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CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.[Veteran Affairs Commission on December 14, 2023.]
MISTA, UM, WE HAVE QUORUM.SO WE'RE GONNA START THE, UH, VETERANS AFFAIRS, UH, REGULAR MEETING FOR THURSDAY, DECEMBER THE 14TH.
AND, UH, AT 12:00 PM OR, WELL, WE'RE STARTING AT 1204.
AND THE AGENDA FOR THE DATE, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE'LL START WITH A PLEDGE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, UNDER INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
UM, I'M GONNA TAKE A ROLL CALL.
I KNOW WE JUST DID THE SAME THING, BUT, UH, I DIDN'T FILL OUT THE, THE LITTLE PAPERWORK.
SO COMMISSIONER EI HAVE YOU PRESENT.
PARDON? PRESENT? OH, COMMISSIONER JUAN RIO.
COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL PRESENT.
OR COMMISSIONER SMITH ON VIRTUAL.
AND THERE SHOULD BE A RAY SMITH.
WE GOT THE, UM, AGENDA, I MEAN, OR THE ATTENDANCE SET.
SO TODAY'S, UH, TODAY'S MEETING WAS BASICALLY SUPPOSED TO, UH, BE A REVIEW OR, OR, UM, A WORKSHOP ON THE REPORT THAT WE'RE GONNA SUBMIT IN, IN, UH, FEBRUARY.
EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE HAD ALREADY THEIR COPY OR, UM, I THINK WE HAVE A QUESTION.
POINT OF ORDER, SISTER, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FIRST.
SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, GO BACK AND WE'RE GOING TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR OCTOBER'S MEETING OCTOBER THE 12TH, 2023.
AND IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THAT, WE'LL GIVE YOU A FEW MINUTES.
IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY, UM, AMENDMENTS OR DISCUSSION, UM, PLEASE SPEAK UP.
FIRST OF ALL, DOES EVERYBODY HAVE A COPY OF THE, OF THE OCTOBER MINUTES? HAS EVERYONE REVIEWED THAT? OKAY.
COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A, MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES AS GIVEN.
AND SECOND, COMMISSIONER WALKER, I SET AMENDMENT MOTION.
WE'RE GONNA ACCEPT THE MINUTES AS THEY ARE.
SO NOW WE'RE GONNA START THE IMAGE, UM, AGAIN TODAY.
UH, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, UH, SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF REVIEWING THE REPORT FOR, FOR FEBRUARY.
UM, AND, AND, UH, THE OPINIONS OR, OR SUGGESTIONS TO EITHER UPGRADE, CHANGE, ADD, TAKE OFF, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO, UH, TO GET THIS PASSED OR,
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OR AT LEAST SUBMITTED BY FEBRUARY.SO, DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, ANY, ANYTHING THAT, UH, SOMEBODY WOULD LIKE TO, UH, DISCUSS AS WE GO? I'M GONNA GET MY COPY ONE, SO I, I DON'T HAVE THE, UH, I DON'T HAVE THE ACTUAL, UM, ANNUAL REPORT PRINTED.
IS THIS YOURS? DID YOU BRING THIS FROM EARLIER? OKAY.
I HAVE THE, UH, THE SOFT COPY.
SO THOSE OF YOU WHO, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING SUBMITTED YOUR FEEDBACK.
WE DID THE BEST THAT WE COULD TO INCORPORATE IT AND IT SHOULD BE REFLECTED IN THE REPORT, EXCUSE ME, AS IT AS IT'S SEEN.
HOWEVER, AS WE DO GO THROUGH IT, UM, WE, WE ARE STILL SEEKING YOUR FEEDBACK ON ANYTHING OF WHAT'S THERE.
JUST SO THAT, THIS WAY, HOPEFULLY BEFORE WE FINISH TODAY, THAT WE'LL HAVE AS COMPLETE AND THOROUGH, UM, A DOCUMENT THAT WE WILL BE GOOD WITH.
SO THAT IDEALLY I'LL MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS AND THEN SEND THEM OUT ONE MORE TIME BEFORE OUR JANUARY MEETING, WHICH WILL THEN HAVE TO VOTE ON THEM TO ACCEPT THE ANNUAL REPORT AS IT IS.
BUT TODAY WE ARE STILL STILL OPENING UP THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYTHING, THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU HAVE.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND SCROLL.
SO, UH, YOU CAN RESUME, UH, COMMISSIONER MISTA, THIS, COMMISSIONER MISTA.
UM, THAT'S ITEM NUMBER FOUR, THE STAFF REPORTS AND BRIEFING.
SO WE'RE MOVING ON TO, UM, NUMBER FIVE, ITEM FIVE ON THE AGENDA.
AND THAT'S DISCARD, UH, DISCUSSING REGARDING THE TIMELINE FOR THE ANNUAL REPORT AND ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE REPORT.
UM, WE CAN START, I GUESS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE LAST YEAR'S REPORT AND GO ITEM BY ITEM.
AND THIS IS ANOTHER SUGGESTION OR WAY OF GOING THROUGH THIS.
SO IF I MAY, JUST TO, TO CLARIFY, I HAD INITIALLY SENT OUT AT FIRST, UH, 'CAUSE WE DID HAVE I THINK A COUPLE OF, UH, NEW COMMISSIONERS.
I SENT OUT 2020 TWOS JUST SO THAT THERE WAS PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT THE REPORT LOOKS LIKE, WHAT WAS IN IT.
AND THEN, UM, I SENT OUT AFTER THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AND STUFF, MAYBE ABOUT A WEEK OR SO AGO, THE ACTUAL 20 23 1 WITH YOUR FEEDBACK PUT IN IT.
SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT'S ON THE ACTUAL SCREENS.
THIS IS THE MOST UP-TO-DATE, 2020 THREES REPORT.
AND SO THIS IS THE ONE THAT I'M HOPING WE CAN, UH, ALL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT AND PROVIDE THE FEEDBACK SO THAT IT'LL BE COMPLETE.
UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, MR. PRESIDENT, I HAD A QUESTION.
UH, THIS IS DR. ROBERTSON, COMMISSIONER ROBERTSON.
UM, IF WE, I'M, I'M LOOKING AT, UM, ONE THAT'S DATED DECEMBER 6TH.
CAN WE GO TO PAGE ONE OR TO PAGE TWO, JUST SO I CAN SEE IF I'M LOOKING AT THE RIGHT ONE? 'CAUSE I HAVE ONE HERE, AND THEN I'M LOOKING AT THE ONE ON THE SCREEN.
SO CAN WE GO BACK UP TO PAGE TWO, THE ACTUAL MEMO? OKAY.
SO I DON'T HAVE THAT ONE, BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS SENT OUT.
IS THAT CORRECT? SO THE DATE, THE ONE THAT I HAVE IS DECEMBER, THIS COMMISSIONER MEUS.
UM, THE ONE THAT IS THE MOST CURRENT I WAS JUST INFORMED, IS THE ONE FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER THE SIXTH.
THERE WAS JUST A LITTLE TYPO ON THE, ON THE DATE.
YEAH, THAT'S THE ONE THAT I HAVE.
SO IS THAT THE LATEST ONE? THAT'S, THAT'S THE MOST CURRENT.
'CAUSE THE ONE ON THE SCREEN, SAY DECEMBER 12TH.
SO THE DECEMBER 6TH IS THE MOST CURRENT.
I, I GUESS COMMISSIONER, THAT'S, UH, 20, UH, DECEMBER THE SIXTH.
QUESTION DISTRICT SEVEN BIRDWELL, IS IT BECAUSE IT SAYS DECEMBER 12TH BECAUSE HE'S INCORPORATED ALL THE SUGGESTIONS AND CHANGES ON IT PENHAM? CORRECT.
SO THE DATE THAT I HAVE UNDER IS BASICALLY WHAT WAS THE MOST UPDATED AS FAR AS ME HAVING WORKED ON IT WITH THE FEEDBACK THAT WAS PROVIDED FROM YOURSELVES, THE COMMISSIONERS.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL CHANGE IT AGAIN, SO THAT IT'LL BE MOST REFLECTIVE AS TO WHAT IS THE MOST FINAL, UH, FINAL ACCEPTED MOTION THAT'S APPROVED ON, AND THAT'S BASICALLY GONNA BE THE JANUARY 12TH OR 14TH.
I FORGOT WHAT THE DATE IS, THE 11TH WHEN WE HAVE THAT MEETING.
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I'M KIND OF JUST UPDATING IT JUST FOR MYSELF THAT I'M AWARE OF.EXCUSE ME, WHAT'S, WHAT'S MOST UPDATED AND MOST RECENT.
UM, SO THE, WHAT WE'RE LOOK LOOKING AT ON THE SCREEN IS, UH, UPDATE FROM WHAT YOU SENT OUT ON DECEMBER 8TH, WHICH WAS A, ESSENTIALLY A RED LINE OF THE REPORT.
IS THAT RIGHT? I, I CAN'T HEAR YOU TOO.
WELL, YOUR VOICE IS A LITTLE LOW FOR ME.
CAN YOU HEAR ME BETTER NOW? I, I CAN, I WAS TRYING, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS IS, IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING ON THE SCREEN, UH, ESSENTIALLY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE SAW ON DECEMBER 8TH, UH, SPENDUM SENT OUT A DECEMBER 8TH RED LINE, WHAT I WOULD CALL A RED LINE, WHICH, UH, SHOWED CHANGES FROM HIS PREVIOUS, UH, WHAT HE CALLED A, UH, A 2022, UH, REPORT.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE VERY SIMILAR EXCEPT THAT IT'S GONNA HAVE SOME OF THOSE, THE FEEDBACK THAT WAS GIVEN BY YOURSELVES, INCORPORATED.
SO YOU'LL PROBABLY NOTICE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE SOME SLIGHT CHANGES HERE AND THERE.
THIS COMMISSIONER MISSED THIS.
SO I'M, I'M GONNA READ, OR I'M LOOKING AT WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN, UH, IN FRONT OF ME.
'CAUSE I, I HAD COPIED A, A REPORT, BUT I'LL, I'LL JUST GO.
SO I THINK IT'LL BE EASIER FOR ALL OF US TO, TO WORK OFF OF WHAT'S ON, ON THE, ON THE SCREEN.
SO THE FIRST THING IS, IS THE, IS THE CHAIR'S MEMO.
UM, WHICH I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WAS MUCH, UH, NEED TO CHANGE THAT.
THAT WAS MY, MY INPUT AS FAR AS THAT SECTION.
HAS ANYONE ELSE OTHER THAN DATE? ANYONE ELSE? OKAY.
UM, THE SECOND PART OR THE NEXT? MOVING ON.
SO THE MEMBERS, UH, THERE, THERE'S A, A SHEET FOR MEMBERS, AND THEN WE STILL HAVE SOME VACANCIES.
UH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S, YOU KNOW, OR HOW LONG THAT'S GONNA TAKE TO, TO, TO CLEAR UP OR, OR FIND SOMEONE TO TAKE THOSE SPOTS OR THOSE POSITIONS.
SO THERE'S NOT MUCH WE COULD DO TO THAT.
I JUST NOTICED BIRDWELL, THEY'VE GOT ME AS AIR FORCE VETERAN.
I JUST NOTICED THAT I MISSED THAT BEFORE.
AND IT WOULD BE GREAT IF, UH, EVERYONE ELSE CAN ALSO HELP YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT CORRECT.
SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS THAT RIGHT NOW.
YOUR ALL COMMISSIONERS DID Y Y'ALL HEAR THAT? MAKE SURE THAT, UH, Y YOUR BRANCH OF SERVICE IS IDENTIFIED OR, OR IS CORRECT? UH, STEVE LONG DISTRICT NINE.
IT'S UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS.
I, I ASK WHAT IS AN XX VETERAN MARINE CORPS? NO, PERIOD.
ITS, THERE'S AN S AFTER THE P.
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT PETER SMITH'S BRANCH WAS? I'M TEXTING HIM.
AND WHILE YOU'RE DOING THAT, I HAVE A QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ALSO HAVE ANYTHING OF WHATEVER, UM, RANK HE'S HAD TO ALSO BE LISTED IN THERE.
UH, PERSONALLY I DON'T HAVE ANY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE ANY SAY EITHER OR.
I'M JUST WONDERING WITH YOURSELF WHETHER THAT'S SOMETHING YOU WOULD PREFER TO HAVE IT PLACED IN THERE.
UM, IF I WAS A, IF I WAS A OFFICER, I WOULDN'T HAVE MINE, BUT I WASN'T AN OFFICER, SO IT DOESN'T LOOK THAT GOOD.
I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PROTOCOL, MILITARY PROTOCOL.
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BECAUSE AS A VETERAN, YOU KNOW, WE, I THINK IT'S DIVERSITY ON THE BOARD.WE JUST KINDA LIKE TO KNOW WHO'S WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
AND IT ALSO SHOWS THAT WE HAVE A MIXTURE OF NOT JUST BRANCHES, BUT OF, UH, RANKS AND SO DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES.
YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION FOR THIS? I DON'T THINK WE NEED A MOTION.
DO WE JUST CHANGE IT? DO WE NEED A MOTION TO CHANGE IT? THAT'S JUST, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
IS ANYONE OBJECTING TO IT? THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION, OTHERWISE, IT'S JUST A TECHNICALITY ON CLARIFICATION.
AND WE CAN SEND IT TO HIM IN AN EMAIL OR TELL HIM RIGHT NOW.
I CAN, I CAN ADD RIGHT NOW IF IT'S NOT GONNA BE TOO DIFFICULT.
COMMISSIONER ERNEST'S CASE, UH, COMMISSIONER SCHMIDT, SCOTT.
UH, DID, DID YOU, DID YOU SAY SOMETHING? I SAID WE OUGHT TO SEND IT BY EMAIL IF WE'RE GONNA AGREE TO THE I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA, OKAY.
BUT DID WE AGREE THAT WE'RE GONNA DO IT THAT WAY? THEY'RE GONNA PUT OUR RANKS.
I THINK, UM, ARE WE PRETTY CLEAR ON THAT? MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
AND I'M GOING BY THE TABLE OF CONTENTS.
SO THE SECOND, SECOND ITEM, TABLE OF CONTENTS IS THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSIONS, UH, MEMBERS.
THE NEXT ONE IS, UH, HISTORY AND MISSION OF, OF OUR, OUR, OUR COMMISSION.
UM, I, I, UH, MY OPINION WAS TO BREAK IT UP.
'CAUSE AS YOU READ IT, THE HISTORY ONLY HAS LIKE A PARAGRAPH, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST ONE SENTENCE, NOT EVEN A PARAGRAPH.
AND I THINK WE, WE PROBABLY SHOULD ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT.
AND THEN THE MISSION, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE A PARAGRAPH BY ITSELF.
AND THEN THE DUTIES AND RESPONSE ARE FUNCTIONS, OR EVEN THE REQUIREMENTS PROBABLY SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, SO THAT AREA THAT, THAT IT'S LIKE ALL COMBINED IN ONE, YOU KNOW, I WAS, MY OPINION WAS TO, TO BREAK IT UP INTO THREE DIFFERENT SECTIONS WITH AT LEAST A PARAGRAPH TO EACH.
ANYONE ELSE? IS THERE, IS THERE SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THE HISTORY BEYOND WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS IN THE SENTENCE RIGHT THERE? UH, I DON'T BELIEVE SO, BECAUSE WE, WE HA WE'RE PRETTY YOUNG.
I, UH, THIS IS, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBERTSON.
I ACTUALLY WORKED WITH A COUNCIL MEMBER, THE FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, CASEY THOMAS, WHEN WE WERE ESTABLISHING IT.
SO I HAVE THE HISTORY, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE FOLDER HERE WITH ME.
UM, I BELIEVE I CAN ADD A LITTLE BIT TO IT.
UM, AS YOU ALL RECALL, WE ACTUALLY STARTED DURING COID.
SO FOR THE FIRST YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS, IT WAS IN NAME ONLY.
THERE WAS, IT WAS NOT OFFICIALLY STARTED UNTIL 2020.
YEAH, THAT WE ORIGINALLY FIRST ACTUALLY STARTED MEETING.
UM, BUT THE PROCESS OF FORMING STARTED IN 2020.
SO I HAVE THE HISTORY AND I CAN ADD TO IT.
I JUST HAVE TO GET HOME TO WHERE THE FOLDER IS.
I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
I, I, I THINK WE DESERVE AT LEAST A PARAGRAPH, YOU KNOW, ON WHAT, WHAT'S BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, YOU KNOW, FROM THE BEGINNING TO WHERE WE'RE AT NOW AND, AND LOOKING FORWARD ABOUT HISTORY.
THIS, THIS, THIS PARTICULAR PARAGRAPH IS ABOUT HISTORY.
WE CAN PUT OUR COMPLIMENTS LATER, BUT I THINK THE REASON FOR THE FORMATION OF THE COMMISSION WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO THE COUNCIL AND IS OF INTEREST TO ALL OF US, REALLY BY WHY IT WAS FORMED.
COUNCIL WANTED TO HAVE VETERANS, UH, AFFAIRS ELEVATED, SO TO SPEAK.
SO THAT, UH, I, I LIKE WHAT COMMISSIONER ROBERTSON IS GONNA DO AT, TO ADD SOME SENTENCES TO THAT FIRST PARAGRAPH.
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OKAY.THERE'S NO MORE, UM, SUGGESTIONS ON THAT.
AND THAT'S MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ONE, THE LOCAL DATA ON VETERANS IN, IN, UH, IN DALLAS.
UM, DON'T, I, I DON'T, I DIDN'T, UH, THIS COMMISSIONER MISSED THIS.
I, I DIDN'T REALLY SEE A WHOLE LOT THERE.
UH, THE ONLY OBJECTION, NOT EVEN AN OBJECTION, JUST A CONCERN THAT I HAD.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT EVEN FOR VETERANS, BECAUSE REALLY AS VETERANS, WE DON'T, WE DON'T, UH, FOR THE MOST PART, WE DON'T, UH, SEPARATE VETERANS FROM A FEMALE OR MALE OR BY RACE.
SO, SO, UM, WE'RE ALL VETERANS, SO WE'RE, WE'RE ALL WORKING, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, TO HELP EACH OTHER.
BUT, UH, ONE OF THE PRESENTERS, I THINK IT WAS THE HOUSING FORWARD, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S PART OF DALLAS OR NOTHING, BUT AS FAR AS THE LATINO AND A AND A HISPANIC, WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY HAD THAT, THAT, UH, WHERE PRESENTATION, I WAS TOLD THAT, UH, THERE'S, THERE IS NO RACE FOR HISPANIC OR LATINO, WHICH I AGREE
SO I WOULD BE A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS LIKE, THIS IS COMMISSIONER RAMOS, UH, ON THE FIRST BULLET WHERE IT SAYS ALMOST 40,000 LIVE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
THAT LAST SENTENCE THAT BEGINS WITH THIS IS THE LATEST SURVEY AVAILABLE ON THEIR WEBSITE.
THAT SENTENCE TO ME DOESN'T REALLY ADD ANYTHING.
I, I WOULD, I WOULD DELETE IT.
I, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT JUST DOESN'T DO ANYTHING.
UM, ANOTHER CONCERN, OR, UH, THIS IS COMMISSIONER MESS LIST OF DISTRICT SIX.
UH, I, I THINK MY MAIN CONCERN ON THE DATA IS THE DOWNTREND OF HIRING, UM, EMPLOYEE, UH, VETERANS, UH, FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, ACCORDING TO THIS DATA HERE, AND, UM, I, I, I SUGGESTED EITHER MORE, MORE, UM, JOB FAIRS THAT FOCUSED STRICTLY ON, ON HIRING VETERANS.
AND I, I THINK THERE WAS ONE OR TWO THIS YEAR, AND I ATTENDED, UH, I WENT TO DA, UH, DART.
DART HAD A, A HIRING EVENT FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT THAT WAS INCLUSIVE OF, OF ALL, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY WHO, WHO WENT TO THOSE APPOINTMENTS OR TO THOSE, UH, EVENTS.
AND, AND THEY, THEY HAD, THEY HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE.
SO, BUT I DON'T KNOW, UM, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF VETERANS WERE, WAS, UH, WERE APPLIED.
BUT THAT, I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE AN AREA OF FOCUS FOR US AS A, AS A COMMISSION.
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UH, DIFFERENT JOB FAIRS FROM THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
I KNOW YOU HAVE STARTED A SUBCOMMITTEE FOR HOUSING, AND TO HAVE A SUBCOMMITTEE MAKES IT JUST LIKE THE LARGER COMMISSION WHERE YOU HAVE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE RULES HAVE TO FOLLOW AND APPLY, RIGHT? SO PERHAPS MAYBE A SUGGESTION TO KIND OF SIMPLIFY IT WOULD BE SO THAT, UH, ANYONE FROM AMONG YOURSELVES, MAYBE WHO WANTS TO TAKE ON THE TASK OF MAYBE COMMUNICATING WITH, LET'S SAY, UH, THE CITY OF DALLAS HR AND MAKE, MAYBE REACH OUT TO THEM AS FAR AS BEGINNING SOMETHING OF THAT CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, WITH REGARDS TO WHAT IT COULD BE LIKE, WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO HAVE THE CITY PERHAPS COURT VETERANS FOR SOME OF THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS.
AND THEN MAYBE DO THE SAME THING WITH DART OR ANY OF THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, LARGE EMPLOYERS THAT ARE IN THE AREA.
AND THEN LIKEWISE WITH SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS OF WHAT ARE HAPPENING THAT THERE CAN BE SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO CHAMPION AND SPEARHEAD, UH, COMMUNICATION WITH, LET'S SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE VA OR, OR ANYTHING ELSE OF THIS SORTED THAT, JUST SO THAT THIS WAY, IF ANYTHING, THERE COULD BE A BREAK, A BREAKDOWN OR BREAKING UP OR SPECIALIZATION WITH REGARDS TO THE DIFFERENT, UH, NEEDS THAT YOUR FOCUSES ARE ON.
I THINK WE HAVE A HAND RAISED FROM GOT IT.
COMMISSIONER ROBERTSON AGAIN, I WAS GONNA LET YOU FINISH.
UM, AND THEN WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, UM, BECAUSE I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE SECOND PARAGRAPH, AND I BELIEVE I MAY HAVE, UH, MADE A NOTE ON MY INITIAL, UH, SUBMISSION, UH, OR MY REVIEW WHERE IT SAYS, ACCORDING TO HOUSING FORWARD STATE OF HOMELESSNESS 2023 REPORT REPORT, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 365 VETERANS ARE HOMELESS IN DALLAS AND COLLIN COUNTIES.
I'M NOT SURE IF COLLIN SHOULD HAVE TWO LS, BUT, UM, YES, COLLIN SHOULD HAVE
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TWO LS.AND THEN DOES THAT REPORT INDICATE 365 VETERANS ARE HOMELESS IN DALLAS? AND COLIN, THAT JUST SEEMS LIKE A VERY LOW NUMBER.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SPECIFICALLY STATING THAT AMONG ALL THE HOMELESS FOLKS THAT THE VETERANS MAKE UP THAT, THAT QUANTITY.
IN BOTH DALLAS AND COLLIN COUNTY? CORRECT.
YOU, THESE ARE BASED ON THOSE POINT IN TIME SURVEYS WHERE THEY GO OUT, I THINK ONCE A YEAR IN JANUARY, AND THEY TRY TO BASICALLY HAVE A CENSUS OF EVERYONE THAT'S OUT THERE.
AND, AND, AND SO THIS IS AS ACCURATE AS THEY HAVE, BUT THE NUMBERS THEMSELVES CAN PERHAPS BE A BIT DIFFERENT.
BUT ACCORDING TO WHAT THEY ARE SAYING IN BOTH OF THESE COUNTIES, THAT THAT'S THE TOTAL NUMBER OF, UH, HOMELESS VETERANS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
THIS, THIS IS COMMISSIONER MISTA, UH, DISTRICT SIX, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBINSON.
YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE, UH, PROBABLY MORE OF AN ACCURATE OR, OR CLOSER TO, UH, UH, AN ACCOUNT JUST, JUST FROM YOUR POSITION WITH THE CITY.
WOULDN'T, DO YOU THINK? 'CAUSE I, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY LOW NUMBER BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE, THE VA, UH, HAS INTAKES A LOT OF INTAKES, PEOPLE COMING FROM DENTON, AND I DON'T, I THINK THAT'S COLLIN COUNTY, DENTON COUNTY, BUT, BUT, UH, IN THAT AREA, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF VETERANS COMING FROM DIFFERENT AREAS THAT, THAT ARE, THEY'RE EITHER, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THAT POSITION, YOU KNOW, HOMELESS OR, OR A RISK OF BEING HOMELESS.
UM, SO MAYBE WE COULD, UM, TRIANGULATE THE DATA WITH HOUSING FORWARD, MAYBE DALLAS AND THEN MAYBE ONE OTHER SOURCE.
AND I, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DOING THAT RESEARCH, UM, TO SEE WHAT I CAN FIND.
BUT I DO THINK THAT NUMBER'S JUST A LITTLE BIT LOW, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BE A POINT IN TIME REFERENCE.
UM, BUT YOU, THOSE TWO COUNTIES, DALLAS IS HUGE.
AND I'M NOT SURE WHY IT HAS COLLIN COUNTY, UM, OUT OF ALL THE OTHER COUNTIES, BUT I DON'T MIND SEEING IF I COULD TRIANGULATE SOME OF THAT DATA USING TO INCLUDE DALLAS VA TO SEE WHAT THEY, UM, HAVE.
THEY SERVICE OVER A MILLION VETERANS.
I'M, I'M INFERRING THAT COLLIN COUNTY IS INCLUDED.
'CAUSE I KNOW PARTS OF THE CITY OF DALLAS ARE IN COLLIN COUNTY.
IT'S, IT'S A SMALL PART, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHY THEY INCLUDED COLLIN COUNTY.
WHY NOT CARROLLTON? SO I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE WHY, BUT HOUSING FORD, WHO IS BASICALLY THE ORGANIZATION THAT COLLABORATES WITH OTHER ENTITIES, INCLUDING THE CITY OF DALLAS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY OR OFFICES, BUT, UH, THESE ARE THE TWO COUNTIES THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING THEIR WORK IN.
BUT, UH, YEAH, DR. ROBERTSON, MAYBE WHEN YOU DO REACH OUT TO SOMEBODY THERE, YOU CAN BETTER QUESTION AND GET SOME ANSWERS ON SOME OF THE, THE, THE TOPICS OR ISSUES THAT WE'RE BRINGING UP.
SO ANY MORE CONCERNS IN THAT AREA? UM, FURTHER DOWN ON, ON, ON THIS, UH, ON THE REPORT, UH, WITH THE HOUSING AS FAR AS HOUSING, UM, WE DID ESTABLISH A HOUSING SUBCOMMITTEE.
UM, THERE'S THREE, THERE'S THREE MEMBERS TO IT.
NOW, I HAVE ASKED, UM, UH, OR ONE OF MY SUGGESTIONS WAS TO INCLUDE, UM, HOUSING FORWARD TO BE PART OF THAT, UH, SUBCOMMITTEE.
AND THEN ANOTHER GROUP THAT'S, UH, OUR, UM, HOUSING, UH, EXPERT DEVELOPER, UM, IS, UH, BUILDERS OF HOPE OUT OF WEST DALLAS.
AND, UM, ADD THEM, YOU KNOW, ADD THEIR EXPERTISE.
UM, BECAUSE I, I KNOW WE CONCENTRATE A LOT ON, ON THE HOMELESSNESS, BUT, BUT I THINK ONE OF MY OPINION, ONE OF MY, UM, SUGGESTIONS WAS THAT WE ALSO FOCUS ON, UH, HOME OWNERSHIP FOR THE YOUNGER, YOUNGER ARAB VETERANS THAT ARE COMING.
YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ESTABLISH, UH, UH, GOSH, THE PROCESS FOR THEM TO BECOME HOMEOWNERS, YOU KNOW? AND, UM, I THINK THAT 'CAUSE YOUNG, OUR YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE ON IT.
I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PRETTY SMART.
AND, UM, THE, ONE OF THE, THE, THE NEW, UH, CEOS OF THIS, UH, BUILDERS OF HOPE IS A VETERAN.
AND, AND I'VE ASKED HIM TO, TO, UH, JOIN OUR SUBCOMMITTEE, BUT NOT ONLY THAT, BUT DO A, UH, DO A, A PRESENTATION HERE, UM, ON, ON HIS, UH, EXPERIENCE COMING OUT OF THE MILITARY.
UM, ONE THING ABOUT, I THOUGHT THAT THE CITY OF DALLAS IN ITS HOUSING COMMISSION WOULD'VE HAD UPDATED INFORMATION AS WELL.
IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN CROSS-REFERENCE
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WITH THEM, OR WOULD THEY HAVE USED THE SAME EXACT INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE HERE? DOES ANYONE KNOW? SO, I'M GONNA BE ACTUALLY MEETING CHRISTINA AND I'LL BE MEETING WITH, UM, WITH, UH, FOLKS FROM THE OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS TOMORROW AT THREE O'CLOCK.SO WHAT I CAN DO IS I CAN ASK THEM JUST TO SEE IF WHAT WE DO HAVE OF INFORMATION FROM HOUSING FORWARD IS THE SAME INFORMATION THAT THEY THEMSELVES HAVE, IF IT IS THAT THEY CORROBORATE ON THE DATA AND, YOU KNOW, TO SEE WHAT THEY SAY.
AND I'LL BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING OF, UH, FEEDBACK ON THAT.
SO WHEN HAVE YOUR MEETING THIS COMMISSIONER MEES, SO, SO WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR MEETING WITH HOUSING FORWARD, THEN, THEN WE, AS THE SUBCOMMITTEE, WE CAN ESTABLISH A MEETING DATE FOR ALL OF US TO, TO, UM, NEW MEMBERS.
ANYONE WHO WANTS TO JOIN OR, OR, OR, OR AT LEAST BE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, WE CAN ESTABLISH OUR, OUR, UM, FIRST MEETING FOR THE, THE NEW YEAR.
I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST, JUST BECAUSE JANUARY IS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE, UH, THIS, THIS DOCUMENT OF THE ANNUAL REPORT IS OKAY.
SO IF WE CAN GET ALL OF THAT DONE, LIKE AFTER THIS MEETING IN THE SENSE THAT THE FEEDBACK AND RESEARCH AND WHATEVER OTHER INFORMATION THERE IS THAT LET'S SAY A WEEK OR TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, WE CAN GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF AND IT'S GOOD, EVERYBODY'S FINE, THEN WE CAN CERTAIN TO HAVE WITHIN THE JANUARY MEETING ANYTHING ELSE OF, UH, GUEST SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS.
'CAUSE THEN IT'LL JUST BE A MOTION TO, ON THE, ON THE AGENDA.
AND HOPEFULLY EVERYONE WILL HAVE ACCEPTED IT ALREADY BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A PROCESS, UH, WORKING DOCUMENTS.
LOCAL DATA ON VETERANS IN DALLAS.
THE LAST ONE, UM, IT JUST STRICTLY TALKS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE FLU, YOU KNOW, FLUCTUATES SO MUCH.
UH, AGAIN, THE TRANSPORTATION, UH, I, I'M THINKING DART, BUT A LOT OF THIS IS JUST, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCIES AND, UH, JUST, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO MA UH, UH, HARD TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION FOR, UH, HOW TO IMPROVE TRANSPORTATION.
UH, COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL HERE, DISTRICT SEVEN, MY QUESTION IS WHY THIS PARAGRAPH IS IN THERE? IS IT ABOUT, IS IT TO HIGHLIGHT A, THE, WHAT TRANSPORTATION IS AVAILABLE OR NOT FOR PATIENT, UH, FOR VETERANS, SINCE WE HAVE ACCESS TO DART, YOU KNOW, UNLESS THEY DON'T.
BUT THE THING IS, IT TALKS ABOUT, IT TRANSITIONS INTO MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES FOR THE VETERANS, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
BUT I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT AT PARKLAND HOSPITAL, THEY SEE A LOT MORE THAN 58 PATIENTS.
THOSE ARE JUST THE ONES TAKEN TO THE VA A MC.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PARAGRAPH ABOUT, UH, THE ISSUE OF MENTAL HEALTH, WHICH GREATLY INFECTS, UH, AND, AND AFFECTS HOMELESSNESS AND JOBS AND SECURITY AND, YOU KNOW, CRIMINAL JUSTICE WITH OUR VETERANS, THEN THAT MIGHT WANNA BE SEPARATED.
I'M NOT SURE WHO PUT THAT IN THERE, IF ANYONE KNOWS WHY THAT WAS, PUT THAT IN THERE.
THAT WAY, I'M NOT OBJECTING TO IT PER SE, BUT I JUST FEEL THAT IT DOESN'T REALLY OFFER THAT MUCH.
IT'S, IT'S GIVEN, IT'S TOUCHING ON TWO ISSUES, TRANSPORTATION AND MENTAL HEALTH, BUT IT DOESN'T GIVE A COMPLETE PICTURE.
SO I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, THIS WAS ACTUALLY CARRIED OVER FROM THE 2022 REPORT.
SO IT IS OUTDATED AND, UH, IT IS SOMETHING WE COULD EASILY JUST, UH, REMOTE.
THIS IS, UH, STEVE RAMIS, DISTRICT NINE.
IT, IT DOESN'T GO ANYWHERE AGAIN, THIS THE LAST SENTENCE DOES ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE AILMENTS, UH, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, COMMON PROBLEMS. BUT THE FIRST SENTENCE, I, I JUST DON'T THINK IT REALLY SAYS ANYTHING.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, UH, TABLE OF CONTENT, UH, ITEM.
AND THAT'S, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2023 ACTIVITIES.
AND, UM, THIS ONE, UH, ON THIS PREVIOUS ONE IS THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION PERFORMS A GAP OR PERFORMED A, A GAP, UH, ANALYSIS.
THEY, THEY CONCLUDED THAT SEVERAL KEY FACTORS.
SO I THINK THIS IS WHAT, WHAT'S PART OF OUR MISSION, OR, OR WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR, IS, IS HOUSING, UH, INCLUDING HOMELESSNESS, HEALTHCARE, INCLUDING
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MENTAL HEALTH, EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT.UM, UH, SOMEWHERE IN THERE I THINK THERE SHOULD BE, LIKE, WITH THE EDUCATION ESPECIALLY, UM, WE JUST HAD A, A VETERAN COME IN EARLIER.
AND, AND I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER A, THE SAME THING IS WE COME OUT, THE TRANSITION IS, IS HOW DO, HOW DO WE GET, UH, COMPANIES OR, OR THE, THE CIVILIAN FACTOR TO, TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE OR NOT ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT WE DID IN THE MILITARY, HOW DOES THAT TRANSFER OVER? SO WE NEED TO, TO FIND COMPANIES AND SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH THEM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THIS COULD BE PART OF THE JOB FAIR, IT COULD BE PART OF THE EDUCATION, UH, PROCESS AND EMPLOYMENT, WHICH YOU, YOU HAVE A GOOD JOB AND YOU HAVE A GOOD, YOU KNOW, YOU ALREADY HAVE THE, THE ABILITY TO, TO LEARN FAST, YOU KNOW, ON, ON, ON YOUR FEET.
THEN, THEN, UM, THAT CREATES A, A STABLE HOME WHERE, WHERE YOU'RE ABLE TO, TO, TO ENTER INTO THE HOME, THE, THE HOME OWNERSHIP.
SO THAT, THAT'S HOW I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WAS MY SUGGESTION IS, UH, MAYBE GETTING CLOSER WITH THE COMPANIES TO, TO EXPLAIN THE TRANSITION.
WELL, THAT, THAT FIRST SENTENCE, SINCE IT'S COMMISSIONER RAMISH, DISTRICT NINE, THE VETERAN AFFAIRS COMMISSION PERFORMED A GAP ANALYSIS.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPLANATION WHERE MAY RE MAY READ THE VETERANS AFFAIR COMMISSION PERFORMED A GAP ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE, UH, UH, OPPORTUNITIES OR OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES CHALLENGES, DETERMINE CHALLENGES THAT EXIST FOR VETERANS CHALLENGES.
COMMISSIONER RAMOS, YOU AND I THINK A LOT ALIKE ON THE, ON STAGING ENGLISH, UM,
BUT, UM, TO COMBINE IT AND JUST SAY, THE VETERANS FAIR COMMISSION PERFORMED A GAP ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE WHICH CHALLENGES EXIST FOR VETERANS.
AND, AND I WOULD ADD IN DALLAS, AND THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, AND JUST HAVE THE BULLET COMMENTS.
INSTEAD OF SAYING, THEY CONCLUDED SEVERAL KEY FACTORS, I WOULD ELIMINATE, THEY CONCLUDED SEVERAL KEY FACTORS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT YOU DID.
AND I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHEN DID THIS GAP ANALYSIS OCCUR? I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER THE
I THINK IT'S BEEN ALL OF OUR MEETINGS MONTH TO MONTH.
I THINK THAT WAS OUR ANALYSIS AND HAVING SPEAKERS COME, HAVING DISCUSSIONS AT OUR MEETINGS.
I THINK WE'RE MAKING A FANCY WORD FOR, WE MET 12 TIMES, AND THIS IS WHAT WE CAME UP WITH.
WELL, IT, IT RIGHT IN THE VERY BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, THE, WE WERE TRYING TO DECIDE WHAT THE DIRECTION WE'RE GONNA GO AND WHAT WE, WE NEEDED, WHAT WE CONCLUDED WAS WE NEEDED DATA TO DETERMINE WHAT ARE THE ISSUES CONFRONTING VETERANS IN, IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS KIND OF WHAT WE HAD DISCUSSED BACK IN 20 20, 22.
AND IT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING, UH, BEEN A LEGACY PROBLEM OR LL LEGACY, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, FACT GATHERING FOR US.
DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE ANYTHING OF THAT WORDING? WE CAN MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS NOW.
THAT LAST SENTENCE, UH, ABOUT THE BOND PROGRAM.
I MEAN, THE BOND PROGRAM IS OVER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S DECIDED THEY WANNA GO TOWARDS PARKS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, SO IT'S NOT FINAL BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T YET VOTED ON IT.
SO THESE ARE THE HEARINGS THAT WERE HELD JUST RECENTLY.
BASICALLY ARE THE PRESENTATION OF THE DIFFERENT SUBCOMMITTEES ON EACH OF THOSE, UH, FOCUSES, PARK STREETS, ET CETERA, THAT THEY PRESENTED TO CITY HALL TO CITY COUNCIL.
BUT THE VOTING HASN'T HAPPENED YET.
THEY GAVE THEIR, THEIR, THEIR, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT YET THE DETERMINATION IS ULTIMATELY TO BE MADE ALSO.
THIS DOCUMENT REFLECTS WHAT WE DID.
THIS IS OUR REPORT CARD, OUR EVALUATION.
AND SO IN 2023, WE DID IN FACT CONCENTRATE ON HOUSING, UH, FOR VETERAN HOMELESS VETERANS AS OUR MAIN FOCUS.
SO I THINK IT ACTUALLY REFLECTS WHAT OUR FOCUS WAS.
WHEN PEOPLE READ THIS AND THEY SAY, WELL, WHAT DID THEY DO WITH THESE FOUR BULLETS? AND WE CAN EXPLAIN THAT.
WE FOCUSED ON THE FIRST ONE BECAUSE OF THE UPCOMING BOND, SINCE THIS IS FISCAL YEAR 2023.
I, I, I MIGHT BE READING THIS WRONG THEN, BECAUSE I'M THINKING 24 20 24.
THIS IS A REPORT OF WHAT WE DID.
THIS IS TELLING THE CITY COUNCIL WE
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DESERVE TO STAY AROUND BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE DID.AND WE DECIDED, WE KNEW THE BOND WAS COMING ALL YEAR LONG.
WE FORMED THAT SUBCOMMITTEE THAT I'M ON.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HIT ON EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, AND HEALTHCARE, BUT OUR BIG FOCUS WAS ON HOMELESSNESS.
AND I THINK THAT, I MEAN, WE CAN TAKE THAT BULLET OUT, BUT I ACTUALLY THINK IT ACTUALLY TELLS PEOPLE THAT WAS THE MAIN THRUST OF OUR EXISTENCE THIS PAST YEAR.
THAT'S WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT EVERY SINGLE MEETING THAT WE HAD.
AND THIS IS A REVIEW OF WHAT WE'VE DONE.
SO THIS COMMISSIONER ROBERTSON, I WAS THINKING, UM, THE, THE GAP ANALYSIS IS AN ACTUAL, UH, TOOL.
IT'S AN ACTUAL, UH, RESOURCE THAT'S USED.
SO I WOULD HATE FOR SOMEONE TO SAY, WELL, WHERE'S YOUR DOCUMENTATION ON THE GAP ANALYSIS? WE DON'T HAVE THAT.
RIGHT? SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN RERO REWORD THAT TO SAY SOMETHING.
AND I PUT IT IN THE CHAT TO SAY, THE VETERAN AFFAIRS COMMISSION CONDUCTED MULTI-YEAR RESEARCH BY MEETING WITH VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND IDENTIFYING THEIR RESEARCHERS PROVIDED, AND IDENTIFY THE FOLLOWING VETERAN CHALLENGES EXIST.
SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT, AS OPPOSED TO SAYING THAT WE, UH, WE HAVE SOME DATA, OUR DATA WHERE A GAP ANALYSIS WE CAN SHOW, I WOULD RATHER SAY SOMETHING CLOSER TO THIS THAN THE GAP ANALYSIS.
WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? AND, AND DR. ROBERTSON, I THINK THAT'S A POINT WELL TAKEN.
MAYBE IF WE JUST TAKE OUT, DELETE THE WORD GAP AND JUST SAY AN ANALYSIS.
DISTRICT SEVEN HERE, BIRDWELL.
I REALLY LIKE WHAT YOU WROTE, DR.
UH, I THINK THAT'S A VERY GOOD SENTENCE OVER THERE IN THE CHAT.
THAT COULD ALMOST BE CUT AND PASTED AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
IF ANYONE ELSE DOESN'T HAVE AN OBJECTION TO IT, I REALLY LIKE THE WAY YOU WORDED IT AND WE CAN TWEAK IT A LITTLE BIT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A CONSENSUS ON IT.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE CAPTURE WHAT WE ACTUALLY DID.
'CAUSE WE DID A LOT OF HOURS SITTING AND LISTENING, UM, TAKING NOTES AND IDENTIFYING WHAT RESOURCES WERE OFFERED AND WHERE THERE WAS VETERAN DEFICIENCY OR VETERAN CHALLENGES.
WITH YOUR, JUST TO CUT AND PASTE TO THAT.
MAYBE BETWEEN, IN, IN MULTI-YEAR, PUT A HYPHEN.
SO WE'RE, IS IT ALL RIGHT, WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE BRIEFINGS.
THIS IS, THAT'S JUST A LIST OF, OF THE, UM, THE PEOPLE THEY'VE COME DID PRESENTATIONS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, 2023.
AND MS. SDO, LINDA SAUCEDO FROM VETERANS AFFAIRS, OR THE VA, NORTH TEXAS HEALTH HAS REALLY BEEN, SHE'S REALLY BEEN GREAT.
UH, ESPECIALLY WITH A COUPLE OF EVENTS THAT WE'VE HELD, UM, VETERANS, UM, THE, THE VETERANS, UH, UM, VETERANS DAY PARADE, UH, WHICH WAS CANCELED, I THINK IN 23.
WELL, VOCAL, YOU KNOW, THE LAST TWO YEARS.
BUT, UH, WE DID A FOLLOW UP EVENT, UM, AND THEY, THEY CAME OUT AND THEY SUPPORTED, UH, THEY BROUGHT OUT THE MOBILE UNITS.
UH, THEY, WE BROUGHT OUT TABLES, UH, THEY SET UP, UH, PRESENTATIONS.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THEY WERE JUST, THEY WERE GOOD.
AND I, MR. JENKINS ALSO CAME OUT FOR THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
HE DIDN'T COME OUT THIS YEAR, BUT HE WAS, UM, PRESENT FOR 2023.
FIRST TWO BULLETS ARE GOOD FOR ME.
DISTRICT NINE, MR. JENKINS, PERCY JENKINS, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBERTSON, UH, THE
[00:45:01]
FIRST SENTENCE UNDER BRIEFINGS, THINK I EDITED THEM TO SAY, WERE ALL MEETINGS, WERE HYBRID HELD VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON.MR. JENKINS WAS, UH, IN PERSON THEN.
I KNOW THIS IS, UH, KICKING THROUGH THE WEEDS, BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS HYBRID HAILED? IS HYBRID HAILED, DOES THAT MEAN THE SAME THING AS VIRTUAL? ARE WE SAYING THE SAME THING TWICE? SO, HYBRID IS SAYING THAT IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH, THAT IT'S IN PERSON AS WELL AS VIRTUAL.
SO IN THE WAY THAT WE ARE DEMONSTRATING IT TODAY, THAT WE HAVE FOUR COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE IN PERSON, AND WE HAVE FOUR, I THINK, OR THREE THAT ARE, UM, VIRTUAL.
SO THAT SENTENCE IS ACTUALLY SAYING ALL MEETINGS WERE HYBRID HELD VIRTUALLY AND IN PERSON.
SO WHAT DO WE NEED TO SAY HYBRID? WHAT DO WE JUST SAY? WERE HELD VIRTUALLY AND IN PERSON.
WHERE ARE WE AT? CAN I SCROLL DOWN TO SARAH CRAIG? YES.
BASICALLY, I MEAN, FOR ALL THESE ARE PRESENTERS.
THERE'S REALLY NOTHING TO CHANGE, RIGHT? THIS IS A HISTORICAL RECORD.
SO THESE ARE THE FOLKS WHO PRESENTED WITHIN THAT FISCAL YEAR, AND BASICALLY A SYNOPSIS, A LITTLE BLUR BLURB ABOUT WHAT
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS, I GUESS UNDER THIS, IT MIGHT BE ON THE LIST, MAYBE, UM, THERE HAS BEEN A, A, I GUESS A LOT OF THESE, UH, OUTREACHES ARE, ARE BEING OVERWHELMED WITH VETERANS APPLYING FOR BENEFITS.
AND YOU HAVE LIKE ONE CASE WORKER DOING, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 10 OR 15 CASES.
AND, UH, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD ADDRESS WITH ONE OF THESE, UM, ONE OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
SORRY, COMMISSIONER, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE CONCERNS, UH, THAT I HEARD FROM MR. JACKSON, OR YES, JACKSON.
AND THEN, UH, MISS, UH, OR, OR NOT
AND, UH, THEY GET BACKLOGGED BECAUSE YOU NOT ONLY HAVE ONE CASEWORKER FOR, UH, SO MANY, YOU KNOW, LIKE FIVE OR 10, OR, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ONE PERSON CAN WORK ON A CASE.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MAYBE, UH, MAYBE WE COULD GET SOME KIND OF INPUT AS TO HOW WE CAN INCREASE, UH, CASE WORKERS, YOU KNOW, TO, TO COVER THE, UH, VE BENEFITS OUR, OUR VETERANS ASKING FOR BENEFIT INCREASES IN BENEFITS.
DID I CONFUSE YOU, COMMISSIONER ROBINSON? NO, YOU DIDN'T.
HOWEVER, I KNOW ALL OF THAT'S COUNTY.
SO WE HAVE VSOS, I THINK WE HAVE WHAT, THREE OR FOUR OF THEM THAT ARE, UM, AT STEMMONS AND AT, UM, THE NEW GOVERNMENT ACTION CENTER.
BUT I DON'T, I MEAN, I WISH THERE WAS A WAY THAT I COULD GET CERTIFIED IN IT, BUT YEAH, I THINK THAT'S MORE SO COUNTY, UM, HIRING OF, UH, VETERAN SERVICE OFFICERS.
HOW DO WE GET MORE, IS THAT WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS'S SCOPE? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO? I, I DON'T KNOW.
THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION, BECAUSE YES, THERE'S A HUGE BACKLOG,
[00:50:03]
PARDON ME.BUT I THINK, BUT WE MAY BE DIGRESSING FROM THE ACTUAL REPORT, WHICH IS TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORICAL RECORD OF WHAT HAPPENED.
SO IF WE CAN MAYBE JUST GET BACK TO WHAT THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT SHOWS.
BUT THESE OTHER IDEAS ARE ALL AMONG THE THINGS THAT COME, YOU KNOW, THE 20, 24 YEAR THAT THESE ARE AMONG THE DIFFERENT, UH, FOCUSES THAT CAN CERTAINLY BE ADDRESSED.
ARE WE GOOD TO MOVE ON WITH THE EVENTS? UH, YES, SIR.
AND ONCE AGAIN, WITH REGARDS TO THE DATES, I KNOW IT, IT THROWS PEOPLE OFF.
AND IT EVEN STILL, ELIZABETH WITH ME, A, A, A CHALLENGE.
SO THE FISCAL 2023 YEAR, IT STARTED IN OCTOBER OF 2022, AND IT CONCLUDED IN SEPTEMBER OF 23.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE STAND DOWN AND THE VETERANS DAY PARADE, IT'S LAST YEAR'S DATES BECAUSE THAT FALLS INTO THE 2023 YEAR FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, SO WE'RE MOVING ON TO EVENTS.
AND THIS SOMETHING
SO WE KNOW THAT WAS RAINED OUT.
THIS VETERANS ADMINISTRATION STAND DOWN.
I, I, I REMEMBER THAT, BUT I, I DON'T, I'M NOT CLEAR AS TO WHO, YOU KNOW, HOW WE WERE, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW WE, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW WHAT DID WE DO TO, TO, UH, HONOR THAT, THAT EVENT? I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING ON AN AGENDA OR AGENDA ITEM.
THAT'S AN INTERNAL VA ACTIVITY.
AND, UH, THAT'S AN INTERNAL VA ACTIVITY, AND I THINK YOU JUST BRIEFED ON IT.
THE DALLAS VETERANS DAY PARADE.
UM, COMMISSIONER ROBINSON, UH, I, I I, I, I WANNA SAY I THANK YOU FOR, FOR, UH, I KNOW THAT THE, THE PARADE ITSELF WAS, UH, RAINED OUT, BUT YOU ATTENDED OUR, OUR DAY, UH, VETERAN'S DAY, UH, APPRECIATION AND, AND, UH, THAT WAS FOR THIS YEAR, UM, 2023.
AND, AND, UH, I, I, YOU KNOW, I, I APPRECIATE YOU AND I, UH, AND MS. HARRIS, I BELIEVE IS HER NAME, AND, AND I ACTUALLY GOT Y'ALL SOME BALL CAPS, WHICH I, I DID, YOU KNOW, RUNNING AROUND.
I FORGOT TO, TO, TO, UH, PRESENT 'EM TO YOU.
BUT, UH, I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE WITH ALL THE MILITARY PLANNERS THAT WERE INVOLVED, YOU CAN'T COME UP WITH A CONTINGENCY PLAN OR INCLEMENT WEATHER.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHY WE DID NOT HAVE A CONTINGENCY DATE SET.
UM, THE DATE OF THE CANCELLATION, IT WAS LIKE, WELL, LET'S JUST PUSH IT OFF UNTIL TOMORROW.
AND IT WAS LIKE, NO, WE DON'T HAVE A CONTINGENCY DATE SET.
SO GOING FORWARD IN THE FUTURE, THE CITY OF DALLAS WILL HAVE A CONTINGENCY DATE SET SHOULD IT BE INCLUDED, WHETHER, EVEN IF THEY JUST MOVED IN INTO THE LOBBY AND HAD SOME KIND OF CEREMONY ON THE SAME DAY, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN SOMETHING JUST TO CANCEL THE WHOLE THING.
YEAH, IT, THERE WERE A LOT OF VARIABLES.
A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT I PROBABLY CANNOT DISCUSS.
UM, BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS THAT KIND OF HINDERED THAT.
UM, TRUST ME, ALL OF THAT WAS VETTED.
WE, UM, MOLD OVER IT AND IT WAS A TOUGH DECISION, BUT TOUGH DECISION HAD TO BE MADE.
WELL, BIRDWELL HERE, DISTRICT SEVEN, I WAS PART OF THE RECREATION OF THE PARADE FOR DALLAS.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL KNEW THAT I REPRESENTED WOMEN VETERANS WHEN IT WAS RECREATED BACK IN THE NINETIES.
AND WE ALWAYS DISCUSSED BACK THEN WHEN IT WAS CREATED, LARRY DUNCAN, AND THE OTHER WAS, THAT SHOWS YOU THE DATING OF IT.
LARRY DUNCAN WAS OUR CHAIR, UH, ABOUT HAVING A CONTINGENCY PLAN.
AND THEY ALWAYS SAID THAT THE CITY CAN'T HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN BECAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH SECURITY, YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE COST OF OVERTIME WITH COPS, THE SCHOOLS, ET CETERA.
'CAUSE I ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE IT ON THE WEEKEND.
AND THEY SAID NO, BECAUSE THEN YOU CAN'T GET THE SCHOOL DISTRICT KIDS, YOU KNOW, THE ROTC KIDS.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE IT DURING THE WEEK.
HOWEVER, UNTIL THEY DESTROY, YOU KNOW, REBUILD, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER, THEY COULD HAVE, UM, OPENED UP THE CONVENTION
[00:55:01]
CENTER IF THEY HAD HAD THAT AS A CONTINGENCY SO THAT I'M OFFERING FOR NEXT YEAR, BECAUSE IT'S LITERALLY ACROSS THE STREET.AND THEY COULD HAVE OPENED IT UP, AND THAT WOULD'VE ALLOWED ALL OF THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, ALL OF THE VETERANS, YOU KNOW, ACCESS INTO ONE OF THE MAIN HALLS.
AND THEY COULD HAVE HAD A MODIFIED VERSION OF IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT HAS TO BE PLANNED.
UH, DR. ROBERTSON, I'M SURE WOULD AGREE THAT HAS TO PLAN A YEAR TO ALMOST TWO YEARS OUT BECAUSE OF CONVENTIONS AND CONSTRUCTION.
BUT THAT'S MY SUGGESTION, IS THAT WE LOOK AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AS A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE JUST TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION.
IT IS ALMOST ONE O'CLOCK, AND WE WANNA STILL HOPEFULLY TRY TO FINISH UP WHAT'S LEFT OF THESE FEW PAGES.
PLEASE, CAN WE KEEP MOVING? UH, I JUST, I WANT TO, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET THE VETERANS, UH, UH, PARADE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOLID.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION.
AND I KNOW THAT DR. ROBINSON OR OR COMMISSIONER ROBINSON, THAT, UH, THAT THAT'S A LOT OF PLANNING, NEW PLANNING.
BUT AS FAR AS THE DALLAS VETERANS DAY PARADE, THAT, THAT WE HAVE MORE, UH, UH, UH, NOTICE OR, OR START PLANNING SOONER AFTER MAYBE EVEN, YOU KNOW, JANUARY OR FEBRUARY TO START PLANNING, EVEN IF IT'S NOT IN THAT CONVENTION CENTER TO START, YOU KNOW, START THE PLANNING PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S A LOT.
BUT, UM, I KNOW WE DO IT FOR OUR EVENT, THE APPRECIATION DAY, BUT, UM, JUST A SUGGESTION, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WE JUST DO A LITTLE SOONER.
UH, THE PLANNING PROCESS ACTUALLY STARTS AT THE END OF THE EVENT.
SO THE WAY THE FOUNDATION DO IT, THEY'RE ALREADY TRYING TO, UH, FUNDRAISE FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
THERE'S PROBABLY GONNA BE A LOT OF CHANGES.
AGAIN, I CAN'T SPEAK TOO FREELY ON SOME OF THE THINGS, BUT, UM, THIS DOCUMENT HERE IS TALKING ABOUT 2022, WHICH IT THOROUGHLY CAPTURED WHAT HAPPENED IN 2022.
WE DID CANCEL THE OUTSIDE EVENT, BUT IT WAS, UM, THE CEREMONY WAS STILL HELD ON THE INSIDE.
SO THAT LITTLE PARAGRAPH THERE AT THE END OF THE, THE LAST PAGE DOES CAPTURE WHAT HAPPENED IN 2022.
UM, AGAIN, AND I WANNA, UM, STICK WITH WHAT'S ON THE PAPER, BUT FOR 2022, THAT'S THOROUGH.
AND AS FAR AS 2024 GOES, THE PLANNING PROCESS HAS ALREADY BEGAN.
UM, THE, ON THE DALLAS VETERANS RESOURCE CARD, UM, I MADE A SUGGESTION, UM, THAT, THAT OUR COMMISSION HAVE AT LEAST A BUDGET.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S $435, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR US TO DO ANYTHING, I MEAN, FOR ANYBODY TO DO ANYTHING AT THIS TIME.
AND YOU KNOW, TO THAT YOU NEED A BUDGET TO, TO HAVE SOME BITE, YOU KNOW, TO TO, TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I, I, I, I SUGGEST WE GET, YOU KNOW, A BUDGET AND THE BUDGET COULD BE WHATEVER THE CITY CAN AFFORD OR WHATEVER THEY SUGGEST.
IF WE CAN ASK THE NCO, IF WE COULD ASK THE SYDNEY ATTORNEY, MAYBE HE'LL BE ABLE TO GIVE US SOME DIRECTION ON THAT.
SO, MR. FERDO, WITH REGARDS TO WHAT'S BEING ASKED BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF HAVING SOMETHING OF A BUDGET, SOME MONEY ALLOCATED TO THEM FOR THEIR SERVICES, FOR THEIR WORK AND PROJECTS AND, AND THINGS OF THAT SORT, HOW DOES THAT WORK? GOOD AFTERNOON.
THIS IS STEVEN MCFADDEN FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UH, IN RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTION, IT'S NOT LEGAL IN NATURE, SO I REALLY CAN'T ADVISE THE BOARD ON IT.
BUT MY BEST THOUGHTS ARE TO GO THROUGH THE ACTUAL, THE COMMITTEE THAT YOU'RE SITTING UNDER, THE BOARD THAT YOU'RE SITTING UNDER, WHICH I THINK IN THIS CASE IS OCC WAS, WELL, I CAN, I CAN CERTAINLY FIND OUT WHICH DEPARTMENT THAT YOU ARE UNDER THAT THIS BOARD REPORTS TO, AND THEN WORK OUT WITH YOUR, WITH THE, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN THERE TO GET AN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.
BUT NOT BEING LEGAL IN NATURE IS REALLY NOT MY PURVIEW.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOT MAKING IT LEGAL? YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S NOT LEGAL OR YOU DON'T KNOW? THE QUESTION ITSELF IS NOT A LEGAL RELATED QUESTION.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S AN ECONOMIC QUESTION.
AND THAT'S OUTSIDE OF OUR PURVIEW.
SO JUST TO, ONCE AGAIN, NOT TO BE
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DISRESPECTFUL OF ANYBODY ELSE'S TIME COMMITMENTS.'CAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE STILL KEEP QUORUM.
OTHERWISE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO END THE MEETING IF WE CAN JUST TRY TO HOPEFULLY MAYBE, UH, CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH WHAT THERE IS WITHIN THAT ANNUAL REPORT, PLEASE.
SO, UM, WHILE THE, WELL, WHILE THE CITY ATTORNEY'S THERE, UH, ONCE WE HAVE A QUORUM, SOMEBODY DROPPING OFF, IT DOESN'T DISQUALIFY THE QUORUM, DOES IT?
IN MOST MEETINGS THAT I'VE BEEN
IF YOU, ONCE YOU LOSE YOUR QUORUM, YOUR MEETING HAS DECEASED TO COMPLY WITH THE, TO COMPLY WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS SAYING OR IS WHAT YOU ALL REFER TO IT AS WELL, MY, MY SUGGESTION IS THAT THIS, THIS MEETING, UH, WAS TO, TO FINISH THE REPORT, FINISH OUR, OUR INPUT ON THIS REPORT, AND IT'S RUNNING OVER A LITTLE BIT OVER TIME OF WHAT WE'RE NORMALLY USED TO.
THEN THAT'S, YOU KNOW, OR, OR ARE WE, OR DO WE HAVE A DEAD STOP? YOU KNOW? WELL, UH, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I WOULD HAVE IS WHETHER OR NOT, IF WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM, WE CAN STILL DISCUSS THIS REPORT, WHICH IS NOT A, IT'S, WE COULD DO THIS BY MAIL, I THINK, OR EMAIL DOING TIDYING UP OF THE REPORT.
IT'S NOT, UH, I, I WOULD SAY IT'S NOT A LEGAL ISSUE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THIS REPORT COULD BE DRAFTED ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
I DON'T KNOW, WE EVEN HAD TO HAVE A MEETING TO DRAFT THIS REPORT.
I, WE THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE A MEETING TO APPROVE IT AT SOME POINT, OR THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY, D SEVEN BIRDWELL IS THAT IF WE LOSE OUR QUORUM, 'CAUSE ALL WE'RE DOING IS GOING OVER THE, THE INFORMATION PIECE BY PIECE, BECAUSE DOING IT BY EMAIL OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T WORK BECAUSE WE ALL GAVE SOME FEEDBACK AND YET WE'RE STILL GIVING MORE FEEDBACK.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I TOOK THE DAY OFF.
SO I COULD COME UP HERE IF WE WANNA STAY ONLINE.
IF YOU HAVE TO GO, YOU GOTTA GO AND THAT'S FINE.
BUT IF WE CAN STAY, THE OFFICIAL MEETING CAN END AT A CERTAIN POINT AND THEN THE REST OF US CAN JUST STAY.
IF WE'RE ALLOWED TO IN THE ROOM TO FINISH THIS DOCUMENT, THEN WITH ANY RECOMMENDED CHANGES, THEN SEND IT OUT AS AN EMAIL.
BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE ARE NOT GONNA VOTE ON THIS UNTIL JANUARY.
THAT'S WHEN THE ACTUAL MEETING A QUORUM FOR THIS WOULD DO.
BUT I'M LOOKING AT THE ATTORNEY IN HIS EYES.
HE, HE NEEDS TO TELL ME SOMETHING.
TECHNICALLY, MOST MEETINGS END, UH, BUT THE READING OF THE RULE, I BELIEVE ALLOWS THE MEETING TO CONTINUE, BUT NO ACTION ITEMS CAN BE TAKEN AT THAT POINT.
SO MAKING, UH, EVEN IN EVEN SAYING WE'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND THIS, THAT'S COULD ACTUALLY BE CONSIDERED AN ACTION ITEM.
SO, WELL, IT, WELL THEN I WOULD JUST, I WOULD JUST SUGGEST WE KEEP MAKING SUGGESTIONS AND WE, WE WAIT FOR ANY KIND OF FINAL RECOMMENDATION OR EVEN INTERIM RECOMMENDATION UNTIL OUR JANUARY MEETING.
PLUS, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE BEFORE THAT MEETING TO LOOK AT THE DRAFT THAT SPENDUM IS GONNA DO FOR US.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, UH, I I WOULD SAY THIS IS NOT AN ACTION ITEM, IT'S JUST A DRAFTING SESSION.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT TWO AND A HALF PAGES WORTH.
IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN, UH, STICK TO THE AGENDA, WE CAN HOPEFULLY GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT A HISTORICAL RECORD AND SO IF, IF YOU HAVE TO GO, YOU JUST HAVE TO GO.
BUT OTHERWISE, IF WE CAN REVIEW THEM, GREAT.
OTHERWISE IT'S GONNA BE AS, UH, COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL SAID WHERE THE DOCUMENT IS SET.
AND IF THE FEEDBACK IS NOT GOING TO BE THERE, THEN, UH, COME JANUARY.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TAKING FEEDBACK.
IT'S GONNA BE BASICALLY ONE OF EITHER, YOU KNOW, MAKING A MOTION ON IT.
SO WE NEED TO HOPEFULLY GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF THE, HOPEFULLY NOW, IF POSSIBLE, POLICE, WELL, I, I, I DON'T SEE WHERE WE'RE GONNA FINISH THE THIS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU WERE MAKING THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY.
SO IS THERE SOME WHO HAS TO LEAVE TO, TO NOT MAKE THIS A QUORUM? DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY WITH A DEAD STOP OR HARD STOP? UH, KATINA ROBINSON HAD TO LEAVE.
THAT LEAVES US WITH HOW MANY, LET'S, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL AGAIN? FIVE.
WHERE'S RAMOS? SO HERE WITHOUT THAT, DID RAMOS LEAVE? YEAH, HE, YEAH, HE ALSO LEFT AS WELL.
[01:05:01]
YEAH.OKAY, SO WE'VE LOST OUR QUORUM IN THAT.
SO I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE ATTORNEY AGAIN.
DOES THAT MEAN WE HAVE TO STOP EVEN MAKING SUGGESTIONS OR CAN WE JUST TURN THIS IN? THE MEETING HAS NOW OFFICIALLY ENDED IF, YOU KNOW, QUORUM HAS LOST, BUT CAN WE NOT STAY TOGETHER TO WORK ON THIS? OR IS THAT BREAKING ANY RULE UNDER THE OPEN MEETINGS RECORDS APP? I THOUGHT I JUST SAW WHERE PETER SMITH WAS ACTUALLY ON THIS.
UH, SO DOES HE MAKE SEVEN? I DID SEE PETER SMITH AND I DON'T KNOW IF HE WOULD MAKE SEVEN OR NOT, BUT HE'S NOT ON CAMERA.
SO ACCORDING TO THE OPEN MEETINGS, HE'S NOT OKAY.
EVERY OTHER COMMITTEE I WORK WITH, THEY, THEY CEASE AT THE, AT THE MOMENT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST BY TRADITIONAL OR OF RULE.
WELL, UM, I, I RESPECT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S, UH, OPINION.
I, I, I THINK IT'S
WE, WE CAN GET THIS DONE IN ANOTHER WAY.
UH, IF HE FEELS LIKE WE CAN'T GO ON.
WELL, IF WE GO OVER IT AND DO IT BACK.
'CAUSE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN I WAS TRAINED, REMEMBER WE WENT THROUGH ALL THAT TRAINING ONLINE AND IT SAYS IF YOU START TALKING TO EACH OTHER AND YOU HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN A ROOM AT A PARTY, ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'VE BROKEN THE LAW.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT HE'S KIND OF IMPLYING.
THAT'S THE KIND OF THE SAME STANDARD THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA BE TOGETHER, WE HAVE TO CALL IT YEAH.
LIST AN AGENDA AND THEN HAVE IT, YOU KNOW, HAVE IT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IF WE WANNA DO THAT AND HAVE LIKE A WORKING MEETING THAT WON'T TAKE ACTION.
I DON'T SEE WHY THAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM, BUT WE'D HAVE TO SCHEDULE THAT CORRECT ATTORNEY.
IT SHOULD BE SCHEDULED AS A MEETING.
IF, IF MR. SMITH WAS ABLE TO COME BACK ON, UH, JUST TO BE ON THE SCREEN, I THINK YOU COULD CONTINUE, IF THAT'S WHAT THE WILL OF THE BOARD IS.
HE'S SAYING HE NEEDS TO BE ADDED AS A, AS A PANELIST, UM, WHICH EVERYONE WAS SENT THE INFORMATION OF ADDING IN.
BUT THE TECHNICAL SPOT PART, I WOULD HE BE ABLE TO JOIN BY HIS CELL PHONE BY CHANCE? I HAVE A SUGGESTION.
IF, IF SHE PENDO COULD PLEASE SEND US THIS UPDATED ONE AND, YOU KNOW, RE-MAIL IT, YOU KNOW, RESEND IT TO US VIA EMAIL, THEN WE CAN MAKE ALL OF OUR CHANGES.
AND IT STILL WOULD COMPLY WITH THE LAW.
IF I, YOU KNOW, IF WE JUST DID AN INFORMAL EMAIL BACK TO EVERYBODY ELSE, I BELIEVE AND JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, ON PARAGRAPH TWO OF PAGE ONE, UM, THIS IS WHAT I RECOMMEND, BUT HE'S MOTIONING AT ME.
YOU DON'T WANNA REPLY ALL TO ANY EMAIL 'CAUSE THEN YOU ARE CREATING AN IN A MEETING.
SO, SO PETER SMITH, YOU WERE JUST ADDED ON AS A PANELIST, BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO PUT YOUR CAMERA ON.
I CAN'T GET ON CAMERA OR SPEAK OR UNMUTE MYSELF.
I AM ON, AND I CAN, UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW ME, I REPRESENT DISTRICT 14 PAUL RIDLEY ON THE COMMISSION.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS STEVEN MCFADDEN AGAIN.
MAY I JUST ASK THAT, BECAUSE I BELIEVE YOUR, YOU DON'T HAVE A, A LOCKDOWN TIME, BUT TRADITIONALLY YOUR MEETINGS ARE AN HOUR.
I WOULD PROBABLY ASK, WELL, I WOULD ADVISE THE BOARD TO VOTE TO EXTEND THE MEETING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
YOU KNOW, 15 MINUTES, 30 MINUTES, AN HOUR.
YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY IF YOU DID AN HOUR, YOU WOULD NEED THE WHOLE HOUR, BUT AT LEAST IT WOULD KEEP YOU COVERED.
IN CASE OF MR. CHAIRMAN, THIS IS SCOTT CHASE.
UH, I WOULD, UH, MAKE A MOTION THAT WE EXTEND OUR MEETING BY, UH, 45 MINUTES.
COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL, I THINK WE JUST HAD ALL THE DISCUSSION, THE LEGAL DISCUSSION, SO YEAH, BUT WE HAVE TO, BUT IF THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR, PARLIAMENTARIAN AND ME, IF THERE'S A MOTION IN, IN A SECOND, THEN WE HAVE TO HAVE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ACTUAL MOTION, WHICH I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, WHY I SAID THAT, BUT I THOUGHT WE ALREADY HAD THE DISCUSSION, BUT IS THERE ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO DISCUSS THE MOTION, UH, TO CONTINUE THE, UH, MEETING FOR 45 MINUTES? NO DISCUSSIONS.
[01:10:01]
OPPOSED? OKAY, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE FOR ABOUT 45 MORE MINUTES.I THINK WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FINISH OKAY, SO WE'RE GO BACK TO WHERE WE JUST DROPPED OFF AT.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS COMMISSIONER MEES.
UM, SO WE, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CARD AND YEAH, THAT WAS THE, THE, THE COST, CORRECT.
UM, FUNDING, FUNDING FOR OUR COMMISSION.
AND MY QUESTION WAS WHY, BECAUSE THIS BENEFITS FIRST RESPONDERS IN DEALING WITH A VETERAN OR WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT, WHY THE COST OF THESE CARDS COULDN'T COME UNDER THEIR PURVIEW.
BUT I THINK YOU KIND OF ANSWERED THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE ELSE LOOK INTO THAT.
THAT'S THE SUMMARY OF WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE WE GOT DISTRACTED.
WHO, WHOEVER'S OUR OVER OUR COMMISSION.
BUT WE NEED THOUSANDS OF THOSE CARDS.
OH, THAT WAS, UM, WAS IT A HUNDRED CARDS? NO, 500 CARD.
SO JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE DID REPRINT FOR THE VETERAN STAND DOWN.
ON NOVEMBER 1ST, WE DID PRINT AN EXTRA, UH, 500, UH, 250 OF EACH.
SO I DO HAVE, I DO HAVE THOSE DOWNSTAIRS IN MY OFFICE.
IF ANYBODY, I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THEM SO THAT IF ANYBODY WANTED TO, THEY COULD HAVE TAKEN THEM FOR THE PURPOSE OF SHARING THEM.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT THIS PART AS, UH, A HISTORICAL RECORD.
SO DID EVERYBODY HEAR THAT? YEAH.
UM, THE TOWN HALL, UH, THE BOND, THE NEXT ISSUE, UH, ITEM IS THE BOND TOWN HALL.
AND OUR, AND OUR FEEDBACK ON THAT, MY MINE BASICALLY WAS JUST THAT THE, THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO GO, UH, OR BEING PUT INTO HOUSING, YOU KNOW, AND THAT, THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S OVERALL, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST STRICTLY VETERANS, BUT THAT'S OVERALL.
AND I THINK AS VETERANS WE'RE PUT INTO THAT POPULATION, YOU KNOW, OF, UH, YOU KNOW, OF ALL, OF ALL OF WHATEVER THE CITY'S GONNA BUDGET FOR HOUSING.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF, UM, ANYONE THAT WANTS TO CONTINUE GOING TO THESE TOWN HALL OR WHILE THERE WILL BE NO MORE TOWN HALL, I THINK THEY'RE, THEY'VE MADE A, A LIST OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO PAY OUT IN THE BOND.
HAS ANYBODY ELSE, UH, BEEN FOLLOWING THAT BOND, UH, ISSUE AS FAR AS HOME OR HOUSING? YEAH, THEY, SO THEY HAVE, UH, THEY'VE HAVE PRETTY MUCH FINISHED THEIR TOWN HALLS, BUT THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME, UH, SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS, UH, THE PROPOSALS AS THEY'RE GONNA GET PUSHED OUT INTO, UH, VOTING FOR PEOPLE IN THE CITY IN MAY.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA COME OUT IN PROPOSITION, SO THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH DRAFT LANGUAGE OF THOSE PROPOSITIONS.
SO THERE ARE GOING TO BE MEETINGS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES, UH, OVER THE NEXT MONTH OR SO.
I THINK THAT THOSE HAVE TO BE FINALIZED TO GET ONTO THE BALLOTS SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY, MAYBE EARLY MARCH.
ON, ON TOP OF WHAT PETER JUST SAID, THERE'S ALSO A CONFLICT BETWEEN THE CITY MANAGER AND THE MAYOR ABOUT HOW MUCH TO PUT INTO PARKS AND HOW MUCH TO PUT INTO STREETS.
AND SO IT'S, THE, THE WHOLE PROCESS HAS BEEN DELAYED A LITTLE BIT BY THAT.
BUT I, I DON'T THINK THERE'S GONNA BE ANY CHANGE IN THE HOUSING SECTION OF THIS.
UH, I THINK THE ARGUMENT'S GONNA BE OVER PARKS AND STREETS.
SO SHE, WELL, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD FORM A GROUP OR SUPPORT GROUP OR, OR, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF LIKE A LOBBY, A LOBBY JUST, YOU KNOW, GROUP TO, TO LOBBY FOR MORE MONEY FOR THE VETERAN SIDE.
IT, IT'S, IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT.
I MEAN, IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, AT THE BOND COMMITTEE ITSELF, THE 14 MEMBERS THAT WERE, OR MAYBE 15, UH, ALL THEY'RE ARGUING ABOUT NOW IS 1.1 BILLION IN STREETS AND PARKS.
I MEAN, THE HOUSING IS, I THINK, SET.
I, I THINK WE OUGHT TO KIND OF WATCH OVER IT, BUT, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH WE CAN DO.
I DON'T THINK ABOUT GETTING MORE MONEY FOR HOUSING THERE, THERE, AND, AND, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, THERE, THERE'S, UH, ANTIPATHY FOR PUBLIC WORKS HOUSING ANYWAY IN THE, IN, IN THE CITY COUNCIL.
I MEAN, UM, THERE, THERE'S OTHER WAYS OF DOING IT.
[01:15:01]
THINK IN TERMS OF PUBLIC PARTNER, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.AND SO THEY'RE MORE WILLING TO DO THAT THAN THEY ARE, PUT PUBLIC MONEY INTO IT.
UH, SO I THINK PETER IS NODDING HIS HEAD LIKE, THAT'S RIGHT,
BUT I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK WE SPEND TIME TRYING TO GET MORE MONEY.
THAT, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE MESSAGE.
UH, THAT CERTAINLY IN THE LAST CONVERSATION, UH, THAT I HAD WITH, WITH PEOPLE ON THE, ON THAT COMMITTEE, UM, THE HOUSING COMMITTEE, THAT'S IT.
UH, THEY SHOT FOR 275 MILLION.
THEY'VE REALLY SHOT FOR THREE 50, THEN IT WAS 2 75.
THEY GOT 200 AND ARE ACTUALLY KIND OF IN, IN MANY WAYS HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
AS WE'VE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FUNDING.
IT'S BEEN LIKE 23 OR $25 MILLION OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS IN PUBLIC BOND MONEY, UH, GOING TOWARDS HOUSING.
AND SO THE WAY THEY STRUCTURED IT FROM A VETERAN'S PERSPECTIVE THIS YEAR, OR FROM A CONSTITUENCY PERSPECTIVE THIS YEAR, WAS REALLY ABOUT THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN SPECIFIC AREAS AS OPPOSED TO, UH, SUPPORTING SPECIFIC PEOPLE.
SO THEY WERE WORKING THROUGH ALL OF THAT IN THEIR MEETINGS IN SEPTEMBER.
UH, BUT THEN WHEN CITY COUNCIL BASICALLY SAID, YOU ARE STUCK AT 200 MILLION, AT THAT POINT, IT BECAME, THE CONVERSATION BECOMES LANGUAGE IN THE PROPOSAL OR PROPOSED LANGUAGE IN THE, THAT'S GONNA GO ONTO THE BALLOT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE VOTE FOR THE $200 MILLION.
THERE'S GONNA BE LIKE SIX OR SEVEN, UH, THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO VOTE ON AS MEMBERS OF THE CITY.
AND ONE OF THEM IS GOING TO BE AROUND HOUSING.
AND SO IT'S ABOUT THE LANGUAGE THAT IS GOING TO GET THE MOST PEOPLE TO VOTE YES TO THAT AT THE CITY COUNCIL LEVEL.
AS SCOTT WAS SAYING EARLIER, UH, MOST OF THE CONVERSATION IN TERMS OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IS AROUND STREETS AND PARKS, AND WHO GETS MORE ONCE THAT IS SETTLED, THEY'RE STILL GONNA HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO VOTE.
SO JUST BECAUSE CITY COUNCIL SAYS 200 MILLION FOR HOUSING AND 1.1 BILLION OVERALL, WE ALL HAVE TO VOTE FOR THAT.
SO THIS IS ALL KIND OF A RAMP UP TO SAY ANYTHING THAT WE, WE WANT TO DO AS VETERANS OR IN SUPPORT OF VETERANS, WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT, UM, WAYS TO GET PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR THE $200 MILLION, UH, TOWARDS HOUSING AND LIKE VOTE YES TO PROP, WHATEVER, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO SUPPORT VETERANS.
LIKE THAT'S POSITION THAT WE NEED TO START TAKING.
YEAH, THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT, PETER, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE SOME, UH, OPPOSITION TO THE BOND.
UH, AND YOU DON'T WANNA BE CAUGHT UNAWARES BECAUSE, UH, WE, WE DIDN'T DO OUR JOB TO GET MORE, GET THAT MONEY FOR HOUSING.
AND, AND, UM, AT YESTERDAY'S, UH, CITY HALL MEETING, UH, THERE WAS A, AN ISSUE ABOUT FUNDING FOR OTHER PROJECTS AND HOUSING.
AND THEY EVEN TALKED ABOUT THE, THE MIRAMAR AND UH, MAYBE TO THE CITY SELLING THOSE PROPERTIES BECAUSE THEY'RE BUYING THESE PROPERTIES UP AND THEY'RE JUST SITTING THERE WITH NO, NO FUNDING TO FIX 'EM.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S PART OF THE BOND.
I GUESS IT COULD BE PART OF THE BOND PACKAGE.
SO, UH, UH, UH, I KNOW I'LL DO MY BEST TO GET PEOPLE TO VOTE, YOU KNOW, OR SUPPORT IT, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I, I THINK IF ONE, ONE OF THE ITEMS I SAY, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING'S BETTER THAN NOTHING.
YOU KNOW? SO I GUESS THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.
NEXT ITEM ON THE TABLE WERE CONTESTS.
UM, I THINK I STATED EARLIER, THE ONLY, THE ONLY THING THAT I IDENTIFIED THAT, THAT, UH, WE NEEDED IS FUNDING.
I BELIEVE IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THERE MAY BE SOMETHING THAT I PUT IN THERE WITH REGARDS TO THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU GAVE.
ANYBODY ELSE IN DISCUSSION? OKAY.
[01:20:01]
INCREASE COMMUNITY ACTION ACTION POINTS.LET'S JUST LEAVE THAT IN THERE AS IS.
OR DO WE NEED THAT AT ALL? BIRDWELL HERE, THEY LOOK, IT LOOKS ACCURATE TO ME.
I THINK, WITHOUT BEING TOO SPECIFIC.
'CAUSE THEN WE GET LOST IN THE WEEDS AGAIN.
I THINK WE WENT OVER THIS ONE EARLIER.
THI THIS WAS A PART OF THE DART.
I I WAS THINKING MORE DART WHEN TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, YOU KNOW, THE RAILS AND THE BUS LINES.
I THINK THAT'S PRETTY BASIC TOO.
SO ANY, ANY SUGGESTIONS ON THAT? SEE THAT AS IS NEXT ONE.
I THINK WE HAVE A VETERAN HERE IN THE AUDIENCE.
UM, AND, AND I'VE SPOKEN WITH SEVERAL, UH, DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS.
'CAUSE UH, THAT THAT'S THE, THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE HAVING WITH THE AGE GROUPS, YOU KNOW, THAT SOME OF US ARE, ARE, ARE RETIRED FROM THE MILITARY, BUT WE'RE NOT RETIRED FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM, UH, HAVING A, A QUALITY OF LIFE THAT, THAT MAY DEPEND ON SOME EXTRA INCOME.
SO I THINK THAT'S A ITEM THAT WE REALLY NEED TO WORK ON, UH, TO TRY AND GET THESE CORPORATIONS TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, SECURITY GUARDS OR, OR, OR WORK AT WALMART OR SOMETHING LIKE A, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST A MINIMAL JOB BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME PRETTY TALENTED, YOU KNOW, AND PEOPLE AND EXPERTISE IN AREAS THAT, THAT CAN MANAGE CORPORATIONS.
SO, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY CONTACTS OUT THERE, UM, I GUESS WE JUST SHARE 'EM WITH YOU.
WE NEED TO SHARE 'EM AMONGST EACH OTHER.
AND I THINK THAT SHOULD JUST STAY THE WAY IT'S, THAT'S GOOD.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SO BASED ON THESE AREAS OF NEED, THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION MAKES THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY OF DALLAS.
ANY DISCUSSIONS ON THE, THE FIRST ONE, NUMBER ONE, THAT, AS IS NUMBER TWO, UM, THE HOUSING FORWARD, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR THEM TO BE PART OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR OUR, OUR, UH, SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THE HOUSING.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY SHOULD BE PART OF THAT SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE DATA IS CORRECT IF WE EVER DO A GAP ANALYSIS.
SO WE'LL LEAVE THAT, LIKE, THAT, THAT STATE NUMBER THREE.
UH, COMMISSIONER WALKER HAS SOMEONE, UH, VALERIE WITH THE TINY HOUSES, UH, SO THAT, THAT BECOMES A VIABLE OPTION.
AND I DON'T KNOW, WE, WE MADE A TOUR OUT TO ONE OF THE, THE, THE LOCATIONS FOR THE TINY HOUSES, AND THEY'RE REALLY GREAT.
I THINK THE ONLY ISSUE WAS, UH, WITH, WITH THE PROPERTY OR WHEREVER THEY SIT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN SIT, YOU KNOW, IN A, LIKE A CAMPGROUND OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT THAT THEY ARE MOBILE HOMES.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MOVEABLE.
SO WE LEAVE THAT, WE'LL LEAVE THAT LIKE THAT OR LEAVE IT AS IS.
AND NUMBER FOUR IS THE SAME THING AS LEAVE, AS IS I, I WOULD THINK EN UNLESS THERE'S ANY SUGGESTIONS, ANY DISCUSSIONS ON THAT AREA.
NUMBER FIVE, WHO DO WE COMMUNICATE THAT WITH? NUMBER? WHICH ONE? FIVE.
WHO DO WE COMMUNICATE THAT WITH? NOTICE THAT WE HAD ABOUT FOUR VACANCIES.
[01:25:01]
FIVE.I'M TALKING ABOUT FIVE ON THE LIST.
ENSURE VACANCIES ON THE COMMISSION ON IT.
SO SPEAKING, I ACTUALLY COMMUNICATED WITH, UH, THE BOARDS AND CHAIRS, UH, DIRECTOR.
AND SHE BASICALLY SAID THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THEMSELVES, UH, DO.
SO PART OF WHAT CAN BE DONE IN THIS CASE IS FOR YOURSELVES TO SPEAK TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE LIAISON, WHOEVER IT IS THAT YOU HAVE.
AND MAYBE KIND OF NUDGE THEM TO HAVE THE MISSING, UH, DISTRICTS THAT THE, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM THOSE DISTRICTS THAT THEY GO AHEAD AND LOOK TO FILL THEM WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH VETERANS.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ON TO NUMBER FIVE.
IF PEOPLE LIKE THIS AND WHERE IT SAYS, ENSURE VACANCIES ON THE COMMISSION ARE EXPEDITIOUSLY FILLED AS WELL AS REAPPOINTMENTS, THAT'S WHERE I HAD MY HANGUP.
UH, WE COULD SAY BY WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS, STAFF, OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
IF, IF Y'ALL WOULD AGREE, BECAUSE, UM, HOW WE WOULD ENSURE, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE TO TALK TO, LIKE DER JUST SAID, WE'VE GOTTA TALK TO THE CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE THAT THEY HAVE GOT THIS DONE AND THAT THESE PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO FILL THINGS OUT.
SO TO ME IT WOULD SAY ENSURE VACANCIES ON THE COMMISSION ARE FILLED, UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS OUR REAPPOINTMENTS BY LIAISON.
WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE VERB? LIAISON IN A LIAISON.
AND I'M A TEACHER BY WORKING WITH, UH,
SO DOES EVERYONE APPROVE OF THAT WORDSMITHING? DO I EDIT IT? OH, SURE.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A SUGGESTION THAT, NOT NECESSARILY FOR THIS REPORT, BUT, UM, EACH OF US PROBABLY KNOWS A BETTER AND, UH, WHO WOULD BE USEFUL AND GOOD ON THIS COMMISSION.
UH, BUT THEY MAY LIVE IN THE DISTRICT YOU'RE IN ALREADY.
BUT I'M, UH, AN APPOINTMENT BY ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER THAT I DON'T LIVE IN HER DISTRICT.
AND SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT TO BE A APPOINTED.
AND I SUSPECT THAT IF WE FOUND SOMEBODY, UH, GOOD, SOME OF THESE VACANCIES COULD BE FILLED.
'CAUSE I WAS THINKING OF THE SAME THING, THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO ACTUALLY LIVE IN THAT DISTRICT.
YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS JUST LIKE A LOT ANOTHER APPOINTEE, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW THAT LIVES ACROSS TOWN OR SOMETHING THAT ONE OF THESE COUNCIL PEOPLE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD SUGGESTION.
THEY HAVE TO LIVE IN DALLAS CITY PROPER.
COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL, IF YOU DON'T MIND, UH, HELPING ME WITH WHAT IT WAS THAT YOU HAD SAID.
SO I CAN, UH, CORRECTLY SMITH IT IF I CAN.
I CAN'T SEE IT WITH ALL THE LITTLE VA PIECE ON IT.
AND YEAH, ENSURE VACANCIES ON THE COMMISSION ARE FILLED BY LIAISONING.
THERE'S THAT WORD, UM, WITH THE STAFF, WITH CITY CO, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER STAFFS.
AND THEN I WOULD PUT IN THE MOVE THE, AS WELL AS REAPPOINTMENTS UP THERE WITH THE VACANCIES.
I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE IT BETTER.
ENSURE VACANCIES AND REAPPOINTMENTS ON THE COMMISSION ARE FILLED BY LIAISONING WITH, WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER MEMBER STAFF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER STAFFS OR STAFF.
I DUNNO IF IT'S SINGULAR OR MULTIPLE.
THERE'S NUMBER SEVEN OR NO NUMBER'S.
COMMISSIONER WALKER DISTRICT FOUR.
UM, NOW THE CO PLANTS AND BUILDING INSPECTORS, THEY HAVE A STANDARD ALREADY ESTABLISHED FOR TINY HOUSES.
UH, THE PROBLEM WITH IS PRETTY MUCH THE ZONING.
WHERE CAN WE PLACE THESE TINY HOUSES? I THINK THAT NEED TO BE ESTABLISHED MORE SO THAN, UM, THE COMPLIANCE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TINY HOUSES, BUT THEY ARE IN CERTAIN
[01:30:01]
AREAS.THESE AREAS NEED TO BE DESIGNATED WHERE THEY CAN BE PLACED.
THAT WOULD BE UNDER CODE COMPLIANCE, I BELIEVE.
YEAH, IT'S UNDER CO COMPLIANCE.
THEY HAVE PLACES FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, ON BEAR STREET AT THE, AT THE, AT THE GARDEN.
THEY HAVE TINY HOUSES OVER THERE ALREADY.
BUT THERE'S CERTAIN AREAS THEY DON'T WANT TINY HOUSES.
BUT THE TAX BASES, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THESE AREAS NEED TO BE DESIGNATED.
SO WE CAN KNOW IN ADVANCE WHERE WE CAN PLACE THESE TINY HOUSES THAT, UH, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A MAPPING, UH, I'VE SEEN, I'VE SEEN A MAP WHERE EACH AREA OR DISTRICT HAS A ZONE.
YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT, LIKE IT'S RESIDENTIAL OR, OR, UH, INDUSTRIAL.
SO, SO THERE, THERE'S MAPPING ALREADY AVAILABLE TO SEE WHERE, WHAT THAT IS THE CRITERIA, BUT IT'S NOT BEING IMPLICATED IN CERTAIN AREAS.
CERTAIN AREAS DON'T WANT THE TINY HOUSES BECAUSE OF THE TAX BASES, BUT BECAUSE OF OTHER RESISTANCE THAT THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S BEYOND US.
THAT THAT WOULD BE LIKE, I KNOW FOR US, FOR, AND I'M SPEAKING FOR, FOR MY AREA, THAT I KNOW IF, UH, THEY WANT A TINY HOUSE OR, OR, OR A TOWNHOUSE, WHATEVER IT IS, IF IT'S NOT ZONED FOR THAT, YOU HAVE TO GO TO THAT REZONING PROCESS.
MY QUESTION THOUGH, BIRDWELL, THESE, UH, DISTRICT SEVEN, HOW WOULD WE CHANGE THE WORDING? WHAT IS IT IN THE WORDING THAT YOU WANT DONE SO THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S ALL WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS JUST THE WORDING.
WHAT DID YOU WANT ADDED IN? OR DETRACTED OR DEDUCTED? JUST SOME KIND OF, UH, LANGUAGE THAT WOULD LET YOU KNOW WHERE THESE TINY HOUSES CAN BE PLACED AS FAR AS THE ZONING IS CONCERNED.
IF IT'S ZONED RESIDENTIAL, THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH, BUT IN SOME CASES THAT'S NOT ENOUGH.
WELL, BUT THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS WAS JUST TO SAY THAT THAT'S, I THINK THAT COVERS IT IN THREE.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT, IT SAYS ENSURE ZONING AND CODE COMPLIANCE, ESTABLISH AND EXPEDITE.
I THINK THAT COVERS IT BECAUSE THE DETAILS OF WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY PUT 'EM IS NOT GONNA BE IN THIS REPORT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD DO LATER ON.
WE'RE JUST TELLING THEM THAT WE, IN ESSENCE, I THINK NUMBER THREE TELLS 'EM THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THAT.
AND IT'S KIND OF GIVING A WARNING SHOT OF WHAT YOU WANNA GET DONE.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT SAYS ENSURE ZONING AND CODE COMPLIANCE, ESTABLISH AND EXPEDITE STANDARDS FOR TINY HOUSES SO THAT THEY BECOME QUICK VIABLE OPTIONS.
I, I WOULD DEDUCT, BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY ADVANTAGES I WOULD TAKE THAT OFF, BUT, UM, I THINK THAT ACTUALLY TELLS THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA DO.
AND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION, BUT WE'RE JUST LISTING GOALS RIGHT NOW.
IF THAT MAKES, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU, MR. WALKER? YES.
ANYONE ELSE? UH, SO WE'RE, WE'RE GOING BACK TO NUMBER SIX.
UM, WE CHANGE IT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THIS COMMISSION.
SO IT'S SPECIFIC TO US, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW IT'S FOR US KIND OF TAKING OWNERSHIP.
YEAH, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE ENGLISH.
MAJOR
I, I DON'T DISAGREE 'CAUSE I'M ON THAT SUBCOMMITTEE, BUT I WAS GONNA LOOK AT THE LAWYER AND LOOK AT HIS EYES BECAUSE CAN SOMEONE WHO'S NOT ON OUR COMMISSION BE ON OUR SUBCOMMITTEE? WELL, THEY DON'T, I THINK THEY COULD BE BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT, THE WHOLE POINT OF HAVING A SUBCOMMITTEE IS IT'S A PART OF A, OF THE WHOLE, SO THEY CAN'T BE, THEY CAN LIAISON WITH US, BUT THEY CAN'T BE WITH US OR VOTE SOMEBODY TO COME TO ALL MEETINGS AND PROVIDE.
SO I WOULD REQUEST, UH, I WOULD CHA RECOMMEND A CHANGE OF, REQUEST A STAFF MEMBER OF HOUSING FORWARD COME TO ALL HOUSING SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS.
'CAUSE THEY CAN'T BE A MEMBER, BUT THEY COULD COME TO OUR MEETINGS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
[01:35:08]
COOL.THAT WAS JUST, JUST SUGGESTIONS.
ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO FISCAL YEAR 2024.
I THINK THE OPENING OF THERE WAS A CHAIR'S, UM, THE PREVIOUS CHAIR'S, THE STATE SENTENCE OR STATEMENT AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD.
UNLESS SOMEBODY WANTS TO INCREASE IT OR DECREASE IT.
PRETTY BASIC NUMBER ONE'S INCREASED CAPACITY OF MEMBERSHIP.
SO JUST INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE DALLAS VETERANS HOUSING SUBCOMMITTEE.
UH, WELL FAR FOR ME IS LEARNING ABOUT HOUSING.
YOU KNOW, THE WHAT, WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE OUT THERE.
UH, CAPACITY ALSO MEANS BRINGING PEOPLE LIKE THE HOUSING, POOR PEOPLE IN THE AREA OF EXPERTISE THAT HAVE, UH, THAT HAS THE RELIABLE DATA.
TELL US WHAT, WHAT VETERANS ARE OUT THERE THAT NEED, OR, OR EVEN ELIGIBLE, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE FOR HOUSING.
AND THEN, UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO REPLACE THE WORD CAPACITY WITH EFFECTIVENESS, INCREASE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE DALLAS VETERAN HOUSING SUBCOMMITTEE E EITHER.
WOULD THAT, DO ANYONE, UH, ONLINE HAVE A BETTER WORD FOR THAT? BECAUSE CAPACITY TO ME MEANS HOW MUCH YOU CAN HANDLE, INCREASE CAPACITY ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
THE SUBCOMMITTEE DOESN'T HANDLE ANYTHING.
THEY JUST LISTEN AND THEN THEY RECOMMEND.
SO TO ME IT WOULD BE EFFECTIVENESS.
ARE WE ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHMENT ANY ACCOMPLISHING ANYTHING? YEAH.
WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, AS A GROUP OR, OR A SUBCOMMITTEE.
YOU AND HOW DO, HOW DO WE, UH, BUT BUT IT'S THE SAME.
ANYBODY ELSE ON NUMBER ONE? NUMBER TWO.
SO LEAVE NUMBER TWO AS IS NUMBER THREE.
DO WE JUST WANNA HAVE ONE FOR NUMBER FOUR ANNUAL OR WOULD WE WANNA HAVE MAYBE ONCE A QUARTER OR TWICE A YEAR? I WOULD THINK A QUARTER.
I THINK THAT'S USUALLY, 'CAUSE ONCE A YEAR YOU'RE NOT GONNA REALLY, YOU'RE JUST GONNA FADE OUT.
SO CONVENE A QUARTERLY IN-PERSON.
SERVICE PROVIDERS MEET AND GREET IF NO ONE OBJECTS TO THAT.
OR WOULD, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THAT, I MEAN TO COUNTER THAT? IS THAT OVERLOADING ANYONE? I, I GUESS I WOULD'VE A QUESTION.
DO WE HAVE A GOOD ENOUGH LIST TO AUDIT IN ORDER TO, UH, HAVE A, A GOOD, UH, MEET AND GREET? I MEAN I KNOW WE'VE HAD SPEAKERS COME TO US, BUT, UH, HAS THE, UM, OUR STAFF KEPT GOOD EMAIL ADDRESSES AND OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION? SO IN THE, WE, WE HAVE ABOUT A DOZEN DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE PROVIDING SERVICES TO VETERANS.
AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, NUMBER ONE, EVEN IF IT'S THE SAME FOLKS THAT GATHER TOGETHER ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, IT'LL BE A OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO, TO UPDATE EACH OTHER AS WELL AS YOURSELVES ON WHAT'S NEW AND WHAT'S WHAT'S IN THEIR PIPELINE.
BUT THEN ADDITIONALLY THAT WE CAN ALWAYS ADD ANYONE ELSE THAT WE FIGURE OUT THAT THROUGH WHATEVER WAY IT IS THAT REACHES
[01:40:01]
OUT TO US, UM, TO INCLUDE THEM IN THIS.SO IT CAN BE SOMETHING THAT DOES GROW.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE ATTORNEY.
DOES THIS IN ANY WAY IMPACT US OR DO WE HAVE TO MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT? 'CAUSE IF WE AS A COMMITTEE, I MEAN COMMISSION ARE CONVENING IN PERSON, MEETING WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS, HOW DOES THAT WORK? AND HE'S GONNA COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
WOULD THAT HAVE AN IMPACT LEGALLY FOR US? OKAY.
THIS IS STEVEN MCFADDEN WITH THE CITY, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
YOU MAY ALLOW ME A FEW MINUTES TO READ OVER THIS.
WELL, WHILE HE IS READING OVER IT, I'LL JUST COMMENT THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF TIMES WHEN, WHEN THERE ARE MEET AND GREET AND YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE,
SO MAYBE THAT'S AN OFFICIAL MEETING.
MAYBE YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT AN OFFICIAL MEETING.
UH, BUT, UH, I HAVE BEEN TO PLACES WHERE, UH, SOMETIMES THE THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS GO OFF IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS SO THEY DON'T ALL COME TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE RELATED TO THAT, SCOTT, IS THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
INSTEAD OF US SPONSORING IT, IF WE ASK ONE OF THOSE GROUPS TO SPONSOR IT AND WE ALL JUST SHOW UP, I'M NOT SURE THAT INSULATES YOU
IT, IT WOULDN'T MATTER WHO WAS SPONSORING THE MEETING.
IF YOU'RE ALL IN THE SAME PLACE AT THE SAME TIME, YOU COULD BE SUBJECT TO TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
THE KEY, THE KEY CRITERIA IN THIS, AND WE HAVE THIS, THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING A LOT WITH HOLIDAY PARTIES, IS NOT TO DISCUSS ANY BUSINESS RELATING TO, IN THIS CASE, THE, THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION.
AND THAT WAY YOU ARE NOT VIOLATING TOMA.
UH, SO IF WE WANTED TO DO THIS QUARTERLY, AND I DO ACTUALLY, IF WE WERE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE COULD GET THIS ROOM, IT'S NOT CONSIDERED A MEETING AS IN OUR MONTHLY MEETING, BUT WE WOULD STILL HAVE IT AS AN OPEN MEETING WHERE THE PUBLIC COULD ALSO STILL COME OR WATCH.
I'M NOT SURE HOW THE CITY HALL MEETINGS WOULD WOULD WORK, BUT JUST HAVING A, A GENERAL MEETING, PROBABLY AN AGENDA FOR THAT SHOULDN'T BE THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE WORLD.
IT'S JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE.
I WOULD PROBABLY SCHEDULE A MEETING.
WHAT, BUT MR. MCFE ISN'T THE REAL ISSUE.
IF YOU, IF YOU ACTUALLY MAKE A DECISION OR DO SOMETHING THAT HAS SOME KIND OF MATERIAL EFFECT ON LEGISLATION OR SOMETHING.
I MEAN, IF WE'RE JUST SITTING TALKING SOCIALLY, UH, THE, THE LIKELIHOOD OF EVEN TALKING ANYTHING, WE DON'T HAVE ANY POWER ANYWAY.
I MEAN,
UH, WE WE'RE REALLY NOT, UH, WELL IT HA I HATE TO SAY THAT THE RISK IS VERY SMALL, BUT IT IS, BUT I, I DON'T WANT TO VIOLATE THE SPIRIT OF LAW EVEN EITHER.
BUT, UH, THE FACT IS THAT WE'RE NOT LIKELY TO DISCUSS ANYTHING THAT HAS ANY, UH, DECISION MAKING.
UH, AUTHORITY COMMISSIONER CHASE, I APOLOGIZE.
WE HAD A OH, IF A SMALL COMMOTION.
IT'S, UH, I'LL LET, I'LL LET YOU HANDLE IT.
BUT WHAT WERE, BUT, UH, AGAIN, THE OTHER QUESTION PLEASE GO AHEAD.
OH, I WAS, I GUESS THE OTHER WAY TO ASK THIS QUESTION IS, IS THE SIZE OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE MATTER? LIKE, IS IT, IF WE JUST KEEP IT TO THREE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE BOARD OR ON THE COMMISSION, THEN IT WON'T HIT QUORUM ANYWAY.
SO IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T VIOLATE TOMA IN THAT RESPECT, RIGHT? THERE'S JUST A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE.
EACH SUBCOMMITTEE WOULD HAVE THEIR OWN, UH, QUORUM REQUIREMENTS AS WELL.
SO I HAVEN'T SEEN ONE AS SMALL AS THREE, EVEN THOUGH I BELIEVE, AND I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK THIS UP, BUT I BELIEVE THREE, YOU COULD HAVE A, A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THREE.
THE SMALLEST THAT I'VE ACTUALLY WORKED WITH HERE HAS BEEN FIVE.
[01:45:01]
SO, BUT I THINK, I THINK PETER'S QUESTION WAS, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A QUORUM, ARE YOU VIOLATE YOU'RE NOT VIOLATING TOMA, ARE YOU, YOU'RE NOT VIOLATING, YOU'RE NOT VIOLATING, UH, TOOMA AT ALL? WE COULD ALL GO TO A MAVERICK'S GAME IS, UH, TONIGHT, I MEAN, WELL THE, THE MAVERICKS PLAYED THE LAKERS LAST WEEK.BUT, UH, AS LONG AS YOU'RE NOT DISCUSSING BUSINESS, YOU'RE NOT VIOLATING TOMA AND SOCIAL, SOCIAL STANDINGS ARE JUST NORMAL.
YOU KNOW, IT'S THE, THE THING IS, PETE IS DISTRICT SEVEN, DIANE, I WAS TALKING THE LITTLE COMMOTION WAS ME AND, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, AYERS.
WE WERE TALKING IN THE BACKGROUND.
BUT THE WHOLE POINT IS, THE REASON WHY I WANNA SEE SOMETHING MORE LIKE THIS DONE IS I LOVE THIS COMMISSION.
BUT WE DO THINGS ONE MONTH AT A TIME AND IT TAKES ALL YEAR LONG ONLY HAVING ONE OR TWO SPEAKERS PER MONTH TO GET, AND BY THE TIME WE CYCLE BACK AROUND, WELL IT'S BEEN SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS, IF WE WERE TO MEET WITH MULTIPLE AGENCIES AT ONE TIME, EVEN IF IT'S JUST THE THREE MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE TO SAY, TALK TO US NOW AND THAT HAVE THEM ALL IN THE ROOM AT THE SAME TIME, IF THEY CHOOSE TO COME, THEN WE CAN ACTUALLY GET MORE DONE AND RECOMMENDATIONS OR GET MORE DONE HERE.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE MOVING WAY TOO SLOWLY AFTER TWO YEARS ON WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET DONE.
AND THAT WAS MY RECOMMENDATION IS BY MEETING QUARTERLY, IF WE DON'T BREAK ANY RULES OR LAWS, IS THAT WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO MOVE ALONG WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
THEY, THEY'RE WANTING US TO BE THEIR VOICE IN A MORE UNIFIED WAY.
AND IT'S HARD TO DO THAT WHEN WE ONLY HAVE ONE SPEAKER PER MONTH.
MADAM COMMISSIONER, WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IN THAT SITUATION IS HAVE THE SUBCOMMITTEE SUBMIT AN AGENDA JUST AND MEET WITH THOSE PARTICULAR ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, AND THEN ON YOUR REGULAR MEETINGS, WHICH IS IT? THE THURSDAY THE FIRST, THURSDAY, SECOND THURSDAY OF THE MONTH, SET AN AGENDA ITEM TO DISCUSS AND REVIEW THE, THE FINDINGS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE IN THAT SITUATION.
WE ALREADY HAVE BOARDS THAT DO THESE, THESE VERY THINGS.
THAT SOUNDS GOOD AND SOUNDS DOABLE.
SO DOES THE LANGUAGE IN THE WAY THAT WE HAVE IT, IS THAT CORRECT? DO WE NEED TO MODIFY THAT IN ANY WAY? FROM MY READING, THE LANGUAGE IS ADEQUATE.
IT PROBABLY ACTUALLY CAME FROM MY OFFICE
NOT TO SAY I WOULDN'T HAVE CHANGED IT, BUT, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU GIVE A LAWYER A PIECE OF PAPER AND I'M SURE MR. CHASE COULD AGREE YOU GIVE A PIECE OF PAPER, IT'S GONNA COME BACK, MARKED UP
WELL, AND AND THAT'S THE THING, SINCE YOU KNOW, THOSE OF US THAT ARE ON THAT SUBCOMMITTEE, AND WE MAY FORM OTHER SUBCOMMITTEES ON EMPLOYMENT OR EDUCATION OR MENTAL HEALTH.
SO THIS IS A GOOD LEARNING EXERCISE FOR US VERY QUICKLY.
AND I APPRECIATE HIM BEING HERE BECAUSE NOW I KNOW THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS, MAYBE IN THE JANUARY MEETING, OKAY, HOUSING SUBCOMMITTEE, WHEN ARE YOU GONNA MEET? WHO ARE YOU GONNA MEET WITH? YOU NEED TO PRESENT AN AGENDA TO
AND THEN THAT WAY WE MEET TOMA AND WE ALSO HAVE THINGS ORGANIZED AHEAD OF TIME.
SO I THINK WE CAN ACTUALLY GET MORE WORK DONE IN 2024 IF WE START FORMING A COUPLE OF SUBCOMMITTEES ON THESE FOUR MAJOR AREAS AND START WORKING WITH PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT'S HOW WE NEED TO ACTUALLY GET GOING.
THEY'RE NOT JUST GONNA COME TO US.
I THINK WE HAVE TO GO TO THEM AND WE HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH THEM.
AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER TURNS TO US AND SAYS, OKAY, DIANE, OKAY, YOU KNOW, RON, WHATEVER, WHAT YOU GOT FOR ME? WHAT CAN I BRING TO THE CITY COUNCIL? WHAT CAN I BRING TO THE BUDGET? AND WE NEED TO BE READY TO GO BECAUSE THE BUDGET IS IN JUNE.
WHEN DO THEY VOTE? IN JUNE? I THINK SO.
SO RIGHT NOW WE SHOULD BE WORKING ON NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET FOR 2025.
WE DON'T REALIZE HOW QUICKLY THE GOVERNMENT MOVES ON MONEY SPENDING IT.
SO ARE WE ALL RIGHT? WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD WITH THAT.
ANYONE ELSE? IT ALL COMES DOWN.
YEAH, I'M GOOD WITH THE LANGUAGE.
UH, PETER SMITH, DISTRICT 14, UH, WHO IS ON THE HOUSING SUBCOMMITTEE AND WHO I KNOW WE, WE, I KNOW WE VOTED ON THE OTHER SUBCOMMITTEES AS WELL.
UM, BUT ARE WE DISCUSSED CREATING THEM ANYWAY? UM, YEAH, WE'LL START WITH WHO'S ON THAT SUBCOMMITTEE?
[01:50:02]
MYSELF, COMMISSIONER MISTA, COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL AND UH, COMMISSIONER WALKER.THAT'S THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR HOUSING.
I MY SUGGESTION ON THE OTHER SUBCOMMITTEES THOUGH, THOSE SHOULD BE SEPARATE.
I THINK THEY, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA OVERBURDEN WHAT ONE, SO WE IDENTIFY USUALLY THE HOUSING EDUCATION OR, OR BE PART OF THE TRAINING.
EVEN JOBS WOULD BE A SEPARATE, MAYBE A SEPARATE OR IF, IF PETER, IF YOU WANTED TO BE ON IT, WE CAN EITHER RAISE IT TO FIVE 'CAUSE IT SHOULD BE AN, YOU KNOW, FIVE NUMBER, A NUMBER.
OR IF YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA ASK IF SOMEONE WANTS TO STEP DOWN.
I MEAN, I COULD MOVE AROUND, WHATEVER.
I MEAN, WE JUST FORMED IT BECAUSE WE REALIZED WE NEEDED SOMEONE TO GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND START WORKING ON IT.
SO WE HAVE, BUT WE HAVE MOVED SLOWLY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE MUCH OF AN IMPACT YET.
THERE, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO JUDGMENT AT ALL IN THAT.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHO WAS ON IT.
UM, HONESTLY, I THINK NO HARM TAKEN.
I, I THINK THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEES ARE, ARE PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA.
ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE DO ONLY MEET ONCE A MONTH.
THE OTHER ASPECT OF IT IS LIKE INDIVIDUAL, UM, LIKE INDIVIDUAL CONNECTION POINTS WITH THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY.
SO MEETING WITH UH, SOME PEOPLE IN UH, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY CITY COUNCIL, BUT THE OTHER, BUT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE CODES, UH, GROUP, LIKE INDIVIDUALS CAN GO MEET.
IT DOESN'T JUST HAVE TO BE A SUBCOMMITTEE KIND OF MEETING IS MY POINT.
MAYBE WE COULD CREATE A FIFTH ONE THERE OF SAYING OF TO CONSIDER CREATING FURTHER SUBCOMMITTEES BASED ON NEEDS FOR OUR GOALS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, OR WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO SAY IT, BUT I MEAN I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT AT OUR JANUARY MEETING THAT NEEDS TO BE ON OUR AGENDA THAT WE NEED TO SET UP.
IF WE HAD A, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL EARLIER WAS EDUCATION, ANOTHER ONE WAS, UH, MENTAL HEALTH AND I FORGOT WHAT THE OTHER ONE WAS.
THEN I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE SUBCOMMITTEES ON THOSE.
DON'T YOU AGREE? DO HEAR THIS IS SCOTT CHASE.
UH, I THINK WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO OUR 45 MINUTE TIME LIMIT THAT MR. MCFADDEN.
YEAH, YEAH, WE WE'RE CLOSE TIME.
I, I THINK THAT, UH, CAN YOU, YOU SCROLL UP AND WE'RE ALMOST NEAR THE BOTTOM ANYWAY, AREN'T WE? I THINK THAT WAS, THESE ARE JUST, THAT'S IT.
I BELIEVE THOSE, THOSE LAST TWO.
DID WE AGREE TO ADD THE FIFTH POINT IN THERE TO CONSIDER ADDING FURTHER SUBCOMMITTEES? YEAH, I LIKE THAT IDEA.
I'M SORRY, THE COMPUTER SEEMS TO BE FROZEN HERE.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADJOURN SECOND.
OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, WE'RE ADJOURNED.
EVERYONE HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY.
IF YOU CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS OR WHATEVER YOU CELEBRATE.