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[Environmental Commission on April 10, 2024.]
EVENING EVERYONE.TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10TH, AND THE TIME IS NOW 5:43 PM I'M CHAIRWOMAN KATHERINE BAAN, AND I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE DALLAS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO ORDER.
WE WELCOME YOUR PARTICIPATION IN OUR MEETINGS, IN THE LANGUAGE OF YOUR PREFERENCE.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST TRANSLATION OR OTHER ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES, PLEASE CALL 4 6 9 9 3 4 7 3 8 2 2 DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING, AND OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING WILL BE MAY 8TH AT 5:30 PM LET US BEGIN WITH OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS THIS EVENING.
UH, HAPPY EARTH MONTH TO EVERYONE.
THE COMMISSION WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN A NUMBER OF EARTH DAY EVENTS, INCLUDING THE SATURDAY AT, UH, JOBY EARTH DAY.
THAT'S THE 13TH AT 10:00 AM WE ALSO HAVE OAK CLIFF EARTH DAY, WHICH WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY PARTICIPATED IN.
THAT'LL BE AT 12:00 PM ON SUNDAY, UH, APRIL 21ST.
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES THAT WE MAY BE PARTICIPATING IN, INCLUDING PANEL DISCUSSIONS.
WE WILL KEEP THE COMMISSION APPRISED OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT.
UH, IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY, PLEASE RSVP TO ATTEND THE SATURDAY APRIL 20TH BOARDS AND COMMISSION APPRECIATION LUNCHEON.
THAT WILL BE AT THE SHERATON HOTEL, UH, FROM 1130 TO 1:30 PM AND, UH, ONSITE PARKING WILL BE AVAILABLE WITH PARKING VALIDATION.
AND ALL BOARDING COMMISSION MEMBERS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A PROFESSIONAL, UM, HEADSHOT PHOTO TAKEN FOR THE BOARD AND COMMISSIONS WEBSITE.
SO WE ARE JUST A LITTLE BIT BEHIND.
LET'S JUST JUMP RIGHT INTO OUR ROLL CALL THIS EVENING.
WE'RE GONNA START WITH DISTRICT ONE, DISTRICT TWO, MARK WOOTEN.
DISTRICT 11, COL MURRAY, DISTRICT 12, BARRY LACKMAN, DISTRICT 14.
MS. THOMPSON WILL NOT BE PRESENT.
LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, WE'LL START WITH MS. REAGAN.
MR. VE PRESENT? DR. STEWART? PRESENT.
WE'RE GONNA CHECK OUR, UM, PENDING PARTICIPANTS TO SEE IF ANY OF OUR MEMBERS ARE HANGING OUT IN THE WAITING ROOM.
AND SO WE'LL UPDATE THE, UM, IS SHE ON, YOU SEE? NO.
SHOULD RECHECK THAT SHE ATTENDANCE.
UH, WILL YOU MOVE MS. EVANS OVER TO PANELISTS, PLEASE? THANK YOU.
MEMBERS, JUST A REMINDER THAT IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE, VIRTUALLY ONLY TO HAVE YOUR CAMERA ON FOR THE DURATION OF THE MEETING.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY REGISTERED SPEAKERS THIS EVENING, SO LET'S MOVE RIGHT INTO OUR NEXT ITEM.
UH, WE DON'T UNFORTUNATELY HAVE OUR MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 6TH COMMISSION MEETING, SO I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO
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DEFER THIS VOTE TO APPROVE, UH, THOSE MINUTES AT OUR NEXT COMMISSION MEETING.LET US MOVE RIGHT INTO OUR FIRST BRIEFING ITEM.
OUR FIRST ITEM IS A LANDSCAPE TRANSITION, LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT TRANSITION PLAN WITH, UH, MR. WHITE, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE, UH, OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.
MR. WHITE, GO AHEAD WHEN YOU'RE READY.
UM, GOOD EVENING ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONERS AND OUR ONLINE AUDIENCE.
UM, I'M PAUL WHITE, II ASSISTANT DIRECTOR HERE AT OEQS, AND I'M HERE WITH DIRECTOR EVANS, UH, TO MY LEFT AND FREDDY ORTIZ TOMORROW.
UH, TODAY WE'RE GOING TO BRIEF YOU ABOUT OUR LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT TRANSITION PROGRAM.
UH, FREDDY ORTIZ IS THE SENIOR COORDINATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING THE PROGRAM, SO HE'LL BE PROVIDING THE MAJORITY OF THE PRESENTATION TODAY.
OUR NEXT SLIDE, HERE'S A PRESENTATION OVERVIEW WHERE WE'LL COVER THE BACKGROUND OF THE LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT TRANSITION PROGRAM, INCLUDING THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS AND TIMELINE MOVING FORWARD.
THE PURPOSE OF THE LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT TRANSITION PROGRAM IS TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS BY REPLACING GASOLINE POWERED LANDSCAPE SCAPE EQUIPMENT WITH ELECTRIC ALTERNATIVES.
THIS PROGRAM ALSO ALIGNS WITH THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO REDUCE OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT WHEN COMPARED TO ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT.
THE GASOLINE POWERED EQUIPMENT EMITS HIGHER LEVELS OF POLLUTANTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO AIR QUALITY ISSUES, SUCH AS PARTICULAR MATTER AND GREENHOUSE GASES.
SO, TRANSITIONING TO ELECTRIC ALTERNATIVES BENEFITS THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY BY REDUCING EMISSIONS THAT COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO RESPIRATORY ISSUES.
ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT ALSO OPERATES MORE QUIETLY REDUCING NOISE POLLUTION IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
THIS IS A BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE LET PROGRAM.
IN 2021, THE EMVS CHAIR, OR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE CHAIR REQUESTED POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM STAFF CONCERNING GAS POWERED LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT.
IN 2022, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION PROVIDED FORMAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE AND REQUESTED AN LET PLAN IN 2023.
SENATE BILL 10 17 WAS SIGNED IN THE LAW BY GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT, GREG ABBOTT, ESSENTIALLY BLOCKING AUTHORITIES FROM BANNING THE USE OF FUEL POWERED EQUIPMENT.
LATER IN THE YEAR, COUNCIL APPROVED A $750,000 REBATE PROGRAM TO HELP RESIDENTS TO TRANSITION TO ELECTRIC LANDSCAPING EQUIPMENT.
AND TODAY WE'RE DISCUSSING OUR LET PLAN AND STEPS MOVING FORWARD.
ALRIGHT, LET PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO, ON THE FOLLOWING SLIDES, I'LL GO OVER THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LET INCENTIVE PROGRAM DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS, AND THE NEXT STEPS OF THE LET PROGRAM DEVELOPED BY MODERN GEOSCIENCES.
UH, TO UPDATE, UH, THE COMMISSION, THIS IS A LIST OF WORK CONDUCTED TO DEVELOP THE DESIGN OF THE LET PLAN.
WE REACHED OUT TO THE CORPORATE OFFICES OF THE MAJOR HOME IMPROVEMENT STORES IN DALLAS TO LEARN HOW THEY HAVE PARTNERED WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ON INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, WE STARTED DISCUSSIONS WITH 3 1 1 ON THE POSSIBILITY OF UTILIZING SALESFORCE TO CREATE AN ONLINE LET APPLICATION FOR RESIDENTS TO FILL OUT AND, AND HOW WE COULD PARTNER WITH CITY HALL ON THE GO TO PROMOTE THE LET INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE ALSO TALKED TO OTHER CITIES FOR LESSONS LEARNED ON THEIR PROGRAMS AND THE SPRING MODERN GEOSCIENCES SUBMITTED THE FINAL DRAFT AT LLET PLAN TO OEQS FOR REVIEW.
AND OEQS IS IN THE PROCESS OF DRAFTING A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TO SEEK RETAILER RETAILERS OF ELECTRIC LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY.
AS PART OF CREATING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM DESIGN, MODERN GEOSCIENCES MADE SOME COST ANALYSIS.
UH, THIS TABLE SHOWS THE RECOMMENDED REBATE AMOUNT FOR THE COMMON TYPE OF LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT IN DALLAS, AND THE ESTIMATED TOTAL COST OF AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO TOTALLY CONVERT TO ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE ESTIMATED COST IS $24 MILLION.
UH, WE'VE BEEN GRANTED $750,000 FOR OUR PROGRAM BASED ON REVIEW OF EXISTING INCENTIVE PROGRAMS AND
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DISCUSSIONS WITH RETAILERS.THERE ARE SEVERAL OPTIONS RECOMMENDED IN THIS PLAN TO SEE THE MAXIMUM IMPACT FOR ANY INCENTIVE OFFERED.
SO, FIRST ONE POINT OF SALE DISCOUNT EQUIPMENT IN THE STORE AND ONLINE WILL BE DISCOUNTED THE AMOUNT OF THE REBATE ALLOTMENT.
THIS METHOD IS THE EASIEST FOR THE CONSUMER.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT A GAS MOWER FOR $300 AND THE EQUIPMENT ELECTRIC MOWER FOR $400, YOU KNOW RIGHT AWAY THAT THE ELECTRIC MOWER WILL BE $300 AT CHECKOUT.
THE NEXT TWO OPTIONS ARE MODELED AFTER THE NEW THRONE FOR YOUR HOME PROGRAM.
SO, VOUCHERS, A VOUCHER WOULD BE PROVIDED TO EACH HOUSEHOLD WITH A DALLAS WATER UTILITIES ACCOUNT, AND THEN MAIL IN REBATE.
THE CITY COULD PROVIDE A REBATE FORM TO BE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED WITH PROOF OF PURCHASE.
THE CITY COULD THEN ISSUE A REBATE AMOUNT AS A CREDIT TO THE RESIDENT'S WATER BILL.
THE PLAN ALSO STATES THAT IN AN EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT GAS POWERED LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT ARE TAKEN OUT OF USE, THE CITY MAY CHOOSE TO REQUIRE THAT THE GAS EQUIPMENT BE SURRENDERED PRIOR TO RECEIVING A REBATE.
THIS MAY LIMIT THE IMPLEMENTATION AND PRESENT AN OBSTACLE FOR SOME RESIDENTS TO RECEIVE THE REBATES.
SO THE CITY MAY DECIDE THAT HOR RENDER OF GAS POWERED ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT IS NOT REQUIRED, BUT COULD CONSIDER OFFERING IN AN ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT FOR SURRENDER EQUIPMENT IN AN EFFORT TO ENCOURAGE PROPER DISPOSAL.
SO THE THREE OPTIONS, AGAIN, POINT OF SELF DISCOUNT VOUCHERS AND MAIL-IN REBATE.
THIS TABLE SHOWS THE RANGE OF PRICES FOR VARIOUS LONG CARE EQUIPMENT IN BOTH GAS POWERED AND ELECTRIC POWERED VERSIONS.
UH, TAKING ACCOUNT THE RECOMMENDED REBATE AMOUNT IN THE PREVIOUS TABLE, THE PRICE OF THE ELECTRIC VERSIONS OF LEAF BLOWERS, STRING TRIMMERS AND PUSH MOWERS, UH, BECOME CHEAPER.
THE SAME OR VERY COMPETITIVE COMPARED TO THE GAS POWERED VERSIONS.
WHEN YOU GRAPH THE INITIAL COST OF A GAS POWERED MOWER, PLUS ALL THE ANNUAL COST OF FUEL AND MAINTENANCE, VERSUS THE INITIAL HIGHER COST OF A BATTERY POWERED MOWER THAT ACTUALLY HAS NO GAS OR MAINTENANCE COST OVER TIME, UH, THIS TABLE ON THE SCREEN SHOWS THE BREAKEVEN POINT IN YEARS AND THE MONEY SAVED OVER FIVE YEARS OF OPERATION.
ONCE YOU ADD A REBATE, UH, COSTS THE TIME TO BREAK EVEN SHRINKS AND THE SAVINGS INCREASE.
THE LET PLAN INCLUDES SEVERAL SUPPORTING ACTIONS AND STRATEGIES THE CITY CAN CONSIDER TO EFFECTIVELY INCREASE PARTICIPATION IN THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM AND BOLSTER SUCCESS SO THAT MORE RESIDENTS WILL CHOOSE ELECTRIC POWERED LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT.
KEY AMONGST THESE IS A COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN THAT CAN INFORM RESIDENTS ABOUT THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WE CAN ATTEND COMMUNITY EVENTS WITH PROGRAM INFORMATION ASSIST RESIDENTS WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS AT COMMUNITY EVENTS OR OVER THE PHONE.
WE'D HAVE DEMONSTRATION EVENTS WHERE RESIDENTS CAN SEE AND TEST OUT ELECTRIC LAWN CARE EQUIPMENT.
AND OF COURSE, ENSURE THAT PROGRAM MATERIALS AND OUTREACH EFFORTS ARE AVAILABLE IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES TO REACH OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES.
LET PROGRAM PLANS SUGGEST SEVERAL WAYS TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE LET INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
IN ADDITION TO IN-PERSON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THEY INCLUDE UTILIZING EMAIL CAMPAIGNS, QUAD BILL INSERTS, PRESS RELEASES, PUTTING PROGRAM DETAILS AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS ON O EQ S'S WEBPAGE ON DALLAS CD.COM AND ON GREEN DALLAS.NET, WE HAVE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE MADE THE SWITCH TO ELECTRIC LAWN CARE EQUIPMENT, UH, SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES.
AND WE CAN ALSO SEEK ENDORSEMENT AND SUPPORT FROM COMMUNITY LEADERS, INFLUENCERS, AND LOCAL CELEBRITIES WHO CAN ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.
ALRIGHT, POTENTIAL MILESTONES.
SO THE REPORT SUGGESTS ESTABLISHING GOALS AND MILESTONES TO TRACK THE PROGRESS AND SUCCESS OF THE LET PROGRAM.
SUGGESTIONS INCLUDE MEASURING PARTICIPATION RATE BY COMPARING THE NUMBER OF REBATE APPLICANTS, UH, TO THE NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS.
UH, THIS METRIC CAN HELP ASSIST PUBLIC INTEREST AND PROGRAM OUTREACH.
WE CAN TRACK AND PERIODICALLY REPORT THE NUMBER OF ELECTRIC LAWNMOWERS, STRING CHIPPERS, AND LEAF BLOWERS PURCHASED.
USING THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM, WE CAN CALCULATE AND REPORT ON EMISSION REDUCTIONS ACHIEVED THROUGH REPLACEMENT OF GAS POWERED EQUIPMENT WITH ELECTRIC VERSIONS.
AND WE CAN ALSO HIGHLIGHT THE FINANCIAL BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM FOR RESIDENTS.
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AND WE CAN GATHER FEEDBACK FROM PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS TO ASSESS THEIR SATISFACTION WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS, REBATE AMOUNT, EQUIPMENT, RELIABILITY, AND OVERALL EXPERIENCE.THIS WILL HELP IDENTIFY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT TO THE PROGRAM SO WE CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO ENSURE A POSITIVE PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE.
UH, WE ARE TALKING TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THEIR PROCESS OF TRANSITIONING TO 100% OF THEIR LONG HAIR EQUIPMENT TO ELECTRIC POWER, UH, BY 2 20 27.
ARCS, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT OF ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENTS AND HAS TRANSITIONED 5% OF THEIR EQUIPMENT TO ELECTRIC.
THEY'RE EXPECTING 10% TRANSITION BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGES CHALLENG TWO TRANSITIONS ARE BUDGET LOST AND THE NEED, UH, FOR INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES TO INCREASE ELECTRICAL CAPACITY TO POWER ALL THE BATTERY CHARGERS NEEDED.
UH, THE LET PLAN CONCLUDES WITH SUGGESTIONS TO CONSIDER AS THE PROGRAM EVOLVES AND MATURES.
SO, LANDSCAPE BUSINESS IMPACTS TECHNOLOGY READINESS AND EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS.
UH, FOR BACKGROUND, ACCORDING TO THE NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM DATABASE, THERE ARE OVER 2100 REGISTERED LANDSCAPING BUSINESSES IN DALLAS AND SURROUNDING AREAS.
INCENTIVIZING PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPING BUSINESSES TO ADOPT ELECTRIC LAWN CARE EQUIPMENT COULD MAKE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO AIR QUALITY.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, LANDSCAPE WORKERS ARE AT A SIGNIFICANT HIGHER RISK FOR EXPOSURE TO HEALTH HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH GAS POWERED LAWN EQUIPMENT.
ALL RIGHT, UH, LET'S TALK ABOUT TECHNOLOGY READINESS.
SO THE LET PROGRAM SHOULD SEEK TO REMAIN CURRENT TWO CHANGES IN THE MARKET AS TECHNOLOGY CHANGES TO MEET SERVICE NEEDS OF THE USER.
AND, UH, EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS.
ACCORDING TO THE UNITED STATES HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE SHARE OF LATINO EMPLOYMENT AND THE LANDSCAPING INDUSTRY, IT'S APPROXIMATELY 2.6 TIMES HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
ADDITIONALLY, LATINOS REPRESENT OVER 16% OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE INDUSTRY MAKING LAST LANDSCAPE SERVICES A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, THE INITIAL EXPENSE OF ACQUIRING, UH, ELECTRIC LAND CARE, SORRY, ELECTRIC LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT, UH, MAY ALSO LEAD TO HIGHER SERVICE COSTS, DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTING SENIORS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THAT ARE ON A FIXED INCOME BUT RELY ON LANDSCAPING SERVICES.
SO OUR NEXT STEP IS TO PRESENT TO THE PTE COMMITTEE IN MAY, UH, SEEK FORMAL COUNCIL ADOPTION IN JUNE.
THE NEXT GOAL MAY BE A LITTLE AMBITIOUS, BUT WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS RELEASING THE RFP SEEKING PARTNERSHIP WITH RETAIL PARTNERS BY THE END OF JUNE.
OTHER STEPS INCLUDE SELECTING VENDORS FOR THE PROGRAM, FINALIZING THE APPLICATION PROCESS, AND IMPLEMENTING THE OUTREACH PROGRAM.
UM, COMMISSIONER RE I ONLY HAVE, UH, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT REBATE AND VOUCHER, UH, PROGRAMS. HOW, UH, HOW CAN THE RESIDENTS, IF I WAS TO TELL A RESIDENT, HOW CAN, UH, COULD YOU GIMME THAT INFORMATION TO TELL 'EM ABOUT THE VOUCHER AND REBATE PROGRAM? OR COULD YOU JUST TELL ME ABOUT IT? LIKE WHAT DOES THE, THE VOUCHER REBATE CONSIST OF? OKAY.
WE'RE STILL KIND OF WORKING THAT OUT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ENVISIONED THAT THE VOUCHER WOULD BE SOMETHING WHERE, UH, A RESIDENT WOULD APPLY MM-HMM.
UM, AND WE'RE ALSO KIND OF THINKING OF KIND OF A COMBINATION OF BOTH WHERE, UH, WE'VE TALKED TO SOME RETAILERS WHERE THEY CAN, AFTER THEY SUBMIT, SO THE RESIDENT WOULD SUBMIT AN APPLICATION, WE WOULD APPROVE IT, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND THEN THEY CAN TAKE THAT TO, UH, THE RETAILER AND THEY CAN USE THAT TO AUTOMATICALLY TOWARDS THE NO REDUCE YEAH, THE COST OF THE PRICE AT THAT POINT OF SALE.
BECAUSE I WAS JUST SAYING, I GOT A LOT OF GAS, UH, EQUIPMENT NINE ONE.
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SO IF, IF YOU GIMME A REBATE, I CAN KIND OF CONVINCE MY HUSBAND, LIKE IF YOU, WE, WE USED TO HAVE BETTER OPERATED EQUIPMENT, BUT HE SWITCHED BACK OVER TO GAS BECAUSE THE CHARGING OF THE EQUIP BATTERIES, LIKE HE'LL HAVE TO CHARGE 'EM UP THE DAY, LIKE, JUST SAY HE CUT THE YARD SATURDAY, SO WEDNESDAY HE GONNA PUT ALL THE BATTERIES ON THE CHARGER AND MAKE SURE THEY DON'T CHARGE FOR SATURDAY.SO THAT'S THE KIND OF THE DEFERRED HIM FROM USING.
SO WE DO HAVE BOTH, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S THE ISSUE WITH SOME IN MY HOUSEHOLD, THAT'S THE ISSUE, THE CHARGING.
BUT THANKS FOR THE, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT THE REBATE.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY, IS THERE ANY THOUGHT TO MAYBE STARTING WITH ONE OR TWO PIECES OF EQUIPMENT? I, YEAH, UH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WE HAVEN'T REALLY NARROWED IT DOWN TO JUST ONE OR TWO PIECES AT THE MOMENT TO JUST LEAF BLOWERS
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE, WE ARE EVALUATING EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW.
ANYTHING THAT'S GAS POWERED THAT YOU, THAT YOU USE ON YOUR LAWN, UH, WE'RE EVALUATING IT ALL AND CONSIDERING EVERYTHING.
UH, I THINK, UH, I THINK AS FAR AS COST BENEFIT, I THINK IT RIGHT NOW WE'RE OUR CURRENT PROCESS OR THOUGHT PROCESSES, IT MAKES SENSE TO CAST A BROADER NET.
UM, BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THESE, UH, BOX STORES, IT SHOULD BE, THERE SHOULDN'T BE TOO MANY, UH, COSTS IN EXPANDING THAT BROADER NET OR EXPANDING THAT NET AS OPPOSED TO FOCUSING ON ONE SINGLE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
UM, THAT, AND THE CITY COUNCIL IS ALSO TRYING TO TRANSITION OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO THE LONGER WE WAIT TO EXPAND OUR NET, THE LONGER IT'S GONNA TAKE TO TRANSITION OUT THE EQUIPMENT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
LACKMAN, BUT IF WE COULD MAKE, UH, WE COULD CLOSE THE PRESENTATION SO THAT I CAN SEE WHOSE HANDS ARE RAISED VIRTUALLY, AND THEN IF WE CAN MAKE MS BE A PANELIST, WE'LL GO TO, UM, DR.
UM, SO, UM, I HAVE SERIOUS QUESTIONS.
FIRST ONE IS, HAVE WE, UM, I KNOW THAT YOU COMMENTED THAT YOU DID SOME RESEARCH.
UM, WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE HAD SUCCESS? DO WE HAVE OTHER ONES WHICH HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS? OR ARE WE OUT IN FRONT ON IT? I THINK CURRENTLY, UH, THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM HASN'T AS A PROGRAM, AND I BELIEVE AUSTIN HAS JUST STARTED THEIR PROGRAM
SO I THINK WE'RE KIND OF ALL IN AS FAR AS STATE OF TEXAS, ALL KIND OF IN THE SAME, UH, UM, THE, THE SECOND THING THAT I LOOKED AT WAS THAT, UM, THE FACT THAT PARKS IS ONLY GOING TO GO TO FROM FIVE TO 10%, UM, BECAUSE OF BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS, UM, I MUST SAY THAT IT PAINS ME, AND I'M WONDERING WHETHER PART OF OUR PLAN SHOULD BE TO SEEK OTHER REVENUE SOURCES TO HELP PARKS ACCELERATE THAT PROCESS.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE THIRD THING IS JUST, UH, A, A COMMENT, UH, UH, FOLLOWING UP ON THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS IS, I KNOW WHEN I HAVE MENTIONED THIS TO PEOPLE, PEOPLE THAT I KNOW, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR PUBLIC SUPPORT, THAT'S RINGING LEAF BLOWERS, BECAUSE THE, I, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DISCOVERED IN LOOKING AT THE PROCESS IS THE NOISE LEVELS FROM A GASOLINE POWERED LEAF BLOWER ABOUT EQUIVALENT TO A HEAVY METAL CONCERT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF MY NEIGHBORS COMMENTED OF WAKING UP AT SEVEN 30 IN THE MORNING TO THEIR LANDSCAPER WITH A GASOLINE POWERED LEAF BLOWER.
AND THEN FINALLY, ANOTHER SUGGESTION THAT YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, ALLOWING THOSE WHO HAVE TRANSITIONED, PARTICULARLY WITH THE LANDSCAPERS TO GET A GREEN STAMP OF APPROVAL, BECAUSE I, RIGHT NOW, MY GARDENER STOPPED SHOWING UP, SO I'M LOOKING FOR A NEW GARDENER, AND IF I HAD SOMEBODY WITH A GREEN STAMP, THAT'S WHO I WOULD PICK.
YEAH, I THINK THOSE ARE GREAT IDEAS.
UM, I, I LIKE THE, I LIKE THE IDEA ABOUT THE AIR POLLUTE, UH, THE, THE REVENUE THAT WE HAVE COMING INTO THE CITY TO HELP, UH, FUND MAYBE SOME OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UM, WITH THIS PROCESS.
AND ALSO THE, UM, THE GREEN PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO WE HAVE A, OF COURSE, WE HAVE A GREEN
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BUSINESS PROGRAM NOW, BUT I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT FROM A LANDSCAPE PERSPECTIVE.AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING UP WITH THIS.
IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, AS HAVING BEEN ON THE SIDE OF WHEN THE HEALTH COMMITTEE CONSIDERED, IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO SEE THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S MOVING ALONG.
IN CASE YOU WERE ASKING, MY PREFERENCE IS THAT WE SURRENDER THE GASOLINE POWERED EQUIPMENT AT REBATE OF DISCLOSURE, WHATEVER YOU DID MENTION PROPER DISPOSAL.
HAD WE, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I HAVE NO IDEA.
HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? UM, SO I, I'M STARTING CONVERSATIONS WITH SANITATION TO SEE POSSIBLY IF THAT, IF THEY'D BE WILLING TO, OR EVEN IF IT'S THE POSSIBILITY OF UTILIZING DATA TRANSFER STATION OR THE TRANSFER STATIONS, UH, AS DROP OFF LOCATIONS, OTHER CITIES HAVE, HAVE UTILIZED TRANSFER STATIONS OR, UH, SERVICE CENTERS AS DROP OFF LOCATIONS.
AND, AND THEN ALSO MAYBE AT, AT RETAIL STORES DURING THE SPECIAL, UH, UH, SURRENDER EVENTS.
WOULD THESE MACHINES BE BROKEN DOWN AND RECYCLED? WOULD THEY BE MELTED? WOULD THEY BE SHIPPED OFF TO SOME OTHER, SORRY,
ALL RIGHT, MS. BE, HI EVERYBODY.
UM, I HAD A LITTLE BIT OF PROBLEM GETTING CONNECTED, SO PARDON ME IF THIS WAS ALREADY EXPLAINED, BUT FOR SOME REASON, I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA START THIS PROGRAM WITH THE LANDSCAPE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY USE LEAF BLOWERS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, AND THEY ARE PROBABLY THE ONES TO BENEFIT THE MOST FROM A HEALTH STANDPOINT, ET CETERA.
EVEN IF WE HAD BIG LANDSCAPE COMPANIES AND HAD TO CAP HOW MUCH REBATE THEY GET, UH, JUST LIKE WE CAP HOW MANY THRONES FOR YOUR HOME YOU CAN GET.
BUT TO ME, THE BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK IS TO DO THE LANDSCAPE PEOPLE FIRST.
BECAUSE AS YOU MENTIONED, WE HAVE LOTS OF HOUSEHOLDS TO COVER.
AND TO ME IT'S THE LANDSCAPE COMPANIES THAT NEED THIS THE MOST TO PROTECT THEIR PEOPLE AND TO MAKE REAL EMISSION REDUCTIONS.
UH, THE SECOND THING, AND AND I'LL JUST ASK MY QUESTIONS AND THEN YOU CAN ANSWER WHY WE'RE NOT DOING LANDSCAPE PEOPLE FIRST.
BUT THE OTHER THING IS, I LOVE BARRY LOCKMAN'S IDEA OF GIVING LANDSCAPE COMPANIES A GREEN STAMP OF APPROVAL LIKE ELECTRIC OR GREEN ELECTRIC CERTIFIED OR SOMETHING IF THEY HAVE X PERCENTAGE OF THEIR OPERATION ELECTRIC.
AND LASTLY, I JUST WANNA MAKE THIS COMMENT TO MY COLLEAGUES.
THE BUDGET SURVEYS ARE STILL OUT THERE, AND THE BUDGET MEETINGS ARE ROLLING UP IN AUGUST.
WE ALL NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE'S OBVIOUSLY NOT ENOUGH MONEY FOR THIS PROGRAM.
AND TIED TO THAT QUESTION, I KNOW COG WAS LOOKING AT THEIR REGIONAL CLIMATE PLAN, AND ONE OF THE THINGS ON THEIR LIST WAS LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT ABOUT REBATES OR WHATEVER.
UM, HAVE YOU TALKED TO THEM ABOUT MONEY AND HOW MUCH HA WHAT KIND OF DISCUSSIONS HAVE THERE BEEN? THANK YOU.
UM, FOR YOUR FIRST QUESTION ABOUT WHY WE CHOSE RESIDENTS BEFORE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, UM, SO WHEN WE PUT OUT A SURVEY, THE RESIDENTS WERE MORE ACTIVE, UH, THAN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
SO WE DECIDED TO SERVE THE RESIDENTS FIRST.
BUT, UM, OUR SECOND PHASE OF THIS PROJECT IS GETTING THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY INVOLVED.
AND, UH, SO WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN SECURE MORE FUNDING FOR THAT.
BUT THAT, THAT IS THE SECOND PHASE OF THIS PROJECT, UH, TO GET THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY INVOLVED.
SECOND QUESTION, I, AS I SAID EARLIER, I AGREE WITH, UH, DR.
LARRY AS WELL, UM, WITH HIS, UH, SUGGESTION ABOUT THE
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GREEN, UH, LANDSCAPE PROGRAM.IT, IT REMINDS ME OF OUR GREEN BUSINESS PROGRAM.
AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, DEFINITELY, I THINK WE'D PROBABLY LIKE TO EXPLORE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, CARLOS, NOW I JUST WANTED TO SECOND THAT, YOU KNOW, SO OUR ORIGINAL INTENT WAS TO, UH, LAUNCH THIS TO COVER INCENTIVES, WELL, TO INCLUDE INCENTIVES FOR BOTH RESIDENTIAL AND BUSINESS COMMUNITIES.
UM, A AS PAUL MENTIONED, UM, RESIDENTS, UH, DID RESPOND TO OUR SURVEY.
RESIDENT RESIDENTS DID RESPOND TO OUR SURVEYS AND SHOWED INTEREST IN THESE REBATE PROGRAMS. UM, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, THEY VOICED A NUMBER OF CONCERNS, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, INCLUDING, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, PERFORMANCE, UH, REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY HAVE, UH, EQUITY CONCERNS THAT THEY HAVE.
UM, AND, AND AS I THINK, UH, EITHER PAUL OR FREDDY POINTED OUT, UM, THOSE CONVERSATIONS WEREN'T NECESSARILY, NOT, NOT EVERYBODY IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY NECESSARILY SUPPORTED THE PLAN, AND WHICH THAT'S, UH, THE RESULT OF THAT WAS SB 10 17, WHICH PROHIBITS US FROM, UH, UH, PROHIBITING, UH, FOSSIL FUEL OR GAS POWERED LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT.
SO IT'S JUST OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW IS NOT, WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE BUILD MOMENTUM WITH THE RESIDENTS FIRST AND THEN EXPAND INTO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
UM, I THINK THERE'S SOME, THERE WILL BE SOME SUPPORT THERE, BUT WE, WE JUST HAVE TO BE A LITTLE MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT HOW WE ENGAGE THE BUSINESSES.
UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, RESOLVE ANY PERFORMANCE AND EQUITY CONCERNS, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, BEFORE WE, UH, UH, INCLUDE THEM IN THE PLAN.
AND THEN WHAT ABOUT CARLOS, THE DISCUSSIONS WITH COG AS THEY DEVELOPED A REGIONAL PLAN? I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW.
THEY HAD AN APRIL 1ST DEADLINE AS THE SECOND DEADLINE.
NO, WE'RE, WE'RE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COG TO SEE IF, IF THEIR PLAN CAN SUPPORT, UH, THE LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT TRANSITION PLAN.
UM, WE'LL, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO KEEP YOU POSTED ON, ON THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
I DON'T KNOW IF FREDDY IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
YEAH, THERE, DURING SOME OF THE, UM, I GUESS INFORMATION SESSIONS ON THAT, THERE, THERE HAS BEEN COMMENTS TO COG ABOUT MAYBE THEY LEAVE THE, THE PROGRAM FOR THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OF LET SINCE MOST OF THE, UH, SOME OF THE LANDSCAPE, YOU KNOW, COMPANIES DON'T NECESSARILY ONLY WORK IN DALLAS, BUT THEY WORK IN OUR SURROUNDING, UH, NEIGHBOR CITIES.
SO I, IT'S PROBABLY, UM, WOULD BE A GOOD AID IDEA FOR A CO TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF A REGIONAL WIDE, UH, PROBLEM.
SOLVE A, A LOT OF OUR, UH, IMPROVE OUR AIR QUALITY, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S A REGION WIDE PROBLEM.
SO, UM, JUST HAVING, MAYBE TALKING WITH COG, UH, SEEING IF THEY CAN HEAD UP A REGIONWIDE, UH, LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT TRANSITION PROGRAM FOR THE, FOR THE REGION WOULD PROBABLY BE BEST.
AND SO ALL THE CITIES COULD COME AND POTENTIALLY PITCH IN MONEY TO THAT PROGRAM.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO MR. HOFFMAN.
MR. MARTIN, MR. MARQUIS, THANK YOU.
UM, APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND PRESENTING THIS AND BRINGING THIS UP.
UM, HAVE WE CONSIDERED POSSIBLY, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH HERE'S A PER, UH, DOING A LIMITED QUICK, UH, ANALYSIS OF A PROJECT LIKE THE ARBORETUM.
ARBORETUM IS KIND OF, COULD BE AN INCUBATOR TO DETERMINE HOW TO TRANSITION.
UH, 'CAUSE THAT'S ALL THEY DO.
IT'S ALL LANDSCAPING EVERY MORNING.
THEY'RE, I LIVE BY THE ARBORETUM AND WE WALK THERE PERIODICALLY.
AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S VERY PEACEFUL EXCEPT FOR THE, UH, LEAF BLOWERS AND, UH, THESE TWO CYCLED MOTORS, UH, GENERATE A TON OF, TON OF DIRTY AIR.
UM, SO MAYBE, MAYBE IT COULD BE, SINCE THE ARBORETUM IS UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, MAYBE WE COULD SAY, HEY FOR, AND THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE SOMETHING THAT THEY LOVE TO RAISE MONEY OVER THERE, AND THEY COULD CERTAINLY GET ON THE BANDWAGON AND TRY AND RAISE MONEY TO, AND, AND ALSO MAYBE THE CITY COULD CONTRIBUTE TO HELP TRANSITIONING THEIR EQUIPMENT TO, UH, BATTERY POWER.
AND THEN IN OBSERVATION OF THAT, I'M NOT TRYING TO LENGTHEN THIS PROCESS, BUT CERTAINLY WHERE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO,
[00:35:01]
UM, MAYBE INFLUENCE SOME CHANGE, UM, HAVING A FACILITY LIKE THE ARBORETUM HAVE GREAT SUCCESS, TRANSITIONING TO BATTERY POWERED EQUIPMENT WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD THING THAT WE COULD TALK ABOUT.UM, MY OTHER QUESTION WOULD BE WITH REGARD TO THE OTHER CITIES, UH, WHAT ARE, ARE WE KIND OF MEASURING THEIR, UM, THEIR, UM, DECISIONS OR USING OR BASING OUR DECISIONS ON THE PERCENTAGES THAT WE, THAT YOU WERE DISCUSSING TOWARDS TRANSITIONING TO ELECTRIC BASED ON WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES ARE DOING? UM, IS THAT, IS THAT, IS THAT, UH, THOSE, THOSE ARE MY TWO MAIN QUESTIONS WOULD BE, CAN WE INFLUENCE WHERE WE'VE GOT SKIN IN THE GAME? LIKE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WHO IS, HAS AN OPERATING AGREEMENT WITH THE NONPROFIT THAT RUNS THE ARBORETUM? AND ALSO, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO CREATE, UH, INCUBATORS ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY TO CHECK THIS OUT? THE ARBORETUM IS 80 ACRES.
IF THEY COULD DO THAT, UH, THEN WE COULD STAIR STEP AND LOOK, WHAT ARE WE GONNA NEED FOR CHARGING STATION, FOR INSTANCE, AT WHITE ROCK LAKE PARK, WHICH IS THOUSANDS OF ACRES.
SO WE, WE JUST NEED TO MAYBE HAVE, LET'S CREATE A STORY AND, AND MAKE A STORY HAPPEN THAT'S POSITIVE AND SHOW HOW THIS CERTAINLY, I MEAN, YOU CAN WALK INTO ANY HOME, UH, HOME, UH, CONSTRUCTION CENTER, HOME DEPOT, OR LOWE'S.
THEY'RE SELLING A LOT OF BATTERY POWERED LAWNMOWERS.
THAT'S THE MAJORITY OF WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SHELF.
IT'S DIFFERENT THOUGH FOR, YOU KNOW, US WEEKEND WARRIORS THAT HAVE A LAWNMOWER THAT THEY RUN ONCE A WEEK.
YOU KNOW,
AND I THINK THE ARBORETUM WOULD BE A PERFECT VENUE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND I'M, THERE'S OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE CITY I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
BUT THAT COULD BE A WAY TO TELL A STORY THAT COULD CREATE THE TRANSITION THAT WE WANNA SEE HAPPEN.
AND AS WE COLLABORATE WITH, UM, WITH PARKS, WE COULD TALK TO THEM ABOUT AND JUST KIND OF SEE WHAT THEIR APPROACH IS.
SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT SOMEWHAT OF A TARGETED APPROACH, LIKE A PILOT PROJECT.
UM, AND THAT'S A GOOD, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
SO I THINK DURING OUR NEXT DISCUSSION WITH PARK DEPARTMENT, WE CAN KIND OF SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY PLANS LIKE THAT AND MAKE SOME SUGGESTIONS.
AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KIND OF HAS BEEN A LITTLE IRRITANT FOR ME IS THE, OUR ARBORETUM, UH, DOES NOT REALLY, UM, DO ANY RAINWATER CAPTURE OR
UH, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ORGANIC OR ANYTHING GOING ON AT THE ARBORETUM.
I'M NOT MEANING TO SLAM THE, I'M NOT PICKING ON THE ARBORETUM, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY PLACE I KNOW.
AND I DON'T SEE SOME OF THE THINGS I THINK WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE REFLECTED HAPPENING IN THE CITY, ACTUALLY, ACTUALLY OCCURRING AT, YOU KNOW, AT A HIGH VISIBILITY PLACE LIKE THE ARBORETUM, SIR.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO MR. MARTIN, MR. MARQUIS, MS. EVANS AND MR. SIEGEL.
HEY, EVERYBODY, THIS IS A GREAT PRESENTATION.
UH, DESPITE OUR STATE LEVEL FOLKS, UH, I'M DELIGHTED WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN HERE.
UM, UH, I, I WILL, I THINK ALAN, GREAT IDEA WITH RESPECT TO ARBORETUM RELATED TO THAT, I WAS GONNA ASK, UM, IS THE CITY UNLIKE MANY OF OTHER THINGS IN SEA CAPITAL WORRYING ABOUT, IS THE CITY THE BIGGEST LANDSCAPER IN TOWN? YOU KNOW, WHEREAS WE DON'T HAVE THE BIGGEST FLEETS, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT THE BIGGEST, YOU KNOW, BUILDING OWNER, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, THAT HAS TO DEAL WITH ALL THOSE THINGS.
SO I'M GONNA GUESS WE'RE THE BIGGEST LANDSCAPER.
SO, LIKE BARRY SAID, I WOULD AGREE WITH FIGURING OUT A WAY WE GOTTA MOVE FASTER WITH THE CITIES, WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DOING THIS AT WHITE ROCK AND EVERYWHERE ELSE.
UM, BECAUSE, UM, THIS IS ONE PLACE WHERE US SETTING AN EXAMPLE REALLY MATTERS AT SCALE, AT AT A CITY LEVEL, UNLIKE A LOT OF OTHER OF OUR ISSUES WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PUBLIC SECTOR IS THE BIG ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
AND THEN QUESTIONS, UH, FOR FREDDY OR PAUL, UM, IS, IS THERE A RETAILER THAT HAS DONE THIS SORT OF COOPERATION ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY THAT WE KNOW? SO THIS IS A, SOMETHING THEY'RE USED TO, THEY'VE DONE IT AND THEY'LL GO, OKAY, CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, DO WE KNOW IF THERE'S A RETAILER ALREADY READY TO DO THIS AND HAS DONE THIS? YES, YES.
WE'VE MET WITH SEVERAL OF THE LARGEST RETAILERS.
I'M NOT SAYING ANY NAME, BUT YOU PROBABLY KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
UM, AND THEY, AND THEY'VE DONE THIS BEFORE AND THEY'VE GIVEN US SEVERAL, UM, STRATEGIES ABOUT HOW TO DO THIS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
[00:40:01]
ONE OTHER QUICK THING IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION ON THIS.IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, I DON'T THINK FREDDY, YOU EXPLICITLY MENTIONED IT, BUT, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT CAN ALSO GET ON THIS, BE AWARE AND ENCOURAGE THEIR MEMBERS, THEIR NEIGHBORS, TO LIKE, HEY EVERYBODY, WE NEED TO DO THIS.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO TO A ROOM AND ASK, HEY, WHO LIKES HEARING A LEAF BLOWER AROUND THEIR HOUSE AT ANY TIME? NOBODY'S HAND GOES UP.
SO, UM, I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD GO, YEAH, GREAT.
AND HEY, YOU'RE GONNA GIMME 50 BUCKS.
SO I HOPE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND THOSE KIND OF GROUPS MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO OUR DISSEMINATING THIS INSTEAD OF JUST THROUGH OTHER MEDIA, IF YOU WILL.
SO JUST A THOUGHT AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I WANT TO ECHO SOME COMMENTS, BUT ALSO FOCUS THOSE COMMENTS.
AND IN THAT, I MEAN, YES, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS SEE GETTING THEIR HOMEOWNERS TO SAY TO THEIR LANDSCAPE COMPANY, WE WANT TO, TO MAKE THIS TRANSITION BECAUSE WE'RE TIRED OF HEARING LEASE BLOWERS, TIME, NOISE, POLLUTION, WE TYPE AIR POLLUTION.
THAT THEN TRANSITIONS INTO, IN FACT, THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF FEDERAL MONEY AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW TO COMBAT AIR POLLUTION.
AND THESE GAS POWER, UH, BLOWERS CREATE AIR POLLUTION.
NO QUESTION ABOUT, WE HAVE DATA PROOF ALSO TO CREATES NOISE POLLUTION.
SO IF WE'RE TALKING TO A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE NEIGHBOR ASSOCIATIONS, THE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS, THE DALLAS HOMEOWNERS LEAGUE, THEIR ASSOCIATION'S IN PLACE RIGHT NOW THAT WE CAN GO TALK TO AND SAY, AND IF YOU WILL TAKE THE LEAD ON SAYING TO THE PEOPLE DOING THIS WORK THAT WE'RE GOING TO HELP YOU FIND THE MONEY TO TRANSITION THE EQUIPMENT.
AND WE WANT YOU TO MAKE THAT TRANSITION BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THE AIR POLLUTION, WE DON'T WANT THE NOISE POLLUTION THAT HELPS CREATE DEMAND.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE A CRITICAL PART OF WINNING THIS.
'CAUSE WE CAN'T SIT BACK AND WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE THAT TRANSITION.
WE HAVE TO CREATE THE TRANSITION AND HELP FUND THE TRANSITION.
AND COG WILL TELL YOU THEY HAVE A LOT OF MONEY RIGHT NOW AVAILABLE TO TAKE ON THESE VERY ISSUES.
SO THIS NEEDS TO BE A COORDINATED EFFORT ON THE PUBLIC SIDE AND THE PRIVATE SIDE.
THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AND REALLY DRIVE THIS THING FORWARD QUICKLY.
AND TO, UH, COMMENT ON, ON, UH, FRED R BENNING'S COMMENT.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH FUNDING ON A VARIETY OF GOVERNMENTAL LEVELS.
SO I THINK THERE'S GOTTA BE A COORDINATED EFFORT ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS.
SAME THING WE DID WHEN WE STARTED THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, UM, 11 YEARS AGO, NO, 13 YEARS AGO NOW.
WE WORKED WITH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE, UH, WHETHER WATER, UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, ASSOCI, OWNER ASSOCIATION, HOME BUILDERS, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ALL THESE PEOPLE CAN BE PARTNERS FOR US IN THIS TRANSITION PROCESS.
BUT IF WE DO THAT THROUGH OUR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP SUBCOMMITTEE, WE CAN APPROACH THIS IN A VERY HOLISTIC MANNER, I THINK HAVE MUCH GREATER IMPACT.
AND WE'VE GOTTA GET BUY-IN FROM FOLKS LIKE THE REHAM AND OTHERS THAT ARE BIG LANDSCAPES, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, RETAIL CENTERS TO DO A LOT OF LANDSCAPING.
LOOK FOR THE PLACES WHERE WE CAN HAVE THE MAXIMUM IMPACT AND GO BUILD THOSE PARTNERSHIPS AND GET THOSE FOLKS TO SAY, WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR LEAF BLOWER IN OUR RESTAURANT PARKING LOT ANYMORE.
OUR CUSTOMERS, WHEN WE SIT ON THE PATIO, DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR LEAF BLOWERS.
THAT CREATES DEMAND, CREATE DEMAND.
WE NEED TO MOVE TO CREATE DEMAND AND WORK ON PARTNERSHIPS TO DO THAT.
I WAS JUST WONDERING, SINCE WE ARE LIMITED ON BUDGET AND LIMITED TO JUST RESIDENTS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY THOUGHT AROUND TARGETING AREAS OF THE CITY THAT HAVE HIGHER INCIDENTS OF, UM, AIR POLLUTION OR CI PARTS OF THE CITY THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE MOST FROM DECREASING NOISE POLLUTION? UM, AT THIS POINT, WE'VE JUST BEEN THE WHOLE CITY, YOU KNOW, TARGET EVERYBODY IN THE CITY.
WE REALLY HAVEN'T LOOKED TO BREAK IT DOWN LIKE THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT PART OF THE CITY YOU LIVE, YOU LIVE IN, SOMEBODY'S USING ONE OF THOSE LEAF BLOWERS THAT'S VERY LOUD AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, LANDSCAPE ACTIVITY GOING ON ALL OVER THE CITY.
UM, A COUPLE OF JUST COMMENTS.
NUMBER ONE, I AGREE WITH, I DON'T REMEMBER WHO SAID IT, BUT THE IDEA OF FOCUSING ON SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO FOCUS THE BUDGET A LITTLE BIT MORE AND GET A BIGGER BANG FOR THE EFFORT.
I WOULD THINK LEAF BLOWERS AND LAWNMOWERS WOULD DO THE KEY CHAINSAWS DON'T GET USED AS OFTEN BY HOMEOWNERS ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR VERSUS A LAWNMOWER AND A LEAF BLOWERS EVERY WEEK.
UH, OTHER QUESTION IS, OH, ACTUALLY THIS IS A QUESTION.
HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO ANY RETAILERS BECAUSE,
[00:45:01]
I'M SORRY, NOT RETAILERS, UH, MANUFACTURERS.BECAUSE IF YOU GET THE MANUFACTURERS ON BOARD, THEY ARE OFTEN VERY HAPPY TO PROVIDE SUBSIDIES THAT THEY KNOW ARE GONNA GO STRAIGHT TO THE BUYER VERSUS GETTING CHEWED UP BY LOWE'S.
SO IF THE CONSUMER GETS THE $30 OFF AN EXTRA $30 OFF THE LEAF BLOWER VERSUS GIVING A DISCOUNT WHERE LOWE'S IS GONNA KEEP 15 FOR THEM AND GIVE THE, UH, CUSTOMER $15 OFF, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE HAPPY TO SPONSOR THOSE COUPONS.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD POINT ABOUT THE MANUFACTURERS.
WE HAVEN'T APPROACHED THEM AT THIS POINT.
WE'VE JUST GONE THROUGH THE REAL RETAILERS.
BUT I MADE A NOTE OF THAT 'CAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD CONSIDER NOW.
SAY JUST, UH, WE HAVEN'T CONSIDERED IT FOR THE, FOR THE RESIDENTIAL, UH, USERS.
WE, WE WERE GOING DOWN THAT PATH FOR THE COMMER FOR THE COMMERCIAL FOR THE BUSINESSES.
BUT, UH, THAT'S A GOOD POINT ABOUT THE RE FOR THE RESIDENTIAL FOLKS.
HAVE YOU GUYS THOUGHT ABOUT MAKING INCENTIVES FOR THE BATTERIES? AND THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BATTERY, IT ONLY LASTS SO LONG, RIGHT? 15 MINUTES AND THEN YOU'RE OUT.
SO WOULD THAT, UM, WITH THE EX, WOULD THAT EXTENT TO THE BATTERIES? YES.
WE ARE CONSIDERING, UH, MAYBE HAVING A REBATE OR, YOU KNOW, INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR, UH, REPLACEMENT BATTERIES AS WELL AS THE BATTERIES AND THEIR USEFUL LIFE, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO TURN 'EM IN AND, UM, GET AN INCENTIVE ON, ON NEW BATTERIES.
BUT YES, BUT, AND NOT AS JUST TURNING THEM IN, BUT, YOU KNOW, WELL YEAH, LIKE IF YOU'RE A COMPANY AND YOU NEED LIKE 10 BATTERIES TO GET THROUGH THE DAY, YEAH.
THAT IS, UH, GOOD, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERATION, YOU KNOW, TO THINK ABOUT, I DID SEE, I KNOW THERE IS A LAWN CARE COMPANY THAT IS 100% ELECTRIC HERE IN DALLAS.
AND THAT IS ONE OF THE CONCERNS IS HAVING ENOUGH BATTERY POWER, RIGHT.
HAVING THEIR FULLY CHARGED BATTERIES.
UM, SO THEY DO HAVE WHAT THEY'VE DECIDED TO DO TO KIND TO PROBLEM SOLVE THAT IS ACTUALLY HAVE SOLAR PANEL ON THEIR VEHICLE TO HELP, UH, CHARGE THE BATTERIES WHEN THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, GOING FROM RESIDENCE TO RESIDENCE.
SO YEAH, THAT IS DEFINITELY A CONSIDERATION.
MOST ALSO, MOST, UH, EQUIPMENT DOES COME WITH EXTRA BATTERIES,
BUT YES, THAT IS SOMETHING WE CAN CONSIDER AS WELL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT, UH, PRESENTATION.
I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT BEFORE YOU GO INTO THE COST BREAKDOWN, YOU ADD A SLIDE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE THREE PROPOSED OPTIONS THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING, WHETHER IT BE VOUCHERS OR, UH, THE REBATE OR THE, UH, TRADE-IN.
UM, AND THEN TALK ABOUT MAYBE SOME OF THE NEGATIVES OF THOSE THINGS.
I WOULD ALSO MAYBE ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO STEER AWAY FROM, YOU KNOW, OFFERING A REBATE ON THE WATER BILL BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO RENTERS POTENTIALLY NOT BENEFIT FROM THAT, UM, THE, THE REBATE WENT TO THE LAND THAT THE, THE HOMEOWNER.
UM, BUT WE KNOW THAT THINGS TAKE TIME AT THE CITY AND SO PEOPLE MIGHT BE WAITING FOR QUITE SOME TIME TO GET A REFUND, UH, FROM THE CITY.
SO THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY DISSUADE A LOT OF PEOPLE, I THINK, FROM PARTICIPATING.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WAS WONDERING ABOUT IS INSTEAD OF MAYBE RECYCLING FULL BILL, LIKE THE, THE, THE, UM, EQUIPMENT, ARE THERE PIECES OF IT THAT WE CAN KEEP? ARE THEY INTERCHANGEABLE? COULD WE KEEP THE WHEELS OF THE LAWNMOWER IN CASE SOME OF THE ELECTRIC LAWNMOWERS BREAK DOWN? COULD WE KEEP THE PUSH BARS? COULD WE KEEP SOME OF THOSE THINGS INSTEAD OF JUST SENDING THEM TO THE TRASH OR THE LANDFILL? UM, THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US MAYBE CONSIDER AS FAR AS OUR ZERO WASTE GOALS.
UM, AND THEN I DO THINK IT WAS THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION THAT WE, UH, ENCOURAGED THE CITY TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM INTERNALLY BEFORE WE PUSHED IT EXTERNALLY.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A PUSH FOR BOTH AND THERE MAY NOT BE FUNDING, BUT I THINK THERE WAS A NUMBER THAT WAS MENTIONED, BUT IT WASN'T ON THE SLIDE AS FAR AS WHAT THE POTENTIAL COST OF A PROGRAM WOULD BE, WHAT THE FUNDING WAS THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE.
DO YOU HAVE THAT NUMBER HANDY? JUST SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT THE DISPARITY IS BETWEEN THOSE TWO FIGURES? I THINK IT WAS IN THE VERY BEGINNING OF FREDDY'S PRESENTATION, BUT IF YOU'LL JUST EMAIL ME AFTER THE OKAY.
[00:50:01]
ABOUT THE, THE, UM, SITUATION WITH THE RENTERS.THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, UM, INVOLVE THE RENTERS, MAKE SURE SINCE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO, WHO PO POTENTIALLY COULD BE MAINTAINING THE LANDSCAPE, YOU KNOW, THE YARDS.
UH, HOW, HOW, HOW COULD THEY PARTICIPATE? YEAH.
WE DID FORM, UH, UH, A TEMPORARY COMMITTEE TO SORT OF INVESTIGATE WITH THE MANUFACTURERS THE FEASIBILITY OF THE TRANSITION.
AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS ENTHUSIASTIC, VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT PROVIDING A VOUCHER, UM, THAT WE, THAT PEOPLE COULD JUST TAKE DIRECTLY AND SORT OF CUT OUT THE BIG BOX STORE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE TO POTENTIALLY CONSIDER.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH MANUFACTURER WE STEEL.
I WANNA SAY IT WAS MAYBE STEEL.
UM, BUT WE HAD A LENGTHY CONVERSATION, UH, FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND THEY SPOKE, UH, AT LENGTH TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE.
SO, UM, BUT YES, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, AND UM, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.
ALL RIGHT, LET ME GET MY AGENDA PULLED BACK UP.
UH, OUR NEXT ITEM IS A BRIEFING MEMO ON THE RESULTS OF THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND STUDY WITH DIRECTOR EVANS.
UM, SO WE FINALLY RELEASED THE STUDY RESULTS.
UH, WE HAD A PRESS CONFERENCE LAST MONDAY.
AND SO WE'RE HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
STEPHANIE, WOULD YOU MIND PULLING UP THAT MEMO WHILE THE MEMO COMES UP? UM, WE HAVE POSTED THE RESULTS AND LINKED TO THE INTERACTIVE MAP ON DALLAS CLIMATE ACTION AND GREEN DALLAS.NET.
I HAD, UH, I HAVE JUST ONE INPUT ON THAT.
I HAD LOOKED AT, UH, Y'ALL HAD PINPOINT ONE AREA AS THE HIGH AREA.
WHAT WAS THAT AREA AGAIN? I FORGOT.
UH, IN NORTH DALLAS, I THINK WASN'T IN NORTH DALLAS.
SO WE PUBLISHED A TOP 10 JUST BASED ON THE 100 SQUARE MILES.
UM, AND WE DIDN'T COVER NORTH DALLAS YET.
THIS SUMMER WE WILL, BUT WE FOCUSED MORE ON LIKE FROM WEST DALLAS.
BUT THIS SUMMER WE PLAN TO DO THE REST OF THE CITY.
SO, 'CAUSE I KNOW ME AND COMMISSIONER ROBINSON, WE WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT RODE AROUND THE CITY WITH THE THING ON THE CAR.
UH, SO, BUT ON THAT LIST, I DIDN'T SEE NONE OF THE AREAS THAT ME AND, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBINSON, UH, HIT BECAUSE IN LIKE SOUTHERN DALLAS IT IS NO AREA ON THIS TOP 10 LIST FROM SOUTHERN DALLAS.
I'M JUST SAYING BISHOP ARTS IS NOT JUST SOUTHERN DALLAS.
SO, UH, WHERE WE WERE IN SOUTHERN DALLAS, LIKE AROUND ALL THE SCHOOLS IN THE HOLLAND HILLS AREA, I KNOW THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A BIG, UH, ON THE TOP 10 BECAUSE ALL THOSE SCHOOLS THAT WE VISIT AND ROLLED AROUND ON OUR ROUTE DIDN'T HAVE NO TREES.
AND SO IT'S AMAZING THAT NONE OF THAT AREA MADE THE TOP 10 LIST.
I THINK WE SHOULD EVALUATE THAT AGAIN BECAUSE I RODE THE AREA AND I KNOW EVERY SCHOOL IN SOUTHERN DALLAS, THE RAP THAT YOU GAVE US FROM, YOU KNOW, THE MCCULLOUGH, WE STARTED AT THE MCCULLOUGH LANDFILL GUYS.
SO WE STARTED THERE AND WE RODE THAT AREA AND EVERY SCHOOL WE WENT AROUND DID NOT HAVE NO TREE.
AND KENNEDY CAREY SCHOOL, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, I MEAN IT'S SITTING DEAD AND WE WAS IN THE SUMMERTIME, WE SIT IT SIT DEAD RIGHT IN A FIELD.
YOU MIGHT AS WELL SAID SCHOOL IN THE FIELD BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING AROUND THERE.
SO IT IS AMAZING THAT NONE OF THAT SOUTHERN DALLAS MAKE THE LIST.
YEAH, I KNOW THAT IF YOU PULL UP THE INTERACTIVE MAP, UM, YOU CAN SELECT DIFFERENT LAYERS.
AND SO YOU CAN LOOK AT, FOR EXAMPLE, JUST THE TEMPERATURES RECORDED IN THE MORNING OR IN THE EVENING.
SO THE EVENING WAS TYPICALLY THE HOTTEST.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE EXACTLY YOUR ROUTE THAT YOU DROVE AND THE TEMPERATURES AT EVERY SINGLE POINT THAT YOU WERE AT.
[00:55:01]
HOTTER TEMPERATURES IN OTHER AREAS SO THERE WASN'T LIKE A 10 DEGREE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE AT THE SAME TIME AT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY.SO, UM, YOU'RE WELCOME TO PLAY AROUND WITH THE MAP TEMPERATURES IN CERTAIN DIFFERENT AREAS LIKE THE BISHOP ARTS AND, UH, DEEP EL AND THE DESIGN DISTRICT.
ALL THOSE AREAS ARE HIGH TRANSPORTATION AREAS.
SO I CAN SEE THOSE TEMPERATURES IN THOSE AREAS BEING A LITTLE HIGH BECAUSE THEY ARE HIGH IMPACT TRA UH, TRANSPORTATION AREAS.
LIKE DEEP ELS ALWAYS CARS DOWN AND IT'S ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, A DESIGN DISTRICT, UH, DOWNTOWN.
UM, OAKLAND, I, IT'S ALWAYS BUSY IN OAKLAND.
I WAS JUST OVER THERE, UH, LAST FRIDAY.
IT'S A NICE AREA, BUT IT'S CONSISTENTLY BUSY, BUT IT'S A LOT OF TREES OVER THERE TOO IN OAKLAND.
SO THAT'S AMAZING HOW IT WAS HOTTER OVER THERE.
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF TREES ON OAKLAND.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE HIGH TRAFFIC CAR TRAFFIC AREAS THAT Y'ALL HAVE ON Y'ALL LIST, SO WE MIGHT NEED TO, YOU KNOW, JUST LOOK OVER IT AGAIN.
AND, AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS ONE DATA SET.
I, I MEAN WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE CONFIDENT IN THE DATA, BUT UH, IT'S ONE DAY ONE DATA SET.
WE'RE WORKING WITH OTHER PARTNERS LIKE THE TEXAS TREES FOUNDATION TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM TO SEE WHAT THEIR DATA SAYS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE, WE'RE PERFECTLY WILLING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH ANY OF, ANY OF Y'ALL TO, TO, TO GET INTO THE WEEDS ABOUT, UH, THE ROUTES AND WHAT WE SAW THAT DAY.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA CONDUCT THE REST OF THE STUDY, UH, THIS SUMMER FOR THE REST OF THE REST OF IT.
WELL, SO WE'RE PART OF, PART OF DEVELOPING, UH, THE ROUTES FOR THIS COMING SUMMER IS SELECTING, UH, POINTS OF INTEREST SO WE CAN INCLUDE SCHOOLS AND MAKE SURE THAT THE ROUTES CROSS THROUGH, UM, IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOLS.
UM, SO THE STUDY IS NOT LINKED IN THE MEMO THAT WAS PROVIDED, BUT IF YOU GO TO THE DALLAS CLIMATE ACTION.COM WEBSITE AND YOU GO ACROSS THE TOP, UM, TO THE CITY EFFORTS, IT'S THE SECOND SUB, UM, MENU THERE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE, UH, INTERACTIVE MAP AT THE BOTTOM AND THEN IT ALSO LINKS TO THE OPEN SCIENCE, UM, FRAMEWORK.
UM, I THINK THIS IS, AND YOU'D BE COMMENDED, THIS IS VERY VALUABLE DATA, BUT AS YOU POINTED OUT, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A STARTING POINT BECAUSE THE THING THAT STRUCK ME, PARTICULARLY AS, UH, COMMISSIONER DURO WAS TALKING WAS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UH, IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE WITH THE AMOUNT OF HEAT AND THE HEAT IMPACT.
AND WE KNOW FROM SOME OF THE WORK THAT, UH, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN, UH, INVOLVING, UH, INDOOR AIR QUALITY, THAT ONE OF THE FACTORS IS POOR AIR CONDITIONING.
AND SO IF YOU'VE GOT AGING SCHOOLS THAT HAVE POOR AIR CONDITIONING, THAT'S A LOT DIFFERENT THAN YOU WOULD SEE IN A NEW SCHOOL WITH A MORE MODERN SYSTEM.
THAT'S DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT ON OUR MOST DISADVANTAGED RESIDENTS, UH, IN TERMS OF NOT HAVING THE RESOURCES TO REALLY COOL THEIR HOMES.
AND SO AS WE GET INTO THIS, I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK BOTH AT THE AMOUNT OF HEAT THAT'S GENERATED AND THE IMPACT OF THAT ON THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO MR. MARQUIS AND THEN COMMISSIONER DAY.
AS I LOOK AT THIS LIST, TWO THINGS JUMP OUT AT ME.
ONE IS THAT THESE ARE AREAS THAT HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND VERTICAL DEVELOPMENT.
VERTICAL DEVELOPMENT CREATES NOT JUST HEAT ISLANDS, IT TRAPS HEAT IN BETWEEN LARGE BUILDINGS.
FIVE YEARS AGO, 10 YEARS AGO, BISHOP PARKS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON THIS LIST 'CAUSE THERE WAS NO VERTICAL DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH OAK CLIFF AT THAT TIME.
SO I THINK ONE THING WE NEED KEEP IN MIND IS THAT, OH, WE HAVE A LOT OF SCHOOL YARDS THAT NEED TREES.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS LIST, IT TELLS US THAT THE MORE WE DEVELOP VERTICALLY AND THE MORE THAT WE CREATE DENSITY, THE MORE HE EFFECT WE'RE GONNA HAVE.
AND ONE OF THE GREATEST ISSUES WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IN THE CITY IS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO INCREASE DENSITY.
WE'LL HAVE SMALLER AND MINIMAL LAWN SIZES.
HOWEVER, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IS EVERY TIME WE CREATE A ROOFTOP, WE CREATE A RUNOFF.
EVERY TIME WE CREATE A ROOFTOP, WE CREATE HEAT.
SO THAT AS WE LOOK AT THIS ISSUE OF CREATING A DENTURE CITY, WELL THERE ARE THINGS ARE GONNA COME WITH THAT.
WE'RE GONNA BECOME MORE VERTICAL.
WE HAVE TO BUFFER THAT VERTICALITY WITH MORE TREES
[01:00:01]
AND MORE OPEN SPACE.SO AS WE LOOK AT THIS LIST, IT NEEDS TO INFORM US OF, YES, WE NEED TO PLANT TREES AT OUR SCHOOLS.
WE ALSO NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE MORE WE ENCOURAGE DENSE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, THE HOTTER WE'RE GONNA GET INCLUDES THESE AREAS.
ALL AREAS THAT ARE DENSE PARTS OF AQUA ARE VERY DENSE IN COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
SAME THING WITH UPTOWN DOWNTOWN, NO QUESTION.
MEDICAL DISTRICT IS A CONCRETE JUNGLE.
AND TEXAS TREE FOUNDATION IS DOING A LOT OF WORK NOW TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BRING, UH, UH, GREENING TO THE MEDICAL DISTRICT.
SO AS WE LOOK AT THIS, WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF HOW WE'RE DEVELOPING, WHAT THAT DEVELOPMENT IS GONNA HAVE AND IMPACT IT'S GONNA HAVE ON, ON HEAT, BUT ON THE WATERSHED.
'CAUSE EVERY TIME WE CREATE A ROOFTOP, YOU CREATE A RUNOFF.
SO THIS HEAT ISLAND STUDY ACTUALLY CAN HELP US DETERMINE THE BEST WAY TO DEVELOP FOR THE FUTURE.
BECAUSE KEY IS TELLING US WHERE WE NEED TO PLANT TREES AND THE COST IN TERMS OF HEAT WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT.
SO ONE OF OUR CCAP GOALS TO INCREASE CANOPY COVER, UM, WE'RE TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION, BUT ALSO LIKE YOU'RE SAYING WITH THE ROOF.
SO WE'RE LOOKING ALSO AT COOL ROOF SOLUTIONS AND COOL PAVEMENT AND SMART SURFACES, UM, SO THAT WE HAVE OTHER SOLUTIONS, NOT JUST TREE AND VEGETATION PLANTING MR. DAY.
SO YOU JUST HIT ON MY QUESTION, WHICH WAS THE COOL PAVEMENT BECAUSE I WAS THINKING OF THE BOND PROGRAM AND YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S BEING DEVOTED TO STREET, UH, REPAIR AND WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO DO THOSE TWO THINGS AT ONCE? YEAH, THE, THE, THE COOL PAVEMENT, THE, THE, THE, THE DATA IS MIXED RIGHT NOW.
SO WE HAVE A PI PUBLIC WORKS HAS A PILOT GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY WHERE THEY'RE TESTING COOL PAVEMENT.
UM, WE JUST HAD, UH, A CLIMATE RESILIENCE, UH, FORUM LAST WEEK WHERE, UH, SOME FOLKS IN AUSTIN WERE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, THE IMPACT ON PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND HOW THEY FEEL WALKING ON COOL PAVEMENT MAY NOT, MAY NOT MEET, BE MUCH DIFFERENT THAN YOUR STANDARD PAVEMENT.
UM, YOU MAY HAVE SOME, UH, COOLER, UH, COOLING REDUCTIONS AT THE VERY, AT THE SURFACE LEVEL, BUT AS YOU, AS YOU, AS THE HEAT RISES TO KIND OF WHERE WE LIVE AROUND YOUR, YOU KNOW, CHEST AREA AND HEAD AREA, WHATEVER, UM, THAT, THAT THERE, IT WAS NOT, ACCORDING TO THEM, NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE ACCORDING TO THEIR KIND OF THEIR STUDY.
SO, AND I THINK WE'RE DOING A A WE'RE DOING OUR STUDY TO FIGURE OUT IF, IF THERE ARE CERTAIN COOL PAVEMENT, UM, UM, UH, PRODUCTS THAT ACTUALLY WORK, WHICH ONES DO, WHICH ONES DON'T.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE A WHOLE SLEW OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF POOL PAVEMENTS.
SO WE'RE JUST STILL TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
AND SO I GUESS LONG STORY SHORT, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT, I'M NOT SURE WHEN WE CAN GET THAT STUFF INTO THE BOND PROGRAM BECAUSE THE BOND PROGRAM IS MOVING FORWARD AT A FASTER CLIP.
DO YOU KNOW IF THE, UH, I THINK IT'S SMALLER SCALE, BUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, GRASS IN PARKING LOTS, UM, YOU KNOW, IS THERE RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE? I, I THINK SO.
AND SO, UH, OUR PUBLIC, UH, PLANET URBAN DESIGN DEPARTMENT IS, IS WORKING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN, THIS GOES BACK TO THE GREEN FACTORS I THINK YOU ALL WORKED ON, UM, HOW WE CAN INTEGRATE THOSE, UH, INCENTIVES WITHIN OUR CODE.
UM, SO, SO MORE TO COME ON THAT BECAUSE I THINK WE'LL NEED YOUR HELP TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW TO, HOW TO PUSH THAT FORWARD.
SO THE CITY OF OKLAHOMA CITY WAS IN OUR SAME COHORT LAST SUMMER, AND THEY, UM, COLLECTED FUNDS TO DO THEIR ENTIRE CITY.
AND THEY HAD A LOT OF PARTNERS, INCLUDING A PARTNER WHO, UM, TOOK SURFACE TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS AT LIKE GRASS AND PARKING LOTS VERSUS, UM, OTHER AREAS.
AND THEY FOUND THAT IT DID HELP A LITTLE BIT, BUT WHAT REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE WAS NATIVE PLANTS.
UM, SO CITY OF OKLAHOMA CITY, I KNOW THEY, THEY PUBLISHED THEIR RESULTS TOO, SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT IT, THEY, THEY HAVE A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION THAT THEY ADDED ON TO THE BASE STUDY.
SO DISTRICT TWO IS WHERE I LIVE AND WORK AND IT KEEPS GROWING AND THEY COULD KEEP BUILDING AND THEY KEEP, UM, UH, UM, AND THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DEVELOPING AND THEY'RE GETTING RID OF BACKYARDS AND THEY'RE GETTING RID OF RID OF ALL THE GRASS.
AND I THINK PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THE TEXAS TREES BOULEVARD THAT THEY'RE BUILDING IS GONNA FIX EVERYTHING AND IT'S NOT.
[01:05:01]
QUESTION IS, WHAT KIND OF INFLUENCE DOES THE CITY HAVE ON INFORMING THESE BUSINESS DISTRICTS THAT CONTINUE TO GROW SIGNIFICANTLY THAT ARE ONLY GOING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THESE HEAT ISLANDS? AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN PREEMPT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO OTHER PLACES LIKE WEST DALLAS THAT WANTS TO DEVELOP AND, UM, UH, AND NOT HAVE THEM HAVE SIMILAR EFFECTS AS THEY MOVE THROUGH, YOU KNOW, NEW DEVELOPMENT AS WELL? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.I MEAN, MY INITIAL RESPONSE IS, UH, THIS INFORMATION NEEDS TO INFORM THE FORWARD DAS PROCESS.
I KNOW THEY'RE COMING TOWARDS THE END OF, UH, UPDATING THE LAND USE PLAN.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT STEP WILL BE MAKING ZONE ZONE CHANGES OR ZONE AMENDMENTS.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, ALL THIS INFORMATION NEEDS TO INFORM THAT.
AND, AND, AND ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, PUSHING FORWARD WITH THESE GREEN FACTORS OR WHATEVER WE'RE GONNA CALL IT, UH, SO THAT INCENTIVES AND REQUIREMENTS ARE IN OUR CODE SO THAT WHOEVER'S CONSTRUCTING WHEREVER THAT, UH, THEY'RE DOING IN A GREENER WAY, I GUESS THOSE ARE MY INITIAL THOUGHTS.
I'M NOT SURE IF OTHER FOLKS HAVE, WELL, UH, WE HAVE THE GREEN BUILDING POLICY FOR CITY FACILITIES, UH, WHICH ADVANCES LEE GOLD.
BUT I THINK THAT THE, OUR CONSTRUCTION CODE, LIKE SO, SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE CITY JUST ADOPTED THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION CODE STANDARDS, WHICH ARE, ARE GREENER THAN OUR PREVIOUS, UH, REQUIREMENTS FOR, FOR, UH, THE BUSINESS SECTOR AND RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION AS WELL.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS FOR EV READINESS AND EV CAPABLE, UM, FOR, FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.
BUT MORE OF THAT STUFF SHOULD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO INTEGRATE MORE OF THAT STUFF INTO OUR CODE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
I WANTED TO, UM, COMMENT ON THE FACT THAT, UM, AND THIS IS REALLY A FORWARD DALLAS ISSUE, AS CARLOS JUST MENTIONED.
IT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT WE CAN CREATIVELY REDEVELOP, WE CAN DEVELOP THE CITY IN A MANNER WHERE WE CAN MAINTAIN SOME GREEN AREAS.
AND REALLY BY CREATIVE LAND USE, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GREEN UP OUR CITY.
WE CANNOT BUILD A LEAD PLATINUM MIXED USE COMPLEX SURROUNDED BY CONCRETE AND REALLY TAKE IN THAT, THAT TO ME, CONCEPTUALLY DOES NOT REALLY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FACT THAT, YEAH, THAT'S A GREEN BUILDING, BUT IT'S NOT IN THE CONTEXT.
AND THE TOTALITY OF THE SURROUNDING AREA ISN'T REALLY ACCOMPLISHING THE GOAL FOR GREEN.
UH, SO FORWARD DALLAS IS SOMETHING THAT WE PROBABLY ALL NEED TO BE ACTIVELY WEIGHING IN ON BECAUSE THERE IS, THERE ARE CREATIVE UNDER THE CURRENT CURRENT CODES IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, THERE ARE WAYS TO MAINTAIN, UH, DENSITY.
IN FACT, JUST AN EXAMPLE, I'M WORKING ON A PROJECT, UH, NEAR FITZ, YOU AND CAPITAL, AND THAT AREA IS VERY DENSE.
UH, I MEAN, UM, 50 BY ONE 50 LOTS.
THEY'RE PUTTING FIVE TOWNHOUSE UNITS.
AND, UM, I FORTUNATELY HAVE A LANDOWNER THAT WANT, DOESN'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE A POSTAGE STAMP FRONT YARD FOR THE UNITS THAT WE'RE GONNA BUILD.
AND IT, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CODIFY THAT, BUT UNDER THE SHARED ACCESS ORDINANCE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, AND I HOPE THAT FORWARD DALLAS IS LOOKING TO THAT, THAT DOES ADDRESS DENSITY IN A CREATIVE WAY.
AND THAT DOES, AND AND ALSO THERE'S DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND, AND, AND, UH, UH, THEY INFORMED ME ON THIS MANY YEARS AGO WITH REGARD TO HOW TO CREATIVELY CREATE GREEN SPACE AND STILL HAVE DENSITY WITH A PROJECT I FIRST SAW DOWN IN AUSTIN.
AND IT'S BASICALLY WHERE HOMES TAKE THE FRONT YARDS AND FACE EACH OTHER AND CREATE A COMMUNITY PARK, UH, WITH ALL THE HOME SPACING ONE ANOTHER.
THEY CREATE THAT FRONT YARD AREA AND BY TURNING PERPENDICULARLY, TURNING THE UNITS FACING HOMES, SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND THEN ENTERING GARAGES FROM THE BACK, YOU CREATE A SMALL PARK-LIKE FEEL FOR THE RESIDENTS.
THAT'S JUST A CREATIVE LAND USE, UH, UM, IDEA THAT WE CAN TAKE FORTH AND, AND USE EVEN, YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF LOTS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS ARE 50 BY ONE 50 AND THERE'S A WAY TO GO AHEAD AND TURN THEM AND
[01:10:01]
MAKE THEM AND RECLA THEM INTO THE SHARED ACCESS CONCEPT AND MAINTAIN GREEN SPACES SO THAT THERE IS A SOLUTION FOR THIS.WE DON'T HAVE, BUT, BUT CONCEPTUALLY WE CAN'T.
AND I WANT TO RE REITERATE WHAT DAVE WAS SAYING.
WE CAN'T, UH, ASSUME THAT WE'RE GONNA BUILD A LEAD GREEN PROJECT IN A VACUUM.
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND US AND CREATE PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
AND BY HAVING REALLY HIGH DENSITY ZONING ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT ALLOWS SOMEONE TO MAXIMIZE THE DENSITY AS, UM, AS, AS, AS, UH, PEOPLE, UH, THAT ARE WATCHING OVER WHAT THE CITY DOES, WE REALLY HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ON WHAT THAT PLAN DOES.
SO I WOULD, UH, I I'M GONNA BE INVOLVED AND I'M WANTING TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS.
'CAUSE IT REALLY ALL BEGINS WITH ZONING.
AND UH, THAT'S WHERE WE, WE HAVE EQUITY ISSUES, WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS, BUT IT ALL BEGINS WITH ZONING.
AND WE CAN GET GREENER WITH ZONING
UM, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON.
I JUST FIRST WANTED TO SAY MARIZA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS STUDY.
WE KNOW THAT IT WAS AT A TRANSITIONAL TIME WHEN MR. OVERTON WAS ALSO LEAVING, AND SO YOU DID A GREAT JOB.
THE INTERACTIVE MAP IS VERY HELPFUL.
I KNOW THAT IT'S GONNA HELP US FOCUS.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSIONS WITH PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN ABOUT AN IMPERVIOUS SURFACE CODE AMENDMENT.
AND SO WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT AND HOPEFULLY OEQS WILL HAVE A LOT OF INPUT WITH THIS INFORMATION IN THE MAP.
AND THE SUBSEQUENT STUDY THAT'LL OCCUR THIS SUMMER, UM, 2023 WAS THE HOTTEST YEAR ON RECORD SINCE THEY BEGAN MEASURING TEMPERATURE.
SO, UM, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT IT'S GOING TO GET COOLER FOR OUR NEIGHBORS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING WEATHERIZATION CHALLENGES FOR THEIR HOMES AND HEAT RELATED AND COLD RELATED ILLNESS.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE THAT THIS INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED IN THIS STUDY IS TREMENDOUSLY USEFUL TO ADVANCING THE CITY'S GOALS.
UM, AND IF THERE IS INFORMATION ABOUT THIS UPCOMING SUMMER STUDY THAT YOU'D LIKE FOR US TO HELP YOU SHARE, WE'LL, WE WOULD BE GLAD TO DO THAT AND, AND ALSO TO PARTICIPATE.
WE'LL SHARE MORE INFORMATION WITH Y'ALL WHEN WE HAVE, UM, A DATE.
WE'RE EXPECTING LATE JULY TO EARLY AUGUST, JUST LIKE IT WAS LAST YEAR.
UM, BUT WE WON'T KNOW CLOSER TO THE SUMMER.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.
UM, AND, UM, WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
ALL RIGHT, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE AN ITEM OUT OF ORDER THIS EVENING.
HI, MOTO HAS TO, UM, LEAVE US.
AND SO WE ARE GONNA JUST JUMP DOWN A COUPLE OF AGENDA ITEMS SO THAT WE CAN HEAR HER, UH, REPORT AND THEN GO BACK TO THIS, UM, NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO INTO OUR DISCUSSION ITEM ON THE MONTHLY SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATES, AND WE'LL HEAR FROM, UM, COMMISSIONER.
OH, THANK YOU CHAIR P**N FOR, UH, GOING OUT OF ORDER AND ALLOWING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE A QUICK UPDATE ON THE SPI SUBCOMMITTEE, THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AND INNOVATION.
I'D LIKE TO CHA THANK, UH, MY CO-CHAIR, DR.
COLLIN MURRAY, UH, FOR BEING ON CALL WITH THIS.
UM, AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE, AS SHE PRESENTED IN THE LAST MEETING, UM, WE, UH, DO NOT HAVE CLARITY ON THE DEFINITION OF URBAN GREENING FACTORS, UH, THAT WAS IN PROGRESS, UH, WITH, UH, VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS AND WITH, UH, ZAC, UH, WHILE CCAP WAS BEING WRITTEN.
AND, UM, SO WE ARE PAUSING OUR EFFORTS TO NOT GET AHEAD OF THE CITY STAFF ON THIS EFFORT.
AND, UH, AS OF LAST WEEK, UH, WE'VE BEEN BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH DIRECTOR EVANS, WHO IS SPEAKING WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING PLANNING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, UH, TO DETERMINE WHAT THE APPROPRIATE NEXT STEPS ARE AND WHO WITHIN THE CITY IS GONNA TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THIS.
WE'RE EAGER TO, UH, CONTINUE ON THIS OR EXPLORE ANOTHER, UM, ALTERNATIVE FOCUS AREA FOR THIS COMMITTEE DEPENDING ON HOW THE TIMING WORKS OUT.
ALRIGHT, LET'S GO BACK UP TO OUR BRIEFING MEMORANDUMS. ITEM B IS A QUARTERLY BROWNFIELDS UPDATE.
IF YOU'LL RECALL, WE RECEIVED A BROWNFIELDS UPDATE, UM, AND WE ASKED AT THAT TIME FOR QUARTERLY UPDATES TO BE PROVIDED TO US, AND THEY DID.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE OEQS STAFF.
UM, AND TO, UM, COMMISSIONER RE WHO HAS SHOWN AN, UH, EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN STAYING APPRISED OF ALL THESE BROWNFIELD
[01:15:01]
SITES, MANY OF WHICH ARE LOCATED IN DISTRICT, UH, SEVEN.UM, AND SO IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS PARTICULAR MEMO, LET US KNOW.
UH, SO, UH, I HAVE ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE AJO REPORT.
SO, UH, THE YOUNG LADY THAT'S OVER THE MELISSA PIERCE, UH, SCHOOL DID POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT THEY GOT APPROVED FOR THE CLEANUP.
IS THAT, IS THEY IN THE PROCESS OF BEING IN A REMEDIATION CLEANUP? UH, YES, THEY ARE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THEY, UM, THEY WERE APPROVED, UM, AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING AN AND APCA AND WE HAVE NGOZI ON THE LINE IF SHE WANTS TO GO IN A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL ABOUT WHAT THAT PROCESS IS.
BUT BASICALLY IT JUST PROVIDES CLEANUP, ALTERNATIVES, UH, AND OPTIONS FOR HER.
SO SHE UNDERSTANDS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MORE OPTIONS THAN JUST DEMO, DEMO DEMOLITION.
YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SAVE SOME OF IT.
AND SO, UH, THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN WITH THE MELISSA PIERCE PROJECT.
BECAUSE, UH, JUST BY BEING, 'CAUSE THEY HAD ANOTHER EVENT ON THAT PROPERTY THE OTHER DAY, THIS PAST WEEKEND.
SO JUST, UH, MOVING FORWARD, IS IT ANYTHING ON THIS PROPERTY THAT THE COMMUNITY NEED TO BE AWARE OF? JUST, JUST, JUST TO BE ALERTED OF JUST LIKE THE KIDS ARE OUTSIDE PLAYING THE, UH, PROPERTY IS NOT, UH, SECURED WITH NO FENCING OR NOTHING.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT I SHOULD INFORM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT? DON'T LET YOUR KIDS GO NEAR THE SCHOOL BECAUSE IT GOT THIS.
DON'T LET 'EM PLAY IN THE BUILDING.
THEY DEFINITELY DON'T NEED TO PLAY IN THE BUILDING.
THAT'S, THAT'S, OR TOUCH IT PROBABLY 'CAUSE THE OUTSIDE A BRICK, IT PROBABLY CAME THROUGH THE BRICK, THE SLICE OR SOMETHING.
WELL, I, I CAN SPEAK TO NOT GOING INSIDE OF IT.
HAZARDOUS, HAZARDOUS BUILDING MATERIALS ASSESSMENTS THAT'S BEEN DONE THERE.
UM, I THINK THERE WAS A, WAS THERE A CODE CLEANUP? YES, IT WAS A CODE CLEANUP, SO I'M JUST MAKING SURE IT IS.
'CAUSE THE, UH, THE OWNER, THE OVERSEER, I AIN'T GONNA SAY OWNER, THE OVERSEER OF THE PROPERTY HAS NOT INFORMED THE COMMUNITY ABOUT ANY, LIKE, SAFETY PROTOCOLS OF THIS PROPERTY.
AS THE COMMISSIONER OF THIS DISTRICT, I CAN INFORM THE COMMUNITY.
YOU, IF IT'S ANY UNSAFE, YOU KNOW, JUST SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.
AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO MYSELF AND ZI AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT HOWEVER YOU WANNA GO ABOUT IT.
THEY, UH, Y'ALL WORKING ON THE REMEDIATION OF THEIR PROPERTY.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO BACK TO OUR SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATES.
AND WE ARE GOING TO GO TO, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND CHAIR ROBERTSON IS NOT HERE.
VICE CHAIR BLACKMAN, DO YOU WANNA PROVIDE AN UPDATE OR DO YOU WANNA DEFER? OKAY, GO AHEAD.
YEAH, WE, UM, WE POSTPONED OUR MEETING, SO I DON'T THINK WE HAVE AN UPDATE AT THIS POINT.
WE'LL MOVE TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
WE HELD A MEETING ON MARCH 27TH AND ARE LOOKING TO HOST OUR NEXT, THE END OF APRIL.
I HAD CALLS WITH OEI AND THE WEST DALLAS MULTIPURPOSE CENTER TO DISCUSS OUR FOOD ACCESS GOALS.
WE MET IN PERSON WITH URBAN AG AND HAVE A CALL SCHEDULED WITH OCC TO DISCUSS RESOURCES.
CHAIR WALLACE IS NOT PRESENT THIS EVENING.
UH, OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT MET.
WE ARE GOING TO BE SENDING OUT A SURVEY.
WE ARE GOING TO BE ASKING ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS, UH, TO RESPOND ABOUT, UM, CHALLENGES THAT YOU HAVE FACED IN COORDINATING A MEETING, WHETHER YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO COORDINATE A MEETING AND WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE TO COORDINATE A MEETING PRIOR TO THE END OF 2024.
ARE, WE HAVE SET THE GOAL AS A COMMISSION THAT EACH OF OUR COMMISSIONERS IN EACH OF THE DISTRICTS WILL HOLD AN IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL MEETING IN THEIR, UM, APPOINTED DISTRICT BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND SO WE WANNA HELP YOU DO THAT WITH ALL OF THE RESOURCES AND THE TOOLKIT.
SO WE ARE GONNA BE SENDING OUT THAT SURVEY SOON.
AND THEN I KNOW THAT A NUMBER OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES, UH, STRATEGIC PLANS INCLUDED A COLLABORATION OF SOME SORT WITH THE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND GETTING EMAILS RIGHT NOW ABOUT POTENTIAL COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES.
WE NEED TO SORT OF FORMALIZE WHAT ALL THOSE ARE.
AND AS A COMMITTEE, WE NEED TO TRY TO, UM, PRIORITIZE THOSE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN RESPOND IN A TIMELY WAY TO THAT MEETS YOUR COMMITTEE'S GOALS.
[01:20:01]
OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS ATTENDING YOUR UPCOMING SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE ASK MAY BE OR WHETHER YOU WOULD LIKE FOR ONE OF YOUR REPRESENTATIVES TO COME TO OUR COMMITTEE MEETING AND EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO ASSIST WITH AS FAR AS OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT, WE WELCOME BOTH OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.SO JUST REACH OUT TO ME AND IF YOU'LL COPY COMMISSIONER DAY, VICE CHAIR DAY, UM, THAT WOULD BE TREMENDOUSLY HELPFUL.
ALRIGHT, WE HEARD FROM CHAIR HARIMOTO ON STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND INNOVATION.
SO LET'S MOVE TO DISCUSSION ITEM B, MONTHLY UP DISTRICT UPDATES FROM COMMISSIONERS.
ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO DISTRICT TWO.
UH, I DO NOT HAVE AN UPDATE THIS MONTH.
DISTRICT THREE, NOTHING TO REPORT DISTRICT SIX.
OKAY, ON APRIL TWO, UM, I ATTENDED A LEAD AWARENESS TRAINING LED BY THE EPA WITH THE LEDBETTER EAGLE FORD COMMUNITY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AT THE JC ZERO GOSO PARKING WEST DALLAS ON APRIL FIVE.
ALONG WITH REBECCA POSTON AND DAVID MARQUIS AND DR.
ADE LOBBY, WE ATTENDED THE VERRE ENSEMBLE PRODUCTION, WHICH HIGHLIGHTED THE HISTORY OF ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, INJUSTICE AND RACISM IN WEST DALLAS.
UH, ENJOYED SPEAKING ON THE PANEL AFTERWARDS, DISCUSSING THE EPAS INVOLVEMENT IN WEST DALLAS TO TRY AND RIGHT THE PAST WRONGS.
UH, ALSO DISCUSS SOME OF THE CITY'S GOOD WORK IN TRYING TO, UH, MAKE AMENDS AND HEAL.
THAT PART OF TOWN WAS INCREDIBLE EVENING.
UM, DURING SPRING BREAK, I TOURED WARREN FERRIS CEMETERY WITH THE CONSTELLATION OF LIVING MEMORIALS AND DISCUSSED THEIR GREAT NEW CAMPAIGN IDEA THAT CAME FROM SUSAN ALVAREZ CALLED THE MILKY WAY, WHERE THEY WANNA CEASE MOWING ON THE LEVEE, STARTING AT THE BACHMAN GREENVILLE AREA AND MOVED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE TRAMMELL CROW PARK IN WEST DALLAS, WHICH WOULD INCREASE POLLINATOR, HABITATION AND FOOD RESULT IN RECEDING OF WILD FLOWERS AND REDUCE COSTS OF LEVY MAINTENANCE.
IT'S CALLED THE MILKY WAY CAMPAIGN.
PLEASE, UM, REACH OUT TO JULIANNE FEINMAN OR EBONY BROCK WITH THE CONSTELLATION FOR LIVING MEMORIALS, HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THIS EXCITING NEW CAMPAIGN.
WE TOURED THE CITY OF DALLAS RECYCLING FACILITY ON MARCH 13TH.
THAT WAS A GREAT, UH, OUTREACH AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATIVE JOURNEY.
I ATTENDED A TREE PLANTING AT BONITA WARS ON MARCH 13TH, MARCH 23RD.
I WAS JOINED BY MY FELLOW MASTER NATURALIST TO JO BE MAMA'S FARM IN D SEVEN, WHERE WE INSTALLED A POLLINATOR GARDEN.
THANK YOU TO COMMISSIONER MURRAY FOR HER DONATION OF NATIVE PLANTS.
UH, SO DISTRICT SEVEN, WE REALLY BEEN KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAILING OUT, BUT I'VE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS, UM, THE, THE EARTH DAY IN CHOPPY IS THIS SATURDAY FROM NINE TO TWO.
UH, I HOPE SOME OF Y'ALL CAN COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE.
WE GOT SOME VENDORS, UH, COME IN, UH, CHAIR, UH, POSTING, UH, ORGANIZATION'S GONNA BE THERE.
UH, WE HAVE THE ENVIR, UH, I COMMISSION GONNA HAVE A TABLE THERE.
AND SO THE OTHER THINGS I'VE BEEN WORKING ON YESTERDAY I ATTENDED, I WAS, UH, SELECTED TO BE PART OF THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS GOVERNMENT ADVISORY BOARD WHERE WE WILL BE MEETING QUARTERLY.
BUT THE MISSION IS TO, UH, EV CLEAN VEHICLE INITIATIVES, E ENERGY READINESS AND FOR COMMUNITIES.
AND IT'S ONE MORE, IT IS SOMETHING TO DO WITH ENERGY, BUT WE'RE WORKING WITH GTI ENERGY CLEANLINESS.
UH, UH, UH, IT'S A CLEAN BLOCK INITIATIVE AND IT'S ONE MORE.
SO WHAT THEY'RE DOING, THEY GET OUT A PROJECT.
THE TEXAS, THE COG HAS A, A POLY PROJECT THAT'S GOING ON WHERE THE HIGHWAY I 10 CORRIDOR FROM LOS ANGELES TO TEXAS, THEY WANT TO INSTALL HYDRANT, HY HYDRANT FRUITING STATIONS.
AND SO, UH, THE ONE THEY GONNA IMPLEMENT IN DALLAS IS
[01:25:01]
GONNA BE AT THE INLAND PORT.IF ANYBODY HAVE ANY, UH, INFORMATION THAT MS. TAMIKA CAN GET ON THAT GAS, BECAUSE MY, MY CONCERN WAS YESTERDAY WAS THE INLAND PORT IS CLOSE TO PY AND ALREADY COMMUNITIES WHO HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICES.
SO WITH THIS NEW REVOLUTION OF FREELING STATION, WOULD THEY ENHANCE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, DECREASE THE, UH, EMISSIONS AROUND THESE COMMUNITIES? OR WOULD IT ENHANCE THE, UH, SAFETY ISSUES AROUND THE COMMUNITIES? UH, I SPOKE WITH A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WITH THIS OTHER, UM, COHORT I'M PART OF THIS MORNING AND THEY WAS TELLING ME IT IS LIKE THIS GAS IS LIKE, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER THAN EV OR SOMETHING.
IT'S A NEW LEVEL TO EV OR SOMETHING.
I, I'M, THAT'S WHY I'M MENTIONING IT.
SEND ME SOME EMAILS, SEND ME SOME INFORMATION.
SO WHAT THE GUY WAS SAYING THAT HYDRANT GAS IS BETTER THAN REGULAR GAS AND IT'S LIKE, IT'S, IT IS NOT REALLY SAFE BECAUSE THEY PUTTING IT ALL IN VEHICLES AND IT'S LIKE A BU NIGHT.
IT IS A WORSE OF GAS THAN REGULAR GAS, BUT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER THAN EV BECAUSE TEXT THE COX SAYING THAT THE BATTERIES OF EV IS ANOTHER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
I'M JUST TELLING WHAT I LEARNED YESTERDAY.
I THOUGHT EVS WAS THE NEW WAY OF CLEAN ENVIRONMENT, BUT COX SAID DUE TO THE LENGTHENING BATTERIES AND A LOT OF STUFF THEY MAKE, 'CAUSE EVS ARE TECHNOLOGY, SO YOU NEED A LOT OF PARTS AND BLAH BLAH.
SO THEY SAID THEY MOVING ON TO THIS NEW GAS TO, YOU KNOW, SO IF ANYBODY GOT ANY INFORMATION, LET ME KNOW.
UH, BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, I JUST STILL BEEN CONTINUING TO WORKING WITH THE EPA IN MARCH.
I DID, UH, WE DID FINISH THE, UH, CURRICULUM IMPACT STUDY WITH THE EPA SO EVERYBODY CAN, UH, I THINK WE SHARED THE VIDEO ON THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONER, UH, INSTAGRAM PAGE.
BUT, UH, WE DID, UH, COMPLETE THAT IMPACT STUDY AND SO Y'ALL CAN WATCH THE VIDEO OF ME BEING A PART OF THAT.
AND SO THE JJ LEMON LAKE IS GOOD TO SWIM IN.
I CAN SAY THAT ON PUBLIC RECORD.
IT IS GOOD TO SWIM IN, BUT WE DID FIND A LOT OF E COLI LEVELS.
BUT AS THE EPA EXPLAINED E COLI IS A LEVEL THING.
SO THE LEVELS THEY DID FIND SOME OF 'EM ARE NOT SO HARMFUL TO PEOPLE.
SO, BUT I'M NOT SAYING GO JUMP IN, UH, JJ LEMON AND OPEN YOUR MOUTH.
YOU CAN GO JUMP IN, LAY JJ LEMON AND RINSE OFF THE MUD, BUT DON'T OPEN YOUR MOUTH.
BUT YOU CAN EAT THE FISH OUT OF IT.
'CAUSE IT WAS PEOPLE FISHING OUT OF IT.
SO I DON'T THINK THE FISH IS HARMING THE PEOPLE.
BUT THAT'S WHERE WE AT WITH THE, UH, CURRICULUM IMPACT STUDY THAT WAS DONE IN WEST DALLAS, IN AJAY, SO, SO, SO FORTH.
JUST BE LOOKING FORWARD TO Y'ALL ON, UH, APRIL THE 13TH IN PY AT PY MAMA FORM.
AND WE WILL, SO FAR WE GOT A UPDATE.
WE WILL CALL AND MY FRIENDS OVER THERE, WE WILL BE INSTALLING A AIR QUALITY MONITOR AT THE PY MAMA FORM.
SO WE ALREADY HAVE A AIR QUALITY MONITOR IN UH, PY, BUT IT'S WAY IN THE BACK OF JO IT AT OUR PARK.
SO WHEN WE INSTALLED THIS ONE AT THE JO IN MAMA FORM, AND IF ANYBODY BEEN THE JO MAMA FORM, Y'ALL KNOW WHERE IT'S LOCATED, RIGHT? RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE RAILROAD.
SO WE WILL BE GETTING SOME GOOD DATA.
LET'S KEEP OUR, YES, LET'S KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED.
LET'S KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED, CROSSED SO FAR WE JUST WAITING ON A PIECE OF PAPER, BUT RIGHT.
SO FAR IT'S IN THE PROCESS, Y'ALL.
SO LOOK FORWARD IF ANYBODY GOT SOME EMAILS, SEND THEM.
LOOKING FORWARD TO EVERYBODY HAVING A GOOD, UH, EARTH MONTH.
HOPE EVERY SEE Y'ALL NEXT WEEKEND AT
SO LAST YEAR THE, THE PY MAMA'S EARTH DAY EVENT WAS A LOT OF FUN AND THERE WAS A LOT OF GREAT COMMUNITY BUILDING THAT TOOK PLACE.
UM, AND IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO ATTEND, PLEASE SEND COMMISSIONER AU AN EMAIL JUST TO GIVE HER A HEADS UP.
UM, I KNOW THAT SHE DOES A LOT OF WORK TO HELP COORDINATE THAT EVENT, SO I'M SURE SHE WOULD APPRECIATE SOME HELP TABLING THE COMMISSIONS, UH, TABLE.
IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH NEIGHBORS, UM, IN PY.
ALRIGHT, DISTRICT EIGHT IS NOT PRESENT.
UM, FOR MY UPDATE, I JUST HAVE TWO THINGS.
UM, I SPOKE, UH, TO THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF DALLAS, UH, WITH TEXAS TREES FOUNDATION AND TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND ON, UM, MARCH 11TH.
[01:30:02]
UM, AND THEN WE RECEIVED, UH, INFORMATION FROM ONE OF THE CONSTITUENTS, ONE OF THE URBAN AGRICULTURE CONSTITUENTS WHO HELPED US MOVE ALONG THE URBAN AG PLAN.UM, THAT HE AND HIS PROPERTY WERE CITED BY CODE ENFORCEMENT FOR A LEGAL LAND USE BECAUSE OF HIS USE OF THAT PROPERTY AS AN, AN URBAN AGRICULTURE SPACE.
UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THE CITY WAS NOT AWARE THAT, UM, JANUARY A NEW, UH, BILL, UM, CAME INTO LAW AND ESSENTIALLY ALLOWS THAT USE.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT TO DETERMINE IF ANY OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS HAD BEEN SIMILARLY INCORRECTLY CITED FOR THAT LAND USE.
UM, THEY WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THREE OTHER CASES AND THEY HAD DISCONTINUED ENFORCEMENT ON ALL OF THOSE CASES.
UM, AND THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER CITATIONS PENDING AGAINST THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS FOR THAT USE.
AND OBVIOUSLY OUR FUND WAS TREMENDOUSLY GRATEFUL.
SO, UM, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT IS GOING TO PROVIDE EDUCATION TO THEIR, UH, INSPECTORS TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY CAN CONTINUE TO ADVANCE ITS URBAN AGRICULTURE PLAN AND GOALS.
UM, AND THAT THAT USE IS LEGAL AND ALLOWED.
UM, SO I WILL BE, UH, HOSTING WITH, UH, THE ROTARY CLUB OF, UH, PRESTON HOLLOW AND E-WASTE AND TREE GIVEAWAY THIS COMING SUNDAY FROM I BELIEVE 10:00 AM TILL 1:00 PM AT THE PRESTON HOLLOW PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
EVERYBODY IN ANYBODY WHO WANTS SOME FREE TREES OR US SOME E-WASTE DROP OFF IS WELCOME TO SWING BY.
WE'RE DOING ONE AGAIN ON THE 18TH OF JANUARY.
UH, IT WAS RIGHT 18TH OF THIS MONTH, UH, AT THE DALLAS JCC.
SO, UM, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO, UH, DROP BY ON THAT ONE.
UH, THERE WON'T BE ANY TREES, BUT THEY WILL, THEY MAY HAVE SHREDDING AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN I'LL BE PRESENTING AT EARTHX, UH, I BELIEVE IN ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF ON TUESDAY AS PART OF THE, OUR PROGRAM WITH THE ROTARY CLUB.
UM, ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THE RECYCLING CENTER IS THAT WE RECYCLE ABOUT 70% IN DALLAS, WHICH IS A LOT HIGHER THAN I THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN TOLD.
AND IT'S A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE PLACE.
IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO TAKE A TOUR, I WOULD ENCOURAGE IT.
UM, IT'S CLEAN, IT'S ORGANIZED.
UM, SO I WAS IMPRESSED COMPLETELY.
UM, ALSO WE DO HAVE A HISTORIC TREE COMMISSION AND IF ANYBODY HAS A TREE, THEY'D LIKE TO SAY I'M A MEMBER OF THAT, AND WE WOULD SURE COME OUT AND TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR TREE.
SO I'M GONNA MAKE A, YOU KNOW, A COMMENT FOR THAT.
AND THEN THERE ARE A FEW MORE TREES IN DALLAS AND PLANT THEM HERE AND THERE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, UM, UM, I WAS APPROACHED BY A, UH, SOMEBODY WHO LIVES IN MY DISTRICT, UH, WITH A PROBLEM.
THIS IS IN VERY FAR NORTH DALLAS, UM, AROUND THE, UH, TRINITY AROUND FRANKFURT ROAD IN THAT AREA.
AND, UH, IN THE, UM, THE CREEKS BEHIND WHERE HE, UH, UH, NEAR WHERE HE LIVES, UH, THERE ARE, UM, HOMELESS, UH, POLLUTING THE ENVIRONMENT, UH, DEFECATING AND URINATING IN THE AREA, CREATING HEALTH HAZARDS.
UH, WE'RE WORKING TO TRY AND GET, WE'LL BE WORKING, UH, WITH THE HOMELESS PROGRAM AND, UH, POSSIBLY WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT TO, UH, TRY AND REMEDIATE THE HEALTH HAZARDS THAT ARE BEING GENERATED BY THOSE ACTIVITIES.
UM, I DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH, UH, MY COUNCIL PERSON, COUNCIL PERSON, MENDELSSOHN, AND WE WERE ABLE TO PLAN OUT, UH, AN AGENDA FOR ACTIVITIES WHICH ARE SPECIFIC TO THE DISTRICT MOVING FORWARD.
UH, SHE'S HIGHLY, HAS BEEN HIGHLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE, UM, ACTIVITIES THAT WE'VE HAD.
UM, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO, UH, TEXAS TREE, UH, FOUNDATION AND TO, UH, UH, MY FELLOW COMMISSIONER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM FOR HELPING US TO, UH, GET TREES AT TEMPLE SHALOM.
THE, UH, TEMPLE SHALOM GARDEN IS DEFINITELY BLOOMING
[01:35:01]
AT THIS POINT.UM, ONE OF MY FACETIOUS COMMENTS IS THIS, SINCE MY WIFE AND THEIR, I ARE THERE VIRTUALLY EVERY SUNDAY, IT'S ONE OF THE FEW PLACES I KNOW WHERE I CAN SLING DIRT.
AND, UM, UH, THE, THE, UH, FIRST, UM, ROUND OF VEGETABLES AND SO ON FROM THE, UH, THE NEW GARDENER THERE.
WE HAVE A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP, UH, THAT INCLUDES BOTH DISTRIBUTION AND, UM, DEVELOPMENT, UH, WITH THE, UM, UH, UH, WITH THE, UM, UH, FOR DISTRIBUTION, UH, WITH THE NORTH TEXAS FOOD BANK.
ALSO INCLUDES EDUCATION INVOLVEMENT OF, UH, KIDS.
AND SO THAT'S A VERY EXCITING ACTIVITY.
UH, I WILL BE MISSING UNFORTUNATELY, THE, UM, EVENT, UH, WITH THE, THE FOR, UH, COMMISSION MEMBERS, THE THANK YOU BECAUSE I WILL BE IN AUSTIN CHAIRING THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR THE TEXAS PEDIATRICS SOCIETY.
AND WE'RE HAVING OUR PLANNING SESSION, UH, THAT DAY.
UH, I DID PARTICIPATE ALSO IN THE, UH, AIR SENSOR SUMMIT.
LARRY AND I HAVE DEVELOPED A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP THAT'S GOING FORWARD WHERE WE'RE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THE EFFECTS OF, UH, HEALTH EFFECTS OF PM 2.5.
AND, UH, YOU'VE HEARD ME BEFORE TALK ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF BRINGING TOGETHER THE HEALTH DATA WITH THE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL DATA TO QUANTIFY THE EFFECTS IN A REAL WAY.
UH, 3M WHICH, UH, HAS THE STATE'S MEDICAID DATA, UM, THEIR DATA DIVISION IS ALSO INTERESTED IN POSSIBLY PARTICIPATING.
AND WE HAVE A, A NUMBER OF ACADEMICS WHO ARE CONCERNED WITH THOSE ISSUES.
UH, AT UT SOUTHWESTERN AND OTHER PLACES WHO ARE INTERESTED.
WE BELIEVE WE CAN REALLY BRING TOGETHER A COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT TO SHOW THE EFFECTS AND TO CON CONTRIBUTE TO, UH, ADDRESSING, UM, THE HEALTH DISPARITIES AND INEQUITIES.
UM, UH, ALSO, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBERSON AND I HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN ATTENDING THE COMMUNITY CHANGE GRANT MEETINGS.
THOSE ARE COMING ALONG QUITE WELL.
UH, THEY, WE ARE LOOKING FOR COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH WILL BE CAPABLE OF BEING SPONSORS FOR THAT APPLICATION.
IF YOU HAVE POSSIBLE SUGGESTIONS.
UM, UH, UH, PLEASE APPRO, UH, TALK TO ME.
UH, I ATTENDED THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE FORUM, UH, AND UM, WANNA CALL YOUR ATTENTION AND PLEASE, PLEASE SIGN UP WITH SOUTHWEST JEWISH CONGRESS TO ATTEND THE, UH, AIR QUALITY FORUM THAT WE'RE DOING IN HONOR OF, UM, UH, EARTH MONTH ON THE 16TH.
IT'S GOING TO BE AT THE PRISM CENTER.
UH, OUR, UM, UH, OUR, UM, THE OTHER ME, I'M THE MODERATOR OF THE PANEL, BUT WE'LL HAVE, UH, DR.
ALABI, UH, AS ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS, UH, UH, SUSAN ALVAREZ ON, UH, FROM NOW TAX COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, AND DR.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA BE LOOK, UH, TALKING ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF AIR QUALITY.
UM, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY ENOUGH FOR NOW.
OH, I ALSO PRESENTED AT THE HEALTH TWO 2.0 CONFERENCE HEALTH 2.0 CONFERENCE IN LAS VEGAS AND SHOWED SOME OF THE DATA FROM DALLAS.
I'M GOING TO BE ALSO PRESENTING IN JUNE AS A KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT A CONFERENCE ON, UH, THE SAME ISSUES ABOUT EQUITY, UH, HEALTH EQUITY, UH, HEALTH DISPARITIES AND INEQUITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
I CAN'T KEEP THEM ALL, UH, TO PARTICIPATE IN CONFERENCES IN BRUSSELS, PARIS, AND BARCELONA IN THE FALL.
I HOPE THAT YOU'RE REPORTING THAT ENGAGEMENT ON THE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT FORM.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT UPDATE.
UM, AND IF YOU HAVE EVENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO SHARE WITH THE COMMISSION, LIKE THE EVENT NEXT WEEK ON THE 16TH, WE CAN PUT THAT ON THE, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S ALREADY ON THE COMMISSION'S CALENDAR, BUT WE CAN SEND OUT AN INVITE WITH THE GRAPHIC AND THE INVITATION TO THE COMMISSION AS WELL.
JUST, I HAVE THE GRAPHIC, WHO SHOULD I SEND IT TO? UH, SEND IT TO STEPHANIE.
I THINK I SENT IT ALREADY, DIDN'T I? I SAW IN THE NEWSLETTER.
[01:40:01]
OKAY, PERFECT.SO I ATTENDED THE RECYCLING TOUR LAST FRIDAY, AND THAT WAS, AS OTHERS SAID, SO UPLIFTING.
UH, GREAT TO SEE THE GOOD WORK GOING ON THERE.
UM, I THINK THE OTHER, UH, THING THAT, UH, WAS VERY INTERESTING THAT I DID IN MARCH, MARCH 8TH, I TOURED THANKS TO MISS POSTON FOR INTRODUCING ME TO A, UH, WONDERFUL PERSON IN DISTRICT 14 WHO MAINTAINS 10 AND PARK, UM, UH, POLLINATOR GARDEN.
AND, UH, THERE'S A, UH, YOU KNOW, BIRDING PATCH AND, UM, SHE'S, YOU KNOW, RESTORING THE STREAM AREA.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, SHE WANTED TO SHOW, YOU KNOW, THIS WONDERFUL PLACE AND ASK FOR HELP WITH, UM, HER INITIATIVE FOR NO GROW OR IS IT NO GROW APRIL? NO, NO, NO.
I WAS LIKE, NO, YOU SHOULD GROW APRIL
AND UM, RIGHT AFTER MY TOUR, THEY CAME IN MOWED.
SO, UM, WE ARE TRYING TO WORK WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ON THE, THE MOWING SCHEDULE AND UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE SHE HAS AN AGREEMENT FOR NO MOWING THERE AND, UM, IT'S, IT WAS A LITTLE DISHEARTENING TO SEE THE RESPONSE FROM THEM ABOUT IT WILL GROW BACK.
SO, UM, BUT AGAIN, SHE'S TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, PROMOTE A NATURAL HABITAT, UH, AND IT DOES SAVE THE CITY MONEY NOT TO.
DISTRICT 15 HAS LEFT FOR THE EVENING.
UH, I DID FORGET TO MENTION THAT WE WILL NEED SOME VOLUNTEERS FOR OAK CLIFF EARTH DAY.
MANY OF YOU ARE GOING, UM, TO ATTEND.
ANYWAYS, IT IS 12 TO FIVE O'CLOCK.
UM, TYPICALLY THE CITY IS VERY KIND AND HELPS US BRING IN, UM, OUR BANNER AND OUR TABLE COVERS AND OUR, UM, OUTREACH MATERIALS.
AND, UM, WE JUST NEED PEOPLE TO HELP SET UP THE TENT AND THEN BREAK IT DOWN AT THE END OF THE DAY.
SO, UM, I WOULD SAY 11 TO MAYBE SIX.
AND SO WE COULD BREAK THAT INTO TWO, THREE HOUR SHIFTS.
AND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, PLEASE EMAIL BECCA, BECCA REAGAN AND COPY ME, PLEASE.
SO SHE WILL HELP US ON SUNDAY, UH, APRIL 21ST.
I WILL LIKELY BE TRAVELING FOR WORK AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND.
I HATE TO MISS THIS YEAR 'CAUSE I'VE, I'VE GONE FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW.
LET'S MOVE OVER TO OUR TECHNICAL PANEL.
UM, DOES ANYBODY ON THE TECHNICAL PANEL HAVE ANY UPDATES, TIMELY UPDATES, URGENT UPDATES THAT THEY NEED TO PROVIDE? JUST, UH, OH, GO AHEAD.
UM, I JUST WANNA MENTION TO EVERYONE THAT, UM, NOT QUITE TWO WEEKS AGO I WENT TO WASHINGTON AND TESTIFIED TO THE GAS LINE PIPELINE ADVISORY COUNCIL WHO'S ADVISING THE PIPELINE HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SAFETY ADMINISTRATION ON NEW RULES REGARDING NATURAL GAS PIPELINES, INCLUDING TRANSMISSION GATHERING AND DISTRIBUTION LINES.
I JUST WANNA MENTION TO EVERYONE, WE HAVE ONE OF THE WORST OFFENDERS OF DISTRIBUTION LINES IN THE COUNTRY THAT IN 10 YEARS HAS HAD 2000 CITATIONS.
THAT'S ALMOST ONE EVERY TWO DAYS, WHO'S HAD SIX EXPLOSIONS IN SIX YEARS.
AND, UM, SO THESE, AND THAT MEANS PROBABLY IN A NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR YOU, THESE NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION LINES AMONGST OTHERS AFFECT YOU.
AND THE NATIONAL COMMENT DEADLINE ON THAT IS APRIL 29TH.
IF ANYBODY WANTS MORE DETAILS ON THAT, EMAIL ME AND I CAN GIVE YOU DETAILS.
UM, I ALSO JUST WANNA MENTION, SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD ME SPEAK ABOUT ETHYLENE OXIDE FROM STERILIZER PLANTS.
THOSE RULES CAME OUT WITHIN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, AND THERE'S NEW RULES ON COMMERCIAL STERILIZERS COMING OUT.
THOSE OF YOU IN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY SHOULD BE, UM, CONCERNED AND AWARE ABOUT THOSE RULES.
AND, UM, I JUST WANNA BRING THAT UP BECAUSE THERE'LL BE A COMMENT PERIOD ON COMMERCIAL STERILIZERS AS WELL.
SO JUST WANNA BRING UP THOSE TWO THINGS.
UH, YES, JUST WANT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT THE EARTHX CONFERENCE IS COMING UP.
I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GONNA ATTEND, BUT IT'S, IT'S KIND OF AN INTERESTING GET TOGETHER OF, UH, INNOVATION, UH, ENTITIES AND, UH, DISCUSSIONS.
[01:45:01]
UH, I'M ACTUALLY MODERATING A PANEL ON AFFORDABLE GREEN HOUSING ON APRIL 22ND.UH, IT'S TAKING PLACE AT THE ANNAL HOTEL.
IF, UH, IF YOU CAN, IF YOU WANNA ATTEND, PLEASE COME.
THANK YOU, MR. MARQUIS, GO AHEAD.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU ALAN HOFFMAN.
UM, YES, EARTHX THIS YEAR IS APRIL 22ND THROUGH 26TH AT THE TOLD IT'S A, UH, SERIES OF SYMPOSIUM AND CURATED PANEL DISCUSSIONS AND REBECCA POSTON, CARLOS EVANS, AL LMAN, AND I'LL ALL BE INVOLVED IN THAT.
WE'VE BEEN, UH, BRING TOGETHER SOME, SOME REALLY GOOD, UH, PANELS FOR THE WEEK.
SO MONDAY IS FOCUSED ON NORTH TEXAS AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES NORTH TEXAS.
SO MONDAY IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND REMAIN OF THE WEEK.
THERE ARE TICKETS YOU HAVE TO BUY COST INVOLVED, BUT IF YOU WANNA COME OUT AND HEAR ABOUT NORTH TEXAS ISSUES, THAT'S MONDAY THE 22ND, WHICH IS EARTH THING, SEE AT THE HOME, GO ON EARTHX.COM, YOU'LL FIND THE ORDER TO FIND, ORG YOU TO FIND OUT ALL ABOUT IT.
ONE PANEL IN PARTICULAR, A LOT OF PANELS ARE INTEREST LIKE THE ONE ALLEN'S DOING, WHICH I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE.
BUT ONE IN PARTICULAR, WE'RE DOING AN, UM, AN INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVE ON NORTH TEXAS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
WE'VE TALKED TO FOUR LEADERS, THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY, AND COME OUT DO A PANEL DISCUSSION ABOUT AN INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVE ON NORTH TEXAS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
THAT'LL BE, UH, ON MONDAY MORNING AND THAT WEEK.
BUT THERE'LL BE LOTS OF GOOD PANELS, LOTS OF GOOD CONFERENCES THAT WEEK.
WE APPRECIATE REBECCA POSTON AND HER WORK ON THE NORTH TEXAS NATIONAL NATURAL PRESENTATION THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING.
AND CARLOS, IT'S GONNA BE ON A VERY INTERESTING PANEL CALLED BROWNFIELD AND BATTLE SCARS, A CONVERSATION WITH ENVIRON VETERANS AND JAMES MCGUIRE, SUE ALVAREZ, AND CARLOS EVAN.
REALLY INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS GOING ON THAT WEEK.
UM, AND I'LL BE CHAIRING SEVERAL OF THOSE AND CURING THE PANELS.
BUT I ALSO WANT YOU MENTION TODAY THAT, UM, OVER THE MANY YEARS I'VE WORKED ON THESE ISSUES IN BALANCE, I CONTINUE TO SEE PLACES WHERE WE ARE NOT SEEING THESE ISSUES AS BEING OF A WHOLE, YOU KNOW, UM, BROUGHT UP IN VEGETATION, IN NATIVE VEGETATION COLUMBUS CITY EARLIER IN DAY, WE'D BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE USE AND THE NEED FOR NATIVE VEGETATION IN DALLAS AND BEING PART OF OUR CITY CODES 20 YEARS AGO.
AND WE STILL DON'T HAVE FULL INTEGRATION OF THAT.
NOW, JULIE HERE, MOTO, IS A DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATION.
SO IF CORPORATIONS
SO WE NEED TO BEGIN TO LOOK AT OUR STRUCTURE, INTERDEPARTMENTAL AND OUR WORK AS A COMMISSION TO MAKE SURE IT'S BEING FULLY INTEGRATED INTO EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT.
AND CLEARLY ARE PLACES WHERE WE STILL ARE NOT GETTING THAT, WHERE CODE ENFORCEMENT DIDN'T KNOW, NOT THE TICKET.
SOMEONE WHO HAS AN URBAN GARDEN, URBAN FARM, WE NEED TO TAKE A STRONGER LOOK AT THAT.
BUT WE NEED TO DO IT FROM THE BUDGET POINT OF VIEW, FROM THE PLANNING OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT POINT OF VIEW OF EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT AND TO HAVE SOME WAY TO IMPLEMENT THAT AND TO DO IT AND INTEGRATE IT ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY.
WE'VE WORKED ON THESE ISSUES FOR DECADES NOW, AND THERE'S NO REASON IN THE WORLD WE SHOULDN'T MAKE UP FURTHER EFFORT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING THAT COMES OUTTA THIS COMMISSION.
PLANNING DEPARTMENTS, EVERY DEPARTMENT IS INTEGRATED.
THERE'S NO REASON IN THE WORLD PARTS DEPARTMENTS SHOULD BE MOWING OVER PARLIAMENT, GUARDIANS, THAT'S INEXCUSABLE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR WAY TOO LONG.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE EVERY DEPARTMENT'S ON THE SAME PAGE AND THAT INCLUDES PEOPLE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE GUYS ON THE MOWER.
YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY THIS BEFORE, THE GUY ON THE MOWER DOESN'T GET THE MEMO.
WE'VE SEEN TOO OFTEN PEOPLE MOW DOWN THE WETLANDS, CUT DOWN IES, AND FISHERIES JUST GOTTA STOP.
AND THIS IS THE COMMISSION AND THIS IS AN DEPARTMENT TO DO THAT.
IF I NEED TO GO TALK TO THE COUNCIL AND OPEN MIC, I'LL DO THAT.