[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,
[01:00:01]
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.
SO YOU LITERALLY HAVE 90,000 RESIDENTS THAT ARE NOT REPRESENTED ON THIS MAP.
UM, AND PART OF DISTRICT 11 IS NOT REPRESENTED ON THIS MAP AS WELL.
SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, UH, REPRESENTATIVE AND I WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO GET YOU THE, UM, THE PROPER MAP.
I THINK THAT IS, UM, A FUNCTION OF MY LAST MINUTE, UM, FORMATTING OF SLIDES TO TRY AND GET THEM TO BE LESS BUSY.
BUT WE WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO GET YOU THE PROPER MAP, UM, WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY, UH, DELINEATIONS ON IT.
MY, MY TIME'S RUNNING BY THE WAY.
OKAY, THE OTHER QUESTION, TWO QUESTIONS I HAVE IS THE SEVEN ONE ROI, I KNOW THAT THAT WAS BROUGHT UP A LOT IN RELATION TO THE BOND AND I WANT TO KNOW WHERE THOSE NUMBERS COME FROM, UM, AS WE'RE PREPARING TO DEFEND THE NUMBERS WE HAVE FOR THE BOND THAT'S BEING USED AS A WEAPON AGAINST US.
'CAUSE NOBODY CAN VERIFY THAT 7 0 1.
SO CAN YOU DISCUSS THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM? SURE.
YOU TAKE THE BENEFITS THAT WE COUNTED AND AS I SAID, WE DID NOT COUNT EVERY BENEFIT THAT YOU COULD HAVE COUNTED.
WE TAKE THE BENEFITS THAT WE COUNTED REAL ESTATE VALUE TOURISM SPENDING, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU ADD THEM TOGETHER, YOU GET 678 MILLION AND YOU DIVIDE THEM BY WHAT AT THE TIME WAS, UM, AN AVERAGE OF THREE YEARS OF OPERATING IN CAPITAL SPENDING MADE BY THE DALLAS PARKS DEPARTMENT AND YOU GET SEVEN TO ONE.
NOW WHAT THE CRITICS HAVE SAID IS THAT THAT'S HUGELY DRIVEN BY, UM, FAIR PARK AND UM, COMMERCIAL DISTRICT REAL ESTATE VALUE.
AND THAT IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF, UM, THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS, THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT WOULD LOOK MORE LIKE TWO TO ONE.
BUT I MEAN, THAT'S KIND OF THE NATURE OF CITIES THAT, UM, WE INVEST IN ECONOMIC DRIVERS TO SUBSIDIZE, UM, THE REST OF US.
AND SO IF WE LOOK AT RETURN ON INVESTMENT BY PARK TYPOLOGY, IN FACT, THE HIGHEST RETURN ON INVESTMENT, AGAIN, IS IN TRAILS.
UM, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THEY DON'T COST, THEY, THEY GENERATE A LOT OF VALUE AND THEY DON'T COST VERY MUCH.
AND IF JUST THINK ABOUT HOW THAT FRACTION IS WORKING, WHAT YOU WANT ARE, UM, KINDS OF PARKS IN PLACES WHERE THE POTENTIAL FOR ECONOMIC VALUE CREATION IS HIGH, AND THE COST TO BUILD THEM AND MAINTAIN THEM IS LOW.
AND THAT, SO THAT'S WHAT'S DRIVING THE CALCULATION.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, FOR ME, I'M UNMOVED BY THE FACT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS CREATE ONLY TWO TO ONE RETURN ON INVESTMENT BECAUSE THEY ALSO DRIVE SOCIAL COHESION AND EQUITABLE OUTCOMES AND HELP CREATE WEALTH FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T HAD ACCESS TO WEALTH.
UM, AND I WOULD EXPECT A FEW, UH, LARGE INVESTMENTS TO BE DRIVING THAT, WHICH THEY DO.
NO, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT.
AND IF WE COULD ARTICULATE THAT IN SOMETHING TO SEND THE BOARD, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WAS BROUGHT UP YESTERDAY IN THE COMMITTEE BEFORE, AND THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE USED FOR THE NEXT COMING MONTHS TO KEEP THAT NUMBER LOW FOR THE TOTAL PARKS.
UM, SO THE ENTIRE BOARD HAS THAT, YOU KNOW, TWO TO ONE, UH, UH, RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS, IS GOOD.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE SHYING AWAY FROM A TWO TO ONE RETURN.
UM, LAST IS, UM, LAST QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU IS YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, UH, THE STRATEGIC NATURE OF TRAILS VERSUS PARKS, WHICH I THINK IS SPOT ON BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CITY AND YOU LOOK AT THE LAND MASS OF PARKS, AND YOU LOOK AT THE SOUTH VERSUS THE NORTH, WHICH I DON'T WANT, I DON'T LIKE PITYING THE SOUTH VERSUS THE NORTH, BUT THAT'S WHAT THIS PRESENTATION SHOWED.
IF YOU LOOK AT DISTRICTS 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, AND EIGHT, THERE IS A COMBINED 13,406 ACRES OF PARKS VERSUS 10, 11, 12, 13, AND 14.
TOP THREE DISTRICTS FOR THE LOWEST AMOUNT OF ACRES IS 14 A 2 29, 12, 2 37, AND 11 ON THE NORTH.
UH, TOP THREE DISTRICTS FOR THE TOP, UH, ACREAGE IS SIX WITH 5,000 437, 3 AT 1854 AND FIVE AT 1593.
SO MY QUESTION IS, HOW DO WE, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU, UH, SQUARE
[01:05:01]
THAT UP WITH TOTAL ACRES AND BEING STRATEGIC IN AMOUNT OF TIME? UM, WELL, WITHOUT HAVING ACCESS TO MORE DATA AND, UM, HOPING THAT RYAN'S GONNA HELP ME OUT,UM, SO I THINK YOU, YOU'D FIRST, YOU'D WANNA ADD THAT ACREAGE IN, UM, SECOND, UM, THE PROGRAMMING OF OPEN SPACE MATTERS.
AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S ACTUALLY SOME VERY INTERESTING STUDIES THAT SUGGEST THAT.
UM, AND IT'S ACTUALLY CONTAINED IN THE WORK THAT THE CASE STUDY WORK I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT A FEW MOMENTS AGO THAT WE, WE DID FOR THE PARK DEPARTMENT A YEAR AGO.
BUT, UM, PROGRAMMING OPEN SPACE, UM, MEASURABLY INCREASES ITS USAGE, PARTICULARLY IN LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES.
SO IF YOU, IF YOU CREATE A PARK THAT IS, UM, AN ACRE OF, UM, NOT MOWED AS OFTEN AS THE PARK DEPARTMENT WOULD LIKE TO MOW IT GRASS AND YOU CREATE AN ACRE THAT HAS SEVERAL BASKETBALL COURTS IN IT, THE BASKETBALL COURTS ARE GOING TO GET MORE USED AND WILL GENERATE BETTER OUTCOMES.
SO I THINK THE SECOND THING I'D WANNA LOOK AT IS THE QUALITY, PARTICULARLY THE, THE, THE QUALITY OF PROGRAMMING, UM, IN THE DIFFERENT SPACES.
AND I, I SUSPECT THAT IF YOU DID THE TWO THINGS THAT I SUGGESTED THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL WOULD DISAPPEAR AND THINGS WOULD LOOK NOT SO GREAT IN THE SOUTH.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE NEW BOND PACKAGE IS TRYING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
YEAH, NO, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
THAT WAS MORE OF A RHETORICAL QUESTION AND I I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT RET GREEN AT ONE ACRE OR 0.75 ACRES, THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT WE GET ON THAT VERSUS IT IS ANOTHER THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE I, MY ROSEBY PARK THAT'S 76 ACRES BUT UNUSED.
UM, SO TO FOLLOW UP, I KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON, UM, MY COLLEAGUE LANE COMMENTS.
I DO THINK I APPRECIATE THIS REPORT BECAUSE I THINK WHAT YOU TOUCHED ON IS EXACTLY A BIG PART THAT YOU KNOW, LOT OF PEOPLE USE ABOUT EQUITY VERSUS EQUALITY.
AND I THINK SOUTHERN DALLAS HAS A LOT MORE LAND, SO THAT'S PROBABLY WHY THERE ARE MORE PARKS.
'CAUSE PEOPLE AREN'T BUILDING AND GRADING THINGS THAN SOUTHERN DALLAS, LIKE IN NORTHERN DALLAS.
SO WE HAVE THE SPACE, UH, FOR PARKS.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S MORE IMPORTANT FOR US IN SOUTHERN DALLAS.
AND IN MY DISTRICT, I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW WE'RE USING THAT AND HOW THAT'S ABLE TO BE AN ECONOMIC DRIVER FOR THIS.
ROII UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THAT SEVEN ONE COMES FROM OTHER PARKS THAT ARE NOT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES AROUND THAT.
UM, SO YOU KNOW HOW YOU MAKE THE, THE RIGHT PARK FOR THE RIGHT NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? HOW DO YOU PROGRAM A PARKS TO BE USED MOST BY RESIDENTS? I THINK IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT.
SO MY ONE QUESTION IS AROUND, I BELIEVE IT WAS SLIDE FOUR WHERE YOU ALL SAID THAT DALLAS WAS UNDER RESOURCED RELATIVE TO YOUR SYSTEMS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WERE WE UNDER RESOURCED AS IT RELATES TO PROGRAMMING, STAFFING? UM, LIKE WHERE, WHERE DID THAT UNDER-RESOURCED PORTION COME? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING AS THE PARK BOARD WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT, IS HOW DO WE PROVIDE THE RESOURCES? BECAUSE TO, I THINK EVERYBODY'S POINT EARLIER ABOUT THE CONVERSATION YESTERDAY, FIND THAT IF WE CANNOT SHOW ALL NEIGHBORHOODS HOW PARKS BENEFIT THEM, NOT JUST HOW THEY BENEFIT THE PARK, DOWNTOWN PARK IN SOUTH DALLAS, THAT FAIR PARK ALL PARKS BENEFIT NEIGHBORHOODS IN A WAY.
AND I THINK IF THEY'RE PROGRAMMED AND RESOURCED CORRECTLY, WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION EASIER.
SO WHERE ARE WE UNDER RESOURCED BASED ON YOUR STUDY? SO IN THE 2016 STUDY, WE PARTNERED WITH AN ORGANIZATION WITH, WHICH I'M SURE YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR, CALLED THE TRUST REPUBLIC LAND, THAT PRODUCES THE CITY PARK SCORE EVERY YEAR, WHICH IS BASED ON A WHOLE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ASSESSMENTS OF THE, THE QUALITY AND THE FUNDING OF PARTICULAR PARK SYSTEMS. AND, UM, SO THAT 40% I THINK IS BASED ON, UM, SIZE OF BUDGET.
BUT IN SOME WAYS IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, DALLAS'S PARK SCORE, UM, HAS RISEN VERY SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THE LAST BOND ISSUANCE, BUT REMAINS MAYBE NOT WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE.
SO THAT IS BASED ON A COMPARISON THAT WAS UNDERTAKEN BY TPL RELATIVE TO A SET OF CITIES THAT WE COLLECTIVELY AGREED WERE USEFUL COMPARABLE CITIES.
[01:10:01]
I THINK THAT'S ABOUT BUDGET.AND SO, UM, BUT I COULD HAVE PICKED ANY OF A NUMBER OF THEM, LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST WALK TIME TO A PARK.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY THAT BECAUSE OF THE WORK, UM, BY THIS DEPARTMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HRA, WE REALLY KINDA SHINED A LIGHT ON THAT ISSUE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S SPECIFIC ABOUT OUR OPERATING EXPENSES AS COMPARED TO OUR PEERS.
AND SO OF COURSE WE HAVE LOCAL PEERS, REGIONAL PEERS, ASPIRATIONAL PEERS.
AND I THINK BECAUSE OF THE WORK, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH HR A AND COURSE OUR DIRECTOR AND THE PARK BOARD REALLY FOCUSING ON THAT ISSUE, WE'VE REALLY MADE BIG STRIDES SINCE WE ORIGINALLY DID THAT WORK BACK IN 20 18, 20 16.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, CERTAINLY MADE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY THE WORK'S COMPLETED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR ECONOMIC AND ASPIRATIONAL PEERS WHO ARE STILL SPENDING WAY, WAY MORE THAN WE ARE PER POINT OF REFERENCE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABOUT 90 BUCKS PER CAPITA.
SOME OF OUR ECONOMIC AND ASPIRATIONAL PEERS ARE OVER $200 PER CAPITA.
SO, UM, WE'VE CERTAINLY MADE STRIDES IN THAT REGARD, BUT THERE'S MORE WORK TO DO.
WELL, AND I'LL, I'LL JUST LEAVE IT WITH THIS.
UM, I GET THAT IT'S BUDGET, RIGHT? AND WE'RE ALL FIGHTING FOR BUDGET.
SO I THINK WHAT EVERYBODY'S WORKING ON IN THE WORLD BUSINESS OR, OR PUBLIC, NO MATTER HOW IT WORKS, IS HOW DO YOU DO MORE WITH LESS, RIGHT? AND IN THE WE ARE IN THE GENERATIVE AI WORLD, WE ARE IN THE TECHNOLOGY WORLD.
SO JUST FIGURING OUT, I THINK GETTING TO, I WANNA GO DEEPER IN THAT JUST 'CAUSE BUDGET'S EASY, IS THAT RIGHT? LIKE, YOU NEED MORE MONEY.
IT'S LIKE, OH YEAH, WE HAD ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD, WE COULD ALL DO EVERYTHING, BUT WE DON'T.
SO HOW AND WHAT TOOLS DO WE, ARE WE USING OR DO WE PLAN ON USING TO ACTIVATE AND PROGRAM THOSE SPACES IN THE FUTURE TO INCREASE THIS NUMBER? BECAUSE I'M GLAD TO HEAR WE'RE GETTING BETTER.
SO WE JUST WANNA KEEP GOING THAT ON THERE REAL QUICK.
UM, AND, AND I MEAN, RENEE AND FIRST WAS NOT HERE, TO YOUR POINT, A LOT OF THE SOUTHERN PARTS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND, AND SOME IS BUDGET.
BECAUSE WE KNOW IN THE SOUTHERN PARTS WE NEED MORE LIGHTING.
IF YOU DON'T GET MORE LIGHTING, OKAY, YOU AIN'T GONNA GET THE STROLLERS, YOU AIN'T GONNA GET THE ACTIVITY.
SO WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THE PARKS FEEL SAFE.
AND SO THE CITY HAS BEEN INVESTING AND THE COUNCIL ON THIS BOARD HAS BEEN INVESTING IN LIGHTING AND SECURITY, BUT IT'S LIKE ANYTHING, JUST LIKE IT TOOK US YEARS TO TURN AROUND KEYS PARK.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER BACK IN THE NINETIES, NO ONE WANTED TO GO TO KEYS PARK, BUT UNTIL WE, ONCE AGAIN, WE STARTED INVESTING IN KEYS PARK PARK, YOU GOT THE RIGHT AMENITIES IN KEY PARK, YOU CAN'T GET IN PEACE PARK AND EVERYONE FEELS SAFE IN PEACE PARK.
AND AS WE CONTINUE TO BUILD UP THE SECURITY FORCE AND WE GET SOME MORE DOLLARS OR WE REDIRECT DOLLARS, TO YOUR POINT FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT, WE NEED TO GET, LIKE WE'RE STARTING TO DO AT RENAISSANCE PARK, START DOING SOME PROGRAMMING AT THE PARKS THAT WANTS THE COMMUNITY TO START GETTING INVOLVED IN THE PARK.
'CAUSE IF FOLKS HAVE A PERCEPTION THAT THE PARK AIN'T SAFE, ONLY WAY YOU MAKE THEM FEEL SAFE IS SECURITY LIGHTING AND ACTIVITIES.
AND SO THAT IS OUR FOCUS NOW FROM THE PROGRAMMATIC SIDE, FROM THE SAFETY SIDE AND FROM THE INFRASTRUCTURE SIDE TO GET THOSE PARTS ACTIVATED.
UM, MY QUESTIONS HAVE PRETTY MUCH BEEN ASKED, BUT I CAN, UH, CANDICE, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
I WANTED TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO ADD ON THE MISUNDERSTANDING FROM SOME THAT WERE BRIEFED EARLIER THIS WEEK ON THE SEVEN TO ONE RETURN.
UM, I THINK YOU PRETTY MUCH ADDRESSED IT, BUT I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU A CHANCE IN CASE THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE.
I KNOW THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION BOTH MONDAY AND LAST NIGHT ON WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE PARK SYSTEM AS A WHOLE.
UM, ERIN AND I ARE LIKE SLACKING EACH OTHER AND GAIL, WHILE WE'RE TALKING.
SO, UM, I, I THINK I HEARD THE SEVEN TO ONE IS DRIVEN BY, BY WHAT I SAID, THE SEVEN TO ONE IS DRIVEN BY A COUPLE OF BIG INVESTMENTS, AND MOST PARKS DON'T RETURN THAT KIND OF RETURN, WHICH TO ME FELT KINDA YUCKY.
UM, I THINK AARON HEARD THE SEVEN TO ONE WAS THEN, AND THE KINDS OF INVESTMENTS THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WANTED TO MAKE, THEN THE INVESTMENTS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED NOW WON'T GENERATE THAT INVESTMENT.
UM, WHICH MAYBE IS THE SAME THING DIFFERENTLY, BUT, BUT AGAIN, I THINK,
[01:15:01]
UM, I THINK THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TWO TO ONE INVESTMENT.I THINK THAT, UM, TO THE EXTENT YOU'RE COMPETING FOR SCARCE RESOURCES WITH OTHER USES OF THOSE FUNDS, I'M NOT SURE WHO GOT ANYBODY ELSE IS GONNA BE ABLE TO SAY THEY CAN GENERATE A TWO TO ONE INVESTMENT.
AND, UM, I DO THINK IT'S TIME FOR THE, THE CITY OF DALLAS, AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL AND THE DEPARTMENT AGREE TO START FOCUSING AS AS MUCH ON EQUITY AS ON, UM, YOU KNOW, BIG NUMBERS GENERATED BY OFFICE BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN.
UM, IT WAS MENTIONED ON THE, IN THE MONDAY COMMITTEE BRIEFING, THERE'S SOME DETAILED BACKUP MATERIAL.
CAN WE GET THAT TO THE, TO THE FULL PARK BOARD? ABSOLUTELY, YES.
I THINK, AS MR. CONNOR SAID, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US TO HAVE AS MUCH OF THE INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE AS WELL.
AND FURTHER, WE INTEND TO DISTRIBUTE THE ORIGINAL 2016 STUDY, WHICH HAS LOTS OF DETAIL.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE COMPLETE STUDY.
AND THIS IS BEEN WORKING ON AND IS PRESENTING TODAY CASE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
MY NEIGHBOR TO THE NORTH ASKED MOST OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WAS GOING TO GET INTO, BUT I DO WANT TO TOUCH ON THE, UH, RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT AND SPECIFICALLY IN THE SLIDE, THE THREE 45 MILLION IN PROPERTY VALUE PREMIUMS. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT SUPPORTS THAT.
SOME SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT WE CAN SHOW TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS THEY MAKE THE DECISION ABOUT FUNDING PARKS FOR THE BOND ALLOCATION, WHERE THIS RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT REALLY HAS SUCCEEDED.
AND I THINK ABOUT THE EXAMPLE THAT THAT LANE BROUGHT UP WAS HILLCREST VILLAGE GREEN, WHICH IS A TINY PARCEL OF GRASS SURROUNDED BY COMMERCE.
AND THAT I AM CONFIDENT IS WELL ABOVE SEVEN TO ONE OR 50 TO ONE IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO THOSE RESTAURANTS AND THEY'RE GOING TO THAT SHOPPING CENTER SOLELY BECAUSE OF THE PARK AND THE PLAYGROUND.
THEIR KIDS ARE RUNNING AROUND ON THE GRASS, THEY'RE GOING TO THE PLAYGROUND.
IF YOU GO THERE ON A FRIDAY OR SATURDAY NIGHT, THERE IS SO MUCH ACTIVITY THAT IS DRIVEN ENTIRELY BECAUSE OF THE PARK.
AND SO WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE DO THAT ON A GRANDER SCALE, INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT INVESTMENT, LARGER TYPE PROJECT WHERE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THIS PARK OR DEVELOPMENT AND WE NEED TO BE DOING THIS ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND SO WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES, WHETHER IT'S HILLCREST VILLAGE GREEN OR ANYWHERE ELSE THAT WE'VE DONE IT, LET'S CONTINUE TO, TO OPERATE.
THERE WAS NOTHING THERE BEFORE.
LIKE, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO REITERATE.
AND NOW IT'S ALMOST FULLY RENTED OUT.
AND THERE'S A NEW FRIENDS GROUP THAT'S SUPPORTING A TURF PROJECT THERE, AND THERE'S JUST SO MUCH ACTIVITY HAPPENING IN THAT PARK.
AND THIS IS A VERY SMALL SCALE.
UH, AND WE CAN DO THIS ON A LARGER SCALE TOO, UH, ON THE TOPIC OF EQUITY.
I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH MR. CONNOR RAISED THIS AS WELL.
BUT, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ACREAGE, I MEAN, ACREAGE IS A COMPONENT OF EQUITY.
AND YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PARK ACRES IN NORTH DALLAS COMPARED TO SOUTHERN DALLAS OR THROUGHOUT THE CITY, IT JUST, WE WANNA BE SENSITIVE TO THESE THINGS TOO.
AND SO, UH, MR. CONNOR TOUCHED ON THAT, UH, BUT I DON'T WANT THAT TO GET LOST IN HERE AS WELL.
MR. PITNER REALLY ALWAYS LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY BY HILLCREST TRAIN BECAUSE IT REALLY IS KIND OF THE, THE TEXTBOOK CASE.
I MEAN, THAT SHOPPING CENTER WAS A NEAR 0% LEASE.
THE ONLY THING THAT HAS SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED WAS THE CITY INVESTMENT.
SO, I MEAN, IT'S A, A VERY TANGIBLE RESULT IS A THRIVING SHOPPING CENTER NOW.
AND THE ONLY THING TO CHANGE WAS CITY INVESTMENTS.
I MEAN, AS GROVE RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO WORK OUT A DEAL RIGHT NOW THAT'S SIMILAR TO AS GROVE AND WHAT'S THE OTHER LO THERE'S THAT, THERE'S ANOTHER LOCATION THAT THE SOUTH WORKING ON RIGHT NOW WORTH MILLION.
SAME THING WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO, TO, TO OPEN UP SOME VALUE UP THERE THROUGH A PARK PROJECT.
AND WE DOING ANOTHER THING, AS I MENTIONED YESTERDAY TO THE COUNCIL AT, USED TO BE CALLED CADILLAC HEIGHTS, AND THEN IT'S ROLAND G PARIS PARK.
AND SO WE'RE THINKING VERY STRATEGIC NOW, HOW TO OPEN, OPEN THAT VALUE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY.
AND CLEARLY THE HILLCREST VILLAGE MODEL DOES WORK, AND WE NEED TO EXPAND THAT EVERYWHERE IN THE CITY.
EVERY DISTRICT SHOULD HAVE A HILLCREST VILLAGE PARK.
DIDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE STRONGLY.
UH, MS. HUSBANDY, MADAM CHAIR UHUH, I HAVE ALL THIS INFORMATION.
YOU KNOW, I LOVE THIS STUFF, BUT I THINK IN ORDER FOR US TO USE THIS INFORMATION IN A WAY TO ULTIMATELY ACHIEVE
[01:20:01]
MORE MONEYUM, BECAUSE THIS IS FASCINATING TO ME, AND I UNDERSTAND IT, BUT I HEARD STUFF LAST NIGHT AT THAT MEETING THAT WAS LIKE, WELL, QUANTIFY THAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
WELL, IT'S PRETTY HARD TO QUANTIFY WITHOUT DIGGING INTO THIS KIND OF DATA.
AND I HEARD WORDS LIKE, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO THAT'S GOING TO ACTUALLY GIVE US LIKE A, A FINANCIAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT? WHICH PHILOSOPHICALLY, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT PARKING RECREATION'S ROLE IS TO DO.
SO IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF WE DO CRAFT SOME KIND OF LETTER OF, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT FROM THE PARK BOARD, FROM THE DIRECTOR OR, OR SOMETHING THAT I CAN SHARE WITH MY CONSTITUENTS TO SAY, THERE'S A LOT OF DATA THAT SUPPORTS THIS, BUT YOU KNOW, A LET ME GIVE YOU A CONCRETE EXAMPLE, RIGHT? AND B YOU KNOW, HERE'S SOME SOUND BITES AROUND THAT BECAUSE THIS IS WAY TOO MUCH TO DIGEST.
PEOPLE WON'T READ THIS KIND GREAT DEGREE.
IT'S A LOT, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT.
SO IF WE COULD SOMEHOW FIGURE OUT TO, YOU KNOW, CREATE LIKE PR PIECE OR A SOUNDBITE OR SOMETHING THAT WE COULD USE TO KIND OF BATTLE THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, ARGUMENT OF, WELL QUANTIFY THE RETURN OF INVESTMENT.
YOU'RE NEVER, YOU KNOW, HERE HERE'S 80 PAGES OF, OF RESEARCH THAT QUANTIFIES IT.
BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOMETHING EITHER FROM YOU OR FROM FROM Y'ALL, OR, YOU KNOW, LIKE A SUMMARY OF THIS.
LIKE, OKAY, THAT WAS GREAT, BUT DO WE HAVE A, A REAL, UM, CURRENT, UH, REAL TIME? IS IT CURRENTLY SEVEN TO ONE OR IS IT GREATER? YOU KNOW, IS THAT AGGREGATED ACROSS ALL? IS IT TWO TO ONE IN NEIGHBORHOOD AND IS IT 800 TO ONE AT CLYDE WARREN? I THINK WE NEED A LITTLE MORE.
I AGREE WITH YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT.
'CAUSE THAT'S, WE DO NEED TO RESPOND BACK TO THE COUNCIL FROM THAT COMMITTEE MEETING.
I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO MAKE IT, BUT WE NEED TO RESPOND BACK BECAUSE WE HAVE REAL CASE STUDIES, RIGHT? WE HAVE CLIENT ONE, WE HAVE KATY TRAIL, WE HAVE HILLCREST GREEN, WE HAVE TRUE NUMBERS.
AND THEY NEED TO KNOW, THIS IS NOT HYPOTHETICAL.
IT HAPPENED, AND HERE ARE THE REAL NUMBERS.
AND WE ARE WORKING ON THESE OTHER TWO LOCATIONS.
SO LET'S LOOK AT WHAT THE, WHAT THE, UH, WHAT THE CROSS, I MEAN, WHAT THE COST IS PER SQUARE FEET BEFORE THAT PART GOES IN OR BEFORE THAT DEVELOPMENT GO IN.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER CASE THAT I FORGOT TO MENTION, WHICH IS IN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GRACIE DISTRICT, WHERE WHEN WE, WHEN WE PUT IN THE WELLED, IT WAS A, IT WAS A SHOPPING CENTER, IT WASN'T GOING NOWHERE.
SO WE HAVE REAL NUMBERS, LET'S PUT IT TOGETHER.
AND THIS HAS ME TO BE CLEAR, I MEAN THE, THE OUTCOME OF HR A'S MOST RECENT VALIDATION EXERCISE IN THE 2016 NUMBERS SHOW THAT, THAT THE VALUES ARE IN EXCESS CORRECT.
WE JUST NEED THAT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT.
WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. DAMON.
UM, WE ARE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA, THE QUARTERLY SAFETY UPDATE.
DR. ROBINSON, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
GOOD MORNING, MAD PRESIDENT AND
I'M DR. ROBERTSON SUPERINTENDENT, PART MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS.
I'M FLANKED HERE BY OUR SAFETY AND SECURITY MANAGER.
YES, OUR PURPOSE, UH, TODAY IS TO PROVIDE OUR FOURTH QUARTER UPDATES, WHICH WILL INCLUDE OCTOBER, UH, THAT FOCUSES ON AND ENCOMPASSES OUR EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE ONGOING SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE DALLAS PARK SYSTEMS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
OUR OVERVIEW IS PRETTY STANDARD WHEN WE REVIEW THE PARK RANGER PROGRAM.
WE REVIEW THE PARK RANGER MARSHALLS METRICS, UH, AS WELL AS THE MARSHALS.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT A HOLIDAY OPERATIONS PLANNING COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, THE PARK SAFETY STRATEGIC PLAN FOR FY 23 AND 24 25, AND THE MARSHALL'S OFFICE IN DALLAS,
THIS IS OUR PARK RANGER MISSION AND OUR KEY FOCUS AREAS FOR HEARING.
UH, OUR SAFETY AND SECURITY TEAM STAFF LEVELS INCREASED WITH FOUR NEW RANGERS AND EIGHT PARTNER MARSHALS.
DUE TO OUR BUDGET, UM, INVESTMENTS AND OUR BUDGET ENHANCEMENTS, OUR MARSHAL PARTNERS WILL SHARE A BIT MORE
[01:25:01]
ABOUT THE STATUS OF THEIR RECRUITMENTS, UH, LATER ON AS PRESENTATION.THIS IS OUR HOTSPOT PROTOCOL FOR YOUR MEETING.
OUR PARK RANGER METRICS, UH, AGAIN FOR THE FOURTH QUARTER AND FOR THE ONE WHICH IS OCTOBER.
UH, SIDE SEVEN ILLUSTRATE OUR NUMBER OF PARK AND TRAIL VISITS OVER THE LAST QUARTER JULY.
VISITS OUTNUMBERED THE FOLLOWING MONTHS DUE TO OVERTIME OFFERED TO STAFF, UH, DURING
NEXT, LIKELY THESE ARE PART RANGE OF METRICS.
UM, OUR TOP 10 PARKS WITHIN INFRACTIONS BY THE MONTH.
UH, SLIDE EIGHT IDENTIFIES THAT THE TOP 10 PARKS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE NUMBER OF INFRACTIONS PER MONTH, BLACKMAN INFRACTIONS SEEMS TO OUTNUMBER ALL OF THE OTHER, UH, LOCATIONS DUE TO AN ACTIVE MOU, UH, WHICH REQUIRES ONGOING RANGE OF PRESENCE FOR AT LEAST 16 HOURS PER WEEK.
SLIDE NINE IDENTIFIES OUR TOP FIVE INFRACTIONS, UM, DURING RANGE OF VISITS FROM JULY THROUGH AUGUST.
UM, THE INFRACTIONS YOU SEE HERE ARE RE RECURRENT INFRACTIONS BY MONTH, BUT THEY MAY VARY IN RANK EACH MONTH.
THERE'S AN INCREASE IN VISIBILITY DOWNTOWN, WHERE THE RANGERS ARE IDENTIFYING A HIGHER NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS SLEEPING.
SLIDE 10 IS OUR TOP FIVE PARTS WITH DO DOS OFF LEASH,
THESE ARE COMPLIANCE RATES OF SLIDE 11 HIGHLIGHTS OUR RANGE INTERACTIONS AND RESULTING COMPLIANCE RATES.
IN AUGUST, UM, THERE WERE 1,997 VISITS THAT I SHOWED EARLIER, UM, WHERE THERE'S HERE ONLY 213 FRACTIONS, WHICH WERE ADDRESSED WITH RANGER ENGAGEMENT.
AND WE RECEIVED 93% COMPLIANCE.
ALTERNATIVELY, IN OCTOBER WE HAD LESS VISITS, WHICH WAS 1,573 WITH JUST 266 INFRACTIONS AND AN 89% OF THE CLIENTS.
UH, SLIDE 12 IS OUR BIKE RANGER, OUR BIKE METRICS, WHICH I WILL TURN OVER TO JEREMY MANAGER.
SO WHAT I WANNA DEFINITELY POINT OUT ON THIS SLIDE, UM, IS, AND AS YOU MAY REMEMBERED, JULY AND AUGUST, VERY HOT WEATHER SEPTEMBER, THAT WAS KIND, COME AND GO.
WE ALSO HAD ISSUES WITH OUR STAFFING LEVELS IN SEPTEMBER.
SO WHAT WE WANTED TO LOOK AT IS THAT AS DR.
BUT JUST SO WE CONSIDER DEPLOYING BIKES MORE BECAUSE WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DEPLOY ON THE PREVIOUS TWO MONTHS.
THAT'S WHY YOU'RE GONNA SEE SUCH A HIGH NUMBER FOR BACHMAN THIS TIME AROUND BECAUSE WE WERE DEPLOYING AS WE ROTATE OUR RANGERS THROUGH BACHMAN, IF THERE WAS SOMEONE THAT SPIKE CERTIFIED, WE ALLOW 'EM NOT TO TAKE THAT BIKE OUT TO RIDE.
AND THEY FOUND THAT THEY LOVE 'EM BECAUSE MUCH FASTER THAN
WHAT? ALL RIGHT, SO NOW WE'LL COME INTO THE MARSHAL METRICS.
UH, SO THESE WERE THEIR, OF COURSE, THEIR BID ACCOUNTS JULY THROUGH OCTOBER.
UH, ONE OF THE DRIVING POINTS, UH, WITH THIS, THIS NUMBER IS USUALLY YOUR STAFFING LEVEL WITH THE MARSHALS.
AND, AND AS WE GET TO, UH, LATER IN THE PRESENTATION
ALL RIGHT, SO THESE ARE THE TOP FIVE INFRACTIONS THAT OF COURSE, THE, UH, MARKS WILL COME ACROSS.
SO WE THE PREVIOUS FOUR MONTHS, ACTUALLY JULY TO OCTOBER.
OKAY, SO THESE NEXT TWO SLIDES, THESE ARE KIND OF OUR AL DOG SUITES, UH, THAT ARE MARKED DO KIND OF CONDUCT WITH OUR, THE RANGERS.
NUMBER ONE INFRACTION THAT WE USUALLY COME ACROSS, THE DOGS OFF LE SO WORKING WITH THE MARSHALS, THEY WILL SET UP SUITES.
BUT AGAIN, ANOTHER DRIVING CURVE OF THIS IS THE STAFFING LEVEL AND OR HITTING NO CORRECT TIME.
WE DO WANT TO SHOW THAT WE'RE MAKING THAT SCENARIOS CAN FURTHER
[01:30:03]
ON THE NEXT SLIDE.ALRIGHT, SO THESE ARE GONNA BE THE ARRESTS AND CITATIONS AND WARNINGS THAT WERE, UH, OBJECTED BY MARKS THROUGH JULY THROUGH OCTOBER.
ALRIGHT, SO THIS IS JULY, ARREST AND CITATIONS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY DO CHANGE A BIT.
GO FROM ONE CLERK HAD MORE AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WILLIAM BLA.
THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, NEXT SLIDE.
THE IS ALL COVER HERE IN A FEW MINUTES.
BLOCKING SO HIGH FOR THE LABOR DATE WOULD BE NEXT SLIDE.
THESE ARE TOP NUMBERS FOR OUR ARRESTS AND ATIONS FOR THE MONTH.
ALRIGHT, SO AS IUD TO THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND SAFETY STRATEGIES, WE WORK WITH THE MARSHALL'S OFFICE OF PLAN.
THESE OUT, UH, ARE PRIMARILY, UH,
SO THESE ARE OUR 4TH OF JULY STATS.
WE HAD THIS PAST 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND, UH, IN COMPARISON SO MUCH BETTER.
LAST YEAR WE HAD ACTUALLY 30 SENSATIONS IN 20 ARRESTS VERSUS THIS YEAR WITH 15 CITATIONS AND ARRESTS, SEVEN ARRESTS.
NEXT, THESE ARE OUR LABOR DAY ASSISTANCE THAT WE HAD.
UM, THIS ONE, UNFORTUNATELY BLOCKING, WE BROUGHT UP TO POSSIBLY MAYBE THE STAFFING LEVEL AS WELL AS PROBABLY BETTER WEATHER THAN WHAT WE HAD THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
LAST YEAR THERE WERE 34 CITATIONS AND FIVE ARRESTS.
THIS YEAR FOR LABOR DAY WE HAVE 42 CITATIONS, 13 ARRESTS, UNFORTUNATELY THE MAJORITY.
IN THIS SLIDE WE'D JUST LIKE TO SHOW OUR, UH, ONE OF OUR PILLARS IN OUR SAFETY SECURITY COMPETITION PLAN FOR OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORTS, INCLUDING ENGAGEMENTS.
SO WE'D JUST LIKE TO LIST OUT ALL THE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE, UH, WHETHER IT BE THE MARSHAL LANDLORD RANGER AND SHOW US, SHOW OUR PRESENCE, SHOW WE'RE THERE
SLIDE CLOSING SITES, UM, REGARDING OUR STAFFING AND EQUIPMENT GAINS AS WELL AS
AS A RESULT OF THE BUDGET MANAGEMENT ADDING TO OUR SAFETY AND SECURITY INVENTORY, WE'RE IN PROGRESS OF ADDING THREE MOBILE CAMERAS, TRAILER INSTALLING, SECURITY LIGHTING, INSTALLING 20 SECURITY CAMERAS, PURCHASING SEVEN BIKES AND 40 TVS AND RE POSSESSION OF ONE DRONE, WHICH WILL ALLOW AERIAL ACCESS TO PARSON TRAILS THAT PRESENT, UH, ACCESSIBILITY CHALLENGES.
FOR OUR FY 24 25, WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING NEEDS TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN AND ENHANCE OUR SAFETY AND STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE WITH THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS, ONBOARDING FOUR DEPUTY MARSHALLS, ADDITIONAL SECURITY LIGHTING, ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT, SOLAR SIGNAGE FOR RAILS, AND ADDITIONAL SECURITY
NEXT ALL PLEASE, SERGEANT ASSISTANT WILL PROVIDE THE REMAINING UPDATES FOR ANY THE SPECIFICS.
UM, I WANNA START OFF FIRST, UH, THANKING EVERYONE FOR ALL THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS IN SUPPORTING US AS WELL.
UH, WITHOUT US AND YOUR SUPPORT WOULDN'T BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND MAKING THE PROCESS AS THEY ARE TODAY, WHERE THEY WERE YEARS PRIOR, UM, I WOULD APPRECIATE THE PRIOR, BUT YOU KNOW, THE STATEMENTS WE MADE PRIOR, HOW THINGS WERE IN THE PAST WHERE THEY ARE NOW.
BUT IT BEGINS WITH THE RECRUITMENT EFFORTS.
UM, I'M PROUD TO BE PART OF THE RECRUITMENT TEAM FOR THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE.
UH, WE CONTINUES TO GO OUT TO CONTINUOUS, UM, UH, CONTINUING EDUCATION, UH, CAMPUSES THAT, UH, HAVE THE POLICE ACADEMIES ALONG WITH RECRUITING OTHER OFFICERS FROM OTHER AGENCIES TO BETTER THEMSELVES WITHIN A BETTER DEPARTMENT.
UH, OUR RECRUITING EFFORTS ARE ACTUALLY PAYING OFF.
WE'VE HAD, UH, OVER 20 APPLICANTS THIS PAST GO AROUND.
UH, THE POSITIONS ARE CONSTANTLY BEING POSTED ON THE, UH, STUDENT WEBSITE.
WE ARE ACTUALLY GETTING GOOD QUALIFIED, UH, APPLICANTS STILL JULY.
UH, THE BACKGROUND PROCESS THROUGH OUR LIEUTENANTS AND EVERYTHING IS ACTUALLY WORKING VERY WELL.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID AS WELL, IF YOU SEE THE INCREASE IN NUMBERS, UH, FROM SEPTEMBER UP TO NOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IS BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED DIPPING WE HAD TO THE PARK UNIT.
[01:35:01]
UH, WHAT THAT DOES ALSO IS ALSO IDENTIFIES, UH, NEWER PARTS THAT WERE NEVER REALLY ON A HOTSPOT LIST TO BEGIN WITH, THAT ARE NOW BEING OBSERVED AS HOTSPOT PARTS BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE MAN COVERAGE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY CERTAIN AREAS NOW.AND WHEN YOU GIVE SOMETHING, YOU'RE GONNA TAKE SOMETHING SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO WHEN WE GIVE MORE ATTENTION TO AN A NEWLY IDENTIFIED PART, WE'RE GONNA TAKE NUMBERS AWAY FROM ANOTHER TYPICAL HOTSPOT PARK THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST.
BUT BECAUSE WE FOUND A NEW FARM WE'VE GOTTA PUT OUT.
SO BECAUSE WE HAVE THE MORE MANPOWER THAT WE'RE GRANTED, WE'RE ABLE TO START ATTACHING MORE PEOPLE WITH MORE FIRES TO PUT OUT.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY SHOWING A GOOD TREND IN NUMBERS.
UH, GOING, GOING WITH THAT WITH THE HOLIDAYS, UH, SCHEDULE.
JUMPING AHEAD JUST A LITTLE BIT.
YOU'RE SEEING A BIG DECREASE IN CRIME AND OFFENSES DURING THE HOLIDAYS IN PARKS BECAUSE OF THOSE EFFORTS AND BECAUSE OF STAFFING NUMBERS, UM, THE PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE MESSAGE, THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT IS GETTING THE MESSAGE THAT'S NOT GONNA BE TOLERATED IN PARTS.
UH, WE'RE NOT GONNA ALLOW IT ALL WHATSOEVER.
WE ARE GIVING A GOOD EDUCATION APPROACH TO A LOT OF THINGS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE DO HAVE THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT THAT THINGS OTHERWISE CAN SAY EARLIER.
THE PARTS IS NOT JUST IN MANY, IT'S NECESSITY TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, WE TAKE TO HEART EVERY DEPUTY WITHIN THE PARK UNIT ITSELF TAKES TOO HEART.
THE VALUE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PARK INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE COMMUNITY COURT, THE CITIZENS, MORE ANYTHING TO KIDS.
I SAY THE KIDS BECAUSE I'M GONNA JUMP A LITTLE BIT AHEAD ALSO TO THE ARRESTS.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WE DEAL NOW WITH A LOT OF YOUNG TEENS, EARLY TWENTIES, JUVENILES, UH, AND THINGS THAT DEAL WITH NARCOTICS UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, BUT WITH NARCOTICS AND THE GENES, WE TOOK IT OVER A HUNDRED GRAMS OF NARCOTICS A MONTH ON AVERAGE.
UH, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT IN GRAM'S RATE, UH, A SMALL PIECE, A FRACTION OF FENTANYL ACTUALLY KILLS SOMEONE.
SO WE'RE TAKING COUNTLESS NARCOTICS OFF OF THE STREETS FROM THE PARKS ITSELF, AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY'RE FROM THE LATE 10, EARLY TWENTIES.
UM, WE GIVE EDUCATIONAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND
BUT BECAUSE OF THAT AS WELL, UH, THE DEATH POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS TRAINED, UH, QUITE A FEW OF OUR DEPUTIES IN, UH, NARCOTICS TESTING BECAUSE OF GETTING SO MUCH OF AN OUT THE DEPART.
UM, AND IT'S SHOWING, IT'S SHOWING ITS PROGRESSIVE IN THAT WAY.
UH, THE DOGS OFF LEASH IS ANOTHER THING AS WELL.
UH, WE'VE ENCOUNTERED QUITE A FEW MORE, UH, DOG OFF LEASH AND HAD SOME MORE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS THAN IT HAS BEEN BEFORE BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T THINK THAT IT IS GONNA BE IMPERATIVE TO TELL IF MY DOG'S OFF A FLEE.
THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND OR SEEING THE MULLINS THAT HAVE OCCUR SOME THE PARTS.
SO WE'VE CURVED THAT AS WELL AND WE CONTINUE TO DO IT.
UH, WE'VE BEEN COME UP WITH A STRATEGIC PLAN, PLAN, SORRY, ON SOME OF THE PARKS.
UM, THEY SEE THE BLACK AND WHITE FROM AROUND THE CORNER.
THEY'RE GONNA GO THE OTHER WAY.
SO WE, ME AND ALL OTHER DEPUTIES HAVE COME UP WITH A GAME PLAN ON HOW TO TACKLE THESE PARKS.
WE'VE GOTTEN GOOD RESPONSES FROM 'EM AS WELL.
AND JUST LIKE THE GRANDMOTHER AND GRANDFATHER WE THINK IS FOR LIVING PARK SAFE FOR THE GRANDKIDS, AGAIN, WE'RE GAINING ACKNOWLEDGE AS WELL FROM THE RESIDENTS WITH THEIR DOGS WHO ACTUALLY ABIDE BY AND THEY'LL THAT WITH THE, UH,
I'LL TOUCH ON THAT ONE AS WELL.
UM, I KNOW ALSO WITH THE STAFFING PROCEDURES WE HAVE, UH, WE'VE INCREASED OUR EFFORTS AND THANKFULLY DR.
K WITH THE CITY ORDINANCES INVOLVING WITH THE, UH, PARKING ENFORCEMENT OVER NINE HOURS, IT'S MADE A HUGE IMPACT.
I KNOW
UH, BUCKMAN LAKE HAS BEEN ON MY RADAR LATELY.
UM, THERE'S THE BIG BUCKMAN AND THE LITTLE BUCKMAN BUCKMAN DRIVE BY THE REC CENTER WHERE WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THE APARTMENT COMPLEX FLOOD THAT ONE AS THEY DID WITH MARCUS PARK.
UM, SO WE'VE IDENTIFYING A LOT MORE TROUBLED AREAS, BUT WE ARE ATTENDING AND WILL BE SECURING A LOT MORE ENFORCEMENTS AND MAKING A LOT OF COMPLIANCE, HOPEFULLY FIRST BY GIVING PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A CORRECTION, TO MAKE IT WRONG OR RIGHT.
BUT WE ARE GONNA BE OUT THERE AND ENFORCING NEEDS TO BE ENFORCED.
UM, BUT ALL IN ALL, THE EFFORTS THAT WE'VE DONE, AGAIN WITH CONGREGATION, WITH EVERYONE IN SUPPORT, UM, DEPARTURE UNIT ITSELF, HAS MADE A TREMENDOUS STRIDE.
AND YOU WILL CONTINUE TO SEE STRIKE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE ENHANCEMENTS THAT WE WERE GIVING WITH THE DRONE, THE BIKES, AND THE ATVS.
UH, THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING AGAIN OF HOW BIGGER WE'VE DONE, THE MORE COMPLIANCE THAT WE'VE DONE.
AND I THINK HONESTLY WITH THE PAST, UH, PART MEETING THAT HAS CAME OVER NRPA, UH, TO BE RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE BIGGEST AND SAFEST, YOU KNOW, STRUCTURES, THE UNITED STATES.
SO THAT'S A GOOD PENT THAT FOR
[01:40:01]
ALL TO BE.NOW WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UM, GO TO QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE.
THANK YOU MADAM VICE PRESIDENT.
IT DOES FEEL NICE TO SAY THAT.
UH, DR. ROBINSON, MR. MCMAHON, SERGEANT CISNEROS, CHIEF WATSON, I SEE YOU BACK THERE TOO.
YOU GUYS ALSO DOING A FANTASTIC JOB.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ALSO RECOGNIZE, UH, MR. ISAM AND ALSO A VERY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE I HAD WITH RANGER JONES BACK IN OCTOBER.
UH, SHE WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND IN HER PROFESSIONALISM, UH, AND JUST THE WAY SHE REPRESENTED OUR PARKS.
WE HAD A SMALL INCIDENT IN TC PARK, AGAIN, THAT'S RANGER JONES AND I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE SHE'S RECOGNIZED BY STAFF.
UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS AND THEN I'LL END WITH A QUESTION.
I NOTICED THAT OFF LEASH DOGS CONTINUE TO PLAGUE US IN OUR CITIES.
UH, WE'VE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO GET AHEAD OF THIS, UH, UH, A PROACTIVE SOLUTION.
ONE THING I MENTIONED MONTHS AGO WAS AN IDEA OF POP-UP DOG PARKS.
IT SEEMS LIKE ALMOST ALL OF THOSE INFRACTIONS, HALF OF 'EM ARE COMING FROM MY COUNCIL DISTRICT 14, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
UH, POP-UP DOG PARKS IS SOMETHING I BELIEVE IN.
I'VE DONE A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH IN, UM, SOMETHING LIKE 30 TO 60 DAYS.
TEMPORARY FENCING, TURF MANAGEMENT, TEMPORARY BENCHES.
UH, NOT ONLY IS IT NEEDED, IT SERVES A NEED FOR THE COMMUNITY, BRINGING THEIR DOGS AND GOING OFF LEASH.
UH, IT'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, UH, OFFERED BY OUR RANGERS AND OTHER STAFF AND IT'S ALSO GOOD PR IF THERE'S A TEAM WE CAN GET TOGETHER TO LOOK INTO OFF-LEASH DOG PARTS AND START TO STRATEGICALLY PLACE THEM IN SOME OF THESE PARTS TO DO THOSE THREE THINGS, I THINK THAT'S GONNA REALLY HELP US SOLVE.
UH, SO THAT WAS MY FIRST COMMENT.
MY SECOND COMMENT IS THE RANGER, UH, BIKE TO PULL.
I WOULD LOVE TO GET ENGAGED AND GO ON A RIDE.
UH, MY COLLEAGUE MR. KIDNER, I THINK WE'D LIKE TO GO TOGETHER IF POSSIBLE, WITH PERHAPS SOME OTHERS AROUND THE PARK OR WITH BIKES, OF COURSE.
UH, I'D LIKE TO GET INVOLVED WITH THAT.
AND THEN THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE REALLY IS, UH, ABOUT OUR RANGERS.
I MEAN, HOW'S MORALE? IS RANGERS MORALE? HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW? YOU CAN JUST TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND LET US KNOW HOW OUR RANGERS ARE DOING THESE DAYS.
YEAH, OUR RANGER MORALE ACTUALLY MUCH BETTER THAN ONCE WAS.
WE ACTUALLY, THE NEW RANGERS COMING ONBOARDING AS WELL.
THESE FOUR POSITIONS IT'S GIVEN TO US AND WE WAITING ON THE ONBOARDING PROCESS.
UH, WITH THAT THE NEW RANGERS COMING ON ARE ALSO CERTIFIED TIME.
UM, THANK YOU THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAD.
AND MY APOLOGIES TO MY COLLEAGUES.
I WAS EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THE QUESTIONS AND I DIDN'T GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, CHIEF WATSON HIS SPEECH.
SO, UH, CHIEF WATSON, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR JOHNSON MAY REQUEST THAT TO BRIEF THE BOARD TODAY ON THE INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED FAHART DURING THE STATE, I THINK PRETTY MUCH FAMILIAR WITH.
SO ON SATURDAY OCTOBER THE 14TH AT ABOUT APRIL PM AND EVENING, THE SUSPECT WAS INSIDE THE FOOD COURT.
DURING THAT TIME, HE TOLD THE DETECTIVES LATER THAT HE OBSERVED A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WALKING TOWARDS ME AND HE WAS CONCERNED, HE FELT THREATENED.
AND WHEN THAT HAPPENED, HE PULLED HIS PISTOL AND HE FIRED FOUR TO FIVE TIMES STRIKING THREE INDIVIDUALS.
THE SUSPECT THEN RAN FROM THE FOOD COURT WHERE OFFICERS APPREHENDED HIM AND ALSO RECOVERED THE PISTOL
DURING HIS INTERVIEW WITH THE DETECTIVES, HE ADMITTED THAT I DID FIRE FOUR TO FIVE TIMES 'CAUSE I FELT THREATENED BY THIS GROUP IN THE NOTES THAT I WAS PROVIDED TODAY, THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION ABOUT HOW DID HE FEEL THREATENED.
UH, ONE OF THE VICTIMS THAT WAS SHOT WAS ALL, ALL OF THE VICTIMS WERE INTERVIEWED BY THE DETECTIVES.
ONE INDIVIDUAL SAID THAT HE DIDN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND THE, THE INJURIES THAT THEY SUSTAINED ARE NOT LIFE THREATENING.
SO, AND THEN DURING THE COURSE OF THE
[01:45:01]
INVESTIGATION, OFFICERS DETERMINED THAT THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL INVOLVED IN THE SHOOTING.WE MANAGED TO IDENTIFY HIM, INTERVIEW HIM, AND DETERMINE IF HE WAS NOT PART OF THE INCIDENT.
THE SUSPECT WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED ASSAULT ON THOSE THREE.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE UPDATES.
I'LL HAVE TO SAY IN DISTRICT DECREASE THINGS THAT TEND TO KIND OF BE
AND SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT.
I HAVE, UM, ONE SUGGESTION AND THIS KIND OF A, IT FALLS INTO WHAT MR. RUBY WAS SAYING, THAT IT SEEMS LIKE OUR INFRACTIONS THAT WE SPEND THE MOST TIME IS DOGS OFF LEASH, SMOKING AND DRINKING.
OH, SMOKING, DRINKING DOGS, APPIAN AND PARKING WHERE THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO.
SO I THINK I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE OUR MARKETING TEAM, MAYBE THE MARSHALLS COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF FUND PSA BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO, THEIR DOG JUST DON'T KNOW THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO SMOKE IN THE CAR.
THEY DON'T KNOW THEY'RE SUPPOSED NOT SUPPOSED TO CAR.
SO I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD SOURCE OF DISSEMINATING US TO OUR COUNCIL PERSON.
PEOPLE'S, UH, OWN SOCIAL MEDIA.
OUR PUBLIC, OUR OUR MEDIA IN-HOUSE DOES A GREAT JOB OF IT.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME KIND OF FUN THING THAT JUST LETS PEOPLE KNOW.
I MEAN, I'M NOT GONNA, SORRY, STOP ALL OF IT, BUT YOU MIGHT MAKE, EVEN IF YOU MADE A 20%, YOU WOULD SPEND A WHOLE LOT LESS TIME ON THAT KIND OF STUFF AND GIVE YOU MORE TIME TO KIND OF DO SOME OF THE THE BROADER SECURITY CONTROLS.
LIKE THAT'S JUST A SUGGESTION.
UH, THE SECOND THING I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, I THINK YOU TOUCHED ON TRAILS A LITTLE BIT BY ADDING
BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW KIND OF LIKE I, IS THAT PART OF YOUR, IS IS THE TRAIL PATROL PART OF WHAT YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO TACKLE AS WELL? YES.
SO CAN YOU GIMME LIKE A QUICK, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? YEAH.
SO WELL WITH THE UTVS THAT WERE GRANTED, UH, THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS WE PURCHASED IN JEREMY CAN, UH,
UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE DEDICATED DEPUTIES TO MONITORING THE TRAILS ALL 300 MILES OF TRAIL, UH, ON THE UTVS.
AND WE CONTROL THE WINTER SWEEP SNOW RAIN WITH HVS THAT WE'RE REQUESTING YOUR UH, WEATHER, ALL WEATHER VEHICLES, UH, ENCLOSED.
SO THE HEAT NORTH WINTER WEATHER WILL BE IMPACTED THAT THEMSELVES.
UM, WE'RE ALSO ASKING FOR THE ONES THAT HAVE FOUR SEATS THAT WAY HAVE TO TRANSPORT, UH, ANY ANYONE INSIDE THAT MAY BE INJURED ON THE TRAIL.
AND ALSO THESE HAVE BEDS FOR THAT TOO.
UH, BIKE PATROL IS GONNA BE USED FOR THAT AS WELL.
UH, BUT DUE TO WEATHER IMPLEMENTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE REALLY HOT HEAT COME JULY NEXT YEAR, UM, THIS UT V ITSELF FOR UT USE ITSELF WILL DIMINISH A LOT OF THE UH, THE BIKE UNITS 'CAUSE THE UT BE USEFUL FOR IT.
UM, ALSO WITH THE DRONE WE A HUGE IMPACT AND THAT SHOULD, WE'RE WORKING ON TRAINING EFFORTS NOW WITH OUR TRAINING COORDINATOR.
UH, PART OF THE
'CAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY TRAILS THERE.
AND TWO OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP OVER AND OVER WERE, UM, CONTROLLING SPEED A CYCLISTS AND, UM, LEASING THE NO MOTORIZED VEHICLE FALSIFICATION AND WE'LL GET A SCOOTER ON THERE OR, AND SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO KIND OF INCREASE THE, THE PHYSICAL PRESENCE OF SOMEBODY ON THE TRAIL THAT CAN KIND OF, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST KEEP AN EYE ON THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE MR. KIDNER.
UM, AND I, I HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS QUESTIONS, BUT I AGREE WITH MS. HASTY.
I THINK BACK TO THE VIDEOS THAT WE MADE DURING COVID, WE ALL, A LOT OF US STARRED IN THOSE VIDEOS AND THEY WERE NOT COMPLICATED TO PRODUCE AND I THINK THAT PUBLIC GENERALLY LIKED THEM.
AND SO I THINK WE COULD VOLUNTEER TO PARTICIPATE, DO SOMETHING FUNNY AND PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO A QUICK QUESTION ON THE START ON THE BIKE PATROL, THE UH, PARK RANGER BIKE METRICS IT LOOKS LIKE, WELL CAN Y'ALL JUST EXPLAIN HOW THAT WORKS? LIKE WHERE THE RANGER STARTS, UH, WHAT A TYPICAL BIKE ROUTE LOOKS LIKE, WHERE THE BIKES ARE STORED, HOW DOES ALL THAT WORK? OKAY, SO CURRENTLY OUR BIKES ARE STORED AT MY ROCK LAKE WHERE WE ARE.
WE DO TRANSPORT THE BIKES THOUGH.
WE DO ROTATE THE, THE TRAILS SPOT THROUGHOUT THE CITY
[01:50:01]
WHENEVER THEY'RE SCHEDULED CURRENTLY THEY'RE ABLE SCHEDULED WHEN WE HAVE MAJORITY OUR STAFF EITHER TUESDAY, ONCE THAT ARE THURSDAY, THEN THEY'LL, FROM THEN IT'S JUST BASED UPON AND THEN SO WE GOT HOTSPOT TRAIL LIKE THIS.IT'S JUST, FOR EXAMPLE, IT'S KATY TRAIL.
SO WITH THE KATY TRAIL, BUT THEY'RE MAINTENANCE FIVE TRAIL, THEY LOSS WILL EXTEND BETWEEN THE TRAIN STRING, SOMETHING ALONG THAT OR MAYBE GO UP AND TRY TO KEEP IT, KEEP IT SO THEY'RE NOT DROPPING ALL OF THE CITY PIPE.
UH, AND BECAUSE THE DEPLOYMENT THOUGH, WHENEVER WE GET, IT'S JUST BASED UPON STAFFING AND HAVE STAFF WHEN SOMEONE CALLS IN SICK HAVE TO KIND OF LEAVE OUT AND GET BACK REGULAR ROUTINE.
WE'RE HOPING AGAIN AS WE GET THE
AND THEN I WANTED TO GO BACK TO START FAST WITH UT V AS WELL, WE STARTED DEPLOYING OUR UT B IN NOVEMBER, SO NEXT TIME WE'RE HERE YOU'LL SEE A HUGE MILEAGE B.
NOW THAT ONE AGAIN IS DEPLOYED OUT WELL, BUT THEY CAN CONNECT CONTROL AND ACTUALLY THE LAST TIME WE TOOK THE BTVL, THEY DID ACTUALLY GO ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHERSIDE OF WEB CHAPEL IN HAVEN TO THE CONNECTOR.
LET, LET ME BACK UP ON THE QUESTION ABOUT THE, THE ROOTS AND THE RANGERS.
ARE THEY PICKING THE ROUTE THAT THEY'RE DOING EACH DAY OR IS THAT DIRECTED BY CITY STAFF? LIKE HOW DO THEY DECIDE, LIKE DO Y'ALL SAY HERE ARE THE HOTSPOTS WE WANT YOU TO GO THESE LOCATIONS, OR DO THEY JUST SAY, I'M GONNA GO TO WHITE ROCK LAKE TODAY OR I'M GONNA GO TO BACHMAN, SAY HOW DOES THAT ALL WORK IF IT'S ON BIKES FOR UTV, WE, WE SET THAT MYSELF FORWARD TO THREE.
YEAH, I'M LOOKING AT THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE BIKE PATROL AND I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE DOING THIS AND I LOVE IT AND I WANNA DO MORE OF IT.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE DOING A LOT 60 MILES AT BACHMAN THAN WILL, WELL MORE THAN ALL THE OTHERS COMBINED.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE PRETTY MUCH FOCUSED ON, YOU KNOW, JUST A PORTION OF THE CITY.
WE'RE NOT GOING REALLY NORTH OF WHITE ROCK CREEK AND WE'RE NOT GOING SOUTH.
UM, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF TRAILS LIKE WE'RE MISSING TRENDY FOREST TRAIL, WE'RE MISSING 18 TRAIL WITH THE NORTH HAVEN TRAIL BRIDGE IN NOW WE'VE GOTTA HAVE MORE ON COTTON CREEK, ON WHITE ROCK CREEK ON NORTH HAVEN.
UH, SO WE'RE JUST, WE'RE MISSING SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO C PRESTON RIDGE.
UM, WE'RE MISSING THESE OPPORTUNITIES AND SO, UH, WE'D LOVE TO SEE THAT EXPANDED.
UH, MR. REMY REFERENCED, UM, A BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE RIDES, WHICH WE DO, WE'VE DONE SEVEN OR EIGHT OF THEM.
WE'D LOVE TO DO THOSE WITH THE PARK RANGERS AS WELL TOO.
SO YOU ALL CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE SEEING AS CYCLISTS THAT ARE CHALLENGES.
AND SO, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD CHALLENGE, UH, THE RANGERS TO LET SPAN BEYOND JUST BACHMAN AND SOME OF THE CENTER CITY AREAS.
LET'S GO NORTH AND SOUTH BECAUSE THERE'S OTHER TRAILS THAT ARE NOT GOING BE FIXED.
SO MR. KITTEN, I, I WILL RESPOND TO THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE CONTINUE, AS YOU MENTIONED, AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE COVERAGE.
BUT RIGHT NOW I CAN TELL YOU PRIMARY FOCUS I WANT THEM WAS THE PARKS TRYING TO SPREAD OUT THE PARTS BECAUSE ONCE THEY GET ON THE TRAILS, THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE UP A LOT OF MAN HOURS.
NOW IF WE GET MORE, MORE FORCE, YOU KNOW, YES WE WILL EXPAND, BUT I CAN'T SUDDENLY ABANDON WHAT WE TRYING TO GET OUR ARMS AROUND ALL THE PARKS AND THEN SUDDENLY HAVE THEM MOVE THEM HERE, THERE ON TRAILS.
THIS IS JUST AN OPPORTUNITY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO EXPAND.
AND I THINK ALL OF THIS UNDERSCORES AND I APPRECIATE THAT ALL THIS UNDERSCORES THE NEED FOR MORE FUNDING FOR YES UH, PARK RANGERS AND UH, WE JUST GOTTA GET MORE MONEY IN FOR THIS STUFF.
AND SO I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING HARD ON THAT, DIRECTOR JENKINS, I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, I ALSO, UH, CHALLENGE THE PARK RANGERS.
THEY ALL ALWAYS DO A GREAT JOB COMING TO EVENTS.
ANYTIME THERE'S AN EVENT THEY SHOW UP ANSWER QUESTIONS AND I, THAT'S MUCH APPRECIATED.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE JUST A FEW SECONDS LEFT.
I WANNA ASK CHIEF WATSON A QUESTION ABOUT THE STATE FAIR INCIDENT.
UM, SO WHAT, DID YOU EVER DETERMINE HOW THE SUSPECT GOT A WEAPON ONTO THE FAIR GROUNDS, MR.
THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A BIG THING DEALT NO SIR, I WILL IF, IF WE EPD DETERMINED THAT I WAS NOT INVITED WITH.
I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA COMPROMISE ONGOING INVESTIGATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT NO, I WAS OUT AT THE FAIR THAT DAY.
IT WAS PRETTY CHAOTIC AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED AND WANNA MAKE SURE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL MY TIME, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[01:55:05]
OKAY.I'M SORRY I WAS MESSING WITH MY MIC.
UM, FIRST NEEDS TIME WE CAN GET A PSA WITH UH, JEFF AND RUDY
ANYTIME I CAN HEAR JEFF HUM SOME STAR.
WELL FOR THAT LET'S, UH, I REALLY WANNA MAKE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WITH TIMBER.
HE BROUGHT IT UP, UM, NOT JUST WITH THE PARKING, BUT YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IS OUR, I DON'T THINK WE EVER RELAY THIS TO YOU GUYS, BUT THAT'S OUR SECOND MOST, UH, ABUSED REC CENTER IN, IN THE SYSTEM.
AND OUR FIRST, OUR NUMBER ONE USED REC CENTER FOR TEAM NIGHT ON FRIDAY NIGHT.
SO WITH ALL OF THOSE APARTMENTS THAT ARE ACROSS THE STREET WITH PEOPLE PARKING IN THE PARK, THEY PARK AND THEN TEAM NIGHT GETTING OUT, COMING OUT INTO THE PARK, THERE WAS STUFF GOING ON.
SO REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR GUYS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. GOLDSTEIN.
I HAVE TWO, UH, SPECIFIC QUESTIONS REGARDING, UH, LOCATIONS OF DISTRICT 10.
I, YOU DON'T NEED TO ANSWER 'EM NOW IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER, BUT, UM, ONE WAS JUST LEE COLLINS NORTH HAS HAD SOME ISSUES I KNOW OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, UM, WITH VARIOUS INCIDENTS, BREAK-INS AND UM, I THINK SHOOTING OR TWO.
UM, SO I WANTED TO GET AN UPDATE ON THAT.
AND AGAIN, WE CAN DO THAT OFFLINE IF THAT'S BETTER.
IS THAT PREFERRED? SO AS FAR AS BLAKE
I KNOW, UH, I RECALL SHOOTING, I THINK IT HAPPENED, UH, DURING THE EVENING TIME AFTER SCHOOL HOURS.
BUT ONE THING THAT THE DEPUTIES ARE DOING IS THEY'RE MAKING THE HOTSPOTS WITH SOUTH CLIFF, UH, LAKE
SO AFTER SCHOOL HOURS LIT OUT, THE DEPUTIES ARE ON PARK AREAS MONITORING THE ACTIVITIES IN THE DEPART SURE.
IN PARK SAFES AS WELL AS THE TEAMS ZONE BECAUSE, UM, BUT THEY'RE TAKING A VERY PROACTIVE APPROACH, UH, TO ANYTHING THEY NEED AND ENCOUNTER INTO PARTS.
AGAIN, THEY'LL TRY TO GIVE, UH, SOME EDUCATIONAL THINGS, BUT THERE'S INSTANCES WHERE ENFORCEMENT ACTUALLY HAS TO TAKE PLACE AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF OUR COMPLIANCE, UH, ONE CS ONE, UH, GET THE REPERCUSSION OF COMMITTING SOMETHING THEY KNOW HOW TO DO IT AGAIN.
AND I THINK WE'RE, OVER THE TIME, OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, WE'VE SEEN A BIG TREND IN DEEP FINDING OF ANY TYPE OF OFFENSES.
UH, AS FAR AS THE BREAKINS OF THINGS GOES, UH, WE'RE AWARE OF THAT ONE AS WELL.
AND I DO RECALL THAT THE INDIVIDUAL THAT BROKE INTO THE BUILDING LAST TIME, OUR ARRA OUR DEPUTIES ACTUALLY, UH, TOOK THE SUSPECT INTO CUSTODY FOR A SEPARATE VIOLATION, WHICH RELATED TO THE BREAK-IN THAT A PB INSISTED ON THE, UH, INITIAL REPORT.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WAS ORBITER.
WE JUST GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE PARKING LOT THERE AT ORBITER AND IT HAS A GATE.
AND SO I THINK THIS WAS BROUGHT UP IN THE PAST, BUT IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO CLOSE THE GATE AND OPEN IT, UH, CLOSE IT DURING NON-PAR HOURS SO THAT THE NEIGHBORS THAT LIVE RIGHT ACROSS FROM THERE, UM, DON'T, DON'T HAVE TO BE WITNESS TO VARIOUS SHADY ACTIVITIES GOING ON IN THAT PARKING LOT.
UM, IF WE JUST FIGURE OUT A PLAN TO, TO DO THAT OPEN.
I KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT SOME POINT HAD THEIR OWN LOCKS THAT THEY WERE USING TO OPEN AND CLOSE IT, BUT I THINK IT'S CUT OFF.
SO, UM, IF YOU CAN JUST UPDATE ME ONCE YOU FIGURE THAT OUT, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU MADAM VICE PRESIDENT.
UM, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UH, THE PKR POPUPS THAT KATY TRAIL WHITEROCK, WHAT'S, WHAT ARE DKR POPUPS, MR. SIR? THOSE WERE ACTUALLY SET BY THE MAC TEAM THAT WE DID.
SO THEY HAD I THINK THREE LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE GOT RANGERS VERY WELL ALSO REPRESENTED, UM, WELL ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, ABOUT 22 OF THESE EVENTS.
AND UH, I'VE WITNESSED THE RANGERS AT SOME OF THE HARWOOD PARK AND IT'S REALLY COMFORTING.
YOU SEE THE RANGERS THERE AND, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I, I DROPPED INTO SAMUEL FARM ON THE OUTDOOR ADVENTURES, THE SUMMER PROGRAM, UH, AND THERE WERE RANGERS THERE GIVING A PRESENTATION TO THE CAMPERS.
AND SO THAT KIND OF OUTREACH, I THINK REALLY, UH, IS, IS GREAT.
SO, 'CAUSE PEOPLE REALLY DON'T KNOW AND THE TRUCKS ARE SO VISIBLE AND PRETTY AND THEY JUST MAKE A STATEMENT ON THEIR OWN IN A WAY.
UM, AND THEN I, THE QUESTION I HAD, UM, I NOTICED THE CHIEF RANGERS SPOT'S VACANT.
UM, CAN YOU, SO HOW LONG HAS THAT BEEN THE CASE AND WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S GOING ON? UH, IT'S
[02:00:01]
BEEN VACATED FOR PROBABLY ABOUT A MONTH NOW.WE OPENED IT UP, WE'RE ACTUALLY ONBOARDED SOON.
SO ALL I WOULD ASK IS, UH, JUST ON A MAJOR, UH, PERSONNEL CHANGE LIKE THAT, JUST A NOTICE IF NOTHING ELSE TO THE, UH, SAFETY, UH, AD HOC SAFETY AND SECURITY COMMITTEE JUST SO WE KNOW, UH, WHAT THE STATUS IS.
UH, THAT KIND OF CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE, SO THANK YOU.
MS. MONDELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH MADAM VICE CHAIR.
I, UM, WANNA THANK YOU GUYS ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORKING MEDICATION.
UM, IT DOESN'T GO UNNOTICED IN A LOT OF THE PARKS.
SOME OF THE VIOLATIONS, UM, ARE COMING UP.
RIO RIVERON, UM, AND I DID DON'T HAVE THE DETAILS I'M ASSUMING, BUT IF YOU COULD MOVE TO THAT A LITTLE BIT, JEREMY BOTH ARE RUBBER SEAN, ROBERT, SEAN'S MORE DOG OFF FEW SLEEPING AND THERE IS A HOMELESS CAN
SO IN ADDITION, WHEN WE, HOW ARE YOU WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS BECAUSE I HAVE PARKS DOWN IN DOWNTOWN AND UM, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT RELYING JUST ON THEIR STAFF THAT WE ARE MAKING AN EFFORT OUT JUST IDI AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THAT.
SO HOW IS THAT PARTNERSHIP AND HOW ARE WE LOOKING AT THAT HOLISTIC EXPERIENCE? IT IS ACTUALLY WORKING OUT REALLY WELL.
WE COMMUNICATE, WE HAVE ONCE A MONTH WE HAVE MEETINGS WITH THE DIVISION.
WE'RE NOT RELYING ON THIS ONE ENTITY TO TRY.
SO THERE IS FLUID COMMUNICATION HAPPENING BETWEEN DS? YES.
UM, THE OTHER THING I HAVE IS THE SECURITY CAMERAS.
HOW ARE YOU DELEGATING WHEN THESE PURCHASE IS HAPPENING? HOW ARE WE DISTRIBUTING? UM, AND THEN HOW ARE THEY GONE? SO THE, THE CAMERAS WERE UH, PART OF THE, THE, THE LOCATIONS WERE IDENTIFIED WORKING THE PLANNING DESIGN BASED UPON THE NEEDS OF INVENTORY LIST AND THE COURSE RUNNING LIST WE HAD
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING THE VENDOR TO BE ABLE TO GET THE PERSON.
WE DO HAVE THE DO, BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, A CAMERA HAS TO BE LOT OF STEPS AND THE FIRST STEP OF COURSE.
SO THEY DO COME FROM AN AREA LIKE, LIKE I SAID, WE JUST LOOK AT THE RUNNING LIST WE HAVE AND WE JUST DETERMINE MONITORING DIFFERENT SCENARIO.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST, WE'RE WORKING WITH, IT'LL BE THE DISTRICT STAFF OR MYSELF FOR MY STAFF IN THE MARSHALL'S OFFICE ALONG WITH BEING ENTITLED NETWORKS.
SO ARE YOU PLANNING DESIGN, ARE YOU ALL, ISN'T THERE A COMMITTEE AS WELL? SECURITY? WELL, I'M LOOKING AT THEIR, THEIR RUNNING LIST.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH MEGAN AND JARED AND THEY HAVE AN ONGOING KIND OF JUST A LIST THAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED AS FAR FOR NEEDS INVENTORY.
SO WE LOOK AT THAT JUST IN AS
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THOUGH, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL ON FOR THE SUBCOMMITTEES BESIDES OUR OTHER COMMITTEES, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT SECURITY AND I MIGHT BE SPEAKING ON THE TERM, BUT THOSE THAT SECURITY, SAFETY AND SECURITY COMMITTEE IS COHESIVELY WORKING WITH YOU ALL AS WELL.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S VOLUNTEER TIME.
MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T GO FOR NONE.
KEVIN, ARE YOU, ARE WE STILL HERE?
I GOTTA COMMEND, UH, THE
THE ONLY PROBLEM WE HAVE IS ON OUR TRAILS.
I THINK WE NEED TO GET BY SOME CUTTING LICENSE BECAUSE WE HAVE WILD PIGS ON OUR TRAILS,
UH, YOU, YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID, AND IT'S CRAZY.
WE TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AT STATE, BUT WHAT I GOT
[02:05:01]
THE STATE PRIOR STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE.
THEY COULD HAVE BEEN CHIEF SKATES AND SAID, HEY, WE WANT ARREST OUR POLICE PRESENCE.
THEY, THEY PAYING FOR THE SECURITY OFFICE BECAUSE THEY WANTED THAT PRESENCE.
AND CAN YOU IMAGINE IF WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THAT PRESENCE OUT THERE THAT WE HAVE NOW, THAT PERSON WAS APPREHENDED.
AND THAT'S WHY I KEEP SAYING MESS WITH THE STATE FIRE STAFF.
THIS IS, I MADE WHETHER RACIST OR NOT, BUT I THINK AS SOME OF YOU'ALL HAVE SEEN, WE COME NORTH, A PATROL BRIDGE OPEN, AND WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF CHALLENGES.
ONE WITH A, A DRIVER TRYING, ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE A VEHICLE UP THERE.
AND THEN THE OTHER DAY, OR A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, SOME DIRT BIKES, ELECTRONIC DIRT BIKES ON THE BRIDGE.
UH, AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY WHERE WE CAN, UM, GET CITIZENS WHEN EXCEED THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY TO GET IN THE MINDSET TO CALL 9 1 1 OR POST, PUT IT ON 3 1 1 AND NOT GO TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND PUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA BECAUSE THAT'S NOT EFFECTIVE.
AND I, AND I JUST, IT FRUSTRATES ME THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL THIS STUFF IS, IS HAPPENING.
UM, AND NOBODY'S MAKING THE EFFORT TO REPORT IT INSTEAD OF JUST PUTTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE CLINICS.
SO, UM, I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING YOU ALL ARE DOING TO KEEP US SAFE, TO KEEP OUR TRAILS SAFE, AND, UH, WITH THE BRIDGE COMING IN, WE JUST NEED TO BE ESPECIALLY AWARE OF ALL THAT STUFF.
SO THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING NEXT.
AND LET'S, LET'S MAKE, I, LET'S GET WITH MARKETING AND MAKE VIDEOS ABOUT WHAT VEHICLES ARE ALLOWED ON TRAILS AND WHAT'S NOT.
AND, UM, BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS SOME CONFUSION AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW ELECTRIC BIKES ARE ALLOWED.
AND, YOU KNOW, ATVS ARE NOT, AND DIRT BIKES ARE NOT, AND VEHICLES ARE DEFINITELY NOT.
AND I THINK THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT A FEW OF US WOULD BE WILLING TO SERVE IN THOSE OR TO APPEAR IN THOSE MOVIES.
I KNOW RUDY, YOU AND RUDY, YEAH.
YOU CANNOT DRIVE A GOLF CART ON TRAIL BOAT.
CAN YOU DO THAT ON THE A WHAT? YOU CAN'T HAVE BIKE ELECTRIC BIKES ON YOUR GRAVE.
YOU CAN HAVE AN ELECTRIC BIKE ON A TRAIL.
MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. KANER, AND I BELIEVE THAT IS IT.
UH, DR. ROBINSON, MR. MCMA FROM THIS NEROS CHIEF WATSON FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR SERVICE AND FOR, UM, SHARING ALL THIS, UH, WONDERFUL INFORMATION WITH US.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND JUMP AHEAD IN THE AGENDA.
WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO THE BRIEFING ITEMS. WE'RE GOING A LITTLE BIT OUT ORDER, BUT WE'LL COME BACK.
UM, BEFORE WE GO ON A BREAK, UH, WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW OUR FRIENDS FROM THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS, UM, TO PRESENT.
AND MR. O'CONNOR, THE FOUR IS ALL RIGHT.
UH, WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE, UH, MR. SLAUGHTER'S FAVORITE PARTNER AT STATE FAIR, TEXAS
AND, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.
UH, IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO COME DOWN AND SPEND SOME TIME WITH Y'ALL AND KIND OF GIVE YOU AN UPDATE OF, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE STATE FAIR, TEXAS.
AND, UH, I JUST WANT TO FIRST OF ALL INTRODUCE ISSA CONNI.
UH, SHE'S OUR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AT THE STATE FAIR.
PROBABLY SEE HER ON TV ALL THE TIME.
UH, SO YOU NEED SOMEBODY TO STAR IN YOUR, IN YOUR SHOW.
UH, HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYBODY.
UM, I DID NOT, UH, COME DURING GIFTS TODAY, HOWEVER, I'VE HAD SEVERAL COMMENTS ABOUT MY, UH, BIG TEXT FLASH DRIVE, AND SO I'M GOING TO GET SOMETHING FOR Y'ALL SO I DON'T HAVE, I MAKE SURE THEY GET HERE.
UM, ALSO, UM, I BROUGHT OUR ANNUAL REPORT FROM 2022.
I KNOW THAT, UH, SOME FOLKS WE PROBABLY SENT, I KNOW WE SENT THEM TO YOU PREVIOUSLY.
UH, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOU THAT DIDN'T RECEIVE OR WEREN'T ON THE BOARD AT THAT TIME.
IF THERE ARE ANYBODY, UM, OR IS ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE, UH, A COPY OF THAT ANNUAL REPORT.
IT REALLY TELLS A GREAT STORY ABOUT THE STATE FAIR, TEXAS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE TRY TO DO OBVIOUSLY IS PUT ON A EXCELLENT STATE FAIR, UH, FIRST AND AND FOREMOST.
UM, BUT IT'S ALSO EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT STATE FAIR SO THAT, UH, WE CAN DO THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO AS PART OF THE MISSION, AS OUR NONPROFIT MISSION AT THE STATE FAIR IN TEXAS.
AND, UH, SPECIFICALLY GIVING BACK TO, UH, FAIR PARK, AS
[02:10:01]
WELL AS, UH, THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, WHICH HAVE PROGRESSED GREATLY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.AND, UH, CARISSA WILL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THOSE AS WELL TODAY.
SO, UH, WITH, UH, NO FURTHER ADO, I WILL JUMP INTO THE PRESENTATION HERE.
SO THIS YEAR AT 2023, OUR ATTENDANCE WAS A TAKE OVER 2.3, UH, 2.34 MILLION PEOPLE, UH, CAME THROUGH THE GATES.
UH, THAT'S COMPARED TO 2020 TWOS ATTENDANCE OF 2.54.
SO, UH, WE WERE A LITTLE BIT DOWN, UH, THIS YEAR.
UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES RAIN IS OUR BIGGEST ENEMY.
UH, WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF EXTREME HEAT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FAIR THAT KEPT SOME PEOPLE AWAY.
UH, BUT, UH, WE, UM, WERE NOT, YOU KNOW, QUITE ABLE TO GET BACK TO THOSE NUMBERS FROM 2022.
BUT THOSE NUMBERS WERE SO FAR OUT THERE AS FAR AS, UH, RECORD BREAKING ON SO MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS IN 2022.
BY HUMAN NATURE, YOU ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE A HUGE IMPROVEMENT YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND, AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE AN EXCELLENT YEAR THIS YEAR.
AND, UH, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF, OF, UH, WHAT OUR TEAM ACCOMPLISHED.
AND, UM, I THINK WE PUT ON A, A GREAT FARE FOR EVERYBODY.
JUST SOME NUMBERS, UH, TO LOOK AT.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER ABOUT 71,000 PEOPLE THAT WERE ABLE TO TAKE, UH, ADVANTAGE OF OUR MILITARY, UM, APPRECIATION, UH, DISCOUNTS, AS WELL AS OUR FIRST RESPONDER DISCOUNT PROGRAMS. UH, WE GAVE AWAY 1.95 BILLION FREE TICKETS TO STUDENTS.
UM, AND THEN IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER, 217,913 POUNDS OF CANNED FOOD ITEMS, UH, DONATED TO AT THE FAIR GATES FROM OUR CUSTOMERS TO THE NORTH TEXAS FOOD BANK, UH, WHICH IS BY FAR THEIR BIGGEST, UH, CANNED FOOD DRIVE OF THE YEAR.
IT COMES AT A, A VERY CRITICAL TIME, UM, COMING UP UPON THE HOLIDAYS.
SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THAT LONGTIME PARTNERSHIP AND EVERYTHING, UH, THAT THAT MEANS TO US.
UH, WITH THE OTHER ITEMS HERE, UM, MORE THAN $500,000, UH, IN PLUS PRIZES VALUED, UM, MORE UNDER MORE THAN 500,000 PRIZES, I'M SORRY, UH, VALUED MORE THAN 1.47 MILLION OR WON ON THE SAME FAIR MIDWAY.
SO FOR ALL THOSE WHO SAY THOSE GAMES CANNOT BE WON, UH, THAT IS PROOF THAT THEY ACTUALLY CAN BE PLAYING, JUST NEED SOME SKILL.
UH, 518,000 FLETCHER'S CORNY DOGS, UH, WERE, UH, CONSUMED THIS YEAR.
AND THEN, UH, 1.3 MILLION, UH, AWARDED IN 2023 IN NEW SCHOLARSHIPS, UH, TO MORE THAN 200 STUDENTS.
SO OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IS SOMETHING WE'RE VERY PROUD OF, AND, UH, HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY OVER THE YEARS AS WELL.
BUT LOTS OF NUMBERS TO PUT OUT EACH AND EVERY YEAR.
YOU KNOW, THE FAIR IS SUCH A DIVERSE AND COMPLEX EVENT.
UH, THERE'S JUST, THERE'S AN ARRAY OF NUMBERS THAT WE CAN THROW AT YOU.
UH, THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THEM, UH, SOME KEY TAKEAWAYS AND OBSERVATIONS.
UH, AS I MENTIONED, OUR TENANTS WERE SLIGHTLY DOWN ABOUT 8.1%, UH, TO PRIOR YEAR.
UM, OUR PEAK, WE WERE DOWN 16% FOR DAY EIGHT.
SO ACTUALLY WE CRAWLED BACK, UH, TO GET BACK TO THAT 8.1%, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF THE FAIR ONCE THE, UH, COOLER WEATHER STARTED TO SETTLE IN.
UH, SO WE WERE, UM, WE ACTUALLY HAD, UH, REALLY GREAT CROWDS THROUGHOUT.
UH, THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE FIRST EIGHT DAYS, UH, WAS AROUND 92 DEGREES, UH, WHICH IS UNSEASONABLY WARM, BUT EVERYBODY WAS HERE ALL SUMMER, AND YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, THIS WAS A DIFFICULT SUMMER, SO I THINK PEOPLE WERE JUST READY AND WAITING FOR A LITTLE BIT COOLER WHEN TO COME OUT.
YOU STILL, UM, YEAH, WE'RE STILL WAITING, RIGHT? SO, UH, CHANGE IN, UH, THIS YEAR WE, WE CHANGED TO DALLAS FIRE AND RESCUE ON OUR FIRST AID, UH, CENTERS, AND THEY WERE AN EXTREMELY, UH, GREAT PARTNER TO WORK WITH.
THAT WAS A HUGE, UH, SUCCESS, MAKING THAT CHANGE ALL OF OUR CONCESSIONS THIS YEAR.
AND THAT INCLUDES, UH, INCLUDES RIDES, FOOD AND BEVERAGE AND WET AND GAMES OPERATED ON OUR, UH, COUPON SYSTEM.
WE GOT RID OF THE PAYING CARDS, UH, MADE THINGS EASIER FOR IN TERMS OF CUSTOMER CONVENIENCE AND EXPERIENCE.
AND, UH, WE SAW RECORD GAME SALES, SO AS A RESULT.
WE ALSO, UH, INTRODUCED A NEW GUEST CODE OF CONDUCT, UM, THIS YEAR AS WELL AS A AFTER FIVE, UH, PM MINORS POLICY THAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT.
AND THEY WERE VERY EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENTED, UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, CREATED MORE OF A FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT, SOME, UH, SOME SECURITY PLAN AND KEY INITIATIVES.
UM, WE HAD AN OPERATIONS CENTER THIS YEAR, UH, THAT WAS UTILIZED, UH, IN OUR HR AREA TEXT TEAM RESOURCES CENTER.
UH, AND IT ACTUALLY SERVED AS THE INCIDENT COMMAND CENTER, UM, FOR ANY SECURITY, UM, AND GENERAL OPERATIONS ISSUES THAT
[02:15:01]
CAME UP, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE FAIR.UM, IT WAS THE OPERATIONS CENTER USED ON OCTOBER 14TH.
WE HAD THE INCIDENT, UH, THAT, UH, THAT OFFICER WAS SPEAKING ABOUT EARLIER.
UM, AND SO THE FAIR BENEFITS FROM HAVING ALL INCIDENT COMMAND STAFF IN ONE CENTRALIZED LOCATION WAS REALLY THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE ACTIVELY HAD TO USE THAT.
UM, THE INCIDENT ON 10 14, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ATTENDANCE FIGURES, A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK THE QUESTION, HOW DID THIS IMPACT YOU FOR THE LAST EIGHT DAYS? THE, UH, HIGHLIGHTS THERE IN YELLOW SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING YEAR OVER YEAR, ABOUT THE SAME PERCENTAGE OF OUR ATTENDEES CAME, UM, DURING DAY 17 THROUGH 24, AS THEY DID PREVIOUS YEARS.
SO, UH, IT WAS ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, THAT NIGHT, UH, IT WAS A VERY LONG NIGHT FOR US.
UH, WE WERE UP, YOU KNOW, UNTIL ABOUT 2:00 AM, UH, WORKING ON THINGS, GETTING THE PLANS READY, MADE A DECISION TO OPEN LATE, UH, THE FOLLOWING MORNING, UH, TO MAKE SURE WE HAD EVERYTHING IN PLACE.
AND IT WAS, UH, VERY HEARTENING, UH, TO BE IN THE COMMAND CENTER WATCHING ON CAMERAS, UM, AT ALL THE DIFFERENT GATES AS PEOPLE WERE LINING UP IN BIG NUMBERS.
UH, AND PEOPLE WERE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE NERVOUS THAT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE A LITTLE NERVOUS TO COME BACK TO THE GROUNDS.
UH, WE HAD TO OPEN 30 MINUTES EARLIER THAN WE'D PLANNED BECAUSE THE CROWDS WERE GETTING TOO LARGE OUTSIDE, UH, AND WE THOUGHT WE'D NEVER GET 'EM IN.
SO, UH, THAT WORKED OUT WELL AND, UH, WE'RE JUST VERY HAPPY THAT, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO BOUNCE BACK FROM THAT.
AND OBVIOUSLY, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, UH, THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE IMPACTED BY, UH, THAT SHOOTING INCIDENT.
UH, WE HAD NOT HAD A SHOOTING AT THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS IN 35 YEARS.
UH, SO, UM, THIS WAS A TOUGH ONE.
UH, SOMETHING THAT KIND OF A DAY THAT WE DREAD.
UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE READY AND PREPARED.
UH, WE HAD DONE LOTS OF, UH, PRACTICE, IF YOU WILL, ON, IF AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS OCCURS, UH, HOW TO GO THROUGH AND WORK WITH THAT.
BUT WE BEGAN, WE BEGAN OUR, UH, PLANNING IN FEBRUARY, AS WE DO EVERY YEAR, UH, WITH THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE COMMANDER, UH, THE DEPUTY, AND OUR DIRECTOR OF SECURITY, JEFF, UH, NER, WHO, UH, IS A FORMER DALLAS POLICE OFFICER AND HAS AN OUTSTANDING JOB FOR US.
UH, AND THE FOCUS WAS ON POLICING STRATEGIES, UH, MITIGATE ACTIONS AND INTELLIGENCE SHARING.
UM, A LARGE NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS PER DAY, UH, DPD AND OTHER AGENCIES PROVIDED ALL THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND STRATEGIC POLICING OPERATIONS, UM, FOR US ON A 24 HOUR BASIS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE A SAFETY TEAM, UH, THAT CONSISTS MAINLY OF RETIRED POLICE OFFICERS, THE STAFF, THE STANDS THAT YOU SEE, THE ELEVATED STANDS, AND THEY HAVE DIRECT COMMUNICATION, UH, WITH THE POLICE OFFICERS TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH THEM.
BUT THAT ALLOWS OUR OFFICERS TO BE MORE MOBILE, TO BE ABLE TO GET AROUND ON THE GROUNDS AND ACTUALLY, UH, POLICE MORE EFFECTIVELY.
UM, ADDITIONAL ON, ON-GROUND SECURITY IS PROVIDED BY A PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANY.
ANDY FRAME SERVICES, UH, IS WHO WE USED THIS YEAR.
AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, A LOT OF THE PLANNING, WE DID TABLETOP EXERCISES WITH POLICE, DFR AND, UH, SENIOR LEADERSHIP, UH, IN THAT UNIFIED NAME RESPONSE CENTER, GOING OVER DIFFERENT, UH, SCENARIOS, THINGS THAT YOU WOULD NEVER THINK WOULD HAPPEN, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED IN CASE THEY DO.
UH, WE WERE IN THIS ONE PARTICULAR CASE.
UH, GROUNDS WIDE COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN GREATLY ENHANCED OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
WE ADDED THE ALERTED SYSTEM, UH, WHICH IS A MOBILE SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS US TO NOTIFY FOLKS IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY GOING ON ON GROUNDS WHEN YOU HAVE 277 ACRES.
YOU KNOW, IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET THE MESSAGING OUT, BUT WE HAD THE ALBERTUS SYSTEM INSTALLED ON THE COTTON BOWL LAST YEAR.
SO THE TOWERS PROJECT OUT FROM THE COTTON BOWL, UH, AND IT PROVIDES US A, A GREAT WAY TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, A FEW YEARS AGO, UH, PRIOR TO COVID, WE HAD A, A NIGHT, IT WAS THE FINAL NIGHT OF THE FAIR.
WE ACTUALLY HAD A TORNADO COME THROUGH, AND OF COURSE, IT HIT NORTH, ONE HIT NORTH AND ONE HIT SOUTH OF DALLAS.
WE HAD VERY LITTLE, UM, YOU KNOW, ABOUT TIME TO REACT TO THAT.
WE DID NOT HAVE THE SYSTEM IN PLACE, SO IT WAS WORD OF MOUTH.
UH, SO THIS IS GONNA BE VERY HELPFUL, NOT ONLY FOR US, UH, BUT FOR ANY EVENTS THAT HAPPEN IN FAIR PARK, AND IT CAN BE DONE REMOTELY, UH, ON YOUR PHONE OR, UM, ON IPADS WITHIN OUR OFFICE.
UH, AND THEN WE UPGRADED OUR MIDWAY SOUND SYSTEM, UH, WHICH WORKED EXTREMELY WELL WHEN WE HAD THE INCIDENT ON OCTOBER 14TH.
IT ALLOWS US TO, UH, TO PUT COMMUNICATION OUT.
AND IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN AN INCIDENT ON GROUNDS.
WE'RE ASKING EVERYONE TO SHELTER IN PLACE.
UM, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DID THAT EVENING.
UM, WHATSAPP IS JUST AN APP FOR COMMUNICATION PURPOSES, AND, UH, WE'VE, UH, ADDED A COMMUNICATION
[02:20:01]
LOOP WITH WHATSAPP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, IN A VERY TIMELY FASHION, REACH OUR CONCESSIONAIRES AND OUR VENDORS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IF THEY'RE IN DIFFERENT BUILDINGS, AND THEN THEY, YOU KNOW, CAN NOT ONLY PROTECT THEMSELVES, BUT HELP PROTECT OUR FAIRGOERS THAT MIGHT BE OUT OF, YOU KNOW, UM, LISTENING RANGE OF OUR, OUR SOUND SYSTEMS. UH, SOME THINGS REGARDING TRAFFIC, UH, YOU KNOW, FAIR, FAIR TIME TRAFFIC, UH, CAN BE, UH, DIFFICULT AT TIMES.UM, THE PROBLEM THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS IS THAT THEY'RE NON-FUNCTIONAL DIGITAL WAYFINDING SIGNS ALL AROUND FAIR PARK, YOU KNOW, NONE OF THEM WORK BASICALLY.
SO, UH, WE PROVIDED $3 MILLION TO THE CITY, UM, UH, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
UNFORTUNATELY, UM, IT HASN'T, IT HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO WORK ITS WAY INTO THROUGH THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND ACTUALLY BE INSTALLED JUST YET.
UH, BUT ONCE THAT HAPPENS, UM, WE'RE VERY EXCITED BECAUSE, AGAIN, THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL BE VERY HELPFUL, NOT ONLY FOR FAIR DIRECTING TRAFFIC AND WAY FINDING, UH, BUT ALSO FOR ALL OTHER EVENTS THAT HAPPENED AT FAIR PARK.
IF THERE'S A BIG CONCERT IN THE COTTON BOWL, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE ROLLING STONES, WHEN PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT TRAFFIC ISSUES, UH, THESE WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
AND THEY'RE, UH, NOT, YOU KNOW, THE DOT MATRIX TYPE BOARDS.
THEY WERE REALLY COOL, UH, BOARDS THAT WE SEE, UM, ON TXDOT, UH, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UH, WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND HOPEFUL THAT, UH, THEY'LL BE COMPLETELY OPERATIONAL FOR THE 2024 FAIR.
UH, BUT WE DID GO AHEAD AS WE DID THE PREVIOUS YEAR, AND WE PLACED HOODS OVER THOSE, UH, NON-FUNCTIONING, UH, WAYFINDING SIGNS, UH, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DIRECT TRAFFIC, UM, FOR THIS YEAR.
UM, IN TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC IMPACT, UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 7,000 PEOPLE THAT ARE EMPLOYED DURING THE ANNUAL STATE FAIR.
ABOUT 2200 TO 2300 OF THOSE ARE ACTUALLY ON THE STATE FAIR STAFF.
AND THEN THE REST ARE GOING TO BE MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES AT THE FAIR.
UM, WE ACTUALLY, OUR EMPLOYEES EARNED A MINIMUM HOURLY WAGE OF AT LEAST $17 AND 82 CENTS IN 2023, KEEPING WITH THE LIVING WAGE INDEX CALCULATED BY MIT.
SO, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE, UM, WE STARTED A FEW YEARS BACK AND SINCE WE BEGAN THAT LIVING WAGE INDEX HAS JUMPED, UH, 64% OVER THE COURSE OF A, ABOUT A FOUR OR FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
SO DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT TAKES A TOLL ON, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, THE EXPENSE SIDE FOR US.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, A PART OF OUR TEAM AND ARE WORKING AT THE FAIR, A LOT OF THESE FOLKS REALLY NEED THESE JOBS AND WE'RE HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO PAY THEM, UM, AT THE WAGE AMOUNT.
UM, THE ESTIMATED TOTAL IMPACT, UH, ECONOMIC IMPACT OF AFFAIRS BETWEEN 400 TO 10 AND $499 MILLION EVERY YEAR, EXCLUDING ANY IMPACT FROM THE TEXAS AUTO SHOW, WHICH IS NOT MEASURABLE, BUT WE KNOW IT'S THERE AND IT'S SIGNIFICANT.
AND AN ESTIMATED 22.8% FAIRGOERS, UH, COME FROM OUTSIDE THE 13 COUNTY DFW AREA.
SO, UH, NOT A HUGE PERCENTAGE AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE THAT GROW.
UH, BUT STILL 22% OF 2.3 BILLION IS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER.
UH, SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
UM, WE SPEND AN ESTIMATED 59 MILLION OUTSIDE FAR IN THE DFW AREA.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CARISSA TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE ENTERTAINMENT AND PHILANTHROPIC.
HOW TO Y'ALL? IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE AND A PLEASURE TO SEE ALL OF YOU.
THANK Y'ALL FOR MAKING IT AS WARM IN HERE TODAY.
THE FIRST DAY, UM, TAKES US BACK TO MEMORIES.
UM, IT IS THE GOAL OF THE FAIR TO HAVE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.
WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO EVERY SINGLE DAY AT THE FAIR THAT ARE INCLUDED WITH YOUR ADMISSION.
ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE INTRODUCED THIS YEAR IS THE DINOSAURS OF THE LAGOON EXPERIENCE.
IF ANY OF Y'ALL MADE IT OUT TO THE FAIR THIS YEAR, I HOPE YOU MADE IT OVER TO SEE OUR MORE THAN 60 FOOT TALL ALA MOOSA, UH, WHO ONCE ROAMED TEXAS.
AND SO WE'RE ALSO ABOUT CELEBRATING ALL THINGS TEXAN AND BEING THE MOST TEXAN PLACE ON EARTH.
AND WE FELT SPOTLIGHTING DINOSAURS THAT ONCE ROAMED OUR GREAT LONE STAR STATE WAS SOMETHING THAT THE FAIR WAS MISSING.
AND, UM, IT'S BEEN A WAY TO ACTIVATE A PORTION OF THE FAIRGROUNDS THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ACTIVATE BEFORE DUE TO POWER ISSUES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO OUR TEAM CAME UP WITH THIS BRILLIANT IDEA.
WE PARTNERED WITH KERN STUDIOS OUT OF NEW ORLEANS, WHO CREATES ALL OF THE EXTRAVAGANT PARADE FLOATS FOR MARDI GRAS.
THEY ACTUALLY, LAST YEAR, CAME ON BOARD TO CREATE ALL OF OUR NEW PARADE FLOATS.
SO WE HAVE MARDI GRAS LEVEL PARADE, FLOATS OUT THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS EVERY NIGHT IN OUR STARLIGHT PARADE, BUT THEY ALSO HELPED US CREATE THIS DINOSAURS AT THE LAGOON EXPERIENCE.
IT WAS ACTUALLY OUR FIRST EVER FULLY BILINGUAL EXHIBIT.
AND THAT IS AN INITIATIVE THAT THE FAIR HAS TAKEN ON OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE CREATING AN ACCESSIBLE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL WHO COME OUT TO CELEBRATE AT THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS.
UM, SO YOU CAN COME OVER AND BILINGUAL BY MEANING ENGLISH AND SPANISH TO CLARIFY.
[02:25:01]
UM, SO YOU CAN COME OVER ON ALL OF THE SIGNAGE THAT EXPLAINS THE LIFE OF THESE DINOSAURS AND HOW MOST OF THEM DID RO TEXAS, UM, HAS THAT EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT THAT IS REALLY PART OF OUR MISSION AT THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS ON THE CHEVROLET MAIN STAGE, AGAIN, ABOUT HAVING SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.ALL OF THESE ARE INCLUDED WITH YOUR FAIR ADMISSION.
SO WE HAVE FROM LONE STAR ON OPENING NIGHT TO LITTLE JOHN ON TEXAS, OU AND CIA BEING ONE OF OUR LARGEST CONCERTS OF THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS TO ROUND US OUT THIS YEAR.
IT WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL RUN ON THE CHEVROLET MAIN STAGE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE OTHER STAGES THROUGHOUT THE GROUNDS THAT ARE ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR ADMISSION, WHERE WE HAVE MAYBE LOCAL UP AND COMING ARTISTS OR LONGSTANDING ARTISTS FROM THE DALLAS TEXAS COMMUNITY OR THROUGHOUT THE LONE STAR STATE WHO PERFORM ON THOSE STAGES, AS WELL AS EVEN A DEEP FRIED COMEDY SHOW THAT HAPPENS ON ONE OF THEM EACH WEEK.
I HOPE ALL OF YOU GOT A CHANCE TO TASTE AT LEAST ONE OF OUR BIG TEXT CHOICE AWARD FINALISTS THIS YEAR, OR WINNERS FROM TRAIL AID, WHICH I KNOW PEOPLE WERE ASKING FOR JUGS OF BECAUSE IT WAS SO DELICIOUS TO SWEET AND CON, SWEET AND CANTO, THE OXALATE SOUL ROLL AND DEEP FRIED FU BEING A WINNER.
THE BOURBON BANANA CARAMEL SOAP PADILLAS, WHERE THEY STOOD UP AN ENTIRE STAND DEDICATED TO SOAP DILLAS.
THIS WAS ONE OF THEIR SIGNATURE DISHES THAT WON.
AND THEN OF COURSE, BI DELIGHT, WHICH WAS A HAND DIPPED CHEESECAKE ON A STICK ABOUT THE SIZE OF YOUR HEAD, OF COURSE, TEXAS SIZED.
AND WE ENDED UP HAVING TO ADD CUE LINES BECAUSE THE LINE FOR THIS HAND DIPPED CHEESECAKE WAS SO LONG AND THEY BOUGHT OUT ALL OF THE CHEESECAKE IN THIS ENTIRE REGION IN ORDER TO SERVE OUR CAREGIVERS THIS YEAR, COLLEGE FOOTBALL AT THE FAIR.
IT'S A TRADITION HAVING THESE ICONIC GRID IRON MATCHES FROM THE STATE FAIR CLASSIC THAT HAS BEEN AT THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS SINCE THE EARLY 1920S, TO AT THE ALLSTATE RED RIVER RIVALRY, WHICH HAS BEEN AT THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS ALSO SINCE THE 1920S.
UM, UM, SO WE HAD GREAT MATCHUPS.
THAT GAME FOR THE RED RIVER RIVALRY WAS A HUGE ONE.
'CAUSE AT THE TIME TEXAS WAS RANKED RANKED THIRD IN THE NATION.
UM, ALWAYS, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN HEADING INTO THAT GAME.
AND WE ARE SO ELATED THAT WE WERE ABLE YESTERDAY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE GAME HAS BEEN EXTENDED AT COTTON BOWL STADIUM IN FAIR PARK DURING THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS, THROUGH THE TEXAS BICENTENNIAL 2036, OUTSIDE THIS ROOM, TO DIRECTOR JENKINS, TO RYAN AND HIS TEAM, TO THE CITY ATTORNEYS WHO HELPED MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND EVERYBODY FOR IT TOOK A TEAM EFFORT TO REALLY GET THE TEAMS HERE AND TO GET THEM TO SIGN ON.
AND FOR THE HUGE INVESTMENT THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO BE MAKING IN THE COTTON BOWL, TO NOT ONLY ENSURE THIS GAME IS A SUCCESS MOVING FORWARD, BUT ALSO THAT THE COTTON BOWL CAN BE UTILIZED YEAR ROUND AS THE ICONIC VENUE THAT WE ALL KNOW IT IS TO DRAW PEOPLE INTO SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK.
SO, EARNED MEDIA COVERAGE, WELL, GOING BACK THAT ONE, SORRY, MEANT TO MENTION WE HAVE ESPN COLLEGE GAME DAY THAT EVEN CAME OUT TO THE FAIR THIS YEAR.
UM, IT EQUATED TO MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HAVING THEIR EYES ON FAIR PARK DURING THAT WINDOW OF TIME.
UM, YOU CAN SEE EVEN A QUOTE HERE FROM KIRK STREET THAT HE POSTED OUT ON X TALKING ABOUT THE HOW ICONIC THIS GAME IS AND WHAT THIS ATMOSPHERE IS LIKE.
SO WE'RE HONORED THAT THEY CAME AND WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL RETURN THIS YEAR.
ON THAT NOTE OF MEDIA COVERAGE, IT'S ALWAYS FASCINATING.
WE RECEIVED RECORD MEDIA COVERAGE FOR THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS THIS YEAR, AND I ALWAYS LOVE LOOKING AT THIS MAP.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WHEREAS WE, THAT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS PURPLE, SOLID PURPLE BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF OUR COVERAGE DOES FALL IN OUR GRADE 50 STATES.
HOWEVER, IT'S INCREDIBLE TO SEE THE REACH THAT THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS HAS AROUND THE WORLD.
NOW, NOW TO MOVE ON TO REALLY WHY WE'RE HERE, WHICH IS THE NONPROFIT MISSION OF THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS.
AND I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF OUR PHILANTHROPIC INITIATIVES THAT THE FAIR HAS BEEN UNDERTAKING.
THE FIRST ARE, THESE ARE SOME THAT WE HELD DURING THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS THIS YEAR THAT WE HOLD EACH YEAR DURING THE FAIR TO BRING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER FOR FELLOWSHIP.
AND SO THE FIRST ONE WAS WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 65 FAITH LEADERS WHO JOINED US FOR THE PASTOR'S LUNCHEON THIS YEAR DURING THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS.
UM, WE HAD NEARLY 300 NONPROFIT LEADERS ATTEND OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DATE THAT WE HOST EVERY YEAR DURING THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS.
AND THEN FOR THE JUANITA J CRAFT CIVIL RIGHTS HOUSE AND STEERING COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS, WE AWARDED SIX INDIVIDUALS AND AN ORGANIZATION THAT WERE FOLLOWING IN MRS. CRAFT'S FOOTSTEPS IN THE JUANITA CRAFT HUMANITARIAN AWARDS.
SO WE HAD ACTUALLY ABOUT 130 COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED THOSE AWARDS DURING THE FAIR THIS YEAR ON OTHER PHILANTHROPIC GIVING HIGHLIGHTS.
WE HAVE OUR OVERALL COMMUNITY GIVING THAT HAS MANAGED TO OUR COMMUNITY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT THIS YEAR WILL BE A RECORD YEAR OF GIVING THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY AFFAIRS EFFORTS TO THE TUNE OF MORE THAN $728,000
[02:30:02]
THROUGH THOSE EFFORTS ALONE.NOW, THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM THAT MITCHELL MENTIONED EARLIER, AS WELL AS OUR BIG TECHS FOR URBAN FARMS INITIATIVES, WHICH I'LL SPEAK TO MOMENTARILY.
OUR BIG TECH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, AS MITCHELL MENTIONED, AWARDED MORE THAN $1.3 MILLION TO STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS TO HELP REACH HIGHER EDUCATION.
NOW, A FEW YEARS AGO, WE ADJUSTED OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO NOT ONLY BE APPLICABLE TO TEXAS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, BUT ALSO TRADE IN VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS BECAUSE THERE'S A BIG GAP IN THAT INDUSTRY AND WE SEE THAT THAT MAY BE ATTAINABLE FOR A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS WHO FEEL LIKE COLLEGE MIGHT BE OUT OF REACH FOR THEM.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE EMBRACING THAT AND THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING THOSE EFFORTS THROUGH FINANCIAL DONATIONS, THROUGH BIG TECH SERVING FARMS. WE ARE CURRENTLY AT 200 MORE THAN 265,000 SERVINGS OF FRESH PRODUCE THAT WE HAVE DONATED IN A SOUTH DALLAS.
WE ARE QUICKLY APPROACHING 1.5 MILLION SERVINGS THAT THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS HAS DONATED THROUGH BIG TECH URBAN FARMS INITIATIVE INTO THE SOUTH SOUTH COMMUNITY TO HELP FEED PEOPLE IN NEED.
AND OVERALL, SINCE 2015, THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS HAS GIVEN MORE THAN $36.8 MILLION TO THE CITY OF DALLAS TO GO TOWARDS THE UPKEEP AND HISTORICAL PRESERVATION OF FAIR PARK.
AS Y'ALL KNOW, THE FAIR'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE THESE FUNDS TO IMPROVE FAIR PARK IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE SUCCESS OF OUR ANNUAL EVENTS.
AND IN 2022 ALONE, THE FAIR PHILANTHROPIC AND FAIR PARK GIVING TOTALED NEARLY $18.5 MILLION IN ONE YEAR, WE ARE LOOKING AT AROUND 15.5 MILLION FOR THIS YEAR.
THE REASON FOR THAT DISCRETION, DISCRETION, OR DISCRETION WILL BE THAT WE GAVE SO MUCH COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC TO HELP FUND FAIR PARK BECAUSE WE HAD A YEAR WHERE WE LOST NEARLY $20 MILLION AS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
AND SO WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GIVE THAT YEAR.
SO THE FOLLOWING YEAR WE DOUBLED DOWN AND WE WANTED TO GIVE MORE 'CAUSE WE HAD SUCH A SUCCESSFUL FAIR.
AND SO OUR COMMUNITY RALLIED AROUND US TO CREATE THAT.
AND SO, UM, WE ARE SO PROUD THAT WE ARE ABLE TO CONTINUE GIVING SO MUCH TO THIS ICONIC TREASURE THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS FAIR PARK, AS WELL AS THROUGH ALL OF OUR PHILANTHROPIC INITIATIVES.
WITH THAT, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING Y'ALL IN 2024 IN THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS THAT ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHRIS AND MITCHELL.
AND, UH, AS YOU SAID, WE'RE GONNA OPEN UP THE FLOOR NOW FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, FIRST QUESTION, UH, MS HAS, THANK YOU MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
I DID MY PART, 500,000 CORN DOGS,
I DID HAVE A VERY HEATED ARGUMENT WITH, UH, A FRIEND THAT I TOOK THAT THE DINOSAURS HAD ALWAYS TOOK THAT I'M LIKE, NO, THEY HAVE NOT SORES.
THAT WAS A REALLY COOL, BRINGING EVERY EVERYBODY UP TO THAT SIDE OF THE PARK WAS REALLY SMART.
UM, YOU GUYS ARE ALWAYS A CLASS ACT.
WE'RE SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU BE
ONE QUICK QUESTION ABOUT ATTENDANCE AND THE CHANGE THIS YEAR TO HAVING, UM, ANYBODY YOUNGER
WE TALKED ABOUT IT AND ACTUALLY WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
THERE ARE OTHER, UH, THERE ARE OTHER AFFAIRS, UM, AROUND THE COUNTRY, SOME OF THE BIGGER FAIRS THAT HAD ADOPTED THAT EARLIER.
UM, IT'S HARD TO SAY WHETHER IT IMPACTED THE ATTENDANCE.
UM, I, MY GUT REACTION IS PROBABLY NOT, UM, THE, UH, THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT WE ENDED UP TURNING AWAY WHO SHOWED UP, UM, ACTUALLY WERE NOT, UH, SIGNIFICANT.
UH, BECAUSE I THINK WE DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF GETTING THE MESSAGING OUT ON IT.
UM, AND, UH, SO NO, I I REALLY DON'T THINK IT HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN THE RESPONSE THAT WE GOT ACTUALLY WHEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE.
AND, AND REALLY THROUGHOUT THE FAIR WAS ALL EXTREMELY POSITIVE.
UM, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE WANTING TO CREATE A FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO US.
AND SOMETIMES ON THE WEEKENDS, UH, WHEN KIDS ARE OUT THERE UNATTENDED, KIDS WILL BE KIDS AND, YOU KNOW, IT JUST DOESN'T SOMETIMES CREATE THE MOST FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT.
THAT'S, I WHEN YOU ANNOUNCED IT.
I JUST REMEMBER GOING TO THE FAIR FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND IT WAS SORT OF LIKE WHEN IT GOT TO BE EVENING, IT WAS TIME TO GO
SO I, I'M A FAN AND I HOPE YOU WILL, WE WANT ALL THOSE KIDS TO COME.
[02:35:01]
JUST PREFER THEY COME WITH THE FAMILY.UM, AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS PURELY SELF-MOTIVATED.
IS THERE A MAP THAT SHOWS THESE? YES.
UM, ON, UH, ON THE VISITOR GUY, YES, IT'S ON THE VISITOR GUY.
THERE IS, WHEN YOU OPEN IT, ONE OF THE FIRST PAGES IS ACTUALLY THE MAP AND THE BIG TEXT CHOICE SUPPORT FINALISTS AND WINNERS, IN ADDITION TO OUR WEBSITE IS MOBILE FRIENDLY.
AND SO EVERYTHING'S ONLINE AS WELL.
STOP BY A HOSPITALITY CENTER WHEN YOU COME IN, THEY HAVE, UH, THE VISITOR GUIDES THERE TO GIVE.
SO IT'S THE VISIT, IT'S, YEAH, IT'S IN THE VISITORS' GUIDE AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR INFO BOOTH HOSPITALITY CENTERS.
THEY HAVE WHAT'S CALLED THE FRIED APP.
AND, UM, THAT HAS EVERY SINGLE FOOD THAT IS AT THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS.
SO THEY CAN LOOK IT UP QUICKLY FOR ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO FIND BENEFITS.
THANK YOU MADAM VICE PRESIDENT.
UM, THREE THINGS REALLY WANNA COMPLIMENT YOU ON, AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR, UH, ADHERING TO THE MIT LIVING WAGE RATE.
UH, I REMEMBER WHEN WE FIRST WERE DOING BACK IN 20 17, 20 18 BEING A FAIR PARK ORGANIZATION, UH, THERE WAS A BIG DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT IN THE THEN CITY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OF CITY WANTED TO KEEP IT.
AND I THINK THIS WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE FAIR PART.
FIRST, NOT NECESSARILY FOR THE STATE FAIR, BUT TO KEEP IT BEGGED AT THE $11 15 CENT NUMBER.
THAT WAS THE MIT NUMBER FOR 2018.
UH, THAT BATTLE WAS WON FOR THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT THAT'S PICKED.
AND I'M TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU ALL DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT ARE DOING IT.
I JUST WANT IF, IF THAT'S THE CASE.
AND EVEN IF IT'S NOT, I WANT THANK YOU FOR PAYING THAT LIVING WAGE.
'CAUSE UH, 1115 WOULD NEVER, I MEAN, EVEN RIGHT NOW, THE CURRENT NUMBER, BUT THE SACRIFICE YOU'RE MAKING TO DO THAT AND, AND IMPROVE PEOPLE'S LIVES, THAT WORK THERE IS MUCH APPRECIATED.
AND, UH, THE SECOND THING IS ALSO WITH SHIFT TO INCLUDING TRADE AND VOCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS.
UH, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
UH, TALK ABOUT WORKFORCE READINESS AND EVERYTHING, BUT, UH, TO INCLUDE THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT NECESSARILY DOWN FOR COLLEGE BUT CAN BENEFIT FROM TRADE AND VOCATIONAL LEARNING, THAT'S HUGE BENEFIT TO ALL OF US FROM YOU GUYS.
AND THEN THE, UH, BIG TECH HERMAN FARMS GOES ABOUT SAYING, I'VE BEEN THERE AND LOOKED, I MEAN, SO IMPRESSIVE WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS OF GROWING THAT PROGRAM.
BUT MR. SLAUGHTERS, UH, TOTALLY CORRECT THIS HUGE SUPPORT FOR YOU ALL.
UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE, UH, COST OF THE, OF THE, UH, COMPETITIVE GAMES.
UM, I KNOW THAT I'M ALSO JUST AMUSEMENTS, UM, REALLY GOOD VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY FOR YOUR KIDS AND THE LITTLE RIDES THERE, THE COST OF THE TICKETS FOR THE RIDES AND LENGTH OF TIME, THEY'RE ABLE TO ENJOY THAT.
BUT ON THE, UM, THE COMPETITIVE GAMES THAT ARE $10 A SEAT, SOME OF THE ONES LIKE WITH THE HORSE RACE OR THE BUBBLES, UH, FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR FOR A GAME THAT LASTS ABOUT A MINUTE AND A HALF, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE $50 TO GET, LET THE KIDS EXPERIENCE THAT.
I KNOW THE PARENTS COME UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE FROM THE KIDS WHO GO TO SEE IT.
SO THE QUESTION I HAVE, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT'S, IT'S NOT A GOOD VALUE AND IT'S EXPENSIVE FOR OUR FAMILIES.
TO WHAT EXTENT, IF ANY, DO YOU HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THE ABILITY OF, OF HOW MUCH THOSE GUYS CHARGE OUR PATRONS? YEAH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TALK ABOUT A LOT INTERNALLY.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, OF COURSE WE HEAR IT.
UH, YOU, YOU HEAR THE SAME THING.
UH, IF SOMEBODY'S TALKING ABOUT GOING TO A COWBOYS GAME OR WHATEVER, YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HEAR THAT SOMETHING'S TOO EXPENSIVE.
AND I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU IN THIS CASE.
UH, IT'S JUST THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN THE APPROACH WITH OUR VENDORS, WHETHER IT BE CONCESSIONAIRES, UH, BRIGHT OPERATORS, GAME OPERATORS, THAT WE DON'T DICTATE THE PRICING.
SO THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY, WHEN OUR CONCESSIONAIRES, YOU MAY HAVE ONE PERSON THAT'S SELLING, UH, A COKE FOR, YOU KNOW, $3 AND THE NEXT PERSON OVER SELLING IT FOR $4 AND IT'S REALLY JUST KIND OF MARKET DRIVEN.
UM, WE'VE GIVEN THAT LEFT THEM THAT LATITUDE, UH, TO, TO MAKE THOSE PRICING CHANGES IN OR ADJUST.
IT CAN'T GO UP DURING THE COURSE OF THE FAIR.
SO IF THEY SET THEIR PRICE, YOU KNOW, TOO HIGH, THEY CAN ADJUST DOWN.
IT CAN NEVER PRICE CAN PUNCH, YOU KNOW, ON A HEAVY DAY AND PRICE IT UP.
UM, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT REALLY
[02:40:01]
CLOSELY AND SOMETHING THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT.UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME LEGAL CHALLENGES IN THE PAST RELATED TO, UH, PRICING.
UM, AND THIS WAS BEFORE MY TIME AT THE FAIR BACK PROBABLY
UH, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE A FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT THAT IS AFFORDABLE, UH, BUT UH, AT THE SAME TIME KIND OF PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF THE, UH, VENDORS TO SET THEIR PRICES AND LET THE MARKET
SO THAT'S KIND OF BEEN OUR APPROACH.
UM, JUST LIKE A QUICK OBSERVATION.
IS IT WITH TWO AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE OR WHATEVER, YOU'VE GOT ALL INCOME RANGES THAT COME IN.
SO THE MARKET AT THE FAIR, THERE COULD BE ENOUGH PEOPLE WITH THOSE KINDS OF MEANS THAT COULD MAKE IT LOOK REALLY GOOD, BUT THEY'RE, YOU'RE LEAVING OUT A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE.
SO JUST STRICTLY MARKET BASED.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT ADEQUATELY WOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UH, BUT I'M SAYING IT'S LEGAL PROBLEMS, BUT THAT THERE'S PLENTY OF WELL OFF PEOPLE TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE IT'S AFFORDABLE FOR ALL, WHEN IT REALLY ISN'T.
MR. CONNER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I, UH, MOST PEOPLE WENT TO FAIR AGAIN THIS YEAR.
IT WAS MY FIRST YEAR WHERE MY DAUGHTER COULD ACTUALLY RIDE, RIDE, FALLING UP.
UM, AND SEEING HER FACE, LITTLE WALK RIDE SHE WROTE 10 TIMES INSTEAD OF KEEPING ANY TICKETS.
UM, I ALSO LOVE HOW YOU GUYS STRATEGICALLY PLACE, UH, YOUR CAROL RIGHT BEFORE EXITING.
'CAUSE SHE SAW THAT AND YOU SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON SHIRTS AND ITEMS THAT SHE DIDN'T NEED, BUT THAT'S GREAT.
UM, THE LIVESTOCK OPTION, I AGREE WITH MR. DICKEY.
UM, SWITCHED TO VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS WAS THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING.
I, I HAD A COFFEE WITH KEITH'S CHEEK, UM, PROBABLY ABOUT SIX, SIX MONTHS AGO.
UM, HE TALKED ABOUT THAT AND THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING.
HE, HE IS HE ROLLING? JUST, I MEAN, UM, HE'LL STILL BE INVOLVED.
WE DEVELOP OKAY, THE LIVESTOCK.
SO I WANNA GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO KEITH IF YOU GUYS KNOW, BUT HE WAS THE PERSON WHO CHAIRED THE, I'M GONNA SAY THIS RIGHT CHAIR, THE LIVESTOCK FOR YEARS.
AND SO, AND JUST CAME ON YOUR BOARD AND STEVE, UM, IS JUST REALLY AT THE NEXT LEVEL.
SAME THING WITH BIG TECH URBAN FARMS. I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR WEBSITE REAL QUICK AND IN 2017 YOU GUYS HAD PRODUCED 21,000 SERVINGS AND THIS YEAR PRODUCED 265,000 SERVINGS.
AND JUST UNBELIEVABLE HOW MUCH FOOD YOU GUYS ARE PRODUCING.
AND, AND THAT'S ONE QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU IS WHAT ELSE CAN YOU GUYS DO OUTSIDE OF THE FAIR TIME TO PROMOTE THE BIG TECH SERVICE FARMS AND TRY TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE DOING THERE.
AND WE'RE FUNDING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, WE ACTUALLY JUST STARTED, UM, WITHIN THE PAST 12 MONTHS OF PHILANTHROPY
UM, AND THEIR SOLE JOB WILL BE TO BE OUT THERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE FAIR IS DOING AND TO RAISE MORE AWARENESS AS WELL AS TO LOOK AT, AS Y'ALL KNOW, AND YOU LOOK AT OUR FINANCIALS, YOU SEE THE EXPENSES OF
AND TO YOUR POINT THAT PRICES RISE, WE WILL KEEP LOOKING AT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE FUNDING TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
INITIATIVES LIKE BIG TECH, WOMEN FARMS, THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM NEXT FEST.
UM, AND ALL THE, EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE DOING, UM, TO HELP UPLIFT OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THIS DEPARTMENT'S ROLE WILL BE TO ENSURE THAT THAT FUTURE IS SECURE.
AND BY BRINGING THAT AWARENESS, BRINGING POTENTIAL DONATIONS, MAJOR GIFTS THROUGH THAT, UM, AND TO, TO HELP CONTINUE TO BUILD UPON SUCCESS THAT WE SERVE.
I THINK IT'D BE WORTH POINTING OUT ALSO, AS MR. CONNOR MENTIONED, THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IN VOCATIONAL SCHOOL.
IF YOU DON'T MIND JUST SPEAKING TO THE TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, RECEIVED DOLLARS.
YEAH, SO WE HAVE, UM, MULTIPLE GROUPS UNDER THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM THAT ARE BENEFICIARIES OF IT.
YOU COULD EITHER BE ONE OF THE COMPETITIVE YOUTH LIVESTOCK KIDS WHO PARTICIPATE IN OUR COMPETITIVE EVENTS THROUGH THE RUN OF THE FAIR THAT MAKES YOU ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP IN YOUR SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL.
THEN WE HAVE OUR SEASONAL EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE BEEN WITH THE FAIR FOR AT LEAST THREE SEASONS NOW.
THEY CAN APPLY OR THEIR, UM, DIRECT, UH, CHILDREN CAN APPLY ADOPT CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN.
THEY ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY AS WELL.
THEN WE HAVE OUR DISD AND THAT'S FROM SIX HIGH SCHOOLS THAT ARE CLOSEST TO FAIR PARK SURROUNDING THE FAIR PARK AREA, NORTH DALLAS HIGH SCHOOL, WOODROW WILSON HIGH SCHOOL, UH, JAMES MADISON HIGH SCHOOL, LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL, ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL, AND
SO THEY ARE ALL ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP AS WELL THROUGH THAT PROGRAM.
NOW WHEN THEY DO THAT, THEY CAN NOW APPLY, AS WE TALKED ABOUT, THEY CAN APPLY THEM FUNDING TO GO TOWARDS A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.
AGAIN, THIS HAS TO BE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
YOU ARE THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS.
[02:45:01]
UM, OR NOW IT CAN BE APPLIED TO A VOCATIONALIS DREW
HE OVERSEES
AND THE LAST THING IS, YOU GUYS', MARKETING CONTINUES TO BE AMAZING BRAND RELATIONS, WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I KNOW YOU'RE DOING A LOT OF THIS.
I KNOW JASON GATES DOING A LOT OF THIS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO MY DAUGHTER WALKING BY AND SEEING STUFF AND WANTING IT, NOT 'CAUSE SHE'S FIVE, SHE WANTS THAT.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, I LOVE HOW YOU GUYS CHANGE THE THEME EVERY YEAR.
UM, MY DAD'S A MASSIVE FAN OF THE BEAR'S.
A MORE BOBBLEHEAD EVERY YEAR MAKES STUFF.
'CAUSE I, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S SUCH SO THANK YOU.
AND THAT'S AWESOME WHAT YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT, ALL THOSE, THOSE SCHOLARSHIPS, ESPECIALLY TAKING CARE OF THE MEDICINE TROJANS, WE APPRECIATE THAT COMING FROM SOUTH DALLAS.
UM, BACK, UH, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU ALL THE ACTIVATION, THE FAIR SEEMS TO GET BIGGER GROUND WIDE.
'CAUSE THERE'S MORE TO BE, MORE TO BE SEEN GOING THROUGH THE CROWN AREA, THE, THE BACK STREET, I CALL IT.
RIGHT? THE BACK STREET OF THE FAIR AND, AND THROUGH THE JUST DISCOVERY, YOU KNOW, OPENING UP THAT UP A LITTLE BIT MORE.
A LOT OF ACTIVATION'S GOING ON WITH ALL THE BEER GARDENS AND ALL THE, ALL THE STUFF THAT SEES ON THOSE BACKSIDE.
UM, TO STAY FAIR, I JUST WANT POINT OUT A COUPLE THINGS IS THAT, THAT, UH, YOU HANDLING THE, THE, THE SHOOTING WAS AWESOME.
THE NEXT DAY I WAS THERE ON MONDAY, THE MONDAY AFTER THE SATURDAY WHEN IT HAPPENED, THE, THE CROWD, IT WAS FULL OF PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S TO SEE PEOPLE COME BACK ON MONDAY.
ALSO, IT'S ALSO AMAZING THAT, THAT EVERYBODY'S COMING BACK AND BEING THERE.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND, AND ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR PUTTING HYMAN IN FRONT OF HISPANIC EVENTS AND MAKING HIM BE THE VOICE OF, OF THE STATE FAIR.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE OUR OWN PEOPLE UP THERE TALKING ABOUT THE STATE FAIR AND, AND, AND OF COURSE SPEAKING OUR LANGUAGE, THAT'S AWESOME TO SEE HIM OUT THERE.
BUT I ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT THERE'S ONLY TWO, MY, MY, MY STAFF.
I ONLY HAVE TWO DAYS THAT I MARKED THE WHOLE YEAR CALENDAR.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS FOR THE STATE FAIR.
WHEN MY STAFF GETS HIRED OR WE HIRE SOMEBODY NEW FOR MY CREW, WE ONLY GET TWO HOLIDAYS A YEAR.
THE REST YOU MIGHT HAVE TO WORK.
I TELL EVERYBODY, WHETHER IT'S CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR'S, WHATEVER, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO WORK, ONE IS OPENING DAY FOR THE, FOR BASEBALL, RIGHT? WE ALL KNOW ABOUT BEING BASEBALL.
WE TAKE OFF, WE TAKE OFF COMPLETELY, WHICH IS ONLY, THAT IS ONLY 295 DAYS AWAY, I THINK, RIGHT? SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
ANYBODY ELSE? THEY LIKE TO TELL IT.
OKAY, WE ONLY TAKE OFF THOSE TWO DAYS.
THAT'S, THAT'S JUST SAYING HOW GREAT YOU GUYS DO BECAUSE I WANT MY STAFF TO GO EXPERIENCE EVERY YEAR ON AN OPENING DAY AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
I MEAN, I JUST DON'T WHAT TO SAY.
I'M I TALKING ABOUT THE STATE FAIR.
I KIND OF GET EMOTIONAL LIKE TALKING ABOUT MY MOM-IN-LAW, I'M A PRODUCT OF THE STATE FAIR.
I GREW UP IN BUNTON AND OF COURSE I WAS AT LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IF I WAS GONNA BE ABLE TO GO TO COLLEGE.
UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE $600, BUT THE STATE FAIR GAVE US THAT 600 BUCKS.
THAT'S WHY I'M SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THEM AND THAT'S WHY I'M SO PROTECTED OF, YOU KNOW, KIDS AND ANIMALS.
AND I'LL NEVER FORGET, NO MATTER WHO'S LEADING THE STATE FOR MITCH, UH, CHRISSY, THIS IS, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS MY EMBRACEMENT TO YOU.
I CONGRATS AND GRADE YOU WAS THERE FOR ME AND AS LONG AS I'M ALIVE, I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU.
THANK YOU, UH, CARISSA MITCHELL FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL PRESENTATION AND FOR THE COMMITMENT AND THE WONDERFUL WORK YOU DO AT FAIR PARK AND IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, THE U IMPACT COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND TAKE A RECESS AT IT.
AND WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
DO I HAVE MOTION? MOTION, UM, MR. MR. SLAUGHTER? I'M SORRY.
ALRIGHT, ANY DISCUSSION ON THOSE ITEMS? NO DISCUSSION.
[02:50:01]
MOTION CARRIES.WE HAVE, UH, THREE ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
FIRST IS THE FAIR PARK NAMING OF CHILDREN'S HEART.
DO I HAVE A MOTION MR. BETA? DO I HAVE A SECOND, MR. GOLDSTEIN? ANY DISCUSSIONS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
NEXT IS A FAIR PARK HALL OF STATE GRANT APPLICATION.
DO I HAVE A MOTION RIGHT? MS. HAS I DO I HAVE A SECOND, MR. BLAIR? AYE.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, CARRIES, UH, THIRD PART COTTON BOWL CONSTRUCTION SERVICES CONTRACT.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? MR. WE HAVE A SECOND.
MR. WETA? ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY, MR. CONNOR.
SO WE CONSIDERED THIS, UM, IN THE, UH, THE PLANNING DESIGN COMMITTEE MEETING.
I JUST WANNA GO THROUGH, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, FAIR PARK TODAY.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF ITEMS, PLANNING DESIGN, COMMITTEE MEETING, UH, THAT WE'RE, UH, VOTED ON FOR FAIR PARK, WHICH IS AWESOME.
FAIR PARK'S, THE JEWEL OF THE CITY.
UM, BUT, UH, I WANNA GO THROUGH THIS.
THIS IS $110 MILLION OUT THE PRIMER PLAN.
CORRECT? UH, THE PROJECT IS $110 MILLION OFF THE CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATE.
IT WILL BE LARGELY FUNDED BY PRIMER, BUT THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES THAT WILL BE NEEDED TO FULLY FUND THE CONSTRUCTION.
AND, AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEW, CAN YOU JUST QUICKLY WALK THROUGH THE PRIMER BILL? UH, SURE.
UH, SO, UM, REALLY A LOT OF THE CREDIT FOR THE INITIATION OF THAT EFFORT GOES TO MR. TRICKY.
UM, BUT THIS WAS, UH, THIS WAS AN EFFORT THAT WAS, UH, REALLY KIND OF KICKSTARTED BY HIM, ALONG WITH YOUR COLLEAGUE COLIN COLLIN BRATTON, WHO DID A LOT OF HEAVY LIFTING AROUND THAT EFFORT.
UH, IT ULTIMATELY WAS A, UH, CHANGE TO STATE LAW.
SO THAT WAS A, THERE WAS AN EFFORT MADE CITYWIDE TO HAVE A, TO HAVE A CAMPAIGN AROUND THAT ISSUE.
AND THEN OF COURSE THERE, REPUBLIC REFERENDUM, THAT FORMALLY CHANGED THAT THE, THAT WAS REQUIRED, UH, AS PART OF THE STATE LAW TO ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN.
SO, UM, IT'S KIND OF TECHNICAL, BUT IT WAS A CHANGE IN THE HOTEL.
OCCUPANCY TAX ALLOWED A PORTION OF THE FUNDING TO GO TO THE CONVENTION CENTER ALONG WITH FAIR PARK.
AND, UH, THIS BOARD, UH, APPROVED, UM, THE USE OF THOSE FUNDS AT SIX BUILDINGS WITHIN FAIR PARK.
WHAT'S THE TOTAL AMOUNT FOR THE, SO THE PROJECTION IS 300 BILLION OF THE THREE YEARS.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT FAIR PARK AND, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT THE BOND AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU ESTIMATE IT WHEN THE BREER BILL IS BEING WORKED ON THAT IT'S A FOCUS OF THE CITY FIXED FAIR PARK Y YES.
FAIR PARK'S A JEWEL AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF INTEREST OVER THE YEARS TO, TO DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL THERE FROM AN INVESTMENT PERSPECTIVE.
AND HOW MUCH IS THE CAPITAL BOND? UM, THE ESTIMATE OF CAPITAL BOND CITYWIDE IS 1.1 MILLION.
HOW MUCH IS THE BROWNVILLE DEDICATED TO FAIR? PARDON? 300 MILLION OVER 30 YEARS WITH THE FRONT LOADED.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? THANK MR. DICKEY.
MAD VICE CHAIR AND THANK YOU MR. OCONNOR.
RECOGNITION OF THE PRIMARY THING.
BUT I'LL JUST WOULD LIKE TO ADD, UH, I DID SORT OF SPOT THE POLICY PLAY, BUT I HAVE TO GIVE SOME, UH, GOOD, VERY MUCH GOOD KUDOS TO, UH, FIRST THE LAWYERS FROM THE TRUST OF PUBLIC LAND WHO SPOTTED THE FLAW IN MY IDEA.
AND THEY FOUND THIS ONE LINE IN STATE LAW THAT FORAY THOSE FUNDS WERE BEING USED FOR ANY VENUE THAT'S PART OF THE MUNICIPAL PARK RECREATION SYSTEM.
SO HAVING DONE THAT, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE RAFAEL ANDA INTRODUCED HOUSE BILL 10 48.
WITHOUT THAT, NONE OF THIS WOULD'VE HAPPENED.
'CAUSE THAT BROUGHT THE HOTEL TO THE TABLE.
AND THEN THE, UH, SENATOR ROYCE WEST HELPED CARRY THE CITY SPECIFIED SIX VENUES.
AND, AND EACH CHIN BUTTON REPRESENTATIVE CHEN BUTTON DID A TREMENDOUS PRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE.
SO AT THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE LEVEL, THOSE, THOSE PEOPLE WERE CRITICAL FOR THIS.
AND THEN THE DALLAS DELEGATION, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ABDU LEE KLEINMAN, WHO WAS THE LIAISON TO THE
[02:55:01]
LEGISLATURE, THEN BRIAN LOU ALLEN FAIR PARK FIRST AND, UH,UH, I WISH YOU COULD HAVE SEEN THE PRESENTATION AS SHE MADE AT THOSE COMMITTEES, UH, ESPECIALLY IN THE SENATE COMMITTEE.
AND I GOT A REALLY GIVEN HUGE CREDIT TO SENATOR ROYCE WEST AND LEE KLEINMAN, WHO GOT THE HOTEL GUYS FROM 5%, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN 75 MILLION TO 20% WITH SOME VERY STRONG BARGAINING.
AND, UH, THOSE PEOPLE, UH, THAT TEAM, AND I'M PROBABLY BEEN A SMALL PART OF THAT AT THE BEGINNING.
AND I THINK THE NEWSPAPERS TODAY TALKING ABOUT THE COTTON GOLD, GETTING THE TEXAS OU GAME FOR MANY YEARS TO COME, UH, THAT'S THE CREDIT TO THAT TEAM IN AUSTIN.
UH, BECAUSE, AND IN THE NEWSPAPER AUSTIN MENTIONED IT, THAT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COTTON BOWL KIND OF HELPS SWEEP THE DEALS.
SO THOSE FOLKS WENT AUSTIN AND DID THAT ONCE UNN, UH, THEY REALLY DESERVE, THEY THEY NEED TO HAVE THEIR NAMES ON A PLAQUE UP THERE, SOMETHING.
'CAUSE THEY REALLY, THEY CARRIED THAT THING WELL GOT US TO THE MOOD.
SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY THAT.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE WHAT, UH, MR. DICKEY WAS SAYING.
I THINK THAT MADE MY POINT AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING ALL THOSE PEOPLE UP BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK THERE'S SOME NARRATIVE AROUND, UH, A A, UM, LACK OF ATTENTION TO FAIR PARK.
I THINK THAT DISCUSSION THAT JUST HAPPENED, UM, SHOWS THAT THAT IS 100% NOT THE CASE.
UM, SO, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE, ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT THAT JOHN, YOU AND YOUR TEAM PUT INTO THE PRIMER BILL AND THE FOCUS THAT YOU ALWAYS BRING TO FAIR PARK AND AS A JEWEL DECISION AND DON'T THINK YOU GET ENOUGH CREDIT FOR ALL THE THINGS YOU DO TO FOCUS ON FAIR PARK AND THAT IT'S A CITYWIDE INITIATIVE AS WELL AS OUTSIDE THE CITY WORKING WITH CONGRESSMEN, STATE LEGISLATORS, THE COUNTY, SO ON.
I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SERVING ON A, A TASK OR A LIAISON WITH, UM, MR. DICKEY ON THE FAIR PARK FIRST AND WITHOUT THE OPERATORS THAT WE HAVE AT FAIR PARK.
UM, THE FAIR PARK FIRST, UM, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MR. BRIAN WELLEN AND, UM, DARREN JAMES.
UM, WE WOULD NOT BE IN THE POSITION THAT WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY'RE KNOCKING IT OUT OF THE BALLPARK.
AND WE, FOR THE FIRST TIME I SEE A, A, A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
THAT FAIR PARK IS GONNA BE THE ACTUAL JEWEL OF THE CITY.
WE'VE BEEN SAYING IT'S A JEWEL FOR YEARS, BUT I SEE A FUTURE AND HONESTLY, THEY'RE LOOKING AT HOW THEY KEEP IT AND MAINTAIN IT.
SO THEY'RE WORKING ON A, AN ENDOWMENT TYPE MAINTENANCE FUND THAT IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING.
SO THIS INVESTMENT WILL ONLY BRING IT UP TO THE QUALITY LEVEL THAT IT SHOULD BE AND WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER LET IT GO DOWN.
BUT THEY'VE ALSO GOT THE PLAN TO KEEP IT THERE.
SO OUR MONEY HAS BEEN WELL SPENT.
UM, EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE PUT IN CAN ONLY AMPLIFY AND GIVE BACK TO THE RESIDENTS.
AND WITHOUT, UM, MR. JENKINS LEADERSHIP, UM, HE ALWAYS HELPS FIND MONEY TO FIX SPARE PARK THINGS THAT ARE FALLING APART BECAUSE IT'S AN OLD PLACE AND YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS HAVE TO FIND MONEY.
SO THANK YOU AND THANKS TO EVERYBODY FOR THE SUPPORT.
YOU'RE HAPPY, YOU'RE HAPPY AND EXCITED TO PREPARE FOR ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK WE'RE DOING ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, BUT THAT, THAT WHOLE THING STARTED BEFORE I GOT HERE BEFORE MOST OF US GOT HERE.
BUT, UM, THEY REALLY KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE BALLPARK WITH, UH, FAIR PARK FIRST.
AND I THINK THEY'RE DOING BETTER THAN ANYBODY WHO EVER HOPE.
AND MY, I THINK THAT GOES FOR THE WHOLE STAFF.
OH, ON FAIR PARK IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER TIME.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO JUST TAKE ON MY COLLEAGUES AND SAY THANK YOU PERSONALLY TO TIM DIG.
'CAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOU PICK, FIGHT ON WHAT THEY THINK COULD BE SOMETHING SMALL AND TECHNICAL, BUT IT TURNS INTO THESE KINDS OF IDEAS THAT IT BLOSSOMED INTO MORE THAN $300 MILLION.
SO THANK YOU FOR THINKING OF ENOUGH OF THE COMMUNITY TO DO THAT KIND OF WORK AND TO PUSH THE BOUNDS OF WHAT WE CAN DO HERE.
UH, AND TO CALVER COLLINS, WHO MADE THAT
[03:00:01]
EXCELLENT PRESENTATION, UH, AND ALSO TO OUR PARTNER, DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, UM, WHO'S BEEN ON SITE MANY A TIME MEETING.UM, I, YOU KNOW, AS DANIEL SAID, THIS WORK STARTED LONG BEFORE US, BUT YOU'VE BEEN IN THIS DEPARTMENT FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
YOU'VE SEEN PROJECTS MATURE AND YOU FOCUSED US IN THIS AREA.
WHEN I STARTED ON THIS BOARD, FAIR PARK WAS ALMOST LIKE A
LIKE, OH, WE'RE GONNA BE HERE FOR ANOTHER TWO HOURS.
BUT TODAY WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH HISTORIC ASSET, NOT JUST TO DALLAS, FOR TEXAS, BUT THE COUNTRY.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE LEADING AND THANK Y'ALL FOR ALL THE HARD LABOR Y'ALL PUT IN.
300 MILLION PLUS DOLLARS IS NOTHING JUST IN FAVOR.
AND IT TOOK A LOT OF, SO THANK Y'ALL.
GLAD TO BE PART OF THE THANK YOU.
WE HAVE NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
I WANNA SAY, LISTEN, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE COMPLIMENTS.
IT RELATES TO ME, BUT AS YOU ALL KNOW, IT'S MY TEAM
BUT FAIR PART IS TRULY AN EXAMPLE OF REAL.
TIM D GOT ON THE BOARD FIRST TIME HE BROUGHT UP THE
WE TELL YOU ALL PROJECTS TAKES A WHILE TO COME TO FRUITION IN THE PARK SYSTEM.
AND WE MAY GO ACROSS SEVERAL DIRECTORS WHO MAY GO ACROSS SEVERAL BOARDS, SEVERAL COUNCILS, UH, BUT THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE AS A PRIME EXAMPLE WHERE IT WAS A TEAM EFFORT, IT WAS BOARD MEMBERS, IT WAS COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT WAS STATE REPS, IT WAS, UH, STAFF.
AND THAT IS WHY WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN THE PARK.
'CAUSE WE BELIEVE IT TAKES ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM, FOLKS OUTSIDE THIS ROOM TO GET THOSE BIG
SO THANK YOU ALL AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO'S LISTENING THAT CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE PROCESS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. JENKINS.
I THINK WE'RE READY FOR A VOTE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
UH, WE HAVE ONE MORE BRIEFING ITEM LEFT.
UH, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE NATIONAL CRICKET LEAGUE TOURNAMENT.
AND MR. O'CONNOR, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
UH, HAPPY TO SHARE AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY WITH THE BOARD, UH, THAT WILL BE OCCURRING IN EAST OAKLAND, SPECIFICALLY DISTRICT FORUM AT THE, UH, NEWLY BRANDED
SO, UH, HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION TO SHARE, UH, WITH Y'ALL.
FIRST I'D LIKE TO START, UH, START WITH A LITTLE CONTEXT.
SO, UM, I'M SURE MOST OF Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS, UH, PIECE OF PROPERTY, BUT, UH, THE LAND THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY, UM, IN THE RECENT PAST WAS A, WAS A SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT REALLY HAD A LOT OF CHALLENGES.
SO IT'S, THERE'S A SMELTER ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTY.
THERE IS NOT A LEVY, UH, BACK BEHIND THE RIVER, AND SO IT'S FLOOD FROM.
AND SO, UH, IN THE 2006 STUDENTS STARTED, UM, BUYING A LOT OF THIS PROPERTY, UM, PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE FOLKS TO, TO MOVE TO DIFFERENT, TO A DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD AND NOT BE SUBJECTED TO, TO FLOOD CONDITIONS ROUTINELY.
UH, SO, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL BY RESOLUTION RELATIVELY RECENTLY DETERMINED THAT THIS PROPERTY, SPECIFICALLY THE 26 ACRES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS OUT OF THE FLOOD PLAN AND HAS BEEN ENVIRONMENTALLY REMEDIATED, SHOULD BE USED FOR PARK RECREATION PURPOSES.
UM, SO FAST FORWARD TO, UH, THE VERY RECENT PAST.
UH, WE RECEIVED A, A PHONE CALL FROM NATIONAL CRICKET LEAGUE WHO SAID, HEY, WE'RE, WE'RE INTERESTED IN DOING OUR INAUGURAL TOURNAMENT, UH, IN DALLAS, SPECIFICALLY THE PARK SYSTEM.
AND SO THEY WERE CURIOUS TO KNOW, UM, OUR THOUGHTS ON THAT AND SOME OPPORTUNITIES AND OPTIONS FOR THEM TO CONSIDER THE PARK SYSTEM.
SO, GAVE THEM SOME, SOME CHOICES.
THEY WENT OUT TO SAMUEL FARM, UH, THEY WENT TO COTTON BOWL, A FEW OTHER THINGS AND CAME BACK AND SAID, HEY, ROLAND JEAN PARISH PARK WOULD BE A REALLY INTERESTING OPPORTUNITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT DOVETAILS WELL WITH THE VERY RECENT GREAT SUCCESS WE HAD AT THE SOUTHWEST SHOWCASE, LITERALLY DOWN THE STREET FROM THIS, FROM THIS LOCATION.
SO REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF SHUN THE LIGHT ON THESE FOOT.
SO, UM, A COUPLE OF REASONS WHY THIS, WHY THIS LOCATION MAKES SENSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT A MILE FROM DOWNTOWN, SO IT'S REALLY, REALLY CLOSE.
LOTS OF HOTELS, THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, AND Y'ALL PROBABLY KNOW THAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF
UM, ONE OF THE SIGNATURE ELEMENTS
[03:05:01]
OF THAT PHASE ONE IMPROVEMENT IS GONNA BE AN ATHLETIC FIELD.AND SO THESE FOLKS, NATIONAL CRICKET LEAGUE, WERE WILLING AND ABLE TO BUILD A CRICKET FIELD, THE TEMPORARY CRICKET FIELD, ON THE EXACT LOCATION THAT WE WERE PROPOSING TO HAVE THE, THE ATHLETIC FIELD.
SO, IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'RE BUILDING IT FOR US.
UM, AND THEN ONE OTHER KIND OF MISCELLANEOUS PIECE OF INFORMATION.
SO BECAUSE OF THE, THE QUICK BURN ON THIS WHOLE THING, THEY NEEDED TO ANNOUNCE THE TOURNAMENT QUICKLY IN ORDER TO SECURE THE PLAYERS AND TEAMS. SO MANY OF Y'ALL ARE NOW FAMILIAR WITH THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A PRESS CONFERENCE ON NOVEMBER 17TH OUT OF
UH, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE, THE, UH, TOURNAMENT ITSELF AND THE TEMPORARY CRICKET FIELD.
SO THE INTENT HERE IS TO REALLY HAVE A WORLD CLASS OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR DALLAS.
UH, THEY'RE EXPECTING UP TO 4,000, UH, FOLKS IN MAY TO ATTEND THE GAMES THAT WILL BE PLAYED IN MAY OF NEXT YEAR.
IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THEY'RE OF COURSE GONNA BE BUILDING THE TEMPORARY CRICKET FIELD, BUT THEY'RE GONNA BE BRINGING IN BLEACHERS AND LIGHTING RESTROOMS TO MAKE IT A REALLY PLEASURABLE EXPERIENCE FOR ALL THOSE WHO WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
UH, I'VE GOT A STEEP LEARNING CURVE ON MY HANDS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND CRICKET.
UH, BUT THIS IS, UH, SOME IMAGES, UH, PRINT BEING FLAG.
SO I NEED TO DO A DEEP DIVE, UH, TO GET MY FEET WET ON WHAT THE SPORT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE AND HOW IT'S PLAYED.
THAT, UH, PROVIDES SOME
UH, SO THIS IS A LITTLE HARD TO READ, BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY THE SCHEDULE FOR THE TOURNAMENT.
SO THAT WILL TAKE PLACE NEXT YEAR.
YOU CAN PERHAPS SEE THAT IT STARTS IN LATE MAY, AND WE'LL CONCLUDE IN EARLY JUNE, AN EIGHT DAY TOURNAMENT WITH MULTIPLE TEAMS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE TEMPORARY FIELD.
UM, THERE ARE TREES THAT WILL NEED TO BE REMOVED, UH, IN THE LOCATION OF THE TEMPORARY CRICKET FIELD, BUT AS I MENTIONED, THAT'S THE EXACT LOCATION THAT WE WERE INTENDING TO BUILD THE ATHLETIC FIELD AS A PART OF THE PARTS THE TREES HAD COME OUT ANYWAY, BUT OF COURSE, 100% OF ANY TREES REMOVED WILL BE MITIGATED JUST AS WE ALWAYS WOULD INTO THE PARK PROJECT.
IT'S GONNA BE AN EFFORT TO GRADE, DRAIN, IRRIGATE, ALL THOSE SORTS OF THINGS SO THAT THERE'S A REALLY FIRST CLASS TEMPORARY CRICKET FIELD, UM, ON THE SITE.
BY NEXT, NEXT SLIDE, UH, SOME, AGAIN, SOME OF Y'ALL AGAIN ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE SITE.
UH, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IN THE CENTER OF THE IMAGE IS 26 ACRES.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, YOU CAN SEE THREE STREETS, UH, KIND OF RUNNING THROUGH THE, THE, UH, FUTURE PARK.
THOSE HAVE ACTUALLY NOW BEEN REMOVED.
SO IT'S JUST, UH, A CLEAN SLATE, SO TO SPEAK, WITH
AS YOU CAN SEE, TO ORIENT YOURSELF, THIS IS REALLY KIND OF AT CEDAR CREST WHERE, UH, YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TURN OFF TO EAST, UM, OR THE TRINITY RIVER IS JUST TO THE NORTH OF THIS IMAGE.
AGAIN, ABOUT A MILE, MILE AND A HALF FROM DOWNTOWN, ANY EAST OF CLOSE.
SO HERE'S A RENDERING OF WHAT, UH, THE CRICKET FIELD COULD LOOK LIKE.
YOU CAN SEE THE TEMPORARY LIGHTS AND BLEACHERS AND THE, THE SHAPE OF THE PERFECT FIELD IS.
THE TEMPORARY ELEMENTS THAT WE BROUGHT IN TO FACILITATE THE TOURNAMENT.
YOU CAN SEE SOME, UH, BLEACHERS AND GRANDSTANDS COMFORT STATIONS, THE, THE PORTABLE RESTROOM FACILITIES.
NEXT SLIDE, AND THEN A FEW DEAL POINTS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SO IN ORDER FOR ANY IMPROVEMENTS TO BE MADE ON CITY LAND, THERE HAS TO BE AN AGREEMENT IN PLACE FOR ANY WORK TO TAKE PLACE.
SO GIVEN THE FACT THAT THIS IS A SHORT TERM AGREEMENT, UH, REALLY IT'S FOR THE EIGHT DAY TOURNAMENT NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN OF COURSE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TEMPORARY FIELD, UM, WE CAN, UH, IN APPROVE THIS ADMINISTRATIVE MEANING DETERMINE THE AGREEMENT IS ONE YEAR OF LESS.
SO WE CAN DO A VERY SIMPLE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT TO ALLOW THE ACTIVITY TO OCCUR.
A COUPLE BASIC DEAL POINTS, UM, ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIELD OR THE TOURNAMENT ITSELF WILL BE FULLY WARNED BY NCL.
THERE WILL BE NO CITY DOLLARS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TOURNAMENT WILL BECOME CITIES UPON CONCLUSION.
UH, AND ONCE THE FIELD IS BUILT, WHICH WILL PROBABLY BE SOMETIME THIS SPRING, UPCOMING SPRING, UH, NCL WILL MAINTAIN IT FOR US FOR INFORMATION THAT THE IS ONE YEAR OR LESS.
UM, OTHER MISCELLANEOUS THINGS, THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE US PLANS FOR US TO REVIEW AND APPROVE BASIC STUFF IN ALL OF OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS.
THEY HAVE TO OBTAIN, UH, ANY AND ALL PERMITS
[03:10:01]
FOR TRUE MITIGATION.UM, AND, UH, I'M, UM, WORKING WITH THEM TO PROVIDE AN AGREED UPON NUMBER OF RETURNMENT TICKETS FOR THE BENEFIT OF, UM, OUR KIDS HAVE PARTICIPATED, OUR RETRO ROUTES.
NEXT SLIDE, A COUPLE NEXT STEPS.
SO WE'RE OBVIOUSLY GOING TO CONTINUE THE DEVELOPMENTS OF PLANS FOR OGGIE PARISH PARK.
UH, FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL THAT DON'T KNOW, THAT'S A $7.9 MILLION ANTICIPATED, UH, PROJECT.
SO VERY SIGNIFICANT PART DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND TO FINALIZE THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT DEAL POINTS, AND THEN PROCESS ADMINISTRATIVELY AS
COURTS REVIEW AND COORDINATE ON ALL THE PLANS SUBMISSION FOR PERMIT.
AND THEN LAST, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, BRING AN ITEM BACK TO YOU GUYS TO THE BOARD IN THE SPRING TO CONSIDER WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE FIELD, UH, RESERVATION
THE AGREEMENT ITSELF JUST ALLOWS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE, UH, SO THAT WAS RELATIVELY QUICK, BUT I KNOW WE'VE BEEN KIND OF AT THIS WHILE, SO I WANTED TO GO THROUGH THAT COMPLETED, SHARE SOME GOOD NEWS ABOUT AC COOL THINGS CAN HAPPEN DISTRICT FOUR.
SO, UH, WITH THAT I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
ALRIGHT, WELL NOW OPEN THE FUL QUESTIONS, MS. HASLEY.
UM, WELL THIS, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, NOW I'VE ALWAYS SAID SOMEBODY BRINGS YOU A BIG SACK OF MONEY, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY FIGURE OUT HOW TO TAKE IT.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, THAT WAS AACK MONEY AND THE WINDFALL.
AND I JUST HAVE A FEW LOGISTICS QUESTIONS.
UM, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY GO AND THEY WANNA, IS THE INTENTION TO RETURN IT TO BE A BASEBALL FIELD? AND IS THAT, I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO FIELD, IF THAT'S EXPENSIVE OR IF IT'S AN EASY, SO, SO THE CRICKET FIELD IS A OVAL SHAPE.
THE FIELD THAT WE'RE PROPOSING IN OUR PHASE ONE DESIGN IS A RECTANGLE.
SO KINDA HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT GEOMETRY, BUT THERE WILL BE A COUPLE CORNERS THAT WILL PROBABLY NEED TO BE TWEAKED.
BUT THE, THE TAKEAWAY IS THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE
AND THEN THE 6.9 MILLION PHASE ONE, THAT MONEY ALREADY IS THAT A DONATION? SO, SO THAT MONEY HAS BEEN SECURED.
UH, YOU'LL PROBABLY RECALL THAT 1 MILLION OF THAT WAS FROM MR. PARISH ITSELF.
UH, THERE WAS JIM ITEM A FEW MONTHS AGO.
THE SPACE FOR NO, WHEN IT'S DEVELOPED AS WORK, REST MONEY IS BOND FUNDS, I BELIEVE, I THINK IT'S ALL 2017 BOND FUNDS, EQUITY FUNDS TOO.
SO THERE WILL NEED TO BE A TEMPORARY PARKING LOT CONSTRUCTED.
UM, SO IF YOU GO BACK TO THE MM-HMM,
THAT'S 26 ACRES OUTSIDE OF THE TRIANGLE.
THERE'S ANOTHER 43 ACRES THAT'S CURRENTLY FLOODPLAIN.
UM, BUT WE CAN TEMPORARY PARKING AND FLOODPLAIN.
AND SO THE IDEA IS THERE WILL BE TEMPORARY PARKING, UH, IMPROVEMENTS PAID FOR US.
YEAH, 4,000 SPEC C THEN MY LAST QUESTION, UM, I DID GET, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, NEGATIVE FEEDBACK I GOT WAS TREES.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST LOOKING VERY QUICKLY AT THAT AERIAL, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S TREES EVERYWHERE.
AND I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU WORKED HARD TO TRY TO FIND A PLACE THAT AFFECTED THE FEWEST KIND OF TREES.
AND DID OUR FORESTRY SLASH URBAN BIOLOGIST ABSOLUTELY PUT ON THAT? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
I FAILED TO MENTION THAT IN THE PRESENTATION.
YES, THE, THERE ARE A LOT OF TREES OUT THERE, BUT THE SITE FOR THE ATHLETIC FIELD THAT WE'RE PROPOSING AS PART OF PHASE ONE WAS SPECIFICALLY LOCATED BECAUSE IT PROVIDED THE LEAST AMOUNT OF IMPACT TO THE EXISTING CANOPY.
YES, ALL OF OUR PARK STAFF ASSOCIATED WITH TREES HAVE BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN PROJECTS.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE A, UM, A NEAT OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP SOMETHING QUICKER THAN WE WOULD AS CORRECT MR. DICKEY, JUDGE MADAM VICE PRESIDENT.
UM, SO I SEE EXPECTED ATTENDANCE IS 5,000.
AND LOOKING AT THE ROSTER, IT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING FROM FAR AWAY KNOW THAT THE TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT HAS A 2,500 TENANT AND BEDS SORT OF ELIGIBILITY FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
DO YOU KNOW IF THE SPORTS AUTHORITY OR VISIT DALLAS IS WORKING WITH THE GROUP TO OFFSET SOME OF THE COSTS TO HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN? DO NOT KNOW THAT THEY ENGAGE WITH THEM OR NOT.
SO WHO WOULD BE IN CHARGE OF REACHING OUT? BECAUSE, UM,
[03:15:01]
THAT'S A POSSIBLE, UM, THAT'S WHAT PUT THAT MONEY'S FOR.AND UNLESS YOU IT IS ASKED FOR, I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD OFFER UP AND COULD HELP UNDERSTAND UNTIL CITY MONEY GOING IN THAT VISIT.
DALLAS, THAT'S IN THEIR VENUE, THAT'S THEIR PURVIEW, THAT'S FITS THE PURVIEW.
THEY HAVE A DEEP BID THAT'S 20 MILLION A YEAR.
SO I WOULD, UH, ASK THAT SOMEONE MAYBE TALK TO MONICA PAUL OR CORRECT.
UM, I'LL DO THAT THIS AFTERNOON.
I HAD THAT HADN'T TO ON ME TO SHAKE SOME MONEY LOOSE OUT OF THAT.
UM, SO THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD TREE.
THANK YOU MR. O'CONNOR FOR THE STATE.
UM, I WAS ONE OF THE FOLKS, UH, WHO EARLY ON HAD SOME INITIAL CONCERNS.
UM, ARE THINGS HAPPENING OUT OF SEQUENCE? UH, UH, THE AWARENESS OF THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CROOKEDLY, UH, TREES COMMUNITY INPUT? UM, I'M PLEASED TO SAY THAT, I MEAN, ALL OF THESE CONCERNS I HAD WERE, UH, KIND OF MITIGATED BY A HANDFUL OF THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, UM, A DEEP DIVE CONVERSATION WITH MR. O'CONNOR, DIRECTOR JENKINS, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING ME UP TO SPEED PERSONALLY ON, ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF.
UH, CERTAINLY AFTER THAT INSIGHT.
UH, I FEEL LIKE I'M AWARE OF NOW THE PARTNERSHIP AND THE HISTORY AND, AND ALL THAT MAKES SENSE.
UM, AND ALSO ANOTHER THING I DID WAS I, I JUST WENT AND VISITED THE SITE.
I TOOK A SELF-GUIDED TOUR AND, UH, YES, THERE ARE A LOT OF TREES.
THERE'S GONNA BE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT TO TREES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THESE ARE HIGH VALUE TREES OR IF THERE'S SUCH A TERM, BUT I WALKED AWAY WITH ONE IMPRESSION IF THAT SITE SAT IN SQUARELY IN MY COUNCIL DISTRICT 14, I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR PARTNERS AND I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES TOO, BECAUSE IT'S NEEDED IN THAT SPACE.
AND, AND, UH, AND I REALLY WALKED AWAY WITH KIND OF A COMFORTING FEELING THERE.
MY, MY OTHER CONCERN WAS THE COMMUNITY INPUT.
NOW WE JUST HAVE TO TRUST OUR, OUR COLLEAGUE, MR. BLAIR, THE HONORABLE MS. ARNOLD, THAT THE COMMUNITY INPUT WAS DONE.
AND, AND, AND, AND, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, YOU KNOW, POSITIVE OUTREACH AS WELL.
SO OVERALL, I WANNA SAY THAT I HAD A LOT OF CONCERNS AT FIRST, BUT A HANDFUL OF THINGS HAPPEN.
THEY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, REALLY OPENED MY EYES AND I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED NOW FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS COME SO
THE ONLY LITTLE PIECE IN HERE THAT I WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST ADVISE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AFTER THEY LEAVE LIKE THAT.
UM, THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT I WAS LIKE, WELL, WHAT IS THAT GONNA LOOK LIKE? SO JUST LIKE THEY HAVE RENDERINGS FOR WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE WHEN IT'S THERE, THEY CANNOT SIMPLIFY THOSE.
UM, I THINK THE ONE THING THAT I, MY TAKEAWAY ON THIS IS IF THEY ARE INVESTING WITH THE CRICKET FIELD, THEN AT THE END OF IT, I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD ASK THEM TO CONVERT IT TO THE FOOTBALL FIELD OR WHATEVER TYPE OF FIELD SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
UM, THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY ASK, IS THAT WE BUILD THAT IN TO THEIR PROPOSAL TO WALK AWAY WITH OUR END GOAL FOR THE SPORTS COMPLEX SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DIG, COME BACK AND DIG FOR MONEY AGAIN, BECAUSE WE, WE CAN BUILD THESE GREAT FACILITIES AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CRICKET DEAL.
AND IF IT DOESN'T REMAIN A CRICKET FIELD CHANGES TO A FOOTBALL FIELD OR A SOCCER FIELD, OR BASEBALL FIELD, WHATEVER THEY CHOOSE IN THAT DISTRICT, UM, I WANT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT INCLUDED IN THEIR WALKAWAY.
SO THEY RETURN IT TO, IF IT'S A ONE YEAR AGREEMENT, THEY RETURN IT TO, UM, THE POINT WHERE IT IS USABLE GOING FORWARD.
UM, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE A MINOR SMALL ASK TO THEM BECAUSE I THINK THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK IS DONE AND THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO BUILD THAT IN AS THEY'RE DOING THEIR WORK.
AND IT COULD BE JUST COVERED UP AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THEIR BLEACHERS AND STUFF.
LIKE, THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY ASK.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY ANYTIME WE BRING, YOU KNOW, PARTNERS TO THE CITY, UM, I HOPE THAT THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN BRING MORE, UM, TO THE CITY OVERALL.
I JUST WANT TO QUICKLY CONTEXT ALL THE HISTORY THAT HAS KIND OF BEEN ENCOMPASSED IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IT WAS ONCE THE SITE OF A BUNCH OF HOMES, IT WAS A NEIGHBORHOOD,
[03:20:01]
AND NEXT TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WAS A BATTERY PLANE.AND THAT BATTERY PLANE PRODUCED BATTERIES THAT CAUSED ALL KIND OF TOXIC WASTE THAT WASN'T ALWAYS, UH, DUMPED OR, YOU KNOW, TAKEN OUT THE PROPER WAY.
SO YOU HAD A LOT OF INSTANCES OF CANCER.
WE HAD A LOT OF INSTANCES OF OTHER DISEASES THAT REALLY IMPACTED THAT COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THEN FROM THERE, THAT COMMUNITY AND CADILLAC COUNTY CHIEFS TO ALWAYS FLUID.
SO IT WAS, IT, IT HAD A, A NUMBER OF ONGOING PROBLEMS. AND THOUGH THOSE FAMILIES HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES, THE PARK DEPARTMENT, UH, REALLY SAW FIT TO COME IN AND PUT SOMETHING IN THAT COMMUNITY THAT NOT ONLY CLEANS IT UP FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, RESTORATIVE KIND OF CASE, BUT WE'RE ALSO ADDING SOME REALLY IMPORTANT BUSINESS THERE.
AND I'VE HEARD FROM SOME SMALL BUSINESSES WHO ARE IN THAT REGION, INCLUDING MY FATHER-IN-LAW THAT JUST FROM THE PRESS CONFERENCE ALONE, THEY SAW A NOTE TAKING IN BUSINESS.
SO WHEN I TALKED TO DEPUTY MAYOR PROTE, KI KING ARMY, SHE SAID, HARRISON, I LOVE PARKS, BUT THEY'VE GOTTA BE CONNECTED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, FROM OUR DIRECTOR, UH, AND WHAT THE DEPARTMENT IS DOING, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOOMS THAT NOT ONLY HELPS THIS INVESTMENT IN THIS ONE PLACE, BUT IF YOU JUST GO ACROSS THE BRIDGE AND IT TAKES YOU ON THE MLK, YOU'LL SEE FOREST FORWARD, YOU GO FURTHER DOWN, YOU'LL END UP AT YORK FAIR PARK.
SO WE'RE CONNECTING A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND PEOPLE MOVE TO CITIES NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY CAN GET A GREAT HOUSE THERE, BUT BECAUSE THERE'S A GREAT COMMUNITY AROUND THEM.
SO THIS IS THE STORY OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, I I'M GLAD THAT WE WORKED THROUGH SOME OF THE LOGISTICS.
AND RYAN, I'LL JUST ASK, UM, THIS FIELD CAN BE USED FOR MORE THAN ONE THING.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF ONCE THE CRICKET LEAGUE IS DONE WITH THEIR TOURNAMENT, WE DON'T HAVE TO JUST CONVERT IT BACK TO SOMETHING ELSE.
IT MAY HAVE MULTI-USE OR, AND WHO WOULD PAY FOR THAT IF WE DIDN'T DO THAT? SO THE ANSWER TO THAT IS IT'S JUST GONNA BE AN ATHLETIC FIELD, A WELL CONSTRUCTED ATHLETIC FIELD.
SO AGAIN, IT'LL BE IN SHAPE AND OVAL, BUT THAT CAN EASILY CONVERT IT INTO RECTANGLE, WHICH IS THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF PHASE ONE DESIGN.
AND DO YOU HAVE A, JUST A, A GUESSTIMATE OF HOW MUCH THAT MIGHT COST TO? SO JUST IF WE WANTED TO PLAY A BASEBALL GAME ON, WE WANTED TO TURN IT INTO A DIAMOND POST.
THIS, UH, ATHLETIC MINIMAL COST.
'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY A BASEBALL DIAMOND FIT WITH
SO, AND, AND THIS ALSO GETS TO THE HEART OF US BASICALLY BUILDING A NEW ASSET.
WE TALK ABOUT THE ARBORETUM, WE TALK ABOUT FAIR PARK, WE TALK ABOUT THE SIOUX, BUT I LIKE THE IDEA OF NOT JUST BEING A CITY THAT KEEPS POURING ONLY INTO THOSE ASSETS, BUT WE BUILD NEW ASSETS AND WE'RE BRINGING AN INTERNATIONAL SPORT TO A COMMUNITY THAT'S NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT.
HELL, I'M NOT EVEN THAT FAMILIAR WITH THE CRICKET, BUT SINCE IT'S SEMI MY DISTRICT, I'M GOING TO BE A BIG CRICKET FAN.
DON'T KNOW WHICH TEAM I'M GOING.
YOU CAN SEE THE, THE WAY THAT THE OPPORTUNITY BROUGHT TO AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU TO THE PARK DEPARTMENT AND ALL THE GREAT WORK I'VE DONE TO MAKE THIS DEAL HAPPEN.
I HAVE TO MAKE SURE I RECOGNIZE THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT BROUGHT TO THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THIS 'CAUSE THE LANE IS OVER BY THE CITY, BUT THEY SAW AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE PARK DEPARTMENT COULD COLLABORATE WITH THEM ON THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
SO I WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, MR.
AND
AND I ALSO WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR HELPING US REALLY ACCEPT THAT PRIVATE MATCH BECAUSE WE CAN, WE CAN GO RAISE THE DOLLARS, BUT I NEEDED MY COLLEAGUES TO HELP VOTE ON IT.
UH, AND I, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO WHO TALKS ABOUT CADILLAC HEIGHTS, NOW, IF YOU ASK HER, HOW'S YOUR DAY? IT'S CADILLAC HEIGHTS
SO WE, WE WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR HER ADVOCACY BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO THIS KIND OF WORK WITHOUT HER STANDING FOR US TO DO THAT.
AND THEN, UH, ONE LAST CLARIFYING QUESTION.
IF, UH, IF THE PARK DEPARTMENT DID HAVE TO MOVE A MATURE TREE, IS THERE A POLICY IN PLACE THAT TALKS ABOUT REPLANTING OR IS THERE SOME KIND OF POLICY THAT LOOKS AT PROTECTING TREES? JUST, JUST IN A THOUGHT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT TREES THAT MR. JENKINS WOULD, YOU'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO I'M SORRY, MR. SO, SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, AS A PRACTICE, WE ALWAYS MITIGATE FOR TREES THAT REMOVED PARK.
SO A, IT'S A CORE FUNCTION OF WHAT WE DO WITH THIS PARK SYSTEM.
SO, UM, ANYTHING THAT IS REMOVED OUT THERE IS 100 PERCENTED.
UM, MR. WETA? UH, YES, THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, OF COURSE I'M AN ATHLETIC GUY, SO YOU CAN BE ATHLETIC IF SOMEBODY'S BRING MONEY IN.
I KNOW THAT THE, I THINK THE PLANS ARE AT THE END TO MAKE IT LIKE A TRACK FOOTBALL FIELD TRACK, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
SO MY ONLY QUESTION IS ARE THEY GONNA PUT A TEMPORARY FENCE AROUND IT OR GONNA BE A PERMANENT FENCE AROUND ONCE THEY BUILD THIS FIELD? YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TEMPORARY CREEK FIELD, RIGHT? YEAH, I THINK THEY'RE, ONCE IT'S CONSTRUCTED PROBABLY MARCH-ISH TIMEFRAME, THEY PROBABLY ARE GONNA HAVE TO
[03:25:01]
SECURE IT IN SOME WAY AND MAKE SURE IT STAYS IN GOOD SHAPE.BUT ONCE THE TERM IS OVER THAT FENCE, OKAY, AND YOU DON'T KNOW, AND I DON'T, MAYBE YOU DON'T, BUT WHAT'S IT COST TO THEM TO DO THE TEMPORARY FENCE FOR EIGHT MONTHS? RENT IT OUT, THEN GET IT UP.
MAYBE THEY COULD JUST PUT A PERMANENT FENCE AND THAT KIND OF HELPS US IN THE LONG RUN WHEN THEY MR. UH, MR. WOOD WAS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT BECOMES SOMETHING RIGHT AWAY AFTER, INSTEAD OF US HAVING TO BRING DOLLARS UP AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COST.
RIGHT? SO WE HAVEN'T DEVELOPED THE RENTAL FEE YET.
SO MAYBE THAT COULD BE, WE COULD SET UP THE RENTAL FEE, THEY COULD DO THIS AND, AND WE KEEP, WE ALREADY HAVE SOMETHING TO HOLD WHEN THEY'RE DONE VERSUS RENTAL FEE.
I, I KNOW WE ALWAYS WANT DOLLARS, BUT IF WE COULD USE THEIR DOLLARS INSTEAD OF RENTING IT, HAVE 'EM BUILD IT, TEAR IT DOWN, THEN WE GET THEIR RENTAL DOLLARS, THEN WE'RE GONNA PUT IT RIGHT BACK INTO PUTTING WHAT THEY HAD UP.
SO IT'S JUST A WAY TO NEGOTIATE THE, THE DOLLAR THING.
INSTEAD OF CHARGING THEM, THEY, YOU PUT A, A FENCE AROUND THE PARK THE WAY WE WANT IT KIND OF DEAL AND KIND OF SET IT UP SO THE COMMUNITY CAN WE, AND IT STA WHEN THE TURN'S OVER, WE CAN JUST MOVE FORWARD AND START USING IT FOR, FOR, FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND TO HAVE THE ATHLETIC FIELD THAT WE WANT THERE, WHICH IS THE FOOTBALL FIELD SURROUNDED BY A TRACK FIELD IS WHAT THE PLANS CALLED FOR WITH THE, WITH THE DOMES SEATING ALREADY.
SO MIGHT TO SOLVE A COUPLE THINGS BY HAVING THEM DO THAT INSTEAD OF CHARGING A RENTAL.
I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULD NOT, BUT FIGURE OUT WHAT DOLLAR AND DOLLAR'S GONNA BE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS FIRST YEAR RETIREMENT, JUST LIKE ANYTHING ELSE.
WE GET PEOPLE APPROACHES ALL THE TIME SAYING THEY'RE GONNA DO A, B, C, D SMOKE SOMETIME AND IF THEY HAVE A SUCCESSFUL TOURNAMENT, 'CAUSE I THINK THEY WANT COME BACK THE FOLLOWING YEAR WITH ANOTHER, ANOTHER BIG TERM.
SO, SO WE DEFINITELY WANT TO KEEP IT IN THE OVAL, BUT WE WILL, WE WILL STILL ABLE TO UTILIZE IT FOR ATHLETIC USE.
AND, AND MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IT, BUT CRICKET IS BIG IN DALLAS NOW.
DALLAS, CRICKET YOUTH PROGRAMS TEACHERS IN WEST DALLAS HAS A CLASS IN WEST DALLAS EVERY WEEK.
I THINK A COUPLE CLASSES IN WEST DALLAS, THERE'VE BEEN OAK CLIFF TO TEACH OUR KIDS CRICKET.
YOU KNOW, YOU GOT NO STUFF LIKE THE SHOP THE PITCH AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
YOU GOT KNOW TERMINOLOGY, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT WORDS THAT YOU USE.
IT'S ALMOST BASEBALL, BUT IN A ROUND CIRCLE, YOU KNOW.
AND SO IT JUST, IT JUST, BUT DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET OUT.
SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO LEARN.
UH, BUT IT IS BIG AND DOWN, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
'CAUSE WE DON'T, WE NEVER, WE NEVER PLAYED IT WHEN WE WERE YOUNG.
SO IF YOU KNEW HOW TO PLAY MR WORDS, YOU'RE TEACH
AND THAT, THAT KIND KIND OF ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
I MEAN, IF THEY'RE GONNA INVEST THIS MUCH MONEY, I THINK IT WOULD BE WITH THE INTENTION TO COME BACK AND DO IT AGAIN.
SO WHATEVER WE DO WOULD NOT, WE WOULDN'T WANNA UNDO WHAT THEY DID BECAUSE THAT KIND OF DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF CREATING BUT VENUE FOR THEM.
IF CRICKET, IT REALLY IS SOMETHING THAT'S GROWING, THEN PERHAPS WE JUST NEED TO EMBRACE THE CRICKET FIELD AND FIND SOME MONEY TO BUILD OUR OWN BASEBALL DIAMOND IN THE
SO I JUST, I WOULD LIKE US TO THINK, NOT IMMEDIATELY ASSUME THAT WE'RE JUST GONNA, IT'S NOT A ONE IN DEPTH.
SO I MEAN, I THINK THE OPPORTUNITY IS TO ACTUALLY WITNESS IT NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, LET'S SEE, SEE HOW SUCCESSFUL IT IS AND WE CAN KEEP OUR OPTIONS OF LOVE IT.
I DON'T THINK ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. OCONNOR.
I, WE ARE DONE WITH THE BRIEFING ITEMS. UH, WE HAVE NO BUDGET UPDATE.
MS UH, TURN A NOTE WHERE WE'LL GIVE US A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE BOND PROGRAM.
YEAH, I MEAN THERE'S REALLY ENOUGH TO REALLY DISCUSS.
WE'VE DISCUSSED IT EARLIER TODAY.
THANK YOU DIRECTOR JENKINS FOR YOUR ASSIST.
UM, AS FAR AS STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS, MAD SECRETARY, I BELIEVE, UM, JUST TO RESPECT EVERYBODY'S TIME, I'LL GO AHEAD AND SEND THEM OUT.
WE CAN DO THE SAME AS WELL FOR LIAISON REPORTS, UNLESS Y'ALL HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S TIMELY.
SO I, I, THINGS I'D LIKE TO SURE AGREE.
UM, THIS, UH, ACTUALLY THIS SATURDAY IN KEITH PARK, WHICH IS ALSO CO-CHAIRED BY ME AND MR. UH, ON THE WORK PARK.
OKAY, WE'LL CALL IT WHERE PARK, IT'S ON ASSISTANCE.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A TREE LIGHTING AND THAT'S DECEMBER 9TH.
IF YOU'VE BEEN TO KIDS, YOU'VE SEEN ANY BUSTLING WITH FAMILY ACTIVITY AND ENGAGEMENT, THE LIGHTING, A CHRISTMAS TREE THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
SO WE LOVE FOR YOU TO BE THERE TO PARTICIPATE IN THERE.
A LOT OF SPONSORS WHO WILL BE ENGAGED.
AND THEN ALSO NEXT WEEK IS NOT ONLY MY BIRTHDAY ON DECEMBER 14TH,
UM, AND I'VE SET ASIDE A TABLE
[03:30:01]
FOR OUR, OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND A GUEST BECAUSE WE HAD A ANONYMOUS DONOR WHO SAYS HE LOVES THE WORK WE DO AND DONATE THESE TABLES.SO IF YOU WANT TO COME KNOW THAT IT'S A THEMED EVENT, THE COLORS ARE RED, GREEN, AND GOLD, AND YOU'VE SEEN THE WHIS, UM, AND YOU'VE SEEN THE EMERALD CITY WITH DIANA ROSS AND MICHAEL JACKSON
THAT'S MY 10 CENTS MANAGER CHAIR.
UM, UH, MADAM VICE CHAIR, I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU A SHOUT OUT.
I KNOW THAT THIS ISN'T YOUR FIRST MEETING AS VP, BUT IT'S THE FIRST BRAND AND YOU'VE DONE IT MASTERFULLY.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THE LAST, UH, LIAISON REPORT, I THINK I'M GONNA START A HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR MR. BLAIR
UH, MR. UH, KAREEM, YOU TOOK THE WORDS OUTTA MY MOUTH.
UH, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR PERSONAL MEETING.
UM, MR. WOOD AND MR. NER, MR. WOOD, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND GO, UM, THIS WEEKEND IN, UM, FAIR PARK, UM, SCUBA SANTA IS GONNA BE AT THE CHILDREN'S AQUARIUM.
EVERYBODY'S GOTTA PASS TO GET INTO THE AQUAQUARIUM, WE'LL GET YOU.
UM, BUT IF YOU, UH, HAVEN'T SEEN SCUBA SANTA, HE'S IN THE, UM, POOLS OF WATER, UM, SWIMMING ALONG WITH THE FISH.
SO THAT'S ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
UM, ON FRIDAY NIGHT, UM, FAIR PARK FIRST IS OFFERING A GRINCH MOVIE NIGHT WITH A GRINCH, UM, ON DECEMBER 8TH AT THE BAND SHELL ACROSS THE, UM, FROM THE TAR OR, UH, AQUARIUM.
AND IF YOU ARE GOING TO THE MOVIE AND YOU GO TO THE, UM, AQUARIUM BEFORE, THEY'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A FREEING BREAK FOR.
SO, UM, LOTS GOING ON AT FAIR PARK, UM, TOO MUCH TO, UM, SHARE IN ONE LITTLE THING, BUT DEFINITELY, UM, GO OUT AND SEE SCUBA SANTA.
UM, DEFINITELY A DIFFERENT SPOON ON SAMPLING.
WATCH THEM ON ZOOM WITH WIFE BENIGN.
CAN THEY, CAN THEY LOOK US UP IF WE DON'T HAVE OUR YES, YES I CAN.
I MEAN, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES, JUST TEXT ME, I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT.
AND AGAIN, I AGREE THIS, UM, PRISCILLA IS DOING A FANTASTIC JOB.
I FELT VERY SUPPORTED BY YOU ALL BY
LET STONE PARK ING OUT IF YOU GOT SOME BAD KIDS.
WANT TO GET THERE OUT, I BREAK AT NINE O'CLOCK AND, UH, OVERSEE.
OUTSTANDING JOB RUNNING OUR MEETING TODAY.
UM, TWO NORTHAMPTON TRAIL RELATED UPDATE.
ONE, UH, I THINK EVERYBODY SAW THE BRIDGE OVER 75 NOW OFFICIALLY OPEN.
WE HAD A GREAT CEREMONY ON SATURDAY.
THANK YOU TO, UH, MY COLLEAGUES, UH, MR. FREE AND DICKIE AND, AND MR. GOLDSTEIN AND, UM, CALBERT AND MAYBE WAS THERE.
SO IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OVER THE BRIDGE, PLEASE DO SO.
CHECK IT OUT AND YOU CAN TAKE THE BRIDGE TO THE ANNUAL LIGHT, THE TRAIL PARTY ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10TH, 5:00 PM WE'LL HAVE A VISIT FROM SANTA CLAUS AND A MENORAH LINE.
SO 5:00 PM AT THE INTERSECTION OF
ARE Y'ALL GONNA BE SENDING THE I WILL SEND IT TO YOU.
OKAY, SO NO OTHER REPORTS? NO.
LOOK,
UM, IT IS WITH THE IN TOWN TABBA AND AT OUTSIDE WARM PARK.
AND MR. CREAM, ARE YOU GONNA LEAVE US?
[03:35:06]
WHO ELSE IS DECEMBER BIRTHDAY? WHO ELSE HAS A DECEMBER BIRTHDAY? ONLY ME.WE GOT ANOTHER DECEMBER BIRTHDAY.
OKAY, MR. KENDRICK? YES, I APOLOGIZE.
ON BEHALF OF THE JUDGE RAILS COALITION, TRINITY, THE STRAND TRAIL AND HOSTING THE ANNUAL JINGLE BELL RUN ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21ST AT THERE'S NO TIME LISTED.
OKAY, SO OUR NEXT MEETING IS THURSDAY, JANUARY 11TH, 2024 AT 10:00 AM OH, WE'RE DOING WHAT? OH, I'M SORRY.
I'M SKIPPING ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SO, UM, LASTLY WE'RE GONNA BE DOING OUR SEATING SELECTION.
MADAM SECRETARY WILL GIVE US INSTRUCTIONS.
WE'RE GONNA BE GOING IN SENIORITY ORDER.
THOSE WHO WERE APPOINTED TO THE BOARD AT THE EXACT SAME TIME WILL BE IN AS LONG AS I'M AWAY FROM, AS LONG AS I'M AWAY FROM KIT.
TELL ME SHE WANTED TO STAY IN HER SAME SPACE.
I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T LIKE BEING ON CAMERA.
WELL, THEY'VE SWITCHED IT NOW.
AND I LIKE NOW, LIKE RIGHT HERE, HAVE TO GO RIGHT NOW.
YOU I HAVE NO, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT RIGHT HERE.
NO, THE IN THE BACK WHERE? HUH? OH, I'LL STAY RIGHT HERE.
YOU DON'T KEEP BOBA
I ONLY GET 22 PEOPLE, RENEE AND SCOTT TO SIT OVER THERE.
ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT THING IS THURSDAY, JANUARY, 1120.
SEEING THAT THERE'S NO OTHER BUSINESS, I NOW ADJOURN THIS.