MOVE DOWN ON THAT PAGE, IT THEN ASKS YOU SPECIFICALLY ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS AND HOW YOU CAN THEN POST YOUR INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS ON THAT PAGE, SO THEN YOU CAN BECOME A PARTICULAR RESOURCE.
SO WHAT WE SEE IN THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOOKING FOR RESOURCES, CONNECTING WITH OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES, AND ALSO A WAY FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY ADVERTISE THEIR SMALL BUSINESS OR THEIR SERVICES ALSO ON OUR SYNDROME.
UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS HOW TO EXPLAIN THIS BETTER BECAUSE, UH, WHAT IT WAS INITIALLY SET UP AS AN INTUITIVE THING, BUT WE FOUND OUT PEOPLE ARE REALLY NOT INTUITIVE ABOUT THIS.
SO, UH, WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE, WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY INSTEAD OF IT JUST BEING THERE, UH, TO EXPLAIN THAT THIS IS A PROCESS AND IT IS A RESOURCE TOOL THAT THEY CAN USE, AND IT'S READILY ACCESSIBLE TO THEM.
AS WE START TO LOOK AT PARTNERSHIPS AND DEVELOP THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAW IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS AND INCREASE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR HOW WE GET LOANS AND GRANTS THROUGH THE PIPELINE.
AND WHAT WE STARTED TO LOOK AT, OKAY, HOW DOES THOSE RESOURCES AND THOSE TOOLS, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO IMPACT OUR PIPELINE? SO I THOUGHT I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO STEP BACK A LITTLE BIT TO LOOK AT WHAT IS ONE OF THE PRIORITIES OF THIS BOARD.
AND ONE OF THE PRIORITIES OF THIS BOARD NOW IS TO LOOK AT THE LATTER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND SMALL DEVELOPERS IN THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK ARE AREAS SPECIFICALLY, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS AS NEW BOARD MEMBERS, SOME OF YOU ARE NEW BOARD MEMBERS, THERE ARE SEVERAL OF YOU THAT ARE NOT NEW BOARD MEMBERS, BUT WE'RE HERE DURING THIS TERM AND KNOW THAT THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN 20 20 11 AND TO 2021 THAT WAS NO LONG WAS APPROVED.
SO THE FOCUS WASN'T ON FOR-PROFIT ALONG IN THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK AREA.
THE PRIMARY FOCUS DURING THOSE YEARS WAS, UM, ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT GRANTS THROUGH THE NOFO PROCESS.
AND THE GRANTEES WERE, WHILE THEY HAD LOTS OF GRANTEES WHO APPLIED, AND WHEN I SAY LOTS, MAYBE 10, 15 OF THEM THAT APPLIED, UM, AND MAYBE FIVE TO SIX WERE AWARDED, WERE ACTUALLY AWARDED DURING 20 21, 20 20 11 THROUGH 2021.
THAT'S A BIG, HUGE TIME WHEN THERE WAS TRULY NOT A FOCUS, UM, ON THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK AREA IN THE LADDER OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.
2021, AGAIN, SMALL BUSINESS CENTER WAS LAUNCHED, UM, DECEMBER OF 2021 AND MARCH OF 2022, THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK OPPORTUNITY FUND WAS ACTUALLY TRANSFERRED TO THE SMALL BUSINESS CENTER.
THE FOCUS CHANGED BECAUSE OF THE LEADERSHIP OF THE BOARD.
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THE LEADERSHIP UNDER CHAIRMAN LEANDER JOHNSON, UH, CHANGED.UH, ALTHOUGH HE WAS A PART OF THE 20 20 20 19 BOARD.
RIGHT, MR. CHAIR? YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
UH, HE HAD A FOCUS ON LOOKING AT WHAT GRANTS COULD BE GIVEN OUT, WHERE WERE WE ON LOANS, WHERE WERE, AND SO THE FOCUS WAS CHANGED.
SMALL BUSINESS CENTER NOW HAD A DIFFERENT GOAL TO NOT ONLY JUST FOCUS ON GRANTS, BUT ALSO FOCUS ON FOR-PROFITS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN AREA.
SO AT THAT POINT IN TIME, SIX MAN, SINCE GRANTS HAVE MANAGED BETWEEN MARCH 22 AND, UH, 2022 WITH WORKSHOPS BEING THEIR OUTREACH, BEING ADVERTISING WITHIN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS WERE PART OF THE DRIVEN INITIATIVES IN 2023.
ALSO, THE FIRST LOAN IN ALMOST 10 YEARS WAS GIVEN OUT.
WE GOT THE GRANT IN MARCH, 2022.
THE FIRST LOAN WAS ACTUALLY COMPLETED IN DECEMBER OF 2022 AND 20 23, 20 24.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS WE GO FORWARD IN, UH, 2024, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN IN 2023, WE INCREASED THE ANNUAL GRANT FROM 100 K TO 200 K FOR THE NONPROFIT SIDE OF THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT GRANTS AND LOANS WERE COMPLETED FOR, FOR PROFITS IN THAT AREA, AS WELL AS NONPROFITS.
I THINK WE COMPLETED, YOU GUYS APPROVED, UH, HAVE APPROVED IN 2023, WELL, SIX GRANTEES, THREE, UH, LOANS, AND MANY TO COME.
SO THE STAFF WILL BE OFFERING NONPROFIT SERIES BEGINNING IN THE SPRING OF 2024, REGINA, UH, WENT, REGINA TOOK A, TOOK CERTIFICATION CLASSES AS A NONPROFIT FOR NONPROFIT CERTIFICATION, AND WE'LL BE IMPLEMENTING THOSE CLASSES IN THE SPRING TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF GRANTEES THAT WILL BE COMING THROUGH THE NONPROFIT HUMAN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM BY TEACHING SERIES, BY TEACHING A SERIES ON, NOT ON THE BEGINNING, A NONPROFIT, BUT ALSO HOW TO MAINTAIN AND SUSTAIN, UH, A NONPROFIT.
UH, ANTHONY BARWICK AND HIS TEAM HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR-PROFIT SERIES AS WELL AS TRAINEES, UH, AND HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING THOSE SERIES.
UM, AS WELL, MR. WICK AND HIS TEAM HAVE BEEN DOING BANKABLE LENDING, LEND, UH, WORKING WITH BANKS AND LENDING AS WELL AS, UH, ADDITIONAL WORKSHOPS FOR, FOR-PROFITS AND HAVING 'EM PREPARED BETTER, BETTER PREPARED TO COME THROUGH THE PIPELINE AS WELL.
SO PART OF THIS WAS A SURVEY THAT WAS DONE THROUGH OUR CONSULTANTS HR RA THIS SUMMER AND LOOKING AT WHAT ARE THE NEEDS NOT ONLY IN THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK AREA, BUT ALSO IN SOUTHERN DALLAS.
AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS HAVE COME AS A RESULT OF THAT.
SO WE ARE EXPECTING THOSE THINGS TO MOVE IN 2024 AS PART OF NOT ONLY THE USING THE RESOURCE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE, BUT AS A WAY OF USING THOSE TOOLS TO INCREASE THE LOAN AND GRANT PIPELINES.
MR. CHAIR, I'LL PREPARE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
DIRECTOR WILLIAMS. UH, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD ON, UH, PRESENTATION THAT DIRECTOR WILLIAMS SLIDE OUT? UH, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS. UH, JUST A QUICK QUESTION HERE.
UM, JUST CIRCLING BACK AROUND TO THE, THE, THE WEBSITE AND THE RESOURCE THAT WE HAVE, UM, WHAT, WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THAT YOU THINK THAT WE CAN, UH, PERHAPS, UH, AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT IT WASN'T THAT INTUITIVE FOR FOLKS, UH, AND I SUSPECT THAT SOME OF THAT WOULD BE JUST FOLKS USING IT.
SO IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO FEATHER IN MAYBE A DEMONSTRATION INTO THE INFORMATIONAL SESSION THAT WE DO FOR THE NOFA OR, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT WE'RE DOING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME OF THE WORK THAT, THAT, UH, MR. BAR IS DOING WITH, WITH HIS PROGRAM.
MAYBE WE CAN INCLUDE, UH, SOME SORT OF A DEMONSTRATION FOR WHOEVER'S IN CHARGE OF THAT.
WE ARE WORKING ON THE FUNCTIONALITY OF IT SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW, UH, WHEN THEY'RE APPLYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ANOTHER RESOURCE.
UH, THAT, THAT'D BE QUESTION NUMBER ONE.
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QUESTION NUMBER TWO IS FOR THE FOLKS THAT WANT TO COME INTO THE PIPELINE TO, TO BECOME A RESOURCE RIGHT? TO, TO BECOME A PARTNER, UH, TO SPEAK TO THE BANNING PROCESS OF THAT AND KIND THAT WORKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FOLKS ARE ACTUALLY COMING TO, TO BE RECOMMENDED.ONE OF THE THINGS RIGHT NOW, SOURCING AGAIN, IS A SOURCING AGAIN, IS A, A A A PARTNER THAT WE USE, THAT IT'S USED NATIONALLY.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE CONTROL OF THE VETTING PROCESS, THE ACTUAL VETTING PROCESS, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON THAT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE INPUT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE BOOKS ON THE GROUND.
WHAT THEY DO IS THEY CHECK A NUMBER OF VERIFICATIONS, VERIFICATIONS OF STATE LICENSURE VERIFICATIONS OF BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU VERIFICATIONS OF THOSE THINGS.
AS SOMEONE SUBMITS THE APPLICATION ON, ON THE SYSTEM, WE'D LIKE TO BECOME A PART OF THAT VETTING SYSTEM TO SEE HOW IT IS SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT FITTED OUT, UM, INSTEAD OF JUST FIT IT IN.
UH, AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE WORK THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM ON TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AS PART OF OUR PROCESS.
THE OTHER PART IS, AS YOU SAID, BEING ABLE TO BE, TO DEMONSTRATE THIS AS PART OF AN INFORMATIONAL SESSION.
TRULY THAT IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO.
SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN MIND IS THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DO THIS ONLINE, IS TO BE ABLE TO CREATE VIDEO WHERE A PERSON CAN CLICK ON THE VIDEO AND ACTUALLY LOOK AT IT AND BE, AND WALK THROUGH STEP BY STEP.
WE FOUND THAT THAT IS ONE OF THE BETTER WAYS THAT PEOPLE LEARN HOW TO USE BONFIRE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES THAT EVERYONE HAS TO BE ABLE TO USE TO BECOME A VENDOR IF THEY WANNA BE ABLE TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT BIDDING.
AND, AND SO THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE BETTER RESOURCES, IS IT TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO GO AND DO HAVE THE VIDEO OR POWERPOINT DEMONSTRATION THAT ACTUALLY WALKS THEM THROUGH IT.
UM, SO THAT IS DEFINITELY SOME OF, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, UM, AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF BEING ABLE TO WALK PROGRAMS AND WALK PEOPLE THROUGH THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
ONE, THE OTHER PARTS OF THIS IS, UM, ONCE WE ARE, ESPECIALLY OUT FOR OUR NOFO NOFO PARTNERS, UM, THAT IT WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY PUT THEIR INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE.
AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS OF MOVING FORWARD.
HOW DO WE HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN THEN BE A RESOURCE THAT IS NOT BEING GRANT DEPENDENT SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO GROW, IS AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
DIRECTOR WILLIAMS, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARD THAT MR. LEVINE, I SEE YOU AGAIN.
UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL PIECES AND SO I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE NONPROFIT SERIES TRAINING AND THEN THE TRAINING FOR, UM, FOR-PROFITS.
WILL, I GUESS BUSINESSES BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT TRAINING ON AN ONGOING BASIS? WILL WILL THERE BE LIKE, SOME CONTINUAL TRAINING? UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THINGS CHANGE YEAR TO YEAR AND HONESTLY PEOPLE JUST NEED REFRESHERS FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
SO, SO WILL THAT BE, UM, SOMETHING THAT'S AVAILABLE ON AN ONGOING BASIS? I THINK OUR LEARNING THAT BOTH ON THE NONPROFIT SIDE AS WELL AS FOR-PROFIT SIDE, I WON'T, UH, SPEAK FOR REGINA NOR, UH, ANTHONY ON THOSE MATTERS, BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE BOTH HERE.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE PLAN IS AS A DIRECTOR OF THE SMALL BUSINESS CENTER FOR US TO HAVE AND HOST THESE VERY FREQUENTLY.
I KNOW THAT REGINA IS PUTTING TOGETHER A SERIES BASED ON THE NONPROFIT, AND I AM THINKING THAT THEY WILL PROBABLY BE, BE VERY SIMILAR TO A SERIES THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST, WHICH WAS A FOOD SERIES IN WHICH WE HAD THE SERIES GO SEVEN WEEKS AND IT WAS DONE TWICE A YEAR.
UH, IN THIS CASE IT MAY BE DONE MORE FREQUENTLY.
ANTHONY, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE FOR-PROFIT, UH, SESSIONS AND TRAINING THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN PROVIDING TO SOME OF THE FOR-PROFITS, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT HOW YOU ALL HAVE PUT THAT FORMAT TOGETHER.
UH, MEETING BOARD, UM, SOME OF THE, UM, OUTREACHES THAT WE ARE TRYING TO COORDINATE, UM, OUR FOCUS ON BUSINESSES AND WHERE THEY ARE ON THEIR PARTICULAR LEVELS, UM, WHAT WE'RE PARTNERING WITH OUR
[00:50:01]
LOCAL, UH, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS IF THERE ARE BUSINESSES THAT WE CAN'T FUND, THEY DON'T MEET OUR CRITERIA, WE DON'T WANT TO JUST SEND THEM AWAY.WE, WHAT, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS PROVIDE 'EM WITH OTHER RESOURCES SUCH AS CDFI, SUCH AS OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS THAT CAN ASSIST THEM.
AND THEN WE GO EVEN DEEPER WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS A BUSINESS PLAN, WHAT IS A PRO FORMA, WHAT IS A BALANCE SHEET PROBLEM, A LOSS STATEMENT.
SO WE GET VERY, WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE WE'RE GETTING GRANULAR FOR THESE BUSINESSES ACCORDING TO BUSINESS LEVEL.
SO WE DON'T, WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS HAVE A STARTUP FIRM WHO, AND WE MAY BE ON SUBJECT MATTERS THAT MAY BE WELL BEYOND THEM.
SO WE TRY TO, UH, CUSTOMIZE OUR OUTREACHES TO BUSINESSES ACCORDING TO BUSINESS LEVEL.
AND THAT WAY NOW WE HAVE AN EFFECTIVE CONVERSATION.
WE CAN HAVE A THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATION BASED ON WHERE THEY ARE.
AND SO FAR IT'S BEEN THE OUTREACHES WITH OUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY BEEN PRETTY, PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
AND SO WE WANT TO KIND OF CONTINUE THAT AND NOT JUST DO TOPICAL CONVERSATIONS.
UH, DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, MR. LEVINE? YEAH, UH, SOMEWHAT.
UM, I THINK I, I SEE IT FORMING AND I THINK OVER TIME IT'S JUST GONNA EVOLVE.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AS A BOARD MEMBER, I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO KIND OF FORECAST IN THE FUTURE AND, AND, AND HELP WITH SOME THINGS I KIND OF SEE COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE.
AS A PRESENTER,
UM, AS WE START TO ENGAGE WITH OUR, OUR LOCAL FUNDERS, WHAT WE FIRST WANTED TO DO WAS DEMONSTRATE TO OUR COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE NOT IN COMPETITION.
AND THAT HAS CREATED SOME INTERESTING CONFIDENCE, SOME INTERESTING, UH, DIALOGUE THAT FOLKS ARE SO USED TO BANKS COMPETING AGAINST EACH OTHER AND NOT WORKING WITH EACH OTHER.
AND SO THAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE FROM THE, FROM THE, UH, AUDIENCE HAS BEEN GREAT WITH OUR PARTNERS.
THEY LIKE THAT TOO, BECAUSE THEY WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS.
THEY WANT TO ENGAGE WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND, UM, IF THEY CAN'T, IF THEY EVEN BEING, DOING, PROVIDING GAP FUNDING, UH, WHERE IF THEY, FOR, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT GAP FUNDING IS, IS IF, IF A BUSINESS, UH, NEEDS SOME OTHER ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, THEY CAN GIVE THESE OTHER FUNDING SOURCES AND THESE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO, SO WE'RE HAVING GOOD CONVERSATION AND IT'S PART STARTING TO DEVELOP EVEN MORE, MORE, MORE AND MOMENTUM AS MORE BANKS ARE NOW COMING TO OUR COMMUNITY, SUCH AS MR. BANK.
UM, UH, THE, THE CONTACT THERE, HE'S BEEN REALLY ENGAGED WITH US.
IN FACT, OUR LAST, UH, OUTREACH EVENT, WE HAD ACPA AND, AND AGAIN, FOR THOSE BUSINESSES THAT ARE, THAT NEED, ACPA, UH, THIS INDIVIDUAL WENT A LITTLE BIT DEEPER WHERE THE AUDIENCE UNDERSTOOD THEM.
SO NOW WE HAVE CPAS, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, CITY OF DALLAS AS SMALL BUSINESS CENTER, TRYING TO REALLY ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE ON WHERE THEY ARE AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ANSWERING THEIR QUESTIONS, AND THEN THEY WANT 'EM TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, UM, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR US TO GET THINGS PROCESSED? AND WE HAVE STRAIGHT TALK WITH THEM.
AND SO IT'S BEEN A VERY INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT.
SO YES, IT, IT, IT IS, WE HAVE MORE BANKS IN THOSE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TALK AMONG EACH OTHER, AND NOW THEY'RE TELLING THEM ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO REALLY GET SOME GOOD MOMENTUM GOING, AND NOT JUST FOR, FOR-PROFITS, BUT WE WANT TO ALSO FOCUS ON OUR NON-PROFITS AS WELL.
UH, MS. REGINA, DID YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO, TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING ON THE NONPROFIT SIDE, YOUR
[00:55:01]
PROGRAM? UM, I'LL JUST SAY IT'S COMING.MY, MY TRAINING WAS VERY VALUABLE AND GETTING A CERTIFICATION FOR NONPROFITS AND I LEARNED A LOT FROM THAT.
AND JUST TRYING TO GET TO THE POINTS WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY START SOMETHING HOPEFULLY IN THE SPRING FOR THESE CLASSES.
AND I THINK SEVEN WEEKS ARE EFFECTIVE CLASSES.
WHEN PEOPLE ARE SERIOUS, THEY MAKE IT, AND WHEN THEY'RE NOT SO SERIOUS, THEY DON'T MAKE IT.
BUT SIX OR SEVEN WEEK COURSES, TWO TO THREE TIMES A YEAR IS WHAT I'M LOOKING TO DO.
UM, MS. SIMS, I SEE YOUR HAND.
UM, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE OFFERING, UM, CLASSES AND TRAININGS THAT BUILD CAPACITY AND, UM, PEOPLE WHO APPLY FOR FUNDING WITH US, UM, EXCUSE ME, WITH CURRENT CLIENTS.
I'M WONDERING TOO, UM, ARE WE PROVIDING ANY KIND OF SUPPLEMENTAL TRAINING IN PREPARING, UH, FOR THESE FOLKS TO DEAL, UM, WITH THE AUDITS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS THAT COME WITH THE CONTRACTS WITH THE CITIES, WITH THE CITY? I KNOW SOMETIMES WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WHO ARE NEW IN BUSINESS OR IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A, A FAIRLY NEW, UM, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION AND I KNOW, UH, LOOKING AT PREVIOUS CITY DOCUMENTS THAT THAT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT INTIMIDATING.
SO ARE WE ALSO HELPING THEM TO PREPARE FOR THE TIMES WHEN THE AUDITOR HAS TO COME OUT AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ALL THEY'RE SIGNING UP FOR, UM, WHEN THEY SIGN A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
WE HAVE A COMPLIANCE UNIT, UH, THAT WE HAVE THAT'S INTERNAL TO THE SMALL BUSINESS CENTER.
UH, THE COMPLIANCE UNIT IS, WE HAVE A COMPLIANCE UNIT FOR THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SIDE, AND WE HAVE A COMPLIANCE UNIT FOR THE GRANT SIGN.
THAT COMPLIANCE UNIT WORKS TOGETHER WITH THE EITHER NONPROFIT OR A SMALL BUSINESS.
UH, PROVIDES AN ORIENTATION AT THE POINT IN WHICH THEY HAVE A GRANT ABOUT THE PAYMENTS, THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE GRANT, THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CITY OF DALLAS, AS WELL AS MEETS WITH THEM, UH, THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND PRIOR TO AN AUDIT.
WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE A SIX MONTH AUDIT OF ALL RECORDS AND, UH, OF ALL OF THE LOANS, OF THE GRANTS FOR PROFITS AND FOR NON-PROFITS.
AND THIS IS THE COMPLIANCE UNIT THAT ACTUALLY WALKS WITH THEM AND HOLDS THEIR HAND THROUGH THE PROCESS AND, AND TELLS 'EM WHAT THINGS TO EXPECT, WHAT TYPE OF FORMS THEY NEED, WALK THROUGH ALL OF THE CONTRACT FORMS AND THE CONTRACT.
NOW, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, OF COURSE, A BUSINESS HAVING ITSELF AUDIT AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CITY TO HAVE COMPLIANCE IN THE AUDITS OF THAT.
BUT WE DO WALK 'EM THROUGH THE CITY, AS YOU SAID, THE CITY REQUIREMENTS AND THE CITY AUDITS OF RECORDS AND HOW LONG THOSE RECORDS HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED, THE CHECKLIST THAT IS THEN BEING MONITORED.
UM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED AS FAR AS COMPLIANCE WITH THE CITY.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, STUDENTS? THANK YOU.
I KNOW IT CAN BE, UM, SOMETIMES IT JUST CAN BE DAUNTING TO LOOK AT THE COMPLIANCE AND AUDITING REQUIREMENTS AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE MEETING 'EM.
SO THANK YOU FOR OFFERING THAT EXTRA, UM, HELPING HAND.
THANK YOU, MS. SIMS. THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO PUT IN PROCESS SINCE, UH, 2022 SINCE WE, UH, GOT THIS FUND.
BUT ALSO IN 2021 WE HAD A BALANCED INVESTMENT FUND, SO WE'RE BUILDING A STRUCTURE, UH, THAT IS REQUIRED AS WELL.
'CAUSE THOSE THINGS WERE NOT IN PLACE.
EDWARD WILLIAMS. UH, ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, MS I JUST WANTED TO, UH, AND CONGRATULATE YOU ALL.
THIS IS HARD OR I KNOW WITH REGARD TO ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY, IT CAN BE, UM, UH, EXCITING BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF EFFORT THAT YOU PUT INTO IT, AS WELL AS THE LEVEL OF EXPERTISE THAT THEY BRING.
UM, EVERYONE'S EXCITED ABOUT RUNNING A BUSINESS, BUT NOT EVERYONE KNOWS HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS.
AND SO WITH REGARD TO YOUR EFFORTS AND THINGS THAT YOU'VE PUT IN PLACE, PARTICULARLY ON THE COMPLIANCE SIDE AS WELL AS THE MARKETING SIDE, UM, THE FINANCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SIDE, THOSE ARE TOOLS THAT I THINK WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARD HELPING AWARDEES NOT ONLY BE SUCCESSFULLY AWARDED FUNDS, BUT TO SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT.
SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
[01:00:02]
THANK YOU, MR. DOLIN.UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MR. MARQUEZ? I SEE YOU'RE OFF MUTE.
DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT QUESTION OR YOU JUST OFF MUTE THERE, MR. MARQUEZ? OKAY.
WE'LL, I JUST HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
DO, DO YOU IMAGINE THERE'S, THERE'S GONNA BE, UM, I GUESS RAMP UP OF STAFF.
IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF WORK COMING DOWN THE PIPE, SO I MEAN, IT'S ALL GOOD STUFF, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A LOT OF WORK.
SO DO YOU IMAGINE SBC IS GONNA RAMP UP STAFF? MR. LEVINE? YOU ARE CORRECT.
IT IS A LOT OF WORK AND, UH, WE STARTED OFF IN 2021 WITH 11 STAFF.
MM-HMM,
UH, OUR OFFICE WAS NOT IMMUNE TO THAT AT ALL AS WELL.
SO WE HAD PROPOSED TWO NEW STAFF AND THEN WE GOT, UH, WE DID NOT GET THOSE TWO NEW STAFF APPROVED IN A POSITION.
BUT THAT IS NOT, THAT IS NOT UNLIKE ANY OTHER STAFF, UH, AND OTHER, UM, DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE CITY.
SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE DO, UM, BECAUSE OF THE, BECAUSE SMALL BUSINESSES AND, UH, NON-PROFIT BUSINESSES ARE NOT GONNA STOP NEEDING.
AND WHAT WE DO NOT WANT TO DO IS GO BACK TO WHERE WE WERE IN 20 20, 20, 20 11 TO 2021.
SO, UM, I KNOW I DID NOT ASK, ASK IT, ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, BUT I JUST SAID THAT SO THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE USING THE CITY TAXPAYER'S DOLLARS VERY WISELY.
AND I THINK WE ARE, AND YOU ARE VERY RIGHT.
WE ARE DEBITED ON STAFF, HOWEVER, WE'RE NOT GONNA USE THAT AS AN EXCUSE TO NOT CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO AT THE BEST LEVEL THAT WE CAN DO IT.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? OH, YEAH.
UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? HEARING NONE.
SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
WE'LL BACKTRACK A LITTLE BIT, UH, BACKTRACK TO ITEM NUMBER SIX.
I JUST WANNA MENTION FOR THE RECORD, DFW DOG LIVES IS ON THE AGENDA, UH, FOR AN UPDATE.
UH, THEY HAD SOMETHING COME UP AND THEY NEEDED TO, TO PUSH, SO WE'LL RESCHEDULE THEM, UH, FOR ANOTHER MEETING.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE A QUICK NOTE OF THAT.
AND THEN ROUNDING OUT, UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER NINE, WHICH IS, UH, DISCUSS THE NUMBER FOR 2024 POLICE STATE AND OUTREACH STRATEGIES, UH, IN INTEREST, INTERESTING TIME.
I'M GONNA HOLD THIS ONE FOR THE NEXT MEETING, BUT, BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS THINK ABOUT, UH, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE, BE SOME OF THE OUTREACH STRATEGIES IN TERMS OF INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS, WHAT WILL BE THE DATES OF THOSE AND SOME OF THE LOCATIONS.
AND THEN ALSO LET'S TALK ABOUT, UH, SOME DATES, SOME ACTUAL RELEASE DATES.
SO, UH, UH, LET'S HOLD THAT DISCUSSION FOR NEXT MINUTES.
SO WE GATHER THAT INFORMATION, SO WE GATHER OUR THOUGHTS AND HAVE A PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION AROUND THAT.
UM, OUTSIDE OF THAT, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, UH, OR SUGGESTIONS FROM THE BOARD ON THAT ITEM? IF NOT, HEARING NONE, UH, WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER 10 TO ADJOURNS.
UH, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO, WHO, MR. DOGGS IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
UH, I THINK THAT WAS MR. HUGHES.
A MEETINGS ADJOURNED IS SEVEN 30.