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[Senior Affairs Commission on December 18, 2023.]
I BELIEVE BASED ON HEADCOUNTS THAT I DID, THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE MISSING, UH, ARE COMMISSIONERS, RELL, AUSTIN, KARP AND DANIELS.THERE ANY, ANY OF THEM HERE THAT I DON'T SEE? UH, BUT THAT STILL LEAVES US WITH A FORUM.
UH, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC HERE, UH, TODAY.
SO WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT THING.
UH, WE HAVE MINUTES FOR THE BRIEF MEETING WE HAD LAST MONTH AND FOR THE, UH, WORKSHOP.
AND I WOULD ENTERTAIN MOTIONS TO ACCEPT BOTH OF THOSE, UH, SETS OF MINUTES.
I DID, DID YOU CATCH THE TY OF IT WAS IN THE WORKSHOP ONE.
THE SPECIFIC GOAL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2324.
ARE YOU ON THE WORKSHOP? UH, NO.
'CAUSE IT SAYS, UH, SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSION WILL DISCUSS THE SPECIFIC GOALS FOR THE ANNUAL REPORT.
AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE TALKING ABOUT FISCAL YEAR GOALS FOR 2324.
UH, NO, ACTUALLY THE GOALS ARE FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR BEFORE.
UH, THERE IS A TYPO IN THE, UH, THE SAME WORKSHOP WITH THE WELCOME MISSPELLED.
OH, I MISS, WE'LL GET THAT FIXED BEFORE WE CHAT.
DO ANYTHING ELSE? ANY COMMENTS? ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THE WORKSHOP? DENNIS, DID WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? DID WE MOVE A VOTE? YES.
AND FOR THE REGULAR MEETINGS, MINUTES BRIEF AS THEY WERE, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION.
ANY COMMENTS ON 'EM? IF NOT, LET'S, UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MEETING MINUTES? AYE.
I, UH, MY COMMENTS TODAY ARE, I'LL, I'LL START OUT WITH AN APOLOGY.
I INTENDED TO DISTRIBUTE A ROUGH DRAFT OF THE ANNUAL REPORT FOR TODAY'S MEETING AND, UH, MO SURGERY.
UH, AN EXTRA TWO DOGS AND, UH, THREE PEOPLE IN OUR HOUSEHOLD.
AND A FEW OTHER THINGS GOT IN THE WAY.
WHO'D WE PICK UP? DEBBIE AUSTIN.
IS THERE A REASON WHY NONE OF THEM APPEAR ON THE SCREEN? IT ALL VARIES.
IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT, BUT I SEE THEY ON HERE C LOT.
UM, WE ONLY HAVE THREE ABSENCES THEN AS IT STANDS NOW.
UH, SO AT, AT ANY RATE, WE'RE, UH, THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE WEBEX CONNECTION.
I HAD TO GO AND REINSTALL IT ON MY COMPUTER AND IT SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN THERE.
WELL, I CAN'T, I CAN'T DEAL WITH THAT.
AND I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO, I'M JUST EXPLAINING.
BUT THE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO, UH, WE, WE'VE GOT EVERYBODY HERE.
YOU'RE VISIBLE AND THAT'S ALL IT MATTERS.
UH, UM, SO THE GAME PLAN ON THIS IS TO TALK ABOUT THE, UH, AS SHOWN ON THE AGENDA, THE GOALS, PRIORITIES, AND GOALS FOR THE COMMISSION FOR NEXT YEAR, FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR THAT CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ANNUAL REPORT.
UH, SO MY GAME PLAN ON THIS IS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION EVERYTHING THAT I HEAR TODAY FROM THE GROUP AND THEN, UH, FINISH A PRELIMINARY COPY, PRELIMINARY DRAFT COPY OF THE REPORT ALONG WITH THE APPENDICES THAT WILL GO WITH IT.
AND THAT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED RIGHT AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
OUR MEETING IS AT THE END OF JANUARY.
AND WHAT I'M GONNA ASK WHEN I DISTRIBUTE THAT OUT TO EVERYBODY IS FOR PEOPLE TO CAREFULLY READ IT AND THEN I'LL BE CONTACTING EVERYBODY INDIVIDUALLY TO GET WHATEVER FEEDBACK YOU'VE GOT SO THAT I CAN INCORPORATE IT INTO A FINAL
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DRAFT THAT WILL COME TO THE MEETING, UH, FOR APPROVAL IN THE JANUARY MEETING.SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT'S COME UP IS THAT COUNCIL, AT THE COUNCIL MEETING LAST WEEK, THEY VOTED TO DELAY VOTING ON, UH, A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING SENIOR AND, UH, CHILDCARE AND SENIOR CARE FACILITIES.
AND THE CHANGE IN THE, UH, IN THE CODE TO WHICH WOULD ALLOW, IT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO CREATE AND OPERATE THOSE KINDS OF FACILITIES AROUND THE CITY.
AND COUNCIL DIDN'T THINK THERE'D BEEN ENOUGH COMMUNICATIONS, I GUESS, WITH SOME OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND THEY DELAYED IT FOR 60 DAYS.
SINCE WE DON'T HAVE DATA ABOUT IT, WE'RE NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT IT TODAY OTHER THAN MAKE EVERYBODY AWARE THAT IT IS A TOPIC THAT WILL BE ON THE JANUARY AGENDA.
AND JESSICA IS GOING TO TRY TO DEVELOP SOME INFORMATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOME DATA ABOUT HOW MANY OF THESE, UH, FACILITIES DO WE HAVE IN THE CITY AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
AND WE WILL BE ASKING THE COMMISSION TO EXPRESS AN OPINION LEVEL VOTE AND EXPRESS AN OPINION ON ENCOURAGING CITY COUNCIL TO EITHER ACCEPT IT OR REJECT IT AS IF YOU THINK, I SUSPECT WE WILL BE VOTING PROBABLY TO, UH, ENCOURAGE THINGS TO MAKE IT EASIER TO CREATE THOSE KINDS OF FACILITIES IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT THAT'S, IT WAS APPROVED BY THE, UH, CITY PLANNING COMMISSION AND WENT TO COUNCIL.
AND THE COUNCIL DODGED THE, DODGED IT AT THIS LAST MEETING AND IS GONNA GO FORWARD.
CAN I ASK, IN TERMS OF DATA, I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME, AND I FOLLOWED THAT ISSUE, SO I AM FAMILIAR WITH, UM, I'D LIKE TO HAVE INFORMATION ON LIKE HOW MANY, HOW MANY APPLICATIONS ARE THERE FOR THIS AND, AND WHAT'S THE COST OF THE ISSUE.
IS AN SUP OR NO SUP, WHAT'S THE COST OF AN SUP? UH, AND, AND IS THERE ANY WAY TO GET A WAIVER AS OPPOSED TO CHANGING THE ORDINANCE? THAT, SO THOSE ARE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT POINT WE CAN ADDRESS THAT IF THE JANUARY MEETING IS YES.
BUT THAT, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT FALLS UNDER YOUR I WOULD, I'LL BRING THE PLANNING FOLKS AS WELL.
SO YEAH, I MEAN I DID FOLLOW THAT AND I AM FAMILIAR WITH IT, SO THANK YOU.
UM, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY, WELL, LET ME SAY, UH, SEVERAL OF US WERE AT THE DISTRICT TWO, UH, SENIOR EVENT.
UH, I THINK ALMOST EVERYBODY, MAYBE EVERYBODY HERE.
UH, AND IT WAS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
IT WAS A VERY, VERY NICE GATHERING.
AND, UH, I, I THINK WE, WE NEED, WE NEED TO HAVE MORE OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS AROUND THE CITY.
UH, AND I THINK IT, IT TELLS A STORY AND IT WAS, UH, VERY WELL RECEIVED BY EVERYBODY WHO WAS THERE.
SO, UH, THAT WAS DISTRICT TWO, BUT IT WAS EVERYBODY AROUND THE CITY WAS THERE.
SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, IT WAS NOT, CERTAINLY NOT LIMITED TO DISTRICT TWO.
UH, WITH THAT IT DOES ANYONE, UH, RENEE, WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT YOUR ISSUE, SO, ALRIGHT.
AND I SENT IT TO YOU AND I KNOW IT CAME OUT.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT EVENT, UM, THAT WE HAD DOWNTOWN.
UH, I NOTICED THAT WE HAD PEOPLE FROM THE CITY LIBRARY AND WHATNOT.
WAS SENIOR SERVICES THERE DID THAT, DID THEY LEAVE EARLIER? OR, I DON'T THINK WE WERE, WERE Y ALL THERE.
HOW WOULD THAT, HOW WOULD THAT FALL? WHY WOULD THAT BE? WHY WOULD THEY NOT INVITE US? UM, WELL, I WAS AWARE OF IT.
I PERSONALLY COULD NOT ATTEND 'CAUSE I HAD CHILDCARE OBLIGATIONS THAT DAY.
UM, BUT YEAH, WE WEREN'T EXPLICITLY ASKED TO, TO BE ENGAGED OR PARTICIPATE.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S MORE TARGETED TOWARDS THE PARTICIPANTS.
BUT THERE WERE FIVE OR MAYBE 10 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, TABLES OF LIKE THE LIBRARY AND DART AND, UH, REC, YOU KNOW, AND IT, IT JUST FELT WEIRD THAT SENIOR SERVICES WA WASN'T THERE.
AND THAT WAS THE ONE THING FOR ME THAT I THOUGHT WAS A BIG MISS.
NO, I, I, I AM NOT AWARE OF US BEING ASKED TO ATE
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OR REPRESENT, AND I WASN'T EVEN AWARE FOR CERTAIN THAT IT WAS HAPPENING AGAIN UNTIL I HEARD DISCUSSING IT IN LAST ONE'S MEETING.WELL, I THINK THAT OUGHT TO BE NOTED SOMEPLACE IN OUR MINUTES SO THAT COUNCILMAN KNOW THAT.
SO YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY AS FAR AS OUR AWARENESS, BUT I CAN MAKE AN ACTIVE EFFORT TO TRY TO CONNECT WITH THE OFFICE AND SEE IF WE CAN, UM, BE INCLUDED NEXT YEAR BECAUSE YEAH.
ONE OF, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I CHANGE AND STAFF JOIN AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THINGS LIKE THAT CAN BE INADVERTENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T GRASP UNTIL I GOT THERE AND SAW WHAT WAS GOING ON WAS THAT IT, IT WAS BILLED AS A DISTRICT TWO EVENT.
BUT IT REALLY WASN'T A DISTRICT TWO EVENT.
AND, UH, IT WAS, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT COULD BE COMMUNICATED, THAT IF WE'RE DOING SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY SENIORS ORIENTED THING THAT GOES BEYOND THE DISTRICT, SENIOR AFFAIRS OUGHT TO BE, WELL, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE DISTRICT THAT DIS THE DISTRICT OFFICE ACTUALLY DOES THE WORK IN EXECUTING THE EVENT.
SO I MEAN, THEY REALLY, WE DON'T, WE DON'T PRODUCE IT.
BUT THERE WERE TABLE, THERE WERE TABLES REPRESENTING VARIOUS OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.
AND IT WAS THE ABSENCE OF SENIOR SERVICES RIGHT.
AND THE OTHER DISTRICTS WILL EVEN RECOGNIZE BY TABLES.
WELL, I WILL, I WILL FOLLOW UP AND I, I'M NOT AWARE OF OF BEING ASKED, BUT I CAN FOLLOW UP AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DIDN'T MISS OR OVERLOOK SOMETHING.
I, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, IT WAS, I MEAN, SOMETHING THAT GOT LOST WITH ANA TRANSITIONING, I DON'T THINK SO SENIOR, THE SENIOR AFFAIRS COUNCIL WITH SENIOR, THE COMMISSION ITSELF WAS NOT INVITED OTHER THAN VIA THEIR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, GUESS MCC KYLE.
SO I, I THINK THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW IF SIMILAR THINGS ARE DONE BY ANY OTHER COUNCIL DISTRICT.
THAT WAS THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD IS, WELL, THIS JIM DANIEL AND IT IS SPONSORS SUPPOSED BY DISTRICT TWO, AND I BELIEVE HIS PREDECESSORS IS WHO STARTED.
UH, IT USED TO BE A COMBINATION OF, OF THOSE TWO GUYS, OMAR AND, AND, AND, UH, MEDRANO.
IS THAT THE ONE THAT WAS THERE? YEAH, THEY USED TO DO IT TOGETHER.
AND THIS YEAR IT, IT WASN'T THE TWO OF THEM, IT WAS JUST ONE OF THEM.
BUT IT USED TO BE TWO COUNCIL DISTRICTS TOGETHER.
UM, I WANTED TO SAY THE HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, THAT KICKOFF, THAT WAS AT CITY HALL WHERE THEY LIT THE TREE.
AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT INVITATION, IT INDICATED THAT THERE WOULD BE A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS AT THE SENIOR HILLS, UH, RECREATION CENTER.
AND COUNCILMAN ATKINS WAS THE HOST.
AND WE HAD VARIED, UH, DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE INVITED.
AND LOTS OF PEOPLE CAME FROM ALL OVER.
UH, SENIOR CITIZENS WERE BUSED IN FROM DIFFERENT SENIOR PROGRAMS AND DIFFERENT SENIOR CENTERS TO THAT.
IT WAS VERY FULL BECAUSE SENIOR HILLS RECREATION CENTER HAS A BELOW GROUND, UM, UH, I GUESS YOU WOULD CALL A BALLROOM.
AND THERE WERE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER, BUSINESS LEADERS, DEPARTMENTS, EVERYTHING.
I KNOW PARKS DEPARTMENT WAS THERE, AND THEIR SENIOR PROGRAM THERE WAS THERE, BECAUSE I TALKED TO CRYSTAL.
JOHN WASN'T THERE, BUT CRYSTAL ROSS WAS THERE.
UM, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS IT'S JUST PAYING ATTENTION TO, UH, COMMUNICATING WITH THE PERSON THAT SENDS OUT THE INVITATION.
BUT I NOTICED THAT HIS WAS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE ONE ABOUT LIGHTING THE CHRISTMAS TREE.
IT SAID THAT THERE WAS, UH, THE ONE IN, IN HIS OFFICE, AND I MEAN, IN, IN DISTRICT EIGHT WAS, SO YOU CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT, I'M SORRY, DEBBIE.
WAS THE EVENT SPONSORED BY DISTRICT EIGHT OR WAS IT SPONSORED BY THE EVENT? COUNCILMAN ATKINS.
COUNCILMAN ATKINS HAS HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS EVERY YEAR.
AND IT'S, THE INVITATION IS EXTENDED ALL OVER.
AND THERE WAS, LIKE I SAID, SENIORS THERE FROM ALL OVER.
UM, DEBBIE, I, I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING THAT, AND I'M SURE I JUST OVERLOOKED IT.
BUT AGAIN, I WOULD THINK THAT IF IT'S FOR SENIORS, AT LEAST THE SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSIONERS WOULD KNOW ABOUT IT AND RECEIVE AN INVITATION TO THEIR COUNCIL PERSONS.
LIKE THE ONE FOR DISTRICT TWO? I, I GOT ONE.
IT WASN'T SPECIFICALLY GEARED FOR SENIORS.
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THE HOLIDAYS AND IT'S ON THE BOTTOM.YOU CAN CHECK BACK ON YOUR EMAIL AND YOU SEE IT.
WHEN I ATTENDED, ALSO PUT ON BY THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR SENIORS.
UM, SO IT WAS, SENIORS WERE PICKED UP FROM DIFFERENT, UH, CENTERS AND SOUTHERN DALLAS.
AND IT WAS PROBABLY, THAT'S THE ONE I ATTENDED.
THAT'S WHY I WASN'T AT THAT ONE.
THAT'S PROBABLY, I SAID CLOSE TO HUNDRED PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE.
UH, SENIORS DRESSED UP, HAD A DJ SANTA, ONE OF THE POLICE OFFICERS, OFFICER JOSEPH WAS SANTA CLAUS.
THEY HAD DIFFERENT VENDORS THAT WERE THERE GIVING INFORMATION, UH, THROUGH THE SENIORS.
WHERE WAS THAT WHEN THEY, FOR YOU? IT WAS HELD IN, UM, BUNTON.
I MEAN, SENIORS WERE DRESSED UP, HAD, UH, FOOD.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO GET UP AND GET THE FOOD UNLESS THEY WANTED, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO.
THEY WERE SERVED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND VOLUNTEERS.
ANY OTHER, UH, DISTRICT COMMENTS? YES, I HAVE A COMMENT ON, GO AHEAD, PHYLLIS.
I WENT TO DEBBIE'S, UH, DEALER.
SHE'S TALKING ABOUT HOME FOR HOLIDAY.
UM, AND YOUR COUNCILMAN WAS THERE? YES.
BUT I WANNA SAY TOO, THAT MS. ALMA PUT ON, UH, FOR DISTRICT FOUR, A LIGHTING OF THE TREE AT KEITH PARK NOW THAT I HAD TO ATTEND WITH MY LITTLE GRANDSON.
SO HE HAD A CONCERT, SO I DIDN'T MAKE MAKE IT, BUT I HEARD IT WAS JUST A GREAT TIME.
AND THAT WAS LIKE A COMMUNITY THING.
THEY LIGHT ON THE CHRISTMAS TREE, THEY HAD FOOD TRUCKS, THEY HAD GAMES.
AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THEY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.
LIKE, LIKE, LIKE THE CITY OR SOMEBODY PAID, THEY GAVE 'EM A TICKET.
AND
AND I THINK THAT'S PUT ON BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I, I PLAN ON ATTENDING THAT IN THE MORNING TO SEE WHAT THAT'S ALL ABOUT TOO.
AND I THINK THAT'S FOR SENIORS, OR MOST OF THIS STUFF I'M LOOKING AT IS SAYING COMMUNITY AS WELL AS SENIORS.
IT'S NOT JUST GOOD FOR SENIORS, IT'S ANYBODY.
SO I THINK FOR THE HOLIDAYS, TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE THEY JUST TRY TO REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE AS A WHOLE.
AND, UM, SINCE I HAVE THE FLOOR, I'M GONNA SAY MISS, UM, CONGRESS, UM, DEPUTY, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIM, ER IS GONNA HAVE A BIG VALENTINES TODAY.
I DON'T HAVE ALL THE DETAILS, BUT AS SOON AS I HAVE ALL THE DETAILS, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE SENIOR FOR COMMITTEE TO COME OUT TO OUR FUNCTION AND OUR, THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE CAN SEE HOW WE, UH, DO VALENTINE'S DAY.
MY, MY COUNCIL PERSON IN DISTRICT 13 TOLD ME THAT SHE WAS CONSIDERING STRONGLY CONSIDERING DOING A VALENTINE'S PARTY FOR SENIORS IN D 13 ALSO.
SO THERE PROBABLY WILL BE MULTIPLE EVENTS ON THESE KINDS OF THINGS.
GOTTA SAY THAT THEY HAVEN'T TRIED TO VISIT ALL.
I SCARED THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE, UH, UH, UH, INVITE ALL THE SENIORS IN DISTRICT 11.
SO I HAVE TO BRAG ON WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE CITY AND MIAH WAS THERE.
UM, SO, UM, I WAS BLOWN AWAY BY WHAT THE CITY'S REPRESENTED THERE.
SO I BROUGHT STUFF, HANDOUTS TO EVERYBODY.
UM, IT WAS REALLY, UH, PRETTY AMAZING.
FIRST OF ALL, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CAME WITH THEIR WHOLE FRAUD.
AND THAT THAT'S THE STUFF I PICKED UP FOR ALL THE SCAMS THAT ARE GOING ON, WHICH WAS NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING.
AND I, AND AGAIN, 'CAUSE I HAVEN'T DONE ANY OF THE OTHERS, I DON'T KNOW IF IF THIS IS, BUT THEY WERE AMAZING.
UM, THERE'S MORE, UM, WATER DEPARTMENT AND THEY BROUGHT AMAZING STUFF.
UH, ANYBODY WANTS GREASE CONTAINERS? I PICKED UP SOME AND I, HERE PLEASE HELP YOURSELF.
UM, DART BROUGHT AND I, THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANYMORE SOMETHING CALLED GOLINK DART ON COMMAND.
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AND WHERE YOU CAN GET A RIDE.AND WITHOUT A DOUBT, AN AMAZING, AMAZING RESOURCES.
THIS IS THE ONLY ONE I HAVE, BUT I, I DIDN'T KNOW ANY OF THIS INFORMATION.
THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF OUR STATIONS, WHERE THEY GO.
UM, AND AGAIN, I'M A SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSIONER.
I WAS TOTALLY IGNORANT ON SOME OF THIS STUFF.
SO IF YOU HAVE NOT, HAVE YOU SEEN MS. ROSE? I HAVE.
PICK UP YOU AND CARRY YOU ON THE TOUR SO YOU CAN KNOW HOW TO USE THE LINK.
SO, SO WE HAVE TO REALLY BEGIN, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN WRITING FROM MY DISTRICT NEWSLETTER, BUT THAT'S THE INFORMATION THAT HAS TO BE IN ALL THE DISTRICT NEWSLETTERS.
I THINK THAT THIS IS TOTALLY AVAILABLE AND HOW DO YOU ACCESS IT? RIGHT? UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT'S OFF IS THAT COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE USING IT JUST AS MUCH, IF NOT MORE THAN SENIORS.
YOU KNOW WHAT, AND BECAUSE I LIVE NORTH, I THINK I HAVE THE LONGEST TRIP DOWN HERE, UM, BECAUSE I LIVE NORTH.
IF YOU GO WAY NORTH WHERE UTD IS, YOU SEE THE COLLEGE STUDENTS USING IT ALL THE TIME.
RIGHT? YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
UM, OFFICE OF A MADE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I PICKED THINGS UP AT THE END.
UM, THIS, IT, THIS IS JUST WHAT YOU DO, WHO YOU CALL ALL THE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO AVAILABLE FOR SENIORS, UM, WHO PUT THAT TOGETHER.
UH, OFFICE OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
AND WE, JESSICA, CAN YOU GET SOME OF THESE FOR ALL OF US? MIAH ONE OF YOU.
I, I REALLY, IT WAS, UH, UM, AND LET ME JUST SHARE SOMETHING ELSE.
SO OUR, IT WAS THE AFTERNOON OF AMAZING STORMS THAT REALLY PRETTY UNBELIEVABLE.
OUR, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD ATTENDANCE WAS NOT FABULOUS.
ONCE THE SKIES OPENED UP, I FULLY KNEW THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
WE ALSO DID IT RIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING, RIGHT AFTER THANKSGIVING, WHICH WAS REALLY KIND OF STUPID.
UM, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT.
BUT WHAT HAPPENED WAS ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENTS WERE IN THE SAME ROOM, AND THEY WERE TALKING AMONGST ONE ANOTHER ABOUT WHAT THEY COULD DO IN NEIGHBORHOODS TO GET TOGETHER, WHICH WAS A BONUS THAT I NEVER COULD HAVE ANTICIPATED.
UM, SO PARKS DEPARTMENT SHOWED UP IN FOURTH WITH BAGS FOR EVERYBODY WITH RECREATION SCHEDULES.
SO THEY, THOSE AT THE DISTRICT TOO, DID THEY HAVE, WHAT AN AMAZING JOB THEY ARE DOING.
UM, POSTERS FROM SOMEBODY, IF ANYBODY WANTS THE POSTERS, WE CAN PASS THOSE ON DOWN.
UM, IT WAS NOTHING SHORT, UH, FOR THE CITY.
SO, UH, A PLUG AND OF COURSE COMMUNITY CARES WAS INVITED
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE, ALL OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS COULD KEPT TALKING ABOUT, WHEN CAN WE DO THIS AGAIN? MM-HMM.
SO THEY WERE REALLY, UM, THE CITY WAS REALLY PRETTY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE COMMUNITIES CODE COMPLIANCE.
WAS THERE, UM, UH, MIAH, DO YOU REMEMBER? I THINK ALMOST EVERYBODY SHOWED UP.
ALL THE, ALL THE
WE HELD, IT WAS HELD AT THE PRISM.
'CAUSE EVERY TIME I SAY IT, EVERYBODY THINKS I'M GOING TO THE PRISON.
LOOK AT ME UNTIL I REALIZE THAT P-R-I-S-M.
IT'S A CITY OWNED PROPERTY IN NORTH DALLAS ON PETERSON LANE.
UM, BUT, UM, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JEFF KITNER, WHO IS ONE OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT REPS, COMMISSIONERS, SAID, WE NEED TO DO THIS OUTDOORS AT A PARK AT OUTDOORS.
WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE HE PARK RIGHT.
IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA THAT PEOPLE WOULD, I CAN TALK TO MIKE
WHAT IS THE PRISM? PRISM IS ON PETERSON.
I KNOW WHERE IT IS, BUT WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS IT? IT IS, UM, AN OFFICE.
THE CITY OWNS, AM I RIGHT? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT STUFF? YES, I AM.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A HUB FOR INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT WORK THAT'S BEING BUILT OUT IN DISTRICT 11.
YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY.
BUT IT, IT IS A FACILITY THAT CITY OWNED, IT'S AVAILABLE FOR.
I BELIEVE IT WAS PURCHASED BY THE CITY.
I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHEN WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
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AND IT IS AVAILABLE FOR OUR YOUTH.JUST RENEE, WHAT WAS THE TITLE OF THIS EVENT? I MISSED THAT.
IT WAS SENIORS EVENT FOR DISTRICT 11.
NO TITLE OF THEME, JUST SENIORS EVENT AND ALL THE VENDORS.
IT KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME EVENT THAT THEY DO DURING THE SPRINGTIME THAT DART PUTS ON AT FAIR PARK.
ANYTHING TO THAT, TO YOUR EVENT.
IT WAS COME BECAUSE IKA WAS THERE.
SO HE SPENT THE TIME MIKA WAS THERE.
WELL, TO HAVE ALL OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS IS AMAZING.
WE'RE GETTING THAT, BUT THINK ABOUT ROWING THAT OUT FOR A HOPE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S, UH, COMMISSIONER STATED IT WAS A, IT WAS A, IT WAS A GOOD EVENT, UH, AS FAR AS PLANNED OUT.
BUT AS THE WEATHER, THE WEATHER, UH, UH,
UH, SOME DID SHOW UP AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT IT WAS A GOOD EVENT.
LIKE I SAID, A LOT OF CITY DEPARTMENTS WAS THERE.
UH, IT WAS IN A ROOM ABOUT HALF THIS SIZE, AND IT WAS, UH, EVERYBODY HAD A CABLE DISPLAYS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS A POSITIVE VIBE.
IT WAS REALLY REAL POSITIVE VIBE.
IF THEY WANTED TO PUSH, PUSH IT OUTSIDE, IT WOULD BE A BIG EVENT.
BUT IT'S JUST, IT WAS, IT WAS THAT BAD, BAD STORM AT THAT.
SO, AND THEN ANOTHER THING IS THERE'S A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION ON MUMFORD.
IT'S NIGHTMARE TO START FINDING THE LOCATION.
BUT BESIDES THAT, IT WAS, IT WAS
SO WHO WAS THE LEADERSHIP ON THAT ONE? THE LEADERSHIP ON THAT GROUP ITSELF WAS, UM, UH, IT WAS SOPHIA FIGUEROA AND JANIE SCHULTZ'S OFFICE.
I THINK IT WAS HER BRAINCHILD.
UH, JANIE, COUNCILMAN SCHULTZ PUT HER, SAID, WHY DON'T YOU CALL RENEE? AND SO HER OFFICE, KIMBERLY AND SOPHIA CALLED ME AND WE SORT OF RAN WITH IT.
MAYBE WE HAD TWO, THREE MEETINGS.
UH, UM, AND THE COUNCILMAN'S OFFICE COUNCIL PERSON'S OFFICE DID A GREAT JOB.
UH, DEBBIE, WE INTERRUPTED YOU A WHILE AGO, OR, OR I SAW YOU COME ON SCREEN AND THEN SOMEBODY ELSE WAS TALKING
I, I, I WANTED TO ADD WITH VERNA'S PERMISSION, BECAUSE THIS IS HER DISTRICT, AND I KNOW THAT SHE HAD TO BE OUT OF TOWN WITH HER GRANDSON.
I DID ATTEND THE WELL MED, UH, EVENT.
CRYSTAL ROSS SENT ME A PERSONAL INVITATION AND IT WAS REALLY, REALLY NICE.
AND, AND HER COUNCILMAN AND CASEY THOMAS WERE THERE AND THEY EXPLAINED, YOU KNOW, WHY SHE COULDN'T BE PRESENT.
BUT THE EVENT WAS REALLY WONDERFUL.
DREW PEARSON WAS THE GUEST SPEAKER.
THEY HAD AUTOGRAPHED PICTURES FOR THE, THE, UM, PARTICIPANTS.
THEY, UH, HAD TWO AUTOGRAPH FOOTBALLS FOR HIM AS DO PRIZES.
THEY HAD A FULL THANKSGIVING MEAL THAT WAS SERVED BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT SENIOR PROGRAM.
LINDSEY THAT WAS HERE, THAT WAS AT OUR RETREAT, WAS THERE SERVING.
AND HER STAFF, UM, JOHN JENKINS WAS THERE.
I HAD A LOT OF DIGNITARIES FROM DOWNTOWN THERE AT THE INITIAL PROGRAM.
ALL THE WEB WELLMED STAFF WAS THERE.
AND ONE OF THE FORMER SENIOR, ONE OF THE FORMER PARKS DEPARTMENT PROGRAM PEOPLE HAD BEEN MADE DIRECTOR OF THAT CENTER.
AND I WANTED TO SAY AT THE END THAT WELL MAY HAVE PRESENTED A CHECK TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FOR $150,000.
AND WE WERE ALL VERY IMPRESSED AND VERY EXCITED.
THEY ARE SO IMPRESSED WITH THAT CENTER AND WHAT IT'S DOING.
THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE SEVERAL OTHER CLINICS AROUND TOWN, BUT THEY ARE VERY IMPRESSED WITH THAT CENTER THAT'S OVER THERE.
AND THEY'RE VERY GLAD THAT THEY CHOSE THAT LOCATION.
AND LIKE I SAID, WITH VERNA'S PERMISSION, I WANTED TO SHARE THAT AND NOT TAKE, TAKE AWAY FROM THANK YEAH.
AND THAT TAKE AWAY FROM HER THING.
AND THEY HAD, OH, THEY HAD THESE CUTE LITTLE CITY OF DALLAS CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS AND LITTLE BOXES, AND THEY'RE JUST READY TO HANG ON THE TREE.
SO ALL THE PARTICIPANTS GOT THOSE TWO IN GOODIE BAGS.
I DON'T THINK IT WAS, I KNOW IT WAS A MACAU'S DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY HAD THE CITY OF DALLAS BAGS, BUT IT WAS A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT THAT WAS OFFERING INFORMATION ON SERVICES FOR SENIORS.
SO ANYHOW, THAT, AND I WENT, THEY SAID I HAD TO GO TO NEW YORK WITH MY GRANDSON.
UH, HE HAS AN INVE IS IN AN INVESTMENT CLUB AT 11 YEARS OLD.
AND WE VISITED THE STOCK MARKET AS WELL AS GOOGLE.
SO I, WE, THAT, THAT'S WHERE I WANT.
[00:30:01]
THAT'S COOL.LET'S MOVE ON TO, UH, KIND OF SOME OF THE LEFTOVERS, I GUESS, FROM THE, UH, WORKSHOP THAT WE HAD.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT BRIEFLY ON THE WORKSHOP.
I, I HOPE EVERYBODY THAT IT WAS PRODUCTIVE AND WORTHWHILE AND WORTH SPENDING AN AFTERNOON.
UH, IT, IT WAS AMAZING TO ME HOW MUCH DIFFERENT IT IS WHEN YOU HAVE ALMOST EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM AND AT LUNCH.
I, I THOUGHT WE DID A GOOD JOB OF MIXING THINGS UP WITH PEOPLE AND, UH, IT'S JUST A TOTALLY DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT THAN WHAT YOU HAVE WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO, UH, DO THINGS IN A HYBRID FASHION.
SO, UH, BUT, BUT THE, UH, CONTENT I THOUGHT WAS GOOD.
IT, WE PROBABLY HAD MORE STUFF ON THE AGENDA THEN IT WAS REALISTIC TO THINK WE COULD GET THROUGH.
UH, SO THERE'S A FEW THINGS LEFT OVER THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE, UH, FOR THE ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH WE NEED TO GET, UH, FINISHED AND APPROVED AT OUR JANUARY MEETING.
AND SPECIFICALLY, UH, WHAT WE DIDN'T GET TO WAS THE DISCUSSION OF, UH, PRIORITIES AND GOALS FOR THE, UH, FOR THE SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSION.
AND I KNOW IN THE PAST, WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAD GONE ON WITH THE LAST COUPLE OF REPORTS, A LOT OF PEOPLE FELT AS THOUGH THEY WERE KIND OF HANDED A LIST OF GOALS AND PRIORITIES.
AND IT, IT HAD NOT BEEN DISCUSSED.
AND, UH, I WANTED TO, UH, I WANTED TO GET EVERYBODY'S FEEDBACK BEFORE WE CREATE A DOCUMENT THAT HAS WHAT OUR GOALS ARE.
AND THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET DONE TODAY.
SO, UM, I GUESS I'D LIKE TO START WITH BURNOUT TODAY ABOUT, UM, WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF WHAT THE PRINCIPAL PRIORITIES OUGHT TO BE FOR THE, FOR THE COMMISSION AND THEN SPECIFICALLY FOR 2024? DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING SPECIFIC AS IN TERMS OF THINGS THAT SHOULD DEFINITELY BE ON OUR LIST OF GOALS AS A C? ONE THING THAT I, UM, I GUESS I PREFACE MY COMMENTS BY SAYING THAT, UH, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING A NEW AND DIFFERENT DIRECTION, I LIKE IT.
UH, BECAUSE HAVING A COMMITTEE OF THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE, UH, TO RECEIVE INFORMATION AND THAT INFORMATION THAT'S GO NO FURTHER THAN THOSE THREE, I THINK IS WELL A WASTE OF TIME.
AND SO I THINK NUMBER ONE WOULD BE ENSURING THAT INFORMATION THAT WE DEEM IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
THE SENIORS BE SHARED IN A WAY THAT COMMISSIONERS HAVE A TURNKEY PROJECT PROGRAM IDEAS THAT THEY CAN PROMOTE IN THEIR DISTRICT.
UM, SO ARE ARE, LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY GOT AN INFOGRAPHIC THAT HAD THE DE THE DEMOGRAPHICS FOR THEIR DISTRICT? MM-HMM.
AND OR IDEAS FOR EXPANDING PARTICIPATION IN THE DISTRICTS AND GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT.
I THINK THE, THE, THE, THE, UH, EXAMPLE OF THAT WOULD BE THE, UH, PROGRAM WHAT DISTRICT, WHAT, WHAT DISTRICT? DISTRICT 11.
AND THAT IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THE BIG CITYWIDE THINGS, BUT YOU HAVE SO MANY PERSONS THAT CANNOT ATTEND THOSE.
AND SO IF WE HAVE THEM IN DIS IN OUR DISTRICTS AND EVEN SET UP A CALENDAR ABSOLUTELY.
OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WILL BE GOING ON, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND DISTRICT THAT, AND OF COURSE RECEIVE SUPPORT FROM, YOU KNOW, THE SENIOR SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO GET THAT DONE AS WELL AS OUR, OUR COUNCIL FOR US TO GET IT DONE.
BUT I THINK'S, ONE, THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, IS JUST GET THE INFORMATION OUT THERE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
AND I THINK WE HAVE BEEN DOING IT, BUT IT'S BEEN KIND OF SLIP SHOP.
AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL.
AND WHEN YOU SAY GET THE INFORMATION OUT, WHAT KINDS OF ARE, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THIS KIND OF INFORMATION I'M TALKING ABOUT THAT KIND OF INFORMATION.
I'M TALKING ABOUT HOW TO NAVIGATE CITY DEPARTMENTS.
[00:35:01]
UH, UH, EVERYTHING THAT POLICE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES, EVERYTHING THAT, UM, WHAT IS NOT SEARCH AND RESCUE, WHAT IS, WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT? THE PARAMEDICS AND ALL THAT, RIGHT? YEAH.BUT EVERYTHING, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY THINGS AS SENIORS THAT WE ENCOUNTER ON A DAILY BASIS AND JUST DOING IN ISOLATION IS NOT HELPING ALL OF US.
'CAUSE JUST RECENTLY I ENCOUNTERED SOME THINGS THAT I DID NOT KNOW, AND I THOUGHT I'D DO PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING.
AND SO I, I I, WE NEED TO TAKE TIME TO THINK ABOUT THOSE THINGS AND ACTUALLY PUT IT IN A FORMAT.
SO THE ONE COMMENT I WOULD MAKE IS WE, I, I LIKE THE IDEA.
I'M, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT HOW DO WE AS A COMMISSION WHO MEET AN HOUR AND A HALF, 11 MONTHS OF YEAR, UH, ACCOMPLISH, ACTUALLY MAKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN.
WE'VE GOT ONE THING TO START WITH RIGHT THERE.
WE'VE GOT DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE DISTRICTS AS IT IS SHARING THAT AND THEN PACKAGING IT.
AND I THINK I EVEN LIKE THE IDEA OF US SHARING WHERE IF WE DO, LIKE, IF YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING IN FEBRUARY, WE MAY NOT BE DOING ANYTHING IN FEBRUARY, BUT WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND SO WE COLLABORATE AND SHARE.
UM, WELL, I THINK ON THE PRIORITIES, IT'S MORE, UH, GENERIC.
IT'S MORE, UM, TRYING TO SAY, UH, SECULAR DOWN TO THE GRASSROOTS, HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING.
AND WHAT CAME TO ME THIS WEEK WAS THIS COMMENT ABOUT THIS.
KAREN MENTIONED THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, OVERLAP DISTRICT TWO IN DISTRICT NINE WHERE I LIVE AND WHERE I USED TO BE IN THAT DISTRICT.
A LOT OF FEEDBACK COMING UP ABOUT THIS COULD BE VERY CONTENTIOUS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE PICKED IT UP IN YOUR AREA, BUT BOY, THIS ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD.
YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO PUT THESE PLACES IN HOMES, PEOPLE, AND THEN YOU HEAR FROM PEOPLE IN MY TWO AREAS I MENTIONED, SO WAIT A MINUTE, WE'VE ALREADY GOT THIS HOME FOR THESE PEOPLE.
WE'VE GOT THESE, UH, PLACES THAT PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW ARE HOMES FOR PEOPLE.
WHY ARE WE IN EAST DALLAS GETTING DUMPED ON THAT? MM-HMM.
WITH THIS, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE THINKING.
YOU TAKE OFF THE SHACKLES AND YOU CAN JUST, UH, PUT ANYTHING ANYWHERE.
SO UNDER THIS BROAD UMBRELLA OF HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING, UH, WE ALL KNOW WE'RE 20,000 UNITS UNDER UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOMELESSNESS CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM.
AND NOW WITH THIS OTHER, I JUST DON'T KNOW IF IT'S AN ANSWER, BUT I NEED TO DO MORE OF MY HOMEWORK AS SOMEONE SAID.
BUT THAT TO ME, OUGHT TO BE A PRIORITY OF IRO.
LET, LET, LET, TO MY HEAD RESPOND TO THAT.
THERE ARE OTHER COMMISSIONS AND TASK FORCES AND THINGS AT THE CITY WHO ARE SPECIFICALLY DOING THE HOMELESS.
DOING, DOING, SUPPOSED TO BE DEALING WITH THAT.
UH, AND ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO, WE SHOULD BE DOING SOMETHING BEYOND WHAT THEY'RE DOING, OR WE COULD BE TAPPING INTO WHAT THEY ARE COMING UP WITH.
THAT'S A GREAT, AND ASKING THEM TOO MANY, TOO MANY COOKS TO SPOIL THE BROTH.
UM, MAYBE NOT IN THAT REGARD, BUT THE SENIOR COMMUNITY, THERE ARE SOME HOMELESS THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE SOMEONE BROUGHT THAT TOO MUCH ATTENTION THROUGH MY CHURCH.
AND HEY, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF SENIORS THAT ARE OUT THERE HOMELESS THAT DON'T WANT TO HAVE HELP, ET CETERA.
THINK OF VIETNAM VETERANS, ET CETERA.
THEY'RE WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO, BUT THE HOUSING THING IS CERTAINLY A SENIOR ISSUE.
SEE, MY HOUSING THING IS A HUGE ISSUE, BUT IT IS, AGAIN, THERE'S, THERE'S OTHER AREAS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DEALING WITH THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE MADE AWARE OF WHAT IT IS THEY'RE DOING SO THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY COMMUNICATE THAT WITH, UH, SENIORS.
BUT I NEED TO BE CAREFULLY WE STAY THAT WE DON'T DRAW TOO FAR OUTSIDE THE LINES OF, OF WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ENOUGH FOCUSED ON.
BUT, UM, THAT PETE, I'M SAYING, IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS, NEEDS TO BE TALKED ABOUT, BECAUSE THERE A LOT OF PEOPLE, IF THEY'RE
[00:40:01]
NOT HOMELESS, THEY'RE ON THE EDGE OF HOMELESSNESS.AND, AND I, I THINK THAT THAT'S A, THAT'S A HUGE PROBLEM THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO DEAL WITH AND, AND, UH, DO THAT.
ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONER KLEIN? YES.
THIS IS, THIS IS COMMISSIONER AUSTIN.
UH, OUR, UH, COMMUNITY COALITION THAT MEETS ONCE A MONTH, HAD THE OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS, CITY OF DALLAS TO COME AND SPEAK.
AND THEY SENT THREE REPRESENTATIVES, THE DIRECTOR AND TWO OF HER ASSISTANTS.
AND THEY TALKED TO US ABOUT THAT EXACT PROBLEM.
AND, AND WHAT, UH, THE OTHER COMMISSIONER SAID ABOUT, THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT DO NOT WANT TO BE HOUSED, BUT THEY, THEY HAD STRESSED TO US NOT TO DONATE ON THE STREET, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU'RE ONLY ENABLING THEM AND THEY'D RATHER YOU NOT DO THAT.
UH, BUT THERE IS AN OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS, AND THEY WILL COME AND TALK TO YOU AND ADVISE YOU AND TELL YOU WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND WHEN THEY GO INTO THOSE CAMPS AND ROUND UP THOSE PEOPLE OR CLEAN THEM OUT, THEY OFFER THEM ASSISTANCE AND THEY OFFER THEM A PLACE TO STAY.
AND SHE SAID MANY OF THEM DON'T WANNA BE HOUSED FOR WHATEVER REASON.
ISN'T THAT ANGEL? UH, DEBBIE? I'M NOT SURE I HAVE THEIR BUSINESS CARDS, BUT I DON'T HAVE THEM RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF ME.
UH, ANGEL, WHO WAS THE SECOND IN CHARGE, NOT SECOND IN CHARGE, BUT SHE WAS AN ASSISTANT TO, UH, POLICE CHIEF, OUR FEMALE POLICE CHIEF ANGEL, I CAN'T THINK OF HER LAST NAME, BUT SHE'S IN CHARGE OF THE HOMELESS COALITION NOW.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
NOW YOU'RE THINKING OF JOAN LEE, ACTUALLY UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, WAS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING FORWARD, WHICH IS EXTERNAL TO THE CITY.
AND IT'S THE CONTINUUM OF CARE MANAGING ORGANIZATION FOR DALLAS AND COLLIN COUNTY.
NOW JOLIE IS ACTUALLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HER LAST DAY IS.
IT COULD BE THIS WEEK, BUT IT'S LIKE IN THIS TIMEFRAME.
SHE'S RELOCATING TO, UM, CHICAGO.
AND THEIR INTERIM IS NOW SARAH KHAN.
UM, BUT THAT ENTITY WORKS REALLY CLOSELY WITH OUR OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS, BUT ALSO, WE ACTUALLY WORK WITH THEM TOO, BECAUSE WE HAVE ESG HALA, UM, FUNDS AS WELL, WHICH IS PART OF THE BROAD COC HUD FUNDING, UM, MECHANISM.
SO THERE IS BOTH THE OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS, WHICH FOCUSES, UM, PRIMARILY ON COORDINATING SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND THEN WE ALSO ARE A MEMBER OF THAT, UM, HOUSING FORWARD, UH, COALITION, WHICH DRIVES THE REGIONAL RESPONSE.
AND THEY WILL COME AND TALK TO US.
AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE, I THINK A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WE HAD A BRIEFING FROM OUR OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS TO SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSION.
THEY WERE DISTRICT THREE AT OUR LAST BREAKFAST.
THAT'S, THEY CALL THEM A BREAKFAST.
THEY'RE VERY OPEN TO, UM, TO ACCEPTING FOR YES.
WHO DOES THE COUNT WHERE THAT WOULD BE? THAT'S, THAT'S THE ORGANIZATION SHE WAS REFERRING TO.
THEY, THEY COLLABORATE FOR THE COUNT EVERY YEAR.
UM, THAT GROUP IS PRETTY AMAZING.
AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S INFORMATION WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF, BUT IT'S NOT OUR, IT'S NOT OUR PURPOSE, GENERALLY SPEAKING.
I I THINK THE CONCERN THAT I'VE GOTTEN IS I THINK THAT, LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE THOUSANDS MORE SENIORS WHO ARE ON THE EDGE OF HOMELESSNESS THAN THERE ARE HOMELESS PEOPLE AT ANY POINT IN TIME.
AND, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE NEED, MY OPINION IS THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO BE MORE FOCUSED, RESONATES.
SO COULD WE TALK ABOUT MAYBE HOUSING INSTABILITY AMONGST SENIORS AS A TOPIC TO EXPLORE? THAT WOULD KIND OF ADDRESS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOUSING GAP, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CONSIDERING THE DISPARITIES, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU THAT SENIORS ARE OVERREPRESENTED IN THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
AND I'M SURE IF OHS WAS HERE, THEY'D BE ABLE TO BACK THAT UP WITH DATA.
UM, OR WE COULD ALSO JUST TALK ABOUT, UM, JUST GENERALLY OTHER TYPES OF PROGRAMS OR SUPPORTS FOR PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE KAREN AT RISK.
AND KAREN IS THE ONE THAT GOES.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I, WHEN IT COMES MY TURN, I PLAN TO SPEAK TO THIS.
AND I THINK THERE ARE AREAS TO ADDRESS AND WAYS TO ADDRESS IT.
AND YES, THERE'S OVERLAP AND, BUT IF YOU'D LIKE, I'LL SPEAK TO SOME OF IT WHEN IT'S MY TURN.
NO, I, AND WE GOT A BUNCH OF RABBIT HOLES.
WELL, YEAH, I, I THINK IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT THE CITY CHARTER
[00:45:01]
AND WHAT OUR ROLE IS, ACCORDING TO THE CITY CHARTER, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GIVING ADVICE.THE ONLY THING WE'RE, WE'RE GRANTED AS, AS SOMETHING TO DO IS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER AND MAYOR ABOUT PRIORITIES OR PROBLEMS OR THAT KIND OF A THING, NOT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, KNOWING HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING WITH A GROUP LIKE THIS, AND IT, IT JUST BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT.
AND I THINK BEING INFORMED, I, I THINK OUR PRIMARY ROLE OR PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO GATHER INFORMATION THAT WE CAN THEN USE TO AUTHORITATIVELY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND IT'S NOT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS, IT'S TO BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS AND TO ENCOURAGE JESSICA'S DEPARTMENT TO DO THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZE CERTAIN KINDS OF ACTIVITIES.
AND WITH THE, UH, STRATEGIC PLANNING INITIATIVE THAT'LL BE COMING UP THAT WAS FUNDED IN THE BUDGET BASED ON OUR RECOMMENDATION, UH, I, I THINK THERE'LL BE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO, TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THOSE STRATEGIC THINGS.
DO YOU WANNA GO? UM, WELL, SO IN THAT SPIRIT, I THINK THAT ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES AND HAS ALREADY BEEN ON OUR GOALS AND PROBABLY NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO BE THERE.
AND THAT IS COMMUNICATION TO SENIORS AND THIS WHOLE IDEA OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE, WHAT'S AVAILABLE AT THE LIBRARIES, WHAT THE PARTS IS DOING, AND JUST CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THAT AND WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH THE DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING DATA ABOUT IT.
BECAUSE WE, WE GET A LOT OF PRESENTATIONS, LIKE I SAID AT THE WORKSHOP WAS THE FIRST TIME I'D SEEN ANY KIND OF DATA FROM PARTS AND REC.
AND IF THEY CAN START GOING DOWN THAT AREA, THAT CAN HELP US SO MUCH IF THE SENIORS ARE THERE OR HOW WE CAN GET THEM TO BE IN OUR REP CENTERS MORE.
SO I WOULD JUST SAY ANYTHING RELATED TO DATA, DATA ANALYTICS THAT WE CAN GET MORE OF.
UM, AND THE SECOND PART OF THAT WOULD ALSO BE DATA FROM PEOPLE LIKE SENIOR SOURCE, THE DALLAS CENTER ON AGING.
I THINK IT'S WHAT IT'S CALLED, AGING.
BUT THE OTHER BIG FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO DEAL WITH SENIORS TO GET THEIR PERSPECTIVES IN ORDER TO ASSIST US IN, UM, MAKING SURE WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
KIND OF, NOT THAT THEY SHOULD BE SETTING OUR GOALS, BUT TO HELP US PRIORITIZE IT.
BUT I'M IN DISTRICT SIX AND UH, I WANNA APOLOGIZE FOR NOT GOING TO THE BARN, BUT WHEN I TALKED TO MY COMMISSIONER, HE TOLD ME WE WASN'T INVITED.
SO I HAD TO GO TO MADDEN NASH THEM AND TELL THE SENIORS THAT THEY WASN'T INVITED.
AND THAT'S WHAT MR. OMAR TOLD ME.
THE BOMB FACTOR TO YOUR, UH, BOMB FACTOR.
DECEMBER 2ND THING THAT WE WENT TO.
WE WAS NOT INVITED AND SO I HAD TO GO AND RELAY THAT MESSAGE TO THEM.
BUT IN MY DISTRICT, WE'VE BEEN FEEDING SENIORS, BUT UH, THAT DON'T HAVE FOOD AT HOME.
WE FEED THEM EVERY DAY AT THE MONTHLY PURPOSE CENTER.
AND WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE 20 OF THEM.
SOME OF THEM COME INTO THE MONTH PURPOSE CENTER, TO THE CENTER IN, IN DISTRICT SIX OVER THERE.
I'M AT AND HAVE COFFEE, LITTLE SNACK.
SO WHAT'S YOUR PRIORITY? MY PRIORITY IS SEEING ABOUT WHY WE NOT GETTING THERE.
I'M ALREADY ALREADY HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH MY CITY COUNCIL, BUT MY PRIORITY IS CAN WE DO MORE FOR OUR SENIORS? WE HAVE A LOT OF HOMELESS SENIORS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF SENIORS THAT'S NOT GETTING NOTHING TO EAT IN WEST DALLAS.
SO I FEEL LIKE IT GOES ALL AROUND THAT THEY, WE ARE TALKING, BUT WE AIN'T DOING NOTHING.
OUR COUNCILMAN THAT I'M A LITTLE UPSET WITH, HE'S NOT DOING NOTHING.
YOU KNOW, SATURDAY WE HAD, UH, AT OUR CENTER AT MADDY NASH, THE CHILDREN'S CAME AND HAD COFFEE WITH THE, AND THE SENIOR DID TOO, LIKE THE POLICE FRONT.
THEY GAVE ABOUT ALL OF THEM SWEATERS TO KEEP 'EM WARM.
THAT'S WHAT WE DO IN OUR AREA FOR OUR SENIORS.
BUT THAT'S THE POLICE FRONT THAT DOES ALL OF THIS.
BUT I KNOW Y'ALL, IT'S LIKE YOU SPOKE ABOUT 'EM.
[00:50:01]
TAKE CARE OF US.THEY TAKE CARE OF THEIR SENIORS, THEY TAKE CARE OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I'VE BEEN GOING IN WITH 'EM AND PASSING OUT SWEATERS AND THINGS IN WEST DALLAS, BUT I, LIKE I TOLD 'EM, I SAID, ALL SENIORS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS.
HE SAID, WE TRYING TO GET AROUND TO 'EM SO THEY WILL KNOW.
BUT IN WEST DALLAS, DISTRICT SIX, MR. NOMORE TOLD 'EM THEY WASN'T INVITED AND THEY COULDN'T AND THEY DIDN'T GO AND THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO I TRIED TO FIGURE IT OUT FROM HIM.
HE SAID, I'M NO LONGER IN THAT.
AND I WENT AND TOLD MATT AND ASH AND PL ALLEN WHAT WAS SAVED.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THERE, WE GOT A LOT OF HOMELESS SENIORS AT WEST DALLAS THAT, THAT, UH, THERE, THERE WAS A MEMO THAT WENT OUT FROM THE DISTRICT TO OFFICE TO EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL, SPECIFICALLY INVITING THEM AND ASKING THEM TO INVITE THEIR COMMISSIONER TO YEAH, JUST A COMMISSIONER.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, MY COUNCIL PERSON DID CALL ME AND LET ME KNOW ABOUT IT AND TOLD ME SHE WAS GONNA BE THERE.
BUT I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE THAT COMMUNICATION JUST BROKE DOWN AND NEVER GOT TO THIS GROUP.
AND SO MAYBE ONE OF THE THINGS WE SHOULD BE DOING IS TO, AS A COMMISSION, ASKED ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING FOR SENIORS TO INVITE ALL OF THE COMMISSION OR AT LEAST LET THE COMMISSION KNOW THAT IT'S GOING ON.
I MENTIONED BEFORE THAT, THAT OMAR AND UH, UH, DISTRICT TWO, DISTRICT SIX AND DISTRICT TWO USED TO DO THAT TOGETHER.
AND LIKE, UM, COUNCILMAN DAN, COMMISSIONER DANIELS JUST SAID, UM, THERE MUST HAVE BEEN, UM, A SEPARATION OF IDEAS OR WHATEVER.
BUT I REMEMBER THAT THEY USED TO DO IT TOGETHER BECAUSE I REMEMBER THEM BEING ON STAGE AND HANDING OUT, DO PRIZES AND STUFF.
BUT WE ALL DID GET AN INDIVIDUAL INVITATION.
AND MY COUNCILMAN'S OFFICE PERSONALLY ASKED ME HAD I, UM, REGISTERED AND I GOT A, A REGISTRATION LETTER FROM DISTRICT TWO OFFICE.
MY, UH, LOOKING AT THE KEY POINTS, EVERYBODY'S MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT I WAS THINKING, AND THEN WE'VE MENTIONED THIS, BUT UH, SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT A YEAR YEARLY OR SIX MONTHS CALENDAR.
UH, LIKE WE HAD SOMETHING DURING THE CHRISTMAS AND THEN SOMEONE ELSE HAD A BIG ONE, BUT IF WE KIND OF KNEW WHEN THE DATES WERE, WE COULD KIND OF COLLABORATE ON WHEN THINGS ARE.
IT'S POSSIBLE, ATTEND ALL OF THEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, BUT OUR, OUR CROSS.
EVEN DO TWO TOGETHER IF YOU CAN'T.
SO WE CAN KNOW WHAT EACH OTHER IS DOING.
UM, LIKE, BECAUSE EACH COUNCIL PERSON HAS FANTASTIC THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, BUT WE NEED TO KNOW KIND OF ADVANCE IF POSSIBLE FOR US TO WORK TOGETHER.
SO ALL OUR COMMISSIONERS WILL LET OUR PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND WE CAN SUPPORT EACH OTHER.
THEN ANOTHER, UH, MACAU GETS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE SEND THEM, BUT IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A, THERE MORE WORK FOR YOU GUYS? UH, A CENTRAL DROP LOCATION.
LIKE WE GET THIS INFORMATION, THEY SET UP FANTASTIC SPEAKERS, THEY GIVE US MATERIALS, BUT THEN HOW DO WE CENTRALLY COLLECTIVELY GET IT TO OUR PEOPLE? MM-HMM.
'CAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH, WE HAVE SUCH GOOD SPEAKERS THAT COME TO US AND THEN
BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WOULD BE DONE IF IT WAS A DROPBOX OR, SO EVERYBODY COULD GET IT.
UM, ONE MORE THING IT WOULD BE, UM, JUST AS WE WORK TOGETHER, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING EACH OTHER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
LIKE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PARK DEPARTMENT DOOR.
[00:55:02]
IF YOU HEAR ANYTHING, MAKE SURE SOMETIMES NOT WAIT TILL OUR MEETINGS, BUT MAYBE SEND IT OUT TO UM,BUT OUR SENIORS ARE MISSING OUT.
UH, AND OUR DIFFERENT DISTRICTS NOT KNOWING BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF THEY DON'T HAVE INTERNET THEN AND THEN SOME PEOPLE WANT INTERNET LIKE ME AND THE PAPER, UM, YOU KNOW, SO A COPY.
SO YOU CAN GIVE TO THE LADY, THE PERSON NEXT DOOR TO YOU THAT MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION.
AND I THINK AS COMMISSIONER, SINCE WE ARE JUST INFORMATION PIECES, JUST TO PROBABLY GET AS MUCH INFORMATION TO THE PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, THEN WE GET IT SOMETIME DOUBLE.
BUT THAT'S GOOD TO REMIND YOU.
SO THAT'S WHAT, WELL, ANYTHING I SAY IS GONNA BE A REPEAT SORT OF KIND OF, BUT ECHOING WHAT'S ALREADY BEING SAID AS WELL.
BUT COMMUNICATION IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE.
AND ONE OF MY CONCERNS OR TWO IS THE ASAP PROGRAM WITH THE PARKLAND RECREATION AND THIS, UM, PROGRAM HERE WITH THE SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
NOW I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE COLLABORATION WITH, UH, EACH ONE OF US IN OUR OWN DISTRICT.
I THINK WHAT YOU WAS ALLUDING TO MM-HMM.
LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON SOMETIME AT KEITH PARK AND, UM, MY
I CAN'T THINK OF THE NAME OF THE RECREATION CENTER.
BUT THE POINT I'M MAKING, THE PARTS OF RECREATION CENTER, THE ASAP PROGRAM, WE, UH, BE INVITED TO A LOT OF THINGS AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S PART OF THIS GROUP OR WE CAN INVITE YOU ALL TO COME OUT AND I DON'T KNOW WHO GETS INFORMATION NOW, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO JUST TELL DEBBIE THANK HER FOR ALWAYS INCLUDING ME HERE LATELY AND SOME OF THE EMAILS THAT SHE GET TO MAKE SURE THAT I KNOW SOME OF THE STUFF THAT HAS HAPPENED.
AND THEN I TRY TO, UH, MY BEST TO BE THERE.
AND THAT'S HOW I WAS ABLE TO GO TO SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES OR EITHER KNOWING ABOUT IT AND BEING ABLE TO GO.
BUT IT STARTS OUT WITH, UM, COMMISSIONER VARNER SAID COMMUNICATION, HOW DO WE COLLABORATE? BECAUSE I'VE NEVER BEEN TO ANYTHING OR IN INVITED TO SOMETHING.
MAYBE DISTRICT 11 HAD A DISTRICT, UH, UM, MAYBE NINE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND MAYBE YOU ALL HAVE NEVER BEEN INVITED TO WHAT I'M GONNA SAY THE FOUR OAK CLIFF AREA BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
SO HOW DO WE GET THAT ASAP PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE PARTS OF RECREATION? AND IF YOU HAVE A RECREATION IN YOUR CENTER, WHEN YOU ALL HAVE SOMETHING, THEN WE CAN PROBABLY TRY TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER MOSTLY JUST FOR SUPPORT AND TRY TO GET THE WORD OUT TO THE SENIORS.
SO THAT KIND OF SOMETHING WE CAN START TO TRY TO, IT JUST GOES BACK TO COMMUNICATION AND YOU TELL ONE PERSON, YOU TELL ONE PERSON, YOU TELL TWO PEOPLE.
AND THEN I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT, WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STRIKES ME IS THAT I DON'T, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY UNREALISTIC TO THINK THAT EVERY COMMISSIONER IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND, YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE NEAR OH YEAH.
BECAUSE I CAN'T KIND GO TO ALL OF THEM.
BUT, BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FALL DOWN ON IN MY OPINION IS WHEN, WHEN THERE'S A DISTRICT THAT'S DOING A GOOD JOB WITH THESE THINGS, ATTENDING THOSE TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN ANOTHER DISTRICT, RIGHT.
SO YOU CAN TAKE THAT BACK AND REPLICATE IT IN YOUR OWN DISTRICT IN SOME FORM OR FASHION IS, IS DEFINITELY WORTHWHILE.
UH, AND AND I ALSO THINK ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT STRIKES ME IS THAT, UH, DISTRICT 11 DID A PROGRAM THAT REALISTICALLY SHOULD IT HAVE INCLUDED THE DISTRICT'S ALL, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE HAVE THREE OR FOUR DISTRICTS WORKING TOGETHER TO DO THAT? WE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT THAT, PETER, THAT THAT DISTRICT 13, THE NEXT TIME WE DO IT, THEY WANNA DO IT IN THE SPRING.
THAT WE'RE ABSOLUTELY, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
WE ABSOLUTELY IN OUR EVALUATION, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT ACTUALLY, THAT DISTRICTS IN SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE YOU REFERENCED PHYLLIS, LIKE IF SOMETHING'S CLOSE TO YOU.
UM, WE ACTUALLY IN THE SPRING, THERE'LL BE MORE THAN ONE DISTRICT INVOLVED.
WELL, BEFORE I YIELD THE FLOOR, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I WAS INVITED.
SO A GRANDPARENTS, UH, I'M GONNA CALL IT A RETREAT.
DID ANYBODY GO TO THAT GRANDPARENTS DAY? NO, WE WERE DRESSED UP LIKE HEROES.
NO, I DON'T KNOW HOW I GOT INVITED OR HOW IT WAS A, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT IT WAS AT THE FAIR PARK.
I BELIEVE IN ONE OF THE BUILDINGS AND WHOEVER PUT IT ON COULD HAVE BEEN DO I THINK THEY HAD GAVE EVERYBODY A CAPE A LITTLE, UM,
[01:00:01]
AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS SO COOL.
I HAVE SOME PICTURES SOMEWHERE IN MY PHONE, BUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT PUBLICLY LET THE PEOPLE KNOW FOR ALL THE GRANDPARENTS THAT COME OUT, BECAUSE SO MANY GRANDPARENTS ARE TAKING CARE OF THE CHILDREN.
AND THEY WERE, UH, HAVING A GREAT DAY.
AND THAT WAS ONLY FOR, YOU KNOW, SENIORS AGAIN.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS WITH THE PARTIAL OF RECREATION WITH ASAP.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A SENIOR RESOURCE.
I JUST FOUND OUT AND WE MADE HIM ON MY OWN.
BUT YOU WERE THERE, RIGHT?
I SAID HOW DO, HOW DO WE KNOW ABOUT THAT? SO YOU ALL FAMILIAR? THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION? DO THE UNDER COMMISSIONS KNOW ABOUT US? WELL, YEAH.
ON THE DISTRICT LEVEL, LIKE OUR COUNCIL PERSON PUTS TOGETHER ALL THE COMMISSIONERS A COUPLE OF TIMES A YEAR.
SO WE DO KNOW WHO ONE ANOTHER ARE.
I'M TALKING BECAUSE IF THERE'S AN INITIATIVE THAT THE CITY'S WORKING ON AND IT AFFECTS EVERYBODY.
HOW DO WE KNOW AND HOW DO THEY KNOW? WELL, WE NEED TO GO GET SOMEBODY FROM THE SENIOR COMMISSION OPINION ON THIS BEFORE WE MAKE YOU NEED THEIR REPRESENTATION.
WELL IT'S KIND OF LIKE THIS HOUSING AND HOMELESS.
HOW DO, HOW, HOW IS THAT COMMUNICATED? IS THAT KNOWN? I JUST GOT A WHOLE PRINTOUT FROM MY COUNCIL.
BUT DOES THE CHAIRPERSON FROM THAT COMMISSION KNOW ABOUT THE SENIOR COMMISSION? WELL, I THINK IT COULD A WORKING CHAIRPERSON.
THAT'S YOUR COUNCIL PERSON'S JOB.
WELL, WELL IT WOULD BE THE CHAIR'S JOB.
WELL I, I THINK THAT THE, I THINK BEING AWARE OF IT, I THINK AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, IF THERE'S A TOPIC THAT YOU THINK CONCERNS SENIORS IN A BIG WAY YES.
YOU TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO KNOW WHO THE COMMISSIONER IS IN THE APPROPRIATE AREA, WHETHER IT'S HOMELESSNESS OR WHETHER IT'S HOUSING, OR WHETHER IT'S TRANSPORTATION OR WHATEVER.
THERE ARE THERE WHETHER 50 BOARD AND COMMISSIONS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT 'EM ALL.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S UNMANAGEABLE.
UNLESS YOU CHERRY PICK AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT TRANSPORTATION'S A PROBLEM.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD, YOU COULD MEET WITH YOUR DISTRICT'S REPRESENTATION IN THAT AREA AND, AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY HAVE GOING ON AND, AND FOR TO GIVE THEM INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK THE SENIOR NEEDS ARE.
AS WELL AS THE OTHER, I'M WANTING SOMEBODY, THEY'RE A PERSON THAT OPEN COMMISSION.
IS THERE SOMEBODY FROM THE CITY THAT DOES, THAT'S OVER ALL OF THEM.
I MEAN, AS FAR AS ADMINISTRATIVELY YES.
LIKE DID YOU DO YOUR ANNUAL REPORTS? DO WE HAVE ATTENDANCE RECORDS? DO SUCH DOCUMENTS EXIST, BUT NOBODY SINGULARLY MANAGES ALL THE, IT'S FROM THAT MANAGER GOT THAT INFORMATION TO SEND IT OUT TO.
UM, I WAS JUST TRYING TO SEE IF SOMEBODY IS OVER LIKE, YOU KNOW, IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE SUPERINTENDENTS OF ALL THE THIS AND THEN THEY HAVE PEOPLE WHO'VE MANAGE DIFFERENT THINGS ON.
SO ADMINISTRATIVELY, YES, BUT THE INFORMATION IS ALL ONLINE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
IF YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE, IT'S THERE.
UM, SO I MEAN IF YOU'RE ASKING TO SEND AN EMAIL, THEY'RE MEETING MINUTES ARE ALSO THERE.
AND ALL OF THAT INFORMATION IS ON THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS PAGE.
AND THEY ARE WORKING ON LIKE IMPROVING THAT, MAKING IT MORE CONSISTENT.
'CAUSE IT HADN'T ALWAYS BEEN CONSISTENT BECAUSE HAVING A MANAGER OVER THAT ADMINISTRATIVE WORK RELATED TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IS RELATIVELY RECENT.
I THINK LIKE ABOUT A YEAR, LIKE LAST YEAR MAYBE IS WHEN THAT STARTED.
UM, BUT EVERY BOARDING COMMISSION HAS A DIFFERENT LIAISON AND A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THE MANAGER REALLY FUNCTIONS MORE ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE BASELINE IS CHECKED, THAT THE MACKAY'S ARE TRAINED, THAT YOU KNOW THAT THE MINUTES ARE TURNED IN, THAT THE ATTENDANCE IS THERE, AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND DO THEY HAVE A LISTING AND DO THEY KEEP THEIR, MAINTAIN THEIR, UM, THEIR MEMBERSHIP, ET CETERA.
THE MEMBERSHIP ITSELF GOES THROUGH THE CITY SECRETARY OFFICE PROCESS WISE.
SO, UM, THERE'S NOT LIKE A SINGLE POINT THAT IS AN AUTHORITY OVER EACH
[01:05:01]
AND EVERY BOARDING COMMISSION IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY DO.I MEAN, I WOULD JUST, IT JUST MAKES SENSE TO ME TO, IF SOMEBODY WANTS IT TO WORK FOR ELICITLY, THERE WOULD BE SOMEONE THAT, OR A TEAM THAT WOULD, WHAT I UNDERSTAND, I GOT AND, AND I, MR. CHASE, I THINK THE ONLY THING, LIKE, LIKE HE WAS SAID, THAT COMES CLOSE TO THAT.
I'LL JUST GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
IN MY COMMUNITY, WE'VE ALWAYS, I GUESS I'VE LIVED OVER 40 SOMETHING YEARS.
AND WE TAKE CARE OF THOSE COMMUNITY CATS BECAUSE IT'S A WOODED AREA AND ALL THIS.
AND SO THEY TAKE CARE OF US, AND WE HAD SOME NEW NEIGHBORS TO MOVE IN, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY STARTED CALLING ANIMAL CONTROL TO PICK UP THE COMMUNITY CATS.
WELL, WE HAD TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE SHELTERS AND ALL THIS SO THEY UNDERSTOOD.
IF YOU GET THIS CALL, CHECK WITH US FIRST.
WELL, I COULDN'T GET ANYONE WITH THE SHELTER.
BUT I DID GO TO MY LIST OF COMMISSIONERS AND I SAW THE NAME OF THE COMMISSIONER THAT SERVES ON OUR DISTRICT FOR ANIMAL, FOR ANIMAL SERVICES, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND SO SHE WAS ABLE TO ASSIST ME, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT PETER WAS SAYING, THAT IN EACH OF MY DISTRICTS, WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE SERVING ON DIFFERENT COMMISSIONS AND WHATEVER OUR CONCERN IS, WE CAN REALLY KIND OF GO TO THEM AND, AND, AND SHARE WITH THEM WHAT OUR CONCERNS ARE.
AND HOPEFULLY THEY WILL CARRY THOSE TO THE LARGER COMMISSION.
THERE'S A MECHANISM TO PULL A REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS BY DISTRICT ONLINE.
UM, I, I MEAN WE COULD PULL THAT FOR Y'ALL AND SEND IT OUT, BUT IT IS A CONTINUALLY UPDATING FORM THAT I WOULD PROBABLY BE AT A DATE WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO.
IS THERE A DIRECT LINK THAT YOU COULD SEND OUT TO US TO GET US THROUGH WHATEVER THAT IS? YEAH, I THINK SO.
LET'S KEEP, I KNOW WE'RE REALLY RUNNING SHORT ON TIME.
MY THOUGHT ON THIS IS, I MEAN, I'VE SAT HERE WITH MY LIST.
I THINK THERE'S CERTAIN COMMISSIONS WOULD BE MOST INTERESTED IN COORDINATING WITH.
AND, AND, AND I DO FIND ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, I DO KNOW MY ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSIONER, BY THE WAY,
UM, I DO COMMUNICATE, UH, I JUST REALIZED THERE'S SOMEONE I NEED TO CONTACT.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, TO ME, THE, THE LIBRARY I WAS MY COUNCILMAN HAD AN EVENT THE OTHER NIGHT AND I SPENT MOST OF MY TIME TALKING TO OUR LIBRARY BOARD PERSON.
UH, I DO THINK IN TERMS OF SOME OF THESE THINGS, I WANNA GO BACK TO WHAT ONE OF YOU WAS SAYING ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION.
WE DID HAVE THE LADY FROM THE LIBRARY HERE, AND WE, I REMEMBER WE HAD THE NEW LADY FROM ASAP HERE.
AND COMMUNICATION I BROUGHT UP SPECIFICALLY, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN THE CHANGE IN THAT.
SO MAYBE WE NEED AS A, FOR GOLD TO PICK A COUPLE OF THESE AREAS.
I THINK PARTS AND RECS AND LIBRARIES, BECAUSE THE LIBRARY FOR THE FIRST TIME HAS ACTUAL FUNDING FOR SENIORS THROUGH THE LIBRARY.
I LEARNED THAT THE PREVIOUS FUNDING HAD COME FROM LIKE, THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY.
SO MAYBE WE NEED TO PICK A COUPLE OF THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS AND ASK FOR STRONGER AND WORK MORE TOGETHER.
NOW, I KNOW WE ARE HOPING TO SEE A NEW EMPLOYEE THAT ALSO WILL HELP WITH THIS, SO ALL OF THAT PLUGS IN TOGETHER.
BUT I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION IS IMPORTANT.
I REALLY DON'T WANNA HEAR FROM ALL THESE OTHER COMMISSIONS.
I THINK THAT WE'RE ALREADY OVERLOADED.
AND I DO NOT WANNA HEAR FROM, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SOME OF THE REINVESTMENT ZONE.
I CAN'T EXPLAIN THAT ONE TO YOU.
I DO WANNA GO BACK TO MY GOALS.
AND I DO THINK GOING BACK TO WHAT WE DID THIS YEAR AND STARTED, I THINK THE PREVIOUS YEAR, COLLECTING DATA IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.
AND PETER, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH FARTHER THAT IS GOING, BUT THAT WAS INVALUABLE.
NOW, UH, IN TERMS OF HOUSING, I, I KNOW WE DON'T WANNA GET OUT THERE DOING SERVICES TO THE HOMELESS, BUT HOUSING IS A HUGE ISSUE.
AND I CHAIR WHAT WE, WHEN WE HAD A HOUSING COMMITTEE, I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR HISTORY BECAUSE WE DID GET A LOT MORE MONEY AND MORE FOCUS ON SENIOR REPAIR HOUSING.
AND I THINK PE THE INFORMATION THAT 30% OF THE SENIORS OWN ARE, ARE HOMEOWNERS.
UH, AND OF COURSE, THEY ALL LIVE IN, NOT ALL OF MANY OF 'EM LIVE IN OLD HOUSES LIKE MINE, AND THEY NEED THE REPAIRS.
[01:10:01]
I'M PROUD OF WHAT WE DID THERE.AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING TO CONTINUE.
I DO, IF I DON'T SEE IT AT THE TIME, I GO BACK AND WATCH THE HOMELESS AND HOUSING COMMITTEE, THAT'S A FABULOUS COMMITTEE.
I TALKED TO THE COUNCILMAN MORENO ABOUT IT SOMETIMES.
UH, THIS LAST TIME, UH, MR. ERICKSON PRESENTED WHAT HE IS DOING TO REORGANIZE THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS. IT IT'S PHENOMENAL WHAT HE'S DOING.
I'VE FOLLOWED THIS PROGRAM SINCE THE EIGHTIES.
I'M JUST THRILLED WITH WHAT HE'S DOING.
MAKING IT SIMPLER, WORKING TO, IF YOUR HOUSE BURNS DOWN, YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR DATA, HELPING PEOPLE FIND THEIR DEEDS, WHATEVER.
UH, BUT I THINK COLLECTING THAT INFORMATION IS, UM, WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
I'M TRYING TO BE REAL QUICK HERE ON WHAT, WHAT ELSE? BUT, BUT I, I DO THINK IN TERMS OF BACK TO HOUSING, THERE IS THINGS, THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO.
THE OTHER THING, UH, THE PREVIOUS HOUSE HOUSING AND HOMELESS COMMITTEE, THERE WAS AN INCREDIBLE PRESENTATION ON RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
30% OF THE SENIORS IN DALLAS PAY MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR, THEIR INCOME FOR RENT.
THAT'S AGAIN, INVALUABLE INFORMATION.
I PLAN TO GO BACK AND STUDY ALL THAT MORE IN MY SPARE TIME.
IF ALL WE DO IS REPORT IT AND MAKE THE COMMUNITY MORE AWARE, I MEAN, THE MAYOR, I HEARD THIS, THIS THING THIS MORNING.
BUT THIS ISSUE WITH HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING AND HOUSING IN DALLAS, YOU KNOW, I THINK IS A THREAT.
YOU KNOW, I, I, I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO ALL OF THAT, BUT MIKE, YOU AND I CAN TALK SOME MORE.
AND SO I THINK US, LIKE YOU SAY, PETER, GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT THERE AND SHARING IT, UH, AND USING IT, WHEN WE GO TO DO, I DO THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE DO IS OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES.
AND SO WE CAN FOCUS USING IT WITH THAT.
OH, AND YOU NEED TO WEAR YOUR CAPE AND MASK, MS.
UM, I COMMUNICATION CLEARLY FELICE, THAT'S A, AN ISSUE FOR ALL OF US.
UM, UM, AND JUST LET ME RESPOND.
YOU CAN ASK YOUR COUNCIL PEOPLE, UH, TO HOST A A COMMISSIONER'S MEETING DURING THE YEAR SO EVERYBODY GETS TO KNOW WHO, YOU KNOW.
SO IF WE WANNA HAVE FURTHER COMMUNICATION, I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN DOING MOST OF 'EM DO THAT.
I, AND I THINK THAT'S HOW YOU LEARN WHO YOUR OTHER COMMISSIONS ARE.
UM, THE THING FOR ME IS A PRIORITY IS TO SORT OF DRILL DOWN A LITTLE MORE GENERAL ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN AGE-FRIENDLY CITY.
UM, WE'VE HAD, UH, UH, THE 2019 REPORT, YOU KNOW, COVID CLEARLY GOT IN THE WAY OF A LOT OF STUFF.
AND HOW DO, HOW DOES DALLAS BECOME AN AGE FRIENDLY MODEL CITY? WE CAN HAVE, BECAUSE WE ARE ADVISORY, WE CAN HAVE INPUT INTO THAT.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UM, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOOK.
ONE OF MY BIG THINGS IS, UM, UH, HOW DO YOU CREATE COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? HOW DO PEOPLE KNOW ONE ANOTHER? SO IF THEY NEED HELP IN A COMMUNITY, UM, THAT'S PART OF AN AGE FRIENDLY GOAL.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING EACH OF US REPRESENTS COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
HOW DO YOU ENABLE COMMUNITIES TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR PARKS AND REC KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I'VE PERSONALLY TAKEN IT ON TO GO FIGURE THAT OUT, RIGHT? UM, AND VISIT THEM AND FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN MY DISTRICT.
I MEAN, I'VE FOOLISHLY TAKEN THIS VERY RESPONSIBLY, RIGHT? SO, SO I, SO I HAVE DONE, I HAVE DONE THAT.
UM, BUT LIKE, WHY DON'T WE HAVE A, I MEAN, ONE OF MY GOALS IS TO SEE A SENIOR, AND I'VE ACTUALLY TALKED TO MY, UH, UH, A SENIOR PARK.
AND IF YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, GO ONLINE AND TAKE A LOOK AND THERE'S MONEY AVAILABLE FOR IT.
UM, UM, WHAT THAT DOES IS, AND EACH DISTRICT, THAT CREATES COMMUNITY BECAUSE YOUR SENIORS CAN COME OUT AND EXERCISE OUTSIDE, THEY'RE REALLY PRETTY AMAZING.
UM, UM, SO THERE ARE THINGS, AND WE, WE CAN'T FUND IT AS A GROUP, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR PARKS AND REC PEOPLE SAYING, THIS IS SOMETHING YOU GUYS HAVE, ARE YOU AWARE OF THIS? HAVE YOU PAID ATTENTION TO THIS? I MEAN, I STARTED THAT CONVERSATION A LITTLE WITH MIKE PARKS GUY.
BUT, UM, BUT SO, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT MEANS TO BE AGE FRIENDLY.
[01:15:01]
SO, UM, SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US AS A PRIORITY, REALLY TAKE THAT APART.WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY? AND IF I'M, MIGHT, RENEE, IF WE CAN ADD ON TO THAT, IS HOW DO WE BETTER UTILIZE OUR SENIORS TO BECOME AN AGE-FRIENDLY CITY? ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, BY, UM, HELPING KIDS AT A REC CENTER, AT BEING, YOU KNOW, AT THE LIBRARY TO BE SOMEBODY WHO YOU CAN TALK TO, YOU KNOW, ALL THE WAY YOU'RE, THAT TAKES CARE OF THE LONELINESS DURING THIS EVENT.
THE LONELINESS AND THE ISOLATION.
DURING THE SENIOR DAY WE DID, THERE WAS ONE MAN THAT WAS ACTUALLY FROM DISTRICT 13, BUT HE SAW IT.
SO HE CAME, WANTED TO COME, UH, TO THIS.
AND HE TOLD ME HE HAD JUST RETIRED.
AND HE THOUGHT, AS A CITY, WE DID.
IT WAS ONE MAN'S OPINION, RIGHT? AND HE BENT MY EAR FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
UM, UM, WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR RETIRED PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES? HOW ARE WE USING THEM? THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID.
HOW MANY TIMES ARE KIDS GOING INTO NURSING HOMES TO ING DO WHATEVER TALENTS THEY HAVE IN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR? I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU.
WHAT A FABULOUS WAY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE VI LOOK AT US, SITTING AROUND HERE.
LET, LET'S MOVE ON UNLESS YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING ELSE.
UH, CARMEN, DO YOU HAVE ANY, UH, SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS? DO YOU EVER I THINK SOMEBODY IS.
WE'RE GONNA GO ON, UH, WHO ELSE IS ON? LISA KELLY? LISA KELLY, WOULD YOU PLEASE GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS? UH, JUST A SECOND.
I HAVE A TECH THAT'S ABOUT TO LOG IN.
I'M TRYING TO TELL HIM NOT TO
UM, TRYING TO GET MY CAMERA FIXED.
SOMEBODY'S TRYING TO LOG IN TO TALK TO HER.
SHE'S GONNA TRY TO GET THAT HANDLED SO SHE CAN BE ON SCREEN THERE.
HE'S TRYING TO FIX MY COMPUTER.
THE ONLY THING THAT I HAVE IS WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS SAID IS COMMUNICATION.
I KIND OF FEEL LIKE I'M IN AN INFORMATION DESERT HERE IN MY DISTRICT.
I DON'T, YOU KNOW, REALLY HEAR THAT MUCH FROM MY COUNCIL PERSON.
AND WHEN I DO TRY TO REACH OUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IT SEEMS RATHER ROBOTIC, YOU KNOW, PRERECORDED MESSAGE.
THEN, YOU KNOW, NOTHING HAPPENS.
AND THEN ANOTHER THING IS, LIKE FROM MY PARTICULAR AREA, BECAUSE THE ONE ANSWER I DO GET IS DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE PEOPLE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE.
THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.
BUT MY NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, THIS PART OF DISTRICT NINE IS HE IS A HEAVILY HISPANIC AREA.
HOW DO WE REACH OUT TO THE HISPANIC ELDERLY IN THIS PART OF TOWN? LISA, WHAT ARE YOUR BOUNDARIES? DESCRIBE FOR ME WHERE NINE IS.
I HAVEN'T QUITE FIGURED THAT OUT YET.
WE'RE OVER IN PART OF, UM, OH, I CAN'T WHAT THEY CALL THAT TOWN.
HILLS NEAR THE EAST OF THE LAKE.
EAST OF LIGHT EAST, EAST OF WHITE ROCK LAKE, NORTHEAST DALLAS, EAST OF WHITE ROCK LAKE.
RIGHT? THAT'S OF WHITE ROCK LAKE.
A LITTLE BIT OF THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO, BUT IT'S MOSTLY LIKE THAT.
[01:20:01]
CARMEN, DID YOU EVER, UH, CONNECT HERE? KYLE IS SHAKING HIS HEAD.DEBBIE, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO ADD? I HADN'T GIVEN YOU, UH, ANY IDEAS OF WHAT I WANTED US TO GO OVER.
SO I, I ASSUME YOU WERE JUST NOW GETTING TO ME I THOUGHTS ON SOME OTHER ONES.
SO I, I WANTED YOU TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL US WHAT YOU WERE THINKING.
I WAS THINKING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON, UM, CITY ORDINANCES AND WHATEVER THE GOVERNED SENIORS, UM, STATE LAWS, LEGISLATION ACTS, AND, UH, FEDERAL LAWS, LEGISLATIONS, ACTS THAT GOVERN SENIORS.
UM, I GET, UH, EMAILS FROM, UM, AAA AND FROM THE NORTH TEXAS SOMETHING, SOMETHING.
IT'S, IT'S IN INITIALS, BUT I, I WATCH THEIR WEBINARS.
I GET AN, UH, THE INVITATIONS AND THE EMAILS FROM THEM TO REGISTER FOR WEBINARS.
THERE'S TONS OF INFORMATION ON WHEELS, ESTATE PLANNING, UH, HOW TO HANDLE, UH, FAMILY MEMBERS WITH DEMENTIA, RESIDENT RIGHTS, ALL KINDS OF WONDERFUL INFORMATION FOR SENIORS.
AND I DO PARTICIPATE IN MEETING THEM ON ZOOM.
BUT I, AND I GET A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT FROM THOSE WEBINARS.
BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE HAD MORE OF THAT COMING INTERNALLY TO US, AND THAT WE HAD MORE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION, UH, FIRSTHAND.
ALL OF US DID, BECAUSE WE ALL REALLY NEEDED NOT JUST FOR, FOR THE COMMUNITY AND OURSELVES.
SO, UM, WE USED TO INTERACT WITH A, WITH LINDA ENDER AT THE SENIOR SOURCE, AND WE WOULD ATTEND, UH, REGULAR SESSIONS WITH HER AT THE SENIOR SOURCE.
AND SHE RAN A GROUP LIKE THAT.
BUT, UH, WHEN SHE RETIRED, I THINK I MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, THAT, UH, THAT GROUP WAS, UH, TAKEN OVER BY SOMEBODY WHO IS NOT IN-HOUSE.
I'M NOT SURE IF THERE IS SOMEBODY OVER THERE NOW, BECAUSE I STOPPED ASKING AFTER A YEAR OR SO.
BUT LINDA ENDER WAS, UH, OUR, OUR GO-TO PERSON FOR THAT WHEN SHE WAS AT THE SENIOR SOURCE.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE IS A, UM, SOMETHING CALLED SILVER HAIR LEGISLATURES.
I TALKED TO SOMEBODY ABOUT THAT THIS WEEKEND.
I WAS OVER AT THE SOCIETY OF ST.
VINCENT DEPAUL THIS WEEKEND WITH DR. HILL, AND I MET ONE OF HER STAFF AND SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THAT.
SO I SAID I WAS GONNA LOOK INTO THAT.
BUT THAT'S MY THING, GETTING MORE INFORMATION ON FEDERAL AND, AND, AND STATE AND SOME CITY THINGS, BUT MOSTLY FEDERAL AND STATE.
WE REALLY NEED TO BE MORE AWARE WHERE, SO I, I, I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN OUR AND THE SENIOR SOURCE AND AAA AND SOME OF THE OTHERS.
THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A MECHANISM NOW FOR THAT TO GET FUNNELS TO US, I DON'T THINK.
NO, I MEAN, TO EDUCATE OURSELVES, PETER, WE NEED TO BE EDUCATED OURSELVES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE, ARE APPROACHED BY PEOPLE WHO ASK SOME QUESTIONS, BUT I AM, I GET CALLS AND WHATEVER, AND EVEN FROM OUR, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND JUST TO KNOW FOR YOURSELF AND IF YOU'RE ASKED BY SOMEBODY ELSE BECAUSE, JUST BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE ARE SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSIONERS, I THINK SOME PEOPLE JUST EXPECT US TO KNOW.
AND IT WOULDN'T HURT YOU TO KNOW.
I WILL INCORPORATE, I'VE TAKEN, I TAKE GOOD NOTES ON ALL OF THIS, AND I WILL INCORPORATE THAT INTO SOME, I WANTED TO GO OVER SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I HAD ON MY LIST, UH, JUST TO GET PEOPLE'S REACTIONS.
I MEAN, ONE THING THAT I THINK SOMEBODY ELSE MENTIONED, WE NEED TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING MORE AND MORE DATA, UH, ABOUT SENIORS AND, AND UPDATING IT AS SOON AS NEW CENSUS INFORMATION IS OUT, GETTING THAT INCORPORATED INTO THE, UH, INFORMATION WE'VE GOT.
I'D LIKE TO SEE, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO OURSELVES, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE AN INITIATIVE LAUNCH TO GET TOGETHER WITH AAA AND OUR, AND ALL THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
AND I, I'D, I'D LIKE TO SEE AN ANNUAL OR BIANNUAL STATE OF THE DALLAS SENIOR
[01:25:01]
CITIZENS REPORT, UH, CREATED.SO ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT CHILDREN'S DOES FOR, UH, THE A BC REPORT THAT THEY PRODUCE EVERY TWO YEARS FOR CHILDREN, HAVING SOMETHING THAT IS NOT JUST US, BUT IT'S, IT'S ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.
AND I, I'D LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING IN OUR GOALS FOR THE YEAR TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE MEETING THAT WHERE WE GET THE, THE HEADS OF ALL OF THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, OR MOST OF MANY WAY TOGETHER IN ONE ROOM TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR WORLDS AND SEE, SEE IF WE CAN'T DEVELOP MORE INFORMATION, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY PRODUCTIVE.
UH, I THINK, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT NOBODY MENTIONED HERE, BUT I KNOW SEVERAL OF, SOME OF THE AREAS HAVE DONE THEM, BUT I THINK EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT OUGHT TO HAVE A LISTENING SESSION WITH SENIORS.
AND ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I'VE GOT IS WE ONLY TOUCH, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE CITY, VARIOUS PROGRAMS WE HAVE, WE ONLY TOUCH MAYBE FIVE TO 10% OF THE SENIORS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
AND WE KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT 30% OF THE SENIORS LIVING IN POVERTY AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT MORE NEEDS THAN, THAN WE'RE SERVING.
AND I, I THINK IN DOING THE LISTENING SESSIONS, TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOME CREATIVE WAYS TO GO BEYOND THE PEOPLE WHO ALREADY PARTICIPATE IN THE CONGREGATE FEEDING AND THE VARIOUS, WE, WE SHOULD HAVE A LISTENING SESSION THAT GOES BEYOND THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE ALREADY LISTENING TO.
UH, AND, AND I THINK MAYBE IN LISTENING SOME OF THE, UM, THE RELIGIOUS GROUPS OR THE CHURCHES AND SYNAGOGUES AND ALL OF THAT, TO, TO REACH OUT TO THEIR SENIOR GROUPS AND GET THEM INCLUDED IN SOME OF THOSE LISTENING SESSIONS AT A DISTRICT LEVEL WOULD BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I ALREADY KIND OF MENTIONED THAT THE IDEA OF CREATING A SENIOR SUMMIT WITH ALL OF THE OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THAT WOULD JUST BE INFORMATIONAL FOR EVERYBODY, AND WE COULD PRESENT THE DATA THAT WE'VE COLLECT, THAT THEY COULD PRESENT WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON.
DNA GOT AHOLD OF ME RECENTLY AND WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY WAY WE COULD HELP THEM, UH, DEVELOP OUR KIND OF STATISTICS FOR THE WHOLE COUNTY, BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE SERVING THE WHOLE COUNTY.
AND I, SO I THINK WE, WE WIND UP WITH, UH, A LOT MORE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON COLLECTIVELY.
UM, THE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S GONNA BE COMING UP IS, UH, THE BUDGET HAD MONEY FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR RIGHT.
THAT, AND, AND WE NEED TO BE MONITORING WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THAT, WITH, WITH THAT AS PART OF IT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, SOME OF THE DATA THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE SHOULD BE PART OF THE HOMEWORK FOR THAT PROJECT.
AND, AND WE NEED TO DEVELOP THAT.
UH, I THINK WE NEED TO BE MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EXPANDED SENIOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE MONEY'S BEEN MADE AVAILABLE, BUT ACTUALLY GETTING IT SPENT HAS BEEN PART OF THE PROBLEM IN THE PAST.
AND WE NEED, WE NEED TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT.
MR. ERICKSON DOES REPORT ON THAT.
BUT IT, BUT IT'S, BUT WE NEED, YES, BUT I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THE $2 MILLION IS ACTUALLY GONNA GET SPENT.
UM, YEAH, THEY'RE MOVING ALONG ALONG THE, UH, THEY ALSO PRESENT TO THIS COMMITTEE AT LEAST QUARTERLY.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I'VE HAD ON MY MIND IS, AGAIN, IT WOULD NOT BE MANDATORY REQUIRED OF COMMISSIONERS, BUT I THINK WE'D BE VERY PRODUCTIVE TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO, MAYBE MORE FIELD TRIPS THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE DON'T HAVE A BUDGET FOR A BUS, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO CARPOOL TO, TO DO THESE THINGS.
BUT ONE OF 'EM THAT I THINK WOULD BE VERY PRODUCTIVE, AND I ACTUALLY RAN INTO PETER BRODSKY, UH, AT A CHRISTMAS PARTY AND TALKED TO HIM ABOUT IT AND REDBIRD THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AT REDBIRD, REALLY AMAZING.
AND HE PERSONALLY WOULD, WOULD, UH, DO A TOUR FOR US AND GIVE US A PRESENTATION OF WHAT'S HAPPENING DOWN THERE.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE ONE YES.
THE WELL MAN WAS IN THE RED BIRD AREA.
WELL, IT'S ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE MALL, BUT JUST TO BE WITH PETER, BUT JUST SEE FROM THE THOUGHT PROCESS, JUST FROM THE BEGINNING OF NOTHING.
[01:30:01]
RIGHT.AND TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING, UH, IT HAS HAPPENED, CONTINUES TO HAPPEN.
IT WOULD BE VERY USEFUL, I THINK, FOR EVERYBODY AND, UH, TO SEE US GO ON A FIELD TRIP TO ALL, I'M SORRY.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US GO ON A FIELD TRIP TO ALL OF THE DISTRICTS.
WELL, THAT WOULD BE, I DUNNO WHERE SOME OF THESE DISTRICTS ARE.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, COMMISSIONER, UM, MITCHELL, UM, I WAS LISTENING TO, UM, ONE OF THE COMMISSIONS EARLIER, AND THERE USED TO BE SOMETHING THAT WAS HELD IN THE LAKE HIGHLAND AREA, AND I THINK IT WAS DISTRICT 11 AND 12 ARE EITHER 12 AND 13 JERRY'S DISTRICT.
AND THE ONE NEXT TO HERS, THEY USED TO INVITE ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO COME TO THEIR, UH, CHRISTMAS EVENTS AND SOMETHING THEY HAVE IN THE SPRING.
AND IT WAS JUST OPEN TO EVERYBODY, AND IT WAS REALLY, REALLY NICE.
WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE DISTRICT TOGETHER AND DO THAT.
AND, AND CAROL AND, AND AND MAYOR PROM ARNOLD, BECAUSE SHE'S REALLY INVOLVED.
THAT WOULD BE FOUR, THREE AND, AND, UH, EIGHT.
WELL, ANYWAY, I, I THINK THE CONCEPT SEEMS TO HAVE ACCEPTANCES A GOOD IDEA.
UH, I, I THINK SOME OF THE GET A BUS FROM DART, SO, WE'LL, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER WE WILL, I, I WANNA INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE GOAL AND, AND THE PRIORITIES FOR THE YEAR.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO THE RESEARCH, BUT AGAIN, IT KIND OF RELATES BACK TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
I THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO HAVE SOME RESEARCH REGARDING WHAT ARE OTHER CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY DOING FOR SENIORS THAT WE COULD COPY OR, YOU KNOW, JUST UNDERSTANDING IF YOU WANNA DO, I MEAN, I READ THE MINUTES, YOU TALKED ABOUT MAYBE NOT DOING COMMITTEES, BUT WHY DON'T YOU USE US? THIS IS A ROOM OF REALLY SMART PEOPLE.
UM, I MEAN, INSTEAD OF COMMITTEES, I, I WANT TO TRY TO COME UP WITH TOPICS THAT WE NEED MORE INFORMATION ON AND THEN ASK FOR VOLUNTEERS AMONG THE COMMISSIONERS TO BE THE INFORMATION, INFORMATION GURU FOR THAT TOPIC, AND TAKE IT UPON THEMSELVES TO GO MEET WITH PEOPLE AND TALK TO 'EM, UH, LIKE KAREN IS ON HOW EXACTLY WE GOT THAT.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK, AND I'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATION WITH JESSICA AND OTHERS, BUT YOU KNOW, I, I KEEP HEARING ABOUT ALL THE VACANCIES AT CITY HALL AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE VACANT POSITIONS THAT ARE AUTHORIZED AND, AND BUDGETED.
AND THEN I LOOK AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE SENIOR POPULATION.
AND A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE VERY FOCUSED ON PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ANY SKILLS AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
HOW DO WE TEACH 'EM HOW TO DRIVE A FORKLIFT OR THAT TYPE OF THING IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.
I THINK THERE'S AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF SENIORS WHO HAVE A COLLEGE EDUCATION WHO, UH, HAVE HAD RESPONSIBLE JOBS AND THEY RETIRED EITHER VOLUNTARILY OR INVOLUNTARILY TOO SOON.
AND WITH WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE ECONOMY, THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO BE RETIRED ANYMORE.
AND THE IDEA OF TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOME WAY TO MATCH OPEN POSITIONS AT THE CITY AND BEYOND, POTENTIALLY WITH PEOPLE WHO COULD DO THOSE JOBS OR SPLIT THE JOB IN HALF AND DO TWO, TWO PART-TIME JOBS.
I THINK IT'S AN INTRIGUING IDEA THAT, THAT WE OUGHT TO BE AT LEAST EXPLORING.
I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
UM, I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO DO A LITTLE BETTER JOB OF REVIEWING THE IMPACT AND EFFECTIVENESS OF EXISTING CITY FUNDED PROGRAMS. UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IN SEVERAL OF 'EM WE DO HAVE THAT.
BUT YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE SPENDING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR TO DO SOMETHING THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT WOULD REQUIRE A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR, SHOULD WE EVEN BE DOING THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH ON, ON SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS? AND ULTIMATELY TRY TO GET A BETTER HANDLE ON WHAT THE, WHAT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS ARE, AND THEN FIGURING OUT APPROACHES FOR HOW CAN WE ATTACK THOSE MOST SIGNIFICANT ISSUES AND REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES.
THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M THINKING.
I THINK ONE OF THE WAYS TO DO THAT IS TO TAKE THE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA WE'VE GOT AND THEN BORE DOWN TO THE CENSUS TRACK LEVEL.
AND IF WE'VE GOT 30,000 PEOPLE IN THE CITY WHO WE KNOW ARE IN NEED, REALLY GET MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GRIDS OF FLIGHT POLICE
[01:35:01]
DEPARTMENT DID, WHERE ARE THE BIGGEST CONCENTRATIONS OF THOSE PEOPLE WHERE WE COULD TRY TO INITIATE SOMETHING WHERE WE MIGHT REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND MOVE THE, THE NEEDLE RATHER THAN JUST SUPERFICIALLY DOING THINGS.AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE THAT I THINK WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO JESSICA FILLING THE AGE FRIENDLY DALLAS MANAGER POSITION, UH, AND, AND HAVING MORE INSIGHTS INTO HOW TO WE, HOW WE APPROACH THAT, THAT THAT WAS, THOSE WERE THE PRIMARY.
IS THAT ALL
SHE, BUT, SO I'M GONNA TRY TO, TO WRAP ALL THIS STUFF TOGETHER AND INCORPORATE IT INTO THE DRAFT REPORT FOR NEXT YEAR'S GOALS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE HAD AS GOAL LAST YEAR THAT DID NOT HAPPEN, DID NOT GET ACCOMPLISHED, WAS TO TRY TO COME UP WITH SOME SPECIFIC IDEAS.
PORSCHE'S NOT ON IN, IN THE MEETING, BUT, YOU KNOW, PORSCHE'S BEEN VERY VOCAL ABOUT THE, THE, THE GAY COMMUNITY AND, AND WHAT WE CAN, WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING DIFFERENTLY OR BETTER.
BUT I THINK THAT IT'S ONE THING TO SAY THERE'S A BIG PROBLEM AND IT'S ANOTHER THING TO SAY, HERE'S WHAT WE OUGHT TO DO ABOUT IT.
AND WE, WE NEED, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE WE SET UP AS, AS AN AREA FOR ONE OR TWO PEOPLE TO WORK ON, TO TRY TO COME UP WITH SOME ACTUAL SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW WE MIGHT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS IN THE FIELD TRIPS THAT I HAD ON MY LIST IS TO LOOK AT THAT ISSUE SPECIFICALLY AND, AND SEE WHAT THE RESOURCE CENTER'S DOING AND THAT TYPE OF THING, I THINK WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL.
I KEEP THINKING THAT WHOEVER IS BEHIND THAT, THE SENIOR PLACE, THE NEW HOUSING THAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW, YES.
WHERE DID THOSE PEOPLE GET THEIR INFOR THEIR DATA? I, I THINK THAT'S KEY THING AND THAT'S A GOOD PLACE.
SO THOSE, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WERE ON MY LIST.
AND I MAY THINK OF SOMETHING ELSE BEFORE I GET FINISHED WRITING, BUT, UH, HOPEFULLY IS THERE ANYTHING THAT I BROUGHT UP THAT PEOPLE DISAGREE WITH? THERE WAS ONE THING I, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY BROUGHT THIS UP, WAS MENTAL HEALTH PRESSURE.
WELL, THAT, THAT TRIGGERS SOMETHING IN MY MIND.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS READING RECENTLY WHERE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT A CITY BUDGET AND YOU HAD A COUPLE OF COUNCIL PEOPLE AND THE MAYOR ARGUING THAT WE NEEDED TO CUT THE BUDGET AND DO THESE THINGS.
SO THE THINGS THAT SEEM TO BE DISPOSABLE ARE THINGS LIKE LIBRARIES AND, AND
THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY CITY OPERATED SENIOR CITIES CENTERS.
THE, THE DEFAULT, WHICH I THINK THE SENIOR COMMUNITY HAS TAKEN IS THE REC CENTERS AND THE LIBRARIES HAVE BECOME THE DEFACTO SENIOR CENTERS AND THEY GET THEIR BUDGET SQUEEZED AND THEY DON'T GET A BUDGET FOR A REALLY INTENSIVE SENIOR PROGRAM.
AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE, WE NEED TO BE LOUDER ABOUT FOCUSING ON HOW TO MAKE THE EXISTING LIBRARY AND PARK SYSTEM, UH, MORE SENIOR FRIENDLY AND DO A MORE COMPREHENSIVE JOB OF THAT BOTH IN PROGRAMMATICALLY AND PHYSICAL SPACE.
SO KAREN AND I HAVE BEEN SORT OF DOING SOME RESEARCH ON WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE PART OF PARKS OF REC? BECAUSE, BECAUSE I WAS ON A LEARNING CURVE AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT HERE, RATHER THAN ADDING MORE BRICKS AND MORTAR.
SO I'VE BEEN VISITING OTHER CITY, UM, SENIOR CENTERS, UM, AND HAVE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE TWO CITY ONES THAT, UH, THAT ARE REC CENTERS AND, AND MY DISTRICT, UM, AND THEN, UM, TO TRY TO SEE WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES.
SO KAREN AND I HAVE JUST BEEN SORT OF POKING AROUND.
I ACTUALLY SPOKE TO ARTS AND REC WHO SAID, WHY DIDN'T I RAISE THIS EARLIER SO IT COULD BE ON THE BOND PROGRAM.
WELL, IT'S TOO LATE NOW, RIGHT.
UM, BUT, BUT I THINK I SPOKE TO THE NEW, THERE IS JESSICA, THE, THERE IS A NEW DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND REC.
THE LINDSAY IS OVER IN THE, A PROGRAM THAT THAT'S A NEW, THE ONLY NEW PHYSICIAN STAFF THERE RELEVANT.
SO SHE, WELL NO, THIS WAS SOMEONE ELSE AT PARKS AND REC AND I HAVE HER CARD SOMEWHERE WHO SAID TO ME, WE'RE SORT OF GET, I HAD A WHOLE CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS AND SHE SAID, I'M SORT OF, UM, GETTING INTO THAT, PARTICULARLY THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE.
UM, SO IF YOU WERE THE RICHES SENIOR, WAS IT CRYSTAL ROSS? EXCUSE ME.
WAS IT CRYSTAL ROSS? I, MAYBE, MAYBE, MAYBE, MAYBE
[01:40:01]
IT WAS CRYSTAL.I I HAVE HER CARD, BUT SHE, BUT IF YOU GO, YOU'LL SEE TWO PEOPLE THERE, LIKE WORKING ON A PUZZLE.
UM, SO I REALLY HAVE BEEN SORT OF POKING THEM A LITTLE BIT, UM, OR HAVING SITTING DOWN AND WHERE THERE'S DEDICATED SPACE FOR THEM TO COME IN PARTICULARLY, PARTICULARLY THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE.
I'VE BEEN VERY STRUCK BY WATCHING THAT.
UM, SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT ON.
WE NEED TO BEGIN TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
THEY'VE DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB OF, AND IT'S KIND OF COMBINES KIDS AND SENIORS, NOT NECESSARILY AT THE SAME TIME, BUT SPACE-WISE AND PROGRAMMING AND LIKE, THEY HAVE A WHOLE IT ROOM.
I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH THE DIRECTOR AT ETES SA PARK THAT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A GYM, BUT HOPEFULLY WITH THE BOND.
AND THAT'S THE BIG PUSH WITH THE BOND ISSUE WITH THEM.
SO THEY CAN DO MORE SENIOR PROGRAMMING AT THE, AT THAT REC CENTER.
SO FRED'S REC, WHICH IS OLD, DOES NOT HAVE, UH, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT, THEY DO HAVE ACTIVE SENIORS PLAYING PICKLEBALL.
THAT'S THEIR
SO WHO HAS SPACE PARENTS, WHICH HAMILTON PARK HAS SPACE FOR SENIORS.
THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE A DEDICATED AREA.
THAT, SO THAT THAT WHAT, THAT'S KIND WHAT GOES ON.
THEY SHOWED AN EXAMPLE, BUT I THINK THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET NEW FACILITY.
WE'RE NOT GONNA GET ANYWHERE BUT SAYING THAT WE NEED TO HAVE I AGREE.
SO I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON IS HOW CAN WE MAKE THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE EXACTLY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE IS TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF FUNDING FOR SENIOR PROGRAMS. EXACTLY.
THE LIBRARY'S GOT A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY THIS PAST YEAR, BUT IT'S PROBABLY A FRACTION.
WELL, IS THERE BIG DEAL FINDING PICKLE DOESN'T, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S PARTICIPATION TODAY AND ALL OF US.
I TRY TO SEE WHO INCORPORATE INTO MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
I SECOND THAT MOTION
NO, DEBBIE AUSTIN MAY BE RIGHT.