[00:00:04]
[Dallas Park and Recreation Board on December 7, 2023.]
THIS DALLAS PARKS AND RECREATIONS THAT BOARD MEETINGS BORDER.THIS IS THE ONLY MEETING IN DECEMBER, SO THANK YOU FOR WEARING YOUR PRETTY CHRISTMAS SWEATERS.
WELL, I WANT TO START BY JUST GIVING YOU A LITTLE UPDATE, WHICH YOU ALSO THE REPORT ON WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING WITH THE BOND.
UH, FIRST I WANT TO START BY THANKING THE DIRECTOR, KIN AND STAFF FOR THE WORK THEY DID.
AND THEY REALLY NEED, YOU KNOW, YOUR POST KEEPS ON CHANGING.
IT'S NOT AN EASY JOB TO DO, BUT THEY KEEP ON DOING IT AND THEY KEEP ON DOING WITH THE PASSION.
HE WAS IMPROMPTU QUESTIONED ABOUT THE ONM AND HE REALLY GAVE A VERY COMPELLING ANSWER.
BUT I THINK THE PROCESS, AS YOU SAY, UH, ONE GOOD NEWS IS THAT NOW MY JOB IS THE TASK FORCE CHAIR IS OVER.
SO I'M A FULLTIME PRIVATE BOARD PRESIDENT,
SO THE FIGHT IS AND OVER, LET ME TELL YOU THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE STILL ARE GOING TO STICK TO THE NUMBERS, WHICH WE DID, AND IF WE CUT IT, I THINK THAT REALLY WILL SHOW THAT HOW, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL WAS TALKING ABOUT EQUITY, THAT HOW IT CAN HURT THE EQUITY THROUGHOUT THE CITYWIDE.
SO I THINK WE'LL GO WITH THE COMPELLING REASONS AND MY REQUEST AND, UH, TO YOU ALL AS THE PROCESS COMES, PLEASE, PLEASE SPREAD WORD TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE NEED GRASSROOTS PARTICIPATION.
WE REALLY NEED TO SHOW TO THE COUNCIL THAT IT MATTERS TO THE PEOPLE ABOUT THE PARKS.
YES, AS I SAID IN MY PRESENTATION, OTHER ISSUES DO MATTER, BUT YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EITHER OR.
SO PARKS SHOULD NOT BE LOOKED AS, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY IT SEEMS LIKE PARKS ARE BEING DEMONIZED.
CERTAINLY PARKS ARE BEING, UH, MADE THE BAD BOYS OF THE CITY AND THAT THAT'S NOT HOW IT SHOULD BE HAPPENING.
SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU KNOW, NOW THIS IS THE ONLY JOB I HAVE AND I I WOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT.
AND THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TOO, FOR BEING, YOU KNOW, SUCH AN ACTIVE, UH, UH, PARTICIPANT AND BEING THERE AND, UH, LISTENING TO WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THAT, UH, I'LL GET TO, UH, UH, YES, UH, UH, MR. GOLDSTEIN, UM, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU IN YOUR CAPACITY OF THE COMMITTEE BOND TASK FORCE CHAIR FOR SITTING OUT THERE BY YOURSELF REPRESENTING, AS YOU SAID, 90 PEOPLE ON THE BOND TASK FORCE ON SUBCOMMITTEES, UM, AND THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY THAT WAS EXPRESSED TO US THAT WERE ON THE BOND TASK FORCE AND THE SUBCOMMITTEES OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST, THOSE SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS.
UM, YOU DID A REALLY GREAT JOB, UM, REPRESENTING THOSE VIEWPOINTS AND I KNOW IT WAS GREAT SACRIFICE, PARTIALLY ALLY TO SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY AND, UH, JUST REALLY APPRECIATED THE JOB YOU DID.
AND THEN ALSO, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT YESTERDAY WAS AN IMPORTANT DAY FOR THE PUBLIC TO COME OUT.
WE HAD GOOD REPRESENTATION FROM SOME OF THE GROUPS.
SO, UM, LYOR AND THE TRAINING, AUDUBON, WHITE ROCK HILLS, THE SKATERS, UM, UH, CLY WARN PARK WAS THERE.
UH, THIS NEW, FIRST AND FOREMOST DID A GREAT JOB REPRESENTING, UH, OTHER FELL THAT WHOEVER I MISS, BUT, UM, BUT WE, BUT WE NEED MORE, UH, PUBLIC ADVOCACY FROM THE PARK FOLKS.
'CAUSE I WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN A LOT MORE REPRESENTATION IN THE, IN THE CHAMBER YESTERDAY.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF FOLKS UNDERSTOOD HOW IMPORTANT THAT THAT WAS.
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY GONNA NEED THAT, UH, IN THE MONTHS GOING FORWARD.
BUT THANK YOU ROOM FOR THANK YOU FOR, APPRECIATE YOU, MAN.
AND SCOTT RIGHTLY SAID, HEY, ADD OVER TILL IT'S OVER.
AND THAT'S WHAT MAYBE I THINK ONCE WE ACHIEVE THE TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION, I THINK MAYBE, YOU KNOW, GOT A LITTLE TOO COMFORTABLE.
BUT WE JUST HAVE TO LEARN TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE UNTIL THE TIME WE GET THE JOB DONE.
SO, UH, MR. CON, YEAH, I JUST WANNA REITERATE WHAT MR. GOLDSTEIN SAID, AND UM, ALSO THANK MR. JENKINS, DIRECTOR JENKINS FOR YESTERDAY.
I WAS PRETTY APPALLED ABOUT HOW DISRESPECTFUL SOME PEOPLE WERE TO YOU YESTERDAY, UM, IN PUBLIC.
AND SO I WANT TO PUBLICLY SAY THAT, UM, YOU ARE THE DIRECTOR AND YOU ARE THE LEADER.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT PEOPLE CAN BE, CAN GET AWAY WITH BEING MEAN.
UM, SO, AND SAME THING WITH YOU, UM, MAROON, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH YOU AND TIM AND THE OTHER ONE, AND SCOTT AND SOME OTHER PEOPLE THAT SERVED ON PRISCILLA AND SERVED ON THE COMMUNITY BOND TASK FORCE.
UM, YOUR LEADERSHIP WAS SHOWN THROUGH YESTERDAY.
AND SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BOTH GUYS.
[00:05:01]
THANK YOU MR. BONNER.I APPRECIATE AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL, THE BOARD AND ALL OUR PARTNERS.
UH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER ON IN THIS PROCESS, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE BOND PROGRAM, IT'S GONNA BE AN UGLY PROCESS.
IT'S JUST FOR WHATEVER REASON, EVERY SEVEN YEARS, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S FIGHTING FOR THAT LITTLE, FOR THAT PIECE OF THE PIE.
IT WASN'T DISAPPOINTING TO HEAR FOLKS TRY TO PIT THE PARK DEPARTMENT AGAINST ALL THE OTHER PROPOSITIONS.
NEVER IN MY LIFETIME BEING A DIRECTOR OR BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR 30 YEARS, HAVE I EVER SEEN THAT? THAT IS VERY DISAPPOINTING.
PARKS IS ALL ABOUT HOW DO WE BRING EQUITY? HOW DO WE BRING OPPORTUNITIES TO THE ENTIRE PARK SYSTEM AND FOR OTHER FOLKS TO TRY TO PICK PARKS AGAINST OTHER COMPOSITIONS.
IT'S NOT AN EITHER OR IS FOR THE COUNCIL TO DECIDE BASED ON THE INFORMATION THEY RECEIVE, WHAT THEY FEEL LIKE IS BEST FOR THE CITY BASED ON WHAT THEY RECEIVE FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT PROPOSITIONS, WHAT THEY HEAR FROM THEIR CONSTITUENCY.
BUT THIS IS NOT ABOUT PARKS AGAINST HOUSING, PARKS AGAINST POLICE.
WE ARE ONE ELEMENT OF THE SOLUTION IN THIS CITY THAT MAKE PEOPLE WANNA LIVE HERE.
AND AS THE DIRECTOR, IT IS MY JOB.
IT IS MY JOB TO MAKE OUR CASE WHY PARKS ARE IMPORTANT.
ALL I ASK, I WISH PEOPLE WOULD QUIT TRYING TO MAKE PARKS AN ENEMY.
'CAUSE WE'RE NOT, WE'RE ONE ELEMENT OF THE SOLUTION IN THIS CITY.
YOU KNOW THAT THAT PASSION COMES THROUGH AND NOW WE NEED TO TAKE THAT, UH, PASSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE GRASSROOTS.
UH, MR. NER, THANK YOU, UH, MR. PRESIDENT.
IT'S GONNA SOUND LIKE WHAT SCOTT AND LANE JUST SAID, BUT THANK YOU, UH, FOR WHAT YOU DID.
UH, I KNOW THAT WAS A LONG DAY YESTERDAY.
UH, YOU HAD A LOT OF DIFFICULT QUESTIONS AND, UH, YOU REPRESENTED, UH, DEPARTMENT EXTREMELY WELL.
YOU REPRESENTED THE ENTIRE TASK FORCE EXTREMELY WELL.
UH, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE HUNDREDS OF HOURS THAT YOU ALL PUT INTO THIS EFFORT.
UH, THE PARKS NEEDS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE 350 MILLION NUMBER THAT WE CAME DOWN TO.
AND, UH, JUST THE WORK THAT YOU ALL PUT INTO IT WAS OUTSTANDING AND IT IS MUCH APPRECIATED BY ALL OF US.
UM, WE'VE JUST GOTTA GET ALL OF OUR FRIENDS GROUPS AND, UM, COALITIONS AND EVERYBODY WHO SUPPORTS PARKS BECAUSE PARKS IS, UH, CRITICAL ELEMENT OF, YOU KNOW, THE, WHAT WE NEED IN DALLAS AND IMPROVING OUR SOCIETY PARKS.
SOMETHING THAT OFFERS NOT ONLY, UH, HAVEN FOR PEOPLE TO RECREATE, BUT ALSO AN ECONOMIC RETURN ON ALMOST ALL THESE PROJECTS.
AND SO, UH, AS A COMPONENT OF THE MINISTRY OF HAPPINESS IS FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER KLEINMAN CALLED IT WITH THE ARTS AND LIBRARIES, IT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT WE REMIND ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS AND, UH, COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS TO GET OUT AND ADVOCATE ON THESE IMPORTANT PROPOSITIONS.
I I, I GOTTA ADD THIS MR. POINT.
I, I MEANT TO MAKE, YOUR HONOR, YOU GOTTA UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF THIS PARK SYSTEM.
AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE CRITICIZING US, WE WANT TO CONTINUE INVEST IN THE PARK SYSTEM.
WHAT THEY FORGET IS, IN THE LATE NINETIES, WE WEREN'T INVESTING IN THIS PARK SYSTEM.
WE WAS DE INVESTING IN THE PARK SYSTEM.
PARK SYSTEM WAS AN AFTERTHOUGHT.
NO ONE WANTED TO LIVE AROUND A PARK 'CAUSE WE WEREN'T MAKING INVESTMENTS IN THE PARKS.
TODAY, PEOPLE WANNA LIVE AROUND OUR PARKS, AND IT'S ONLY BECAUSE THE CITY COUNCIL AND BOARDS AND THE CITIZENS OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS HAVE DECIDED WE WANT PARKS TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION, NOT PART OF THE PROBLEM.
LIKE THEY WERE IN THE NINETIES.
AND I GOTTA REMIND PEOPLE OF THAT, PRETEND TO FORGET IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE HAVE, THIS NATIONAL RECOGNIZED PARK SYSTEM.
IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT PEOPLE NOW WANNA LIVE AROUND OUR PARKS.
IT'S BECAUSE OF THEIR INVESTMENTS.
NOW THAT DEVELOPERS WANNA MAKE SURE PARKS OR TRAILS IS ONE OF THEIR FIRST CHOICE WHEN THEY DECIDE TO BUILD RESIDENTIAL NOW.
BUT PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE AMNESIA AND FORGET WHERE WE USED TO BE.
AND AS THE PARK DIRECTOR, I CAN'T LET US GO BACK THERE.
IT WAS A PARK SYSTEM WE WAS ASHAMED OF.
BUT NOW IT IS A PARK SYSTEM THAT PEOPLE ARE PROUD OF AND WE CAN'T GO BACK TO ADD TO THAT DIRECTOR JENKINS, I THINK THE HOUSING THERE IS A NEED, BUT MOST OF THE AFFORDABLE
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HOUSING IS COMING AROUND.THERE'S ALREADY A PROJECT GOING LOOK AROUND CHARLES ROSE PARK BECAUSE THAT BECOMES AN AMENITY TO INCENTIVIZE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN BOX ON A SOLUTION.
MS. MONTE, I, I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM WHO SPENT THEIR EXTRA VOLUNTEER TIME TO REALLY PARTICIPATE IN THIS, UH, THE BOND COMMITTEES AND THIS EFFORT TO REALLY COME TOGETHER AND TO SHOW EVERYBODY HOW IMPORTANT PARKS ARE.
UM, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME BEFORE BEING ON THE PARK BOARD AT CPC AS A, AN ACTIVIST AND SEEING HOW THE DEVELOPERS CAME INTO NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND BECAUSE OF GENTRIFICATION, BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, SO MUCH DISPLACEMENT.
UM, SO YES, HOUSING MATTERS, BUT THIS, THIS BOND MONEY IS NOT THEIR SOLUTION.
LIKE THE, THE MONEY THAT CAN GO TO PARKS, UM, WITH CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND PARK BOARD AND COMMITTEES COMING AND GOING POTENTIALLY EVERY TWO YEARS.
THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACE YOU CAN PUT YOUR MONEY TO IS IN OUR PARK SYSTEM.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE THE MOST SOLID INVESTMENT.
UM, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANYBODY WITH HOUSING THAT'S ACTUALLY GONNA, THERE'S THE OVERSIGHT WITH ALL THESE DEVELOPERS AND THEY WANT THE RETURN ON THEIR INVESTMENT, YOU KNOW, DOUBLED AND ALL THAT.
I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS THE SOLUTION FOR THEM IN THIS BOND.
UM, AND SO IT'S REALLY SAD 'CAUSE I DO BELIEVE IN, YOU KNOW, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND HOUSING, BUT I REALLY BELIEVE THAT BOTH THIS SPECIFIC BOND AND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR PARKS IS THE BEST SOLUTION.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT IS, IT, IT IS.
JUST WANNA THANK EVERYBODY WHO STOOD UP THERE TO FIGHT FOR US.
I'LL KEEP ON REMINDING IT AND OVER.
SO LET'S JUST KEEP WRITING MR. KARIMI.
I JUST WANNA ECHO A FEW COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES AND SOME SPECIAL THANKS.
UH, IF YOUR JOB WAS EASY, ANYONE COULD DO IT.
YOU WERE SELECTED BECAUSE YOU HAVE A, YOU DO A GRACE AND DIGNITY AND YOU PUT THAT BIG GRACIOUS, GENEROUS PART OF YOURS INTO EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
YOU MADE US LOOK REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
UH, DIRECTOR JENKINS, UH, YOU WENT IN YESTERDAY WITH THAT SWAGGER AND CONFIDENCE THAT WE ALL WANT YOU TO ALWAYS ASK.
MM-HMM, MR. O'CONNOR, I KNOW THEY WERE UP THERE AS WELL.
UH, THOSE CONVERSATIONS WEREN'T EASY.
SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS WEREN'T FRIENDLY, UH, BUT YOU DID IT WITH THAT SWAGGER AND CONFIDENCE THAT WE ALL ENCOURAGE ALL OF ALL OF US TO HAVE.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, I JUST WANT TO GIVE, UH, JUST A QUICK SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT 14 PARTNERS AND FRIEND LOVERS, UH, PARK LOVERS WHO DID SHOW UP YESTERDAY.
UH, PEARL CREEK CONSERVANCY WAS THERE, SKATE PARKS FOR DALLAS, WAS THERE FRIENDS OF EXALT PARK AND CLYDE WARREN PARK WAS THERE.
UM, I I, I WISH WE HAD MORE PARK LOVERS OUT THERE AND THAT, THAT'S JUST A SUBSET OF, UH, THE PARK GROUPS THAT WERE OUT THERE.
BUT, UH, WE DEFINITELY NEEDED MORE PEOPLE WEARING GREEN.
WE DEFINITELY NEEDED MORE PARK LOVERS OUT THERE.
UH, BUT, BUT WE ALL DID WHAT WE COULD.
AND, AND THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR STAYING
AT LEAST THERE WAS ONE FRIENDLY FACE IN THE AUDIENCE, RIGHT? UH, IT WAS A LONG DAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THANK EVERYBODY ON YOUR COMMITTEES FOR SHOWING UP ALL THOSE WEEKS AND WEEKS OF PUTTING ALTOGETHER.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO SAY IT WAS, UM, IT WAS DISAPPOINTING TO SEE AFTER SO MUCH HARD WORK AND THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE THAT, UH, IT WAS A QUICK SWERVE TO THE WHATEVER THE STAFF CAME UP WITH AS THE RECOMMENDATION WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING.
BUT I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, USE THIS TIME.
UH, TO YOUR POINT, I THINK WE HAD NOT ENOUGH REPRESENTATION FOR PARKS THERE.
I THINK, UH, IT WAS A VERY STRATEGIC MOVE FOR THE FOLKS THAT WERE POLITICKING FOR, FOR HOUSING MONEY WORKED REALLY WELL.
UM, SO I THINK THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR IMPASSIONED SPEECH THAT YOU GAVE RIGHT NOW WITH SOME KIND OF STATEMENT FROM PARK AND REC SAYING EXACTLY WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS NOT AN EITHER OR.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR CITY AND THE GROWTH AND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME KIND OF STATEMENT LIKE THAT AND SORT OF A, A CALL TO ARMS FOR THE FOLKS THAT WILL SUPPORT US.
BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW WE HATE GETTING THOSE EMAILS.
AND IF WE CAN GET
HOUSING, EVERYTHING'S IMPORTANT, BUT LET'S NOT SACRIFICE ANY ONE CATEGORY.
SO I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE SOME KIND OF RALLY AND CRY, BECAUSE I THINK THE WAY IT WAS LEFT RUDE, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THEY BASICALLY SAID, START WITH THE STAFF'S NUMBERS AND WE'LL COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT IT SOME MORE, WHICH MEANS WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVE A VERY SHORT WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY GO OUT THERE AND SAY THOSE THINGS THAT YOU JUST SAID.
SO I, I WOULD IMPLORE YOU FOR ANYBODY THAT HAS SUPPORT GROUPS TO REACH OUT TO THEM, IF WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF STATEMENT,
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UM, AS A DEPARTMENT TO SAY, THIS IS OUR STANCE.I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S JUST GONNA BE A WHOLE LOT MORE CONVERSATION BEFORE THEY GET BACK IN THE ROOM TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH THE FINAL NUMBER.
AND MS. HASSMAN, YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, A YEAR WORTH OF, UH, PUBLIC'S WORK, WHICH WAS DONE, WAS WASHED OFF BY ONE STROKE BY SAYING, TAKE THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
AMEN WAS IT WAS A DISHONOR TO 90 VOLUNTEERS WHO GAVE THEIR TIME.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT, UH, AND I WANT TO BE ON THE RECORD TO SAY IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS PLANNED BY STAFF LIKE THAT BECAUSE THEY DID NOT EVEN WANT TO GIVE ME A BRIEFING.
THEY JUST WANTED TO HAVE A BRIEFING WHERE I SIT NEXT TO THEM AND LISTEN TO WHAT THEY PROPOSE.
AND THAT'S THE REASON I DID A SEPARATE BRIEFING.
BUT A JOB BECOMES A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT FOR WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE.
BUT I REPEAT IT, IT CAN OVER IS ARE WE GONNA GET A, A TIMELINE? ARE WE GONNA, IS THERE'S A BOND UPDATE LATER? ARE WE GONNA SPEAK TO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO AT, FROM A STAFF STANDPOINT?
SO WE WILL CALL A COUPLE OF SPECIAL MEETINGS FOR SURE.
SO I THINK LET LET THIS SETTLE, LET HIM MAKE A PLAN, AND THEN I'LL TRY TO SEE WITH THE SCHEDULE OF MOST OF US LOWER OUT, I'LL TAKE A POLL.
AND BASED ON THAT, WE WILL HAVE TO CALL SOME, WE, WE, THIS IS THE ONLY OFFICIAL SCHEDULED MEETING, BUT WE MIGHT BE WEARING SOME MORE UGLY SWEATERS IN THE SECOND
I AM NOT FOR SURE YET, BUT THERE MAY BE ONE NEXT THURSDAY.
I DON'T KNOW WHO NEEDS, I WOULD, I HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT TOMORROW MORNING.
SO Y'ALL WILL GET A NOTICE AND IF YOU CAN AT LEAST HOLD THAT DATE FOR THEM.
BUT I NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND, UH, I MEAN THAT HE PUT IT TO YOU LAST NIGHT AND SAID, COME BACK TO ME WITH WHAT YOU WOULD SPEND 225 ON.
AND I JUST NEED TO KNOW WHEN HE PLANNED ON TRYING TO BRIEF THE COUNCIL, I CAN WAIT TILL JANUARY.
UH, BUT DO I NEED TO BRING THE BOARD BACK SO SOON? I DON'T KNOW YET.
DEPENDS ON WHEN THEY PLAN ON BRIEFING THE COUNCIL IN JANUARY.
I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT WHEN WE MAKE THOSE CUTS, IT'S GONNA FIRE UP A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND, AND, AND THAT WAS ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS TRYING TO CONVEY TO THE COUNCIL YESTERDAY EVENING.
UM, UH, YOU THINK THE NUMBER MAY BE 2 75, THEN LET US WORK FROM 2 75, NO SENSE HAVING ANOTHER CUT OF 50 MILLION WHEN WE WORK UP A WHOLE NOTHER GROUP, THEN MAYBE YOU DON'T NEED TO WORK UP.
BUT THIS IS THE PROCESS AND WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA PARTICIPATE AND DO WHAT WE'RE ASKING.
I GUESS MY POINT IS BY, BY PRESENTING THAT NEWLY REDUCE NUMBER THAT MIGHT INSPIRE SOME PEOPLE TO BE A LITTLE MORE GENEROUS IN THEIR RAISING THAT 2 25 NUMBER.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON THAT I WOULD SEE IT AS A POSITIVE, UH, EXERCISE.
IT ALLOW THEM TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION KNOWING THAT WHAT DOES THAT CUT TRULY LOOK LIKE? I AGREE.
MS. RICE, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT AGARAL.
UM, JUST WANNA REITERATE WHAT MY COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING TO THANK YOU AND TO A DIRECTOR JENKINS AND ALL OF THESE FIERCE ADVOCATES IN THIS ROOM.
IT'S JUST, I MEAN, IT'S JUST SUCH AN HONOR TO BE EVEN BE IN THIS SPACE WITH YOU ALL.
AND, UM, I JUST, SO MUCH GRATITUDE, UM, TOWARDS YOU ALL.
UM, AND YES, YOU ARE, YOU ARE INCREDIBLE.
SO WAS DIRECTOR JENKINS YESTERDAY, UM, ALSO, I, I'M VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE PARKS BEING CALLED AMENITIES.
THERE WAS THIS NARRATIVE THAT'S BEING PUSHED THAT PARKS IS BEING CALLED AMENITIES.
AND, UH, WHEN WE THINK OF EQUITY, MANY OF OUR PARKS AND MANY OF OUR RECREATION CENTERS ARE A LIFELINE FOR OUR FAMILIES.
NOT ONLY IN DISTRICT FIVE AND PLEASANT GROVE, YOU KNOW, UM, CONSIDERING THE POVERTY RATE, BUT CITYWIDE.
I MEAN THE FREE CHILDCARE, THE SERVICES, THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE OFFERED THAT, THAT, UM, WHETHER YOU HAVE MONEY OR NOT, I MEAN, YOU HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
LIKE HOLCOMBE PARK, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE, YOU KNOW, PARKS AND REC HAS INVESTED MONEY.
THERE'S, THEY JUST HAD SECURITY LIGHTS.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE TELLING ME, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SHOWING US THAT YOU CARE ABOUT US.
SO INVESTING IN OUR PARKS, INVESTING IN OUR REC CENTERS, INVESTING IN OUR POOLS, ALL THESE THINGS THAT BRING EQUITY, THAT, THAT GIVE OUR CONSTITUENTS ACCESS TO THESE SERVICES THAT THEY MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE.
I MEAN, I I'M HIGHLY OFFENDED WHEN PEOPLE CALL IT AMENITIES.
I MEAN, I GUESS I, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE I, I, I MEAN OUR COMMUNITY
[00:20:01]
NEEDS THESE THINGS FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.I MEAN, SOME PARENTS WOULDN'T EVEN BE ABLE TO WORK WITHOUT HAVING ACCESS TO THESE SERVICES, WITHOUT AFTERSCHOOL CARE, WITHOUT THE SERVICES DURING THE HOLIDAY BREAKS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND, AND MANY OF THOSE SERVICES ARE FREE.
SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT THAT, UM, I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T LIKE THAT IT'S BEING CALLED AMENITIES.
AND YOU'RE VERY RIGHT, MS. RICE, THE PARKS ARE THE BIGGEST DRIVERS IN THE CHAPEL.
PARKS ARE USED BY THE PEOPLE WHO BE THE MOST THESE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO CAN GO TO COUNTRY CLUBS, THEY CAN GO TO THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENTS.
PARKS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT.
SO TRULY THEY ARE THE BIGGEST EQUITY DRIVERS.
SO YOU ARE VERY LIKE, UH, MR. SLAUGHTER, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, I'M SO PROUD TO, UH, BE A PART OF THIS TEAM WITHOUT LEADERSHIP BEFORE THE PRESIDENT.
UH,
YOU KNOW, PARKS, UH, WE CAN SIT AND SPEND A P AMOUNT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT PARKS.
WE KNOW PARKS, UH, THIS TOWN IN THIS STATE, UH, DKI AND I WERE
SO WHEN YOU HELP PEOPLE, LIKE WE HELP ON THIS BOARD, AND ESPECIALLY I'M A BROKE STAFF AND I ALWAYS SHOW YOU WHEN I GET ON THIS BOARD, THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT YOU DON'T MESS WITH.
AND THE STATE FAIR
JUST DON'T GET THAT BLOOD PRESSURE UP.
AND I THINK IF WE JUST KEEP THINKING LIKE THAT AND KEEP SUPPORTING EACH OTHER, UH, WE'LL BE OKAY.
SO THANK YOU PRESIDENT AND THANK YOU JOHN.
UH, I'VE GOT A STATEMENT AND THEN A QUESTION, UH, ABOUT PARKS', AMENITIES, WHAT MR. SLAUGHTER SAID IS TRUE.
I WAS THE LATCHKEY KID IN MIDWAY HOLLOW ON THE SUMMERS ALONE.
PARK AND REC HAD A-D-I-S-D COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT IN THE NEAREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND EVERY SINGLE DAY IN THE SUMMER, THAT'S WHERE I WENT AND HUNG OUT ALL DAY.
THE, UH, COLLEGE STUDENT THEY HIRED TO RUN THAT PROGRAM TAUGHT ME TO PLAY CHESS, MADE LIFELONG FRIENDS.
THAT WASN'T AN AMENITY, THAT WAS A NECESSITY IN MY YOUNG LIFE.
MY PARENTS WERE RENTERS, NEVER OWNED A HOME.
I'M NOT APOLOGIZING FOR THAT PROUD RENTER.
WE ARE NOT AMENITIES AND, AND, AND WE TALK ABOUT PARKS, BUT RECREATION, THE RECREATION CENTERS CHANGE LIVES.
THE SUB CITY ATTORNEY QUESTION, UNFORTUNATELY, I LEFT AT SIX 15 LAST NIGHT AND DID NOT HEAR THE END OF THE MEETING.
BUT, UH, THIS RELATES TO CHAPTER 17.
AND THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD IT, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THE CITY MANAGER SAID, I RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO THESE NUMBERS.
AND UNLESS THERE WAS A VOTE OF THE COUNCIL, CAN WE, CAN THE CITY MANAGER DIRECT DEPART DEPARTMENT STAFF TO DO THESE REDUCTIONS? I THINK DOING THEM PRO PROACTIVELY, JUST IN CASE IS A GOOD IDEA.
BUT IN TERMS OF PROCESS, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S THE COUNCIL THAT ULTIMATELY WILL TELL US WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE.
AND THEY'VE NOT DONE THAT YET.
AND SO FOR US TO GO HAVE STAFF MODELING BASED ON AN INSTRUCTION FROM THE CITY MANAGER AS OPPOSED TO THE PARK BOARD UNDER CHAPTER 17, AM I RIGHT THAT IF WE WERE TO DO, FOR EXAMPLE, A RESOLUTION? YEAH, EXACTLY.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S TIME TO KIND OF STAND UP IF WE CAN.
UH, AND I DON'T WANT TO WIN THE BATTLE AND LOSE THE WAR, BUT THERE'S A IMPORTANT POINT HERE ABOUT, BECAUSE I 90 PEOPLE, WE GAVE UP ALL THIS TIME ON THIS, ON THESE COMMITTEES AND, AND I WILL BE TALKING TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IF, IF THEY ACCEPT THAT, THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, THEN THEY'VE JUST AGREED TO THROW ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEER HOURS IN OUR EVENINGS OUT THE WINDOW.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE OMAR NOR VICE WOULD DO THAT.
AND SO I THINK IT MIGHT BE TIME TO DO A LITTLE PUSHBACK IF WE'RE ON STRONG LEGAL STANDING TO STAND ON CHAPTER 17 AND SAY, WE CAN TELL STAFF NOT TO DO WHAT THE CITY MANAGER SAID UNTIL THE COUNCIL MAKES A VOTE THAT THEY ULTIMATELY ARE GONNA DO ON THESE NUMBERS.
THAT DID NOT HAPPEN LAST NIGHT, AS I UNDERSTAND IT.
[00:25:01]
SO THAT'S MY QUESTIONS FOR THE ATTORNEYS.SO MS.
YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS VERY TRICKY.
AND I, I, I MEAN YOU CAN GIVE YOU A LEGAL OPINION AND I CAN JUST GIVE YOU MY OPINION, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND YOU ARE RIGHT.
I WANTED TO COUNSEL AND, AND I, I THOUGHT I KIND OF WAS TRYING TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE COUNCIL LAST NIGHT.
I NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU, YOU ALL, WHAT IS THE NUMBER YOU WANT ME TO START FROM SO I CAN TAKE IT BACK TO THE POOL? I DIDN'T GET A CONSENSUS, BUT I DID HEAR HALF AND I HEARD ANOTHER HALF KIND OF, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE NUMBER THAT THE CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDED.
AND I HEARD THE OTHER HALF THAT SAID THEY WERE COMFORTABLE.
AND I THINK FROM THE ATTORNEY STANDPOINT, BECAUSE THERE, THERE ARE TIMES THAT WHEN WE'RE DOING CITY BUSINESS, THEY DO DEFER TO THE CITY MANAGER AT TIMES.
BUT I WANTED IT MORE CLEAR FROM THE COUNCIL, WHAT'S OUR NUMBER? SO THERE IS NO CONFUSION FOR YOU ALL.
AND THAT WASN'T MADE CLEAR LAST NIGHT, IT APPEARS TO ME.
AND, AND MR. JENKINS, I THINK I WAS, UH, WITNESSING THIS AS WELL.
THREE WERE VOCALLY SAYING TO ADOPT IT.
THREE WERE TOTALLY OPPOSING IT, OTHERS WERE QUIET.
SO REALLY THAT'S NOT A CONSENSUS TO ME.
SO I THINK I READ IT LITTLE VERY RESPECTFULLY DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU DID.
I THINK THAT I DON'T SEE THAT AS A CONSENSUS.
WE ARE THREE WHO WERE CLEARLY SAYING THIS SHOULD BE PEOPLE'S PROCESS.
AND THERE WERE THREE WHO WERE SAYING, NO, THIS IS THE STAFF PROCESS.
SO EQUALLY DIVIDED NOW, LOVE TO HEAR
UM, I HAVE THE SAME UNDER UNDERSTANDING THAT A POPCORN MEMBER, UM, DICKEY HAS, UM, ALTHOUGH, UM, I WASN'T LISTENING TILL SEVEN 30 LAST NIGHT, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT HAD TO BE SOMEWHERE.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING FIRST OF ALL WAS THERE WAS, IT WAS A BRIEFING YESTERDAY, SO THERE WAS NO VOTE, NO CONSENSUS.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING, AND I DON'T HAVE CHAPTER 17 OF
BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE A DEFINITE NUMBER.
INTEREST NOT WINNING THE BATTLE OF LOSING THE WAR.
I THINK DIRECTOR JENKINS IS BASICALLY SAYING IT'S A STICKY WICKET.
UH, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE COULD GET MORE CONSENSUS ON MAYBE NOT AS A RESOLUTION, WHICH IS CONFRONTATIONAL AND STRONG, WHICH I WOULD PROBABLY DO BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF HOW I ROLL.
BUT I THINK WE COULD LET DIRECTOR JENKINS HAVE, UH, BE LIKE WHAT RUDY SAYS AND JUST GET AN ANSWER, UH, FROM THE COUNCIL BECAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE, THERE WAS, SO THERE WAS NO CONSENSUS.
AND THEREFORE WE HAVE SOMETHING TO STAND ON TO PUSH BACK AND GO, HEY, YOU ALL GIVE US THE NUMBER, WHICH DIDN'T HAPPEN.
AND, BUT THEN I WOULD HOPE I, I GUESS I HEARD FROM YOU THAT YOU'RE, THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
CLEAR THAT TO GET THAT GUIDANCE MR. COUNCIL MEETING.
SO NOW WE, WE DON'T STOP RAYMOND.
I JUST, SO THEN WHAT MR.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A RESOLUTION.
AND IF YOU HAVE REVELATION, LOVE TO YOU BECAUSE YOU, I JUST, YEAH, I DON'T SEE ANY UPSIDE IN THE
I'M JUST BEING HONEST WITH CC I WILL SAY, GIMME A LITTLE TIME HERE TO DO WHAT I NEED TO DO.
SO, UH, MR. DICKY, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS IMPORTANT POINT AND WILL TAP TO, UH, MR. JENKINS.
AND, AND MS. LANA IS ALSO IS SUGGESTING
[00:30:01]
THAT SHE'S ALSO DOING SOME WORK AND SHE'LL COME BACK WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME FORM TO DISCUSS THIS LATER.SO, UH, UH, WITH THAT, UH, MR. GOLDSTEIN, AND BEFORE MR. GOLDSTEIN MAKES HIS REMARKS, I REALLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT GREAT OPED YOU SAW, YOU KNOW, I WAS LUCKY TO PUT MY NAME ON IT, BUT MR. GOLDSTEIN BRAIN WAS IN IT.
YOU KNOW HOW WELL IT WAS WRITTEN TO PROPAGATING TOTALLY ABOUT THE BOX, UH, ABOUT THE WHOLE BOND.
SO MR. GOLDSTEIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN LEADING IT FROM FRONT AND MAKING US LOOK BRILLIANT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO PIGGYBACK, I AGREE WITH, UH, MR. DICKEY, BUT I THINK WE ALL NEED TO TALK TO OUR, TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND TAKE A LEAD FROM, UH, JOHN.
WE, WE'VE GOTTA WEIGH IN ON WHAT A LOWER PACKAGE WOULD LOOK LIKE OR, OR WE'RE NOT BE IN THE CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT I, BUT I DO WANNA NOTE THAT THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL'S PARTS COMMITTEE WERE PRETTY CLEAR THAT THEY WANT TO BE AS CLOSE TO THE NUMBER WE'VE RECOMMENDED AS POSSIBLE, UM, AS WELL AS COUNCILOR MENDELSON AND I THINK A FEW OTHERS.
SO YEAH, IT, IT IS CONFUSING, BUT WE PROBABLY HAVE TO DO THE HARD WORK TALKING TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
YOU TALK TO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND FIGURE OUT WHERE WE NEED TO BE AND GIVING 'EM SOMETHING IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO BEFORE WE GO, BEFORE EVERYBODY GOES ON BREAK.
SO, UM, WELL, WHAT MR. GOLDSTEIN SAID, SO THERE WERE CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS, I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE WATCHED TILL SEVEN 30.
UM, I KNOW YOU WERE THERE, SOME OF US WERE THERE IN THE MORNING, BUT, AND THEN HAD TO LEAVE, BUT I WATCHED THE ENTIRE DAY.
UM, AND THERE WERE CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT SPECIFICALLY PICKED PARK PARKS, UM, AND USED PARKS GO BY USED PARKS OF THE BUILDING, UM, OF THE, OF THE BOND.
AND SO, WHICH INCLUDE INCLUDES SOMEBODY WHO WAS MENTIONED EARLIER.
UM, AND SO, UM, YEAH, I THINK WE SHOULD GO BACK AND TALK TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, ASKING PARKS TO COME BACK WITH A NUMBER MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT THEN NOT HAVING A NUMBER FOR OTHER AREAS IS, UM, HYPOCRITICAL.
UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS SAID, I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT NUMBER I WANT.
I JUST WANT MORE IN THAT, IN THAT BUCKET.
YOU CAN'T JUST WANT MORE AND THEN YELL AT JOHN, UM, AND DISRESPECT JOHN FOR NOT COMING WITH A NUMBER BECAUSE HE HAS TO COME TO THIS BOARD.
UNLIKE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, IT'S LIKE SOME OF THE PEOPLE AROUND THE HORSESHOE HAD NO IDEA THE PROCESS THAT WE HAD TO FOLLOW AND THAT THIS IS OUTSIDE THE CHARTER AND THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND, AND THIS IS DIFFERENT, UM, WHICH SPEAKS A LOT TO THEM KNOWING HOW THE CITY WORKS.
UM, MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO BE STRATEGIC.
UH, I, I UNDERSTAND WANTING TO COME BACK NEXT WEEK, BUT IT FEELS LIKE THAT WOULD BE, THERE'S A LOT OF TENSION RIGHT NOW AND A LOT OF PASSION AROUND THIS.
AND I HEAR MORE AND MORE, THERE SEEMS TO BE MORE AND MORE FAVOR TO PUSHING THE BOND ELECTION WITH THE, UM, WITH THE ELECTORATE TILL NOVEMBER, WHICH MEANS WE'D HAVE MORE TIME.
AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE BEFORE WE GO AND WE HAVE A MEETING NEXT WEEK, NEXT THURSDAY.
JOHN, YOU GO BACK AND THAT WAS A BIG PART OF THE YESTERDAY AS WELL, AND THERE WAS MULTIPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT SAID, HEY, WE SHOULD LOOK AT NOVEMBER AND NOT HAVING IT IN MAY.
AND IF THAT HAPPENS, WE HAVE MORE TIME AND WE CAN GO AND LOBBY AND DO A LOT MORE.
SO BEFORE WE JUST HAVE A GUNSHOT APPROACH TO, LET'S HAVE A RESPONSE RIGHT AWAY.
LET'S SIT BACK AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION FIRST AND THEN PRESENT.
UM, I MEAN, I AGREE WITH YOU, IF THEY'RE, IF THEY WANT A PRESENTATION THE FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY, THEN THAT'S A DIFFERENT SUBJECT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
LISTEN TO WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY.
I THINK THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MOVING TO NOVEMBER BECAUSE OF THE POLICE PENSION IS A, IS A REAL ONE, WHICH THEN WOULD POTENTIALLY OPEN UP MORE MONEY IN THE BOND FOR, FOR OTHER, FOR OTHER ALLOCATIONS, WHICH WOULD POTENTIALLY GIVE US MORE MONEY.
SO WE NEED TO BE STRATEGIC ABOUT THAT AND NOT JUST HAVE A MEETING NEXT WEEK JUST BECAUSE WE WANNA RESPOND.
UM, WITH THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME EVER BEFORE WE GOT TO THE NEXT POINT OF BUSINESS WITH OPENING STATEMENT.
WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION AND, UH, REALLY SHOWS THE PASSION OF THE BOARD AND VERY, VERY THANKFUL TO BE IN ROOM WITH THE, THE COLLEAGUES WHO ARE SO PASSIONATE ABOUT WHERE THEY ARE.
WITH THAT, WE MOVE TO NEXT, UH, ORDER OF BUSINESS PUBLIC SPEAKERS, MADAM
WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS SOON AND I'LL BE THE SPEAKER GUIDELINE.
SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
PLEASE REGARD CHAIR ONLY IN SPEAKING
CURRENT SPEAKER IS STATE REPRESENTATIVE YVONNE
[00:35:01]
DAVIS, WHICH IS HERE.GOOD MORNING, MR. BOARD CHAIRMAN, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE PARK BOARD, DR. DANIEL PRESCOTT WITH SERVICING HOPE.
I WAS ASKED TO COME AND SPEAK AND I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF THE NEW CRICKET STADIUM FOR CADILLAC HEIGHTS.
I, MY NONPROFIT IS HERE IN DALLAS, BUT I HAVE TO LIVE IN GRAND PRAIRIE.
AND AS YOU KNOW, GRAND PRAIRIE HAD THE OLD AIR HAWK STADIUM.
THE AIR HAWK STADIUM WAS CONVERTED TO A CRICKET VENUE AND OPENED IN JULY OF THIS YEAR.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY 3,500 SEATS IN 7,200 WITH EXPANSION CAPACITY OF 18,000.
THE CRICKET STADIUM IS ALREADY BOOKED, A MINOR LEAGUE AND MAJOR LEAGUE TEAM.
IT IS ALREADY HAS LISTED TWO WORLD CUP, WORLD WORLD CUP EVENTS FOR CRICKET.
WE'RE BACKING UP TRAFFIC ON 30 IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
WE HAVE NEW BUSINESSES OPENING IN AND AROUND THE STADIUM BECAUSE WE SIT ON TOP OF A TRASH DUMP WHERE, WHERE THE, WHERE THE RACETRACK IS IN THE CONCERT HALL.
AS YOU NOW KNOW, THE LARGEST DEVELOPMENT OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE METROPLEX WILL HAPPEN ON BELTLINE AND I 30.
IT IS CREATING IN NORTH GRAND PRAIRIE, WHICH IS LIKE NOW A SOUTH DALLAS, IT WAS DEAD.
IT WAS A, IT WAS A WELCOME NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN I MOVED IN 30 YEARS AGO, NOW IT'S DEAD.
BUT THAT ONE CRICKET STADIUM, 7,200 PEOPLE PLUS THE FOOD TRUCKS.
PLUS NOW WE HAVE A CHICKEN VENUE, WE HAVE A NEW WHATABURGER, WE HAVE QT AND THERE ARE 10 OTHER BUSINESSES SLATED TO COME IN.
THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS UNBELIEVABLE.
YOU KNOW, IN GRAND PRAIRIE WE DON'T HAVE OUR BUS, SO WE CREATED A BUS SYSTEM TO BRING WORKERS OUT THERE.
SO WE'RE CREATING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WE ARE ALSO DOING SOMETHING THAT WE THOUGHT WE WOULD NEVER DO.
THAT DISTRICT WAS DESIGNATED WAREHOUSE.
NOW THE CITY IS RECHANGING AND REZONING IT NOW FOR COMMERCIAL AND NOW FOR RETAIL AND FOR RESIDENTIAL CRICKET.
WHY IS CRICKET SO IMPORTANT? WE'VE BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL CITY.
PEOPLE ARE MOVING FROM THE EAST COAST.
WE DIDN'T THINK HOCKEY WOULD TAKE OFF AND LOOK WHAT IT DID.
WE DIDN'T THINK LACROSSE WOULD TAKE OFF.
WE DID NOT THINK THESE THINGS WOULD TAKE OFF IN A FOOTBALL CRAZY TOWN AND STATE OF THIS CRICKET IS THE NEXT BIG MOVEMENT.
AND IF THIS BOARD, THIS CITY DOES NOT ADOPT IT, YOU WON'T GET THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'VE GOTTEN IN GRAND PRAIRIE, BUILT ON TRASH CLUBS.
CADILLAC HEIGHTS BUILT ON FLOODPLAINS CAN NOW BECOME AN EPICENTER, NOT JUST FOR THAT COMMUNITY, BUT A DRIVER FOR THE ENTIRE REGION.
'CAUSE NATURE LEAGUE CRICKET, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE EUROPEAN NOW WE'RE INDIAN, NOW WE'RE ASIAN NOW.
I'VE HAD TO, I'VE BEEN BLESSED TO LIVE AND WORK IN EUROPE, LIVE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND ALL THESE PLACES.
AND GUESS WHAT? MY SPORT WAS CRICKET.
THAT WHAT THE MATCHES I WENT TO MR. CHRIST.
JESSE JACKSON SAID, IF YOUR MIND CAN CONCEIVE IT AND YOUR HEART CAN BELIEVE IT, YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT.
THANK YOU THAT WE HAVE A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION.
I SAY THE TRUST LEVEL HAS BOX HAVE WITH OUR VICTIM IS A PARTNERSHIP THAT IF THEY SAY RIGHT NOW IT'S 12 O'CLOCK IN MIDNIGHT, I WILL SAY, YES IT IS 12 O'CLOCK
BECAUSE THAT'S THE KIND OF TRUST THEY HAVE.
THAT'S THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WE ARE PROUD OF.
SO WE, WE HAVE A NEW CEO AND WE WELCOME HER AND UH, UH, PLEASE MA'AM, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
IT'S A RIGHT, IT'S A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT AND PARKS AND GARDENS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH PLANTS IN NATURE.
YOU JUST FEEL LIKE YOU'RE A BETTER HUMAN BEING.
AND WE JUST HEARD A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE WHO KNEW CRICKET COULD TRANSFORM A COMMUNITY, BUT IT CAN.
I AM THE BRAND NEW SEVEN DAYS IN ONE WEEK OLD
WHAT'S A CULTURAL GEM WITH THE DALLAS ARBORETUM? IT IS A DREAM COME TRUE THAT I WAS CHOSEN AS THEIR NEW LEADER.
I'M EXTREMELY HUMBLED BY THAT PRIVILEGE.
[00:40:01]
I WILL WORK REALLY HARD TO CONTINUE TO MAKE THE ARBORETUM BRIGHT AND BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL THAT IS WHAT I HAVE DONE AT THE ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN.WHEN I WAS THERE FOR 15 YEARS, WE INCREASED DIVERSITY.
WE OPENED THE GATES TO ALL, WE QUADRUPLED THE ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET OR VISITATION AND MORE.
WHEN I WAS JUST AT THE SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN FOUR YEARS AGO.
I DOUBLED ALL THOSE SAME METRICS WE CAN BUILD.
UH, THE DALLAS ARRET IS ALREADY A TOP TO 10 WORLD CLASS GARDEN AND WE WILL KEEP IT THAT WAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP, CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP.
CANNOT WAIT TO WORK WITH ALL OF YOU OVER TIME.
THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING THAT.
WE WILL BE THERE FOR YOU WITH THE BOND.
WE WILL BE VERY STRONG WITH YOU IN JANUARY.
AND WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST OF LUCK BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S A, IT'S, UM, IT'S A RIGHT.
WE SHOULD ALL HAVE ACCESS TO NATURE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND HAPPY, HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
UM, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T MENTION THAT Y'ALL WERE THERE FOR QUITE MANY HOURS YESTERDAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THAT REGARD.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FORGET ABOUT WHEN WE SIT IN THOSE MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, 400 PEOPLE A DAY ARE MOVING TO DALLAS, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS ABOUT DALLAS THAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT.
AND ONE OF THEM IS THE ARBORETUM.
YOU KNOW, WE HEAR ARBORETUM, WE HEAR CLYBOURNE PARK, WE HEAR THE ZOO.
AND GUESS WHAT? THOSE ARE ALL PARKS.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU AND THE ARBORETUM AND THE, THE HISTORY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, UNDER THE GREAT LEADERSHIP OF MARY VINEGAR HAVE REALLY, UH, CREATED SOMETHING THAT IS SUCH A DRIVER FOR OUR CITY AND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND, AND REALLY WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR THAT PARTNERSHIP AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO CONTINUE THAT GREAT PARTNERSHIP.
IT'S NICE TO SAY WE HAVE OVER A MILLION VISITORS A YEAR.
THAT IS, THERE MAY BE ONLY FIVE PUBLIC GARDENS IN THE UNITED STATES THAT HAVE THAT.
DALLAS IS ONE OF 'EM, RIGHT? BECAUSE EVERY GREAT CITY SHOW A GREAT PUBLIC GARDEN AND Y'ALL DO.
WE DO, WE DO, DO WE DO AGAIN, WELCOME AGAIN.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, YOU HAVE AMAZING STAFF.
WE LOOK FORWARD WORKING WITH YOU, MA'AM.
ANYTHING THIS BOARD CAN DO, PLEASE.
THIS IS YOUR, THESE ARE YOUR PARTNERS.
WITH THAT, UH, NEXT POINT OF BUSINESS APPROVAL OF MEETINGS, UH, OCTOBER 26TH, THEN NOVEMBER 2ND.
DO I HAVE A MOTION MR. SLAUGHTER? DO I HAVE A SECOND? UH, MR. MARTIN, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
NOW, BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE BRIEFINGS, CAN WE JUST TAKE A GROUP FEATURE SINCE WE ALL ARE IN OUR FANCY, UH, SO LET STEP HERE.
OH, WAIT, LET'S SWITCH BECAUSE I'VE GOT RED AND RED.
WE WON'T HAVE A THREAD FIGURE A BADGE.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE IN THE POST OFFICE.
OH, DON'T ROOM IN THE FRONT SERVICE.
HEY, YOU FOUND ANOTHER PIN?
LET'S GET THAT IS AN APPROPRIATE MEETING.
[00:45:01]
YES.THIS IS LIKE A HOT YOGA, BUT ITS CLEANING.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND START WITH, WE'RE GONNA GO TO, UM, THE BRIEFINGS.
WE'RE GONNA GO OUT OF ORDER JUST MOMENTARILY, BUT THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO, UM, THE CORRECT ORDER.
SO, UM, WE'RE GOING TO, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO THE PARK SYSTEM ECONOMIC, UH, VALUE UPDATE.
AND, UH, MR. O'CONNOR, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
UH, GOOD MORNING, MAD CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE COURT.
SO, UM, WE ARE GOING TO QUEUE UP PRESENTATION FOR YOU WITH, UH, LED BY CANDACE DAMON, WHO IS A PRINCIPAL OF HR.
A HRA IS A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED, UH, CONSULTING FIRM THAT DOES A LOT OF WORK AROUND ECONOMICS AND
WE HAVE, UH, WORKED WITH CANDACE AND HRA FOR MANY YEARS.
THREE DIFFERENT TOPICS, BUT THEY'VE ALSO DONE A LOT OF WORK FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY.
AND AGAIN, THEY'RE A REALLY, UM, NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FIRM AT THE TYPE BOARD THAT THEY DO.
SO, UH, WITH THAT QUICK INTRODUCTION, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO
AND I BELIEVE YOU COULD BE COMING TO US FROM NEW YORK.
I'LL LET HER TELL US WHERE SHE IS.
I'M ACTUALLY IN WASHINGTON, DC THIS MORNING, BUT, UM, WE HAD OUR OFFICE PARTY HERE LAST NIGHT.
IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE YOU GUYS ALL IN YOUR HOLIDAY REGALIA.
UM, I NOTED THE HANUKKAH SWEATER, UH, SO IT'S GREAT TO BE, UM, TALKING TO YOU.
I WILL BE THERE NEXT WEEK TO DO OUR HOLIDAY PARTY THERE.
UM, IF YOU ADVANCE THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO THIS SUMMER, I GUESS, UH, RYAN ASKED US TO UPDATE THE STUDY THAT WE HAD DONE FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IN 2016.
SO THAT WAS A PIECE OF WORK WHICH WE BRIEFED YOU ON.
I REMEMBER BEING IN THAT ROOM, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT FAIR PARK THEN, UM, TO TALK ABOUT DALLAS'S PARK SYSTEM AT A POINT IN TIME WHEN DALLAS, LIKE MANY CITIES IN THE COUNTRY, WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON HOW ITS PARKS COULD BECOME AN ECONOMIC ENGINE AND DRIVE, UM, A MORE VITAL CITY.
AND WE WERE THERE IN SUPPORT OF AN EFFORT TO GET A HUNDRED, A $312 MILLION BOND PROPOSAL PASSED, WHICH WAS OVERWHELMINGLY IMPROVED AT THE BALLOT BOX IN 2017.
AND WE SUPPORTED THAT EFFORT BY ESTIMATING THE VALUE OF THE ENTIRE SYSTEM, UM, REALLY FOCUSED ON THIS IDEA THAT THE PARK SYSTEM COULD BE AN ECONOMIC ENGINE, UM, WHICH I THINK IS A, A DIFFERENT WAY OF THINKING ABOUT THE PARK SYSTEM TODAY, BUT WAS CRITICAL TO, TO ESTABLISHING THE NEED FOR REINVESTMENT THEN.
AND WHAT WE ENDED UP DOING WAS BENCHMARKING DALLAS'S, UH, PROVISION OF RESOURCES TO ITS SYSTEM AGAINST A SET OF CITIES THAT THERE WAS BROAD AGREEMENT WERE COMPARABLE TO DALLAS IN DIFFERENT WAYS, OR THAT YOU ASPIRE TO BE LIKE.
UM, AND THEN DESCRIBING THE VALUE THAT THE SYSTEM CREATES IN TERMS OF DOLLARS AND CENTS IN RETURN ON INVESTMENT ON REAL ESTATE, PRINCIPALLY COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE, TOURISM AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, AND SO IF YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHAT RYAN ASKED US TO DO THIS SUMMER WAS TO REEXAMINE THAT STUDY AND TELL HIM AND YOU WHETHER THE METHODOLOGY HOLDS UP AND WE COULD COUNT ON IF NOT EXACTLY THE SAME NUMBERS, VERY SIMILAR NUMBERS MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SO WE DID A, A MUCH QUICKER, MORE ABBREVIATED STUDY REALLY FOCUSED ON ESTABLISHING THE VALIDITY OF THE PREVIOUS WORK.
UM, WHERE AS YOU RECALL, WE ENDED UP SUGGESTING THAT THE PARK SYSTEM GENERATES $678 MILLION OF VALUE AND A RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF SEVEN TO ONE, WHERE THAT VALUE AGAIN IS COMPOSED OF THE VALUE WE LOOKED FOR REAL ESTATE TOURISM GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
I THINK IT'S INCREASINGLY CLEAR TO MANY PEOPLE IF YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THAT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS OF, OF, UM, SEEING THE VALUE THAT PARKS CREATE AND THOSE OTHER WAYS ARE EMERGING IS MORE IMPORTANT TO MANY, MANY PEOPLE NOW
[00:50:01]
IN MAKING THE CASE FOR PARKS, I THINK THAT'S THE CONVERSATION YOU HAD IN THE LAST HALF AN HOUR.THAT YES, IT IS TRUE THAT PARKS IN DALLAS HAVE CREATED IMMENSE COMMERCIAL VALUE THAT EVERY DEVELOPER WANTS TO BE NEAR A PARK DOWNTOWN.
UM, YES, IT IS TRUE THAT, UH, FAIR PARK IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO THE TOUR TO TOURISM IN DALLAS AND TOURISM TO THE ECONOMY OF DALLAS AND THE REINVESTMENT THAT THE LAST BOND ACT PERMITTED, UM, IN FAIR PARK AND THAT THIS BOND ACT PROPOSES TO, TO ADD TO, IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF THAT, OF THAT SECTOR.
AND OUR REVIEW OF THE 2016 STUDY AND LOOKING AT NEW DATA SUGGESTS THAT DALLAS PARKS ARE BEGINNING TO ADVANCE EQUITABLE, UM, EQUITABLE OUTCOMES.
AND THAT THE NEW BOND, UH, REFERENDUM COULD DOUBLE DOWN ON THAT WHILE THE PARKS CONTINUE TO GENERATE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE VALUE.
UM, THEY ALSO ARE, AS SOME OF THE SPEAKERS EARLIER, SUGGESTED CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, IT CONTRIBUTES TO SOCIAL COHESION.
AND WE SAW THAT IN DALLAS AND EVERY OTHER CITY IN THE COUNTRY DURING, DURING COVID AND PARKS CREATE A VARIETY OF OTHER ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL VALUES AS WELL.
SO OUR KEY CONCLUSION IN THE REVIEW OF THE 2016 WORK WAS THAT THE NUMBERS THAT WE SUGGESTED DESCRIBED THOSE THREE KINDS OF VALUES ARE AT LEAST AS BIG TODAY AS THEY WERE THEN BECAUSE THE ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT THE PARK SYSTEM CONSTITUTES IS CHURNING AHEAD, IS MOVING FULL STEAM AHEAD, IT'S STRONG.
AND SO IT IS CONTINUING TO CREATE THOSE KINDS OF ECONOMIC VALUES.
UM, AND THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS PROBABLY GREATER THAN IT WAS IN 2016.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THESE NEW FINDINGS ARE ALSO WORTH EXPLORING.
SO IF YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, LET'S START WITH THE FIRST.
AND, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE, AS I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW, WAS, UM, WANTED TO ENGAGE WITH THIS ONE AT, AT SOME LEVEL OF DETAIL.
SO I'M GONNA SPEND A LITTLE MORE TIME WITH YOU GUYS TALKING THROUGH WHAT EXACTLY WE'RE SAYING, UM, AND, AND WHAT WE THINK THE POTENTIAL IN THE FUTURE IS.
PARK INVESTMENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAS ADVANCED EQUITY.
UM, IT DOES SO WHEN THE, THE OPERATORS OF THE PARK SYSTEM SEEK TO ADVANCE EQUITY, UM, HISTORICALLY IN DALLAS, THIS IS THE CASE IN A GREAT MANY PARK SYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, TRYING TO PROMOTE EQUITY WAS IN FACT NOT THE OBJECTIVE.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP ON THE UPPER RIGHT, THAT'S DATA THAT'S DRAWN FROM THE CDC MAPPED ONTO THE GEOGRAPHY OF DALLAS AND SHOWS YOU THAT RED IS BAD, BLUE IS GOOD, THAT, UM, THE COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH DALLAS ARE CONSIDERABLY LESS PHYSICALLY ACTIVE THAN THE COMMUNITIES IN NORTH DALLAS.
THAT IS PARTLY A FUNCTION OF HISTORIC UNDERINVESTMENT IN PARKS AND RECREATION IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A STRONG CORRELATION BETWEEN INVESTMENT IN PARKS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH OUTCOMES.
SO IF WE INVEST IN PARKS IN UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS, WE'RE GONNA GET POSITIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES.
WE SEE THAT IN COMMUNITY AFTER COMMUNITY AFTER COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S TRUE WHEN YOU CONTROL FOR INCOME AND OTHER SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS.
SO A LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S WELL SERVED BY PARKS IS GONNA HAVE BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES THAN A LOW INCOME THAT NEIGHBORHOOD THAT DOESN'T, IN FACT, WE DID SOME, I CALL IT CASE STUDY WORK FOR RYAN AND THE DEPARTMENT LAST YEAR, NOT PART OF THIS STUDY THAT SHOWS THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S INCREASING FOCUS ON EQUITY.
'CAUSE THE DALLAS PARKS DEPARTMENT IS FOCUSING ON EQUITY AS OUR OTHER PROGRESSIVE PARK DEPARTMENTS IN THIS COUNTRY IS STARTING TO GENERATE, UM, EQUITABLE OUTCOMES, INCLUDING IMPROVED HEALTH OUTCOMES.
THE SECOND, UM, WAY WE'VE SEEN INTENTIONAL INVESTMENT IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN PARKS PAY OFF IN TERMS OF EQUITY IS HOME VALUES.
SO WE HAVE DONE WORK IN OTHER CITIES, NOT IN DALLAS, UM, EXCEPT SORT OF AGAIN AT A CASE STUDY LEVEL THAT SUGGESTS THAT WHEN YOU INVEST IN PARKS THAT THE, THE BLOCKS SURROUNDING THOSE PARKS, THE RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS INCLUDING IN LOW DENSITY COMMUNITIES, UM, SEE INCREASED HOME VALUE.
WE KNOW THAT HOME VALUE IS THE LEADING, UM, SOURCE OF, OF WEALTH IN THIS COUNTRY AND THE ABILITY TO CREATE INTERGENERATIONAL WEALTH.
SO IT STARTS TO BE SUGGESTIVE OF A WAY OF THINKING ABOUT THE CURRENT BOND REFERENDUM AND THE PROJECTS THAT ARE PROPOSED AND THE BOND REFERENDUM AND THEIR ABILITY TO CREATE THESE KIND OF EQUITABLE OUTCOMES, UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY ARE PROPOSED FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND FOCUS ON PROGRAMMING WHICH GENERATES HIGHER VALUE THAN, THAN PASSIVE KINDS OF USES.
SO THE, ALL THE RECREATIONAL CENTER REINVESTMENT, UM, THAT
[00:55:01]
WE UNDERSTAND IS IN THE PACKAGE I THINK IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO MAKING YOUR CASE IF YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.HOWEVER, AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE PARK SYSTEM, BY VIRTUE OF THOSE IN INVESTMENTS THAT WERE MADE 10, 15 YEARS AGO, SOME OF THEM WITH THE COLLABORATION OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR ARE CONTINUING TO CREATE IMMENSE AMOUNTS OF COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE VALUE.
UM, AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE, THE KEY DRIVER OF OUR BELIEF THAT, UM, THE SEVEN TO ONE RATIO HAS BEEN EXCEEDED ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT AS WAS SUGGESTED BY THAT LAST STUDY, THE PARK DEPARTMENT AND YOU, THE PARK BOARD HAVE MADE INVESTMENTS IN TRAILS, UM, TRAILS.
WE'VE, WE SEE THE HIGHEST RETURN ON INVESTMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE RELATIVELY CHEAP TO BUILD, TO MAINTAIN AND THEY TOUCH LOTS OF REAL ESTATE.
SO THEY HAVE THE CHANCE TO HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE VALUES.
AND AS A RESULT OF THOSE, THOSE INVESTMENTS, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY ARE THERE LIKE BIG DOLLAR FIGURES AND IMPRESSIVE RETURNS ON INVESTMENT, BUT YOU SEE THE RESULTS IN THE ACTIVATION OF DOWNTOWN.
SO DOWNTOWN HAS A VERY SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER OFFICE OCCUPANCY RATE THAN ALL THE OTHER COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS, UM, IN THE REGION.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK YOU CAN CREDIT TO CLYDE WARREN PARK INTO THE NEW, UM, INVESTMENTS IN NEW DOWNTOWN PARKS.
IF YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE AGAIN, UM, WE ALL SAW WHAT HAPPENED TO PARKS IN DALLAS AND EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE REGION, IN THE COUNTRY DURING COVID.
UM, PEOPLE WHO FOUND LIKE A COUPLE OF THE SPEAKERS EARLIER AND AND ME, UM, AS KIDS THAT PARKS WERE PLACES WHERE YOU DREAMED WHERE YOUR PARENTS, UM, KNEW YOU WERE SAFE.
UM, WHERE DID THEY FULFILL THOSE FUNCTIONS DURING COVID AND JUST A, A RELIEF VALVE AND A PLACE FOR FAMILIES TO, TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE, UM, AND BE HEALTHY.
AND THOSE INCREASED VISITATION NUMBERS, UM, WHILE THEY'RE NOT QUITE WHERE THEY WERE DURING COVID HAVE IN DALLAS AND EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY, UM, REMAINED HIGH.
AND SO THE IMPORTANCE OF UM, PARKS IS COMMUNITY BUILDING IS I THINK, EVIDENT IN THE DATA.
AND FINALLY, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE AND LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, THERE ARE A SET OF OTHER IMPACTS THAT WE THINK WERE VERIFIED BY OUR REVIEW OF THE 2016 WORK.
ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T GO INTO AS MUCH DETAIL ON THEM.
WE THINK THAT THE PARK SYSTEM THAT YOU'VE BUILT AND THAT YOU PROPOSED TO REINVEST IN, UM, IS IMPORTANT TO BUILDING THE CITY IN DEMONSTRATING ITS ATTRACTIVENESS TO TALENT.
UM, TALENT TELLS US IN EVERY REGION IN THE COUNTRY THAT IT MATTERS.
UM, WHAT KINDS OF PARKS AND RECREATIONAL, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO PREVIOUS SPEAKER AMENITIES ARE THERE, UM, THAT, UM, THE PARKS MATTER AND IF YOU'RE CHOOSING, IF YOU ARE THE KIND OF TALENT THAT DALLAS IS TRYING TO TO ATTRACT AND YOU HAVE A CHOICE BETWEEN DALLAS, UM, AND A BETTER PARKED OR A LESSER PARKED PLACE, PARKS ARE PART OF WHAT PEOPLE CONSIDER.
SECOND, IT'S REALLY CLEAR THAT THE PARKS, UM, IN DALLAS ARE GONNA PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL ROLE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, HEAT IS WHAT'S FACING, UM, THE SOUTHWEST AS THE KEY CLIMATE RELATED RISK AND PARKS REFORM, COOLING ISLANDS IN CITIES THAT WILL BE CRITICAL MOVING FORWARD.
AND FINALLY, AS I NOTED, UM, THE INVESTMENT IN THE STATE FAIR HAS BEEN, UM, HAS PAID OFF EXTRAORDINARY DIVIDENDS, 2022 SET ATTENDANCE RECORDS, FAIR PARK AND THE STATE FAIR ARE THE DRIVER OF TOURISM IN DALLAS.
AND THAT TOURISM VALUE IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO THE HEALTH OF THE GREATER ECONOMY AS WELL AS TO BEING A BELOVED CIVIC INSTITUTION.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IS THE END AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT, UH, WONDERFUL PRESENTATION ON THE VALUE OF DALLAS PARKS.
UH, WE DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, UH, WE'LL START WITH, UM, MR. CONNOR.
THANK YOU MADAM VICE PRESIDENT.
UM, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE, UH, SLIDE THAT HAS THE HEAT MAP? WHERE DID THIS MAP, WHERE DID THIS MAP COME FROM? UM, I, I'M HOPING THAT GAIL WILL CORRECT ME WHEN I SAY THIS ISN'T I'M CLOSE, BUT THE CDC, THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL IN, UM, ATLANTA PUT OUT MAPS THAT, UM, MAP A VARIETY OF HEALTH OUTCOMES AND, UM, INPUTS THAT THEY BELIEVE ARE, UH, WORTH CONSIDERING AND THINKING ABOUT THOSE OUTCOMES.
SO YOU CAN GET MAPS THAT LOOK LIKE THIS FOR OBESITY,
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FOR ASTHMA, UM, FOR A VARIETY OF OTHER HEALTH OUTCOMES IN ANY REGION OF THE COUNTRY.AND THEY ALSO TRACK, AS I SAID, UM, WHAT THEY THINK ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
SO THIS IS A MAP OF PHYSICAL INACTIVITY.
UM, MY POINT ON THIS, THIS LOOKS LIKE A COUNTY MAP, NOT A CITY OF DALLAS MAP DISTRICT 12, WE TALKED ABOUT THE 12 HAS BEEN CUT OFF THE TOP.