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[Workforce-Education and Equity on May 13, 2024.]
IT IS 9:03 AND I'M CALLING TO ORDER THE MAY 13TH MEETING OF THE WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND EQUITY COMMITTEE.LET'S BEGIN WITH APPROVAL OF THE APRIL 9TH COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES.
ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS OR ANYTHING? AND IF NOT, CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANYTHING ELSE ANYONE WANTS TO ADD? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THE REASON THAT WE ASKED FOR THIS BRIEFING TODAY IS BECAUSE AS YOU ALL MAY REMEMBER, THIS WAS BROUGHT UP DURING A RATHER EXTENSIVE COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND SO I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE BACKGROUND, THE UPDATE.
THE OTHER REASON THAT I WANTED TO BRING IT UP IS BECAUSE, AS WE'VE ALL HEARD OUR CHIEF GARCIA SAY AGAIN AND AGAIN THROUGHOUT OUR CITY, THAT IF WE REDUCE POVERTY, WE REDUCE CRIME AND SO THIS DRIVERS OF POVERTY IS REALLY DESIGNED TO LOOK AT OUR WHOLE CITY AND HOW WE CAN UPLIFT PEOPLE TO THE PLACE WHERE CRIME IS REDUCED, INCOMES ARE UP, PEOPLE'S VISIONS ARE BROADER.
OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GO TO BRIEFING B AND THEN COME BACK TO BRIEFING A.
SO THIS IS YET ANOTHER AREA OF WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE PEOPLE'S LIVES AND THIS IS AN UPDATE OF OUR UPSKILLING PILOT PROGRAM AND THE NEXT STEPS AND THIS IS FOR INTERNALLY OUR UPSKILLING.
SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT OUR OWN CITY WORKFORCE AND HOW OUR EFFORTS TOWARD HELPING PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW.
THANK YOU AND THIS IS WITH NINA ARIAS AND LAURA.
DID I SAY IT? [INAUDIBLE] HOW DO I SAY IT? PLEASE DIZIEN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND I DON'T KNOW IF SONYA WILL BE HERE OR NOT.
GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU, CHAIR.
WE ARE DELIGHTED TO PRESENT TODAY ON THE UPSKILLING PILOT PROGRAM, AND I WILL BE, AS YOU SAY, HERE WITH LAURA DIZIEN, WHO IS OUR SENIOR TRAINING SPECIALIST, WHO IS LEADING THIS EFFORT.
ALSO SOME OF THE SURVEY RESULTS AND THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO DATE, THE RESPONSE TO THE DEPARTMENT AND EMPLOYEES AND WHAT WE FOUND IN THE SURVEY, ALSO, KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR 24 AND THE NEXT STEPS AND SOME OF THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE EITHER FORM OR ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FORMING.
SO I WILL BE GIVEN THE MIC TO LAURA TO TAKE US THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
SO WITH THAT FILTER, WE WILL WE WERE ABLE TO NARROW IT DOWN TO 262.
THE PILOTED DEPARTMENT EXECUTIVES WERE INVITED TO ATTEND AN UPSKILLING INFORMATION SESSION IN NOVEMBER OF 2023, AND THOSE THAT AGREED TO PARTICIPATE WERE SENT A DEPARTMENTAL NEEDS SURVEY.
THE PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS INCLUDE DALLAS WATER UTILITY, LIBRARY EQUIPMENT AND FLEET MANAGEMENT.
PARK AND RECREATION AND SANITATION.
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BASED ON SURVEY FINDINGS, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT DWU, EFM, SANITATION AND PARK ALL HAD OVERLAPPING TRAINING NEEDS.THOSE NEEDS INCLUDED THE SPECIALIZED SKILLS AND CREDENTIALS SUCH AS THE CDLA ELECTRICAL EXPERIENCE, HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATING EXPERIENCE, AND MECHANICAL EXPERIENCE.
THIS DATA SHOWS THE NUMBER OF OPEN POSITIONS THAT REQUIRE EITHER MECHANICAL KNOWLEDGE, HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR EXPERIENCE, THE CDL, OR THE ELECTRICIAN EXPERIENCE ACROSS THESE FOUR DEPARTMENTS.
LIBRARY AND OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE, SPECIFICALLY OUR WICK DEPARTMENT.
THEY HAD VERY UNIQUE NEEDS, WHICH INCLUDED HELPING WITH CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR ASSOCIATE'S DEGREES AND MASTER OF LIBRARY SCIENCE AND THEN NUTRITION CERTIFICATIONS.
SO IN ADDITION TO SENDING OUT THE DEPARTMENTAL NEEDS SURVEY, WE ALSO SENT EMPLOYEES A SURVEY.
THIS SURVEY AGAIN WENT OUT TO EMPLOYEES MAKING BELOW $46,000, AND THAT HAVE BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR TEN OR MORE YEARS AND WERE WITHIN THOSE TARGETED DEPARTMENTS. THIS SURVEY WAS SENT TO 137 EMPLOYEES, AND 19% OF THOSE EMPLOYEES COMPLETED THE SURVEY.
ADDITIONALLY, THE PROGRAM HAS GAINED TRACTION VIA WORD OF MOUTH, WITH TEN EMPLOYEES THAT WEREN'T ORIGINALLY TARGETED REQUESTING TO BE IN THE PROGRAM, AND THEIR SURVEY FINDINGS ARE SHOWN HERE.
SO WE CAN SEE THAT THE LARGEST NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES HAVE A GOAL OF BECOMING A SUPERVISOR OR MANAGER.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS A QUESTION THAT ASKED WHAT RESOURCES DOES THE EMPLOYEE NEED TO MOVE INTO THEIR CAREER GOALS THAT INCLUDED SOFTWARE TRAINING, WHICH INCLUDES MICROSOFT UPDATES, WORKDAY'S, WORKDAY, AND OTHER SYSTEMS THAT WE USE ACROSS THE CITY, AS WELL AS PROFESSIONAL LICENSE AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS, WHICH WOULD BE THE CDL LICENSE, LACTATION CONSULTANT, CONTINUING EDUCATION THROUGH DALLAS COLLEGE OR OTHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, INTERVIEWING SKILLS, CAREER COACHING, AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES WHICH COULD INCLUDE CHILD CARE OR TRANSPORTATION.
AS A RESPONSE TO THE DEPARTMENT NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
WE HAVE TARGETED FOUR GOALS, WHICH INCLUDE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR CERTIFIED APPRENTICESHIPS.
THIS WOULD BE SPECIFIC TO THOSE HIGH NEED TRADE AREAS OF THE CDL LICENSE, HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS, DIESEL MECHANICS AND CDL ELECTRICIANS.
WE ALSO HAVE GRANT FUNDED TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE TARGETED TRAINING THAT WOULD BE FUNDED BY AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION SUCH AS DALLAS COLLEGE OR TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE.
THIS WOULD ALSO INCLUDE INCREASING THE CDL LICENSE WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS WORKFORCE.
OTHER INSTITUTIONS THAT FOCUS ON TRADES.
AND THIS AGREEMENT WOULD BE AT THE EXPENSE OF THE DEPARTMENT, BUT FOLLOW SIMILAR MODELS THAT EFM AND BUILDING SERVICES ALREADY HAS, AS WELL AS DFR IN DALLAS COLLEGE AND THEN FINALLY AN EMPLOYEE SPONSORED TRAINING PROGRAM.
THIS COULD INCLUDE A COHORT FOR A MASTER OF LIBRARY SCIENCE OR A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NUTRITION.
AS A RESPONSE TO THE EMPLOYEE NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
WE HAVE BEGAN WITH ONE ON ONE UPSKILLING MEETINGS TO MEET WITH EMPLOYEES, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR CAREER GOALS AND GIVE THEM VERY TARGETED RESOURCES TO MEET THEIR NEEDS.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE PROVIDED 78 RESOURCES WHICH HAVE INCLUDED CROSS DEPARTMENTAL CONNECTIONS, MENTORS, TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, RESUME WRITING ASSISTANCE.
THREE EMPLOYEES HAVE APPLIED FOR HIGHER PAYING POSITIONS WITHIN THE CITY.
TWO EMPLOYEES HAVE ATTENDED TRAININGS RECOMMENDED BY THE PROGRAM, AND WE HAVE ONE EXTERNAL GRANT FUNDED OPPORTUNITY FOR A CDL LICENSE THROUGH SOUTH DALLAS DRIVING ACADEMY, AND WE WERE ABLE TO NOMINATE ONE EMPLOYEE.
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OUR KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS THUS FAR ARE 6% OF OUR TARGETED EMPLOYEES HAVE AGREED TO PARTICIPATE.OUR EMPLOYEE SURVEY SATISFACTION RATE IS CURRENTLY 100% POSITIVE, AND WE HAVE 94% OF OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE REMAINED IN THE PROGRAM AS THEY WORK TO THEIR TARGETED GOAL.
SO OUR IMMEDIATE NEXT STEPS WILL BE CONTINUING TO RESEARCH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR APPRENTICESHIPS CONTINUE TO SOURCE GRANT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, REQUESTING BUDGET APPROVAL FOR EMPLOYEE SPONSORED TRAINING PROGRAMS, CONTINUING OUR COLLABORATION WITH THE PILOTED DEPARTMENTS AND DEVELOPING PHASE TWO OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH WILL INCLUDE A JOB SHADOWING, PEER MENTORSHIPS AND THEN FINALIZING APPRENTICESHIPS.
I'VE HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF OUR STRATEGIC PARTNERS WHICH OFFER FINANCIAL BENEFITS TO CITY OF DALLAS EMPLOYEES AND THEN THAT'S CONTINUED ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
THANK YOU LAURA AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION TODAY AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS COMMITTEE MAY HAVE. GREAT.
THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RESENDEZ.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I DON'T HAVE ANY. THANK YOU.
ANYONE HERE AT THE HORSESHOE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIS? SURE. THANK YOU FOR SHARING MORE ABOUT THIS.
SO IF YOU CAN JUST FOOTNOTE SOME THINGS, LIKE WHAT THE VOLUME OF PEOPLE ARE THAT THIS IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TARGETING THESE EMPLOYEES THAT MAKE THIS INCOME AND THIS IS THE UNIVERSE OF THOSE EMPLOYEES AND NOW WE'VE GONE TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE TEN YEARS AND I'M HOPING THAT THESE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN WORK ON, BECAUSE TEN YEARS SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME TO GO WITHOUT THAT DEVELOPMENT.
MISS ARIAS, DOESN'T WORKDAY HAVE A MODULE THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ACTIVATING THAT IS AROUND CAREER PATHWAYS AND DEVELOPMENT? HOW DOES THAT OVERLAY ON THIS? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
WE HAVE THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT MODULE THAT IS SCHEDULED TO BE ACTIVATED OR, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENTED DEPLOY BASICALLY. THE SCHEDULE CURRENTLY THE NEXT MODULE IS BENEFITS AND THAT MODULE IS THE MOST COMPLEX, I WOULD SAY.
AND THEN WE WILL DO DEVELOPMENT IN DECEMBER.
SO INSTEAD OF USING SPREADSHEETS WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE A ROBUST SYSTEM TO TRACK NOT ONLY THIS PROGRAM, BUT ALSO DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND THE TRAINING THAT EMPLOYEES ARE RECEIVING CITYWIDE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE AN INTUITIVE FEATURE.
OR IS THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT WHERE YOU CAN GO AND WHAT KIND OF TRAINING YOU NEED TO GET THERE.
I WILL SAY THE DEVELOPMENT MODULE IN PARTICULAR TRACKS THE INFORMATION.
HOWEVER, THE PERFORMANCE MODULE ALLOWS EMPLOYEES TO IDENTIFY ROLES WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO INTO AND THE STEPS ALSO THAT YOU KNOW, TO TAKE TO GET THERE, UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO GET THERE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT ALLOWS OTHERS TO SEE THE SKILLS THAT A PARTICULAR EMPLOYEE HAVE.
FOR INSTANCE, IF I NEED SOMEONE THAT SPEAKS A CERTAIN LANGUAGE OR SOMEONE THAT HAS CERTAIN SKILL, I COULD GO INTO THE SYSTEM AND IDENTIFY EVERYONE THAT HAS A CDL, FOR INSTANCE. OKAY, LET ME GO BACK NOW TO SLIDE SIX, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THESE ARE TWO AREAS, LIBRARY AND OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE.
THAT JUST SORT OF SHOOK OUT OF THIS BECAUSE THEIR NEEDS ARE SO SPECIALIZED.
HOW ARE WE ADDRESSING THAT OR ARE THEY JUST PARKED FOR RIGHT NOW? NO. SO WE ARE MEETING WITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS TWU AND UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON TO GET SOME FACT FINDING AS TO IF WE COULD BRING COHORTS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE WITH UT DALLAS FOR THE MPA PROGRAM, POTENTIALLY TO THE CITY, WHETHER IT BE ONLINE OR AT CITY HALL, AND TO ADDRESS IT THAT WAY? AND WOULD THIS BE FUNDED? I MEAN, I NOTICED YOU SAID ON PAGE 9 YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT GRANT FUNDED TRAINING PROGRAMS WITH DALLAS COLLEGE AND TSTC.
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SO YOU SAID THEY ARE FUNDING THESE.SO LIBRARY AND WICK BOTH HAVE SOME TRAINING FUNDS ALREADY BUDGETED, BUT I THINK THAT THEY JUST HAVEN'T UTILIZED THEM OR EMPLOYEES AREN'T SURE THE PATHWAY OF HOW TO GET STARTED.
SO JUST KIND OF PUTTING ALL OF THOSE CONNECTIONS TOGETHER OKAY.
BUT GOING BACK ON SLIDE NINE ABOUT THE ONES THAT ARE GRANT FUNDED, YOU SAID THAT THERE ARE SOME, I GUESS, IN THESE OTHER FOUR CATEGORIES THAT ARE USING GRANT FUNDED TRAINING PROGRAMS. YES AND I BELIEVE THAT THE GRANT FUNDED PROGRAMS WOULD BE THROUGH DALLAS COLLEGE OR TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL AND THAT'S USUALLY FUNNELED THROUGH GRANTS FROM WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS. OKAY.
SO WE'RE GOING THROUGH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS.
ALL RIGHT AND THEN AND SO THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT THIS HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN.
RIGHT. BECAUSE IT DOES SEEM LIKE PRETTY SMALL NUMBERS, BUT MAYBE THIS IS A PILOT.
SO HOPEFULLY WE WOULD SEE THESE NUMBERS GROW.
BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF TARGETED EMPLOYEES WHO AGREED TO PARTICIPATE, IF THEY'RE NOT AGREEING TO PARTICIPATE, WHAT ARE THE HURDLES KEEPING THEM FROM ENGAGING IN SOME OPPORTUNITY LIKE THIS? SO SOME EMPLOYEES ARE FINE WHERE THEY ARE.
YOU KNOW, THEY LOVE THEIR TEAM, THEY LOVE THEIR DEPARTMENT, AND THEY LOVE THEIR LEADERSHIP AND, YOU KNOW, WE FOUND THAT MAYBE THEY HAVE ADDITIONAL JOBS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY THAT IS ABLE TO SUPPLEMENT INCOME.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE ONES THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH REALLY ARE VERY VESTED.
THEY REACHED OUT. RIGHT AWAY AND THEY HAVE CLEAR CAREER GOALS.
SO IT SEEMS THAT THE MORE THAT WE'RE GETTING TO KNOW THE INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE, IT'S MORE COMPLEX ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, WHICH HAS BEEN THE VALUE OF KEEPING IT VERY SMALL AT THIS TIME TO GET TO KNOW EMPLOYEES AND SERVE THEM ADEQUATELY AND THEN AS WE GROW, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SET UP GUARDRAILS AND MORE PARAMETERS TO MAKE IT FIT A LARGER NUMBER.
OKAY AND I HAD A QUESTION IN THE APPENDIX ON SLIDE 16.
IT SHOWS A LOT OF OPEN POSITIONS AND OPEN REQUISITIONS IN PARK AND REC.
IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE SEASONAL HIRING THAT DOES INCLUDE SEASONAL? OKAY. WELL, I MEAN, OVERALL, I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.
I MEAN, I'M THINKING ABOUT THAT ONE, RIGHT? SO TO GET A JOB WITHIN THE CITY, MANY OF THE EMPLOYEES, IF THEY'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR TEN YEARS, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE THEY'VE APPLIED FOR A ROLE.
WELL, I MEAN, I THINK WHEN I HEAR THAT TEN YEARS, IT'S LIKE, WOW, THAT'S A LONG TIME TO BE HERE WITHOUT LOOKING AT CAREER DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS AND SO RECOGNIZING THAT THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR AND GETTING SOME LEARNING, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT NUMBER COME DOWN AND SEE HOW WE CAN SCALE SOME OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE AND EVEN LOOK AT SOME OF THESE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
I MEAN, I REALIZE YOU'VE IDENTIFIED THESE WHERE WE'VE GOT HARD TO FILL POSITIONS.
THAT'S THE SMART WAY TO LOOK AT THIS.
I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, STAND OUT TO WHERE I MIGHT LOSE MY JOB OR SOMETHING.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DYNAMIC IS.
I THINK IT'S DIFFERENT WITH, YOU KNOW, EVERY DEPARTMENT AND DEFINITELY MOVING FORWARD, WE WILL SPEND MORE TIME SPEAKING TO DIRECT MANAGERS AND ABOUT THE VALUE OF THE PROGRAM AND THAT REALLY THE GOAL OF LEADERSHIP IS TO GROW YOUR EMPLOYEES AND TO MOVE YOUR EMPLOYEES INTO HIGHER PAYING POSITIONS.
SO THAT WILL BE AN AREA FOR IMPROVEMENT.
ABSOLUTELY AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT IS ABOUT CULTURE CHANGE.
SO IT'S ABOUT HELPING MANAGERS UNDERSTAND THEIR ROLE NOT ONLY IN DEVELOPING THEIR EMPLOYEES, BUT ALSO THAT BY TRYING TO RETAIN SOMEONE, WE MAY LOSE THEM, AND RATHER WE MOVE THEM UP IN THE ORGANIZATION AND RETAIN THEM WITH THE ORGANIZATION.
AND WHAT IS THEIR ROLE IN DOING THAT? BUT THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT.
OKAY. THANK YOU. SO THIS IS A PILOT PROGRAM.
SO IS IT CONSIDERED YEAR ZERO? I MEAN, YOU'RE KIND OF BUILDING IT.
ARE YOU PLANNING TO LOOK AT WHAT YOU CAN IMPROVE BETTER AND WHEN WILL THOSE BE AVAILABLE FOR US? BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS KIND OF ROCKY TO GET SOMETHING STARTED.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I GUESS LOOKING AT IT FROM AN OBJECTIVE POINT OF VIEW OF WHAT COULD BE DONE BETTER, LIKE PROVIDING AN INCENTIVE FOR A $50 GIFT CARD TO STARBUCKS, I DON'T KNOW, TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SURVEY.
I MEAN, SO I GUESS WHEN WILL THOSE BE AVAILABLE IN IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PROGRAM?
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WELL, WE DO HAVE A MEETING NEXT WEEK TO START LOOKING AT WHAT WE'VE DONE WELL AND NOT DONE WELL.TO START PUTTING THOSE PIECES TOGETHER.
YES AND IN THE BUDGET PROCESS WE WILL BE BRINGING IN SOME ENHANCEMENTS THAT MAY HELP MAKE THIS PROCESS, THIS PROGRAM MORE ROBUST. WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TO HAVE A GOOD RETURN ON INVESTMENT, MAKE SURE THAT WE FULLY UNDERSTAND WHERE IS THE IMPACT GOING TO BE THE GREATEST AND THEN INVEST THERE.
HOW DO YOU LOOSEN THAT? BECAUSE THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY A A GOOD THING IN MY OPINION.
I MEAN, WE GET EMPLOYEES, WE GROW THEM.
IT IS UPON US TO SEE THEM MOVE IN THE ORGANIZATION.
SO HOW ARE YOU ASSURING THOSE MANAGERS? BECAUSE THAT MEANS THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON IN THOSE MANAGERS.
HEAD OF IF I RELINQUISH ANY RESOURCE, INCLUDING PERSONNEL, I MAY NOT SUCCEED.
SO DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY AROUND THAT? BECAUSE THAT'S A TO ME THAT'S A REALLY HARSH STATEMENT.
YES. I YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T CATEGORIZE IT AS HARSH.
I THINK IT'S A REALITY OF YOU KNOW, A MANAGER DAY TO DAY WHAT THEY ENCOUNTER.
SO YOU DON'T THINK IT'S HARSH THAT SOMEBODY SEES AN EMPLOYEE THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO TRAIN, TO MOVE ON, TO BE A COLLEAGUE, AS A MANAGER? I MEAN, THAT'S HOW I SEE MYSELF, IS I TRAIN PEOPLE SO THEY CAN FLY AND THAT'S, I GUESS, UPON ME AND HOW I SEE THINGS. BUT IF WE HAVE MANAGERS THAT DON'T SEE THAT THERE'S A REASON WHY AND THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING YOU ALL TO GO FIND OUT IS BECAUSE TO ME THAT'S A EMPLOYEES ARE RESOURCES.
THAT'S ALL WE REALLY HAVE IN THIS ORGANIZATION IS PEOPLE AND TO NOT WANT THEM TO BE MOVED UP TO AN ACM OR A MANAGER OR EVEN A DIRECTOR LEVEL BECAUSE YOU'RE AFRAID THAT YOU CAN'T FILL THE SPOT IS ALARMING.
YEAH. WHAT I WOULD SAY AND WHAT I MEANT TO SAY IS THAT MY STATEMENT, I BELIEVE, IS JUST POINTING TO A REALITY THAT, YOU KNOW, MANAGERS MAY FEEL THAT WAY.
SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS ENSURE, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, WORK WITH THEM, ASSURE THEM THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO BRING IN STAFF, THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE HELPING THEM DEVELOP THAT STAFF, THAT HELPING PEOPLE GROW.
AS YOU SAID, MOVE UP IN THE ORGANIZATION BENEFITS EVERYONE AND IT IS A MINDSET.
YOU KNOW, SOME MANAGERS DO HAVE THAT MINDSET.
SO IT IS ABOUT CHANGING THE CULTURE, HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE COMMON GOOD AND HOW YOU KNOW WHAT IS IN THERE FOR THEM AS WELL, AND JUST THAT WILL ALSO HELP PEOPLE FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE RAISING THEIR HAND, BECAUSE IF THEY THINK THEIR MANAGER IS SUPPORTIVE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE A LOT MORE OPEN TO PARTICIPATE.
AND SO I'M ASKING YOU ON THE NEXT TIME YOU COME BACK TO QUALIFY THAT STATEMENT, BECAUSE I THINK AS TO IN REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY THEY FEEL THAT WAY, BECAUSE I THINK THAT SAYS A LOT ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION.
IF THAT IS NOT THE WAY THAT WE'RE SEEING OUR EMPLOYEES, THAT WE TRAIN THEM AND WE MOVE THEM UP, BECAUSE THAT IS HOW I SEE IT AND THERE MAY BE A DISCONNECT, MAYBE, BETWEEN ALL OF US HERE AT THE CITY, ON THE COUNCIL, WITH STAFF, OR MAYBE JUST ME, AND I'M JUST AN OUTLIER.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT IS UPON US TO TRAIN THEM AND RETAIN THEM.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE MY NEXT QUESTION IS, HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE RETAINING THEM? I MEAN, IT IS ALSO CULTURE, BUT ALSO MAYBE THEY'RE LEAVING BECAUSE THEY CAN'T ADVANCE AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE PIPELINE IS STUCK.
SO I'M ASKING, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO RETAIN FOLKS? WELL, LET ME JUST JUMP IN BECAUSE I WELL, I THINK WE HAVE TOO MANY IF SOMEBODY THANK.
YOU? I THINK WE HAVE A WHOLE BRIEFING ON RETENTION.
SO THIS IS I WANT TO FOCUS THIS ONE JUST ON THE UPSKILLING.
BUT THE RETENTION PIECE, THE EMPLOYEE RETENTION PIECE BOTH COMBINES WITH US AND GFM.
BUT WE DO HAVE A BRIEFING COMING UP ON IT, BECAUSE IF WE'RE AND, YOU KNOW, TRAINING IS NOT CHEAP AND INVESTING IN YOUR PERSONNEL IS, I THINK, AN IMPORTANT FACTOR. BUT WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN KEEP THEM.
SO I GUESS WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT IN FUTURE BRIEFINGS, BECAUSE IT'S A TWO PRONGED PROCESS.
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THING TO ACHIEVE.I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS IN THE ORGANIZATION THAT THIS IS NOT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE DINGED FOR DOING IT AND IF THE MANAGERS ARE FOCUSING THAT WAY AND SCARED, THEN THEY DON'T WANT TO RELINQUISH THEIR RESOURCES, THEN THAT'S A PROBLEM TOO.
THANK YOU. YEAH. I WANT TO CLARIFY A COUPLE OF FACTS.
ONE IS COULD YOU CLARIFY THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES MAKING LESS THAN 46,000? 2,430. SO ABOUT 19% 2430.
YES. BUT THIS REPORT WAS RUN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM.
SO THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY 12 MONTHS AGO.
GOT IT. OKAY, THANK YOU AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION IS WHEN YOU DO COME BACK, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MANAGERS PIECE HOW MANY MANAGERS AND THAT YOU SPEAK WITH EVERY MAN, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE MANAGERS TO UNDERSTAND THESE ISSUES THAT YOU'RE BRINGING FORWARD.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION, MR. RIDLEY? YES, PLEASE.
OUT OF HOW MANY? WHAT'S THE UNIVERSE THERE? TWO EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE ATTENDED TRAINING.
YES. SO I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER IN FRONT OF HOW MANY SPECIFIC TRAININGS HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED.
BUT I THINK THAT HAS TO DO WITH IT DOES GO BACK TO THE MANAGER PIECE THAT WHEN WE ORIGINALLY HIGHLIGHTED THIS PROGRAM, WE TARGETED EXECUTIVES. AND SO AND THAT WAS WITH THE IDEA OF TAKING THINGS OFF A MANAGER'S PLATE.
BUT WHEN WE GO BACK AND WE DO IT AGAIN, WE WILL BE TARGETING MANAGERS AND EXPLAINING IT, BECAUSE THERE IS A MISCONCEPTION TO THE PROGRAM AND I THINK THAT SOME OF NOT ATTENDING THE TRAINING HAS TO DO WITH HAVING TO TELL YOUR MANAGER OR EXPLAIN IT TO YOUR MANAGER AND SO THAT'S WHERE I FOUND THE HOLE.
SO WHO IS RECOMMENDING THESE TRAININGS MYSELF BASED ON THEIR NEEDS? SO REALLY JUST A LOT OF TRAININGS WITHIN THE CITY BECAUSE EACH DEPARTMENT OFFERS SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT EMPLOYEES JUST AREN'T AWARE OF.
WELL, ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THAT NUMBER OF TWO? DOES THAT NOT INDICATE A LACK OF PENETRATION OF THE NEED FOR UPSKILLING? I'M NOT SATISFIED WITH THE NUMBER OF TWO AND IT'S BEEN A BALANCE FOR ME TO ENCOURAGE BUT NOT PUSH, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY TO CHANGE THE TYPE OF TRAINING THAT I'M PROVIDING, BECAUSE IF THEY'RE NOT DOING IT, THEN WE'RE THE MISSING LINK.
WE'RE NOT ABLE TO MEET THEIR EXACT NEEDS.
OKAY. WELL, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT'S AN AREA THAT NEEDS YOUR ATTENTION.
ALSO ON SLIDE 11 THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN THAT YOU REVIEWED IS WHERE WE ARE NOW.
THE LEFT HAND COLUMN, I ASSUME, REPRESENTS GOALS AS OF THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
OKAY. HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU GET AN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION RATE OF 100%? THAT JUST SEEMS INCREDIBLE.
SO HOW MANY PEOPLE DOES THAT REPRESENT? ONE. THANK YOU TO THAT EMPLOYEE WHO IS THERE WATCHING.
WELL, KUDOS TO THAT EMPLOYEE BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BROADEN THE SURVEY IN THAT RESPECT AND SPEAKING OF THAT, WE PERENNIALLY HEAR ABOUT THE SHORTAGE OF SKILLED EMPLOYEES IN THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
EVERY MONTH AT [INAUDIBLE], WE GET ANOTHER REPORT FROM THEM THAT THERE ARE 40 EMPLOYEES SHORT, AND SOME OF THOSE ARE AT MORE SENIOR LEVELS AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THAT AND THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AS WELL, WHICH ALSO COMPLAINS ABOUT A LACK OF SKILLED PEOPLE WOULD BE NATURAL TARGETS FOR AN EXPANSION OF THIS PILOT PROGRAM.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR DEPARTMENTS THAT YOU ARE CONSIDERING FOR SUCH AN EXPANSION? OKAY. SO TRANSPORTATION WAS ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS WHO REACHED OUT BASED ON WORD OF MOUTH TO PARTICIPATE.
SO THAT'S OUR NEXT THAT'S ACTUALLY NINE OF THE EMPLOYEES AND WHAT ABOUT ANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS WE DO WANT TO IF I MAY ADD TO THAT WE ACTUALLY ARE TARGETING EMPLOYEES AT DIFFERENT LEVELS, NOT NECESSARILY FOR THE UPSKILLING PROGRAM, BUT FOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT IN GENERAL, OR I WILL SAY, MORE PROFESSIONAL LEVEL TRAINING.
[00:30:09]
IT IS THERE'S DEFINITELY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO EXPAND AND MAYBE LOOK AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF EMPLOYEES WITH UPSKILLING IN ADDITION TO THAT LOW INCOME TARGET THE PROGRAM WAS INITIALLY DESIGNED TO TARGET THAT GROUP FOLLOWING THE MAYOR'S YOU KNOW, GUIDANCE ON UPSKILLING FOR THE CITY.SO WHAT WE DID IS WE TRANSLATED THE SAME OBJECTIVES, THE SAME TARGET TO CITY EMPLOYEES AS THE MAYOR'S PROGRAM DID FOR THE CITY IN GENERAL. SO WHAT IS YOUR TIME FRAME FOR COMPLETING THE PILOT PROGRAM AND POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT OTHER DEPARTMENTS THIS YEAR? BASICALLY, THE PILOT IS THIS YEAR.
WE DON'T HAVE A ROBUST BUDGET.
WE HAVE VERY FEW STAFF DEDICATED TO IT.
BUT WE ARE PLANNING ON EXPANDING ON HARD TO FILL POSITIONS.
SO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES WILL BE DEFINITELY ONE OF THE AREAS TRANSPORTATION AS WELL.
SO IF YOU HAVE LIMITED FUNDING FOR THIS KIND OF PROGRAM, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED? ASKING THE DESIGNATED DEPARTMENTS FOR CONTRIBUTION TO CULTIVATE THEIR OWN PERSONNEL.
YES, INDEED AND AS LAURA WAS CHAIRING IN ONE OF THE SLIDES, THIS IS A MULTI PRONGED APPROACH.
OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES CENTRALLY, BUT DEPARTMENTS HAVE THEIR OWN RESOURCES.
THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY ONE THING THAT I'M GOING TO GO TO ACM GIBSON.
THEN I'M GOING TO GO TO DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM.
THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR OUR LOWEST SALARIED EMPLOYEES.
IS THAT CORRECT? AND SO A LOT OF THE DEPARTMENTS DON'T EVEN HAVE POSITIONS THAT START BELOW 46,000 AND SO, MR. RIDLEY, I THINK THAT WILL HELP IN TERMS OF THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU BRING FORWARD THAT ARE TOTALLY CORRECT ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
THEY MAY NOT HAVE THAT MANY POSITIONS AT THAT LOWER LEVEL.
SO I JUST WANT TO BRING THAT UP.
NINA. LAURA, THANK YOU FOR WORKING IN THIS SPACE.
I WAS VERY EXCITED WHEN YOU GUYS CAME IN.
THEY DEALT DIRECTLY WITH ME AS A DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT.
WE ISOLATED THE EMPLOYEES THAT MAKE UNDER 46,000, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL OBSERVATIONS THAT I HAD FROM MY ROLE AS DIRECTOR, ONE OF WHICH IS YOU CAN'T DRIVE A PURPOSE IN SOMEONE WHO IS TELLING YOU THAT I HAVE A QUALITY AND BALANCE OF LIFE, AND I HAVE A SECOND JOB AND SO I HAVEN'T APPLIED FOR A PROMOTION IN TEN YEARS.
THEY ACTUALLY REFUSED TO TAKE A PROMOTION.
BECAUSE I KNOW MY CUSTOMERS AND I KNOW MY COWORKERS, AND THEY'RE MY FAMILY AND I DON'T WANT TO MOVE AND THAT'S A THAT'S A VERY STRATEGIC THING AND I WILL ALSO SUGGEST TO YOU, AND I'LL BE VERY KIND IN HOW I SAY THIS, BUT THERE'S SOME EMPLOYEES THAT WE NEED TO BE WORKING ON HOW THEY CAN DO THEIR CURRENT JOBS BETTER BEFORE WE CAN UPSKILL THEM.
THEY SHOULD LOOK AT THEIR PERFORMANCE RATINGS THAT THEY'VE GOTTEN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
THAT SUGGESTS POTENTIALLY A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PATH THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH UPSKILLING AND THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT THEY'RE LIKELY GOING TO FIND THAT I RAN ACROSS AS DIRECTOR AS WELL.
SO WHEN I SAY THAT YOU GOT TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE THIRSTY AND ARE HUNGRY, AND THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT RELATED TO RETENTION, THOSE WHO ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE THERE'S NO WAY OUT, THAT I'M TRAPPED AND THAT'S WHAT THIS PROGRAM SHOULD CAPTURE, AND YOU SHOULD WORK AND EMPHASIZE ALL YOUR ENERGY INTO THOSE FOLKS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. GIBSON. I THINK WHAT WE'RE HEARING CLEARLY BEFORE I GO TO YOU, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, IS THAT WE WANT AN UPDATE MAYBE IN THREE MONTHS AND IF YOU'LL WORK CLOSELY IN TERMS OF THE KIND OF REPORTING AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE ADDED TO THIS IS THE WHOLE MANAGER'S PIECE NEEDS TO BE ADDED TO THIS REPORT AS WELL AS, FOR CLARITY'S SAKE, A VERY CLEAR MISSION STATEMENT ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND WHO YOU'RE TARGETING.
OKAY. PLEASE, MISS ARNOLD, THANK YOU.
JUST A QUESTION. I'M LOOKING AT THE AGENDA THIS MORNING.
I SEE A COUPLE OF WORDS, A WORD THAT KEEPS RESONATING ON THE BUDGETS AND BUDGET REVIEWS.
[00:35:01]
YOU'RE SAYING THAT I WANT TO JUST REPEAT.YOU HAVE NO EMPLOYEES UNDER 46,000.
WOULD YOU CLEAR THAT UP FOR ME? COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? I'M SORRY. I'M TRYING. SO LET ME JUST GO STRAIGHT ON TO THE QUESTION HERE.
LAST YEAR WE I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR WE HAD THIS ROBUST CONVERSATION AROUND THE SECURITY GUARDS AND SO I'M ASKING HERE IN SECURITY, THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE PROVIDING SAFETY IN THE BUILDING, WHERE DO THEY FIT IN THIS FIGURE THAT YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT? YES. SO THERE WERE EMPLOYEES FROM COURT THAT WERE ORIGINALLY TARGETED.
OKAY. I THINK I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH ARE THEY? SO ARE THEY IN THE AT RISK LEVELS? WHERE ARE THESE? WHERE ARE WE BRINGING THESE INDIVIDUALS IN ON WHAT ARE THEY COMING IN ON ON A SALARY? BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN HELP UPSKILL OR UP.
WHAT DO YOU SAY UPSKILL AND AND PROMOTE AND RETAIN, IF I MAY WE CAN PROVIDE THE EXACT NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THAT ARE IN THAT CATEGORY IN THE, IN COURTS AND IN SECURITY ROLES.
WE HAVE OVER 12,000 EMPLOYEES CITYWIDE THAT FALL UNDER THAT THRESHOLD.
OKAY. SO CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, THIS IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO BEFORE WE GET THE BUDGET OR ARE THEY IN THE CATEGORY WHERE EITHER THEY DON'T WANT TO BE PROMOTED OR THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE BEING FAMILY, AND ARE THEY UNDERPAID? WHICH IN THE NEXT CONVERSATION AROUND POVERTY, DRIVERS OF POVERTY, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE UPSKILLING SO THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO PERHAPS ARE COMING IN AT A LEVEL THAT MAYBE YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT NOW, BUT I NEED THAT DATA.
THEY CAN BE UPSKILLED SO THAT THEIR SALARY GOES UP AND IT'S COMPETITIVE, MAINLY BECAUSE WE'RE IN A VERY TENDER SITUATION HERE THESE DAYS AND VERY SENSITIVE AND WE WANT PEOPLE WHO IN THIS CATEGORY WHO WILL PROVIDE SECURITY AND SAFETY FOR US AROUND THIS HORSESHOE AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THE IN THE WHAT DO YOU SAY? HOW MANY WORKERS DO WE HAVE IN THIS IN THE COURTS? IN THE COURSE WE ARE. WELL, LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
WHERE ARE THE SECURITY GUARDS? PROVIDING SAFETY. THAT WE ARE PAYING FOR THEM AS A CITY HALL AND WHERE ELSE? THEIR LOCATION.
WHERE ARE THEY SITTING AT? WHERE ARE THE SECURITY GUARDS PROVIDING THE SECURITY THAT WE'RE PAYING THEM TO GIVE SECURITY? THE SECURITY GUARDS ARE IN THE COURTS AND, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY, THEY ARE IN MANY DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
WE HAVE NOT MADE THEM PART OF THIS PILOT.
HOWEVER, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THEM FOR PHASE TWO.
SO THERE ARE SOME ROLES IN THE ORGANIZATION IN THE CITY THAT YOU KNOW ARE LOWER PAY.
SO HOW DO WE HELP PEOPLE COME IN AS A STEPPING STONE AND MOVE UP? SO ON AN AVERAGE, WHERE ARE THEY COMING IN ON WITH THEIR SALARIES AND THEY COME IN AS NEW.
WHERE ARE THEY COMING IN? I DO NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION HERE WITH ME, BUT I'LL BE HAPPY TO.
SO THAT'S WHAT I NEED IN ORDER FOR US TO ADDRESS EQUITY.
BECAUSE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RAISING THE BAR HERE, I THINK ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO AND I DON'T KNOW THAT MANY PEOPLE WOULD SAY I DON'T AND I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T SEE WHAT CONVERSATION YOU HAD BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HAD THE CONVERSATION.
BUT WHAT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT IS I CONTINUE TO WATCH THE NEWS ARE WE REALLY SAFE HERE IN THE BUILDING? DO YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO YES, THEY ARE COMMITTED, BUT ARE WE TREATING THEM EQUITABLY IN TERMS OF THEIR SALARIES? AND ARE WE IN A POSITION NOW WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UPSKILLING? MAYBE SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WANT TO HAVE SOME SKILLS TRAINING SO THEY CAN MOVE THROUGH THE DIFFERENT LEVELS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE SERGEANTS OR CORPORALS OR WHAT THEY ARE IN SECURITY, BUT I'M SURE THERE ARE SOME WHO DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE SAME POSITION THAT THEY WERE HIRED IN 20 YEARS LATER OR TEN YEARS LATER.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO, BECAUSE WE ARE IN A VERY SENSITIVE PERIOD NOW AND SECURITY IS HIGH LEVEL, AND IT REQUIRES THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON THEIR LINE AND THIS BUILDING, JUST LIKE THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE.
SO WOULD YOU SEND THAT INFORMATION TO ME? I DON'T WANT IT TO BYPASS OUR CONVERSATIONS HERE AROUND BUDGET AND OUR ADVOCACY AROUND UPSKILLING PILOT PROGRAM AND OF COURSE, THE RECRUITMENT, PROMOTION AND RETENTION OF THESE OFFICERS AS WELL.
[00:40:02]
BUILDING. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.THAT'S A VERY VITAL POINT AND WE WILL DEFINITELY BE TAKING THAT UP.
I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM C.
SO I WANT TO MOVE THROUGH EXPEDITIOUSLY.
I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO NO I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM C TO SORRY TO THE OFFICE OF EQUITY INCLUSION, THE BUDGET REVIEW AND THE NEXT STEPS.
THEN I'LL COME BACK TO THE DRIVERS OF POVERTY.
ALRIGHTY. WELL, GOOD MORNING, CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I'M HERE WITH CHRISTINA DEL SILVA, WHO SERVES AS OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, AS WELL AS REGINA GRAY, OUR BUDGET MANAGER FOR THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION, WHO WILL BOTH HELP ME FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION AND ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS.
THIS PRESENTATION WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH AN OVERVIEW OF OEI.
THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION WORK WILL HIGHLIGHT OUR BUDGET WITH AN AIM TO ENHANCE YOUR UNDERSTANDING FOR THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES FUNDED BY THIS BUDGET, DEMONSTRATING OUR COMMITMENT TO SERVING THE COMMUNITY EFFECTIVELY.
SO IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE WORKFORCE, EDUCATION AND EQUITY PRIORITIES.
OEI CONDUCTS POLICY ANALYSIS USING DISAGGREGATED DATA, ENGAGES IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH TO COLLECT THE INPUT OF RESIDENTS THAT REALLY SUPPORTS OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL 42 DEPARTMENTS TO GUIDE AN EQUITABLE DECISION MAKING PROCESSES. THE STRATEGIC APPROACH IS VITAL AND IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR ALL DALLAS RESIDENTS.
OEI WORKS TO FORMALLY OPERATIONALIZE OUR WORK THROUGH DEPARTMENTAL PLANS THAT PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THESE PLANS INCLUDE THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN, WHICH OUTLINES HOW THE CITY DEPARTMENTS ADDRESS DISPARITIES IN DALLAS AND CAN ADVANCE EQUITY.
THE ADA TRANSITION PLAN THAT IS DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY AND ELIMINATE BARRIERS, ENSURING FACILITY MODIFICATIONS AND ENHANCEMENTS TO PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY.
THIS INCREASES ACCESSIBILITY ACROSS OUR COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.
THE WELCOMING DALLAS STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH SERVES AS A GUIDE ON HOW THE CITY CAN PARTNER TO PROMOTE INCLUSION FOR IMMIGRANT RESIDENTS, AND THE FAIR HOUSING EQUITY PLAN, WHICH IS IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND WILL OFFER DATA DRIVEN INSIGHTS ENABLING THE CITY TO PROACTIVELY ENSURE THAT RESIDENTS OF PROTECTED CLASSES HAVE ACCESS TO HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES.
THIS TEAM IS DEDICATED TO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT AIMING TO HELP GUIDE OUR POLICIES.
DOCTOR WILSON I WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE OF IS THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME.
SO LET'S YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALSO READ THESE AS WELL.
SO WHY DON'T YOU JUST PULL OUT THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT IN THERE.
THANK YOU. OKAY, GREAT AND SO YOU'LL SEE THERE'S FOUR DIVISIONS THERE THE EQUITY, FAIR HOUSING, HUMAN RIGHTS AND WELCOMING COMMUNITIES AND IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS AND THEIR TASKS ARE LISTED.
SLIDE FIVE HIGHLIGHTS THE GENERAL BUDGET FOR FY 2023 2024 AND THE PLAN, YOU'LL SEE A REDUCTION OF $324,000. THAT'S DUE TO KIMLEY-HORN ASSESSMENT ENCUMBRANCE OVER THE COURSE OF TWO YEARS.
[00:45:07]
SLIDE SIX.THIS IS INCLUSIVE OF THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND MANAGEMENT ANALYSTS WHO SUPPORT OUR OFFICE, AS WELL AS CHIEF OF STAFF IN A RESILIENCE POSITION.
THE FAIR HOUSING DIVISION HAS TEN POSITIONS THAT IS FUNDED BY OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT AND FAIR HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. SLIDE SEVEN.
SO THE BUDGET'S REALLY BUILT AROUND THE FINANCIAL TARGETS RECEIVED FROM THE OFFICE OF BUDGET, AND IT INCLUDES THE PERSONNEL, SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND CONTRACTS AND THE TWO GRANTS FROM OUR FAIR HOUSING DIVISION REALLY ALIGNS WITH THE MANDATES FROM HUD.
GIVEN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OEI'S WORK, WE WERE THE RECIPIENT OF TWO GRANTS.
NATIONAL LEAGUES OF NATIONAL LEAGUE.
EXCUSE ME? A CITY PROVIDED A $30,000 GRANT, AS WELL AS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT AND WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THE DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES AND OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE.
ALSO RECEIVED A $50,000 GRANT FROM PUBLIC INITIATIVE FINANCE AROUND BONDS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
SO OEI PERFORMANCE MEASURES, THERE'S A VARIETY ADDRESSING BARRIERS REMOVED PROGRAMING, TRAINING POLICY REVIEWS WHICH ARE ALL OUTLINED ON THE SLIDE.
AS A TEAM OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THAT COLLABORATE ACROSS ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, WE IMPLEMENT THE STRATEGIC PLANS, AS NOTED ON THIS SLIDE, IN RELATION TO COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES AS WELL AS COMMUNITIES IDENTIFIED NEEDS.
CONNECTION IS A LARGE PART OF THE DEPARTMENT'S WORK AND SO THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION ASSISTS OTHER CITY STAFF THROUGH FOCUSED TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND COMPREHENSIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S A LIST OF WAYS THAT WE DO THAT.
A COUPLE OF THINGS TO NOTE THAT'S IMPORTANT IS OUR LANGUAGE ACCESS COORDINATOR TRAINED OVER 1600 EMPLOYEES WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR ON ENHANCING THEIR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE AND PROVIDE SERVICES IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES.
ACTUALLY JUST HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE IMPACT THROUGH OUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT AND SO YOU'LL SEE A CHART THERE ON THE RIGHT AND THAT IS WHAT DEPARTMENTS HAVE REPORTED HAVING IMPROVED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS AS IT REGARDS TO THE BUDGETING FOR EQUITY PROCESS AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT SOME DEPARTMENTS SPOKE ABOUT IT IMPACTING THEIR STRATEGIC RESOURCE ALLOCATION, WHILE OTHERS HIGHLIGHTED INCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT AND SO FORTH.
COMMUNITY DIALOGS AND FORMS. AS A PART OF THE COMMITMENT TO ENHANCE ENGAGEMENT, OUR DEPARTMENT SERVES AS A CONVENER BOTH TO INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS AROUND ONGOING EQUITY FOCUSED TOPICS.
WE ALSO SUPPORT THE CITY OF DALLAS EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES AND ALLIES CULTIVATING A SPACE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. SLIDE 15.
ENHANCE LANGUAGE ACCESS COMMUNICATION.
AS MENTIONED BEFORE, OUR DEPARTMENT IS DETERMINED TO MEET THE DALLAS RESIDENTS NEEDS, MEET THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT, AND BE ABLE TO BE SURE THAT WE CAN COMMUNICATE AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO OUR RESIDENTS AND THEIR PRIMARY LANGUAGE.
[00:50:04]
SLIDE 17.SO SLIDES 18 ACTUALLY AND 19 SHOW BOTH OF OEI'S BUDGET INITIATIVES.
OEI'S HAS PROCURED A CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT THE ANALYSIS OF IMPEDIMENT TO BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH HUD'S REQUIREMENTS, AND IT WILL FULFILL THE NEEDS FOR THE MANDATED FAIR HOUSING PLAN.
SLIDE 19 HIGHLIGHTS THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION, AND ITS TO PROCURE A SOFTWARE THAT WILL ALLOW US TO TRACK THE AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT COMPLIANT ISSUES AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, HAPPY TO OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I APOLOGIZE FOR RUSHING YOU A LITTLE BIT.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE TO ANSWER ALL OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE.
SO ARE THERE QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT? IF NOT, I'LL LEAD OFF.
OKAY, SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE IS ON THE ADA COMPLIANCE.
HOW IS THE NEW SOFTWARE SYSTEM FOR TRACKING THE ADA? HOW IS IT GOING TO BE INTEGRATED WITH EXISTING CITY PROGRESS PROGRAMS? I KNOW WE TALK ABOUT ADA QUITE FREQUENTLY IN TRANSPORTATION AND WITH OUR OUTSIDE VENDORS SUCH AS ENCORE.
HOW IS THIS GOING TO BE INTEGRATED? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, CHAIR.
FROM A HIGHER LEVEL, WHAT WE KNOW IS THE SOFTWARE WILL ALLOW ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS TO TRACK WHEN WHEN IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE.
SO IT WILL BE OPEN TO THE ENTIRE CITY DEPARTMENT.
SO EVERYONE WILL BE ABLE TO USE THAT AND MAKE THE UPDATES RIGHT IN THE SOFTWARE.
SO ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES I KNOW WE FACED WITH ADA, PARTICULARLY WITH IN WALKABILITY ISSUES, IS IDENTIFYING WHICH INTERSECTIONS NEED RAMPS OR HAVE OTHER BARRIERS ON THEIR WAY.
SO WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT EXTENSIVELY IN TRANSPORTATION IS HOW WILL THE PUBLIC BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AND SAY THIS, I CAN'T CROSS THIS STREET BECAUSE THE CURB IS TOO HIGH OR IT'S BROKEN OR WHATEVER.
SO IS THAT WHAT THIS SOFTWARE IS GOING TO BE DOING? SO THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND HAPPY TO GET BACK TO YOU WITH MORE DETAILS ON IT.
AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS, THE MAIN BENEFIT THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE IS IN LIEU OF SEVERAL EMAILS GOING BETWEEN OEI, OUR ADA COMPLIANCE MANAGER, AND THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, THE SOFTWARE, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT FROM AN INTERNAL STANCE SO THAT THE UPDATES CAN BE MADE RIGHT THERE IN THE SOFTWARE, BUT I AM HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU BY THE END OF THE DAY TO TELL YOU THE EXTERNAL CAPABILITIES, IF THERE ARE SOME FOR RESIDENTS.
BUT SO YEAH, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A COMPLEX AND MULTI-DEPARTMENTAL PROGRAM, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE PULL OUT AND REALLY LOOK AT ON THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES ON THE MULTILINGUAL ENGAGEMENTS.
I'M TRYING TO SEE WHAT PAGE IT WAS ON.
OH, HERE. IT'S PAGE NINE, PLEASE.
COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THE, WHY IS THE PERCENTAGE PLAN TO BE SO MUCH LOWER FROM 74 DOWN TO 20? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
I WILL PASS IT OVER TO OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR CHRISTINA.
THANK YOU. SO THIS WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE STARTED TRACKING OUR MULTILINGUAL ENGAGEMENT.
BEFORE WE HAD DONE IT, WE JUST HAD NO LIKE A FOUNDATION OR BASELINE.
SO WE STARTED LOOKING AT IT FROM A BASELINE STANDPOINT.
WE WANTED TO AT LEAST ACCOMPLISH 20%.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO ADJUST OUR BASELINE BASED OFF OF THAT.
OUR, RIGHT NOW OUR WE'RE OUR ACTUAL IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE I THINK IT'S 74%.
RIGHT AND I THINK THAT'S A GENERAL TREND.
YOU'VE DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB AND SO NOW OUR TARGETS ARE LOWER.
TO ME THAT'S NOT A WAY TO GROW.
TO ME, THE TARGET SHOULD BE HIGHER AND IF WE DON'T MEET THEM LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.
BUT YOU'VE DONE SO WELL TO BUILD YOUR TARGETS, NOT OFF THE ACTUAL.
I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THAT LOGIC OF WHY YOU WOULD SHOOT LOWER THAN WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY PERFORMED.
[00:55:04]
WE'VE COLLECTED THIS YEAR SINCE IT WAS OUR FIRST YEAR TO, I MEAN, ACROSS THIS ENTIRE SLIDE, EVERY SINGLE.I THINK IF I'M NOT WRONG, ALL OF THEM ARE LOW WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NON LITIGATED COUNCIL EVERYTHING YOU'RE PLANNING TO DO WORSE THAN YOU'VE ALREADY PERFORMED, AND I WOULD HATE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING INCREDIBLE WORK.
IT'S VERY HARD FOR THOSE OF US WHO FIGHT EVERY YEAR IN THE BUDGET PROCESS TO PRESERVE FUNDING FOR SORT OF SOFTER AREAS THAT ARE HARDER TO MEASURE. IT MAKES IT VERY CHALLENGING TO JUSTIFY THAT FIGHT.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? MY THIRD QUESTION IS FOR THE PROGRAM.
SORRY, I GOT TWO MORE FOR THE STRATEGIES THAT ARE THAT THE KEY INITIATIVES THAT ARE GRANT FUNDED.
HOW DO YOU PLAN ON MAKING THOSE PROGRAMS SUSTAINABLE? IF THE GRANT FUNDING RUNS OUT, OR ALL OF THEM PLAN TO BE ROLLED INTO THE GENERAL FUND? OR ARE THERE GRANTS THAT WE JUST KNOW ARE GOING TO GET EVERY YEAR? AND EVEN THOUGH IT SAYS GRANT FUNDING, THEY'RE NOT AT RISK? SO IT DEPENDING ON WHICH GRANT FUNDS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
RIGHT. SO WITH OUR CDBG AND OUR FAP GRANT, WE DO PLAN TO GET THOSE EVERY YEAR.
THAT'S BASED ON THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT THE STAFF INVESTIGATE AND CLOSE AND SO AS IT REGARDS TO THE OTHER TWO GRANTS THAT WERE HIGHLIGHTED, I DON'T HAVE THE SLIDE IN FRONT OF ME.
WE'RE REALLY UTILIZING THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SUPPORT TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF PROCESSES CAN BE CHANGED SO THAT WE CAN MITIGATE ANY UNDUE BURDENS.
SO THE GRANT PIECE OF THOSE ARE GREAT.
SO YOU'RE SAYING WE MAY NOT NEED THEM AGAIN BECAUSE WE LEARNED HOW TO DO IT AND TRYING TO IMPLEMENT IT? THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
THANK YOU. MY LAST QUESTION IS ON SLIDE 13.
I KNOW IN THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN, YOU'VE DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB IN REACHING OUT TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR 42 DEPARTMENTS ON THIS TECHNICAL AGAIN, THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, THE IMPACT.
IT'S I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE ARE I DIDN'T TOTAL THEM UP.
SO DO YOU PLAN WHAT'S THE PLAN TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE IMPACTED THROUGH THIS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT, PARTICULARLY IN THE BUDGETING AREA FOR EQUITY, HOW DO WE GET FROM 15 TO 42? SO THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING AT THEIR BUDGET FROM AN EQUITY LENS.
YEAH AND SO THIS SPECIFICALLY WOULD REPRESENT THE SLIDE REPRESENTS ALL OF 42 DEPARTMENTS.
AND THEY REALLY JUST SPOKE TO WHAT HAS BEEN THE MAIN SHIFT IN THEIR DEPARTMENT.
SO THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND SHIFTS AND THE WAYS IN WHICH DEPARTMENTS WERE STRATEGICALLY PROVIDING RESOURCES BUT THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN WHAT THEY IDENTIFIED AS THE MAIN IMPACT.
IT MAY HAVE BEEN NO INCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT.
WE REALLY HAVE DONE THIS AT A VERY DIFFERENT LEVEL.
SO THIS IS SELF-REPORTED FROM DEPARTMENTS AND THERE COULD BE SOME OVERLAP TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION.
SO THEY MAY HAVE THOUGHT THAT THEY COULD ONLY ANSWER ONE.
YES. THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
I THINK WHEN WE DO OUR NEXT RFP UPDATE, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY POWERFUL TO HAVE SOME ANECDOTES OF WITHIN SOME OF THESE FIVE AREAS THAT THEY'VE BEEN IMPACTED AND IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THEY WERE IMPACTED IN MORE THAN ONE WAY BECAUSE, AS WAS MENTIONED IN THE LAST BRIEFING, THE CULTURE SHIFT THAT'S SLOWLY TAKING PLACE HERE AT CITY HALL IS PROFOUND, BUT IT'S ALSO SUBTLE.
I JUST WANT TO ADD ONE MOMENT OF CLARITY.
BUT HAPPY TO APPLY IT TO RACIAL EQUITY PLANNING AS WELL.
RIGHT. WAIT, I'M CONFUSED NOW.
I THOUGHT OUR EQUITY WORKS WERE BASED RACE BASED.
[01:00:08]
DECISIONS WITH THEIR CURRENT RESOURCES AND SO THE CITY HAS BEEN DOING THAT FOR FIVE YEARS.AND WE WANTED TO SAY, HEY, WHAT HAS SHIFTED SINCE WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING THIS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT? AND THAT'S WHAT IS ON SLIDE 13.
ALL RIGHT. SORRY, MISS WILLIS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IS THAT WITH A GRANT? SO THAT IS WITH THE FAIR HOUSING EQUITY PLAN IS WITH A ENHANCEMENT THAT WAS RECEIVED LAST YEAR.
WHEN YOU SAY ENHANCEMENT, IS THAT A GRANT? THAT'S NOT A GRANT.
I MEAN, I'M JUST TRYING TO DIG INTO THIS AND RECONCILE A LITTLE BIT MORE BETWEEN THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE AND THEN HIRING A CONSULTANT TO GET US TO THIS OTHER OUTCOME AND I'M JUST WONDERING ABOUT THE NECESSITY.
ABSOLUTELY, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION AND ACTUALLY IT GIVES ME A MOMENT TO CLARIFY.
SO WE'RE THE FAIR HOUSING EQUITY PLAN IS TWO STEP.
TWO STEPS, THE ANALYSIS ON IMPEDIMENTS IS A REQUIREMENT FOR THE CITY TO DO EVERY FIVE YEARS IN ORDER FOR US TO CONTINUE WITH OUR CDBG GRANT AND SO FAIR HOUSING OVERSEES THAT COMPONENT OF IT.
THAT PIECE OF THIS PROCESS IS GRANT WILL BE PAID THROUGH THE GRANT.
NOW, BEYOND THAT, THE FAIR HOUSING WORK THAT'S HAPPENING FOR FAPS THERE'S A FEDERAL RULE COMING DOWN AROUND A FAIR HOUSING EQUITY PLAN AND SO TO YOUR LARGER POINT, WE'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION AROUND HOW DO WE TAKE THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN AND WHAT WE'VE HEARD, BECAUSE THE BIG AUDACIOUS GOAL THERE IS, ONE OF THEM IS HOUSING AND ALL OF THE HOUSING WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THIS NEW FEDERAL RULE THAT'S COMING DOWN AND THAT PIECE WILL BE FUNDED THROUGH GENERAL FUNDS.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT.
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, I'M GOING TO MOVE ON.
SORRY. YES, DEPUTY MAYOR, I THINK I SAW MAYBE I DIDN'T SEE.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IS A PART OF THIS INITIATIVE.
SO IF SOCIAL JUSTICE IS A PART OF THIS INITIATIVE, I THINK THE QUESTIONS THAT I NEED TO FOLLOW WITH YOU PRETTY MUCH WOULD BE IS IT WRITTEN DOWN IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE ARE PREPARED TO FUND IT? OR HAVE YOU ARE YOU ALL REVIEWING TO SEE IF ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS NEEDED? I THINK I BROUGHT THAT UP FROM MY DISTRICT, MAINLY BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN BEHAVIORS THAT'S LENDING ITSELF TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SHOOTINGS AND MURDERS AND THE NEED FOR MENTORING SOME OF THESE YOUNGER, YOUNG COMMUNITIES THAT ARE, I THINK, AS WE TALKED ABOUT IT HERE, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE SOME DIGRESSION HERE ON DRIVERS OF POVERTY LEADING TO A CONTRIBUTING TO CRIME.
SO WHERE ARE YOU ALL IN THAT? MAY I ALSO ADD ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER LIZ PEREIRA? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
WELL, YOU WILL SEE WE HAVE INCLUDED SOCIAL JUSTICE.
RIGHT. FOR INSTANCE, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE EVICTIONS ASSISTANCE INITIATIVE, WHICH IS A LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH NONPROFITS TO PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS FOR OUR RESIDENTS IMPACTED BY HOUSING, IN AFFORDABILITY, ETC., ESPECIALLY AS IT WAS EXACERBATED.
WE STARTED THAT PROGRAM DURING COVID, AND IT CONTINUES.
WE ALSO HAVE A LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAM FOR DEPORTATION DEFENSE, AS WELL AS WORKING ALONGSIDE MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS, RIGHT, THAT ARE ADDRESSING THE DRIVERS OF POVERTY AND SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK AT HOW THAT BIG, AUDACIOUS GOAL WITHIN THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN CAN BE ADVANCED, EITHER THROUGH WORKING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH WE KNOW HAS BUDGET FOR ACTIVITIES LIKE THE INTERVENTION PROGRAM, LIKE THE RIGHT CARE PROGRAM, AND ALIGNING THEM WITH OUR DRIVERS OF POVERTY AND THEN ALIGNING THEM WITH THE WORK THAT OEI CONTINUES TO ADVANCE.
[01:05:02]
ALL RIGHT. I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO.BUT SINCE YOU MENTIONED EVICTIONS AND LEGAL SERVICES UNDER THIS PROGRAM, WE ALSO KNOW THAT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE WITH THE VIOLENCE THAT WE'RE SEEING THIS, IT HAS BEEN WITH US, BUT IT'S AN INCREASE AND I'LL SPEAK, WHETHER IT'S IN THE SCHOOLS OR WITH THE SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN, IS THAT SOMETIMES THEY LIVE IN THESE CONDITIONS THAT ARE SLUM AND OUR POLICIES ARE NOT.
I THINK, RAISING TO THE LEVEL WHERE WE ARE FORCING A CHANGE IN TERMS OF THEIR HABITATION, BECAUSE IF THEY LIVE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOU HAVE BROKEN WINDOWS, THE CEILING IS LEAKING, YOU HAVE A SLUM LORD, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY.
NOT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY COMING IN THE HOME TO TAKE CARE OF THE FOOD AND THE SHELTER.
THEN YOU YOU HAVE SOME MINDSETS WILL SAY, I'VE GOT TO TAKE CARE OF MY KIDS AND SO I THINK WE REALLY DO NEED TO VISIT THAT TO SEE HOW ALL OF THESE ISSUES CAN BE ADDRESSED, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T I MEAN, IF THEY GET EVICTED, WHERE DO THEY GO? I MEAN, IT'S A VICIOUS CYCLE.
IT'S BACK TO ANOTHER SLUM PROPERTY.
AND SO I KNOW THE ATTORNEYS KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT CONVERSATION FOR SOME YEARS NOW, BUT I KNOW WE NEED TO PUT TEETH IN OUR POLICIES, AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO CAUSE US WE REALLY DO NEED TO WORK WITH OUR OTHER PARTNERS JURISDICTIONS SO THAT WE CAN COME TOGETHER ON HOW WE PROVIDE.
THE MESSAGE FROM THIS CITY IS THAT EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE IN, AND NO ONE IS SO POOR THAT THEY DESERVE TO LIVE IN A BUILDING THAT IS RAT AND ROACH INFESTED AND THEY, THE SLUM LORD, GETS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, WHEN THE CODE GOES OUT, OH, WE'RE GOING TO LEASE SPRAY FOR RODENTS IN ALL UNITS AND THEN WE LET THEM OFF THE HOOK BECAUSE THEY'VE COME UP ONE LEVEL AND THEY KEEP GETTING AND THEY KEEP GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING.
WE HAVE SLUM LORDS WHO'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 20 SOMETHING YEARS OFF THE BACKS OF THESE FOLKS WHO THEY TURN AROUND AND HAVE THE NERVE TO EVICT AND THEN MAYBE THEY'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GO TO ANOTHER PLACE WHERE THEY HAVE FEWER RATS AND FEWER ROACHES AND THEN I'M SENDING THEM TO SCHOOL.
SO CHAIR I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY HAVE TO START TALKING ABOUT IS HOW DO WE REALLY PUT OUR FOOT ON THE GROUND? AND TO ADDRESS THESE SOME OF THESE ARE CRIMINALS.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL ASPECTS OF THIS SAD DISEASE THAT WE WITNESSED AS A CITY.
SO, CHAIR, I'M GOING TO HONE ON THAT AND WE'LL TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT THAT IN MORE DETAIL AS WELL, IN TERMS OF WHERE DO WE GO TO BEGIN TO SHOW THAT WE ARE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT GIVING EVERYONE THAT IS WANTS TO A PLACE, A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE, SO CHILDREN CAN MOVE THROUGH THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND THEY'RE NOT BOUND AND THEY WITH THIS BLACK MARK THAT THEY WERE POOR AND THEY ARE MORE INCLINED TO BECOME CRIMINALS BECAUSE THEY COME FROM A CERTAIN ZIP CODE AND SO THAT'S WHERE I AM IN TERMS OF US BEGINNING TO SPEAK IT, BUT ALSO DO IT AND ENACT IT SO THAT IT HAS A MEANING. THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU.
I'M GOING TO CALL MISS GALLESHAW UP NOW TO PRESENT TO US THAT PLAN.
THANK YOU. ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL BE HAVING AN UPDATE ON THE EVICTION ORDINANCE.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE, AND I'M HERE TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE DRIVERS OF POVERTY FUNDING AND SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD WITHIN THAT BUCKET.
DESPITE THE SOUND OF MY VOICE, I'M ACTUALLY VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY AND SHARE THIS PROGRAM.
IT'S BEEN A BIT SINCE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO AN UPDATE.
[01:10:01]
JUST CLICK RIGHT ON THROUGH.OKAY. SO A LITTLE BIT OF HIGH LEVEL BACKGROUND.
THIS GROUP MET OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT A YEAR AND A YEAR AND A HALF.
THEY ANALYZED REPORTS RELATED TO HIGH INCIDENCE OF POVERTY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THE BIG FOCUS AREA WAS PARTICULARLY RELATED TO CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY.
AT THE TIME, DALLAS WAS RATED EITHER NUMBER ONE, 2 OR 3.
IN TERMS OF THE PERCENTAGE OF KIDS LIVING IN POVERTY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THE TASK FORCE CAME TOGETHER TO TRY TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE LARGE IMPROVEMENTS IN THAT AND THUS THEY PRODUCED WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE DRIVERS OF POVERTY REPORT. BETWEEN 2018 AND 2019, THIS REPORT AND EFFORTS STARTED TO BECOME EMBEDDED WITHIN VARIOUS WORKS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
THERE WERE SOME DEPARTMENTS CREATED WITH A FOCUS ON SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED UNDER DRIVERS OF POVERTY, INCLUDING THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN I WOULD SAY THE OFFICE OF EQUITY KIND OF, IN A WAY, GREW OUT OF SOME OF THE WORKS INITIALLY IDENTIFIED THROUGH THIS REPORT IN 2020.
IT WAS AROUND THE TIME OF THE FIRST INITIATIVE THAT WAS LAUNCHED, AND THAT WAS RELATED TO THE TEEN PREGNANCY PROGRAM SUPPORTING THE NORTH TEXAS ALLIANCE TO REDUCE TEEN PREGNANCY AND THAT WAS AN INITIATIVE THAT FOCUSED ON MESSAGING AND AWARENESS RELATED TO TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, AS THE PANDEMIC CAME THROUGH, WE STARTED TO ALIGN OUR WORK IN DRIVERS OF POVERTY TO BE RESPONSIVE TO A LOT OF THE EMERGING NEEDS AND ISSUES THAT WERE COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, AS THE PANDEMIC WAS REALLY LAYING BARE ISSUES OF INEQUITY AND OF FINANCIAL STRUGGLE AND HARDSHIP THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD, A COUPLE OF SLIDES AND THE NEXT FOCUS OF THIS PRESENTATION, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW WHAT THE DRIVERS ARE AND HOW THEY'VE KIND OF INTEGRATED WITHIN SOME MAJOR FOCUS AREAS HERE IN THE CITY.
SO FIRST OF ALL IF YOU'LL SKIP LIKE THREE MORE SLIDES FORWARD THERE, THIS ONE.
BUT I'VE SIMPLIFIED THEM HERE INTO 1 TO 2 WORDS.
BUT THEY ARE OF COURSE, INCOME AND THAT'S RELATED SPECIFICALLY TO THE SHARE OF MEDIAN HOUSES AND THE GROWING RATES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY LIVING IN POVERTY, AND THE GROWING DISPARITIES BETWEEN THOSE WHO ARE LIVING IN POVERTY AND THOSE WHO ARE WEALTHY AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION, HOME OWNERSHIP, CONCENTRATED POVERTY.
I'LL NOTE THAT ONE RELATES TO LARGE NUMBERS OR PERCENTAGES OF PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING IN POVERTY IN CONCENTRATED AREAS, SUCH AS A CENSUS TRACT WHERE THE POVERTY RATE MIGHT BE IN EXCESS OF 40%.
CHILDREN IN POVERTY IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT.
SO THOSE HOUSEHOLDS TEND TO EXPERIENCE POVERTY AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD TO OUR INTEGRATION SERVICES.
SO FIRST I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT HOW THE DRIVERS OF POVERTY RELATE TO THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN.
SO I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT FIRST OUR GOAL AROUND ECONOMIC WORKFORCE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
YOU'LL SEE THERE THAT REALLY THE DRIVERS OF POVERTY RELATED TO INCOME, CHILDREN AND POVERTY, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, ENGLISH PROFICIENCY, TEEN BIRTH AND SINGLE FEMALE HEADS OF HOUSEHOLD REALLY RELATE QUITE DIRECTLY TO WHAT WE'VE ARTICULATED IN OUR RACIAL EQUITY PLAN, RELATED TO OUR GOAL TO BECOME THE MOST ECONOMICALLY INCLUSIVE CITY. YOU CAN FURTHER SEE THE RESILIENT DALLAS SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS SPECIFIC EQUITY INDICATORS THAT LINE UP UNDER THAT.
YEAH, WE'RE ON THE RIGHT PAGE, THAT LINE UP UNDER THAT PARTICULAR BAG.
WE HAVE A GOAL AROUND INFRASTRUCTURE TO CLOSE THOSE GAPS AND WE HAVE A GOAL AROUND PUBLIC SAFETY TO MAKE DALLAS SAFE, TO PREVENT HARM AND TO PROMOTE WELLNESS AND SO THAT IS A REALLY INTENTIONAL INCLUSION IN THAT BIG AUDACIOUS GOAL TO PROMOTE WELLNESS AND WHILE I HIGHLIGHT THE CONCENTRATED POVERTY GOAL BECAUSE THESE ARE REALLY FOCUSED, OF COURSE, ON HOW THOSE COMMUNITIES DEVELOP AND CONTINUE.
[01:15:04]
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT A LOT OF OUR SERVICES REALLY DRIVE TOWARDS THAT PROMOTION OF WELLNESS AND OF WELL-BEING FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS.NEXT UP, I MOVE TO OUR HOUSING GOAL AND OF COURSE, WE SPECIFICALLY HAVE A DRIVER OF POVERTY RELATED TO HOME OWNERSHIP RATES AND YOU CAN SEE AGAIN THE ALIGNED EQUITY INDICATORS AND RESILIENT DALLAS GOAL THERE AND THEN INFRASTRUCTURE, SPECIFICALLY, OUR LACK OF ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION UNDER THE DRIVERS OF POVERTY ALIGNS PERFECTLY WITH OUR BIG AUDACIOUS GOAL AROUND CLOSING THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE GAPS AND YOU CAN SEE THE INDICATORS THERE.
I APOLOGIZE FOR MOVING QUICKLY, BUT I'M TRYING TO BE RESPECTFUL OF TIME.
SO THE FIRST SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE MY SERVICE.
SLIDE BREAK WAS A LITTLE OUT OF ORDER.
IT SHOULD BE RIGHT HERE. BUT ANYWAYS, THESE ARE SOME SERVICES.
SO THE FIRST ITERATION OF OUR FULL SCALE DRIVERS OF POVERTY RESPONSE WAS IN 2020 AND IT WAS QUICKLY REFRAMED DURING THAT PERIOD TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS WE SAW EMERGING FROM COVID AND ITS IMPACT.
SO DURING THAT PERIOD, WE HAD REALLY A FOCUS ON DIRECT ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE WERE SEEING THE HIGHEST NEED FOR AND SO THAT WAS EXCLUSIVE TO THAT 2020 FISCAL YEAR.
WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD, WE ACTUALLY WORKED WITH 11 DIFFERENT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS DURING THAT YEAR PROVIDING EVERYTHING FROM FOOD ASSISTANCE TO DIFFERENT TYPES OF CLIENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IN OUR LEARNINGS FROM BOTH OUR DRIVERS REPORT AND OUR EXPERIENCES UNDER COVID, WE DECIDED THAT WE WANTED TO USE THIS DRIVERS OF POVERTY PROGRAM AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD REALLY THOUGHTFUL AND STRATEGIC ABOUT HOW WE WORK.
SO WE FOCUSED ON ENGAGEMENT BY WORKING WITH COMMUNITY BASED PROGRAMS AND NONPROFITS.
WE FOCUSED ON BEING RESPONSIVE.
SO DEVELOPING A PLAN THAT COULD CHANGE AND TRANSITION BASED ON EMERGING NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE ENSURE THAT PROGRAMS THAT WE FUND ARE ALSO WELL LEVERAGED AND SUPPORTED BY OTHER SOURCES.
WE FOCUSED ON SERVICES, AND SO WE WERE LOOKING TO FIND WAYS TO.
THE QUESTION OFTEN COMES UP, HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAINTAIN SOME OF THESE SERVICES BEYOND X, Y OR Z GRANT PROGRAM AND SO IN DRIVERS OF POVERTY, THAT'S WHAT WE KIND OF LOOK TO DO. WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE CDBG FUNDS WE HAD GOTTEN EARLY IN COVID, THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUNDS AND AS WE LOOK FORWARD, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW TO MOVE FORWARD OUT OF THE ARPA FUNDING.
AND THEN WE ALSO FOCUSED ON YOUTH.
THERE WAS A VERY CLEAR DIRECTIVE TO HAVE A YOUTH SPECIFIC PROGRAMING.
SO NEXT UP, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR CURRENT PROGRAM STRUCTURE, YOU'LL SEE THE LIST OF SERVICES THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING SUPPORTED THROUGH THE DRIVERS OF POVERTY FUND.
NOW WE HAVE OUR COMMUNITY AND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMING, WHICH WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.
SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE ATTENDED THE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS DAY KICKOFF EVENT JUST LAST WEEK, HOSTED BY OUR PARTNERS WITH HARMONY CDC AND WE HAVE THE MAKING FOOD ACCESSIBLE PROGRAM, WHEREBY WE SUPPORT MULTIPLE PARTNERS TO DO DELIVERIES, DISTRIBUTIONS AND WE'RE EVEN LOOKING TO SUPPORT DIFFERENT KINDS OF INNOVATIVE PROGRAMING THAT ALIGNS WITH OUR ECO DEV GOALS AND OUR ENVIRONMENT GOALS AROUND, YOU KNOW, LOCAL AND FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLE SOURCING AND THINGS RELATED TO THAT.
WE HAVE OUR POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT.
BUT IT ACTUALLY WE COULD CONSIDER YOUTH TO GO UP TO ABOUT 24 FOR INCLUDING THAT OPPORTUNITY YOUTH COMPONENT AND THOSE ARE PART OF THE DRIVERS BUCKET THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND THEN OF COURSE, AS THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION UNDER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS, WE HAVE THE EARLY CHILDHOOD AND OUT OF SCHOOL TIME SERVICES, WHICH IS A COMBINATION OF SUBSIDY PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORTS FAMILIES WITH THEIR CHOICE OF CHILDCARE PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE DIRECT CONTRACTS WITH PROVIDERS FOR SPECIAL OR TARGET POPULATIONS, WHICH INCLUDES CHILDREN AND FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND CHILDREN IMPACTED BY HIV OR AIDS, AS IS CURRENTLY DEFINED.
[01:20:02]
YOUTH PROGRAM UNDER CDBG FOR THE OUT OF SCHOOL TIME AND SO WHILE THIS IS AN OVERARCHING PROGRAM STRUCTURE, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT MANY OF THE PROGRAMS WE ADMINISTER THROUGH OUR OFFICE AND EVEN IN THE CITY, ULTIMATELY DRIVE HOME BEHIND THESE DRIVERS.OUR FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTERS ARE CERTAINLY ALIGNED WITH OUR DRIVERS OF POVERTY WORK.
OUR WICK PROGRAM, OF COURSE, IS VERY CLEARLY ALIGNED WITH WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH WHO ARE EXPERIENCING POVERTY IN A LARGE PROPORTION OF SINGLE FEMALE HEADED HOUSEHOLDS. THE BENEFIT NAVIGATION SYSTEM PLANNING THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THROUGH THE ARPS GRANT, OF COURSE, IS VERY CLEANLY ALIGNED WITH DRIVERS OF POVERTY AND THEN VARIOUS OTHER ARPA PROGRAMS. SO MOVING ON.
I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT BENEFITS ACCESS FOOD EQUITY, EARLY CHILDHOOD OUT OF SCHOOL TIME AND YOUTH.
SO THOSE ARE SOME FOCUS AREAS THAT WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE FORWARD AS WE TRY TO ADVANCE AND AS THE ARPA MONEY MAY START TO GO AWAY OR TRANSITION AND THEN WE ALSO WANT TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN REALLY SEEK ALIGNMENT ACROSS OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS AND THEN EVEN EXTERNALLY AROUND SOME OF THESE KEY AREAS. SO I'VE HIGHLIGHTED SOME INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS AND COLLABORATORS THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH IN SOME DIFFERENT AREAS AND OF COURSE, THAT LIST IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO GROW AND CONTINUE.
SO WITH THAT, THE NEXT SLIDE IS JUST A MAP OF SOME COMMUNITIES OF CONCENTRATED POVERTY.
BUT IF YOU LOOK IN CENSUS TRACTS, THERE'S EVEN HIGHER CONCENTRATION.
BUT THERE'S STILL AN AWFUL LOT OF COMMUNITIES WITH VERY HIGH RATES OF POVERTY.
I'M SURE THERE ARE QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS HERE.
MAYBE YOU TURN YOURS OFF FOR A SECOND.
JESSICA, JUST WHILE I CALL ON MISTER RESENDEZ, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I DO. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
PLEASE GO RIGHT AHEAD. PLEASE.
THANK YOU. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE IS STAFF DOING ANYTHING TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND THE IMPACT OF POVERTY REDUCTION INITIATIVES, AND IF SO, WHAT METRICS ARE USED TO TRACK PROGRESS? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION.
SO WE DO REQUIRE REPORTING FROM EACH OF OUR CONTRACTORS.
THE WAY THAT WE APPROACH REPORTING IS TYPICALLY FOR REALLY ANY OF OUR INITIATIVES, WE DO HAVE SOME CORE STANDARD METRICS THAT WE ASK PEOPLE TO TRACK TOWARDS OR MEASURE, BUT WE ALSO ASK FOR OUR PROVIDERS TO PROPOSE THE SPECIFIC METRICS THAT BEST DEMONSTRATE THE IMPACT OF THEIR PROGRAM.
SO WE CAN SPEAK TO KIND OF BECAUSE IT'S SO MANY DIFFERENT INITIATIVES, WE CAN KIND OF SPEAK TO EACH INDIVIDUAL ONE OR WE CAN SPEAK TO KIND OF AN AGGREGATE WITHIN THE BUCKET.
SO FOR EXAMPLE WE CAN SPEAK TO ON OUR USE SIDE, HOW MANY STUDENTS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED AND WHAT KINDS OF LESSONS OR INITIATIVES THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED IN THEIR WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED.
WE CAN SPEAK TO ON THE FOOD SIDE, WE HAVE DATA ON HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS AND A LOT OF TIMES TOTAL POUNDAGE OR TOTAL NUMBER OF FOOD ITEMS DISTRIBUTED. WE HAVE INFORMATION ON THE CLIENT ASSISTANCE AND HOW MANY HOUSEHOLDS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED AND I MIGHT MAYBE I SHOULD I COULD PUT THAT TOGETHER IN MORE OF A MEMO OR SOMETHING IN WRITING RATHER THAN TRYING TO SPEAK TO IT AT THIS MOMENT.
BUT WE DO MEASURE AND TRACK ALL OF THAT AND REQUIRE A MONTHLY REPORTING.
I THINK WHAT WOULD PROBABLY BE VERY HELPFUL, AND THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT, WOULD BE TO TAKE EACH OF THE DRIVERS OF POVERTY AND SHOW WHERE YOU WERE AND WHERE WE'RE GOING, AND MAYBE SOME OF THE KEY LEVERS THAT MAY HAVE MOVED IT UP OR DOWN.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR POINT, MR. RESENDEZ? IT DOES AND I AGREE WITH YOU, CHAIR, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
MAY I ALSO ADD SOMETHING THERE? CHAIR. IF YOU LOOK AT SLIDE 11 COUNCIL MEMBER RESENDEZ AND COMMITTEE, THAT'S THE WORK THAT DIRECTOR GALLESHAW IS ENGAGED IN IS ALIGNING OUR BROADER PLANS AROUND HER VARIOUS OR OCE VARIOUS EFFORTS AND THOSE ACROSS THE CITY THAT DEAL IN THIS SPACE, YOU'LL SEE AT THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN THE EQUITY INDICATOR AND THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS NOW SINCE 2019.
[01:25:05]
DRIVERS OF POVERTY. BUT WE CERTAINLY KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME.ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD, I WAS CURIOUS TO KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY INNOVATIVE OR PROMISING PRACTICES FROM OTHER CITIES THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS EXPLORING IN OUR EFFORTS TO COMBAT THE DRIVERS OF POVERTY.
YEAH. SO I WOULD SAY THAT THERE'S TWO AREAS THAT WE'RE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN INTRIGUED BY AND YOU'LL SEE THAT KIND OF REFLECTED IN THE SLIDE WHERE WE ARTICULATE SOME THOUGHTS FOR MOVING FORWARD.
I THINK THAT ONE OF THE ISSUES AND WHILE WE CAN REPORT KIND OF THESE AGGREGATES BY THESE BUCKETS IT CAN BE REALLY HARD TO DRIVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON MULTIPLE THINGS WHEN YOU'RE KIND OF CHUNKING THEM OUT INTO PIECES AND SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS CERTAINLY TO FOCUS AROUND A FEW KEY AREAS, WHICH IS WHY WE HIGHLIGHTED THE FOOD EQUITY AND THE BENEFITS ACCESS AMONG TWO CORE POTENTIAL AREAS OF FOCUS.
BECAUSE BOTH OF THOSE AREAS OF IMPORTANCE BOTH ALIGN WITH OUR DRIVERS OF POVERTY METRIC, BUT THEY ALSO ALIGN WITH SOME KEY STRATEGIES OF OTHER PLANS THAT EXIST IN THE CITY AND OTHER KEY DEPARTMENTS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UNDER FOOD EQUITY, WE HAVE A CROSS DEPARTMENTAL TEAM FROM MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS THAT GETS TOGETHER REGULARLY TO TALK ABOUT THE FOOD PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE DOING, BECAUSE THAT IMPACTS AND IS IMPACTED BY SO MANY PROGRAMS AND THEN THE OTHER AREA THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT IS THE BENEFITS ACCESS WORK.
WE JUST GOT SOME PRELIMINARY RESEARCH DATA FROM OUR PARTNERS THERE, AND I'M SURE WE'LL SPEAK ABOUT THIS MORE EXTENSIVELY, BUT IT'S LOOKING LIKE THERE'S PROBABLY AS MUCH AS HALF $1 BILLION IN BENEFITS LEFT ON THE TABLE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I THINK IT'S IN EXCESS OF 400 MILLION.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THINGS LIKE, THAT CAN MAKE A REALLY DIRECT DIFFERENCE IN SOMEBODY'S LIFE AND THAT CAN REALLY HELP US TO LEVERAGE AND MAKE BIG AND IMPORTANT CHANGES AND SO WHEN I SPEAK TO SOME BEST PRACTICES, I THINK THAT WORK TO THOUGHTFULLY AND STRATEGICALLY ALIGN NOT JUST OUR FUNDING, BUT CROSS CITY CROSS DEPARTMENT AND EVEN WITH OTHER PARTNERS AND AGENCIES AROUND SOME KEY AREAS, PARTICULARLY FOOD ACCESS AND BENEFITS.
ACCESS COULD BE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THAT.
THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE AT THE MOMENT, MADAM CHAIR.
THANK YOU. GREAT. I'M GOING TO MOVE ALONG ON THIS AND LET US JUST SAY THAT WE KNOW THIS IS ARGUABLY, AS WE SAID EARLIER, THAT SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK THE CITY CAN BE DOING AND SO IN EVERY AREA, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE IMPACT OF POVERTY, ON CRIME, ON HOUSING, ON ALL THE THINGS THAT OUR DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM MENTIONED EARLIER, ALL THOSE THINGS CHANGE WHEN POVERTY CHANGES.
SO WE CAN'T DO MORE IMPORTANT WORK IN MY OPINION.
SO I'M GOING TO MOVE TO MY RIGHT.
MR. BAZALDUA. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU TO MR. RESENDEZ FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
I LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT WAS REQUESTED SPECIFICALLY ON THE EXACTLY WHAT WAS REQUESTED, BUT I'D LOVE TO SEE IT BE ASSOCIATED WITH DOLLAR AMOUNTS. I KNOW THAT WE TOUCH IN MULTIPLE BUCKETS WHEN IT COMES TO A LOT OF THE PROGRAMS THAT EXIST AND SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY THAT IT'S BEEN ESSENTIALLY QUANTIFIED EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE PUTTING TOWARDS AND THE WAY THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS EVENTUALLY FRAMED IS A RETURN ON INVESTMENT, IF YOU WILL. RIGHT AND THAT IS TO PAINT A PICTURE, ESPECIALLY GOING INTO BUDGET SEASON OF WHERE WE'VE SEEN RESULTS WHEN WE'VE PUT MONEY TOWARDS, IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE.
I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO QUANTIFY IN SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, ROI TYPE OF TERMS, BUT BREAKING A LOT OF THE AREAS OF CONCERN, IF YOU WILL, WITH SPECIFIC PROGRAMS OR EVEN MULTIPLE PROGRAMS ATTACKING ONE DRIVER. FOR INSTANCE, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT KIND OF QUANTIFIED IF THERE'S A WAY TO MAYBE TO HELP PAINT A PICTURE THAT IF WE PUT MORE INTO X, Y, OR Z THAT WE COULD SEE X, Y, OR Z RESULTS AND JUST AS MADAM CHAIR MENTIONED THE ROOT CAUSE, JUST TO BEING ABLE TO SEE THE TRICKLE EFFECT. I'D LOVE TO SEE DOCTOR ANDREW [INAUDIBLE] DEPARTMENT REALLY DIG INTO THIS TO SEE, EVEN WITH CRIME
[01:30:08]
STATS, AS MENTIONED A LOT OF THE FOCUS AREAS IN VIOLENT CRIME, FOR INSTANCE, AND WE'VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN CRIME WITH A COLLABORATION OF NOT ONLY POURING SOME OF THESE RESOURCES AND INVESTMENTS INTENTIONALLY INTO CERTAIN ZIP CODES.BUT THAT COUPLED WITH DPD'S STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE VIOLENT CRIME PLAN, I DON'T NECESSARILY LOVE THE PICTURES PAINTED AS. IF A VIOLENT CRIME PLAN THAT IS ONLY MEANT TO RESPOND TO CRIME HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE REDUCTION OF THE CRIME THAT WE SEE, AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK A BROADER PICTURE NEEDS TO BE PAINTED.
WITH THE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN TOWARDS THESE INITIATIVES, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO I JUST WOULD WANTED TO STRESS THE MONEY PIECE.
I WANT TO SEE IF WE CAN KIND OF LOOK AT A PLAYBOOK OF GOING INTO THIS NEXT BUDGET SEASON OF WHERE WE COULD EFFICIENTLY FOCUS MORE RESOURCES TO RESULT IN MORE RESULTS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MISS WILLIS.
THANK YOU AND I AGREE, I'D LOVE TO GET DEEPER INTO THIS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THESE ARE SOME OF THE AREAS THAT COST THE CITY IN SO MANY WAYS IN TERMS OF RESOURCES AND SO THE INVESTMENT ON THE FRONT END MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN THE WORLD.
WHEN I LOOK AT THE TOTAL INVESTMENT LEVEL COLUMN, IT'S JUST SO LOW WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW MUCH MONEY WE'VE GOT AT THE CITY, HOWEVER, WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE'S COMMUNITY INVESTMENT. WE'VE GOT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT RECEIVE GRANTS THAT SEEK PRIVATE DONATIONS.
WE'VE GOT THE FAITH BASED COMMUNITY WRAPPING AROUND SEVERAL OF THESE ISSUES.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S QUANTIFIED.
IF UNITED WAY DOES THAT, OR IF WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS FROM THE CITY STANDPOINT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE TOTAL INVESTMENT IS, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE THAT PICTURE AS WE LOOK AT OUR CITY AND OUR DIRECTION AS A WHOLE.
BUT WHAT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT IS WHERE THERE ARE AREAS WHERE, AND THIS IS ASKING YOU TO GET OUTSIDE OF EXCEL SPREADSHEET CELLS AND LETTING YOU JUST SHARE YOUR TREMENDOUS EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE ON WHERE MORE INVESTMENT WOULD YIELD SO MUCH MORE IN RETURN.
I MEAN, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, DID YOU SAY HALF $1 BILLION IN BENEFITS LEFT ON THE TABLE? YES. THERE IS AN ESTIMATE THAT IT COULD BE OVER $400 MILLION.
SO I'M GOING TO GET MORE DATA ON THAT.
THAT'S JUST SOME NEW DATA WE GOT RECENTLY.
SO IF WE'VE GOT BENEFITS NAVIGATORS, I MEAN, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A FORCE MULTIPLIER.
YOU KNOW, IF THAT WAS A PLACE TO INVEST.
BUT JUST IN LOOKING AT THESE CATEGORIES AROUND FOOD ACCESSIBILITY, AND I KNOW WE HAVE FOOD BANKS AND OTHERS OR SOME OF THESE OTHER CATEGORIES, IF YOU WERE TO BE GIVEN, YOU KNOW, 500,000, $1 MILLION AND TO SAY, WHERE, DO I FEEL LIKE RIGHT NOW, IF WE INVESTED MORE IN THIS ONE AREA, THE YIELD WOULD BE SO GREAT.
SO I THINK REALLY MY CONCERN IS AND THIS COMMITTEE HAS BROUGHT IT FORWARD THROUGH A LOT OF PRESENTATIONS AND QUESTIONS.
EVERY TIME WE TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IN RESPONSE TO COVID AND ARPA.
MIKE, MY RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE THINGS LIKE THE BENEFITS NAVIGATOR AND FOOD AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN THE YOUTH AND EARLY CHILDHOOD AND THE MENTAL HEALTH, THOSE AREAS, BECAUSE THOSE ARE AREAS THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, PUT SOME FUNDING INTO AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE GOING AWAY.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE SAME LEVEL OF INVESTMENT.
I'M NOT I WOULDN'T ASK FOR MORE THERE.
I THINK THAT WE JUST WANT TO MAINTAIN THAT BECAUSE WE'RE SERVING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE.
WE'RE MAKING REALLY BIG IMPACT.
BUT I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE BENEFITS AND MAKING WAYS THAT PEOPLE CAN GET ACCESS TO THOSE TYPES OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN HELP SUSTAIN THEM AND THEN FOOD, IT'S JUST IT'S ALWAYS THERE'S ALWAYS PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED OF THAT.
THERE'S ALWAYS PEOPLE, THERE'S ALWAYS LINES, THERE'S ALWAYS REQUESTS FOR HELP AND THERE'S NOTHING MORE ESSENTIAL TO WELLNESS AND WELL-BEING THAN BEING ABLE TO EAT.
SO. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
AND SO THAT'S CRITICAL INSIGHT TO JUST SAY IT CAN COME DOWN TO FOOD.
MAY I ADD SOMETHING AND I APOLOGIZE.
[01:35:02]
I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ALSO HIGHLIGHT THAT.SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN AS WE PUSH INTO THE SUBSIDIES ALSO, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE GET STRATEGIC ABOUT INVESTING? AND THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY AN OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE OR AN OCC SPECIFIC CONVERSATION, BUT HOW CAN THE CITY BE REALLY THOUGHTFUL IN HOW WE INVEST IN THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO CREATING MORE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, MAYBE IN HOUSING INVESTMENTS OR ECO INVESTMENTS OR WHATEVER, WHAT HAVE YOU? BUT WE NEED NOT JUST MORE MONEY, BUT MORE PLACES FOR CHILDREN TO BE CARED FOR.
OKAY, THAT IS GOOD INSIGHT AND YOU MENTIONED THE FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTERS.
I THINK WE'RE BELIEVERS IN THAT.
YOU KNOW, BANKS MEET THEIR CRA REQUIREMENTS.
THEY SHOULD BE LINING UP BECAUSE THIS MEETS THE CRITERIA SO WELL AND HELPS THE COMMUNITY.
BUT THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.
ALL RIGHT, I'LL ASK A FEW MORE.
MISS ARNOLD, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OKAY. ACTUALLY, WHAT? I REALLY WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW I'VE ALREADY WRITTEN MY MEMO REQUESTING THAT INFORMATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
BUT I THINK, IN A NUTSHELL, WHAT WE WANT AND BASED ON WHAT I JUST HEARD.
DESTINATION OF POVERTY, UNDERSERVED, UNDER-RESOURCED.
SO WE WANT TO COME OFF OF THAT MAP OF GOOGLE ABILITY WHEN YOU WANT TO SEE SOMETHING POOR, UNDERSERVED, THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN BLACK MARKED MORE LIKELY TO GO TO PRISON.
WE WANT TO COME OFF OF THAT LIST AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED THAT DATA THAT I'M ASKING YOU FOR NOW.
MENTAL HEALTH IS FIRST IN THIS CITY.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU AND PERHAPS IF ANY OF US AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM SHARING THAT THE RESPONSE TO YOUR REQUEST FOR THAT MEMO WITH EVERYBODY, WOULD THAT BE ALL RIGHT? WELL, IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN IT, I THINK I DON'T MIND.
SOMETIMES I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL SAY, CAN YOU GIVE IT TO EVERYONE AROUND THE HORSESHOE? AND SOMETIMES I'M LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW IT BECAUSE I ALREADY KNOW IT.
YEAH, BUT IF YOU ALL WANT THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN WITH THIS COMMITTEE, AND ALL OF US, IS THAT WE ALL GET EDUCATED TO THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE THROUGHOUT OUR CITY AND SO WE ALL LEARN MORE WHEN WE UNDERSTAND YOUR DISTRICT BETTER.
ONE IS, DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU MENTIONED EARLIER IN YOUR PRESENTATION ABOUT WHERE DALLAS RANKED? WHEN IN 2016, WHEN THIS WAS INITIATED, COULD YOU DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE DALLAS RANKS NOW? I DON'T KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, FOR SOME REASON DURING THAT PERIOD THAT WAS JUST A IT WAS A REALLY KIND OF COMMONLY REPORTED TYPE OF METRIC.
WHAT I CAN SAY IS A COUPLE OF THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CONCENTRATIONS OF POVERTY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE AND A LOT OF THE PROGRAMS WE DO IN OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE AND EVEN OTHER DEPARTMENTS ACTUALLY LOOK MORE AT AREA MEDIAN INCOME, WHICH IS A LOT HIGHER.
SO POVERTY IS JUST IT'S A VERY LOW THRESHOLD WHEN IT COMES TO HELPING PEOPLE.
IT IS A VERY LOW EARNINGS WAY LOWER THAN A LOT OF OUR PROGRAMS TRADITIONALLY KIND OF REQUIRE.
SO TARGETING IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
BUT AS FAR AS RANKINGS GO, THERE HAS BEEN LARGE SCALE IMPACT FROM SOME OF THE INVESTMENTS MADE, LIKE THE CHILD TAX CREDIT EXPANSION IS KIND OF DEMONSTRATED TO HAVE LIFTED SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF FAMILIES OUT OF POVERTY FOR AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, A PERIOD OF TIME WHEN THEY WERE GETTING IT AND SO THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TOO.
BUT I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC RANKING AT THIS TIME.
I'LL SEE IF I CAN FIND SOMETHING OR FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.
I THINK IT HELPS. IT HELPS US TO PUT THINGS IN CONTEXT.
IT ALSO LIKE THE EXAMPLE YOU GAVE WILL ALSO HELP WITH OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AND OTHER THINGS.
[01:40:02]
HOW DO WE MEASURE THAT? SO FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS, OF COURSE, THERE'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT BUCKETS.SO ONE OF THEM IS JUST LIKE OUR COUNSELING OR OUR GROUP SESSIONS AND THEN IN THOSE, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WILL HAVE KIND OF INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT PLANS AND THEY MIGHT LOOK AT A REPORT ON PROGRESS TOWARDS THOSE GOALS OR TREATMENT PLANS.
OF COURSE, THIS TYPE OF THING IS SO INDIVIDUALIZED, BUT THAT'S KIND OF A GOOD IN GENERAL WAY AND THEN OF COURSE REACH OVERALL, A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE TARGETING COMMUNITIES FOR WHOM A COUNSELING SESSION MIGHT NOT BE THE FIRST THOUGHT WHEN IT COMES TO FINDING A WAY TO DEAL WITH THE OVERWHELMING STRESS AND SO ONE OF THE CHALLENGES FOR THOSE TYPES OF PROGRAMS IS KIND OF GETTING OUT THERE INTO COMMUNITIES OR POPULATIONS WHO AREN'T AS LIKELY TO ENGAGE.
SO FROM THAT ASPECT, JUST THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ENGAGED AND PARTICIPATING CAN BE REALLY IMPORTANT AND THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THOSE PEOPLE AND WHERE THEY COME FROM AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE CHANGE THE STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A CHILD, NOBODY EVEN SAID THE WORD CANCER, RIGHT? AND NOW IT'S UBIQUITOUS AND SO I THINK THE SAME THING WITH MENTAL HEALTH.
SO THAT MAY BE AN ADDITIONAL MEASURE, IS WHERE PEOPLE SAY THAT MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES ARE NEEDED.
WHETHER OR NOT WE GIVE THEM IS ANOTHER STORY OR WHETHER OR NOT WE GIVE ENOUGH TO THEM.
SO I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE HOW WE DO THOSE BASELINES AND AT SOME POINT THINGS THAT WE CAN USE, SOME BASELINE MEASURES THAT WE CAN USE SO THAT WE CAN INVEST MORE IS REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
JESSICA, ON SO MANY OF THESE ITEMS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OKAY, THE OTHER QUESTION IS HOW IS THE CITY OR DO WE HAVE PLANS WITH ALL THAT'S ON YOUR PLATE? DO WE HAVE PLANS TO PREPARE FOR FUTURE ECONOMIC OR PUBLIC HEALTH CRISES THAT COULD EXACERBATE POVERTY? OUR MAYOR REFERENCED RECESSION.
YOU KNOW, LIKE HOW DO WE HELP? HOW DO WE PREPARE? WHAT ARE THE MECHANISMS IN PLACE TO PREPARE FOR POTENTIAL CRISES THAT HOPEFULLY YOU NEVER HAVE TO DEPLOY? WELL, I THINK FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE AND OUR UNIQUE FOCUS, WHICH TENDS TO BE CLIENT CENTRIC I WILL HIGHLIGHT TWO AREAS, BUT I THINK THAT OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES STRATEGICALLY AT THE CITY LEVEL AND WITH OUR DEPARTMENT COLLEAGUES TO TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS AS WELL. PREPARING PEOPLE IS IMPORTANT.
SO I'M PROBABLY NOT THE BEST TO SPEAK TO THIS, BUT OUR OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL OR SORRY, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND OURSELVES, WE ACTUALLY JUST SOUGHT SOME FUNDING FROM A NATIONAL ENTITY TO DEVELOP SOME PLANNING AROUND HOW TO MESSAGE AND HOW TO EDUCATE AND HELP PEOPLE PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES AND SO THAT IS VERY EARLY.
I THINK THAT THEY'LL PROBABLY BRING MORE INFORMATION ON THAT FORWARD WHEN IT GETS TO THAT POINT.
BUT WE WORK TOGETHER TO SEEK SOME FUNDING FOR THAT SO THAT WE COULD DO SOME THINGS IN THAT AREA.
WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW TO INTEGRATE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INTO OUR FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTERS, AND OF COURSE, TO COMMUNICATE THAT TYPE OF MESSAGING THROUGH ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS AND THEN I THINK THAT ANOTHER ASPECT OF IT IS READINESS OF OUR NONPROFIT COMMUNITY.
ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS WHEN COVID HIT IS THAT OUR NONPROFITS ARE SO SMART AND THEY'RE SO SAVVY AND THEY'RE SO GOOD AT SPEAKING THE BUSINESS CASE FOR PROGRAMS AND MAKING VERY COMPELLING CASES FOR A LOT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.
BUT THERE WERE SOME REALLY KIND OF BASIC THINGS THAT CAME UP DURING COVID THAT HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN THE THINGS THAT EVERYBODY IS AS BEST EQUIPPED TO SPEAK ABOUT, THOSE VERY URGENT AND EMERGENT HUMAN NEEDS TYPES OF THINGS.
A CHALLENGE WE FACED WAS RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
I MEAN, IT WAS A COMPLETE SCRAMBLE AND SO I THINK THAT CONTINUING AND MAINTAINING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR NONPROFIT COMMUNITIES AND BEING FLEXIBLE WITH THEM TO HEAR AND UNDERSTAND AS THEY BRING THINGS FORWARD AND SHARE WITH US WHAT THEY'RE SEEING ON THE GROUND, SO THAT WE CAN KNOW WHEN PEOPLE ARE BEING IMPACTED BY THINGS THAT WE MIGHT NOT EVEN SEE IN DATA YET, AND BEING WILLING TO HEAR AND UNDERSTAND, LIKE A LOT OF OUR PHILANTHROPY COMMUNITY AND THE CITY ITSELF HAD TO DO DURING COVID, WE HAD TO HEAR, HEY, WE JUST NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT FLEXIBLE HERE.
[01:45:05]
WE HAD TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE THERE.WE HAD TO RETHINK HOW WE CONSIDER ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO NONPROFITS.
WE HAD TO RETHINK HOW WE GO OUT AND SOLICIT PEOPLE TO APPLY FOR OUR CONTRACTS.
I THINK THAT YOUR LEADERSHIP IS SO EVIDENT RIGHT NOW AND I THINK THAT THE AS WE ARE ABLE TO LOOK IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND WE GET FARTHER AWAY, THANK GOODNESS FROM THE PANDEMIC AND ITS IMPACT, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LOOK AND DO SOME SCENARIO PLANNING, WHETHER IT'S FROM THE FOLKS THAT ARE DIRECTLY ON THE GROUND AS WELL AS US, AND POLICIES THAT OUGHT TO BE DESIGNED TO BE FLEXIBLE, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE CAN DO NOW SO THAT WE ARE MORE PREPARED FOR WHAT COME WHAT MAY, WOULD BE A GREAT EXERCISE, I THINK, FOR THIS COMMITTEE AND MAYBE SOME OTHERS OF COUNCIL TO HELP YOU ALL AS STAFF, GIVEN YOUR LIMITED BANDWIDTH TO BEGIN TO PLAN FOR THAT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO SO THAT THE EMERGENCIES ARE TRUE EMERGENCIES THAT WE CAN BE AS PREPARED FOR AS POSSIBLE FROM OUR END. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS.
IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS I'M GOING TO FIND OUT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BRIEFING MEMO REGARDING THE PROCUREMENT ITEM FOR THE MLK CENTER? ANY QUESTIONS FOR THAT? MR. BAZALDUA. THANK YOU AND I'LL APOLOGIZE FOR NOT LOOKING FURTHER INTO THIS BEFORE SEEING IT ON THE AGENDA.
I'M JUST CURIOUS. WHAT? IF YOU COULD GIVE ME A SUMMARY.
SURE. SO I'M JUST GOING TO GO BACK A COUPLE YEARS AND HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
THE CITY OF DALLAS HAS LONG BEEN INVOLVED IN THAT AND I THINK IT WAS 2016 WHERE THE CITY WAS KIND OF CHARGED WITH LEADERSHIP AT THAT POINT TO KIND OF TAKE OVER, COMBINE, MERGE, CREATE ONE LARGE PARADE.
FOR SEVERAL YEARS, THE CITY ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED, PLANNED AND MANAGED THAT PARADE AND IT WAS KIND OF AN OVERWHELMING TASK FOR OUR STAFF THAT WAS WELL BEYOND THEIR SPECIFIC SKILLS AND EXPERTISE. I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING WILD OVERTIME HOURS.
BUT THEY DID IT BECAUSE OF THEIR PASSION.
SO THEY JUST KEPT PUTTING IT FORWARD BECAUSE OF THE VALUE OF THE COMMUNITY.
A FEW YEARS AGO, WE WERE DIRECTED TO LOOK AT TRYING TO GET A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION BACK INVOLVED AND IN THE LEAD OF THE PARADE AND SO WE INITIALLY DID A SOLICITATION THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR THE 2022 PARADE, WHICH DID NOT HAPPEN BECAUSE THERE WAS A BIT OF A HIGH INCIDENCE OF COVID.
SO WE DID THAT INITIAL SOLICITATION AND THE ORGANIZATION CALLED HOPE AND COURAGE, LOVE PROTECT, WHICH WAS FORMERLY A CHAPTER OF SONS OF SOLOMON, BUT THEY HAD REBRANDED THEMSELVES IN THAT NAME A LONG TIME PARTNER OF THE PARADE.
THEY HAD BEEN PARADE MARSHALS, PARADE VOLUNTEERS.
THEY HAVE HELPED TO KEEP ORDER TO BRING PEOPLE TO THE TABLE.
THEY WERE THEY RESPONDED TO THAT SOLICITATION.
IT WAS A COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION.
I THINK THERE WERE THREE RESPONDENTS AT THAT TIME.
TWO OF THEM MADE IT TO THE PRESENTATION STAGE.
I KNOW THAT PART AND SO ULTIMATELY, HELP WAS SELECTED.
OF COURSE, WE HAD TO THEN POSTPONE.
SO WE TRANSITIONED THAT WORK THAT HAD ALREADY GONE ON BETWEEN THE CITY AND HELP TO MOVE THAT TO THE 2023 PARADE, WHICH WAS EFFECTIVELY THE FIRST PARADE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO LAUNCH UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF HELP AND WE TERM THEM OUR MANAGING PARTNER.
WHAT WE'VE BASICALLY DONE IS WE'VE STRUCTURED AN AGREEMENT WHERE WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT.
BUT WE CHARGE THE ORGANIZATION WITH ALMOST ALL OF THE OVERSIGHT MANAGEMENT.
THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE ALL PERMIT REQUIREMENTS ARE MET, MAKING SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH BARRICADES, MAKING SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, TRASH CANS AND PORTLETS AND JUST EVERY SINGLE THING THAT GOES INTO AN EVENT OF THIS MAGNITUDE AND THEY ALSO, AS A PART OF THEIR AGREEMENT, THEY FUND, THEY RAISE FUNDING TO COVER THE ENTIRE COST OF THE PARADE. SO THE CITY HAS INVESTED $100,000 IN THE PARADE.
[01:50:06]
$200,000. WE ONLY GIVE THEM $100,000.WE THEN HAD TO DO ANOTHER COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION FOR 2024.
WE HAD HOPED FOR THAT TO BE A MULTI YEAR, BUT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO WORK THAT OUT FROM A PROCUREMENT AND TIMING STANDPOINT AND SO WE DID ANOTHER SOLICITATION FOR A TWO YEAR AGREEMENT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS ANNUALLY AND THAT ORGANIZATION THAT HAD HELPED US HELP IS WAS WAS SELECTED AGAIN THROUGH THAT SOLICITATION.
SO THIS SOLICITATION IS FOR ONE YEAR AND THAT IT INCLUDES A RENEWAL.
SO THE CITY WOULD HAVE THE OPTION TO EXECUTE THAT RENEWAL OR NOT TO OF COURSE, IF THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH PERFORMANCE OR IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO GENERATE THE FUNDING TO PUT ON THE EVENT, AND WE HAVE TO STEP IN AND DO MORE THAN THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD CAUSE US NOT TO, OR IF THERE'S A FUNDING BARRIER OR SOMETHING ELSE. BUT YES, THERE ARE RENEWALS.
THERE'S ONE RENEWAL OPTION IN THIS, BUT IT IS NOT AUTOMATIC.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE A COMMUNITY MEETING OUT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S BEEN, AS YOU JUST GAVE A HISTORY A PRETTY ROCKY PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
Y'ALL HAVE DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB.
YOU HAD TO MOVE AND FIGURE OUT WITH CONSTRUCTION, WITH WEATHER, WITH COVID.
I MEAN, THERE'S BEEN ALL OF THE CURVEBALLS THAT HAVE COME YOUR WAY, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LACK OF CONSISTENCY IN THE COMMUNITY'S EYES THAT I WOULD HATE FOR ALL OF THIS WORK TO BE PUT INTO WITHOUT HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN THE PROCESS, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE OUTSIDE PARTY HAS A FRONT FACING ROLE WITH THE COMMUNITY, THAT THEY KNOW WHO TO CONTACT AS WELL, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S SOMEWHAT OVERWHELMING IN THE RESPONSE THAT WE GET FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO I JUST WOULD LIKE TO US TO GET AHEAD OF THAT AND MAYBE IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER.
BUT I'M COMMITTED TO HOSTING ONE IF YOU CAN.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS WILLIS.
YEAH. THANK YOU. I WAS REVIEWING THIS AS WELL.
SO I THOUGHT THAT IN 2021 OR 2020, 2021, THE BUDGET WAS $50,000 FOR THIS EVENT.
I THINK THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN, BUT IT WAS INCREASED BECAUSE THE COSTS WERE SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
OKAY AND THEN I SENT A MESSAGE YESTERDAY ABOUT WHAT THE SPONSORSHIP REVENUE WAS.
SO THE SPONSORSHIP REVENUE, THAT IS A COMPONENT OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO, I CAN SAY THAT LAST YEAR THEY RAISED $96,000 IN ADDITION TO THE FUNDING THAT WE CONTRIBUTED TO COVER THE COST OF THE PARADE THE YEAR BEFORE.
IT WAS SIMILAR, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT AMOUNT ON ME, BUT IT WAS RIGHT IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT WAS SLIGHTLY MORE LAST YEAR.
I MEAN, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME ANOMALIES AND THE WEATHER WAS AWFUL THIS PAST YEAR AND ALL OF THAT.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE, AGAIN, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY.
THERE ARE A LOT OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO EITHER HAVE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS TO INVEST, OR I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT'S BEING MAXIMIZED AND I HAD SEEN THAT DIFFERENCE IN WHAT WAS HOW THAT BUDGET HAD GROWN.
BUT I JUST WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS GROW TO WHERE IT COULD BE MORE SELF-SUSTAINING.
WHAT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY CENTER BOARD? DO THEY HAVE A ROLE IN PLANNING THIS OR.
I'M SORRY, CAN YOU REPEAT THE MLK COMMUNITY CENTER BOARD? OH, THE MLK COMMUNITY CENTER BOARD.
YES. SO THE COMMUNITY CENTER BOARD HAS KIND OF SOME OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INSIGHT GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION ON MLK WEEK REALLY AS A WHOLE.
IN FACT, THAT I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SWANN 25 SINCE FEBRUARY, PROBABLY OF 2024.
BUT THE PARTNER HELP THEY WILL ACTUALLY COME TO THE BOARD MEETINGS MULTIPLE TIMES.
THEY'LL PROVIDE UPDATES, THEY'LL GET FEEDBACK.
WE'RE TAKING THIS INFORMATION THAT WE'RE PRESENTING.
IT'S ACTUALLY SLIGHTLY OUT OF ORDER BECAUSE OUR BOARD MEETING IS NEXT WEEK.
SO WE'RE TAKING THIS TO THEM NEXT WEEK, BUT WE JUST COULDN'T AFFORD TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT WEEK.
SO WE HAVE TO DO IT OUT OF ORDER.
[01:55:07]
THE PARADE IS MANAGED BY THE PARTNER AND THE GALA IS A STAFF AND BOARD REQUIREMENT.OKAY AND I'M LOOKING AT THE SPONSORSHIP PACKET IN SEPTEMBER.
I MEAN, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, CORPORATE BUDGETS ARE BEING PLANNED IN THAT TIME FRAME.
SO IF THEY CAN BACK THAT UP EVEN BY A MONTH SO THEY CAN GET IN FRONT OF SOME FOLKS, I THINK THIS COULD DRAW A LOT OF CORPORATE SUPPORT AND SO JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING INTO THE GROOVE OF WHEN OTHERS ARE PLANNING THEIR BUDGETS.
SO WE GOT A BETTER SHOT AT THAT.
YES, MA'AM. THAT'S PART OF WHY WE'RE TRYING TO GET IT TO YOU NOW, SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT IN PLACE AND SO THAT THEY CAN CONFIDENTLY GO FORWARD WITH THEIR FUNDRAISING, AS CAN WE FOR THE OTHER ASPECTS OF MLK WEEK THAT WE HAVE TO FUNDRAISE FOR.
THAT'S GREAT AND MOST OF THE BUDGETS ARE IN THE FALL ANYWAY, SO THAT'S GREAT.
PERFECT. THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS.
IT'S 10:59 AND 53 SECONDS AND WE HAVE ENDED THE MEETING ON TIME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.