[Charter Review Commission on January 23, 2024.]
[00:00:04]
UH, GOOD EVENING AS WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT.
I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE DALLAS CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION TO ORDER AT 6:36 PM ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 23RD, 2024.
UH, ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INTERESTED IN SPEAKING TO THIS BODY ARE WELCOME TO SIGN UP ONLINE FOR A FUTURE MEETING.
WE HAVE SEVERAL REGISTERED PUBLIC SPEAKERS FOR TONIGHT.
I WILL CALL THEM IN ORDER IN WHICH THEY'RE REGISTERED.
DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS WE HAVE, EVERYONE WILL HAVE ONE MINUTE TONIGHT TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND BEGIN, UH, AS WE CALL YOU, AS I CALL YOU TO THE PODIUM.
ALRIGHT, SO THE, UH, HEY, FIRST PERSON IS, UH, PHILLIP HYATT.
UH, PHILLIP HYATT HAGUE, UH, DISTRICT ONE RESIDENT.
I, UH, AM SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
I SUBMITTED AN AMENDMENT, UH, TO, UH, IN THE FUTURE CODIFY THE DALLAS BIKE PLAN, UH, IN THE CHARTER IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN IS CURRENTLY, UH, LISTED IN THE, IN THE CHARTER, UH, THE, I BELIEVE UNDERNEATH THE EXISTING CHARTER.
THERE HAVE TO BE, UH, TWO PUBLIC NOTICES IN ORDER FOR A THOROUGHFARE PLAN AMENDMENT TO BE CONSIDERED.
AND SO, UM, RATHER THAN TRYING TO CHANGE THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN PROCESS, UH, I WANTED TO INCLUDE THE BIKE PLAN SO THAT, THAT WAY IN THE FUTURE, UH, BICYCLES, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION, UH, AND TYPES OF, UM, THINGS THAT WOULD USE BIKE LANES WOULD BE GIVEN THE SAME CONSIDERATION IN THE SAME PROTECTIONS THAT THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN DOES.
UH, SO THAT'S WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING.
UM, MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
UH, NEXT, UH, IS HANEY ABDEL, UB.
I HAVE, UH, SUBMITTED, UH, AMENDMENT 52 TO INCREASE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND DISTRICTS.
UH, I PROVIDED A LITTLE HANDOUT FOR EVERYONE TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
BASICALLY, UH, THREE KIND OF PRIMARY REASONS WHY WE SHOULD DO THIS, TO INCREASE REPRESENTATION AND, AND TO IMPROVE REPRESENTATION, TO DRAW DIVERSE DISTRICTS.
OBVIOUSLY, IT'S NO SECRET THAT THE POPULATION HAS INCREASED, UH, QUITE A BIT SINCE THE, UH, LAST INCREASE TO THE COUNCIL, WHICH WAS AROUND 1993.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THAT, UH, THIRD SLIDE THERE, THAT, UH, IT'S BASICALLY ONE COUNCIL PERSON TO 93,000 RESIDENTS RIGHT NOW.
AND SO, UH, BACK IN 1990 WAS 71,000 AS WE COMPARE IT TO NEIGHBORING CITIES LIKE FORT WORTH, ARLINGTON, PLANO, AND IRVING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SEE THAT WE DON'T QUITE, UH, COMPARE TOO WELL WITH THEM AS FAR AS, UH, THAT RATIO OF COUNCIL PEOPLE TO, UH, TO, TO THEIR RESIDENTS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THAT LAST SLIDE, THAT FOURTH SLIDE THERE, UH, THE LAST 3, 19 90 DALLAS, UM, DALLAS, IF WE HAD 18 COUNCIL MEMBERS, OR IF WE HAD 20 COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHAT THAT RATIO MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
AND SO, UH, REALLY ADVOCATING FOR REALLY A MINIMUM OF 18 COUNCIL PEOPLE.
UM, ALTHOUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, COULD ADVOCATE FOR 20 TO HELP, UH, PLAN FOR THAT FUTURE GROWTH, UM, CERTAINLY WE'LL HAVE IMPROVED REPRESENTATION.
UH, MORE COUNCIL PEOPLE WILL MEAN, YOU KNOW, MORE COMMISSIONERS, UH, MORE TASK FORCE PEOPLE.
UM, ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY APPOINT.
THERE'LL BE MORE OF THOSE PEOPLE TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY CONCERNS AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL PEOPLE THEMSELVES TO OBVIOUSLY ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF, UH, OF THE CONSTITUENCY.
AND THEN ALSO TO DRAW DIVERSE DISTRICTS IS THE LAST MAIN POINT HERE.
SO WE SH IT SHOULD COINCIDE WITH INCREASING THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS, RIGHT? NOT JUST THE COUNCIL ITSELF.
UM, AND SO THIS COULD HELP US, UH, BETTER REPRESENT MINORITY POPULATIONS, UH, KIND OF COINCIDE WITH SOME OF THE PLANS IN THE DALLAS CITY EQUITY PLAN.
AND IF WE, UH, TAKE A LOOK AT SOME COMPARISONS HERE, THE MODEL CITY CHARTER AS WELL RECOMMENDS, UM, MORE COUNCIL PEOPLE.
MR. MU, WE, WE'VE REACHED TIME TO HELP EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION.
OUR NEXT, UH, SPEAKER'S, MR. PHILIP GOSS.
MR. GOSS, ARE YOU HERE? I DON'T SEE YOU'RE HERE, MR. GOSS.
SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER WHO SIGNED UP.
GOOD EVENING, PHILLIP KINGSTON, 5 9 0 1 PALO PINTO.
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FOR, UM, YOUR SERVICE.UM, THE, UH, THE ONE I'M ON HERE TODAY IS YOUR FINAL AGENDA ITEM CONCERNING ELIMINATING THE COUNCIL OFFICER POSITIONS.
I SENT YOU ALL A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF HOW THAT WOULD WORK AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT.
THE BASIC ISSUE IS THAT AFTER 2014 WHEN PAULINE MEDRANO ATTEMPTED TO ADD A, UH, DIVERSITY, UH, RESOLUTION TO AN AGENDA, WHEN MAYOR RAWLINGS WAS, UH, IN BRAZIL, UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY ISSUED A MEMO DECLARING THAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM DID NOT HAVE ANY POWER UNLESS THE MAYOR WAS ACTUALLY INCAPACITATED.
SO, BECAUSE THEY COULD CALL RAWLINGS ON THE PHONE, UH, MS. MADANO WAS NOT ALLOWED TO ADJUST THE AGENDA IN ANY WAY, MEANING THERE'S NO POWER LEFT IN THOSE, UM, SEATS.
AND IN 2014, WE IN FACT, AMENDED THE CHARTER TO MAKE IT EXTREMELY CLEAR THAT THOSE OFFICES HAD NO POWER WHATSOEVER.
SO THE ONLY EFFECT THAT THEY HAVE IS TO CREATE DISSENSION IN THE COUNCIL.
UH, THESE INTERNAL RACES FOR THE MEANINGLESS, UH, COUNCIL OFFICER POSITIONS, UH, JUST HURT PEOPLE'S FEELINGS.
UH, AND IT PREVENTS NATURAL CAUCUSES FROM FORMING ON THE COUNCIL BECAUSE OF THE FIGHT AMONG, UH, RACIAL GROUPS ON THE COUNCIL TO GET THESE, THESE SLOTS.
AND IT HAS HAD VERY REAL IMPACT IN THE LAST FEW COUNCILS, UH, REALLY PREVENTING THEM FROM GETTING GOOD WORK DONE.
UM, THE WAY THAT THIS WOULD WORK, IF YOU DECIDED TO GET RID OF THESE OFFICES, IS THAT UNDER ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, UH, A BODY LIKE THIS THAT DOESN'T HAVE A CHAIR ELECTS ITS OWN CHAIR.
AND SO, IN FACT, IF THE MAYOR LEFT TO RUN FOR ANOTHER OFFICE OR WAS INCAPACITATED IN SOME WAY, THE COUNCIL WOULD CHOOSE THE MAYOR.
THE CHARTER'S EMERGENCY REPLACEMENT PROVISIONS WOULD THEN GO INTO EFFECT, AND WE WOULD HAVE A SPECIAL ELECTION FAIRLY QUICKLY.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE HANDING THE COUNCIL A BUNCH OF POWER TO PICK ITS OWN MAYOR.
THAT WOULD JUST BE A SHORT TERM THING.
MR. KINGSTON, WE'RE, WE'RE AT TIME, BUT WE DO HAVE THIS AMENDMENT UP TONIGHT, SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO VISIT LONGER WHEN WE HAVE THAT UP FOR CONSIDERATION, THAT'D BE GREAT.
I, I'D LOVE TO ANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS OR IF I'VE ALREADY, UH, I'VE, I'VE SENT YOU WRITTEN STUFF, AND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO TALK TO ME ANYMORE, I WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT TOO, BUT I'LL, I'LL TRY TO STICK AROUND FOR THE AGENDA ITEM CHAIR.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE COOKIE PEDEN.
I RESIDE AT 71 11 DEBBIE DRIVE.
I CURRENTLY AM PRESIDENT OF THE NORTH DALLAS NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE AND ASSOCIATION OF APPROXIMATELY 50 HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION AND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
I ALSO SERVED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS ON THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION, AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT ITEM C ON YOUR AGENDA.
I DO NOT THINK THAT INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CITY PLANNING COMMISSIONERS IS A SOLUTION TO ANYBODY'S PROBLEM.
IF YOU GO WITH AN AT LARGE APPOINTEE SYSTEM, THAT TAKES US RIGHT BACK TO THE DARK EDGES WHERE CERTAIN DISTRICTS WERE UNDERREPRESENTED AND HAD NO CHANCE OF GETTING THEIR VOICES FAIRLY HEARD.
UM, IF YOU GO WITH JUST DOUBLING OF APPOINTEES THAT EACH CITY, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER CAN APPOINT, THEN YOU'VE, IT'S SELF-DEFEATING.
YOU'VE JUST DOUBLED AND YOU, YOU'VE GOT A SPARE TIRE THERE.
BUT THAT'S NOT IN ANYBODY'S BEST INTEREST.
I THINK THE CURRENT PLAN IS REALLY FLAWED.
YOU NEED TO ADDRESS THE CORE PROBLEMS, WHICH ARE GIVING A 900 PAGE DOCKET TO SOMEBODY ON A FRIDAY NIGHT AND EXPECTING THEM TO HAVE A COGENT INFORMED CONVERSATION BY THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
THAT RESULTS IN CRAMMING ALL WEEKEND.
IT'S NOT FAIR TO THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS.
IF YOU HAD THE CITY STAFF GET THAT DOCKET FINALIZED AND TO THE MEMBERS THE MONDAY BEFORE THE MEETING THE FOLLOWING WEEK, THAT WOULD GIVE EVERYBODY A FAIR CHANCE TO STUDY AND REVIEW ALL OF THE CASES IN DEPTH.
THANK YOU FOR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE MR. HARRY SWANSON.
HARRY SWANSON, 8 2 2 3 CLAREMONT DRIVE.
UH, SINCE MY SPEECH WAS, UH, CONDENSED DOWN TO ONE MINUTE, I'LL TRY TO PARAPHRASE IT.
UH, MY AMENDMENT WAS REJECTED, BUT I ALSO SAY THAT THIS PROCESS IS VERY UNFAIR TO CITIZENS.
UH, THE DEPARTMENTS AND THE, UH, CITY
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COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE STAFF, THEY HAVE ATTORNEYS TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR AMENDMENTS.THEY HAVE A NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES HAS A WHOLE PAGE CALLED CHARTER 1 0 1.
WE AS CITIZENS, WE HAVE NOTHING.
ALL WE HAVE IS OUR, NOW WE HAVE OUR, UH, CHAT, GPT TO FIND OUT THINGS.
IT'S VERY UNFAIR TO CITIZENS, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE CUT FROM THREE MINUTES TO ONE MINUTE, SO I'M NOT GETTING YOU DOWN, BUT IT SHOULD BE IN THE CHARTER.
YOU KNOW, IT, THIS THING HAS ONCE EVERY 10 YEARS.
WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS THAT THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION AND CITY STAFF AND CITIZENS DEVELOP A NEW CHARTER TO CHAPTER TO THE CHARTER WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS THAT OUTLINES HOW THE CHARTER CAN BE AMENDED AND THE RIGHTS OF CITIZENS IN THAT PROCESS.
BECAUSE IN YOUR PAPER, YOU SAID THAT THE CHARTER IS LIKE THE CONSTITUTION.
MR. SWANSON, WE'RE AT ONE MINUTE, SIR.
BECAUSE I THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THAT'S WHY IT SHOULD BE AMENDED.
HI, I'M ALBERT MATA, 1 0 1 WEST DAVIS STREET, DALLAS, TEXAS.
SO ONE OF MY AMENDMENTS THAT I SUBMITTED WAS GIVEN TO YOU IN A LIST TO BE EXCLUDED.
I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT, UH, THIS COMMISSION PULL THAT AMENDMENT.
I BELIEVE IT'S, UH, AMENDMENT 53.
UM, THIS IS AN AMENDMENT THAT CONSIDERS, UH, PUTTING A LIMITATION ON SOLICITATION OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS UP TO 180 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION.
I DO BELIEVE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS CHARTABLE, ALTHOUGH THE CITY OF DALLAS DOES PUT CAMPAIGN FINANCE LIMITATIONS IN CODE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, APPROPRIATE FOR THE CHARTER.
THIS IS A LIMITATION ON, UH, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, ON CANDIDATES, WHICH MAKES IT APPROPRIATE FOR THE CHARTER.
OTHER CITIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS INCLUDE THESE KIND OF LIMITS IN THEIR CHARTER.
SO I GUESS THAT GIVES US A BIT OF PRECEDENCE.
UH, SO AMENDMENT 53, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THIS COMMISSION PULL THAT FROM THE LIST TO BE EXCLUDED AND TO BE CONSIDERED.
UM, I ALSO WANNA SUPPORT, UH, VOICE SUPPORT FOR THE AMENDMENT, UH, SUBMITTED TO INCREASE, UM, COUNCIL DISTRICTS, THE NUMBER OF COUNCIL DISTRICTS IN THE CITY, AND ALSO AMENDMENT NUMBER 55, WHICH I ALSO SUBMITTED, WHICH CHANGES THE PARAMETERS FOR CITIZEN LED UH, BALLOT INITIATIVES.
UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE LORI BLAIR.
IS MS. BLAIR HERE? OH, HI, MS. BLAIR.
LORI BLAIR 2010 AUTO MEADOW TRAIL, DALLAS, TEXAS DISTRICT EIGHT.
I'M HERE IN RESPONSE TO THE CHARTER AT LARGE RE, UH, AMENDMENT.
I'M HERE BEFORE YOU IN FRUSTRATION.
UM, IT'S FRUSTRATING TO HEAR THAT THE PEOPLE WE HIRED TO SERVE THE CITY IS LOOKING TO TAKE US BACK TO THE DARK AGES.
I READ AN ARTICLE IN D MAGAZINE, IT WAS PUBLISHED THIS JANUARY THE 13TH.
IT WAS WRITTEN BY THE ESTEEM LULAC PRESIDENT, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER IN TEXAS, ATTORNEY DOMINGO GARCIA.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME EXCERPTS.
HE WAS ONE OF THE CHARTER MEMBERS WHO WROTE 14 AND ONE.
HE WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT US 14 ONE AND BEFORE 19 1 91, MINORITIES IN DALLAS HAD A LOT TO SAY, BUT LITTLE POWER TO SAY IT.
A GROUP GATHERED TO CHANGE THAT HE WAS ONE OF THOSE MEMBERS AFTER MUCH NEGOTIATION AND, AND, AND CIVIL, IT TOOK CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE.
AND THAT ENDED UP IN TIMES MAGAZINE AND IN THE NATIONAL NEWS THAT IT WAS CHANGED.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY SAID WAS, IN DOING THAT, MAKING THAT CHANGE, WE JUST CHANGE DALLAS HISTORY.
THIS AMENDMENT TAKES DALLAS HISTORY BACK TO THE DARK AGES.
IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE SOMETHING, GIVE US THE RIGHT AND THE VOICE TO BE HEARD AND TO BE SEEN.
NOT THE, NOT THE VOICES THAT SAY, SHUT UP, SIT DOWN, AND GO AWAY.
UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE RONALD STINSON.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR, UH, SERVICE HERE TO THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS.
I AM RONALD W STINSON, H 6 33 WINDWOOD DRIVE,
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DALLAS, TEXAS.DISTRICT THREE WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE IN DALLAS.
SERVED OUR COUNTRY HONORABLY DURING THE VIETNAM WAR.
GOT MY EDUCATION, CAME BACK AND FELT I NEEDED TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS.
I ALSO PARTICIPATED IN MANY OF THE MEETINGS THAT, UH, SUGGESTED A QUADRANT SYSTEM AT THAT TIME.
WE DEFEATED THAT SOUNDLY AND VEHEMENTLY.
THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS VOTED FOR A 14 ONE SYSTEM.
WE, DURING MY TIME GROWING UP, DID NOT HAVE A VOICE IN THE GOINGS ON OF THIS CITY.
NOW THAT I SERVE AND HAVE VOLUNTEERED MANY YEARS OF MY LIFE HERE WITH THE CITY, I FEEL THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HELP PROVIDE SOME DIRECTION TO THE COURSE IN THE HISTORY OF THIS CITY.
I URGE YOU, I URGE YOU TO NOT FALL FOR ANY DASTARDLY DEEDS, ANY SLY SUGGESTIONS, AND ANY CHANGES AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TERMINATION.
MR. NORTHROP, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES, I CAN.
I WANTED TO ALSO SPEAK TO, I THINK IT'S ITEM C THAT WOULD CHANGE THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS THAT COULD BE APPOINTED TO THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION.
I AM OPPOSED TO THAT, AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE OTHER SPEAKERS THIS EVENING FOR THE SAME REASONS.
UM, COOKIE EDIN SAID IT VERY WELL.
I THINK IT WILL LEAD TO SHENANIGANS AND GAMESMANSHIP.
UH, IT ALSO IS CONTRARY TO THE 14 ONE SYSTEM THAT THE CITY ADOPTED IN 1991.
AND THE CPC IS SUPPOSED TO BE A MIRROR IMAGE OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND BE REPRESENTATIVE, JUST AS THE CITY COUNCIL IS OF ALL RACIAL AND ECONOMIC GROUPS IN THE CITY.
IF YOU CHANGE THAT MAKEUP, THEN IT THROWS THINGS INTO CHAOS, AND IT WILL BE GROUPS THAT ARE NOT PROPERLY REPRESENTED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ON THIS COMMISSION AND, UH, ASK THAT YOU VOTE DOWN THAT AMENDMENT.
APPRECIATE YOU VISITING WITH US.
NEXT UP WE HAVE MARK, UH, REVIS REEVES.
MARK REEVES, 55 30 GOODWIN AVENUE.
UM, I AM A FORMER DISTRICT TWO PLAN COMMISSIONER, AND I CURRENTLY SERVE ON THE ZONING AND ORDINANCE COMMITTEE.
AND I AM DEFINITELY A STRONG AND STRONG SUPPORT OF OUR CURRENT SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS.
I'M TALKING ABOUT ITEM NUMBER THREE.
UM, IN THE RATIONALE STATEMENT, IT SAYS, THE PROPOSAL IS ALSO CONSIDERING THE CURRENT WORK FOR FOUR DALLAS IN A DEVELOPMENT CODE REFORM THAT AIMS AT RETHINKING, REFORMING THE PLANNING AND DEVELOP ZONING APPARATUS FOR DALLAS, AND ESPECIALLY THE AMOUNT OF WORK AND EFFORT THAT CPC AND ITS SUBCOMMITTEES WILL NEED FOR THESE ADDITIONAL TASKS.
I'VE BEEN THERE FOR THREE YEARS, AND OVER THE LAST YEAR, WE'VE HAD SCHEDULED 21 MEETINGS.
WE CANCELED EIGHT OF THEM BECAUSE OF STAFF, NOT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A QUORUM.
WE'VE CANCELED THAT IS 12 MONTHS, INCLUDING LAST WEEK WE CANCELED ONE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A ROOM.
SO I'M KIND OF AT A LOSS TO HOW THAT WE CAN GET MORE PEOPLE ON CPC AND ALL OF A SUDDEN STAFF IS GONNA BE ABLE TO FREE UP AND, AND FEED US.
UM, THAT'S A 38% CANCELLATION RATE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS.
UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE COREY, COREY MACK.
JUST, UH, FIRST THANK YOU, UM, FOR ALL YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY.
UM, I TOO, LIKE MARK, A FORMER COMMISSIONER ON THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION, REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU PUBLICLY TONIGHT.
UM, AS, AS I'VE READ THIS STATEMENT, UM, MY, MY CHALLENGE IS I REALLY DON'T HAVE TO GO DOWN TO THE 14 ONE.
UM, I THINK AS WELL-INTENTIONED AS IT MIGHT BE, UM, TO CHANGE THE LANGUAGE FROM QUALIFIED VOTERS TO RESIDENTS.
[00:20:01]
UH, COMMISSION IS MY FIRST CHALLENGE.UH, AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'S A WELL-INTENTIONED MOVE.
UM, BUT THIS WHOLE RATIONALE IS BASED ON THOSE MEMBERS POSSESSING THE SAME QUALIFICATIONS AS THE CITY MEMBER, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT, UM, APPOINT THEM.
AND I THINK ALLOWING, UH, FOLKS WHO AREN'T QUALIFIED VOTERS, UM, AGAIN, AS, AS WELL INTENTIONED AS IT MAY BE, UH, WOULD BE COUNTER TO NOT ONLY THE RATIONALE STATED IN THE RATIONALE STATEMENT, UM, BUT SO FAR REMOVED FROM WHAT I THINK THE TYPE OF SERVICE THAT IS REQUIRED AS A PLANNING COMMISSIONER OR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
I THINK, UM, HAVING, HAVING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE, IN THE PROCESS FROM ITS, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE RIGHT TO VOTE MEANS SOMETHING TO ME.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, I THINK THAT THAT IS A MINIMUM QUALIFICATION THAT ONE SHOULD HAVE TO SERVE IN THE COM IN THE CAPACITY THAT YOU ALL SERVE IN.
ALSO, UH, THE MINIMUM OF 15 RESIDENTS, AGAIN, THAT MAY BE A WELL-INTENTIONED, UH, PROPOSAL AS WELL.
UM, BUT CURRENTLY I DO THINK THAT HAVING ONE MEMBER PER DISTRICT IS THE BEST WAY TO GO IN TERMS OF THE WAY THAT YOU ALL ARE ABLE TO WORK WITH ONE ANOTHER.
UH, I KNOW THIS IS A DIFFERENT COMMISSION, BUT AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S FOUR PEOPLE REPRESENTING ONE DISTRICT AND ONLY ONE REPRESENTATIVE, ANOTHER MR. AND ANOTHER DISTRICT, MR. TIME, IS THAT MY THREE MINUTES? YES, SIR.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY.
SO WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT PERSON WHO SIGNED UP.
MR. RICHARDSON, ARE YOU ONLINE? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
COULD YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU.
BRUCE RICHARDSON, 56 0 7 RICHMOND AVENUE.
UH, I AM HERE TO, UH, LET ME GET ONE THING OUTTA THE WAY.
UH, I NOTE THAT, UH, THERE'S AN ITEM F THAT IS AN ELIMINATION OF THE THIRD PLAYER THOROUGHFARE PLAN.
I OPPOSE THAT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SPEND MOST OF MY TIME ON CHARTER AMENDMENT NUMBER FOUR.
I AGREE WITH EVERY CURRENT AND EXEM OF THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION.
I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THESE SINGLE WORST AND SINGLE MOST TONE DEAF PROPOSALS.
I CAN IMAGINE IN LIGHT OF OUR LONG FIGHT TO ACHIEVE EQUITABLE BALANCED REPRESENTATION ON THE COUNCIL AND ON ITS MIRROR IN THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION.
BUT I WANT TO GO TO THE SUGGESTION THAT ALTERNATES ON THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT THAT I SERVED AS CHAIRMAN OF FROM 2011 TO 2019 IS SOMEHOW, UH, AN EQUAL COMPARISON.
WE WERE A QUASI-JUDICIAL BOARD.
WE HEARD APPEALS, WE HAD TIME CONSTRAINTS ON, ON HOW WE ACTED, AND WHEN WE ACTED, WE HAD STANDARDS TO UPHOLD.
AND SO AN ALTERNATE IN THAT POSITION IS VERY CONSTRAINED TO WHAT'S GOING ON ALREADY.
WHEREAS A QUASI LEGISLATIVE BODY, A RECOMMENDING BODY LIKE THE CPC MR. RICHARDSON, WERE A TIME, IS A MUCH MORE POLITICAL, UH, BODY.
MR. RICHARDSON, CAN YOU HEAR ME? UH, I'M SORRY.
WE'VE REACHED YOUR TIME LIMIT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
AND I AM THE VICE CHAIR OF THE PLAN COMMISSION RIGHT NOW.
AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT ITEM C, NOT BECAUSE I DRASTICALLY WANT TO REMAKE THE, UM, MAKEUP OF THE PLAN COMMISSION, BUT TO ALLOW FOR ALTERNATE MEMBERS.
CPC IS A MAJOR TIME COMMITMENT WITH TWO MEETINGS PER MONTH AND A STRICT POLICY LIMITING THE NUMBER OF ABSENCES, WHICH MAKES IT VERY CHALLENGING TO FIND GOOD PEOPLE TO SERVE.
AND WE'VE LOST SEVERAL GOOD MEMBERS BECAUSE OF MAJOR LIKE EVENTS LIKE THE BIRTH OF A CHILD AND OTHER THINGS.
UM, WE DON'T NEED TO BREAK WITH 14 ONE.
IF WE HAD ALTERNATES ON THE CPC, EACH COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE MAYOR COULD EACH APPOINT AN ALTERNATE.
AND THERE ARE OTHER BENEFITS TO THE ALTERNATE.
IT'S A STEEP LEARNING CURVE FOR MANY PEOPLE WHEN THEY JOIN THE CPC.
AND THE ALTERNATE WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE SOMEONE WAITING IN THE WINGS, REALLY LEARNING THE INS
[00:25:01]
AND OUTS OF THE POSITION.UM, IT WOULD ALSO HELP THE BODY DEAL WITH VACANCIES.
SOMETIMES I STEP IN AS THE VICE CHAIR WHEN THERE'S A VACANCY TO WORK A CASE, BUT OTHER TIMES PEOPLE SUGGEST THAT WE NEED TO WAIT TILL WE GET SOMEONE NEW.
SO HAVING AN ALTERNATE WOULD HELP THERE.
FINALLY, I NOTE THAT ALTERNATES AREN'T WITHOUT PRECEDENT.
UH, BOTH THE LANDMARK COMMISSION AND BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT BOTH HAVE ALTERNATES AND I THINK THEY WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE PLAN COMMISSION AS WELL.
UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE CODY METTER.
YOU GUYS HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UH, MY NAME IS CODY METTER, RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FOUR, AND I'M SPEAKING ON PROPOSAL NUMBER 89 TO ESTABLISH A DEMOCRACY DOLLARS PROGRAM AND TO ADVOCATE FOR KEEPING THIS PROPOSAL UNDER CONSIDERATION.
CITY ATTORNEYS PROVIDED TWO CONCERNS.
FIRST, THAT THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION PROHIBITS THE EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR PRIVATE PURPOSES.
HOWEVER, WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE STATE CONSTITUTION PROHIBITS A PROGRAM THAT BENEFITS THE GENERAL PUBLIC, SUCH AS THIS ONE.
OUR CITY RUNS SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF PROGRAMS WHERE MONEY FOR A PUBLIC PURPOSE IS AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUALS.
ADDITIONALLY, AND IDENTICAL PROPOSAL WAS VOTED ON IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS A BALLOT INITIATIVE IN 2021.
ALTHOUGH IT DID NOT SUCCEED IN PASSING, THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION IN QUESTION WAS NOT RAISED AS AN ISSUE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AUSTIN PROPOSAL.
AND AUSTIN ALSO HAS A DIFFERENT SIMILAR PUBLIC FINANCING PROGRAM ALREADY ESTABLISHED FOR RUNOFFS THAT HAS NOT BEEN OBJECTED TO ON A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL BASIS.
THE SECOND CONCERN IS THAT THIS POLICY BELONGS IN THE CITY CODE AND NOT THE CHARTER.
WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY CHARTER GRANTS CITY COUNCIL DISCRETION TO REGULATE CAMPAIGN FINANCE.
HOWEVER, WE ARE UNSURE THAT THIS MEANS THAT THE CITY CHARTER COULDN'T BE AMENDED TO ADD THAT.
REGULATING CAMPAIGNS ALSO INCLUDES ALLEGING ALLOCATING FUNDS FOR THE PUBLIC FINANCING OF CAMPAIGNS.
OUR PROPOSAL WOULD DRASTICALLY EXPAND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THE POLITICAL PROCESS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, PROVIDING A SYSTEM BY WHICH ORDINARY PEOPLE CAN DONATE TO CAMPAIGNS AND REDUCE THE OUTSIZE INFLUENCE OF WEALTHY DONORS ON THE POLITICAL PROCESS.
I ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION TO GIVE MORE TIME TO THE DECISION TO REMOVE THIS PROPOSAL AND PRESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE POTENTIAL THAT IT PROVIDES FOR OUR CITY.
UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE, UH, ELLEN LING.
IS THERE AN ELLEN LING HERE? MAYBE.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, UH, PERSON WHO SIGNED UP.
MS. ROKA, I BELIEVE YOU'RE ON LINE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, MA'AM.
UM, UH, MUCH LIKE A NUMBER, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, MY NAME IS DOLORES ROKA, AND I LIVE ON SWISS AVENUE IN DISTRICT TWO.
AND, UM, AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM SEVERAL OTHER INDIVIDUALS, UH, DURING THIS MEETING, I AM HERE TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE VOTE AGAINST THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT FOUR, UH, REGARDING ADDITIONAL MEMBERS TO THE CPC.
UM, AS I READ THE DOCUMENT, IT, TO ME, IT IS TOTALLY VAGUE AND CERTAINLY WILL DILUTE THE 14 ONE EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION THAT EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT CURRENTLY HAS IN, AND THAT WOULD AFFECT PLANNING AND ZONING DECISIONS WITH ITS CPC.
UM, I, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF MAKING ANY CHANGES TO THE DOCUMENT TO MAKE IT ANY CLEARER.
UH, I DON'T THINK, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT, UM, IT SHOULD BE CHANGED ANYWAY.
I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO VOTE AGAINST IT.
IT'S NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE RESIDENTS OF DALLAS, AND IT DOES NOT FAIRLY REPRESENT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, THE NEXT, UH, INDIVIDUAL WHO SIGNED UP IS JOANNA HAMPTON.
GOOD EVENING, UH, CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
MY NAME IS JOANNA HAMPTON, 5 4 0 8 SWISS AVENUE.
UM, ALSO SERVE ON THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION CURRENTLY, BUT I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK, UM, AS A RESIDENT.
UM, ALSO, UM, REGARDING ITEM THREE AND CONCERNS WITH THE RESULTS THAT WOULD COME FROM THE AMENDMENT BEFORE YOU ON CHANGING THE COMPOSITION OF THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION, I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT, THAT WE DO HAVE A LOT, LOT BEFORE US AS A CITY.
WE KNOW THAT THAT IS COMING, BUT I THINK WE HAVE RULES IN PLACE THAT ALREADY ALLOW US THROUGH, UM, AD HOC COMMITTEES THROUGH OUR OTHER MEMBERSHIP THAT ALLOW FOR MORE DIVERSE REPRESENTATION.
I THINK THE CONTINUITY THAT COMMISSIONERS BRING TO CONSIDERATION OF ZONING AMENDMENTS AND SERVING THEIR COMMUNITIES ARE CRITICAL.
[00:30:01]
ENGAGEMENT.I'LL SAY I'M LEADING THIS MEETING TO GO TO ANOTHER COMMUNITY MEETING.
IT'S A CURE FUNCTION OF WHAT COMMISSIONERS BRING TO THE CONTINUITY OF THAT DISCUSSION AND UNDERSTANDING BOTH CITY PLANNING GOALS AND COMMUNITY VISIONS FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION ABOUT ALTERNATE MEMBERS.
UM, I THINK AS YOU HEARD FROM MR. RICHARDSON, BUT ALSO IN THE CASE OF LANDMARK COMMISSION, THOSE ARE BOTH QUASI-JUDICIAL BOARDS.
THEY OPERATE UNDER VERY DIFFERENT RULES.
AND I'M NOT QUITE SURE THAT IT'S A FAIR COMPARISON TO THE, UM, ROLES AND DUTIES OF THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION AS YOU WERE EVALUATING THAT OPTION.
UM, I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE GOAL FOR MORE DIVERSE IN REPRESENTATION THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
I THINK THAT'S HOW WE CREATE A VIBRANT AND GROWING CITY, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING ADVOCATING FOR THAT REPRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
UH, UH, NEXT UP IS ANGUS SANDERS, I BELIEVE ONLINE.
MS. SANDERS, ARE YOU THERE? I AM HERE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU.
I'M ANGELA SANDERS ON SPRUCE VALLEY LANE DISTRICT THREE, AND I AM HERE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION OF THE PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT NUMBER FOUR, THAT WOULD EXPAND CITY PLAN COMMISSIONED BY 15 PEOPLE ALLOWING FOR LARGE APPOINTEES.
WE ALL KNOW THAT DALLAS HAS A LONG AND DISTINGUISHED HISTORY OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION FOSTERED IN LARGE PART BY ITS DECADES LONG HISTORY OF, UM, AT LARGE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND AT LARGE APPOINTEES.
IT THAT LONG AND DISTINGUISHED HISTORY OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IS ALSO FOLLOWED BY A LONG AND DISTINGUISHED HISTORY OF LOSING COURT CASES BECAUSE OF THAT RACIAL DISCRIMINATION.
THIS IS A STEP BACK INTO THE 19TH CENTURY, AND WE DON'T NEED THAT AT THIS TIME OR ANY TIME.
SO I ASK YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER REJECTING THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT, STOP DISENFRANCHISING PEOPLE OF COLOR, UM, BASED EITHER ON RACE, ETHNICITY, OR THE PLACE THAT THEY LIVE.
THAT'S WHAT THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT DOES.
EACH COUNCIL APPOINTEE HAS ONE, EACH COUNCIL MEMBER HAS ONE APPOINTEE, AND THAT IS HOW IT SHOULD REMAIN.
ALLOWING AT LARGE APPOINTEES IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER.
AND ATTORNEYS WILL BE LINING UP TO SUE THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE MINISTER DOMINIQUE ALEXANDER.
I'M MINISTER DOMINIC ALEXANDER, PRESIDENT OF THE NEXT GENERATION ACTION NETWORK.
UM, I'M GONNA BE VERY QUICK 'CAUSE I KNOW WE AIN'T GOT A LOT OF TIME.
I'M 64, 65, 95, 96, 1 0 5, 1 0 7, AND ONE 16.
UM, SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT I'VE SUBMITTED IS TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY POLICE OVERSIGHT REPORT DIRECTLY TO THE COUNCIL TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE BIGGEST BUDGET ITEM ON THE CITY OF DALLAS BUDGET.
UM, I'VE ALSO ASKED FOR, UH, ADJUSTMENT TO WHEN, UH, THE CITY COUNCILS ARE APPOINTED TO THEIR COUNCIL COMMITTEE, UM, THAT THE BODY OF THAT CO, UH, COMMITTEE, UH, VOTES FOR ITS CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR SO THAT WE CAN INCREASE TRANSPARENCY, UM, WITH THE MAYOR.
UM, ALSO, UM, UH, SUBMITTED ITEMS, UH, TO HAVE THE PARK AND RECREATIONS DEPARTMENT REPORT DIRECTLY TO, UH, TC BROADNESS, THE CITY MANAGER WITH THE PARK BOARD, HAVING SOME OVERSIGHT POWER AS TO WHAT THAT IS.
WE WILL THINK ABOUT THAT ON ANOTHER DAY.
UM, ALSO, UH, PUT THINGS LIKE INCREASING THE CITY COUNCIL'S PAY TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR, UM, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT IN THE NEXT COMING DAYS, I WILL HAVE, UH, ONE PAGERS AND ITEMS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOU GUYS ARE EDUCATED ON THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE HAVE SUBMITTED.
THAT IS EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP THAT I HAVE ON MY LIST.
UH, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE PRESENT WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION? THREE.
I AM THE DISTRICT 14 PLAN COMMISSIONER.
I LIKE COMMISSIONER HAMPTON IS HERE.
IN MY PERSONAL CAPACITY TO SPEAK TO YOU, I AM ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO THE PROPOSITION THAT WE WOULD ADD 15 MORE PEOPLE TO THE PLAN COMMISSION.
WHAT WE DO REQUIRES CONTINUITY.
AND IF WE'RE BEING HONEST, THERE'S, YOU HAVEN'T HEARD ONE SINGLE PRESIDENT OR FORMER PLAN COMMISSIONER TELL YOU EXCEPT PERHAPS MR. RUBIN, THAT WE'RE TOO
[00:35:01]
BUSY.YOU DON'T HEAR US COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING THE WORK.
WE KNEW WHEN WE TOOK THE JOB, WHAT WE WERE SIGNING UP FOR.
AND UNLIKE SOME OF THESE OTHER BOARDS, IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR COMMUNITIES AND THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE LAND USE DECISIONS WE MAKE AND THE IMPACT THEY HAVE ON OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT IF YOU'RE CONSTANTLY FLOATING FROM ONE POSITION TO ANOTHER.
AND THE BACKLOG IS AT THE STAFF LEVEL.
IT TAKES A YEAR OR MORE TO GET THE ZONING CASE THROUGH CPC, AND THAT TIMEFRAME HAS ONLY EXPANDED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
THAT IS A STAFFING LEVEL ISSUE.
THAT IS NOT A COMMISSION LEVEL ISSUE.
WE DON'T MAKE OUR AGENDAS, OUR COMMITTEES DON'T MAKE THEIR AGENDAS.
WE DO THE WORK AS FAST AS THEY CAN GET IT TO US.
SO IF WE HAVE A PROBLEM AT CPC, WHICH I DO THINK WE DO, THIS IS THE SOLUTION THAT WON'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
IN FACT, I GUARANTEE YOU IT WILL MAKE IT WORSE.
WHAT WE NEED IS MORE PLANNERS AND MORE PLANNERS WHO ARE TRAINED AND STAY WITH THE CITY LONG ENOUGH TO SERVE THE CITY.
THAT IS A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION.
AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF I CAN BE OF HELPD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT, MS. KINGSTON.
GOOD EVENING COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS DARRYL HERBERT, 70 68 CAPELLA PARK AVENUE, DALLAS, TEXAS, 7 5 2 3 6.
I'M A CURRENT PLAN COMMISSIONER FOR DISTRICT THREE, AND I'M AN EMPLOYEE.
I'M PROBABLY THE ONLY MEMBER OF A COMMISSIONER BOARD THAT'S PAYING TO SERVE YOU.
SEE WHERE I'M FROM? FINDING THOSE ABLE TO SERVE 16 TO 30 HOURS A MONTH WITH NO FINANCIAL IMPACT IS A PROBLEM.
TODAY I STAND ON THE BACKS OF CRENSHAW CRAFT, LIPSCOMB GARCIA, AND MANY MORE IN OPPOSITION OF WHAT THIS MAY BE.
D ZONING COMMISSION FACES A PROPOSED EXPANSION.
BUT IS IT THE ANSWER WHILE FLEXIBILITY SOUNDS GOOD, 15 MEMBERS HAVE SERVED WELL FOR YEARS.
SHOULDN'T TARGETED ADJUSTMENTS COME FIRST? EXPANDING TO EASE THE BURDENS FOR EQUITY.
SOUNDS NOBLE, BUT HAVE CURRENT COMMISSIONERS BEEN SUPPORTED THROWING MORE BODIES AT FAR DALLAS? WITHOUT A CLEAR PLAN RISKS IN EFFICIENCY, THE FUTURE WORKLOAD IS UNCERTAIN.
WOULDN'T IT BE WISER TO WAIT BEFORE POTENTIALLY COMPLICATING THINGS? DON'T BE CONFUSED BY FLEXIBILITY.
ALLURE, CONSIDER THE REAL POSSIBILITY OF MORE COMPLEXITY, LESS EFFICIENCY, AND DILUTED REPRESENTATION.
ENHANCING EQUITY WITHIN THE COMMISSION IS INDEED A NOBLE GOAL, BUT LET'S PURSUE IT THOUGHTFULLY.
PRIORITIZE SUPPORTING EXISTING MEMBERS AND AVOID UNNECESSARY CHANGES.
ONLY THEN CAN WE ENSURE THE COMMISSION REMAINS EFFECTIVE AND REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE FUTURE OF DALLAS.
LET'S PRIORITIZE SMART SOLUTIONS OVER SWEEPING CHANGES WITH UNCERTAIN TIMES.
ANYONE ELSE? WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
MELANIE VANLANDINGHAM 63 11 LAKESHORE DISTRICT 14.
IT IS INDEED COUNTER AND WEAKENS OUR COURT DIRECTED 14 ONE COUNCIL REPRESENTATION.
AND THEY'RE KNOWN APPOINTED COMMISSIONERS.
RESIDENTS WOULD NEVER BE SURE WHO IS VOTING WHO THEIR CPC REP IS AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, WHAT THEIR POSITION IS AND WHO AND WHAT, UH, INTERESTS THEY REPRESENT.
IT CAN SET THE STAGE FOR COERCION AND STACKING AND CHANGING THE CPC AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT TO CONTROL COMPOSITION DECISION MAKING AND CPC RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNSEL.
OUR CPC REPRESENTATION SHOULD NOT FLUCTUATE ACCORDING TO THE WHIMS OR MOTIVES TO CONTROL THE NARRATIVE OR THE DECISION MAKING.
THIS PROPOSAL MUST BE WITHDRAWN IN WHOLE.
AS A SECOND ITEM, I ALSO OPPOSE ITEM F.
THE DALLAS THOROUGH FOUR PLAN SHOULD NOT BE ELIMINATED, BUT INSTEAD UPDATED TO BE MORE COMPREHENSIVE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN TO GUIDE DECISION MAKING.
ALL DONE IN CONCERT WITH DART PLANS.
IT NEEDS TO RESPOND TO TRAIL AND BIKE PLANS AND PEDESTRIAN PLANS, BUT THE REQUIREMENT TO PREPARE THIS PLAN SHOULD NOT BE ELIMINATED.
AND THE RATIONALE TO DO SO AS HIGHLY SUSPECT AS IS ITEM C.
ANYONE ELSE, UH, PRESENT WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION?
[00:40:01]
ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE AND SEEING NONE.UH, WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS, WHICH IS TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FOR OUR JANUARY 11TH, 2024 MEETING.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS.
UH, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO SENT INFORMATION.
UH, WE'VE GOT MANY EMAILS, A LOT OF FEEDBACK, UH, FROM THE CITIZENS.
UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE MORE THAN WE USUALLY SEE CAME TO, UH, ADDRESS THIS TONIGHT.
UM, WE HAVE MANY PROPOSED AMENDMENTS UP TONIGHT THAT ARE UP, UH, AT OUR RECOMMENDATION OR WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
BUT IT'S PROPOSAL FROM, UH, CITY ATTORNEYS AND, AND OTHERS THAT THEY BE EXCLUDED FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
SO EXCLUDED FROM ULTIMATE ADOPTION, UH, OR CHANGES IN THE CITY CHARTER, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL ULTIMATELY MAKES THEIR DECISION.
SO WE'LL GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THOSE ITEM BY ITEM.
SO IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE TIME YOU'D LIKED EARLIER TO SPEAK ON A PARTICULAR ITEM, YOU WILL HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME AS WE GO THROUGH THEM.
SO, UH, TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WITH SOME TECHNICAL AND OPERATIONAL AMENDMENTS.
UM, BUT AS IS MENTIONED A SECOND AGO, WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP FIRST THE, THE ITEMS WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR EXCLUSION FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
THESE 25 AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN REVIEWED BY CITY DEPARTMENTS AND CITY ATTORNEYS, AND INCLUDED ON THIS LIST FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, RANGING FROM STATE LAW PROHIBITIONS TO THE FACT THAT SOME OF THESE ITEMS ARE BETTER SUITED AS CODE OR DEPARTMENTAL POLICY CHANGES AS OPPOSED TO AMENDMENT OF THE CITY CHARTER.
THIS MAY NOT BE AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST.
AS AMENDMENTS CONTINUE TO BE REVIEWED, THERE MAY BE MORE BROUGHT FORWARD IN THIS MANNER ON A FUTURE AGENDA, ESPECIALLY IF THEY WERE SUBMITTED LATE LAST WEEK.
UH, OUR DEADLINE WAS LAST FRIDAY FOR, FOR PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
UH, AND IF THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME TO, UH, REVIEW EVERYTHING, UH, BEFORE TODAY, UM, THE INTENT FOR THIS ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THAT THE LIST BE TAKEN AS A WHOLE.
IN THIS CASE, ONLY ONE MOTION IS REQUIRED TO EXCLUDE THE ENTIRE LIST FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
I DO WANT TO NOTE, HOWEVER, THAT AMENDMENT 55 WAS INCLUDED ON THIS LIST IN ERROR AND IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR EXCLUSION.
I'M ANNOUNCING THAT SO THAT EVERYONE HERE KNOWS THAT THEY WILL BE VOTING ON A LIST WITHOUT AMENDMENT 55 INCLUDED, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ON THE LISTED AGENDA.
WE CAN DO THAT WITHOUT A MOTION, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO THERE'S A MOTION TO EXCLUDE THAT AMENDMENT 55 WON'T BE ON THAT.
WE WILL OPEN THE FLOOR TO ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THE AMENDMENTS ON THE LIST.
FIRST, UH, I FORWARD MAKE A MOTION BEFORE WE VOTE.
UH, AFTER WE GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THEM, WE GOING THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE CONCLUDED ONES.
WELL, SO YEAH, INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH EACH ONE, THEN I'VE GOT SOME INPUT HERE THAT WE JUST, UH, UH, INVITE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT OR ANY DISCUSSION OR COMMENT ON THE 25 THAT ARE, UH, PROPOSED FOR EXCLUSION.
UM, I, I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE UP THIS LIST AS A FULL LIST UNLESS COMMISSION MEMBERS, UH, HAVE SOME THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT.
UM, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, BUT I WOULD LIKE THEM TO SPEAK AS TO WHY AMENDMENTS 47 53 AND 54 WERE INCLUDED.
UH, TO SPEAK, UH, IT INTO THE RECORD FOR WHY THESE WERE EXCLUDED.
LAURA MORRISON, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UH, ITEM 47 HAS TO DO WITH NOTICE REQUIREMENTS AND CERTAIN OTHER PLAN COMMISSION HEARING PROCEDURES.
UH, THE PROCEDURES FOR THE PLAN COMMISSION SHOULD BE IN THEIR ADOPTED RULES OF PROCEDURE, NOT IN THE CITY CHARTER.
UM, THE CITY CHARTER, UM, LISTS THE, THE ROLE OF THE PLAN COMMISSION AND THE FUNCTIONS OF THE PLAN COMMISSION, BUT NOT THEIR PROCEDURES.
UM, COMMISSIONER, YOU WANTED ITEMS 53 AND 54 CORRECT.
UM, HAVING TO DO WITH CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AND OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNTS.
UM, THE REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO THOSE TWO TOPICS ARE FOUND IN CHAPTER 15 A OF THE DALLAS CITY CODE.
THAT'S OUR CHAPTER ON ELECTIONS.
AND ANY EDITS TO, UM, OUR REGULATIONS ON CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS
[00:45:01]
AND OFFICE HOLDER ACCOUNTS SHOULD BE, UM, AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 15 A OF THE CITY CODE.CAN WE MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE? IT WOULD BE A MOTION TO EXCLUDE.
IS THERE MORE COMMENT OR QUESTIONS? MR. CAMPBELL? GO AHEAD.
UH, WELL, I WAS, DO YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE MAIN MOTION CHAIR? I WAS GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THIS.
I MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND, UH, THIS AGENDA ITEM TO EXCLUDE 53 FROM CONSIDERATION.
IS IT, IS THAT, SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, TO TAKE 53 OFF OF THE LIST FOR, TO TAKE OFF OF THE AGENDA ITEM TODAY, TO HAVE IT SCHEDULED FOR A FUTURE AGENDA TO INCLUDE IT FOR CONSIDERATION IN THE FUTURE.
LOTS OF DOUBLE NEGATIVES THERE, BUT YES, IT GREAT.
UH, IS THERE, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND ON THAT? A SECOND, UH, DISCUSSION? I GUESS I'M CURIOUS, WHY, WHY DO YOU WANNA DO THAT? WELL, I THINK SO NO OFFENSE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
I THINK JUST BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY EXISTING IN THE CITY CHARTER DOESN'T, OR ALREADY IN SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY ORDINANCE, DOESN'T MEAN IT COULDN'T BE CALLED, UH, CODIFIED SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY CHARTER.
THAT WAS THE RATIONALE GIVEN, IF I BELIEVE, IF I HEARD THAT CORRECTLY.
SO, UH, WE GOT A MOTION TO REMOVE ITEM 53 FROM THE LIST.
AND MR. SECONDED, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
OR WAIT, 1, 2, 4 NAYS? I THINK FOUR NAYS? FIVE.
I GOT A FIVE MR. CHAIR, I'M VOTING AND THEN WE HAVE SOME LINE AS WELL.
UM, WHAT WAS MR. ALI? I'M VOTING.
AND MARSHALL AND MARSHALL, MR. MILLS VOTING? AYE.
I BELIEVE THE MOTION CARRIES TO REMOVE, UH, THAT ITEM 53 FROM THE LIST FOR TONIGHT.
DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT MAY NOT BE EXCLUDED LATER, BUT WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT IT.
UH, MR. FUENTES, I DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION, BUT I AM ASSUMING THAT IF 53 IS SOMETHING THAT WE BELIEVE COULD BELONG IN SAD CHARTER, THEN 89 WOULD ALSO TRACK LOGICALLY WITH THAT.
I, I VIEW THEM AS DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT OUTCOMES, BUT SIMILAR, UH, REASONING AND, AND POTENTIAL, UH, IN, I, I GUESS I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO PUT 89 BACK IN CONSIDERATION BASED ON 53 BEING PUT BACK IN CONSIDERATION.
DOES THAT TRACK WITH WHAT YOU WERE THINKING, COMMISSIONER CAMPBELL? IT'S THE SAME LOGIC.
THEN I WOULD, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO TAKE 89 OFF OF THE LIST, SINCE WE ALREADY, REMI WE ALREADY TOOK 53 OFF MR. CHAIR.
THERE IS, UM, ADDITIONAL RATIONALE FOR WHY 89 SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A CHARTER AMENDMENT.
UM, THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION PROHIBITS THE EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR PRIVATE PURPOSES.
AND IT WAS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT IN THIS PROPOSED PROGRAM, THE DOLLARS TO BE EXPENDED WOULD BE PUBLIC MONEY.
SO THE MOTION REGARDING ITEM 89 HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN.
SO THE, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO THEN IS ASK IF WE CAN GET A MOTION TO EXCLUDE, UH, THE ITEMS AS AMENDED.
WELL, WITHOUT MR. FRANKLIN A SECOND.
AND TO CLARIFY THAT IS WITHOUT ITEMS 53 AND 55.
UH, SO WE'VE HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND AS DISCUSSION.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION, MR. CHAIR BREAKER.
UM, UH, JUST FOR THE RECORD, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR THE STAFF.
HAVE WE REACHED OUT TO ALL OF THE SUBMITTERS TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEIR PARTICULAR PROPOSALS WERE BEING, UH, EXCLUDED AND THAT WE GAVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE TO SPEAK TONIGHT? YES, SIR, WE DID.
UM, SO THEY WERE PROVIDED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME SPEAK TONIGHT.
UM, I, I REACHED OUT TO THEM ABOUT THE OPEN MIC SESSION, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, THE RATIONALE FOR WHY, OR OFFERED AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO HAVE THE RATIONALE EXPLAINED TO THEM FOR WHY THEIR
[00:50:01]
AMENDMENT WAS CONSIDERED ON THE EXCLUSION LIST.UM, I, I BELIEVE I HEARD BACK FROM ALL EXCEPT ONE SUBMITTER.
UM, I, THE, THE FIRST TIME I REACHED OUT TO THEM, I BELIEVE WAS, UM, ON FRIDAY WAS WHEN I STARTED REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE.
AND THEN YESTERDAY AS WELL, I WAS, I WAS REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE, SO I SPOKE TO SOME ON THE PHONE, UM, AND MOST THROUGH EMAIL.
UH, WE HAVE THE MOTION BEFORE US, UH, FOR EXCLUSION.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT.
YOU, YOU NEED TO ASK JUST TO MAKE SURE.
WAS IT OKAY? WE HAVE MR. SOLIS WAS AN EYE AS WELL, AND, UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME, MR. MILLS? WELL, THE EYES HAVE IT.
SO WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.
UH, THIS, UH, IS TO DELETE THE SECTION ALLOWING THE CITY COUNCIL TO PROVIDE URBAN CONSERVATION, REHABILITATION, AND REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS IN CHAPTER 25, SECTION TWO.
UM, THIS PROPOSAL COMES FROM THE PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, DR.
ANDREA RIA IS HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS AMENDMENT.
ANDREA, WOULD YOU, UH, PLEASE, UH, GIVE US A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THIS AMENDMENT AND WHY YOU BRING IT FORWARD? UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR.
UH, I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN.
I CREATED A PRESENTATION THAT WILL ADDRESS ALL THE THREE AMENDMENTS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
DO YOU WANT ME TO PROCEED LIKE THAT OR JUST GIVE A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE FIRST ONE? IF YOU WOULD PLEASE GIVE US A BRIEF EXPLANATION, THEN WE CAN, UH, DO FOLLOW UP IS NECESSARY.
FOR THE FIRST ONE THAT YOU JUST READ INTO THE RECORD, OUR INTENT WAS JUST TO ALIGN THE LANGUAGE IN THE CHARTER WITH THE LANGUAGE IN, UH, THAT IS STILL RELEVANT TO THE CITY OF DALLAS.
WE BELIEVE IT'S A REMNANT FROM A DIFFERENT ERA THAT DOESN'T REPRESENT THE NEW RACIAL EQUITY PLAN.
UH, I DON'T THINK THE CITY OF DALLAS CREATES PLANS AND POLICIES IN THE VEIN AND THE GIST OF THE TEXT THAT IS, THAT IS IN THE CITY CHARTER RIGHT NOW.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT, UM, ITEM B.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS THE ONE, THE SECTION THAT REFERS TO, UM, URBAN CONSERVATION, REHABILITATION AND REDEVELOPMENT TO ALLEVIATE THE PREVENTION, UH, OR PREVENTION OF SLUM, UH, OBSOLESCENCE BLIGHT OR OTHER CONDITIONS OF URBAN DETERIORATION AND ACHIEVEMENT OF THE MOST APPROPRIATE USE OF LAND.
WE BELIEVE ALL OF THIS IS, UH, ADDRESSED, UH, BY, FOR DALLAS WITH A BETTER LANGUAGE, AND ALSO IT IS ADDRESSED BY THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN WITH A BETTER LANGUAGE.
AND ANDREA GILLIS DIRECTOR PLANNING AN URBAN DESIGN.
UM, JUST TO ADDING ON WHAT DR.
ANDREA SAID, THIS, NO LONGER THIS WORK IS NO LONGER UNDERTAKEN IN, IN, IN THE CITY.
I MEAN, SOME OF YOU MAY RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S REMNANTS OF LANGUAGE FROM URBAN RENEWAL, AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO CLEAN UP THAT LANGUAGE.
NONE OF THESE HAVE, UH, NONE OF THIS TYPE OF WORK HAS PROCEEDED IN YEARS AND THEREFORE WE DON'T FEEL THAT IS APPLICABLE, CARRYING IT FORWARD IN CHARTER LANGUAGE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? MR. YOUNG? I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY YOU THINK THAT THIS PROVISION IS NO LONGER NEEDED.
GRANTED, IT USES LANGUAGE THAT, UH, I WOULD NOT USE IN 2024, BUT, UH, DO WE NOT UNDERTAKE URBAN REDEVELOPMENT, REHABILITATION AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMS, UH, FOR THE PURPOSES OF, UH, ALLEVIATING
[00:55:01]
URBAN DETERIORATION? I'M THINKING FOR EXAMPLE, OF THE 10TH STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT WHERE WE HAVE A, A PLAN TO CONSERVE WHAT IS THERE AND IS CONSERVABLE, UH, AND INFILL WITH, UH, SIMILAR TYPE HOUSING.UH, SO GRANTED, WE MAY NOT HAVE AN URBAN REHABILITATION STANDARDS BOARD ANYMORE, BUT ARE WE NOT UNDERTAKING THIS WORK? WELL, I WOULD SAY THAT THE PURPOSE OF IT IN NUMBER ONE IS THE ALLEVIATION OR PREVENTION OF SLUMS, OBSOLESCENCE, BLIGHT, OR OTHER CONDITIONS OF URBAN DETERIORATION.
I WOULD BE VERY CONCERNED PUTTING PROJECTS LIKE 10TH STREET IN THAT SAME VEIN AND SAYING THAT WE'RE DOING THAT KIND OF WORK, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT, WHAT HAS GOTTEN US IN A LOT OF TROUBLE IN THE PAST AND WHY OUR RESIDENTS HAVE CONCERNS TODAY.
UM, SO IF WE WERE TO KEEP SOME VERSION OF THIS, I THINK IT COMPLETELY NEEDS TO BE RETOOLED TO BE MUCH MORE LOOKED AT IN A MUCH MORE POSITIVE LIGHT AS OPPOSED TO TARGETING AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN DEFINED BY OTHERS AS SLUMS. THANK YOU.
UH, MR. BEGA? YEAH, I, I WOULD JUST SAY MY COMMENT WOULD BE, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE NEED TO CHANGE THE VERBIAGE, NOT GET RID OF THIS.
I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN WORKED ON LIGHT REMOVAL AND, AND THIS FOR A LONG, LONG TIME, ALL OVER THE CITY AND VERY APPROPRIATE AVENUES.
UM, AND SO I JUST, I GUESS MY COMMENT WOULD BE THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO HOLD THIS AND LOOK AT PROPOSED LANGUAGE THAT'S CHANGED, NOT NECESSARILY REMOVAL OF THIS AND PART OF THE AMENDMENT.
I, I WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND THAT WE WOULD LOOK UNDER THE APPROPRIATE SECTION.
THEREFORE, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS A CHARGE, CPC HASN'T TAKEN UNDER URBAN CONSERVATION AND REHABIL REHABILITATION AND REDEVELOPMENT, UM, THOSE PROGRAMS. SO I WOULD THINK THAT WE MIGHT LOOK AT A PLACE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE HOUSED.
IF IT'S SOME VERSION OF THIS LANGUAGE STAYS IN THE CHARTER ALSO, I'M SORRY, I WOULD, UH, ALSO POINT FEW OTHER THINGS.
THE CHARTER ALSO HAS A PORTION FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN, THE FIRST SECTION OF THE CHARTER THAT COVERS SOME OF THE ZONING DUTIES.
UM, AND ALSO CONSERVATION DISTRICTS.
WE ARE GONNA HAVE A HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN THAT'S COMING.
IT'S CHAPTER 51 A, WHICH IS OUR DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
UH, OUR DEVELOPMENT CODE ALSO ENABLES A LOT OF, UH, THE CONSERVATION REHABILITATION TYPE OF, UH, APPROPRIATE USE OF LAND.
THAT'S WHY OUR PROPOSAL IS TO TAKE THIS OUT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T REFLECT AND IT DOESN'T ALIGN WITH WHAT WE HAVE IN OTHER CODES.
THERE ARE MORE ALIGNED WITH THE TIMES AND THE POLICY, THE OVERALL PLAN AND POLICIES OF THE CITY OF DALLAS, UH, MEMBERS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I HAVE, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, WHEN WE CHANGED THE LANGUAGE NOW THAT TARGETS THESE, LIKE YOU CALL 'EM SLUMS, THE REHABILITATION, UH, DOES THAT KIND OF MAKE THEM A TARGET FOR GENTRIFICATION? LIKE HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE 10TH STREET.
IF WE CHANGE THE LANGUAGE, IF WE TAKE THAT OUT, RIGHT? I'M SORRY, COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? DOES THAT STILL MAKE THESE AREAS, YOU KNOW, UM, MORE ACCESSIBLE OR TARGETS FOR GENTRIFICATION? WHEN YOU COME IN AND, YOU KNOW, AND YOU REHABILITATE THESE COMMUNITIES, THEN THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO LIVE THERE BASED ON THE INCOME.
THAT'S ONE OF OUR CONCERNS WITH THE WAY THAT IT'S WRITTEN.
I THINK IT IS POTENTIALLY A SLIPPERY SLOPE OF WHAT YOU COULD USE THIS FOR, BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN WHAT IT'S BEEN USED FOR IN THE PAST.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THESE WITNESSES? MR. CHAIR? I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT ONE QUESTION.
WE'LL, UH, MR. CAMPBELL AND THEN, WAS THAT MR. SLIS? THAT'S CORRECT.
UH, CAN YOU JUST EXPAND ON THAT LAST COMMENT ON, ON HOW THE SLIPPERY SLOPE COMMENT YOU MADE MIGHT LEAD TO OR HOW IT'S BEEN USED IN THE PAST, THIS LANGUAGE? WELL, I THINK WE HAVE CONCERN, I MEAN, PARTICULARLY THE LANGUAGE IN THE FIRST PART, THE ALLEVIATION OF PREVENTIONS OF SLUMS. WHO'S DETERMINING WHAT'S A SLUM? HOW ARE WE HANDLING THAT? I MEAN, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT URBAN CONSERVATION AND, AND REHABILITATION AND WE'RE FOCUSING ON SLUMS AND BLIGHTED PROPERTIES, I THINK IF THE CONCERN IS GENTRIFICATION, THEN YOU COULD POTENTIALLY BE LOOKING AT TARGETING THOSE AREAS FOR WHOLESCALE REDEVELOPMENT IN A WAY THAT MAYBE ISN'T SENSITIVE TO THOSE WHO CURRENTLY ARE THERE TODAY.
[01:00:01]
ISN'T A PRACTICE THAT'S OCCURRING RIGHT NOW.SO THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS JUST TO DELETE IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT A, THIS, THESE PROGRAMS ARE NOT OCCURRING TODAY.
UM, BUT I THINK IF THIS WERE TO BE THE PROPOSAL WERE TO BE, TO MODIFY IT, WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH IT'S MODIFIED.
MR. SOLIS, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
I JUST WANTED TO GO ONE, I GUESS ONE MORE CLICK INTO THIS AND BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT CAN THE COUNCIL DO BY ORDINANCE GIVE, GIVE ME AN AN ACTUAL TANGIBLE EXAMPLE AS TO WHAT THAT WOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE.
HONESTLY, I, I'M NOT SURE IT'S UNDER THE SECTION WITH ZONING COMMISSION AND CPC, SO I'M ASSUMING THAT DEFERS TO SOME TYPE OF ZONING CHANGE OR ZONING ORDINANCE OR ACTION UNDER THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
SO WHAT YOU'RE DOING THOUGH, FOR ME, YOU'RE EQUATING SOMETHING THAT CAN HAPPEN HERE WITH SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING SOMEWHERE ELSEWHERE ELSE, I THINK PERHAPS IN FORWARD DALLAS IS WHATEVER YOU'RE EQUATING IT TO IN THIS OTHER AREA, EITHER OF THE OR IN FORWARD DALLAS.
IS THAT IN THE CHARTER SOMEWHERE? NO.
SO COULD WE DO WHATEVER IS HAPPENING IN FORWARD DALLAS? WE MAKE THAT A PART OF THE CHARTER THROUGH THIS VEHICLE BY REWORDING THIS VEHICLE, THIS SEC? WELL, THERE IS A COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING SECTION IN THE CHARTER, SO IT DOES ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
IT DOESN'T GET, OBVIOUSLY GET SPECIFIC TO FORWARD DALLAS, BUT IT DOES HAVE A SECTION ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THIS SECTION IS JUST, IT FALLS UNDERNEATH THAT.
SO THERE COULD BE SOME ADJUSTING THERE, AGAIN, OF THE LANGUAGE.
BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO, AGAIN, THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY APPLICABLE TO ACTION AND PROCESS TODAY.
SO I GUESS THE LAST THING I'D ASK, UM, IN A HYPOTHETICAL WORLD WHERE YOU'D CHANGE THE LANGUAGE HERE, KNOWING THE HISTORY OF THIS, IF THERE WERE NEGATIVE EFFECTS THAT MANIFEST FROM THIS PARTICULAR LANGUAGE, AND NOW THE CITY IS SORT OF CHARGED WITH AMELIORATING THAT, REVERSING THAT, CAN YOU RETOOL THIS SECTION VIA LANGUAGE AND USING THE FORWARD DALLAS WORK TO TRY TO ESSENTIALLY DO THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THIS DID USING THIS LANGUAGE? SO IT'S IN, IN CON ENSCONCED, IN THE CHARTER MOVING FORWARD, BASICALLY A COMBINATION OF, UH, BASICALLY A COMBINATION OF SOME OF THE GOALS OF THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN COMBINED WITH FOR DALLAS AS WELL.
AND TO EMPHASIZE RIGHT, EQUITY OUTCOMES AS A TOOL TO ESSENTIALLY DO THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THIS A CENTURY AGO PUT IN PLACE TO DO, RATHER THAN JUST GET RID OF THE SECTION, USE IT AGAINST ITSELF.
IF WE WERE GONNA KEEP LANGUAGE, I WOULD WANT, I, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THE LANGUAGE FLIP THE SCRIPT, RIGHT? THAT IT BE WRITTEN IN A, WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP AND CHANGE THE WAY THINGS HAVE BEEN DONE PREVIOUSLY.
SO IF IT WERE TO BE KEPT IN, I WOULD, WE'D HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOW FLIPPING IT, FLIPPING THE SCRIPT.
SO MR. SICE, I THINK, I THINK WE HAVE A A, A MOTION A MEMBER WANTS TO MAKE THAT MAY, UH, ADDRESS THIS AND, AND DELAY THIS SOME SO WE CAN CONSIDER IT MORE.
OH YEAH, THAT'S WHAT ONE, THAT'S WHAT I WAS, I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO DELAY TO POSTPONE THIS ITEM, BUT IF SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT, THAT'S FINE.
MR. MCGILL? YEAH, SO I WAS, I WOULD LIKE TO MOTION THAT WE HOLD THIS ITEM TO A MEETING, THE FIRST AVAILABLE MEETING AFTER TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY, WHATEVER DATE THAT WOULD BE.
UM, AND WITH SOME DEGREE OF DIRECTION TO STAFF TO BRING US BACK LANGUAGE THAT ADDRESSES THE PROBLEMATIC LANGUAGE DEALING WITH SLUMS AND, AND WHATEVER ELSE IS THERE.
AND I WOULD ALSO ASK THAT WE'D HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO SPEAK TO THAT HAS BEEN IN CHARGED WITH ENFORCING, UM, AND WORKING ON THAT THIS SPACE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OF IMPLICATIONS OF THIS ITEM.
SECOND, AND I'LL SECOND THAT ALL IN FA UH, ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
OKAY, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, UH, AGENDA ITEM, I WANNA BACK UP.
I DIDN'T E EXPLAIN AS WELL AS I SHOULD HAVE.
WHAT IT IS WE'RE, WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
UH, THESE HANDFUL OF AMENDMENTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE ABOUT TO BE DISCUSSED AND THAT WE'VE JUST DISCUSSED.
WELL, I GUESS NOT THAT ONE SINCE WE,
[01:05:01]
UH, POSTPONED IT, BUT WE'RE GONNA EITHER HAVE A, A MOTION TO INCLUDE IT FOR ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION FOR OUR FINAL MEETING OR EXCLUDE IT FROM, UH, CONSIDERATION AT THAT LATER TIME.AND I KNOW EVERYBODY ON THE COMMISSION KNOWS THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO EXPLAIN IT TO THE PUBLIC 'CAUSE 'CAUSE THEY WEREN'T HERE FOR ALL THE MEETINGS WE'VE BEEN HAVING SINCE WE BEGAN THIS.
SO, UH, AND DECISIONS WE MAKE TONIGHT ON WHETHER SOMETHING'S GONNA BE INCLUDED OR EXCLUDED JUST MEANS IF IT'S INCLUDED, IT'LL BE ON OUR LIST FOR OUR FINAL MEETING AT WHICH WE'LL TAKE A SECOND VOTE ON EVERYTHING, WHETHER IT'LL BE INCLUDED OR EXCLUDED TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL.
UH, AND AS, UH, INDIVIDUALS COME TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM, UH, WE WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK AND I'D ASK THAT, UH, COMMISSIONERS LIMIT YOUR QUESTIONS TO THREE MINUTES TOO WITH A A ONE MINUTE FOLLOW UP AFTER EVERYONE'S HAD A CHANCE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS.
AND MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT BEING CLEAR ON THAT WHEN WE STARTED.
SO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS, UH, AGENDA ITEM C.
UH, THAT'S TO RENAME THE ZONING COMMISSION TO THE CITY PLAN AND ZONING COMMISSION AND ALLOW THAT COMMISSION'S MEMBERSHIP TO CONTAIN A MINIMUM, MINIMUM OF 15 RESIDENTS IN CHAPTER 25.
SECTION THREE, AMENDMENT FOUR.
I MOTION TO EXCLUDE ITEM C FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
THIS IS TO, UH, TO AMEND THE PROCESS FOR APPOINTING THE CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE PLAN COMMISSION TO REFLECT CURRENT PRACTICE IN CHAPTER 25, SECTION THREE.
UM, UH, THIS IS THE THIRD AND FINAL AMENDMENT TONIGHT FROM DR.
UH, MA'AM, DO YOU HAVE, UH, ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO PROVIDE A BRIEF SUMMARY ON THIS AMENDMENT? SURE.
UM, THIS IS, UH, JUST A, I DON'T KNOW HOW I WOULD QUALIFY.
IT'S JUST AN ALIGNMENT WITH THE PRACTICES, UH, THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AS WRITTEN IN DIFFERENT CHAPTERS OF THE CODE.
UM, CURRENTLY THE CHARTER SAYS THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL NAME ONE OF THE MEMBERS TO BE CHAIR AND ONE OF THE VICE CHAIR, WHERE TECHNICALLY THAT IS CORRECT.
UM, CHAPTER 51 A, THE CODE, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT CODE SAYS THE CHAIR SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR AND THE VICE CHAIR SHALL BE APPOINTED BY CITY COUNCIL.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THE CHAIR OF THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION IS APPROVED AND, UM, UM, APPROVED BY THE, UH, A VOTE OF CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S JUST THAT WE FEEL THAT THE LANGUAGE IS NOT ALIGNED.
THAT IS, THAT IS ALL MR. YOUNG, UH, MR. KINGSTON WILL RECALL THIS, WHAT I'M ABOUT TO RELATE.
UH, A WHILE BACK WHEN HE WAS SERVING AROUND THIS HORSESHOE ON THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, HE NOMINATED, UH, NOW COUNCILMAN PAUL RIDLEY AS THE CHAIR OF THE PLAYING COMMISSION.
AND AT THE TIME THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE RULED THAT THERE WAS NO CONFLICT IN THE CHARTER, THAT THE PROVISION SAYING THE MAYOR NOMINATES, GAVE THE MAYOR EXCLUSIVE POWER TO NOMINATE A CHAIR OF THE PLAN COMMISSION SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO, UH, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING UP CHAIRS AND VICE CHAIRS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MORE GENERALLY IN A MINUTE.
BUT, UH, AND, AND MS. MORRISON CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE CITY ATTORNEY RULED THAT THERE WAS NO CONFLICT BETWEEN THE TWO PROVISIONS.
IS THAT CORRECT? I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT THE OFFICE RULED AT THAT TIME.
UM, BUT I, I CAN ECHO, UH, WHAT DR.
UREA SAID THAT THE CURRENT PRACTICE IS FOR, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE ON THE VICE CHAIR.
VICE CHAIR IS A SEPARATE STORY, BUT, UM, THERE'S NO INCONSISTENCY IS THERE BETWEEN WHAT IT SAYS ON THE VICE CHAIR AND, UH, WHAT THE REST OF THE CODE SAYS FOR OTHER VICE CHAIRS.
IS THAT RIGHT? NO, I WAS MORE, WE WERE PROPOSING THIS MORE IN REGARDS TO THE CHAIR.
UH, AND, AND SO IT WOULD SEEM BASED ON THAT ATTORNEY'S RULING THAT THERE IS REALLY NO CONFLICT, THE MAYOR NOMINATES AND THE COUNCIL APPROVES OR DISAPPROVES, UM, MEMBERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
[01:10:03]
UH, MR. YOUNG, I MOVE THAT WE EXCLUDE THIS ITEM FROM THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL.UH, IT WOULD ALLOW CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO ELECT THEIR OWN VICE CHAIRS IN, UH, CHAPTER FOUR, SECTION FIVE, CHAPTER 25, SECTION THREE, CHAPTER 27, SECTION TWO.
UM, THESE ARE, ARE TWO AMENDMENTS, UH, AND SUGGESTIONS FROM MS. HASI.
I HOPE I PRONOUNCE THAT RIGHT.
WHO'S HE? I BELIEVE HERE TONIGHT.
UH, AND MR. CONNOR, UH, WHO COULD NOT JOIN US, BOTH ARE MEMBERS OF THE PARK BOARD, UH, AND MR. CONNOR INDICATED THAT MS. HAS BEENY WOULD BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE SPIRIT OF HIS SUGGESTION.
UH, MS. HASI, CAN YOU, UH, COME DOWN AND GIVE US A BRIEF SUMMARY OF YOUR PROPOSAL AND WHY YOU BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE CITY CHARGER? HELLO, EVERYONE.
OH, OURS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN PARK BOARD.
UM, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
I KNOW HOW MUCH TIME THIS TAKES OUT OF YOUR SCHEDULES.
UH, I SERVE FOR DISTRICT NINE ON THE PARK BOARD, AND I'M IN MY THIRD TWO YEAR TERM AND ENJOYING IT VERY MUCH.
AND THIS YEAR DURING OUR PROCESS FOR, UH, UH, SELECTING OUR NEW VICE CHAIR, UH, IT WAS BECAME SORT OF AN INTERESTING PROCESS AND HAS IN THE PAST WHERE THE VICE CHAIR IS SELECTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, WHICH GOT ME TO THINKING OF WHY IS THAT OBVIOUSLY THE MAYOR APPOINTS OUR CHAIR.
AND WHEN IT CAME TIME TO APPOINT OUR VICE CHAIR, UH, IT WENT UP TO THE CITY COUNCIL LEVEL.
AND, UH, IT SEEMED TO TURN INTO A LITTLE BIT OF A POLITICAL WRANGLING MORE THAN, UH, JUST THE BEST PERSON FOR THE JOB.
SO THE PARK BOARD HAS REPRESENTATION FROM EACH OF THE DISTRICTS BY THE APPOINTEES, FROM THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND I FEEL LIKE WITH THE, THE REPRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE ACROSS ALL DISTRICTS, THAT THE FOLKS THERE THAT ARE IN ALL THE MEETINGS AND THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS AND, UM, THE PLANNING AND DESIGN, UH, MEETINGS THAT GO ON BEFOREHAND HAVE A REALLY GOOD AND CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD THAT SHOW UP, DO THE WORK, COME PREPARED.
UM, SO I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE, ESPECIALLY AT THE PARK BOARD LEVEL TO BE ABLE TO SELECT OUR OWN VICE CHAIR.
THANK YOU, UH, MR. YOUNG, A COUPLE OF SOFTBALL QUESTIONS.
UH, AND WOULD YOU FURTHER AGREE THAT TYPICALLY THE BOARD ITSELF WILL BE IN THE BEST POSITION TO IDENTIFY THAT INDIVIDUAL, UH, WHEREAS THE COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY NOT KNOW MANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS OTHER THAN THEIR OWN APPOINTEE? THAT'S VERY TRUE.
AND JUST TO SIT THROUGH A MEETING AND SEE, LIKE I SAID, THE PEOPLE THAT COME PREPARED AND ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN A POSITION TO SORT OF KEEP THE CONVERSATION AND, AND THE NEGOTIATIONS MOVING FORWARD IN A, IN A POSITIVE AND PRODUCTIVE WAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MEMBERS? UH, MS. SON? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
I THINK YOU MAKE SOME VERY GOOD POINTS.
AND, UH, I WAS, I WAS TALKING TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONER.
I, I DIDN'T HAVE A PERSPECTIVE ON THIS.
AND AS YOU EXPLAINED IT, AND AS COMMISSIONER YOUNG EXPLAINED IT, I TEND TO AGREE, AND I, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU BROUGHT THIS FORWARD.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UH, HEARING NONE, CAN I GET A, A MOTION TO INCLUDE OR EXCLUDE MOVE TO INCLUDE, UH, AS TO ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS? NOW, THAT WILL REQUIRE AN AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 15 ON THE PLAN COMMISSION, UH, AS WAS, UH, TOUCHED UPON IN THE LAST ITEM.
AND I BELIEVE MS. HUNT, YOU SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE.
[01:15:01]
AYE.ALRIGHT, NEXT, UH, WE HAVE AGENDA ITEM F UH, TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT TO HAVE A THOROUGHFARE PLAN FROM, UH, CHAPTER 25, SECTION EIGHT.
UH, THIS AMENDMENT IS BROUGHT TO US BY MR. PHILIP GOSS.
UH, HE'S HERE TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
UM, MR. GOSS, WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, MR. GOSS, ARE YOU HERE? LEFT.
UM, I BELIEVE HE WAS HERE EARLIER THOUGH.
UH, MEMBERS, ANY DISCUSSION COMMENTS ABOUT THIS ITEM? UH, HEARING NONE, MR. MAGOO MOVE TO EXCLUDE THIS ITEM.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
AND THAT WAS A, THAT, THAT WAS A MOTION TO EXCLUDE THE CARRIED, UH, REGARDING AMENDMENT 24.
UH, THIS WOULD AMEND LANGUAGE WITHIN CHAPTER THREE, A THREE A, SECTION TWO TO ALLOW THE CITY SECRETARY THE ABILITY TO HIRE ALL STAFF WITHIN THEIR OFFICE.
AND THIS IS AMENDMENT NUMBER 58.
UH, CITY SECRETARY JOHNSON IS, UH, PRESENT TO ADDRESS, UH, THIS ITEM.
WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, TELL US ABOUT IT? THANK YOU.
BILLY RAY JOHNSON, CITY SECRETARY.
MY AMENDMENT THAT I SUBMITTED IS SIMPLY TO ALIGN THE LANGUAGE WITH THE CURRENT TITLE AND ALSO TO CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW THE, THE TITLE IS ASSISTANCE AND EMPLOYEES.
HOWEVER, IN THE LANGUAGE IT IS SILENT.
IT DOES NOT SPEAK TO EMPLOYEES.
SO THAT HAS CAUSED FAIRLY RECENTLY SOME CONFUSION AS TO, UM, THE FULL OFFICE OF THE CITY SECRETARY AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CITY SECRETARY.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST TO ALIGN WITH THE, THE, I BELIEVE THE INTENT OF THIS SECTION.
AND ALSO TO CLARIFY OR MAKE IT CLEAR THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CITY SECRETARY IN, IN RELATION TO THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, MEMBERS, ANY, UH, MS. LOWERY? YES.
UH, MS. JOHNSON, YOU CURRENTLY ARE ALL OF YOUR EMPLOYEES.
DO YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO HIRE AND FIRE AND, AND DEAL WITH YOUR, ALL OF YOUR EMPLOYEES AS A RECENTLY NOT DIRECT, UH, APPROVAL? OKAY.
IT'S LATELY BEEN GOING AND I, IT'S GOING THROUGH, UH, APPROVAL OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
THE WAY IT'S, IT'S STATED HERE IS THE CITY COUNCIL, AGAIN, THIS IS THE CITY COUNCIL PROVIDES THE STAFF, UM, THE ASSISTANCE.
IT DOESN'T SAY EMPLOYEES THAT IT, THAT IT MAY, UH, DEEM NECESSARY.
AND, AND I'M NOT JUST SPEAKING OF HIRING, UM, JUST THE STRUCTURE OF THE DEPARTMENT HAS RECENTLY GONE THROUGH A SECOND LAY OF APPROVAL.
SO THE, THE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT IN THE CHARTER, ARE THEY UNDER CIVIL SERVICE AND THE ASSISTANCE OR NOT? HOW DOES, HOW DOES THAT MANIFEST WITH YOUR EMPLOYEES? I'M SORRY, I DID NOT HEAR THAT.
ARE THEY INCLUDED IN CIVIL SERVICE OR NOT? THE ONES, THE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE NOT CALLED OUT IN THIS, THEY'RE NON-CIVIL SERVICE.
IT'S JUST SO, THEY'RE ALL NON-CIVIL SERVICE? CORRECT.
WHAT PROBLEM ARE WE TRYING TO SOLVE HERE? AND IS IT SOMETHING THAT DEFINITELY NEEDS TO GO IN THE CHARTER OR IS IT A MATTER OF PRACTICE WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING, THE POLICIES THAT YOU'RE OPERATING IN? I BELIEVE IT, IT NEEDS TO BE, UM, LISTED INCLUDED IN THE, THE, THE LANGUAGE, BECAUSE IT'S SILENT ON, ON THE EMPLOYEES.
IT HAS RECENTLY LED SOME TO BELIEVE THAT THE EMPLOYEES IN THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE DO NOT REPORT TO THE CITY SECRETARY.
[01:20:01]
THAT THAT REPORTS TO THE CITY SECRETARY IS THE ASSISTANT THAT THE ONLY EMPLOYEE THAT REPORTS TO THE CITY SECRETARY IS THE ASSISTANT.I COULD SEE HOW THAT WOULD CAUSE A PROBLEM.
AND THE, AND THE TITLE SAYS ASSISTANCE AND EMPLOYEES CURRENTLY IN THE CHARTER, IT'S JUST SILENT ON EMPLOYEES.
SOME INTERPRETATION FROM OTHERS.
WELL, THANK YOU, UM, FOR YOUR SERVICE, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
I, I THINK AS THE CITY SECRETARY, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO HIRE AND FIRE EVERYBODY IN YOUR DEPARTMENT AND ORGANIZE IT THE WAY YOU SEE FIT.
THAT'S WHY WE ON THE COUNCIL APPOINT YOU IN THAT POSITION.
UM, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE SECRETARY'S OFFICE AND THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE CITY AUDITOR? DO THOSE ALSO HAVE SIMILAR CONFLICTS OR IS IT CLARIFIED IN THOSE AREAS? OR DO YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT IF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS RUN INTO THE SAME ISSUES.
IS THIS, CAN THE CITY ATTORNEY COMMENT ON THAT? YEAH, SO FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE CHARTER SAYS THE CITY ATTORNEY SHALL HAVE SUCH ASSISTANCE AS SHALL BE PROVIDED FOR BY ORDINANCE, AND THEY SHALL RECEIVE SUCH COMPENSATION AS MAY BE FIXED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
ALL ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY OR ANY ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY MAY BE DISCHARGED AT ANY TIME BY THE CITY ATTORNEY, THE CITY, THE CITY ATTORNEY, AND ALL ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEYS SHALL DEVOTE THEIR ENTIRE TIME TO THE SERVICE OF THE CITY.
ALL POWERS AND DUTIES IMPOSED ON THE CITY ATTORNEY MAY BE EXERCISED AND PERFORMED BY ANY ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, ALL OF THE ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEYS, UH, DO REPORT TO THE CITY ATTORNEY.
AND, UH, SO, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY READ THE WHOLE THING, BUT HOW IS IT WITH THE AUDITOR? THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL PROVIDE THE CITY AUDITOR WITH SUCH ASSISTANCE AS IT MAY DEEM NECESSARY.
SO IT'S SIMILAR LANGUAGE TO, UM, THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU'LL FIND IN THE CHAPTER FOR THE CITY SECRETARY.
WELL, I, BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, I THINK IT'S, IT IS A NEEDED CHANGE AND WOULD SUPPORT YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
WHILE WE WERE HAVING OUR DISCUSSION, I WAS TRYING TO LOOK THROUGH AS QUICKLY AS I COULD AT THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECTLY APPOINTS THE CITY AUDITOR, CITY MANAGER, UH, CITY ATTORNEY, CITY SECRETARY.
AND MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO HOLD THIS, UH, SO WE CAN GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW EACH OF THOSE ALIGNS.
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME THAT, UM, E EXACTLY WHAT OUR, UM, MADAM SECRETARY IS, IS REQUESTING HERE, BUT I WOULD WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE DOING THAT FOR THE CITY SECRETARY'S POSITION, THAT WE DO THAT FOR THE OTHER POSITIONS.
THE CITY ATTORNEY, CITY AUDITOR, CITY MANAGER AS WELL.
SO I, I WOULD MOVE TO HOLD THE ITEM, UH, AND GET SOME ADDITIONAL BRIEFING FROM OUR CITY ATTORNEY ON THIS.
COULD, COULD I ACTUALLY ASK YOU TO HOLD OFF ON THE MOTIONS FOR A SECOND? I HAVE MR. STEIN, I HOLD ON HIM IN.
I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
SO RIGHT NOW, THE CITY SECRETARY DOES NOT HIRE ITS OWN EMPLOYEES.
HOWEVER, IT GOES THROUGH ANOTHER, UM, APPROVAL STEP.
UH, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE, FOR THE LANGUAGE TO READ, HOW WOULD YOU, LIKE, FOR THE LANGUAGE, YOU WANNA AMEND THE LANGUAGE JUST TO ADD EMPLOYEES? AND, AND ACTUALLY THAT ALIGNS WITH THE TITLE, THE CURRENT TITLE TO ADD WHAT? I'M SORRY.
SO YOU HIRE YOUR OWN EMPLOYEES, OKAY.
UH, NOT, I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU NOW, BUT I'M NOT AGAINST HOLDING THIS ITEM, BUT I'M, IF THE, I SEE THE TECH SECRETARY OFFICE IS THE ONLY ONE THAT'S ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE TO WAIT AND GET THE OTHER OFFICERS TO GET ON BOARD.
UM, SO I, I THINK WE COULD, I'M GONNA DO A FEW THINGS.
ONE, WE COULD TAKE UP THE MOTION OR, OR,
[01:25:01]
UH, TO POSTPONE THIS, OR WE COULD HAVE A MOTION TO AMEND THIS, TO INCLUDE THOSE OTHER OFFICES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED, UH, DURING THIS CONVERSATION, UH, IN THIS AMENDMENT ALONG WITH THE CITY SECRETARY.ANY THOUGHTS ON WHICH WAY THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO GO ON THAT MS. HUNT? GO AHEAD.
NO, I WAS JUST, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
WHY, YOU KNOW WHAT I UNDERSTAND IF, IF NOBODY ELSE IS COMPLAINING ABOUT IT, BUT THE CITY SECRETARY, WHY ARE WE, UH, BUNDLING EVERYBODY TOGETHER ON THIS ISSUE WHEN THEY THE ONLY ONE THAT WANTS THIS RESOLVED? LET EVERYBODY STEP UP TO THE PLATE THEYSELF.
AND, AND I, I GUESS MY THOUGHT WAS, IF WE COULD HEAR, I, I, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE CITY AUDITOR AND THE CITY ATTORNEY IS ON THIS, BECAUSE MY READ OF THE CHARTER LANGUAGE IS THAT THEY'RE REALLY IN THE SAME POSITION.
I'M LOOKING AT THE CITY AUDITOR, UH, PORTION OF THE CHARTER, AND IT MENTIONS ASSISTANCE AND EMPLOYEES, JUST LIKE WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
AND IT SAYS, THE COUNCIL SHALL PROVIDE THE CITY AUDITOR WITH SUCH ASSISTANCE, UH, AS IT MAY DEEM NECESSARY, AND THOSE ASSISTANCE SHALL RECEIVE SUCH COMPENSATION AS MAY BE FIXED BY THE COUNCIL.
SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH THIS WITH ALL OF THE MAJOR APPOINTEES, UH, BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO MY THOUGHT IS, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HEAR FROM THEM, UH, SEE WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE, BECAUSE I, I, IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY REASONABLE CHANGE.
UM, BUT I, I THINK IT SHOULD BE MADE TO ALL OF THE, THE MAJOR APPOINTEES BY THE COUNCIL.
UH, MR. SLI? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
I WOULD TEND TO AGREE WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER HUNT ON THIS, BECAUSE I HAVE MY OWN QUESTION.
WHAT DIFFERENTIATES AN ASSISTANT FROM AN EMPLOYEE? AND DO WE NEED TO HAVE THE LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE IN HERE IF IN REALITY, THEY'RE ALL EMPLOYEES? SO GETTING SOME, UM, UNIFORMITY ON HOW WE REFERENCE THESE INDIVIDUALS AND, AND THEN THE AUTHORITY OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY IS GONNA BE REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, SO THAT WAY YOU THEN DON'T CREATE ANOTHER ISSUE FOR ANOTHER DEPARTMENT DOWN THE ROAD WHO DIDN'T, FOR WHATEVER REASON, BRING THIS ISSUE TO US.
THEY'LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO I'D LIKE TO SUPPORT, UH, COMMISSIONER HUNT'S PROPOSAL.
UH, BUT I WOULD BE IN FAVOR IF WE WERE VOTING ON THIS TODAY, UH, OF THE CITY SECRETARY AMENDMENT.
I THINK I'D LIKE TO SEE IT ACROSS THE CITY.
MR. STEAM, WHAT, WHAT IF, UH, WE WERE TO PUSH THIS TO THE NEXT MEETING? WE'RE HAVING FEBRUARY 6TH.
'CAUSE I THINK EVERYONE'S IN FAVOR OF, OF THIS HAPPENING.
I THINK THE QUESTION IS, DOES IT NEED TO INCLUDE THESE OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL SO THAT WE HAVE CONSISTENCY ACROSS THE BOARD? WOULD THAT, WOULD THAT SOUND OKAY TO YOU? IT SOUND OKAY.
UH, WE ARE, CAN WE GET SOME ADVICE FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE? AND, AND, UH, SO ACTUALLY, I GUESS WHAT I'LL, UH, ASK IS, MS. HAN, IF YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, POSTPONE THIS UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING WE HAVE, WHICH I BELIEVE IS FEBRUARY 6TH, UH, AND WE'RE GONNA ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT MOTION CARRIES TO IDENTIFY FORCE.
ANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT THIS, UH, WOULD IMPACT OR SHOULD, IS NOT ADDRESSED BY THIS? IT SHOULD BE, I GUESS, YES.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION? UH, I DO HAVE A MR. FRANKLIN, MR. CHAIR.
UM, YOU, YOU WERE STEPPING US THROUGH THE, THE HIRING PROCESS.
YOU SAID THAT YOU MAY HIRE YOUR ASSISTANTS AND EMPLOYEES, BUT IT HAS TO GO, IT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY SOMEONE WHO, IS THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS TO APPROVE YOUR ASSISTANT OR EMPLOYEE? WELL, THE PROCESS IS, IS THAT I BRING THEM TO CITY COUNCIL.
IF THEY'RE, IF I'M LOOKING TO HIRE ANY POSITION, AND THE CITY COUNCIL WILL APPROVE OR, OR NOT APPROVE, BUT LET'S SAY THEY APPROVE, UM, THE NEXT STEP IS TO WORK THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE WHO PUTS TOGETHER THE BUDGET.
AND, AND IN THAT PROCESS, THAT'S WHERE IT GETS TO ANOTHER LAYER, LAYER OF APPROVAL.
AFTER, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL HAS SAID, OKAY, I SEE THAT THIS POSITION IS NEEDED OR, OR NECESSARY WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE ON FUNDING IS, IT'S, I UNDERSTAND THAT GOES THROUGH THE BUDGETING PROCESS, BUT IT'S, UM, AND ANOTHER, ANOTHER LAYER
[01:30:01]
FOR THAT TO, TO MOVE FORWARD.SO YOUR SUGGESTION BY ADDING EMPLOYEES, WOULD THAT ELIMINATE THOSE EXTRA STEPS OF APPROVAL AT, AT WHAT LEVEL OF APPROVAL WILL BE REQUIRED? YES, IT WOULD.
THAT'S THE, YES, IT WOULD ELIMINATE THAT STEP.
AND IT'S NOT JUST ON HIRING IT'S STRUCTURE AS WELL.
UM, IF I WANTED TO CHANGE THE STRUCTURE AGAIN, BECAUSE WE'RE UNDER THE, OUR, OUR BUDGET GOES THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
AND SO EVEN AFTER COUNCIL HAS APPROVED THAT, IT'S JUST, UM, FOR MY OFFICE, IT'S ANOTHER LAYER OF APPROVAL IN ORDER TO MAKE IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING FOR EFFICIENCY AND ALSO A MORE DEFINED STRUCTURE FOR YOUR OFFICE.
SO WE HAVE PENDING MS UH, HUNTS MOTION.
UH, THIS IS TO DELETE THE REQUIREMENT THAT ALL ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEYS SHALL DEVOTE THEIR ENTIRE TIME TO THE SERVICE OF THE CITY IN CHAPTER SEVEN, SECTION TWO, THIS IS AMENDMENT NUMBER 56.
UH, IT WAS PROPOSED BY A RESIDENT, MS. UH, JAMIE GUTHRIE.
MS. GUTHRIE IS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND TONIGHT AND HAS NOT PROVIDED ANY FURTHER COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSAL OTHER THAN THOSE THAT WERE ATTACHED, UH, TO YOUR AGENDA, UH, OR ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA, EXCLUDE ME AND INCLUDED ON THE FINAL LIST OF SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS.
UH, SO I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR TO ANY QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION.
MR. YOUNG QUESTION FOR, UM, EITHER MS. MS. MORRISON OR MR. MOORE, IF EITHER OF YOU KNOW, DOES THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAVE ANY ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEYS THAT WORK PART-TIME? UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY, BECAUSE OF THIS CHARTER LANGUAGE, DOES NOT ALLOW, UH, THE ATTORNEYS IN OUR OFFICE TO, UH, PRACTICE LAW OUTSIDE OF AN APPROVED, UM, PRO BONO PROGRAM.
UM, LIKE THE DALLAS BAR ASSOCIATION HAS, UM, A PRO BONO PROGRAM.
AND SO THE CITY ATTORNEY WILL EITHER APPROVE THOSE OR NOT APPROVE THOSE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH, UH, TIME IS INVOLVED AND HOW MUCH TIME WOULD BE TAKEN AWAY FROM WORK.
UM, BUT FOR THE MOST, I, I THINK I CAN SAY NO ONE IN THE OFFICE, UM, PRACTICES LAW OUTSIDE OF, UH, THEIR LEGAL PRACTICE HERE WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
BUT IF SOMEONE WERE TO, UM, SEEK APPROVAL FOR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING COMPLETELY OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THE PRACTICE OF LAW, LIKE DRIVING FOR LYFT OR UBER ON THE WEEKEND PART-TIME OR SOMETHING, UH, WE ASK THAT ANYONE STILL GET THAT APPROVED.
UM, AND WE MAKE A NOTE IN THEIR PERSONNEL FILE THAT THAT'S BEEN APPROVED.
BUT, BUT NO, UH, NONE OF THE ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEYS ARE ALLOWED TO PRACTICE LAW OTHER THAN A VERY SPECIFIC PRO BONO SITUATION.
WELL, UH, I RECALL IN THE DISTANT PAST A COUPLE OF, UH, ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEYS JOB SHARING SO THAT THEY COULD HANDLE FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES, UH, IN ADDITION TO PART-TIME LAW PRACTICE FOR THE CITY.
MR. YOUNG, MR. YOUNG, I APOLOGIZE, WERE YOU SPEAKING TO YOUR MIC? JUST YES.
UM, IN THE DISTANT PAST, THERE WERE ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEYS THAT JOB SHARED, BUT NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRACTICING LAW ON THE SIDE, BUT RATHER FOR THE PURPOSE OF, UH, OF HANDLING FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES.
UH, DO YOU KNOW IF THAT PRACTICE WAS CONTINUED? I CAN'T THINK OF ANYONE IN OUR OFFICE WHO DOES THAT.
AS FAR AS I KNOW, ALL OF OUR ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEYS ARE FULL-TIME POSITIONS, AND THEY, THEY DEVOTE A FULL, A FULL 40 HOURS AT LEAST, UH, TO PRACTICING LAW FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND I BELIEVE YOU TOLD ME EARLIER THAT, UH, YOUR OFFICE DOES NOT HAVE A POSITION ONE WAY OR ANOTHER ON THIS PROPOSAL.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS NOT TAKEN A POSITION ON THIS ITEM.
SO SOME COMMENTS BASED ON THAT DISCUSSION AND MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE THAT I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD LEAVE IT THE SAME.
UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY, YOU RUN INTO AN ISSUE WHEN YOU START HAVING ATTORNEYS THAT ARE ALSO PRACTICING IN THE PRIVATE REALM.
AND THE CITY, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF SMALLER CITIES DO THAT 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.
BUT IN DALLAS, IT'S JUST, THERE'S POTENTIAL CONFLICTS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UM, HOWEVER, DUE TO, AS THE CITY ATTORNEY WAS DISCUSSING, THERE'S BEEN AN EXCEPTION FOR CITY ATTORNEYS THAT ARE TEACHING.
AND I THINK THAT'S A APPROPRIATE EXCEPTION
[01:35:01]
THAT'S MADE AT DIFFERENT TIMES.I WAS ONE OF THOSE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, LEAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUAL APPROVAL, IT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY IN THE CHARTER, BUT IT'S BEEN INTERPRETED TO BE THERE.
I THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE AS LONG AS THOSE ATTORNEYS ARE NOT PRACTICING LAW OUTSIDE OF, OF THAT CONTEXT.
AND SO, UM, I, I WOULD MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE EXCLUDE THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.
ANY, UH, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I HAVE A COMMENT.
MR. STEIN, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH, UH, REMOVING THIS ITEM, BUT, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WORKED TWO JOBS, AND OUR MAYOR, HE'S AN ATTORNEY.
HE WORKS FOR ANOTHER LAW FIRM.
SO I JUST THOUGHT I'D THROW THAT IN THERE WHILE WE, UH, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZING THE CITY ATTORNEYS SAYING THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO STAY DEDICATED TO THE CITY WHEN WE HAVE OTHER CITY EMPLOYEES THAT'S NOT DEDICATED TO THE CITY THAT'S ON THE PAYROLL.
SO I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, I'D JUST LIKE TO THROW THAT IN THERE.
UM, ANY MORE COMMENT OR QUESTIONS? MS. HUNT? AND, UH, I, I WOULD ASK COMMISSIONER MAGOO AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY AS WELL, IS THE, THE PURPOSE OF EXCLUDING THIS, WELL, LET ME, LET ME TURN IT AROUND AND ASK IT THIS WAY.
IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE'S COMFORTABLE WITH THE IDEA THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY AND ALL ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEYS SHOULD NOT PRACTICE LAW OUTSIDE WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.
BUT I THINK AS A, AS A FINANCIAL REALITY, I CAN IMAGINE, UH, A CITY ATTORNEY MIGHT WANT TO SEEK SOME EMPLOYMENT, WHETHER IT'S AS A TEACHER OR A TUTOR, OR, UM, HOPEFULLY THEY, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO DRIVE OVERS ALL AROUND THE CITY OF DALLAS, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK OTHER EMPLOYMENT THAT DOESN'T INTERFERE WITH THEIR DUTIES OR OTHERWISE CONFLICT WITH IT IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF RATHER THAN EXCLUDE THIS, WE MAY WANT TO NARROW IT DOWN, UH, TO THAT POINT OF SIMPLY PROHIBITING THE PRACTICE OF LAW OUTSIDE THEIR WORK AS CITY ATTORNEYS.
I, I ACTUALLY, IF I COULD RESPOND CHAIR, LIKE I, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
I MEAN, THE WAY THIS IS WORDED, IT JUST SAYS, YOU KNOW, DEVOTE THEIR ENTIRE TIME TO THE SERVICE.
AND AS I'VE BEEN, AS THE CITY ATTORNEYS IN PAST HAVE INTERPRETED THAT THAT JUST MEANT THEIR 40 HOUR REQUIREMENT, UM, AND THAT THEY COULDN'T PRACTICE LAW ELSEWHERE.
BUT MAYBE IT'S APPROPRIATE TO CLARIFY THAT SO THAT WE HAD DEAL WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT A NEW CITY ATTORNEY COULD INTERPRET IT DIFFERENTLY, AND WHO KNOWS HOW THAT PLAYS OUT.
SO THAT, THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.
SO WE, WE HAVE PENDING YOUR MOTION TO EXCLUDE IT, UM, I, I GUESS I WOULD WITHDRAW THAT MOTION AND, UM, ASK FOR THAT.
WE TABLE THIS ITEM AND ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY TO RETURN LANGUAGE THAT WOULD ADDRESS, UM, THAT THE, THE COMMENTS THAT YOU'VE HEARD TODAY.
UH, IS THERE A SECOND? CAN I ASK THE ATTORNEY A QUESTION? SURE.
MR. STEVE, UH, MS. HUNT, SECOND, THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, THE WAY IT'S WORDED, WILL THAT HINDER THE CITY OF DALLAS FROM HIRING OR OBTAINING THE BEST ATTORNEYS THAT'S OUT THERE? BECAUSE A LOT OF ATTORNEYS, AND I'M NOT ONE, SOME OF Y'ALL ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY DO MULTIPLE JOBS.
AND WILL WE GET A HIGHER QUALITY OF ATTORNEYS IF WE DELETED THIS? WOULD, WOULD IT MAKE MORE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WILLING TO WORK FOR THE CITY THAT'S BETTER ATTORNEYS OR GOOD ATTORNEYS? THAT'S MY QUESTION TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN REALLY ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY CANDIDATES WE HAVE APPLIED FOR OUR OPEN POSITIONS WHO HAVE LOOKED AT THIS CHAPTER OF THE CITY CHARTER.
UM, WHAT HAS COME UP IN INTERVIEWS WHEN I KNOW WHEN I INTERVIEW A CANDIDATE WHO HAS HIS OR HER OWN LAW PRACTICE, WE ASK THAT THEY HAVE WRAPPED UP THEIR CASES, UM, BEFORE THEY COME.
IF WE ARE GOING TO OFFER THEM A POSITION HERE IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, WE ASK THAT ALL OF THEIR CASES BE WRAPPED UP BEFORE THEY START WITH US.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE'VE LOST SOME QUALITY CANDIDATES BECAUSE THEY CAN'T, UH, DO THAT AT THAT TIME.
I I REALLY, I CAN'T SAY THANK YOU.
UH, SO WE, MR. FRANKLIN GIBSON, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST A QUICK COMMENT, UH, TO ME, I THINK AT THIS VERY ESSENCE, IT'S ABOUT, UH, HOW MUCH THE CITY ATTORNEYS ARE BEING COMPENSATED.
IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT THEY REALLY WANNA DO IS SUPPLEMENT THEIR INCOME BY OTHER MEANS.
[01:40:01]
UH, THE SUGGESTED AMENDMENT COULD BE INTERPRETED TO MEAN, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY COULD DO SOMETHING ELSE OUTSIDE OF THE PRACTICE OF LAW.UH, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE PRACTICE OF LAW CAN BE DEMANDING AND HAVING TWO COMPETING PRACTICES AT ONE TIME COULD DETRIMENTALLY IMPACT THE WORK THAT THEY DO FOR THE CITY.
UH, I DON'T, I WOULDN'T MIND TO, UH, OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE ALREADY SAID IS IF WE NARROW THIS DOWN TO ALLOW THEM TO PURSUE OTHER PURSUITS OUTSIDE OF THE PRACTICE OF LAW, I WOULD HAVE NO ISSUE WITH, YOU KNOW, IN INCLUDING IT GOING FORWARD.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GET THAT ON THE RECORD, IS THAT I THINK THAT THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE IS THE COMPENSATION FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY RATHER THAN, UH, THEM JUST ALTRUISTICALLY WANT TO PRACTICE LAW OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
SO WE HAVE, UH, PENDING THE MOTION.
ANY, UH, MORE, UH, MS. LOWERY, UH, COMMISSIONER MAGOO? UH, YOU SAID THAT THERE WERE SOME CASES WHERE, UH, CURRENT ATTORNEYS OR IN YOUR TIME COULD TEACH OR DO COULD, SO THERE IS A MECHANISM IN PLACE TO ALLOW THINGS OUTSIDE OF THE PRACTICE OF LAW.
UH, SUB UP TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S INTERPRETATION, THEY ALLOWED, UM, THAT YOU COULDN'T, YOU HAD TO GIVE YOUR 40 HOURS IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW TO THE CITY AND THE CITY ALONE.
BUT, AND FOR ACADEMIC REASONS, IF YOU WERE TEACHING, YOU COULD, YOU COULD DO ANOTHER TEACHING POSITION OUTSIDE OF THAT.
THAT WAS KIND OF THE, THE WELL WRITTEN EXCEPTION.
AND, AND I WOULD THINK BECAUSE THE CITY IS INVOLVED IN SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS OF LIFE, THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICT IS LARGE.
SO IF WE ARE NOT CAREFUL WITH LANGUAGE, WE CHANGE, WE MAY OPEN A DOOR THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE OPENED.
MR. YOUNG, UH, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION TO HOLD.
UH, THE PRACTICE THAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED IS NOT ACTUALLY CONSISTENT WITH THE CHARTER LANGUAGE, WHICH SAYS DEVOTE THEIR ENTIRE TIME.
I DON'T REALLY CARE IF AN ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY DRIVES UBER OR LYFT IN THE EVENINGS.
AND I CERTAINLY DON'T CARE IF THEY TEACH AT NORTH TEXAS LAW SCHOOL, UH, OR IN A PRO BONO PROGRAM.
BUT, UH, I THINK THEY SHOULD BE PROHIBITED FROM PRACTICING LAW EXCEPT FOR THE CITY, UH, EXCEPT AS AUTHORIZED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR SOME PRO BONO PROGRAM OR SOMETHING LIKE WORDS TO THAT EFFECT.
SO I SUPPORT THE MOTION TO HOLD ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALRIGHT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION? AYE.
I'LL SET THIS, UH, ITEM ON A, ON A AGENDA FOR A FUTURE MEETING.
JUST ASK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE WANTS TO MOVE OR MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND IT, THAT WE HAVE ALL THOSE DUCKS IN A ROW, INCLUDING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO VISIT WITH THEM.
'CAUSE I THINK MOST OF US ARE INCLINED PROBABLY TO EXCLUDE THIS AS IT'S WRITTEN NOW.
UH, AND I THINK THE COMMENTS REGARDING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ARE, ARE VERY SIGNIFICANT AND WE GENERALLY HEEDED THOSE.
UH, THAT'S THE DELETE PROVISIONS IN, UH, CHAPTER 22, SECTION THREE PERTAINING TO THE PROCEEDINGS FOR THE OPENING AND PUBLIC INSPECTION OF BIDS.
UM, THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT IS BROUGHT FROM BY THE OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT SERVICES IN THE CITY.
UH, I BELIEVE DIRECTOR DANIELLE THOMPSON IS HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, MS. THOMPSON, ARE YOU, ARE YOU ONLINE? CAN YOU HEAR US? MS. THOMPSON? MS. THOMPSON, ARE YOU ONLINE? I CAN'T SEE THE NAME THERE.
CAN, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, WILL YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? 'CAUSE WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
CAN YOU RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU CAN HEAR ME? I, YES, I CAN HEAR YOU, BUT I KEEP TURNING ON MY CAMERA AND I CAN'T SEE, I DON'T THINK MY CAMERA'S COMING ON.
WE CAN HEAR, WE CAN HEAR YOU, BUT YOU CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
SO WOULD YOU PLEASE GIVE US A, A SUMMARY OF THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT AND WHY YOU BELIEVE IT'S NECESSARY? YES.
AM I ABLE, EXCUSE ME, I'M, I'M SORRY.
UH, DIRECTOR THOMPSON, WE, WE DO HAVE TO HAVE YOUR CAMERA ON, UM, JUST BY MY RULE.
UM, SO IF, IF, SO, WE, WE WILL NEED TO HAVE YOUR CAMERA ON BEFORE YOU ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
CAN I DEFER TO CA A O WHO HAS MY SUMMARY SINCE MY CAMERA'S NOT TURNING ON FOR YOU GUYS? OKAY, THANK YOU.
UM, WE'LL DO THIS, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO, UH, QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS OR DOES HE ATTORNEYS.
[01:45:01]
OKAY.I ACTUALLY HAVE ONE OF THE OTHER ATTORNEYS, UH, WHO'S GONNA ADDRESS THIS, HUH? HI, MY NAME IS BIN WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UH, MR. YOUNG, IF WE APPROVE THIS ITEM, WHAT WILL BE THE PROCESS FOR TRANSPARENCIES OF COMPETITIVE BIDS? UM, STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WHEN WE OPEN BIDS, THAT WE ANNOUNCE THE BIDS AND AMOUNTS IF THERE ARE ANY AMOUNTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
AND ALSO WHEN WE LOOK AT, UH, THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT, IT PROVIDES THAT, I MEAN, IT BASICALLY ALLOWS FOR TRANSPARENCY IN THESE ISSUES.
IF, IF, UM, IT ALLOWS FOR EXCEPTIONS.
AND SO IF THERE IS A REQUEST AND WE THINK THAT THERE IS A NEED TO ACCEPT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER TO PROTECT PROPRIETARY INFORMATION OR ANY KIND OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION, WE CAN THEN MAKE THAT, UH, ARGUMENT WITH THE AG G'S OFFICE AND THEY WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO ALLOW US TO KEEP THOSE RECORDS.
WHAT THIS DOES IS THAT IT DOESN'T ALLOW US EVEN THAT OPTION.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS MEMBERS? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE, IS THERE A MOTION TO INCLUDE OR EXCLUDE OR TABLE, MR. CHAIR I MOVE TO INCLUDE? IS THERE A SECOND? MS. HUNT? SECOND.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, AT OUR FINAL MEETING, A FINAL VOTE ON EVERYTHING WE'VE AGREED TO INCLUDE, UH, IN THESE MEETINGS, INCLUDING THIS ONE.
SO AS IF THERE'S MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON IT, WE CAN CERTAINLY TAKE IT UP AT THAT TIME AS WELL.
I'M SORRY I DIDN'T RAISE MY HAND QUICKLY ENOUGH.
I WANTED TO MAKE ONE COMMENT ON WHAT WE JUST VOTED ON.
I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, UH, WHEN THIS IS PRESENTED TO COUNSEL FOR AN EXPLANATION OF WHY THIS CAN BE TAKEN OUT WITHOUT, UH, INTERFERING WITH THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE PROCESS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT.
OTHERWISE, I THINK IT APPEARS THAT, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE SIMPLY TRYING TO, UM, PREVENT CERTAIN INFORMATION AND TRANSPARENCY FOR THE PUBLIC, UM, SINCE WE'RE SIMPLY DELETING THIS.
SO I WOULD JUST, UH, ENCOURAGE THE OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT TO THOROUGHLY EDUCATE COUNSEL ABOUT THE PURPOSE FOR THIS AND WHAT OTHER STATE, UM, OR CITY REGULATIONS APPLY TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF TRANSPARENCY.
IT'S THE FINAL AMENDMENT FOR CONSIDERATION TONIGHT.
UH, THIS WOULD ABOLISH THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM POSITIONS OR AMEND THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS OF THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM POSITIONS IN CHAPTER THREE, SECTION 11.
AND THESE ARE AMENDMENTS EIGHT AND 39.
UM, SO WE HAVE HERE, MR. KINGSTON, UH, YOU CAN TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER MENDELSON ONLINE AS WELL.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL START, I GUESS WITH MR. KINGSTON.
HE'S, UM, I WON'T GO ON, UH, LONG.
YOU ALL HAVE ALL HEARD MY RATIONALE FOR THIS, IF I CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS FOR YOU, UM, I CAN DEFINITELY OFFER SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF, OF WHY THIS IS DELETERIOUS TO THE FUNCTION OF COUNSEL.
UM, AND IT'S JUST SO, ESPECIALLY AFTER WE AMENDED THE CHARTER IN 2014, TO MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT THERE WAS NO POWER ASSOCIATED WITH THESE OFFICES, IT'S JUST GALLING TO SEE, UH, RELATIONSHIPS HARMED OVER OFFICES THAT LITERALLY DON'T MEAN ANYTHING.
UH, MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS, UH, COMMENTS WITH MR. KINGSTON? I DO, MR. CHAIR.
MR.
AND, UH, MS. MESON HAS SET THE CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS FOR THESE OFFICER POSITIONS.
THERE'RE PRO TEM AND DEPUTY PRO, PRO TEM ARE DIVISIVE AND DICTATED BY DEMOGRAPHICS.
[01:50:01]
UH, DO YOU HAVE A POSITION ON WHETHER THESE POSITIONS ARE DICTATED BY DEMOGRAPHICS? AND IF SO, CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE? WELL, UH, DO YOU MIND IF I ADDRESS THE COMMISSIONER DIRECTLY? OH, PLEASE.AND MR. JAR ALS ALSO, WE HAVE, UH, COUNCIL, UH, MEMBER MENDELSON ONLINE.
AND SO AFTER, I GUESS THIS, WE'D ASK HER TO, TO GIVE ANY FEEDBACK SHE HAS, BUT YES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
COULD COUNCIL MEMBER FRANKLIN, I THINK THE REFERENCE HERE IS TO WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE NEAPOLITAN RULE, WHICH HAS AN UNWRITTEN RULE THAT HAS SAID FOR MANY YEARS THAT, UH, WHATEVER THE RACE OF THE MAYOR IS, THE OTHER TWO COUNCIL OFFICER POSITIONS SHOULD BE THE OTHER TWO MAJOR RACES, UH, IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, WE, I THINK THAT THE, I THINK MAYBE THE FOURTH LARGEST GROUP IS VIETNAMESE.
AND WE DID, THERE WAS NO
UH, AND SO IT, IT IS, IT DOES OFFEND PEOPLE, BUT IT WAS ALSO A WAY FOR IN THE EARLY DAYS OF 14 ONE, UH, PEOPLE OF COLOR TO RECEIVE SOME SORT OF REPRESENTATION IN COUNCIL LEADERSHIP.
OBVIOUSLY, ONCE MAYOR KIRK WAS ELECTED, THERE WERE, THERE WERE DIFFERENT, UM, CONSIDERATIONS.
IN FACT, WE HAD A WHITE MAYOR, PRO TIMM AT THAT POINT.
UM, I WOULD ARGUE THAT HAVING IDENTIFIED THE NEAPOLITAN RULE AS REALLY PROBLEMATIC AND AND OFFENSIVE TO PEOPLE, IT IS MORE OF AN ARGUMENT FOR GETTING RID OF THE POSITIONS.
IF THERE WERE SOME REASON TO HAVE THESE OFFICES, THEN I MIGHT HAVE A DIFFERENT POSITION ON THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE MIGHT WANNA HAVE A BETTER DISCUSSION OF HOW YOU GET EQUITY IN THOSE POSITIONS.
BUT I, I THINK THAT BECAUSE THE PO THE POSITIONS THEMSELVES HAVE BEEN SO DELETERIOUS TO COUNSEL, AND PARTICULARLY THE RACIAL COMPONENT, WHICH HAS DEFINITELY CAUSED STRIFE, UM, I, I THINK THAT IS JUST A, A BETTER ARGUMENT, UH, IN FAVOR OF ABOLISHING THE POSITIONS.
JUST A QUICK CALL-UP QUESTION.
UH, DO YOU RECALL WHY, UH, THESE POSITIONS HAD BEEN RENDERED MEANINGLESS BY LAW IN 2014? YES.
UH, IT WAS UHMI, THE, THE IDEA TO AMEND THE CHARTER TO MAKE IT EXTREMELY CLEAR THAT THEY HAD NO POWER WAS SUBMITTED BY MIKE RAWLINGS.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION.
UH, IT, MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT IT HAD, IT HAD POWER AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
IS THAT A CORRECT ASSUMPTION? IT'S VERY HARD TO SAY MR. FRANKLIN BECAUSE EVERYONE HAD ASSUMED, BECAUSE THE, THE WAY THE CHARTER READ PRIOR TO 2014 WAS THAT WHEN THE MAYOR IN THE MAYOR'S ABSENCE, THE MAYOR PRO TEM WAS THE MAYOR.
AND SO EVERYONE THOUGHT THAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM HAD ALL THE POWERS OF THE MAYOR WHEN THE MAYOR WAS ABSENT.
UH, IT WAS ALSO A GREAT TOOL FOR MAKING SURE THE MAYOR SHOWED UP FOR MEETINGS.
UM, THE, UH, IN, IN THAT CONFLICT THAT I DESCRIBED EARLIER, WHERE MAYOR PRO TIMM MEDRANO, PAULINE MEDRANO NOT, UH, UH, ADAM HERE, UH, TRIED TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA THAT THE MAYOR DID NOT APPROVE OF.
THE MAYOR HAD THE CITY ATTORNEY WARREN ERNST AT THE TIME, NO, IT WAS TOM PERKINS AT THE TIME, ISSUE AN OPINION THAT SAID IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT CHARTER LANGUAGE DOESN'T REALLY MATTER.
WHAT IT MEANS IS IT'S ONLY WHEN THE MAYOR IS ACTUALLY INCAPACITATED OR HAS ABANDONED THE OFFICE, FOR INSTANCE, TO RUN FOR SENATE, WHICH HAS HAPPENED A COUPLE TIMES.
SO THOSE, UM, THAT MADE IT PRETTY CLEAR THAT THERE WAS NO POWER.
AND THEN THE 2014 AMENDMENT REALLY CLARIFIED THAT BECAUSE I THINK THE, I THINK THE ISSUE THERE WAS THAT MR. PERKINS MEMO DEFINITELY HAD CONFLICT WITH THE LANGUAGE OF THE CHARTER PRIOR TO 2014.
SO I ACTUALLY, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, MENDELSON ONLINE.
DO YOU WANT TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, YOUR, 'CAUSE YOU HAVE ONE OF THE TWO AMENDMENTS, I BELIEVE.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL PROCEED WITH THE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
WELL, FIRST I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR SERVING ON THIS CHARTER COMMISSION AND A SPECIAL THANKS FOR DISTRICT 12 REPRESENTATIVE, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER MAGOO.
Y'ALL HAVE SO MUCH EXPERIENCE AS ELECTED OFFICIALS WORKING FOR, OR WITH THE CITY AND LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY, AND DALLAS WILL DEFINITELY BENEFIT FROM YOUR WORK.
UM, THIS ITEM THAT'S, THAT'S BEING DISCUSSED, UM, IS ACTUALLY ONLY TWO SENTENCES IN THE CHARTER.
AND IT CAN REALLY BE BEST SUMMED UP IN MY OPINION, AS REALLY ONLY OF INTEREST TO INSIDERS AND AFICIONADOS.
BUT ACTUALLY, IT CAN BE VERY IMPACTFUL FOR RESIDENTS.
AND BECAUSE OF THE EARLIER QUESTION, I'M GONNA TELL YOU
[01:55:01]
THE STORY.SOON AFTER I WAS ELECTED, THE CALLS AND MEETINGS OF CURRENT MEMBERS BEGAN AND THEY SOUGHT TO LOBBY MY SUPPORT FOR MAYOR PRO TEM AND DEPUTY MAYOR POTM.
AND IN FACT, TWO OF THEM ARE SERVING ON THIS COMMISSION.
I WAS HORRIFIED TO FIND OUT THAT THERE WERE CAUCUSES BASED ON RACE, AS THERE WAS THIS INFORMAL PRACTICE OF ELECTING A PERSON WHO WAS WHITE, BLACK AND HISPANIC TO FILL THE SEATS OF MAYOR, WHICH WOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN ELECTED AS, AS WELL AS MAYOR PRO AND DEPUTY MAYOR PROAM.
THIS ELECTION HAPPENS ON THE VERY FIRST DAY WHEN YOU'RE INAUGURATED.
SO I PLEDGED, I WOULD NEVER AGAIN PARTICIPATE IN SOMETHING CALLED A WHITE CAUCUS.
ANOTHER CAUCUS EMERGED FOR WOMEN BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN NO CONSIDERATION OF ANY OF THESE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS BEING HELD BY WOMEN.
AND THIS IS WHY I SAY IT'S HIGHLY CORRELATED TO DEMOGRAPHICS TODAY.
YOU MAY NOTE THAT THE MAYOR, MAYOR, PRO TEM AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM ARE ALL BLACK.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS, UM, THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN TERRIBLE
UM, I PERSONALLY HAVE NEVER SOUGHT TO SERVE IN ANY OF THESE ROLES.
I NEVER INTEND TO WHILE I SERVE ON CITY COUNCIL.
BUT OTHERS FEEL SO STRONGLY ABOUT SERVING IN THESE ROLES THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ACTUAL TEARS AMONGST MEMBERS AND STILL LONGTIME HURT FEELINGS.
SO WHAT I'M TELLING YOU, WHICH MANY OF YOU ALREADY KNOW, IS THAT THIS IS A VERY DIVISIVE PROCESS.
IT ALSO MEANS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO SERVE AS MAYOR PRO TEM OR DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM MAY BE AT ODDS WITH THE MAYOR, WHICH IS WHAT I THINK YOU HEARD, UH, MR. KINGSTON SPEAKING ABOUT.
FOR A BETTER FUNCTIONING CITY COUNCIL, IT'D BE HELPFUL IF THE MAYOR HAD TRUSTED ALLIES IN THOSE POSITIONS THAT HE OR SHE COULD UTILIZE WITH CONFIDENCE TO HELP THEM ATTEND PUBLIC APPEARANCES AND TO HELP BUILD CONSENSUS ON THE COUNCIL.
SO WHAT MY AMENDMENT IS, IS SIMPLY SUGGESTING THAT THESE POSITIONS BE APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE APPOINTED HAVE THE OPTION TO DECLINE THAT APPOINTMENT IF THEY DON'T WISH TO SERVE IN THAT MANNER.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THIS AMENDMENT BE IMPLEMENTED WITH THE FOLLOWING MAYOR, WHICH JUST TO CLARIFY MEANS IT WOULD NEVER AFFECT ME EITHER.
UM, AS FOR MR. KINGSTON'S IDEA OF COMPLETELY REMOVING THE POSITIONS, I THINK YOU'RE HEARING A CONSISTENT REASONING BETWEEN THE TWO OF US ON THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS, AND WE DON'T VERY OFTEN AGREE.
SO I THINK THAT SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING.
UM, BUT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THAT WOULD HAPPEN IS IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS, IS THERE WOULDN'T BE, UM, A DELEGATION OF WHO WOULD RUN THE MEETING IN THE MAYOR'S ABSENCE.
AND ALSO WHO WOULD SERVE AS ACTING MAYOR SHOULD THE MAYOR NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE SERVING EITHER BY CHOICE OR, UM, INCAPACITATED.
SO THIS IS WHY I BROUGHT IT FORWARD.
I THINK IT WOULD HELP OUR CITY COUNCIL AND, UM, I HOPE TO NOT BE INVOLVED IN ANOTHER ONE OF THESE ELECTIONS, MR. MAGOO.
SO I THINK THE FIRST THING WE SHOULD DO IS, AS A CHARTER COMMISSION ELECT, A PRO TEM AND A MAYOR PRO TEM FOR OUR PARTY.
UM, I, I THINK YOU HEAR THE ISSUE, AND FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, IT IS, IT'S A REALLY TOUGH TIME FOR NEWLY ELECTED FOLKS COMING IN AND DEALING WITH ALL THIS LIKE CRAZY PO POLITICKING TO GET STARTED.
AND SO, UH, WHILE I AGREE WITH THE PROBLEM, I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS BEING THE SOLUTION.
I DO THINK IT'S STILL, UM, HELPFUL TO HAVE THE POSITIONS.
I THINK THERE'S, UM, EVEN AS I HEARD FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MENDELSSOHN, THAT'S ANOTHER SOLUTION THAT COULD HELP ADDRESS THIS.
UM, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES WHEN THE MAYOR DOES STEP OUT ON RUNNING MEETINGS AND SURE, THERE YOU COULD HOLD A VOTE EACH TIME, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S HELPFUL EITHER.
UM, I THINK IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THOSE POSITIONS KIND OF ESTABLISHED AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I I THINK WE CAN MAKE IT BETTER THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND LIKELY, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S THE MAYOR APPOINTING THAT'S AN OPTION, I THINK THAT WORKS PRETTY WELL.
BUT I DO NOT SUPPORT ABOLISHING THE POSITIONS ALTOGETHER.
AND SO I, I WOULD, UH, MAKE A MOTION TO EXCLUDE THIS ITEM.
I SECOND THAT THERE CAN, WOULD YOU PLEASE RESTATE WHAT YOU, WHAT YOUR MOTION TO EXCLUDE EXCLUDE BOTH OF THEM OR ONE OF THEM? NO.
EXCLUDE THE ONLY WE TO NOT MOVE.
WE CAN ONLY ADDRESS THIS ITEM, BUT IT'S ON THE AGENDA.
IF I COULD THERE ARE TWO, THERE'S TWO AMENDMENTS AGENDA, THEN I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO ADVANCE HOW, HOW WE SAY IT INCLUDE, UM, COUNCILOR MENDELSSOHN'S MOTION.
ARE THOSE TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS?
[02:00:02]
YEAH, I THINK, I THINK THEY NEED TO BE, WELL.'CAUSE I, IF I UNDERSTAND HIM, HE'S SAYING HE WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MENDELSSOHN'S TO BE INCLUDED.
BUT TO EXCLUDE MR. KINGSTON'S NO, EXCLUDE THE ONE THAT I WAS HAVE BEEN READING ON HERE.
SO IF WE NEED TO TAKE THAT FIRST, DIVIDE IT AND TAKE THAT FIRST.
I THINK FOR CLARITY PURPOSES, WE SHOULD DIVIDE 'EM UP.
THAT'S THE MOTION TO EXCLUDE ITEM EIGHT.
SO PENDING, YOU HAVE A MOTION TO INCLUDE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MENDELSON'S AMENDMENT.
AND THAT'S AMENDMENT 39, RIGHT? 39.
THAT'S YOUR MOTION IS TO INCLUDE THAT? NO, I'M GONNA, I'M MAKING A MOTION TO EXCLUDE ITEM EIGHT.
OR THE ONE THAT WE'RE YES, ABOLISH THE AMENDMENT.
SO THERE'S A, A MOTION TO, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
I THINK THERE IS CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SECONDING.
SO AGAIN, THE, THE PENDING MOTION IS TO EXCLUDE A ELIMINATE WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE, UH, THOSE POSITIONS.
MAYOR PRO TEM, THAT WAS, UH, MR. KINGSTON'S PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
SO THAT'S THE MOTIONS TO EXCLUDE IT.
ALL IN FAVOR OR SORRY, ANY DISCUSSION? I ASK, I I'D I A QUESTION.
BEFORE, BEFORE I TAKE A VOTE ON EITHER ONE, WHETHER WE'RE EXCLUDING MR. KINGSTON'S OR MOVING FORWARD WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN MENDELSON'S, I WANNA WRAP MY MIND AROUND WHAT ACTUALLY IS NEEDED VERSUS WHAT IS, WHAT ISN'T NEEDED.
BECAUSE I REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON JUST MAKING SURE THAT THIS CITY GOVERNMENT IS AN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE BODY FOR THE PEOPLE.
SO WERE WE TO ELIMINATE THE POSITION, WHAT DO WE REVERT TO WHEN IT COMES TO RULES FOR HOW TO GOVERN THE BODY IF THE MAYOR IS NOT PRESENT? DO WE REVERT TO ROBERT'S RULES? IS MY, IS THE WHAT I, WHAT I WOULD ASSUME WE WOULD HAVE TO DO? AND IN THAT CASE, DO WE HAVE OUR PARLIAMENTARIAN HERE OR CITY ATTORNEY TO HELP US UNDERSTAND, DO WE DO LITERALLY WHAT IT SAYS IN ROBERT'S RULES, WHICH IS TO GO TO THE VICE CHAIR OF THE BODY? IS YOUR, IS YOUR, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
IS IT, IF, IF WE GO WITH THE IDEA IN AMENDMENT EIGHT TO ABOLISH THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM POSITIONS, IS YOUR QUESTION, HOW WOULD THE GOVERNING BODY THEN HAVE A VICE CHAIR? NO.
UH, THE QUESTION WOULD BE, WHAT HAPPENS IF THE MAYOR IS NOT PRESENT TO RUN THE MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL IF WE DON'T HAVE A POSITION THAT'S NOT THE MAYOR TO RUN THE CITY COUNCIL? AND IF THE ANSWER IS, WE REVERT TO ROBERT TROLLS.
I THINK MY UNDERSTANDING FROM ROBERT TROLLS IS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A VICE CHAIR.
YES, THE BODY WOULD ELECT A VICE CHAIR IN THAT INSTANCE.
UM, SOMETIMES WITH OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, A VICE CHAIR IS NOT PRESENT AT THE MEETING.
SO USUALLY THE BODY, SOMEONE ON THE BODY WILL NOMINATE A VICE CHAIR FOR THE DAY.
UM, AND THEN THE BODY WILL VOTE ON THAT, AND THEN THEY HAVE A VICE CHAIR FOR THE DAY.
AND THEN WHEN THE BODY, UM, ADJOURNS FOR THE DAY, THEN THAT PERSON IS NO LONGER THE VICE CHAIR.
'CAUSE IT'S JUST A TEMPORARY, UM, SITUATION.
SO IN THIS CASE, IF THE MAYOR DID NOT HAVE A VICE CHAIR, THE CITY COUNCIL COULD NOMINATE SOMEONE TO BE THE VICE CHAIR FOR THE DAY.
UM, BUT THEN THAT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN, I THINK, AT EVERY, AT EVERY MEETING.
THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THAT QUESTION.
THE SECOND QUESTION I HAVE IS THE DUTIES OF THE MAYOR PRO TIM AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIM, AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, ARE NOT DEFINED IN CHARTER.
THEY ARE SIMPLY, UH, AN ONGOING TRADITION AND HAD BEEN PASSED ON COUNCIL TO COUNCIL, EACH NEW ITERATION, CORRECT? IS THAT, YEAH.
I THINK THAT'S AN ACCURATE STATEMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CHARTER SAYS THAT THE COUNCIL WILL ELECT, UM, A MAYOR PRO TEM AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM.
UM, EVERY SPECIFIC DUTY OF, YOU KNOW, THOSE POSITIONS IS NOT LISTED IN THE CHARTER.
UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY THE MAYOR PRO TEM CONDUCTS THE MEETING WHEN THE MAYOR IS NOT PRESENT AT THE MEETING.
AND THE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM CONDUCTS THE MEETING WHENEVER THE MAYOR AND THE PRO TEM ARE NOT PRESENT.
AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE DEPUTY MAYOR AND THE MAYOR, PRO TEM AND THE MAYOR ARE NOT PRESENT, I BELIEVE THE BODY WOULD, UM, NOM SOMEONE ON THE BODY, WOULD NOMINATE A PRESIDING OFFICER FOR THE DAY, AND THEN THE BODY WOULD VOTE ON THAT.
[02:05:01]
SO INEVITABLY THERE COULD BE A POINT IN TIME WHERE YOU'RE U UTILIZING ROBERT FILLS OF ORDER JUST PERHAPS LESS FREQUENTLY THAN YOU WOULD IF YOU HAD A, A MAYOR, A DEPUTY MAYOR AND OR MAYOR PRO TIM AND A DEPUTY MAYOR APPROACH HIM.THE DEFAULT WOULD BE TO LOOK AT ROBERT'S RULES OF ORIGIN TO SEE HOW TO HANDLE THE SITUATION.
DO, DO WE KNOW THE HISTORY BEHIND WHY WE DECIDED THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE A DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIM? WAS IT PURELY MR. KINGSTON'S HISTORY OF NEEDING TO HAVE A DIVERSE REPRESENTATION FROM A QUASI LEADERSHIP STANDPOINT? ARE YOU ASKING ME THAT QUESTION? YES.
UM, AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, THIS GOING BACK AND WHEN THIS, WHEN THIS WAS ESTABLISHED ALSO WHEN THE CUSTOMS AMONG THE COUNCIL WERE, UM, ESTABLISHED.
I, I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE HISTORY.
BASED ON MY READ ON HISTORY AND, UM, THE WAY THAT THIS BODY FUNCTIONS, WHICH IS IN SOME WAY SORT OF SIMILAR TO OTHER MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS, AT LEAST IN DALLAS, ISD, WE HAD THREE POSITIONS.
BUT THE THIRD POSITION, THE NOTION OF SECOND VICE PRESIDENT, OR IN THIS CASE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIM, WE RARELY EVER UTILIZE THAT FUNCTION, UH, BECAUSE WE TYPICALLY HAD A VICE CHAIR, UH, THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO STEP IN, IN COORDINATION WITH AN OUR CASE, THE PRESIDENT, UH, AND IN THIS CASE THE MAYOR.
SO WERE WE NOT TO ELIMINATE THE POSITIONS ALTOGETHER, WHICH I DON'T ACTUALLY THINK IS THAT WILD AND OF AN IDEA, GIVEN THAT YOU'RE OPERATING UNDER A ROBERT ROLLS OF ORDER.
AND IDEALLY YOU'LL HAVE A MAYOR WHO'S THERE FREQUENTLY, OR SOMETIMES YOU MAY GET A MAYOR WHO'S NOT, UH, UTILIZING BROADER RULES OF ORDER STARTS TO ELIMINATE A LOT OF THE POLITICS THAT MANIFESTS AMONG THE BODY.
AND I, I WOULD BE IN AGREEMENT WILD AGREEMENT WITH BOTH FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER KINGSTON AND CURRENT COUNCILWOMAN, UH, MIDDLESTON, UM, STARTING THE BODY'S WORK OFF WITH AN EXTREMELY DIVISIVE POLITICAL PROCESS, HAMPERS THE ABILITY FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK THAT THEY NEED TO DO TO REPRESENT THE CITIZENS.
UM, WHICH IS WHY I, I'M NOT NECESSARILY OPPOSED TO JUST ELIMINATING THE POSITIONS AND ALLOWING ROBERT RULES OF ORDER, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE CASE THAT THE BODY DOESN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT RECOMMENDATION.
I DO THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER WITHIN, UM, THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION TO POSSIBLY AMEND THAT, TO ELIMINATE THE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S SORT OF A MOOT POSITION AND IT CREATES THIS INCENTIVE TO HYPER POLITICIZE THE BODY.
IF YOU TRULY ONLY NEED A VICE CHAIR, UH, I WOULD OFFER, UH, THE SUGGESTION THAT WE SIMPLY HAVE A VICE CHAIR AND IF WE WANNA FORMALIZE IT, YOU FORMALIZE IT AS A DEPUTY MAYOR.
MR. KINGSTON, DID YOU HAVE SOME THINGS TO ADD? VERY, VERY BRIEFLY, AND I PROBABLY, I WILL TRY NOT TO BELABOR THIS.
MY, MY PLAN WAS TO ELIMINATE THE POSITIONS AND RELY ON SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN THIS BUILDING EVERY WEEK WHERE, UH, A CHAIR OR VICE CHAIR IS NOT PRESENT AND SOMEBODY BECOMES A CHAIR FOR THE DAY WITH STAKES THAT LOW, YOU DON'T WIND UP WITH THAT ACRIMONY ABOUT WHO IT'S GONNA BE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT GENERALLY IS WHO WANTS TO DO IT AND SOMEBODY RAISES THEIR HAND.
NOW, THERE WILL BE, THERE COULD BE A VERY HYPER POLITICIZED SITUATION THAT OCCURS IF THE MAYOR IS INCAPACITATED OR CHOOSES TO, UH, RESIGN FROM OFFICE BEFORE THE END OF HIS OR HER TERM, THAT WOULD IN FACT ALLOW THE COUNCIL TO APPOINT THE MAYOR UNTIL THE NEXT SPECIAL ELECTION.
BUT BECAUSE OUR CHARTER HAS VERY AGGRESSIVE TIMELINES FOR REPLACING AN ABSENT COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, I DON'T THINK THAT'S MUCH OF A DANGER.
AND THINKING ABOUT THIS, IT'S ONLY HAPPENED TWICE, UH, IN, IN THE HISTORY OF 14 ONE, AND I'M NOT REALLY AWARE OF IT OCCURRING BEFORE THEN.
SO I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A VERY MINOR RISK OF, OF, UH, OF A POLITICAL SHOWDOWN.
WELL, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT, UM, BOTH THE MAYOR PROTE AND DEPUTY MAYOR PROTE DO SERVE A NUMBER OF CEREMONIAL, UM, POSITIONS.
AND I MEAN, IT'S SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A TREE LIGHTING IN FRONT OF CITY HALL THAT THEY MIGHT GO AND, AND DO.
AND I WILL AGREE THAT, UM, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM JOB IS LARGELY CEREMONIAL.
IT WOULD BE, UM, SURPRISING TO FIND THREE PEOPLE THAT COULD NOT LEAD THAT MEETING.
[02:10:01]
AND FOR US TO HAVE TO VOTE AMONGST OURSELVES, THAT WOULD BE VERY, VERY SURPRISING.UM, THERE'S SOME OTHER WAYS YOU COULD CREATIVELY LOOK AT THIS.
I MEAN, IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO BE CREATIVE, YOU COULD ASK A MAYOR TO RUN WITH SOMEBODY WHO WOULD BE THE DEPUTY MAYOR.
BUT THE ISSUE THAT MR. KINGSTON BRINGS UP ABOUT A MAYOR LEAVING EARLY, UM, TO RUN FOR ANOTHER OFFICE AND HAVING A COUNCIL MEMBER TAKE THAT POSITION IS A REAL POSSIBILITY.
AND SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS A LOT OF SPECULATION ABOUT, DOESN'T MATTER WHO THE MAYOR IS, AND IF YOU THINK IT'S UGLY JUST ABOUT BEING MAYOR PRO TEM AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, THIS IS GONNA BE SO DYSFUNCTIONAL FOR A DALLAS CITY COUNCIL.
PLEASE DON'T PUT US IN THAT SITUATION.
PLEASE DON'T LEAVE IT TO THE POLITICS OF THE DAY AS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING THAT'S MUCH MORE THOUGHTFUL AND STRATEGIC.
THE MAYOR IS THE ONLY POSITION THAT IS ACTUALLY ELECTED AT LARGE AND SHOULD REPRESENT WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY.
SO IT'S WITH THAT SPIRIT, REGARDLESS OF WHO THE MAYOR IS, THAT THEY EMPLOY PEOPLE TO BE IN LEADERSHIP WITH THEM, THAT THEY CAN RELY ON, THAT THEY CAN USE TO HELP COLLABORATE AND GAIN CONSENSUS FOR ITEMS AS WELL AS DELEGATE WITH CONFIDENCE THAT THEY'LL REPRESENT THEM WELL.
IN TIMES THAT WE'VE HAD A MAYOR PROTO OR DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM THAT DIDN'T ALIGN WITH THE MAYOR, THEY DID NOTHING.
AND THAT IS THE WILL OF THE MAYOR TO DECIDE HOW MUCH THEY RELY ON THEM OR NOT.
AND I'LL JUST SAY THAT OUR CURRENT MAYOR, PRO TEM ATKINS, WHO HAS A VERY STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MAYOR, HAS TAKEN ON A LOT OF DUTIES AND PREPARING TO LEAD A COUNCIL MEETING IS NOT THE SAME AS LEADING A COMMITTEE MEETING.
SO SITTING JUST BESIDE YOU, CHAIR V ADAM MADANO KNOWS, UM, FORMER COUNCILOR MAGOO, YOU KNOW, WHAT GOES INTO LEADING IT AND NOBODY LIKES TO BE HANDED THAT AGENDA AND RUN A FULL COUNCIL MEETING.
SO WITH THAT, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS DEBATING THIS AND CONSIDERING IT, BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT SUPPORT FOR THAT ONE SINGLE CITY-WIDE ELECTED OFFICIAL.
I WANNA PUSH BACK A LITTLE BIT ON BOTH PROPOSALS.
UM, ONE, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IT IS AN IMPORTANT POSITION, AND IT'S BEEN IMPORTANT WHEN ALENE HARRISON BECAME MAYOR IN THE SEVENTIES.
THEN WHEN, UH, MARY PASS WAS MAYOR, UH, WHEN, WHAT, 2002.
AND THEN I GUESS IT WAS DWAYNE CARAWAY WAS MAYOR, UH, WHEN MR. LEPERT LEFT.
BUT AT SOME POINT, IT DOES BECOME IMPORTANT TO HAVE A SECOND IN, IN COMMAND.
UH, I WORRY THAT IF WE ASK THE COUNCIL TO APPOINT SOMEONE AFTER THE PERSON'S RESIGNED OR BECOME ILL, THAT THAT WILL BE EVEN MORE POLITICAL THAN IT ALREADY IS.
THE OTHER THING IS TWO, TWO OTHER THINGS.
WE JUST HAD A BIG TURNOUT TONIGHT BECAUSE PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT THE 14 ONE SYSTEM WAS COM WAS BEING THREATENED.
AND TO ME, TO TAKE AWAY THE POWER OF THE COUNCIL TO CHOOSE ITS SECOND AND THIRD IF YOU KEEP THE THIRD, I THOUGHT THAT WAS AN INTERESTING IDEA.
BUT ANYWAY, TO TAKE AWAY THE POWER OF THE COUNCIL TO MAKE THAT SELECTION IN FAVOR OF THE MAYOR, YOU'RE TAKING POWER AWAY FROM THE COUNCIL AND GIVING IT TO THE MAYOR THAT THAT COULD RAISE THE SAME KIND OF DISSATISFACTION, UH, IN MANY COMMUNITIES.
SO I, I THINK WE, I, I LIKE THE THOUGHT THERE'S A MAYBE A BETTER WAY TO DO IT.
DON'T DO IT THE FIRST DAY, OR I, I DO THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE A VOTE OF THE COUNCIL.
WE JUST VOTED TONIGHT TO LET THE COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS COME UP WITH THEIR OWN VICE-CHAIR.
SO WE'RE GONNA SAY, WE'RE GONNA TAKE IT AWAY FROM THE CITY COUNCIL.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE LAST MOTION THAT WAS ON THE FLOOR, BUT, UH, I, I DID WANNA MAKE THOSE COMMENTS LARGELY FOR SOME OF THOSE SAME REASONS.
THE MOTION WAS JUST TO EXCLUDE THE ABOLISHMENT OF THE POSITIONS CHAIR.
SO FOLKS, I, I'M AN EMPLOYMENT LAW ATTORNEY, AND, AND I'VE HEARD SOMETHING HERE TONIGHT THAT DEEPLY TROUBLES ME.
THAT DECISIONS IN OUR GOVERNMENT ON WHO'S GONNA HAVE POSITIONS ARE MADE ON THE BASIS OF RACE.
THE LAWS I DEAL WITH REPRESENTING PEOPLE WHO ARE VICTIMS OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION SUBSTANTIALLY STATE THAT EMPLOYMENT DECISIONS SHALL NOT BE MADE ON THE BASIS OF RACE.
I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT I'VE HEARD, AND FRANKLY, IF THAT'S HAPPENING, I THINK THESE POSITIONS MAYBE SHOULD BE ABOLISHED.
I, THERE'S A MOTION TO EXCLUDE, I BELIEVE MR. KINGSTON'S, UH, PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
[02:15:01]
TO VOTE AGAINST THAT BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE EVERYTHING ON THE TABLE WHEN WE HAVE OUR FINAL MEETING.'CAUSE IF WE CAN'T FIX THESE POSITIONS VIA MS. MENDELSSOHN'S AMENDMENT, THEN I DO BELIEVE THEY SHOULD PROBABLY BE ELIMINATED.
UH, NO, HE, HE WAS THE NEXT GO AHEAD, MR. STEIN.
THANK YOU CHAIR, MR. UH, PERFECT SEGUE AND THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILWOMAN MENDELSSOHN FOR ALSO GIVING THE PERFECT SEGUE.
I HAVE AN AMENDMENT THAT'S ON THE LIST THAT IMPACTS THIS, THIS AMENDMENT 95.
UM, THERE IS, AND I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER LIMA'S COMMENTS ABOUT HOW THE, ABOUT MAYBE NOT DOING THE MAYOR HAVING THE FULL POWER HERE, BECAUSE MY AMENDMENT, FIRST OFF, I WAS GOING TO MOTION, I KNOW WE HAVE A PENDING MOTION, BUT I JUST COULDN'T GET IT OUT BEFORE IT WAS ALREADY MADE.
MY AMENDMENT WOULD AFFECT AMENDMENTS THAT ARE ALREADY, UH, WE HAVEN'T CONSIDERED YET, BUT ARE ON, WILL BE ON FUTURE AGENDAS, WHICH PERTAIN TO EXPANDING COUNCIL AND POTENTIAL OUT LARGE VOTERS.
SO MINE SAYS, AS, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, MENDELSON ALLUDED TO PERHAPS OTHER AT LARGE ELECTIONS COULD INVOLVE NAMING WHO IS AND WHO IS NOT THE PRO TEM AND DEPUTY, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM.
SO IT MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO MAKE A MOTION, BUT MY ORIGINAL INTENT WAS TO MOTION THE TABLE THIS TILL A LATER TIME BECAUSE THESE TWO AMENDMENTS IMPACT MINE.
THIS JUST WASN'T ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
SO, WELL, WE HAVE A PENDING MOTION WITH MR. MAGOO RIGHT NOW ON TO EXCLUDE MR. KINGSTON'S.
UM, AND I'VE, WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT I'VE GIVEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT I THINK, WHAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD DO.
UH, BUT IS THERE ANY MORE COMMENT ON, OR IS THERE A SECOND ON THAT BEFORE WE HAVE COMMENT ON IT? WE HAD A SECOND.
MR. FRANKLIN SECOND? SECOND, YES.
MR. FRANKLIN, YOUR SECOND ON THAT.
I, I SECOND TO EXCLUDE, UM, OKAY.
FROM CONSIDERATION, UH, ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? YES, MS. HUNT.
UM, THIS QUESTION, UH, PRIMARILY GOES TO ONE OF MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER SOLIS, WHO IS A FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
AND I'M, I'M CURIOUS, COMMISSIONER, UM, HOW IN THE EVENT THAT, UH, THE SCHOOL BOARD SELECTED A VICE PRESIDENT OR VICE CHAIR, WHATEVER TERM WAS USED, HOW, HOW DID YOU DO THAT? WHAT WAS THE PROCESS BY WHICH THAT PERSON WAS SELECTED? UH, THEY WERE SELECTED.
WE HAVE A VICE, FIRST VICE PRESIDENT, AND WE HAVE A SECOND VICE PRESIDENT.
UM, ALL THREE OF THOSE POSITIONS ARE ELECTED BY THE BODY.
UM, THE PRESIDENT SERVES AS LIKE THE MAYOR OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, BUT THEY ARE ELECTED BY THEIR PEERS.
AND VERY TRANSPARENTLY, IT'S TYPICALLY EXECUTED THE EXACT WAY THAT WAS JUST DESCRIBED, UH, AS IT'S DONE ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, AND RACE IS TYPICALLY A FACTOR THAT IS THUS NOT NECESSARILY THE GUIDING FACTOR TO DETERMINE, BUT IF YOU GO BACK AND YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF, UH, OFFICERS, IT TYPICALLY FOLLOWS THE SAME PATTERN.
AND WERE, UH, WERE THE VICE, UH, PRESIDENTS AND FIRST VICE PRESIDENT.
WERE THEY SELECTED THE VERY FIRST DAY AFTER THE WHEN AND TIME WERE THEY SELECTED? THEY WERE SELECTED, UH, THE FIRST, UH, MEETING AFTER ELECTIONS, UH, IN THE CASE THAT THERE WAS A RUNOFF, THE VOTE WAS DELAYED UNTIL THE FULL BODY WAS SEATED.
MR. STEIN, UH, A QUESTION FOR MR. KINGSTON.
HOW IS THE DEPUTY MAYOR AND THE DEPUTY MAYOR PROTE SELECTED? UH, THE TYPICAL PRACTICE UNTIL VERY RECENTLY HAS BEEN THAT THE RACIAL CAUCUSES MET AND DECIDED AMONG THEMSELVES WHO THEY WOULD PUT FORWARD AND THE OTHER RACIAL CAUCUSES WOULD SUPPORT THEIR CHOICE.
SO FOR INSTANCE, IN THE CASE OF, UH, MIKE RAWLINGS BEING WHITE, THE BLACK COUNCIL MEMBERS GOT TOGETHER TO DECIDE WHO WOULD BE THE MAYOR, PRO TEM, AND THE LATINO COUNCIL MEMBERS GOT TOGETHER TO SAY WHO WOULD BE THE LATINO, UH, UH, MEMBER.
AND, UM, THOSE POSITIONS WOULD ALTERNATE EVERY TWO YEARS.
UM, SO THAT ONE TIME THE, UH, BLACK COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD HAVE THE MAYOR PROTE POSITION, UH, AND THE LATINOS WOULD HAVE THE
[02:20:01]
DEPUTY MAYOR PROTE POSITION, AND THEN THE NEXT TIME IT WOULD FLIP.AND ONE THING TO JUST RESPOND TO THE IDEA THAT THE COUNCIL PICKING THE MAYOR IN THE EVENT THAT A MAYOR LEAVES EARLY IS REALLY SUPER POLITICAL OR HARD, WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS THAT SUPER POLITICAL HARD FIGHT IS HAPPENING EVERY TWO YEARS, GUARANTEED.
WHEREAS WE'VE ONLY HAD THREE ISSUES OF A MAYOR LEAVING EARLY.
SO I, I THINK YOU'RE ACTUALLY SEEING THAT LEVEL OF ACRIMONY BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE HOPING TO BE LEFT IN THAT MUSICAL CHAIR WHEN THE MAYOR LEAVES, SO THAT THEY CAN BE, FOR INSTANCE, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO SERVED ON COUNCIL WHO ARE REALLY TRYING TO BE THE FIRST LATINO MAYOR BY BEING MAYOR PRO TIMM, WHEN THE MAYOR LEAVES.
WELL, I'M JUST, MY QUESTION WAS THE REASON I ASKED THE QUESTION BECAUSE, UH, AS CAROLYN MIN AND MS, UH, COUNSEL MEMBER MINSON, CAN I JUST JUMP IN AND MAKE ONE CORRECTION? WOULD THAT BE PROPER? YES, MS. MINSON, I'D LIKE TO FINISH, I'D LIKE TO FINISH MS. NIS.
MY APOLOGIES, BECAUSE I THOUGHT SHE WAS ADDRESSING YOUR QUESTION.
EP ACTUALLY WASN'T ON, OH, I'M SORRY.
WELL, I MEAN, UH, SHE'S MADE A STATEMENT THAT ALL THREE, THE MAYOR, THE MAYORAL PRO TEMP AND THE DEPUTY MILLER PRO TEMP ARE ALL BLACK.
WELL, IT FELT LIKE THAT THAT'S THE WAY THE DOMINOES FELT.
NOW WHEN THE DOMINOES FALL IN OUR FAVOR, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE GOTTA CHANGE THE WAY THE WORLD TURNS WHEN IT FALLS TO THE BLACK.
NOW, I MEAN, THAT'S HOW I SEE IT, BECAUSE THIS HASN'T BEEN A PROBLEM IN THE PAST WITH THE MAYORAL PRO TEM OR THE MAYORAL DEPUTY MAYORAL PRO TEMP.
AND IF WE HAD THE MAYOR PICKING THE DEPUTY MAYORAL PROTE, OR THE MAYORAL PRO TEM, THE MAYOR JUST TURNED REPUBLICAN.
SO THEN THAT WOULD'VE FLIPPED THE WHOLE CITY COUNCIL REPUBLICAN.
'CAUSE HE'S GOING TO PICK REPUBLICAN MAYORAL PRO TE AND DEPUTY MAYORAL PRO TEM.
SO THEN YOU'VE FALLEN OFF INTO A WHOLE NEW DIFFERENT CLIP.
NOW, IN THE PAST IT'S BEEN ALL RIGHT, BUT NOW IT SEEMS TO BE, SINCE IT HAS BEEN THAT BLACKS HAVE SEEMED TO COME UP SOME THAT NOW WE GOT AN ISSUE.
NOW, IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE IT, UH, MY THING IS I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO EXCLUDE BOTH OF THOSE, THE MOVEMENTS.
NOW I SEE RIGHT NOW, THAT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE, BUT THAT'S MY STANCE.
THANK YOU, MR. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MENDELSON.
I'M SORRY ABOUT, UH, GETTING THIS MESSED UP THERE.
I, I THINK IT'S HARD 'CAUSE IT'S VIRTUAL.
SO I APOLOGIZE IF I JUMPED IN INAPPROPRIATELY.
THE COMMENT WAS MADE THAT THIS HAPPENS EVERY OTHER YEAR, WHICH IS NOT CORRECT.
JUST LETTING YOU KNOW IT WAS DONE THAT WAY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEADERSHIP FOR FOLKS.
THERE WAS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT OTHER KINDS OF STRUCTURES.
HOW MANY TIMES WOULD IT BE A WOMAN? HOW MANY TIMES COULD WE SAY EVERYBODY WILL GET AN OPPORTUNITY? LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS WERE DISCUSSED, BUT THAT ISN'T WHERE WE FELL OUT.
AND IF I CAN JUST RESPOND TO THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE, THE REASON WE CURRENTLY HAVE A MAYOR PROTIME AND A DEPUTY MAYOR PROTIME THAT ARE BLACK IS BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE LIKE ME, REFUSED TO CONTINUE WITH WHAT HAD BEEN THE TRADITION OF A WHITE CAUCUS.
AND INSTEAD WISH TO BE ABLE TO ELECT PEOPLE BASED ON THE CONTENTS OF THEIR CHARACTER, RIGHT.
AND REMOVE THIS RACIAL PREFERENCE.
AND THAT IS HOW WE ENDED UP WITH THREE BLACK LEADERS.
AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
THIS CHANGE IS NOT ABOUT THE OUTCOME, WHICH FRANKLY I VOTED FOR.
THE CHANGE IS BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY DESTRUCTIVE PROCESS.
IT ALSO WILL GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE MAYOR TO HAVE JUST A TINY LITTLE DROP MORE OF POWER.
BECAUSE LET ME TELL YOU, WITH A WEAK MAYOR SYSTEM, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE CONTROL OF AGENDAS FOR COMMITTEES HAVE A LOT MORE POWER.
AND WHILE I'M NOT SURE THAT ANYBODY'S READY TO GO TO A STRONG MAYOR IN DALLAS, IT IT'S, IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE WHEN THE PRIMARY FUNCTION OF A MAYOR IS PR.
SO WITH THAT, THE, THE LAST COMMENT ABOUT PARTISANSHIP, I DON'T THINK ANYONE NEEDS TO WORRY ABOUT, GIVEN
[02:25:01]
THE, THE POLITICAL MAKEUP OF OUR COUNCIL, THERE WOULDN'T BE ENOUGH POSITIONS FOR THIS TO BE A REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP GROUP.MR. CHAIR, I, I DO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL COMMENT 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK I SHOULD LEAVE THIS UNSAID.
AND I DO AGREE WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, COMMISSIONER STEIN ALL BECAUSE WE HAVE THREE PEOPLE OF POWER, OF, OF COLOR.
UH, THE MAYOR, THE MAYOR, PRO TEM, AND THE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN THAT THESE PEOPLE DID NOT GET THE POSITION BASED ON MERIT.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ALLEGATIONS THAT, THAT THERE'S, UH, RACIAL CAUCUSES, THERE'S GENDER CAUCUSES.
I MEAN, THESE ARE ALLEGATIONS THAT, THAT MR. KINGSTON AND, AND COUNCILWOMAN, UH, MESON HAVE, HAVE SAID.
BUT THERE'S NO EVIDENCE OF THAT.
UM, THERE'S CONSTANT DOG WHISTLES OUT THERE THAT SUGGESTS WHEN BLACK PEOPLE COME INTO POWER, WHETHER IT'S, UH, OF, OF A POSITION OF CONSEQUENCE, THAT THERE'S SOME RACIAL UNDERLINE THAT THEY'VE GOT THEIR, BECAUSE SOME OTHER REASON THAN OF MERIT.
AND I JUST REFUTE THAT TO THE, TO ITS CORE.
UM, IT, IT IS, IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING.
I I HAVE NOT HEARD THE HISTORY OF WHY THESE, UH, POSITIONS HAVE BEEN MUTED AND CONSIDERED POWERLESS.
UH, BUT IF, IF THE INDICATION THAT THAT MERIT HAS SOME BASIS TO THAT, THEN THAT MAKES SENSE THEN THAT MAKES SENSE.
BECAUSE IF, IF YOU THINK THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COME, COME INTO POWER AND HOLD THESE POSITIONS THAT ORIGINALLY HAD POWER, THAT THE FIRST THING YOU WANNA DO IS RENDER, RENDER THEM TOOTHLESS AND HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF IT, OF WHY IT WAS DONE THAT WAY.
BUT UN UNTIL I, I FIGURED THAT PART OUT.
I HAVE TO SEC CONTINUE TO SECOND, UH, MR. UH, COMMISSIONER'S, UH, BU'S, UM, UH, UH, MOTION TO EXCLUDE BOTH EIGHT.
AND IF WE GET TO THE POSITION WHERE WE CAN MOVE ON 39, I WANNA EXCLUDE THAT AS WELL.
UH, LET ME ADDRESS THE NEAPOLITAN RULE.
UM, I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT I WASN'T DEPUTY MAYOR OF MAYOR PROTON BECAUSE I WAS HISPANIC.
I THINK I DID IT BECAUSE I WAS A CONSENSUS BUILDER.
I WAS A LEADER BECAUSE I SURE DID HAVE A COUPLE OF CHALLENGERS THAT WERE IN NORTH DALLAS.
THEY DIDN'T WANT ME TO BE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TE OR MAYOR PRO TEMP.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT I BUILT ON COUNCIL AND KNOWING HOW TO WORK WITH PEOPLE, TREAT PEOPLE WITH RESPECT AND WORKED HARD, THAT'S WHY I WAS MAYOR PRO TE.
BUT DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TE, JUST SO YOU GUYS KNOW THAT, UH, BECAUSE THE CAUCUS, WHEN I WAS DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TE OF LATINO, IF YOU WANNA DO THAT, IT'S TWO.
THERE WAS TWO OF US, AND YOU HAVE TO GET TO EIGHT.
SO I DON'T THINK JUST BECAUSE I WAS CHOSEN BY, UH, MY COLLEAGUE THAT IT HAPPENED TO BE LATINO THAT I WON THAT VOTE.
SO I DO THINK THESE ARE IMPORTANT, UH, POSITIONS.
I KNOW THAT, UH, I RAN PROBABLY HALF OF THE MEETINGS WITH WHEN I WAS, UH, MAYOR PRO TAM BECAUSE OUR MAYOR WAS ABSENT.
UM, AND I PROBABLY RAN THE MOST, UH, THAN ANY OTHER MAYOR PRO TEM BECAUSE OUR MAYOR WAS NOT THERE.
UM, ALSO, YEAH, WE DO GET TO, WHEN THE MAYOR'S NOT THERE, HE HAS TO GO TO SO MANY THINGS.
AND SO MANY PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THE MAYOR AT THEIR EVENTS.
UH, AND UM, WHEN HE COULDN'T MAKE IT, I WOULD, I WOULD GO AND THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK DURING THOSE TIMES TO DO THAT.
AND IF I COULDN'T MAKE IT, THEN THE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WOULD GO.
UM, MY FELLOW DEPUTY MAYOR HERE WAS, WAS COUNCIL MEMBER MCGEE AT THE TIME.
AND HE WAS ABLE TO BECOME DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM BECAUSE OF THE COALITIONS THAT HE WAS ABLE TO BUILD ON COUNCIL.
THERE WAS SOMEONE THAT CHALLENGED YOU AT THAT.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY, I KNOW THAT THAT NEAPOLITAN THING, UH, DIDN'T SIT WELL WITH ME BECAUSE I KNEW THAT I WAS A LEADER.
I DID, I DID WHAT I HAD TO DO HERE.
AND UH, THAT'S WHY I WAS IN LEADERSHIP POSITION.
I WAS ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
AND DON'T YOU DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY WANTED ME TO BE THE MAYOR, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SCHOOL BOARD? I HAD TO FIGHT FOR THAT.
AND I, YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE I WAS A LEADER.
AND AT THE TIME IT WAS A VERY CLOSE VOTE, BUT I PULLED IT OFF BECAUSE THEY KNEW, THEY BELIEVED IN ME AT THAT TIME.
NO ONE WANTED TO GIMME THAT POSITION.
IF YOU THINK THEY WANTED ME TO BE THE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SCHOOL BOARD THREE TIMES.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT SHOWS LEADERSHIP.
THAT DOESN'T SHOW ME A POLITIC.
I COULD'VE BEEN REPLACED, UH, THOSE OTHER TWO TIMES, BUT I JUST HAD TO SAY THAT I COULDN'T, I HAD TO STOP, UH, GET EMOTIONAL.
'CAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S NOT BECAUSE I WAS HISPANIC, IT WAS BECAUSE I KNEW HOW TO LEAD.
I KNEW HOW TO WORK WITH PEOPLE AND I TREAT PEOPLE.
MAY I JUST GO BACK TO, AND CAN I GET CLARIFICATION ON ROBERT'S RULES HERE BECAUSE MAYBE THIS FOR CITY STAFF AND THE CITY ATTORNEYS, BECAUSE THIS
[02:30:01]
AMENDMENT, THIS CURRENT MOTION IMPACTS MINE, WHICH IS YET TO BE SET.UH, WOULD A MOTION TO DEFER TO A DATE CERTAIN, NOT SUPERSEDE THE PENDING MOTION? YEAH, THAT WOULD BE AN AMENDMENT TO THE MAIN MOTION, WHICH WOULD BE AN ORDER AND YES, IT WOULD, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE VOTED ON BEFORE THE MAIN MOTION.
WELL I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THAT MOTION.
AND THE REASON IS, IS BECAUSE AS SOME OF OUR FELLOW COMMISSIONERS HAVE SAID, THERE NEEDS TO BE CLARIFICATION ON THIS, UH, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW THE PROCESS.
I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THE FORMER COUNCIL FOLK ON THE COMMISSION, AND OBVIOUSLY PHILIP AND UH, COUNCIL MENDELSON OBVIOUSLY KNOW THE PROCESS WELL, BUT A LOT OF US DON'T.
AND SO, UH, ONE, BECAUSE THIS IMPACTS MY COMMITMENT LITERALLY.
AND TWO, BECAUSE THERE COULD BE SOME MORE INFORMATION I WOULD MOVE TO DEFER TO A LATER TO A DATE.
CERTAIN THE DATE CERTAIN I WOULD NEED CITY STAFF TO HELP ME ON, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A DATE CERTAIN WOULD REQUIRE US TO TAKE UP A LOT OF THESE AMENDMENTS THAT IMPACT THE ELECTION PROCESS.
IS THERE A SECOND ON THAT SECOND, MR. JAY LA FUENTE SECONDS.
UH, REMEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, MR. MADANO, YOU KNOW, IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE FACT THAT WE DO HAVE PEOPLE TO FULFILL THESE, FILL THESE POSITIONS BASED UPON MERIT AND BASED UPON COMPETENCE.
UM, SO I'M HEARING COMPETING THINGS HERE THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE THIS UP.
'CAUSE I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE THESE POSITIONS ARE IMPORTANT.
UH, THE THING THAT JUST REALLY CONCERNED ME IS 2024 AND THAT ANY DECISION WOULD BE MADE ON THE BASIS OF RACE IF THAT WERE HAPPENING, WOULD CONCERN ME.
WHETHER THE PERSON IS WHITE, BLACK, GREEN, I DON'T CARE.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S SITUATIONS WHERE THAT HASN'T HAPPENED.
UM, SO I AM INCLINED, UH, UH, TO AGREE WITH THE MOTION THAT'S PENDING FOR US TO TAKE THESE UP MORE.
I'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS, FRANKLY.
'CAUSE I, ALL OF THIS THAT I'VE HEARD TONIGHT, IT'S NEWS TO ME.
IT WAS NEWS TO ME THAT THE POSITIONS ALLEGEDLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY AUTHORITIES.
UM, SO I THINK THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ITEM, MR. DE LA FUENTE.
YEAH, I I THINK THIS LAST ITEM IS A GOOD REMINDER THAT IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR US TO HAVE A CALENDAR OF ALL REMAINING AMENDMENTS PUT TOGETHER.
UM, I THINK THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF, IF IT HAD BEEN MORE INTENTIONAL TO LOOK AT SOME OF THESE ITEMS, UH, LIKE ITEM 95 SHOULD NOT HAVE EVER BEEN CLEAVED FROM EIGHT AND 39.
UH, I THINK THERE'S OTHER REALLY GOOD EXAMPLES OF THIS, OF HOW WE NEED TO THINK INTENTIONALLY OF PAIRING.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, ALL THE MAYOR COUNCIL AMENDMENTS NEED TO BE PAIRED ON THE SAME NIGHT AS THE AMENDMENTS TO ENLARGE COUNCIL.
IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE THEY ARE ATTACHED AT THE HIP, BUT THEY REALLY ARE.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE STAFF AND THE CHAIR, AND I THINK SOME OF US WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO WORK AND THINK THROUGH THIS LOGICALLY OF PUTTING TOGETHER THE REMAINING CALENDAR SO THAT WE CAN FIND INCONSISTENCIES AND PROBLEMS WITH, WITH THIS KIND OF PIECEMEAL APPROACH THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO ON THIS PARTICULAR MOTION TO DELAY, UM, I'M NOT SUPPORTING IT.
AND LET ME EXPLAIN WHY IS I, WHEN I LOOKED AND I FIRST SAW, I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT 95, AND THE ONLY WAY IT WOULD APPLY IS THAT IS A CONFLICT IF, IF, IF THEY ARE ABOLISHED.
AND SO MY MOTION TO EXCLUDE THEN DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING AND LEAVES YOUR MOTION STILL OR YOUR AMENDMENT LATER TOTALLY OPEN.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE MY REASON.
AS IT RELATES TO, TO THE, TO EXCLUDING.
AND IF I'M MISSING SOMETHING, JUST CLARIFY FOR ME.
UM, THE OTHER POINT I'LL MAKE IS ALL OF US THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE INSIDE BASEBALL THAT MR. KINGSTON AND, AND COUNCILOR MENDELSSOHN AND COUNCILOR MAYOR PROTI MADANO ARE TALKING ABOUT IS, IS A SE SEQUENCE OF TIME.
AND IN THE PAST, THE WAY THINGS WERE DONE IS NOT HOW IT HAS BEEN DONE.
AND, AND I SAT IN THOSE ROOMS WITH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MADANO, AND WE WENT AGAINST WHAT THE CAUCUSES WERE TRYING TO DO AND ALL THIS SORT OF BACKROOM POLITICKING STUFF.
AND SINCE THEN, AT LEAST FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, THAT HASN'T EXISTED ANYMORE.
AND SO WHILE THE, THE SYSTEM TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONER'S POINTS TOO IS WORKING, UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE GETTING IN THE POSITIONS TO BE WHERE
[02:35:01]
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AND THEIR COUNCIL'S VOTING ON 'EM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE REPRESENTATION THE WAY IT'S, THE COUNCIL WANTS IT TO BE.AND SO I DO THINK THE POSITIONS STILL HAVE MERIT.
I WOULD NOT SUPPORT GETTING RID OF THOSE POSITIONS, UM, FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
WE CAN GO INTO MORE DETAIL IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF YOU NEED MORE PERSUASION ON THAT POINT.
UM, IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH THEM.
AND I THINK AT THAT POINT WE'RE NOT READY FOR THAT YET.
BUT I, WHAT I WANTED TO SAY TONIGHT IS THAT WE STILL WANT TO HAVE THOSE POSITIONS.
FIGURING OUT HOW WE DO THEM CAN BE SOMETHING WE DETERMINE AT A LATER DATE.
SO WE, WE HAVE PENDING THE, UH, MR. YOUNG, UH, YES, MR. CHAIR.
UH, IN RESPONSE TO COMMISSIONER CAMPBELL'S QUANDARY ABOUT, UH, THE DATE CERTAIN, UH, I WAS ADVISED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY ON A DIFFERENT AMENDMENT THAT A MOTION TO POSTPONE TO A DATE TO BE DETERMINED BY THE CHAIR WOULD BE AN ORDER.
UH, SO THAT WAY, UH, PURSUANT TO COMMISSIONER DE LA FUENTE SUGGESTION, IT COULD BE FOLDED INTO A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE VARIOUS AMENDMENTS.
I I DON'T HAVE AN OBJECTION TO FURTHER DISCUSSING THIS ITEM.
AND, AND FRANKLY, WHEN MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS WOULD LIKE TO ERR AND ISSUE MORE, I'M GOING TO LEAN TOWARDS LISTENING TO THEM AND DEFERRING TO THEIR INTEREST.
THAT BEING SAID, MY OPINION, HAVING SERVED ON THE COUNCIL, IS THAT THE, THERE IS SOME BENEFIT TO HAVING SOMEONE WHO CAN STEP IN, UH, FOR THE MAYOR AT A MEETING TO RUN THE MEETING.
I, I, I'M NOT SURE THAT IT'S THAT THE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM ROLE IS CONSEQUENTIAL.
WE CAN FURTHER DISCUSS THIS, BUT I'LL POINT THIS OUT.
SO MUCH OF WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING RELATED TO THE CITY SECRETARY, THE AUDITOR, ALL THESE DIFFERENT PIECES OF THE CHARTER AND RECOMMENDING TO THE COUNCIL, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE COUNCIL TO HEAR OUR INPUT BECAUSE WE'RE HEARING FROM EXPERTS, WE'RE HEARING FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY ON THIS ISSUE.
I CAN GUARANTEE YOU OUR INPUT WILL NOT MATTER AS MUCH AS THE COUNCIL.
'CAUSE THEY HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT.
IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THEY, THEY DEAL WITH.
SO WE, WE CAN CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THIS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS GOING TO BE A MATTER THAT IS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO COUNSEL AND IS GOING TO BE DECIDED BY THEM AND THEM ONLY.
SO WE HAVE PENDING, UH, MR. CAMPBELL'S MOTION TO AMEND.
ALRIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION, SAY AYE.
WILL YOU RAISE YOUR HAND PLEASE? I'M AN AYE.
WHAT ARE WE DOING? UH, MR. CAMPBELL HAS A, A MOTION TO MANAGE JUST TO BASICALLY POST POSTPONE THIS.
MR. MILLS, ARE YOU THERE? HE'S STILL OKAY.
WILL YOU RAISE YOUR HAND PLEASE? FIVE NAYS.
AYES HAVE IT MOTION TO BEEN CARRIED.
SO NOW WE DO WE NEED TO DO A VOTE ON THE MOTION.
IS IT PEN'S PENDING NOW, RIGHT? YES.
SO, SO NOW THAT THE MOTION HAS BEEN AMENDED, UH, I GUESS WE NEED AN, A MOTION TO PROVE THE MOTION IS AMENDED.
IS THAT RIGHT? AM I GETTING THIS RIGHT? SO THERE'S A MOTION TO AMEND.
NOW THE MOTION IS, WELL THE MOTION, UH, TO AMEND THE MAIN MOTION TO HOLD UNDER ADVISEMENT, WIPES THE MAIN MOTION OUT.
UM, SO THE WHOLE THING WILL BE HELD, UM, TO THE LATER DATE.
SO WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE ANOTHER VOTE ON IT THEN.
YEAH, THEY DON'T NEED ANOTHER VOTE.
DOESN'T NEED TO HAPPEN UNLESS, WELL, THE MAIN MOTION WAS ONLY FOR AMENDMENT EIGHT, BUT WAS THE INTENT TO, I THINK WE'LL NEED A MOTION ON THE OTHER, ON, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MENDELSON'S, I BELIEVE.
WAS IT YOUR MOTION TO AMEND TO POSTPONE
[02:40:01]
BOTH OF THEM FOR BOTH? YES.THAT WAS THE AMENDMENT THAT WAS APPROVED.
SO, BECAUSE, UH, MR. MCGEE'S MOTION WAS ONLY ON THE FIRST A, UH, OR AMENDMENT NUMBER EIGHT, IT'S ADVISED THAT YOU DO ANOTHER MOTION ON THE, EXCUSE ME, BECAUSE, UM, COMMISSIONER MCGEE'S MOTION ONLY APPLIED TO AMENDMENT NUMBER EIGHT.
IT IS ADVISED THAT YOU DO A SECOND MOTION ON AMENDMENT 39.
SO I'LL MOVE TO, UM, I ALMOST USED THE WORD CONTINUE.
UH, DEFER OR AMEND, UH, 39 AS WELL.
OPPOSED? NAYYY? I HEARING NONE.
THAT'S THE LAST ITEM I HAVE ON OUR AGENDA.
MR. MR. SO MAY I ASK A, THIS IS A LOGISTICAL QUESTION, UH, BECAUSE I CAN'T EXACTLY REMEMBER HOW WE SET THE RULES UP ON, UM, EDITING PERHAPS MOTION OR EDITING PROPOSALS.
UH, BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO ASK STAFF TO DO IS, UH, IN THE WORLD WHERE A MAYOR, UH, PRO TIM AND A DEPUTY MAYOR PROTI POSITION STILL EXISTS, IF THERE MAY BE WAYS TO TRY TO IN LANGUAGE DEFINE THE POSITIONS MORE AND ATTACH THE DEFINITION, UM, TO A VOTE, UH, THAT WOULD HELP BETTER DEFINE THE MAYOR AND DEPUTY OR THE MAYOR PRO TEAM AND THE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEAM POSITIONS.
I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN EVEN DO BASED ON HOW WE SET UP THE, OUR PROCESS, BUT MAYBE IF, UH, STAFF CAN PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO THAT, THAT MIGHT ALSO HELP US HAVE CLARITY ABOUT WHAT THESE POSITIONS SHOULD LOOK LIKE MOVING FORWARD.
SO, UH, THAT, THAT'S OUR LAST AGENDA ITEM.
UH, OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING IS ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH AT 6:30 PM UH, I WILL FINALIZE THE AGENDA FOR THAT MEETING AND ASSURE YOU HAVE IT IN TIME TO REVIEW.
THE AMENDMENTS WILL BE CONSIDERED BEFOREHAND.
UH, AND ALSO TO ADDRESS WHAT MR. DE LA PUENTES SAID YOU'LL BE GETTING PRETTY SOON.
I'M STILL WORKING THROUGH IT, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, WHEN WE WANNA CALENDAR THESE THINGS, SO THEY'LL ALL BE THERE FOR YOU TO LOOK AT.
AND WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO GROUP THEM IN, IN, YOU KNOW, COMMON SENSE, UH, GROUPINGS.
SOMETIMES YOU FIND THINGS OR LEARN THINGS THAT MAKE THEM MAYBE NOT FIT OR, YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON A DIFFERENT AGENDA.
BUT IF Y'ALL SEE THOSE, LET US KNOW AND WE'LL WORK THROUGH 'EM.
OKAY? UH, WITH NO FURTHER ITEMS TO DISCUSS, THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION IS CONCLUDED AT 9:19 PM THANK YOU.