[South Dallas Fair Park Opportunity Fund Advisory Board Meeting on December 4, 2023. ]
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MAKES A MS. KU MIC CHECK.CAN YOU GUYS HEAR US OVER HERE? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
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CAN YOU HEAR US? PERFECT.I, THE, A DISTINGUISHED AUDIENCE MEMBER, UM, WHO IS VIGOROUSLY WAVING HELLO.
AND IS GETTING ME VERY EXCITED.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT OUR GUEST IN THE GALLERY HERE? YES.
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FIRST,[00:21:04]
LET ME GET THIS.THANK YOU FOR PATIENCE EVERYBODY.
UH, WE WILL NOW CALL THIS MEETING OF THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK OPPORTUNITY FUND BOARD TO ORDER.
THE TIME IS 6:18 PM UH, MR. VIRGINIA, CAN YOU START US OFF WITH A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? YES.
UH, JUST A QUICK REMINDER, EVERYBODY TO SWITCH THEIR CAMERAS TO ON PLEASE TO BE COUNTED, UM, AS PRESENT.
[00:25:06]
ALL RIGHT.SHE'S JUST MAYBE HER KIND OF MUTE BUTTON PRESENT.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A COPY OF THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING ON OCTOBER 30TH.
ARE THERE ANY CHANGES OR CORRECTIONS TO BE MADE? UH, IF NOT, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOTION TO APPROVE MR. DAWKINS.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? AYE.
ITEM NUMBER THREE, NEW BUSINESS, UH, MR. VIRGINIA, DO WE HAVE ANY NEW A BOARD APPOINTEES TO RECOGNIZE TONIGHT? WE DO NOT.
I DID GET WORD THAT MR. ENRIQUE IS, UM, A NEW MEMBER.
I JUST GOT THAT TODAY, SO HOPEFULLY FOR NEXT MONTH HE WILL BE HERE AND WITH US.
WHICH DISTRICT? 13 MS. WILLIS.
ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR THIS EVENING? NO.
I JUST CHECKED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
NEXT AGENDA ITEM, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, BRIEFING ON THE SECOND RELEASE OF THE 2023 NOFO RECOMMENDATIONS.
EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A PACKET, UH, IN THEIR EMAIL OUTLINING, UH, THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT, UH, MET THE SCORING CRITERIA AND A SUMMARY, UH, OF THE GROUPS THAT DID NOT.
UH, THIS WILL BE A NON-VOTING ITEM THIS EVENING.
SO, UM, WE WILL, UH, LET MS. REGINA GO THROUGH AND, UH, GO THROUGH THE SCORING CRITERIA FOR THE FOLKS THAT THAT DIDN'T QUALIFY.
UH, GO THROUGH THE GENERAL PRESENTATION OF THE GROUPS THAT DID.
UH, WE ARE EXPECTING SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM THE GROUPS THAT DID MEET THE SCORING CRITERIA.
AND I BELIEVE THERE WERE TWO GROUPS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN HERE.
UH, ACTUALLY THERE, ACTUALLY, THERE WERE THREE.
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WERE THREE GROUPS, IS THAT CORRECT? UM, AND SO, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL RECEIVE THOSE IN INFO INFORMATION PACKETS, AND THEN WE WILL, UH, FIELD ANY QUESTIONS AND YOU FILL QUESTIONS TONIGHT, BUT WE'LL HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND WE'LL FILL THOSE, UH, THE NEXT TIME.
SO MS. REGINA, UM, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO, OKAY.
JUST, UH, JESSE, WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE TOO, SIR, TO JUST, UH, REFRESH EVERYONE'S MEMORY.
THE NOFA ENDED SEPTEMBER, THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK OPPORTUNITY FUND, SECOND RELEASE.
NOFA ENDED SEPTEMBER THE 14TH, 2023.
THERE WERE 21 APPLICANTS WHO APPLIED, AND THERE WERE THREE NONPROFIT APPLICANTS THAT MET THE 80 OR GREATER THRESHOLD.
UM, THE EVALUATION PROCESS WAS COMPLETE WITH THREE INDEPENDENT EVALUATORS.
UH, TO REFRESH ALSO ON THE EVALUATION CRITERIA THAT THE BOARD CHANGED A FEW MONTHS BACK.
THIS IS WHAT, THIS IS THE CRITERIA THAT ALL, UH, 21 WERE SCORED BY COVER SHEET.
REMEMBER WE CHANGED THAT FROM FIVE TO ONE.
IF YOU GUYS ARE, REMEMBER THAT AND PUT THOSE ADDITIONAL POINTS DOWN INTO, UH, BUDGET INFORMATION TO MAKE THAT 19.
BUT ORGANIZATION, THE HISTORY, THE PROGRAM HISTORY, WE'RE GOING TO, UM, IF THEY ADDRESSED ONE OF THE FIVE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT GOALS, THE MEASURABLE OUTCOMES AND THE PROGRAM COMPLIED IF THEY COMPLIED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY FUNDS PROGRAM STATEMENT, THEIR BUDGET INFORMATION, THEIR BUDGET SHEET NARRATIVE, AND DOCUMENTATION OF THEIR THIRD PARTY MATCH.
THAT'S HOW WE GOT TO THE THREE OUT OF THE 21.
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SO FIRST WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE ONES THAT DID NOT THE 18 THAT DID NOT MAKE THE THRESHOLD.THE FIRST IS A QUAIL DISQUALIFIED.
THEIR REQUEST FOR IS $120,000.
GUESS YOU GUYS, WE, IF YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS, I GUESS AFTER I GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM.
VCL, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT GOAL, NOT CLEAR BONTON, THEIR GOAL WAS NOT CLEAR.
AND ALSO THEIR PROPOSED START DATE WAS SEPTEMBER OF 2024.
FOR THE BONTON PORTION, UH, BEACON HILL PREPARATORY DISQUALIFIED, THEY HAD ALREADY RECEIVED TWO, UM, ROUNDS OF, OF FUNDING AND YOU CAN ONLY RECEIVE TWO IN A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD.
UH, COVID-19, RESCUE DISQUALIFIED SERVICES OUTSIDE REQUIRED SERVICE AREA DFW, ECONOMIC SOLUTIONS HOUSING, UH, NOT HUMAN DEVELOPMENT GOALS.
DALLAS LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION SERVICES OUTSIDE REQUIRED SERVICE AREA, FAIRVIEW YOUTH FOUNDATION, NO MATCHING FUNDS.
FRIENDS OF MLK, NO CONFIRMED MATCHING FUNDS.
LOVE RIDE, DISQUALIFIED SERVICES, OUTSIDE REQUIRED SERVICE AREA, NATIVE CONSOLIDATED MANAGEMENT, DISQUALIFIED SERVICES OUTSIDE RE REQUIRED SERVICE AREA, NEW COVENANT CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES, MISSING DOCUMENTATION.
NEXUS RECOVERY CENTER OUTSIDE SERVICE AREA.
OPEN MIND FRAME VENTURES, DOCUMENTATION, NOT CLEAR.
OUTCOMES AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THOSE OUTCOMES? VERY UNCLEAR.
SERVE, EDUCATE, EMPOWER DIVERSE STUDENTS.
SHE RUNS HOUSE PROGRAM OUTCOMES AND ACCOUNTABILITY OUT UNCLEAR.
DALLAS PROGRESS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP.
FACILITY LOCATED OUTSIDE AREA? THERE WERE NO, NO AND NO WITH NO PLANS FOR TRANSPORTATION FOR GETTING THE PEOPLE THERE.
ON YOUR SLIDES, YOU SEE THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THEY WERE ALL BEING ASKED.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THOSE THAT DID NOT REACH THE THRESHOLD? MS. PB? I SEE YOUR HAND.
QUICK QUESTION FOR NEXUS RECOVERY CENTER.
WHEN YOU SAY OUTSIDE REQUIRED SERVICE AREA, IS THAT MEANING, UH, GEOGRAPHY OR THE TYPES OF SERVICES PROVIDED OR BOTH? UH, ON MY NOTES, I HAVE TWO DIFFERENT SETS OF NOTES AND I DON'T HAVE THEM IN HERE.
UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER ON NEXUS, WHICH ONE, IF IT WAS OUTSIDE, I'LL GET, I'LL ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR YOU HERE IN JUST A MOMENT.
JOYCE WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR OF SMALL BUSINESS CENTER.
THE PROGRAM STATEMENT, MS. PV, AS YOU KNOW, FOR SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK OPPORTUNITY FUND CLEARLY STATES THAT SERVICES MUST BE WITHIN THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK CENSUS TRACK.
AND IF THE SERVICES ARE NOT, IF THE, UH, IF THE COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION, NOW IN THIS CASE, THE NONPROFIT IS NOT LOCATED WITHIN THAT ZIP CODE AREA, THEY HAVE TO SHOW THAT THEY ARE GOING TO SERVE 90% OF THE CENSUS OF THE RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA THROUGH THOSE SERVICES THAT THEY'RE GONNA DO.
AND THIS CASE, THIS WOULD'VE BEEN THAT THE SERVICES THAT THEY'RE GOING, THAT THEY ARE LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE AREA AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, THEN THOSE SERVICES WOULD THEN BE DELIVERED AT THAT LOCATION, WHICH IS OUTSIDE OF THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK AREA.
SO WHEN YOU SAY, THAT'S WHAT I ASSUMED, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.
AND FOR THOSE WHO MAY HAVE SAID THAT THEY ARE GOING TO SERVE 90% OF THE RESIDENTS LOCATED IN THE AREA, ALSO ALL, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE OUTSIDE OF THE AREA, IF THEY DID NOT PROVIDE A CLEAR PLAN OF TRANSPORTATION, OF HOW THEY WERE GONNA GET THEM TO THEIR LOCATION, THEN THE EVALUATORS DID NOT SEE THAT AS A CLEAR CUT PLAN AS PART OF THE EVALUATION OF THE PROCESS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT'S THAT DID NOT MEET THE 80% THRESHOLD? MR. GI? I HAVE, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION HERE.
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE QUITE A FEW GROUPS WHO FELL INTO THAT BUCKET.
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SIX TO EIGHT OF THEM.
DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF HOW FAR OUTSIDE OF THE SERVICE AREA THEY FELL LIKE A, A SCATTER MAP OR SOMETHING? I'M CURIOUS BECAUSE WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT
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POTENTIALLY EXPANDING THE SERVICE AREA.UM, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO HOW FAR ARE THEY ON THE BORDER? ARE THEY WAY OUT? DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF KIND OF WHERE, WHERE THEY ARE? MS. CHAIR, JOYCE WILLIAMS, UH, DIRECTIVES, MOB BUSINESS CENTER.
ACTUALLY, A LOT OF THEM WERE OUT WHEN I, WE SAY OUTSIDE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS OF DALLAS, IRVING, RICHARDSON, GARLAND, THOSE AREAS, THEY WERE WENT IN AND YEAH, I WAS GONNA, I WAS GONNA SAY THEY WERE IN DALLAS COUNTY, BUT VIRGINIA JUST REMINDED ME, SOME OF THEM WAS IN ARLINGTON, WAS IN TARRANT COUNTY.
UM, THE ONES THAT WERE IN DALLAS COUNTY WERE IN CLEARLY IN OAK CLIFF ZIP CODES.
AND NOT SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK, LIKE 2 1 6, WHICH IS FAR OUTSIDE OF DALLAS, SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK.
IT'S SOUTHERN DALLAS, BUT IT'S SURELY NOT SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION THERE.
UH, MS. PEEVY, IS THAT YOUR HAND? SORRY.
YEAH, SORRY, ONE MORE QUESTION.
UH, SO I HAD WONDERED THE SAME THING ABOUT BONTON.
UM, I KNOW WHERE IT'S, YOU KNOW, FARMS ARE LOCATED AND I WASN'T SURE WHETHER THAT FELL, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S ON THE PERIPHERY, BUT I YOU GUYS KNOW THE MAP BETTER THAN I DO, AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
YEAH,
BUT YEAH, THE PROGRAMMING WAS A LACK OF CLARITY THAT WERE LOOKING TO BE STARTING IN SEPTEMBER OF 2024.
I'M SORRY, COULD YOU RE WHAT, WHAT WAS THE, UM, REASONING BEHIND BONTON REJECTION AGAIN? OKAY, SO BONTON, THEY'RE THE PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO.
THEY WERE GOING TO BE DOING IT IN THREE DIFFERENT AREAS.
UM, BETHLEHEM, FRAZIER COURTS, AND, UM, BONTON.
THE OTHER TWO, ONE WE'RE GONNA START IN JANUARY.
THOSE DID NOT APPLY, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE IN THE CENSUS TRACK, BOTH BETHLEHEM AND, AND, UM, FRAZIER COURT.
THE ONLY ONE WHO APPLIED THAT'S GONNA BE DOING THIS SAME PILOT TYPE PROGRAM WAS BONTON, BUT GETTING DOWN INTO THE WEEDS OF THE PAPERWORK, THEY'RE NOT LOOKING TO START UNTIL 2024, SEPTEMBER.
AND THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT NEW FISCAL YEAR.
I'M SORRY, I JUST HAVE A, UH, A QUICK QUESTION.
SO WHEN WE PUT THE APPLICATION, WHEN THE NOFA IS, IS OUT, YOU KNOW, DO WE, DO WE GIVE THEM THE TIMEFRAME THAT THE SERVICES NEEDED TO BE PROVIDED IN THE, IT'S, WE PUT, WE TELL THEM THAT IT'S FOR, THIS IS THE 2023 NOFA.
SO WE'RE TELLING THEM THAT ALL SERVICES NEED TO BE PERFORMED IN 2023 DURING THAT CALENDAR YEAR.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING THINGS CLEAR TO THESE APPLICANTS MS STAMPS.
AND THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY, UM, COME TO THE SESSIONS, THEY REALLY GET IT.
BUT IN THE WORK AND WHEN YOU, WHEN IT'S, UH, NOFA 2023, SECOND RELEASE FOR 2023, UM, AND YOU'RE STARTING AT THE END OF 2024 AND THE NOFA IT, IT ENDED SEPTEMBER, UM, 13TH OF 2023.
THEY'RE NOT STARTING UNTIL A YEAR FROM NOW.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
AND SO THEY, THEY UNDERSTAND THAT, AND THEN THEY'LL MAKE SURE FOR 2024 THEY GET WHATEVER THEY NEED IN IN TIME.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FOLKS REAL QUICK? MS. REGINA? UM, I GUESS ARE, ARE THEY INFORMED RIGHT AWAY THAT, HEY, YOU'RE NOT IN SERVICE AREA OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE REASON IS.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE NOTIFICATION PROCESS ON THAT? SINCE IT'S STILL ACTIVE, I CAN'T EVEN TALK TO ANYBODY STILL AT THIS POINT.
EVEN FOLKS THAT ARE DISQUALIFIED, QUALIFIED OR DISQUALIFIED, IT'S STILL ACTIVE PROCUREMENT.
I CAN'T HAVE ANY CONVERSATION WITH ANYBODY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT GROUP? IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE GROUPS THAT DID SCORE 80% OR HIGHER.
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WOMEN'S HEALTH SERVICES.LET'S SEE, THEY'RE WOMEN'S HEALTH CLINIC.
UM, EASY ACCESS CLINIC LOCATED IN THE HEART OF SOUTH DALLAS.
THE CLINIC EXISTS TO IMPROVE BIRTH OUTCOMES AND GIVE QUALITY HEALTHCARE FOR THAT SPECIFIC COMMUNITY.
UM, THEY OFFER HEALTHCARE AND LOW COST SERVICES THAT ARE EASILY ACCESS ACCESSIBLE.
THEY CONCENTRATE ON HOLISTIC AND EVIDENCE-BASED AND FREE OF JUDGMENT OF THEIR PATIENTS.
SERVICES OFFERED FREE PREGNANCY TESTS, ULTRASOUNDS, PRENATAL, POSTPARTUM, WELL WOMAN CARE, MIDWIFERY SERVICES AND SUPPORT, DWELLA SERVICES, LABOR SUPPORT, EDUCATIONAL CLASSES ON CHILDBIRTH, NUTRITION AND PARENTING, AS WELL AS FAMILY PLANNING.
THEY ONLY HAD 17, UM, CLIENTS, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, 13 CLIENTS AND NO MONEY TODAY.
THROUGH THEIR INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND FOUNDATIONS, UH, INCLUDING PARTNERING WITH THE UNITED WAY.
THEY FINISHED THE YEAR WITH 93 CLIENTS.
UM, THEIR STAFF INCLUDES LOT, UM, EXCUSE ME, LICENSED MIDWIVES, REGISTERED NURSES, LICENSED CHILD EDUCATION EDUCATORS, DEVELOPMENT EXPERTS AND EXEC.
AND AN EXEC WITH AN EXECUTIVE BOARD.
DO YOU WANT TO GO ONE BY ONE? GO AHEAD AND GO.
SO, UH, THE SECOND ONE IS, UH, I LOOK LIKE LOVE, I'M SORRY, LET ME DIGRESS ONE SECOND.
THE FIRST ONE, THEY ASKED FOR $22,600.
THAT WAS THEIR ASK FOR THE GRANT.
THEIR ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS ENCOMPASSES AN EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT FOR MOTHERS, UH, AND THE EMPOWER U AS WELL AS A MOBILE DIAPER PANTRY, WHICH DISTRIBUTES DIAPERS, WIPES, AND OTHER BABY ESSENTIALS TO FAMILIES IN NEED.
UH, THEY'RE ALSO LOADED, LOCATED IN SOUTH DALLAS AND IS SPACE PROVIDED BY CORNERSTONE CHURCH.
AND IT ALSO INCLUDES A CAR SIDE PICKUP OPTION FOR THE CLIENTS, AS WELL AS THE HOOVER CDC IS THERE IN FAIR PARK IS ALSO A DISTRIBUTION CENTER FOR, UH, BABY CARE, BABY WEAR AND CARE, UH, EMPOWERING YOU AS A MONEY MENTORING PROGRAM THAT TEACHES, UH, FINANCIAL LITERACY TO THOSE YOUNG MOTHERS.
AND THE AVERAGE, THEY TALKED ABOUT THE AVERAGE INCOME FOR THE FAMILIES THEY SERVE IS $16,043, UH, WHICH IS BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE.
AND THE MAJORITY OF THEIR ADULT PARTICIPANTS ARE, UH, WOMEN, YOUNG MOTHERS, OF COURSE, UH, EMPOWER U OCCURS IN BOTH EIGHT WEEK AND FIVE WEEK SESSIONS.
THEY ARE HAVING DEPENDENT ON THE SUBJECT, AND IT'S A MIX OF BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL MEETINGS TO BEST ACCOMMODATE THE SCHEDULES OF THE SINGLE MOTHERS THAT THEY ARE LOOKING TO SERVE.
THE LAST ONE IS GYMS. THE GYMS CAMP.
IT'S THE GIRLS INTERESTED IN ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS, AND SCIENCE.
I'D JUST LIKE TO NOTE, LET EVERYONE KNOW THIS PERSON WAS ONE THAT DID COME TO, UH, ONE OF OUR SESSIONS AND SHE ASKED A MILLION QUESTIONS WHILE SHE WAS THERE, AND WE CAN, IT WAS REFLECTIVE IN HER, IN HER, UM, GRANT WRITING.
JIMS IS, UM, STUDENT FOCUSED NONPROFIT THAT EMPHASIZES BROADENING THE PARTICIPATION OF UNDERREPRESENTED AND UNDER UNDERSERVED RACIALLY AND ETHNO, ETHNICALLY MINORITIZED GIRLS.
AND THEIR ACRONYM IS U-U-R-E-M IN STEM SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS.
THE MISSION OF GEMS IS TO CHANGE THE FACE OF THOSE WHO CAN ACCESS AND EXTE EXCEL IN STEM STUDIES AND CAREERS.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS ORGANIZATION IS TO INCREASE THE PERCENTAGE OF MINORITY WOMEN EARNING BACHELOR'S DEGREES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH, AND TO IMPROVE GENDER, RACIAL, AND SOCIOECONOMIC DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN THE US STEM WORKFORCE.
THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF THE DALLAS MLK UH, REC CENTER INCLUDES THE CLASSROOM PROGRAMMING SPACE TO LAUNCH AN INNOVATIVE OUT-OF-SCHOOL STEM PROGRAM THAT TARGETS U-U-R-E-M GIRLS LIVING IN OR NEAR TO 7 5 2 1 0 7 5 2 5 ZIP CODES.
THOSE ARE THE THREE THAT SCORED 80 OR ABOVE.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. GINA.
UM, BEFORE WE GO TO QUESTIONS, UM, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF, OF WHEN YOU'LL BE ABLE TO, TO DISTRIBUTE, UH, THE INFORMATION PACKETS FOR, UH, THESE THREE? I'D LIKE YOU TO COMMENT ON THAT.
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UM, JOY JOYCE WILLIAMS, AGAIN, DIRECTOR OF SMALL BUSINESS CENTER.WHAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WOULD YOU BE REQUESTING IN THOSE PACKETS? SO, IN YEARS PAST, WHAT WE'VE DONE, WHAT WE'VE DONE FOR PRETTY MUCH EVERY CYCLE, UH, YOU HAVE APPLICANTS COME IN, WE SCRUB OUT, UH, GROUPS THAT DON'T QUALIFY.
FOR THE GROUPS THAT DO QUALIFY.
THEY ALL SUBMIT PACKETS, RIGHT? THEY ALL SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATION PACKETS THAT ARE THEN REVIEWED BY THE REVIEWERS, AND THEN THEY'RE SCORED.
NOW, THESE PACKETS CONTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR BUDGETS, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE ASK IS AND HOW THAT'S BROKEN DOWN.
AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING HAS FURTHER DETAIL ON WHAT THEIR MISSION IS, WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
ALL THAT INFORMATION IS RELEVANT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TASKED TO DO, UH, THE BOARD CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO AWARD THE ASK, UH, RECOMMEND A LOWER AMOUNT OR RECOMMEND A HIGHER AMOUNT.
BUT THAT'S HARD TO DO WHEN WE JUST HAVE A SUMMARY AND WE DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT ACCOMPANIES, UH, THE, THE, THE APPLICANT'S PACKETS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED.
SO, MR. CHAIR, IN THE PAST, UH, I, I THINK WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT AN OPEN PROCUREMENT AND THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, AND THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE REASONS WE PUT PROCUREMENT ON THIS BOARD AGENDA.
SO THAT THAT CAN BE EXPLAINED, ESPECIALLY TO THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS, THAT IN AN, IN AN OPEN COMPUTER, UH, OPEN COMPUTER, UH, PROCUREMENT PROCESS, WE DO NOT SHARE THE APPLICATIONS AS PART OF THAT FOR EVALUATIONS BECAUSE THE EVALUATORS DO EVALUATE THE APPLICATIONS AND MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, BECAUSE THIS IS A PUBLIC MEETING AND SHARING OF THOSE APPLICATIONS.
AND THAT INFORMATION IS NOT OPEN TO PUBLIC RECORD UNLESS IT COMES TO OPEN RECORDS THROUGH THE FORM OF OPEN RECORDS DOING AN ACTIVE PROCUREMENT.
WE ARE STILL IN AN ACTIVE PROCUREMENT.
SO AS PART OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND AS PART OF WHAT WE SUBMITTED LAST YEAR TO THIS BOARD, AND WE CAN GO BACK AND, AND PROVIDE YOU THE INFORMATION WE SUBMITTED LAST YEAR, IT WAS A SUMMARY OF THE INFORMATION.
NOW WE CAN PROVIDE YOU MORE DETAILS OF THIS SUMMARY, BUT WE CANNOT PROVIDE YOU THE ACTUAL APPLICATION OF THOSE APPLICANTS.
IF WE COULD GET A MORE DETAILED SUMMARY.
AND I, I SEE A COUPLE QUESTIONS HERE AND, UH, UH, I'LL GET TO MS. SIMMONS AND MS. EY HERE MOMENTARILY.
AND ALSO MR. LEVINE, UM, IN FACT, I'LL CIRCLE BACK AROUND TO MY QUESTION.
I WANNA GET TO EVERYBODY ELSE.
UH, FIRST, UH, I'M NOT SURE WHO HAD THEIR HAND UP FIRST.
WAS YOU, MS. PEEV OR MS. SIMS? I'M, I'M COOL.
GO, GO, GO WITH MS. SIMS. OKAY, MS. MS. SIMS, UH, YOU'RE UP.
SO, SO MY CONCERN AS A BOARD MEMBER IS THAT WE ARE BASICALLY, UM, RUBBER STAMPING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF OTHERS, AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO CHAMPION MISINFORMATION WITH THE COUNCIL, PEOPLE WHO APPOINTED US AND BE ABLE TO STAND BEHIND THEM.
I DO UNDERSTAND KEEPING, UM, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE INFORMATION, PRIVATE, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME THINGS THAT COULD BE RE REDACTED.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, QUITE FRANKLY, AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO IS REVIEWING, I GUESS I JUST NEED TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS.
UM, BECAUSE I, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK AS A BOARD MEMBER, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO DO MORE THAN JUST RUBBER STAMPS.
WE WANNA UNDERSTAND AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE COMING, YOU KNOW, FROM STAFF AND FOR OUR APPROVAL.
I DO RECOMMEND, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE JUST AN ADVISORY BOARD.
UM, BUT THAT IS, THAT IS A CONCERN OF MINE.
I DON'T KNOW IF OTHER BOARD MEMBERS FEEL THAT WAY.
AND THIS IS NOT TO, UM, PLACED ANY DOUBT OR BAD SHADOW OVER STAFF AND THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DO.
I THINK FOR ME, I JUST WANT, UM, YOU KNOW, A STRONGER COMFORT LEVEL.
JOYCE, JOYCE WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR SMALL BUSINESS CENTER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR STATEMENT, MS. SIMS. AND I DO APPRECIATE, IT'S NOT THAT YOU ARE JUST AN ADVISORY BOARD, OF COURSE, YOU'RE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE PROCESS, UH, JUST SO THAT YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH IT.
AND THAT IS, AGAIN, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE ACTUALLY PUT PROCUREMENT ON THE AGENDA PRIOR TO THIS PROCESS SO THAT THERE COULD BE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF IT WHEN THE STAFF IS HELD TO THOSE STANDARDS, TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW AND, AND, AND ALSO ENSURE THAT THE BOARD FOLLOWS PROCUREMENT PROCESSES, ESPECIALLY DURING AN ACT OF PROCUREMENT.
AND THAT IS TO PROVIDE YOU THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE GIVEN BY THE EVALUATORS.
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OF THE EVALUATOR.THAT IS PART, AGAIN, OF THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, THAT WE DO NOT GIVE OUT THOSE NAMES.
WE DO NOT GIVE COMMENTS THAT ARE THEN AS PART OF THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, AS PART OF THE, UH, EVALUATORS AS WELL.
WE DON'T GIVE THAT INFORMATION OUT.
BUT WHAT WE CAN GIVE OUT, AGAIN, IF THERE'S DETAILS THAT YOU ALL WANT TO KNOW, UH, ABOUT THE APPLICANTS THEMSELVES, THEN THOSE ARE CERTAINLY SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.
IF YOU WANT TO INTERVIEW THE, THE, THE THREE APPLICANTS, UH, AND HAVE THEM COME TO A PUBLIC MEETING, YOU CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
BUT DURING THE PROCESS, THIS IS STILL AN OPEN PROCUREMENT PROCESS, AND THIS MEETING IS RECORDED.
WE HAVE NOT YET HAD THESE GO BEFORE A COUNCIL COMMITTEE OR BEFORE COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
SO ALTHOUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS IS CLOSED, IT IS STILL AN ACT OF PROCUREMENT UNTIL, UH, SUCH TIMES APPLICANTS HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATED WITH AND ALSO HAS BEEN AWARDED AND APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL.
UH, JUST A FOLLOW UP TO MS. SIMMONS' QUESTION.
UM, CAN YOU SHARE ANY INSIGHT? ARE THE REVIEWERS INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL FOR THE, SAY, VIEWERS ARE INTERNAL.
ARE THEY INTERNAL TO THE SMALL BUSINESS CENTER OR SOME OTHER DEPARTMENT? NO, WELL, ALL THEY'RE INTERNAL BASED ON THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
THEY CAN BE TWO PEOPLE, CAN BE, TWO PEOPLE CAN BE FROM THE, THE, UH, SMALL BUSINESS CENTER.
AND THEN THE REST OF THEM HAVE TO BE OUTSIDE.
THE MAJORITY OF THEM HAVE TO BE OUTSIDE.
SO IN THIS CASE, THAT'S, THEY HAVE TO BE OUTSIDE OUR DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THERE ARE, HOW MANY IN THIS PROCESS? HOW MANY REVIEWERS DID YOU HAVE? THREE.
SO OH, FOUR USED TO REVIEW IT.
SO IN THIS CASE, YOU HAD ONE PERSON FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS CENTER, THE OTHER TWO WOULD BE FROM OUTSIDE DEPARTMENTS WHO WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH, UH, REVIEWING NONPROFIT GRANTS.
I, I JUST WANTED TO ESTABLISH SOME CONTEXT AROUND WHO, WHO THE REVIEWERS WERE, WHICH I THINK WAS KIND OF GETTING TO SOME OF WHAT, UH, MS. SIMS WAS ASKING ABOUT AS WELL.
I
I MEAN, I'VE, I'M, YOU KNOW, STALKING THEM ON THEIR WEBSITES AS YOU GUYS PRESENT.
AND REALLY THE RANGE OF WHAT THEY PROVIDE, UM, HOW THEY MEET THAT, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR INSPIRES ME AND MAKES ME FEEL LIKE REALLY GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN MY BACKYARD.
AND I'M LIKE, LIKE, I GET REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
SO MINE'S MOSTLY JUST LIKE A NEUTRAL, LIKE THESE, THESE THREE CANVAS THAT DID RISE TO THE TOP REALLY, YOU KNOW, SEEM WONDERFUL.
UM, SO HOWEVER WE CAN HELP TO REVIEW THAT FURTHER.
HI, THIS IS, UH, DAMON DISTRICT FOUR.
SO YEAH, I REALLY APPRECIATE, I'M BEGINNING TO SEE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, RIGOR, UM, AND A LOT OF GOOD WORK PUT INTO THE REVIEW PROCESS, BUT I DO HAVE THAT ADMIT AFTER SEEING A NUMBER OF 21 APPLICANTS THAT KIND OF MISSED THE MARK.
UM, SO FOR, FOR MS. REGINA, I REALLY LIKED YOUR COMMENT THAT YOU MADE BECAUSE YOU SAID THAT ONE OF THE APPLICANTS, UM, WHO LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE IN GOOD SHAPE, SHE CAME TO THE SESSION, RIGHT? AND SHE ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
AND SO THAT WAY SHE WAS KIND OF ARMED WITH THE DATA TO GO IN AND FILL OUT THE APPLICATION CORRECTLY.
SO, ARE WE AT THE POINT WHERE WE'RE KIND OF THINKING, UM, MAYBE THE SESSIONS ARE NOT AS WELL ATTENDED AS THEY SHOULD BE, AND SO MAYBE WE HAVE SOME LESSONS LEARNED NOW SO THAT WE CAN DO MORE AWARENESS ACTIVITIES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? 'CAUSE I JUST KIND OF FEEL LIKE SOME PEOPLE JUST MISSED THE MARK.
'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW, THEY PROBABLY COULDN'T MAKE IT TO A SESSION OR THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE HISTORY WITH APPLYING, YOU KNOW, SO HAVE YOU ALL THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? UH, THANK YOU.
I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I BELIEVE IT WAS MS. SIMS ONCE UPON A TIME, SAID THAT MAYBE IT NEEDS TO BE A REQUIREMENT THAT THEY COME, UM, PEOPLE NOT SHOWING UP.
IT'S NOT FOR LACK OF US NOT GETTING THE WORD OUT.
AND I'LL JUST SAY THAT THE WORD GETS DISSEMINATED WIDELY OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
[00:55:01]
AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE MY PHONE STARTS RINGING, RINGING, RINGING, RINGING, RINGING ABOUT THE NOFA, BUT NOT, BUT WHEN IT'S TIME TO SHOW UP FOR THE SESSIONS, UM, SOMETIMES THEY'RE FANTASTIC, SOMETIMES NOT SO MUCH.SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE ANSWER IS FOR GETTING THEM TO SHOW UP WHEN THEY NEED TO.
UH, WE HAD NOT HAD, WHAT DID YOU SAY? OKAY.
YES, INITIALLY WE DID HAVE VIRTUAL, BUT THEY'RE SO MUCH BETTER IN PERSON.
AND EVEN THE VIRTUAL, THEY DIDN'T SHOW UP LIKE I THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD.
I KIND OF FIGURED, AND I DIDN'T THINK YOU WOULD, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD HAVE AN ANSWER TO THROW OUT THERE TO US.
BUT AS A BOARD MEMBER, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, I CAN DO THE HELP WITH THAT, YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE I GET IT.
I'M IN BUSINESS TOO, AND PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS SHOW UP TO WHAT YOU WANT 'EM TO SHOW UP TO.
BUT MAYBE IF WE CAN, WE JUST WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE CAN GET MORE TRACTION IN NUMBERS.
I, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN THINK OF SOME IDEAS AT OUR NEXT RETREAT OR SOMETHING.
BUT TO HELP UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS A TEAM EFFORT AND WE DO NEED THE BOARD'S ASSISTANCE WITH GETTING PEOPLE TO THE SESSIONS OR WHATEVER.
MR. HUGHES, I THINK YOU HAD ASKED ME TO FOR SOME INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, IF SOMEONE COMES TO YOU AND LIKE I HAD INDICATED, THE BEST WAY IS TO SEND THEM TO THE WEBSITE.
WE DO HAVE LITTLE PAMPHLETS, BUT THE WEBSITE IS A WEALTH OF INFORMATION FOR ALL OF OUR OFFERINGS, NOT JUST THE NOFA.
AND ALSO, REMEMBER, ALSO REMEMBER, PLEASE, THIS, THESE ARE REIMBURSABLE.
SO I UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY'S CONCERNS, BUT REMEMBER, THEY ALL HAVE TO SPEND THIS MONEY BEFORE THEY CAN EVER GET IT BACK.
AND IT'S A RIGOROUS PROCESS, COMPLIANCE PROCESS THAT THEY HAVE TO COMPLY WITH BEFORE THEY GET ANY FUNDING BACK.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE THEY JUST GET THIS MONEY ON THE FRONT END AND GO DISAPPEAR INTO NONE, ALL IN.
AND IT MAKES THAT PART MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
UH, UH, MR. DAWKINS HAD A QUESTION.
THEY WILL COME TO MS. SIMS. HI, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THIS IS BILL DAWKINS FROM DISTRICT 10.
UM, AS, AS I REFLECT ON THESE COMMENTS, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THIS APPLICATION PACKET IN THE SHARING OF DATA, UH, SEEMS TO PRESENT US WITH AN IMPASSE, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR A BUSINESS OWNER TO HAVE THEIR VITAL INFORMATION, EVEN IF IT'S NOT PERSONAL INFORMATION, THEIR VITAL INFORMATION OUT IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE.
IT PRESENTS A COMPETITIVE, UH, PROBLEM.
UM, IT PRESENTS AN ENTREPRENEURIAL PROBLEM, ET CETERA.
UH, AND AT THE SAME TIME, I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, AS AN ADVISORY BOARD THAT WE'D REALLY LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THESE CLIENTS, IF ONLY, UH, TO MAKE US FEEL BETTER IS IN THE SENSE OF MISS PV ABOUT THE GOOD WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT ALSO TO, UM, NEGATE THIS FEELING OF BEING A RUBBER STAMP BODY.
UM, WE MAY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THIS WITH A UNIQUE SOLUTION OF AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, RIGHT? SO IF WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, PLAN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR ONE MEETING IN ADVANCE, UH, HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION WHERE THAT PORTION OF THIS MEETING WE'RE NOT RECORD RECORDED, BUT WOULD BE FOR THE PURPOSE OF SHARING THAT UNDERWRITING INFORMATION IN SOME LEVEL OF DETAIL, WHATEVER LEVEL OF DETAIL THE PROCUREMENT FOLKS, OR DIRECTOR WILLIAMS OR YOU, MS. REGINA, WERE COMFORTABLE SHARING THAT, THAT WOULD GIVE US SOME ASSURANCE OF BEING ABLE TO LOOK THROUGH, UNDERSTAND THESE COMPANIES, UH, MORE FULLY, UH, THE VERY POSITIVE UNDERWRITING CRITERIA THAT THEY'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH AND BEING SCORED HIGHER THAN 80.
UM, GET ALL THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND THEN COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION IN THAT BOARD MEETING.
UH, TO MOVE ON, UM, I WANTED TO ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, IS THAT RE IS THAT POSSIBLE? OKAY.
I I JUST WANTED TO ADD BILL DAWKINS DISTRICT 10.
UM, I, I, I BELIEVE IF I CAN RECALL CORRECTLY, THAT THESE SESSIONS ARE RECORDED, UH, FOR EXTRA SECURITY AROUND THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE MAY WISH TO NOT HAVE THAT PORTION RECORDED TO PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF THE INFORMATION BEING SHARED ON OUR APPLICANTS.
[01:00:01]
BEING THE CASE, WE MAY WISH TO HAVE THOSE EXECUTIVE SESSIONS IN PERSON.UH, JOYCE WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR OF SMALL BUSINESS CENTER, AND YOU'RE CORRECT, MR. DAWKINS, EXECUTIVE SESSIONS ARE NOT RECORDED SESSIONS.
UH, AND THAT IS THE REASON THAT WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
THEY ARE THEN PULLED OFF AND WE ARE NOT THERE.
SO I DO AGREE THAT, UM, THE COMMITMENT OF THE BOARD TO BE IN PRESENT, TO BE PRESENT AND PERSON FOR THOSE EXECUTIVE SESSIONS, FOR INFORMATION TO BE SHARED.
JUST ONE CLARIFYING THING, THAT ON THE NONPROFIT GRANTS, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT GRANTS, THEY ARE NOT GONE.
THEY DO NOT GO THROUGH UNDERWRITING.
THEY DO NOT GO THROUGH UNDERWRITING.
SO THE RISK IS LOW RISK BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THEY DO NOT GET ANY FUNDING UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY SHOW US THAT THEY'VE DOCUMENTED THE DOLLARS.
THAT IS VERY DIFFERENT AGAIN, THAN YOUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ONES FOR, FOR-PROFIT, WHEN THEY DO GO THROUGH UNDERWRITING TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE LOWER RISK OF CAN THEY AFFORD THE PAYBACK THE LOAN CAN THEY AFFORD? BECAUSE THAT MONEY IS GENERALLY GIVEN UP FRONT AND ONE THIRD BY ONE THIRD BY ONE THIRD BASED ON, UM, CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS.
SO JUST TO CLARIFYING FOR NONPROFITS THAT WE DO NOT ASK FOR THE INFORMATION IN THE APPLICATION, THEREFORE, THIS BOARD CANNOT BE A, CANNOT ASK FOR THAT INFORMATION AS WELL, BECAUSE IT IS NOT PART OF THE OFFICIAL APPLICATION PROCESS.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS. UM, AND I USE THE TERM IN MY REMARKS, UNDERWRITING AS A CATCHALL PHRASE TO ENCOMPASS THE, THE PROCESS OF APPROVAL, NOT NECESSARILY IN THE STRICT SENSE OF, OF, OF US BANKERS.
UM, ONE OTHER THING I I WOULD ADD TOO, AGAIN, IN AN EFFORT TO PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND THAT DATA THAT YOU ALL SHEPHERD, UH, WE WOULD DO WELL TO REMIND OURSELVES AS ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS THAT DURING THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION, IF IN FACT THAT'S THE WAY WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE, THAT, THAT IS NOT A RE-APPROVAL PROCESS.
WE WOULD NOT BE CONVENING IN ORDER TO QUESTION THE NUMBERS, IN ORDER TO QUESTION, UH, THE VALIDITY OR THE INTEGRITY OF THE PACKET, RATHER TO BE INFORMED.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY KEEP IN MIND TO CONSIDER AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
MS. SIMS, UM, I SAW YOUR HAND UP.
UM, PERHAPS MY NEED TO KNOW MORE, UM, COULD BE SATISFIED, YOU KNOW, THROUGH VISITS TO SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO THE TIME, I DON'T, UM, NOT REALLY SURE HOW MUCH OF A TIME GAP WE WOULD HAVE IN BETWEEN THE TIME THAT STAFF MAKES A RECOMMENDATION, AND THEN THEY NEED TO GO TO US FOR APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD TO COUNCIL.
UM, BUT PERHAPS THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO VISIT SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, AND THEN SECONDLY, I DO BELIEVE THAT YES, IF WE COULD GET MORE PEOPLE TO COME TO THE SESSIONS, PERHAPS WE COULD GET, YOU KNOW, MORE VIABLE APPLICATIONS.
UM, AND PERHAPS THAT MEANS REQUIRING THEM TO ATTEND, UM, TO BE ELIGIBLE.
I DON'T WANNA, I DON'T WANNA PUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF ROADBLOCKS UP, BUT IF WHAT WE'RE OFFERING COULD MAKE THEM MORE SUCCESSFUL AND ALLOW THE BOARDS TO, TO SUPPORT MORE MEANINGFUL WORK IN, UM, SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK, I WOULD BE VERY, UM, SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
BUT AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA BE PROHIBITIVE, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, THAT ONCE THEY SIGN THE CONTRACT, THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S REQUIRED OF THEM TURN ON STANDPOINT.
AND ALSO FROM, UM, THE CITY AUDITOR'S STANDPOINT, BECAUSE WE HAVE LOTS OF ORGANIZATIONS.
SEEMS I, I, I, I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING.
MS. BROOKS, CAN YOU, UH, FLIP YOUR CAMERA BACK ON PLEASE? JUST REALLY QUICKLY, I APOLOGIZE, MS. SIMS. MS. BROOKS, COULD YOU FLIP YOUR CAMERA BACK ON PLEASE? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I THINK, I HOPE THIS WRAP THIS UP.
UM, I DON'T WANNA PUT ANY ROADBLOCKS OR PUT ANY UNDUE STRESS ON THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
[01:05:01]
STRESSFUL ENOUGH TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND THE GRANT, RIGHT? AND TO WAIT.UM, BUT PERHAPS THERE ARE SOME THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN REQUIRE THEM TO COME TO ME IF IT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH IF THEY WILL SEND SOMEONE, UM, TO COME.
BUT ALSO, UM, WELL, ANYWAY, I JUST LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT.
BUT I THINK THAT, UM, I THINK THAT MY POINT HAS BEEN MADE.
CHOICE WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR OF SMALL BUSINESS CENTER.
MS. SIMS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANT TO CLARIFY IN THE PROCESS, SINCE YOU ARE A RECOMMENDING BODY, AND THIS IS, THIS WOULD BE IF YOU ALL WOULD PLEASE TURN YOUR CAMERAS BACK ON, IF YOU DON'T, WE WON'T HAVE QUORUM, MS. SIMS. UH, JUST SO THAT THERE'S SOME CLARIFYING INFORMATION, BECAUSE WE ARE, THIS PROCESS IS AN OPEN PROCUREMENT UNTIL IT ACTUALLY CLOSES AND YOU ARE PART OF THE BODY THAT WOULD BE REVIEWING THE APPLICATIONS AND MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN BEING ABLE TO, UH, VISIT, HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE APPLICANTS AS PART OF THE PROCESS, UH, AS PART OF WHAT YOU WOULD LOOK AT FOR RECOMMENDING THEM, THAT, BECAUSE YOU, YOU, THAT WOULD THEN BE OUTSIDE OF THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND WHATNOT, AND THEN WOULD VIOLATE THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
THE OTHER PART OF THAT, OF RECOMMENDING PRIOR TO THEM BEING ELIGIBLE THAT THEY MUST ATTEND THE SESSION ELIGIBILITY CANNOT BE BASED ON 'CAUSE WE ARE USING PUBLIC FUNDS.
THEY CAN, ELIGIBILITY CANNOT BE BASED ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY ATTEND THE SESSION.
BUT WHAT COULD HAPPEN IS THAT WE COULD ASK THAT THEY COME IN PERSON TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE OPTIONS, BE ABLE TO HEAR ABOUT THE INFORMATION, BE ABLE TO HAVE THE INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE, BUT THEY, WE CANNOT REQUIRE JUST BECAUSE THEY DID NOT ATTEND THE SESSION, THAT THEY CAN SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR PUBLIC FUNDING.
SO THAT IS NOT A REQUIREMENT WE CAN PUT IN PLACE.
HOWEVER, WE CAN PUT A REQUIREMENT IN PLACE IF THEY RECEIVE FUNDS THAT THEY MUST GO THROUGH AN ORIENTATION, THEY MUST GO THROUGH OUR NONPROFIT SERIES OF HOW TO MANAGE MY NONPROFIT, HOW TO LOOK AT METRICS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS TO HELP THEM BE HEALTHIER IN THEIR PROCESS OF BEING ABLE TO DELIVER THE GOALS AND MEET THE METRICS THAT WE WANT THEM TO DO.
BUT WE CANNOT DO IT AS PART OF ELIGIBILITY OR A PART OF THEM BEING ABLE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION.
DIRECTOR WILLIAMS. MS. SIMS, DO YOU, UH, STILL HAVE A QUESTION? I SEE YOUR HAND UP STILL, UH, STILL.
SO, SO JUST, JUST TO GO BACK TO THIS IDEA OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, UM, I, I THINK THE UNDERLYING THEME HERE IS THE, THE BOARD IS AN ADVISORY BOARD, RIGHT? BUT IN ORDER TO EFFECTIVELY ADVISE YOU, YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITHOUT HAVING INFORMATION.
NOW COMING IN AND HAVING THE PRESENTATIONS WITH A SUMMARY OF WHAT A GROUP DOES, THAT'S FINE, RIGHT? AND I DON'T THINK THIS PROCESS IS ABOUT REEVALUATING, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE EVALUATORS DID OR CHANGING THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY PUT OUT.
BUT THIS IS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION, BECAUSE AS AN ADVISORY BOARD, AS MS. SIMS STATED EARLIER, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DEFEND WHATEVER RECOMMENDATION WE MAKE, BE IT FOR OR AGAINST SOMETHING FOR THE AMOUNT THAT WAS SUGGESTED, A HIGHER AMOUNT OR A LOWER AMOUNT.
AND HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY DO THAT WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT BACKS THAT UP, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR HERE IS WE'RE ASKING FOR SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
AND I, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE, THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS AS IT'S BEEN LAID OUT.
I THINK THE EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT MR. DAWKINS BROUGHT UP, UH, IS, IS A GREAT SUGGESTION THAT SOMETHING THAT CAN HELP US.
WOULD IT ALSO BE POSSIBLE, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE A SCORING CRITERIA SHEET, RIGHT? THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, SCORING FOR, FOR EACH CATEGORY, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING PERHAPS IN A TABLE FORMAT THAT LISTS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR EACH ONE OF THESE APPLICANTS, RIGHT? SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH,
[01:10:01]
ORGANIZATION, ORGANIZATION A, THEY'RE SAYING THEIR BUDGET IS, IS THIS, WHICH IS WHY THEY'RE ASKING FOR THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY, CAN WE GET SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BREAKING DOWN WHAT THAT MONEY'S ACTUALLY GOING TO, RIGHT? THINGS ARE LIKE THAT, THINGS LIKE THAT.OR THINGS THAT, THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SO THAT WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT IS THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING, HOW IT IS WE'RE HELPING THEM, RIGHT? AND THEN WE CAN HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE, RIGHT? AND IF SOMEBODY, IF OUR COUNCIL MEMBER COMES TO US AND ASKS US ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION OR THAT ORGANIZATION, WE CAN SPEAK IN AN INTELLIGENT MANNER AS TO THAT, THAT, THANK YOU FOR ASKING THE QUESTION.
HERE'S HOW WE CAME TO THE DECISION THAT WE CAME TO, RIGHT? HERE'S THE INFORMATION THAT WE LOOKED AT.
WE ACTUALLY HAD THE GROUP COME IN AND, AND SPEAK TO US.
WE WERE ABLE TO VET IT OUT, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, BUT WE, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T GET TO A POINT TO WHERE WE'RE COMING IN HERE AND THEN WE'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, THE TERM WAS USED EARLIER, RUBBER STAMPING SOMEONE ELSE'S RECOMMENDATION ON A THREE PAGE, THREE SENTENCE SUMMARY PARAGRAPH ON SOMEBODY WHO SCORED 80%.
UH, JOYCE WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR OF SMALL BUSINESS CENTER, UH, MR. CHAIR, WE CANNOT GIVE YOU THE TOTAL BASED ON WHICH CATEGORY IS THIS.
AND THEY SCORED THIS BASED ON THIS, THIS, THIS, BECAUSE THEN, THEN WE'RE BREAKING DOWN THE EVALUATED SCORES.
BUT WHAT WE CAN DO AS PART OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE'LL BE ABLE TO BRING IN THE DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT TO BE ABLE TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN HAVE.
WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WHATEVER YOU CAN HAVE, WE WILL HAVE THAT DAY IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AS PART OF THAT, SO THAT THE BOARD CAN UNDERSTAND, AND YOU AS A CHAIR CAN UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE ACTIVE PROCUREMENT PROCESS OF WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
I DO UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ON AND CHAIRED MANY COMMUNITY BOARDS.
SO I DO UNDERSTAND THE PASSION AND COMMITMENT THAT THIS BOARD HAS TO SERVING AND ENGAGING IN THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO AND WHAT THEIR DESIRES ARE TO DO SO.
BUT BASED, BASED ON THE REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE CITY CODE AND, AND BASED ON THE STATE CODE FOR PROCUREMENT, THEY'RE JUST SERVING RESTRICTIONS THAT WE MUST ADHERE TO.
SO, BUT I DO TOTALLY UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE AGAIN, AS CHAIR OF SEVERAL COMMUNITY BOARDS, I DO UNDERSTAND WHY.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT COUNCIL AND YOU TALK ABOUT THAT COMMITMENT AND WHAT THEY ACT, WHAT THEY ACTUALLY WANT TO SEE WHEN WE GO AND PRESENT IN FRONT OF THEM, WHEN ANYONE GOES IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND EVERYONE HERE CAN LOOK AT ANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL SESSIONS, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THE COUNCIL DOES NOT ASK FOR THOSE TYPE OF DETAILS BECAUSE THE RISK AND LIABILITY, WHILE IT IS FOR A COUNCIL TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, THEY DO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS.
NOW, THERE ARE SESSIONS THAT ARE HELD WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS PRIOR TO, IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS, THEN THEY HAVE THOSE, THOSE MEETINGS WITH, UM, CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND SO THOSE QUESTIONS ARE THEN ANSWERED TO THAT PARTICULAR COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO NOTHING SAYS THAT THAT CANNOT HAPPEN WITHIN THE AUSPICES OF THE BOARD, BUT THERE IS NOT ANY DOCUMENTATION THAT IS PRESENTED BEFORE THE COUNCIL THAT GIVES THEM THE BUDGETS, THAT GIVES THEM ALL OF THAT INFORMATION THAT'S BROKEN DOWN.
COUNCIL MEMBERS DO NOT ASK FOR THAT INFORMATION DURING COUNCIL SESSIONS.
BUT CERTAINLY THAT IS INFORMATION THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT DURING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
BUT I SUGGEST DOING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT WE ALSO HAVE THE DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT COMING IN, DOING THAT DIRECT, DOING THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION SO THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO THEN KNOW WHAT INFORMATION, WHAT IS, WHAT IS AN ACT OF PROCUREMENT, WHAT IS THE STATE REQUIREMENT FOR THAT? WHAT IS THE STATE LAW SO THAT YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE ORDINANCE OF THE CITY WHEN IT COMES TO PROCUREMENT PROCESSES.
SO THAT'S HOW I THINK BEST TO BE ABLE TO BEST ANSWER THIS, UH, ONCE AND FOR ALL AS WE START TO MOVE TOWARD, OF COURSE, MORE AND MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVING MORE AND MORE APPLICANTS THAT ARE IN SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK AREA, AND BEING ABLE TO DO THAT WELL WITH A COMMITTED BOARD THAT IS NOT JUST COMMITTED TO SERVING, BUT COMMITTED TO ENGAGING.
GAN WILLIAMS FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
UM, AND, AND I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO, UM, I, I DON'T WANNA BE MISUNDERSTOOD HERE.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO BREAK ANY RULES.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO DO ANY OF THAT STUFF.
SO I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO STAY WITHIN, UH, THE, THE LINES THAT WE'RE DRAWN HERE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN DO AND, AND, AND WHAT WE CAN'T DO, UH, COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND ABOUT COUNSEL NOT ASKING FOR CERTAIN INFORMATION, BUT, UH, I WOULD SUBMIT, THAT'S WHY IT'S MORE IMPORTANT FOR US ON THE FRONT END TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN AS AN
[01:15:01]
ADVISORY BOARD TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE REVIEWED AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN GET BEFORE WE'RE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION AND PUSHING IT TO CITY COUNCIL, BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY BUSY.SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THE BEST SOLUTION HERE, BASED ON WHAT WHAT'S BEING RECOMMENDED IS AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S THE ONLY FORM THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO REVIEW THIS INFORMATION AND THEN GET SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED THAT ARE, UH, UH, BROKEN OUT ON THE SCORE SHEET THAT WE HAVE FOR THESE APPLICANTS.
IS, IS THAT I'M, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT, UH, THAT WE CAN GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION BROKEN OUT.
THAT, THAT IS, AGAIN, I THINK BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH THE DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AS PART OF THIS EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE WILL HAVE ALL DOCUMENTATION PREPARED PRIOR TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT CAN BE SUBMITTED TO YOU FOR REVIEW BASED ON THE DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND HER, UH, ALIGNMENT OF WHAT CAN AND CANNOT GO AND HAVE HER TO ACTUALLY, UH, RUN THE SESSION SO THAT YOU ALL CAN, AND WE WILL ANSWER THE QUESTION.
BUT AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO DO THAT, SO REGINA WILL WORK WITH YOU, MR. CHAIR, ON SCHEDULING AN EXECUTIVE SESSION IN WHICH THE PROCUREMENT DIRECTOR CAN BE THERE AND ALL OF THE BOARD MEMBERS CAN BE IN PERSON IN ATTENDANCE, SO THAT WE CAN THEN MOVE FORWARD.
WE DO WANNA MOVE FORWARD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, UH, SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THIS MONEY GETS OUT OF THE DOOR TO THOSE APPLICANTS.
NO, DO, DO I WANNA PUSH IT? NO, I WANT IT TO BE DONE RIGHT, SO THAT WE WILL THEN HAVE A PROCEDURE THAT WE CAN THEN PUT IN PLACE.
WE KNOW THAT, AGAIN, ONCE A YEAR OR TWICE A YEAR, THIS PROCESS WILL BE HAPPENING.
UH, MY HOPE IS THAT IT WILL HAPPEN ONLY ONCE A YEAR THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY EXPEND THE $200,000 THE FIRST ROUND.
AND SO THEN IT ONLY HAPPENS ONCE A YEAR.
AND SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO IS REACH BACK OUT TO SOME OF THESE APPLICANTS THAT DID APPLY, HELP THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEIR SERVICES, WHY THEY WERE NOT SELECTED.
FIND OUT IF THEY HAVE, OR IF THEY WANT TO HAVE A LOCATION IN SOUTH DALLAS, IF THEY HAVE A PARTNER, UH, CAN THEY PARTNER WITH SOMEONE THAT'S THERE? ARE THEY GONNA BE WILLING TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION AT NO COST TO THE GRANT? THOSE THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT WE CAN'T DO THOSE THINGS WHILE THERE'S AN OPEN PROCUREMENT.
AND SO, AGAIN, IT'S NOT JUST AWARDING, BUT ALSO BEING ABLE TO TEACH AND TO HELP THEM LEARN SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED.
BUT OF COURSE, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE NONPROFITS GROWN IN SOUTH DALLAS AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE THOSE WHO ARE OF COURSE, FAMILIAR WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY LIVING THERE EVERY DAY.
SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR GOALS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
THAT'S WHY WE ARE GONNA HAVE A NONPROFIT SERIES IN WHICH WE CAN TRAIN NONPROFITS TO BE NONPROFITS AND TO GET THOSE REGISTERED.
BUT AGAIN, MR. CHAIR, WE WILL BE DELIGHTED TO SET UP AN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW THESE THREE APPLICANTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS. SO JUST TO PUT A PIN IN THIS, UH, SAID, SAID DIFFERENTLY AND, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF, IF I MISUNDERSTOOD ANYTHING, BUT IF IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE WE KNOW FOR SURE WHAT CAN BE SHARED, WE WON'T KNOW THAT UNTIL, UH, PROCUREMENT COMES IN AND, AND, AND LETS US KNOW, BUT WE'LL HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN CASE THEY SAY WE CAN SHARE, YOU CAN SHARE ALL OF IT, RIGHT? AND YOU CAN GUYS CAN REVIEW ALL OF IT.
OR DO WE HAVE AN IDEA? WE, WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT CAN BE SHARED, MR. CHAIR, BUT WHAT WHAT WE DON'T HAVE IS AN, IS AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU WANNA SEE.
SO WHAT WE DON'T WANNA DO IS LIMIT BASED ON WHAT YOU WANNA SEE VERSUS WHAT CAN BE SHARED.
AND SO THAT IS THE REASON HAVING THE DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT COME IN TO BE ABLE TO SAY WHAT CAN ACTUALLY BE SHARED AND BE ABLE TO GIVE US THE INFORMATION OF WHAT CAN BE SHARED SO WE CAN HAVE THOSE PACKETS THERE SO THAT, SO WE DO HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT CAN BE SHARED, WHAT WE DON'T HAVE AN IDEA IS WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE.
SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU ARE ASKING FOR THAT WE KNOW THAT CAN'T BE SHARED, BUT WHAT, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU'RE NOT ASKING FOR THAT COULD PROBABLY BE SHARED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT COULD PROBABLY FULFILL THE NEEDS THAT YOU ARE WANTING.
AND WE WANT THAT TO COME DIRECTLY FROM THE DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT SO THAT THERE'S A CLARITY AND AN UNDERSTANDING AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS PROCESS, SO THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF CONVERSATION AGAIN.
JUST, JUST, JUST TO, JUST TO FOLLOW UP, UH, I, I DON'T WANNA MAKE THIS ABOUT ME.
IT'S WHAT THE BOARD IS ASKING FOR.
I'VE, I'VE HEARD THIS FROM SEVERAL FOLKS, BUT UH, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE, JUST TO BROADEN IT OUT A BIT, CAN THE INFORMATION BASED ON THE REQUIREMENTS, THE SCORING REQUIREMENTS BE SHARED,
[01:20:02]
UH, MR. CHAIR, WE CAN GIVE YOU THE, THE INFORMATION ON SCORES, BUT NOT THIS SCORE VERSUS THAT SCORE VERSUS THIS SCORE.I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A SCORE COMPARISON.
I'M SAYING FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL SCORING CATEGORY, IF WE SAID, FOR THIS PARTICULAR GROUP THAT SCORED 80, CAN WE SEE, UH, THE INFORMATION FOR THEIR BUDGET? FOR EXAMPLE, YOU COULD SEE THE BUDGET, IF YOU COULD SEE THE BUDGET SCORE, IF YOU JUST, THERE WERE TWO QUESTIONS YOU JUST ASKED.
ONE WAS, CAN YOU SEE THE SCORING ONE? THAT'S ONE QUESTION THEN, THEN YOU CAME BACK AND SAID, WELL, CAN WE SEE THE INFORMATION? WELL, SCORING NOT, NOT THE SCORING, RIGHT? WE'RE TALKING THE INFORMATION, UH, AS APPLICABLE TO THE APPLICANT.
AND THAT'S BASED ON THE SCORING CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE HERE.
CAN WE ASK FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO, UH, EACH INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY HERE? AND WHAT I MEANT SCORING, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE SCORING SHEET, THE, THE, THE CRITERIA, THE CATEGORY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE EVALUATION? NO, NOT THE ACTUAL OVERALL SCORE NECESSARILY.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ACTUAL EVALUATION THAT THE EVALUATOR IS ACTUALLY DUE FOR EACH OF THE SCORES? THAT'S RIGHT.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THAT IS NOT INFORMATION THAT IS USUALLY SHARED, UM, DURING THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT'S AN EVALUATION BASED ON THE APPLICATION OF AN INDEPENDENT EVALUATORS.
HOWEVER, AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO TALK WITH THE DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT TO BE ABLE TO SAY WHAT CAN THEN GIVE THEM AN IDEA OF WHY THIS SCORE WAS GIVEN, WHAT CRITERIA WAS USED TO GET TO THIS SCORING, AND THAT CAN, THAT CRITERIA CAN BE GIVEN.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE CONVERSATION THAT NEEDS TO BE HAD AROUND THIS.
SO IF WE CAN WAIT AND HAVE THIS TYPE OF DISCUSSION IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE BETTER.
VERY WELL, NO, THAT'S, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON THIS BEFORE, BEFORE WE WRAP THIS UP? UH, ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO MR. DAWKINS' SUGGESTION OF HAVING AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO REVIEW ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO APPLICANT'S, UH, THAT WILL BE, UH, RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING? IS THERE ANYBODY THAT OBJECTS TO THAT? OKAY, I'M HEARING NONE.
SO, UM, MS. REGINA, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS, CAN I, I GUESS YOU GUYS WILL COURT DATE AND WE'LL SET UP A DATE FOR THAT.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT COME IN AND THEN WE'LL HAVE, SUBSEQUENTLY HAVE THE INFORMATION COME IN AS WELL FOR, OR HAVE IT AVAILABLE ANYWAY.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO KIND OF GO FROM THERE.
IS IS THAT, IS THAT THE PROCESS? IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, THE POINT, THE POINT IS THAT WE WILL TRY TO HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT IS AVAILABLE TO YOU READILY AVAILABLE TO YOU ON THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION SO THAT YOU CAN, WE MAYBE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY AND ALL QUESTIONS DURING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION SO THAT YOU WOULD HAVE THAT.
SO WHEN YOU COME OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, YOU WILL BE WELL INFORMED ON THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED THAT MAKES YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING FORWARD WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE CODE AND WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE STATE LAW.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON, UH, THE SUMMARY THAT DIRECTOR WILLIAMS JUST PROVIDED ON NEXT STEPS? UM, HEARING NONE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS. APPRECIATE THAT.
SO AS FAR AS A DATE, DO YOU, DO WE WANNA DISCUSS A FEW DATES OF HAVING EXECUTIVE SESSION? I'M ASSUMING YOU WANNA DO THIS BEFORE OUR JANUARY MEETING.
IF, IF WE HAVE ENOUGH FOLKS AVAILABLE SOMETIME DURING JANUARY WILL PROBABLY MAKE SENSE.
DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO SEE WHEN THE DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT'S AVAILABLE FIRST AND THEN I WANTED TO CIRCUM SOME DATES.
UH, ACTUALLY I WANTED TO GET A FEW DATES TO TAKE TO HER TO SEE IF SHE WAS AVAILABLE TO START US JUST TO SEE.
UM, IS THE EXECUTIVE SESSION GOING TO BE A PART OF A NORMALLY REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OR IS IT GOING TO BE A SEPARATE MEETING? I KNOW SOMETIMES THAT THERE'S LANGUAGE ON THE AGENDA THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR REGULARLY, UM, SCHEDULED MEETINGS.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR.
AND THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION ACTUALLY.
UM, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS SAYS, YES, THAT IS A POSSIBILITY.
UM, DEFINITELY THAT IS ONE THING YOU CAN DO.
YOU CAN HAVE IT DURING YOUR JANUARY AND MOVE INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE JUST NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT ON THE AGENDA THAT WE'RE MOVING INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UM, AS, AS WELL AS BEING ABLE TO PLAN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
HI, GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD EVENING.
UH, BRADY PLANARY, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE? YES.
UH, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS IS CORRECT THAT IT WOULD BE, UM, POSTED THAT IT WOULD BE A CHANCE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, WHAT THE SUBJECT WOULD BE UNDER THE, UH, TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS
[01:25:01]
ACT.SO IT WOULD TYPICALLY BE HANDLED, UH, ALONGSIDE A PUBLIC AGENDA.
SO WE'RE SAYING WE COULD DO IT FOR OUR JANUARY MEETING.
CAN WE HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION VIRTUAL? THE PREFERENCE WOULD SO, MR. CHAIR, SO, SO, I'M SORRY.
UH, SO CAN WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH FOLKS VIRTUAL? I I WASN'T CLEAR ON THE ANSWER.
JUST TO, TO SUMMARIZE, UM, WHAT MR. BRADY SAID, HE SAID, SAID THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND, AND HAVE FOLKS VIRTUAL, BUT HE IS GOING TO DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT TO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT THAT IS IN FACT THE CASE.
SO, UH, IF WE GET CONFIRMATION ON THAT, IS THAT THE PREFERENCE OF THE BOARD TO HAVE A CONCURRENT EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH OUR, OUR REGULAR MEETINGS? IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING MR. DAWKINS? SO, UH, WITH REGARD TO EXECUTIVE SESSION, AS, AS I HAD ENVISIONED IT, AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M JUST A REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT 10, BUT IF WE WERE IN FACT TO HAVE A VIRTUAL SESSION THAT WOULD PRESUPPOSE DISTRIBUTION OF THE INFORMATION IN SOME ELECTRONIC FORM OR PACKET PICKUP OR WHATEVER, THAT WOULD LESSEN THE INTEGRITY OF THE DATA THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE.
AND SO, UH, UNLESS WE DO SLIDES THAT PEOPLE COULD SEE ONLINE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF HINDERS THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION.
BRADY FLANNERY, UH, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, I WILL HAVE TO SAY THAT, UH, CHAPTER 12 A OF THE ETHICS CODE ESSENTIALLY APPLIES TO EVERYONE WHO IS APPOINTED TO THIS BOARD.
SO ANY INFORMATION THAT IS DISPERSED VIRTUALLY, UM, IN MINTON REMAIN, VIRTUALLY REMAIN WITHIN THE GROUP.
EVERYONE WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE ETHICS CODE.
SO ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT INFORMATION GETTING OUT, UM, WOULD BE AN ETHICS VIOLATION OR DEFINITELY, UM, COULD BE INVESTIGATED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT IF, UM, THERE ARE ANY ISSUES THERE.
SO, SO JUST A, A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, UH, MR. FLANNERY, ARE YOU SAYING THAT, OR ARE YOU SAYING THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION? IT COULD BE VIRTUAL AND INFORMATION CAN BE SHARED, BUT EVERYBODY'S SUBJECT TO THE ETHICS PIECE.
SO, SO IN OTHER WORDS, IT COULD BE DONE, BUT EVERYONE HAS TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE SUBJECT TO THE ETHICS PIECE OF THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT IF IN FACT ANY INFORMATION IS DISTRIBUTED, THAT THAT INFORMATION REMAINS CONFIDENTIAL.
IS IT, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.
ASSUMING THAT THE EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED CAN BE HELD VIRTUALLY IN THE WAY THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, I, I DO WANNA DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT AND I'LL GET BACK TO YOU GUYS.
BUT ASSUMING THAT'S THE PREMISE OF WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, THEN YES, BUT I MEAN, OF COURSE I'M, I'M A ADD THAT 12 A APPLIES AT ALL TIMES, NO MATTER EXECUTIVE SESSION IN SESSION OR WHATNOT, WHETHER YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN, JUST TWO, TWO BOARD MEMBERS ON THEIR OWN, THE ETHICS, UM, APPLIES AT ALL TIMES.
DOES EVERYBODY UNDER UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT MR. FLANNERY JUST OUTLINED? IS THERE ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT? OKAY, I'M HEARING NONE.
UH, YEAH, AND, AND, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU DON'T DISTRIBUTE THAT INFORMATION, THEREBY, YOU KNOW, ELIMINATING THE, THE POSSIBILITY OF SHARING CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION INAPPROPRIATELY, YOU AVOID THE PERCEPTION OF IMPROPRIETY.
YOU NEVER HAVE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION IF YOU DON'T DISTRIBUTE THE INFORMATION.
AND SO, UH, I WOULD SUGGEST OR SUBMIT RATHER, THAT THE COST OF HAVING ONE OF THESE APPLICANTS SIT BEFORE THIS BODY, UH, ACCUSING SOMEONE IN THIS BODY OF HAVING SHARED INFORMATION, 'CAUSE OTHERWISE HOW WOULD THUS AND SO KNOW THAT INFORMATION IS PROBABLY GREATER THAN JUST SHOWING UP AT THE MEETING, LOOKING AT AN EYES ONLY PACKET THAT ARE NUMBERED, HANDING THEM ALL BACK IN AND WE GO ON ABOUT OUR DAY.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OR THE, THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE, UH, IN GREAT POINTS, MR. DAWKINS, THERE, THERE IS SOME ADDITIONAL RISK ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, DISTRIBUTING, UH, INFORMATION, UM, ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT THERE ARE ETHICS RULES IN PLACE, RIGHT? BUT THE ONLY OTHER ALTERNATIVE
[01:30:01]
WOULD BE, UM, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WOULD BE TO HAVE EVERYBODY IN PERSON TO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, RIGHT? AND SO IF EVERYONE CAN'T MAKE IT AND WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM, THEN WE CAN'T HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION, IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT OR ARE THERE ANOTHER, I I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M NOT MISINTERPRETING ANYTHING SO THAT WE HAVE A CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT OPTIONS ARE ON THE TABLE BEFORE THE, THE, THE BODY DECIDES ON, ON, ON HOW WE'RE GONNA DO IT.UH, BRADY FLANNERY, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
SO IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR CORRECT, YOUR QUESTION CORRECTLY, SO, UM, UNDER THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, UM, THERE IS AN OPTION TO ATTEND VIRTUALLY.
SO I, I DON'T AT THIS POINT HAVE THE ANSWER.
IF WE CAN REQUIRE PEOPLE TO ATTEND IN PERSON AND DO NOT PERMIT THEM TO, TO ATTEND VIRTUALLY, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING, IS THAT, THAT WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING TO REQUIRE PEOPLE TO COME IN PERSON? WELL, I WANTED TO BE SURE WE UNDERSTOOD, UM, WHAT OUR OPTIONS WERE, RIGHT.
BE BECAUSE I, I, I DON'T WANT US TO REQUIRE FOLKS TO COME IN PERSON IF EVERYONE CAN'T ATTEND IN PERSON.
BECAUSE IF THAT'S THE CASE AND WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM, THEN WE CAN'T HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO IF THERE IS A WAY FOR US TO, UH, HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND HAVE FOLKS STILL ATTEND, HAVE A QUORUM, GET THE INFORMATION WE NEED, SUBJECT TO, UH, THE, THE, THE ETHICS FRAMEWORK THAT'S IN PLACE.
UH, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S, WE WE HAVE TO DO ONE OR THE OTHER.
IF, IF WE DON'T WANT TO RUN THE ADDITIONAL RISK OF BEING ACCUSED OF, OF SOMETHING BY SOMEBODY, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE RISKS ARE ALWAYS GONNA EXIST.
UM, THEN THE ONLY OTHER OPTION TO, TO ELIMINATE THAT IS TO, TO DO IT IN PERSON.
IF, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT FROM AN ELECTRONIC STANDPOINT.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD SUBMIT THAT YOU COULD PERHAPS HAVE THAT SAME THING HAPPEN IF YOU'RE IN PERSON AND THEN SOMEBODY SHARED.
YOU KNOW, THAT INFORMATION, SOMEBODY COULD STILL MAKE THAT ACCUSATION OF YOU.
THE RI THE RISK EXISTS NO MATTER THE MEDIUM OF THE MEETING.
I, I, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY SO.
I THINK THAT IT'S JUST THE FACT THAT, UH, 12 A, THE ETHICS CODE APPLIES TO ALL MEMBERS, EVERY INDIVIDUAL, MYSELF INCLUDED EVERYONE AT ALL TIMES.
UM, SO I THINK THAT THAT'S KIND OF THE MAIN TAKEAWAY IS THAT 12 A WOULD APPLY NO MATTER WHAT, NO MATTER THE SITUATION, NO MATTER THE MEDIUM OF THE FORMAT, THE MEDIUM OF THE MEETING.
SO I THINK THE, THEN THE REAL QUESTION BECOMES AT THIS POINT IS, UH, WHICH OPTION WILL ALLOW US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A QUORUM TO, TO HOLD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION? RIGHT.
ESSENTIALLY IS, IS THE QUESTION.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS, UH, ANY COMMENTS OR, OR, OR FEEDBACK OR SUGGESTIONS OR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT DIRECTOR WILLIAMS OR, OR MR. FLANNERY OR MS. WILLIAMS HAVE LAID OUT? I THINK, I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT WE'VE LANDED ON THE FACT THAT WE WANNA HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE QUESTION NOW IS, UH, IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO DO IT VIRTUALLY, UM, IS THAT WHAT WE WANNA DO OR DO WE WANNA REQUIRE EVERYBODY BE IN PERSON? I THINK IS THE CENTRAL QUESTION.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY THOUGHTS? UH, EITHER WAY ON THAT? UH, UH, THIS IS TRENT, DISTRICT 12.
I I THINK WE NEED TO WAIT FOR THIS, THE, THE ATTORNEY TO COME BACK TO SEE FOR SURE IF WE CAN DO IT VIRTUALLY, IF WE CAN DO IT VIRTUALLY.
I JUST, I MEAN, IF, IF NOT EVERYBODY CAN COME DOWN, WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE BUT TO DO IT VIRTUALLY, WE ALL FALL UNDER THE ETHICS, ETHICS CODE, SO THAT THAT SHOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE.
MR. HUGHES, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, SUGGESTIONS FROM ANYONE? DOES THE MEETING NECESSARILY HAVE TO TAKE PLACE DURING THE DAYS OF THE WEEK? LIKE IT COULD IT TAKE PLACE ON THE WEEKEND? THEORETICALLY, IT COULD.
UM, I THINK IT'S A QUESTION OF CONVENIENCE FOR EVERYBODY IS, IS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, WOULD A CITY ATTORNEY BE AVAILABLE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT WAS ON A WEEKEND? I, I THINK THAT'S, WE WE WOULD, YES, OF COURSE WOULD, WOULD DO NOTICE.
BUT I I, I'D LIKE TO REITERATE THAT TYPICALLY EXECUTIVE SESSIONS ARE HELD WHEN THERE'S AN OPEN, UM, WHEN THERE'S A PUBLIC MEETING, THERE'S AN AGENDA THAT'S BEEN POSTED.
YOU CAN GO ON, YOU CAN FIND THE AGENDA FOR TODAY.
BUT IF WE WANNA INCLUDE SOMETHING IN THERE AND HAVE EVERYONE PREPARED SOMEONE TO COME IN TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THESE ITEMS, THESE QUESTIONS THAT WOULD, WOULD MAKE TO ME MAKE MOST SENSE TO DO THAT THE TYPICAL WAY, WHICH WOULD BE ALONGSIDE OF REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING MS. KUBO, THAT EXPLANATION MAKES SENSE.
JUST TO RECAP WHAT I THOUGHT MR. FLANNERY SAID, HE SAID TYPICALLY THESE ARE, ARE HELD AS AN EXTENSION OR CONCURRENT WITH, WITH AN EXISTING MEETING, UH, AS OPPOSED TO STANDALONE MEETINGS.
ALTHOUGH TECHNICALLY YOU, YOU COULD HAVE A STANDALONE MEETING, BUT
[01:35:01]
THESE ARE TYPICALLY, UM, ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS JUST SHUTTING OFF THE, THE RECORDING FOR THE EXECUTIVE SESSION PORTION, RIGHT.UM, YOU KNOW, I'M PRETTY FLEXIBLE.
I I'M REALLY HOPING THAT WE HAVE THE OPTION TO ATTEND IN PERSON OR TO CALL IN, UM, BECAUSE I REALLY BELIEVE THAT IN THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION, EVEN IF I ONLY JUST HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, I'LL PROBABLY LAND ON A GOOD RECOMMENDATION.
SO, YOU KNOW, I I, I'M, I'M PRETTY FLEXIBLE.
I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE.
'CAUSE I KNOW GETTING A A A QUORUM IS GONNA BE SORT OF DIFFICULT GIVEN HOW BUSY PEOPLE ARE AND WE'RE ALREADY IN THE HOLIDAYS AND, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S TOUGH.
AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, IF IN FACT WE CAN HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT ALLOWS FOLKS TO ATTEND ONLINE, IT WILL BE AT THE NEXT MEETING IN JANUARY.
IT IT WILL BE FOR OUR JANUARY MEETING.
IT WON'T BE SOMETIME BETWEEN THE HOLIDAYS OR, OR IN BETWEEN.
JUST, JUST TO, JUST TO BE CLEAR.
UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UH, FEEDBACK SUGGESTIONS? OKAY.
SO, UH, I BELIEVE NEXT STEPS IS, IS MR. FLANNERY WILL CHECK TO, TO CONFIRM WHETHER OR NOT YES, I'LL, UH, IT'S POSSIBLE TO, TO, IS THAT CORRECT? I WILL CHECK, YES.
UH, AND THEN MS. REGINA, I GUESS YOU'LL LET EVERYBODY KNOW ONCE WE HAVE SOME CLARITY ON THAT.
AND IF IN FACT, UH, WE CAN DO IT AND PEOPLE CAN BE ONLINE, IS IS THAT THE WILL OF THE BODY? IS, IS THAT WHAT EVERYBODY, IS THERE ANY, IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED TO THAT? OKAY.
SO, ASSUMING WE CAN DO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND HAVE FOLKS ATTEND ONLINE, UH, WE WILL SCHEDULE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, AT, FOR OUR NEXT MEETING AS AN EXTENSION OF OUR NEXT MEETING TO DISCUSS THESE ITEMS. OKAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYBODY.
UH, NEXT AGENDA ITEM, UH, LET'S WRAP THIS UP.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX, DISCUSS NOTE FOR 24 RELEASE DATES, UH, AND THE OUTREACH STRATEGIES.
I THINK YOU GUYS TOUCHED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT ALREADY, BUT, UH, IF YOU WANNA JUST KIND OF RECAP, UH, WHAT SOME OF THE OUTREACH STRATEGIES ARE.
I KNOW A LOT OF THE BOARD MEMBERS HAD MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, US KIND OF GETTING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND, AND GETTING BETTER APPLICANTS, MORE QUALIFIED APPLICANTS, ET CETERA.
SO I'LL LET YOU GUYS SPEAK TO KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE, UM, POSSIBLE NO, FOR RELEASE DATES.
I DIDN'T PUT ANY DATES BECAUSE AGAIN, I WANTED YOU GUYS TO DECIDE WHAT THOSE DATES WOULD BE.
AND, UM, ANTHONY BARWICK WILL TALK ABOUT OUTREACH STRATEGIES FOR SMALL BUSINESS CENTER IN THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK OPPORTUNITY FUND.
BUT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE DATES FIRST.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY PREFERENCES ON, IS THERE ANY PREFERENCES FOR THE BOARD? UM, OR FROM THE BOARD? EXCUSE ME.
UM, I KNOW DIRECTOR WILLIAMS, DO YOU HAVE SOME FEEDBACK? YEAH.
I HAVE SOME FEEDBACK BASED ON THE, UH, PAST CONVERSATIONS THAT THE BOARD HAS HAD WITH THE STAFF ABOUT ENSURING THAT THE NOFA IS OUT FOR 60 DAYS.
UM, PRIOR TO, FOR PREPARATION OF THE APPLYING FOR THE GRANT FOR INFORMATION SERVICES, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ALREADY ASKED TO, UH, WANT TO BE A PART OF THE STRATEGY OF OUTREACH OF BEING OUT, OUT, OUT THERE.
SO I WANT YOU TO KEEP IN MIND IF YOU WANT THE APPLICATION TO BE OUT FOR 60 DAYS FOR THE APPLICATION PROCESS, AND AS PART OF THOSE SESSIONS, UH, THAT EITHER IS EMBEDDED IN THAT 60 DAYS OR IS GONNA BE BEFORE THOSE 60 DAYS TO ENSURE THAT IF WE GET APPLICANTS AND THEY DO NOT GET ALL OF THE FUNDING, THEN WE HAVE TO GO OUT AGAIN.
WHAT I DON'T WANT TO DO IS THAT WE GO SO FAR DOWN IN THE YEAR THAT WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO RE ADVERTISE OR REPOST FOR THE SECOND ROUND TO GET THE OTHER.
NOW MY HOPE IS THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO SPEND THE $200,000 IN THE FIRST ROUND, BUT KEEPING IN MIND YOU WANT SIX, YOU HAVE ASKED US IN THE PAST THAT 30 DAYS WAS TOO SHORT OF A TURNAROUND PERIOD.
SO KEEPING IN MIND IF THE RELEASE THIS, SAY AN EXAMPLE, IF YOU DECIDED THAT THE RELEASE DATE WAS GOING TO BE FOR THE APPLICATIONS IN MARCH, THAT MEANS THEY HAVE JANUARY AND FEBRUARY TO GET PREPARED FOR SUBMISSION OF THE APPLICATION.
SO RELEASING THAT APPLICATION IN MARCH, UH, THAT MEANS THAT THEY HAVE, WE HAVE SESSIONS IN JANUARY, WE HAVE SESSIONS IN FEBRUARY, BUT THEN THEY HAVE 60 DAYS AFTER THAT TO APPLY.
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SO THAT'S THEN MAY, SO YOU, SO WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT CALENDAR, YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THOSE 60 DAYS LOOK LIKE.THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING YOU TO DO.
BECAUSE THEN THAT'S, THAT'S WAY DOWN THE LINE.
THAT MEANS WE DON'T GET APPLICATIONS, WE'RE NOT REVIEWING APPLICATION FOR FIRST ROUND OR TO MAY, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY CONCERN WHEN.